Montana oil and mining journal., 1942-01-24
MANY WHO FOUND
RICH ''DIGGINGS"
PROFITED LITTLE
THOMAS HUNT MADE FORTUNES
FOR SEVERAL OTHERS BUT
NONE FOR HIMSELF

Men who made the original loca-
tions Of some of the richest placer
gold gulches In the early days Of the
territory Of Montana did, not always
realize the value Of their discoveries
and many times disposed Of their
holdings for a trifle to more far
seeing miners who then proceeded to
skim the cream from the milk.
OF those who failed to profit to
any great extent but who paved the
way for the fortunes of others was
Thomas B. Hunt, who settled in Alder
gllch IN the days Of its prosperity
and who in later years engaged In
ranching in the same part Of the ter
ritory.
Hunt. went to Virginia City in 1864
and in the fall of that year he took
up a ranch just below where the town
Of Pony now stands. That was years
before the town Of Pony was born,
however. He was accompanied by his
partner, w. B. Webb, each locating a
quarter section of land.
In January, 1865, Hunt, accompa-
MED by A. w. Pence, started out to
locate some new "diggings" They first
went to where the city of Butte is
now located and there found one
cabin occupied by Press Scott. They
remained there only one night, the
place not looking very promising, and
then continued down the gulch to
Silver Bow, where they met some Vir-
ginia City boys, who were taking gold
out of the gulch.
The pair did not remain there but
1nI
stopped overnight with Bill Norton,
whose cabin was near the famous
Warm springs, which afterwards be-
came the site of the state insane
asylum. Then they passed through
Cottonwood, now the city of Deer
Lodge, were they met Granville and
Jim Stuart and some others they had
known in Virginia City. They stayed
all night in that camp and witnessed
the Vigilantes running a "greaser"
out Of camp.
The following morning they started
over the hills and on the divide be-
tween Cottonwood and Dog creek,
they lost their way A snowstorm came
up and compelled them to go into
camp, waking up the next morning
under q covering of Is inches of snow.
After several hours of wandering they
came back to an opening through
which they could see the valley whence |
they had come. So, back to Norton's |
they went and remained there week |
until the storm had cleared up, when |
they resumed their journey, this time
picking up Charley Dorr at Cotton
wood and subsequently camping on the
E@of oft rffc or
Blackfoot City.
The gulch they named Ophir and
here Hunt dug a hole and found gravel |
that panned out 5 cents to the pan.
Dorr and Pence went across to Tiger |
gulch where they found gold, but in
such small quantities that 1t was not I
deemed worth while to work it. They
then went into the main gulch at
Ophir and found good pay dirt at Is
feet. They then went down the gulch
a couple of miles and located what
they called the discovery claim Of the
gulch.
This was the first scratch the gulch
ever received and it was the opening
of one of the best gold producing
gulcheS in the territory. Once the
value of the gravel was demonstrated,
Pence went back to Deer Lodge and
with Bill Norton and Ed
Sanders. John Little of Silver Bow was
also taken in. They made a code of
mining laws and assigned certain
amount of ground to each charter
member of the company.
The party worked until late in the
fall and from one pit 13 feet square
they took $500 in gold. In the fall
Hunt sold his interest in the discov-
cry claim to John Vipond for $1,000
but retained a claim up where Black
foot City afterwards stood. This Hunt
sold for song and it afterwards de-
veloped to be a rich piece Of ground.
About this time, there occurred the
famous stampede to Washington gulch
and Hunt Joined the rush. Ground was
staked off for miles around and Hunt
took up a claim on top Of a hill which
be traded to tenderfoot for a yoke
Of bulls and $500 in cash.
Webb, in turn, sold out his interest i:
at Ophir for $1,000 and went to New
York gJlch where he lost all his
s3. 600 between them and had let loose
of property which subsequently yield
ID many thousands Of dollars In gold.
They, however, were out to discover
new gulches and while they did find
me or two, other men made the money ]
)ut Of them.
When Hunt, outfitted at Virginia
city for his second trip into the Black
loot country, flour was selling for $50