The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-03-30

was grant 10 Zen. Lever, formerly
>nnectsd with the pr.ss Of this city,.
and known a. the ssFive Mile Conees-
sion." After describing his expert.
snces and surroundings, Engineer
Browne gets down 10 substantial facts
follows:
'G0li has been obtained from this
river for several hundred yeass, and
those inclined to hunt up cnusay rarch-
men,s In the capital will mud records
Of imuense sums taken out In the umo
of the Spaniards aud shipped 10 Old
Spain.
"T'he gold. previously obtained, and
being obtained now, BY the natives, 10
but drop in the water; they simply
pan on the sides Of the stream, and get
. little of the top gravel Oh. No bed
rock Of this river has ever beeu soen.
On the top gravel panned from 10 IL
25 colOrs OF gold to the pau. send
you q sample bottle (No. ~ With soxas
OF this gold. / firmly believe that the
gravel will average Is cents (3..) 10 the
yard, aud that when We strike the rock
bed we shall get places $50 (fl0) to the
pan. AS far as / can learn, the season
which Is sufficiently dry 10 work the
river II from January to July, and u
can get four months work In the river
/ can retura tt:e shareholders q hand.
some dividend.
"The hills on either aide OF the Guy
ape are gold-bsArlng, and good by
drau'ictng ground eau be opened, but
that l have not yet had time 10 20
into. The quickest way Of getting
large returns is the bed Of the stream,
and to that end have already started
10. We now have the saw mill and
all the tools necessary, and have =
pack train OF mules.
.'rhe difficulties in the way are not
lack Of gold, but 10 get men 10 work,
to yet my saw mill up, my tools and
materials on the ground, quarters for
self aud men, dam, fume and pumps
built. All this ] calculate 10 be able
to do in the next ninety days. ! estl-
mate to do this 1t will cost e.4 ,7a5
(si95D. Part Of the tools aud tnate-
rlals arc already bought, 50 s350O will
complete the work. Observe next year
with all our tools and materials on
hand, the river could be turned for hess
than half. l estimate that with 500
men working In the river--250 by day
and 25O by might've will take Ny
fron $4,000 (s608) to $4,000 (Ei000) per
day and that weeks work Oh the
bed rock will repay all cost. There IL
no absolute way of estimating returns,
but they can not be but large. The
only work that has ever beon done 10
that ON the rim OF the gravel by wo..
men with wooden bateas. l have no
doubt that the gravel OH the bedrock
of the river will nsiOHish everybody.
The risk to be run IL heavy ratnfalis;
but for five months we arc compara-
lively safe. Tho particular point where
l am going to put in tho dam 10 known
as Poiuts Veiiie, which will bs about
l70 feet wide, aud will give us 1880
feet Of tho river dry to work. There ts
\ bar In the centre Of our work which
IL rich, the surface OF the bar showing
10 to ~ colors to the pan. ] will sent
you sketch Of tho work, and we will
have nj the widest place $40 feet VI
gIavel to wash.
"My impression Of Honduras IL, that
1t Is u very rich country, and much I"
| be dono here.''
Since the first publication Of the
above report Mr. Browne sailed from
Honduras sn route for T.oudon, aud
has made an additional report 10 the
directors OF the English company, aud
states that he can increase the output
OF gold tenfoti the above amount.
The are Tor should bP) mono In Lou
isiana that will not hope there Is "lni!-
lions in ir' for Major Burke, ss 1t
seems most probable there will be.