The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1941-08-01
Hydraulic Miners
Hunt for Gold in
California Hills
Historic Rush Days of '49
Are Revived Without
Shot Being Fired.

SACRAMENTO, CALF. -Hydrau-
lie gold mining-Cause of battles
and bloodshed between farmers and
miners in the historic gold rush
days of '49-has been revived in
California without a shot being fired
Not far from the monument to its
discoverer - John Marshall - the
precious yellow metal again will be
washed down with high pressure
hose from the hills of the rich moth
er lode district of Nevada. Sierra
and Yuba counties
Any objection from agricultural
interests, which in other years
fought hydraulic miners with in
functions and rifle bullets. was pre-
Guided by erection Of huge dams to
store 'tailings" and other debris
that used TO choke rivers, causing
them to split and change their
boundaries and food homes and
farms IN the valleys
TWO OF four huge dams-the So
called Upper Narrows and the North
Fork dam on the American river
lave been completed and sites are
being sought for the Ruck-a-Chucky
sam on the American river and the
Bear River dam.
L. s. to Be Repaid.
The government will be repaid the
cost of building the dams by the
hydraulic miners. who will give a
percentage of their earnings for
storing their debris. The Ruck-a-
Chucky dam alone will cost $3.50, 900.
The American river is in the heart
of fabulously rich district and the
site proposed for the RuCk-a-Chucky
dam is only 10 miles from Coloma,
where gold was discovered.
Workers on one of the dams
turned prospectors last fall when a
slide of 10000 cubic yards of dirt
halted construction work. That dark
cloud, however, had more than a
silver lining-it uncovered a rich
vein of gold The site yielded about
$4,000 worth Of free gold in four
days, with one nugget bringing $50
Despite the hidden wealth. of the
site, no claims were permitted, as
the area had been set aside for the
dam.
Hydraulic operations are expected
to boost California s gold production
because much of the area has
lam idle. except for an occasional
small-SCale miner. since the United
States Supreme court Outlawed ny
draulic mining m 1880 The law
now permits this method if provi-
sion Is made for storing debris.
Leases have been signed by big
mining company TO work around the
old gold towns of Mooney Flat, Tim.
buctoo, Smartville and others. Drag.
lines, shoreis and open pit methods
will be used
Days of '48 Recalled.
Revival Of these operations Ie:
called the turbulent days following
the discovery by John Marshall Of
The metal or January "a, 2848, or
ne American river at Coloma. The
second big discovery on the Yubs
river al Roses Bar (near Timbuc.
too or June 8, 1913. showed that
gold extended widely through the
Sierra Nevada valleys.
Miners flocked in and claims were
SO close the popular remark grew
up that message could be carried
by word of mouth the IS miles be.
tween MarySville and Downieville
Fortunes running into the millions
were made.
TimbuctOo became bustling city
of 5000 and a brick Wells-Farg
bank building still stands there
Smartville boosted 5000 residents
Mooney Flat doomed in the sixties
and other places like Parks Bar
and Long Bar had 1000 or 5000
population.