Volume 08 (1864) (474 pages)

10 The Mining anil Srientifie Press. THE MINING INTEREST. No qnestiou can be raised as to the paramount importance of the mining interest to the State of 4alifornia and the city of San Francisco. It is to the success of this interest, almost exclusively, that this city must look for its future growth and prosperity. Of all the various sehemes presented to the capitalist, here, for the employment of his money, there is no one which has a stronger claim upou his attention and carefnl consideration than mining. This interest has none the less claim upou him be-cause past deceptions and illusions have dashed down hopes aud frittered away investments. Let the past teach caution; but let it not debar liberal action. The San Francisco capitalist who shuts the door of his counting room against the miner and his interests, not only commits a grevious wrong agaiust himself, but also proves himself unworthy to be ranked among those who would be foremost in building up a great metropolis on the Pacific coast. ‘There is not a man who owne a foot of real-estate in this city, or who is engaged in any occupation, mercantile, professional or mechanicul, who is not directly iuterested in the development of our mines, and who sbould not contribute snmething, be it ever so little, toward that object. In heavy investments, the chances of return, should, of course, be carefully calculated ; but it should be reckoned the duty of every man who has now and then ten dollars to spare, to throw it out for the above purpose. It may never eome back to him in the shape of dividends, but, tike bread cast upon the waters of charity, it will niost assuredly come back to lim at some time and in some way, inereased five, ten or an hundred fold. His lands will improve in valne for the investment; his trade will increase by reasou of the encourgement to labor, which his money has given, or, perchance, out of some ten or tweuty investments, it may be, he will be so fortunate as to make one successful one, wh'ch will retnrn him mauy times his entire ou'Jay. Some may call this gamhling. Gambling it may be; but itis the ody manner in which the mineral wealth of any country ever was or can be developed. It is no more gambling than is the act of the miner who takes his pick upon his sboulder and goes forth to the mines, working a week here and a week there, and so on, until the tenth or twentieth week, he strikes a valuable claim, and is many times paid for all his nnsuccessful efforts. At the gaming table, whien one wins, others lose to make np his winnings. When one wins in the mining field, nobody loses, . but the entire community is bcuefitted toa greater or less extent by his winning. Tn making these remarks we would not wish to be understood as approving of a species of “ mining” so called, followed to a large exteut upon the pave of Montgomery Street. We endorse legitimate mining only, and legitimate transactions in Stock only. Capital should look toward our mineral deposits, becanse we have abuudant evidence that untold wealth exists there, which needs its aid for development as no other Califoruia interest does need it. Capital should be so directed, because tbere are mines near by us which have already produced the most extravagant returns, and we liave every reason to believe that others, eqnally as rich are yet to be found. It should be so directed becanse mining is the legitimate and leading pursuit of California and the Pacific Slope, and the great predominating interest which we all believe is destined to be the chiefagent in atvancing this city, at an early day, to a position of wealth, importance and power, second to no city on the continent. Capital should be directed toward the mines because it is thence that the nation draws its sinews of strength, by which itis enabled to protect that capital. 1t is our mines of gold and silver, of iron and coal, that has enabled ns to assume our present stand as the foremost people on the earth in every essential of national greatness. Let us then carefully foster our mining interest, for tberein lies our chief source of power and wealth. MINING. ASSOCIATIONS. Almost every branch of industry and business in the State, has its association for mutual aid and protection, except the mining iuterest. Commercial men have their Chamhers of Commerce, Merebants have their exchanges, Farmers have their Agricnltnral Societies, Mechanics their Club Unions, ete.; but the miners, the, largest, most important and most numerous class of our population, have no organization for either improvement or protection. The Calaveras Chronicle, in view of these facts, yery properly suggests that itis time for the mining community to take this matter into serious consideration, and proceed, forthwith, into the organization of County Associations, who should send delegates to a State Council, the officers of which should be e1powered to take a general oversight, of the mining interests of the State, collect statistics, and, if deemed expedient, memoratize Cougress on matters of general interest to the mining community. ‘The idea is a good one. The County Associations wonld naturally become a medinm for the interchange of thonghts aud ideas. and the transmission of expeviments and practical information from one portion of the State to the other. Whatever might he uew in the importaut and difficnit art of mining might be carefully gathered up by the local associations, and, through the State Council, be trausmitted abroad and scattered. thronghout the mines. Every instance of the introduction of any new apparatus, every freshly noticed phenomenon, which may have the sligbtest bearing upon mining, and to which access cau be had should be carefully observed and stored as a treasnre, for the benefit