The record-union., 1897-04-15
THE PIONEER GOLD MINERS.
Farly-Day Methods Contrasted With
Those Of To-Day.
Another Interesting Letter on Me-
vada County Mines by Our
Correspondent.

Especial Correspondence of Record-Uniono
GRASS VALLEY, April ii, 1871
While progress and improvement in
methods have marked all industrial en-
terprises during the past half century,
it is probable that methods of mining
and improved mining machinery have
| kept pace with other industries. The
pioneer gold hunters were utterly ignor-
ant of methods OF mining, and had not
gold been SO lavishly distributed in
shallow placers, it is possible that the
mountains would not be populated to
this day. The early history of the ef-
forts of the gold seekers in the light of
present methods seem almost child-like.
Nevada County lays claim to having in
| trCduced many CT the improvements
that have made the industry profitable.
History shows that the Long Tom was
first used here in 1850. The sluice came
next. e. E. Mattison of Nevada City
first used water under pressure by
means of a. canvas hose, with nozzle
attached, to wash down high banks of
gravel. He also applied hydraulic power
to derricks to remove large rocks from
diggings which had previously been
done by hand. A man named French
early invented a machine for drilling
rock. Dunning's undercurrent sluice
was first used at North San Juan.
The practice of blowing up and pull
verizing gravel banks in hydraulic
mines with powder was also first
adopted in San Juan. The hurdy- gurdy
wheel was another simple device used
in early times to save expense.
Experiments almost without number
have been made to save gold. Some
proving successful while a majority
were rank failures. The first practical
attempt on the coast to reduce aurifer-
Gus Sulphurets by the chlorination pro-
cess was made at Nevada City by Os-
car Mailman and G. F. Deitkin. Their
first experiments resulted in failure.
They then wen. to Washoe and en-
gagged in silver mining, where they
gained new ideas in relation to working
metals, and in 1860 returned to resume
their experiments, and the first at
tempt was a success. The process is
in general use now in most mining sec
tions
Other experimenters. with very crude
ideas, appeared, all intent on revolu-
tionizing existing methods.
Away back in the fifties a certain DIR.
Rodgers had a theory that quartz was
of porous or cellular structure, but
that the interstices between the crys-
tails were not large enough in the nat
ural state to allow the particles of gold
to drop out. He concluded that by the
expansion of heat the pores would be
opened and the metal would have free
egress, either in its cooled or melted
form. He enlisted capital to erect a
large chimney or furnace, and a large
wheel to assist operations. Wood and
coal in large quantities We're procured.
A large iron reservoir, filled with water,
laid at the bottom of the chimney to re-
ceive the gold as it should drip from
the furnace above. The chimney was
filled with alternate layers of fuel and
and quatz and set on fire The hackers
of the scheme kept close watch for
days, and at last made a clean up of
the contents of the iron tank. The only
result was pan of cinders and ashes.
! A Professor Monnier appeared some
time in the seventies who had a revolv-
ing furnace in the shape of a tube,
| forty or more feet long set with slight
| inclination so the ore when roasted
sufficiently would dump itself at the
lower end. Over $4,000 were spent
experimenting with the process, but it
was a failure. Robert Fryer about the
same time came to the county backed
by a dozen millionaires of the East. to
demonstrate that all the gold in the
| quartz could be saved by his contri-
vance. He had a revolving double
cross, hollow in the center in which
quartzwas placed and hard powders or
pieces of iron were locked inside AS
the machine turned on it's axis the rock
and powders would fall from one end
to the other, thus pulverizing the rock
land, as the material was all kept in the
tubes until properly pulverized, no gold
could possibly escape. On this expert
ment there was something over $15O.-
600 spent. 1t was no stock jobbing
| scheme for no stock was ever offered
for sale. The county got the benefit of
the expenditure, but the projectors got
nothing. Grinding pans by the score
have been invented and their remains
can be found around old mills and
foundries, all out of use
Visitors to modern quartz mines now
ton, run principally by water or cleo
trio power and devices that save a
large percentage of the precious metal,
SO that ores that formerly had to be
very rich to pay can now work at a
profit what used to be thrown on the
waste dump.
This has been brought about not only
by improved machinery, but the result
is attained by more skill and knowl-
edge on the part of the managers. To
run mine successfully requires men of
brains, Judgment and skill, and min
ing has thus become a profession.
THE GOLD HILL MINE.
This mine is noted as being the first
where the discovery of gold was made
in quartz in California 1t and the adj
joining mines on Massachusetts Hill,
which were soon after opened, was
christened the "Ophir of Nevada Coun-
ty." It is located within the corporate
limits of Grass Valley When first
worked it yielded over 5000 per ton.
The ledge was about eighteen inches
thick, but down to a depth of 500 feet
it produced over $4,000 600. On ac-
count of the excessive flow of water the
mine was originally closed down tenn
porarily, and was idle for a long time,
until san Francisco company, over a
year ago, bonght it and commenced
to reopen it. Electric power has been
put in. in conjunction with steam pow
er. The shaft is below the $50 foot
level. and drifting has been run some
400 feet, where good strong vein was
an. 1feay-G ,t1sx