Year: 1876

S' NHohS0 lOChtion. On Tuesday
morning, through the kindness and un-
der the guidance of Mr.. II. Greenmap.
Superintendent Of the Altoona, we visited
the works of that company and after in
spection were thoroughly convinced that
for real wealth Cinnabar District is not
surpassed anywhere, perhaps not even
by the celebrated Bonanza of Navsda


In the Altoona Mine there appears to
be an endless extent OF Cnnabar; It bav-
ing been found in large quantities
wherever tunnels have been run and
from the surface to depth of one hnn-
dred feet, reached on the lower level bv
tunnel three hundred feet in length
The principaI vein is well defined vary
ing IN width from six to twenty two fss,
and widening and improving as it eoss
down. The main tunnel is crossed bv
side drifts in many places and rich ore
found in every direction. Just how ex-
tensive these deposits are is not known
out there is at present vast amount in
sight which seems to be only an indica-
ton of much greater things vet to be
developed. In word, the mountain
comprising the Altoona mines is thor
oughly impregnated with Cinnabar of a
richness so far excelling anything ever
before discovered in the world that ex-
perts in that line are utterly dumb-foun-
ced and know not what to make of it.


AS to the richness Of the ore taken out.
the quicksilver actually produced is in
disputable proof The Altoona is run
ming five retorts, putting through two
charges of 400 pounds each everv "a
hours and producing therefrom between
700, and 800 pounds Of quicksilver. Dur
ing the past ten days lO2 TASKS of the
metal have been shipped from these lit
tie retorts, and a steady stream of quick
silver is running from them at the rate
Of a pound in two minutes. The retorts
are Of course charged with concentrated
ore, but the expense Of getting out this
ore and concentrating it is very little in
comparison with the results. The earth
as taken from the tunnels is run through
a small sluice, the taiings from this
worked with rockers and this process re-
peated again and again; finally the tail
ings, after all these half-dozen washngs,
are reserved and found by working
test to contain one and one fourth per
cert, of quicksilver, which is better re-
suit than can be obtained from the best
ore produced in many other mines in
this State. After all the ore possible is
saved by the concentrating processes
now in use, the tailings are found to be
rich and will pay largely for roasting in
furnaces. This much has been proved
by actual tests and cannot be controvert-
ed.


An additional discovery had just been
made on the Altoona location day or
prior to our visit, a rich stringer being
found in making an excavation for a
cabin. Two or three 12-inch boxes were
placed in position and Il Chinaman put
to work shoveling in. During our visit,
Mr.. Greenman pointed to this particular
Celestial with the remark that he alone
was taking out sufficient ore to nearly
pay the entire mining expenses of the
Company. We were also shown box
of ore, containing about 300 pounds,
which we were assured would work not
less than sixty-fve per cent, and all
which this one Chinaman had taken out
the day before. In fact the wealth of
the Altoona is indescribable yet only
needs to be seen to convince any reason
able man OF its magnitude and we are
positively assured that the Boston"
more than a mile distant, is equally as
rich.


AS to the many other locations in
Cinnabar District nothing is positively
known, as comparatively little work has
been done on them up to the present
time. The Trinity Last Chance, Sir
John Franklin, Washington and others
have splendid prospects-as good CT bet
ter than were obtained in the Altoona
with like amount Of prospecting. The
country for several miles around has the
same general appearance as in the i'm
mediate neighborhood OF the Altoona,
and good surface prospects can be OBJ
tanned almost any place. AS prospect
ing proceeds there will undoubtedly be
other mines opened which will ultimate.
ly prove as rich and extensive as the one
we have referred to, which is the only
one at present producing quicksilver
The Cinnabar District Of Trinity county
is the richest quicksilver producing re-
gon Of the world and will soon take the
lead of all others, on account of both the
quantity and quality Of ore obtained in
that section.