The morning call., 1891-02-07
Is DEEP MINING TO BE REVIVED ?

Five wears ago the owners of the Com
stock mines decided to abandon the search
for ore on the lower levels and withdrew the
pumps which kept those levels free from
water The decision was reached IN conse-
Guence of the small returns from the lower
levels and the great expense OF working
them. Stockholders refused to pay assess
ments and the ore taken from great depths
generally proved so low in grade that 1t was
barely worth reducing. At the same time
the cost of raising ore and pumping water
into the tunnel from the levels below was
enormous Hence. though the cessation of
pumping involved the flooding of works
which had cost millions and the abandon
mcnt of explorations which for anything
that any body knew might be crowned with
the discovery of new bonanzas. was cruel
blow to those who had invested their money
in the mines, there appeared to be no alter
native and the announcement was made that
the famous lode had been practically eN-
hausted.
Now, after five years breathing spell, it is
proposed to resume work, to pump out the
lower levels and to begin once more the
search for ore three thousand feet OF more
below the surface. 1t is not certain that
this will be done. To resume work will cost
4 great deal of money, and it is not clear
where the money is TO come from. When
about two years ago Disseminated stoekhod-
ers in the Consolidated Virginia were offered
the Mackay-JOnes Mill at cost they could
not raise hundred thousand dollars to eff
feet the purchase. 1t is hard to see where
million or so could be found now to pump
out levels which never paid the cost OF
pumping in the old days. Still, at Virginia
City, the people seem to be quite hopeful of
resumption of work and everybody would
be glad to hear that their hopes had been
realized.
The arguments, pro and con, on the prob
ability OF the existence Of new bonanZas at
great depths are familiar to every one.
There appears to be no reason why veins
should not be as rich in mineral at one
level as at another, though the experience
OF miners in this State, Nevada and Colo
orado has led to a pretty general belief that
the richest ore is usually found near the
surface. But, in fact, our meteorological
knowledge is so rudimentary that we know
next to nothing of any law governing the
distribution of ore. Some day the law of ore
formation will probably be discovered, but
we are not making much progress in that
direction at present.
The discovery Of a bonanza containing a
hundred millions of precious metal would
give an impetus to business of all kinds on
this Coast But it would likewise revive the
spirit OF speculation which in the past stood
in the way of honest industry, and which,
while it made the fortunes of few lucky
gamblers, was the ruin of thousands. Peo-
pie in the East talk of the Comstock having
enriched the Pacific slope. In fact if the
dividends OF the Consolidated Virginia and
California are left out of the calculation,
more money has been put into the earth on
Mount Davidson than was ever taken out of
it. But for that one miHe, or pair Of mines,
California would be richer to-day if there
had never been any mining on tie Com
stock.
Still that is not going to stand in the way
of deep mining, if the money can be raised
to pump out the water and drive new levels
There is an irresistible fascination In the
business. A man who is sensible and judi
cious in all other respects will spend a whole
life OF toll and privation in the hope of strik-
ing pay ore some day and becoming mill
ionaire in his turn. He knows that the
chances are hundred to one against him,
but he CANDLES on that one chance. There
is no business in which human energy and
perseverance are less sure of reward than
mining, but the race of miners never dies
out, nor the breed of men who are willing TO
invest a portion of their earnings in a Specu-
lation in which success is so rare that failure
may be said to be its normal lot.