The morning call., 1893-07-22

gone, and the imaginary throne on the
summit Of Mount Davidson is now Occn-
ried by the lean and shrunken spirit
named Economy.
Salaries must be slashed and all other
expenses reduced. When Mr.. Dides-
heimer was bossinr operations at Virginia
City he was paid from $500 to S2G00 a
month for his services. and he, like The
other superintendent, could afford 10
spend lavishly. One OF the first superin-
tendents, Mr.. Palmer, who had charge OF
Ophir, had an annual salary of $4,000 fol
several years. and none Of them received
less than $1,000 month. The other day
the salary of Super ntendent Keating Of
the Savage mine, who is one of The Oldest
and most experienced mining men on the
coast, was cut down from S400 to $500 n
month, and the other superin tenGenis will
naturally have to come to the same terms.
William Ii. Patten, who was Superp-
tendent of Consolidated Virginia and a
few other mines. received altogether from
$3.50 to $500 a month for years.
Charles Slrong of the Gould & Curry,
Hank smith of the Belcher, Mr.. Osbiston,
who was employed by the Gould d Curry,
and other men long enjoyed IA salary of
$4,000 a year. When the big Gould &
Curry mill WAS built the company gave
Mr.. Strong a present Of $4,000 as an
extra mark OF appreciation Tor his services
as superintendent
That mill was another example OF the
free manner in which cash was disbursed
when the glory Of the mines was at its
height. The big building in the illustra-
ton cost over $1,000, 600 with its contents,
and when it had served its purpose was
torn down and the machinery and other
material were sold for old iron and junk.
One of the chimneys was as high as the
Bunker Hill monument, and it went to a
dealer in secondhand brick. In the smaller
building shown in the accompanying cut
machinery that cost 100000 was placed
and 1t went with thelrest when the demoli-
ton took place These mills do not from
their looks in the picture betray evidences
of the expenditures on them. Everything
was expensive at Virginia City in the days
when they were erected.
Over eighty mills were running around
Virginia City at that time = the year
1863-and when they first began the charge
they made was $50 a ton. There was a
sudden drop to S15 a ton before long, and
then gradually the price came down 81
a ton at time until the present rate Of Sc
Ton (S7 ton in some mills) was reached.
Even this rate is deemed too high now on
account Of the depressed condition OF the
mines, aud the mine managers say that it
must be reduced with all the other charges.
The Gould q Curry alone had twenty-five
mills running in the flush season.
The railroad rates for hauling ore must
also come down il the mines are to be kept
running. Before the railroad was built
some of the mills that were a long dis
tance down the river paid as much as So
ton to teamsterS to haul the ore. That
WAS when $50 a ton was charged. The
mills have always had the taIlngs and
The railroad brought the rate for hauling
down to 81 % toD, and that charge is
now pronounced far too much.
AS hign a rate as S55 per thousand was
paid for lumber in the early days Of pros
perity, and one winter wood could not be
had for less than $50 cord. Thus for
tunes were made indirectly out of the
mines as we'll as directly. Quick silver
commanded 81 so pound while the
bonanza excitement was raging. there be-
ing great demand for it. and the supply
not being as large as at other times. 1t can
now be had for 40 cents pound. Powder
is now purchasable for One-fifth OF the
price put on 1t then. The dealer who sells
candles to the mines does not make any
profit on them now. but as he gets them
to Virginia City cheaper by ordering Il
carload, he gives them TO the mines at net
cost to him, aud has to be satisfied with
what little prOht he makes retailing the
rest of the carload lot to other purchas sers.
A. b. Thompson, the secretary of the
Hale q NorcrOSS, who was a miner on the
Comstock in the early days, has many
of the lode. In the breast
of every old miner hope springs eternal,
and he is con nfident that an other big strike
will be made some day on the Comst
'In the flush times of '63 and there
abouts," he said yesterday when drawn into
a retrospective chat, There were FIVE Stock
boards in Virginia City, and several hum
dred brokers belonged to each of them.
lie principal street was so crowded dur
Ing business hours that person could not
easily walk along. The brokers and men
In charge lived well and had the finest
horses and carriages. Virginia City had
population OF about 80, 900 then, and the
smal!est one-room CABIN could not be
rented LOT less than 81 day.
Men Oh tine education went at once to
the > mines ON coming here. In the Gould
q curry mine, when 1 was underground
there, twenty-five men with degrees from
Eastern colleges were laboring with pick
and shovel and in other manual ways at
one time. These men gradually worked
their way up. literally as well as tigura-
lively,
Tho superintendent and other men