USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 52
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MIT. AUBURN .- This ledge was located in 1866, in the Providence belt, west of Nevada City, and purchased in 1871 by Solomon Johnson. In 1876 J. L. Holland and Edwin Tilley relocated it, and a lawsuit followed, being decided in Mr. Johnson's favor in 1878. In August, 1879, C. K. Kirby pur- chased a half interest, and machinery has been erected. A double incline is down beyond the 250 foot level, which is the first one recently opened. The prospects for the development of an excellent mine are good. Mr. Johnson died at Nevada City in May, 1880.
SMITH MINE .- This mine is situated near the Half Mile House, and has two ledges, the Smith & Sigourney and the Wagner. It was discovered in the early days, and several shafts and tunnels have been run to the water level. Steam l:oisting works are on the mine, and although it has yielded . $143,000 it now lies idle for lack of capital.
CORNISH, OR URAL .- This ledge was located in 1851, one and one-half miles below Nevada City, as the Ural ledge, and a mill was built in 1852. The rock did not come up to the inflated opinion the owners had imbibed from the assays, and work was suspended. The mine was then leased to a gen- tleman of science, who failed to make anything, and the ma- chinery was removed. The ledge was subsequently located by Muller, Buckner and others, who opened it in another place and found a body of rich ore, and worked it out to the water level. Not being desirous to invest in a drain tunnel, they then sold t'le mine to Nelson Soggs and his partners, who did but little work on it, and sold it to Philip and John Richards and Samuel Adams, since which time it has been known as the Cornish mine. These parties removed here a three stamp mill they had previously built in the Lecompton District, and commenced to drive a tunnel on the ledge, which they were engaged upon seven years, and reached the rich chute in nearly 1,300 feet. This rich chute was worked for some time profitably, but since then little work has been done in the minc.
WYOMING .- This ledge was located in 1851, on the north side of Deer creek, and has been worked alnost constantly since. A San Francisco Company took the mine in 1873 .. The ledge is from two to ten feet wide, and the incline is down 500 fest, with north and south drifts. A ten stamp mill is on the mine, but its capacity will soon be increased. John Buffington is the superintendent.
PECK MINE .- This ledge is in Peck ravine, and was located in 1853 by Mr. Peck. He erected a mill, but as the mine failed to pay he shot himself. It has been abandoned and relocated several times, and is now the property of Mrs.
Williams. Crosby & Olive have bonded it, but are doing no work on it.
EAST ORLEANS .- This ledge is situated on Gold Flat, and has been worked since 1875. A tunnel has been run 727 feet, 400 of which are along the ledge. The developments are good as the tunnel has cut through the tops of two good chutes, aud is being driven ahead to another which crops out on the surface. The owners are Rupley & Jamieson.
ROMAN .- This ledge crosses Dcer creek at the mouth of Gold Run and passes northeasterly under the center of Nevada City. It was located in 1851, by Capt. James Fleming and others. It has been worked to the water level on both sides of the creek by tunnel. . On the south side 275 tons have been taken out, averaging $27.50; on the north side 350 tons, avcrag- ing $30. The location extends 2,000 feet south, and 1,000 fcet north.
EAGLE .- This ledge is half a mile east of town, and was worked by several companies in various places. In the part of the ledge that runs through Gallows Flat the rock yielded $100 to the ton. A tunnel was run nearly 600 feet from Deer creck, but was not low enough. For a time the mine was owned by S. B. Davenport and was called the Davenport. Byrnes, Hubbard & Co. are now sinking a shaft on the Eagle.
EUREKA .- This mine is on Slate creek, Willow Valley, two miles east of Nevada City. It was partially worked to water level a few years ago and rock taken out that paid $100 per ton. A tunnel is being driven on the twelve inch ledge, that is in 250 feet.
EUREKA, NO. 2 .- This mine is on Little Decr creek, one mile from Nevada City. A four stamp mill has just been erected by John Senner, Jr. and the Pioneer Plating Works. A tunnel is in 400 fcet on a ledge varying from eight inches to two feet.
CANADA HILL .- This mine is one and one-half miles southeast of Nevada City, on Little Deer creek. The ledge was located in 1851 hy A. Isoard and others, and a twelve stamp mill was erected soon after by Mr. Raymond, the rock yielding $100 per ton for a long time. The property soon after camc into the possession of A. Cascnnon and Mr. Gruclaw, and later Mr. Butterfield became the owner. The mine was sold by the Sheriff to Mackie & Philip, and by them, in 1862, to Pinch & Co., of San Francisco, and is now the property of the Pinch estate. The mine is still being worked, but no attempt has been made to go below the water level.
