The weekly Arizona miner., 1869-02-20
The Sterling Mine.


 camps, see what we saw last Wednesday, in the pine mountains six miles south from Pres colt, they would no doubt think as we do,
 that for quality and quantity of ore, no sul- phuret mine yet discovered can compare with
 the Sterling, and would immediately transfer their money and their thoughts to this sec
 tion. To say that VIC were pleased with the appearance of the mine, the looks of the ore; the walls, etc, would convey, to the general reader, very poor idea of the impression its appearance fixed upon our mind. In fact, we were more than pleased with what we saw Of it, and how could we otherwise be, accus- toned, as we have been, to looking upon three and four feet lodges. Every miner has his favorite district and ledge, and bis favor ties are generally those in which be is most interested. We need, then, scarcely tell our readers, that, heretofore, we had thought that no mine in the Sierra Prieta could compare to a few we might name in Big Bug district, but look at the Sterling dispelled that flu sion, and we now, candidly, confess that the Sterling is the biggest, richest and most promising mine yet visited by us in the range
 Although it WAS not the frs; time we visited this famous mine, it was the first time we went down into 1t and examined it closely. As it's reputation a rich mine is now estab- lished beyond all cavil, and as ir is about to take its place in the front rank of bullion producing mines on this coast, s brief account of it's history-ups and downs-may not prove uninteresting to our readers. So, trust ing to our memory, we proceed. 1t was dis covered and located in November, 1865, by R. W. Groom, who took up five claims of GO feet each, for the following per sons, some of whom were with him when he made the discovery; For himself, two claims lone for discoveryG Vim. Cole, one claim Vim. s. Little, one claim and Van C. Smith, one claim. Mir. Groom brought some of the rock to town, which he psospeeted and tad ass.yed, and the yield of which caused con siderable excitement Soon after, feet were sold in it for as high as s25 per foot The company set to work and sunk a shaft of the depth of forty feet, and Jos. C. Lennon, who had become interested in the mine, by pur- chase, took a ton of the orc to an arastra owned by Moves X Curtis, on Granite Greek, arassraed 1t, and cleaned up $59.T5. The owners were then satisfied that 1t would pay for working. Van C. Smith t F. q. Christie procured ive-stamp mill, set 1t up, and commenced crushing the ore, but, owing to defects in the mill and mode of amalgama- tion, they failed to make ends meet, and quit. Thinking be knew the cause Of their failure. Joe Lennon took charge of the mill, run 1t awhile ard quit, also. Next came Judge W. T. Flower, who, at first, met with success in saving the gold, and who, everybody thought, would prove the saviour of the country, but. in sinking on the mine, be struck sulphurets, and "that let him out" Soon after the Judges failure, party of miners arrived bere from Montana, among whom were the Wiley brothers, formerly of Amador county, California Having a thorough knowledge of 'plainhquartz mining, they entered into a contract with the Sterling Company to work the mine. The first thing they did was to fix the little battery, and almost everything about the mill, for, as the eldest of the broth CTS remarked, man might crush hundred dollar rock in such rattle-trap concern. and not save two and a-half dollars to the ton. As soon as things were fixed to suit them. they commenced crushing, and though both cred good deal for want of proper machine Y, and by the sulphurets, they succeeded in saving about $45 per ton out of the ore. About this time, rich placer diggings were said to have been found in large creek on the south side of the range. Eyerybody was excited-the Wileys included. They pulled up stakes and started For the new Do- rado, which proved to be a grand sell. They were about to return to the Sterling when they gsTs shown rock from small ouar,z lode that had been found simultaneously with the finding of the srieh" diggings, and after carefully prospecting the rock, and getting great deal of free gold, they concluded they could make money by working the ore in arastras, and, after tbe promise Of an interest in the mine, started for Prescott for tools and provisions. They soon returned, camped on A bar that had been selected for the site of the arsstras, and set to work. Fate seemed to be against them, for it was not long until one of those floods common in this section, came rushing down the creek. They had barely time to escape with their lives, and lost every thing else possessed by them, excep. their animals. Their tools, extra clotLing, proyis- ions, everything was swept out of sight in an instant, by the mad, roaring torrent. This