New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-05
MONTANA.
THE MINING REGIoNs-PROCEss OF MINING
now GOLD Is OBTAINED.

How is cold produced This question could he
answered in genera terms by almost any intelligent
Dersop lint there are few without personal Observa-
flo, in mining regions who have any just conception
NJ the intricate details necessary to the production
of the precious metals All know that millions are
annually developed from the various gulcbes ana
mines in the Rocky Mountain Territories and states
and the difference between placeTs and quartz MINES
is popularity understood, but of the skill patience
and labor essential to produce gold, even Dy tne si
peSt process. the public generally nave no so4' VI
Gulch or placer mining is the simplest method OF
taking gold from the earth S'ucheS arc sl,pl ny
the Tayines into whiclt the gold Groupings OF nch
leads in the mountain chiis are washed SulIaCe OF
blossom quartz is usually found on any mn Ia WnlGh
valuable mines SumbeT ana tnS eleeHtS m
from the flint iron that holds 1t captlVe ana It's
snecifo gravity forces it not only down into the
Ouch but down through tho earth to the very bot
Tom or bed rock of the Tayine This gold, coming as
ii does from GecOmposed rock is entirely free gold
and has no mixture Of the base metals. so that no
peculiar scientific attainmentS requisite to mas
tert. It's existence in gulch is easily asceTained
by the simplest implements. spade. pick, ana pan
all that the pTOspeGter requires his pan Is
made of sheet-rOn and holds about peck.
The center Of the course of the washing
is found the pan halfled with the earth ana II is
washed cut by dipping and whrling the pan IN water
until the loose earth escapes with the wafer, Whle
the gold. iron, and pebbles remain All the science
necessary to save gulchgOld, Is the appreciation Oh
the fact that gold is the heaviest of all substances on
the earth and will always attain the loWesE point IL
can find As the earth Is whrled around IN the water
the gold gradually settles to tine bottom OF the pam
and when there is no more earth TO WASH ont, the
pebbles are picked out. A little pocket-nagnet,
stirred around in the pam will take out all the iron
by adhesion. and leave the pure gold or
dust" This dust varies in value accord
ing to its tneness, and its marketable price Is
from SIP to $40 per ounce TROY i'll gold coin. The
lowest standard of dust" has some silver mixed
with it. but different pulches will produce gold
ranging in degrees of fnenesS as much as ~ per cent
ANY expert dealer in gold In established mining re-
p1ons can at a glance usually tell the guleh nom
which any lot of dust has been TAKEN IN we cary
settlement of all mining countries gold Is the only
legal tender in all business TRANSACTIONS unless theIe
is a special contract for currency; Every man car
rieS buckslIn parse, ana When ne Duys any thing,
from plug OF tobacco to gold mlne the DUST is
weighed out in payment at Its standard value per
ounce.
The various methods for separating the gold from
the earth of the gulChes are all exceedingly simple
while the first placer miners are working 1t. They
usually make their own district laws the district
embracing any particular camp or gulch. They meet
in mass council and adopt their CODE then land laws,
then water laws and all needful regulations Tor their
enforcement The local district laws have always
been respected both by Territorial and Congressional
enaCtmenS-so that no better primary tltle can De
procured than clear title under the district laws.
When disputes arise they Try titles to claims or
water either by q jury or by general meeting, as
may be the adopted custom and from the decision of
the district tribunal there is no appeal. indeed, 10
demur is not often even safe The dreaded tribunal
attempted resistance to the judgment OF the local
courts.
The claims are usually parceled in lots of 100 or 200
feet in length. up and down the gulch and embrac-
ing its entire length The local laws scTupulously
careful TO prevent monopoly of water and 1t IS
economical II scarce so as TO afford the greatest adj
vantage to all. Each owner, or owners, OF claim
they generally mine and cabin in couPles), ereets
fimne, digs a ditch, through which TO wash the
dirt of his claim from each side down to the depth OF
the bedrock. Their labor consists OF SIMPLY digging
the earth loose and shOveling 1T into the dltc oil
fume, through which 1T Is washed away, while q
pOrtOR-usualy about one half-ot the gold Is saved
10y various cOntTivances. Sometimes the bottom OF
tie fume is made OF a thick plank, into which are
bored a number of large augur-h0les Just deep
enough not to go through. me pay -dlII
is washed down over this perforated board,
and a very large proportion OF the gold VIII
lodge in the holes. They will, of course, first I'LL
up with sand but the gold VIII ma the least de
work down through the sand and earth to the bot
tom of the holes AT the foot of the sluice or fme
a cross piece is usually placed, about an inch thick
to make ripple, and sometimes they are placed at
every ten twenty feet, so that the eaIth passes
over a succession of ripples. The rippes lodge a
quantity of the EARTH the gold SINKS down III II 10
the bottom and there remains until there is clean
up Sometimes small boxes are placed at the end OF
the ditch or hume, into when the water anu eaIth
empty and while the earth washes out by the con
tinuous current, the gold lodges safely IN
the bottom. In some instances quantity
of quicksilver is poured into the boxes 70
amalganate the gold. The finest particle OF gold,
unless covered with iron, will amagamate with the
mercnrv at once and cannot be separated from it
until the mercury is strained out through bucksk1n
Copper plates, malgamated with quicksilver, are
also sometimes used in gulch mining but not gen
erally The bottom of the tlnme is covered with
copper and the copper coated completely with quick
silver. The earth is then washed over 1t, and fine
particles of gold will amalgamate on the plate.
When the general cleanup is made. usually once IN
one OF two weeks the various boxes, rppies holes,
DC, for catching the gold are emptied and panned
ont by washing the earth and gravel away and the
pure gold will be found in the bottom Of the pan.
The guleh miners work their claims very impeT-
fectly. IL is deemed q safe calculation that they
leave quite much in the earth they extract and
more systematic men with heavy capital follow
them,buy up the abandoned claims for miles together
and sometimes concentrate a whole gulch IN one
company. They often bring water for miles by
fumes. and cut a bedrock flume the whole length
of their claims, through which they flow strong
stream of water. Into this they throw the whole
earth of the gulch and often bring down the Whole
hill-sides into the tlume by hydraulic power. They
save the gold as the earth passes through the Hume
on the same principles their predecessors did, only
with much more system and completeness his
secondary process OF guch mining is Just now III It's
zenith in Montana, and this year IL Will yleld MIL
But the most important and permanent mining in;
terest is the reduction OF gold and SILVER quartz ana
the separation of the precious metals from the rock
have seen this process from the mines to the retor
both in Colorado and Montana and 1T Is study that
must interest any observer The gold and silver mines
do not differ essentially from the general laws which
govern mineral and coal leads in the States and they
are worked III the same manner. When opened prop
ery, they are clearly defined as a Tnle have tlXed
walls with regular pitches, and can be followed by eX
perienced men with great certainty. In most OF the
mines practical CoTnishmen direct the development
of the leads Shafts are sunk about six feet square,
usually on the leads the sides well timbered, and
when certain depth is attained-from 40 to
60 feet--a level is run both ways from
the Shafts, and all the ore above the
level is q" stopped out" Instead of working down
from the top, the miners work up from the bottom.
They run drift from the bottom of the shaft out
under the ore as far as may be expedient make
floor OF firm timbeTs, to protect them when they
make their next level below and then dig blast
the ore down overhead. They select the ore from the
rock and earth as it falls down, wheel it out TO the
shaft for hosting up while the refuse drops under
their feet and keeps them up TO their stope all the
time. When they have worked mp as far as there Is
chn nr feet mo