St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-27
NUGGETS FROM HONDURAS
Reports of Immense Gold Finds in the
Central American Republic.
A Stampede to That Country Expected
in the Near Future.

CHICAGO, Jan. pa local paper pub
fishes long article this morning announc-
ing the discovery of rich gold fields in the
republic of Honduras. 1t appears that
some six months ago James Rector, Col.
Milligan OF Fargo. and Col. Pat DOMAIN of
Dakota, and three others from Indiana.
made up a pool and sent Rector and
another man, an old California pros
pectoT, TO Honduras to examine and re-
port upon new placer gold field, which
was alleged TO have been found i'm the
southeastern part of the little republic.
Ever since November there has been ru-
mors afiOat that the alleged discovery was
confirmed and that il had proved To be a
most important one. but the projectors of
the expedition at home would say nothing
about it. Now, however. the ban OF 81
lenee is removed, and with the arrival of
full particulars both by cable and mail,
and also the receipt of a little bag OF S22
in dust the importance of the find is no
longer concealed. Already Milligan of
Fargo has gone To Honduras. Col. DOMAIN
will follow in a few weeks, and several
other parties of Western men are making
ready to set out for the New Eldorado.
Mr.. Rector. who has been on the ground
since last summer, and who is known as a
prudent, cautious man, and one possessed
of
UNUSUALLY HARD SENSE.
writes TO his friend here that the discovery
Is likely to prove as important a one as any
OF the great piacers of California. The
new field lies in the eastern portion of the
republic of Honduras, and about $50 miles
from the Atlantic coast. The placers are
inland. adjacent TO the head waters of the
nss~l nf.lt i IS
tary streams of the Rio Patuca. q
region long known for its min
eral 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 10 the pan. They
have begun regular mining. however. in a
place where. after much toll, they succeeded
in turning the river from It's native bed
Here they dug down and are sluicing out
from 81 To $40 a cubic yard. Weld fully
equal to that of the best placer diggings i'm
California. The bed of the river they have
reclaimed covers many acres i'm extent. and
under the laws of the republic they can Law
claim 10 it all. The facilities for placer
mining are unsurpassed. The gold which
has been sent up was exhibited to few Sc
iect parties in this city yesterday The
PARTICLES are of all sizes, from mustard seed
grains to nuggets as
BIG AS BIRDS EGGS.
The nugget was valued at Sis. Rector
believes that the bed of the stream for
nearly its whole length, together with the
sand and gravel bars adjacent, are rich
in gold. The government of HOndu-
ras. it is said. is very liberal to
miners, and lets them come from where
they may. 1t requires no citizenship to
work mineral land, and there is a very
large margin allowed as to extent of hold
ings. Gold and silver mining has long been
an established industry in the region of the
Rio Patuca. but the ineTtness of the peO-
pie, the apparent remOteness of the cOun-
try and the lack of adequate capital has
prevented anything like systematic work
1t is stated that mining men fOOm the West
who are At present IN Chicago are watching
with keen interest the Honduras develop
meDts, and that if 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 described
as healthy. entirely free from malaria. and
the temperature ranging in the foot hills of
the mountains where the placers are to be
found at from As TO 75o. They can
work the year around.