The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-02-13
SITTING. THE SANDS.
How the ~Beaoh Combers" Work
When q Storm Comes.


"A 0UOsA0 II }OSG - &VOO - q 0EG
though. When the "beach combers''
zee one coming across the waters they
pull on their rubber boots and oilskina
and forth they sally. The first wind
picks up the light dry sand and blows il
away in little swirls. That takes OF
one layer. The "comber" hurries
around after the swirls and picks up
whatever is exposed to sight. Layer
after layer of sand is removed, uncover
ing more and more coins and trinkets
for the scavengers of the seashore. On
the day Of the last great storm one man
picked up $32, which is the best days
work remembered by any of the men
talked with. This storm chasing la
pretty hard labor The men have to
run around from place to place after
the "blows of sand,' and the wind soon
begins to lift and throw in big waves,
which, with the tide, pour in shore and
cover the beach. So profitable is it.
however, that the combers search till
the water is over their boot tops.
The most profitable work of all is the
hardest. That is digging around the
base Of the piles Of the iron pier. The
pier in summer, is promenade as we'll
as waiting-room. From it all sorts of
things drop, and, sinking in the water,
are given up by the owner as lost. The
comber knows otherwise. He has
learned that the ebb and flow of the tide
washes little eddy holes around every
pile. and that everything that comes
anywhere near these holes is deposited
in them. He is aware, moreover, that
e, en- heavy objects are borne backward
and forward by the waves, and that
consequently the chances are in favor
Of the pile hole receiving, ON some in
and out dow of the tide, all things worth
recovering. So when the beaches are
left by the summer crowds and the
hucksters. the combers go out with
their big shovels and sieves and dig up
the sand in the holes. They say that
the finds are of good value and very mis-
cellaneous. Most numerous are the
pickings from the surface of the "hard
pan" from two or three feet down
through the surface sand. Upon this
hard floor the coins stand on edge in
position to penetrate to the safe regions
below. But the comber, understanding
this, shovels down three Or four feet
further, and though it is heavy work
and exhausting afterward when the
sieve has to be used to release the sand
the patient placer miner makes sure he
has reaped the summer harvest before
he leaves off his task. 30. ..
There are two rich places which have
not been explored. One is defended by
. man and his wife who own the ground.
1t Is a line of poles set up for the BATH
ing patrons. Four years ago young
man went into the water there with two
$50 gold pieces around his neck. He
was about to be married and was saving
up the money for the event. It was too
precious to be left in the bathhouse
keepers safe, so he kept it in the little
cather bag at his neck. When he came
out of the water the bag and the gold
were gone, He wept and cursed and
made such noise about his loss that
everybody "on Coney" knew of it. The
combers were not alone in the search
for it, but it was not found during the
season and In the fall the winter men
prepared to dig around the lifeline
poles. Gebbard was afraid they would
dig up the poles or loosen them and he
forbade them to work three. The police
assisted him when they were within
call, but whenever they and Gebbarl
were away down swooped the combers
to search for the gold. The owner
found 1t necessary to leave his wife to
watch while he was away and the colu-
bers have been kept Oh ever since. But
they mean to have those double eagles
yet; they know they are in the pole
holes and Dave Stewart, the negro
comber, said recently:
"Tse goin' to have them goldbugs il
II takes till Gabriel blows"
The other untouched spots are also
poles, those that once carried
a line from the pier to the Scenic rail-
road. When the bathing houses there
were torn down the poles were left and
the combers are welcome to delve be-
side them. But every year they have
been passed over because there were
enough other places equally rich to last
through the winter, and now the tide |
and the sand drift are gradually risin.y
over the tops Of the poles. They, win |
soon be buried and their location will |
be forgotten unless some energetic |
cs,mher attacka them IN Y Post !