The Red Cloud chief., 1885-07-10

7 z y 0>tEIp VI n w AAs
ducks and chickens he was constantly
with his father. PLAYING in the dir.
while John. Sen. lied up the grape
vines. help NJ To N away the limbs
when the orchard was trimmed. aiding
in bringing in the fruit and vegetables
when they were gathered. sitting as.rids
his fathers shoulders as he went 10 and
from the barn. or by his side IN tbs
spring wagon as lac drove about he
! place or % town.
Sometimes he would hitch Bose N .
little wagon his father had made for
him. and climbing into il. would drive
about the place: but. To his sorrow. be
had found that the do was entirely too
active for his own com OFT: in fact. the
La; time be had tired u play horse in
this way II II 80 near end n IN a
ser.ou. accident that II put a stop to all
such experiments.
TIE dog had started Oft on a rapid
run. and on making a sudden furn as
he PASSED a little tree that stood IN the
ward. had caught one Of the front
wheels upon il in such a way - 10 yio-
lently throw the boy out and badly
wreck the wagon. Poor Johnny pre-
seniei a sorry picture as his Little boots
were &C higher than his head. win G
the old dog stood half trrnei around
trying to take In the situation, and
look NJ more troubled. il possible. than
the CHI ld.
No sooner did his father say ne was
going TO Gravel Hill than 10 my an
nounced his intentions Of accom oany-
ing him.
Il hardly think he had better 90,
do YOU. father?' said Mrs. Parsons 10
her husband; ''it's a long ride over the
hills. and YOU viii b. forced TO stay
over night, besides which Johnny will
be a bother 10 YOU in getting about TO
see the mines. | guess he had better
STAY az home with Erastus and me, and
help us TO take care of the ducks and
chickens this time"
But Johnny persisted. He wanted
to see Gravel Hill;" wanted TO see the
mines" wanted to see 'em throw the
water" and finally clinchcd his argu-
ment by asserting that his father would
be lonesome without him. And SO he
had his way and Went with his father.
The road over the hills" which
"'2 NsA va" t,Sns NV
often precipitous, jut the horses were
used to sucI. and with only Mr.. Par
sons and Johnny in the spring buck
board. they made pref v good TIM. ar
irving at their destination just as the
sun was sinking out Of sight
Stopping in frontsf the largest build
in in the town, Mr.. Parsons gave the
lines I O johnny to hold while he went
in to inquire if he could obtain lodg no
for the night. He was promised a BID
for himself and boy in n Dor in which
were a half-dozen other beds, and was
shown wher" to get feed for his horses
after he had taken them from the buck
board and tied them to a rack in the
rear of the clearinghouse. No shell
ter for an mails had yet been built. and
for the present thee was little need of
any. the winter rains not having set in.
Il, the time he had cared for his AMI
mails supper was ready. and father and
son joined the score Of men who
gathered about the long table upon
which WIS placed a substantial meal
of bacon. potatoes. bread. beans and
strong coffee.
The men were mostly miners in the
employ IF one or other OF the placer
companies having claims in the neigh
! borhoOd. or were working on a small
scale for themselves Nearly all wore
red flannel shirts. and most of them
had their sleeves rolled NJ to the elbow,
just a. they came from their work; or.
perhaps. in imitation of those of ther
number whose garmen.s We're lacking
sleeves altogether except p few inches
ut the shoulder.
But If they lacked for wearing ap-
parel. none were lacking in appetite.
and the coarsely cooked food disap-
pearcd from before them in a way that
would have as,oni,hed any cook not &c
customed to provide provender for a lot
OF hungry miners.
Of these men John Parsons learned
that the work OF washing down the
mountains had already begun. The
water had peer brought from a stream
three miles distant and many feet above
the placcrs which it was the intention
10 work. and conducted into an i'm.
menSe reservoir. which had been built
on the bluffs above. From this reser.
vOir strong pipes of heavv duck cloth.
strengthened by bands of iron. con
veyed it to a point below. from which il
was directed against the hills which
conta nei the gold.
This piping was six or eight inches in
diameter. with band: Of IRON every few
inches. and ended in a nozzle Ike that
of a garden or fire hose, and from the
immense pressure Of the water above
would throw a stream with suificien;
fnv..a IN c.,s n !, pp a hu~-, - turn -
stantly. and which ate into the side OF
the mountain as fire eats into u dry
brush heap.
To obtain the ~gold-which was in
fine particles scattered through the
whole earth of the hills composing the
placers-sluiceways. extending some
distance down the gorge. had been
built, through which all the earth anu
stones to be washed down were 10 be
passed.
The bottom Of this sluice was Of
planks. upon which was nailed. OF
wedged. circular pieces from the ends
OF logs. alternating with rows of stats
also fastened across the bottom of the
sluice. into the upper end Of which was
turned many pounds of quicksilver.
which gradually made its way through
the sluice. lodging in little pools be-
tween b interstces of the circular
pieces oil wood. or on the III per side Of
the Stats. and served to catch and hold
the Tine part Giles of gold as they sunk
to the bottom of the mass Of earth pass-
ing through the sluice and being pul.
verized BY the action Of the water AM
It's own grinding motion.
Not one company only. but several.
had taken claims. and were prepared
for an assault upon the hills with these
enormous pipes All. however. ,ook
their wafer from the same reservoir.