Volume 08 (1864) (474 pages)

The Rining and Scientific Press. 181 WASHOE MINING ITEMS. According to current reports in the Washoe papers, mining operations nppear to be exceedingly netive there at the present tinio; and with tore encournging prospects of abundant success than lave eycr becu met with siuce the first discovery of silver iv that region. The important and extensive improvements now in progress upon the Ophir are elsewhere in onr colunins more particularly spokev of, as well as late and important developments in both this mine and the Gould & Curry. ‘The Mexican Company are progressing finely with their shaft, which is to prospect the lead bel:w their deepest level. ‘They have already nivt with a large quantily of water. The Latrobe Tunnel, which is the longest in the ‘Territory, has recently struck water at a distauce of 2,800 feet from its mouth. ‘The consequence is that the Ophir and eeveral other mines in the city are being effectually drained. The advantages of this system of droinage are almost incalculable to the mines affected by it. Meretofore the Ophir Comany have found it almost impossible to drift west below their fifth level, ou account of the great influx of water from that direction; now, bowever, the water appears to be fast sinking, and in a short time that part of the hill will no doubt be drained to a level with the tuunel. The Savage and Potost miving case is still before Judge North, in Chambers. Considerable iuterest is felt in the result of this important suit. Vhe Crown Point Company have now got their shaft down 250 feet, which is as deep as they intend to sink it at present. They will soon commence to run a drift from the shaft to the ledge. Jn a few weeks this will be added to the list of productive mines in Gold Hill District. The Midas Consolidated Company is located a short distance southeast of the Midas works. They have a shuft down 185 feet, from which a drift has been ruu 100 feet to their ledee, which they found to be some 25 feet thick. Alter piercing the ledge they drifted upon it about 80 feet, and are still coutinuinge the work. The Irving Company, located in Six-mile Cajon, have recently had a large amount of rock crushed at Bassett’s mill. According to the Enterprise. they obtained from average rock a yield of $33.44 per ton. Irom @ place a little south of the main shaft, and at a depth greater than tbat lrom which the principal part of the rock was taken, ore was extracted which assayed $150 per ton. This is doing very well, The company are working night and day. The managers of the mine are sanguine that it will be a dividend-paying one by next July. ‘This will be a pleusing lact, especially to ove of the chief owners therein, who assures us that he has expended $19,000 for its development. The Peerless Gold and Silver Mining Company have their shaft down to a depth of about 190 feet. At this distance the claim shows a well-defiued:Iedge, about six feetin width. A recent mill test has been obtained, of some of the rock taken from the ledge, and the result is very flattering to the locators. The ledge was reacbed by means of an incline tunnel, and tlie rock is hoi-~ted out by a horse power “whim.” Arrangements have been perfected by the company with a San Francisco capitalist for the erection of a mill. The Potosi mine continues to send to the mills a large amount of excellent ores. The Gilmore tuunel, on American Flat, is now in to the distance of 307 feet. The Mariposa mill, located in Cedar Ravine, and which bas been idle for nearly a year, because the water by which it has beeu running was leased by the Water Company, has again resumed operations. It has twelve stamps and a rotary battery. Work on the Bullion is progressing satisfactorily, as also on the Croesus and most ot the other claims in that vicinity. Considerable activity is beiug displayed by the miners of Flowery District in the development of the varions leads iv that section. More work is at present being done than at any time since the spring of ’60. A good many new locations are also being made. AMEDICAN FLAT. American Flat still eontinues to attract a large share of atteution. ‘The Andes isa claim located on the bills west of Aimeriean Flat, joining the Bal timore American on the north and the Victor Hugo on the sonth. The Johnson Company, who made the original location, to avoid litigation with tbe Andes, eutered into a consolidation with the latter company, uuder the present name. It contains 800 feet, and like most of the mines in that vicinity, its development was commenced but a short time ago. Vhe controlling interest isin the hands of men of capital, who seem determined to push forward the work with vigor. A shaft has been sunk to a depth of 30 feet, and some good indications discovered. The incessant labor spent upon the claims in this vicinity, and the money expended, shows the confidence owners entertain, that rich ledges will soon be struck, and their strong hope, that they may be the fortunate discoverers. Our correspondent “Alpha,” under date of March 12, writes us that°‘ Prospecting is being carried on to a great exteut on the American Flat, and new discoveries are being made daily. To name the many claims on which shafts are now being sunk, or iuto which tunuels are being run, would be almost an impossibility. I visited the Baltimore American tunnel a few days