Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-03-03
GALICE THE OLDEST CAMP IN
SOUTHERN OREGON.
BOTH QUARTZ AND PLACER
Old Channel Mine Has Been Worked
Continuously for Sixty
Four Years.

lne Gallce ulSITlCI is one OF tnt |
Oldest mining camps in southern Ore
gon. The men who went to Cali |
fornia in 1S49 are responsible for
this development, as these men In
prospecting over California got over
the line into what is now Jackson
county. They discovered gold In
many places and finally an old
miner by the name of Galice follow
ed down the Rogue river and dis
covered a rich section on stream
which is now known as Galce creek
The ground was very rich and the
prospector went back to Jacksonville,
where he had been located and gave
every evidence that he had struck II
rich" He was close-mouthed and
after buying his supplies he started
back for his camp down the river.
Some Of the prospectors who hap
pened to be in Jacksonville at that
time kept Galice and his burros In,
sight and shadowed him to his camp
and by that means possessed them.
selves of his secret. Nothing travels
faster than the story of rich strike
and 1t did not take long for the news
to reach Jacksonville and a little
later reached several camps in Cali
fornia and then the rush commenced
The first miners to come in named
the creek after Galice and later the
whole mining district was called af-
ter this pioneer.
The new camp took on the air Of
business and in a very short time
large quantities Of gold were sent
back to Jacksonville for safe keep
ing. Primitive methods we're in use
those days-the pan the rocker and
the sluice box did the work. A few
years later better methods were In
vogue but II is astonishing how
much gold was washed out in very
few years. Inside OF twenty years
more than sSO,OOO,OO0 worth was
mined in that camp. The most Of II
was the finest gold produced any.
where, as It ran fully $1,000 to the
ounce and the camp consequently
made an enviable reputation among
miners all over the country During
the years spoken OF the Galice dis
trict had Indian wars and In these
there were bloody battles fought
but in every instance the savage'
got the worst OF It, and yet the white
men paid in blood for every victor!
won, as not a few OF their numbe
were killed in these encounters
Notwithstanding the determination
Of the Indians to dislodge the miner
and drive them out Of the country
the camp was never abandoned an,
the mines kept up a steady flow o
the yellow metal year after year.
At later period practlcal miner
sought the source of the gold foun
In the gravel around onllce and 500
many quartz locations were mad'
and not a few Of these were yer
rich. Fully a dozen mines wer
opened and the camp became we
known for It's rich quartz deposits
I. r. Harvey, who for many year
operated the Old Channel mine,
property which has produced mi
lions IN placer gold, in speaking
the Gallce district says that the su
face has only been scratched II
saws that there are three main Ledge
that cross the country from tf
northeast to the southwest and the'
exend from a considerable distan'
on the north side Of the road aero
,he country to California. The
isdrps nrr from = quarter to -
--.a.....A .. D.u. L'tva 4