“There is great excitement in certain moneyed and mining rings in San Francisco over reports that have reached there in regard to the discovery of an immense ledge of cinnabar in Santa Ynez Valley, about seven miles north of Santa Barbara as the crow flies, though more than twice that distance by trail over the mountain. Experts were engaged, who came down with several wealthy men, who proposed to purchase the mines if the reports proved to be true.

The reports of these mining experts when, with specimens of the ore, they reached San Francisco, caused quite an excitement among those inside the ring. Still, to make sure, other experts and workmen were dispatched to the new mines, which had, in the meantime, been bonded to certain persons for a large sum of money."

HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Thompson and West, 1883
Pages 184-187

QUICKSILVER, though not reckoned among the precious metals, is very valuable for many qualities, and, owing to the limited area in which it is found, and the immense numbers of uses to which it is applied, has become of such value that a quicksilver mine is considered as equal to a gold mine. In the form of a sulphuret it becomes vermillion, the most brilliant of all the scarlet or red paints.

This exists as a natural product, and was often used by the indians to decorate their bodies and to stain their war implements. The presence of quicksilver is generally indicated by the red-colored rocks, al-though iron in many of its forms presents the same appearance, particularly some varieties of the new red sandstone which abound in all the tertiary formations

In chemistry and medicine the various well-known articles of calomel, corrosive sublimate, besides others, are formed of it by the use of chlorine gas, the compounds being known as chloride, bi-chloride, and terchlorides of mercury.

Some of these are violent poisons, and all are powerful in their action and dangerous when used by unskilled or ignorant per-sons. It is also used in the form of an amalgam of tin for the covering of the backs of mirrors, also for forming various compounds with tin, lead, bismuth, zinc, and other metals.

It enters into the construction of nearly all surveying instruments, barometers, thermometers, etc.; in fact, its use is almost universal in the arts and sciences.

The greatest consumption of quicksilver, however, is in mining for gold and silver, with which it fuses at all ordinary temperatures, eating and absorbing these metals until they form a soft pasty mass.

To this quality quicksilver owes its principal value. When placed among the rocks, sand, or dirt containing gold, it immediately lays hold of it, coats it over, increasing the weight of the particle, and finally amalgamating the small particles into a solid mass, easily taken from the sluices or batteries whatever be the character of the mining.

The application of a red heat expels the quicksilver, leaving the metal nearly pure. In this way much quicksilver was used in the placer and quartz mining of California. The price of it was very moderate compared to what it was after the discovery of the Nevada mines, being from fifty-five to eighty cents per pound.

When the immense lodes of the Comstock began to be worked, the consumption of quicksilver was enormous, with a corresponding advance in value for a time, reaching as high as $1.20 per pound. The. whole consumption in Nevada, as early as 1873, reached 1,000,000 pounds annually. This tasked to the utmost the mines of New Almaden and New Idria, and the proprietors made immense fortunes, much of which, however, was absorbed in lawsuits, which were instituted to determine the proprietor-ship of the ground.

FIRST MINES
The oldest mines of commercial value are those in Idria, in Austria, and Almaden, in Spain, which have been worked for 400 years. When first worked, the metal was held in great value by the alchemists and magicians who would show the little dancing globules as being the abodes of spirits, devils, etc.

It was supposed to be the universal solvent of metals, as well as the mother of them all. It was expected that by its aid diamonds and other precious stones, as well as gold and silver, could be manufactured by the ton; that life could be indefinitely prolonged, and even restored by its use, and, in short, that, though not exactly the philosopher’s stone, it would accomplish all that mortals were ever permitted to do. For hundreds of years these mines supplied all that was used by the civilized world, the consumption being small compared to the present time.

“ There is great excitement in certain moneyed and mining rings in San Francisco over reports that have reached there in regard to the discovery of an immense ledge of cinnabar in Santa Ynez Valley, about seven miles north of Santa Barbara as the crow flies, though more than twice that distance by trail over the mountain. Experts were engaged, who came down with several wealthy men, who proposed to purchase the mines if the reports proved to be true.

