The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-03-23
STORY OF BLUE BUCKET NINE

1
HEPPNER, ORE. Mar. 4.-(To
the Editor. )-IIaving noticed the
several articles In the oregonian re-
garding the Blue Bucket mine, some
OF my friends that know that I
could give an account OF lts discov.
cry have urged me TO do so.
Both my father. w. J. Herren, and
my mother were members OF the
company that Steve Nook undertook
TO pilot from the crossing OF Snake
river TO the Dallos In 1S45.
Meek had trapped on tho upper
Doachutes at what was known as the
Beaver Meadows two seasons, and
claimed that ho had been over the
route from there to Tho Dalles and
also from thore TO Boise and that he
could take them over a much better
route than the one over the Blue
mountains by way OF the Grand
Ronde valley. Ho induced some 80
OF 40 families and their outfits TO
let him guido them over tho route
that no had described. which was by
the way OF the Maiheur and Harney
lakes and then across the mountains
TO the Deschutes and down on tho
west side Of Il TO Tho Dalles.
But travelling over a mountainous
country with u saddle horse proved
to be quite different from travelling
with heavily loaded wagons and OF
teams. They got along alright until
they reached the foot OF the noun
tains. where they found tho country
so rough and the hills so steep that
they could not negotiate them. Meek
tried 10 make II up several tribu-
taries Of the south Maineur. but each
time had 10 turn back, which caused
them 10 lose much valuable time.
and as their provisions were getting
quite low they became very much
exasperated at Meek and finally
served him with notice that unless
he got them out OF there within a
certain length OF time his life would
not be worth very much. He be-
'came alarmed and skipped out and
left them TO their fate.
Several OF the young men who had
saddle horses secuted the country
over and finally found a ridge that
led TO the summit OF the mountain.
They concluded that II they could
once get their outfits up on TO this
ridge they could make II over the
mountains. BY hitching ten and
sometimes IL yoke OF oxen at a time
TO a wagon they finally succeeded In
getting them onto the divide.
There was no water on the divide
so they had 10 make a dry camp.
The captain OF the company told all
OF the young eople who had saddle
horses TO take buckets and go hunt
for water. My father, who was then
23 years old. and his sister. who
afterwards became the wife OF VIII
lam Wallace, took their old blue
wooden buckets and started out TO
find water,
They finally found dry creek bed
which they followed until they found
a place where little water was
seeping through the gravel, and
while my father was digging for
water his sister saw something
bright and picked It up.
The account given. me states that
they found two good sized Jumps OF
nuggets. and that there were many
fine particles in the gravel. He was
quite sure that 1t was gold at the
time, and when he arrived at camp
he showed II to some OF the older
men, who told him that II Il was
gold II would be malleable. So one
OF them took hammer and ham
cred both pieces out flat into a
saucer-shaped disc.
He had a tool chest with a secret
drawer in Il. He hid the gold in the
chest. therefore no one but the mem
bers OF the family ever knew what
became OF It. / well remember the
old tool chest and its secret drawer.
when they reached the summit OF
the mountains they camped on a
meadow. and while there some