Snake River's Pot Holes Of Gold

[galenrog]

Fine and flour gold can be found along most of the Snake River. I know of several sand and gravel operations that recover, a few times a year, heavy black sands while cleaning equipment. Fine and flour gold is almost always present. It is not the “bread and butter” of the businesses, but is a nice bonus.

As to the story, it is just that. Holes in it big enough to fit a cruise ship. There are a few tidbits that may be fact, but with so much fiction woven in, it becomes entertainment and little more.

Thanks for posting, though. Fun read.

Time for more coffee.

 

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[Tiredman]

From Official Reports ….

 

[Tiredman]

more ….

 

[Tiredman]

more ….

 

[Tiredman]

More ….

 

[Tiredman]

This story in my book has more to it, but this is enough to show the story/legend is based upon something. Some large nuggets have come from the area and more must remain. Tracking down the names of those old bars and where they are I would think interesting. Imagine a wheelbarrow of dirt held $5 in gold back then, today isn't that a quarter ounce?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Sure. That's a quarter oz. Some miners got as much as 2oz/day of flour. They'd hit a paystreak, and do well while others 100' away would get nothing. But very few nuggets, and the ones found were small. I've never heard a single thing about pockets of nuggets anywhere on the Snake, until now. The only way those pockets of nuggets would be true is if there were pockets of gold in the basalt of the canyon walls, formed through volcanic action of some sort, and the canyon walls collapsed, exposing the gold. Pretty far-fetched IMHO. There was a lot of flour. In my county alone, they know that over 20,000oz of flour was recovered. When I look at how small that flour was, it's an incredible amount. There's still alot there, too. But the gold price, currently, is nowhere near as high, relative to typical wages, as it was back then. So, nobody bothers mining the Snake.
Jim

 

[Tiredman]

The articles mention a few places where good results were obtained. Maybe they can be accessed today.