America's "Gold-Ship" at Work.
Dredge operating in Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields, California.
From "The Business of Mining," by A. J. Hoskins. J. B. Lippincott & Co.
Before the farmers had succeeded in stopping the hydraulic miners, a stretch of land, larger than all the territory devastated by the World War, was rendered a hideous desolation forever incapable of settlement. Ten years of hydraulicking had brought more than $150,000,000 in gold dust to the mining interests, but had caused a perpetual damage that ten times that sum could not repay.
In every civilized country, to-day, hydraulicking is forbidden, except on a small scale. It is only permitted in such cases and under such conditions that the mining company can dispose of the tailings without injury to property holders further down the stream.
The "gold ship" has taken the place of the hydraulic jet and the sluice. It is a weird device! It is nothing more or less than a dredge, floating in a lake of water—maybe in the middle of a desert—which, as it moves along, moves its own lake with it. It dredges, washes, and separates hundreds of tons of sand or gravel with the same water in which it floats, using the water over and over again. By law, the tailings which it leaves behind must be leveled, soil placed thereon and either grass or trees planted. Thus the gold ship advances over dry land, chewing its own way forward, and remaking the land it leaves behind.
On Chukalook Bank, however, hydraulicking was permissible. There were no farm lands to be spoiled. There were no rivers to be choked up. The tailings and the refuse could do no harm. On the contrary, by employing the forces of the current descending in the sluice, the "Wizard" operated a narrow-gauge tramway on an endless chain, and the tailings were emptied into cars which ran out to sea, making their own land as they went. The cars had a dumping device, and needed but one man to tip them. Thus little by little, a natural breakwater crept out seawards, forming a harbor in which ships could ride in safety.
As the "Wizard" had anticipated, Owens had become as enthusiastic after the value of the mine had been demonstrated as he had been coldly critical before. The lure of gold caught him anew, and he invested capital freely. He was an excellent business man and a good judge of men. Besides paying Juneau a large salary as superintendent and mine engineer, he had shrewdly put several shares of stock in the "Wizard's" name, thus ensuring his most hearty support.
Moreover, Owens had learned to appreciate Jameine. He had found out that the girl had taken courses in the business side of mine management as well as in the technical branches, and though her knowledge was theoretical only, it was sound. With her he could discuss detailed questions of book-keeping and the like, which only annoyed the mining expert. Accordingly, Owens appointed Jameine his personal representative, thus securing Jim's loyalty forever. This done, he returned to his coal mine in Ohio, leaving the "Wizard" in charge.