Resources of California

[arizau]

Resources of California (including Gold)

Some of you are probably already aware of this but I just ran across this 1863 California publication while doing some research. Part of it deals extensively with details of the status of gold mining to that date, mining districts, equipment type, use and descriptions, and a lot of other info that some of you may find interesting. It also has county by county info which may be of use to some of you seeking new areas to prospect. It also talks a lot about the "Blue Lead" and the known occurrences at that time. If nothing else it is probably worth a quick stroll, I mean scroll, through it.
The Resources of California: Comprising Agriculture, Mining, Geography ... - John Shertzer Hittell - Google Books

I just noticed that the link takes you to a point about midway through the publication. Push the side bar up to begin at the front of it.

 

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[goldenmojo]

arizau thanks for the post. Very good info in there.

 

[IDdesertman]

You can't have too much info on your area!

 

[midnightmoon]

Now that is a real treat arizau! I have a lot of down time at work -- this'll keep me busy for awhile.

Thank you so much for posting this.

 

[KRIKITTS]

page 262-263

The purpose all placer miners is not to catch the gold in the dirt which they wash but to catch the greatest possible quantity within a given time It is not supposed that any process used in gold mining catches all the metal Part of it is lost in some processes a considerable proportion The general estimate in California is that one twentieth of the gold in the dirt which is washed is lost Many of the particles are so very small as to be invisible to the naked eye and so light that their specific gravity does not avail to prevent them from being carried away by the water like sand The larger pieces will sink to the bottom and resist the force of the water the smaller the particles the greater the danger that it will be borne away Many devices have been tried to catch all the gold but none have succeeded perfectly and some which have caught a portion of what escaped from the ordinary modes of mining have been found to cost more than their yield The miner does not grieve about that which he cannot catch Heie not careful to catch all that he could His purpose is to draw the largest possible revenue per day from his claim He does not intend to spend many years in mining or if he does he has become thriftless and improvident In either case he wishes to derive the utmost immediate profit from his mine If his claim contain a dollar to the ton and he can save five dollars by slowly washing only six tons in a day while he might make ten dollars by rapidly washing fifteen tons in a day he will prefer the latter result though he will lose twice as much of the precious metal by the fast as by the slow mode of working The object of the miner is the practical dispatch of work and his success will depend to a great extent upon the amount of dirt which he can wash within a given space of time He regrets that any of the gold should be wasted but his regret is because it escapes from his sluice and his pocket rather than because it is lost to industry and commerce MINING 243

http:////books.google.com/books?id=xnAFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR3&dq=RESOURCES+IN+CALIFORNIA+JOHN+HITTEL&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZlnmU_fcN8fqoATByYGYCg&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=RESOURCES%20IN%20CALIFORNIA%20JOHN%20HITTEL&f=false