Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1897-05-22
EUREKA DISTRICT.
One Of the Great elf-SuStained
Mineral Regions Of the World.

Omcfaf OF some of n Ore
Producing Mines Of the Camp aud
n General Estimate OF the Yield
of the Distrfcs.
A stranger passing up Main street to-
day would hardly believe that Eureka 10
the supply town Of one Of the greatest,
richest and most extensive mineral re-
sions on the face Of the globe; yet such is
the fact. Eureka District has piodded
along In q quaint. ~old-fashioned way.
mainly self.sustaining through nearly
three decades. but comparatively un-
known and u~nheeded. Yet, when Ruby
Hill was in the zenith Of lie glory. pour
ing out streams OF wealth, yielding i'm
mense profits and giving employment to
thousands OF men In the neighborhood,
the phenomenal growth of the district was
heralded abroad, and IL became famous
for the time being az q nucleus and one Of
the greatest investment centers on earth.
There are no substantial reasons why IL
should not have continued so, had all
things run along evenly. The Eureka
Con. and Richmond Companies alone
had paid over ten million dollars In divi-
dends, and . large number OF mines and
prospects had paid handsome profits to
their owners The shares OF the Ruby
Hill Mining companies were held as gilt
edge securities and investments OF the
most nutritive character, the dividends
frequently doubling the capital invested
within Q single year.
The low price OF silver has had much TO
do with the depression which followed and
has prevailed in the district for years past,
Notwithstanding that our mines have
yielded gold 70 the enormous amount Of
S35, 600, 900 or more In addition 10 the sill.
yer and lead products. But other infu-
ences have had . bad effect upon the in
dustriAl condition OF the district. princi.
pally among which was the timidity OF
shareholders in the Ruby Hill mines when
the supposed water level and the lower
edge OF the upper wedge Of the ore-besr-
ing Limestone were reached. The lower
wedge has yet to be explored.
II is by no means easy 10 trace up
the past products Of the district through
all Of its changes. The frst discoveries
were made as early as 1854, but very little
development work was done until 1868. In
1870 the first successful smelling was 80
oomplished, and from that year dated the
rapid industrial growth that made Eureka
famous through the following decade.
The Official records Of the United States
Geological Survey. and more recently the
United States Census Bureau IN. H. Jo-
seph. Special Agent in Eureka county,
show that from first TO last the gross value
Of the ore extracted from the mines Of the
district aggregates sl26, 900, 900.
Over 1000 claims have been recorded In
Eureka District. and about 400 mines are
entered upon the county Assessors books
a. ore producers; yet less than 100 Of them
are under active development to-day, ow.
ing to much needed capital for exploiss-
ton at depths below the reach Of the ordi-
nary prospector.
There is no record in the county Of the
products Of the mines previous to March
or April, 1878. but the Assessors books
show a net yield since that period Of up
wards Of Fifty million dollars. We give
below. from the Assessors books. the net
yield OF about so out OF over 400 or more
ore, reproducing mines. % follows:
Adams MN oon ats ees n