The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-04-19
TIVE kiasi,s aiats

and the Blne Bucket miees. proposition
that have hilhero einded all tiforts
dad then. The Bloc Backd nice II,
somewheio 10 ofegoo. GA lice draw
from The big lend Of the Slske tivet
where IL sseeps northvstd on u. way /
the Columbia. aai sItesdius 10 Ytsku
Gal.
II was some time 10 1850, believe
that a party Of home seekers slrack oi
10 The foothills Of the Rockies on d.
Oregon trail for the north vest, intendiul
10 wolk down into porthern Cshloruls
They were tatmers, pure ana simple. sp,
the news OF the discovery OF gold IL
Cilliotnia bad never reached them. They
bad ltlt the bend OF the Snake liver somt
dsys unioituuatsly the story is GOT d.i
nite ss 10 The humber OF days behind
them, aad they csnped one evening OF
the bsrks OF a stream. where tbey rested
their oIen sbd horses Tor u couple oi
days. While the men OF the paitJ hunt
ed tie surrounding country for fresh
meat and the women spent tbe lime 10
washing clothes, and the children wander
ed sbont 10 the vicinity OF the camp pick
ing berries, carrying With them, ~ the
story has II 'one OF those old fashioned
bloc bnckets Old timers say that the
blue bucket WAS an importsn, part Of the
Argonsups on ft 10 those days,
O1e day st noon the chil iren hurried
into camp. two of them struggling with
the weight OF their bucket, the bottom
covered with snumber OF pieces Of yellow
metal, They said they had tried TO dig
out Of the eeround some deep rooted bush
besIine flower ths, pleased them, Intend
Ing to plant 1t 10 the bucket and take 1t
along, aud they had found the pieces OF
metal iu the ground. Every body gsther
ed about the fud, and nobody could
mske any thing OF it The metal couldn't
be OF bfsss, OF course. they knew, but il
might be some kind OF native copper, ss
1t could be beaten cut ht with ease,
The pieces varied from the sizo OF . pump
Kin seed to 40 egg,
The srgoneuts had 10 use fer single
pouni Ct useless weight, aud when the
party stsrted of oil the metal was thrown
swsy but piece which the children
were SLOWED to keep for j,ck-stones, aud
heavy i'ck-stoDes they we're too. or
course when Yreks was reached the play
thiogs we're recognized as gold. Then
there was regular stampede over the Ore
gon lava be for the Blue Bucket mine,
bat snow had fallen estt OF the Cs,osde
range, and the track was lost. Two or
three OF the party spent their lives looking
Ior the lost placer ground and died 10
poverty, The Others settled down 10
'armins and succeeded At it. Every few
5esrs somo prospecsor takes . notion to
make bis fortune by hDding the Blns
Bucket mine, but no gold h.s since ever
been discovered 10 that whole stretch OF |
southern Oregon,
The lost bssin 10 a legendary quartz
proposition hidden 10 . beautiful basin IN
he Bitter Root mountains OF southern
dsho. A packer who was employed by
,ne OF the expeditions that made q pre-
iminsry survey OF the Union Pacific rail
'sy made ,hs discovery in the romsptic
vsy that is Characteristic OF the finding
4 oil lost mines: Several mnles got away
ne night 10 the widest part Of that
aonntsIn range. and George Harvey
bat was the packers name - was detsied
o fnd them, having Fl net been supplied
nth horse TO carry his bedding and
rub. He was instructed to hurry slonp
g soon ss be had found the mules. Is the
Dgineers 10 charge had decided that ~
be country was impracticsble for q rail
osd hey would lose no time 10 pushing
| (
us surveying parties we're TO meet.
Harvey stated back on the trail early
D the morning Of the breaking up OF the
amp sbd ituud the mules 10 . little
alley guzing. He secured them With
ut trouble and decided to camp, as
ight had fallen. In the morning be :
oked around. A peculisr rock forms /
on 20 feet wide protrudius from the
round foot and extending loo yards to
,e edge OF . Stream arrested bis stten /
on, The rock was soft. and Harvey {
lopped up . yard or more OF the sur a
ce. A yellow CLINT cAught his eye, .
ID he picked up 'st'iDg' Of pure gold Q
foot long snd weighing bali 8 pound.
hare was plenty more OF the v.lusbls =
stsi 10 that spot, and sitter choppipg up 9
g surface 81 various places OF the rock a
Arvey satisfied himself thst be had die q
vsred . great free milling gold ledge G
z enough TO make him . millionaire q
versl times over. Q
Concesling several ponnds Of sold O
mt his person. be moved out OF the
Hey, alter impressing the narrow en v
,nce upon bis mind. He soon found /,
Q surveying psrty had buried sloDR 80 4
It tbst they bad left no marks, blszes n
the trees or oiheruise TO indicsts ihe b
y the had taken, snd ~ be bad to de a
/. d 90 tbs intelligence OF his horse and o.
,Ies TO Dad the way. be disressrded sll b
) landmark, He fnslly arrived st The or
,in camp. aying pothins sboot bis die .,
very and working at bis Job ultil the
II SIMMER,
be made 3 confident Of old
u HeDdertop, whose syes bnlged Il
zen be cav the evidence 10 pure gold o.