Volume 031-4 - October 1977 (8 pages)

miners were leaving for more promising localities. The few left turned to explore the possibilities of the many quartz ledges that had been uncovered. The California mine, later named the Gaston, built a stamp mill and the first ore milled was a sensation to the Ridge. It ran from nine to fifteen dollars to the ton. Gaston Ridge came back to life. The Jim mine, partly owned by George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst, the publisher, was opened. The Birchville, Baltic, Ethel, Orion, Star and many other “Good Prospects” followed. Of the Star, the Nevada City Daily Gazette reported: ‘“‘This mine showed great promise. The first thing the company did was to erect a stamp mill, but when it was completed they had no rock to mill as the ledge was not opened.” MurdersMore Hit Gaston Ridge The third murder on the Gaston Ridge took place in 1861. W. Meyers shot Valentine Brand during a quarrel, at the California mine, over the decision given by Brand in a foot race. There were witnesses this time and Meyer was committed to the State Prison at San Quentin. Today, one hundred and sixteen years later, a weathered head board on a knoll above the former town of Gaston, marks Valentine Brand’s grave. In 1863 the California’s stamp mill was destroyed by fire. Although the ledge was large and favorably situated for mining and the owners had realized a good profit, it was not sufficient to justify the erection of another mill. Following this fire the California mine went through a few years in which it experienced everything that could possibly happened to a mine. Abandonments, relocations, sheriff's sales, auctions, disagreements between partners, a miners’ strike, new superintendents and owners, almost by the dozen, closing down and opening up and a new name--Gaston Ridge Mining Company. Gaston Ridge Mining Company A large saving in the cost of operation of the mine was made to power the stamp mill, when a switch was made from steam to water. The water was from the North Bloomfield ditch, which ran through the Gaston property. Construction of this ditch to carry water from Bowman dam to the hydraulic operations of North Bloomfield area was started in 1868, and completed in 1870. It was four-feet wide at the bottom and six-feet wide at the top, with a fall of 14-feet to the mile and had a total length of 43-miles. An average of 700 Chinese workers were Gaston Mine Mill. In 1898 the Gaston Mine, above Washington, was organized under the management of Dana Harmon and became an important gold producer. By 1907 the Gaston had recovered more than $1,000,000. The mine below shows ore cars and mule at the tunnel entrance. employed at $35 a month in the construction. To supply lumber for the flumes of this ditch brought new life to the lumber mills of Graniteville and Gaston Ridge. This ditch was also used to float timber and firewood down from higher elevations to the Gaston and other mines. While all the smaller mines on the Ridge were compelled to suspend operations during the winter months, the Gaston made every effort to keep working. From two-to-four teams of six-horses each were employed in hauling freight to the mine from the depot of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge R.R. in Nevada City, in the summer and fall of 1900. Weather permitting, a large crew of wood cutters were kept at work all year. Even then, in a “hard winter” it was a tough scratch to have enough firewood to keep the people, employed at the mine, comfortable in their houses. As the water in the ditch often froze up, leaving the stamp mill without power, 9 shift was made one year to steam, but it took 3% cords a day. ata cost of three-dollars a cord, to keep a ten-stamp mill going, so a shift back to water for power was made. In the fall of 1877, while helping to corral some cattle that were to be slaughtered during the winter to provide meat for the miners, T. W. Latta, who thenowneda 1/3 interest in the mine, was knocked off his horse and gored to death by a bull. He was the most active mine owner, stage line operator, storekeeper and ditch builder in the Washington Mining District.

miners were leaving for more promising localities. The few left turned to explore the possibilities of the many quartz ledges that had been uncovered. The California mine, later named the Gaston, built a stamp mill and the first ore milled was a sensation to the Ridge. It ran from nine to fifteen dollars to the ton. Gaston Ridge came back to life. The Jim mine, partly owned by George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst, the publisher, was opened. The Birchville, Baltic, Ethel, Orion, Star and many other “Good Prospects” followed. Of the Star, the Nevada City Daily Gazette reported: ‘“‘This mine showed great promise. The first thing the company did was to erect a stamp mill, but when it was completed they had no rock to mill as the ledge was not opened.” MurdersMore Hit Gaston Ridge The third murder on the Gaston Ridge took place in 1861. W. Meyers shot Valentine Brand during a quarrel, at the California mine, over the decision given by Brand in a foot race. There were witnesses this time and Meyer was committed to the State Prison at San Quentin. Today, one hundred and sixteen years later, a weathered head board on a knoll above the former town of Gaston, marks Valentine Brand’s grave. In 1863 the California’s stamp mill was destroyed by fire. Although the ledge was large and favorably situated for mining and the owners had realized a good profit, it was not sufficient to justify the erection of another mill. Following this fire the California mine went through a few years in which it experienced everything that could possibly happened to a mine. Abandonments, relocations, sheriff's sales, auctions, disagreements between partners, a miners’ strike, new superintendents and owners, almost by the dozen, closing down and opening up and a new name--Gaston Ridge Mining Company. Gaston Ridge Mining Company A large saving in the cost of operation of the mine was made to power the stamp mill, when a switch was made from steam to water. The

water was from the North Bloomfield ditch, which ran through the Gaston property. Construction of this ditch to carry water from Bowman dam to the hydraulic operations of North Bloomfield area was started in 1868, and completed in 1870. It was four-feet wide at the bottom and six-feet wide at the top, with a fall of 14-feet to the mile and had a total length of 43-miles. An average of 700 Chinese workers were Gaston Mine Mill. In 1898 the Gaston Mine, above Washington, was organized under the management of Dana Harmon and became an important gold producer. By 1907 the Gaston had recovered more than $1,000,000. The mine below shows ore cars and mule at the tunnel entrance. employed at $35 a month in the construction. To supply lumber for the flumes of this ditch brought new life to the lumber mills of Graniteville and Gaston Ridge. This ditch was also used to float timber and firewood down from higher elevations to the Gaston and other mines. While all the smaller mines on the Ridge were compelled to suspend operations during the winter months, the Gaston made every effort to keep working. From two-to-four teams of six-horses each were employed in hauling freight to the mine from the depot of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge R.R. in Nevada City, in the summer and fall of 1900. Weather permitting, a large crew of wood cutters were kept at work all year. Even then, in a “hard winter” it was a tough scratch to have enough firewood to keep the people, employed at the mine, comfortable in their houses. As the water in the ditch often froze up, leaving the stamp mill without power, 9 shift was made one year to steam, but it took 3% cords a day. ata cost of three-dollars a cord, to keep a ten-stamp mill going, so a shift back to water for power was made. In the fall of 1877, while helping to corral some cattle that were to be slaughtered during the winter to provide meat for the miners, T. W. Latta, who thenowneda 1/3 interest in the mine, was knocked off his horse and gored to death by a bull. He was the most active mine owner, stage line operator, storekeeper and ditch builder in the Washington Mining District.