The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-05-08
GOLD FROM PLACER MINES
Wealth of Dust Taken From the
Clutches Of Montana.

Several years ago Montanans who
had the gold fever were rushin" into
tie virgin fields Of the KlonTkc, I'M
der the impression that the showing
tlere WAS the creates rvr known.
For two vars now this same class of
fortune hunters havc been making
their way into Nevada. Thcy are in
clincd TO forget the magnitude Of the
discoveries III Montana in the early
days, says the Dillon Examiner. and
the immense quantities Of gold talk
Ell out Of the bars and inc .ulchcs, in
comparison with which anything that
has so far come from Alaska or Ne
vada is insignificant.
There were more gulchcs in Monta-
na that actually yielded millions than
may eyer be discovered again. There
arc many single claims that yielded
Far greater returns than have been
told by the letters Of visitors to the
gold fields Of the north or around
Goldfeld and Bullfrog.
The first discovery Of gold in Mon
tana was made in 1861. On Gold
Creek, five miles below the little vii
lage of Pioneer, in Deer Lodge coun-
ty, Gold Tim found placer diggings
where there was gold in paying guam
titles and in the most primitive man
her possible worked some of the
ground. No attempt to operate the
locality Systematically was made un-
til full year afterward, when Gran
Vile Stuart, afterward minister to
Uruguay and Paraguay, and his
brother James bought some necessary
appliances. and operated The first
placer mine in Montana in 1862. Their
tools and appliances they imported in
to the country by pack train at infin-
ite labor and expense.
Many millions were taken from the
vicinity III time. Pioneer. Indepcn-
dent and Pixies Peak districts Law
along Gold Creek. AT the highest
point on Pilgrim Bar four men in two
seasons took ont %325.000 Down the
valley there was gold in large quanti-
ties. but it was so fine that miners
would moi be bothered with il. The
gold on the bars further up was coars-
cr and there was plenty Of il and
many men were made rich on that
little creek, which was subsequently,
ovcrshadowcd so completely by the
discoveries at other points tnat later
on dltches were put in and the ground
was worked on a still large scale. One
Of the bitches cost 100000 and had
a flowing capacity Of 10000 miners
inches, an inch being equal to sup
ply of 1900 gallons in twenty-four
hours. Under these ditches the
ground was worked out over an area
OF $500 feet, Of an average depth of
fifteen feet to bedrock and total
yield of $13,00O.00O
The next discovery Of any imror-
tance was made by John White and
was called Grasshopper Cullen, where
the town Of Bannack stood soon af-
terward. The ground was Of wonder
ful richness and before The year was
out mining had been inauguratcd on
a much larger scale than on Gold
Creek. More than $20,000,00O in
gold was taken from this vicinity.
The richest placcrs ever discovered
in The world were found in Montana
at Alder Gulch, where Virginia City
stands. More than $50,000,00O in
gold dust formed the total output of
That rich locality. OF that amount
probably $25,000,000 was taken ont
within thre or four years after the
first years work.
Last Chance Gulch, where Helena
now stands. would cause a Klondikc
or GoldlicId rush all by itself. il is be-
II2vcd by some, if it were once more
stripped Of The valuable houses that
now stand upon it and the industry Of
the miner were allowed field for the