New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-18
In letter to my address, dated "san Francisco

Augusta, 1851" MIR. Hsntley says:
MY DEAR SIR: The severe attack OF fever with
which have been lately contendlng, has prevented
my giving your request, relating to my opnonsupon
| the general character of the quartz found In this
State, that ready attention which otherwise, peg 20
| assure Won, II would have received.
"Ist Ishall state that have tried quartz from a
variety of these VEINS and but IN two instances,
only, found no gold.
"2d. In quartz that to outward appearance, and
which was carefully examined with strong magnl'
| flying power. gold whatever could be detected,
but through which stratum ofiron pyrtes ran vary
ing in breadth from hair to the eighth Of an inch,
the stone highly crystaized, found in five pounds
six grains and tTe-thlrds OF grain OF gold.
I'D In two pounds Of stone OF an Opaque yell
lowish color, got more than oe dollars; and from
fue ounces OF stone, much decomposed, coated and
impregnated with oxide Of iron, / got something
more than one dollar and half
"4th. All this was from quartz veins opened near
Nevada and Grass Valley.
"5th. Generally speaking. think among the
veins Of quartz II will be found that, although some
may be found exhibiting extraordinary richness, yet
the acreage product range ros three 10 seren cents
per pound Of ore"
:" = - have thus given you some OF my
views and observations upon the quartz mining here.
II appear 10 have over-stated any thing, shall be
quite ready toreexamIne 1t. and am
Your very ooedient servant,
"To J. Winchester, Esq. II V. HuSTLEY."
Mr. Huntley proves his faith in the correctness Of
his opinions by investing large capital m the bus,
ness. While in England, last Winter, he ordered
heavy machinery, which was shipped in April, and
is doubtless now on the ground. His mill Is TO be
erected on the 81 Mon Quartz Mountain In Grass
Valley township which vein has been opened and
worked by small Chill MILL for the past ten months
and proved TO have been OF unusual richness. This
vein is owned by two organized Compame s-the
"l MON" and "Wolf Creek Gold Mining Compa-
MES both, believe, organized under the General
Act OF Incorporation of the State-the former with
a capital Of 100000, and the latter 100000. Sir
Henry has contracted to work the ore for half the
gross product, which will enable the Companies to
pay at least fifty per cent, a year dividends The
mall commences TO work about the first OF January
Hext.
will give an extract from a letter. written by
James llough, ESQ we'll known in San Francisco,
as well as IN the country of his residence. Mr.. H.
has operated for nearly year, without machinery,
having fedllzed from handnOrdr crushing ana wash
ing the sand in simple water about S32 OO0 paying all
expenses and leaving surplus in hand His letteris
dated Grass Valley, July 25, 1851" tie says
81 commenced operations in quartz some time
during last November. Up to the present time l
have quanied some fourteen hundred TINS of rock
have had IN my employ from eight to twelve men
daily, and have more than paid my entire expenses
by crushing with hand mortar the richest portions
Of the rock paying wages at the rate of four dollars
per day with board. By this hand operation have
crushed quartz yielding as high eighty-sir dollars
TO the pound and little, If any, less than three dollars.
After these specimens have been carefully
culied from the whole mass Of the rock by breaking
tup into small pieces, the smallest yield of the re-
alnder, when crushed and amalgamated at the mill,
las been $50 per tun, and the largest that has
uncer my observation as high as $40 la my opin
ION, so would be fair average OF each tun OF rock.
But IT should not be forgotten that the business is
yet in It's infancy among us-that the machinery is
very imperfect, and that with such improvements as
daily experience is suggesting, these hsures would
be materially improved.
"Grass Valley is widely known in this State for
lis hills OF goldbearng quartz; and am free TO say
that, after pretty thorough examination Of this
township and county, and the Immediate surround
ing vicinity the ore is nexhaustlbie-at least Dy the
present generation.
