Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-05-07
A BIG STRIKE ON CHETCO.
Prospectors Track Runaway
Mule and Find Bona MA.

A big quartz strike was made on
the headwaters of the Chetco river,
by two prospectors, John B. Griffin,
formerly of Jackson county, and Ben
Miller of Chetco The Checto is
short river which heads Just across
the coast divide from Josephine creek,
There are some very valuable placers
on the upper Chetco, which has at
tained some note as mining dis
trict. The recent find was made on
Baby Foot, creek tributary to
the Chetco.
Griffin and Miller were on a pros.
pecting trip. Some time previously,
Griffin had located trace" in the
Baby Foot country and their expedi-
tion was for the purpose of returning
to this trace and running it down.
One night, in the course of their
journey up the creek, one of their
pack animals, mule, strayed away
from camp and was not to be found
when the time came for packing up.
After some search, the tracks of the
absconding animal were found and
both men started ON the mules trail
to. .recapture him and bring him back
to camp. The track led them across
the creek and up the hill on the other
side, passing near large bluff to which,
as experienced prospectors, their at
tention was drawn by the character OF
the formation. After making an ex-
animation of the bluff, it was agreed
that Miller should remain there and
prospect the ground while Griffin CON
tinued to follow the mule. Griffin
followed the mules trail nearly to
the top of the mountain, but was
unable to overtake the animal and
finally gave up the pursuit and re-
turned to where he had left Miller.
The latter in panning the dirt about
the bluff, had succeeded in striking
trace of very encouraging appearance.
AS it was somewhat late and rain
was falling heavily, both men re-
turned to camp, but returned early
the next morning and began to pan on
the trace which was soon run down
by Griffin, who is an expert pocket
hunter. They first discovered a large
quartz rock which had broken off the
ledge and had slid down the hill for
some little distance. The rock con-
tanned probably ton and half of
quartz and >, to use a miners express
sion, it was lousy" with particles of
the precious metal cleaning all
through it. Pursuing the explora-
tion, the prospectors located the ledge
itself about 20 feet further up the.hill.
The ledge is said to be about 20 feet
in width and is rich beyond ooncep-
ton. The fortunate discoverers did
little more than to prospect it to some
extent at the time,s but returned to
Kerby for supply of provisions and
tools. They will begin Immediately
to open it up and determine its extent
and value. Both men are practical
miners and are not exhibiting any OK
citemeDt over their find, though they
have cause for believing that they
have one of the bigge st things in
Southern Oregon. They have named
their mine the Lost Mule" in honor
of the wandering quadruped whose
waywrd steps guided them to the
place and initiated the discovery.
They probably considered themselves
in hard luck when they lost their
mule, but the misfortune proved their
chiefest blessing and the animal was
worth infinitely more to them lost
than if he had rcLmained in camp