of all. Our mining districts have been most sadly negligent iu aceumnlating and recording the experience of duly qnalified observers. The iiping institutes of Kurope have accomplished a vast amonut of good ih this way. Let us profit by their example. We should be “ heirs of all ages,” and of all uations, too, in beeoming acquainted with the experienco of the past; but, until progressive steps are observed and recorded, and the gradual acquisitious of practical men in out own midst are brought into regular meth-' od and system, we can hardly make good use of the iuheritance to whieh we are the legitimato heirs. Such an organization, conducted with a proper spirit and energy, would accomplish more, by the publication of the facts it might collect, then would aiy number of bunéomhe speeches declivored from the stump, or in our State or national balls of Legislation. THE KEYSTONE CONCENTRATING: WORKS. We lately had the pleasure of visiting the Keystone Copper Conceutrating Works, which have just been erected npon the mine at Copperopolis by the enterprising proprietors, Messrs. Powniug Brothers. These works are the first of the kind built upon this Coast—in fact we believe that tbey are the pioneer works of tbis Continent—and must reflect great eredit upon tbe enterprising spirit of the builders, as they will produce an entire revolution in tbe economy of copper miniug npon tbis Coast. The building is 200 feet long by 35 feet wide. The engine is sixty-five horse power, with 15-inch eylinder and 48-inch stroke, with an anxilliary which materially increases its efficacy. The boileris twentyfive feet loug and six feet in diameter, with return side flues, which give to the boiler about 600 feet of heatiug surface. ‘The ore tor conccutrating is carried from the main shaft to the mill hy means of a railway and hoisted to the crusher room over an incline, where it falls into a bopper and passes between two heavy chilled cast iron rollers which are he'd close by pressure. The while the finest particles are carvied into the concentrating house, where it goes through the various operations of concentrating by means of jiggers, ties, ete. The jiggers are five in number and are driven hy a belt wheel from the engine shaft. ‘The shaft which drives the jiggers is three inches in diameter and ninety feet long, and revolves 180 tines per minute. “he jiggers are composed of a tank about five feet lone by two feet and a half wide, nearly filled with water; inside of these tanks, or boxes, is placed a sieve attached to the cam-shaft above. Into these sieves the ore is shoveled, and, by the quick np and dowu motion, the slate and other waste matter is lifted to the surface where it is easily scraped off and throwu away and the conceutrated ore pnt into bags for shipping. The finer particles of ore are not, placed in the sieves but are carried into sluice boxes where the debris is washed away. Only the second qnality or waste ore, together with the finer particles, are treated in this manner aud produce ore of about 20 per cent. The machinery for these works was built by Messrs. Donahue, Booth, & Co., of this city, under tho immediate control of Mr. Henry Tregellas, engineer. Owen’s River Sa.t Mins.—We have received a specimen of salt from a new discovery of this mineral in the Owen’s River Valley, abont five miles north of Camp Independence, and three miles west of Owen's River. The locality is near the town of San Carlos aud may be readily ascertained by examining Ransom’s Map of California with the above description. An assay of tbis salt has beeu made by Mr. H. G. Hanks of Sau Carlos, with the following result :— Chiorve of Sodium. Sulphate ok Soda. It will be seeu from the above assay that this is a very pure article of salt. ‘he discovery innst soou become very valuable, as, we believe it is the only sinilar diseovery, of any importance yet made in that vieinity. We understaud that the discoverers are about incorporating, under the general Act of this State. Emrtoyment or Women in Tne Kyowisu Mines.— Miss Emily Faithlul recently read a paper before a. meeting of the Social Scieuce Congress of England, on “The Use‘ut Employments in which Wonien are now Engaged.” Jn the course of this paper it was stated that seven thousand women were employed as miners at the Devon and Cornish mines; hundreds as laborers in coke works in Devonshire. With ref‘erence to agricultural laborers, it was stated that on the large dairy farms of Cheshire, the medical reports showed that dairy-women constituted a special class of patients, from maladies arising from over-fatigue and insufficient rest. Allusion was made to the numerous employments in which women are engaged, and few, if any, escaped the reprobation of the paper. Fish-hawking, work in eotton-mills, and cyen in paper-mills, were shown as unfit for women. In some cotton-mills women and girls are obliged to stop their noses with cotton to preveut slow but certain suffocation. Niacarna KEeuirsen—The Denver News, of Nov. 28, gives a description of a newly discovered waterfall on the Lewis Fork of the Columbia river, which threatens to eclipse the far famed Niagara. The entire volume of the river pours over a precipice 198 feet high. The Lewis Fork is equal in size to tbe Niagara River and the fallis 38 feet Ingher. Minine in Ausrranta.—a party of Chinamen recently bought a lot of tailings for $75, from which ore having passed through tbe crusher, falls into are-. they realized 100 ounces of gold and tbirty-seven volving screen; allthatis sufficiently fine sifts into sluice boxesand the coarser particles are retur ied by means of a raft wheel to be crusbed over again, pounds of quicksilver. It would appear from the above that the miners of Australia do not work their ground very carefully.

