davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-10-31

prints the name of the firm on the back
of the fold. He is a man Of considera BILE
means, and has for number of years
past regularly spent his winters in
Southern California. He claims that his
invention of this automatic concentrator
is the most valuable Of any he Is the
author of. His friends claim for him
that he can do by machinery anything
that can be done by hand.
JOHANNESBURG GOLD MINING
COMPANY
This company was recently incorpor-
ated with capital stock of 1000, 900
shares of par value of 81 each, for the
purpose of operating mines in the Rand
district. They have secured group of
four contiguous claims adjoining the AL
ameda mine and the townsite of Johan-
nesburg. These claims are the Monte
Crsto, Alameda No. 2, Golden Wedge
and Croesus. Their close proximity to
such prominent mining properties as the
Alameda and Val Verde, which are
known to have immense deposits of rich
gold bearing ore, gives the new COM
pany. a great advantage from the start.
Following are the officers of the COM
pany: H. j. Woollacott, president (the
wellknown banker of Los Angeles); c.
l.. Hanson Capitalist of Los Angeles),
vice-president; Warren Gillelen, treas
urer (president of tho DrVodway DanK,
Los Angeles). Ns Ss-isg AAa%,
OTHER JOHANNESBURG MINES
The William J. Bryan group is east by
north of the Val Verde mines and COM
prises the following: William ]. Bryan,
Algonquin, Gotham and Eclipse. The
William ]. Bryan is the only claim on
which development work has been done
1t has stringer ledge in S5-foot shaft;
also 55-foot shaft and drift of $50 feet.
Fourteen tons Of ore have been milled
to date, which netted $500. Sam J.
Montgomery and others are the owners.
The King Solomon group, incorpor-
ated as the Ashford Mining company,
adjoins the Butte mine on the east. This
group consists of five claims, the CEN
trail and principal one of which is the
King Solomon. This has a main shaft
270 feet deep on foot wall, another 250
feet deep on hanging wall at the bottom,
100 feet distant from shaft No. I. A
third shaft has a foot drift connecting
with shaft No. at the 20 and 100-foot
levels. There is also 300 to 400 feet Of
drifting elsewhere at above levels There
is another shaft at the west end 35 feet
deep, and many others from 10 to 60 feet
each, but only one of latter depth. The
ore mills $1OO to the ton, and is very uni
form in grade.
Another shaft is now being sunk on
the King Solomon 270 feet deep, and one
on the Magpie so feet deep at this writ
ing; another 25 feet deep so far on the
Hector. There are also tunnels 1877 and
24O feet long on these claims. The ore
is hauled up by gasoline engine hoist,
and is milled at Cuddeback Lake mill.
The Camperdown adjoins the Val
Verde on the east, has shaft over 100
feet deep. Messrs. Colson & Irwin are
the owners.
The herald., 1897-10-31
LOS ANGELES HERALD: SUNDAY MORNING. ocroBER b. 1s97

upon the Val Verde mine shows a de-
termination on the part of the manage
ment to probe deep for the hidden treas
ure, and the success attending their cf-
forts is certainly very gratifying. Shaft
No. is down 250 feet on the pitch of the
vein, which, starting at three and a half
feet at the surface, is now over seven
feet at the bottom of the shaft. Drifts
in both directions along the vein on the
100 foot level, as seen by the writer. show
large bodies of ore, swelling at times to
| fully fifteen feet from wall to wall. AT
the lower workings, view of which is
! given on this page, there are three shafts
respectively thirty feet, forty feet and
fifty feet deep, the last, intended for main
working shaft. is now being pushed with
night and day shifts. At this place the
| ledge has been breasted for a distance
of about sixty feet, showing a vast de-
posit of ore running from eight feet to
twelve feet thick and averaging in value
from $40 to $50 per ton, with rich streaks,
sometimes on the foot wall and some
times on the hanging wall that will run
up in the hundreds of dollars per ton
1t is safe to say that on this property
there is now blocked out from 1000 to 5000
tons of ore that, with proper milling fa-
cilities on the ground could be worked
at a very handsome profit. 1t is of this
property that Ben Thayer, the celebrat-
ed expert of the Hearst estate after a
thorough examination of the workings
and the strong dyke movements appa-
rent upon the surface, made the remari
Here is property that will be heard Of;
this ledge will go down."
The La Monte mine produces high
grade ere running from $1O0 to 5000 per
ton in value. On this mine there are
three shafts all in ore, the deepest be-
ing So feet. Most of this work has been
done by men who have leased privileges
from the company, and it is of record
that two men named Johnson mad Hol-
comb. while working under a lease in
sinking a shaft 35 feet deep took out
$2100, making net profit of $1,000 after
paying royalty and milling charges
and this in a period of less than forty
days. This was indeed a Klondike stake,
as both left at once for the new gol-
conda of the frozen north. This COM
pany is incorporated under the laws of
Colorado with 100000 shares of stock
with par value of 81 per share. The
main office is in Los Angeles. c. A.
Burcham is president, J. S. Wilde sec
retary, and John C. Quinn superintend-
ent.
THE REEDLEY GROUP
Immediately west of the Val Verde
group and in the same mineral belt, or
zone, is the Reedley group, consisting
of the Reedley, Ruby, Inca, Provo, L.
tee and ORC Cash. These properties
were nurcha sed several months q go hv
j. Wilson, an experienced miner who
came from Humboldt county. Nevada, |
to Randsburg, last March. The writer
having heard that this group is consid
cred by expert mineralogists to be equal
in prospective value at least to the Val
Verde property a careful investigation
of these claims was made by him, ac-
by two experts. The verdict
was unanimous. that not only is there |
a large body of uniformly good ore in |
The herald., 1897-10-31
It Is the Terminus of the Rand Mining District
Railway

