ing from $15 to $20 per 100 lb. After viewing their stamping process, we examined the vein. It was laid open on the top some sixty or eighty feet, and was to all appearances extremely rich, as we could see gold with the naked eye the whole length of the opening. We purchased for Palmer, Cook & Co., Warbass and myself, 4ths of their claims on the vein, the other 4th being retained by Capt. Jackson, who recommended a Chilian mill very highly. He thought such a mill capable of crushing some four or five tons of ore per twenty-four hours. At great expense we put the mill up, and set it in motion with mule power. The utmost extent it could crush in twelve hours was 500 to 600 lbs; the yield, however, for the amount crushed was exceedingly good, being from $250 to $275 every four or five days. We soon got out of patience with this slow machine, although to do it justice, the Chilian mill did its work better and yielded more gold for the amount of quartz crushed, than any quartz machine that I have since seen in operation. Our company in August, 1850, made arrangements for a set of machinery capable, as it was said, of crushing 20 tons of quartz per day. The machinery was the Stockton stamps, with bowls and shaking table, &c., the stamps weighing 209 lbs. each. This was put in motion the first of Sept., 1850, but as we had not got the right motion for the shaking table, we lost a great deal of gold, and found that we could stamp only 2 tons in 12 hours, or 5 tons in 24. A great many visitors from both the Northern and Southern mines called upon us, as this was the first steam engine, and quartz machinery of any importance, put up in the mountains. After trying various experiments with great expense through the fall and part of the winter, we made four new shaking tables, and connected them with the stamps in such a manner, that the pulverized ore ran directly from the stamps to the tables, the tables running with a motion of from 75 to 90 a minute, according to the fineness or coarseness of the pulverized ore. About the same time we commenced calcining our ore, which reduced expenses, and made the quartz work much better, and destroyed the sulphurets, which frequently coated the gold. Through the fall and winter we employed a number of Cornish miners, and in sinking our shafts struck several very rich lodes. They stated that the mine was richer in gold than many of the tin mines that they had worked in England were in tin. We had now got along quite well, but still found that our quartz would not pay (although the yield was from $20 to $60 per ton), as our machinery was altogether too light and inefficient, and our sieves too coarse, so that we could not stamp the quartz fine enough to get out the gold. The mine has been kept in operation much of the time, and the company are intending to put on heavy machinery.

This was a rude attempt to apply the practical knowledge of the gold miners of the Atlantic States to mining under the novel state of social affairs which existed in California. To a certain extent this particular case was a failure. The small results obtained in consequence of feeble machinery, under the high expenses which prevailed, were the principal cause. Low expenses and more powerful machinery, or sufficiently low expenses with the same machinery, would probably have made this instance a prosperous case.

We dwell particularly upon this instance, as it serves to bring out, in a clear light, those which are perhaps the most important points of consideration in estimating the pecuniary prospects of quartz mining in California. For rich gold veins are so abundant, that it is hardly to be expected, after the extensive explorations already made, that much time will be consumed in working poor

ones. Is, then, the machinery sufficiently powerful, and the process of amalgamation sufficiently perfect, to bid defiance to the high cost of labor, or has the decline of wages and expenses been sufficient to counterbalance the imperfections of machinery? on the side of machinery, there has been a steady improvement since this first experiment, and on the side of wages, there has been a steady decline, even to the present hour. We are disposed to infer that the day is not far off, when the systematic labor of the Atlantic States will be applied to this branch of industry in California, even if it has not already begun.

The rainy season in California, which causes serious interruptions to all mining pursuits, generally commences in December, and continues often into the ensuing month of March. During this period, more or less rain falls almost daily, thus rendering the roads heavy and almost impassable, and often filling the shafts of the mines with more or less water. In the months of January, February, and March, of the last year, the rains were more than usually abundant and protracted, and the weather was often severely inclement. The corresponding months of the present year were less severe. In the month of December last, snow made its appearance to unusual depths, causing an entire cessation for a time of all mining operations, and producing sudden and destructive floods in the small streams and rivers.

