Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, July 5, 1891, Page 5

N |8 < < —~e o THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: RUSH FOR NEW COLD FIELDS, Vast Expanse of Rich Placer Ground Open- ing Up in the Upper Platte Valley. ONCE THE BED OF AN ANCIENT RIVER, Reliow of Mining Operations Oarried on Ho Long ~go That In- dians Know it Only by Tradition. Sanatooa, Carbon County, Wyo., July 2. o [Corrospondence of Tue Bee.|—Unless all signs fail there will bo a big placer excite- ment in the Upper Platts valley within the next fow weel An elavorate system for prospecting placer ground hus been progress- fng for nearly two months on North Brush eroek, only sixteen or eighteen miles south- east from Saratoga, by a company which oontrols 680 acres of rich ground. Thewr fiold of operations was the scene of sluicing and panning as far back as 18570, From that time until the prescnt season prospectors have worked in the neighboring gulches and draws tributary to North Brush creek. Most of them either quit work or abandoned their claim altogetLer b use they thought the pay dirt which prospected well was not deep enough to justify them in putting in the mecessury ditches to work the gravel de- posits. Captaln J. H. Muliison, who was o ploneer in that section, has always had faith in it. He waited until the old location ran out and then stepped in and relocated some of his old diggings and those of others that bad lapsed. Associated with him are men who can command capital suficient to carry out the new enterprise planned by Captain Mullison. During the past fow days discoveries have ‘been made which not only demonstrate the richness of the Brush creck placers but ex- plain why former prospectors failed to get big enough returns to inspire them with eonfidence to stay by thelr finds. This class forsook thatscction just at the time whon they ought to have been most en- couraged. They were deceived by the pros- ence of a strata of coarse, dirty, white sub- stance resembling cement, which® they mis- took for bed rock. Some called it tale, but 8l except Captain Mullison seem to have taken it for granted that wherever this de- 0sit occurred it was a sure indication that he limit of pay dirt had been reached. t Too Soon. It will_no doubt boa surprise to most of {he old-timors tc Inarn that instead of being rock, this white layer, which varies in thickuess, is really a lime formation under- lying the secona wash. Below that is an- ther deposit of gravel richer than that on he surfaco and filled with coarse gold. It is lound to a considerable depth and underly- g it is a bed rock of limestone. An old printer namea Jim Cusick, who has spent many yei m_prospecting, made mumber of locations in & big gulch that 13 called after him and empties into Brush creek near where Captain Mullison’s old workiugs are located. That was severai ears ngo and Cusick continued operations here for several successive seasons. He was first induced to try his luck there by stumbling over a sot of old sluice boxes on tho edgo of a little stream along which wero evidonces that somebodv had been workin g. The boxes were in such a decayed stato as %o convince him that they had not been used for many years, Ditches were dug and trenches cut preparatory to ground sluicing the gulch near its mouth where the best gros[mcu were found. Some gold was ashed out but not in large enough quan- titles to meet bis expectations. Cusick was deceived just as his predecessor had been by the ll{'ur of lime referred to. Like them he thought that any gold there might be must lie nabove that strata. Ho did not have suficient capital to carry on hydrau- licing and as the gravel in the gulch was not more than four fect deep above the lime he eame to the conclusion that he was wasting time in washing it. It did not occur to Cusick or any of the men who worked with him to try to trace the origin of the gold which was found in greater ‘}unnueu the nearer Brush creek they ‘went. They assumed that it must come from up the guleh and followed it down to the creek. That was another mistake they made. If they had cross-cut the gulch they might have anticipated the good success which seems likely to attend the efforts of Captain Mullisons’ comyany. Prehistoric River. The captain worked on a theory which has subjected him to more or less ridicule, This did” not bother him in the slightest, for he has lived in the west long enough and pros- pected and mined sufficiently in the past twenty-five years to be content to stand by his own cpinion and judgment, even if the don’t jibo with those other fellows. Mulli- son’s idea is that at some period in pro- historic time & mighty river flowed through the Platte valley whose channel was high up along the edge of the Medicine Bow runge. 