CALIFORNIA

AMADOR

254. Amador. Sutter Creek. Central Eureka Mining Co Annual Report 1937. 12pp 6 x 9”. Well known geologist Ira Joralemon was the geologist. The company had revenues of $678,000 during the year, $180,000 in the bank, and only $27,000 in debt. They paid $108,000 in dividends based on the 20,000 ounces of gold sold. 36,000 tons were processed at the mill. Est. $25-50

BUTTE

255. Butte. Butte Creek. Big Butte Gold Mining Co, c.1903. 16pp heavily illustrated prospectus. Large folding panorama in the center of the Butte Hydraulic mine. A large flume carried water to the property that was originally worked many years before. Testing of the gravels by current owners showed significant promise. This was a West Virginia Incorporation. Gray soft cover with black, red and white print with a vignette of an Indian overlooking a mountain and river scene. Red string binding. Booklet has been folded in half vertically. Published by C. M. Hatcher & Co, broker, Boston. 8 x 9.5”. Est. $100-300

256. Butte. Cherokee Ravine. Sunset Mining Co. of California, 1900. Large group: a) Prospectus, b) 4pp flyer, c) photograph folio, d) description of mines report, e) correspondence, and f) another prospectus from about 1901-2. A) 4 x 6” 16pp. 1900. Remarkable old wood cut illustrations at the top of almost every page. In the front they apologized for the lack of photographs because of a fire at the engravers. This company succeeded the Orange Mining Co. of Illinois. Printed by Opton Bros. San Francisco. They claimed the company had been paying monthly dividends. But this company had no property and no specific plan of operation at the time of the issue of this prospectus. A ten per cent commission was paid for the selling of the stock. B) The flyer (1903) is 8 x 11”. In this document they are proposing purchasing a dredge to operate on their unspecified properties in Butte, Shasta and Siskiyou counties. One is a 60 acre parcel 2 miles from Oroville. C) legal size, 4pp Amo hydraulic property in operation and dredge. 1901. D)8pp legal size, much underlining in blue pencil. Also has 1 pp of photos. F)3.5 x 6” red and black 8 panel single sheet folded prospectus, illustrated, discusses properties and regular dividend payments. This company paid regular dividends but was a fraud. See the story below. Great assemblage. Est. $300-600

257. Butte. Cherokee Ravine. Sunset Mining Co. of California, 1900-02. Large group of promotional material, 1900-1902. 16pcs of correspondence relating to an enterprise of this company that sold mines. There is also a batch of info on the dividends paid. Of interest is some correspondence on the Old Glory drift placer mine from which they were making money. A large 9 x 14” b&w image of a painting done by C. A. Rogers, 1902 of the mine is present with folds. Inside of the Mines For Sale list are a number of single page flyers with a photo of the mine and particulars. Some of these are mines held by Sunset and not for sale. The fraudulent nature of the company was exposed when the Promoter, Mr. Rumble, was arrested by the Feds for mail fraud. In a cut-out newspaper article, the author details how promoter George Rumble was arrested by Federal authorities for intent to commit fraud in the mails. Rumble apparently only offered his stock for sale at fixed prices to new York

investors, never offering the stock in the west or on a legitimate mining exchange. While he declared 2 per cent dividends per month for several years which was his key enticement, he had no intent of continually payingdividends, but would instead after a few months “write his victims and induce them to have him allot their earnings toward the purchase of new stock.” &#x2”Mrs. K. E. Allington, president of the company, in a recent interview admitted that she knew little about mining, but had explicit faith in Rumble.” Est. $200-400

258. Butte. Lincoln. Enterprise Mining & Milling Co, c.1902-05, prospectus. New jersey Incorporation, New York promotion by W. G. Motley, who is the promoter of several of the prospectuses in this collection. No western business or mining men on the Board. Three panel, two page prospectus (12 panels). This gold property is located on McCabe Creek, a branch of the Feather River near Forbestown. A property map with cross sections of the mine and mill are on the inside panels. 4 x 9.5”. Est. $75-150

CALAVERAS

259. Calaveras. Angel’s. Central Gold Mining Co, Ltd, 1934. Two inch thick legal file bound with black board covers. This is a “loan Application” for the company. &#x20omplete set of application forms, exhibits, etc”. Missing the first page. Signed by Harry Sears, probably not directly related to Richard Sears, founder of Sears-Roebuck. The company was requesting a $350,000 loan partly to pay off all previous loans, and partly for development work and equipment. The mine was an underground placer mine. Contains a detailed history of the property, mining engineer’s report, leases and purchase agreements, title reports, etc. Sears estimated his net worth at $824,500. Discusses the geology of the fossil placer channel in detail in all of the four different mining engineer’s reports. The channel (Central Hill and Aetna channels) originally outcropped at Murphy’s, flowed in a se direction, turning at various places before outcropping in Valecito and Altaville. In the back are a series of original two folding 8 x 27” black & white panorama photographs of the mine site and three pages of copies of smaller snapshots. The 1939 Mines Handbook said they had about 30,000 feet of underground workings from two shafts on 880 acres of patented claims. “Since 1931 they mined about 185,000 tons of material…gold production … about $570,000…Average value of all gravel mined…about $4.94 per ton.” Unknown if the loan was granted, but they obviously continued production. Generally fine. Est. $200-400

260. Calaveras. Angel’s. Sultana Mining Co, c.1900-05. Pictorial booklet probably issued supplementary to the prospectus. . 11 x 9”. 12 single pages. Ten are single photos, printed one per page, by Bigelow & Co., New York. These wonderful photos are a bird’s eye view of Angel’s Camp, the mine open cut, Bovee hoist and mill, etc. Olive cover with white string binding. Front page looks to have been slightly adhered to the cover at left and since peeled off. Otherwise vf. Est. $200-400

261. Calaveras. Angel’s. Sultana Mining Co, c.1905. Prospectus, legal size, 8pp including 2 maps. Delaware incorporation. New York promotion. They held the Bovee Fritz mines. Not listed in Crawford. The Utica mine is 0.25 miles south. This property may have been bought by the Utica and become part of the Gold Cliff by 1919. Est. $75-150

262. Calaveras. Angel’s. Waterman Gold Mining & Milling Co, 1910, prospectus. Illustrated prospectus with 2pp map of property in the center. Arizona incorporation, San Francisco promotion. Folded vertically in 3 places. 12pp. 9 x 9.5” Joe Curtis, mine superintendent. They owned the Centennial and Fairfax claims, 29 acres, in Angel’s Camp. They probably became part of the Utica or Gold Cliff, the neighboring companies, at some point. fine. Est. $100-300

263. Calaveras. Angel’s. Western Sates Gold Mining Co, 1928. Prospectus. Nevada Corporation. 16pp. 5.5 x 8” No illustrations. They held the Voinich mine, 4 miles from Angel’s Camp, and about 2 miles west of the Sheep Ranch Mine. The Homestead mine was one of the Voinich group. Assays given. Est. $50-100

264. Calaveras. Carson Hill. Carson Hill Gold Mines, 1933. Celebration of the opening of the mine September 4, 1933, by the Angels (Camp) Boosters Club. 4pp folding pamphlet giving the history of this important mine and the company. Vignette of miner in red and black on front. This became the largest modern mine in the area. Not rare. Est. $25-50

265. Calaveras. Melones. Horse Shoe Bend Gold Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. 8pp, with “statement”. 8 x 11”, blue paper. Rough along outer right edge. Boston promotion. They owned the Wisconsin quartz claim, located one mile from the Melones Mine on the county border. The prospectus contains no valuable or resourceful information. The report by Horace Heath discusses six quartz veins with only scattered assay data and a paragraph on old placer production. Also includes a large orange one page ad on the back of the front cover of United States Journal for Investors, 1902. Est. $75-150

266. Calaveras. Melones. Horse Shoe Bend Gold Mining Co, c.1902. The Wonderful Mother Lode of California. 24pp Illustrated promotional booklet printed by Libby in Boston showing the Horse Shoe Bend in panoramic view, various outcrops of veins on the property, Mark Twain’s cabin 2 miles away, scenes at Columbia, buildings on the property, mill interior (misleading-probably not a mill on their property), Jumper mine, etc. Photos by Utica of Angel’s Camp where marked. 7.5 x 6.5”, string bound, soft gray cover, green print. Xf. Est. $150-300

