The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-27
rnIr rnAenDr or rHE oonsrooK.
the nEystsry ef the Great noasnua ara me
Rirst discovery or Silver In the west.

EfrNt ntgcovorp OF silver In the west. L
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir. To most
mining enterprises is attached moro or less
mystery, and this mystery not infrequently
owes its existence to n desire to conceal some-
thing which will not bear tho searchlight of
rigid investigation. Even so we'll known IN
affair as the great Comstock mining camp has
its mystery, although recent writer's upon that
bonanza. by reason either of ignorance Of the
matter or OF unwillingncss to discuss 1t, have
passed 1t by In silence.
The mystery in question is simply this: How
did Comstock obtain possession of the lode TO
which his name was given 2 Not until the groat
day when the secrets Of nll men shall be revealed
can this question bo fully answered. From the
following facts, however, one Is at liberty to
draw any Inference he chooses. There is at least
one man yet living who can vouch for these
facts, since he was ono of the discoveries Of tho
Comstock lode. This ono man is DIR. Buck,
senior physician Of the insane asylum at Lon
don, Ontario, the gentleman whom Walt Whit
man made his literary legatee.
Toward the end of the forties Aaron and Hosea
Grosh. sons of Judge Grosh of the Pennsylvania
Court OF Appeals, went out to California to seek
their fortune. Both these young men were not
only practical miners. but were also skilled min.
eralogists. chemists. and %assaycrs. They were
admirably equipped with every mechanical and
scientific appliance for testing ore; and, al
'hObbh bChb hpoh kViu iAhAhb ohigs lncy
evidently destined to become the first discover
ers of silver west Of the Rocky Mountains. From
papers now In the possession of their brother,
Mr.. w. J. Grosh OF Cecil county, Nd, II Is evil
dent that they had discovered silver upon tho
site of the Comstock mine in 1s40. In that year
they wrote their father announcing their dis.
covery, and stating that 1t was their intention
to return East at once, bringing with them spec
linens of ore, assays, Sc, as well rs o chart Of
their claim. for the DurDOSe of rniSiug CnOital IN
commence silver mining operations upon a largo
scale there. This fact Is important, since IL Is
generally asserted that no silver was discovered
west Of the Rocky Mountains until somewhere
about 1861 or 1852.
The Grosh brothers had acquired all the ter
ritory upon and around what aftcrward became
known as the great Comstock Bonanza. with
them was associated n young Scotchman named
Buck, now the DR.. Buck already referred to,
and a miner named Comstock. This latter man
they had picked up or another In
the mountains; and in their letters homo they
described him as n dissolute, suspicious char
acter, in need of a home, but whose unquestion-
able familiarity with mining matters would DO
Of immense benefit to them.
1t was the intention of Aaron and Hosea
Grosh, during their absence in the East, to
leave their claim in the charge of Buck and
Comstock, but an accident occurred which COM
PEELED them to change their plans, an accident
by which the property slipped from the Grosh
family into the hands of Comstock in u manner
which nobody can now explain.
Two days before the brothers had determined
to start home for the purpose Of capitalizing
their discovery, Hosea Grosh met with the mis-.
fortune which cost him his life. While c%hopping
wood he severely cut his foot with the axe.
Blood poisoning and modification set in. lie
survived a few days only, and was buried in tho
rear Of the cabin in which the party dwclt. The
autumn was drawing rapidly to a close. To delay
i. the visit home might have been fraught with
/. risk. 1t was consequently decided that Buck
should accompany Aaron Grosh across the Sierra
r Nevada into California. while Comstock re.
D maincd in charge of tho claim.
The two men took with them n mule laden
with necessarics, and a large quantity of speci.
} mems of ore, assays. charts, and the like; every.
thing, in short, likely to interest Eastern CAPT
: talists and to prove to them the genuineness OF
the discovery. When almost at the summit OF
the mountains they were blockaded by an early
3 snowstorm. For many days it was impossible
4 to proceed. They were compelled to kill their
: mule. and. when travelling vas again possible
$ to proceed on foot. Laden down with mule meat
8 and their miscellaneous baggage, the journey
y through the deep snow and the piercing cold
!. was an awful one. So badly frostbittcn did thcy
d at length become that they were compelled tc
Q abandon their baggage, which they did by stow
. ing it away in Il hollow tree. the location Of
. which they carefully marked, ms it was nov
their intention to winter at the first mining
camp they might reach and then recover thcil
possessions on the opening of spring. But nj
, camp was at hand. They ate snow; they slept
In snow. So frightful was their condition
8 eventually that they were not able to trave
Il moro than two or three hundred yards n day
They were ultimately rescued by some Mexican
miners belonging to the Last Chance" mine
Grosh was then specchlcss. He died n few
hours later, never having recovered strength
sufficient to utter q word. Buck was SO badly
Y frozen that it became necessary to amputat'
q both his legs in order to save his life.
n II was not until late the next summer that 1
was possible to remove Buck. His friends theI
conveyed him TO the tree in which he and Grosl
had hidden their ore and charts. But all wa
d gone. Some one had been there before them
n They crossed the mountain and went to tn,
Grosh claim. Here Comstock was installed n
% owner. He had, 50 it was rumorcd, jumped thu
claim, and had might as we'll as apparent RICH
to justify and enable him to hold on to the
property. One of Comstock's men afterwart
stated that ComstOck had confessed to trailing
Grosh and Buck across the Sierras, for som
unexplained purpose, and added that whel
10 Comstock returned he brought with him Grosh'
. assays. charts, and other papers. Be this tru
"a or not, Buck found it impossible to GUST Com
!" stock. and tho property shortly afterwar
10 passed into the hands of Mr.. Mackay and hi
y associates.
IL And Comstocki He never left the place afte
10 the sale. Being addicted to excessive drinking
" he laid In a large supply of whiskey, and is sal
~ never to have drawn q really sober breath 70
IL the rest Of his days. A drunken, taciturn, me
~ rose man, his only companion was his whiske
~ bottle, and in the company of that he died.
1t must not be inferred that Mr.. Mackay an
Is his associates were in any way n party to Con
H. stocks treachery to Grosh and Buck. Tho
Is probably never learned anything of 1t. The FAC
O. remains. however, that the millions made out @
g. the Comstock mine were made through the Of!
Is covery of the Grosh brothers. Mr.. Mackay hin
= self has admitted that these young men wer
TX the first discoveries of silver in tho West. an
n. thot they discoycrcd large Quantities in tn