Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-04-09
At THE sUTRO TUNNEL.
A SCENE OF BUSTLE AND AC.
TIYITY.
About $50 Men at Work Already
When the Drain May be Com.
pleted -PrOductive Land, and
Profitable Beds.

pIeted Land, and
Profitable Beds.
All is hustle and activity at Sutro,
and the preparations to finish the
drain as soon as possible are nearly
completed. Already, last Sunday
night, the number of men on each
shift was increased from twenty to a
hundred. At that time the track had
already been removed from the south
to the north side of the tunnel and
the rotten or decaying timbers re-
moved, for a distance of nearly two
miles from the mouth. By to-day or
tomorrow the track is expected to
be all on the north side of the tun-
mel, and the working strength of the
shifts will be further increased every
day until, a week or SO hence, fully
200 men will work on each shift, or
a total of 600 in all. To handle
these men about forty shift-bosses and
six foremen will be required. This
is in the tunnel. At the entrance, in
the blacksmith, machine and carpen-
ter shops, another hundred or more
will be required to sharpen tools,
make cars, and prepare the boxes for
the drain. The work of cutting out
this drain in solid rock is quite a
vast undertaking. When completed,
it will be three feet in depth, four feet
in width, and oyer 10000 feet in
length. In excavating the drain,
seventeen aud half cubic feet of
rock per linear foot must be moved.
Thirteen cubic feet Of rock weighing
about ton, it follows that the rock
removed will weigh about ton and
a quarter per linear foot, or about
$4,000 tons for the whole length OF
the drain. Besides this. it is neces-
sary to put in new 1e.foot posts on
the south side of the tunnel. If the
tools and cars required can be OBJ
tanned, the force which it is intended
to set to work will remove fully 1000
tons of rock per day. At this rate
(the tunnel being full width all the
way) the drain could be finished in
a month from date. But there is no
likelihood that it will be, as it is be.
lieved that some delay will be occs-
stoned in getting the lumber re-
quired. However this may be, the
prospects now are that, forty-five
days hence, or about the cath day of
May Queen Victoria's birthday, by
the way) the drain will be ready for
use.
THE coMPANY's RANCHES.
But the activity is not confined to
the tunnel and town. On the ranch
es of the company, which are situa.
about a mile and half from the
entrance to the tunnel, the working
force has been largely increased.
Soon about 200 acres OF land will
have been sown to barley, 40 to
alfalfa, 20 to 80 acres to carrots, and
few acres to potatoes The COM
pany's land has thus far proved very
productive. Last year seven tons
of alfalfa were cut lin three cuts) to
each acre of land sown, while be-
tween IS and so tons of carrots were
raised on three acres Of land. The
carrots are fed to the stock In winter,
and have proved the best food OBJ
tainable for either horses or mules.
They are given nothing else. Every
morning q lot Of carrots is thrown
before them, after winch they are
permitted to rove about the ranch
or in the sagsbrush.
THE TOWN.
The town is rapidly building up,
and lumber and buildings command
almost fabulous prices. Last Mon
day, during this reporters visit, $500
was offered and refused for a small
shanty not over 1Sx15. An old
barn formerly used IS a stable by
this reporter, is being converted in
to a lodging house for Mrs. Shirley,
Of this city. Sleeping accommoda.
tons are still very deficient. All
who get employment are neverthe.
less accommodated. The beds are sci.
dom unoccupied fifteen minutes. As
soon as one man gets up another
lays down, aud 30 on throughout
the town. Board is 81 per day, and
not very choice, but healthy. Some
tables are set nearly all the time.
As soon as one crowd leave it, an
other take their place. There are
three saloons, three barber shops,
and one butcher shop in the town.