The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6 IStB

EASTERN NEVADA.

The newspapers of Nevada some time since an-
nounced the intention of Colonel David E. Buel to
open offices in Europe, where full information
would be afforded to all corners of the mineral re-
sources of the Pacific States, more especially of
Eastern Nevada—the very cream of the Pacific
Mining States. Colonel Buel was appointed by the
" Silver" State as Commissioner to the Paris Exhi-
bition. After performing his allotted work on that
interesting occasion he returned to Nevada, where
he was busily engaged for a few months in securing
the fullest and latest information, in completing
his collection of ores with the object of returning
to disseminate through Europe a knowledge of this
wonderful district. He has just arrived, and has
opened an office in Palmerston-buildings, Old
Broad-street, where those who take an interest in
this most wonderful of mining regions may see
specimens and obtain information. When Colonel
Buel undertook the duties of a Commissioner for his
State, a pamphlet was written as a guide by Myron
Angel, at Austin, Nevada, dated April 8, 1867,
and carried by him to Paris, setting forth in
terse good English and French, a full account of
the geography, resources, climate, and society of
Eastern Nevada. Previous to 1860 nothing was
known of the country between the Rocky Moun-
tains and the Sierra Nevada. From the slopes of the
snow-covered western range to the Pacific stretched

the grand State of California, so wealthy in
minerals, in soil, in loveliness of climate, that
few were tempted to cross the ice-bound Sierra into
the uninviting wilds of the interior basin. The

savage and the traveller alike condemned the un-
known territory as unprofitable and sterile wastes,
and this erroneous impression prevailed until a com-
paratively recent period. The author confines him-
self to that portion of the vast country between the
Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains known as
Eastern Nevada, lying south of the Humbolt River
to the Colorado, and east of the 41st Washington
meridian, being near the centre of the Great Basin,
whose peculiar characteristic it is to swallow up the
numerous streams which in a circle around flow
from the mountains into its valleys, and are there
lost in the sand ; having no outlet to the sea, yet
forming no lake. Small as is this section compared
to the immeasurable acreage around, yet it is nearly
as large as Great Britain, and but one-third less
than France. It is familiarly known as the Reese
ofßiver
Nevada.
Region,
Topographically
g rcomprisesaphioall y
itpresents about
the ap-
pearance the State
• e, the country into
gpeetahrearn,ceeaosft
aanvdaswtesptl,aiwnri okinhavingl been pressed to-
parallelrg
extend id mountainwwith
and
axial lines regularity
north and south. The ranges rise abruptly to
esof
h theutmost
a height from a few hundred, up to 5,000 feet
above the subjacent plain. The valleys average
a height of 5,000 feet above the sea, and
therefore the most lofty peaks attain an• altitude
of 10,000 feet from this level. Pine, cedar, and ma-
aspect of the hills and va y lle sis forbidding, and
hogany trees cover the mountains, though the usual
apparently barren. Even where they are so, a most
nutritious bunch grass is produced, while many of the
largevalleys and narrow canons are extremely fertile.
Although scattered, these rich lands, in the aggregate,
amount to a large area, capable of supporting a
dense population with the farm produce of tempe-
rate climates. The discovery of the unbounded mineral
resources of Eastern Nevada was made by accident,
in May, 1862. William H. Talcott, employed at
c
the stage station of Jacob's Springs, on the Trans-
ontineLtal route, while hauling wood from the hill
side, discovered a vein of metal-bearing quartz, and
carried a small quantity with him to the station. It
proved to contain silver, and the claim was named
by the discoverer 'the Pony,' after the Express Com-
pany of which he had once been a rider. This hill
side is now embraced within the limits of the city
of Austin, the most rising town of the State, though
it was but the 10th May, 1862, that the area of
75 miles east and west, and 20 north and south,
was formed into a mining district, and named the
Reese River. The title is derived from a stream
flowing to the north, through a valley border-
ing the western base of the mountains. Its
muse is 150 miles, though the water is lost
ere it reaches the Humbolt, of which it is supposed
to be a branch. The mountain is named Toiyabe,
from the Indian word meaning a range of hills, and
it embraces the chain extending along the river,
rising from a base from five to 15 miles broad to
a height above the valley at the lowest of 1,000, and
at the highest of 5,000 feet. There is nothing in its
appearance and formation differing from the nume-
rous other ranges running parallel with it, which
form valleys from 10 to 30 miles wide, and give so
marked a feature to the country. Austin was sur-
veyed, built, incorporated as a city, with its mayor
and board of aldermen, with a speed after this
e a
exchange,
daily ,
costlyne dis-
covery,news-
paper, which in all old countries would appear
pmaapgeirc,al.
bankslt nowo
f circulation possesses a city
and hall,xthg
churches, public and private schools, halls and lec-
ture rooms, gas and water works, improved and
sewercd streets, stages running in every direction,
tt.ssiodoiarelicttyobr ye
sionuigths
thfiostroornictahl
estkueatpcho
fsAayusl
telegraphs, with all that constitutes a prosperous city.
aSihtowuilldl
—er
be found where is usually marked the vacancy of
the Unexplored Regions, in lat. 39 deg. 29i min.,
and in long. 40 deg. 4 min. W. from Washington,
or 117 deg. 4 min. W. from Greenwich, being
almost precisely in the geographical centre of the
State of Nevada. Austin is reached from the popu-
lous portions of the world by the Trans-continental
highway, plying a daily stage, mail, and express, be-
sides two other stages running to the Pacific with
passengers and freight. By the former the time to
San Francisco is four days, and the cost $5O ; by
the latter the time is five or six days, and the cost
from $l5 to $3O. The distance is 473 miles, of
which the first portion is traversed by a good road,
and considerably more than half by rail and steam-
boat. From the East the Union Pacific Railroad
has now attained the summit of the Rocky Moun-
tains, and the Kansas line is already far on
its way, being complete to Hayes City, on the
Smoky Hill route, whence the traveller reaches
the Great Salt Lake City on the conveyances
of the Overland Mail Company through Bridger
Pass. Each day as the railroads progress the
time is shortened both from East and West till
the through line be completed, when Austin will be
but a stage on the world's grandest railway,
stretching from New York to San Francisco.

