Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-08-11
Departures.
NJ WELLS. rAReo AND co.'s LINE.
HISTORICAL SkETCH or GOLD
Hill.

uIIL.
The following sketch was written by
us a few months ago and published in
ellis Nevada Directory. As it con-
'tains many points of interest to resi-.
dents Of this particular locality, we take
the liberty to appropriate it for u
columns:
The town of Gold Hill is situated in
the upper portion of a large ~rayine,
some eight miles in length ,emptying into
Carson River, and known as Gold Can
Won. It is generally considered to be
about q mile from Virginia yet the
main road between is SO well lined with
houses on each side, that the W o
places seem almost merging into one.
Gold Hill contains, at present, " popu-
latiou of about FIVE thousand, and is
somewhat irregularly built on each
side of the principal street, MAIN
s,reet,) which passes along down the
bod OF the ravine. The houses are
principally of wood, yet there are also
many handsome brick and stone build
inrs. The great Comstock Lode passes
the upper side Of Virginia in u sousher.
ly direction along the eastern slope OF
Mount Davidson, and through Gold Hill
to the southwark, and the portion OF
that famous lode included with the lin
its of Gold Hill, contains, without
doubt, the richest known silver mines
in the world. Mining works, stores, sa-
looms, dwelling-houses, miners cabins,
and other requisite buildings, go to
make up the town, which, at the pres
emit time, is in q fi%ourishing and pros
porous state. There was u time, how
ever, in the not far-distant past, when,
like all other towns, Gold HILL was In
her infancy.
As early as the fall of 1850, a few
miners principally emigrants from
across the Plains-were working newly
discovered surface gold diggings in
what was even then known as Gold Can
yon, and making very fair wages-say,
from half an ounce to an ounce per day
with pans and rockers. The surpass-
ingly rich gold fields of California were,
however, the all.absorbing idea there
fore, few cared to stop and mine in this
uniuyiting locality, but the general de-
sire Of all emigrants was TO push for
ward over the Sierra Nevada to the
golden Land Of Promise on the other
side. Hence it was, that in 1854 there
were but comparatively few miners still
working in Gold Canyon, aud these were
principally distributed betweenthe mouth
Of the canyon and the "Deyil's Gate a
distance Of about FIVE miles. Johutown, a
little mining camp Of dozeu houses or
so, including stores. clearinghouse,
and miners cabins, about three miles
above the mouth of the canyon, was
the principal rallying point and trading
nost for all the miners and prospectors.
AT that time, some little prospecting
was being done in u~eighboring ravines
and gulches yet it was not until 1857
that gold mining was prosecuted to any
extent in Six-mile Canyon the hrst
large rayine to the %northward o. the city
of Virginia. The gold found was more
or less alleged with silver that from
nearest the mouth Of Gold Canyon be-
ing the purcst, and worth FROM Sl2 10
Sil mar ounce while that found farther
nm. toward the DEVILS Gate, was worth
only So to $40, by actual assay al
though all the gold was generally
bought or taken in the way Of trade, at
higher rates.
Gradually the miners prospected aud
worked their way along up Gold Gan
ron. and above the DEVILS Gate, until,
in the winter Of 1858 aud spring OF 1859,
rich surface diggiugs were developed on
the westerly side Of the ravine, IN tue
rising ground now known rs Cold
Hill Proper" It was merely the de-
composed groupings Of the Comstoek
LEDGE :: but those miners had very little
idea of quartz mining, much less OF sill
yer ore. They found the best pay about
where the "Bowers" and Plato
mines now are, washing the rich dirt IN
rockers, principally, and making from
half an ounce up to ten and hiseen
ounces, and even more, por Jay. IN,
deed, although the precious dust washed
out by them contained a large proper
ton Of silver, yet the idea CT being at
work on the surface Of the richest silver
mine in tho world did not seem to enter
their heads, and it vas not until some
two months after the discovery OF sill
yer ore had been made by tue goid
miners of Six-mile Canyon, near d
Hill, that a silver light also flashed
across the visions Of the miners Of Gold
CANYON. Ore was ground up in Next
can ara,tra,, and ore was packed over
The Sierra on mules, and forwarded 10
The me,allurgical works Of San Fran
cisco. Thus, the true value OF the DIS,
coyery was soon made known' ana
tbencs,orward Washoe" Prospered'
Tha. fall, Gold Canyon began 10 see
~liyelisr and better times than ever, enu
the mines of Gold Hill we're attracting
attention 10 California yet so compare
lively little was really understood, even
them. relative to the extent or true
nractical nature of the discovery, tha'
ysry little was done toward development
at n appreciable depth neither was
the number Of miners working ther'
very large. In March, 1860, there were
nsrhaps' two or three hundred miners
prospectors, and others, at ana apo mo,
Gold Hill, aud less than a hundre ao0 :"
Tohn,nwn. but with the opening o
spring the great rush from all see',o"
Of The country set in toward 'ue nv" ~
land Of silver, popularity known ~
"Wasboe.' 81 ,hs tow,
Tbs frat commencement OF the .oM m
NIL AnlI