The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-02
APLACER MINE STAMPEDE
Virginia City Prospectors Rush
to Moran Creek.
1T Is LIKE OLD TIMES
Gold in Fabulous Quantities Said to
Have Been Discovered-Every Foot
OF Ground on the Stream Has
Been Taken Up.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Virginia City. July 30.-Wednesday
evening of this week witnessed one Of
the largest placer mine ~stampedes from
his city that has occurred since the
palmy days of Alder gulch. The re-
port of gold being discovered in fabu-
lous quantities on Moran creek. eight
miles northeast Of Virginia City. was
the cause of the rush. II. ID. Young,
George Myers. James McDeed and ID.
J.. Fine left this city on a prospecting
expedition early Wednesday morning.
n on their return Wednesday evening
one of the party. Il. j. Fine. showed a
bottle in which he had some fine, large
gold dust, amounting to s., stating that
the same had been washed out while
panning five or six pans Of dirt, n
that the find was at Moran creek. The
news flashed through the city like Wild
fire. Men, women and children at nee
became excited, n the rush for the
new diggings started, some on horse
back, others in wagons and several on
foot. Few delayed long enough to pro-
vide themselves with bedding, provis-
ions or the necessary tools, tho only
thought being to reach the scene of ac-
ton and locate a claim. Before mid
night 80 people were on the creek, scat
tered from the head to the mouth, all
busily engaged in digging prospect holes
and panning the dirt, looking for gold,
using for light bonfires. candle and Ian
terms: some, not having any means Of
making a light, worked along in the
dark, expecting the results in their pans
To be large and bright enough to show
for itself. BY daylight not a foot Of
ground on the entire stream was va
cant, il all being located for placer min
ing purposes. Even the mountain sides,
where To get water would be an impos-
where t o get water would be an impos-
sibility, were located, and the location
notices being jealousy watched by the
happy locators, for fear some one might
jump them. The creek on which the
claims were located is not more than
five miles in length and there probably
were not LEES than 200 claims located,
which would neCessitate a creek with a
great many more miles in length to
make all the claims hold good, the
amount Of terra firma being insufficient
to accommodate all. All night Ions
newcomers were arriving and joining in
the rush to secure a claim. In many
places notices of location were posted
within a few feet of one another. There
probably was not a mile on the creek
that there were less than % claims To-
Gated, but this seemed to bother none
each claimant being positive his right
was the best and paying no attention to
the others. Only once did i'll fate seem
TO stare the crowd in the face. This
was occasioned when IL was found that
w. A. Clark and others had located a
water right on the creek, which took
the entire head. and hat the course OF
the water would be changed. but after
a pow-wow being held IL was decided
this could not be lone and work again
went on as of old. When daylight came
renewed vigor was instilled into the
veins of the prospectors and the panning
for gold was entered into more energet-
ically than ever. No until a couple of
hours after daylight, when a great deal
of panning had been done and no gold
discovered, did the crowd drop onto the
fact that they had been sold: In other
words, they discovered that a joke had
been perpetrated on them, and the re-
port that the gold exhibited by Mr.. Fin
the night previous nae not been taken
from Moran creek. but instead had been
taken from the West Fork OF the Madl-
son, on the Gravelly range More or less
Indignation exists with some over the
affair, especially so with some who ad-
vlsed friends to join the rush, believing,
as they did, that the gold came from the
creek. and hat there was a possible
chance Of a big strike To be made.
Aside from the unfortunate trouble
which arose between I. j. Farrell of
this city and Thomas Thexton Of the
Madison valley, the excitement was en-
joyed by all who participated in 1t. and
a etter-nature jollier crowd never
were out. This is the third excitement
over placer ground being discovered
within the past month, IA none of them
were as large as the one Wednesday
evening.
Last week the Fortune group Of
mines. owned by II. T. and Al Cook of
this city. were bonded to a party of
Butte capitalists. who were represented
by ID. w. Chambers Of the Black Hills
and Sig H~achberger. 1t is understood
that a force of men will at once be put
to work on tho property and the ex-
traction of ore begun. The Fortune
group has been quite extensively de-
veloped and is considered a good prop
erty; II is located about five miles
from this city. in Williams gulch.
The Rainbow Chief quartz mine, near
his city. owned by Thomas Thexton and
others. has been leased to Charles
Graves and John Develin. two practi-
cal miners with years of experience. The
gentlemen think they have secured a
pretty good thing, having recently IN
covered a rich body Of ore. A wagon
load of ore from their dump has been
shipped TO Red Bluff, where a cyanide
plant IL working. for the purpose Of as
certaining whether or not the ore could
be treated by that process. If the re-
turns are satisfactory. in all probability
a cyanide plant will be erected here for
the treatment of the ore. there being a
vast quantity Of ore on the dump ready
for treatment.
Twin Bridges is to a V a banking
house. the new business to be opened
the 18th Of August or Whereabouts. The
move is largely the enterprise Of Hall
& Bennett. bankers, of his city, who
will hold the largest amount Of
shares. Other prominent citizens Of
Madison county holding stock in the
business are NJ. II. Lott, Twin Bridges,
Alex Metzel. Fuller Springs: Joh
wilhart. John Seidensticker. J.. NJ.
Page. William Owsley and John Com
fort Of Twin Bridges. The bank will