410     QUICKSILVER  MINES  OP  NEW  ALMADEN,  CALIFORNIA. 
QUICKSILVER  MINES  OF  NEW  ALMADEN,  CALIFORNIA. 
The  latest  advices  from  California  state  that  the  quicksilver 
mines  of  New  Almaden,  which  were  so  long  a  subject  of  litigation, 
are  now  again  in  full  operation,  and  that  their  yield  is  immense. 
According  to  one  account,  the  workmen  have  reached  the  depth 
of  18  ft.  below  the  surface,  and  the  quicksilver  is  still  found  in 
little  globules,  so  thick  that  a  stream  almost  follows  the  stroke 
of  the  pick.  The  San  Francisco  Mining  and  Scientific  Press 
says — "  There  have  been  many  recent  discoveries  of  rich  cinnabar 
in  various  portions  of  our  prolific  State,  in  consequence  of  the  long 
stoppage  of  the  great  New  Almaden  Mine,  owing  to  tedious  and 
vexatious  litigation.  This  mine,  however,  is  at  last  in  full 
operation  again,  and  its  annual  product  of  over  1,000,000  lbs. 
of  quicksilver  will  again  be  in  the  market.  The  New  Almaden, 
New  Idria,  Enriquita,  and  Gaudaloupe  Mines  of  Santa  Clara 
county,  with  the  many  recently  discovered  and  only  partially 
worked  cinnabar  veins  of  Napa  and  Sonamo  counties  (which 
contain  liquid  quicksilver),  already  turn  out  some  4,000,000 
lbs.  of  quicksilver  per  annum — an  amount  nearly  large  enough 
to  supply  the  world — and,  doubtless,  when  these  latter  shall 
have  been  more  thoroughly  opened,  the  yield  will  reach  the 
high  figure  of  8,000,000  lbs.,  the  value  of  which,  at  the  rate  of 
30  cts.  per  lb.,  would  be  no  less  than  $2,400,000 ;  and  this  we 
think  is  a  moderate  estimate.  Hittell  sets  the  average  aggre- 
gate annual  yield  of  the  four  great  Santa  Clara  Mines  at 
3,510,000  lbs.,  but  it  has  reached  as  high  as  4,275,000 
lbs.  ;  and  as  they  are  by  no  means  worked  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, we  may  safely  look  for  largely  increased  returns  as  the 
operation  of  the  companies  are  extended.  Lack  of  experience, 
money,  and  harassing  litigation,  heretofore  have  very  much  re- 
tarded these  operations  ;  and  we  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised 
if  within  the  next  ten  years  the  annual  yield  from  Santa  Clara 
doubles  itself.  If  the  accounts  of  discoveries  in  Napa  and  Sonoma 
counties  approach  the  truth,  then  we  have  a  still  richer  district 
there,  whose  yield  can  hardly  be  computed.  Accounts  recently 
received  from  Washoe  also  speak  of  rich  cinnabar  veins  dis- 
covered ;  we  hope  the  reports  are  true.  With  so  many  mines, 
and  such  vast  yields,  we  may  safely  predict  that  the  wholesale 
