Archive Record
Images
Additional Images [8]
Metadata
Catalog number |
1997.2.2636 |
Object Name |
Newsletter |
Date |
2001 |
Description |
TITLE: Quicksilver County Park News SUBTITLE: Newsletter of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association Issue # 64 Summer 2001 Newsletter of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association SUMMER 2001 ISSUE 64 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of our dear friend, Kay Carmody. Kay was a founding member of our Association and on the Board for as long as we have been in existence. She made each of our board meetings enjoyable with her humor and dedication to the Quicksilver Park. Her love of the Park showed in the many days she rode her horse, first Shotgun and then HiTops, and worked on trails and helped with Pioneer Days. A memorial will be held at 7:30pm on August 7, 2001 at the New Almaden Community Club House on Bertram Road. This service will be to celebrate Kay's life and recount her many wonderful stories of fun and enjoyment in New Almaden, riding in the parades, parks and trail events. Please come and share with us, the life of our friend, Kay Carmody, THE NOT SO WICKED WEEDS OF SUMMER When it's spring and the world is cool and green, we revel in the display of wildflowers in our parks and wildlands. Later in the year, when it's hot and dry, we tend to call those plants that still manage to thrive and bloom without water or care ---WEEDS!! Many of our vacant lots, roadsides or wildlands would be nothing but bare dirt or dry grass if it wasn't for many of these flowering weeds. The diversity of animal life would also be greatly diminished. It would take a large book to describe all these summer stalwarts but a few of the locals are noteworthy. Although many are in the sunflower family, a broad range of plant families would be represented by a comprehensive list of all these hardy survivors. Tarweeds, Wild Sunflowers, Starthistle, Sowthistles, Chicory and a whole assemblage of larger thistles represent the sunflower family in our dry Mediterranean landscape. Tarweeds are often the only green plants that stand out in brown fields of dry grass. A variety of them, in both white and yellow flowering forms do well in grasslands and dry lots. Overgrazing allows them to produce very large populations as competition is eliminated. Their sticky, aromatic foliage is not very palatable and the black streaks they leave on livestock legs and our pant legs explain their name. Wild Sunflowers, sometimes called Brown-eyed Susans, fill roadside ditches with attractive color and humming insects. Starthistle, the villain of the bunch, presents masses of muted green crowned with bright yellow flowers. Painfully spined, toxic to horses and an ultimate competitor amongst our native plants, it none-the-less is a boon to bees and other insects. Several species of Sowthistle also lend several shades of green and yellow to parched parcels. Like dandelions, their white-parachuted seeds travel great distances to start new plants. Chicory, a lettuce relative, has distinctive blue flowers (sometimes white). It was originally brought here as a garden plant. The young leaves were used in salads and the root was ground as a replacement for coffee. Having escaped the garden, Chicory does a particularly good job of brightening dry vacant lots and highway medians. Bull Thistle, Milk thistle and Italian Thistle all present a distinctly spiny countenance to the world, but goldfinches and other seed-eating birds find the seeds of these and all those other sunflower family plants to be perfectly pleasing to the palate. The mint family, which contains those old favorites - spearmint and peppermint, offers Vinegar Weed for our consideration. Sometimes called Blue Curls, the small but pretty blue flowers are definitely overshadowed by the very pungent turpentine odor emitted when the plant is handled or even brushed against. Dry, disturbed