Mariposa Democrat., 1857-12-24
TABLE MoUNTAIN-TUOLUMN COUNTY.

cite as an evidence of success which rewards
perseverance
Early in the month of May, and in the
4 spring of 1862, one of the members of what
is now known as the jamestown, or divers
Tunnel" conceived the idea that scoria, or
conglomerate of which the mountain was com
posed could only have attained its present po-
siton in liquid state-that it must have had
a channel to circumscribe its bounds, and that
this channel, which he supposed to be the
original bed of the Stanslaus river, must be
the deposit of immense supplies of gold. Ac-
cordingly, a company was formed, composed
of Allen Oliver, John Oliver, James d. Lyon,
Robert Darling, and two brothers by the name
of Stan6eld. These gentlemen, amidst the
derision of the multitude, commenced the la
borous work of tunneling irto Table Noun
tain, as before stated, in May, 1862, and at a
period far in advance of similar enterprises in
the southern mines. At this time, they called
for meeting of the miners in the vicinity, for
the purpose of forming laws regulating mining
operations in the mountain; but failing in
this, they were told to ego ahead that they
were welcome to the benefits of the entire
mountain" The latter three Of the company,
growing dissatisfied, sold out their claims; but
the remaining number, not at all dispirited,
and being reinforced with additional help,
prosecuted their enterprise, with the philoso-
phic assurance of men who understood what
they were doing. In one year from the COM
mencement of the work, under the cognomen
Of the Experimental Tunnel Co., these men
had driven tunnel entirely through the con-
glomerate and "rim rock" of the channel,
of the original stream, a distance Of 900 feet,
where they obtained gravel and little gold.
But finding their position too high to enable
them to reach the bed Of the channel, and
having demonstrated the proof of their theory,
they Immediately commenced another tunnel
thirty feet lower than the first. In the mean
time, the Scraperville Tunnel Co. had com
menced similar operations in the west or south
side of the mountain which company was the
only one associated in the enterprise, up to
| the fall of 1854. In November Of this year,
Avant and others commenced the High Point
: Tunnel, little below the Experimental, or, as
II is now called, the Jamestown Tunnel.
} BY this time, public attention commenced
} its diversion in favor of the Table Mountain
mines; and in the month of January, 1855, it
, broke out into general excitement, such as is
} seldom equaled, even in the experience Of CAL
: ifornia miners. Immense mass meetings were
now held, and laws were adopted, regulating
and limiting the rights Of each miner. II was
at this period that the fabulous story Of a
soap mine discovery was circulated following
which, the blue mass mountain was said 20
have been found in El Dorado county, as well
as the castor oil spring. in another part Of the
| State, which latter, the wise said, was pre-
pared by nature to !" work off" the blue mass.
t Although DEPRESSING little from the subject
these discoveries formed theme for wise and
learned disquisitions in various parts of the
foreign and literary world. The OIL however,
proved effectual in producing climax to the
t infection, by working them all off together
To return to the pioneers Of the Table
Mountain enterprise, need only say, in con-
t clusion, that in May, 1854, they formed a joint
stock company, with capital of $l50,00o, un-
der which regulations they vigorously contin-
, ued the work of excavation. At the mass
meeting of January, 1856, their claim was pre-
scribed within the limits of 4500 feet in length
and extending in width, as it is called, from
"lava to lava"
The indefatigable company is worthy of all
, commentator first for the knowledge and
| Judgment displayed in the location of their
t claims and secondly, for the energy and per-
| severance exhibited in the continuance Of their
work under the utmost hardships and difficult
, ties. For when it is borne in mind that the
work was executed at great expense and hard
labor, and that the company realised nothing
f from the products of their labor until the
spring of 1s57-a period of five years--it must
be confessed that they justly rank among the
, first of CALIFORNIA; enterprisng sons, and that
they richly merit what they now see before
them--a handsome fortune.
Numerous tunnels, drifts and shafts are to
be seen running through and sinking into their
claims in various places. The length Of tun-
neling, putting all together, apart from many
feet of breastings,' amount to $500 feet, av-
eragng from four to six feet in size Fifteen
hundred feet of this was SO intensely hard as
utterly to resist the progress of the pick and
shovel, and was only effected by blasting; and
the entire work. correctly estimated, has been
at a cost in labor and capital, of over 100000
sY- In one of the engagements during the
war in Egypt, one of the enemy, falling into