The weekly union record., 1864-04-09
The UNION RECORD.
knowledge @ Hineralogy-Its ImpoE.
tanoe 20 the Miner.

III SUI bft4l44tt ltsl48- ~ LEr = Il tltflI
Of series Of articles III the Mining and
Scientific Press. The articles are ad
dressed more particularly t. the miners
of California, but apply equally, and
perhaps even in greater degree, to
those Of the Territories. The almost
infinite variety Of metals with which
the ledges Of this country teens, III a.
most every conceivable form and com
bination, render i most splendid field
for the scientific geologist and mineral
ogist; and knowledge Of those sciences
is indispensable to Thorough prospec-
ting and investigation Of mineral dis
trict. The writer says:
"The practical miner seldom holds
mineralogy or geology in much estima-
ton, and smiles at the nice di>crimina-
tions Of the mineralogiSt. Ii any en-
quiry into the interesting phenomena
of metalliferous veins be made Of him,
he generally prefers the theory Of his
forefathers to that which has arisen from
the results Of more recent scientific in
vestigations.
1t must not be inferred from the fore
going remarks that undervalue prac-
teal knowledge; so far from this am
convinced that scientific, apart from
practical knowledge, would lead to er-
roneous and occasionally ruinous results.
1t is surely clear to all that the miner
ought to be thoroughly acquainted with
the nature Of those substances which it
is his daily task to seek in the recesses
of the earth, as vel as with those which
exert a favorable or a pernicious in
fuencc either on the abundance or quail
ity Of the objects Of his search. For
instance, the presence Of galtna (sul-
phuret of lead and blende (sulphuret
of zinc) in the auriferous veins Of his
district, are perhaps as good an indIca-
ton Of the richness Of the vein as any
We have, where tie gold itself Is not
visible. When it IS necessary to assert
the velnstone, so as to reject tie poorer
parts before stamping it, as practiscd in
most Of the Brazilian gold mines, a
knowledge Of mineralogy Is Of great as
sistance. The separation by the ham
mer IA most important process) IS but
little used in tins State. Some Of the
mining districts of Great Britain are
utterly destitute Of the meteorological
education, and it IS common to find some
of the most intelligent miners only ac-
quainted with one or two substances,
which are brought prominently before
them in the routine IF their employment.
1t is a fact, that for some years lime
was exported to New South Wales,
where it existed in abundance in its
| natural state, and it Is notorious that
the discovery of gold in Australia was
not made till after it was found in this
country.
Cornwall, although it has BEN celc-
brated for its tin mines from the ear
liest periods Of history, yet, until the
last century, the ores Of copper were
used to repair the reads. and Whenever
copper appeared il vein, it was com
mon expression that ''the ore came in
ard >poilt the VEIN Even when the
yellow ore or copper pyrites had been
long appreciated, the sulphides Of cop
per had been thrown away, and the rich,
black ore OF OXIDE Of copper, was wash
cd into the rivers.
In Derbyshire and Cumberland, al
though it is indisputable that lead has
been smelted from the common blue orc
(sulphuret Of lead ever since the GOV
ernment Of the Romans, yet the other
ores of the same metals (white carbon
ates of lead. etc.,) were never thought
of, but left in heaps as rubbish-the
public roads which had in some in
stances been repaired with these rciec-
ted ores, have been taken up and smell
ted to good account. The ores Of zine.
both sulphurets and carbonate, were
likewise thrown away in many of the
mining districts Of England, until with
In the last few Years. have known
blende mistaken for lead ore, and
hearth erected to reduce It, and ina
other case, from It's -mbiance to
certain iron ore, a considerable quantity
was bought and conveyed to one Of the
largest on works in South Wales.
| did not suppose when assisting to
collect the series Of iron ores tor the
Great Exhibition Of 1871, that the few
stones | took from the oolitie formation.
would have been attended with such
important results. 1t soon after led to
the discovery that the road into North
ampton had been cut through rich iron
ore, which in some places had a thick
ness of twelve feet. Then they We're
ignorant Of its value, but now it Is be-
ing sent in immense quantities to sup
ply the the Stailord>hirc iror works.
SO much having been overlooked in
country densely populated Ike Great
Britain, whose mines now yield on an