Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-04-03

1t canuo, be denied that OF late the
question whether the Comstock will DO
found productive Of ore at great depths
Of sufficiently high grade and in sufficient
quantities to pay mining. milling aud
dividends whsrswith to compensate for
the risks incurred in deep mining. and
to return the capital invested and q lib
eral percentage for its use. has been very
frequently asked. Nor can II be denied
that there are those among US who are
ready to advocate the negative OF the
question, and who contend with some
show Of outward plausibility, at least.
that while the lode will doubtless be
productive Of ore at great depths, 1t will
be found to be broken up more than
nearer the surface. and the veins OF ore
will be richer but narrow. so that profit
able returns will not be realized. Such
theorists likea the lode to q tree, the
branches OF which are near the surface,
the trunk from the 1000 to the 1000
level, and the roots still below. and think
these roots to DO about all that isleft to be
followed at present depths. The sptness
OF the comparison a. illustrating that
view Of the Comstock 10 too apparent to
need comment.
Recent discoveries. especially in
Union aud Sierra Nevada. have in .
Measure proved the foregoing view Of
the lode to be Rich ores and
in extensive bodies have been discovered
at greater depths than those above men.
toned; but their real extent and value
are vet to be ascertained. There 10 no
reason, however. why ore bodies Of gseat
magnitude and exceeding richness may
not exist at still greater depths. In fact.
the history Of the Comstock itself tends
to prove that ores increase in richness
with increase Of depth. and while ore
bodies are fewer in number. they are OF
greater extent.
Between the surface aud the 1000
level Of the Coms,ock. twelve bodies OF
ore have been worked out yielding
$500. 800 tons OF ore Of an average value
Of $40 65 per ton. and have produced
sos. 425, 074 in bullion. The net profit
in working these bodies has been S22,.
Sl3. $50. which sum has been returned
TO stockholders in dividends.
Between the 1000 and the 1000 levels
two ore bodies have been up to the
present time uncovered, aud one Of these
has been worked out. The first wal in
Belchsr and Crown Point and the second
in Con. Virginia and California, and is
not yet exhausted. Up to January l.
1878, these two ore bodies yielded 2,il3.-
1874 tons Of ore. averaging SCI 90 per
ton aud producing Sl4s. 466, 500 in bull
lion. The net profit In working these
bodies up to the date above mentioned
was SSi, 500, 900. ~ per the return to
stockholders in dividends.
These figures show that while the
quantity OF ore extracted between the
1000 and 1000 levels was l.l07, lS5 tons
less than the amount which the lode
yielded between the surface and the 1000
level, the bullion product OF the former
was Si5, OIL .555 in excess Of the latter,
and the net profit realized in dividends
from the lower section was SCI, 522, 720,
or nearly 400 per cent. greater than !
the upper. 49,,
The inisrencs which may be fairly
deduosd from the foregoing Is certainly
most encouraging. 1t 10 not. however,
all that there IL to be said on the subject
and the readers Of the Nrws may expect
SOC in these columns Q review OF the
ors.bearing qualities Of other silver
iod.s. this being . subject Of too great
interest and importance to be dismissed
or decided on the testimony oil u single
witness. even though that witness Is the
great Comstock itself.