New-York tribune., 1869-05-22

through mass Of hornsver such IA human eyes have
rarely VodJu "a Ic EheII5rdt The only cure for
this ev now possblc is which tho inhabitants may
themselves supply by uniting conflicting claims, ana ar
ranging amlcaby their boundaries Perhaps 1t II nor 700
late establish square locations by general agIeee'
and 10 adjust the claims for damages that may arise from
such change by means Of commission elected by the
The latter suggestion may have been feasible at
tle time Mr. RAYMOND visited the district, when IL
contained about 900 Inhabitants but now tnat thls
number has grown TO 1900, and IS rapidly ncTehs-
ing the multiplicity OF interests has probably gol DC
yond all voluntary adjustments and litigation 10
likely TO be the order Of the day.
Mr. Raymond concludes: ..,.,,, Ala.
"The future prodnctivencss and importance OF s u 1
trict cannot be orescen but much may be expect
from the active explorations OF next season. IN DIV @
belt Of country as yet comparatively UNKNOWN AS ASiri5 M
the deposits Of Treasure Hi they are certain 10 gigh ~
large amounts Of silver before theyare exhausted ana
Tor the confusion which an injudicouS system
Of titles will be certain to generate" .. 6
We cannot fOrbcaT to quote III ful tho accOuig VI VI
a somewhat celebrated swiudle, and the eAceAen'
BiacE ROCK DisLricL-This district comprising large
portion OF the uorth-w western quarter OF HnmDOiuV
County. has been the Of hopes as VIA ana uP
tory of American mines As early the notice OF
acute but ignorant observers was attracted 10y uan
colored rock, occurring in heavy masses IN tat oS
about 100 miles from Unlonve. II was bitnm.o@us @
clay, and the associated rocks were almost wth3ut & G
covery precious metals. But the waNy texture OF e
clay, doubtless being compared to that oi lhe I'n
cred good indication" and 1t was not long before lD
discovered IN the piach way Vt lt. ord IN nv
spectacle aSsayerS in tho Pacific States ahu' 70 iy
knowledge. also in NewYurk, hatly cOntfaiIcteu uio
popular deluson But inc Back 4'och p,Jl5 lrbn
sayer OF their own-a man by the name OF iseI
the silver from these peculiar ores. He worked
by what ho called the freibeIs process, nnu no
that intelligent men could believe such trash. or
course Mr. senbccs secret lnX contained conpounu
and explorations The people OF tho Pachc coast Telo
the victims far more than eastern capitalists IneS
ri
in 1867 Mr. lsenbeck announced that he was leau} 10
work the rock on large scale ana 10 uns were
him from fcrcnt lcdgcs Ia Dall Wl III ashoc county
itcc,t was the coWscqacncc min was built in
Two others were put IN active preparation. But Hlt
and before operations commenced he disappeared from
the public eye. The Black Rock miners, who had shown
for more nan six years Glm discrimination ana peIse
ycrauco worthy of respect though they had been credu
lous children OF the stories OF tins charatan aDa
dOued their mines in despair Houses, ns every thDg
was left as 70 stood and In the Summer Of letS there WAS
not human being in the district. Even thieves wonld
d5 sent TO the region by Mr. CLARENCE King confirmed
opinion Of all scientific men from the beginning that
have related this story at some length, partly be-
cause my predecessor unable TO visit the district III per
son, was mslGd INTO expressing i@EOIAuio opU ~ ~
although by the time his report was IN print the DuDDe
had Oug been disspatcd aud tho scheme fOIsaken IL IS
unfortunate accident that after TINS great fraud ad
been branded by the public press and pnblc oInloh u
should receive its last word Of praise IN public doc
umcnt" The accident is due, as have pointed out, TO
the lapse of many months between the writing and tho
more Important reason for dwelling this history AT
the present time Is the light which It throws on tho
knowledge and temperament Of our mining population
A geologist would have condemned the Black Rock
mines in the beginning; every chemist and mttaluIgist
single prctender hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
expended by who believed that their black wax con
tanned silver aud gold IN such form tha no ordinary
assay could extract them. II not for Lack ~ sccu
tine men, hut for lack Of faith IN science that these VIC
TINS noundercd 10 their fate. This shows the nsul
cheney OF imported science IN community uneducated
to value Alright. IL Is some has
men cuoucl,, hut what we need IS n mining science Mt
home which viii raise the tone Of tho whole community.
sf0ueI would remark IN closing this description 0f
Black Rock that miners In general cannot follow safer
cess which Is declared 10 extract more gold and silver
from any every orc than can bo extracted
chemical analysis account for every atom Of the weight
OF the substance anayzed We can check ana prove our
assays by various means which approximate our GER
tauty the ab0lute we have studied Tor years Tic ma
ture aud the combinations Of The elemental substances;
and now it may indeed bo possible that gold ana SILVER
exist forms and conditions hitherto unsupported I'M
poudcrablc, insolube, nfnsble, inaugb-butt u Is not
lkcly aud the man who asserts 10 may claim tie ear OF
Tho chance. ~ Tie ruth of such nm alleged
discovery IN inverse proportion TO the number Of men
who been busy with tho subject with all tho lsht
one 10 1000 Now 20 1000 Is probability quite sum
cicu 20 deserve tho respect of scientific hlars; us
I'm fact us great authority as most new doctrines can
cam: bnt men Investing money n matters Of which they
personally KNOW nothing should look Tor better security
This is Gospel truth We wish we could iolloW
Mr. RAYMOND into Montana, Idaho, and other quar-
ters and especially that Wa might give some ac,
couut of the argument, historical, scientific, and
legal. which fills the second part Of this report,
under the title Relations Of Governments TO MIN
ing" But space is wanting, nj least for the present
Even in that which we have done. are aware that
we have not been wholly just to the Commissioning.
whose work Is sngularly continuous ana closely
knit making IL difficult 10 extract single passages
yyifbout mlsrcpIescntng the thoughts OF the writer
This results i'm part from the fact that 1t IL to sQlarge
an extent actually the work of one man. aha hchce
hears tho stamp Of his individuality, and IN part
from the condensation Of ideas 1t is crowded with
thoughts and suggestions which should have been
expanded into q larger volume