Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-08-20
MOTHER LODEs.
where the Bulk Of the Precious Metal,
nre obtained

where the Bulk Of the Precious Metals
nre obtained.
From the Journal of the American Burcan Of
Mines.
The mother lodes of the American con.
Hueut, have few if any connterparts
among the mines OF the Old World. and
stands entirely alone in the matter OF
productiveness and extent At the date
If the discovery of America, the amou mt
of precious metals known to exist in
Europe was about $l70,000,00O, while
in 1000 it had quadrupled, and to day it
is estimated that over $1,000, ,000, 900 of
coined bullion is atloat in the markets of
the world. More than one-half of this
has been mined from the great mother
veins of America, which have SO far
been found only along the western shore
of the Continent in the great range OF
mountains extending from Alaska to
Patagonia. The great mass Of metal pro-
duced by these veins, directly, has been
silver, though indirectly nearly as much
gold originated in them, as will be seen
IN what follows:
The Teta Madre Of Guanaiuato, Mex.
leo, was first opened dnring the sixteenth
century, and after yielding many mil
lions of silver, was abandoned. In
1850 it was re-opened, and in l76S an
immense body OF ore was struck at
depth of 240 feet, from which nearly
$1,000, 900 annually were taken, mp to
1910. A shaft 1000 feet deep was then
sunk, wh'ch aeveiopeu the iact that at
adeptn Oh i,IoJ ieet lhe flch surface
ores ae'efiora.ea ih quat'y ana were
di'seihiiia'eu iiiore eseniy throuSh tne
body OF the VEN. IN ms same year the
NINE was auanuoneo ana aiiowed TO NIL
WIN water. r,',eeh years iMer II was
again re-openeo py Ihe AnB'o-American
company out 'he enormous expense OF
drainage ioioa'e any Proh' ana II was
once more closed. Az present II Is oeihg
worked oy tne unlteo MeAican company y,
VINO, py saVihS low grade oreS are rais-
ing us ahhuai pfoouet 10 something nke
the hgures OF the past. upon the Ieta
Madre Is the ceieorateu .aiehci'ha mine,
with history as romantic as can well be
imagined. According to Humboldt, a
Spaniard by the name OF Ooergon select
ed the location upon portion OF the
lode before then unprospeeted. Alter
working for long time with no returns,
an immense BODY OF ore was struck,
from which, from January l's. TO June
l'9l, nearly Sio,ooo ,ooo were taken, max
ing ITS owner one OF the richest men IN
the world at the time. The whole vein
since Its discovery has yielded IN the
nsighborhood OF $soo,ooo, ooo.
Inc Neta Grande, OF Lacatecas, from
l1lS to 1872 produced got, 000, 0oO. In
places 1t Is over nifty feet wide upon the
surface, narrowing below to compare
livery small seam, though OF great ex-
leht us ores also become poor at depth
Dut increase greatly III quannty, so that
the general characte. OF the VEN cannot
be sad to have deteriorated. Its pro-
duction has now again reached hlgh
hSure, on account OF tue availability OF
low grades OF ore.
Inc Biscanya, another great mother
lode OF Mexico, has been the theater OF
huge operations ana disastrous failures'
In 1749, Bustamente, n Spaniard, COM
menced tunnel for the lode to effect Its
drainage. lie died during the pfoseeu'
lion OF the work, and was succeeded o oy
Don Terreros, who, alter running 9,oot
. eet, cut the vein 6o0 ieet below the sur
laCe anu iouhu Ste"t oooy VI oi.' ioA
which in twelve years he extracted mel
profit OF G,O00.0 600. His successor con
iinued the working OF the mine, but IL
attempting to operate below the level o.
the adit was finally overpowered at I
depth of 1926 feet by the waters, and thu
mine was abandoned. In 1923 the Eng
lish Real del Monte Company re-openet
1t and by the aid Of powerful steam ma
chlnery worked it to depth OF 'lo Zee
below the tunnel, when the waters agail
overpowered them, and the mine wal
closed and sold for mere nothing
The great mines OF the Potosi IN 30
lvia, which are rather the segregation
large number OF minor iodes into on
principal ore channel, have produced
total of $1,000, ,OOO,O 600, and are annual!
Welding now from elght 70 tweive mil
mohs, though not worked with ahythih
Ike the energy and science that mas pee,
Concentrated upon the mineral deposi.
ot the United states. 10 the giea
mother lodes OF the latter we now tnrn
and find four TO whom that oesleaalio'
can be applied, VIZ. the 1oms,ocA nn
raymond ELY OF Nevaoa, the Mos
iode OF ARIZONA, ana 'ne go'u iho'ne
lode OF SaElornh. r.,. ,,,..; :,
Inc comstock neeus ou. mug 60" ueaoit !,
non, oelng SO Gov" Mei hnoMn a,.'a ihve NC. :, i
aiscoSery o do M ioo', II nus paouusu d no a..
sioo'ooo,oo' ana mas oein . "oiHn' n;e WY W.,
more energy 'h"i any S'n enn Taa. pu pn
lne contihem. Gep,h a,, .. a,'oe', ~ ra;, aM
over mas peeh reacneu upoa ,nI M " :,
ana as YET no deter'osa,lon io"n% MT, ~ :,
quantity or quahty .! .ne olc ano u.so ~.
OF advantageous INNING ,ro'n nssa .ns sa," a.
mas however peen neai,y fes.v; 80 ,he a.. -
were II not iot the pfovision " ira;n v nU II
lunnei, wnicn VIII Gu. S anu ta ta0t II ii
,oue az deptn OF TWO 'nou'anu .e' ~
S Soms,ock would s.1,. soon nave 10 0e "O"
ooned az unpronSag,e. 80
Inc Raymond q Ely mise is Va W, ".