Year: 1867

The county of Calaveras is situated in the
very centre Of the mining interests of the
State, and her resources, if properly devel-
oped, would make her one of the first mining
counties in California. While our neighbors
are progressing in wealth and population,
Calaveras appears to be nearly at a stand
tracing capital ard enterprise, while the
lodes of this county, only a few miles distant,
are languishing for the want of the means
necessary to develop them. The recent i'm
provements in machinery and the new meth
DDS of reducing quartz rock which are being
brought into use, will make lodges valuable
which have long been abandoned, and render
quartz mining profitable. Calaveras has
long been celebrated as mining county
While the precious dust could be easily ex-
tracted from placer diggings, or be got by
tunneling into the mountains, immense guam
ties of gold were taken out; but the very
moment that capital, patience and persever-
anee were required in order to render quartz
veirs profitable, there seemed to come over
all perfect stagnation. and while other dis
tricts have gone forward, We have made but
little progress. The time has arrived when
something must be done to extract US from
the immense debt which is slowly but surely
eating out our substance. Unless we open
up some new sources of revenue, Calaveras
will have to succumb to the outside pressure.
AS the amount of property decreases the rate
of taxation increases; and unless we exert
ourselves in order to increase the available
capital of the county, we shall soon lose the
little we have. Now, it is almost i'm possible
to sell quartz lodges unless We first prove to
capitalists that they are valuable. We may
take them onto the leads and expatiate on the
wealth that is contained within the enclosing
walls, but unless we sink shafts upon them,
and demonstrate their worth. they will still
continue 10 be ribs within the rock, instead
of veins containing the life blood of the coun-
ty. Wherever there are quartz lodes in
neighborhood. those living in the vicinity
should assist in opening them. If it prove
worthless the money will be spent at home.
which is far preferable to sending it out of
the State; while if it proves sufficiently rich
to pay for working, capitalists stand ready
to purchase it at figures that will remunerate
the company handsomely. As soon as a
good lead gets into the hands of monied
men, machinery is put up and large num-
Der of men employed, which at once adds to
. the available wealth of the county and gives
us, besides, an additional population. Dur
ing the past five years sufficient money has
been sent out of this county for mining pur-
poses to open every known quartz ledge
within it. Supposing that money had been
kept at home, and had been put to use among
us, Calaveras would now ring with the mu-
sic of quartz mills, and have thousands of
taxable property which is now worthless
We have already wasted great deal Of pre-
cious time in waiting for capitalists to devel-
op our mines-probably enough to satisfy
the most incredulous that they are not going
to do it. Let US open them ourselves and
then look to outside capital for means to
work them. Without our quartz interests
the future prospects of the county would in
deed look gloomy; but if We make the most
of these sources of wealth which Nature has
kindly placed at our disposal, have
failing resources which only need prospect
ing to demonstrate their boundless wealth.