The San Francisco call., 1905-08-08
CALIFORNIANS WORK
ATLIN GRAVEIS.
Northern Gold Dredging Field Is Reported to
Surpass Fields in This State
Ssklyou County Localities Are Prospected
With Drills to Ascertain Values

John d. McGinvray MAKES some in
teresting statements concerning dredg-
ing in the AsIin country A few years
ago the Attn country was the cause OF
q stampede of miners from Canada. prin-
cipally from British Columbia. and also
from the northern part Of the United
States, but results were not satisfactory
The main reason being that the Canadian
laws and regulations were objectionable
Atlin was not poor mans camp" but
Of those who went in there were a num-
Der who saw big opportunities for dredg-
ing, such as is done at Oroville, or
hyorauilcking or hydraulic elevating or
steam shOVeling
These men cOntented themselves with
acquiring large acres Of gravel, coraling
water rights and waiting TO find capital.
II was evident to them that there was
no use 70 attempt 10 do anything with
little money.
Mr.. McGillivray has visited the country.
he says that there are more acres Of
gravel Of high value than there are at
Oroville, Folsom and the other dredging
districts Of California.
After year or TWO Of waiting and
promoting, some Philadelphia people came
along and took up a few hundred acres
10 oredge- They put up an electric plant,
built a dredge Of the modern type and
found that il paid. They realized one
dollar per cubic yard a. a cost Of twenty
cents per cubic yard. As q result the
entire AIlin country, or at least 25 900
acres OF gravel, is now TO be exploited.
II is understood by Alaskans that the
values are higher than those Of Oroville
or Folsom, or, in fact, almost of any
part Of the dredging districts in the
United States. Yet the cost OF working is
higher on account Of the shOrtneSs of
the season and hardness of the ground.
Values have been proved, says Mr.. Nc
Gillivrav, that average one dollar a cubic
yard for 1000 acres, and most Of the en-
Eineers who have investigated claim an
average Of more than fifty cents a cubic
yard for q depth Of thirty feet over an
area Of 25,o00 acres. If these estimates
are correct this means that Atlin ought
10 yield more than the Oroville and Fol
som districts combined. All the machin
cry work engineering and exporting on
the main properties have been performed
by CalifOrnians, although much Of the
capital has been furnished by mOneyed
men Of Philadelphia and other Eastern
cities
sTskIYoU COUNTY Is BUSY.
Progress in dredging operations is re
ported by the Scott Valley Advance TO be
noteworthy in Siskiyou County. Its ac-
count is, N part, as follows:
The parties having McAdams and Indian
creeks under bond for dredging have two drills
. operating. These lancs promise % become
e en4 u the best dredging lands in the state.
Several dredEers VIII be installed 10y l5o.-
This VIII be great enterprise for Scott Val
-a-- and should L. bv ali means cncoura ged by
everyone one fau-t Ulrn landowners is that
a -.--perty worth $500 Tor ranching they hold
at $1,000 as soon as a bond j. asked Tor 10
Grill tor dredging / looks like hold-up
ang keeps caoitaI out
Most II tie lands around Yreka were re-
Gently bonded for dredging and drills are 70
te Installed chere soon 20 prospect y tney are
found good dredging lands there viii be sew
eral dre1sers built IN The vicinity OF The county
set
operating again Their sew motor has arrived 4
and been placed ca the boat The dre6eer
VIII set down Scott River quite distance this /
year
a oomuany having lands bonded at Carr
VILE and C0Iee creek Tor dredging has drill (
tns plant prospecting the ground.
Much work is in progress at the mines
in Sierra City. The Downieville Messen-
ger reports that after the iramway OF
the Mountain Mine, which was destroyed
hy- fire. shall be replaced large improve
nents viii be made. The rock-crusher 4
VIII be driven by electric motor. This I
plant viii also furnish lights for both
mine and mill and later viii be used TO
drive air compressors at the mine. The
trsmway IS aerial and is 5000 feet long. F.
with q vertical fall Of 100 feet. The mill 4
Is Of forty stamps. run by water power. 1
The management OF the Sierra Buttes 4
mine al Sierra City is increasing the ca /
pacity q its mill and Overhauling the /
machinery. 1t is the plan Of the owners
. 30 put in another fOrty-stamD mill next
season. There is said 70 be enough low
grade ore IN sight 10 last for many years.
SOME DEALS IN MINES.
The McGrath mines, in the Virgin Val
ley district. near Bloomfield, in Nevada
County. have been bonded TO Colorado
parties, who agree TO pay $4,000 for the
property i Il comes up TO their expecta-
tious and also TO commence work within
thirty days, 10 fully equip the mine for
operation on 4 large scale and to work
twenty-five days each month.
Concerning the sale OF the DeIamar re-