'l'o his own satisfaction, at least, he traced the course of this stream in a north- easterly and southwesterly direction as far up as Rock creek and found indications of it over the boundary line between Wyoming and Colorado boyond North Park. "Owing to some convulsion of nature, he thinks, the bed of this stream sank and mountains and hills of aravel were pulied up. ‘Whether or not Captain Mullison’s geolog- fcal theory1sa tenable one it has already roven a convenient guide to him in the ocation of placer ground. His search for diggings in the Brush creok country was high up and along the backbone of the hills where fow prospectors, so far as there is any record, have done more than stick & pick deop enough to got out & pan of dirt. Thore o found a series of depressions which may or may not be due to natural causes. Others besides the captain share the belief that what resemblo sink holes aro in reality tho relio of ancient shafts or tunnels. One of these places was chosen as tho sito for a rospect shaft on a claim called tho Fair jod. It has already been sunk to a depth of fifty feet. Going down in the gravei a red clay was struck at a dopth of fifteen feot, Leaving this to one sido the shaft was con- tinued down through the gravel which prospects all the way. W hence Came the Charcoal? A curious thing in connoction with this work is that chunks of charcoal were dug out on one side of the shaft, Whay thisshould be found embedded so deep in the ground has given rise to much_speculation, Thoso who think the present shaft is on the sito of ear- lier works or near them imagine that the charred remains of timbering havo been Pieces of lime have been dug out similar in appearance to the strata that holds the sec- ond wash. K'rom this it is reasoned that the samo conditions will bo found on the hill above the gulch as have been shown along the course of the littlo stream. In that case it would not be surprising if bed rock should be struck in the Kair God shaft at o depth of ninety to 100 foet as tho hill such an elevation above the water course of the gulch. With a doposit of gravel o ng it something rich can reasonably be supposed to exist on the bed rock. If theso expeotations should not be realized it does not signily that the work has been fruitless, for with a large area of gravel that prospeots so well, gold fn paving quanuties can be washed out .E;v water from @ ditch that has already been surveyed. This ditch will be taken out of Brush orook, whicn has a fall-of fully one thousand feet to the mile, It will bo brought wround the hill, distance of three-quarters of a ile, and_carry a tremendous pressure of water, Work on the ditch will ‘not begin, however, until bed rock has been struck in the shaft. Then @ cross cut wul be run to expose the length of the gravel bed. Should the present favorable indications ob- tain there is no question but what active op- erations will be carried on. Both as to quul- ity and fall tho water uupkl,\r presents excep- tional advantages for work of this chauacter. Once the water is turned on it will not take long to wash down the hill. With proper appliances and the ordinary safeguards used the quantity of gold taken out by this means ought to make the enter- prise a profitable oue. But greates impor- tance attaches to it than the bare clesnup, be it ever so groat. It has boen the experience in Tl&w localities where placers were worked under less encouragiug prospects bt lelges have boen exposed whose rich- N. B Sl,'NDfl. JULY 5. 1801—-SIXTEEN PAGES. ‘ALCONER. SECOND WEEK of the Great Cash Clearing Sale Prices stiil further reduced. We will not stop this sale, nor stop redusing prices, until we have forced out of stack every piece of goods, we want to clear off. Look at the reductions we make for this week in Silks, Dress Goods, L.aces, Embroideries, Linens, HMosiery and in Books and Stationery. Dont omit to look at the double fold wool dress goods we are offering at 11g; the price of them is 336. DRESS GOODS— This week we wake greater reduc- tions than ever in fine dress goods. We quote only a few of them, but evory yard in our stock is a plum. No. 1. Your choice of all our half wool checks and stripes, 38-in wide, we s0ld them for 30c and 85¢; moving price 1le. No. 2. We have a few pieces 54-in Ar- lington checks, we sold them for 49ic; moving price 19ic. It only takes & yards for a dress. No. 8. Our camels’ hair choviots, 42- iu wide, we sold for 55¢; moving pr 37 fe. No. 4. A lot of odd colors in side bands, fine goods which sold for 87ic and $1 per yard; moving price 37c. No. 5. Nile silk suiting, 46-in wide and the best mixture for a traveling dress; moving price 59c. No. 6. We have alotof odd lines in hair line stripes, checks and plain mix- tures, which we sold for 31 and $1.25; moving price T9c. No. 7. All our French challis, war- ranted fast