Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-01-31
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- AT THE HAaT. -.


We find the following in the Mininq, and
Sciertvfc Press Of last Saturday. II. the
statements therein are correct some idea
may be formed of the value of the testi-
mony rendered last Summer in some i'm
portant cases in this county by Professor
B. Silliman, jr. If the reports are true,
Silliman ought to be dipped in crude Pc
troleum, and bedecked in plumage bor-
rowed from feather bed ast5ss.ss. - :.
One would think, from the frequent an
nouncements in the eastern journals, par
ticularly those published in New York, of
the splendid mining schemes founded upon
localities on the Pacific slope, of asserted
extraordinary richness, that our Atlantic
cousins were "gobbling up" all the choice
spots throughout our extended mineral
regions. Scarcely steamer arrives, that
does not bring US word of some stupen-
dous mining scheme, which has been put
in the New York market, that is bound to
make every considerable share-taker
therein millionaire. And, strange to
say, not one in ten of these extraordinary
rich locations have ever been heard of in
San Francisco, until we read of them in
our eastern exchanges. Time and time
again have these swindling schemes been
ventilated by the California press, but,
"still they come" Scores of letters are
being received by every mail, by persons
in California, from their friends at the
East who have put their money in these
ventures, in good faith. Many of them
never had even the vestige of an existence,
except on paper; Others are mere swind-
ling schemes got up to sell for large sums,
worthless mining locations, which would
not bring enough here to pay for printing
the stock books Of the company.
The latest scheme of this description
was brought to our notice by exchanges
received by the last steamer, and is based
upon alleged extraordinary discoveries
of Petroleum smear the coast of Califor-
MIA, about 800 miles south from San
Francisco" where it is asserted that Mr..
Gilbert "has put up for himself a REIN
ery," and drawn from one of the great
oil wells, 400 barrels without apparently
diminishing the supply" Calitornians,
who know that there never has been even
four barrels of oil refined in this entire
State, will read the above with surprise,
which will in nowise be abated when they
read the following extract from Professor
Silliman's report of the locality, which
accompanies the account. The Professor
says: .s
"The property covers an area Of $4,000
acres in one body, on which are at present at
least t,ceasty natural oil cells, some Of them
of the largest size C). Artesian
wells will be fruitful along a double line Of,
say thirteen miles, and at least tIcenty miles
in linear extent (!!).
Before leaving California, the Professor
stated to friend of his, in this city, that
he had realized over 100000 in gold,
from his professional services, during his
stay here. We have learned from other
parties who have availed themselves of his
services, that he informed them that he
regulated his terms in accordance with the
favorable or unfavorable nature of his re-
ports. If that was his rule we should
Judge the report made to this company
ought to have realized for him large
item in his two hundred thousand dollar
fortune. If we are misinformed, or ex-
hibit an inexcusable ignorance with regard
to the above, and similar schemes, we are
but suffering lack of knowledge which
is quite common among intelligent mining
men on this coast. aa .-.,