The San Francisco call., 1897-07-04

The Sierra Railroad. which is being
rapidly pushed into the mining region OF
Mariposs and Tuolumne counties, is going to
add great new impetus to the revival OF
mining development now going through
out these and other mother-loie counties. 1t
viii illustrate anew the immense advantage
OF railroad communica tioil TO any mining re-
gion. G. A. Helmore, who has mining inter
ests about Sonora, which the railroad will
reach this fall, was in The City last week and
told OF the new prosperity of old Tuolumne.
There is an immense increase in mining
activity up there" he said, "but it will be
greatly increased by the new railroad. 1t has
been long stage trip for visitors and long
and expensive haul for freight. Railroad
comm munication will bring in more capital,
more buyers and make the mining resources
better known. 1t will cheaper transpor :ation
for machinery and supplies and so aid devel-
opment. Then it will result in many low
grade mines being opened and worked. There
are hundreds of mines held by poor men who
cannot erect mills. With railroad transporta-
tion they will work their claims and ship the
ore TO the Selby Smelling Works or to the
smelter at Stockton, if one is erected there.
There is more fre1g hing and travel along
the highways than for many years. The hills
are swarming with prospectors all along the
mother lode. One OF the active districts is the
country south of Jacksonville,.on Moccasin
Creek. Nearly every thing is located and they
are awaiting anxiously the development work
at the Black Warrior. At this mine a tunnel
is being driven to tap the vein 1000 feet be-
low the apex. 1t is in $50 feet and there is
about hfty feet to go. No mines about there
have been developed to that depth, and if
deep values are found in the Black Warrior it
will boom quartz mining all along the lode
from the Tuolumne River TO Mariposa and
give a higher value TO every mine. In the
Rawhlde district everything is taken up and
generally held at high figures. Development
work at the Alameda and Tarantula has
proved so favorable tha it has enhanced the
value of all the mines in the district. At the
Alameda a, bout mile from the Rawhide, they
are sinking an inclined shaft several hundred
feet and are erecting large hosting works.
but are doing Only purely development work.
'The Tarantula is one of those old mines
that were abandoned many years ago. It was
bought a few months ago by DR.. Redding of
San Francisco, and about three months ago
chute of ore, from which $40, 900 was taken
in a month, was found near the surface
shaft and hosting works are going forward
and mill will follow. A few months ago a
MIR. Miles located claim in that district and
has sold ore which netted him $4,000 The
Soulsby district is also very active. The Souls
by, Dead Horse, Black 0ak and Draper are all
turning out good ore. number of agents for
Eastern investors are around making quiet
purchases, especially around Tuttletown,
where several Eastern companies have bought
properties and begun important operations"
This account is typical of the new life of
nearly every mining region of the State.
Field Assistant J. H. Means is preparing a
map of region forty miles square about
Randsburg, showing the geography, topog-
rapby, locations OF mines. etc. 1t will be