, 1891-07-12
PLATTE VALLEY MINES.
Preparing to Make Ore Shipments
From Gold Hill.
Rich Placer Finds Near the Town
of Saratoga.
Active Development Work Going on
in the Region.

Special Correspondence.
SARATOGA, Wyo., July Ga refresh
ing rainstorm has just visited this part of
the country that leaves everything fresh
and green. The Fourth was celebrated
with zeal and enthusiasm. Music and
speechmaking was the or Ter of the fore
noon. Gen. Thompson was the orator of
the day and Mr.. Rowen gave an I'M
prepared talk brim full of humOr.
The hot weather having taken the
snow from Gold Hill and the Fourth be-
ing over, the prospectors and those inter
ested IN the mines have gone to work
with renewed vigor. Hon. l. G. Davis
Davis started out a gang OF men TIM
morning to continue development work
on the blue Bell" which is now down
thirty feet. Messrs. Davis and Cassidy
have had several assays from this vein.
The lowest was n surface assay which run
S27 to the ton in gold. At twenty-five
feet another assay was made by breaking
quartz iu small pieces from across the lead
which is six foot and run sl62. $50 being
silver. Mr.. Davis received ore sacks
Saturday and this morning started teams
and men to hauling it out and shipping.
He has on the dump about 100 tons ready
f6s shipment. w. B. Hugus, who is so
extensively interested in Gold Hill. leaves
for there Wednesday to complete ar
rangements for shipping. The road be-
ing open so teams can be driven 10, many
of those interested will begin shipping at
once.
B. p. Arendall lett here the Bird with
lumber and material for an arastra, which
he is building at Gold City. Gold Hill. 1t
will be- completed by the 18th. Logs are
cut and hewed and all the material .s on
the ground. The greatest interest at
present centers in'the placer works OF
Downey. Mullison and Beaton Brush
creek. 1t has been Mnllison's theory for
some time that long years ago a large
river traversed the valley. They think
they are on the bed of hat river now.
They have a prospect hole down fifty
three feet which show, rich gravel from
the surface and grows richer all the time.
Mr.. G. f. CAMS of the SARATOGA Sun,
who has had large experience and
observation visited these grounds last
week and examined the gravel and pros
pect carefully. Going into the bottom of
the thaft he took out gravel and PANIED
it out himself which panned chunks of the
yellow metal. So rich is it in coarse gold
be did not count the '%'colors." Mr.. CAMS
expresses it as his opinion that the Platte
Valley is about to experience as great a
placer excitement as has been seen since
the California excitement. So much fine
gold quartz has been discovered at Gold
Hill vicinity and the interest being so
intense in that locality many have gained
the impression that there is no placer
mining here. But since the various
mining districts over the country have
been sending in prospectus who have
been searching everywhere 1t is rapidly
being demonstrated that we have rich
placer ground.
For years it has been knowG that any
where along the Platte river colors could
nc pauned out, but not until the past
week has anyone believed it was in paying
quantities. A lew days ago a company
Of Drospectors Dut in their appearance
with pan. Iicks aud camping outfit.
Their tent was pitched on the north
side of the toNnsite. Soon they
could be- seen down by the river side
prospecting for gold. At noon they came
to the Gold Hill house with a little vial
which contained some fine gold. Where
they found it they would not tell. A
few days later one of them accosted Mr..
w. b. Hugus, who WINS that part of the
town site. and asked il they could put in
sluice boxes and work there. Mr.. Hugus
not thinking there was much there re-
piled yes" Permission being gained
they commenced hauling lumber. Being
informed OF the TACT | took a walk down
there to see for myself. No longer de-
string to keep it secret they said they
could pan ont from 100 to $50 colors to
the pan. Believing 1t impossible, they
consented to show me. Going up in the
middle bar We shoveled up a pan of sur
face gravel aud carried it down 10 the
river. Taking out about one hall of the
dirt they put it 10 another pan and
washed 1t out. On the bottom of the
pan free from the sand [ counted seventy.