The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-11-24
The New State Of Nevada.

Inc Territory OF NeVaud, WuicH ndS
just been admitted to the Union as a
State, by proclamation of President Lin
coin, was organized in March, 1861. For
this purpose about ten thousand square
miles were appropriated from the northern
extremity of California, and about seven
ty thousand from Western Utah. At the
time of its organization the Territory pos
sessed population of very nearly Sc
ven thousand white settlers. The devel-
opement of her mineral resources was ra-
| pid and almost without parallel, and at
tracted constant stream of immigration
to the Territory. AS the population has
not been subject to the fuctuation from
which other Territories have suffered, the
growth of Nevada has been rapid and
steady. At the general convention cleo
ton of 1868 nearly eleven thousand votes
were cast during the present year great
accessions to the population have been
made.
THE SILVER MINES.
Nevada is probably the richest States
in Union in respect to mineral resources.
No region in the world is richer in ar
gentiferous leads. These leads are found
scattered over the entire Washoe county,
the richest of which is that known as the
Comstock lead, at Virginia City. The
localities of the other principal mines in
the region east of the Sierra Nevada, are
the Emerald mines, one hundred miles
south south east of Virginia /: the Hum
boldt, one hundred and sixty miles north
east the Silver Mountain, sixty miles
south Peavine, thirty miles north, and
the San Antonio, one hundred miles south
of Austin, now the principal town on the
Reese River.
Lying south of Virginia, and extend
ing to the Carson River, distance of
eight miles, are the Gold Hill, Dew
lis Gate and Sulphur Spring districts,
containing innumerabe ledges, many of
them large and exhibiting fair prospect
upon their outcrops. Here are scores Of
tunnels, some of them two thousand feet
long and shafts without number, varying
in depth from fifty to three hundred feet.
IMMENSE BASIN OF SALT.
A few months ago another deposite of
mineralwealth was brought to light, which
has proved of incalcuable value to the sill
yer mines. This was an immense basin
of salt five miles square, near the sink of
the Carson River, This basin, says
gentleman who writes from Virginia City,
appears once to have been the bottom Of
a lake, and the salt is found good even on
Il A Of
inches is loose and Indifferent; but a
depth of fourteen feet, pure rock salt is
found as clear as ice, and white Gas the
river snow" Beneath there is water,
which seems to be filtered through salt
for an unknown depth. The whole of the
fourteen feet in thickness does not con-
tain single streak Of any deleterious
matter or rubbish, and is ready for quar-
rying and sending to market. Great
blocks of the pure stuff can be raised the
same as if it were ice or stone; on expo
sure, however it crumbles sufficient y to
admit of being closely packed in sacks or
wagon boxes. Grinding is necessary to
prepare it for the table !; otherwise ma
ture has "done the clean thing" in its
preparation. Once that loose salt on top
is removed, one man can quarry and
wheel out FIVE tons each day he may
work. The importance of this discovery
may be estimated from the fact that
many hundred tons of salt are supplied
to the mills of the Territery every month
in aggregatng the ore. The locality is
one hundred miles west of Reese River,
and seventy miles east of Virginia on the
Overland Road
QUARTZ MILLS.
In January of this year there were 10
Quartz mills in operation In Nevada
which were erected at a cost ranging
from $4,000 to 100000. About three
fourths of the quartz mills of Nevada are
driven by steam and the balance by water
power. OF the entire number, fourhfths
are in the vicinity of Virginia. The most
of them receive their supply of rock from
the claims near that place and the adjoin-
ing town of Gold Hill, 1t is calculated
that every stamp will crush ton Of rock
in twenty -four hours. There is an aver
age of one hundred mills iu constant o.
peration. These will carry on an average,
ten stamps each, making one thousand,
with capacity for crushing one thousand
tons per day. This ore will yield at the
rate of $50 per ton, giving daily pro-
duct of $4,000 or s15,OOO,0Oo per an
mum.
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The mteNeetual Observer says; DR..