Volume 34 (1877) (434 pages)

146 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS [March to, 1877. §; (GorRESPONDENCE. Mines, Sampling Mills and Smelting Works Around Salt Lake City. [From our Traveling Correspondent. } So much has been written and so well in regard to the beauty and wonders of this great inland city, that little is left to be added. It numbers at present about 25,000 inhabitants. It is apparently as quiet and orderly as Indianapolis, the so-called ‘‘city of churches,” besides bearing a striking resemblance to it in some other respects. What has been said of its ris4ng temple, its tabernacle of mammoth proportions, its theater, hotels, public buildings, broad. and well laid out streets, lined with shade trees—the side-walks everywhere bordered with streams of pure mountain. water—and its wide blocks planted in fruit trees at short intervals throughout the whole extent of the city, need not be repeated. What is of the most interest to the miner or mechanic, is to know that he can obtain the necessary machinery and facilities for his operations at cheap rates and without delay. In addition to the extensive works of the railroad companies, there are at least two large foundries, with boiler and machine shops attached, not to mention other establishments, confined to particular branches of the business. The Salt Lake Iron Works, T. Pierpont, Manaager, situated near the Utah Central depot, seem well prepared for a large business in manufacturing and repairing engines, boilers and every variety of mining, milling and hoisting machinery. A good substantial building has also been erected in the city for dry concentration after the Krom process, but the works are not yet in running order; and besides several furnaces at convenient distance, the Pascoe smelting works are located near the somewhat celebrated Warm springs, within the city limits. They have been running regularly and successfully, producin, last year 190 car-loads of base bullion, value at $380,000. Several novel and ingenious appliances were seen here, among them a partially constructed concentrator, the invention of Mr. Pascoe, with some new and promising features in the way of wet concentration, the details of which he prefers withholding from the public until after its completion, when they can be made much clearer by wood-cut illustration. Some of the Mines of Little Cottonwood. Alta City isin the very heart of the mines, 28 miles from Salt Lake by rail. 1t is situated in a deep gorge, 8,000 feet above sea-level, surrounded by lofty mountains covered with snow, and not without danger from snow-slides; but such is the richness of the surrounding mines that it is populated by many hundreds of brave men and women, not a few who dare spend years where your correspondent, was not particularly anxious to prolong his stay. The Lavinia Mine, Situated near the head of Little Cottonwood, and the property of Salisbury Bros., is worked by a tunnel 1,800 feet in length. The ore is found in chambers from eight to ten feet wide, (occasionally from 15 to 20 feet). The amount extracted per month is governed somewhat by the season, and varies from 300 to 1,000 tons, averaging $45 silver and running from 45% to 50% lead. It is represented as one of the paying mines in the district, and gives employment to a large number of men. The Utah Mine, 500 feet south of the Lavinia, and the property of Mr, M. T. Gisborn, of Salt Lake, is under the superintendence of Mr. A. J. Phillips, and is algo on a good: paying basis. Tunnel 300 feet on the vein; winze No. 1, 150 feet from its mouth, 90 feet deep; winze No. 2, 200 feet from mouth of tunnel, is 125 feet. ' The main incline is now being sunk 350 feet westerly from the mouth of tunnel, and at present 80 feet on the vein, from which point a level is being run that will reach a depth from surface of 815 feet. It has a vein of at least two feet of good pay ore, carrying 45 ounces of silver, 30% lead and about 20% of oxide of iron, making it a very desirable smelting ore. The Celebrated Emma Mine, About which there has been so much litigation, lies but a few hundred yards above Alta, on the north side of the canyon, and is in charge of Mr. J. Serimegeour. Everything is in first-class order and events are believed to be shaping themselves in such a way as soon to lead to the resumption of work. The Equitable Tunnel & M. Co.’s Works are located next west and near the Emma. Office in San Francisco, Resident Super. intendent, Mr. J. P. Courter, mining and mechanical, is done in the most economical, substantial and workmanlike manner, and everything about the mine and works wears an air of neatness and discipline. Their Pencipal work is a main tunnel, 1,500 fect in ength, located 100 feet lower on the mountain side than the Emma works, while the exploraThe work, both. tion of discoveries already made is carried forward simultaneously with the further extension of the main enterprise. ' The ore at present being extracted, although not in large quantities, is looking remarkably well, and owing to the fact that it contains = large percentage of iron it makes it of a character much sought after by the smelters. Some small lots had some time previously been shipped as tests, that ran as high as 75% in lead and 80 