Volume 23 (1871) (426 pages)

September 16, 1871.] SCIENTIFIC PRESS. 163 (GoRRESPONDENCE. EAST CANON, OPHIR DISTRICT, U. T. BY OUR OWN TRAVELER. Eps, Press :—Leaving the City of the Saints and taking my placo on one of the fino6-horsoline of stages belonging to Wines & Kimball, we rido along near a range of mountains known as the Oquirrh, passing tho ako and at 1 p. st, reach Rush valley. Shortly after leaving hero the road winds up East Catton for about two miles, to the eity of Ophir, 56 miles from Salt Lake. This cation was visited in 1864 by U. 8. soldiers, who made a fow locations; but failed to do mnch work in them, as thoy did not considor tho haso oros of any valuc. In Jnno 1870 2 small numbor of energetic miners from White Pino came to look at tho country and prospoct for qnartz. Since that timo Ophir City has sprung into existenco, and now contains a popniation of nearly 1,000 souls, several stores, saloons, ete., n good school, and a saw mill. On tho road up the canon I noticed a qnartz mill and two smolting fnrnacos in operation. To tho South of Ophir City is Lion Monntain, the summit of which is reached either hy going the road from the town, ahout two miles long, or hy way of Walker’s mill, thero being a good road from there for the purpose of bringing ore to the mill. The largest lodes on the hill are the Mt. Lion, Mt. Tiger, Sunnyside, Silver, Exehange, White Star, and Silver Chief. The first one I visited was the ; Mount Tiger, owned by Walkor & Co. The tunnel on this ledge is 6 feet wide and 175 feet long. The foreman, Mr. Daly, informs me that the ore will assay on an average $200 per ton in silver. There are 400 tons now on the dump, and 10 men are employed in getting out ore. Passing by the Zella shaft the next mine that attracts attention is the Silver Chief, a very old location on the hill, owned hy W.T. Barbee and others. Ore has heen worked from this claim that yielded by smelting process, $226 per ton. There are now 150 tons of carhonates and chlorides on the dump. The tunnel follows the ledge in for a distance of 135 feet, and it is thought the ore will yield from $125 to $150 per ton. The hench in front of the Openings to the mine, has heen dressed down in front of the ledge a distance of 150 feet, showing chloride veins the whole way. Attheend of the main tunnel isa drift to the northward 40 feet long. The Silver Exchange, owned by Phillips & Co., has 800 sacks of ore onthe dump, andemploy 12men. The Mount Lion : is a large ledge, located in Auguat, 1870, and helonging to O. E. Bates. There are three shafts in this mine, the main one heing 35 feet deep, and showing a fine hody of ore nearly eight feet in width, which runs northeast and aouthwest. They have 300 tons of ore on the dump, and I was told by the foreman, Mr. Knapp, that 20 tons shipped to the reduction works yielded $500 net. This is one of the hest mines in the district. Near hy is a cave which was struck hy some parties while prospecting, They run in a tunnel 25 feet, and at the end opened into this cave, which is all the way from 2 to 20 feet in hight and 20 wide. Small atreaks of chloride ore averaging from 1% to 6 inches in width, and fine specimens of atalactites are to he seen. It is thought that a large deposit of ore is under the cave, and that gradual decompoaition has let this hody of lime-rock down to its present position. The Superintendent, Mr. Evans, is now sinking a shaft to determine this question. On South Ophir or Silveropolis Hill is the Occidental Mina, located in Angust, 1870. The tunnel on thia ledge is in 60 feet, and they have taken out 150 tons of ore, which is now lying on thedump. A sample lot worked hy the Stetefeldt process at Reno, on the line of the C.P.R.R., yielded $230 per ton. The ore is hard chloride, and is,as may he supposed, in limestone formation. There are 12 men at work on this mine. The Tampico has five men employed in sinking the shaft which is 32 feet deep, showing an averoge width of two feet in tho body of ore Semo horn silver has been found in this elaim and tho chloride runs about $75 per ton. Mr. Jas. Crossley is supt. Leaving hero wo went to tho Silveropolis Mine, whero thoy have 400 tons of oro on tho dump, sample lota of which have worked $95 por tou. The Chloride Point has a tnnncl on milling rock, 170 feet in lougth, running duo north. Capt. Balch, the Supt., tells mo that there are 250 tons of oro on the dump ready to bo worked. At Silver Hill, on tho north side of the cation, is the Velocipede, No. 1, near the city, and located in Nov., 1870. The tunncl on this ledge is in 100 fect, and the drifts, on both sides, all in a body of oro. This is principally carbonate of lead, and is said to work easily, yielding