During the short period in which mills have been in operation, there has not probably been one at which the system of labor was so well organized as to secure a stock of the rock on hand to be crushed during the rainy season. The consequence has been that the mills have been idle for a portion of the rainy period, or it has been devoted to repairs.

Wood appears to be abundant in all the districts where mills are in operation; but that heretofore consumed for raising steam has been mostly unseasoned. Thereby a loss of steam power has ensued, causing in some instances a difference of nearly one-half. A well organized system of labor will remove all embarrassments of this nature.

The usual expenses of a year in working a simple quartz mill under an experienced superintendent, consist of the wages paid to the workmen, expenses for their board, the cost of wood, and various incidentals for repairing the mill, hauling rock, &c. Wages are paid to the workmen only for the time they work; but it has been the practice, heretofore, to board them, even when the mill was not in operation, that they might be on hand. The number varies according to the amount of rock to be got out. Their wages have steadily declined as the population has increased, until they range from two and a half dollars upward, according to the kind of labor done.

The expense of wood consists merely in the cutting and hauling. It is generally abundant and of good quality. It is, with the exception of a few ranches, all in common. Nothing more is necessary to obtain the ownership of a wood lot, than to take out a pre-emption right and inclose the lot.

The title to real estate in California, especially mining tracts, is of such a kind as circumstances alone have created, but its validity in consequence of a general Act of the State Legislature, is as good as in any State of the Union against all persons or powers, except the government of the United States. Nor could the United States, after having suffered their rights to remain dormant for such a length of time, now set up a claim to the mining lands, or attempt to enforce one, which would easily be acquiesced in by the people.

The right to dig in any spot is called a claim; but by a regulation among the miners themselves, no person can set up an original claim to more than one hundred feet in length of a quartz vein. If, therefore, any one discovers a quartz vein, and commences working it, the miners who hear of the discovery immediately come on the ground and stake out, each man for himself, a hundred feet, and begin work. The original discoverer is allowed an extra hundred feet, in consideration of his discovery. After the several claims are staked out, one of the number of persons is elected a recorder; and a record is made of the claims. as of the deeds in a county clerk's office. To this record an Act of the Legislature has given the same validity as that which is possessed by the records in the other States. A paper, which is a copy of the record, is also affixed to some tree on the spot.

After these steps have been taken, any individual can sell his claim to a purchaser, and the sale passes a title which is good against all the world-the United States only excepted.

Such is the title derived from occupation and settlement. It obtains entire confidence; for the opinion prevails in all parts of the State, as we are informed, that the government of the United States will manifest the same liberality, and extend the same protection to the pioneers and settlers in California, as to the emigrants to other new States. There is also a class of titles derived from Mexican grants, each embracing tracts of several leagues. There are only a few of these, and but little respect has hitherto been paid to them by miners.

Claims, such as we have been speaking of, are often sold for many thousand dollars. The price of a vein is governed by the richness of the ore, and the facility with which wood and water can be obtained. These are indispensable requisites for mining in the rock. Richer veins without wood and water at hand, command a much lower price from this scarcity.

There are two important points in the labor of quartz mining, wherever it is carried on. The first, is to crush the rock in which the gold is found; and the second, is to extract all the gold from the powder after it is crushed.

To be successful in obtaining the gold, the rock should first be crushed or ground as fine as flour; for the smallest grits may contain particles of the metal. The best machinery in existence for this purpose, when the rock mining was commenced in California, was the Chilian mill; so called from its extensive use in parts of South America, This was the first machinery used in gold mining in California, unless we except the iron pestle and mortar used by hand. It crushed about five hundred pounds of rock in twelve hours, and yielded from two to four hundred dollars in three or four days. The expense of running this kind of mill is considerable, and they are therefore unprofitable in consequence of their inefficiency.