ounces in silver. The Phenix Tunnel, J. P. Courter, Superintendent, is located in a gulch just east of the Emma mine, and has reached a depth of 800 feet, cutting in its course, it is said, several large strata of vein matter, and the prospects for the company are represented as flattering. There isa large number of tunnels running into Emma hill, and other mountains in the vicinity, which would require too much time and space to allow of a description. The North Star Mine Is the oldest location on the hill, 500 yards west of the Emma, and has made considerable shipments. Owing to company difficulties it is at present idle, although the ore is represented as being of high grade, $50 to $250 per ton. The Alta Consolidated, On same belt, further west, has recently started up anew, under the management of Mr. Chas. Read, who has engaged 25 men, with the expectation of requiring the services of as many more within amonth. It is stated thatthe mine has an exceedingly prosperous past history, having netted $300,000. One of Hallidie’s wire-rope tramways was seen in operation here, extending from the mine the distance half a mile, to the ore-house in Alta. The South Star and Titus, One of the oldest locations on the hill, comes next in order, with tunnel 600 feet in length, and reaching a depth from surface of 500 feet; an incline also from tunnel 200 feet. The ore is found in deposits—the gangue of lime and iron in sufficient quantity for flux, second class being in demand for the iron it contains, besides running 5 oz, silver, $5.00 gold, 15% lead; tirst class 40 oz. silver, $5 gold and 35% lead; nearly $400,000 realized in the gross and paying something over working expenses. The Flagstaff Mine, Of Utah (limited), A London incorporation and at present worked by Mr. A. G, Hunter, who has leased it for ten years. It is one of the rominent mines of the district and Territory aving been worked steadily for the past five or six years, and turning out an immense amount of valuable ore. It was first opened by a shaft 400 feet and by tunnel tapping: the bottom of shaft. Another shaft has since been sunk 500 feet from tunnel level and explorations made right and left, showing well-detined walls, with veins of ore and ledge matter between from 50 to 250 feet. Character of ore, argentiferous galena and carbonates, carrying a considerable quantity of oxide of iron (gold-bearing); value of ore ranges from $40 to $50 perton. Number of tons sold for January, something upwards of 1,800, The ore is conveyed by a double track tramway the distance of 1,300 feet by the force of gravity to the ore-house. ° The machinery consists of two large air compressors, near the ore-house and 1,700 feet from hoisting engines inside of the tunnel, which supply the power not only for engines and pumps, but also for a couple of Ingersoll drills, which are doing good service in this mine It is well opened and systematically worked. Mr. Moses Hirschman, formerly of Gold Hill, Nev., has charge of the mine and the oversight and guidance of the labor of some 90 or 100 men. The prospects for fine returns were, perhaps, never more encouraging. Many large ore bodies are in sight, and all the arrangements are such as to facilitate the work of extraction and shipment, and a good time to come may be confidently anticipated. A Few Mines of Big Cottonwood, And only.a few were visited, owing to the depth of the snow and the hight of the mountains, The account of The Reed & Benson Was kindly furnished by Mr. H. C. Goodspeed, of Salt Lake, and is submitted without change: This mine is located in Big Cottonwood, just over the divide from the Flagstaff mine in Little Cottonwood. It was located early in the summer of 1870 and is owned by H. C. Goodspeed, Franklin Reed and others. The altitude of the discovery is said to be the highest in the Territory—a little over 11,000 feet above the sea-level. The position of this mine was very inaccessible and made a Jarge outlay of money necessary to build roads, trails, tramways, etc. The tramway is one of the greatest enterprises of the kind in this, and perhaps, any other country, ‘being 1,700 feet in length, on an angle of 37°, and going over a perpendicular bint? 400 feet high the rest of the distance. The road is all housed in to be available in winter. Itisa double track, and the loaded car down takes the partly loaded car up. The developments on the mine consist of a tunnel, which they are now using, 500 feet in length and about 300 feet below their upper workings. Below this tunnel there have been extensive explorations in inclines, drifts, shafts, ete. The vein is a true fissure and the ore high grade; the four qualities assaying, say, first quality; 69% lead and 250 ounces of silver; second quality, 40% lead and 90 ounces of silver, and the third quality, 30% lead and 65 ounces of silver. As a flux it is one of the strongest found in the Territory, as it carries no silica, and the gangue being peroxide of iron. For the past two years there has been some disturbance in the vein and the ore seemed to be confined to cross-cuts and pipes, but ata depth of about 1,000 feet from the surface the vein seems to have been recovered, and the ore and the direction of the vein agree with the upper workings, where the vein was