The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-28
% M0UNTAIN DEMoCRAT.
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sovrooS GAd miRiR9 PrOspScts-ReU die
SoSeFies GRd iRPOFtGRC iHeeHtiOR fer
miHin0 PUTPoss.
California may truly be called the piO-
nesr Of mining countries Mining for the
different ores, - well a. the precious met
6ls, has been carried on in different coun.
CSios from the earliest dawn Of history
down to the present time. But it remained
Tor California to prove the vast resources
chat could be developed by = free people
whose attention was turned to mining, and
untrammelled BY those clogs and draw
backs imposed by crowns, privileges, or
government machinery.
The pioneers Of California have been the
piOnesFs in ell the gold and silver diScov.
cries that have been made since lS49.-
Australia, British Columbia, Oregon, and
che Territories Of Washington, Nevada,
Utah, New Mexico, Color ado and Arizona
have ell been explored and their mineral
wealth developed, by the indOmitable en-
esKy and intense perseverance, Of the mi
aeEs Of California. No country of the
same extent has ever produced the Ssws
amount Of the precious meIGm lnSne same
period Of time; although other countries,
and larger fields have been opened to the
enteTpriEe and industry Of the MINER and
,4N.I ,ssI>< ; :; ., ~espeeGS
are held out to the hope, by accounts of
che riches Of distant lands, and when it
was generally believed that California had
passed the zenith Of its glory as mining
country, and that her hardy sons would
have 10 seek new gold fields or turn their
attention to some other pursuit: Just at
At this critical and, to California. all i'm
pOrtant period in its history, We find its
early pioneers still at work applying their
time, labor and inventive genius in devel-
oping the almost bOundless, unlimited gold
fields that are yet within its bpunda,;@s,
and that have heretofore remained almost
unknown and untouched. Until within
the last month no machinery was known
that would work them successfully or with
profit.
Fl Dorado county was the birth place Of
gold mining in our State; and to the mi
ners Of Fl Dorado county belong the honor
Of the discovery and development Of the
vast mineral wealth Of Nevada Territory;
and to FL Dorado county belongs the glory
Of developing the riches Of the vast, un-
limited fields and beds Of clay, that are
found al Oter the surface Of the State and
that have hitherto been considered Of no
value, and rather an inconvenience than
Otherwise to the miner.
The richness Of these clay beds has re-.
Gently been satisfactorily demonstrated,
and the machinery for successfully work.
ing them is 20 simple and cheap, as to be
within the reach Of all who wish to en-.
gage in the safest, cheapest, most indie
prndeOt ami profitable system Of mining
ever known in this o. any other country.
Il is well known that Ill the gold in Aus
Vralia, is found in beds Of tough blue clay,
which Il found from twenty to one hun
Ared feet below the surface Of the ground.
These beds vary in thickness from one to
three feet. But here the clay is found
near the surface and often large beds Of
rich clay is found under the surface, in "a.
vines ard Aats, when The top dirt has been
&ashed Of in mining; but heretofore this
clay. GlthoOgh often known to contain
gold, could not be worked profitably for
d Grant Of some process that was cheap
shd simple, and that would work large
qusnsity in day.
This difficulty is now obviAted, by the
invention Of machinery 70 cheap and si,n.
ole. and at the same time 50 perfect in its
operation. that il will be almost impossible
to make any advantageous improvement,
even BY the genius Of the most inVeterate
Yankee.
All who wish to engage in the business,
OF who have any doubts in relation to the
snatter, can gain all the information want
ed, OF have their doubts removed, by call
ing At the Hermitage, six miles south Of
the town Of Fl Dorado, Fl Dorado county
where the machinery is now in successful
and profitable operation. The working
Of clay will be q more permanent business
than surface mining, and as it will require
but little capital or expense, it will afford
permanent employment to a large number
of miners who would otherwise have to
leave the State, or engage in some other
pursuit.
UTILITY.