Ch. 5: Mine & Milling Practice

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	91	GOLD MIXING IN NORTH CAROLINA.

	The upper riffles, as well as the surface of the material in the tank, were examined every evening for larger nuggets. A complete clean-up was made at odd intervals, depending upon the richness of the material worked on, etc. The gravel in the tank was entirely worked down by means of the hose, the coarser nuggets picked out by hand, and the heavy sand, together with similar material found in the bottom of the sluice, after taking up the riffles, was washed in a rocker. No quicksilver was used, there being no fine gold whatever. A loss of gold would more likely be in the form of larger nuggets, which might be overlooked in forking out the coarser material, or which, on account of their round form and size, might roll over the riffles to the tailing heap. One large nugget, of the shape and size of a hen's egg, was found on the latter. Clay balls (sluice-robbers) also cause considerable loss.



	When working to full capacity, 25 men were employed at these mines 5 men at the tank and sluice, 1 playing the hose and dumping cars, 1 raking gravel out of the tank, and 3 helping the material down the sluice and over the riffles, forking out the coarser pebbles. The latter force was necessitated by the limited supply of water and the desire to work as large quantities as possible. Their work might perhaps have been assisted by the use of a much shorter sluice, and a somewhat steeper inclination of the same, without endangering loss in gold of such a coarse character. The remainder of the force, excepting foreman and engineer, were employed in digging gravel, taking up bed-rock, etc. An average day's output consisted of 80 carloads, about 45 cubic yards of loose gravel. Two and one-half to three cords of wood were burnt a day, at 65 cents per cord. Labor was paid at the rate of 60 to 65 cents per day. These figures, with reasonable additions for superintendence, supplies, etc., placed the cost of mining gravel by this method at about 50 cents per loose cubic yard. From June until November, when the water-supply is very limited, the right of mining the gravel was let out to tributors, who turned in as royalty J of the finer gold, including

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