Volume 29 (1874) (428 pages)

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. (July 4, 1874. W,. By WER. s<setedsans+ es DEWEY & CO., Publishers. &. I. DEWEY, GEO. H. STRONG. WwW. RB, EWER, INO. L, ROONE. Office, No. 888 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of California St., diagonally across from Wella, Fargo & Co.'s. : SUBsORIPTIONS payahie in advance—For one year, $4; six months, $2.26; three montbs, $1.25. Remittances: hy registered letters or P. O, orders at our risk. ‘ ADVERTISING RaTEe.—I week. Imonth. Smonths. year . Per line.,.» oo ts 80 $2.00 . $5.00 One-half inch .$1.00 $3.00 37.50 24.00 One inch...5-. 2.00 5.00 14.00 40.00 +. SENIOR EDITOR. seneeee Large advertisements at favorahle rates. Special or reading notices, legal advertisements, noticeeappearing in extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates, a 4 San Francisco: ‘ Saturday Morning, July 4, 1874. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS.—Straw-Burning Engines; Tullock's Automatic Ore Feeder; Our Holiday, 1. Gur New Volume; Qnicksilver; Academy of Sciences; Mint Statistics: Mechanics’ Fair,8. Blatchly's Componnd Engine and Boiler; Work Done hy Bur-) leigh Drill; Asron’s Amalgamation Process; Lower Rates of Interest. 9. Patents and Inventions,12. . ILLUSTRATIONS. — Tullock’s’ Antomatio Ore Feeder, 1Blatchly’s Compound Engine andBoiler, IENTIFIC PROGRESS.—How a Great Disscuay was Made; The Age of Coal: Alhumen Extracted from Milk; Man Five Hundred Thonsand Years Old; Test for Alum in Flour or Bread; GauttaPercha and Vulcanized Rubber; The Frog Barometer, 3. MECHANICAL PROGRESS. — Straw Board; Light Signals; Needles; Iron Forts; Baok to Hand Puddling, 3. : . NG 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, 4. MINING SUMMARY from various connties in California, 4-5. F USEFUL INFORMATION. — Preservation of Metallic Surfaces; Iron Architecture; Nozzle for Delivering Water; Testing Iron Ores; Cleaning Brass; Joining Gas Pipes; Transfersing Pictures. to Glass; To Out Glass Jars, '7. t GOOD HEALTH -The Human Frame; Exercise; Hygienic Hints; Modern Surgery; Drinking Water and Zinc; Barley Water, 7. MISCELLANEOUS, — Montana Placer Mining; The Pioneer Smelters of Euteka; Work on Mining Claims; Tunnels; Timber Lands of the Sierras; The Bloody Mine; A Giant Mine; Rich Diggings Struck; Yield of Pacific Coast Mines; Good Yield; Nevada's Bullion Prodnct, 2. Lumbher Finmesin Oslifornia; Eagle Mine; New Concentrator; Another Producing Mine; The Black Hill Region; Jersey District: For. eetville Chair Factory;"Oregon Mines; Tyho District; Mottling of Marhie; Oil Deposits of Ventura; Suc. cessfnl Smelting; Ineects and Flowers; Trnokee Bullion, 6. Pioche Mines; Mexican Mines; The Livermore Coal Mine; Santa Roea Branch N.P. BR. R.; Casviar Mines; The Yakima Mines; Indian Creek Grave] Mines; Emma Mine; The Use of Paper; Lung Power; Alpine Connty Mines; Battle Mountain, 10. Amendment of the New Code Incorporation Assess. ment Law of California, 12. Removal. July 18th, 1874, the husiness office of this Journal will be removed jnst one hiock east of our present lo. cation, to No. 224 Sansome Street, aontheast corner of ' California, over the Bank of British Columhia, where we have secured large and elegant quarters. This removal is made in conseqnence ot the sale of the huild. ing in which we are now located, to parties who will proceed immediately to demolish the preeent structure, and erect a new and magnificent hlock in its Place. Our New Volume. In pursuance of a time honored custom in the newspaper world, we call the attention of our readers to the fact of our having oonoluded a volume and, with thia issue, commenced another. The Minme axp Screntrrio Press has completed its sixteenth year, and with thia number takes its first step in the seventeenth, We do not desire to oall to the minds of our readera what we have accomplished in the special field in which we lahor, hut will let our own pages speak for themselves, We shall cortinue to endéavor to mske the paper aa interesting as possible for the class of readers among which it circulates, and gather all suitahle information; preaenting it in a condenaed form, so as to male each issue contain a variety of matter. The editorial pages are now set “solid” ag well as the * reprint ’’ pages, co as to economise space; this arrangement, although increasing the editorial lahor, gives room for muoh more reading matter. We again extend the fraternal grasp to onr numerous and vslued exchanges. They will please acoept our hearty thanks for their complimenta and general courtesy. It is our wish and intention to retain in full our list of exchanges as long as it is. Our patrons have our sinoere thanks for thei substantial support, for friendly encouragement, and for innumerahle courtesies. . (Quicksilver. In a recent issue we published the following item: : “Thsy talk ahout having discovered a ‘ledgs’ of cinnahsr