colors, sold for 65c; moving price 474c. No. 8. To close out our half wool challis, which sold for 25¢, we will make aprice to sell them in a day; vour choice for 124c. i No. 9. We give you a choice of 150 unmade dress patterns, not one but what is worth $22; take your choice, Monday, $9.95. No. 10. All of our best quality henri- etta, which sold for 81.25; take your choice for 90c. This is less than cost. Black albatross cloth, all wool, 15¢c. Black nuns’ veiling with side band, all wool, 42-in wide, sold at 75¢; on sale Monday at 423c. $1.50 quality black silk warp henri- etta for 95c. 60¢ quality b'ack mohair brilliantine for 40c. Black camelette, all wool, 36-in wide, worth 65c; sale prico 42ic. SILK DEP'T— Our 750 colored 20-in satin offered for e, Jlegant surah plaids, 50c. A fow dress patterns left of those ole- worth 81, for gant figured India silks, were $1; now 624c. Colored strives and $1.85; Black brocades, only a few left, 67ic; figures, worth for 69c. were $1. 82-in China silk with black grounds, today 31.15; were $1.50. Cheney Bros.” India and China silks, formerly $1 and $1.25; now offered for 90c, short lengths 85c. See our grenadines in plain and fancy. They defy competition. All remnants of our colored faille and for 60c. Black dress silks at prices to reduce stock. gros grain worth 81 and 81.25, WASH GOODS DEP'T-= 10c satines, 12 yards for 60o. 10c ginghams, 12 yards for 60c. 15¢ Pacific satines 8tc. Best French satines, regular 85¢ quality, 15c. Scotch ginghams, worth 25¢, at 163c. Henrietta cloth, black with colored figures, 19c; worth 40c. Oriental crepe 13ic, worth 25c. 40¢ French ginghams, 25c. 40c French organdies, 25¢. French mulls only 25c. Tussah cloth only 15c. LAOE DEPARTMENT. 48-inch black Silk Netting 96c. erly $1.35. 48-inch black Silk Notting formerly $1.75. 48-inch black Silk Notting formorly $2. 42-inch black Lace Flounce 93¢, form- erly 81.20. 42-inch black Lace formerly $1.75. 15-inch black Chantilly Demi Flou nce 5. formerly 81. 15-inch black Chantilly Demi Flounce 85¢, formerly $1.25. 18-inch black Chantilly Flounce 81, formerly $1.85. form- 3115, $1.28, Flounce $1.15, LINEN DEPARTMENT. Table Cloths $3.98, reduced from 85 to #8. Table Cloths $5.75, reducea from 38 to $13. Gat a dozen of those Huck Towelsat 6 for $1. Get a dozen of those Huck Towels at 19¢ each. WHITE GOODS DEPARTMENT. Printed India Liten 9¢ per yard. Printed Tndia M{ls 12jc per yard. Printed India Ditmities 15¢ per yard. Several new patterns have been add- ed to the ahove. CLOAK DEPARTMENT. Imported Tinsel Capes, with heavy sllk fringe. only 33.50 each. Choice of our entire line of Ladies’ Long Capes $6.25 each, worth up to $18.50. N Just received & large line of Lace ‘Wraps, made in all"the latest styles at 810,00, worth' $13.75. 12,00, worth- 15.50. 15.00, worth. 20.00. 20.00, worth. 28.00. LADIES' WAISIS. Ladies’ Wash Silk Waists $2.65and 34 Ladies’ Gloria Stik Waists $2.25. RIBEON DEPARTMENT. No. 5 Gros Grain, with satin odge, 2te. No. 5 Gros Grain, with satin edge, 5¢; sold at 1240, No. 7 Gros Grain, with satin edge, 6ic; soid at 15¢. at at No. 9 Gros Grain, with satin edgo, at 9¢; sold at 174e. Nos. 12 and 16 Gros Grain, with satin edge, at sold at 224c. Silk Umbrellas $4.85, worth $6 and $7, UMBRELLA DEPARTMENT. Imported Gloria Silk Umbrellas, nat- ural wood handles and gold caps, 81.25; worth 81.65. Twilled silk Umbrellas, natural wood handles and gold caps, $2.69; worth 3.50. PARASOLS. ‘White Coaching Parasols 25¢. Ladies’ Colored Parasols 85c. Children’s Parasols 15¢. MILLINERY DEPARTMENT. Our Special Sale of Millinory will be continued this week: Ladies’ Trimmed Hats, former prico 818, $15, 812, your choice for $8. Ladies’ Trimmed Hats and Bonnets, former price $10, $8, $7, your choice for ildren’s Hats, trimmed and un- trimmed, at the same unheard-of prices. Choice Novelties in Flowers, Trim- mings and Materials at less than cost. BOOK DEPARTMENT. A long line of books ranging in price from 50c to 81.75, we place in this sale at 250, Another lot of 30c and 40c books we sell at 10c. A lot of 80¢ Boxed Stationery in this salo at 10¢, and a lot of 40c stutionery at 1ée. Wo have not clerks onough to wait upon our immense crowd, but will have more tomorrow. Competent wanted. “The Encyclopedia Brittanica,” condensed, 1 volume, # Russia binding at $1.18 worth 82.50. A lot of damaged ones at 25c and 50c each. Be suro and gevone. 