THE GRAVEL: AT LOWELL AND REMINGTON HILLS. 75 
The connections of the gravel above Liberty Hill were not made ont clearly; but from Mr. 
Bowman’s investigations it appears that it forms a continuous deposit, as far as Lowell Hill, and it 
is so represented on the map. The barometrical observations at the last-named locality were made 
under rather unfavorable conditions ; but it is clear that the bed-rock at that point is from five to 
six hundred feet, at least, higher than-at Liberty Hill. This gives ample fall between the two 
places, which are a little less than three miles apart. 
Higher up Bear River, a mile and a half east of Lowell Hill, is a small gravel area, known as 
Kinder’s Diggings. It was stated, by those acquainted with this region, that this gravel is on the 
Bear River side of the divide, across which the old channel to the South Fork of Steep Hollow 
went. It was also said that the character and mode of occurrence of the gravel and gold at Lowell 
Hill indicated a connection with Kinder’s rather than with Liberty Hill. Such evidence may 
perhaps not be considered sufficient for basing a decided opinion as to the original course of the 
streams ; but, as the heads of the present rivers are so near together at Bear Valley, it would not 
be surprising to find the upper portions of the ancient representatives of the same streams in such 
close proximity to each other, that they might be with difficulty distinguished, and connections 
supposed to exist where there really were none. 
The town of Lowell Hill, consisting of perhaps half a dozen houses, stands, as seen from the 
opposite side of Steep Hollow, at the end of a rather flat ridge, which runs parallel with the gen- 
eral course of the Creek for about half a mile. From Lowell the descent into the cafion is very 
steep. South of this small ridge is a ravine nearly a mile long, emptying into Steep Hollow, just 
below Lowell Hill. The gravel is at the westerly end of the ridge, just were it begins to pitch 
into the cafion. The extent of the diggings is not very great. Their total length in a north and 
south direction would be, perhaps, a little less than 800 feet, and the average width may be taken 
roughly at 300. This gives an area of a little over five acres. The only unmistakable bed-rock 
seen in the diggings was near the eastern bank, and was pitching rapidly in a direction N. 80° W. 
(magnetic). _ Whatever bed-rock has been laid bare in former years has since been covered again 
by the large quantities of clay which have slidden down from the upper banks. The rock seen 
was in the line of a sluice through which there had been an outlet from the diggings into Steep 
Hollow. Everywhere along the eastern bank of the mine the indications pointed to a bed-rock 
sloping to the west ; and nowhere were any signs of a rim with an eastern inclination. This may 
be explained on the supposition that the western rim has been worn away during the formation 
of Steep Hollow Cajion. The height of the eastern bank of gravel will average about thirty or 
forty feet. At the point where the altitude of the bed-rock was measured there was a covering of 
eight or ten feet of red dirt over the gravel proper. ‘hen came seven feet of fine gravel and sand, 
followed by six feet of coarser gravel and ten feet of clay. At the bottom there was a coarse 
gravel, with rather large boulders. The presence of so much clay has made the working of the 
Lowell Hill bank unprofitable, and it is not probable that there will ever be much more money 
taken out there than will be needed to pay expenses. 
On the opposite side of Steep Hollow is the Remington Hill gravel, bearing from the Lowell 
Hill Mine, N. 22° W. (magnetic). A little lower down the creek, and on the same side with 
Remington, is a small gravel deposit, known as Melbourne Hill. The observations with the hand- 
level showed Remington Hill to be a little the higher of the two, while the altitudes of Melbourne 
and Lowell were nearly equal. To get from Lowell to Remington Hill it is necessary to cross the 
canon of Steep Hollow, the depth of which, as determined barometrically, is about 500 feet. The 
trail from Lowell follows a narrow spur between two ravines, in a direction N. 40° W. (magnetic), 
to the bottom of the caiion, and then up on the other side, on a spur between Snake Creek on the 
east and a ravine which heads near the Remington gravel on the west, ascending with a general 
course of N. 22° W. (magnetic). The Remington Hill gravel is hardly half-way up the side of 
the main ridge to the northwest of Steep Hollow; it is on the spur which lies between Snake and 
Dry Creeks, the general course of which is S. 10° E. (magnetic). Snake Creek is hardly anything 
more than a large ravine, heading just above the gravel deposit at Remington Hill, and having a 
