Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-06-30
Far West.


and being worked by O'Bannon q
Clark and c. d. Haywood. This prop
erty has history which dates back to
1860. Thirty-eight years ago man
by the name of Joseph st. John, with
a number of other miners, discovered
a high bar carrying gold in paying
quantities. They, or some of the
gang, dug some prospect holes, but
filled them up again or partly filed
them up. At that time this country
was a wilderness and nothing of man
kind to be seen except a few scattering
prospectors and the wild jingle of the
Nezperce Indians, who owned this en-
tire country at this time. On account
of their inability to get water on this
bar with which TO work it, they aban-
doned it. They scattered to many
parts of the country and, as far as any
one knows, there is but one left to tell
the tale of this high bar which has
been hunted for long ago and given
up. Mr.. St. John made, as he said,
his final trip last year back to this
place to take another look. But when
he arrived it had been discovered by
accident. Only Mr.. St. John says,
''Thirty-six years ago there was not
bush on the mountain; there were only
few scattering trees. Now it is COW
cred with pines. Pines, six inches in
diameter, are growing in the old pros
pect holes now"
As said before. this bar was dis
covered by accident. Some cattle men
were driving cattle over this bar,
when they rode by where a tree had
recently blown up by the roots; these
roots uncovered the wash gravel which
drew their attention to the fact that
they were riding on mineral ground.
These men went back to this place
three days later and sank a hole which
resulted in getting some very pretty
gold. But it was in this case as be-
fore;'On account OF water and the land
still belonged to the Indians-they
gave up the gold bar, but fully intend
ed TO locate the bar if the Indian re-
serve was ever thrown open. The
names of these cattlemen are Thomas
Surridge and Rena Mcpherson. They
made the discovery nine years ago, but
said nothing about it. and men every
year hunting for it.
Three years ago. just before the
reservation was thrown open. a Cpur
d'Alene miner discovered the same
point that the the cattle men had six
years before. This mans name is !
John Ashpaugh. He stayed on the
ground and the very moment the time
was up, he put up notice and called |
it the High Bar" Mr.. Ashpaugh |
being too poor to operate the property, ,
others were taken in as partners. 1t |
was not long till trouble arose among
themselves and one man got killed in
the mine. 1t was in constant litigation |
until O'Bannon & Clark and c. d. |
Haywood bought the entire property. |
After these gentlemen came in posses
sion of the property they began at
once giving it thorough prospecting, |
spending $500 or more in prospecting |
alone. Their labor resulted in adding |
three more claims to the High Bar,
making four all told-the High Bar, |
the Millie, the Eta, the Prosperity. |
Up to date. these men have made over !
700 rods of ditch, 2 feet on bottom, p |
feet deep and 81 feet on top; 200 rods |
OF fume feet square, consisting of |
s car loads or 60. 900 feet timber and |
lumber; 1900 pounds of nails and sew
eral months hard labor for ten to
twelve men. They have at the mine
600 feet IS guage steel pipe, number
one giant, with all the modern conven-
fences for working this bar of gold. At /
present they have an Is foot perpen-
dicular wall of gravel prospecting from
top to bottom beyond the expectations
Of its owners In brief, the long look
ed for High Bar gold mine is now an
up-to-date mine with all modern i'm
provements and machinery for work
ing the same, and owned and operated
by men of enterprising ability and un
firing efforts.
shall now speak of the lost cabin.
For many years there has been much
talk of a cabin some where on the
not many miles from Pilot
Rock or Old Badly. The description
| gave you some time ago There have
been many stories of the cabin and are
many now, but too many to write at
this time. At any rate constant hunt
ing has been done each year, as soon
as the snow would permit, but not un-
til last September, was the cabin
found. A man by the name of Oliver
Plemen found the cabin while deer
hunting. The cabin looks as though !;
It might have been built thirty-fve or
'orty years ago. 1t is about Il or Is