The Meeker herald., 1893-05-20
GOLD ON FoUR-MILE.
Miners Said to be Cleaning uI
From So to $50 Per Day.


\ special, from Dixion, Wyo., to the
Denver Republican. says: The new
gold placer fields of Routt county, Col
orado, about seven miles distant from
this point, and within four miles of the
| Wyoming state line, are just now the
scene of activities new to the history of
this portion of the country, and with
ample promise of bringing into promi-
nence the riches of the gold placer fields
of Northwestern Colorado.
The existence of gold in paying guam
titles in the gravel beds along -Four
Mile creek has been known of for q long
time, but the remoteness of the region
from lines of railway travel, and, until
more recently, the presence of rowing
bands of Ute Indians have been draw
back to efforts toward development.
The days of neglect. however, have gone,
and the placer fields of Four Mile are
to-day the scenes of busy activity which
revive memories of the rush and Scram-
| bic which characterized the early days
OF California gulch, now veritable
part of the history Of the Centennial
state.
| The Four Mile placers get their name
from the creek upon which they are
| located. -Four Mile creek does not run
water at all seasons; but during the
spring months furnishes head of
water sufficient for primative mining
methods and operations on somewhat
small scale. just at this time there are
Il very considerable number of men
engaged, either incidentally or in small
partnerships, in washing out the yellow
dust from their claims along either side
OF the creek, and almost without ex-
ccption they claim to be taking out
more than good wages-frOm 81 and SO
20 Sl2 and sometimes $50 per day, the
latter figures resulting from the dis
covering of an unusually rich pocket.
The extent of the fields which will
pay for working are practically mex
haustible, comprising thousands of acres
along the bed of the creek and between
the low ranges of bills upon either side.
The gravel is very fine and easily
handled, the absence of big boulders
and trees being especially an encourag
ing feature.
The depths of the soil to the beds of
blue clay underlying is shown by pros
pect holes over wide area, to be from
four to eighteen feet, and from the test
made by the Gold Valley Placer Com
pany's experts, these tests showing n
panning value of from 10 to 50 cents per
cubic yard as an average of the whole
number of tests made. The gold is
what is called "shot gold" being round
and, therefore, the more easily sepa-
rated from the black sand.
Among other advantages of the Four
Mile placers may be mentioned the alb
ity. thus nullifying all danger of dam
age suits or other vexatious litigation
from the overflow of debris and wash.
The principal operations, at least so
far as large capital is concerned. are
being carried on by the Gold VALLEY
Placer Mining Company, of which such
wealthy and successful mining men as
Byron l.. Shear, Henry b. Gillespie and
others are at the head
This company owns about 500 acres
of ground, and to provide water have
taken all the available water rights for
distance of more than thirty-iive
miles up the creek, including water
rights at the head of the Slater fork OF
the Snake river. The Slater fork rises
in the mountains TO the east of Four
Mile, and the springs and inexhaustible
fields Of snow which feed it guarantee
a never failing supply of water-a sup
ply carrying during the spring and sum-
mer months fully 1000 miners inches
of water. This magnificent supply of
water will be conducted through big
placer ground, where it will have u
fall of about 600 feet, and from here
it will operate the big giants" and
other apparatus of the company. Su-
perintendent Robinson is now OH the
ground with score of surveyors to
complete the preliminary work, and has
contracted for nearly fifty teams,
which will be put to work before the
month is out.
With the quantity of water TO be fur
nished by this canal and the power it
will have by its fall of over 100 feet
the company will be equipped to carry
on its operations upon n scale and at
such small relative cost as will render
rich and speedy returns a seeming GER
tainty.
Not day passes at the placer fields
without the presence of new arrivals,
and, as is the case in all mining excite
ments, the newcomers are of many
classes, but it is noticeable as an en-
couraging omen that all those who
have had experience in placer mining
are pleased with the country and lose
no time in taking up claim and get
ting to work. Everybody is busy and
hopeful and the prediction is fire.
quently heard that -Four Mile will
show that rich returns from placer
mining are not by any means thing of
the past in Colorado
To the east and south of the Four
Mile country are situated other placer
grounds, known as the Elkhead placers.
Not much is known here concerning
them save that n number of men are