The San Francisco call., 1899-07-31

Big mining enterprises are appearing
pretty rapidly these days in California
amid the host of smaller operations in
the way of buying, bonding, prospecting
and developing new and old mines, the
constant formation of new companies, the
rustlfng about of agents and promoters,
the awakening to new life of old mining
camps and the planting Of fresh ones
amid ore-ribbed hills.
The sale last week of the great and
famous Mariposa grant, in Mariposa
County, to London capitalists is the big
gest and best thing announced in the Cal
ifornia mining world in a good while, and
ii will make Mariposa County leap for joy.
| The expenditure of a large amount OF
money in prospecting and developing the
mining properties of the estate Will fol-
low. The sale means new life to Mari
posa County and the development of sew
eral producing mines.
This magnificent estate, a principality
in extent and richness, comprises about
seventy square miles, or over 44,0OO acres
of territory, irregular in shape and with
the town site of Mariposa, the county
seat inside of it. 1t was originally ac-
quired from Mexican grantees by John Z.
Fremont, the pathfinder. Fremont lacked
capital and the estate had a hard financial
career for many years. 1t hnally paSSeu
to the joint ownership of Senator j. r
Jones of Nevada and his orother, .
Jones, j. W. Mackay, Alvinza Hayward
and his partner Hobart, whose share be-
came part of the Hobart estate. Ihese
owners composed the Mar1posa Mining
and Commercial Company.
Valuable mines were developed on II in
early days, and $4,000 900 was taken out OF
the Josephine, which was never opened
below 900 feet. Other valuable or proInis-
ing mines on the estate have been the
Pine Tree Princeton, Mar1posa, Mount
Ophir, Texas, Lewis, Ludwig ana Georgl-
ana besides large number of other pros
poets partly or slightly developed But
there has been no production or deVeiopcc
ment work worth speaking OF on any OF
the mining properties OF the estase ra 6o LOT
last owned it let it lie idle from year 10
year. 1t is said that Mackay ana Jones
wished to exploit the property, put the
other owners would not join in putting up
Besides the splendid mineral possibili-
ties and promises, it is magnihcently un-
area of agricultural lands. 1t has for
many years been looked upon as prop
erty with a splendi future. During all the
long years that it has lain nearly as un1
productive as when the Indians roamed
its forests 1t has been the incubus OF Mar
iposa County, which has hoped ana walt
ed for the coming OF moneyed reoeeiilerS' D
About two years ago the Exploration
Company of London bought AlYinza hay.
wards one-sixth interest, on the basis OF
!
ready to take all the rest at that NaIua-
ton but the others would not sell. Ham
ilton Smith and H. G. Perkins, Well-knoWh
CalifornianS who have been successfully
operating in London, South Africa ana
elsewhere for years, and IhOmaS Mell
of San Francisco engineered the zeal
and with London investors, put up the
money in unknown proportions Messrs'
Smith and Perkins have at last succeed
ed in buying out all the other interests
The price paid is not gwen out. 9ut tne
;r,it fal
ceeds 81 100000 ,
Last week the Mariposa Mining lining - and taad
with the following directors: Thomas
Mein president and manager; ii. IL ray
lor. vice-presdent; j. II. Mooser, secre-
tary H. G. Perkins ,,i ana drect Mr. GGpfa fons
here states that the property Will be Wig
orously exploited and on a large scale
The first thing to be done VIII be TO M ma
out what has been bought. 1t seems that
none too much is known just now about
mines that were opened in the past,
for many years ago the surveys, reports
etc. concerning them We're burned, and
the knowledge of the condition of the
mines at the last working is largely le-
gend.
Before any definite plans are laid much
time and money will be spent in clean
ing out old workings or sinking new
shafts on several of the properties. They
will be prospected at much greater depth
than has yet been reached. This means
good many men and general awaken
ing of the olf grant These opera
tions will begin this summer. Meantime
the possibilities of power development,
already pretty well worked out. Will be
canvassed. There is every promise that
the future will see f1Ourshing mines and
extensive operations, and the remoteness
of the property from transportation fa-
cilities brings a probable future railroad
into view. The development of the grant
will react on the rest of that great min
greatly stimulate II de-
velopment. The new company has al it's
back unlimited capital for judicious in
vestment and is composed of men who
do not do things half way.
The operations of the Melones Mining
Company. near RobinSOns Ferry. Gala
veras County, is one of the big new min
ing ventures being watched with much
interest, not only on account of their
experiments attending them. new tun-
mel 5000 feet long and new 120-Stamp
mill are among the features of the devel-
opment and plant in which the company
is investing 1925 900 before production, in
addition to similar amount paid for the
properties, which comprise $50 feet on
the middle vein and 1900 feet on the east
vein of the lode, and include the Melones,
Reserve. Enterprise, Mineral Mountain.
Last Chance. Stanislaus and keystone
mines, besides several placer claims and
mill sites. 1t is one of the greatest low
grade propositions in the United States
and derives added Importance from that
fact.
An interesting experiment is now going
on to determine the practicability of dis
pensing with concentration and treating
the pulp it comes from the plates by
the cyanide process. Following prelim-
mary tests a ten-ton experimental
cyanide plant has been installed to work
the ore by this method. So far the re
suits have been satisfactory, but no de-
cision on the method has been reached
This practice has obtained in South
Africa. but has never before been tried
in California.
w. c. Raston, who has scored bril-
liant success by taking hold of abandoned
old properties which have been frequent
ly reported on adversely and securing
abundant Eastern capital to put them on
an assuredly profitable working basis, is
the manager of the operations, He gives
the following account of their present
status:
'"The grading for the site of the 12O-
stamp mill will be finished in ten days.
The milling machinery is ordered. The
stamps will weigh 900 pounds and drop
seven inches 105 times a minute. There
will be six No Gates rock crushers. The
air-compressing plant will be capable of
operating twenty machine drills. There