Volume 28 (1874) (430 pages)

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. [February 28, 1874. W, B. HWER. owcse-seenccores eeeeee.. SENIOR EDITOR. DEWEY & CO., Publishers. 4, T. DEWEY, GEO. H. STRONG. W.3B, EWER, JNO. L. BOONE. Office, No, 338 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of Oalifornia St., diagonally across from Wells, Fargo & Oo.’s. SuBsorrertons payable in adyance—For one year, $4; six months, $2.60; three months, $1.25, Remittances by registered letters or P. 0. orders at ourrlsk. ADVEDTISING RaTES.—J week. Imonth. Smonths. lL year ay 80 $2.00 $5.00 $1.00 $3.00 $7.50 24.00 One inch. svee 2,00 5.00 14.00 40.00 Large advertisements at fayorahle rates. Speclsal or reading notices, legal advertisements, notlees appearing in extraordinary type or in partlcular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Feb. 28, 1874. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS—An Improved Mill Pick; Gas Bracket Match Safe; The Colomhian Mines, 129. Copper; Minlng Legislation; Chrome Steel; Artificlal Raln; Mine Ventilation, 136. Fish Culture; University of Californla; Agricultural Ohemistry, 18'7. Minea and Mining—No. 1; Miners Blinded; Patents and Inventions, 140. ILLUSTRATIONS. — Gas Bracket Match Safe; Cummine’s Mill Pick, 129. Fish Oulture, 137.CORRESPONDENCE. — Ore Beds—Their Origin and QOondition; A Happy Time at the Richmond, 130. MECHANICAL PROGRESS.—English Printing Presses in America; Improyed Explosive Engine; Innovatlon in Carpet Manufacture; Proposed Tunnel hetween Scotland and Ireland, 131. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.—Latest News from the Sun; When Chemists Disngree who shall Decide? Combustion and its Products; New Photographic Process; The Use of Dynamite; Red and White Muscles; Poisonlng hy Silk, 131. MINING STOCK MARKET.—Table of Daily Sales and Prices and Comparative Prices for the Week; Notices of Assessments; Meetings and Dividends; Review of Stock Market for the Week, 132. MINING SUMMARY from yarious counties in California and Nevada, 132-3. USEFUL INFORMATION. — Oils from Seed; Gilding Glass; Care of Varnish Brushes; Cleansing Barrels; A New Application of Gypsum; Prevention of Boilor Explosions; Cleaning Silver-Ware; Parisian ‘Wood Varnish; Hypochlorous Acid for Bleaching; Ether Glue; Screws in Plaster; Hard Plaster; Black Branding Ink, 135. GOOD HEALTH. — East Slowly, Please! To Remove Boils; Treatment of Chilblains; Fish and Tea as Food; Difference in Human Exhalatlons; Our Flannels; How Far Chemical Works Poison the Air; Hot Sand Batbs; Alleged Oure of Leprosy, 185. MISCELLANEOUS.—The Cassiar Mines; Paying the Lawyers, 130. The Pacific Coast in 1873; Storey Gravel Ciaim; Humhug Camp; Oak Bar; Oroville Mines; Prospecting to the Northward; The K. K. Mine; Single Track Rallroad; Oherry Creek; Santa Oruz Coal Mines; White Pine Bullion; Pine Flat Mines; The Burleigh Drill; Peayine District; Value of Silver; Stickeen River, 134. ‘Trinity County Mines; Sargent’s Mineral Land Bills; The New Almaden Mine; Mining Accident; The Southern Mines; Klamath Oounty Mines, 188. Belmont; Miners Blinded; Mines on Goat Island; Eureka Bullion; Shipping Barley East; Charcoal and Tar as a Surgical Dressing; Cinnabar; Minlng Suit, 139. Copper. We make the following extracts from James Lewis & Sons’ monthly report on ores and metals (Liverpool), for the benefit of our readers interested in the copper market. The report is dated the 31st nlt., and gives a discouraging view of the market for the month, values having declined from the lst of the month in the face of a reduction in the bank rate to 3% er cent. Two large failures in the lead trade fine tended to increase the dull feeling which already existed among the purchasers of copper. The sale of bars amounted for the month to about 3,400 hars, at £84, down to £81 cash for good. Ordinary brands (including Lota and Urmenta) from £86 down to £83 for picked brands. At the close values were about 10s per ton better from the lowest point with an improved demand. The sale of furnace material for the month, consisted of the Swansea Ticketing of the 6th and 7th ult. ‘The average price at the former being 15s 074d per unit for an average produce of 14 per cent., and at the latter 153 2d for 18 per cout. The Cape ore realized 16s 544d and 16s 2d at the respective Ticketings; 250 tons of Chili ore sold on the 10 of January at Swansea, at 16s 7d per unit, and 200 bars Regulus on the 22d, at 16s 6d. On the 30th, 1,250 tons of Regulus brought 16s per unit. Latest quotations are: Ore and Regulus 16s per unit; Bars, good ordinary brands, £81.10s to £82; picked brands, £82.10s to £83,108; special rands, £84 to £85 per ton. Chili exports to 30th of November, including that loading on that date and that chartered to 1st of January, were 46,812 tons, as against 51,354 in 1872, 46,751 in 1871, and 53,569 in 1870. Stocks of West Coast produce were estimated at 20,063 tons fine, against 20,604 tons on the Ist of Decemher. Tue drain tnnnelin the Caledonia mine, 1,060 fest long, was completed in 92 days, or at the rate of nearly 1114 feet per day; an extent of work which cousidering the length of time occupied has never been excelled on the Comatock. Mining Legislation. At almost every session of Congress it is considered