Volume 11 (1865) (424 pages)

290 eae us She Bining antl —— Sricutific Press, Canmanicions, In ras Duvautanxt we invite the FREE biscusston of all Pronee Sub een cepunden(s alone being responsible for he ideas wid theories they advance. [Written for the Mining and Scientific Press.) Hints about Working Copper Oxes. Enrrors Mininc ann Serentirre Press:— I see your correspondents are agitating the subject of conper redncing, by smelting, and concentrating Ly water. It is a matter of much iniportance to onr State, and alittle light may be thrown upon it, by eacb contributing bis mite. Mr. Mosheimer advocates eoncentration hy water. In some cases it may he the best way of treating ores; but in most 1 believe it-will be vseless. Before we go fartber, we must iuquire what kind of ores can be concentrated, and what cannot: 1st. Ores thet eontain pyrites of a bigh grade (that is, but little sulphur and iron), and which are so nixed with gangue rock that they assay low, may be bettered by concentration. 2d. Ores containing purple and grey sulpharets, intermixed with pyrites, or such as are like the Lake Superior ores, contuiuing native copper. The gangue also has great influence upon conceutration ; slate, or sandstoues are easily separated ; lime, or magnesian stones, are more difficnlt. ‘Those which caunot be profitably concentrated, are pyrites containing much iron and sulphur. Tbe ores of this vicinity are a good example of this class. The Campo Seco mine has at least 15,000 tons of ore in sight, assaying from nine to twelve per ceut. There is scarcely any gangve ; but wholly iron, sulphur, and copper. If Mr. Moshcimer wonld look into the matter, he wonuld find inany of the hest mines ia the State of this character; their No. 1 ores assaying cighteen to tweaty per cent. If he would take a piece of the hest Keystone ore, and assay it, he would fiud it only twenty-five percent. Mow he could take the low grades from this mine and concentrate them to twenty-five per cent., ie a mystery to me. The gentleman tells us that the English and German metallurgists find concentration cheaper than smelting; but he should also have told ns that the ores tbey concentrate are very low—from one to five per cent.; and if the smelting works are not too distant, they consider it cheaper to smelt ores of sevea per ceat. than to concentrate farther. T have seen ores concentrate] in Canada. The cost there was ahout two dollais per tou. The ore, as it came from the mine, would assay froin two to three percent. ‘Ihe concentrated ore was usnally of three grades, viz: 20 per cent. 14 and 7; with a loss of one-fifth of the per cent by the operation. The advantages ia their favor were an abundance of clear water and cheap labor; the best hauds getting from seventy-five cents to one dollar per day, and boys fifty cents. ‘the ore was a high grade sulphuret, coataining but little iron and sulpbur, and mixed with purple and grey ore. We in California have none of these items in onr Iavor; at feast not in Calaveras, or the adjoining county of Amador. Water, such as ie necessury for concentration is scarce and high; labor bigh, and the ores not the right class. ‘Tbe Campo Seco miae bas tried kernel roasting, with only partial success. The ores by this process are treated in the following manner: They are first piled in the same way as for roasting, preparatory to smelting, only they are not covered so closely with tine ore. They should buru three mouths. The sulphar distills from the lumps, and the copper concentrates to the center, leaving the iron oxidized upon the surface. ‘This oxide is easily Kuocked off, ‘eaving a kernel of sulphide of copper, of a much higher per cent.; nine and ten per cent. ore giving seventeen per cent. kernel. ‘lhe main objections to this process is the cost ol assortiug the kernels, and the care it takes to perform the operation properly. The only practical way of treating our ores that I know ol, is smelting once, to make inatte of forty or forty-five per cent., and then shipping. The process of making copper is too complicated Tvr this country at present. It requires too much capftal, luel. and labor, and too great a variety of ores for any one tocality in the State. When we have cheap transporte. tion, and suitable coal. the business may be carried on succesefully at some poiut near San Francisco. ‘ Tbere are, no doubt, great obstacles in tbe way of even smelting once for matte. But we must recollect that ter per eent. ores are worthless to ship ; although in wany eases they are so intermixed with good ore that they must be taken out in order to get any shipping ore. Of course, the mine owners will dispose of snch ores at a low price. Ore of this description is worth in the Atlantic States $3.50, for unit of copper; here it can be bought for one dollar. Does this not leave a large margin for the smelter? . I will not attempt to sive any estimate of the cost of smelling. 