The Opelousas courier., 1898-03-12
JUST OVER THE DIVIDE
THERE Is WHERE THE PLACER MINER
HOPES TO FIND RICHES.

M oAu SlOTF ldl
Will lie Repeated So Long as Man Loves
Riches How New Mines Are Found.
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 IL
enough variation to give each discov-
cry a character, but as a rule the
process IS the same. The great desire
OF all ~prospectors is to discover a
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 gold 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 material is
called. This is generally granite. AS
the ground u%pheaved, the quartz veins
were sometimes exposed to a disin-
tegrating influence of some kind. gen.
orally w,1fer. The quartz is Outlines
''rotten,o or soft, and readily yields.
Crumbling away, it was washed down
the mountain streams, carrying 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 wash down to
bed rock" Or some im%penetrable
strata, which may be rock, or possibly
a tough clay. These particles NAV
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 a
mine.
The seekers after placer gold gener-
ally travel in pairs, though many M
Old time prospector has spent months
or even years with only his pack ami
NAL for company in his lonely search
for wealth, and has avoided his fellow
MAJ as he ouldapursuing vengeance.
His outfit is simple. If complete he
rides a horse or mule-where he can.
Upon another animal is packed his
outfit. The old saw back pack saddle
is the best, and upon it is put a roll of
oieLACto, u Wal DdS. Il seamless
sack, containing a change of shirts, a
frying pan, a coffee pot, a few tin
dishes, and such provisions as he has,
which are usually flour, bacon, coffee,
baking powder and salt. All these are
covered with a 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
promising, the miner gathers in his
pan some of the finer sand along a
solid bottom, and by repeated wash
ings, which are performed witharotary
motion, the coarser particles are
over the sides. He then has
in the bottom a little gray-black sand,
and if he has ''struck it rich" he can
with the naked eye the particles
Of gold mixed with it. They may be
50 fine that it takes a glass to deter
the presence of a "color," or
very fine grain. If then he feels en-
outraged he stakes off a claim, digs
lown to bed rock, and investigates
thoroughly. If he has struck
pay dirt he hurries away to the Re-
,order's Office, files his claim, obtains
aelp to work it, either with money, if
le has it, or by taking in a partner.
He sinks a shaft to bed rock and
drifts up along the real bottom of
he gulch. If his tales Of gold to be
lad are encouraging, others follow him
back to his location, stake out mine
and, if the gold is there, a
stampede" is on, a new Eldorado
leralded, and men are made rich or
Door as they may play the cards.
AS soon as the existence of pay dirt
las been established more permanent
works are built. Long, narrow wooden
,oxes, called ~sluices, are built, with
narrow cleats across the bottom,
Water is turned into this aud the
collaborating gravel shovelled int.
lead. The heavy particles o. -,
[rop tothe bottom, the dirt IL washed
and out at the lower end. At night
he water is turned off, a cleanup Of
he boxes is made, and upo,,s the re-
ults depend the days earnings. The
liant is mostly labor, hence placer
is called the poor mans min
ng.
These later corners pay for their
and where water is scarce it
aust be bought. In California as
luch as 800, 900 has been paid for
7ater to run the %sluices. When the
lacer ground is all taken up search is
commenced for the quartz lode from
1hich the gold anne. Shafts are
unk, stamp mills for crushing the
ock are built, and the pulp is washed
Or gold, much on the same principle
ollowed by the miner with his pan.
his has been the history of the dis
.very and progress of every mining
amp in the United States.
Who shall tell, however, of the
ears of weary days spent in fruitless
anning-horses getting weak, grub
low, and mans hope about ex-
austed, and still no gold in sight.
t is here the strange fascination of
he hunt for gold comes in play. From
ar1y sun up the miner tolls for the
an full Of gravel which will tell the
tory. Hardly stopping for a breath
e delves on. The sun sinks below
ne tops of the pines far up on the
fountain top above him. The long
hadows creep across the gulch. An
wi boots somewhere from the black !
hadows. Eagerly scanning the bot
I'M of the pan for that he seeks he
ills to find it. His labor is for naught
but there is another gulch just over