USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 53
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" It has been already said that the ledges in this portion of the county are numberless-it is impossible to give even a list of their names and location-but it is evident to the most superficial observer that gold bearing quartz veins exist in every direction, many of which give large promise of rich yields. Some have been prospeeted to a slight degree, rarely to a depth exceeding one hundred feet-mere surface scratching -- and by mill process have given good returns. In that section along the head of Penn Valley ereek, including Osceola ravine, Grub ereek, Clear creek, etc., eopper sulphurets predominate largely, which apparently causes the rock to be difficult to work by the ordinary mill process. Such are the Oseeola, South Star, West Point, Legal Tender, 7-30 Loan, MeCauley & Co's, and a large number of others, which have yielded from the same pile of roek, worked at the same time, in different mills, all the way from $7.50 to $40 per ton, with no perceptible dif- ference in the ore. It is well settled that such ores must be reduced by some special process, directly applicable to their nature, the precise character of which can only be ascertained by analysis and practical experiment. There is not the slightest doubt that if such a process be discovered and disclosed that Rough and Ready would present as many good paying ledges as now are successfully opcrated in the vicinity of Nevada or Grass Valley. Time will show, if capital ean be induced to enter the field."
There are but few quartz mines of any note at present, the Iron Clad and Osceola. The Iron Clad is at Rough and Ready, and has a five stamp mill, to which it is contemplated to soon add twenty-five more. At the Osecola a ten stamp mill was erected in 1876, and ten tons of ore crushed, that yielded $377. Rock extracted in running a tunnel on the ledge failed to prove
satisfactory and work was discontinued on it. A shaft was sunk fifty feet to find a chimney that was supposed to exist, but was then discontinued. It has been recently discovered that the shaft cut through the chimney without the faet being noticed, and work has now been resumed. The Buclow Con- solidated Quartz Mine, near the South Yuba river, has a ledge five feet wide, a shaft down two hundred feet and a tunnel on the ledge. Work is being proseeuted with vigor.
THE COPPER MINES.
The discovery and location of the copper ledges of the town- ship is so well related in Bean's History that we reproduce it:
" In that portion of the township, heretofore referred to as being devoid of gold placers, lying in the range between Penn Valley and the Round Tent House, and extending north and south across the whole breadth of the county (and also extend- ing further to the south and west into Plaeer and Yuba counties), indieations of mineral deposits had been observed by the earlier settlers, of a character which baffled ordinary pros- pecting, and gave rise to wild speculation as to the nature of this particular region. In the winter of 1862-3, prospecting for copper in this vicinity was suggested, and many straggling parties expended, in the aggregate, enormous amounts of time and money in vain researches. Some promising lodes, were found, among the best of which is the " Well Lode," so called from the circumstance that it was first discovered, long before any value was attached to it, in the sinking of a well for family purposes, on Purtyman's Ranch, at what is now Speneeville. This lode, however, although an enormous body of ore, being about seventy fect in width, is of low grade to justify working at the present cost of labor and materials; the time may come when it will prove a fortune to the owners. The ore is said to range from five to twelve per cent. of eopper.
