Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-01-30
OVER $500, 900 900 LOST 70 THE
WORLD.

The struggle between the hydrau-
lie miners and foothill farmers in Cal
,fornia, which engrossed the attention
of the courts and people of that State
for several years past, has at last
ended in victory fot the tillers of
the soil. As consequence of the
final decision by the court of last re-
sort, we are informed that, week
ago last Sunday, the North Bloom
field, Eureka Lake, and Milton COM
pa.lies, the first Of which has Isl miles
Of canals and fumes, the second 163
miles, and the third so miles, which
we're constructed at cost aggregat-
ing millions of dollars, ordered all
their men off the line, gave instruct
ions to have the gates thrown
vide open, and to let their fumes and
canals take care of themselves.
The vastness Of the property which
will thus be permitted to 90 to waste
can hardly be estimated by those not
acquainted with the facts of the case.
A few years ago, at the highth Of the
bonanza excitement, the writer, after
an arduous season as mining reporter
on the Virginia New Chronicle, was
spending part of his summer vaca-
ton in visiting the hydraulic mines of
California, and became for few DAYS
guest Of President Robinson, Of the
North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Com
panv. This company was then just
getting started foF effective work, as
les tunnel, drift and bitches and fumes
system had been recently completed,
and five "giants" put to work. These
giants are huge nozzles which play
against the base Of bank or hill with
such tremendous force as to wash
away whole mountain in few
weeks; yet they are SO nicely adjusted
that baby two years old can turn
them about and direct them from one
point of the compass to another.
From high piece of ground near
North Bloomfield, President Robinson
was pointing out the extent of the
company's property, on the celebrated
Calaveras blue gravel lead, and the
beauties of the surrounding noun
famous region. The conversation
turned on the prospective yield of the
North Bloomfield.
"You say that the Con. Virginia
and California Bonanza NAV Weld
$2OO,00O,OOO or S3OO,OOO,OOO" ex-
claimed President Robinson, with
evident contempt; "Well, Flood,
O'Bren, Mackay and Fair are wei
come to their bonanza. We are now
in shape to clean up from $4,000
to $l,000,o0Oa year, AS our ground
is opened, this yield will be moe than
doubled, so that we can depend on
revenue Of at least 100000 a wear
This does not seem large to you, per
haps, who are Comstocker; but bear
in mind that this is slow work, and
that we can keep up this revenue for
over 200 years. This we do not guess
at, as you do about your bonanza, for
we can see it on the ground, and have
made thousands of tests. Besides, as
we wash away the soil and trees we
will uncover ledge after ledge, we
will find out where this gold comes
from, and by using the forces Of ma
ture placed at our disposal bv these
giants, we will, at a cost Of possibly
800 per day, accomplish the work of
thousands of men, and work out
maybe a hundred honanzas. Oh.
your kings are welcome to their lone
bonanza"
AS the North Bloomfield, although
the leading one, was only one of the
many companies engaged in hydrau-
lie mining IN California, it is probable
that the value OF the gold lost to the
world. temporarily at least, by the de-
cision referred to. exceeds (s5OO,OOO,-
O00) FIVE hundred millions of dollars.
"A TINES Washington cores
f'ondent poles a good deal Of fun at the
"country constituent" of Congress
men, who flock to Washington, about
this time, in great numbers, only to
And the ''member" so much engrossed
with other business that it is impossi-
BILE for him to conduct then with the
expected great ceremony, to all places
Of interest, besides presenting them