The morning news., 1892-01-04
GOLD-LINED TOWaRs
Wealth in the Old Chimneys Where
the Bonanza ores Were Refined.

Wealth in the Old Chimneys Where
the Bonanza ores Were Refined.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
For nearly quarter of century two
tall towers have stood at the foot Of HYDE
street, near Leavenworth, almost on the
edge of the beach. One rises 20 a hight Of
] 10 feet, and the other reaches more than
fifty feet in the air. They are boin very
broad aud thick, and they have brick
enough in them to construct several build
ings.
They are relics Of the fash old days of
the COmstock mining era, when Flood,
OBrien, Fair and others snded together
and erected the famous Shelby smelling and
refining works. There from the bonanza
days Of 1865 20 as late as 1855 the great
chimneys beichsd forth fire and smoke.
They never stopped. Wreathes of flame
| and volumes OF SCOT circed in the air over
the domes at night time, while hundreds of
| men toiled in and about the works, eating
and shoveling ore aud Stag, molding bars OF
bullion and refining iu to pure silver, lead
and copper.
Ia 1885 the Selby company concluded to
move its works. 1t was known that the old
underground q fiue that connected the fur
naces with tae chimneys, as we'll as cOnsld-
cradle OF the ground all about, was per-
| meated with gold aud silver settings and
solid metal On the advice OF a skilled
| European expert the company dug up the
ruins. as well as large amount Of soil, to
| the depth of or feet, and transferred il
| by tons to the new works at Port Costa
| There the stuff was run thr ugh the works
and, it is said, realized not less thaa $780,
| 600.
| Selby & &c. did rot dream that in the
! towers which were left standing aud in the
million tons of Stag and mineral pernlea ted
soil much wealth remained. They accord
| lngly abandoned the place. The ground
was sold, aud nothing was thought about it
| for long time.
Some time ago w. P. CluG, the we'll
known merchant and politician Of his city,
| acqulrd the ground on which the old works
and the present Stag pile and climneys re-
main. 1t consists Of five 50-vara lots,
or two and q quarter acres. Meantime
| he had several experts make exam
tnatio 8 Of the brick towers and the
surroundings. They reported that the
metal and black dust Of the towers was a
| veritable mine OF ~ealth, and that the
grlmy matter that filed the interstic S aud
II one form or another permeated the
brick, reeked with valuable minerals also
that the gray Stag which had been carted
away from the blazing furnaces il primi-
tive days contained large quantities OF gold
| and silver and should ba worked over
Promptly thereupon Mr. Cluf secured the
| silver and gold lined towers and the debris.
He is said to have paid $4,000 for the
| chimneys alone. His object is to work them
up aud get the money out Of them.
Il do not think | will have any trouble
in getting the gold, silver and other mineral
out" he said yesterday. 1T was on the ad-
vice of an English expert that Selby & CO.
took lot of the debris to Port Costa, and
am informed that they got over $500, 900
out Of that. Several skilled mining men
have come to me lately and offered to buy
me out or work the ohimneys, Stag and soil
on percentage l have not closed with
anybody and do not think shall. There is
q immense amount Of Stag there. In some
places it is 200 feet deep. 1t all contains
gold, silver and lead, with soma copper.
have had the ground assayed about there.
too. and it shows up we'll. In some places 1t
is very rich.
Mr.. Cuffs intention is to tear down the
great towers which have 80 long been land
marks in the history of the city, and can be
seen from miles out at sea and in other di.
rections, and wreSt from them their gold
and silver lining.