The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-18
AURIFEROUs GRAVEL.
Rich Deposits In Various Parts OF
Arizona.

Arizona.
| filming and Scientific Journal.
Perhaps the most extensive un-
worked beds of aurferous gravel on
the Pacific coast, between British Col
umbia and Mexico, are in Yavapai
county, Arizona territory. This great
county occupies the center of the nor
thern half of Arizona and covers an
area of thirty thousand square miles,
all included within the elevated
plateau in which the greater portion of
the territory lies. This high table,
land is traversed by a number of short,
| broken mountain ranges, trending usu-
ally northwest and southeast. All of
these in the southern part of the coun-
ty are rich in minerals, principally
gold silver, and copper. The general
slope of the mountains from base of
foothills to SUBMITS is very gradual,
although in places the high ridges of
some of the ranges rise quite abruptly
from the base hills, and the formation
has been favorable for the deposition
of vast gravel beds. as in the middle
Sierra counties of Cal fornia.
Placer mining has been carried on
in Yavapai for more than twenty
years, but a comparatively small
amount of ground has been worked,
owing to the scarcity of water, al
though this country is more highly IA
vored in that respect than others in
the territory. During the rainy sea-
son the mines most convenient to the
water supply were worked so long as
the latter lasted, and in many cases
yielded enormously. 1t is not known
that the average richness of the un-
| L. Sc Ir,1
and probably they are not more so
the Golden state, but there are cer-
| tanly large areas that would prove
yeritable bonanzas were it poss BILE to
| plaC them under sufficient water
supply.
The same old experience of other
surface diggings has been repeated
here. AS soon as it became impossi-
BILE to work the mines so as to make
them yield to the very best advantage
due to the expense of conducting
water to them or to a scarcity of the
same-they were forsaken. Many of
these same mines to-day will pay, and
some of them are paying good wages
to those engaged in working them.
The time has come here for the miner
to be satisfied with reasonable wages.
There has been very little enterprise
shown in developing the placer mining
industry, an important part of the
wealth of this section. By construct
ing dams in suitable places and con-
serving the water in natural basins in
the mountains where there is an over
abundance, the period of working the
placers might be extended every year
| to at least two or three times the
length of the rainy season (Which in
| Arizona occurs during the summer),
and in the more favored localities dur
ing the twelve months. No large
works of this kind, common in other
| parts of the west, have been attempted
here. An outlay of many thousands
of dollars would be naturally involved.
but several local. ties might be named
where such would prove a paying in
yestment.
A few words relative to what has
been done in earlier days will be of
interest, and br eff resume of such,
mainly condensed from the accounts
| of few of the principal districts, as
recorded in the Resources of Arizona,
! publ shed under the authority of the
territorial leg stature, will be given.
One of the oldest districts is that of
| Lynx Creek, s. x miles east of Prescott.
| The creek giving the name to the dis
trict has been one of the richest gold
producing streams in the territory, and
it is estimated that over 81, 200, 600 has
been taken from the gravel beds
through VIII ch it passes. They are
still worked where water is obtainable
in sutic .ent quantity. Of this district
more will be said later. The oldest
district in Yavapai, in the northwes-
tern part of the county, is famons as
the scene of the discovery of r ch hill.
In depression on the summit of the
mountain, about six thousand feet
above tidewater, the coarse gold was
found lying on the bare bed rock.
Pieces of the pure metal worth several
hundred dollars were picked up, and
over $500, 600 was taken from about
an acre of ground. Butcher knives
were used to dig the gold out of the
seams in the rock, and it was not an
uncommon thing to find from $1,000
to S., 600 under small boulder. How
the gold was deposited in such place
is mystery which has not yet been
solved. The gulches and ravines rum
ming down from the mountain con-
tanned considerable treasure, and are
"OlhCo Wy 4lOAiSdho UP w ohC PIOSOhu
time. 1t is estimated that Weaver
has produced over 1000, 600 in placer
gold. The Mexicans who st II remain
there dry-wash the gravel. by which
process large percentage of the gold
is lost, and were it not that it is very
coarse they could not make it pay. AS
it is, they do very well, and during the
short time that water IS to be had to
enable them to use the rocker or pan,
often obtain such results as were
heard of when placer-mining was in
it's glory in California. Others in that
district pack the gravel to water on
donkeys distance of five or six miles
and .'pan it out" and make wages.
Unfortunately there are no large
streams near the richest part of the
Weaver district. and mining is carried
on in the face of every disadvantage,
and necessarily on limited scale.
Hassayampa district has also turned
out large amount of treasure, but
less than the two above mentioned.