Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-17
From the Desert District.

The following letter was received by US a
day or two ago. It was written by Mr.. CIV.
Dow, practical California miner, and has
also been engaged in the business Of silver
mining for the last ten months-some three
months in Gold Hill district. We can assure
our readers that his statements are strictly
reliable. They certainly put new phase
upon the Desert district, as regards the To-
cation of mining claims out there. The letter
tells for itself, and possesses sufficient inter-
est to pay for its perusal. When we again
hear from Mr.. Dow we snail publish the in
formation. He is man of considerable per-
severance, and may yet make discovery at
Desert district:
DESERT CRY, Feb. 9th, 1864.
FRIEND LYNCH suppose You think 1t
somewhat strange that have not written to
YOU sooner Well, did intend to have writ
ten few days after my arrival, but in this
truly God-forsaken place found things so
generally upside down, and inside out-So
very different from anything l had ever
seen, or ever expected to see, that | could
not find anything to write about that could
believe would interest you; so l continued to
wait and to look around. What did find
| found all the country as far as the eye or
the imagination could reach, already taken
up, surveyed and occupied by notices and
monuments, which are understood by the
pioncerS-the knowing ones in this locality
to mark the whereabouts of the rich quartz
leads of this famous District; but to new
conner like myself, they verify looked like
monuments of folly, because in most cases
the quartz I could find no indications Of,
"barring" the monuments.
There are a few claims here that contain
quartz at some points; but there is no geolo-
giSt or miner in America who could trace
them-any of them-one hundred yards.
Where they are open to view they are point
ing in every direction, with dip Slightly d.
verging from the surface of the rolling hills.
1.-THE quartz shows itself OH the west side Of
hill the lead is dipping to the west; if on the
east, il dips to the east, on the north there is
4 northern dip, everywhere and in all cases
the dip corresponds with the surface, and the
lcdgcs-if there are any real ledges-are run
ming i'll all directions. In thickness they va
~ from four feet to one inch. l saw per-
son who represented, and l believe truthfully,
that he had whole series of four lodges in
his coat pocket, in readiness to start to-mor-
row for Virginia.
You and the balance Of the company for
whom 1 am operating will be much disap-
pointed doubtless to learn that have not yet
made u single location in this district. But,
to be honest with you, could not do differ
emily. Everything that looked like a ledge,
even every little vein as thick as your finger,
and every red streak in the banks and bluffs
had been taken and extended, many taken
on the same long before l left Virginia. l
supposed that this was a new district, but
find that locations were made here as early
as October. l think shall remain in this
| vicinity several days yet. have been to
New Virginia district and have made some
locations there, of which will inform you
shortly and will send you some samples Of
rock the first opportunity. Yours, in haste,
C. w Dow