The San Francisco call., 1895-11-03
electric-power station at this

distributing electric-power station at this
| point
The Importance of such an enterprise to
the whole district can hardly be overesti-
mated. The larger concerns, such as the
Merced' Gold Mining Company, the Crown
Lead and the Red Banks, will, no doubt,
ultimately have their own plants, but in
the development OF the numerous mines
| scattered in every direction around this
district there could be no greater stimulus
than the prompt erection of a central dis
| tributing electric-power plant. Its mani
| told uses Tor the town itself need not be
| pointed out, but the magnificent impetus
that it would give to the development of
the entire auriferous district can scarcely
| be overestimated. 1t would enable the
| practical miner of limited means in many
cases to himself work his mines instead of
| struggling along as prospector and only
| holding the ground waiting for some one
to buy him out anc reap the harvest.
While mines are opening up all around
| IN manner satisfactory to their owners,
Coulterville to-day is mostly dependent on
| the wages disbursed by few concerns
and their attendant business. Chief
| among these are the Merced Gold-mining
| Company, the San Francisco Gold-mining
| Company and the Red Banks and Pinon
Banco syndicates. The Merced Company
is not, as its name would imply, in any way
| connected with the town of Merced. 1t is
Boston corporation, an offshoot of the
Boston and Montana Company, which
| has been so successful in its mining opera
| tions at Butte, Mont. The Merced Com
pany's mines lie Immediately around
Couiterville, and operations upon a large
| scale are going on at the Louisa, Mary
| Harrison, Malvina and Potosi.
AS an object lesson in scientific, system
attic, up-to-date quartz-mining on an
enormous scale the Merced Company's
| improvements and development work
commend themselves. There has been no
waste, and in the large sums that have
| been spent every dollar has made mark
Just as. certainly as the point of the
| miners pick. At the Louisa and Malvina
shafts new hosting machinery of the
| most substantial description is now being
erected. A large force of men is grading
the site for forty stamp mill at the
Potosl, while half mile above it, on
Black Creek, large dam is approaching
completion. 1t is expected that the mill
may be running by the end of the year.
Captain Couch, who has recently re-,
signed the general managership to take up
that OF the Boston-Montana Company in
Butte, is averse to giving information about
the workings of the various mines, prefer
ring to letresults speak for themselves when
the stamps get in their work. He says,
however. that the results have been en-
tirely satisfactory and have come up to the
antlclpat1ons that were formed when the
claims were purchased. When in Boston
| recently Captain Couch promised his
shareholders at least $1,000,000 in divi
dends for some time to come from ore al
| ready in sight. Captain Couch's promo
ton to the management of the Boston and
Montana mines is loss to Coulterville,
but the good WORK done under his wise
| supervision remains behind him.
| The Tyro is one mile from Coulterville
and is owned by the San Francisco Gold
Mining Company. The president and
| general manager is Joseph Buttgenback
and the superintendent is John McLauch-
lin. At the Tyro the shaft is down within
few feet of the 700-foot level. At the 600
| loot level there is a good shoot of rock
| sixty feet long and averaging fifteen inches
IN thickness. There is big ledge of quartz
| at the 500-foot level and rich shoot of paw
ore. In the Tyro the quartz has improved
IN richness at the lower levels, and if the
| 70O-foot comes up to anticipations this
mine Will at once take front rank as divi-
| dend-paying property. A ten-stamp mill
is running steadily, but no public state
ment of results has been issued. An addi-
| tional force of men will shortly be put TO
work opening up on the 700-foot level. 1t
Is understood in Coulterville that the quartz
already crushed az the Tyro has assayed
| from $14 to SIS per ton.
The Red BanYs mine, seven miles from
| Coultervile, on the north bank of the
Merced River, is being operated by syn
dicate of San Francisco and foreign capi-
talists, with A. Wartenweiler at its head.
About sixteen men are driving two tun-
nels, one being in 600 feet and the other
$50. The owners believe they have good
property and are conducting prospecting
operations on large scale. The approach
of winter, however, will materially retard
operations at the Red Banks, but the own
ers are preparing mill site; have stacked
on the ground lumber for a twenty-foot
Jop hi I'M cha,
for lively start next spring when the
rains are over.
At the Crown Lead mine three or four
men are doing little work. This is con-
ceded to be about the most valuable prop
erty on the field. 1t belonged to the late
Fred McCrellish of the Alta California,
and is now managed by w. B. McSherry.
There have been rumors of an impending
sale to a French syndicate, and Mr.. Nc
Sherry is now in San Francisco possibly in
connection with something of the kind. If
wealthy company gets the handling of it
the Crown Lead may develop into one of
the best properties on the southern end of
the mother lode,
At Pinon Blanco, four miles from Coul-
terville, Captain A. H. Ward has over a
dozen men at work. At present he is
driving tunnel in good ore, and little
later expects to be able TO put an addi-
tional force of men at work.
There are many small mines where men
are working In twos and fours, for the
most part with good prospects. What
these men complain most about is the
difficulty that exists IN getting financial
backing for good ''show" in San Fran
CISCO. As one of them remarked with the
emphatic approval of his partners the
other day. ''1t will be always the same
thing in San Francisco till somebody takes
shotgun and wipes out every old saloon
miner and curbstone broker within a mile
or two of the Mining Exchange. They re
SO greedy to get their jaws into everything
that fair and square proposition is wor-
ried to DEATH"