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 25
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IF CLOTHING IS CHEAP ANY WIIERE IN THE COUNTY IT IS AT B. GAD'S.
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five stamps when occasion requires, and extensive hoisting and pumping machinery have been crected within the past few months at an expense of $20,000. In the first level an immense amount of quartz, which could only be roughly estimated at thousands upon thousands of tons, is exposed-enough to keep a large, first-class quartz mill crushing for years. The second level, when thoroughly opened, will undoubtedly reveal another splendid body of quartz. Colonel Sidney has expended a large sum of money in purchasing this mine, erecting machinery, sinking shafts and doing what our miners call "dead work," but we believe that he is in posses- sion of a first-class quartz mine, which will soon prove itself such. Dan. Collins is superintendent of the Grass Valley Consolidated Mining Company.
The Pike Tunnel Company have one thousand and eight hundred feet on their claims. Located in 1862. Tunnel in a distance of one thousand fect, and the lode drifted on for one hundred and fifty feet, showing an average two foot ledge in width. Incorporated August 4th, 1865. Owned by E. Caldwell, Frank G. Beatty, J. Newman, Nathan & Hoffman, and others.
On the same hill are the claims of the Burdett Company, concerning which we can candidly say nothing of a favorable character, hence we prefer to dismiss the Burdett with the simple remark that it was sold for an enormous sum in the East, about two years ago, and the general impression is that the mine sold for every dollar it was worth.
Howard Hill.
This hill lies opposite Union Hill, on the south of Middle Wolf Creek, the western end being but a short distance east of Grass Valley, and it is a gravel, cement and quartz deposit. The first mine on the east end of Howard Hill is the Town Talk (gravel claim) which has paid handsomely in the past.
East of this are the Independent claims, which have paid well as gravel diggings, and through which runs a quartz lode, on which the Independent Company claims two thousand feet. Incorporated December 10th, 1864. Owned by B. Nathan, H. Hoffman, J. Newman, Frank G. Beatty, H. Robitscheck and E. Caldwell.
Traversing the hill easterly we next come to the Lucky Mining Company's works, situated on the company's ledge, the Cambridge. This location consists of about fifteen hundred and fifty fect. The vein, which was reached through a four hundred foot tunnel in 1862, runs in an northeasterly and southwesterly direction. In 1865 an incline shaft was sunk, and hoisting works were erected at a cost of $9,000. In 1866 a 15-stamp mill was erected at an expense of $13,000. The total amount of quartz taken from this mine has been 10,800 tons, and within the past two years the mine has turned out ninety-six hundred tons. About forty men are employed in the works. The company reduce about seven hundred and eighty tons of ore per month, at a monthly expense of $4,500. The inclined shaft, to which we have above referred, is down two hundred and seventy-five feet, the vertical depth being about two hundred and forty feet. In the lower level the lode averages three and a half feet in width. The Lucky is owned by Dr. E. A. Tompkins, D. E. Osborn, W. P. Goldsmith, M. Williams, E. Nutall, W. R. Taylor, and Major Topliff, of Grass Valley, and H. McCormick, of Nevada. W. R. Taylor, superintendent.
Adjoining the Lucky on the east is the Cambridge mine, in which the former company first discovered their ledge. The Cambridge, this being the name of the lode running through both claims, was discovered in 1852. The Cambridge Com- pany own sixteen hundred feet on the lode under the quartz laws of Nevada county
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of 1852. Prior to 1865, up to which period this mine was but superficially worked, and without the aid of machinery, fifteen hundred tons of quartz were extracted and crushed, showing an average yield of $25 per ton. The mine was sold to the pres- ent owners in February, 1866, at the rate of $5,000 a one-sixteenth interest. Since the change of owners the mine has been systematically and successfully worked. An inclined shaft has been sunk one hundred feet on the vein, at which point drifts were extended on the lode, easterly and westerly, for a distance of about six hundred fect, showing an average width of vein of twenty inches. The shaft is now going down for another level, one hundred feet deeper than the present one, and at a point now reached by this shaft, a splendid three-foot ledge shows itself. During the past year a substantial 10-stamp mill, together with pumping and hoisting works, have been put up at an expense of $22,000. Since December, 1866, (making allow- ance for stoppage by water, in February of the present year,) up to the present, about twelve hundred and fifty tons of rock have been taken from the mine. The mill is now crushing seventy-five tons of rock per week. The quartz has averaged $20 per ton. Lowest vertical depth from which crushings have been obtained, about one hundred and seventy feet. Working at present forty-seven men in the mine and mill. The Cambridge Mining Company was incorporated in April, 1867, with a capital stock of $256,000, divided into two hundred and fifty-six shares. Trustees, D. W. C. Rice, William Blanding, W. II. V. Cronise, W. E. Dean, Milton Bulkley and W. B. Cummings.
