----- Original Message ----- From: "George" <[email protected]> To: "....." <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 9:33 AM Subject: Re: Tale of GOld > From the book 'Oregon's Golden Years': > > -----page 6. History in gold was made that day, August 25, 1845, when the > large party of pioneers left the established trail and headed up the Malheur > River where no wagon had traveled before. This group was to suffer > hardships and many deaths before the first tattered remnants started > trickling into The Dalles in October. > They followed the Malheur for about twenty miles, over terrain almost > impassable for wagons. Some broke down, causing delays while repairs were > made. A few wagons were left behind. One diary states, "You could follow > the steps of the weary oxen by the traces of blood in their tracks." > The first person to die was a babe in arms, Emaline McNemee. The > infant was carried three days before a suitable burial place could be found. > The second death was that of Sarah Chambers. She was buried beside the > rocky trail. After each burial the wagons passed over the graves to hide > them from the Indians. No accurate record exists of the number who died; > historians estimate there were at least twenty-three--possibly more. > Many stops were made to rest and to repair equipment. One stop was > supposed to have been made near the headwaters of the Malheur River, on a > clear stream running in a southwesterly direction. One story relates that > the women took the occasion to do some laundry along the banks. Children > playing beside their mothers noticed "shiny golden pebbles" in the water and > in the grass along the water's edge. > Another family believes the location was on Canyon Creek, near > present-day Canyon City. George H. Himes, pioneer and curator of the Oregon > Historical Society, has written that William F. Helm said his father, > mother, five brothers, one sister, and himself were members of the Meek > party. Helm stated that his family's wagons and camp utensils, including > buckets, were painted blue. They were camped on a tributary of the John > Day, Bill Helm said, when the small yellow pebbles were found along the > water's edge. Nobody realized it was gold. James Terwilliger and Thomas R. > Cornelius supported Helm's story that the goldne pebbles were gathered in an > old blue bucket and left behind when the wagon train moved on. This is the > beginning of the oft-told legend of the "Lost Blue Bucket Mine." > > There is good picture of Stephen Meek on page 4 in the book. > > George Gildersleeve, also with ancestors from Colfax, Pampa, Washtucna, > Lacrosse, etc. in Whitman County, Washington > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "....." <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 7:38 AM > Subject: Re: Tale of GOld > > > > That is what some of the old timers said also... > > > > a post script to the article.. > > "Later, at a time when Jack Harryman was U.S. Ranger at Unity, we > discussed > > the possible location of the mine. Using the story told me by the old > > emigrant, plus other known facts, together with our intimate knowledge of > > the country, we diecided that the famous old Blue Bucket mine must have > been > > either Jeff Davis Creek at Prairie City or Canyon Creek at Canyon City. > > Both streams were known by the nuggets found in them by early prospectors > in > > this area"...irma [email protected] >