NEWSPAPERS: Rhoten brothers, mining, Jackson County, Oregon *************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with United States Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by noncommercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *************************************************************************** Transcribed and formatted for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Elizabeth Corethers 26 July 2003 *************************************************************************** Medford (Oregon) Mail Tribune, Monday, 21 Dec 1931, p. 2, c. 5-7 RHOTEN BROTHERS FOUND MUCH OF ROGUE'S GOLD While a cold December rain splashed the roof and porch of his little frame cabin, adding to the darkness of the Kane creek canyon below. Al Rhoten paused, a few nights ago, in the preparation of supper to review for inquisitive reporters a few incidents in the life of his brother, who died last week a poor man in a cabin just over the hill. Bending his giant form over the little stove in the corner of the kitchen, he placed a skillet of pan bread back on the lid, then turned with tear- dimmed eyes to answer questions. "Yes, Enic and I mined a lot together. Right in these very hills," he leaned forward a trifle to accommodate a weakness in hearing, his head still falling by only a hand's breadth, to touch the smoke-stained ceiling. "We took gold from Kane Creek, Gauls [sic] creek, Sardine creek, Foots creek, following it up the hill." "The amount, oh I couldn't say exactly. It was up in the thousands. The richest pocket yielded anyway $100,000. We found that on Kane's creek in 1905." Where the money went the tall blond man failed to mention, apparently unmindful of the obvious lack of it in the open cabin. "Enic found his richest pocket before that on Gold Hill. He got about $17,000 out. He always panned until he got the biggest." In a cloud of smoke the smell of burned bacon suddenly permeated the cabin. The old miner turned back to the stove for a second. "Your meal will be spoiled," the reporter apologized. "If it is, we'll cook another. There's plenty," a kindly smile spread over his large upper jaw, slightly shortened by blond mustache. The miner pushed aside a dish of boiled potatoes, obviously prepared for frying. "We used to start out, oh, just any time of the day we felt like it with pan, pick and shovel," he continued, "we'd go where we had seen color, dig a little hole, then follow it up the hill 'till we came to the pocket," he described the system originated by his brother and copied by practically every miner in southern Oregon. "Did anybody ever high grade your gold?" he was asked. "If they did, we didn't miss it," he answered, refusing to give credit to the many stories told by early settlers of thefts from the Rhoten pockets. "There's lots more gold in the ground," he added, "and I'm going to get it, after while." His gray eyes clouded again, as he gazed out into the rain. The voice of his 16-year-old son could be heard, rambling on with another story of "Enos" to the good listener, leaning on the porch railing, "built to keep the goat out." Questioned about Enos Rhoten's first find, when he was seven years old, Al took up his story again. "Yes, he was going for the cows, when he found that pocket. It was on Blackwell hill. He saw color and went back to dig. He took out about $150. That was before my time. I'm still in my sixties. Enic was past 79. "He never complained before he died. He was sick three years. Just couldn't get out of bed. Old age, I guess. He lived right over there." He pointed from the cabin toward the dim light, shining out on the neighboring hill. "Yes, he liked to play cads," he admitted when questioned, making no mentioned, however, of the days in Toney Olson's saloon, or the purchase of the Grant's Pass bar for $50,000, told by fellow miners. "No, never played baseball, except when a kid at school. He got his education in Iowa, before he came here with our folks. They crossed the plains by ox team in '59." Asked if his father mined too, Mr. Rhoten replied: "After he came to southern Oregon. We all did. We've taken lots of gold from these hills." Telling of the part his brother, Enos, played in the Indian wars, he said: "He got shot once, right here," he lifted his hand to his great chest. "The bullet lodged in a rib. It was still there when he died. I felt it. He was only 18 when the war came. I was too young. If I hadn't been, I sure would have gone." "He lived on Kane creek over 50 years. His widow's still there, and his daughter, Ida. It's a pretty bad trip though, at night. You'd better wait 'till daylight," he objected, as the group left the cabin to begin the steep descent down the slippery road to the car waiting half-mile below. No "color" could be seen in the deep mud of the dooryard, nor one object to reflect passage of the Rhoten brothers' gold.