Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1904-07-29
INDIANA GOLD MINES.
Hydraulic Mining on a Large Scale
Is Now Under Way.
Operations Have Caused . Panic
Among Grissly Recluses who
Have Dsen Panning Out the
Yellow Metal.

For hundred years or more II ha
been known that there was gold bacl
in the hills of the Indiana counties
says a writer in the St. Louis Globe
Democrat, and for over half a centur,
aqueer lot cf llliterate. grizzly recluse,
have been washing gold back in tn,
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 firm, to
open up the first hydraulic gold mine in
the state
1t is located in Morgan county,
north Of Martinsville, the county seat
IL isa small affair, compared with those
in the west that tear down banks 400,
800 and 600 feet high. but II Is capable
of thoroughly developing the 5o-foot
| hills in which the gold is lodged along
the hill streams Of Morgan. Brown and
Johnson counties.
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 a square yard,
and there the water rates are high.
II. L. Royse. who has brought about
the present development, became con-
vinced three years ago that there was
gold in the Indiana hills that would
cnuse a national alton IL ii 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 thut
showed good tests. He now has $500
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 1t
for grains OF wheat or corn, and be-
ing heavy, the gold had lodged In their
Just across the river from the city ot
Martinsville, killed duck that had
picked up it's dinners along the little
stream that ran through the barn lot
She cleaned up the crnw of the fowl and
netted s21O. William Boutwell,, who
lives seven miles from Martinsville,
killed chicken that netted him 80
cents. A farmer near Martinsville
killed duck that was vcritable klon-
dixie.
The hydraulic operations have caured
panic among the grizzly recluses who
have been panning the gold They are
a quaint lot, with queer names. The
king OF their camps Is 40-year-old.
wild-eyed, rcd-bearded man who can
known as 4" Wild Rll Stafford He is
king because he is known all over the
gold fields AS the man that found the
s1o nugget and thnt drank rs schoon-
ers of beer in one day without getting
drunk. Ril1. as n rule, operates In "Gold
creek holler." He cleans up three dol
T. =
lars dow when he works steadily.
"Old Man Moon" is Brown county
washer "Old Man Jim Stanley who
,neratcs around in "Hiphland holler,"
MT hi, name Into The history OF the
yold direngs by finding 5000 dia-
moud. which was sold IN the 'ndinnapo-
lis market Quite q number OF large
and n number ~ valuable ru-
,ies have, been found. "Old Man Stan
ey" has been washing gold In the hills
Tor over ~ yenrs and has rnised big
'amily. "Bill' Merriman is the pntri-
,rch of the section. He won't permit
stranger to get within half mile OF
i'm. 40 secretive Is he concerning his
operations.
Taylor, the California miner who
,uilt the hydraulic mine and the fumes,
avs the Indiana dirt is Of the same
haracter that Is found in California,
xcept that there is no cement In IT,
which makes the operation In Califor-
ia so costly. He thinks that there
: great deal OF dirt In the Indiana
,,,,n ilat ~i,' rrr over one dollar
ard. He says that with the latest de- :
ices dirt can be handled now that runs :
My four cents yard at big profit. ,
State Geologist Blntchley holds to y
he theory that the gold was brought n
own by the glaciers. 1t is found where !,
he glaciers from Hudson bay ended :
nd deposited great banks Of conglom- Il
rate. {,