New-York tribune., 1867-03-12
OUR QUARTZ -MINING-THE PAH-RANAGAl
DISTRICT

Our National product of bullion is now about
tOOOOO,0OO per annum-$2O,OOO,0OO from placer
or gulch gold diggings, and SSO,OO0,OOO from
quartz mining Of the quartz product, about
three-fOurths is from gold-bearmg lodes, ana
One-fourth from silver mines.
In the production of gold, California takes
the lead, yielding about $5O0OO,OOO. Quartz
mining there has become a well organized
business. At Grass Valley, and other leading
points, the persons engaged in 1t have estao-
lished homes near their mines and mills, ana
arc dev6tiHg to it the same attention, industry
and good Judgment, requisite to success III any
other legitimate commercial or manufacturing
enterprise Montana, Colorado. Idaho, and Ore
gOn, follow in the order named.
In silver-mining, which Is never done py
hand-washing but solely through the quarry
ing and reduction of quartz, Nevada IS fore
most. That young State, which until lS9g was vas
an uninhabited desert, now yields $l6,OO9,OoO
per annum. Idaho and oregon MAKE up Ine
remainder Of our silver product. Virginia Ne Ne,
vada with its adjuncts Silver City ana G0ld Hlil,
containing about 5000 people, perohes upon
the eastern side Of Mt. Davidson, 0,5OO feet
above sea level. 1t is built directly on the
great Comsteck lode. which, in the last eight
years, has furnished $66,000,000 of bullion, and
is the richest silver mine yet known IN the world
1t is from so to 200 feet IN width: 1t mas
been worked for about $4,000 linear feet, never
more than 800 feet in depth, and with general
average of not more than SEQ. 1t is difficult to
predict its future yield for silver mines IN
Peru are worked to the depth OF 200 feet, and
some in Europe to the depth OF SOO0. VI the
hundreds of mining companies based upon the
COmstOck lode and adjacent districts some halt
dozen have achieved great successes, and
made immense dividends upon the capital m
vested. Others have made very costly failures,
some from the inevitable uncertainties of silver
mining but most frcm the incredible reckless
ness and ill-jutgment with which they have
been conducted. A single cOmpany-the Gould
g. Cury-has taken out more than Sl2.OOQOOO.
In the Austin or Reese River district about 700
miles east of Virginia, the lodes, though richer,
are narrower, and the quartz "a less tractable
Only three or four of the quartz mills as yet
Several other districts tributary to Austin. rs
"COrtoZ,' on the north, Twin River and " Si-
yer Bend on the south and Egan canyon,
OH the east are receiving attention and produc-
ing considerable quantities of the precious
metal. OF late, general attention has been dl-
Tected to the new Pah Ranagat (lndlan-watel-
melOn), a region IN the south eastern corner OF
Nevada. 1t lies some 400 miles due east from
San Francisco, 200 southeast from Austin, and
$50 south west from Salt Lake City, with which
it is connected by a tr-wcekly mal-cOach. It's
climate, permitting work throughout the entire
year, is "a manifest advantage over the noun
tain regions of Idaho, Montana, Nevada and
we're. The first mill in Pah Ranagat, containing
only five stamps, chiefly for prospecting puT-
poses, began operations in December last
Three other mills are now building.
The silver lOdes, which lie across and down
the sides of mountains, are reached almost
without tunncllng, at depth OF from 300 feet 10
400 feet below the summit. They open with 80
much richness that mctalluTgists who have an
aiyzed the ores, and practical miners who have
seen them crushed in the quartz mills, believe
the district one of the most important yet dis
covered, and likely to equal the great C0mstock
lode Timber is scarce, but there Is toierablo
supply of fTe-wOOd. In the valley ten miles
from the mines, where most Of the reduction
works will be built, water is abundant for mill
ing and agricultural purposes. Groupings OF rich
coal are also found near by. Thus far, the set
tiers obtain most of their supplies from the
neighbOring Mormon settlements; but Pah Rama
gat promises well for farming purposes. The
Central Pacific Railway will run go miles to the
north of it, The Southern Pacific Road is
located about 100 miles to the south.
The completion of the first great national
will greatly reduce mining ex-
penses in all our quartz regions, and increase
our National product of bullion to an extent
which few people dream OF. The lntrlcacles OF
this new and little known business and the
high prices of machinery, food and labor, are
the principal drawbacks now. Experience and
cheap transportation will greatly diminish all
these difficulties; and our new line OF steam
ships from San Francisco to Hong Kong, upon
which some of the finest vessels ever built are
beginning TO run, will cause an influx OF Chinese
labor specially adapted to the opening OF mines
and the running OF machinery.
Quartz mining requires the best business and
talents which the country affords,
and offers very large inducements TO the judi
ciou5 investment and management OF capital.
Above all things, let no pensioners be sent to
the West to open mines and run mills. If such
must be supported by the charity of friends,
suffering interests on the Pacific Coast demand
that they shall receive their stipends at home,
and not be sent out TO ruin great business en-
terprises, and bring one of our most promising
and important National interests into general
discredit.