TABLE MOUNTAIN: TUOLUMNE COUNTY. 



137 



Mining Statistics for the year 1874.* He says: "Drift mining on the old 

 channels underlying the basaltic capping of Table Mountain still continues, 

 and, in the main, with excellent results. The Alpha Company, near James- 

 town, has demonstrated the existence of two channels ; these are known as 

 the "front" and "back" channels, and are separated by a high rim. That 

 on the east side is the most ancient, and is known as the Caldwell or Sara- 

 toga channel, and carries heavy, black, coarse gold, wherever it has been 

 struck in Table Mountain. The west channel is of later formation, and car- 

 ries finer and brighter gold ; no black gold is found in this, and no pipe-clay, 

 as is the case in the other." That the Table Mountain gravel channel is 

 divided into two or more parts, for some portion of its course, has been 

 already stated ; but there is not sufficient evidence to justify the generaliza- 

 tion reported by Mr. Skidmore. It is not likely that two channels running 

 so near each other and so nearly on the same level should be very different 

 from each other in age and character. 



Of the pecuniary results of mining under Table Mountain but little is 

 known to the writer. In 1867 Mr. Ilittell wrote as follows in regard to this N 

 point:f "Table Mountain has been an unfortunate locality for miners. It is 

 estimated that at least $ 1,000,000 more have been put into the mountain, 

 counting the regular wages, than were ever taken out. Nine tenths of the 

 miners who undertook to work claims there were the losers. There was 

 enough gold to pay well, but the miners did not know how to get it." The 

 reasons given for this want of success are chiefly ignorance of the position 

 of the channel, so that many tunnels were too high for drainage ; and dividing 

 the channel up into claims of insufficient length, so that many more tunnels 

 had to be run than would have been necessary to effect drainage and to open 

 the ground for working. The principal difficulty, however, was undoubtedly 

 the fact that the amount of gravel was too small to pay for operations not 

 conducted with skill and economy ; both of which elements seem to have 

 been wanting, in a very high degree. A long list of the companies at work 

 under Table Mountain in 1867, and in previous years, will be found in the 

 report from which the above extract has been made, and to that the reader 

 niay be referred. 



* * 



The following are some of the principal localities in Tuolumne County 



* Statistics of Mines and Mining. Seventh Annual Report, Washington, 1875, p. 61. 

 T J. Ross Browne's (second) Report on the Mineral Resources of the States and Territories west of the 

 Rocky Mountains. Washington, 1868, p. 39. 



