THE DOUGLAS MINER
XrVvifrR U !- DOUGLAS, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1S96 \ *3-°° P®r 'Vear'
JNUMBHR 15 \ y } 10 cents per copy.
‘lost Rocker" Mine.
Supposed Discovery of the Famous
Mine by Two Prospectors this
Summer.
Old Placers Found and Coarse Gold Taken
Therefrom.
In con versation with one of Douglas’
citizens a short time since we learned of
a discovery that may set at rest a long
disputed question and at the same tune
add one more rich district to the many
that dot auriferous Alaska. This discov
ery is nothing more nor less than the
supposed fi ding of the famous “Tost
Rocker” diggings, the location of which
has been searched for by nearly every
prospector who has wooed fortune in the
gold fields of this territory.
Early this fall two men came in f;om
a prospecting tour in a section of coun
try lying between this place and Wran
gel, and stated that while there they met
a paity of iwo men who had just come in
from a short distance in the interior,
and that they had in their po session
and exhibited a quantity of coarse gold.
The two men were very reluctant as to
their find, but enough was wormed out
of them to learn that their discovery was
situated only a short distance from the
beach—probably ten or fifteen miles—
and that they believed the ground to be
very rich. They said that the ground
showed s’gns of having previously been
worked to a small extent, as they found
old pits and crude paraphanalia for plac
er miniug which had been used many
years before. The men would give no
information as to the location of their
find, and the only clew to its wliera
bouts ts the place at which they were
first seen, which was in the near vicinity
of Port Houghton, and it is supposed
that they had ju-t struck the beach.
The story of the “lost rocker” is fa
miliar to all old timers here, but for the
benefit of many readers of the Miner
who have never heard it we give a short
account of it. The story is substantially
as follows:
In the early spring of 1874 two men
left Sitka in a small bo.it on a prospect
ing expedition, steering through the
many, and at that time entirely un
known and uncharted channels and
straits of the inland passage toward the
mainland. Afier wandering around for
many days mid becoming hopelessly be
wildered and lost, they ascended a small
river a number of miles, and in the
stream near a small lake they found
some very rich bars that produced coarse
gold. They built a crude rocker out of
such matesial at they had at hand and
set to work, all u .concious of the de
mon, Death, lurking near, and were
richly rewarded for their labors. They
had worked only a short time, however,
when one morning shortly after the be
giniug of their day’s toil, they were fired
upon by a party of Indians in ambush
undone of the men fell, probably in
stantly kill d, the other being unharmed.
Th s man reached the woods and even
tually the boat, which had been left a
short distance below, and putting off he
reached the open sea through what is
! suppos d to be now known as Dixon en
! trance drifted on out, not daring to
! attempt a landing through fear of again
encountering Uie savages. He was final
ly picked up by a schooner and carried
I) ick to the states. When rescued he
told the story as recorded above and
i showed a considerable amount of coarse
j gold in proof of his assertions. This
man afterwards on two different occa
! sions attempted to lead parties to the
scene of the tragedy, but was unable to
find the place, and finally died in Sitka,
; stoutly adhering to his story' and de
claring it to be true.
While every mining country has its
‘ lost mine” of some sort, and such s'.or
! ies are always taken w th a very large
grain of allowance, yet the circumstanc
es surrounding the tale of the “Lost
Rocker” are such as to give it consider; -
ble color, and it is a well known fact
that almost every yrear parlies have been
fitted out for the express purpose of
searching for this mine, winch a great
many believe to he in existence.
A Decided Success.
The most successful and pleasant so
cial event that has occured in Douglas
for a long time was the masquerade ball
given under the auspices of the dramatic
club at Oilman’s hall on Thursday even
ing last. There were about fifty people
entnasque, this number being about halt
of the attendance. None but maskers
were allowed on the floor until n
o’clock, at which hour masks were re
moved and everybody joined in the mer
whirl. While no very elaborate or cost
ly costumes were displayed, some of
them, and especially those worn by the
ladies, were very neat and tasty, and the
harmonious blending of bright colors as
they flashed through the mazy intraca
cies of the dance was most pleasing to
the eye; and when the masks were taken
off the bright and smiling faces of Doug
las’ fair belles sent a thrill of admiration
through many a susceptible manly heart.
A number of ladies and gentlemen from
Juneau were in attendance, and when
the dance broke up at 3:30 a. m., every
one went home declaring that they had
spent a most delightful night. The dance
was a success, socially and financially,
and it is hoped that the club will, in the
near future, give a repetition of so enjoy
able an occasion. An elegant lunch was
served at tbe Douglas City hotel at 12 m.
--
Capt. David Wallace, master of the
Topeka, was taken violently ill in Seat
tle the day before the steamer sailed,
and was unable to make the trip. At
last accounts he was in a critical condi
tion, and it was feared that he might not
survive. Capt. Wallace has a host of
friends in Alaska who join the Miner
in wishing for him a speedy recovery.
Capt. Lloyd took command of the To
peka cm this trip.
The case of P. H. Fox, as administrat
or of the estate of Geo. Beaumont, vs
McKay et al is on trial as we go to press.
The jury was brought over to Douglas
this morning and taken over the ground
m gdi-pute. It is probable that the
case will go to the jury this to-morrow.