In April, 1863, the " Last Chance " mine was discovered, by James Downey, who had devoted the most of his time for many months in prospecting the section between the Zinc House and the Empire Ranch, on a large number of "crevices," and wherever there seemed any favorable croppings, but without any flattering results. Finally, when discouraged and about to abandon all further work, a friend suggested that this spot seemed to promise the most favorably, and Downey exclaimed, " Well, this is the last chance-and if I don't strike it here I'll give it up"-jumping into the prospect shaft, a few feet in depth then, he worked vigorously for the day, and at evening struck a solid ledge of glittering sulphurets of copper, about three feet in thickness. The excitement became intense, as usually has been the case under similar circumstances through- out the State, and the rush to the copper region became as great as in carlier times it had been to Fraser river and Washoc. Thousands of claims were taken up, hundreds of shafts were
sunk, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were uselessly expended in prospecting for copper. The whole region for ten iniles in width, and twenty miles in length, was filled with people searching for ."crevices," and talking copper; new towns arose like magic, and Spenceville, Hacketville, Queen City, Wilsonville, etc., etc., became familiar as town sites, and even beeame pretentious as permanencies. But the tide soon ebbed, and the streets of the "cities" I have mentioned are now occasionally enlivened only by the hunter of game who may find it convenient to camp in one of the deserted houses, and who can start a hare, a bevy of quail, or even a deer, from the tall grass or thick chaparral around the spring which furnished the former inhabitants with water. "Sic transit." During the hight of the fever, speculation became rampant, and it is said that shares in some of the most promising claims such as the Last Chance, Well Lode, Whisky Diggings, and others, were actually sold at $100 per foot. However that may be, if not true, it might well be, for I know that half that amount was paid for some claims. The Last Chance still gives hopes that a good paying copper mine may be developed by the proper application of skill and perseverance with capital. While the original locators, consisting of the Downey family, still retain a portion of their interests severally, other parties have become interested by purchase, and a considerable portion of the stoek is now held by D. O. Mills & Co., H. Miller, Thomas Gardner, and others, of Sacramento, A. Delano, J. M. C. Walker, Frank Beatty, S. D. Bosworth, E. W. Roberts, and others, of this county, and it is the intention now expressed by the share- holders, to put up machinery to work the vein etfectually The working shaft has been sunk to a depth of two hundred feet, showing a vein about twelve feet thick, rich in sulphurets of good quality, averaging twent-three per cent. and indicating a strong vein of good mineral. One shipment, made to Swansea. realized $35 per ton net, above all expenses; and with proper machinery for pumping and hoisting purposes, as well as appa- ratus for preparing and reducing the ore on the ground, there is no doubt that this mine would give employment to a large number of people, and perhaps stimulate others to develop good mines of copper now unknown. This inine consists of 2,400 feet on the ledge; the company is incorporated, and have their office at Sacramento."
The most prominent ledges not named before are the Green, Emerald, Mammoth and American, all of which have been developed to a limited degree.
THE SAN FRANCISCO COPPER MINE.
The San Francisco Copper Mine and Reduction Works are situated at the altitude of about four hundred feet above the level of the sea. An abundance of timber is in close proximity I to the mine, and water power can be had for seven months in
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the year fice of charge, and afterwards from ditches in the neighborhood. The company hokls 3,000 feet on the vein, and two mill sites covered by United States patent. The vein is almost vertical, with a slight inclination towards the east, and a course nearly northwest and southeast, and is imbedded in a erystalline slate on the west and granite on the east. A shaft has been sunk on the cast wall to the depth of one hundred and fifty feet through a solid body of ore. At the depth of sixty feet the first cross cut to the west developed a solid vein of mundie ore seventy-five feet in width, undisturbed by any fault; the ore on this level averaged 7 per cent. At one hundred feet another cross cut was run to the west, and the vein proved the same in width. From this level the reduction works are at present supplied with ore, and the average of the same has im- proved to 9 per cent. The mine, to all appearance, is inex- haustible in ore, and in drifting north and south there is no apparent diminution of the size and quality of the vein. A level has been opened at the depth of one hundred and fifty feet, but further than to demonstrate that the vein eontinnes and holds its great strength, exploration has not been carried on, as the 100-foot level will furnish all the ore that can be manipu- lated for years to come. The roasting of the ore is done in open piles, from 1,000 to 1,200 tons burning from four to six months. The leaching of the sulphate formed in roasting is performed in wooden tanks; from these the solution is trans- ferred to reservoirs to settle, and afterwards pumped into revolving cylinders. The precipitation is effeeted by means of scrap iron, and after two or three tons of precipitate of copper has accumulated in each cylinder, it is discharged, filtered and transferred to a drying pan, which is heated by the exhaust steam of the engine. After drying the precipitate or cement copper, it is ready for market, and assays between eighty-five and ninety per cent. fine. From forty to fifty per cent. of the copper obtained is extracted from the ore immediately, and the balance is gradually obtained from the dump pile, where the ore spontaneously decomposes. The amount of copper ore manipulated and cement copper produced from January 1, 1579, to January 1, 1880, is as follows :- Ore manipulated, 6,000 tons; cement copper produced, 512,128 pounds. There are at present 15,000 tons of ore roasting, and the works have a capacity to work sixty tous daily. During the last four years 17.000 tons of waste ore have accumulated on the dump pile, which still contains a product of sixty-four per cent. of red oxide of iron, the quality obtained from which by crucible smelting has been equal to the best of white iron. Sulphuric acid could be manufactured at a nominal cost of three-quarter cents per pound from the fumes of 15,000 tons of ore wasting tandve in the air. The operations of the San Francisco Copper Min'ng Company have steadily increased for several years past, until now it is recognized as among the most
reliable and valuable mining properties in the Statc. Its
reduction and hoisting works, ore sheds, leaching vats, tram- ways, etc., cover a large space of ground, and repres nt the nvestment of a large amount of money. This is the only copper mining company in the State that works its ores, or uses the leaching process for the extraction of eopper, or in any way is meeting any home demand. Whatever is done in the way of copper ore extraction by other companies is for the shipment of ores abroad, and these are required to be of a higher percentage than can be worked by the leaching proc- ess. The region of country in which the San Francisco Copper mine is situated is traversed by copper veins, some of which show high grades of ore, and upon which more or less prospect- ing is being done, but none others compare in size to the great vein above spoken of. The success of this one enterprise, how- ever, must be the means of stimulating prospecting for copper ore in the foot-hill region of this county, and ultimate in mak- ing that region a scene of busy mining enterprise before many years.
