OCR Text |
Show 54 age the country rock is paleozoric and azoic. Syenite, granite, porphyry, mica schist, slate, sandstone, and limestone are present. Some of the ores are free milling; others require roasting. In the quartzite, the principal silver ores are argentiferous galena, stroineyerite, stetefeldtite, and pyrargyrite; in the limestone, they are massicot, minium, cerussite, malachite, and cerargyrite, or chloride of silver. Gold is present in the argentiferous quartz. The water- level has not been reached. The most important mines are the Beatus, with a shaft 300 feet, and 3 levels 100 feet each; the Snow Storm, rich in carbonate of lead, with a shaft 80 feet deep; the Lisa Bullock, whose ore is chiefly stromeyerite, assaying $ 600 per ton, whose shaft is 100 feet deep, with two levels, . and whose vein is 4 feet wide, with walls slickensided; the Lucky Boy, with shaft 61 feet deep and vein 5 or 6 feet wide, whose principal yield is galenite, assaying from $ 20 to $ 50 per ton; the Stonewall, with shaft 50 feet deep; and the Savage, whose shaft is 40 feet deep, and whose vein, which has been traced for 1,000 feet, is 5 feet in width. The ore of the latter is chiefly carbonate of lead and minium, assaying from $ 30 to $ 40 per ton. The Green- Eyed Monster and Copper World are also good mines. About 12 miles south of Ivanpah, but still in Clarke district, is the Bullion Mine, containing malachite, minium, and chloride of silver. There are one small mill of ordinary construction and one smelting- furnace attached to these mines. The yield has been about $ 300,000. The cost of a 10 stamp mill, including transportation, would be $ 25,000. Other expenses will average as follows: cost of mining the ore per ton, $ 20; reducing, $ 25; mining labor, per diem, $ 4; milling labor, $ 3; running a tunnel on main vein, $ 5 to $ 6; sinking a shaft, $ 10. One can extract 500 pounds of ore per diem. The supply of water is limited, and there are but few facilities for farming. Some pinon and juniper grow on the mountains, and pine timber is found 75 miles north of Ivanpah. Mountain- sheep are the only game. There are a few hundred domestic animals in the vicinity. The country roads are tolerable. The inhabitants number about 100, besides 40 or 50 Pah- Ute Indians. WASHOE DISTRICT, NEVADA. Examined by Dr. O. Loew, October, 1875. The Washoe district, celebrated for its Comstock lode, is on the eastern slope of the Virginia range, and in the immediate vicinity of Virginia City, which is its post- office. It is connected by rail with Reno, on the Central Pacific Railroad. Thorough geological examinations have been previously made by different parties, especially by James D. Hague, of Clarence King's survey, in vol. Ill of the reports on which this district is treated at length. The ore of the Comstock lode occurs in pockets, and as impregnation in very wide quartz ledges, which traverse the country- rock in a northeast direction. Not infrequently the quartzitio vein matter is accompanied by clay and calcite. The country- rock is principally azoic; syenite is its largest constituent, but feklspathic porphyry is also frequent. In some instances the latter shows an advanced degree of decomposition, the feldspar being converted into clay, even while retaining the original crystalline form. In nature the ores are chiefly free milling, although undoubtedly some of them would be benefited by previous roasting. The average assay |