Volume 35 (1877) (426 pages)

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS {September 15, 1877. SENIOR EDITOR. DEWEY & CO., Publishers, A. T. DEWEY, GEO, H. STRONG. W. 8. EWER, JNO. L, SOONEL Office, No. 202 Sansome Street, N. E. Corner of Pine Street, San Francisco, Subscription and Advertising Rates: ApvVERTISING RaTEs. 1 week. 1month. 3mos, 12 mos. Pel line..sseseee 25 +80 $ 2.00 $ 5.00 Halt inch (1 square). $1.00 $3.00 7.50 24.00 Que inch..-.+ 1.50 4,00 12.00 40,00 Large advertisements at favorable rates. Speclal or reading notices, legal advertisements, notices appearing Jn extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates. Four insertions are rated In a month. SUSSCRIPTION 1N ADVANCE—Postage paid—one year, six months, $2.25; three tha, $1.25. F Cs) registered letters or P. O orders at our risk. 34; hy Tue Oniainal Antioigs in this paper are mostly set in solid type, giving in our columns one-third more reading than is atalned iu ordinary leaded inatter. Appness all letters to the firm, and not to individual members, or others, who may at rny time be absent. Our latest forms go to press on Thursday evening. SAN FRANCISCO: Saturday Morning, Sept. 15, 1877. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS.—An Improved Concentrating Mill; Items of Interest from the Mines, 161. The Week; Tailings; Notices of Recent Patents; The Bullion Tax; Another Dry Placer Machine, 168. The Sierra Flume and Lumber Company; A Pocket Lahoratory for Prospectors, 169. Patents and Inventions; Our Own Exhibit; Points of Success, 1'72. ILLUSTRATIONS.—Richards’ Iinproved Concentrating Mill,161. Great American Shrike, 166. Yard and Works of the Sierra Flume and Lumber Company, 169. MECHANICAL PROGRESS.—The Value of Dry Steam; Propelling by Pumps; Pistous whieh require no Lubrication; Our Domestic Metals; Blasting Coal with Compressed Air; Toughening Glass hy Compression, 163. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.—Geological Progress; Insects’ Breathing Apparatus; Why Mars’ Moous were not Found Before; A New Metal; The Hayden Surveys; A_Telescope Idle; Sanitas; Galvanic Crystallization, 16:3. THY ENGINEER.—Allowing for Rail Expansion; Improvements in Shutter Dams; A French [rrigation Scheme; Not the Fault of the Engineer; Saud in Suez’s Mouth; The Mole at Vera Cruz; Hudson River Tunnel, 166. MINING STOCK MAREET.—Sules at the San Francisco, Pacific aud California Stock Buards; Notices of Assessmonts, Meetings and Dividends; Revicw of the Stock Market for the Weck, 164. MINING SUMMARY from tho various counties of California, Noyada, Arizona, Idaho aud Utah, 165172. USEFUL INFORMATION,.—Tho Average Hight of Meu; Lace Paper; Roofing Streets and Cooling Houses; Galvanizing fron; Adulteration of Beeswax; Waterproof Leather; Blast Furnaces in the United States; Eburite, 167. GOOD HHALTH.—Hints ou the Care of the Eyes; Pickles Colored but not Poisoned; Healthful Hours, _ 167. GENERAL NEWs ITEMS on page 1'72 aud other pages. MISCELLANEOUS.—Lead Ores; “Outside” Mines in Nevada; The Mining Situation In Arizona; Ward's Leading Mine, 162. The Shrike, or Buteber Bird; Cornucopia District, 166. Tuscarora District; Bullionville. 16'7. The Gravel Chanuels of lowa Hill; Working Flue Dust; Fire Proof Construction; Mineral Hill; A Sweet Remedy; Our Paper Mills; The Ridge, 1'70. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Wren’s Petroleum Gas Works, W. C. Wren, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Position Wanted, Chemist, New York City; ‘TulJoch’s Automatic Ore Feeder, Fred’k Ogden, 3. F.; A Noti Excelsior Silver Mining Co. The Week, The week has hrougbt forward notbing of special importance in connection with the mining interests. The Sutro tunnel, as it gradually nears ths Comstock lods, is a subject of considerable discussion. It is expected that there will he some difficulty in effecting an arrangement to suit both the tunnel people and the owners of the mines, as far as the royalty is concerned. A committee of mine owners has the matter under consideration, however, and the result will soon he made known, The wesk brings to us the opening of the fair season in the interior. The Mechanics’ Institute fair in this city has proved such a complete success, and the demand of the populace is so clear, that it will bs continued through another week. This, howevsr, will not interfere with the reign of the S‘ats fair at Sacramento, which will he inaugurated with due ceremonies next Monday. Iudesd, we shall not be surprised if ths contemporaneous sxistence of the two fairs will prove an accommodation to many visitors up and down the coast for they can visit the Mechanics’ fair on their way to or from Sacramento, and thus enjoy the two exhibitions hy one ahssuce from home, As we hava said from time to time, on the authority of the Sacrameuto papers, the prospect for ths State fair is hright, and we trust noone there present may have the least cause to rememher that the present is a dry ysar. Tue failure of Frank Leslie, the new: , 000, a 1 lie, th Bpaper publisher, is annoynced. Ljahilities, 5 Tailings. Peopls havs found out, within ‘the past few years, that it is sometimes mors profitahls to work over tailings which have heen