Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-20

Al lived there from the fall of 1850 up
to 1856.
Q Q-Do you remember of any bitches,
especially, that you surveyed at that time?
A.-The first ditch that l ever surveyed
was one that l was part owner in, from Nor
mon creek to Rattlesnake Bar. That was in
1858. | afterwaId ds helped make survey for
the American river ditch, and 1 did large
share of the work mveelf, but portion of it
was done by w. A. Ellison. was one of the
first Directors of the company l helped get
it up, and helped make the preliminary sur
veys.
Q--From the fall of 1850 to 1856, how
many miners were there on the North Fork
Of the American river?
Alt is pretty hard to answer that. |
was pretty well acquainted with the Ameri.
can river and all the forks. My estimate is
that ~. COO men Were working on the Ameri-
can river and its tributaries.
Q-What kind of mining were they doing
on the American river and its tributaries
A.-They were mining in the bed of the
river and on the banks and bars adj AGENT to it.
The work was principally confined to rockers.
For instance, in 1850, hardly any other oper-
alton was known. In 1851 they began to use
what Is known as long-toms, and along about
1852 or 1858 they commenced to ground
sluice through fumes or boxes, by running
the water over the banks and caving them.
The first hydraulicking 1 ever saw in
operation was in 1854, and from that time en-
it changed from ground-sluicing to the by
draulic process At that time the hydraulic
system became introduced, and along in 1856
that was the general system of mining as far
as my observation went.
q Where with reference to the ribbon of
the channel was the first mining doue?
A.-On its banks along the river and in the
bars right close to the water. As they
worked them out they would go on to the
higher benches up from III. river, and finally
they got onto the benches some distance above
the rivers.
Q.-How many days in the year would
these 20 600 men work
A.-WelI, in those days they worked all
the time, unless there was some severe storm.
I suppose 800 days in the year would be a fair
estimate.
Q-State what became of the material
thai these 20, coo men washed out.
A.-The ordinary method was to work on
the bar-pick it up with pick first, so as to
loosen it, and then the heavy boslders and
large eobbles were thrown behind. They
were piled up on the bars, and the fine r-a-
terisl was taken to the edge of the river and
washed and dumped into the river.
Q.-Now, in speaking of the 10000 or 25, :
600 people working on the rivers and on the
river bars and benches, what ether kind OF
work was being done besides that in the
gulches and streams, the ravines aud placers
and other places:
A.-They were mining in a similar manner
during the earlier days in all the gulcAes aud
ravines all over the country drained by the
North Fork of the American river as well as
other portions of the State. The character
was of the same kind in the earlier days.
They always threw aside the rocks and
washed the finer material.
Q-Where did those people who were en-
gagged in mining in those ravines, eulches and
placers obtain their supplies?
A.-Through Placer. Nevada and Ell Do
rado counties, their supplies were obtained
here in Sacramento.
Q.-Where did you next mine2
Al went to Moore's Flat, in Nevada
county, in 1856, and engaged in hydraulic
mining.
Q.-How many hydraulic mines were
working in 1856 in Moore's Fiat and vicinity
Al think about twenty hydraulic mines
were running at Moore's Flat. | think they
were all hydraulic mines. / should estimate
about ten at Orleans Flat and ten st Wolsey 5
Flat, making some thirty-fve or forty in all.
The mines were all in full blast when 1 wen.
there. judge they had hesn opened year
or two prior to that time.
Q Explain the pressure and amount Of
water used at Moore's Flat and ia the sur
-oaading mining camps?
A-The ordinary head in those mines
was from 100 to 500 inches. The pressure
would average from 100 to 200 feet.
@ Where did the material flow to that
was mined in 1856 and for q couple of years
before that?
At either flowed directly into the
Middle Yuta or into the canyons that went
into the Middle Yuba. The Yuba is g tribu-
tarv OF the Sacramento river.
Q.-How many men were at that time
mining at Moore's Flat?
A.-At Moore's Flat and that vicinity 1
should estimate the mining population to be
about 900.
Q.-How long did you remain there mining /?
About two and half years.
Q.-Describe the hydraulic mines at
Moores Fiat and the camps you mentioned,
as you found them in 1856.
A.-The deposits were similar to the de-
posts of the blue lead up here, ccarse ma
terial on the bottom, overcapped or covered
by fine material. all carrying gold from the
top to the bottom, unless there was perhaps
some pipe-clay. There was no pay in that
Sometimes in the top washings there would
be some pipe-clav. The miners never con.
sidered the pipe.clay Of any value SO far as
gold was concerned. The bottom was very
heavy MATERIAL think heavier then that in
the blue lead up at Gold Run.
@ There has been something said in this
case about channels being covered with noun
tain lava, and channels in which the gravel
comes to the crest. Explain what it means !?
Mr. Hart-Whas is the object of this testi-
mony?
Mr.. Dibbls-To show the necessity of drift
mining in one case and hydraulic mining in
the other.
A.-Of the original river channels that run
through the mountains ia California there
are evidences of their having been cut off by
the streams, and the siresms are very much
lower-averaging from 500 to /, 300 feet below
the old river channels-and in many places
in the mountains the old channels run right
across the present rivers. Tney worked up
from the beds Of the streams in the earlier
days, usually by tracing up rich ravine,
and these old channels were struck by tracing
up itch ravines and rich deposits, until they
worked into the old river channel where it
came out of the hill. Oftentimes on the
ridge between it is overcapped by lave
flow. although the channel runs right straight
through An immense deposit of lava on the
ridge oftentimes overlaps the old river.bed.
Q-Where did you next go?
Al next went to Nevada City, and for
the next twelve years engaged in other pur-
suits.
Q-How early did you become acquainted
with the Nsrth Fork of the American river
above Rics's bridge?
Al first became acquainted with that
section of the river in 1850. 1 was frequently
!! along that river up as far as Canyon creek
think went up to Picke1ing's Bar. 1t at
that time was very deep mountain canyon,
light grade, narrow stream, and not very
| bluff mountains. Ga each side the mount
aims average on an angle of forty-five degrees
The river was fiat narrow stream ruuhing
very deep down; it was 1,600 feet from the
top of the ridge down to the stream. Il was
rocky stream filed with gravel, very coarse
material, and narrow.
Q.-Have you examined the rivers between
these points since, and il go, when?
Al examined the river about seven
i weeks ago. examined it from Pickering's
Bar down TO Rice's bridge.
Odd you examine with reference to
tslings imp3unded in that di tance!
A.-Yes. sir. The character of the debris
commencing at Pickering's Bar is grave
similar TO the original gravel in the American
river. You cannot tell the difference between
the deposit there low and the old gravel
the old deposit that was in the river in early
times. as far as quality is concerned, com
mencing at PickeriDg's Bar, is very coarse
the material is very heavy, large bowlders anc
cobbles. and as you go farther down the stream
it gets finer. The further you 60 the finer il
gets. The material and the rocks in s;zs
dimir ish regularly until you get to where the
materials are dumped in from the Iowa Hill