There
has been for some time a scarcity of water in the mines. There are in
the district, however, a number of small streams which could be tapped,
and which by means oi a ditch, 2 leagues in length, would give a large and constant supply of water
to the mines from a high level, thus giving greater pressure for
working a monitor or extending the present tank system. Since the
report was written, work on this ditch has been begun.
The
further improvements recommended to the Government by the writer ot the
report include a dam to be built across the stream, with sluice to
release the water when necessary, so as to sweep away the debris, which
now is accumulating to a dangerous extent, 'a sawTmill
plant, a monitor and connections, new housing for workmen, storerooms,
etc., and new tools and mining appliances, the total cost being
estimated at £20,000.
He
also advises that the road from Simijaca to Muzo should be put in
order, and that a bridge for mule traffic should be built over the
river Guaso.
He
estimates that if his recommendations are carried out, and the mines
properly worked, there should be an annual profit of £200,000. He
believes, moreover, that by opening up the old workings on the other
side of the valley, opposite the present Muzo mine, another and
probably equally productive mine might be worked. He considers, indeed,
that the only limit to the production would be the quantity that could
be sold without seriously reducing the price of emeralds.«
CALIFORNITE (VESUVIANITE). CALIFORNIA.
About
2 miles east of Exeter, Tulare County, Cal., a vein of compact
vesuvianite or calif ornite has been opened on the top of a rounded
bill, 500 feet above the valley. Mr. Frank L. Hess, of the United
States Geological Survey, who examined the deposit, states that the
vein varies from 2 to 4 inches in thickness and lies with small
magnesite veins in serpentine. Some material was taken from a prospect
hole about 20 feet deep, but none was shipped. In a polished hand
specimen the stone appears to have been brecciated and cemented
together again by flesh-colored magnesite in small seams, veinlets, and
irregular masses. The color of the californite is a nearly clear
apple-green, which forms a pleasing contrast with the included portions
of the flesh-colored magnesite. This combination would be very
attractive in small ornaments and mosaics, while pieces large enough
for small table tops and similar decorative purposes might be obtained hj cutting some of the gray-green to greenish-black serpentine along with the californite.
CHRYSOPEASE. CALIFORNIA.
One
of the chrysoprase mines in Tulare County, Cal., operated by the
Himalaya Mining Company of New York, was visited during the year by.
Mr. Frank L. Hess, of this Survey, who furnished the notes from which
the following information was compiled:
The
mine is situated about 8 miles southeast of Porterville, and about
one-half mile south of Deer Creek, in a rough serpentine knob. The
chrysoprase veins can be traced some distance to the north along the
top of the hill. The country rock is a serpentine, covering a large
area. In many places this serpentine is badly decayed and weathered
away, while in others it forms prominent outcrops. In the latter case
the serpentine has been rendered more or less hard by silicitica-tion.
In some places it has the shining waxy luster of the precious
