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HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF PLACER MINING IN CALIFORNIA 755

result was the introduction of a nozzle called the "Goose N eek,"
which was flexible iron joint formed by two elbows working one
over the other.
First Riffle : The radius plate, or riffle, was patented by C. E.
Macy in 1863, and was subsequently introduced and used in all
metallic jointed discharge pipes which had elbows.
The next improved hydraulic nozzle was invented by the Messrs.
R. R. and J. Craig of Nevada County. It was called Craig's Globe
Monitor. This nozzle proved a success and was adopted at once by
the miners. Subsequently the Hydraulic Knuckle Joint and Nozzle
was invented by H. Fisher of Nevada County, and took the place
of the Craig machine. In 1870, Mr. Richard Hoskins patented the
nozzle called the little Giant, which was an improvement on the Dic-
tator, and has to a great extent superceded the older inventions.
Deflector: The next advance in hydraulic discharge machines was
an attachment to the nozzle called the "deflector," the invention of
Mr. C. H. Perkins, and patented in May, 1876. This is a short piece
of pipe, about an inch larger in diameter than the nozzle attached
to the latter by a gimbal joint and operated with a lever.
This improvement has been followed by the invention of the Hos-
kin's Deflector. This latter is a flexible semi-ball joint between the
end of the discharge pipe and the nozzle. It is operated by a lever.
In 1852-53 placer mining was at the height of its prosperity.
Labor was well paid and employment was easily obtained by all who
sought it. At this period, there still remained a few of the rich sur-
face deposits which had formerly been so numerous.
First Drift Mining: The first extensive drift mining in the old
river channels was commenced in 1852 at Forest Hill, Placer County,
though in 1851 a surface claim at Brown's Bar, on the middle fork
of the American River was drifted out by Joseph McGillivray.
In 1854, in consequence of the reported discovery of gold diggings
in Kern County, California, numbers of miners flocked to the south-
ern part of the State, only to find there poor deposits on a very limited
area.
Table Mountain: Some miners engaged in sinking a shaft near
Jamestown, Tuolumne County, where the gravel had been washe1
away, discovered gold at Table Mountain. Simultaneously other
miners traced a seam of gravel containing gold along its sides, and
it was found that this seam ran into a deep, rocky channel lying
under the mountain. The presence of water in great quantity frus-
trated all attempts to work this deposit.
Deep Tunnels: Further explorations developed the existence of
channels running under this ridge, which was found to have a west-
erly course and to pitch deeper as work advanced. After several
ineffectual attempts to drain the deposit, the gravel, which proved
later to be exceedingly rich, was finally bottomed by a deep tunnel.