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Show 198 Most of the supplies were boated down the river from Bluff to the mining camps during the first year. There were other mines in the vicinity at the same time, probably one hundred fifty men working on the river. After wagon road was built the supplies were hauled there by wagon. Very little machinery was used in connection with placer operation. The wheel for elevating the water constituted the heaviest equipment. Two of the placer operators had steel boilers which were taken in by wagon. Casing and drilling machinery necessary in operations for oil drilling were taken into the country by wagon during the years between 1909 and 1918 One of the boilers brought in was never used at all. The mines are still in operation. The miners come down sometimes during the winter months and mine come. He has been engaged in the oil business himself about twenty five miles west of Bluff, right on the San Juan River. He has two wells right at the edges of the water. He did his drilling under the placer law. R. 470- 471. " Q. All of it was taken in by wagon? " A. All of it was taken in by wagon; we had got the road built in by that time and it was all brought down by wagon. R. 471. Cross Examination ( R. Vol. 3. - pp. 473- 482.) Supplies brought down the river by boat before the road was built, consisted of food stuff, shovels, picks, drills, lumber and some powder. The lumber was used for building sluice boxes and the water wheel. The placers were operated about three years before the road was built from Bluff to Mexican Hat, during which years supplies were brought by wagon to Bluff and boated down the river. R. 472- 473. |