Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-02-19
THE MINES OF THE PALMYRA
RANGE.
Revival OF Interest in These
Promising PrOperties-PrOspec-
fna.s Eronnn.iu q. Ao Exnln..u Than.

tors Preparing to Explore Them,
In the early sixties, there was quite
good-siz I'd town at Como, in the
Palmyra range of mountains, and
about twelve miles from this
city. Exceedingly promising mines
had boon discovered, and it was con-
fidently expected that the district
would take the lead of all others on
the Coast. In those days the Washoe
process was in its infancy and the
yield of the ores much below the
percentage of to day. Wages, pro-
visions and hauling were enormously
expensive, and unless a mine paid
"from the grass roots,' it was soon
abandoned. This was the fate of
Como. But there are good mines
there, nevertheless, which would
doubtless we'll repay working, now
that all the requisites to successful
exploitation are cheapened, and it is
reported that prospectors are once
mole turning their attention toward
the district. In this they are en-
couraged more or less, says the Gold
Hill News, by the success which has
attended a denomination of the
once abandoned mines of Aurora
Bodie, and other camps. With the
present appliances for mining and
milling there is no doubt but that
better success would attend mining
in Como than greeted the miners who
went there in early days.
The prospecting which was done
along the Palmyra range in early
days certainly could not have afford
ed any reliable information as to the
true value of the mines in that Sec
ton. None Of the veins were fol.
lowed over 900 feet below the sur.
faac. In those days, too, miners
were easily discouraged. They were
looking for big deposits of rich ores,
and, not finding these, left. There
was little capital employed there in
those days and the appliances for
mining were rude and such as could
be operated cheaply and by the
miners themselves. Another draw
back was the want of good mills.
The consequence WAS that when
water came 10 too abundantly for the
bucket, locations were abandoned.
And yet the returns rendered would
in these days be considered sufficient
to encourage capital and labor to pro-
coed with developments. Some OF
the lodges yielded gold and silver,
in what would now be considered
paying quantities, from the crop
pings as low down as work was
pushed. The only mill elected in
the district, however, did not save the
required per cent. Of assays, and
hence again the encouragement.
Locations also in those days were
not judiciously made. They were
clapped upon feeders and stringers
and everything which showed indi-
cations of bearing metal, end the
prospecting done was not performed
in an understanding manner. These
facts also did much to discourage
operators and hasten them away.
All these things being considered
the probabilities of the success of
those who 60 to Palmyra District are
comparatively good. The prospect
Is much better certainly than doing
nothing here, and we hear of several
parties who are preparing to go there
and who will doubtless prospect to
much better advantage than did those
who first went there. Their endeavor
will be to find the Mother Lode and
test its quality, leaving feeders and
stringers alone.
We have faith in old Como yet,
and confidence in some of the men
who intend going there as soon as
Spring fairly opens. Where there is
found as much mineral as was for
merly discovered near the surface,
and where natural indications are as
good as along certain sections of the
Palmyra range, there cannot but be
something worth searching for below
the groupings. The ore always pro-
duced more silver than gold, and no
one ever saw the bottom of silver
lode yet. 1t certainly was not reach
ed at the depth of 200 feet by the