Existing comment:
Using a rocker, one man could work twice as much sand and gravel as he could be panning. The next development was a 4-man team, each one doing a part of the operation: digging, transporting gravel and water, or working the rocker.
Placer mining methods used gravity to concentrate heavier materials, such as gold, by washing away the lighter materials.
The earliest miners found rich, accessible gold deposits that allowed them to make a profit while panning small quantities of gold-bearing gravel.
Fifty washed pans were a man's daily labor quota and $15 a day was considered breaking even, gold rush prices being what they were. |