1t has beeu done by » much more able person (Dr. DeHierry} in your colpmus. T think when you compare the value of fortyfive per cent. matte, in the Atlantie States or lurope, with twenty and fourteen per cent. concentrated ore, and recollect that there is a loss of one-fifth by the most skillful manipulation, and one-third more iu Low per eent. ore not worth shipping, you will see a large balance in favor ol smelting. W. B. Wesr. Canipo Seco, Calaveras. [Written for the Mining and Sctentifie Press.] Mining in Grass Valley. Entrors Minne axp Scientiric Press :— There is always something new turning up in this locality that interests the miner; new strikes are being inade alinost every day which astouish the oldest inhabitants of this section. Motber Eartb is yielding up her treasnres to the honest miner with liberal bands, as she always will do when songht after in a legitimate manuer. I would like to keep you posted witb regard to miniag interests in this locality by a letter every week ; but my labore are such as to require nearly twelve hopvrs of tbe day to attend to onr work, apd most of that time under ground. enveloped in a cioud of powder smoke; hence, I do uot feel like scribbling much. . see you clip an itein once in a while from the National and Union alout our mines. It seems strange to me that the editors of those journals, who profess to he so zealously auxious to build up the interests of this locality, do not come out and visit our miaes, with the view of giving more full and laithful reports of the saine. We seldom hear of their being down a mine; hence, it is supposed that they pick up such items as may chance to find their way to the streets, banking-houses, or express offices, where they visit, taking it for granted that it must be true that John Doe or Richard Roe has struck it rich. Come out, gentlemen. “ don the miner's duds,” and every superintendent in the vicinity will take pleasure in putting you throngh the miae, and you will see and hear understandingly of how our mines are being worked. Yom Findly & Co. have opened their Union Hill mine with very flattering prospects ; their ledge looks well. Of course nothing positive as to a permanent paying mine has been urrived at, as they have not had time to open the mine thoroughly. We may speak more positively of the atine in about six months from now. The Spring Hill mine is in course of beiug thoroughly opened; the incline is down 150 feet on thé Gourse ol the ledge ; the ledge varies Irom two to six leet thick ; nothiug definite as to the quality of tbe rock, they not baving crusbed any as yet; but judging from appearances, it ought to pay. Weare satisfied that il Capt. Day can fiud ro.k that peys $12 per ton, be will make it a handsome paying mine, The Captain deserves great credit lor the work be has put up on the mine; there is uone equal to it in this vicinity. The machinery is compact, useful, and durable. We understand that about 200 toas of ore has been taken out, which is to be crushed at the Gold Hill and Sebastopol mills. ‘the result of the crushing will be no positive proof ol tbe mine however; but when the Captain hus suuk three or four hundred leet, and extended his drifts about the same distance, he may count upoa something positive. We wish him success, and every other inan of bis stamp. We have heen looking for something to turn up in the Coe mine beside defective machinery und bad management, but neither see nor bear of any improvement as yet. We have heen told by the mivers working nnder ground that the vein is large, and shows considerable fine . gold, aud we xever doubt an honest miner / The Kureka mine continues to’ yield handsomely. This mine, as you have already told the public, has been sold. The Watt Bros. will, undoubtedly, make a better paying nine of it than the * Emperor ” did, by reasou of their superior judgment as mine munagers; but the Emperor has realized quite a fortune out of it. ‘the Seadden mine is yielding handsomely, from tbe rock taken out of the main shalt in eourse ol sinking. We regret to see the work of opening the ine in depth delayed for the” want of machinery, as we cannot cluss the. present works there as machinery