The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-09
SISTER THROWS INTERESTING LIGHT ON
CAREER OF NOTED GOLD DISCOVERER
Mrs. Jackson HeidIe Has Diary
of Man for Whom MOnu-
ment Was Unveiled in Colo
RADIO.

At Idaho Falls. Colo. on Friday there
was unveiled a monument 20 George
Jackson. the old prospector who made
the first discovery Of gold in the Rocky
mountains on the spot where his mouu-
ment is now located. His find was made
fifty years ago. and the unwilling of the
monument marked the golden anuiver-
sary of the discovery.
The SPOT where the gold was found
was recently purchased by Lafayette
Hanchett of salt Lake, and presented to
the city Of Idaho Falls as a public park
in which to erect the monument.
Mrs. Jackson Heidle. the only sister
If the old prOspector. is living i'm salt
Lake at 475 East Fifth South street.
Mrs. Heidle has the diary of her broth
er. and letters written by him at the
time the gold discovery was made. The
discovery Of gold was made by Mr..
Jackson. then a youth of L. on Jan. :.
1889. the anniversary Of his sisters
/ birthday. Mrs. Heidle last evening told
the story Of tine discovery as related to
her BY her brother. and as shown by
the entries i'm his diary.
My brother had been for some weeks
with a party of prospeCtOrs and trap
pers, roaming through the mountains
/ in search of gold and game. one of
/ these was Tom Golden. an old friend,
/ who had gone to Colorado with my
| brother from Missouri. In some man
ner the members Of the party became
/ separated and wandered in divers direc-
/ tiOnS through the hills. A big storm
came up. which cut my brother off
I from his companions.
Accompanied by mis- two dogs. he
sought for several days to find his
| friends. His provisions ran low. and it
was biting cold. He feared TO build a
/ fire for fear that would attract the at
/ tention of the hostile Indians. who
/ would not hesitate to kill. Finally he
suffered so much from the cold that he
was forced to build a fire. This he did
| beneath an old tree. the branches of
which ne used for fuel. There he
/ camped for three days. On Jan. T. 1859.
while he was dressing an antelope ne
had killed, his belt knife dug up a piece
/ Of ore that attracted his attention He
/ washed 1t. and discovered il TO be Z
nugget OF gold
"On making sure that il was really
gold, he burned down the tree I'm order
\ that the charred trunk would mark the
/ spot, and again set out TO find his COM
| panions. He was successful this time.
/ To Tom Golden he con6ded the sror,-
I of his discovery, and showed the mug
/ get Of gold. They returned to the place
and started mine. which later became
/ the Jackson Bar mine The origina /
/ nugget was set in the ring. and this
/ ring was worn by my mother for years
and on her death presented by my
| brother to Judge France Of Denver who
still wears it,"
! George Jackson was, by hereGitv
/ and Inclination. a venturesome pioneer.
/ He was born in Missouri. where his ia
/ ther had been a pioneer settler. going
I there I'm the early days from Virginia
! When 10 years old he went across the
/ plains To California with Kit Carson.
who was a relative OF Jackson's moth
! er. Two years later the desire for fur
1 Their adventures came on him. and he
went to Pixies Peak. 1t was on this
/ trip that gold was discovered by him.
When the war broke out Jacksou's
| sympathies were with the south. He
| formed company in Colorado and
] with this company, joined the confed-
| crate army. His bravery in battle won
| him promotion to a captain. After the
war he returned to the west. and i'm
I 1872 he was an extensive operator in
! Bingham canyon. His workings were
/ in Carr Fork. For several years during
/ that period he lived both in salt Lake
and Bingham.
| Twelve years ago while Mr.. jackson
was developing some property in south
ern Utah in the Blue mountains he was
! summoned TO Denver on important
/ business. He let on horseback for
| Denver. and camped along the way.
| While in camp one evening his gun was
| accidentally discharged. killing Mr..
/ jackson instantly.