Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13
TWO MINING CITIES OF NEVADA.


Doubtless, many boys and girls have
read about the wonderful ''Comstock
lode without understanding just what
or where it is.
To begin with, lode is a vein of
mineral rock, of varying width, and ex-
tending far down into the Garth, that IS
found between walls OF stone. 1t
widens and grows narrow in places like
river, and course is traced by tunnels
and cross-cuts. Sometimes, in sinking
shafts through n deposit of ore, the bot
tom of it is reached. 1t is not then a
lode, which must be of illimitable
depth, but ''bed' of ore 1t will
readily be seen that a lode is the most
valuable of all mineral deposits, and
that il is not commonly met with
The richest lode in the United States
the ComstOck-is situated in Nevada.
1t is four miles long, and in some places
two hundred feet wide; in others, very
narrow, = The principal ores of this
vein are vitreous silver ore, native sill
yer galena and stephanite. Many other
forms o. minerals are found in smaller
quantities.
The first mining that was done in the
neighborhood of this lode was in 1857,
when some gold mines, few miles dis
tant, were worked, in what is now the
city OF Gold Hill; but they did not prove
very profitable. in 1858, a quartz claim
was located by man who was nick
pamed ''Old Virginia on some crop
pings which were also called "Vir-
gnia, and this was the foundation of
the afterward famous mining camp of
Virginia City. Still there was no trace
Of the immense mineral deposit which
was destined to acquire worldwide no.
toriety. But in 1859 some men were
engaged in gold-washing in the man.
ner employed in California, and it be-
came necessary to dig place in the
ground where they could catch water
Tor the ''rockers" which they used. In
so doing, they discovered VEN of sui
phuret of silver, which proved to be so
valu3ble that a man named Comstock
was employed to purchase the mining
claim in which the vein was situated of
its owners, who were the discoveries of
the gold mines below in 1857, and the
vein has ever since been known as the
Comstock. AS its development pro-
crossed, and reports of its fabulous
value circulated over the country, peo-
pie flocked to the vicinity from all
points of the compass, aud in few
short years two 1ourishing towns ex-
listed along the line of the lode, crowned
by the towering height of Mount David
son, which rises to an altitude of 1927
feet above the level of the sea
Virginia City, the larger of the two,
is situated at an elevation of 6, 200 feet,
on the southeastern slope of the noun
tain. One main street is built along the
side, with very steep croSs-streets run
ming up and down. Tie population has
been estimated rs high as 10000, COM
posed of people of all Nationalities and
characteristics, brought together from
one common motive-the rapid acquisi-
ton of wealth. There. as in all mining
camps, everything was secondary. to
this one great object, and, in too many
cases, honesty and Iectitude were for
gotten in the pursuit of riches. Not
all attained the desired end. While
some fortunate men soon realized large
fortunes, many others lost in stock
speculations and mining operations all
that they possessed. Attended by good
luck in some venture, but not sufficient
ly prudent to ''let well enough alone"
they embarked in new schemes, which
did not result in their favor.
Gold Hill, containing population of
5000, is built in similar manner to
Virginia City, one main street running
along a ravine, extending to the sister
city. So many houses have been built
between the two towns that they pre-
sent the appearance of one settlement.
The ground underneath both is COM
rala oil hnnnrnnn, hnI h. l.
ings of the Comstock lode to depth OF
5000 feet. Shafts, mills and smelling
furnaces are on every hand, in the midst
of the stores and dwellings. BY day
and night, the noise of the busy stamps,
pounding away upon the ore, and con-
verting it into bullion, has been heard,
and the glare of the furnaces has cast a
wierd light upon all sides. Everything
has denoted busy, prosperous COM
munity, and the yields from the mines
have been larger than from any other
on the Pacific coast-that wonderful
field of misunderstanding busily at work
seventy-five or eighty mills. From this
one lode more silver bullion has been
produced than from all other mining
regions put together.
l use the past tense in speaking of
the Comstock, and of the towns which
have been the liveliest known on tie
coast, and noted for their extravaganza
and display, because they have reached
the zenith of their power, and are now
rapidly upon the wane; not that there
is no more treasure TO be extracted
from the earth-the Comstock is still
entitled to its appellation o. lode-but
work has been almost entirely sus-
pended on account of great influx OF
water, which has submerged the mines
and risen many feet in them. So over
whelming is the flow that the machinery
used for pumping water from mines is
entirely powerless to cope with it. For
a long time previous to- this the miners
were subjected to intense heat, increas-
ing as greater depth was attained, and
were able 10 remain at work but few
hours at a time, although their cloth.
ing was very light.
In consequence of this inundation Of
the lode. large portion of the resident:
OF Gold Hill and Virginia City, de.
prived OF a means of subsistence there
have departed for newer camps. Prob.
ably greater number have gone tC
Tombstone, A. T., than to any Other
place, attracted by its rapidly growing
reputation. Certainly the latter camI
is well stocked with sVirginians," who
love to dwell enthusiastically upon the
past grandeur of their former home
while at the same time they acknowl
edge the good points of Tombstone.
Not far from Gold Hill, on the Vir.
glnia and Truckee Railroad. which is a
branch of the Central Pacific. there is 8
tunnel nine hundred feet long, called
the American Flat Tunnel. which wa:
the scene of an exciting incident on the
18th OF October. 1872, that came neal
being fearful tragedy. An excursion
train, loaded with passengers. came
around the curve below the tunnel, anC
the fireman suddenly discovered tha
the timbers of the tunnel were on fire
1t was thrilling moment, for it seemed
as If death "a or1ld ho the inovif a hla ~