Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-05

The value of gold dust was not known
to the earliest miners in California, saws
the San Francisco Post. Marshall and
those who were with him at the saw-miu
race had never seen gold in its virgin
state before the discovery. The first gold
sold at Coloma, it is said, only brought
So an ounce, but it afterward rose to SIG,
at which figure it remained for some
years. Sellers and buyers did not for
long time realize any difference in the
value of different dust
What are you paying for dust to-day"
was the question often asked by the min
ers OF the dust buyers. Thus in those
Tunes no more difference was recognized
IN the quality of different gold dust
IMAM Is to-day recognized in the quality
OF different sand or sawdust. Buyers mix
ed their dust together as they sent it to
the mint and paid an average price for
IL all. Inns was very good thing for
the miners who had poor dust and very
unfalr Tor those who had dust of the best
quality. Afterward it was found that the
dust as 1t was taken from the earth varied
greatly IN value. Some of it, according
to mint returns, was worth even as low as
50 an ounce, and some was worth $50 and
more. This is on account of the fact
DaSer
metals, silver, copper, etc, is always
found in alloy with gold in its natural
state. Gold dust differs as much in ap-
pearance as it does in quality. Some of
1t is yellow and bright, and some is dull
IN color, dark green and black. The
bright yellow dust is not the best in quail
lty, as might ordinarily be supposed.
Some of the purest gold ever mined has
been almost black in color. There is also
no uniformity in the form of particles
of gold dust. Some is fine and -four
like, some IS coarse and smoothly worn.
and some is rough and scraggy. Dust
taken from any one locality in a mining
district is always remarkably uniform in
value, color and form. This fact enables
buyers, after some experience, to deter
mine Immediately from what locality dust
is mined, aud what is its value.
The first question asked by a buyer is:
'Where did you mine this dust?" Of
course, if it came from region that has
a reputation of producing gold of good
quality, the buyer can afford to pay a
good price for it. There is little use in
making misrepresentation when answer
ing this question, as the buyer has almost
as good means of knowing where the
dust came from as the seller. This knOwl-
edge is Of great value to the dust-buyer
IN the way of protecting himself against
fraud In the way of counterfeit dust, etc.
Peculiarities in the form of gold taken
from mining districts often gave name
to the locality. Chunk canyon, Slug
gulch, and Specimen ravine are examples.
A canyon in Ell Dorado county is called
String canyon. This is said to be on &C
count Of the very singular form of the
Ins hot Of
it resembles pieces OF wire one and two
inches in length, and some of it as fine as
thread.
Observations of the form Of their dust
often led miners to make very valuable
discoveries. All gold, as is we'll known3
originally came from quartz. In its nat
uraI state IN the quartz it is very irregu-
lar IN form. Every rich ravine and can
yon had a gold bearing quartz vein,
whose wearing away by the elements had
lOOsened the precious metal, to be wash
ed down by the water among the gravel
and sand. When gold has been washed
far from its source the attrition causes it
to become fine and smooth. As the min
er approaches the feeding quartz vein the
gold becomes coarser and more scraggy,
till suddenly the pay gives out entirely.
Then it is certain that rich quartz vein
is in the vicinity, and in this manner
veins have been struck that have yielded
many thousands of dollars in a very few
weeks.
Gold-dust buying in the mining towns
was a very profitable business IN the ear
ly days of California. What was called
black sand, composed principally OF iron,
was always mingled to a greater or less
degree with the dust when it was brought
10 fha INV bod IN hi41 nJt
and often the finest particles of gold were
blown out with it. Thus In an Office
where large quantity of dust was bought
much fine gold would be scattered around
the room.
The dUstings of a buyers counter and
sweepings of his floor were often worth
hundreds of dollars a month. Sometimes
the buyers were suspected of cheating in
more illegitimate manner by slyly APP
propriating some of the gold while shak-
ug it around and examining it in the
olowpans-
Once a miner who believed buyer
had swindled him got even in a rather
peculiar manner. He had pair of brass
stirrups weighing two pounds. Every
time he sold dust to this buyer he filed
portion of the stirrups among it till he
had palmed off the whole of them for
gold dust.
The Chinese have always been the most
successful manufactures of counterfeit
gold dust. Many lot of brass or iron
filings plated with gold, has been sold by
them to unsuspecting buyers. OF late
years this has been less practiced, how
ever, because of the fact that buyers al
most invariably test the dust with acid, or
burn it. By subjecting it to an intense
heat the gold is not affected, but any other
metal that may be mingled with it is soon
dissipated in vapor. A buyer was once
purchasing some dust from a company
of Chinese miners. His balance scales
were on an open counter before them.
Suddenly he. noticed that one of the
Cinnamon had slyly touched the balance
in which the dust was to be weighted.
Quickly looking under the bottom of it,
he found some object sticking to it, which
proved to be small piece of a sticky
substance, like beeswax. 1t weighed half
an ounce. The willy Cinnamon had in
tended, of course, after the dust was
weighed, to remove the wax as deftly as