Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-12

several Very Promising Mining
properties Cattiemcn Enjoying
Good Prices and q Mild wfnter-A
Lively lnrnaa

Good Prices and q Mild Winter-A
Lively Corpse.
WILLOW CREEK, Humboldt Co.. New,
Feb. 8, 1855.
DEAR SENTINEL: Since my last commu-
nication Willow Greek has made consider
aoie Advancement as a mining camp.
Work on several Of the claims has been
prosecuted in II thorough and business-like
manner with very good results. The miners
are beginning to find out that dreaming
and toasting their shins behind a barroom
stove is a poor substitute for pluck, muscle
and giant powder in opening up their
claims, and the result is very gratifying.
The mine, which is now attracting the most
attention in this camp, and which gives
the most promise of being a producer of
bullion, is the Wild Deer. The ledge, run
ming north aud south, has been tapped in
a dozen places ON the surface the entire
length OF the claim, l 500 feet, and just in
the center has been opened by an incline
shaft, now down 1870 feet. Drifts have been
run north and south from the 100-foot sta
ton in the shaft, directly on the ledge,
about 100 feet each way. The north drift
shows rich ore nearly its entire length, the
vein varying in thickness from one to four
feet. The richest chute of ore ia evidently
pitching north, as the south drift ia some
what barren, though showing the same
unbroken ledge. The best showing at pres
ent is in the incline. At a depth of 100
feet the entire face is in quartz, with from
two to three feet OF very rich ore on the
footwali. A large number Of assays, just
completed from this place, gives an aver
age Of nearly 5000 per ton, mostly silver,
though some Of the samples went as high
as SIS in gold. Work is now being
pushed day aud night in the shaft.
A frame building has taken the place
of the old canvas covering to the shaft,
& new power windlass from Salt Lake
and q patent copper-fastened mining car
has been added 10 the equipment OF the
mine, and everything looks rs il the enter
prising owners, MoColly d McLaren, mean
business. A tunnel has just been started
on the ledge several hundred feet down
the mountain, which is intended ultimately
to connect with the incline, and at that
point will tap the mine at a depth of 400
f4et. The first contract of 200 feet has
been let, Old Jim Brewer, well known on
Ruby Hill, being one Of the contractors.
Jim had a claim Of his own somewhere in
this county, but when he got in a few feet
on the ledge, he says he got tired Of the
bloody, bleeding. barren, 'ungry quartz
staring him in the face all the time, and
he quit her."
One OF the best claims on Willow Greek
is the Southern Belle, owned and worked
by John Bergen, an industrious n en-.
thusiastic prospector. Recent develop
mcnts prove the existence OF Q strong
ledge. assays from which run from $50 to
$500 silver per ton. Some galena is found
in this ledge, which is unusual for this
district.
The Ohio mine Is employing about a
dozen men, and has recently added an
sssayer to its force with Q complete assay
outfit, by which means a regular weekly
statement Of the grade Of ore encountered
in the various workings may be rendered.
The same plan is adopted at the Wild
Deer mine. Mr.. John A. Kean, well known
10 Eureka aud Secret Canyon, is assayer
at the Ohio.
While We are delviDg In the bowels OF
the earth, worrying the old mountains
with clang Of pick and shock OF giant pow
| der, things on the surface wag along as
! usual. The Winter has been mild, plenty
OF snow, but no cold weather to speak OF.
The catslemen and ranchers are satisfied.
| and when they do not grumble, surely the
| rest Of the world ought to be pleased.
With beef steers at $50 a head, who
| wouldn't be happy. providing be owned q
ihonsand or two. and some of our neigh.
| bors in the valley count their herds by the
| tens OF thousands. Men who settled here
| twelve or fifteen years ago, fenced IN a
| little bottom land, and started in with q
| few cattle, lone COW on q thousand bills as
| il were), now find themselves owners OF
| countless herds. Sheep raising has also
| been immensely profitable for the past few
wears. These are the two great industries
| Of the valley. and l doubt il any other sec
| ton OF the country can show a community
| more prosperous, where wealth is more
| rapidly increasing, than can this little
| strip OF Quinn River Valley, which, to the
| casual observer, looks too barren and
| desolate TO feed band of coyotes.
The report in the SENTINEL some time
ago OF the death Of H. H. McColley was a
mistake. An old prospector named Hugh
| Mills died here about three weeks ago, and
somehow your typos got it mixed. Nc
| Colley is hale and hearty yet, and, 70
use the words of the song, hes the hvli-
| est corpse that ever you see." j.
~