AMADOR COUNTY.-The County Assessor in his Report for 1858, speaks of the operations in quartz as follows:

"Quartz mining is now one of the most important branches of industry pursued in this county. The wild excitement of 1851-'52, when little was known as to the practical working of gold bearing quartz, brought ruin upon

many of our citizens and deterred others for years from engaging in a branch of business which was deemed extremely hazardous. A few enterprising men, however, persevered; and it is now demonstrated that there is no safer or more permanent investment. There are 32 quartz mills in operation, propelling 402 stamps, against 23 mills, with 268 stamps, last year. Total product of 32 mills per annum, $1,350,720. Besides the above, there are 50 arastras in operation and one of Howland's rotary mills, which has been in operation for a short time, with what success, however, I am not advised. As to the intrinsic value of the quartz lodes or their extent, no possible estimate can be made. New lodes of great richness are almost daily being discovered, offering extraordinary inducements for the investment of capital."

BUTTE COUNTY.-The number of quartz mills in operation in this county, is 17, with an aggregate of 168 stamps. There are also attached to these mills, 30 arastras. Cost of machinery, $250,000. Quartz mining has exercised much interest during the past year. Good prospects are found over a large extent of country and the business appears to be in a prosperous condition.

CALAVERAS COUNTY.-The number of mills in operation is 53, with an aggregate of 231 stamps; there are, also, 25 arastras. Capacity for crushing estimated at 500 tuns per day. Aggregate cost of machinery, $377,000. The operations during the past season, have been more extensive than those of any previous year. A large number of mills have been erected, which have yielded, in many instances, handsome returns. Number of mills erected since May 1857, 28. (See Note p. 257.)

EL DORADO COUNTY.-The number of mills in operation is 40, with an aggregate of 311 stamps. Number of arastras, 65. Cost of erection of machinery, $300,000. Quartz mining has been sufficiently tested in this county to establish its permanence for years to come. It is and will be, remunerative to those engaged in it who have the advantage of experience and capital. Many new leads have been opened within the last year, which have yielded an abundant return to those engaged in their development.

MARIPOSA COUNTY.-Considerable enterprise has been manifested, during the past season, in developing the quartz resources of this county and several new mills have been erected. If there was an adequate supply of water in this region, it would yield as large returns as any other section of the State. There are at present in operation, 32 mills with an aggregate of 310 stamps. The number of arastras in the county is 95, of which 55 are north, and 40, south of the Merced River. Nearly all of these are profitably employed. Estimated cost of machinery, $380,000.

NEVADA COUNTY.-Grass Valley and the vicinity, present the most convincing proof of the importance and permanence of the quartz interest of this State. The number of mills in operation is 32, 21 of which are propelled by steam, and 11 by water. Number of arastras, 36. The number of stamps contained in these mills is 316. Cost of machinery estimated at $500,000.

In addition to the quartz veins immediately connected with the above mills, there are a number, probably 100, of valuable leads now being worked, among which may be mentioned, the Lecompton and Deadwood

veins. The rock taken therefrom is crushed by the mills in the vicinity at a reasonable rate.

There is no county in the State that has been more worked, and where adventurers have made and lost more money-where men have become more experienced than in this. Being about the first to extensively engage in the business, this county drew considerable capital to it that was invested in machinery and leads, much of which became inactive in consequence of wrong calculation and enormous expenses. Latterly, and we may say, within the period of our first issue and this, the shrill whistle began to blow as a signal for renewed operations; and now, there is not a single mill but what may be considered in active operation.

The Allison Ranch vein, so far, has proved to be the richest quartz lead in the State; but there are several others in the vicinity of Grass Valley, which deserve mention, each having produced a large amount of gold, viz: Gold Hill, Massachusetts Hill, Osborn Hill, Houston Hill and Lafayette Hill. It should be borne in mind, that the veins of Grass Valley have, as yet, been but partially worked; the business, however, has been reduced to a system, and may be regarded as a permanency for the future. The future for the operator in quartz, promises well; liberal rates for labor, a better understanding how to work and how to save the gold, have produced good results, and will, with the new and improved machinery now being introduced in the various mills, insure for this branch of mining, hereafter, results which will reward those who are devoting their energies and capital to its develop

ment.

Allison Ranch.—This vein is, beyond question, the richest gold mine in California, if not in the world. It is situated on Wolf Creek, three miles from Grass Valley, and is owned and worked by the original discoverers, Messrs. Daniels, Colbert & Co.; the firm consists of six persons.

This vein was first noticed in 1852, by Mr. Daniels, who was then engaged with his partners in working a claim on the creek. The gold was observed to crop out very distinctly from the side of the ledge; but its existence did not create much attention, from the fact that operations in quartz were then regarded by miners, generally, as an unprofitable employment. The company continued their labors upon the banks of the creek until the fall of 1855, when their attention was again attracted to the vein by the reports of large yields in quartz in the neighborhood, and they at once decided upon testing its value; accordingly, they commenced operations, and had proceeded but a few feet into the rock, when the richness of the quartz became apparent. The first sixty-three tuns taken out were sent to a mill in the neighborhood and yielded the remarkable sum of twenty-two thousand dollars, or three hundred and fifty dollars per tun. They continued in this manner to work the vein until October, 1856, when their own mill was completed.

The mill now in operation on the vein is small, compared with many others in the neighborhood. It is furnished with eight stamps and is capable