The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-07

experience They we're farmers. clerks,
statesmen, tesehers mechanics Of al kinds.
anything bat miners, bat they learned 90
end gold, and they poured sach . stream
81 wealth snso the lap OF Cssnn aia -
revo.ufionixsd the ssoney markets Of the
word
When ysu strike pay dirt. 70 to work
washing oss the gold. either With rocker
or. IL yoa have sufficient fail Of water
from any Of the lateral streams. With
sinice-boxss. The method Of washing ous
gold In . rocker 10 adopted when there is
net much water or nos snouTh fall 70
make the use Of siusce-boxes practicable
The rocker IL an apparatus somewhat re-
semtlinR . chiic's cradle. The box Ii usu-
ally aboas - inches long by 20 vide and
from Is to q inches high as the upper end,
upoa which 10 set . hopper or riddle.
boz 20 inches SQUARE and 8 deep. having .
bottom Of sheet iroa perforated with half
inch holes. Under the riddle II placed m
inclined apron Of canvas or blanket, and
across the bottom Of the main box
are nailed two bars. or rifiiss. about
fhree-fourths Of "a inch high. In
washing. the dirt 10 shovsled into
the hopper. aud the workman ladies water
into IL with one hand, rocking the cradle
with the other: or. If there are two. they
can divide the work. The shest-iron bot
tom retains the larger stones: the re-
mainder of the dirt. passing through the
riddle, fails upon the apron. which carries
10 to the head OF the cradle box. whence il
flows along the bottom and escapes It
the lower end. leaving behind the rifle
bars the gold, black sand and heavier
f1fa IF II - IL H~f
two or three times day. A rocker can be
made by the miner himself ct an expense
Of lumber. iron and other materials Of
about &.
The method Of banning and Of washing
with sluice-boxes is thus described in
recent pamphlet on mining:
As the specific gravity Of gold Is much
greater than that Of any kind of rock or
bearing gravel into water the gold con-
tanned In the gravel will 1t once sink to
the bottom Of the receptacle containing
the water. To illustrate: Take IN ordi-
nary milk pan, til il With water, throw
into IL . shoveiful Of gravel. give the pan q
shake or two, or Stir the gravel with the
hands. and any gold in the dirt or gravel
will Immediately sink TO the bottom Of the
pan and stay there. Recognizing this
principle. ths prospector who 10 searching
for COLA tests the goid-bearing quality OF
the dirt or gravel by means Of what 10
termed .goid pan, ]. O., . pan of steel
about the sixs and shape Of an ordinary
six-quart milk pan, and costing in the
mining towns from 20 10 IS cents. The
miner takes from the gravel bank painful
Of gravel. conveys IL 90 the nearest stream.
selects place where there 10 little or no
current. immerses his pan entirely In the
water and then shakes the gravel in the
pan thoroughly under the water. The pan
Is held with both hands and 90 shaken that
tho gravel 10 given circular motion. two
or three motions being Sufficient to precipi-
tate the gold to the bottom of the pan.
The pan. still beneath she surface of
the water, n then held 80 that the outer
edge dips downward 1t an angle OF ten or
fifteen degrees. and the gravel II made to
slowly slide out Of the pan BY backward
and forward movement, care heing taken
after = portion Of the gravel has been ex-
PEELED TO again give tho pan the circular
motion, 90 rs to b. sure that the gold IL
kept at the bottom. Not more than half
minute Is required TO get rid Of the gravel,
and there will BE- nothing left in the pan
but little .'biack sand" magnetic iron),
which always accompanies gold IN gravel.
aud whatever particles Of gold were con-
of gold are then easily seen. and by their
number or quality the prospector judges
somewhat A. to TIN wages be can make by
washing the gravel on larger scale by
means Of q '.siuics box" A very few
minute particles to tho pan Of gravel would
demonstrates fair wages. oftentimes the
gold in certain deposit Of grave. in in So
called pay streaks"--certsin layers or
trends OF the deposit: hence the prospec-
tor should thoroughly sample as large q
face Of the bank 40 IL 10 possible to get at
IL 10 always of the utmost Importance TO
reach the bed rock, il possible. upon which
the deposit rests. for in nearly all in
| stances the gravel 1T and Just above bed
| rock. together with the bed rock itself, il
! much richer than sIsew here.
| Taking IL Tor granted that the prospector
| has found "pay-dirt" near or along some
| stream or river. the next step IL TO rig up
| sluice box and conduct water to it, so that
| the gravel may be washed - rapidly as 1t
/ can be shoyeled into It. or conveyed TO il
| by means of . wheeibarrow. The "sluice-
| box" may be constructed Of three boards
| Twelve feet long and one foot wide: one
| board forming the bottom and two the
| sides of the box--simpy . long. narrow,
| open box or trough. The box must be set
| on such grade usually Eve or six inches
| higher at the head of the box than at the
/ foot or tally that the water running
through wall carry of quickly the stones.
dirt and general debris. Upon the bottom
| of the box are placed rifles" made OF
| long, narrow strips or boards or of small
| poles. which per nit the gravel TO run over
them. bus into which the heaviest ma
terials. including tho BLACK sand" and
| gold. will settle and remain secure. The
| rifles" are practically stats made into 4
| frame and wedgsd or nailed TO the bottom
of the box so that they will no. rise in the
| water. The water necessary TO run the
sluiee-box must be brought into IL from q
| point above. so that grade sufficient to
bring steady fiow OF water and allow fol
the increased grade Of the box will be Sc.
cured. The water - usually conducted by
what are termed '.iead-boxes. made SINH
lar To the siuice- box itself Water enough
| say three or four inches deep IN the Dor
| with a fiye-inch grade, to carry off quickly
| the gravel shoyeIed into IL. IL necessary fol
good and rapid work. After the minei
considers good days work, hs
then turns Of nearly ali tho water anc
| takes up his rifles. Water enough IL ief
running TO siill carry on the bulk of TIA,
dirt, sand and small gravel that has be
come packed in the rifles, leaving nethin.
behind on the bottom of the box save IN,
gold. some sand. and perhaps a fex petl
hlss. The water Is then entirely sagt of
and every thing left IN the boz Is CAREFUL,
and thoroughly swept into o pan. IL !,
then . simple matter TO pan this resldu,
down TO the clean gold, and If the n4iuel
hads that he has, say. half . teaspoonfu
OF gold. he is making considerably NOR.
than living wages.
! In constructing the slsIce-hex care
should be taken to have the bottom boar
perfectly sound. that IL. free from knot, o.
craeks-evsa a nail hole in the bottom
would be sure so lose large portion of iht
gold. After the side boards are nrrni,
nailed on, evsa II the box seems perfect,
tight, the side seams should he strong,
cslked with old cotton rags. Its vel 4