Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-11-15
SURFACE ORE AND oUTsIDE
MTNR0

attained. Our C0mstOch, Wv b'e@s
representative lode Of the State, yielded
richer ore, comparatively near the sur
| face, than ever has been found since,
even a. its deepest workings, and at
many points along it, the surface ore
which was left unworked and passed
by, in the ambitious sinking after richer
deposits, has since been worked with
great profit. The prevailing idea in
quartz mining FIVE or six years ago,
seemed to be that deep sinking was the
only proper mode Of operating; in fact
that if q ledge as,aysd or otherwise
prospceted well in the groupings it must
consequently be very rich at the depth
of n few hundred feet, or below the
water level" yet non Of tho assute
philosophers who argued in this wise,
could give any sort of a valid reason
why this should be the case, or why q
ledge should not be even poorer in its
depths than at the surface. The Ophir,
the FIRST mine worked on the Comstock,
yielded such an amount of rich ore
ut the very surface that no assessments
were found necessary to be levied, the
mine paying its own way, and soon
yielding acceptable dividends to glad
den the hearts and pockets of its fortu-
nate stockholders. This happy state OF
affairs continued until in the intoxica-
ton of their prosperity they fondly i'm
sgined it would last forever. But " a
change came o'or the spirit of their
dream when it was found rs depth
was attained in the mine, that tho ore
was even poorer than at the surface
indeed when worked four hundred feet
deep or th%ereabouts, the mine ceased to
yield any more dividends, and so little
pay ore is found in it at the present time,
that assessments are levied in order to
prosecute the work of sinking for new
bodies Of pay ore, below where their
mining operations have yet penetrated,
The new shaft, being sunk to the east o.
the ledge, will open the mine at a great
depth, when from the favorable location
of the mine, great results are anticipa'
ted.
The Ophir being a representative
mine we have taken it rs an instance by
way of illustration, although we could
cite others along the Comstoek, in Golt
Hill as well as Virginia, where the lower
levels yield no dividends, but cost more
than they produce. Outside the Com
stock exist, within the borders Of thi:
State, numerous other silver and gold
bearing lodges of various merit, the re-
turns from no one of them however, as
yet, indicating q second Comstock'
After years of patience, labor and money
expended in deep sinking after pay ore,
the groupings of the Lady Bryan, in
| Flowery District, are found to yield the
desired article; the surface ore being
| far richer than that found below. So,
too, in many other districts we might
mention, the lodges prospect well at the
surface, but not so well in their depths.
In fact, from practical experience and
observation in the matter, we feel as
sured that many Of our abandoned dis
tricts will yet become productive source;
of revenue, from the surface orc Of theil
lodges alone. Experience is the best
schoolmaster, even though at times his
teachings may be rather costly; and We
notice with pleasure the tendency o.
our miners and prospectors to develop
what the surface ore Of a ledge may be
worth first, before INDUCING in the ex.
\ penditure of much time and money in
the sinking of deep shafts or running
long tunnels. II certainly is the safest
mode of proceeding. If o ledge pros
poets we'll at the surface, haul o few tons
of judiciously selected ore to the near
est mill and have it properly worked
If it pays, keep on hauling if it does
not, sink a shaft and oil the money you
| choose on it, but in nineteen cases out
| Of twenty, you will hardly find it worth
while. Had this general rule been
adopted from the first, in this State,
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars might
have been saved, instead of being hope
lessly lost.