The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-05-08

to take part in an event, which will,
l am sure, be enjoyed by all your
guests, but even if present,
could add little to what such eloquent
and entertaining speakers as Chief
Justice Steele, Judge Belford, Ex-
Governor Alva Adams, and others who
have been selected, will say. for l
am never eloquent and rarely interest
ing.
l knew Capt. George A. Jackson
quite intimately and have heard from
his own lips every detail of his discov-
cry at the point where you have plant
ed an enduring monument this day.
At the outbreak of our civil war in
1861 he returned to Missouri, his native
state, enlisted in the Confederate Ser
vice and was made Captain of a COM
pany of Sharp Shooters. Soon after
the close of the war, he came back to
Colorado and was engaged in mining
and prospecting to the end of his life
His home wss located at Portland in
the upper part of Uncompahgre Valley,
just below the town of Ouray.
Captain Jackson's various expedition
in searching for gold extended over
the greater part of the San Juan and
LaPlata Mountains and beyond into
New and Old Mexico. Yet with all
his wide experience in this line of en-
deavor he never discovered any mining
GalI b,% hro,,~b%
than temporary profit. 1t remained
for those of later generation to reap
the rewards of his efforts.
The gold which he extracted with his
hunting knife and panned in his drink
ing cup at the point where you have
placed the block of granite and tablet
reciting the date and other facts of
his discovery was made into a ring and
presented it to his wife. That gold
ring is of great historic value because
it represents in concrete form, the
first gold actually mined in the Rocky
Mountains.
Jackson was in all respects typical
prospector miner whose efforts were
guided by intelligent study Of signs
and formations. He was very tall,
built like an athlete of high degree
with his bronzed face and field costume
represented the finest ideal of his
craft.
By studying such text books as he
could obtain, he became very prof.
cient in geology and minerology. On
these subjects he delighted to dwell in
conversing with people who knew
something of mining, and although
this knowledge never brought wealth
to himself or family, he blazed the
trails which men are now following
with the prospect of gathering rich
harvest from his toll.
After this intrepid pioneer the man
who led all the rest in pointing out the
way to the magifed achievements,
came multitudes of men and as they
scattered over the mountain ranges,
discovered mineral resources of al
most incaluable value to the country.
At the town of Golden where his camp
was pitched, or on Arapahoe bar just
below he fell in with John H. Gregory,
Georgian miner who had tramped
down from old Fort Laramie. Jack
son related to Gregory what he had
found in the mountains and engaged
to meet him on the South tributary of
Vasquez Fork on a certain date on a
certain date only few days ahead,
and escort him to the place where he
had found gold. Gregory, however,
instead of taking what we now call
the old Floyd hill route, went directly
up the main Vasquez Fork, and miss
ing the point where he should have
borne to the South, followed the
straight course up to the present town
of Black Hawk, and beyond to the
point where he discovered the Gregory
lode, and the rich diggings in the gulch
where a few months later, from ten
to fifteen thousand men were con-
gregated. These events form the initial
chapters of the history of Colorado.
What might have happened had Jack
son and Gregory met on the South
Fork of Vasquez, we can only conjec
ture, but Gregory by mistaking hisroute
blazed the way to infinitely more i'm
portant consequences than would at
that time followed the engagement as
made. For, as a matter of fact the
Jackson diggings were exhausted.
while those which Gregory disclosed
have endured with constantly appre-
ciating Importance to the present day.
1t is fact, nevertheless, that what
jackson did at the confluence of Chi
eago Creek, with Clear Creek led to
all that we now see of mineral exploita-