kindle.] BIRCH CREEK REGION. 63 
eet. This makes over 5 cubic yards a day to the man. A strip 2 
uts wide is sometimes worked in conjunction with 2 sets of sluice 
oxes, and in most cases it is possible to shovel directly into them. 
Machinery has been introduced on a few claims. A steam trolley 
as in use on one claim, by means of which the dirt was raised in a 
ucket, conveyed along the cable, and dumped automatically into the 
luice boxes, which were elevated about 18 feet above the ground. 
>y the use of this arrangement it was said a man's capacity \\.i> 
icreased to 12 cubic yards of dirt a day. 
On another claim, where there was a depth to bed rock of 8 to 16 
set, a plant was being installed to work by the hydraulic method, 
'here was an 80-foot head of water to be conveyed through the 12-inch 
ipe to a 2J-inch giant. Everything was to be washed through the 
oxes, and the tailings raised by steam power to be carried away by 
rater. A combined ditch and flume two-thirds of a mile in length 
ad been constructed, and machinery, consisting of a 20-horsepower 
ouble-drum and a 10-horsepower single-drum hoist, had been put in 
lace to elevate the tailings. At another locality the depth to bed 
ock was about 15 feet, and it was necessary to strip' 6 to 7 feet, 
lachinery was on the ground, consisting of a 20-horsepower boiler, 
oist, pumps, trolleys, and scrapers. Part of it was in use and plans 
r ere under way for more extensive work. 
The season of 1903 was the first in which machinery was used to 
ny extent, and it is yet too early to compare its results with those 
chieved by other methods. Where machinery had been installed the 
rork was largely experimental, as many of the men were unfamiliar 
rith it, and much time was spent in learning how to get the best 
esults. As there is no wood in the upper part of the creek, fuel had 
o be brought from Mammoth Creek, and problems in regard to the 
wnership of timber were already causing difficulty. 
There is some winter work done by drifting in the upper portion 
f the valley, where it is said $20,000 to $25,000 were produced by 
lis method during the winter of 1902-3. 
Independence Creel'. — This creek also has its source on the northern 
lopes of Mastodon Dome and flows in a northerly direction, to unite 
nally with Mastodon Creek. It was not visited, but as far as could 
e learned the conditions were similar to those on the Mastodon. 
>even men were said to be working on it during the season of 1903. 
Miller^ Creek. — Miller Creek is similar in all essential features to 
lastodon Creek. It is less than 2 miles farther west, flows northeast- 
rly in a course nearly parallel to that of the Mastodon, and joins the 
lammoth about 2 miles above the Porcupine. The stream heads in 
picturesque amphitheater of hills. In the upper part of its course 
here is a bench on the northwest side, and it keeps rather close to the 