areas are much to the liking of this little stinker. Almost everyone likes Morning Glories. Bindweed, with flowers of white or pink, is the wild version. With rhizome-like roots that can reach as much as 10 feet down, it blooms proudly throughout the long hot summer as neighboring plants wither and die. Although it can be an agricultural pest, our orchards and roadsides are brightened by its presence. Weeds (alias wildflowers), are persistent, tenacious, resilient, hardy and tough. They have all the qualities we would like to exhibit ourselves. Maybe that's our problem with them. They require no help from us and generally profit from our mistakes in disturbing the environment. The splashes of color they add to otherwise lifeless landscapes are payment for any problems they may cause us. It is true that a little Starthistle goes a long ways but maybe its time to stop fighting some of those weeds and just sit back and enjoy them. Better yet, pretend you're growing them. Bob Clement LOOKING FORWARD TO PIONEER DAY? SAVE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13,2001 , 11 A.M.TO 2P.M. DAY TUNNEL DEDICATION NEW ALMADEN QUICKSILVER PARK. MEET AT THE HACIENDA ENTRANCE FOR A SHUTTLE UP TO THE SPOT. The Day/ Tunnel, designed by! Sherman Day and completed in the 1860s, was reopened in 1947 by the New Almaden Corporation to search for economic underground ore. NEW ALMADEN MINING REVIEW In a series of historical mining facts. By John Slenter "Fire In The Hole" Miners known as blasters stuffed dynamite sticks in drilled holes and lit the fuse. He yelled, "fire in the hole" to warn other miners of the coming explosion and to go for cover. Each explosion extended the tunnel about three feet. Pictured above are miners being caught by a blast that went off accidentally. KAY CARMODY 1917-2001 Kay L. Carmody passed away on July 17,2001 surrounded by loving family members. Preceding her in death was her son,Russell Doan Carmody and her daughter, Kathleen Lousie Carmody. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Bert and Alice Carmody of Atlanta, Georgia: brother, Arlington Langley of San Francisco; four grand-children, one great grandson,niece, Gina Farnquist, a member of the docent crew at the New Almaden Museum, and several other nieces and nephews. KAY AND SHOTGUN NEW ALMADEN PARADE SEPT.1995 Born in Akron,Ohio,Dec. 3, 1917 to Bert and Louise (Ross) Langley, she called the Santa Clara Valley/Almaden Valley home since 1925. Her Mom and Dad built the Trout Farm on Almaden Rd. across from the Country Store. Kay was an avid horsewoman, very active in the Santa Clara County Horsemen's Association. She served as Riding Unit Captain, Secretary and various other positions in the Assoc. Weekends would find her on her Morgan horse "Hitops" riding in the Almaden Hills. She rode "Hitops for the last 6 years, but her favorite horse "Shotgun", an Arabian, accompanied her on many trail rides to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, county fairs, parades, and on fun rides with friends and family. As one of the original founders of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Asociation, Kay served on the board and helped to enhance the park, museum and all activities of the Association. She enjoyed painting and was active in the Cambrian Artists and Contemporary Arts Group. Always vigorous and adventurous, she had recently returned from an animal safari to Kenya and Victoria Falls just three weeks earlier. On her desk were brochures for other unusual resort destinations. The family would appreciate donations to be made to: New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association, P.O. Box 124, New Almaden, Ca. 95042 Some Letters of James A. Forbes FORBES Courtesy of Society of California Pioneers NO RELATION TO ALEXANDER FORBES. WAS PLACED AS CARETAKER OF SANTA CLARA MINE UNTIL ALEXANDER FORBES ARRIVED. CREATED UNSETTLED CONDITIONS FOR THE ENTIRE ELEVEN YEARS OF