CHAPTER LIX.
THE MINES OF WASHINGTON ..
River Mining-The Bars and Their Yield-The Creeks-Hill Diggings-Quartz Mines Being Developed.
THE South Yuba river was the scene of the first mining in Washington township, in the fall of 1849, near the town of Washington. In 1850 the creeks and ravines, as well as the bars and flats on the river, were swarming with miners. In 1852-3 the numerous "hill diggings" were found, that have given such a permanent character to the mines of this region.
The first important locality was Washington, on the South Ynba river, where mining was commenced in 1849, and was continued actively for many years. Washington flat and the bars all along the river were very productive. We will speak briefly of these bars, commencing at the one highest up the stream. Canal Bar, at the mouth of Canon creek, derived its name from a canal dug for the purpose of diverting the river from its channel. The parties doing this work sawed many thousands of feet of lumber by hand, built stores and eabins, which were all abandoned when the bar proved not to be so rich as expected. Just below Canal Bar were Long Bar, Keno Bar and Jimmy Brown's Bar, all above the mouth of Scotch- inan's creek, above which point the diggings were not very rich. Below the mouth of this creek and on the north side of the river was Boulder Bar, a short distance al ovo Washington. This place and for a distance up and down the river was extensively worked from 1862 for a number of years, yickling
about $100,000. The little town that sprang up was known as Rocky Bar. On the opposite side of the river was Grissell Bar, worked by Chinamen. Brass Wire Bar, opposite the town of Washington, has yielded about $50,000, and is now in the hands of Chinamen. Washington is situated on what is called Washington Flat, and was formerly the bed of the river. The upper end has been worked by hydraulie process, and other portions have been drifted to some extent, leaving a consider- able quantity of ground not yet worked. It is estimated that $340,000 have been taken out of the flat.
Below Washington, and on the same side of the river, is Whisky Flat, worked by drifting. Brandy Flat, once quite a mining camp with two stores, is opposite the mouth of Poor- man's creek. It has been worked by several companies and yielded about $150,000. At present H. Kohler owns the elaim and is working it by hydranlic process. He also owns Jackass Flat, just below, a place that has yielded $75,000. Lizard Flat is opposite the mouth of Jefferson creek, and was worked by A. J. Doolittle, who took out no less than $50,000. The little town of Jefferson stood just opposite Lizard Flat, and was a lively mining eamp in the early days, but is now a thing of the past. Virgin Flat, just below Buel cañon, was a small place that yielded $40,000 or more.
Of the creeks and canons that are tributary to the Sonth Yuba, the richest was probably Poorman's ereek, on the north. In 1850 a claim on the ereek was considered poor if it did not pay twenty dollars per day to the man. There were several hundred miners scattered along the creek, and two stores were doing business at different points. It is a low estimate to place the yield of this creek at $1,000,000. At the mouth of the creek is Portuguese Point, owned by Johnston & Battis, which has yiebled about $50,000. Jefferson creek, between Phelps Hill and Jefferson Hill, was worked by several companies, that took out about $120,000. Washington creek, between Phelps Hill and Alpha, although a short stream, yielded some $50,000. Between Alpha and Omega lies Scotchman's ereek. It paid well, although a portion of it was worked at a disadvantage. The probable yieldl was about $150,000. There is mining being carried on along these three ereeks at the present time.
