d K1 ■ " "■* J 





492 



CHANNELS NEAR DEADWOOD AND MICHIGAN BLUFF. 



defined channel with a heavy fall running in an easterly direction. This channel evidently could 

 not have held this course, however, for any great distance towards the summit of the range ; but 

 probably bent rapidly around to the north and west over the basin of Sailor Canon to a larger 

 stream running somewhere over the present canon of the North Fork of the American. 



It is very possible, though by no means certain, that the Basin channel at the Devil's Basin 

 above Deadwood, and near the trail from thereto Last Chance, may be a continuation of the 

 same channel as that upon which is located the Slab claim, on the opposite side of the river 

 below Last Chance. This channel appears to enter the Basin ridge at the point where the trail, 

 descending from its crest towards the river, meets the bed-rock, and to run at first for several 

 hundred feet southwesterly, and then more nearly south, for a distance of some 1,700 or 1,800 

 feet altogether to where it meets the Basin tunnel. At this point it seems to make a pretty 

 sharp bend to the west, and continue thence in a general course about S. 70° W. (magnetic) 

 some 2,500 feet, or as far as worked in the Basin tunnel. Beyond this point it is uncertain 

 whether it continues the same course, passing under the head of Black Canon, and so on through 

 the ridge beyond towards Deadwood, or whether it bends sharply again to the south, and con- 

 tinues under the Basin ridge in a direction nearly south (magnetic) for half a mile or more to 

 the upper end of the Eeed mine. Mr. Keed thinks the latter will prove to be the fact. But I 

 consider it in the absence of further proof nearly an even chance one way or the other. But 

 whether the Keed mine be upon the same channel as the Basin claim or not, there can be 

 little doubt that the Rattlesnake claim is upon a continuation of the Reed mine channel, and 

 is either the main channel itself or a branch of the same. If the Reed mine connects with the 

 Basin channel, then the Rattlesnake will be only a branch ; but if not, it is probably the main 

 channel. From the point at which the Rattlesnake and the Basin channels will unite if they 

 prove to be branches of the same, the, channel in the Reed mine runs first some 2,000 feet, 

 about N. 85° W. (magnetic), then some 1,400 or 1,500 feet about S. 35° W. (magnetic), to the 

 lower end of the workings in Reed's mine. Within the four or five hundred feet. yet left un worked 

 between here and the upper end of Hornby's mine it seems to bend rapidly again to the west, 

 and to hold a course of about S. 80° W. (magnetic) till nearly under the town of Deadwood, where 

 it again curves to the south, its course in the lower part of Hornby's mine being about S. 35° W. 

 The length of Hornby's workings on this channel is some 1,500 feet. Immediately below the 

 mouth of Hornby's mine this channel appears to have crossed the heads of some little gulches, 

 which now run southerly to the North Fork of the Middle Fork near Bogus Thunder, — and a 

 portion of it seems to have been carried away. But it is believed that the same channel re-enters 

 the main spur a little farther southwest and passes through it, coming out on the northwest side 

 towards El Dorado Canon at the Cobb claim, a little to the southwest of the trail from Dead- 

 wood to Michigan Bluff. 



There are evidently fragments of two or three other channels at and about Deadwood, which 

 were probably well defined at one time in the surface of the bed-rock. But tins is the only one 

 which can now be traced with any certainty for any considerable distance. And yet, wherever 

 tunnels have been driven, the surface of the bed-rock beneath the volcanic capping has always 

 been found worn smooth by water, and almost always there is more or less metamorphic gravel 



upon it. 



It is believed by some that Weske's mine in the Michigan Bluff- divide is upon the continua- 

 tion of the Reed mine channel. But, though this is certainly among the possibilities, yet I 



think the probabilities are against it. 



It is difficult to say whence came the great mass of auriferous gravel at Michigan Bluff. The 

 heavy banks of deep gravel, however, which still exist in the spurs flanking the main ridge on the 

 west side of El Dorado Canon for several miles above Michigan Bluff, would seem to indicate the 

 probable existence here in the gravel period of a considerable stream whose general course — for 

 these few miles at least — was nearly parallel witk the present canon. But this series of heavy 

 banks appears to terminate at Gas Hill ; the claims above that point being only tunnel-claims. 



