New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-13
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, FRIDAY,
The Hear, or the Cop,,ock.

The Consolidated Virginia Mining Com.
pSny 10 beginning to open up and lay bare
some of the eecrete of the northern end of
the great COmstock lode. The location is
proving most fortunate One yet. strange
as j: now appears, the same ground Law idle
for years. 1t was then in the shape Of eev-
erai small claims, upon which work had
ceased after the frs: excitement Of the
early days q Washoe. These claims were
knocked abou: al the market and nobody
was found to purchase them or even look
at them. Upon all Of them q considerable
amour, Of work had been done at the sur
face aud in line with the Ophir and the
croppings OF the Gould l. Curry. But little
pay ore was found in any of the claims. and
cousaged and discontinued their prospect
ing explorations. At that time the
opinion very widely prevailed that where
nothing Of value was found on The surface.
nothing need be looked for below. and the
owners Of the set OF small claims lying be-
tween the ophir and the Gould 4 Curry
sorrowtully came TO the conclusion that by
bad luck a barren portion Of the great
ledge had fallen to their share. Years ago,
in these columns, long before there was any
Consolidated Virginia Mining Company. we
urged these small companies 70 unite and
rink large prospecting shaft on street,
just east Of Piper's Opera House. but no az.
:en.ion was paid TO the sNggestion-St
least not By the men who then owned the
ground. Al; shat We then predicted in re-
gard 20 this piece OF mining ground has
now been verified. There was fault, .
slip. in the lead above, and the whole
weight Of the lepoeit was thrown further
90 the east. Although We have spoken of
the break in the lead AZ a fault or slide,
i, was really in places more OF the nature
Of ''ainch,' and this was what Gu!
of the old Ophir deposi. a: certain
depth. Now they are reaching the great
lode on q new and sound line, and being
below the disturbing Influences mentioned.
are finding continuous body Of ore. The
body 10 now known 60 extend from the
Gould & Curry through the Consolidated
Virginia, California and Ophir. 70 the
Union Consolidated. 1t will be found in the
Union Consolidated, and probably beyond.
The heart Of this portion of the COmstock.
in our opinion, lies 20 the eastward Of the
gssworks. ard probably almost directly IN
der the poin: where General Thomas II.
Williams was engaged in boring with his
diamond drill. We think he ''smelt ~
when lie began boring :here. The Con-
the upper edge OF the great deposit lying
under the basin which are situated the
eastern suburbs Of the city, and is
now beginning to reach some Of the rich
ore il contains. In the early days many OF
our miners were of the opinion thai in the
course Of time point in the lead would be
reached where would he found almost solid
silver. At the further depth Of four or five
hundred feet in their mine the Consolidated
Virginia Company may reach q point where
tho ore will lack but little Of being solld
silver. There appears 10 he lying far down
in this portion of the lode a perfect noun
tain of silver ore. Specimens brought up
from the drift: running into the Consolidated
from the 1900 feet level OF Gould & Curry
are even now almost solid masses Of silver.
The reporter Of the Gold Hill Ncrs, who
visited this newly opened section Of the
Consolidated Virginia mine day before yes
terdsy. gives the following account Of it:
1.-The drift. after reaching the COnso!i-
dated Virginia south line, and being con.
nected with the 1900 foot level Of that mine
by an air Wine, the Gould e. Curry drift
being thirty eight feet lower down than the
south drift from the Consolidated Virginia
shaft, was pushed directly ahead to pros
pect the ore vein On that level. Hardly
had the line been crossed before the drift
encountered lode Of rich sulphuret ore,
second to nothing Of the kind now known
to exis: on the Comstock lode. The drift
has penetrated this body Of ore ITO feet,
With every indication of its extending the
entire length Of the claim, and even into
the California ground. To attempt fair
description Of the rich character Of the
ore is almost useless. the sides and
face OF the drift being one glittering
mass Of sulphurets. mixed with the
richest character Of chloridea. Much OF
the ore is being sacked. and a portion
of the amalgamating department OF the
Mariposa mill is to be set apart for its re.
ductiOn, it's extreme richness often requlr.
ing the use OF 500 and 600 pounds Of quick.
silver to alcharge for a single pan. where
only 200 pounds is used in working the ordi.
nary class Of ores. No prosecuting of this
body has yet been attempted, as all the air
forced in by the compressor is required to
drive the Burleigh drills in the face Of the
drift. The exhibition OF the precious metals
displayed in the face. when blast OF halt
a dozen holes is discharged. is simply
grand, and one that would canse the eyes
Of r miser to weep with joy. Two upraises
have been made, 100 feet apart, for air con.
nections with the fifteen hundred foot drift
south OF the shaft, both Of which passed
the entire distance through the same rich
character of ore. The future prospects of
the Consolidated Virginia, judged by its
present developments, are not only almost
without an estimate, but every drift run, in
fact, almost every stroke of the pick made,
seems to be adding to it's already immense
Wealth. Virginia City Enterprise.