The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-12-09
MEN WHO STAKED
THE CoMsToCK LODE
Original Locators Did Not Know Value
Of Dark Stuff

From the Reno Reveille.
The men who were finally recorded
in the notice Of location of the Ophir
mine, which virtually led to the set
Element of Nevada, and which pro-
duced tens of millions of dollars, were
Peter o,Riley and Patrick McLaugh-
lin, the original discoveries; II. I. +.
Comstock. E Penrod, now a resident
of Elko county, and J. A. Osborne.
The men named had one-sixth each
of 1,4O0 feet of ground on the lead,
and in addition Comstock and Penrod
had 100 feet segregated to them, max
ing 1900 feet taken up by the party.
The 100 feet of Comstock and Penrod,
though in the midst Of the ground, was
not reckoned as a part of the Ophir
claim, and was soon sold and worked
as a separate claim under the name of
the Mexican Spanish mine.
The rock from the Ophir was first
worked for the gold that was in it
the miners under Comstock throwing
away a heavy, dark stuff that bothered
them greatly.
The "heavy, dark stuff was al
most pure silver. Judge Walsh of
Grass Valley, Cal who was given a
sample by a friend, was the first to
discover its value. He lost no time
about doing business after he got to
the scene Of the fine. The sale is re
corded in the books uf the Virginia
mining village or settlement, known
rs Ophir, August IL, 1859. The fol-
lowing extract shows the amount to
be paid:
stFor and in consideration of $40
to me in hand paid, and for the fur
Their consideration of ten thousand nine
hundred and ninety-nine dollars to be
paid by James Walsh, according to
the terms and provisions of an obi
CATION executed by him to mi this
day, / have bargained and sold,' etc.
September 90, 1859, Pat McLaugh-
lin, one Of the discoveries, sold his
interest, one-sixth, in the Ophir mine
for $500.
Peter C'Riley, the other original To-
Gator, held on to his interest in the
mine longer than any other of the
original locators, and received for it
about SAC, 900, with back dividends
amounting to $4,000 or 81, 1000. Os-
borne received 81, 1000 for his ground.
v. A. H~ouseworth, the recorder at
Gold Hill, who had traded for a fourth
Of one-sixth interest in the mine, sold
that interest to Judge Walsh in Sep
TENDER, 1859. for S 3 1000. All these
men supposed at the time that they
were getting a big price for their in
terests in the mine They knew moth
ing about silver mines, and feared that
the deposit discovered might suddenly
sfpeter out"
November 80, 1859, E. Penrod sold
to Gabriel Maldonaldo, a Mexican
miner, his interest in the 100 feet of
ground segregated to himself and Com
stock at thn t;~e tho 0phir mne was
located.
The furnaces wo1ila hola aho'it efp
pounds Of orr each vet he ranN7
to melt out a considerable quantity 81
bullion-gold and silver mingled The
bullion, as it came from the furnace
was worth about 1925 per ounce. The
blast for the furnace was furnished y
means of a common blacksmith = bet
lows. 1t was a slow process. mad was
soon abandoned, though quite a mum
Der Of cases of bullion of considerable
value were shipped to San Frame see
during the time the furnaces were ii
operation.
The history of the locators of ths
first Comstock mine has been repea.es
a hundred times since-the mer W.,
cam in later were the men who got
the big prize.