regular, The production of ore for the past year has been small but the present prospects of the mine are exceedingly flattering. The Antelope and Prince of Wales, The property of Walker Bros., Salt Lake; location, near the head of Silver fork, Big Cottonwood canyon. This mine has been continuously worked about seven years, during which time developments have been made to the extent of nearly four miles in aggregate of shafts, winzes and tunnels, stoping to the amount of several thousand fathoms not included. Piloted by the Superintendent, Mr. W. E. Hall (who, by the way, is entitled to much credit for the admirable system displayed throughout—it could not be better), one long ak (2,360 feet) was passed through, following the vein through the limestone from its mouth on one side of one of the highest ridges in Utah, till daylight was seen on the other. The main shaft in the center, also following the vein, is 1,030 feet deep, over which the hoisting works are placed, said to be at the greatest elevation of any in the known world, the altitude, 13,300 feet above the level of the sea. The vein (pronounced a true fissure—why not? with similar characteristics in slate or granite it would be so called,) varies from one to three feet, in places from seven to ten feet, and carries in the best chimneys ores of high grade. The number of men at present employed is about 65, and the daily product of mine will run about 250 sacks, or from 10 to 12 tons of ore, with assay value for first-class of about $200 per ton, and for second, from $75 +0 $100. The machinery is of the very best, and consists of two 40-horse engines, the hoisting engine having @ capacity of about 200 tons per 24 hours, also one very large air compressor (Bowers’s), one 20-horse engine, two Ingersoll drills, of three cylinders—the compressor running the engine and drills and said to be adequate to the driving of half-a-dozen more if required. In summer, water is supplied to the mine by means of a Knowles steam pump, No. 6, situated a mile distant, and is conducted in a two-inch iron pipe. From what has been said, it is scarcely necessary to state that the property is remunerative. A. C. K, Difficulties of Mining on the Comstock. The great difficulties met with and overcome by the miners in the development of the lower levels of the Comstock, says the Gold Hill News, can never be fully understood or appreciated by the outside public. For instance, how many are there who understand the force exerted by swelling ground, that will crush timbers 16 inches square to splinters in a single night, and close a drift as effectually, during the absence of a single shift, as before its excavation? Yetsuch is often the case, and the men are compelled to work continually for weeks to keep a drift open sufficiently for use or to conduct air. In other places the miners are often compelled to labor in a suffocating atmosphere of superheated steam, ranging from 110° to 140° Fahrenheit. In such laces there is always more or less water, almost hot enough to scald the flesh, seeping from the roof, sides and faces of the drift, which creates vapor so dense that the lights used by the men can only he distinguished at a distance of a very few feet. Yet men must dig, blast and burrow their way farongh it all without ever a thought of turning ack, In many places the miners are obliged to sink shafts for weeks at a time, without ever seeing the bottom of the shaft—the drilling, blasting and excavating of the rock all being done below the surface of the water. There are many places on the lower levels where the heat is so intense that the miners take turns of from five to ten minutes in the face of a drift, and then, dropping their tools, seek a cooling room, made tight enough to contain the fresh air sent from the surface, where they rest the same length of time, and then return to take the place of their exhausted comrades. Thus they labor during a shift of six and sometimes eighthours. Men at work on the lower levels in these hot places, never wear more than one pair of drawers made of some light material, and a pair of shoes to protect the feet. The rest of the body is perfectly nude. Blowers of immense power are employed to drive the air from the surface down through long pipes into the mines. This volume of air when started is a perfect whirlwind, which gradually dies out as it traverses the heated pipes and loses its force until, when it reaches its destination, it hardly has a cooling property left. Many tons of ice are used daily in our mines, winter and summer, in order to furnish a palatable drink for the miners. It is necessary to use engines and pumps of a power and capacity that astonish engineers from other portions of the world. In a large proportion of our mines it is necessary, after extending the heavy pumping machinery to the bottom of a perpendicular shaft 1,200 and sometimes 1,500 feet, to then carry it down an incline shaft 45° 1,000 or 1,500 feet further. The hoisting machinery in use for raising and lowering the workmen, has been strengthened, improved, and made as secure and safe asthe mind © of man can contrive, but is often run at a rate of speed, in hoisting and lowering, that to persons unused to such swiftness of motion, creates, when descending