ths proper thing to have coms little legislation with respect to mining, Likewise at every cession of the Stats Legislaturs laws are framed which havs an influence mors or less on the mining interests. Unfortunately, however, the men who introduce these laws do not know anything about the subject; and, still more unfortunately, they think they do. Ths miners themsslyss want to bs Ist alone; they have an abhorrence of lawyers, very naturally, we may say, and do not wish any measures taken which will hring them in businsss relations with ths disciples of Blackstone. It is well known that lawyers who enter upon mining suits expect, and usually get, sn unusually largs fee. If ws wers to addtogether all ths sums paid annually for ‘“‘Isgal expensss”’ by our prominsnt minss, ths amount would astonish even the legal fraternity itself. As long, however, as the expensive luxury of employing lawyers is only incumbent on ths owners of rioh mines, the common miner has little to complain of. But when, as is proposed hy one hill now pending in Congress, every miner in the land must patent his claim, whether he wants to or not, the miners begin to “‘ get their backs up,’’ and ‘‘ want to know, you know.” It costs from $250 to $1,000 to patent an ordinary claim. Very few claims can be patented for $250. The assistance of a lawyer is required to accomplish the feat of procuring a patent, and of course he will not work for nothing. The law of May 10th, 1872, Specifies the details of making a location correctly, but only few take the trouble to comply with all the requirements. This may seem like a “thin” statement, but a lawyer of this city, who has taken out amumbsr of patents under the Inw of 1872, informs us that not more than one in twenty have complied with the law sufficiently in detail to procure a patent for their ground with facility. In many cases the claims have had to be formally relocatsd. Now snppose this bill we refer to were to pass, and everybody had to patent his claims. It wonld take away a large proportion of the money on the Pacific slope, to pay these hills at the expiration of the year. Prospecting would cease entirely, as very few could expend $500 on aclaim and patent it within one year. Wait until a mine has proved that it is worth patenting, before compelling its owner to patent it. This is not the first attempt to enact a ‘‘compulsory patent” law, and it is to be hoped that it will be choked off, as were its predecessors, _In our own State the most absnrd hill introduced is'that known as the ‘‘quicksilver bill,’’ to which we have several times alluded. It proposes toregulate the price of quicksilver in California at 35 cents per pound. The passage of this bill would establish a dangerous precedent, forthe price of other articles of domestic produce could also be regulated. It is contended, however, tbat this billis justified on special grounds, because a few men have control of the quicksilver market. In that case, however, it is based on false premises,for sucb is not the fact. There was a quicksilver monopoly controlling the three producing mines of the State; but these three mines are no longer isolated in position. Many others have been discovered and developed, and are now producing mines. They are not as yet equal to the Almaden, Fodinetcn and New Idria mines, but a few of them bid fair to be a0. They are owned by differsnt parties, who sell their product to whom they wish, and the present high price is simply to be charged to increased consumption and decreased preduction. If the legislature can regulate the the laws of supply and demand to satisfy all paities, they may be able to settle this quicksilver business, but hetter means must be adopted than those proposed, We notice with surprise that this bill has been reported on favorably, by the committee on Federal Relations. If passed, however, it would soon be repealed as either unconstitutional or inoperative. Various bills are now pending at the legislature on the subject of stock gambling and tendingto suppressit, but we very much doubt whether any of them will ever amount to anything. Those to prevent the salting of mines would be of benefit if they were enforced, but there are laws in existence againstfraud, which would cover these cases, yet they are seldom brougbt to bearupon them. We give in another column the bill introduced by Senator Sargent, which will be of interest to ourreaders. Oaxxuanp Harpor.—lIt will be seen by referring to our list of “‘New Iucorporations” in another column, that a company has been organized for the purpose of improving the harbor of Oakland. It is probable that this company are taking up the matter only in case the Government fails to grant the appropriation asked for to improve the harbor. If the plans of the Government eugineers are carried out, the appropriation of $250,000 which is asked for will not do more than half the work. The new company will hardly commence operation before the appropriation question is settled by Congress. Heavy Yreup.