Show EAR harvesting PLACER GOLD IN SOUTHERN A r OREGON 0 R E AND ND NORTHERN california V I 1 dennis penn H the miner of the western placer fields who rakes the royal metal into glittering heaps at cleanup clean up time has the fortune not allotted to many of feasting his eyes on the tempting piles and congratulating himself on the consummation of the harvest the placer fields of northern california and of those just across the line in southern oregon occupying old channels and beds of ancient streams are among the largest in the world the abundance of these old channels the regularity of the values the mildness of the winters and the abundance of rain for a water supply makes this region an ideal one for the surface f ace miner one hydraulic giant can wash down more dirt in an hour than the early day miner with his crude rocker and shovel things being equal that miner who has the best supply for the longest season is the owner of the best property the hydraulic placer season is covered only by the winter months when the rains are heavy and a good depth of snow is maintained on the ranges to supply the hydraulic ditches with the necessary amount of water just as soon as the winter rains come and a full pipe head is afforded the giants the water is turned on and piping begins for the season the men who operate the big giants or monitors are called pipers though it is not essential that they be scotch in the big mines the giants once started never cease their year from end to end of the season night andray they hurl their avalanche of water ceasing only when the A 3 U X 4 ai i lot WORTH OF CANNED AND 66 GOLDEN FRUIT FROM NORTHERN california could do in weeks it costs but from two to five cents a cubic yard to mine the deep old channels of northern california or southern oregon the gravel pays from 6 to 20 and 60 cents a cubic yard there is no phase of mining in which the risk is reduced to as small a minimum minima m as that of placer mining the miner can determine the exact value of his ground before hand and where he knows the capacity of his giants and the length of his run can determine almost to a dollar the output or the coming cleanup clean up of his property in the early days placer mining was a gamble today it is a cold business bus ness proposition in which capital genius and mechanical ch anical skill supplant the handsh hardships aps peril and romance of the palmy days As the amount of mining done is dependent upon the te water supply other north wind breathes its warmth of summer for night work the diggings are illuminated by the glare of a number of locomotive headlights mounted numerously over the working grounds or by a score of electric are arc lights suspended high above and supplied by the pipes own plant cleanup clean up is the harvest time of the placer miner it usually comes in the spring or early summer at the close of the season though some miners clean their sluices every month but the main big cleanup clean up the real rea I 1 harvest does not come till the close of the season at cleanup clean up the giants cease ceas e their thunder and only enough water is allowed to run in the fhe sluices as will aid in gathering the gold As the dirt is washed from the banks it is carried by the giants flood and the bywater by water down a race cut to in the bedrock across the diggings to the sluices the natural riffle in the bedrock race is the best possible riffle for catching gold and it is here that nearly all of the nuggets and many of the finer pieces find gement lod the sluice boxes are set at the end of the bedrock race specially prepared riffles fiffles rif fles made of steel fit in the bottom of these farther on down toward the dump block and pole riffles fiffles are used the bedrock race is first swept clean and every particle of pre precious CiGUS yellow gathered up the riffles fiffles are then lifted from the sluices careful carefully lly rinsed and laid aside with a small stream of water flowing through the mass of gold and dirt on the sluice floor is swept gently to and fro with a brush broom the dirt and refuse is dissolved by the water and flows on and andoff off over the dump revealing the glittering particles beneath these are swept into piles scooped up and placed in glass jars ready for the refinery nery mint and the stamp of uncle sani sam |