The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
Awaiting the Completion of the
Big Merced Falls
Plant.
TO BE A GREAT GOLD CAMP.
Prospects Only Partly Developed Give
Splendid Evidence of Great
Wealth.

hOhN IlOS, CAL., OeC. ZI.-dlgn pTlCeu
fuel has always been the chief obstacle to
successful quartz mining around Hornitos.
There are dozens of fine prospects in this
district and owners are now waiting anx-
iously for the completion of the electric
power plant at the Merced Falls, six miles
distant. When that is completed the
country in every direction will be covered
with a network of wire conveying cheap
power into every hole and corner of it.
Going toward Indian Gulch, in a south
erly direction, the Duncan mine is reached
in about one mile. The Duncan mine is
rich little pocker-mine, the property of
Nine. Merck of Hornitos. There is a tun-
mel in about 100 feet and no attempt ap-
pears to have been made to work the mine
in a systematic way. There has been
already taken out in pockets by men work
ing on shares with the owner from $50, 900
to $4,000.
The usual method of operation seems to
be that some party of miners comes along
and Nine. Merck 'grub- stakes them.
They dig in till they make stake. Then
follows period of joyous hilarity, while
the mine is left to take care of itself. At
the conclusion of the festivities the grub
stalking process has again to be resorted to
and the miners set to work to negotiate
another draft from their bank in the Dun
can tunnel.
Two miles from Hornitos, and just at
the back of Quartz Mountain on another
little hill showing quartz groupings in all
directions, is the Dorse mine. The Dorse
is an old mine that has never been worked
to any great extent. Years ago it was ia
vorabIy reported upon by Hank Smith, the
Virginia City expert. 1t is now being
opened up by Charles E. Stuart and
party of Ohio capitalists. Mr.. Stuart has
shaft down about $50 feet at an angle of
60 degrees. In the bottom of the shaft the
ledge is 13 feet in thickness. He is sink
ing the shaft steadily and preparing for
extensive development.
There is a good engine and hoisting
plant, pump. Burleigh drill and the usual
appliances. The work is carried on in
systematic and efficient manner, without
waste. The rock brought up appears to
be much stratiHed. Assays are constantly
being made, the average from which, so
far, is $13 95 per ton. All the quartz car
ries large quantities of sulphurets. The
Dorse is patented mine. 1t formerly be-
was divided into twenty shares, and no
arrangements could be arrived at to work
it. Mr.. Stuart has been at work about two
months, and the Dorse is likely to rank as
one of the important mines of the district
Mr.. Stuart and his partners having plenty
of capital to thoroughly develop the prop
erty.
Adjoining the Dorse mine and Quartz
Mountain is a claim owned by Frank
Thorne of the Horseshoe mine. Assess
ment work is now being done on it. This
Thorne claim is valuable to either the
Dorse or Quartz Mountain mine.
Three-quarters OF mile distant are the
Reliance Mining, Reduction and Chlorina-
ton Company of San Jose. The officers and
stockholders are all Santa Clara County
men. w. III. French is the president, s.
G. Criss secretary and Swet III. Kaler, E.
Smith and w. FL. Ham, directors. The
capital is 100000, in shares of 81 each.
The works were completed last July. The
principal building is 100x44 feet. The
roasting furnance is eighty feet long.
There are eight tanks with q capacity of
four tens each. The plant is equal to
about six tons in twenty-four hours and
employs seven men. e. McGrath is a
director and manager of tie works. He
says the average cost of treatment is about
So per ton. The company has no mines as
yet of its own, but what rock they have
handled for others has gone from $40 to
5000 per ton.
Indian Gulch is about six miles from
Hornitos. There is little doing there at
present in mining. There are plenty of
valuable claims, but until electricity is
brought on the ground the expense of
working will prohibit operations by the
present owners. f. T. Houghton has a
mine one-half mile north of Indian GuIch,
There is on the claim a 200 foot shaft
which recently caved in. At the 15O-foot
level Mr.. Houghton started to drift on
rock that went SIS per ton on an average
as milling proposition. The quartz from
this mine is very highly sulphureted.
There is an engine and boiler at the
Houghton mine, and the irons for ten
stamp battery are on the ground.
The No. mine is four miles northeast
of Hornitos and one mile east of the No. g.
1t is owned by Morrison & FAIRIES. There
is tunnel in about 100 feet and shaft
down sixty feet also several smaller shafts.
AO AVE- " 40 AeS'O AAAAAs 0AihOSU I'LL QudTtZs
The vein in the shaft runs from six to
eight feet and carries about $6 Der ton in
free gold, besides q large body Of sui
phurets.
Stockton & Buffum have a ranch of
about $500 acres in extent four and half
miles from Hornitos. On this ranch are
several excellent prospects. From one
pocket mine over $4,000 has been taken.
On the Blue Lead mine the vein is two to
five feet and carries little or no gold, ex-
cept in pockets of exceptional richness.
Stockton G. Buffum are, however, more
| ranchers than miners. They breed the
finest OF poultry and are prize-takers in
almost every class at the shows. About
ten acres In olives show what can be done
in the foothills without irrigation. The
five-year-old trees are this year covered
with fruit and equal to any olives in the
State.
Miss Rose McCann, formerly of Johns
| town, Pa, is the owner. of the Wilson