Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-01-23
THE CINSABAE ENTE REST.


Within a couple Of years developments
have been made which show that our
county has an element Of wealth which
has thus far lain dormant, but the pro-
duction Of which will soon take its place
among the leading and permanent indus
tries Of the county. We allude to the
cinnabar discoveries, first made three
years ago, but only lately tested to an
extent TO justify us in believing that
within our territorial limits some Of the
richest mines Of that ore which the world
can boast Of are TO be found. Within
few years quicksilver has so advanced in
price that 1t may almost rcckoned as one
of the precious metals. This is owing,
partly TO the combination entered into a
few years ago TO monopolize and raise
the price of that necessary metal partly
70 the great demand which has sprung
up for large supplies Of quicksilver to be
used in the mining operations Of this
State and Nevada. Year by year the
value Of quicksilver as gold-saying ad-
junct is more fully demonstrated, while
the silver mines Of our sister State would
be comparatively worthless if the needed
supplies were shut of.
The constantly increasing demand for
quicksilver, combined with the high price
it commanded, stimulated prospecting,
TO a great degree, aud has resulted
in the discovery of a number Of mines OF
more or less value. But the new discov-
cries have had little or no effect upon the
market price Of quicksilver, and that ar
ticle Of commerce is held at figure
twice as great as the ruling value FIVE
years ago. The Western slope Of the
Sierra Nevadas contained gold in abund-
ance on their Eastern slope and through
the mountains OF the deserts Of Nevada
mines Of silver abound, and it was re-
served for the Coast Range to furnish the
deposits Of quicksilver 50 necessary TO the
successful and remuneratiYe working Of
the more precious minerals. Napa, Lake,
Colusa, Sonoma and Mendocino coun-
ties have each in turn furnished the field
Of enterprise for the energetic prospectors,
and their labors, 70 Il certain extent, have
been repaid. Their discoveries created
quite an excitement, not so great one,
indeed, MS followed the rich silver discov-
cries but, for n time, the counties we
have named were thronged with pros
pectors eager in the search for indications
Of that ore which has of late years assum-
ed such prominence. Our own county
was last among those in which prospect
ing to any extent was undertaken, but
the present indications are that it will
soon take rank as the leading quicksilver
producing county Of the State.
The existence Of rich deposits of CHINA
bar in this county has long been suspect
ed. From almost the earliest days of
mining on Trinity River, the presence of
small particles Of the mineral was noted,
though what it was, was to a great ex-
tent unknown. The small particles were
difficult TO separate from the fine river
dust, and nearly every ounce Of dust
washed out by the old fashioned methods
Of the rocker and sluico contained more
or less cinnabar. When found on the
low river bars the PARTICLES were small
and solid-those found in the higher bars
and benches were larger ir size and more
easily pulverized. In heating the gold
to dry it, it would be observed in the
dark, that the particles burned with a
blue flame and it was also noticed that
the cinnabar was thicker in the gold
washed out Of " top" gravel than in that
taken from strata near the BEDROCK
Still, in the search for the more valuable
metal, the constant presence of cinnabar
was overlooked, or dismissed with pass
ing comment and it was not until three
years ago that prospecting for the source
Of this supply was inaugurated, with what
now promises TO be the most happy re-
suits. 1t was found in part OF the coun-
/ ty remote and difficult Of access, and this
fact, together with the high altitude at
which they are situated making the work
ing season very short, has materially
retarded their development. We have
no disposition to magnify or overrate the
extent or value of our cnnabar deposits,
but the accounts which have come TO us
from reliable sources, warrant us in the
belief that the mining and manufacture
Of quicksilver will, ere long, become a
permanent and leading industry Of the
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