The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-06-26
STARTED ON
THE COMSTOCK--B
WITH SALARY CUTS

SAN FRANCISCO. June 2a-The
reorganization in the affairs of the
Comstock Code has been commenced
by wholesale cuts in salaries OF the
officials of the mines, in which Ed
ward b. Sturges, the Pennsylvania
coal operator, holds large interests
The directors of these companies
have authorized the cuts and they
will go into effect Immediately. The
companies which viii be affected are:
Andes, Sierra Nevada, Union Consol-
dated, Ophir, Mexican, Consolidated
Virginia, Savage, Chollar, POTASH,
Gould & Curry. Alpha, Bullion. Ju-
ian and Exchequer.
The total reduction in expenses Tor
the operation of these mines per year
will aggregate SIS, 900. in the cases
where one man is president of more
than one company his salary will be
cut to $50 a month. Proportion re-
auctions will be made in salaries of
all secretaries and superintendent
who act in those capacities for more
than one company.
When Sturges presented his plan
for reducing expenses the directors
unanimously approved of IL. The
movement Is regarded as being the
first step that has been taken In many
years to place the Comstock mines
upon business basis, and has met
with the heartiest approval.
Assistant secretaries of the compa
MES affected by the plan will be dis
missed July /.
While the salaries of the officials
will be materially lowered the wages
of the miners will not be altered. On
the other hand, Sturges recommend
ed giving the miners small per-
centage of the profits. The miners
will not be required to work more
than six days each week, the mines
all being shut down on Sundays.
1t is the plan of Sturges and his as
sociates In the management of the
Comstock mines 10 spend as much
money underground as possible, while
saving il above. The impression is
gaining ground that before long the
eastern people who have been slowly
getting back into the Comstocks in
connection with the holdings of the
Leonard family of New York will
practically control the affairs of the
lode.
The drainage of the Comstock
mines 25 years ago, which was then
the most expensive item connected
with the mining operations, was ac-
complished by pumping plaLt the
moving parts of which weighed c.
10000 pounds. This enormous
weight was raised and lowered 10
feet none times IA minute. In the
Cornish system of pumps then In
use two miles of pump rod were en-
ployed, which, with the balance hobs,
pumps and moving parts. actually
weighed 1880 pounds for every gall
lon of water raised. A train of cars
nearly a mile long would be required
to transport this machinery.
The abandoned pumps, not includ-
ing foundations, installation or
freight, cost about 81 100000. Their
maximum pumping capacity all told
was less than 5 400 gallons minute
raised to an average height of 1,152
feet. The cost of operating this
plant was about $5S.120 month, or
0697, 440 year. This did not in
clude the cost of broken parts, but
represented daily operating expenses
for pumping alone. One would think
that such plant could pump the
ocean dry, but 1t could not handle the
water of the Comstock lode. The old
records show that in almost every in
stance where any extensive prospect
ing work was tried on the lower lev
els, heavy flows of water were en-
countered.
In February. 1882. heavy flow of
water from the 2,S16 foot level of
the Exchequer mine. estimated at
100 miners inches. flooded the lower
levels The pumps were run to their
full canacifY hut the water still rose