The San Francisco call., 1904-03-05

Butte County has just been issued Oy
state Mineralogist AubUry. One state
~rent that il contains in the introduc-
tory matter viii attract attention
wherever there are mining interests.
There are more gold dredgers in oper-
alton in the vicinity OF Oroville," il
says. than in any other similar area
in North or South America There are
txenty-four al work and several more
in construction" The gold product OF
Butte County in 1902 amounted 10 ssls.-
25l. and the silver value produced was
's22ls There were also produced lime.
brick and mineral waters bringing the
total value OF mineral products Of
Butte County for 1902 I'D 70 Se26, Isl
The gold output came principally
from the auriferous gravels, but some
quartz mines are operating. The county
has been noted since early settlement
for its suriferOus gravel properties and
hydraulic, drift, river bed and surface
rlacers. At one time placer mining was
extensively carried on in the county,
but this is now confined 10 ground
sluice mining principally. Drift mining
is carried on extensively IN the lava
gold. There are many tracts Of land
suitable for this class Of mining that
ran be worked Most OF the hydraulic
mines in Butte County have been closed
Gown, but a few are working under
Permits issued by the California Debris
Commission. A few miners are follow
ing pocket mining, which has often
rroved 70 be lucrative. Dredge mining
has found its most extensive field in
Butte County. Some little platinum Is
recovered with the gold in the dredge
mining operations.
About 50 per cent OF the business OF
Putte County is connected with mining.
Luu1 bering. fruit growing and stock
raising constitute the remaining 90 per
cent. Some general facts are supplied
hv rhe Mining Bureau register concern
ing the county which are not out OF
. rIace N a publication which aims TO
give 70 the public the facts that are Oh
interest 10 miners. The assessed Nalua-
-5ou OF the county for 1903 was $780,
-ss The county extends from the Sac
raueuto River on the west about htty
miles easterly Forty per cent OF the
county is valley land, composed OF the
Sacramento, Feather and Butte Creek
valleys. The elevation ranges from
about seventy-five feet 10 o64s Ieet
above sea level In the operation OF
mines. mills and dredgers wood Tor gen
Grating steam and water for electric
mower are available. Most Of the drlit
and quartz mining Is done through tun-
neIs and drifts giving drainage oy
gravity. Timber is plentiful IN the
county for fuel, lumber and mine tim
-bering-
LEADING INDUSTRY.
The chief mining interest naturally is
attached 10 the dredging operations
o. the twenty-four plants in operauon
ali but one are bucket dredges- One IS
2 shovel dredge- The companies en-
eazed IN dredge mining in the county
and the number Of plants that they are
working. respectively, are as follows
American Gold Dredging Company, two;
OrosfIle Dredging and Exploration ~ ~-oIIpel.s'
one Boston sn1 OroFile Mining IN I3s 49, /,
rpc- Butte Gold Dreose company o--' ESs.e- Es.
and California Dredging company. sNo. Chelo,
kee Cold Dredging Company. one. 6osugn @ 80 60
Crovllle Mining lonlpans- one. - = - C.,5 -
Gonna nv one. Feather Exploration company
~c-r. Indiana Cold Dredging and Mining Com
panv two, Ka Ora Gold Dreoge company
go Reds Cold Dredge Company J. II. Leg
-ec-. Marlsold Dredge Company oroFllle Dreose
company and Pennsylvania Dredge COMPANY
one each.
Nearly all the dredging plants get
their water supply from the Feather
River. Indeed, the exceptions num-
Der but six. In these six instances the
water supply is furnished by the
Palermo Land and Water Company.
Orovfle is the nearest town TO all the
dredge- mining plants.
A valuable feature of the Butte
County register, which it shares in
common with the other county regis
rers Of the same State series, is the
o7cisl information il gives concerning
the actual working OF any mining
property in the county at the time of
the oficiaf compilation of mining
facts. For instance, under the head
Of Miscellaneous Mining. such re-
marks as the following appear regard
inz mining claims. Not worked for
some years; no development, "
heavy flow Of water crushed pipe,
abandoned after sinking below two
holes: has produced, mill burned, not
rebuilt at the present time; stands
well" etc
This sort OF exact information
may be of disadvantage TO mining
takers who sell stock on false repre-
sentations concerning the amount of
working progress at any property in
which they have invited the public TO
invest. but the legitimate mine oper-
ator has nothing to complain about
when these facts are made public His
situation is made stronger.
The state Mfneralogist has an ex-
pIanatory note in his register 10 the
effect that some mines were shut down
when the field assistant Of the State
Mining Bureau visited them and he
was therefore unable to obtain any
data concerning them. For every
tablished claim the name Of the
owner or other person designated as
the proper one TO give Information is
published. with postofiice address.
PARENT OF DREDGERS.
Some interest in this connection at
taches 10 the gold dredging conditions
in New Zealand, where the dredge-
ar--r--