Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-16
Gold In Oxford County.

To the Editors Of the Kssns5se Journal:
I have seen In print several times Of late,
articles about Maine gold. Now wish to
give you come Of my experience in this
business. an . 40 gold miner ard have
worked twenty-five years At gold mining in
the last forty years. went to the Black Hills
in II, came home to Augusta in 10 on .
visit and came TO this place on fishing
tour, where now an. Swift river. Oxford
county. Az soon - stepped to the banks
Of this stream, saw every sign Of gold
black sand, ruby sand, that always follow
gold. got pick and pan. dropped fishing
rod. and from the first pan l got several
email pieces. The next trial realized shout
one dollar in pint Of gravel. then con-
sidered the stream safe for from five to ten
dollars per day.
l then soon returned to tbs Black Hills,
and three year, ago last October came
on with tools to operate more closely
found il good placer mining. l remained
until snow drove me out, and then
vent to Augusta. l stated the site
to some Of my ole friends and the answer
got was that it WAS impossible that there
should be gold in 20 old . State a. Maine.
Last August l took the gold that dug in
79 and let several Of my friends examine il
and they proposed to pool in few dollars
each and let me make another tour. / came
by the way of Weld Camp, high up the river
above all settlements. l traced gold up for
ten miles in paying quantities. We then
moved our camp down the river eight miles.
Here we found better prospects. The nrst
piece found near Camp was
over one dollar in weight. In plain sight
between two rocks from this, found that
with the slow process Of pick and pan l
could make two dollars per day.
have prospected for 81 miles and find it
Hrst- class mining ground. sold this gold
in Portland for 1l9 per ounce, and it 10 the
finest ever took from the ground. wish
the public to know that all this talk about
gold in Maine and on Swift river 10 that peo-
pie come from oil parts and purchase gold
from me or my partner. There has never
been a miner at work digging gold on this
river except Harry Getchell of Augusta, who
was with me in 10, when FIRST discovered
the gold.
would gladly follow this gold 1elt which
10 from ten to fifteen miles in width. ranging
about fifteen degrees east Of north, extending
over . large territory across to Sandy river.
north from this point, to the AndroscoRgin,
south. Quartz rock 10 found in every noun
tain, much Of 1t bearing gold. All that 10
wanted 70 get u 70 WoTk Anu sooN W w y
with.
Now a. winter has set in no more placer
mining can be done until spring. want to
work on quartz but cannot for the want Of
means, for which . email sum would
answer. A sample Of this gold
can be seen BY calling on City Marshal
Morse of Augusta. The territory shat l
have prospected and in which l have found
gold In paying quantities would last two
thousand miners twenty years.
want the State or some company to keep
me on this gold belt north, and in one year
l can open up millions. do not expect
presidents pay, but enough to feed me and
buy q fifty dollar horse TO haul my outst.
and 4 man to do come Of the hard work. l
am 81 years old and can't dig the State all
over in one season. My daughter. Minnie
Norcross, can show you . sample OF this
gold; also Warren Bruce. j. Ksmpton
and many others that have bought email lots
Of me- These streams have an excellent
fall and an abundance of water. l say turn
the miners loose. The stuff 10 here and If
any one wants to ask any questions about
these gold fields they can address me at By
ron, Oxford county. One reason why this
has not been disco cred is none but old time
miners know about this kind of stream min
ing. The man who 10 with me is Seward
Wood of Winslov, formerly Of Black Hills.
Yours respectfully,
G. A. NoscRoss.