The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1896-03-19
EARLY COAST PLACERS
How Gold Was Discovered by Marshall
in the Tail Race.
Why the Barkeeper's Pay Was Gauged
by the Size Of His Thumb and Fin
ger-Gold Quartz Discovered.

| SUT-IOlu quartz discovered.
Gathered in and around Butte are
men who have mined in almost every
country under the sun, but although
charming conversationalists in the So
ciety of their friends, for some unac-
countable reason they become suddenly
dumb when approached by news
paper man. 1t was reporters luck
recently to run against one who talked
in an interesting way. He was large,
rather tine-looking man, apparently
about 70 years Of age and man who
had watched with close interest the pro-
gress. Of mining On the Pacific coast
since the historic days of 40.
Yes, l was out in Californy in the
old days." he replied to a Question
and then added with pleasant smile,
II was thar from 49 to 80 and took
all the courses, from pan to little giant
and from handmade black powder
cartridges to dinnymite.
when gold was discovered by Mar
shall in that tail race Sutter was dig
ging for his sawmill at Coloma. not a
man i'll that country knew a thing
about mining. Never heard how they
knew it was gold, hey? We'll, there
has been a great many stories told
about it, but here is the right one It
was a little nugget Marshall picked up.
worth three Or four dollars Each one
OF the gang locked at it, bit it, tasted
it, rubbed it, smelled it, but none of
them had clear idea what it was.
Several thought it might be gold, but
none was sure Of it. A happy Thought
struck Marshall. Mrs. Weber boarded
the hands. She was making soft soap
from pine ashes lyc. Marshall pro-
posed the lady should boil the Nugget
an lye day Or two, and if it didn't
change color Or lose its substance in the
test it was sure-eneugh gold. Wen. it
stood tire test. The world knows the
rest.
" Among the first on the ground was
lot OF greasers, a cross between Mex
leans and d lower class of humans
God knows they were all how enough,
but the cross was no Improvement on
the general run of the cattle. The
greaser brought his willow made uan
and knife as Bis mining tools. He cut
and Sscraped among crevices of rocks at
the waters edge for "chispas,' or, as
we call them, nuggets. An fenter-
prfslng White man made a rocker.
That was great improvement over the
willow pa1 and knife. In the FALL of
~, picks, shovels, iron pans, and sheet
iron for rocker screens had been ship
ped in from the outsiae. Rockers sold
for three ounces. sllovels half an ounce
apiece, picks the same; pans for
quarter of an ounce; gum boots an
ounce pair, and whiskey pinch a
drink. That was the price in all mining
A 7,ipnh he,f 1,.-,
could take between his forefialger and
thumb. They had big fingers and
thumbs in those days, and "a barkeep-
er's salary was measured by their size. !
Wages was an ounce day.
"TfSe Georgia bumper displaced the 4
rocker. It was something like a rock !
er, but much larger, and had several I
rifles to catch the gold The ends of !!
the rockers bump against blocks of !
wood to jar the gravel in the screen, !
and between RIFLES. A bumper cost |
300; wheelbarrow two ounces, and !
a China pump $s5. That made a bum
per mining outfit The bumper didn't |
last long, for the Long Tom soon
took its place. That was "a stationary
affair with long screen 'in which the
pay dirt was thrown. Water was
contacted on the screen, the wash
-alimg through the perforations while
)ne of the hands f0rked tout the rocks
or small stones.
"A slulce or two were added to the
rom- These. as we'll as the Tom. were
supplied with rifles, which generally
'aught about all the dust. Long Toms
we're first used in Nevada City in 1850.
in modes Of placer min
ng rapidly followed. Sets of sluices
the Toms We're nsed then
round sluicing came next, and hv
raulic mining, where water and fall ,
oun be obtained displaced the rocker.
umper, and Tom Hydraulic mining ,
5 an old thing now'7 7
How about underground mining?n
inquired the reporter. :;
Gold bearing quartz was first dis } I
overed by some miners in the bed of I
'eer creek, below Nevada City, in the 8
OF 1850. 1t was found in a {
arrow vein, but the discovery led to Y
le opening up Of the magnificent gold =
caring quartz mines of Grass Valley -
Nevada county. All the equipments ),
the mines were at first rude. but =:
!e mines were rich and paid well. -
lack powder was used in Blasting :,
here blasting was necessary. Some =,
'ars after nitro o-glycerine was intro l.
iced in the state, but an explosion of "
e stuff in a San Francisco express p
ice Knocked it out, and giant powder
me into use. You know the rest. - m
Inter Mountain. tt
MUCH PLEASED WITH UTAH. tt
to%