Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-31
BY JOHN P. HARLAN

1t did not take long TO the indiv-
idual miners of California, with
their gold-pans, rockers and long
toms to skim off the easy money
made from the shallow and easily
worked placer "diggings" first dis
covered. Ground sluicing with it's
string Of sluice boxes was early re-
sorted to where flowing water was
available. Then drift mining, on
the deep bars and high benches,
where shafts were sunk or tunnels
driven to the bedrock, where the
richer deposition Of gold took place,
and the pay-streak was drifted out
and taken to water where 1t was
washed by the above mentioned pro-
| cesses.
In 1852 the first crude hydraulic
giant was put to work in Placer Co.
California, and it's possibilities open
ed a new field Of placer mining in
the state. The ancient river beds
and their deep gravel deposits con-
tanned more gold than what had
been recovered or could ever be re-
covered by the previous crude
methods. First, hydraulic mining
supplemented ground sluicing, later
it became the paramount operation
in the placer regions. 1t Is esti-
mated that in 1853, $65,000,O0O.OO
in gold was recovered in these re-
gions, but the amount gradually de-
clined as years went by. State laws
were enacted to meet conditions for
hydraulic mining.
The day of the small individual
miner in these regions had passed.
1t required capital to work the deep
and extensive gravel bodies still
left. Long expensive bitches and
fumes had to be built conveying
large amounts of water to high
heads to supply the hydraulic giants
Old worked-out, abandoned claims
and the deep low grade gravel bod
les again came into use and were
worked over with large profits te
the companies.
1t would stagger the sense Of di,
mension to estimate the number ol
cubic yards Of gravel thus worked
over. In recent years laws had t
be passed forbidding these extensive
operations, for the debris 30 fillet
the lower valleys that Is became
damage and q menace to the agr1
cultural interests and the many hun
ureds of home-builders who had set
tied in these valleys.
These early changed condition
caused some Of the miners to be
come wage earners. who at frs
7 were paid fancy prices. as was told
. But many of these Independent min
: era resented the thought OF beinI
| 49, - haNN m
D tho first prospectors Of the west
0 They werc adventurers who kneN
: no masters but Themselves, and I
!. sustain their independence they re
a nounced conventional society. who
y with pack strapped to back. or thei
{ small earthly effects slung an
\ ciAched on horse. mule or burrt
Z dared hardship. privation. danger
;. and isolation In searching tn
4 gulches, creeks and rivers for place
I gold In our great West: OF scale
the crags of many q mountain rams
with an eye open for FLOAT" leadin
to an out-cropping of a vein col
tanning gold. silver. lead or coppe
= or other metals and minerals
i. commercial value.
~ In 1855 they found gold in Ca
! ibcu district on the Fraser river,
). &C., which caused stampede. Tht
:, discovered the quartz camps Of Ca
!. ifornia. In 1883 they pushed ov
! into Nevada and made the Comstot
!. find which started the stampede
= Virginia City. where marvelo
silver and gold camp was establish'
Then Bodie, California. Then Au
Tin Nevada Then in 1853 60
" was found At Cherry creek. Col
Id rado and Immediately after Gregg
Of gulch and the Giplin county mine
Is which was the starter Of the pix
ID Peak or Bust" stampede, and Col
is RADIO began its gold and silver ca
b. eer Some Of the California mine
o. participated In these stampedes. C'
ifornia gulch, Colorado, was q ri