Archive Record
Images
Additional Images [6]
Metadata
Catalog number |
1997.2.2593 |
Object Name |
Newsletter |
Date |
1989 |
Description |
TITLE: Quicksilver County Park News SUBTITLE: Newsletter of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association Issue # 21 Summer 1989 Newsletter of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association NUMBER 21 SUMMER 1989 AN INVITATION TO THE DELORES TARANGA FESTIVAL "When I was about sixteen Father came back from Montana and we all moved to New Almaden again. This time we lived in Mexican Camp as did two or three other English families. Our house was new and was located directly across from the Spanish Boarding House. On the Fourth of July in New Almaden we used to have big picnics on a flat hill called Bull Run which was two and one-half miles away. Two stages ran back and forth from Cornish Town to Bull Run all day long. The direction of Bull Run was not down Hacienda way but was across the tops of the hills. It was a big day for pasties as well as barbecued beef and lamb." 1881 from Annie Andrew Taylor's LIFE STORY as told to her grand niece, Janice Paull in 1955. Teacher: Ethel Grey and Friends Picnicing on the Hill INVITATION TO PIONEER DAY In keeping with stories handed down about the barbeques, picnics and games held at Bull Run, we invite you to recelebrate the carefree fun days at the Delores Taranga area. On October 19, 1989 our 7th Annual PIONEER DAY will be held up on mine Hill Road at the beautiful grove area - the site of endless drilling contests - where the Delores Taranga tunnel was reopened in 1960. We hope to recreate these events and hear stories from you and all of our Pioneers about the mystery of the name - DELORES TARANGA. Does anyone know where the name originated, when the tunnel was first opened, who lived in the house at the site and what other types of games were held in the area? Please join us Saturday, October 14, 1989 at 11:00 a.m. at the Reduction Works at the end of the Hacienda in New Almaden. We will transport you to the site. The cost for the day including food will be $5.00. We are so anxious to see you that we will provide transportation from your house to the Reduction Site if you need a ride, and also provide overnight accommodations if needed. Give me a call at 268-6541 for any further information. Looking forward to enjoying a beautiful day with you. KITTY MONAHAN MINE TITLES AND OWNERS CHABOLLA MINE (1824-26) Luis Chabolla and Antonio Sunol took over from the Robles brothers. SANTA CLARA MINE (1845-48) Andres Castillero, Jose Castro, Fr. Real and the Robles brothers. NUEVO ALMADEN (1848-63) Barron, Forbes and Co. operated the mine under the name "New Almaden Mining CO." GOVERNMENT INJUNCTION (5/8/63-7/23/0,3) NEW ALMADEN MINE (1863-1912) Quicksilver Mining Company of NY and Pa. SENATOR MINE - NEW ALMADEN (1914-26) G.H. Sexton and W.H. Landers operate under the name "N.A. Co. Inc.' (UNUSED 1927-39) NEW ALMADEN MINE (1940-46) New Almaden Corporation under C, N. Shuette and Newbold. (UNUSED 1947-52) NEW ALMADEN MINE (1953-65) James "PS" Schneider as New Almaden Property Holders, Inc. NEW ALMADEN MINE (1966- ) New Idria Mining and Chemical Co. operated the mine until it passed to Santa Clara County in 1975. QUICKSILVER PARK She's rugged, yet beautiful, large but yet small. She's home of the spreading oak and the eucalyptus so tall. She offers a variety of weather---varied as her terrain. Warm and dry in the summer, but the winter brings fog and rain. Here too, the poison oak abounds, three leaves and all---Lush green in the spring, red, gold and yellow in the fall. She's home fox the spring wild flowers so beautiful, we think. There are red ones, and white ones, and yellow ones and some are pink. Old trails and building sites can be seen by the trained eye, most are covered now with trees, brush and grass, some of it rye. The quiet and serenity of an early morning so still, causes one to wonder at the activity that took place on this hill. For her mountains are honeycombed with mine shafts that once yielded great treasure. But now the horsemen, the hiker and others come here seeking pleasure. Tailing piles are numerous---remnants of another day, When the miners -- Mexican and Cornish worked the mines in exchange foe a day's pay. These mines are now abandoned; too bad they can't talk. They stand here in silence, guarded by the red tailed hawk. The views here are awesome and filled with change, from the valley floor to the bay and the Mt. Hamilton Range. From the trails we can see field and farm and also the city. Only a few orchards remain---what a pity. She's a refuge for wildlife in this urban place. We're glad that our county fathers realized that wildlife too, needs space. For here we see creatures both large and small, running here---flying there but watch out for those diamonds that crawl. Deer here are numerous including the magnificant buck, and some might catch a glimpse of a coyote or bobcat if they have a little luck. She offers the urbanite a place to escape toil and strife to forget about lasers and computers and to enjoy the simple life. She's a place to relax--- to hear the birds sing, a place to forget about freeways and commuters and the telephone's ring. So come ride her trails and with me you'll agree that this place was surely made for people like you and me.J4r All that I write of is here, here for us to enjoy. So let's leave only our tracks---lest we destroy. BILL PARKER Park Ranger Office The Park Ranger office for Almaden Quicksilver County Park is located at Calero Reservoir County Park. The phone number is 408-268-3883. UP AND DOWN CALIFORNIA, 1860 - 1864, the journal of William H. Brewer Board member, Friedolin Kessler has been reading William Brewer's journal and thought this portion concerning the mining of cinnabar in Santa Clara County would be of interest to "Newsletter" readers. Brewer was a member of David Whitney's Geological Survey party. During his working sojourn in California, Brewer was offered the chairmanship of the Natural Science department at the College of California in Oakland, forerunner of the University of California, Berkeley. He accepted the position subject to the condition that his primary duty would be to the Geological Survey. San Francisco March 1863 We had been desiring to examine a region of mountains a little