from $45 to $50 per tonin silver. Itis hought hy the managers of the smelting works in the Canon below. The rock being soft and decomposed is easily mined, and Mr. Manchester, the Supt., tells me that there are upwards of 1,000 tons on the dumps. Velocipede, No. 2, has oonsiderable ore on the dumps, and has a tunnel 75 feet in length, giving evidence of alarge deposit. The shaft is only 12 feet deep. Silver Shield. The main tunnel of this mine is 65 feet in length, at the end of which is a shaft 36 feet deep, passing through a fine looking body of ore. The wide drifts east and west are respectively 75 and 50 feet in length. The body of ore dips to the west, and averages, it is said, $33 per ton in silver by smelting. There 8 men employed and they have 1,200 sacks of ore on the dump. This mine is quite extensive and belongs to Judge McKean, R. M. Rohin son, Col. Kane and others. T. J. Smith is Superintendent. The Chrysopolis Tunnel has been run in 42 feet,a short distance’ up the hill, and the company have good indications of ore, Messrs. Riley & Rafferty are the owners, The Velocipede No, 1, Velocipede No. 2, and Silver Shield mines, haye heen connected hy side drifts, all three of these locations heing close together. The deposit of ore on this hill is considered to be fully as large as that of the ‘‘Emma,” hut it is not so rich in silver. Workis heing carried on energetically in all these mines, I understand that there are many good locations scattered about higher up the hill, but for want of time I did not visit them. There are a great number of prospectors at workin this vicinity, and we hear of new strikes quite frequently. The enterprise of tunneling the mountain, from the north side of Lion Hill to the south side of Horn Silver Hill, is exciting attention just now. A company has heen formed with an incorporated capital of $2,000,000, for this purpose. The locators in this enterprise are Messrs. T. G. McLaren, T. F. Tracy, J. C. Mathews and others. McLaren’a East Canon tunnel has heen surveyed, and along the line the prominent altitudes ahove tide are as follows: East Caton Gulch, just ahove Ophir, 6,670 feet; ‘‘Silver Chief” mine, 8,500; “Mt. Tiger” and ‘“‘Zella’”’ mines, 8,650; summit of Lion Hill, 9,100; “Mt. Lion” mine, 8,620; Mountain View House, Monarch and Virginia mines, 8,776; summit of Horn Silver Hill, 9,215; Vallejo and Occidental mines, 8,850. Another tunnel company is talked of through Chloride Hill It will tap the hase of a number of mines, among them the “San Joaquin,” ‘Chloride Gem,” “Chloride Queen” and “Anna,” These tunnel projects will be of great utility to the entire district. A careful estimate places the amount of ore now lying on the dump of mines on Lion Hill alone, at 6,000 tons, awaiting the completion of the mills. A large numher of excellent mines are now idle waiting for the erection of reduction worka. The mines on Lion Hill are very extensive and are more fully developed than at any other place in the district. The mines containing the hase orea, or argentiferous lead in its various forms, are principally on the North side of East Canon for a distance of three miles. There have heen found also chloride ores of a high grade, in many places, in this hase metal range, from the aummit to the foothills. Among the ledges which hear chloride ores and are at the aame time in the vicinity of those carrying base metal, are the Baltic, Lowland Chief, Naboh, Olive Branch, Eastern Star, Great Western, Chrysopolis, Albion, San Joaquin, Alabama, Kearsarge, and Chlorido Gem. Those ores althongh callcd freo, will prohably require roasting to perfect amalgaiution in milling, since they all contain a small percentage of haso matter, in tho forms of antimony, lead, sulphur, arsenic, and copper. Tho smelting ores are prinoipally in the form of galensa, carrying on aul average about,$60 per ton in silver. The carhonates yield $40 per ton in silver on an average and 45 per ccnt. lead. The latter class of oro will have to be concentrated and froed from earthy matter hefore shipment for smelting. The grade of ores of this nature takon out thus far is too low to ship with profit, at present rates of freight, to tho East or West, and the method of working orea which will approximato the fire assay the nearest is what is desired in this, a3 in ovory other district containing base metalores. With anabundance of such ores as aro now heing taken out, the necessary fluxes (which are ahundant) and a sufficient knowledge of metallurgy to treat them right at the furnace, the smelting husiness intelligently and economically managed must be very profit ahle in Ophir district. , < So far as experimonts have gone they have shown that the ores of Lion