As regards a market for their product, these mines are favorably situated, being in and adjacent to extensive mining districts, wherein the consumption of iron, already large, will hereafter become greatly increased, while the price of the imported article must always remain high. Meantime, the facilities for transporting this product to points where required will be all the while increasing, as new wagon roads continue to be built throughout the country, while the construction of the projected Feather River railroad will afford additional advantages in this respect--the line of this road, by the route contemplated, running within a short distance of this company's property. With such valuable deposits of ore, so favorably situated for cheap reduction-with very considerable markets at present, and such a large prospective demand-it is highly probable that the erection of smelting works, already projected by this company, will be consummated, and the business of manufacturing pig iron be entered upon at an early day. That, if once inaugurated, this enterprise will prove alike advantageous to the proprietors, and beneficial to the country, can scarcely be questioned. QUICKSILVER. While deposits of cinnabar occur at many points in California, the only mines yet developed to a productive condition consist of the New Almaden, the New Idria, the Redington, Guadalupe, and the San Juan Bautista--the first the earliest opened, and by far the most prolific mine in the State. The work of opening and improving this mine, begun in 1846, was prosecuted during the following four years with considerable energy, having been attended with an expenditure of $978,114, and resulted in the accomplishment of considerable exploratory labor, in the erection of furnaces, and the extraction of metal to the value of $535,540-being $442,572 less than the amount expended. The landed estate of this company consists of 7,800 acres. Many parts of this tract are traversed by veins of cinnabar, some of them traceable for long distances-indicating extensive deposits of this ore. The population employed in, or dependent on the mine, amounts to about 2,000; the company having at present 700 men on their pay roll, though at times the number is much larger. The capital stock of this company consists of 100,000 shares, of $100 each. The mine is understood to be in a prosperous condition, with an extremely promising future before it, the reserves of ore in sight being large. The total product of the New Almaden mine, and the average per centage of metal yielded by the ore, during the last seventeen and a half years, are exhibited by the following table: The New Idria Mine, now worked with good judgment and economy, is giving a monthly product varying from six to eight hundred flasks-having turned out in the year 1866, 6,045 flasks, and in 1867, 11,500 flasks. The Redington Mine, for these respective years, yielded 2,980 and 7,145 flasks. Under a vigorous administration, the very extensive and high grade ores of this company are being developed with a skill and energy that promises large additions to its annual product. The yield of the Guadalupe Mine was 1,654 flasks for the year 1866, and 1,200 for 1867; the total product of the San Juan Bautista Mine having been 80 flasks for the month of December, 1867. The principal markets for the surplus quicksilver product of California are found in China, Mexico and South America, the consumption in this State, and adjoining States and Territories being large. The product of the State for 1867, as above set forth, aggregates 44,386 flasks, of which 28,853 were exported, leaving for account of home consumption 15,533 flasks. Of this, China and Mexico, each, took 10,000, and South America 3,800 flasks, the balance being sent to different parts of the world. The disturbed condition of the countries, usually constituting our principal customers by diminished requirements in those quarters, has for a year or two past depressed prices, and to some extent restricted production. *Mine closed by injunction. Ore on hand equivalent to 5,000 flasks. MINERALOGY. The mineralogy of California presents some peculiarities that are worthy of note. Of the known mineral species, which now number about seven hundred, but little more than one hundred have been hitherto recognized on this coast. The paucity of silicates, and the absence of the "zeolites," elsewhere