Digital Bob Archive

NOVEMBER 20, 1881-Heavy snows in Silver Bow Basin have brought an end to the first season?s work in the Harris Mining District and have sent the miners and prospectors down from the hills and back to the main camp. Many of them, especially those who made a good stake during the season, went south on the last mail steamer to spend the winter in warmer climates. On the whole, the miners are expressing satisfaction with what they have accomplished this year. Those who actively worked their claims were realizing from $5 to $30 a day to the man, depending upon the quality of their ground and the availability of water. Much of this year?s work, however, was in building ditches and flumes to carry the water to the claims, and production will undoubtedly be higher next season. It is difficult to arrive at an exact figure for the gold production of the district this season because so many men either sent their dust out with friends or carried it south themselves. It is generally agreed, however, that a figure of $150,000 would not be far off the mark.

Most of the season?s work was done on the many placer claims, but the lodes were not neglected, either. Much of the surface quartz is quite decomposed and can be ground up in an arrastra, the old Spanish type of ore mill. George Pilz, the man who sent Dick Harris and Joe Juneau out to find gold, has built an arrasta on his mill site at the foot of Ice Gulch and recently sold it to Howard Franklin, who will move it to his own property. William Webster is investigating the possibility of building a small custom stamp mill to handle the ore from several lode claims. The mill would be installed at the first falls of Gold Creek. Owners of other lode claims have resorted, for this season at least, to the old iron mortar and pestle to crush the soft ore from the surface of their claims.

In addition to the work in Gold Creek Valley, there has been considerable activity on Douglas Island. In September, French Pete Erussard sold to John Treadwell his ?Parris? lode claim on the island, the original claim in that area. The amount named in the deed is $5 but it is understood that Pete will receive additional money if the property pays. Treadwell has acquired at least one other lode claim in the same vicinity as well as some water rights and has now gone south to try to interest California mining men in the property.