Volume 17 (1868) (428 pages)

The Mining and Scientific Press, ing taken out fast enough to keep the mill pounding day and night. The Flint correspondent writes: The lisiug Star mine is beiug worked extensively; the shaft is down a considerable depth, and the lower level exhibits a lode from six to ten feet in width, extremely nich, ‘Lhe company's 40-stamp mill will be in operation by the 20th inst. Work on the Forrest ledge is being pushed rapidly; the shaft has been snak 150 feet, anda tunnel is being run to tap it; the ledge is well defined, and rich ore is heing taken ont at the bottom of the shaft. Vlack’s mill has boen leased by this company, and will commence crushing iu a few days. Considerable work is being done on the U.S. Grant and Twilight, hoth show good mnineral. A ecorvespondent at Warven’s, writing to the Walla Walla Statesman, under date of Noy. 16th, reports the product of ciglt tons of the Seott ledge ore, crushed at Williums & Maxwell's Pioneer iuill, to be $1,206.57, or over $150 per ton. MONTANA. Helena Post, Dee. Lith: Sterling is improving wonderfully in prospects. Capt. Maltby is rnuning the quartz mill belonging to the N. ¥Y. & M. M. D. Co. mill steady, with very satisfactory results, Other imining operatious are in eontemplation and are bemg nndertaken, which will materially add to the prosperity of this district. In the upper part of Dry Gulch Col. Nelson npon sinking a shaft 75 ft. struck a shelly bedrock upon which was found coarse gold and good pay. Some distance below, where the guleh is wider, all attempts to find gold have proved unavailing, from the fact that a secondary bedrock was struck, sonie 25 ft. below the surface. It is supposed that this bedrock is a slide, and acting upon this suggestton, Col. Nelson proposes to sink ashaft till he strikes the same character of bedvock. Cayuse Guleh, one of the tributaries of Ophir Guleh is situated four miles above Blackfoot. The discovery of gold was made in it last summer, but the ground was not fairly opened until October last when David dohus and party obtained $1,000 from a space 15 by 20 ft. in area. The gold fonnd was very coarse and heavy, ono nugget weighing $81 aud three orfour others weighing from $85 to $40 being seenred. This gulch is supposed to be the main source of gold, snpplied to Ophir Gulch, and those interested in it are sanguine of rich results uext season. ‘Twenty-one claims have been staked, but not over a third of them have yet been worked, tho supply of water being scarce. It is thonght that these mines will supply about 40 men nextsummer, as it is proposed to flume the ground. “The pay streak is abont 30 ft. wideand 12 ft. deep. NEVADA. Thuwboldt. Duionville Fegister, Dee. 12th: H. H. MeColly gives the followiug information concerning the placer mines on Willow Creek: . Gold is found for a distance of about 14 miles along the banks of Willow Creek, which in many places are wide, affording large deposits of anriferous gravel and earthy deposits. ‘The creek is quite a large mountain stream which will affordan abundanee of water for sluicing tbe banks and gravel deposits adjacent thereto, Myr. McColly says, from the tests which he has made, he is satisfied he can make at, least $10 to the hand ia sluicing his claims, but it is almost impossible to get lumber at this time for sluice boxes and other purposes. Pieces of gold have been takeu out weighing as high as 75 cents. Thenumber of winers at the new camp is now about 20, but quite a lively mining camp is expected to grow up in the spring. We were shown some very rich samples of ore this week from the Alpha mine, in Panther Cahon. From Mv. Stuart, who brought the ore, we learn that there is a large quantity of the same quality in sight, and that the lode is at least 12 ft. in thickness at the poiut where they are now at work upon it. Work is to be resumed on the Auld Lang Syue mine in Dnn Glen Caiion. It is the intention of the owuers to take out and have worked at the Empire milla considerablo quantity of the ore, in order to test its qnalty. All three mills in Buena Vista Canon are now running up to their full capacity day and uight, on ore from the Manitowoc and Arizona ledges, which promise to yield an abnndant supply for an indefinite period. Arvangements are being made to have a quantity of ore from the Bullion mine in