The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-08
GOLD INDUSTRY OF PLACER.
A COUNTY THAT HAS YIELDED
IMMENSELY.
What a Correspondent Says OF the
Upper Part of Placer
County.

While the central and lower part Or
Placer County has produced a good
deal of gold, mining there is not the
chief industry AS before stated IN
this correspondence, from Colfax down
to Rocklin, there is a fruit belt contlg-
uous to the railroad, twenty miles wide.
From the lower southeastern portion OF
the county a productive agricultural
belt extends to the southwestern Dor
der Around Lincoln, besides farming,
the extensive pottery works of Messrs.
Gladding. Mclean & Co, are located,
and give employment to several hun
dred men. They manufacture sewer
and chimney pipe, fire brick and drain
thing, as well as all kinds of terra
Gotta goods From this factory, from
700 to 800 carloads of manufactured
goods are shipped annually, and the
demand IS continually increasing.
But the Forest Hill divide depends
almost exclusively upon mining. There
is an abundance Of the finest kinds of
timber but it is not accessible to mark
ct, so upon mining the several towns
located there must depend.
The section is traversed by gravel
channels, which if they We're tribu-
bris would be swept down to the ocean
without damage to lowlands, it would
be one of the richest mining sections
in the world, for the field of gravel is
almost inexhaustible If the Govern
ment shall realize the amount of tie
hidden treasure in that section. and
others and construct restraining dams
to hold the debris from hydraulic min
ing, gold VIII flow into the channels #
trade like a mighty river. 1t viii not
only bring prosperity to those noun
tain ridges but will extend it to valley
counties below, as we'll as to the whole
country.
Ten miles from Iowa Hill brings the
visitor to the
PIONEER QUARTZ MINE.
The property is owned by a Boston
company. 1t has been operated off and
on for ten years, but the present COM
pany, 1 believe, has had it something
over two years
The Groupings of the ledge run down
steep mountain side and the ledge
has been worked by a series OF tun-
nels one of which penetrates the hill
some 5000 feet. The ledge averages
from two to twelve feet in width There
Is twentystamp mill on the property.
located down near the river, TO which
rock is transported by means Of a
tramway from the lower tunnel and
there worked. The company employs
from thirty to seventy-five men, ac-
cording to needs. Jerry Sullivan is
Superintendent Quite rich strike has
been recently reported in the mine, and
everyone is hopeful of the future.
THE GOLDEN RIVER DRIFT MINE,
More commonly known as the Red
Point, is a mile or two from the Pion-
eer, and is fourteen miles from Forest
Hill.
Work was started by a French com
pany on the claim, with c. F Hoffman
as Superintendent, about 1885.
tunnel was run 1900 feet before
the channel was encountered. The
same tunnel has been extended on the
channel until it is now two miles long.
The channel varies from fifty to 400
feet in width, averaging about 100
feet. The gravel is worked from two
to three feet high. The tunnel was
run by power drills, power being fur
nished by large compressor. Venti-
latiOn is accomplished by using a Ba-
ker blower run by water taken up in
the tunnel 1000 feet from the mouth.
and conducted to the blower outside
by an eight-inch pipe.
The company own four miles on the
channel The gold is extracted by
sluicing-ninety per cent. being caught
in the first thirty feet of the f1ume
When Mr. Hoffman accepted a posi-
ton to go to Siberia, J. A Ferguson
was appointed Superintendent. and fills
the place TO the satisfaction of ALL
There are sixty odd men employed at
the mine.
Upon Deadwood Ridge fourteen
miles above Forest Hill. is the
BARTON QUARTZ NINE.
1t was opened about two years ago.
Rich rock is being extracted which is
crushed in ten-stamp mill. The
mine is on paying basis.
Below the Barton, about two miles.
is located the Page mine, which was
opened by two men. who put up a two
stamp mill. By working days, they
could take out ore enough to keep the
stamps running twenty-four hours
They dumped the ore into a hopper.
from which it went through a feeder to
the mill, and thesstamps run night and
day, while the oIners were working or
sleeping.
1 believe the property has been bond
ed by DR.. Barton. 1t is known to be
a valuable property.
Five miles above Sunny South. Felix
Chappelett and his company have been
developing a claim called
THE EUREKA.
They run a tunnel 2,100 feet and are
now raising to strike the channel. Mr..
Chappelett is regarded as not only the
luckiest but the most expert of oper-
ators, and the Eureka is believed to be
the natural successor, as a dividend
payer, of the Mayflower. which Mr..
Chappelett opened and has successfully
worked for years.
At Long Canyon, about twenty miles
above Michigan Bluff, there are four
gravel mines, working more or less ex-
tensively, ard there have been numer-
Gus quartz veins located there, but they
have not been worked as yet.
A San Jose company has bonded a
quartz claim above Big Oak Flat,
and in preparation for active work have
erected a sawmill TO cut lumber for
mill and hosting works.
A gravel claim owned by c. Bower
b has been in process of development for
two years. 1t is on an ancient river