davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1892-01-17
GOLD.
Old Timers StorIes--Promlsing Mn
ing Camps.

Twenty years ago John Ellison, now a
resident of Cheyenne, with a party of
others, found gold in the Medicine Bow
mountains, but left on account of Indians.
Ten years ago Joe Barnard, now a resi-,
Dent ct Saratoga, but then with Coe Il
Carter's tie outfit, found a rich free gold
specimen sticking in a crack IN tho end of
a tie at the Platte river. TIE tie had
been chopped less han ten miles from the
present camp of Gold Hill and hoated
down Brush creek and the Platte.
Albert johnson, now one OF the leading
merchants of Rock Springs, a great many
years ago found placer gold near the head
of Medicine Bow river and has never
been satisfied because he did not prospect
further. Jim Rankin of RawlIns and
two others found good prospects south
east of here 10 the Sierra Madre noun
talDs in the early days. In those days
the country was run over and nothing
short of Father DeSmet's mountain of
gold would satisfy the prospector. So it
was with the Rankin party. although the
prospects where they we're were good
enough enc suggested. lets go
to Hahns' Peak" and they went.
Rankin says he knows the place and in
tends going there again. He also tells of
other rich placer mines which he intends
opening in the spring. A page could be
written about what old timers, reliable
men too, tell OF gold finds of the past.
The most remarkable fnd, OF the class
which cannot be definitely located, was
made very recently. In the Platte valley
is community of Dunkards. One of them
recently exhibited a wonderful peice OF
quartz literally specked with gold. When
asked where it came from he said that he
knocked it from the edge of IA ledge while
in the mountains after poles. A moneyed
mar Of Saratoga has authorized a pros
pector to offer the Dunkard 81, 900 to
show the place where the gold was found,
if, like Grant was instructed by his father
in a horse trade, a less sun will not do.
GOLD, SILVER N CoPPER MINES.
Gold Hill, twenty-eight miles southeast
Of Saratoga, in the Medicine Bow
mountains. Is just now attracting more
attention than any other camp in this
vicinity. The first discovery was made
there about two years ago and the camp
began first to attract attention about a
year ago. The first stamp mill will be in
operation by the time this is in print, and
the first clean up, if given to the world.
will be likely to create a great stampede.
An accoun of a trip to Gold Hill appears
CONTINUED on Third Page
, 1892-01-17

special correspondence.
SARATOGA. Wyo., Jan. l5.-One year
ago only a very small proportion of the
people, even in Wyoming, knew anything
about Saratoga. Some had heard of the
place but did not know whether it was
north or south of the Union Paclio. rail-
road, on the Platte river or some other
stream and were not enough interested to
look on the map. Gold Hill. too. had
been heard of only in a vague sort OF a
way. The published accounts of wonder
full finds there we're so much overdrawn
that If read by the general public very
little interest was manifested. ID Febru-
airy 1891. a representative of The LEADER
concluded to visit both places and see for
himself what the prospects were. Here
he found a number of bright, wide awake
men who a dozen Years or more since
found their way into this beautiful valley.
Some men can see clearly into the future
and these men knew that some day a city
would be built ia the Upper Platte valley.
They believed il would be as well 10 let
their light shine instead of keeping it hid
den under a bushel, and so welcomed the
newspaper man. The result was a plain,
unyarnished tale in the conservative
LEADER of the resources of the valley
and what there was to be seen ut that
time in Gold Hill. with the probable
prospects of the camp. The LEADER
article created much interest and other
wspaper following the good example,
sent correspondents who heralded to the
world the news oil supposed rich dis
c~overies in Gold Hill and accounts of the
great resources surrounding the pretty
little town OF Saratoga. This part of
the country became known to the world
and has never since been lost sight of.
A STAGE TRIP.
1t was a clear and beautiful December
morning when your correspondent
boarded the stage at Rawlins to again
visit this part Of the country. Bob
Grifis handled the ribbons" and did it
to tho queens taste. He is an old time
stage driver and talks entertainingly of
the bygone days. when he drove from
Rapid CITY to D~eadwood. on the Sock
Gre k and Buffalo route. in the Yellow
stone Park, OF of his trip to Alaska. The
stage line is owned by Rankin Bros, who
deserve rnuch credit for putting on the
only first class service to Saratoga, and at
a time when there was doubt of its pay
ing, which. however, il has done from the
start. This line carries the mail and the
stage Is sure to 20 every day in the week,
Sunday excepted. James Rankin is the
manager Of tho line, the duties of United
States marshal keeping his brother Joe
busy in other fields. The people of Raw
Inns have spent 81 900 on the Rswlins-
Saratoga road aud it is now in as good
condition as any overland route in the
country.
The Sc mile trip to Saratoga was a
, 1892-01-17

