Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-12

| ton, and the drayage say one dollar and a half a ton, the miuer adds his own cost of l mining to these amounts and quickly arrives at conclusion as to whether it will pay him to open the mine. An ounce of silver is worth within a few cents of dollar, and if 1 the assay shows above fifteen ounces the mi- ner will proceed to develope the claim-eith- CT by sinking shaft upon the surface crop pings or running atunning under the bed of the ore, the latter process being favored by mining companies, who can afford to stand the outlay required while "hunting for the l head" Assays are taken from time to time to determine if the ore is holding it's value The characteristics of the ore vary in each mine, and often the varieties of stone within a few feet of each other will be entirely dif- ferent in their component parts. This mixed state of mineral nature is supposed to ! have been caused at the time when the silver was in melted condition, and came up out of the center of the earth in the form of 8 vapor and forced it's way into such portions l of the material as were porous. The subse- quent action of cooling produced the final effect. The climate is semi-tropical and very healthful. The thermometer ranges from sixty degrees in winter at noon to one hundred degrees in summer. One can sit in ] the sun and feel quite uncomfortable from | the heat, and then sit in the shade and be chilly. The nights are always cool, and there being no dew the air is very dry. The
 
 dollars day, and the nature of the work, so near to the heart of nature itself, seems to produce quieting effect upon ths miners, who are an intelligent class, strictly honest and remarkable polite. It IS the custom here to lift your hat on meeting, and never passed a miners shanty at meal time with out cordial invitation to stop and eat. More disinterested and true kindness is often found in these otherwise rough mining camps than in some of our eastern cities. In pass- ing over the trails I came across a miners wife busily engaged in picking ore from the
 side of cliff, and found upon conversing
 with her that by this means she had succeed ed in keep her daughter at female seminary at San Francisco, where she was fitting her.
 self to become 8 teacher. When 1 noticed the tired arms and torn hands, yet happy, hopeful look in her face, as she told me the simple story of her struggles, felt that even here was an example of affectionate courage worth emulatipg. The canons are walled in with banks of different colored hues, which has given the name of ''Calico" to the camp. The formation of these buttes are very singu- lar and quite picturesque. The Assures and caves, which in ages past have been formed by the astion of the water are of all shapes and sizes, and present constant changing scene of beauty, while the gaily colored ! sands give added interest to the weird landscape. One of the deepest of these ra- vines is called 'Wan street" canon, from the double sense of the high walls which en- | close it and the quantity of wealth which
 has been taken through it from the "Sue''
 mine. When the red sun sinks like ball of fire into the desert, throwing its rays through | the thin clouds, and tinging with color the | snow capped peaks of the mountains in the distance, there is no need of imagination to complete the natural beauty of the effect. There is 8 certain speculative excitement about this kind of mining, which produces l what is known as the stmining fever" which, when it has good hold on one's feelings and purse, is difficult to cure.
 The miner, not unlike the rest of the
 world, anchors his hope on the 'to-mor-
 row." which in many cases never comes. ! However, the person who will apply the l same abilities to this pursuit in intelli-
 gent and prudent manner, and under per
 sonal supervision, ss would be necessary ir
 any mercantile business, in my opinion
 stands an equal chance of success.
 One of the mines is called ''The Dana,' 1T
 honor of our celebrated Yale professor.
 D. T. MALLETT.