Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-01-10

GLOi.bE ASlllNGI ION DAVIS.
years ago he was "A clerk and reporter in a
st. Paul newspaper office. He was sent up
into the northern part OF the state to in
spect some iron mines and learned that
gold hearing quartz was to he found there.
Having some knowledge of mineralogy and
more than IA smattering of geology, he de-
cided to thoroughly explore the region.
Davis was Il slim, pale faced young man
then, and the country which he had set
out to traverse was IA wild one. He was
full of grit, though. He put his outfit
into "a canoe and started alone for Rainy
lake. He made his start from Rat Port
age, on the north side of the Lake of tho
Woods, where he had spent the winter aft
er II vain hunt for gold in that vicinity.
1t was a p~crilous journey, and moro
than once the gold hunter found himself
face to face with death. This may sound
strangely today, when the passage from
Duluth to Rainy Lake Ci.Y can he mado
with no more discomfort ~lHn that incur
red by II stage ride from railroad to steam
boat. 1t was far different then. Davis
had to depend for transportation on his
canoe entirely, and when II portage had to
be made il was tedious work. Once his
canoe was smashed on the rocks of an I'M
known stream, and he narrowly escaped
drowning, only to wander about until al
most starved. Twice he was rescued by
Indians when almost exhausted For
weeks he lived on raw fish and berries and
suffered all sorts of priVatiOnS. One tribe
of Indians, To whom he showed how no
could roast rocks and produce beads of
gold, elected him chief and wanted to
adopt him. He declined, and the Indians
took him to Fort Francis, where he OBJ
.ft,,l q, Y,,... a,ttE md Hr.1l,. ..,l.
Rainy lake.
He campcd on one Of the many small
islands in the lake. and while picking ber-
ries for his breakfast discovered rock that
looked promising. Abandoning his break
fast preparations, he crushed some of the
rock and roasted it in his frying pan.
The result made him almost wild with de-
light. In describing his find he said:
Il think | had the largest p%anning Of
gold | ever saw for the amount of rock
used. laughed and cried like II crazy
man. | guess | WAS crazy for tho time
being. for | realized that | was rich and
thai my hard~hips were over"
He named his claim the Little Ameri-
can and soon after sold it for SO, 600.
He located other claims and is now the
pussessor of "a big fortune. On the site
where he wandered, less than four years
ago, in the midst of a wildcrncS~, is HOW
"a booming town. In summer regular
lines of teamers carry prospcctors and
visitors through the chain of lakes and
rivers, and several railroad lines are being
pushed toward the new guldiields.
Gold has been found ON both sides Of the
international boundary line, but the mines
ON the Canadian side are being more rap
idly developed. Many stamp mills have
hmm, nm t, and tn.vt -Y,wita, t,asbfpAp,s
will he rushed in that will greatly increase
the gold output for the coming year. The
ore is very rich, running from SD 10 sos
IA ton, and it is easily worked. Here the
gold bearing reefs lie almost wholly ex-
posed. biologists say that when this part
of the country was swept in the glacial
period by IA great field of ice from the are
tics the rock was left bare. Some of tho
richest mines have been located ON the is
lands in the lake, but others are being
worked On the mainland on either shore.
1t now costs less than 50 per ton to mill
the ore, and Whon the transportation lacil-
titles have been increased it will cost not
more than SO per ton.
Besides the gold mines the region Is n
rich one in other particulars. The great
plain which lies 10 the south of Rainy
lake is one of the most fertile sections of
Minnesota. This plain is over D, 600 square
miles in extent and will some day support
many thousands of settlers. There are
thousands of acres, too, of valuable pine
and cedar forests, and deposits of various
metals, which will add to the riches of the
mon who acquire homes in this region.
The climate Is not half rs bad rs it is gen
orally supposed to he either. The average
rainfall is no greater than that of other
parts of Minnesota, n the winters are III
more severe.