46 FAEM ECHOES. 



say, that the same amount of work could not have been 

 accomplished with ordinary blasting powder, and the 

 same number of men, in less than a month. I thus 

 answer your question as to whether ' it pays to use 

 dynamite. ' The field was left by Mr. Parmelee in a de- 

 cidedly chaotic state. The rocks are so shattered and 

 crumbled as to give the field the appearance of a perfect 

 wreck. It is well worth going many miles to see. Though 

 the number of rocks is many times greater than before, 

 they are now reduced to a size easily handled, and can 

 be readily removed. 



" The action of dynamite is remarkable. For instance, 

 one very large rock, white quartz, which you know is 

 almost impossible to drill, was one of the stones which 

 he destroyed on this field. The first blast threw this 

 rock from its bed to the surface, and took off a small 

 piece. This rather disappointed him, and the gentlemen 

 who were witnessing his proceedings. He put a cartridge 

 against the side of this rock above ground, secured it to 

 the rock by two or three shovelfuls of mud. Powder, 

 you know, would blow oil that mud, and leave the rock 

 untouched, but the dynamite has so shattered it that I 

 can pick off numerous pieces with my hand. Some 

 pieces weigh a pound, and some five or ten pounds. It 

 is completely shattered. 



"The difference between blasting or destroying rocks 

 with powder and dynamite, is this : You can make your 

 own calculations as to the relative expense. In blasting 

 with powder, you drill the rock ; with dynamite, you drill 

 the ground. My rocks may be harder than other rocks ; 

 they certainly are much harder than my land. The man 



