"Ocha Potter: Time Line of Events in His Life" by Julia Fairchild, 2008

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experience at all was in demand. The uncle of the two friends he'd made, Greg & Frank,
was an important official in Chicago in the diamond drill business and the source of most
of his employment until he went to school at the Michigan College of Mines. After
another stint as a woodsman, Ocha next took ajob in the Gold Coast Colony, West
Africa, where he was put in charge of the night shift using a type of diamond drill he had
never seen before. About 30 days after arriving, he contracted malaria, but he managed to
stay on for another 10 months. By that point he was so weak he was ordered back to the
States.
1900- 1904. After recuperating for four weeks at Arkansas' hot springs, he worked
briefly in southwestern Colorado in the San Juan gold and silver mining district. A night
or so after arriving, he had an attack of malaria again. It would be another seven or eight
years before he was free of this nemesis. After a week to 10 days, he received notice from
Chicago to report immediately for work in southeastern Kansas doing diamond drill
exploration for a coal company. It was during this time that he wrote to Julia and asked
her if she would marry him "if, as, and when I can support two people." The answer was
"Yes." When the Kansas work was finished, he spent six months in Colorado as a drill
foreman while he waited to enter the Michigan College of Mines in September in
Houghton, MI, to become a mining engineer.
1902, October. Met Julia Silverfriend in Denver for the first time in four and a half years.
She had relocated there with her family sometime after graduation from high school.
1904, September 4. Eloped with Julia Silverfriend and married somewhere near Denver,
CO.
1904, end of December. Professor Seaman at Michigan College of Mines asked him if he
would be interested in leading an expedition into Alaska, 190 miles north of Valdez,
looking for copper.
1905, January. Organized an expedition, purchased needed supplies for the next eight
months, and sailed north out of Seattle for Valdez, returning to Houghton just in time for
the fall semester.
1905, June 3. First child was born to Ocha and Julia, son George Cossar, in Denver, CO.
1905, end of December. Spent the holidays in Denver with his wife and son, then
returned to Houghton, MI.
1906, mid January. Stopped in Denver on his way to a second trip to Alaska that would
last almost 20 months. This time he laid claim to what eventually became the Mother
Lode Mine, located on the McCarthy Creek side of Bonanza Ridge in the St. Elias Range.
This was later purchased by the Kennecott Copper Company, but not for the profit Ocha
or the people who hired him had hoped for. Kennecott was the one who made the huge
profit.