Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-06
CALEDONIA GOLD.

n California correspondent OF the Detroit Free
Press, speculates as follows, upon the nexlIaus.
| tibility OF the California Gold Mines:
You will naturally inquire my opinion as to
the durability of the gold mines. The smatter-
ing knowledge have Of the geology of the ST.
ezra, enables me to assure you of their lasting
tOreCer. This will be seen by the increased
millions to the footngs of our shipments yearly.
There is literally no end to them. The col is
not only full but charged with millions of tons,
the consequence Of disintegrared quartz which
has thus been wasting away from the beginning.
| But the same rock which in its outcro2 is scarce
~ hid, protruding over half the surface of the
mountains, is fully as rich below as it ever was
above, when first rising into our atmosphere from
volcanic forces, and here vii it be mined and
worked, and crushed, and anal gamated the la
Dor never ceasing till time shall be no more
You know that quartz now, by all mineralogls S
Is known to be the only matrX in which gold
exists. 1t becomes disengaged by the slow ma
tuTal process consequent upon elemental agen-
CT $, as in a vast labratory. 1t may be by the
following chemical process: As the gold has an
affinity for iron, and phur for both, more par
ticuLary the latter, it cannot escape the notice OF
he obs rver, that all auriferous quartz contains
arge quantities of iron pyrtes, indeed it is cha
=
With these minerals mo rock can resist decom-
position; the very element of destruction is pre-
sent and scattered in commnuted abundance
throughout. Scales Of gold may or may not be
lmbedIed in the film of sulphur, but most gener-
ally they are found to be so, and in close CONT
guiy and occupying the irregular cells or amyg-
duics, wherever decomposition has proceeded
sulhclenty 10 examine specimens taken from q
little below the surface Now the sulphur has
also another affinity, and that is for oxygen and
water, and the product is su,phurc acid. The
iron with which it was combined, passes from u
protoXldc, which consists Of one part Of iron and
one of oxygen, to a peroxide, having two parts
OF IRON and three of oxygen, having changed from
white or yellow to a deep red From this red
rust the pia crs, and in general, the entire noun
tain side take their color; and where deepest,
richest in gold, the sure index to the miner of
good "washings." Ia the process of the con-
version of the protoXidc to peroxide, water is de-
composed, It's oxygen uniting with the iron and
forming this rust, Ga perfect disease might call
II OF all aurIterous quartz,) its hydrogen combi-
ming with the nitrogen in the atmosphere. Such
Is the appearance of some veins of quartz that
the miners, knowing no better, give the appella-
ton OF the " burnt rocks" but they are only the
harder remains of the rock, bearing in the celu-
lar parts the red color, after having discharged
their contents.
A beautiful experiment may be made by sus-
pending small specimen of this red ''decompo-
sing quartz" in vial of boiled or concentrated
sulPhuric acid tor two or three days. When ia
ken ont, multitude of small golden points may
be seen with an ordinary magnifier, protruding
from the wasted peroxide This is called HE
flour of gold and is too fine for the cradle, but
the amalgamation saves it etftctuaIy.