CHAPTER IX.
DISCOVERY OF SILVER IN NEVADA, AND UNITED STATES GOLD AND SILVER STATISTICS.
Separated from California by the snowy chain of the Sierra, the State of Nevada has been celebrated, since 1860, for its silver mining. In November, 1859, the news of the discovery of silver mines near Lake Washoe was confirmed at San Francisco; and in June, 1860, the mines of Washoe, the central western portion of the State, had already sent such rich results to Europe, that the French Ministers of Finance and Commerce despatched a mining engineer to Nevada to make a close inspection of these wonderful mines. It seemed as if the world were about to be inundated with silver, as it had been by gold ten years previously; and what would those economists now say, who had only recently counselled that the value of gold coin should be lowered or that gold should be demonetized on account of the disturbed relation of these precious metals--the bases of the standard of payment throughout the world generally. Whilst the French engineer visited Nevada and prepared his report, the miners of Washoe continued working their veins of metal. At the present time, 1881, the mines on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada annually produce about $12,500,000 of silver, chiefly from the Comstock lode; the total yield of gold from the quartz mines of California is about $17,000,000 per annum. The Comstock lode, in the State of Nevada, may be ranked among the most productive metalliferous deposits ever encountered in the history of mining enterprise; its productive capacity, as now being developed, surpassing, if the mass of its ores do not in richness equal, those of the most famous mines of Mexico and Peru.
The known limits of this lode cover a space of 22,546 feet in a nearly due north and south direction (magnetic). The variation of the needle in that locality is 16½ degrees east. Upon this extensive seat of metalliferous deposits, the mines are divided into three groups: the Virginia Group, seventeen mines, with claims of 13,549⅓ feet; Gold Hill Group, nine mines, of 6,397¼ feet; American Flat Group, three mines, of 2,600 feet. The three groups of twenty-nine mines thus occupy a total length on the lode of 22,546 feet. The Comstock lode was discovered in 1859, by a pit sunk for a water hole on the ground of the Ophir mine; milling the ore began in October of the same year, but the amount of bullion taken out in 1860 is estimated at but $100,000. Since then the Comstock has become the greatest gold and silver mine in the world. To the end of 1878 the yield was estimated at $291,162,205, as follows: From 1860 to 1870 inclusive, of gold and silver together, unclassified, $102,466,240; 1871 to 1878 inclusive, gold, $88,691,498, silver, $91,278,623; 1877 and 1878, gold and silver, unclassified, $1,725,844. Making allowance for the loss by slimes and tailings, the gross contents of the lode as worked up to 1878 are estimated at $363,961,205. About 6,500,000 tons of ore have been extracted in this time, which a good authority estimates of an average value to the company of $45 per ton of 2,000 pounds.[5]
ANNUAL PRODUCTION of GOLD and SILVER in the UNITED STATES from 1853 to 1880, inclusive.
[From the Reports of the Director of the Mint.]
+-------------------------+------------ | PRODUCTION. | YEAR. +------------+------------+ TOTAL. | Gold. | Silver. | -------+------------+------------+------------ | _Dollars._ | _Dollars._ | _Dollars._ 1853 | 65,000,000 | | 65,000,000 1854 | 60,000,000 | | 60,000,000 1855 | 55,000,000 | | 55,000,000 1856 | 55,000,000 | | 55,000,000 1857 | 55,000,000 | | 55,000,000 1858 | 50,000,000 | 500,000 | 50,500,000 1859 | 50,000,000 | 100,000 | 50,100,000 1860 | 46,000,000 | 150,000 | 46,150,000 1861 | 43,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 45,000,000 1862 | 39,200,000 | 4,500,000 | 43,700,000 1863 | 40,000,000 | 8,500,000 | 48,500,000 1864 | 46,100,000 | 11,000,000 | 57,100,000 1865 | 53,225,000 | 11,250,000 | 64,475,000 1866 | 53,500,000 | 10,000,000 | 63,500,000 1867 | 51,725,000 | 13,500,000 | 65,225,000 1868 | 48,000,000 | 12,000,000 | 60,000,000 1869 | 49,500,000 | 12,000,000 | 61,500,000 1870 | 50,000,000 | 16,000,000 | 66,000,000 1871 | 43,500,000 | 23,000,000 | 66,500,000 1872 | 36,000,000 | 28,750,000 | 64,750,000 1873 | 36,000,000 | 35,750,000 | 71,750,000 1874 | 40,000,000 | 32,000,000 | 72,000,000 1875 | 40,000,000 | 32,000,000 | 72,000,000 1876 | 46,750,000 | 38,500,000 | 85,250,000 1877 | 45,100,000 | 38,950,000 | 84,050,000 1878 | 50,000,000 | 49,000,000 | 99,000,000 1879 | 38,900,000 | 40,812,000 | 79,712,000 1880 | 36,000,000 | 37,700,000 | 73,700,000 -------+------------+------------+------------
The consumption of Gold and Silver in the Arts and Manufactures from 1874 to 1879, inclusive, in the United States, was estimated by the Director of the Mint, in 1879, as follows:
+------------+------------ YEAR. | Gold. | Silver. -------+------------+------------ 1874 | $4,578,328 | $4,406,560 1875 | 5,382,098 | 4,237,841 1876 | 4,153,184 | 3,812,018 1877 | 3,687,192 | 3,774,240 1878 | 5,078,701 | 5,210,152 1879 | 3,899,125 | 5,977,300 -------+------------+------------
INDEX.
