Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-07-14
THEN AND NOW.

vi OuoyhnL nope anu nealln ana StrOng
constitutions. Such men were fitted and
such were the men needed for the battle
with Nature in her own stronghold. 1t
was not until the later years tha: older
men, men who had reared families and
were desirous of ending their days IN the
Golden State turned their steps across the
Sierras and descended with the fow of
waters toward the Pacific.
The men of early times were exposed
TO hardships such as the miners Of the
present day are exempt from, yet they
did not yield TO disease unless it was of a
contagious or vrulent nature. The lack
of fresh vegetables was sore one to the
Forty miners and many suffered from
scurvy by reason Of the unaccustomed
diet. The following year the mountain
fever andcholerN attacked the immigrants,
and many were laid in their long homes
from these two diseases, which seemed to
battle medical skill. But after that year.
in which the suffcrings Of the overland
immigration had, in a measure prepared
their system for the ravagcs of disease,
the proportion Of deaths to the population
was very small. People had got accli-
mated and the natural healthfuness of
the climate made the condition Of life
which prevailed in the "fush days" when
man was "at home when he got his hat
on. )" not only bearable but actual y health
ful. But we are wandering fur from the
subject Of which we designed to speak,
Passing through the cemeteries of this
place, one who knew those in life who are
buried there, cannot help rejecting on
the great number Of men who have came
to violent deaths. OF these there are
very few, comparatively, during the later
years Of mining, but before the aid Of
science was called in, and when the mines
were in that intermediate period during
which operations were principally con-
Quoted by ground -sluicing, there was
scarcely week passed but some unfortu-
nate deliver was crushed out Of existence
by the treacherous banks, in some part of
the county. The low, rich, shallow dig
gings had been mined away and the min
ers followed the precious deposits into the
deep banks, almost always at the ii,k of
life and limb. If record had been kept
OF the men, young and strong, in the full
vigor of active manhood, who had gone
out to their claims in the morning, only to
be crushed into shapeess masses Of in
sensatc clay before the night came, the
list would be simply appalling. There is
scarcely mining camp of any note in
the county but has furnished its dozens
and scores of victims. Men seemed to be
driven on to their destiny, almost against
their own presentiments. Others, again,
seemed to make no effort to escape the
fate before them, but stood spellbound,
like the bird is said to be under the fasci.
nations Of the serpent, while :he crumb-
ling earth cracked and settled before
coming down with its deadly force. While
some camps were more fated than others
so it was OF claims. Take Sidney Hill for
instance. 1t is years since any work was
done there by white men except that
done two years ago, when il claimed its
victim, IS usual, but during the days
when it WAS one Of the big claims Of the
county, it was as if man took his life in
his own hands to go there 10 work. The
claim was worked before the days when
hydraulics lad come into general use, ard
in fact, it was of such character of min
ing that, with the imperfect system of
hydraulic mining which prevailed for
many years, the ordinary way OF "goug-
ing" the deep bank was the fastest by
which it could be worked. Hnd the own
ers Of the Sydney Hill mined with the
improved appliances of TIE present day
the yield of that section would have
been enormous while it lasted, and
scores, perhaps of men who were crushed
to death under the treachcrous clay
been yet among US.
Another fruitful source Of danger was
in the seamy bedrock In ground sluic-
ing and piping both, under the old min
ing system, bed rock bitches had to be
cut at short distances apart, and in these
bitches many good man has persisted -
Not SO much in the deep cuts where dan
ger was guarded against by networks of
timbors, as in the numerous shallow
ones, did danger lie. Cut in all drec-
tions through the bed rock, the worker
knew not Mt what moment he might
strike the blow which would sever the
support of the mass of rock Mt his side
The number of deaths in this manner,
though not ms great as Of those killed by
caving banks has been very large. But
the danger from that source is now mar
rowed down until now we rarely arc call
ed upon TO mourn the loss of one cut down
in health and strength as of old.
Since the placer mines are worked with
the improved machinery now almost
wholly in use, mining Is no longer to be
looked upon as n hazardous vocation. The
power of the stream sent through the
"gants" will drive the dirt into bedrock
bitches for n distance as great as the
''pressure," and this does away in a
great measure with the necessity for the
numerous side bitches once so essential in
mining. So, too, in the increased power
the water has in cutting the bank from a
safe distance, gives comparative immu-
Gity to the worker. The miner of the
present day has a great advantage IN all
respects but one, over the miners of early
days. Tho men of to. day, who came here
when this country was new, could not
now endure the har dships and privations
,L... ~ 1,oo1 20 ,baorr,il,. VA, - 9