The San Francisco call., 1907-03-11
Great Mining Schemes
Under Way in State
Dredging in. Mohave Desert to
Be Taken Up on Big Scale


ing regions Of California are promised
one Of the greatest projects is a plan
10 mine a prehistoric river bed in the
Moiave Desert with a dredger. Six
teen thousand acres Of land situated
in the southeastern part OF the county
Of San Bernardino have been entered.
Four miles south of the lands there
are artesian wells that can furnish the
water needed by the dredgers. Many
thousands Of acres IN the desert are
supposed 10 carry gold
Large developments are promised IN
Placer County as a result or the ols-
covery OF ore in Volcano Canyon mace
by NJ Savage and j. W Drummond-
since George Wingdeld purchased a
mine in that section for $4,000. more
than $50 mining locations have been
made in the vicinity. The claim is
made that some Of the ore Of the Vol
cano Canyon is so rich that three
pounds Of rock contain two pounds
OF gold.
While this may be an exaggerated
report, witnesses say that the per
oentage OF gold is probably the largest
vet discovered in the rocks OF Califor-
MA The story is that fssure vein
from is inches to feet in thickness
has been traced for more than 5000
feet from the South Fork OF the ATneri-
can River northwesterly and that the
walls are characteristic Of the mother
lode formation extending through
Placer. FL Dorado, Amador, CalaVeras
and Tuolumne counties. From one
place in the new Wingheld mine, the
story goes, from $4,000 to $4,000 have
been taken out in gold in a day
NEW COPPER DEVELOPMENTS
The Redding Searchlight IS authority
for the statement that French Gulch
in Shasta County, besides being the
best gold district in the county, may
develop into copper smelling district
on large scale" Large interests
are reported to be back OF the de-
velopment Of the gulch, the same that
are backing the Jack Cannon group
OF copper claims In the gulch and
also behind the Bully Hill Company
and the La Grange mining enterprise
IN Trinity County.
IN Shasta County the Balaklala min
ing interests are reaching out for ad
ditional ground. The sheridan group
OF copper claims has been taken in
by the Balallala. They lie between
the Balal1lala and the Stoweu groups
The Balaklala Company is reported TO
have paid for the StOwen groups re-
Gently the sum Of S135,000- The pur-
chase of the Sheridan group, otherwise
known as the Shaughnessy fractional
claims. give the Balaklala management
control OF a solid and compact area Of
mining ground.
RED METAL IN PLACER
The Placer Herald says that well
defined copper lOdes have been discOv-
cred IN Placer County in the slope to-
ward the Bear River The develop
ments 10 date are limited TO the Bear
River watershed. but there may be
paying quantities of the red metal in
other parts OF the county. The sec
tiOn extending from Clipper Gap
through the Iron Mountain property
and westward TO where the foothills
meet the valley east Of Sheridan has
yielded the largest quantity OF copper
discovered in Placer.
Prospect holes have been sunk along this
line and the Peter Oest ranch on Bear
River and on the French ranch. Specimens
of ore have been taken out at the Oest ranch
carrying high per cent or copper but the
work has not been prosecuted. The same can
be said Of the French claim. At the Valley View
mine the ore carries gold ranging from 81 10
SO per ton and per cent copper, This mine
hss been solo Il Is reported, 70 Seattle capital
lists who viii develop the mine on large
scale. The aim Of the former owners was
10 get the gold.
At the Dairy Farm copper Is present but
the owners are taking out the ore for its gold
and its sulDhide, which yields big returns IN
sulphuric acid l. G. Trent who sold the
Dairy Farm mine has bought several hundred
acres of The old Iron Mine property and is
cleaning the three shafts sunk there years ago
u III
and the ore converted into pig iron by
the H0taling Company.
Copper was found there. and from Trenf's
mode of prospecting II may be taken that he
considers the iron groupings cap 10 the
copper ore. He has several men at work. bur
VIII increase the force as he can DO II 10
advantage. hoist VIII be built. new
boiler has been hauled there and Hotaling, long
dead. viii be- very much alive this summer.
Land adjoining has been bonded.
Nearer Auburn and adjacent TO the Ophir
mining district is the Big Pine mine which
rnf
IS 10 this county but the ore Is here and
money VIII bring II into the worlds marts
electric roads and lights. The next discovery
may be cinnabar
LAwSON's TRINITY MINE
Tom Lawson's corporation, the Trim
ity Copper Company, is at work on its
property at Kennett. Bunkhouses have
been constructed sufficient TO accom-
modate nearly 200 men. Twenty cot
tages are also in course Of construc-
tion near the Shasta King mine At
least 200 men viii be employed by the
company. If present indications are in
dicative. before the close OF the coming
summer. An aerial tramway will be
constructed between the Shasta King
and Balaklala mines. These evidences
Of mining activity in the north are
supplemented by the work going on at
Keswick where the Mountain Copper
Company has 200 men employed. The
first furnace OF the smelter TO be
blown in viii be in operation sOon
Since the strike in Volcano Canyon
by Savage e. Drummond many claims
have been located in Placer county in
the Roach Hill Bath and Forest Hill
districts. Twenty claims were located
in four days
The miners in Southern California
are interested in the construction OF
the smelter 10 be placed near San
Pedro. A site has been secured. The
plant viii have an initial daily capacity
Of 500 tons and a capacity for 1000
tons before the end of the year. The