and Silver Hills will have to he roasted before amalgamating, for the reasons before mentioned. Good mills with furnaces attached can afford to pay a good figure for ores, as their process is much more perfect than the furnaces alone are, the latter being a comparatively new thing in the separation of silver ores in the interior, and the reputation of the process has suffered from the inexperience of those conducting it. It is improving, however, and hids fair at no distant day to compete favorably with any other process. THE SAN DIEGO MINES. Julian District. Eps. Press:—In your issue of Aug.19, a correspondent signing himself “T. T.” criticises my communication of July 20, concerning the yield of ore from the California mine, I thank you for your explanatory note, under his letter, in which you give an intelligent interpretation of the idea that I intended to convey. The rock from the California mins that I spoke of in my letter, (published in your issue of the 5th,) was extra ore and might be called a specimen; although they did have some that was pounded in a hand-mortar and yielded as high as$5perpound. Mr. D. H. Snyder & Co. have succeeded in straightening the California shaft, and, having timhered it in a substantial manner, are now sinking. There is no doubt but that they have a very fine mine. In my last letter I told you I would tell you aomething more in my next with regard to A. P. Frary’a mine, the “Stonewall;”’ it was then 12 feet wide. The ledge has enlarged until it is now about 15 feet wide between the walls. All the rock will pay, and is extracted without the aid of powder. Heretofore there has only been sufficient water ohtained from the mine to run the mill ahout three hours; hut since they have commenced ainking the shaft, water has increased daily, and now they canrun the mill 10 houra per day and will aoon have sufficient quantity to run all the time. When the mill runs, (five stamps,) it pays or cleans up $20 per honr. In short, the Captain has one of the finest mines in California. Our country is not prospected yet, and prospectors are still making strikes. Mr. W. G. Woodward, who found and located the California mine, having last week sold his entire interest in that mine (to D. H. Snyder & Co. wherehy they became sole owners of the mine,) atarted out prospecting, and was soon rewarded hy finding a ledge within 1 few hundred yards of the Owen’s mine, and running parallel with it, which he informed me was nearly two feet wide and the best. prospect he ever found in thecountry. From a specimen heshowed me, ahowing free gold, I ahould pronounce it very rich. Mr. L. L. Wilcox, also found a ledge last week, a large specimen of which showing plenty of free gold, he left in my office. He says the ledge is about one foot wide. There are many old locations here that prospect gold that are lying idle; but we hope these mines will all soon he worked, as the mills are doing better than formerly, proving that mines that havo not boen remnnerative horetofore, can now bo worked with a profit. Mossrs. Gunn and Reynolds’ mill has heen runuing steadily, and shows great improvement in returns ou oro. Parsons & Moore muide a sale last week of their mill to Col. Wm. R, DeFrees & Co, who will soon start up with a new engine and proceed to add new machinery for working oro and saving gold. Col, DeFreos being an old ‘Idaho mill-man” will no douht make tho mill a snecess. Tho miuesin San Felipé are all looking well, particularly the Kentuck, Madden, Antelope, Redman, Bailoy, and Golden Chariot,—ore from the latter mino is now being delivered at McMechan’s mill, which is estimated at $200 per ton. We only nced moro capital to prove how numerous and rich our mines are. Last weck one-half the Madden mine was sold for a pittance, and this week a specimen was shown mc from the bottom of the shaft 40 feet deep, with free gold all over it. In the sinking of the shaft some very rich rook has been found, a specimen of which I sent to the Mechanie’s Fair, which was noticed by you in your issue of 19th. L Julian City, Ang. 28th, 1871. Agriculture in the Mountains. We learn from our exchanges that the crops throughout the mountains of our own sand the adjoining states of Nevada and Oregon and the surrounding Territories, as well, are all that could be expected, even under the most favorahle circumstances, Experience is fast demonstrating the fact that our mining regions may place themselves almost independent of the great valleys of this State for their agricultural supplies. Still, hut very few of the fertile valleys in Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Utah, are under cultivation. Enongh, however, has been done to show most unexpected and satisfactory