[Letter from Nye County (Nev.), Sacramento Union, September 30, 1865]

 

LETTER FROM NYE COUNTY (NEV.)

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[CORRESPONDENCE OF THE UNION.]

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Twin River, Nye county (Nev.), Sept. 15, 1865.

Twin River District — Its Situation.

            This district, just now attracting more notice than any other in the State, is situated on the eastern slope of the Toiyabe mountains, about fifty-five miles south of Austin and twenty east of Ione. The mountains in this neighborhood are exceedingly rugged, having an altitude of some four thousand feet above the adjacent valleys, and eight or nine thousand above the level of the sea ; their eastern face, looking out upon Big Smoky Valley, being cut at short intervals by deep and precipitous ravines. On the east they have the Big Smoky, and on the west the less extensive Reese River Valley. The general course of the Toiyabe range is north and south. They may be said to commence in the Cortes district, sixty miles north of Austin, and to extend to the head of Reese river — a distance of one hundred and fifty miles — and to have an average width over their crest, from base to base, of fifteen miles. It is a noticeable fact that the mountain chains stretching across this country, have an average width, measured in the above manner, just about equal to that of the several valleys that separate them from each other — the whole alternating with much regularity in this the central portion or the State. The Twin River district reaches from the Blue Spring district, on the north, to that of the Hot Springs, on the south, some eight or ten miles, its extent from east to west being from Smoky Valley to the summit of the mountains, a distance of five or six miles, the eastern declivity of the range at this point being very steep, and by far the most broken and craggy of anything in this section of country. On the western slope of the Toiyabe, opposite Twin river, is the Marysville district, in which but little has ever been done, there being but few ledges, and at present not more than half a dozen people in it.

Discovery and First Settlement.

            The discovery of the mines in the Twin River district was made by Henry Boulerand, a Frenchman, who, coming in here two years ago last August, found and located a number of ledges in what is known as the Ophir Canyon, where he, at that time, built himself a cabin, and has since continued to reside. This man is a marvel of courage, perseverance and industry, having since his advent in this wild region, without any companion or aid from others, run a tunnel upon one of his claims over a hundred feet in length, sunk a shaft thirty-five feet, from the bottom of which he has drifted forty-five feet, besides doing a large amount of labor on several other ledges, not to speak of a fine garden he has cultivated, the trail he has cut, and other miscellaneous work performed meantime. That a single person should have accomplished all this with no one to help him seems incredible, yet Boulerand's work speaks for itself, and it is well known that he had been all the time quite alone. For the first year he scarcely saw a white man, the Murphy party, the first to follow him into this region, arriving in the latter part of the Summer of 1864. In prosecuting the work upon his ledges much blasting was necessary, and on one occasion our hero was blown up by a premature blast, and so badly hurt that for weeks he could not leave his cabin. He was entirely alone at the time, and had to bind up his mangled limbs with his own hand, no white man visiting him for several days after. Boulerand is now getting along very comfortably, having a good cabin, blacksmith's shop and garden, all his own property, besides owning largely in several of the best looking ledges in the district. When the Murphy party located the ledge bearing his name, and which has since developed into the splendid mine lately sold for so much money, Boulerand laid claim to it, whereupon the newcomers, desirous of avoiding any conflict of title and willing to act fairly, agreed to give him $4,000 to relinquish his interests, which he accordingly did, the money having since been paid over to him. Not until during the early part of last Winter was the great value of the Murphy ledge ascertained, and very few miners were drawn to the district until the present Summer, in the course of which a good deal of prospecting has been done, resulting in the discovery of several other lodes of even greater apparent value than the Murphy, and leading to the prevailing excitement in regard to this district. There is now quite a numerous population here, most of whom, however, are prospectors, scattered over the country, the principal camp being on Ophir Canyon, in the vicinity of the Murphy mine.

The Mines of Twin River — The Murphy.