The Toiyabe range extends 65 miles north of
Austin, and near its terminus stands a grand and
isolated peak towering up 5,0u0 feet above the sur-
rounding valleys named Mount Tenabo—which
means, is the Indian tongue, "Look Out." From
this height nearly all Nevada may be seen, with its
chains of mountains, its isolated hills, its fertile
valleys, and desert plains. Looking westward from
its summit in a clear day, says the Reese River Re-
veille, the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada are
seen stretching along the eastern boundary of Cali-
fornia, and many a hill bearing silver and gold and
copper lie between. Northward, for 25 miles dis-
tant, is the long and winding line of the Humboldt
River with its valley of meadow or sandy plain.
Eastward the succession of hills and valleys meet
the eye. In the other direction the dim atmo-
sphere of the great Smoky Valley limits the sight.
But glimpses of the summit of Mount [lope,
Smythe's Peak, and others of the Toiyabe Range,
which pierce the clouds, trace the line for 150 miles
to the south.

We must reserve further notice of Myron An-
gel's instructive book for our next issue, when we
hope to touch on the Mining Laws as well as the
mines of this richly gifted district. As, however,
we have reached the northern limit of the Toiyabe
range, and stand on thelofty peakof Mount Tenabo
we may as well notice what lies beneath ourfeet. The
base and up thousands of feet towards us the cone is
covered with a small scrubby pine, while its sum-
mit, and 1,500 feet below, are overgrown with grass
and shrubs. " Some 3,000 feet above its base, a
monster vein of silver-bearing quartz, cuts its face
obliquely, burying itself in the mountain at one
end, and penetrating into the valley at the other,
after stretching out in palpable view the enormous
length of 18,650 feet. Its width is four hundred
feet. This great vein, or perhaps it is more

properly a stratum of the mountain formation,
bears vast beds of very rich ore, the extent
of which is only conjecture, but which ap-
parently can furnish an inexhaustible supply of ore,
of value from 75 to 300 or 400 dollars per ton.
The workings at various mills of large quantities
prove this. This giant vein is encased in highly
crystalline limestone. Twenty locations have been
made on the vein, with the following names and
dimensions :—Commencing at its greatest point of
altitude is the Chieftain.— Genesee Company, 1,400
feet ; Murphy Company, 800 ; Gill Company, 800;
Taylor and Passmore, 800; De Witt Company, 450;
St. Louis Company, 2,000 ; Meacham and Brothers,
400; Niagara Company, 400: Savage Company,
400; Nebraska Company, 1200; Cortez Giant,Mount
Tenabo Company, 4,000 ; Elmore Company, 200 ;
Russell Company, 600; Continental Company, 1000;
Argentine Company, 1,000 ; Empire Company, 800;
Coun and Brothers, 400 ; Travesse Company, 400 ;.
and the Anna Burr Company, 2,000 ft. The latter
claim is somewhat broken, and at its termination the
vein penetrates the earth, and is lost altogether. The
vein disappears also at the upper boundary of the
Chieftain. It has been opened at several points
along its course, in every case disclosing good
mineral. The Gill, Taylor, and Passmore, and
St. Louis locations, near the upper end of the
vein, have been worked, the two latter consi-
derably. The Cortez Giant, which lies near the
centre of the vein, is the most fully developed
location, and has yielded a large amount of bullion
this season. Some work has also been done on the
Continental, situated towards the lower end of the
vein, with about the same results as in the other
cases specified. Of this wonderful vein there is
little exact knowledge, but that it stands out upon
the mountain's face, a huge, palpable fact. It will
be developed for its whole length ere a long time
passes, and when that day arrives, we believe the
Nevada Giant will be universallyaregarded as among
the wonderful mines of the world.—Anglo-American
Times.

