Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-08-23
New Gold Fields.


For the past week a party of "old-
time minersn have been at work in the
sands on the ocean beach,-or, more
properly, in the sands about one hun
dred yards back of the ordinary high
tidewater-mark, and have found suf-
iicient "color" to justify them in
stalking off ground and preparing to
separate the golden specks from the
black sand for their immediate-pro6t.
Usually any 'find" of this kind is kept
very quiet, but these discoverers are
not loath to permit the world to share
with them. During the day the "gold-
fields' were visited by large number
of persons, and most of them satisfied
themselves that "the color" really can
be found in the sand, but as to how
much profit will be yielded to the
delivers none could hazard guess, ex-
cept those who took up claims or were
put in by the original discoverers.
About 600 yards from the mouth of the
creek, near the Ocean Side House, (the
creek caused by the flow from Lake
Merced), the actual work of digging
is being prosecuted, though the beach
! is staked off for 10000 feet or more.
In a little break in the sandstone bluffs,
and evidently former outlet of Merced
Lake, Mr.. Fraser, the discoverer, has
sunk hole about six feet long and
couple of feet wide, and from this has
taken the black sand which has caused
the scommotion. Fifty or sixty feet
further up the little ravine the Fraser
party are digging a hole for a well,
and there is no doubt about getting
water, as they have already struck a
little pool at fifteen feet. This work
seems to be for the joint interest, DIR.
O'Donnell directing operations and evil
IDENTIFY furnishing the supplies. \ pump
is on the ground, ready for work as
soon as the well is completed, and a
rude tlume, with sieve, apron, blankets,
and other contrivances for operating
fine gold diggings, is nearly ready to be
put, in use. The prospecting is done
by washing in. u shovel, as preferable
to the ordinary mining-pan, because
the black sand packs closely, and from
each shovelful very distinct "color"
is obtainable after a careful and slow
washing. The specks are quite round
and very Small, so small as to be easily
carried away with the sand in the Wig
orOus shaking or winnowing motion
given in washing allnVial earth. In
fact, the sand cannot be wholly washed
off without losing the gold, and each
prospect is put away with a thimbleful
of sand for further manipulation with
quicksilver. The value of the color in
a spadeful OF sand as taken up yester-
day is about two or three cents. With
means to handle the sand in large
quantities and run it through good
machine, with plenty of water, there
may be wages in itwhile the sand holds
out. We have given the facts as they
exist, so far as the black sand is con
cerned, but it is not every foot of the
ground that has the black sand streak.
Occasionally the indications win be
seen on the beach, but it appears to
need a thick streak of black sand to
warrant the search for gold; and it
needs peculiar skill such as the dis
coverer has obtained by former work
Ing ia beach sands, 70 show the pros
pect at its best That the black sand
contains gold is well known, but it has
not yet been found in sufficiently pay
ing quantities to render its working
remunerat ve.-Sdn Francisco Altd.