Mining In The Pacific States Of North America

MINING IN THE PACIFIC STATES NORTH AMERICA - 1861 - PREFACE - THIS book ia intended for the general reader, not for the specialiat. I do nodundertake to teach the quartz miner or the hydrtl llic kiner anything new about his rpecial branch of dusiness, but I may tell something about the occupation of each to the other. My object has been to collect, arrange in a lucid manner, condense and set forth in a clear style, all the attainable information about the main e points of our mining and mineral resources, so that the reader, who has pever been in the. hirie0, can easilfr form an intelligible idea of the chief industry of this coast. Specialists might desire more elaborate treatment of their various branches, but a thorough technical handfing 6f geology, chemistry, metallurgy, mechanics, law, history and trade, in so far as they are connected with mining in California, would have required an encyclopedia. Besides, accurate information on many points is not to be had, or can be obtained only by great expense. I am indebted for useful hints to Messrs. C. Heusch, C. S. Capp, Dr. J. A. Veatch, C. Trinius and C. Wennerhold. In the second chapter, I have expressed the opinion that California never can produee her own coal, and this has been, until very recently, the opinion of all the geologists in the State but ince that chapter was written, the coal mines on the slope o l Iouut Diablo have been opened, and Professor Whitney, State Geologist, thinks they will, probably furnish good coal. I am not convinced, but dare not say much against such authority. The fifth chapter, in which Washoe is spoken of as part of Utah, was in type before we had news of the organization of Nevada Territory. JOHNS. HITTELL. SANF RANCI ACprOil, I st, 1861 - INDEX TO CHAPTERS. CHAP. PAGE. I. HISTORY 06 MINING IN THE PACIFIC STATES 9 11. BIINERALOGY OF GOLD, - - - . - - -. .., , 41 111. CHEMISTRY OF GOLD - . .. .. - - . -, , , ., 49 IV. GEOLOGY OF G O L D - - . - - - - - - . . - - -, -, , , ., , . . 54 V. THE BIINING - - DISTRICTS.-. ., - - - -, , , ., , , 68 VI. PROSPECTING.. . - - - - - - . - - - - - . - - - - . ., ., , , , 115 VII. A S S A Y I N G - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - ., -, - -, . -, , ., , ,, , 121 VIII. BfODES OF PLACER BIINING. - - -, - - -, -, -, , , ., 127 IX. PIZOCESSES OF GOLD-QUARTZ MINING., , . . 154 X. PROCESSES OF SILVER - - BfINIKG-, -, , , , , 168 XI. THE LAWS OF MINING IN CALIFORNIA.., . . 176 XII. M I S C E L L A N Y . . - - - - - . - - - - - . - - - . - . - - - -, - -, ., , , , 204 APPENDIX. -. - . - . . . . . ... . . . . - . - - . W ., - . - ., , ., , - 214 PARTICULAR INDEX . CHAPTER I . HISTOR O Y F B INING IN THE PACIF S I T C A TES p . a ge 9 . PAGE . Discovery of CalifornianGold. 9 Drakes Report .............. 9 Spanish e orts. . .. . . ....... 10 . Forbes and hfaufras ......... 10 Dana ......................... 10 Larkin ....................... 11 Marshall. the true discoverer 11 Another version ............. 13 Mining becomes a business . . 14 New Placers found .......... 15 Newspaper Reports .......... 16 Rush to the Mines ........... 17 Excitement in the States .... 18 Excitement in Europe ....... 14 Discovery of New Districts .. 20 Number of Xiners ........... 20 Wages of Ilincrs ............. 21 Character of Claims ......... 21 Xining Implements .... ..... 22 PAGE . Blining Excitements ......... 22 The Qreenw-ood Bush ....... 22 Gold Lake................... 2 3 Gold Bluff ................... 23 Second Gold Lake .............