Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1886-01-27
STRUCK IT RICH.
Discovery Of Extensive Gold Fields
in the Little Republic Of
Honduras.
The New Diggings Said to Equal
the Best Placer Districts
OF California.

CHICAGO, III January ga local
paper publishes long article this
morning announcing the discovery Of
rich gold fields in the Republic Of Hon.
duras. 1t appears that some six
months ago James Rector, Milligan,
Gel. Pat DOMAIN of Dakota and three
others from Indiana made up q pool
and sent Rector and another man, an
old California prospector, to Honduras
to examine and report upon q new
placer gold field, which was alleged to
have been found ia the southeastern
part of that little Republic. Ever since
November there have been rumors
sfloat that the alleged discovery was
confirmed, and that 1t had proved to
be most important one; but the pro-
jectors Of the expedition at home
would say nothing about it. Now,
however, the ban OF silence is re-
moved, and with the arrival Of full
particulars both by cable and mail, and
also the receipt oil little bag Of $22 in
dust, the Importance OF the find Is no
longer concealed. Already Mr.. Mill
gan OF Fargo, OAK, has gone to Hon.
duras. Col. DOMAIN will follow in q
few week., and several other parties
OF Western men are making ready TO
start for the new Ellorado. Mr.. Rec
tor, who has been on the ground since
last summer, and who is known as a
prudent and cautious man and one
possessed of unusually hard sense,
writes to his friend here that the dis
covery is likely to prove as important
a one as any Of the
GREAT PLACER DISTRICTS or CALIFORNIA.
The new field lies in the eastern
portion Of the Republic OF Honduraa,
and about $50 miles from the Atlantic
coast. The placers are in and ada
cent to the hesdwaters of the Guayape
river, which is one of the tributary
streams of the Rio PAtuca, a region
long known for it's mineral resources.
Mr.. Rector and party have explored
the stream and its gravelly bottom for
nearly fifty miles, and have found
scores of places where the gravel
yields from 10 to so cents to the pan.
They have begun regular mining,
however, in place where, after mucn
toll, they succeeded in turning the
river from its native bed. Here they
dug down, and are sluicing out from
81 to $40 a cubic yard, a yield fully
equal that OF the best placer's diggings
in California. The bed Of the river
they have reclaimed covers many
acres in extent, and under the laws Of
the republic they can lay claim to it
all. The facilities for placer mining
are unsurpassed. The gold which has
been sent up was exhibited to few
select parties in this city yesterday.
The particles are of all szss, from
mustard-seed grains to
NUGGETS AS BIG AS BIRDS EGGS.
One nugget was found valued at
Sll5. Rector believes that the bed Of
the stream for nearly it's whole length,
together with the eand and gravel bars
adjacent are rich in gold. The govern
ment of Honduras, 1t is said, is very
liberal to miners, lot them come from
where they may. 1t requires no citi-
zenship to work mineral land, and
there is very large margin allowed as
to the extent OF holding. Gold and
ciiNof LniuiuB hho lOuR poou an ccthu-
lished industry in the region of the
Rio Patuca, but the in artness of the
people. the apparent remoteness of the
country and the lack Of adequate cap
itsl has prevented anything like sys-
tematic work. 1t is stated that mining
men from the West who are at present
in Chicago, are watching with keen in
terest the Honduras developments,
and that ii the news which the Rector
party has sent shall be further con-
firmed there will be quite stampede
for the new region. The country is
descubed as healthful, entirely free
from malaria, and the temperature
ranging in the foot hills of the noun
tain ranges where the placers are to be
found at from 450 to 750 the year round.