Volume 24 (1872) (424 pages)

184 SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {March 23, 1872. Seientific Press, W. B. EWER.6:-csesscsseseccccecoes Senron Eprror. DEWEY & Co., Publishers. GEO. H. STRONG, A, T. DEWEY , JNO. L, BOONE. W.B. EWER, Office, No. 8838 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of California St., diagonally across from Wells, Fargo & Co.’s. SUBSCRIPTION AND ADVERTISING RATES. ADVERTIAING Ravea.—1 week. Lmonth. $3 meaplhe. 1 year. +80 Per line. ..0ceerses 26 $2.00 $5.00 One-half inch..$1.00 $3 00 7.50 20.00 One inch. . cereceree 2.00 5.00 14.00 38.00 Large advertiaementa at favorable ratea. Special or reading notices, legal advertisements, noticea appearing in extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at apecial ratea. Supsonretions payable in advance—For one year, $4; six montha, $2.60; three montha, $125. Clubs of ten namea or more, $3 each per annwun. $5, in advance, will pay for 1% year. Remittances by registered letters or P, O. orders at our risk, lish and Oolonial subscriptions, post paid, per year, Raha aes 12s. Pel perivamenrey per ine, first insertion, $5.5 RULER insertions, each,8d. Large adver tisements at special rates. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Mar. 28, 1872. Gold and Legal Tender Rates. San Francisoo, Wedneaday, March 20, 1872.—Legal Tendera huying 91%; selling, 92. Gold in New York to-day, 10954. Table of Contents. Eprroriata.—The Mining Incorporation Bill; State Geological Survey, 177. Increaae of Taxation; Guano, 18:. Noticesof Recent Patenta; Arizona Affairs; Recent Publications, 185. IuLvatrations.—Pelton’a Improved Horse-Power, 177. he Badger, 18%. Table Mountain, 184. Residence of Col. Black, Bozeman, Montana, 185. CorrEapowpENor.— Notes of Travel in Yuba and Neyade Counties; Minea at Phillipsburg, Montana, 178; ‘Wastage of the Precions Metals—Concluded, 182. Mininc Summary.—Reports from Minea in various States, and Diatricts; Stock R ts; Markets. Etc., 180-1. MazcHanicaL Progress.-New Mode of Transmitting Rotary Motion at Angles: Utilizing the Rivers of France; Improved Axle-hoxes; Dismond Toothed Saw; Improved Iron Rails; Effective Work of Steam Engines, 179. Sc1enr1Fio Proakeas.—New Method of Nickel Plating; Phosphorescence of Animals; Primordial Fauna in Nevada; Agricultural Resources of the Great Basin; Maases of Meteoric Iron, 179. UsEron Inrormation.—Oatmeal and the Intellect; Patent Lunacy; The Mysteries of a Hair Brush; Japanese Tea; Blue Glsaa for Greenhouses; Colored Candle Light; Guinea Gold, 183. Goop Hzaurx.—Poisonous Exhalations, The Cause of Wh ‘oping Cough; Care of the Feet: Physical Development; Big Sunday Dinners; Exposed Arms; Singular Death, 183. Domestic EoonomMy.—Hints to Poor Housekeepers; A Good Way to Cook Meat; Cleaning Soiled Marble Slahs; Canary Birds; To Clean Lamp Chimneys; Substitute for Bed Blankets; Why Some are Poor; Potash vs. Rats. MeonanioaL Hinrs —A New Metal: To Make Varnish that will Imitate Ground Glaas; Brittleness of Drawn Wire; Impurities of Gold, 187. MuscELLAvEOus.—Progreaa of Silver Mftning in Montana, Fmma; A Rival to Tea and Coffee; Iron Paper; Fencing, 178. Lighting Streeta; American Wonders; Iron; The Wing of the Locuat, 182. Voucanic Sprcrmens.—Among the late additions to the cahinst of Mr. H. G. Hanks, No. 649 Clay street,is a case of lavas, ete., from the Sandwich Islands and from other volcanic rsgions. The specimens comprise stalactitss aud stalagmites from the cave of Kilauea, sulphur crystals, lava with sulphur coating, and with gypsum coating, Peles hair, pumice, red and black scoriae, ete. The speoimens from the Sandwich Islands were recently sent here. The voleano from which they came, Kilauea, on the Mauna Loa mountain, is the largest in the world, hsing 9 miles in circumference, and 6,000 fest ahove the sea, + Giant Powprr Strixes.—The “‘strikes” occasioned hy the use of Giant powder in the Grass Valley mines have come to an end. A meeting of the Minsrs’ Union was held on the 15th inst., and after some disenssion on the suhjsct the following resolution which appears in the Union, was passed: The Miners’ Union at au adjonrued meeting held last evening, resolved that it no longer obliges its memhsrs to avoid the use of Giant powder.” W. E. Reep, Presidsnt. WaAsTAGE OF THE Precious Mrraus.