USA > California > Nevada County > Bean's history and directory of Nevada County, California. Containing a complete history of the county, with sketches of the various towns and mining camps also, full statistics of mining and all other industrial resources > Part 14
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LECOMPTON MINE.
The Lecompton ledge was located in the spring of 1857, by George Hearst, Joseph and Jacob Clark, and George D. Roberts, and is situated three miles above Nevada, in what is now known as the Lecompton district. A half interest was soon after sold to McLane and Givens, and in the course of two years the mine yielded a profit of over $60,000 to the owners, the rock being worked at the Oriental mill. The various interests in the mine were afterward bought up by the owners of the mill, and the whole property was purchased by J. J. Ott, in 1863. Up to this time the gross yield of the mine was over $220,000, the rock paying on the average about $40 a ton, and the mine having been worked out to near the water level. Ott erected pumping machinery and sunk an incline to the depth of 175
PRESCRIPTIONS ACCURATELY COMPOUNDED BY E. F. SPENCE.
ALL KINDS OF TABLE LINENS AT GOLDSMITII'S.
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feet below the bed of Deer creek, taking out a hundred tons of rock which yielded about the same as that in the upper levels. A tunnel has also been run through solid granite, a distance of 350 feet, striking another very rich chute in the ledge. A crushing made about the first of February last, yielded $125 a ton in free gold, without counting the sulphurets, which are very rich. The ledge varies in width from three and four inches to two and a half feet, averaging a little over a foot. It lies near the junetion of the granite and slate, cutting through from one formation into the other, without changing its course or dip.
MOHAWK MINE.
This mine is situated on Gold Flat, a mile south of Nevada, and was located by Henry Stede and others in 1857. Stede and his partners worked the mine for some years, hoisting the rock by means of a one-horse whim, and with as favorable results as could have been anticipated with limited means. In 1863, Captain Kidd purchased the mine, erected steam hoisting and pumping works, and commenced an incline; but the work was several times interrupted by reason of the large quantity of water with which the miners had to contend. William L. Tisdale subsequently purchased half the mine, and a perpendicular shaft was sunk to the depth of a hundred and eighteen feet, and drifts run each way on the ledge. About five hun- dred tons of rock was taken out and crushed by Kidd & Tisdale, which averaged thirty-four dollars a ton; but the work was suspended last year, on account of the machinery not being of sufficient capacity to work the mine. It is the intention to put ou heavier machinery this summer, and resume operations. The ledge appears to be full of rich pockets of free gold, in which many fine specimens have been found. The Mohawk is in the granite, its course is nearly north and south, and, like the Sneath and Clay, which is a parallel vein, dips to the west.
MURCHIE MILL AND MINE,
The mill of the Murchie Brothers is situated two and a half miles above Nevada, on Deer creek, was built in 1861, has eight stamps, and is run by water power. The Murchie mine, which is near the mill, is quite a large vein, and the rock has yielded, in the different crushings, from five to seventeen dollars a ton-oftener the smaller than the larger sum. This would not pay expenses, in the manner in which the mine was worked, and the mill has been employed a portion of the time on custom work, and much of the time has been idle. In 1866, the Murehies made an arrange- ment with Charles Bever and others to sink a shaft on the mine, in expec- tation that the ore would improve at a greater depth. A small engine was erected, a shaft sunk to the depth of about a hundred feet, and considerable
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A. GOLDSMITII'S DRY GOODS STORE IS ALWAYS CROWDED WITH CUSTOMERS.
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rock was taken out and crushed, which yielded about the same as that nearer the surface. This was not considered sufficient to justify a continu- ance of operations, and the mine is not worked at present.
NEVADA MINE AND MILL.
