New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-06

worked, are the J0sepnlne, Hmo Aroo' hhd
Princeton. all on the northern ridge Of Mount
Bullion, the quartz rock being brought to
the Benton Mills, on Bear River, and to the
steam mills at Bear Valley, Ophir, Guada-
lupe, and Aqua Fria. The mines are worked By
running horizontal tunnels or drifts, about seven
feet in width and hight, at different levels into tho
mountain, and connecting with the surface aud
with each other, by vertical shafts of the same
size. The drifts ruu along the foot of the quartz
veins, widening and narrowing with them, and
following all their angles. On the estate are about
twenty important quartz leads, nearly all running
into eush other; but the Josephine and the Pine
Tree are the principal the latter being known as
the mother" reaching from Mount Ophir, all
through Bear Valley and along Mount Bullion TO
the MERGED River. Occasionally the leads are cut
I'D into small veins by the intrusion of other rock,
but they 6raly unite in a compact vein which has
been traced more than twenty miles. The rock is
of hin'y hardness, pearl white, with now and then
streak of dark gray, showing the deposit OF sui
phurets.
The Josephine mine is $50 feet above the liver,
being the highest Of all. Four drifts are run, l33,
| 24O, $40, and 525 feet into the mountain. These
drifts are nearly over each other, and one shaft Of
Ie6 feet connects the three uppermost The pecu-
larty of the Josephine vein is the layers or strata
of sulphureted rock found therein. These strata
are four in number, of variable thickness; one of
30 feet pays $50 to the tun one of 10 feet, very
rich, from $500 to So 900 per tun one Of 30 to 30
feet thick but not so rich and one just discovered
ofunknown thickness The sulphurets are in cOarse,
bright scales on the fret vein, and in cubes IN the
others In the richest the rock is white, with
streaks of bueish gay very hard, but softenng on
exposure an these stresks of sulphurets run
through the quartz vein perpendicuarly at an anglo
of eighteen degrees toward the junction OF the
Pine Tree and Josephine leads. At the Josephine
Nine, the ore is passed out through the lowest
drift and down an inclined wooden road 168 feet
to the new railroad. Within q short period the
lower drift will be connected, and the ore taken
out directly by the cars. About % men are engaged
in working this mine.
The Pine Tree Mine is the largest, most uniform,
and easiest worked vein on the estate. 1t averages
80 feet in thickness, evenly and well developed.
Five levels to correct it with those of the Josephine
Mine are making, the lowest 3OS feet below the
lowest of the Josephine, which is $50 feet distant.
The Pine Tree is worked in five gall Ties, con-
pocted by four shafts. The rock near the main
shaft is exceedingly rich, the vein averaging ~ feet
in thickness, beautifully ysriegated with Oxyd Of
"copper" and blue and green carbOnates. There are
about so men employed upon it,
The Princeton or Ridgway vein is seven miles
from Bear Valley two miles from Mount Ophir,
and 2 500 feet above the MERGED River. Here are
two drifts, connecting with the surface by four
shafts. The vein is about four feet thick, en-
bedded in friable slate. From 40 to GO tuns per
day are taken out, ranging from $50 to 500 per
tun The rock is crushed at the Ophir, Guada'
lure, ard Aqua Tria Mills. Abortion Of it is filed
with suphurets, richly sprinkled or ANIMATED with
free gold Some of the quartz softens on exposure
TO the air, and when thrown into acid will effer-
vesce like soda.
Quartz mining is now one of the largest interests
in California and that it is 80 is due to the energy
and perseverance Of Col. Fremont. He dscov-
cred the gold-beariDg qu,rtz in the Mariposa mine
in lS49, and erected mill. In filing his Mexican
grant. Col F's boundaries differed from those OF
the Government; and az his lines did not embrace
all the gold bearing portion, other parties took
possession, believing that the United States survey
within which they were, would be rejected. When
this survey was confirmed, there was SOFT OF
Ambient rebellion and it required great deal
of tact, patience, and careful diplomacy to get the
intruders away without actual boodshed. 1t
was DONE however, and now only one or
two squatters remain, AMI they will soon
remove. With quiet energy Col. Fremont
has surmounted the innumerable Difficult
ties and discouragements which beset him on every
hand The main STEP after system of mining had
been perfected, was to facilitate and economic
the working of the rock and the extraction of the
gold; and this rock had to be hauled over the
mountains at great cost by mules along
reads which were often altogether impossible
To remedy this, Col. Fremont proposed a
railroad over about the toughest territory
in the State. He was laughed at; he was crazy;
it was impossible; ard, if possible, it would never
pay. But he persisted and triumphed-as he al
ways does where he depends upon himself; and the
railroad is to-day fact, as well ss curiosity as
a remarkable specimen of engineering. Let us
give an idea of it. Mount Bullion ri,es from
the MERGED River $500 feet, by three ridges, and
runs about nine miles, breaking &c IN abruptly at
Bullion Knob. One ridge, on which IL" Josephine
and Pine-Tree Mines are located runs uv'th.
westerly toward the Benton Mills on the MERGED
The sides of all the ridges are very abrupt and pre-
cipitous, cut into nnumerabe narrow gulches The !
mountain is well timbeIed, and there are three main