six foot vein was struck. 1t, like the first
mentioned, Is said to be equal to Rock
Springs coal. Another and later discov
cry Is reported near the S~aratoga-Steele
road.
BUILDING STONE.
Plenty of stone for foundations is found
within half a mile Of town, and eight or
ten miles northeast begins sandstone
bluffs which extend TO Rawlins, more than
twenty miles One place on Sage creek
the stone for miles will average fifty feet
high. One gentleman remarked that
when We get a. railroad it will be the
quarries.
SAND, soDA LIMESTONE.
Within a mile OF Saratoga are the Gill
soda lakes, owned by Cheyenne aud Sara.
toga parties. They are like the Laramie
lakes, though not 50 extensive. In this
country there are plenty of limestone.
and sand for ordinary uses, but sand ft
for glass manufacturing has been discov
cred only in small quantities.
IRON
No attention has ever been paid to iron
in these parts. Between here and the
Sierra Madre. mountains large chunks of
ore rs per cent iron have been noticed.
1t evidently comes from veins as no de-
posts are known OF.
ASBESTOS.
Within twenty-five miles Of SARATOGA
are large deposits OF asbestos. II Is of
good quality, both white and v~lriegated
in color.
A WELL wATERED COUNTRY.
What is called the Platte valley is
twenty-five miles wide at Saratoga, be-
tween the Sierra Madre mountains on the
west and the Medicine Bow range on the
east. The valley parrows as the Colorado
line, fifty miles distant, is reached. Not
only the bottom lands along the river and
its tributaii les. are valuable, but much of the
uplands, for the reason that there is
plenty of water for irrigation. Between
Saratoga and the Colorado line at least
fourteen running streams empty into the
Platte and each of these have numerous
tributaries.
CLIMATE.
Not all Eastern people are aware of
the advantages of the climate of the
Rocky mountains. If they were more of
them would visit this country. Saratoga
has a climate which IS as near perfect as
could be possible at this latitude. The
ummers are cool and delightful. The
weather is never sultry and during the
hottest day it seems cool in the shade.
The nights are always cool. There is
very little SNOW in the winter and usually
, 1892-01-17
WY0MINGSGREATGOLDCAMP
Gold Hills Snow-Clad, Gold-Lined SUBMITS
Visited After a Years Absence.
STAMP MILL AT WORK CRUSHING ORE--AMTHER READY TO Be SET UP.
Improvements in the Camp-Why Work was Not More
:Briskly Pushed Last Summer.

YOU, said the fellow with the Irish
buggy" He was Cad Evans, and did
look different from when he worked in
TIE LEADER job Office. The Acme tun-
mel is in abolt ITO feet with a side DRIFT
thirty feet to the east and another twenty
feet to the west. One Of the miners said
that in running the tunnel a sixty-foot
contact ledge between granite aud quartz
lite was struck fifty feet 10. This ledge
pans some gold, but not big" Eighty
feet IN an eighteen inch vein was encoun-
tered, and a larger lead was struck at I55
feet. The main lead, the men said, had
not been reached. They had about a foot
Of ore at the end Of the tunnel, about
three inches in the left drift, and six
inches in the right drift. Besides the
quartz there is considerable ''gouge'' or
contact matter, which usually pans we'll.
Numerous assays have been made on the
Acme and are giving big returns. In
one instance 1000 pounds of the ore was
sent to Black Hawk, Colo, run through
a stamp mill and yielded $24. The own
ers. Greene Bros 4 johnson, have so far
been unfortunate in their tempt to get
a mill. At one time it was thought uI-
rangements had been made with a Massa-
chusetts company to put up SIS, 900
against the Acme property and TOWNSHIP
to develop the property and erect a mill.
Mr.. Horton, representing the company, is
still on the ground, but tie trade has tell
through. The men who are at work on
the Acme must have great faith in the
mine, for they know that at present there
is not a dollar available to pay their wages.
They are satisfied with the rock they are
taking out and believe that sooner or later
a mill will be put up on the property.
The second claim visited was the Occi-
dental, owned by the Gold Hill Mining
and Milling company OF Carbon. 1t was
not being worked on that day, but re.
Gently had been. A descent was made to
the bottom of the shaft which was fifteen
or twenty feet deep. The vein of quartz
was fifteen or eighteen inches wide and
apparently well defined. This vein goes
nearly straight down into the earth, the
angle being very slight. The officers of
the Carbon company are Thos. Q. Minta,
president; II. B. Allen, vice president;
j. s. Allen, secretary; Mander Peterson,
treasurer, and G. H. Fales, superintendent.
They have several claims in the camp
and have been developing the Occiden-
tai and Bill Nye. Halt a mile from the
Occidental and about a mile from Green
vile is the
LIVELY DowNEY CAMP.
Col. Downey has oiteen been called en-
thusiastic and if Gold Hill 6zzles out the
same will be said of him again. But if
the camp proves to be a good one and
comes rapidly to the front during the
next year or two certainly no one man will
be deserving of more credit for it thar
Col. Downey. Early last spring he
started a mill in from Carbon. It was
several months on the road but at last is
in place and its shrill whistle echoed
, 1892-01-17