into a mine, the impression and feeling of an actual fall—a check sufficient being made, just at the last critical moment, to land them safe at their destination. In mines like those of the Consolidated Vir-. ginia and California, where large bodies of ore are mined, the space left vacant by the extraction of the ore is filled with solid timbers 14 and 16 inches in size, leaving only narrow passage ways for the workmen and cars used in the conveyance of the ore to the shaft. This, although very costly, is a necessity in order to secure the mine against caving and protect the lives of the laborers. All such mines are obliged to employ watchmen, whose business it is to see that no ‘miner shall accidentally or carelessly leave a lighted candle where it can start a conflagration, A fire in a mine creates a suffocating, deadly gas, which will in a minute’s time asphyxiate the strongest man. ’ Floods of water often burst suddenly into drifts,Jcompletely flooding a mine, and sometimes adjoining mines, as was the case a few months since in the Hale & Norcross and Savage mines. Immense caves are liable to occur, hoisting works may take fire and burn up, sudden explosions take place, and a thousand other casualties and mishaps are likely to occur, which make the life of a miner one of continued danger and hardship, and the cost and risk of mining investments one of the most hazardous ovcupations followed by civilized man, Restine Sprincs Districr.—We have for = long time endeavored to find out something in regard to this district, but have, until a few days ago, been unable ‘to obtain anything reliable. Kern and Inyo Stage Company, has kindly furnished us with the following information; The distance from Mohave to the new road laid out, is 135 miles; from Resting Springs to San Bernardino the distarice is 190 miles. of 55 miles will be. saved by taking the Mohave route passengers and freight will, as soon as the new road is completed, go in via the latter. The Kern and Inyo Stage Company, in conjunction with citizens of Mohave, have raised funds and sent,out men to make surveys and complete the road. The greatest difficulty encountered is on the first 50 miles out from Mohave, where natural streams or springs have not yet been found. Wells, however, will be sunk in several laces, so that that obstacle will be overcome. t is an excellent route for the entire distance, and teams will soon be running over the new road. In ashort time this stage company will put on a line of coaches, and from the favorable reports received from that section no doubt there will soon be considerable travel to that district, A furnace has already been started under the most favorable auspices for success, The ledges are said to be large and well defined, and carry high grade smelting ores. Mr. Anson Cross, who is well known, is one of the leading men, We shall expect to have to chronicle some interesting and favorable reports of this new and almost unknown district.—Coso Jfining News. Bankers AND Broxers.—A telegram from the East gives an important and interesting opinion by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue on the liability of brokers to be taxed as bankers. Referring to a letter addressed to him on this subject by Senator Stewart, the Commissioner writes that relative to the proposed assessments against certain brokers of San Francisco who had been reported as liable to internal revenue taxes as bankers, 72 of said brokers have forward affidavits on printed forms and prepared for the use of individuals and firms; that, admitting the statement sworn to in these affidavits to be true, there appears to be no ground for assessments on any business done during the past 15 months in cases of 69 in the 72 brokers above referred to, and no assessments will be made. The affidavits of the other three and of still another not on a printed form will be returned with leave to amend, as it is believed that certain informalities and omissions noted therein may have been the result of oversight or inadvertence. This view of the case will meet with considerable approval from our brokers in this city, to whom it is especially interesting. IonE anp ELLswortH.—From Stubbs, of the Ione and Ellsworth stage line, we learn that the mines at Ione are looking and yielding well, and that the new mill now in course of erection will soon be completed. In addition to the daily yield of the mines, 500 tons of ore have accumulated at the mill, which will thus start up under very favorable auspices, and with a certainty of a prolonged run, At Ellsworth the indefatigable . Raymond, formerly of the renowned Raymond & Ely mine, is hard at work developing the mines in that vicinity, with the most satisfactory results. He is running 10 stamps at present, and is shipping about $20,000 worth of bullion per month, some of which passes through this city. Dame Fortune is again smiling on this fine old gentleman, whose industry and energy are far superior to those of many young men, and after passing through many Vicissitudes he is in a fair way of again being numbered among the powers who rule the financial world.—Reese River Reveille. Mr. J. P. Taylor, general agent for the esting Springs, by The district has heretofore been reached via San Bernardino, but as a distance .

