The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06
ELDORADO UP In VERMONT.
MAZE A CENTURY OF PERSISTENT
SEARCH FOR GOLD.
ulEzInE Potatoes Move Profitable Thau Mig
Eiug cold, Says n Fnruser who uas Tried
noth-A Million Dollars spent on heles
In The Gronnd. With Amnll Rrtmrnn.

In the GROUND, with Small Returns.
RUTLAND, VT, juno 5.-Return!nR spring
brings with Il something besides tho MARBLE of
robins and the fragrance OF flowers In the valley
of the White and Black rivers, twenty miles
east OF here, for that is the region Of vermont's
gold belt. 1t is a land Of fertile farms, rich
meadow lands, and hilly pastures above which
the wooded mountains rise. Each spring gives
the signal for renewed speculation. and each
fall thus far has seen snow fall into yowning
pits which have cost many times as much money
to dig rs has boon taken out.
Vermonts gold belt, or the main part OF It.,
extends through the towns Of Pitts6eld, Sher-
burne, Barnard, Bridgewatcr, and Plymouth,
all lying on the eastern slope OF the main ridge
OF the Green Mountains. biologists say that
these towns lie In the direct line of q great vein
OF gold.bearing rock which extends from Nova
Scotia to the south. To substantiate this theory
they point to the fact that gold has been found
in Troy. one OF tho northernmost towns in the
State, and as far south in n direct line as Connec-
ticut. The Bridgowater gold mines are almost as
old as those in California, having been discovered
In 1853. four or five years after the great rush
West. The discovery was not an accident. as
was that in California, but the result OF the in
designations and reflections OF u Vermont min
eralogist, the owner OF a lime kiln at Ply
mouth. His name was Matthew Kennedy, and
his son. Matthew 4. Kennedy, still lives at
Bridgewater. in the heart OF the mining region,
untouched by the fever which every now and
then breaks out around him. He tells the follow
ing story or the discovery made by his father:
1t could not DO called an accident. My
father was always interested in minerals. and
was always examining them. He bought u lime
kiln property at Plymouth. and found iron and
copper in the limestone. l bought the farm at
B~ridsewatcr, where Washburn now lives, in
1910. but didn't own the land the mines are on.
My father came to visit me in 1851, and ex-
smined very closely some peculiar reddish rock
he found in a stone heap OH my land. He was
hunting bees one day after that, and followed
them across u little brook, and there he saw
sorie more of the same rock. In crossing the
brook soon after that we saw the vein running
across it. about a foot wide, washed bright by
the water. Father, after some work. extracted
hit of gold about as big as a pin head. He said
he knew 1t was gold because It was SO soft that
knife. Father then tried to buy the land With
the brook, and after some trouble succeeded:
r NsGs S o. inc f FstSsr sold MeS a small. Dne an an q sRSti
part q the property in the spring OF 1851
mining work on the property. Bnt father and
smith sold out in juno OF that year to Payson,
s snf t the wS5k m began 20 on vail = lSnf &c h Ssale. rb paSS so9
man among the miners died after u while. tho
Sthers tidn,t seem to know much about the
Eusted. and the thing stopped"
So much for the discovery of the Vermont Fl.
dorado. For close on to half a century now the
search for the metal has been continued. yigor-
onsly at times, quietly at othors. and hardly at
lily Of the vermonters who were able to carry a
nusket RESPONDED to the call for volunteers.
only money which has been made from
Il IN so OSsniisiors nj IA, s2 GIssor into Of inc v e1nnsss
gold mining contains no chapters Of rich 1nds,
ably more than u dozen companies have been
formed to carry on the work, and moro than q
In return for this the. gold taken out may have
amounted 10 bali the cost of the work; but
RhhSDsfi IS ys old t to. come Pr % = igua ns ion 90 al as little Hsis
sterks OF yellow can be found in the rock the ac-
TIP the Branch in Bridrcwater lives one of
the most tirelcss OF the seekers after gold. Oscar
but took up his residence at the Branch in
lsB2, since which time he has hunted the noun
sisars az out 0 ssa Vent fa s 60 sorth AZ oas S5f .i% nfe RE
be worked In gold mines for i've years. mean
h .i@s i't andy sssv the R KS ss4n IF getting s4 Es on, seS
effort in Vermont. Mr.: washbgrn's plant CON.
. snd . 9r { @ III e9e ena asd Z ie sF tbe otb;. wi ah s95lsr
ganator of tic owners inysntion. Despite long
and sD;sT HIseeee oSsI Lab labor. o! Nj; W e! i. MINIS Is still u
why, II .Bridgcwater were in California 1t
Miners between hers and MaysVilie.%"
How much of the ore is here r. he was asked;
Not ali the residents Of this, region have. felt
the gold fever, and some who have had it have
man who was hard at work hoeing potatoes in a
little held by the side of the road. The weather.
soapiet Gym IL S Saa that L was safe to assn assume ne
that the old man had been there all his life.
went to get the farmers views on the mining
question, the old man straightened stifhy up
beyond tho possibility Of usefuiness. His great
straw hat had been made shapeiess and almost
p %i1aass' s ny y fsded Or aS SeF the rest ht Of f his dfess w wss
: sas fe f Iast ssi ni t6snE &. q face beard slS 3. shf throat casi:
osity, ct the unusual sight OF q stranger
"Mornin'. was his brief response to the usual
Can You tell me anything about the gold
n!nfSg business = was asked
Can you tell me something about the gold
Dunno nothin' bout It,"
Then you haven't caught the gold fever r.
aappg haowi Feveri No. i ben nockerlated."
Il H ben nocksrlstsd more'n thirty year ago."
Took all summer, Borried potaters ter git
through the winter. Amt 'traid no fever now
hat do you mean r.
Don't want TO buy no mine. do yer
ben here longr ="
No: | never heard OF inoculGiira for gold
,Ditn't ,ysi, Best way. Some on EN- didn't
HIGHT run q fever. lied 70 berry po tat "I Keep
Ry farm ReEler foyer. an 1 should lost that.
,Lfes, | went, up and saw where they are
"Du haow ! Takin' gold QUIT Thought they
tSSS putin ont IN; Gittin' rich, be they Coin
nsihy here long r.
I'm going home to-day. No. ] don't find that
N"yIHody 10 getting rich digging gold here"
mere GOOD while. They've been diggin' gold
mR e y forty year, an Jest, dug one summer;
th " lhS time | ben diggin' ~potaters. ] used
H he' oilbows an pinkeyes, and then peach
S To~ m, JACKSON whites. an so on, and early
sgse an sRowfiakes. an u lot on 'em-but they're
H. po."ters. ! ben diggin' them, An there
OF mc nobody ben diggin, gold that's got ahead
Se %potaters; / ben Moderated an I hain't
ugS!h 10 gold. Amy you folks live heror
me gold mines r.
Oo;dR!t haowi Faith Yes, lots on T. But I
S SS ? 20 RoEsS today. though. Coin to rain. As