Volume 24 (1872) (424 pages)

ve ¥ e Yo eo Ya Fa @ wing, 4 & u 1 XD * BY DEWEY & CoO., KPatont Sollecitorsa. PN JeLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF a PCIENTIFIC AND JNpusTRIAL PROGRESS, Atts and dnurcntions, ~ SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1872. VOLUME XXIV. Number 11. The Proposed New Land Policy. Tbe new land pohey, as shadowed forth hy the bills lately introduced by Assemblyman Barkcr, ought to meet tho approval of every sincere friend of the industrial and commercia interests of the Pacific Const. These bills provido briefly as follows; First, wo have a Joint Nesolution asking Congress to resume public lands in California for actunl settlers only, under the homestead and pre-emption laws. Theeffect of thet action by Congess would bo to stop the wholesale entries of lands and conceutration of whole townships in speculativo hands—a policy discouraging to immigration and tho material development of the State. Next we havo an Act reserving all lands belonging to this State for settlers only—n measure hke the one asked from Congress, and intended to place a check upon tho wholesale absorption by speenlatorsof State, School and Swamp lands, Then comes an act requiring parties who have bought State lands on credit, and who are not actually living upon and cultivating the same, to pay over to the State the halance due within a certain time on aa of forfeiture. The law nnder whicb such sales were originally made anthorizes this special legislation. The fourth and last bill. introduced by Mr. Barker, provides that copies of maps and records of State and United States lands, now lying open to preémption, or unimproved and not paid for, sball be furnished to all County Recorders, for the benefitof the people at large, together with any other attainable information whicb may become the means of guiding settlers to the selection of desirablo land for improvement. This last bill is a very important matter to the settler, who has neither the time or experience in such matters to properly inform himself, or the means to employ attorneys to do that which the sellers, (in this case, State or National Government) under other circumstances, always do to effecta sale of their property. These bills, together, present a land policy which must commend itself to every well-meaning citizen, who has the welfare of the State at heart, or who is willing to unite in any proper cffort to discourage unwholesome land monopolies, and thereby encourage that class of immigration which the State most needs. _ Qouicrsinver Fumes.—We hear much complaint with regard to the deleterions iufluence of quicksilver fumes both from retorting the precious metals and from furnace operations in treating the ores of cinnahar at the quicksilver mines. Mr. William Kringel, who has heen for some time employed at the Redington Quicksilver mines, at Knoxville, Napa county, informs us that many are severely trouhled in that way at that mine. Much care should be taken hy firemen and laborers engaged in the furnace operations ahout a quicksilver mine. One of the great ‘“‘dangers is in drawing the charges;” which is often done when the ore is red hot, and hefore it has been fully freed from its cinnahar. The danger of such a practice, tosay nothing of its wastefulnesss, ought to be carefully avoided. Mr. K. informs us that men while ‘‘drawing,” often find so much mercury deposited on their hats that they can shake the globules together and pow the quicksilver off. Eveu if workmen can he tound who are willing to stand such an exposure, the interest of the company ought to prompt superintendents and others having responsibility, to see that charges are more thoroughly reduced and cooled down hefore the furnaces are opened. Wright’s Improved Saw Gauge. The accompanying ents represent L. Wright's improved saw gauge for gauging the width of stuff for cirenlarsaws, which from its pcecnliar advantages commends itsclf to all having use for such an article. It supplies a want long felt hy sawyers, the old method heing defective in many respects. Tig. 1 represents the gauge with the hevel attachment, which can he set at any angle, and is indispensahlo for moulding mills, and other places where hevel sawing is desired. A represents the circulay saw table. Bisa grooved way, which attaching tho fenco to the plate F, and is shown in Fig. 2, The machine may he seen at the Pacific Saw Manufacturing Co., No. 17 and 19 Fremont street, in this city. Tor Supmarmve TeLecrarn cahles in China are suffering from the attacks of some minute crustacean, so small as to he scarcely perceptihle to the naked eye. Various hreaks have been traced to the agency of these animals who imbed themselves in the gutta percha. Mining Discoveries: Specimens of coal and copper have heen brought into Visalia, Tulare county, reFig. I. is let into the table, flush with the top. @ is the portion of the gauge to which the fastening orrangcment is attached, and slides perfectly free in the grooved way, aud cau be removed from the way, at any point hetween the