possibilities in the more extensive and careful cultivation which will yet he reached. The streams running through these valleys, as a general thing, are large, never failing, and furnish an abundance of water for irrigation ; and while the low lands will be generally devoted to fruit and root crops, that farther back and among the foot-hills is well adapted to grain of all descriptions: and still farther among the hills is found good grazing ranges for stock. Such lands are hecoming each year more and more valuahle, as their capacities for cultivationare more generally made known. Fine root crops are being raised on such lands in Colorado even at an elevation of eight and ten thousand feet ahove the sea level. These facts have an eapecial interest to our mining population, which will therehy soon he enahled to secure the most of their supplies near home, and consequently at a greatly reduced cost, by means of the saving of transportation. But a small proportion of such lands, susceptible of improvement, have as yet been taken up, and thousands of acres in every mountain county this side of, and including Colorado, are yet open for location. Practical experience has taught us that sage hrush land, hitherto considered ahsolutely worthless to the farmer, is the very hest kind of land for cereals, wherever it can be irrigated. Bright prospects are before all our mining counties, if they wil) only utilize, with diversified industries, all] the advantages which they possees. A Handsome Acknowledgment. Messrs. Dewey & Co.: We hereby acknowledge the receipt of the patent papers for our improvement in wheels for traction engines, and also the notice that the improvement on tuhular hoilers had heen allowed; and in thia connection we think we ahould exchange congratulations for the uniform succeas that has attended your applications for us, this being the twelfth pstent we have obtained through your agency, within ten months, for our American Overland Steamer—a auccess due to the careful and full preparation of the cases before they leave your office, and a thoroughly live mau_to attend to them when they arrive in Washington; and perhaps we might modestly add, the intrinsic merits and originality of the ideas themselves. Such promptness and auccess in ohtaining patents we think unparalleled. Respectfully yours, O. Hypr & Son. Oakland, August 1, 1871.

September 16, 1871.] SCIENTIFIC PRESS. 163 (GoRRESPONDENCE. EAST CANON, OPHIR DISTRICT, U. T. BY OUR OWN TRAVELER. Eps, Press :—Leaving the City of the Saints and taking my placo on one of the fino6-horsoline of stages belonging to Wines & Kimball, we rido along near a range of mountains known as the Oquirrh, passing tho ako and at 1 p. st, reach Rush valley. Shortly after leaving hero the road winds up East Catton for about two miles, to the eity of Ophir, 56 miles from Salt Lake. This cation was visited in 1864 by U. 8. soldiers, who made a fow locations; but failed to do mnch work in them, as thoy did not considor tho haso oros of any valuc. In Jnno 1870 2 small numbor of energetic miners from White Pino came to look at tho country and prospoct for qnartz. Since that timo Ophir City has sprung into existenco, and now contains a popniation of nearly 1,000 souls, several stores, saloons, ete., n good school, and a saw mill. On tho road up the canon I noticed a qnartz mill and two smolting fnrnacos in operation. To tho South of Ophir City is Lion Monntain, the summit of which is reached either hy going the road from the town, ahout two miles long, or hy way of Walker’s mill, thero being a good road from there for the purpose of bringing ore to the mill. The largest lodes on the hill are the Mt. Lion, Mt. Tiger, Sunnyside, Silver, Exehange, White Star, and Silver Chief. The first one I visited was the ; Mount Tiger, owned by Walkor & Co. The tunnel on this ledge is 6 feet wide and 175 feet long. The foreman, Mr. Daly, informs me that the ore will assay on an average $200 per ton in silver. There are 400 tons now on the dump, and 10 men are employed in getting out ore. Passing by the Zella shaft the next mine that attracts attention is the Silver Chief, a very old location on the hill, owned hy W.T. Barbee and others. Ore has heen worked from this claim that yielded by smelting process, $226 per ton. There are now 150 tons of carhonates and chlorides on the dump. The tunnel follows the ledge in for a distance of 135 feet, and it is thought the ore will yield from $125 to $150 per ton. The hench in front of the Openings to the mine, has heen dressed down in front of the ledge a distance of 150 feet, showing chloride veins the whole way. Attheend of the main tunnel isa drift to the northward 40 feet long. The Silver