domestic needs of the entire Rand dis
trict, also for the requirements of sew
eral stamp mills and concentrator works
and for the new railroad now approach
| ing completion from Kramer. After q
| thorough investigation of the water
Iplant-wells, pumps and reservoir-the
writer can well smile at the incredulity
of those who fear that a sufficient sup
ply for the rapidly growing require
ments of the Rand district cannot be
developed at the company's wells, for
any one who will take the time and
trouble to visit and carefully examine
the water plant must become, like the
writer, thoroughly convinced that the
water facilities are ample for all needs
of the district.
Besides the purchase of water bearing
land. the purchase of machinery for the
development of water, ETC., the COM
pany has expended many thousands of
dollars in piping water to johannesburg
and along the principal streets: also
in laying out and improving the town
site, erecting many substantial build
inSs, including the hotel. which cost
with furniture and other appointments
S11 900; the postofiice building, a store
building, the office building of the COM
pany, large stable building. etc. The
company has also constructed good
roads to Randsburg. st. Elmo district
Goler and the Stringer district, and by
means of the aforesaid improvements
has induced the Woods dry concen-
traitor plant, which cost $20,000 to To-
cate here, which is now in operation on
the Alameda mining company's ground.
For the same reason the substantial
and thoroughly appointed ten stamp mill
now nearing completion and described
elsewhere, was established at this point;
also the Johannesburg sampling works
and last, but not least, the railroad from
Kramer was secured through the inde-
fatigable efforts of this company.
The company have purchased all its
machnery-pipe. lumber and other ma
terials used in development work. town
Improvement, etc.-so far in Los An
geles, and their enterprise has certainly
been of great benefit to that city. They
nave labored under great difficulties. and
now look forward confidently to the
fruit1on of their hopes. Randsburg and
Johannesburg has each it's place in the
work of building up what will ere long
be one of the best gold producing dis
tricts in the world, and the officers of the
johannesburg Milling and Water COM
pany assured the writer that they VIII
cooperate in every way possible with
the sister city in the effort to achieve
that end.
WATER SUPPLY
AS before stated, the wells of the
johannesburg Milling and Water COM
The herald., 1897-10-31

