Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-03-14
The Silver Mines of Nevada.

The following account Of the silver
mines of the new State Of Nevada, reads
like an Eastern romance; niv Z
There is but one main vein from which
the silver ore is taken. 1t is the largest
one known, averaging thirty or forty feet
in thickness, and has been opened for
distance Of about three miles
There are now at least seventy-hye
quartz mills working the ores from diff.
ferent claims on the vein, one Of which
the Gould and Curry mill-was built ct
cost of halfa million The average
yield of all the ores worked is about $50
per ton.
In the latter part of the year 1862 the
silver mines at Reese river were discov-
cred, and the Reese river mining district,
in which the town of Austin is located,
was formed This district, the mining
belt of which is about six miles long by
three wide, contains at least 5000 claims.
The veins are small in comparison to
the Comstock at Virginia, but what they
lack in size is more than made up in
richness
According to the returns of the asses.
sor for the year 1864, the average yield
Of all the ores worked in the district was
two hundred and four dollars per ton, a
weld which has no precedent in the min
ing history of the world, All we lack
now for the purpose of taking out one
hundred millions yearly, is the Pacific
railroad. Let that be completed, and we
can with ease increase the production OF
silver at least ten fold. Austin is on the
overland mail route and telegraph line,
ISO miles east from Virginia City, and
420 miles West from Salt Lake. Besides
the Reese river district, there are num-
Der of mining districts extending seventy
miles north and hundred and thirty
miles south from Austin, all OF which
contain valuable quartz veins Of gold,
silver and copper, and, in fact, nearly all
of the different kinds of minerals known.
To persons wishing to invest capital, L
know of no better inducements than
those now offered at Austin. Claims
which can at present be bought for
small price, will in three or four
years be worth fortunes. The cost OF
working the ores at present, owing to the
great distance machinery has to be
hauled and the high price Of labor, is
about forty dollars per ton. Add to this
the cost OF mining the ore from the veins,
and it will be seen that it has TO be rich
to pay for working There are thousands
of tons of ore in the Reese river district,
which will yield from fifty to sixty dollars
ton; but which, until the railroad is
completed, enabling us to reduce them
for reasonable sum, will have to lie
perfectly worthless
The State is now producing about hf-
teen millions yearly, and with railroad
facilities see no reason why it cannot
be increased to hundred millions, The
people of our State are glad to see the
energy with which the railroad Is being
pushed forward, both from the east and
west, and hope ere long to see the great
national thoroughfare completed.
Besides the mining districts above
named, there are number about
one hundred and twenty-seven miles
northwest from Austin, known as the
Humboldt mines Also at Eagan Can
yon, one hundred and fifty miles east,
and at Silver Peak, one hundred miles
southwest New discoveries are also be-
ing made nearly every week in different
parts of the State We have, in different
sections of the State salt in quantities
large enough to supply the world It's
especially valuable 10 us for the purpose
Of reducing the silver ores, as without it
the cost of reduction would be very much
increased.