Exchange, owned by Phillips & Co., has 800 sacks of ore onthe dump, andemploy 12men. The Mount Lion : is a large ledge, located in Auguat, 1870, and helonging to O. E. Bates. There are three shafts in this mine, the main one heing 35 feet deep, and showing a fine hody of ore nearly eight feet in width, which runs northeast and aouthwest. They have 300 tons of ore on the dump, and I was told by the foreman, Mr. Knapp, that 20 tons shipped to the reduction works yielded $500 net. This is one of the hest mines in the district. Near hy is a cave which was struck hy some parties while prospecting, They run in a tunnel 25 feet, and at the end opened into this cave, which is all the way from 2 to 20 feet in hight and 20 wide. Small atreaks of chloride ore averaging from 1% to 6 inches in width, and fine specimens of atalactites are to he seen. It is thought that a large deposit of ore is under the cave, and that gradual decompoaition has let this hody of lime-rock down to its present position. The Superintendent, Mr. Evans, is now sinking a shaft to determine this question. On South Ophir or Silveropolis Hill is the Occidental Mina, located in Angust, 1870. The tunnel on thia ledge is in 60 feet, and they have taken out 150 tons of ore, which is now lying on thedump. A sample lot worked hy the Stetefeldt process at Reno, on the line of the C.P.R.R., yielded $230 per ton. The ore is hard chloride, and is,as may he supposed, in limestone formation. There are 12 men at work on this mine. The Tampico has five men employed in sinking the shaft which is 32 feet deep, showing an averoge width of two feet in tho body of ore Semo horn silver has been found in this elaim and tho chloride runs about $75 per ton. Mr. Jas. Crossley is supt. Leaving hero wo went to tho Silveropolis Mine, whero thoy have 400 tons of oro on tho dump, sample lota of which have worked $95 por tou. The Chloride Point has a tnnncl on milling rock, 170 feet in lougth, running duo north. Capt. Balch, the Supt., tells mo that there are 250 tons of oro on the dump ready to bo worked. At Silver Hill, on tho north side of the cation, is the Velocipede, No. 1, near the city, and located in Nov., 1870. The tunncl on this ledge is in 100 fect, and the drifts, on both sides, all in a body of oro. This is principally carbonate of lead, and is said to work easily, yielding from $45 to $50 per tonin silver. Itis hought hy the managers of the smelting works in the Canon below. The rock being soft and decomposed is easily mined, and Mr. Manchester, the Supt., tells me that there are upwards of 1,000 tons on the dumps. Velocipede, No. 2, has oonsiderable ore on the dumps, and has a tunnel 75 feet in length, giving evidence of alarge deposit. The shaft is only 12 feet deep. Silver Shield. The main tunnel of this mine is 65 feet in length, at the end of which is a shaft 36 feet deep, passing through a fine looking body of ore. The wide drifts east and west are respectively 75 and 50 feet in length. The body of ore dips to the west, and averages, it is said, $33 per ton in silver by smelting. There 8 men employed and they have 1,200 sacks of ore on the dump. This mine is quite extensive and belongs to Judge McKean, R. M. Rohin son, Col. Kane and others. T. J. Smith is Superintendent. The Chrysopolis Tunnel has been run in 42 feet,a short distance’ up the hill, and the company have good indications of ore, Messrs. Riley & Rafferty are the owners, The Velocipede No, 1, Velocipede No. 2, and Silver Shield mines, haye heen connected hy side drifts, all three of these locations heing close together. The deposit of ore on this hill is considered to be fully as large as that of the ‘‘Emma,” hut it is not so rich in silver. Workis heing carried on energetically in all these mines, I understand that there are many good locations scattered about higher up the hill, but for want of time I did not visit them. There are a great number of prospectors at workin this vicinity, and we hear of new strikes quite frequently. The enterprise of tunneling the mountain, from the north side of Lion Hill to the south side of Horn Silver Hill, is exciting attention just now. A company has heen formed with an incorporated capital of $2,000,000, for this purpose. The locators in this enterprise are Messrs. T. G. McLaren, T. F. Tracy, J. C. Mathews and others. McLaren’a East Canon tunnel has heen surveyed, and along the line the prominent altitudes ahove tide are as follows: East Caton Gulch, just ahove Ophir, 6,670 feet; ‘‘Silver Chief” mine, 8,500; “Mt. Tiger” and ‘“‘Zella’”’ mines, 8,650; summit of Lion Hill, 9,100; “Mt. Lion” mine, 8,620; Mountain View House, Monarch and Virginia mines, 8,776; summit of Horn Silver Hill, 9,215; Vallejo and