The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-11-26

and others going with the prospectors
into what was known as the Curry min
ing district near where Emigrant gulch
later was developed. Norris, Shorthill
and Weaver decided to remain east of
the mountains. Owens and Travis N
tinued on to Virginia City. Each group
took n COW and n yoke of oxen.
Weaver and his companion then
went to what was at that time known
as Curry's gulch, where about two miles
OF ground up and down the creek had
been staked into 100-foot placer claims.
This ground, however, proved a failure.
It was called Curry's gulch after Tom
Curry. Curry with two companions had
been prospecting there during the
winter of 1863 when the Crow Indians
entered their camp and robbed~them
of everything they had. They were
therefore forced to return to Virginia
they came from Alder gulch with an
other outfit. Curry, hearing there were
white men in the Yellowstone valley,
had gone down and encountered a
wagon train which Jim Bridger was
guiding through the country. He in
duced 80 of the emigrants to leave the
wagon train and return to his gulch
to prospect. It va these men whom
Weaver and his companions had met
SAAS ~ WAN VI g1XO Z NASSA44SS.
81 a Day Was Peak
The best that any of the miners in
Curry gulch ever did, however, was
So a day, and in a country where flour
was selling at $28 a sack, that, of
course, was not living wages. The claims
of Curry gulch were all abandoned
eventually.
Weaver, Shorthill and Norris arrived
in the gulch Sunday, Aug. %. They
prospected for two days in the side
gulches and On Aug. 80, decided to go
further up the main gulch. They added
Frank Garrett to their party. They
pushed up the gulch several miles to a
point where the creek was flowing over
they had gotten away from the area of
deep bedrock that existed in Curry
gulch.
There Shorthill shoveled sand from
under a shelving rock, which. upon
being panned proved to contain gold
in paying quantities. After proving the
discovery beyond any question and
stalking what ground they wanted for
themselves and their friends. Shorthill
lows in Curry gulch of their find. They
also sent a messenger after the wagon
train which they had left, to notify
all those with it of their discovery. AS
proof, they sent with the messenger
several dollars worth of gold dust which
they had panned from the discover,
claim. The messenger overlook the
wagons in sight of Virginia City. Most
of them continued on to Alder ,gulch,
some taking a supply of provisions and
going afoot ahead of their wagons and
travelling night and day in order to. get
to the new gulch and stake claims.
Staked Claims for Friends
Weaver and Shorthill, in the mean
time, had staked off $500 feet of the
gulch into 1O0-foot claims for them
selves and for the friends with the
wagon train whom they expected would
return. Shorthill, who had had mining
experience in Colorado, chose claims
No. 20, 81 and % above discovery. for
Weaver, Norris and himself. His judg-
that they turned out to be the richest
claims in the gulch. The mining dis
trict they organized was called the
Shorthill district. The gulch became
known as Emigrant gulch because of
he influx Of prospectors from the
emigrant train.
Curry gulch was known as the Curry
mining district. From there most of the
miners moved to Emigrant gulch,
among CQem Delng Dr. Hull ana MS
son, j. A. T. Hull, the latter to be for
many years a member Of congress from
Iowa.
Shorthill was named recorder of the
Shorthill district by the miners. and
Weaver was named his assistant. Even
tually Tom Curry himself abandoned
his claim in the district and gulch
named for him and went to take up
ground in the Shorthill district. He
obtained q claim by. sleeping. the night
OF May 81, 1865, on No. 8 above dis
covery, in the absence Of the owner