146 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS [March to, 1877. §; (GorRESPONDENCE. Mines, Sampling Mills and Smelting Works Around Salt Lake City. [From our Traveling Correspondent. } So much has been written and so well in regard to the beauty and wonders of this great inland city, that little is left to be added. It numbers at present about 25,000 inhabitants. It is apparently as quiet and orderly as Indianapolis, the so-called ‘‘city of churches,” besides bearing a striking resemblance to it in some other respects. What has been said of its ris4ng temple, its tabernacle of mammoth proportions, its theater, hotels, public buildings, broad. and well laid out streets, lined with shade trees—the side-walks everywhere bordered with streams of pure mountain. water—and its wide blocks planted in fruit trees at short intervals throughout the whole extent of the city, need not be repeated. What is of the most interest to the miner or mechanic, is to know that he can obtain the necessary machinery and facilities for his operations at cheap rates and without delay. In addition to the extensive works of the railroad companies, there are at least two large foundries, with boiler and machine shops attached, not to mention other establishments, confined to particular branches of the business. The Salt Lake Iron Works, T. Pierpont, Manaager, situated near the Utah Central depot, seem well prepared for a large business in manufacturing and repairing engines, boilers and every variety of mining, milling and hoisting machinery. A good substantial building has also been erected in the city for dry concentration after the Krom process, but the works are not yet in running order; and besides several furnaces at convenient distance, the Pascoe smelting works are located near the somewhat celebrated Warm springs, within the city limits. They have been running regularly and successfully, producin, last year 190 car-loads of base bullion, value at $380,000. Several novel and ingenious appliances were seen here, among them a partially constructed concentrator, the invention of Mr. Pascoe, with some new and promising features in the way of wet concentration, the details of which he prefers withholding from the public until after its completion, when they can be made much clearer by wood-cut illustration. Some of the Mines of Little Cottonwood. Alta City isin the very heart of the mines, 28 miles from Salt Lake by rail. 1t is situated in a deep gorge, 8,000 feet above sea-level, surrounded by lofty mountains covered with snow, and not without danger from snow-slides; but such is the richness of the surrounding mines that it is populated by many hundreds of brave men and women, not a few who dare spend years where your correspondent, was not particularly anxious to prolong his stay. The Lavinia Mine, Situated near the head of Little Cottonwood, and the property of Salisbury Bros., is worked by a tunnel 1,800 feet in length. The ore is found in chambers from eight to ten feet wide, (occasionally from 15 to 20 feet). The amount extracted per month is governed somewhat by the season, and varies from 300 to 1,000 tons, averaging $45 silver and running from 45% to 50% lead. It is represented as one of the paying mines in the district, and gives employment to a large number of men. The Utah Mine, 500 feet south of the Lavinia, and the property of Mr, M. T. Gisborn, of Salt Lake, is under the superintendence of Mr. A. J. Phillips, and is algo on a good: paying basis. Tunnel 300 feet on the vein; winze No. 1, 150 feet from its mouth, 90 feet deep; winze No. 2, 200 feet from mouth of tunnel, is 125 feet. ' The main incline is now being sunk 350 feet westerly from the mouth of tunnel, and at present 80 feet on the vein, from which point a level is being run that will reach a depth from surface of 815 feet. It has a vein of at least two feet of good pay ore, carrying 45 ounces of silver, 30% lead and about 20% of oxide of iron, making it a very desirable smelting ore. The Celebrated Emma Mine, About which there has been so much litigation, lies but a few hundred yards above Alta, on the north side of the canyon, and is in charge of Mr. J. Serimegeour. Everything is in first-class order and events are believed to be shaping themselves in such a way as soon to lead to the resumption of work. The Equitable Tunnel & M. Co.’s Works are located next west and near the Emma. Office in San Francisco, Resident Super. intendent, Mr. J. P. Courter, mining and mechanical, is done in the most economical, substantial and workmanlike manner, and everything about the mine and works wears an air of neatness and discipline. Their Pencipal work is a main tunnel, 1,500 fect in ength, located 100 feet lower on the mountain side than the Emma works, while the exploraThe work, both. tion of discoveries already made is carried forward simultaneously with the further extension of the main enterprise. ' The ore at present being extracted, although not in large quantities, is looking remarkably well, and owing to the fact that it contains = large percentage of iron it makes it of a character much sought after by the smelters. Some small lots had some time previously been shipped as tests, that ran as high as 75% in lead and 80 ounces in