At Alpha the first discoveries were made by Henderson and Rodgers in 1850, in a ravine that bears their names. In March, 1853, Charles Phelps and his brother found the first hill dig- gings, and located a water right in Scotchman's ereek, to carry water to their elaims. They sold the same year to MeNeil and MeVey. The Alpha mine is at present owned by a San Fran- cisco and Oakland company. The yield of the Alpha, from forty aeres is not less than $1,500,000. A company, of which Westly Carroll is superintendent, has commenced to open the old channel of Scotchman's creek that was filled by a land slide, possibly hundreds of years ago. The prospects for suc-
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
eess are good. The Omega diggings were first worked by J. A. Dixon, in 1850, in Dixon's ravine. In 1853 the hill was opened, aud mining eommeneed on a large seale. Some thirty gravel elaims were worked for a great many years. In 1871 ten elaims were still being worked. At present the only large company at work is the Omega Water and Mining Company, whose elaim embraces two hundred and forty aeres. The Ne- vada County Consolidated Mining Company owns 960 aeres adjoining the Omega Company, which they are opening by a tunnel, for the purpose of working by the drifting process. It is not overestimating to plaee the amount of gold produeed from the mines of Omega at $2,500,000. Phelps Hill was lo- eated in April, 1834, by Charles Phelps and his brother. There have been about seven aeres mined away, yielding some $600,- 000. It is now owned by Charles Phelps, as is, also, Phelps Point on the lower end of the ridge. Cotton Hill, Gold Hill, and Jefferson Hill have all been the scene of extensive opera- tions. The present owner of Cotton Hill is William Folkers, who has good facilities for working the ground, At Gold Hill
some $350,000 have been taken from thirty aeres of ground. The probable yield of Jefferson Hill was $100,000.
The Centennial Gravel Mine at the head of Jefferson ereek, has expended $30,000 in the last ten years in tunnels to open up the ground, but so far with poor suecess. . A new tunnel is now being driven that gives every prospeet of being sueeess- ful. The company owns one hundred aeres, and will eom- menee mining on a large seale as soon as the tunnel is completed.
There are situated in Washington township a number of quartz ledges that have been developed to some extent, dem- onstrating them to be valuable and good property if properly worked. The Yuba Gold Mine, six miles up the river from Washington, is being opened, developing a large ledge. The company has a mill at the mine. The Betsey Miller ledge, about one mile south of Washington, is being worked slowly. The Derbee and Pattison ledge, on the river below Washington, is being opened, showing a large and valuable lead. A mill was built last year. Swain and Marker's ledge, near the
mouth of Poorman's creek, has a good showing of free gold and sulphurets. The Cañon creek mill will be moved to the mine this season. The Veteran ledge, owned by J. J. Schmidt, Jr., and F. Pereival, is being opened with good prospeets. The Day- break, about half a mile from Washington, is a promising ledge in process of development. The Celina ledge, on Little Cañon ereek, has a shaft down a distance of seventy-five feet, showing roek with free gold and sulphurets. A mill will soon be ereeted. The Lindsey, or Marietta Mine, near Fall ereek, is being worked and ore erushed at the mill there with good re- sults. Cole and Meade have four locations near the Lindsey, and will soon ereet a mill. Wing and Freeman have a mine on Alpha Hill, and a number of others are being prospected in the same vieinity. The Fall Creek Mining Company, Diamond Creek Gold and Silver Mining Company, Solathiel, Tecumpseh, Fidelity, and a number of others are being developed, and the prospeets are that in a few years the quartz mines of Washing- ton township will be on a paying basis, and add largely to the importance of this region as a mining locality.
207.
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST.
1519. Couquest of Mexico hy Cortez. 1534. Discovery of Lower California.
1535. Attempt of Cortez to find new country to conqner in California.
1536. Name California first applied to the peninsula. 1537. Gulf of California explored hy Francisco de L'Hoa.
1542. Expedition of Jose R. Cabrillo and discovery of L'ape Meudocino.
1562. Exploration of coast of California by Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo.
1579. Juue 17. Sir Francis Drake took possession of California in name of Queen Elizabeth of England.
1596. First exploring expedition of Viscaino.
1602. Second exploring expeditiou of Viscaino.
1683. Unsuccessful attempt made to colonize Cali- fornia by the Spaniards.
1.19. First ship huilt on eastern shore of the Pacific, at Loreto.
1767. Jesuits expelled from Spain and her colonies. 1768. Don Gasper de Portala was appointed Mili- tary Governor of the Californias.
1769.
