Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1902-03-16
FATHFR OF SILVER MINING
Story OF Its Discovery in
Nevada.

factors of his race. His name has !
been fastened to the greatest silver /
mine in the world. James Marshall
was the father OF American gold min t
ing, discovering the yellow metal at /,
ColOma. California; 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. Inc
rapid upbuildng of California gave 10
Marshalls discovery a wide publicity
and his name is a familiar one, but
Comstock's equally important discoy
cry a few years later has been lost
sigh. Of Silver was first discovered
in America III the mine 10 which Com
stock gave his name aud on the Com
stock lode can be found rot only the
deepest mine workings in this country
but the methods there employer for
reducing the ores and saving the pre-
ciOus metals have been conducted on
gra.itter scale than it employed else
wheTe n the United States, OF on this
continent il we take into considera-
ton the power of the machinery used.
the scientific skill Of modern mining
engineering brought to bear, and ali
OF which are SO prominent feature
of the mining methods OF the Com
stock lode.
The discovery of silver was made
in Nevada when that state was only
known as Western Utah in 1859.
TIE confirmed report of the discovery
of the metal created as much excite
ment in California as did the discov-
cry of gold in Suffers mil race in Co
loma and the news spread rapidly to
all parts of the United States 1t was
great discovery. Taking into con-
sideration permanency and ultimate
value. the number OF employees en-
gagged in producing the metal and the
wealth and population it has cortri-
buted to all that vast region lying be-
tween 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, We're
his two partners. Peter ORiley and
Patrick Mclaughlin. It wss 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 a
rocker that these two mer started the
American silver mining industry and
to them, perhaps. belongs the credit
for the actual discovery OF silver.
Comstock claimed to have staked
the ground several days before O'Ril
ey and Mclaughlin commenced 70
prospect CT It and it was thus that the
three became associated together. and
hat 10 no
mine should be named the Comstock
The Grand discovery CT the aro was
made in a small excavation on the hill
side which had been dug for the pur
pose OF reservoiring the waters OF q
spring Tor use in their prospecting
operations for gold with the rocker
While making the pit and cleaning Of
it's bottom, material OF different
character from anything they had be
fore found was encountered. Nothing
in its appearance, however, suggested
that there was sold in it, bu: the!
concluded TO run some OF il through
the rocker. The stuff was black ant
heavy and after washing couple o
bucketsft,I of it the apron of the rcci,
er Was found 10 be burdened wit.
glittering particles of gold and the.
realized that they had made strike
born On he apron also lodged con
siderable quantities OF rich, suiphre
OF silver, the despised black stuff
which hey considered worthless AM
which interfered witt, their collecting
the fine free gold particles. They wer
at a loss now to rid themselves OF il
Other miners visited the claim an
they were advised tc send some CT III
black stuff to California for assay
where It vas determ ned that il va
almost pure silver The assays wer
made al Nevada City, and the result
so aatonisned the assayer that he wa
unable 70 believe his own figures.
Then came the great rush from Ca
fOrr:a and elsewhere Many hume
reds Of millions OF dollars in both gel
and silver have since been taken iroI
the Co-ns:ock lode.
Mel augblin soon disposed OF hi
interest IN the mine for $500 whic
he ra Didly sauandered in dissipation
He afterwards worked as cook a
the different mines in the vicinity c
the Comstock and finally died penn
less while wandering from camp t
camp.
ORiiey held Oh 10 lis interest unit
it was worth $4,000, for which SIT
he sold, receiving part of his pay i
mining stock He started hotel i
Virginia City, called the Virginia HI
tel. spirit of speculation seize
him and through some deals IN r-iI
ing stocks he soon lost everything
He was an ardent spiritualist and III
der the directions of the spirits +
began the work OF driving tunnel il
to one Of the barren peaks Of the S
erras. telling his friends thta he wa
sure to find richer vein than tn
Comstock. While engaged in thi
work he became insane and finally
died in an asylum at Woodbridge. Ca
ifornia.
Cou,stock sold his interest in tn
mire for sIn.0G0. He then opened u
small uerchartile establishments {
Carson and Silver Ctty. Having n
education and being entirely ignorar
of business. it was only d question {