silver. The Phenix Tunnel, J. P. Courter, Superintendent, is located in a gulch just east of the Emma mine, and has reached a depth of 800 feet, cutting in its course, it is said, several large strata of vein matter, and the prospects for the company are represented as flattering. There isa large number of tunnels running into Emma hill, and other mountains in the vicinity, which would require too much time and space to allow of a description. The North Star Mine Is the oldest location on the hill, 500 yards west of the Emma, and has made considerable shipments. Owing to company difficulties it is at present idle, although the ore is represented as being of high grade, $50 to $250 per ton. The Alta Consolidated, On same belt, further west, has recently started up anew, under the management of Mr. Chas. Read, who has engaged 25 men, with the expectation of requiring the services of as many more within amonth. It is stated thatthe mine has an exceedingly prosperous past history, having netted $300,000. One of Hallidie’s wire-rope tramways was seen in operation here, extending from the mine the distance half a mile, to the ore-house in Alta. The South Star and Titus, One of the oldest locations on the hill, comes next in order, with tunnel 600 feet in length, and reaching a depth from surface of 500 feet; an incline also from tunnel 200 feet. The ore is found in deposits—the gangue of lime and iron in sufficient quantity for flux, second class being in demand for the iron it contains, besides running 5 oz, silver, $5.00 gold, 15% lead; tirst class 40 oz. silver, $5 gold and 35% lead; nearly $400,000 realized in the gross and paying something over working expenses. The Flagstaff Mine, Of Utah (limited), A London incorporation and at present worked by Mr. A. G, Hunter, who has leased it for ten years. It is one of the rominent mines of the district and Territory aving been worked steadily for the past five or six years, and turning out an immense amount of valuable ore. It was first opened by a shaft 400 feet and by tunnel tapping: the bottom of shaft. Another shaft has since been sunk 500 feet from tunnel level and explorations made right and left, showing well-detined walls, with veins of ore and ledge matter between from 50 to 250 feet. Character of ore, argentiferous galena and carbonates, carrying a considerable quantity of oxide of iron (gold-bearing); value of ore ranges from $40 to $50 perton. Number of tons sold for January, something upwards of 1,800, The ore is conveyed by a double track tramway the distance of 1,300 feet by the force of gravity to the ore-house. ° The machinery consists of two large air compressors, near the ore-house and 1,700 feet from hoisting engines inside of the tunnel, which supply the power not only for engines and pumps, but also for a couple of Ingersoll drills, which are doing good service in this mine It is well opened and systematically worked. Mr. Moses Hirschman, formerly of Gold Hill, Nev., has charge of the mine and the oversight and guidance of the labor of some 90 or 100 men. The prospects for fine returns were, perhaps, never more encouraging. Many large ore bodies are in sight, and all the arrangements are such as to facilitate the work of extraction and shipment, and a good time to come may be confidently anticipated. A Few Mines of Big Cottonwood, And only.a few were visited, owing to the depth of the snow and the hight of the mountains, The account of The Reed & Benson Was kindly furnished by Mr. H. C. Goodspeed, of Salt Lake, and is submitted without change: This mine is located in Big Cottonwood, just over the divide from the Flagstaff mine in Little Cottonwood. It was located early in the summer of 1870 and is owned by H. C. Goodspeed, Franklin Reed and others. The altitude of the discovery is said to be the highest in the Territory—a little over 11,000 feet above the sea-level. The position of this mine was very inaccessible and made a Jarge outlay of money necessary to build roads, trails, tramways, etc. The tramway is one of the greatest enterprises of the kind in this, and perhaps, any other country, ‘being 1,700 feet in length, on an angle of 37°, and going over a perpendicular bint? 400 feet high the rest of the distance. The road is all housed in to be available in winter. Itisa double track, and the loaded car down takes the partly loaded car up. The developments on the mine consist of a tunnel, which they are now using, 500 feet in length and about 300 feet below their upper workings. Below this tunnel there have been extensive explorations in inclines, drifts, shafts, ete. The vein is a true fissure and the ore high grade; the four qualities assaying, say, first quality; 69% lead and 250 ounces of silver; second quality, 40% lead and 90 ounces of silver, and the third quality, 30% lead and 65 ounces of silver. As a flux it is one of the strongest found in the Territory, as it carries no silica,

