New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-08
THE SILVER MINES OF WASH0E,

| CorTespcndence ~. l.
VIRGINIA CTY. STATE OF NryADA Jan l. 1863
The people of the Atlantic States appear TO lie
FOOD deal in the dark In regard the present status
Of thi. State and irs probable future growth aud
prosperity subiecs upon Which their Tpoeulatons
are doubtless exceed ely vsfne The majority Of the
people In the older states have merely heard that
West toward the Pacific Ocean. is q Mining country
called wShoe, where arSsrns. Of silver. Aboat our
mining operations OF she vauo and extent Of our mines
they know nothing or usIt 10 noihirg. Not person
Of i've within tie Atlantic States ess ssEa
% sooo a. our mines arc mentioned.
WHERE Il wAsBoR"
Having ben in Jour city and having tss,ed through
q number Of the Western. Middle and ew-kneIahd
States about one year aeo WA much amused at M
qsestons asked asn tits region In Quincy, ILLINOIS,
merchant, and well to-do ard apparently yideawahe
and well.inforncd man. asked me to tell him ~ "ias
Part Of California this wsshcs couuhy lay; "J'
near to Sacramento ci'yi' lie asked ash'e-'te
Wssbos nine. replied are rot In California 9, ali.
but on tho stttsrn spe Il the Sitrrs Nevada Noun
tains. about 40 miles inland fiom San Frsncisco IN
Nevada Territory"
and where. for Gods sake" Re asked. lis Eerads
Territory THIS rather asionsLed me- had hattered
myself thar Nevada Territory ought u be known MT
state IN tie Union for had done things We felt very
proud Of among ourselves and naturals supposed that
The loyal people Of every spent considerable per-
ton Of thoir time 10 sduiring Did you never
hear. asked of the IS. 500 10 silver bricks stat we
seui TO tn. Sanitary Comisson great bars OF sIver
each weighing at least 100 g-unds'" "Nsi did yon
thought "Of oonr-e We Cid. and We supios, thai
VIA, re away on, la the vldernes~. had been doing
...L sr.l 1rfis Al .nl. iQra
,oad he Known everywhere and that ever, body would
max. II their business t. W about saying w bat
noble D. opr a. csc wnshositcs are By sendiug our
contributors IN ponderus bsrs " silver We meant 10
10Y tothe powers that be at wa,hinT,"a something
ike THE: Please excuse Wr should have cent oar
mite ready con,d. bat W. h.cs No s,rL'' Mo- din
you though, And did they unttrsund you asked
the merchant None so deal iho-e VITO won't hear
and non. 10 sinpd Ne those determined not "a under
stand. rp.lol. "wcl. well" exclaimed the ner
chant and for O. nome lie seemed iost In thought
The snbrct Of his ccsitaiions however. seemed too
e.rrIe,ins 10 be conilnued viii pleasure and he sud
denly tarD.d to me With stranger. d. you ever
drink" lido" replied. "op mDUrnfn occasions
lie tie present." and forthwith We adjourned 10 .
saloon bard by" as they say IL playa bot W TINS
,ue the reader ready To ssk II I'd, about ready
10 teil him
wHEHg THE wAsnOH MINES ARB.
Well they are IN wasloe 81 course snd Washoe, ~
ID. nam. generally UNDERWOOD on Ire Pasihe coast
Ia enlv unoh.r name for the STATE OK Nevada. Wien
the silver mines In this territory were hrss discovered
they we're spoken " tao wasboc inDes, because al
their vicinuye to washoe Valley. Wsshos Lake a.
wsshoe Valley. AMI the Weshoe tribe OF Indians
which trbe of mobile red mon" live about the valley
L. I~...f .al
mios from shose fret disco ercs spokcn Of being
IN Washoe In fact this applied ~ mines any
where In Nevada rersons In California sbsaf start.
Ing for any Of The mines 81 this Territory soy they
going 10 "Wasboo." wsshoe 10 q more appropriate
name fiy the State than Nevada 10 better known and
ofener used aid should hnye been ado ted This great
nneia region the tine Of the dlscovery Of tie first
silver mines was a portion Of the Territory OF Utah.
the western portion, bot orgs-rod as separate
Terrtory under tie nanc II Neysda by an act Of Con
eress approved March 9 le6l. The silver discoveries
we're made In the Summer a 1879. previous 10 which
time there wero not over 100 inhabitants 10 this whole
region and thrse principally persons engaged in
agricultural pursuit. In Honey Lake Valley and Carson
snd Wa.hoe Valleys The only mining done 10 the
whole region previous to tae discovery Of the silver
mines was for gold which had been discovered tn
hst 10 called Gold Cs6ou. But these placer mines al
though quite rich not extensive. and gave en-
ploy ment to but limited number Of mln0s.
Upon the discovery Of the great Comstosk silver
lode (Which has since created marked sensation In
mining circles throughout the world, os at least vhef
ever specimens Of the yields have been eItibted
ersnd rush Of miners succeeded rsn California. Ore
gon Mexico and other places the Pacific coast The
Oity OF Virginia, In which now writing this letter.
70 built on the side Of Mount Davidson aud along
the sreut Cvnstoct river and Numbers about o In
bsbitants But will spcak Of the city IN smother place
There sro now come g. OOS inhabitants In tic Territory
and the mDpS discoveries have besn extended om ths
vicinity Of bs city whcr, the sr silver vas found
V almost eyery portion Of the country At prent our
principal mining disiricts are: Virginia. Gold HUI
kA.ss River EsmersIds. Humboldt Pine Wood. Clan
Alpine, Walker Rive,. Palmyra and many others but
explored and still rich discoveries being made
IN almost every pert Of the State In many OF the die
xicts named towns having populations OF three u
lvs thousand sith splendid brick and sone 6reproof
business houses, nsat private reside0cea chnrohes
schools, end substantial and sssty holsting vosks,
nills, iounderiss &c
APPgARANCa or 1HH COUNTRY.
Like aH mncrs rcstonA this Stass presents IN OF.
srsmey sterile aud rugged appearance being made up
Of high and rocky ranges Of hlA and sandy desert val
,eys though several u te largo valleys lying At the
base Of the Sieas fertile asd yield oIceeut oros
a almost every kind u farm or garden produce Most
Of The large valleys lying east Of those situated immedi
atey the eastern bass Of the SIorras arid wastes
Of sand and altali The whols csuotry. s!ter leaving
s eastern slope Of The Sierra Nevada noun<aIs msy
10 said 10 destitute VI timber though most Of the hills
srs covered by growth Of sort Of scrub pine. This
speeies u pine IL only liz for fuel the trees rarely st