Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-05-07
COL. WElDLER AT GALICE
Portlen nd Mans Experiences
While Visiting Our Mines.


from visit to Grants Pass and thu
property of the St. Helens Gallo,
Greek Mining Company, ON Gallo,
Creek, of which he is president. HI
brought lot of coarse gold and nine
small nuggets worth SEQ to $50 each
the whole amounting in value tC
about Si00, as sample of the output
of the mine, which since the giant
throwing a five inch stream was put il
operation some six months ago ha,
been panning out well and is now &
dividend paying concern with nc
stock on the market.
Colonel Weidler says he had a very
enjoyable trip, even if he did come
near having his sound leg broken
while driving mp the rocky channel
of Galice Greek, and is bruised black
and blue all over, and was never st
sore since he was born.
He is enthusiastic over what he saw
and says no one can realize the mag.
nitude of the mining industries and
the vast treasures hidden in the hills
of Josephine County until they see
the heavy streams of water being pro.
jected against the banks and the mug,
gets Of gold being taken out.
He was accompanied ON the trip by
j. Cousin, of this city, an expert
hydraulic miner The party left the
Southern Pacific Railroad at Merlin
and went by stage over most pictur.
esque mountain road down Rogue
river distance of l3 miles to the
mouth Of Galice creek, where a stop was
made to view the extensive develop
ment work of the Galice Hydraulic
Mining Co. This enterprise is being
backed by Portland people, and from
all reports and actual showings here.
tofore made will be a good paying in.
yestment. The creek is said to con
tain hundreds Of thousands of dollars
worth Of coarse gold, and the entire
canyon will be worked out through
one big fiume eight feet in diameter
placed on the very bed of the creek.
Preparations are being made to saw
out about 500, coo feet of lumber on
the ground, a large ditch to provide
hydraulic pressure Is being dug
around the mountain side, reservoirs
are being built and it is intended by
those i'll charge of operations to have
everything i'll readiness for active
mining by fall. On the upper part of
the creek there are several giants
driving into the sluices large quanti-
ties of rich ground every day, aud the
clean-ups this season have been so
gratifying that the entire equipment
will be enlarged for next season and
hundreds Of acres Of goldbearing gravel
will furnish material for many years
of constant work. Colonel Weidler was
much impressed with the power of the
streams thrown by the giants which
washes down the banks and throws
about huge bowlders as if playing ON
a sand pile, and even more so with
the performances Of the water power
derricks devised by Superintendent
Terry. These are operated by a
stream tapped from the main line
pipe, so arranged as to turn a wheel to
which a wire cable is attached, which
pulls boulders Weighing ton or more
out of the way as if they were
feathers
The trip so far had proved so very
enjoyable to Colonel Weidler that he
decided to take a horseback ride up
the mountain. Directly up the
mountain above the property of st.
lIclens Galice Creek Mining Com
pany is the old Ankeny Mine, now
idle, owing 10 lack of water This
property WAS fitted up by Captain A.
p, Ankeny, progressive pioneer citi.
zen Of Portland some 30 years ago, at
great expense, all the machinery hay
ing been packed in on mules from
Roscburg. An extension of this high
mine is now being worked by the Old
Channel Mining Company, which is
turning out about $50, 900 per season.
The trail to this mine has been
somewhat oyergrown since the
machinery was packed in on mules,
and Colonel Weidlcr found the limbs
of trees much in his way. Owing to
the high pommel and high cantle of
his military saddle and his corporosity,
he could neither bend forward nor
backward TO avoid being scraped of.
He was fain TO just roll Off down the
side Of the horse TO save his life, but
after all he had gone through on the
trip this was mere trinc From
what he saw in the way of gold dust
and Nuggets and from all the reports
Of the mining and business men be met,
Colonel Weidlcr has concluded that
Galice Creek will take the lead Of
mining districts as the principal gold
producer Of Oregon. Great interest
Is being taken in hydraulic mining in
that section, and Grants Pass is alive
with miners and investors Oregon
ian.
COMPANY n IS INSpFCTE0