

Vol. III. MARCH, 1887. No. 23. 



MINERALS AND MINES OE SAN DIEGO. 



The need of a geological survey of Southern California is very 

 great, and it is to be hoped that Congress may provide for it in 

 the near future. For twenty years or more gold has been profit- 

 ably mined in the mountains of San Diego county and in the 

 adjacent regions of the Lower California territory of Mexico. 

 Every ledge of quartz has been found auriferous, I believe, and 

 not only gold, but silver, copper, iron and other useful metals and 

 minerals have been found in surprising quantities throughout the 

 entire country. Positive proof exists as to the immense mineral 

 wealth of San Diego, notwithstanding the fact that her resources 

 in this line have been scarcely developed as yet, owing to the lack 

 of capital and information as to the great possibilities. 



With the remarkable increase in wealth and population of San 

 Diego during the past year, where all other business interests have 

 more than doubled in value, it is not surprising that the yield of 

 the gold and silver mines of the county, amounting to a million of 

 dollars in 1885,* should have increased to double that amount in 

 1886. In this paper I propose to give a few details regardiny;- the 

 present known minerals in this region and the leading mines that 

 have been worked to any extent. 



Julian is the oldest and best known mining district in the 

 county, situated some sixty miles northeast of the city of San 

 Diego. The mines have paid well as far as they have been 

 worked, but from lack of capital many of them are still unde- 

 veloped. The following mines in this district deserve special 

 mention : 



The Stonewall mine, eight miles from the town of Julian, was 

 discovered about sixteen years ago, and has been profitably 

 worked ever since. The ledge is about 30 feet wide and 1500 feet 

 in length, the ore assaying very rich in gold. Two 20-stamp mills 

 are now in operation. This mine was recently purchased by Hon. 

 R. W. Waterman. 



=^These estimates are giveu iu the dailies, but 1 do not cousider them very reliable. 