The reports of these mining experts when, with specimens of the ore, they reached San Francisco, caused quite an excitement among those inside the ring. Still, to make sure, other experts and workmen were dispatched to the new mines, which had, in the meantime, been bonded to certain persons for a large sum of money.

One report says that one claim of 1,200 feet was bonded for $50,000, and an adjoining claim of 1,500 feet for a still larger sum. We have endeavored to search out all the facts in regard to this great cinnabar discovery, and in doing so made the acquaintance of Mr. W. D. Brown, a well-known geologist and mineralogist of San Francisco, who was sent down by capitalists who propose to purchase these mines; to examine them and report on their character and probable value.

Mr. Brown is acquainted with every well-known cinnabar mine or channel in the United States and Mexico, and freely gives it as his opinion that there never was before discovered a cinnabar channel that showed such a great extent of ore on the surface, or one that assays so uniformly high in per cent. of quick-silver.

He says that if the surface indications of character be found to continue below, upon further exploration, the Santa Barbara quicksilver mines will be the most valuable in the world, and that the results of their working may be a million of dollars a year net profit to each claim of 1,500 feet; and there are eleven such claims taken up and held by proper working and recording.

These mines were recently visited by Wm. N. Lent and D. L. Robinson, two well-known capitalists and mining experts of San Francisco, and also by gentlemen representing the interests of the Bank of California. These mines are located upon that section of country claimed under the Najalayegua Grant, and we are told that a Mr. Cassell, of San Francisco, has leased the grant for the term of ten years, with the right to take possession of these mines, and others that may be discovered, and work them upon certain conditions.

Unless some compromise can be effected with the present claimants, who are in possession, it looks as though a great deal of litigation will follow this grand discovery, that may retard the development of the mines for many years.

“A vein of cinnabar passes thin~through the Santa Ynez Valley, running east and west almost parallel with the river. For full six miles the ledge is distinct, and has a width of from 50 to 200 feet. There are three distinct mines now opened. The most unimportant of these we had not time to visit, but gave a day each to Los Prietos and Santa Ynez; and here let us say 1 hat the company is peculiarly fortunate in having a gentleman of’ Mr. Jones’ ability and experience to superintend the works.

This gentleman was one of the first discoverers of’ the mines, and has the most perfect knowledge of’ his business, as well as a happy facility for imparting information. Under such intelligent guidance we saw more and learned more of quicksilver mining than we would have supposed possible in the short time at our disposal, and considering the great extent of’ ground to be gone over.

“ The Superintendent’s headquarters are at Los Prietos, where there is already quite a little village of buildings, all belonging to the company. They in-tend soon to open a store there for the benefit of the miners. All their supplies are brought from Santa Barbara, except beef; which is furnished by a son of the original owner of the grant, Dominguez, or ‘old Najalayegua,’ as they call him. There are at present eighty men employed about the mines, and as they are more fully developed, the force will be increased.

“The principal furnace is built at Los Prietos near the river, from brick manufactured on the spot. It contains about 140,000 brick, and will soon be in running order. Above the furnace is a road leading from the mine, and just below that is the ‘ore floor,’ on a level with the top of the furnace. The ore is dumped into cars which slide to the openings on the furnace, and empty their loads into great hoppers.

It takes seventy tons of ore to fill the furnace. Three tons of pay ore at a time are thrown in above, and three tons taken out of the doors at the bottom of the furnace, of refuse ore, or ‘slag.’ The fire is made in four places, two on each side, in the center of the structure. The flames run through a number of pigeon holes, and dart among the pieces of ore, covering the upper portion with sheets of flame.

The heat separates the quicksilver, and it is carried off in fumes into a condenser. From thence it is drawn through six iron and four brick condensers. A powerful fan at the end creates a suction which draws the fumes through all these tortuous ways, making them turn and twist and cool into liquid quicksilver, which is deposited on the floors of the condensers, and from thence drawn out into kettles placed at the openings. Live-oak wood only is used in the furnaces, and there is an abundance of timber on the grant; enough to supply them for years to come.