| sale deed to every lot; also a certificate
Of title, the same as is given to property
elsewhere in the state. Quit claim deeds
| only are usually given to property in
mining districts, which do not protect the
| purchaser
| Water is furnished to residents at I
cent per gallon or so cents per barrel.
| The fact that fresh water can be OBJ
tanned at any time during the day is
an important consideration from a sani-
tary standpoint.
In addition to the buildings erected
by the Johannesburg Milling and Water
company already mentioned are many
others worthy of notice, including that
of O. ]. Woodward, president of the
First National bank of Fresno, which
was built last spring. This is a substan-
tial structure 40x60 feet, which has sew
eral storerooms and a corner designed
for bank. Under the bank building is
very heavy cement and granite foun-
dation. AS will be seen under Needs"
bank would pay well in Johannesburg
The Hotel johannesburg cost includ-
ing the furniture, $11 900. The furniture
and appointments cost fully $4,000. 1t is
substantially built structure, 6OX100
feet, two stories in height and is sur
rounded on two sides by wide veranda
and porch. 1t has thirty-six large rooms,
including an office 24x24, a commodious
ladies parlor with elegant piano, bar
and billiard room, an elegant dining
room that will seat 100 persons. The
furniture throughout the building is
first class and the appointments up to
date in every respect, including electric
bells in every room. In the kitchen, pre-
sided over by an accomplished Chef"
is French range that cost $500. All the
room walls are nicely decorated and
there is an air of comfort pervading the
whole building that makes the guests
feel at home. Water is piped into the ho-
tel and ample protection is afforded in
case of fire by fire hydrants and extin-
guishers. A large "Mosler" safe gives
| ample security to valuabes H. W..
Squires is the proprietor and Mrs. H.
l.. Squires. formerly of the Windsor ho-
tel, Redlands, and an experienced hotel
keeper, is the manager.
A commodious music hall, the Monte
Carlo, 3Ox60 feet, was opened last week
and entertainments will be furnished
every night in a short time.
| The Val Verde hotel and Phillips res
taurant are commodious buildings, also
the Miners home. The Pioneer Lumber
company and the Desert Lumber COM
pany also have buildings in connection
with their yards.
The Johannesburg Sampling works,
Charles r. Wores, proprietor, is a val
liable enterprise for this district. This
is branch of the Tucson Sampling
works, wh2re Mr.. Wores has been en-
gagged for many years in that line of
business. 1t is great advantage to the
entire Rand district to have thorough
ly equipped plant for sampling ores SO
conveniently located.
The Johannesburg Reduction works,
owned by Messrs. Montgomery, Hicks
& Griffith Of Los Angeles, Is now being
The herald., 1897-10-31

erected in the town. The 10-stamp mill
is one of Llewellyn Bros CLOS Angeles)
manufacture, and has an Sx12 Blake
crusher, a 20 and an horse power gaso-
line engine. The foundation is very
substantially built in stone and con-
crete. The battery timbers alone weigh
10000 pounds. The capacity of the
mill will be 30 tons of ore per day and
it will be in operation by Nov. 10. Wa
ter will be furnished by the Johannes
burg Milling & Water Company, and
it is expected that at least 10000 gallons
per day will be used from the start.
Johannesburg has a postoffice, West
ern Union and Postal telegraph offices,
telephone line from Mojave and inter
mediate points: also a telephone eX-
change with Randsburg. two general
merchandise stores, one real estate Of
flee, one stationery and variety store,
one billiard and pool room, several sa-
looms, a music hall, four hotels, one
lunch counter, two laundries, two 1um
ber yards, two livery stables, several
dealers in hay and grain, one barber
shop, one delicacy store, one notary
and one attorney-at-law.
Johannesburg needs a church (1our-
ishing Sunday school already estab-
The herald., 1897-10-31

very rich gold producing section, and
in the same mineral belt in which we find
the Rand, Kinyon, Wedge, Butte and
King Solomon mines. The other claims,
La Monte, Zephyr, Luna and Solar, IA
miliarly known as the La Monte group,
are in the Stranger district and contig-
uous to the Merced, Napoleon and Gold
Coin mines, lying about midway be-
tween the two last named. Active wori.
of exploitation is now being done on ali
these properties and immense bodies of
ore are being blocked out in readiness
for milling. when proper facilities are
obtained. This company at the present
! time has the Ophir mill at Cuddeback
lake under lease and keeps it employed
night and day. The capacity of this mill
is very small Give stamps) and being
| twelve miles from the mines, the expense
! of hauling is so great that only higl,
| grade ore can be handled at this point
1t is the purpose of the company to erect
, a large mill upon the Val Verde prop
! erty as soon es arrangements can be
perfected. The work Of development
The herald., 1897-10-31

tive part Of the ore. In con-
nection with the Wood concen-
traitor is a quartz crusher. which also
has a very important advantage in a
dry country, as all the water necessary
to run a plant of this kind. with capac-
ity of thirty tons per day, is about one
ordinary barrel, using a gasoline engine.
The necessary power to crush and con-
centrate the ore in this plant is fur
nished by one 25-horse power. The
crusher is not giving perfect satisfac-
tion, and is another mans invention,
hence Mr.. Wood is investigating the
merits of other crushers and is confident
that he will soon have the crushing de-
partment in as successful working order
as the concentrator.
Those associated with Mr.. Wood in the
ownership of the invention and ma
chimes are J. NJ. Hale of the firm of j. M.
Hale & Co. of Los Angeles, Frank Cole,
William Glore and c. c. Gibbons. Mr..
Wood comes from New Haven, Conn.,,
and has devoted almost his entire life
from early boyhood to the invention OF
automatic machinery. He is the inventor
eff a pin machine that makes the pin,
puts it in the paper, folds the paper and
The herald., 1897-10-31