Occidental mines, 8,850. Another tunnel company is talked of through Chloride Hill It will tap the hase of a number of mines, among them the “San Joaquin,” ‘Chloride Gem,” “Chloride Queen” and “Anna,” These tunnel projects will be of great utility to the entire district. A careful estimate places the amount of ore now lying on the dump of mines on Lion Hill alone, at 6,000 tons, awaiting the completion of the mills. A large numher of excellent mines are now idle waiting for the erection of reduction worka. The mines on Lion Hill are very extensive and are more fully developed than at any other place in the district. The mines containing the hase orea, or argentiferous lead in its various forms, are principally on the North side of East Canon for a distance of three miles. There have heen found also chloride ores of a high grade, in many places, in this hase metal range, from the aummit to the foothills. Among

the ledges which hear chloride ores and are at the aame time in the vicinity of those carrying base metal, are the Baltic, Lowland Chief, Naboh, Olive Branch, Eastern Star, Great Western, Chrysopolis, Albion, San Joaquin, Alabama, Kearsarge, and Chlorido Gem. Those ores althongh callcd freo, will prohably require roasting to perfect amalgaiution in milling, since they all contain a small percentage of haso matter, in tho forms of antimony, lead, sulphur, arsenic, and copper. Tho smelting ores are prinoipally in the form of galensa, carrying on aul average about,$60 per ton in silver. The carhonates yield $40 per ton in silver on an average and 45 per ccnt. lead. The latter class of oro will have to be concentrated and froed from earthy matter hefore shipment for smelting. The grade of ores of this nature takon out thus far is too low to ship with profit, at present rates of freight, to tho East or West, and the method of working orea which will approximato the fire assay the nearest is what is desired in this, a3 in ovory other district containing base metalores. With anabundance of such ores as aro now heing taken out, the necessary fluxes (which are ahundant) and a sufficient knowledge of metallurgy to treat them right at the furnace, the smelting husiness intelligently and economically managed must be very profit ahle in Ophir district. , < So far as experimonts have gone they have shown that the ores of Lion and Silver Hills will have to he roasted before amalgamating, for the reasons before mentioned. Good mills with furnaces attached can afford to pay a good figure for ores, as their process is much more perfect than the furnaces alone are, the latter being a comparatively new thing in the separation of silver ores in the interior, and the reputation of the process has suffered from the inexperience of those conducting it. It is improving, however, and hids fair at no distant day to compete favorably with any other process. THE SAN DIEGO MINES. Julian District. Eps. Press:—In your issue of Aug.19, a correspondent signing himself “T. T.” criticises my communication of July 20, concerning the yield of ore from the California mine, I thank you for your explanatory note, under his letter, in which you give an intelligent interpretation of the idea that I intended to convey. The rock from the California mins that I spoke of in my letter, (published in your issue of the 5th,) was extra ore and might be called a specimen; although they did have some that was pounded in a hand-mortar and yielded as high as$5perpound. Mr. D. H. Snyder & Co. have succeeded in straightening the California shaft, and, having timhered it in a substantial manner, are now sinking. There is no doubt but that they have a very fine mine. In my last letter I told you I would tell you aomething more in my next with regard to A. P. Frary’a mine, the “Stonewall;”’ it was then 12 feet wide. The ledge has enlarged until it is now about 15 feet wide between the walls. All the rock will pay, and is extracted without the aid of powder. Heretofore there has only been sufficient water ohtained from the mine to run the mill ahout three hours; hut since they have commenced ainking the shaft, water has increased daily, and now they canrun the mill 10 houra per day and will aoon have sufficient quantity to run all the time. When the mill runs, (five stamps,) it pays or cleans up $20 per honr. In short, the Captain has one of the finest mines in California. Our country is not prospected yet, and prospectors are still making strikes. Mr. W. G. Woodward, who found and located the California mine, having last week sold his entire interest in that mine (to D. H. Snyder & Co. wherehy they became sole owners of the mine,) atarted out prospecting, and was soon rewarded hy finding a ledge within 1 few