267. Calaveras. West Point. Gold Ridge Mining Co, c.1901. &#x20Map and prospectus” 12 panel, three part folded pamphlet. California incorporation, Stockton promotion. Black on green paper. The company held 140 acres with 5 separate gold bearing quartz veins. Reportedly about 0.5 oz/ton gold. 4 x 9”, vf. Est. $75-150

268. Calaveras. Valley Springs. King Solomon Gold Mining Co, c.1902, prospectus. New York promotion, 4pp legal size with light blue cover. Highly promotional prospectus “(Gold is) the Essence of all wealth…) They held 120 acres of patented ground 1.5 miles from Valley Springs in the Mother Lode country. They claimed that the ore body has $43.5 million in reserves. They don’t discuss mining costs, since they place the ore at $2.50 per ton. Later in the rep[ort they say the ore is worth $2.40 per ton. The projected mining cost of 20 cents per ton and milling cost at 5 cents per ton is ludicrous. This was a promotion worthy of failure. Est. $75-150

EL DORADO

269. El Dorado. Mt. Pleasant. Southern Belle Gold Mining Co. Prospectus. 6pp, single page folded piece with six panels. 3.5 x 6” 1901. They owned the Bonanza group, including the Southern Belle, Bonanza King and Bonanza Queen. They claim the property has produced $22 million since 1857. Not listed as Southern Belle in Crawford. Not Illustrated. Est. $75-150

270. El Dorado. Pilot Hill. Camelback Mines, c.1900-05. 4pp prospectus. Tape repair to front cover, otherwise extremely fine. This is a rare attempt by a mine owner to sell stock in his mine. J. D. Voss is here trying to sell $62,500 in stock. The prospectus is written first hand by him. He thinks there is $1.2 million of ore in sight. Est. $75-150

271. El Dorado. Placerville. California Aztec Mining Co, c.1905, 4pp prospectus, California corporation, a Tasker L. Oddie Promotion and him as an officer and director. The company held three different properties in El Dorado County, intending to mine the ores and process them at one facility. All were located just north of Placerville north and south of the American River. They held the River Hill group, one time owned by J. P. Coates, the famous thread manufacturer; the Poverty Point group, and a Kelsey property. A 50 ton mill was in place on the Kelsey property in need of repair. Illustrated on the back with 6 photos of the mines and a map of the region showing the location of the properties. Tasker Oddie was a prominent Tonopah mine owner and promoter, later Governor of Nevada. Folds, wear. Est. $75-150

272. El Dorado. Spanish Dry Diggins. Sliger Gold Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. California incorporation. 4x9”, 8pp, no illustrations. Owned one patented and one unpatented lode claims. 200’ shaft on the Sliger supposedly produced $125,000 with 5 stamp mill. Discovered in the late 1860’s by Sliger, first mined in 1873. Listed as the Slager Mine by Crawford, 1894 [p123]. Crawford reported they had a 20’ wide quartz vein on the mother lode. The 300 foot long pay shoot was stoped from 250 level to the surface. Thus there were no reserves when this prospectus was written, but it would have made a heck of a target. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

GENERAL

273. General. New Era Gold Extraction Co, c.1902. Prospectus. New York promotion. 16pp with single sheet tipped inside front cover. 6 x 9”. South Dakota incorporation. Illustrated. Their claim was that “90% of the world’s gold production is by placer”…”which have-admittedly-lost the bulk of the values” While this is pure poppycock, it makes a good story and really gets the gold stars glowing in the eyes of novices. New Era developed a supposedly new style shovel and dredge to process large quantities of gravel. They apparently had only one experimental model, that was located at Arvada, Colorado, built but do not give specifics. Est. $75-150

274. General. Pioneer Mutual Mining & Exploration Co, c.1902. Prospectus. Gold Company based in Los Angeles. “It cannot Fail” written on the front cover. 16pp plus cover. 3.5 x 6.5”. This company has absolutely no property whatsoever. The entire thing is dependent upon them striking it rich. Somewhere. Somehow. Without experts. Can you smell a scam? Red and purple cover with fancy design. Minor blue pencil underlining in places. Est. $50-150

IMPERIAL

275. Imperial. Imperial Valley & County Promotional Pamphlets, 1920-60. Lot of 6 different pcs. A) Imperial Valley Excursion. Used an Auto stage coach. 12 panel folding brochure in red, black, white. Circa 1920. B) and C) Two similar pamphlets on Imperial County. 1934. 12 panel folding, blue and black on white, color cover. D) Gems and Minerals, c 1955. Six panel with map E) and F) Circa 1955-1960 pamphlets on the Imperial Valley, one pamphlet style, other folding 12 panel. All fine or better. Est. $75-150

276. Imperial. Picacho. California King Gold Mines Co, 1901, prospectus, 32pp, 6 x 9”, soft green cover with gilt lettering. Center staple binding. This company was a good producing company headed by John P. Jones, a former Nevada Senator, Comstock Millionaire, and partner of William Morris Stewart and many of the other Comstock silver barons. The Board included a number of Who’s Who in America, including H. Gorham, past president of the Con Virginia; various ex Senators; various mine owners, etc. The Company projected profits of not less than 25%. The offering of the stock was only for the building of a large milling facility. Picacho gold placers produced well since 1862. This company proposed only open pit mining. This prospectus has blue underlining and original comments in the margins by the lawyer who put this collection together. Apparently, he was seriously considering investment in this company. Ex fine. Est. $100-300

277. Imperial. Picacho. California King Gold Mines Co, 1901, prospectus, 32pp, 6 x 9”, soft light green cover with red and green print on cover. Center staple binding. The organization of this prospectus is a bit different than the above lot. The second page has the printer’s info, Smith & Thompson New York, absent from the first prospectus, occupying the entire second page. The John P. Jones letter immediately follows the map in this version, as compared to two pages later in the first. There are other and many variations of this printed prospectus from the first. This appears to me to be a second edition, since it is better designed. No underlining. Some discoloration to the front cover. Otherwise vf. Est. $100-300

278. Imperial. Picacho. California King Gold Mines Co, 1901-02. Lot of 2 pieces, a late-1902 stock offering and booklet About the Mining and Milling of Ores, 1901 12pp booklet discussing cyanide milling of the Picacho ores at the California King. 4pp stock offering by Farrington of New York with photo of the new mill on the front. The company changed officers, and Jones stepped down from president but stayed on the Board. The cyanide booklet had a torn cover with a significant piece missing. Folds to the corners. The 4pp flyer is vf. Est. $100-300

279. Imperial. Picacho. California King Gold Mines Co, 1902. Two pieces, a “condensed prospectus” and Second Report to the Shareholders. Both pieces have folding maps in the front and back. The front map is 9.5 x 9” showing the map of the claims and the town of Picacho on the California-Arizona border along the Colorado River. The map in the back is 9 x 9.5” showing “Western Arizona and Part of California.” With the California King in the lower left corner. 12pp, red and black, 4.5 x 9”. Promoted by Wm. Mears, New York. Green and red cover with black print. Outstanding summary of the property with no illustrations. The Shareholder’s Report is the same size. The maps are identical. The work of 1902 is discussed with many illustrations. The building of the mill was delayed. Est. $150-300

280. Imperial. Picacho(?). Paymaster Gold Mines Co, c.1902. Prospectus. 6 x 9.5”, 24pp with soft red cover. Gotham Press, New York. New York promotion. Arizona incorporation. Red and black print. Photo of large mill facility on page 8. 16 claims, probably unpatented. Among the mines on the claims were the Buena Vista which had three shafts and some underground workings. The 20 stamp mill was capable of 90 tons per day. Once again a large mill was built without the benefit of ore reserves. Map in the center with crude cross section. They built a reservoir filled with water from the Colorado River (less than a mile away) using 4 inch pipe. No published reserves. This mine was in San Diego County when this prospectus was published. Imperial County was created in 1907. There is no specific reference to the mining district other than the reference of 18 miles from the SPRR. One vertical fold crease. Otherwise vf. Est. $100-300

