Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-15
GOLD MINING, IN COLORADO
How the Precious Metal is Extracted from
the Earth.
THE GOLD RUN SUCKERS" WARNING MOLE
Vivid Portrayal of the E.citements and
Dangers Incident to the search
After theiy siiow King
of Metals.

LIN
DENVER, Oct. 6.-[Correspondence of The
BEE. In the latter part of the SOS gold
was first discovered in Clear creek canon.
There was intense excitement caused b. the
golden evidence of the vast wealth hid in
the bed OF the creek and it's juttlng bars,
from Golden City, Colo, westward. at that
time hundreds and thousands of men were
using sluice box and pan. This canon has
possessed a particular attraction for the
eastern tourist, who looks with expectant
eve for some evidences of the stories told of
sudden riches.
asa general thing the tourist has been
disappointed The opening and develop
ment OF the silver mines in different parts
of the state engrossed the miners attention.
especially after Clear creek was declared
practically worked out.
The depression in Colorado this wear and
the lump in silver that shut down its mines,
throwing thousands of miners out of EN-
ploSment, has turned their attention once
more TO the creek, and at the present time
Clear creek possesses a most animated ap-
pearance. The tourist who looks on the
towering craRs, under which the Colorado
Central railroad winds its way to the famous
loop, can crafty his curiosity for once.
hundreds of men are using ''sluice box
and pan seeking u color" This in itself
Is a novel scene, and one that is rarely seen
these days, especially from u car window.
The most of these men expect to make
wages only, though occasionally a pocket
Is found that will yield several dollars.
Method of Placer Mining.
The general plan adopted is for a couple of
men TO form a partnership. 'chip in a few
dollars apiece TO rig up a 'sluice box" buy
provisions, ana after finding a suitable place
in the creek proceed to work and divide the
'cleHnnn ~ Ihnrp ~ nnpNr n,,,n,,n ..I,,
simply use a gold pan, not having sufficient
money TO OUTFIT themselves with a sluice box.
Ihls slulce box is generally from twenty to
ioo leet long, ana Is u square trough of rough
light boards through which a constant
stream of water is made to run. Near the
lower end OF the box, is the %''riffles, ~ little
cleats nailed across the bottom of the trough
TO catch the gold as ii washes through. The
objective point in digging is bedrock, where
most OF the gold is supposed to be.
The Sluice box arranged, the water turned
IN, the eXpectant miner stations himself at
the mead OF the box and sLovels in sand,
gravel, DIRT and boulders, which the rapidly
flowing stream rolls and washes. A .'cleanup,
Is generally made once a week. and the
result practically demonstrates in gold the
Judgment of the miner or the extent of his
luck. ..of
Making a Location.
Before making a location a few panfuls
are washed out and ii" the indications are
good, up goes the sluice box. information
regarding the success, OF these miners is
hard to obtain. For If luck attends them il
Is kept to themselves, and if at the end of a
weeks hard labor, standing in water all
day, lifting boulders, ,shoveling sand and
gravel, the cleanup shows only a dollar or
Two, there certainly is nothing to be
nliarlous about, or even mention, in fact
nVe cents IN gold per pan is considered
excellent pay dirt, and one can readily sec
That with such dirt and u well rugged sluice
box a weekly cleanup would yield quite
handsome returns. These places are few
ana Tar bet %een anda weeks toll more often
enus IN bitter disappointment, and the dis
gusted miner leaves for some other locality,
ms place being filled by others who, per-
chance, carry a rabbits foot or "iucky
stone" which inspires them for q time with
hope and confidence.
The work possesses a fascination that is
imply irresistible and the mere exhibition
OF a few grams of gold with the statement
that this is the result of ono pan of dirt
from such and such "a bar produces a sensa-
ton and a rush TO the locality in question.
The Cola Run Fake.
Quite n gold excitement was started last
month IN the neighborhOod of the head
waters of the Grand river in Middle Park.
sixty miles from the railroad. A great run
took place and for a time the interest taken
In Gold Run was intense. 1t proved to be-
a fake, however.
On n piece of cardboard, scrawled in pen-
Gil and tackled on the side of an abandoned
log house on the stage road, was the
following, which may at least have eased
the mind of Il disguised prospector:
'''''
Aug" 4, 1898, Friend: Heres wot Gold
Run IS IN one pan" Scenery fine. fishing
Worse Worse S SRI tffsa!;;; NJ %n sSplq bad Sdn roads ana IA
enough fool not to believe ii. go see for
yourself. Yours truly.
Observation-Disclosures. .......... SUCKER"
Some have invested quite heavily in placer
mining in Clear Creek, and have spent thou
sands of dollars sinking shafts to bed rock
and tunnelling wider the creek, whose
waters are utilized to run the wheel which
brings the sand and gravel to the surface
ana also pump the water out of the shaft.
Danger in Mining.
These mines are extremely dangerous TO
work in, on account of the liability of '.ca We
ms, ana many "a man has had his life
crushed out by the boulders crushing the
tiInbers that support shaft ana tunnel.
CLOUD bursts In the mountains are the great
enemy Of the gulch miner and often a wall
or water will come rushing down the canon
with reslstIess force, carrying away bridges,
aqueducts and thousands of feet of sluice
boxes, many OF which contain the gold, repre-
senting several days of toll. While the
general output OF gold The present summer
has not been large II has been the means of
furnishing employment TO many who night
otherwise have been forced to accept
charity. f. ". p
A Favored Man.
Detroit Tribune. Thieves broke in
and stole his best suit of clothes and his
gold watch.
II am fortunate above other men," he
murmured.