PAGE
Acid or alum springs, 109
Agate, 20, 21 localities, 21 value, 20
Alleghenies, 14
Alum, 21 localities, 21, 22 springs, 109 value, 21
American Flat group, silver mines, 136
Amethyst, 22 false, how made, 117 localities, 22 value, 22
Anthracite, 22, 23 localities, 23 value, 23
Antimony ore, 23, 24 localities, 23 value, 23
Artesian Wells, 111, 112
Artificial gold, how made, 125 jewelry, how made and detected, 114-125
Asbestus, 24 localities, 24 value, 24
Asphaltum, 24, 25 localities, 25 value, 25
Assay of copper ore, 100-102 gold ore, 95-98 iron ore, 102 lead ore, 103, 104 ores, 92-104 silver ore, 99, 100 tin ore, 102, 103 zinc ore, 102
Atlantic coast, 14
Azurite, 25 localities, 25 smelting, 101 value, 25
Baryta, localities, 26 or heavy spar, 26 value, 26
Bidwell, John, 130-132
Bituminous coal, 27 localities, 27 region, 14
Blende, 27, 28 localities, 28 value, 28
Blowpipe, 17
Bog iron ore, 29 localities, 29 value, 29
Boring, 83
Brazil, diamonds in, 84
Bristol stones, 114
Brittle silver ore, 30 localities, 30 value, 30
Brown coal, 30 localities, 30 value, 30
Brown Hematite or Limonite, 56, 57
Calamine, 31 localities, 31 value, 31
California diamonds, 114 discovery of gold in, 127-133
Cannel coal, 31, 32 localities, 32 value, 32
Cape May diamonds, 114
Carbonated or gas spring, 106, 107
Carnelian, 32 false, how made, 117 localities, 32 value, 32
Celestine, 32, 33 localities, 33 value, 33
Cerussite, 33 and Galena, reduction of, 103 localities, 33 value, 33
Chalybeate or iron springs, 107, 108
Chromic iron, 34 localities, 34 value, 34
Cinabar, 34, 35 localities, 35 value, 35
Clear Creek, Cal., gold in, 132
Coal, anthracite, 22 bituminous, 27 brown, 30 cannel, 31, 32
Cobalt pyrites, 35 localities, 33 value, 35
Coloma, Cal., discovery of gold there, 127
Colorado silver lodes, 89
Colors, distinction of minerals by, 12
Comstock Lode, 135-137 gold and silver produced from, 136, 137
Connecticut river valley, 14
Copper, 36 glauce, 36 localities, 36 value, 36 gray copper ore, assaying, 101 localities, 36 nickel, 37 localities, 37 value, 37 ore, assay of, 100-102 gray, 51 red, 65 red, assaying, 101 variegated, 78 ores, test for silver, 99 testing, 100-102 silver in, 101 percentage of in ores, which will pay, 101 pyrites, 37, 38, 90 localities, 38 smelting, 101 value, 38 searching for, 90 seldom in new formations, 90 silicate of, 70 smelting, 101 value, 36 where found, 14, 90
Corals, false, how made, 124
Descriptive list of useful minerals, 20-80
Diamond, 41 estimation of the value of, 86 imperfections of, 86 localities, 41 value, 41
Diamonds, characteristics of, 85, 86 colors of, 83 finest, 84 in Brazil, 84 in their native state, 83 mode of discovering in Brazil, 84 prospecting for, 83-87 where found, 87
Directions for determining specimens by the key, 15-19
Discovery of silver in Nevada, 134-137
Effervescence in minerals, 12
Eliason, Mr., 133
Emerald, false, how made, 116 to test, 118
Emery, 41, 42 localities, 42 value, 42
Epsom springs, 109, 110
False amethyst, how made, 117 carnelian, how made, 117 corals, how made, 124
False emerald, how made, 116 opal, how made, 117 pearls, how made, 124 ruby, how made, 116 sapphire, how made, 116 topaz, how made, 116
Feather river, Cal., gold in, 132
Fluor spar, 42 localities, 42 value, 42
Franklinite, 43 localities, 43 value, 43
Galena, 43, 44 and Cerussite, reduction of, 103 localities, 44 purest specimens poorest in silver, 91 value, 43
Garnet, 44, 45 localities, 45 the heaviest of gems, 118 to test, 118 value, 45
Gas springs, 106, 107
Gems, to test by weighing in water, 118 true and false, how to distinguish, 117-124
Glass, minerals which will not scratch, 16, 19 minerals which will scratch, 15, 18
