Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-05-07
The Orc Grande District.

EDITOR HERALD: Taktng IL LOT
granted that you always want news
from every locality, I send you
these few lines. I am writing you
from Orc Grande, the supposed fu-
ture Virginia City Of California
del Sur.
I arrived here last week; have
been around among the mines
some, and am partly posted about
them, but there are 40 many good
mines here being developed by
means of shafts and tunnels, that
I cannot make particular mention
of all of them. The gold and silver
bearing belt extends from Rodgers
crossing of the Mojave, five miles
south OF here, to the point Of rocks,
ten miles north Of this place, and
on the east side of the river, and
for numbers, character and rich
ness do not think there is o min
ing district in the Pacific States
and territories that can equal it as
far as developed. Commencing
east of Rodgers station are located
the Buckingham & Co. camp and
group Of mines. They are down go
feet, with good paying gold ore,
leads we'll defined and wide. Go
ing north from there is the Cara
bsidi group; depth OF shaft so feet,
good gold ore. A short distance
west from there Ia the Coyote;
shaft down 25 feet. ore prospects
we'll and increasing in richness and
width as they 60 down. There are
other leads in that vicinity being
worked, but L do not remembe the
names Of them. North of them
lies the Ore Grande Co.'S group of
mines, consisting of the Orc
Grande, Orc Elmo, Garfield, Buena
Vista, and one or two others, all
being worked to a depth of from 20
to 200 feet, and the ore hauled to
the river, a distance of six miles,
where 1t is being crushed by their
ten stamp mill at the rate of one
ton per hour. Mr.. Burkhsrt has
the contract to deliver the ore at one
dollar and q half per ton. The
company has stored 500 tons of ore
on their dumps. I do not know
how their rock Is paying, as they
have not cleaned up the mill since
it started, but they all wear a pleas.
ant and satisfied appear ance, as If
they saw themselves, in the near
future, the happy possessors of
hats full Of U. b. bonds aud such |
trash. No doubt but that there
will be another "Nob Hill" spring
up out there ut Pasadena. Well, 1 |
heartily wish them success, they
deserve it. Such men AS Mark.
ham, and Halleck would not abuse
the power that wealth would con-
fer upon them.
Near the last mentioned group of
mines Is the Contention, Side
Winder, Blue Jacket, Fify.six,
Chimney Corner, Willis, Iris, and
several more fine looking leads,
some of which they are sinking on.
They are now sinking on the Will
lis. 1t 10 a small lead, but very
rich In gold-goes up into the hun
dreds-and 1t may develop into a
valuable mine. Yet further north |
and we come to the Dixie camp
group Of mines, some half dozen in
number. Some of them are being
worked to depth of forty.ave feet
with good ore and leads, amt are
rated AZ good as any others, il not
the best in the district. Near the
river 10 located the Ventura group,
of the Ventura, Ken
nedy, Miller, Porphyry, Columbia
amt Josephine, all with good top
showing. I understand that the
owners will commence sinking on
the Venture and Kennedy in few
days.
One very favorable indication of
the permanency of the mines in
this district Is the fact that every
mine they have gone down on has
Increased in width and richness,
and it astonishes one that such i'm
mense wealth has remained so
long undiscovered. There il but |
one solution to the question to my
mind, they were not far enough of,
too near home. There are thous.
ands OF prOspectOrs seeking mines
in Arizona, New Mexico and
Sonora, who, If they would look
nearer home, might sooner realize
their golden anticipations. The
formation here 10 slate, porphyry,
granite and some limestone. The |
mines are accessible and the roads |
good. You can drive wagon up
to most any of them. do not give
you the result of any assays, or
mention the names OF many of the
owners, because I am not &C.
quained with them, and they do
not seem to care whether outsiders
are posted or not about their leads.
They are satisfied with their pros.
poets, and 60 right along In the
prosecution Ut their work, leaving
their ore to show for itself.
1t is hard for any one at present
to determine where the business
center will be on this river. mol
doubt that there Will be- one, II not
two, mills erected near Rogers's
crossing, for the reduction Of the
gold and silver ores from the Buck
ingham camp and group. There
will be another near PEARLS cross
ing. There Is one at this point in
full and successful operation, two
stores, q boarding house, smiths
shop, and school house. And there
will be another mill necessary at
or near Capt. Lanes for the work.
ing Of the ores from Dixie camp
and vicinity; and no doubt but that
there will be q demand for custom
mills to work the ores from the
numerous mines whose owners are
not able to erect mills. There is
another large group Of mines con-
tanning galena, gold, copper and
silver on the west side Of the river,
nearly opposite here, and Ia this
district. But 1t would make too