Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-22
DEBRIS.
TwENTY-NINrH DAY OF THE sLIcKENs
CASE IN COURT.
Testimony for the Defense-InterestiDg
Evidence of the Pioneer Miners
Early Mining Customs.

The Gold Run case opened ct $50 A. NJ.
yesterday. Hon. jackson Temple presiding.
Direct examination of Stephen Beers Ito
Mr.. Byrne)-I have worked in the Indiana
Hill mine during the pest two years. have
seen very large powders in that mine-those
that had to be blasted. / first began work
ing in the Gold Run District in 1858. have
been engaged in mining there ever since;
have been engaged in no other occupation.
OF the material in the bottom of the Indiana
pit very little, If any. would be carried away
in suspension. have played on the bank
with heavy pressure for three days, and
made comparatively no impression on the
bank. It cannot be worked without the use
of powder.
Cross examination (by the Attorney.Gen.
eral)-After the material was blasted it
washed pretty readily, and muddied the
water considerably. The depth of the origi-
nal washings at Indiana Hill, in my judg-
ment, is about IS feet. I have been from
Pickering's Bar toa peint below Ford's Bar.
Mr.. Noyce, Mr.. Parrymsn ard couple of
other gentlemen, for the purpose of seeing if
could recognize any of the old high-water
marks. Witness enumerated several places
where he located the old high-water marks
and estimated the depth Of the filling of the
channel. From Warmers bridge up. the
tailings decrease in depth. At Pickering's
Bar l think the fill is about fifteen feet deep.
The average amount of filling in this section
of tie river, In my judgment, ia about thirty
five feet in depth. This estimating of the
filing of the rivers channel l think is all
guess work. 1t would be impossible in my
opinion for any one to arrive at the exact
amount of filling without sinking shaft and
measuring the depth exactly.
Ferman Hoxie. sworn | reside in Sacra-
mento county. l went to Mormon Island
July. 1855; mined there that year and dur
ing 1851. | observed a sand bar right oppo-
site Mormon Island. where the Natoma Com
papy were cutting a race through this bar
1t was clear sand where they cut through. Il
was right opposite the town of Mormon
Island, near the north bank of the South
Fork of this American river. Below this bar
the bank was steep and abrupt on the north
side. This bar was from 80 to 40 feet deep.
The bar was about 200 feet wide and perhaps
300 feet long. Il sloped off on each end. All
the water in the river was run through this
channel so that the Natoma Company could
mine the river channel. Another sand bar
IN the south side of the river was used as q
burying-2rouad in 1850. I left Iormon Is.
land in 1872, and went to Yuba county
After four or five years Il returned and found
that the burying- ground had been moved.
The bodies had been disinterred and buried
in another place. This sand deposit was
about 20 feet deep. [Witne ess described some
other sand bars that were located q short dis
tance below the bridge at Mormon Island,
where he says that in 1850 the miners would
strip off from Is to 20 feet of sand to get at
about two feet of gravel that lay on tbs bed
reck. This dirt was very rich.
Crossexamination (by Mr.. Cadwalader)-
The miners worked out those bars with era.
dies and long toms.
Joseph Prics sworn. Direct examination
Ito Mr.. Byrue)-I came to Calf 'rnia in 1858,
and have been engaged principally in mining
ever since. The first mining l did was on
the Yuba river, above Downieyille, in 1853
After leaving the Yuba river I came to the
American river. < mined at Pilot Hill. Ell
Dorado county. In the summer of 1854 1
worked on Oregon Bar, on the American
liver, and the following winter | worked in
the dry diggings in Ell Dorado county, and in
the summer of 1855 l also worked on the
river, and in the summer of 1856 or a por.
ton cf the summer of 1856, | worked on the
American river at various points. Next at
Lost Camp, in Placer county. In 1868
went to CelaveTas c3unty and mined there in
quar.z From there | went to Meadow Lake
aud worked there. l have bean engaged
mining at different times in Yuha, Nevada,
Placer, Calaveras aud Ell Dorado counties.
The custcm and practice in every mining
m If fta al
the niue in the most convenient and avail
able place. These places were found in rs-
vines aud canyons. There is no ether way to
work these mines. This has been the general
practice ever since I have been acquainted
with mining. THIS has always been the
custom in the Gold Run District. My first
with the Gold Run mine was in
1873 At that time all the surface of that
district was washed off down to the blue
gravel. The tunnel of the Gold Ran Com
pany was completed in 1875. The material
in the Indiana Hill mins at present is COM
posed OF. rock, gravel and sand. The rocks
on the bottom are somstimes from twelve to
fifteen feet long and from six to eight fest
thick. They are mostly slate, and have to
be blasted and sledged up TO sizs that can
be washed through the tunnel. The depth of
material will average 120 feet and the width
of the channel about 200 feet. havs been
engaged there 10 the capacity of blacksmith
and machiniss, and for short time have
been foreman. l have helped clean up that
tunnel o great many times. There remains
to be washed out of that mine about Is, 000,.
coo cubic yards. The amount remaining to
be washed IS about one quarter of what has
already been washed. | am acquainted with
the North Fork of the American river.
This stream of water is projected against
tha hon Will I how
it split seamy rocks, and at the same time It
would have no effect on the gravel deposit.
Ten times as much surface at that mine can
be washed with the same head of water. The
surface material was light and loose and the
grade OF the slulce5 very much greater than
that of the present tunnel The blue gravel
contains at least ninety per cent Of stone.
There Is no pipe clay 10 the lower workings
| was at McMu,ty Station during the winter
of 1861 or 1862. A slide started from the
south side aud went into the river. 1t was
from 100 to 200 feet in width. ! heard it
stated that il extended distance OF four
miles. It filed the river to depth of 120
feet, and backed the water in the river a dis
tance of more than two miles. 1t restrained
the flow of the wster tor forty-eight hours. |
have seen snow-slides on the North Fork.
The winter OF 1875 and 1876 WAS what we
would call food winter
Cross examination tby Mr.. Cadwalader)-I
have seen dams made of timber in the North
Fork. have never known dam to be en-
tirely washed away. Have known of dams
breaking. but never knew one to be entirely
swept away. There is but little deposit in
the channel of the river between Pickering's
Bar and Canyon creek. We were occupied
mere than day and half in our survey of
tho channel between Pickering's Bar and
Rice's bridge. / did not see auy material
there that would call csment. The disinte-
grated masses of cement deposited in the
river from Canyon creek, being heavy, would
sink aud become covered with lighter material,
and doubtif any of it appears on the surface
l was foreman of the Gold Run mine for
about two months during 1877. have been
blacksmithing for the mine for the last three
years. The blacksmith shop is located in the
mine The undercurrent i, generally set ON