The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-24
HOW GOLD IS
FOUND AND MINED.
The Tortuous Process Of Getting the
Precious Metal.
LODeS OR FISSURE VEINS.
An Immense Rent or Crack In the
Rock, Wedge Shaped, and Run
ming at an Angle TO the Strata
in Which They Lie.
LODES OR FISSURE VEINS.


the precious metal.
| In other letters / have referred to the
1 gold and silver production OF this state.
A brief account IN q plain way Of how
and where mineral IS found, how ex-
tracted. handled and treated from its
first condition to the final state when
ready for coinage or mech8nical pur-
poses, may be OF interest TO Nirginians.
How the more precious minerals OF the
earth were formed or became deposited
in stratas OF certain rocks and not u
others IS a mystery that ! am unable 10
solve though speculation and theorizinS
have been INDUCED in down through the
ages. To my mind it is mere guess work
at best. inasmuch as many of the theo-
ries Of scientific men have been upset
by new found conditions heretofore u"ue-
scr'bed and unpublished.
THE FIRST GOLD.
As Is well known the first gold pro-
duced I'm California was chiefly by the
means Of the washing Of sand and gray
| eli on the banks OF the various small
streams. In proportion. however. as the
surface deposits became gradually i'm
pover'shed and exhausted appliances
were. bv degrees. introduce for siuicing
and collecting gold. which involved
greater degree Of skill. and the employ
ment Of a large amount Of capital FL
nauy II was discovered that extensive
and valuable deposits were 10 be found
AT levels far above the course of the
present streams. and ln order TO treat
these emectually. the application Of an
entirely new system OF washing became
| necessary. TO meet these circumstances.
the system known as the hydraulic pro-
cess was introduced.
| At length the era OF deep quartz min
| Ing the successful pros ,cution or which
demanded an increased amount OF knOwl-
| edge. I'm carrying out this operation.
! man undertakes, through his own skill
! and industry. by breaking up tho orig
| inal rocks. and extracting the precious
metal which it enclose. TO effect that
which at an earlier period Of the world
history has been done for him by ma
ture on a gigantic scale.
Mining AS carried On in this state ~ is
| earlier days was chiefly as 81 was in cal
| ifornia. the washing OF 71nd and gravel
| OF the streams. called placer mining. To
is done by means of sluice boxes. which
are simply wooden troushs about one
foot square joined together m ccntin-
uous line for I'm some Instances. hun-
drcds Of feet. or more or less 20 suit the
| locality and c.rcums anc s.. On the bot
tom Of the troughs are cleats at regular
| distance apart These troughs or sluice
boxes as more properly termed. are
| placed in or by side of the stream. the
end up the stream being $50 placed that
! the water readily turned into IT,. and the
! balance on such en- incline grade as TO
| give q fairly swift current. The sand and
gravel from The bottom and side OF the
stream is then showed into the trough
| and the water flowing down through 70
'#.r TIf
| with &C. while the heavier particles are
caught in the space between the said
cleats The water IS permitted TO rip
| u,a over these cleats down through the
| whole length Of the boxes until AN the
dirt and sand is washed DOWN. and the
heavy mineral zed black sand is held IN
allegiance. Then the water Is turned from
entering the boxes and cleanup Is
had. which is to take out the black sand
which holds the gold, and by panning
and similar processes reduce il 20 gold
dust
LODEs OR TISSUE VEINS.
| As an streams known 90 have any gold
deposits have been So thoroughly worked
there are but very few operations
of this kind at the present day
The miuer IS forced 90 20 to the
deeper recesses in search Of the
treasure which is now found and ex-
| tracted from lodes. or assure veins. Tn
| anticipation OF the question arising.
"what Is lode or hssure vein?' TIL
endeavor TO answer it in plain terms II
u.s. or was Once an immense rent or
crack in rock having in most instances
| smooth walls. not parallel but ierminat-
ing like a wedge at greater or less
distance and do not run parallel with the
rocky strata I'm which they lie. but cross
| them I'm a direction not far from perpen-
| GiCular often travcrsing several different
| mineral planes The lodts are sometimes
| deranged in their course so as 10 pur-
sue for a little way the space between
two continuous strata. az ether times
they divide into several branches. The
matter which fills the lodes Is for the
| most part entirely different from the rocks
| they pass through or at least II possesses
| pccu'iar features. This mode Of exist
| encc. exhibited hy several mineral sub
| stances. but which has been long
| known with regard to metallic ores. sug-
| Cests the idea OF clcfts or rents having
| been made ina the stratum pOsteri0r 10 its
| consolidation and of the vacuities hav-
ing been filed with foreign matter, eth
| or Immediately or after "a certain inter-
| val with regard 90 the manner m
! which the rent has been filled. different
| opinions may be entertained. And the
, fact that so many opinions and theories
| are given leads me 90 think as I said at
] the outset. fhat there U.s. after ALL much
| GUESS work in the matter. The evidences
| Of these rents. cracks or assures I'm the
| carth's crust are noticeable In all the
| eruptive localities Of the mountains. lll-
ed with both solid and broken matter;
| many filled with quartz and fcldspar.
though without metals But where the
eruptions from the ancient VOLCANOES OF
| andesitic and phonolite lavas obtain. there
| is 10 be found the precious metals. Such
are the existing conditions at Cripple
| Creek
WORK or PROSPECTOR.
To find where they do exist is the work
Of the prospector. So at this point I'll
endeavor. by a plain use o. terms ana
with as little veibiage as possible. to trace
| the mode Of action which brings the gold
and silver from It's hiding places TO the
final condition Of bullion. When the pros
| pector starts out with his pick and shovel
| I'm search Of localities where may exist
gold or silver or both. he watches FOR IN
| dications: these are varied. he may be
| seen picking up a piece Of broken rock.
| which has slid down. often a long dis
| tance from It's parent bed, In mining
| terms called floats" His keen eve may
| detect II to be impregnated with rich
| mineral. lie then knows Il has come
| from somewhere near where exists