INYO

281. Inyo. Ballarat. Mineral Ranch Gold Mining Co, 1902. Large advertisement soliciting the purchase of shares. They claimed to be paying dividends of one percent per month. 11 x 16”, black on orange paper, probably the back cover of the US Journal for Investors Magazine. Please see the entry for the Horse Shoe Bend GMC under [Calaveras (county), Melones (mining district)] in this catalog for the front cover of this magazine. Surprisingly the ad claimed they had an “inexhaustible supply” of water in this isolated desert region of southern California at the foot of the Panamint Mountains near Death Valley. They say that they “will turn out ten tons a day” but do not speak of current production. Boston promotion. Probably never made it. The properties in the Panamints were generally so rugged and isolated that these companies had little chance of an investor ever making a property inspection. At Ballarat the World Beater complex had many good gold mines that today form the basis of a potential world-class deposit. When I worked on the deposit in the late 1970’s, little had been done since about 1910. We found many mines and prospects with the equipment still there where the miners left it decades ago, including their trash embossed whiskey bottles which today are quite valuable. The geology was among the most challenging I ever worked on and was an intellectual treat. –fh. Est. $50-100

282. Inyo. Carbonate. Reorganized Victory Divide Mining Co, 1925. This is an announcement to Stockholders in the Reorganized Victory Divide MC that 6% Bonds were to be issued for the procurement of capital to erect a mill at the Carbonate mine located on the west side of Death Valley, in the Panamint Range, Carbonate district. This company is listed in the Mines Handbook, 1926, p.1287, has also owning property in the Divide district, Esmeralda County, Nevada. The Divide property was producing around $25,000 in 1925. The attempt to raise funds for the Carbonate mill had apparently failed when the United States Smelting Co decided that the lack of transportation to the mine was too great a risk. 3 pages, 5.5 x 8.5”. Very fine. Est. $25-50

283. Inyo. Carbonate. Reorganized Victory Divide Mining Co, 1927. Prospectus (1pp) and letter (4pp) to shareholders. The company owned the Queen of Sheba and Carbonate mines &#x20in the foothills of the Panamints”. They claim to have 50,000 tons of ore developed at $25 per ton. They needed a floatation mill for the separation of the lead and silver. Not Rare. Generally vf. Est. $25-75

284. Inyo. Lee (Echo). Lee Gold Grotto Gold Mining Co, c.1904. 4pp prospectus, 8 x 11”. No photos or maps. The prospectus claims that the investors of the district included Charles Schwab, Borax Smith and others. The company held 8 unpatented claims, 120 acres, at Lee. Assays were reported at $10 to $60 per ton. The first discovery in the camp was made by the Lee Brothers who had samples run from $20 per ton to $9,000 per ton. Promoted by Taylor & Griffiths of Rhyolite, Nevada. An Arizona incorporation. Rhyolite promotion. Spots and wear in places, but generally fine. Est. $200-400

285. Inyo/Mono. Inyo-Mono Promotional Pamphlets, 1927-61. A) 1927 The Inyo-Mono Playground of the High Sierra. 16pp with color folded cover. 8 x 9” Contains rubber stamp “J. H. Nicolaides Rainbow Service Station Lone Pine, California” Very pictorial pamphlet promoting recreation in Inyo and Mono. Copyright by Ward Parcher, Tower-Lee Press, Los Angeles. Generally fine. B) Tamarack Lodge on Twin Lakes, (Mammoth) 8 panel folding pictorial brochure, c 1961 C)Crystal Crag Lodge pamphlet, (Mammoth) 8 panel folding brochure. Printed in green and black, 1938. Est. $75-150

286. Inyo/San Bernardino/Southern Nevada. Mojave Desert and Death Valley early Auto map, by the Auto Club of Southern California. Undated, circa 1920. The Nevada section is very significant because it pre-dates the discovery of Weepah. 22 x 34” VF. 1” = 10 miles. Rare. Est. $75-150

KERN

287. Kern. Keysville. Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mining Co, c.1901. 6 x 8”, 20pp, gray cover with fancy white pattern border and gilt print. Wear to right edge of cover. Contents have limited blue pencil underlining. West Virginia incorporation, Boston promotion by United States Investment & Security Co. They held 3 claims covering 68 acres with quartz veins cutting slates and granites. Workings to depths of 300-400 feet show $1 to $147 rock (per ton). Three pages of assays taken from the underground workings show promise, though no widths of the samples taken are shown. They claimed to have 100,000 tons of reserves. The mine was discovered in 1853, at one time run by the tom Lane Mining Co. VF. Printed by Watts, New York. Several companies produced gold in this district over a nearly 100 year period, though none were close to world-class status. It was perhaps one of the earliest “desert” gold discoveries in California. Est. $75-150

288. Kern. McKittrick. Blue Bird Oil Co, c.1902. 4pp Prospectus. Office in Los Angeles. The company owned 2000 acres near McKittrick. &#x20Some of the best oil indications ...are to be found on the land of this company. Asphaltum and brea can be found in abundance.” This appears to be their first offering. 3.5 x 6”. Very fine. Est. $75-100

289. Kern. Mojave. Exposed Treasure Gold Mining Co, 1900. Prospectus, 10 pages. New York promotion. South Dakota incorporation. This company held property 3.5 miles south of Mojave. They were short of water, thus purchasing some springs for water supply. They discuss properties on Solidad Hill, Bowers Hill, Golden Carrier, Yellow Rover, and Exposed Treasure. Serious development work had been carried out by the Company outlining potential reserves. Several shipments were made to ascertain results. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

290. Kern. Pioneer. Rayo Mining and Development Co, 1902. Prospectus and assay reports in the style of a prospectus. 2 pieces. Both 3.5 x 6.5”. The prospect refers to the company’s “prospects” in Kern County. No other data is given. They claim to have shipped about 120 tons yielding $13,000. The names of the mines given for the shipping were the Portland, White Star, Nellie S. Blue Bird. We have had a stock certificate from this company and were never able to identify it. The district name comes from Troxel and Morton’s Mines and Mineral Resources of Kern County, 1962, which lists the White Star mine. Chicago promotion. Est. $100-200

291. Kern. Pioneer. Rayo Mining and Development Co, 1902. Prospectus. Dividends on your Investment. Does it interest you? A high grade investment for the Progressive Wide-Awake Man presented by the Roanoke Investment Co., Chicago. 36pp plus off-blue cover with raised black letters. 6 x 9”, center vertical fold. Highly illustrated. Photos of mines, map, etc. Near Keyesville. Cross section and great projections based on only 9,250 tons of “proven” ore. Harmegnies & Howell Printers, Chicago. Est. $100-300

292. Kern. Randsburg. Standard Developing, Mining & Milling Co. Stock coupon subscription booklet with 2pp of info regarding the subscription process and “report for New York Commercial Co.” in New York. &#x20Mines and enterprises in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Mexico.” Los Angeles promotion. 4 x 8.5”, red cover with black print. 1901 Arizona incorporation. The report cites properties in Jerome, Arizona, Randsburg, Calaveras, and San Diego. 1902. States that the prospects are undeveloped and that the company has been spending their money to develop them. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

LAKE

293. Lake. Sulphur Banks. Empire Consol. Quicksilver Mining Co, c.1901. Prospectus. Heavily illustrated. 9 x 11” 48pp plus soft gray cover with metallic silver print with vignette of the god Mercury at left. Gold string binding. Printed by Winthrop Press, New York. New Jersey incorporation, New York promotion. Three color detailed map of California and Nevada just after the title page by Rand McNally, 1899. This was a significant company that owned legitimate mines. They owned the Sulphur Banks and Abbott mercury mines in Lake County and the Empire and Central mines in Colusa County. The Sulphur Banks was a very significant mercury mine. This prospectus includes several photos of the mine including a clear

full page view of the Chimney Cut. Included is a report by William Irelan Jr., the former State Mineralogist who published many of the fine reports that we cite so often in our California research. He was followed in office by J. J. Crawford. The company should have been profitable, but this prospectus cleverly omits critical corporate financial data. From a production standpoint, this is one of the best prospectuses in this collection. From an historical perspective, the same holds true. XF. Est. $200-500

LOS ANGELES

294. Los Angeles. Placerita. Star Occidental Gold Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus entitled: California and Her Gold. Los Angeles promotion. 14pp plus soft cover. 5 x 7” Red and green print. Located 4 miles south of Humphrey’s Station on SPPR in Bear Canyon. No info in Crawford. Blue pencil mark on front cover. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

MARIPOSA

295. Mariposa. Atlin. Kitchener Gold Mining Co, c.1900-1905. Incorporated in South Dakota, promoted from New York. The company owned property in Mariposa County, CA and property in the new formed Atlin district, British Columbia. In California was the Elizabeth Quartz mine and 2 placer claims that had average gold ore of $13. This property was in need of new machinery, hence the sale of stock. The British Columbia property included 3 mines all in the Atlin district on Munroe Mountain. The district was just beginning to boom with assays of $60-90 gold per ton. 4 pages, 8.5 x 11”. Very fine. Est. $50-100

