Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-12-30
The Rush to Utah Will Put
the Oklahoma Expeditions
to Shame.
Authentic Reports Show the
District to Be Rich
in Gold.
Single Meals So. Durango
Miner Returns Home
For Supplies.

joined the pilgrimage to those treasure
lands i'll that early day, business men
and clerks from their offices, and a
horde of expectant adventures from
the east, all are jostling elbows i'll their
haste to reach the placers on the San
Juan river that are reported to be 50
wonderfully rich in gold.
All day long the newspaper men have
Travelled in light lumber wagons over
an arid region and tonight are camp
ing at Navajo Springs, Il little settle
ment beside creek about two rods
across. Tomorrow morning they will
be off before daylight, and expect to
reach Noland's road before sunset. The
expedition started from Durango, Col
orado early this morning. The party
is composed of Dave Day, a veteran
miner; l.. A. Bradshaw, a mining eX-
pert; Al Kublar, a capitalist, and w. l..
Kerr.
l.. III. Maroney, a prospector of thirty
years experience, who is returning from
the new placer fields on the San Juan,
was met last night. He put in here for
provisions. He is making four claims
Bluff City, Utah.
He reports that he met two diggers
who are each washing out about $50
a day on a small stream that empties
into the San Juan river, at a point fifty
miles south from Bluff City. They
have six sluice boxes and about thirty
inches Of water. He reports that bed
rock can be struck at a depth of from
nine to twelve feet. No large nuggets
have been washed out. He says the
largest he saw was the size Of a coffee
bean.
Hundreds Of men are working at
point sixty miles from Bluff City. Most
of these went from Arizona and eXpe-
rienced great har,lships, having to
travel over $50 miles from the railroad,
mostly in an arid region.
The effect of Maroney's story on the
members of the party and the natives
of the camp was electrical. That the
reports of the wealth of the new, far
famed placers are true can apparently
no longer be doubted.
Every one is determined to get on
the grounds first and stake out his
claim, and the scenes incident to the
opening to settlement of the lands of
oklahoma can not be compared to the
rush that will begin from here tomOr-
row morning. Every one looks at the
matter as the opportunity of Il life
time.
There seems to be a prevailing feeling
that what John w. Mackay and other
mineral kings have done, others may do.
This hope inspires every heart, and the
race from now Oh will be of the break
neck variety.
One thing that cheers everyone is the
fact that Of the many who have gone
to the placers but few have returned
disappointed, while scores expect To
make their fortunes, and Il few pros
pectors who got on the ground first or
ganized the Arizona and Utah Mining
company and claim to have found as
surances Of enormous wealth.
A party from Arizona left the camp
in disgust the other day, but it is said
that they were mostly business men and
clerks, who lacked the endurance to re-
developments.
Provisions are enormously high, 1t is
said. Single meals are diShed up ON
broken plates for So, and small room
in barn or a shanty costs from $12 to
SIS week.
All the features Of new mining camp
are present, and, unfortunately, it is
probable that within a few days will
begin the murders and drunken brawls
between jealous prospectors that were
50 characteristic of life in Creole for the
first few months after it's settlement.
Returned for Supplies.
Durango, Col, Dec. 26.-At last some
thing authentic has been received from
the gold fields. l.. I'll. Maroney, a we'll
known Durango prospector, who left
here two weeks ago for the gold fields,
has just returned for more supplies. He
went west to point about sixty miles
from Bluff City as far as he could so
without taking the trail.
He saw between 200 and 300 prospec-
ors, 80 per cent of whom were from Du-
range, Rico and Telluride, and none from
Arizona, as he did not penetrate far
enough west to strike the Globe Mining
company's claims. He saw lots of men
locating claims, and located for him
self
The gold ranges from flour gold to
nuggets the size of pea He saw no
fissure veins, nothing but placers, and
came back as fast as he could for sup
plies.
His story has completely counteracted
the effect of the telegram from Flag
staff, Arizona, throwing cold water Oh
the gold fields, and has given rise to the
impression that Arizona people want to
keep the find for themselves.
A Navajo Indian came in tonight and
white men and Indians work |,
ing side by side in the placers. An ex- ;
petition will leave here for the placers
Monday.
Excitement at Salt Lake.
Salt Lake, Utah, Dec. 26.-The excite !
ment regarding the new gold fields in
southern Utah, near the Junction OF
the San Juan and Colorado rivers, Is
are apparently taking more interest In
the new discoveries than the people Of !,
Utah themselves.
Mr.. Bennett, general passenger agent !,
of the Rio Grande Western is today in ).