Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-01-14
THE EVENING NEWS.


visiting the Yellow Jacket mine yesterday.
This claim Is situated at the lower end OF
Gold Hill proper, and between the Crown
Point, at the south end, and the Burke
and Hamilton ground at the North, and
Is an old claim of twelve hundred fees.-
When the mine was first opened, work
was done through an incline, but the COM
pany, after prospecting through that me-
thod, and becoming satisfied they had a
good mine, commenced a large shaft
which is divided into three compartments,
TWO for lowering and hosting, and the
third compartment occupied by hrst
class pump, which is of but six inch cali
bre, serves TO keep the mine clear Of wa
ter by working six out OF twenty-tour
hours. Getting aboard the cage, which
runs on truskS IN grooves at each side of
the shaft, the world sinks away from US,
and presto we find ourselves AZ the
lower level of the mine, and distance of
500 feet from the surface. The main shaft
is strongly timbered with eight by ten inch
stuff, and planked closely the entire depth.
From the lower level drift has been run
ninety feet TO the west, cutting the entire
distance through ledge of quartz that
seems ineXhauStible, and which will work
about twenty-five dollars per ton on an
average; although the drift has been push
ed distance of ninety feet. No west
wall has been found to the ledge, but
near the end some fine ore was struck,
and large excavation made, which has
been timbered with beams y by II inches
in size; returning through the west drift
TO within Eortv-fvc feet of the shaft,
we come to drift running due north,
also substantially timbered, and which
gradually curving TO the east Will open
the second gallery of the mine. In this
drift we find ledge of very rich ore
which apparently has no limit or wall,
although prospecred for distance OF
nearly one hundred feet. y few days
work Will serve to open this lower gal
lerv so large number OF men can nj
once proceed 10 take out the rich ore that
abounds on every side. Returning to
the shaft we rise with Il gentle motion
about one hundred feet, and stepping from
the cage find ourselves in the first gallery
of the mine. From the shaft, drift has
q
distance of forty-tive feet, at which point
4 wall of clay evidently the casing of the
ledge) has been cut. From this point the
drift has been continued in due west di
recriou for one hundred and sixty feet,
the entire length being cut through pay
quartz of similar character of chat III
the lower station. In this direction the
west wall of the ledge has not been
struck. although some two or three gal
leriss of excellent ore have been excavat-
Ell, showing an enormous quantity equally
is good, which can be taken out at leisure.
At distance OF forty-hvc feet from the
shaft-or where the clay wall has been
cut-a drift leads directly TO the north,
distance of three hundred feet, to the mine
of Burke & Hamilton. Leaving the west
drift, we proceed through this a distance
of one hundred feet, where we come to
what NAV be termed the working center
of the mine. Here has been struck the
largest and richest deposit Of ore that we
have ever seen. Rising up from this
point we find eleven galleries already
worked and timbered III the best manner;
the upward course has been 10 distance
of about seventy feet, and the ore IS being
now taken out 10 the east, in regular gal
leries, and passed through "shutes to
the drift below, whence It is taken in
cars 10 the shaft for hosting; retracing
our steps down the ladders which we have
assembled, we find ourselves at the mouth
of very steep incline almost a shaft,
through which we pass down by ladders
about seventy fee, close by mammoth
timoers placed in an oblique position,
while beneath, above, and on each side, IS
to be seen the glitter Of quartz, dotted
with the much priced silver sulphuretS.
This incline was sunk the above distance
through a very rich strata of ore; arising
IT the bottom of the incline TWO drifts
branch OF, one running due north and the
other south. Taking the south drift we
proceed through walls Of sLver-bearing
quartz distance of about one hundred
feet. where shaft is now being sunk 10
connect with the drift in the lower gal
lery. At this poin; no signs OF wall are
10 be seen. Returning to the incline we
pass through the north drift, also run
ming in this rich quartz distance OF one
hundred and twenty feet, when we come
to a semi-shaft, which was "break-
through" made by the Michigan Com
panv, who run drift for long distance
in what is claimed as Yellow Jacket
ground, and the further prospecting OF
which that company will not be permit
ted to indulge in. 1t will perhaps be ap-
propos to say here that the Yellow Jacket
Company have leased the Michigan shaft
for period of ninety days-during which
time the ore from the northeast portion OF
the mine will be hoisted through that shaft.
While we were prospecting this break
age" shaft we discovered light, then
pair Of top-boots, and finally the body OF
a man hove in sight, which proved to De
the mortal part of our friend John Van
DeWater, who has charge of that portion
of the Yellow Jacket mine which IS to be
worked through the Michigan shaft. We
embraced, and together retraced our steps
TO the Misunderstanding which, We were
once more in the main drift little north
of this point a drift curves TO the east,
through a stratum of decomposed quartz,
porphyry and clay for short distance,
then striking the same quality Of ore found
below. At distance OF about ninety feet
from the main drifts, prospecting drift
has been run north ana south IN rich
ouartz. At a distance of one hundred
feet the ground of the Burke s Hamilton
will be reached. and near the end OF the
north branch of this drift the clay wall Of
the ledge has been cut, clearly defining
the ledge, which at It's junction with the
clay abounds in large quantities OF black
sulphurets of silver bearing quartz, which
ASSAY as high as $4,000 per ton. Thus
the walls are clearly deined-the east be
ing the clay formation, and the west
granite wall, inteImingled with broken
quartz, the whole being as plain to view
as though stripped Of its stony ralment.
Returning to the main north drift, we