The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22

ut has been found in gold mining in
California that the ordinary mines require
careful attention to details to be made to
pay. In the early days of quartz mining
in this State great extravagances pre-
vailed, as it was thought gold mine
would pay under almost any circum-
stances. Experience, however, extending
over period OF years disproved this
theory. During the earlier period claims
were taken up and opened which, under
the prevailing circumstances of the time,
could not be possibly made to pay. They
were worked largely by men with scant
knowledge of the business and extrava-
giant ideas based on assays and specimens.
No man may say how much was lost dur
ing those times by the men who invested
their money, and these losses were laid to
the gold mines rather than to the igno-
rance of those working them.
1.-THE experience gained from these
severe lessons eventually brought about an
entire change in the system of gold
mining. Hundreds of old mines are being
reopened in these days and worked profit
ably, and the methods of mining and mill
ing are being daily cheapened. In ten
years from now some hundreds of the
present prospects will be mines, aud at
work. In twenty years from that time
some hundreds more will be worth work
ing. AS occupations become crowded more
people will go into mining. Cheapening
OF power by transmission of electricity
from watercourses is becoming an i'm
portant factor. Cheaper labor and sup
plies will also De available. In every
county of this State are hundreds of I'M
developed prospects, any one OF which
may be rich mine. 1t takes money to
open mines, and this has always been lack
ing for mining investments in California.
1t is coming now from other States to help
the California mines. While the gold pro-
duction may not be doubled in fifteen
years from this time, it is very likely to be
when one considers the great number OF
undeveloped properties which will by that
time doubtless be at work.
nowhere in the mining counties is the
activity and prosperity more noticeable
than in old Tuolumne. For the past three
years my operations have been confined to
this county. The first property l took
hold of was the App Heslep mine, now
owned by Messrs. Nevills. Ballard and
Morton. At the present time these gentle
men are engaged in putting forty-stamp
and enlarging the shaft to three compart-
ments from the surface to the S0O-foot level.
''The Miller and Holmes mine, which L
sold last November, is having three electric
hoists put up over that number of shafts.
1t has turned out well and will be opera ted
extensively. There are number OF other
mines that are being largely developed and
there are still many others awaiting capt.
tai, notably the Moaney trio and the group
on Whisky Hill. These mines, for the
amount of development work that has
been done, have produced bullion equal to
any mines in the State. There are -enor-
nous bodies of ore now in sight, and it is
only a question of short time when
stamps will be pounding gold out of the
quartz. The scene of my present opera
lions is the Golden Rule mine, which has
a record of having produced in excess of
$1,000, 900 from workings the deepest of
which are 30 feet. am now engaged in
sinking a 500-foot shaft and propose to
treble the former production from that
level up. The chute on this mine exceeds
1000 feet in length. We have cut new
vein 200 feet west of the Golden Rule vein
that is its equal in every respect.
1.-The appliances of milling and mining
are more perfect and people have stopped
trusting rather to what
experience has shown will do the work
best. improvement in milling machinery
and systems have had a great deal to do
with this, since now miners are able to
mine and mill ore at very much less cost
than formerly and mines that would have
run a company in debt fifteen years ago
yield good profit to their owners"