Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-21
The Vermont Gold Mines.

Some dozen oil years ago, conslderaoie
excitement was caused throughout New
England, and especially Vermont, by the
discovery Of gold among it's rocks. Or
course it was almost to near home, and
the localities were too we'll known to al.
low of that feverish uncertainty which
ras the case with the California discover
.es; but although the latter State had folly
established its claims as the Ell Dorado o.
the New World. there seemed some pros
pect that the Green mountains would
change their name to the"Gulden Range, y
or some other name equally suitable.
Many of the citizens of Springfield, guild
cd by few old California miners, went
to Vermont and worked while i'll the
"diggngs." But the romance was soou
played out, and they returned, being con-
viuccl, however, that there was gold
there, althouh not enough to pay for the
trouble of getting it Whether there is
really enough to fArnish profitable en-
ployment can be be better Judged further
or. The prospect" was SO fascinating at
that time, however, that New York
company built stamping mills to crush the
gold-bearing quartz, but after expensive
outlays, with comparatively small returns,
'hey gave up the work and their machin-
cry was moved to Canada.
The gold fields ere mostly located IN
Windsor county in the southern part OF
the State, though the precious metal is
alss found all along the Green Mountain
range. even"over the border" and into
Canada. Those with which we have to
do at present are located in the town Of
Plymouth, at a place called Tyson Fur
mace from the owner Of the place) on
Pollard's brook. and ahou; one mile from
It's mouth. This country i. Of toplca!
Vermont character, rough and mountain
Gus. To reach it you 60 on the Rutland
railroad to the town CT Ludlow, where
YOU take the Ludlow and Woodstock
stage as far as Tyson Furnace. Ludlow,
by the way, is quite a favorlte country
resort in the summer. and several of our
citizens eau testify to the beauties there
Of. Leaving this city at o'clock A. NJ,
you arrive on the field of operations
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, having
by no means passed the borders Of civil
,zation The tract on this brook is now
leased for three miles BY Virgil Wood
cock of Swansea, N Fl. aud Jeremiah
bly, of Chicopee Falls, Mass, the former
being mineralogist and proprietor Of the
Green Mountain gold mines" Mr.. bly,
is an old miner having been in the mines
of California from 1850 TO 1869 and
knows '.what is what" in gold matters as
wuIl as the next man. Hearing Of these
mines, Mr.. Bly,, now vigorously old mau
nearly seventy, thought Lc would invcsti'
gate them. and according started, just al
The close of last July. to visit them. On
arriving lie found he could not pro6tably
invest in business for himself, and SC
worked on shares for Mr.. Woodcock dur.
ing the remainder of the season. At FIRST
thcv washed a little in the brook itself,
and then made more money than any be-
fore them. clearing at first about $3.50 4
dav. Those who had worked there before
had committed the usual mistake of wash.
ing their gold away, not knowing how te
do the work properly. Mr. Bly, was not sat
isGed with this, and looked around for
something better. Having found in Cali
fornia that there is always gold in the old
bed Of some stream, ii anywhere in the
region, he looked FIRST for the old bed Of
Pollard's brook and found it about sc
feet distant from the present one. on high
er ground, and where It must have rur
hundreds Of years ago, Here he ''pros
pected." aud soon made half an eunet
(Sl0l per day by rocking" Still, no
satisfied, he tod Mr.. Woodcock that he
must build some '.sluices" and bring th'
power of water to aid them. Finally
the letter consented the sluices wer'
made, and, after few days work, the.
were washing out about an ounce Of gol'
each per day. t.
!; There is not a shovclful Of earth i,
that claim that is not hearing |;
that is, that will not yield gold enough 1