The mine of the Nevada Quartz Mining Company is situated about a mile below Nevada, on the north side of Deer creek, and was located carly in 1851, by Charles Marsh, E. E. Mattison, Dr. McIntyre, and others. It was known then as the Bunker Hill ledge, and it was here that the grand and disastrous experiment of Dr. Rogers was made, the particulars of which are detailed in the historical sketch of the township. The experiment cost the stockholders over $80,000, and beyond question it was the wildest experiment ever made in quartz. After the failure of the Bunker Hill Company, the mine was considered of no value, and few persons would have accepted it as a gift. Some years later, the ledge was located at a point further north, by R. R. Craig, P. N. Edwards and J. A. Mattingly, where some rich rock was found, but at the time they were not aware that it was the same as the Bunker Hill ledge. In 1857, Craig and his partners made an arrangement with Captain D. VanPelt, Nelson Soggs, S. W. Green and others, who erected an eight-stamp steam mill for a half interest in the ledge. The mill was situated on the west side of American IIill, and was run successfully for two or three years, the parties who built the mill, in the mean time, having bought out the interests of the locators of the ledge, and paying for the same from the profits of the mine. The fact having been ascertained that the ledge was the same as that of the old Bunker Hill, the mill site, water wheel and fiume of that company were purchased, and a new mill was erected in 1860, near the site of the Bunker Hill furnace. About this time the company was incorporated under the name of "Nevada Quartz Mining Company." Nelson Soggs was the superin- tendent from the time the first mill was erected up to 1864, when he re- signed on account of ill health; but the mine is still known as the Soggs mine. At times, very large profits have been realized from the working of the mine-about 5,000 tons of rock being crushed yearly since the present mill was erected, and the gross yield ranging from $40,000 to $70,000 a year. About 1861, six of Bradford's ore separators were attached to the mill, for the purpose of concentrating the sulphurets, and by means of which from three to five tons have been saved weekly. These have mostly been reduced by the chlorinizing process, at Maltman's sulphuret works, and have largely contributed to the success of the enterprise. William M. Ratcliff has been the superintendent for the past two or three years. From him, we learn that from January 1, 1866, to January 1, 1867, about 5,000 tons of rock was crushed, which yielded in the mill $42,000; while the
PAINTS, OILS, VARNISH, AND DYE STUFFS AT SPENCE'S.
SHAWLS, CLOAKS, BASQUES OF THE LATEST STYLES, AT GOLDSMITH'S.
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returns from ore shipped to Swansea, and of concentrated sulphurets, netted $8,000. The concentrated sulphurets average $100 a ton, and the sulphuret ore sells at the mill for $87 a ton. The mill has twelve stamps, eight of them weighing 750 pounds each, and four of 1,000 pounds each. The amalgamating machinery consists of four Chile mills, two Bannan arastras, and two of Crall's waltzing pans. The machinery is driven by an over-shot wheel of thirty-five feet in diameter, the water being taken from Deer creek. The ledge has been opened and worked by three tunnels, commencing above the mill and running north. The upper tunnel has been ruu a distance of 2,900 feet, being over half a mile in length. The middle tunnel has been run 1,900 feet, and the lower 1,800. The lower tunnel starts in just above the mill, being fifteen or twenty feet above high water mark, and 133 feet below the middle tunnel. The ledge is one of the largest in the township; varying from three to sixteen feet in width, and averaging about five feet. It has yielded not less than 40,000 tons of ore, and has never been worked below the level of the creek. Since the company was incorporated but one assessment has been levied, and that amounted to only one-half of one per cent. on the capital stock.
ORIENTAL MILL.
The Oriental mill was erected by Howland, Gray and others, of San Fran- cisco, in 1857. It was built for a custom mill, and A. B. Paul was the superintendent until 1860. In 1863, it was purchased, together with the Lecompton and other mines, by J. J. Ott, who entirely remodeled it, and added pans and ore separators. Ott sold the mill, together with a number of undeveloped ledges, to a New York company, and latterly it has been mostly used for custom work. It is run by steam power, has eight stamps, four pans, three Bradford ore separators, and a Crosby desulphurizer and amalgamator.
ORO FINO MILL AND MINES.
The Oro Fino mill is situated on Rush creek, about four miles west of Nevada, and was built in 1862 by Robert Hanly and others. Work was commenced and rock crushed from several ledges in the vicinity, but the enterprise was not successful, and operations were suspended. In the spring of 1866, the property was purchased by parties from Virginia City, and considerable work has been done in the past year by way of opening the ledges belonging to the company. These are the Oro Fino, the Middle and the John Bull; in addition to which the company has leased the Yellow Diamond ledge, in the vicinity. A tunnel of over four hundred feet in length has been run on the John Bull, the ledge being about two feet in width, and furnishing considerable good ore. The mill has six stamps, is
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run by water power, and has been almost entirely rebuilt since the present company commenced operations. A considerable quantity of rock has been crushed from the different ledges in the past year, generally yielding good returns. The owners, are Messrs. Morris, Hale, Hinds, Collins and Brown -William R. Morris being the superintendent.
PALMER'S MILL.