NORTH STAR .- This ledge on Canada Hill is owned by Allen, Gentry and others, has paid well, but is now idle, tho surface rock having been all taken out.
1
MITCHELL AND MARTIN .- This mine consists of several
ledges on Canada Hill, upon which is a new mill with four stamps.
SHARP AND NIVENS .- These gentlemen have a large ledge ncar Canada Hill, on which they have just completed a 400 foot tunnel, and will soon erect a mill.
NEVADA, OR BEST CHANCE .- This mine is also on Canada Hill, and has two shafts 100 feet deep, from one of which a drift cuts several good ledges. Tunnels have been run for draining purposes.
PHOENIX, OR CUNNINGHAM .- This ledge was located about 1853 by Wigham, Cunningham, Byrne and others, about one and one-half miles southeast of Nevada City. It changed hands several times and was purchased in 1858 by Horace Ferre, who sank an incline 100 fect on the ledge. About 500 tons of rock were taken out, running from nine to thirty-five dollars per ton, but the vein ran down to a mere seam, and the work was suspended. The mine fell into the hands of H. Mackie & Co., and in 1866 Mackie & Philip inade an arrange- ment for the erection of hoisting works and opening the mine to a depth. An incline was sunk over 300 feet and ran several hundred feet of levels. They also made a drain tunnel 1,200 feet. Ore was taken out that ran from fifteen to sixty dollars per ton. Work has been suspended for some time, and was recently relocated by the Phoenix Company, of New York.
CONSTITUTION .- This mine is situated on Deer creek above the Murchie, and has an incline down 100 feet, and a drift on the ledge which is from one and one-half to two feet thick.
TAM .- Located on the Guscette ranch, in Willow Valley. The ledge prospects well and will be opened by the present owner Frank D. Piazzia.
PLUG HAT .- This is a relocation by Wheeler, Blake & Co. of an old ledge, which showed some good quartz in early days. A recent crushing paid $23 in free gold. The incline is down fifty fcet.
GENERAL GRANT .- This mine on Canada Hill is the pro- perty of E. Charannaut & Co. A tunnel is being run 700 feet to open this property. The ore taken out has averaged 825 per ton.
FEDERAL LOAN .- This ledge is situated about three miles above Nevada City, on the south side of Deer creek. The incline is down 180 feet and the rock taken out averaged $25 in a small two stamp mill that was erected on the claim. The mine is idle at present.
NEW OPHIR .- This is a recent location of the old Allison, on Selby Flat. It is owned by four miners who have an arrastra for working the ore.
JULIA .- This ledge is being prospected on Deer creek, near
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the Merrifield, by means of a tunnel to tap a ledge, from which good ore was taken out by a shaft.
PHILLIPS .- This mine joins the Nevada City on the south. Good quartz is being taken out from a tunnel that is running į on the ledge.
SPANISH .- This mine lics near the Nevada City and Mer- rifield, and is claimed to be on the same lead. It has a tunnel 350 feet long, with a drift 375 feet aloug a three-foot ledge. Some 500 tons of ore have been taken out, the last 100 yielding $15.
MOUNTAINEER .- This is a partially developed inine on Deer creek, near the Merrifield. It is now bonded to parties who are driving a tunnel.
CHAPMAN RANCH,-Several ledges have been lately dis- covered at this point, two miles northeast of Nevada City, the rock on the surface being of good character.
NEW YORK .- This claim consists of 120 acres of patented ground on Deer creek, two miles from Nevada City, in which are six ledges from two to six feet in width. Hoisting works and a mill of ten stamps are on the ground.
BULLDOSER .- This mine is on Deer creck, oue mile east of Nevada City, and has steam hoisting works. The mine is now lying idle for want of capital.
KINGSBURY .- This mine is on Little Deer creek, half a mile cast of Nevada City. It has a shaft 120 feet deep and a tunnel 500 feet long. Work is at present suspended.
GREEN MOUNTAIN .- This mine is situated near 'Deer creek, about a mile above the Murchie. Work has been done for eight years, and a shaft is down thirty feet from one of several tunnels. The claim has produced about $8,000, but is now idle for lack of capital. It is owned by William Kistle, Sr.
BULLION .- This mine is on Wolf creek, south of Nevada City, a tunnel on the ledge 150 feet shows a ledge two feet thick. Moore & Hamilton are the owners.
