Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-04-10
From the San Francisco Courier.
The Mining Operations i'm California.

. ~ "@AA'N0 VPOA ~sAVMS kA N0AAAVs EsA1'
The extent to which mining operations
have been carried on in California through
the Use of capital and in the absence of
it, is without parallel in the annals of
the world. Tue principal operations.
however, have been by individual enters
Prise. Companies have generally failed
in placer mining. Operations IN the
quartz rock are confined to joint stock
companies, aud AS yet they have made
but little. The amour, of gold obtained
since the discovery of it in California, as
far us we can make the estimate. is about
sos, 100000 This includes period Of
nearly two years and "a half, the average
being sss. 100000 per annum.
In Humbolt's time, he estimated the
average prodrct of gold per year of
South America and New Spain, at near
" $li, 100000. Europe furnished an
nually about one>third Of this amount.
The largest amount of gold coined from
Virginia, Georgil and the Carolinas, per
year, is not over 100000
We End in the days OF Solomon, from
the record given in the scriptures. tina,
gold diggers were highly successful
But they never procured as much per
annum as those of California, although
the number employed We're far greater
In the 10Th chapter of LIST Kings, ard
l 5th verse, it is said. "Now the weight
OF gold that came TO Solomon in one
year, was six hundred three score and
six talents of gold" This amount is on
ly $2l, .OOo--being $l6.22o,o00
less per anhum than is taken from the
mines Of California. In Solomon's time
the sudden increase of commerce and the
growth of cities, was muc.l in the same
'atio to the effect produced by the dis
covery of gold in California on this part
Of the world. The wealth of all nations
then appeared to flow into Judea. 1t is
said that King Solomon exceeded all the
kings of the earth for riches.
The real progress Of gold mining in
California is hardly begun. The ore ap
pears t. be found in every part of the
State, but more often in the sand of riv-
ers, in valleys and plains, into which it
has been carried from its original repos-
tories. In the mountains it is more gen.
orally found embodied in quartz. The
mountains of Vorospatak, near Abrud-
banya, in Pennsylvania, is u remarkable
Instance of rock imprcgnated through
out with small portion of gold. 1t has
been worked to considerable extent
since the time OF tie Romans. II con
sists of grey wacke and porphyry. In u
similar rock, it is found in many places
along the chain Of the Alps, and in the
ScnIangenbcrg, in Siberia.
The greatest quantity Of gold obtain.
ed out OF California, is from the alIuvlal
soils of several Islands in the Indian
Ocean, from the southern, middle and
western parts OF Africa, Il d from BGazI,
Mexico and Pe.u. The sands ol several
European rivers, such AS the Danube,
the khone and the Rhine, afford small
qu antilles of gold. But no part OF the
world has yet produced the orc i'll such
abundances ~ California. The produce
per annum here. is greater than from all
other parts of the world, and in no age
mas the Yield from every quarter Of the
globe. been equal to the annual yield
lIom the mines, of this State alone.