The Gold Rush That Wouldn't Die
While the world moved on, a handful of prospectors still staked their claims in the rugged North Cascades, braving ruined trails and washed-out bridges for a few dollars of gold a day.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
That the Ruby Creek gold mines, which created such a flutter of excitement in 1879-80, are not entirely deserted, is manifest by the following from the last issue of the Skagit News: Hiram Giddings, who has been mining on Ruby Creek since last August, came down last Friday and went up to Seattle. He had been working a claim in partnership with Tom Howland, a well-known miner, who had taken out about $500 before Giddings went in. During the time they were working together they took out $5 per day. Donnelly & McMillan, who are working the Porter-Dorsey claim, near the mouth of Ruby Creek, have taken out from $10 to $15 per day. There were only five men in the mines during the season. They were Donnelly, McMillan, Giddings, Rowland and Baird. The latter came down a portion of the way with Giddings; the others will return by way of Fort Hope. The only bridge left is the one at the foot of Ruby Creek, the others having all been swept away. The old trail is badly broken up by slides, and is almost impassable in places. Giddings disposed of $40 worth of coarse gold to M. B. Cook, and anyone inclined to be skeptical can see it for himself. The gold brought down averages $16.50 per ounce. There will probably be several parties visit the mines from this section as soon as the season opens.
“The only bridge left is the one at the foot of Ruby Creek, the others having all been swept away. The old trail is badly broken up by slides, and is almost impassable in places.”
The persistent, back-breaking nature of gold mining in the Skagit wilderness echoes the current 'gold rush' mentality of Washington’s modern tech and housing booms, where people still chase fortunes in difficult, isolated environments. Even 140 years later, the cycle of hype followed by a quiet, determined core of workers remains a defining feature of the Pacific Northwest.
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