—Mr. Paul requests us to state that if any of our suhseribsrs desire the article on the ahove subject in pamphlet form, that they may have the same, free of expense, hy forwarding address to A. B, Paul, 318 Culifornia street, in this city. —_ ie Foss remains of great sizs have bsen found on Wagner Creek, Wagner County, Oregon, Increase of Taxation. Ths qusstion of taxation has hecoms one of serious import, and notwithstanding our plain and supposed economical hahits, thsre is no country whsrs this hurthen is making greatsr inroads upon the general industry and earnings of ths people than in thsss United States. In 1860 our National expsnses, including intsrest on the puhlic deht, were confined within the limits of $75,000,000. In 1871 they had advanced to $186,000,000, sxclusive of all monsys paid out on account of national deht and interest. Including the latter class of payments, the total footed up $411,000,000—or $10.42 to each man woman and child in the Union. It will he seen from the ahove, that the ordinary expenses of the general government increased 148 per cent. in eleven years. Contrasted with Great Britain. The expenses of the English Government for 1851, including the interest on her immense national deht, were, in round numbers, $273,000,000. During the next two decades they had increased to $348,000,000 —or only 27 per cent. in 20 years, against 148 per cent. hy the U. S. government in 11 years. The percentage of increase noted in the expenses of the U. 8. government is exclusive of payment on hoth interest and principal of our war deht; whils the percentage of increase in the expenses of the English governmsnt includes the added cost of interest on the deht created hy the Crimean war. The per capita expenses of the English govsrnment is $11.60; but when it is horne in mind that a large portion of this expense is employed in keeping up and protecting her immenss colonial possessions, the populaof which is not taken into account, hut from which hoth the government and people receive indirect henefit, it will he seen that the per capita tax hears no proportion to the magnitude of that of the United States. The local taxation of Englandand Wales for 1868—corresponding to our State and county taxes—including the poor rates, was $83,916,000, or $3.87 per capita, against $10 to $15 for the local taxation in ssveral of the States of the Coufederated United States. State Taxes. The State taxes for New York increased three fold during the decade from 1850 to 1860; and from $18,000,000 to $50,000,000 during the last decade. Massachusetts, which paid $7,600,000 of taxes in 1861, raised $21,900,000 in 1869—an increase of nearly 300 per cent. in ahout eight years, and a per capita of ahout $15.60. Of course our state taxes have bsen very much increased since the war, in consequence of annuities paid to disahled soldiers and for other extraordinary purposes growing out of the war of rehellion. They are moreover largely increased for school purposes, anitem which does not enter into the element of English taxation. But still the facts of the terrihle and increasing burthen of taxation remains to hinder our industry and general national prosperity. The increase of local taxation was generally ahout as great for the decade preceding the war as for the last decade, and is altogether out of proportion to the increase of population. Municipal Taxation. We give helow the per capita rate of taxation for the cities mentioned: Boston, per Capita..0essscvccsesssorerecece New York ‘‘ soe Chicago ae 3B London, including poor rat Montreal, as “ ss 3 In the cities of London and Montreal, there is ,of course no tax for education, which in those cities is made an individual expense. If this tax was added to the rates of those cities it would increase them about $3.00, or $8.85 and $8.28 respectively. . There are mauy other things hesidss the mere detail of dollars and cents in our system of taxation to which attention is being drawn. Ths conditions, irregularities and ahsurdities which characterize ths various systsms adopted hy the diffsrent States and the United States for raising revenues, are utterly surprising and inconsistent with the reputation which ths American psople sustain for general intslligencs and practical