Sacramento district taken out and worked . at the Unionville mills. It is contemplated by this company to resume work on their mine at an eurly day.. 5. Doh. 407 Stewart, Supt. of the Silver Mining Co., made his first shipment of silver bnlliou on last Wednesday, 678 ozs., valued at S060. This was from his ruu on the first 20 tons of ore .The Pacitic Union Expre-s Co. shipped from its otlice in Winnemnicca, on Tuesday last, 1,754£34 ozs, of silver bullion, received from Goleonda.Fall & Co. shipped this week, per Wells, Fargo & Co’s Express, 3,000 ozs. of fine bullion. Tho Little Giant Co. forwarded to Sap Francisco this week, by the Pacitic Union Express Co., 610 Ibs. of bullion, worth about $11,000, which is the produet of 40 tons of ore. The total shipmout of bullion from this mine for the month ending Dec. 10th, is $18,600. It is the intention of the company to close down for awhile, as they eannot work to advantage duving the cold season withont shelter, which they cannot procure this fall. The company will, however, continue to draw ore to the mill, and he prepared to do extensive work as soon as the mill is covered in. The mine is looking as well, if not betterthan ever. Dunno & Higgins are taking ore out of the St. Helena and Talisman, in hopes that they will be able to get it worked when the mill starts again. Reese BRiver. Virginia Haterprise, Dee. 17th: The rush to White Piue from this city and vicinity still coutinues. Wells, Fargo & Co. are now sending out from their office in this city eight passengers every other day, this being the greatest numoer they can venture to forward from here, on account of the many White Pine and overland travelers passing east from California. Few passengers are now being booked, as the uumher booked ahead is already quite large. Besides those going by stage a great many are daily leaving this part of the State for the new mines, on horseback and in velicles of all kinds. As long as the present fair and mild weather continues the rush to the bnew mines will last. Washoe. [In the Stock Circular, in another portion of this paper, will bo found late mining news from this district. ] Virginia Enterprise, Dee, 17th: The return of bullion from ore worked in Dirdsall & Co’s mill, for the past 12 days of the present month, was 450 ibs., of the assayed. valne of $12,241, the mill heing run only to throe-fourths of its capacity (90 tons per day.) The ore is of very uniform quality, and is now being extracted from the upper level. The new tunnel, which will probably be completed by April, taps the ledge 400 ft. lower than the present level. Over 100 ft. of the ledge has been prospected by means of au incline and found to improve, with a thickness of 10 ft. of good pay ore. Dec. 19th: The Impevial-Empire shaft has cut into the clay of the east wall of the Comstock. They did not expect so soon to strike the wall, but it seems that the dip is less than was estimated. There was shipped from this city by express during the past week 5,533 ths. of assayed bullion, valued at $202,127.52. ORECON. Portland Oregonian, Dec. 12th: We learn that rock containiug—as is supposed—asilver, has been recently discovered on the Colima, six miles above Monticello. When tested in a forge, the rock furnished a substance which galvanized iron, as is usual with silver-hearing rock. Some of the rock has been left with Lloyd Brooke, of this city. Walla Walla Statesman, Nov. 14th: The new mines discovered on Perry Creck late in the fall, so far as prospected and worked, prove to be very rich and extensive. Mr. Bartlett, who returned from the new eamp on Thursiay last. reports eight claims opened, two of which pay over $100 per day to the haud, Mr. McCauley, an old Carrihoo miner, is workiug with sluices and employing some five or six men, averaging, so far, S90 to the hand; he is also running a shaft into the hill opposite his claims, and on the day that Bartlett left, had struck paying dirt, with very handsome coarse gold. Provisions are not over plenty in the camp; what there is is selling at very high rates. About 75 men will winter in the camp, A large number of miners from Montana have secured claims; they will return in tho spring to workthem. Mr. B, says that a regular stampede is expected! fron’ Montaua early in the spring. The “Hudson Bay Co. have a store already