since. This company are at present in some 400 feet. and are driviug west throush a very hard porphyritie rock. ‘The Superintendent, Mr. MeKlroy, ioformed me that they have heen working three shifts, of eight hnnrs each, and only advanced some twenty feet in a month! The very best of steel drills are often broken off,as though they were made of brittle wood. At a distance ol 1,000 feet from the mouth of the tunnel, they pass+d through a sort of a bastard vein formation, bounded on the cast and west by a well-defined wall, but the quartz does not carry the slightest indication of any mineral. They have not yet reached what is claimed the main ledge, and it yet remains to be seen whether this claim will prove good or not. “ Perhaps it would not be out of the way here to state that if the ledge that the Uncle Sam Company are oo runs anywhere near the Baltimore American claim,it makes an angle of at least forty-five degrees ; but it is claimed tbat there are three different and distinct ledges. The town of American City has already some 125 houses, and if it makes the rapid strides the next six months that it has during the previous two, it will be a formidable rival to the surrounding towns. As fast as I have a chanee to visit the claims in this locality, I will keep you posted in their progress.” Tar Wino River Mines—More Discoverrrs.— Accounts are constantly reaching us of new mineral discoveries on the outskirts of those last previously announced. Having connected onr discoveries on the south with the ancient workings of Mexico, and having pushed out eastward until we have reached the eastern base of the Rocky Monntains, where the minera]-bearing strata dips beneath the great Mississippi basin, our mines have nowhere else to go but vorthward along the great cbain, which forms the backbone of the continent. It is along tbat track that we are now pushing on to form a convecting link with the gold fields of British Columbia. The discoveries in Idabo ‘Territory and along the southern waters of the Snake river, in the Boise region, are now well known. Our hardy pioueers are still pusbing on, and the last heard from them they were prospeeting, and successfully too, the far-off Wiud River mountains, upon the uorth waters of Suakeriver. A late number of the Portland (Oregon) Yimes states that Mr. I. J. Lawren had recently arrived in tbat city, and “reports tbat a valuable mineral district bas been discovered about 300 miles above Boise, on the head-waters of Snake river. They are termed the Wind River mines, and they are most likely located in the spurs of the mountains bearing tbat name. A great many have gone from Boise and tbat vicinity, and have writteu back that the diggings are far richer than those of Boise ever were.” The Walla Walla Statesman speaks of a considerable excitement about these new mines. Hundreds were leaving Boisc for them. Paocness or Carmrcat Discoveay.—Some seven or eight years since Dr. Hoffiian exhibited before the British Royal LIustitution a bright glisteving mass, which he stated was anew metal, aud which be named “ammonium "—the metalic base of ammouia. This discovery was recetved at the time as a highly interesting fact, insomuch as it strengtheucd the views then and still entertained, respecting the constituents of all created things—the very atmosphere we breath not even excepted—viz, that all are metalie, and that the discoveries in chemical science will yet enable man to resolve all things to their metalie bases, Mining Orcanizations.—The Colorado Mining Journal throws out the following very pertinent and suggestive ideas to its readers, which aro most particularly upplicable to this latitude also :—* A company with a working capital of $50,000, would soon be declaring good dividends, and the stock would inevitably advance far above par, and be eagerly sought. But when, with only tne same basis on which to work, the capital stock is swelled to a williov, or millions, no management iu the world can prevent it from depreciating and fivally becomiug worthless. Of course, by the sale of the stock in the market, the getters-up of these schemes line their pockets, and that is tbe iutention. Opening the miues of the country is entirely a secondary interest with them. Selling stock is tbeir business. And the fleeced public, sooner or later, finds this to be as worthless as the paper on which they are printed. These operators know perfectly well that tbe nines cannot be made to pay dividends on such an enormous and chiefly fictitious capital, and they cease to look to them for it. ‘They use the real merit of the country for their own purposes and their operations.” A Vatuaute Invention.—A gentleman named John Nester, according to the Virgiuia Union, is nt present eugaged by the Gould & Curry company in lining portious of their mill and miving works with metallic India-rubber weatber strips. These strips yary from three-eightbs to one-and-a-balf inches in width, and are intended to render sliding doors and shutters air-tight, open or shut. he tops, bottoms, sides and centres of doors, windows and sky-lights of any description, when lived with these strips, are made itnpermeable, to wind, rain, suow or dust. In many houses in tbis climate it is almost impossible to keep out tbe wind in winter, or the dust in summer, and if this invention has the virtnes claimed for it, it will become invaluable. The manufactory is in New York City, from which an immense quantity, of tbe article is shipped annually. Tar Aurora Times, of March 7th, says :—“The Antelope’s new mill is now running, reducing excellent ore. Tbe Durand will soon commence, and we notice several companies are engaging the custom mills, and will keep them underway, all of which will add to our shipments of bullion. We are also pleased to learn that notwithstanding the dull times, a great amount of work is being done. ‘The idlers go away, but the working men keep to their task, aud it is evideut they will never surrender.” Weatta or THE Unirep Stares.