in Camp Floyd District, Utah, which assays from 20 to 75 per esnt. in quicksilver. Utah doss not want Oalifornia to be ahead of her in mining matters; hut 75 psr cent. cinnabar even heats this State, and, in fact, almost any country in the world, Perhaps, if we discount 70 psr csnt., ths report may be true; hnt ‘even that is perhaps donbtinl. Utah assays are gsnerally pretty heavy ones.” . Shortly aftsr this was published, ws recsivsd a, hox of ssmples of*this ore. In the hox was a smaller one, in which was a clipping from the . Press, contsining the above itsm, a small qnan'tity of very rich ore, and this legsnd on a scrap of paper: ‘“‘How is this ssmple for 75 psr ceut.?”” Ws mnst acknowledge to bsing vsry munch surprised, for the sample ssnt us was the porsest vermilion. We have shown it to a number of persons intsrested in quicksilvsr, and they all prononnce it to he as rich as anything they had ever seen. A few hundred tons of it would make any man’s fortuns. The ore sent with it was sxcellsnt, but of course not so rich as thatin thssmallerhox, The mine from which thess samplss came is called the ‘‘Gsyssr.”’ It is in Camp Floyd District, Utah. The owners are L. Cuddeback, B. F. Shaw, J. G. Lockridge and J.G. Hughes. Of courss ‘it is not to hs supposed that the dsposit is all as rich as the samples sent ns; hut we mnst acknowledge that they are exceedingly rich. The owners vouchsafe ns no information as to whst thsy ars doing with ths mine; but it is to be supposed that, with present'high prices of quicksilver, they will not let a mine be idle that torns ont snch ore as it does, even if in smsll quantities. The composition of oinnahar is givsn by different anthorities, in Dana’s Mineralogy, as containing from 69.36 quicksilvsr, 11.38 sulphur, to 86.79 quicksilver and 13.67 sulphur. ‘Che lowsst is that taken from the Almaden mine, in this State, and the high. est that from Westphalia.’ When nnre it is idsntical with the mannfactured vsrmilion of commerce. The specimens to which ws refer appear perfectly pnre. f The Amsrican’ qnicksilver mine in Laks Co., fonr or five miles from the'Great Wsstern, was recsntly pnrchased hy George Wright, from Cross & Co., for $100,000. The new owner is putting np a 10-stamp mill to crush the cinnabar ore, which will hs then worked in retorts. Two Knox & Oshorne quicksilver furnaces are now heing srected in this Stats, hoth of 10 tons capacity. One is heing placed on ths Ida Clayton and Yellow Jacket mines, in Napa county, and the othsr is for the Ahbott mine, Galavsras connty. -_ Riotte & Luckbardt are building two of thess furnaces for ths snlphur hanks, Ths csstings have been shipped and the furnaces are heing pnt np. male The miners in the cinnahar district north of Sulphur creek, Colnsa county, havs formed a nsw district, to bs called Valley district. J. B. Turnsr was elected Recorder. St. Helena, Napa county, sent away 31,329 ponnds of qnicksilver during the first five months of this year. The California qnicksilver mine, Napa Co., prodnced last week 67 flaske—the largest production yst made from the mine. The Mechanics’ Institute Fair. Preparations for the coming Industrial Exhihition undsr the anspioes of the Mechanics’ Institute are rapidly going forward. Work on the bnilding continues unintenuptedly, and from all appearances we will have a fair eclipsing all former efforts in this direction. The managers are all husy in arranging the nnmerona detuils necessary for the success of the exhibition, and have plenty of work yet to do. The stauding committses of the exhibition’ are as follows: ; : Aupriinc—W. P. Stont, P.B. Cornwall and George Spaulding. Borpinc—Asa R. Wells, John P. Curtis and J. H. McDonald. . CrecuLak AND CLASsIFIOATION—J. H. McDonald, J. P, Curtis and Riohard Savage, PRINTING AND ADVERTISING—Geo. Spaulding, Richard Savage and W. P. Stout. Power anp Maonmeny—Oharles Elliott, Jas. Spier and Richard Savage. * RULES, REGULATIoNe AnD TiokETs—James 0. Patrick, P. B, Cornwalland AsaR. Wells. Mustc AnD DEooRaTion—H. L. Davis, R. B. Woodward and Charles Elliott. PrIvILEGES—R. B. Woodward, P. B. Cornwall and Geo. Spaulding. Looarion—James Spier, W. P. Stout and Geo. SpanldBt ng. : —_ PorioE—P. B. Cornwall, H. L. Davigand Richard Sav age. The publication of the Afechanics’ Fair Daily’ has been awarded to the proprietors of this journal, who willSpare uo expense nor trouble in getting ont a first-class paper. The jonrnal will he circulated free in the Fair bnilding, so that it offers great advantages to advertisera. Tue Eureka and Palisade railroad commenced on the Ist inst. to transport passengers and freight to a point 20 miles east of Palisade, on the road to Enreka, making a difference of one day and a half in the delivery of freight to Eureka, Hamilton and Pioche. Twenty miles .of additional track will he laid as fast as the! iron arrives. Stages run in connection, with the railroad now for Eureka and other