San Andreas independent., 1857-06-06
Written for the Independent. ]
Mines and Mining on the North Branch

Mines and Mining on the North Branch.
Mr.. EDITOR AS the miners in this vicinity
will be turning their attention to the River Dig
gings, as soon as the supply of water in the
bitches begins to fail, have thought that few
items in regard to the Calaveras river would
not be uninteresting to them. The North
Branch of the Calaveras, from the Bay State
Ranch to its junction with the main river, and
from thence to the mouth of the canon below
Latimer's store, has yielded a large amount of
gold at each successive working since the sum-
mer of 1850. The pay has generally been more
uniform and regular than in any other stream
in the vicinity, the average being usually from
So to $40 per day to the man. A short dis
tance below the Bay State Ranch, and nearly
opposite the hill known as sOld Dicks Hill
a claim was worked in the summer of '52 by
Bill Burgess and Ben. Fuller, which was sold
by them shortly after they had opened it to Sol.
Graham and w. B. Whitney, who took out in
the short space of six weeks over $50 ounces OF
gold dust. The water raised so rapidly that
year, that they were obliged to abandon it, and
do not know of its having been worked since.
Farther down the river, and near the mouth of
Chile Gulch the "Seame Co." worked in the
summers of 1913, with very good success
The bar upon which they worked, is large
one, and never yet has been prospected. Below
this, near the mouth of Murray Creek, Sweet
and Schermcrhorn worked the bed of the river
the same summers, and made from $l2 to SIG
a day each. This portion of the river has been
much worked by Cinnamon since, using rockers
to wash their dirt. Below this, and opposite
Lakes Store, there were, in the summers of
81 and '52 three or four very rich Claims
Putney' claim, out ofwhich he dug and washed
ounces of gold before breakfast-to which he
sat down punctually when the bell rang at
Lakes-is situated directly back Of the store
This claim was worked with good success up
to last summer. A claim worked by Bill Bur-
CESS and the Squirrel Bird" the euphoneous
name of his partner, paid $l5 to $50 day to
each hand Frank Woods Bill Newton and
Ned Purple had claim which paid them over
$25 day apiece until the water drove them
out. Lake & Aliens claim, just below, netted
them over $40, after paving all expenses.-
Above Stevenson's bridge, the river has been
worked every summer, and paid each time from
$40 to $40 day for each working. George
Batcheder, and Baker & Clark have worked
here for three summers, and done extremely
well.
| know no better test by which the value of
mining claims can be judged, than by working
them; and although it may appear to some that
the diggings in this river are worked out,
am of the opinion that if the new method of
mining by bedrock fuming was applied to the
channel of the North Branch, that it would
prove highly successful. Many portions of
these claims have not yet been worked and
those that have been, so imperfectly, with rock
ers and long toms that there is large amount
of good pay dirt left, which would literally re-
pay the expense and trouble of washing it.
The water in ordinary seasons, is not so high
but that the work could be carried on with
great advantage, at least ten months in the
year. | think it is a matter well worthy the
attention of some of the enterprising miners in
your vicinity. Yours, truly X. D. II.
Calaveras RiUer, June I'd, 1857.