pany are situated four and one-half
miles northeast from johannesburg. The
first well has shaft feet in diameter,
is 120 feet deep. with two drifts 80 feet
long, and 700 feet of two-inch pipe to the
reservoir. The pump is operated by
crude petroleum engine. The second
well is about 1000 feet from No. l, has
a seven-inch hole bored like that of
we'll No. 3, with a large oil boring rig
brought last spring from Summerland
Santa Barbara county. This we'll is $50
feet deep, and is cased with 55s inch
perforated casing. The water reaches
within So feet of the top, and has 500
feet of two-inch pipe to the reservoir
This well only is now used for the entire
water supply, and the pump is down $50
feet. a steam engine and boiler is used
The herald., 1897-10-31
WOODS AUTOMATIC DRY CON-
sCENTRATOR

AS stated above, this plant is situ-
ated on the Alameda company's ground.
1t is claimed to be an improvement on
all other concentrators, the fundament-
al basis of the invention being Gas +. w.
Wood, the ingenious inventor describes
it) the reaction of the vibration of air or
"the wave motion" The great advan-
tage claimed by Mr.. Wood is that it will
save a large percentage of concen-
trates than are saved by any other
known process The many tests made,
commencing with the one made in Los
Angeles several months ago and wit
messed by the writer, have been so uni
formly and completely satisfactory that
reference thereto in detail is unneces-
sary. The machines now being man
ufactured have a capacity of fifteen tons
of ore each per day of twenty-four hours
and can be operated with one-eighth
the power used in other machines to ac-
complish the same results, making it
The herald., 1897-10-31
SUPERB LOCATION FOR A TOWN
Splendid Water Supply and
Milling Facilities
A. DISTRIBUTING POINT
Fine Climate and Bracing
Atmosphere
ABSOLUTE TITLE TO LOTS
EXCELLENT OPENINGS FOR BUSI
NESS ENTERPRISES
One of the Greatest Gold Mining Dis.
tricts in America-What the Jo-
hannesburg Milling and
Water Company Has
Accomplished

AS the writer recently reached the
summit of the small ridge at the head
of Butte avenue, Randsburg, equi-dis-
tant from both towns and about three
quarters of mile from each, he gazed
at the beautiful townsite of Johannes
burg for the first time and was so favor
ably impressed with the scene that he
inwardly exclaimed, what a superb To-
cation for a town." Nature has indeed
done her part in preparing this valley,
or plateau, for the habitation of man,
in addition to storing rich minerals in
the bowels of the earth. readily acces-
sible to those who will delve therefor
with a reasonable outlay of money and
Drawn, and has even stored in Mother
Earth an abundant supply of that great
desideratum-water- mining and
domestic purposes.
Situated at an elevation of 5000 feet
above the level of the sea, and almost
surrounded by hills and mountains, the
Typographical situation is unsurpassed
in picturesque beauty. The sanitation
is perfect, and the climate is excellent
on account of it's elevation and being
free from the sweeping winds that occa-
sionally infest the surrounding districts
that are less protected by hills and
mountains. The climate is bracing, but
is not excessively cold in winter; neither
hot in summer, the thermometer rarely
exceeding 100 degrees in the hottest days
Of the year. 1t is an ideal climate for
those suffering from rheumatism, asth-
ma, bronchial diseases, and even con-
sumption, as will be seen by a letter
from DR.. Ormsby, an accomplished
physician and surgeon of Randsburg,
which appears in the preceding article
on Randsburg.
THE JOHANNESBURG MILLING
AND WATER COMPANY
No words of praise are too great for
the enterprise of the above company
in its work Of inaugurating and carry
ing through to a successful completion
the establishment of an ideal townsite;
also the kindred enterprises of water
development, milling facilities and last,
but not least, securing the construction
of twenty-eight miles of standard gauge
railroad from Kramer, on the Atlantic
and Pacific division of the Santa Fe
Pacific to johannesburg.
On account of the great scarcity of
water in the entire Randsburg mining
district, comprising Johannesburg and
Randsburg, a syndicate was formed by
well-known Los Angeles capitalists, to-
The herald., 1897-10-31