296. Mariposa. General. Sierra Mining & Development Co Articles of Incorp & By-Laws 1897. This was a group of Fresno men that formed a company to look for a gold mine. Printed by Republican Job Office, Fresno. The cover mentions unspecified properties in Mariposa, Madera, and Tuolumne counties. 3.5 x 6” 10pp plus soft cover. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

297. Mariposa. Quartzburg. Mariposa Mining & Power Co, c.1900. Prospectus. 4pp. 9.5 x 14.5”. New York promotion. No illustrations. This company held the Houghton, Del Oso and French mines in the Quartzburg district. Quartzburg is not listed in Clark, Hill, Crawford, or Irelan. Here the authors claim the district is located six miles from Hornitos. The district is probably very obscure, or one that changed names over the years. Nor are the mine names present in classic literature. The company is an obvious promotional scheme to trick investors by using a similarity in company name. The Mariposa Commercial and Mining Co. was formed in 1887 by Comstock kings John Mackay and James G. Fair and partners to try to get the mines of the Mariposa Estate back into production. But by 1900 Storms in California Mines and Minerals claimed that the mines were completely worked out or ruined by continuous backfilling of the stopes with waste, so that if any ore remained, it would be impossible to explore for. [Today, we would drill around the backfill.] The similarly named companies could easily trick an investor into thinking this was a Mackay-Fair promotion, therefore generally very worthy of their investment. Undated, circa 1890. f-vf with folds. Est. $100-300

MONO

298. Mono. Maps. Mono Lake to Lake Tahoe Automobile Maps, c.1911. Two maps with different cover pages, both Auto Club of Southern California. The first is undated, circa 1910-1920. 9.25” x 33” tall. “Automobile Map from Mono Lake to Lake Tahoe and Feather River Region showing Resorts, Camp Sites, Fishing Streams, Lakes, Mountain peaks, and Trails. Copyright by the Automobile Club of Southern California, 1344 So. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.” Has Mono Mills at the south end, Yosemite Valley at south west corner, Spring Garden in upper left and Honey Lake in upper Right. VF. The second is a nearly identical map, probably a later printing. There is an error through Yosemite Valley. 9.5 x 38”. Est. $100-200

NEVADA

299. Nevada. German Bar. German Bar Gold Mine Report, 1934. Extracts from the USGS reports. 4pp. 8x11”. Map of the workings and cross section on inside front cover. Report indicates that 37,500 tons are drill proven at $14 per ton. Mine photos on front page. Four testimonials or private report extracts on back page. Generally vf. Est. $50-100

300. Nevada. Grass Valley. Cassidy Consol. Gold Mining Co, c.1900-05. Prospectus. 4 x 8” 16pp with 2 page map in the center. Illustrated. The Cassidy vein is reported here as parallel to the Empire vein. The Idaho-Maryland is one mile north. All of the properties around their properties were significant producers, which was the hope of this company. Many mine views shown. Pencil notes on the back cover from the attorney. Vf. Est. $100-200

301. Nevada. Grass Valley. Cornelius Sullivan vs Grass Valley Quartz Milling and Mining Co. Appellant’s Points and Authorities. 1888. Brief for the Supreme Court of California. Sullivan was suing the mining company for$56 as part of the money due him through an oral contract to run a drift. Est. $50-100

302. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grass Valley Consol. Gold Mining Co, c.1900-05. Prospectus (2 copies). 4pp, 8 x 11” with 2 maps and crude photo. The property was located south of the Empire on the same vein system. The property may have been formerly known as the Electric Company. No published reserves. Fine, wear to folds and edges. Some splits along folds. Two copies, one with letter to Vigouroux. Est. $100- 300

303. Nevada. Grass Valley. Idaho Maryland Mines Corp Report, 1941. Incorporated in Nevada in 1919 and reorganized under the same name in 1925. Before reorganization, the company was a subsidiary of the defunct Metals Exploration Co. Report discusses a strike which crippled operations for a time also talks about the country being at war, “With the Nation at war it is not possible to make firm predictions as to our operations even in the immediate future.” 10 pages, 8 1/2” x 11”, folded otherwise XF. Est. $25-50

304. Nevada. Grass Valley. Nevada Gold & Silver MC vs Original Empire Mill and Mining Co. Appellant’s Points and Authorities, and Transcript on appeal 1884, 2 separate volumes. Brief for the Supreme Court of California. Here the Nevada GSMC was suing the Empire for mineral trespass. They had found high grade gold in quartz within the property lines of the NGSMC and mined it. NGSMC was seeking payment for stolen ores. This is a signed copy on the last page by the County Clerk F. G. Beatty. Possession of the ore was taken by the Empire based upon their assertion that the location notice for the NGSMC was faulty. This was a claim staking – mining war at its best. Est. $75-150

305. Nevada. Grass Valley. North Star Mines, 1915. Statistical statement for visiting members of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, September. 8pp, 6 x 9” with light blue soft cover. Shows all the data of the mines owned by the North Star since their discovery in 1850. $11.7 million was produced by prior owners through about 1884, then another $16.3 million since, mostly from the North Star. Operating statistics are also present, allowing the reader a rare glimpse at legitimate mining labor and mining costs. Vf. Est. $75-150

306. Nevada. Meadow Lake. Girard Mining Co, c.1902. 8pp folding single sheet prospectus. Arizona incorporation, Sacramento promotion. They built an 8 stamp mill in 1901, claiming to crush 8 tons per day of $40-$50 rock (though the assays on the back page are far less). They must have been short of ore, because they were offering to do custom milling. Black on yellow. This is a classic mining promotion, potentially worthless, with the prospectus not written by mining men. Meadow Lake was at the height of activity well before 1900, and there was a flurry of activity parallel to the Tonopah-Goldfield rush of 1900-1908. Not listed in Meadow Lake Gold Town by Fatout. Est. $75-150

307. Nevada. Mining. Gold Mines of Nevada County, c.1900. No publisher, no date. 5.5 x 7”, 18pp, center stapled. Cover with raised gilt letters and blue vignette of miner with sluice box and cornucopia of gold. Entirely printed in blue ink. Pictorial Nevada County promotional booklet with views of several of the major mines, including North Bloomfield, the Omaha Mine, Allison Ranch mine, Champion mine. Very fine. Minor wear to cover. Rare. Est. $100-300

Pro308. Nevada. Mining. Nevada, The Banner Gold County of California, 1910. Promotional booklet. Printed by the Daily Transcript Print, published by the Nevada County Promotion Committee. 38pp, purple soft cover with raised gilt lettering. Front cover has been folded vertically, otherwise very fine. Illustrated throughout with photos of various mines, panoramas of towns, street scenes, and a two page county map in the center with a scale of 1 = 8 miles. There are more illustrations than text. Promotional booklet. Est. $100-300

309. Nevada. Nevada. Buckeye Mining Co, 1901. Lot of 2 different pcs. Prospectus and informational flyer. Prospectus is 3.5 x 7.75, 16pp, non-illustrated. Both pieces are promotional material published by and for W. G. Motley & Co., bankers and brokers, New York. The property is three milers east of Nevada City, reportedly in the Grass Valley Mining District, though this is clearly in error, and is here only using the name of Grass Valley in a promotional sense. The mine is on the same contact as the Champion and Le Compton, George Hearsts famous first mine, and another prospectus in this sale. The 4pp flyer is written by Motley discussing his plans for the mine in first person. Est. $100-200

310. Nevada. Nevada. Gold Tunnel Mining Co,1902, prospectus. Douglas, Lacey & Co., New York promotion, Arizona incorporation. 8pp, 7 x 10. The property is located roughly perpendicular to Deer Creek which cuts through Nevada City. Illustrated. Discusses history, and the reason for the mine being idle since 1877. This company was probably a scam being that was promoted by Douglas Lacey, a notorious promotion house. Est. $75-150

311. Nevada. Nevada. Knickerbocker Co, c.1901. Prospectus. New Jersey incorporation. They owned the Knickerbocker Mine adjoining the Champion mine on the north. 2pp mimeographed report with light blue binding paper. Map on the back of the blue cover. Some stains and folds. Est. $50-150

