The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-11-19
The New State of Nevada.

The Territory of Nevada, which has Just
been admitted to the Union as II State, by
proclamation of President lincoln, was or
ganiHed in March, 1851. For this purpose
about ten thousand square miles were appro-
priated from the northern extremity Of Cali
iornia. and about seventy thousand from
Western Utah. At the time of its organi.
2aion the Territory possessed population
of very nearly seven thousand white settlers.
The development Of her mineral resources
WAS rapid and almost without parallel, and
attracted II constant stream Of immigration
to the crrtory. AS the population has not
been subject to the fluctuations from which
other Territories have suffered. the growth
Of Nevada has been rapid and steady. At
the general convention election of 1863,
nearly eleven thousand votes We're cast ;
during the present year great acccssons to
the population have been made.
THE SILVER MINES.
Nevada is probably the richest State in
the Union in respect to mineral resources.
No region in the world is richer in argent
ferrous leads. These leaders are found scat
tered over the entire Washoc country, the
richest of which is that known as the Com
stock lead, at Virginia city. The localities
of the other principal mines in the region Of
the Sierra Nevada, as the Emerald Mines
one hundred miles south southeast of Eir
ginia city; the liumbolt, one hundred and
sixty miles northeast: the Silver Mountain.
sixty miles south; Peavine, thirty miles
north, and the Reese River country, one
hundred and seventy miles north northeast,
embracing many districts, and tlankcd by
two of more than ordinary promise-thc
Norez seventy miles north, and the San
Antonio, one hundred miles south of Aus
lin I,n1 an bn
River.
Lying south of Virginia, and extending to
the Carson River, distance of eight miles,
are the Gold Hill, Devils Gate and Sulphur
Springs districts, containing innumerable
lodges, many of them large, and exhibiting
fair prospects upon their outcrops. Here
are scores of tunnels. some of them two
Thousand feet longs and shafts without mum
her, varying i'll depth from fifty to three
hundred feet.
IMMENSE BASIN OF SALT.
4 few months ago another deposit Of min.
cral wealth was brought to light which has
proved of incalculable value to TIE silver
miners. This was an immense basin Of salt,
five miles square, near the sink of the Car
son river This hasn, says gentleman
who writes from Virginia city, appears once
to be found good even on the surface. \
covering Of about three inches is loose and
Indifferent, has been the bottom of Il lake,
but beneath this, for q depth Of fourteen
feet, pure rock salt is found as clear rs ice,
and white as the riven snow" Beneath
there is water, which seems to be filtered
through salt for an unknown depth The
whole Of the fourteen feet in thickness docs
not contain single streak of deIctCrious
matter or rubbish, and is ready for quarry
ing and sending to market. Great blocks Of
the pure stuff can be raised, the same as if it
were ice or stone. On exposure, however.
1t crumbles sufficiently to admit of being
closely packed in sacks or wagon boXes.-
Grinding is necessary to prepare it for the
table: otherwise nature has 9 done the clean
thing" in the preparation. Once the loose
salt on top is removed, one man can quarry
and wheel ont 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 used by the mills
o. the Territory every month in scgregatng
the ore. The locality is one hundred miles
west Of Reese river, and seventy miles cast
OF Virginia on the Overland road.
QUARTZ MILLS.
In January of this year there were one
hundred and twenty-five quartz mills in
operation in Nevada, which were erected at
cost ranging from ten thousand dollars to
one hundred thousand dollars. About three
fourths of the quartz mills of Nevada are
driven by steam, and the balance by water
power. OF the entire number four iillhs are
in the vicinity of Virginia The most of
them receive their supply of rock from the
claims near that place and the adjoining
town of Gold Hill. 1t is calculated that
every stamp will crush ton of rock in ~
hours. There is an average af one hundred
WI
carry, on an average, ten stamps each, making
one thousand, with capacity Of crushing
one thousand tons per day. This ore will
yield at the rate of fifty dollars per ton,
giving a daily product Of fifty thousand dol,
lars, or fifteen millions per annum.