Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-06-26
Departures.
.UrRo TUNNEL COMMISSION

The Commissioners appointed BY
Government to come to this State for
the special purpose Of critically exam
lining and reporting upon the feasibil-
ity and necessity Of the Sutro tunnel in
working the mines Of the Comstock
ledge and the granting Of Government
aid In the construction thereof. will
arrive at Virginia City tomorrow
morning. Mr.. Sutro, the protector,
arrived this morning. AS 4 private
enterprise, we presume that the tunnel,
If persevered with, might develope
some new lodges in the wide scope Of
country east of the ComStock, and prove
remuneratiye to its owners-especially
Sutro-and If the Government chooses
to aid Sutro and his associates to get
rich. it can do so, although other tun-
neling and mining companies might
consider it rs showing 4 little too
much Partially and patronage.
Whatever may have been the first lni-
pressions and calculations concerning
Sutro's project, it was long since de-
monstrated to be no more OF u neces-
sity in the development or working OF
the Comstock ledge than the Gould "
Curry, the Latrobe or other surface
tunnels east of the ComStock. Years
before the Sutro tunnel can possibly
reach the great lode, the deep shafts
OF the principal mining companies Will
have penetrated below the point OF its
proposed intersection. In the eStrac-
tlon of ore from that point or above 1t,
the tunnel would be a decidedly use
less arrangement. for certainly 1t Is TAR
cheaper to hoist the ore with the present
improved and constantly improving
machinery than to send it five or six
miles or more out through that long
tunnel to Carson river, entirely away
from sufficient mill privileges. In
prospecting or working the Comstock
ledge to a greater depth than would be
attained by Sutro's tunnel, the tunnel
itself would be Of little or no use, for,
as we said before, the deep shafts,
nearly down to that level already, will
be beyond 1t before the tunnel can
reach the ledge at all. The mining
companies along the ledge desire no
assistance from the Sutro tunnel, and
In case they eyer should, they would
doubtless avail themselves OF whatever
assistance that tunnel might be able to
afford in case 1t were completed and
able to afford any at all. As to that
royalty" Of two dollars per ton,
which the ambitious SutrO wants, TO
make him rich, from the working OF su =
face ore, II he would give up that sell
nsh delusion, he certainly would De IN
ba,.er favor with the mine owners.
The surface ore forms the prlncipa!
source of revenue in the working OF
the Comstock, and q vast amount oil II
being worked does not yield pront OF
two dollars per ton. Just give tHat
profit to Sutro in the way OF royalty
and it Is difficult to see where the oen(-
IN TO the mine owners or the country.
generally comes in. Our citizens feel
somewhat of n local interest in the
matter. from the fact that in case STU
tro's pro;ect and ideas were fully r
ried out il would be the ruin of both
Virginia and Gold Hill-the simple
buiidiug I'D Sutro's city, which he has
laid ont at the mouth OF his tunnel.
near Carson river, at the expense oil
this community, the State II the COY
ernment. A more complete, self
aggrandizing monopoly can hardly be
Conceived. It is ali Sutro. from begin
ming TO end. But the Commissioners
nre recorded to be men OF high en-
~gineering wisdom, sense and sound
Judgment, and will do what they con-
ceIye TO be their true, honorable duty,
in behalf of the Government.