The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-01
CONCLUDED from saturday. }

Into the higher eni the water is thrown,
and when IL reaches the lower part which
rests on the trough, "a man stands with
shovel. and removes the stones and other
distractions from the sieve.
Tho sluice Is the most simple, and saves
the most gold. 1t is an ordinary spout,
Que end being an tncn larger than the
other, that IL may better fit one end into
the other-it being in sections.
This Is placed on the ravine or gulch,
when water is to be- had, whsre small
dam at the upper end allows the water to
pass through.
At the lower end of each section is a
riffle-ba three inches high, which backs
the sand back, the gold following directly
underneath.
A sluice 30 long, gives q fall Of
three feet and for one of this size, five or
six men would be kept shoveling.
A man with a sluice- rake, which resom-
bles clam hoe. stands at the lower end.
keeping the sand loose, by working back
and forth.
After running our sluice all day we re.
duce the water TO small stream ana
then draw the upper rifle bar and SO con-
tinue. all the time keeping the sand and
gold loose with the rake, until we reach
the last section, when we remove the sand
10 a tin pan, the size and shape OF milk
nan, but having considerable rim that 10
may be- clutched firmly.
This Is then taken TO river or creek and
sunk deep enough TO permit the water TO
run In well at the top, then twirled
around and lifted up quickly, letting the
sand pass of.
When sufficiently cleaned it is put in
TIN with one end left open, which is called
a blower. 1t Is dried by placing over
fire and the superfluous sand Is then
blown off,
What foreign matter Is left Is removed
nv r,,n m m I'M
The gold is now placed In scale and
weighed and each man receives his APP
portionate share.
By this method we make ten to fifteen
dollars to man, while II Graded not
more than three or four.
In prospecting the tailings show hardly
q color OF gold. so that the sluice saved
nearly all.
Sent home by Adams Express Com
pany at the end Of the season, five hun
dred dollars.
From Sacramento IL went to the mint
in Washington, where 10 was changed
into coin, and then to my brother in Fall
River who received five hundred and
fifty dollars, the variation Of weight, you
see, being to his credit.
The rainy season proving unsteady and
often being without water we can work
the diggings only at times When there
was nothing better to do the boys went in
search Of game, none of us being hunters,
however.
The country aboundcd in deer, rabbits
and quail.
took my gun one morning and started
for the mountains -two-miles distant.
Soon after / started drizzling rain set IN
and while jogging along / spied two deer
ON a side hill coming toward me.
Had heard II person remained motion
less they d often be Indifferent To ones
~ N Il laanad aUninQt "a and
watched their movements, as they came
down one hill, i being on the opposite.
When they were within two hundred
feet of me another hunter appeared on
the scene and whistled. This was done
so I'd move and In so doing attract tho
attention of the deer. but had no notion
of moving at this most interesting period.
The deer which was In advance at the
sound of the whistle turned around and
in SO doing presented his side to me-
Nov or never - said to myself, aim.
ing at the same time back of his shoul-
der calculating the shot would drop
After the shot was fired he disappeared
in the bushes.
Reloading my rifle I descended and
cached the spot where lay the prostrato
deer, to find the other hunter already
there.
''Is that the deer shotS' asked.
"No; It's one ! shot below and fol-
lowed up." answered he. His rifle saw
was a Mississippi Yager, which carried a
rifle. used only small slug ball.
Tho place in the deer's windpipe where
the shot had entered looked so large--it
now being nearly dark-I thought per.
haps the man was all right, so helped him
hang him up In tree, that nothing
might trouble him.
Taking his bowieknife the man re-
mr. hia hat ha
early next morning and pack him in
Gong back to camp tell my partners
do not feel satisfied about the affair, and
they all agree there Is something not
right, and tell me I'd better follow him
up
In the morning start out by o'clock
with my gun, and while knocking about
the mountains, the sun being half an
hour high, a man who had worked on
the creek with me came along, and asked
II was having any luck. Related nv
experience Of tho night before and showed
the deer where II hung on tree. IIe
asked II I'd examined him, and answer
ing that had not, he said: "I'll go
down with you and We'll see. F"
Found the shot had cut his wind-pipe
of and lodged on the other side, without
passing through his hide.
Taking out his knife the man removed
the ball, finding IL one of mine There !
II you nave any trouble, call on Inc,
said he. putting IL in his pocket Soon
after, / heard voices. and looking down,
saw the hunter of the day before, coming
up tho trail with a pack mule.
II believe I've got claim here" said
i. stepping out.
what, have you found the shotg'
"Yes, and its mine, was the answer
"All right then I'll carry him into camp
for you." This deer was big fellow, and
.,eighed 200 pounds and was worth 81
per pound.
Our camp was ut the junction OF two
ravines. An old pine tree that grow in
one of these ravines, boing uprooted by
the wind was found TO have quito u sup
PLY Of gold at its roots.
One day we got $50 worth and in three
days time-when the whole supply was
exhausted we had worked out sl50 worth
with pan and spoon.
Early In the spring water again gave
out, SO we had TO move once more; going
this time TO the middle fork of the Amer
lean river.
From there we went To Coloma and
visited the bar where Settlers old saw
mill stood. Here In this raccway gold
was first discovered. After working here
awhile, without much luck. we drifted
n -.