The Placer herald., 1864-12-31
A Rich Quartz Strike

over 'he PiaHs ioT the nTst tlne ln's season.
while prospecting for surface diggings, Oh
Quartz Prairie, three aud a half miles north
OF Auburn, near the Nevada road, struck
upon some rotten quartz and earth, that was
rich with gold. Stimulated by the discove-
ry. they continued their labor, and through
out Friday aud Saturday took out rock and
dir; from cut. but two feet wide and five or
six feet in length, Of the es,ima ed value OF
$4,000. We have seen some of the speci
mens--which are represented as fair samples
OF the renainder-and they are the richest
we have ever seen in the State.
So far il was questionable whether vein
had been found as the rock was detached
but this week shallow cut has been exten
ded, some twenty feet in length and vein
six inches in With exposed which equals in
richness the first rock found. Up to Thurs
lay ev ening last rock had been taken out es
omated to be worth s6 900, With the vein
showing the same rich indications.
| The discovery has naturally created good
deal of excitement and visitors are hockng
to the locality from all the surrounding couni
! try. The original discoveries have taken in
several partners, and have located one thou.
sand feet of ground. One interest was sold
for 81 500 on the second day after The dis
covery. Extensions Of The original discove-
ry has been taken up. in II hope that the
good thing is not all confined to one spot.
Quartz Prairie is locality we'll known TO
the miners of this section. 1t is high and
rolling, the soil being completely mixed with
small PARTICLES Of quartz. supposed 10 have
beeu worn and scattered from a prominent
vein that runs through the prairie from north
to south AT the northern end, upon a
small hill, there is heavy chimney of
of quartz, and in this vicinity the rich vein Of
quartz above spoken of was found.
Several surface claims have been worked
upon the prairie, for some years back-and
j occasionally some fine specimens of gold
have been taken out below the quartz veins,
that bore the appearance of coming from
them.
1t has long been the belief that the locai
ty would furnish quartz that would amply
pay for the working. but the want Of expe-
rlence and money, has deferred miners from
engaging in a species of mining that has
proven SO frequently disastrous to prospec'
tors The late discovery will likely cause
| very thotouSu pioeHectiHS VI the Ithus tteIe-
about, and We hope with result that will
demonstrate that there are leads in this vi
cinty equal TO any in the State. We have
no doubt that there are. plenty Of rich quartz
iedges in this vicinity that will pay if prop
ery worked Auburn Ravine with its nu-
merous tributaries has furnished an enor,
nous quantity of gold by sluce mining from
40 to the present time, and these ravlnes
are all ntersected by quartz veins bearing
north and south as well as east and vest
At different times many Of these veins have
been found rich in The groupings, bu, beyond
temporary trials, nolhing has ever been done
to ascertain their real value. What is nee,
essary is, that thorough work should be done
on one ledge, TO prove, as we fully believe,
that we have Que Of the best quartz district 5
in the State. Merely scratching upon the
SURFACE will not do. Miners must 90 down
below the living water line, one, two, OF
three hundred feet if they expect to fairly
ascertain the richness Of the quartz II one
tenth of the money that was sqnandered in
this vicinity two years ago, in sinking cayote
holes for copper leads, had been devoted 10
mining for gold in quartz, the probabilities
are to day that this district would deserved
ly be attracting the attention Of intelligent
miners and capitalists throughout The State
The late strike will he like to turn tn,
attention of prospectors in the right direc
ton, and lead to the growth and develope
ment Of this character of mining, the only
kind that can be looked for now as pronlis
ing permauency in gold mining in this State