88 



The fall complement of laborers for this mine during the ensuing year, will 

 amount to twenty-three ; they have formerly employed thirty-four doing the 

 opening of the lode. 



KEY-STONE MINE. 



Situated about three-fourths of a mile south of the former, and on the same 

 tributary of the Amador. It is evidently a parallel lode with that of Spring 

 Hill, and Jones' and Davis's mines, and is situated about twenty-five feet above 

 the level of the Creek. The adit runs nearly east and west for the distance of 

 one hundred and ten feet, at which point the lode is cut with a power of three 

 feet, at nine fathoms from the surface. At the end of the adit, a shaft has been 

 sunk through the lode for seven fathoms ; its diameter is four and a half feet. 

 This shaft is heavily timbered, and well ceiled, the planking and frame snugly 

 jointed. It is one of those operations that partakes strongly of the character of 

 permanency in its design and construction, like most other of the workings of 

 1S54 in this branch of business. The diagram presents the work on the lode as 

 now progressing. The old gallery at the end of the adit has been driven to 100 

 feet on the south, and 90 feet on the north. The gallery 18 feet above the end 

 of the adit, has been carried 100 feet in each direction. The level at the bottom 

 of the seven-fathom shaft is 94 feet, with a power, in the lode of five feet. 



This company have also abandoned the use of steam for power, and have erect 

 ed a forty horse water wheel, and heavy battery at the old reduction works. 

 They have also built another large mill south of the former, of equal capacity, in 

 order to work their mine at distant points to better advantage. 



The complement of laborers at this mine for the present is sixteen, but on 

 opening the southern workings they will employ about thirty-five. Many impor 

 tant and valuable improvements have been made during the past year on this 

 mine. 



MIDIAN MINE (Lea & Johnson's.) 



This mine is beginning to show its true character, a handsome lode and much 

 decomposed at the bottom of the nine fathom shaft. At the bottom of this shaft, 

 two short levels of forty feet each have been driven, which shows a power of three 

 feet in the lode at those places. On the south end of the vein an adit has been 

 driven sixty-six feet, at the end of which the lode was struck with a power of four 

 feet, on this one level has been driven of fifty-six feet. The vein shows a fair 

 prospect. 



The company have erected their reduction works this year, but were not in 

 operation at the time I visited the mine. 



