The record-union., 1896-01-23
DELVING IN GOLDEN SANDS.
How Gold Mining in the Sacramento
River is Carried On.
The Novel Plant Invented by General
Tolman and Now at Work
Near This City.

Last year nearly every foot of the
channel of the American River between
/ this city and Folsom, and of the Sacra-
mento also for a long stretch south of
the mouth of the former stream, was
filed on for mining purposes. For years
the belief has prevailed that the sand
and slickens deposits in these rivers
contain a great deal of gold that was
| brought down from the mines, but un-
til recently no one had made an effort
to ascertain whether or not such was
! the case.
Among the first to take definite action
| in that direction was General George B.
Tolman of Alameda. He came here
early last year and prospected for
months before he located and had re-
corded his claim, which includes some
1900 feet in length on the Sacramento
| and American Rivers He found that
| the tailings worked So to IS per ton
gold, besides considerable quicksilver.
He Immediately interested others,
and on September 4, 1895, the Gold Sand
Placer Mining Company was incorpor-
ated, with 100000 shares of the par
value of $40 each The capital stock is
| Sl,0OO,O00 The incorporators were
General Tolman, John Regan and
James e. Damon of Alameda, and S. T.
Hubbell and Charles H. Jackson of San
Francisco. The officers ere General
| Tolman, President; S. T. Hubbell, Vice
President; j. E. Damon, Secretary, and
| Charles H. Jackson, Treasurer.
Recently General Tolman brought his
mining plant up the river and located
it between the Pioneer Mill and the
| mouth of the American River, where
| it has since been at work. 1t consists
of boat that was originally intended
for stern wheel steamer, but the man
who was building it died, and Tolman
bought it. So it was fitted up for a
mining craft
On the lower deck of this boat, which
is sixty feet in length by twenty feet
wide, and draws but two and a. half
feet of water, are located the sleeping
apartments, kitchen and engine room.
On the upper deck there is a gold king
amalgamator, manufactured by the
Midas Gold and Silver Mining Machin-
cry Company, and is the invention of
A. C. Rumble
Extending forward from the boat is
light dredger. with an endless chain,
and on this chain are attached buckets,
or scoops, each holding a gallon. This
dredger is lowered and rests on the
tailings, which are hauled up by the
movement of this endless chain and
dumped into a screen hopper, where
after good shaking, they are forced
along to the spout which feeds the
amalgamator. Altogether, this mining
vessel is supplied with four amalgama-
tors.
The 30-horse power gasoline engine
on board is supplied with brakes, so
that the power can be used either for
propelling the vessel or for working the
machinery on the upper deck. General
Tolman has figured that it takes three
fourths of pint of gasoline per horse
power per hour. The entire outfit cost
about $4,000.
1t is the purpose to run the mining
machinery on the vessel day and night
Only five men are needed-three engi-
neers. cook and, of course, the Superin-
tendent. The engineers will work eight
hours each, in shifts.
General Tolman feels confident that
the company will reap rich harvest
He is an old mining man of experience
He came to California in '4S, and has
resided in Alameda for some years. He
says he has not prospeeted for nothing
the tailings that for the past forty years
have washed down from the mining dis
tricts, when no amalgamators and con-
centrators were heard of. He is sure he
has struck a fortune,