at all; it is . a useless expenditure of money. We have) never seen su gross an oversight displayed by men who bave-practieal experience ; but we suppose a dollar looks as jarge to them as a eouch-wheel. In my letters, heretofore, I have omitted speaking of the Ophir nine; not that it was less deserving, but because the prospects of the . mine were such, that, notwithstaudiug they warranted a first-class nline, it is only recently that they have heen sulticiently developed to admit ol iny speaking witb ony degree of cer. tainty. In spite of the pred.etious of all the wise men ol this district to the contrary, tbose prospects have now revealed a splendid nune, . and it is amusing to hear those who condemned the Ophir lormerly, say that they always said and advised the old Empire company to prosecute tbeir work on the south grouud, whieh is to-day ibe most productive. We donbt very mneb if avother inan could be lound in this county who would have persevered half as loug as Captain Lee, with the disadvantages he had to contead with in developing the mive. The Captain was a perlect stranger to the place, und the material he hud to rely upon for ipformation in openiug the old mine was none of the best ; yet, be never despaired as long as there was a “ shot ip tbe locker.” Even when the Linscott patent drill could make no iupression on the rock, the Captain, seasoned with a good tetuper, broke tbrougb the crust, and is now rewarded withan Al mine. Such is almost invariably tbe reward of men who are determiaed to give any enterpnse a fair trial, with their energies directed in a legitimate manuer. We believe about $20,000 had beea spent before a ton of ore had been extracted thut paid anything over expenses. ‘lhis mine is owned by Captain Lee and Mr. Houston of your city. Captain Lee is the managing agent. ‘the miue is worked tbrough an incline shalt 450 Tect long, at an average angle of 35° ; the bottoni level is rau 450 teet, going through a fiae body of ore ground for 350 leet long, averaging tbree feet thick. ‘Lie hight of bucks ut present is 350 leet. As the level is extended the bucks become bigber, until solid ore ground to surtace is reached. ‘I'be average yield ol ore per day is lorty-five tons, workiag sixteen pairs ol meu; average yield per ton $35. “Ie comnpany have ouly six head of stamps, which crush about sixty-five tons per week. here are about 1,500 tuns ol ore ou the surface. With the present prospects the mine is destined to become one of the leading mives of this county. We bave never seen a finer lode ol ore in any mine bere. The company is sinking a new incline shaft 1134 feet, by 514 feet higb, with threc conipartments—two lor hoisting and one Tor the pump and foot-way. On this shaft is being erected one of Coltss’s engines, 12 inch cylinder, 24-inch stock ; boiler 15 feet long, by 45 inches in diameter, with 4-feet steam drant. This engine will hvist aud pump. ‘i‘here are to be two boisting reels six feet in diameter, working scparately and -independently. ‘Khe work oa this ergine will be completed some tine next mouth. every thing being done in the strongest aud most approved mauner. The new shaft will, no doubt. be conaected with the bottom, south level, in about foor months, when the mine will just tben be considered in a fair way of developmeut. With proper management, 100 tons will then be little enough to calculate on as the regular day’s boisting. Jn view of this, and the accumulating ores on surface, there is a new mill, of thirty stamps, being erected. ‘I'he engine torun this mill is 150-horse power, 18-inch cylinder, 42-inch stroke, two tubular boilers 16 feet long, 54 juches in diameter, witb large steam drums, flywheel to weigh seven tons. be stamps will be 750 pounds each, ten pans, and three large amalgamators, of the most approved make, will be put up. Messrs. Baux & Guiod have erected ove of their pans in the old mill, at their own expense, in order to test its capabilities. It has run about a week, and seenis to he just the pan for the work. Nodoubt the company will give all the different styles of pans a test, so as to arrive at the best. ‘I'he whole cost of the work now being erected on the Ophir mill will, undoubtedly, reach $75,000. The machinery for the mull.is being got up at the Vulcan Foundry in your city. We hope to give you a fair description of the mill as soon as erected, which wili be in about five months. The Redan mining company, incorporated in your city for the working of some mining ground here, have not been as successful as we could wish