California mines and minerals (1899) (14759621336)

Early placer mining scene in 1852, in what is now Nevada City
Identifier: californiaminesm00cali (find matches)
Title: California mines and minerals
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: California Mining Association Benjamin, Edward H
Subjects: Mines and mineral resources -- California
Publisher: San Francisco : (Press of Louis Roesch Co.)
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
entration of valuabledeposits within a narrowly circumscribed area as the main gold regionof this county. The veins are not connected with the long, continu-ously-linked veins of the Mother Lode to the south. Gold mining began in 1848, soon after Marshalls discovery, in ElDorado County, and in 1849 prospectors swarmed into its wild andvirgin hills and canyons, spreading along the Middle Yuba, SouthYuba, and Bear rivers and numerous tributaries, and establishing typi-cal mining camps at the richest discoveries, two of which were thebeginnings of Grass Valley and Nevada City. These surface placersyielded richly by the primitive methods then in use. During the firstyears the alluvial placer mines furnished the largest amount of gold.Very soon, however, the older tertiary hill gravels were discovered.The deposits of these were far richer and more abundant at NevadaCity than in Grass Valley. Here drift mining began, and between1856 and 1860 and between 1865 and 1870 the ancient channels on
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266 CALIFORNIA MINES AND MINERALS the Alta, Towntalk and Independent hills were worked by the drifting-process. As early as 1851 the hill gravels above Nevada City werediscovered. Small shafts were sunk and low drifts run in differentdirections. Sluices, the first improvement on the pan, rocker, andlong-torn, were first used, it is said, in the Coyoteville diggings atwhat is now Nevada City. Ground sluicing first came into general use in 1851-2 in thecoyote claims at Nevada City. A. Chabot, who was mining at Buck-eye Hill in 1852, introduced about forty feet of hose into his claim,the water being conducted from the bank to the bottom of the dig-gings in a closed wooden box, strengthened by iron clamps to withstandthe pressure. This was found to be very useful in sluicing ofi thedirt, but there was no nozzle attached, and the idea probably neveroccurred to Mr. Chabot that a stream of water under a high pressure,directed against the bank, would accomplish a great deal. In April,1853, E.