Volume 29 (1874) (428 pages)

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {July 4, 1874. Montana Placer Mining. The Introduction of Little Giants. Least fall Messrs. W. A. Clark, S. E. Larabie, Ed. Lilrvius and Jos. Steele ordsred from San Francisco a No. 3 Littls Gisnt snd No. 16 and 18 iron pipe to work ths Heever diggings at the head of Squaw gulch, nsar Yamhill. The Flint Creek Ditch and Mining Co. also ordsred @ larger size Littls Giant and iron, ssveral thouasnd fset of bex, 15 and 22-inch pipe to work their placsrs on Flint creek. During ths winter Mr, F, B. Millsr manufactured the Clark Co’s pips, and Thos. Strang the Flint Creek Co's pipe, and ths apparatns for both companfes was placed on their grounds early. this spring. The formsr company, procuring watsr from tha Rock creek ditch, got to work some two or thrss wesks ago, and on Saturday last we rods over to ses it in operation. We had sxpected mnch of it, but it snrpasses “all ony sxpectations. It is mining in earnast. Compared to it ths ordinary hydranlic is child’s play, and itis a question of a very short time when all tha old appliances will bs displaced hhy the new wherever there is sufficient watsr, pressure, extent of gravel and dump to render it practicable. It not only revolntionizss the old system, but will bring inte devslopmart hundrsds of thonsands of acres of ground not ayailable herstofore, and really, we bslieve, hegins the era of big mining in Montana. The theory of it is to substitute and utilizs the power of the water for manual labor. As an ilinstration of how it doss this, we cits the Clark Oo's claim. The ground was worked a year or two ago by the Hoover Co. with an ordinary hydraulic. It is hard, tough, cemented gravel atrata, so hard to cut that it is said the hydraulic would searce color the water; that One cave was a good day’s work, and sometimes two or three were required to hring one down; that 25 kegs of powder were exploded in it without any very noticeable benefit. And yet it paid expenses hy the old process, With the Little Giant, 400 inches of water is brought down with 250 feet pressure, snd is thrown throughfa 4-inch nozzle, When we aaw it, it was playing on the gravel at an elevation of 20 or 30 deg. at 125 feet from the fsce, knockiug out houlders the size of pnmpkina as though they were marbles, and moving, according to the estimate of practical miners, twenty times as mnch earth aa the old method, And this with only five men employed for the 24 hours, againat donble that number required for the old system. It costs less per week to run with 600 inches of water than the old hydranlic dip with 250 or 300 inches. A 27-inch flume at 10 inches grade to 12 feet carriee off the dirt and tock; 100, 200, and we should jndge 300 ponnd bonlders go through withont trouble, and the larger ones are aledged up and follow suit. As soon as the pit is well opened the Little Giant will he set in it, giving 30 feet more pressnre; a larger nozzle will be used, and we presume the entire amonnt of water—200 inohes being now used in the ground slnice— will be turned throngh the Giant. Its power ia amazing; we believe it would knock any ordinary honae to pieces at fifty feet in half a minute. And yet the nozzle ia more easily managed than a common hydraulio. We presume the Clark mine will pay; it does not make a particle of difference, ao far as the system is concerued, whether it doea or not. .That is the way to mine. The questions of there heing gold in the ground, and of saving it, come in as considerations entirely independent of moving the ground from its natural position in‘a bar through a string of boxee. The Little Giant system does that so mnch more rapidly and economically than the old methods that no miner will hesitste a moment between them. The aimple fact that it moves 20 times as much dirt at less expense, settles the point. The Flint creek company were to get to work thia week. Capt. John H. Rogera and Batterton, Irvine & Co., each have little giants on the road from Corinne, and will have them working in a few weekaon Granite Bar, Billy Winchel came up, saw the little giaut work, and was congnered. He has his order for a No. 3 and 4,000 feet of pipe, for his Flint creek mines. They cost with an ordinary amonnt of pipe from $3,000 to $4,000. The ditching in Montana ia inadequate to their general use; hut we venture the prediction that if the Flint creekmines of Clagett & Co. pay, there will he such bar prospecting and ditch building in Montana within a year as was never thonght of before; while many dormant enterpris like the Race Track ditch of Thornton & ,_Co. will become valuable and productive propertiea. We are not generally very enthusiastic about mining enterprises, but the introdnction of this new eyatem is worth millions of, dollars to Montana. The next thing is to undercurrent rifles to save fine gold. There is too muoh gold goes to dump. We have, placed onrselves alongside of California in one kind of appliances; they save all their gold there by another set, while oure goes to waste. It is a comparatively expensiveprocess. Will not our intelligent and energetic miners follow their grand stride of progresa hyanother? We trnst that the new system will not be confined alone to thie oounty. We recommend miners elsewhere to come over and look at itand be convinced of its practical advantages, assured that wherever available they will rapidly supersede old processea,.