This mill is situated on Sacramento street, in the town of Nevada, and was built by Oscar Palmer in 1862. It has four stamps, a Williams pan, and is run by steam power. It has been mostly employed in custom work, being erected for that purpose, and has generally yielded good returns from the rock worked. The Williams pan was first introduced in this mill, and is one of the best pans for grinding now in usc.
PENNSYLVANIA MINE.
This mine is situated northwest of Nevada, and but a short distance outside the corporation limits. It was located in 1863, and a mill built the next year by Simmons, Oates and others. The mine was opened by a perpendicular shaft, to a depth of about a hundred feet, and yielded excel- lent returns. The operations were suddenly suspended in November, 1865, by a deplorable accident. Through the carelessness of the person who was acting as engineer, a flue collapsed, throwing the boiler a distance of over three hundred feet, demolishing a house standing near the mill, and killing a Mrs. Hutchinson, who was the only person that happened to be in the house at the time. During the preceding spring and summer the profits of the mine had amounted to some $5,000 or $6,000. The company, however, being still somewhat involved, and there being also a lack of harmony among the owners, they sold out the property soon after the accident to Messrs. J. H. Helm, T. P. Hawley, T. T. Davenport, A. C. Niles and G. Morgan-the latter subsequently selling his interest to S. B. Davenport. A new boiler was put in the mill, the necessary repairs made, and opera- tions commenced again in the spring of 1866. Finding, however, that the mine had been mostly worked out to the depth of the old shaft, the com- pany erected new hoisting works, and opened the ledge in a systematic manner by means of an incline. This has been sunk to a depth of about eighty feet below the old works, and levels run in each direction, from which a considerable quantity of good ore has been mined. The mill, which had been idle the most of the summer and fall, was started up again about the middle of December, and is understood to have been yielding good returns. The hoisting works cost about $7,000, are of sufficient ca- pacity to work the mine to a great depth, and are well and conveniently arranged. The mill has only four stamps, but is arranged so that another
CORKS OF ALL SIZES AT SPENCE'S.
NO BETTER PLACE TO BE FOUND THAN GOLDSMITIT'S FOR DRESS TRIMMINGS.
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battery of four stamps can be added, which will probably be done when the mine is further developed. The ledge will average about a foot in width, its course is nearly north and south, has an easterly dip, and lies between the Soggs and Gold Tunnel. J. H. Helm is the superintendent.
PROVIDENCE MINE.
The Providence mine is an extension of the Soggs, or Nevada Company's ledge, being situated on the south side of Deer creek. It was located by T. F. Dingley, and the next year a six-stamp mill was erected and the ledge opened under his superintendence, having associated with some parties in San Francisco, when the company was incorporated. In 1861, the capacity of the mill was increased by the addition of six stamps, and it now has three Williams and five Knox pans. The ledge is opened by means of tunnels, starting in above the mill, and running south. The pay rock is taken from large chimneys, situated at unequal distances, while the ledge between the chimneys is quite small, in places running down to a mere seam. Some remarkably rich sulphuret ore has been taken from the mine, but the average will probably not exceed ten or twelve dollars a ton. . We have no statistics as to the amount of rock that has been taken out and reduced, but the mill has been kept in operation the most of the time. Attached to the mill are four of Bradford's ore separators; but these were allowed to get out of order, and have not been used for some years. The mill is run by a steam engine, and is situated on the opposite side of the creek, and a little below, the mill of the Nevada Company. The principal office of the Providence Company is in San Francisco-J. M. Buffington, secretary, and T. F. Dingley-who is a large stockholder-has been superintendent from the beginning.
SNEATH AND CLAY MINE.
This mine is situated on Gold Flat, a mile from Nevada, and was discov- ered by the Sneath Brothers and G. W. Clay, in the winter of 1861-62. They had placer diggings in the ravine and were induced to look for the ledge by finding rich quartz specimens in their sluice. The quartz near the surface, where the ledge was first struck, was very much decomposed, showing free gold in abundance, and the owners were considerably elated with their prospects. The first crushing, which was made at the Soggs mill, in the spring of 1862, yielded thirty-two dollars a ton. This was far less than the owners anticipated, still it was good pay, and they persevered with the work, commencing an incline on the ledge, and pumping by means of a small water wheel. The second crushing, made in the summer fol- lowing, yielded some eighty dollars a ton. The owners then made arrange- ments for the erection of a mill, continuing operations at the same time in
THE PRINCIPAL CLOTHING HOUSE IN NEVADA CITY IS BANNER BROTHERS.
