St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-04-25
: F. HILDRETH, EDITOR & PROPRIETOR

of gold was taken from the mines between the
not expect that five times this amount will be
taken out the coming season. The gold yield
the next three years will, l doubt not, far ex-
ceed the expectations of our shrewdest busi-
ness men; and before another ten years shall
have passed away, this terra incognita, stretch
ing far and wide, win be explored and devel
oped, and every gorge, valley and mountain
side will teen with busy men.
Each quartz mill requires a constant supply
of clear water; and all the mills in the Hi
nois, Russell, Central, Nevada and Lcaven-
worth gulch and Gregory's District, will be
furnished with copious supply from a canal
which has just been completed. The Consoli
dated Ditch Company was organized for the
purpose of building ditch from Russell 5
Gulch to tap and take up the water OF Fall
River and the middle fork of Clear Creek !;
and this, owing to the roughncss of the
mountains around and over which it had to
pass, when we consider the youth Of the coun-
try, the want of capital, laborers tools and
means to carry on the work, was herculcan
task
This ditch is ten miles long--full one c-half
of it had to be cut and blasted through rock
excavations, and some three hundred rods had
to be carried in fumes high up over gorges,
gulches and deep ravines. BY ndetatigable
exertions and perseverng energy, this work
H.. Al Al.
carried on to the top of Quartz Hill, immedi-
ately above Nevada Gulch and from a reser-
voir on which, it can be easily and with small
expense distributed to the other contiguous
gulches and district above named. l was as
| surcd by the engineer and superintendent at
the office of the company, that the ditch, even
| in the dryest season, could supply seven hun
dred square inches OF water. Ry square
| inch, in the above expression, we understand,
a current of water flowing through an orifice
an inch square, cut in the side or bottom OF
| the flume-having twelve inches head of pres
sure. From my own personal observation
judge that one square inch would supply a
quartz mill of six stamps
From personal observation, from statistics
and estimates furnished me by the superinten-
dents and owners of quartz mills which have
| been in successful operation sufficient length
of time to enable them to give reliable inlor-
nation, | learned that a mill of twelve stamps
could crush five cords Of quartz in one day
! twenty four hours and that tine entire ex.
pense of Iuarryng those five cords, carting il
to the mill and crushing it, and separating
and saving the gold, would not in any case ex-
cced one hundred and fifty dollars, and also
that hundred aud fifty dollars per cord was
u fair average yield.
The more fully to satisfy myself, 1 witness
cd the operations and results of three mills
and in an especial manner, l watched the
working Of a six stamp mill while it crushed
ten cords. l saw the operation OF gathering
up the amaIgam from the galvanized copper
tables over which the pulverized quartz haG
been washed. | saw this amalgam put into
taken out Of the crucible and weighed, and i
amounted to 81, G57.G9. The other two mil
reported results trihc letter but this thinl
may be safely taken as an average yield of tn
quartz in the gulch where these mills are loca
ted After making a liberal allowance 70
contingencies, delays and breakages, we nigh
safely estimate the net earnings of twelv
stamp mill at $50, 900 per year.
The commercial prospects are not at all en-
couraging. The market is local and limited
the supply much exceeds the demand. Ther
| is a large surplus of manufactured goods, es
! pecially in the boot and shoe department. 81
: immense quantities, which are selling at
Z great sacrifice. Heavy stocks are found i
f Denver and also in Golden City, and a
S through the mining districts the doors an
E windows of every retail shanty were festoone
: with boots and shoes, and further shipment
A for at least six months will find glutted ma
/ ket. Of provisions there is fair suIply an
!, moderate demand, but this will soon be col
Il sumed by the incoming emigration.
u In six weeks from this time the vanguard
immigration will make its appearance, and
the middle of May thousands will throng IL
streets and the mining regions. Every a
y count from the States goes to show that Il
- immigration will be immense. The CONNIE
u cial embarrassments in the East, the nation
difficulties, and the consequent uncertainty
business operation in other sections, will dri
y thousands to seek home in this new field
!, labor. Capital. in proportion as confiden
/ increases in the richness of the mines and 4
real value Of the country, will flow in and
expended in building up the city, in makil
improvements and in further developing I
. inexhaustible resources of this region, wht
now the sound of the forge, the rumbli
!" thuRder Of the ponderous quartz z-crushers, a
u the shrill scream of the steam engine are heal
% and the frequent blasting of rocks in the tu
Il nels and shafts, under the mountains a
p along the hillside, are reverberating and eel
10 ing along the valleys. In passing, it may
NJ we'll to notice the agricultural interest a
III farming prospects, as these are Of signal i
az portance. "
III During the past year all the provisions h
r. to be brought from the States, and the freia
eu over the Plains was ten cents per pound. III
IL of course, would make provisions excessiy
e' high, and expense of living very considerat
ne and almost beyond the means OF the poor e
igrant, who started from his home with
.st scanty outfit. There will, in all probabili
is. be between four and five hundred thouss
in people in the cities and mountain regions
S be fed this year /; and the country, if put
&c der cultivation, is capable Of producing
m abundance Of food. The soil all along
en- Platte and on the creeks is fertile and produ
ed abundantly.
;cs The farming experiments during the r
ritz season demonstrate that the soil is peculia
ear adapted to the production of all yegetab
IN, All the garden vegetables common to \
ity England climate grow in the greatest abu
in ance. The potatoe crop far exceeded anyth
ar l have seen in the East. ...
der The cereals too, except corn, yield aud dt