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Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Western Mining in the Twentieth Century Oral History Series Norman Cleaveland DREDGE MINING FOR GOLD, MALAYSIAN TIN, DIAMONDS, 1921-1966; EXPOSING THE 1883 MURDER OF WILLIAM RAYMOND MORLEY With Introductions by Peter Lawson-Johnston and Edwards H. Metcalf Interviews Conducted by Eleanor Swent in 1994 Copyright @ 1995 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the Nation. Oral history is a modern research technique involving an interviewee and an informed interviewer in spontaneous conversation. The taped record is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The resulting manuscript is typed in final form, indexed, bound with photographs and illustrative materials, and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Norman Cleaveland dated December 15, 1994. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, 486 Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. The legal agreement with Norman Cleaveland requires that he be notified of the request and allowed thirty days in which to respond. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Norman Cleaveland, "Dredge Mining for Gold, Malaysian Tin, Diamonds, 1921-1966; Exposing the 1883 Murder of William Raymond Morley," an oral history conducted in 1994 by Eleanor Swent, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1995. Copy no. Cataloging information CLEAVELAND, Norman (b. 1901) Dredge miner Dredge Mining for Gold, Malaysian Tin, Diamonds, 1921-1966; Exposing the 1883 Murder of William Raymond Morley, 1995, xviii, 154 pp. California background, Olympic gold medalist, Stanford rugby team, Paris, 1924; dredge mining for gold in California and Alaska, tin in Malaya (1929-1932, 1947-1966), diamonds in Brazil; WWII air force service pilot; Pauley Reparations Commission, 1946; implementation of Briggs Plan for anticommunist enclaves in Malaya, 1947-1950; development of Cleaveland circular jig for concentrating ores; relationship with Herbert Hoover family; cover-up of grandfather Morley's murder by the Santa Fe Ring. Introductions by Peter Lawson-Johnston, Chairman, Zemex Corporation, formerly Pacific Tin; and Edwards Huntington Metcalf, Overseer, Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Interviewed in 1994 by Eleanor Swent for Western Mining in the Twentieth Century Oral History Series. Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. Mining Engineering October 1997 NORMAN CLEAVELAND An appreciation by ~ortRichardson orman Cleaveland, 96, and Natomas, CA. Newton dredging career in the Far East passed away on June 6, Cleaveland, Norman Cleaveland's with operations in Malaya's tin 1997 at his home in Santa father, was employed by W.P. fields,Thailand and Burma. He N Hammond, founder of the Yuba returned to California in 1932 and Fe, NM. He is survived by his three daughters, Helen Powell, Alice Consolidated Gold Dredging Co., wrote numerous technical papers Cleaveland and Sarah Cleaveland, Norman Cleaveland was in part- on dredge mining for tin, gold and all of England. nership with his father and Frank diamonds. Cleaveland is best remembered Adams, mining attorney, in gold He originated the concept of a for his dedication to the field of dredge mining in California in the continuous dragline dredge, called placer mining. While growing up, 1930s. the COG deep mining dredge, that he worked on gold dredges in Yuba In 1930, Norman started his Cleaveland (Continued on page 93) Cleaveland (Continuedfrom page 92) Dredging Tin During Mulayu's in the 20th Century Oral History he jointly developed with Patrick Conzmunist Emergency. Series by the University of Califor- O'Neill and Roland Guntert. Its Cleaveland retired from PacTin nia-Berkeley, Bancroft Library. basic design has been elaborated in 1966 but remained on the board . of directors. During those years, Cleaveland experimented with the idea of a circular jig that he pat- oceans. He was ented. It is used to dredge and re- one of the most cover diamonds. He also spent more time at his family ranch in neers in the de- Datil, NM and with his sister, velopment of the Lorraine in Santa Fe. bucket ladder Cleaveland served as chairman CLEAVELAND mining dredge of the first World Dredging Confer- and its processing systems. ence in 1967. He continued to sup- After World War 11, Cleaveland