Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-09

terl--.4ls OF Re Trans Siberian railway 10
Tonsk I made the acquaintance of a ST.
berian gentleman living in that city, but
who was engaged during the summer
months operating several gold mines which
he owned near tine Chinese border line, on
one of the remote tributaries of the YEN
isei river.
When he learned that one of the objects
of my visit to Siberia was to study, among
others, the gold mining industry, he was
most Urgent in his invitation to join him
early trip TO his mines, where every
opportunity, he assured me, would be af-
forded for obtaining the information 1 was
seeking. 1 may add, with considerable
qualification, that my American ndtionali-
ty was by no means my least recommo nda-
ton to this and the many other favors
experienced in Siberia. Owing to previous
engage ments, however. / could not leave
with my host on the day of his departure,
but 1 agreed to join him fortnight later
at his village home al KaratUss, some :ss)
there the journey was continued by small
Siberian ski1s over the swift rapids of tie
fenisei tributary and on horseback through
the taigas. or dense Siberian forests.
Our party consisted of my host, interpre-
ter and myself. Four sturdy Russian fish
ermen manned our two boats at stem and
stern, and with their long birch poles push
ed US slowly against the swift current of
the mountain stream. My host was d typi-
cal Siberian gold miner. He had come up
by sheer luck from the position of COM
mon peasant and gold washer al OF the
mines to that of a rich proprietor and
still retained all the superstition and Hit
eracy of the peasant. together with lis pc
culiar nonchalant and open-hearted dispo
sition-
Miners and Gambling.
He had. Furthermore, imbibed the Siber-
Ian gold miners propensity for gambling;
only last year. as he indifferently informed
me, ne had lost s1O0.o00 at card playing in
the Tomsk gaming circle. which 1 after
ward learned Included even the governor
himself 1 found. however, after many
hours of considera ton. which the leisure
of the journey afforded. that he was
well versed at least IT the points of his
own vocation. and by virtue of lifelong
experience was full of practical informal
tion about Siberian gold mining in general.
And now as We proceed on this wild jour
ney through the most primeval Of Siberian
some of the data L CLEANED from this
source regarding the localities in which
gold is found In Siberia and how 1t is dis
covered and appropriated.
In toe mountainous districts of the for
est region countless brooks unite into rivu-
lets, which, in accordance with the char
acter of the landscape, have strong fall.
becoming very rapid in the spring and
more so in the summer, after the
melting of the snow The waters uproot
trees. Undermine rocks and sweep along
fury. till the low lands are reached where
the stream. having longer the same
force, allows the heavy gold to sink the
bottom to be covered, perhaps, next season
with more gold. or, perhaps, by earth and
rubbish.
How They Prospect i'm Siberia.
The professional tayoshuik or gold hunt
er. has to discover these auriferous layers;
but this he cannot do alone There must
be prospecting party made up. which
may consist. say, of overseer. a leader
eight workmen. ten horses, eighteen saddle
bags. provisions and tools. the whole Of
which may be estimated to cost about
$500.
Any one may so irto the uninhabited
taiags to seek for gold (as the hunter may
penetrate the same dismal region in search
OF game) provided. that is, he has certifi-
cate from mining officers, which he may
get by merely giving proofs OF good citi-
Zenshp.
The tayoshuik knows. in the first place,
that the Siberian gold deposits are almost
always to be met with the banks of
streams or in their beds. Again. gold is
often hidden in creyices of the earth that
have evidently once served channels for
running water Moreover, he knows that
those rivers that wash up gold are always
those which have their sources in rayines
the rocks of which are very much weather.
beaten Gold is rarely found at precipitous
spots. and Is most abundant where the
The shape of the gold grains gives some
idea of Its previous history and travels.
Are the particles fiat ard thin? Then they
have been dragged over sand and rocks.
Are they round like grains? Then they
have been in some Whirlpool. participants
in mad circlfng lance. Or. orce more.
are they fine dust particles. with here and
there a larger piece. with various mir
erals attached-3articularly quartz their
original noneo Then in this las shape the
gold has probably had comfortable and
quiet journey
The search for Gold.
With knowledge of this kind the gold
hunter proceeds till he arrives at the val
ley of stream where the presence of
pyrites. iron strata clay. quartz Indicate
the likelihood of gold deposits. In those
parts of Siberia where the ground is un-
frozen the exploration OF these deposits is
always made In winter by means of pits
sunk into the frozen ground. The method
adopted is follows: In autumn the pits
are carefully laid out and sunk to the
water level when the work is stopped and
the pit left open for a certain number of
days and carefully protected from the
snow. When the pit mas sufficiently frozen
through, a wood fire is lighted at the bot
tom, and when the bottom of the pit has
thawed to depth OF about one foot. the
thaHed layer Is removed with a pick AMI
shovel The specimens are then taken into
warm winter quarters erected upon. the
workings and there washed and assayed.
Thus the work OF testing a locality NAV
take some little time. Meanwhile the work
men AMI oVerseer live in their wretched
hat which often is not well rooted and
heated only by a portable stove The wind
whistles through the cracks of the moss
ealked walls an intoierable heat reigns in
the vicinity of the stove, while on the on
posite walls icicles gleam like brilliants and
melting SHOWS fall from above. The air is
rendered poisonous by the exhalations Of
the inmates and the yapor ascending from
camp clothing hung near the fire to dry.
In fact. as the workmen say, the atmos-
phere Is thick enough ito hang up an ak
IN however. in the wilderness, even such
sheIler Is lonSed for refuge when a fierce
snow storm Is raging and the tbermom-
eter mas sunk TO so or 40 degrees below
But supposing the overseer to have dis
covered promising spot and TO have lest
60 the earth from several holes he can
then strike an average as to the amount of
p0odS-that is. every thirtv-tuo hun5rad