Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-12-02
THE EVENING NEWS.


the stupendous establishment of Gillig
Mott 4 Co., situated at the corner of {
and Taylor streets, Virginia, and which is
one of the wonderful developments Of the
country, for where but four years since
the fragrant ssge-brush sent forth its per-
fume, is now located an establishment
second to none on the Pacific Coast IN ex-
tent or value. The store is built OF orlcK,
and is four stories in hight, with front
on C street of 81 feet, and depth OF 81
feet. Eight large double doors afford in
gress or egress, and the windows are all
guarded with solid iron shutters, that are
sure safeguards against fire. Descending
into the basement we found large variety
of heavy goods stored in appropriate
order, and directly beneath the sidewalk,
which is rendered proof by layer
of brick with a covering of pitch, in turn
covered with heavy cobbling Of mason
work. The front wall is laid in cement,
and is also impervious TO the water that
flows in the streets. In the rear of the
main wall an excavation has been made,
in which runs large wheel that furnishes
power to hoist all merchandise from story
TO story. Connected with the windlass is
an effective brake, that furnishes instant
stoppage to the wheel. Ascending to the
first floor ION the street. the eye is imme-
diately attracted by the profusion in which
all kinds Of shelf goods are piled upon the
crowded repositories. All kinds Of hard
ware, of finish, is here TO be found, and
through the entire space of this depart
ment most perfect system seems to prevail,
and yet every available foot of room from
floor to ceiling is occupied by articles Of
use and ornament. Here are main shelves
crowded with tools of all kinds and de-
scriptions, bright and glittering cutlery !;
then, floor shelves, built with an eye to
economy of space, bearing bolts, iron,
steel. and countless articles of heavy cali
Der. In the center of the establishment
an elegant counting room IS located, which
is presided over by Mr.. Miller, whose
methodical eXactneSs serves in a great
measure TO harmonic the whole. This
room is sixteen feet in hight, and the cell
ing is Respondent with glitteriug wars of
every description. Ascending the broad
staircase, located in the center of the
building, we are ushered into the second
story. This staircase is most substan-
italy built, and the bannisters are Of ele-
CANT workmanship, of solid Spanish ma
hogany, species of wood very costly and
rarely to be found, and seeming almost to
expensive for use in a harware store. In
this story, we find all kinds of stoves,
from those of culinary use to the most
elaborate and fancy pattern for parlor use.
Woodenware of various description, are
piled around in profusion, and huge stocks
of sheet-iron occupy their appropriate
place. Passing through window to the
balcony, we find that also piled with iron
and woodenwares to cumbersome for in
side storage; and great plows are ranged
side by side, with rivited tanks and
wooden barrows. To support the vast
weight of wares in this story, the care has
been taken to arrange the flooring so
strongly as to forbid any breakage. In
this story a large cistern has been con-
s,ructed with capacity of 700 gallons, to
which is attached quantity of guttaper-
cha hose, wound upon real, and with
which the whole building can be drenched
in case of FIRE, at moments notice. As
cending another flight of stairs, we are
ushered into the workshop, which occu-
pies the whole space of this story. Here
is manufactured all kinds Of brass, tin and
copperwares, and gas ftting-in fact every
branch of work that could be required in
q vast establishment of the kind. New
and complicated machinery Of various
uses are waiting the artizan's touch; and
here are to be found some Of the most
skillful workmen in metals on the coast,
and the firm are wont 20 boast Of their
ability to manufacture anything that is
ordered. At present nine workmen are
employed in this room, but as large
number as twenty-five has been required
20 do the work demanded. Passing
through an iron door, we find ourselves in
vet another department, over the store Of
Fusier S Co., and devoted to general sto-
rage. In the front portion of this room,
a small apartment has been partitioned,
at the door of which our guide demands
admittance; the door opens and We are
ushered into the presence of the chief ar
tizan of the establishment, Mr.. John Sto-
rey, who is busily engaged on a machine,
manufacturing screens for amalgamatlns
batteries. Of this machine, we are unable
TO give description, as its work IS a Sc
cret, but We are permitted to say that 1t Is
the invention of mechanic who dirclaims
his inability to reproduce the work.
These screens are manufactured from
Russian sheet iron, and the holes are
punched with common needles of slen-
der make, but so accurately does the ma
chine do its work, that breakage seldom
occurs, and by examining the screens
through glass it will be seen that the
punch cuts its hole clear and smooth,
ana makes no breaks in the iron, so COM
mon TO screens manufactured at San
Francisco, Mr.. Story is the only mechanic
in Nevada who understands the working of
the machine, and the screens manufactured
by him are far superior to all others man
ufactured on this coast. Not only is the
machine itself an entirely new invention,
but another small machine, manufactured
from an old Swiss clock, is used to manu-
fucture the peculiar kinds OF drills to
punch the screens. Like the first, this
machine Is also an entirely new invention.
After receiving the courteous explanation
of Mr.. Storey relative toI this peculiar
branch of work, we descended to the
counting room and gathered some addi-
tonal facts relative to this immense estab-
lishment. The amount of business done
annually may be partly estimated when
the reader is informed that for freight
- ef oOn mn 10, boa,,
the past year. Twenty-Five persons are
employed in the establishment, which I'M
questionably has the largest retail trade
of any establishment outside of New
York. We are indebted to Mr.. John Gil
lig, the senior member of the firm, for his
courtesy in escorting US through his pala-
tial establishment, which is most emphati-
cally fair sample of Nevada go-ahead-
atiyeness.
NJ