— New North West, June 13tb. Tue Board of Regents of the State University have empowered the Building Committee to tecsive bids for 10 cottages, to be occupied hy 12 students each, to he couducted on the clubhouse plan, at Berkeley, The Pioneer Smelters of Eureka. It is right, says tha Eureka Sentinel, that dne ersdit should be given tc those who wsre instrumental in proving that onr argentifsrons galenacres could be prefitably smelted. In the spring of 1869, Majer W, W. McCoy had some minsrs st work on Minsral hill, at the north end of what is known as Prospect mountain. These workmen occupied thsir leisnrs time in prospecting, andin June of that year they discovered the Ruby Hill mines. In October of ths previons year, Mr. C. A. Ststefeldt had commenced the ersction of a furnacs, but when it was started np, in the following spring, it failed to do satisfsctory work. Major McCoy, haying becoms interested in tha property, and feslingassursd that the ores could easily he smsitsd, endsayored to find some man to undertaks the businsss. Onths advice of Mr. P. K. Roots, now of Arkansas, hut who at that tims was coutected with the Orsana Smelting Works, in Humboldt connty, the Msjor becams anxious to secure the ssrvices of R. P. Jones, a Welshman, who, though possessing no scientific knowledge, was_ said to be an efficient, practical smelter. Hsaring that Jones was prospecting in White Pine district, the Major procssded thither and sngaged him to come to Eureka; and at his suggsstion, also, secured ths assistance of his conntryman, John Williams. On the way over from Hamilton they stopped to lunch on Pancake mountain, and strolling offa short distance from the road, Jones fonnd a sandstone, which he declared was fire-rock. Onreaching Eureka, Jones and Williams were told that they were at liharty to alter the furnace as they pleased, only that they mnst introduce two additional tweers, Mr. Stetefeldt having put in hut one. A supply of the Pancake rock waa aent for at once, and being put in as a new lining, its excellent qnality as a fire-rock was speedily demonstrated. The furnace was aoon pnt in operation on Ruby Hill ores, and, proving a success, the way waa prepared for subsequent undertakings. In Novembsr, 1869, Bateman and Bnel leased the McCoy furnsce, and succeeded so wellin smelting Champion ore, that two large fuornaces, which were afterwarda transferred to the Eureka Consolidated company, were commenced, These new furnaces were built nnder the direction of Mr. Jones, and wera managed by him nntil 1870, when he went to Utah along with Williams, who had for some time heer in charge of the Jackaon company’s works. To Jones and Williama, therefore, belongs the credit of giving our smelting bnsiness a profitahle start, and bnt for the efforts of Major McCoy they might never have fonnd their way into the diatrict. So far as the Statais concerned, it is proper to say thatthe Oreana Works led the smelting business; and the unassuming Harry Stront, of the Hoosac Works, acquired experience there which he hae turned to good account in this district. Work on Mining Claims. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL Lanp Orrice, June 9th, 1874.—The following is an Act of Congresa, approved June 6th, 1874: An Actto amend the Act entitled ‘An Act to promote the development of the mining resources of the United States,” passed May 10th, 1872: Be it enacted by the Senate and Houee of Repreesntatives of the United States of America in Congress aesemhled: That the provieione of the fifth section of tho Act entitled ‘‘An Act to promote the development of the mining reeources of the United States,” passed May 10th, 1872, which requires expenditures of lahor and improvements on claims located prior to the pasSage of said Act, are hereby e0 amended that the time for the firet annual expenditure on claime located prior to the passage of eaid Act, shall he extended to the let day of January, 1875. By thie legislation the requi its of the fifth section of the Mining Act of May 10th, 1872, and the Amendatory Act of March Ist, 1873, are changed hy extending the time for the firet annual expenditure upon claims located priorto Mfay 10th, 1872, to the 1st day of January, 1875. The requirements in regard to expenditures upon elaims located since May 10th, 1872, are in no way changed by the aboyeAmendatory Act. 9g. $. BurpEtr, Commiseioner. Tounnxets.—There are several tunnel projecta talked of inthis connty. At present the Milton company’s enterprise iu that matter seems to be the only one which will be commenced at au sarly day. We are of opinion, and have been ever since we knew anything about mining, that more drain tnnnels ahonld be run in the mining districta. When they are made, they Save’expenses in hoisting and pumping. A tunnel jndiciously located in the neighborhood of two or tliree mines, acon pays for itself. More tunnels would have been run heretofore’ had not so much time been required for their construction. An average mining compsny wants to get to pay dirt aa aoon as they can, and had rather speud much money and make a quick realization, than to take up a few more montbs of time at less cost, in getting to the “pay.’’ But tunneling is now getting to be an enterprise of mere daya, and not of months and years, aa was the case at a very late day of the past. Those psronssion ‘machine drills have bronght about the revolution. They put blasting holes into the rocks with astoniahing rapidity, aud they never get tired. The’ drill which haa had the greateet success in doing such work is the “ Burleigh,” of which Messrs, Parke and Lacy, of San Francisco, are the agents, That drill does its work not only iu tunnels bnt in mines which are worked through shafts. Those at work now in the Idaho mine of this place are proving successful beyond what was expected of them. Those interested in improvementa in mining machinery should exsmine the Burleigh drill. It is a success. —Grass Valley Union. Timber Lands of the Sierras, The esstern slopes of the Sierras bristls with forssts of timbsr, which have besn cut into at will by pretty much every one who had nse for the timber. Claim was Isid to portions of thess Isnds by the Central Pacific Resilroad, which the Governmsnt intended to reserva, and its opinion on the msttsr has been msde known in the annexed correspondsnee: Wasuinoton, D. C., June 15, 1874. Hon. Joun Dax, Ragister State Land Offies, Carson City, Nsv.—Dear Sir: We enclose Commissionsr’s letter of the 10th inst., officially notifying ns of the Sserstary’a decision on the appeal taken by the Central Pacifie railroad, from the Commissioner’s decision of January 15, 1873, rejecting the claim of the road to ths odd numbered sections within the limits of the old Timber Ressrye. This decision finally disposss of the claim of ths road, and as soon as we Can get new lists made up we will have -includsd the selections which have been suspended on that acconnt. Yours trnly, Britton, Gray & Drummonp. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Gexerat Lanp OFrsiorz, Washington, D.C. Jnne 10, 1874. Messrs. Britton & Gray—GEnriemen: As agents of the State of Nsvsda, I have to inform yon that the Hon. Secretary of ths Intsrior, under dste of the 2d iust., affirmed my decision of Jannary 15, 2873, rejscting the claim of the Central Pacific Railroad Company to lands in Townships 18 and 19 N., R. 18 E. Carson city, Nevada, late Mill and Timber Rsservs. Vary spepacitally, W. W. Corts. alluding to thia correspondence, the Territorial Enterprise says: The reservation lies on both sides of the Truckee river, and was set apart for the purpose of supplying Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation saw-mill with timbsr. Thousanda of logs were cut and rolled to the river; hut the mill was not completed, and the logs, instead of being floated down the atream to the reservation, were permitted to rot where they lay. . The Government paid for the cutting and banking of about one-half of these logs, and a suit is still before the Court of Claims, we helieve, to compel a settlement for the remainder, the amount claimed heing shout $15,000. The timher reservation 1a several thousand acres in extent; bnt it can be of no great value, as the most of the timber lias doubtleas heen removed by thia time. It will probably be thrown open to sale by the Government. THE Broony Mryz.—The Bronco mine, located on the San Pedro, where ;}M. B Dnffield was killed, has had a hloody record. It was lolocated in 1855 by aman named Bronco, and in 1858 he and a man named Williams entered into a copartnership to work it. They did considerable work on the mine and as far as developed it showed-a large, well defined vein, very rich in silver. They erected bnildings, established a atore and were prspared to work the mine on an extenaive acale, when in 1859 the Mexicans in their employ rose en masse aud for pnrpoaes of robbery murdered Bronco, Williams, Marsh and another man whose name we do not know, and carried to Sonora all the movahle property. The four victims were buried near the mine, and now Major Dnffield is buried beside them. Since Bronco and party were murdered no work of any importance has been done on the mine, on account of the danger from the Apachee. Major Duffield claimed to have located the mine in 1864 and over a year ago it waa located by other persons and since that location Duffield haa been very violent in hia threats towards any and all who dared to interfere with hia righta. Before leaving Tucson on his laat trip we nnderstand he made his will and frequently expressed the determination to drive off whoever he might find on the mine. From the fact of his making his will it is evident that he intended to succeed in his purpose or die in the attempt.— Arizona Citizen. A Gunt Eyrerprise.—A company haa been formed, composed of citizens of this county, for the purpose of bringing lumber from the Sierra Nevadas to this point. A sawmill with a capacity for dressing 30,000 feet of lumber per day, or 50,000 feet every 24 houra, has been established at the head waters of the Fresno river, in what is prohably the finest timber region of the State, from whicha V-ahaped flume is now in process of construction to a point between Borden and Beranda stations—a distance ofsome 55 miles. There is now engaged on the flume a working force of 35 men, which will be increased as fast as men can be obtained. Itiaestimated that 7,000,000 feet of lumber will be nsed in the construction of this flume, at a coat of $1,600 per mile. Merced is to be the principal place of hnsinesa. The enterprise is certainly an important one, and oannot fail to be of immense advantage tothe people of thia county.— Merced Tribune. Ricu Drocines Steucx.—It is reported that rich diggings have been struck in what ia called the ‘‘Warren’a meadows.’’ These meadows have long been enpposed to contain vast deposita of gold, hnt it is so deep to the hed-rook that heretofore they have not been able to work them successfully. Above the meadows and a stream that empties into these, very rich mines have been worked for some time, and it has always been believed that this same vein ran through the meadows, hnt heretofore it wae impossible to trace it. But now a rich deposit haabeen struck, and men safe taking out as good psy as they did in the palmy daya of Warren’s camp.