—A_ statistician computes the augmentation of the value of our real and personal property from 1791 to 1860, to be the almost fahulous sum of sixteen billions of dollars. Were wealth the only indication of uational greatness and progress, the United States, in this respect. would searcely bave a rival; but the moral and iutellectual status of a people isthe only true criterion iu judging of their condition, and in this respect we certainly compare favorably witb any other nation. Utceaatinc Treta.—Tbe uleerating process seldom commences unless the nerves have been destroyed. <A tooth, being tbus deprived of its vitality, becomes a foreign body, and frequently causes severe suffering. People are often prone to retain their loosened teeth for a long time, which is a great, mistake. They should be extracted without delay. Those loosened teeth, upon being removed from the mouth, often emit a disgusting odor, showing the impropriety of retaining them a single day. Being loose, they cause but little pain in thé extraction. Wassuinc Wootrys.—If you do not wish to have white woolens shrink when wasbed, make a good suds of hard soap, and wash the flannels init. Do not rub woolens like cotton cloth, but squeeze them between the hands or slightly pound them witha clothes pounder. The suds nsed should be strong, and the woolens should be rinsed in warm water. By rubbing flannels on a board and rinsing them in eold water, they soon become very thick. Munerau saur is now brought in ballast from Russia; it sells for $20 atun. It is mined in blocks that to the eye appear to be quartz. A thirty-pouud block «f it, plaeed in a box in a field, will supply a herd of cows forsome weeks. It is aa hard as stone. Ordiuary salt would dissolve in one-fourth the time. No other country yet known yeilds this pecu'iar product. It is quarried preeisely as we quarry marble. Dirrerences In Vatus or Buuiion.—According to the Aurora Zimes, the bullion produced ia Esmeralda is worth from four to six dollars to the ounce, while that from Virginia City assays but two dollars.

The Rining and Scientific Press. 181 WASHOE MINING ITEMS. According to current reports in the Washoe papers, mining operations nppear to be exceedingly netive there at the present tinio; and with tore encournging prospects of abundant success than lave eycr becu met with siuce the first discovery of silver iv that region. The important and extensive improvements now in progress upon the Ophir are elsewhere in onr colunins more particularly spokev of, as well as late and important developments in both this mine and the Gould & Curry. ‘The Mexican Company are progressing finely with their shaft, which is to prospect the lead bel:w their deepest level. ‘They have already nivt with a large quantily of water. The Latrobe Tunnel, which is the longest in the ‘Territory, has recently struck water at a distauce of 2,800 feet from its mouth. ‘The consequence is that the Ophir and eeveral other mines in the city are being effectually drained. The advantages of this system of droinage are almost incalculable to the mines affected by it. Meretofore the Ophir Comany have found it almost impossible to drift west below their fifth level, ou account of the great influx of water from that direction; now, bowever, the water appears to be fast sinking, and in a short time that part of the hill will no doubt be drained to a level with the tuunel. The Savage and Potost miving case is still before Judge North, in Chambers. Considerable iuterest is felt in the result of this important suit. Vhe Crown Point Company have now got their shaft down 250 feet, which is as deep as they intend to sink it at present. They will soon commence to run a drift from the shaft to the ledge. Jn a few weeks this will be added to the list of productive mines in Gold Hill District. The Midas Consolidated Company is located a short distance southeast of the Midas works. They have a shuft down 185 feet, from which a drift has been ruu 100 feet to their ledee, which they found to be some 25 feet thick. Alter piercing the ledge they drifted upon it about 80 feet, and are still coutinuinge the work. The Irving Company, located in Six-mile Cajon, have recently had a large amount of rock crushed at Bassett’s mill. According to the Enterprise. they obtained from average rock a yield of $33.44 per ton. Irom @ place a little south of the main shaft, and at a depth greater than tbat lrom which the principal part of the rock was taken, ore was extracted which assayed $150 per ton. This is doing very well, The company are working night and day. The managers of the mine are sanguine that it will be a dividend-paying one by next July. ‘This will be a pleusing lact, especially to ove of the chief