The Oxford, consisting of eight hundred feet, and owned by Thomas Loyd and others, all of Grass Valley, runs parallel with the Cambridge. In these claims a tunnel is now piercing the hill for the lode.
South of the Cambridge, on the summit of Howard Hill, is the ledge of tho Frankfort Quartz Mining Company, consisting of two thousand feet. Located in July, 1862. Lowest perpendicular depth reached on the vein, through a tunnel, seventy feet. Now in with another tunnel five hundred and twenty-five feet, which will be continued sixty feet further to strike the lode. This will tap the vein at a vertical depth of two hundred feet from the surface. About two hundred tons of rock have been crushed, including croppings, showing an average yield of $14 to the ton. Work will be vigorously prosecuted in this mine during the present season. Owners, J. J. Dorsey, G. D. McLean, J. M. C. Walker, William Hobby and Charles T. Duval.
Ophir Hill.
This mining locality, one of the most generally known quartz sections in Nevada county, lies about one mile east of Grass Valley ; and the principal lode, the Ophir Hill, which is now owned by the Empire Mining Company, was located by George D. Roberts and others in 1850. The vein runs in greenstone, in a northwesterly and southeasterly direction, dipping westerly with an incline of 30 degrees. The ledge was purchased by Woodbury, Park and others, in 1851, who owned a quartz mill where the Sebastopol mill now stands. Ophir Hill yielded liberally, but, ow- ing to mismanagement, its owners failed in 1852. A short time after, this mine was sold at auction to John R. Rush, who bought one-half the concern, the remain- ing half being purchased by the Empire Mining Company. They built their first mill on Wolf Creek, in the winter of 1851 and '52, a short time before purchasing the Ophir Hill mine. Rush sold his interest in the mine for $12,000, to his late partners, on May 4th, 1854. The Empire Company worked the mine with gratify- ing success from 1852 to 1864, during which time it yielded over $1,000,000; and
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since it came in possession of the present owners, in July, 1864, (work being com- menced by them in September 26th of the same year,) up to the close of 1866, $300,000 was extracted. In the same year 3,750 tons of quartz were reduced, pro- ducing $175,000, or an average of $47 per ton. A magnificent thirty-stamp mill was erected last summer, involving an outlay of more than $100,000, and $50,000 additional was expended upon a new shaft, hoisting works, etc. This shaft was unfortunately sunk in the wrong place, and the development of the mine thereby much retarded. Another shaft, sunk in the right place, has now attained a depth of four hundred and sixty feet on the incline, and drifts running along the lead six hundred feet-two hundred and twenty feet northerly from the old shaft, and three hundred and eighty feet southerly-connecting with the new shaft, show a splendid reserve of fine ore, the vein averaging three feet wide for the length of the drift. The present lowest level is four hundred and sixty feet deep on the incline, giving a vertical depth of about two hundred and sixty feet ; and from here a shaft is be- ing sunk one hundred feet deeper, to strike another level in the mine. The design is to keep sinking this shaft, opening other levels from time to time, thus supplying large quantities of reserve ore, and consequently increase the working force of this immense mine. The new thirty-stamp mill, of which we have given a description in another department of this book, has been crushing night and day for the past two months, reducing ore at the rate of forty tons every twenty-four hours, the rock yielding from $44 to $49 per ton. Notwithstanding the facilities afforded by the reduction works of the Empire Mining Company, which are unquestionably the best and most extensive in Northern California, the rock is now accumulating on the dump-pile, or in plainer language, the mine is daily turning out more quartz than the mill can crush. The force of men now employed about the mill and mine is one hundred and thirty. The mine of the Empire Mining Company ranks, and justly, too, among the first-class quartz mines of Grass Valley township. The com- pany own about 1,500 feet on the ledge with its dips, angles and variations. The sulphurets pay from $80 to $100 per ton. The owners of this valuable property are J. P. Pierce, A. L. Morrison, A. H. Houston and Captain S. W. Lee.
