The record-union., 1893-06-30
GOLD GALORE.
Plenty Of the Yellow Metal Yet in
the Hills.
Good Opportunities for Capitalists to
Invest in Quartz and Drift
Mines.

"For many years it has been a mystery
to me-" said William S. Chapman, an old
and experienced miner, to San Fran
cisco Bulletin reporter, a couple Of days
since, why men with money have con-
stantly turned their attention away from
gold mining. 1t is the best business for
the State and the people. Everything re-
quires judgment and experience, but l
do not know of any business which for
the same amount of experience, judg-
ment and capital will make a return
equal to the business of mining.
The decentralization of silver in India
is Liable, of course, TO give our silver
miners a heavy blow; but gold-mining,
which is the leading industry of Califor
MIA, will be benefited by it. My observ
ton has told me that, although we have
taken out of the bowels of California
over 81, ,000,0O0,000 worth of gold with
in torty-three years, not one-quarter of
the metal that exists there has been har-
vested. The portions of the great mother
lodes that have been worked are those
that have paid best. Pockets here and
there have been explored and exhausted,
but richer ones are still in existence
awaiting the pick and shovel.
DESERTED MINES.
81 can take you up into Mariposa, Tuol-
umne, Amador, Nevada and other coun-
ties, and show you scores of deserted
mines that a little capital would make
yield a good profit. At these mines the
shafts and tunnels have caved in, the inn
provements rotted away or burned
down, indicating their complete abandon
ment. They were opened at time when
labor was excessively high, machinery
dear, transportation expensive and the
processes of working gold out of quartz
wastetul and costly. To a great extent
ALL THIS HAS NOW CHANGED.
The decrease in the cost of living has re-
duced the price of labor; machinery can
now be built and transported at a smaller
cost than formerly, and the processes of
working ore have been greatly improved.
A miner can now make money working
gold quartz that assays 50 a ton. a few
years ago such ore was thrown away. If
a man at the present day discovers
prospect in an inaccessible location,
away from water, and where steam-power
cannot be taken, all he has to do is to
convey an electric current by wire to
the spot, and he Is ready for business. y
water-right many miles away may run
the dynamo that will, through the wire,
operate his mill high up in the crags Of
the mountain.
GOLD IN THE MOUNTAINS.
There are thousands of places in the
Sierras where gold exists in abundance.
All that is wanted to take it out is capital
and energy. / hold that the men who
engage in this business are of far greater
value to the State than any other class Of
citizens, tor the reason that they add
something to the sum of worldly wealth
that can never be obliterated. If man
spends 100000 in developing gold mine
and makes his bare expenses, he has con-
terred lasting benefit upon mankind.
He has put 100000 in circulation, and
has taken out of the earth another $780,
OU0. There are now S2O0,0O0 in existence
where before there was but 100000.
But suppose he loses money on his
venture, and only takes out 500, 900. The
world is still $4,000 richer than before.
1t IS vain, however, to argue upon the
benefits 10 the community of goIdmin-
ing. They are patent to every under
standing. The production Of value in
that industry far exceeds in usefulness
the results of any other business.
Nothing would, in my judgment,
contribute so much to the material pros
perity of the State as a genuine revival of
gold minlng-not stock gambling and its
accompanying evils, financial crisis and
sulcide-but the investment of capital in
the development of the mineral resources
of the State. There is a vast field await
ing exploration. Money and enterprise
only are wanted.
HA ADfAU LIC MINING.
" 1t has been unfortunate for everybody
that the controversy between the farmers
of the Sacramento Valley and the hy-
draulic miners OF Nuba, Placer and Ne
vada Counties has resulted as it has, be-
cause many people believe that there is
no gold in those counties, except such as
is found in the gravelly hills. The fact is
that there are vast amounts Of gold
which can be taken out of these hills only
by drifting, AS we cali it, and even if hy-
draulic mining is never resumed, there
is plenty OF work to get the gold out in
other ways. All we want is to divert the
attention of capitalists to this method of
making mOney.n