San Andreas independent., 1857-01-03
No. of Yield rock


Lee n Simpson. n.................... 8 Is to 100
Orleans. $4,000. 8 10 to so
The average amount of rock crushed in
twenty -four hours is about a ton and
third to ton aud half to stamp, max
ing, with one hundred and thirty-six
stamps, in round numbers, two hundred
tons Of ore that is daily crushed. The
cost of crushing is about three dollars per
ton. After mine is fairly opened, which
is generally a very expensive and laborious
affair, the rock can be Guarried and raised
to the surface for about four dollars per ton
This estimate, of course, varies according
to the thickness of the ledge, the obstruc-
tions of water and the character of the
wearing rock.
Where the mills are at a distance from
the ledge, there is an additional expense
of hauling ore from S1.50 to 81 per ton.
Some of the mills, as the Helvctia and
Mount Hope, are built Immediately over
the leads, for it is found that at certain
depth abundance of clear water is obtained
from the mine itself for supplying the
mill with this indispensable article, an ad-
mirable arrangement, for the ore is hoisted
from the mine to the stamps at once, thereby
saving the expense of hauling the ore,
which, at the end of the year, is a very
pretty item of itself in the dividends
Quartz mining is business to be learned,
like any other, and the failures which have
attended it is owing more to rushing on
headlong without proper understanding
of it than to any other cause. A plough
man might, with as much propriety, iump
at oncc to the counter of wholesale i'm
porting merchant, as a man without tbo
necessary knowledge 90 into quartz. HIM
dreds of thousands of dollars have been
lost in Grass Valley for want of a knowl-
edge, which hes been but gradually AZ
tanned but indomitable perseverance nm
discouragements has at length
and made the operation siic.
cessful. An adept will tell at glance
ore probably contains gold cnouob
to pay, and few simple experiments Will
test it palpably better than any chemical
analysis; and the propriety of erecting
costly machinery can be determined on by
those who do understand it with as much
certainty as merchant operates in his bust
ness or commercial man builds his ships.
The Albion Ranch lead is probably the
richest in the known world. It is owned
BY six men. They were working in the
bed of VOLTS creek about year ago, at
'luice washing, when they struck it. At
irst they had no conception of its richness.
out as they took the rock out, and had
some of it crushed, it developed its rich
ness, for sixty-three tons of rock Welded
s22, 800.
About the first of October thew had
completed and put in operation their mill
md since then they have taken out weekly
rom thirty to fifty thousand dollars. and
he ledge shows no diminution in richness
They emphatically count gold by the pound
instead Of ounces, for they weekly take to
he Mint at least two hundred pounds
The lucky proprietors, Messrs. Daniels.
Donahue & Co., are industrious. prudent
nen, who deserve the good luek they have
lad. But SO many changes have been
ung on quartz and quartz mining. that I
orbear eulogizing upon subject which in
IS various phases might occupy MANY
,ages. A. DEIaNo