towna south. Prospects of the California Academy of Sciences. Our local Acadsmy of Sciences has, hy ‘the munifiesnes of James Liok, hsen placed in a moat prosperous condition and one, which oxceeds the fondest antioipations-of its fonndsrs. Mr. Lick first gave the Acadsmy a piece of land worth hetween $200,000 and $250,000, and by his late dssd hs provides for a fine huilding on this land and ample funds to purchase books, collections, ete., as wsll as to carry on the, Academy on a firm , substantial hasis. The building, such as Mr. Lick desires to hs ersoted, will cost ahont $250,000; and altogether the sum of his gifts to this institution amounts to one million dollars. We notice, hy the way, that our estesmed cotemporary, the Scientific American, in speaking of Mr. Lick’s fifts, omits to mention that: to the California Acadsmy of Sciences, and makes another mistake also: thst of stating thatthe balance of the $1,780,000, after providing for the observatory, monnments, asylums, etc.,is given to the Pionssr Society. The whole $1,780,000’ is given for these pnrposes and the halsnes of his fortune is given to the California Pioneer Society and the California Acsdemy of Sciences. Accordingly the Pioneer Society will recsivs an squal sum with the Acadsmy. : i It is not prohable that these funds will become availahle for several years, ae ths property must be disposed of, and the varions sums given in ths manner specified hy Mr. Lick; bsfore the halance which comes to the Pionesrg aud ths Academy will he given to them hy the trustees. In the meantime the Academy has. pretty comfortehls qnarters and a sufficient income to move along without tronhle. The publications of our local Academy ars well spoken of abroad, and it is acknowledged that the association hasa broader fisld of work than similar bodies elsewhers. As Professor Morss said, at a recsnt meeting of the Acsdemy, “Yon sre the only endowed society on this coast and prohahly the only one on the hordsrs of the Pacifio Ocsan. Professor Morse in speaking of the earlisr efforts of our Academy said: “In the Fast we are familiar with your publications; I wish to tell you that when the first “prooeedings” came along, ws were somswhat amszed, and thought that some young men were starting it, and ths Society would only last a ysarorso. From year to year you Kept on, snd we saw that the papers you published showed reasonahle research. We saw that you did not decay and wers getting on; hut we nsver dreamed that you wonld gst an amonnt of money more than that all of our Rastsrn Societiss pnt together.” He then spoke of the differsnt Eastern Societies, thsir incrssse and their early strnggles. Theold Portland Society, after long strnggles, got togethsr $8,000 or $9,000, and fixed np an old building to meetin. A fire destroyed it, and we had to begin all over again. In the Museum of Compsrative Anatomy, at Cambridge, we have what we may aall a rich association. The State gave $100,000, the people, $75,000, and Gray gave $50,000; hut the mnseum has an income of $15.000 only. The Peahody Institnte reosivsd $140.000 from Mr. Peabody, and the huilding cost $40,000, so that the interest on $100,000 supports it. At ths Booton Society of Nstural History, in the early days, they met in a small room; then thsy got a larger room, hut had no working funds, heing supported hy contrihutions. They worked and struggled along until they proonred a few snms of money, amonnting to $15,000 or $20,000, altogsther. By and by the State gave it $100,000, and the land npon which the building was. The huilding cost $120,000, and was more ornamsntal than nssful. Moro money csms in after a while, nntil now the societyis on a good hasis, The old New York Lyceum of Natural History is poor now, and meets ina smallroom. They haveno money to publish their Annuals, and have to resort to peraonal snbscriptions to pnhlish them. ‘ Add all these suma together, and the sum given to the Academy of Sciences by Mr. Lick beats all the funda of the natural history societies -Esst. The California Academy now starts with a sum eqnal to all. Mr. Lick has gone ahead of Peabody, as far as science is concerned, for Mr. Peahody endowed edncational institutions liherally, bnt gave only ahout $300,000 to pnrely soientific societies. The position ocenpied on the globe by the California Academy is a fine one, as it is the only endowed society on the Pacific'Ocean. It has plenty of money and a large area for investigation. Professor Morse in the course of his remarks said: ‘Science haa changed a preat deal in the last ten years. Onr old proceedings of societies were merely technical; now they are hroader. As your President ssid in his last report, ‘There is no money in this country for individual pursuits.’ In Europe this is done,. hnt not here. There large sums are appropriated to assist Professor Blank in his investigations. In this country our naturalists are poor. So in a aociety they mnst lahel and paste.and do miscellaneous work, and get no time for investigation, The primary object of your Society is to fnrnish original investigators. Now you have ample funds to employ specialists, and you must impress npon them that they must give the results of their investigations to you. Do not let them be too practical. Donot let the hread-aud-butter idea preponderate. There are other things for men todo heside eat and drink . and make money.” . Dowhle Lagles..s.eeeeeeesceeee Mint Operations. = The mint in this oity is now closed for annnal settlement, The coinage for the yearwas Isrge, theamonnt in gold heing $22,302,500 and in silver, $2,550,500, making a. total of $24,853,000. Ths gold coined was 74.tons and of silver, 140 tons. The coinage of trade dollars hss heen enormous, hut its immensity can only he appreoiahle to the gensral readsr hy comparison. The numbsr of trade dollars coined was 2,121,000. Esoh of these pieces required precisely the ‘sams work inall the stagss of its manufaoture that is hestowed on a $20 gold piece, Hsd the same work, therefore, hesn hestowed on donble eagles, the coinage of these piecss would havs represented a valne of $42,420,000, in addition to the other coinage spscified. Nearly all these trade dollars havs gone into the China trade. The ooinage for duns amonnted to $2,393,000, of which $2, 120,000 was in $20 pieces, and $259,000 in trade’ dollars, the halance heiug in dimss. The coinage statement is as follows: i ne COINAGE FOR THE -YEAR—GOLD, ; + +ye4040e$21,950,000 Baglee.. «+ 1:0,000 Half-Eagles. Quarter-Eagles... t 156,000 87,600 —_—— $22,302,500 SILVER. Trade Dollars. + $2,121,000 Half-Dollars. 241,000 QuarterDoll: 129,000 DiIMEB. cee e eee 59,6500 $2,550,500 REOAPITULATION. Gold.-..-$22,302,500 Silver.-.02 2,650,600 24,853,000 NUMBER OF PIEOES OOINED IN TWELVE MONTHS—GOLD. Douhle Eagles 1,098,000 Eagles.. 12,000 Half-Eagles. 31,000 Quarter-Eagles...0008 27,000 1,168,000 SILVER. Trade Dollars. 2,121,000 Half-Dollars . 482,000 Qnarter-Dollars . 616,000 Dimes ..0. 8 596,000 pe $3,714,000 , ‘ REOAPITULATION. GOld Wr. ew eee ess s ee Soypncocsades 1,168,000 Silver See See SHEU Seno onenS 3,714,000 Total nnumher of pieces cOined... 4,882,000 AMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER WORKED RY FHE COINER. Gold Ingots (ounces).. » 2,170,113.90 Silver Ingots (ounces) . . 4,070,051.88 * 6,240,165.78 f Amount in avoirdupois—Gold, 74 tone; Silver, 140 ons. Lower Rates of Interest. There are many who manifest a sort of pride in referring to the high rstss of intsrest prevailing in California; considering it as an indication of great energy; and declaring that the fact that we are paying ratss of intsrest double those of our Eastern compstitors ia evidenes of our supsrior advantsges. But how is it thatat thistime, whsn ths energiss of all departments of trade and industry are exerted as they never were before, dividends on loaned money are particularly low? Savings hanks, it is understood, will dsclare a lower dividend for ths month just ended, than any previously offsred. According to the thsory of those who favor high rates of intsrsst,ths money-lender should have reaped as bonntiful a harvest of real gold in June, as the farmer is reaping of the goldsn grain in July. But instsad of this, their monsy went hegging at six and sevsn per cent. thronghout the month. We look npon thia as the best evidence yet produced of our real prosperity at present, and of general confidence in the fnture, For either our producers and dealers'had money of their own to carry them through, or the confidence of capitalists in California enterprise was so strong, that they preferred trusting their money in these currents, even on terms extremely advantageous to the horrower. One of these suppositiona mnst be trne, and they are alike in their healthy indications,Laneusy’s New Dinzcrory ror 1874 gives the population of this city at 200,770; a ‘gain since March, 1873, of 12,447, or ahout 7 per cent. ‘The same authority gives the numhst of hnildings erected during the year endin March 1, 1874, as 671, of whioh 53 were hrick, The ontire cost ofthese improvements is estimated at $4,250,000. The. number of luiidings in the city and county of San, Francisco is estimated at 22,600, of which 4,200 are hrick, The expeuse of maintaining the Municipal Government for the year’ eathith June 30th, 1878, is $3,780,000. The honded deht, March Ist, 1874, is $3,237,000. Actnal deht, including floating, $3,503,000. Total assessed real and personal property, Octoher Ist, 1873, was $212,207,535. The directory to whioh we refer, aside from its nsefulness as a means of reference, is interesting in mauy other particulara, aa the carefully compiled notes and figures give the hest possihle idea of the growth of our flour ishiug city. A ven of extraordinary richness was struck a few days ago in the mines of theEnglish com. pany in Holcomh valley.