Gold, 46-50 and platinum, washing for, 94, 95 and silver consumed in the arts in the United States, 137, 138 and silver, production of the United States, 137, 138 and silver where they abound, 14 artificial, how made, 125 bearing rock, 88 bearing sands, 88 extraction of, 93 Hill group, silver mines, 136 how distinguished, 89 imitation, how to detect, 125 in California, discovery of, 127-133 in California, first announcement of discovery, 132 in quartz rock, to find the amount of, 98 localities, 46-50 mine first worked in the United States, 133 ore, assay of, 95-98 searching for, 87-89 substances mistaken for, 89 testing any substance supposed to contain, 97 to separate from silver, 97 to test the purity of, 98 where found, 87-89
Granite regions, 14
Graphite, 50, 51 localities, 50, 51 to test the purity of, 104 value, 50
Gravity, mode of determination of, 12
Gray copper ore, 51 localities, 51 value, 51
Gypsum, 14, 52 localities, 52 value, 52
Heavy spar or baryta, 26
Hematite, brown, 56, 57
Horizontal beds, 82
Horn silver, 53 localities, 53 value, 53
Humphrey, Isaac, 128
Indications for minerals, 81
Irish Diamond, 114
Iron, chromic, 34 how it occurs, 94 ore, 14 assay of, 102 bog, 29 brown hematite, 56, 57 lenticular, 56 magnetic, 57, 58 magnetic, found by the compass, 91 micaceous, 62 red hematite, 65, 66 specular, 73, 74 pyrites, 53, 54 localities, 54 value, 53, 54 searching for, 91 spathic, 73 springs, 107, 108 testing minerals for, 91
Jackson, Captain Wm., 133
Jasper, 54 localities, 55 value, 55
Jewelry, artificial, how made and detected, 114-125
Kaolin, 55, 56 localities, 55 value, 55
Lead ore, assay of, 103, 104 to detect silver in, 99 searching for, 90 veins, thickest, 91 where found, 90
Lenticular iron ore, 56 localities, 56 value, 56
Limestone regions, 14
Limonite or brown hematite, 56, 57 localities, 57 value, 57
Magnesian springs, 109, 110
Magnetic, 12 iron ore, 57, 58 found by the compass, 91 localities, 58 value, 58 pyrites, 58, 59 localities, 59 value, 59
Malachite, 59, 60, 101 localities, 59, 60 value, 59
Manganese, oxyd of, 63, 64 spar, 60 localities, 60 value, 60
Marble, 60, 61 localities, 61 regions, 14
Marshall, Jas. W., discovery of gold in California by, 127-131
Metals, found near their source, 82 how they occur, 94
Mica, 61, 62 localities, 62 value, 62
Micaceous iron ore, 62 localities, 62 value, 62
Mineral riches, how discovered, 81 springs, 105-112 location of, 105 no indications of ores, 83 what are they, 105
Minerals as a source of our nation’s wealth, 9 descriptive list of, 20-80 regions which offer best inducements to search for, 14 sections of the United States, richest in, 14 species in the United States, how many, 11 specific gravity of, 12, 13 useful in the United States, 11 which will not scratch glass, 16, 19 which will scratch glass 15, 18
Mississippi Valley, 14
Money in the rocks, 9
Nickel, copper, 37
Nitre, 63 localities, 63 value, 63
Nodules, 82
Ochres, 91
Oil wells, 112, 113
Opal, false, how made, 117 the softest of colored gems, 118
Opaque minerals, 12
Ore on a hillside, indications of, 82 veins generally vertical, 82 when it will pay, 92
Ores, assay of, 92-104 minimum percentages of metal in which will pay, 93
Oxyd of Manganese, 63, 64
Pacific coast, 14
Panning, 94, 95
Paris brilliants, 114
Pastes, composition of, 115
Pearls, false, how made, 124
Platinum, 64 localities, 64 value, 64 washing for, 94, 95
Pockets, 82
Precious stones, color and order of hardness, 126
Prospecting for diamonds, 83-87
Pyrites, iron, 53, 54 cobalt, 35 copper, 37, 38, 90 magnetic, 58, 59 testing for gold, 96 yield of gold by, 97
Quartz mining in California, commencement of, 133 ores, yield of, 96 rock, to find the amount of gold in, 98 testing for gold, 95, 96