5¢ Sheet Music, 8 for 10c. 25¢ Music Folios at 15c. 50c Music Folios at 30« EMBROIDERIES Embrofderies for 1# cts. formerly 8ic to be. Embroideries for 5 cts. formerly 7o to 10c. Embroideries for 74 cts. formerly 124c to 15c. imbroideries for 19 cts. formerly 250 to 85e. Embroideries for 274 cts. formerly 400 to 50c. mbroideries for 334 cts. formerly 500 to Gse. Embroideries for 48 cts. formerly 650 1o 7ac. ! mbrorderies for 624 cts. formerly 80c to 95c. Ludies’ Embroidered Skirtings, for $1.35, were $2.00, 82.50, $6.00. A full line of Ladies’ and Children’s Skirtings, at 85c, 87ic, 50c, 60c, 750, $1.00 to $3.00, clerks MUSLIN UNDERWEAR D3IPT - Children’s panties, from 1 to 4 years old, in plain drawers, at 17¢; reduced from 80c; from 1 to 7 years, trimmed, at 85¢, roduced from 45e. A full lino of childron's dressos at half price, trimmed or untrimmed. Ladies’ gowns at a bargain, from 400 up. Ladies' white aprons at reduced prices. Alsoa groat bargain in skirts. MEN'S FURNISHINGS DBEP'T-- 25 dozon gents’ outing flannel and satin shirts for 100 bhandkerchiefs for 163c, always sold at dozen linen _colored border He. To close a large lino of fancy lisle thread half hose, we will offer them for 20c; formerly sold at 50c and 750, Gents’ fine cheviot neglige shirts for 90c, formerly sold at $1 to 1.50. Seo the line of neckwear we aro sel- ling for 25¢, formerly s0ld at 50c and 75¢, in tecks and four-in-hand shape. LADIES' UNDERWEAR DEP'T-- We have just put in stock another caso of lndies’ vests bought to sell at 850, on sale Monday for 19c. There are a few doz of ourSwisslisle vests left, will close them out for 1503 just quarter their value. Ladies’ jersoy ribbed veets for 12ic, worth 26, FALCONER. MOVING SALE. FALCONER. MOVING SALE. FALCONER. MOVING SALE. ness cclipsed that of the alluvial deposits. That such results may be attafned from opening up the Fair God ground may be set down as among the probabilities of the pres- ent plans. There is a point on the Cusick gulch stream from which good prospects can be obtained in every pan of gravel washed out. Above that no such prospects are secured, while good success attends all panning in the di- rection towards tho creek. It is apparent to Auyone who takes the trouble to follow the course of the snow water stream which in the spring time drains the hill on which the Fair God is located that this empties into the guich at the upper lmit of these good washings. For lack of anything better to guide one it is safe to assumo that tho gold camo from the Fair God's ground or even higher up. Ilooked iu vain for evidences that its origin could have been farther up Cusick gulch and found none. Everything tends to show that at some period an immense volumo of water poured down from the hillside. ~Tho time may have been in the remote past or an ovasion of recent years sufficient to bring down the gold. However that may be there iv indisputable proof that the precious metal which appears below the lime strata has not travelled far from the ovigiuai place of de- posit. 1t is coarse ledgo gold and the particles heve not been carried far enough to round off the edges. ) Below the Javer of lime not only is gold in larger quantities found in the gravel but also conrse pieces of gray copper and galona. Tho pay streak which hitherto has been narrow and shallow whenever found in the middle of the gulch is a gray stuff of fine grain. Chunks of rock resembling this in every way save that it is much harder can bo picked out of the water way of the gulch near its mouth. Some pieces are bigger than a man's fist. Whon pu verized colors can be panned from this rock. There must b big lodges of this somewhere in the hills above the euleh. I there is any roorm for doubt that the track traversed by this mineral was along the bed of the wet weather course over the Fair God, the choice must be mado between that and a big draw which heads higher up the hill. This empties 1nto Cusick gulch near the pluce where these rich deposits first occur. There is a low divide between the first named watercourse and the draw. On the line of tho latter and not more than half a mile nearer the main range than the Fmr God, is another series of depressions. The only differonce Dbetweon these holes and those first named is one of size. Those in the big draw are larger. Ruins of Acid Works. Two of them, close together, are each forty feot in diameter and noarly or quite as deep. The one nearer the divide has the appearance of having been the sceneof & big water spout or of being scooped out by & downpour from a cloudburst. 