hundred yards of the Owen’s mine, and running parallel with it, which he informed me was nearly two feet wide and the best. prospect he ever found in thecountry. From a specimen heshowed me, ahowing free gold, I ahould pronounce it very rich. Mr. L. L. Wilcox, also found a ledge last week, a large specimen of which showing plenty of free gold, he left in my office. He says the ledge is about one foot wide. There are many old locations here that prospect gold that are lying idle; but we hope these mines will all soon he worked, as the mills are doing better than formerly, proving that mines that havo not boen remnnerative horetofore, can now bo worked with a profit. Mossrs. Gunn and Reynolds’ mill has heen runuing steadily, and shows great improvement in returns ou oro. Parsons & Moore muide a sale last week of their mill to Col. Wm. R, DeFrees & Co, who will soon start up with a new engine and proceed to add new machinery for working oro and saving gold. Col, DeFreos being an old ‘Idaho mill-man” will no douht make tho mill a snecess. Tho miuesin San Felipé are all looking well, particularly the Kentuck, Madden, Antelope, Redman, Bailoy, and Golden Chariot,—ore from the latter mino is now being delivered at McMechan’s mill, which is estimated at $200 per ton. We only nced moro capital to prove how numerous and rich our mines are. Last weck one-half the Madden mine was sold for a pittance, and this week a specimen was shown mc from the bottom of the shaft 40 feet deep, with free gold all over it. In the sinking of the shaft some very rich rook has been found, a specimen of which I sent to the Mechanie’s Fair, which was noticed by you in your issue of 19th. L Julian City, Ang. 28th, 1871. Agriculture in the Mountains. We learn from our exchanges that the crops throughout the mountains of our own sand the adjoining states of Nevada and Oregon and the surrounding Territories, as well, are all that could be expected, even under the most favorahle circumstances, Experience is fast demonstrating the fact that our mining regions may place themselves almost independent of the great valleys of this State for their agricultural supplies. Still, hut very few of the fertile valleys in Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Utah, are under cultivation. Enongh, however, has been done to show most unexpected and satisfactory possibilities in the more extensive and careful cultivation which will yet he reached. The streams running through these valleys, as a general thing, are large, never failing, and furnish an abundance of water for irrigation ; and while the low lands will be generally devoted to fruit and root crops, that farther back and among the foot-hills is well adapted to grain of all descriptions: and still farther among the hills is found good grazing ranges for stock. Such lands are hecoming each year more and more valuahle, as their capacities for cultivationare more generally made known. Fine root crops are being raised on such lands in Colorado even at an elevation of eight and ten thousand feet ahove the sea level. These facts have an eapecial interest to our mining population, which will therehy soon he enahled to secure the most of their supplies near home, and consequently at a greatly reduced cost, by means of the saving of transportation. But a small proportion of such lands, susceptible of improvement, have as yet been taken up, and thousands of acres in every mountain county this side of, and including Colorado, are yet open for location. Practical experience has taught us that sage hrush land, hitherto considered ahsolutely worthless to the farmer, is the very hest kind of land for cereals, wherever it can be irrigated. Bright prospects are before all our mining counties, if they wil) only utilize, with diversified industries, all] the advantages which they possees. A Handsome Acknowledgment. Messrs. Dewey & Co.: We hereby acknowledge the receipt of the patent papers for our improvement in wheels for traction engines, and also the notice that the improvement on tuhular hoilers had heen allowed; and in thia connection we think we ahould exchange congratulations for the uniform succeas that has attended your applications for us, this being the twelfth pstent we have obtained through your agency, within ten months, for our American Overland Steamer—a auccess due to the careful and full preparation of the cases before they leave your office, and a thoroughly live mau_to attend to them when they arrive in Washington; and perhaps we might modestly add, the intrinsic merits and originality of the ideas themselves. Such promptness and auccess in ohtaining patents we think unparalleled. Respectfully yours, O. Hypr & Son. Oakland, August 1, 1871.