The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1902-03-22
EUREKA DISTRICT.
What 1t Has Produced in the
Past.
It's Reserves Unlimited and Flu
ture Possibilities Bright.

The following article regarding Eureka
District 10 taken from the Pacific Coast
Miner Of March Is. 1t was written by
Charles L. Calkins, one Of the proprietors
Of that paper. who recently visited Eureka
and remained here several days gathering
data for the article in question. Several
half-tone Photographic, showing scenes in
Eureka in its earlier and more prosperous
days. also accompany che report in the
Miner :
EUREKA, EUREKA COUNTY.
Perohed mp in the foothills Of Prospect
Mountain. . spur of Diamond range. and
81 IN altitude Of $500 feet, rests the towD
Of Eureks. one Of the historical mining
camps Of the West and the trading center
of . district that has produced fabulous
weslth-in round numbers upwards Of
sl25. 600. 900 in silver. gold and lead. And
yet the two great mines, the Richmond
Con. and the Eureka Con-, still hold IN
known millions in their depths beneath the
water level.
Although to-day the Town has dwindled
to less than 1000 population. il was not so
many years back. say along from 70 to 'S2.
during her best period. she boosted . total
of ii, 900 souls, including those living round
about within . circle of . mile. Then there
were eight or ten reduction works in full
blast. principally shelters. among them be-
ing the Eureka Con-, the Richmond Con-.
the jackson, the tx. H." the Atlas, the
Hoosac, the Matamoras, the Lemon and
several others, each Of the smelling plants
having from two to four furnaces. The
Richmond and Eureka each had refining
plants and reduced custom ores also.
II is . matter Of common knowledge that
from 81 to '86. in . large open space near
the refinery of the Richmond Company,
above town, stood. piled up like cordwood.
. stack Of lead measuring eight feet high
by not less than 400 feet square. Daniel
Meyer, the San Francisco bank msguate,
had the handling of this. aud it was during
this period that Mr.. Meyer controlled the
lead market Of the world.
II was along in the latter part of the eos
that Eureka District was discovered, and in
20 the Eureka Con. hauled it's bullion from
Eureka to PAlisade. . distance Of sc miles,
by bull teams. The Eureka & Palissde
railroad was not completed until '77-78.
H DROPPING OF SILVER.
Reverting back to the dsstinies Of Eu-
reka. we find . rapid decline in her pros
perity with the dropping Of silver values
and the unwillingness of the Eureka and
Richmond Companies to venture their ex-
plorations below the water level to any ex-
tent. % explained else where. People lost
courage. and gradually the once famous
camp and district fell rapidly down the
grade, and many or nearly ell the leading
spirits Of the community sought new and
more promising fields.
PRINCIPAL OF SILVER.
For twenty-five years Eureka District
was the principal producer Of silver, gold
and lead ores in Nevada. Here has been
taken out approximately sl25, 900. 600
about one-third in gold. one-third in silver
and the balance in lead. Several companies
conducted smelling for . time. but the prin-
cipal ones were the Richmond Consolidated
and the Eureka Consolidated. For . quar-
ter of . century these two companies
smeltsd continuously. The ore was chiefly
. carbonate Of lead in . gsngus mainly Of
iron. The ore bodies generally carried gold
and silver in about the above proportions.
The ore contains sufficient iron, lime and
other ingredients or constituents that made
10, with the addition Of small quantities Of
silica, . fine smelling ore. Al the present
time the ores produced in this district are
much sought after by smelling companies
on recount Of their auxine qualities.
II is difficult to get 1t the exact amount
Of wealth produced by either the Rich
mond or the Eureka. but s25. 600. 900 for
each company is the approximate sssimsss
made by parties best acquainted with the
subject. Each IS credited with having di.
vidsd in profits about IS. 900. 900. and each
has now exhausted its mine to the water
level aud there ceased operations. No we'll
directed effort has been made BY either
company to explore to any depth below the
water line.
TO RESUME OPERATIONS.
At the present time . project 10 on foot
10 consolidate these two companies and re-
sumo operations on an extensive scale.
There is every reason to believe that ore
carrying higher values in both gold and sil-
yer will be found below the water level.
In the immense bodies Of carbonate ore
taken out and worked by these two CON-
punches of gslena ore we're very
frequently found surrounded BY the car
and in every instance contained
double and sometimes treble the value in
gold and silver over the carbonate surround