'The other, separated from the first by & tule partition of earthwork, may have resulted from human agency. When I visited it yesterday it was full of debns and bnu‘:durL To clear it would be a laborous task. But T was struck by the position of two up- right timbers broken off sharp close to the surface, which lflmlmd to bave been driven for some special vurpose. They stand & little over two feet apart and right at the mouth of & subterranean passage of some sort. Perhaps that is tne outlet which waters have worn when damned up in this peculiar reservoir. Earlier in the season when the snow water pluoged down the steep slope a visitor there found the basin nearly full of water. A big stream amptied into the reservoir, but had no perceptible effect in raising the water stored therein. Certain it is that an outlet was found near the spot where the posts appear. ‘I'he position of tho posts would be about what one would expect 10 find in old work- fngs where a drift had been run. [u such operations stutts und caps are used where timbering is required. The snow fall Is great at that altitude and the forest Mn{ dense holds it till late in tho season. When It begins to melt the water rushes along with & force suficient to tear out or cover over auy works within a season or two after their abandonment. An example of what happens under such conditions js to be seen 1 Cusick gulch not far from Brush creok. Twonty years or more ago when Captain Mullison was miniag thore he dug a shaft eighteen foot deep. All that remains to mark the spot where this work was done is & dopression not more than four or five feot down in the center, at the lowest point. It would pass for a sink hole and closely resem- bles the others which have been described. If there are rolics of old workings there is no rocord as to who operated thore. Among the Utes thero was a legend that a great deal of gold had been taken out of tho Brush Creek country. The oldest Indian in the tribe had no more definite information than that but the traditions handed down n- dicated that the treasure hunters belonged to a remote era, ‘Abundant evidence exists thatat some timo placers were worked on a large scale, In some places In the neighborhood of Brush Creel are rolies of these old operations which aro well preserved. They have beon soen by prospectors but not until the present season has any move been made to exploro the old tunnels and shufts. Undoubtedly somebody may undertako to solve the mystery of the big draw or select that as a scene of mining operations, Much depends on the development work now being pushed by tho Mullison company. 1t they fall to find any leads either before or aftor_the Fair God hill is washed down. search will bo stimulated for the mother lead from whence tho gold found in the gravel is presumed to have had its origin, The same s true as regards the gray copper and galena. It would bo worth while to trace that up to find from whence it came. Ancient. Treasure Hunters, Much has been written concerning some ancient miving done on Mullison's gulch which heads-towards Gold hill, and is distant from it four or five miles. It'is claimed to be the work of the Aztecs, but that is mere supposition. As a systematic exploration of that section is to be mado this summer it is well enough to await the result of these researches without indulging in any theories or speculation rogarding them. Emptying nto Mullison gulch is another oue about three miles long that heads towards Gold Hill aud is three miles southwest of the camp. The gulch is narrow, being only three rods wide at the mouth, but broadest out above there, and in some places is five rods across. Near the mouth is an old shaf whose depth is unknown. Jim Cusick vis- ited it in November, 1588, and says that thero was considerable water in it. The distance down to tho water be estimates at fifty feot. How much deeper down it goes he bad no method of calculating. ‘There were evidences that the gulch had been worked out for at least & quarter of a milo up from the shaft. Big boulders were stacked up along ono side. " Some .were 30 large that they would be difficult to handlo except by the use of derricks. Thoy were pilad up as regularly as though intended for a wall. Where the miners quit there was an elght-foot full in the gravel. No sigus of boxes were to be seen. Tho gulch appeared to have been worked by ground sluicing. There was nothing to de- note bydraulicking and no traces of a ditch were found. Judged by the ground thrown up, three or four summers' work must have beon done thero, else a big forco was kept engaged for a 'season. The last dirt thrown out was gravel showing that the miners cleaned up on that. Prospects were obtained by Cusick from this gravel near.by where work was stopped. The shaft was put down a little to one side of the guleh, and as close to the chauuel as possible, but 50 that the water could not get in. Itwas about five feet squaro and tim- bered with square sets. These had rotted out, but the priuts of the timbers were plainly disceraible. The only indication as to the time that had elapsed " since this work was done was that it antedated the present growth of timber in that saction. Water was low everywhere when Cusick examined thess old diggings. But in the wer o wood stroam flows through the guleh. As much of tho timber in that section has eithier been thinned out or burued there is reason to beliove that when the grouna was sluiced there was no iack of water. bo faot