Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-02-09
A BIG VENTURE TO BE
TRIED IN PLACER MINING
Iwo-Step Centrifugal Pump TO
Clear Mine of Water - Gravel
to Be Hoisted l2O Feet.

Grants Pass, Portland and Boston
men are to inaugurate a mining ven.
ture near Yreks that will be a big
undertaking and be a new method of
drifting for gold. The company re-
Gently organized to handle this propo-
sition Is known as the Blue Gravel
Mining Company aud is composed of
H. A. Corliss, W. T. Cope and Charles
Gray Of Grants Pass. Carl N. Jones Of
Portland and G. A. Rimbach of Boston.
Mr.. Corliss, who is one Of the most sue
cessful hydraulic miners in Southern
Oregon. will have charge of the work
at the mine. Mr.. Gray, who is also
an expert in placer mining, will be
the foreman under Mr.. Corliss. Mr..
Gray will go to the mine next week
taking his wife with him. Mr., Cor
liss left for the mine Tuesday, but
his family will remain in Grants
Pass. Mr.. Jones, the Portland part
ner has been in Grants Pass for the
past 10 days. and he accompanied
Mr.. Corliss to Yreka. Mr.. Jones is a
mining engineer and machinist and
will have charge Of installing, the
machinery that will be used.
The property embraces half mile
of the channel of Greenhorn gulch, a
tributary of Yreka creek. and mile
and half from the town of Yreka.
This mine was worked for several
years and over $3.50, 600 in gold taken
out, but for the last two years it has
been tied up in litigation and idle.
The pay rravel, SO far as worked, has
proven very rich and averages about
200 feet wide in the ancient channel.
Ii is 120 feet to bedrock and large
quantity of water to handle has made
it serious matter to work the mine.
The mine is now equipped with two
boilers, one of 60 and the other 40 H.
P. that operates large plunger
pump To keep the mine clear of
water with this kind of pump proved
a very expensive job, as the sand cut
out the pumps so fast.
A new equipment entirely has been
ordered for the mines. A two-step,
centrifugal pump capable Of handling
500 gallons of water minute will be
installed, as will also larger and
faster hoist for raising the gravel.
The present equipment will be used fol
clearing out the mine and keeping the
water down while the new pump can
be set. 1t will be placed down in the
mine and will shove the water to the
surface. The power will be on the
surface and will be transmitted to the
pnmp by shaft. Steam power will
be used for the present, but il favor
able terms can be secured electric
power will be taken from the Siski
you Electric Company's plant at Fail
creek on the klamath river. 1t is
estimated that only flow of 250 gal.
Ions per minute will have to be taken
out of the mine, so the new pump
will be able to keep the workings clear
of water. This water is used foi
washing the gravel and is ample fol
the purpose.
The entire bed of the ancient chan
mel will be worked, the earth above
being held up by large timbers as fast
as the gravel is removed. The grave
on being hoisted to the surface viii
be run through sluice boxes to take uI
the gold, the tailings then being rur
onto dump. As the water is q
steady underground supply mining
can be carried on in the Summer as
we'll as in Winter, and it will be the
plan of the company to carry on WORK
the year around. Mining men who
are familiar with the property agree
that it is one of the richest mines il
Siskiyou county, and when properl'
equipped and worked will be one Of
the biggest gold producers on the
Pacific Coast. Manager Corliss ex
poets to put on large force of men,
so soon as the new equipment is in
stalled, and work will be carried OF