Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-03-06
The Mexican aad Nevada Mines Con.
pared. ~

Until the deyeiopmsni Of the large orc
bodies In the Comstook lode. Mexico
was the largest silver producer In The
world. II Ii impossible TO say what
mine or what lode yielded tho largest
quantity Of bullion. The best author.
tiles on tho subject have failed to deter.
mine. because tho product OF group Of
mines operating on various veins in the
same ncighborhood. has generally been
credited 70 the leading mine in the dis
trict. Such has been the case, In o
measure, with the mines Of Guanjuata,
situated on the mother vein or vxa ma
DIRE OF Central Mexico, and with the Po-
tosi mines Of Peru. the San Luis Potosi
mine being credited with the combined
product OF q multitude OF mines in that
district, representing Is many sop
arate and distinct veins. Tho retd madre,
OF Moxico, ZONES nearest being q
parallel case TO the Comstock. It Ii o
similar flssuro, interesting q similar
formation. only Il Is ut least three times
its length, and its ore deposit has been
ono continuous BONANZA. Tho mines
on the retd madre have been worked un-
interruptedly for over throe centuries,
and tho aggregate yield IL estimated at
$500, 900, 900. The first discoveries on
the Comstock were only mado fifteen
years ago. but tho entire product during
that brief period has aggregated in round
numbers $l75, 0O0. 900, or over ono-half
the three.century product Of the richest
vein in Mexico, and about one-eighth
the entire product OF the numerous veins
and mines forming tho Peruvian Potosi
group for the sano extended period.
The yield OF the Comstock lode last year
amounted TO about 81, 200. 900, and
this year about go, OOO, 900. or within
5000, 900 Of the maximum annual
yield OF all tho silver ninos OF Mex
loo, and Ave times tho average an
nual yield OF the Peruvian mines.
Tho usia mddre has been moro exton-
sively worked than any othor silver lode
In Mexico, but IL In very doubtful Oh to
| whether II IL tho richest vein existing In
| that country. Tho metallic silver lodea
In the State Of Chihuahua are probably
much richer. A singular bonanza OF
metallic silver orc, discovered In ono OF
those mines, II represented TO have
taken eighteen years TO exhaust, and Is
~variously estimated 10 yield from $780,
00O, 900 TO $50, 000. 900. Hrst-class ore
from the chihuahua mines yields all tho
way from $4,000 to $780, 900 per ton.
and second. class ore ranges from S2,-
600 to ST., 900 per ton. The Comstock,
Of course, has nothing equal TO this.
There IL no knowing what might havo
been accomplished in tho silver nincs
Of Mexico and Perm had they been sys-
tcmatically worked. What II, instead
Of human backs, long swinging
poles, and riokety wines bringing
tho orc TO tho furnace from the depths
below, and tho primitive arastras sep
arating the metal from the vein matter.
the improved machinery now employed
on tho Comstock had been In use. I'm
der such o condition OF things. what
would have been the showing OF tho re-
turns, and into how brief o space would
the three-oentury operations have been
contracted. Instead Of q BONANZA to.
king eighteen years 10 exhaust. we
should probably have had It all within
that many months. Many OF tho Cen.
trail Mexico mines havo for years been
| worked by English capitalists. with inn
| proved machinery, and there has boon in
| consequence q marked increase In the
aggregate silver product Of tho country;
but tho mechanical appliances arc vast.
ly inferior to those used on the Com.
/ .sAak 11,A DAn.,ak t.a .Va.fan