Georgia stamps were next introduced. But these were made to weigh only about one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds. These would crush from a ton and a half to five tons in twelve hours. But they did not crush the rock as fine as the Chilian mill, and therefore, pound for pound, would not produce so much gold as the latter.

This light and imperfect machinery was set up under the anticipation that the rock would yield from two to three dollars of gold per pound. The standard yield at present established, and below which mining is not attempted, is two cents of gold to the pound of rock, or forty dollars to the ton.

The next step in the progress of crushing the rock, was to introduce heavy machinery. For it was proved that machinery which would work to a profit under the low wages in the Southern States, would bring ruin upon its proprietors in California.

But even with these stamps, the rock is not crushed sufficiently fine to render it possible to obtain more than half the gold it contains, with the present amalgamators for separating the gold. It is a trait of American character never to be satisfied with imperfectly doing a thing, where gold is at stake. Several machines have therefore been invented, which, judging by the success of experiments with models, promise to crush to a fine powder very many tons of rock daily. These have been constructed in New-York and taken out to California at great expense, by men who belong there, and who have been engaged in rock mining for some years past, and who are the only class who are actually acquainted with the mining resources of California.

The amalgamation process, which consists in intermingling the crushed rock with quicksilver, is very imperfectly performed, chiefly in consequence of the coarseness of the crushed rock.

Heavy stamp heads last not longer than three to six months, for crushing quartz, unless the iron has been well hardened. That part of the machinery requiring the most frequent repair, is the timbers of the stamps and the slides in which they play.

The field for improvement in this business is unquestionably immense. The mills have not been run night and day; a stock of rock has not been secured for wet weather; inefficient means are possessed for pumping out shafts, or raising the rock; it is not crushed sufficiently fine; and the gold is very imperfectly separated these are the more immediate embarrassments which the miner must encounter. Surely the richness of that region cannot be estimated, if we consider the rapid strides in quartz mining amid all the embarrassments. It is gratifying to know that this branch of industry is rapidly assuming that character which attaches to a well organized and settled pursuit in the hands of capitalists and experienced men.

JOURNAL OF MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE FORMATION OF CORPORATIONS FOR MINING, SMELTING, OR MANUFACTURING IRON, COPPER, MINERAL COAL, SILVER OR OTHER ORES OR MINERALS, AND FOR OTHER MANUFACTURING PURPOSES.

SECTION 1.-The People of the State of Michigan enact, All corporations organized and established under the provisions of this act, shall be capable of suing and being sued, in any court in this State, and may have a common seal. and alter or amend the same at pleasure; may elect in such a manner as they shall determine, all necessary officers; may fix their compensation and determine their duties, and make, from time to time, such by-laws, not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this State, as a majority of the stockholders shall direct.

Sec. 2.-Any number of persons, not less than three, who shall, by articles of agreement in writing, associate according to the provisions of this act, under any name assumed by them, for the purpose of engaging in and carrying on any kind of mining or manufacturing business, and who shall comply with the provisions of this act, shall, with their successors and assigns, constitute a body politic or corporate, in fact, and under any name assumed by them in their articles of association, provided no two companies shall assume the same name.

Sec. 3.-Before any corporation formed under this act shall commence business, the president and directors shall cause their articles of association to be filed with the Secretary of State of this State, and with the county clerk of the county or counties in which any such corporation shall conduct its mining or manufacturing business; which said articles shall be recorded in said office at length, in books prepared for that purpose at the expense of said corporation.

Sec 4.-The articles of every such association shall be signed by the persons associating in the first instance, and acknowledged before some person authorized by the laws of the State to take acknowledgments of deeds, and shall state: 1. Distinctly and definitely the purpose for which the same is formed. 2. The amount of their capital stock, and the number of shares.

3. The amount of capital stock actually paid in.

4. The names of the stockholders, their respective residences, and the number of shares held by each person.

5. The place in this State where their office for the transaction of business is located, and the county or counties in which their business is to be carried on.