New-York tribune., 1871-07-06
VIRGINIA CITY. NEVADA.
ITS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND MINING-A TRIAL
IN THE MANNER OF TIE MINER.

n
IN THE MANNER or TIE MINER.
VIRGINIA CITY, Nevada, June 5.-Virsinla
CITY ia like no other place in the United States not even
like Washoe in its pamy days. As country paper Wise
" remarked OF Miss Kellogg, 1t is entirely SUI ge"e'"'
II built on the side of Mt Davidson, long way aDoVc
the base and below the summit, and is at irst sgh up
pareny inaccessible. At first one Is reminded OF fS
burgh by the smoke and dirt but the rude wooueh
houses unpainted and often unplaned the stragghhg
streets destitute Of sidewalks and the ceaseless nose
and confusion are all its own Its appearance CORE
spends with its unenyiable reputation az arOug' nins
town The Vigilance Committee still thriyes here' anu
made demonstration only q month ago. "heh
a man who attempted to set He "
the Opera House handled pretty
rouolv still II man attends to his affairs he Is
not likely TO be troubled very much by any one else
The readers of TIE TRIBUNE doubtless remember that
when Dickens on his first American visit passed. thros"
a Connecticut town, the Sclectmen wishing 10 40 Nun
honor invited him TO deliver temperance lecture AS
the converse TO this story let tell what was tod TO me-
that an unfortunate clergyman did actually attemp' "
deIvcr temperance lecture in Virginia, ana as IL was
considered personal insult TO the entire popuiaton' nc
WAS shot by some publicspred citizen SUM- VIII" n
its roughness and cOarseness, Virginia Clty mas so
foundation of wealth such as no other American
citv possesses for it is built on the Com
stock lode, a solid ledge of silver ore iour
miles long one mine alone took out 100000
worth of ore during the past year. Here, too Is the
Sutro Tunnel magnificent undertaking when at pres
en lies unfinished waiting the decision OF Congress III
regard to desired appropriation for It's benefit Ana
all around other mountains unexpored ana unpehc-
trated and doubtless for hundreds of miles around lie
mineral treasures ready TO be brought to light The
country is barren ana desolae trees no vegetation
oxcept the sascbrush but the land has millions aud
millions hidden in its depths, while up in the North IN
Oregon and Montana, lie the richest agricultural ahu' Ill
America whose produce here Is TO be the future mar
ket The most careless and superficial observer cannot
travel through this region without becoming thoroughly
impressed with the wonderful sefsusaining power OF
this noble country OF The American tendency to
exargcration and selfgordcaton has been rdiculed;
but it seems to me almost the inevitable result OF ac-
onaiptance with this wonderful country on which ma
ture has bestowed every gift
Bret Uartcs S0cie on the Slni8lauS was always very
funny TO me- but now after my experience in the mining
districts realize its truthfuncs well as its droeTy
II is so funny hear these old miners discuss geO0g
cal formations confess to entire and shameful
ignorance of geology myself but appreciate the
erudtOn of the miner who displayed lump OF ore 10
me as a carbonate and then showed 1t TO friend oi
mine as an oxide. Silver IL, however the most do
ceptive thing imaginable. II is very difficult To estimate
its value without assayng it, as varies In value all the
way from $4,000 TO $40 tun and oftentmes that which
IS most unpromsing I'm appearance proves the most
valuable The ChOllir and Potosi mine In Virginia City,
which explored turns ont about 2dO tuns OF ore each
day. and this ia Of all degrees OF value UP In the
more remot districts where mining is frghtully hard
and uncertain, one lights upon all sorts of curious
names with which the mines have been christened'
In Virginia City, where, for the most part, the
mines are prosperous the names have little
significance, being named either after their propIieoIs
or discovcrers after celebrated locality which Ia
brought in as codparent the Potosi and Ophir mines
But in the wild districts where the miners live IN tents or
wooden structures with canvas roofs you come upon
the "Dead Broke or the Last Chance, or the Feeble
Effort" mines Here a pair of 'pariners working to-
gether have bestowed on her mine t9e pames Of their
wives and you stand the entrance Of the "Mary and
Eliza" while further you sure of having found
miner of musical taste, by being informed that there Is
the "shoo F1y" or the up in Balloon" was greatly
delighted at finding that the owner Of the "Rafe mine,
whom naturally supposed TO he gentleman of specu-
atye propensitcs, in reality imbued with devo-
ton TO art "a was shown by the fact that the real name
of his mine was the Raphael" There Is little OF TINS
though scenes occur there daily to which any descrp
tion fails TO do justice One OF these, It was my good
mon canvas sign the words Justice of the Peace. A
crowd of about 80 people had collected therein gentle
high box while the end of table sat younger man
with black mustache and quld OF tobacco, VINO was
apparently stOnng the cuprt sam Tong was
the of the cuprit his origin was celestial and TINS
was what the matter: sam Tong having been en-
gagged by Nevada gentleman TO work for him, at the
close of the second days labor made request for wages
To This apparently reasonable but under the circum
stances wholly inadmssibe request the Nevada gentle
man replied by drawing his pistol on Sam Tong who i'm
mediacly made defensive motion by knocking his EN-
p!oyer down with a shovel. This the nearly
could understand The sitting OF the evidence was
rendered extremely difficult by the zeal OF the nterpre
ter who Chinese 10y BIRTH and who felt that great
deal depended upon him. The lawyer said to the inter
prefer decsiyely but ungrammatlcally. ASK MN what
he done yesterday' Then the interpreter said to the
prisoner: Oh, sam Tong. you are in strange ana and
lar from the palace where yOur fathers lived And you
brought into the courts OF strangers and an accusa
tOn Is uttered against you; Oh, ever-toDepted sam
Aid Sam Tong replied "wise are your words, oh mas
ter of many languages and deeply do they sink into the
heart Of Sam Tong May you live and increase In pros
perity and strike much pay gravel and many, many
wives, and may your children become rulers OF mighty
Then the Interpreter resumed: ooh Sam Tong,
these words that yOn have uttered are ful OF wisdom;
but learn from mouth OF Justice that t Is necessary
that YOU speak only golden words OF truth For him
who utiers what not true are dreadful punishments
And sam Tong replied: Your words, On. great lord,
sink deeply the heart Of your abased servant before
And here the lawyer spit ont his qud Of tobacco and
and ask him what he done Yesterday"
The interpreter replied Me telle him he no speakee
lie. Me say II no ty tellee lie"
Then the lawyer doubled up his fist and shook 1t in the
face OF the Just you ask hun what he done
yesterday-straight."
Your readers can see that the investigation OF truth
through Chinese means l. somewhat difficult.
THE EXPEDITION THROUGH ARIZONA.
OBJECTS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN EXPEDITION
CAMP LIFE on THE FRONTIER-THE APACHE
WAR.
CARLN, Nevada, June 5.-By an order
OF the Secretary of War, dated March 49, 1871.
Lieut. g. NJ Wheeler, who had previously commanded
similar parties was placed charge an expedition TO
the southwestern portion OF Territory. which the
government organized on scale OF Hberality for
the thorough exploration OF the almost unknown regions
OF Southern Nevada and Arizona. The Colorado River
the wonders and errors OF which have partially
made known 10 the public through Major Powels excur-
sions into some OF Its canons to be officially explored
and examined This is, perhaps the generally in
teresng part OF the route to be raversed But of the
greatest practical value are the examinations of the