The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1867-02-23
Nevada Correspondence.

or not as never knew the fate OF my last written
about November first. From the time forwarded
ii until the last three issues only two numbers of
the RECORD were received. This, for two months,
might do very well for the "Chico route but we
object on this line" to such irregularities. l am
not aware, therefore, whether my first was accept
ed, or deemed worthy of place in the waste bask-
Ell. Under the circumstances | felt delicacy in
perhaps intruding again, and the best way for you
TO choke NE off would be to drop me line, just
stating that you declined the honor OF publishing
such trash. l merely offer this suggestion.
while proceed to carry out my project of saying
few words about the mines-mode of working the
ore. and the possible future of Oreana.
This promising little place is located on the north
west bank of the Humboldt river, Humboldt coun.
ty, Nevada. That silver Ell Dorado of few years
since when to be the lucky owner of few feet
there, was equivalent to being next thing to mil
lionaire. You will reco.lect the stampede from
Butte to that place, if you do not, some of your
readers may have occasion to remember it, espe-
eialy when all the Spanish castles tumbled to ru-
ms and it was discovered that it was nothing but
"God-forSaken sage brush country after ALL 1t is
not always best to condemn things outright, because
they do not meet our most extravagant expecta-
tons; and even Humboldt viii bear waiting on for
short time longer. Oreana is situated, as l said,
on the banks of the Humboldt, some three or four
miles below 1Etna, and twenty miles above the Big
Meadows. 1t has no beautiful surroundings to re-
commend Tito the eye; nothing but the sluggish
stream with its muddy waters sand banks and will
lows, nothing but sage brush and greenwood in the
b,r ar ,I,o
east and west, with an occasional stunted cedar
high up among the snowy peaks. The town itself
does not look very inviting, not more so than Orc
vile did in 1853 and "a, perhaps. There is one
saloon, one store, two stables, blacksmith shop,
and two boarding houses, some six or seven scat
tering houses, and the mill built time ago by
the Trinity aud Sacramento Company, but which
is now changed into a smelling works; batteries
and pans have given place to furnaces, and the
change, in my opinion is destined to work COM
plete revolution in the mining interests ofthis
ty, aud probably the whole State. For the work
ing of refractory ores, such as are found in many
portions of this State, have doubt that smet-
ing will eventually take the place of the old mill
ing process, having many advantages the lat
ter few of which will mention. In the first
place the enormous expense of procuring suitable
machinery, is saved to start on, and consequently
the heavy frcights on the same. No quicksilver is
requ red and chemicals, beyond a little lime or
soda for fluids which may probably be required,
nothing else is necessary. the ore here furnishing
a sufficient amount of lead for the purpose, and
will shortly yield an excess of that article, which
will be made an artic lie of commerce, when the Pa
cifc Railroad extends up the Humboldt The diff
ference between smelling and milling is in ores like
those of Humboldt, Churchill and some other
ties in this State where the gold and silver is in
combination with the baser metals such as copper,
iron, lead, antmony, etc. BY the milling process
it is almost an impossibity to save the precious
metals in paying quantities, even from the richest
ores, without going to great expense. By the
smelling process, If properly attended to- the result
is different. Everything metallic being saved and
the main difficulty to be overcome is in separating
the precious metals from the baser without loss to
the former. The expense of working the ore from
the Montezuma mine here by the smelling process,
is not greater than by the mill process where roast
ing the ore is necessary, and the yield is much
greater. The great drawback to this work, and in
fact to all the mines in humboldt that have seen
yet is the lack of fuel. The charcoal used for
smelling is hauled thirty miles, and costs fifty
Gets per bushel, and cedar wood for calcinng and
and refining costs at the rate of twelve dollars per
cord Were these mines aud works located in por
tons of the State where coal can be furnished for
twenty cents per bushel and wood at five dollars
per cord, Orcana would soon flourish like green
bay tree. The work when completed will consist
of two smelling furnaces with a capacity for smet-
in from Is to Is tons of ore each in "a hours, two
calcining furnaces and one cupel Their old fur
mace has been fitted up for burning lime. and also
bones for cupels. The averages eighty dollars
per ton of pure silver leaving the lead and other
metals for future use. 1t requires from 900 to
u 900 brick for each smelling furnace of the above
capacity, and where fire rocks be found con-
venent for lining it is substituted for fire brick,
costs less and is more durable. 1t requires twenty
five bushels of coal for one of ore and two cords
of wood every a hours to run the calcinng fur
mace. The blast for the two smelling furnaces will
be supplied by fan run by horse power. The
mine lies some four miles north of the works, and
is the most singular body of ore have ever met
with, there being nothing in view which indicates
a ledge. When stripped of few inches of loose
dirt and stunted grease wood it presents the APP
pearance of huge mass of mineral, without strike,
dip or casing, some $50 feet square, as far de-
veloped and how much further no one vet knows.
There is sufficient ore in sight. however for two
years TO come, aud two good can supply all
that the furnaces can use for that time for tri-
fling cost per ton. They have an excellent road
from the mine to the works, and the ore is deliv-
cred at the furnaces for 3 so per ton. There are
mines enough of the same character in the vicinity
every side, and three other companies either
erecting similar works making preparations to
do so. The fuel question. which is their greatest
drawback at present, will probably he settled soon
by the Introduction of peat, an extensive bed of
which is said to exist near Lovelocks, some ten
miles below; and if proves to be the roal article,
it be furnished in large quantities at trifing
cost compared with charcoal. If this mode of
working ores here continues to be successful,
aud can be adopted in other sections of our State,
such as Silver Hill, Alamo, Mountain Wells, and
other districts where refractory ores abound. who
can estimate the results Our old friend and fel-
low sinner. Lovelock. seems to be an institution"
ont here, and D. Weaver, should say, had good
/ layout. The firm of Weaver & Mayo, having the
monopoly of the store trade, which should judge
was likely to be a fiourishing business when the
works get into iall blast