The record-union., 1897-03-02
BUTTE COUNTY MINES.
Work Being Done at the Famous Old
Cherokee.
How the Work Progresses at the
Magalia-Perkins s Good
all'S Strike.

Especial Correspondence of Record-Union.)
MAGALIA Quite Coz, Feb. Il
Mining in Butte County is not as ex-
tensive as formerly. Many gravel and
quartz claims are closed down tempo
rarily, some permanently, some through
litigation and some from the effect or
Sawyers anti-debris decision. There
is lots of gold yet and it will be taken
out. At Oregon City-once a prominent
Camp-little is being done. At Cherokee
the bed rock of the ground hitherto
worked in the Spring Valley is being
sluiced off by hydraulic process and
good returns are being made as re-
suit. The claim is owned by the cid
Spring Valley Company but through
legal complications and as the result OF
the anti-debris decision, it has laid IDLE
until =. L. Vincent a local merchant,
obtained a lease to work over the bed
rock again as before stated. lie en-
ployS forty-tWo men. He has permls-
sion from the Debris Commissioners
to work, having built a dam ten miles
down the river. From the Spring Val
ley before it was closed down, there
were $12 0G0 900 extracted, and II is
claimed only about one-third of the
claim was worked out. 1t is stated
that extensive operation viii be be-
gun-either drifting or hydraulicking-
In the near future. There are several
men in the raVines adjacent who are
working on 4 small scale and that com
prises about all at present being done
at Cherokee Still the little town has
a quite prosperous air, and considerable
business is done.
The Magalia mine is three miles from
the town of 8Iagalia, and tWenty-seven
from Oroville.
1t is drift gravel mine, and is own
ed by Rideout and Haggin. The claim
consists of about LOO acres, which
covers about mile and three quarters
of the channel The upper part was
worked out d distance of 5000 feet,
when a new shaft Jl2 feet in depth
was sunk and a complete outfit for
hosting and pumping erected, which
was completed about the first of the
year, 1896.
The plant consists of large air com
pressor run by a ten-foot PeltOn wheel
under a vertical head of 100 feet;
Couble drum hydraulic reversible hoist,
run by two six-foot Pelton wheels; a
rock breaker and arastra, and about
800 feet of slUice. The coarse gold is
caught in a sluice box before the rock
and cement, which have fine gold cling
ing to them. enter the arastra.
The pumping is all done by compressed
air. reheated below by steam. Original
" the whole volume of water was rails
ed to the surface. but Superintendent
Cassay now pumps it to the 300-foot
level. where it is discharged through
the old works into the creek beyond.
The main gangWay follows the chan
mel down stream, which necessitates
pumping the water up grade to the
main shaft, and for this purpose two
No. Hooker pumps. run also by com
pressed air. are used. The main lift
is accomplished by means of a large
duplex compound Worthington pump.
\ steam hoist at the bottom of the
shaft hOists the gravel from the face
OF the gangway to the shaft, at present
a distance of LOO feet.
For drilling in the face an Ingersoll-
Sargent drill, run by air, is used.
The channel is narrow and very tor
tuous. The gangway follows the course
OF the channel as it winds this way and
that. and thus renders many ingenious
appliances Of perpendicular and hori-
zontal rolls to carry the cable and cars
around the curves.
I have been thus particular in this
description because this is a most diff
cult mine to work and it's success is due
TO good and efficient management.
At Butterfly, eight miles from Chero-
kee. Goodan & Perkins of San Francisco
have made a rich strike in a drift mine
they have been prospecting At a dis
tance OF 500 feet from the mouth OF
the tunnel they have found gravel, re-
Gently, that prospects $17 to the car
load. No one without the luck of Sena-
tor Perkins would ever expect such a
find
People everywhere else. except i'm
Butte County, think Georges success is
mainly due to luck. But old timers
here say to the contrary. They at
tribute it to pluck and perseverance.
1t is told of him that when he first
came to the county with his blankets
on his back, he hired out as a miner.
Not being strong he had to abandon
that occupation. He succeeded in get
ting a job driving a delivery wagon
and for a long time used TO pack sacks
OF potatoes. -four and other articles
from the wagon to the kitchen of Gus
toners on his shoulders. After awhile
his attention To business and trustwOr-
thiness was observed by the proprie-
tors and they sold him small inter
est in the concern. He worked all
day, wrote up accounts and orders till
10 O'Clock at night and then studied
and read until l. and ! o'clock.
IN 1860 he erected the store which is
still standing and he did an immense
wholesale and retail business. till ne
formed a copartncTship at the Bay in
the ocean transportation business.
where ne had been equally successful.
lie is given the reputation of having
helped more struggling people in Butte
County than can DC enumerated He
has been an extensive prospector and
developer of mines here as well as else
where. and everyone is glad to hear Of
his recent reported good fortune.
In this hurried review / have men
toned only mines I have visited. There
are many others of Importance which
shall allude to in my next. ".
Drunk ir Court