COLUMBIA .- This ledge is on Gold Flat, and was worked by Prof. Muller in 1858, yielding $20 to the ton. Operations have been resumed this season.
BLACK PRINCE .- This is supposed to be an extension of the Mountainecr, and is on the south side of Deer creek. It is being slowly opened by a tunnel.
BUCKEYE .- This ledge is two and one-half miles east of the city, and has an incline down 220 feet and a tunnel 300 feet in length. Several years ago light hoisting works were on the inine, but were sold for the purpose of erecting heavier ones, which have not yet been put up. Quartz from this ledge has yielded froin twelve to twenty-four dollars per ton.
ILLINOIS .- This ledge is at the head of Illinois ravine, three miles northeast of Nevada City, and was located in 1879. Two shafts have been sunk 50 and 30 feet, and a tunnel is being run. The claim consists of 2,000 feet on the ledge.
YELLOW DIAMOND .- This ledge is near Rush ercek, three miles west of Nevada City. The ledge has been worked to a depth of fifty fect by means of two tunnels. A new tun- nel has beeu run 100 feet, entting the ledge at a depth of 75 fcet. Good ore is now being taken out by drifting.
This season there has been a great deal of prospecting done near the Mt. Vernon House, five miles north of the city, on account of a rich discovery by Kirkham & Hitchcock. A number of ledges have been located that show excellent pros- pects. Ledges on Selby Flat are also being prospected to a considerable extent, also in Myer's ravine. There are a great many quartz locations that have been prospected to a consider- able extent, that might be mentioned, but the space allowed in this work does not warrant it.
PIONEER REDUCTION WORKS.
The Pioneer Reduction Works, situated on the Grass Valley road between O. Maltman's works and the Thomas minc, were established by A. B. Crosby and J. G. Mitchell, first without stamps at Canada Hill, in 1877, afterward in 1878 at their present location with stamps. They bought the Occidental mill of ten stamps and the hoisting works conuected therewith. The mill with the amalgamating works was set up and estab- lished at the preseut location, while the hoisting works werc set up ou what is known as the Williams ranch on the Peck ledge. In 1879 the amalgamating works were changed to a chloridizing apparatus, the former not proving efficicut in working the compound ores of this district. The furnace as arranged for chloridizing has proved to be very efficient, thoroughly fitting the sulphurets to be chloridized, without any chimney loss, obtaining a high per cent of gold and from seventy to eighty per cent of the silver. These works are uow conducted by Charles H. Crosby, superintendent, and are as efficient in the reduction of ores as any at the Bay, and the owners propose to enlarge their capacity to meet the entire demand, so that there shall be no need of shipment to any point below, and at least, save to the producers the amount expended in trausportation.
SULPHURET REDUCTION WORKS.
The sulphuret reduction works of Oscar Maltman are situ- ated a mile from Nevada, on the Grass Valley road, and were erected in the latter part of 1858. It was the first practical attempt on the coast to reduce auriferous sulphurets by the chlorinizing process, and to Maltman and G. F. Deetken is due the credit of its success. It was known that the sulphurets concentrated from the quartz pulp, as crushed in the mills, con-
tained gold in considerable quantities, and Maltman and Deet- ken had beeu experimenting with the view of extracting the metal by a process cheaper than smelting. Their first experi- inents were not successful, and after repeated failures they went to Washoe and engaged in silver mining. Here they gained new ideas in relation to the working of metals, and in 1860 they returned to resume their experiments, and the first attempt was a success. From that time all the various kinds of sul- phurets from the quartz and cement mines of the county have been reduced at the works, and no serious difficulty has been encountered. In 1862, Deetkeu sold out his interest in the business and reduction works to Maltman, who has since con- tinucd to enlarge the works and improve himself in the art of reducing the refractory ores. The average working of the sulphurets has come up to ninety-five per cent. of the fire essay. The charges for working sulphurets varies from $40 to $50 a ton, some being more difficult to reduce than others. Maltman at present has facilities for working fourteen tons a week, his establishment being the most extensive in the State, and the amount saved by our quartz miners has been steadily increas- ing for several years. The profits derived from the sulphurets has materially contributed to the success of quartz mining in this country. After Deetken sold out his interest in the Nevada establishment, he crected works on a situilar plan in San Fran- cisco, regarding that as the most central point for procuring sulphurets from different parts of the State. There is no espe- cial secret in the process; but to beneficiate the ores successfully requires practice and skill, the same as in any mechanical occu- pation or art. In Kustel's work on the processes of gold and silver extractiou, he describes the chlorinizing process, as employed by Maltman and Deetken :
" The tailings are subjected first to calcinatiou in a roasting furnace, without being sifted. No salt is used, as it sometime- causes a loss of gold. The roasting is performed in the usual way by stirring the mass at a low temperature till all the sul- phurets or arseniurets are decomposed. An addition of charcoal powder favors the roasting. After six or eight hours, when no odlor of sulphurous acid is observed, the ore is discharged. spread on a proper place and cooled. The tailings or ore is then sprinkled with water and shoveled over several times, A little too dry or too wet has a great influence on the result of chlori- nation.