—In two years and seven months the Crown Point and Belcher mines, on the Comstock lode, have produced 624,302 tons of ore, yielding $35,041,828; or an average of $56.12 per ton. The Belcher yield was $18,272,965 from 284,327 tons—an average of $65 per ton. Chrome Steel. This steel is an alloy of iron and chromium. The latter metal has hitherto been used almost exclusively in its chemical combinations for paints, enamsls, ste. Recsnt discoveries enable the metallurgist to reduces it to its metallic stats and placs at his command a mstal having most worderful propertiss. It is very hard, brittle, non-oxidisabls and of a silysry whitsnsss. When alloyed with iron, it produces a homogenons steel of a degree of hardness depending upon the proportions of ineredisnts and having very peculisr properties. This steel is mads hy the Chroms Steel Company, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Ths claims made for this stss] by ths manufacturers are novel, and as ths experisnce of those who have ussd it would ssem to confirm all that is claimed for it, it esrtainly is a very valuabls suhstance and ous particularly adapted to the wants of this coast, where so much mining iscarried on. The makers claim that this steel can be used for any and all purposes to which any other steel is applied; whether as & machine ‘shop tool, a rock drill or pick, a heavy locomotive spring or a fine edge tool; it will do at least 50 per cent. more work in thst capacity than the best brands of carbon steel. The next advantage is that it is perfectly uniform in quality in each grade. This property hss been the desideratum among steel manufacturers, ever since steel was first made. It is easy of accomplishment in this case, as the substance is simply au alloy of 'metals, the quality being regulated as nicely as in the making of bronze, or bell metal, or any other alloy. This fact enables the mannfaoturers to make a variety of uniform prades adapted to all purposes. _ One grade called “‘Adamantine” when forged into a tool and allowed to cool gradually is too hard to be marked with a file and a tool can be made with it, which when hardened oan be made made to drill through the hardest file. Another grade called “Gun Stsel’? cannot be hardened, but can he worked almost as easily cold as wrought iron can when hot and has great tenacity. There are other gradesrunning all the way between these two extremes. The No.3 “(or “Universal grade” as it is called) is for all kiuds of machiue shop tools, rock drills, picks, ete, This grade possessea many properties distinctly and psculiarly belonging to Chrome steel. Tho following is from a repsit made upou tbis steel by the Navy Department at Washiugton. “It can be worked at a white heat, and cannot be injured hy overheating; that is, it ean he welded on itself or to wrought iron and worked in the same manner and at the same degree of heat that wroughtiron can, and iu every way the welds are as perfect and as strong; no flux is needed in welding.” __ The steel used in the great St, Louis bridge is Chrome steel, as no other could be found which would stand the required strains, The Chicago and Northwestern, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, Burlington and Quincy and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads use this steel largely in their shops and their principal shops in New York and Pennsylvania also use it. Iu San Francisco it has been used in the principal machine shops, including the Risdon Iron Works, Union Iron Works, Fulton Foundry, and Pacific Iron Works, and they express themeelves as well satisfied with the results. It has also been tested at theC. P, R. R. shops in Sacramento, where it gave equal satisfac tion. It requires to be hardened and tempered at alower degree of heat than ordinary steel. We saw this week a cold chisel heated toa welding heat, then split or spread apart and plunged into water and cooled. Then heated toa welding heat again, hammered together without a flux and hrought toan edge in the weld, ground and made a first-class cold chisel. It shows the mari of having heen sliced half way up the handle. Dynamic tests of this steel have been made at the West Point foundry the highest strength.of the 12 specimens being 198,910 pounds; lowest streneth 163,760; average of all the specimens 179,980, or ahout 180,000 pounds to the square inch, which is one-third more than Percy, in his ‘‘ Metallurgy of Iron‘and Steel,’’ gives as the highest tensile strength attained by steel. It is said that its greatest excellence appears when applied to rock work, such as drills, picks, ete., and we have been shown many testimonials substantiating these claims. The agent is now about to introdnce this steel into the prominent mines ou the coast. Coup.—On the night of the 23d inst., the thermometer at Eureka, Nevada, indicated 19 degrees below zero. The furnaces of the Richmond Consolidated Company have ali shut down for want of charcoal. The storms have impeded travel, so that coal-haulers have found it impossible to deliver coal. Tue Pavut Process.—The Electric mining company, 2 San Francisco Incorporation, are now building a mill at Enterprise, Butte county, California, to work their ores by Paul’s process of dry reduction and dry amalgamation. AtmapeN.