saw and the edge of table; thus presenting a perfectly clear top for other purposes. The screw, D, terminates with a taper, which when the wheel is turued, forces itself hetween two pieces let into the slide, C, and which presses against the inside of the way, therehy perfectly fastening the gauge to the beuch. A single quarter-turu of the wheel releases the pressure, and allows the gange to slide perfectly free in the way, or to he. removed atpleasure. This is the great feature of this gauge, and renders it the most adjustahle fixture ever offered to sawyers. The plate #’ is hinged at the end of C, so that the face cau he adjusted in perfect line with the saw; when once adjusted it is secured in position hy setscrew. H, G, Hand J are the hevel arrangements; the wood J can be tilted at auy angle, and then secured hy the thumhserews The plain gauge is formed hy. cently and created no little excitement. A gold ledge has heen discovered near there, in Yokall Valley, ahout 35 miles distant; it is narrow butrich. A silver lead has heen found on Smith’s mountain at the head of King’s River, the ore from which is expected to pay not less than $400 per ton. The Winnemucca Register chronicles the discovery of a rich gold mine, ahont 10 miles from that place. The claim shows good prospects, some of the rock heing covered with fine gold. The Unionville Silver Stale has seensome yery rich silver ore from a recent discoyery near that place. Reports of the discovery of rich deposits of gold in the Black Hills continue to he received. A gentleman who had lately arrived at Sioux City, Iowa, hrings rich specimens of quartz and says the Indians have large quantities of gold. Anizona.—A small party of miners who have some time heen working in Black Cation, ahout 50 miles southeast of Prescott, have heen compelled to leave their claims owing to fears of an Indian attack. Too Wet to Plow. In several districts of the State where adobe lands abound, the continned rains have made the lands too wet to admit of plowing for wheat at present, and it is becoming a question of great importance to know how late it will do to defer seeding and still hope for a fair crop. Many doubtless will sow wheat much later than they would otherwise have dared, but for tbe unusual and almost continued rainfall since December. It has so long been the great staple crop of the majority of our grain farmers that they find themselves in difficulty and doubt as to what is best to do. How late can the common California varieties of winter wheat be sown and mature a crop? Of course very mnch depends upon the quantity of rainfall between this and tbe first of May. But, are we to have as abundant late spring rains as heretofore, following close upon our long-continued and almost unprecedented winter rains? Tbese are questions whicb time alone will determine; it becomes the farmer, therefore, to look around for some avenue of escape from the deartb of pocket Hkely:to occur, if he fails of a fair amount of acres of fully matured and marketahle wheat. In all the Northern States of the Atlantic they sow wheat which is know as spring wheat, as late as they sow oats, or in April to the very last week, and still harvest excellent yields of wheat. It is not too late for our farmers to send for this variety, which can be sown and fully mature its grain, at a season so late that the ordinary wheat of Cahfornia would be nearly a total failure. It is a wheat so entirely distinct from the other varieties, that it takes its peculiar rank and place in the markets of all the great grain depots of the Northwest. It can be procured in Chicago in any quantity. Tbe only question is, can it mature here, subject to our almost rainless montbs of June and July? Buy the Right Fruit. A subscriber, A. O., writing from Stony Point, Sonoma county, attributes the dissatisfaction felt by the consumers of fruits witb the article they purchsse, to a want of knowledge of the best varieties; that if they would give more attention to this, and then buy none but of good qnality or condition, when put upon the market, very little trouble would ever be felt. He recommends among the apples for family nse, the Red Astrachan, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Bellflower; Smith’s Cider, Esopus Spitzenberg, R. I. Greening and Yellow Newtown Pippin. Then he makes the following suggestion on another matter-—‘‘A good way to make dry tough timber more servicable, such as whip stock, axe handles, ete., is to soak them in water for six hours and then use them until ary; by this means you bring the spring into the wood before breaking. Try it!” Gop in THE Cozorapo.—Extensive placer diggings have heen struck on the Colorado river, ahove the mouth of the Virgen. A correspondeut of the Salt Lake News says that half an ounce a day has heen made to the hand. Various places have heen visited along the river and fine gold has heen found at most of tliem. People seem satisfied that the Colorado will he lined with mining camps hefore another winter sets in. A numher of parties are out prospecting.

