The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-17
From the Daily Of Friday.
THE CGUR
Ine Whole Country Interested
In the Matter.

1t has probably been manv vea.s
since any gold discovery excited such
general interest all over the country
as has the discovery of Pritchard in
the Ceur d'Alene mountains. We
near OF parties In every section maxi
ing preparations for a trip to the FL
dorado, and even the old timers
whose blood had become cool seem t
have taken the fever again in the
worst form.
Among Butte's contributions to
the gold seekers is Mr.. A. E. briggs.
who has just returned from q trip as
far west as Rathdrum. HI visited
the different points on the railroad
from which parties are making for
the mines, but did not himself attempt
to 90 in. Rathdrum seems to De
the best point of departure from the
railroad at present. Numerous par
ties have started from Heron Siding,
but all have failed in the attempt to
reach thu mines. Numerous parties
are going in by other routes. Mr..
briggs leaves tomorrow for the new
diggings, and will 60 to Eagle City
this time. Mr. J. G. Baker, of this
city, will probably follow him in
the course OF q week, though he may
not attempt to leave the railroad,
Tuesdays Salt Lake Tribune has
an interview with an old Montanian
in which the latter says that about
1866 or 1866 q Cedar Greek stampeder
from California, known "a Or. Robin
sen, went from Cedar Greek with a
pony and prospecting outfit and in a
few days returned with rich speci-
mems of gold quartz and free nuggets
of gold. This caused much excite
ment aud he offered to conduct q
party there for $50 a man. A party
was raised and started but before
reaching the supposed diggings a
quarrel arose and Robinson refused
to 60 any further. There were
threats of hanging but he managed
to escape. He then went to Helena
and played the same game end then
to Portland. Afterwards he tried
the same trick In Wisconsin, in Ken
lucky, in Boston, and in fact kept
this profitable industry up until
1873, several times narrowly escaping
lynching.' His parties never reached
the reputed rich mines, but were al
ways left somewhere on the road,
sometimes within a days march O
the diggings. We interviewed some
of the old timers in Butte yesterday,
and they have q recollection of some
such incident occurring.
Wednesdays Salt Lake Tribune
has On interview with Frank Nc
Carthy, of Missoula, in regard to the
new digginss. He seems to think
the Northern Pacific is booming the
new discovery in order to settle up
the country. It is not a e trick
Of that company to do so, its repre-
sensations in regard to Maiden
mines being perfectly scandalOus.
Mr.. Mccarthy has been on Pritchard
creek, and he gives the following &C.
count of his visit:
II first went there in 1865, al
though as early as 1863 there had
been an excitement raised in that
country, and many q poor fellow
from Oregon and California on that
occasion was picked up by the In
dians. When I went there it was on
q night stampede. which was q COM
mon thing in early Montana towns.
l was accompanied by eight Or ten
other prospectors. We crossed the
mountains from q point west of Mi
soula and struck the head of Pritch-
ard Gulch. 1t was a very difficult
journey on account Of the dense
growth of timber which in many
places was fallen and piled up so that
it was next to impossible for us to GEL
through at all. However. when we
struck the head of Pritchard .Gulch
we found colors, and occasionally a
small piece of coarse gold, together
with small . pieces OF gold bearing
quartz, SOM of which showed free
gold. We sunk quite a number of
holes along the bed of the creek, but
found nothing which in those days
was considered pay dirt. Every
where We ound fire gold such rs is
found all down the Columbia river,
hut not III paying quantities. After
ten weeks of prospecting we made
our way out of the mountains down
to Spokane Falls. where I wintered. l
was satisfied then, as I am now, that
the Cnl If d'Alene Is not q placer
country, aud I believe the scores of
prospect 3rs who have been theres1nce
then, il they had found anything
worth their while. would have re-
I don't think old prospect
ors ever desert q good thing In the
shape of placer Mines"
In regard to qusrtz leads he says:
my trip in the Caur d'Alene con-
WINGED me that some good lodges ex-
list there, anC the present stampade
- - B. 1T d.