—At the Almaden quicksilver mine prospecting is bsing actively pushed ahead to discover new traces of ore. Over 22 miles of tunnelling and shafting have been run down and throngh the hill on which the mine is situated. , Artificial Rain. The desirability of having supplies of rain at command has of lats years attracted the attention of scientific msn and inventors. We say, and inventors, because the terms are by no means intsrchangeable and should not bs confounded. Asan exampls of the former class may bs-.cited an aspiring genius, who, not satisfied with succeeding in producing artificial clouds by means of smokes from brush or straw fires, was led by certain dslicats meteorological relations existing bstween smoke and rsal clouds to attempt the production of the latter, indirectly, through ths former. Of courss he sueceeded—in the nswspaper item. Ever since the application of explosives to the art of war it has besn noticed thst, in nearly every instance, a ersat baitls is succeed: ed by copious rain showsrs; this ths posts call Heaven's wseping over earth’s carnsge. Not very long ago an observing psrson, upon whom the fact, already demonstrated, had evidently made an impression, applied to the War Dspartment to grant him ths use of a park of artillery for complete and satisfactory trial on a large scale, the sxperiment to be mads somewhere on the plains. We have not yet learned the result of the application, but preaums that the government is content with the amount of powder now burnt in missing Indians. Where there is sufficient moisture in the air, the concussion of heavy firing would oertainly suffice to bring it down. There it might be expected to rain, ‘‘free gratis, for nothing.’’ But where there are no clouds, any amonnt of artillery practice would fail to make them, and the plan wonld fail in the only case in whioh it could possibly be of the slightest use. If the scheme were praoticable, what an enjoyable state of things would ensue. Imagine 8 grand plebiscitum of the farmers of a oertain county, or rain district, to deoide whether or no they wanted rain; andif so, how much. We should have suits for damages from excit~ able tea-drinkers and nervous chickens without end. The price of crdnance would rise so high that no ene could afford to go to war. Glass.and glaziers’ materials would be in request, and the piano and flute at a ruinous discount. Finally, tbers would be no danger of misunderstanding the epithet ‘‘loud,” as applied to American society. But it often happens that where a supply of water is at hand, from rivers, wells or reservoirs, a judicious sprinkling will be much more effective thanirregularsoaking. InEngland, where land is cultivated so carefully and minutely, that first expense is not of so much consequeuce, the plan of Mr. Isaac Brown is being adopted in many localitios. His process cousists iu forcing water through small perforations in lead pipes, by means of a powerful force pump. The lead pipes are lnid down 16 yards apart. A 12-horse power engine works a force pump; with a pressure of 60 or 70 ibs. per square iuch, or a head of 120 or more feet, the engine maintains a shower upon a plot of ahout au acre and a half, applying 10 tons of water in 15 minutes. Plot after plot is watered in rotation, the work taking place principally in the night. There is no probability that this system will be found of practical uae in farming on a large scale; but in private grounds or city parks having a good head of wator—the engine is unnecessary—the plan might be found of use. Ventilating Mines. We witnessed this week the working of a newly invented machine for the veutilation and cooling of hot and deep mines. It is the invention of Capt. W. Williams M. E, of this city and is worthy of noticehy the mining community. It cau beplaced at any required depth in a mine and at the same time receive its supply of fresh air from the surfaco. Its principal feature is that the air is cooled hy passing through the machine, furnishing fresh moist air instead of dry asia the case with most machines of the kiud. No grease or oil is used about the machine, thus preserving the air in its pure state. Without going into details of construction, it may be stated that the machine is simply an elongated box, inside of which a large piston works,taking in and forcing out air at both its up and down stroke. The bottom of the box is filled with water, and the air on entering cirenlates about the water, and is moved down on itin such a way as to cool the air before it passes out into the miue. The power reqnired to run the machine is very little, and the mechanism is simple. The box is of wood, as is the piston, and no lubrication is required. The smallest machine with a sixfoot stroke will deliver 3,732,480 cubie inches of cool condensed air into the intsrior of the mine in one minute. In consequence of the machine swimming in water, a small amount of power will work it. The inventor is a practical mining engineer, aud understands the injury to health and strength of miners, resulting from hot and impure air, as well as the great economy of thorough ventilation in mines. -A single-acting machine of this character has been long nsed in the minesin England. Mr. Williams’ improvement makes it doubleacting. The whole machine is of wood, with the exoeption of the piston rod. The valves are made of lsather and iron, and quite large. It can be attached to the pump rod in a mine, and worked very economically. Oneof these machines can be seen in operation at No. 13 Drnmm street, in this city.