The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-26

WsaIh q Dust TaEsa FFtm ne GuIohss
Of MOntana,


Several years ago Montanans who had
the gold fever we're rushing into the virgin
fields Of the Klondike, under the impress
sion that the showing there was the great
est ever known. For two years now this
same class OF fortune hunters have been
making their way into Nevada. They
are inclined to forget the magnitude OF
the discoveries in Montana in the early
days, says the Dillon EIammSr, and the
immense quantities Of gold taken out Of
the bars and the gulches, in comparison
with which anything that has 70 far come
from Alaska or Nevada Is Insignificant.
There we're more gulohes in Montana
that actually yielded millions than may
eve be discovered again. There are many
single claims that yielded fer greater re-
turns than have been told by the letters
Of visitors to the gold fields Of the North
or around Goldheld and Bullfrog.
The first discovery Of gold Ia Montana
Was made In 1891. On Gold Creek, Ave
miles below the little village OF Pioneer,
In Deer Lodge county, Gold Tim found
placer diEginEb where there was gold In
paying quantities and In the most print
tive manner possible worked some Of the
ground. No attempt TO operate the local
ity systematically was made until a full
year afterWnrd, when Granville Stuart,
aftOrWard Minister TO Uruguay and Para
quay, and his brother James bought some
necessary appliances and operated the
first placer mine in Montana In 1852. Their
tools and appliances they imported into
the country by pack train at infinite labor
and expense.
Many millions we're taken from the vi
olnity In time. Pioneer, Independent and
Pixies Peak districts lay along Gold Creek.
At the highest point on Pilgrim Bar four
men In two seasons took out 1925, coo. Down
the valley there was gold In large quanti-
ties, but Il was 30 fine that miners would
not he bothered with II. The gold on the
bars further up was ooarser and there was
plenty OF II and many men wore made rich
on that little creek, which was subsequently
ov0rshndoWed so completely by the dis
ooVeries ct other points that later on bitches
we're put In and the ground was worked
on a still larger scale One OF the ditohes
cost $500 900 and had a flowing capacity OF
10000 miners inches, an inch being edual
TO a supply OF 1900 gallons in twenty-fouT
hours. Under these bitches the ground
was worked out over an area Of $500 feet,
Of an average depth Of fifteen feet TO bed
rock and q total yield Of $4,000, 900.
The next discovery Of any importance
was made by John White and was called
Grasshopper Gulch, where the town Of
Bannock stood soon aiterward. The
ground was Of wonderful richness and be-
fore the year was out mining had been in
auguTated on a much larger scale than on
Gold Creek, More than go, 0OO,O 900 in gold
vas taken from this vicinity.
The richest placers ever discovered in the
world we're found In Montana at Alder
Gulch, where Virginia City stands, More
than $50, 900 900 In gold dust formed the total
output Of that rich locality, or that amount
probably SIS, 900. 900 was taken out within
three or four years after the first years
work.
Last Chance Guloh, where Helena now
stands, would cause a KlOndike or Gold
field rush all by itself. it Ia believed by
some, II II were once more stripped OF the
valuable houses that now stand upon il
and the industry ofthe miner we're allowed a
field for the work. The four original dis
ooverers took out Of their Ave claims, one
claim for each man and the discovery
claim, nearly 5000, 900 each. the richest Of Il
being not far from where the corner OF
Clore and Wall streets now ia, and there
was another wonderfully roh portion. a
piece Of ground 200 feet square, near where
the Montana Central depot now stands
that yielded its owners, Taylor and Thomp-
son, $4,000. And in the estimation Of
many the lowest bedrock ought to have
contained the richest dirt, and II was not
reached. The output Of Last Chance Gulch
has been estimated at $40, 000, 900, and some
believe that figure is not high enough.
Confederate Gulch was discovered in
1865, east Of the Missouri River, where
Diamond City afterward stood. From
three Of the bars above the bed Of the gulch
about 5000, 900 was taken. From Montana
Bar the Wheeler party, consisting Of four,
took out Of the territory In q single season
about 800, 900, or nearly half the aggregate
product OF the whole ground. A single
painful Of dirt from a nook in the diggings
at the junction Of Montana and Confederate
gulohes, where the deposit was the richest,
contained 81, 6S5 OF dust.
In Bear Gulch plaoers we're discovered
in October, 1895. The yield Of gold in two
year, was not less than 81, 200, 900.
Ophir Gulch, on a tributary Of the Black
foot River, has yielded as high as t9OO.O 900
to the claim, and In some parts Of Mcclellan
Gulch the same gravel has been worked
over az many as five times and has each
time paid for the work. In one instance a
fair sized fortune was taken out on a claim
that was found to have cracks in the bed
rock which we're filed with gold and the
mineu made a stake by digging out the
gold with 4 tablespoon.