The four principal quartz-mining enterprises in actual operation were the following: Eureka, employing seventy men for eight months; product, 8,000 tons, worth.. Judkins & Kellog, employing thirty-two men for eleven months; product, 8,000 tons, worth J. B. Batchelder, employing six men for eleven months.. Crescent Company, employing fifty men for twelve months; product, 15,000 tons, worth Total... $80,000 60,000 9, 114 120,000 296, 114 The wages paid by these companies amounted to $136,400, and the necessary materials to $37,849. Besides these, a few smaller mining enterprises have been in operation part of the time, but the yield is not such as to make any material difference in the total already given. New discoveries, some of which are reported to be very rich, have been made in American and Indian Valleys. In the former a new thirty-two stamp, and in the latter a twenty-four stamp mill, are said to be in the course of erection. The population of this county, according to the census of 1870, is: Total, 4,489; Chinese, 911. ALPINE COUNTY. The following account was kindly written, at my request, by Mr. Lewis Chalmers, manager of the Exchequer Gold and Silver Mining Company: Mining operations in this county during the past year have been carried on to a greater extent than for some time previously. The Leviathan, a copper mine about two miles from Monitor, has shipped considerable quantities of a high grade ore to Dayton, where, I understand, it is used in the manufacture of bluestone. This mine belongs to an English company, and is under the management of Mr. Rickard, some time of the firm of Wiegand & Rickard, in Virginia City. Native copper is frequently met with, and the best ore gives 50 per cent. The Schenectady Gold and Silver Mining Company, owning the Tarshish mine, in Monitor, resumed operations there about two years ago, under the managership of Mr. Schwerin, who is also a large owner. Very fine black sulphuret ore has been struck lately in large bonanzas, which, when washed, will pay as high as $2,000 per ton. Several tons have been shipped to San Francisco for sale as ore. The manager has gone to Schenectady to make arrangements for the erection of a mill this As usual, much excitement followed the new discoveries, and real estate in Monitor commands a premium. summer. The Monitor and Northwestern, on the Tarshish ledge, have lately struck outlying pockets of the same description of ore, and are now adding a 50-ton Whelpley & Stover furnace to their mill on the Carson River, about a mile from this place. Mr. L. L. Lewis is superintendent. The Globe company, in Monitor, have almost completed their mill, which is on a somewhat new principle. This company owns the Globe mine, on Monitor Creek, claimed to be on the same belt as the last two, but on the opposite side of the creek. They are now experimenting on Chicago and Globe ores, but with what success I have not heard. They appear to think that they will be able to reduce rebellious ores at a lower rate than by any other process yet known. Contracts have been entered into for the purchase of the Chicago and Marion mines, in the vicinity. The Marion has a great reputation, very rich specimens of black sulphuret having been taken from it. Mr. Ambler is the metallurgist and superintendent, and Colonel Winchester, of New York, the managing director. The Bullion Gold and Silver Mining Company have been driving a bedrock tunnel from the Carson River, at Bullima, to cut a belt of par; allel ledges at right angles to their tunnel, which is now in over 1,700 feet. This is an English company, managed by Mr. Coulter, and has been hard at work for three years. Mr. C. is expecting daily to strike one of the series. They have had some very hard rocks to contend with, but are determined to push it through. The Highland Mary seems the favorite ledge of the group. The Imperial Gold and Silver Mining Company, also an English incorporation, have run a tunnel 1,400 feet into Mount America, to cut the belt of parallel ledges (some 17) on the east side of Monitor Creek. The indications on the surface are very encouraging. The outcrops assay well, and are traceable for quite a distance; 300 feet will cut the first lode. The Exchequer Gold and Silver Mining Company, of London, England, are operating on the old Buckeye No. 2 and other ledges, at the head of the Scandinavian Cañon, near Silver Mountain, the county seat of Alpine. The ledges here are well defined and give great promise. In this respect, nothing better could be wished than is to be seen in the upper tunnel on the Buckeye ledge. This company commenced in February, 1870, and in March following shipped to Reno a few tons of unassorted ore by way of experiment, which yielded, at the Auburn mill, $140 per ton, and produced bullion 901 fine. At that establishment, the roasting is done in the Stetefeldt furnace. The work since then has been confined to the development of the mine. Stoping will be commenced from the 140 level in the spring, when I hope to be able to keep the Davidson mill, on Silver Creek, now the property of the Exchequer Company, in full blast for some time. Our ores are chiefly antimonial