American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-14
GOLD IN CALFoRSIA.-A. DELANo, in a letter
to the New York Tribune, dated at San Fran
cisco, April Oath, says:

GOLD IN CALIFoRNIA.-A. DELANo, in a letter
to the New York Tribune, dated at San Fran
cisco, April Oath, says:
Through the whole length of the country a
vein of gold-bearing quartz extends, which so
far rs tested yields from five cents to 81 and
SlO to the pound Of rock. | have personally
explored this vein over one hundred miles, and
never saw any analyzed which did not yield
gold. This is looked upon now as the fountain
OF the gold, for it is frequently found in the
ieage IN the same form which it presents in the
gulches and streams, and it has probably been
dlsintegrated by the decomposition of the rock
and washed from the hill-sides to the rayines.
Many companies are formed to work these veins.
but the want of capital the high price Of labor and
the difficulty of separating all the gold by any
known process have thus far prevented any great
return lndividuallabor in most cases amounts to
nothing. From $50 900 to $50, 600 is necessary to
open mine properly and procure machinery to
operate with, and it is difficult to concentrate
this capital, for there have been so many mining
humbugs that capitalists properly look with sus-
picion upon these operations. Nevertheless,
these mines do exist, and undoubtedly will prove
fortunes to somebody; but as we are smart
people, we shall endeavor to raise money out of
your capitalists in the following manner, viz:
Organize a company according to law, which is
easily done; issue stock to the amount of from
$500, 900 to $5OO,000; duy up rich specimens
from good veins, or shoe tie best from our oaca,
before we ascertain exactly whether our vein is
good or not and then back up our stock by
these evidences of gold, and if your capitalists
do not bite ut the gilded hook, they must be
most lamentably cautious. @ a .us
AS yet, all the machinery put into operation
has been too light. Not less than twenty-five
horse power should be used, and sixty horse
no 10 hatf IN tha INIT
ers each of FIVE hundred tons weight Another
difficulty which exists is in separating the gold
from the rock when crushed No known pro-
cess applicable to extensive operations does it,
and it is under the consideration Of our mort
scientific men. .
From the results of the experience of the
Sierra Nevada Company, (do not confound it
with any company with parts of the name, with
whose operations am better acquainted than
with any other, it shows thus A portion of
rock was analyzed by Mr. Moffat, a coiner Of
this city, which yielded an assay of ninety-fve
cents to the pound, where not particle of gold
was visible. An hundred pounds of this same
rock was crushed and worked at the mine, and
only twenty cents to the pound was extracted
by the usual process of amalgamating with
quicksilver; then a portion, which had been
thus worked, was submitted to the action of fire
in retort and fifteen cents more was extracted,
showing conclusively that the rock actually
contained thirty-hve CENTS yet, between Mof-
fats assay and the actual working at the mine,
showed loss of sixty cents to the pound.
At this same mine a rock weighing twenty
FIVE pounds yielded 5000 by crushing in q
and-mortar, and washing without the amalgam
of quicksilver and portion now lays on my
table, weighing nine ounces, avoirdupois, which,
| by obtaining its specific gravity, contains three
ounces of gold yet doubt if two ounces could
be realized in the usual mode of working.