The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-05-03

then go back to the East to settle down.
I mean the interior of the State, away
from the railroads, where none but hardy
adventures ever care to go, except few
speculating capitalists, who are tempted
out with the sole purpose of buying up
mining claims, with view to having them
developed and worked when opportunity
affords.
The great mass of minerals and wealth
which the State produces at present are
being taken from very few mines in COM
parison with the many that have been
discovered, bnt have not yet been deyel-
oped or worked to any great extent. The
great comstock lode, better known per-,
haps as the consolidated Virginia in the
Western part of the State, is undoubtedly
the richest and most extensive mine in
the known world. It has been worked
to the depth of many thousand feet, in
fact the deepest portions are becoming
almost impenetrable on account of the
intense heat, it being in places as high as
0130 degrees, and still there is no exhaus-
ton to the immense body of ore con-
tanned therein. The Richmond and
Eureka consolidated are the most i'm
portant mines in this camp. The average
yield of ore from the Richmond is about
seventy-6ve tons per day, and the average
turnout of silver per ton is about sixty
dollars besides the lead. There are
many other mines in this vicinity, a few
of which are being worked, among them
are the Hamburg, the Atlas, the Pioneer
and K. K, besides many Others OF less
note, which only have certain amount
of work done on them each year in order
to hold them. The United States law re.
quires 80 much work to be done on each
claim annually, and if said work is not
! done, any one who may see proper to
take possession of the claim can do 80,
provided he does the amount of work
which the law requires.
There are several other mining camps
farther into the interior, namely: White
Pine, Tuscarora, Austin, Tybo, Ward,
Pioch, and many others too numerous to
mention, but l ala not very well posted
in either of those places, consequently
could not give you any accurate account
of them. According to all accounts
Eureka is about as prosperous place at
present as any of them. Eureka is ninety
miles from Ike Central Pacific Railroad,
but there is narrow guage running from
it to Palisade, a small town on that line.
There are twelve furnaces in operation in
this camp, which, when in full blast, en-
10y about seven hundred men. These
furnaces are for the purpose of reducing
ore, Of which the Richmond Mining
Company's is the most extensive. They
pay four dollars q day to the miners,
which is as much as is paid in any other
part of theIState.
The Black Hills seems to be the great
centre obstruction at present, and many
old miners are going from this place to
try their fortune in the new Eldorado.
AS for my part would sooner have my
four dollars per day, where I know that
1 will get it, than 60 there with the ex-
pectltion of making more and the
chances of not making anything. I dc
not have much faith in the Black Hills
any way, and would not advise any one
to 20 there at present. The country is
over run with miners, and the majority
of them have little or nothing to live on,
and the consequence is that they will
have to abandon their claims and come
back to the settlements. There may be
rich diggings there, but they are not
enough in proportion to the great rush Of
emigrants that are going there at present
Thousands are coming in from the East
and getting off at Cheyenne and going
there, but the chances are that great
many of them will be glad to get back
before the summer is over. / think when
the Indian difficulty is settled that the
Big Horn and Yellow Stone countries
will be good place for fortune-seekers
It is equal to if not richer in gold than
the Black Hills, and a much larger scope
of country, consequently the gold hunters
will have more territory in which to
prospect.
Thinking perhaps that l may be max.
ing my sketch too long, / will close fol
the present, and if it should happen tc
meet your favor 1 will endeavor 70 give
you another letter, and will do the best
can to interest the readers of your valua'
BILE paper. -