The Shasta courier., 1867-04-06
Prospecting.

The coming summer promises to be one of
unusual activity in prospecting for both
quartz and placer mines. Two parties are
now organizing to start On prospecting expe-
ditions next month. One of these parties
purposes starting up the Sacramento to
prospect the creeks, gulches and rayines
putting into the river between Flat Greek
and Scott Mountain. Gold is known to
exist on many of those streams, and but very
little prospecting has ever been done on them
on account of Indians, and their remoteness
from roads or trails. If they pay anything
like similar localities in this county, FIVE
hundred men will probably be at work in
six months from now in territory wherein
no man white has scarcely ventured for years.
TIE other party, headed by John Tifin,
intend to 60 up Pit River, and prospect the
gulches and ravines putting into that stream
between what is known as Big Bend and
point below Fort Crook. Years ago, when
the old Pittsburg mines, situated on one of
the tributaries of Pit River, were in full
blast, man came into camp almost naked,
and in a worn out and starving condition.
He stated that he and five others had left an
Oregon bound train on the old emigrant road,
with the intention Of making their way
across the country to the gold diggings of
California. They struck out on Pit River,
near where Fort Crook now stands, and
of reaching mining camp or settlement
They found the Indians so numerous that
they concluded to travel by night and secrete
themselves during the day. While lying
concealed one day in a thickly wooded rayine,
one of the party, who was engaged in bath
ing his swollen feet, discovered several spec
linens of heavy gold where it had lodged in
the jagged bed rock. This discovery set
them all to searching, and by night the party
found that they had collected several ounces
of the precious metal, about which they had
experienced such sanguine dreams before
leaving their Eastern homes. Further exam
ination showed them that the shallow gravel
in the gulch was richly impregnated with
gold, when they decided to remain and build
a camp and work the gulch with such appli
ances as they could invent for separating the
gold from the dirt and gravel. One of the
party hunted and fished for the sustenance of
the others while they worked in the claim,
and at the end of month found themselves
in possession of quite large quantity of gold
dust But becoming tired of such slow and
primitive mode Of mining, the party eonclud
ed to strike out for some settlement, procure
tools and provisions, and return and work
out the guleh. Acting on this resolution, the
party started down the river, but on the fol-
lowing evening they were surrounded by
band Of hostile Indians and only one of them
escaped. After wandering for days
in the mountains the survivor came into
Pittsburg as above described, related his
story, and exhibited some of the dust as a
proof of his statement. His story, Of course,
created considerable excitement among the
Pittsburg miners at the time, and a party
was formed to 60 out in search Of the gulch
described by the emigrant, but fear of the
Indians finally induced them to abandon the
enterprise. Time passed on, and the Pitts
burg mines were gradually worked out and
deserted, and the emigrant and his story has
been forgotten except by such old residents
as Sandford, Tiffin, Ripley and Brock. Last
summer Brock, who is second Daniel Boone
for fearlessuess. took an Indian with him and
went in search of the lost emigrant diggings,
and although he found nothing by which be
could identify the locality of the original
camp, he found gold in several gulches in
quantities which he thinks will pay well for
working. 1t is for the purpose of visiting
these localities, and making further search
for the lost diggings," that Tifin's compa-
ny is now organizing.