Chapter 60: Mining Area

The next morning, everyone was awakened by the noise from the construction site. Google Search Reading

The morning in Sacramento came very early. The immigrants brought carts of building wood from the sawmill to Sacramento to build their homes.

The houses they built were also called light buildings. Although they were not beautiful and not so strong, they could build a decent house in the shortest time.

In later generations, emerging megacities represented by San Francisco and Chicago met the needs of rapid urban expansion with this kind of light buildings.

In this regard, Liang Yao reached the pinnacle, using the modular construction concept of later generations to process the wood into shape at the sawmill.

The builders only need to pull these building materials back, splice and assemble them together according to the instructions on the drawings, and then repair and reinforce them.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to doing this. For example, wooden buildings are afraid of fire. Once a fire breaks out, it will be a catastrophic blow to the entire city. In addition, all the buildings are the same, and the entire city looks very monotonous and unsightly.

To this end, Liang Yao not only controlled the distance between building groups and set up firebreaks, but also set up three firefighting units in Sacramento and San Francisco to prevent fires.

As for aesthetics, the first thing to solve now is the problem of whether there are buildings. Efficiency is above all else, and the problem of building aesthetics can be put aside.

"Do you also produce these building materials?"

On the way to the gold mining area, Vanderbilt smelled a business opportunity. This kind of building material will have great potential in the westward movement.

"Yes, they are all produced by my sawmill." Liang Yao thought about it and felt that it was not accurate to say so, and then added, "To be precise, it is a sawmill jointly owned by me and Mr. Sutter, a local large farmer. The building materials in San Francisco and Sacramento are all provided by our sawmill, stone factory and brick factory."

"It seems that you are really omnipresent in California."

Vanderbilt looked at Liang Yao with admiration again. Before meeting Liang Yao, he still thought that Liang Yao's rise in California in a short period of time was a matter of luck.

Now he completely denied his original opinion. With Liang Yao's ability, he could find business opportunities to make a fortune even in New York and become a household name.

"How long does it take to build a building?" Vanderbilt asked.

"If there is no shortage of money, it can be built within a month." Liang Yao replied.

"What other industries do you have in California? We want to visit them."

Vanderbilt's fellow countryman Fan Daze also respected the young man and couldn't wait to visit Liang Yao's other industries in California.

"Business secrets, sir." Liang Yao smiled.

Fan Daze was a little disappointed when he heard it, but Liang Yao's next sentence made him energetic again.

"But I am happy to share my business secrets with you. Let's go and take a look at the gold mining area first."

The largest gold mining area of ​​Xiangshan Gold Mining Company is on the dry riverbed of the American River. Miners in canvas work clothes are either blasting the bedrock at the bottom of the riverbed to mine, or going down the mine to take ore soil, or washing and screening gold next to the washing trough. No one is idle.

"Brother Yao, go this way. The left is the blasting area. It's not safe."

Deng Wenqi, who had his braids cut off, was much more energetic than before. He was in charge of the mining area on the riverbed of the American River.

Liang Yao was able to entrust him with such an important matter, which was a great trust in him, and he was also very proud of it.

As they were talking, a deafening explosion sounded not far away, and everyone couldn't help but cover their ears.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. You have become darker. The conditions in Sacramento are more difficult, and it's hard for you." Liang Yao said with concern.

After Liang Yao moved to San Francisco, more of the Deng brothers followed him to San Francisco, and fewer of the Deng brothers stayed in Sacramento.

"It's not bitter, it's not bitter." Deng Wenkang shook his head quickly. "It was winter when we first came to Saskatchewan. We squeezed into a shack and survived. What's the point of this little bit of suffering now? No matter how bitter it is, it's sweet to look at the golden gold. I never dreamed that I would have this day."

Deng Wenkang's words came from the heart. He originally came to California just to make a living. He is very satisfied with his achievements today.

"Speaking of gold, how much gold can this mining area produce every day now?"

When asking about the gold production, Liang Yao switched to English to talk to Deng Wenkang.

Deng Wenkang is not stupid. Liang Yao asks about the gold production every day. He is naturally clear about the gold production of the American River Mine.

Asking about the gold production in front of the foreign devils in the foreign devils' words is nothing more than telling them.

"It's hard to say. The amount of gold produced depends on the gold content of the soil mined that day." Deng Wenkang replied.

"Just tell me how much gold we mined yesterday."

"7 ounces!"

Deng Wenkang said a number without hesitation.

"Very good." Liang Yao nodded with satisfaction.

He knew the gold production of the American River Mine very well. The actual gold production yesterday was 1,037 ounces, not even half of what Deng Wenkang said.

The total gold production of all the mines of Xiangshan Gold Mining Company was only 1,780 ounces, far less than the number Deng Wenkang said.

Of course, it is not impossible to achieve this output, as long as he piles manpower into the mine. Anyway, he occupies the richest mining area in Sacramento, and he will make money no matter how he digs.

It's just that he encouraged Chinese immigrants to reclaim land and did not pile all the young and strong laborers in the mining area.

"Are you sure you are talking about daily output instead of monthly output?"

"More than 2,100 ounces of gold a day, which means you can earn more than 65,000 US dollars a day?"

"My God! You only need half a month to become a millionaire!"

These relatives and friends of Vanderbilt are all wealthy people in New York. Even they all feel unbelievable when they hear this number, and they almost jump up.

"You can't calculate it like this, gentlemen. I have to pay the miners' wages, explosives also need money, and there are many other expenses.

And a mine will soon be mined out, and we have to look for a new mine. Take the American River Mine as an example, its overall output is constantly declining."

Liang Yaoyun said calmly.

The daily output of more than 2,100 ounces of gold made Vanderbilt, a capital tycoon, excited.

Even if this number is inflated, after deducting other expenses, Vanderbilt believes that the gold flowing into Liang Yao's pocket every day is also very considerable.

Moreover, Liang Yao has other industries in California, and it is not impossible to earn 50,000 or 60,000 US dollars a day.

"This is picking up money!"

Vanderbilt suppressed his excitement and sighed that there is much more gold in California than he imagined.

"So I am not a real millionaire, but a millionaire who picked up money directly. There is a lot of water, and there is a big gap between you and you." Liang Yao said.

Since there was no state government in California in 1850, there is no very accurate number of how much gold was mined in California in 1850.

There is data from 1851. In 1851, the gold production in the United States was 77 tons, of which 71 tons came from California, which is more than 2.3 million troy ounces if converted into ounces.

The gold production in California alone accounted for half of the world's gold production (about 45%) at that time. It was not surprising to find a few millionaires in such a place full of gold.

Even if the New Gold Mountain in Australia, that is, the Melbourne area, also discovered rich gold reserves soon.

But its production was a little brother in front of California, and the British Empire failed to shake the United States' position as the world's number one gold producer until the unethical South Africa also discovered gold.

And South Africa's gold production is even more heavyweight, with an annual output directly calculated in hundreds of tons.

But in terms of influence, South Africa's gold rush is far less than California's gold rush.

The same is gold, but the gold dug out of South Africa never belongs to South Africa, while the gold dug out of the United States belongs to the United States.

Perhaps this is the sadness of being a colony and a weak country.

Liang Yao's words made these rich people feel a lot better, otherwise their efforts for half a lifetime would not be as good as others' gold panning for one or two months here, which would make them feel unbalanced.

After they finished strolling around the mining area, Liang Yao had prepared a bigger surprise for them. He extended an invitation to these wealthy people.

"Gentlemen, I sincerely invite you to visit the vault of my bank. Are you interested?"