The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-01-06
The Comstock Under . Cloud.
S.F. Bulletin.

After yielding over $500, 900 and en-
riching many thousands, the great Comstock
Lode has for the past four years been mainly
worked by the contributions Of those who
still retain an interest In Its development.
During these four years the bullion product
has been gradually growing less. For the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, Storey
county Is credited with yield of 81, $40, 900.
For the first nine months of the current cal
endar year, the yield was only $972, 900, and
for the last third Of that year the yield was
only sits, 200. Should the total for the
fourth quarter be rs large as for the tkird, the
result for the year 1881 would be only ST.
1920. Old friends of the Comstock will
note In these figures strange contrast with
the yield few years ago, when single mine,
In single month, produced more bullion
than the whole Comstock Lode now pro-
duces In q whole year. But for the power
TO levy and collect assessments, work would
have to be abandoned, and the miles of lev
els and drifts would soon fill with water and
debris. There are over 100 claims on the
Comstock Lode, though on good many Of
them no work has been done for some time;
and II will depend on the finding Of al ore
body whether any more work will be done
on these temporarily abandoned claims.
More or less work has been performed on
about fifty Comstock claims during the past
year.
Many will be surprised at the number of
Storey county mines that are being worked
mainly by the help of friends. There have
been lib assessments levied this year for &C.
count of mines in that county. These as
sessments aggregate a total of $685., 800,
which has been distributed among fifty-four
mines. There were twenty four claims
which levied only one assessment during the
year; twelve others levied two; ten Others,
three five others, four; and three, the ex-
treme limit of five assessments. Those in
the last-named category were the Bullion,
Caledonia, and Hale and Norcross. The
Bullion aud Caledonia have been sources of
faith deserves to be rewarded, but faith with
out the show of ore Is dead.
The California mine, after paying S31 $780,
900 In dividends TO stockholders, made its
first demand upon them last August. In the
following month, Consolidated Virginia
made q similar demand upon It's stockhold-
ers, the first since June, 1873. In the mean
time the Consolidated Virginia paid Its
at haldare ha ma af
930, 900 In dividends. The assessment levied
last spring by the Confidence mine Is the first
since 1878. The first assessment has been
made during the past year Oh the BONANZA,
Concordia, Gold Lead, Lorn Of Lorn, Lower
Comstock, Morning Star, North Gould and
Curry, Sherwood Consolidated, and Utah
Extension. During the year 1880 sixty-one
Storey county mining claims levied $685.
900.
The last dividend from q Storey county
mine was paid by the Consolidated Virginia
in August, 1880. In January, 1880, the Ophir
paid its last dividend, aud in December, 1879,
the California paid Its last dividend. These
are the only three Comstock mines that have
paid any dividends since April, 1876, when
Belcher paid its last dividend. Crown Point
paid Its last dividend In January, 1876. The
only dividends that have come out of Storey
county in the past two years were slOO,soo
by the ophir In January, 1880, and $2TO,OoO
by the Consolidated Virginia In August, 1880.
Against this $4,000, there has been paid
into that county during the past two years,
through assessments, about $l3,00O,0 900, be-
side about $3,oOO,0e0 Of bullion produced by
the mines there during this interval. 1t is
case Of patience that has limit, but whether
That limit will be reached before the reward
comes, Is the one great problem OF those in
terested.