            The ledges in this district, unlike those about Austin, are huge, many of then of enormous dimensions, varying in width from ten to one hundred feet, and cropping out in immense reefs of quartz visible for several miles. Their general strike is north and south, their dip being to the east at an angle varying from sixty to eighty degrees. The ledges are nearly pure quarts, very rarely mixed with porphyry, slate or other foreign rock, though frequently much burnt and discolored. The croppings elsewhere carry a small percentage of silver, but are not rich, the surface rock of the Murphy ledge not having assayed more than sixteen or eighteen dollars to the ton. The croppings generally, however, go better than this, running from twenty to one hundred dollars to the ton. The Murphy, in its original condition, was a ledge of as little promise as almost any in the district, the surface ore being, as stated, of a very low grade ; and even the earliest crushings not indicating the wealth struck a little further down. This claim, consisting of one thousand feet, begins at the center of Ophir canyon, one of the deep gorges that here cut the sides of the mountain to a depth of two or three thousand feet, whence it runs north up the side of the canyon. All the work yet performed is at the extreme south end, where an open cut running lengthwise the ledge has been carried in about forty feet, laying it open to a depth of twenty feet, together with a shaft sunk a short distance to the east of this cut, striking the ledge forty-five feet beneath the surface. After breaking out some three or four feet of the top rock a band of sulphuretted ore three feet wide was struck lying next to the hanging wall, about one-half of which has proved millable ore — that is ore found to work up to $200 to the ton, the balance yielding perhaps half that amount. This streak of ore is well shaped and compact, reaches the entire length of the open cut, growing richer and larger as developed downward, and being more than a hundred per cent better where struck in the shaft than on top. But little money has yet been expended on this mine, the ore extracted having netted the owners handsome profits after paying all expenses. About one hundred tons of ore have been sent to Austin for reduction, the average yield of which, it is understood, has been $200 to the ton. For want of a wagon road the ore has so far been packed on mules to the mouth of the canyon, some two miles, whence it is taken on wagons to the mill, the road for the balance of the way being a very fine one. Quite recently this mine has been sold to R. B. Canfield, agent of Eastern capitalists, the original owners receiving $50,000 cash in gold, and retaining one-fifth interest in the mine and in all improvements made by the purchasers, who obligate themselves to put up forthwith a large first-class mill, with other betterments, their entire expenditures on and about the property amounting to a very large sum. Already they have commenced building a road over the mountain into Reese River Valley, and taken other measures looking to a vigorous prosecution of business.

Other Promising Mines.

            There are in this district a large number of ledges, most of them within a short distance of the Murphy, that, judging from external appearance, will prove, upon development, to be quite as valuable as it. Many of them are larger and prospect much more favorably, a few having been further proved by working tests, and establishing a much better showing thus far than the Murphy did under early trials. With such results the owners are of course highly elated, and refuse what a few months ago would have been considered very eligible offers for their grounds. Among the really fine looking and quite certain to prove good mines here, the Ophir (mostly owned by Boulerand), the Napoleon, Leviathan, York State, Mammoth and La Belle France, all in the same canyon with the Murphy, are regarded as in the first class. In the next canyon south, known as Last Chance, the Sargent, Getana, Vanderbilt, Diadem, Hercules, George Law, Andy Johnson and Northern Light claim precedence in popular estimation, though it is quite probable there are others equally good, though less talked of because less known. On all the above, as well as several others, work is being prosecuted, and in some cases workable ores are already being taken out in considerable quantity. The fame of Twin River having spread abroad, there are now here quite a good many agents of Eastern capitalists desirous of purchasing such mines as are exhibiting satisfactory signs of value, and almost every day we hear of bargains being struck or of progress made in pending negotiations. But there is in all this nothing like fancy operating or speculation. This is all dead enough here, at least for the present. These men are here to get hold of really good leads, which they buy with a view to working as a permanent investment. This is so generally understood, and as mines of this character are not every day to be met with, those who happen to be so fortunate as to own them hold on to them with considerable tenacity.

Twin River District —Why so Called.

            As the name borne by this district may to some appear singular, it may perhaps gratify them to know why it was so called. The reason was this : There is in the southern part of the district, and about three miles south of Ophir Canyon, two very deep ravines, running  parallel to and quite near each other. Through each of these flows a large stream of water, which, after running for some distance but a little way apart, finally unite, forming one stream, hence the name Twin River, given to it by Fremont, who, in one of his expeditions, crossed it in his passage along the west side  of Smoky Valley. Only in arid and desert regions like  this would these creeks be dignified with the name of river, they being simply mountain streams that it  would be considered no great feat of agility to leap across at their widest parts. Twin river, after receiving the united volume of its tributaries, is no where more than three or four feet wide and a foot and a half deep, though it carries a considerable body of water, its current being very swift. Like all these mountain streams, the water is pure and cold — being particularly so, as upon some of the peaks about its sources snow lies all Summer. Another peculiarity of this stream consists in its flowing for a mile or more out upon the plain before it sinks ; nearly all the others, of which there is a great number issuing from these mountains, disappearing as soon as they debouch from their canyons.