BARRON, FORBES OPERATION. FREDERICK PROBST ESQ.SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA NEW YORK 29TH. OCT., 1852 MY DEAR SIR - I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE TO RECEIVE YOUR ESTEEMED FAVOUR OF THE 20TH ULT., AND THE CIRCULAR LETTER OF YOUR NEW FIRM TO WHICH I REPLY " PORSEPARADO , HEREWITH. I AM VERY HAPPY TO LEARN THAT YOU HaVE COMMENCED YOUR BUSINESS UNDER SUCH AUSPICES AS THOSE YOU MENTION. ON THE 9TH. INST., I WROTE TO YOU PARTLY TO RENEW OUR RELATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP, AND UPON BUSINESS MATTERS, WHICH IF MATTERS GO RIGHT MAY PROBABLY AFFORD ME THE PLEASURE OF AVAILING MYSELF OF YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND AT THE SAME TIME BE OF PROFIT TO YOU. FOR THIS SUBJECT I REFER YOU TO MY SAID LETTER, AND AGAIN TO THE ACCOMPANYING LETTER TO YOUR FIRM, AND TO WhICH I PRAY YOU FOR A SPEEDY ANSWER, AS UPON IT MAY DEPEND MY DECISION TO ANY PROPOSAL MADE THROUGH YOU. I AM ONE OF THE DIRECTORS AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY FOR THE CONTEMPLATED RAILROAD FROM SAN JOSE TO SaN FRANCISCO. THIS ROAD WILL BE ONE THAT WILL BE OF VERY GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA IND WILL DOUBTLESS PAY A GOOD INTEREST ON THE INVESTMENT MADE FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET ALL THE STOCK SUBCRIBED BECAUSE THE MATTER HAS NOT BEEN IN ABLE HANDS, NEITHER IN CALIFORNIA NOR IN NEW YORK. A CERTAIN DR. COBB WAS SENT THITHER WITH SOME SORT OF POWER TO OFFER THE STOCK FOR SALE, BUT HE IS NOT THE MAN AT ALL. SUBSEQUENTLY OVERTURES OF SOME KIND WERE MADE TO A MR. ARGOUS OF MEXICO FOR OBTAINING THE CAPITAL FOR THIS ROAD, BUT WITH WHAT RESULT I HAVE NOT HEARD. POSSIBLY YOUR MERCANTILE CONNECTIONS IN LONDON MIGHT NEGOCIATE FOR A LOAN FOR THIS ROAD, AND IN MY NEXT LETTER, I SHALL GIVE YOU MORE PARTICULARS UPON THIS SUBJECT. THE ABUNDANCE OF QUICKSILVER PRODUCED FROM THE ,MINE OF NEW ALMADEN WILL DOUBTLESS KEEP THIS ARTICLE AT A MUCH LOWER PRICE THAN IT HAS COMMANDED HERETOFORE, BUT IF ILL THE SILVER MINES IN MEXICO CAN NOW BE WROUGHT BY THE FACILITY OF OBTAINING MERCURY AT LOW RATES THERE WILL STILL BE A GREAT CONSUMPTION OF IT. WE HAVE SENT LOTS OF IT TO ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EXCEPT TO SPAIN! THE GREAT DIFFICULTY IS TO SELL IS MUCH AS AS WISH AND TO GET QUICK RETURNS OF THE CASH. I HAVE CEASED WORKING THE MINE OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THIS REASON THAT THE NEW ALMADEN CAN SUPPLY THE WHOLE WORK FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. I AM GLAD THAT YOU HAVE HEARD OF OUR VICTORY OVER OUR OPPONENTS IN THIS PROPERTY, AS IT WILL TEND TO AFFIRM THE CONFIDENCE OF ANY PARTIES WHO MIGHT OFFER A LOAN OF THE MONEY I REQUIRE UPON THE SECURITY OF SHARES IN NEW ALMADEN. APROPOS I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED TO YOU THAT THE SEVENTEEN SHIRES OF MINE WERE ASSESSED AT $51 ,000. THEY ARE REALLY WORTH MORE. PRAY INFORM ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHAT STEPS MAY BE REQUIRED HERE TO AUTHENTICATE MY PROPERTY IN NEW ALMADEN BESIDES THE CERTIFICATE OF RECORD OF TITLE HERE. OUR FRIEND, PARROTT, WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO NEGOCIATE THIS WITH ME, BUT I AM AVERSE TO DEAL WITH HIM. I SHOULD BE GLAD TO BE ABLE TO GO TO NEW YORK FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING TO THE SELECTION OF MACHINERY OF THE MILL I AM GOING TO ERECT, BUT I CANNOT LEAVE HERE, AT LEAST THIS WINTER. WITH MANY KINDEST REGARDS FROM MY TRIBE I REMAIN, MY DEAR SIR, YOURS VERY SINCERELY, JAMES ALEX. FORBES MESSRS. PROBST & MEINESPZHAGEN NEW YORK SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA 29TH. OCT., 1852 GENTLEMEN - IN CONTINUATION OF A SUBJECT UPON WHICH I ADDRESSED YOUR MR. PROBST, ON THE 9TH. INST., I BEG TO ENCLOSE HEREWITH, A MEMORANDUM OF MACHINERY FOR A MILL WHICH I DESIRE TO HAVE GOT UP IN YOUR CITY SO SOON AS I SHALL HAVE