— Walla Walla Union. ~~ Yield of Pacific Coast Mines. Ths New York Times has the following article on the yisld of the Pscifie coast mines: The war of the Unitsd States with Mexico hss in itsslf heen called a trifling affsir, bnt it is difficult to find any war, sxcepting that of the rebellion, which has had more importsnt rssults. By the terms of ths treaty of psace, California wss csded to the United Statss, and being thus opened to American enterpriss, it was not long before the world was startled by the disecvery that the new acquisition ccntained dsposits of gold of almost fabnlous extent. Twenty-five years have now elapssd siuce that discovsry, and it is almost impossible to measurs the effect which its results have had upon the commsrce and the governmsnts of the world. The businsss of the world increasss year hy ysar with the incrsase of population, and thsre must, of course, be a corresponding increase in the volume of money npon which it is based, or there would be not only a gsneral derangement of values, bnt an end of that enterprise by which mankind has bscome civilizsd and prospsrons. The product of the mines of our Pacific slops in the precious metals is, thsrefore, a mattsr of mors than national importance and interest, for it has affected directly or indirsctly all mankind. Recently-published statistics show that the yield of ths last quartsr of a centnry reached the enormous total of $1,583,644,984. Of thia immense snm Californie produced thrse-fourths, or $1,094,919,098, nearly all of which was in gold. Nevada has produced $221,402,412 in gold and silver, hut chisfly the latter, for by far ths greater proportion of the prodnet has come out of the wonderful Comstock lodes. Utah, althongh known for many years to be rich in precions metals, hae only lately been made to produce them, and the yield haa been no more than $18,527,537. Moutana has added $119,308,147 to the riches ofthe world, and Idaho has given $57,249,197, Colorado has been only lately ‘developed aa a mining region, hnt its yield has already reached about $30,000,000. Oregon and Washington Territory have together produced $25,504,250. British Columbia haa contrihnted abont $9,000,000, and Arizona a amall aum, hut the latter Territory haa not heen worked to any great extent, and ia capabla of doing mnch better. It isa remarkable fact, worthy of more attention than it has received, that the prodnction of the Pacifio alope has heen steadily increasing from year to year. It is especially significant that the increase of last year was about 14 per cent. the aotnal yield heing $80,287,436, against $70,236,914 in 1872. It is interesting to inquire what has become of this immense store of gold and silver. About $40,000,000 of it remains on the Pacific slope in ooin and jewelry, arid a fraction, of course, haa heen abaorbed by thé general business of the country. Bnt the great bulk has been exported, and chiefly to England, China and Japan, but moatly to England, which has had nearly $1,100,000,000, leaving only about $500,000,000 for the reat ot the world. The reason for this flow of the precious metala to England ia given in a recent forcihle letter from Dr. Linderman, Director of the United States Mint, to Senator Sargent, of Oalifornia, The bullion goes there in the firat place, not becanse it is demanded by the commercial needs of the conntry, but because coinage is free at the London Mint, while the United States have always persisted in the absurd policy of pntting a tax npon coinage so onerous that bullion haa heen driven ont of the country, Most of it would go in any event, owing to the fact that we buy so largely in foreign countriea, and it perhapa makea little difference whether it goes as coin or bullion. But if our coinage laws had heen more sensible, there ia reaaon to believe that the proportion against ns would by no means have been so great. There has lately been a manifestation of common sense in Congress on this snbject, and it did not come any too soon. : There is one other fact connected with the yield of precious metala on the Pacific elope which should not escape attention. We have said that there has been for aeveral years a steady increaae in the total yield, but it also ahould be said that this is dne wholly to the increase in the production of silver, for there has been a decrease in that of gold. Formerly the yield waa entirely gold, and it waa not notil 1859, when the argentiferous lodea of Nevada astoniahed the world, that we hsgan to produce ailver in any considerable quantities. Thus far the yield has been enormous, but it promises to be mnch larger in the futnre, The Pacific slope, having furnished the world with the gold it required, is now giving it a aufficiency of silver. Goon Yretn,.—Nine tons of ore from Highland district were crushed last week at the Floral mill, and yielded something over $1,000, Thia mill, nnder the careful and ‘experienced management of Mr, McMasters, is doing excellent work. In thie lot of ore there was fully 30 per cent. of base metal, yet it was worked np to 80 per cent. of the pnip aasay, which ia more than ordinary good work.—Pioche Record. Nevapa’s Buiiion Propuct.—The Oarson Appeal saya: The hnilion product of Nevada will he doubled within the next twelve-month. Developmenta on the line of the Comstook indicate a large increase, and the enlargement of facilitiee for the transportation of snpplies and producta in the eastern part of the State ensure ns of the fulfillment of our prediction.