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THAT LOVE OF A BONNET CAME FROM GOLDSMITHI'S STORE.
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the minc. In the course of the summer, several other crushings were made from the ledge, one of which paid as high as $180 a ton. An engine re- placed the water wlicel for pumping and hoisting, the incline was sunk to the depth of 150 feet, drifts run, and by the time the mill was completed, in the spring of 1863, they had out some eight hundred or a thousand tons of rock ready to be crushed-the owners, up to this time, doing a good share of the labor in the mine themselves. For several months after the mill started, the rock paid on the average $70 a ton, yielding better, prob- ably, than any mine in the county at that time, and the mine was considered the most valuable. Clay, who owned one-third, sold half of his interest to J. C. Birdseye, who paid $15,000 down, in coin, and was to pay $45,000 more from the first profits accruing to the interest. Birdseye subsequently transferred the interest back to Clay for the balance due, losing the amount paid. In running the drifts along the ledge, it was found that the rich chimney extended only about 150 feet, and in the northerly drift the rock run down to five or six dollars a ton. The work, however, was continued, and the mill kept running the most of the time ; but the owners were not able to agree, the Sneaths managed to spend more money than they made, and we believe mortgaged their interests, and finally, in May, 1865, the mine and other property was purchased by the New York and Grass Valley Company, for $27,000. The mill and hoisting works had cost $45,000. Of the original owners, Clay was the only one who had any money when they disposed of the property, though the yield up to that time had been nearly $200,000, of which over half had been profits. The mine has been worked steadily and systematically by the New York Company, the past two years, S P. Leeds being the superintendent until May, 1866, and since then under the superintence of Edward Dunscomb. It has never paid as well as during the first few months after the mill was started, but has always returned a fair profit, the rock at times yielding between $40 and $50 a ton. The ledge has a westerly dip, its general course being nearly north and south, and lies very flat, the angle of inclination being only twenty-three degrees. The incline has been run 400 feet down the slope of the ledge, being a vertical depth of 150 feet. We have no knowledge as to the extent of the levels and drifts underground; but if the ledge retains its present angle of inclination it cau be worked 4,000 feet and the perpendicular depth would only be 1,500 feet. It is thought by many, however, that the west- erly dip of the ledges on Gold Flat has been caused by a convulsion and displacement of the surface, and that when the workings extend to a certain depth the dip will change to the east, conforming to that of the other min- eral veins in the Nevada basin. The mine is irregular in size, but will probably average something over a foot in width. It has yielded, during 0
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WHERE DID YOU GET THAT BEAUTIFUL SILK DRESS-PATTERN ?
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the past year, about 400 tons of ore per month, and the average number of men employed in the mine and mill is forty-eight. The mill has three batteries of four stamps each, and is supplied with ore separators for con- centrating sulphurets, with pans, Chile mills, and the most approved appli- ances for amalgamating. The engine and machinery were manufactured in & foundry at Grass Valley:
THE STILES MILL AND MINE.
The mill of W. C. Stiles is situated on Deer creek, at the south end of the suspension bridge, and was built by Stiles and D. A. Rich, in 1862. The mill was built for the purpose of working a ledge lying east of and parallel with the Gold Tunnel, and which had been located by Stiles in 1853, and at times has afforded good ore. The vein has been opened by a tunnel commencing near the mouth of Roger Williams ravine, and extend- ing north toward the junction of East and West Broad street. The rise of the ground, however, is not sufficient to enable the ledge to be profitably worked by means of a tunnel, though it has yielded in all about 1,000 tons. The mill has been mostly employed on custom work, and has been very successful in reducing refractory ores. It is run by water power, has eight stamps, and five waltzing and four Knox pans. The pulp is run from the battery into tanks, whence it is shoveled out and worked in the pans-the process being similar to that used in the reduction of the second-class silver ores in Washoe. Chemicals are used while working the pulp in the pans, the treatment varying to suit the different character of ores. Some 3,000 tons of ore from the Banner mine has been worked at this mill in the last two years, and uniformly with good results. The mill is now owned by W. C. Stiles.
UNION MINE.
