E. B. P." The Moon is up," reminded us of a Chinaman's economy in buying bootsalways choosing the largest pair, in order that he may get the worth of his money Twenty syllables in one line of poetry! and twenty-seven (teen !) or thereabouts, in another, is a little too much - even of a good thing-for one time. Just get it translated into Chinese, there's a good fellow! and then - burn it. L. A. G., Halley's Ranch.-Is not forgotten. RECEIVED." Evenings with the Poets;" "An Omnibus Ride;" .77 66 Snakes;" 976 Our Cabin ;" "Who I am;" etc., etc. FURTHER ADVENTURES OF MR. JOSHUA FLIMPKINS. Mr. Flimpkins, the country gentleman on a visit to the city, after losing the principal part of his wardrobe by hack, flood, and fire, being burned out from his twenty-five-centa-night lodgings within three hours after his arrival, seeks new quarters; has a curiosity next morning to visit the scene of the second of his last night's disasters. Proceeds to the spot; but finding that he attracts an unusual degree of attention from some cause, resolves to return and remain in close quarters till he receives from his friends in the country a new supply of dust. ATTRACTS CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION. Mr. Flimpkins is not a borrower of money, not he; could have brought down a cool thousand or two with him had he supposed he could possibly have wanted it. As the pecuniary tide seems to be rather setting against him just now, resolves to economise in his new suit; gets it made to order, out of the smallest quantity of material possible. HE LETS IT PASS. Consults a lawyer as to whether a rotunda, dome, or cupola with a vain (vane) on it, can be an obstruction to a sidewalk? Supposes a case, thus: to roll a whisky barrel across a sidewalk is no obstruction; but set that barrel on end, to remain standing in the line of travel, and it becomes an obstruction, a nuisance. Mr. Flimpkins wonders if the rule which applies to whisky barrels will apply to men, who habitually occupy, as fixtures, the sidewalks in the line of travel, to the great inconvenience of the moving masses; has been told that gentlemen never do it; thinks gentlemen should reflect on such subjects here. Mr. Flimpkins takes a turn on the Plaza, where he brushes from the back of a lady's head what he supposes to be a yellow hornet, and puts his foot on it. HE PUTS HIS FOOT ON IT. The lady is incensed at the indignity offered her, and injury done to her bonnet; has no protector; calls for the police; declares she will have him arrested for assault, and Coon-ed immediately. Don't know exactly what it is to be Cooned; fears it may have some connection with city institutions; so apologises for his mistake, offers to make restitution, and hands out a X, with which the lady seems satisfied, and hastens home to repair damages. Mr. Flimpkins, on escaping the hands of the police, really thinks the lady behaved magnanimously; he would like to know more of her; follows her at a distance, be but suddenly loses sight of her; hastens up and sees a small irongrated panel in a door; thinks it may to look thro'; peeps in, and is secured a partial inside view of another city IS SKEWERED (SECURED) AN INSIDE VIEW. institution. Is not particularly pleased at the result, as it costs him another X to obtain his release and diploma; and yet, is of opinion that he escapes though with his nose slightly injured-far better than many who have indulged the same curiosity that he did. Mr. Flimpkins has seen BENEFITS advertised on Theatre bulletin boards, nearly every day since his arrival in the city; wonders what they are; thinks if they are anything worse or more ferocious than a grizzly, he would like to see one. Is told that they are, by one who knows; that they are the greatest bores with which the city is infes HE FINDS HIS MATCH. Walks up to settle for the dance; misses his purse; thinks it flew out of his pocket when the girl whirled him so; another gentleman just leaving the door, thinks it hap pened about a minute before he took the floor. Begins to suspect he has found another city institution; on being kicked out for not paying his bill, is certain of it. Is getting perfectly disgusted with city life and institutions; resolves to leave at 4 o'clock, P. M., next day. Is introduced to Mr. Simples, a city gentleman, about to visit the mines and mountains for the first time, and who would like to get some information on mining subjects. Mr. Flimpkins informs Mr. Simples that there are no subjects in the mines; that they are all sovereigns, like himself. Mr. Simples stands corrected, begs a thousand pardons, and asks him to" imbibe." Mr. Flimpkins accepts, and they drink. Is informed by Mr. Simples that he is now in a free-lunch institute, where broken down gamblers, babbling politicians and incurable idlers are fed; but upon whose bounty, or for whose actual benefit, is not, he thinks, quite so clear. Mr. Flimpkins begs leave to withdraw; does so, congratulating himself on having escaped from one city institution without cost; thinks better of it than any other he has met with, on that account. Both gentlemen now proceed to the boat, Mr. Flimpkins on his way home, Mr. Simples to visit the mines, and both have promised us an early account of