Volume 050-2 - April 1996 (16 pages)

In the winter of 1850, Dornin, together with H. I. Beers, started a wholesale and retail grocery business. This came to an end when, during the San Francisco fire of May 1851 the business burned down. Before the business was afire, Dornin had worked hard to save the inventory of a Mr. Tucker, a merchant in jewelry. Despite Dornin’s efforts, Tucker lost everything also. This probably caused Domin to join in rebuilding Tucker’s jewelry business. The idea was to organize a raffle, with jewelry as prizes. Consequently, Dorin left for Nevada City in May 1851. The raffle came of successfully, therefore Dornin decided to organize a second raffle on his own account. However, there had been some dissatisfaction with the first one; during the second raffle it was remembered that there was a law against lotteries. Therefore, the second one resulted in a loss. But Dornin liked Nevada City and wanted to stay. He started a dry goods business, together with George O. Kilbourne, a daguerreotype (photography) artist. The dry goods business did not flourish, but Dorin had learned enough about daguerreotyping from Kilbourne to start his own business in Grass Valley. In October 1853, Dornin married Sarah A. Baldwin. During the great Grass Valley fire of September 1856, Dornin’s house burned down, causing him to move to North San Juan, where he lived until 1867. Here, in addition to his photographic work, he was a true jack of all trades. He was appointed postmaster, worked as an express agent, telegraph operator, insurance agent, stage-line operator, and was elected to the legislature for one term. In September 1867, he moved his family to San Jose. In 1871, he was appointed General Agent for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, in which company he rose to vice president and later secretary. In 1874, he moved to Berkeley, where these reminiscences were written. Dornin lived in Nevada County for about 15 years. He must have been a remarkably clever person to be able to succeed in so many occupations. He also had his share of hard luck; one wonders how he could finance some of his enterprises. This booklet fills some voids of the history of Nevada County and for this, it will be attractive to some people. vdP. Roger Lescohier, Gold Giants of Grass Valley: History of the Empire and North Star Mines, 1850-1956. Grass Valley, Empire Mine Park Association, 1995. Considering the important role which has been played in Nevada County by the various gold mines, it is curious that so little attention has been given to the history of these mines. We have the little History of the Empire Mine by Charles Bohakel, another one by McQuiston (which probably is too technical for the general public), and The History of the North Star Mines by Marian Conway, but this is probably ail. It is therefore gratifying to announce this book. After a chapter which deals with gold in general, the technology of separating the gold from its quartz matrix is discussed in three chapters. The first of these describes the removal of the gold bearing quartz from the vein, the second the separation of the gold from the quartz ore, and the third one the refining of the 22 gold to the standard in which it can be sent to the mint. The latter chapter also discusses the process of assaying. These chapters discuss the quartz mining only; they do not discuss placer or hydraulic mining. All the machines necessary to separate the gold from the quartz, deep in the ground, to gold brick ready for the mint, of course needed people to operate them. The miners are discussed in the next chapter, where all aspects of their work are described in full. All this information is, more or less, valid for all quartz mining, but at chapter six the narrative turns to the history of the Empire Mine in particular. For many years, the name Bourn was closely associated with the mine. Consequently, the history of the Empire Mine is discussed together with the biographies of William Boum Sr. and William Bourn Jr. The Empire Mine was considered “played out” when Bourn Sr. died; his son decided, however, to revitalize the mine, with great success. As was usual at the time for rich people, Bourn Sr. acquired a mansion in San Francisco, and a “country home” near St. Helena, called Madrofio. His son followed suit by building the “cottage” on the grounds of the Empire Mine in 1897, and later the magnificent mansion called Filoli in Woodside in 1915. Under the ownership of William Jr., the Empire Mine became very profitable again, which enabled him to buy the North Star Mine (an adjacent mine of about the same capacity), which soon also became very profitable. In 1887, Bourn appointed his cousin George Starr as superintendent of the Empire Mine; it was Starr who was mainly responsible for the success of the mine. In the late 1920s, the health of William Jr. declined, and therefore he decided to divest himself from his various interests (many more than the Empire and North Star mines, which he sold to the Newmont Mining Corporation in 1929). He died in 1936, George Starr had resigned in 1929 and was succeeded by Fred Nobs. The North Star also had two excellent superintendents, Arthur De Wint Foote and his son, Arthur Burling Foote. The North Star Mine is perhaps most famous for the installation of the largest Pelton Wheel in the country, if not in the world. The Pelton Wheel matter is amply discussed in Lescohier’s book. More on the North Star Mine can be found in the book by Marian Conway. Under Newmont’s ownership, both mines did very well until October 1942, when all gold mines were closed by order of the War Production Board; this lasted until July 1946. After the war, the mines operated at a loss, and it was decided to stop operation. In the years 1957 and 1958, most of the equipment was brought to the surface, and in December 1961, the last of the miners left the mine. The book has a “time line” which represents a condensed history of the mine, and also a package of 28 photographs. An improvement would be some line drawings of various machinery, to clarify their operations more than could have been done in the text. This well written book brings together most, if not all, of what is known of the Empire Mine. Some of the information was developed through the efforts of the Empire Mine Park on Association, which is of invaluable importance to the develop-ment and operation of the mine, which is now a state park. This book is a must for all visitors to the Empire Park, and for all

