Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-22
A NEW DRY WASHER.
Practical Results Obtained at the
HillsbOrO Placers-POints on a
New Machine of Moment
to Miners.

CorrespondenceNe New Mexican.
Hillsboro, May 18.-The Colorado dry
placer machine now being manufactured
at Faulkner will be the means of opening
up extensive fields of placer ground that
are now lying dormant for lack of water
for rocking and sluicing, in various Sec
tions of New Mexico. 1t will also prove
to be bonanza for the poor man as it
places within his reach the opportunity
of making good thing at a very small
outlay. To the owners of dry placer
ground it is of inestimable value as a
large territory can be prospected and ac-
curate results obtained in a very short
time. To investors it certainly is "gold
mine," as the machine rents to parties
unable to purchase for 81 per week, Civ
ing return of nea-ly 200 per cent yearly.
The principal points in favor of these
machines are as follows, viz:
First-Size, being small enoughto pack
anywhere and large enough to keep from
lOuT W Ola mon huoViiu6s
Second-Simplicity easy of access in
case of breakage of any of its parts, put
together with screws and one-sized bolts.
Third Weight, being only forty to
fifty pounds, with screen and belt, one
man can pack it one to three miles with
pick, pan, shovel and grub.
Fourth-Durability, it is constructed
of native lumber that will not warp or
shrink, the pan drum and dust box are
made of heavy galvanized iron.
Fifth-Ease of operation, 10-year-old
boy can run it all day, runs with belt,
has no iron gears to break or add weight,
you don't get round shouldered reaching
down to it and it is not necessary that the
operator be skilled mechanic to run or
repair it. 1t can be set for operation on
rough or uneaven ground and adjusted to
any angle. Having detached screen it
is not necessary to have a quarter-section
on which to place screens, grizzlies and
ground sheets, don't have to take it apart
to pack it, either on burro or on your
as it balances in either situa-
ton and it has no blacksmith shop at
tachment or complicated parts to puzzle
and annoy the operator.
Si1th-Capacity, from twelve to twenty
tons of screened dirt PEI working day OF
ten hours.
Seventh Cost, $50, delivered at Lake
Valley, Grated for shipment.
1t is made for use by practical every
day men to whom dry washing is no
stranger. Several of these machines are
in use at Faulkner, giving excellent salts
faction and proving to be all that was
claimed for them. They are operated as
follows:
The ground is first loosehed up with
picks, then shoveled on to the screen, the
rocks and COARSE dirt passing off at one
end, clear of the machine, the fine dirt
passing through the meshes to the hop
per, from which it runs through wide
slot onto the apron, the amount of feed
being regulated by slide convenient to
the operator. The apron is covered with
brass wire gauze, having rectangular
mesh, which permits the finer quantities
of gold to pass through into the faa
drum where they are collected and saved
in the dust box, five rifles cross the apron
and collect and hold the coarser particles
of gold. The fan has six blades and is
operated by belt and drive-wheel; the
blast prod iced is forced up through the
apron, carrying off the dust and fine dirt
and holding the coarser dirt in partial
suspension so that it readily runs of the
apron, the coarse gold falling on to the
gauge where it is held by the rifles. The
dust aud fine dirt falling on the opposite
side of the machine from the coarse dirt
or headings, enabling the operator to run
a large amount of dirt without moving
the machine. The screen and apron are
set at correct angles for both screening
and running off avoiding change in po-
sitlon for each operation. The apron
concentrates and contents of the dust
box are dumped after running through
fifty to 100 pans of dirt and the gold is
separated by dryor wet panning. Enough
fine gold, that is lost by ordinary dry
machines, is saved by the "Colorado" to
buy grub, which is a considerable item.
Antonio Bargas with three men picked
out and ran through 1000 pans OF
screened dirt in seven hours recently at
the Hillsboro placers with one OF these
machines. Elder Pitkin are the invent
ors and manufacturers.