owners therein, who assures us that he has expended $19,000 for its development. The Peerless Gold and Silver Mining Company have their shaft down to a depth of about 190 feet. At this distance the claim shows a well-defiued:Iedge, about six feetin width. A recent mill test has been obtained, of some of the rock taken from the ledge, and the result is very flattering to the locators. The ledge was reacbed by means of an incline tunnel, and tlie rock is hoi-~ted out by a horse power “whim.” Arrangements have been perfected by the company with a San Francisco capitalist for the erection of a mill. The Potosi mine continues to send to the mills a large amount of excellent ores. The Gilmore tuunel, on American Flat, is now in to the distance of 307 feet. The Mariposa mill, located in Cedar Ravine, and which bas been idle for nearly a year, because the water by which it has beeu running was leased by the Water Company, has again resumed operations. It has twelve stamps and a rotary battery. Work on the Bullion is progressing satisfactorily, as also on the Croesus and most ot the other claims in that vicinity. Considerable activity is beiug displayed by the miners of Flowery District in the development of the varions leads iv that section. More work is at present being done than at any time since the spring of ’60. A good many new locations are also being made. AMEDICAN FLAT. American Flat still eontinues to attract a large share of atteution. ‘The Andes isa claim located on the bills west of Aimeriean Flat, joining the Bal timore American on the north and the Victor Hugo on the sonth. The Johnson Company, who made the original location, to avoid litigation with tbe Andes, eutered into a consolidation with the latter company, uuder the present name. It contains 800 feet, and like most of the mines in that vicinity, its development was commenced but a short time ago. Vhe controlling interest isin the hands of men of capital, who seem determined to push forward the work with vigor. A shaft has been sunk to a depth of 30 feet, and some good indications discovered. The incessant labor spent upon the claims in this vicinity, and the money expended, shows the confidence owners entertain, that rich ledges will soon be struck, and their strong hope, that they may be the fortunate discoverers. Our correspondent “Alpha,” under date of March 12, writes us that°‘ Prospecting is being carried on to a great exteut on the American Flat, and new discoveries are being made daily. To name the many claims on which shafts are now being sunk, or iuto which tunuels are being run, would be almost an impossibility. I visited the Baltimore American tunnel a few days since. This company are at present in some 400 feet. and are driviug west throush a very hard porphyritie rock. ‘The Superintendent, Mr. MeKlroy, ioformed me that they have heen working three shifts, of eight hnnrs each, and only advanced some twenty feet in a month! The very best of steel drills are often broken off,as though they were made of brittle wood. At a distance ol 1,000 feet from the mouth of the tunnel, they pass+d through a sort of a bastard vein formation, bounded on the cast and west by a well-defined wall, but the quartz does not carry the slightest indication of any mineral. They have not yet reached what is claimed the main ledge, and it yet remains to be seen whether this claim will prove good or not. “ Perhaps it would not be out of the way here to state that if the ledge that the Uncle Sam Company are oo runs anywhere near the Baltimore American claim,it makes an angle of at least forty-five degrees ; but it is claimed tbat there are three different and distinct ledges. The town of American City has already some 125 houses, and if it makes

the rapid strides the next six months that it has during the previous two, it will be a formidable rival to the surrounding towns. As fast as I have a chanee to visit the claims in this locality, I will keep you posted in their progress.” Tar Wino River Mines—More Discoverrrs.— Accounts are constantly reaching us of new mineral discoveries on the outskirts of those last previously announced. Having connected onr discoveries on the south with the ancient workings of Mexico, and having pushed out eastward until we have reached the eastern base of the Rocky Monntains, where the minera]-bearing strata dips beneath the great Mississippi basin, our mines have nowhere else to go but vorthward along the great cbain, which forms the backbone of the continent. It is along tbat track that we are now pushing on to form a convecting link with the gold fields of British Columbia. The discoveries in Idabo ‘Territory and along the southern waters of the Snake river, in the Boise region, are now well known. Our hardy pioueers are still pusbing on, and the last heard from them they were prospeeting, and successfully too, the far-off Wiud River mountains, upon the uorth waters of Suakeriver. A late number of the Portland (Oregon) Yimes states that Mr. I. J. Lawren had recently arrived in tbat city, and “reports tbat a valuable mineral district bas been discovered about 300 miles above Boise, on the head-waters of Snake river. They are termed the Wind River mines, and they are most likely located in the spurs of the mountains bearing tbat name. A great many have gone from Boise and tbat vicinity, and have writteu back that the diggings are far richer than those of Boise ever were.” The Walla Walla Statesman speaks of a considerable excitement about these new mines. Hundreds were leaving Boisc for them. Paocness or Carmrcat Discoveay.