The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
JUST OVER THE DIVIDE.
THERE rs WHERE TIE Placer
MINER HOPES To FIND RICHES.

His Out1t Ne = Prospector and Eats Plant
Ms = NInc Oprrator-An Ola story rhnt
VIII Re Repeated No Long a. Nsan Loves
Riche~-The Dtnicuities or Quarts Mining.
Eron tho Kansas CITY star.
Tho story Of the hunt for gold In a tragedy.
1t Is an ancient yarn and not yet told TO tho
eud, for while IL commenced with tho lawn II
mans intelligence. It will only end with civil.
cation. 1t is a tragedy, for countless lives have
been destroyed in the openings Of cach chaptc',
but no talo OF horrors has deferred It's progress.
It is ever now. It's promises of life, wealth, and
happiness, 'just over tho noxt divide" are as
alluring to-day as yesterday or the day before.
No sooner Is one bubble exploded. one reef
robbed Of its glittering particles. than another
bubble is blown. another reef Ia discovered. tie
mad rush starts, and the story Is told ngasn-
The worlds production of gold has increased
amazingly each year, and yet from day to iay
IL buys moro of what man needs to make him
comfortable in this vale Of tears. In 1s47 tho
United States produced only 5000, Os5 in gold.
This increased a million or so a year until 1890,
when over 800. 900, 600 In American gold was
turned into the marts Of the world. Then cana
tho great decline in silver. Tho silver miners
abandoned their claims and Joined the army OF
the gold hunters, and in 1895 tho product OF
the gold mines Of the United States was 1920.
DOC, 900. Nearly all OF this gold came from
Alaska Washington. Oregon. Idaho, Montana,
California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado. South
Dakota, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Going on down into Mexico II will DO found
that the gold mines Of that country are only ,
continuation Of the great mineral reef whic,o
ribs this continent from the Behring Strait to
tho Il thmus OF Panama. In places where tho
army of gold hunters has been concentrated
tho most gold has beer produced. but as the pio-
necrs have left the beaten trails and pros
pecter the gulches the gold may have spread
its confines until no man shall say that wher,
tho internal rros of the earth have heaved tho
greet granite lodges TO the surface no gold
shall be found sprinkled through the quartz
veins which are coincident or in the beds o,
streams which have crumbled the quartz lodges
into rolling pebbles.
For many years past tho advance courier1
Of this army Of gold hunters have been pushing
toward tho North Pole. Tho mines are Away
richer "fn the next gulch' to these restless
spirits. British Columbia first felt their infu-
ence and 'proftod thereby. Gold mines havo
been discovered there, and fortunes are taken
from the ground every year. The true miner.
the Forty-niner, or his descendant, wants no
rocky ledge which requires capital to work.
He wants free play, where he can build bis own
primitive plant and put his gains In an empty
syrup can or a bucks kin sack at the close o.
S'ah TO- ~ wv hhi' bo tihot 10 nav ing
gines. SO on they pushed to the furthest poinp
Of northern land over which floats the American
flag. Here the great valley of the Yukon winds
from the sea around behind the tremendous
ranges of mountains which stand as guardians
over a land already wen projected by its in
terminable winter and everlasting SHOWS. Fol-
lowing Its winding course for thousands Of miles
these hardy pioneers found reward for their
lahors. and when in 1894 Alaska added a mil
lion Inl1,ra IN ,al} IN thn rr,rtl's ,,-1- .lo
Obtained rank as n mineral State. and tho
mining world assumed an cxpectant attitude
as to what might come from beyond those snow
clad hills. In 1895 more fortune seekers en-
tered the Yukon valley. The story of thcir
homecoming is the story of the day, for tho
first ship has brought more gold than canlo
from Alaska in all the years preceding. Another
golS reserve has been discovered which will
s tagrer the strongest combine to corner"
Tho history of tho discovery Of oil the great
gold districts of the world is alike. The Gle
mate, environment. and character of the people
may cause enough variation to give e. ch dis
cnvery a character. but as a rule the process is
is to discover a placer mine. This is called The
poor mans mine, for with a few dol ars ia EQUIP
gold that haf lies therein Nv The Ss VAST bulk 4 se Of all The he
gold in the world is carried in veins of quartz
ss tbe n ssr a1 TsfiHss material sieqs d Is I cai i T FHfkii is
generally granite. As the ground upheavcd,
the quartz veins were sometimes exposed toa
disintegrnting influence of some kind. generally
soft, and readily yields. Crpmbling away. 10
Ing the small particles of gold with it. These.
being heavy, settled TO the bottom. and II tho
ualiy washed down 10 bed rock" or some i'm
genc'rable strata, which may be. rock. or pos j.
come OF E; to t9I rest man many miles miles f frem the f iedse ,f fran.
which they were broken. and the ledge may be
SSe'difis stor asstF2 isser or on % anS b% psG1i"li j m 1f%si" 70
The seekers after placer gold generally travel
IN pairs, though many an old-time. prosLcc, or
pack animal for company in his lonely search
for wealth. and has avoided his fellow man as
simple. II complete; he rides a horse or mule
ro whS5o b he can; C TnGon s1other animal /:
saddle is still the hest. and upon it is put a roll
OF blankets. a war bag a seamless sack.
coffee POT, a few tin dishes, and such urovis-
ions rs he has, which are usually -four. bacon,
r ro~srea 0S Win a po Sanyas A tent sa or sheet ael 'he oe f nTS
ar, strapped his pick. shovel ard pan. which
'0G bT,i iifs a 1 ,qr ( rsx;no G wPIsS ,ooEs basin
the miner gathers in his pan some of the finer
sand along = solid bottom. and lhy repca',l
mo ion. the coarse >. .ticies are siuiced Owe,
the sides; He then ie2 in the bottom a lite
Soi1 mixed with it, They may be So lire tnrt
corrnrod he STAKE, OF a claim. diRs down 10
bed rock, and investigates more thoroughly.
he has struck ray dirt he hurrics away 10
ihc Recorders Office. files his claim. obtains
help To work IL. either with money. II he has it,
or by taking in n partner. He sinks a shaft %
he'd rock and drifts mp along the real bottom
OF the Gulch. II bis tales OF gold To be- had are
encouraging. Others follow him back 10 his 10
cation. stake out mine claims. and. II the gold
Is there; "A stampede" is on. a new Eldorado
nSraidcd, ana men are made rich or poor AS
As soon as the e~xiStetcc Of pay dirt has bcea
established more permanent works are built
Long. narrow wooden boxes. called sluicos,
2"e built. with narrow clcat, across the bottom.
Water L. turned into this aVd TIC gold Tearing
gravel shoycllcd In a. the herd, The heavy
particles Of gold drop to the POTION. the dirt is
washed in and ont at the lower end. AT night
tho water Is turned on. u cleanup OF tle boxes
Is made, and upon the results depend the days
earnings. The. plant is mo,tly labor. hcic.
placer mining IL called the poor mans MINING.
There later corners pay for their claims, and
where water Is scarce i; must be bought. IN