charactsr. This matter is. now heing prominsntly placed hefore ths country hy a hoard of commissioners, appointed hy the Governor of the State of New Yotk, undsr authority of ths Legislature. Their report has already been puhlished, and the year has produced few puhlic documents of half its importance or gsneral interest, or one which has more astonished the reading and reflecting people throughout the commercial centsrs of our Atlantic sea coast. So much general interest has attached to the document that, a3 we have seen it stated, the Harper Brothsrs of New York have proposed a special edition of the report for extended circulation. ) i 1 —____—. Table Mountain. The Tahle Mountain of Tuolumne County is a flow of basaltic lava extending for a distance of nearly forty miles in a northeast and southwest direction from Murphy’s, Calaveras County, to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas on the hordsrs of ths San Joaquin valley, near Knights’ Ferry, Stanislaus County. The greater portion of this remarkahle landmark is situated within the limits of Tuolumne County. The mass of lava of which it is comCc posed, naturally found a depression in which to flow and in doing so covered up the ancient river where the aurifsrous gravel is found. The denudation and erosion of the surrounding country has otally changed and reversed its topography. The former banks of the river have heen washed away, leaving the lava stream standing in the position it occupied during the flow—its hight ahove the modern stream, the Stanislaus, heing uearly 2,000 feet. When the existence of this tiver hed became known, the miners immediately went to work hy tunnels, shafts and inclines and have heen ever since extracting the precious metals from the gravel which lies under the desp deposit of lava. The Gsological Survey have given a detailed description of the peculiar character of this mountain, which is very interesting as oue of the striking features of the topography and geology of the State aud also as showing the surprising changes which have taken place there, caused by volcanic overflows and remodelling of tho surface of the country. The tendency of the channel has heen to work to the east. May not this acconnt for the existence of the rich placers on the lime-. stone helt, on which are situatsd the towns of Jamestown, Sonora and Columbia. Mr. W. A. Skidmore during a recent trip through our State collecting material for the Mining Commissioners’ Report, took harometrical observations of the altitudes of several points, which may he interesting to our readers. An ohservation taken on Main street in Copperopolis, Calaveras Co., estahlishes the elevation at 998 feet ahove sea level. Chinese Camp, Tuolumne Co., 1,290 feet; Jamestown, same county, 1,382 feet; Sonora, 1,720 feet; Shaw’s Flat, 2,148 feet; Columhia (estimated) 2,200; Summit of Quartz Mt., Tuolumne Co., 1,624. The observations taken at Tahle Mt., near Jamestown, Tuolumne Co., are partioularly interesting, for hy the accompanying diagram it will hs ohssrved that ths rim rock of the ancient river is 33 feet higher on the west side than on ths east. Ths observation tuksn at A was mads at ths hoisting works of the Tahls Mountain . Co.’s claim, on ths eastern sids of Tahle Mt. (formerly known as ths ‘‘ Humbug” claim) 87 feet above ths rim rock of ths ancieut river, covered by tho lava flow known as Tahle Mt.: elevation 1,680 feet. Ohservation B was made at the hoisting works of Hughes’ mine, on the west side of the mountain (formerly known as the Maine Boys’ Tunnel) 110 feet ahove the rim rock of the ancient channel: elevation, 1,736 feet, This claim is next adjoiuing and south of the Tahle Mt. Tunnel Co.’s ground, Observation C was taken on the summit or plane of Tahle Mt, and at a point eq uidistant from ohservations Aand B—elevation 1,882 feet. The shove diagram of a cross section of Tahle Mt. is a representation of the stratification at this point: a@ is the basaltic lava rising in precipitous cliffs from the surrounding country; 6 a strata of compacted sand nearly hard enough to he designated as sandstone ; undsrneath this is a layer of gravel, represented hy c¢; and o shows the position of the auriferous gravel, The auriferous gravsl is extracted hy means of inclines running respectively