The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-01-14

Value of the "Bulge" at Three Hundred
Millions.
Virginia (Nev.) Correspondence of the San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
Atlast the great bulge" " the true heart
of the world-famous Comstock silver
lode, would seem to have been reached
AS far as explored, it lies in the Consoll-
dated Virginia, California, and Ophir
Claims. In all three of these mines have
been deve oped marvelously rich bodies
wonderful masses of sulphuret and
chloride ores We have said bodies,
but there is in reality but one body-one
immense bonanza, chimney, or whatever
else we may choose to call it-one huge
mass of ore extending all the way from
the Consolidated Virginia through the
California into the Ophir, and no one
knows how much farther; nor does any
dne know much of its height or width,
and nothing at all of its depth. AS to its
length we know nothing definite name
", that it extends 400 feet through the
Consolidated Virginia, and undoubtedly
uaverses the entire length 600 feet OF
the California, as it has been discovered
in the Ophir mine, which adjoins the
California on the north How far 1t ex-
tends into the Ophir ground, time and
the honest minor alone can determine.
1t is conceded, however, that the ore
BODY cannot be less than 1900 feet in
length. ,,
For several months the Consolidated
Virginia Company have been at work in
the crest of this subterranean silver
mountain, and the Ophir Company, have
been gouging into it for shorter period
of time, while the California folks have
but lust begun to feel their way into its
western slope at two or three points.
Never until lately have the Consolidated
Virginia Company seemed to get fairly
into the ridge of the mountain-to Pene-
trate to point where they could begin
to see what they were working upon, al
though in Their upper levels they have
opened great breadths of wonderfully
rich ore. Last Sunday afternoon visit
ed the famous mines in company with
number of experts and operators.
THE CALIFORNIA cRoss-CUT. Z s.
This cross-cut is not in the California
ground, but is fourteen feet south OF that
companys south line.
1t is here in this drift that the wonder
fullS rich ore of which so much has been
said of late was found. This ore yields
an average assay of six hundred dollars
ner ton. II would be an easy matter to
get samples of ore in this drift that would
assav far up into the thousands; indeed,
in taking sample, tine trouble would be
to avoid getting hold of this very rich ore
This is the famous drift which seems to
tell the story of the fabulous wealth lying
near at hand inthe California. All about
Won is ore so rich that it "makes poor
man sick to look at it, as one OF our
party very Justly and feelingly observed;
and the drift is going forwardln the same
mass.
It is estimated by Mr.. Deidesheimer,
the well-known mining engineer and ex-
merit. that there is now standing in the
Consolidated Virginia mine, above the
I,55o-foot level $4,000, 900 worth OF ore
or about $27, 600, 900 in dividends. !his
is saving nothing about what is below,
and as we have seen, they already have
a Wine. down fifty feet below the 1850
foot level in one of the riches, descrlp-
tiou.
The great centre of interest in the vast
ore body running through the three
mines is in little drift in the OphiI
ground, Just at the edge Of the north line
of the California. In this, last Saturday
afternoon was struck ore far surprising
in richness anything yet seen in thi:
enormously rich body of ore. Specl
mems are here found that are almost pure
silver, that are quite malleable, and thai
NAV be whitfield with a knife, almost the
same as lead. ''''N
E-HUNDRED-DoLLAR ORE.
It estimated that the ore in this little
Io-foot drift las yet in Ophir ground
will average 81 200 per ton. A speci
men taken out at this point assayed ovel
$4,000. 1t is such ore as is nowhere
to be seen on the Comstock lode, and a:
far ahead CT the famous Claiborne
cross.cut" mentioned above, situated
fourteen feet within the Consolidated
Virginia ground. If that is rich enough
to make one poor man sick, this shoulC
nauseate half dozen paupers. Mr.
Deidesheimer and other experts estimate
that there are in the California grounc
1000 feet in length at least one hundred
million dollars worth of ore. .'Nb
In order to give your readers some
idea of the quantity Of ore already de
veloped in the Ophir, may here say
that the best estimates show that there
are now on the 900 and I,465- 5-foot leve
not less than $50, 900 tons of ore openet
up and in sight. AT present the Ophl
Company are extracting ore at the rat'
of 24o tons per day, keeping four mill
in operation, but they could very easil.
incrSsse the amount if it were necessary
TLire can be no doubt that the bod!
of o e now just being opened in the thre'
MIKES under consideration is uudoubted
ly the largest anu richest the world eve
saw,
A Chronicle reporter called upon Mr.
Sharon last evening, and found tina
gentleman in that peaceful and commu
nicative mood which ever succeeds
good dinner. The reporters mlsslol