312. Nevada. Nevada. La Belle Gold Mining Co, c.1899. Prospectus. 16pp, 4.25 x 8.25 soft light blue cover, illustrated, three color map of claims in center. This company has a map in the prospectus that has the shaft for the La Belle on the southern boundary of the famous Le Compton mine (George Hearsts first good mine) on Deer Creek. Tacoma promotion. Washington incorporation. The company called this the Banner Hill District at Nevada City. They bought three claims, the La Belle, McKinley, and Tacoma, which lie adjoining the Le Compton on the south and east. Naturally, they claim the Le Compton produced a million dollars (it did not). Fine-vf. Est. $100-300

313. Nevada. Nevada. Le Compton Mining & Milling Co, c.1903, prospectus. Two identical pieces, though neither is in particularly good condition. 12pp, 7 x 5”. President W. H. Dunlap of Nevada City. Illustrated with photos of the mine and principals. Printed by Evening Transcript, Nevada City. Discuses history, assays, and plans. Has a nice cross section of the mine. Located just eat of Nevada City, this was George Hearst’s first good paying mine which was the stepping stone for his purchase of the Ophir in Virginia City, where he made millions. Hearst was mining the Le Compton when a miner came over from Virginia City (not known by that name at the time) with samples for assay. JJ Ott assayed the samples, and spread the word to the local miners, including Hearst, who made a B-line for the Comstock Lode, in June, 1859. There he carefully watched others, evaluated the ground, and staked claims, including the Flowery and Crown Point. Est. $300-500

Nevada. Tahoe. Please See Mono Lake to Lake Tahoe Automobile Maps

314. Nevada. You Bet. Numitor Gold Mining Co, 1903. Prospectus. 20pp, 8.75 x 6” Owned 460 patented acres near You Bet. Chicago promotion. Highly illustrated. They owned a 15 stamp mill with plans to increase to 20 stamps. They had many mine buildings, significant underground workings but make no statements about proven ore reserves. This has all the appearances of a company that really wanted to mine, but had no experienced expertise in management, with quite a bit of “cart before the horse” having such a large mill, building infrastructure but no reserves. Printed by Caulkins, Chicago. Fancy red and blue cover incorporating Uncle Sam theme into mining scenes. This mine is not listed in the classic references and may have had a different name. It may have been known as the Pierce mine after it’s discoverer (1877). Reported production was $100,000, though we can find no reference to it. Est. $100-300

ORANGE

315. Orange. Trabuco. Santa Ana Tin Mining Co, 1903. Prospectus and 4pp flyer, 2 pieces. 32pp, blue cover with metallic silver eagle sitting on a tin ingot with “S.A.T.M.Co.” on the ingot. 6 x 9” Highly illustrated. Also has letter on company letterhead. Their property is located in the Santa Ana Mountains. Photos show the mine buildings, which were quite advanced. The Temescal Tin mines are about six moles from the Trabuco Canyon mines, though they are in San Bernardino County. Through the date of this prospectus, they (Temescal) had produced 260 tons of “pig tin”. This company also owned gold mines three miles above the mill. They claimed they showed good assays but sounded undeveloped. Light vertical center fold, otherwise xf. The flyer touts their wishful thinking, expanding a ten stamp mill to 100 and so on, without mentioning reserves. We should comment that mines in Orange County are generally not well known. Prospectors tried their trade everywhere, and Orange County was no exception. These mines were probably found by panning in Trabuco Canyon, with tin and gold in the panned heavy metal assemblage. The district was mentioned by Clark in Gold Districts of California (1970), mentioning the ghost town of Silverado that was associated with these mines through about 1881. Today, gold in Orange County has another name - real estate. Extremely rare. Est. $200-500

PLACER

316. Placer. Canada Hill. Golden West Consol Mining Co, c.1900-05. Prospectus. 4pp, folded, 9.5 x 12.5”. Chicago promotion with local officers (Iowa Hill). The front page offers incredible promotional material that is designed for the ill-educated. &#x20Money will not grow by being hoarded” and other catchy worthless phrases lead an experienced mining man to think this company is a scam right away. They owned 268 acres of land “in the best gravel mining section” of California. No other location data given, other than near Iowa Hill. No assays, no geology, no history. Circa 1902. Fine to vf. Est. $75-150

317. Placer. Damascus(?). Haub Mining Co, c.,1900-05. 4pp prospectus. Red and black on white. Printed by Hopkins, Tacoma, Washington and probably based in that same state. 7.75 x 11”. This company held 240 acres of placer property reportedly worth $2 per yard (0.10 oz/ton). Today this would be considered a rich placer. Placer properties quoted as nearby are the Sunny South, Damascus and Alpha. Undated, circa 1902. District not given. Highly promotional. None of the neighboring properties are listed in Placer Mining for Gold in California (1946) or California Mines and Minerals, 1899. Est. $75-150

318. Placer. Humbug. Consol. Pioneer Gold Mining Co, c.1902, prospectus. 4pp4 x 6.5”. The property is located near Towle. The prospectus discusses the potential and the geology. They claimed 200,000 tons of reserves of $6 per ton. Crème-yellow paper. Est. $75-150

319. Placer. Michigan Bluff. Golden Sheaf Mining Co, c.1900. Prospectus.16pp, profusely illustrated. Detailed history, decent geology discussion, and plan of operations. This mine had very significant production prior to 1900, cited here as in excess of $2 million in gold. The property was in poor condition in the photos, probably not obvious to an investor. One photo shows nice crystalline gold mined from the property. 6.5 x 9.5”, green soft cover with black and gilt lettering and vignette of miners. Ex fine. Est. $100-300

PLUMAS

320. Plumas. Crescent Mills. Sequin Gold Mining Co, Ltd, c.1902. Prospectus. 36pp plus dark brown cover with gilt lettering. Silver string bound. Well illustrated. 6 x 9”. Arizona incorporation, New York promotion. They held 5 placer claims on Rush Creek. The first two photos in the brochure are full page views of the company’s office in New York. This is not conducive to critique by mining personnel when the office is more important than the mine. They claimed the gravel would pay 60 cents per yard. Other photos show their hydraulic monitors in operation and long sluices. XF. Est. $100-300

321. Plumas. Genesee. Five Bears Mining Co, c.1903, prospectus and property reports, 3 pieces. New York promotion, Chicago owners. They owned the Centennial Mine and Bear group of 5 claims (Black Bear, Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear, Polar Bear, and Cinnamon Bear.) The prospectus claims they are located next to some of the best mines in the state, having produced more than $50 million. (editor’s note- not a chance in heck that this is correct.-fh) Circa 1903. folding four page prospectus. Red on black. Wear. Also included are a 2pp mimeographed 1903 letter of introduction by the Union Security Co investment bankers in New York, and a 4pp report of the properties. No ore is blocked out. It talks of the “Genesee gold belt” a non-existent mineralized gold “belt,” but a pretty good copper producing region. The last page has a property map and cross section. The property was an intermittent producer, according to Hamilton, 1920, though it was in disrepair when he visited there in 1919. Generally vf. Est. $100-300 (no illustration)

322. Plumas. Genesee. Five Bears Mining Co, c.1902, prospectus, 9 x 12”, red and black print, pictorial cover of the mine and mill with five bears standing at top. This prospectus claims the property has paid out $50 million, which is doubtful. Lengthy discussion. 4pp. Union Security Co., New York promotion. Folds, small tear and chip from lower right corner. Est. $75-150

323. Plumas. Grizzly Creek. Walker Mining Co, c.1940. Auction broadsides (2) for all the equipment at the mine and mill. Auction held by J. Sugarman of Los Angeles sold on site at the mine. They arranged for sleeping quarters for 200 people on the property. 17.5 x 22” printed front & back in brown print by Eureka Press, Los Angeles. . Included tram, all buildings, timber, land, the whole shebang. Photo of mine site on front. Both broadsides are identical. Generally fine. The Walker was one of the largest copper mines near Reno. It was controlled by International Smelting & Refining, a subsidiary of the Anaconda Co. The mill was built in 1916 after intense exploration found a massive ore body underground. In 1922 Plumas mines produced 21 million pounds of copper, mostly from the Walker and Engel mines. [Hamilton, 1920; Katz, 1923]. Est. $100-200

324. Plumas. Mining. Plumas County, California. Its Mineral, Forest, Agricultural & Other Resources. An Ideal Summer Resort, 1902. Published by the National Bulletin Print, Quincy. 48pp. (not paginated) 4.5 x 7”, green soft cover, center staple binding. Folding map in the back, 15 x 10.5”, 8 miles per inch, showing and listing the major mines of the county. Illustrated booklet discussing the various virtues of the county including mining, resorts, etc. Near mint condition. The illustrations include many views of now gone buildings or towns, including Prattville, Beckwith in its early days, Young’s Hotel in Taylorsville, etc. Rare. Est. $100-300

Plumas. Please see Industrial Mining Co at Esmeralda, Goldfield in the Nevada section.

