Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-06
BLACK SANDS OF
PACIFIC COAST

Much has been written about Dlack
sand. because ii is an interesting
subject. Here in Seattle it has play
ed dramatic part in the well known
case of the Adams stealings from the
United States assay Office This black
sand was secured from Shi Shi beach,
about ten miles south of Cape Flat
terry
The writer has prospected this
beach. also for thirty miles south
thereof, and is familiar with the sub
ject. The country is wild, broken
and rugged and not easy of access.
The beach, with here and there for
few miles is smooth, but in many
places very rocky and even danger
Gus, and generally strong surf when
tide is coming in. Rocks and reefs
are quite general, and in some places
extend six or more miles out in the
sea. The changing tides and winds
often cause a heavy surf and tre-
mendous seas. During fall winter
and spring storms are not uncom-
mon, and sometimes will come up
with hardly any warning. Many
ships and lives have been lost along
this dangerous coast. There are
very few white settlers along here,
mostly Indians, who are industrious
and will treat one right as Tong as
you treat them right
What little black sand is seen on
the beach is merely. the discoloration
of the ordinary sand There are no
deposits, layers or stratas of black
sand like along Grey's harbor, the
Oregon and California coasts.
Such deposits or layers generally
carry small, if any, Values. Along
this beach and bluff it is in the gray
ell, and the concentrates thereof are
this black and also ruby sand that
carry pay
Nearly every place carries colors
in these concentrates, more or less.
It is common to find ten to several
hundred colors in a pan. The gold
is mostly fine and round, though Of
ten some larger that can readily be
seen with the naked eye. There is
generally found with it pure plati-
mum and relatively to gold win be
one to nine
There are many places where the
bluffs reach from fifty to 100 feet
nigh, carrying stratas Of gravel OF
different colors, mostly dark, iron
stained, from one to three feet wide.
These stratas are more noticeable
along the base of the bluffs. This
gravel carries pay, how much is
hard to say, and in some places is
richer than in others.
There are also in some places large
deposits of accentuated conglomerate
very fine to look at-very hard
while in place, and need mill for
treatment. and no doubt carry pay in
gold and platinum. The pebbles are
smooth, showing that all this was
brought about by the action of the
sea for many ages.
The beach gravels are covered by
layer of three to eight inches of
ordinary sand before it is reached
The gravel varies from two feet to
five or more feet in thickness, then
water and blue clay bed rock are en-
countered
All who have prospected along
there agree the gold is there. A man
with rocker will scratch out living.
but what is living there, especially
outside the four summer months?
To live and work alone for any
length of time in such place is ant
to drive a man insane. The rainfall
is very heavy outside the summer
, months and heavy storms prevail.
During the summer months there is
very little water in the creeks. With
! proper plant and good management,
SO that large amount of dirt can
be handled quickly. there are places
{, ShN'O 'hut viii pay DlS. BESIDES, this
J will not require large. capital. Any
! lone not familiar with the conditions
:. that undertakes to work any of those
places. even with plant, will likely
make failure
. 1t is common thing to hea,
would-be miners on the streets O,
Seattle who actually know nothins
! about mining, that have never seer
or prospected this beach, say that pa,
is not there and no one has made an,
= money there, This knocking give,
! those fellows. sort of self-satisfac
] ton land only illustrates the sayins
that where ignorance is bliss it's,
= folly to be wise" The writer know,
i II is there. OF course, such fellow,
/. know more about 1t than the practi
"a cal miner who has prospected an,
q worked the ground. Washington