that & systematic search for gold has been made in the Brush creek country in times past certainly demonstrates the possibilities for placer work now. With plenty of water 8 _man ought to be able to make good wages. The season is a most favorablo one so far as the water supply is councerned. Gold on All Sides. But it must not bo Imagined that because the Brush creok region has been describod at such length that tho gold dig- lugs ore restricted to that locality. Anywhere for twelve miles or more along tho mountains that bound the Platte valley on the east and bohind the first range of hills the same formation exists. It can be traced from the Kid or Saddlo Back mountain just south of Elk mountain in a_southeasterly di- rection to the Marble mountain just behind Gold Hill. There it ends abruptly. A broak occurs and tho course can be traced again_on tho west sido of the valley along tho Grand Encampment creck, which empties into the Platto twenty miles south of Saratoga. Float sinnlar to that found on the_eastern range can bo traced up the Grand Encamp- ment cuon aad ou over tho Continental di- vide. Either on the east or west ranges aro plenty of places where prospectovs can locate thenr placer grounds and be handy to water. On the Grand Encampment 15 a strotch of country a mile in extent and cover- ing & broad area where this lime forma- tion shows plamly. It is called cement in that locality and’ has been used for build- ing purposos and for filing in the hinkcs tn log houses, proving a good substitute for the limo of commerce. Up to now no effort has been made to discover the naturo of the de- positunderncath. Should pay-dirt bo found low the strata of lime tho Encampmeat country will present _exceptional advantages for sluicing, as the creel runs strong, being one of the most important tributaries to the Platte throughout the length of the valley. Other deposits of limo have been found on this sido of the Contivental divide and rearer Saratoga. On Cow creck and between there and the Encampment tho lime ap- ears, and it was recontly found otween Jacis crook aud the north fork of Spring creek. In almost every locality where it occurs water is abundant and tho condi- tions for placer workiug are otherwise fa- vorable. Good ronds make the country on both sides of the valley ecasily #00éssibio by wagon as far as the base of the=mountains. klk and deor trail load up the slopes and it is no trick atallto pack in supplies and establish a camp from which tripdean be takea either on foot or ou horaeback inany direction. Looks Like Mining. Reference has already been made in Tur BEE to the developmen't work on the Grand Cncampment, which Has beon carried on for & number of yoars by Btate Senator Chatter- ton and Messrs, Kurtz, Forney and Bennett. They have four claiii§' on a big bill six or eight milos up tho camedi from Swan, which makes the distance (fwom ratoga about twenty-six miles. They are putting in o tunnel which they expact will strike the Ar- gonaut lead at tho west pnd of the claim and near the Flying Dutel The tunnel has already been driven ouct sevon nundred and ninety feet ana it is calculated that it will cut the lead in the Argonaut at a depth of 234 feet. The work which has boeu doue on tho bill is of an excellet and substantial char: acter. The tunnel is timbered throughout and in & way so that it will last. Caps and posts elkt o ten Inches in dismetor have n put in the eutire lonath of the tunnel and the loggiog is all aplit and faced. "Phe’ discovery suafton the Argouaut is down twenty-six feet. At that depth such good assays were obtal that the owuers wero encouraged to begin work on the tuonel, which hus - progressed steadily “The Argonaut shaft until o fow days ago was pertiy tllod with water, whioh flowed 1n_so ast that 8 pump had o' be run all the time to koep it free. A blast in the tunnel opened & seam through which all the water escaped and since then 1t has not reappoared. 1t was supposed then that the lead had been crossed. Some good mineral was taken out, but the indications were so favorable bevond that volnt that the tunnal was driven ahead. Sov- oral small veios have beea loft bebind which show ruby_silver. They are just running into lime at the faco of tho tunnel and the outlook is more encouraging than at any pro- vious time since the work bogan. Beginning to Ship Ore. Plans are being perfected for the ship- ment of oro from the Chatterton tunnel, As @& starter one ton will b sent to Omaha for treatment and it the re- turns come up to the expectations a car load will be shipped. There is reason to beliove that the owners of other mines will adopt a similar policy. Representative L. G. Davis, who has a_haif interest in the Blue Bel miue at Gold Hill, is only waiting the arrival of ore sacks, when ho will immediately ship a ton