New-York tribune., 1879-03-11
pervisors now stands Republicans Is Democrats, 6;
TnxpaYers 3.
HYDR4ULIC GOLD MINES.
, TALK WITH AN OLD CALIFORNIAN.

A TALK WITH AN OLD CALIFORNIAN.
THE RICHES OF THE PLUMAs AND SIERRA LoDEs-
THE PECULIAR METHODS OF HYDRAULIC AND
DRIFT MlNING-LARGE YIELDS OF TIE GRAVEL
MINES.
John II. Thomas, of Laporte, Cal, one OF
the largest hydraulic miners Of that State Is now at e
Park Avenue Hotel visit to the city after an ao-
sence Of twenty three years. Mr. Thomas came to New
York rom Massachusetts, lad Of seventeen, without
dollar and found employment with David Mohit Co..
down in the Swamp" until he earned enough ior
steerage passage San Francisco aud at once went 10
the mines Pumas and Sierra Counties, Wnere ne mas
remained until has become of the principal OWL
ers of Great Blue Lead Mr.. Thomas IL now IN MS
forieth year. OF his particular work lie seems babuaiy
reticent.
In answer to questions about his mining experience
Mr. Thomas said:
"Well, 1t is not very large. have been at WORK III
the gOdsrave OF Pumas and Sierra Counties for over
twenty years, but know little Of mining outside except
by hearsav. | after gold, and finding that the
head Of the gOld-gTavel channels was around Puot
Peak and Little Grizzly, decided TO stay. and every
year since Eve had better reason for 50 doing the
really lasting and rich goldaye beds Of California
are found i'll what TO be the channels OF large
rivers that one time nearly north ana sOutD OF aI
right angles to the present rivers. These channels ap
pear o have been first nearly filled with washlngs from
gold quartz vcina then volcanic acdOn tumblcd noun
are of channels, known as the White Gray
aud Blue Leads. The Blue Lead Is the largest and
richest, and this I've worked, and of this only
would rather talk.
The head Of a channel holds the coarsest gold, and
the most OF it, hike the head Of suce, aud the head OF
the Big Blue is probably producing more gold tnan any
territory of like size the world There about ten
miles square has yielded, according TO lowest estimates
over 5000 600 600 c. W. Hcnlel. mining engineer
who has lived and worked there twenty-five years. ana
who reported 1t for Commissioner Raymond, says
tGat from the vicinity of Laporte alone over $780,
600 600 been taken out OF the gravel The BOOKS
OF Dr. Brewster vino mail and express carrier from
Laorie show that he carried out in sixteen years over
$G0GOOO00. Then, too, in this vicinity are the
greatest gold quartz mines of California, the Punas
Eureka, Sierra, Buttcs. Mammoth. and others, that
toge have produced III the neGhborood OF siOooo
OOO"
Are not the gravel beds about worked ont y
"NO gravel mining is in its infancy with U.s. There
arc square miles OF explored gravel ana of tine gravel
beds actually explored, tunuecd drifted aud opened,
do not think onetwcntetn have been worked. The
Unon a drift mine, averaged over SlOOOO per acre.
The Down East also drift, got over 100000 from SIX
acres This has been about the average OF our dIit
mines, wbcn, working only three four feet OF the
gravel nearest the bedrock got from - 10 Sl3 per colc
ward, At aH average expense, icludnE Improvements
of ab ut - per OF tue product, when paying 80 10
~ day fOT miner, Oar bl "rauilc Hills sHU" a'tI-
AGES OF cent, 60 cents cubc yard, and there are
IN the main cnanncl Ol $4,000 10 100000 cuDc yalus
nm acre An inch OF about 1000 cubic Iecl, WIN
head of 100 10 200 feet, VIII wash from to cuhc
wards day and costs from cents to 10 cents an nen
Now Apply your arithmetic and see how small an area
have named, aud produce them profits"
II TINS why i there no rush TO these gOd
fields, as there Is To LeadylLeT' e
There have been uf them and terrible ones In
times past. Under the old law man could locate 100
feet wide tuls gravel and thousands OF these Oca-
lions were made early eXctcmcnts but the lOcaOrs
sCou found that to their property win proht
reau ed large Outlays for miles Uf bitches II for hydrau-
lie or thousands feet of tunnels n for dI1t mmlrg,
Many abandoned tnclr cialnls some combined, ana
few formed companies and succeeded III getting money
enough for proper equipment, aud II Is only wtn TIE
tnat hydraulic mining has been reauy
established Now II GROWING more rapidly tnan our
quartz mining. The Director " the Miut estimate tdt
600 tnink il was tuly and that twO-thiIds II
not threo-quGrtoIs from gold gravel one claim OF
tnr Dutch Company got - l3 cunic yard from 1000
cubic yards. and another got $50 81 lfr yard nom
5000 c.bc yards. Criig'5 Fat and M0rristO"n got
over 50 OOOO0O from about % acres aDd from about
az acres of the Comfy d GOWe ground over %'UOUOOo
has been taken. THIS company divided T-oio pfOHt5
IN one year from total expense Of %5,5UO'
"Why not these gravel III lllS STOCKS on the San
Francisco Boards =
~ supnose mainly because brokers do not like them
When the coiupdnies wanted working capital they
usually got II Dy private subscrlpOn III many instances
from England. and whcU once working, thc returns ere
SO CERTAIN, there ls ltuc To bc S1id, sufmlstd or
promised because everything IT, IN sEAt, that tn,re IS
uttle chance for manIpu ailon."