in the camp, and until thetrains from Walla Walla arrived, did a good business, and sold} goods at enormous prices. Flour was sold) as high as 50 cents per pound, and other goods in proportion, They received over $1,200 from the sale of five kegs of liquor. Jacksonville Sentinel, Dec. 12th: The Enterprise quartz mill in Josephine County, lately sold by the sheriff, has been purchased . by G, Karusky for the sum of $876. Nitrates tn Nevada. The commercial yalue of mineral nitrates being dnly approciated by both shipping and manufacturing interests, since Chilian nitrate of soda has been brought to use io supplying the world with nitrie acid and gunpowder, nore or less notiee has been taken also of the oceurrence of nitvates in the interior of Nevada. Regarding a loeality on the road to Belmout, Nevada, (12 iniles south of Austin,) a racy eorrespondent from ‘‘a cool cave” in that vicinity, noted for its nitrogeneous contents, furnishes the following acceptable information : _ The Toyahe Range is hero composed entively of metamorphie rock, with which soveral basalt and porphyry ernptions have played partienlar . Now and then only, traces of some kind of coral ave fouud in the dolomite or limestone, as it is here called. The mountain is cut almost to its base by fearful precipitous cafons, and wherever the rock is limestone, caves and eaverns of all possiblo shapes aud sizes are found. Some are qnite large, and extend for several hundred feet into mountains, The limestone is crossed by innumerable seams and cracks in every direction, and inyriads of mice, gophers, ete., live in these, aud their excrement, volgo dung, fills every crevice and cave. Now, mark you, I “ guess” there is where the nitric acid comus from. : The limestone, wherever caves occur, is massive crystalline, and shows no sign of regniar ‘‘slatiug;” but besides these fissures, noticed as sylphine retreats of rats and mice with deposits of dnng, the limestone is crossed hy numerous fissures and cracks that are filled with a fino white crystalline mass, sometimes tinged slightly yellow; and also fissures filled with calcspar, as is usual in limestone of this description. The geneval color of the limestone, socalled, (better delomite,) is blue, Take the above mentioned fine white erystalline filling of a certain kind of ciacks, and put it into water, and it will dissolve easily. From it you can crystallize the following niinerals, or products + CaONO® (chiefly) say 70 per cent. NaONO5 «20 per ceut. CaNO5 5 per cent. “ as 50 per cent. of water, but the proportion of solid matter remained ‘ahout as above. For description of taste, ete., see some good mineralogy. Two ‘‘ flourishing ” towns havo been laid out, and are supposed to live upon the above valuable mineral deposits; hut I have my doubts. There certainly are some magnificent domicils, (log huts) and I also noticed some copper-colored specimens of the genus bomo. My friend persisted in attributing the copper color to tho influence of the nitrates. However this may be, I think the inhabitants depeud for their suhsisteuce more upon lizards, rats and nice, than npon the commercial “ leach prodnects” of the excrement of said fauna. The adjective ‘‘flonrishing,” above givon to the towu, relates properly to the luxurious sereuity and aboriginality within the town limits, of that glovious species of artemesia, Imown as ‘‘sage-brush.” Still, these mines may become valuable in some futnre emergency; for instauce, in case of a war with Eneland, (vide Herald, ete.) for there certainly is more than a bushel of this vainable product of our glotious country, in this district alone ! he renowned croppings, or as they have it here,?‘‘ indications of croppings” of petrolenm, also occur in this district farfamed and valuable, In my opinion, they are merely weak decoetions of rats——the watery portions having evaporated, leaving a bitter, pitchy mass, which burns and stinks like all possessed. Resinons deposits of similar origin are found in acave at Lake Tahoe, and doubtless at many other localities, where a natural process of manufacturing nitrates may result, even to a considerable extent. Nitrate of potash (NaONO®) or saltpetre, tastes saline and cooling, beiug soluble in water; is a degree softer than limestone, colorless, and is found generally in minute needle-form crystals, and