The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-09-06
BUSHELS OF BULLION.

DOhJhShC vi DOb1tVNs
The Fabn'ens Richess of the sierra Ledses
Bleak and Barren Hills that Hide bib.
life Fields of Gold and siIesr-The Won
derfnI Northern BELLE Mine.
Upon the heels of that greatest of all
bonanzas, the Comstock lode, which has
given to the world hundreds of millions
of dollars in coin and bullion, came the
discovery that all that section of Nevada
about where Virginia City, Gold Hill
and Carson are now located. wAn fabu-
iously rich i'll the precious metals. These
metals, however, existed in quartz
lodges, requiring considerable capital ID
sink shafts, crush the osS and extract
the mineral f,bii the rock, and not till
capital came did the efforts of the miners
amount to anything whatever in COM
parison to the general result. Like
every other mining country, the metal
yielding Section of Nevada is divided
into districts. Of course there is con-
siderable diversity of opinion concern
ing the productive qualities of various
districts, but from present appearance
the Columbus district in the county of
Esmeralda, will within very snort time
stand head and shoulders above any
other now being worked for silver. Re
cent visitors to that region pronounce 1t
field of superior attraction for the
geologist, tho capitalist and the miner.
The Columbus district was discovered
in September, 1864, by some Mexican
prospectors. These were not the kind
of men, however, to develop the mineral
resources that abounded, and being
possessed of little ehergy and less
money, it is not surprising that their
energies amounted to nothing. They,
however, accomplished the purpose of
drawing the attention of energetic capi-
talists to the district, and in October,
1865, Alsop J. Holmes, gentleman of
great mining experience, with plenti-
ful stock of money and energy, discov-
cred the rich silver mines known as
Mount Potosi ledge and the Northern
Belle ludes, six miles west of the town
of Columbus. The veins thus far de-
veloped are of surprising richness, and
have netted their owner princely for
tune. The ore body is very large and
of uniform thickness through all the
veins, which vary from three and half
to eight feet in thickness. They run
through metamorphic slate, with well
defined walls, and seem to be true fis-
sure veins, and their outlines have been
traced for distance of 1000 feet with
out break. 1t is hardly to be believed
that the ascetic individuals who profess
| to look with contempt on the accumu-
the enormous riches contained in an ore
body 1000 feet in length, from three
and a half to eight feet in thickness and
which assays over 500 to the ton for the
entire distance. In comparison to it the
fortune of the Count of Monte Christie
would be mere baodtele.
The Northern Belle Mill and Mining
Company was incorporated on the twen-
ty-seventh of August, 1874, the princi-
pal works being located ct Belleville.
There are now in the mine five chutes
and one vertical shaft, which has been
sunk to the depth Of $50 feet, thought it
is being rapidly carried further down,
the intention being to sink it to the
depth of 200 feet, in order to work the
mine by machinery. The mine appears
to be inexhaustible in richness, there
being from three to fifteen feet of body
ore, eight feet in the winze, solid. At
present there is daily average of 100
tons of ore taken, which also on an aver
age $75 per ton. Though the Northern
Belle Company has only been incorpo-
rated three years, for the last twenty-six
months it has disbursed $1,000, 900 in
dividends to the holders of stock, an
average of 800, 200 per month profit,
over and above the entire cost of opera
ting the mine, which goes into the poe.
kets of the stockholders. In view of the
fact that the mine is only yet partially
developed, this is an extraordinary
showing, and, at this rate, the stock
will soon stand at the head of the min
ing shares on the Pacific coast. To
crush the ore there are two-twenty
stamp mills, and these are kept in full
service ell the time Up to the present
time the total value of bullion extracted
from the Northern Belle foots up
$4.000,OOO.
The cost of operating the mine
amounts to 100000 monthly. This in.
cludes both mining and milling-that is
the cost of extracting the ore and then
the cost of separating the bullion from
the ore. 1t further includes the pay
roll of $50 men, the operating force OF
the mine, whose total monthly stipend,
including that of the superintendent and
'lilA All OllCoIs, huioiuto w spc 1AU o.
Some idea may be gathered from these
figures of the large amount of money re-
quired in mining enterprises in Nevada.
The amount required to furnish the
mines with the necessary mills to work
the ore was 1926, 900, large fortune in
itself, and yet this is but one item in the
necessary expense of properly conduct
ing anime. Four or Ave fortunes have
to be disbursed before the mine really
begins to pay, and the business sagacity
and enterprise of any man must be very
great to warrant the expenditure of sucf
large sums on what to the masses would
appear to be merely a speculative ven
ture. From all accounts Mr.. Holmes
the principal owner and sole manager o.
the Northern Belle, seems to possess
that business shrewdness and daring Sc
necessary for the development of such {
mine. He left New York in 1850 fol
California, and since that time he hai
been engaged in mining ventures, frs
in California and then in Nevada ant
always with success. By those who
know him he is looked upon as a re
markable man, destined at no distant
day to stand at the head of the moneyet
kings of the Pacific coast. t.-PhiladeL
phia Bulletin.
A Dangerous Wife to Joke With.