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. (July 4, 1874. W,. By WER. s<setedsans+ es DEWEY & CO., Publishers. &. I. DEWEY, GEO. H. STRONG. WwW. RB, EWER, INO. L, ROONE. Office, No. 888 Montgomery St., S. E. Corner of California St., diagonally across from Wella, Fargo & Co.'s. : SUBsORIPTIONS payahie in advance—For one year, $4; six months, $2.26; three montbs, $1.25. Remittances: hy registered letters or P. O, orders at our risk. ‘ ADVERTISING RaTEe.—I week. Imonth. Smonths. year . Per line..,.» oo ts 80 $2.00 . $5.00 One-half inch .$1.00 $3.00 37.50 24.00 One inch.....5-. 2.00 5.00 14.00 40.00 +. SENIOR EDITOR. seneeee Large advertisements at favorahle rates. Special or reading notices, legal advertisements, noticeeappearing in extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates, a 4 San Francisco: ‘ Saturday Morning, July 4, 1874. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS.—Straw-Burning Engines; Tullock's Automatic Ore Feeder; Our Holiday, 1. Gur New Volume; Qnicksilver; Academy of Sciences; Mint Statistics: Mechanics’ Fair,8. Blatchly's Componnd Engine and Boiler; Work Done hy Bur-) leigh Drill; Asron’s Amalgamation Process; Lower Rates of Interest. 9. Patents and Inventions,12. . ILLUSTRATIONS. — Tullock’s’ Antomatio Ore Feeder, 1Blatchly’s Compound Engine andBoiler, IENTIFIC PROGRESS.—How a Great Disscuay was Made; The Age of Coal: Alhumen Extracted from Milk; Man Five Hundred Thonsand Years Old; Test for Alum in Flour or Bread; GauttaPercha and Vulcanized Rubber; The Frog Barometer, 3. MECHANICAL PROGRESS. — Straw Board; Light Signals; Needles; Iron Forts; Baok to Hand Puddling, 3. : . NG 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, 4. MINING SUMMARY from various connties in California, 4-5. F USEFUL INFORMATION. — Preservation of Metallic Surfaces; Iron Architecture; Nozzle for Delivering Water; Testing Iron Ores; Cleaning Brass; Joining Gas Pipes; Transfersing Pictures. to Glass; To Out Glass Jars, '7. t GOOD HEALTH -The Human Frame; Exercise; Hygienic Hints; Modern Surgery; Drinking Water and Zinc; Barley Water, 7. MISCELLANEOUS, — Montana Placer Mining; The Pioneer Smelters of Euteka; Work on Mining Claims; Tunnels; Timber Lands of the Sierras; The Bloody Mine; A Giant Mine; Rich Diggings Struck; Yield of Pacific Coast Mines; Good Yield; Nevada's Bullion Prodnct, 2. Lumbher Finmesin Oslifornia; Eagle Mine; New Concentrator; Another Producing Mine; The Black Hill Region; Jersey District: For. eetville Chair Factory;"Oregon Mines; Tyho District; Mottling of Marhie; Oil Deposits of Ventura; Suc. cessfnl Smelting; Ineects and Flowers; Trnokee Bullion, 6. Pioche Mines; Mexican Mines; The Livermore Coal Mine; Santa Roea Branch N.P. BR. R.; Casviar Mines; The Yakima Mines; Indian Creek Grave] Mines; Emma Mine; The Use of Paper; Lung Power; Alpine Connty Mines; Battle Mountain, 10. Amendment of the New Code Incorporation Assess. ment Law of California, 12. Removal. July 18th, 1874, the husiness office of this Journal will be removed jnst one hiock east of our present lo. cation, to No. 224 Sansome Street, aontheast corner of ' California, over the Bank of British Columhia, where we have secured large and elegant quarters. This removal is made in conseqnence ot the sale of the huild. ing in which we are now located, to parties who will proceed immediately to demolish the preeent structure, and erect a new and magnificent hlock in its Place. Our New Volume. In pursuance of a time honored custom in the newspaper world, we call the attention of our readers to the fact of our having oonoluded a volume and, with thia issue, commenced another. The Minme axp Screntrrio Press has completed its sixteenth year, and with thia number takes its first step in the seventeenth, We do not desire to oall to the minds of our readera what we have accomplished in the special field in which we lahor, hut will let our own pages speak for themselves, We shall cortinue to endéavor to mske the paper aa interesting as possible for the class of readers among which it circulates, and gather all suitahle information; preaenting it in a condenaed form, so as to male each issue contain a variety of matter. The editorial pages are now set “solid” ag well as the * reprint ’’ pages, co as to economise space; this arrangement, although increasing the editorial lahor, gives room for muoh more reading matter. We again extend the fraternal grasp to onr numerous and vslued exchanges. They will please acoept our hearty thanks for their complimenta and general courtesy. It is our wish and intention to retain in full our list of exchanges as long as it is. Our patrons have our sinoere thanks for thei substantial support, for friendly encouragement, and for innumerahle courtesies. . (Quicksilver. In a recent issue we published the following item: : “Thsy talk ahout having discovered a ‘ledgs’ of cinnahsr in Camp Floyd District, Utah, which