The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-13
MINING FOR GOLD
IN THE CITY.
WORKING THE SAND BEYOND THE
CLIFF HOUSE IN A Sue
CESSFUL WAY.
THE PROCESS IS A NEW ONE.
OVER ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS AS
THE RESULT OF FIFTEEN
DAYS LABOR.

The announcement that goldmining is
being carried on almost within the corpo-
rate limits OF San Francisco will be re-
ceived in an incredulous manner by most
people, although some are aware that in
effectual efforts have been made from time
to time to work the beach sands here for
many years past; but when it is authorita-
lively announced that not only is mining
of this character being carried on, but that
it is being done successfully, visitors to the
scene of operations are likely to be many
for some time to come.
For some years an old squatter who holds
beach claim out beyond the Cliff House
has day after day patiently toiled along
with shovel and pan, eking out a bare
livelihood by extracting the precious gold
which has for centuries past been deposited
on the shores by the tides and currents OF
the bay. His primitive means of extract
ing the metal have, as in all similar at
tempts, alone prevented success. Old, ex-
perienced miners have asserted time and
again that the entire coast from Alaska to
Cape Horn is full of free gold, but that its
successful amalgamation was the sole OBJ
stacle to working it.
Several weeks ago a recently invented
amallgamator was quietly taken out to the
beach and put to work. The machine
itself looks like a peculiarly constructed
churn, with a revolving cylinder inside
upon which cup-like projections are notice
able. The principle upon which it works
is to keep the mass of sand which is
dumped into it constantly stirred up, beat
ing it so that the friction disturbs the sur
face of the gold particles in such a manner
as to render it easily susceptible to the
action of the quicksilver.
The point at which the experimental
work has been done is about three miles
below the Cliff House, and as a result of
about fifteen days labor three chunks of
amalgam are now at the Mint for analysis,
which it is confidently believed will de-
velop value of from $1,000 to $1,000.
George Hartmann, the president Of the
company which has been making the ex-
periments, was seen at the rooms OF the
State Board of Trade yesterday, where one
of the machines mentioned is on exhibit
ton.
sit only requires four men to each one
of the amalgamators," he said, 1.-TWO of
whom are required in the actual opera
ton While two more are necessary to wheel
sand. One of the machines will run from
twenty to twenty-five tons of sand a day.
We have been working about mile be-
yond the Ocean View House, where efforts
have been made for years, but without
success, to work out the metal. We esti-
mate that the results of our labors so far
show net profit of about 81 50 per ton in
all the sand we have worked"
The gentlemen interested in the matter
are making their arrangements to press
the work on an extensive scale, and will
put four or five more machines on the
ground in a few days. They have secured
1900 feet beach front for their operations,
| and say that the cost of working the sand
will not exceed 80 cents ton.
| J. a. Filcher, secretary of the State Board
! OF Trade, is much interested in the matter,
and SAID yesterday that he saw no reason
why thousands Of men should not be able
to make living in this manner.
"There are inexhaustlble quantities OF
this black sand all along the coast" said
he, land the Indians on Klamath beach
it is well known, have for years been about
the only ones who have been able to sue
cessfully extract it. The amalgam which
is now at the mint will have been assayed
by tomorrow, and then we will have
actual figures TO present the public"
Some optimistic prospector once said
that there was enough gold in the Sacra
mento basin to pay the national debt, and
if the present experiments turn out as
successful as they appear to be, the pros
pector's dream of getting at this gold may
be on the verge of fulfillment.