Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-08-02


mines; but with this exception the
whole lode has been absolutely
barren OF new discoveries from
1873 to 1878, though work was Wig
orously prosecuted along its whole
length Of four miles. This work
has covered depth OF probably
seven or eight hundred feet, and in
some portions much more than
this; but, with the exception spoken
of, no discovery was made in the
period of five years. Yet, with all
this hard fortune, the Comstock
never produced 80 much bullion,
never paid such large dividends,
and never showed such profit over
expenses as during this period.
The reason of this is, that the
single discovery mentioned devel-
oped into series of ore-bodies
that by the end of 1878 had yielded
no less than thirty seven per cent
of the whole Comstock product.
The ore was richer, the percentage
extracted higher, and the profits
greater than ever before known.
Such facts illustrate the peculiar
characteristics OF this great lode,
and l have brought them to your
notice because the chances of deep
mining in that region are largely
governed by this popularity. The
ore bodies, whose great wealth
made twelve hundred feet of ground
more productive than the whole
lode had ever been before in an
equal space of time, are now 80 far
exhausted that their immense
profits have ceased, though they
continue to supply large quantities
Of poorer ore. New discoveries
have been made in their neighbour.
hood, and ore is now extracted
from them, but their magnitude and
value are unknown to the public.
So far rs trustworthy public infor-
nation goes, the whole Comstock
lode is to-day ground for assess
ments, not tor dividends of impor-
| lance.
1t Is under these circumstances
that the managers of the mines have
prepared tor exploring the lode at
depths which approach the limits
that have long been considered prac-
ticable for working in the earth's
crust; and it is under these circum.
stances that am to speak to you of
the chances which this deep mining
will have. 1 will begin with the an
nouncement that / consider those
chances just as good as they ever
we're at shallower depths, and 90 on
to offer to you my reasons.
have told you that the Comstock
| lode consists OF a number of inde-
pendent ore. bodies disposed upon
an eruptive dixie. The dixie runs
north and south and dips toward
the east, and the ore-bodies initiate
it in both respects. The earliest
workings were upon the outcrop-
pings of quartz; aud as successive
depths have been reached, series of
hosting shafts has been sunk. each
one being placed eastward of its
predecessor. Four lines of these
have been establisied-one at the
outcrop, one reaching TO the depth Of
500 or 600 feet, and one attaining
depth Of thousand or twelve hun.
dred feet. This is the line which
has been in use for the last ten years.
Finally, in the fourth line are placed
those deep shafts Of which none has
reached the lode, and the future pros
poets of which form the subject of
my remarks.
These are six in number: The
Union shgft, 1900 feet east of the
present line; the &C. aud c." shaft,
so-called because IL is the joint prop
erty of the California and Consoli-
dated Virginia mines; the Requa
shaft, sunk by the Savage, Hale &
Norcross, and Cholar Potosi COM
panies, and named from the Superin-
tendent of the aforementioned mine
the Taylor shaft, sunk by the Yellow
Jacket, Kentuck, Crown Point, and
Belcher companies; the Forman
shaft, sunk by the Overman and
Caledonia companies; and the Osbis-
ton shaft, sunk by the Gould s. Curry
and Best & Belcher companies
These are advanced from $500 to 440O
feet east of the present line, and
they are expected to reach the lode
at depths varying from $500 to
$500 feet. From the junction, in
clines will be sunk on the dip of the
lode, which may carry the workings
thousand feet farther in depth.
The northern or Virginia end Of the
lode will have four and the southern
or Gold Hill end will have two deep
shafts.
In every respect, the appointments
of these shafts are suited to the great
work expected of them. The hoist
ing and pumping machinery is of
the most powerful construction, and
the work of sinking is prosecuted
with great vigor. Their position is
such that the North Consolidated
Virginia shaft, together with the
Osbiston, Requa, and Taylor shafts,
forms one line, $500 feet east of the
present line Of works, and covering
twelve or fourteen thousand feet of
the lode in which is found its most
productive portion.
Turning now to the immediate