Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-10-23
INDIANA GOLD MINES.
Hydraulic Mining on Large Scale
Is Now Under Way.
Operations Have CaussA = Panic
Among Gsissly Reeluses who
Have Been Ianning Out the
yellow Metal.

For hundred years or more II has
been known that there was gold back
in the hills OF the Indiana counties,
says writer in the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, and for over half century
aqueer lot Of illiterate, grizzly recluses
have been waehing gold back in the
hills, making from one dollar to two
dollars day. The gold that they
brought in to market occasionally in
little bags and In phials passed assay
in the government mint on an equality
with Snake river gold, the finest stand
ard In the United States. 1t remained
for an old California miner, who came
east two months ago for his Arm, to
open up the first hydraulic gold mine in
the state.
II is located in Morgan county
north of Martinsville, the county seat.
Itis small affair. compared with those
in the west that tear down banks 400,
500 and 600 feet high, but ii is capable
OF thoroughly developing the 50-foot
hills in which the gold Is lodged along
the hill streams Of Morgan, Brown and
JGhnsOn cOunt1ee.
The first cleanup on the hydraulic
mine has not yet been made, but il is
confidently expected that II will run 40
cents yard. Such panning out would
mean that Indiana would Immediately
blossom forth as one of the greatest
gold mining states in the union. In
most of the California placer mining
camps dirt is being worked that
yields only ten cents square yard
and there the water rates are high.
r. Il. Royse, who has brought about
the present development, became con-
vinced three years ago that there was
gold in the Indiana hills that would
cnnse national sensa tion II 1t was ever
handled by improved methods. For
over three years he has been prospect
ing in the hills, and here and there has
been picking out tracts of land thnt
showed good tests. He now has 2.5oo
acres under his absolute control and
has supervision over 5000 or 5000 more
acres.
The chickens and ducks Of the gold
hills picked the gold up. mistaking IL
for grains OF wheat or corn, and. be-
ing heavy. the gold had lodged In their
craws. Mrs. George johnson. who lives
lust across the river from the city OF
killed duck that had
picked up it's dinners along the little
stream that ran through the barn lot.
She cleaned up the craw of the fowl and
~ nx,tL xahn
lives seven miles from Martnsville.
killed a chicken that netted him 90
cents. A farmer near Martinsville
killed duck that was veritable Klon-
like
The hydraulic operations have caused
a panic among the grizzly recluses who
have been panning the gold. They are
A quaint lot, with queer names. The |
ding Of their camps Ia 40-year-old. |
wild-eyed, red bearded man who can
neither read nor write and who is |
<nown as Z" Wild Bill Stafford" lie is
king because he is known all over the
yold fields as the man that found the
s12 nugget and that drank rs schoon-
.rs OF beer in one day without getting !
Trunk. Bill, as rule, operates in eGold
.reek holler" He cleans up three dol
ars a day when he works steadily
old Man Moon" is a Brown county
washer. "Old Man Jim stanley who
,perates around in Highland holler,'
,nt his name into the history of the
,old diggings by finding n 5000 dia-
nond. which WAS sold in the 1ndianapo-
Is market. Quite a number Of large
diamonds and number of valuable ru-
lies have been found "0ld Man Stan
ey" has been washing gold In the hills
or over AZ wears and has raised big
amily. "Bill' Merriman is the patri-
rch OF the section He won't permit
stranger to get within half mile OF
i'm. 80 secretive is he concerning his
perations.
Taylor. the California miner who
uilt the hydraulic mine and II e fumes.
avs the Indiana dirt Is of the same
haracter that is found in California,
xcept that there is no cement in II,
;hich makes the operation in Califor-
la so costly. He thinks that there
, a great deal OF dirt In the Indiana
ills that will run over one dollar
ard. He says that with the latest de-
ices dirt can be handled now that runs
nly four cents yard AT n big profit.
State Geologist Blatchley holds to
he theory that the gold was brought
own by the glaciers Itis found where
,e glaciers from Hudson bay ended
nd deposited great banks Of conglom-
rate.