the Acme was finished last March. The
owners then quit work. Duling the
spring and summer they tried to open
some placer mines. Some gold was found
on the surface but mont farther down.
They we're troubled with water and aban-
doned the work without having reached
bed rock. In July another shaft was be-
u on the Acme and sunk to a depth Of
twenty-five feet. In October a tunnel
was started ITO feet down the hill from
the main shaft. 1t was in this tunnel we
found the men at work. Three shifts of
four men each are run.
Hello, YOU don't remember me, do
, 1892-01-17
THE PROUD PLATTE VALLEY.
Some of the Things Which Go to Make it a
Veritable Storehouse for the State.
Farming, Stock Raising and Mineral Resources Which are
Being Discovered, Developed or Prospected.

and elegant brick residences are to be
seen on Rochester Heights. Neat frame
and brick cottages are scattered along
from the Sl5, 900 bridge which spans the
Platte toward the hill to the west. The
dast side, too. has come in for a share of
the building boom, and a number of
buildings have gone up where the old
town stood, though the most wonderful
growth has been on the west side.
DOUBLED IN TEN MONTHS.
The town is twice as large as it was ten
moths ago, and the new buildings are
far superior to any previously erected.
Some idea Of the increase in property
values may be gained from the fact that
one year ago two lots some distance from
the business ENTER of town we're offered
for sale at 1925 each. but could not be
sold in March last they were sold for
$3.50 each, and a little later one OF them
sold for 1875, aod about a month ago for
1900. Lots which sold last spring for
800 are nov worth $500. and SOME which
were then valued at s75 can not now be
bought tor 81 100.
That Saratoga will be a large and im
portant city, no one acquainted with the
natural resources OF this vicinity can
doubt. Through the upper Platte valley
lies the only natural and direct route from
the Union Pacific to northern and west
ern Colorado. Several years ago a sur.
vey for a Union Pacific brauch running
up this valley and into Colorado was
made and the 6rsl ten miles from Fort
Steele graded.
For some reason the work was aban
doned. Probably the timo for such an
enterprise was not ripe, but it will come
and before long. The mining industry is
Just in its infancy, so to speak. Every
year brings into use better mining ma
chiDery, and as the mining industry de-
velops the Rocky mountain region ought
to be the most thickly populated on the
face OF the earth, and the growing towns
of this region will very soon necessitate
the operation Ct north and south lines oil
railroad. A glance at the map will show
that Saratoga lies on the natural line o.
travel from Leadville, Aspen and the
mines of Colorado to Lander and the
Great National Park in Wyoming.I
NATURAL RESOURCES.
1t is too soon. perhaps, to talk of lines
of travel. of the distance of Saratoga
from other important cities, ETC.. all Of
which are favorable, but now is the time
to speak of the resources which are bound
to make and support a city in the upper
Platte valley.
FARMING.
The Platte river and its tributarie,
furnish plenty of water for irrigation pur
poses. and all kinds OF vegetables and
grain are raised in this valley except corn
tomatoes and melons. At this altitude
$3.50 feet, and living as the valley doe.
between and very near two mountain
, 1892-01-17

as bIgh as 5000 and they are driven from
place to place on the high aud barren
plains, where the little snow that falls is
blown away. So these high table lands
blck between the valleys and mountains,
which a stranger would believe good for
nothing produces much wealth.
TIMBER AND LUMBER.
The Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre
mountains are heavily timbercd. S. s.
Wood & Son and B. T. Ryan have saw
mills on Brush creek. eighteen or twenty
miles southeast on the Gold Hill road.
Sterrett Rros. & Kinnepann have a mill
about the same distance southeast on
Spring creek. These mills furnish lumber
for Saratoga and the valley, and Coe &
Carter have taken millions of ties from
the mountains. All the timber used,
however. cannot be missed nor ever will
be until great mining industries are
inaugurated.
More coal than wood is burned in Sara
toga. Most of it is hauled from the five
foot vein of Kendt & Savage. sixteen
miles down the river. 1t is good black
smithing coal. About twenty-five miles
southeast on Pass creek are large beds of
coal and where opened are six feet thick.
Recently Fred Kendt made a now find of
coal about sixteen miles northeast on the
Rawlins stage road, where at sixty feet a
, 1892-01-17

