Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-12-18

T
either side of the road, and as we pass
ed, | noticed the old man Cap. was busy
collecting for himself nosegay, which
when he had completed. Re carried in
his hand, sometimes swinging by his side
and sometimes no lding ii up and gazing
lntenlly on ii, as If TO scan precisely the
similarity aud dissimlarity existing be-
tween these flowers and those he had
seen IN other countries: perhaps these
flowers brought 10 mind these days when
Ia early manhood he had strohcd the fair
fields CT England and pIuc>ed the wild
rose for the nymph-llke beauty who first
taught his heart the power OF loves do
mluion and inflicted the soft pangs Of
tender passion in his bosom, war ming
his imagination until he saw in her the
plenteous source, from whence would
flow the consumation of his fondest hopes
OF purest bliss below. Perhaps The old
man could tell some tales of flirting, of
slighls given and received, bat never
qutzed him on the subject.
After walking about three miles, we
came 10 where there are hill diggings
on the left hand side of the roads al an
elevation of about two hundred feet above
the valley; and passed in succession the
different claims named as follows: Cur
rs Point, Gopher Hull, Ba'ger Hill aud
Shores Hill. These ciaImes are all To-
Gated on what is supposed 10 be the cham
neI of an ancient river, which runs par
aiel with the present valley. TINS Old
channel is cut through in several places
| by transverse ravines which leaves bluffs
or points ca which are located the adore-
meut;oned-claims; the channel IS Iracea-
bic in these c.ajns running from on
point 10 another. Those raviues winch
cut tnrou- Il this channel must have bro't
from II, the gold which enriched the
creek below, which is already worked
out; these hill digglngs being the only
IN uIug Of ANY Importance whIch Is now
beng carried on III this valley. It may
be Interesting 10 some of your readers
10 know something of the manuer IA
winch those hydraulic claims, as they are
called. are worked. The moIus ooeran-
III, is as follows: III the first place the
miners open a cut, or ditch al some SUIT
able place Tor commencement, carrying
/ u at a proper grade tor giving the water
used for washing the dlrl, u su,ii cIenl ye-
ioci;y; II is also cut sufficiently deep be-
iow Ihe bed of the channel 50 that, the
Iiume which they lay into this ditch shall
be low enough 10 allow the water, dirt.
gravel aud boulders which are not too
large 70 ali readily drop into the fume,
through which they pass off and are
/ dropped INTO the valley below. Their
water IS fetched through a ditch along
the side Of the mountain higher up than
any part of the mountain which they IN
/ tend TO wash away. Taey then have a
/ long stout canvass hose, one end of which
Is placed 50 rs 10 receive water from the
! ditch, while the other end reaches 10 the
very base of the works; to this lower ex-
/ rem " IS attached a nozzle the cavity
OF winch is much smaller than that OF
the hose and conyerges toward the outer
end The same as that of fire engine.
those who can't understand this descrip-
| ZION of nozzle, perhaps, will under
stand il better when they are told that m
shape il is like tin dinner horn, which
some farmers gtTis blow TO cal the
'aands' TO dinner. The use Of this
! zie is-nany Of course Wi. know with
out being told-to prevent the water
/ from having too easy an egress, The wa
ter cannot escape just as 1t runs In, but is
retained IN the hose uullii il fills nearly
the whole .ength, when the pressure b.
comes 50 great as 10 force the same col
umn OF water through the small orifce o
the nozzle as lha, which ruas IN Al the
upper ana larger end of the hose, 50 thar
the water escapes IN u small stream, but
win ftry times the velocity with which
It runs into the pipe owe. This nozzle
/ IS held Toy a man who, with ii, directs the
water 10 any part of the bank which
! they are washing off; their effect always
10 under cut the bank, which is efecte,
with raptJity by this concentrated swif
wajer-sPou when the top. Of course
caves down, aud is then washed oil
through the Aume In these fumes arr
fxei sla,s Of wood some lougl,uIiuaiil
aud some crossvays; these are what taey
al rifles. aud are u-ej TO stye me COL.
gold beng heavy, naturally depost Is
/ useIf between them. Hired nea in these
I claims receives my dollars per moa,t
aud boarded, bu, ca account Of the deer
SHOWS iu wll.er alI ae< oS vl..r, ID g
can only o., wasl for SIX months iu tn,
scar; IL Is dang vart, 100, the baua
caves son-,uns s. sIIl.aiy as 10 ca.ca
them, s9n gst ll-lr in3s broken, 9th
I erS sometimes sei buried ia tae heap.
these banks are son- OF taem as mae.
as Two hundred Seer 1,El. aaI ao.y .nlc.
+ h.raer can't say. lYl-n Ws Ald pro