port the conference for the next 10 returned to Malaya and joined Pa- years. During this time we devel- cific Tin Consolidated Corp. as oped a close relationship.This led president. He became involved to his support for my acquisition of with the resistance of the commu- Consolidated Placer Dredging Co. nist insurrection or emergency, as it in San Francisco. was called. This was the theme for In 1994, Norman Cleaveland his book, Bang! Bang! in Ampang, was chosen for the Western Mining In Memorium: Norman Cleaveland, Legendary Dredge Miner After WWII, Norman returned to Malaya and joined Pacific Tin Consolidated Corp. as president. He be- came involved with resistance of the communist insur- rection or "emergency," as it was called. This was the Norman Cleaveland, theme for his book, "Bang! Bang! in Ampang, Dredg- 96, passed away at his ing Tin During Malaya's Communist Emergency," pub- home after a brief pe- lished in 1973 (WDMC). riod of illness. He retired from PacTin in 1966 and remained on He is survived by the board of directors. During those years, Norman his three daughters, experimented with his idea of a circular jig and became Helen Powell, Alice involved with the development of Mineracao Tejucana, and Sarah Cleave- MG, Brazil, with the patented Cleaveland Circular Jig, land; all of England. used to dredge and recover diamonds. Cleaveland is rec- Norman also spent more time at his family ranch in ognized as a Gold Datil, New Mexico, and with his sister Lorraine in Medal winner in the Santa Fe. He studied the history of New Mexico. This 1924 Olympics in led to the writing of his first book, "The Morleys- Norman Cleaveland Paris. He was a mem- Young Upstarts on the Southwest Frontier" (Calvin ber of the U.S.A. Rugby football team, organized by ~orn~ubiisher,Inc., Albuquerque, NM, 1971):~his is Stanford University, where he was quarterback. Over a story of Cleaveland's grandmother and grandfather, the years, Cleaveland has been invited to rugby gath- William Raymond Morley. His research and writings erings around the world. Special recognition of proved that the infamous "New Mexico Ring," led by Cleaveland's gold medal status was reported in WDMC the former governor, assassinated his grandfather. This in May 1991. was done in connection with Morley's exposure of the Norman Cleaveland is best remembered for his dedi- Ring through his newspaper. cation to the field of placer mining. While growing up, Norman served as chairman of the first WODCON Norman worked on gold dredges in Yuba and Natomas, (World Dredging Conference) in May 1967 in New California. Newton Cleaveland, Norman's father, was York. He was keynote speaker at the first luncheon at employed by W.P. Hammond, founder of the Yuba the Waldorf Astoria, speaking about his diamond dredg- Consolidated Gold Dredging Co., prior to the turn of ing experiences in Brazil. He continued to support the century. Newton had been studying medicine at WODCON and WODA for the next 10 years, during Stanford University but was persuaded by Hammond to which we developed a close relationship, leading to his join Yuba to dredge gold. Newton became general support for my acquisition of Consolidated Placer manager, building Yuba dredges for gold and tin. Dredging Co. in San Francisco, 1977. Norman was in partnership with his father and Frank In 1994, Norman Cleaveland was chosen for the Adams, mining attorney, gold dredge mining in Cali- "Western Mining in the 20th Century Oral History fornia in the 1930's. Series" by the Univer- In 1930, Norman commenced his dredging career in sity of California, Ber- the Far East with operations in Malaya's tin fields, keley, The Bancroft Li- Siam (Thailand), and Burma. He returned to Calif- brary. The document re- ornia in 1932 and becam'e an author of numerous tech- sulted from interviews nical papers about dredge mining for tin, gold, and conducted in 1994, diamonds. which were entitled He originated the concept of a "Continuous Dra- "Dredge Mining for gline Dredge," coined the "COG" deep mining dredge, Gold, Malaysian Tin, which he jointly developed with Patrick O'Neill and Diamonds, 1921-1966; Roland Guntert. Its basic design has been elaborated Exposing the 1883 Mur- upon by engineering and mining groups around the der of William Raymond world, aimed at mining manganese nodules in the deep Morley".

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