through the mountains for the first time
the very day your correspondent reached
camp, on his third trip, which was Dec.
l9. At the Downey camp everything is
life and activity. Superintendent John
Martin, better known as Jack" Martin.
expected to have the stamps dropping
soon after Christmas. The mill is a ten
stamp mill. There are about thirty men
on the pay rolls and the wages paid are
81 so to 50. so per day. Some are work
ing in the Wyoming, Leviathan and Little
Giant mines, some about the mill and
others hauling and cutting timber. The
mill is located at the edge of a beautiful
, 1892-01-17
GOLD HILL.
A Trip TO That PromisIng Camps
Stamp mills IN Operation.

It was 5 o'clock Friday evening when
THE LEADER correspondent left Saratoga.
He was mounted on one of L. G.. Davis
best saddle horses. The evening was
warm and a pleasant ride of an hour and
a quarter brought him to the DAVIS l.
Folsom ranch, seven miles up the river
from town. Mr.. Davis had just finished
some work with his cattle and in a few
minutes a good supper which had been
prepared by Mrs. Davis was being en-
joved.
A PLATTE VALLEY RANCH.
The Davis & Folsom ranch is one OF the
finest in the valley. 1t is covered by the
Davis & Folsom and Brewer ditch and
has a complete system of lateral bitches
eighteen or twenty miles of them
which makes irrigation easy. On the
productive thousand acres of this ranch
all kinds OF hay, timothy. alfalfa and
native grasses aic raised and pats and
other gram. A plumber of cattle are
wintere1 on the ranch every winter.
OFF FOR H MINES.
Saturday morning about 1920 o'clock
Davis, his man Maxwell, who resides on
the ranch, aud The LEADER correspond
ent started on horseback for Gold Hill.
In two hours they were at Headquarters,
about sixteen miles on the road. Head
quarters ia a new postofice, but was for
merry headquarters for the Coe & Carter
tie outfit, and was made a stopping place
where the weary traveller to Gold Hill
could get something to eat soon after the
camp was opened. j. d. Minchell, for
merly of North Platte, Neb runs the
hotel and postofice. About four miles
below Gold Hill Maxwell left his com
panions to walk the rest of the way and
he returned with the horses. The four
mile walk up the heavy grade was a little
tiresome, but on reaching camp the snow
shoes Davis had carried his from Head.
quarters) were mounted and a couple OF
down hill runs-and a few falls-were
enjoyed as much by the miners as the
tumblers. Supper was had at the Acme
hotel, and the invitation by w. o. Jones,
the postmaster, to spend the night
with him was gladly accepted. When
THE LEADER man was introduced to Mr..
Jones that gentleman said. 1T was your
letter 10 THE LEADER that brought me
up here, SO that If | am ruined you will
be responsible; butt he added. "Gold
Hill is all right. The prospects get bet
ter and we believe we will have a great
camp" Mr.. Tones has been in the camp
all summer and has some claims which he
is confident will prove to be valuable. At
Greenyille, the first cabins reached. there
are Two saloons, a hotel and postofice.
There are twenty or twenty five men and
several women and children. there being
four families. Sunday morning we began
the rounds OF the camp. piloted by Mr..
Jones. The first place visited was the
ACME MIN
The first shaft. fifty seven feet deep, on
, 1892-01-17

nnVes & historical Dept; Cheyenne, Two,
, 1892-01-17

pleasant one. The day was quite warm
with no wind, and as the fleet-footed
animals sped over the smooth roads the
gentle sway Of the coach as it rounded the
curves caused rather a pleasant sensation.
About loon the 20-mile house was
reached and after dinner fresh horses
soon carried us into sight OF Saratoga.
About six or seven hours were occupied
IN making the trip. What a chanle in
the town. Surely the writer's eyes 1were
not prepared for fine brick blocklu and
residences. pt
HANDSOME BRICK BLOCKS
now adorn the central part of the city,
, 1892-01-17

