The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30
PROJECTS
CONCERN MINERS.
Trolley Line Is Planned to Transport
Ores for Nevada County Plant
Large Tract of Land in Penn Valley
Is Bonded for Gold Dredging.

The North Star Mines Company in
Nevada County will build a trolley line
to connect with its mine, the central
mill and a new cyanide plant, doing
away with wagons to move ore.
Eight hundred acres of land in Penn
Valley. Nevada County, have been
bonded on the suppositlon that dredg-
ing for gold thereon will yield rich re-
turns.
A complete shut down Of the Kes-
wick smelter has been ordered, to be
effective May 1.
The La Grange mine In Trinity
County, which has been sold. will. ac-
cording to local reports, be greatly i'm
proved by the purchasers. Something
like 5000. 900 has been expended on this
large hydraulic property.
These are a few of the recent lead
ing projects of general interest in the
mining way:
The Scott Valley Advance reports
that much Is implied for the
the Salmon River mining district and
for Etna in the discovery of a ledge In
the lower levels of the Advance mine.
There is no doubt" so the Advance
says, that the Liberty mining district
will have a rush, as all the new dis
coveries are realizing handsomely.
The La Grange mine is one Of the
largest hydraulic propositions on the
! coast. The original owner was James
Ward. He sold to the Trinity Gold
Mining Company. which had varying
success. In 1892 Baron Ernest La
Grange became the owner and he
constructed the Chaumont ditch TO
Rush Creek, which was extended later
to Stuart's fork. With its pipes, fumes
and siphons the ditch was considered
to be a great engineering triumph
Baron La Grange died about six years
ago and the control Of the company
has been changed since his death
Foreign stockholders wished to sell.
The property was under bond two
years before anything was effected
The company has been operating th1r-
teen years.
The Jim Wayne mine in the Grouse
Ridge district, in Nevada County, has
been bonded to San Francisco parties
The annual report of the Central
Eureka mine, in Amador County,
shows that dividends amounting to
S31S,740 were paid last year and a ball
ance of $4,000 remained in the treas
ury.
The Amador Ledger reports that the
last payment on the Bay state mine
has been made and it is now the prop
erty of the Rhetta Consolidated Com
pany. which also owns the Rhetta and
the Kretcher mines.
James H. Leggett, so reports the
Plumas National Bulletin, viii inspect
tract of 200 acres in Plumas County
at English Bar and Feis Flat. on the
middle fork of Feather River, expect
ing to establish gold dredging.
]. B. Ferris reports from Kern
County that there is a great outlook for
the Amelia Mining district, which lies
between Kernville and Randsburg.
There are many large ledges and op-
Grating mines are getting out rich ore-
H H. Blood, Mr.. Blodgett of Bakers
field, w. d. Chase and DR.. Burson
are among those largely concerned in
operating mines.
GOOD MINES ARE MANY.
In long article the Mountain Mes
senger recapitulates the facts relating
to the mining wealth of Sierra County
There are 119 quartz mines in the
county, so drift mines, several mines
of silver and iron and 40 mills and
arastras 1t is estimated that there
are 200 miles of undeveloped ancient
river channels that carry gold. River
channels that have been worked, so the
Messenger asserts. have yielded $1,000,-
900 in one mile of distance. A large
body of high grade iron ore is twelve
miles north of Downieville- Some
other statements in the Messenger con-
cerning the mineral deposits of the
county are as follows:
Most of the channels that are being worked
are those that have been crossed by deep ra-
vines or canyons which have cut through the
deep lava covering and exposed the gravel, thus
affording the miner an opportunity OF COM
mencing the extraction OF the rich gravel with
cut the expense of a long, hard rock tunnel
The keystone mine, now the property Of
the Alta Sierra Mining Company, was great
producer up to twenty I'VE years ago. when
the shaft reached depth where IL was neces-
sary to equip the mine with heavier machinery
or run a loig tunnel. Tne Alta Sierra Com
pany has just completed tunnel nearly
mile in length and built a ten stamp mill.
Sierra County contains some OF the oldest
quartz mines in this State. The Sierra Buttes
mine at Sierra City has been in continuous cp-
more than S14. 100000 in gold. About year
and half ago this property passed out OF
the hands of the Sierra Buttes Mining Com
pany and became the property OF the Hayes
brothers of San Jose.
Dozens of promising prospects are lying idle
in various parts OF the county. awaiting n
time when cheaper and more convenient means
for transportation. both for supplies and rep
resentatiyes OF capital will make them valu-
able properties.
Several properties containing ore that cannot
be reduced by any local means are idle because
there is railroad TO carry the ores to a
smelter other reduction works. Many thou
sands of tons of such ores could be profftably
shipped from the county every year II the
means for transportation at hand.
Among the quartz mines now being opened
in systematic way by outside capital are
Allegheny. the Marguerite at Sierra City, the
Telegraph near Downievile, the Lassiat at
Gold Valley. and the Diaden at Forest City.
The county is crossed by a dozen or more
limestone belts which produce excellent lime.
These lime deposits are inexhaustible. Near
the line between Yuba and sierra counties are
vast deposits of marble
At Pike City there is a wide belt OF soap
stone. which is used in various parts OF the
county for furnace Innings and other hreproof
purposes. Along this belt tale IN its purest
state can be quarried-
Near Luce's mill. in the western end OF the
county. Is a fine ledge OF ragnesia. some OF
which has been shipped to San Francisco. being
hauled to Marysvile by team. but the freight
charges are too heavy to make the enterprise
profitable.
Copper exists In several parts Of the coun-
| ~, viz: at Poker Flat, Depot Hill. Sierra City
and Howard Creek. Lack of transportation IA
| cilities has prevented the development OF any
OF these mines. A recent report on the copper
property at Poker Flat. made by prominent
mining engineer. shows this to be of the
most valuable and extensive deposits OF copper
in the known world
Near Gold Valley is large deposit OF py-
rites which has been prospected principally
| for the gold values contained.
Basaltic blocks suitable for paving stones
are Abundant in several portions OF the county
TROUBLED HARRISON GULCH.