The Portland daily press., 1871-08-30
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST so, 1871
A L ettef frem VenezueIa.
GUACIPATI, VENEZUELA,
July 81. 1871.


Thinking that perhaps few lines from the
interior Of this Republic might be interesting
to your readers, have taken the liberty to
address you the following.
G. Guacipati lis an old Spanish town i(once of
some importance) of some fifty or sixty mud
novels and one church, Catholic of course) of
the same material. Said church was once
connected with convent that hundred
years ago was in very fourishing condition,
and although the nuns have all long SINCE
disappeared yet the buildings are in a toler-
aole state OF preservation, and are occupied
as store and Paslda. One Priest ministers at
the altar. After the Spanish power was
broken in the country, the priests of this and
other large towns, were all put to the sword,
and since that time although Catholicism has
been the prevailing religion, it has not flour
ished.
Caratal, about twelve miles distant is the
centre OF the mining region of Venezuela. 1t
is considerable of town, of perhaps one hun
dred houses and stores, and does quite busi-
ness in miners supplies. Guacipati is ON the
Savanna and consequently more healthy To-
cation, and is kind OF a hospital for Caratal
and the mines.
These mines were discovered, I think in
1854 by French physician, DIR. Plaisard, and
have been considerably worked since that
time, but owing to the scarcity of water and
the natural Incidence of the inhabitants of a
tropical climate, not so thoroughly as they
would have been in country like California.
| am inclined to the opinion from representa-
ton of parties here operating, that these
Placer mines are very rich. The quartz
mines know to be so. There are, however,
some singular characteristics with regard to
the; veins they do not have any uniform di-
rectiOn as in all other places with which am
acquainted, but run in every direction often
times at right angles with each other on the
same property. Another popularity is, these
veins are not enclosed in other rock but their
walls are earth; it may have been rock at
some time, but it is earth now and again the
walls of these veins from twelve to eighteen
inches are often as rich in gold as the quartz
ITSELF
The mode of operating in the Placer dig
gings has been to sink benence some thirty
feet; few go deeper, and usually the pay dirt
is only two or three feet at the bottom. This
is taken out and packed on mules or bur-
rOs, for one or two miles as the case may be-
to the Yaruquary and there panned out, and
when that barank is exhausted another
is sunk, and so on. There has never been
any system OF drifting and tlnbering. But
the most of the labor that has been done in
the mines has been on the quartz veins. Here
the quartz has been mined and assorted, that
showing gold reserved, and that not appear
ing rich, cast away. The rich rock has been
pounded out in morters by hand. Some for
tunes have been made, in this way, and many
little towns have sprung up in the
vicinity of the mines. But within a few
years some Europeans, and some Amer
leans have turned their attention tC
these mines, and have inaIgurated a more
expeditions way of obtaining the gold. There
are now seven or eight organized companies
operating or have been operating here. The
history of each cannot exactly give at this
moment, but can tell you something of each
of them.. will commence with the Necopi
This company was organized in Philadelphia
about three years ago. They sent out DR.. r.
p. Stevens of New York as their agent, who
located their grounds, erected their mill aud
commenced the first enterprise of obtaining
gold by machinery in this country. This
was originally twenty stamp mill, straight
battery. Five stamps have been added since
within short time. This company have re
| ceiVed from the product of this mill, as l an
| credbly informed, about one million of dol
lars since it first started. The same compan,
have sent out another mill but it has not We
been erected. 1t has large clearing, mic
buildings and accommodations for this coun
try, and employs large number of pions am
animals. They have large grass plats am
give some attention to gardening and the or
namental. But yet there is some room TO
improvement. Their vein is some three
&hs &sVd t2w t4 R tnf f0m Tns hfE mill but the
to their crusher, where, after passing through
it drops ON to the stamp floor below. / an
informed that their gold costs them eigh
pesos ($6.40) per ounce. was told by tn
clerk of the company that this mill had pai
better for the last two or three months thai
ever before This company that started wilt
a capital of about three hundred thousan
dolla's, have, in consequence of the grea
amount of gold received, increased that cap
tai to ten millions. They are now shut dow
for some temporary repairs.
| The CallaO Company, situated on the Gala
| vein, about one mile from the former compa
ny, is not an American company, but per
haps might say German, and is on the rich
est ground ever discovered in this country
This mill is straight battery of fifteeI
stamps, but it has never run but five, ant
that only for but few minutes at time
They purchased some old baranchos that ha,
been worked to considerable depth by tn
former parties, involving the necessity of
good pump and machinery to dry their mine
This business was entrusted to man iron
New York, who was guaranteed One-eight
of the net earnings of the mill for his services
and furnished with ample funds for all neces
sary purposes TO obtain the best machiner
that was manufactured for gold mining. Blu
l either the incompetency of their agent or hi
cupidlty, brought out by the offer Of larg
commissions, or from some other cause h
brought out worthless boilers and an ineffiC
tent pump. Hence although the rock yield
from six to sixty ounces of gold per ton, the
have been able to but little mtre than pa
expenses. They have now sent to the State
l for better machinery. The president told n
he had cleaned up four hundred and thrt
ounces of gold from twenty-four hours run
| five stamps, which was all the run they cou
| MAKE i'm a week on account of want of stean
When their new machinery arrives their su
cess will be certain.
The N. Y. and S. A. Gold Mining Co., hay
| property on this VEN and near that of th
Caliao. They have a mill already in th
| country and Yankee enterprise to erect it an
| set it running-Mr. Crosby of Waterville, Me
the best amalgamator in this country, and M
| Harmon of Haverhill, Mass, who is doub
less the best miner in this country. Wit
such men in the employ of the Co. their su,
| cess is sure. They have already about thrt
hundred tons of rock mined, and confident
expect that within two months from this tin
to hear the dropping OF the stamps aud Il
| sound of the whistle. This mill cetabipes 6
| madern improvements and IL not equaled
| any one in this country.
The Yaqual or Mocupia mill situated at Y
quail on the Equana brook, dry stream (e,
| eept in the rainy season, and then nearly 60
is N. Y. Company. 1t crushed its first roc
on the last day of June last and up to th
| time has run about one hundred and twent
| FIVE hours on quartz that had been cast aw;
l as worthless, and it has retOrted Segenty-s
and three-Quarters ounces OF a very superi
quality of gold. The amount OF 4uaI
| crushed is estimated at ninety tons. This
what is termed rotary battery, manufactr
ed by Messrs. Mory IL Sperry of New Yol
The cOmpany's property is undoubtedly inv
liable. 1t is the Chill vein, but it is two mil
from the mill and as the carting is impossib
| in the rainy season, it will involve the neces
| ty of building tramway; then they will ha
l as valuable property as there Is in Venezue
and one that will divide every year more th;
! the money invested. Although this eompal
, have been unable to stock their mill they ha'
now contracted with parties to transpo
twenty tons per day of the virgin quartz II
| the next month, August. lhey expect graz
| results.
The Chill mill, ten stamp battery ereclt
nv Mr.. Hancock of New York, is situated
,, the town of the same name, where there is l
, | water to run it even in the rainy season.
is a first rate little mill, straight battery al
! ! runs to perfection; that is, when there is W
ter, which is not one day in twenty. 1t
, now shut down and will never run again (
its present site. Mr.. III has left in disgust al
returned to New York leaving his property
ihe hands of an agent for sale. Had he ia
en- the advice of friends and located his m
| near or on the Equana he would have realiz