ve ¥ e Yo eo Ya Fa @ wing, 4 & u 1 XD * BY DEWEY & CoO., KPatont Sollecitorsa. PN JeLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF a PCIENTIFIC AND JNpusTRIAL PROGRESS, Atts and dnurcntions, ~ SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1872. VOLUME XXIV. Number 11. The Proposed New Land Policy. Tbe new land pohey, as shadowed forth hy the bills lately introduced by Assemblyman Barkcr, ought to meet tho approval of every sincere friend of the industrial and commercia interests of the Pacific Const. These bills provido briefly as follows; First, wo have a Joint Nesolution asking Congress to resume public lands in California for actunl settlers only, under the homestead and pre-emption laws. Theeffect of thet action by Congess would bo to stop the wholesale entries of lands and conceutration of whole townships in speculativo hands—a policy discouraging to immigration and tho material development of the State. Next we havo an Act reserving all lands belonging to this State for settlers only—n measure hke the one asked from Congress, and intended to place a check upon tho wholesale absorption by speenlatorsof State, School and Swamp lands, Then comes an act requiring parties who have bought State lands on credit, and who are not actually living upon and cultivating the same, to pay over to the State the halance due within a certain time on aa of forfeiture. The law nnder whicb such sales were originally made anthorizes this special legislation. The fourth and last bill. introduced by Mr. Barker, provides that copies of maps and records of State and United States lands, now lying open to preémption, or unimproved and not paid for, sball be furnished to all County Recorders, for the benefitof the people at large, together with any other attainable information whicb may become the means of guiding settlers to the selection of desirablo land for improvement. This last bill is a very important matter to the settler, who has neither the time or experience in such matters to properly inform himself, or the means to employ attorneys to do that which the sellers, (in this case, State or National Government) under other circumstances, always do to effecta sale of their property. These bills, together, present a land policy which must commend itself to every well-meaning citizen, who has the welfare of the State at heart, or who is willing to unite in any proper cffort to discourage unwholesome land monopolies, and thereby encourage that class of immigration which the State most needs. _ Qouicrsinver Fumes.—We hear much complaint with regard to the deleterions iufluence of quicksilver fumes both from retorting the precious metals and from furnace operations in treating the ores of cinnahar at the quicksilver mines. Mr. William Kringel, who has heen for some time employed at the Redington Quicksilver mines, at Knoxville, Napa county, informs us that many are severely trouhled in that way at that mine. Much care should be taken hy firemen and laborers engaged in the furnace operations ahout a quicksilver mine. One of the great ‘“‘dangers is in drawing the charges;” which is often done when the ore is red hot, and hefore it has been fully freed from its cinnahar. The danger of such a practice, tosay nothing of its wastefulnesss, ought to be carefully avoided. Mr. K. informs us that men while ‘‘drawing,” often find so much mercury deposited on their hats that they can shake the globules together and pow the quicksilver off. Eveu if workmen can he tound who are willing to stand such an exposure, the interest of the company ought to prompt superintendents and others having responsibility, to see that charges are more thoroughly reduced and cooled down hefore the furnaces are opened. Wright’s Improved Saw Gauge. The accompanying ents represent L. Wright's improved saw gauge for gauging the width of stuff for cirenlarsaws, which from its pcecnliar advantages commends itsclf to all having use for such an article. It supplies a want long felt hy sawyers, the old method heing defective in many respects. Tig. 1 represents the gauge with the hevel attachment, which can he set at any angle, and is indispensahlo for moulding mills, and other places where hevel sawing is desired. A represents the circulay saw table. Bisa grooved way, which attaching tho fenco to the plate F, and is shown in Fig. 2, The machine may he seen at the Pacific Saw Manufacturing Co., No. 17 and 19 Fremont street, in this city. Tor Supmarmve TeLecrarn cahles in China are suffering from the attacks of some minute crustacean, so small as to he scarcely perceptihle to the naked eye. Various hreaks have been traced to the agency of these animals who imbed themselves in the gutta percha. Mining Discoveries: Specimens of coal and copper have heen brought into Visalia, Tulare county, reFig. I. is let into the table, flush with the top. @ is the portion of the gauge to which the fastening orrangcment is attached, and slides perfectly free in the grooved way, aud cau be removed from the way, at any point hetween the saw and the edge of

