The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-09
A CANTON MAN.
Ira Whaler Has Patented a Gold Find
ing Machine - How 1t is
Operated.

On the 21st Of this month a patent for gold
finding machine will be issued to Ira whaler,
Of No. So North Market street. Mr.. Whaler
has been working on the plans since 1885 and
is now the proud possessor Of machine with
which he thinks he will make his fortune.
At the time he first began to think of MAX
ing device for hunting gold he was working
at the steel works, when he heard a man, who
had been through the western gold country,
telling how much gold was missed in the riv-
ers because there was no machine that could
perfectly clean out the crevices and basins of
81 cam.
Mr.Whaler believes, and he says experienced
gold miners who have seen it, believe that his
machine will catch every bit of gold that is in
the bottom of stream, whatever the shape of
the bottom may be.
The machine consists of a box made of steel
sheeting, feet long, Is inches wide and II
inches deep, open at one end and divided 12
inches from the other by a eelpartiton which
reaches from the bottom to within "a inches Of
the top. The larger part Of the box in called a
receiver and the part 12 inches wide is called
the dead-water box. The top of the receiver is
solid but over the dead-water box is a steel
door. A steel brush 10 inches long, 6 inches
wide and l01 deep works in and out of the re-
ceiver on an adjustable track 3 feet long, one
end of which is fastened inside Of the receiver
Along this adjustable track and along the sides
Of triangular shaped steel frame, feet long,
which is in front of the track is fastened
a wall of canvass about foot wide.
| This canvas will be held down by a
! line of lead links, which will hold the bottom
of the canvass against the bottom of the stream
and II will be stretched upward by large corks
which are fastened at the top.
The device which weighs altogether about
800 pounds will be let down to the bottom of a
stream with derrick. The open end of the
receiver will be placed in the direction opposite
to the current. The steel brush will be
worked by means Of cables and as it is drawn
towards the mouth Of the receiver will sweep
anything that is on the bottom of the stream
into it. Then the adjusted track will be
raised a little and the brush will be drawn
out of the receiver and another stroke will be
made and so on until It Is thought the box is
full, when it will be drawn up and emptied.
The object of the canvass wall is this: small
brushes connected to long handled poles will
be used to stir in the bottom of the stream
above where the receiver is placed and so as the
current carries the things stirred up these
wings of canvass will conduct them into the
receiver. As the current passes through the
receiver and out over the dead water box any
thing Of much specific gravity, such as gold,
will fall into the dead water box and be saved.
Mr.. Whaler tried similar machine, but
much smaller, in the east creek last October
and it worked with perfection. He said in six
strokes of the brush he had a peck Of sand and
stones.
Mr.. Whaler has never had any experience
in gold mining but he is very enthusiastic
over his machine and believes he has patent
equal to Bells or an Edison's.
The latter part of next month, he, with
several others, will leave Canton for lower
Oregon and from there they will go down into
California. He has a complete camping outfit
and will go prepared forall emergencies
Mr.. Whaler has another machine for the
same purpose which has not been patented yet
and which he will not show. He says he will
leave it here and if he has any success with the
one now patented he will have it patented also.