CONGRESS.

SENATE.

On the 11th December Mr. Sumner presented a
memorial from General James S. Brisbin and 30,000
coloured men of Kentucky, asking Congress to be-
stow upon them the right of suffrage, and stating
that if this is done they believe that the murder,
arson, and rape now so prevalent in Kentucky will
be put an end to. To this Mr. Davis took excep-
tion, pronouncing it a foul and mendacious libel on
Kentucky. Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, called up the
Bill to raise the value of legal tender notes to par ;
and read an elaborate argument in favour of its
adoption, which occupied two hours. He said—
" Its passage would establish such confidence that
from the day of its passage the inequality between
coin and legal tenders would begin to diminish, and
by the time specified for the redemption of legal
tenders in coin (July 4, 1869) the legal tenders would
be at par and equal to coin. The greatest danger
might be apprehended from foreign exchanges, but
we had a million and a half of solvent men just re-
leased by the war who are added to the. producers.
These, with the immense accessions from foreign
emigration, will add immensely to the producers or
the country, and he saw no reason why, even in the
coming year our exports would not largely exceed
our imports." Its further consideration was post-
poned until the 13th.

On the 12th Mr. Patterson reported a bill
limiting contracts for stationery and other supplies
to the Executive Department to one year, which
passed. A discussion followed on Mr. Sherman's
Bill providing that all moneys accruing from
the sale of captured and abandoned property, now
in the hands of the Treasurer of the United States,
shall be covered by warrant into the Treasury, and
not be drawn thence unless by authority of Con-
gress. Mr. Drake's resolution, postponed to the 13th,
censuring the President for the language of his last
Message on the Reconstruction measures of Con-
gress, gave the floor to Mr. Johnson, of Maryland,w ho
defended the President. He considered Mr. Drake
would have better occupied his time in answering
the arguments of the Message than by indulg-
ing in censure, and it would require all. the Senator's
ability to answer them. The Message was before
the people. and the President had no reason to be
dissatisfied with their judgment. The true course
was to attack the arguments, not the President ; to
answer, not to vilify. In the course of his speech
a discussion occurred between him and Mr. Drake
as to whether the Later gentleman had ever been a
supporter of Andrew Jackson, to whom the Senator
referred as a President, against whom a resolu-
tion of censure had been passed. He commented
on the action which led to this, and how it
was met by President Jackson declaring it to
be much more objectionable than any act of the
present incumbent. No man can gainsay that
the provisions of
the Reconstruction Act vio-
late the Constitution, infringing the first eight
amendments, striking down the personal liberties
of the citizen and sovereignties of the States.
If the President is satisfied of this,—instead of
censure for his course, he should receive praise.
The motion
a A nwasl postponed. The President sent
essage, giving his reasons for the
the
he
Senate
suspension of the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of
War, of which we have already given a summary.
Dec. 13.—Mr. Cragin, New Hampshire, from the
Committee on Territories, reported, without amend-
ment, the bill to regulate the selection of grand and
petty jurors of the Territory of Utah and for other
purposes. It affects the militia, marriages, expressly
forbidding polygamy, making presents at the cere-
mony of sealing, a crime punishable by a fine of
$l,OOO and imprisonment with hard labour for two
years. Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, called up the bill
exempting cotton grown after 1867 from tax. Mr.
Johnson, Maryland, proposed to amend the bill by
exempting the present crop from tax. Mr. Pome-
roy, Kansas, said this would not benefit the pro-
ducer, the cotton having now left his hands. The
bill was postponed. Mr. Wilson, Massachusetts,
called up the Bounty Bill, which was passed. It
gives to the families of deceased soldiers the boun-
ties they would have received had they lived.
Dec. 16.—Mr. Howard, of Michigan, introduced
a resolution to furnish to the Senate a statement of
the amount of the United States Bonds issued to the
Union Pacific Railroad Company, and to the Cen-
tral Pacific Railroad Company of California, and
of the interest paid by the Government on such
bonds; also of the amount repaid by those com-
panies, and in what manner.—Adopted.
Mr. Edmunds, of Vermont, presented a joint re-
solution of the Vermont Legislature in regard to
the establishment of a line of steamships to Liberia,
which was referred ; also a joint resolution request-
ing their Senators to use their influence to procure
a modification of the national banking laws, so as to
permit and regulate the taxation of the stock of
national banks by the municipalities where they are
situated. It was referred to the Committee on
Finance.

