The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-02-16

veered sOutherly until it got to its
regular course westerly across the
head of Nugget and Dry gulches, to
Missoula and Dream gulches. about a
mile Along this distance the channel
what has washed away proved to be
exceedingly rich much richer than
any that preceded it. Though this
may not be a fair comparison as the
channel so far covered by this letter
had been almost entirely cut out, and
the gold it contained went to the en-
richment of the gulches and the creek
Notable above other claims, because
it had better water facilities. was the
Badger at the head of Nugget. Its
clean-ups generally scaled thousands
of dollars and became the sensation
Of the camp. 1t was bought by the
Bank of Murray The neighboring
claims were equally rich. but it was
difficult for them to function properly
on account of the small amount of
water available The resisting banks
are still a channel asset.
Where the channel passed through
the divide that separates Missoula and
Dream gulches not only was it well
stored with the yellow metal but the
gulches themselves, both being short
and without backwash. were the rich
est mined along the territory covered
Mlssoula was only two claims in
Missoua side, a mining tragedy oc-
Cured, the only one recorded in all
the dangerous quest for gold in the
high placers. Fleming Goolsby lost
his life shortly after going into the
pit with a high bank The bank caved
and covered him with hundreds of tons
of rock and gravel He was dug out |
as speedily as a large force of men
could work. but was found dead.
There was a near tragedy, however /
in the channel operations on Alder |
w d. Fuller fell into the three foot |
flume without being noticed by his |
when there was a full /
head of water on and hugh rocks were /
being hydraulicked in at the head.
Fuller was missed by the foreman.
John Docktor, and he promptly order
ed the force to rush to the dump. 200
feet or more away, and make search
for him. Fuller was fished out of
the dump alive. just in time, for he
was being suffocated and pounded by
the boulders. He was Strengthened out
after much effort and brought to town
where the doctor gave him a new lease
On life. He said he was trying to dis
odge a boulder that threatened to clog
The sluiceway when he slipped and fell
nto the race backwards
Dream GuIch Wonderfully Rich.
Dream gulch proved to be the ban
Ter of all the side gulches, as over
1000 feet of the channel was deposited
here merely cut out and dropped.
Very little of the gold was pushed out
If the gulch into the creek This was
ully demonstrated by the Nye pump
enterprise in the early days, when the
mouth of the gulch. at a. depth of 40
eet, was thoroughly prospected at an
Expense of something like 100000 The
work. was very unwisely conceived and
much prolonged for want of water.
'he Nye pump. a big affair was
rought in here to pump water, small
-ravel and sand from bedrock. AS it
equired a good supply of water to q
perate with. none was found on the I
urface and none on the bedrock y
Dream being practically dry during the I
ry season. When bedrock was |
cached at a depth of 40 feet high c
bove the creek level a drift was run |
nd continued for so feet No pay Il
'as found and the enterprise col Il
ipsed. Il
The amount of gold taken from r
'ream gulch proper and the channel n
n the east side has been estimated at |
300 O0O Two-thirds of this yield is o
ccredited to the channel and the re- $
to quartz lodges that spider [
'eb the basin covered by the Buckeye
10y group of claims The western end
f the cut out channel was drifted for n
long period by VIM. Shields and w. n
Landes, who took out much gold. "
mt they had to abandon operations as Il
ne bedrock was creeping away from 4
hem, due to the grade. The remain @
er of the channel for three miles, to p
agle creek on the west is virgin ter n
tory Will this part of the channel ii
ay to work? n
The Question Answered. O.
From the very beginning no barren T
pots have been found on the channel. II
n the contrary. better pay has been n
lund all the waV TO Dream gulch -
18th no change in the character of q
old. This was of a uniform grade n
ON point to point. No large nuggets "
ere found in the channel proper The !,
rgest the writer has recorded weigh G
six ounces. 1t was generally coarse II
nd unlike the regular placer stream
ield. coarse at the head and dust
ward the mouth. In Dream and
uckskin gulches large nuggets were Il
,und. the largest being taken from
1t weighed 80 ounces. In d