Amador ledger., 1900-03-02
Its Relation to the Precious
Metal.
GREAT GRAVEL BEDS PASS THROUGH THE SIERRA
Many Side Channels of Fine Gravel
Garry Gold In Paying Quantities
Covered by Clay, etc.
lBY JOHN A. FAULL.

BY JOHN A. L..
Leaving this feature OF the case we
will deal with visible facts, and for a
in conjunction with the Calaveras river
in Calaveras county, from the noun
tains to the plains. We find deposited
on the uplands of the North San Joa-
quin valley gravel beds. lava and
cement covering 52S, 900 acres of land,
much of the top level; hence, called
table lands or mountains. Upon these
uplands there are thousands of acres of
cement gravel, laying in sheets, step
upon step, almost as regular as a pair
of stairs, proving, if further proof
were necessary, the actual glacial flow,
the mountains to the east being de-
uuded. If we follow the north and
south channels on the side of the main
mountain chain, We will find the lava
frequently 300 feet thick, but, all slop-
ing toward the valley, with side chan
nels and overiows just as glacial drift
would be expected to do, judging by
the action of the living glacier Of to-
day in the Alps OF Switzerland, the
Pyrenees and our own Alaskan glacier
and that millions of tons of rock were
carried upon the top of these noun
tains of ice, admits of little doubt
The numerous vertical walls found
along our mountain ranges is another
evidence of the glacial motion. Look
at Greenland, where nearly the whole
of the interior of the country is one
vast field of ice. all moving toward the
sea upon gentle slope.
We will, however, deal with things
at home before going afield. Look at
the North Yuba at Downieville, Sierra
county. Here we find the main north
and south channels swept away, max
ing deposits of every imaginable form,
boulders of immense size intermixed
with gravel. sand aud mud, in punches,
bars and ravines for twenty seven
miles along it's course. The bed of this
stream was exceedingly rich in coarse
gold. At Downieville, and for some
distance below, many of the large boul-
ders were found upon the top of the
gravel beds. If the deposit had been
made by any river, except that of a
glacier, the large boulders would be
found in the bottom of the stream,
next to the bedrock. As we follow
down the stream the gold found is in
much finer particles and smooth. The
scaley character told how it had been
rubbed with the contact Of the rocks,
gravel and sand. Its specific gravity
being great, the heavier particles
reached the bedrock, while the fine
gold was found in the red earth, cover
ing much of the gravel ranges, more
especially that portion covering the
hydraulic fields.
The imagination is at a loss to ac-
count for the disintegration commen-
surate with the magnitude of the de-
posit found ereiubefore spoken of,
unless, indeed, the mythical Atlantis
can be found. The question has ofteu
been asked, ''How came it that many of
these gravel channels are so deeply
depressed amid the mountains?" Let
us look at the question from practical
standpoint. There is an apparent de-
preston, but the hills to the west of
all the great gravel channels, of what
ever size and depth-call them what
you please-are surrounded by second
airy hills. If the slope of the bedrock
has been taken there is not channel
that could not be drained by tunnel
system of little less than four and
three-eighth miles in length. This
being true, it does away with the
Huttonian theory of depressions in the
earth's crust, which were filled by
some unknown force or the Neptunian
theory of Warner. Even if the rocks
decayed in the atmosphere the ruins
would not accumulate as they are now
found unless the accumulation took
place under the sea. We are not seek
ing beginning nor an end, but look
ing at things as we find them and deal
ing with practical questions, and,
indeed, without any regard to geo.
logical changes that may have taken
place in the worlds history.
am well aware that the position
here taken is contested by numerous
men proficient in their profession as
mineralogists and geOlogists, that have
studied the high lands between the
Middle and South Yuba rivers as COW
cred by volcanic ash and breccia
With this question l take direct issue,
and claim as matter of fact that the
region under consideration is, to all
intents and purposes, glacial mud,
solidified under pressure, partly crys-
tallized by time and atmospheric action
since the deposition. This is possible,
and | think more than probab BILE, the
same channel as that found at Mokel-
umne Hill, in Calaveras county. For
more specific information on this ques-
ton we would suggest that one 60 to
the Smilkameen mining district in
British Columbia. He will there en-
counter to the satisfaction of himself
the precise line of the glacial action,
or he can go to Virginia City, Mont,
Boise Basin, Idaho, or Camaloops,
Carriboo and Cassiar, British Colum bia
CONCLUDED