The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-11
THE SKAGlT MINES.
GOODELL. Sclt j. 1877

UOODELL, SEPT. ., 1919.
ED. lNTELLIGENcER:-This stampede
from Ruby creek is not to be the finale
of this country. Jack Rowley, who
has prospected here for four years.
PRESENTING, Duncan. O'Shea, Kellogg.
Carnes Bros, Gillison, Sanger ana 9TH
ers, al! old miners. and men who have
been in these mountains from one TO
four years. and are practical miners,
are perfectly satisfied to risk more time
aud money on these creeks. Tue men
who are having were flying their kits,
too high in some cases would not be
satisfied with less than $50 diggings a
day, and after u summers work of the
most tedious kind. they struck bed
rock where it WAS perfectly smooth,
worn 10y the boulders. without crevises.
so that gold could net find resting
place, and of course it could MT stick
TO the smooth rock. but must be washed
Oh by the rushing water until it struck
hiding place. 1t was surely very
disc, urseing and the men became dis
satisfied and left their claims until next
spring. Now is the best time to stay.
the streams are low and there is frost
in the mountains every night nearly.
SO the water will become less each
week. Now is the time to prospect !;
q man may he sure of good weather
until the holidays. or perhaps longer.
Rowley. Prescntine. Kellogg, Goodell.
Boren and others are prospecting with
a rocker at the head of canoe naviga-
ton, OH q large fiat where Goodells
store stands Gold has been found in
every place where there has been hole
sunk. Water can DO brought in easily
so as to run sluiccs. and judging by
their present prospects they are salts
fed it will pay from g.. 80 to Is to the
man. per day. if sluiced. II this bar
and others would satisfy miners. il
they would work tor such small wages.
it would save all this packing to Ruby
or Canyon. and then men could work
here until they make money enough to
buy an outfit to enable them to pros
pect the mountains farther up the
Skagit. aud they could hire Indians 70
do their packing. Now it takes halt Of
their time to pack their provisions and
tools on to the creeks, and they get
there with half of their food used up
on the trail; so before they get fairly
at work some one must begin packing
again. Some OF the men who came up
here are used up by exposure and pack
ing 90 much; their knees and ankles
are swollen and stiff. feet blistered,
shoulders lame and aching. yet they
must take their pack and 60 to Ruby Is
their chums are working and need food.
No wonder that after summers work
of this kind they are disheartened when
their hopes were all conferred ON the
bedrock and big pay. and when they
found tit was . blank! If they
would have staid as long a. the weather
WAS good they might have struck it
vet. Wherever the bedrock has been
found on Ruby, sksgit or Canyon.
where it Was shelly or had crevises.
coarse gold has oeen found. and by
picking the dirt from SO cents to - to
the pan Of dirt have been taken out OF
crevises. One piece was found by
Rowley's party last fall which weighed
SIS, Others -. 81. and many that
weighed 80 and IS cents. Some men
are nov On Ruby crevising. and it is
said they are taking cut from 81 to Is
Der day. Goodell aud PRESENTING
worked the rocker yesterday At Goodell
for eight hours; they did not take the
hes. or the poorest dirt, but took what
was considered the average. TO see
what could be depended upon every
day. Their gold weighed 81. The
rocker was new and they .hink at least
one dollar stuck to the blanket and
rocker; by sluicing it would pay much
better -,
Ill can send you word soon ! will
let You know how We progress; prob
ably q dozen or more will winter here.
mining aud trapping. Game Is plenty
md there is money in trapping The
weather is splendid.
RasDacsfniiy NOX.