November 15, 2011

Nevada's Online State News Journal

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Nevada History:

 [J. M., Letter from White Pine, Alta California, August 11, 1869]

LETTER FROM WHITE PINE.

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[FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE ALTA.]

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The Cause of the Present Depression — Interesting Discoveries — Sanguine Hopes.

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TREASURE CITY, August 6th, 1869.

            Editors Alta: The whole of White Pine has in San Francisco been for some time at a considerable discount, and this for very legitimate reasons. When I was here first, in February, mines, ledges and indications were all sold alike; if a small piece taken from a ledge paid by assay $100, it was sold readily for $4,000 to $6,000; the purchasers did not look at the quality of the ore and as to how it could be worked, but only if silver was there. But now comes the sober-sense reaction, and many find that the ores cost as much to get out the silver as they contain, and as a general thing they stop working them and let them be idle, and condemn the country or district — which they will find is after all not so very bad or poor. I will not go into detail of this whole mining district, but only mention that part of the Base Metal Range where many San Francisco people are interested, and nearly all are waiting for something to come out without putting in another dollar. This class of people think that silver must be obtained like gold in the placers of California, but they are even too comfortable to hunt for that.

            I am interested in many mines, and I must confess that in those incorporated it is the most difficult thing to get them to do anything at all in the shape of developing them. I advised, for instance, the Germania Consolidated Mining Company to spend $500 on every of their four mines, and then keep on to work on the best one they have. They would not do it; but send the most impracticable men I ever saw to work on those mines to open them. Of course they could find nothing. Now they have a man as Superintendent, at a high salary, who says he is an expert, and condemns the whole Base Metal Range. A few days ago, to my surprise, he handed me one of the finest pieces of gray copper ore I ever saw, which he had just discovered when the man finished the work of sinking fifty feet. I firmly believe that a finer specimen of that class of ore has not yet been discovered in White Pine District, or within fifty miles around it, and only at a depth of fifty feet. The ore contains over 60 per cent. of copper, and the quantity of silver I have not yet determined, but I am willing to buy all the mine produces at the dump for $100 per ton. The name of this mine is the Davidis, which is close to the Miser's Dream Mine. This mine has always been considered by outsiders the biggest lead mine in the District. Every one else but the shareholders had confidence in it, and now after they run in a tunnel of not more than fifty feet they have struck ore far more valuable than I am at present allowed to say, and I only mention these as facts, that if the mine owners employ the right kind of men to open the hundreds of ledges which lay idle here and sink on them, most of them who have ledges here will not only get their money back but also earn handsome profits. If they only keep away bar and store keepers from the superintending, White Pine will be able to redeem every dollar that came from California before six months are over.

            I send you a piece of the ore above-mentioned, as one of the latest and most important discoveries of this District.

J. M.