The Mother Lode of California [pp. 401-412]

THE MOTHER LODE OF C4ALIFORNzI.
about one-half has been absorbed by
cost of mine and current expenses. The
company has its property well opened
and in good condition, with a very complete plant, including a forty-stamp mill,
giving a monthly clean -up of about
$40,000ooo.
Within the limits of this location, we
have another example of those local obliquities and that singular disposition of
ore-bodies and conformation of strata
that occur at intervals along the Mother
Lode. The main channel-here over 300
feet wide on the surface, contracting to
one-third of that space 400 feet below-is
filled with a mass of slate, through which
run numbers of quartz-veins, conforming
with the strike of the ledge and the stratification of the inclosing slates. The
hanging-wall of the lode pitches here at
an angle of seventy, and the foot-wall of
forty, degrees. The two bands of quartz
-standing, the one at the upper, and
the other near the lower, edge of this
channel-being so far apart, were originally located as separate claims, the
former under the name of the Spring
Hill, and the latter of the Keystonewhich name was retained and applied to
both, after the two sets of claimants,
finding the veins were likely to unite,
had consolidated their interests. In exploiting this ground, two working-shafts
have been sunk-the one carried down
in the upper stratum of quartz lying next
to and inclining with the hanging-wall,
and the other in the slate near the footwall —the system of small veins imbedded in the slaty mass (and which are
now being stoped out) being reached by
drifting in from this lower shaft. The
structure of the vein, and disposition of
ore-bodies here met with, though of frequent occurrence on the Mother Lode,
would elsewhere be considered wholly
anomalous.
Traveling south, we arrive, in turn, at
the Lincoln (now more commonly known
as the Stanford and Downs), the Ma
hony, and the Maxwell mines-all, after
some mishaps and back-sets, now permanent and thrifty institutions, with wellappointed mills and hoisting- works, and
material sufficient to keep them profitably employed for some time at least.
Next we have the Amador- Hayward
Mine, already described, after which,
having passed one or two others of lesser note, we come to the Oneida, another
prosperous and sterling property. Not
only is the mine and management here
first-class, but the mill and plant throughout constitute a model in their way; all
the recent labor-saving appliances and
otheradvance improvements having been
introduced, adding greatly to the efficiency of the several processes required in
treating the ores, and effecting a notable
economy of manual labor, now the principal factor in bullion production. This
mine has been opened to a perpendicular depth of 700 feet, the ore improving
steadily in the lower levels, and averaging now about $20 per ton. The mill,
carrying sixty stamps, disposes of about
Ioo tons of ore daily, the amount raised
from the mine. This company has ore
enough uncovered to keep the mill running for three or four years, and but for
the temporary failure of the Sutter Canal Company, would, before this, have
greatly increased their milling capacity;
it being still their intention to put up another mill, to be driven by water, as soon
as this canal is finished, which will probably be in the course of the next twelve
months. With water for a propulsive
power, this company expect to be able
to raise and mill their ores at a cost not
to exceed $2.50 per ton.
Passing the Hardenberg Mine - a
hopeful property, with a good twentystamp mill and substantial hoisting
works, but not just at present actively
operating-we reach the Kennedy, another standard mining estate, complete
in its appointments, and under full and
successful headway. The ore here yields
[Nov.
4I0