them—we bear of their suspending work for awhile. The company should not be ‘bave had a great influence upon capitalists whe diseouraged ; they should understand that the ground they purchased was not warranted paying ground, trom the fact that they only paid pabout $4,000 for it. dt was ouly a prospect. and notbing more, and, still remains so, as they have only commenced to develop the lode. [ ain satisfied that Mr. Mudy, their mine manager, who lias no superior in this county as a piacti. — eal miner. will find a mine there, i! it is to be Tound in this ground, and at the least possible . expense J am sorry to say that the Osborne Hill mine is idle, but whether for want ol brains or eapital to work it, I know not; but there is m more deserving mine.in. this township. It bas, anfortunately; been” in the hands ol inexpe. rienced mine managers. I have heard seine of opr miners pronounce it a pity that this mine had failed to pay; because its suecess wonld intended to invest in onr mines We hope all such capitalists who know no inore ot the business of mixing than those who last pndertook to work the Osborne Hill mine. will keep © out of Grass Valley. for they would certainly fail in making tbe best mine in our township ay. : Tandtetend the Burdette mine, owned by parties in New York, is looking favorable. It is to he hoped that the mine will prove good, for the repntation of our town is, in a measure, at stake on its suceess. Mr. Fisher is the superintendent who was sent here from New York. Jam not acquainted with the gentle man, and eonseqnently do not know whether he is a miner or not. He seéms to be a stirring © little fellow, however, and I hope he will strike a three-feet lode, which he says he can make make pay at $20 per ton. Ifthe ean’t make a smaller lode pay at less rates, he will not bea very successful manager in this township. : . Grass VaLLey. Grass Valley, Oct. 11, 1865. oe [Written for the Mining and Scientific Yress.) Mill Valley District, Calaveras County. Messrs. Enitoxs :—A few days ago, in company witb a gentleman from yonr city, I visited the diggings and miaes ot this thrifly little mining camp, walking up steep hills, dowa steeper gulches, and palling ourselves throngh chaparral, wbich was as thick as an Indian jungle, until my friend from San Francisco thought he felt an earthquake, wbich was nothing more than a cave in tbe inner man. We finally returned home, satisfied that we bad seen enough of the slide for one day, but’ did not discover the whisky. The placer diggings are now without water,” so there is little doing in them ; the cbief business, therefore, is quartz mining, which bids > fair to become a permanent thing and a paying institution, judging from tbe prospeet alreudy obtained. The first quartz claim we examined is known as the Whisky Slide lead, which is. divided into fifteen shares, of 200 feet each, sa: that the company own 3,000 feet ou the lead; they also own 2,800 leet in the Scbool Honse lead, which is close by. Whey have on the Whisky Slide, 600 feet from the shaft, a sinall 5-stamp steam prospecting mill, 8-horse power, which has been running since the 15th of September last. ‘hey are now about erecting a 15.stamp steam mill on the eite of the present one. I descended the sbaft, an incline now seventythree feet deep, and five hy seven leet in the clear. J found the vein about five feet wide, much broken and disturbed throughout the entire depth of the shaft. It is, however, well defined, having distinct walls, and pitching ) east at an angle of thirty degrees. The rock already crasbed has paid ten dollars per toa ; they had just cleaned np arun > . ee ee. i. oii, a pee of 48 tons as we got there, and therefore we did not see the mill at work. The parties ppt/ ting up the mill get balf the lead for so doing, and from present appenrances they have made a good trade. . Next adjoining is the French claim, ten . shares, or 2,000 feet. This claim is the oldest . in the district, having been opened in 1857 by Partroon, Hernan & Company, merchants of Esperanza, who, having foand some good rock bear the surface, were encouraged to go on prospecting. However, as they bad no knowledge tbemzelves of mining. they chose parties — todo the work who they knew to be good laborers, thinking, of course, that was all suffi. cient, but atter several months they found themselves minas two thousand dollars, and their lead apparently worthless—the inevitable consequence of unskilled labor in mining. It bas remained idle since then, until within @ few weeks ago, wben Mr. E. Wallace, an old

