The daily gazette., 1880-03-23
Untold BoflanSds.
THE RIDDEN WEALTH OF THE "DKAp
RIVERS OF THE FAR wKsf.

RIVERS OF THE FAR WEST.
Mining Engineer Bell writes 10 the
Chicago Mining Review'-In these ac-
1--WE tunes, when 1t is said "Carbonate Is
King" may 1t not be well for our ac-
tive operators 10 keep In mind that gra-
vel mining is only In its infancy? 1t has
only been few years since hydraulic
mining has been redu3ed 20 q science,
and some Of the large hydraulic proper
ties of the country are managed by those
who know but precious httle about that
peculiar kind OF mining industry. 1 have
written before OF my belief lbAsed on
actual personal examination) Of the ex-
istonce OF a system of what is called on
the Pacific dead rivers" extending
through pertiocs of Montana, Wyoming
western Colorado, passing out through
the region of San Miguel into New
Mexico, q region but httle explored in
very few places, even by boring, TO find
the lower, or main old chalnel; 80, In
this article, / will speak Of the infancy
of hydraulic mining in California, which
80 far, is the "bOss in hydraul3 mining
There is both the white and blue gravel.
The blue lead, the main body $50 far as
discovered and worked is not over
twenty-five TO thirty miles, traced, as II
has been detDitely, from Little Grizzly
TO Forest Hill, ,Iunnlng through Nevada
and Placer counties, having I've OF six
branches, larger or smaller, making six
~ 20 seventy miles OF branches of this
wonderful "dead river" la many places
the old channel Is covered with lava, 80
that there may be hidden deposits yet
n the Old blue lead that will surprise
the most sanguine. 1t is already estima-
ted that Hmong those dead rivers, lying
up z 900 TO 1000 feet above the sea here
lies treasure Of more than $500 600 600,
The annual prodnct being upifofmly
aoout $500, 900. In one little spot in
Nevada county, there has been taken
out about S100, 900 900.
Some Of these dead rivers have a fall
Of eighty feet to q mile, affsrding good
opportunities Tor drainage, undercur-
rents, and various appliances for saving
fine gold. In some of those old MYERS
the gravel is whitlsh and the gold quite
evenly distributed, so that exact esti-
mates can oe made. as to the probable
amount OF gold. 1t is easily washed out,
while tue blue gravel Is mixed more with
tenacious clay, giving much trouble
oftou in getting out the gold, but IL Ia
always richer than the other, especially
n-ar the bed rock. There has been
some wonderfully rich spe cimens taken
out of the blue lead. / noticed Que at
Dutch Flat, the finest have ever seen,
~
gold nuggets, which were worn smooth
on the surface. 1 was told after " ards 1t
was valued AT $500. L. was surely a
grand boulder. 1t Is no uncommon
thing TO pick up in blue lend digpings
fine specimens of reck-carrying nuggets
of gold, which, 10 the iDquiring mind,
naturally brings up the thought from
whence came these w0ndrons stones i,
aud the same question will, perhaps,
bother the brains OF any scientific man,
while the practical miner will be study
ing equally hard to find out how to get
the vast known deposits out. Nc doubt
other dead rivers" will be found In va
riehs parts Of the mountains, and at
different attitudes, one class Of men
speculatng as to how 1t came so, another
practical class getGng out the precious
metals. With 500, 100 600 from Nevada,
$50 ,0O0, 900 from the little county of Pla-
GER, what may be expected when the
whole Pacific slope has been put In
ter of hydraulic mining, surely this class
of mining promises as good returns for
the outlay as any opening up, even
"carbonates not excepted. No class of
mining requires more economy and
sound judgment than does hydraulic
mining, and there is no be ter field for
the practised engineer than some of
THESE 1eep gravel mines afford. While
the exposed western poruon of this
aurifsrous gold field has been washed
and crowded away, the upper or Sierra
portion is practically nnexplored, and
we need not be surprised to bear Of
grea: wealth being uncovered yet in the
oierras, that portien lying adjacent te
tho great gravel deposits now knowr
and worked in the dead river system o
California. When l have stood by the
exposed margins Of those ancient river
and examined those rich auriferou
boulders and rich pieces Of quartz
filed with gold in various forms, III,
thought would arise from whence cam,
they, az i imagi nation would climb NJ
10 the Sierra 70 huge mother lodes .
rich quartz not yet discovered, out O
which some future day may pour ricl
treasures Of the precious metal that ha
transformed California into one Of tn
grandest Of States, while yet an infan
among the States.