hurriedly or carelessly put through the mills, than it was to work a mine and mill the ore as it came from ths mine. Ths tailings, after lying exposed to ths weather for a year or more, are much more easily worked, as the sulphurets decompose and the mass hscomes much more tractahle. A good creek or gulch full of tailings is now often worth more tham the original mine, and people have made fortnnes working these heds, Near the Comstock there ars several tailings mills at work. At first they did pretty well, hut when quicksilver went up so high, they had to give up for a whils. Now the tailings mill, at ths junction of the Seven-Mile and Six-Mile cauyons, is running night and day on the tailings and slum from ths honanza mills in Virginia City. Employment is given to hetweeu 75 and 100 men. Ths Gold Hill News describes the process as follows: Ths slum has to be thoroughly dried hefore working. During the summer months it is spread out upon the ground and exposed to the sun forseveral weeks. It has to he turned and handled anumber of times hefore itis ready for ths mill. This requiras a greal of lahor. When winter comes, with its snows and rains, the sun-drying process is not availahle, and, were not some other mesns adopted, ths supply of workahle slum would soon he exhausted, and work at the mill would necessarily close for ths season. To ohviate such a step, adrying machins has been constructed at the Union foundry, and is now being placed in position at ths mill. Itis abome invention, and the inventor thinks it will have‘capacity enough to keep ths mill in active operation. It has not yet heen put toa practical test. IEf it is found to do its work readily and well, as is expected, it will he used winterand summer, as the cost of fuel to run the dryer would he hut a trifle compared with the money it takes to employ men aud teains to haul and handle the slum by the out-door method. The mill has a crushing capscity of over 200 tons per day. Ths slum is worth ahont $30 per tons, euongh to make ths working of ths mill quite proiitahle. Notices of Recent Patents, Among the patcnts recently ohtained through Dewey & Co.’s Screntiric Press American and Foreign, Patent Agency, tbe following are worthy of mention: Spring Firoor.—Wm. H. Clark, Austin, Nev. This invention relates to a spring floor, which can bs formed on a solid foundation in such a manner as not to affect the standing walls of a building, 1t consists of a supplemental floor, placed over either au ordinary floor or the heams upon which floors are usually secured, having springs heneath the supplemental floor, which are so arranged that an even elasticity will he given to all parts of the floor. This floor is claimed to be safe and durahle. If desired, the spring tloor may cover ouly a portion of a room, a stationary platform being huilt up even with it so that a level surface will he presented, the statiouary part heing used for seats, music stand or auy desired purpose. Device ror Houpine Sacks ror FILLtInc.— J. L. Covert, Modesto, Stanislaus county. This is a novel device for holding sacks wheu hsing filled, the construction heing such that any sizcd sack can he instautly adjusted when empty and released when full. Mr. Covert has employed in practice 10 of the holders, side hy side, and having a tilting spout hstween them, hy which they could bs alteruately used. Mr. HE. M. Denny will visit Oregon and adjacent Territories in the interests of the MrnIne AND SciENTIFIO Press and Paciric Rura. Press, and will correspond for hoth papers. We have noticed Mr. Denny’s correspondence in the Tulare county papers, and are sure that the notes he gathers will he of interest to our readers. We hope onr friends in the regions he visits will assist Mr. Denny as much as they can, and show him such favors as are in their power, Tue County Commissioners of Storey county signed a contract with Lewis & Deal and Jonas Seelsy to act as their attorneys to prosecute the back bullion tax suits, for the recovery of taxes due Storey conuty from 1868 to 1875 inclusive, amounting to about a million dollars. According to a dispatch puhlishsd in one of the morning papers, the prosecuting lawyers are to receive from Storey county a 207 fee. Tue mint, at the request of the Traasury Commission, commenced to run, Thursday morning, at its maximum capacity for one week, excepting the refinery. The necessary amount of refined hullion has heen procured to keep the mint in active operation, and ths consuinption of coal during the next two weeks will hs carefully noted by Mr. Eckert, who has been selected for that purpose hy the Commission, By a collision hetwssn two vessela in the English channel, this week, 96 livea ware lost. The Bullion Tax. The Decielon of the U. S. Supreme Court that itis Valid. The suit of Charles Forhes, appellant, vs. Thomas Gracy ef al. (appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Nevada), has heen decided by ths United States . P Supreme Conrt. This was a suit brought hy the appellant to eujoin ths Collector of Taxes of Storey county, Nevada, from collecting the tax imposed hy the law of that State upon the property of ths Consolidated Virginia mining company, appellaut heing a stockholder