Year: 1866

The town of Shasta is now proven TO De
the centre of the best mining district IN tne
world. This is broad assertion, but pres
ent prospects justify all we have eald. D's
tant from the town seven miles. in direct
line west, is the South Fork silver discovery
sufficiently prospected to justify the assertion
that it has no parallel for extent or richness.
Passing thence south east, two miles, 10
Muletown. and the Z. Potosi," Jollie, and
other gold bearing claims exist Thence 10
Middletown, distance of about three miles,
and ledge upon ledge crop out in such pro-
fuseness as to astonish old miners from other
districts that they lie unimproved. In all
of them gold is found in the cropplngs.-
Thence to Lower Springs, distance OF TWO
and half miles easterly from Middletown,
and same distance southerly from Shasta, and
the Union mine presents itself, with four
stamp mill upon it. In that immediate VI
cinity is field of lodes cropping out. nearly
all showing free gold in the groupings, and
possessing a world of wealth. Pass on
eastward and northerly, and the eye may
rest upon q new lode before losing sight Of
the one close at hand. Cross the river at
Waugh's Ferry, two miles east of Shasta,
and proceed easterly to Quartz Hill. Your
path is strewn with gold bearing lodes from
the river to the Hill, three miles, and then
you strike the father of quartz lodes. 1t is
called the i" Daddy" and is at least hun.
dred feet high by as many in width. cropping
boldly out for the admiration of the passer by
There, too, is the g Harrison" belonging tc
the Mammoth Company, which is being
thoroughly prospected, showing rock of i'm
mense value-noted more particularly else
where in this issue. Proceed thence in any
direction, and the same bewildering web Of
lodges present themselves to the eye.


But to return from tho east side: We star,
again from Waugh's Ferry and travel north
westerly; go through the Spring Creek and
Flat Creek country, lying north of Shasta,
and distant from three to seven miles, and
the same indications are seen and equally
gold prospects obtained. Pass over the di
viding ridge to Whiskytown, five miles north
west from Shasta, and there it is again,
quartz, quartz, all the time. Go on out to
French Gulch, fifteen miles in the same
direction, and you find the Washington mill
and by far the best developed mine in the
county. A little farther on is the Highland
the best paying mill in the county to date. A
little further and the Honeycomb mill pre-
senss itself, with mine of great richness.
Many other lodges have been prospectcd in
that locality and good returns obtained
From French Gulch return along the sides OF
odd Bally," and your steps are upon quartz
constantly, with bold groupings looking ont
at intervals. Keep along down on the west
side of Clear Creek, to the silver mines and
opposite the Potosi and the same prospects
present themselves.


1t is the very great wealth and extent Of
our mines which fills the quartz miner with
wonder, bewilders him, and makes him un
certain where to begin. We venture the
assertion that there is paying quartz within
a radius of FIVE miles around Shasta to sup
port and pay population of SO, 900 working
men, to say nothing of the millions of dollars
worth Of machinery it would call into opera


tion-all easy of access. Such is our condi


ton, and yet we wait wait for more enter


prising generation to develope this grea


wealth.