table; thus presenting a perfectly clear top for other purposes. The screw, D, terminates with a taper, which when the wheel is turued, forces itself hetween two pieces let into the slide, C, and which presses against the inside of the way, therehy perfectly fastening the gauge to the beuch. A single quarter-turu of the wheel releases the pressure, and allows the gange to slide perfectly free in the way, or to he. removed atpleasure. This is the great feature of this gauge, and renders it the most adjustahle fixture ever offered to sawyers. The plate #’ is hinged at the end of C, so that the face cau he adjusted in perfect line with the saw; when once adjusted it is secured in position hy setscrew. H, G, Hand J are the hevel arrangements; the wood J can be tilted at auy angle, and then secured hy the thumhserews The plain gauge is formed hy. cently and created no little excitement. A gold ledge has heen discovered near there, in Yokall Valley, ahout 35 miles distant; it is narrow butrich. A silver lead has heen found on Smith’s mountain at the head of King’s River, the ore from which is expected to pay not less than $400 per ton. The Winnemucca Register chronicles the discovery of a rich gold mine, ahont 10 miles from that place. The claim shows good prospects, some of the rock heing covered with fine gold. The Unionville Silver Stale has seensome yery rich silver ore from a recent discoyery near that place. Reports of the discovery of rich deposits of gold in the Black Hills continue to he received. A gentleman who had lately arrived at Sioux City, Iowa, hrings rich specimens of quartz and says the Indians have large quantities of gold. Anizona.—A small party of miners who have some time heen working in Black Cation, ahout 50 miles southeast of Prescott, have heen compelled to leave their claims owing to fears of an Indian attack. Too Wet to Plow. In several districts of the State where adobe lands abound, the continned rains have made the lands too wet to admit of plowing for wheat at present, and it is becoming a question of great importance to know how late it will do to defer seeding and still hope for a fair crop. Many doubtless will sow wheat much later than they would otherwise have dared, but for tbe unusual and almost continued rainfall since December. It has so long been the great staple crop of the majority of our grain farmers that they find themselves in difficulty and doubt as to what is best to do. How late can the common California varieties of winter wheat be sown and mature a crop? Of course very mnch depends upon the quantity of rainfall between this and tbe first of May. But, are we to have as abundant late spring rains as heretofore, following close upon our long-continued and almost unprecedented winter rains? Tbese are questions whicb time alone will determine; it becomes the farmer, therefore, to look around for some avenue of escape from the deartb of pocket Hkely:to occur, if he fails of a fair amount of acres of fully matured and marketahle wheat. In all the Northern States of the Atlantic they sow wheat which is know as spring wheat, as late as they sow oats, or in April to the very last week, and still harvest excellent yields of wheat. It is not too late for our farmers to send for this variety, which can be sown and fully mature its grain, at a season so late that the ordinary wheat of Cahfornia would be nearly a total failure. It is a wheat so entirely distinct from the other varieties, that it takes its peculiar rank and place in the markets of all the great grain depots of the Northwest. It can be procured in Chicago in any quantity. Tbe only question is, can it mature here, subject to our almost rainless montbs of June and July? Buy the Right Fruit. A subscriber, A. O., writing from Stony Point, Sonoma county, attributes the dissatisfaction felt by the consumers of fruits witb the article they purchsse, to a want of knowledge of the best varieties; that if they would give more attention to this, and then buy none but of good qnality or condition, when put upon the market, very little trouble would ever be felt. He recommends among the apples for family nse, the Red Astrachan, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Bellflower; Smith’s Cider, Esopus Spitzenberg, R. I. Greening and Yellow Newtown Pippin. Then he makes the following suggestion on another matter-—‘‘A good way to make dry tough timber more servicable, such as whip stock, axe handles, ete., is to soak them in water for six hours and then use them until ary; by this means you bring the spring into the wood before breaking. Try it!” Gop in THE Cozorapo.—Extensive placer diggings have heen struck on the Colorado river, ahove the mouth of the Virgen. A correspondeut of the Salt Lake News says that half an ounce a day has heen made to the hand. Various places have heen visited along the river and fine gold has heen found at most of tliem. People seem satisfied that the Colorado will he lined with mining camps hefore another winter sets in. A numher of parties are out prospecting.