beyond New Almaden, the great quicksilver region. A gentleman came into the office March 4 with some fine specimens of cinnabar (quicksilver ore) and was greatly excited thereat. A new mine has just been found, ore very rich, and very abundant-the old story-the farm upon which it occurs can be got very cheap, not over one-hundredth of what even a tolerably good mine is worth--the whole thing could be got for $6,000. He was intensely excited, wanted me to go right down and examine it, would pay me $150 for three days' work. Now, we are not allowed to take fees from private individuals, but I told him I would go if he would pay my expenses and those of an assistant for a week's trip in that region. He was delighted. Thursday, March 5, early, found Hoffmann and me on the steamer for Alviso, our speculator along. He thrust five twenty- dollar pieces into my hand, begged me to accept it as a present, which I most virtuously refused, except thirty dollars to pay our expenses on the proposed trip. He had all the papers necessary to make the purchase. The company was formed -- twenty- six shareholders, the stock to be __dollars. He had the specimens of ore in his picket, a lawyer engaged in San Jose to search titles, even pen and ink to make the Frenchman, on whose land the rich mine was, sign immediately, and blank paper on which I was to write a favorable report to the company. All the way up he could talk of nothing but "cinnabar," "quicksilver," and "ledges. Alviso was reached and we took the stage to San Jose, where we hired a private conveyance to the mines. We found the farm and the Frenchman, but not the mine -- no trace of one. The ore had come from the Guadalupe Mine. It was evidently a plot by which he expected to sell his land (for which he had only a squatter title) "unsight and unseen" to persons in this city, whose mining zeal should outrun their discretion. Yet he pretended that he had a mine--he would show it the next day. The end was that the speculator, after talking hard French, harder Spanish, but the hardest English, left most disgusted, his bright visions of sudden wealth gone, and we took up our way to the mountains near, promising to return in a week and examine a mine he would then show us. This was near the Guadalupe Mine, and the next day, Friday, March 6, we visited that. As I have told you before, three quicksilver mines lie within a distance of six miles, the Guadalupe, the Enriquita, and the New Almaden. Of these, only the last has proved very valuable. We saw Doctor Mayhew, the superintendent and engineer of the Guadalupe; he said that the company had spent upward of $400,000 in prospecting. This mine is a good illustration of the uncertainty of mining quicksilver. The ore is found in three different conditions: as fine threads of the brilliant red cinnabar in the harder rock, called jilo; or as a red looking earth, known as terres; or in great chambers of solid ore, called labors. Now, of course, the occurrence of these last is the most desirable, but they are very capricious, following no regular law in their distribution. A year and a half ago a large labor was discovered in the mine, which is not yet exhausted, although they have taken out over 100,000 pounds of metal from it; yet, until the discovery, its presence had not been suspected, although one drift had passed within eleven feet of it and another had been worked to within four inches of it and then stopped. Years later this labor was discovered by accident in cutting an air passage from one part of the mine to another. We visited the Enriquita Mine. It, too, is doing but little. The Dutch superintendent and his Irish wife received us kindly and treated us to lager beer. We pushed on our way and stopped at New Almaden, a mine of real value. Here we remained from Friday until the next Tuesday, exploring the region. We had intended to work south of New Almaden, but the very broken country and dense chaparral prevented us. A large region is thrown into high ridges and very deep canyons, the ridges from 1,500 to 8,700 feet high, but mostly about 1,800 or 2,000 feet, covered with a dense growth of almost impenetrable chaparral. We reached a few elevated points, from which we could map out the topography oœ the country. The Kingdom of Almaden * "Freedom of opinion is supposed to be one of the proud privileges of every American citizen. How that privilege is sometimes vouchsafed and enjoyed the sequel will show. In the county of Santa Clara is located the New Almaden Quicksilver mine. It is owned by a powerful and wealthy company, and is valued at several millions of dollars. It gives employment to hundreds of workmen. Through the influence of shareholders high in authority of the Government, it enjoys immunities from taxation not accorded to other and much less productive sources of industry. In state and county affairs it pays taxes only on a nominal valuation. The acting Superintendent of this giant corporation is Dr. J. R. Mayo. "In our issue of Nov. 5th we stated upon information that some of the workmen at the mine, who had the independence to vote for Grant and Colfax were called up on the day after election and discharged for their temerity. Some good Democrats, who would not countenance such an exhibition of intolerance, professed to doubt the statement. Below we append the affidavits of several of said workman who were discharged for the reason alleged. The affiants are all intelligent men, appending their signatures with their own hands, without the usual Democratic X his mark:-' -- Affidavits not included! -- Appeared in the Mercury News, December 3, 1868 DATES TO REMEMBER 1. Saturday, September 9-10-Downtown New Almaden yard sale All on Almaden Road Come, enjoy! 2. Saturday, September 23 -New Almaden Daysfrom 12 noon on----Retirement of AGNES YUSEFF and DOROTHY MINKEL Fun, fun, fun!!!!!!! 3.Saturday, October 14 Pioneer Day at the Delores Taranga workings of the Quicksilver Park.From 11:00 a.m. on.Transportation, great meal, entertainment. $5 per person. |
People |
Taylor, Annie Andrew Paull, Janice Gray, Ethel (Grey, Ethel) Chabolla, Luis Sunol, Antonio Robles, Secundino Castillero, Andres Castro, Jose Sexton, George H. Landers, W.H. Schuette, Curt Nicholas Schneider, Jimmie Schneider, Phillips S. Parker, Bill Brewer, William H. Mayo, J. R. (Dr.) |
Cataloged by |
Meyer, Bob |