Lost Grass Valley Gold Rush History of the Wilhelm & Binkleman Pioneer Families by Waldo C.F. Potter (2024) (374 pages)

The following four pages are from The Gold Quartz Veins of Grass Valley, California by W.D. Johnston, Jr., United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1949, pages 83, 84, 85, and 86. MINES development in November 1934 is given in figure 59. The mine has since been closed. The mine lies wholly in granodiorite. A greenstone dike striking northwest and dipping 20° NE. is exposed on the 100-foot level, and similar dike rock is exposed on the 200-foot level and was encountered in the two diamond-drill holes in the footwall of the Phoenix vein. Asingle aplite dike is also exposed in the 200-foot level. The Phoenix vein strikes a little east of north and dips at an average angle of 45° NW. Like all the veins of the granodiorite area, the fracture zone is complex and contains many individual fractures with undulating dips ranging from 25° to 80° and locally varying strikes. The distance between the principal vein walls, as defined by the enclosed highly ankeritized granodiorite, ranges between 2 and 18 feet. The quartz ranges from a thin seam to a vein 3 feet or more thick. Though most of the quartz is of the massive milky type, comb quartz and sheared and brecciated quartz are present. The distribution of gold in the quartz is erratic. Assays range from a few cents to $100 or more to the ton. The thickness and assay values of a part of the vein on the 200-foot level are shown graphically in figure 31. A second vein lying in the footwall of the Phoenix vein is exposed on the north end of the 200-foot level and was encountered in the diamond-drill hole at the south end of the level. OTHER VEINS OF THE OMAHA SYSTEM Lindgren’s map shows a number of other veins striking north and dipping west in the vicinity of the Omaha and Allison Ranch mines, but little’is now known about them. VEINS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE GRANODIORITE AREA SOURCES OF INFORMATION Extending from the town of Grass Valley southeastward to the end of Osborne Hill are a series of northwardto northwestward-striking veins that dip 35° W. This vein group includes the Pennsylvania and Empire mines and several older mines, now inactive. South of the Pennsylvania all the veins crop out in diabase and dip toward the granodiorite contact. The mines at the north end of the group enter the granodiorite in depth, but those at the south end do not reach it. Only the Pennsylvania, Empire, and some connected workings of the W. Y. O. D. and Rich Hill mines were open during the field seasons spent in the district. Through the courtesy of the Empire Co., maps of the abandoned mines were obtained, and the following descriptions of the mines that are no longer accessible are based, to a large degree, upon information given on those maps. PENNSYLVANIA MINE History and production.—-The Pennsylvania vein was discovered in 1870, and the Pennsylvania claim was 200 83 patented in 1879. By 1890 an inclined shaft 345 feet in depth had been sunk and 1,500 feet of drifts and crossecuts opened. By 1898 the shaft had been deepened to 700 feet and the drifts extended to a total of 3,000 feet. In 1890 an apex suit was begun by the Grass Valley Exploration Co., owners of the adjacent W. Y. O. D. mine, against the Pennsylvania Mining Co., and the Pennsylvania brought a counter suit.* Much development work was necessitated by the suit, and the resources of both companies were severely drained. In 1902 the court decided in favor of the Pennsylvania Mining Co., and in lieu of damages all the property of the Grass Valley Exploration Co. was awarded to the Pennsylvania, In 1915 the Empire Mine & Investment Co. purchased the Pennsylvania and W. Y. 0. D. Production of the Pennsylvania and W. Y, O. D. mines, 1898-1909 Yield per ton Ore Gold Year crushed Production (goid at $20.67 . (ounces per (tons) > per once) ton}! 1898. 2, 921 . $77, 263 $26. 45 L. 28 6, 634 . 138, 116 20. 82 1. 00 18, 080 . 245, 247 18. 55 . . 65 --. 24, 001 221, 816 9. 24: . 44 Se 26, 082 . 144, 382 5. $3 . . 28 cmomarual 25, 889 . 167, 346 6.46 . . 3 — .-., 13, 916 88, 318 6, 34 .3l 1909..-.-[ #2, 933 300, 564 7. 00 . 34 . 1, 883, 052 } Approximate figures derived by dividing yield per ton in dollars by 20.67. No allowance is made for silver. Geological relations.-The principal veins of the Pennsylvania mine are the Pennsylvania and X veins. Developments on the Pennsylvania vein and in the adjoining W. Y. O. D. mine are shown in figure 60, developments on the X vein in the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines on plate 31, and the relations of the deep workings of the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines on plate 32, which also shows the general structural and wall-rock relations. Figure 62 is a section through the veins. The Pennsylvania shaft follows the Pennsylvania vein from the surface down to the 700-foot level. Near this level the shaft intersects the Pennsylvania-X vein junction and continues downward in the footwall of the X vein to the bottom at the 2,500-footlevel. In the deep levels the Pennsylvania vein leaves the footwall of the X vein several hundred feet north of the shaft. The relations of the two veins are shown in figure 61. Both the Pennsylvania and X veins lie wholly within granodiorite, X vein —-The X vein, which-has been worked from the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines, has been described on pages 77~78. It is characterized by its width, unusually persistent strike, and heavy gouge. Much of the movement has been postquartz. The @ Federal Reporter, vol. 117, pp. 509-524, 1902. Lindley, C. E1., A treatise on the Amertcan law relating to mines and mineral lunds, 3¢ ed., vol. 2, pp. 1482-1490, 1914.

