The Placer herald., 1864-04-30
DEEP MINING.

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people, rs a class, probably knew less of the
than any other of the enlightened nations
We have said previous to l849--that event
ful year marked en- e,a in the history of min
ming-stl it was not until several years later
that we may be said to have made any pro-
gress in the science of mining For many
years the people Of Pennsylvania had work
ed in coal and iron; in the northv est con,
siderable lead mining had been carried on,
and in some Of the southwestern States gold
had been washed and some quartz mining
done. All this mining, if we can call it
mining, was conducted in the most uncuti-
vated manner. The laborers were either
foreigners or slaves, and the minerals of easy
access. Although, now the Pennsylvanians
are doing some good mining, it is only OF
late years that they can claim the reputation
which is cosva with their prosperity.
The Americans are determined to learn
the science without study, and by the hard
and expensive course Of experience. Al
though we have been mining for gold for
many years, and understand tunnelng,
shattng and drifting, and as far as mechan
cal and physical power will 60 unaided by
science have succeeded most remarkably
we'll in its extraction from the accompanying
drift or its rocky matrix.
But whence it came, the theory or causes
of its disposition, the chemical composition
of the ore or its chemical ailinities, is seal
ed book, and he who has proposed the open,
ing of it, is usually assisted with sneers-
Little does the uneducated miner know o
mineral veins, of what rocks contain them
and what cannot; and rs littla does he care
for the man that knows. Successful labor
will still sneer, but unsuccessful eagerly
seeks the aid of science, unfortunately often
to be deceived by empiriclsm. A successful
miner is usually considered a lucky one, nc
consideration of care, skill or full knowl
edge of his business, are taken into account
More than this mere luck, or perseyering
toll, is required in mining in its true sense,
such as is required in the silver mines OF
this Territory. The miner, or at least the
superintendent should know the nature of
the metals and its compositions, and the
chemical and physical forces that created the
vein on which he works, and the geology of
the circumj accent rocks. Knowing this he
need not work blndly; from his first prospects
he can decide upon what manner he must
work his mine. a miner understanding his
business, knows that q certain class of ore
belongs only to veins that reach to IN un-
known depth, be knows what should const-
tute a proper casing, what should be II prop
er course, and in what kind Of rock he can
safely spend bis time ano money, and what
are the proper, most ettectua and econom-
cal methods OF opening and working his
mine. TO be a capable miner requires somel
thing more than mere laboring qualifica
tions, also more than scientific ones, com
bination of the two are almost absolutely Y
essential.
1t is very plainly seen that but little re
mining has yet bean practlced in this section
The base rock is of that class known to be
most prolific of mineral veins, and the veinc
themselves generally contain those ores
known only to deep mines. When the su
perintendent of mine has demonstrated
this, be has no more excuse for trifling with
surface workings, with crooked inclnes or
wandering tunnels. 1t is his duty to cares
fully select the place for the shaft or tunnel,
capable Of working his mine, and knowing
that by continuing his work the lode will be
certainly reached. The depth Of veins,
where metal in paying quantities is usually
expected in the mines in other parts of the
world than here, is far greater than is gener-
ally comprehended among the miners of the
Reese River section, ana in fact much great.
er than is required in these mines A lode
that remunerates US explorers from the be-
ginning is the exception and not the rule
The richest portions of metaliferous vein
lies below the water line, the reasons fol
which mineraogists have most satisfactorily
given.
The deductions of science would be suf
fcent guarantee for seeking deep in the
earth for SuIphurets of metal even had we
not the examples before us of the successful
results, depending upon like mining else
where. The history of mining tells us OF
the great success Of mining companies after
years of sinking and hundreds of thousands
of dollars expended before a single one was
returned.
Even in our own Territory, in the mines
Of Virginia, three and four hundred feet is
the depth usually obtained before the pay is
reached; it is the same in Colorado Terri
tory, while in England it is not unusual to
sink over a thousand feet in seeking the part
of the mine that is considered valuable
Our miners here have far greater induce
lnenls to persevere than are usually offered
in other mining countries. Here deeE
shaft on inc is as certain to reward the
protector, as that the operation is carried on
Reese River ReveiUe.
The Indiana Free Press, radical Repub
! lican German paper laws the wbip over Ole