Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-21

Paying Quartz Discovered Near San Fran
cisco.

OurlnS the past rev days ripple OF
interest has been created in and about
the Office of the city and county recor-
der by the entry of dozen or more
qnartz-mine claims. AS most of those
making the entries are well-known
citizens, men of mature Judgment and
standing well in business circles, their
actions excited more than ordinary
comment. Up to o'clock Yesterday
about dozen claims had been placed
on record in due form. Among those
who have recorded claims are Thomas
Burke, and others in Nolan's boot store.
George Bryant, of the firm of Jones
& Bryant, P. B. G. Smith, Henry
Adams, Orrin Jones, H. Brown. and
James Mccoy. The first-named claims
to be the discoverer of this alleged
gold-quartz deposit. A reporter of the
Chronicle found quite number of per-
sons in the recorders office recording
their claims, but none were willing to
give information relative to the char
acter or location of the auriferous de-
post.
Learning that George Bryant could
give some satisfactory details, the re-
porter paid him visit Mr.. BRYANT
very little about the mine. He knew.
however, that the assays had been made
by Prof. Price, on Sacramento street,
and the blossom rock" broken off the
surface OF the Groupings" assayed as
follows: First assay from a piece of
rock picked up by the discoverer, James
Mccoy, $2.07 gold ton; second ASSAY.
from piece of surface rock selected by
a visitor, traces of gold; third ASSAY.
from piece of surface rock broken
from a huge mass on the side of the
mountain, gold Sc. 10; gold value ton.
S12.4O; silver value ton, So cents:
total value of rock per ton, 1892. Mr..
Bryant declined to express any posi-
tive opinion relative to the genuine
ness of the reported ''find, :" but re-
ferred the news-seeker to the site of the
mine, where the discoverer might be
found at work, and observations might
be taken on the ground.
The scene of the mining operations
is located near the top of the highest
rocky peak upon the San Francisco
peninsula, about midway between the
bay and the ocean. 1t is about two
miles north of the industrial school.
and one mile west of the San Jose road.
TO reach the mine it is necessary TO
turn westward from the San Jose road
and proceed over the hills to q grove of
blue gum trees known as Wilson's
nursery. There it becomes necessary
to leave the road, pass through three
successive gateways and enter the mar
row valley or canyon devoted to pastur-
age, upon the sides of which the
auriferous rocks are said to have been
discovered. Far up the PERCEPTIONS
face of the hill, forming the west side
of this winding canyon, two hundred
feet or more above the trail i'm the val
ley, men were discovered at work
Some were scrambling and CRAWLING
about powders and rocks near the
summit with hammer and pick in hand
chipping and breaking off specimens.
Some were measuring off claims and
driving stakes, while at long intervals
a wheelbarrow emerged from tunnel
in the side of the hill and scattered a
load of fine broken quartz upon a new
Informed ''dump" of small propor-
tons. 1t requires a cool head and
more than ordinary leg-muscle to sue
cessfully scale the hill and reach the
mouth of the tunnel. In some places
the hill is almost perpendicular, and a
slip of the foot is liable to precipitate
the unwary climber down an abrupt
descend of at least two hundred feet
Several old miners claiming years. of
experience in Nevada were found at the
mouth of the tunnel discussing and
commenting upon specimens. and
indications" while at the furthest
end of the tunnel, busy with pick, drill
and shovel, were two men. One of
these was the discoverer, James Nc
Coy, the other his son.
Calling him to the mouth of the tun-
mel the reporter asked for his explana-
ton or history of the discovery. He
said:
81 have been working here for about
eight days now, and have tried as much
as possible to avoid publicity. did
not want the newspapers to get on to it
until l had something more satisfa ctory
to show. There is nothing in sight ex-
cept the groupings, which are away up
there (pointing to the top of the hill.
propose to drift straight into the face
of this hill until / strike the lead. es-
innate the distance have to tunnel be-
fore striking the lead indicated by
the blossom rock at seventy-five feet,
when | expect to strike enc of the big
gest stakes ever struck in California.
What makes me think so, YOU ask? Oh.
just what / have found already. have
spent nearly all my life in the mining
regions. One day, in 1871, was walk
ing along the Southern Pacific railroad
track there, and 1 noticed this high
ridge of groupings 1 came to this
gulch and found lot of surface bowl
ders down there which gave signs of
gold. 1 came up here and knocked off
some pieces of rock, had them assayed
and found gold. determined to go to
Nevada, make raise, and come back
here and try this ledge. That is nine
years ago. have had hard luck and
never made a raise, but here / am at
work. If 1 fail to find what I am seek
ing it will be nobody's loss but my own
and the gentlemen who are assisting
me-"