sulphides, miargyrite, dark red silver ore, and light red silver ore. have also the lead-gray sulphuret, or silver glance. Lead is to be found in some of the ore in small quantity. Selected specimens of the best ore assay as high as $2,000 per ton, and all the ore contains more or less gold. We The mill has eight stamps. Weight, 600 pounds; drop, 60 per minute; six Freiberg barrels and one settler, all driven by a 40 horse-power engine; two reverberatories and one drying furnace. Should the mines turn out as expected, it is contemplated to increase the stamps and add a 30-ton Stetefeldt furnace, to cheapen the roasting, which is expensive in the common reverberatory. A saw-mill attached supplies the mine with timber, the teams returning with ore. The slabs supply the furnaces. The once famous IX L adjoins the Exchequer Company's mine south, but work here has been suspended for some time. I have seen some beautiful specimens of ruby silver, and one of native silver, from this mine. Some forty or fifty thousand dollars are said to have been taken from the workings on this ledge, which are only superficial. A moderate outlay for hoisting works, and a depth of 200 feet would, I think, amply repay the cost. The last batch of ore was treated at the Pittsburg mill, Silver Mountain, without roasting, and one half of it lost. I got $50 in the tailings. The Pennsylvania, Mountain, Rippon, and Pittsburg, all in the same district, (Silver Mountain,) are also shut down for the present, though rumor has it that the I X L, Pennsylvania, and Mountain will soon be at work again under different auspices, and, it is to be hoped, more energetic management. There is no quartz in this section equal to that of Silver Mountain. Wood and water are abundant, labor is plentiful, and there is, I think, every prospect of a speedy resuscitation of this temporarily deserted mining camp. Some little work was done in the Morning Star mine, Mogul District, but of no consequence. SHASTA COUNTY. The product of mines, placer and hydraulic, as well as quartz, has been less this year than last. The placer claims reported working have all yielded small amounts. The most prominent returns are those from the claim of J. H. Harrison, who took out $12,000 in nine months. Besides this enterprise twenty others are reported, all of which produced less than $1,000 each, and the total of the county is only $31,600 for the year ending June 1, 1870. Only forty-eight men were employed in this branch of mining during an average of six months at wages of about $60 per month. The yield per head per day was $4 20. Only four hydraulic claims were in operation part of the time, the total yield of which was a little over $12,400. The most prominent of these took out $10,000 in eight months with seven men. The quartz mines especially have fallen off in their yield. The following three mines and mills were being worked, and produced altogether $44,640: Washington, $31,153; W. E. Hopping, (Highland mill) $9,650; Honeycomb, $3,836. The total amount of quartz raised was 2,500 tons, which yielded an average of $17 87 per ton, and the number of men employed was thirtythree. Average wages of $76 per month were paid. The population of this county, according to the late census, is: Total, 4,173; Chinamen, 574. TRINITY COUNTY. From this county only placer and hydraulic claims are reported. Of the former, eighteen claims employed eighty-four men on an average of 8.4 months, at about $55 per month. Among those reported working_are many owners. The total product of these mines for the year ending June 1, 1870, was $92,500, and the average yield per hand per day, $5. The following claims yielded prominently: Fisher & Chapman, Junetion City, employ eight men eight months, $10,000; Carson & Osgood, Minerville, employ ten men twelve months, $12,000; Harney Bros., Minerville, employ seven men eleven months, $10,000; Kerl & Co., Minerville, employ six men six months, $7,000; Hupp & Co., Minerville, employ six men eight months, $8,000; Hawkins & Co., Minerville, employ ten men eight (?) months, $8,500; H. Foible, North Fork, employ four men ten months, $6,000. The hydraulic mines of the county do not appear to have been very successful, nor are any of the eighteen claims reported large enterprises, the highest capital invested not exceeding $10,000, and the highest yield being $6,700. The different mines are located at Junction City, North Fork, and Lewiston. Fifty-five men were employed during 7.6 months, and at $60 per month on an average. The total product is reported as $60,700, a yield per hand per day of $5 57. The price of water in this county is reported as ranging from 1.3 to 5 cents per inch, but most of the claims pay from 2.9 to 3.5 cents. The population of this county is: Total, 3,213; Chinese, 1,095. KLAMATH, DEL NORTE, SISKIYOU, AND LASSEN COUNTIES. The product from these counties is small. From the first two placer claims are reported, yielding together less than $8,000. The Pioneer Company employed six men during the year, and paid $4,000 in wages; the yield was 200 ounces of gold, worth $3,400. The Union Company employed the same number of men in the same time, paid $5,500 