—Some seven or eight years since Dr. Hoffiian exhibited before the British Royal LIustitution a bright glisteving mass, which he stated was anew metal, aud which be named “ammonium "—the metalic base of ammouia. This discovery was recetved at the time as a highly interesting fact, insomuch as it strengtheucd the views then and still entertained, respecting the constituents of all created things—the very atmosphere we breath not even excepted—viz, that all are metalie, and that the discoveries in chemical science will yet enable man to resolve all things to their metalie bases, Mining Orcanizations.—The Colorado Mining Journal throws out the following very pertinent and suggestive ideas to its readers, which aro most particularly upplicable to this latitude also :—* A company with a working capital of $50,000, would soon be declaring good dividends, and the stock would inevitably advance far above par, and be eagerly sought. But when, with only tne same basis on which to work, the capital stock is swelled to a williov, or millions, no management iu the world can prevent it from depreciating and fivally becomiug worthless. Of course, by the sale of the stock in the market, the getters-up of these schemes line their pockets, and that is tbe iutention. Opening the miues of the country is entirely a secondary interest with them. Selling stock is tbeir business. And the fleeced public, sooner or later, finds this to be as worthless as the paper on which they are printed. These operators know perfectly well that tbe nines cannot be made to pay dividends on such an enormous and chiefly fictitious capital, and they cease to look to them for it. ‘They use the real merit of the country for their own purposes and their operations.” A Vatuaute Invention.—A gentleman named John Nester, according to the Virgiuia Union, is nt present eugaged by the Gould & Curry company in lining portious of their mill and miving works with metallic India-rubber weatber strips. These strips yary from three-eightbs to one-and-a-balf inches in width, and are intended to render sliding doors and shutters air-tight, open or shut. he tops, bottoms, sides and centres of doors, windows and sky-lights of any description, when lived with these strips, are made itnpermeable, to wind, rain, suow or dust. In many houses in tbis climate it is almost impossible to keep out tbe wind in winter, or the dust in summer, and if this invention has the virtnes claimed for it, it will become invaluable. The manufactory is in New York City, from which an immense quantity, of tbe article is shipped annually. Tar Aurora Times, of March 7th, says :—“The Antelope’s new mill is now running, reducing excellent ore. Tbe Durand will soon commence, and we notice several companies are engaging the custom mills, and will keep them underway, all of which will add to our shipments of bullion. We are also pleased to learn that notwithstanding the dull times, a great amount of work is being done. ‘The idlers go away, but the working men keep to their task, aud it is evideut they will never surrender.” Weatta or THE Unirep Stares.—A_ statistician computes the augmentation of the value of our real and personal property from 1791 to 1860, to be the almost fahulous sum of sixteen billions of dollars. Were wealth the only indication of uational greatness and progress, the United States, in this respect. would searcely bave a rival; but the moral and iutellectual status of a people isthe only true criterion iu judging of their condition, and in this respect we certainly compare favorably witb any other nation. Utceaatinc Treta.—Tbe uleerating process seldom commences unless the nerves have been destroyed. <A tooth, being tbus deprived of its vitality, becomes a foreign body, and frequently causes severe suffering. People are often prone to retain their loosened teeth for a long time, which is a great, mistake. They should be extracted without delay. Those loosened teeth, upon being removed from the mouth, often emit a disgusting odor, showing the impropriety of retaining them a single day. Being loose, they cause but little pain in thé extraction. Wassuinc Wootrys.—If you do not wish to have white woolens shrink when wasbed, make a good suds of hard soap, and wash the flannels init. Do not rub woolens like cotton cloth, but squeeze them between the hands or slightly pound them witha clothes pounder. The suds nsed should be strong, and the woolens should be rinsed in warm water. By rubbing flannels on a board and rinsing them in eold water, they soon become very thick. Munerau saur is now brought in ballast from Russia; it sells for $20 atun. It is mined in blocks that to the eye appear to be quartz. A thirty-pouud block «f it, plaeed in a box in a field, will supply a herd of cows forsome weeks. It is aa hard as stone. Ordiuary salt would dissolve in one-fourth the time. No other country yet known yeilds this pecu'iar product. It is quarried preeisely as we quarry marble. Dirrerences In Vatus or Buuiion.—According to the Aurora Zimes, the bullion produced ia Esmeralda is worth from four to six dollars to the ounce, while that from Virginia City assays but two dollars.