New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-09
deposit Of obsidian or volcanic glass, which, though

deposit Of obsdan or volcanic glass, which. though
narrow, is found in many places In immediate con-
tact with the trachyte. The most natural explana-
ton of its presence it, that after the rachyte had
become hardened, this obsidan, in fluid state
was poured out from some volcano and wound
around among the hills of the tertiary age. Closely
associated with this obsidian stream, at almost
every point where it has been struck is great mass
of bouders, of which the rounded cxterors look as
though they might have been worn into their pres
ent condition by the action of a geyser.
Silver ore was discovered a year ago on the Hecla
claim in q small cut on the hillside, in full sight OF
the town. SO promising were the indications that
at that time shaft thirty feet deep was sunk upon
the property. The gentleman who then had charge
of the work told me that he found the formation
in the shaft stratifed and that the upper strata,
which were largely composed of trachyte, carried
some silver but that at depth of about thirty feet
he struck into what appeared to be bed OF barren,
solid volcanic glass, and pushed the work no fur
Their.
On the 9th of June an interest in this mine was
purchased by two young men named Coston, ana
they began work on knoll where the rock comes
70 the surface and looks like ledge of boulders,
averaging two or three feet in diameter. These
rounded stones themselves and the looser rock
which surrounds them seem to be composed OF q
mixture of trachyte, Obsidian and mint, with per-
hans some quartz The outside surface of many of
the boulders is covered with rounded KNOBS such ~
arc found upon stones that have been thrown from
n peyscr and when they are b. en- open there IL
freoucntly n small hollow space IN the centre sur
rounded bv CRYSTALS. They are, believe, the yarl-
ETY. of bouders commonly known as goodies 30
numerous are these stones on the ground where the
Nessrs. Coston are at work that in digging trench
two feet wide and four or five feet deep the bould-
ers thrown back into it half filed it, At depth OF
five or SIX feet the loose formation gives place 10
more solid one. although the constitution Oh INC
rock remains substantially the same.
During the first week that the COston brothers
were ut work upon their property they DroKe open
some of the bOuders and in crevices near the sur
face found surprisingly rich specimens OF horn Sill
ver Selecting some pieces of this they had IL
assayed and the report upon it showed that II car
ricd % 600 ounces of silver to a tor. inns, OF
courso was not measure of the value of the ore.
In order to work the rock from this mine IN ml u
would be necessary to crush the entire boulder In
which the horn silver is found and an assay OF inc
entire mass of rock after it has thus been ground to
powder would represent the actual value OF the ore
EXCITEMENT AND CONJECrUREs.
The report that a 22,O0OOunce strike had been
made in the Hecla ran through the camp lIke
widfrc and in an hour two or three thousand peo-
pie were gathered about the little trench expressing
their wonder and advancing theories to explain tue
presence there of the precious green substance
When arrived here much of the excitement was
over but the COstOn brothers have had no oppor-
tnnity to be lonely in their work, for have hardly
looked over TO the little knoll from the hotel porch
without seeing from three to u dozen men standing
by and watching the progress OF the excavation
now making. Some specimens of horn silver nave
been found every day believe, but most OF tEeh
have been smaller than those first discovered MI u
W. Miller, young man from Boston, VINO owns
portion of the lleca, has come out here, since the
strike and assures people that he is ready 10 MAKE
such developments as the promise OF the mine may
Justify Work has also been stimulated on adlolh-
inc claims by this last discovery, and L believe
some small pieces of horn silver nave been Iouhd III
them.
The discovery Of any valuable metal III this OBJ
sidian dixie has been surprise to all the old miners
of the camp for they have always looked upon rock
Of this character as barren and worthless. Many
now believe that the presence of horn silver in the
houlders is due entirely TO the fact that trachyte
forms one of their constituents and that the min
eral went into the boulder when 1t was formed,
along with the tTachyte. In proof OF TINS, they
point to the fact that the trachye rock lies only
short distance away, and that it is known to be I'M
preenated with chloride of silver, while the obsld-
IAN of itself has generally been found to be barren
On the other hand, there are some who think that
The o6sidian dixie instead of being stream that
flowed from some volcano, and is therefore only
surface deposit lies in a creyce up through when
the mineral solutions which Imprcgnated the sur
rounding country flowed, and that by prospecting
it the biggest bonanza in the camp may yet be
found These are the theories of miners. think
no man of scientific attalnments has yet expressed
an opinion in regard to its origin or character The
discovery is very interesting one, and up to this
time the owners have had enough encouragement to
induce them to continue their prospecting