Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-07-16
THE skAoIr BLK.
what . Returned Eurekau says
Absas Is-Hew she Humbug n
Engineered.
Eureka Sentinei, July IA.

Esreka Senfinel, July IA.
The Sentinel yesterday had q call from
Mr.. NJ. j. Warren. an old.tims miner OF
Eureka District. Mr.. Warren left here
about ten months ago, going to Bodie
and thence to Skagit river. He spent
four months In that northern region.
and pronounces the alleged gold mines
q cruel hoax, designedly gotten up and
boosted by the people OF Seattle and
other towns on the Sound. to attract and
fleece miners. The steamboat compa-
mics are also extensively engaged in
engineering the blk.
The country. Mr.. Warren says, has
been extensively prospectsd for more
than three years, and to date not . single
claim has been found that will pay grub.
much less wages. He thinks the average
yield Of the so.called mines will not
exceed sixty cents per day to tho man.
A few hundred dollars worth OF Idaho
and Montana gold dust was taken In
there by interested parties, and this has
been made to do duty In the way OF
keeping up the excitement. He thinks
this same batch OF dust has been sent up
the river and down again as much as
fifty times. In all some 1900 men have
been drawn to the country, but there
has never been bat o few men in the
mines at any one time. They o dis.
cover that the country 10 q fraud and
hasten out. Those who 6nd themselves
broke usually make for the Canadian
Pacific Railroad, which Is about lO0
miles further north. The road pays
common laborers 81 80 per day, with
81 so per week Of for board. Tunnel
men on the road get 81 70 per day and
pay tho same board.
The alleged diggings are l64 miles
north Of Seattle. and 80 miles above the
mouth Of the Skagit river. The Skagit
river ia q little larger than the Humboldt
in this State. and 10 ~navigable at all
seasons to Mount Vernon, o point
twelve miles above the mouth. When
the water IL high they 60 with small
steamers sixty.one miles further up to
Portage City. Godell is eight miles fur
thsr along. and hers Ia found immense
rapids. which mark the head OF oanoe
navigation. Eighteen miles. over the
toughest trail in America, brings NJ to
the new Dorado. 1t requires men two
days to travel this eighteen miles. At
| points they are compelled to cling to
ropes to avoid being dashed to pieces In
the rapids hundreds Of feet below.
There IL no sign Of . town or store
on any Of the streams in what 10 known
as the mining section. Mr.. Warren
says Il IL true that there Is q little fine
| gold to be found in some OF the streams,
but nowhere in quantities to pay. On
Canyon creek, o tributary to the Upper
Skagit, the snow lies from 80 to 250 feet
deep. It did not disappear at all last
year.
Dick Brown, the banjo player. well
known to many old Pacific Coasters. was
met with by Mr.. Warren in the mines.
Dick was broke, but managed to get up
the wind in Q somewhat novel way. he
laid out q town which he ohristensd
Ruby City. He then joined the boom
and talked loud Of the prospects OF the
country. As the newcomers arrived no
gave them lots ON the condition that
they would erect buildings in o specified
time Of certain dimensions. He charged
nothing for lots in his town, but he
opened q book OF record and exactsd o
fee Of one dollar from each person for
recording his lot. In this way Dick
made a raise Of about 500 and with 1t
he struck out for San Francisco. coming
down on the same steamer Mr.. Warren
arrived on.
Mr.. Warren recounts his rough expert.
ence in that northern latitude cheerfully,
and seems to be heartily glad TO be once
more on the Base Range. He now
thinks Eureka b good enough place for
| him,