The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-11-16
LETTERS FROM NEVADA.
NuMBER 4.

----.----.-------..---e-.--I have visited Virgin.
ia City, seen the Goold and Curry
mill, descended into the depths Of the
ophir mine, gazed upward over thou
sand feettc the top of Mt Davidson,
and below, a greater distance, at the
Carson river, and now must describe
for you some of the sights 1 have en-
joyed. \" s@a,o Hali
We leave Carson by the direct road
/ spoke of in my last, drive east four
OF five miles, passing the reduction
works Of the Mexican Mining Com
pany," and Empire City, on the Car
son river, when we, enter the canon
leading northeast from the river to
Virginia City. This canon is very
deep and rough, huge boulderslio all
around US, and hang above us, as if
just ready to crush us in their descent
tojoin Jaeger ones below. We pass
on, rising all the time, picking our
way carefully through the narrow
openings, Obliged to walk our horses
all the way. Almost as soon as we
leave the river we enter Silver City,
and are greeted by a putting, and a
blowing, and laundering, rushing
sound, and stamp, stamp, stamp,
enough to almost deafen one, or make
one think he is entering a worse Infer
no than Dante ever saw, telling us at
the same time, we are in the land
where silver grows and the bricks
made are pure white, not red, nor so
easily carried, though 1 am sorry to
confess, even here, one is accused of
putting one in his hat once in while.
You would wonder could you sec this
gorge, cavern, or whatever it is; how
the various mills got stuck about in
such unaccountable places as they are.
Down below, hundreds of feet is one
you know must be three or four sto.
ries high, while high over your head
towers another, and all the space bc-
tween is built up with them, while
roads wind hithcr and thither from
ono TO another like spider webs thro
the twigs of tree; and all around the
.hills are perforated with holes, like
magni6cd ant t.hills, showing where
some one has sunk q shaft" pros.
pccting' for ore.
Silver City is built on each side the
cavern, and in it, fo- two miles in
length, bounded below by tho river,
and above by---it guardian for this
delectable placeAtbo Devils Cato
This gate is curious natural passage
a break in a high ridge of hills, other.
wise imrassablc, which runs directly
across the cavern, and is of solid stone
glowering dark and dismal over the
passcr.by; from il you can look below
into q stream ono hundred feet, and
tho gate is as high. After passing
through you enter tho suburbs ol
Gold Hill, and the canon assumes O
less rugged appearance and widens Out
somewhat. This town is not much
more prepossessing than "Silver," but
somo cntcrprising mon have settled
hero, and are bringing their families
and doing all they can to civil.zc the
place; they have recently erected 9
fine Episcopal church and made sew
eral other important Improvements
The hill from which the town take:
its namo, is situated at tho upper end
of the town at the right of it, and in
it is situated the we'll known Yellow
Jacket mine. As Silver City seemed
to DO but continuation of Gold Hill
so does the latter, which is two or three
miles long, appear 10 be continuation
Of Virginia City, but after climbing
steep rise above the Yellow Jacket, and
rounding prominent point on the
side of tho mountain, from which you
have q view of the lowor part of Car.
son Valley, extending down over the
old cmigrant road, to and beyond Fort
Churchill for forty or moro miles, you
find yourself at the foot Of the David
son and in Virginia.
Virginia City is the highest town in
our Federal possessions, and almost
tho highest in the world, being built
at an altitude Of eight thousand feet
and contains population of between
fifteen and twenty thousand, 1t is al
so very long town, perhaps three or
four miles from one end to the other
and is built on q sido.hill there is
absolutely no level place inthe whole
town, Of over thirty feet square, that
has not been made so by grading
All tho streets run around the hill
mono up and down, so that the only
method Of getting from one street tc
another is through alleys or "cross'
lots, "and each person has the benefit
of q Wow, from his front door, of the
roof of his opposite pcighbor's kitch'
en-, very few Of the streets being bull
up on both sides. One or two are gra
ded and built up very handsomely in