The San Francisco call., 1897-11-14
NEWS OF THE MINING BOOM


great electric enterprise lies in the fact tnat
the power is being supplied, according TO
President W. Frank Pierce, u t approx1ma ately
hall the cost OF steam power. Coal Is OUT oi
! the ques lion for fuel there, and wood costs
from So to So cord. The cost of power he re-
tofore has been from $l2 o $15 month per
horse power, or from $144 TO $3.50 year.
The trouble with water power is that there IS
not enough OF it. Many of these mines have
been idle for two months now, waiting for
water supply.
Every reduction in the cost OF mining m axes
more profitable any mine and makes possible
the working OF new bodies OF low-grade ore.
Reducing the cost of power one-half thus cuts
a great figure in the future of mining in that
section OF the motherlode. Most of the mines
mentioned and others are figuring on increas-
ing the number of stamps and some, includ-
| ing the WiIdman, will double their milling
capacity. This is the direct result of cheaper
power coupled with cheaper transportation.
Large bodies OF low-grade ore which were not
worked under the former scale of cost will
now be worked out and low-grade mines will
be opened and developed. Mr.. Pierce asserts
that in some mines ore running as low So so
a ton will now be worked.
sin my judgment it a conservative esti-
| mate to say that the production win be in
creased nearly three times almost immedi-
ately," said Mr.. Pierce, yesterday. "The
production is greater now than for twenty
years, and l believe that the next five years
will produce more gold in that section than
| the last twenty years."
| 1t may be observed as general calculs tion
that the reduction of the cost of power a
half in q twenty-stamp mill means q saving Of
| about 5000 a onth, $1,000 a year-quite q
! neat dividend in itself"
! The effect of the Sierra Railroad on the
| mining fortunes of the region it penetrates is
! great and will be greatly increased by the ex-
| pected extensions and the building of the
! electric roads that planned. Heretofore
| freighting from Oakdale to Jamestown in the
winter when roads were bad has cost 500
ton. This winter it will cost So ION. Tim
| Der and all manner OF mining supplies are
| cheapened, and sulphurets which before it
would not pay to ship can now be sent to the
| Seiby smelter a a profit.
The w. Y. o. D. mine at Grass Valley began
| full operation with Its new electric power and
! lighting plant on last Tuesday. Twenty
stamps are kept running night and day on
! good ore, and the mine has fattering pros
| poets.
At the Empire mine at Grass Valley the shaft
! has gone below the 2200 level and is closely
crowding the Kennedy record.
The Lucky Boy quartz mine, two miles
south of Grass Valley, has been sold to Des-
| borough & Co. by Adams & Cook. The pur-
chasers intend to expend several thousand
dollars next spring in developing what is now
good prospect
The Hanford Sentinel says that w. P. McCord
! has just completed "artesian gas welP' 300
| feet deep and of two-inch gaspipe that yields
an abundant flow of water, and also gas
enough for lighting, cooking and heating in
| his residence, thirteen miles from Hanford.
All this supply has cost 5000.
The remarkab bic record of the Cripple Creek
district is steadily in Increasing with the de-
velopment of the mines, the cheapening OF
processes allowing the working of low-grade
ores. the rapid increase in the milling and
smelling capacity, ETC. The Victor Record
! places the October output at the high water
mark OF 81 O95336 and says that the Novem-
Der output Will be considerably larger.
! The mines at Aspen have a remarkable
| amount of water TO pump, amounting TO from
$50, 900 to over 100000 barrels day. accord
| ing 10 the season. The Della and Smuggler
com binatiou raises 1000 gallons minute
| 1900 feet
Southern Oregon ie enjoying the general
gold mining boom. The Baker City Democrat
asserts that Baker County's output this year
win be 81, 500. 900, about five times what it
was four years ago. The Columbia mine in
/ that county IS producing $4,000 month
with a hve-stamp mill and will have a forty
! stamp mill in the spring.
| One OF the latest news paper reports of great
finds is the following cohhing from Butte,
! Mont, during the week: "a great gold strike
has been made on Upper Sage Creek. ledge
| running for many miles, and the quartz run
| ming 800 to the ton, has been discovered,
and the people in that part of the State are
wild with excitement The town of Utica has
been almost deserted by the male inhabitants.
who have staked out the whole surrounding
Il hot af
the ledge rock can be broken that runs 800
and more to the ton. Some OF the excited
prospectors have gone to work with plows and
scrapers to uncover the VEIN"
rich strike of $500 rock in the Socorro
mine, in which leasers were working four
| foot vein of SO rock, has caused quite rush
! to abandoned mines in the Harqua HaIa coun-
! try Arizona, in which the Socorro is situated.
| There has recently been great deal of ac-
tivity otherwise in this district.
| The Mining Industry and Review places the
! Cripple Creek production for the year to date
! at $40, 1876, 900.
Central Idaho is rapidly becoming field
much sought after by mining investors. The
| production of gold from the placers and the
| opening and exploitation of some of the
numerous quartz properties have brought
about this change.
| W. c. Raston departed for the East last
| week, expecting to complete the organization
I of company with large capital to purchase
! and work the old Meloney's drift mine at Car
| son Hill, Calaveras County. The property
comprises seven patented claims, and was
abandoned sixteen years ago. A year ago Mr.
| Ralston secured bond on the property, and
! since tn n two shafts OF 200 and 400 feet and
| other prospecting work have been done with
| encouraging results. The property is expe cted
| to be soon taken hold of by San Francisco and
Eastern men, who will operate on a large
scale.
Mariposa cores pondent writes: "The
| Mariposa Electric Power Company has re-
organ zed with Captain A. H. Ward president
and E. A. Wiltsee vice president, and negotia-
tions looking to the immediate construction
of the plant are in progress The company
| has secured tract of land covering both sides
of the Merced River in narrow CANYON
| about SIX miles above the old Benton mills
| Surveys for canals, etc, have been made and
the pats filed al Washington to secure the
right of way have been approved by the Sec
retary OF the Interior. Provisional contracts
| Tor safe Of power are already made in sufficient
amount to yield a handsome revenue on the
estimated cost of the plant which will be
within easy reach of all Mariposa and the
southern part of Tuolumne counties"