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Golden Treasures Publishing, Published 1995. Paperback, vii, 123 pp.; 28 cm; illustrated with black-and-white historic photographs, maps, mining equipment diagrams and facsimile documents. Edited by Veronica Freund; printed by Commercial Printing, Wenatchee.
In Very Good condition. Pictorial paper covers with light bumping and creasing to edges and corners, and mild shelf and edge wear. Binding tight. Pages clean and unmarked. A history of hardrock and placer gold mining in Washington, concentrated on the North Cascades and the Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas and Whatcom districts, drawn from territorial-era newspapers (The Eye, Everett News, Pioneer and Democrat), mining bulletins, and interviews with miners and their families. Includes Ruby Creek and the upper Skagit; Hiram F. "Okanogan" Smith and the 1883 organization of the Mount Chopaka-Similkameen Mining District (with a facsimile of the handwritten record); the Palmer Mountain Tunnel at Loomis; the Blewett and Swauk districts and the Liberty chain-bucket dredge; Monte Cristo and the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad; Slate Creek and the Mammoth and Azurite mines; the Kikendall brothers' dog teams; and the Ballard brothers. The placer section covers Rich Bar on the Similkameen and the tools of the trade (rocker, long tom, sluice, gold pan). Photographs from the Horn-Olling and Johanson collections, the Okanogan County Historical Society and others, including Darius Kinsey. Rear cover reproduces a color-penciled field map of the Swauk and Peshastin (Blewett) districts. Contents: Part I, The Lure of Gold: The First Discovery of Gold; Miners and Native Americans Clash; Battle at McLoughlin Canyon; Gold is Discovered on Ruby Creek; Part II, Hardrock Mining: Ruby, the First Okanogan County Seat; Hiram "Okanogan" Smith; The Blewett Mining District; Milling Machines; The Arrastra; Power Drilling; Hand Drilling; Poland-China Mine; The Palmer Mountain Tunnel; Investments in Mining; Monte Cristo and Its Mines; The Everett and Monte Cristo R.R.; Slate Creek District; The Mammoth Mine; The Azurite Mine; Work Duties at the Azurite, Don Olling; The Kikendall Brothers and their Dog Teams; Charles Ballard; The Ballard Brothers; The Knob Hill Mine; Part III, Placer Mining: The Properties of Gold; The Similkameen River; Rich Bar on the Similkameen; Early Routes of Travel; Horses, Mules, and Mining; The Swauk Mining District; Chain-bucket Dredge; Diverting Water for Mining; Recreational Dredging; The Sluice; The Rocker; Beware of the Rattlesnake; Keeping Law and Order; Silver Creek Hotel Rules; The Gold Pan; Weighing Your Gold; Regulations; Bibliography; Index.