290 eae us She Bining antl —— Sricutific Press, Canmanicions, In ras Duvautanxt we invite the FREE biscusston of all Pronee Sub een cepunden(s alone being responsible for he ideas wid theories they advance. [Written for the Mining and Scientific Press.) Hints about Working Copper Oxes. Enrrors Mininc ann Serentirre Press:— I see your correspondents are agitating the subject of conper redncing, by smelting, and concentrating Ly water. It is a matter of much iniportance to onr State, and alittle light may be thrown upon it, by eacb contributing bis mite. Mr. Mosheimer advocates eoncentration hy water. In some cases it may he the best way of treating ores; but in most 1 believe it-will be vseless. Before we go fartber, we must iuquire what kind of ores can be concentrated, and what cannot: 1st. Ores thet eontain pyrites of a bigh grade (that is, but little sulphur and iron), and which are so nixed with gangue rock that they assay low, may be bettered by concentration. 2d. Ores containing purple and grey sulpharets, intermixed with pyrites, or such as are like the Lake Superior ores, contuiuing native copper. The gangue also has great influence upon conceutration ; slate, or sandstoues are easily separated ; lime, or magnesian stones, are more difficnlt. ‘Those which caunot be profitably concentrated, are pyrites containing much iron and sulphur. Tbe ores of this vicinity are a good example of this class. The Campo Seco mine has at least 15,000 tons of ore in sight, assaying from nine to twelve per ceut. There is scarcely any gangve ; but wholly iron, sulphur, and copper. If Mr. Moshcimer wonld look into the matter, he wonuld find inany of the hest mines ia the State of this character; their No. 1 ores assaying cighteen to tweaty per cent. If he would take a piece of the hest Keystone ore, and assay it, he would fiud it only twenty-five percent. Mow he could take the low grades from this mine and concentrate them to twenty-five per cent., ie a mystery to me. The gentleman tells us that the English and German metallurgists find concentration cheaper than smelting; but he should also have told ns that the ores tbey concentrate are very low—from one to five per cent.; and if the smelting works are not too distant, they consider it cheaper to smelt ores of sevea per ceat. than to concentrate farther. T have seen ores concentrate] in Canada. The cost there was ahout two dollais per tou. The ore, as it came from the mine, would assay froin two to three percent. ‘Ihe concentrated ore was usnally of three grades, viz: 20 per cent. 14 and 7; with a loss of one-fifth of the per cent by the operation. The advantages ia their favor were an abundance of clear water and cheap labor; the best hauds getting from seventy-five cents to one dollar per day, and boys fifty cents. ‘the ore was a high grade sulphuret, coataining but little iron and sulpbur, and mixed with purple and grey ore. We in California have none of these items in onr Iavor; at feast not in Calaveras, or the adjoining county of Amador. Water, such as ie necessury for concentration is scarce and high; labor bigh, and the ores not the right class. ‘Tbe Campo Seco miae bas tried kernel roasting, with only partial success. The ores by this process are treated in the following manner: They are first piled in the same way as for roasting, preparatory to smelting, only they are not covered so closely with tine ore. They should buru three mouths. The sulphar distills from the lumps, and the copper concentrates to the center, leaving the iron oxidized upon the surface. ‘This oxide is easily Kuocked off, ‘eaving a kernel of sulphide of copper, of a much higher per cent.; nine and ten per cent. ore giving seventeen per cent. kernel. ‘lhe main objections to this process is the cost ol assortiug the kernels, and the care it takes to perform the operation properly. The only practical way of treating our ores that I know ol, is smelting once, to make inatte of forty or forty-five per cent., and then shipping. The process of making copper is too complicated Tvr this country at present. It requires too much capftal, luel. and labor, and too great a variety of ores for any one tocality in the State. When we have cheap transporte. tion, and suitable coal. the business may be carried on succesefully at some poiut near San Francisco. ‘ Tbere are, no doubt, great obstacles in tbe way of even smelting once for matte. But we must recollect that ter per eent. ores are worthless to ship ; although in wany eases they are so intermixed with good ore that they must be taken out in order to get any shipping ore. Of course, the mine owners will dispose of snch ores at a low price. Ore of this description is worth in the Atlantic States $3.50, for unit of copper; here it can be bought for one dollar. Does this not leave a large margin for the smelter? . I will not attempt to sive any estimate of the cost of smelling. 