Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-07-16
MINING INDUSTRY OF
SOUTHERN OREGON
U. 5. Geological Survey Issues Ad-
vance Chapter from Bulletin
No. $50.

The U. S, Geological Survey has is
sued another publication covering an
important industry of Jackson and
Josephine counties. The following
are excerpts from the same:
"The most productive gold quartz
mines which were in operation in
this area during the summer of 1908
were the Braden and the Opp. The
Granite Hill and Mountain Lion
mines, although not now being work
ed, have also been fairly important
producers within the last few years.
There are many mines and prospects
on which work is now being done,
some of which have never produced,
some of which have produced values
of few hundred dollars, and a few
of which have produced values of
several thousand dollars. At pres
ent some development is in progress
on new prospects and on mines which
were until recently closed. The total
gold production of the gold quartz
mines of the area in 1907 was about
$40, 900.
Many of the veins and veinlets
have never produced important
bodies of ore, but only pockets"
some of which, although filling but
small spaces, were remarkably rich,
the gold usually having been coarse
In general the main part of the gold
in these pockets has been taken from
depths less than 25 feet from the
surface.
"The veins and veinlets run in all
directions. However, a comparison
of the more persistent of them show
ed that more lie in an east-west
direction than in a north-south direc-
tion. The dips of the veins vary
greatly; most of them have fairly
high dips, but some are nearly flat
and some are vertical. The width
Of the veins are usually less than one
foot; a great many are considerably
less and in some places they form
an intricate network of stringers.
On the other hand, there are veins
with widths of more than 10 feet;
in such veins either horses are pres
ent, separating the vein into several
parts, and there is decided breccia-
tion of the materials
Following this introduction is a
description of the Braden, Granite
Hill, Mountain Lion and other mines
In regard to the placer mines, the
= pamphlet says;
The placer mines of Jackson and
Josephine counties produced in 1907
gold to the value of $229,575, OF
: which $107722 came from Jackson
county and S121,5SS from Josephine
county More than 10 per cent OF
the production of Jackson county
and more than 80 per cent of that OF
Josephine county came from the area
. described in this report. The brief
districts contributing to this produc-
ton are the Gold Hill, the Foots
Creek, the Applegate and the Jack
sonville districts, In Jackson county;
and the Althouse and Sucker Greek
the Williams Creek, the Waldo ant
the Kerby districts in Josephine
county.
"The gravel deposits that are be
ing mined in these districts vary II
thickness from a few feet to mor
than so feet The average thickness
of the gravels of all the importan
= mines is more than 90 feet, The ma
terial of the deposits range fror
fine clay with but few boulders L
IS gravels that contain boulders weigh
ing several tons. The boulders are
as rule fairly well rounded wher
the gradients of the stream are steer
but where the gradients are Hattie,
they are subangular and even az
e gular. The predominating boulder
In the prayplg are RrppngtOnps. bU
the kind OF boulders vary In the al
Dt ferent stream beds In accordanC
with the various kinds Of rock
- which the valleys have been cut.
ID many of the deposits the coarse
n material Is at or near the bedrocI
! but in some the boulders are som
" what uniformly distributed througl
~ out the section OF the grayels,
ed THE gold contents OF the grave
y, varies greatly. In some OF the be
lu mines the average value is from
a 10 40 cents a cubic yeard The be
TO values have usually been found
,x, or near the base OF the deposit. Mu'
OF Of the gold is fine but nuggets a
n. frequently found.
J." placer mining Is carried on chic
so " during the first half OF the ye
10, when the supply Of water Is mt
eu abundant A few mines are SO euui