Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-05

ground. NO dlleIHpl W OPSid'S ei''
locality systematically was made until
full year afterward, when Granville
stuart. afterward minister to Uruguay
and Paraguay, and his brother James
bought some necessary appliances and
operated the first placer mine in Mon-
tana in 1862. Their tools and appii-
ances they imported into the country
by pack train at infinite labor and ex-
pense.
Many millions were taken from the
vicinity in time. Pioneer, 1ndepen-
dent and Pixies Peak districts lay
along Gold Creek. At the highest
point on Pilgrim Bar four men in two
seasons took out $325,0O0. Down the
valley there was gold in large auanti-
ties, but it was so fine that rniners
would not be bothered with 1t. The
gold on the bars further up was cuars-
er and there was plenty Of 1t and
many men were made rich on that
little creek, which was subsequently
overshadowed so completely by the
discoveries at other points that Inter
on bitches were put In and the ground
was worked on a still larger scale. One
Of the bitches cost 100000 and had
flowing capacity Of 10000 miners
inches. an inch being equal to sup
ply of 1900 gallons in twenty-four
hours. Under these bitches the
ground was worked out over an area
of $500 feet, of an average depth Of
fifteen feet to bedrock and a total
yield of $13.O0O,0OO.
The next discovery Of any impor-
tance was made by John White and
was called Grasshopper Gulch, where
the town of Bannack stood soon af-
terward. The ground was Of wonder
full richness and before the year was
out mining had been inaugurated on
much larger scale than on Gold
Creek. More than 100000 in gold
was taken from this vicinity.
The richest placers ever discovered
in the world were found in Montana
at Alder Gulch, where Virginia city
stands. More than $5O,O00,O 900 in gold
dust formed the total output Of that
rich locality OF that amount proba-
bly, $25, 100000 was taken out within
three or four years after the first
years work.
Last Chance Gulch, where Helena
now stands, would cause q Klondike
or Goldfeld rush all by itself, It IS he
lieved by some. If it were once more
stripped Of the valuable houses that
now stand upon 1t and the industry n
the miner were allowed a 1eid for -be
work. The four original disc )verel
took out Of their five claims, one
claim for each man and the discovery
claim, nearly $4,000 each, the rich
est Of it being not far from where the
corner Of Clore and Wall streets now
is, and there was another wonderfully
rich portion, a piece of ground 200
feet square near where the Montana
Central depot now stands that yielded
its owners, Taylor and Thompson,
$33O,0O0. And in the estimation Of
many the lowest bedrock ought to
have contained the richest dirt, and 1t
was not reached. The output OF Last
Chance Gulch has been estimated at
$50, 100000, and some believe that
figure is not high enough.
Confederate Gulch was discovered
in 1865, east Of the Missouri river.
where Diamond City afterwards stood.
From three of the bars above the bed
of the gulch about 100000 was ta-
ken. From Montana Bar the Wheel
er party, consisting Of four, took out
of the territory in a single season
about $500, 900, or nearly half the ag-
gregate product Of the whole ground.
A single painful of dirt from nook In
the diggings at the junction Of Mon
tana and Confederate gulches, where
the deposit was the richest, contained
$1.5S5 Of dust
In Bear gulch placers were discov-
cred in October 1865. The yield OF
gold in two years was not less than
81, 900, 900.
Ophir Gulch, on a tributary Of the
Blackfoot river, has yielded as high
as $500, 900 to the claim, and in some
parts of Mcclellan Gulch the same
gravel has been worked over as many
as five times and has each time paid
for the work In one instance fair
sized fortune was taken out on claim
that was found to have cracks in the
bedrock which were filled with gold
and the miners made stake by dig
ging out the gold with a tablespoon.