in that company and an alien, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, Ths tax is imposed upon the proceeds of a mine worked by a corporation, and is resisted on the ground that the title to the land from which the mineral is taken isin the United States, and is not, for that reason, liahle to State taxation. The casc, says the judge delivering the opinion, is prepared and subinitted to the United States in printed argument in the vsry last days of the term, and ws are urged to decide it on the ground that it involves a question of vast interest to all mining operations in the Pacific States, and is of vital importance to the Stats of Nevada, as it affects Her Largest Source of Revenue. In view of itsimportance, then, we should postpoue a decision until the next term, if the questions presented were over-doubtful or difficult of solution, We think very few words—all we can give toths subject at this late day—will show thatit is neither. It is very true that Congress bas, by her statutes and tacit consent, permitted individuals and corporations to take out and convert to their own use ores containing precious metals which ars found in lands belonging to ths Government withont exacting or receiving any compensation for these ores, or without requiring a mine to buy or pay for the land. It has goue further, and recognized the possessory rights uf these miners, as ascertained among themselves by rules which have hecome ths laws of mining districts as regards mining claims; hut iu adding this it has not parted with title to the land, except in cases where the land has heen sold in accordancs with the provisions of ths law on that subject. If the tax of the State of Nevada is, in point of fact, levied on this property right of the United States, we arc bound by our previous decisions and hy sonnd princijlss to hold that it is void. If, on the other hand, it is levied upon the property of the miner, and may be collected without affecting or embarrassing the title of the United States to property which belongs to that Government, then there is no ground for interferencs with tbe process of the State in its collection. A few extracts from the statutes of Nevada showing the uatnre and character of the property on which the contested tax is imposed, and the manner of its enforcement and collection, will enahle us to decide whether it belongs to one or the other of thess classes, We copy here important sectious of the Act of February 28tb, 1871, imposiug this tax. After quoting so much of the law as is necessary to its proper construction, ws find that under it, where ore is detached from its bed it becomes personal property, free from any lien of the Government and subjcct to taxation. It does not seem to us that there can he any reasonahle ground for asserting that the United States has any interest in the tax or in the sale of property for said tax. It is, however, urged with more show of reasou that scetion six, which makes this tax a lieu on the mines or mining claims from which ores or niinerals hearing gold or silver are extracted for reduction, 1s an interference with the right of the property of the Government, An examination of the lan. guage we have quotcd will show that it was carefully prepared to avoid this ohjection, and we think it does. The uss of the words «mines or mining claims” is evidently intended to distiugnish hetween cases in which ths miner is ths owner of the soil, and therefore has a perfect title to the mine, and thoss in which the miner does not have titls to the soil, hut works the mine under what is well known in mining districts, and what is, as we have said, recognized hy an Act of Congress, as mining claims. In ths first case the statutes make a ben on the mine, hecauss the title to the mine is in the person who owns it, aud shonld pay tax. In ths other tax isa lien only on the claim of the mine; that is, On His Posseseory Right To explore and work the mine under the existing laws and regulations on the subject. In the former cass, of course, the United States has no interest to he protected, and the State isat liberty to declare and enforce snch lien for her taxes. In ths latter case, such rights as the mining lawa allow and as Congress concedes to develop and work the mines ars properly in the miner. That it isso shown is clear by the conduct of mining corporations in whose interest this suit is hrought, which, forthe purpose of evadiug this tax, permits its investment in this mine (said to he worth from 350,000,000 to $100,000,000) to rest on this claim, this mere possessory right, when it could, at a ridiculously small sum comparéd to the value of the mins, ohtaiu the Government’s title to the entire land, soil, mineral and all. These claims are suhject to hargain and sale, and constitute very largely the wealth of the Pacific coast States. They are property in the fullest senss of the word, and their ownership, tranafer and use are governed by the well-defined basss of ths law, and are recognized hy the Statss and Federal Govsrnment. This claim may hs sold, transferred, mortgaged or inherited without infringing the title of the United States. Why may it not also he subjected to alien for taxes, and