" When moistened, the stuff is introduced into wooden tule about seven feet iu diameter and twenty-tive or thirty inches decp. These tubs have a prepared bottom, which allows the entrance of chlorine gas from beneath into the mass of tailings Near the bottom are two holes, one for the discharge of the solution, the other communicates by a lead pipe with a lesden gas generator. The generator is filled to a certain hight with peroxyd of manganese and salt. Sulphuric acid is intnuitlord
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
by a lead pipe. As soon as the mixture hecomes hot, by the fire underneath the generator, the chlorine gas commences to he evolved and enters the tub through the connecting lead pipe.
" After some hours the whole mass is strongly peuctrated and the greenish gas lies heavy on the tailings. The tub is closed by a wooden cover. In this condition it remains for ten or fif- teen hours, when the cover is removed and clean water iutro- duced. As soon as the water reaches the surface of the tailings, the discharge pipe is opened, and the water, containing the dis- solved chloride of gold, is led into glass vessels. An addition of sulphuret of iron, precipitates the gold in metallic condition as a black-brown powder. If there are silver sulphurets in the ore, they, by roasting without salt, are converted mostly into sulphates, and in subsequent contact with chlorine, into chlorides which are not soluble in water, and remain in the tailings. The gold is therefore 995 fine.
PLAZA QUARTZ MILL.
This mill is owned by S. C. Keith, corner Sacramento and Boulder streets, Nevada City. It was built in May, 1874 hy Jones & Keith, and is a four stamp custom mill, operated by water power, with a capacity of from eight to ten tons in twenty-four hours. It is the intention to add six more stamps to this mill.
The Pittsburg and Deadwood mills, ten stamps each, are also doing custom work.
CHAPTER LVIII.
THE MINES OF ROUGH AND READY.
Placer Mining-Quartz Mines-Iron Clad and Osceola-The Copper Mines- The San Francisco Copper Mine.
PLACER MINING.
Ix Bean's History is the following in regard to the early placer mining :-
" Placer mining of this region, in the early days, was confined to the beds of the small streams, ravines, gulches, flats and side hills adjacent; in some instances the extent of gold producing surface being broad, shallow and remarkably riclı, gave employment to large numbers of inen whose claims were so situated on the gentle slopes that one tom liead of water would supply half a dozen or a dozen companies successively; the quantity thus furnished would be abont six or cight inehes of miner's measure at the present day, and cost $16 per day during the first season for the first or head company, the price being then graduated off to cach company succeeding, at a discount of $2. each, until the price would come down to $4, after which there was no deduction. The scarcity as well as
the excessive cost of water therefore caused men to crowd as closely as their numbers and location would allow, and most cheering and animated sights were thus presented on Butte Flat, Rich Flat, Squirrel creek, Texas Flat, Deer creek and other places, where twenty and thirty companies of men, num- bering from one hundred to three hundred persons could be scen at one view, busily engaged in "sluicing surface." And as another and more fatal, as well as more irremediahle result, the diggings around Rough and Ready being so accessible and so easily worked, were very soon " worked out." No extensive deposits were found in any of the hills, although a streak or range extends from Alta Hill, near Grass Valley, along Randolph Hill, Sugar Loaf, Spanish John, Goshen Hill and Texas Flat, toward Timhuctoo, as if it were a branch of the old river bed which caused the famous " blne gravel" deposit at the latter place, hut which seems to have been cut off in the vicinity of Pleasant Valley and Anthony House, in a manner unaccountable. In this range of hill diggings, Randolph Hill was the only portion of the whole that paid largely-one com- pany, in less than two years, took out over $400,000 clear of all expenses, which was done hy ground sluicing, before the hydraulic pipe came into use. The other points, however, have not produced so encouragingly, and but few attempts have been made in this part of the county to establish regular hydraulie diggings, and to trace any gravel lode into the channels of the hills."