“ In one place, near the upper tunnel, a large mass of cinnabar ore crops out, some forty feet wide and thirty high, and very rich with the red sulphuret of mercury. One can rub off pure vermillion here from every boulder.‘We send you herewith, to ornament your office, some specimens of the ore.

The largest piece was taken from this mine, and contains fifty per cent. of pure quicksilver. If it were all like that, quicksilver would soon cease to be valuable. However, a large proportion of’ ore from this mine, I am told, contains from five to forty per cent. of metal, and the Superintendent says that it pays to work ore containing one per cent. The most inexperienced observer cannot fail to see that these mines must be almost inexhaustible, and of incalculable value.

THE SANTA YNEZ FURNACE
Differs materially from that at Los Prietos, being a new invention, and built on the principle of’ an ordinary chimney, reducing the ore by means of a natural draft. The furnace is filled with mingled ore and wood.

At the base is an opening, where the refuse is drawn off. The fire is started at this place, and the flames rush through the mass of ore and fuel, causing the fumes of quicksilver to pass over into the first condenser, and from thence through five others, all of’ brick, until the superfluous poisonous fumes escape through a tall chimney at the end of the last condenser.

These works are built on the steep side of a mountain, and present a curious appearance. At a distance the furnace, with its six condensers, looks like huge steps, built to accommodate some gigantic race. Each condenser is in two compartments, with arched tops, and as the fumes pursue their winding course, gradually cooling, the liquid mercury is deposited and drawn off in the same manner as at the large furnace at Los Prietos.

The entire structure is 140 feet high and 100 feet in length, and contains 125,000 bricks. The ore floor is on a level with the furnace proper and the wagon road leading from the mine runs over the first con-denser.

This road is cut out of’ the solid mountain at great expense. The rock is mostly slate, but is in some places of a tougher formation, which necessitates the use of’ drills and giant powder.

ENORMOUS MASS OF CINNABAR
Actually lying on top of the ground. Our two guides averred that this one deposit could scarcely be exhausted in 100 years. The great red boulders here lie piled one upon the other with the utmost prodigal recklessness, and we climbed over and around them, and under overhanging precipices, all of cinnabar, with a mingled sense of astonishment and awe at the lavish profusion of earth’s features exposed to the sun.

As we stood upon a pinnacle of cinnabar, on heights no woman had ever reached before, we could see over a wide arid wild expanse of country; but when we began to ascend into raptures over the prospect, one of our comrades very quietly brought us to earth again by remarking that he ‘didn’t care about mountains unless there was cinnabar in them—that made them interesting.’

The dimensions of this wonderful ledge we dare not attempt to give. Let some historian measure it. We did not—we could not—survey the half of it. The ore is scarcely so rich as that of Los Prietos, but the deposit is so large, so conveniently located, with plenty of wood and water at its very door, that it is perhaps the most valuable mine of the two. Descending the trail again on our sure-footed little pony, we reached the camp, where we found a dinner and a place to rest before retiring.

Here the pioneer hunter of Santa Ynez lives, and he presented us with his photograph, we being, as he said, the first lady who ever visited his camp. And the pioneer hunter makes an uncommonly picturesque picture. arrayed in his hunting-suit, with the deer’s tail in his cap— an Indian sign that the wearer is on the war-path.

After leaving the camp we interviewed in succession the miners who were blasting rock on the new road; visited the furnace described above, and just a short distance below it, near the river, a body of ore, which is ready for the retort. There are here about 150 tons of ore, with which the company expect to run the furnace until the road to the upper mine is finished. We then re-entered the carriage, and finally reached Prietos, about 4 P. M., with our heads and pockets full of cinnabar.

THE TERMINATION OF MINING
“ The Los Prietos Quicksilver Works are probably sixty miles from the mouth of the Santa Ynez and twenty-five or more from the head; so the river is nearly a hundred miles long. They are solidly built of brick and stone, capacious and convenient. They consist of a furnace with three retorts, with chimney corresponding, with the necessary tanks, forges, and other equipments, and must have cost nearly $100,000.