This mine is situated three miles above Nevada, on Little Deer creek, and was located in 1863 by N. M. and R. P. Barnett, J. H. Sharp, and others. It was opened by means of a tunnel, starting in at the creek, and was worked for a year or two, the rock being reputed to have yielded largely. In the spring of 1865, the mine was sold to the New York and Grass Valley Company for $25,000-probably the largest price ever paid for a mine in this county so little developed. The New York Company erected expensive and very complete hoisting works, and have opened the mine by means of an incline shaft to the depth of 325 feet-the angle of inclination being thirty-four degrees. Some 3,000 tons of rock was taken from the ledge and worked during the year 1866, but the yield was not sufficient to cover the expenses. During the heavy rains in January last, the lower drifts in the mine were flooded, and the work was suspended, The ledge is of large
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size, ranging from one to four feet in width, and gives the most unmistaka- ble evidence of being a truc fissure vein. At the surface, the ledge is in the granite formation, but at the depth of 200 feet on the incline, it cuts into the slate, without a break or fault, and retaining its regular dip. We presume operations will be resumed in the mine this spring. The hoisting works and preliminary cost of opening the mine, amounted to about $30,000. Edward Dunscomb is the superintendent, who is also superintendent of the Sneath and Clay, belonging to the same company.
WIGHAM MINE.
The Wigham mine is situated a mile and a-half southeast of Nevada, on the slope of the hill beyond Gold Flat. It was located in 1851 by R. S. Wigham, the agent of a company organized in Pittsburg, who erected a mill the same year. It was called the Pittsburg mine, a name ever since retained by the owners; but it is popularly known as the Wigham, taking the name of the first owner. The location is 2,000 feet. The mine was worked for a year or two, the rock at times yielding largely, but on the whole not paying. The company finally became involved and disorganized, when Wigham took the mine and mill and assumed the outstanding debts. It was worked in 1855 by J. A. Mattingly and others on a lease, and again in 1857 by David Hunt, but with indifferent success. In 1858 the prop- erty fell into the hands of some San Francisco capitalists, who had advanced money on the mine. In 1862 it was leased to Weeks and Thomas, who worked it fifteen months successfully. They took from the mine 3,700 tons of ore, which yielded an average of $28 a ton, and the profits to the lessees amounted to not far from $40,000. At the expiration of the lease the work was suspended, and no effort was made to develop the mine in a systematic manner until January, 1866. The owners then made arrangements for further explorations, with the view of ascertaining the extent of the pay ore, and, if the developments continued favorable, to ereet more substantial and permanent hoisting and reduction works. S. D. Merchant took charge of the work, and in the course of the year 1,700 tons of ore was taken from the mine, which yielded in the aggregate $102,000-being an average of $60 a ton. In that time the mine was opened for a distance of 800 feet along the vein, and to a depth on the incline of 380 feet, showing an average width of vein of two feet. In that part of the vein opened it is estimated that the ore for a distance of 400 feet is worth $8 a ton, and the remain- ing 400 feet is estimated at $50 a ton. Without taking into account the 1,200 feet of unprospected ground in the location, the value of the ore in the present open levels is put at $300,000. The pay chimney is of no great extent near the surface, but increases rapidly with the depth, being what is termed an " A chute," as distinguished from a " V chute." The
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NO WONDER THAT ALL LADIES RUSH TO GOLDSMITHI'S.
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mine already ranks as one of the best in the State, and there is every indi- cation that it will continue to improve as the explorations are extended. The erection of new hoisting works and mill was commenced last fall, the former being completed and started in operation about the first of February, and the mill will probably be running some time in May. The hoisting works are of the most improved character, and of sufficient capacity to work the ledge to a great depth. The mill, which adjoins the hoisting works, has ten stamps, of 700 pounds each, and the works are so arranged that the rock as it comes from the mine will be dumped in front of the battery. Two powerful engines are placed in the same room, one being used for hoisting and pumping, and the other to run the mill. The new incline is five and a half feet high, fourteen feet wide at the bottom and thirteen at the top, is secured by heavy timbers, and has three compartments, the outer compartments being used for car tracks, with the pump and stairway in the middle. The estimated cost of the hoisting works and mill, with other improvements, is $60,000. Several hundred tons of first-class ore that has been taken from the tunnels and drifts is now lying at the dump of the old works, and by the time the mill is ready to start it is calculated that the mine will be opened so as to keep it running without interruption. A few years ago the Wigham mine was not considered of much value; and the late developments afford a striking illustration of what capital, under competent management, can accomplish for the benefit of the capitalist and the community.
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