January 3, 1911
Merced Evening Sun
EL PORTAL EXCURSION
WAS A GREAT SUCCESS
Over Two Hundred People Took Advantage of Opportunity
to see Gold Mines and Power Sites in the Merced River Canyon
The Chamber of Commerce excursion up the Merced River to El Portal yesterday was the biggest and best event pulled off for Merced people in recent years. Over 200 people took advantage of the opportunity and made the trip. Every one of them wore the blue ribbon excursion badge of the Chamber of Commerce, and every one of them had a royal good time from leaving Merced at 7:30 o'clock in the morning until the train returned at 11 o'clock last night. No mishaps of any kind occurred to mar the pleasure of the day, which was bright and pretty from early morning until late at night. In the morning a light frost covered the ground and the air was crisp, but by the time Snelling was reached the sun was warming the atmosphere and wraps were no longer a necessity.
As Seen From The Train.
The first stop made by the excursion was at Snelling, where 40 minutes were taken up with a visit to the gold dredger of the Yosemite Gold Dredging & Mining Company. This dredge was in full operation and afforded the excursionists a novel sight, many people having never seen one of the big gold saving machines at work. This dredge is operated by electric power, handles 75,000 cubic yards of ground every month, and is said to be making a fortune for its owners. The company has 360 acres of bottom land along the Merced river, a sufficient acreage to keep the present plant operating for 12 years. At Snelling Manager Morse of the Crocker-Huffman Land & Water Company had a bunch of Automobiles which were at the disposal of the excursionist to and from the site of the dredger and the train. These machines also carried a party of business men to Merced Falls, via the big concrete dam of the Crocker company arriving at the falls in time to meet the train again. The stop at Merced Falls occupied but a few minutes.
A mile below Merced Falls another stop of a few minutes was made to give the people a chance to see the hydraulic placer mine of the Merced Placer Mines Company in operation. Here water is pumped from the river to a side hill bench containing 60 acres of valuable gravel. This gravel is being sluiced by the hydraulic method. As the train stopped at this point great giants on the side hill threw streams of water into the air 100 feet, thereby demonstrating the wonderful pressure developed by the pumping plant on the river. These giants, when in operation, play against a bank of gravel with such force as to crumble the deposit and run it through the sluice boxed in such a manner as to catch the gold.
Beautiful Exchequer.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the train stopped at Exchequer, the site of the Exchequer Mining & Power Company plant. A monster concrete dam has been built across the Merced river at this point, and the model electric power house in the box canyon below the dam furnishes power to the mines at Hornitos, six miles over the hill to the south. This plant is owned by Chicago (Ills.) and Merced capitalists, J. B. Garibaldi, Dr. E. S. O'Brien, Frank Farrar and C. E. Kocher of this city are interested in this business. The plant of the Yosemite Stone Company is also located near Exchequer. This plant is idle at the present time, but will be in operation again within a week or ten days.
Near Exchequer is also located the property of the Bullion Hill Mining & Milling Company. This mine is on the hills to the south, and is a new property being developed by Los Angeles and Merced capital. J. E. Meyer of Los Angeles and B. R. Binns and A. M. Richardson of Merced are the principal owners. A crosscut tunnel now being driven in this property encountered ore on the 19th of December and has been in ore ever since that date. When the men quit work yesterday the tunnel was in ore for a distance of 36 feet, and no sight of the hanging wall was apparent. The tunnel is being driven to crosscut an immense rhyolite dyke which cross the property and the fondest expectations of the owners have more than realized during the last two weeks. The ore carries wonderful values in free gold. One streak in the vein carries silver and copper values and runs into the hundreds. This streak is about six feet wide and was not anticipated when work on the tunnel was started. The dyke shows a width on the surface of more than 50 feet and Superintendent Binns states that he has not yet reached the point in the vein that he has been driving for. At the present time the tunnel shows 35 feet of ore with the face still full. This property looks like a bonanza, and will probably prove such with scientific management.
Leaving Exchequer the train pulled up to Jasper Point, where another stop was made. Here the splendid rock crushing plant of the Merced Stone Company was visited and inspected. This plant was in full full operation and afforded the excursionists a splendid opportunity to see the workings of an industry that cost than $150,000 to install. Everything at this plant is operated exclusively from the power plant at ??? dam. Samuel and ??? of Oakland are the ??? and are doing much to develop the Merced river canyon.
Lunch at the Crown Lead.
At about 11:30 the train stopped at Kittridge, the site of the Crown Lead Gold Mining, Milling & Transporting Company. Here the excursionists crossed the river and spread their lunch on the platform of the 20-stamp mill, lining up on that platform for a distance of over 300 feet, enjoying the splendid box lunch prepared by the committee in charge of the excursion and drinking in the warm sunshine, which made the 2nd day of January feel like a bright day in May. Overcoats and wraps were an unnecessary thing, the delightful weather giving the occasion a picnic setting.
After lunch some time was spent by the excursionists in a visit to the Crown Lead mill and tramway. This plant was one of the most interesting places visited on the entire trip.
E. S. Lewis, the general manager of the property, met the people in a cordial manner and gave much information to all regarding the workings of the various machinery unit in the plant. The happy welcome which Mr. Lewis extended was appreciated by all. The mine is located about a mile and a half up the mountain from the site of the mill, and time was too short for a visit there, but an inspection of the aerial tramway and the 20-stamp mill, both in full operation, the former bringing the ore from the mine over long stretches of cables and deep gulches, and the latter grinding it up into powder and separating the gold from the rock, was a sight which interested the people, many of whom had never seen a plant of this character in operation. The Crown Lead mill and tramway is a model, not only in a mechanical way, but also in cleanliness. While the great stamps made a constant roar, yet no difficulty was experienced by any one in going to all parts of the building. Everything about the buildings was neat and clean, showing the careful manner in which Mr. Lewis is handling this property for his New York associated.