10 The Mining anil Srientifie Press. THE MINING INTEREST. No qnestiou can be raised as to the paramount importance of the mining interest to the State of 4alifornia and the city of San Francisco. It is to the success of this interest, almost exclusively, that this city must look for its future growth and prosperity. Of all the various sehemes presented to the capitalist, here, for the employment of his money, there is no one which has a stronger claim upou his attention and carefnl consideration than mining. This interest has none the less claim upou him be-cause past deceptions and illusions have dashed down hopes aud frittered away investments. Let the past teach caution; but let it not debar liberal action. The San Francisco capitalist who shuts the door of his counting room against the miner and his interests, not only commits a grevious wrong agaiust himself, but also proves himself unworthy to be ranked among those who would be foremost in building up a great metropolis on the Pacific coast. ‘There is not a man who owne a foot of real-estate in this city, or who is engaged in any occupation, mercantile, professional or mechanicul, who is not directly iuterested in the development of our mines, and who sbould not contribute snmething, be it ever so little, toward that object. In heavy investments, the chances of return, should, of course, be carefully calculated ; but it should be reckoned the duty of every man who has now and then ten dollars to spare, to throw it out for the above purpose. It may never eome back to him in the shape of dividends, but, tike bread cast upon the waters of charity, it will niost assuredly come back to lim at some time and in some way, inereased five, ten or an hundred fold. His lands will improve in valne for the investment; his trade will increase by reasou of the encourgement to labor, which his money has given, or, perchance, out of some ten or tweuty investments, it may be, he will be so fortunate as to make one successful one, wh'ch will retnrn him mauy times his entire ou'Jay. Some may call this gamhling. Gambling it may be; but itis the ody manner in which the mineral wealth of any country ever was or can be developed. It is no more gambling than is the act of the miner who takes his pick upon his sboulder and goes forth to the mines, working a week here and a week there, and so on, until the tenth or twentieth week, he strikes a valuable claim, and is many times paid for all his nnsuccessful efforts. At the gaming table, whien one wins, others lose to make np his winnings. When one wins in the mining field, nobody loses, . but the entire community is bcuefitted toa greater or less extent by his winning. Tn making these remarks we would not wish to be understood as approving of a species of “ mining” so called, followed to a large exteut upon the pave of Montgomery Street. We endorse legitimate mining only, and legitimate transactions in Stock only. Capital should look toward our mineral deposits, becanse we have abuudant evidence that untold wealth exists there, which needs its aid for development as no other Califoruia interest does need it. Capital should be so directed, because tbere are mines near by us which have already produced the most extravagant returns, and we liave every reason to believe that others, eqnally as rich are yet to be found. It should be so directed becanse mining is the legitimate and leading pursuit of California and the Pacific Slope, and the great predominating interest which we all believe is destined to be the chiefagent in atvancing this city, at an early day, to a position of wealth, importance and power, second to no city on the continent. Capital should be directed toward the mines because it is thence that the nation draws its sinews of strength, by which itis enabled to protect that capital. 1t is our mines of gold and silver, of iron and coal, that has enabled ns to assume our present stand as the foremost people on the earth in every essential of national greatness. Let us then carefully foster our mining interest, for tberein lies our chief source of power and wealth. MINING. ASSOCIATIONS. Almost every branch of industry and business in the State, has its association for mutual aid and protection, except the mining iuterest. Commercial men have their Chamhers of Commerce, Merebants have their exchanges, Farmers have their Agricnltnral Societies, Mechanics their Club Unions, ete.; but the miners, the, largest, most important and most numerous class of our population, have no organization for either improvement or protection. The Calaveras Chronicle, in view of these facts, yery properly suggests that itis time for the mining community to take this matter into serious consideration, and proceed, forthwith, into the organization of County Associations, who should send delegates to a State Council, the officers of which should be e1powered to take a general oversight, of the mining interests of the State, collect statistics, and, if deemed expedient, memoratize Cougress on matters of general interest to the mining community. ‘The idea is a good one. The County Associations wonld naturally become a medinm for the interchange of thonghts aud ideas. and the transmission of expeviments and practical information from one portion of the State to the other. Whatever might he uew in the importaut and difficnit art of mining might be carefully gathered up by the local associations, and, through the State Council, be trausmitted abroad and scattered. thronghout the mines. Every instance of the introduction of any new apparatus, every freshly noticed phenomenon, which may have the sligbtest bearing upon mining, and to which access cau be had should be carefully observed and stored as a treasnre, for the benefit of all. Our mining districts have been most sadly negligent iu aceumnlating and recording the experience of duly qnalified observers. The iiping institutes of Kurope have accomplished a vast amonut of good ih this way. Let us profit by their example. We should be “ heirs of all ages,” and of all uations, too,