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {July 4, 1874. Montana Placer Mining. The Introduction of Little Giants. Least fall Messrs. W. A. Clark, S. E. Larabie, Ed. Lilrvius and Jos. Steele ordsred from San Francisco a No. 3 Littls Gisnt snd No. 16 and 18 iron pipe to work ths Heever diggings at the head of Squaw gulch, nsar Yamhill. The Flint Creek Ditch and Mining Co. also ordsred @ larger size Littls Giant and iron, ssveral thouasnd fset of bex, 15 and 22-inch pipe to work their placsrs on Flint creek. During ths winter Mr, F, B. Millsr manufactured the Clark Co’s pips, and Thos. Strang the Flint Creek Co's pipe, and ths apparatns for both companfes was placed on their grounds early. this spring. The formsr company, procuring watsr from tha Rock creek ditch, got to work some two or thrss wesks ago, and on Saturday last we rods over to ses it in operation. We had sxpected mnch of it, but it snrpasses “all ony sxpectations. It is mining in earnast. Compared to it ths ordinary hydranlic is child’s play, and itis a question of a very short time when all tha old appliances will bs displaced hhy the new wherever there is sufficient watsr, pressure, extent of gravel and dump to render it practicable. It not only revolntionizss the old system, but will bring inte devslopmart hundrsds of thonsands of acres of ground not ayailable herstofore, and really, we bslieve, hegins the era of big mining in Montana. The theory of it is to substitute and utilizs the power of the water for manual labor. As an ilinstration of how it doss this, we cits the Clark Oo's claim. The ground was worked a year or two ago by the Hoover Co. with an ordinary hydraulic. It is hard, tough, cemented gravel atrata, so hard to cut that it is said the hydraulic would searce color the water; that One cave was a good day’s work, and sometimes two or three were required to hring one down; that 25 kegs of powder were exploded in it without any very noticeable benefit. And yet it paid expenses hy the old process, With the Little Giant, 400 inches of water is brought down with 250 feet pressure, snd is thrown throughfa 4-inch nozzle, When we aaw it, it was playing on the gravel at an elevation of 20 or 30 deg. at 125 feet from the fsce, knockiug out houlders the size of pnmpkina as though they were marbles, and moving, according to the estimate of practical miners, twenty times as mnch earth aa the old method, And this with only five men employed for the 24 hours, againat donble that number required for the old system. It costs less per week to run with 600 inches of water than the old hydranlic dip with 250 or 300 inches. A 27-inch flume at 10 inches grade to 12 feet carriee off the dirt and tock; 100, 200, and we should jndge 300 ponnd bonlders go through withont trouble, and the larger ones are aledged up and follow suit. As soon as the pit is well opened the Little Giant will he set in it, giving 30 feet more pressnre; a larger nozzle will be used, and we presume the entire amonnt of water—200 inohes being now used in the ground slnice— will be turned throngh the Giant. Its power ia amazing; we believe it would knock any ordinary honae to pieces at fifty feet in half a minute. And yet the nozzle ia more easily managed than a common hydraulio. We presume the Clark mine will pay; it does not make a particle of difference, ao far as the system is concerued, whether it doea or not. .That is the way to mine. The questions of there heing gold in the ground, and of saving it, come in as considerations entirely independent of moving the ground from its natural position in‘a bar through a string of boxee. The Little Giant system does that so mnch more rapidly and economically than the old methods that no miner will hesitste a moment between them. The aimple fact that it moves 20 times as much dirt at less expense, settles the point. The Flint creek company were to get to work thia week. Capt. John H. Rogera and Batterton, Irvine & Co., each have little giants on the road from Corinne, and will have them working in a few weekaon Granite Bar, Billy Winchel came up, saw the little giaut work, and was congnered. He has his order for a No. 3 and 4,000 feet of pipe, for his Flint creek mines. They cost with an ordinary amonnt of pipe from $3,000 to $4,000. The ditching in Montana ia inadequate to their general use; hut we venture the prediction that if the Flint creekmines of Clagett & Co. pay, there will he such bar prospecting and ditch building in Montana within a year as was never thonght of before; while many dormant enterpris like the Race Track ditch of Thornton & ,_Co. will become valuable and productive propertiea. We are not generally very enthusiastic about mining enterprises, but the introdnction of this new eyatem is worth millions of, dollars to Montana. The next thing is to undercurrent rifles to save fine gold. There is too muoh gold goes to dump. We have, placed onrselves alongside of California in one kind of appliances; they save all their gold there by another set, while oure goes to waste. It is a comparatively expensiveprocess. Will not our intelligent and energetic miners follow their grand stride of progresa hyanother? We trnst that the new system will not be confined alone to thie oounty. We recommend miners elsewhere to come over and look at itand be convinced of its practical advantages, assured that wherever available they will rapidly supersede old processea,.