Amador ledger., 1902-04-04
Are in a Flourishing Con-
dition.
A Large Amount of Money Has
Been Expended in Putting Them
in First-class Shape.

great works are now in process of con-
struction, under the direction of E. c..
Purington, the superintendent. Mr..
Purington has been connected with the
Cover for about years. He has main
tanned an abiding faith in the prop
erty through all its vicissitudes of for
tune during that period, and now after
the lapse of years the outlook is very
favorable for the realization of his
hopes of permanent and paying mine.
Since the GOodalls of San Francisco
have become the principal stockholders,
the development work on both the
Fremont and Cover claims has been
pushed steadily, while the character
of the work has been of the most sub
stantial nature.
THE COVER.
Since the present company took
charge the Cover shaft has been
cleaned out and placed in thorough
working order through its entire
| depth of 1900 feet. A first class hoist
sufficient for all requirements exists
over this shaft, with galvanized iron
buildings. and commodious blacksmith
shop of the same material. One is
struck with the neat and thrifty ap-
pearance of everything about the
works. Grading for the air COM
pressor and dynamo foundation is
about completed. The building will be
2Sx70 feet in size, of galvanized iron,
and is situated east of the shaft. Most
of the material for this building is
already on the ground. The COM
pressor is of the duplex Ingersoll pat
tern, 20 inches in diameter, COM
pressing 1900 cubic feet per minute
This compressor will be driven by elec-
trio energy, by means of a go horse
power dynamo. The present hoisting
works are being operated by steam,
with oil for fuel. It was at the Cover
that the first experiments were made
with the liquid fuel. With wood at
$3.50 per cord delivered at the mine,
and estimating the cost of handling it
at $3.50 per cord more, which is a con-
servative estimate, making 81 per cord,
it has been found that with the present
price of oil the difference in favor of oil
is about so per cent. With the sub
stitution of electric power it is expected
to again reduce the cost bill fully 40
per cent. The new Fremont hoist,
distant 1900 feet from the Cover, will
be run by this compressor, pipe line
OF inch casing conveying the power.
FREMONT HOIST.
The grading for the new hoist over
this shaft is ali finished. Massive con-
crete piers have been built upon which
the frame work will rest Some of
these piers are "A feet from the ground,
so as to bring the floor of the hoist on
level with the collar of the shaft. 1t
required 160 barrels of cement to con.
struct these columns. The top of the
gallOws frame will be 81 feet high from
the collar of the shaft. This building
is also of galvanized iron, and 4Ox7O
feet in dimensions. 1t is calculated
that the hosting machinery will be in
running order in from 80 to 70 DAYS.
A MILL TO BE ERECTED.
1t has been definitely decided to erect
60 stamp mill, work on which will be
commenced as soon as the weather is
settled. The grading for the mill site
has not yet been started, although the
site has been selected about midway
between the two shafts. The mill is 20
be in running order if possible by
September next. The work of grading
will be started in May. No contract
has been let. as it is the intention to
have the work all done by day labor.
UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENTS.
These vast surface works are the out
come of actual developments in the
mine, and justified by ample milling
tests of the ore bodies uncovered. In
the Fremont ground levels have been
run at the depths of 900 and 700 feet.
An immense ledge has been encounter
ed in both levels, the quartz at the
600 level showing ITO feet in width.
Other levels will doubtless prove of
equal size. The same ore body ap-
pears also in the Cover, but has not
heretofore been worked to any extent.
Practically it is new discovery, but
an idea of its vast Importance to the
mining interests of Amador may be
gained when we say that 1900 tons of
this quartz has been crushed at the
POcahontas mill, and yielded between
Sc and 81 per ton. No sorting was
done, the entire ledge matter being
sent to the mill. The Plymouth Con-
solidated in its palmiest bonanza days
did not average better, with much
smaller ledge. Indeed, the discoveries
in the Fremont and Cover open up
almost unlimited possibilities of mining
in AmadOr county. OF late years the
same experience has been met with in
other mines at widely separated points,
notably at the Keystone at Amador,
and the Kennedy at Jackson
Since the present company secured
control of the Fremont and Cover the
sum of $170, 600 has been expended.
| The figures may seem large, but when
it is considered this sum includes the