162 Leslie M. Scott
Thes€ statistics were compiled by J. Ross Browne, who, as United States O^mmissioner for the mining region west of Rocky Mountains, made a comprehensive report in 1867.^
The first mines were always placers. The miners were preceded by prospectors, some of whom made fortunes by becoming miners, but the gr^t majority gathered little or nothing, frequently not even a oare living. Their implements were the pan, the rocker and the sluice, each for eliminating matter from the gold particles by washing.®'
The reduction of gold quartz required costly machinery. Such gold deposits baffled the early prospectors and miners. Gold quartz was found in Oregon at Rogue River, Canyon City, Elk Creek, Vincent's, Olive Creek, Granite Creek, -Eagle Creek and Auburn; in Idaho, on Salmon, Boise and Owyhee rivers; and in Canada, along the headwaters of Columbia River and at Cariboo. Silver lodes were frequent along with those of gold. Reduction mills were carried into the districts of Owyhee, Boise and Powder River, beginning in 1864, at great cost, from both San Francisco and Portland.^
Many localities gave "prospects" of gold, in the decade 1850, but did not become productive. There was little gold in Western Oregon, save in the Rogue River and Umpqua country. "Colors" or small quantities were found in the valleys of the Molalla, Santiam and McKenzie rivers,*^ and in Bohemia, the latter at the sources of the Willamette River. Coffee Creek, tributary to the South Umpqua, attracted gold
75 See Trimble's Mining Advance, p. 102. Report of J. Ross Browne.
76 These implements are described in Bancroft's California, vol. vi, pp. 409-18.
77 Four quartz mills were shipped to Owyhee from Portland in 1864, one by T. C. Ainsworth and another by Minear, Fountain, Leffel and Carrico. See The Orezonian, February 21. March 23, June 2, 6, 27, July 9, July 16, August 6, 19, 20, September 10, 12, November 10, 11, 18, December 6, I4f 1864: January 6, n, 25; February xo, 1865. Many Oregon men engaged or were interested in Owyhee ventures. See also The Oregonian, June 6, 1865, p. 2: July 28, 1865, p. 2. A mill of thirty stamps, for the Boise district, went through Portland from New York, in December, 1864 {ibid., December 2^, 1864). Another mill from San Francisco for Boise was shipped through Portland in the Summer of 1864 {ibid., July 12, 13, 1864). Details of the quartz mines of South Boise, ibid., July 13, 23, September 11. 21, October 3, 1864; January 1, 28, March 9, 12, 30, June 10, 19, 23, July 8, 9, 18, 1863; January 18, April 20, May s, 18, 26, August 19, 20, December 28. 1864). A quartz mill was built near Auburn in 1864 (»Wrf., October 29. 1864).
78 The Blue River deposits were discovered in 1863. Ldrse stamp mills were installed, but the ore was low grade. See The Oregonian, December 8, 1863; November 2, Deecember 17. 1889; July 3, 1897.