The Ophir Hill Mining Company's claims, lying north of the Empire Company's ground, and adjoining the latter, consist of five ledges, having one thousand feet on each in length. The company consists of sixteen shares, which are principally owned by George M. Norton ann Thomas Hardy. A vertical shaft, two hundred feet in depth, has been sunk by the present owners, striking the Ophir Hill vein. Drifts have been run about three hundred feet on the lode from this shaft, in northerly and southerly directions. The vein in the drifts averages eighteen inches wide, is of blue-ribbon rock, heavily sulphureted, and showing free gold. No crushings made at the present writing, but ore is now being extracted for reduction purposes. Messrs. Norton and Hardy have expended over $48,000 in opening this mine, and will have at least $10,000 more to lay out before the Ophir Hill is thor- oughly opened. The mine is in an excellent locality, and we expect before 1867 closes that the energetic and enterprising owners will be well paid for their invest- ment of money and time.
Adjoining these claims on the north is the Donahue ground, which consists of eight thousand feet on the Ophir Hill lode. From their claim, which has only been superficially worked, and without machinery, to a depth of thirty-six feet, over $60,000 has been taken out. Owned by Thomas Donahue & Co.
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In the same neighborhood are a number of square locations, but we have found it difficult, impossible even, to obtain any reliable data of Ophir Hill beyond what is given above.
Hueston Hill
Lies about midway between Ophir and Osborn Hills, being on the same range with these well known quartz localities. HIneston Hill, named after the Hueston Broth- ers, was located by Messrs. Stackhouse, Montgomery, the Hueston Brothers, and others, on December 14th, 1853. It was worked to the water level, paying well from the year of its discovery up to 1855. E. L. Tuttle, now of Grass Valley, purchased the mine in 1859, and in 1861 he sold to John Trenberth and others, who soon afterward erected machinery on it. William Clift and the Smith Brothers bought a one-third interest in the Hueston Hill in 1863. The explorations on thio mine were shallow up to 1861, from which period the new owners began to go deep on the vein, their labor being rewarded by rich returns of gold bullion. The lode, of which the Hueston Hill Company own twenty-eight hundred feet, runs in hard blue sInte, is small, not averaging over eight inches in width, but is exceedingly rich. The course of the vein is northerly and southerly, with a westerly dip of abont thirty-five degrees. A depth of three hundred feet on the incline has been reached, in which level drifts have been run about five hundred and fifty feet. The vein being narrow, and the encasing rock very hard, the cost of extracting and reducing the ore amounts to about $45 per ton, notwithstanding which the com- pany, in 1866, erected new hoisting works at an expense of $30,000, besides dividing about $60,000 among the members of the company. Since June, 1864, up to the present writing, (April, 1867,) the Hueston Hill mine has yielded upward of $500,000. In the lower level, ore worth from $160 to $170 is now exposed. Work ing sixty men. The Hneston Hill Company has had several tilts at litigation, but has been victorious in each case. The Hueston Hill is justly included among the first-class mines of this district. It is owned by Robert and John Smith, S. D. Bosworth, the Coleman Brothers, and S. W. Lee, of Grass Valley, and A. H. Hous- ton, of San Francisco.
North of Hueston Hill is the Madison Hill ledge, consisting of eight hundred feet, and owned by Rush & Laton. Worked but superficially, yet the quartz ex- tracted, amounting to about one thousand tons, showed a gross yield of $80,000, or average yield per ton of $80.
Osborn Hill.
Osborn Hill, which lies about two miles southeast of Grass Valley, may be de- scribed as an immense spur or mountain ridge running north and south, being parallel with Wolf Creek, and covering an area of about one mile square. Through it run a number of quartz veins, the principal one of which is the Osborn Hill, located in 1851. The lode has been traced farther, perhaps, than any other in this district, preserving its characteristics through a distance of nearly two miles in length. The Osborn Hill mine proper has turned out as much money in proportion to explorations made on it as any of our quartz mines-paying almost fabulously for years when the quartz interest of this section was considered on the wane-but we have been unable to obtain any reliable figures as to its gross yield. It was
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tolerably well opened in 1852, from which period up to 1857 it annually brought its owners large returns. But bad management ran the company in debt, there was a want of harmony among the managers, costly machinery had been erected, the mine became mortgaged, and in June, 1864, it was sold to Joseph Woodworth. The new proprietors erected a splendid mill on the mine in 1865, which, together with other improvements, cost $34,000. The ground has been extensively tun- neled, shafts have been sunk on the lode, but the mine has not even to this day been well opened. The lowest perpendicular depth reached on the vein by an in- clined shaft has been four hundred feet, giving a vertical depth of about two hundred feet, at which depth a drift was run one hundred and seventy-five feet, showing a lode of an average width of two feet, and of a good quality of quartz. The Osborn Hill Company own two thousand feet, according to the locations of 1852, on the lode, which runs in a northerly and southerly direction, with an average inclination westerly of forty degrees. Woodworth sold the mine, a few months since, to Robert and John Smith, Campbell & Stoddard, S. W. Lee, W. H. Hooper, and others, who will doubtless soon work it to good advantage.