crusts on the surface of the earth, on wal!s, rocks, ete. It forms abundantly in certain soils in Spain, Egypt and Persia, especially during hot weather succeeding rains. It is . also manufactured from soils where_ other ; nitrates (nitrate of lime or soda) form ina similar manner, and beds ealled nitriaries are arranged for this purpose in France, Germany, Sweden, Huugary, and othor countries, Refnse animal matter, putrified in calcareous soils, gives rise to the nitrate of limo. Old plaster, lixiviated, affords ahout 5 per cent of uitre. In India it is obtained ip large quantities for the urts. In Madison County, Kontueky, it is fonnd scattered through the loose earth, covering the hottom of a large eave. Nitrate of soda (NxONO: ) or nitratine, occurs in efilorescences, also massive, and granular; on soda plains. In the district of Tarapaca, northern Chili, where the dry pampa for 40 leagnes, at a hight of 3,300 feet ahove the sea, is covered with beds of this salt several feet in thickness, along with gypsum, common salt, glauher salt, and remains of recent shells, the last indicating the former presence of the soa. It haslikewise a cooling taste, and is sometimes of a reddish brown, gray, and lemonade yellow, is softer than sulphate, trausparent, and tho crystals are double refracting, like Iceland spar. Saltpetre and nitvatine both deflagrate, or puff up, like weak powder when thrown on burning charcoal, which is the easiest and surest method of distinguishing nitrates. Animal substances of all kinds contain much nitrogen, Volcanic gases have been found charged with it; they were probably the sonree of the Chilian deposits. Prosecrs to OPEN UP SouTHERN NEvapA. The iuterior railroad scheme in which Austin and the Idaho people are specially interested, brings Southeastern Novada prominently into notice; 2 country which is represented on Colton’s map of 1865 hy a topographical blank, and described by a note, iu large italics, to theeffect that ‘‘This vast unexplored region of country, is supposed to be inhabited by tribes of Indians; altitude nearly 5,000 feet.” The railroad in question will connect the Central and : i ilroads, and bring EastNaCl aud other substances 5 per ceut. . Sonthern Pacific Railroads; ot a Other specimens have contained as high . ern Nevada into close connection with some good agricultural country where flowers . seldom droop from the touch of frost. . Starting from the Colorado and following ‘np the Rio Virgen river fvom Callville to the mouth of Beaverdam Creek, a distanco of eighty miles, is a valley from three to nine miles in width, of as productive land as that of San Bernardino valley, with tho high dividing ridge between the Virgen and Colorado on the east covered with the finest timher, while to the west table land rises with a gentle ascent back to the Wasatch Mountains, a distance, in some places, of thirty miles. This bench has numerons streams crossing it from the mountain eafons, and is covered with the richest grass, butnotimber. The Muddy, astream which rises from hot springs in the mountains about twenty-five miles west of the point where the Beaverdam joins the Rio Virgen, also flows throngh a broad and beantiful valley. The Pinte Indians, under the guidance of Mormon missionaties, have been farming in this valley for years, and the yield of wheat, corn, potatoes, etc., is astonishingly large. The water of this stream remains warm until it pours into the Rio Virgen. ; Forty miles to the southwest along this table land, brings one to Las Vegas, the trellised conduit of myriad cool springs and afew warm ones. Here, mesquit and wild grape vines cover tho valley proper, while the table land is dotted with clamps of cottonwood, willows and wild flowers— indicating the points where water bubbles up. ‘be viues in the valloy bear grapes of the largest and most luscions kind, and haye the appearanco of having descended from the Spanish or English grape. ‘The head of this valley is abont forty miles from Callville, and at the summit of the low range of hills which separates it froma sagebrush desert to the west, is an extensive deposit of lead, which ts perhaps nearer pure than has ever been found elsewhere. ithe mountains in this region are of granite formation, with here and there ledges of yellow mavble, similar to that fonnd near Cedar City, in Utah.

