Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-10-26

: .c,.,1ee,. ,+.,,,r,, ~ the Utal silver Mines.

Letter 1rOm uuc Y GsAu SASCI MAhCs
2rThe following letter from a former citi
zen Of this place, which we have been pei
mitted to copy, will be fonnd interesting t
many of our readers
VIRGINIA Cry, U. T., Sept. 18th, 1850.
J ** * Ilcft Marysville on the 14th o
last April for the new silver mines. | hat
a hard trip, as the snow on the mountain
was from five to thirty feet deep. Thrcs O.
us packed two mules and camped and mad
the trip. We came through Sierra Valley
Long Valley and Washoe Valley, and came
to Carson City, beautiful little towr
that lays in Eagle Valley, near the Carson
river, on the old emigrant road, found il
a rough, barren country. After stay of Q
few days in Carson, came up here, dis
tance of Is miles only. then found 500 OF
600 people here and few canvass tents ;
and now we have several hundred houses
and tents, and some two thousand inhabi-
tants, and nothing to make it but tho mines,
which I suppose you have heard SO much of.
Virginia City lays on the side of q noun
tain. 1t is between 1000 and 5000 feet
higher than the sea, and about 600 feet
higher than Carson river.
When came to this place 1 was offered
q job in the shop, and of course pitched
in at SIS day and board. l worked some
three months and made up my mind to stay
here while and sent for my family. got
them over all safe and in good health. So l
bought u lot and am building dwelling
1 am still working for wages but do not in.
tend to long There is great deal OF
machinery going up here, and at the two
other little towns near here. One of them
is Gold Hill, only a mile and half from
here. Three miles from there is Silver City.
Mills are going up there also. 1t is the
richest country in the world, silver mostly.
We have gold, silver, lead, copper and iron,
go far discovered. A few miles from here
there is chalk ledge of perfect chalk, but
lighter than other chalk. The silver ledge
assays gold and silver both, and they assay
from $50 to $1,000 ton. In fact, in the
Comstock Ledge, they have found pure silver.
This is the only ledge that has been thor
oughly prospected. The Ophir Company has
been shipping ore to the Bay all summer on
pack mules There arc q plenty of lodges
discovered that will pay big after the quartz
mills get to going so as to crush the rock
The gold on this side of the mountains is
not as good as in California, but they get
enough to make it up. In some places it is
only worth from $40 to $l3 an ounce.
After the country is developed think they
will find it good.
Wood and water are scarce, and so are
churches and school houses, but there is
a fair prospect for both. When came here
in April, wood was sl2 per cord, nails 81
per pound, sugar 81 per pound, -four $50 per
hundred, eggs 81 per dozen, picked pork
SO to IS cents per pound, but things were
soon crowded in and got cheaper. Now
am laying in ny winter wood at 81.
was here during the Indian troubles
I did not 20 out 70 fight the Indians. Seve.
raj of my friends were killed in the two
battles fought One night the Indians were
expected to attack Virginia City. Our
people used new stone building under con-
struction for fort and put all the women in
it and guarded it all night, but the Indians
did not make the attack All the women
that could lie found at that time numbered
%. My family was in Marysville. was
not at all alarmed, and lost only one nights
sleep, in consequence of the picket guard
making us get up and stand ready, but no
Indians came.
Uucle Sam is building a fort about 20
miles from here-a piece Of nonsense, but
it makes business good.
l have just sen Ed. Hobart, from the
Gas Works. He got through safe. He
apoke of Bartholomews family !; also of Be-
ham, Green and others that had got through
safe A Mr.. Kinds who lived in Muscatine
once is keeping hardware store here.
GEO. n. COLLINS.
PS. The "ratter" is all right.