The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-31
THE sOLID WEALTH OF THE 1AR
WHAT.

While the rapid development Of the agricul-
tural resources of the great Valley Of the
Mississippi, and the petrolenm Of the Ohio
and its tributaries are opening prospects Of
boundless wealth for our country, the impor-
tant discoveries of mineral treasures in the
-ar West Keeps even pace and promises .
old basis for the circulating medium which
the immense business of the country will
require. ~
The discoveries of new mines of gold and
silver, and the apparently inexhaustible
wealth of old ones, as machinery is applied to
their development, indicate boundless
supply of the precious metals in the noun
tains and valleys of the West, the product of
which will increase with the demands of the
country, in fair proportion to the labor ap-
piled to their development.
We have the Owyhee Aralanche before us,
which abounds in notices of the mineral
wealth which Fortunate individuals are bring
ing to the surface and appropriating to useful
purposes.
Our fellow towsman w. RAPLEE, has an
interest in the Poorman ledge spoken Of in
these extracts, and we congratulate him on
the glittering prospect:
CoRNwAEr. is is the name of a tin
ledge located by Yass 4 Co. on the I'd of
NovembeA 1865 they claim 3, 800 feet The
ledge lies ketween Jordan Creek and Sand
Pit gulch. Mr.. vass has made three tests in
new crucibies and each trial resulted in
quantity Of metal. which he confidently pro-
nounces tin. Mr.. Coleman and Mr.. Dutton
each carried samples of this ore to New York
for perfect tests. The ledge is large and the
owners believe they have big thing.
DIAMONDS the 25tb of November,
1865, SO says the Owybee ArdldRche, we were
shown by Governor Lyon, one day last week,
a diamond about the sizA of q pea, which he
of Ruby City, in q southei,y direction from
the Snake river ferry, by a mao named Saml
Wilson, who, while prospecGfy in gulch
in the foot hills for gold, had selected
seven from the gravel curiosities, not
knowing what they were. The diamond
shown us is very brilliant, and is of color
with spot of unchrystalized carbon in the
center. The Governor is quite certain that
these diamonds came from the foot hills, east
or north of this place Ruby City, and that
there is no doubt but Wilson was sincere in
his representations to the Governor, aud be-
lieved he could return and pick up any guam
tity Of them. The fact of Wilson being
miner of limited knowledge, and completely
in the dark as to their value, is very strong
evidence they were picked up as stated
The PooRNAS.-It rather an incongruous
connection to term the richest ledge ever
brought to the face of man. Tracy
4 Co. have few specimens of the Poorman
on exhibition in their cabinet, which are at
tracing great attention, and recent essay
shows its value to be $4,000 to the ton.
Think of that A fortune to a wagon load or
less of rock. Six and 1900 ounces of pure
silver were taken from 20 ounces of rock and
the lowest average is from IS to SO per cent.
pure stutfs. The specimens show the metal
in layers. not very much different from alter
nate layers of brown paper placed between
slips Of pasteboard, and it can be cut out with
tbe..most ordinary pocket knife. There is no
humbug about the Poorman, it IS rich, and
Owyhee bears the palm ofthe entire world by
its location there.