St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-11-07

see the mines. l guess he had better
STAY at 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 clinched his argu-
,ment by asserting that his father would
be lonesome without him. And so ne
had his way and went with his father.
The road over the ''hills, y which
were really mountains, was rocky and
often precipitous, but the horses were
used to such, and with only Mr.. Par
sons and Johnny in the spring buck
board, they made pretty good time, ar
irving at their destination just as the
sun was sinking out of sig ht.
| Stopping in front of the largest build,
ing in the town, Mr.. Parsons gave the
lines to Johnny to hold while he went
| in to inquire ii he could obtain lodging
for the night. He was promised bed
for himself and boy in room in which
were half-dozen other beds, and was
shown where to get feed for his horses
after he had taken them from the buck
board and tied them to rack in the
rear of the clearinghouse No shell
ter for animals had yet been built, and
| for the present there was little need OF
any, the winter rains not having set in.
I By 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 was placed substantial meal
of bacon, potatoes, bread, beans and
strong coffee.
The room was lighted by candles,
stuck, q portion of them, in tip or sheet
iron candlesticks; others in blocks OF
wood into which hole had been bored
to receive them.
The men were mostly miners in the
employ of 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 up to the elbow,
just as they came from their work; or,
perhaps, in imitation of those of their
number whose garmeR's were lacking
sleeves altogether except o few inches
at the shoulder.
But if they lacked for wearing APP
.
and the coarsely cooked food disap-
peared from before them in a way that
would have astonished any cook not &C.
customed to provide proVender for lot
Of hungry miners.
OF these men John Parsons learned
that the work of washing down the
mountains had already begun: The
water had been brought from stream
three miles distant and many feet above
the placers which it was the intention
to work, and conducted into an i'm
mense reservoir, which had been built
on the bluffs above. From this reser-
voir strong pipes of heavy duck cloth,
strengthened by bands of iron, con-
veyed it to point below, from which it
was directed against the hills which
contained the gold.
This piping was six or eight inches In
diameter, with bands of iron every few
inches, and ended in a nozzle like that
of a garden or fire hose, and from the
immense pressure of the water above
would throw stream with sufficient
force to cut man or horse in two in
stantly, and which ate into the side OF
the mountain as fire eats into 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 and
stones to be washed down were to be
passed
The bottom of this sluice was of
ln@1o InH or
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 the interstices of the circular
pieces of wood, or on the upper side OF
the Stats, and served to catch and hold
the fine particles of gold as they sunk
to the bottom of the mass of earth pass
, ing through the sluice and being pull
verified by the action of the waller and
its 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, took
their water from the same reservoir,
paying those who had Blu 1t it by the
thousand feet for the amount used.
) John Parsons slept but little that
night, and was up at the first noise
, which indicated that any Of the other
occupants were astir.
Leaving Johnny asleep in the bed he
. went out and fed his horses. and then
] came in and sat down in the bar-room
! :. ...o;A fo, h,nnlrfnnt Whnn he cau