Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-09-06
up or in repair. The ore yields from 800
to $4O0 in silver and gold per ton; but
at present prices. it costs nearly or quite
800 to mine and work it, 40 that that

500 to mine and work it. so that that
which yields only 800 cannot be profita-
bly, worked. Consequently miners, who
have no mills. separate their ores. and
have worked out only the most valuable,
saving the rest up until competition brings
down the price of milling, or they erect
mills of their own. The charge for work
ing the ores at mills is $50 ton, about
half of which is profit. The same work
can be hired done here at Virginia for $40
and $50. The ore of one mine near Austin
has averaged $3.50 ton for many months
and yields net profit of a least $50 a
ton to its owners Another company,
owning both mill aud mines, finds its ores
yielding $3.50 a ton without asserting
and the cost of getting out and working
is but so; so that, working six tons a
day, their steady profits are 5000 daily,
on an expenditure, in investments, Of less
than 100000. and the employment Of
about 80 men.
New York companies are now CON-
ing in here and putting up fine new es-
Establishments. One hundred thousand
dollars will pay for fine large mill with
Is to 20 stamps. Promising, prospected
mines can be bought for from $40 900 to
100000, depending upon the extent Of
their claims on the surface and the noto-
riety they have attained, as we'll as upon
the gullibilty of the purchasers. 1t is
not advisable for new enterprises to erect
mills, first because there will probably
soon be enough in the region to supply
present wants at fair price, and second
because as soon as cheaper and more spec.
dy communication can be obtained, the
ores will be transferred to other places
where fuel and water arc more abundant
for milling. Even now with freight lC
to IL pound from Austin to San Fran
cisco, all the ore from one mine in Austir
is sent to England to be worked. 1t is sc
valuable and yet so refractory that it pays
to send it this long distance in order t.
give it cheap but complete manipulation
New discoveries of valuable ore are con
stantly making both in the neighborhooc
of Austin, and far north and south OF
the same range Of mountains In boil
directions veins equally rich and mucf
larger have been found ; and many partieI
arc busy prospecting. Scattered mills ar
also in operation in these more remote 10
calities; aud many a mining village il
struggling for notoriety among the Hum
boldt mountain range away to the IA
northwest.
But Austin is the chief point of min
ing population and development in cen
trail Nevada. as Virginia is in Western
aud the two are by far the most conspic
uous and the most representative point
of the silver mining interest on the Pa
cifc coast.
But Virginia presents many contrast
to Austin. 1t is three or four years older
it puts its gambling behind an extra doc
it is beginning to recognize the Sab
bath, has many churches open, and close
part of its stores on that day; is exceed
Iingly we'll built, in large proportion will
solid brick stores and warehouses, and
though the fast and faciuating times o
lS62.63 arc over, when it held from Is,
900 to 10000 people and Broadway an'
Wall street we're not more crowded thai
it's streets, it has thrifty and enterpris
ing air, and contains population of 10,
900. besides the adjoining town or exten
sion of Gold Hill, which has about ha
5000 more. The situation of Virgins
is very picturesque; above the canon o
ravine, it is spread along the mountain
side, like the roof of house, about hal
way to the top. Right above rises no
bic peak, 1900 feet higher than the town
itself about 60O0 feet high below stretch
es the foot of the hill, bissected by tn
rayine; around on all sides, sister hill
rise in varying nights rich in roundnes
and other form Of beauty, but brown il
barropness, as if shorn for prize fight
and fading out into distant plain. with
sweet green spot to mark the rare presenc
of water and verdure. Different, too, il
its mines is Virginia from Austin. In
stead of many numerous little veins
the wealth of Virginia lies in one gram
ledge of ore, running along the mountain
side, just within the upper limit Of tn
town. for three miles ; Of width, from 81
to 100 feet, and of depth iucalculable
This is the famous Comstock Ledge; an
no silver mines worth working have bee
found off from it yet, in the neigbborhoo
Of Virginia though thousands of dollar
and years of labor have been spent in th
search. Nor has the working Of thi
, ledge at its various points been at all al
, tended with uniform success. At leas
as many companies have failed upon i
as have succeeded. Only IA out Of abou
, 80 companies formed and still at wor
upon the Comstock ledge have paid div
! dends One company has spent over
million dollars in the vain pursuit
"pay ore" the vein it has, the ore
, finds, but not rich enough to pay for mi
ling. But II still goes on, seduced by th