The morning call., 1893-05-28

as forty-eight loaded cars and four locomotives
can be carried across the straits at single
trip.
Drift mining has been substituted Tor n.y.
drauic In many places, The operators, instead
OF removing several hundred feet OF dirt by
hydraulic monitors, rnnnlng In a tunnel and
only bringing out the few feet Of pay dirt
Two-thirds' of the gold produced by Calfor-
MIA is from quartz mining. About 1000 stamps
are running, aud II is thought that they crush
more than 100000 tons OF quartz annually.
Under new systems Of applying power quartz
yielding as low as 81 per ton Is profitably
worked. This system is carried on in three
fourths OF the counties OF California
River-bed mining Is constantly being tried.
the system consisting in turning the course OF
a river IN such way as to expose the river bed
and reach the gold left In deposit as the cur
rent washed away the lighter material.
Beginning at the southern boundary Of Cali
fornia, going north, The most productive coun-
ties in gold and silver aud in the large number
OF which tile quirtz mining industry predomi-
mates, are as follows: San Diego, SIN Bernar-
dino, Kern, InyO, Fresno Marposa, Mono,
Tuolumne. Calaveras, Amadof, Sacramento,
El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Sierra,
Butte. Plumas, Shasta, Trinity and Sskiyou.
In the silver producers, San Bernardino and
Iuye. silver Is largely in excess of their gold
product while In Mono the reverse is the case.
little Amador Is second aud Sierra third.
The State Minerafogist. In his latest report,
surveys the mining situation with thorough
ness. After speaking OF the application Of
electricity to mining. he says:
AS greater depths were attained In our
quartz lodes new troubles began to develop
themselves. Not only was there more lifting
TO be done with Increment Of water to be taken
care of, but the ores on the line OF permanent
lNni., An.,,. ,1,a
free-miing variety were more or less suiphu-
rated, necessitatipg the employment of other
ana more costly methods OF treatment. Con-
fronted by this new evil, many mill and mine
owners suspended operations awaiting the
result of experiments made by others. Here
followed series of years during which great
deal OF money was spent in the trial of methods,
mechanisms and processes designed TO work
these sulpburated ores with success. an end
which has at last been in good measure at
tanned.
Meantime the industry OF silver mining was
lnaugurated In this State; but before this new
industry had been fairly established the de-
moneIization of silver taking place dealt it
such staggering blow that it has been Ian
gushing ever since; our product of that met al
being less now than 1t was twelve years ago. as
many valuable silver mines were compelled TO
reuafn idle.
Through III dlscontinuanee OF hydraulic
mining The loss TO The State in gold bullion
amounts TO over eight millions of dollars per
annum.
But despite these bIndranees and other re-
tafdine forces, mining for III" precious metals
has kept It's pace among our most important
and useful industries. Though not so far ad-
yanced nof yet so PROSPEROUS as IL should be-.
II Is still in a promising and healthful condi-
lion. is highest work, however. lies in The
| future; It's greatest aud best achievements
await IL. Purged OF Its abuses. aiGed by capt
| taI and prosecuted with economy sys EN- and
skill, mining Is coming To- tile front. there to
remain as almost the foremost Industry of Call
| fOrnia.
lis stability is at least assured. It will re-
| main with Us as long-lved pursuit. Why its
| life should not run with that Of yItIculTure,
graIn-raisng and other cultivated products. it
| is difficult to zee. They mining for gold aud
| silver In South America, Mexico. India and
other portions OF the world where they were
mining FOR those metals ages ago aud where, no
doubt, they VIII continue to mine for them for
ages TO come.
! AS now carried Oh In this State mining may
| b accounted an especially safe and prom able
| industry. Fer several years past there have
! occurred here very few failures, none of sig
| Dat or disastrous kiud.
| For decade or more gOld-miung In Califor-
MA has Involved as little hazard as fruit, grain
! or catle raising, nor has II proved less remu-
! neraIive than either. Our miners are at the
| pres nj time suffering less inaucIal embar
rassment than cur farmers, merchants or any
| other class OF the business community. While
| our miners, whole, have not of late years
been growing rapidly rich, they have been do
| ing fairly well, and now are for the most part
In easy circumstances. They have no bad
! debts, nor are they loaded down with II a bill
| lies and unavailable property, such as enc UNI
| Der many Other occupations.
While The tillers of the land in the noun
| tains are 30 wholly and immediately dependent
| on he miners for their subsistence II is still
the case tnat the entire commonwealth is also
largely benefited by these pursuits
There is not In this State a class, interest or
| vocation but profits directly or remotely
| through the abGrs of the MINER who, white he
aids every other craft and calling, eompetes
| with none.
Our Iron mines have not been extensively
| worked. owing 10 the large amount of capt. al
| required 10 erect smelling plants and To the
| high price Of labor and Iuei Very large de
posits exist throughout the State; hematte
| llmonIte and maguetEe pr dominate. Placer
| County yields chrome ores in appreciable
| quantities. 1t Is only question OF lime when
| California will produce The enormous Quanti-
| lies or iron II consumes yearly
The extraction of copper ore has been prin-
! cipalIy confined to Calaveras, Shasta and Ne
vada counties. Our lead product is derived
! chiefly from silver ore Cor from lead ore con-
| counties. What with tin ore in san Ber-
nardiuo, nickel ore IN Monterey County, anti
mony ore in San Bento and Kern counties, Calf
| fornIa is the grand source of all useful metals
and minerals. The New Almaden mine i'll Santa
! Clara County is The largest producer OF quick
! silver in the State. Next in importance are the
| cnnabar mines in Fresno, San Luis ObiSpo
Trinity, Napa Sonoma and Lake counties.
To sum up, 1t may be SAID that the mining in-
,sterests OF California, especially those relating
! to the precious metals, are in a reasonably
| prosperous condition, aud VIII not only main
tain This place. but VIII increase the present
generous contribution to the general wealth of
the State.