325. Plumas. Round Valley. Plumas Mining Co, 1902. Prospectus with 2 different informational flyers. Prospectus is 4pp, 8 x 11”, non-illustrated. Folds, some wear. The info flyers are completely different with folds and wear. 9.5 x 16”. The flyers give many names to this mine, including Pacific, West Pacific, Drury and Pacific, McGill and Standard. Located 2 miles west of Greenville. Apparently the former is the entire succession of owners up to the time of the prospectus in 1902. This shows how tough it is to look up info on a mine when the name of the controlling company changes constantly. The flyers give the hope of some success but the entire package lacks cohesive data. The property is not on the Mother Lode as described. This is a classic case of eastern promoters getting a property after it has been extensively worked by western miners. Est. $100-300

326. Plumas. Soda Bar. Feather River Consol Mining Co, 1902. Report on properties. 4pp, no illustrations. Union Security Co., Chicago promotion. Placer gold company with property on the east branch of the North Fork of the Feather River. May be Tertiary gravel company. Not clear from the report. Very speculative report, nearly meaningless to a professional. Possible scam. 6 x 9”, chip in bottom edge at center, otherwise vf. Est. $75-150

327. Plumas. Soda Bar. Feather River Consol. Mining Co, 1902, prospectus. 4pp with map on the back. 8.5 x 11.5” Owned two lode claims called the promontory and the shoo fly adjacent to Shoo Fly Ranch on the east branch of the north fork of the Feather River, along with the Soda Bar placer mine. They claimed $8 million in reserves. Some tears at edges. Brittle. Est. $75-120

RIVERSIDE

328. Riverside. Tauquitz. Crystal Spring Mining & Milling Co, c.1900-05. Prospectus. 2pp, 8 x 11”. Heavy blue pencil underlining by the lawyer who collected these prospectuses. Gives some assay reports for gold. They were trying to raise $50,000 to build a stamp mill. Arizona incorporation, New York promoters. Est. $50-100

329. Riverside. Tauquitz. Crystal Spring Mining & Milling Co, c.1905, prospectus. 16pp, illustrated, with folding map inside front cover, 12 x 9” showing claims and workings. Orange and black print. Arizona incorporation, New jersey and Ohio promoters. Some pencil underlining in the booklet. Assay reports, geology discussion, potential reserves, photos of some mines. Two vertical folds, probably for placement in coat pocket perhaps on a property inspection. Green soft cover, green and brown print. Pen notes on the front cover of the company’s general agent. Est. $100-300

330. Riverside. Unknown. Red Cloud Mining Co, 1900, prospectus. 6 x 6” 8pp, folds into 3 x 6” with purple cover. Los Angeles promotion. Mines listed by the prospectus include: Great Western, Ohio, Sunset, San Diego, Legal Tender. District unknown. Located in the Chuckawalla Mountains 4 miles from Long Tanks. The San Diego mine was written up by Crawford in 1894 as a gold in quartz prospect. Prospectus has a few notes by Vigouroux on the front page. Est. $75-150

SACRAMENTO

331. Sacramento. Folsom. Natomas Company Annual Report, 1953. Incorporated in California in 1914. The company operated gold dredges and between 1914 and 1935 produced about $38 million. The company also had operations in Nevada and South America operating well into the 1950’s. Annual capacity was as much as 30 million yards per year. (Mines Handbook, Mines Register and Company Annual Report) Off-white cover with black print, 9 pages, 8 1/4” x 10 3/4”, minor fading with one big fold on back, VF. Est. $25-50

SAN BERNARDINO

332. San Bernardino. Arrow. Providence Gold & Copper Co, c.1902. Prospectus. 32pp plus soft yellow cover. Original B&W photograph of the outcrop of the Eagle mine is glued to the back cover. Cutout of the company letterhead is glued inside the front cover. Arizona incorporation, Los Angeles promotion. Not in Wright et al, 1953. They held the Gold Stone, Bonanza King, and Eagle. There were a number of different Gold Stone groups including a district by that name in this county, so there could be confusion about these mines. But we could find no record of them in the standard references. The prospectus also uses the name Providence District for the Bonanza King Mine. The company also had filed for an unnamed townsite on the property. Sparsely illustrated. Est. $75-150

333. San Bernardino. Bagdad. Sierra Grande Gold Mines Co, 1903, prospectus. 4 x 8.5”. Color cover with miner examining a nugget. The corporate list is a virtual who’s who. John P. Jones, Comstock millionaire and US Senator was president. L. Sheldon, former Governor of New Mexico, and S. Dorsey, president Benson Investment Co. and president of the California King MC, were on the Board. The Bagdad district was a good producer for more than 10 years primarily from the Bagdad-Chase property. While these folks had a 20 stamp mill, we don’t know if this property was incorporated into the Bagdad-Chase operation without more research. Many illustrations of the mine. Est. $100-300

334. San Bernardino. Escondido & Barstow Promotional Pamphlets, c.1960. Lot of 4 different pcs. Beacon Tavern, Barstow c 1935; Wonder Palms Hotel, Four Seasons, La Quinta Hotel. Est. $50-100

335. San Bernardino. Palm Springs Area Promotional Pamphlets, 1930-60. Lot of 7 different pamphlets all circa 1930-1960. generally vf. Est. $75-150

San Bernardino. Picacho. Please see Imperial. Picacho. [Modern boundary change]

336. San Bernardino. Rand. Johannesburg Gold Mines Co, 1903, prospectus. This is one of the most artistic and beautiful covers on a prospectus in this sale. 7 x 5” red, green, navy blue on crème soft cover, 24pp, illustrated with photos and maps of the mine and surrounding area. Dead Mint. Farrington & Co. promotion, New York. Many assay reports but no production data. The claim map also shows the building sites. Printed by Bireley Press, Los Angeles. Est. $200-400

337. San Bernardino. Salton Sea, Banning, Indio & El Centro Promotional Pamphlets, c.1940-50. Lot of 21 different pcs. A) Banning, c 1940 B) Salton Sea-2; Desert Beach Story, Salton City, c 1940-50. C) El Centro-4. 2- Lettuce Festival c 1950ish, Barbara Worth Hotel-2 different c 1920-35. D) Indio-12. Westward Ho Gold Club c 1960. Coachella Valley Date Grower’s Assn c 1916, 16pp plus color cover (2 copies). Sun Gold Date Gardens (2 copies) c 1950. Indio Hub of California Desert Playground c 1950. Three different Date Festival pieces circa 1970’s. 3 copies Views of Sniff Gardens, Indio. C 1950. Est. $200-400

338. San Bernardino. Silver Mountain. Copper Mountain Mining Co, c.1905. 20pp prospectus. 3.5 x 5.5” The property is located 4 miles east of Oro Grande (Halleck post office), a stop on the SPRR. Discusses previous work done, boldly tells the reader that there is insufficient work done to show well defined reserves, but gives good estimates. The center two pages are a map of the claims and district. Some wear, green cover. No other illustrations. Est. $75-150

339. San Bernardino. Unknown. Arlington Mining Corp., 1922. Black Hawk Mine. Typed original draft. Preliminary report of the Arlington Mining Corp. for Mr. Chas. Singletary of Chicago by L. W. Wickes. (1922). 12 pp, blue linen location map of the Black Hawk Mines. Copy of claim map and early topographic maps in back. Wickes noted that he was able to pan free gold in many places, but that there was a lack of data from which to make a proper decision, thus rendering the opinion that it was just a prospect, though perhaps a notable one. Wickes was the mining engineer for Seeley Mudd, partner of the Guggenheims. His son Harvey is the namesake of Harvey Mudd, a well-known southern California university in Claremont-Pomona. Est. $150-300

