Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-06-20
BIG NEW DREDGE
AT WORK
On Rich Placers of Gold Bullion Com
pany in Golden District
Tomorrow.

Active operations by the Gold Bullion
Company in the Golden Mining Dis
trict in the southern part of this coun'
ty will commence soon accord
ing to the best expectations. The new
traction dredge, very beautiful and
expensive piece Of machinery, has been
put together and is ready for work
This machine was invented by Colonel
J. A. Wood, the manager of the com
pany, and the small working model
of 1t has been thoroughly tested thus
giving promise that the big dredge
Will do satisfactorily the work for
which it was built and is intended. 1t
is very costly and OF great weight. Its
transportation by wagon from Clark
station ON the Santa Fe Central Rail
way to the Golden Mining Camp about
fourteen miles, was hard problem
but was successfully accomplished.
The Gold Bullion Company owns 4S(
acres OF placer ground about one mile
from Golden. The dirt in Its claims
will run from 35 cents to 81 per cubic
yard i'm placer gold. Many tests have
been made by experienced and reliable
mining engineers and assayers. The
average government test figures the
values in the dirt at about 81 pei
cubic yard while the lowest test has
given the result at 35 cents per cubic
yard. AS it is expected that the new
traction dredge will be operated very
cheaply there seem to be to be great
profits ahead from its operations.
There is sufficient supply of water al
the command of the company for the
proper and extensive workings of the
dredge; no water will be lost, as II
will be used over and over again. The
company now employs about twenty
men; Colonel J. A. Wood is the super
intendent and Charles L. Thayer is
the secretary; both are on the grount
and on active duty.
The following Is a brief description
of the new dredge:
1t runs double tracks and the dir
Is dug with a steam shovel, passed tt
the elevator which carries 1t to The
second floor where it is delivered tt
a revolving screen five feet in diane
ter and sixteen feet long. The golt
values are washed out of the dirt by
waiter through the perforations of thu
revolving screen, and the gold value!
and small gravel are then washed int
sluice boxes where the values are re
tanned. After the gold values are de
posted in the sluice boxes the small
gravel Is carried to the rock pile anC
the water flows back into settling bas
ins to be reused by the machine int
which it is thrown by powerful pumps
A small machine upon the same mode
has been In use for some time an,
the experiments Herewith have prov
en- satisfactory, hence the construction
of the larger machine.
Colonel Wood feels confident tina
the new dredge will do what is expect
ed Of 1t and that his company will
make good thing out Of it. If result
agree with his opinion, large fore
of men will be employed and the ex
tensive placers in the Golden distric
will be explored and worked to thel
fullest capacity. The New Mexican
hopes that this will come true. TIL
prosperity of the south Santa Fe mir
ing district means good deal for tn
prosperity of the Capital City, whicl
is the headquarters for the trade O
that section.