The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-16
MINING N CALIFORNIA
FIRST HALF YEAR 1877
SLIGHT DECLINE IN DEEP GOLD
MlNtNc-GlGANTic DREDG.
ING OPERATIONS.

While the general mineral industry
of California has shown exceptional
activity for the first six months OF
1917, as compared with the conditions
lin the first half OF 1915, gold mining
has been suffering a period OF depres-
sion, according to Charles g. Yale, OF
the United States geological survey,
department of the interior. He re-
ports that the United States mint at
San Francisco and local shelters and
refiners, are in receipt of about the
J same quantity Of gold and silver In
the first five months of 1917, as in
the corresponding period Of 1916,
proving that no advance in output has
been made, Notwithstanding the open
J ing of new gold mines and reopenins
of all old ones This is almost entire
lily due to conditions in the deep gold
mines of the state, and especially the
more important producers in the five
Mother Lode counties. Investigation.
has shown that thus far in 1917, the
expenses of gold production have in
, creased over IS per cent above the
costs in 1916. due to extra cost of Ia
} Dor and supplies and increased taxa
} ton. The scarcity of skilled. and
even unskilled labor, has compelled
many mine owners to hang up" part
of their stamps for some months this
year because they have been unable
to extract the normal quantity of ore.
Machine men, such as those who oper-
: ate drills, have gone to munitiOn
D obtain better wages than in the mines.
) Good timber men are particularly
: scarce as are good miners. Other ad-
joining states have been and are offer
ing higher wages than prevail in the
|, California mines although wages have
been raised in this state, Copper
> mines give bonus based on value OF
Z the metal and that has also attracted
men from the deep gold mines. The
, California debris commission has been
vigorously enforcing it's regulations as
Q to control Of debris or tailings from
, deep mines, as well as gravel proper
ties. AS result many deep mines
have had to construct retaining bar
! riers or dams at considerable expense
and delay to impound the tailings and
9 prevent their. passing into streams
, (which may carry them to the naviga-
{ bic rivers. All these things have COM
bined to affect rather disastrously, the
g gold mining industry. and especially
, at time when gold itself has not the
I purchasing power 1t formerly had. For
I these reasons 1t is noted that, while
q California has always been famed for
v its gold mines, they are at present less
other metals more or less in unusual
e demand under war conditions.
e On the Mother Lode.
During the first half of 1917 the pro-
e ducing mines in the Mother Lode
e counties of the state have been labor
e ing under the difficulties mentioned
e yet there have been certain activities
D worthy Of notation. Both the Ken
e nedy and Argonaut companies, the
most productive operators in Jackson
: district of Amador county, have reach
J, ed and slightly exceeded vertica
$ depth of. 1000 feet in their respective
d shafts, and both are at that depth ex-
tracing exceptionally rich ore, which
e is matter OF great encouragement tC
: other Mother Lode miners who have
4 not reached such depths in their pro-
v perties. Rehabilitation of the famous
old Eureka Cor Hetty Green) mine al
Suffer creek, in the same district Is
proceeding rapidly and retimbering
I the old workings, after unwatering, is
;, nearly finished. A complete new cleo
trical equipment has been placed in
4 the mine. 1t is 40 years since this
3 mine was previously worked and 1t
1 has been filled with water ever since.
q The depth of the main shaft is 2O63
feet The shaft of the Hardenburg
. mine. in the same county has been
unwatered and the properties reopen
, ed. This property has been twice
abandoned but sufficient capital has
now been supplied to carry on opera
, tons properly. The Lincoln CONSOLE
a dated group, in the same district, COM
: prising the Lincoln, Wildman- Mahon-
ey, and other old once-worked mines,
is again being worked after years Of
, idleness. The Oneida, idle for years
, is also being rehabilitated; and the
Kennedy company has purchased and
is reopening the leila at Jackson.
Gravel Mining.
The gravel mining industry of CAL
ifornia, including dredge and hydraul-
ic operations is much more prosper
Gus than quartz mining. having few
of the drawbacks mentioned as relat-
ing to deep mines. Some features of
the latest style of dredge, put into OPP
teration this year by the Yuba Consol-
idated Goldfelds in the Yuba county
field are Of interest Its capacity is
$4,000 cubic yards of auriferous gra-
vel monthly, with an estimated work
ing cost of 3h cents per cubic yard.
The dredge buckets hold IS cubic feet
each, and the machine will dig to a
depth of 81 feet below the surface Of