The union Democrat., 1870-04-09
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kkunablrs.

In. yet occasionally we find evidence thai
gold yet glistens. and that the hills of Tuol
umne contain great wealth. requiring only
ordinary energy to develop il remureratively
Last week. escaping frorI the chills Of a
certain locality, we found ourself in the
mountains above Sonora visiting an OLD
friend, Mr. Dayeluy, who owns the store al
Confidence.
The town is queer place, located on the
side of hill, and consisting of four houses
to wit: hotel. store, butcher shop and
schocl-house. The hotel, kept nv Mr. ID. F.
Baxter, is well known to the travellers on the
Mono road, and from former experience car
vouch that both Mr.. b. and his lady +" know
how TO keep a botel." They will not let their
boarders starve, that is certain.
Mr.. +. Da;elny ia an old pioneer, having
once made pile" by keeping restauran,
in Jameston in 40 and 80 Going East with
his pockets full of rocks. he found that hi.
simple, confiding, California innocence was
not proof against the Vaccinations ard wiles
of Eastern sharks, so he was most incontin-
emily skinned, and returned few years since
resolving not to trust himself away from home
again. Locating at Confidence several years
ago, he has built up tlourishing business
packing grub to inaccessible localities. We
used to drink Mr.. Daveluy's whisky and eat
his pies in 80. with our nomenclature of that
day we called him Larsse, and we can vouch
for the present excellence of the former arti-
Gle Of beverage.
One day Mr.. Lewis came over from the
Basin We thought we were pretty well post
ed, but did not know where the basin was.
Mr.. d. informed us that the Basin was large
fiat between the north and middle forks Of
the Tuolumne. 1t is inaccessible (tG him, /,
and contains some rich quartz leads, Mr..
Lewis owning interests therein, running two
arrastras with benefit TO the public and re-
muneration to himself. Mr.. L., being en-
gagged in quartz, naturally desired to see sue
cessful quartz operations, so we made q party
10 visit the celebrated Confidence mine. The
hill has an angle of about IS degrees, and ex-
cavatians have been scooped out for sites for
the mill and the many pretty cottages where
in live the miners and their families.
We were introduced to the gentlemaniy
clerk, Mr.. James Hughes, nephew Of the
owner, MIR. Holiday. We found Mr.. II. very
kind, obliging and affable. He suggested to
your correspondent that store clothes would
not be benefited by trip under ground, and
very kindly lent US better coat than our
own. "Gentemen," said Mr.. IT,, "look
we'll to your footing, as it is very slippery
here" So it was, for he practically ilustra-
ted by making an impression on the soft clay.
We lighted our candles, and walked hundreds
of feet along o tunnel heavily timbered and
Jagged in places, till we came to hole. "In-
cline" said Mr.. II. 1t had an angle of about
GO degrees. We inclined, and clipping, jump
ing, swearing, we reached turn-table ;
thence through another passage, for a long
distance, where we found some men at work
Down again, then up, sliding and crawling,
we suddenly came to a large. popnlous, we'll
lighted room shook hands with Mr.. Logan,
and afterwards with many other friends of
the Democratic persuasion. This was the
large vein, fourteen feet in width. We had
forgotten to bring our umbrella, and the
climate was decidedly moist, the pluvial ele-
ment dripping from every point. The busy
workers had decided advantage over our
party, for their oil suits protected while ours
did not.
"Now for the lower level, ;" said our guide.
Another steep incline filed with broken
quartz, dark, damp. dismal, with n gloomy,
snail hole to crawl through. We said we
could crawl into as small hole as any one else.
90 we fearlessly followed our leader, though
Mr.. Lewis found some difficulty in propeling
his bulk through the aperture. We stood on
the lower level. leo feet below the surface,
and amongst rock which would pay 800 per
ton.
Hundreds of feet we walked till we came
again to our incline. up which we. with diff
ficuty, climbed, holding to timbers, clingiug
to the pipe. slipping in the clay, till we
emerged into daylight, painting, perspiring.
steaming, and tired with cur journey under
ground.
We then looked at the engines and mill.
The former are magnificent specimens of ma
chinery, and the latter, Of thirty stamps,
makes noise enough to deafen a regiment.
Having satisfied our curiosity, and expressing
our thanks for the loan of the coat, we signi-
fed to the gentlemanly clerk before mention
ed, (he's a brick snyhow) that the public
might he edited as to the capacities and pros
poets of this splendid mine. and for that pur-
pose we would like to interview him. Seer
tainly, sir; all the information is at your
service" In answer to questions we elected
the following items
Depth of lowest level, leo feet: length OF
incline, 296 feet width Of south vein, 10 to
Ia feet, and pays from $S to SIS per ton
width of north vein, e! feet, paying from $50
TO $3.50 per ton. Engine at hosting works is
Of 35-horse power, ard, with pump and pipe,
cost 81, 500; the pump has six feet stroke,
and there is 800 feet of five-inch pipe. The
engine for the mill is of 60-ho,se power, and
cost So. 500. The capacity of the mill is from
33 to 40 tons per day, averaging 500 to
$500. Fifty men are employed at wages
from s. to So rer day and board.
We had the pleasure also of interviewing
Mr.. ellison, the Superintendent. Heinformed
us that in 3S hours run S4.700 had been
taken out of the batteries. He escorted us
to the furnace, where we saw a hot mass
taken out, of the value of SIS. 900, retorted
tron the skimr,ing of four batteries. We
expressed desire to take it for our share, but
Mr.. G. suggested few rich specimens in
stead. The fneness is from $50 to 900, and
valued ct SIS 60. bein;, finer than any in this
county, except Shaw's Flat.
We are under obligations both TO Mr.. Gil
son sni Mr.. Hughes for their hospitality. and
for their courtesy in furnishing information
while not desiring publicity, they seemed
willing to give any intelligence which might
induce others to develop the mineral resources
OF our mountains. This mine gives employ
ment to more than fifty men, many of whom,
with families, occuuv the pretty cottages