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DAILY REVEILLE

AUSTIN, NEVADA

Tuesday..........June 27, 1882

YANKEE BLADE.

Present Mining Operations–Rich
Ore–Prospecting and Prospects.

Last Sunday a REVEILLE representative, in company with W. E. Ford, one of the pioneers of that section, took a buckboard tur of observation out into the old Yankee Blade Mining District, some four or five miles to the northward of Austin. The road past Clifton and skirting along Reese river valley, crossing the mouths of Emigrant and Telegraph canyons, and up Yankee Blade Canyon, is in very fair condition, allowing of good traveling progress.

YANKEE BLADE

Used to be a camp of considerable importance in the early booming days, with hundreds of fortune-seekers busily digging holes all over the face of the country, in all directions, searching after the small but rich ledges. Now there are less than a dozen little cabins to be seen, scattered around the hillsides, within the space of a mile, and only about forty men are working the few paying mines or mining prospects. The ore veins are all small, like those of Austin, and if not a continuation of the same, are of the same style, being from an inch or two to about a foot in width. The ore, also, is of the same general character, showing less ruby, but more of the black antimonial silver, and more native silver, with little or no gold. The ore veins run the four cardinal points of the compass. The Yankee Blade vein runs north and south, with a dup to the west. It is about a foot wide and has yielded a goodly amount of bullion in its time, but is not being worked at present. It belongs to the Manhattan Company. The Virginia, owned by the Jones brothers is about two feet wide dipping west. They are working it, but shipping no ore. It also runs north and south. All the other ledges are of the few inch kind, and run east and west dipping north. These ledges are all incased in granite or syenite, with some slate in the upper portion of the canyon. Considerable water is met with in sinking, therefore few of the mines or prospectings have been carried to considerable depth. Patrick Sinnott is engaged in developing the Silver Wave, and the New Ross, both old but at present promising locations, on the north side of the canyon. Baker, Holmes & Co. are also developing the Maggie, an old favorite, cleaning out the old incline, which is 200 feet deep, and preparing to make their fortunes. Neither of these last are yielding any ore at present but are expected to after awhile.

PRODUCING MINES.

Ford & Johnson are working the Argenta. It is one of the east and west ledges, and is followed by an incline about 125 feet deep, with whim hoisting works. The vein is about six inches wide, but occasionally pinches to about nothing. The ore, however, is very rich, averaging not far from $500 to the ton. They shipped two tons to the Manhattan mill on Sunday and are industriously rooting about after more.

The Patriot mine lies have a mile or so above in the canyon, and shows the only steam hoisting works, as well as the most active and extensive mining operations in Yankee Blade. It was leased fourteen months ago from the owners by Melville Curtis, Daniel Farrell and Patrick Kelly, since which time they have done a vast amount of work and developed a good paying mine. They work by means of an incline, following the ledge down 420 feet on the slope. A very neat and smooth-working engine of 15 horse power and the three feet eight inches stroke does all the hoisting, and also runs the pump 21 hours out of 24 to keep the water down. On the 400 foot level they have drifted 300 feet west, and are still at it. On the 300 foot level, where they get the most of their ore, they have drifted 500 feet west and 90 feet east. The ore worked thus far at the Manhattan mill has averaged $450 to the ton, and they are still shipping more occasionally.

Walker's mine, as it is generally called, is the old Morris & Cable location. R. L. Walker, present proprietor, bought it a couple of years ago. It is situated in the ridge between Yankee Blade and New York canyons, and within the Yankee Blade District. The ledge is from six inches to a foot in width, and the main adit to this mine is a tunnel from New York canyon 1,300 feet in length, 200 feet of which follows the ledge itself. Seven hundred feet in from the mouth of the tunnel is an incline winze, 225 feet deep, following the ledge, and from which the ore is now being taken. The smoke-stack of this engine is 300 feet long, and is carried up through an upraise or incline to the surface, on the Yankee Blade side of the mountain. The first-class ore from this mine is exceedingly rich, showing much native silver as well as the richest of sulphurets and antimonial silver. Two tons of this, ready for shipment to the Manhattan mill, were estimated to be worth $1,500 or $2.000 per ton. Ten tons of second=class ore worth $500 per ton were also ready for shipment, and 23 tons of the same sort were shipped a few days ago.

ETCETERA.

The Chase and True Blue locations, on New York canyon, show a large amount of good work done, and much money expended, but like Breen's mine at the mouth of Yankee Blade canyon, and scores of others which space will not allow mention of, all are abandoned, or not being worked at present. The ruins of sundry mills built in former and more promising times are also silent reminders of the early excitement, lost dollars and buried hopes.