the claim, such as it is, recognized hy ths statuts, be sold to enforce the lien? Ws see nothing in rinciple or in any interest which ths United States has in the land to prevent it. Ws ars of opinion that the decree of the Circuit Court dismissing the hill of the appellant on a demurrer was right, and it is therefore affirmed, _ Justice Field, heing disqualified hy reason of interest, took no part in the decision of ths case, Justics Miller deliverd the opinion. Another Dry Placer Machine. A short time sines we published a description of a machine for working dry placers, which was in operation in New Mexico. Considerahls inquiry has heen made concerning thess machines, as there are plenty of places in thia State, as well as in Western Nevada and Arizona, whsre ground not now availabls could hs made to yield profitable returns, if ths machine is all that is claimed for it. Wenotica that another machine of its kind hss come to the front, whicb has heen experimented with hy Messrs. Duhem & Bennet, of Denver, Colorado, for some time. A few weeks since they mads their first public test, with results which, though not pecuniarily large, were satisfactory to the psrties interested. The Denver 7'imes descrihes ths apparatus as follows : ‘*The machine, which is portahla, heing mounted on wheels, weighs about 4,000 pounds, exclusive of an eight-horse power engine and hoiler required to ruu it, is placed npon a mine in the South Park, ahont 10 miles east from Hamilton, and one mile south of Tarryall creek. This mine was choscn more as a test than for any hope of profit, it being an abandoned mins, and the gold beg extremely fine. On this mine can he had nearly all kinds of dirt, from hisck hottom clay and mud to the ordiuary gravel deposit, and, in fact, fora thorough and severe test no better spot could have been selected. Two experienced miners, working here with ths sluice, cleaned up a little less than §&6, for their joint labor for six days. At the end of a six-day run, during which much non-pay dirt was pnt through (it heing necessary to handls the latter in searching fur ths pay streak), the machine cleaned up $99.94, as stamped hy the Deuver mint, And when it is taken iuto consideration that the 60 odd square feet of copper surfacs was new and rougb, with a numher of riveted seams, and that they were not cleaued with 2 view to taking all the gold, it will be evident that as much more was saved, The necessary expense of rnnning is from $10 to $12 per day, and this will decrease as expsrience is gained; hut tsking the highest figure of expense, and leaving ont of consideration the gold saved and absorhed (so to speak) hy tbe 60 feet of surface, the miut assay shows a clear profit to the machine of $25 for the first six days’ run, Experienced mill men have estimated the gold saved aud still on the plates at from $75 to $100, and it is fully helieved that the next week’s run will not fall short of $300, which will leave a net profit of $225 to the machine, and this on a mine where 50 cents per day to the man canuot he had with the sluice. ‘During the six days all kinds of dirt were put through the machine—clay, fine sand and gravel; each in their turn was tried with the same results, save that the coarse material was handled a little more expeditiously. Heavy sods, six inches thick hy 10 to 12 inches wide and two feet long, were dumped in and came out torn to shreds and perfectly washed of all dirt. Instead of 800 pans per hour, as claimed hy the inventors, the capacity of the machine was found to he from 1,000 to 1,400 pans per hour, or 80 to 100 cuhic yards per day of 10 hours, varying a little with the kind of dirt heing dressed. During the triela the tailings were frequently tested hy careful panning, hoth hy interested partics and persons present as spectators. No gold was found at any time hy any person in the tailings—the machine having taken up, so far as is known, every particls. The water required to run this machine may he drawn from a good well, and though a dump for tailings is always desirahls, it is not essential in this machine. The inventors, in their circular of a year ago, disclaimed any hope of ever heing able to compets with ths sluice where water could he had, and ths gold not too fine for sluicing, but this last trial developes the fact that their machine is in advance of the sluics in evary respect, especially where the dirt has to he handled to get it into the sluics. Each machine gives employment to three or four men, and there is ample room in Colorado alone for several thonsand of them, to say nothing of California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. That they can he made to pay on very low-grade mines, is evident from the ahove figures. The fact that ons party has contracted for 10 of these machines, another for 15, another for seven, while five more are bonded to still another party, and that each of these parties were psrsonal witnesses of the test ahove descrihed, speaks volumes for the machine. As soon as the contract can he let, thess machines will hs commenced. They will he slightly improved, and of a little greater capacity, We shall, from time to time, report on this new departure in placer mining.”

