The Nevada Democrat., 1860-11-13
ASSAYS OF QUARTZ,

The following, which we copy from the
Alta, will remind many of our readers of
the early quartz excitement in Nevada
county:
In the early days of California they did
not take as much pains to get at truthful
results in assays of ores, as at present At
least, so 1t would appear, by bundle of
documents which friend of the late w. d.
NJ. Howard has placed in our hands, These
were found, few days ago, among some
old cast away papers belonging to his es-
tate. 1t will be necessary briefly to refer to
the little history connected with them, in
order to develop the point. Early in 1850,
MIR. Howard discovered on his ranch in what
is now San Mateo county, ledge of quartz,
which he believed to be aurferous, and as
comparatively little was then known about
quartz rock, and no one knew but what Just
as rich discoveries might be made here
abouts as In the mountains, Mr.. Howard
submitted some of the specimens to the lead
ing assaying house of the city, Moflat Il Co.,
who returned a certificate (now before us)
to the effect that the ore assayed $40, 900 to
the tun. One specimen was rated as con-
tanning at the rate of 10 dwts. (half an
ounce) of gold (of Ss4 thousandths fine) TO
the pound avoirdupois; and the other speci-
mems in like proportion.
Ii may be imagined that Mr.. Howard
considered himselfa ffty millionaire at once.
No estimate at that time, however extrava-
giant could surpass the bounds of probabili-
ty with the excitable Californian, who saw
untold millions in gold dust passing from
hand to hand in the course of trade. Ashe
was somewhat embarrassed, too, at times.
he was the more pleased at the timely dis.
covery, and commenced at once to make
arrangements, on the most extensive scale,
for working this mine of untold wealth. In
the midst of these preparations, the friend
OF Mr. Howard, above alluded to, ventured
to doubt the correctness of the assay, and
finally induced Mr.. H., who yielded with
great reluctance, to allow him to have the
same ore tested by we'll known scientific
men in the East-a thing he could easily
do, since he was about leaving for New
York. Mr.. Howard accordingly entrusted
the ore to his friend. and resolved TO await
the result of scientific examination in the
Eastern States. The suspicious of the friend
proved to be we'll founded. Specimens ta-
ken from the same place were submitted to
tht celebrated Doctor Charles T. jackson,
of Boston, who. in q certifcate-now before
us-found, in four specimens, no trace of
gold or silver in the first, none in the Sec
ond, "a trace not capable of being weigh
ed'' in the third, and six dollars and forty
cents to the tun in the fourth. Four sam
Piles were also submitted to the eminent
chemist, DR.. James r. Chiffon, of New
York, whose report we also have. Out Of
these specimens, two contained "a minute
trace of gold, and two not sign of either
gold or silver.
The story needs but little comment. Had
Mr.. Howard, on the faith of the false. or g-
norant assay of Moffat Il Co., entered into
the enormous expense required to erect ma
chinery and open such mine in those days
he would have experienced greater difficulty
than he really did in extricating himself
from the embarrassments in which he was
then involved-if indeed he should have
succeeped in doing So 1t illustrates, too,
the folly of rushing into expensive quartz
machinery on the strength of assays of spec
linens. "What does it assay" is too often
the question with inexperienced miners
One should never form judgment until
tuu at least of the ore of a mine has been
crushed and the silver extracted from it;
and even then, it should be known whether
this ore Is average or picked specimens.