Grass Valley telegraph., 1856-06-24
On the Importance of an Extended
knowledge of MineralOsy to the
California Miner.

u1AACAs
NO. II.
The practical miner holds mineralogy or
geology in much estimation, and smiles at
the nice determinations of the mineraloglst.
If any iuquirv into the Interesting pheuome-
ma of metallifereus veins be made Of him, he
generally prefers the theory of his forefath-
ers, to that which has arisen from the results
of more recent scientific Investigations.
1t must not be inferred from the foregoing
remarks, that undervalue practical knowl-
scientific apart from practical knowledge,
would lead to erroneous, and occasionally
ruinous results.
1t is surely clear to all that the miner ought
to be thoroughly acquainted with the nature
of those substances which it is his daily task
to seek in the recesses of the earth, as we'll
as with those which exert favorable or a
pernicious influence either on the abundance
or quality of the objects of his search. For
instance, the presence of galena (sulphuret
Of lead) and blende, (sulp huret of zinc) in the
auriferous veins Of his district, are perhaps
as good an Indication of the richness of the
vein as any we can have, where the gold itself
is not visible. When it is necessary to assert
the veinstone, so as to reject the poorer parts
before stamping it, as practised ia most of
the Brazilian gold mines, knowledge of
mineralogy is of great assistance. The sep
aration by the hammer, "a most important
&c 0f 1So6 in 4bic Ctata IF
the mining districts of Great Britain are ut
terly destitute Of the means of smineralogical
education, and it is common to find some Of
the most intelligent miners only acquainted
with one OF two substances, which are brought
prominently before them in the routine of
their employment
It is a fact that for some years lime was ex-
ported to New South Wales, where it existed
in abundance in its natural state, and it is
notorious that the discovery of gold in Aus
tralia was not made till after it was found in
this country.
Cornwall, although it has been celebrated
for its tin mines from the earliest periods of
history, yet, until the last century the ores of
copper were used to repair the roads, and
whenever copper appeared in vein, it was
common expression that ''the ore came in and
spoilt the VEIN" Even when the yellow ore
or copper pyrites had been long appreciated,
the sulphde of copper was thrown away, and
the rich black ore, or oxide of copper, was
washed into the rivers.
In Derbyshire and Cumberland, although
it is indisputable that lead has been smelted
from the common blue ore, (sulphuret of
lead) ever since lhe government of the Ro-
mans, yet the other ores of the same met
al (white carbonates of lead, &C., were
never thought Of but left in heaps as rub
bish-the public roads which had in some in
stances been repaired with these rejected
ores, have been taken up and smelted to good
account. The ores Of zinc, both sulphurets
and carbonate, we're likewise thrown away
in many of themining districts of England
until within the last few years. Ihave known
blende mistaken for lead ore, and blast
hearth erected to reduce it, and in another
case from its resemblance to certain iron
ore, considerable quantity was bought
anu COUVeyGU 10 OHc OI Lie largest lTOU
works in South Wales.
did not suppose when assisting to collect
the series of iron ores for the great Exhibi
tion of 1851, that the few stones 1 took from
the oolitic formation, would have been attend
ed with such important results. It soon af-
ter led to the discovery that the road into
Northampton had been cut through rich iron
ore, which in some places had a thickness of
twelve feet Then they were ignorant of its
value, but now it is being sent in immense
quantities to supply the Staffordshire iron
works.
So much having been overlooked in a conn
try densely populated like Great Britain
whose mines now yield on an average about
e30,000,00o per annum, it is reasonable to
conclude that important discoveries will vet
be made in this State.
It is true that the most valuable produc-
tions of the mineral kingdom are met with in
such state Of impurity from mechanical ag-
gregation and admixtures, that the particular
minerals of which they are composed are not
ecparable by physical means; others occur
only in an amorphous or irregularly shaped
condition, and that scientific mineralogy de-
scribes only the most perfect individuals, or
crystals of each species bodies which are but
rarely met with-hence the necessity and ad-
vantage of good collection of minerals. and
the great Importance to a State like Califor-
MIA, to have museum Of practical mineral
ogy and geology. NJ. A.