assays from 20 to 75 per esnt. in quicksilver. Utah doss not want Oalifornia to be ahead of her in mining matters; hut 75 psr cent. cinnabar even heats this State, and, in fact, almost any country in the world, Perhaps, if we discount 70 psr csnt., ths report may be true; hnt ‘even that is perhaps donbtinl. Utah assays are gsnerally pretty heavy ones.” . Shortly aftsr this was published, ws recsivsd a, hox of ssmples of*this ore. In the hox was a smaller one, in which was a clipping from the . Press, contsining the above itsm, a small qnan'tity of very rich ore, and this legsnd on a scrap of paper: ‘“‘How is this ssmple for 75 psr ceut.?”” Ws mnst acknowledge to bsing vsry munch surprised, for the sample ssnt us was the porsest vermilion. We have shown it to a number of persons intsrested in quicksilvsr, and they all prononnce it to he as rich as anything they had ever seen. A few hundred tons of it would make any man’s fortuns. The ore sent with it was sxcellsnt, but of course not so rich as thatin thssmallerhox, The mine from which thess samplss came is called the ‘‘Gsyssr.”’ It is in Camp Floyd District, Utah. The owners are L. Cuddeback, B. F. Shaw, J. G. Lockridge and J.G. Hughes. Of courss ‘it is not to hs supposed that the dsposit is all as rich as the samples sent ns; hut we mnst acknowledge that they are exceedingly rich. The owners vouchsafe ns no information as to whst thsy ars doing with ths mine; but it is to be supposed that, with present'high prices of quicksilver, they will not let a mine be idle that torns ont snch ore as it does, even if in smsll quantities. The composition of oinnahar is givsn by different anthorities, in Dana’s Mineralogy, as containing from 69.36 quicksilvsr, 11.38 sulphur, to 86.79 quicksilver and 13.67 sulphur. ‘Che lowsst is that taken from the Almaden mine, in this State, and the high. est that from Westphalia.’ When nnre it is idsntical with the mannfactured vsrmilion of commerce. The specimens to which ws refer appear perfectly pnre. f The Amsrican’ qnicksilver mine in Laks Co., fonr or five miles from the'Great Wsstern, was recsntly pnrchased hy George Wright, from Cross & Co., for $100,000. The new owner is putting np a 10-stamp mill to crush the cinnabar ore, which will hs then worked in retorts. Two Knox & Oshorne quicksilver furnaces are now heing srected in this Stats, hoth of 10 tons capacity. One is heing placed on ths Ida Clayton and Yellow Jacket mines, in Napa county, and the othsr is for the Ahbott mine, Galavsras connty. -_ Riotte & Luckbardt are building two of thess furnaces for ths snlphur hanks, Ths csstings have been shipped and the furnaces are heing pnt np. male The miners in the cinnahar district north of Sulphur creek, Colnsa county, havs formed a nsw district, to bs called Valley district. J. B. Turnsr was elected Recorder. St. Helena, Napa county, sent away 31,329 ponnds of qnicksilver during the first five months of this year. The California qnicksilver mine, Napa Co., prodnced last week 67 flaske—the largest production yst made from the mine. The Mechanics’ Institute Fair. Preparations for the coming Industrial Exhihition undsr the anspioes of the Mechanics’ Institute are rapidly going forward. Work on the bnilding continues unintenuptedly, and from all appearances we will have a fair eclipsing all former efforts in this direction. The managers are all husy in arranging the nnmerona detuils necessary for the success of the exhibition, and have plenty of work yet to do. The stauding committses of the exhibition’ are as follows: ; : Aupriinc—W. P. Stont, P.B. Cornwall and George Spaulding. Borpinc—Asa R. Wells, John P. Curtis and J. H. McDonald. . CrecuLak AND CLASsIFIOATION—J. H. McDonald, J. P, Curtis and Riohard Savage, PRINTING AND ADVERTISING—Geo. Spaulding, Richard Savage and W. P. Stout. Power anp Maonmeny—Oharles Elliott, Jas. Spier and Richard Savage. * RULES, REGULATIoNe AnD TiokETs—James 0. Patrick, P. B, Cornwalland AsaR. Wells. Mustc AnD DEooRaTion—H. L. Davis, R. B. Woodward and Charles Elliott. PrIvILEGES—R. B. Woodward, P. B. Cornwall and Geo. Spaulding. Looarion—James Spier, W. P. Stout and Geo. SpanldBt ng. : —_ PorioE—P. B. Cornwall, H. L. Davigand Richard Sav age. The publication of the Afechanics’ Fair Daily’ has been awarded to the proprietors of this journal, who willSpare uo expense nor trouble in getting ont a first-class paper. The jonrnal will he circulated free in the Fair bnilding, so that it offers great advantages to advertisera. Tue Eureka and Palisade railroad commenced on the Ist inst. to transport passengers and freight to a point 20 miles east of Palisade, on the road to Enreka, making a difference of one day and a half in the delivery of freight to Eureka, Hamilton and Pioche. Twenty miles .of additional track will he laid as fast as the! iron arrives. Stages run in connection, with the railroad now for Eureka and other towna south. Prospects of the California Academy of Sciences..