! lisheO, blacksmith shop, tin shop, a
large general merchandise store. coal
yard, drug store, physician and surgeon,
bank, ice factory (plenty of pure water
here). shoe shop, tailor shop. painter.
carpenter and last but not least, news
paper
| Stages run twice daily to and from
Mojave and once day to and from
Kramer
RANDSBURG RAILWAY COMPANY
This railroad company was incorpor-
ated few months ago to construct
| railroad from Kramer on the Atlantic
| and Pacific division of the Santa F'e sys-
tenn to this district. A. A. Daugherty,
the president, went east and completed
arrangements for building the road be-
fore the town of johannesburg was
started. The Johannesburg Milling
and Water company offered such favor
able inducements to the railroad COM
pany that contract was made last
May making Johannesburg the termi-
nal point. Many unforeseen DELAYS have
occurred since then but the contract
for building the road (2S miles in length)
was finally made last month, to be COM
pleted to Johannesburg by Nov. 25, the
contractors to incur heavy forfeit if
not completed by that date. About -
miles has been graded to this date (Oct
20 and about six miles of track laid.
This railroad is said to be simply con-
Meeting link between the San Joaquin
Valley railroad and the Santa Fe system
by many who assume to have good au-
thority for that assumption. But, in
any case. the completion of the railroad
to the Rand district will mark a new
era in its history, an era of progress
and development undreamed of by its
most sanguine advocates
REAL ESTATE AND MINING IN
VESTMENTS
In rapidly growing mining district
such as the Rand is and will be, and in a
town that is destined to grow probably
faster than any other in Southern Cali
fornia during the next year or two it is
important to know who is a reliable real
estate and mining broker II. l.. Nelson
is one of the pioneers of the district in
those lines and is as well informed on all
land and mining matters to say the
least as any man in the district. His
main office is in Johannesburg, a cut of
which appears elsewhere. He also has
an office in Randsburg, where he has a
cabinet filled with a great variety of ore
specimens from the Rand district.
THE RANDSBURG GOLD MINING,
MILLING AND WATER SUPPLY
COMPANY
This company owns seven full mining
claims, three of which, known as thu
Val Verde group, are situated just north
of johannesburg, which is the center of
The herald., 1897-10-31

sight. but moreover that 1t will unques-
tionably run about $25 per ton, free mill
ing gold, on an average.
the Reedley mine has vertical shaft
of the depth of 20 feet, thence an incline
shaft on the lead to the depth of 70
feet from the surface. The ledge will
average from 21a to feet in width and
the ore averages from 500 to $50.
The Ruby, adjoining the Reedley on
the side lines is another very promising
mine. 1t has an incline shaft 45 feet
in depth on the lead, distant 60 feet from
the Reedley shaft. The ledge in this
shaft will average 4 feet in width from
TOP to bottom, and will run fully $25 per
| ton. This. shute of ore should produce
about 2O00 tons, or more, according to
actual measurements made by experts.
AS will be seen by annexed cut, there
are four other good claims in this
group, all on the same lead, but upon
which only a small amount of work has
been done.
| Mr.. Wilson may be congratulated up
on hoving valuable properties in this
group and which will unquestionably
prove good producers. If he ever sells
the claims they certainly ought to COM
|
mand a high figure.
GEORGE COOK MINE
Adjoining the Val Verde group on the
north is the above, owned by Fred B.
Dexter and e. N. Baker. The shaft is
down 65 feet on the same ledge as the
Val Verde and following the course of
lode line through three feet of ore. They
have 292 tons of ore on the dump which,
by mill and sampling works tests in 500
pound lots, shows value of from SIS
to $40.
THE ALAMEDA MINES
This valuable property, comprising
the Alameda and the Jolly Girl, adjoins
the townsite of Johannesburg on the
east. 1t is upon this property that the
big Wood automatic dry concentrator
nlant and ore crusher is situated, and
which it is confidently believed will work
a revolution in gold mining throughout
the country. 1t is reported that the
Alameda company contemplates pur-
chasing the above plant when fully con-
yinced of it's adaptability to their needs
The above two claims were located
in 1896 by the Ashford brothers, present
owners of the King Solomon group
The present company was incorporated
Sept. /, 1897, with a capital stock of
$500, 900, divided into 100000 shares of 81
each, all of which was taken up by the
partners. The officers of the company
are as follows: j. W. Ragesdale, presi-
dent; X. Hamilton Sim, vice president;
William Sim, treasurer; George w. Nc
Pherson, secretary, and William II. Nc
Even, superintendent.
The principal work now being done