Year: 1861

THE Grass Valley National thus diseour-
ses on this topic;


At no previous period in the history of
Grass Valley has her great staple product,
gold bearing quartz, been raised in such
great profusion, or yielded so abundantly of
its precious mineral, as at this present wri-
ting. In the progress of work in this district
the mines, in all the principal leads have
now reached depth, universal experience in
other counties has proved To be determinate
of the real value of the mine. Heretofore
the most of the rock raised has been what is
usually termed surface rock" or such as is
taken from above the lowest water level, or
but few feet below that point. One and
another and another, has ventured upon the
hazardous undertaking of going down on the
vein, and exploring the same at q depth
where it has never been freed from the pres
ence of water, and where the corroding in
fluences of alternate exposure to air and wa
ter have never been allowed to exert their
disintegrating effects upon the flinty quartz
and where other agents, electrical or OF 9TH
er characteristics, have been allowed to work
out their results in the great mineral labora-
tory of Nature, undisturbed and unchanged
in their condition since first the morning
stars sang together in holy JOY over a new
created world. And now, almost without
exception, so far as We have been able TO
learn, these deep explorations have resulted
in complete success, and, in the aggregate,
have already produced an amount of conf
denoe which is felt in every department of
industry in town. Many mines which had
been worked down to the "water level" and
upon which labor had been suspended, thro
lack of confidence in their deeper yield, are
now in full and successful operation again,
with the assistance of steam drainage.


There are at this time not less than eigh-
teen or twenty steam pumps in operation in
and about Grass Valley, and from present
appearances there is little doubt but that the
most of our principal mines here will be
worked for an indefinite period of time. In
most cases, We understand, the veins have
not only proved richer, but much thicker as
they have been followed down.


As an instance, we might mention the
"Lone Jack, about two and q half miles
down the creek, which at its present level,
presents a clearly defined vein two feet thick
and from which they are raising, at this time,
about 90 tons of rock per day, which is
yielding a full average of 500 per ton. The
total cost of raising, hauling and crushing
the rock does not exceed ten dollars per ton,
leaving the lucky proprietors clear margin
of 800 per ton, or $500 per dayl


The same class Of facts hold equally true,
more or less modified in the value of the
rock, when applied to a majority of the veins
now being worked in this district. Quartz
mining here is no longer an experiment Of a
temporary nature, but may be considered a
fixed fact, and business which will increase
in extent as the mines are developed, until
they afford basis for a population, whose
industry will cover all our adjacent hills
with neat and comfortable cottages, and our
principal streets, throughout their whole ex
tent, with permanent business structures,
which shall be proof alike against the rava-
ges of time and the destroying element of
| fire.