The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-10
is justified to look for gold on the other side as


AS an additional guide the gravel rock
fragments in the gold bearing stream should
be compared with that being prospected. II
the two contain identical rocks, and particu-
'larly If they both contain quar- diorite, dIa-
base or porphyry pebbles, II IS worth the
chance TO extend the prospecting. even II the
first efforts disclose no gold. When gold is
found in Sc veral claims in the same valley the
direction of the line OF deposit should be
noted and the first prospecting should be done
in that line as being the most probable one
several claims going up stream should be
compared both in total quantity and size OF
grains. With the data OF this comparison 1t
is possible to reason out the locus OF the rich
est ground and also TO know when the lode
source of the gold is being approached.
Coarse gold, gold with attached quartz frag-
ments and rough gold all indicate that the
source is comparatively close a hand-that g
point is being reached beyond which there
will be no placer. The Russians, in their min
ing of the Siberian placers, failed generally to
recognize the lode sources OF the gold, and IN
many instances carried their prospecting for
piacers miles up stream beyond the lodes from
which the GOLD came. There is no reason Tor
American miners making the same mistake.
Another indication o nearness TO lodes is the
presence OF rough fragments OF pyrite, ehalco-
pyrite or galena. Even if these last do not
lead to gold bearing lodes, they may lead to
valuable lodes OF copper or lead.
Generally anything heavy that is found IN
the mining should he determined. silver,
quicksilver, tin and nickel ores and platinum
orc oil WI III SOLSlNiel4IS' even ~ ANS Al
The possibility of their occurrence should not
be lost sight OF. the more particularly as their
discovery is only to be made by following up
the stream indications. The covering OF snow
over The surface for seven months of the year,
the covering of moss for the other five months,
precludes the possibility OF prospec ting by the
ordinary surface methods.
Where 1t is necessary to prospect without
the guide of discoveries already made ada
cent, almost total dependence must be placed
on the character of the pebbles in the graveis
uncovered in prospecting. Ii much quartz be
found, even though no gold at first, II is adj
visabe TO cover the possible ground for
p acer pretty thoroughly before g abandoning II
finally.
AS a general proposition it will prove very
advantageous tor a dozen or more miners to
cooperate in making a systematic exploration
OF unknown ground. Work can be done
cheaper, faster and surer than by the same
men acting Independently, Cooperation ad-
mits OF in sing the tool outf by black
smlth-shop and drill outfit. Powder can be
used and the respect holes sunk through the
frozen ground m UGH faster than by fire.
Prospecting can be spread over a much
larger area by cooperation than by the same
men acting each for himself. Cooperating,
once the gold lead is found, the whole COM
pany are in a position to intelligently secure
a valuable claim for each member and to get
the claims so connected that they can be
economically exploited as one property. 1t
must be remem bered that the present cum ber-
some method OF exploitation will soon be re-
placed by quicker and better ones, admitting
of the prof bile working OF the ground now
left unworked, and distinctly advantageous to
large claims, compared with small ones.