The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1902-03-19
PROSPECTING "REMINISCENCES
An old Miner and Prospector Tells How Some
Rich Mines We're Found.

/ XIII Wines were Found.
The following communication by 7
b. Iolley, appears in the Tuscaror;
Times-Review, and will be of interest.
In the fall of 1850 two prospectors
going through the mountains, some
where in the southern mines of Cal
lfornia, pitched their camp one even
ing on tn borders of little stream
OF clear, sparkling water, which came
prattling and dancing down. looking
as sweet and innocent as a sleepiny
babys smile.
Just before dawn in the morning.
a great cloud burst up about the noun
tain's crest and sent a flood down the
canyon in which one of the proerecfors
was caught and hurled to his aeath
in the turbulent yellow rush of wa ers.
AS soon as there was sufficient light
Tor the purpose, the partner is dis
tress, sought for, found and removed
the remains to a bench or bar at the
canyons van and there, while digging
grave in which to bury his late mate.
unearthed fifty pound nugget of vel
low gold. Truly it is an i'll wind that
blows no good.
Again, in the early fifties, young
Frenchman wandering through the
big hills Of Ell Dorado stumbled upon
nugget worth 10000 The poor fell
low was so much elated over his unex-
pected find that he went raving mad
and died in the asylum short time
thereafter. True it is, that great and
unexpected joy sometimes defeats its
purpose and kills its victim.
But a short time since, SO the pa
pers had it, a woman running through
the brush after fat swine which had
escaped from its pen, stumbled, and
in falling, clutched at, and tore off a
piece of quartz from the reef Of rocks
which on inspection proved TO be yel-
lew with gold, and the place of the
lucky find is known as Swinerton, tc
this day.
Other instances of unexpected pick
ups might be mentioned, but tht
above are sufficient for the purpose
of this letter.
There are many kinds Of prospect
ors. and they have many ways of pro-
specting-funny, serious, scientific and
practical. | shall mention only a few
of them.
See, there goes man forward and
back over there on the hillside. He
hold in his hands forked stick, and
is dowsing for gold. He may have a
patch on his knee and a patch on his
back, but however often he may have
been disappointed he believes in his
stick.
There goes another man all tattered
and torn, and he seems to be running
after his outstretched hand, prancing
back and forth as if possessed, now
this way and that way, up and down,
in short he is a spiritualist in search
of hidden wealth. And, notwithstand-
Ing that he too is often disappointed
he has faith in the spirits.
All right, boys, If you, by such me-
thods, can induce others to dig and
will dig yourselves, you may get there
by and by
Now l see a well clad man going
carefully up the mountains. He has
a hammer or light pick in his hand
and seems to be tracing Indications
as experts are supposed to do. He
does not dig, but then you know he
can make out a report and may stim-
ulate prospecting that way.
Now then, there goes a practical
miner, equipped for a bout in the
mountains, and he means to stay with
it il it takes him all summer. He is a
hard working, painstaking man, knows
gold when he sees it, and he it is who
finds new mining camps ard sets men
gog for the new El DORADO.
There is a parasite-but as he is
vell known in Q mining camps, l
shall let him slip for the present.
Tonight and Tomorrow Night,