The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-05-10
THE NEW GOLD FIELDS.
The Placer Claims Along the
Snake River.
Incorporation Of the Manhattan
Mining and Water Company.

In our issue of March goth we pre-.
dicted that gold would be pro-
duced in the vicinity of Caldwell ere o
great while in quantities that would
cause an excitement among miniog
people beside which Ceur d'Alene is
nowhere. That time has arrived.
Placer mining is being carried on at
various points on the Snake-from
Eagle Rock to Salmon Falls-and the
men doing it are realizing from $50 a
day with crrds machinery to large and
almost incredible figures with the aid
Of a mor perfect process. Water to
do the work is taken from the creeks
that abound on each side. The new
process, described below, is not expen-
sive and the fact that 95 per cent. of
the gold can be saved make tho posi-
bic result beyond the brightest entici-
pations.
Asin other localities that have been
developed, the presence of gold along
the Snake near Cald we'll has lorg been
suspected, but nobody prospected for it
urtil a few weeks ago. The results of
the work of a few mon on the bars be-
low Sucker creek and the black sand
they brought back, full CT color, caused
an u%ndercurrent of excitement that
transformed half the people in town
into mining men. Added to this was
the knowledge that all the ground on
the north sids of the Snake covered by
tho New York canal, had been taken up,
presumably by that company. There
upon prospecting parties were formed
and claims located, every one of which
thus far promises well.
Eight of the owners Of claims, COM
prising 160 acres, have organized the
Manhattan Gold Mining and Canal
company, the articles of incorporation
of which were signed Thursday ard
sent to Boise City yesterday. The in
c%orporators of this company are Ed Ward
Chiles, George Little and W. j. Cuddy.
The board of directors cons SITS Of those
gentlemen, with the addition of Otto
Gramm Ct laramie City, Wyoming,
and Charles H. r ,ed of Caldwell. Ths
Manhattan has taken o water right Of
two thou sand inches from Sucker creek
and will furnish water to work the bars
below its claims. A large amount Of
stock has boon subscribed ard work on
canal will begin at once, with tho
probability that gold will be produced
a few months.
Col. II. B. Compson, of tho railway
nail service, headed prospecting par
that went out Monday and located
he U. S. r. p. o. placer mining clai n.
Col. Compson is an old miner and is
confident he has struck e good thing.
Gold Flat mining district is about
twenty-five miles from Cald we'll, on the
outh side of the Sake, in Owyhee :
ounty. The direct ronte is by Hon D..
erson's ferry, with a good road all the Z
ray. 1t is qlite likely that road will
. vol travelled d,fore the end of the
nmmer.
The Eagle Rock R,gister thus de-
clioes the process of working these
ars in use Near there:
In the Edwards Machine, now in use
ere, the grizzly is laid about twenty
in length in the sluice box, but
hat passes through falls into an under
" sion or lower story tf the same box,
Il this lower compartment has q solid
ottom, except where one large hole or
OF is left to let the water drop out.
wv instead # dropping to the ground,
lis water, containing, as it does, all Ct
le gold and black sand, drops into a
ide, fiat and ~singularly constructed
box which rests nearly fl 1t on tho
The water has to fali say about
go feet into this last box, the ma n
CT which is at ight angles with
70 upper box, about ten feet on each
de, OF like a cross. Imagine q box, or
1Xes. ia the shape OF q comL-this
'mb (oox) has eight teeth, each tooth
n feet long ard three feet wide, and
toward The rivJr,
Now go back: The water from the
1zly dcops into the fiat sluice box; is
out to each end OF the Comb
lcs) box and through little gates Is lot
to The (teeth) boxes. All OF these last
o csrpleted with burlep cloth, and as
o water runs shallow owe the burlap
o gold and sand are caught in the nap 4
prscipitated-the water passes out Y
to the river, After about 3 days run
Q burlap is taken up and washed out,
70 q dirty sheet, into a tub.
Still to the naked eye very little gold
visible. Quicksilver and acid are put
to the tub and the gold is amalgamst-
Some of the more advanced have
small a~rastrs, built inside of o large
made for the purpose. By this
ocess amalgamation is more com
ete. 1t is claimed that 95 per cent.
gold in the ground is saved. The
Sc of n machine, or system Ct boxss,
probably about 800.