The Pioneer Press
April 2, 1865 Your weekly frontier newspaper
Gold Strike!
Local prospector finds high grade gold and precious gemstones at Camp Dakota while digging out of record snowstorm.
In his own words, Sourdough Pete describes his find.
"I'll never forget the day I discovered this here Lucky Strike Mine. It was so cold thet morning thet the flames in the woodstove done froze solid. I had to poor some of moonshine on it to unfreeze it. (I only keep it for medical reasons). Anyways, I poured some of that high test on them frozen flames and thet warmed the cabin up real quick and after thet I had no need to shave my beard anymore. After I got the fire under control I stepped outside to fetch some more firewood and when I opened the cabin door I found a wall of snow clear up to the rooftop. Well I jest grabbed me a shovel and commenced to tunneling my way toward where I figured thet woodshed to be. Just as slick as a gopher I was a tunnelin along. I dug all morning long but I couldn't be quite sure which direction I was a headin on account of I had lost my compass the year before in the river. Anyways I tunneled all day and pretty soon I noticed thet the snow had changed color and had got considerably harder. Thet snow wernt like any other snow I had ever seen. There was all sorts of purty culors such as yellers and greens and reds and it were so hard I had to use my pickaxe just to chop threw it. Before long I was so tuckered out thet I jest set right down on thet pile of funny colored snow to rest and go to lookin around. Well thet wernt snow at all. It were dirt and rock and it was full of GOLD and JEWELS! I had done tunneled my way right smack dab into the hillside between my cabin and the woodshed. Well I dug all winter long and come spring I went down to town and filed a claim. I named the mine the Lucky Strike on account of I felt real lucky after I finded it."
BLIZZARD BLASTS CASCADE FOOTHILLS
Residents spend days digging out after worst snowstorm on record!
Record cold temperatures and the worst snowstorm on record gripped the Oregon Cascades this winter and local residents continue to struggle to dig out. Over 14 feet of snow fell on the small town of Scotts Mills and surrounding areas in late December and temperatures fell to -50F. Local resident Theodore Coldfoot tells his story.
"I woke up that morning and walked to the outhouse and it was snowing so hard that when I looked behind me my footprints was already filled in. I had to tie a rope from the outhouse door to the cabin door and over to the woodshed to keep from getting lost. I just held onto that rope for dear life cause I knowed that if I let go I would never be able to find the house again. When the snow finally stopped I had to dig my way out of the house and over to the barn to check the livestock."
Story continued on page #3
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