May 1. Ship San Carlos arrived at San Diego with supplies for missionary and col- onizing party coming overland.
May 14. Fatber Crespi and Captain Rivera, with party. arrived at San Diego.
July 1. Father Juuipero Serra aud party arrived at San Diego.
July 14. Don Gaspar de Portala set out for Monterey.
October 25. Portala and party discover the Bay of San Francisco.
17.2. Mis-ion of San Luis Obispo established.
1776. October 9. Mi-sion of San Francisco de los Dolores established.
Mission of Santa Clara estahlisbed.
1720. City of Los Angeles founded by order of the Viceroy of New Spain.
1.84.
Town of Santa Barbara established. August 29. Death of Father Junipero Serra at Monterey. Gold reported to have been discovered at Alizal, Monterey county.
1805. Indian tradition of a great flood in Sacra- mento valley.
195. Russians appear on coast of California.
1-12. E-tablishment at Bodega of a Russian fort, Act of Congress driving out British fur traders from the U. S. Territories.
1×15.
1820. American Trappers in the Tulare and San Joaquin Valleyn.
1-22. Declaration of Independence by Mexico. spaniards explore and name Yuba and Bear river -.
1824. August 11. Law passed regulating land grants by Mexican Government.
1×25. Jedediah .. Smith and party of trappers crow the Sierras.
1825.6. Indians report a great flood in the Sacra- 1826. mento valley. Mexico passed a law freeing the Mission Indians.
Second expedition of Smith to California. Smith's party defeated by Indians in tbe Mohave district.
Arrest and release of Smith's party at San Diego.
1827. Smith's party defeated by Indians at mouth of Umpqua river; all killed but Smith and two others.
1828. First party of Hudson Bay Company trappers appears in the valley.
1829. Ewing Young's trapping expedition arrived. 1831. One hundred and fifteen thousand bushels of wbeat raised in Upper California.
1832. Second expeditiou by the Hudson Bay Com- pany.
Second expedition by Ewing Young. Overland company under command of Cap- tain B. L. E. Bonueville arrives.
1833. Smallpox or fever epidemic among the Indians of the valley.
Stephen H. Meek traps on Truckee river. Revolution of Castro.
1837. Courts established in Territory of California by Mexican Government.
1838. Gold discovered twenty-five miles northeast of Mission of San Fernando, in Los Angeles county.
1839. Forbes' California published in London. August 12. Arrival of Captain Sutter at the present site of Sacramento.
~ 1840.
Sutter's Fort erected during the summer.
1841. Hudson Bay Company establish headquarters at Yerba Buena; J. Alexander Forbes and William G. Ray, agents.
June 18. Grant made to J. A. Sutter of New Helvetia.
August 23. Captain Ringgold, U. S. N., sur- veying the Sacramento river, arrived at tbe embarcadero of Sacramento.
September. Captain Sutter bought the prop- erty held hy the Russians at Bodega. Dry season created much suffering.
1842. Micheltorena succeeded Alvarado as Gov- ernor of California.
October 20. Commodore Jones hoisted Amer- ican flag over Monterey, supposing that war had been declared.
1843.
Visit of Swedish scholar to the Sacramento valley, known as the " King's Orpban."
1844. Mareh. Pablo Gutierrez found what he sup- posed to be gold on Bear river.
March 6. First arrival of Fremont at Sutter's Fort.
Rebellion of Castro. November. Truckee river named after the Indian, Captain Truckee.
The Schallenberger cabin built at Donner lake, and Moses Schallenberger remains there all winter.
1845. Mission property ordered sold by the Mexican Government.
Withdrawal of Hudson Bay Company. Micheltorena overthrown. Suicide of William G. Ray.
1846. Project of a Pacific railroad agitated by Asa Whitney.
March. Arrival of Fremont and exploring party.
April. The Donner party set out for California. June 11. First act of hostility hy Fremont's party in California.
June 14. Revolt of Bear Flag party. War with the Moquelumne Indians.
July 2. Commodore Sloat arrives at Monterey. July 5. Fremont organizes a revolution.
July 7. Montercy taken possession of by Americans.
July 8. Yerba Buena seized by Americans. July 10. Revolutiou (or Bear Flag) party raise the American flag.
July 23. The Cyane dispatched to San Diego with Fremont's battalion.
August 15. Californian newspaper started at Monterey by Colton & Semple.
October 19. Donner party reprovisioned by C. T. Stantou.
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