Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-21
THE EVENING NEWS.
Our Treasure.

On and fear the crooked road, passing
through Silver City, Gold Hill. and Viz
ginia, stand the quartz mills-the monied
institutions Of our embryo State; above
them tower the hills producing the mine
raj for their use. In some places the ledge
crops out, giving indications of its rich
ness, in other places it is deep in the earth
and shafts and tunnels piercing the side
Hill lead to the silver-bearing quartz.
Our days work is done, and we propose
TO visit, during the evening, with few
Jealous California friends who are anxious
to see the working of a mill, the interior
of this noisy money grinder.
1t is q clear cold night in this mountain
region, The moon shines brightly, lifting
up the spurs of the Sierra Nevadas,
here and there ornamented with snow.
in the distance are the latter, covered far
down their rough sides with their winter
mantle. Over these high mountains all
the lumber for the mills, all the machine
~ for their operation, and all the gearing
for them have come. Does not this
prove the enterprise of our peopies 1t is
slow process zigzagging up the steep
sides of the Sierra Nevadas and coming
down the eastern slope in the same way.
Last year, it is said. over thirteen mil
lions of dollars, freight money, for this
tiresome process of transportation was
paid. Let US have another quicker, easier,
and surer. There is wealth enough in
our Territory, let it be given willingly to
build a railroad. We want more mills
we want men 10 work them, Intelligent
men, and we want quick and easy COM
munication with the rest of the world.
We are nearing the mill, click, chick,
click" go the cams against the iappets
long before We reach the mill. 1t Is mu-
sic to US, for it brings sounds of industry
and wealth. The mill door is opened and
the glare Of the flames from the fierce fires
flashes out the door, across the road, up
the hillside. 1t lights up the mill bright
", when the fireman has crammed the
huge logs into the tire-chamber until it IS
filled. he filings TO the door, and for mo-
ment it is as dark as ErebuS. Having
friend rs guide we commence our survey.
be crushed, laying within few feet of the
batteries. This is good rock" for crush
ing, as it is termed, that Is, it is fine and
soft, fine as gravel, even finer, not coarser
than sand. 1t passes through the batter
les rapidly. Some lodges are hard and
the rock comes to the mill in large pieces,
and requires to be broken before it will
pass through the slide beneath the stamps,
which dance about it, and truly grind it
TO powder.
We are standing before the batteries,
clang. clang, claug- what deafening
noise they keep up.
Round goes the crank, a large iron axis,
placed upon two braces, supported by
four vertical iron posts at their centres.
which rise seven or eight feet above the
floor on which we stand, two in a line
with the direction of our vision the other
two are parallel, distant from the former
according to the number of stamps in the
battery. Upon this axis are strong cams
which are keyed to the stems. The latter
are cylindrical pieces Of iron, ten or twelve
feet in length, two inches IN diameter:
having heavy pedestal. to which is at
tached an iron shoe. The stems play in a
box formed BY an iron beam and clamp.
The former connects arched pieces of iron,
which join the parallel posts. Near the
floor the stems pass through wooden
girt, fastened to iron braces, also attached
to the upright posts. Down falls the
stem. tappiL pedestal and shoe, upon the
quartz, which Is ground into powder. 4
stream of water Is continually running
into the box containing the crushed stone,
which IS dashed against screens OF iron,
pierced with minute holes. The hne sand
and water pass through, fall into narrow
sink outside of the crushing box, and run
into large tanks.
We descend few steps TO the next hoor.
Here are the tanks into which the pulp
flows. Some are filed to the brim with
the sparkling sand; others are being
filed in Others, dlscolorcd water stands.
The amalgamatOrs are at work, some NIL
ing the wheelbarrows with the pulp, Others
wheeling it to the pans, and others stir
ring it up and pressing it firmly down in
the tanks, that it may be dry and easily
shoveled. Broad platforms run from the
tanks to the end of the building. Upon
either side, two or three feet below, are
the matchmaking pans - some are OF
wood, old-fashioned, resembling section
of a huge beer cask. Others are of iron,
and neatly shaped. The pulp Is thrown
into wooden conductors, placed just above
the pans, and slides into them, cold water
having been previously introduced. The
exhaust steam, conducted through iron
pipes, is admitted into a steam chamber
beneath the pans. Round so the mullers,
stirring up the heating mass. \ dense
steam rises from the bubblins pulp.
Floating through the building, it creeps
over tine mill gearing up to the very roof,
and conceals from view all objects save
those within few feet.
1t Is a strange scene: the clanking OF
the strong batteries, the grating of the
mullers in the pans, the Kissing and foam
ing of the pulp, the dense steam enyelop-
ing everything, almost concealing the rays
from the mill lights.
The pulp is heated-the gold and silver
is taken up by the mercury at the bottom
OF the pan, and the water and sand re-
manning flow off through faucets in the
side of the pans. .....
Its growing late, and we take our de-
parture-as we emerge from the mill,
myriadS Of stars look down approyingly
upon this scene of free labor. As we re-
turn home we reflect upon the advantages
of our system, rejoicing that it will soon
be developing the resources of our whole