Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-11-02
GOLD AT GRANITE FALLS.

The Precious Metal Alleged to Exist In
Paying Deposits In Yellow Medicine County
An Account OF the Discovery
FL Derby of Chicago was in St Paul yes
terday and exhibited specimens of free gold
taken from rock outcroppings along the bluffs
on the Minnesota river at Granite Falls, Mimi,
and also specimens of the rock in which the
metal is alleged to exist The SAMPLES, both
of the metal and ore, were foundation enough
upon which to built an interview with Mr..
Derby, and he said:
You know, of course. that Granite Falls is
located on the Minnesota river, il Yellow aIedi-
cine county, in the valley between the bluffs that
skirt the river q. that point. Just below the town
on the river is an outcrop of granite, from which
the town derives its name. The general topography
of the valley is broken and ridges have been formed
from five to twenty feet above the surrounding
surface, from which the supposed gold bearing
rock crops in various places. The rock is evil
IDENTIFY composed of Quartz-and is primitive for
nation. About five or six years ago man named
Smith, who owned eight acres of land in that vici-
nifty, thought that
HE HAD DISCOVERED GOLD
in this rock-of which there were heavy outcrop-
pings upon his land-but he did not investigate the
matter very thoroughly, and his stories soon
forgotten. Smith went down into Kansas to work,
and engaged with company mining galena. There
he explained his gold theory, and the propr etors
OF the gahena mine were sufficiently impressed with
Smiths description of the rock, the formation Of
the country, etc., to supply him with means to re-
turn to Granite Falls and make further investiga-
lions. So he want back to his patch of ground and
began operations. He sank shaft, or hole, in the
rock, and the material taken from it
was forwarded to practical workers in Montana, and
there it was pronounced workable ore. A man
named Russell owned the balance of thirty two
acres which formed the forty upon which Smith
was at work. and he, noticing what the discovarer
was doing. also began sinking shaft Other neigh
bors soon got the gold fever, among them mau
named Rice, who sunk shaft on the east side of
the river. Well, Smiths shaft went down ten feet
and at four feet he took out which Gssayed $25
per ton, aud at nine feet $50. RusselPs rock went
$40 to the ton right at the surface, aud he struck
$40 ore within two feet of the top Prof. Winchell
the State geologist, assayed of the rock, and
found it to be gold -bearing. As natural conse-
quence
GREAT LOCAL EXCITEMENT HAS BEEN CREATED.
Russell was offered 900 for fifteen acres of
his land, and the whole tract Of thirty-two acres
only cost him S72, not long ago Tho find is of
enough Importance to warrant the immediate
building of mill for the reduction of the ore, and
l am going in with Russell to put up stamp mill,
while smith will be backed by the galena company
in Kansas who will work his shaft and pay him 10
per cent royalty, and will also get in machinery as
soon possible The fever is running high in that
vicinity just now, and Granite Falls bids fair to be-
come genuine mining camp. One man washed
out few pans of dirt from the river bed and found
what he believes is gold.