Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-07-30
INDIANA GOLD MINES.
Hydraulic Mining on a Large Scale
Is Now Under Way.
Operations Have Caused q Panic
Among CYix.ly Recluses Who
Have Been Pannfng Out the
Yellow Metal.

been known that there was gold back
in the hills of the Indiana counties,
says a writer in the ST. Louis Globe
Democrat, and for over half a century
queer lot Of illiterate. grizz V recluses
have been washing gold back in the
hills, making from one dollar to two
dollars a day. The gold that they
brought in to market occasionally in
little bags and in phials passed assay
in the government mint on an equality
with Snake river gold. the finest stand
ard in the United States. 1t remained
for an old California miner, who came
east two months ago for his firm, to
open up the first hydraulic gold mine in
the state.
1t is located in Morgan county,
north of Martinsville, the county seat
1t is small fair. compared with those
in the west that tear down banks 400,
500 and COO feet high, but it is capable
of thoroughly developing the 5o-foot
hills in which the gold is lodged along
the hill streams Of Morgan, Brown and
Johnson counties.
The first cleanup on the hydraulic
mine has not yet been made, but it is
confidently expected that it will run 40
cents yard. Such panning out would
mean that Indiana would Immediately
blossom forth as one of the greatest
gold mining states in the union. In
most of the California placer mining
camps dirt is being worked that
81 A. ward
and there the water rates are high.
r. L. Royse, who has brought about
the present development, became con-
vinced three years ago that there was
gold in the Indiana hills that would
cause a national sensation if it was ever
handled by improved methods. For
over three wears he has been prospect
ing in the hills. and here and there has
been picking out tracts of land that
showed good tests. He now has $500
acres under his absolute control and
has supervision over 5000 or 5000 more
acres.
The chickens and ducks of the gold
hills picked the gold up, mistaking it
for grains of wheat or corn, and. be-
ing heavy. the gold had lodged in their
craws. Mrs. George Johnson. who lives
inst across the river from the city OF
Martinsvile, killed a duck that had
picked ND its dinners along the little
stream that ran through the barn lot.
She cleaned up the craw of he fowl ana
netted s21O. William Rothwell. who
lives seven miles from Martinsv1lle'
killed a chicken that netted him 80
cents. A farmer near Martinsvllle
killed duck that was veritable klon-
dixie.
The hydraulic operations have caused
a panic among the grizzly recluses who
have been panning the gold. They are
quaint lot. with queer names. The
king of their camps is 4O-year-oid
wild-eved, red bearded man who can
neither read nor write and VINO Is
known as " Wild Bill Stafford.' He is
king because he is known all over the
gold fields as the man that found the
S12 nugget and that drank Is schoon-
ers Of beer in one day without getting
drunk. R'll as rule. operates in colo
creek holler" He cleans up three dol
lars ? Gay when he works steadily
"Old Nav Noon" is a Brown county
washer. "Old Man Jim Stanley whc
onerates around in "High,and hOller,
mt his rarle into the history OF the
gold diroirgs by finding a 5000 dla-
mond. which was sold in the lndianapo-
lis rnarset. Quite a number OF large
!. no of va Ina hIp
bies have been found. "Old Man Stan
lev" has been washing gold in the hills
for over AZ years and has raised big
family. "Rill' Merriman is the patri-
arch of the section. He won't permit
a stranger to get within half mile OF
him ca secretive is he concerning his
operations.
TAYLOR. the California miner who
built the hydraulic mine and the fumes,
saws the Indiana dirt is OF the same
character that is found in California,
except that there is no cement in it,
which makes the operation in Califor-
MIA so costly. He thinks that there
is a great deal of dirt in the Indiana
hills that will run over one dollar
ward. He says that with the latest de-
vices dirt can be handled now that runs
only four cents a yard at big profit.
State Geologist Blatchley holds to
the theory that the gold was brought
down by the glaciers. It is found where
the glaciers from Hudson bay ended
and deposited great banks OF conglom-
70