The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-24
Ffomfhe Pacific Ne,rs Of March l5.

We yesterday morning gave an article upon In.
mineral resources Of California, moro particularly
and devoted to the operations and investment o.
capital in quartz mining, which must always re
main the more legitimate and abundant sources o.
wealth to those who como here to make their for.
tunes by patient labor or the expenditure ofmoney
mornings issue to the Quick silver Mines of Cali
ornia-a subject but little referred to by journals
or letter writer's
The richest mine yet discovered is located in the
Santa Clara Valley, about twelve miles from San
Jose, which is worked by an individual company,
who hold possession under the old Mexican title OF
announcement" At this mine a large number
OF furnaces are in operation. These furnaces re-
sembe in appearance long steam boiler set in
brick, with fire underneath. The cinnabar, or
quicksilver is thrown into the boiler where il
is left from thirty to forty hours, by which time it
is smelted, and the quicksilver in o fluid state Ia
drawn of in vessels, after the manner observed in
iron ioundries. The does not require to be
crnshed, except to convenient size for the boilers
The color OF the ore is vermion, resembling red
chalk, immense piles OF which constantly on
hand, prepared for the smelling process and which
not unfrcquently yields fifty per cent sometimes
the nett proceeds yielding as high one thousand
dollars per day. The mine is worked by Mexicans
and Chlians, who carry the ore in raw hide sacks
upon their shoulders from the bottom of the vein to
the opening above, a distance Of between three and
four hundred feet. The mine is probably the rich
est in the world, ano, with the came facilities and
machinery used elsewhere, would yield most enor-
mously, far beyond even what 10 now produced.
At one time during the past season there were
5000 cagas Cor mule loads) Of the ore lying at the
mouth of the mine, each carga being three hun
dred pounds, or an aggregate of 2.40O, 900 pounds
At an average yield Of fifty per cent. the product
would be 100000 pounds of pure quicksilver,
which, at a market value of one dollar per pound,
would yield the enormous sum of l 200 600 This
finds its way to market in one direction and ano-
Their, but its value is enhanced by the fact that Cal
ifornia itself affords good market, large quantities
being used in separating fine particles of gold from
the sand and dirt, and which cannot be procured
in the ordinary process of washing. BY the use of
quicksilver, the gold is taken up and adheres jim
Jumps, while the dirt floats on the surface and is
easily separated.
In addition to the quicksilver mine to which we
have particularly referred, there are three or four
others in the same valley, though not worked to
the same extent, yet reported to be equally as
rich in yield of ore. These mines were worked
long before this beautiful country fell into The Dos
session of the energetic people whose cabins are
now found in every valley, by the side of every
etreamlet, and throughout the mountains II IL
said by a correspondent Of an eastern paper that
the aborigines had known and rcsorted to these
deposits OF cnnabar for centuries, for the purpose
OF procuring coloring materials with which to
adorn their faces and persons, and il was by follow
ing their trail that knowedg of the existence of
this valuable mineral was obtained
From this 1t will be seen that gold alone is not
the only source Of wealth to those who seek our
shores for a permanent habitaton, or with the less
commendable determination of amassing sudden
fortunes. The quicksilver deposits alone will af-
ford sufficient Involvement for the Investment of
large capital, and when to this is added the silver
ore and, last and greatest the golden treasure the
world need no longer wonder that the eyes Of mo.
neyed men in every locality arc turned to Califor-
mia, affording the safest investment and surest
and largest return.