MADE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF FUNDS IN MEXICO, OR IN YOUR CITY, AND UPON WHICH MATTER I HAVE ALSO 'ADDRESSED MR. PROBST. MEANTIME I PRAY YOU TO COMMENCE MAKING THE ENQUIRY AS TO WHAT WILL BE THE PROBABLE COST OF THE ARTICLES COMPRISED IN THE MEMORANDUM WITH ANY VARIATION THAT MAY BE DEEMED ADVISABLE BY A COMPETENT MILL WRIGHT AS REGARDS THE' ATTAINMENT OF MY OBJECT EXPRESSED AT FOOT OF MEMORANDUM. AWAITING AN ANSWER FROM YOU I REMAIN, GENTLEMEN YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT JAS. ALEX. FORBES MESSRS. PROBST & MEINESTZHAGENSANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA NEW YORK 30TH. OCT. , 1852 GENTLEMEN IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME I HaVE DEEMED IT EXPEDIENT TO AUTHORIZE YOU TO EFFECT THE LOAN OF MONEY FOR MY ACCOUNT, IN NEW YORK OR ELSEWHERE, AS EXPRESSED IN MY LETTERS TO YOUR MR. PROBST, UNDER DATES OF 9TH. AND 29TH. INSTANT; FOR WHICH OBJECT, I HEREWITH ACCOMPANY TO YOU, MY LETTER OF AUTHORITY, AND I BEG TO REQUEST OF YOU, THAT IN CASE YOU SHOULD EFFECT THE SAID LOAN, TO ORDER IMMEDIATELY, THE CONSTRUCTION OF ALL THE MACHINERY COMPRISED IN THE ACCOMPANYING LIST AND WITH SUCH MODIFICATIONS AS THE PARTY TO WHOM YOU SHALL INTRUST THE MECHANICAL ORDER, SHALL KNOW TO BE CONDUCIVE TO THE MOST EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF THAT MACHINERY. DOUBTLESS THERE WILL NOT BE WANTING HONOURABLE AND INTELLIGENT MILL WRIGIITS IN YOUR CITY, FOR THE EFFICICIOUS DISCHARGE OF SUCH AN ORDER. I OF COURSE EXPECT THE WHOLE OF THE LIST REMITTED TO YOU TO BE FURNISHED. IN CASE OF NEGOCIATING THIS LOAN YOU WILL REQUIRE OF COURSE MY SECURITY. HENCE THE NECESSITY OF YOUR ADVISING ME IMMEDIATELY, ON YOUR CONSUMMATING THIS OPERATION THIS OPERATION FOR OTHERWISE THAT I MAY MAKE THE PROPER LOAN. MEANTIME MY BOND MUST BE THE GUARANTEE OF YOUR STEPS IN THIS MATTER. TRUSTING THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO NEGOCIATE THIS LOAN AT LOWER RATES THAN THOSE SPECIFIED. I REMAIN GENTLEMEN YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT JAS. ALEX. FORBES EDITOR'S NOTE: These letters are from the Connie Perham collection. It is the first in a series of letters to be continued in later editions of the newsletter. Historic Properties, A. Corporation New Almaden, California DOUGLAS M. PERHAM, PRESIDENT Historic Properties Operate The New Almaden Museum CONSTANCE B. KAMBISH, SECRETARY, TREASURER June I8,I950 the organizing meeting was held at the Anthony Kambish home in New Almaden, with Clyde Arbuckle as chairman. Election of officers was held Laurence Bulmore was nominated by Mc Murray, Seconded by Schneider, Nomination closed. Laurence Bulmore elected President. Jimmie Schneider was nominated for Vice - President by Laurence Bulmore, seconded by C. Kambish Nominations closed. Jimmie Schneider elected Vice - President. Constance Kambish nominated for Sec-Tres. by J. Schneider seconded by Mrs. Bulmore. Nominations closed. Constance Kambish elected Sec -Tres. George Mc Murry and Clyde Arbuckle were elected Directors plus the three elected officers. Comprehensive insurance was brought up by C.Kambish to be handled by Alderman Ins. Co. of 2I4 N.First St. S.J. for about $18.00 per year accepted. Mr.And Mrs Bulmore gave Society a check for $I8.00 to apply for insurance. Motion made and seconded to thank Bulmores for said gift carried. After discussion, Rent of room for museum and wages for Curator of said museum were set at $1.00 each per year. Constance Kambish offered the use of one adobe room of her home for Museum, accepted by members in union. THE LORE AND LURE OF QUICKSILVER. CALIFORNIA'S OLDEST MINING COMMUNITY. TRIBUTE TO AN OLD FRIEND The little hamlet of New Almaden has lost a gem, a person I admired along with many others I'm sure, a dear soul that will be remembered for many years to come. She was one of those rare people that had the ability to share a lifetime of history with others and make