, 1869-04-24
NEVADA,
The White Pine Region.
Treasure Hill Mountain and the
piscorery Of its Mines.
Their Richness and Number.
The Eberhardt-Eonthly dividends Of
Fifty Thousand nollars.
Towns-Cost Of Living-Wages.
[rEoN oc1s SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
TRxlsrRE CITY, LANDER CoCNTE, SEvADA,l
MArrh Lii 1Sfia

TREASURE cTy, LANDER CorSrT, SEvADA,l
March ID, 1863.
LnCAiIIY AND GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.
The White Pine Mining District, whose rich
mines OF s1Ter- bearing ores arc at present attract
ng almost universal attention, is sttua:etl one hun
lred and rwens!nve miles east Of the city Of AUS
tsn tn the eastern portion Of the State Of Sevndn,
aud about one hundred and twenty miles due south
Of Elko, town on llne OF the Central Pacific Rail
road, IN Wild, barren and almost desolate region,
destitute Of water. This district Ia
far from being recently discovered one, haying
been discovered, and, 10 certain degree, pros
rectel, By J. Murphy and Others early ns 1S6si
and New York company known as the Monte
Crtsto Stiscr Mining Company, have been oper-
ating on the western slope Of the main w whte Pine
Mountain for the past two years; but It was not
till September, 1867, that Treasure ELL, upon which
tue richest mines On the North American Conti-
ncnt have tecn found received that attention that
recent discoveries prove 1t to hare merltea.
Treasure Hill Is steep, boli md rngced noun |
tain OF limestone formation, about three miles IN
length and Its altitude Is 9a62 feet above the level
Of the s.a, its general course being nearly due |
Eorth and south. The geological formation Of the
mountaa is very remarkable II Is au Isolated
peak Of fosszel limestone, lying upon sliurian
rocks at 4 great depth, and these resting upon q
primitive formation. In the openings or creylces
occAsioned by the action Of thermal waters rising
lrum the fiiuriau md primitive formation were
deposited tile spar, lime silica aui ores now con-
srltnting the mines au veins Of the hill. By this
process has been formed that rare character of
mlneralogy known rs fossi.Hcrous quartz The
limestone has been CARRIED OIL by the action OF
water, while I'LL lts features, tile character and
form Of itA fossils have been preserved In the
silica These openings, or chasms, are In every
portion Of the hill, anil the continuation Of each
may be considered certain to an lnle1uite dcpta-
This character Of formation Is ~ advantageous
one for mining purposes, as the ores are foun! In
very large to!cs. rich, and can BIZ easily extract
ed The entire hlll o1ers i wide and interesting
ticlA for study and research to the student Of geo1-
oyy, preseutnc, as 1t does, many anomalies here
tofurc unknown in the experience OF men con-
vctsant With stccr-lnintng IN the United States.
DISCOVERY OF THE MINES ON TREASURE n1Ll-.
In July, lsG7, an Indian Of the ShoShune tribe,
called Snpplas jim, brought to 4. J. LvAihcrs,
then working as blacksmith In the employ Of the
Monte Crsto Mining Company, piece OF singular
, looking rock. Leatlcrs examined 1t closely. but
was unable to determine it's character value;
however, he put it Into ts forge, and after sub
jectng It to an intense heat and plung!ng 1t Into
water vas surprised aud grnt1td TO observe upon
its surface lnnumerable globule8 OF pure silver.
{; lie tu1Lea 10 the Iuttan and eagerly inquired
! where be had fountl It. The Indian was disposed
to be retsccnt, but upon Leathcrs promising him 4
! horse, gun, ammunition and provisions he agreed
to lead him to ths place Next morning they
started and the Indian lel him TO the very summit
! OF Treasure HILL and Leathers, upon lo0ktn Z
4 carefully around the place pointed ont to him,
found plenty Of rock OF similar character to that
i which the 1ndiun brought TO him. lie was uncer-
tain lis TO the course the ledge took, and returned
!; without making any location. After this he made
several tips to his new-fouuu treasure, and
eventually took Mr. Marchan1, the Superintendent
OF the Monte cristo Mining Company. into bis cou.
ndcncc, and in September 1851, they together loca
ted the Hidden Treasure mine.
THB HINES, THE1N CHARACTER AND EXTENT.
Ieo!attd as this district was, the news Of
Leathcrs' good fortune was known TO but limit
el number, and they were chiefly tho employees ol
the Monte Ctisto Company, uiany Of whom lin
medlately quilted their employment, aud com
mcnccd prospecting. Rich developments were al
most daily luadc, and In the explorations that fol
lowed tic discovery Of tho t'llidlen Treasure,
quantities Of pure silver were found where treet
has fallea and burned, mud where the 1ndtans hat
bul!t fires upon beds II silver Ore, thereby reduc
Ing the e:lsly hruelte.l orea to pure mctal Sucf
discoveries, mahe In various places, created grca
excitement, and plainly Indicated the unparalleled
wealth md richness OF the hill Rich allyet-bcac
Ing ores have been found the entire length aat
breadth Of Treasure Hill, sometimes on the sur
face of The ground, anu projecting two Or thre,
feet therefrom; often CAPPED or covered By I
strain OF limestone from one 10 nfty feet In thcx
ness; while often the prospcctor has only streal
ul calcsl.ar 10 guide him In his search for the GOV
cte,! mineral deposit; forit Is now wcl-esta!tsh
ell fact in This district Mt least that In all casc
where silver hnvr been f"ua'l ur, !u tho rar
lance CT the mincs 'strnck,'' they have
Invariably been accompanied, to gTcate
or lease: extent, ty bodies of ca!c and tcldspar
and such loles of spar are considered by miner,
and mining experts here as the matrtx OF the vein
or ledge matter, nnd inevitably s1enotiug the pro1
unity Of .il,er-bea11ns ON. The most uortheri.
