Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-03-17


gold. into smaller particles, and washing
it into channels or beds .'' 2 : 4' 81
Sd, Rivers and streams washing the
gold down their channels. '.'1 4 :.
18th. Recent Volcanic action, scatter.
ing the gold broadcast over the surface
III particular districts, and 'e =
81 9Th. Decomposition of Auriferous
T Quartz 2aI1aFD nJ 3H94 .Gd f9fIg
Here, it would seem, are causes
enough, each acting at different periods,
to confuse the oldest miner in the world.
But ii this locality it appears that the
disturbing causes are somewhat simplif-
ed iThere is abundant evidence here
Of s'diluviai action y washed boulders
and beds Of gravel, being found on the
tops of some of the highest hills, but in
these beds Of gravel there are found no
! continuous leads and gold is as often
found where there is no gravel; lying on
tie granitein; ermixed with crushed rock
and loom, as where the gravel abounds
Some. Of the best diggings are found
where there is no gravel at all. Again,
othe gold here is found in small scales and
fakey PARTICLES, often very rough and
ragged sometimes containing small
| pieces ofquartz, plainly showing that it
has never been submitted to the pro-
tracted grinding process Of the diluvial
period, and further, it would seem as
tonishing if that powerful agent acting
I for years over the whole earth surface,
should have deposited the gold only
within this narrow basin, while i'm
mediately outside Of the basin, are ez-
tonsive beds Of gravel, apparently quite
as favorable as any within it, but bear
ing no gold. Thus, it would appear
that we may safely omit the diluvial
period as one Of the distributing agents,
and hence also volcanic action previous
! to that period. It is equally evident
| that recent volcanic action has had no
/ part in this distribution, no gold being
found above the soil, though sometimes
in fine particles mingled with it, but al
ways increasing in size and quantity as
you approach the bedrock. = ? t would
seem then, (if we are correct in our
theory, that the agents Of distribution
in, these mines arereduced to two. The
decomposition Of gold bearing quartz and
the action of water In rivers and streams
These, I believe to be all that have act
ed. In support of this view, tits a no
torious fact that most Of the principal
channels have been traced up to quartz
ledges, growing richer as they approach
the ledges, and then more or less sud-
1dealy disappearing. With the dis
tribdting agents thus reduced, perhaps
we ought, in the same proportion of
! chances, to, be assisted in our efforts at
prospecting, and perhaps we should
be, if some man ofiscience would tell US
where to find these, lodges of gold bear
ing quartz, but here lies the difficulty.
He would doubtless tell us, ''You may
| find those lodges wherever Nature in her
subterranean conyulsion has seen fit to
open the granite crust and let them slide, ;"
and We, strapped miners, may continue
to prospect as blindly as ever,
In March and April crowds came rush
| ing in from below, in quest of new mines,
oyerrunning the camp like heards Of sheep
in limited pasture. Some few we're
successful in finding good claims, but the
| greater part only found that the first four
or FIVE hundred men had managed 70
/ corral all the good ground in the ba-
sin, which was then discovered. This
may seem little singular, but be it
borne in mind they had the making of
Fthcir own laws, and they had not failed
to make them very liberal for themselves
They granted to each man six claims by
location, viz creek claim, a gulch
I claim, a raVine claim, a. bar claim, bill
claim, and quartz claim, besides the
right to purchase as many claims as they
chose. This of.odurse1 opened the way
for false "bills of sale, aud struggled
titles without limit. In this way it was
easy for five hundred men to claim quite
section of country, particularly as each
claim was2U0 feet in length except ii
f"hill claims' They being Tin most. dis
tricts} only lC0 feet front and running
1 back indefinitely. have lately procur-
Fed one of this latter description, and as
/ the sides run in a northerly direction,