The San Francisco call., 1898-07-11
SNOW FALL
 TOO LIGHT The Northern California Mines Shut Down. ONLY A TWENTY DAYS RUN BIG NUGGETS BUT A SCARCITY
 OF WATER. Shortest Season in the History of the State-Famous Old Mines Are Being Reopened and
 Developed.
ONLY A TWENTY DAYS RUN
BIG NUGGETS BUT A SCARCITY
 OF WATER.

1 For the first time in the history of placer mining in the State the miners of the northern counties have been com peled by the lack of water to close down at this early date and await the time to begin operations next spring Several Well-known mining men have arrived in San Francisco to dispose of their gold, among the first being F. M. Spencer and Daniel Doherty of Gibsonviile and J. J. Coughlin of Bonneville. They bring very
 unsatisfactory reports of the results of this seasons work, but state that it is
 not the fault of the mines.
 we struck bad year." said MT. Spen- cer, yesterday, "and it was all due to the remarkable light snowfall In the aver age season we get fifteen feet of snow in Plumas and Sierra counties, but this year there was only a fall of three feet. As consequence, we had hardly got our mines in good working order before we had to close down for lack of water. Usually we have from eighty to ninety days to wash gravel, but this year we could only ope- rate twenty days. There are six we'll known hydraulic mines in our section. that yield as handsome, coarse gold as can be found anywhere. The dust I have just sold to the smelting works would have made as fine display in the matter of size of nuggets as the average of any lot that has come from the famous Klon- dyke. The large nuggets ran from one dollar to sixty and seventy dollars piece. We got our share of them While the water lasted, and hope to have an extra long run next year. On account of the usual heavy snowfall the mines can't be reached from the outside before June l, and those who want to spend the win ter In the outer world must leave by De- cember l, unless they can travel on snow shoes.
 Tn our section, the output for the sea- son has been only about one-quarter of the average yield. The mining regions farther to the south, where they have ditches from fifty to seventy miles long and facilities for preventing the water from going to waste, will fare better than we have and ought to be able to make a good run.
 Capital is beginning to recognize the value of the mines in Sierra and Placer counties, as shown by the fact that the famous Thistle mine, about two. miles from Gibsonvile, Is being worked by a Scotch syndicate which is developing a great gravel deposit and now has a shaft down 800 feet working in good ground. The Gold Bluff mine which was once great producer, but was abandoned by reason of bad management, has been bond pumping out the old shaft and will sink on the same ledge in the hope of striE- ing another lead. They are almost cer- tain to win, At, the Mountain quartz Eastern capitalists will begin with large force and operate 4O-stamp mill. The Pilot Peak gravel mine starts up with good shift. It has been bonded by Plumas Turner, the well-known mining man; and at the Allegheny and Forest City mines preparations are being made for extensive operations.
 There Is a large field in our section that has never been prospected,' said MT. Coughlin, and 1 intend to start on long prospecting trip shortly Capital, making mistake. for money Is all that is needed to develop some fine mines"