and the gangue being peroxide of iron. For the past two years there has been some disturbance in the vein and the ore seemed to be confined to cross-cuts and pipes, but ata depth of about 1,000 feet from the surface the vein seems to have been recovered, and the ore and the direction of the vein agree with the upper workings, where the vein was regular, The production of ore for the past year has been small but the present prospects of the mine are exceedingly flattering. The Antelope and Prince of Wales, The property of Walker Bros., Salt Lake; location, near the head of Silver fork, Big Cottonwood canyon. This mine has been continuously worked about seven years, during which time developments have been made to the extent of nearly four miles in aggregate of shafts, winzes and tunnels, stoping to the amount of several thousand fathoms not included. Piloted by the Superintendent, Mr. W. E. Hall (who, by the way, is entitled to much credit for the admirable system displayed throughout—it could not be better), one long ak (2,360 feet) was passed through, following the vein through the limestone from its mouth on one side of one of the highest ridges in Utah, till daylight was seen on the other. The main shaft in the center, also following the vein, is 1,030 feet deep, over which the hoisting works are placed, said to be at the greatest elevation of any in the known world, the altitude, 13,300 feet above the level of the sea. The vein (pronounced a true fissure—why not? with similar characteristics in slate or granite it would be so called,) varies from one to three feet, in places from seven to ten feet, and carries in the best chimneys ores of high grade. The number of men at present employed is about 65, and the daily product of mine will run about 250 sacks, or from 10 to 12 tons of ore, with assay value for first-class of about $200 per ton, and for second, from $75 +0 $100. The machinery is of the very best, and consists of two 40-horse engines, the hoisting engine having @ capacity of about 200 tons per 24 hours, also one very large air compressor (Bowers’s), one 20-horse engine, two Ingersoll drills, of three cylinders—the compressor running the engine and drills and said to be adequate to the driving of half-a-dozen more if required. In summer, water is supplied to the mine by means of a Knowles steam pump, No. 6, situated a mile distant, and is conducted in a two-inch iron pipe. From what has been said, it is scarcely necessary to state that the property is remunerative. A. C. K, Difficulties of Mining on the Comstock. The great difficulties met with and overcome by the miners in the development of the lower levels of the Comstock, says the Gold Hill News, can never be fully understood or appreciated by the outside public. For instance, how many are there who understand the force exerted by swelling ground, that will crush timbers 16 inches square to splinters in a single night, and close a drift as effectually, during the absence of a single shift, as before its excavation? Yetsuch is often the case, and the men are compelled to work continually for weeks to keep a drift open sufficiently for use or to conduct air. In other places the miners are often compelled to labor in a suffocating atmosphere of superheated steam, ranging from 110° to 140° Fahrenheit. In such laces there is always more or less water, almost hot enough to scald the flesh, seeping from the roof, sides and faces of the drift, which creates vapor so dense that the lights used by the men can only he distinguished at a distance of a very few feet. Yet men must dig, blast and burrow their way farongh it all without ever a thought of turning ack, In many places the miners are obliged to sink shafts for weeks at a time, without ever seeing the bottom of the shaft—the drilling, blasting and excavating of the rock all being done below the surface of the water. There are many places on the lower levels where the heat is so intense that the miners take turns of from five to ten minutes in the face of a drift, and then, dropping their tools, seek a cooling room, made tight enough to contain the fresh air sent from the surface, where they rest the same length of time, and then return to take the place of their exhausted comrades. Thus they labor during a shift of six and sometimes eighthours. Men at work on the lower levels in these hot places, never wear more than one pair of drawers made of some light material, and a pair of shoes to protect the feet. The rest of the body is perfectly nude. Blowers of immense power are employed to drive the air from the surface down through long pipes into the mines. This volume of air when started is a perfect whirlwind, which gradually dies out as it traverses the heated pipes and loses its force until, when it reaches its destination, it hardly has a cooling property left. Many tons of ice are used daily in our mines, winter and summer, in order to furnish a palatable drink for the miners. It is necessary to use engines and pumps of a power and capacity that astonish engineers from other portions of the world. In a large proportion of our mines it is necessary, after extending the heavy pumping machinery to the bottom of a perpendicular shaft 1,200 and sometimes 1,500 feet, to then carry it down an incline shaft 45° 1,000 or 1,500 feet further. The hoisting machinery in use for raising and lowering the workmen, has been strengthened, improved, and made as secure and safe asthe mind © of man can contrive, but is often run at a rate of speed, in hoisting and lowering, that to persons unused to such swiftness of motion, creates, when descending into a mine, the