so common in the volcanic rocks, are very marked features. Fluorspar and barytes, which enter so abundantly into the composition of the vein stones of other mining countries, are of exceedingly rare occurrence, though the former is found, as will be seen by reference to the subjoined list, associated with the copper ores of Monte Diablo, and the latter is known to occur. While the State of California is pre-eminent as containing within its borders a great variety of valuable ores, yet some, elsewhere common, do not exist here in sufficient quantity to be of economic value. For example, no considerable deposits of lead and zinc have as yet been discovered, except perhaps the galena occuring in uncertain quantity on the Island of Santa Catalina. In the Castle Dome district, on the Colorado river, in Arizona, there is reason to believe that valuable, and perhaps permanent mines, of a highly argentiferous galena exist. The Santa Catalina ores contain but a small amount of silver. The similarity of our mineralogy to that of Chili has been noted, and adduced as proof of the unity of the Cordilleras of North and South America. The following is a list of the principal mineral species hitherto recognized in the States of California and Nevada, and the adjoining territories, together with some of the localities at which they occur: Alabasta-Los Angeles county. Andalusite-In the drift of the Chowchilla river. In slates near Hornitos, Mariposa county. Antimony Ochre-San Emidio mountain. (W. P. Blake.) Arsenic-Alisal mine, near San Carlos Mission, Monterey county. Arsenical Antimony-Ophir mine, Virginia City, Nevada. Arsenolite-Armagosa mine, Great Basin. Ophir Mine, Nevada. (Genth.) Azurite--Common among the surface ores of copper. Barytes-Rare in California, but occurs in large granular masses at Quail Hill, Calaveras county. Biotite-In vicinity of Grass Valley, Nevada County. Bitumen-Abundant in the southern coast counties. Blende-With galena, in the auriferous quartz veins of the State. No massive deposits have as yet been found in California. Borax-Abundant in the waters of Borax Lake, Lake county, and in the mud beneathfrequently in crystals three inches across. Bournonite-Said to occur in the ore of the Sheba mine, Nevada. Calcite-Localities numerous. Cassiterite-(Binoxide of Tin)—Temescal Range, about sixty miles from Los Angeles. Idaho Territory, on Jordan creek. State of Durango, Mexico. Cerusite--Great Basin, near Mohave river, and incrusting galena from the mines of the Castle Dome district, Arizona. Chalcopirite-(Yellow Sulphuret of Copper)-Occurs in various parts of the State; but in very large masses in Calaveras and Plumas counties. Chrysocolla―(Silicate of Copper)—Copper mines of Arizona. Chrysolite-Between the Pittsburgh and Pioneer Quicksilver claims, northwest of Mount St. Helena. Chrysolite-Various localities. Chromic Iron-Monterey county, near San Benito river. Near the New Idria Quicksilver mine. Alameda county, near San Antonio. Cinnabar-Occurs abundantly throughout the Coast Ranges, and sparingly in the Sierra Nevada. Coal-At Monte Diablo, Corral Hollow, and various localities in the State. At the former locality are the only beds known to be valuable. Lignite is found in various parts of the State. elsewhere in the State. From Copper river, Alaska, masses Cobalt Bloom-(Erythrine)-Near San Luis Obispo, and Coccinite-(Iodide of Mercury)-Santa Barbara county. Corundum-In the drift of the San Francisquito Pass. Copper (Native)-At various localities in the State. similar to those of the Lake Superior mines have been brought. Copper Glance (Vitreous Copper)—Occurs abundantly in Arizona, where it is usually argentiferous. Specimens from Plumas county, California, are said to contain as much as $200 in silver to the ton. Diamond-At several localities in California. Idaho, on the Owyhee river. Diallogite-(Carbonate of Manganese) occurs abundantly in the silver-bearing veins about Austin, Nevada. (W. P. Blake.) Dolomite-In Amador county, in narrow, snow-white veins, traversing chloritic rocks, and Emerald Nickel-With chromic iron, Monterey county? Near San Luis Obispo. Feldspar--In various species common throughout the State. Fluorspar-Sparingly, in small white cubes, with copper ore, at Monte Diablo. (W. P. Blake.) Occurs abundantly with galena and blende in the lead mines of Castle Dome district, Arizona. Galena-Occurs in most