87 



EMPIRE MINE. 



Situated in Grass Valley, near the southern extremity of the town. This mine 

 has been in active operation for two years, and their works have been uninter 

 rupted during the greater part of that time. 



Their principal lode is situated at Ophir Hill, one and a half miles to the east 

 of their reduction works. The superior portion of the lode is situated in a decom 

 posed granitic rock, and enters the greenstone at the depth of 103 feet, at the 

 engine shaft A. The accompanying diagram is a general plan of their tower 

 workings which is on a level with the bottom of the above shaft. The entire lode 

 is very much decomposed, and the quartz matrix heavily charged with peroxide 

 of iron ; it is very seldom that gold is easily discoverable with the naked eye in 

 any of the ores from this hill, yet is found to yield remarkably high in the reduc 

 ing process. At the main shaft, A, is an eight inch lifting-pump, driven by 

 steam to free the mine from water and also for bringing ores to the surface from 

 level, B, and gallery, C, the same being conveyed from the latter down to the 

 level through the winzes, 1, 2, 3, 4. The ores from the galleries, D, are deliv 

 ered at the whim shafts, E, E. 



The ground plan exhibits the extent of the workings in December, 1854, and 

 from it may be gleaned ^ome idea of the amount of ore immediately available, as 

 well also as the very judicious manner in which the mine is conducted, both for 

 convenience and economy. The ores from the lode, like all the other mines of 

 this section, are breasted out, giving ample and convenient room for the disposition 

 of the attle. The strike of the lode is north eighteen degrees west, with a dip of 

 twenty degrees, and power of three and a half feet. 



The complement of laborers at the mine is thirty-four, and including the reduc 

 tion works it amounts to about forty men actively engaged. 



JONES' AND DAVIS' MINE, AMADOR, COUNTY. 



The mine and reduction works are situated on the east side of a small tributary 

 of the Amador Creek, the latter passing through the town of Amador one mile 

 north of this mine. The top of the whim shaft C is one hundred and forty-five 

 feet above the level of the creek, and ninety feet below the outcrop of the vein 

 to the south. The shaft 4 on the vein is three hundred and sixty-four feet 

 above the town of Amador. The design of the company in the working of their 

 mine, as mentioned in the report of last year, has been carried out, the connec 

 tion of the lower level throughout having been completed but a few days before I 

 visited the mine this year. The mine, as now opened, presents the following ar 

 rangement : whim shaft C, 100 feet ; south shaft, 140 feet ; upper level, 280 feet ; 

 middle galleries, 150 feet; bottom levels, 180 feet. The amount of work com 

 pleted within the past year is indicated by the dotted lines, and the total amount 

 of excavation on the lode is exhibited in the dark shades of the accompanying dia 

 gram. The characteristics of the mine and the investing rocks, and reduction 

 works, are seen by reference to the latter. 



This company have erected a thirty-horse water-wheel and double-battery of 

 eighteen stamps, their power is sufficient to reduce 25 tons of ore per day. They 

 have discontinued the use of steam. 