in wages, and produced 240 ounces, worth $4,500. The only quartz-mining enterprise reported is that of the Klamath Quartz Mining Company. This company employed twenty-five men during ten months, at a cost of $24,000. The product was 2,500 ounces of gold, worth $42,500. From Del Norte County only placer and hydraulic mines are reported, the former including some beach-mining. The placers are located at Smith River, Happy Camp, and Crescent City. Nine claims are reported, most of which worked throughout the year; the one, however, which returned the highest yield was worked only six months, with six hands, and produced $10,000. The total product of all the placer claims was $21,100 for the year ending June 1, 1870. Seven hydraulic claims are reported from Del Norte, one of which is located on Smith River, and the remainder at Happy Camp. They furnished employment for thirty-three men during an average of 8.1 months. The wages paid were $63 per month. An aggregate yield of $31,200 was the result, or $4 46 per hand per day. The Del Norte Mining Company at Happy Camp, employing twelve men for eight months, produced the largest amount-$15,000; and Lee & Co., working five men for five months, took out $5,000. The other claims yielded mostly less than $3,000. From Siskiyou County forty-three placer claims are reported. They employed 129 men during eight months, and the total product was $103,600 for the year ending June 1, 1870. The average yield per day per hand was about $5. The claims of Simmons & Co., who employed eight men for six months and produced $8,000, and of J. Carroll & Co., who employed three men on an average for ten months, at Scott's Valley, producing $8,150, are the most prominent. Three hydraulic claims, employing twenty-nine men during 4.1 months, on an average of $50 per month, are in operation. The total yield was $25,500, or an average per day per hand of $8 24, and the product was divided as follows: The Etna Mining Company, employing six men, five months, produced... Wright Brothers, employing twenty men for four months, produced $5,000 15,500 Young & Eastlake, employing men for months, pro duced.. 5,000 The quartz-mining interest is in its infancy, and has contributed only $6,500 toward the total product of the county. The only mines worked were that of the Scott Valley Mining Company, from which 167 tons of quartz, yielding 100 ounces of gold, worth $1,500, were taken out by two men during one month's work; and that of Regans & Williams, which was worked with a small and varying number of miners for three months, and produced 312 ounces of gold, worth $5,000. In Lassen County new and very rich diggings were discovered in the summer by Haskins, Ehlers, and others. The locality is twelve miles south of the Siskiyou County line and forty-five miles from Susanville. Water was very scarce in the locality; nevertheless from $250 to $500 were taken out daily for some time. Great activity was expected in the winter, when water would be more abundant. The population of Klamath, Del Norte, and Siskiyou counties is given by the late census as follows: [The remainder of this chapter was prepared by W. A. Skidmore, of San Francisco, from personal observations and inquiries.] The period of depression in this branch of mining which succeeded the comparative exhaustion of the shallow placers, and river and bar mining in the modern streams, has been followed within the past year by a season of renewed activity, caused in a measure by the success of many companies operating with the advantages of large capital, and by concentration of labor and the consolidation of large tracts of mining ground-the original owners of which, without such consolidation, could not afford the great expense of procuring outlets for their dirt and gravel by means of the construction of "bed-rock" or drain tunnels-but principally by the invention and adoption of numerous appliances and improvements in mining, the most important of which are the improved hydraulic nozzles and the new drilling and boring machines, which will be fully described hereafter. SHALLOW PLACERS. This term is generally used to designate the deposits of auriferous earth found overlying the country rock to a depth of from a few inches to six or eight feet, and to distinguish such deposits from those found in the ancient streams and rivers and deposited over a vast extent of country to a depth of from one to three hundred feet, during some remote period, by causes which, with the light we now have on the subject, can only be surmised. These are termed deep placers. It was in the shallow placers, at points where the banks of the modern streams had been denuded, near the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, that the first gold was discovered, and so prolific was the earth in the precious metal, that the product of gold, even by the primitive and rude methods of mining then in use, reached during the first five years after the discovery the sum of $180,000,000, nearly all of which was extracted from these placers. The auriferous deposits which formed the early placers of California probably had their origin in two causes-the decomposition of rich |