The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-10-10
= COEUR D'ALENE.
The Excitement at Boiling Heat
In Butte.
Prichard not so Much or q Crank
After All.
From the Butte Miner.


stampeding parties from Bozeman, Mis-
so,,la and other points last spring, all Of
which returned with nothing but curses
for the 'crank" Pritchard who originated
the stories of fabulous tliggings in that
region, seem likely to materialize into
something more than the myth which
they have been pronounced. During the
past forty-eight hours direct information
has been received in this citv which in
dicates that the placers are fully AZ rich
as has been represented and that men
now workin. thelu are taking out from
$40 to 800 per day, gold nuggets having
been found worth az high rs $3.50.
Among Butteites now at the diggings are
AL Dell. Pat Magrath, Mike Cooney, Bar
ney Roudobush and Tom Argyle. A
telegram was received yesterday by John
Noyes from Al Dell. saying that the
placers are all right and urging him to
come on. Mr.. Noyes' business engage
ments' will prevent his going, but he will
probably be interested in some of the
claims. 4 letter has also been received
by Chas. S. Warren from Sam Morris, of
Missoula, enclosing one from Pat Mag
rath, in substance, says: that his party,
including several men from Butte, went
through, on horseback from Missoula to
Rattledrum, on Prichard Creek, where
the rlacers are located, in six days The
richest diggings struck SO far are on the
Mrs. Mclean claim, where ON the day
before writing the letter the party of six
men had taken out with pan and rocker
5000 in dust and nuggets, one nugget
being worth $3.50. The digging SO far
has been only two feet deep. Prichard
creek is very fiat, twenty-five miles long.
and is located it's entire length in claims
of twenty acres each. A great many
claims are "smuggled," being located in
the name of parties who are still in the
States, and have never been on the
ground. Several of these nonresident
claims have been jumped by the Monta-
ma boys. There are about l5O mon in
the camp and l25 more were expected to
arrive from Spokane on the next day.
They are generally from Washington and
Idaho and they say they would rather
see 900 men come in from the west than
20 from Montana because the Montana
boys act as If they were going to have a
slice of the gold field in spite of fire and
high water. The writer don't advise any
body to come in unless they are well
prepared to winter in the camp. 1t will
take until next summer to open up the
creek thoroughly in deep ground. Pric-
hard and company are the principal
owners and have staked off and located
claims in the names of all their friends
back in the States. The claims are
staked off 10 by SO rods. The creek is
one claim wide it's entire length and in
many places two claims vide.
The receipt Of this intelligence operat-
ed like spark in the powder magazine
among our foot loose prospectors, among
whom the only question yesterday was
how to "get there" Several parties ap-
pear to be forming to 60 to the gold fields
on their own account, and many who
cannot go themselves, are joining in
pools to defray the expenses of represen-
tatives who will make the trip and in
clude them in any locations made. A
party of four started yesterday, including
Walt Morrissey, Capt Bracy and two
others. Among those who will probably
he interested in parties now forming, to
start Immediately by rail, are John
Moves, James A. Murray, Dave Upton,
c. S. Warren and Frank Carey. 1t will
be well for all who contemplate the trip
to bear in mind, that the season is well
advanced, and that if winter has not
already closed down in Occur dAlenes
the working season is practically over.
Snow lays in that region until June and
they will be able to accomplish nothing
further than the securing of their claim
this fall. The entire creek is represent
ed as being already located, and the only
manner in which claim can be acquired
is by purchase or jumping nonresident
locations, which at hest gives but pre-
cario.s title lhe new EldoradO is
reached b. the Northern Pacific road via
, Rathdrlm, Idaho, from whence it is
eighty miles over very rough trail to
the mines.