340. San Bernardino. Unknown. E. J. (Lucky) Baldwin – Bob Johnston Death Valley Mining & Milling Co, c.1905. Illustrated prospectus. This company held five properties located on the west slope of the Funeral Range near the California Nevada border. They claimed that there were five lakes on the property and several springs. The prospectus never tells the exact location of the property, not includes a map. The center two pages has the right page torn out, which was part of a picture of Johnson with his biography. Baldwin’s biography as well as that of Johnson’s wife are included, along with numerous photos of Johnson and Baldwin on the properties. Lucky Baldwin was one of the most famous characters in California. He was involved in mining and real estate. He got his nickname in Virginia City supposedly because he was lucky at picking good mining stocks and making lots of money on the Comstock mines. He was president of this company and ran it from his home in Arcadia. My Great Grandfather, W. H. Holabird was hired by Harriman of the SPRR to acquire certain properties from Baldwin and had many stories to tell. They used to sit on Baldwin’s front porch, drinking whiskey – lots of it -, until they reached some agreement. Though a page is torn out, all of the significant data remain. Comes with a newspaper article on Johnson wanting to use camels at this property. This is the only Lucky Baldwin piece we have had. Est. $200-500

341. San Bernardino. Victor. King Gold & Copper Mining & Milling Co, 1901, prospectus and shareholders letter, 1901. The prospectus is 8pp, illustrated with maps and photos. The company held 12 claims seven to ten miles northeast of Victor. Owned the Gold Bar and Lucky Star mines. The 1901 shareholder’s report is also heavily illustrated. They expected to pay a dividend in 1902. 8pp plus gray soft cover. Blue pencil mark on cover. &#x20ompany advertises to give an absolutely guaranteed investment, consequently must be managed by fools or rascals.” (Copper Handbook, 1905, p.498). Both near mint. 4.5 x 6.5” and 4 x 5.5” respectively. Est. $150-300

SAN DIEGO

342. San Diego. Borrego & Julian Promotional Pamphlets, 1920-50. Lot of 5 different pcs. Three from Borrego, two from Julian. These include: Hoberg’s Borrego Desert Resort c 1950; Borrego Springs c 1960; Pine Hills Lodge-Julian c 1920; Warner Springs Guest Ranch c 1950. All f-vf. Est. $50-100

343. San Diego. Deer Park. California State Mines Co, c.1903, prospectus, second edition. Colorado incorporation, Colorado Springs and Kansas City promoters. 12pp prospectus, 8 x 9”, illustrated. Map of claims on inside front cover with crude cross section. The property is located about 12 miles south of Julian, the major gold producing region of the County. A map in the back shows the location of the various gold companies at the time. A test of about 11 tons of ore yielded $964. The usual excerpts from an engineers report are included. Vertical fold at center, probably original to fit in regular envelope. Some dirt stains to cover. Est. $100-300

344. San Diego. Julian. Cuyamaca Ranch & Mining Co, c.1901, prospectus. 48pp plus cover. 8 x 11” Cover is brittle with many chips gone from edges and splitting along the spine. Contents are very fine. Boston Promotion. The company owned the Stonewall Mine on the Cuyamaca Ranch south of Julian in San Diego County. Outstanding prospectus with many full page photos and a map of the property. The Stonewall mine produced about $1 million in gold from 1888-1891 according to bullion receipts published here, but not reported by late 20th century authors. The Sather Banking Corp. of San Francisco took over the mine by 1894, probably from bankruptcy. (Crawford, 1894) This important mine appears to have been then sold to eastern interests, here trying to raise money to get the operation going again. Est. $200-500

345. San Diego. Julian. Oro Blanco Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. 4pp, non illustrated, except a large cross section. California incorporation. New York promotion. 11 x 8”, acid paper with a few tears at fold edges. This company controlled a tunnel designed to cut some of the producing veins, including the Cincinnati Belle. The Cincinnati Belle was briefly in production during the 1890’s, owned by the Gold King Mining Co. None of these mines were listed by 1920. The Apex law would have ruled out the possibility of this company controlling the ores from the Cincinnati, but they could have cut a deal for access, had there been any deep ores. There may be a story here, but much more research is necessary. Also includes a torn letterhead. Has a few blue pencil underlines as part of Vigouroux’s editing process. Est. $50-150

San Diego. Picacho. See Imperial County. [Modern boundary change]

SANTA CLARA

346. Santa Clara. Santa Clara. Santa Clara County Promotional Book, 1915, by Leigh Irvine, 64pp plus soft color cover. 6.5 x 9.5”. Cover shows wear and was beginning to detach at top, now with old tape repair on inside. Does not bleed through. Printed under the Direction of the Board of Supervisors. Printed by V. Hillis Co., San Jose. Highly pictorial promotional book covering all aspects of the county. Includes a folding map 22 x 8” “Bird’s Eye View of the Santa Clara Valley”. Wonderful book promoting an important region of California, home to Stanford University, and containing many large towns. Generally fine. Est. $75-150

347. Santa Clara. Santa Teresa Hills. Santa Teresa Quicksilver Co, 1902, prospectus and letter on company letterhead. 14pp, small press private print, with fancy thick paper, rag right edges, printed in red and black very typical of the small press books so collectible today. Printed by Heintzemann Press Boston. 5.5 x 8”. Located 9 miles south of San Jose near New Almaden, the largest mercury producer in America. They claim the property is on the extension of the “New Almaden vein.” While these folks might have had a good prospect, competing with the “big boys” would have been difficult without huge reserves. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

SHASTA

348. Shasta. Clover Creek. Modoc Chief Quicksilver Mining Co, c.1901. Prospectus. 4 x 7.5”, purple cover with metallic silver print and large very attractive vignette of Indian warrior on horseback. 16pp. Saint Louis promotion. Arizona incorporation. The company owned the Clover Creek Quicksilver

mines. The inside front page says the mines are “in the world famous California quicksilver fields.” The only world famous mercury mines in California were at New Almaden, New Idria, and the Reddington on the Napa-Sonoma County border. Two page claim map in the center. Many assay reports and reports of development which seem significant. These mines were first discovered in 1899, a very late discovery. The booklet is well illustrated with photos of the mines, buildings, and local scenery. Mint Condition. Est. $100-300

349. Shasta. Dog Creek. California Advance Mining & Development Co, c.1902-05. 8pp prospectus, soft red cover with black print and wrap around cover. South Dakota incorporation. Property was 5 miles west of Delta. They held four claims on a single vein system expected to produce 100 tons per day. Gold assays were reported in excess of one ounce per ton. No illustrations. Est. $75-150

350. Shasta. Dry Creek. Shasta Gold & Copper Co, 1901. Prospectus. Six panels, single sheet folded prospectus printed on yellow paper. Not illustrated. They owned the Cougar, Great Western and other mines with minor development. The company owned 14 claims in the district. Promoted by the Pacific States Mining and Investment Co. Est. $75-150

351. Shasta. Harrison Gulch. Midas Extension Gold Mining Co, 1903. Prospectus. Illustrated. 16pp plus soft yellow cover. Cover titled “California Gold.” 7 x 9”, folded vertically in center. San Francisco promotion. Their property located near Hay Fork crossed the Shasta-Trinity County border. This company is directly related to the Midas GMC. They apparently staked additional claims and in order to raise more money, floated a separate public issue. This in itself is usually a formula for quick economic failure, indicating one of the two companies holdings are not good enough to raise the proper operational capital. One of the illustrations shows the ghost town of Knob in Harrison Gulch. Folding map in center 20 x 9” showing the holdings of both companies with cross section containing very limited data. The Midas Co had a large facility, which the Midas Extension hoped to use. Est. $100-300

352. Shasta. Shasta. Mt. Shasta Gold Mines Corp, 1903-04. Informational flyer and subscription, shareholder’s letter, and article. Lot of 3 different pieces. They controlled the Bully Hill Mine in Shasta County, as well as a 25 claim block at an unidentified location used to mine several thousand tons that were sent to the Keswick smelter. The pictorial flyer is a broadside, 9 x 13”. Usually when the properties weren’t specifically identified, the company did not have complete control. Indeed, Mr. Vigouroux included an article cut from the Mining and Engineering Review (9/13/03) stating that the company was a scam, only having had the property under option, and let the option drop without informing the shareholders. A later stockholder letter from January, 1904 stated that the company had decided to join forces with the Phoenix Gold Mining Company, another scam (please see our Arizona catalog). Very good. Tears and wear, but not bad. Est. $75-150

