Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-08-24
SITTING THE SANDS.
How the Beach Combers" Work
When q Storm Comes.
Searching for tho Lost valua:lcs Of
summer Isath-rs Mining In
the Sands for Missing

though. When the "beuch combers
sec one coming, across the waters they
pull on their rubber boots and oilskins
and forth they sally. Tie first wind
picks up the Light dry sand and blows it
away in little S" iris. That takes OF
one layer. The "conli,cr" lurricS
around after the swiris and picks w
whatever is exposed to SIGHT. Layer
after layer of sand is reno, cd. uncover.
ing more and moro coins and tr.Ekcts
for the scavcngcrs OF ;" ScaSNore. On
the day of the lat great Storm one man
picked up So, WINCH is the best days
work remembered b. any CT The men
talked with. THIS storm chasing is
pretty hard labor. The men have tc
run around from lace to place after
the elbows Of sand and the wind soon
begins to lift and throw in big waves
which, with the tide. rour in shore and
cover the beach. So profitable is it,
however, that the cor,bers search till
the water is over their hoottops.
The most profitable work of all is the
hardest. That is digging around TIC
base Of the piles of the iron pier. The
pier in summer is a promenade rs well
as waiting-rcom. From it all sorts oil
things drop. and, sinking in the water
are given up by the owner as lost. The
comber knows otherwise. He has
learned that the cbb and flow of the tide
washes little eddy holes around every
pile, and that everything that comes
anywhere near these holes is deposited
in them. lie is aware. moreover, that
even heavy objects are borne backward
and forward by the waves, and that
consequently tie chances are in favor
of the pile hole receiving, on some ir
and out flow of the tide, all things worth
recovering. So when the beaches are
left by the summer crowds and tia
hucksters, the coIlbers go out witt
their big shovels and sleeves and dig uI
the sand in the holes. They say thai
the finGs are of good value and very mis-,
cellancous. Most numerous arc The
pickings from the surface of the "harC
pan" from two or three feet dowr
through the surface sand. Upon this
hard floor the coins stand on edge in t
position to penetrate to the safe regions
below. But the comEcr, understanding
this, shovcls down three or four feet
further, and though it is heavy work
and exhausting afterward when the
sieve has to bc used to release the sand
the patient placer miner makes sure he
has reapcd tks summer. harvest before
he leaves OF Lis task.
There are two rich places which have
not been explored. One is defended BY
@ man and his wife who own the ground
It. is line of poles set up for the BATH
ing patrons. Four years ago a young
man went into the water there with two
$50 gold pieces around his neck. liz
up the money for the event. twas too
precious to be left in the bathnouss
keepers safe, so he kept it in the little
leather bag at his neck. When he came
out of the water the bag and the golc
were gone. He wept and. cursed anf
made such a noise about his loss tina,
everybody ION Coney" knew of it. Thu
combers were not alone in the search
for it, but it was not found during the
season and in the fall the winter mer
prepared to dig around tile lifeline
poles. Gebbard was afraid they woulc
dig up the poles or.lDosen them and he
for babe them to work three. The police
assisted him when they were within
call, but whenever they and Gebbart
were away down swoOped the'oomber:
to search for the gold. Tho owner
found il necessary to leave his wife t.
watch while he was away and the coln'
bcrs have been kept off ever since. But
they mean to have those double eagle:
yet; they know they are in the pole
holes and Dave Stewart, the negro
colnber, said recently:
use goin' to have them goldbugs u
it takes till Gabriel blows"
The other untouched spots are also
lifeline poles, those that once carried
a line from the pier to the Scenic rail
road. When the bathing houses there
were torn down the poles were left ano
the combers are welcome to delve be
side them. But every year they have
been passed over because there were
enough other places equally rich to last
through the winter, and now the tide
and the sand drift are gradually rising
over the tops of the poles. They, will
soon be buried and their location will
he forgotten unless some energetic
comber attacks them.-N. Y. Post.
Much in Little.
One of the most important industries
~ tho vOr1d iS man 1fa ct1,rinO n nrO1.