from A, and B, to the hottom of the channel, a distance of 320 feet. At the hottom of the incliues, drifts are run up and down stream and the channel ‘‘breastsd” for a width of from 30 to 100 feet, and a hight of 4 to 6 feet; the hest pay lies on the hottom. There are two channels—so called—underlying the mountain, the most easterly heing the most recent—gsologically speaking. The gravel at present taken out varies in yield from $2.50 to $5 per car load of 16 cuhie feet. A run of several montlis at the latter figure would, however, he considered as exceptionally rich. The gravel is not cemented and is more readily treated than that of the northern counties. The method of treatment hsre is by use of the ‘‘ Cox Pan.” Oue of these pans will treat 40 car loads per day. 7 > Guano.—What is it? Itis only until lately that any question has arisen as to the character of guano. It has heretofore been universally supposed to he the exerement of hirds and the remains of those which have died. But of late this same suhstance has been found on the bottom of the ocean, and at considerahle depths. It has also heen found under circumstancss which tend to show that it is a mineral. Following up this hint, Dr. Hahel has heeu studying it hy the aid of the microscope, and finds that so much of it as is insoluhle in acids consists entirely of skeletons of diatomacie, sponges, etc., all of which are universally of marine origin, and nons of which, in their present form, could ever have formed from or in the excreta of animals of any kind. Patches of these remains have heen found exactly as they occur in Nature. From these and other facts there appears to he hut little douht that guano isan accumulation of the hodies of auimals and plants—not their excretia—which, either hy heat, hy chemical action, or both comhined, has had its organic matter converted into hitumen, while the mineral constituents have hesn preserved in those heautiful forms which make up the infusorial strata in various parts of the world. vo oe ReEewsrRvED.—The Cresson medal of the Franklin Institute has been awarded to Mr. R. C. Tilghman for his discovery of the uses of the sand hlast.

184 SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {March 23, 1872. Seientific Press, W. B. EWER..6:-csesscsseseccccecoes Senron Eprror. DEWEY & Co., Publishers. GEO. H. STRONG, A, T. DEWEY , JNO. L, BOONE. W.B. EWER, Office, No. 8838 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of California St., diagonally across from Wells, Fargo & Co.’s. SUBSCRIPTION AND ADVERTISING RATES. ADVERTIAING Ravea.—1 week. Lmonth. $3 meaplhe. 1 year. +80 Per line. ...0ceerses 26 $2.00 $5.00 One-half inch....$1.00 $3 00 7.50 20.00 One inch. .. cereceree 2.00 5.00 14.00 38.00 Large advertiaementa at favorable ratea. Special or reading notices, legal advertisements, noticea appearing in extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at apecial ratea. Supsonretions payable in advance—For one year, $4; six montha, $2.60; three montha, $125. Clubs of ten namea or more, $3 each per annwun. $5, in advance, will pay for 1% year. Remittances by registered letters or P, O. orders at our risk, lish and Oolonial subscriptions, post paid, per year, Raha aes 12s. Pel perivamenrey per ine, first insertion, $5.5 RULER insertions, each,8d. Large adver tisements at special rates. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Mar. 28, 1872. Gold and Legal Tender Rates. San Francisoo, Wedneaday, March 20, 1872.—Legal Tendera huying 91%; selling, 92. Gold in New York to-day, 10954. Table of Contents. Eprroriata.—The Mining Incorporation Bill; State Geological Survey, 177. Increaae of Taxation; Guano, 18:. Noticesof Recent Patenta; Arizona Affairs; Recent Publications, 185. IuLvatrations.—Pelton’a Improved Horse-Power, 177. he Badger, 18%. Table Mountain, 184. Residence of Col. Black, Bozeman, Montana, 185. CorrEapowpENor.— Notes of Travel in Yuba and Neyade Counties; Minea at Phillipsburg, Montana, 178; ‘Wastage of the Precions Metals—Concluded, 182. Mininc Summary.—Reports from Minea in various States, and Diatricts; Stock R ts; Markets. Etc., 180-1. MazcHanicaL Progress.-New Mode of Transmitting Rotary Motion at Angles: Utilizing the Rivers of France; Improved Axle-hoxes; Dismond Toothed Saw; Improved Iron Rails; Effective Work of Steam Engines, 179. Sc1enr1Fio Proakeas.