The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-02-09
MURRAY PLACERS HOLD
MANY MILLIONS IN GOLD
lContinued rom last week.l
(By Adam Aulbach.)


surface. and still covers much of the
territory, for only limited sections OF
the channel have been washed down,
because water has not been available
in quantity to break down the high
banks and run the material through
the sluices. The eastern end, how
ever, from Bear creek to Dream gulch.
where the channel has cut through the
ridges made by side gulches il has
been in the main sluiced out by i'm
provised bitches and reservoirs to feed
them, leaving the tailings in the small
gulches to be worked over when the
time comes for more extensive opera
tiOns and better water facilities. Even
this was seen and cOmprehended in
the early days. and provision was at
tempted to be made by at least four
different companies to meet the stu
alton.
One was by three miners from Cali
fornia, who came here from the Golden
state as experienced men in such en-
terprises. They started work, with
only a visionary survey. with a ditch
from the mouth of Bear crek. where
it empties into Prichard. The ditch
then followed along the hillside down
to Missoula gulch. the gulch just east
and parallel to Dream gulch. some four
miles. 1t was a we'll constructed con-
veyance, but much too low to cover
any of the channel, west of Butte creek.
Notwithstanding this was discovered
by the builders, they continued the
work, and when they reached Gold
Run gulch their funds gave out In !
this emergency w. j. Hawkins. who |
owned a claim at the Dream gulch |
end, came with financial aid to the |
three old miners, after making a sur
vey. and had the ditch completed to /
Dream gulch. No important part of
the channel was covered except a sec
tion on the ridge between Buckskin |
gulch and Missoula gulch, called Dry
gulch, about a thousand feet in length.
the only part of the entire channel
that was out of line from the regular
channel grade for seven miles. 1t has
always been considered a branch out
flow from the main channel, or a dis
placement of the channel. If an out
flow. the main channel should be
found further up the hill, because
westward the regular grade is picked
mp. The fiat" was owned by NJ. s.
Simmons and brother, Adam. and their
associate, Avery. All have since died.
They secured a large amount of gold
and paid a high price for the use of
the ditch water, a veritable windfall
for the three old miners who put in the
water way. The ditch had previously
been extended with a short tunnel
through the divide between Missoula
and Dream gulches and some of the
ground belonging to w. J. Hawkins
worked This proved to be very rich
although only small part of the south
rim was reached. One cleanup. Mr..
Hawkins informed the writer, netted
him $4,000. After Mr.. Hawkins found
il impossible to use the water to ad-
vantage any more the ditch was viz
tually abandoned.
High Flume Line.
Just prior to this ditch enterprise
man named DR.. Morgner. who will be 1
remembered by many old timers, came I
to the camp from st. Louis, Mo. claim I
ing to represent no end of capital. 1
looked the district over and concluded Il
that the miners along the old channel L
crying for water should have it, He \
planned. had a high flume line sur '
veyed and commenced operations He n
located the intake On upper Prichard a
creek. at the mouth of Paragon gulch, f
where the Paragon Con. mill is now +
located. Work was speeded up, a grade s
was dug out to Bear creek and five y
foot flume located on it. Then a sew h
en-foot grade was run up Bear creek c
for three miles and another return n
grade of equal length and width on the "
other side of the gulch (the latter now L
being used as a county wagon road, )
" hen the work was stopped. and later b
the entire line was abandoned. a
The doctor appeared quite sincere n
and honest in his belief that his
friends in St Louis would honor his
demands for financial support. but in V
this he was disappointed, as were c
those who furnished supplies and la a
bor The doctor. failing to get funds o.
started to raise the sinews locally. He 81
conceived the idea of printing and is oi
suing scrip. the size of present legal a
paper money, in small denominations, it
the smallest being IS notes. payable in T
water or redeemable when the enter fC
prise was on a substantial basis. This N
met with only partial sue in
cess. only public spirited citizens aid in
ng the doctor in his novel scheme, fC
it suggested great W
merit. If it had been successful the 81
Did channel would have yielded its ii
millions of gold, estimated. of course, hi
rom the desultory work carried on T
rom that period to the present day. to
The conditions were favorable for
rec water and plenty of il, and free T