The Shasta courier., 1863-05-09
Letter from the Humboldt Mines.

KNOXVILLE, N. t., April oath, 1868.
FRIEND COURIER Having seen but few
communications in your paper, of late, from
this section of country, and as everybody and
tEeir friends are going crazy on the subject
Of silver mining, and the place to go to put it
in practice, perhaps few of my ideas about
it will not come amiss.
Silver mining is kind of business-at which
a man will get independently rich, or most
confoundedly poor, in space of time "short
or long" proportionally as he wades into it
g fast or SLOW" For the past year every
body here has gone in on the go slow prnci-
pie, so that you will find none who can appro-
but we are changing tactics now, and begin
ming to go fast, so you may expect to see
large numbers of us in Shasta and vicinity
within the year, with any amount of silver
dollars in our pockets. I think we have sue
ceeded in establishing the fact that we have
rich mineral in endless quantities in the
Humboldt range of mountains, and but for
the natural disadvantages we labor under,
| (viz lack of wood and water for mill pur-
poses we should soon be able to compete
with the world renowned Washoe country in
the number and quality of silver bricks an
nually thrown into the market but even the
scarcity of wood and water cannot retard the
development of our mines much longer; the
day dawns when Humboldt will take the
| place it deserves at the head of all mineral
producing countries, for it contains richer
mineral, and more IF it, and American indus
try and energy will not allow it to longer re.
main dormant.
| You have doubtless read the effusions of
some of our Humboldt friends, who boast
| that we have had several mills in order, and
running finely for some TIME. The writer's of
such letters are addle- pated fools. who wish
to represent the country az favorable IS EOS
sibie, and in forgetting to tell the truth, they
overshoot their mark. The poor fellows can
not get it through their noodles that if we
have good mills, crushing extraordinary rich
quartz, we ought to have some silver bricks
in sig hit, which we have net done. Now. the
truth of this mill business is that we have
had nothing done by them yet. There are
three mills in this county-two in Star Canon
and one in Buena Vista. The first one fin
ished was Humphrie's steam mill, in Star.
1t commenced work on Yankee rock about
Christmas, and the first half days work let
it out; or. in other words, the foundations of
the mill gave way, and the energetic, gentle
manly. and enterprising proprietor has not
tried TO run it any more since; so much for
Humphrie's steam MILL Next in turn, John
C. Fall and Dr. johnson Price finished their
mill in Beuna Vista soon after Christmas,
and wore their amalgamating pans smooth
by working few tons OF refuse rock from the
National Ledge, which was supposed to con-
tain no silver at all, and very little if any
gold, but really did yield thirty dollars per
ton in gold Next came big wind and
blew the water wheel of the mill over, and
when that was fixed Messrs. Fall and Price
went to California, and the mill went to work
crushing rock from the Mars. After lew
days run, trying to amalgamate with moth
ing but an overgrown tea kettle wherewith to
raise steam to heat their amalgalnating pans,
they went to cleaning up, and succeeded In
turning out several bricks, but whether they
were silver Oh. not am unable to say, as the
employees of the mill carried them in their
hats.
Although Fall & Prices mill made so bad
start, and is at present idle. l believe 1t
will soon be doing good work: asit has good
boiler coming. This mill has sixteen stamps
and eight first rate amalgamating pans, and
when the boiler comes to heat them, and the
proprietors get experienced hands to work
them, we may expect to see something done
that will pay.
Next comes the Sheba mill, in Star Canon.
1t is neat little eight stamps mill. and COM
menced crushing Sheba rock in January
1t worked cne day, when the wheel froze up,
and as the mill is situated high up in the
Canon, there has not been water enough to
run it since, until few days ago. when it
commenced crushing Sheba quartz of the Sc
cond and third quality, with the view of con-
centrating the mineral for shipment to Swan
sea, in England, to be worked there, as those
who are posted on the matter say that the
Sheba rock contains base metals enough.
such as antimony, lead, zinc, &C., to defray
the expense of shipmentto to England, together
with the cost of working the ore and reship-
ment of the silver to California.
Having given you a fair statement of the
| way we are situated in the mill line, will
say few words about some of the lodges.
First comes the Shsba, fine rich ledge, sit
uated in Star district it is from five to eight
feet wide. and pitches into the hill at an an
gle Of about thirty degrees. 1t is filed with
mineral, and has had more work done to-