North of the Osborn Hill mine is the " Wheal Betsy," being on the Osborn Hill vein, and consisting of five hundred feet. This mine was purchased about six years since for $9,000. Several thousand tons of ore have been extracted at a compara- tively superficial depth, showing an average yield of $40 per ton, some of the quartz reaching the high figure of $90 per ton. Hoisting and pumping machinery on the mine. Owned by John Byers, S. W. Lee and A. H. Houston.
The Orleans claims, owned by the Smith Brothers, Edward Northy and others, lie north of the Betsy, and are in good repute, although not extensively worked at. present.
On the summit of Osborn Hill are the claims of the Wide Awake Company, em- bracing four hundred feet. Four hundred tons of ore from this mine have yielded $26,000. On the mine there is an engine, also a pump, as well as an inclined shaft two hundred and seventy-five feet in depth, running with the ledge at an angle of forty-five degrees. The ore is of a bluish color, and is rich in sulphurets and galena. The vein has varied in width from four inches to four feet, and at the bottom of the incline it is five feet in width. Machinery put on in 1859. Owners, A. Salaman, B. McCauley, D. Watt and J. Brown.
On Osborn Hill proper are a number of other claims, including the McCauley and Lee, Greenhorn, Alleghany, Jefferson, Lafayette, Cariboo, Daisy, etc., all of which have been more or less worked, several of them being regarded as full of promise.
The Redan, owned by Dewey, Robinson & Co., is on Redan Flat, lying at the eastern base of Osborn Hill.
The Sebastopol ledge runs parallel with the Osborn Hill, lying several hundred feet east of the latter. This mine, owned by the Watt Brothers, Mrs. Ellen Con nolly and Ben. McCauley, was worked for several years quite profitably, and would probably be worked at the present time were not its principal owners engaged in other extensive mining enterprises.
Before proceeding to the next division of this part of Grass Valley township, we will inform the reader that in the vicinity of Osborn and Ophir Hills are a number of other quartz veins, including the Lawrence Hill, Prescott Hill, Franklin Hill, Daisy Hill, and countless others.
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South Osborn Hill.
Following is a brief account of mines on the Colfax road from Grass Valley, running parallel with the west sides of Ophir and Osborn Hills :
ONTARIO MINING COMPANY-On Smith's ranch, one mile south of Grass Valley. Located in 1864; length of claims, twelve hundred feet : average size of ledge, fifteen inches. Owned by W. K. Spencer, Dr. McCormick and Reuben Leech. Located on the west side of the Colfax road.
ORLEANS LEDGE-Was located in 1858. Length of claims, thirteen hundred feet ; average size of ledge, eighteen inches. Several tons crushed yielded $15 per ton. Situated on the west side of the Ontario Mining Company.
FAIRPLAY MINING COMPANY-Formerly owned by Julius Fricot, is an early lo- cation ; now owned by the New York Hill Mining Company. Several thousand tons of ore worked at a profit to water level.
CHESAPEAKE COMPANY-Is a southern extension of the Fairplay. Size of claim, twelve hundred feet ; located in 1865. Several tons of ore worked at a profit to water level. Size of ledge, six feet.
THE DIAMOND LEDGE-Located in 1865 ; size of claims, one thousand feet ; steam engine and pump at work. Work progressing favorably.
UTAHI MINING COMPANY-Located in 1858 ; size of claims, eighteen hundred feet; several tons of rock crushed ; contains a long drain tunnel, steam engine and pump. Owned by Nathan & Hottman, and others.
BATON ROUGE LEDGE-Located in 1866 - size of claims, sixteen hundred feet ; average width of vein, one foot. Prospects rich.
STATE OF MAINE COMPANY-Is a north extension of the Galena claims ; size of ground, one thousand feet ; located in 1865.
GALENA COMPANY-Adjoining claims to the Ione ; located in 1856. Size of claim eight hundred feet ; partially worked to the depth of ninety feet ; several thousand tons of rock mined. Now owned by the Watt Brothers.
