Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-01-06
TOWERS RICHLY LINED WITH GOLD
wealth In shs old Chimney. where shs
bonanza ores Were Rehaed.

Wealth In shs Oid Chimneys where shs
bonanza Ores Were Rehaed.
For nearly quarter OF century tws
tall towers have stood at the foot OF
Hyde street, near Leavenworth. almost
ON the edge Of the beach. One rises to
height Of l10 feet and tho other reaches
more than fifty feet In the air. They
are both very broad and thick, and they
have brick enough in them TO construct
several buildings.
They are relics Of the flush old days
Of the Comstock mining era, when
| Flood, O'Brien. Fair and others banded
together and erected the famous Selby
Smelling and Refining works. There,
| from tho bonanza days Of 1860 to ms late
as 1883, the great chimneys bclched
forth fire and smoke. They never stop
ped. Wreaths Of flame and volumes of
SCOT circled In the air over the domes at
night time, while hundreds of men
toiled in and about the works. cutting
and shoveling ore and Stag. molding
bars Of bullion and refining 1t to pure
silver, gold. lead and copper.
In 1885 the Selby company concluded
| to move Its works. IL was known that
the old underground fiuc that connected
the furnaces with the chimneys, as well
Ms considerable OF the ground all about,
was permeated with gold and silver set
things and solid metal On the advice
Of skilled European expert the com
pany dug up the ruins as well as large
amount OF soil to the depth Of five OF 81,
feet and transferred 1t by tons TO ths
new works at Port Costa. There the
stuff was run through the works, and II
Is said realized not less than $500, 900.
Selby 81 Go. did not dream that in tho
towers which were left standing and in
the million tons Of Stag and minera
permeated soil much wealth remained
The ground was sold and nothing wa
thought about It for long time.
Some time ago w. b. Cluff. the wei
known merchant and politician Of thi
city. acquired the ground on which tn
old works and the present Stag pile ant
chimneys remain. II consists OF fiv
fifty-vara lots. or 2i{ acres. Meantim
he had several experts make exarnina
| ton of the brick towers and the SUI
! roundings. They reported that Il,
! metal and black dust Of the towers wa
a vcritable mine Of wealth, and that tn
grimy matter that filled the interstice
,. and In one form or another permeate
the brick reeked with valuable minerals
Also that the gray Stag which had bee
carted away from the blazing furnace
| In primitive days contained large quar-
| titles of gold and silver and should /
0 worked over. Promptly thereupon Nj
! Cluff secured the silver and gold line
towers and the debris. He Is said
!, have paid 90, 900 for the chimneys alon
4 His object Is TO work them up and g
4 the money out Of them.
9 III do not think will have any troub
4 in getting the gold, silver and 9th
K mineral out" he said yesterday. ''
e was ON the advice of an English expe
that Selby q Co. took n lot of the debr
!. to Port Costa. and | am informed tn,
4 got over $500, 900 out of that. Sever
skilled mining men have come to n
lately and offered TO buy me out or wol
a the chimneys. Stag and soil on pc
Il centage. have not closed with an
! body and do not think shall. There
q an immense amount of Stag there.
= some places 1t is 200 feet deep. 1t
! : contains gold, silver and lead. with soI
= copper. have had the ground assay
/ around there, too, and 1t all shows
Or well. In some places it Ia very rich.
, Mr.. Cuffs intention is TO tear dos
y the great towers. which have 30 lol
q been landmarks in the history of t
: city, and which can be seen for miles 0
" ut sea and In other directions, and wr'
from them their gold and silver linir
m San Francisco Examiner.