Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-31
SILYEHADO.
A Trip to the Mines by Our Quid
NUnc.

A Trip to Mines by Dur Quid
Having heard much about the mines in
Silverado Mountain a representative OF the
SENTINEL determined to go out there and
see them for himself. Astride of BULLET
Neck" the four-mile racer, the toughest
and the ugliest fine horse that ever ate, he
struck out, about Is feet each stride, ac-
companied by NJ. H. Joseph on his thor
oughbred cease Knife" To those who
do not know the way, these directions
may be servicable: You go out by Pinto
and Fitzpatrick's and follow the Hamilton
road some two miles until you see a finger
post on a monument OF rocks. Turn from
there up the hills to the left and follow
your nose, or the horses, until you strike
Berryman's cabin. The whole distance is
about IA miles. At this domicile you will
be Hospitality received by Dick Bergman,
his two sons and nephew and his brother,
James Bergman. From The Bergman
cabin you climb up the mountain until
you get about IA, 900 feet above the level
Of the valley, a fine exercise, and you find
yourself at the mouth Of the Diagonal
Tunnel. This tunnel run into the
hill 1000 feet. 1t is an old property,
which has been leased to the Bergman
brothers for the last three years. They
did nothing in the mine, however, until
last May, when they began to work with
five men, all told. They were busy for
three months, having first to clean out the
tunnel so that they could get at the ore de-
posits, during which time they made four
shipments from which they realized net,
$1,441, S2,35O, $3.50 and S575; total,
s., 046. After this they divided their labor
among other mines under their lease,
from which, also, they got handsome
profits. In the Diagonal, on account OF
the ~softness Of the ground, which resem-
bles that of the Geddes & Bertrand, they
were at no expense in working but for
candles, picks and muscle. The tunnel
along its entire length is cut at right an
giles by small seams of fine ore, which have
not been followed but in a few instances.
The course Of the tunnel is northwesterly.
When 700 feet in, its course changes near
ly west, and at 800 feet in it goes almost
south. The formation is black limestone,
stained with iron streaks very soft and
crumbly. Aim at it with a pick, and down
it tumbles. At a point S75 feet in the
Bergman boys have sunk a shaft so feet,
from the bottom of which they have run a
40-foot drift. They lost the ore body they |
were on above the tunnel level, and they
expect to find it again below, and let it
drop into their bands. Any details Of the
work that was done in the mine by the
old Maryland Company and by the present
lessees would be tedious. Suffice it to say,
that great chamb ers have been gouSed out
for the best ore-ore that will average $3.50
per ton. These chambers are not exhaust
ed or explored, but present walls of
low grade $500 ore which can be
knocked down in great masses.
To show with what facility the work
of excavation and drifting is carried on,
the five men named prospected SIT feet in
new ground in six weeks without using an
ounce of powder. The mass of the work,
in fact, all of it but the 50-foot shaft
and 40-foot drift mentioned, has been
done above the tunnel level, above which
to the surface on q vertical line from the
point 875 feet in the distance is only $50
feet. The ore seams run generally east
and west and pitch down at a sharp angle.
All the territory under the tunnel is vir-
gin ground, into which these seams disap-
pear. The surface appearance of the
country is pleasing to the prospector. 1t
is broker up, mineralized and alive with
healthy groupings. 1t looks better above
ground, to say nothing of the appearance
below, than any other ground in the dis
trict. 1t looks as though men with money
would consider the prospect. There is
plenty of high grade ore to pay for ship
ping. but if facilities could be had for
working the $50 ore there would be work
and big money for a host Of men on Sill
verado Mountain. There are numerous
claims about which much may be said that
- H. ~ - l
shall reserve them for discussion in an
other article.