Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-01-18
Tho Carson and virginia Railroad.

Some unexpected opposition to the
bill before the Assembly authorizing
Storey County to issue bonds in the
amount of 5000, 900 in aid Of the con.
struction Of n railway from Virginia
City to Carson, has arisen. The precise
nature Of that opposition we do not un.
derstand for inasmuch as the petition
to the Legislature from Storey County,
asking for the passage Of such IN Act,
i, very largely signed by the c~itizens
and taxpayers of that county, it would
seem that the representatives thereof
are virtually instructed to vote in favor
Of its passage. This Wow Of the case is
also sustained by the Storey County
press.
Now, while it is natural that such
persons as hold Storey County scrip
and other evidences Of Indebtedness
against that county should feel fearful
Of the effect upon their interests Of the
passage of such a law, it seems to US
that even they (if this opposition orig
mated with them) take \ false view of
the csse ; for it appears very evident
that unless something is done to facili-
tate the working Of the low grade ores
Of the C~omstock, Virginia City and Gold
Hill are doomed to the fate ofthose CAL
ifornia cities and towns which are To-
sated in diggings that are "worked
out" The business Of Storey County
is constantly dependent upon tho sue.
cessful working of the Comstock ledge (;
and it seems to as that the people re-
siding there had better consent to tax
themselves to such an extent as will
materially aid the working Of the mines;
aud, as we have stated, this seems to
be the view generally taken by the
property owners in and about Virginia
City. Those who ought to know, say
that with rail communication between
the mines and the timber regions and
water power, it will not only be rem
dered a possibility to work the ores now
being worked, at greatly reduced rates,
but that the vast bodies Of lower grade
silver bearing quartz lying about Amer
lean Flat will be brought Immediately
into market.
Storey County 10 as completely depend
ent upon transportation facilities as the
mines themselves are upon milling ia
c%ilities. Cord wood that cost six or
soven dollars a cord here in Ormsby
County, costs not less than sixteen dol
lars at the mines ; and the timbers nee
csssary for the drifts involve in their
transportation by wagons = price which
is more than double that which they
command where they arc hewn from the
trees ; and the hauling Of ores to mill
by horses and mules mskes tho cost OF
their reduction not Less than fifty per
cout. more than it would be if they
could be transported by rail. These
are all stale, sslf.svident facts but
their reiteration is rendered justifsble
il not necessary by the attitude OF the
opponents Of tho bill under considera-
ton.
There is not a navigable stream in all
Nevada /; there is hardly a road that
has not been built at an enormous e1-
pence /; and there is hardly a mine that
is not naturally inaccessible to wagons.
It is only to repeat the we'll demonstrn-
ted and long since accepted arguments
in favor of railroad communication to
urge the necessity for such facilities to
and from the Comstock and other mines
in this State. The only question to be
considered is: Is the public able to as
sist such enterprises? To doubt the
ability Of Storey County to bear such
an additional tax as would be necessary
to meet the interest aud pay the princi-
pal Of $500, 900 Of seven per cent. bonds,
is to hold that the wealthicst aud most
populous county in the State is unable
to make the only investment by which
its prosperity can be revived und per-
pstuated. We can come to no such sor-
~ conclusion, especially in view of the
fact that the citizens Of Ormsby County
have, by n very large majority. petit
toned the Legislature to pass an Act
authorizing the Board Of County Com
missiouers to Issue bonds in aid Of this
very same enterprise in the sum Of
$500, Oo0-aud we know hat Storey
County 10 better able to subscribe n
million than we are to give one-ffth OF
that sum.
We believe that the construction of
the proposed railway depends upon the
favorable action Of the Legislature rel
alive to the Act which is before the AS.
sembly, and VIC further believe that the
material prosperity of one Of Nevadas
largest and most important interests
depends upon the building Of that rail-
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