New-York daily tribune., 1864-04-07
NEVADA.


NEVADA.
Five years ago next July, we trsyersed the
region now known as Nevada Territory, then the
outlying western portion of Utah. 1t least
ninety mine hundredths of it had never had the
dwelling of civilized human beings within sight.
We travelled some four or five hundred miles
within the present limits of Nevada, and never
raw field of grain nor decent house therein
ill we struck Carson River near its sink the
day before we crossed the Sierra into California.
There was one house-a rery new one-at
Virginia City, now the capital of the Territory,
with hundreds Of edifices and thousands Of in
full valley at the head of the Carson,
apd smart young village therein, known
as Genoa, where We found newspaper and
telegraph ofice-thc FIRST since Salt Lake City;
and there may have been five thousand inhabit-
ants--most Of them Chinese and Indians
within the limits which now inclose Nevada;
but many of these were prospecting in the
mountains and gulches SO that there can hardly
have been two hundred decent dwellings IN the
Territory-not more. Now, Nevada has q
Legislature several cities, any number of stores
and hotels and came very near being made a
State last Fall-only her people would MT;
eyincing practical wisdom which they will
hardly display again. Nevada is bound to be a
State.
Prof Silliman, we understand, has gone out
to make geological survey of and report upon
its mineral resources, which are undoubtedly
great. Even now, when hardly five years have
elapsed since their discovery, the Silver Mines
of Nevada yield greater annual product than
those of any other country, Mexico excepted.
And this yield is clearly not hundredth part Of
wha. it may and will be. But, leaving these to
Prof. Silliman, We proceed to speak of the
region which embosoms them.
Nevada is remarkably and almost necessarily
healthy. II forms the western side of the
Great Basin inclosed by the Rocky Mountains
on the east and the Sierra Nevada on the west,
the average elevation of its valleys being at
least 5000 feet above tide-water, while very
little Of it is so low as 1900 feet. Some Of the
peaks Of the Humboldt mountains are IL 900
feet high. The Winters are of moderate length,
with temperature like that of our city-modi-
fed doubtless, by the mild breezes from the
Pacific. No rain falls for six to eight months Of
each year, and there are no swamps The rivers
that run eastward from the Sierra lose them
selves in sinks on the great, usually barren
plain that stretches far eastward, thinly covered
with the hopeless shrub known as 'sage-brush.'
Houses being scarce here, it is lucky that Sleep
ing in the open air is usually pleasant and
invgorating.
The Humboldt river, which rises in the noun.
tans of Western Utah, pursues circuitous but
southwestern course for some $50
miles, losing itself in sink, soon after passing
through Humboldt Lake, perhaps one hundred
miles from the foot of the Sierra Nevada and
forty north of the sink of the Carson. The
Humboldt is largest near its head, receiving
few and feeble tributaries and being only de-
cent mill-stream in Summer, which dwindles as
it proceeds. 1t runs through q deSolate valley
from ten to thirty miles wide bounded by
ranges of mountains as desolate as ITSELF These
are now disclosing immense deposits
Of tho precious metals to the explorers encr.
getic researches. Vast plateaus Of Salt, with
veins Of Sulphur and beds of Niter, are also re.
ported, with Mineral Springs Of varied and mar.
velous efficacy. In short, the Humboldt Noun
tains are now declared miracles Of wealth and OF
ractiveness-which bellies their looks most en-.
phatically. Mount Sinai must be the 'abomi-
nation of desolation' if it appears more naked
and sterile than they do.
A great deal Of money has already been made