New-York tribune., 1867-10-11

but no one records the innumerable failures. For
every one who is successful fifty or more are uhSuc
cessful The placer "prospector is the pioneer III
the development of the precious metals. II low IN
,, ba +raversea the mountains on foot but If able
tn own an animal he has "AOnchO" native or
California pony) mule, or jack on which he carries
his outfit consisting of grub" pan, spade PICK
blanket and revolver and ho Will thus uaVel hund-
reds of miles in search of new dggings' lie
observes the mountain cliffs which give any ndlca-
tion of gold In the neighboThood OF most OF per-
haps all. leads may be found groupings OF quartz
which are readily recognized by the experienced
nrospector. Guided by these he will seek the gulch
or ravine into which the washngs from the hills are
carried If there are gold crOppngs in the hills, the
elements decay the hardest quartz, separate the gold
and wash it down into the guches where 1t natural
v graytates by reason Of its greater weight, to the
bottom or bedrock Wherever gold exists on
the surface of the mountain cliffs, 1t has been
washing down for untold centuries. and its richest
deposit is in the bottom of the gulch IL the surface
of euch shows fair d" color" it Is always safe 10
count on an increase of gold in going down through
the earth to the rock The prospecor tres the earh
by digging at various points placing the dirt III his
pam and then carefully washing it out unu the Tree
gold and particles of rich iron with gold Ill them oniy
remain These gradually separate from the eaf'h as
the pan is carefully handled and sluiced oH' anu
settle in the bottom and the prospoctor judges Dy
tbe color he obtains of the value of the gulch Inc
cold will show in various shapes. Sometimes 1t is III
coarse nuggets rs large as tax-sced, and at other
fines II s in very fine particles in thin flakes ii
tbe dicpng shows pay dirt" he stakes his claim Ill
accordance with the mining laws of the Territory or
district receives the water privilege In the same
manner and sends for his most trusted frlends 10
take claims with him as to have the whOle Suicn'
rs far as possible, under harmonious control one
man can take up only 900 feet, and by s'aklng anu
recording it, his title perfect until fortlLed ny pai
pable abandonment, which the laws clearly define
uastv Aumes and bitches are then constructed, the
oulcb is dug over as far as it will pay, and perhaps
half the gold is saved by the rude process ii eight
or ten dollars can be taken out per day 10 the hau
il is considered worth working. ii less than thaV
srr, ia realized it IS usually not considered good pay,
and the restless pioneer fits up and starts OIL again 10
find more prolific fields of wealth. while the seedy
and unfortunate take his place and make preca-
rious living by working what he has abandoned
His love of adventure is usually stronger thah
bs love of gold and he is easily tempted from lar
dgrnrs 10 search for better and from better ever
found he is as easily tempted to search for the real
ization of tabled wealth. Now and then he becomes
reduced to the verge of bcggary but beggas are uh
known in the mining regions, and he yields 10 selh
necessity and seeks legitimate employment as
laborer or miner for season. No sooner does he re-
cuperate his ever-varying fortunes than he starts
again upon his favOrite prospecting path often MS
trims are taken in Winter, when gold Is believed 10
be in some particular locality and he sleeps Ill the
SLOW, and suffers exposure that would Kill q dozen
Eastern men, An Indian romance about gold de-
posit3 or any vague rumOr, no matter whence IL
comes is enough to start the prOspectOr any distance
r1I of flpT IL
rayine in the Territories of Idaho or Montana eX-
cepting where the Indians reside that has not been
prospected more less by these sturdy adventurers
and scores of lives have been given to Indian sayagery
in efforts to find the wealth of Yellowstone. Even
the scapng knife does not deter the prospector and
each wear furnishes new victims to the ambition to
find the supposed rich deposits of Eastern Montana,
where the Indians reentlesSy disputo tho advance
OF the pale-faces, Thus have these pioneers pros
pected the whole mountain regions, and While the
many millions of gold produced annually in Montana
Is the fruits of their work there is not one in fifty OF
them who could pay his way back to the States to-
dav Most of them have, at one time oranother been
well off. or had fortune within their grasp; but
they waste as fast as they gather and abandon good
claims to crafty the ruling passion TO discover bet
ter ones
When rich slacer dgginc5 are found, il is clear
that good quartz leads must be in the vicinity on to
hills and if two or more different kinds Of gulch gold
are fouud they indicate as many different
leads. To find them IS often a task Of no common
macnitude and sometimes the effort is entirely fruit
less All the hills near TO pay gulches are dotted
over with the mark of t]e mdefatieable rrospecor
The gulches are often miles ia length, and the char
acter and quantity of gold found up TO any one point
in the ulch indicates whethcrany or all the leads are
still hgherupin the mountains II a particular quail
,-f Il ,1xr to fiofpr ,nfuf
the lead OF lcadN from which comes must be in that
locality, and thus the yield of the euches indicate
with some ccRainty the cliff which the lead lies.
The lead however is but a narrow strip usually from
two TO four feet wide and moSths often spent by
dozens of proSpeo4ors IN unsuccessful effort TO find it,
Every few rods on sBch hills show hole dug out
from three to ten feet deep In order to gain title TO
the lead it mast be clearly ascertaned, the wa-l0ck
found and specimen OF tho genuine quartz depos-
tied with the Recorder, to guard against fraud The
place where the lead is fOund is called the "discov
ery" and the person who found it is entitled to the
discovery claim exclusive S lis rights to entr
q claim upon the mine. He states tho dis
covery placards IT, stating and date Of discoy-
ery and selects his friends to locate claims adjoining
his Sometimes he is paid for the privilege of taking
claims with him, but he is eminently kind and gen
erous to his associates and they are usually allowed
to enter claims without charge. In nineteen cases
out of twenty the opcraioOs Of the discoyerer and
prospector cease with the discovery, stalking, and
recording of the claims. Instead d developing
what they possess tLey viii staSt out again in search
of new discoveries They have 10 capital for the
proper development Of their mines and the erection
of mills, snd if they had, they would in most cases
spend it in pursuit of the ius tatus that is ever lur
ing them to imaginary fields of wealth. In time, re-
verses come Hard Winters and high prices for pro-
visions soon waste the scany resources OF the pros
pecor The gulches are closed, and grim want filings