Bagby and Mountain King.
A few minutes after leaving the Crown Lead mill, the train stopped at Bagby, that beautiful spot in the Merced river canyon, where one of the stamp mills of the Mariposa Commercial & Mining Company is located, and where the electric power plant of the same corporation is developing juice for distribution over the "Fremont grant" to Bear Valley, Mt. Bullion and Mariposa, and also over a line to the Tyro mine and several other properties back in the hills from the railroad. At Bagby the excursionists were greeted by W. M. Wilburn, the hotel and mining man of that section of the canyon, who made the stay at that point a pleasant one.
From Bagby the train went to the Mountain King mine, where another stop was made. Here the excursionists visited the great 40-stamp mill of the Mountain King Mining & Milling Company. This mill is located on the river bank and ore is brought from the mine by an incline cable railroad. Twenty stamps were in operation in this mill, the new battery of 20 stamps not having yet received the power. Within a few days, it is announced, the entire 40 stamps will be crushing ore. The Mountain King is one of the big properties of Mariposa county and the manager of the mine finds it profitable to his company to purchase much needed supplies for both the mill, mine and camp in Merced.
Briceburg and Sweetwater.
Briceburg was the next stop on the schedule. Here the people were greeted most cordially by William Brice, the owner of the general merchandise store at this point. Briceburg is located near the confluence of Bear creek with the Merced, and is a distributing point for a large number of mines back in the hills on both sides of the river. At this point the excursionists were treated to the sight of a mule pack train loaded and ready to start for the mines back in the high mountains.
At Sweetwater Flat, a few miles above Briceburg, the train stopped for a few minutes to allow the excursionists to gather California hollyberries, which grow there in profusion. The spot is a pretty one. The 214 people on the train took advantage of the opportunity, and today there are hollyberries in many of the homes of this city.
The Original Mine.
Shortly after leaving Sweetwater Flat a stop was made at the Original mine. This property is owned by Merced capitalists and under the management of G. W. and Frank Egenhoff, who have a force of men at work driving a tunnel. A few days ago this tunnel encountered the vein and the work of crosscutting is now in progress. More that 100 of the excursionists took advantage of the invitation of the Egenhoff brothers and made a trip into the tunnel, back to where the ore has been opened in the crosscut. Here the vein shows a width of about 12 feet. The ore is a good quartz and is carrying values which will average in the neighborhood of $20 per ton. Some streaks in the vein will go into the hundreds in gold values. The Merced people who are interested in this property are naturally greatly elated, for the property gives promise of being one of the best in Mariposa county. The Original mine is in good territory, being in the vicinity of the famous old Ferguson mine, which in years gone by, yielded millions of dollars of yellow metal. It is now on the same belt with the famous old Hite's Cove property, which at one time was the greatest gold mine in the world. Here's hoping that the owners of the Original mine have a property that will outdo the Hite Cove many times.
El Portal and Dinner.
El Portal, the end of the journey, was reached shortly after 3 o'clock. Here the excursionists climbed the hill to the beautiful Hotel Del Portal, where Manager Henry E. W. Wilson mad them comfortable and happy. At 4 o'clock dinner was served and 116 people occupied the dining room at one time. The menu was all that could be desired, and the service most excellent. At the close of the banquet, W. E. Landram, acting as toastmaster, made a few facetious remarks, and introduced Judge C. S. Cothran of Los Banos, one of the new members of the board of supervisors of this county. Judge Cothran made a short but happy address, which was liberally punctuated with the applause of his listeners. Following Judge Cothran, the toastmaster introduced I. H. Clay, a former president of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Clay spoke of the need of a new and modern hotel for Merced and kept his hearers in a convulsive laughter from start to finish. His address was truly humorous and witty. At the same time the speaker's points were so well made and applied that their meaning could not possibly go astray. When Mr. Clay had finished speaking every one of the hearers knew what he thought should be done in Merced along hotel lines. James H. O'Brien of San Francisco was the next speaker. Mr. O'Brien is a good story-teller and his acquaintance with Merced people is so extensive that he was able to apply his stories in a local way, much to the amusement of the banqueters. Mr. O'Brien declared he had come all of the way from San Francisco for the sole purpose of having a good time with his old Merced friends and he certainly had it. At least there is no one who attended the banquet who will dispute the fact. Following the speech making, the dining room was cleared and set again for the remainder of the excursionists.
Following the banquet, the Merced Concert Band rendered a number of choice dance selections and some dozen or fifteen couples danced on the open veranda of the great hotel until 7:45 o'clock. This was a pleasing sight, appreciated fully by all. It is not every country on the globe where an open air dance can be held during the evening of the 2nd day of January at an elevation of 2000 feet above sea level.
The excursion train left El Portal at about 7:45 o'clock and arrived at the Southern Pacific station in this city at about 11 o'clock. The down trip was made without stops except where necessary. The service furnished by the Yosemite Valley railroad was all that could be desired, and the 214 people who made the trip have nothing but praise for the manner in which they were treated from early morning until late at night.
Excursion Flashlights.
The train was in charge of Conductor J. L. Morse, Engineer Charles Grant, Fireman Jesse Grant and Brakeman Bob Herron. These gentlemen were courteous to every one and did all in their power to make the trip a pleasant one.
Superintendent O. W. Lehmer and Auditor J. H. Ellis of the Yosemite Valley railroad accompanied the excursion to El Portal and did everything in their power to make the event a pleasant one to the excursionists. And they succeeded most admirably, for every one was delighted with the train service and the reception at El Portal.
The Excursionists.
{ Considerable list of persons and text about the people who took part.}
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