The San Francisco call., 1909-01-11
Operations in Grass Valley
Mines Promising
North Star Properties Paying Dividends and the
Empire Is to Be Exploited at Deeper Level


The North Star mines company de-
clared four dividends to it's stockhold-
ers, the majority Of whom are resi-
dents Of Grass Valley district, as rep
resenting the earnings from operations
in 1908 The fourth dividend of the
series for the year amounted to $751;
500. and the four dividends together
were, in total. $4,000 The properties
are. the North Star and the Central
mines. In the treasury of the company
there is remaining. as reported to the
stock holders. the sum of $3.50. 900, held
as reserve to provide for contin-
gencies.
The Grass Valley. Union said that,
while no report has been officially made
regarding the amount of ore that has
been blocked out In the North Star
company's mines there is enough to
make the mines continuous producers
for 80 or 40 years. George B.
Agnew has been elected president of
the company lie was the vice presi-
dent when James D. Hague was pres
ident of the corporation.
The Oldest recorded gold quartz mine
in California, the Empire in the Grass
Valley district. will be exploited below
the present deep level of 400 feet. The
management has voted to install a
mammoth system of pumps to make 1t
possible to sink the main shaft. The
Empire dates back to the finding of
gold in the matrix or vein at Cold Hill,
in October 1850 Recounting history
of great interest to all gold miners
in California, the Nevada City Miner
Transcript says
Even with that discovery no location was made
by the discoyerer man named Mcknight, and
ii was not until later in the same year, when
what is now known as the Empire vein, or sys-
tenn Of veins discovered that location was
made. And that discovery led TO the old sys-
tenn of location of claims which prevailed in
California until the federal mining laws were
put into effect in 1856, each claim being 100
feet square
So it VIII be seen that the Empire is the old
est recorded gold quartz mine In the state, and
it is still one of the very greatest of our gold
producers. with an annual output approximating
81 coo. 600. 1t has been working most of the
time for 5S years its shaft is 3,400 feet deep, 1t
has scores of miles of levels opened in those
subterranean depths, its product must be in the
neighborhood of $50, 600 000 and still the pros
poets are so good today that the company is con-
sidering plan of extending the shaft and the
drifts and Slopes down to an indefinite depth.
This decision of the Empire mines company
should prove an encouragement to the quartz
miners Of this state who are inclined to give up
when they meet with obstacle in the form of
barren zone. The Empire mine has had
mines of Grass Valley, which is the pioneer
of deep mining. 1t shows that true dssure veins
go down interminable depth in the ground
The shaft of the North Star mines company, in
the Grass Valley district, has attained depth
of over 5000 feet without any diminution in
the size value of the vein and the late James
D. Hague, president of the company and one of
the most eminent geologists and mining engi-
Deers of his time figured that he would be able
to sink a distance of 9.oe0 feet without en-
countering any natural distractions es
The Rainbow mine in the Allegheny
district, in Sierra county, has been
bonded to L. P Woodbury., manager of
the Red Star mine. The Rainbow is
owned by II. h Noble of San Fran
cisco. A large sum is said to be in
volve in the deal The Rainbow has
figured largely in the mining produc-
ton of California The sum of $780,
600 was extracted in a short time, and,
according to reports, $4,000 was taken
out in two days. Noble has been op-
Grating the mine several years
tt
According to local reports. a big ore
body has been discovered in the ST.
IBERIA mine, in the Columbia Hill min
ing district, of which the Grass Valley
Union said:
The discovery resulted from recent blast on
the $50 foot leyel of the niue, The ledge at
this point is II feet and it has not been gone
through yet. Free gold can be seen in any part
of the and il assays good. The quartz is
similar to the found in the Tonopah district
and about two feet of the ledge is smelling ore