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Lost Grass Valley Gold Rush History of the Wilhelm & Binkleman Pioneer Families by Waldo C.F. Potter (2024) (374 pages)
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Page: of 374
district, the Empire, Idaho-Maryland,
and North Star mines, all began on a modest scale in the 1850's and 1860's. Other
important mines that were developed at
early dates include the ‘Allison Ranch,
Golden Center, Norumbaguia, and Spring
Hill mines.
The first arrastra (rock crusher) in the
area was built in 1850 by a Mexican
miner, who probably came from Sonora,
Mexico. It was operated by mule power.
The first stamp mills were erected in 1851
by. Judge Walsh, J. Wright, and several
others. One mill was steam driven and the
others were driven by water power from
Wolf Creek. These mills were crude and
probably inefficient affairs, composed of
logs with iron shoes to crush the ore.
The arrival of the Cornishmen in the
late 1850's undoubtedly was a big help in
establishing Grass Valley as a successfulgold-quartz mining district. Also about
this time a number of Irishmen came to
the district to work in the mines.
The Cornish miners or Cousin Jacks
had a tradition of several centuries of deep
underground mining in the tin and copper
mines of Cornwall, England. Along with
their mining skills they brought their customs, beliefs, humor, speech, songs, and
specialty foods—saffron buns, and pasties
(meat and vegetable pies). Saffron buns
and pasties are still served in restaurants
in the area.
The Cornishmen were close knit and
ed because when a Cornish miner obtained employment, he. would ask the
foreman or superintendent, “ave ’e got a
job: for my Cousin Jack?’ A Cornish
tainer’s wife was known as “Cousin JenA “Tommyknocker”.
IDAHG-MARYLAND
SHAFT
EUREKA
1000 Feet ae
he Gabbro and diorite
Figure 6. General outline of the Eureka-lidaho ore shoot. After Johnston (1940).
The dienging or “drying” room, Empire Mine. The miners changed their clothes here
before entering the mine to work and upon completing a work shift.
A SS ere einen ener NWN EE TERR LESS DES EEE E
The Cornish miners also continued
their of si 1 Cornish Christmas carols on Christmas eve.
The Grass Valley Cornish Christmas
Carol Choir has been in existence ‘since
the Cornishmen first arrived here in the
1850's. Several times in the past, carols
were broadcast over the radio from deep
levels in the mines.
The Cornishmen had a firm belief in
“Tommyknockers.” These elfin or
gnome-like creatures lived in the mines
and protected the miners from cave-ins.
When a mine was about to cave in, the
Tommyknockers would tap on the timbers and rails to alert the miners of the
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY Match 1984
241
danger. They have been best
deseribed by old-time Cornishmen as “‘little fellows who ‘ave the miner’s best interest at ’eart.”
An extremely useful and simple, but
cumbersome, device that. was introduced
by these miners was the Cornish pump.
This was essentially a large timber pump
rod connected to a steam engine on the
surface. It operated with an up and down
motion and was used to keep the mines
dewatered. The pump rod extended down
into the mine and was connected to other
pumps on the various levels. Water was
lifted through pipes from one level to another and finally out of the mine.