The Placer herald., 1872-01-13
OPHlK LETTER.

EDITOR PLACER HERALp:-I find very inter-
esting communication in your paper on ancient
and modern mining, and the writer deserves
praise and great deal Of credit for its produc-
ton. There is no miner but what will read it
with great deal of pleasure, and, in fact, we
have not enough Of suoh articles in psnt. This
part of Placer county depends almost entirely
upon the mines for its welfare, and, by the way,
l will give you an outline of some OF our mines
in the Ophir Mining District.
First, l will begin with the Greene min,.
VIM. G.. Greene & Co., have erected n double en-
gne, one for hoisting the dirt and ore from the
shaft, and the other for pumping purposes
Some time ago the company let contract to
parties to sink the shaft one hundred feet deeper.
The contractors are getting along very well, and
will complete their contract by early Spring. The
ledge in the shaft is Of good size looks well and
will pay rich when the company come to mill the
ore and without doubt is one of the best paying
mines in the State or on the coast.
We will follow along the Greene ledge and the
next mine in operation is the original Peter
Walter mine as the Greene and Peter Walter
mines are on the same ledge. This company
has erected steam hosting works on their mine
and have a 20 horsepower engine, and with
all the rain we have had lately, had no occasion
to suspend operations on account of water The
levels that are being run are at the depth of 11G
feet from the surface, and they find no variation
in the quality quantity of the rock, it contin-
uing to look well, the quartz showing free gold
and plenty of rich sulphurets. The ledge is n
good size, and in "A short time the mine will be
opened thoroughly and the company will be well
paid for their expenditures You can set the
Peter Walter down as a number one mine, as
they have everything to show that 1t is SO; gold
and sulphurets show this, and everything Is
working like charm under the management of
John McFadden as superintendent and John Eva
as foreman, and each one of them understands
his business. The Company contemplate erect
ing ten-stamp mill as soon as the weather will
permit.
North of the Peter Walter some 300 yards is
the Bellevue, originally the Buckeye. This
company have at their dump pile near 500 tons
of ore that is No. l. have no doubt but what
they will realize from this rock $4,000 in free
gold, and probably $1,000 more in sulphurets.
They intend TO crush ths ore at tue Ct. i"uioh
mill, and will begin about the Goth of this month
The Bellevue company are still raising rock to
the surface. The Superintendent of the Belle
vue is f. Jones, an experienced miner.
The st. Patrick mill contains fifteen stamps,
and with all the improvements, sufficient to save
the gold and sulphurets, and adequate pans to
work the blanket washings and sulphurets
This mill is run by steam, and in connection
with it the company have ledge called the
Peachy that they are prospecting with tunnel
and shaft The tunnel will cut the ledge about
13O feet from the surface. The shaft is down to
the depth of rs feet and they are running a
level at this depth and finding good sized ledge
and good ore, showing as good prospect as you
will find in this district. 1t is supposed to be
one of the mother veins of the district. The st.
Patrick mine is still in operation; they are run
ming bottom level with good prospect. They
are crushing ore from this mine at their mill,
and Judging from appearances, it is paying very
rich. They have large pile of ore at this mine
which they will finish crushing as soon as they
get through with the Bellevue re i, according to
agreement S. r. Curtis is Superintendent OF
the St. Patrick mine, and thoroughly understands
the whole business.
There are other prospects that will be made
mention of in time, and as long as remain III
this vicinity will endeavor to give you and the
public the mining news. ARGUS.