332 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



COPPER. 



This metal is found in considerable abundance at a number of points, 

 not only in California, but also in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and perhaps 

 also in all our other Pacific Territories. The only mines that have as 

 yet been extensively worked are those at Copperopolis, Calaveras County, 

 in this State, discovered in eig-hteen hundred and sixty; though a large 

 amount of labor has been expended on many others in bringing them to 

 a state of partial development, and from some of which also considerable 

 quantities of ore have been extracted. The business of opening this 

 class of mines and rendering them productive has been greatly retarded 

 the past year, from want of sufficient capital. As this, however, is being 

 more liberally supplied, operations will no doubt be carried on hereafter 

 more extensively, work having already been resumed on some claims, 

 and preparations made for opening others. 



The Union Company, at Copperopolis, extracting more ore, perhaps, 

 than all others in the State combined, has, during the past year, shipped 

 to San Francisco at the rate of one thousand tons per month. Froui the 

 Keystone Claim, at the same place, the monthly shipments have been 

 about two liundred and fifty tons, while those from the Napoleon Mine, 

 near by,. have been but trifling, very little work having been done upon 

 it. This mine has recently changed hands, and, beginning with the new 

 year, it is understood that work will henceforth be prosecuted upon it 

 with vigor. About four thousand tons of ore have been extracted from 

 it since first opened. Operations will also be somewhat extended the 

 present year upon the other mines mentioned, it being the intention of 

 the Keystone Company to raise about four hundred tons monthly. 

 Owing to increased means, it is calculated that after the month of April 

 next the productive capacity of these several mines wi'4 be doubled. 

 The Newton Mine, Amador County, has, during the latter part of the 

 year, shipped about two hundred tons of ore per month, and the Campo 

 Seco about one half that amount during the same period, neither having 

 done much earlier in the season. These ores contain from fourteen to 

 sixteen per cent, of metal, and have hitherto been prettj^ much all sent 

 abroad for smelting or a market — some going to England, but the greater 

 portion to New York, Boston, and Baltimore. Some small lots of cop- 

 per ore were received at this point during the year from Arizona, and it 

 is expected the business of extracting this ore will be much extended 

 there the coming season. Monthly receipts of from four hundred to five 

 hundred tons are counted upon in a short time. The ores from that 

 quarter are very rich, containing from thirty to forty per coat of metal. 



QUICKSILVER. 



The product of this metal for the year has been large, the bulk coming 

 as usual from the New Almaden Mine, which has yielded forty-seven 

 thousand one hundred and ninety-four flasks. From other mines there 

 has been received but little. The Ncav Idria Mine has for a long time 

 been idle, the title to this property being involved ,iu litigation. The 

 Gaudalupe mine has done but little the past year; the Eedington Lake 

 Company, since the}^ commenced operations in eighteen hundred and 

 sixty-two, have turned out six thousand seven hundred and fifty-five 

 flasks of quicksilver, an amount that, Avitli little additional means and 

 effort, might largely be increased. Cinnabar has been found at many 

 points in the Coast Eange Mountains, both to the north and south of New 



