The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-06-25
B. d. WILLIAMSON, Esq.
Gregory's Digyings, near Clear Creek,
the Rocky Mountains,

LTeg0rYS DtQysHgS, near Slcar Creeh, III
the Rocky Mountains,
June 8. $50.
The undersigned, none Of them miners,
nor directly interested in mining, but now
here for the express purpose of ascersalning
and setting forth the truth with regard to a
slhiect of deep and general interest, as to
which the widest and widest diversity of as
scrtson and opinion is known to exist, unite
in the following statement:
We have this day personally visited near
" all the mines OF claims already opened in
this valley, (that of Il little stream running
into Clear Creek at this point; j have wit
messed the operation of digging, transport
ing and washing the vein stone "a partially
dccomposcd, or rotten quartz, running in
regular veins from south west to north east
between shattered walls of an impure gran
ite.) have seen the gold plai ly visible in the
rifles Of nearly every sluice, and nearly er
cry pan of the rotten quartz washed in our
presence; have seen gold (but rarely visi-
bic to the naked eye in pieces Of the quartz
not vet Lecompcsed, and have obtained
from the few who have already sluiees in
operation accounts Of their several products
as follows:
Zeisler, Spain & Co., had taken out
$3Ooo-frst days work produced SOL, their
highest, $495, four men.
Sopris. Henderson & Co., four days work
produced Sj01-last day, $3.50, four men
ut work.
Foote & Simmons, two days work, $40,
two men.
Defries & Co., eight men at work, first
day, 500 second day, $50; third day $9j;
fourth day, 5205. Sold out this claim for
:25 200.
Thcars & Co., run one sluice, first day,
$50; second day, 1914 third day, $50;
all taken from within about threefeet of the
surface.
Brown & Co., carry their dirt half a mile,
worked their sluice day and half, which
produced $500.
Casio. Kendall 4 Co.. worked their sluice
one day, which produced s5oj. Sold out
for $4,000.
Bates & Co., emo .!uice, run half day,
which produced S1j 90.
Mr.. Dean, washed from single pan SIT,
just got to work, hal been offered $4,000
for the claim.
S. &. Jones & Co., run their sluee two
days with three men -yied, 1925.
John II. Gregory, five days with two hands
produced 1912.
Of the general character of the mines they
say:
OF the vein stone, probably not more than
one-half is decompo ed that the gold
can be washed from it. The residue Of
the quartz is shovecd out Of the sluices,
and reserved to be crushed and washed
hereafter.
The miners estimate this equally rich with
that which has ''rottcd' so that the gold
may be washed from it; hence, that they
realize, as yet but half the gold dug by them
This seems probable, but its truth remains
to be tested.
1t should be borne in mind that while tho
miners here now labor under many obvious
disadvantages, which must disappear with
the growth of their experience and the im-
provement of their now rude machinery,
they at the same time time enjoy advantages
which cannot be retained indefinitely, nor
rendered universal. They are all working
very near a small mountain stream, which
affords them an excellent supply Of water
for washing at n very cheap rate; and, though
such streams are very common here, the
leads stretch orer rugged hills and consd-
erable mountains, down which the VEIN stone
must be carried to water, at o considerable
cost. 1t does not seem probable that the
thousands of claims already made or being
made on these leads can be worked so prof
tably in the average as those already in op.
Grafton. Wehear already of many who have
worked their claims for days (by panning)
without having raised the COLOR as the
phrase is-that is, without having found any
gold whatever. We presume thousands are