New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-17
FROM THE WAsHOE COUNTRY.
'dencs Of The N. Y. Tribune.

/. VIRGINIA CITY, Utah, June 3, 1850.
Having been fer few months a residsnt 'oi
Western Utah. and being familiar vito the iossl-
ity of the principal gold and silver deposits thus
far discovered, as well as with other features Of
the country, propose to give an account oi WA,
haze seep, and of whst know Of the regcn and
O, the events connected aith and srislng tr'm the
discovery 1t rich mineral deposits 10 this VICINITY
Early last Ssmnef, an old forty ninef wa
prospecting in ravlne within tho present hufs Of
the City of Virginia for surface dggirg', where he
found good prospect" of gold but experienced
great difficulty in saving 1t because OF the presence
in large quantities of substance ne termed 9Iaes
sand. and which he ayerred spoiled has ghd. UP.1
| closer examination of the "back sand OF " Ole
| Virginia" is was found to be pure sulphnret 81
| silver Immediate search was made for the org
ipsl deposit, which resulted in the discovery OF TIE
| famous ComstOck lead, supposed TO De me ncneH
silver lead known. Where first founa tin, i'aa nss
| 10 outcropping or other indication to denote I've
presence. The FIRST assay Of the rock takeu from
the lead when first struck gave retorn oil 700 oi
cold and silver there being larger proportion oil
\ gold than silver Subsequent assays OF ore taken
from the vein as ii was sunk upon, showed RAPID
increase in richness, until the enormous return WA
made of $1,000 tn the tuD-S4.WO IN goa. an"
| Of ore have gwen return Of $l5,OOO to the tun.
| The frat claim opened on the Comstock lead was
| that kbvvn ~ the Mexican or Spanish clairi ana
hundreds OF tuns of rich ore have been taken from
| II and shipped to San Francisco to be smeted
| The choice rock il sent, while thousands Oi funs
which will pay several hundred dolars 10 the 'un
| piled I'D at the mine 10 be worked az soon as SUN
Able machinery Gun be- erected in this vicinity Tor
| crushing and smelling. =,
Tn. Ophir. the California, Dick Sides, GOald
and Curry. CbolIer, and Coppress Companies, all
on the same lead, have struck the veto snd are
taking out ore. The Ophir, the Choller AID the
California Companies are also, with the Mexican,
shipping ore t. San Francisco. The cost OF ship
ping ia about $l6O per tun.
Some time after the discovery Of the rich silver
rein at Virginia the rich gold diggngs at Gold HILL
one mile and half south from the Spanish claim,
and nearly on the same range, were found. man
uas out cunning, and happened to shoot hare
directly among the broken quartz, that has since
proved to be the groupings of the richest gold quartz
lead in the world. While stopping down to pick up
the hare his eye was attracted by the color or APP
peerance OF gold on the rocks under his feet. On
closer examination it was found to be No illusion,
but the real stuff This claim has since yielded and
Is now yielding enormously. Other rich gold leads
we're found in the vicinity of Gold Hill and also still
further south, about three miles, at place then
| sDOwn as the Devils Gate. J hat locality is now
know by the better name of Silver City. During
the Wint-r new leads were discovered about seven
miles east from Virginia, in what has since been
| called the Flowery Diggngs. News OF the new dis
cOyeries, well of the increasing richness of the
gines that were first opened, spread from one end
of California to the other; and though often hum
bugged and 70 recently by the Fraser River excite
ment, thousands had caught the silver fever and
we're only an aiting the opening Of spring to make
| grand rush to the new FL Dorado. With many
| others, had strong desire to see the elephant
| with my. own eyes So, on the 23d of Februsry
| last LEFT DOwneyilIe 9th two pairs of blankets
and change strapped on my back, for foot tramp
through the Yuba Gap, by Sierra Valley, Long
Valley. and Truckee Meadows, to Virginia, dis
| plncs of between 90 and 100 miles. From Down
levle my route led up the South Forh of the North
Yuba 10 tic rise, which Is in a gap or pass through
the summit of the Sierra Nevadas. From the sum
nit the trail descends into Sierra Valley This valley
| Is a level prairie about 80 miles in length by Is
miles in width, and seems to divide the
summit of tie Sierra Nevadas in twain for another
ridge has to be crossed before you begn ~ ~,
| sceud the Eastern Slope proper. At the time
| crossed the valley the snsw lay on the ground 70
the depth Of between two and three feet. and the
| sleighing was most complete. The inhabitants of
the Valley were improving it in hauling lumber aud
| amber from tie heavy forests of spruce and pine
surrounding tbsm,s as well as in tie lees practical
though equalyGxaeonable way OF sleighjng parties
rhouth scattersd at long Intervals from end OF
the valley to the ether, the int abitants are all
ueighbUrs; and when one gives party, oil are III
| siIed. Seated IN q warm sleigh, behind q swift
| team, aud Oh le7el road fifteen or twenty miles
are soon passed ever. After passing over the sec
cad summit from Sierra Valley, my route led down
| C narrow ravIne into Long Valley so naBed from
| Il, length. This ia valley, about Is miles
z length, and parallel with the Sierra Nevadas. In
| tbs valley struck the emlgrant road which leads
fc0D the sink Of the Hun.bodt River across the
/ Fs-ty mile Desert up the Truckee, through Long
| VSl-y. and Beckwoafth's Pass. FROM where
struk this road to the,GIOsspg Of the Truckee it IL
almost hsk1ral highway. The Iruckss River
stess, four rods VIDE, and in the Winter deep aud
rapid, frozen sufficiently GARD TO admit Of
| passage over ig q heavily loaded tesms From the
TrUcsss to Virginia is about twenty miles, thirteen
of which ia level road, vale the - naming seven
10 up steep canon over the range CT bills west III
Virginia II was very cold m Virgins when ar
nvea here, much such Winner weather as is c,m-
mon in H.ehigao, Eew-Yora, and the ", W. England
states. With the exception o about ts-es weeks
If bDe weather in March ard two three pleasant
Il ia the most dlssgeealje climate I have
svec lived in. Now, 10 the las. days of Nay, an
ovencoat is a very comfortable ahituton fee more
than .lalf Of tae time. it is good couatry to
make money il for those who are;iacky, but it il
the l,.st place 10 which to settle perinaGeaty.
With tie execution Of q few smss valleys she
whole country for hundreds of niiles hOrtd. south
and east frou he.s, is a barren desert, and wereat
not rich in minerals, wOild be Of no va)se. The
two principal drawback, to the prosperity of the
country Is the scarcity of wood and water With
the exception of tho tiinber on the slope of the
Slerrs Nevada range tie only wood of the cslntry
is scattered growth Of species of dwarf pine,
which grows in the shape of shrub to the height
nf from IN IN IN feet and n cedar Iynl.ss