Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-03-31
Mining at West Point.

ing Press:
"The Nina Rica De Las Floras
Mining Company is located at Camp
Flores, one and half miles east of
West Point. This mill consists of ten
heavy stamps driven by a steam engine
of thirty horse power, and is well and
substantially built. Amalgamation is
performed in small pans into which the
pulp runs directly from the batteries
The tailings are again ground, and
amalgamated in one of Baux & Guiod's
amalgamators, by which means the yield
of the quartz is increased from twelve
to fifteen dollars per tun. The average
yield of the rock is from thirty to thir-
ty-five dollars at least that is the esti.
mate of the superintendent. This COM
pany owns two veins, the Nina Rica
and the Lockwood. On the former
shaft has been sunk to depth of 13O
feet, showing well defined vein of
quartz from fourteen inches to two feet
in width, and much of it heavily charg-
ed with sulphurets. At depth of liz
feet, drifts have been run lengthwise
the vein distance of eighty feet, dis
closing large vein of rich ore. The
course of the vein, like that of all
others in this range is nearly north and
south, with a very slight dip to the
westward. AS I have before stated,
the surface of this district is all of
granite formation, but on reaching a
depth of 100 feet, the hanging wall Of
this vein is of talcose slate, while
the foot wall remains granite all the
way down. This is the only instance
of the kind that has come under my
observation, and I should like to see
some explanation of the case by geolo-
gists. The Lockwood has been explor-
ed to depth of 100 feet, and by drifts
along the vein distance of ffty-nine
feet. 1t is from eighteen inches to
three feet thick and yields quartz of
character very similar to the Nina Rica.
The rock is hoisted from both of these
mines by horse power, the mining be-
ing done by Cornishmen, on contract,
at fixed prices per foot, for sinking or
drifting.
"The richest lode yet discovered in
the district, is believed to be
THE CUMMINGS & HADLEY.
Owned by the parties whose name it
bears, aud who are making vigorous
effort to test its permanence and value,
and with very fair prospects Of success
in developing valuable mine. This
vein is crossed by two dykes of hard
slate about ten feet apart, between which
the shaft has been sunk to depth, of
80 feet. No attempt has been made to
drift through that on the north side,
and its thickness is not known, but the
ore on the south side of the shaft, has
been found to be about three feet wide
at the top, and to narrow gradually as
it goes down, until at the depth of 80
feet it almost disappears, and the two
portions of the vein are almost united.
The vein at the bottom is about feet in
width, while its average thickness is
fully 20 inches. 1 visited the mine on
Saturday afternoon, the 18th inst, in
company with Mr.. Robert Briggs of
West Point. We were informed that
the rock from this vein, worked at
Cartons mill, which is about half a
mile distant, had averaged from $14O
to $3.50 per tun. A short distance
south of this is the Amo lead, owned
by Messrs. Carlton & Fischer, which
has been opened at depth of 100 feet.
1t dips to the west, at an angle of 33
degrees, and is about one foot in aver
age width. The quartz differs from
most of that in the district in contain
ing no sulphurets. 1t has yielded
about ss5 per tun in free gold.