Prospecting Nevada

The quintessential image of the American prospector is that of the bearded man with his burro. As with all images there is more behind it than meets the eye. Heading into the hills or out across the arid Nevada desert took planning. For the prospector is was a case of logistics and foresight.

"Without the prospector there would be no mining and the world would yet be in the stone age."
Charles A. Brambel, The ABC of Mining, 1898

Early handbooks on prospecting always stressed the logic of prospecting teams. The ideal size was three to four men. Yet the reality was most prospectors worked alone. So what did it take for a single prospector to survive on his own? As Bramble noted in his handbook, the first thing the prospector had to consider was his outfit. The more complete the better. And if the outfit was lacking, "he must endeavor to make up for the lack of tools by ingenuity."

"In preparing his outfit the prospector should not forget the things that will make him comfortable but should avoid any unnecessary weight. Plenty of bedding is essential, especially in winter or early spring."
M.W. von Bernewitz, Handbook for Prospectors (1935)

The first and perhaps most important part of any outfit was the burro. The average burro could carry 150 pounds and cover 15 miles a day regularly. According to von Bernewitz, "burros will travel on an average as far as a man cares to in a day, taking into consideration the additional work of packing, unpacking, and making camp." The advantage of the burro was that it could survive on little water and feed. One the other hand, burros were prone to be prickly if they had a mind to be.

Packing the outfit was another important skill. In von Bernewitz's Handbook for Prospectors, he recommended that "each pack, except the water pack, should be covered with canvas, and all packs, water included, should be securely lashed. For this, the diamond hitch is the best."

"Knowing how to bake bread is sometimes more valuable than much mathematics."
Charles A. Brambel, The ABC of Mining, 1898

A 100-pound food pack for one man per month consisted of:
. 42 pounds of flour, cornmeal, hardtack, rice, grits, and oatmeal
. 27 pounds of pork, bacon, and ham
. 7 pounds of beans and split-peas
. 4 pounds of evaporated fruit, mostly apples
. 5 pounds of sugar
. 3 pounds of butter
. 2 pounds of canned milk
. 2 pounds of cheese
. 2 pounds of tea, coffee, chocolate
. 3 pounds of salt, pepper, mustard
. 1 pound of baking soda
. 2 pounds of lime juice

Beyond food, the basic outfit included a pick, a shovel, a pan, a tent, plenty of bedding, and sturdy work clothes. Other useful items might include a pocket lens, cheesecloth screen, and a small iron pestle and mortar. The typical tent used by miners was the pyramid tent, which consisted of canvas, a single pole, and some pegs. It could weight from five to fourteen pounds.

The Complete Outfit:
. A half-gallon iron mortar and pestle
. A rough scale
. A delicate scale showing troy grains and pennyweights
. A 40-mesh sieve
. A burro furnace and muffle
. One cupel mould
. Two dozen scorifiers
. A pair of tongs
. Two annealing cups
. A spirit lamp
. A dozen test tubes
. A pouring mould
. Six pounds each of borax and carbonate of soda
. Five pounds each of bone ash and granulated lead
. One pint each of nitric, hydrochloric, and sulfuric acid
. One pint of ammonia
. Two pints of alcohol
. Two pounds of granulated zinc

And for the inexperienced prospector it was always advised to know the terrain and know where the water was before heading out. This was particularly important for those prospecting in Nevada.