Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-02-16
80. Relow me nuhlish letter, taken iron

Ik9 DtION w p"S'it- -
the Daily Union, and written by Messiuers
Cbevalier and pusuzeau, two scientific French
gentlemen, giving an account Of some expert
ments made by them, in extracting gold from
the tailines which are thrown away from the
Quartz mills at Sut.er Creek. The letter is
well worth examining, as it contains informa,
ton that deeply interests the Inhabitants oil
this county. In an interview with these gen
tlemen few days ago, they assured us that
the accounts below were strictly correct.
SUFFER- CREEK, ANADoR County,
February |, 1856.
DEAR SIR We left for journey in the
quartz mines of Amador county, and here is
our promised report of them. Veni, vidi
yici,' proudly wrote the great Roman, and
prouder would we feel if after having van
auished nature, we could write that we had
vanquished also the prejudices Of quartz ope-
rators in their injudicious proceedings. Truth,
no matter how kindly expressed is always I'M
palatable to those whose want Of knowledge
is forcibly shown by its exposition, but as
chemists and mineralogists, we imposed on
ourselves duty for the benefit Of the whole
country, and we now publicly discharge 1t, IN
giving fearlessly the results of our assays and
practical Investigations.
The quartz veins or spurs in Amador are
immensely rich, and, so far, but sparngly
worked. In point of naturalization they are
perfect, and promise to rival, if not to super
sede in continuation any mines Of the same
formation known in the world. Apart from
the gold pcrceiyable in the rock, the greatest
amount of gold lays in the different sulphur
rets of iron and copper which they abund-
antly contain as well as in the hydrates, car
bupets and oxides Of iron. All these envei-
on the gold in its metallic but almost impalp-
able state and nothing but chemical and
metallurgic treatment Of these different ores
will compel them to abandon the gold to n
good process of amalgaration, and hinder
them from interfering with the reunion OF the
amalgamated atoms at the separation from
the sands.
We visited, also, most Of the quartz mills
in the same localities, great facilities being Of
fered to us by their different agents, for which
they will accept our thanks. We saw, every
where. not powerful or extensive, but very
good machinery, as far as they went, and for
the purpose Of the crushing Of the rock, and
our world-known reputation in that depart
ment of mechanism was well sustained 7; bvt
here our praises must end, inasmuch as we
could not discover any knowledge of the in
treatment of the different Ores
The amalgamating process is very defective,
and the means of separation from the Can
cues injudiciously applied.
The proof Of these defective operations
have been clearly demonstrated to us by Sc
ries of careful assays made on taihngs from
iilerent mills, brought to us by the owners,
which assays were made publicly, and for the
of which we stand responsible.
Mine No Assay No. /, quartz tailings,
not concentrated, SIS per ton.
Do do.-Assay No 2. quartz tailings, con-
centrated, Sl44 per ton.
Mine No. 2-Assay No 3, taiings, not con-
centrated s54 per ton.
Do. do.-Assay No. 4, tailngs, conccntra-
ted, SIS per ton
Mine No. 3.-Assay No. 5, talngs, concen-
trated, $3.50 per ton.
Mine No. Assay No. g. tailings, concen-
Iratcu, SZoo per ION.
Do. do-Assay No I, the same tailings,
after concentration, s. per ton.
Mine No. ASSAY No 6, taings, not con-
centrated, $2SS0 per ton.
assay of Blaok Ssnd, tailiags from diggings
qco,ked NTH mercury.
Hydrate of iron, very fine, $40 per ton.
Assay of the same, very coarse, $2500 per
ton
Taiings not concentrated mean, as they run
out from the mills the concentrated are the
sulphurets remaining after panning off the ST.
lex, &c, which are in the average of from 3
to 400 lbs TO the ton.
These assays were discontinued only on ac-
count Of scarcity of chemical agents; bnt
simpler tests were made by us and other gen
tlemen, at different times, gives approxima-
lively about the like average.
Now the average yield of thecrewd quartz
rock at the mills 1--WE are informed) is about
$40 per ton, which, compared with the yield
of the tailings of the same, shows loss of
from 100 to 500 per cent. Of gold thrown a.
way by the present operation
Here, then, is the cause of the disrepute
into which quartz mining has fallen-here is
the cause of the loss of all the immense cap
tai engulphed in it. Since 1851, quartz has
been and is every day extracted from where
.he munificcut hand of Natures God has pla-
,ed il, TO be strewn in the beds Of the sur
'ounding creeks, where it lays almost in its
'irgin state of richness, having scarcely re-
nune, ated the labor Of the men who brought
t to light.
The evil known to us we have worked un-
,rofitably for years to remedy. To prove its
existence earlier, and not to be able to cure
t, would have done no good, but We feel
happy and proud to-day to say that it can be