The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-11-07
RANDSBURG MINING DISTRICT
What an AngeIeno Thinks Of the New
Camp
The Mines Now In Operation and Their
Capacity-Scarcity Of Water Is
the Great Drawback

Editor Herald: Having recently spent
twelve days in and about Randsburg, l
thought it might be interesting to some
of the many readers of The Herald to
give an impartial, detailed account of
the mining industry in that district
To begin with, there are nine separate
and distinct quartz mines being worked
at present, the ore running from $40 to
$3.50 per ton and some select ore as high
as $500 per ton. The majority of the
lodges run from four to six feet in width,
with the exception of one belonging to
the Randsburg Mining Company, which
is eighty feet wide and is completely I'M
covered for a length of 300 feet. This be-
longs to Burchan, Singleton, Moore and
Reddy, along with a group of eight
others of less proportions. They are sink
ing on five or six of the leads. One is
already down to the depth of 100 feet.
The next in Importance is the Butte
mine, which seems to be getting out
quite an amount Of ore, and has sunk
to the depth of seventy feet. There are
nine owners of this mine, and they are
working nineteen men.
Next is the Kenyon mine, which Is
turning out very rich ore, some Of which
runs as high as $3.50 per ton. They have
two shafts about sixty feet deep, and
are working six men.
The total number of men working in
all the quartz mines, as near as could
ascertain, Is seventy-six, not including
the foremen.
Included in the numebr of quartz
mines now working Is one east Of
Randsburg, about six miles, in level
country, away from the hills, and the
richest of ALL the ore running as high as
$500 per ton. 1t Is owned by four men
of Bakersfield, one of them being the
sheriff of Kern county. There Is also
an English company operating one mine
with about ten men.
There are quite number of men work.
ing In placer diggings with but little sue
cess, most of them making below 81 per
day, using dry washers for separating
the gold from the gravel.
The strip of country monumented for
mining purposes Is about eight miles
wide and about fourteen miles in length
Everything is located regardless of
whether there is anything in sight or
not.
The great drawback to the camp is the
lack Of water the nearest point where it
can be produced being fourteen miles,
Water hauled into Randsburg sells for
S1,5O per barrel. The nearest point for
milling ore is thirteen miles, where there
Is one mill with two stamps and another
with four stamps, and they are unable
to run steady for lack of water. These
mills are at Garlock. There is a small
flve-stamp mill at Mesquite Springs,
sixteen miles distant from the mines.
There is also five-stamp mill at Cane
Springs, about twenty-six miles from
the mines. All combined are not capa-
BILE of crushing the ore that is being
mined In that district.
The population Of Ransburg is about
500. There are three general stores, three
or four restaurants, shoe shop, two
blacksmith shops, one barber shop, one
real estate office and seven saloons and
gambling houses combined There are
about twenty frame or box houses and
about fifty tents, and great many who
have no shelter, but cook and sleep in
the open air. In conclusion / would saw
that 1 have no doubt when water is de-
veloped in sufficient quantities to have
the stamp mills on the ground, and can
take care of the ore as fast as it can be
mined, that Randsburg will be a mining
town of some Importance, but as for
men of limited means going to that place
expecting to get work or find new lead
it would be folly.
j, A. COTTER