The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-07-02
Interesting Statement In Regard to Pixies
Peak.
GREGOkY'9 D1GCINCy,
Near Clear Greek, in the Rocky Mountains

GREcoRY's DiGciScs, J
Near Clear Creek, in the Rocky Mountains,
June ., 1850.
The undersigned none of them miners
nor directly interested in mining, but nov
here for the express purpose of ascertain
ing and setting forth the truth with regard
to subject of deep and general interest
as to which the widest and widest diversi
ty Of assertion and opinion is known tc
exist, unite in the following statement:
We have this day personally visited
nearly all the mines or claims already
opened in this valley, (that of little
stream running into Clear Creek at this
PointD have witnessed the operation OF
digging, transporting. and washing the
vein-stone, "a partially decomposed, or rot
ten quartz running in regular veins from
southwest to northeast, between shattered
walls Of an impure granite,) have seen the
gold plainly visible in the rifles of nearly
every sluice, and in nearly every pan OF
the rotten quartz washed in our presence;
have seen gold (but rarely visible to the
naked eye. in pieces of the quartz not vet
fully decomposcd, and have obtained from
thefew who have already sluces in ssera
ton, accounts Of their several products, rs
follows:
Zeigler, Spain & Co, from South Bend
Ia, have run sluice, with some Interrupt
tions, for the last three weeks; they are
four in company and one hired man
They have taken out little over three
thousand pcnnyweights of gold, estimated
by them rs worth at least 5000; the first
days work produced sol; their highest
was S495
Sopris, Henderson & Co. from Farming
ton, Ind, have run their sluice six days in
all with four nleu-one to dig, one TO car
ry. and two ro wash; four days last week
produced 1907; Monday of this week $3.50
no further reported They have just put
IN second sluice, which only began TO run
this morning.
Foot Il Simmons, from Chicago-one
sluice run four davs-two former days pro
duced SiO-two latter promised US, but
not received.
Defrees Il Co. from South Bend, Ind,
have run small siuice eight davs, with
the following results: first day, 500; Sc,
cond day, $50; third day, SO; fourth oiav
the four following days were promised US,
but by accident failed to be received. i
Have sold half their claim Ca full claim is
80 by loo fcet) for $500
Shears u Co from Fort Calhoun, Ne
brasku, have run one s!uice-the first
Npilt VA iiNr ,SOO, stCOUtt,
first full day, S3i5, third, to-day, SJlu-all
taken from within three feet of the sur
face; vein foot wide on the surface-wi,
dened TO eighteen inches at depth OF
three feet
Brown d Co, from. De Kaib county, Ind
have been one week On their claim; carry
their dirt half mile; have worked their
sluice a day and 4 half: produced S@GQ
have "a tny, 1f
ing from 80 cents to Si3 each III gold vein
from eight TO ten feet wide
Casio, Kendall Il Co, from Butler coun-
ty, Iowa, reached Denver, March 25th
drove the first wagon to these diggings
have been here five weeks; worked first
on claim. on which they ran sluice but
one day; produced S22J; sold their claim
FOR $500; are now working claim on
the Hunter lead; have only sluiced one
(this) day; three men employed; produc-
ed So.
Bates & Co, one slu:ce, run half day
produced Sl35.
Colsnan, King ( Co, one sluicc, run half
a day; produced SO.
Shorts X Collier bought our claim serc-
raj days since, of Caste, Kendall & Co, for
$500; 500 down, and the l~,lancc as fast
as taken out: have not yet got our sluices
into operation. Mr. Dean, from Iowa. ON
the 9th inst. washed out from a single pan
Of dirt taken out from the claim, $3.50
have been offered SlO 900 for the claim.
). g. Jones * Co, from Eastern Kansas,
have run our sluices two days. with three
men; yield >2225 pef day; think the quartz
generally in this vicinity gold bearing
have never seen piece crushed that did
not yield gold.
A. p Wright q Co, from Eikhart coun-
", Indiana; siuice but just in operation
have not YET ascertained its products; our
claim prospects from 25c to 81 % per pan.
John II. Gregory, from Gordon county.
Georgia; left home last season en rou,e for
Frazer river, was detained By a succession
of accidents at Fort Laramie, and wintered
there; meanwhile, heard of the discover
les Of gold OH the South Platte, and start
ed on prospecting tour on the eastern
slope of the Rocky Mountains. early in
January; prospec;cd in almost every val
ley from the Cacke Ia P5.drc creek "a
Pixies Peak, tracing many streams to their
sources; early in May arrived on Clear
Creek, at the foot of the mountains, thirty
miles southeast of this place; there fell in
with the Deirees q Zeig!er Indiana compa-
nies, and VIM. Fouts, of Missouri we all
started up Clear Creek, prospecting; ar
rived in this vicinity May &; the ice and
snow prevented us from prospecting far
below the surface, but the first pan of sur
face dirt on the original Gregory claim
yielded four dollars. Encouraged 10y this
success, we all staked out claims, found
the lead consisting of burnt quartz, re
semblins the Georgia mines, in which
had previously worked. Snow and ice
prevented the regular working of the lead
till May 16; from then until the 23d,
worked it FIVE days with two hands; re
suit, 1912; soon after sold my two claim!
for S2' 600 the parties buying to pay me
after deducting their expenses, all they
take from the claims to the amount o.
$500 per week until the whole is paid
Since that time / have been prospcctin:
for other parties at about $500 per day
Have struck another lead on the opposite
side of the valley, from which washef
sl4 out of single pan.
Some forty or fifty sluices commenced
are not yet in operation, but the owner
inform us that their prospecting" show
from 10 cents to So to the pan. As th'
Leads are all found on the hills, many o
the miners are constructing trenches t.
carry water to them, instead Of building
! their sluices in the ravines and carryin
the dirt thither in wagons or sacks. Man,
persons who have come here without pre-
visions or money. are compelled to worl
as common laborers, at from 81 to So pc
day and board, until they can procur
means of subsistence for the time necessar,
to prospecting, building sluices, &c. 9th
ers, not finding gold the third day. or dis
liking the work necessary to obtaining il
leave the mines in disgust, after yer.
short trial, declaring there is no gold her
in paying quantities. 1t should be re
membered that the discoveries made thu
far are the result of but five weeks labor
In nearly every instance, the gold is es
timated by the miners as worth $40 pc
ounce, which. for gold collected by quick
silver, is certainly a high valuation. thougl
this is undoubtedly of very great purity