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. [February 28, 1874. W, B. HWER. owcse-seenccores eeeeee... SENIOR EDITOR. DEWEY & CO., Publishers. 4, T. DEWEY, GEO. H. STRONG. W.3B, EWER, JNO. L. BOONE. Office, No, 338 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of Oalifornia St., diagonally across from Wells, Fargo & Oo.’s. SuBsorrertons payable in adyance—For one year, $4; six months, $2.60; three months, $1.25, Remittances by registered letters or P. 0. orders at ourrlsk. ADVEDTISING RaTES.—J week. Imonth. Smonths. lL year ay 80 $2.00 $5.00 $1.00 $3.00 $7.50 24.00 One inch.. svee 2,00 5.00 14.00 40.00 Large advertisements at fayorahle rates. Speclsal or reading notices, legal advertisements, notlees appearing in extraordinary type or in partlcular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Feb. 28, 1874. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS—An Improved Mill Pick; Gas Bracket Match Safe; The Colomhian Mines, 129. Copper; Minlng Legislation; Chrome Steel; Artificlal Raln; Mine Ventilation, 136. Fish Culture; University of Californla; Agricultural Ohemistry, 18'7. Minea and Mining—No. 1; Miners Blinded; Patents and Inventions, 140. ILLUSTRATIONS. — Gas Bracket Match Safe; Cummine’s Mill Pick, 129. Fish Oulture, 137.CORRESPONDENCE. — Ore Beds—Their Origin and QOondition; A Happy Time at the Richmond, 130. MECHANICAL PROGRESS.—English Printing Presses in America; Improyed Explosive Engine; Innovatlon in Carpet Manufacture; Proposed Tunnel hetween Scotland and Ireland, 131. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.—Latest News from the Sun; When Chemists Disngree who shall Decide? Combustion and its Products; New Photographic Process; The Use of Dynamite; Red and White Muscles; Poisonlng hy Silk, 131. MINING STOCK MARKET.—Table of Daily Sales and Prices and Comparative Prices for the Week; Notices of Assessments; Meetings and Dividends; Review of Stock Market for the Week, 132. MINING SUMMARY from yarious counties in California and Nevada, 132-3. USEFUL INFORMATION. — Oils from Seed; Gilding Glass; Care of Varnish Brushes; Cleansing Barrels; A New Application of Gypsum; Prevention of Boilor Explosions; Cleaning Silver-Ware; Parisian ‘Wood Varnish; Hypochlorous Acid for Bleaching; Ether Glue; Screws in Plaster; Hard Plaster; Black Branding Ink, 135. GOOD HEALTH. — East Slowly, Please! To Remove Boils; Treatment of Chilblains; Fish and Tea as Food; Difference in Human Exhalatlons; Our Flannels; How Far Chemical Works Poison the Air; Hot Sand Batbs; Alleged Oure of Leprosy, 185. MISCELLANEOUS.—The Cassiar Mines; Paying the Lawyers, 130. The Pacific Coast in 1873; Storey Gravel Ciaim; Humhug Camp; Oak Bar; Oroville Mines; Prospecting to the Northward; The K. K. Mine; Single Track Rallroad; Oherry Creek; Santa Oruz Coal Mines; White Pine Bullion; Pine Flat Mines; The Burleigh Drill; Peayine District; Value of Silver; Stickeen River, 134. ‘Trinity County Mines; Sargent’s Mineral Land Bills; The New Almaden Mine; Mining Accident; The Southern Mines; Klamath Oounty Mines, 188. Belmont; Miners Blinded; Mines on Goat Island; Eureka Bullion; Shipping Barley East; Charcoal and Tar as a Surgical Dressing; Cinnabar; Minlng Suit, 139. Copper. We make the following extracts from James Lewis & Sons’ monthly report on ores and metals (Liverpool), for the benefit of our readers interested in the copper market. The report is dated the 31st nlt., and gives a discouraging view of the market for the month, values having declined from the lst of the month in the face of a reduction in the bank rate to 3% er cent. Two large failures in the lead trade fine tended to increase the dull feeling which already existed among the purchasers of copper. The sale of bars amounted for the month to about 3,400 hars, at £84, down to £81 cash for good. Ordinary brands (including Lota and Urmenta) from £86 down to £83 for picked brands. At the close values were about 10s per ton better from the lowest point with an improved demand. The sale of furnace material for the month, consisted of the Swansea Ticketing of the 6th and 7th ult. ‘The average price at the former being 15s 074d per unit for an average produce of 14 per cent., and at the latter 153 2d for 18 per cout. The Cape ore realized 16s 544d and 16s 2d at the respective Ticketings; 250 tons of Chili ore sold on the 10 of January at Swansea, at 16s 7d per unit, and 200 bars Regulus on the 22d, at 16s 6d. On the 30th, 1,250 tons of Regulus brought 16s per unit. Latest quotations are: Ore and Regulus 16s per unit; Bars, good ordinary brands, £81.10s to £82; picked brands, £82.10s to £83,108; special rands, £84 to £85 per ton. Chili exports to 30th of November, including that loading on that date and that chartered to 1st of January, were 46,812 tons, as against 51,354 in 1872, 46,751 in 1871, and 53,569 in 1870. Stocks of West Coast produce were estimated at 20,063 tons fine, against 20,604 tons on the Ist of Decemher. Tue drain tnnnelin the Caledonia mine, 1,060 fest long, was completed in 92 days, or at the rate of nearly 1114 feet per day; an extent of work which cousidering the length of time occupied has never been excelled on the Comatock. Mining Legislation. At almost every session of Congress it is considered ths proper