The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-06
The Gold In California.

The Gold In California. -
TFrom the Washipgton Union
To grstfy the public curiosity. We lay before our
readers additional and interesting report from the
Mrr or rHE UNITED STATES,
e+-r Philsd-lphis, Dec. ~, lSaS.
81 have already had the honor of sn-ws. ing 10
part the questions asked In letter OF the Sch In
slant regarding the specimens Of gold plstioa and
eibnsbsr from California. which sent TO tho mi mt
by Colonel Cooper l now have the satisfaction OF
eoDnubcstipg further information In the suojsined
reportr presented to me by Messrs. J. r. Eckfedt and
VIM Du Boir, .ssayers OF the mint, and Professor
james C Booth, distinguished chemist Of this city
The reports regarding the gold confirm tho state
msD,s already made and add many other Interesting
rssphs. . t+..
The reports upon the quality Of the oinnabar are very
satisactofy. The specmens yielding nearly one.taird
Of their weight in quicksilver BY consulting author
ties ON the subject II appe that the mines Of ALMA
nsrcOry and ut Idrs, cree containing only Que per
cent are worked although they are found in all pro
portions from that low per centags up to So The In
portspce of this discovery in is greatly en-
hspced by the n~arness Of constant and absorbing
for the am.gsmation Of silver ores in Mexico, Where
believe, no mines of mercury have been found.
NJ. PATTERSON, Director.
Hon. W. L. MARCY, Secretary OF War
PHILADELPHIA Dec 49, 1sas.
Dean SIR:-The mercuria ore from California, which
you banded to contains the red pnuret OF msr-
snry In !. quartsase gsngue vein Of white quartz
divides tie specimen into ,wo layers one red con-
sisting of the suphuret quartz the other yellow
ih, and copsistipg Of the suphuret Of mercury md
quarts and colored yellowsh by considerable guam
tity Of mixture of proto-carbonate and hydrsted
oxide OF iron.
The RED ore contain. SO IS ot Of meta, mercury
Thsi. is also associated with the yellow or. small
amount Of bitumneus matter, which is frequently
found with ores # mercury.
Respectfully you're, JAS. q. BOOTH.
DR.. r. M. Patterson, U. S. Mint Pnilada
ts..r Assay OrrIcE,
United States Mint, December 70. 1913
Sir The specimen Of native cinnabar from Caliior-
MIA forwarded TO the mint by the secretary of War,
has been examined here as TO Its yield in metallic
mercury. Taking transverse section OF the ore,
which included the red white, aud brown layers. the
red predomnatipg, there obtained By the process
Of dist arion thirty per cent OF mercury The
portion treated might be considered as q favorable
Seine inquiries which were made in respect to the
substances accompanying the gold Of Cafor mia may
here b. replied to First, as to the platinum This
metal Ia evidently present and may be with the
nakedeye amongst the epapges Of gold, and In simi
lar form A email quantity (about four grains in
Wefeht) was arded from the War Department and
was found to be Of the specific gravity eghtee a. be-
ing Of course, debased what by the ntims mix
ture Of mineral matter not removable by washing
We have not yet determined accurately what amount
ofthi metal appears with the gold deposited for
age owins partly to i:s known ipsraotaoicty In the
ly At all fused With the gold but seen after
the melting In its original form, dotted upon the
face OF the gold bars What does enter into combna
lion with the gold s scarcely apprecable, and does
not disturb the array or detsioTate the metal for
point shs vss
ther fu.ed not, present Impression H. that it
exists In but small relative quantity, and will not be
worth seeking after for its own sake.
Next as to other Alleging metals may DO said that
practically the only tailoy Of this gold is silver, Of
The gold yielding s9i there Ii Q remainder Of two
thoutandths, which is nearly or entirely copper. A
nets, but have believe Is trace only.
In the last place, we have to mention examine
aIo fOr~arded BY the War Department or this there
we're two parcels. The first weighing Ia all about 81
IsnDyres hts, wa, arss reduced IN DolK by removing
pena'ion, smelling in the small way. The result Of
the whole treatment was Ms follows
Silver combined with the - '''
rr ss.S;i ciiron in:sn:tio, ss1a
Residue, consisting chiefly
of peroxide Of IRON. 3s1s
This would be equal to IS rs grains fine gold, or
" OF grains Of gold Of native fnensss, in pound
The other parcel was treated In two ways both df-
fsrng from the former First, We took specific qusn-
tity, weighed by miligr ammes, equal TO about 1lH
penny weights) and having clesneed 1t by the magnet
subjected the rem der to very thorough amalsa
psrts per thousand Again the quantity Of rand
was borouehy washed, (more time being taken to 1t
San ~ou,S Dc eely to pay IN Large oS GpsraSo ana
To give cupeilation Its due credit. We must remark
tLst this second vas the richest to the
eye. The specific gravity of the black sand without
the gold A. nearly the same as that OF simple mag
Hetic non.
How far these results may be interesting to the pub
He or important to the 1t IL not easy to say.
1t the true ftate of the that there
thing to do but shovel up aurferous sand which,
by proper treatment. would yield one tho~s~nd
twelve hu pdred dolarf bushei this would indeed be
from ahfornisn soil But what we had reason to De.
Neve, In reference to this matter 10 confirmed by an
cfhcial letter Of Captain Folsom, published In the
Warrington Union Of the 23d instant from which We
beg 10 txtIa act few lines -
The ans gold Is found on the lower portions Of the
"A 1vfr cd from nv of
washing in common tin pans and vessels OF every
kind which can be substituted for them. The finest
portions Of the earth removed by washing, and q
taken out with the hand and the gold Is LETT Ia the
vessel with kind Of black ferruginous sand, not
Yb.n left upoD board or cloth to dry when the ss nd
II blown of with common bellows the suth while
the greater specific gravity OF the gold causes 1t to re-
II t. us sppsars that the obtaining OF this rich sand
II almost the last Of concentrc operations and that
far as they CO. afford no definite indication of the
rchn the mining ground since IL does not appear
how many panfuls bushels the original earth must
have been wrought upon to obtain qusntity OF
this black sand Moreover. it Is well known that
mode OF treatment, however sklful and scientific has
far enabled gold miners to make approach in
aseaythat Is not without lite costing more than 1t
There are so many conditions to be weighed, such
difference OF competition In layers masses OF the
sapd IT short intervals OF space, and such a
choice In the adaptation Of extraeting processe that
no opinion should be ventursd from slight materials
to the proper productveness or the probable perma-
nsnoy Of the mining interest In that remarkable re-
With great refpeet, your faithful servants
JACOB ECKFELDT. Asssyer
WIN. 4. DU BOIS, Assistant Assayer
Or. r. M. PATTERSON, Director OF the Mint.
Cholera mt the south.
The following il = table Of the of cholera and
dsaths in the Charity Hospital at New Orleans from
the 20tA 70 ths Gath ut inclusive -