Old Mines of Southern California: Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern CountiesFairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman)
History
Old Mines of Southern California: Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern Counties
Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman)
Geology -- California, Southern; Mines and mineral resources -- California, Southern
In the month of March, 1892, the report went abroad that rich silver and
gold-bearing rock had been found in the mountains north of Lordsburg, 28
miles east of the city of Los Angeles. So glowing were these stories
that a general stampede for the new mining field ensued. Farmers left
their homes, merchants and clerks in some instances temporarily closed
their stores to join in the rush to Lordsburg. Unfortunately the stories
proved to be unfounded, and, after three weeks of excitement, all had
left the mines excepting a very few, who still had hopes of making a
find.
CEDAR MINING DISTRICT.
Fifty-five miles by rail northeast from Los Angeles, on the line of the
S. P. R. R., is the Cedar Mining District, the principal village being
about the railway station called Acton. In the low hills about Acton,
which rise out of the valley that skirts the northern base of the San
Gabriel range of mountains, are located the gold mines which have been
worked for many years by Mexicans and Americans.
THE RED ROVER.
This is the name of the principal mine in the district. It was located
and worked many years since by Mexicans, but has during the past eight
or ten years been in the hands of Americans. The vein strikes northwest
and southeast, dipping to the southwest at an angle of 50° from the
horizon. The rock is a white, fine-grained, saccharoidal quartz, showing
in places bluish bands. It contains free gold in variable amount, with
some iron sulphuret. A very large amount of quartz has been stoped from
the vein and crushed in various mills.
The Red Rover is quite extensively developed, the new vertical shaft
being down over 400 feet. The old inclined shaft, which is sunk on the
vein, is down 220 feet. Several levels are run out from both these
shafts, which are 200 feet apart. The new shaft was sunk between the
main vein and a spur which branches from it. A crosscut was run out
toward the spur, which is opened on the surface, but it was found it did
not go down. A crosscut was then run toward the main vein, which was
found intact, and a drift was carried in 60 feet on the vein.
The country rock is mostly massive metamorphic, very much broken and
faulted. Nearly every mine in the district has been displaced more or
less by these faults. For some reason the Red Rover has been shut down
for some months past. It is understood that operations are to be
resumed.
THE NEW YORK MINE
Is situated within half a mile of the Red Rover, and is similar in
character. The quartz is said to mill $10 to $25 per ton. The owner has
a five-stamp mill, which is complete and does good work. The vein is
from 1 to 3 feet in width. It has produced considerable bullion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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