San Andreas independent., 1857-10-17
Quartz and Quartz Mining.

On Saturday last we made visit to the
quartz claims that are being opened and pros
pected between Murray Creek and North CAL
southeast of the Bay State Ranch. There are
three being prospected-all upon the same
range that extends from the north through
Amador county, passing near this place and
Forman's through Angels, Albany Flat and
Carsons, and extending on south through
Tuolumne county. The first claim we visited
was that of iIodgden 4 Co., six in company
This is located near the summit of tile hill.
and the most easterly of the three claims
On the hill where it is being opened, the ledge
projects above the surface and appears to be
some twenty-five or thirty feet in width; al
though its true width cannot be discovered, as
it has only been opened on one side, where
the workmen are taking wide cut crosswse
of the ledge. They have taken out large
quantity of rock-perhaps seventy-fve or one
hundred tons-which they think, from the
prospects obtained, will pay from $50 to $50
per ton. We were shown some specimens in
which the gold could be seen, although in the
great bulk of rock the gold is not discernable
with the naked eye. The rock is white and
hard, and excepting few seams, presents no
appearance of decomposition Every portion
of the rock when pulverzed, prospects we'll
the gold, of course, being very fine. We saw
some prospects they had obtained that day
from the hard rock, beaten in mortar and
washed ont in horn spoon-he gold col
lected without the use of quicksilver. The
next claim belongs to Flemm Il Co.. three in
number; they have sunk shaft about sixteen
feet deep, and the rock when pulverized pros
poets well from the surface down. Here the
ledge is much narrower than in the claim OF
Hodgden & Co. The same is the case in the
next claim belonging to Hall & Co, late from
Angels. They have sunk about twenty feet
and from what we could learn. have obtained
better prospects than either of the others
The rock in all the claims is interspersed with
sulphuret of iron, and in the one last men
toned, the slate forming the casing contains
as the quartz itself There is no doubt, from
appearances, that all three claims will prove
to be rich and all that is necessary is proper
machinery to crush the rock and separate the
gold.
If we are allowed to express an opinion, we
think there are smaller and collateral veins in
the immediate vicinity, that will prove much
richer when prospected than the larger veins
now being opened. Such has generally proven
to be the case, and it is particularly so at
Angels camp-although this large vein where
it passes north,'is being very successfully
worked in Amador county.
We would say to those who prospect quartz
do not be discouraged in sinking hole two
or three feet deep, and abandon it because
gold is not visible in the rock There are. in
this vicinity, perhaps, two or three hundred
| holes gouged down from one to five feet upon
quartz veins, and thus left because no gold
was discovered yet, pound OF the rock was
never pulverized to know whether gold was
in it or not. The miner who prospects thus.
shows want of perseverance,, and is dcser-
wing of no success. A vein may be rich and
yet no gold can be discovered near the sur
face besides, if the vein is of any width, it
may pay well and prove remunerative, where
no gold can be seen with the naked eye
Hundreds of claims of this nature are now be-
Ing worked proftably in different portions of
the State
The improvements in machinery for crush
inc quartz, separating the gold, and the de-
creased expense attending the carrying on OF
such an operation, render claims valuable
which a few years ago would have been con-
sidered of no value whatever Quartz veins
are now worked in Amador county that pay
from Sl2 to S25 per ton, where the rock is
blastcd and taken from shafts varying in depth
from seventy to two hundred feet, yet the
working of them is found to he profitable, and
pays handsome dividend
There are, undoubtedly, veins in this vicin-
ity that will pay much better than the above.
1t is only necessary for those who arc engaged
in mining to show proper degree of energy,
and new field will be opened in this neigh
borhood for industry, enterprise and capital
Quartz mills will be erected and everything
around US will obtain to degree of perma-
nency and durability which no mining town
can possess that depends wholly upon placer
diggings to sustain and keep it up.
-ZD <~