Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-04-03
From the Gold Mines.
HELENA, MONTANA TERRlTcRY,
March 1st, 1868. {

EpIroR CHRONICLE The weather hav-
ing taken no material change, and the
public being too much occupied in cam
vassine the impeachment movement to
create any local topics of interest, will
now give few items in regard to the pla-
Ger mines. I will speak of them as though
none of your readers had ever been in the
Mines The first consideration is to find
some locality where gold is deposited in
paying quantities. A party organizes for
the purpose of prospecting, and furnishes
themselves with riding and pack animals,
if their journey is to be 'eng one. Pro-
visions for the time they expect to be ab-
sent, pick, pan, and shovel constitute
the outfit. When they arrive at place,
which they think is favorable, they camp,
and enter upon the task of sinking holes,
and panning from the dirt taken therefrom
Calculating from the amount to the pan,
and the practicability of working to ad-
vantage, the prospector draws his con-
clusions. Ifhe thinks it will not pay, off
he goes to again repeat his, Operations else
where. Panning is an art difficult to de-
scribe, and also to learn, as may be ascer-
tanned from the experience of any pilgrim.
Caution is required to keep the colors from
floating away by the action of the water.
There is generally found an iron ore-black
sand-where there is gold, and it is often
much harder to pan off than fine colors of
gold.
Well, the party sinks, and pans, and
removes camps, and thus, often the entire
summer passes away, in fruitless search; ;
far from home, friends and civilization,
surrounded by and ever watchful of dan
ger. Sometimes luck directs to the spot
where wealth lies hidden; then the lucky
party goes or sends for his friends. Every
thing is done on the sly. Friends are in
formed in whispers of the discovery, and
various almost unintelligible expressions
used-as "big thing" ''bet your life"
"rich," "don't tell anybody" "start at
dark" A secret departure is attempted,
but some vigilant ones are on the track.
Others soon follow, until mapy are on the
tramp, and every one at the Starting point
is excited and astonished at the marvellous
richness of the new discovery. This is a
stampede, and it's finale is often bi1k.
The first object is to get the best ground
and location, according to the judgment of
the locator. The next object is to make
laws defining district, &c. A recorder
is elected whose business it is to measure
and record each claim pre-empted, and all
transfers These local laws are generally
respected by our courts, in all suits aris-
ing from local circumstances.
First, the laws define a district which
may be divided and subdivided whenever
succession pleases the miners. Then the
mines are divided into creek, gulch, bar
and hill claims. Each person is allowed
to locate one of each class, and the discov-
erer one extra. A creek is supposed to
have certain amount of natural water
running in it, gulch has less than that
amount, or even none. A bar is fat on
the surface. while hill is supposed to
have a summit. Hill diggings are scarce
in the immediate vicinity of Helena. The
bars do not generally pay very we'll. Last
Chance gulch has paid well for a distance
of two and half miles. The ground was
not very deep, and was mostly worked by
stripping the top dirt off. Many men have
accumulated fortunes out of it, but the
chances are against many more making
their pile here, as the streak is gutted out.
The gold is ola fine order, and was toler-
ably well scattered through the dirt. Orc
Fino, the left hand or eastern fork of Last
Chance was never very rich, and the gold
taken therefrom was very fine. Grizzly,
the right hand fork was tolerable deep, and
the gold coarse, and found near the bed
rock. This gulch paid from its head to its
mouth. In some places the streak was
wide, in others narrow, ana was nearly all
drifted.
There are some small gulches on the
head of Grizzly and Orc Fino, that have
yielded much treasure, and with little Ia
Dor and expense.
Dry Gulch is east of Last Chance, and a
narrow streak has paid very well. These,
with few small gulches, bars and hills of
no remarkable richness, are all the mines
| around Helena, within circuit of several
| miles. Nelson Gulch is west of Helena,
about six miles, paid very well where they
have found bed rock The largest nugget
| found in this vicinity was near the head OF
Nelson Gulch. There are also several
gulches southeast from Helena which have
paid very well. The glory has passed
away from this camp. The peregrinating
miners have cu!led the thickest, and now
are gone to some other place. Capitalists
will make money here by constructing
bed rock fumes. But in the ordinary
way which miners have to work, very little
is to be made, for the ground is not rich
| Wages will constantly decrease, and as
the agricultural resources are developed
provisions will become cheaper, railroads
steam navigation on the Missouri and other
occurring events are bringing this territory
into near communication with the states
Therefore groceries and such other com
modities as have to be transported will gel
cheaper. 3
| a a G. B. WHEELER.
- Hon. Chas. Dunn, Democratic candi