The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-25
JUST OVER THE DIVIDE
THERE is WHERE THE PLACER MIN
Err ALWAYS FINDS WEALTH.
An Old story That VIII Continue TO
Be Told So Long as Civilization
Shall Rule the Earth.
Kansas City Star.

Kansas City Star.
The story of the hunt for gold is a TRACE
dy 1t is an ancient yarn and not yet told
to the end, for while it commenced with
the dawn of mans intelligence it will only
end with civilization. 1t is tragedy for
countless lives have been destroyed in the
openings of each chapter, but no tale of
horrors has deferred its progress. 1t is
ever new. It's promises of life, wealth and
happiness, Just over the next divide" are
as alluring to-day S yesterday or the day
before. No sooner is one bubble exploded
one reef robbed of its glitterng particles,
than another bubble is blown, another reef
is discovered, the mad rush starts anew
and the story is told again.
The worlds production of gold has in
creased amazingly each year, and yet from
day to day it buys more of what man needs
to make him comfortable in this vale OF
tears. 1t has not always been so, for in
Pizzaro's time boots were cheap and yet
they brought $4,000 pair in gold-for gold
was cheaper still, measured in boots. The
worlds population has grown from year
to year. Gold has become the yardstick
Of values of the products Of the earth, and
despite the efforts of the gold hunters it
is as valuable to-day as it was fifty years
ago, when the production was only a small
percentage of what it is now. In 1S47 the
United States produced only $939 0S5 in gold
This increased a million or so a year until
1890, when over 0OOO0 900 in American
gold was turned into the marts of the
world. Then came the great decline in
silver. The silver miners abandoned their
claims and Joined the army of the gold
|
gold mines of the United States was
$120, 900, 0OO Nearly all of this gold came
from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho
Montana, California, Navada, Utah. Colo
RADIO, South Dakota, New Mexico and Ari-
iona.
Going on down into Mexico it will be
found that the gold mines of that country
are only a continuation of the great min
eral reef which ribs this continent from the
Boring straights to the Isthmus of Panama.
In places where the army of gold hunters
has been concentrated the most gold has
been produced, but the pioneers have
left the beaten trails and prospected the
gulches the gold may have spread its con-
fines until no man shall say that where
the internal fires of the earth have heaVed
the great granite lodges to the surface no
gold shall be found sprinkled through the
quartz veins which are coincident, or in
the beds of streams which have crumbled
the quartz lodges into rolling pebbles
PUSHING TO THE NORTH.
of this army of gold hunters have been
pushing towards the north pole. The mines
are always richer sin the next gulch' to
these restless spirits. British Columbia
first felt their influence and profited there
by. Gold mines have been discovered there
and fortunes are taken from the ground
every year. The true miner, the Forty
miner, his descendant, wants no rocky
ledge which requires capital to work. He
wants free play where he can build. his
own primitive plant and put his gains in
an empty syrup can or buckskin sack at
the close of each day. To do this he must
have placer diggings. So on they pushed
to the farthest point 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 guardian over
a land already we'll protected by its inter-
minable winter and everlasting SHOWS. Fol
lowing its winding course for thousands
of miles these hardy pioneers found re-
ward for their labors, and when in 1884
Alaska added a million dollars in gold to
| the worlds supply, she obtained rank as
sumed expectant attitude as to what
might come from beyond those great snow
clad hills In 1885 more fortune seekers
entered the valley of the Yukon. The story
Of their home coming is the story of the
day, for the first ship has brought in its
cargo more gold than came from Alaska in
all the years preceding. Another gold re-
serve has been discovered, which will stag
The history Of the discovery of all the
great gold districts of the world is alike
The climate, environment and character of
the people may cause enough variation TO
give each discovery character, but as
rule the process is the same. The great de
sire of all prospectOrS is to discover placer
mine. This is called the poor mans mine,
for with a few dollars in equipment and
plenty of hard work he can secure the goId
that lies therein. The vast bulk OF all the
gold in the world is carried in veins Of
quartz which lie in various kinds of
Country rock" as the surrounding ma
terial is called. This is generally granite.
AS the ground upheaved the quartz veins
were sometimes exposed to disintegrating
influence of some kind, generaLy water;
readily yields. Crumbling away, 1t was
washed down the mountain streams, carry
ing the small particles OF gold with IT,
These, being heavy, settled to the bottom
and if the bottom was loose gravel or sand
they gradually washed down TO pea rock
or some impenetrable strata, which may De
rock or possibly tough clay: Ihese par
ticles may finally come to rest many miles
from the ledge from which they were
broken and the ledge may be entirely de-
stroyed or may partially remain TO be dis
covered later on and become mine
PLACER MINING.
The seekers after placer gold generally
travel in pairs, though many an old-tlme
prospector has spent months or even years
with only his pack animal for company In
his lonely search for wealth. and has
avoided his fellow-man as he would a pur-
suing vengeance. His outfit is simple If
| complete he rides horse or mule-where
he can. Upon another animal is packed
his outfit The old saw buck pack saddle
is still the best, and upon it is put roll of
blankets, a war bag" a seamless sack,
containing change of shirts frying pan,
a coffee pot, few tin dishes and such pro-
visions as he has, which are usually llour
bacon coffee. baking powder and salt All
| these are covered with canvas tent or
sheet on top are strapped his pick, shovel
and pan" which looks like a large-sized
| copper wash basin.
Arriving at a ravine which looks prom
Using the miner gathers in his pan some of
the finer sand along a solid bottom. and by
repeated washings, which are performed
with a rotary motion, the coarser particles
are sluiced over the sides, He then has in
the bottom a little gray-black sand, and If
he has struck it rich he can see with the
naked eye the particles Of gold mixed with
it. They may be so fine that it takes a
glass to determine the presence OF a col
or" or very fine grain. If then he feels
encouraged he stakes off a claim, digs down
to bed rock and investigates more thor
oughly. If he has struck pay dirt he hur-
ries away to the recorders office, files his