it come alive and interesting. I never talked or worked with her that I did not come home the wiser because of her endless knowledge of New Almaden and the mines. As an artist we worked together on several projects for a new book about the mining days of New Alameda. I still have the drawings we were working on to put this book together. But it was put on the back burner for both of us, and time slipped away. I helped her with the Dedication of The Original New Almaden Museum Bicentennial Heritage Landmark program in 1977, and other projects at the Bulmore House over the years. Connie Perham was a lady who dedicated her life to bringing the history of New Almaden to countless people over the years. If ever a monument was to be built in this mining town it should say farewell and thank you for a lifetime of tireless dedication for preserving our history. Jim Campbell CONSTANCE PERHAM, POSTMASTER 1959-1965-BULMORE HOUSE Greenstone Greenstone is the third member of the Franciscan trinity of rocks. Greenstone comes from volcanoes by a long path. It begins as gray volcanic ash, lava, sills or dikes. It has to be buried and metamorphosed to the greenschist facies to turn green in color. The process is less disgusting than it sounds. The warmth and weight of the Earth turn black iron and magnesium rich minerals to a dark green mica called chlorite. The greenstone has to come back to the surface so we can see it. The Pacific Plate and the North American plate collide in California, and it is a messy oblique and strike-slip collision. When the rocks come up fast, they expand and fracture. Water and air enter the cracks and begin the rusting and rounding process. It is really neat to see round rocks falling out of rectangular cracks. You could make it even neater by calling the process spheroidal weathering. Just below Capetown pass, Jimmie Schnieder's granddaughter found a rounded gray-green greenstone with a peeling outer layer of rusty brown to orange greenstone. Botanists have yellow redwood violets, so they can't poke fun at our red-brown and orange greenstones. Everyone else, enjoy yourselves. Water and oxygen on the surface pull out the iron, and turn chlorite to rust. ROBBIE LAMONS BOB MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY Bob is working with the Association to produce his color photographs of the wildflowers in New Almaden Quicksilver County Park. A calendar will be our first production and then a booklet to take hiking to learn the wildflowers in the Park. MILK THISTLE : SUNFLOWER FAMILY THE MUSEUM ARCHIVER Art Boudreault 268-1714 Work is progressing rapidly with adding images of artifacts and photos into the MUSEUM ARCHIVER software. Thanks to Nancy Mapes, three binders of sales records from the 1890's are now available. John Drew, grandson of the last mine manager of the Senador mine, is assisting Bob Meyer in adding meaningful descriptions of the photos to the records. Kitty Monahan and I are numbering photos and scanning them in at the rate of one every three minutes. Mike Boulland now believes we have sufficient images that he is developing the first of many slide shows. So far, eight binders (over 800 images) have been completely scanned and described_ An additional four binders are in progress. At this pace, we should be catching up to the current materials by the end of next year. The 1877 photos of the Casa Grande and the Chinese pagoda, each reflecting off the lagoon, are spectacular. The MUSEUM ARCHIVER software has been improved to allow both audio and video recordings to be added to an ID record. As a sample, we now have an audio recording of Thomas Edison reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (the first known audio recording.) We are full on Mondays. Anyone who wishes to help on other weekdays is welcome. Computer experience is not necessary - just ask Nancy how well she is doing!! |
Cataloged by |
Boudreault, Art |
Collection |
Perham 2 |