Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-11-11
From the Boston Journal
THE MINERAL WEALTH OF THE
COMSTOCK.
SAN Francisco. Oct, 1878.

been going on, and to-day prospecting
drifts have been reached at depth of
22O0 feet and still going deeper. The
marvellous bonanza disclosure which so
startled the civilized world some four
years ago gave fresh impetus to min
ing on the Comstock, and more work
has been done since by the miners pick
than was done in the fourteen previous
years. The present evidences of new
bonanzas have dispelled the theory Of
scientists that the ore bodies of this
great mineral bearing belt are confined
to surface indications and groupings,
and the hypothesis has been established
that they are quite likely to be found
at remote depths in the bowels of the
earth among the assures, and equalling,
if not surprising, in size and richness
those found nearer the earth's crust.
Just now the stock mining market is
fearfully agitated with the great prob
lem whether another bonanza is about
to be discovered in the hidden recesses
of the Comstock Of course there is a
diversity of opinion, and while the
problem remains unsolved everybody is
on the gui vive for the latest informa-
tion from the Comstock. For several
weeks the excitement has been intense.
In the meanwhile stocks have largely
appreciated in values, some of them to
an enormous amount, while there has
also been the customary disasters at
tending the fluctuations of the market.
The prospects of another bonanza to be
discovered in the great parallel ledges
of the Comstock have not only en-
Unused this community but the excite
ment is becoming so general as to know
no latitude nor longitude. The inter-
est caused by the recent rich and extern
sive developments in Sierra Nevada and
Onion Consolidated has become so gen.
eral that it has not only caused Boston
and other Eastern capitalists to make
heavy investments in the mining secu-
rites of the Comstock, but there is
scarcely day passes but what foreign
capital also is finding its way here for
similar investments. Millions of dollars
in the aggregate have been already put
into these securities by capitalists east
of the Rocky mountains.
From present indications the Colossal
bonanza is looked for in the Sierra Ne
vada and Union Consolidated, for the
reason that the developments in progress
already actually surpass those in the
far-famed bonanzas of Consolidated Vir-
ginia and California when they so elec.
tri6ed the world. The first development
was made while sinking the incline at
point sixty feet below the 1000 feet
level. This incline has been continued
down on the east edge or selvedge of
the ore body, until at the present writ
ing 1t has reached 1877 feet below the
2200 feet level, an on ore not only the
entire distance, but ore which has stead
lily increased in richness.
When the developments were made
on the 1000, 1850 and 1910 feet levels,
they were of such character as to in
spire great confidence Since then the
work has been pushed with renewed ener-
, gy, ard when the 21OO feet level was
reached cross-cut was run, which pen.
! etrated the ore body distance of TWEEN.
| ty-nine feet, showing ore of increasing
richness the entire length of the cross.
cut, and without any sign of the vest
. wall. The assays were from $500 tt
| $500 per ton. Work on this .cross-cu
was then stopped, leaving the face il
( rich ore.
The interest in this great ore devel
! opment is now wholly centered on thu
cross-cut of the 22OO feet level of tn,
/ Sierra Nevada, shortly to be commenced
On the results obtained hinges the fat
n of millions Of dollars. 1t is the mos
It important cross-cut ever run on th
9 Comstock, and Mr.. Skae, the principa
owner and Manager of the Sierra Ne
vada, is reported to have said that thi
2 cross-cut means for him palace o
. poorhouse Prominent experts confident
% ly predict that the ore body on the 900
II feet level will show great width, i
which case we may look for the stock t
q advance to much higher figures than
y - has now reached, without any furthe
IF development.
rs There can be no doubt that shoul
% the developments result in the discover
= of an ore deposit in such quantities an
of such richness as are expected, th
Al fact will be demonstrated that the Con
a. stock lode is inexhaustible, and an in
t. petus will be given to quartz mining Q
g, the Pacific coast that will be startlin
: To facilitate the progress of this deve
d. opment new machinery has been adopte
re and every effort is making to utilize j
The imperfect and, as yet, indefni
'r, manner in which the development
q. being prosecuted renders it hazardo
- to form correct and careful estima
he of the value of the deposit. When Il