À partir de 1866, les bonnes concessions pour l'exploitation des placers deviennent difficiles à trouver et les Chinois étaient souvent vus comme des concurrents prêts à demander un salaire moindre que les mineurs blancs.
By 1866, good claims in placer mining were difficult to find, and the Chinese were frequently perceived as competitors who were willing to undercut white miners' wages.