Year: 1875




1t was not to be expected that the rul
ing market rates which quicksilver COM
manded short time ago, could be main
tanned in the face of the discoveries of
cinnabar deposits which of late have be-
come OF such frequent occurrence, and it
is a matter Of surprise that the fall in
prices had not come before. Quicksilver
now commands price only little in
advance of that which it held or the ist
of January, 1869, since when the rise in
price was steadily upward until ii reached
The figure Of 81 80. This result was not
brought about by the natural laws of
trade. 1t is very true that the demand
for the article for use in mining and the
arts had greatly increased, but not in
proportion with the advance in price. BY
one of those combinations known only to
those in the secret, the quicksilver mar
ket was controlled until it reached fig
ire as high as consumers could by any
possibility go. Even as it was, the high
price prevented the working of some
mines and shut off the demand from that
quarter. And for six years prices have
been kept at very bigh figure, but the
logical result has followed at last. The
sudden prominence Of value given to Gin
nabar, stimulated prospecting for that
ore, and when the search fairly began, il
was crowned with great success. Old
indications were called to recollection
and the traces Of cinnabar when found
were followed with unremitting energy
until the source was traced. Discoveric.
OF the ore began to be made, and thougl
the "rlng" contriyed to buy up or Obtain
control of the first which were developed
they came at last too thick and fast to bt
bought in. And as IA result Of all this We
now see quicksilver quoted in the marle
reports at something near the prices il
commanded six years ago.


This must be source of congratulations
to those interested in mining OF that char,
acter which requires the assistance o
large quantities Of quicksilver as gold
saving adjunct. And to this class o
mines do most of the claims Of this coun-
ty belong. The bench and bar digging.
of Trinity river annually consume large
amount Of quicksilver, and more would
]


be used if it could be obtained at prices
within reason. To owners Of mines OF
this class, a decline Of fifty per cent. in
an article so necessary, is a very great
item Of interest. Old miners who have
used quicksilver in claims where the gold
is uniformly fine, do not hesitate to assert
that too much quicksilver cannot be used
| in fume that in seasons work any
reasonable amount will more than repay
tn an increased saving Of gold the loss o
quicksilver. Therefore, the lower the
price of this article in the market, thC
greater will be the demand for it fol
miners use.


Even at the reduced rates the article
now bears, its production will still be at
tended with great profit. SO long as tho
demand holds good to furnish ready
market for the products, the owners o
cinnabar mines which are well defined
have a certain and valuable interest. The
lower prices which now range, make the
use Of quicksilver profitable in many o
the low grade mines which could not be
worked before, while an increased demand
will be stimulated in the mines now be.
ing successfully worked. There is an.
other thing asserted in reference to the
probable future Of quicksilver producing
interests, which has an important bearing
upon the value Of new discoveries that
the New Amaden, heretofore the great
source Of the quicksilver supply, mas in II
great measure failed, and it is said that
this fact was one reason why the price Of
the article was advanced 50 materially.
Whether or not such was the fact we arc
not qualified to say, but the inference is
reasonable that il that mine was in II
condition to furnish enough to supply the
market at the price then ruling, it would
haye been folly to have shut OFF the yield
to secure advanced rates on a smaller
quantity produced.