The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-01
Pacific Coast
Mining News.

The following items concerning min
ing matters on the Pacific Coast viii
doubtless prove of general interest:
DESERVING MINES.
San Diego Union: By the state
ments of miners who returned yester-
day on the schooner Anita from the
Sierra Pintada placers. the mines are
shown to be almost worthless The
steamer ST. Denis on her last trip from
San Rogue landing brought very dis
couraging news, but that which comes
on the Anita is even worse. Not one
of the Americans who went to the
diggings made enough during his stay
to equal a good days wages, and some
of the practical miners did not even
get a color.
Seventeen men came back on the
Anita, and not one of them, so far as
could be learned, had good word TO
say for the Sierra Pintada. Twelve or
fifteen men who had gone down to
the mines with only enough money to
get them there, were left by the Anita
on the beach at San Rogue because
they could not pay their passage back
The men will reach home on the steam
er St. Denis tomorrow morning, or on
the schooner Negus, soon to return. AL
though penniless, the men who were left
behind will not suffer, for according to
reports brought up yesterday, provls-
ions are the cheapest and most plen-
tiful things in the camp, large quanti-
ties having been taken in by specula-
tors and prospectors who left great
part of the grub behind.
1.-The Sierra Pintada is a fake of the
first water" said r. F. Bennett, prac-
teal miner of the central part of this
State who was in the camp for ten
days. MY partners and l went there
believing that the first discouraging re-
ports were those of tenderfeet who did
not know how to mine. but they told
the truth. At Ensenada I read the ac-
count Of E. N. Sullivan, the Union
correspondent, and while he might be
accused of throwing cold water on the
diggings, in my opinion he doomed the
mines-spoke too well of the camp, al
together. He evidently tried to give an
accurate report, but the placers are
even worse than he made out.
Il worked hard with a shovel and
pan," continued Bennett, land for
twelve days went over all the ground
that offered the least inducements to a
prospector. Not color did / get.
Now, could do better than that in any
part of Southern California. The fact
is, the Sierra Pintada is worked out.
The Mexicans are good miners, and
they have worked the tailings over and
over again. Even they are satisfied
now that there is nothing there now,
and are returning to their former jobs
at Santa Roealia. on the gulf side, and
to Calmalli, where about $50 of them
were working when the Sierra Pintada
excitement broke out.
The formation is lime and tale, with
here and there some red soil. For
twenty miles along the little gulches
the Mexicans and the few Americans
were at work when we got there, but
not a single person was getting out
much gold. did not see anybody with
more than two or three dollars worth
except the purchases made by the store
keepers, and they did not aggregate
much. man one day found a. little
nugget-worth a dollar or two-and
within fifteen minutes there were
seventeen dry-washers making things
hum right around him. That shows