the weather is agreeable. During Do
cember the weather up to the 23rd was
delightful. The bright s~unshiney days
and moonlight nights made it seem a
paradise. The climate, together with the
curative properties of the hot springs,
mentioned elsewhere. will make Saratoga
a much sought after resort for health and
recreation.
HI HUNTERS PARADISE.
Antelope can be found within ten and
twelve miles of Saratoga and within the
same distance the "speckled beauties"
can be caught from the mountain streams.
The paradise for hunters is 10 the Battle
Lake county, thirty miles south on the
continental divide. This lake is about
four miles in circumference and very near
the top Of the mountains. Battle creek,
a tributary of the snake river. heads in
the lake. The creek and lake are full of
trout. A big fish story is told, though by
a reliable man, to the effect that two men
once caught 500 trout from Battle lake in
two hours and a half. They v used
pieces of vest Inning for bait and would
oil dropping their hooks instantly pull
a fish. 10 the same region deer. elk and
other game abound and there are some
bear. The region is regularly visited by
hunters and sportsmen, who find not
only rare game but usually rare luck as
well.
, 1892-01-17

ranges, there Is not heat enough for corn
aud melons. Lust year the yield of to-
matoes on the experimental farm was
very large, but they did not ripen. By
the best of care only will tomatoes ripen
here. An experimental farm was estab.
lished here last spring. Being the first
season, the tests we're hardly fair ones.
The potatoes, for instance, were not
properly irrigated. and the sugar beets.
ll6uRh the best in the world, we're not
cultivated. These facts we're secured
from Eugene Fowler, assistant to j. D.
Parker. who had charge of the station.
The yields as secured from him are as
The Dickinson press., 1892-07-30
German
Syrup"

The majority of well-read phys
icians now believe that Consulnp-
ton is a germ disease. In other
words, instead of being in the con-
stitution itself it is caused by innu-
merable small creatures living in the
lungs having no business there and
eating them away as caterpillars do
the leaves Of trees.
A Germ The phlegm that is
coughed up is those
Disease, parts of the lungs
which have been
gnawed off and destroyed. These
little bacilli, as the germs are called,
r too small to be seen with the
naked eye, but they are very much
alive just the same, and enter the
body in our food, in the air we
breathe, and through the pores of
the skin. Thence they get into the
blood and finally arrive at the lungs
where they fasten and increase with
irightful rapidity. Then German
Syrup comes in, 1oosens them, kills
them, expells them, heals the places
they leave, and so nourish and
soothe that, i'll a short time cersvmp.
tlves become germ-proofand we'll. g
The Dickinson press., 1892-07-30

ID. L. & Col. Co.'S Add. to Dickinson.
Lot l, block G, reduced. ITS to 1875
2 and 8, blk II, increased, IS to 100
Board adjourned to 9 a. M. July l3.
July 13th.-Board of equalization
convened pursuant to adjournment.
On motion of commissioner Jopp,
Improvements OH the southwest
quarter, sec. 3, tip. l39, range 81, were
reduced from $50 to 900 dollars.
On motion of commissioner Cald.
well, assessment levied OH personal
property of Farrell Reilly in Hettin.
ger county amounting to 1920 dollars,
transferred from Hettinger to Stark
county.
On motion Of commissioner. Jopp,
assessment levied on personal proper.
ty of Older & White, in Hettinger
county, amounting to 1850 dollars,
transferred from Hettinger to Stark
county.
On motion of commissioner Fisher,
assessment levied on merchandise of
Jas. Fennell, reduced from 600 to 400
dollars.
Tbs board took a recess until 2 y. M.
Board convened at 2 p. m.
On motion of conmissie9er Fisher,
personal property assessment of J. N.
Tracey increased from 500 to 100 dol.
lars.
On motion of auditor Aud, assess.
ment of Robert Lee for personal prop.
efty reduced from 1900 to 1900 dollars.
The board of equalization adjourned
to July 18th, 1895. at 8 a.. m.
July lsth.-Board of equalization
] convened pursuant to Adjournment,
The Dickinson press., 1892-07-30

ing majority in congress-; it has a
full knowledge OF the acts of the
Pinkcrtons on previous occasions.
| have presented evidence enough
to congress to prove that the
Pinkcrton is IN enemy to Amcrl-
can liberty. That democratic ma
jority has Il knowledge of the cN-
istcncc of Watson's bill, and it
has up to the present time dill
lied and dallicd with it and has
no idea of passing it, I'VE have
pctitioncd for redress" have CHI
dcavorcd to get the of con-
gross, but "our repeated pcti-
tions have been answered only by
repeated injury and civil war at
Homestead. Democratic editors
who now rave about the Pinkcr-
tons and condemn the Republican
party for their actions at Home
stead would lend an air Of since
rity to their writings if they woule
but demand Of the majority, hcle
by their. own party in congress
to pass the law which will wip'
the Pinkcrtons from the soil o
America,