New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
EARLY MINING DAYS.
ADVANTAGE OF BIG FINGERS IN A BAR
TENDER.
n The Butte Inter Mountain.

From The Butte Inter Mountain.
Gathered In and around Butte are men who have
was reporters luck yesterday TO run against one
rather fine looking man, apparently about seventy
years old. and man who had watched with close
since the historic days OF 49,
Yes. l was out in Ca!iforny in the old days" no
replied TO question anu then added with pleasant
smile, i was thar from - to So and took al the
s safk o Dows to s and from hand
When gold was discovered by Marshall in that
tai race n s;'ser was digging for MS saw mill at
about mining: Never heard how they knew 1t
told about it, but here IS the right one A I,
was little nugget Marshall picked up. worth three
BIZ it, rubbed smee sTn but as u
them had a clear idea what it was. Several thought
thought struck Marshall. Mrs Weber boarded the
hands She aa Vas making soft soap from pine ashes
nugget In I've day or two, and II it didn't change
eooeS or pa Ise rs N the test was sure
knows the rest
Among the first the ground was lot Of
class OF humans; The greaser brought his willow
and scraped among crev!ces OF rocks at the waters
edge for 'chispas. or. as We call them. nuggets
was a great Improvement over the willow pan and
knife In the fall OF '4s. picks, shovels. iron pans
in from the outside. Rockers sold for three ounces
shovels half an ounce apiece. picks the same. pans
pair: and whiskey a pinch drink That was the
price in mining camps. A pinch what a bar
keeper could take between his forefnger and
thumb. They had big fingers and thumbs in those
days. and barkeeper's salary was measured by
Their size. Wages was an ounce day.
The Georgia bumper displaced the rocker. IL
was something like rocker. but much larger. and
had several rifles catch the gold The ends OF
the rockers bump against blocks of wood lar the
gravel in the screen and between the rifles. 4
bumper cost 500, whee.barrow two ounces and a
China pump SIS. That made bumper mining out
fit 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
"a uTa nf11n eha
the wash falling through the perforatons while
OF the hands forked the rocks small
"A sluice added the Tom. These. as
we'll the Tom. were supplied with rifles. which
generally caught about all the dust. Long Tom
first used in Nevada City in 1850. Improve
ments In modes ~ placer mining rapidly followed.
ground sluc.ng next. and hydraulic mining.
where water and fall could be obtained. displaced
the rocker bumper and Tom. Hydraulic mining
is old thing now.
How about underground mining?" inquired the
reporter.
miners In the bed OF Deer Creek. below Ne
vada City in the summer OF 1850 IL found IN
a narrow vein. but the discovery led 10 the opening
Grass Valley. in Nevada County All the equip
ments of the mines at first crude but the
mines rich and paid well. Black powder
used in blasting where blasting necessary.
Some after nitro-glycerlne was introduced in
the State. but explosion of the stun in a San
Francisco express Office knocked II out and giant
powder came into use. You know the rest