The Mining and Scientific Press, ing taken out fast enough to keep the mill pounding day and night. The Flint correspondent writes: The lisiug Star mine is beiug worked extensively; the shaft is down a considerable depth, and the lower level exhibits a lode from six to ten feet in width, extremely nich, ‘Lhe company's 40-stamp mill will be in operation by the 20th inst. Work on the Forrest ledge is being pushed rapidly; the shaft has been snak 150 feet, anda tunnel is being run to tap it; the ledge is well defined, and rich ore is heing taken ont at the bottom of the shaft. Vlack’s mill has boen leased by this company, and will commence crushing iu a few days. Considerable work is being done on the U.S. Grant and Twilight, hoth show good mnineral. A ecorvespondent at Warven’s, writing to the Walla Walla Statesman, under date of Noy. 16th, reports the product of ciglt tons of the Seott ledge ore, crushed at Williums & Maxwell's Pioneer iuill, to be $1,206.57, or over $150 per ton. MONTANA. Helena Post, Dee. Lith: Sterling is improving wonderfully in prospects. Capt. Maltby is rnuning the quartz mill belonging to the N. ¥Y. & M. M. D. Co. mill steady, with very satisfactory results, Other imining operatious are in eontemplation and are bemg nndertaken, which will materially add to the prosperity of this district. In the upper part of Dry Gulch Col. Nelson npon sinking a shaft 75 ft. struck a shelly bedrock upon which was found coarse gold and good pay. Some distance below, where the guleh is wider, all attempts to find gold have proved unavailing, from the fact that a secondary bedrock was struck, sonie 25 ft. below the surface. It is supposed that this bedrock is a slide, and acting upon this suggestton, Col. Nelson proposes to sink ashaft till he strikes the same character of bedvock. Cayuse Guleh, one of the tributaries of Ophir Guleh is situated four miles above Blackfoot. The discovery of gold was made in it last summer, but the ground was not fairly opened until October last when David dohus and party obtained $1,000 from a space 15 by 20 ft. in area. The gold fonnd was very coarse and heavy, ono nugget weighing $81 aud three orfour others weighing from $85 to $40 being seenred. This gulch is supposed to be the main source of gold, snpplied to Ophir Gulch, and those interested in it are sanguine of rich results uext season. ‘Twenty-one claims have been staked, but not over a third of them have yet been worked, tho supply of water being scarce. It is thonght that these mines will supply about 40 men nextsummer, as it is proposed to flume the ground. “The pay streak is abont 30 ft. wideand 12 ft. deep. NEVADA. Thuwboldt. Duionville Fegister, Dee. 12th: H. H. MeColly gives the followiug information concerning the placer mines on Willow Creek: . Gold is found for a distance of about 14 miles along the banks of Willow Creek, which in many places are wide, affording large deposits of anriferous gravel and earthy deposits. ‘The creek is quite a large mountain stream which will affordan abundanee of water for sluicing tbe banks and gravel deposits adjacent thereto, Myr. McColly says, from the tests which he has made, he is satisfied he can make at, least $10 to the hand ia sluicing his claims, but it is almost impossible to get lumber at this time for sluice boxes and other purposes. Pieces of gold have been takeu out weighing as high as 75 cents. Thenumber of winers at the new camp is now about 20, but quite a lively mining camp is expected to grow up in the spring. We were shown some very rich samples of ore this week from the Alpha mine, in Panther Cahon. From Mv. Stuart, who brought the ore, we learn that there is a large quantity of the same quality in sight, and that the lode is at least 12 ft. in thickness at the poiut where they are now at work upon it. Work is to be resumed on the Auld Lang Syue mine in Dnn Glen Caiion. It is the intention of the owuers to take out and have worked at the Empire milla considerablo quantity of the ore, in order to test its qnalty. All three mills in Buena Vista Canon are now running up to their full capacity day and uight, on ore from the Manitowoc and Arizona ledges, which promise to yield an abnndant supply for an indefinite period. Arvangements are being made to have a quantity of ore from the Bullion mine in Sacramento