353. Shasta/Trinity. Mining. Gold and Other Mining in Shasta and Trinity Counties, c.1930. 8pp folding pamphlet discussing and showing various mining entities including gold, silver, copper, chrome, barite, lime, diatomite coal and mercury. Map of the area on back showing the primary producing properties and geographic highlights. Black and white cover with gilt lettering and highlights. 4 x 9” Worn in places. Fine. Est. $25-50

SIERRA

354. Sierra. Alleghany. Facts Concerning the Alleghany El Dorado Mine in the Golden Circle of the famous Alleghany Mining District Sierra County, California, 1925. 16pp non-illustrated booklet, center stapled, 3.5 x 5.75”. Promotional booklet used to raise money for the El Dorado Mine. Nearly all of the booklet contains extracts from an “Engineer’s Report” by H. L. Englebright, Mining Engineer. Includes notes on history of the district, production, property description, etc. Est. $75-150

355. Sierra. Alleghany. Harlem Mining & Milling Co, c.1880. Incomplete prospectus. This probably was a four panel folding piece, with two panels now missing. The outside front and back are present, which are extremely artistic and “showy”. Tape repair to one folded edge. 3 x 6”. Gilt borders. Scene of hill rail tram from mine to mill on one panel. The mine was on Kanaka Creek, the creek that is so well known at Alleghany. They had an 18 stamp mill. New York promotion. Regardless of the missing pages, this is an important and artistic piece. Est. $75-150

Sierra. Please see Industrial Mining Co at Esmeralda, Goldfield in the Nevada section.

356. Sierra. Port Wine. Happy Hollow Gold Mining Co, c.1903. 16pp Prospectus with stock order forms and 16pp market letter. Folding map in the back, 16 x 8.25” “map of the Port Wine Ridge from Scales to Poker Flat. La Porte at bottom. Canyon Creek on the north, Slate Creek on the south. Illustrated. Arizona incorporation, San Jose and New York. promotion. This company had a substantial mining camp on Port Wine Ridge. They held 433 acres, including the Arizona, Lookout, Manzanita, and Enterprise claims. Happy Hollow is just east of Port Wine. The Blue Lead cropped out there, creating a lot of exploration and mining opportunities. A friend (Bill Anderson, W.B.P.M., [World’s Best Placer Miner and mining engineer, graduate of U. Alaska and inventor of any kind of device you would ever need on a mine site]) and I mined a bit in Slate Creek nearby this property one summer. He was trained in placer mining methodology by his father, a lifetime miner, who found a high grade pocket there with too many ounces of gold in an area that everyone dreams of…the fabulously rich stuff that the ‘49ers missed. That’s the stuff dreams are made of.-fh Dark green soft cover with gilt raised print. The market letter is for Paul Morris & Co., New York. Pages 3-6 list the mining stocks they chose to quote. Est. $100-300

SISKIYOU

357. Siskiyou. Scotts Bar. Roxbury Hydraulic Mines, c,1917. Prospectus. 40pp plus blue cover with gilt lettering. 4 x 9”. Circa 1917. Nevada Corporation. California promotion. Detailed info on the property. Illustrated. We have not seen this Roxbury report before. It shows the operation of a hydraulic monitor, illegal today. Scotts Bar is a tributary to the North Fork of the Yuba River. In 1855, the local newspaper had reported $15-18 gold per day per miner. In October of that same year, most of the miners were Chinese ( California Gold Camps, 1975, p.312). Est. $100-200

358. Siskiyou. Scotts Bar. Roxbury Hydraulic Mines, c.1917. Prospectus. 8pp, 5.5 x 7.5”. Illustrated with photos of the property. 40 miles from Yreka. Not rare. We’ve probably had about a dozen of these over the years. They proposed large scale placer mining with profits of about $100,000 per year. (purely a guess based on the photographs). Est. $25-50

359. Siskiyou. Yreka. Head-Water Gold Mining & Milling Co, c.1902. 2 prospectuses, 20pp each, slightly different covers with identical contents. New Jersey incorporation, New York promotion. Soft red cover with black print. 3.5 x 6”, illustrated with photos of the mine. They owned or leased the Terror and Lucky Jack claims 17 miles NW of Yreka, Cal. They boasted of 7000 tons of ore blocked at $16 per ton. The Cherry Hill, Gold Ball (8 miles east of Sawyer’s Bar), and Hagley mines are adjacent. The name of this company may be the result of the location of the mine near the headwaters of the Eddy’s and White’s Gulches, which is the known location for the Gold Ball quartz mine.[Crawford, 1894]. Both are XF. Est. $150-300

SUTTER

360. Sutter. Knight’s Landing. Western Dredging Co, 1902, prospectus. 5 x 8” 8ppwith map and illustration plus soft cover. California incorporation, California promotion. This company held nearly 17,000 acres between the Sacramento and Feather Rivers in Sutter county. Their intent was gold dredging using a Boschke dredge. The property map shows the large parcel was located between Knight’s Landing and Chandler and west to Kirkville. No production at the time of publication. Est. $75-150

TRINITY

361. Trinity. Bully Chop. Chonchilula Gold Reef Mines Co, 1903, prospectus. 4 pp. 8.75 x 11.5”. No illustrations. They owned four mines on Chonchilula Mountain. These properties were located next to the Midas Mine, a reported million dollar producer. A few assays shown from Yount’s assay office in Weaverville. Fine. Est. $75-150

Trinity. Hay Fork. Please see Midas Extension GMC is Shasta County. They owned and operated two adjacent properties that cross the county lines.

362. Trinity. Unspecified. Yellowstone Gold Mining Co. 1903. Prospectus and correspondence. 12pp. Property located on the east fork of the north fork of the Trinity River. They had 2000 feet of underground workings exposing an ore zone of about $4 per ton, or about ¼ ounce gold per ton. Curiously, this would have been uneconomic at the time without a few high grade pockets, which it looks like they found based on the assays presented. Gray cover with green print. Est. $75-150

TUOLUMNE

363. Tuolumne. Columbia. Evelyn Gold Mining Co, c.1902-05. Prospectus. San Francisco promotion. 4pp, black on brown paper. Very little info on the company. They owned one mining claim and a 5 acre mill site 2.5 miles from Columbia. They claimed the assays of ore averaged $16 per ton, nearly one ounce per ton gold. They had a 33’ deep shaft with a 22’ drift. This is a prospect to those of us in the mining business, but these guys tried to raise $5,000 on this scant work and property to get the work started. This was nearly a guarantee of failure because of under capitalization. South Dakota incorporation. 3.5 x 6”. Vf. Est. $75-150

364. Tuolumne. General. American Exploration Co, c.1902, prospectus. New Jersey incorporation. San Francisco promotion by the company. The 12 pp prospectus is wholly without any information on any properties owned or leased by the company what so ever. Two single page flyers are enclosed, one of which touts unidentified property in Tuolumne County held by the Eclipse Gold Mining Co, “an American Exploration Co. Syndicate.” The company’s plan was to “secure good prospects and develop them.” This has all the makings of a serious scandal. 4 x 9.5”, vf. Not listed in Mines and Minerals of California, 1899. Not listed in 1920 CDMG Annual Report. Est. $75-150

365. Tuolumne. Jackass Hill. Norwegian Consol. Mining Co, c.1900-05. C. M. Hatcher promotion, Boston. Well illustrated with large photos. 9 x 7”, 24pp plus gray soft cover with black and gilt vignette of underground mining. Contains cross section of the underground workings, copy of a Selby shipment settlement. Other local mines include the Carrington, Bell and Mullins, G. A. Whiteford, mining engineer. Not in production in 1920. f-vf. Est. $100-300

366. Tuolumne. Jamestown. Preston Hill Gold Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. 16 panel, single sheet folded prospectus with map and photo on one side of the single sheet. Black on white. Circa 1902. Very promotional piece without meritorious information. Lots of blue pencil underlining of salient points for and by Mr. Vigouroux. Est. $75-150

YUBA

367. Yuba. Brown’s Valley. Commonwealth Gold Mines Ltd, c.1905. Douglas, Lacy & Co, NY promotion of the Pennsylvania, Danebroge, and Hawkeye mines held by this company. 8pp prospectus, red on orange heavy paper stock. Illustrated. Very short synopsis of the mines. Some underlining in heavy blue pencil. They claim to have already mined and milled 40,000 tons recovering $7.50 per ton. Douglas Lacey was a notorious promotion firm involved with swindles and scams. Very fine. Est. $100-200