The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-07-13

Recently the Rip-saw printed
the story of the Little American
mine, the only real producer of
gold in the state of Minnesota,
and Rainy Lake city, the boom
town, nearby.
The Little American mine was
discovered by George w. Davis,
a bankrupt Minneapolis real es-
tate boomer who had done some
prospecting in the Rocky noun
tain regions.
Through discretion, Davis left
Minneapolis and went to Rat
Portage, Ontario, where he even
tually met Charles A. Moore, a
beneficiary of the original dis
covery Of gold on Lake Of the
Woods. Mr.. Moore had seen ex-
|perience on the American plains
and was in the gold boom in the
Black Hills away back in 1876.
He never recovered from his first
bite by the gold bug and, being
in funds, grubstaked Davis in
1898 for a prospecting trip along
the international boundary in the
region Of Rainy Lake.
Mr.. Moore now resides at Kin
ney, Mimi, where he recently
outlined for the Rip-saw some
thing Of the details attending
Davis grubstake, the discovery
Of the Little American mine and
the troubles incident to the dis
position Of the property.
Charley Moore's Own Story.
In the spring of 1898 had effected
final settlement for the Sultana gold
mine on Lake Of the Woods. I was
seriously thinking Of leaving for some
new field, as things were getting dull
! dEOuuu olu ASot ~ SoSSs
It finally occurred to me that If
gold, could be found along the inter-
national boundary, on the American
side, it would appeal strongly to Du-
luth men who had been hard hit In
| the collapse of the big real estate
boom and who had not Jared as well
as they wished In the following Me-
| xr,oc oc
drowning men grasp at straws, SO
would Duluth boomers and specula-
tors, as we'll as investors, welcome
genuine gold boom right at their back
door.
I had met some Canadian biologists
who had done field work in the Rainy
Lake and Lac la Croix region. They
| told me that the rock formations in
those regions were identical with those
in the Lake of the Woods region apd
that, here and there, were showings
of quartz veins in place.
Moore Meets Geo. w. Davis.
At about that time, there had been
A. heavy influx of spectators and adj
yenturers from Minneapolis, attracted
by reports of the gold boom In the
| Lake of the Woods region. Among
them was George w. Davis, a chap
who had taken part in some J. RUFUS
wallingford real estate operations.
Judgments aggregating $4,000 ana
several indictments for fraud STOOD
over him in the states.
| Davis was bright and likable and
when learned of his prospecting ex-
perience in the west, I decided to
grubstake him for a prospecting trip
in the Rainy Lake region. along the
international boundary, on q 5000"
basis.
| Davis jumped at my offer. I fitted
him out with canoe, tools and grub
for three months. I then told him
that I did not wish to hear from him
until he had found something.
Moore Receives Treasure Bag.
It was just about three months
| when I did hear from him. He wrote
me from Fl. Francis and sent me
about 60 pounds Of quartz samples,
everyone Of which showed visible gold
In surprising quantity. Some of the
quartz fairly was studded with mug
gets and knobs Of the native yellow
metal.
After leaving Rat Portage. Davis
had gone south-easterly through
whitefish bay and Shabaskong bay.
From there he found an old Indian
route to the north arm Of Rainy
Lake. Thence he made his way to
Kettle Falls at the easterly end OF
Rainy Lake and then to Nameukan
lake and Lac la Croix.
Not finding anything in the vicinity
of those waters Davis turned back and
followed the south shore Of Rainy
Lake westward untir he came to the
entrance Of Black Bay, on the Min
nesota side of the line, then in Itasca
county, about IL miles easterly from
Fort Frances.
An Unexpected Discovery.
| Davis camped on a small island
about a mile from the mainland. There
he decided to abandon his trip and
make his way to Duluth by the Yer
million lake route.
| After eating breakfast the next
morning Davis stepped away from his
l ftrA hon e.