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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2006)
Page 14 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, November 15, 2006 Would you believe gold on the ground found due to dog and wounded buck? GLENN MORRISON AMERICAN LEGION Post 70 & Auxiliary observed Veterans Day with a ceremony at Cave Junction City Hall Saturday, Nov. 11. Among participants were (below, left) Post Cmdr. Jim Fuller; and past Post Cmdr. and current Adjutant Jerry Buell, who also has served as District 4 commander. (‘I.V. News’ photos) Storm damages can bring out scammers Because recent storms packing Mother Nature’s fury have damaged many homes and structures, the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) warns Oregon home owners not to fall vic- tim to thieves pretending to be legitimate contractors. Home owners whose property is damaged can be prime targets. CCB has the following advice: Be extra careful of door-to-door repair solicita- tions, contractors using ve- hicles with out-of-state li- cense plates and “too-good- to-be-true” bids. Don’t pay 100 percent of the bill be- fore the repairs are properly completed. Those who need roofs, windows, fences, or patio coverings fixed, or have damaged trees that should be removed, are urged to be cautious. “Stay away from unli- censed contractors,” warns CCB Enforcement Manager Richard Blank. “Scam artists come out of the woodwork after se- vere weather to prey on peo- ple anxious to get their home fixed because more winter weather is on the way,” said Blank. Check with CCB to make sure a contractor is properly licensed. A license offers some financial protec- tion to consumers through CCB bond and insurance obtained by businesses. Consumers should ver- ify a contractor’s CCB li- cense at oregon.gov/CCB or (503) 378-4621 before sign- ing a home repair contract or paying any money. CCB is the state agency licensing more than 43,000 contractors. Anyone who is paid to repair, improve or build a home must be li- censed by CCB. Free consumer publica- tions with helpful tips are available at CCB’s Website and (503) 378-4621 By ROGER BRANDT For IVN Newspapers declared it to be the most wonderful gold discovery ever reported in Oregon history. But more amazing was the fact that this gold was found after prospectors had combed this same area for more than 50 years. The discovery was made by an 18-year-old named Ray Briggs, who lived with his family on a mining claim they had near the headwaters of Sucker Creek. Like many others, the Briggs family was able to find enough gold to buy necessary staples, but had to supplement their food sup- plies by hunting in the nearby mountains. The big gold discovery occurred when Ray was on one of those hunting trips. It was July 1904 when Ray set off on foot with his dog to do some hunting. One account said that he was hunting grouse and found the gold. Another version said he was hunting deer and shot a buck, which his dog took off chasing. His dog did not respond to his calls to come back, so he reached down for a rock to throw at the dog and picked up a chunk of quartz- ite streaked with gold. He looked down and found gold lying on the ground all around him. He carefully marked the spot. Then he went off to find his dog and the wounded deer, which he killed, dressed out, and hung up. Before heading home, he loaded his pockets with as much gold as he could carry and hurried back to tell his family the news. The next day they re- turned, staked a claim and named it the “Wounded Buck Mine.” The mine turned out to be a small vein of gold 12 to 14 inches wide, 12 feet long and 7 feet deep. Veins of gold were reported to be in slabs 1 inch thick and 2 to 3 feet long. Ray Briggs holding a pan of gold from the Wounded Buck Mine. In two weeks the claim yielded more than 1,777 ounces -- or about 110 pounds -- of gold. In 1904 gold was worth $18 an ounce, so the Briggs family was able to sell the gold for around $32,000. In today’s market, this same amount of gold would be worth more than $700,000. The location of the mine was 1.5 miles east of Tannen Mountain near where the Boundary Trail crosses a saddle between Thompson Creek and Fahley Gulch. Some people believe that the Wounded Buck Mine may have been origi- nally discovered in 1855 by two men who were on their way to Illinois Valley to fight in the war between settlers and Native Ameri- cans. They took some sam- ples of gold with them, probably thinking they would return after the war to stake a claim. But they were never able to relocate their find. It may never be known if this “lost mine” is the same as that discovered by Ray Briggs, but both stories illustrate that some of the greatest gold discoveries are made when prospectors are looking for something else. H.D. PATTON JR C O N S T 541 R U • C T 476-2127 I O N Lic #39671 Outstanding New Subdivision in Cave Junction 579 W. River $240,000 579 W. River - House Pad Ready 2016 Sf. Finished Detached Residential Accessory Bldg Heat & A/C w/ 3/4 bath & laundry hook-ups. Live in while building or ? RV space on 14,910 Sf. Lot R EACH - U p , S TAND - UP , F LY - UP ! CJ Municipal Court collects $3,162 during October Traffic fines totaling $3,162 were paid during October through the city of Cave Junction Municipal Court. The city council was advised of the figures dur- ing its meeting in city hall Monday night, Nov. 13. There were 17 defen- dants, with 30 offenses involving 20 citations. Five defendants were found guilty by default. Since July 1, the city has collected $8,912 in court-assessed fines. The city also has collected $3,000 in impound fees since July 1 through Octo- ber. The court during Octo- ber dismissed one case, and one defendant was granted an extension. The council was told that of $5,076 fines as- sessed during October, the total collected was $3,162, reported the court clerk A message from Sheriff-elect Gil Gilbertson Thank you, Josephine County, for your support! The Kerby Transfer Station is open to help you... Hours: Mondays - Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information phone (800) 922-1025 I sincerely look forward to this opportunity to serve you. Only by working together can we promote safety and provide the citizens of this county a more positive future. Paid for by the Committee to Elect Gil Gilbertson Sheriff - Diann Rhodes-Gilbertson, Treasurer