THE IONE MINING COMPANY .- The Ione ledge is a tolerably early location, dating back some ten years; was formerly owned by the Empire Mining Company, and sold with the Ophir Mine to Messrs. Lee & Co., in July, 1865. Captain Lee sold the Ione ledge to Messrs. Curtis & Hunt, for $10,000. A vertical shaft was sunk in Angust, 1865, and the vein struck at a depth of one hundred and forty feet, and several thousand tons of ore were crushed, averaging $20 per ton, the vein varying trom one to five feet. In March, 1866, a 10-stamp, first-class mill was erected, and an inclined shaft sunk at the bottom of the downright shaft to the depth of one hundred and sixty-five feet, carrying a body of ore three feet thick. The mine is now owned by Messrs. Sloss & Co., of San Francisco.
THE UNION JACK COMPANY-Is the first southerly extension of the Ione ; was located in January, 1865. Size of claims, sixteen hundred feet ; worked profitably to water level, twenty-one feet ; one thousand tons of ore crushed ; ledge averaged four feet ; was sold in April, 1866, for $50,000. The ledge is at present being mined to the depth of eighty feet, showing a continuous strong vein. Rock is now being crushed at the Ione mill, at a profit. Its present owners are Castle Brothers, Sloss & Co., and C. Felton, of San Francisco, and Judge Sykes, of Grass Valley.
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RAILROAD MINING COMPANY-Is the south extension of the Union Jack ; located in 1865 ; size of claims, one thousand feet ; but little work done-only sufficient to hold the claims according to the laws of the county.
PRESQUE MINING COMPANY-Is situated on Le Bar's ranch, south of the Railroad Company. Size of claim, one thousand feet ; was located in 1853, and has been mined to water level- a depth of thirty feet from the surface ; carries a well defined ledge of one foot thick, and is pitching east into Osborn Hill. The last crushing paid $49 per ton.
Extending farther south, to the southern boundary line of Nevada county, are veins or quartz lodes without number, some of which have been but superficially worked, while in others even the croppings have not been disturbed, and all these appeal eloquently to capital and labor.
THE BEN. FRANKLIN-An early location, is on South Massachusetts Hill, the lode running northeasterly and southwesterly, dipping westerly at an average angle of forty-five degrees. This mine was formerly owned by the Empire Mining Com- pany, who, from 1855 to 1857, according to the company's books, extracted $75,371 83 in gold bullion. It was purchased by George D. Roberts, who, in May, 1866, sold four-fifths of the mine to W. H. Bivens, W. H. Howland, W. H. Graves and O. F. Giffin, Roberts retaining the other fifth interest. The money taken out by the Empire Company ($75,371 83) was mined out without the aid of machinery, the hoisting being done with windlass. During the past year, under the superin- tendency of Mr. Bivens, a tunnel has been driven six hundred feet, leaving about one hundred feet to be run before the lode is tapped. The lowest vertical depth attained on the mine has been but seventy-five feet. The vein, on which the com- pany own twenty-two hundred feet, varies in width from ten inches to four feet. The last ore extracted, taken from the old works, paid $90 a ton. Machinery will probably be erected on the lode during the present season, and a systematic and extensive development of the mine may be expected during 1867.
Adjoining this mine on the north is another Ben. Franklin, a later location, and on the same vein. It has yielded well in the past, is now being explored on con- tract, and promises to give a good return. Owned by Michael Casey and others.
The Washington Company's claims, which are also in this neighborhood, have been satisfactorily prospected during the past and the present years, and the owners have every reason to be satisfied with the result. Owned by Michael Colbert, Martin Ford, Dan. Collins & Co.
Lone Jack.
This mine, on Missouri Flat, about one mile south of Grass Valley, was located in 1855. In 1856 the lode was reached by a tunnel at a depth of fifty feet from the surface. It was purchased from the locators in 1857, by Lee and Simpson, who, in the following year, erected machinery on it. In the same year, 1858, it was incor- porated under the name of the " Wisconsin Gold Mining Company," becoming a portion of the "Forest Springs Quartz Mining and Lumber Company." The Lone Jack was not included in the sale of the Norambagua, made a few months since, but is now principally owned by C. T. Wheeler, of Sacramento, one of the former members of the Forest Springs Company. It has been explored to a vertical depth of about three hundred feet, or six hundred and twenty five feet on an in-
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