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Show f APPENDIX NN. 1271 There is a large number of cattle in the vicinity of these three mining districts. For lone and Ellsworth, the source of grain and hay supply is Reese River Valley, and this is also the nearest point to Ellsworth. Reese River Valley is distant about 8 miles from lone, 17 from Ellsworth, and 34 from Lodi; the distance to Lodi is largely increased by a necessary detour through Burut Cabin Summit to cross the Mammoth Range. From this valley, the cost of forage at Lodi, at present prices, would not exceed 3£ cents per pound for barley and 2 cents for hay; at Ellsworth, 3£ cents for barley and 1£ cents for hay; at lone, 3 cents for barley and 1} cents for hay. I t is contemplated to build a narrow- gauge railroad from Battle Mountain, on the Central Pacific Railroad, to Austin, Nev. This wonld make the distance from railroad communication for lone 51£ miles, and for Ellsworth, via Petersen's Ranch and the Lower Reese River Valley, 55 miles. From Lodi to Austin, by the route through the \' alley, would be about 62 miles, as against 100 miles to Wadsworth. The advantage in supplies of water, forage, and the character of the road- bed would also be in favor • of the Anstin route. Lauder City was built on Big Creek, about the month of its eafion from the Toyabe Range; a great deal of prospecting was done, but to little purpose, and the place was desertrd for Austin when that camp became prosperous. A few ranches are now found along the creek. Following up Big Creek, and crossing the range into Kingston Cation, we find another old mining camp, on which a great deal of money has been expended. The Sterling Mill, at the mouth of this eafion, is held in good order; it is a 20- stamp mill, the motive being furnished bj a turbine water- wheel. The remains of two other mills, from which the machinery has been removed, are found not far from it. At Washington also a camp was started, and tbere is quite a little village of houses, all but two of which are now deserted. There is no doubt that much labor, toil, and money have been expended in this count ry on worthless mines. The failures, however, are often due to other causes; prominent among which are undue expectations, lack of facilities for transportation ; and again in one cane a thriftless expenditure of a company's money, and in another a lack of means. These camps were staited at a time when mining was a rage in Nevada; now it has sobered down very much. The success of Austin, and the undoubted fact that a large quantity of mineral does exist in these mountains, must lead us to hope that, with proper care and management, a future day will see this a prosperous mining region. » WORK DONE BY THE PARTY. The party was in the field 83 days, and including Mr. Spiller's trip to Mount Rosa, after our return to Carson, the following will indicate the work done, viz: Number of main camps 29 Number of side camps 47 Number of miles meandered 1,073.89 Number of miles traveled and not meandered 633.42 Number of mountain stations occupied with a 10- iuoh or 20- inch instrument 22 Number of topographical stations occupied, being either included in the triangulation or three point stations, with 30- inch instrument 70 Number of additional three- point stations 244 Number of aneroid- barometer sfatidns 501 Number of cistern barometer stations ,.. 104 Number of variations determined by observations on Polaris. - 27 Number of azimuths determined 3 Number of latitudes determined by sextant r 30 A great number of points were fixed by cross- bearings, care being taken in this respect with regard to every topographical feature of importance distinguishable from two or more stations. For this purpose two methods were introduced by Mr. Spiller and used. In the first, all the sights to points, taken at an occupied station, were numbered consecntively around the horizon from one upward ; then, on sighting any one of these points from a second station, a convenient note was made, citing the number or designation of the previous station and the number of the sight from it to the point to be fixed by the cross- sight. In the second, on a sketch made from a previous station, was recorded in brackets, at the sketch of the point cross- sighted, the sight taken from a second station. Both these methods obviate the necessity of making more than one complete sketch of a view having nearly the same aspect from two different stations. They tend to cause stations to be occupied in pairs with reference to a number of prominent topographical features, and this I believe to be an excellent practice. The altitude of points fixed by cross- sights was determined by angles of elevation or depression from barometric stations. 4 |
