vocation of the world. It is the lodestone of advancement to all the earth with it civilization advances, without it civilization would

cease.

*The precious and money metals naturally engage the largest share of attention. The importance of an industry which in a single year has added to the wealth of the Nation in a permanent indestructible form, about $100,000,000, and which in a quarter of a century has increased the supply of the world's standard of value nearly $2,000,000,000, is fully recognized,

"The Mining Industry and Tradesman" contains in volume XI, No. 7, 1892, an interesting and valuable table on "The Results of the Mining Industry for the Money Metals in the United States," premising thereon as follows:

Results of the Mining Industry for the Money Metals in the United States.

It may not be untimely, once again, to recall the vital, paramount results of the mining industry of the United States since 1848, so far as the money metals have been concerned, and as are apparent through the following figures, gleaned from official documents, to include the calendar year 1891, namely:

Recapitulating, it will be seen that the results of this search for the monetary metals here in the United States westward of the Mississippi river, has given to the country and to the use of the commercial world nearly a permanent wealth to the following ex

tent:

Gold.

Silver

Total-----

$1,939, 205, 206 1,084,002,309

$3,023,485,515

*See Report of the Eleventh Census on the Mineral Industries of the United States.

Nevada-Revised and corrected by State Surveyor General.

This, be it noted, is apart from the by-products of this same industry which have been as much resultants, however, of the mining. industry for the money metals as either gold or silver has been; namely, the lead and copper of the trans-Mississippi States, exclusive of Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, to not less than the following

That is to say, the aggregate value of the products in the question may be estimated at $3,241,778,500.

From the foregoing table it will be observed that Nevada ranks as second in the total production of the precious metals. The total production of gold and silver in the world, for 1891, as estimated by the United States Mint, is $185,599,600.

Production of gold and silver in the United States for 1891, as estimated by the Director of the Mint :

Nevada contains a mineral region which in richness and extent is unexcelled. Each and every range of mountains are ribbed with ledges and vast deposits of the precious metals. With cheap and rapid means of transportation and with improved modern appliances for reduction of ores, her prosperity would be enhanced. Especially would this be so if the cruel hand of hostile legislation was lifted from silver and the channels of trade and industry be allowed to pursue unvexed their legitimate channels.

The mines of Nevada have always been, and are now, the foundation of her growth, the cause of her wealth, the guarantee of her future. When this industry languishes every other element of her prosperity declines. Mining develops a country faster and furnishes a more solid basis for material wealth than any other industry in which mankind occupies itself.

The restoration of silver to its time honored place as money, with rights equal to those possessed by gold, and giving it its full recog

nition, would cause a transfiguration and a change in all the prospects in this State; it would be an incentive to increase her mineral products; to encourage investment of capital in mining and other enterprises; to enlarge the fields for skilled and unskilled labor; in short, it would so increase her prosperity and so augment her wealth and power, that she would soon take her rank and be acknowledged among the foremost States in the Union.

There is another great evil which militates injuriously to the advancement of the mining interests of Nevada, and one which the State itself can remedy by amending the present law in regard to mining corporations. It should compel all mining corporations to incorporate under the laws of this State; to have their principal places of business and to select their trustees, agents and other officers from actual bona fide residents. Such a law would be beneficial in having a tendency towards the investment of the profits accruing from the mining proceeds within our own State instead of, as is now the practice, of transmitting it to enrich San Francisco and elsewhere, the profits of which wholly inures to the sole benefit of nonresidents and to the detriment of our own citizens.

The people have a common right to ask for such remedial legislation, and adopt such a polity as is best calculated for the promotion of their interests.