of ore from there, The Blue Bell lays up high, where the snow has bothered a good deal, but the owner has such confidence in his mine that he proposes to pack the ora for a mile and then cart it down to the railroad. The cost of transportation will bo great, but Mr. Davis is sanguine that the ore will yield nim a profit over and above all exponses. The Saratoga board of trado offered to guarantee Mr. Davis against any loss, but he politely declined this' generous offer on the score that he had satisfied himself that there would be no loss incurred. When ore shipments begin the croakors who have tried to run down the Gold Hill D vo nothing to harp on. It is un- fortunate that most of the claim owuers in tho camp are poor men who car't afford to ship ore. But that is no excuse for their de- voting all their time to staking out the coun- try and muking no effort to develop what claims they have. Some of the prospectors are claim poor. They have too many to handle alone, but up to now have put so nigh on' them that nobody was justi- buying them out. They ~ will on so long that when their need for money bocomes pressing there is danger of their selling out for a song. Low values would have the effect of depre ciating values, and as a consequence the whole camp would suffer. If this class could be inducoed to part with an interest in some of their claims and either get one or more of them developed it would provo a blessing to Gold Hill, in Open to Gold Hill, It is misjudged mactivity that 1s hurting the camp. The time has coma when some- thing ought to bo done. Tho people of Sara- toga furuis to build aroad through tho timber into the camp, & distance of oight miles, All that was asked of the miners was that they should build a road s mile long Thoy dallicd along for awhile but finally turned in aod worked. Stages now run rvight into the center of camp. The snow has nearly all disappaared and the time for work has come, While big things are expected for the Gold Hill camp it is being demonstrated every day that there are other localities on both sides of the valley where rich mineral deposits exist. Miners who fail to zet work at Gold Hill or find there is no chance to prospect in that nelghborhood do mnot by any means leave the country. M. Cornwall and J. Hil- ton came hero from Colorado and after look inz around at Gold Hiil returned to Saratoga. They struck off on a prospecting trip in tho Sierra Madres and brought up in the Grand Encampment country. Thero thoy found good indications, and after a few days' search mado & strike about three miles west of south of the Chatterton mines. Right in the greon timber less than four miles of the summit of theo Cntinental divida they found & good ledge which averages twenty-five feet in width, They call it tho (Gypsy olaim and have sent hero some speci wiens of rock taken out near the surface which look as though the load would run hign in silver. The Gypsy is located betweon the forks of the cumpment and rather nearer to the north f Edward Ammann, a Salt Lake minlog man, has just loft hore attor spendiu g several days in exomining some claims on the west range. Hecame expressly to look at the ashestos mines owned by A. H. Heuston on the Grand Encampment. He was sgroeably surprised to find them much botter than had been represented and satisfied bimself that they can be developed into good, payiog properties. A deal of some sort in conaec tion with the wsbestos deposits s belng uego tiated, but the details aro kept sccret for the proserit. Besides 400 pounds of asbostos specimens from other claims in that neigh- borhood was shipped by express to Salt Lake. Tests will be made which will furnish a basis for other nepotiations, as it is undor- stood that options have béen given on a number of properties, Mr. Ammann talks of coming horo to locate, and has made prop- ositions to a number of mine owners on the west rauge to take their properties and work thom on shares. Gold Washing in Town. A couplo of miners on arriving in Saratoga a few days since began to prospect the gravel bars in the Platto within the town limits, Such good prospects were obtained that boxes were built and sluicing is now pro- gressing, As many as 140 colors to tho pan have been shown. Gold washing has bogun in earnest all through tho valloy, and placer claims are being staked out everywhere. G. F. C. e JINHAUS' DESIGN. MR. ST Coat of Arms for the City Drawn from an Old Story. Awmong the designs for a coat of arms for Omaha recently submitted to the council was the above, executed by Engraver Steinnaus. The artist's conception of the coat of arms is based on the story that the sito of the city was oneo_owned by a squaw of the Omaha tribe. 