Weekly Trinity journal., 1858-05-22
Description of Mining.

We reprint the following descriptive article
which we wrote year ago, knowing that it will
be valuable to miners friends in the States We
design circumstantal and minute explanation Of
all mining operations of which we have practi-
cal knowledge.
TUNNELING FOR GoID.-We have little piece
of quarz which came from sixteen hundred feet
under ground ; il was dug out of seam in the
foundation stone of high mountain covered with
trees century old. Thirty men are at work.
day and night, under the mountain, and they
have already excavated a chamber nearly hun
dred feet square. At distances of ten or twelve
feet, pillars of solid ground are left to keep the
roof from falling in, and, in addition TO these
supporters, heavy posts are placed upright and
wedged fast After while, the ground above
settles on these posts, crushing the wedges and
cap-pieces to splinters. All round the chamber
miners are at work drifting further and timbering
up as they go. Entering, you can see nothing
but two or three dozen dim lights which seem to
be struggling to keep alive you can hear the
grating blows OF the pick and see the sparks flying
about We can compare it to nothing except
swarm OF fre-fes in a dark cave. The heavy
breathing OF the men can be distinctly heard
the air is warm and oppressive to the lungs but
soon the respiratory organs become adapted to
tHc atmosphere dUu tHe V1SlLOr 1OrQetS his aDDre-
tensions of suffocation in contemplating the wierd
little world before him. Directly, be begins to
see clearer. The miners are dressed in rough,
coarse clothes which smeared with mud of
all colors Others, who work where water drips,
have India rubber coat and pantaloons, and wa.
ter-proof bats and boots. When they go out,
tnese clothes are chan nged for the ordinary dress
worn by miners above ground. They seldom talk
when at work, and inguisitive strangers annoy
them, generally getting lsconic answers. They
have no breath to spare, and bad rather be left
TO communion with themselves, and to pursue the
golden phantom that leads its mysterious way
through the foundation places of the hills ever
keeping little before them. Presently, man
comes in. with lamp in bis cap, pushing car
on a wooden railway, which be leaves to be
filled on a side track, and starts off with another.
He takes the paying dirt outside to washing
place. the rocks and refuse dirt are piled up in
the excavations Sometimes blasting is necessary
TO remove very large stones, and then the fzzing
OF the fuse is the signal for all to get behind a
pillar or projecting rock, and for the visitor to
take his final leave. They are going out to send
in a new set of hands, and to wait for the smoke
to clear away. And this is every day life in
tunnel. The miners look rough and weary but
they are not the slaves of the mine Some of
them are shareholders in the vein, and are worth
from five TO twenty thousand dollars others are
hired to work for five dollars day, of ten hours
live in the same cabin with their employers and
take as much interest in the household affairs as
the owners. The hired laborer in the mines is not
like hrelings in other States be is Independent,
self-reliant and quick to resent insult if dis
charged from employment, be can go to work on
bis own account, with the chances in bis favor,
and after expendng all his earnings in prospect
ing, can hire out again.
From such place came the little piece of gold; /;
we know where it came from, but not its destina-
tion. Perhaps it may be added to the treasures
of the deep it may help make the coin about
which Emperors will go to war it may encircle
the trembling finger of BRIDE or lie in the coffin
plate of some money -gatherer yet unborn.