mine. Of importance on Treasure Hill are callet
the virgtnio North AMI virginia South, two loca
tons rnssle upon the satne ledge or yc!n- ThI
ledge is about ten feet with, md Is rich mt
valuable ledge; ore from It worked here In th,
mills gave > result Of three hundred and afky dol
lars per ton cvjn valuation. These twu mines hlv
lately ss~n purchased by company Of San Fran
cisco capitalists, who arc At present actively en-
Gagged In developing their very valuable property
The next In order, coming south, Is the Hidiel
Treasure This, the pioneer mine, Is one Of tn
most ynltahle In the district anil Is what Is terme
0 concAthe ledge, lying between two formations
namely, slate and limestone, and crops out boldly
for six hundred feet, the entire distance locate
by Leathtrs- This ledge Is about sl1ty-ve feet
: width, anl rich silver orc has been found at
dsp,t Of one hundred and twenty feet from til
highest point Of Its outcrop. Several hundreds {
: tons of ore from this mine, worked In th
Monte cris,o Comrany:s MIL, yielded trol
{ one hundred and dtty dollals ps
= ton to twelve hundred dollars per 70,
, This extensive and valuable mine Was recent
7 sold 10 company ot capitalists for one quarter
y q million dollars, gold coin Coming further sOut
. . on the wet side OF Treasure Hill, the next clai
! Of note L called the Iceberg This is large 0u
h wcll-denneu ledge Of about twenty-five feet
width, mt carrying ore Of the value Of from or
hundred md 1tty to nye hundred dollars per to-
1t has seen purchased by II. G. B!aslel, Govern,
= OF the S,atc. About one hundred yards sonthwe
e OF this nine Is the celebrated " Chloride Fiat
! where the silver ore, instead OF being found
t. veins OF lodges, occurs In the form OF horizont
le layers Or deposits, lying beneath the ltmestoz
rt Strata, st depth Of from one to thirty feet O
!, Ing to the peculiar nature Of the formation, loo
= tions have heen male within few feet Of ca
| other, 50 thnt the whole Of the bench or 18t, vi
n lis innrElerahlc shafts and piles OF rock, resemh
- village Of prairie dogs; and in almost every
- stance the miners have been fortunate enough
H. strike p,y ore within short distance Of the 3:
or face. 1t would be Impossible to give, here, I
!, u names os all the paying mines IN this particul
~ ~ locality; so, for the present, ! y
content myself With the names !.
C. the richest and most widely know
" They arc the Indiana, Genessee, Eclipse, Stol
! W3u. HGQFIt tNlulEl7 EA1kH tAf<2t fUfElAt4 2'
ut nlour, 1nez, Romulus, Snowlrop No. !, Saowar
On No. :, Progress, SoonAay, Green Emgra
le- Athens and Mohawk. From all these mines, a
~ ~ many others not here enumerated, thousands
~ tons OF ore have been worked, which have yield
w. at the rate Of from one hundred a1d lfty doll
= per ton to I've thousand dollars per ton aud
", GerositA seem to be ine1haustible. Many OF
III above-named claims hare been purchased o5
re BANK Of California, aud hare been 1Icorpora,
u,dor mama NJ 10 Consolidated Chloride (
~ Mining Company. 4 little cast Of Chloride Fla
~ large and wc1l-dehned ledge Of some forty feet
! width, upou which NO locations were made, nal
to y, the Aurora North and Aurora South, b
rich and valuable mines, carrying ore OF sim
~ chasactcr-and yA,ue to that found IN the mines
Ids Chloride Flat The Aurora South has reccr
ST. been purchased By Stanford Brothers, OF CAil
1er nls for one hundred aud twenty I've thousand
ihre In gold coin.
ID -Ahou: I'VE hundred yaris due south OF
rth mine Ia situated the Justly ce!caEased
III "KnKRuARpT.
OF THIS mine was located BY M Eoefhardt. J
eI1 ran s, 1853, snd e unquessonso! the richest b
a. or ledge Of sf1er-beartng ore ever discovered
an the known world. Mr. Eperhardt, thinking
on- | ledge ran north and south, made TWO locat
l1o upon It, named respectively the EbeEhhrds NJ
~ and the Eberhardt South and It Is tnat por
Or Or. known Is the Eoerhardt Sonth Which ha7 gaine
rsh worldwide celebrity. There wess, altogether,
hi locations made upon this vein. namely, the E
IN un- harlt North aud South, the Keystone, Blue
~ ~ Uctsnce and Gray Eaete: but the owners OF
ed original location, the Eberhardt South bought
cn the title 10 the Grey Eagle, Eoerhasdt North
me Defiance and consolidated With the o1uers Of
sns Keystone and Blue Bell and have now tnco
1o!s | ratetl under the name Of the Consolidated
nes hardt NIL and Mining Company, Win eal
the e,oct ~ a1o mn COO This magnificent Ledge Is
III | oir In width. fTQQ bNtW