Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-19
Gold Mining in the Black Fills.

As Il we'll known, placer gold DC.
eurs in the beds Of the vers ana
streams which drain the gold-betring
region and is free gold in form OF hne
dust or sand. up TO nuggets OIL
several ounces This has been freed
from its matrix by the powerful ero-
sive influences OF ice and water WI Gu
have ground down the surface into boni-
ders pebbles, sands and ella 5 aud s.
lributed them over the country below
but leaving the gold on account OF It's
gravity in the crevices aud bed rock
bottom OF the streams
The Big Bend hydraulic works are
about eleven miles from Rapid City
and nearly 900 feet ABOVE it. Down
this eleven miles runs the Rapid River.
in its speed and foam doing credit to
its name The Big Bend consists OF
loop made BY small stream at the
bottom OF deep raylno bounded on
ono side by almost a perpendicular
schistose rock. ON the other by rather
steep slopes OF gold bearing sands and
drift. To work these placers water
has been brough: in a large sluico or
flums from Rapid River. nearly mile
away. The tlums cireling with gem
tie gradient the preclpitous side of the
meuu tain and ending at point nearly
100 feet above a great placer slope con'
tainIng millions of tons Of gold bearing
earth. At the bottom Of this slope IS
constructed a sluice nearly quarter
of mile long. open at the top.
flat-bottomed five feet wide with the
sides vertical four feet The bottom
of this sluice looks like the Nicholson
pavement of wooden blocks. as we
formerly had it in Detroit with SINH.
lar intervals crossing the s,ulce from
side to side. Through this slu ceway
flows all the muddy water carry ing
the free gold. which drops into the
crevices and is collected once month
By cleaning Thorn out Tho water
from the tlume hoad is led down hill ia
a strong sheet-iron, tapering. round
pipe, to u nozzle with six.nch open
ing This nozzle is about fifteen feet
long and is so balanced that single
miner can direct 1t At any point upon
the bank he wishes TO wash away.
When not needed for work the water
in the flume is allowed. b. means Of a
waste gate. to low into the creek bed.
but when wanted for use the waste
gate is closed and the great volume OF
water. with nearly 100 feet head or
fall. enters the iron pipe. which mt that
point is twenty-iour inches across but
gradualls iapering, il energies from a
s.x-inch nozzle with tremendous force.
throwing the stream lifts or sixty feet
against the wall OF earth which Crum.
bles under its impact into roIly Hood.
which tumbles down The slope and en-
ters the slu!co. depositing the gold
which it carries. while tho sand and
red earth passes ON and Is Lost in the
creek bed below
Mine owners and superintendent
are very reGicent in regard to details
or statistics concerning the outcome OF
their properties Hence | can give no
statistics Of this mine. But IL is evi.
dent from tho expensive Investment ia
plant that the yield must DO profitable
The flumo alone must have cost $jO.-
600 and other expenses in proportion.
At one point tunnel had been driven
through the neck Of the loop, or Big
Bend, 700 feet long, doing which
enabled the owners to dam the river
and turn its current through tho tunnel
to lower level of the river bed thus
exposing the river bottom the whole
length of the loop. and in which. Of
course, must have been found n largo
amount Of the precious metal.
The difficulty Of freightlug supplies
to this region over steep aud rocky
roads is very great The life Of the
miners is very hard and wearing.
Wages paid, from So to a. 50 per day.
In contrast with the Big Bend Hy-
draulic Placer Mine, visit was made
to Deadwood. the seat Of the great
stamp mills, where gold is obtained by
pounding into fine dust the gold bear
ing rock which forms the hills.
OF course everybody has heard OF
Deadwood-its gold excitement and
road agents The railroad reaches
within twelve miles, at Whitewood,
from which point six-horse Concord
coach takes one over well.graded
mountain road to the city, which lies
at tho bottom Of n steep sided gulch,
which is nearly 5000 feet above the
sea. Curiously enough on the way to
Deadwood one passes through upland
valleys as lovely as a paradise. with
here and there fields OF corn and grain
yet unharyested in late September.
The descent on the stage to Dead wood
down the mountain side is plunge OF
800 feet and is extremely exciting. Tho
town Is built at the bottom all on one
side of Deadwood Creek. 40 naI1ed