their adventures. HUTCHINGS' CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE. VOL II. OCTOBER, 1857. QUARTZ MINING IN CALIFORNIA. INSIDE OF A QUARTZ MILL AT GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA COUNTY. [From an Ambrotype by Woods & Michaels.] No 4 Quartz mining having ceased as a speculation, to become a business of profit and permanency, is again enlisting the attention and confidence of all classes to its importance. The losses and disappointments of its pioneers in the years 1851, '52, and '53,- originating, in most cases, from the excitement of its discoverers, and the inexperience of its principal owners and directors, caused a temporary lull in the faith and enthusiasm of the public, to the great neglect of this exhaustless golden treasury but as many of the quartz leads, then opened, proved very rich in the precious metal, they enabled their owners to make many experiments for working the quartz to advantage, by the invention and perfection of machinery for crushing the rock, and saving the gold; and thus, while securing a personal advantage to themselves, they have been instrumental in rescuing the quartz interest in this State from the oblivion into which, doubtless, it would have sunk, for a season, had all the first attempts to make its working profitable failed. est kinds of rock it has been almost impossible to see gold; while in some known as pocket-lead-rock, considerable has been visible; and yet a sufficient amount has not been taken therefrom to pay the cost of getting and crushing it. In the best kind of leads there is often a large amount of rock which is utterly worthless; and which has to be taken from the vein, when known to be unproductive, that workmen may be enabled to reach the paying rock, and work to advantage. It often occurs, too, that even good paying leads are not scientifically and economically worked; and, as a consequence, do not insure a generous return to the owners, for their time and trouble. Then again, as some good rock is soft, and other hard, it is not to be supposed that the hard can be either quarried or crushed as easily as the soft. Therefore, the amount per ton being the same, the cost of extraction is different, and the profits arising therefrom, as a matter of course, will differ in proportion. Some persons having crushed rock that was exceedingly rich, with more pride (or self-interest) than truthfulness, reported such to be the average yield; when, perhaps a tenth part of that amount would be nearer the net product of their mine. By these exaggerations a few years ago much disastrous speculation was fostered and encouraged; and which, doubtless, materially retarded the development of this branch of mining. As quartz is now becoming a steady and profitable business, no respectable company attempts to exag. erate the product of their lead; but rather, like all other good business men, seek to keep their business to themselves, prefering to under than over state the yield. The dearly-bought experience of the past in this branch of our State's wealth, now enables the practical worker in quartz generally to determine the quality of the rock placed before him, at a glance, and with the same accuracy and certainty as an experienced purchaser of gold-dust can decide the quality and mint value of the parcel of dust he is about to buy-or, as a merchant, by examination, knows the quality of the article offered him, and what is its market value-or, as a tailor knows the exact quality of a piece of cloth; or a lady the materials of her dress. This becomes to the inexperienced quartz miner somewhat like the knowledge of an efficient pilot at sea, it enables him to steer his vessel clear of those rocks upon which others have gone to pieces. It may be well that this should be remembered, inasmuch as "seeing the gold" is not always a sure sign that the lead can be wrought with advantage and profit. In many of the rich-out" on the surface, and strike the angle As the position of a quartz lead in the mountain is generally at an angle of from twenty to fifty degrees, the most common method of working it is to sink a perpendicular shaft at a sufficient distance from the line where the vein is seen to "crop at the depth desired, or thereabouts. From this shaft workmen commence removing the quartz along the vein, to form a tunnel; and as the rock is removed much ea sier and more rapidly by beginning at the tunnel and working upwards, this plan of operation of course is adopted. Under the guidance of Mr. Daniels, of the far-famed Allison Ranch Lead, we descended their shaft - but not before the workmen had offered and we had accepted the loan of an India rubber suit of clothing and on reaching the bottom of it we found a considerable stream of water running in the centre of the railway, constructed along the tunnel to the shaft. This water was removed by a pump in one corner of the shaft, working by steam power, both day and night. On, on we went, trying to keep a sure footing on the rail track, inasmuch as watertight boots even then became a very necessary accompaniment to the India-rubber clothing. Drip, drip, fell the water, not singly, but in clusters of drops and small streams, so that QUARRYING QUARTZ AT THE VEIN. |