Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-10-11


exploring, and II IS expensive and tedious in the
extreme, have had share Of it, and shall be
very glad il Ihave to do nothing more in that way
Prospecting is necessary when a man has no dig
gings, and in some cases if he has rot good dig
gings. | suppose you hear the most extrayagaut
accounts of some places in this country, where
pounds of gold are taken out IN pans. We are
tantalized in this way by reports, and the thing
is spoken of as a sort Of secret, which gives
an additional charm and interest. Several times
we heard of exceedingly rich places, and it was
said man had only to be there to make fortune
in a few DAYS though there was some almost in
surmountable obstacle in the way: At one time
it was the hostile Indians-et another, mountains
that could hardly be crossed-then It was wafer,
and, last of all, snow. Tie great object OF in
terest lately has been Geld Lake. said TO be
about two DAYS travel from 'rhe4e am at present
The most feyerish anxiety has prevailed respect
ing II though, / must inform you. thatI have not
been much moved myself What truth there IS
in the statements we have heard l know not
The great difficulty has hitherto been in suppos-
ing whole neighbolhood rich merely because
place three yards square has turned out so.
As soon as We supposed the rains were over
We started for Sumner diggngs, and selected the
head waters of the Middle Fork Of the American.
This was done because (as everybody said) the
country there was known to be very rich one
place especially. called the Big Canon was said
10 be worth any sacrifice to make a claim in
and when got there we sad this Is the place
and were glad when the place orfutuTe operations
had been re1ched We had very favorable
opinion Of the country-1st, because provisions
were high. almost every thing bringing dollar
pound: ID, because there was 10 grass for our
animals; 3D., because the snow so deep that
we :ould not ride about much 4th because the
country was very broken, and il coming up from
the streams, where the gold was said TO le we
could make about mile in tEyo hours! I could
give other reasons. but I foIbear. Suffice it to
say, that yye almost killed both ourselves and an
imals. and made less than two dollars in a month,
and although yvc left because the wate- wa. too
high. it was with the belief we should return. as
we made some (as we called theul) valuable
claims, in the Big Canyon. have mentioned
saw one small place out of which ten men had
taken eleven hundred dollars the day before, Yet
now shilling could hardly be obtained for the
best improved claim there, and competent judges
,.;,.l, ,ar,. I;t.la If +to r,r+ +bjnL r rich n
,l..as s.roar,s are ,-er,- rsr.l and have -,
e.-o.+ LoI,, IF ,-,tc- co,seo,e,,+l,, The cold Is
washed from al but the most secure places, and
there perhaps it viii be found in large quantities.
One place was pointed our 10 where, last Fall
- .,,- .,,,s ,..ra .,,-... ont sl,-.
.,.a
am al present a z place eai-eu OT"ss ''lloE1
i1uT mites from Deer OFeeN' ana not d great way
from Inc l"oa- Inc present Is my NI7l regular
oissiiS P'dee 'a'i''S OI'ii i9ie Nv oi @i2
Aeh we came mere We 1'e1aseo 7" 9N'5 '' ~ ~
company then slNteeni and no" nihe- MoSt q
the time we have been Tie latter n'nloeF- me
others were with Us cut a lew days Ihe7e are
about average liss'n=s' ana lAele'o'e We i5 'i'el
despond nor boast Ne are mere Unui We can 90
better, having mad one or more OF our party out
prospecting al 1a7 tHne- some oI our com P4ny
AZ i--i' '-1o % De on some" mere e-7e' o. NY
part am thankful lor Whal we are DONG ana
ior the present content VIII give you our last
weeks earnings, which IS about an average OF our
labors Monday, eight men working, Sl32 ;
Tuesday. seven men, $50; Wednesday, sevenmen,
s1o4; Thursday, seven men, sl59' Friday, sev-
en- men. Sol Saturday, Eve men, $50. This IS
reckoning gold at SIG an o., the lowest price in
tins country Friday we only washed about three
hours, and Saturday we quit work early IN the
afternoon Giving one share 70 the man who Is
out prospecting. we make ten or twelve dollars
day, and hope to do still better The most have
made in one day was S374, whichwa Thursday,
the 20th June. We throw of about three feet Of
the surface and find the gold principally small or
hne) deposited in clay and gravel, which We wash
In digging it is hardly ever seen; but IN order to
hnd whether gold Is IN a certain place or not, q
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