The Sierra citizen., 1854-08-05
Mining Goseip.

i eeeeAeS9
| No reports have reached US this week,
except from the Blue Banks. Cations T.
70. took out Of theit tunnel l3l OF last
week, and l3O OF the week before. Hos
kins d Go. make from 30 to 40 or weekly.
River MINING. The Blue Banks
6ume is now in operation. About three
fOrths Of q mile of the bed Of the stream
is completely dried, and the several COM
panies are busily engaged clearing away
the sand and gravel deposited in the bed
of the stream by the sluices on the bank
duting the winter. There are six derricks
in operation by water power, which re-
move the sand and rocks in manner
qaite bewildering to the old fortyniner.-
AS the richer portions Of the mines are
dug out, more powerful machinery is in
troduced. until the receipts amount TO
nearly the same, though the gold is by no
mea. s SO plenty as formerly. The rocker
and long tom has given place to the sluice,
which washes four times the amount of
dirt, and saves gold equally as well, and
the more experienced miners think better.
The river presents very lively ap-
pearance. Its waters have been put in
harness and compelled to do the work
which was formerly performed by "hired
hands, at the expense Of many an aching
limb, and various are the Yankee contri-
vances to save labor, many OF them really
advantageous, Others costing "more than
they come to-" We observed contri-
vance for hosting rocks on the North
Fork, where the irons on the wheel cost
5000, and the ropes equally as much
this was in addition to the labor.
The several claims (Tunnels) in the
neighborhood of Downieville, are paying
moderate wages-some of them more No
extraordinary strikes have been heard of.
We have no other means of Judging of
the yield Of the mines, than the amount
of gold offered at the banking Offices for
exchange or deposit. Notwithstanding
the complaint of hard times, there is but
little difference i'll the shipments.
Six mule teams loaded with miners
stores for Wright & Hayward, arrived
on Sunday-their second trip to Downie-
vile since the completion of the new road.
They will continue On the road during
the summer, and make quite a derange-
ment in the packing operations to the
advantage Of the consumer, however.
For the following we are indebted to
Mr.. G. Read, of Coxs Bar.
"In addition to the many companies
along the bank and in the bed of the river,
which l gave passing notice oflast week,
there are several tunnels run into the hill,
varying from $50 to $50 feet, reaching a
channel about Ia feet below the present
bed-and undoubtedly the old bed of the
Yuba-having changed its course from
the head of Cox's to Snake Balat which
place also the river is evidently turned
from its original course, as the same deep
channel running through Coxs Bar, may
be traced through Snake Bar, Opossun
Slide, Ham Bar, &C., showing that iln-
riense slides of the mountain have from
time to time occurred Wherever this
channel has been touched, rich deposits
have been found You have already
spoken Of the good strikes at Ham Bar
and vicinity The Ten Strife Co., Cox
Bar, 10 shares, took out last week lO2 oz;
this week up to Friday morning 66 oz-
The Ravine Co., joining the above, have
recently struck the same channel having
run their tunnel 32O feet, and are doing
well. Several other companies hear are
doing good business, but | am unable to
give particulars this week."