The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-16
Gold in the Olympies.

| During the past year quite number of
exploration parties have prosecuted exam
lnatlons OF the Olympic mountain regions
and many glowing reports of indications of
rich mineral deposits have been told as a
result of these expeditions.
Some few years ago, says the Townsend
Leader, there was large number of pros
pectors in the Olympics delving therein for
traces Of the yellow metal but about that
time the richness of the Klondike was her
aided to the world and stories of the fabul-
Gus wealth of that distant section reached
the ears of the prospectors in the Olympics
and they dropped their picks and shovels
and headed for the golden north.
But such was not the case with the Reed
brothers They had unlimited faith in the
Olympics and preferred 70 look for gold in
the land where stars and stripes waved,
continued their search, until they were re-
warded by finding promising quartz
prospect in the Olympics back of the head
of Discovery bay. The groupings we're
not the most encouraging but they being
experienced miners knew that if there was
anything in their find, its value could only
be ascertained by sinking on the ledge,
which they accordingly did. At a depth
of 10 feet the appearance of the ore began
to improve and an assay revealed that the
rock carried So in gold and s. in silver and
! copper This was most encouraging and
they continued their work by running an
incline until they tapped the ledge at a
depth of seventy feet feet from the surface
| The ledge is nine feet between walls and
is well defined
| Since having the rock taken out at a
ldepth of ten feet assayed they have had
no other test of the rock made so K. E.
Reed came in yesterday afternoon on the
| Port Angeles Southern train bringing 100
pounds of the ore with him which he pro-
poses taking ID Seattle to have thorough
test made as to its value and the various
minerals which it contains and upon this
test depends the future course they will
pursue.
Judging from the character OF the rock
taken from the.Io-feet depth it will assay
in the 'neighborhood of $40, which, consi-
dering the width of the vein and the facil-
tiles for working properly, cannot fail to
become one'of great value and will be in
strumental in opening up new industry
in Jefferson county.
Mr. Reed is apractical and experienced
miner, having for years been engaged in
the business in California, Oregon. Idaho.
and Montana and he feels confident that
he has an excellent property
He expresses the belief the Olympics
will yet become an important mining dis
trict and that many valuable lodges will
be discovered. He says that while great
many people have prospected in the Olym-
pics, but few if any of them were expert
enced men, as traces of their work indi-
Gates. He says that all through the
| mountains can be found prospect holes
from 10 to IS inches in depth, and as the
amateur prospector at that depth failed to
find a quartz ledge staring him in the face
he would seek another place and go
/ through the same performance and then
return and give an expert opinion that
there is no gold in the Olympics-
| Mr.. Reed says that there is no place on
the coast that affords better field for the
prospector than the Olympic range OF
| mountains and that if experienced men get
Into that section and give the country a
thorough and practical investigation 1t VIII
4 result in the discovery of many rich miner
al bearing lodges and open a new industry
| of great value to the, country Townsend
! Leader.