Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-19

L.
specimens of conglomerate rock, some
snecimeus Of which were quite large ana
exhibiting most singular appearance.
At Makelenmore River, some thirty Uni
nese had directed the stream from Its beo
and were mining sluices with favorable
results. At jackson is q mill OF twenty
stamps undergoing repairs, and near TINS
town is the Oneida quartz mill OF 6o
stamps, which, lying off our course, we
did not visit. Toward the close OF the
day we reached Sutter Greek and were
again greeted by friends, at whose KIND
invitation we accepted entertainment ana
by whom also during the evening we
were treated to some fine singing with
piano accompaniment, and here, too,
company of Italian residents, jubilant by
intelligence of the occupation of Rome by
the soldiers of Victor Emanuel, made the
hills vocal by successive peals of artillery
commineled with other joyous demon
STATIONS.
On the following morning we visited
the works of the "Amador, Mining Com
pany." In the year 1869 this company
worked three shafts, the number OF feet
being $500 OF these, the Panama shaft
has been sunk to the depth of 1,30O feet
and is the deepest in California. The
Company also report the extraction and
reducing of $3.50 tons of ore during the
year, and the bullion from the same
amounted to the sum of $706,090. Total
expenditures in working the mines $319,-
14O, including $32, 1866 expended in the
construction of Eureka Mill, leaving for
dividends as profits the sum of $685., o0o.
This Company have three mills, the
Eureka, 40 stamps; Rose, 16 stamps, and
the Badger I6 stamps, the whole con-
structed at cost of 5000, two of which
were undergoing repairs. The Panama
shaft took fire in April last and continued
burning for several months, and during
our visit the charred remains OF the tim
bers were being hoisted from the deep
abyss by the successful working of steam
engines and strong cables, communication
between the miners in the shaft and the
workmen outside being kept up ty
means of concerted signals, represented
by bell strokes; the number of strokes in
dicating the kind of service or informa
ton required.
These mines, from which large fortunes
have been taken, are situated on th'
Western slope of high hill at the righ
hand of the highway leading down from
the south into the town below, the shaft
of which are boxed up with square tim
bers as security against the caving Of TIL
earth and other accidents. In passing
down this road the mouth of the TUNE
is distinctly visible Opening near tn
base Of the hill that led to the discover.
of these mines, accredited as being among
the richest and most productive in tn
State.
Tunneling has been the medium
through which most of the rich quart
veins or lodes have been discovered. Nor
than thirty of these tunnels were oounte
during the prosecution OF our Journey
The excavations are generally in a horl
zontal direction, often commencing nea
the base of the hill and are extended unit
L the enterprise results either in success O
II failure. Large fortunes have in man
J. cases been made by successful experl
Ii ments of this kind, but more frequent
o utter peouniary ruin and disaster hav
E resulted from these most costly games
n chance. From a survey OF map
n Amador county and other sources, W
t" gathered inform alton relating to the e.
W istepce of rich and extensive quart
Of vein reaching across the county and e.
ID tending into other counties, the iocatlo
It. being indicated by lines drawn across II
re map rom north to south.
ne The Amador mines are situated
ne this line, the stock of the company belr
Ie. chiefly owned by residents of San Fra
lie cisco, who are undoubtedly destined
en- the acquisition of great wealth. TakiI
re, leave of friends at Suffer Greek, we pa
'r- down the stream two miles to the town
'ss Amador, where we find quartz mill
ty operation. This mill has forty stamps
en- ranged in batteries of five each, support
BE-, by upright posts put in to sustain {
al bearings of the mill. There forty STAN
g stand perpendicnlarly in a row, extendil
Ids through the mill, each weighing four
OF five hundred pounds. A horizontal sha
On provided with cams, runs directly alo
D" side the stamps, which are raised by t
he cams when in motion, and dropping II
ass sockets secured in a deep channel
IN groove, does the work of crushing
e quartz as it is fed in by the workm
Ut the arrangement being supplied W
no water. On the opposite side, the crush
led ore escapes, and by the action of
rry water is directed into sluioes arranged
OF an inclined plane, and swept down il
oi grinding pans situated at the lower sidt
"er the mill, the sluices being provided W
'ho metallic bottoms galvanized with qui
I've silver, and with the further addition
sm' cro.g.riffles for saving the gold. In
the pans the ore is subjected to seoC
5his grinding process, followed by anot
TED saving of gold. The mass is again sw
ART through a second course of sluioes AM
'a - passed TO the buddles for saving the
'i4's phsrets, the latter being subjected
-, " chemical process. by which the gold
- - nearly all saved.
WILL These mills may be reckoned am
'o' the most noisy contrivances ever
oo- vented by man. A person under CO
of forty stamp quartz mill in operat
non would be likely to have very slight
II ~ probation of thunder storm prevail
outside.
49, Several improvements of recent or
have resulted in saving large amount