Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-09-29
The Quartz Leads Of calaveras.

The Quartz Leads eff Calaveras.
We are informed by gentleman, prac-
ticel miner, who has visited the principal
mining counties of this State and Nevada,
during the past two years, that the quartz
leads of Calaveras offer superior inducements,
both to the capita list and laboring man, to
those. of any other locality which he visited.
He bases his opinion upon the fact that the
quartz veins in this section of the country
are wider, as general thing. than those
found in other localities and that majority
OF the leads which contain gold at all. will
pay the expenses of prospecting from the
surface down, thus obviating the necessity
nj expend ng large amount of money before
anything definite can be determined in re-
gard to the value of mine. The principal
drawback to the development of our quartz
lodges has been, and still is, the want Of the
necessary machinery for crushing the rock
Capitalists will not purchase lead, or
advance money enough on it to enable the
owners to erect mill. unless it has been
thoroughly prospected, and they are fully
assured that the investment will prove prof
table one. On the other hand, the great
mass of those engaged in this species of min
ing have not the means to develop their
claims sufficiently to make them marketable,
unless they can secure the advantages which
mill facilities would afford them. In order
TO develop the resources of a country, capital
and lauor must be harmonized. must go hand
in hand, each lending aid TO the other; and
until they are thus combined. so long as they
occupy their present antagonistic positions,
just SO long will our quartz veins remain idle
and Improbable. Upon the hardy miner
devolves the arduous task of discovering and
working the leads sufficiently to warrant a
reasonable beliefthat they are valuable; then
capital should step in and demonstrate the
fact. and both should share equally in the
profits. BY this means both the capitalist
and the laborer would be greatly benefited.
the hidden resources OF the country deve op-
ed, and the interests Of the people materially
advanced. The excitement in regard 10 sill
yer which ragged so fercely a few years since,
had very disastrous effect upon quartz min
ing. 1t not only caused the foolish expen-
diture of vast amount of money. but it also
diverted the attention of our citizens from
the mines nearer home. They seemed to i'm
,lo 81. rb
happy possessor of few "silver feet in Sill
yer Mountain, Humboldt or Reese hiver.
that their fortunes were made, and SO eated
were they with their fattering prospects. and
SO elevated did their ideas become in conse-
quence. that they would not deign to look
at piece of gold-bearing quartz. Men who
could not have been prevailed upon to expend
one single cent to assist in the development
of cur own mining interests. invested large
in silver stock, the principal returns from
which have been notices of assessment. The
silver bubble has burst at last however. and
although the experience of the last few years
has been dearly bought, it has taught our cit
izens lesson which will be Of great benefit
TO them in the future. They are already
turning their attention to the numerous lodges
of gold bearing quartz which traverse our
county in every direction, and evincing the
utmost energy and enterprise in their devel-
opment. The recent discoveries at Railroad
Fiat have added new impetus to prospect
LII l.
claims where it had been suspended. Sever
al companies have been formed in town, and
taken up claims in the vicinity of Railroad
Flat and Nelson's Guich. A ten stamp mill
is in process of erection at the former place.
which, wien completed will afford all an op-
portunity of prospecting their claims at a
tr'aing expense. At West Point new dis
coveries are constantly being made. and the
shipments of gold dust are largely on the in
crease. The absence of the necessary ma
chlnery for pumping out the water which is
invariably found at certain depth in that
locality, has always been seriously felt. and
we are glad to announce that several COM
the long-needed apparatus. They can now
work their claims to advantage and prospect
them to much greater depth than they could
heretofore reach. From the vicinity of San
Andreas Angels. Murphys and other por-
tons of the county. the intelligence is most
fattering. Mills are springing up in every
direction. and labor is being vigorously pros
ecuted. The entire interest of the conmu-
nuity seems to be centered upon the one object
of opening up of the immense wealth contain
ed in our quartz leads. and if the same spirit
of energy and perseverance which has been
exhibited in regard to them during the past
year can be maintained for the one to come
Calaveras will number more paying quartz
claims than any othtr county in the State.
The rebel press have great deal to say
about "kadical thieves" but not one word
of condemnation for the murderous traitors
who attempted to destroy the Government