'This Indian is given the most promi- nent position in the design. She holds a banner in her loft hand bearing the name “Omaha’ in @ graceful scroll, while st hor right is a cogged wheel boaring the mer- chants' onsign, indicating that Omaha is & center of businoss and industry. Tho de- sign 18 exccuted with nice awtention to de- tail and the coloring is tasty and harmonious. S Funeral of Geo. W, Hume, Tho funeral of the late George W. Hume will take place tomorrow afternoon from his late residence, 1615 Webster st It will bo under the auspices of Capitol Lodge, An- cient Free and Accopted Masons, assisted by other Masonic lodges of the city, and escorted by Mount Calvary Commaudery of Kmghts Templars, The cortoge will start from Ma- sonic hall at two o'clock. Short religious ser- vices will bo held at the house, conducted by Rev. L. M. Kubns, The improssive Masonic ritual will be performed at the grave aud will bo conducted by the Hon. Geo. W. Lininger. The doceased haa lived In this city nearly balt his Jifetime, having come hero wbout tweuty-five vears ago. For some time he worked for the Union Pacific railway in the shops, but of Iate had been engagod in the contracting busiuess. He leaves a wifo and two children who are fairly well provided for financially. His brother, Mr. Dick Hume camo 1n from Ogden yestorday to attond tha funeral. o -— A WOMAN A BARREL. Story of a Garbage Man Who Never Came. There may bo sadder objects in life thau an Omaha woman having and keoping in her possession and being obliged to keep a full barrol of kitchen refuse matter, but as wg now feel it seoms to us this oarth can hold no more pitiful spectucle. Two weeks ago that barrel was full. ~ We then sent a small son on a wild hunt for a garbage man, first furnishing the said scion with motor fare, We then left our manifold duties and religiously watched for that man, butho camenot. Again we gave the boy monev and again he gota prowmisy, but ro man forthcoming. We felt that the fault must be in the conseionce of tho heir, and as we could not attack his conscience we did his checkered ca—reer. In the mtervale be- tween spanks aud sobs it was borne 1n upon us ti:at the boy had surely seen a man. To heal his lacerated feclings we gave him a sil- ver dollar. We then hirea a livery team and soutonr voung lady daughter. She camo pack with tho hopeful news thut tho “board of health was sottiog.’ They would supposedly hatch out_or appoint a garbugo man for each ward. Wo waited two days. In the meantime some passers-by muttered : “We burn ours.’ We then went iuto tho kitchen and discharged our servant gl be- cause she had not burned things that she ought. She wopt wildly and said she couldn’t with a gasoline stove.” We said no matter; something must bo done. We then hired @ full grown man, pay- ing him 75 cents to an expro man, In tho soft starry eve we saw aman with a fiery mulo drivein one alley. Wa fell upon his neck—in motaphor ~-to0 overjoyed to utter asound. We pointed tragically 1o our barrel, Heo shook bis heud gravely and answered: “1 wot not of it.” We whispered that we don’t want vou to wot, but fust take it away. o said, “they would jump on me qu T must pay §25 for a li- conse, Hoaven kuows there wes conso—lying in that barrel enough. We counted our change as well as wo could by the starlight and through the mist of tears while bolding our offended nostrils. We made cut 820, ‘The barrel was mortify- ing, O, very, vory fast indeed, and it seemed w0 us that §20 would bo a mere pittauce with which to pay its dumpial expenses. Tho ex- prossman said: *No, notat that prico could bo take our barrel against tho organances of tho board of health.” Wo did uot blame the express gentleman, but when he ex plained “that the' Ninth ward would bayve a man in time, probably rignt soon,” 1t did seem o littie hard that we must wait’ for @ wan to bo born_unto us, and hold our bar- rel during his iufancy and whilo he i3 being educated up to the business, Oue thing alone romained to bo done—hunt a house, This wo did, Cur husband has been noti- fled not 1o cross us as we are subject to men- tal momentary aberation of inlnd—so to spoak-—s0 we knew ne dared not deny us. Wo told bhim we must move at once, beforo we were complainea of. He spoke timidly, but we must acknowledge very feelingly, of the beauties of living ‘‘'neath our own vine aud fig troo,” but we sarcastically rowarkod, “Vines and fig trees are all right to live be: neath, but who can live that barrel?”’ We shall take our Our house is uow for r (o] nters Open Meetin The Omaha uniou of the Uriited Brot hiood of Carpenters and Joiners of Amer will give a public installation of oficers at Green's hall, 1417 Farnam street, on ‘Tuesday ovening. S.J. Kent, prosident and se ary of the executive board of tha carpen ters of the United States will be present und deliver an address. All laborers and friends of 1aborers will be welcomed at the moeeting,