Copyright © 2004  by Ana Minerva Bonilla                                               Updated: 6/27/05 17:44

The Weekend Miner

http://theweekendminer.com

Oregon

Jackson County

Applegate District : (Gold & Platinum)

Economic Geology of the Platinum Metals, Geological Survey Professional Paper 630, GPO, 1969, p99 & 100 : The platinum metals found on the beaches of Oregon and California appears to have originated in bodies of peridotite and serpentinite. The great dike of serpentinite that crops out in the valley of the Applegate River, a north-flowing tributary of the Rouge River, and continues northward may be such a source rock. Platinum was located in the Highland Mine, about 12 miles south of Gold Hill, in the Gold Hill quadrangle, Oregon. This metal was finally traced to bluish quartz that was taken from the 100-foot level of the Gold Hill Mine. The tenor in platinum, was 0.32 ounce per ton of ore. Serpentinite, however, is probably the major source.

Mining was carried on in the Applegate District for years after mining ceased in the Takilma-Waldo Mining District. A non-floating dredge, probably mounted on skids and moved by a caterpillar, was operated on the Applegate River in 1944, and two others were operated in the Applegate drainage. In addition, some mining was in progress on Forest and Poorman Creeks, tributaries of the Applegate River. The following analysis of platinum, made by the Wildberg Smelting and Refining Company of San Francisco, was from an operator on the Applegate River: platinum 29.70%, iridium 31.96%, osmium 25.56%, ruthenium 12.78%, rhodium was not determined and palladium was not found. This is clearly a mixture of osmiridum with ordinary platinum, wherein osmiridum is the major component.