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS {September 15, 1877. SENIOR EDITOR. DEWEY & CO., Publishers, A. T. DEWEY, GEO, H. STRONG. W. 8. EWER, JNO. L, SOONEL Office, No. 202 Sansome Street, N. E. Corner of Pine Street, San Francisco, Subscription and Advertising Rates: ApvVERTISING RaTEs. 1 week. 1month. 3mos, 12 mos. Pel line...sseseee 25 +80 $ 2.00 $ 5.00 Halt inch (1 square). $1.00 $3.00 7.50 24.00 Que inch....-.+ 1.50 4,00 12.00 40,00 Large advertisements at favorable rates. Speclal or reading notices, legal advertisements, notices appearing Jn extraordinary type or in particular parts of the paper, inserted at special rates. Four insertions are rated In a month. SUSSCRIPTION 1N ADVANCE—Postage paid—one year, six months, $2.25; three tha, $1.25. F Cs) registered letters or P. O orders at our risk. 34; hy Tue Oniainal Antioigs in this paper are mostly set in solid type, giving in our columns one-third more reading than is atalned iu ordinary leaded inatter. Appness all letters to the firm, and not to individual members, or others, who may at rny time be absent. Our latest forms go to press on Thursday evening. SAN FRANCISCO: Saturday Morning, Sept. 15, 1877. TABLE OF CONTENTS. GENERAL EDITORIALS.—An Improved Concentrating Mill; Items of Interest from the Mines, 161. The Week; Tailings; Notices of Recent Patents; The Bullion Tax; Another Dry Placer Machine, 168. The Sierra Flume and Lumber Company; A Pocket Lahoratory for Prospectors, 169. Patents and Inventions; Our Own Exhibit; Points of Success, 1'72. ILLUSTRATIONS.—Richards’ Iinproved Concentrating Mill,161. Great American Shrike, 166. Yard and Works of the Sierra Flume and Lumber Company, 169. MECHANICAL PROGRESS.—The Value of Dry Steam; Propelling by Pumps; Pistous whieh require no Lubrication; Our Domestic Metals; Blasting Coal with Compressed Air; Toughening Glass hy Compression, 163. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.—Geological Progress; Insects’ Breathing Apparatus; Why Mars’ Moous were not Found Before; A New Metal; The Hayden Surveys; A_Telescope Idle; Sanitas; Galvanic Crystallization, 16:3. THY ENGINEER.—Allowing for Rail Expansion; Improvements in Shutter Dams; A French [rrigation Scheme; Not the Fault of the Engineer; Saud in Suez’s Mouth; The Mole at Vera Cruz; Hudson River Tunnel, 166. MINING STOCK MAREET.—Sules at the San Francisco, Pacific aud California Stock Buards; Notices of Assessmonts, Meetings and Dividends; Revicw of the Stock Market for the Weck, 164. MINING SUMMARY from tho various counties of California, Noyada, Arizona, Idaho aud Utah, 165172. USEFUL INFORMATION,.—Tho Average Hight of Meu; Lace Paper; Roofing Streets and Cooling Houses; Galvanizing fron; Adulteration of Beeswax; Waterproof Leather; Blast Furnaces in the United States; Eburite, 167. GOOD HHALTH.—Hints ou the Care of the Eyes; Pickles Colored but not Poisoned; Healthful Hours, _ 167. GENERAL NEWs ITEMS on page 1'72 aud other pages. MISCELLANEOUS.—Lead Ores; “Outside” Mines in Nevada; The Mining Situation In Arizona; Ward's Leading Mine, 162. The Shrike, or Buteber Bird; Cornucopia District, 166. Tuscarora District; Bullionville. 16'7. The Gravel Chanuels of lowa Hill; Working Flue Dust; Fire Proof Construction; Mineral Hill; A Sweet Remedy; Our Paper Mills; The Ridge, 1'70. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Wren’s Petroleum Gas Works, W. C. Wren, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Position Wanted, Chemist, New York City; ‘TulJoch’s Automatic Ore Feeder, Fred’k Ogden, 3. F.; A Noti Excelsior Silver Mining Co. The Week, The week has hrougbt forward notbing of special importance in connection with the mining interests. The Sutro tunnel, as it gradually nears ths Comstock lods, is a subject of considerable discussion. It is expected that there will he some difficulty in effecting an arrangement to suit both the tunnel people and the owners of the mines, as far as the royalty is concerned. A committee of mine owners has the matter under consideration, however, and the result will soon he made known, The wesk brings to us the opening of the fair season in the interior. The Mechanics’ Institute fair in this city has proved such a complete success, and the demand of the populace is so clear, that it will bs continued through another week. This, howevsr, will not interfere with the reign of the S‘ats fair at Sacramento, which will he inaugurated with due ceremonies next Monday. Iudesd, we shall not be surprised if ths contemporaneous sxistence of the two fairs will prove an accommodation to many visitors up and down the coast for they can visit the Mechanics’ fair on their way to or from Sacramento, and thus enjoy the two exhibitions hy one ahssuce from home, As we hava said from time to time, on the authority of the Sacrameuto papers, the prospect for ths State fair is hright, and we trust noone there present may have the least cause to rememher that the present is a dry ysar. Tue failure of Frank Leslie, the new: , 000, a 1 lie, th Bpaper publisher, is annoynced. Ljahilities, 5 Tailings. Peopls havs found out, within ‘the past few years, that it is sometimes mors profitahls to work over tailings which have heen hurriedly