The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-07-26
Romantic Gold Story From
Alaska's Shores.
is THERE A GREAT GOLD BONANZA
Where Gold the Size OF Beans Is
Found in the Sand-The First Dis
cOyerers and Their Fate-VVhat
Happened to the First of the
Search Parties = Others
After the Big Bonanza.


ing Record, tells the following story:
AS the snow begins to melt from the
peaks and canyons under the warm rays
of the sun, and the vernal flowers of the
field blossom forth, the Alaska pros :
pector, who has been inactive during a
long winter, grows restless and wants to
be into the field again. The tales pro-
mulgated and passed around the winter
store of past explorations and unexplored
canyons, of the finding in certain local
tiles of rich "foat rock," or a prospect"
in the bed of some creek, and more espe-
cially of "lost bonanzas," all tend to ex-
cite his vivid imagination and hasten
him to the hills in search of some partic-
ular creek, gulch or lake that he has pic
tured in his minds eye as the locality, or
a landmark to the discovery of a hidden
treasure. Most mining sections have
their mysteries OF "lost cabins" "lost
trails" or a lost bonanza of some sort,
and Alaska drops into line with her mys-
terry of the "lost rocker by the lake." and
the CHASTITY skeleton Of a miner standing
guard over the golden sands, and this is
the subject of the sketch.
In the spring of 1876 two miners left
Sitka on prospecting expedition, TAX
ing course to the southeast, with the
intention Of exploring the islands along
their route, but more especially to reach
the mainland and make extensive search
for placer diggings. Finding the islands
barren of good results, they crossed
Chatham straits to the mainland, and
pitched camp at the mouth OF large
creek. 10 their experienced eyes the
creek bed gave evidence of what they
were in search of. 1t was strewn with
quartz, and on "panning" the gravel,
"color" was found. They ascended the
stream, and after two days travelling
over boulders and winding through un-
derbrush they reached the headwaters of
the creek on the divide. Beyond and
below short distance in the basin lay a
beautiful little lake, with a small stream
emptying INTO it from the west and an
other flowing out to the north. They
descended and encamped on the margin
of the lake. In the little stream putting
into the lake they again found gold.
prospecting and pannlng the gravel, joy
filled their breasts, for they had found
bonanza y The gravel yielded coarse
gold the size of beans and dollar or
more to the pan. The lucky gold hunt
ers lost no time in setting to work One
returned to the beach after the cached
supplies, while the other partner set to
work building rocker For matter of
two weeks they washed the golden sands
and made occasional trips to their cache
on the beach, with no thought whatever
OF approaching danger, and no intima-
tlon OF the horrible tragedy that was
about to occur. On the eventful day
at about noon, as they we're leaving work
to prepare dinner, ambushed savages,
who had tracked the two lone miners
from the beach into the mountains, to
murder and to plunder, poured their fire
rom behind trees upon them. One was
1illed outright, but miraculously the
other was untouched. Seeing his COM
oanion fall, and taking in the situation
1t glance, he bounded into the timber.
Fear lent wings to the pursued, and he |
soon out-distanced his pursuere, who
we're unable to get in an effective shot
While both were dodglng through the
timber and underbrush. The pursued
made direct for the cache and boat on
he beach, and hastily loading up with
he remainder Of the provisions and
Elects, he pulled out into the channel.
lie saw the Indians no more, and sha ped
lls course, as he supposed, for Sitka,
'ut not being acquitted with the chan
'els, their intricate windings and ever
hanging courses led him astray. He
vas picked up by gunboat on her way
o the sound and landed in Port Town
elad. In belt which he wore around
Ils waist, he had about s1,5OO in coarse
.0ld, his share Of the work by the lake.
The miner returned to Sitka, and told
he tale of his murdered partner and the
hiding OF the bonanza, and induced a
arty to 60 with him in search of it
gain. The party, several in number,
90 forth in small schooner, with the
amer for their guide. But through the
aany changes made in the course in
acking against head Winds and the
1inding course that necessarily had to
g taken with a schooner, the guide, as
efore, became lost Tho crew began TO