The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1899-07-07
Improvements in Mining.

We are now near the close of the
century, the last half of which is and
will be distinguished, among mining
men, for the vast strides which have
been made, by the inventive genius of
man, toward perfect precious metal
saving appliances. A little over fifty
years ago gold was discovered on the
Pacific coast by white men. What was
known, in Georgia, as the bumper"
was about the only placer mining con-
trivance employed for washing and
saving gold. But the rocker, an en-
smalled machine, built somewhat after
the bumper style, was the only ap-
pliance the forty miner could command
for love or money. The "greasers" or
Mexicans in the country we're content
with willow-woven baskets and knives
with which to prospect for "chispas," or
coarse gold and nuggets.
Georgia bumpers, in limited numbers
were used in the spring of 80, but soon
gave place to "Long Tom" These, in
turn, we're discarded and sluice boxes
substituted. 1t did not take long for
miners to learn that auriferous gravel
washed in cuts or sluices made in the
earth would hold the gold contained
therein. Sluices were abandoned and
the pick and a good head of water were
all that we're required to gather the
shining dust Improved mining ap
pliances were soon utilized in the shape
of penstocks, with hose and nozzles in
sizes commensurate with the water at
command. These little giants were the
acme of hydraulic mining. Still rockers
and sluices may be yet found doing
valuable service in gold saving.
The first gold bearing quartz was
found in Deer Creek, few miles below
Nevada City, Nevada county, I alifornia,
in August, 1850. The discovery ulti
mately led to the location of quartz
claims at Grass Valley, and the bnild-
ing of an active, busy prosperous min
ing camp. The first quartz mining was
about as crude and primitive as the
earlier day placer mining. The drills,
sledges, black powder, fuse and cart
ridges then used in gold quartz mining
would create quite as much wonder and
establishment among present day miners
as a first class circus now does among
our sight-loving youths Of today. The
primative windlass, the unartistic shaft,
the clumsy bucket, and other adjuncts
of early day underground mining
should be seen to measure the vast i'm
provements which the past four or five
decades have witnessed. The exigen-
cies of time and the inventive genius of
man have wrought wonderful revolu-
tions in deep mining machinery and
metal-saving appliances.
The ponderous machinery; its per-
fectly adjusted parts; its more than
herculean power; its speed; its dur
ability and comparative noiselessness
when in operation are among the mar
wells of present day deep mining. The
magnificent mills, their great, thunder
ing stamps, their concentrating adj |
juncts and their almost Intelligent
movement and disposition of their re-
sulting outputs, are volumes in praise
of what patient, studious, preserving
and industrious man has done since the
rocker, the rough drills and tame black
powder first awakened him to realiz
ing sense of what was required, and
directed him into the path which led
him to plane but little lower than the
angles. Up-to-date mining machinery
will do almost everything but voice
Mining World.