The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-31
NEVADA.
wno Great "savngev Gold Mtre.

A correspondent writes to the New York
Tribune, from Virginia city, as follows:-
You know that in Stock Boards the great
dividend.paying Savage mine rules the 1oost,
Aware OF its having the most extensive as well
as the bestpaYing mine in the section, yester-
day went into it, aud through 1t. Provided with
a permit by the gentlemauly Superiu tendent,
MIR Bonner, went TO the large works contain
ing the engine, pumps, carpenter, and black
smith shops, aud was Introduced 10 Mr. tergu-
son, the foreman, a business man in the fullest
sense, as well as gentleman. He quickly made
a change in my peTsOneLe by causing me to put
on a miners suit that looked as if 1t had been
worn by the ltme-kin man, and then selecting
out of three great shafts, one which descended
750 feet perpendicular, he stepped on the cage
or lowering platform, calling a couple OF San
Francisco members OF the Brokers' Stock Board
to Join US, and down we went. In less than
minute, passing two or three stations where
lateral roads went out from the shaft, we were
at the bottom. Here lofty tunnels, following
the mineral lodges, branched away from the
shaft, with tram ways for the cars containing u
ton each of ole, which we're coming into the
hoistway all the time. Mr.. Ferguson, thoroughly
Conversant with all the forms of mineral rock,
the sulphates, cholldes, etc, kindly pointed
them out to me we went along, literally Tor
mile, through various avenues, ascending from
one station TO another and out through oranCh
alter branch OF the tunnellngs. Those VINO in
the early history OF the Savage" remember the
frequent asse sessments, would not wonder were
they to see the immeusity of the works, the
miles cut out, supported by powerful frame
pumps, working night and day.
The supply Of mineral seems utterly ineXs
haustible. The ledges of quartz are very thick
and broad, wel defined, and more easily worked
than supposed. The quartz Is mingng OF
silver and gold, the former greatly preporder-
ant. secured snrce a"H ai,eo. mons Co place in
and workings which | explored there were
about 80 miners at work, though in the whole
mine 290 miuers are employed. These men,
working in gangs, of and on, ten hours day,
get 81 q Jay IN gold. They look healthy, and
are hardy, intelligent class of men. The most
temperate, too, think, i'll appearance, of any
have seen on the coast, though temperance is
not fashionable calling anywhere in this
region.
After spending over two hours going from
point to point among these great tunnels, was
hosted once more into daylight, where took
oil the miners rig. | was then conducted to
the assay and melting rooms, where Mr.. Balch,
the sklltul and courteous superintendent of
that department, exhibited the mOGuS Oper0ndl
of reducing and refining The crushed aud
cleansed quartz, now known as amalgam, into
bricks OF silver and gold.
This amalgam, which has been crushed by the
ponderOus stamps IN the several mills connected
with this mine is put in great jars Of black lead
made by Dixon of Jersey city, holding from one
hundred TO one hundred and fifty pounds, and
there melted in an intense charcoal heat, and
purified with boraX, all the Stag being carefully
removed The process is not as rapid as one
would expect, there being much metallic impu-
rlty which has to be removed. After this has
been done, the molten and purified mineral is
run INTO Large IRON molds into bricks of about
fifty pounds weight. Those from this mine
mixed with gold, average In value about $4,000.
As each brick is cast its number is stamped
upon IT. and a small portion of the metal is
kept by the assaYer that he may exactly deter
mine its standard and value. The process of
assay is very interesting, and would be glad to
give it to your readers il thought you mad
room. But suppose | shall have to write q
book one Of these days, and there will be room
in it.
The actual produce of this mine for the year
commencing July l, 1867, and ending June 81
1865, was one thousand eight hundred and fifty
one bars of bullion; worth three millions i've
hundred and flty-fve thousand dollars. The
produce for the month of June Just past, was
four hundred and fifty lone thousand dollars.
Three hundred tons per day OF ore is now
being hOisted from the mine, and cent to the
mills, some Of which are in Washoe, sixteen
miles distant, the want OF water here tor work
ing the amalgam. forcing that great eNpense.