Volume 017-2 - April 1963 (2 pages)

‘ aS , awe , THE EMPIRE MINE carried on vigorously. This paid off, for by 1883 the Empire entered upon a new era of prosperity. This new surge of enthusiasm could not have been possible had it not been for “Those Cornish Pumps’’. A. B. Foote, commenting on the Cornish pump _ said: “They were the most reliable and efficient means of keeping water down in deep mines. A Cornish pump in a verticle shaft is simple enough, but the idea of taking a wooden rod down the long and crooked shafts characteristic of this district, following the ups and downs of the veins, would seem to be practically impossible. Think of a mass of wood and iron strung out for a distance of half a mile, weighing altogether over 135,000 pounds, moving back and forth six feet at a stroke, four times a minute, and doing that night and day for forty years.” With the introduction of water power in 1884, the surface plant was enlarged from twenty to forty stamps and the recovery process greatly improved. In 1896 George Starr returned from South Africa and took over management at ' . the Empire. A large sum of money was appropriated and development work went forward with results that exceeded all expectation. By 1898, gold recovery technology had advanced to the stage where ‘the Empire plant was entirely reconstructed, making it the most up to date mill in the state. In 1899 a reorganization as the EMPIRE MINES AND INVESTMENT COMPANY brought in many more adjacent mines and claims into the Empire family. The contribution by the Cornish miners during the 19th Century is recognized. They brought deep mines knowledge to Grass Valley at a time when the inexperienced placer miners were having difficulty in their newly developed role as hard rock miners. The ‘‘Cousin Jack” miner remained to add his conservatism and social and religious culture to the Northern Mines. During the next 29 years there was a steady increase in production and during the period 1899 to 1928, a total of $10,000,000 in dividends was paid to its shareholders. Another reorganization in 1928 broadened the existing wide coverage of the Empire and it was incorporated under the new name of ‘THE EMPIRE MINES.” In this year, an eastern mining firm was diligently examining all of the working Grass Valley mines in order to diversify its operation. The findings were satisfactory, and on May 1, 1929 the greatest merger in Western mining history took place when the EMPIRE STAR MINES COMPANY, LIMITED was formed by the union of the Empire group, the Pennsylvania group and the North Star group. This placed some 3700 mineral acres under the one ownership and made this the giant among all of the western gold mines. This was probably the most important and fortunate stage in the history of Grass Valley and its mines. The Great Depression struck and industry and commerce in the United States came to a grinding halt. Not so the mines — they continued on under the impetus of greater available man power and builded an imaginary barrier around Nevada County which prevented the great worldwide depression from affecting the mining towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City. This prosperity continued until 1942, when World War II conditions changed the orderly and routine course of life in these hills. Under the pressure of war time planning, interests in our administration that were apparently unsympathetic to our local welfare caused the infamous L-208 Order to close down all the gold mines in our country. As it would have appeared unpatriotic to resist this unnecessary action, the operators complied, which in effect was probably the blow that can be traced to the final closing of the mines for all time. The 1935 ceiling price of gold at $35.00 an ounce continues to this day, while the cost of equipment and supplies have more than doubled. The ever rising cost of labor contributed in no lesser degree. In 1945 the mining industry finally succeeded in overcoming this discriminatory L-208 action against the gold mines. The damage done by the 1-208 Closing Order had been thorough and complete. The mines were unable to recover and gain their prewar status. The period of years from 1945 to 1956 were conducted at a loss, with only a hope that the value of gold might be adjusted to present recovery costs, and the hope that the courts might look with favor upon the suits of the mines to recover the great unnecessary costs of the shut-down years of 1942 to 1945. Neither of these conditions were to come, and in 1956 the mines were forced against the wall with no alternative but surrender, and attempt to salvage some of their investment of equipment and land. In January of 1957, liquidation of machinery and equipment began, and on May 7th, the EMPIRE STAR MINES COMPANY merged with the parent company and liquidation is being completed under the name of NEW VERDE MINES COMPANY. As of 1963, the company has completed disposal of thousands of tons of machinery and supplies. The orderly and planned sale of thousands of acres of its forest lands is proceding so that these lands can now be released, after being confined to mining use during the past 100 years. All is quiet now at the Empire Mine. Frequently, tourists visit the site and stop and read the brief wording on the bronze plaque mounted on the masonry gate post at the Empire office building. Some can mentally picture the great activity cf the past years. Others are amazed and cannot comprehend such depth figures as 11,007 feet; such a scope as 350 miles of underground workings, and a crew of 750 men digging for GOLD in the OPHIR HILL LEDGE. —+— PELTON WHEEL TO BE PART OF MINING MUSEUM The Pelton Wheel Site on Lower Mill Street was deeded to the City of Grass Valley by the Empire New Verde Mines. Progress is being made to renovate the buildings for a Mining Museum. One of the largest Pelton wheels in the World was used for power for compressors for the North Star Mine. The Pelton wheel will be part of the Mining Museum, which will be operated by the Nevada County Historical Society.

