Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-07-07
ARIZONA SCENES.
"moiavo jack and "Plneer Bill"
by CACTUS"

by CACTUS"
Did you over IN ,et an old prospector?
A professional archer for minerals-a
hunter Of mines? Come with me and
make the acquaintance Of two veterans
who are camped under that big cotton
wood by the ditch. One is away, but
we find Moi I'VE Jack ouSstrctched upon
the ground, with his bead resting upon |
greasy canvas covered roll OF blankets
reading last Sundays San Francisco pa
per. Mojave Jacks real name is John
Ash worth, but few there be that know
1t. IL was lost in the early days when
he was hunt ng gold in the gray brown
! hills that raise their rocky SUBMITS by
the Colorado about LA Paz.
But If he lost one name he found an
other, and from Tombstone to Grand
Canyon there's hardly man that don't
| know Moiave Jack. He is a quartz min
er aud hunts for lodges. His eye for
float" rock is almost miraculous, and
many are the mines that he has found
! by tracing up the ledge matter carried
down stream by the floods. There by
! his side YOU soc the tools that he uses,
! They consist OF small iron mortar and
pestlr, a single-pO nted pick, and horn
/ -
COWS horn, cut out and polished to
make cup or basin IN which he washes
the pulvurized rock TO soc if it carries
any gold. Jak says that college men
and professional assayers may have
their elaborate outfits of pots, scales
and Ules, but for ordinary uses the
morn spoon beats them all. But Jacks
partner, Bll-Placer Bill, where is ne?
All there hes comes. just b9en up
town getting his hair cut-been out so
long this asst trip that his grizzly locks
almost touch his shoulders. He is pref
ty we'll known throughout the country
himself, and If you ask any Of the old
timers who be tuat old gray-haired man
is they are quick ~ reply, why that's
old Placer Bill, Of Wickcnburg. He's
BEEN here ever since the San Francisco
Mountains was hole in the ground"
Both he and ia k are Hassyampers;
have mined together on that famous
stream early in the seventies, but while
Jack was searching for quartz veins and
gold lodges, Bill was out with his old
black iron pan hunting for "plasayers,
as he calls them.
Up and down every canyon, wash,
gully and stream, placer Bill has
searched tor gravel that would show IA
COLOR" and dearest wish is to find
something that he can hydraulic" and
work with a monitor" and put through
'sluices" and all that. But Arizona is
such dry country that mines of that
kind are scarce and has to be content
with the ordinary dry wash" diggings
CT the desert.
There arc spots far from any living
water where gold is found mixed with
. h.. MI ft.,. IN
= nuggets are often found on the surface,
= but the greater part of the precious
metal has to be gathered by la0orious
e process Of screening and blowing in a
dry washer" machine very Similar
in uesign TO a sGedCleaner.
Jack ana Bill love TO tell of their big
finds" ami their adventures in finding
+ them. Jack found the celebrated pap,
= oUse" mine, was early at Wickenburg,
Tombstone and Globe; knows Brad.
shaw's like a book, was in the Sierra
y Madres, in Mexico when Gen Crook
= and GCrOn mo made their famous mutu
al capture, found "a rich gold ledge dowI
there hug was compelled to get out b,
the MuXlcans went to South Africa af
ter he sold tue Sweetheart mine in thu
Dos Cab,z ) 1.-TWO Heads district, dc
Mt ike the formation, and came bacl
broke" pros pected a solid year for tn
lost "NIgger Ben" mine over in tn
Santa Maria country; found the "Apach
Chief NINE, that was such a producer
anu here lilo IS looking about for ''gru
STAKE"
= Placer Bill has history almost as va
. ried. lie has been in every place wher
there are placer diggings from Occur
Alcne 10 Cnuckawalla; dry washed" o,
tue desert; ''panned" the Black Canyo
ana worked out some good claims o
lynch Creek Few men have keene
rye than Placer Bill for a speck Of gold
and when be says that he sees color
you can rest assured that there is gol
70 be found. No shining mica nor vol
low PSrltes ever deceive him. He ma
tut Little education or "booSlarnin'," a
lie calls II; but of good, everyday cor
mon sense he has his share, and a
kindly heart beats under his old blu
denim shirt as ever thumped against
piece Of starch and standing linen. II
says if he can ever find that claim tina
he Is looking for, he is going to get ma
ried ana settle down, bht who ever find
tue am he is looking for?
JACK is our educated man and know
books as we'll as rocks. He can quot
Scott anu Shakespeare so aptly and COZ
rectly tnat innocent "tenderfeet" liste
in amazement as the worded Jewel
!. drop from bis tongue in manner thu
would bett "a college president.
The Is bic, Homer, Plato, Socrate
ZenophOn, Plutarch-he knows the
ali, aud ancient history IS like the
v,uts OF yesterday to him. His opiniu
"a ,t Howells, Oakland. Harding, Davi
anu OF The modern American literal
~ giants are not at all complimentar
= ana his mining phrases Of 'petered
> "plnched out don't horn" "ba,
: ore. ''pockcty. aud in chimneys," 81
true tissurv ven," etc, suggests Il
tenor Of bis remarks about them.