The Placer herald., 1866-08-04
Vein Mining in California.

SOU,OOU 10 SoUU,UUO. AS these ntaVy sale!
are nearly all made to citizens Of our State
who are presumed to be more familiar with
pracical mining than eastern parties, they
indicate both strong confidence in the val
ue of our home veins, and growing ten
dency to home investments. Only few
years ago, quartz mining was feeble inter
est in California, developed profitably at on.
ly few localities, and eclipsed in general
estimation at first by the more easily worked
of other regions. The first cash investments
made in it on large scale were by inexpe.
rienced foreigners, to great extent, who
o(tener failed than succeeded, discouraginQ
by their failures investment and prospecting
by others. There we're few Caifornians who
dared to put fortune into quartz lode
Experience and confidence came slowly main
| y through the labors of small associations
having but little capital. Washoe silver
mining, with all its bIunders and rascalities,
has been servceable to our home quartz in.
terest by revealing some improved processes,
and by teaching us to shun extravaganza
and speculation. 1t also instructed large
numbers Of our returned miners in the gen
eral characteristics Of mineral lodes, so that
the reaction in Washoe was followed by a
period Of discovery and development in CAL
iforna. The extent 10 which the area of the
quartz fields in our State has been enlarged
since 1860 is hardly realized by the public
Prior to that time the productive quartz belt
was popularity though, to be quite narrow,
and confined TO few of the central counties
Outside Of the most intelligent circles, il
was not supposed that had any vein
mines worth working except aurferon!
quartz. Subsequent explorations have re
vealed the fact l. that the field of our vein
mines is CO extensive in length and breadth
with the great mountain chain of the State;
that it embraces also, to a considerable ex'
tent, the lesser mountains that front the
ocean, and that it includes a great variety
of minerals, but especially gold, silver and
copper. The width Of the quartz belt in
the Sierra Nevada has not been measured
nor carefully estimated, but it undoubtedly
extends from the outer edge Of the foothills
TO the summit levels, distance varying
from 90 to 80 miles in direct line; while
its length, from the northern to the southern
border of the State, is about 600 miles.
1t is to be regretted that there are no sta
tistcs accessible by which to exhibit the
number and extent Of the Iodes that have
been discovered and occupied, the number
of companies and mills in operation, the
the amount Of capital invested, and the ag'
gregate product in gold and other metals.
Such statistics would, we are confident reveal
the quartz interest of California in a most
extensive and prosperous condition. and it is
great fault 10 our legislation that no ade-
quate method for obtaining them has been
devised. But we learn enough from The rap
id multiplication Of districts, from the fre-
quenty published yields in gold and copper
especially, and from repeated sales OF Iodes
at high figures to our own citizens, to know
that vein mining in our State is rapidly taxi
ing precedence of placer mining and estab.
fishing itself as permanent, legitimate, safe
and remunerative industry 1t still has its
incidental excitemen,s and temptations to
speculative OVERRIDING, but these are not and
never can be equal to the great Jurors crea
ted by Washoe, and are perhaps no more
remarkable or injurious than the excitements
and speculative tendencies discernable 10 the
more sober walks of trade and commerce.
Indeed, trade and mining now 60 almost
hand in hand, for we observe that many of
the heaviest investments in California quartz
are made by citizens Of San Francisco, who,
after many losses and deceptions elsewhere,
are turning with new faith and energy
to the development of mineral resources at
home. ..
There are certain facts not vet mentioned
which strengthen the growing popularity Of
California vein mines. Many of them have
been worked to depth Of many hundred
feet without signs Of depreciation or exbaus
ton. Contrary to theory once advanced
by Sir Roderick Murchson, they do not de-
crease in productiveness as they increase in
depth, but on the contrary the ore streak is
commonly found to widen, if it does not all
ways grow richer; and we believe no Califor'
MIA company has yet gone far enough to as
certain when the mere increase in the cost
of working consequent upon the increase OF
depth, overbalances the gross yield Of vein
originally profitable. 1t was thought at one
time that with great depth would come an
accumulation of water, involving cost for
pumping alone 10 excess Of the gross yield
or making pumping impossible; but major
ily of our mines are SO situated that they
can be drained by tunnels to depth reacb'
ing many hundreds, and in numerous instan'
ces thousands of feet. The excavation Of
great drain tunnels is, in nearly all the best
quartz districts, thoroughly practicable, and
will be successfully prosecuted whenever
necessary, through combination OF inter-
ests and capital. If not as a matter OF inde
pendent enterprise. Then most Of our vein
mines are situated in close proximity 10 the
finest timber. The gold and silver ores are
usually free from base metals, and can be
worked at a cost far below that required in
any other mining territory on this coast.
Further than this, the mountains 10 which
they are found contain large quantities o.
arabic land, are finely adapted to settlement
for agricultural purposes, abound 10 beaut'
full scenery, and possesses wholesome anc
agreeable climate. Up to an altitude 0