DEEPEST GOLD MINE IN THE WORLD.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 194, 11 April 1867, Page 3

DEEPEST GOLD MINE IN THE WORLD.

(From the Alta California.) Tlie great exemplar of quartz mining, not only for wealth or production, but as shedding more light upon tho real n-iture and condition of quartz mining- than most others, seems to -be that of Mr A. Hayward, at Snttor Creek, Amadar County. His mine is 1200 feet perpendicular descent from the surface, probably 300 feet below the ocean. It is by far the deepest gold mine in the world, and also the inoi-t productive. Yet the conditions of is.), yield are such as to indicate that its powers are barely developed, and that the weal tli of gold contained in that mountainous ridge is far beyond the wildest dreams of the most sanguino Califon:ia:i hitherto. Mr Hay ward, a lawyer by education, having had some experience in the load mines of the Upper Mississippi, pushed across the plains early in the gold excitement, and readied California in J.SSO. After much exploration, his attention was fixed at Sutler Creek, Annular county, in j 853. A mine'had been com-' mencocl which satisfied the- conditions that his sagacity and experience- had laid down. He bocairo- interested one-fifth, and went to work with that indomitable will and perseverance Avliich, like faith, move mountains. The vein was but 8 dollars to 10 dollars rock, bought broad, and with difficulty was worked, at a time when ■flour was GO dollars per barrel, wages in proportion, and living very high. With these high expens.es, and poor "rock, he struggled on for years. In 1557, he was heavily in debt, but having bought out all his partners he had become sole proprietor. While ho had carried on this desperate struggle many around him dropped out of the race. Tlusy had been frozen out, and- were forced to abandon their shafts, overwhelmed with debt. Mr Hayward was not to be baulked. He had not spent a dollar uselessly, and he observed that the ore improved as the shaft grew deeper. The vein was broad, so that in following it down the shaft formed itself. Not a shovelful was taken out that was not reduced. The east wall of granite went down nearly perpendicular, and that was closely followed. At some hundred foet in doptli the ore paid from 12 to 15 dollars. The expenses being kept within the closest limits, this began to pay, and eacli succeeding year it has given greater results, until at the depth of 1200 feet the ore averages 25 dollars, with a breadth of 22 feet, and widening as it leaves the shaft in botli directions, north and soutM At this depth the present writer picked out samples of ore from masses of probably 50-dollars rock. Tho smooth granite wall rises nearly perpendicular 12000 feet to the surface, and the timber.•igjlone between the walls. The logs are hauied'soTTi'e.^ixinilos, at a cost of 0 dollars each. TlicT^aitci-y. rt Ttms*TrOvi#"ilntl*" south along this wall. The 1000 feet level is some 5000 feet in length communicating with three shafts, giving perfect ventilation ; from this tho ore has been mostly removed. The lower level is some 40 feet long, and at either end is tlie beautiful quartz, with its blue and white vertical ribbons glittering with the metal. At this depth the value of the ore at the north end improves faster than that of the south end-rather reversing the process above. Some of the ore hero is 40 dollars to 50 dollars,' and some ranges probably to nearly a hundred. The ore above iv the galleries and that hero in sight, is equal to three years-- rim (say 2,000,000 dollars). Into this depth drop, iron buckets, suspended by strong ropes of continuous length, manufactured, at the San Fraucisco works. These ropes, passing over swiftors at the top, wind over drums worked by a 100-horso engine, of the most approved pattern for service. This operates night aud day. Three sets of hands relievo each other eveiy eight hours below," and sixty tons per day arc sent to tho surface, dumped into a rail car, which descends by its. own weight to the mill, a short distance on Butter Crook, so named from the fact that Slitter once mined there. The mill runs forty stamps of 4CO lbs. each, at a speed of eighty strokes pur minute. 'Tho rapid trituration of ore and sulphates, is found much more effective than the slower strokes of heavier stamps. The mill, is driven by water in the w.et season. This, is brought by a flumo from a very substantial dam above ; a poweifiil engine is also at hand, and at this season, when water runs low, it assists the water wheel, gradually increasing in power until, later, the water is taken off altogether ancl reserved for washing. Tho " clean up," every fourteen clays, varies slightly in results, the tendency being always to increase. The ore is not selected, but always that is taken which most facilitates the operations of the miners. No day's work is thrown away, and no stroke of the pick made that does not tend directly to the main point of .Getting oro. This is tho secret of success. From this mine, which lias boa» worked for the last thirteen years by Mr Hayward — himself a most experienced and skilful operator in every branch of the business — assisted by three able men (Messrs Hazelhurst, Morgan, and Hunter) there has boon extracted probably, six to seven millions of dollars. This is a great fact ; but, what is more important to the public, a still greater fact presents itself — that quartz vies increase in width and value in proportion to depth. The mine in question shows a true fissure — an injection of gold-bearing quartz from below, and which tapers off in size and value as it approaches the surface. Following it down a distance of 1200 feet has demonstrated this fact. There are no other mines that approach this in depth. The Eureka mine, in Grass Valley, is 300 feet down, but is of richer rock than was the Sutter Creek mine at that depth. The ore is of the same appearance in both. Considering all these circumstances, the public will have to look forward to a gold production in this State of a magnitude compared to which all that has gone before is as nothing.