The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-10-17
MINES 4N9 MINING
Famous Gold Rush to Whisky Flat
in the Early Fifties Is Recalled
and Described by David Jones

( that there were any mines there. ROg
ers and his partners were all south.
erners and gave confederate names to
all the veins they took up. There was
the JEFF Davis, Bull Run, Beauregard
Lady Belle. Frank Urbana. ETC., all rich
and showing free gold in the crop
pings: a mill of eight wooden stamps
weighing 800 pounds each was erected
and they we're soon taking out from
$4,000 to $4,000 per month with an
expense not exceeding $4,000 per month
was nthe shaft OF the Beauregard
and OF a depth of 65 feet the vein was
five feet wide and the rock was pick
ing and shoveling, milling $40 per ton
One man could send out Of the shaft
| ten tons in day. II was soft thing.
The Big Blue was overlooked, but was
located afterward. l. w. Sumner and
Lovely Rogers located a part Of the
Big Blue and called 1t the Summer
Mining company. the stock of which
commanded over $500 share for two
years.
Kernville became Furnishing place
Of business. The discovery and work.
ing of the Kernville mines was a great
incentive to prospecting and resulted
in the discovery of the Clear Creek
quartz mines by Ben Mitchell. Cap
italists became interested and mining
flourished.
During this time the town of Havilah
was built, and later became the county
seat of Kern county. Havllah in the
COS was avid place. Everything ran
wide open. Kit Carson's daughters,
Carmicita and Malcedie, were great at
fractions at the dances. The first man
killed was Ben Mitchell, one Of the
first discoveries Of the mines. Shoot.
ings were frequent Ned Burke leased
the Big Blue mines at Kernville, struck
rich ore. took out $4,000 with a 20
stamp mill the first months run.
Burge had Charles Stong, who had
constructed an 80-stamp silver mill on
the Comstock, build an exact duplicate
at the Big Blue. The seventh annual
report Of the United tSates commits
sioners of mining statistics in refer
ence to this mill states: 1.-THE tailings
viii be allowed to run off into Kern
river and be lost 1t Is more probable
that the intention was from the be-
ginning, to rush through the mill large
quantities Of quartz, get out what gold
could be obtained by simple and easy
methods, and get rid Of the rest as
soon as possible. The old Benton mills
on the Mariposa grant, of which Ash
burner, believe, once said, that they
worked more cheaply and more waste
fully than any others in the state
were planted on the banks of the Big
Blue are planted on the Kern river
ried down stream, out Of the way, but
there. it could at least be said. that
the ore usually treated was not full
Of sulphates while here. 1t is rich in
arsenical pyrites; sooner or later this
company will save it's tailings to the
tangible advantage of It's exchequer."
Ned Burke started his friend, Green.
In store. He could play poker as
high as Ned could He has been
known to climb the high flag pole az
midnight and then yell like an Indian.
Ned Burke was good thing. Gambl-
ers. heard Of it and came from all parts
Of the state to get their share of
money that Ned was distributing with
lavish hand.
While the Big Blue was running un-
der the management Of Ned Burke the
mines of Bodfish creek were discov-
cred by Welch and Andrews. on d.
vide between Ehskine creek and Bod
fish, The mines were in slate. the
veins small but high grade. They
erected water power arrastras upon
Erskine creek about three miles above
Hot Springs. The Washington district
creek. Some Of the veins were very
rich and produced much high grade
ore. Many mines were discovered upon
Piute mountain, notably the Bright
Star. The ore was rich and produced
a large amount. While the Big Blue
and the other mines were in operation
the surrounding country was prosper
Gus and the Harley mine was discov-
cred on the east side of Kern river,
near the top Of an almost perpendicu-
lar mountain, two thousand feet above
the river. On Bull Run creek mines
that carried pure silver were also
worked.-Bakersfield Californian.