The San Francisco call., 1896-08-15
JUL|AN'S PLACER MINES,
Immense Hydraulicking Project
Conceived by Three Men
of Pluck.
Energy Winning Wealth for Fortune
Seekers Who Tramped Into
San Diego.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Aug. 14.-A rare
example of grit is shown in the works
now almost completed by f. R. Sawday
and the Bailey brothers of Julian in the
mountains sixty miles east from oan Diego.
For two years or more these men have
been carrying on colossal project for the
hydraulicking of 900 or more acres of
placer ground lying in the alIuvial coun-
try below Julian and Ballena, formed by
the washings of Santa Isabel and Pamo
creeks.
Their pluck comes to the surface when
it is known that Bailey brothers are ham
mering out every penny of this great work
in their little stamp mill at the Ready Re-
lief mine at Banner, four miles from
Julian. One of the brothers stands at the
amalgam plates and watches the workings
of the mill, while the other brother gathers
ore and keeps the plant going. Sawday
does his share by building the new works.
In 1869 the Bailey brothers tramped into
old San Diego carrying their blankets and
driving a burro. They were prospectors
and ''oead broke" They went into the
interior and with one or two other adven-
turous spirits they discovered the famous
Julian mines, which have turned millions
Bailey brothers discovered among other
prospects the Ready Relief mine, and they
starved and pinched until they got little
mill erected. Since then the mill has
roared out every day except for occasional
stops for clean-ups, and the Bailey
brothers, while not becoming bonanza
kings, are IN comfortable circumstances.
Both OF the Baileys saw long ago the pos
sibilities of great wealth in the placer
country below Witch Greek. But hydraul-
licking en- large scale takes lot of money,
and on small scale nothing can be done {;
so they had to wait. They tried to inter-
est capital number of times, but capital
is shy of placer schemes in California, es-
pecially since the adverse legislation re-
spect1ng siickens. So they worked away
all alone, and finally they determined to
build the system single handed, with Saw
day to oversee the job and do what he
could.
From point Just back of Witch Creek
Hotel, about eleven miles this side of
Julian, ditch was begun to divert the
waters of Santa Isabel Creek. The ditch
has a capacity of 1000 miners inches.
Miners know that this is an immense un-
taking, when the character of the country
is considered. Through solid rock, along
hillsides and over occasional trestles the
water is conveyed several thousand feet to
steep hillside, where tunnel 1900 feet
in length has been cut through solid
rock.
Taking up the water again in the ditch
it is carried by alternate ditch, hume and
natural channel down to Wash Hollow,
about eight miles down grade among the
foothills. There another great work is
being done in the storage of this great
volume OF water. A storage reservoir is
being constructed sufficient to impound a
winters flow from the creek and thus
a supply will be maintained for the entire
year.
The placer ground to be torn to pieces
by the great giants directing the enormous
pressure generated by the drop from the
intake is situated below Wash Hollow in 8
favorable condition for hydraulicking.
The owners of the property have gone
over it time and again and sampled it in
almost every yard. 1t has been estimated
by experts 10 run all the way from 10 GER is
TO rs cents per cubic yard. At the lower
figure the projectors OF the enterprise have
a fortune and at the higher they will be
bonanza kings. They are saying nothing
and the little mill at the Ready Relief
keeps on grinding.