The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-05-19
Gold Discoveries
in and near Oakley

In about 1884 Frank M. Chan
man. an old California gold miner
who now reside sin Basin, had just
arrived from the famous gold field
and took up search for gold in our
country with pick and shovel a d
gold pan-as all prospectors are ac-
customed to in gold mining. He tells
the writer that he succeeded in fin
ding placer gold in one of the tribu-
taries of what is known as Fairchild
canyon, just east of Oakley and Ba-
sin. Mr.. Chapman is man of wide
experience in gold mining and can
be relied upon as to his truthfulness
and veracity, when he says that he
found gold. AS he says, people ma
ny times find things that look like
gold, but gold doesn't look like any
thing else.
Mr.. Chapman is well acquainted
with the vipont boys, the discover
ers of the famous Vipont mine. He
states that they were men who were
not afraid to take a chance, and SO
they succeeded in digging out some
fifteen thousand dollars worth (
high grade silver, which, at that
time, they had to pack on burrows.
In those days Indians were very
bad and prospctors were not safe
without plenty of ammunition and
good rifles. No doubt that was the
reason why the prospectors left the
property when they did The writer
can well remember when it was re-
ported that nineteen cowboys were
massacred by the Indians on Birch
creek above Oakley. The people
were ordered by the older citizens to
fortify themselves, and runners were
sent hii ofcI tuc COuully Dy-WdyS VI
Rock creek, Thatcher and Albion.
Sheridans rid was not in it at that
critical time. No doubt many of
the old timers can well remember
the circumstance, and especially will
Henry Ferguson, as he was one of
the riders.
The people fortified themselves as
best they could and loaded all the
cartridges they had at their COM
mand. They did not have many 1
can well remember that my father
had only one hundred rounds from
an old government needle gun ami
we all expected to be killed at any
moment These were critical times
for prospectors as well as farmers |
But 1 must hasten, as / started 10
give a little of the history of the
mineral resources of Oakley and |
country.
Later, in 1885, Basset and Brown
discovered very high silver and
some gold just east of Basin. They /
mined several pack loads and Bas-
set took the ore and left for Salt
Lake City. That was the last heard
of him. Brown was left to search
for more. Later, in about 1885, the
writer discovered high grade silver
and gold in the same vicinity This
assayed 1858 ounces silver and ell
even and two tenths copper and five
dollars in gold.
In about 1888 the Badger mine
was discovered by sheep herder
and located by Thomas Osterhou<.
This was the beginning of the Con-
nner creek mining camp, where ma
ny car loads of high grade ore were
shipped. Then it was that the Gold
eagle mine was discovered by S. P.
of Albion. Later i t
vas sold for $4,000.
Free gold was found also in this
district that was estimated at $35
Ii one single specimen. This and
he birds nest of wire gold found
~ the Wells boys harmonic we'll
With the later reports of such men
), josh Bell, expert of Occur d a.
enc and Bob Brown, geologist Of
,slt Lake City and Gov. Davis
tatement that Cassia county was in
is infancy in the mining business
I'D no IN, mfr {