Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-08-27
THE ComsTocK LODE.
AN AUTHENTIC REPORT OF
ITS DISCOVERY.

VclnS anu AScerJAl1e0 luS
Value-COmstOck their Universal
Legatee.5
We are indebted to Mrs. DR.. Win
slow. of Washington, d. c., for the
following copy of d very interesting
letter written by the Rev. A. B.
Grosh, and which relates the part
taken by that gentleman's sons in
the discovery of the Comstock lode:
WASHINGTON, July 8, 1879.
MRs. G. B. wINsLow, M. D., Present:
MY DEAR FR1END:-You desire
me to give you detailed statement
of my sons labors and discoveries
in Nevada (then Utah), as you are
about to visit there, and would like
to speak of their discoveries of silver
ore in Carson Valley, correctly. 1t
is long story, and presume it will
be difficult to locate the scenes of
their actions after the many and
great changes since 1857. But
will give you the outlines briefly, as
gathered from the letters now before.
E. Allen and Hosea B. Grosh,
whom you knew in your and their
childhood and youth, went from
Reading, Pa, in a company, in 1849,
and reached California, via Tampico
and Mazatlan. They soon engaged
in gold mining, most OF the time at
or near Mud Springs NOW Ell Do
RADIO, Ell Dorado county, with vary
ing, but never very prosperous, for
tunes. They visited "Carson Valley "
in 1851, but soon returned to Cali
forn'a. Bat in 1853 they made it a
longer visit, aud pretty thoroughly
"prospected" portions of what they
called "Carson Valley" "Gold
Canon" Lake Valley and Washoe
Valley" and many of the adjoining
mountains.
After their return to California,
with specimens for fuller examina-
ton, they wrote many letters, giving
details of their discoveries, and of
the information they were gradually
acquiring respecting modes of testing
their value. One stated that they
found what they believed to be tear
Donate of silver in Gold Canon "
a clark gray" mass, furnished,
probably, by the sulph. acid in the
water. 1t resembles thin sheet lead,
broken very fine-and LEAD the
miners suppose it to be. The ole
We found vt the forks of the Canon
large quartz vein-at least, boulders
from vein close by here shows it.
self Other ore
of silver we think we have found in
the Canon, and rock called BLACK
RoCK-very abundant-we think con-
taiDs silver"
These and other discoveries of this
period, led to many conversations
with "Old Frank" an experienced
Mexican miner, and to numerous ex-
periments in assaying, as their lin
tied means allowed, preparatory to a
re urn to Carson Valley. They also
organized large company of kin
dred and friends in the middle allan
tic States, called the "Utah Enter
prize Mining Company" of which
they were part, and for which they
were agents-which was to enable
them to hold and work their various
and numerous discoveries.
But lack of means delayed their
return to Carson Valley until May,
1857, when they obtained an outfit
by organizing the Frank Mining
Company y named after "Old
Frank" aforenamed, constituted of
themselves and few Weather friends
who advanced the money. They
soon rediscovered their former dis
coveries, and what they called -FOUR
monster vein," they located in the
name OF the Frank Company, and
other veins in the name of the Utah
Enterprise Company, and located in
their own name what they termed
"a smaller but richer vein "" "a
much more promising vein, because
more easily worked" Both these
are said to be ut or near 1.-THE forks
of the Canon" They also mention
"suits of veins crossing the Canon
at two other points." and "a mann.