The record-union., 1899-08-21
Pacific Coast
Mining News.


and mining are of interest to a large
number of people. The following news
Will give an idea of what is going on in
mining sections:
COPPEROPOLIS MINES.
Stockton Record A very important
mining transfer recently took place in
this city at the law offices of Nicol, Orr
& Nutter. BY it the Empire copper
mine, the property Of Charles Bralds,
was turned over to the great Ames es-
tate of Boston. The Empire mine Is
one of the principal copper mines IN
that famous group at Copperopolls.
Charles D. Fontana, ex-Assemoiyman,
and M. Ross, agent for the Ames peo-
pie, whose property in the mining town
is known as the Union Mining Com
pany, effected the deal. The details OF
the sale had been made quietly in ad-
vance and all Chat was necessary was
the signing and acknowledging of the
documents.
The Empire mine carried with it 1874
acres in Copperopolis. The price pald
by the company was 100000. Bralds
got $27, 500 for the property and the
difference was made by Fontana and
those who worked the deal. AS a result
of the sale there was a little wine open
ing in town Saturday evening and some
of Mr. Fontana's friends were treated
quite royalty. The money involved IN
the sale was deposited in the Farmers
and Merchants bank.
The transfer of the Union mine means
q great deal more than the change OF
that property in itself. The fact that
the Ames people desire to get hold or
ell the valuable copper leads In the ia
NOUS old town of the red metal signifies
that there is to be another boom in the
undermined city, and no doubt means
the opening up again of the Stockton
and Copperopolis railroad, which has
rusted the last number OF years from
non-usage. The mines of the company
have not been worked for years. I'm
mense amounts were taken out of them
when word came from Boston one day
to close them down and they have been
lying idle ever since. 1t is said that
$1,000 900 WORTH of ore is lying ready
for the smelter now. The great advance
in the price of copper, owing to the
boom in manufacturing and mechanical
arts, has made copper claims in many
localities more valuable than gold
mines. The purchase of additional
property by the Union Copper Com
pany at this time, when they already
have immense interests in that metal,
seems to augur that something is to be
done.
The opening of the Copparopolis
mines again will be a great thing for
Stockton, which is directly connected
with the mining town. The railroad
viii undoubtedly be put in shape again
for traffic and machinery erected to
take the place of the old, which is to a
certain degree valueless. Active prep
arations are also going on in the Cam
anche and Campo Seco regions, and the
county tributary to Stockton promises
to be the scene of the greatest copper
boom known in this country.
Mr.. Fontana could not say how soon
the mines would be reopened, but it
is not believed that the day is very far
distant when Copperopolis will be again
thriving mining town and the center
of the biggest copper output in the
country
Mike Ross, who attended to the Ames
side Of the deal, is a big mining man.
He is interested with Mackay and 9TH
er big men on the Comstock in Nevada
and he is at present engaged in pump
ing out the mines on that lode. a feat
of engineering which is causing almost
as much talk as the great Sutro tunnel
in early days 1t is whispered that as
soon as Mr. Ross gets that off his
hands he will assume direct control of
the mines at Copperopolis, and if he
does there is no question about how
they will be worked
Mr. Fontana was seen by a Record
representative and spoke of the great
possibilities of the boom. He could not
say when active work would be com
menced again, but as copper was in
great demand he could not see that 1t
was very far distant
THE SLATE INDUSTRY.
Marysville Democrat: The Placerville
Slate Company organized about one
year ago with j. F. Moody the pioneer
hotel man and stage line owner OF
Truckee, as President; T. r. Jones, AS
slstant Superintendent Southern Pa
cific Company, Sacramento division
Secretary and Treasurer, and Colone
G. w. Cummings Of this city Vice Pres
jdent and Manager. has been quietly
at work for the past seven months de-
veloping their slate quarry one mile
north Of the depot in this city. The
company owns forty-three acres on the
northern edge of the city facing Big
Canyon and are so situated that the
expense of quarrying and moving the
finished slate to the depot is reduced
to a minimum. a gravity double track
tramway operated at an expense fol
water of about 30 cents per day brings
the slate to the brow of the hill from
the quarry 425 feet below From tn,
station at the top of the hill the haul is
all down hill to the depot.
Experts declare that no finer article
Of roofing slate is to be found within
the limits of the United States than
that now being worked by the Placer
vile Slate Company. The company is
now busily engaged in filing a large
order for the Mountain Copper Com
pany of Shasta County. who are having
all of the roofs at their extensive plant
at Keswick changed from metal roofing
to slate, the first carload containing
forty seven squares being sent from
this city on Monday morning last. An.
other shipment will be made this
week.
WINCHESTER MINES.
Winchester Recorder: w II. Frey
began work this week on a new hous,
at the group of mines in the Levi!
country belonging to Messrs Miller
Norton, Case and Frey AS soon 4.
quarters for the men are fitted UP tn,
work Of developing the mines viii b,
resumed. Everything is favorable for
good camp. The ore assays we'll, ther,
is a large body of it. mainly free mill
-.