Montana oil journal. (Great Falls, Mont.) 192?-1931, 1931-02-28


reached such a general peak a
Several causes have contributed
to bring about such q condition.
The closing Of silver. copper. lead.
zine and tungsten mines through
out many western states. because
OF the depression IN ths markets
for commercial metals. has surned
thousands Of workers out Of en-
ployment. with little o. no work
to be had in the cities, these men
have been attracted to the gold
regions.
So the little gulches and waehes
that for so many years yielded
generously from alIuvial gravels.
have begun to see new activity.
Idle men are docking to them.
seeking to find riches. at least
to take out a living wage from
the natural banks OF hiils and
gulches.
Old Diggings
Old "diggings'' near oroviile.
Placerville. Nevada City. and
other towns Of colorful history
are reviving, as a new influx Of
gold miners has arrived TO rework
the abandoned tailings Of former
mines. TO prospect further along
quartz visns Of promise, or to
inspect the accumulations OF sand
and gravel in the creek beds.
Usually, the returns are pitifully
small, but each prospector works
on in the hope that he will strike
a rich pocket and arrive within
fortunes gate at the expense
OF but a few more hours OF heavy
toll.
The Mother Lode country.
which was immortalized by Bret
Harte, is one section Of California
where gold mining interest has
been intensified. Such little
known regions as the Panamint
Range on the western border Of
Death Valley are receiving their
share Of seekers after the prec-
ious metal
Old phantom towns" the sill
enee Of which has remained prac-
tically unbroken for decades, are
showing new life. Out on the
Moiave Desert. the smoke Of pros
pector's camp fires is becoming
familiar again. Inyo. Kern. and
San Bernadino Counties are the
favorite grounds for prosuecting
in southern California
strangely enough. modern ma
tural science has done little to aid
the prospector in his work except
to give him the automobile and
the radio to cart his baggage and
to relieve the loneliness OF his
existence. And often. even the
automobile must give way to the
burro. who Is better adapted to
traverse the sandy desert wastes
and rocky hillsides Of the south
west. Searching for gold is still
attended by the same rigorous
hardships as OF a generation ago
Same INSTRUMENTS
Essentially the same instru-
ments as were employed during
the Golden ''Fifties" must be en-
ployed now. Just as then. this
prospector travels with his side
Of bacon, his frying pan and
coffee pot, and uses the time
honored pick and shovel and gold
pan in his mining activity
In at least one instance, the
rush for gold has been under
taken by a company with ade-
qnate financing. This particular
organization has been unable 70
ita operations in the
metal field through
the present depression and is At
tempting to work valuable gold
quartz properties until other min
ing conditions improve.
Not enough time has elapssd
for any important discoveries
to be made. officials OF the Cali
fornia state Divisions Of Mines
believe, nor has the activity been
intense long enough 70 make
any appreciabie difference in this
states yield OF the precsoua
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