"The surface hasn't been scratched yet", said Mr.
Phillips, owner of a gold mine located at 1361 East Chase
Avenue. Two tunnels and a shaft are less than 50 feet from
the Phillips front door, and the vein of ore lies just under
the hill in his backyard. The cart, the track, the cable
drum, the mill are all there today; only the tunnel and
shaft openings are covered and closed to comply with the
law. Mr. Phillips, a mining engineer, purchased the mine in
1940. He dug new tunnels and sunk a new shaft and was taking
out gold when the government issued an order making it
illegal to operate a gold mine during the war years. The
only customer to whom gold can be sold is the federal
government; and due to the high costs of labor it would not
be worth while to mine.
Before he bought his own mine, Mr. Phillips helped set up
other mines and mined across Chase Avenue Ranch Mines until
1932-33, when gold was no longer used as money, a total of
$100,000 was taken out of the mines.
In 1898 there was a minor gold rush in El Cajon. From
that time on prospectors worked over the Chase Ranch area
finding gold in many spots.
The mine on his land probably began operating about 1928.
Gold from the other Chase mines however was on display in
the downtown Bank of Italy in 1924.
He says further, that the Julian mines, the best known,
most numerous, and productive in the County, have not been
mined out. They used to use steam for power out with today's
power equipment much more ore could be dug and lifted.
That's why he says, "The surface isn't scratched yet". Is
the Gold Rush on again? How about it, anyone going
prospecting?
Copyright 2000 Cammi @ Hillsdale Middle School
All rights reserved
