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The Miner's Guide and Metallurgist's Directory by Orton, J. W - 1849

by Orton, J. W

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The Miner's Guide and Metallurgist's Directory by Orton, J. W - 1849

The Miner's Guide and Metallurgist's Directory

by Orton, J. W

  • Used
  • first
New York and Cincinnati: A. S. Barnes & Company and H. W. Derby & Co, 1849. First Edition. Complete. Approximately 4" x 6". 86 pages including 3 pages of b/w illustrations. 9 additional advertising pages in rear. Title page illustrated with an untitled wood engraving (titled as "Scenery on a Branch of the Sacramento" in a contemporary book on California) of a placer gold mining scene. Sound binding; some very light foxing to the endpapers and first several leaves. Clean pages; well-done repair to closed tear on one leaf. Minor cover wear; heaviest at spine ends. Bright gilt spine lettering.

This is clearly a reference book intended for men caught up in the California Gold Rush of 1849 although neither are specifically mentioned in the text. As stated in its preface, the book was intended to be a portable, basic reference for the novice "without a large library", and to be "an indispensable companion to enable the miner to assay [and] extract . . . useful metals."

It addresses the Classification of Rocks, Instruments and Processes of Subterranean Operations, Means of Penetrating the Earth, the Chemistry and Geology of Metals (Gold and others). It contains three appendices, A Tabular View of the Rocks of the United States, Alloys, and a Glossary.

Not listed in Howes, Graff nor Streeter. OCLC shows about 30 copies held by institutions, but this title is otherwise rather scarce. At time of listing, no examples are for sale within the trade, and a search of ABPC, Rare Book Hub, and Worthpoint reveals only one auction record.

At age 19, long before he became a renowned professor of natural science, or for that matter even attended college, Orton "published his first book The Miner's Guide and Metallurgist's Directory . . . at the time of the California gold rush. . . . The book was a surprising success, later appearing in five revised editions as the widely read Underground Treasures: How and Where to Find Them." (The Vassar Encyclopedia).

  • Bookseller Kurt A. Sanftleben, LLC US (US)
  • Book Condition Used
  • Quantity Available 1
  • Edition First Edition
  • Publisher A. S. Barnes & Company and H. W. Derby & Co
  • Place of Publication New York and Cincinnati
  • Date Published 1849

We have 1 copies available starting at CA$450.29.

The Miner's Guide, and Metallurgist's Directory
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The Miner's Guide, and Metallurgist's Directory

by Orton, J. W. (James Wilfred)

  • Used
  • very good
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
First Edition
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Sebastopol, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$450.29

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Description:
New York: A. S. Barnes [H. W. Derby and Co., Cincinnati], 1849. First Edition. Very Good. 12mo [6x4in]; 86 pp., [5] advertisements, frontispiece illustration on geological strata, vignette of miners panning on title page, four illustrations in text, glossary; Dark brown cloth covers with gilt lettering on spine, all edges trimmed; Some shelf wear to covers, edges corners and spine, corners bumped with wear spots, chips to top and bottom of spine, old black ink marks to spine worn spots, rubbing to joints, age toning and foxing spots in text, old tape repair and chip to text pages, partially erased prior owner signature on front end paper.
Item Price
CA$450.29