The Empire County argus. [volume] (Coloma, El Dorado County, Cal.) 1853-1857, 1853-12-17

New PosT-OFFIcE WANTED AND NEEDED.-A
large number of the citizens of Pilot Hill circu
lating petitions, which have been numerously sign
ed for the purpose Of having Post Office establish
ed at that place. In the immediate neighborhood
of Pilot Hill are large number of miners and set
tiers and their nearest Post Office is nine miles dis
tant, distance altogether too great for them to
travel weekly to get their letters and papers. 1t
subjects them to great inconvenience and unneces-
sary expense, and should be remedied at once
The mail line of stages from Sacramento to
Georgetown passes through their town daily, and
arrangement could be effected with the contractors
without much additional expense, to carry daily
or weekly mail to Pilot Hill. Our citizens have
sable carelessness negligence of the Post Office
Department in furnishing them mail facilities and
it is proper that our Delegation in Congress i'm
press upon the mind of the Post Master General the
necessity that exists especially in the mines ofhav-
ing Post Offices established at suitable points and
convenient distances from mining localities. We
have been patient under grievances that might have
our forbearance must not be construed into an in
difference upon the sub ject We admit that the
expense of carrying the mails in California is much
greater than in the other States, but it is poor
reason for neglecting to establish offices. We are
entitled to them, and if the Post Master General
desires to subserve the interests of the public and
gain the appreciation of the people of California he
of a similar nature that he may receive.
MAMELUKE HnL.-Through our attentive cor
respondent residing at Mameluke Hill, we have been
furnished with data of reliable character con-
nected with the mining operations Of that rich To-
cality. Mamcluke Hill is in the immediate vicinity
of Georgetown, in this county. There may be seen
the persevering spirit of the California MINER en-
countering difficulties almost superhuman Unaided
by large capital works have been and are still I'M
dertaken, requiring vast outlay of bone and mus
cle Our readers will note that the first thing to be
done there, is to begin removing a thin layer of
earth when solid rock is encountered, through
which tunnel is driven by blasting the rock at
every step until the basin within the hill is reached
In the progress of the work the rock is frequently
Of great hardness so hard that one inch per hour is
considered good work, but varying in the degree of
hardness in different portions of the hill Six men
Of thorough experience working off and on night
and day, with free use of drills and POWDER will
make on an average twenty feet per week
Tunnels with single track for cars are usually
cut five feet by six, for double tracks eight feet by
eight.
We annex list of some of the principal tunnels
with distance from the mouth into the basin of the
hill, and cost of construction. The disparity in
cost per foot occasioned by difficulties encountered
in some and not existing in others. We intend at
a future day to publish a table embracing all the
tunnels of the Hill, their cost and whole length of
track used in working, with detailed account of
the methods of mining.
One of the Oldest tunnels is the Bay State $50
feet long, and costing $4,000; Washington, 500 feet
$4,000 Kiser & Pollard's, $50 feet, $4,000; Bed
Rock Company, $50 feet, $4,000 Antelope, 800 feet
not completed $4,000 expended; Union No. l, $50
feet, $4,000; FL Dorado 440 feet, SIS, 1000; Empire
700 feet, $4,000; Independent, $40 feet, $4,000;
Golden Gate, 300 feet, $780, and the Porcupine,
Main Top, Patterson, Union No. 2, P. P. Tunnel.
Wisconsin, Jenny Lind, Klipstinc & Kisers, Ed
wards & Co. and several others. A few claims are
wrought with shafts varying from one hundred feet
and upwards in depth.
When the basin of the hill is reached the labor
of the miner is then only fairly commenced. Water
lodges of rock and cement so hard as to almost DEFY
drill are met with. 1t is all work and no play
but the Hill is rich. Go and examine it, reader,
and see if you like the fun of Mameuke mining.
MURDER NEAR FIDDLETowN.--A Mexican named
Pablo AIasa killed Jose Nader, on the 18th
instant, three miles west ofFiddletown woman
was the cause of the difficulty The murdered man
lived long enough to give his testimony against the
accused Masa was Immediately arrested and ex-
amined before Justice Phelps of Fiddetown, and
committed to Jail. These are all the particulars we
could gather.
MOVEMENTS OF THE CELEsTIALs.--A large num-
Der of these Acknowledged gentry, who were at work
on the rivers until the last rains have selected
Greenwood for their winter quarters They have
rented eight ten stores and two of the principal