New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-18
wHu GROWTH OF KANSAS.
ywIvEE sz.s AND MINES OF TRR FAR
VAST.
81. LoUIs July z, ls66.
. a Osn .,,,slal Consspoaaenl.

. a Our as,,cal CouespoudcHt
AFrc-sf author has said Of California that it coun-
~ ant- With godbut may it not be said with equal
truth Of eds that it is country arferiad with silver
uterepp, from It's mountain sides Of quartz granite
there are yvhere to be veins of its staple metal
which &c IN as explored have been found wholly mex
haastibc Mining in Nevada is s comparatively speak
ing in is 1ranoy, yot day passes that new mines
sre not od there ryainc surprising the others IN
richness la the mines o. The Virginia City district how
aver sr 20 oldest the best developed, and the agge-
gate the most productive % ALL shall give them the
1r piacr in our review os those present in operation
IN the S State Bct before entering into details with
resard e. The several mines Of this district 1t viii be
proper b. scribe briefly me peculiartes Of It's climate
the natr W its soil ard such incidental matters as may
Re OF purchaser proprietors. The Virginia
City dstIs the faamed Washoe district Is stu
ated In te southwest portion Of Nevada, and comprises
about tusn i've square miles of territory IL has the
largest cities and densest POPULATION Of section Of tho
STATE CsIs1 City is it capital but Virginia City which
pands on Ev plateau in the center Of the district is
Its most thriving and commercial town. The climate Of
abe vrginEs City district generally mild, and healthy
yet from tie great altitude of the country, and the conse
nen rarity aS its atmosphere certain pathological ae
lions are pzeent there which strangers must prepare to
encounter The most formidable Of these ondemics are
debility nsx1is quiekness OF pulsation, and oxydaion,
congestion a. the capillary vessels, headaches, vertigo
aida disposition TO somnolcncy, which Doubtless render
Che climate somewhat trying 10 persons OF delicate eons-
fulton and damage in degree its reputation for salubrt,
but even These may be overcome by time, canton and
strict stezSsn 70 regimen The soil Of the Nevada val
Ieys gaaersy fertile aud well suited TO the growth OF
cereals. aaG vegetables If properly irrigated but the
mountain slopes which contain its mineral treasures ere
Invariably sterile nature having it were, inflicted on
apfh o- Drdel
esrpoiss hsc other gifts
The scansg supply OF wood, once furnished by the
mountains al the Virginia City district has been long
since e1hMrSted and that indispensable material has
~ bs obtained from the Sierra Nevada ranges There It.
oreove soird disadvantage which the inhabitants and
an ners Of tss district contend withs water 10
bohl miteE an quantity and mediocre in quality Enough
wever CHI be had from the mines 10 keep SUCH OF INC
uiuasr mills working as have been Dalt III iinne-
20 prozEify to 10 Them and recently company mas
bon formed 10 supply the district with water Having
tins dsossj of preliminary topics, and given SO much
tncdenfa reformation touching the physical characters
lcs OF TIT Virginia City district immigrants thther
koald DO acquainted Wit, enter al length on the poI-
fomance OF tho task for the accomplishment Of which the
Compilation 81 these papers originally undertaken
We hare z5d In our opening paper that the valleys Of
RE sacramazto and Son Joaquin had been explored
Throughout s length and breadth people thought Of
crossing the mountain auge which bounds California on
es norh-essG and testing the metallic resources Of the
yegiOn esyoS6p This statement, however, is not quite
krcurss Even as early as 1912 few coldseekng ad-
entufsu sFpesred in the Washoc district pitched Their
ent under tbs shadow OF Mt Davidson and commenced
placer mining in Sixmilo Canon and Gold Canon. But
Me speculxon proved ultimately unsuccessful, the 'pay
Dirt" soor became exhausted and the adventurous retTaced
keir seps award the Pacific The failure of these po-
neer prospec deferred others for ten whole years from
renewing tie attempt 70 explore Nevada NOE was 1t tall
soms of the California had begun TO give out that
eecond bard Of adventures made their appearance OF
Mashse These the real dscoveers Of the oxtraor
binary mineral wealth OF that district and 1t Is rom the
Elm, o. ter rst explorations there that must date
Gle beginning Of mining in Nevada No sooner, however
was tho ice broksn and operations commenced than CON
many affair COMPANY was organized for the purpose Of turn
lng oseconnf the newfound treasure. The Ophr men
we're hrst In the hed but the Gould and Curry, Savage
Io.osi Mexican Hale and Norcross, Central Beleher
yellow Jacket and many others whose reputation Is now
worldwide, quickly followed their example and hasefed
10 invest in th. second Fl Dorado The claims Of nearly
~ these companies located on what IL termed The
os,ock ranse the rocks Of which are chiefly trap po
syry and quartz. The veins Of said mostly dil
toward ths west and have imagined that they arc
ali branches from great trunk vein which from an unap
yruaoabe depth below, Ike giant oak, sends them up
ssTd.
The mines Of the Comttock range generally worked
ty sba but unfrequently, BY tunnel the Gould and
Curry mine furnishing notable illustration Of the unsuc
cessul application Of the latter mode OF reaching tho
precious That lode lie penetrated by two tunnels, one
Of which 1900 feet long, and from its subteanean eI
preny shaft descends about 200 $50 feet % the limit
f the excavation distance Of over $40 feet from the
S.tht snrfocs. Vast indeed the dimensions OF The
ledge on which those mines located ard vast is the
Importance Of the enterprises there being carried out
Already the ComstOck ledge has expended to the bIead
eighty feet and has been explored 10 the extent o
more than three miles while beyond it is supposed Il
stretch away into the bowels of the earth til il connects
perhaps, with the silver Iodes OF Mexico.
The following statistics foT which We are principally IN
eobted TO q correspondent Of The alta Californian vii
onyey 20 our readers idea Of the Vaue of the Com
niocf range, and the magnitude Of the seao which
mining operations are conducted in the Virginia City dis
trct.
fhore are q. present the Costoek Range 4" claims
containing in the sggsgae % S hEesl feet which sell
ynoss varying from 800 70 o., 500 ard even $4,000 pc
foot ana whose gross cas, value cannot be less thar
sOOOo,0OO. OF fhese claims one, the Gonld ard Curry
has been worked TO the depth Of s2i feet Two the Hal
and Hoross and Choar PotOs TO the ph OF 200 feet
while eight have been worked to The depth Of GOO feet
and over 20 to dsp.h exceeding 100 feet The
nad claims havo ercavated about % miles OF tunnels
drns, and nearly six miles Of shafs wiug and incines
They have a hosting and pumping engines, which aver
ago from 30 10 t0horse power, md they employ 70 mill
soffeducns ssir ores which crush about 800 tns daily
whose ysd q go the TIM would amount TO over 81 500
900 per nonth The CenEtock Ledge alone in fact
yieidsd In the year is64, than Sz,ooVO and III
snstsd that its product in the current year VIII reach
pAeos.eee OF tss,ooo,eoc.