Year: 1874

Flat will hold good in regard to the mines
of Gold Run, and vice rersa. The towns
are only about two and one-half miles
apart and the two districts, known as the
Dutch Flat and Gold Run mining districts,
Join each other, and are on the same, or at
least branches of the same channel, or an
cient gravel deposit. The mines in Gold Run
district seem to be as good and extensive,
as those in Dutch Flat district, and work


seems to be progressing as thoroughly and
extensively in ore district as in the other.
These extensive mines, covering thousands
of acres of country, are all worked by by
draulic, and withstanding they have been
Welding immense dividends for years, their
true development has only just begun. The
owners have been content to skim off the
surface, and take out what gold could be
obtained without much expense, but, in do


ing so, they have left millions of dollars be-
meath their feet, which, though decidedly


the richest part of the claims, remains


to-day untouched In hydraulic claims


certain amount of fall is required to run off


the tailings. 1t is for the want of this nee


essary fall that the mines in these districts


have not been washed deeper. These mines


are situated on the divide between Bear


river on the North, and the North Fork of
the American river on the South, and to Sc


cure the fall required to work this immense
gold field out to the bedrock, two large tun-


nes are at present being run, one from Bear
river, to tap the mines to their bottom on
the North side of the ridge, and one from


the American, to tap them to the bottom on


the South side of the ridge. The Burlegh
drill, modern invention of great utility,


and without which such stupendous under


takings could scarcely be prosecuted at all,


at least with any certainty of success, Is
being used in each of these large tunnels,


and while they are being driven ahead at the
rate of from 100 feet to 13O feet per month,
the work of washing off the surface banks,


which are from 100 feet to 200 feet high, is
being pushed ahead with that vigor which
characterizes men who are clearing the OBJ
structions to mighty undertakings Mining


was never prosecuted with greater vgor
than it is now in these districts. While
standing on the ridge between Dutch Flat
and Gold Run, no matter in what direction


the eye may turn, numerous streams Of


water can be seen, playing with savage


force against these high, white banks with


most terrible OBJECT. Hydraulic mining,


with all the modern appliances, must be


seen to be appreciated, for none but the


practical hydraulic philosopher can conceive
the terrible force which 500 inches of water,


with as many feet of pressure, forced
through 4-nch nozzle, exerts in tearing
out rock or root, or washing down the
banks against which it is directed But
these mines, which, to-day, are being
worked with such terrible effect and favor
able results at the present depth, can last,
= at most, but few years more, and some,
} we understand, will wash out their ground
this season. To stranger, knowing this,
it would seem that now is the day of glory
for the miners of these camps, and that
Dutch Flat aud Gold Run, the latter Of


which depends most entirely on its mines,
had reached the zenith of their existence.
But the idea is deu.ive. About the time
this surface will be washed off, these large
tunnels will be ready for use, and instead Of
the mining era of these places being ended
, it will then have but begun, for the deep
and extensive gravel beds thus opened up,
this generation will not live to see washed
out. and the amount Of gold known, by
thorough prospecting, to be contained there
in. is beyond reasonable computation. Ex-
perience and reason has long ago proved
that the body of gold in all mines lies on
the bedrock; the surface is never expected
to contain much. Then, when we reflect
that the surface Of these mines contained
enough TO pay large div dends, what must


we conclude will be the result when they
are washed out to the bedrock. And then


as the mines are becoming, from yeal
to year, more thoroughly developed. in
ventive genius is continually increasing the
facilities, and lessening the expense Of
working them. w. II. Kinder and J. F
Moody, Of Gold Run, from what we know


probably the most extensive miners in the
district, with implicit confidence in the future


Of these mines, are putting all the


means and energy in forwarding their sys
> tematic development, without a shadow o.


doubt of the result. Col. T. B. Ludlum
Cnxa.nAanIonA ef ALa Nala- G.a.L H.