The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-23
Untold BOnanzas.

In these active times, when it is said
Carbonate is King. may it not be well
for our active operators to keep in mind
that gravel mining is only in its infancy?
1t has only been a few years since hy-
draulic mining has been reduced to q
science, and some of the large hydraulic
properties of the country are managed by
those who know but precious little about
that peculiar kind of mining industry. I
have written before of my belief (based
on actual personal examination) Of the
existence OF system of what is called on
the Pacific ''dead rivers" extending
through portions of Montana, Wyoming,
Western Colorado, passing out through
the region of San Miguel into New Mex
leo, region but little explored in very
few places. even by boring, to find the
lower, or main old channel so, in this
article, I will speak of the infancy of hy-
draulic mining in California, which. so
far, is the ssboss in hydraulic mining"
There is both the blue and white gravel.
The blue lead, the main body $50 far as
| discovered and worked), is not over
twenty five to thirty miles, traced as it
has been definitely, from Little Grizzly
to Forest Hill, running through Nevada
and Placer counties, having five OF six
branches, larger or smaller, making sixty
to seventy miles of branches of this won
derful ''dead river" In many places the
old channel is covered with lava, so that
there may be hidden deposits yet in the
old blue lead that will surprise the most
sanguine. It is already estimated that
among those dead rivers, lying up 1000
to 5000 feet above the sea, there lies
treasure of more than $500, 900, 900, the
annual product being uniformly about
So, 900 900. In one little spot in Nevada
county there has been taken out about
800, ,O00, 600. Some of these dead
rivers have a fall of eighty feet to
the mile, affording good opportunities
for drainage, undercurrents, and various
modern appliances for saving fine gold
In some of those old rivers the gravel is
whitish and the gold quite evenly dis
tributed, so that very exact estimates
.an be made as to the probable amount
of gold. It is easily washed out, while
the blue gravel is mixed more with
tenacious clay, giving much trouble often
in getting out the gold, but it is always
richer than the other, especially near the
bedrock. There has been some wonder
fully rich specimens taken out of the
blue lead. ] noticed one at Dutch Flat
The finest I have ever seen was an i'm
mense boulder studded with gold mug
gets, which were worn smooth on the
surface. I was told afterwards it was
valued at $500. 1t was surely grand
boulder. It is no uncommon thing to
pick up in blue lead diggings fine
specimens of rock-carrying nuggets of
gold, which, to the inquiring mind,
naturally brings up the thought from
whence came these wondrous stones, and
the same question will perhaps bother
the brains of many scientific men, while
the practical miner will be studying
hard to find out how to get the vast
known deposits out. No doubt other
s'dead rivers" will be found in various
parts of the mountains, and at different
attitudes, one class of men specializing as
to how it came so, another practical
class getting out the precious metals.
With 800, ,0OO, 900 from Nevada, $780,
600 900 from the little county of Placer,
what may be expected when the whole
Pacific slope has been put in thorough
working order? In the matter of hy-
draulic mining, surely this class of min
ing promises as good returns for the out
lay as any opening up, even carbon
aies" not excepted. No class of mining
requires more economy and sound ludg-
ment than does hydraulic mining, and
there is no better field for the practical
engineer than some of those deep gravel
mines afford. While the exposed west
ern portion of this auriferous gold field
has been washed and crowded away, the
upper or Sierra portion is practically un-
explored, and we need not be surprised
TO hear of great wealth being uncovered
yet in the Sierras, that portion lying
adjacent to the great gravel deposits now
known and worked in the dead river sys-
tenn of California. When I have stood
by the exposed margins of those ancient
rivers and examined these rich aurifer-
GUS boulders and rich pieces of quartz,
filled with gold IN various forms, the
thought would arise from whence came
they, and Imagination would climb mp
the Sierra to huge mother lodes of rich
quartz not yet discovered, out of which
some future day may pour rich treasures
| of the precious metal that has trans
formed California into one of the grand
est of States, while yet comparatively an
| infant among the States.