Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-08-28
PLYMOUTH'S GOLD-DlGGlNGS.
A Unique and Famous Chapter in Yer
mont's History Re-toid.

A Unique and Famous Chapter in YER
mont's History Ke-toid.
From Bellows Falls Times, June 10th, 1881
Friend Sarain In my last | spoke of
the preparations that were being made
here for washing gold. Since then the
work of washing has been vigorously
pushed on several of the claims, and as
is common in the usual vocations of life,
the efforts of some have been unreward-
ed. A few of the claims are now tempo
rarily abandoned, but others are being
worked successfully. The price for
claims remains about the same as it has
been for two months past-from ten to
twenty dollars rod on the stream.
Were to give an opinion If the probable
result of the experiments now being
made for gold by the crowds of miners
who are at work here, it would be that
most of those who are inexperienced at
washing gold, and do not prepare for the
emergencies which they are likely to
encounter, will be very likely to go away
disappointed, but those who are willing
to work hard, and chance to make good
selection of place for digging, and pre-
pare for work by erecting pumps to be
worked by water, fol-, damming up their
pits, will be amply remunerated for their
time and the expense incurred. Mr..
William I1ankerson is one who belongs
to the latter class. Last year he worked
here and became satisfied that gold exist
ed in quantities that would pay well for
digging, hence this year before washing
a shovel full of gravel, he made small
Overshot wheel about five feet in diane
ter, which he placed near his work, and
attached to it long sweep for working
his pump. The water after passing over
the wheel is conducted into his sluices
where the washing is done. He employs
two men to dig out the gravel, who share
with him in the profits, and he attends
to stirring the gravel and raking out the
stones that are too heavy to be carried
by the current over the critics" of his
sluice. He usually "cleans up" his
sluce once day. This is done by shut
ting ont the water and taking out the
sand, pebbles and gold that remain in
and above the rifles, and after having
separated the larger pebbles from the
rest by passing the whole through the
"rocker'' it is ''panned,' by which the
washed off, and the gold remains freed
from all foreign matter.
The following is the result of their
labors this week. On Monday they
washed out $3.50, on Tuesday 5000, on
Wednesday it rained and they did not
work, on Thursday $3.50, and today
(Friday) Mr.. III. thinks they will not
have more than ten dollars. The gold is
found to exist the whole distance from
the surface to the "bed ,ock." but it is
on and near the rock that it occurs in the
gre test abundance, and hence the great
difference in the amount raised on differ
ent days. Today they have encountered
some large boulders, which have retard
) ed the progress towards the bed rock
materially affecting the profits of the
day. Tomorrow will doubtless be gooC
day for them, for they have removed
considerable surface dirt to enable then
to get out the boulders, and before to
morrow night they will reach the rock
The depth of the bed rock from the sur
face is about six feet and since Mr.. H
worked this claim, he has from surface
of about one thousand square feet (2S b.
80 feet) taken out over five hundred dol
lars worth of gold. The gold general,
occurs at this claim in small grains, no
averaging in size the head of a pin, bu
occasionally larger pieces are found
The largest piece ever taken from it wa
one last fall, which was worth $3.50
The largest piece taken out this sprin.
was taken last Tuesday, and was WORT
$3.50, and more than one inch in length
But such pieces are rarely met with, an
he who expects to find the miners her
digging out the Jumps as large and plen
ty as were the rotten Carriers in m,
potato hills last fall, would be mistaken
if they were to come, and | would advis
all such to stay away. Yours truly,
A. l.. b.