thing to have coms little legislation with respect to mining, Likewise at every cession of the Stats Legislaturs laws are framed which havs an influence mors or less on the mining interests. Unfortunately, however, the men who introduce these laws do not know anything about the subject; and, still more unfortunately, they think they do. Ths miners themsslyss want to bs Ist alone; they have an abhorrence of lawyers, very naturally, we may say, and do not wish any measures taken which will hring them in businsss relations with ths disciples of Blackstone. It is well known that lawyers who enter upon mining suits expect, and usually get, sn unusually largs fee. If ws wers to addtogether all ths sums paid annually for ‘“‘Isgal expensss”’ by our prominsnt minss, ths amount would astonish even the legal fraternity itself. As long, however, as the expensive luxury of employing lawyers is only incumbent on ths owners of rioh mines, the common miner has little to complain of. But when, as is proposed hy one hill now pending in Congress, every miner in the land must patent his claim, whether he wants to or not, the miners begin to “‘ get their backs up,’’ and ‘‘ want to know, you know.” It costs from $250 to $1,000 to patent an ordinary claim. Very few claims can be patented for $250. The assistance of a lawyer is required to accomplish the feat of procuring a patent, and of course he will not work for nothing. The law of May 10th, 1872, Specifies the details of making a location correctly, but only few take the trouble to comply with all the requirements. This may seem like a “thin” statement, but a lawyer of this city, who has taken out amumbsr of patents under the Inw of 1872, informs us that not more than one in twenty have complied with the law sufficiently in detail to procure a patent for their ground with facility. In many cases the claims have had to be formally relocatsd. Now snppose this bill we refer to were to pass, and everybody had to patent his claims. It wonld take away a large proportion of the money on the Pacific slope, to pay these hills at the expiration of the year. Prospecting would cease entirely, as very few could expend $500 on aclaim and patent it within one year. Wait until a mine has proved that it is worth patenting, before compelling its owner to patent it. This is not the first attempt to enact a ‘‘compulsory patent” law, and it is to be hoped that it will be choked off, as were its predecessors, _In our own State the most absnrd hill introduced is'that known as the ‘‘quicksilver bill,’’ to which we have several times alluded. It proposes toregulate the price of quicksilver in California at 35 cents per pound. The passage of this bill would establish a dangerous precedent, forthe price of other articles of domestic produce could also be regulated. It is contended, however, tbat this billis justified on special grounds, because a few men have control of the quicksilver market. In that case, however, it is based on false premises,for sucb is not the fact. There was a quicksilver monopoly controlling the three producing mines of the State; but these three mines are no longer isolated in position. Many others have been discovered and developed, and are now producing mines. They are not as yet equal to the Almaden, Fodinetcn and New Idria mines, but a few of them bid fair to be a0. They are owned by differsnt parties, who sell their product to whom they wish, and the present high price is simply to be charged to increased consumption and decreased preduction. If the legislature can regulate the the laws of supply and demand to satisfy all paities, they may be able to settle this quicksilver business, but hetter means must be adopted than those proposed, We notice with surprise that this bill has been reported on favorably, by the committee on Federal Relations. If passed, however, it would soon be repealed as either unconstitutional or inoperative. Various bills are now pending at the legislature on the subject of stock gambling and tendingto suppressit, but we very much doubt whether any of them will ever amount to anything. Those to prevent the salting of mines would be of benefit if they were enforced, but there are laws in existence againstfraud, which would cover these cases, yet they are seldom brougbt to bearupon them. We give in another column the bill introduced by Senator Sargent, which will be of interest to ourreaders. Oaxxuanp Harpor.—lIt will be seen by referring to our list of “‘New Iucorporations” in another column, that a company has been organized for the purpose of improving the harbor of Oakland. It is probable that this company are taking up the matter only in case the Government fails to grant the appropriation asked for to improve the harbor. If the plans of the Government eugineers are carried out, the appropriation of $250,000 which is asked for will not do more than half the work. The new company will hardly commence operation before the appropriation question is settled by Congress. Heavy Yreup.—In two years and seven months the Crown Point and Belcher mines, on the Comstock lode, have produced 624,302 tons of ore, yielding $35,041,828; or an average of $56.12 per ton. The Belcher yield was $18,272,965 from 284,327 tons—an average of $65 per ton. Chrome Steel. This steel is an alloy of iron and chromium. The latter metal has hitherto been used almost exclusively in its chemical combinations for paints, enamsls, ste. Recsnt discoveries enable the metallurgist to reduces it to its metallic stats and placs at his command a mstal having most worderful propertiss. It is very hard, brittle, non-oxidisabls and of a