—New Method of Nickel Plating; Phosphorescence of Animals; Primordial Fauna in Nevada; Agricultural Resources of the Great Basin; Maases of Meteoric Iron, 179. UsEron Inrormation.—Oatmeal and the Intellect; Patent Lunacy; The Mysteries of a Hair Brush; Japanese Tea; Blue Glsaa for Greenhouses; Colored Candle Light; Guinea Gold, 183. Goop Hzaurx.—Poisonous Exhalations, The Cause of Wh ‘oping Cough; Care of the Feet: Physical Development; Big Sunday Dinners; Exposed Arms; Singular Death, 183. Domestic EoonomMy.—Hints to Poor Housekeepers; A Good Way to Cook Meat; Cleaning Soiled Marble Slahs; Canary Birds; To Clean Lamp Chimneys; Substitute for Bed Blankets; Why Some are Poor; Potash vs. Rats. MeonanioaL Hinrs —A New Metal: To Make Varnish that will Imitate Ground Glaas; Brittleness of Drawn Wire; Impurities of Gold, 187. MuscELLAvEOus.—Progreaa of Silver Mftning in Montana, Fmma; A Rival to Tea and Coffee; Iron Paper; Fencing, 178. Lighting Streeta; American Wonders; Iron; The Wing of the Locuat, 182. Voucanic Sprcrmens.—Among the late additions to the cahinst of Mr. H. G. Hanks, No. 649 Clay street,is a case of lavas, ete., from the Sandwich Islands and from other volcanic rsgions. The specimens comprise stalactitss aud stalagmites from the cave of Kilauea, sulphur crystals, lava with sulphur coating, and with gypsum coating, Peles hair, pumice, red and black scoriae, ete. The speoimens from the Sandwich Islands were recently sent here. The voleano from which they came, Kilauea, on the Mauna Loa mountain, is the largest in the world, hsing 9 miles in circumference, and 6,000 fest ahove the sea, + Giant Powprr Strixes.—The “‘strikes” occasioned hy the use of Giant powder in the Grass Valley mines have come to an end. A meeting of the Minsrs’ Union was held on the 15th inst., and after some disenssion on the suhjsct the following resolution which appears in the Union, was passed: The Miners’ Union at au adjonrued meeting held last evening, resolved that it no longer obliges its memhsrs to avoid the use of Giant powder.” W. E. Reep, Presidsnt. WaAsTAGE OF THE Precious Mrraus.—Mr. Paul requests us to state that if any of our suhseribsrs desire the article on the ahove subject in pamphlet form, that they may have the same, free of expense, hy forwarding address to A. B, Paul, 318 Culifornia street, in this city. —_ ie Foss remains of great sizs have bsen found on Wagner Creek, Wagner County, Oregon, Increase of Taxation. Ths qusstion of taxation has hecoms one of serious import, and notwithstanding our plain and supposed economical hahits, thsre is no country whsrs this hurthen is making greatsr inroads upon the general industry and earnings of ths people than in thsss United States. In 1860 our National expsnses, including intsrest on the puhlic deht, were confined within the limits of $75,000,000. In 1871 they had advanced to $186,000,000, sxclusive of all monsys paid out on account of national deht and interest. Including the latter class of payments, the total footed up $411,000,000—or $10.42 to each man woman and child in the Union. It will he seen from the ahove, that the ordinary expenses of the general government increased 148 per cent. in eleven years. Contrasted with Great Britain. The expenses of the English Government for 1851, including the interest on her immense national deht, were, in round numbers, $273,000,000. During the next two decades they had increased to $348,000,000 —or only 27 per cent. in 20 years, against 148 per cent. hy the U. S. government in 11 years. The percentage of increase noted in the expenses of the U. 8. government is exclusive of payment on hoth interest and principal of our war deht; whils the percentage of increase in the expenses of the English governmsnt includes the added cost of interest on the deht created hy the Crimean war. The per capita expenses of the English govsrnment is $11.60; but when it is horne in mind that a large portion of this expense is employed in keeping up and protecting her immenss colonial possessions, the populaof which is not taken into account, hut from which hoth the government and people receive indirect henefit, it will he seen that the per capita tax hears no proportion to the magnitude of that of the United