Its Advantages as a Mining Region.

            Apart from the superior character of its mines, now pretty well established, this district possesses many facilities for insuring an economical and successful reduction of its ores ; its situation, except in the matter of freights and lumber, being extremely advantageous in this respect First as regards the position of the ledges for easy development — being well defined and easily traced by their out-crop there need be little searching after lodes here by blind explorations near the surface. The precipitous character of the mountains will greatly favor the operation of tunnelling, or the ledges may be worked in most cases through an open cut as is being done with the Murphy mine, the deep canyons cutting them at right angles admitting of their being attacked at a very low point on the start.

Water, Fuel and Lumber.

            There is not, perhaps, within the State of Nevada, another district so well watered as this, of Twin River. Beginning at Summit Canyon, on the north we have next Wisconsin, Ophir, Last Chance, Hercules and the two branches of Twin river, in the order named. As we go south, each deep ravine through which flows a large stream of fine water, some of them being not over one mile apart and the whole extending over a space of not more than six miles. In addition to this there are many springs and moist spots against the hillsides, at which copious supplies of water by digging could be obtained.  The rapid descent of the streams render them easily available for water power.  The propulsive force thus afforded in the district being immense.  A large portion of the mountains being covered with a heavy growth of piρon and mahogany, the best of woods for burning, the supply of fuel will be ample for every requirement.  The only tree that grows here suitable for making lumber is a species of white pine, found in considerable patches high up in the mountains.   In places these tracts are several hundred acres in extent, though the trees are usually much scattered, and, as compared with the magnificent forests on the Sierra, not of large size. The wood is too soft and brittle to answer for thin boards, though it does very well for planks and framing timbers, for which purpose it is being largely used, the better qualities of lumber being brought from the pineries along the base of the Sierra Nevada.  Sawmills are now being erected at various points convenient to these groves of white pine, and this kind of lumber is delivered where wanted at the rate of $120 per thousand, as against $150 paid for the imported article, and $175 for extra qualities. Other building material, in the shape of adobes, brick and several varieties of excellent stone, some of it easily quarried and fireproof, are readily procurable here.  If we compare the country in and about these mines with the rich farming districts of California, its agricultural capacities seem mean enough, whereas they become very respectable beside the dreary deserts wherewith it is nearly surrounded. Bunch grass grows upon the mountains abundantly, affording much excellent pasturage, while along the ravines there are some narrow bottoms fit for gardens, there being in both Reese River and Smoky Valley a good deal of fine farming land, some of it capable of producing fair crops without irrigation. Among the additional advantages that may be considered as incidental to this district is

The Salt Field,

Some twelve or fifteen miles distant to the northeast, in Smoky Valley, with a good natural road leading thereto. Here any amount of salt, and of a kind well suited for use in the redaction of ores, can be obtained at a cost of not more than one dollar per hundred pounds on the ground, or two dollars delivered at the mills.

Accessibility.

            On the completion of the projected road over the Toiyabe into the valley of Reese river, this district will be accessible from every quarter over a good road, the distance from Virginia being 160 miles. From here north to the Humboldt river there is an almost continuous valley, while the plain south is open and wholly uninterrupted all the way to the Colorado, rendering railroad communication with both these points a matter of easy accomplishment.

What Is Likely to Come of It.

With the prestige of one mine thoroughly opened and proved to be rich, and the prospect of many others turning out to be equally as good — so many natural advantages and favorable surroundings — with titles entirely free from uncertainty and dispute, there not being, so far as I am aware, a controversy of this kind in the district, and with an experience that should protect this from the follies and mistakes heretofore committed — Twin River would seem to present a favorable field for mining enterprise and to have a prosperous future before it. That these flattering prospects will not be frustrated and so much dearly-bought experience be thrown away, is really to be hoped, since it would require only a little more of the disastrous speculations and ruinous experiments that have characterized operations elsewhere in this State to destroy what remains of confidence in silver mining altogether. That the absurdities and crimes once so rife in the older mining communities, are to be re-enacted here, I do not believe ; that they cannot be on such a sweeping and destructive scale as before, is morally certain.