1t has beeu done by » much more able person (Dr. DeHierry} in your colpmus. T think when you compare the value of fortyfive per cent. matte, in the Atlantie States or lurope, with twenty and fourteen per cent. concentrated ore, and recollect that there is a loss of one-fifth by the most skillful manipulation, and one-third more iu Low per eent. ore not worth shipping, you will see a large balance in favor ol smelting. W. B. Wesr. Canipo Seco, Calaveras. [Written for the Mining and Sctentifie Press.] Mining in Grass Valley. Entrors Minne axp Scientiric Press :— There is always something new turning up in this locality that interests the miner; new strikes are being inade alinost every day which astouish the oldest inhabitants of this section. Motber Eartb is yielding up her treasnres to the honest miner with liberal bands, as she always will do when songht after in a legitimate manuer. I would like to keep you posted witb regard to miniag interests in this locality by a letter every week ; but my labore are such as to require nearly twelve hopvrs of tbe day to attend to onr work, apd most of that time under ground. enveloped in a cioud of powder smoke; hence, I do uot feel like scribbling much. . see you clip an itein once in a while from the National and Union alout our mines. It seems strange to me that the editors of those journals, who profess to he so zealously auxious to build up the interests of this locality, do not come out and visit our miaes, with the view of giving more full and laithful reports of the saine. We seldom hear of their being down a mine; hence, it is supposed that they pick up such items as may chance to find their way to the streets, banking-houses, or express offices, where they visit, taking it for granted that it must be true that John Doe or Richard Roe has struck it rich. Come out, gentlemen. “ don the miner's duds,” and every superintendent in the vicinity will take pleasure in putting you throngh the miae, and you will see and hear understandingly of how our mines are being worked. Yom Findly & Co. have opened their Union Hill mine with very flattering prospects ; their ledge looks well. Of course nothing positive as to a permanent paying mine has been urrived at, as they have not had time to open the mine thoroughly. We may speak more positively of the atine in about six months from now. The Spring Hill mine is in course of beiug thoroughly opened; the incline is down 150 feet on thé Gourse ol the ledge ; the ledge varies Irom two to six leet thick ; nothiug definite as to the quality of tbe rock, they not baving crusbed any as yet; but judging from appearances, it ought to pay. Weare satisfied that il Capt. Day can fiud ro.k that peys $12 per ton, be will make it a handsome paying mine, The Captain deserves great credit lor the work be has put up on the mine; there is uone equal to it in this vicinity. The machinery is compact, useful, and durable. We understand that about 200 toas of ore has been taken out, which is to be crushed at the Gold Hill and Sebastopol mills. ‘the result of the crushing will be no positive proof ol tbe mine however; but when the Captain hus suuk three or four hundred leet, and extended his drifts about the same distance, he may count upoa something positive. We wish him success, and every other inan of bis stamp. We have heen looking for something to turn up in the Coe mine beside defective machinery und bad management, but neither see nor bear of any improvement as yet. We have heen told by the mivers working nnder ground that the vein is large, and shows considerable fine . gold, aud we xever doubt an honest miner / The Kureka mine continues to’ yield handsomely. This mine, as you have already told the public, has been sold. The Watt Bros. will, undoubtedly, make a better paying nine of it than the * Emperor ” did, by reasou of their superior judgment as mine munagers; but the Emperor has realized quite a fortune out of it. ‘the Seadden mine is yielding handsomely, from tbe rock taken out of the main shalt in eourse ol sinking. We regret to see the work of opening the ine in depth delayed for the”