Notwithstanding the exceedingly depressed condition of the mining industry in this State, as elsewhere throughout the mining regions, because of the depreciation of silver, the closing down of many mines and but few are running at very little profit, nearly all the proceeds being exhausted in expense, only such mines as are thoroughly opened and fully equipped are realizing anything like a fair profit. The silver-lead ore mines do not realize in this State the profits that they do in other mining States on this class of ores, owing to the distance to market and high rates of transportation. Yet, with all this discouragement the indefatigable prospectors are making new discoveries in various sections and with gratifying success, which will ultimately greatly add to the prosperity and wealth of our State. We sincerely trust that their hopes, steady patience, untiring preseverance and indomitable courage will be amply rewarded for their labor in a fortune before it will be too late to enjoy it.

3-E

REVIEW OF THE MINING INDUSTRY.

THE COMSTOCK.

Since the Yellow Jacket mine stopped pumping the water out of the flooded mines in March, 1882, the mining operations on the great lode have been confined to the levels above the 1800-foot level. and the Sutro tunnel level, where a vast amount of ore has been extracted, and has paid a reasonably fair profit for working. It is now becoming apparent that in the near future mining along the lode must return to the deep workings below the above-named levels to resume operations, for there lies the future prospects for a continued yield of the Comstock lode.

The Virginia Enterprise of November 22d speaks of the outlook, "That the prospects are not particularly cheerful-ore developments scarce and many miners idle," quoting the old maxim, "It is the darkest hour just before dawn;" and again I quote the following:

A very important development of ore has been made in the 1100 level of the Bullion east, and 200 feet further in that direction than any work has hitherto been done in the mine. At this point some feet of good ore was cut some time ago, and the management have been raising on it ever since, being now up from sixty-five to seventy feet, with the ore improving in both width and quality.

Another article in the same paper, written by a Virginia City correspondent of the Financial and Mining Record, writes of present operations in that old camp, as follows:

All along for miles, west of the old Comstock lode the side of the mountain is black with prospectors. In twenty years I never saw such activity in this direction. Every effort seems now directed along this western lode, which has recently been named the "Syenite lode." I got a specimen from a prospector, who is working just south of the Apex. It assayed $247 60 in gold. It would be a blessing to this community and to the mining interests at large, should the Sutro tunnel extend their operations a mile or more westward. Beyond all doubt it would lead to developments that would throw the former glories of the old bonanzas into the shade.

I extract the following from The Mining Industry and Tradesman, written by Dan de Quille, concerning the mining prospects of Storey County:

It is well known to many old experienced miners on the Comstock, that there are encouraging indications of the existence of good deposits of ore both east and west of the main Comstock lode. The showing of quartz and ore already made in both directions are of sufficient importance to be taken into consideration regarding the future of the Comstock.

To the eastward of the lode a very large vein, which everywhere shows more or less gold and silver, was cut through by the Sutro tunnel. A drain and exploring tunnel is now being run along this vein from the Sutro tunnel to the Occidental, and at a distance of 600 feet south has exposed a large body of quartz that carrries both silver and gold, though not in sufficient quantity to be worked to a profit. The vein thus explored is known as the Brunswick and other claims, the lode cropping out for two or three miles.

The vein shows gold in many places at the surface, and as the Sutro tunnel cuts it nearly 1,000 feet below the surface, there is room for two or three bonanzas between the two points.

Lying to the west of the main Comstock lode and separated from it by a sort of "horse" of syenite only from 100 to 500 feet in width, is a mineral belt in which are to be seen the croppings of a number of veins from 5 to 40 or 50 feet in width. Nearly all these veins show more or less gold in their croppings, but little has been

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done on any of them since the early days. From one of the veins in this West Country," the Cole, there was taken' gold to the value of about $200,000. No machinery was ever erected, only the ordinary hand-windlass.

Here to the west lies a large and promising mineral belt of which we know next to nothing, but which is certainly worthy of being taken account of in speaking of the future of the Comstock.

NOTE-The foregoing compiled table up to and including the year 1888, was made to the Director of the United States Mint by Alfred Doten, of Virginia City, Nevada, and is a recognized authority. The succeeding years have been compiled from the official reports to the State Controller.