district taken out and worked . at the Unionville mills. It is contemplated by this company to resume work on their mine at an eurly day... 5. Doh. 407 Stewart, Supt. of the Silver Mining Co., made his first shipment of silver bnlliou on last Wednesday, 678 ozs., valued at S060. This was from his ruu on the first 20 tons of ore ..The Pacitic Union Expre-s Co. shipped from its otlice in Winnemnicca, on Tuesday last, 1,754£34 ozs, of silver bullion, received from Goleonda..Fall & Co. shipped this week, per Wells, Fargo & Co’s Express, 3,000 ozs. of fine bullion. Tho Little Giant Co. forwarded to Sap Francisco this week, by the Pacitic Union Express Co., 610 Ibs. of bullion, worth about $11,000, which is the produet of 40 tons of ore. The total shipmout of bullion from this mine for the month ending Dec. 10th, is $18,600. It is the intention of the company to close down for awhile, as they eannot work to advantage duving the cold season withont shelter, which they cannot procure this fall. The company will, however, continue to draw ore to the mill, and he prepared to do extensive work as soon as the mill is covered in. The mine is looking as well, if not betterthan ever. Dunno & Higgins are taking ore out of the St. Helena and Talisman, in hopes that they will be able to get it worked when the mill starts again. Reese BRiver. Virginia Haterprise, Dee. 17th: The rush to White Piue from this city and vicinity still coutinues. Wells, Fargo & Co. are now sending out from their office in this city eight passengers every other day, this being the greatest numoer they can venture to forward from here, on account of the many White Pine and overland travelers passing east from California. Few passengers are now being booked, as the uumher booked ahead is already quite large. Besides those going by stage a great many are daily leaving this part of the State for the new mines, on horseback and in velicles of all kinds. As long as the present fair and mild weather continues the rush to the bnew mines will last. Washoe. [In the Stock Circular, in another portion of this paper, will bo found late mining news from this district. ] Virginia Enterprise, Dee, 17th: The return of bullion from ore worked in Dirdsall & Co’s mill, for the past 12 days of the present month, was 450 ibs., of the assayed. valne of $12,241, the mill heing run only to throe-fourths of its capacity (90 tons per day.) The ore is of very uniform quality, and is now being extracted from the upper level. The new tunnel, which will probably be completed by April, taps the ledge 400 ft. lower than the present level. Over 100 ft. of the ledge has been prospected by means of au incline and found to improve, with a thickness of 10 ft. of good pay ore. Dec. 19th: The Impevial-Empire shaft has cut into the clay of the east wall of the Comstock. They did not expect so soon to strike the wall, but it seems that the dip is less than was estimated. There was shipped from this city by express during the past week 5,533 ths. of assayed bullion, valued at $202,127.52. ORECON. Portland Oregonian, Dec. 12th: We learn that rock containiug—as is supposed—asilver, has been recently discovered on the Colima, six miles above Monticello. When tested in a forge, the rock furnished a substance which galvanized iron, as is usual with silver-hearing rock. Some of the rock has been left with Lloyd Brooke, of this city. Walla Walla Statesman, Nov. 14th: The new mines discovered on Perry Creck late in the fall, so far as prospected and worked, prove to be very rich and extensive. Mr. Bartlett, who returned from the new eamp on Thursiay last. reports eight claims opened, two of which pay over $100 per day to the haud, Mr. McCauley, an old Carrihoo miner, is workiug with sluices and employing some five or six men, averaging, so far, S90 to the hand; he is also running a shaft into the hill opposite his claims, and on the day that Bartlett left, had struck paying dirt, with very handsome coarse gold. Provisions are not over plenty in the camp; what there is is selling at very high rates. About 75 men will winter in

