Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-06
Low A ORES.


ON m COmst0ek.
The SENTINEL notified tho miners nearly
month since that a scheme was being
worked up on the Comstock to reduce
miners wages. Dan De guile, of the En-
terprise, in a letter to the New York Daily
American Exchange, gives the whole bust
ness away as follows:
In a talk with Mr.. John W. Mackay, the
bonanza king, in regard to the workings Of
these low-grade ores, he said the first thing
required would be cheaper labor for the
extraction and handling OF such ores.
Everything must be done on q very large
scale, and at the cheapest possible rates.
All supplies must be procured at the low
est possible prices. Mills must be erected
on the Carson river and at Sutro, capable
of rapidly crushing and concentrating
great quantities Of ores, which mills should
be run by water power. The Carson river
would afford sufficient water for only about
eight months in the year, but up in the
mountains, on the tributaries Of that
stream, reservoirs may be cheaply con-
structed to hold a supply for use when
required. In some places short dams
across the head Of canon would food
valleys hundreds of acres in extent to the
depth of from ten to twenty feet. Then
there is always a large amount Of water
flowing through the Sutro tunnel that can
be used for running mills.
The Sutro Tunnel Company already has
on hand, ready for use, locomotives built
to be run by means Of compressed air in
stead of steam. With these, long trains of
ore cars could be very rapidly whirled out
through the tunnel. The ore could be
blasted down and shoveled into the cars at
a very small cost per ton.
Mr.. Mackay says that they are now
seriously considering the matter Of work
ing the ~low-grade ores. II extracting such
ore it will be impossible to pay miners 81
per day-the wages now demanded under
the rules of the Miners Union. Some
arrangement must be made with the
Miners Union in regard to the taking out
OF the low-grade ores. 1t is thought that
this may be effected without difficulty. 1t
is not likely that the Miners Union will
act the dog in the Manager in this matter.
1t is probable that an arrangement will be
made by which the Miners Union will
allow a portion of its members to work
above the Sutro tunnel level, and in all
low-grade deposits thereon, for So per day.
There are some hundreds of Union men
now idle who would be glad to earn So per
day were they allowed to do SO. Also not
a few would prefer So per day in a dry,
cool and comparatively save place, to 81
per day in places hot, wet and often de-
cidedly dangerous.
There has been talk here of establishing
different degrees in the Miners Union to
meet this and like cases. By this plan the
old and experienced miners, such as have
been years on the lead and thoroughly I'M
derssand timbering and all other kinds of
underground work, would be placed in the
first degree and would have 81 per day.
They would also have all the hot and bad
places in the mines, and all posts of Ian
ger. The second degree men would work
in the old upper levels at the extraction of
low grade ore at So per day, and men of
the third degree on the surface at handling
lumber and the like, or at light labor be-
low, for about $3.50 per day. There would
also be room for a regiment of pick boys
and water boys at 81 per day, who might
rank as apprentices.
By this plan vacancies in the ranks of
the first degree would be filled with men
from the second, and so on to the appren-
tees. This might have been all right and
easy at the organization of the Union, but
now there would be trouble when it came
to assigning men to the different degrees.
/ am of the opinion that the thing would
regulate itself if the Miners Union
allow such Of their members as are out of
and anxious to be doing
something for the support of their fami-
lies, to go to work above the Sutro Tunnel
level (Which is /, 900 feet below the surface
in most places at SO per day. All the
members now idle would soon be at work, |
and thus, before it was hardly thought of
the 81 men and the So men would be sep
from each other, and two degrees
would be established in the Union. As
vacancies occurred in the first degree such
members of the second as desired it could
be promoted.
Mr.. F. a. Tritle, Of this city, one of the
directors of the Belcher Mining Company, |
and interested in the management Of other
mines, is now in San Francisco, |
urging the movement for beginning the
work of reducing the low grade ores of
the Comstock. 1t is contemplated to in
augurate a reduction Of prices among the
railroad, water and lumber companies, as
well as among the miners and other labor
ers. 1t is also in contemplation, and being
urged, to shut down a majority Of the old
expensive and now comparatively useless
works, and work on a combination
plan-one main and centrally situated
shaft doing the work formerly done by sew
eral, When the branches of the Sutro
Tunnel are completed there will be still
less work to be done by the old surface
works, and in an attack upon the low grade
ore, it is proposed to send out through the
Tunnel nearly everything.