Year: 1877

that is, rich places discovered at an oa,I,,
day in the history of the mines, but onlv
worked for short period, then abandon.
ed and never afterwards discovered
Mining tradition is full of these stories
but how much is truth and how much ro-
nance is matter very difficult to de-
termine. Not to be behind our friend of
the Courier, we give case Of "lost dir
glngs" in this county as it was related TO
us seventeen years ago.


Three or four years after RidgeviIe was
settled a stranger came to the place and
for several days took trips into the noun
talns close by, returning to town at nirht.
Ills trips seem to have not been attended
with the expected results, for after few
days he began to inquire who were of the
oldest settlers Of the place who were vet
living there. He was referred to Tim
Sweet. He soon made Tins acquaint-
ance and took him into confidence, dis.
closing to him the object of his visit TO
Rldgevile. The strangers story was
this; In 1851, in the Spring, two men
from the lower country started for the
/ Salmon River which at that time enjoyed
high reputation as mining region.
Having some crude ideas of tho geogra-
| ply Of the region they determined not to
go the usually Travelled route by Scott
Mountain, but to cut across the country
and branching OF the main road at the
Tower House came by Lewiston, cross
ing !he Trinity River at that point. They
had with them Il mule, on which was
packed their rocker, cooking and mining
utensils and provision. After crossing
the river they continued up its banks un-
/ til they came to a large stream supposed
to be Stewart's Fork) which they crossed
and camped for the night They contin
ued their journey in the morning for a
few miles, then turned and started across
the mountains for their destination. In
the latter part Of the day, while crossing
a fat place their mule mired down and
they were compelled to take of the pack
to eNtricatc him. [. was so late in the
day by this time that they did not think
it worth willie to pack up again ana SO
camped for the night.


One of the two took their camp kettle
and went to the stream for water. He
liked the looks of the gravel there and
coming back told his partner, so after
eating supper they went down and pros
pected it. They got enough to oncour-
age them to remain another day, and in
that time struck prospects SO good that
the thought of going to Salmon was aban-
doned and fixing up a brush "corra" in
which to keep their mule at night they
went to mining there.


At the end of a month they were out OF
provisions and had to go out for supply
They had taken out 5000 for their work
in this time. As they had given orders
for their letters 20 be forwarded to Shasta,
they concluded to go to that place for the
provisions and did So Arriving at Shns-
ia each found letters in waiting requiring
his presence elsewhere. The brother Of
one, who was in business in Calavcras
county bad died and it became necessary
for him to 60 there and take charge OF hi,
business, so saying nothing Of their dis
covery to any one they went South, in
tending TO return, and do more work in
their mine, in whose richness they had
great faith.


The secret was kept until The death oI
one Of the parties, when the other finding
his business such tina: he did not care tc
mine, gave such directions rs he could to
the stranger to enable him to discover
where they had worked. Sweet and the
stranger spent good many days in look
/ ing for the "brush corral" but it could
not be found, and after awhile the search
was given up and the stranger returned
to Calaveras Sweet Ind perfect faith in
the story told him and the department OF
/ the Caaveras man was such that it was
/ evident that he too believed it.


Nothing was thought of the matter for
two or three years until some man living
at or near Ridgeville desiring to come to
Weaverville went out to hunt horse he
had running at large in the mountains.
In his wanderings in search Of the horse
ne lost bis way, and when he came into
the settled country again, it was near
David Jones place, six miles above
where Minersville now stands. In his
trip he came across what appeared to be
the remains of brush corral, but the To-
cality of it was so badly fixed in his mind
that he was never able to 60 back to it,,
and mountain fires the same year, it was
supposed completely destroyed that clue
Such is the story MS told us by one famiI-
lar with it and the country seventeen
years ago, and if such place really ex-
listed we do not think it has ever been
found.


Another story of lost diggings was told
us by John @. Wallace, brother ofJames
G. Wallace Esq. of Douglas City. John
was in Yreka at the time OF the McCloud
River excitement, and ne, with three
Others determined to make their way
across the mountains to McCloud River
They crossed the Sacramento river at the
Soda Springs and started across the
mountains, At this camp, either the first
night or second day at noon they noticed
where the BEDROCK on the bank of the
creek was exposed, and taking pan
they tried the dirt, getting gold all the
time. They panned for an hour or two
and one Of the company concluding to
turn back at this place, the result OF this
nnnninn mns sold IN him it, uHlnn hninn