The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-22
W lillian NIAChA1s
San Jose, March 10, 1895.
Another Ancient Auriferous River Bed

$1,000 1000
Another Ancient Auriferous River Bed.
a correspondent of the CALL writes as
follows: The latest mining excitement
around Elsinore, Riverside County, is
caused by the discovery of an extensive au-
riferous gravel deposit or ancient river bed
several hundred feet in width and 100 to
800 feet i'll thickness, running for a long
distance in close proximity to the best
producing mines in the Pinacate and Meni-
fee mining districts. The deposit is con-
tinuous and not in fragments or remnants,
nor is it lava-capped as are some of the old
channels in the central part of the State.
The old river bed was discovered last sum-
mer by field assistance of the State Mining
Bureau, and first publicly announced in
their report for the year 1894 on page 900,
as follows: AN ancient river bed may be
traced for long distance north and south
in this county (Riversidel. The source of
this old channel, which is gold-bearing, is
to the north, but its exact locality is I'M
known. The indications are, however,
that several small streams have united to
form the main channel, which may be fol-
lowed without difficulty from two miles
north OF Good Hope for several miles in a
southerly direction toward the town of
Elsinore. Where the channel reaches the
San Jacinto River it is several hundred
feet in width and upwards of 100 feet in
depth
In the canyon of the San Jacinto River
may be seen either two or three channels
or else the remnants of one extremely
crooked one. AS these ancient river beds
are not at all developed, excepting by the
shallow eroslons of their upper portions by
the recent little ravines and gulches, there
is much that would be interesting concern
ing them that for the present must re-
main unknown. Although no attempt has
yet been made to Systematically work
these deposits or even to prospect them
beyond the sinking of several shafts, it is
nevertheless a significant fact that every
little ravine and gulch cutting through
this old river bed has contained gold, and
in most instances has been worked by the
Mexicans years ago. Signs of work in later
years are also numerous, and at one point
an old prospector was endeayoriEg to make
living by rocking" the gravel of the old
river channel.
Ii sufficient water for hydraulic opera
tons was obtainable the old river-bed
might be found to produce a large GUAM
tity of gold. The channel was followed
five miles, but it being evident that to
trace it out and map it would require a
seasons work it was abandoned for the
time being. 1t is but one very crooked
channel and the San Jacinto River cuts
through it three times in the canyon
where the Southern California Railroad
crosses it, about half way between
Perris and Elsinore. 1t has not been
cut through to bedrock in any place
as yet discovered. The lowest place
yet found is in the cut made by the
San Jacinto River, which appears to be
within thirty to fifty feet of the bedrock in
the center Of the channel, as indicated by
the angles of the rimrock and the width of
the channel at the bottom of the cut.
Since the publication of the report of the
State Mineralogist the old channel has
been traced from the point indicated
therein to point two and a half miles
north of the Menifee mine distance of
about twenty miles by the meanderings of
the channel.
Most OF the placer gold obtained in this
vicinity in recent years has been taken
from the bed of the San Jacinto River, be-
low where it cuts the old channel, and
from the gullies and washes of the old
river bed, and none of the miners appear
to have known that they were upon an
ancient river bed, with the possible ex-
ception of NJ. Clancy, who attempted to
sink shaft to bedrock, and was driven
out by water at the depth of eighty feet.
The land along this old chadneI is princi-
pally Government land, or unpatented
railroad lands, and therefore subject to
mineral location. Several locations have
been made within the last few days, and
preparations are being made by John D.
Hoff OF Elsinore and others to prospect the
deposit.