— New North West, June 13tb. Tue Board of Regents of the State University have empowered the Building Committee to tecsive bids for 10 cottages, to be occupied hy 12 students each, to he couducted on the clubhouse plan, at Berkeley, The Pioneer Smelters of Eureka. It is right, says tha Eureka Sentinel, that dne ersdit should be given tc those who wsre instrumental in proving that onr argentifsrons galenacres could be prefitably smelted. In the spring of 1869, Majer W, W. McCoy had some minsrs st work on Minsral hill, at the north end of what is known as Prospect mountain. These workmen occupied thsir leisnrs time in prospecting, andin June of that year they discovered the Ruby Hill mines. In October of ths previons year, Mr. C. A. Ststefeldt had commenced the ersction of a furnacs, but when it was started np, in the following spring, it failed to do satisfsctory work. Major McCoy, haying becoms interested in tha property, and feslingassursd that the ores could easily he smsitsd, endsayored to find some man to undertaks the businsss. Onths advice of Mr. P. K. Roots, now of Arkansas, hut who at that tims was coutected with the Orsana Smelting Works, in Humboldt connty, the Msjor becams anxious to secure the ssrvices of R. P. Jones, a Welshman, who, though possessing no scientific knowledge, was_ said to be an efficient, practical smelter. Hsaring that Jones was prospecting in White Pine district, the Major procssded thither and sngaged him to come to Eureka; and at his suggsstion, also, secured ths assistance of his conntryman, John Williams. On the way over from Hamilton they stopped to lunch on Pancake mountain, and strolling offa short distance from the road, Jones fonnd a sandstone, which he declared was fire-rock. Onreaching Eureka, Jones and Williams were told that they were at liharty to alter the furnace as they pleased, only that they mnst introduce two additional tweers, Mr. Stetefeldt having put in hut one. A supply of the Pancake rock waa aent for at once, and being put in as a new lining, its excellent qnality as a fire-rock was speedily demonstrated. The furnace was aoon pnt in operation on Ruby Hill ores, and, proving a success, the way waa prepared for subsequent undertakings. In Novembsr, 1869, Bateman and Bnel leased the McCoy furnsce, and succeeded so wellin smelting Champion ore, that two large fuornaces, which were afterwarda transferred to the Eureka Consolidated company, were commenced, These new furnaces were built nnder the direction of Mr. Jones, and wera managed by him nntil 1870, when he went to Utah along with Williams, who had for some time heer in charge of the Jackaon company’s works. To Jones and Williama, therefore, belongs the credit of giving our smelting bnsiness a profitahle start, and bnt for the efforts of Major McCoy they might never have fonnd their way into the diatrict. So far as the Statais concerned, it is proper to say thatthe Oreana Works led the smelting business; and the unassuming Harry Stront, of the Hoosac Works, acquired experience there which he hae turned to good account in this district. Work on Mining Claims. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL Lanp Orrice, June 9th, 1874.—The following is an Act of Congresa, approved June 6th, 1874: An Actto amend the Act entitled ‘An Act to promote the development of the mining resources of the United States,” passed May 10th, 1872: Be it enacted by the Senate and Houee of Repreesntatives of the United States of America in Congress aesemhled: That the provieione of the fifth section of tho Act entitled ‘‘An Act to promote the development of the mining reeources of the United States,” passed May 10th, 1872, which requires expenditures of lahor and improvements on claims located prior to the pasSage of said Act, are hereby e0 amended that the time for the firet annual expenditure on claime located prior to the passage of eaid Act, shall he extended to the let day of January, 1875. By thie legislation the requi its of the fifth section of the Mining Act of May 10th, 1872, and the Amendatory Act of March Ist, 1873, are changed hy extending the time for the firet annual expenditure upon claims located priorto Mfay 10th, 1872, to the 1st day of January, 1875. The requirements in regard to expenditures upon elaims located since May 10th, 1872, are in no way changed by the aboyeAmendatory Act. 9g. $. BurpEtr, Commiseioner. Tounnxets.—There are several tunnel projecta talked of inthis connty. At present the Milton company’s enterprise iu that matter seems to be the only one which will be commenced at au sarly day. We are of opinion, and have been ever since we knew anything about mining, that more drain tnnnels ahonld be run in the mining districta. When they are made, they Save’expenses in hoisting and pumping. A tunnel jndiciously located in the neighborhood of two or tliree mines, acon pays for itself. More tunnels would have been run heretofore’ had not so much time been required for their construction. An average mining compsny wants to get to pay dirt aa aoon as they can, and had rather speud much money and make a quick realization, than to take up a few more montbs of time at less cost, in getting to the “pay.’’ But tunneling is now getting to be an enterprise of mere daya, and not of months and years, aa was the case at a very late day of the past. Those psronssion ‘machine drills have bronght about the revolution. They put blasting holes into the rocks with astoniahing rapidity, aud they never get tired. The’ drill which haa had the greateet success in doing such work is the “ Burleigh,” of which Messrs, Parke and Lacy, of San Francisco, are the agents, That drill does its work not only iu tunnels bnt in mines which are worked through

