I finally Saw the Arrastra in Action!

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Cows that have invaded the South Pass City State Historic Site, Wyoming 
 
The cows I saw yesterday morning are now outside the Miner's Exchange Saloon.

I walked down to the shop met up with Gator and we took root beer, birch beer, and cream soda over to the Miner’s Exchange Saloon.  I worked in the archives until noon and then left to open the saloon.

After our soda pop run, Gator went over to the stamp mill and started it up. But it through a belt. He decided to get the arrastra going instead, but first drove over to the saloon to pick me up, as I have been wanting to see this in action. We got to the arrastra and got the pump going and then then went to watch it work. No water. The hose that runs from the creek, though a pump, to supply water to the arrastra had separated. Gator was going to have to do some work on it. So, back into town we went. I returned to the saloon and opened it again.

Less than an hour later, Gator was on the radio. The arrastra was working, so I closed the saloon and walked, half a mile or so, to the arrastra and watched it in action. Pretty neat. It is powered by a water wheel, hence the pump and hose, and makes a nice gentle sound as the wooden teeth mesh and a grinding sound from the large boulders that the arrastra spins around.

 

Arrastra at South Pass City State Historic Site, Wyoming 
 
The arrastra. A water-powered mill. Look closely and you can see water coming out of the shoot. This is all it takes to power the mill. It turns the water wheel. Teeth on that wheel mesh with those on the horizontal wheel, which then turn the grinding stones. Simple and effective!
 

 

View of the milling portion of the arrastra at South Pass City State Historic Site, Wyoming 
 
Looking down into the wooden tank of the arrastra. The central shaft is driven by the water wheel and as it slowly spins it drags huge stones about that grind ore. 
 

I watched for a bit and walked back down to the saloon to open it for the third time today. Today was a beautiful day, so the walk up and back was glorious.

There were more visitors today, but the pace was nice. I had a chance here and there to do some work and then visit with the people who came in.

Thirty-one visitors and five dogs today! I sold one birch beer just as Gator came up to help me close the saloon. We chatted with Joe and Gator in the office for a few minutes and went to the trailer for dinner. Smoked lamb gyros again! We are almost out of lamb. It has been great.

After dinner, we cleaned up and then drove up to Atlantic City and had a drink and a snack at the Miner’s Grubstake while I did some writing and Connie read. We saw two mule deer on the way up to Atlantic City and two on the way back. As we pulled up to our trailer, there were two more deer just across the road from us.

Now, a little reading and relaxation! 

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