‘ aS , awe , THE EMPIRE MINE carried on vigorously. This paid off, for by 1883 the Empire entered upon a new era of prosperity. This new surge of enthusiasm could not have been possible had it not been for “Those Cornish Pumps’’. A. B. Foote, commenting on the Cornish pump _ said: “They were the most reliable and efficient means of keeping water down in deep mines. A Cornish pump in a verticle shaft is simple enough, but the idea of taking a wooden rod down the long and crooked shafts characteristic of this district, following the ups and downs of the veins, would seem to be practically impossible. Think of a mass of wood and iron strung out for a distance of half a mile, weighing altogether over 135,000 pounds, moving back and forth six feet at a stroke, four times a minute, and doing that night and day for forty years.” With the introduction of water power in 1884, the surface plant was enlarged from twenty to forty stamps and the recovery process greatly improved. In 1896 George Starr returned from South Africa and took over management at ' . the Empire. A large sum of money was appropriated and development work went forward with results that exceeded all expectation. By 1898, gold recovery technology had advanced to the stage where ‘the Empire plant was entirely reconstructed, making it the most up to date mill in the state. In 1899 a reorganization as the EMPIRE MINES AND INVESTMENT COMPANY brought in many more adjacent mines and claims into the Empire family. The contribution by the Cornish miners during the 19th Century is recognized. They brought deep mines knowledge to Grass Valley at a time when the inexperienced placer miners were having difficulty in their newly developed role as hard rock miners. The ‘‘Cousin Jack” miner remained to add his conservatism and social and religious culture to the Northern Mines. During the next 29 years there was a steady increase in production and during the period 1899 to 1928, a total of $10,000,000 in dividends was paid to its shareholders. Another reorganization in 1928 broadened the existing wide coverage of the Empire and it was incorporated under the new name of ‘THE EMPIRE MINES.” In this year, an eastern mining firm was diligently examining all of the working Grass Valley mines in order to diversify its operation. The findings were satisfactory, and on May 1, 1929 the greatest merger in Western mining history took place when the EMPIRE STAR MINES COMPANY, LIMITED was formed by the union of the Empire group, the Pennsylvania group and the North Star group. This placed some 3700 mineral acres under the one ownership and made this the giant among all of the western gold mines. This was probably the most important and fortunate stage in the history of Grass Valley and its mines. The Great Depression struck and industry and commerce in the United States came to a grinding halt. Not so the mines — they continued on under the impetus of greater available man power and builded an imaginary barrier

around Nevada County which prevented the great worldwide depression from affecting the mining towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City. This prosperity continued until 1942, when World War II conditions changed the orderly and routine course of life in these hills. Under the pressure of war time planning, interests in our administration that were apparently unsympathetic to our local welfare caused the infamous L-208 Order to close down all the gold mines in our country. As it would have appeared unpatriotic to resist this unnecessary action, the operators complied, which in effect was probably the blow that can be traced to the final closing of the mines for all time. The 1935 ceiling price of gold at $35.00 an ounce continues to this day, while the cost of equipment and supplies have more than doubled. The ever rising cost of labor contributed in no lesser degree. In 1945 the mining industry finally succeeded in overcoming this discriminatory L-208 action against the gold mines. The damage done by the 1-208 Closing Order had been thorough and complete. The mines were unable to recover and gain their prewar status. The period of years from 1945 to 1956 were conducted at a loss, with only a hope that the value of gold might be adjusted to present recovery costs, and the hope that the courts might look with favor upon the suits of the mines to recover the great unnecessary costs of the shut-down years of 1942 to 1945. Neither of these conditions were to come, and in 1956 the mines were forced against the wall with no alternative but surrender, and attempt to salvage some of their investment of equipment and land. In January of 1957, liquidation of machinery and equipment began, and on May 7th, the EMPIRE STAR MINES COMPANY merged with the parent company and liquidation is being completed under the name of NEW VERDE MINES COMPANY. As of 1963, the company has completed disposal of thousands of tons of machinery and supplies. The orderly and planned sale of thousands of acres of its forest lands is proceding so that these lands can now be released, after being confined to mining use during the past 100 years. All is quiet now at the Empire Mine. Frequently, tourists visit the site and stop and read the brief wording on the bronze plaque mounted on the masonry gate post at the Empire office building. Some can mentally picture the great activity cf the past years. Others are amazed and cannot comprehend such depth figures as 11,007 feet; such a scope as 350 miles of underground workings, and a crew of 750 men digging for GOLD in the OPHIR HILL LEDGE. —+— PELTON WHEEL TO BE PART OF MINING MUSEUM The Pelton Wheel Site on Lower Mill Street was deeded to the City of Grass Valley by the Empire New Verde Mines. Progress is being made to renovate the buildings for a Mining Museum. One of the largest Pelton wheels in the World was used for power for compressors for the North Star Mine. The Pelton wheel will be part of the Mining Museum, which will be operated by the Nevada County Historical Society.