Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-08-14

OpHIR. .Lnlv 2Sth. 1879.

EDITOR LEDGER-DEAR DIN. LcaN-
.ng this place and travelling down the
right of Towards Fork, (upon which
it is situated) a distance OF about 4
you come to where the lake
and Howard's Fork unite, the two
forming the South Folk. The for
mer makes a perpendicular plunge Of
one hundred and eight feet just be-
fore it empties into the latter. Irav-
cling down the right bank of the South
Fork, about three miles, the trail
crosses over to the left side, follow
ing the one on that side for about SIX
miles the stream forms a Junction
with the main Miguel river, which
YOU ford on the right bank OF the lat
ter stream, and strike q well-beateh
trail which leads on to
PL~ACERvILLE.
After travelling a distance OF IL miles
from the latter junction, over one Oh
the worst trails in the San Juan coun-
tv, YOU reach the camp bearing the
above name. It consists of probably
six or eight frame and log cabins, and
has a post-office and n saloon-lt
has neither a store or blacksmith
sbop. Your attention will be first
first drawn by looking to the opposite
side of the river to a fiume, perched
at an attitude of about four hundred
feet above the present bed OF the
river. on the side of a mountain. The
supply of water which it carries Is
taken from a stream that heads high
ND in the mountains, in the direction
of Mount Wilson, and emptles INTO
the Miguel at nearly right angles to
the latter. The length of the t1ume
is two and seven-eights miles, built
entirely of sawed lumber, the number
of feet required for the same being
three hundred and ninety thousand.
1t has q fall of sixteen feet to the mile.
At the lower end of the same are
placed food gates, designed to let OIL
the water when necessary. Attached
to the lower end of the fume are iron
pipes laid on the incline of the noun
tain at an angle of about 40 .. These
pipes are fifteen inches in diameter
Tie distance from where the water
enters the pipes TO the entrance OF the
same through the nozzle OF the ''llttle
giant is about one hundred and ttty
feet vertically. The ''little giant is
a very strong cast iron pipe, which at
its base is shaped like a goose neck
and works in a socket. 1t is about
II inches in diameter at the base, anC
tapers to six at the nozzle, being bal
anced by weights attached it can bt
pointed in any direction or at any an
gle with one hand only. Your reader:
can form some idea of the pressure
when the water leaves the nozzle
First. you have q volume of water
three feet wide and two and a hal
feet deep, travelling on q grade of II
feet to the mile, entering the fifteen
inch pipes at the end of the ilume
rushing through them at an angle o
As . for a vertical distance of $50 feet
the diameter gradually diminishin!
until it escapes through a six-incl
opening at the nozzle. This STREAM
of water is directed against the grave
deposits, which in untold ages of tn
past formed the original bed of tn
river. Now, by the action of agencie
which man can only surmise, for va
rious theories are advanced and advO
Gated, are left from two to three hun
bred feet above the present channe
of the river, which cuts its way thrO
the solid formation, leaving the origl
nal deposits, at various heights, frs
on one side and then on the other 70
a known distance of over 80 miles
and from actual estimates made thes
bars contain from five to fifteen mill
ions cubic yards of gravel aud debris
each carrying mor or less gold, il
paving quantities, from their topsdowl
TO ssbed rock" The initial step at
ter securing the water IN place, is t
start on the ''bed rock,' which is dis
tinctly outlined by the fall or dump.
From that to the present channel
about two hundred feet perpendicular
Attached to the rim rock of the uppe
are plank troughs called fall fumes
about 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep
the main one is about 200 feet i
length, the bottom covered wit
round blocks 6 inches deep, secured
fastened which leaves open space
sufficient to form Judgement for tt
gold; these are called rifles. I'll
water being thrown against the pc
pendicular face of the deposits, cave
the same on to the ''bed rock.
When q sufficient quantity is 'cavet
the stream is turned Oh the falle
mass, dissolving all the dirt, &c, an
the s'bed rock'' is formed slopins
When necessary the whole mass, roc
and all is washed through the sta
fumes" the end Of which open abOl
six feet from the end. On the botto1
are securely placed large iron bars
a sloping position, about E inch'
apart, over which pass the large
rock or boulders, which fall down Il
lump, the smaller ones drop throug
rating formed by the iron baI
If which is called ''the gri
up into another fiume c
inning at an acute al
Q, and this proce'
nfniton,, d
+he dunn
# Il