The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-06-28

cation and early in 1859 he and some
others panned some crumbly earth
that they found at gopher hole on
the edge of the mound. II wasso rich
In gold that they staked four claims
OF so feet each. This mound was part
OF the outcrop of the big lode and
became known as Gold. Hill; 1t was
veritable golden hill for 1t all passed
through the mill In the course of q
few years. and In Its place was a
big glory hole" Meanwhile other
placer miners working up gulch to
the north. at the head Of Six Mile can
yon, had moved SO far from the creek
beds that two of them, Patrick Nc
Laughlin and Peter O'Riley, were no
longer washing alluvial ground, but
the debris Of erosion. This was at
the mouth of Spanish Ravine. more
than mile north of Gold Hill. but
they also were working just below the
cutcrop Of the great vein, which ex-
tends north and soath for several
miles. Mclaughlin and O'Riley were
not doing well at all, the surface did
not yield much gold. and they had only
a trickle Of water, which they had to
conserve carefully. On the 9Th Of
June, 1859. while digging water hole,
they noticed that the earth contained
yellowish sand, bits Of quartz, and
pieces of black rock. This was ma
terial of an unfamiliar kind. However,
they had to try 1t, so they washed a
little of 1t in their rocker and were
astounded to see the gold that was
left on the bottom. They tried some
more Of 1t, with similar result The
metal was Of pale color--on account
Of the silver alleged with the gold
but still 1t looked good enough. They
were overjoyed. Just then a lank
fellow on small horse came riding
toward them. 1t was Henry Com
stock, formerly a fur trader and trap
per in the north, laxative trickster.
He caught sight of the, gold and saw
that something rich had been uncov-
cred. Dismounting, he fingered the
gold and asked some questions. Cool
ly he informed the two Irishmen, who
had staked two claims, that they were
trespassing on his property. He as
serted that he had ranch of 100
acres covering the ground. which in
cluded the water hole and the trench
in which the prospectors were at work.
1t was all bluff--a rank. imposture--
but he talked so loudly and so con-
fldently that Mclaughlin and O'Riley
thought 1t best to pacify him by at-
ceding to his demand, which was that
he and his partner Penrod were to
be given an equal share In the dis
covery claim. 1t is a remarkable CO.
incidence that the placer miners in
Gold Canon and those in Spanish Ra-
vine should have, Independently,
worked up to and discovered the great
lode at about the same time Mean
while, meeting of miners had been
called to frame regulations for new
mining district, SO, in order to obtain
Comstock and his three partners con-
cealed the discovery by filing the hole
and celebrating other traces of their
work. The meeting was held on June
IL; next day Comstock and his part
ners, over whom he had easily as
serted loud mouthed leadership, locat-
I'd 800 feet for each man and an addi-
.ional 300 feet for the discoveries,
making 1900 feet in all along the lode.
At the southern end of the lode, at
Gold Hill, the miners took up much
smaller claims. being governed, ap-
,arently by the custom regulating
'lacer locations. The summer of 1859,
Until the Nevada City quartz miners
rrved on the scene, was epent in
everishiy washing the rich earth in
he small gulches along the lode
'hese ignorant placer miners did not
ealize that they had uncovered a
reat vein. The pieces of black rock (
nd dull metal were thrown aside. AT
depth of four feet, Mclaughlin and
''Riley cut into seam of black stuff
everal inches thick. but 1t was re-
arded as nuisance only. The I,
,ose earth became clotted with the h
oft yellow sand. so chat 1t could be
'ashed no longer in a rocker. There :,
pom two arrastres were procured. t
or these two arrastres, and the two +
orses required to operate them the 1
aim holders traded two-sixths of Y
leir property. BY aid of these Mex n
an milling machines they began to a
lake money fast. for the grinding n
ones crushed the yellow sand, which y
as silver chloride, so that 1t ANAL v
amated readily. The black rock or II
blue stuff." as they called It, was d
Ill neglected. It's value did not be-
'me known until several specimens
1t were carried by farmer from
ruckee and by him given to two COM
,tent assayers at Nevada City. At
st the ore had passed into the hands 81
capable investigators. They as N
yed it and found that 1t was worth W
sos in gold and s4791 in silver per d,
n. The mineral was argentite con- VI
ming native gold. That night two II
pable miners. Judge Walsh and Joe ii
oodworth, loaded a pack mule and
arted on horseback for the discovery, 81,
d within few days hundreds OF