New-York daily tribune., 1866-04-07
CALIFORNIA.
Rock salt-Ths Culture Of COttou-stam
pede 10 New.Grenada - Big Bend
NIines-Asphsltum--C Cities
silk Culturs-settIisg Down-vinc
Culture and Wine.Making.
From Our Special CoHsspondent
SAN FRANCISCO, March 10, 1866
ROCK SALT,


have had shown me specimens of rock salt
taken from mountain the mouth Of the Rio
Virgin Arizona about thirty miles from Callvie. on
the Colorado River. Tie mountain Is composed al
most entirely Of the quality which is as clear as
the purest rock crystal OF very fine grain, and
resembles alum more than 1t does salt. The supply
is said to be inexhaustibe. As salt is used e1-
ensvey for smelling purposes in mines and as 1t has
already been shipped from this city for use in such
works on the Colorado, at so tun reightage, 1t
can be readily how profitable such supply in that
vicinity will prove even for homo consumption. This
salt requires nothing more than to be taken ont OF
the earth like coal No process of dstillaion, eyap-
oraton or drying Is requisite. 1t is salt and nothing
but salt, it Is cut out Of the mountain
COTTON.
The culture Of cotton in this State is daily attracting
more and more attention. In the southern part OF the
Stare Joint Stock Association is about being formed
for embarking largely tho business 1t has been sat
sflctorly demonstrated that cotton can be prohtaDy
raised in that section. There Is factory al Los
Angeles, but the stupidity OF the Mexieans Is
such that they have sold the whole crop OF three
haciendas Atlantic, Codorachi and Laber, for export
10 England at 30 cents pound tins sqnandering thou
sands of dollars in freight these hacendas are sltu
ated near the above-n0 mill Tie quality oil the
cotton ia said to be excellent. and the crop Is equa "
4 600 or 5 900 bales Of 500 pounds each.
THE STAMPEDE TO EEW-GRRSADA.
Hundreds OF California miners have gone down TO
New. Grenada to seek their fortunes IN the god mnes
there, and hundreds If not Thousands, are an1lOusy
prove TO be rich. and the country Is not as un'
beothy as it is feared to be. their situation is
,uch that they will be apt to draw go.d.hunters
from The East as well as from here, as they are
nearer and sooner reached from that section. Panama
is only seven days from Nev-York whereas 1t Is Is
days from here. Tumaco. near which the mines are
located il reached in three days by steamer aiter
leaving Panama. Then 1t takes from six to nine days
travelling under q tropical sun 10 arrive at the mines
This is represented almost enough 70 Kill any one
Californans partially accimated, viii stand 1t. But
,to 70 frpm .
would perhaps die In three days. These mines were
known a hundred years ago, and were worked by
the Spanards and ever since the natives nave ir0m
time 10 time taken out small quaniter OF gold by
poking around in the ground with STICK. lt Is
claimed and with truth, perhaps, that California
miner, with pan and sluee can go over the sane g
ground the natives have aud secure pile after plle
THE BIG BEND MINES, BRITISH COLUMBIA.
The reports from these mines declare that no
richer nor extensive lodes nave ever Deeh iounu
IN any part Of the world. The diggings are principally
creek beds and new creeks continually renorted
while The richness OF the older ones is being more ali
more established. The gold taken out Of the beds OF
these creeks is coarse maDy pieces weighing rom sl2
10 SO The first diggings were discovered by French
h,fbreed named Lafeur. who commenced prospect
ing near the mouth of creek and at depth Of SIX ee
from the surface obtained six ounces 10 the pan WIN
two o,her. IN two months he look 9ut $500 aSa
been worked with nearly equa! results. Work on these
creeks was suspended last Fall and but compara-
lively few claims had been located with the resumption
Of work this Spring II is expected there will be great
rush. and thousands Of new claims will be taken. The
British Columbian authorities have adopted liberal and
most encouraging measures 10 induce settlement upon
and development of these mines.
AsrHALTUM.
