The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08

a rule the process is the same. The great
desire of all prospect0rs is to discover a
placer mine. This is called the poor mans
mine, for with few dollars in equipment
and plenty of hard work he can secure the
gold that lies therein. The vast bulk Of
all the gold i'm the world is carried in veins
of quartz which lie in various kinds of
country rock" as the surrounding mate
rial is called. This is generally granite
AS the ground upheaved the quartz veins
were sometimes exposed to a disintegrat-
ing influence of some kind, generally wa
ter. The quartz is ofttimes rotten" or
soft, and readily yields. Crumbling awav.
1t was washed down the mountain
streams carrying the small particles of
gold with IL. These. being heavy. settled
to the bottom, and If the bottom was loose
gravel or sand. they gradually washed
down to bed rock" or some impenetrable
strata, which may be rock or possibly a
tough clay These particles may finally
come TO rest many miles from the ledge
from which they were broken, and the
ledge may be entirely destroyed or may
partially remain to be discovered later on
and become mine.
The seekers after placer gold generally
travel in pairs, though many an old-time
prospector has spent months or even years
with only his pack animals for company
in his lonely search for wealth. and has
avoided his fellow man as he would a pur-
suing vengeance. Ills outfit is simple. II
complete, he rides a horse or muie-where
he can. Upon another animal Is packed
his outfit. The old saw buck pack Is SIN
the best, and upon Il Is put roll OF
blankets. a war bag" a seamless sack.
containing a change Of shirts. a frying
pan, coffee pot, few tin dishes, and
such provision as he has, which are US
ually -four, bacon coffee, baking powder
ana salt. All these are covered with a
canvas tent or sheet. On top are strap
ped his pick. shovel and pan" which
looks like a large-sized copper wash basin.
Arriving at "A ravinc which looks prom
ising, the miner gathers IN his pan some
OF the finer sand along solid bottom
and by repeated washngs. which are per-
formed with "A rotary motion, the cOarser
particles are sluiccd over the Sides He
then has IN the bottom a little gray-black
sand. and n he has struck II rich" he can
see with the naked eye the particles OF
gold mixed with a. They may be so
fine that it takes a glass 40 determine The
presence OF "a color" or very fine grain
II then he feels encouraged he stakes off
a claim, digs down 10 bed rock, and In
vestlgates more thoroughly n he has
struck pay dirt he hurries away TO the
recorders office. files his claim. obtains
help 10 work n. either with money. n b.
has a.. or by taking la a partner. re sinks
o shaft 10 bed rock and drifts" up along
the real bottom OF the gulch. n hls tales
OF Rold TO bo had are encouraging. others
follow him back 90 his location. stake out
mine claims. and. " tho gold Is there n
stampede is on, new Eldorado her
aided. ana men are made rich or poor
as they may play the cards.
AZ soon aa the existence ~ pay dirt has
been established more permanent works
are built Long. narrow wooden boxes.
called alulccH. are built. viii narrow cioafH
across ihe bottom. Winter On turned Into
thia and thr gold-brHring gravel fh0Yelled
~ az the head. The heavy particles u