Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-05-07
The silver Mine. OF Ccrro Pa.co.

Among the greatest silver mines Of the
world, riyalling those of Potosi and GUIANA
juato in the immense amount ofmetal which
they have poured into the commerce Of the
world, are those of Cerro Pasco, in Peru.
They are situated ten degrees south Of the
equator, one hundred and twenty miles from
the ocean, thirteen thousand feet above the
level of the sea, in basin east OF the main
summit of the Andes. The climate is windy,
misty, tempestuous, and SO cold, and the ar
is so thin, that brutes do not multiply chill
dren born there do not live; and strangers on
first arriving are of often affected with dlzzl-
ness and bleeding at the nose. All round IN
the near vicinity are peaks covered with ever
lasting snow, and in the valley, where the
snow lies only in winter, there is no yegeta-
ton, but all is barren. Life is as cherries
as the climate and the landscape. There are
few women, and little pleasant society. The
town of Cerro Pasco is built without beauty
or regularity. Most of the houses are mere
huts, and the miners are ignorant Indians,
who work portion OF the time, that they
may spend the remainder in drunkenness
and extravaganza. There is no economy, no
hope Of Advancement, no care for mental I'M
proyement. The richer men are repused to
have no thought save that Of making money,
lO RCucIOlS 4lhpuASSSJ Az AA6a
There are no libraries, no newspapers, and
wonderful to tell for Spanish America, even
the churches are neglected. The population
varies from 5000 to $4,000, according to the
richness of the ores, for where rich ore IS
abundant, multitude of miners go thither
from other places to work on shares.
The mines were discovered in 1913, and
have now been worked two hundred and
twenty years, during which time they have
Welded about S450, 900, 900, or little more
than s. 700 annually. There are two
main lodes which are both OF wonderful size
and richness. They cross each other under
the market place of the town. The Colqui-
rirca lode is four hundred feet wide, and runs
north and south; the Pariarirca lode is three
hundred feet wide, and runs East-south-east
and West-north-west. The former is known
to be rich, to length of half mile; the
latter third Of a mile.
The pumping for drainage is done by
steam, but all the other work is done IN the
rudeSt, worst and most expensive manner.
The tools are OF bad quality. The cres are
carried to the surface from the lowest depths
of the mines upon the backs OF the miners,
many OF whom receive as a payment share
of the ore. The shafts and galleries are not
properly protected BY walling or timber, and
numerous fatal accidents occur. One mine
has caused the death of so MANY miners that
il is called the Nata-oe,ste- people. The
neglect 10 timber is not only dangerous to
the workmen, but most expensive to the mine
owners. The ore is carried on the backs OF
mules, or llamas, to the hacienda or reducing
works, usually at a distance OF five or six
miles. The pulverization is effected in an
arastra, and the amalgamation in patio,
nn;cts;Ixar is driven off in a CLAW retor,
qrrb;.h r,Hs+ y. S-ot,an n ,et the cske and
W. - $50, ~ hs n,.I,sd in . ,orarnnent
1s,,;nH sns bnnss vb;cb cS,rnss an extraya.
INT mice When We ada TO all these bar
Ssrnrs and costly metbods of WORKING. the
frs;obt br mnIe from lima and the REQUIRE.