146 ELDORADO 



early the following morning found us prospecting Dry 

 creek below the town. A sufficient amount of rain 

 had not fallen up to that time to raise the streams, 

 consequently a very small amount of water flowed in 

 the creek. 



Like most of the "placers" in all that mining re- 

 gion, we found the ground had been superficially 

 worked the previous winter of '49. We located claims 

 and not having packed our tools with us from our last 

 mining camp purchased rockers and other necessary 

 implements and began operations. In removing a 

 pile of tailings deposited by a "forty-niner" my shovel 

 uncovered a nugget of gold weighing half an ounce, 

 or eight dollars. This was the largest specimen I 

 found during my mining experience. We continued 

 our labors at this place a couple of weeks without suf- 

 ficient encouragement to remain longer, so again 

 shouldering our blankets and cooking utensils we went 

 about two miles farther south and staked claims on 

 what was known as the "Rancharee." A small spring 

 supplied water for our domestic use and standing wa- 

 ter was observed along the otherwise dry bed of the 

 stream. After selecting our camp we returned for 

 our tools, which we carried upon our backs ; in fact all 

 our provisions were transported from Drytown. two 

 miles away, in the same manner. 



Up to this time we had no other shelter except what 

 nature provided, as the weather had continued warm 

 and dry. We were told that rain could be looked for 

 at anv time and that snow fell at that altitude some- 

 times to considerable depth, so we decided to provide 

 some sort of winter quarters. Accordinglv we pur- 

 chased a heavv walled duck tent, constructed bunks 