or carelessly put through the mills, than it was to work a mine and mill the ore as it came from ths mine. Ths tailings, after lying exposed to ths weather for a year or more, are much more easily worked, as the sulphurets decompose and the mass hscomes much more tractahle. A good creek or gulch full of tailings is now often worth more tham the original mine, and people have made fortnnes working these heds, Near the Comstock there ars several tailings mills at work. At first they did pretty well, hut when quicksilver went up so high, they had to give up for a whils. Now the tailings mill, at ths junction of the Seven-Mile and Six-Mile cauyons, is running night and day on the tailings and slum from ths honanza mills in Virginia City. Employment is given to hetweeu 75 and 100 men. Ths Gold Hill News describes the process as follows: Ths slum has to be thoroughly dried hefore working. During the summer months it is spread out upon the ground and exposed to the sun forseveral weeks. It has to he turned and handled anumber of times hefore itis ready for ths mill. This requiras a greal of lahor. When winter comes, with its snows and rains, the sun-drying process is not availahle, and, were not some other mesns adopted, ths supply of workahle slum would soon he exhausted, and work at the mill would necessarily close for ths season. To ohviate such a step, adrying machins has been constructed at the Union foundry, and is now being placed in position at ths mill. Itis abome invention, and the inventor thinks it will have‘capacity enough to keep ths mill in active operation. It has not yet heen put toa practical test. IEf it is found to do its work readily and well, as is expected, it will he used winterand summer, as the cost of fuel to run the dryer would he hut a trifle compared with the money it takes to employ men aud teains to haul and handle the slum by the out-door method. The mill has a crushing capscity of over 200 tons per day. Ths slum is worth ahont $30 per tons, euongh to make ths working of ths mill quite proiitahle. Notices of Recent Patents, Among the patcnts recently ohtained through Dewey & Co.’s Screntiric Press American and Foreign, Patent Agency, tbe following are worthy of mention: Spring Firoor.—Wm. H. Clark, Austin, Nev. This invention relates to a spring floor, which can bs formed on a solid foundation in such a manner as not to affect the standing walls of a building, 1t consists of a supplemental floor, placed over either au ordinary floor or the heams upon which floors are usually secured, having springs heneath the supplemental floor, which are so arranged that an even elasticity will he given to all parts of the floor. This floor is claimed to be safe and durahle. If desired, the spring tloor may cover ouly a portion of a room, a stationary platform being huilt up even with it so that a level surface will he presented, the statiouary part heing used for seats, music stand or auy desired purpose. Device ror Houpine Sacks ror FILLtInc.— J. L. Covert, Modesto, Stanislaus county. This is a novel device for holding sacks wheu hsing filled, the construction heing such that any sizcd sack can he instautly adjusted when empty and released when full. Mr. Covert has employed in practice 10 of the holders, side hy side, and having a tilting spout hstween them, hy which they could bs alteruately used. Mr. HE. M. Denny will visit Oregon and adjacent Territories in the interests of the MrnIne AND SciENTIFIO Press and Paciric Rura. Press, and will correspond for hoth papers. We have noticed Mr. Denny’s correspondence in the Tulare county papers, and are sure that the notes he gathers will he of interest to our readers. We hope onr friends in the regions he visits will assist Mr. Denny as much as they can, and show him such favors as are in their power, Tue County Commissioners of Storey county signed a contract with Lewis & Deal and Jonas Seelsy to act as their attorneys to prosecute the back bullion tax suits, for the recovery of taxes due Storey conuty from 1868 to 1875 inclusive, amounting to about a million dollars. According to a dispatch puhlishsd in one of the morning papers, the prosecuting lawyers are to receive from Storey county a 207 fee. Tue mint, at the request of the Traasury Commission, commenced to run, Thursday morning, at its maximum capacity for one week, excepting the refinery. The necessary amount of refined hullion has heen procured to keep the mint in active operation, and ths consuinption of coal during the next two weeks will hs carefully noted by Mr. Eckert, who has been selected for that purpose hy the Commission, By a collision hetwssn two vessela in the English channel, this week, 96 livea ware lost. The Bullion Tax. The Decielon of the U. S. Supreme Court that itis Valid. The suit of Charles Forhes, appellant, vs. Thomas Gracy ef al. (appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Nevada), has heen decided by ths United States . P Supreme Conrt. This was a suit brought hy the

