The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-06-15


commercial quantities. This is the
Little American gold mine, situated
en- Little American island, in Rainy
Lake, about a mile from the main
land. The property is in Koochiching
county, about IL miles east of Inter-
national Falls and not very far from
the International boundary. ConsiG-
cradle human interest is connected
with the history of this property and.
although it stands idle and aban-
doned today, many believe that it
would be profitable producer if
properly worked.
In 1893, Charles A. Moore grub
staked George w. Davis, more or
less experienced Rocky Mountain
prospector, to search the Rainy Lake
region for minerals, particularly
gold. Mr.. Moore, who now resides
at Kinney, Mimi, was one of the
original owners of the famous Sui
tana mine at Rat Portage, (Kenora)
Ontario. That property was discov-
cred nearly forty years ago and, be-
fore it closed down for good, yielded
$1,250,000.
Gold Bug Bites Moore.
A victim of bites by the gold bug
rarely RECEIVERS, and that was the
case with Moore. Through rumor,
information and some personal
knowledge, he believed that the re-
gion tributary to Rainy Lake con-
tai2ed valuable minerals, hence his
Willingness to grubstake an expert
enced prospector and explorer.
Late in the season of 1893, Davis
made camp on Little American
island. BY some chance, he noted
an outcrop of quartz, &c inches wide,
that carried native gold.
In the West, Davis had known
Jeff Hildreth, a prospector, miner
and explorer. After testing the
island discovery to his satisfaction,
Davis wired Hildreth as follows:
. Come at once. I've struck it
rich
Hildreth came promptly and, with
him, came Charley Moore. Negotia-
lions by Moore and Davis resulted in
the sale of the property to JEFF Hill
dreth for $4,000. -
Gold Discovered in Minnesota.
In December, 1893, the location of
the island was entered in the Duluth
land office. At about the same time,
the fact leaked out that gold had
been discovered in Minnesota, on the
southern shore of Rainy Lake, and
wild excitement followed. The Big
Panic was pinching many men of
venturesome inclinations and large
number was ready and willing to
follow a boom of any sort. Appli-
cations for other locations in that
vicinity followed rapidly. There
were a number of land office con-
tests and, owing to the fact that the
U. S. mineral laws did not apply to
Minnesota, titles were doubtful and
slow to complete, especially by &C
Quirement under homestead entry or
timber and stone entry. Use of scrip
was the quickest, safest, but not the
cheapest means of acquiring title.
Hildreth organized a company and
started work. He soon sold two
thirds interest to A. S. Chase, Hutch
Bevier and H. C. Kendall, prominent
Duluthians. His confidence in the
property was so great that he &C
cepted stock for his one-third inter-
est. The deal provided that the ma
jority owners should provide certain
working capital.
Rainy Lake City Laid Out.
In January, 1894, William C. Sher-
wood and John B. Weimer, two ven-
turesome real estate men of Duluth,
laid out he townsite of Rainy Lake
City. The survey was made with
snow deeply on the ground and the.
thermometer around 40 degrees be-
low zero. The actual work was done
by C. P. Frank, a local engineer, for
many years associated with w. B.
Patton, but now living in Florida.
There was brisk scramble for lots
and the townsite treasury soon was
on velvet.
With the opening of spring, the
big rush started. Several routes
were used and all of them either
we're expensive or very difficult to
travel. At one time, Grand Rapids,
capital of 1tasca county, had great
hopes of being the QUILTING point
for the new gold fields. Men with
plenty of money and time and
eschewing real hardship, went to
Winnipeg and thence to Rat Portage,
$50 miles by rail from Duluth. From
Rat Portage they went to Fl. Frances
via Lake of the Woods and Rainy
River, $50 miles,. From Fl. Frances
1t was only dozen miles by boat and
canoe in summer and sled road in
Winter to Rainy Lake City, the
metropolis Of the new Ell Dorado.
Others went by Tower, Vermilion
Lake and Lake Kabetogama.
Rainy Lake City Booms.
Rainy Lake City certainly doomed.
All kinds of businesses were started.
A three-story hotel was erected.
Eventually bank was opened. Fred
j. Bowman came on from South Da-
kota and started paper, the Rainy
Lake Journal. Buildings were not
sufficient to shelter the gold seekers
! and boomers during the summer of
1894, therefore a considerable tent
city sprang into existence. When
Rainy Lake City was at the apex of
Its power and Importance, 800 votes
we're cast at an election held there.
One thousand people celebrated q
Fourth of July celebration there in