want of machinery, as we cannot cluss the. present works there as machinery at all; it is . a useless expenditure of money. We have) never seen su gross an oversight displayed by men who bave-practieal experience ; but we suppose a dollar looks as jarge to them as a eouch-wheel. In my letters, heretofore, I have omitted speaking of the Ophir nine; not that it was less deserving, but because the prospects of the . mine were such, that, notwithstaudiug they warranted a first-class nline, it is only recently that they have heen sulticiently developed to admit ol iny speaking witb ony degree of cer. tainty. In spite of the pred.etious of all the wise men ol this district to the contrary, tbose prospects have now revealed a splendid nune, . and it is amusing to hear those who condemned the Ophir lormerly, say that they always said and advised the old Empire company to prosecute tbeir work on the south grouud, whieh is to-day ibe most productive. We donbt very mneb if avother inan could be lound in this county who would have persevered half as loug as Captain Lee, with the disadvantages he had to contead with in developing the mive. The Captain was a perlect stranger to the place, und the material he hud to rely upon for ipformation in openiug the old mine was none of the best ; yet, be never despaired as long as there was a “ shot ip tbe locker.” Even when the Linscott patent drill could make no iupression on the rock, the Captain, seasoned with a good tetuper, broke tbrougb the crust, and is now rewarded withan Al mine. Such is almost invariably tbe reward of men who are determiaed to give any enterpnse a fair trial, with their energies directed in a legitimate manuer. We believe about $20,000 had beea spent before a ton of ore had been extracted thut paid anything over expenses. ‘lhis mine is owned by Captain Lee and Mr. Houston of your city. Captain Lee is the managing agent. ‘the miue is worked tbrough an incline shalt 450 Tect long, at an average angle of 35° ; the bottoni level is rau 450 teet, going through a fiae body of ore ground for 350 leet long, averaging tbree feet thick. ‘Lie hight of bucks ut present is 350 leet. As the level is extended the bucks become bigber, until solid ore ground to surtace is reached. ‘I'be average yield ol ore per day is lorty-five tons, workiag sixteen pairs ol meu; average yield per ton $35. “Ie comnpany have ouly six head of stamps, which crush about sixty-five tons per week. here are about 1,500 tuns ol ore ou the surface. With the present prospects the mine is destined to become one of the leading mives of this county. We bave never seen a finer lode ol ore in any mine bere. The company is sinking a new incline shaft 1134 feet, by 514 feet higb, with threc conipartments—two lor hoisting and one Tor the pump and foot-way. On this shaft is being erected one of Coltss’s engines, 12 inch cylinder, 24-inch stock ; boiler 15 feet long, by 45 inches in diameter, with 4-feet steam drant. This engine will hvist aud pump. ‘i‘here are to be two boisting reels six feet in diameter, working scparately and -independently. ‘Khe work oa this ergine will be completed some tine next mouth. every thing being done in the strongest aud most approved mauner. The new shaft will, no doubt. be conaected with the bottom, south level, in about foor months, when the mine will just tben be considered in a fair way of developmeut. With proper management, 100 tons will then be little enough to calculate on as the regular day’s boisting. Jn view of this, and the accumulating ores on surface, there is a new mill, of thirty stamps, being erected. ‘I'he engine torun this mill is 150-horse power, 18-inch cylinder, 42-inch stroke, two tubular boilers 16 feet long, 54 juches in diameter, witb large steam drums, flywheel to weigh seven tons. be stamps will be 750 pounds each, ten pans, and three large amalgamators, of the most approved make, will be put up. Messrs. Baux & Guiod have erected ove of their pans in the old mill, at their own expense, in order to test its capabilities. It has run about a week, and seenis to he just the pan for the work. Nodoubt the company will give all the different styles of pans a test, so as to arrive at the best. ‘I'he whole cost of the work now being erected on the Ophir mill will, undoubtedly, reach $75,000. The machinery for the mull.is being got up at the Vulcan Foundry in your city. We hope to give you a fair description of the mill as soon as erected, which wili be in about five months. The Redan mining company, incorporated in your city for the working of some mining ground here, have not been as successful as we could wish them—we bear of