The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-11 00:00:00

G-.---'?'-'''-2--------

SILVER MINES OF WHITE NNE.

As the mines of the. White Pine district will pro-
aably attract much attention as soon as the winter
is over, rendering them more accessible, some infor-
mation regarding them may now prove of interest.
he district is believed to lie in latitude 39 deg.
20 min. N., and in longitude 115 deg. 20 min. W.
from Washington ; its altitude varying from 7,000
to 11,000 feet above the level of the sea. Its dis-
tance and bearing is from Austin, E.S.E. 120 miles;
from Belmont, N.E. 140 miles ; from Hico, in the
Pahranagat country, and county seat of Lincoln
County, N.N.W. 150 miles, and from Elco, the
nearest station on the Central Pacific Railroad, S.
115 miles—as the toll-road now being built to that
point will probably run. It consists of an area of
12 square miles near the north end of the White
Pine Mountains. Upon one of these heights is
Treasure 11W, where the principal mines are situ-
ated, the ledges appearing on every side of it., and
extending up its slopes, composed for the most part
of huge benches of limestone, fro:n be,se to summit.
This hill, which runs north and south, is about 5
miles longby 31 iniles broad men:eared over its salmit,
its altitude being about 1,600 feet above the en-
circling valley at its base, and 9,000 feet above the
sea level. Although the exact amount of the bullion
already extracted has not been ascertained, it is
roughly estimated at $1,700,000. The cost of ex-
traction has been small, that of hauling and milling
having averaged $7O a ton, a portion of the ores
having been sent to Austin, and a good deal to
Newark, 30 miles distant, for reduction. Some of
the most experienced miners from South America
and Mexico speak confidently of the prospects of
White Pine, as a prolific and permanent silver-pro-
ducing district. Although only a few months since
the first consignment of ore to San Francisco,
White Pine already possesses a population of 3,000
men, and of these 1,000 are constantly engaged in
takingout ore, thequantity daily averaging 300 tons,
valued at from $2OO to $5OO per ton. At $2OO, the
yield of a year, counting 300 working days, would be
$15,000,000. The Eberhardt Company have worked
700 tons, which assayed $l,OOO per ton, and yielded
$5O in the mill. The White Pine News is a local
newspaper, just started, published by Pitchford and
and Simpson, at Treasure City, containing notices
of White Pineprices—winter immigration and work
—water supply—road repairs needed—description
of the mines—reports of discoveries, &c. The
stage line between Visalia and White Pine was to be
opened in February. Elko, ten or fifteen miles from
Maggie Creek, and near Humboldt Canon, is the
starting point of another waggon road to White Pine.
The great want of water will shortly be remedied,
for A. W. Von Schmidt, the engineer who planned
and superintended the construction of the Spring
Valley Water Works, has made arrangements to
supply Hamilton from spriega three miles eistant,
which discharge regularly 300 inches of exec:lent
water. Of coarse the building material is in re-
quest, and lumber at White Pine sells at $175 and
$2OO l'er thousand. Wag,es range about. $6 a day.
Governor Bias :el. of Nevada, who visited San
Francisco recently on behalf of the Aurora Conso-
lidated Mining Company of White Pine District,
entered into a cantract with Frank Livingston to
furnish for one year all the ore which a 30-stamp
mill, to be erected by the latter, can work—from
8,000 to 12,000 tons—at $25 per ton, being half
of the present White Pine rates ; and the ores
are to be worked by Livingston to 80 per
cent. of the fire assay. Governor Blasdel esti-
mates the average yield at $lOO to the toe ;
so that 10,000 tons would pro Luce $1,000,000.
Edward B. Dorsey, Mining Engineer, who has
just returned from White Pine, rep arts that a care-
ful examination of the ore deposits there convinces
him fully of their close similarity in character to
the mines with which he was formerly connected at
Chanarcillo, Chili; except that the several veins
which be has been able to recognize as such are
contact veins, and that they contain a good deal
of quartz in the gangue. The Virginia Enter-
prise, of the 22d of December, reports : The•
White Pine fever continues unabated, though it
is somewhat leas virulent at present than a month
since. Nearly everybody has it in a mild form,
and the majority expect to linger in the vicinity
until towards spring. Almost daily somebody leaves
fur the " poor man's i..aradi-e," but there is co
grand rush. The news from the mines continues
CvelSigniciteirti—ouvinvoCavtrifelislL°.ll entgneeb eeTilleosfs°l;
at the Eberhardt mine, as the first notice of a
claim :—" White Pine District, Aug. sth, 1867 :
Know all men (or one woman, for then all will
know), that the undersigned, who is au individual
of limited means, but of unlimited expect itions,
locates, clainks, and intends to hold and work two
claims of 200 ft. each on this ledge, containing, as he
believes and hopesit does, gold, silver,calcspar, feld-
spar, and spar the barkeep, besides other precious
metals too-numerous to mention, together with all
the dips, spurs, and angles and triangles,rangi ng from
vertical to horizontal, and will work the same ac-
cording to Hoyle' and the very liberal laws of
White Pine District. The undersigned is induced
to make this company of one, as he anxious that
the poor devil who comee along may have a fair
show at the extensions, if he can find them. To be
known as the Elephant Ledge and Company. Wil-
liam Pitcher, 200 feet ; discovery, 200 feet. Pit-
cher did not develope the mine, and it slipped away
from him." The latest telegram from San Fran-
cisco, dated Feb.l9, says:—'- The excitement about
the White Pine mines is increasing. 54 companies
have gone to the mines, and there been incorpo-
rated, with nominal capitals aggregatings62,ooo,ooo.
The Board of Brokers is considering the propriety
of establishing more stringent rules regulating the
admission of new etocks."