Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-12-21
The G;.Is a.. e S :. G. Mss:.ss E .ss the

Tho G0ald and Carry Meeting and the
Drainage Of tho Cemstock LOdc.
The leading mining company on the
Comstock lode holds it, annual meeting OF
stockholders to-day, audit is said that the
proposition of the Sutro Tunnel Company
to drain the vein will b brought to their
attention. The Trustees of the company
have months ago expressed themselves in
favor of accepting the offer, but they
thought the contract 30 important that
they would not take any action TO finally
bind the company without the express
direction or consent Of the stockholders
meeting. The Tunnel Company proposes
to cut the tunnel on the LIST Of November,
1866, and keep the work going diligently
to completion; to lay an iron track through
the tunnel, and transport all the ore
brought to them and one thousand feet be-
yond its mouth, for one dollar per ton.
The mining companies are to pay two dol
lars for every ton of mill ore extracted
after their respective mines are drained.
In no case does a company pay anything
until its mine is drained, and it pays then
only in proportion to the amount of ore
taken out. The expense is very far less
than by the present system, and there is
no possibility of loss to any company.
The Tunnel Company has for its Pres
ident, VIM. NJ. Stewart, U. s. Senator,
certainly the foremost lawyer and business
man of his State. As Trustees, Messrs.
Louis Janin, Jr., D. E. Avery, II. X.
Mitchell, and A. Sutro, are associated with
him, and the Board, taken together, has q
high standing, implying that the enterprise
could not be in better hands. 1t is under
stood that this Company is organized, not
for the purpose Of doing the work, but Of
making the contracts and putting the mat
ter into such q shape that it can be turned
over into the hands Of some association OF
European capitalists, to whom they will
transfer the contracts, and who can then
commence operations at once.
The position Of the Gould & Curry com
pany, controlling the most productive
silver mine in the world, and its reputa-
ton for careful and competent manage
ment, are such that the success of the
drainage project, for the present at least,
will depend upon their course. Their ac-
ceptance Of the offer Of the Sutro Tunnel
company would be considered the most
signal evidence of its importance to the
future development and profitable work
ing Of the Comstock lode their rejection
of it would leave little room to hope for
any favorable action, at least for a twelve
month to come. The Gould & Curry
company, in this matter, arc the represent
tatives and leaders of the entire mining
interests at Virginia City and Gold Hill,
and those interests are connected very
closely with the prosperity Of San Fran
cisco and Of tho middle counties Of this
State. .,..t
The cutting Of a deep tunnel to drain
the Comstock lode, is ar enterprise to
which everybody who owns o share Of
Washoe stock should give his influence.
The tunnel is a necessity. Without it
many of the claims must be abandoned,
for the want Of it many are now idle, and
all are working at on unwise expense, and
are prevented from making the explora-
tons which are the only means Of main
timing the steady production of bullion.
The cost of the tunnel may be 81, 600, 900 ;
and the waste by pumping, hosting ore,
hauling in wagons a great distance, rotting
Of timber, and sickness and ineficiency Of
laborers in il~l-ventilated drifts, is more
than twice the interest on 8 1000, 900.
One Of the most important lessons Of
mining experience is, that q deep mine, in
which water appears, must, If possible, be
drained by q tunnel.
If the different Companies on the Com
stock lode, foreseeing the difficulties and
expenses which would arise without a
deep drainage, had joined together three
years ago and commenced work on the
tunnel, it would have been completed by
this time, and the mines would to-day be
opened to a depth of 1000 feet. The as
sessments which have been levied for the
erection of hoia,ing machinery and pumps
might have been saved /; the miners would
work upwards instead Of downwards ;
the ore would fall down and run out on
an iron track by its own gravity 4; the
water would carry itself away, and in
stead of costing $4,000 per month for
pumping, it would be a source of profit.
The work, however, was not done three
years ago, and the present mine owners
are losers in consequence. II it is COM
menced now, within two years the Com
stock mines will rise to new greatness.
The production of silver will greatly in
crease, the profit to the mine owner will
be greater, the taxable property Of Storey
county will be more than it now is, and
the Comstock lode will maintain its pres
ent pre-eminence Of productiveneSs and
attain a credit for competent management
which it has not acquired hitherto.-S. F.