The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-08-13
SKAMANIA GOLD BOOM
A Prospector's Discovery Stirs
Up Excitement.
ORE WILL BE EASILY WORKED
He Found the Mother Lode, and Many
People Are Rushing in to Sc
cure Claims.

Portland, Or, Aug. IF. Wood
worth, a fireman ON the 0. r. & N.
Co.. and likewise an experienced pros
pector, has just returned from Steven
son, Skamania county, Washington.
where the recent gold discoveries in
the vicinity of Lookout mountain have
caused excitement. Six months ago,
Timothy Sullivan, an old prospector.
who has lived in Portland off and on
for many years, while following up
traces of color from the Vancouver
side, at last stumbled upon the much.
sought-for mother lode that the pros
pectors in that section have been trying
to locate ever since it was found that
the places at the headwaters of the
Washougal river would not pay.
After stalking out claims on several
of the supposedly rich leads, Sullivan
made his way down to Stevenson, and
of course could not keep his discovery
to himself. The news quickly spread
that an immense gold field had been
discovered at the headwaters of Rock
creek, which rises at the foot of Look
out mountain and makes its way down
to the town of Stevenson, fifteen miles
south on the Columbia river. Reports
of the gold discovery caused a great
furry of excitement in the little coun-
try town, and in less than week
time dozens Of parties were On their
way to the new Cripple Creek. The
gold fields. it is estimated, run fifteen
miles up the mountain side and within
a stretch of ten or twelve miles there
is any number of leads. When Mr..
Woodwork left, a week ago, there
were already between fifty and one
hundred claims staked out, not a few
of them by Portland parties; while on
his way into Stevenson he passed at
least fifty men on their way to the
fields. There are immense quantities
of ore, according to Mr.. Woodwork,
the supply being practically inexhaust-
ible, and as Rock creek affords plenty
of water power and the country is
heavily timbered, the mines ought not
to require great amount of capital for
development.
Mr.. Woodwork, who is authority
for the foregoing, said yesterday to a
reporter:
There is no doubt in my mind that
this will prove rich find. l had been
over that country, about four years ago
prospecting, and. as soon as heard of
Sullivan's discovery, took a lay off
from my engine and went over to see
what there was in it. When I got to
Stevenson found every one there wild
with excitement, and hundreds of
stories about the mines going the
rounds; but I paid no attention to
these and made up my mind that the
best thing to do would be to 60 out to
the mines without delay.
II pushed on up Rock creek to the
gold fields, which are about fifteen
miles north, and got there that after
noon. There was already great num-
Der of claims staked out and hurried
ly selected couple of locations and
then gathered some of the float, which
1 brought in and followed right up to
the assayer's Office, SO that there could
be no sailing. just received a report
from the assayer this morning, in
which he says the rock assays about 81
ton. This is regarded as being pretty
good for groupings, as took it just as
it came, and the ore is sure to improve
further down. 1t is free milling ore.
too, and easily worked, and wood and
water are handy to develop the claims.
As there are more than 100 square
miles in that tract. you can see that
the supply Of ore Is practically mex.
houcfihlo