The Morning herald., 1877-11-05
THE BORAx MINES OF NEVADA

THE BORAx MINES OF NEVADA.
Many of the most wonderful and valuable
discoveries and inventions, both ancient
and modern, have been accidental. Nota-
BILE instances will be readily called to mind
by the intelligent reader, not only of the
discovery of gold and other mines of great
value, but also the germs of such great and
useful arts and inventions as printing,
steam electricity, and various kinds of me-
chanism. Among the modern and indeed
recent discoveries of great value to man.
kind, one in our country is particularly
noteworthy. It is that of the discovery of
mine or vast bed of borax, by which
most useful and necessary article, instead
of being an expensive luxury as formerly,
is rendered so cheap as to bring it within
the means of all classes.
This remarkable discovery was made in
Esmeraldo county, Nevada, some four
years ago, by young man who was pros
pecting for gold and silver mines While
thus engaged, traversing mountains, can
yons and valleys on horseback, he saw, in
a valley known as Teeps Marsh, what ap-
peared to be vast bed of white sand, re-
sembling dry sea foam. The appearance
was so novel and singular that he dis
mounted and descended to prospect the OBJ
ject. Upon arriving at the place, he found
it to be the bed of dry lagoon with the ap-
pearance of having been dry for centuries.
Walking cautiously over the place, he found
the surface to be soft and clayey, and often
sunk ankle deep. After an examination
of the curious clayey deposit he put
several handfuls into his pockets, mounted
his horse, and returned across the noun
tains to his home in Columbus There he
handed the contents of his pockets to an
assayer, who, after analysis, pronounced it
the richest sample of borax he had ever
seen. This fact at once created great ex-
citement and no little expense attended the
necessary claiming, etc., on the part of the
fortunate discoverer. 1t soon proved to be
an enormous lagoon or deposit of crude
borax, two and a half miles wide, and five
or six in length. 1t was more than one
man could properly manage, SO brother
was sent for, and the two (now widely
known as the Smith Brothers of Nevada and
New York; worked with will, sparing
neither time nor money until the whole de.
post was their property, and its wealth be-
ing developed. They at once obtained
boiler tanks, crystallizers, etc., from Chica
go, and commenced operations. The re-
suit is that, in the course Of three or four
years, the brothers have perfected an i'm
mense establishment and are producing an
enormous quantity of a chemically pure
article of borax, which stands first, and is in
demand in every household, to whom it is
supplied by grocers and druggists Throughout
the country. So important has this new
industry become that the eminent house OF
w. II. Coleman Il Co., New York, and San
Francisco, some time ago became the sole
agents for the article, and they are now
pushing its sale in all parts of the world.
We are indebted to them for the foregoing
particulars.
The most wonderful part of our story is
that the vast deposit of borax in Teels
Marsh reproduces itself every two or three
years, so that the supply will continue in
exhaustible. le.-ScientJfc American.