Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1878-08-07
WANTED-A BRANCH TUNNEL
TO THE COMSTOCR.

I 10y Nss<AJ ''AsN 1890 y ~ sAVSo I'll
the lode. The Sutro Tunnel will
strike the Caledonia mine at depth
Of about 1000 feet from the surface.
II the decision of the Com missio ner
u the Land once stands, the course
Of the tunnel must then be toward
the Maryland, Baltimore, and Amer.
lean Flat mines, on American Flat,
which is the utmost southern limit
OF the right of way granted to the
tunnel company. Let the capitalist
anxious to distinguish himself by
comforting a priceless boon upon
many of his fellow-men, while build.
ing up an exceedingly profitable
business, make branch tunnel from
Spring valley-to connect with the
Sutro tunnel. This branch would be
less than two miles long, and would
probably not cost over hall million
dollars. This amount the scores of
companies whose claims would be
benefited by the tunnel would will
ingiy advance, taking stock in ex-
change. 1t would be as nothing COM
pared to the enormous benefits re
sulting from such an adit. Only
think of the advantage to the mines
of an air current which, entering at
Spring Valley, would circulate
throughout the entire length and
breadth of the Comstock lode, driv-
ing before it to the surface all the SUI
perheated, dead air of the lower
levelsi Such thing as five and six
men working to a pick in five min
ute reliefs would then be unheard. of
except as q tradition. The miners
would then do four times as much
work as now, in a given time, and
work in the mines would be much
healthier than now.
The down grade from Spring VAL
ley to the Savage, over which the
wood, lumber, timber, powder, ma
chinery, and all supplies required in
the mines would be tral sported,
would reduce the cost OF freightage
from the Mound House to a mini
mum, as no motive power would be
required. The cost from the Mound
House to the Savage would not ex-
coed ten cents per ton. m Iuf
But, aside from the benefits already
enumerated, there is another, and
far greater, which the branch tunnel
would secure to the mines at this end
of the Colnstock. AS is we'll known
by all old residents, Silver City stands
In the very centre of vast network
of lodges nearly two square miles in
extent. In that space no less than
fifty different lodges have been traced
on the surface. All of these have
paid handsomely, and would doubt
less pay to this day if they had been
worked sYstematioally. The charac-
ter of the ore differs somewhat, as on
the west side Of the square above de
fined it carries heavy percentage OF
the baser metals, while toward the
center of the square, and on both
sides of this city, there are several
seams from few inches 10 a few
feet in width, the ore in which pos
sesses the free milling characteristics
of Comstock ore. These seams un'
doubleday unite in depth and form
a mammoth ore deposit beside which
the riches of the famed bonauzs
would appear insignificant. This
ledge would doubtless be prospected
by the branch tunnel and, aside from
the saving in other respects to the
mines in Its immediate vicinity, The
cost 6f tie adit would thus be saved
many times over. as vssy H.
All the competent miners who have
ever worked in this neighborhoof
agree in the opinion that this is b,
FIR the ricilsss end Of the Comstock
sgd ,hsra can be no doubt but that
If properly opened up, it will ampl,
compensate for the necessary outlay
The man who, would initiate ane
prosecute such "A enterprise as THU
to completion would soon thereafter
be in possession ofa fortune secont
to none in the country. NIIt
-GREAT is the power of thu
railroads. Messrs. Stanford, Crocke
& Co. control the following roads