the camp, A large number of miners from Montana have secured claims; they will return in tho spring to workthem. Mr. B, says that a regular stampede is expected! fron’ Montaua early in the spring. The “Hudson Bay Co. have a store already in the camp, and until thetrains from Walla Walla arrived, did a good business, and sold} goods at enormous prices. Flour was sold) as high as 50 cents per pound, and other goods in proportion, They received over $1,200 from the sale of five kegs of liquor. Jacksonville Sentinel, Dec. 12th: The Enterprise quartz mill in Josephine County, lately sold by the sheriff, has been purchased . by G, Karusky for the sum of $876. Nitrates tn Nevada. The commercial yalue of mineral nitrates being dnly approciated by both shipping and manufacturing interests, since Chilian nitrate of soda has been brought to use io supplying the world with nitrie acid and gunpowder, nore or less notiee has been taken also of the oceurrence of nitvates in the interior of Nevada. Regarding a loeality on the road to Belmout, Nevada, (12 iniles south of Austin,) a racy eorrespondent from ‘‘a cool cave” in that vicinity, noted for its nitrogeneous contents, furnishes the following acceptable information : _ The Toyahe Range is hero composed entively of metamorphie rock, with which soveral basalt and porphyry ernptions have played partienlar . Now and then only, traces of some kind of coral ave fouud in the dolomite or limestone, as it is here called. The mountain is cut almost to its base by fearful precipitous cafons, and wherever the rock is limestone, caves and eaverns of all possiblo shapes aud sizes are found. Some are qnite large, and extend for several hundred feet into mountains, The limestone is crossed by innumerable seams and cracks in every direction, and inyriads of mice, gophers, ete., live in these, aud their excrement, volgo dung, fills every crevice and cave. Now, mark you, I “ guess” there is where the nitric acid comus from. : The limestone, wherever caves occur, is massive crystalline, and shows no sign of regniar ‘‘slatiug;” but besides these fissures, noticed as sylphine retreats of rats and mice with deposits of dnng, the limestone is crossed hy numerous fissures and cracks that are filled with a fino white crystalline mass, sometimes tinged slightly yellow; and also fissures filled with calcspar, as is usual in limestone of this description. The geneval color of the limestone, socalled, (better delomite,) is blue, Take the above mentioned fine white erystalline filling of a certain kind of ciacks, and put it into water, and it will dissolve easily. From it you can crystallize the following niinerals, or products + CaONO® (chiefly) say 70 per cent. NaONO5 «20 per ceut. CaNO5 5 per cent. “ as 50 per cent. of water, but the proportion of solid matter remained ‘ahout as above. For description of taste, ete., see some good mineralogy. Two ‘‘ flourishing ” towns havo been laid out, and are supposed to live upon the above valuable mineral deposits; hut I have my doubts. There certainly are some magnificent domicils, (log huts) and I also noticed some copper-colored specimens of the genus bomo. My friend persisted in attributing the copper color to tho influence of the nitrates. However this may be, I think the inhabitants depeud for their suhsisteuce more upon lizards, rats and nice, than npon the commercial “ leach prodnects” of the excrement of said fauna. The adjective ‘‘flonrishing,” above givon to the towu, relates properly to the luxurious sereuity and aboriginality within the town limits, of that glovious species of artemesia, Imown as ‘‘sage-brush.” Still, these mines may become valuable in some futnre emergency; for instauce, in case of a war with Eneland, (vide Herald, ete.) for there certainly is more than a bushel of this vainable product of our glotious country, in this district alone ! he renowned croppings, or as they have it here,?‘‘ indications of croppings” of petrolenm, also occur in this district farfamed and valuable, In my opinion, they are merely weak decoetions of rats——the watery portions having evaporated, leaving a bitter, pitchy mass, which burns and stinks like all possessed. Resinons deposits of similar origin are found in acave at Lake Tahoe, and doubtless at many other localities, where a natural process of manufacturing nitrates may result, even to a considerable extent. Nitrate of potash (NaONO®) or saltpetre, tastes saline and cooling, beiug soluble in water; is a degree softer than limestone, colorless, and is found generally in minute needle-form crystals, and crusts on