of the auriferous quartz veins of California; also at various points in the Coast Ranges. On Santa Catalina Island. Abundantly in the veins of Castle Dome district, Arizona. Garnet-Various localities. Gay Lussite-In a small salt lake, near Ragtown, Nevada. (B. Silliman.) Glauberite Found in the mud beneath Borax Lake; only locality in which it has been hitherto recognized in North America. (B. Silliman.) Gold-In rocks later than the Palæozoic, throughout the State, but more particularly in the metamorphic belt of Triassic and Jurassic rocks on the western flank of the Sierra. Nests and bunches of octahedra, with beautifully brilliant faces, have been taken from the Princeton mine, Mariposa estate. In El Dorado county, at Spanish Dry Diggings, a mass of gold, made up of irregular dendritic crystallizations, and weighing sixteen pounds was found. Crystalline gold has been found in many of the hydraulic washings in the State. It occurs curiously associated with cinnabar and bitumen in Colusa county. Gold and Tellurium-See Tellurium. Graphite-Eureka Plumbago Company's mine, near Sonora, Tuolumne county; and elsewhere in California. Gypsum-Various localities. Hayesine-Occurs in globular masses, in layers alternating with those of salt, in Columbia Mining district, Esmeralda county. (R. H. Stretch.) Hematite-Abundant in California; perhaps the most important locality is north of Auburn, Placer county. Hessite-In the gold drift, El Dorado county. (W. P. Blake.) In the Reist mine, on the great quartz lode, at Whisky Hill, Tuolumne county. Horneblende-Throughout the State. The variety "asbestos," at many localities. Moun tain cork, in Tuolumne county; and tremolite in limestone in the same county. Ilmenite-El Dorado county, near Georgetown, from gold washings. (W. P. Blake.) Iridosmine-With platinum and gold, in the beach sands of the northern counties. Found also as a residue in melting large lots of gold dust. Kerargyrite-Localities numerous, particularly in the decomposed surface ores of the silver mines of Nevada, Idaho and Arizona. In California, in the mines of the Slate Range district. Limonite-Common in California. In Oregon, near Portland, occurs in an extensive bed. Magnesite-Occurs massive at various localities in the Coast Ranges. Associated with the quartz of the veins of California. Magnetite—At various localities in the State. In extensive beds, massive, and of superior quality, in Sierra county. Malachite-(Green Carbonate of Copper)-Abundantly in surface ores of the copper mines of the State. Mariposite-A provisional name for a supposed new species, attached by Prof. B. Silliman to the light apple-green colored mineral, occurring with dolomite and quartz in the Veta Madre of California. Marcasite-Localities numerous. Marmolite-In the vicinity of the New Idria Quicksilver mines. (J. D. Whitney.) Mercury (Native)-In the "Pioneer claim," northwest of Mount. St. Helena, between Pine Mountain and Mount Cobb. It occurs frequently in globules in the silicious limestone, and sometimes in geodic cavities, in considerable quantities. Mispickel-Commonly associated with gold in the auriferous quartz veins of California. Natron (Carbonate of Soda)-Various localities. Petroleum-Abundantly distributed throughout the coast counties, from San Diego to Crescent City. Platinum-With iridium and iridosmine, on the coast at Cape Blanco, Southern Oregon. Analysis of a sample of the mixed metals from Port Orford, in 1854, gave forty-three and fifty-four, and one hundred per cent. of platinum. (W. P. Blake.) Proustite (Light Red Silver Ore)-In the veins about Austin, Lander county, Nevada. At the Daney Mine, and sometimes in the ores of the Comstock Lode, Nevada. Pyrargyrite-(Ruby Silver)—In the silver mines of Nevada. It is particularly abundant in the mines about Austin, Lander county, Nevada. Pyrites-Common throughout the State. Pyrolusite-A very pure ore of Binoxide of Manganese occurs in considerable quantity on "Red Rock," in the Bay of San Francisco. Pyromorphite-Occurs frequently in the auriferous quartz veins of the State that are marked Quartz-Fine crystals are obtained in the mines of California and Nevada. The vitreous, chalcedonic, and jaspery varieties are not uncommon in various parts of the State. Salt (Rock Salt)-Abundant as an incrustation throughout California. It also occurs in enormous quantities in the beds of dry lakes in Nevada. |