#alvinmcdonald

[rocketeer7]

Alvin McDonald’s Journal Entry:

Friday February 6th, 1891

(20 minutes in Cave) (Monument Hall Route - 1 trip

At 7:15 A.M., I started for Beaver Valley to work on the Lost Cabin Lode. We found the lode getting richer every inch we dug in it. We got some Galena specimens. I arrived at home at 6:40 P.M. and brought some specimens of Galena out with me. The ledge gets richer the deeper we dig into it. Elmer went into Hot Springs today and he intended to stay at Mores tonight. I went in the cave this morning after a shovel to take a ..... to Beaver Creek with me. Was in 20 minutes. I found that the shot I and Elmer fit in Roe's Misery yesterday tore out the corner that we wanted it to.

[rocketeer7]

Alvin McDonald Journal Entry Thursday, Feb. 5th 1891

9 1/2 hours in the cave making two trips to Monument Hall Route.

Elmer and I started to work on Roe’s Misery at 7:00 a.m. Se put in one shot with good effect(18 inch hole)

And drilled 18 inches of another hole before coming out. We came@out of the cave at 11:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m. Elmer and I started back to work on Roe’s Misery. We finished the hole we started but the shot did no good, as we drilled through into a pocket of some kind. We then drilled a hole in the upper left corner( as we go in) I fired the shot. I came out for supper arriving at 5:30 p.m. Elmer brought out a fine quartz crystal that the shot knocked down.

[rocketeer7]

Sunday February 15th, 1891

(2:03 in cave) (Crystal Route 1 trip)

Father and I packed a box of curiosity this morning. At 10:35 A.M. I started in the cave to get some mineral crystals. I went to the south end of Crystal Palace Via the old stalactite rooms and the deep hole near them. I first worked out the pocket of mineral crystals that I discovered on the 13th, and then went on the circle that I found the last time Brown's folks was in the cave with me. When I got about half way around the circle, I found a mineral crystal that was capped with calcite cut crystals. When I got nearly around circle to the left I discovered a young crystal cave & worked it partly out, but I did not take any of it out of doors. I came back to the mineral crystal I first worked out & loaded up ready to come out of the cave. When I arrived at the entrance, George McManus, (our first neighbor down Wind Canon) took me by surprise. After dinner I went home with him, the first time have been down to his place this year, and came back about dark. The weather was cloudy when I got up this morning and has been getting colder ever since. This is the coldest evening we have had this winter, so far. I got out of the cave today at 12:38 P.M.