["S.," Letter from White Pine, Alta California, February 27, 1869]

 

LETTER FROM WHITE PINE.

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[FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE ALTA.]

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Snow-Bound — Still Making New Developments — An Energetic People — Real Estate and Mining Operations — Prospects of Sundry Lodes and Claims — Etc.

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TREASURE CITY, February 21st, 1869.

Snow.

            Editors Alta: By reason of the severity of the snow on the Sierras we have been shut off from communication with your city until the 19th, when a letter mail arrived. The snow-fall of last week was not heavy — perhaps fifteen inches — and it was followed by warm, sunshiny days, melting all the snow, except here and there a drift. On the 20th, however, the wind began to blow furiously, and for twenty-four hours it has raged, driving snow into the houses through every crevice and making it impossible to work.

Opening New Claims.

            The energetic people (and very few others are here) are ready to push out the moment it is possible to accomplish anything, and a great number of claims are being opened. I have before me ores taken from a point some two thousand feet from the California Mine, a ledge just opened, showing on the surface seams of spar and widening out to eight or ten feet. At a depth of seven feet a clear fine grain quarts was found, and one more blast, put off while I was upon the ground, opened a body of fine gray chlorides, intermixed with native silver. This is on a new ledge, and in a locality considered "base" until quite recently. The width, depth or extent of this ore I had no means of determining. The shaft was all in ore, and it has every appearance of being a large and true vein. I have seen nothing better in this district for an average mill ore of high grade. It will probably assay $150 per ton.

A Sanguine Looker-on.

            It is impossible to do justice to this district, or tell the truth in regard to it, without a seeming puff. It is my opinion that the best ledges are not yet opened; for some, a large number, of the claims have the same character of indications that the Blue Bell, Eberhardt and Keystone had, and more encouraging. A shaft sunk twelve feet in the Golconda Mine, about half a mile westerly from the Eberhardt, is in a body of black spar, with here and there free silver, so like the mass of spar and quartz covering the Eberhardt and Keystone that an expert cannot detect any difference, borne of the rich ledges between the Auroras and Shermantown, and east, carry a little base, are high colored and charged with a good deal of copper. The Copper Glance, one of the best, and a line of claims extending southerly — the Bruce, Argyle, Poorman and Evening Star — all represent this class. A short distance below, the Mahogany shows free metal, and not much color. This belt, judging from what I refer to as having seen yesterday, extends a mile or more south.

            You will remember this is the winter season, and the mining population labor under great disadvantages from want of houses, tools and money. When these difficulties are removed, when the labor now expended in prospecting is turned to developing the prospects, you may expect mining news worthy of record.

Heavy Transactions

Continue to be made in both mining property and real estate. The woman I once mentioned as standing in front of her lot, 25x60, with a pistol in her belt and sleeves tucked up for the purpose either of showing her muscle, or giving a faint idea of her personal attractions, for "she is no chicken," sold out, realizing $4,000. There is no homestead association, except the one where the boys are placed — "on Treasure Hill" — when they start for their last "excitement."  A movement has been made by our prominent citizens for the protection of the rights of real owners against the crowd of jumpers. It has not been safe to leave a lot unoccupied an hour.

Generally and Specially.

            The Seymour and some other mines under the point of Pogonip Flat have been purchased by strong parties; and the Silver Moon, an old location on the Flat, with the Burton and Blue Rose, have passed into the hands of a San Francisco Company. The Othello is turning out good ore, but as it stands on the Silver Moon ground, and is a location seven months later, it will probably be taken up by the last named Company according to the rules of the district. The Othello is one of the numerous locations made by an unprincipled set of men, who locate to sell, not caring where the lines run. It is but seventy feet from a shaft on ground claimed by another Company last April. On Bromide Flat rich ore has been struck in various places. The mining interests are flourishing, supply of provisions plentiful, and health of the district good. The Presiding Elder of the Sierra District preaches in the Court-room on Sunday, and there seems to be a disposition to maintain law and order throughout the district. We need better and quicker communication with the railroad, and the telegraph line will be a blessing.

S.