186 MINING INDIJSTEY. 



water and steam, in the immediate neighborhood of the smouldering timbers. 

 Nearly a year has now elapsed since the fire begun, and, at latest accounts, 

 it is not yet extinguished. It is, however, confined to portions of the Yellow 

 Jacket, and these have been closed up by tightly sealing all drifts or passages 

 communicating between the burning districts and the shafts, thus cutting ofl' 

 the supply of air from the locality of the fire, and making it possible to re- 

 sume mining work in the other parts of the mine. 



When visited by the writer in the following October, the regular work 

 of the mines was again in progress. The burning or smouldering portion of 

 the mine was sealed up as just described, and the extraction of ore was being 

 carried on in stopes immediately below. At one point, only four feet of rock 

 divided the working stopes from the chambers above, in which were con- 

 fined the smoke and gas resulting from the slow combustion of the timber. 



Belchee. — The Belcher and the Overman are the most prominent mines 

 south of the Crown Point. The first named, including the Segregated Belcher, 

 covers an extent of 1,000 feet of the lode. In 1864 the Belcher had a productive 

 body of ore, from which a large amount of bullion was obtained and handsome 

 dividends were paid. This deposit was 200 or 300 feet long, but did not continue 

 beyond a depth of 300 feet. The mine has been steadily worked, and is still 

 being developed with results that are encouraging without being quite satisfac- 

 tory. During the days of prosperity the company paid, from June, 1864, to 

 June, 1865, dividends amounting to $421,200. The total product up to Jan- 

 uary 1, 1870, appears to be $1,570,370, of which only $20,000 were produced 

 during the last two years. The assessments in 1868 were $104,000, and in 

 1869, $109,200; the sum of assessments is $668,720, of which it is said that 

 $130,000 was collected of the shareholders, not in cash, but in the form of 

 company's stock, and was devoted to settling some matters in litigation. 



Overman. — The Overman adjoins the Segregated Belcher on the south and 

 owns 1,200 feet. The mine has been worked several years, and is developed to 

 a depth of over 700 feet. It possesses large bodies of ore that have, however, a 

 low value and cannot afibrd a large margin of profit. Nevertheless, with the 

 reduction in the cost of transportation and milling which the railroad is eifect- 

 ing, there should be a fair promise in the future for this mine. 