The following four pages are from The Gold Quartz Veins of Grass Valley, California by W.D. Johnston, Jr., United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1949, pages 83, 84, 85, and 86. MINES development in November 1934 is given in figure 59. The mine has since been closed. The mine lies wholly in granodiorite. A greenstone dike striking northwest and dipping 20° NE. is exposed on the 100-foot level, and similar dike rock is exposed on the 200-foot level and was encountered in the two diamond-drill holes in the footwall of the Phoenix vein. Asingle aplite dike is also exposed in the 200-foot level. The Phoenix vein strikes a little east of north and dips at an average angle of 45° NW. Like all the veins of the granodiorite area, the fracture zone is complex and contains many individual fractures with undulating dips ranging from 25° to 80° and locally varying strikes. The distance between the principal vein walls, as defined by the enclosed highly ankeritized granodiorite, ranges between 2 and 18 feet. The quartz ranges from a thin seam to a vein 3 feet or more thick. Though most of the quartz is of the massive milky type, comb quartz and sheared and brecciated quartz are present. The distribution of gold in the quartz is erratic. Assays range from a few cents to $100 or more to the ton. The thickness and assay values of a part of the vein on the 200-foot level are shown graphically in figure 31. A second vein lying in the footwall of the Phoenix vein is exposed on the north end of the 200-foot level and was encountered in the diamond-drill hole at the south end of the level. OTHER VEINS OF THE OMAHA SYSTEM Lindgren’s map shows a number of other veins striking north and dipping west in the vicinity of the Omaha and Allison Ranch mines, but little’is now known about them. VEINS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE GRANODIORITE AREA SOURCES OF INFORMATION Extending from the town of Grass Valley southeastward to the end of Osborne Hill are a series of northwardto northwestward-striking veins that dip 35° W. This vein group includes the Pennsylvania and Empire mines and several older mines, now inactive. South of the Pennsylvania all the veins crop out in diabase and dip toward the granodiorite contact. The mines at the north end of the group enter the granodiorite in depth, but those at the south end do not reach it. Only the Pennsylvania, Empire, and some connected workings of the W. Y. O. D. and Rich Hill mines were open during the field seasons spent in the district. Through the courtesy of the Empire Co., maps of the abandoned mines were obtained, and the following descriptions of the mines that are no longer accessible are based, to a large degree, upon information given on those maps. PENNSYLVANIA MINE History and production.—-The Pennsylvania vein was discovered in 1870, and the Pennsylvania claim was 200 83 patented in 1879. By 1890 an inclined shaft 345 feet

in depth had been sunk and 1,500 feet of drifts and crossecuts opened. By 1898 the shaft had been deepened to 700 feet and the drifts extended to a total of 3,000 feet. In 1890 an apex suit was begun by the Grass Valley Exploration Co., owners of the adjacent W. Y. O. D. mine, against the Pennsylvania Mining Co., and the Pennsylvania brought a counter suit.* Much development work was necessitated by the suit, and the resources of both companies were severely drained. In 1902 the court decided in favor of the Pennsylvania Mining Co., and in lieu of damages all the property of the Grass Valley Exploration Co. was awarded to the Pennsylvania, In 1915 the Empire Mine & Investment Co. purchased the Pennsylvania and W. Y. 0. D. Production of the Pennsylvania and W. Y, O. D. mines, 1898-1909 Yield per ton Ore Gold Year crushed Production (goid at $20.67 . (ounces per (tons) > per once) ton}! 1898. 2, 921 . $77, 263 $26. 45 L. 28 6, 634 . 138, 116 20. 82 1. 00 18, 080 . 245, 247 18. 55 . . 65 --. 24, 001 221, 816 9. 24: . 44 Se 26, 082 . 144, 382 5. $3 . . 28 cmomarual 25, 889 . 167, 346 6.46 . . 3 — .-., 13, 916 88, 318 6, 34 .3l 1909....-..-[ #2, 933 300, 564 7. 00 . 34 . 1, 883, 052 } Approximate figures derived by dividing yield per ton in dollars by 20.67. No allowance is made for silver. Geological relations.-The principal veins of the Pennsylvania mine are the Pennsylvania and X veins. Developments on the Pennsylvania vein and in the adjoining W. Y. O. D. mine are shown in figure 60, developments on the X vein in the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines on plate 31, and the relations of the deep workings of the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines on plate 32, which also shows the general structural and wall-rock relations. Figure 62 is a section through the veins. The Pennsylvania shaft follows the Pennsylvania vein from the surface down to the 700-foot level. Near this level the shaft intersects the Pennsylvania-X vein junction and continues downward in the footwall of the X vein to the bottom at the 2,500-footlevel. In the deep levels the Pennsylvania vein leaves the footwall of the X vein several hundred feet north of the shaft. The relations of the two veins are shown in figure 61. Both the Pennsylvania and X veins lie wholly within granodiorite, X vein —-The X vein, which-has been worked from the Pennsylvania, Empire, and North Star mines, has been described on pages 77~78. It is characterized by its width, unusually persistent strike, and heavy gouge. Much of the movement has been postquartz. The @ Federal Reporter, vol. 117, pp. 509-524, 1902. Lindley, C. E1., A treatise on the Amertcan law relating to mines and mineral lunds, 3¢ ed., vol. 2, pp. 1482-1490, 1914.