In the winter of 1850, Dornin, together with H. I. Beers, started a wholesale and retail grocery business. This came to an end when, during the San Francisco fire of May 1851 the business burned down. Before the business was afire, Dornin had worked hard to save the inventory of a Mr. Tucker, a merchant in jewelry. Despite Dornin’s efforts, Tucker lost everything also. This probably caused Domin to join in rebuilding Tucker’s jewelry business. The idea was to organize a raffle, with jewelry as prizes. Consequently, Dorin left for Nevada City in May 1851. The raffle came of successfully, therefore Dornin decided to organize a second raffle on his own account. However, there had been some dissatisfaction with the first one; during the second raffle it was remembered that there was a law against lotteries. Therefore, the second one resulted in a loss. But Dornin liked Nevada City and wanted to stay. He started a dry goods business, together with George O. Kilbourne, a daguerreotype (photography) artist. The dry goods business did not flourish, but Dorin had learned enough about daguerreotyping from Kilbourne to start his own business in Grass Valley. In October 1853, Dornin married Sarah A. Baldwin. During the great Grass Valley fire of September 1856, Dornin’s house burned down, causing him to move to North San Juan, where he lived until 1867. Here, in addition to his photographic work, he was a true jack of all trades. He was appointed postmaster, worked as an express agent, telegraph operator, insurance agent, stage-line operator, and was elected to the legislature for one term. In September 1867, he moved his family to San Jose. In 1871, he was appointed General Agent for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, in which company he rose to vice president and later secretary. In 1874, he moved to Berkeley, where these reminiscences were written. Dornin lived in Nevada County for about 15 years. He must have been a remarkably clever person to be able to succeed in so many occupations. He also had his share of hard luck; one wonders how he could finance some of his enterprises. This booklet fills some voids of the history of Nevada County and for this, it will be attractive to some people. vdP. Roger Lescohier, Gold Giants of Grass Valley: History of the Empire and North Star Mines, 1850-1956. Grass Valley, Empire Mine Park Association, 1995. Considering the important role which has been played in Nevada County by the various gold mines, it is curious that so little attention has been given to the history of these mines. We have the little History of the Empire Mine by Charles Bohakel, another one by McQuiston (which probably is too technical for the general public), and The History of the North Star Mines by Marian Conway, but this is probably ail. It is therefore gratifying to announce this book. After a chapter which deals with gold in general, the technology of separating the gold from its quartz matrix is discussed in three chapters. The first of these describes the removal of the gold bearing quartz from the vein, the second the separation of the gold from the quartz ore, and the third one the refining of the 22 gold to the standard in which it can be sent to the mint. The

latter chapter also discusses the process of assaying. These chapters discuss the quartz mining only; they do not discuss placer or hydraulic mining. All the machines necessary to separate the gold from the quartz, deep in the ground, to gold brick ready for the mint, of course needed people to operate them. The miners are discussed in the next chapter, where all aspects of their work are described in full. All this information is, more or less, valid for all quartz mining, but at chapter six the narrative turns to the history of the Empire Mine in particular. For many years, the name Bourn was closely associated with the mine. Consequently, the history of the Empire Mine is discussed together with the biographies of William Boum Sr. and William Bourn Jr. The Empire Mine was considered “played out” when Bourn Sr. died; his son decided, however, to revitalize the mine, with great success. As was usual at the time for rich people, Bourn Sr. acquired a mansion in San Francisco, and a “country home” near St. Helena, called Madrofio. His son followed suit by building the “cottage” on the grounds of the Empire Mine in 1897, and later the magnificent mansion called Filoli in Woodside in 1915. Under the ownership of William Jr., the Empire Mine became very profitable again, which enabled him to buy the North Star Mine (an adjacent mine of about the same capacity), which soon also became very profitable. In 1887, Bourn appointed his cousin George Starr as superintendent of the Empire Mine; it was Starr who was mainly responsible for the success of the mine. In the late 1920s, the health of William Jr. declined, and therefore he decided to divest himself from his various interests (many more than the Empire and North Star mines, which he sold to the Newmont Mining Corporation in 1929). He died in 1936, George Starr had resigned in 1929 and was succeeded by Fred Nobs. The North Star also had two excellent superintendents, Arthur De Wint Foote and his son, Arthur Burling Foote. The North Star Mine is perhaps most famous for the installation of the largest Pelton Wheel in the country, if not in the world. The Pelton Wheel matter is amply discussed in Lescohier’s book. More on the North Star Mine can be found in the book by Marian Conway. Under Newmont’s ownership, both mines did very well until October 1942, when all gold mines were closed by order of the War Production Board; this lasted until July 1946. After the war, the mines operated at a loss, and it was decided to stop operation. In the years 1957 and 1958, most of the equipment was brought to the surface, and in December 1961, the last of the miners left the mine. The book has a “time line” which represents a condensed history of the mine, and also a package of 28 photographs. An improvement would be some line drawings of various machinery, to clarify their operations more than could have been done in the text. This well written book brings together most, if not all, of what is known of the Empire Mine. Some of the information was developed through the efforts of the Empire Mine Park on Association, which is of invaluable importance to the develop-ment and operation of the mine, which is now a state park. This book is a must for all visitors to the Empire Park, and for all