silysry whitsnsss. When alloyed with iron, it produces a homogenons steel of a degree of hardness depending upon the proportions of ineredisnts and having very peculisr properties. This steel is mads hy the Chroms Steel Company, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Ths claims made for this stss] by ths manufacturers are novel, and as ths experisnce of those who have ussd it would ssem to confirm all that is claimed for it, it esrtainly is a very valuabls suhstance and ous particularly adapted to the wants of this coast, where so much mining iscarried on. The makers claim that this steel can be used for any and all purposes to which any other steel is applied; whether as & machine ‘shop tool, a rock drill or pick, a heavy locomotive spring or a fine edge tool; it will do at least 50 per cent. more work in thst capacity than the best brands of carbon steel. The next advantage is that it is perfectly uniform in quality in each grade. This property hss been the desideratum among steel manufacturers, ever since steel was first made. It is easy of accomplishment in this case, as the substance is simply au alloy of 'metals, the quality being regulated as nicely as in the making of bronze, or bell metal, or any other alloy. This fact enables the mannfaoturers to make a variety of uniform prades adapted to all purposes. _ One grade called “‘Adamantine” when forged into a tool and allowed to cool gradually is too hard to be marked with a file and a tool can be made with it, which when hardened oan be made made to drill through the hardest file. Another grade called “Gun Stsel’? cannot be hardened, but can he worked almost as easily cold as wrought iron can when hot and has great tenacity. There are other gradesrunning all the way between these two extremes. The No.3 “(or “Universal grade” as it is called) is for all kiuds of machiue shop tools, rock drills, picks, ete, This grade possessea many properties distinctly and psculiarly belonging to Chrome steel. Tho following is from a repsit made upou tbis steel by the Navy Department at Washiugton. “It can be worked at a white heat, and cannot be injured hy overheating; that is, it ean he welded on itself or to wrought iron and worked in the same manner and at the same degree of heat that wroughtiron can, and iu every way the welds are as perfect and as strong; no flux is needed in welding.” __ The steel used in the great St, Louis bridge is Chrome steel, as no other could be found which would stand the required strains, The Chicago and Northwestern, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, Burlington and Quincy and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads use this steel largely in their shops and their principal shops in New York and Pennsylvania also use it. Iu San Francisco it has been used in the principal machine shops, including the Risdon Iron Works, Union Iron Works, Fulton Foundry, and Pacific Iron Works, and they express themeelves as well satisfied with the results. It has also been tested at theC. P, R. R. shops in Sacramento, where it gave equal satisfac tion. It requires to be hardened and tempered at alower degree of heat than ordinary steel. We saw this week a cold chisel heated toa welding heat, then split or spread apart and plunged into water and cooled. Then heated toa welding heat again, hammered together without a flux and hrought toan edge in the weld, ground and made a first-class cold chisel. It shows the mari of having heen sliced half way up the handle. Dynamic tests of this steel have been made at the West Point foundry the highest strength.of the 12 specimens being 198,910 pounds; lowest streneth 163,760; average of all the specimens 179,980, or ahout 180,000 pounds to the square inch, which is one-third more than Percy, in his ‘‘ Metallurgy of Iron‘and Steel,’’ gives as the highest tensile strength attained by steel. It is said that its greatest excellence appears when applied to rock work, such as drills, picks, ete., and we have been shown many testimonials substantiating these claims. The agent is now about to introdnce this steel into the prominent mines ou the coast. Coup.—On the night of the 23d inst., the thermometer at Eureka, Nevada, indicated 19 degrees below zero. The furnaces of the Richmond Consolidated Company have ali shut down for want of charcoal. The storms have impeded travel, so that coal-haulers have found it impossible to deliver coal. Tue Pavut Process.—The Electric mining company, 2 San Francisco Incorporation, are now building a mill at Enterprise, Butte county, California, to work their ores by Paul’s process of dry reduction and dry amalgamation. AtmapeN.