Mariposa Democrat., 1857-11-05
ORC.

So much has been said, and is continually
being said of the immense wealth lying imbed-
ded in the soil around u.s. that we are 10th to
touch upon the subject, Notwithstanding its
deserts, lest we tire the reader. To speak in
general terms of the wealth of this neighbor-
hood, we deem altogether unnecessary, as the
fact is patent that none richer in minerals has
yet been discovered in California. But while
this is conceded by every one, scarcely any
will be found to credit the accounts which we
receive personally from the miners themselves,
and which, on close examination of the local.
tiles, have invariably proved to be correct, and
in some instances, moderated. We last week
paid visit to quartz vein, but lately opened,
description of which may prove interesting
to our readers
The vein is situated one mile east of Horni-
tos, and is now being worked by the proprie-
tors and some dozen or more hands The
course of the lode is due north and south, with
slope towards the east, at an angle Of about
sixty degrees; it is, in its course, one of the
most regular and even, that we have ever seen
it seems to have been placed in the earth by
the hand of some master-builder 1t lies i'm
bedded in slate strata of rock, the fluking or
wall of the lode is very soft, and yields readily
to the pick very little blasting is required,
the quartz rock being found in layers, Or dfvi-
ded into slabs by layers of slate. The lode is
about fifteen feet in thickness, and promises
an abundant supply of most excellent ore. At
a depth of fifty feet, it shows no diminution
either in size or richness, while at the surface
of the lode some fifty feet north of the shaft the
rock is strongly charged with gold. Sulphur
in combination with various minerals, is every
where detected in the boulder and surface
quartz, and the oxyds of iron, which are found
to predominant as the vein is opened below,
are strongly impregnated with the precious
metal visible to the eye. 1t requires no mag
nifying glass to see the gold in the rock, for
scarcely piece can be broken, that the eye is
not greeted with the object of its search
It is thought that editors are too apt to over
estimate the resources of their immediate vi
cinity, but in this instance, we feel inadequate
to do justice to this truly valuable mining pro-
perty. The ore taken from this lode will be
crushed in the mill about to be erected by the
proprietors of the vein, on Burns creek, one
mile below this town. The vein is styled the
Jersey Lode How much the rock viii
yield, remains to be seen, but to judge from
the general character Of the ore and the
amount of gold visible in the rock, we believe
that il will pay astonishingly well. We con-
gratulate the owners of the lode upon their
valuable possession, and also the people gen.
orally, upon the rich discovery that has been
made in their neighborhood. The effect of
the exposure of even this small portion of our
wealth, cannot but attract attention, and be
beneficial by increasing the confidence of our
citizens in the vast amount Of mineral wealth by
which we are surrounded, and which only re.
quires a small Investment of capital to make
it available. There are many veins Of quartz
situated near our town, that would pay well for
working them during the summer and crush
ing them during the winter months, and it
only requires a small amount Of labor to dis
cover them.