The Placer herald., 1866-07-07
Aurijerou. Channel Of Cemented Gravel.

26tb, gives the results Of bis observations
upon the great cement deposit Of the "Di'
vide" 10 this county. He says:
now proceed, according to promise. to
give you the result Of my "channe investi.
cations" !. e. the auriferous channel Of ce'
mented gravel which is the subject of SO
much excitement in this locality. | find that
the Messrs. Miller Brothers, in their claim
in Volcano Canon. one mile and half be
low Michigan Bluff, are the first in that d,
rection to claim the regular blue dirt
They have hard gravel, from which they get
excellent prospects, but have no idea that
they are at the source Of the lead. From
here to Bath there are only two tunnels
the Volcano and Sebastopol-neitber of
which is far enough in for prospecting pur
poses. but both are at present being driven
ahead. At Bath only this channel has been
fairly tested, and here only in two claims
the Dewey and Rough Gold-the profitable
returns Of which are we'll known. The Col
den Gate Company are preparing 10 place
mill on their claim, being fully assured
tba. it will pay as well rs its neighbors, and
the owners of the New York are contempla.
ting opening their tunnel to prospect it for
mill. In the Dewey and Rough Gold the
pay streak is found to vary from four feet
upwards. The width Of the lead is as yet
undetermined, good prospects having been
found as far back as at present worked.
Proceeding from Bath TO Forest Hill, l
find that the Independent Slope Company,
at depth of 400 feet from the surface,
struck hard cemeuted gravel, which they
were unable to wash, and, after great outlay,
were compelled to abandon their works,
their machinery being inadequate to remove
the fast'increasing volume of water. The
India Rubber and Alabama Companies, (the
former being able TO pan 500 ou! bed rock
tunnel and reached the edge of the hard
gravel, where they obtained good prospects,
having washed as much as half an ounce to
a car load of dirt, though not generally able
10 obtain more than dollar to the car load,
in consequence of their inability to wash the
hard gravel as the water would pass through
the sluces almost uncolored. The Pioneer
Slope Company, prospecting for soft gravel,
passed streak of the hard which would
prospect pretty we'll. but it would appear
that they never reached the main channel
In the Garden Claim, Todd's valley, Garland
& Co., have recently struck the regular hard
blue gravel, which is said to be rich 10 the
precious metal; and at Spring Garden the
prospectors were driven out with water after
finding blue gravel, as was supposed when
near the bed rock.
In the Brushy District the same descrip'
ton of gravel is found, undoubtedly proving
the existence of two distinct leads-one hy-
not ic ho,po, thot ho ohoopo1
from Bath to Brushy, having for its outlet
Smiths Point and Mt. Pleasant, where gold
was taken out in almost fabulous quantities.
10 this locality the Winchester, Independent,
Dutch Washington, and Backhswk are
claims Of we'll established reputation. The
latter is now being prospected with small
water power mil and it is proposed 10 erect
mills on at least two of The others. Allow,
ing the theory to be correct, that this is the
continuation of the lead passing through
Bath, it is obvious that another must exist
passing between Devils Canon and Forest
Hill, along the Divide downwards towards
Todd's Valley and Spring Garden; otherwise
the Brushy lead must come from higher up
the divide, between EI Dorado Canon and
the upper Brushy, where, by the way, large
tract o! country awaits the prospector's pick.
From observations made along the line from
Bath to Spring Garden, it would appear that
while the lead is we'll defined, the richer de.
posits are arbitrary, for instance on the
Rough Gold. The rich streak at present
being operated upon is 40 feet above the
bed rock, constituting what is termed the
upper lead; and other cases might be adj
vanced of similar description. In the
Gore claim, Forest Hill, (which formerly
paid second, perhaps, only to the Jenny
Lind) the bed rock was found to rise and
fall in most erratic manner, being success
sion Of high shelves of rock, or in mining
parlance, bedrock pitching" and the rich-
est deposits were found on the slope Of the
rock after passing one Of these high ridges,
and, as | am informed, that where the tun.
mel terminated, there was every indication Of
still deeper chanuel further back.
Notwithstanding the vast amount Of work
that has been done in this neighborhood it
is evident that the ground is yet but imper.
fectly prospected, and that while no doubt
exists Of the immensity Of wealth that lies un
der our feet, il will require the energetic ex>
penditure Of money TO render it subservient
to our uses, and fully develope this as one of
the most important mining districts 10 Cali
fornia.
In quartz mining, interest is awakened
and the numerous lodges which exist iu this
locality will shortly be tested. On the
Washington Ledge, Bath, The company pro.
ject 10 stamp mill. Rock from this ledge
has assayed $50 to the ton. Prospecting is
going on on the Edgemont Company's ledge
above Michigan Bluff. The Company have
some 40 or so tons of quartz out, which
will give 500 to the ton, and are sinking
shaft to further test the ledge which is we'll
defined on the surface, aud is expected to
prove richer at greater depth. 10 Ladies'
Canon, near Bath, bold ledge has for
sometime been located, and it is proposed to
continue prospecting in it during the sum,