Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-01-30
GOLD BEARING QUARTZ OF CALIFORNIA.

The Pacific News Of the 29th of November has
long article on the discoveries of gold bearing
quartz, report upon which TO the State Depart
ment at Washington is to be made by 1'hos Butler
King. This discovery is said TO surpass in impor-
tance any yetmade in the gold region. Mr. Wright,
the member of Congress elect, brings one fragment,
weighing twelve pounds, worth six hundred dollars.
This piece Of rock is destined to be laid Gas me-
n,orial from the California ,nountains) upon the
table of the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. The News adds
Mr. Wright has spent, he informs US, much Of
the past season among the mountains, collecting his
samples of the quartz in different localities. and
subjecting the yield of gold from them in very
ny instances to the most rigorous tests.
The astonishing results brought out by these in
vestiga,ons are, that in particular and very ex-
tensive vein, tolr pounds of this rock yielded upon
the average eleren dollars worth of pure gold, val
ued sixteen dollars to the ounce. That is to say
the yield of gold from these average samples of the
rock in this particular vein, is nearly three dollars
for each pound Of qatarts. Mr. Wright exhibited
to US two small masses of god each about the size
and shape of large musket ball, and both present
lily tlIt dpPcdid VI SOu anu
collected by the aid Of quicksilver. One of these
contains about twelve dollars of pure gold, and is
The largest yield which has been obtained from four
pounds of the rock from the vein in question. The
other contains about ten dollars, and is the smallest
yield which has been obtained from any of the ex-
periments upon the rock of this vein. We under
stand that The tests applied have been sometimes
the operation ofquicksilver, and sometimes the test
of the comparative specific gravity Of fhepu quartz
and the gold bearing quartz.
The samples of the rock which Mr.. Wright has
tested, have been taken from many different veins.
In no sample tested has the yield been less than one
dollar to The pound Of quart-. The Average yield
of the different veins has been, as determined by the
samples, from one dollar and half 10 two dollars
to the pound Of rock.
A single fact will show the unheard of and as
tonishng character of the results which have been
thus arrived at. Mr.. Wright informs us that he
has recently cunversed with an intelligent gentle
man, now in this country, who has been long con-
versant in the capacity Of an overseer, with mining
operations, as carried on in the quartz veins of
Georgia. From this source Mr.. Wright learns
that fifteen horse steam power, working twelve
stamps, will stamp about thousand bushels OF
quartz rocks in day-each bushe Of quartz weigh
ing eighty pounds. If sercnty.fre cenas worth of
gold is yielded from each bushe of eighty pounds
the business is considered good one, in Georgia.
If the yield be fifty cents TO the bushe, The profit
is large. Now the yield of the rock which MIR.
Wright has collected and tested, instead of being a
quarter of dollar, or half dollar, TO the seventy
five pounds, is in one great vein, nearly three dol
lars 10 ono pound Abaie this, in view Of possible
VI pIU,d,iv us.ahv III view oI tne superior yield
eff single richer vein, average oftwo dollars
or Of one dollar, or Of halfa dollar to the pound and
the result still remains, in every point Of view, al
most equally unexsmpled and momentous.