Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-08

A Full and Comprehensive Report
of the Resources and Wealth Of
Eureka County m its Probable

OF NEyADA-Slr: Pursuant to an Act OF
the Legislature. entitled, IAN Act for OBJ
tanning correct statements Of the financial
condition of the several counties of this
state,"I herewith submit my report for
the year A. d. 1880, a compilation Of sta
tistics and general review taken from my
own and deputies field notes.
Eureka county derives 1t revenues from
the mines, the tax on real estate and per-
sonal property and the license tax. Not
withstanding serious calamities from fires
and floods that have overtaken the chief
town, the financial condition of the county
is excellent, and no important diminution
Of revenue is anticipated.
The number of acres of land assessed,
under the classification of timber, grazing
and agricultural, amount to 81, 735, afalling
off from report Of last year. This is due
to the abandonment OF tracts from which
the timber has been denuded and removed,
they being useless for any other purpose.
Four thousand nine hundred and forty
seven acres Of land are devoted to agricul-
tural purposes, the chief products being
hay, potatoes, barley, etc. These lands are
valuable, the owners finding steady re-
Enumeration for their labor in unfailing
crops, the yield having a ready sale in
home markets.
The demand for wood and charcoal con-
tinues undated. There is q constant utili-
cation Of timber lands, the growth con-
sisting entirely of dwarf pine, cedar and
mahogany, unfit for any purpose except
frewood and charcoal. Our supply Of
building lumber and mining timbers is
drawn from the western end Of the State
and California, the nearest available point
Of supply.
A %retrograde movement in the stock cat
tie interest is noticeable during the past
year. This is due to two causes. The
owners of large droves of cattle during the
fall Of 1879 sold and removed a portion Of
their herds to Wyoming Territory. OF
those remaining at least one-fourth per-
ished during the cold and protracted sea-
son characterizing the winter and spring
months. Despite these causes the renewal
of feed, and a promise Of q more open sea-
son, will probably place the cattle interest
| upon its old footing shortly.
In reply to your inquiry regarding trans
planted fish, | would state that H. G..
Fenstermaker. Of Fish creek, has during
the past year imported 90, 500 trout, 81 cat
fish and 81 carp, which have been placed
in Fish creek and artificial ponds near his
ranch. The fish are at the present time in
a thriving condition, and the experiment
will doubtless prove a success.
OF railroads we have within our county
.-.sA X T. II IL - nh
railroad, which has been valued, for taxa
ton purposes, at $408, 1874.
The Eureka d Palisade Railroad Com
pany own and control 80 miles Of narrow
guage railroad, extending from the town
of Palisade to the town of Eureka. Its
importance as a line of communication is
very great, rendering all portions Of the
county accessible by rail. The road has
been valued, for taxation purposes, at
$500, 445. The same corporation own and
operate the Ruby Hill railroad, running
from the principal mines to the smelling
furnaces, and used for the carriage Of ore
and timber. The length OF the road is
five miles.
Our main dependence, and that upon
which we rely for ~permanence and pros
perity, lies in our vast mineral resources.
That there has been gratifying progress in
this industry is patent to the most super
fetal observer. Old mines have continued
their yield and increased their resources,
extensive ore deposits have been uncovered
and many new locations made. While
| there has been a slight decrease in the
number Of tons Of ore smelted, due to
local causes easily understood, the pro-
ducing mines have increased in number
and value, and the average Of mineral ter
ritory, Of known capacity for future de-
velopment, is largely increased. This fact
is possibly more gratifying, for the reason
hat its extension Is due more to home
labor rather than to any influx Of foreign
capital. Our miners and mine owners are,
as a class, thrifty, industrious and pros
porous, and have pursued their industry
with q faith and intelligence that has met
with a deserved reward. In this prosper
ity the business community have shared
in a certain degree, and were 1t not for the
untoward and calamitous disasters that
have overtaken the town OF Eureka during
the past two years, they would have been
equally thriving. The great fire Of April.
1879, swept over a large area, containing
within its limits most Of the business por-
ton Of the town. Neither daunted or dis
mayed by the catastrophe, the property
owners rebuilt at once, a better class OF
structures taking the place Of those oblit-
Grated. Hardly had the work been COM
pleted, and the scars of the unsightly ruins
removed, when a second fire took place,
the destruction Of property being equally
as great as the former. Although but Q
month has elapsed since the latter event,
rebuilding is going OF with rapidity, and
as a rule brick is taking the place OF wood,
a fact that insures an immunity from like
happenings in the future. Both were Be-
we're blows, and were it not for the knowl-
edge that our mines were permanent and
inexhaustible, the property owners must
have become discouraged and yielded to
fate.
Among the mining districts, the prin-
cipal in Importance and yield is that OF
Eureka, and within its boundaries the
shire town is situated. The mines are
embraced within a radius Of seven miles,
included in which may be named Ruby
Hill, Prospect Mountain, Adams Hill and
Secret Canyon, these being the best known
producing points. Ruby Hill takes first
rank, both by its greatest yield and devel-
opments. Over $40, 900, 900 have been
taken out Of this section.
The Richmond Mining Company, OF Ne
vada, an English corporation, Edward Pro-
bert Manager and R. Richard Superin-
tepdent, Is q consolidation of claims worked
without cessation for the past ten years,
the yield up to the present date aggregat.
ing about SIG, 900, 900. The amount Of
ore reserves now In sight and ready for ex'
traction is something fabulous, and the 90.
Inmates, both OF the number Of tons and
its grade, stamp the mine as one OF the
foremost in the world. In connection
with the mine the company own reduction
and refinery works, where both processes
are carried on upon an immense scale, thu
incidentally affording employment for hun
dreds of miners and laborers.
The Eureka Consolidated mines, Mr.
II. Donnelly Superintendent, adjoins tn
Richmond on the east, and is q part Of tn