Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-04-04
FATHER OF SILVER MINING
How COmStOCk Made Discovery
Ills TraQiC End.

an American miner whose name de-
serves to rank high among the benc-
factors OF the race, says an exchange. |
His name has been fastened to the
greatest silver mine In the world. |
James Marshal was the father OF
American gold mining, discovering
the yellow metal at Coloma, CalifOr-
MIA; ComstOck was the father OF
American silver mining, making his
great discovery ON the flank OF Sunrise
peak, near what was afterwards
known as Virginia City, Nevada.
The story Of the birth Of American
silver mining Is an interesting one and
one almost totally unknown. The
rapid upbuilding Of California gave to
Marshall's discovery wide publicity
and his name Is familiar one, but
Comstocks equally important dis
coyery few years later has been lost
sight Of Silver was first discovered
in America In the mine to which Com
stock gave his name and on the Com
stock lode can be found not only the
deepest mine workings in this coun-
try, but the methods there employed
| for reducing the ores and saving the
| precious metals have been conducted
on grander scale than is employed
elsewhere In the United States, or on
this continent, IL we take into consid-
GRAFTON the power Of the machinery
used, the scientific skill of modern en-
cheering brought to bear, and all OF
which are SO prominent feature of
| the mining methods OF the Comstock
lode.
The discovery Of silver was made In
Nevada when the state was only
known as "Western Utah" in 1859.
The confirmed report Of the discovery
OF the metal created as much excite
ment in California as did the dscov-
cry Of gold in Suffers mill race at
Coloma, and the news spread rapidly
to all parts OF the United States. 1t
was great discovery. Taking INTO
consideration permanency and ulti-
mate value, the number OF employees
engaged in producing the metal and
the wealth and population it has con-
tributed to all that vast region lying
between the Rocky mountains on the
east and the Pacific ocean on the
west, the discovery of silver deserves
to rank above that OF the discovery OF
gold.
Entitled to equal credit for the dis
covery of silver, with Comstock, were
his two partenrs, Peter O'Riley and
Patrick Mclaughlin. 1t was while
prospecting for gold on the hillside
just above where they had been pre-
viously working on a placer mine at
the head OF Six-mile canyon with q
rocker that these two men started the
American silver mining industry and
and to them, perhaps, belongs the
credit for the actual discovery of sill
yer.
ComStock claimed to have StakeC
the ground several days before o.
Riley and Mclaughlin commenced to
prospect on it and 1t was thus thai
the three became associated together
and IL was agreed between them that
the mine should be named the Com
stock. The grand discovery OF tn.
age was made In small excavation
on the hillside which had been due
for the purpose Of reservoiring the
waters Of spring for use In thcil
prospecting operations for gold with
the rocker. While making the phi
and cleaning of its bottom, material
of different character from anything
they had before found was encoun
tered. Nothing In its appearance
however, suggested that there wa
gold In 1t, but they concluded to run
some OF 1t through the rocker. TIL,
stun was black and heavy, and aftel
washing couple OF bucketstul OF L
the apron OF the rocker was found I,
be hurdened with glittering particle,
OF gold and they realized that the!
had made a strike"
) Thus was American silver mimi,
born. On the apron also lodged con
siderable quantities Of rich sulphure
: Of silver, the despised "black stuff,
which they considered worthless, and
: which interfered with their collecting
the fine free gold particles. The,
were at less how to rid themselves
OF IL. Other miners visited the CLAIM
aud they were advised TO send some o
the 'black stutf'' to California for as
say, where 1t uas determined that i
was almost pure silver. The assay
were made at Nevada City, and tn,
results SO astonisiiei the assayar tia
! he was unable to believe his own fig
. ures~
. Then came the great rush from Cal
: flor mia and elsewhere. Many hun
dred s of millions OF dollars IN bot
geld and Silver haya Sipca haa, rob.