Our local Acadsmy of Sciences has, hy ‘the munifiesnes of James Liok, hsen placed in a moat prosperous condition and one, which oxceeds the fondest antioipations-of its fonndsrs. Mr. Lick first gave the Acadsmy a piece of land worth hetween $200,000 and $250,000, and by his late dssd hs provides for a fine huilding on this land and ample funds to purchase books, collections, ete., as wsll as to carry on the, Academy on a firm , substantial hasis. The building, such as Mr. Lick desires to hs ersoted, will cost ahont $250,000; and altogether the sum of his gifts to this institution amounts to one million dollars. We notice, hy the way, that our estesmed cotemporary, the Scientific American, in speaking of Mr. Lick’s fifts, omits to mention that: to the California Acadsmy of Sciences, and makes another mistake also: thst of stating thatthe balance of the $1,780,000, after providing for the observatory, monnments, asylums, etc.,is given to the Pionssr Society. The whole $1,780,000’ is given for these pnrposes and the halsnes of his fortune is given to the California Pioneer Society and the California Acsdemy of Sciences. Accordingly the Pioneer Society will recsivs an squal sum with the Acadsmy. : i It is not prohable that these funds will become availahle for several years, ae ths property must be disposed of, and the varions sums given in ths manner specified hy Mr. Lick; bsfore the halance which comes to the Pionesrg aud ths Academy will he given to them hy the trustees. In the meantime the Academy has. pretty comfortehls qnarters and a sufficient income to move along without tronhle. The publications of our local Academy ars well spoken of abroad, and it is acknowledged that the association hasa broader fisld of work than similar bodies elsewhers. As Professor Morss said, at a recsnt meeting of the Acsdemy, “Yon sre the only endowed society on this coast and prohahly the only one on the hordsrs of the Pacifio Ocsan. Professor Morse in speaking of the earlisr efforts of our Academy said: “In the Fast we are familiar with your publications; I wish to tell you that when the first “prooeedings” came along, ws were somswhat amszed, and thought that some young men were starting it, and ths Society would only last a ysarorso. From year to year you Kept on, snd we saw that the papers you published showed reasonahle research. We saw that you did not decay and wers getting on; hut we nsver dreamed that you wonld gst an amonnt of money more than that all of our Rastsrn Societiss pnt together.” He then spoke of the differsnt Eastern Societies, thsir incrssse and their early strnggles. Theold Portland Society, after long strnggles, got togethsr $8,000 or $9,000, and fixed np an old building to meetin. A fire destroyed it, and we had to begin all over again. In the Museum of Compsrative Anatomy, at Cambridge, we have what we may aall a rich association. The State gave $100,000, the people, $75,000, and Gray gave $50,000; hut the mnseum has an income of $15.000 only. The Peahody Institnte reosivsd $140.000 from Mr. Peabody, and the huilding cost $40,000, so that the interest on $100,000 supports it. At ths Booton Society of Nstural History, in the early days, they met in a small room; then thsy got a larger room, hut had no working funds, heing supported hy contrihutions. They worked and struggled along until they proonred a few snms of money, amonnting to $15,000 or $20,000, altogsther. By and by the State gave it $100,000, and the land npon which the building was. The huilding cost $120,000, and was more ornamsntal than nssful. Moro money csms in after a while, nntil now the societyis on a good hasis, The old New York Lyceum of Natural History is poor now, and meets ina smallroom. They haveno money to publish their Annuals, and have to resort to peraonal snbscriptions to pnhlish them. ‘ Add all these suma together, and the sum given to the Academy of Sciences by Mr. Lick beats all the funda of the natural history societies -Esst. The California Academy now starts with a sum eqnal to all. Mr. Lick has gone ahead of Peabody, as far as science is concerned, for Mr. Peahody endowed edncational institutions liherally, bnt gave only ahout $300,000 to pnrely soientific societies. The position ocenpied on the globe by the California Academy is a fine one, as it is the only endowed society on the Pacific'Ocean. It has plenty of money and a large area for investigation. Professor Morse in the course of his remarks said: ‘Science haa changed a preat deal in the last ten years. Onr old proceedings of societies were merely technical; now they are hroader. As your President ssid in his last report, ‘There is no money in this country for individual pursuits.’ In Europe this is done,. hnt not here. There large sums are appropriated to assist Professor Blank in his investigations. In this country our naturalists are poor. So in a aociety they mnst lahel and paste.and do miscellaneous work, and get no time for investigation, The primary object of your Society is to fnrnish original investigators. Now you have ample funds to employ specialists, and you must impress npon them that they must give the results of their investigations to you. Do not let them be too practical. Donot let the hread-aud-butter idea preponderate. There are other things for men todo heside eat and drink . and make money.” . Dowhle Lagles...s.eeeeeeesceeee Mint Operations. = The mint in this oity is now closed for annnal settlement, The coinage for the yearwas Isrge, theamonnt in gold heing $22,302,500 and in silver, $2,550,500, making a. total of $24,853,000. Ths gold coined was 74.tons and of silver, 140 tons. The coinage of trade dollars hss heen enormous, hut its immensity can only he appreoiahle to the gensral readsr hy comparison. The numbsr of trade dollars coined was 2,121,000. Esoh of these pieces required precisely the ‘sams work inall the stagss of its manufaoture that is hestowed on a $20 gold piece, Hsd the same work, therefore, hesn hestowed on donble eagles, the coinage of these piecss would havs represented a valne of $42,420,000, in addition to the other coinage spscified. Nearly all these trade dollars havs gone into the China trade. The ooinage for duns amonnted to $2,393,000, of which $2, 120,000 was in $20 pieces, and $259,000 in trade’ dollars, the halance heiug in dimss. The coinage statement is as follows: i ne COINAGE FOR THE -YEAR—GOLD, ; + +ye4040e$21,950,000 Baglee.... «+ 1:0,000 Half-Eagles.. Quarter-Eagles..... t 156,000 87,600 —_—— $22,302,500 SILVER. Trade Dollars. + $2,121,000 Half-Dollars. 241,000 QuarterDoll: 129,000 DiIMEB. cee e eee 59,6500 $2,550,500 REOAPITULATION. Gold..-...-$22,302,500 Silver..-.02 2,650,600 24,853,000 NUMBER OF PIEOES OOINED IN TWELVE MONTHS—GOLD. Douhle Eagles 1,098,000 Eagles.... 12,000 Half-Eagles. 31,000 Quarter-Eagles.....0008 27,000 1,168,000 SILVER. Trade Dollars.. 2,121,000 Half-Dollars . 482,000 Qnarter-Dollars . 616,000 Dimes ...0.. 8 596,000 pe $3,714,000 , ‘ REOAPITULATION. GOld Wr. ew eee ess s ee Soypncocsades 1,168,000 Silver See See SHEU Seno onenS 3,714,000 Total nnumher of pieces cOined...... 4,882,000 AMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER WORKED RY FHE COINER. Gold Ingots (ounces)... » 2,170,113.90 Silver Ingots (ounces) .. . 4,070,051.88 * 6,240,165.78 f Amount in avoirdupois—Gold, 74 tone; Silver, 140 ons. Lower Rates of Interest. There are many who manifest a sort of pride in referring to the high rstss of intsrest prevailing in California; considering it as an indication of great energy; and declaring that the fact that we are paying ratss of intsrest double those of our Eastern compstitors ia evidenes of our supsrior advantsges. But how is it thatat thistime, whsn ths energiss of all departments of trade and industry are exerted as they never were before, dividends on loaned money are particularly low? Savings hanks, it is understood, will dsclare a lower dividend for ths month just ended, than any previously offsred. According to the thsory of those who favor high rates of intsrsst,ths money-lender should have reaped as bonntiful a harvest of real gold in June, as the farmer is reaping of the goldsn grain in July. But instsad of this, their monsy went hegging at six and sevsn per cent. thronghout the month. We look npon thia as the best evidence yet produced of our real prosperity at present, and of general confidence in the fnture, For either our producers and dealers'had money of their own to carry them through, or the confidence of capitalists in California enterprise was so strong, that they preferred trusting their money in these currents, even on terms extremely advantageous to the horrower. One of these suppositiona mnst be trne, and they are alike in their healthy indications,Laneusy’s New Dinzcrory ror 1874 gives the population of this city at 200,770; a ‘gain since March, 1873, of 12,447, or ahout 7 per cent. ‘The same authority gives the numhst of hnildings erected during the year endin March 1, 1874, as 671, of whioh 53 were hrick, The ontire cost ofthese improvements is estimated at $4,250,000. The. number of luiidings in the city and county of San, Francisco is estimated at 22,600, of which 4,200 are hrick, The expeuse of maintaining the Municipal Government for the year’ eathith June 30th, 1878, is $3,780,000. The honded deht, March Ist, 1874, is $3,237,000. Actnal deht, including floating, $3,503,000. Total assessed real and personal property, Octoher Ist, 1873, was $212,207,535. The directory to whioh we refer, aside from its nsefulness as a means of reference, is interesting in mauy other particulara, aa the carefully compiled notes and figures give the hest possihle idea of the growth of our flour ishiug city. A ven of extraordinary richness was struck a few days ago in the mines of theEnglish com. pany in Holcomh valley.