States. The local taxation of Englandand Wales for 1868—corresponding to our State and county taxes—including the poor rates, was $83,916,000, or $3.87 per capita, against $10 to $15 for the local taxation in ssveral of the States of the Coufederated United States. State Taxes. The State taxes for New York increased three fold during the decade from 1850 to 1860; and from $18,000,000 to $50,000,000 during the last decade. Massachusetts, which paid $7,600,000 of taxes in 1861, raised $21,900,000 in 1869—an increase of nearly 300 per cent. in ahout eight years, and a per capita of ahout $15.60. Of course our state taxes have bsen very much increased since the war, in consequence of annuities paid to disahled soldiers and for other extraordinary purposes growing out of the war of rehellion. They are moreover largely increased for school purposes, anitem which does not enter into the element of English taxation. But still the facts of the terrihle and increasing burthen of taxation remains to hinder our industry and general national prosperity. The increase of local taxation was generally ahout as great for the decade preceding the war as for the last decade, and is altogether out of proportion to the increase of population.

Municipal Taxation. We give helow the per capita rate of taxation for the cities mentioned: Boston, per Capita...0essscvccsesssorerecece New York ‘‘ soe Chicago ae 3B London, including poor rat Montreal, as “ ss 3 In the cities of London and Montreal, there is ,of course no tax for education, which in those cities is made an individual expense. If this tax was added to the rates of those cities it would increase them about $3.00, or $8.85 and $8.28 respectively. . There are mauy other things hesidss the mere detail of dollars and cents in our system of taxation to which attention is being drawn. Ths conditions, irregularities and ahsurdities which characterize ths various systsms adopted hy the diffsrent States and the United States for raising revenues, are utterly surprising and inconsistent with the reputation which ths American psople sustain for general intslligencs and practical charactsr. This matter is. now heing prominsntly placed hefore ths country hy a hoard of commissioners, appointed hy the Governor of the State of New Yotk, undsr authority of ths Legislature. Their report has already been puhlished, and the year has produced few puhlic documents of half its importance or gsneral interest, or one which has more astonished the reading and reflecting people throughout the commercial centsrs of our Atlantic sea coast. So much general interest has attached to the document that, a3 we have seen it stated, the Harper Brothsrs of New York have proposed a special edition of the report for extended circulation. ) i 1 —____—. Table Mountain. The Tahle Mountain of Tuolumne County is a flow of basaltic lava extending for a distance of nearly forty miles in a northeast and southwest direction from Murphy’s, Calaveras County, to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas on the hordsrs of ths San Joaquin valley, near Knights’ Ferry, Stanislaus County. The greater portion of this remarkahle landmark is situated within the limits of Tuolumne County. The mass of lava of which it is comCc posed, naturally found a depression in which to flow and in doing so covered up the ancient river where the aurifsrous gravel is found. The denudation and erosion of the surrounding country has otally changed and reversed its topography. The former banks of the river have heen washed away, leaving the lava stream standing in the position it occupied during the flow—its hight ahove the modern stream, the Stanislaus, heing uearly 2,000 feet. When the existence of this tiver hed became known, the miners immediately went to work hy tunnels, shafts and inclines and have heen ever since extracting the precious metals from the gravel which lies under the desp deposit of lava. The Gsological Survey have given a detailed description of the peculiar character of this mountain, which is very interesting as oue of the striking features of the topography and geology of the State aud also as showing the surprising changes which have taken place there, caused by volcanic overflows and remodelling of tho surface of the country. The tendency