The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-04-14
ONTARIO ST|RS
WHEN 7 ALE Of
MINE IS I Old
Blue Bucket Oregon's
Greatest Lost Mine
Mystery, Again Comes
To Fore.

mystery of pioneer days, the Blue
Bucket mine is located on the south
side of Wagon Tire Mountain in Har-
ney county, believes James H. Ander-
son of this city. Mr.. Anderson's be-
lief is based on many corroborative
circumstances which he has gather
ed from various sources confirming
the story of the gold find made by
the Herren children who were MEM
bers of the party, as told to him by
his uncle James Stewart, who also was
one of the famous party.
Having seen the account of the
Blue Bucket mine in the Argus OF
several weeks ago Mr.. Anderson re-
lated his story as told to him by his
uncle and later confirmed to him by
episodes of his own life in the inter-
Tor country as follows:
when the emigrant party in the
late summer of 1853 reached the
crossing of the Snake river near the
Mouth of the Owyhee, they were met
by Steve Meek, who offered to guide
them by short route to the Dalles,
via the John Day river, instead of the
route Of the Olde Oregon Trail via
Burn river, the Grande Ronde and
Umatilla.
Meek guided them as far as the
Hot Springs near Vale, and there they
camped for three days, and there many
Of them decided that Meek did not
know the way and That they we're lost.
They told him either to leave the
camp or they would hang him. This
he did, but first persuaded some of
the party to follow him up Willow
creek
AFTER Meek's party had gone sew
eral miles up Willow creek they again
split up, about half of them returned
and struck over the hills toward the
Snake river and reached Burnt river
and proceeded over the regular trail.
"The party which remained at the
Hot Springs then started UP the Nal
heur river, crossed to the Agency val
ley and finally reached Harvey valley.
In this party was my uncle James
Stewart, who for many years lived Oil
a donation claim near Corvallis, AMI
who told me the story of the party's
wanderings and of the finding of the
Blue Bucket mine.
They had great trouble in cross
ing the Harvey valley for the land
was flooded and they had to proceed
up the Canyon to ford the stream.
This experience they repeated in their
effort to cross the Silvies river. Here
again the party divided, and man
named Lyman led one section up
Emigrant creek and on to the west
ward, while the other party struck
off toward the southwest and reached
the south side of Wagon Tire Mount.
ain.
1T was between the Silvies and
Wagon Tire that the emigrants found
water so scarce. They camped on the
south side of Wagon Tire, and from
there they could see the snow on
STEMS mountains, and here it was that
my ancle John Stewart told me that
the gold was found He said it was
in washout about IL or IA feet deep.
ut was in their effort to cross
Wagon Tire that they had to drag
the wagons up the steep pitches as
told by Mr.. Herren, for the noun
tains are rough and the trail was all
but impossible. The next water hole
they located was on the north side of
Wagon Tire. To increase the water
supply they dug out the water hole
and made well. When they left
there they abandoned some of their
wagons, the remains from which when
discovered years after by settlers gave
to the mountains their name of Wagon
Tire.
Location of Mine corroborateo
at was from the top of Wagon
Tire that they saw, as the Indians
they had met told them they would.
they snow capped peaks of the Sisters
and other mountains of the Cascades.
From Wagon Tire they made thei,
way northward to Hampton Butte.
and from there to Glover creek where
one of the women of the party died
and was buried. From there they
went over the divide to Camp Creek,
which they followed for miles before
they turned westward to the Des-
chutes, thence to The Dalles."
Years afterwards, having been told
the above by his uncle, Mr.. Anderson
had the following unique experience
which tended strongly to establish the
authenticity of his uncle's narrative.
He tells of these incidents as follows
"In 1882 when | was riding the
range and working with Charles Re-
qua's outfit, we had a cook named
lanes Doris who was A member ot