The record-union., 1892-02-06
Millions of Money Taken Out Of
Quartz.
One Of the Mining Districts that Has
Always Been Very Prolific
Gold Producer.

to this people is always a temptation to
call again.
Grass Valley is not only the leading
mountain city of the coast, but also leads
in the production of gold, and has the
distinction of being the place where gold
bearing quartz was first discovered.
To-day rode out to the Hermosa mine
with David B. Warwick. Just south OF
the thickly populated district we came to
innumerable dump piles. Shafts were as
thick as holes in the top of pepper box,
and mounds of waste were encountered
every forty feet. We were on what was
originally called Gold Mountain, later
Gold Hill, where in the month of Octo-
ber, 1850, man by the name of cKnight
discovered gold in quartz.
At that time Boston Ravine and Grass
Valley together only contained about
twenty log cabins, and their occupants
were opulent from the working of the
placers, which in this locality were fabu-
louSly rich. Every one had gold; no one
delyed for the tickle goddess without
good results; in fact, every man who used
the pick and shovel was richly rewarded,
the ravlnes and gulches being literally,
to use an old-time expression, lined with
gold.
Long before the placers ceased to richly
reward the toilers. the quartz mines COM
menced TO yield their golden treasure,
and the millions that thev have added to
our circulating medium are apparently
only drop in the bucket in comparison
TO what is buried in the quartz veins OF
the hills.
The citizens of Grass Valley are proud
OF their history. 1t has been one of oc-
caslonal apparent depression, but in real
lty one OF continued prosperity. No
town on the coast has produced better
politicians, had more able attorneys, or
contributed more wealth. The gold that
has been taken out of the mines within a
radius OF two miles in Grass Valley would
build Uncle Sam a navy of formidable
proportions.
Grass Valley once had for resident
the gifted, the beautiful and the wayward
Lola Montez, and the little cot where she
used to reside is pointed out as an object
of as much curiosity by the Grass Valley
historian as Suffers Fort is by a street.
car conductor on the Sacramento electric
road.
As soon as the discovery of quartz gold
was made on Gold Hill miners meeting
was called and the laws enacted and
claims were staked off in size 3Ox40 feet
These were soon worked out, were fabu-
surface before water was encountered, and
the following of the ledge led to almost
endless litigation, to violence, and at one
time to riot, in which the lives of four
of the miners were sacrificed.
A short time after the discovery of
quartz on Gold Hill a similar discovery
was made on Massachusetts Hill, the
ledge being very rich, but narrow on the
groupings.
The first crushing was done in hand
mortars and arastras. The first mill put
up in the State was erected in 1850 by DIR.
Whlttenbeck, and was small affair in
comparison to the magnificent and mann
moth quartz pulverizers of to-day.
The first quartz mining, like the same
branch of business in later days, resulted
not altogether in Midas-like realities.
Ledges were touched-aye, roughly
handled-but they turned not into gold.
Fortunes came speedily to the favored
few, but tardily, and in many cases not
at all to the unlucky many. If the word
luck" can be used IN its widest sense in
connection with any business it is in
mining, and here in Grass Valley YOU
have couple who seem to have been
born under the lucky star, two men
whose every venture turns into gold
with as much certainty as did Aladdin's
wishes as long as he retained possession
of his wonderful lamp. I refer to the
Coleman brothers Of the far-famed Idaho.
men whose wealth is computed in the
millions, but who, in their habits of
living, the appearance of their humble
cottage, their aversion for news-gather-
ers and contempt for Sacramento papers
in particular, would be taken for ordi-
nary citizens of the common herd. They
are men of pluck and perseverance. They
have prosecuted mines for years when
they had to put up heavy monthly as
l,,,F . %L.os,. 4, al.
and in the end they have always been
rewarded.
Yesterday, with George Mainhart, Su-
perintendent of the Omaha, | visited that
mine and the Lone Jack. They are about
a mile and half south of the city. The
shafts, which run on an incline of about
seventy degrees, are below the surface
about ], 900 feet, and both are good-sized
ore bodies, and the mine is paying hand
some monthly dividends. The mines are
connected with a tunnel and both are
turning out good ore. While standing in
front of the twenty-eight stamps that
were pulverlng the quartz, | picked up a
piece that showed considerable free gold.
In the office they showed me bar valued
at 81, 900, and enough amalgam to make
another of equal size.
This is one of the best-deyeloped and
equipped mines on the coast, and from all
appearances it will be one of the greatest
gold producers. The mill and hoistinp
works on each mine are run by water
power, at an expense Of $40 per day. The
buildings are all new, and the plant one
of the best in the State.
George Malnhart is one of the most
popular men in Nevada County, and as a
mining superintendent has no superior.
About one-third of the Omaha and
Lone Jack in owned in Sacramento.
Quite large number of shares belong to
the estate of Cyrus Wheeler. At one
time he owned one-third of the mine.
Charles and Byron McCreary Of Sacra-
mento are large stockholders, and are in
the pleasurable business of drawing down
large monthly dividends.
The Omaha employs over 100 men.
DrIfters are paid So per day, foremen and
bosses, So so.
The landing of the Omaha is sixty-five
feet above the ground, and the ladders
and stairways one has to climb in going
through the works causes one to look
well to his footing.
Mr.. Mainhart is also the Superintend-
ent Of the Original Gold Hill mine, which
is now largely owned by Ed Hopkins of
San Francisco. 1t has excellent hosting
works and will be started up again in a
few days.
The Hermosa, just south of the famous
Gold Hill is worked and owned by labor
ing men. There are $4,000 shares, and
they have assessed themselves forty cents,
and have sent down shaft 500 feet on a
ledge that gives every evidence of being
a great gold-producer. The ledge aver
ages fourteen inches in width, and is well
defined. The name of the corporation is
the Grass Valley Quartz Mill and Mining
Company.
Richard Conley is the President and
superintendent, j. Ryan Secretary, and
d. B. Warwick Treasurer. Warwick
says all he has to handle is debts, but feels
confident that within two weeks he will
have TO have big safe to take care of
the bullion.
Most every one who knows anything of