The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-03-09
COMSTOCK COMES BACK
OLD MINES REOPENED
SHOWS 1T Is FOOLISH SOME
TIMES TO BRAND MINING
CAMP AS DEAD.

| ]. H. Parish, writing in the San
Francisco News Bureau, gives the fol-
lowing bit of Comstock history that
will be read with interest by many
old timers:
The raven-like cry of never more
has been repeated so often in the his
tory of the Comstock that it Is singu
larly strange 1t is given credence In
the dark days of 1856 and 1870 those
owning the bulk of the stock in which
the leading Comstock mines we're then
divided, were on the point of throwing
the whole thing up or transferring
their interests to English capitalists
for a nominal sum, but this was
changed by the uncovering of large
ore deposit in Crown Point and Belcher
mines below the depths to which they
were then opened. This discovery rev.
olutionized the general situation and
the deep mining theory was strength
ened by the large value of metal Sc
cured from the two mines. This en-
enlargement brought about more ac-
tive prospecting on the lode and led up
to uncovering the large bonanza in
Consolidated Virginia that startled the
world in it's richness and large ore
production which caused European ma
TONS particularly Germany, to send
experts to examine and report on the
district.
Always Found Ore.
Since then there were several dark
years in the history If the mn.es, but
they in turn were dispeieu by large
ore developments, but the longest con-
tinued spell followed the 1880 deal
when Consolidated Virginia's shares
were at over $50 per share and shares
in other mines brought good prices, all
selling for dollars per share and not
cents per share, as they are now and
the outlook at this time is of far
more encouraging character than at
any time in the districts history, and
two mines, Union and Sierra Nevada,
good ore producers and deep mining
an established fact and introduction of
modern methods of mining and in
stalling powerful pumps that can con-
troll the largest flow of water, the
fears entertained, and rightly SO, too,
by the early day miner Of being drown
ed by hot water are no longer felt
Brought Mackay Back.
AS an instance the writer, when on
the Mining and Scientific Press, gave
publicity to strike made under the
management of the late Senator Fair
| in Sierra Nevada, on the 2700-foot
level through the Sierra Nevada east
Wine Mr.. Fair was greatly encour-
aged by it and claimed that it would
lead up to another bonanza. The
strike brought Mr.. Maclay back from
Europe to the Comstock. The shares
Of the mines advanced to $37 or over
per share. So far as the writer could
learn, the find was not developed, for
at that time they had only donkey
pumps and no large flow of water
could be handled, the striking Of which
would drown the miners before they
could escape. This strike can now be
followed up when the 27O0-foot Level
questionably find its continuation on
levels above and below, not only in
that mine but in adjoining ones which |
can be- and will be, opened up on all |
the levels from the 2000-foot down |
when the Union shaft is reopened |
This work is being pushed to compile
ton as fast as possible, so say advices.
Ore extraction and milling has been
resumed in the upper levels of Ophir
and through Central tunnel, as it is by
Andes.
Pumping Out Old Workings.
From the Sturges mines-Crown
Point, Belcher and Yellow Jacket
comes the important information that
the large centrifugal sinking pumps
will in a day or two be in operation, il
not already, in the winze for the first
time since the two pumps were sub
merged over year ago, following the
ire in the incline. These pumps are
said to be of a powerful make, and
when again in operation will unwater
he 1900 and 1S00-foot levels where
arge deposits of good milling ore are
Known which extend into Seq. Belcher.
The unwatering to the 1SOO-foot level
win bring the mines in the Gold Hill
md Southend into prominence, but
his may not be before well into the
summer months With these brought
o the front in the natural order of
vents the middle group of mines
'ught to and doubtless will receive at
ention and the Combination shaft be
lnwatered. This shaft, the writer has
It all times, and still maintains, is the