appellant to eujoin ths Collector of Taxes of Storey county, Nevada, from collecting the tax imposed hy the law of that State upon the property of ths Consolidated Virginia mining company, appellaut heing a stockholder in that company and an alien, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, Ths tax is imposed upon the proceeds of a mine worked by a corporation, and is resisted on the ground that the title to the land from which the mineral is taken isin the United States, and is not, for that reason, liahle to State taxation. The casc, says the judge delivering the opinion, is prepared and subinitted to the United States in printed argument in the vsry last days of the term, and ws are urged to decide it on the ground that it involves a question of vast interest to all mining operations in the Pacific States, and is of vital importance to the Stats of Nevada, as it affects Her Largest Source of Revenue. In view of itsimportance, then, we should postpoue a decision until the next term, if the questions presented were over-doubtful or difficult of solution, We think very few words—all we can give toths subject at this late day—will show thatit is neither. It is very true that Congress bas, by her statutes and tacit consent, permitted individuals and corporations to take out and convert to their own use ores containing precious metals which ars found in lands belonging to ths Government withont exacting or receiving any compensation for these ores, or without requiring a mine to buy or pay for the land. It has goue further, and recognized the possessory rights uf these miners, as ascertained among themselves by rules which have hecome ths laws of mining districts as regards mining claims; hut iu adding this it has not parted with title to the land, except in cases where the land has heen sold in accordancs with the provisions of ths law on that subject. If the tax of the State of Nevada is, in point of fact, levied on this property right of the United States, we arc bound by our previous decisions and hy sonnd princijlss to hold that it is void. If, on the other hand, it is levied upon the property of the miner, and may be collected without affecting or embarrassing the title of the United States to property which belongs to that Government, then there is no ground for interferencs with tbe process of the State in its collection. A few extracts from the statutes of Nevada showing the uatnre and character of the property on which the contested tax is imposed, and the manner of its enforcement and collection, will enahle us to decide whether it belongs to one or the other of thess classes, We copy here important sectious of the Act of February 28tb, 1871, imposiug this tax. After quoting so much of the law as is necessary to its proper construction, ws find that under it, where ore is detached from its bed it becomes personal property, free from any lien of the Government and subjcct to taxation. It does not seem to us that there can he any reasonahle ground for asserting that the United States has any interest in the tax or in the sale of property for said tax. It is, however, urged with more show of reasou that scetion six, which makes this tax a lieu on the mines or mining claims from which ores or niinerals hearing gold or silver are extracted for reduction, 1s an interference with the right of the property of the Government, An examination of the lan. guage we have quotcd will show that it was carefully prepared to avoid this ohjection, and we think it does. The uss of the words «mines or mining claims” is evidently intended to distiugnish hetween cases in which ths miner is ths owner of the soil, and therefore has a perfect title to the mine, and thoss in which the miner does not have titls to the soil, hut works the mine under what is well known in mining districts, and what is, as we have said, recognized hy an Act of Congress, as mining claims. In ths first case the statutes make a ben on the mine, hecauss the title to the mine is in the person who owns it, aud shonld pay tax. In ths other tax isa lien only on the claim of the mine; that is, On His Posseseory Right To explore and work the mine under the existing laws and regulations on the subject. In the former cass, of course, the United States has no interest to he protected, and the State isat liberty to declare and enforce snch lien for her taxes. In ths latter case, such rights as the mining lawa allow and as Congress concedes to develop and work the mines ars properly in the miner. That it isso shown is clear by the conduct of mining corporations in whose interest this suit is hrought, which, forthe purpose of evadiug this tax, permits its investment in this mine (said to he worth from 350,000,000 to $100,000,000) to rest on this claim, this mere possessory right, when it could, at a ridiculously small sum comparéd to the value of the mins, ohtaiu the Government’s title to the entire land, soil, mineral and all. These claims are suhject to hargain and sale, and constitute very largely the wealth of the Pacific coast States. They are property in the fullest senss of the word, and their ownership, tranafer and use are governed by the well-defined basss of ths law, and are recognized hy the Statss and Federal Govsrnment. This claim may hs sold, transferred, mortgaged or inherited without infringing the title of the United States. Why may it not also he subjected to alien for taxes, and the