The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-28
DOES GOLD GROW?
Some Veteran Miners Who Pretend to Be-
Heve That 1t Does.

(From the Butte Daily Inter- ountain. J
They were all weather beaten trail
blazers who had led the march of civil
ization into the mountains, and as they
toasted their shins by the big stove In
Lon Pickett's hotel bar at MeIrose their
con versation wandered from the recent
election aud the departed glories of other
days to the latest discoveries In science.
John Helrhan had just finished reading
from mining journal about Prof
Emmons's discovery of the method of
transmitting silver into gold.
81 think Emmons is a humbug," said
old Judge Longley, California Argo-
naut. 1.-THE old alchemists, you know,
tried that, but they might as well have
tried to make an apple seed. Nature
holds the germ and all the scientists who
initiate her can do is to quicken Its
growth.
"I've heard tell of gold growing" re-
marked Will Robbins.
$50 have l, said the Judge, "but have
never seen it grow; have you? I don't
believe all the yarns these experts spin,
anyhow.
Boys" spoke up John Treanor, "psr-
haps have got some queer old notions
slowed away under this diggin' hat of
mine, but for thirty years, man and boy,
I've been prospeotor, and have been
dom some thinking. And tell you
now that believe gold does grow.
Twenty years ago struck the Locust and
sank shaft. 1t was silver ore, and after
diggin' for q while gave 1t up in dis
gust. Then wandered over to the other
side Of the range and located the Banner,
a copper mine now in the possession of
the Anaconda Company. I moseyed
around for awhile, and eight years ago 1
went back to my old love, the Locust
Hang me II could believe my eyes, boys
when found the prettiest ledge of gold
ore right where the silver ledge was. 1t
was as pretty as picture, and kept
right on diggin, and have been diggin'
in TINT hole ever since. 1t seemed to me
that In the places where the water struck
1t, 1t grew richer. ] run in three tun-
nels at the bottom, but found the gold
was not yet ripe, so just closed up the
tunnels and les them rest few
years."
"Blame me i'll don't think Hank
Stebbins does the same thing, said Jack
Flo. "Hank lives up in Soap 0ulch,
and has q claim he calls the Belcher.
He discovered it thirty years ago whom
Wash Stapleton was making bullets in
his lead mine to kill Indians with. It Ii
in funny formatioun for that part of
the country. 1t ia in reef of sand lying
between the lime formation that borders
on the Melrose Valley and the stratified
gneiss formation that runs from that
point to the base of Red Mountain.
Thirty years ago Hank discovered that
there were Rlobules of silver in the sand
and located it, but there wasn't enough
mineral to pay and he abandoned it. Ten
years ago he went back to the old mine
and began to find chunks of gold instead
of silver. He has good thing of it
now. He mines it like the Msxicans used
to mine it years ago. He onts stairs in
the sand and takes the rock up In oan-
die box and sorts it over. Now all he
has got to do when he wants to make a
stake is to go down to the sand pile and
wiggle crowbar around for a minute
when up comes a piece Of shining gold.
Several capitalists have attem pied to get
hold of the mine, and one of Heinze's
agents made him a good offer for it, but
Hank won't sell, tor he Is sure he has
fortune if the gold keeps on growing"