The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-04
CURIOUS BLACK SAND.
GREAT yAJIE IN GOLD on THE
sAskATcHEwax RIVER
berfa-Where Does Ia Come
From .-The Miner. Theery-East

This week Mr.. Harold Gruner. Of Cal
yary. wno Is on a visit 70 East EDotenay.
showed the Miner while passing through
20 Fort Steele. seine of the famed black
sand found N the Saskatchewan river
rfar Edmonton. In the district OF Alberta.
WHICH analysis has proved 70 be exceed
ih2iy rich IN gold. The sand IS far from
golden IN its appearance II looks Ike
a mixture OF black and grey sand min
sd together. II Is iupregnated with
tiny pebbles and minute pieces Of rock.
II is very heavy IN bulk. u Is found In
the bed OF the river and the AREA where
y - found - some miles In extent TIE
deposits do not appeal 70 be growing
nrch les as they are quickly renewed by
successive foods when the waters Of he
rsFsr become high. Several companies
have been formed 20 treat this sand 80
as 20 obtain from IL the great amount Of
gold that exists in II. Crushing, amalga-
nation or extraction BY means Of quick
SILVER have been attempted This process
has not beea a complete SUCCESS Anoth~
sT process has been tried az treatment oy
the action OF fire. roasting and smelling
eut the Miner does not know with what
result
The analysis or assays made go as high
as $40 per ton There are millions Of
tors. The great problem 70 be solved Is
how 10 extract the dollars from the tons.
The searcher after wealth among its par
dcies = 30 busy with the solution of this
problem. that he does not pay much at
tention 10 me anestion--Where does this
gold sand come from? This Is a geoiogi-
cal ard scientific question. There are no
quartz reefs near. The only thing APP
rr' aching rock. are some immense boult-
ers scattered about. scientific theory
Is that these have drif:ed away from
Hudson's Bay in the glacial age. This
may be 20 but they do seem TO have
brought the gold with them because ex-
animation has proved. 80 far as II has
gone. that there Is no gold quartz in any
OF them. While the Miner is interested
In this latter question. IL Is much more
interested In the solution Of the problem
how 10 get '.the sugar out Of the sand
because in certain of the rivers and
streams Of East kootenay there are sim
liar deposits OF this sand which have
been proved 20 be rich in gold. There are
deposits IN Blackberry Creek In the Don
aid division In the northern part Of East
kooteuay The Blackberry deposits are
reEFiy opposite the Saskatchewan depos-
It's but on the other side of the Rockies.
The Miners theory Island the Miner
Is generally correct-that those sandy de-
posits come from the gold deposits in the
Rockies. The sources. which are many.
Of the head waters Of the Saskatchewan
lie Tar away IN among these mountains.
The opposite side OF the Rockies has
been proved both IN placer and quartz.
and there is no reason shy these depos-
It's should not extend through the noun
talns 20 the eastern side. on the con-
trary. biologists viii tell you the forma-
ticn Is the same and that therefore the
quartz lodges must he OF the same char
acter. The forks and tributaries Of tie
Saskatchewan run with considerable We
locIty and the river Is not slow moving
stream until II Is far away from the
mountains. The carrying force OF water
Is great, Rocks and boulders can be
moved long distances through It's agency.
The gold Is -four gold and can be more
easily and readily carried along. But the
question may he very aptiy put why do
the deposits occur where they do, why
should they he at those particular places
The character OF the earth viii readily
account FOR this. Certain portions of he
earth possess great magnetic attractions
and Il may be and II In all probability al
these places where these magnetic prop
critics exist that the deposits are made.
Golden Il. C. Miner.