claim, such as it is, recognized hy ths statuts, be sold to enforce the lien? Ws see nothing in rinciple or in any interest which ths United States has in the land to prevent it. Ws ars of opinion that the decree of the Circuit Court dismissing the hill of the appellant on a demurrer was right, and it is therefore affirmed, _ Justice Field, heing disqualified hy reason of interest, took no part in the decision of ths case, Justics Miller deliverd the opinion. Another Dry Placer Machine. A short time sines we published a description of a machine for working dry placers, which was in operation in New Mexico. Considerahls inquiry has heen made concerning thess machines, as there are plenty of places in thia State, as well as in Western Nevada and Arizona, whsre ground not now availabls could hs made to yield profitable returns, if ths machine is all that is claimed for it. Wenotica that another machine of its kind hss come to the front, whicb has heen experimented with hy Messrs. Duhem & Bennet, of Denver, Colorado, for some time. A few weeks since they mads their first public test, with results which, though not pecuniarily large, were satisfactory to the psrties interested. The Denver 7'imes descrihes ths apparatus as follows : ‘*The machine, which is portahla, heing mounted on wheels, weighs about 4,000 pounds, exclusive of an eight-horse power engine and hoiler required to ruu it, is placed npon a mine in the South Park, ahont 10 miles east from Hamilton, and one mile south of Tarryall creek. This mine was choscn more as a test than for any hope of profit, it being an abandoned mins, and the gold beg extremely fine. On this mine can he had nearly all kinds of dirt, from hisck hottom clay and mud to the ordiuary gravel deposit, and, in fact, fora thorough and severe test no better spot could have been selected. Two experienced miners, working here with ths sluice, cleaned up a little less than §&6, for their joint labor for six days. At the end of a six-day run, during which much non-pay dirt was pnt through (it heing necessary to handls the latter in searching fur ths pay streak), the machine cleaned up $99.94, as stamped hy the Deuver mint, And when it is taken iuto consideration that the 60 odd square feet of copper surfacs was new and rougb, with a numher of riveted seams, and that they were not cleaued with 2 view to taking all the gold, it will be evident that as much more was saved, The necessary expense of rnnning is from $10 to $12 per day, and this will decrease as expsrience is gained; hut tsking the highest figure of expense, and leaving ont of consideration the gold saved and absorhed (so to speak) hy tbe 60 feet of surface, the miut assay shows a clear profit to the machine of $25 for the first six days’ run, Experienced mill men have estimated the gold saved aud still on the plates at from $75 to $100, and it is fully helieved that the next week’s run will not fall short of $300, which will leave a net profit of $225 to the machine, and this on a mine where 50 cents per day to the man canuot he had with the sluice. ‘During the six days all kinds of dirt were put through the machine—clay, fine sand and gravel; each in their turn was tried with the same results, save that the coarse material was handled a little more expeditiously. Heavy sods, six inches thick hy 10 to 12 inches wide and two feet long, were dumped in and came out torn to shreds and perfectly washed of all dirt. Instead of 800 pans per hour, as claimed hy the inventors, the capacity of the machine was found to he from 1,000 to 1,400 pans per hour, or 80 to 100 cuhic yards per day of 10 hours, varying a little with the kind of dirt heing dressed. During the triela the tailings were frequently tested hy careful panning, hoth hy interested partics and persons present as spectators. No gold was found at any time hy any person in the tailings—the machine having taken up, so far as is known, every particls. The water required to run this machine may he drawn from a good well, and though a dump for tailings is always desirahls, it is not essential in this machine. The inventors, in their circular of a year ago, disclaimed any hope of ever heing able to compets with ths sluice where water could he had, and ths gold not too fine for sluicing, but this last trial developes the fact that their machine is in advance of the sluics in evary respect, especially where the dirt has to he handled to get it into the sluics. Each machine gives employment to three or four men, and there is ample room in Colorado alone for several thonsand of them, to say nothing of California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. That they can he made to pay on very low-grade mines, is evident from the ahove figures. The fact that ons party has contracted for 10 of these machines, another for 15, another for seven, while five more are bonded to still another party, and that each of these parties were psrsonal witnesses of the test ahove descrihed, speaks volumes for the machine. As soon as the contract can he let, thess machines will hs commenced. They will he slightly improved, and of a little greater capacity, We shall, from time to time, report on this new departure in placer mining.”