"In carrying on the business of quartz mining
great desderatum, and indeed an indispensable one,
IS wood and water, and at convenient distances. OF
these there is no lack generally. Here, about Grass
Valley, they arc found IN the greatest abundance.
As fine pine timber grows all over the hills about as
can be found in any part OF the world, nterspersed
with oak, cedar, &C.
By the last mail from California, received a let
ter from JOHN A. COLLINS, Eq., a gentleman Of
great energy and talent, who has been engaged in
Quartz-crushlng since early in July AS Mr.. Collins
has been known TO you personally and intimately
for many years, YOU Will know what credcnce TO
give to his opinions on the subject OF mining. His
letter is dated "Grass Valley, Sept %, 1851" lie
says:
1.-The quartz of thus section is generally more or
less auriferous, yielding by fire, or chemical test,
from three to twenty five cents per TO- some a,,I IS
poorer. Our present mode of operating is very rapid,
but the process of saving the gold very imperfect,
not saving from ordinary rock more than onefourth
or onethird of the gold which the quartz rock con-
tains This dect hoTerer, produces but little enbGr-
rasSmtnt tnoSnuch as fortunes can he easily acquired
bu the present mtthOd tlllllk IL Nouiu lholI NC
large estimate to average the product of quartz rock
at two cents per ID. or sac per tun. we nave
crushed rcck That yielded $780, $50, $iO $50, and
even 800 and upward to the tun. and are crushing
some at this time that yields than 500 tun.
This rock is from Daisy Hill, little 10 the south
and cast from Union quartz mountain
The auriferous quartz is very abundant, ana
think there is enough OF the rock within the raf of
thirty miles from this place, TO employ hundreds OF
mills much more extensive than those now in use,
for one generation at least The expense OF getting
fx.N,. q finn
pending altogether upon the location and the thick
ness of the VEN or ledge
Mr.. Collins recommends the construction of ma
chinefy capable of crushing 100 tuns per day, by
which the proprietors Will be enabled TO make
money from veins that would not pay for mills of
small power. He informs me- also, that eight mills
were in operation IN Grass Valley township az the
time Of his writing, and seven additional mills IN
progress OF erection. In the city and township OF
Nevada, adjoining about twelve or fifteen mills are
gCiDgup.
Among those who are putting up new mills are the
Rocky Bar Company, and Capt. Peck, OF the Gold
Hill Company (whose present mill, as l stated IN
former letter is netting 50 900 per each 81 hours
Capt Peck is putting up engine of 80 horSe-pow-
err at the new mil, ana has opened avein OF great
richness having raised 100 tuns of ore, which pro-
duces at the rate of $3O0per tun His mil Will use
up this quantity OF ore per day, and tnus give le
piety weld OF $50 eco, which, should the VEN hod
out single month, viii yield the toleraoy satiStac-
tory amount of over 500 goo. However, 50 long as
splendid dividends can he made at S2O tun such
Yields as me above need ho' eh'ef ii'o ''i'
ton .
The machinery of the Rocky Bar Company hada
arrived on the ground N September lhey are put
ting II up the heiey VEN, MASSACHUSETTS mn,
which has been opened for eight months. One day,
while was at the Valley, saw $si taken from two
and half lbs. of rock, In hand mortar ana COCA
wages were daily made by tins means, iromore 'aAeh
from the same hill. The Il. B. Co. expected to have
their mill in operation during the present month
Professor BLAKE, from whom ! have already
quoted, says, in article published IN ne SaIra,
hn
that the quartz veins of California are capable
of furnishing a supply of gold which q, r!H take
centuries 10 erhauSf-and the amount OF winch Is
far beyoId the limits Of calculation, at least with
our present data. Scattered over belt OF land ten
miles broad, and running .the whole length
of the counry moth and SOUTH these veins are eyl-
IDENTIFY the deposit OF immense inches setting ASIDE
the extraordinary Yields, where some hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars have been obtained from holes