the surface of the earth, on wal!s, rocks, ete. It forms abundantly in certain soils in Spain, Egypt and Persia, especially during hot weather succeeding rains. It is . also manufactured from soils where_ other ; nitrates (nitrate of lime or soda) form ina similar manner, and beds ealled nitriaries are arranged for this purpose in France, Germany, Sweden, Huugary, and othor countries, Refnse animal matter, putrified in calcareous soils, gives rise to the nitrate of limo. Old plaster, lixiviated, affords ahout 5 per cent of uitre. In India it is obtained ip large quantities for the urts. In Madison County, Kontueky, it is fonnd scattered through the loose earth, covering the hottom of a large eave. Nitrate of soda (NxONO: ) or nitratine, occurs in efilorescences, also massive, and granular; on soda plains. In the district of Tarapaca, northern Chili, where the dry pampa for 40 leagnes, at a hight of 3,300 feet ahove the sea, is covered with beds of this salt several feet in thickness, along with gypsum, common salt, glauher salt, and remains of recent shells, the last indicating the former presence of the soa. It haslikewise a cooling taste, and is sometimes of a reddish brown, gray, and lemonade yellow, is softer than sulphate, trausparent, and tho crystals are double refracting, like Iceland spar. Saltpetre and nitvatine both deflagrate, or puff up, like weak powder when thrown on burning charcoal, which is the easiest and surest method of distinguishing nitrates. Animal substances of all kinds contain much nitrogen, Volcanic gases have been found charged with it; they were probably the sonree of the Chilian deposits. Prosecrs to OPEN UP SouTHERN NEvapA. The iuterior railroad scheme in which Austin and the Idaho people are specially interested, brings Southeastern Novada prominently into notice; 2 country which is represented on Colton’s map of 1865 hy a topographical blank, and described by a note, iu large italics, to theeffect that ‘‘This vast unexplored region of country, is supposed to be inhabited by tribes of Indians; altitude nearly 5,000 feet.” The railroad in question will connect the Central and : i ilroads, and bring EastNaCl aud other substances 5 per ceut. . Sonthern Pacific Railroads; ot a Other specimens have contained as high . ern Nevada into close connection with some good agricultural country where flowers . seldom droop from the touch of frost. . Starting from the Colorado and following ‘np the Rio Virgen river fvom Callville to the mouth of Beaverdam Creek, a distanco of eighty miles, is a valley from three to nine miles in width, of as productive land as that of San Bernardino valley, with tho high dividing ridge between the Virgen and Colorado on the east covered with the finest timher, while to the west table land rises with a gentle ascent back to the Wasatch Mountains, a distance, in some places, of thirty miles. This bench has numerons streams crossing it from the mountain eafons, and is covered with the richest grass, butnotimber. The Muddy, astream which rises from hot springs in the mountains about twenty-five miles west of the point where the Beaverdam joins the Rio Virgen, also flows throngh a broad and beantiful valley. The Pinte Indians, under the guidance of Mormon missionaties, have been farming in this valley for years, and the yield of wheat, corn, potatoes, etc., is astonishingly large. The water of this stream remains warm until it pours into the Rio Virgen. ; Forty miles to the southwest along this table land, brings one to Las Vegas, the trellised conduit of myriad cool springs and afew warm ones. Here, mesquit and wild grape vines cover tho valley proper, while the table land is dotted with clamps of cottonwood, willows and wild flowers— indicating the points where water bubbles up. ‘be viues in the valloy bear grapes of the largest and most luscions kind, and haye the appearanco of having descended from the Spanish or English grape. ‘The head of this valley is abont forty miles from Callville, and at the summit of the low range of hills which separates it froma sagebrush desert to the west, is an extensive deposit of lead, which ts perhaps nearer pure than has ever been found elsewhere. ithe mountains in this region are of granite formation, with here and there ledges of yellow mavble, similar to that fonnd near Cedar City, in Utah.