of the channel has heen to work to the east. May not this acconnt for the existence of the rich placers on the lime-. stone helt, on which are situatsd the towns of Jamestown, Sonora and Columbia. Mr. W. A. Skidmore during a recent trip through our State collecting material for the Mining Commissioners’ Report, took harometrical observations of the altitudes of several points, which may he interesting to our readers. An ohservation taken on Main street in Copperopolis, Calaveras Co., estahlishes the elevation at 998 feet ahove sea level. Chinese Camp, Tuolumne Co., 1,290 feet; Jamestown, same county, 1,382 feet; Sonora, 1,720 feet; Shaw’s Flat, 2,148 feet; Columhia (estimated) 2,200; Summit of Quartz Mt., Tuolumne Co., 1,624. The observations taken at Tahle Mt., near Jamestown, Tuolumne Co., are partioularly interesting, for hy the accompanying diagram it will hs ohssrved that ths rim rock of the ancient river is 33 feet higher on the west side than on ths east. Ths observation tuksn at A was mads at ths hoisting works of the Tahls Mountain . Co.’s claim, on ths eastern sids of Tahle Mt. (formerly known as ths ‘‘ Humbug” claim) 87 feet above ths rim rock of ths ancieut river, covered by tho lava flow known as Tahle Mt.: elevation 1,680 feet. Ohservation B was made at the hoisting works of Hughes’ mine, on the west side of the mountain (formerly known as the Maine Boys’ Tunnel) 110 feet ahove the rim rock of the ancient channel: elevation, 1,736 feet, This claim is next adjoiuing and south of the Tahle Mt. Tunnel Co.’s ground, Observation C was taken on the summit or plane of Tahle Mt, and at a point eq uidistant from ohservations Aand B—elevation 1,882 feet. The shove diagram of a cross section of Tahle Mt. is a representation of the stratification at this point: a@ is the basaltic lava rising in precipitous cliffs from the surrounding country; 6 a strata of compacted sand nearly hard enough to he designated as sandstone ; undsrneath this is a layer of gravel, represented hy c¢; and o shows the position of the auriferous gravel, The auriferous gravsl is extracted hy means of inclines running respectively from A, and B, to the hottom of the channel, a distance of 320 feet. At the hottom of the incliues, drifts are run up and down stream and the channel ‘‘breastsd” for a width of from 30 to 100 feet, and a hight of 4 to 6 feet; the hest pay lies on the hottom. There are two channels—so called—underlying the mountain, the most easterly heing the most recent—gsologically speaking. The gravel at present taken out varies in yield from $2.50 to $5 per car load of 16 cuhie feet. A run of several montlis at the latter figure would, however, he considered as exceptionally rich. The gravel is not cemented and is more readily treated than that of the northern counties. The method of treatment hsre is by use of the ‘‘ Cox Pan.” Oue of these pans will treat 40 car loads per day. 7 > Guano.—What is it? Itis only until lately that any question has arisen as to the character of guano. It has heretofore been universally supposed to he the exerement of hirds and the remains of those which have died. But of late this same suhstance has been found on the bottom of the ocean, and at considerahle depths. It has also heen found under circumstancss which tend to show that it is a mineral. Following up this hint, Dr. Hahel has heeu studying it hy the aid of the microscope, and finds that so much of it as is insoluhle in acids consists entirely of skeletons of diatomacie, sponges, etc., all of which are universally of marine origin, and nons of which, in their present form, could ever have formed from or in the excreta of animals of any kind. Patches of these remains have heen found exactly as they occur in Nature. From these and other facts there appears to he hut little douht that guano isan accumulation of the hodies of auimals and plants—not their excretia—which, either hy heat, hy chemical action, or both comhined, has had its organic matter converted into hitumen, while the mineral constituents have hesn preserved in those heautiful forms which make up the infusorial strata in various parts of the world. vo oe ReEewsrRvED.—The Cresson medal of the Franklin Institute has been awarded to Mr. R. C. Tilghman for his discovery of the uses of the sand hlast.