Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-02
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BETWEEN THE
Comst0ck and Eureka L0des.

lOQ6 anu tHc EItdl VIC DtdI II NCll vi
Eureka district, will no doubt be re
ceived with o smile by those of our
readers who have gained the idea that
there is but one vein in the world and
its name is Comstock, from the num-
berless newspaper articles and lauda-
tory notices of the great assure of
BILE to detract from its merits-the con
slant stream of bullion and aggre-
gated wealth that it has added to the
resources of the country. forbid that
but we wish to call the attention of the
people to the existence Of an ore-bear-
ing vein in this district, which has all
the indications and characteristics and
undoubtedly is a true assure vein.
The determination of this fact is Of
vast importance, bearing as it does on
the future peimanence OF our town.
We think it is possible to demonstrate
that the accumulated evidences of the
exploration and practical workings of
the ore channel developed on Ruby
Hill pro, his fact. A contact vein is
one that occurs between two dissifni-
lar formations, separating those for
nations from each other. Their, char
acteristlcs are the selvages or clay
formed between the filling and the
country rock, resulting from the per-
collation. Of water along the walls, the
pressure and movement of the latter,
and the chemical changes produced
along the plane OF contact. In the En-
rala tnfyn rho fnnf wall nf The yaIn ia
quartzile, and the hanging wall lime
stone OF the Sillurian or Devonian
period. The filing or gangue OF the
vein is metamorphosed, ana slllcltied
limestone, hydrated oxide of iron,
termed by miners low grade ore, and
ore bodies OF more or less
The limestone within the vein differs
from the country rock, in being I'M
>tratified aud metatnorpbosed proba-
bly, by the action of heat at the period
OF the filling OF the assure. Extend
ing from The Hamburg on the south
EASTERN, to the Richmond on the north
west, the lode has a length of two
miles, aud, although a portion of 1t Is
unexplored, its general features are the
same wherever developed. The conn
try rock differs from the CounstocH IN
age and formation, but the resem-
oIdnce is very slrikinB.
COMPARISON.
The size of the assures are about the
the same, both in length and width.
The o~verhanging wall of the Comstock
is pophyry, and the foot wall syenite.
The hanging wall of the Eureka IL
stratified or sedimentary limestone,
and the foot wall iquartzite. The fill
ing of the Comstock is pophyry and
quartz; that of the Eureka, metamor-
phosed limestone. The ore bodies of
The former occur in punches, some.
times surrounded by pophyry, at
other places by barren quartz, an
again in the vicinity of appropriations
OF low grade ore. Those of the latter
also occur in punches. sometimes sur
rounded by limestone; at others, by
oxide of iron; and again in the vicinity
Of appropriations OF low grade ore.
Another similarity is the frequent IT,
Irregularities and bullying OF the wall,
widening out at one point of the vein
and again coming in contact, but III
no place in either vein can any inter-
mediate or interposing wall be found.
In both veins masses OF the country
rock have fallen into the tissure, occa-
sioning that bugbear of Californi.
street known as "'horses." We might
carry out the parallel to many minor
details, such Ms the richness of the
groupings. the comparative a : of
their extractions, and their method of
occurrences, but the reader can draw
the analogy from the points presented.
THE CoMsToCK.
The Comstock lode has been worked
continuously for eighteen years, and
has attained a depth of 2 200 feet. Dur
ing that time it has experienced many
fluctuations of fortune, and il has only
been by the most determined and OBJ
stinate perseverance and indomitable
energy of a few sanguine men that its
present promine nee has been attained.
The flush times OF go, I'll and '62 were
succeeded by a depression OF values
and dismal predictions OF h failure
of its producing qualities beyond a
cer!ain depth; this again was followed
1uent on the discoveries of ~ ore
bodies, and so on until the present
date. One theory has, however, gone
TO The wall, that is the giving out OF or
absence OF valuable ore bodies beyond
a certain depth; and, at This date, no
one questions the ultimate discovery
of bodies of ore in any part of the vein
where ex explorations are Systematically
aud persisteatly carried on. The
amount of capital attracted to the
Comstock lode, aud disbursed in what.
up to the present time, has proved to
be dead work, aggregates an enormous
sum, aud one that is beyond the pos
sibility of computation, but will com
pare in magnitude to the great yield
of the paying mines on the vein. we
do not pretend to draw any compar-
ison in this respect between the two
, districts, for the reason that out
, side capital to any great extent has
never been enlisted to develop mines
in this district.
THE FIRST DISCOVERY.
The original discoveries of the Eu.
reka Consolidated mine, known atthat
time as the Champion, Sentinel and
. Buckeye claims, sold the property to a
San Francisco company, in the fall o
1859. for SlO0. 900. at which lime they