shafts. Those at work now in the Idaho mine of this place are proving successful beyond what was expected of them. Those interested in improvementa in mining machinery should exsmine the Burleigh drill. It is a success. —Grass Valley Union. Timber Lands of the Sierras, The esstern slopes of the Sierras bristls with forssts of timbsr, which have besn cut into at will by pretty much every one who had nse for the timber. Claim was Isid to portions of thess Isnds by the Central Pacific Resilroad, which the Governmsnt intended to reserva, and its opinion on the msttsr has been msde known in the annexed correspondsnee: Wasuinoton, D. C., June 15, 1874. Hon. Joun Dax, Ragister State Land Offies, Carson City, Nsv.—Dear Sir: We enclose Commissionsr’s letter of the 10th inst., officially notifying ns of the Sserstary’a decision on the appeal taken by the Central Pacifie railroad, from the Commissioner’s decision of January 15, 1873, rejecting the claim of the road to ths odd numbered sections within the limits of the old Timber Ressrye. This decision finally disposss of the claim of ths road, and as soon as we Can get new lists made up we will have -includsd the selections which have been suspended on that acconnt. Yours trnly, Britton, Gray & Drummonp. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Gexerat Lanp OFrsiorz, Washington, D.C. Jnne 10, 1874. Messrs. Britton & Gray—GEnriemen: As agents of the State of Nsvsda, I have to inform yon that the Hon. Secretary of ths Intsrior, under dste of the 2d iust., affirmed my decision of Jannary 15, 2873, rejscting the claim of the Central Pacific Railroad Company to lands in Townships 18 and 19 N., R. 18 E. Carson city, Nevada, late Mill and Timber Rsservs. Vary spepacitally, W. W. Corts. alluding to thia correspondence, the Territorial Enterprise says: The reservation lies on both sides of the Truckee river, and was set apart for the purpose of supplying Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation saw-mill with timbsr. Thousanda of logs were cut and rolled to the river; hut the mill was not completed, and the logs, instead of being floated down the atream to the reservation, were permitted to rot where they lay. . The Government paid for the cutting and banking of about one-half of these logs, and a suit is still before the Court of Claims, we helieve, to compel a settlement for the remainder, the amount claimed heing shout $15,000. The timher reservation 1a several thousand acres in extent; bnt it can be of no great value, as the most of the timber lias doubtleas heen removed by thia time. It will probably be thrown open to sale by the Government. THE Broony Mryz.—The Bronco mine, located on the San Pedro, where ;}M. B Dnffield was killed, has had a hloody record. It was lolocated in 1855 by aman named Bronco, and in 1858 he and a man named Williams entered into a copartnership to work it. They did considerable work on the mine and as far as developed it showed-a large, well defined vein, very rich in silver. They erected bnildings, established a atore and were prspared to work the mine on an extenaive acale, when in 1859 the Mexicans in their employ rose en masse aud for pnrpoaes of robbery murdered Bronco, Williams, Marsh and another man whose name we do not know, and carried to Sonora all the movahle property. The four victims were buried near the mine, and now Major Dnffield is buried beside them. Since Bronco and party were murdered no work of any importance has been done on the mine, on account of the danger from the Apachee. Major Duffield claimed to have located the mine in 1864 and over a year ago it waa located by other persons and since that location Duffield haa been very violent in hia threats towards any and all who dared to interfere with hia righta. Before leaving Tucson on his laat trip we nnderstand he made his will and frequently expressed the determination to drive off whoever he might find on the mine. From the fact of his making his will it is evident that he intended to succeed in his purpose or die in the attempt.— Arizona Citizen. A Gunt Eyrerprise.—A company haa been formed, composed of citizens of this county, for the purpose of bringing lumber from the Sierra Nevadas to this point. A sawmill with a capacity for dressing 30,000 feet of lumber per day, or 50,000 feet every 24 houra, has been established at the head waters of the Fresno river, in what is prohably the finest timber region of the State, from whicha V-ahaped flume is now in process of construction to a point between Borden and Beranda stations—a distance ofsome 55 miles. There is now engaged on the flume a working force of 35 men, which will be increased as fast as men can be obtained. Itiaestimated that 7,000,000 feet of lumber will be nsed in the construction of this flume, at a coat of $1,600 per mile. Merced is to be the principal place of hnsinesa. The enterprise is certainly an important one, and oannot fail to be of immense advantage tothe people of thia county.— Merced Tribune. Ricu Drocines Steucx.—It is reported that rich diggings have been struck in what ia called the ‘‘Warren’a meadows.’’ These meadows have long been enpposed to contain vast deposita of gold, hnt it is so deep to the hed-rook that heretofore they have not been able to work them successfully. Above the meadows and a stream that empties into these, very rich mines have been worked for some time, and it has always been believed that this same vein ran through the meadows, hnt heretofore it wae impossible to trace it. But now a rich deposit haabeen struck, and men safe taking out as good psy as they did in the palmy daya of Warren’s camp.