impression and feeling of an actual fall—a check sufficient being made, just at the last critical moment, to land them safe at their destination. In mines like those of the Consolidated Vir-. ginia and California, where large bodies of ore are mined, the space left vacant by the extraction of the ore is filled with solid timbers 14 and 16 inches in size, leaving only narrow passage ways for the workmen and cars used in the conveyance of the ore to the shaft. This, although very costly, is a necessity in order to secure the mine against caving and protect the lives of the laborers. All such mines are obliged to employ watchmen, whose business it is to see that no ‘miner shall accidentally or carelessly leave a lighted candle where it can start a conflagration, A fire in a mine creates a suffocating, deadly gas, which will in a minute’s time asphyxiate the strongest man. ’ Floods of water often burst suddenly into drifts,Jcompletely flooding a mine, and sometimes adjoining mines, as was the case a few months since in the Hale & Norcross and Savage mines. Immense caves are liable to occur, hoisting works may take fire and burn up, sudden explosions take place, and a thousand other casualties and mishaps are likely to occur, which make the life of a miner one of continued danger and hardship, and the cost and risk of mining investments one of the most hazardous ovcupations followed by civilized man, Restine Sprincs Districr.—We have for = long time endeavored to find out something in regard to this district, but have, until a few days ago, been unable ‘to obtain anything reliable. Kern and Inyo Stage Company, has kindly furnished us with the following information; The distance from Mohave to the new road laid out, is 135 miles; from Resting Springs to San Bernardino the distarice is 190 miles. of 55 miles will be. saved by taking the Mohave route passengers and freight will, as soon as the new road is completed, go in via the latter. The Kern and Inyo Stage Company, in conjunction with citizens of Mohave, have raised funds and sent,out men to make surveys and complete the road. The greatest difficulty encountered is on the first 50 miles out from Mohave, where natural streams or springs have not yet been found. Wells, however, will be sunk in several laces, so that that obstacle will be overcome. t is an excellent route for the entire distance, and teams will soon be running over the new road. In ashort time this stage company will put on a line of coaches, and from the favorable reports received from that section no doubt there will soon be considerable travel to that district, A furnace has already been started under the most favorable auspices for success, The ledges are said to be large and well defined, and carry high grade smelting ores. Mr. Anson Cross, who is well known, is one of the leading men, We shall expect to have to chronicle some interesting and favorable reports of this new and almost unknown district.—Coso Jfining News. Bankers AND Broxers.—A telegram from the East gives an important and interesting opinion by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue on the liability of brokers to be taxed as bankers. Referring to a letter addressed to him on this subject by Senator Stewart, the Commissioner writes that relative to the proposed assessments against certain brokers of San Francisco who had been reported as liable to internal revenue taxes as bankers, 72 of said brokers have forward affidavits on printed forms and prepared for the use of individuals and firms; that, admitting the statement sworn to in these affidavits to be true, there appears to be no ground for assessments on any business done during the past 15 months in cases of 69 in the 72 brokers above referred to, and no assessments will be made. The affidavits of the other three and of still another not on a printed form will be returned with leave to amend, as it is believed that certain informalities and omissions noted therein may have been the result of oversight or inadvertence. This view of the case will meet with considerable approval from our brokers in this city, to whom it is especially interesting. IonE anp ELLswortH.—From Stubbs, of the Ione and Ellsworth stage line, we learn that the mines at Ione are looking and yielding well, and that the new mill now in course of erection will soon be completed. In addition to the daily yield of the mines, 500 tons of ore have accumulated at the mill, which will thus start up under very favorable auspices, and with a certainty of a prolonged run, At Ellsworth the indefatigable . Raymond, formerly of the renowned Raymond & Ely mine, is hard at work developing the mines in that vicinity, with the most satisfactory results. He is running 10 stamps at present, and is shipping about $20,000 worth of bullion per month, some of which passes through this city. Dame Fortune is again smiling on this fine old gentleman, whose industry and energy are far superior to those of many young men, and after passing through many Vicissitudes he is in a fair way of again being numbered among the powers who rule the financial world.—Reese River Reveille. Mr. J. P. Taylor, general agent for the esting Springs, by The district has heretofore been reached via San Bernardino, but as a distance .