The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-28
BACK FROM THE COAST
Gus Holmes Buys a California
Mine.
THINKS IT'S A GOOD THING
PRICE PAID SAID TO HAVE BEEN
100000.
Ore Shows Good Values In Gold and
Copper-Property Has Been Work
ed Since 1849, But to Poor Ad-
vantage-De Lamar Interested In
Golden State Mines.

Gus Holmes of the Knutsford and o.
P. Posey returned to the city yester-
day morning, after an absence of sew
eral weeks, and were exceedingly jubi-
liant over the success of their efforts IN
the auriferous commonwealth by the
Golden Gate. They incidentally investi-
gated a few mining propositions and
landed one that they expect will turn
out TO be one of the best mines in the
country.
The property consists of a group OF
claims located on the edge of the Moke-
lumne river, and distant a mile and a
half from the famous Mokelumne Hill.
The property is developed, and has
been more or less constantly worked
since 1S49. The ore is a white quartz
of free milling character, and is worked
in a stamp mill. The mine, for years,
has been worked in a very unscientific
manner. and most of the ore has been
run through an arastra.
Ten-stamp Mill.
There is a ten-stamD mill on the
property, but this will be increased i'm
mediately TO twenty stamps, and the
capacity doubled.
AS soon as the new owners. obtained
control. orders were Immediately issued
for a number of new improvements.
There is d splendid water power on
the property, and an abundance OF
water, they owning a water right of
1000 miners inches. Two new water
wheels were ordered, and extensive re-
pairs and additions TO the mill have
been inaugura ted. Eighteen men are
at present employed in the mine, but
it is the intention to increase the force
in a very short while.
The purchasers viii open up the mine
on a more extensive scale, and work 1t
as il has never been worked before.
They have a tunnel in $50 feet on the
drift, and viii continue to push it in
to the full length of the ore body. The
latter is six feet in width, and assays
run all the way from 81 to S12 per ton,
and increases in value as they get
deeper. There is blocked out at pres
ent and in sight 10000 tons of ore, all
of which is the easiest kind of free
milling rock, and can readily be ham
died at a cost of 81 per ton.
Cost Was 100000.
The property cost about $100000 of
which $4,000 has already been paid,
and the balance is due in two equal
payments, occurring Oct. l and Nov. l.
Mr.. Corem is associated with Mr..
Holmes in the purchase, and Mr.. Posey
examined and exported the property
for the gentlemen.
Messrs. Holmes and Posey also Wis
tied the mining district in Shasta coun-
ty, near Redding. and found it a very
promising district. Captain De Lamar
and Mr.. Talbert have each obtained
some very valuable copper properties in
that district. For years the Califor-
mans have worked their properties for
nothing but gold, and have overlooked
the copper that the rock carried.
Mr.. POsey states that the character
and conditions in Shasta county are
very similar TO that in the Bingham
district.
outcroppings of Copper Ore.
Everywhere on the surface the out
groupings show a highly oxydized rock,
that the natives call ''gossim," and
which they have always considered
worthless. This ore, when followed
down TO sufficient depth, is rich in sui
phides of copper and iron. Sometimes
ii is both, sometimes only iron, and oc-
casiOnally the copper is of too small
a percentage TO be profitable.
Generally, however, the ore will run
from S. to $40 in gold, and from IL to
20 per cent copper to the ton. Two
months ago the property now owned by
De Lamar, and the property owned by
Mr.. Talbert might have been bought in
for almost any price. bu6 since the
Utah experts have been on the ground,
the Californians have learned that the
despised ''gossim'' is of some value and
properties are now held at higher fig
ursS