in beeoming acquainted with the experienco of the past; but, until progressive steps are observed and recorded, and the gradual acquisitious of practical men in out own midst are brought into regular meth-' od and system, we can hardly make good use of the iuheritance to whieh we are the legitimato heirs. Such an organization, conducted with a proper spirit and energy, would accomplish more, by the publication of the facts it might collect, then would aiy number of bunéomhe speeches declivored from the stump, or in our State or national balls of Legislation. THE KEYSTONE CONCENTRATING: WORKS. We lately had the pleasure of visiting the Keystone Copper Conceutrating Works, which have just been erected npon the mine at Copperopolis by the enterprising proprietors, Messrs. Powniug Brothers. These works are the first of the kind built upon this Coast—in fact we believe that tbey are the pioneer works of tbis Continent—and must reflect great eredit upon tbe enterprising spirit of the builders, as they will produce an entire revolution in tbe economy of copper miniug npon tbis Coast. The building is 200 feet long by 35 feet wide. The engine is sixty-five horse power, with 15-inch eylinder and 48-inch stroke, with an anxilliary which materially increases its efficacy. The boileris twentyfive feet loug and six feet in diameter, with return side flues, which give to the boiler about 600 feet of heatiug surface. ‘The ore tor conccutrating is carried from the main shaft to the mill hy means of a railway and hoisted to the crusher room over an incline, where it falls into a bopper and passes between two heavy chilled cast iron rollers which are he'd close by pressure. The while the finest particles are carvied into the concentrating house, where it goes through the various operations of concentrating by means of jiggers, ties, ete. The jiggers are five in number and are driven hy a belt wheel from the engine shaft. ‘The shaft which drives the jiggers is three inches in diameter and ninety feet long, and revolves 180 tines per minute. “he jiggers are composed of a tank about five feet lone by two feet and a half wide, nearly filled with water; inside of these tanks, or boxes, is placed a sieve attached to the cam-shaft above. Into these sieves the ore is shoveled, and, by the quick np and dowu motion, the slate and other waste matter is lifted to the surface where it is easily scraped off and throwu away and the conceutrated ore pnt into bags for shipping. The finer particles of ore are not, placed in the sieves but are carried into sluice boxes where the debris is washed away. Only the second qnality or waste ore, together with the finer particles, are treated in this manner aud produce ore of about 20 per cent. The machinery for these works was built by Messrs. Donahue, Booth, & Co., of this city, under tho immediate control of Mr. Henry Tregellas, engineer. Owen’s River Sa.t Mins.—We have received a specimen of salt from a new discovery of this mineral in the Owen’s River Valley, abont five miles north of Camp Independence, and three miles west of Owen's River. The locality is near the town of San Carlos aud may be readily ascertained by examining Ransom’s Map of California with the above description. An assay of tbis salt has beeu made by Mr. H. G. Hanks of Sau Carlos, with the following result :— Chiorve of Sodium.. Sulphate ok Soda. It will be seeu from the above assay that this is a very pure article of salt. ‘he discovery innst soou become very valuable, as, we believe it is the only sinilar diseovery, of any importance yet made in that vieinity. We understaud that the discoverers are about incorporating, under the general Act of this State. Emrtoyment or Women in Tne Kyowisu Mines.— Miss Emily Faithlul recently read a paper before a. meeting of the Social Scieuce Congress of England, on “The Use‘ut Employments in which Wonien are now Engaged.” Jn the course of this paper it was stated that seven thousand women were employed as miners at the Devon and Cornish mines; hundreds as laborers in coke works in Devonshire. With ref‘erence to agricultural laborers, it was stated that on the large dairy farms of Cheshire, the medical reports showed that dairy-women constituted a special class of patients, from maladies arising from over-fatigue and insufficient rest. Allusion was made to the numerous employments in which women are engaged, and few, if any, escaped the reprobation of the paper. Fish-hawking, work in eotton-mills, and cyen in paper-mills, were shown as unfit for women. In some cotton-mills women and girls are obliged to stop their noses with cotton to preveut slow but certain suffocation. Niacarna KEeuirsen—The Denver News, of Nov. 28, gives a description of a newly discovered waterfall on the Lewis Fork of the Columbia river, which threatens to eclipse the far famed Niagara. The entire volume of the river pours over a precipice 198 feet high. The Lewis Fork is equal in size to tbe Niagara River and the fallis 38 feet Ingher. Minine in Ausrranta.—a party of Chinamen recently bought a lot of tailings for $75, from which ore having passed through tbe crusher, falls into are-. they realized 100 ounces of gold and tbirty-seven volving screen; allthatis sufficiently fine sifts into sluice boxesand the coarser particles are retur ied by means of a raft wheel to be crusbed over again, pounds of quicksilver. It would appear from the above that the miners of Australia do not work their ground very carefully.