The development Of this product in the lower coun.
ties OF this State is progressing steadily aud surely
Every quality and form OF the asphaes abound in the
counties OF Santa Barbara Channel and the exploTa
tions steadily increasing Several thousand tuns
Of rock asphaum have been shipped 10 this city and
It's use is constantly augmenting The Illuminating oil
distilled from the petroleum springs near san Buena
ventura and kamulas Is now getting into ordinary use
ut Los Angeles, San BBenayentura and Santa Barbara
and some OF the samples DO as well kerosene. The
common asphaltie TAR which exists in hundreds Of
places is being refined and little doubt is expressed
but that ell obstacles to its profitable diStlation will
be soon removed.
CALIFORNIA CITIES
Almost oyery settlement OF from dozen down TO
three people IS called city. They have New-York
City up the Sacramento. consisting OF three houses
"A hotel billiard saloon, ard barn. The location
selected by the ambitious builders was such, they
thought would rapidly give II precedence over the
old Spanish embarkaders situated IN the MIDST OF III
Vulnerable sand hills. The city has stood there now
several years, and commencing with billiard saloon
and hotel 1t has grown 10 the extent Of adding barn.
There is another settlement. known as summit Cly'
occupying its name denotes, an elevated situation
During the past Winter snow has fallen there 10 the
depth of seven feet There is but one hotel and, for
pastme the citizens have coastng dramatic readings
debating clubs, and social daDces In which all the
participate But there are but IL ladies'
all told In she place $50 of the serner sex the social
dances caE1ot be of the most sociable order
SILK CULTURE.
The culture OF silk 10 attracting attention in this
fruitful State. At the Industrial Exhibition IN
Sos OF the Mechanics Institute, Committee on SIX
Worms and the Culture ei Sik aiteI teoIrougn eH,
animation Of the subject reported that, California Is
one Of the best IL not the very best skproducnK conh
tries in the world" II appears that MI Louis PreVost
of San jose has met with such success III the business
ma IN warrant fully the declaration made by the COM
mittee His success however, was not attained with
out loss and perseverance, After raising the necessary
mulberry trees from seed, he attempted 10 import silk
worm eggs from China. lie made three Efforts, Dut
failed each time the eggs were found worthless on
arrival here. A quantity ordered from France how
ever turned out well and the worms haiched rom thein
produced silk pronounced TO be Of the first quality by
European experts Since then, MIR. T. has extended his
experiments and during the past year he has raised over
100 OOO The mulberry grows mere luxurianty
and the warmth and dryness OF the climate are espe'
cialy favorable to the Matching OF the eggs TO which
cold and rainy weather IL fatal.
Millions Of the worms die every year In Europe from
this cause and silk growers often lose onehaf Of their
stock Notwithstanding the great bestowed upon IT,
Mr. Provost says that one man can take care OF as
many silk worms In California as eight men could In
Europe one ounce OF eggs VIII produce about LOO
hounds OF cocoons from which can be wound about IL
bounds Of raw silk worth at the lowest estimate 80 per
pound 800. The present market price OF the eggs
Is $40 per ounce yielding proht OF 800 per cent ~ Is
thought however that by far the most profitable part
OF the business in California will be- for tue present. tue
raising OF tho eggs for expectation An ounce OF eggs
will before said produce io p0SSss osoops contain
females; and az pound OF selected cocoons wili
produce an ounce OF eggs We have s the yield OF the
single ounce with which We commenced, 10 ounces
worth sl0 per ounce. Mr.. Provost says he has this
season produced several millions OF eggs all OF w9cn
were sold at that rate for the French MARKET ana all
he can produce for years come are engaged for the
same house. lie adds that If he had them BY hundreds
of pounds he could sell them immediately lie has had
orders from Mexico also and from Italy which he was
unable 10 ill As these statistics furnished by one
who has gained his knowledge from actual experience
and who Is still engaged In extending his iaelies tIsy
time attempt 10 compute the future wealth OF this state
basinQ their figures upon the value Of her gold, her