["H. D." (Henry DeGroot), Letter from the Washoe Mines, Sacramento Union, October 28, 1859]

 

LETTER FROM THE WASHOE MINES.

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[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

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SILVER HILL (Ophir Diggings), )

Nevada Territory, Oct. 22, 1859. )

            Having in my previous letter given you such information concerning the incoming immigration, now nearly over, as I thought might prove of interest, I proceed to send you a few items touching the mines and mining operations in this quarter. [This letter has not been received by us.— Eds. Union.] Before passing to this latter topic however I may remark that the overland immigration to California this season is, if not the heaviest, perhaps the most valuable, that has ever come into the State in any one year. The usual estimate 30,000—will hardly come up to the actual number. The amount of stock will also considerably exceed 100,000 head, as calculated by Greeley. The entire number that started across the plains probably reached 120,000 head ; of these 30,000, at least, have perished, most of them dying after they had arrived on the Humboldt, and many after they had reached this and the surrounding valleys. This great destruction has been effected by various diseases induced by dust, bad water, and other causes incident to the journey. Great numbers have died after escaping the perils of the plains and deserts, partly from feeding too freely on the coarse and abundant grass of the valleys on this side the mountains, and partly from diseases previously engendered. I have known as many as 20 die out of a herd of 200 in a single night—hence the air along the main lines of travel, as well as about the grassy bottoms and watering places, is perfectly pestilential with the effluvia of decaying carcasses, scores often being in sight from a single point of view. These losses have in many instances fallen heavily on the poorer class of immigrants, who, having fewer animals, have been compelled to work them, thereby exposing them to greater hardships, and consequently the owners to greater loss in proportion to their amount of stock. The immigration this year have experienced but little sickness—less, perhaps, than any prior season. A few killed by Indians, and an occasional death, generally resulting from disease contracted before starting, make up the mortality list of this year's immigration. Many, owing to loss of stock, and others, who, having started for Pike's Peak, had made insufficient provision for so long a journey, are coming in quite destitute ; yet the stimulus given to business by the late mining discoveries in this section secures ready employment to most of those desiring it, and thus few cases of actual suffering occur.

            In regard to the richness and extent of the mines hereabouts you doubtless hear many exaggerated stories. That a very rich lode of silver has been found at this point admits of no question. How extensive or lasting it will prove remains to be determined. As yet it has actually been traced but a few hundred feet, not more than five or six altogether. For this distance, however, it probably surpasses in richness anything recorded in the history of mining. Already many thousands of dollars have been taken from three or four excavations, neither of them hardly the size of an ordinary apartment. To convey to you some idea, however, of this locality and the surrounding districts, wherein hundreds of men are now prospecting, many of them with success, I will give you a brief description of its mining topography, with such additional remarks as may seem pertinent to the subject.

            By looking at Goddard's map of California you will see a place thereon designated "Gold Cañon." It is a small ravine, heading in what is termed the eastern summit of the Sierra Nevadas, and extends nine miles in a southeast direction to Carson river, which stream it touches at Chinatown, a mining hamlet twenty-five miles north of Genoa. At the mouth of this cañon is an extensive flat, on which more or less mining has been done every Spring since '52, gold having been discovered here as early as '49. For a year or two this flat and the ravine for several miles above paid good wages ; and they would have been extensively worked, being the first point on the immigrant trail where gold in paying quantities has been found, only that there was insufficient water, except in the Spring, for washing even with a rocker. Some seasons there is only for a short time enough for this, the total of wet weather in this region often amounting to less than a week throughout the entire year. Lately a small ditch has been completed, bringing water from Carson river, whereby some fifty or sixty men are secured steady employment Of this number about forty are Chinamen, who, having been here several years, and being the only people of this race on this side the mountains, are suffered, notwithstanding they occupy many of the best claims, to remain without molestation. They mostly work with rockers, and make two or three dollars a day to the man ; parties having sluices do better.

