The Republican journal., 1901-12-26
Sacred to the memory of
Henry Griffin,
Died January 8, 1888; aged 30 years.
He first discovered gold in Oregon.

Standing on this eminence one can
see Gritfin's Gulch, where gold in East
ern Oregon was first discovered; the
famous Blue Caynon, also once a
famous gold field, and, farther down
the site of old Auburn, the first town
that was built in Eastern Oregon, now
nothing but memory. Still farther
down, on bright october day, the
beautiful Powder River glistens and
CLEANS in the sunlight, like a silver
ribbon uErolled from the mountain
tops. These are among the most
historic scenes in Oregon. Here was
the first graveyard East of the Cascades;
here the yellow metal was found that
helped make the state state, and then
made it famous. Here lived the discov-
erers of gold-David Littlefeld,
William Stafford, Henry Griffin and G..
W. Scriver-and here stands the rude
stone above the dust of their leader
Henry Griffin.
TRAIL OF THE ARGONAUTs.
David Littlefeld, Henry Griffin,
William Stafford and G. W. SERVER
were California miners and prospec-
tors in 1860. Early in 1861 wonderful
reports began to circulate about the
Orc Elmo mines in Washington Terri
tory. The quartet started north to go
to the new diggings. When they reach
ed Portland they found that they had
been deceived, and that the ORC Elmo
mines existed chiefly in the magma
ton of romaDcers, who peopled the
West then just as they do today
They CHANGED, on the streets of Port
land, to meet young man named Ad-
ans, who began to talk about the
famous lost blue Bucket mines. -
These mines have been the dream of
the Western prospector for over 50
years, and at that time the blue
Bucket" excitement had reached it's
zenith.
The men from California at first
stopped on the streets and listened to
Adams talk through curiosity. Then
they began to question him. Adams
assured them that he was with the
Mormon emigrants who discovered the
mines; that he could find the gulch
where the wonderful nuggets were, and
that he was anxious to go with a party
that was strong enough to cope with
the rowing bands of Indians that then
infested the plains of Central Oregon.
Three other young men corroborated
the statements of Adams, and said that
they were with him when the mines
were found, and that his account was
true.
Credulous people were soon found,
and company was formed to search
for the famous ''Blue Bucket diggings
of the Mormon emigrants. Gold
stories were easily believed in those
days, and it was d party of 60 men, in
Guiding the Californians-Littl
Griffin, Stafford and Scriver-with
Adams for captain and guide, that set
out from Portland in search of the
fabulous mines.
The company left Portland well arm
ed and equipped. 1t crossed the Cas-
cades and struck the Deschutes River
at the point where The Dalles and
Canyon City wagon road now crosses it
the same crossing that was discover
ed by the emigrants of 1915. Going up
the river on the east side, the advent
urers came to the Crooked River, a
tributary of the Deschutes, which they
followed to its source.
Here they came to dry desert, and
the water began to give out. Adams
displayed signs of knowing very little
about the country, aud, under the angry
accusations of the rest of the company,
the three Portland young men weaken
ed and admitted that they lied and
knew nothing Of Adams, or of the
mines of which they had all come in
search. Adams still chung to his story,
however, and led the party on south
ward until they entered the lake basin
the poisonous area, the country of
bitter alkali water
Here the goldseekers, like the emf
grants of 1845, refused to follow their
guide any farther, and became vehe-
ment in their threats and accusations.
They turned again to the north, and
came in sight Of Castle Rock, on the
Malheur River, after which they con-
tinued on toward the headwaters of
Burnt River, still breathing out threat
enings of death to Adams if he did not
find the mine.
The most vehement of the accusers
of the leader were Willamette Valley
farmers, who had left their crops, their
homes and their families, in the search