their suspending work for awhile. The company should not be ‘bave had a great influence upon capitalists whe diseouraged ; they should understand that the ground they purchased was not warranted paying ground, trom the fact that they only paid pabout $4,000 for it. dt was ouly a prospect. and notbing more, and, still remains so, as they have only commenced to develop the lode. [ ain satisfied that Mr. Mudy, their mine manager, who lias no superior in this county as a piacti. — eal miner. will find a mine there, i! it is to be Tound in this ground, and at the least possible . expense J am sorry to say that the Osborne Hill mine is idle, but whether for want ol brains or eapital to work it, I know not; but there is m more deserving mine.in. this township. It bas, anfortunately; been” in the hands ol inexpe. rienced mine managers. I have heard seine of opr miners pronounce it a pity that this mine had failed to pay; because its suecess wonld intended to invest in onr mines We hope all such capitalists who know no inore ot the business of mixing than those who last pndertook to work the Osborne Hill mine. will keep © out of Grass Valley. for they would certainly fail in making tbe best mine in our township ay. : Tandtetend the Burdette mine, owned by parties in New York, is looking favorable. It is to he hoped that the mine will prove good, for the repntation of our town is, in a measure, at stake on its suceess. Mr. Fisher is the superintendent who was sent here from New York. Jam not acquainted with the gentle man, and eonseqnently do not know whether he is a miner or not. He seéms to be a stirring © little fellow, however, and I hope he will strike a three-feet lode, which he says he can make make pay at $20 per ton. Ifthe ean’t make a smaller lode pay at less rates, he will not bea very successful manager in this township. : . Grass VaLLey. Grass Valley, Oct. 11, 1865. oe [Written for the Mining and Scientific Yress.) Mill Valley District, Calaveras County. Messrs. Enitoxs :—A few days ago, in company witb a gentleman from yonr city, I visited the diggings and miaes ot this thrifly little mining camp, walking up steep hills, dowa steeper gulches, and palling ourselves throngh chaparral, wbich was as thick as an Indian jungle, until my friend from San Francisco thought he felt an earthquake, wbich was nothing more than a cave in tbe inner man. We finally returned home, satisfied that we bad seen enough of the slide for one day, but’ did not discover the whisky. The placer diggings are now without water,” so there is little doing in them ; the cbief business, therefore, is quartz mining, which bids > fair to become a permanent thing and a paying institution, judging from tbe prospeet alreudy obtained. The first quartz claim we examined is known as the Whisky Slide lead, which is. divided into fifteen shares, of 200 feet each, sa: that the company own 3,000 feet ou the lead; they also own 2,800 leet in the Scbool Honse lead, which is close by. Whey have on the Whisky Slide, 600 feet from the shaft, a sinall 5-stamp steam prospecting mill, 8-horse power, which has been running since the 15th of September last. ‘hey are now about erecting a 15.stamp steam mill on the eite of the present one. I descended the sbaft, an incline now seventythree feet deep, and five hy seven leet in the clear. J found the vein about five feet wide, much broken and disturbed throughout the entire depth of the shaft. It is, however, well defined, having distinct walls, and pitching ) east at an angle of thirty degrees. The rock already crasbed has paid ten dollars per toa ; they had just cleaned np arun > . ee ee. i. oii, a pee of 48 tons as we got there, and therefore we did not see the mill at work. The parties ppt/ ting up the mill get balf the lead for so doing, and from present appenrances they have made a good trade. . Next adjoining is the French claim, ten . shares, or 2,000 feet. This claim is the oldest . in the district, having been opened in 1857 by Partroon, Hernan & Company, merchants of Esperanza, who, having foand some good rock bear the surface, were encouraged to go on prospecting. However, as they bad no knowledge tbemzelves of mining. they chose parties — todo the work who they knew to be good laborers, thinking, of course, that was all suffi. cient, but atter several months they found themselves minas two thousand dollars, and their lead apparently worthless—the inevitable consequence of unskilled labor in mining. It bas remained idle since then, until within @ few weeks ago, wben Mr. E. Wallace, an old