Quicksilver, use of in assaying, 96
Reading, Pearson B., 131
Read mine, first gold mine worked in United States, 133
Red copper ore, 65 localities, 65 value, 65 hematite, 65, 66 localities, 66 value, 65 silver ore, 66 localities, 66 value, 66
Rennselaerite, 67 localities, 67 value, 67
River sand, worth working for gold, 98
Rock crystal, 67 localities, 67 value, 67 salt, 68 localities, 68 suspected of containing silver, treatment of, 89
Rocky mountains, 14
Ruby, characteristics of, 85 false, how made, 116 spinel, 74 to test, 118, 123
Russia, gold how obtained in, 94
Rutile, 68 localities, 68 value, 68
Saline or salt springs, 109, 110
Salt springs, 110
Sapphire, false, how made, 116 the hardest of colored gems, 118 to test, 118
Searching for copper, 90 diamonds, 83-87 gold, 87-89 iron, 91 lead, 90 silver, 89, 90
Serpentine, 69 localities, 69 value, 69
Shaft, cost of sinking, 83
Silicate of copper, 70 localities, 70 smelting, 101 value, 70
Silver, 70, 71 and gold, consumption in the arts in the United States, 137, 138 and gold, production of the United States, 137, 138 glance, 71 localities, 71 reducing, 100 value, 71 horn, 53 in copper ores, 101 in lead and copper ores, 99 in lead ore, to detect, 99 to estimate the proportion of, 99, 100 in Nevada, 134-137 localities, 70 native gold in, 97 ore, assay of, 99, 100 brittle, 30 red, 66 ores, rich reduction of, 100 pure easily recognized, 99 searching for, 80, 90 to test a globule of for gold, 97 to test copper ores for, 99 where found, 89
Slate regions, 14
Smaltine, 72 localities, 72 value, 72
Smithsonite, 72 localities, 72 value, 72
Spar manganese, 60
Spathic iron, 73 localities, 73 value, 73
Specific gravity, mode of determination of, 12, 13
Specular iron ore, 73, 74 localities, 74 value, 74
Spinel ruby, 74 localities, 74 value, 74
Steatite, 75 localities, 75 value, 75
Stones, precious, color and order of hardness, 126
Strass for making false jewels, 115
Strontianite, 75, 76 localities, 76 value, 76
Sulphur, 76 localities, 76 springs, 108, 109
Testing minerals, 15-19
Thermal springs, 110, 111
Tin ore, 76, 77 assay of, 102, 103 localities, 77 value, 76 presence of, testing for, 103
Topaz, 77 characteristics of, 85 false, how made, 116 localities, 77 to test, 118, 120, 123 value, 77
Tourmaline, 77 localities, 77 to test, 123 value, 77
Translucent minerals, 12
Trap regions, 14
True and false gems, how to distinguish, 117-124
United States, consumption of gold and silver in the arts, 137, 138 gold and silver statistics of, 137, 138
Useful minerals, descriptive list of, 20-80 in the United States 11
Valuable minerals disguised, 10
Variegated copper ore, 78 localities, 78 value, 78
Veins, lodes and beds most valuable, 82
Virginia group, silver mines, 136
Wad, 78, 79 localities, 79 value, 78
Warm springs, 110, 111
Washing for gold and platinum, 94, 95
Washoe lake, silver mines near, 134
Wells, artesian, 111, 112
Willemite, 79 localities, 79 value, 79
Zincite, 79, 80 localities, 80 value, 79
Zinc ore, assay of, 102
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The useful rocks, as granite, slate, sandstone, water-lime, etc., are not included. By “granite region” is meant one having rocks like New England, and therefore unlike Western New York or Illinois.
[2] That is, they are not so easily cut with a knife; they do not necessarily scratch marble.
[3] Only the best known localities in the United States are given. For these we are indebted mainly to Professor Dana’s great work on Mineralogy.
[4] From Simonin’s “_Underground Life_,” page 346.
[5] Church. The Comstock Lode, its Formation and History, N. Y., 1879, pp. 1-5.