The Red Jacket Blue Gravel Mining Co. was incorporated in 1868, and the same year opened up their claim on the gravel range, a mile helow the Anthony House. Mining is still car- ried on along Squirrel crcek hy Portuguese, and a number of small claims are being worked at various points, A tributary of the inain channel seems to run from below Nevada City, passing just north of Grass Valley and Rough and Ready, to the great channel at Mooncy Flat and Smartsville. This channel has been opened and worked at various points with good success. At Mooney Flat hydraulic mining has heen carried on extensively for years. The Excelsior Water and Mining Co. of Smartsville are operating here on a large scale, and use the electric light to enable them to work the claims at night. The Blue Gravel company also operates here, and there is a large tract of ground not yet reached, which will require years to wash away.
QUARTZ MINING.
The following, from Bean's History, gives a very clear description of quartz operations up to 1867 :-
"Quartz mining operations have never been either exten- sively or successfully carried ou in this township, and although numberless ledges of fine looking quartz, riehly charged with sulphurets, and in many instauces showing free gold in tempt-
ing quantities, inter lace the hills in every direction, in no instance as yet has there been established a paying mine. Indeed, the work of prospecting in this vicinity is only in its infancy, consist- ing mostly of mere prospect shafts -- " gopher holes" -- and abortive tunnels. In 1831 the Kentucky Ridge ledge was struck, by Abel, Porter and others, and a large amonnt of exceedingly rich speci- men rock was taken out with comparatively small expenditure of labor. A contract was made by them with Colonel William F. English for the erection of what was called, in those days, a quartz mill. This consisted of two large-sized Chile mill wheels and pan, driven by water power, with a capacity of reducing about two or two and a half tons in twenty-four hours. Of course, the affair proved a failure, and was disastrous to all parties concerned. Not only litigation ensned, which stopped the work, but Colonel English was found dead on the road between the mill and Nevada, killed by a charge from his own shotgun, but whether accidentally, or intentionally done by his own hand, was never satisfactorily ascertained. The ledge was finally jumped or relocated in after years, by others, and a small, four-stamp mill, run by water power, is now erected on the premises and occasionally makes a fair clean up on assorted rock from this ledge. It is now owned hy Greenbanks & Co. "In the fall of 1855, the Osceola ledge, about one mile south from the town of Rough and Ready, was prospected by John Eudey, Thomas Euren and James Truran, under contract with E. W: Roberts. A remarkably rich pocket or ' bunch " was found in this ledge, and in addition to several thousands of dollars taken out in solid specimens, a lot of several loads, worked by mill process, returned an average of $225 per ton. The company was immediately incorporated, and caused a 24-stamp mill to be erected, with all necessary houses, etc., and commenced crushing rock in April, 1856; but as no other rich lot of specimens had heen found, and no researches made for any, except on a straight line of tunnel into the hill, and the main hody of the ledge did not pay over $10 a ton, a huge disgust very naturally affected the San Francisco capitalists who had " hought in " at a large price, and who now held the con- trolling interest. After crushing about 120 tons and finding the machinery too crude to save the gold, all operations were suspended and the machinery was removed to Sucker Flat, where it was erected and put in operation to crush cement; this proving also non-remunerative, it was removed to Hansonville, thence finally to Recse river. . The ledge having been sold to pay debts of the company, it has been lately purchased by Messrs. Tew & Morgan, who are proceeding to work upon and develop the mine in a proper manner, and will ereet such machinery as may be necessary to reduce the refractory sul- phurets. The old company expended 836,000 upon this mine uselessly, and the experiment proved conclusively that while very few men know how to "keep a hotel," a still fewer
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
number know how to work a mine and run a quartz mill sucess- fully. The managers in this experiment were nearly all sea- captains, and a few years later the same men, baek at their proper business, gallantly earried their vessels right up to the enemics' batteries at Vieksburg, Mobile Bay, New Orleans and Port Royal.
" In 1865, an eight-stamp mill was erceted at the lower end of the town of Rough and Ready, by A. A. and John Smith, worked by an overshot wheel, but as the people in the vicinity had not carried on the work of opening the mines to such an extent as to supply a sufficient quantity of rock to keep the mill running, but little benefit has been derived by the owners of the mill or by the miners, from this commendable enterprise ; like many other improvements, it was in advance of the times and now stands idle with little prospects of enough work to keep the machincry from falling to deeay. These, with a few arrastras erected here and there for prospecting purposes, consti- tute the quartz mill enterprises projected and carried out in this township.
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