Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-04-11

Impressions Of HIS Late visit to
Eureka.

Eureka.
1t will be remembered that Prof. Rossiter
W. Raymond spent a few days in Eureks
during the month Of March last. He
writes from this place to his paper, The
Engineering and Mining Journal, as fol-
lows
Eureka itself, as you remember, got half
| burned up o couple Of years ago. 1t re-
| covered from the blow with a vigor and
rapidity which somewhat strained its vi
tally. Many brick houses were substi-
tuted for wooden ones; he who had one
story added unto himself another; and by
the time the town had been handsomely
rebuilt. it was found to be rather more Of
a own than population and business ac-
tually required. Hence some degree Of
dullness, which still reigns. But there is
no reason for despsiring OF the future.
The camp is far from ''played out"
The Richmond Company has q wonder
full bonanza in its mines-the largest ore
body, it is said, ever discovered in Ruby
Hill. 1t is agreed on all hands that it will
keep the Richmond furnaces running for
years. As the works buy a good deal Of
custom ore, the Richmond reserves will
last all the longer.
The Eureka Company is just extracting
the last Of the great ore-body upon which
it has declared dividends for more than
two years past. In the 18th level Of the
mine, the clay shale ha~nging-wall and the
quartzite foot-wall close together, squeez-
ing out the limestone zone which carries
the ore. The same phenomenon is said to
occur in the X X ground to the eastward.
But in the 18th level OF the Eureka, the
vein opens again; and the company could
go ahead in depth with excellent prospects,
but for the fact that the X X mine is pour
ing a huge stream Of subterranean water
into the lowest levels of the Eureka, COM
pletely flooding them. This torrent goes
roaring into the Richmond, where it how
ever does no harm, but plunges, as l am
told, into some cavernous conduit and is
heard Of no more.
The Eureka Company will probably sink
a new, deep vertical shaft to work its mine.
The present shaft and interior wines and
inclines are mo adequate. Meanwhile, Mr..
Read, the energetic superintendent, has
discovered certainly three, and probably
four, new ore bodies in levels above the
flooded ground, SO that there is no pros
pect OF a failure OF ore for q long while to
come.
The X K is extracting ore-50 tons a day,
l am ~informed-a part Of which comes from
ground alleged to be beyond its proper
boundary toward the Eureka. There are
here the elements of another ugly fight,
like that Of the Eureka and Richmond.
For the sake Of the mines, the town, the
stockholders-everybody, in fact, except
lawyers and experts--it is to be hoped that
this may not come to pass. But if it should
occur, one thing is certain beyond ques-
ton the unity of the limestone zone as
the "vein" Of Ruby Hill will not be dis
puted by either party. That proposition,
so vigorously disputed in the Eureka-Rich-
mond case, has been overwhelmingly estab-
lished by later developments. The clay
shale ~hanging-wall has been pierced in
numerous places, and followed for hun
dreds Of feet. 1t is continuous and unmis-
taxable, and not a pound of ore has been
found beyond it.
OF the other mines Of the district, the
Dunderberg is said to have a new, large and
rich bonanza. There is also a considerable
amount Of talk in owl about the Silver
Conner, a mine on Prospect Mountain,
which has shipped some high-grade ore.
The Eureka q Palisade narrow-gauge
railroad, notorious as perhaps the most
profitable piece Of railway property in the
world, will probably continue for a long
time yet to earn its big dividends from the
charcoal, forage, timber and general sup
plies which it carries to Eureka, and the
base bullion which it brings away, as well
as from the steady stream of passengers
which it conveys in each direction.