r. Wilson, of Massachusetts, introduced a bill
to reorganise the Department of State, and to re-
duce the expenses thereof, which was ordered to be
printed. It provides that the Department of
State shall consist of a Secretary of State, with an
annual salary of
$B,OOO, an Assistant Secretary of
State, with an annual salary of $3,500, together
with other officers at specified salaries. The bill.
defines the duties of the officers and clerks respec-
tively, and provides that it shall not be lawful for
the Secretary of State to fill the office of chief clerk,
or to replace the heads of divisions or branches
by new appointments, but only by promotion. It
shall not be lawful for the Finance and Disbursing
Clerk to pay the salary appropriated for one
office to any person discharging the duties of
another office, nor to E. ay any person the
salary or money appropriated as compensa-
tion for tlie performance of any duty, which
duty such person has not actually performed, nor to
pay any clerk or messenger whose time, or any con-
siderable portion thereof, is devoted to the private
affairs of the Secretary of State ; nor shall he pay
the travelling expenses, in whole or in part, of any
person connected with said Department, or pay for
the telegraphing except in cases of extreme urgency.
The bill further provides that the secret service
fund, so called, shall be abolished in time of peace,
and that hereafter the" President's approval shall

not be a sufficient voucher for the expenditure of
any money in time of peace, but that all items of
expenditure from the funds of the Department shall
be for purposes authorised by law. The bill fixes
the fee for a certified copy of a pardon or amnesty,
both at $5, and provides that no additional fee
shall be charged for taking and certifying an oath
in proof of citizenship. It also limits the charges
for copies of papers not for use in the public service
to 15 cents per 100 words, and $2 for the certificate
and seal. Also a bill, which was referred, to fix
and limit the compensation of diplomatic officers,
and, in part, to define their duties. It provides for
a reorganisation of the foreign service, increasing
the compensation of some officers, and combining
into one several missions and consulates. He stated
that the total appropriation for diplomatic and con-
sular expense would be lessened and their efficiency
increased.

The debate on the tax on cotton was commenced
by Mr. Morrill, who moved to amend that, " after
April 1, 1868, all cotton imported from foreign
countries shall be exempted from duty." He consi-
dered that there was as as much necessity for repeal
of taxes, North, East, West, as South. Woollens and
pork required as much relief as cotton. He saw no
reason why that relief should be solely in regard to
rebels. Cotton was really a " king," and nowhere
could it be so economically produced as in the
United States. Good would result, and evil be
averted, if that tax remained, and the drawback
given on manufactured goods. If relieved by its re-
peal for all time, the people of the South would re-
main imbecile in industrial pursuits as they had
always been. The crop of Brazil, Egypt, and India
was decreasing, and must decrease, while that of
China and Japan had almost ceased. The danger was
from themselves, in increasing the crop. Mr. Sher-
man, of Ohio, defended the bill. He showed
cotton was not king. If the tax were not removed,
American cotton would never regain its former
position. Mr. Pomeroy (Kansas) said that Mr.
Morrill's arguments proved too much, for if other
countries ceased to grow cotton, it was a reason for
America to increase the crop, not to reduce it. Mr.
Fessenden, of Maine, opposed the bill, considering
the action hasty. He wished to build up manufac-
tures, and not to abandon what had long been the
policy of the country. He denied the hypothesis of
Mr. Sherman, that the price of cotton would be
enhanced by free labour. The low price of the
staple was caused by its surplus production,
and not by the tax. Let them suspend it,
if necessary, for a time, and see what the
effect of the repeal would be on other articles.
Mr. Morton, of Indiana, gave notice that, at the
proper time, be would move an amendment to tax
all cotton grown after 1867 one cent per pound.
Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, advocated the bill
at length, as also did Mr. Williams, of Oregon ;
and Mr. Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, who ob-
served " that a tax on cotton in America was a pre-
mium on cotton in India." Mr. Morrill, of Vermont,
replied, maintaining the ground he had before oc-
cupied. He even- considered that it would be striking
a blow at the South to repeal the tax. Mr.
Johnson, of Maryland, again spoke, when he stated
" that he had believed at first the tax was unconsti-
tutional, "alluding to the prohibition in the Consti-
tution from taxing imports. The cotton tax was
ruinous, the universal testimony being that it could
not be grown under the double burden of the pre-
sent system of paid labour and such a tax. Instead
of discouraging its cultivation, bounties should rather
be given for its production. He warmly seconded
the desire of Mr. Frelinghuysen to see the South
reinstated in everything except slavery. Mr.
Conkling moved to so amend the 13ill as to make it
applicable only to the year 1868.