"There is gold,
in them, there hills,"
would bring a rush
and tingle your skin,
as you dreamt of riches,
in the grounds depth, there in.
My grandfather, my father,
several brothers too,
had claims of land
and searched for gold.
The area was east of CleElum,
off the Blewett Pass Hiway;
a small venue town of Liberty.
Swauk Creek, where gold was
discovered in 1873.
Swauk Creek, was the place to be.
It had been dredged and the creek
bed was marred with large piles of
rock and debris.
It would not pass today, environmentally.
Many a "stake" was made and a claim
would be filed. Usually the object was
to dig a mine, the assumption being
the gold washed down from the hillside
above the creek. You, the claim owners,
were required to show, a specified dollar
amount of investment, annually and track
the amount of time spent.
To discover the gold, which still remained,
was a wild idea and it was your claim.