The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-21
ALDER GULCH'S MYSTERY
The Moving Mountain "0ld Badly
and the Source Of the
Gold Yield.
Corrections by a Miner About the
Gulch Which Produced Over
$1oo,oOo,ooo.
The Gold Bearing Channel Under the
Formation Contact OF Badly Is
Myth.

VIRGINIA CRY. Nov. 1S.-[Special. The
Gravel range is an ancient belt OF gravel
and smooth secured boulders of differently
composed material than now found in the
e~ravelly eulches below the supposed upon a
time existing high table mountains. over
which n defined. broad. and d~eep-Roing
streak of we'll washed boulders can yet be
traced running north and south over Badly
mountain, and is cut clear across by Wig
wan, Arrastra and Bntfslo Gulches and
partly cut by Spring eulch, q prong OF
Alder culch to the east. Bachelor gulch.
another branch of Alder gulch easterly,
Just touches the Gravel range. while the
main and richest Iart Of Alder gulch never
approaches the course OF that prehistoric
Gravel range. The Wiewam's placers are
now worked by experienced miners, with
only moderate returns. The lower part of
Bachelor culch has been worked by Hall u
Co., with a better yield. Spring gulch CON
tains some placer gold. but it can not be
operated successfully at present ON &C
count of scarcity of water. while both
Arrastra gulch and Buffalo gulch. on the
Madison side of Badly. SO far as yet
known, only show up colors. The old
gravel range has in several places been
slightly prospected from the early time till
lately without anything more than soaring
up colors once in a while.
1t is now reported as q fact that some
miners nave struck good, rich pay gravel,
somewhere in the vicinity of the head OF
Warm Spring creek on the Ruby valley
side. Survey fora ditch to bring water
from the West Fork of Madison river to
these new gravel diggings, is talked of.
The Gravel range is a production from a
strong and active ocean-or sea wash
action, where mighty surginR waves for
ages had been dashed against the beach,
producing the big masses of sleek boulders,
rounded pebbles and fine wash gravel, with
now and then a clay bank. Away back in
the dark prehistoric ages that sea shore
action, the operation from which the plu-
tonic, slow upheaval occurred. embracing a
considerable extent of that sea shore now
the Gravel range. There are no signs nor
traces of any glacial action connected with
the forming Of Alder gulch. the basin OF
which is over two miles in width. 1t
is as certain as anything can be
that not one speck of gold has ever been
brought into Alder gulch by the occurrence
of q glacial operation IN any known shape
or form. But up at the source of Ruby
river, as we'll as Warm Spring creek. the
sign of glaciers is strong. clear ana unmls-
taxable. That the Old Badly is moving
somewhat, or is not entirely stationary, Is
true, and is caused by the many million
tons weight of cambria rock built or piled
up from it's foothills two or three thousand
feet in height, That's what makes things
move, bend and crack below in the sides
and foothills. Even the small low hills are
perceptibly moving by seeking their lower
level. As life never stands still, SO there is
nothing exactly stationary regarding live
Mother Earth.
That rich gold-bearing wash gravel chan
mel, believed by some miners to exist. run
ming alongside the northern part of Badly,
below the present bed ock and under the
contact between the change of the forma-
tions, is nothing but a play of imagination,
without any show for a proof whatever.
Besides, the hardy prospeotors would have
had it by the head and tail long ago If 1t
existed. The pick and shoVSsx powder and
drill in the hands of skilled and expert
enced miners are the best and only way to
tell fortune underground; and these tools
are also able to outstrlp the prov bets OF
mining geology. From Summit town, at
the mouth of Bachelor gulch, up to one
thousand feet above, where Nh. Nelson
Ptomey resides in Alder. very few, if any,
wash bouiders and rounded pebbles can be
found, and hardly anything that might be
called gravel, washed, a distance of one
mile and a quarter. and yet that part (the
upper part) of Alder gave the miners the
most and largest nuggets and was the rich
est in the first working of the
gulch by drifting, pick and Bhoveling
and sluiclng. This does not sound
like a proof. that either the Gravel Range,
or an unseen and imaginable underbedrock,
rich gravel channel has produced most OF
- --l-~l .-l IL | l~lIn ser -
good placer gold, taken out from the rich
est god stream ever discovered on earth.
The gravel and boulders would have been
encountered with the gold IN the pay-chan-
mel of Alder Gulch. ANY old mine who is
we'll posted on the mineral localities III
summit, can lick up any rock out of the
Rplch. large or small, and easily tell, from
what strata. below or above the contact,
the rock ii st had it's acme anywhere insid.
Alder Gulch basin. No gold then, accord
ing to the above atement OF facts. couiG
reasonably have come from any farther
source, than the basin of Alder Gplch, the
fartnest. Then, from where did the bulk o.
that gold come? Where is the native HON,
of those tons of Alder Gulch nuggets
Ninety. five per cent of the gold was brough
from the stratitied sand-fock, that is. thu
graduated or rebuilt quartz, situated ant
located in and upder the contact close e
where the main branch of Alder Gulct
LcuGlS5 jDIliFs Ii pho" 10Y hiIIC 4
situated there. This mine shows up severn
large veins of sScatlied, rebuilt qua IL ID
terspersed all through with minute particles
Of gold. assaying $40. but only milling Sl(
per ton.
-Four miles to the northeast signs of era
tiers are clearly shown from a strong an
cient volcanic action by which great masses
of lava, volcanic and basaitic rocks hRy'
flowed down Oh the east side of Alder gulcl
above and below Virginia City. by til,
same action the Badly mountain is n sudGer
volcanic u9heaval through the Lundret
feet wide formation orltice or contact, be
low which even the granite formation ha
received a slight shaking lift. Only IL small
portion of Badly Is limestone, for 1t NIGH
be said that that class of rock only conBti
tute9 its upper layer or cap. AS low RS tui
contact and deep under it nm Old sil!url
sandstone takes IN the largest space aui
bulk. Higher up towards the middle (fron
foothill TO tor the young or cambria roc
is encountered, and the whole Of ii has uu
doubtedly come from II great depth. TAn
upheaved sandroCk of Badly contains peck
cts, irregular leads anu veins, the quartz O
which is filled with gold to q wonderfu
richness. These veins are bearing n fe'
degrees west of south under and throug,
Badly. They we o cut by Alder gulch o
abe north side of Beldy and again cut b
Warm Spring creek, eight miles south
Rock is found III the Snow Cap mine, nc
very deep below the surface that has IL yer
common look or appearance that goes s
and So to the pound III plnhead size fouude
gold, 1t does not matter how rich the roc
is 1t don't alter its appearance, because til
gold has been Brought INTO it by a process
,F fnanhn IrDI YnIxIrp II 10 a HiTt rrap1E