The Shasta courier., 1865-10-14
Our Minerals.

Probably no State in the Union possesses
so great diversity of minerals as California.
She yields gold from Yuba, Butte, Shasta,
Siskiyou, Trinity, Sierra, Plumas, Nevada,
Piacer, Ell Dorado, Amador, Calaveras,
Tuolumne Merced, Mariposa and Tulare !;
silver abounds in Alpine and Mono; copper
in Calayeras, Santa Clara, Plumas, Amador,
Mariposa, and, Stanisaus coal IN Contra
Costa quicksilver in Santa Clara and
Napa; borax in Lake; petroleum in Santa
Barbara, Los Angeles, Humboldt, Colusa
and Tulare And now the long felt void is
illed by the discovery of well-de6ned lodges
Of iron in Sierra The Mountain Messenger,
published at Downieville, gives, in its last
| issue, an account of the iron fields of that
county:
''It has been known for some time past
that the eastern and northeastern portion of
| this county abounded in iron ore in vast
masses but inexperience and want ofcapital
has hitherto prevented parties embarking in
the enterprise. Recently, scientific gentle
men have tested the ores from Bear and
Gold Valleys, and find the yield of metal
equal to that of the celebrated mines of
Dannemora and Taberg in Sweden, whilst
the quality is fully equal, if not superior, to
netic, and of not an inferior quality to any
in the world, as this is said to be freer of
| impurities than any known. The iron fields
of this county possess many advantages in
having an inexhaustible supply of fuel and
lime for the fux in the immediate vicinity
The country thereabouts is also well water
ed. 1t is estimated by experienced parties,
that the cost of production will not exceed
that of the mines of Pennsylvania. at least
for many years to come, and as the price of
labor becomes reduced, the cost viii decline
in proportion. Even at present prices Of
Pennsylvania iron in the San Francisco
market, the producers could sell to the con-
sumers Of Plumas, Ne7ada and Sierra coun
ties, of this State, and in the State of Nevada,
at a price that would allow q margin for
profits unequalea by any other investment of
similar amount-in fact. the difference of
freight would alone afford sufficient protec-
ton.
The eastern portion of the county has been
laid off as an iron mining district, under the
name of the San Saba Iron Mining Dis
trict, and at q meeting Of the citizens, re-
Gently held in Sierra City, laws were
adopted for the future government Of the
mines. One company has already organ
lied under the same, and are in negotiation
with capitalists for the prosecution Of the
work-building of smelling furnaces. ETC."
The smelling of iron does not actually
require mineral COAL the best quality pro
duced being that which is smelted with char
coal. Sierra county is finely timbered with
sugar pine alld q mountain oak Of great
hardness, supposed to contain large proper
ton of carbon. The consumption of iron in
4hiS Stafa IL orreat +hat hou-arar
the production Of the newly discovered iron
beds OF Sierra may be, yet the importation
would still be enormous. There are some
classes of work foc which Swedish iron is
used exclusively, and we believe that no first
rate metal for horseshoes has yet been
brought to light from any of the American
mines, Some of the iron dealers OF San
Francisco have made immense fortunes, and
rank their wealth in figures among the half
millions. A glance at their invoice books
might afford some faint idea of how much
bullion could be saved to the State, annually,
by the discovery and successful working of
mines within our border.
But we must be content to 90 ahead slow
ly and surely in the iron interest. If we
can succeed in producing ore enough to fill
the demand for what boiler plates and track
iron for mining tunnels are needed within
The State, We shall be doing well enough
The remote location from tide water of the
Sierra iron mines, and the consequently
great expense of transportation will prove a
serious barrier to their success, but We have
unlimited faith in the ingenuity of our peo-
pie, and think that some plan to overcome
these obstacles viii be devised. We hope
that the Sierra iron mines may be success
fully worked, and that they may. in time,
become so extensive that their products win
drive the imported article out of market
Bee