The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1922-10-27
REPORT MADE ON
ALPINE co. MINES

Alpine county district. and his re-
port. In part, Is as follows:
Allied to Nevada
with an area of 776 SQUARE miles
and less than 100 registered voters.
Alpine county is the least deyeloped
In the state. Placed as It is on the
summit and east slope of the Sierra
Nevada, 1t is geologically and geo.
graphically more closely allied to
Nevada than to California, and ex
cepf for few acres in Carson VAL
ley is everywhere made up of rug
ged mountains and deep canyons,
ranging from $50 feet on the floor
OF the valley at the state line to
peaks over 11,444 feet In height.
Grazing in the summer season is the
principal industry at present.
Mining began In 1861 with the dis
coyery OF silver ores, which induced
the belief that the county contained
a continuation of the Comstock belt.
Miners Hooked In from Virginia City
and other Nevada camps and boom
started that resulted In number of
ill-adsised mining ventures. The fail
ure OF these gave the county poor
reputation among mining people. This
handicap, apparently undeserved, has
not been overcome, due to the re-
moteness of the district and lack of a
resident population interested In the
development Of the county's resources.
Is Not Inaccessible
Alpine county Is reached from the
western side by four good dirt roads.
entering from Murphys, Jackson,
Placerviile and Truckee. the first
named going In over Ebbett's pass,
which has an elevation OF 5000 feet.
and the last two via Luther's pass,
elevation 500 feet, located a few
miles south of Lake Tahoe.
The nearest railroad point is Min
den, New. from which a good earth
road runs eighteen miles to Wood
fords. which is the junction with
roads from the west. Markleville,
the county seat. is twenty-four miles
from Minden, and is reached either
from Woodfords or by the Big Trees
road. which follows the east fork OF
the Carson river. The roads are we'll
kept up and the principal mines are
accessible by automobile.
Geology and Mineralogy
The granite forming the mountain
range Ia covered over a large area
and to undetermined depths by flows
OF andesite. Only one mine visited
showed rock of strictly sedimentary
origin. This is near the state line,
on the border of Carson Valley, where
a body OF white granular quartzite Is
claimed to carry gold. The main
andesite area covers the east central
part OF the county from the higher
submits to beyond the state line.
Lindgren points out that near Silver
Mountain the andesite shows a Sec
tion from 5000 to 1000 feet thick
Mining Development
THE principal mining development
and production has been In an area
about three miles square in the ande-
site, bounded on the east by the east
fork OF Carson river and extending
only a little south of Monitor creek
Besides this there has been consid-
cradle work and some production at
Silver mountain. Outside of these
areas only a little prospecting has
been done.
Growers Hot Springs, four miles
east of Markleville, and other hot
springs further north In Nevada.
mark the course of main north and
vicinity of this line have probably
given outlet to the heated water from
deep-seated resources. This water
rising through the andesite, has gao
linized the andesite and deposited
within It the ore-bodies associated
with quartz and chalcedony and In
some cases with manganese COM
pounds. Great outcrops of hard
rock. formed by the siliciflcation Of
andesite along the fracture zones
have been left standing by the sub
sequent erosion of the softer ande-
site and are an indication OF the
location OF the ore bodies which
occur below them. In some cases
these immense groupings themselves
carry gold and silver in narrow veins
OF sufficient richness to make ore of
workable width.
Secondary Enrichment
''The main sulphide ore bodies are,
however, irregular and without def
mite walls and show branching string
ers of high grade. Numerous geolo-
gists have considered It probable that
zones of secondary enrichment, car
rying larger and better ore bodies
than any yet mined. may be found
some distance deeper than any yet
reached. Just how deep this zone
will lie Is a matter of conjecture, but
estimates have ranged from $50 feet
to 500 feet below the lowest present
explorations.
THE first serious setback to min
ing here was experienced when It was
found that the ore was not amenable
In most cases to ordinary free milling
processes. Most of the early failures
were due to this. In the early years
Of mining only ores of the highest
grade could be shipped because Of
the expense of transportation, as 1t
had to be hauled across the noun
tains to Sacramento.
Large Copper Content