            Last Spring, some miners prospecting about the head of this cañon discovered around the base of a small rocky knoll a good deal of rich quartz. Into this eminence, since called Gold Hill, a large number of tunnels and cuts have been made, yielding great quantities of rich rock and pay dirt. The latter is washed in rockers, sufficient water being obtained from the excavations for this purpose. It has afforded good, and, in many instances, large wages. Part of the quartz is crushed on the spot in arastras, and part carried to Chinatown, eight miles below, where two mills have been erected on the river. One of these, owned by Logan &Holmes, consists of four stampers driven by horse power ; the other, a very substantial work, owned by Hastings, Woodworth & Co., is propelled by water. It operates arastras and crushes from five to six tons per day. The quartz reduced at these mills has yielded $40 to the ton. That crushed at the mines has generally proved richer. It is easily obtained, much of it being near the surface; and a good road having been constructed, two yoke of oxen will haul fifty hundred pounds to the mills per day. This road, on which a small toll is charged, has been built at a cost of $7,000, and is a great public convenience, at the same time that it promises to prove remunerative to the enterprising owners.

            A few months after the finding of this quartz at Gold Hill, a party, while working up a small gulch at the head of Six Mile Cañon, struck the vein of silver which has since proved so rich, and attracted so much attention. This ravine, which heads but a couple of miles north of, and runs nearly parallel with, Gold Cañon, is so called because it reaches the sage plains six miles below the latter. Some mining has been done along it for several years past. The gold obtained, however, has been of low standard value, being largely admixed with silver. The point where the silver lode was first struck, and where the rich ore is now being taken out, is situate one mile and a half north of Gold Hill, about half way up the side of the east summit of the Sierra, which here has a gentle slope, and at an elevation of about 2,000 feet above Carson river, from which it is distant, due west, eight miles.

            Since the discovery of silver at this point the locality has undergone various changes of name, which has led to some confusion in the public mind as to its exact position. After the happening of that important event, the place, being deemed worthy a name more significant of its promised wealth, was baptized "Ophir," by which term it is generally designated hereabouts to this day. At a meeting held on the spot some month or two since it was determined to call it Virginiatown," in honor of the original discoverer. Not that this was the veritable patronymic of that personage, or indicative of his immaculate virtue, but simply because he, happening to be a native of the "Old Dominion," had come to be generally known and designated as "Old Virginia." His real name is James Finny, and I regret to say that about the only benefit he is likely to realize from his famous discovery is the equivocal honor of having the spot named after his native State. Finny, not aware of the value of the lead when he came upon it, sold out his interest for $45, taking his pay in superannuated horseflesh and lightning whisky. The purchasers, consisting of six or eight persons, took up 400 feet of ground, and one of their number, being named Comstock, the mine afterwards came to be known as the "Comstock Lead." It has also been called the Washoe mine from the belief abroad that it was situated in the valley bearing that name. This, however, is not the case, the east summit of the Sierra, with a space of ten miles, being interposed between them. Lately I have heard the elevation upon which this mine is situated called "Silver Hill," a very beautiful and appropriate name, not only because of its significancy but also as contradistinguishing it from "Gold Hill" near by, and hence I have  adopted the term in this present writing.

            Having thus alluded to the origin of this discovery, and given to this celebrated spot "a local habitation and a name," I must reserve a farther description of it, as well as of the adjacent mineral districts, for a future occasion observing, in conclusion, that parties coming to this place from California will find the following the best routes for reaching it: Those starting from Stockton should come by way of the "Big Trees" — entire distance about 180 miles. Those starting from Sacramento or vicinity should come by Placerville and Lake valley — distance, 150 miles. Those starting from Marysville will take the Truckee route — distance something further than from Sacramento. Silver Hill is 30 miles north of Genoa ; 18 north of Carson City; 25 northeast of Lake Bigler ; 10 east of Washoe valley (25 by the wagon road) ; 10 north of Chinatown, and the same distance southeast of Steamboat valley, of all which localities I will have something to say in my subsequent letters.

H. D