—At the Almaden quicksilver mine prospecting is bsing actively pushed ahead to discover new traces of ore. Over 22 miles of tunnelling and shafting have been run down and throngh the hill on which the mine is situated. , Artificial Rain. The desirability of having supplies of rain at command has of lats years attracted the attention of scientific msn and inventors. We say, and inventors, because the terms are by no means intsrchangeable and should not bs confounded. Asan exampls of the former class may bs-.cited an aspiring genius, who, not satisfied with succeeding in producing artificial clouds by means of smokes from brush or straw fires, was led by certain dslicats meteorological relations existing bstween smoke and rsal clouds to attempt the production of the latter, indirectly, through ths former. Of courss he sueceeded—in the nswspaper item. Ever since the application of explosives to the art of war it has besn noticed thst, in nearly every instance, a ersat baitls is succeed: ed by copious rain showsrs; this ths posts call Heaven's wseping over earth’s carnsge. Not very long ago an observing psrson, upon whom the fact, already demonstrated, had evidently made an impression, applied to the War Dspartment to grant him ths use of a park of artillery for complete and satisfactory trial on a large scale, the sxperiment to be mads somewhere on the plains. We have not yet learned the result of the application, but preaums that the government is content with the amount of powder now burnt in missing Indians. Where there is sufficient moisture in the air, the concussion of heavy firing would oertainly suffice to bring it down. There it might be expected to rain, ‘‘free gratis, for nothing.’’ But where there are no clouds, any amonnt of artillery practice would fail to make them, and the plan wonld fail in the only case in whioh it could possibly be of the slightest use. If the scheme were praoticable, what an enjoyable state of things would ensue. Imagine 8 grand plebiscitum of the farmers of a oertain county, or rain district, to deoide whether or no they wanted rain; andif so, how much. We should have suits for damages from excit~ able tea-drinkers and nervous chickens without end. The price of crdnance would rise so high that no ene could afford to go to war. Glass.and glaziers’ materials would be in request, and the piano and flute at a ruinous discount. Finally, tbers would be no danger of misunderstanding the epithet ‘‘loud,” as applied to American society. But it often happens that where a supply of water is at hand, from rivers, wells or reservoirs, a judicious sprinkling will be much more effective thanirregularsoaking. InEngland, where land is cultivated so carefully and minutely, that first expense is not of so much consequeuce, the plan of Mr. Isaac Brown is being adopted in many localitios. His process cousists iu forcing water through small perforations in lead pipes, by means of a powerful force pump. The lead pipes are lnid down 16 yards apart. A 12-horse power engine works a force pump; with a pressure of 60 or 70 ibs. per square iuch, or a head of 120 or more feet, the engine maintains a shower upon a plot of ahout au acre and a half, applying 10 tons of water in 15 minutes. Plot after plot is watered in rotation, the work taking place principally in the night. There is no probability that this system will be found of practical uae in farming on a large scale; but in private grounds or city parks having a good head of wator—the engine is unnecessary—the plan might be found of use. Ventilating Mines. We witnessed this week the working of a newly invented machine for the veutilation and cooling of hot and deep mines. It is the invention of Capt. W. Williams M. E, of this city and is worthy of noticehy the mining community. It cau beplaced at any required depth in a mine and at the same time receive its supply of fresh air from the surfaco. Its principal feature is that the air is cooled hy passing through the machine, furnishing fresh moist air instead of dry asia the case with most machines of the kiud. No grease or oil is used about the machine, thus preserving the air in its pure state. Without going into details of construction, it may be stated that the machine is simply an elongated box, inside of which a large piston works,taking in and forcing out air at both its up and down stroke. The bottom of the box is filled with water, and the air on entering cirenlates about the water, and is moved down on itin such a way as to cool the air before it passes out into the miue. The power reqnired to run the machine is very little, and the mechanism is simple. The box is of wood, as is the piston, and no lubrication is required. The smallest machine with a sixfoot stroke will deliver 3,732,480 cubie inches of cool condensed air into the intsrior of the mine in one minute. In consequence of the machine swimming in water, a small amount of power will work it. The inventor is a practical mining engineer, aud understands the injury to health and strength of miners, resulting from hot and impure air, as well as the great economy of thorough ventilation in mines. -A single-acting machine of this character has been long nsed in the minesin England. Mr. Williams’ improvement makes it doubleacting. The whole machine is of wood, with the exoeption of the piston rod. The valves are made of lsather and iron, and quite large. It can be attached to the pump rod in a mine, and worked very economically. Oneof these machines can be seen in operation at No. 13 Drnmm street, in this city.