Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-09-25
JosEPHINE's QUARTZ MINES.

by miners in the development of
quartz veins in Southern Oregon.
For many years past Southern Oregon
has had the reputation Of being
great placer mining region, but the
quartz lodges have been overlooked
and neglected. The reasons for this
are obvious "a bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush, according to
the old-time adage, and this is as
true Of mining as anything else.
Miners did not have the inclination to
develop and work quartz veins when
there we're plenty of placer beds in
which the pure article could be
gathered up with little trouble.
Since all of the placer fields are
pretty well all taken up, mining men
are turning their attention to the
ledges Of the surrounding mountains
the ledges that have been beyond
doubt the feeders for the placer beds
of the channels and streams. In the
development Of quartz veins capital
is an essential factor. The lack of
this has held the quartz veins of
Southern Oregon back for a long
period.
Recently capital has been induced
to try hand at some Of the Southern
Oregon quartz propositions and as a
result some excellent and well paying
mines have been brought to the front
This past summer several new mines
have been opened up and all are max
ing good showing. Among the new
mines is the Eureka, of the Soldier
creek district. A few years ago this
mine was but a hole in the ground,
over which the discoverer was sitting
night and day awaiting the fancy
price he had put on the property.
He absolutely demanded the price Of
mine for what was nothing but
prospect. A company of Eureka,
Cal, people finally gave him his price
and opened up the ledge. 1t proved
to be a good thing. This year com
pany of San Francisco men. known as
the Oregon California Gold Field
Company, bought the Eureka and
equipped it with an up-to-date plant
A ten-stamp mill was put in and
started up. The mine is dividend
payer and is looking better every day.
1t is opened to a depth of 45O feet.
The ledge has a width of eight feet
and the values run from $1S to S25 per
ton in sulphurets and free gold.
The Greenback mine, of the Grave
creek district, few miles north of
this city, was opened up three years
ago. 1t is the property of Denver,
Colo. company, known as the Green
back Gold Mining Company. This
summer the company came to the con
clusion that the mine was not being
worked on as big scale as it should
be. Consequently some important
changes are being made. Twenty
stamps are being added to the mill,
which has been running with "A bat
terry of fifteen stamps. Aside from
this number of other changes are be-
ing made at the Greenback. New en-
gines, boilers, concentrators, hoists,
an electric plant, cyanide plant, com
pressors and drills are being put in
and the mine put in shape to do more
than double the amount of work.
This mine is tapped to a depth of
over 700 feet by tunnels and drifts.
Above this level there are 81, ,OOO, GOO
in sight. This is in ore that will run
from $40 to $35 per ton.
The Gold Bug mine of the Mount
Reuben district, in the northern part
of Josephine county, is another
Southern Oregon quartz property
that has been weighed in the balance
and has not been found wanting. 1t
belongs to Senator Jones and a few
other prominent miners Of the State
Of Nevada. Senator Jones took hold
of the Gold Bug kind of obviously
few years ago, but it has proved to
be one of the best things the Senator
has ever doue-aside from running
for Congress. The five-stamp has
been found too small and at the
present time the plant. and equipment
are being increased throughout. a
new cyanide plant electric lighting
plant, engines, boilers, comprtssors,
drills and lot of other machinery
will be among the new features that
will be added to the Gold Bug, max
ing it more than twice rs big mine
as II is at the wesIn, time, The main
shaft of this property goes down to
the 65O-foot level Development has
proceeded by three long tunnels and a
number of drifts. A vast body of high
grade ore has been uncovered. The |
lodges have a width of from four to
six feet, and the values will run from
SlS to $50 per ton.
the Alameda Mining Company of
Portland has purchased the Big Yank !
ledge of Galico district, and will give !
this great proposition the development
that it has waited for these years In
the language of Mary McLanc the !
Big lank lis a daisy - 1t was too
big for the average Oregouian TO touch |
81 great lode, ranging from lC0 to
800 feet in width, and miles in length !
An enormous proposition that must
needs be handled on a big scale. The |
values of the ledge are not high; .hr,
will run from $40 to Sli per ton Will
a full realization of this, the Alameda |
Company has taken. hold of the Big |
Iank and is determined to open &c up
and make u big mine of it. thousand, !
of fect of tunnels and drifts are to b,
ran, work ON which has already begun. !
Whom this - 1pnp A stan,p mill 80 .p /