— Walla Walla Union. ~~ Yield of Pacific Coast Mines. Ths New York Times has the following article on the yisld of the Pscifie coast mines: The war of the Unitsd States with Mexico hss in itsslf heen called a trifling affsir, bnt it is difficult to find any war, sxcepting that of the rebellion, which has had more importsnt rssults. By the terms of ths treaty of psace, California wss csded to the United Statss, and being thus opened to American enterpriss, it was not long before the world was startled by the disecvery that the new acquisition ccntained dsposits of gold of almost fabnlous extent. Twenty-five years have now elapssd siuce that discovsry, and it is almost impossible to measurs the effect which its results have had upon the commsrce and the governmsnts of the world. The businsss of the world increasss year hy ysar with the incrsase of population, and thsre must, of course, be a corresponding increase in the volume of money npon which it is based, or there would be not only a gsneral derangement of values, bnt an end of that enterprise by which mankind has bscome civilizsd and prospsrons. The product of the mines of our Pacific slops in the precious metals is, thsrefore, a mattsr of mors than national importance and interest, for it has affected directly or indirsctly all mankind. Recently-published statistics show that the yield of ths last quartsr of a centnry reached the enormous total of $1,583,644,984. Of thia immense snm Californie produced thrse-fourths, or $1,094,919,098, nearly all of which was in gold. Nevada has produced $221,402,412 in gold and silver, hut chisfly the latter, for by far ths greater proportion of the prodnet has come out of the wonderful Comstock lodes. Utah, althongh known for many years to be rich in precions metals, hae only lately been made to produce them, and the yield haa been no more than $18,527,537. Moutana has added $119,308,147 to the riches ofthe world, and Idaho has given $57,249,197, Colorado has been only lately ‘developed aa a mining region, hnt its yield has already reached about $30,000,000. Oregon and Washington Territory have together produced $25,504,250. British Columbia haa contrihnted abont $9,000,000, and Arizona a amall aum, hut the latter Territory haa not heen worked to any great extent, and ia capabla of doing mnch better. It isa remarkable fact, worthy of more attention than it has received, that the prodnction of the Pacifio alope has heen steadily increasing from year to year. It is especially significant that the increase of last year was about 14 per cent. the aotnal yield heing $80,287,436, against $70,236,914 in 1872. It is interesting to inquire what has become of this immense store of gold and silver. About $40,000,000 of it remains on the Pacific slope in ooin and jewelry, arid a fraction, of course, haa heen abaorbed by thé general business of the country. Bnt the great bulk has been exported, and chiefly to England, China and Japan, but moatly to England, which has had nearly $1,100,000,000, leaving only about $500,000,000 for the reat ot the world. The reason for this flow of the precious metala to England ia given in a recent forcihle letter from Dr. Linderman, Director of the United States Mint, to Senator Sargent, of Oalifornia, The bullion goes there in the firat place, not becanse it is demanded by the commercial needs of the conntry, but because coinage is free at the London Mint, while the United States have always persisted in the absurd policy of pntting a tax npon coinage so onerous that bullion haa heen driven ont of the country, Most of it would go in any event, owing to the fact that we buy so largely in foreign countriea, and it perhapa makea little difference whether it goes as coin or bullion. But if our coinage laws had heen more sensible, there ia reaaon to believe that the proportion against ns would by no means have been so great. There has lately been a manifestation of common sense in Congress on this snbject, and it did not come any too soon. : There is one other fact connected with the yield of precious metala on the Pacific elope which should not escape attention. We have said that there has been for aeveral years a steady increaae in the total yield, but it also ahould be said that this is dne wholly to the increase in the production of silver, for there has been a decrease in that of gold. Formerly the yield waa entirely gold, and it waa not notil 1859, when the argentiferous lodea of Nevada astoniahed the world, that we hsgan to produce ailver in any considerable quantities. Thus far the yield has been enormous, but it promises to be mnch larger in the futnre, The Pacific slope, having furnished the world with the gold it required, is now giving it a aufficiency of silver. Goon Yretn,.—Nine tons of ore from Highland district were crushed last week at the Floral mill, and yielded something over $1,000, Thia mill, nnder the careful and ‘experienced management of Mr, McMasters, is doing excellent work. In thie lot of ore there was fully 30 per cent. of base metal, yet it was worked np to 80 per cent. of the pnip aasay, which ia more than ordinary good work.—Pioche Record. Nevapa’s Buiiion Propuct.—The Oarson Appeal saya: The hnilion product of Nevada will he doubled within the next twelve-month. Developmenta on the line of the Comstook indicate a large increase, and the enlargement of facilitiee for the transportation of snpplies and producta in the eastern part of the State ensure ns of the fulfillment of our prediction.