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could pierce through the thick fog of alkali dust that was generally
blowing in summer。 I will say； concerning this dust； that if you drove
ten miles through it； you and your horses would be coated with it a
sixteenth of an inch thick and present an outside appearance that was a
uniform pale yellow color； and your buggy would have three inches of dust
in it； thrown there by the wheels。 The delicate scales used by the
assayers were inclosed in glass cases intended to be air…tight； and yet
some of this dust was so impalpable and so invisibly fine that it would
get in； somehow； and impair the accuracy of those scales。
Speculation ran riot； and yet there was a world of substantial business
going on； too。 All freights were brought over the mountains from
California （150 miles） by pack…train partly； and partly in huge wagons
drawn by such long mule teams that each team amounted to a procession；
and it did seem； sometimes； that the grand combined procession of animals
stretched unbroken from Virginia to California。 Its long route was
traceable clear across the deserts fo the Territory by the writhing
serpent of dust it lifted up。 By these wagons； freights over that
hundred and fifty miles were 200 a ton for small lots （same price for
all express matter brought by stage）； and 100 a ton for full loads。
One Virginia firm received one hundred tons of freight a month； and paid
10；000 a month freightage。 In the winter the freights were much higher。
All the bullion was shipped in bars by stage to San Francisco （a bar was
usually about twice the size of a pig of lead and contained from 1；500
to 3；000 according to the amount of gold mixed with the silver）； and the
freight on it （when the shipment was large） was one and a quarter per
cent。 of its intrinsic value。
So； the freight on these bars probably averaged something more than 25
each。 Small shippers paid two per cent。 There were three stages a day；
each way； and I have seen the out…going stages carry away a third of a
ton of bullion each； and more than once I saw them divide a two…ton lot
and take it off。 However； these were extraordinary events。
＇Mr。 Valentine； Wells Fargo's agent； has handled all the bullion shipped
through the Virginia office for many a month。 To his memorywhich is
excellentwe are indebted for the following exhibit of the company's
business in the Virginia office since the first of January； 1862： From
January 1st to April 1st； about 270；000 worth of bullion passed through
that office； during the next quarter； 570；000； next quarter； 800；000；
next quarter； 956；000； next quarter； 1；275；000； and for the quarter
ending on the 30th of last June； about 1；600；000。 Thus in a year and a
half； the Virginia office only shipped 5；330；000 in bullion。 During the
year 1862 they shipped 2；615；000； so we perceive the average shipments
have more than doubled in the last six months。 This gives us room to
promise for the Virginia office 500；000 a month for the year 1863
（though perhaps； judging by the steady increase in the business； we are
under estimating； somewhat）。 This gives us 6；000；000 for the year。
Gold Hill and Silver City together can beat uswe will give them
10；000；000。 To Dayton； Empire City； Ophir and Carson City； we will
allow an aggregate of 8；000；000； which is not over the mark； perhaps；
and may possibly be a little under it。 To Esmeralda we give 4；000；000。
To Reese River and Humboldt 2；000；000； which is liberal now； but may not
be before the year is out。 So we prognosticate that the yield of bullion
this year will be about 30；000；000。 Placing the number of mills in the
Territory at one hundred； this gives to each the labor of producing
300；000 in bullion during the twelve months。 Allowing them to run three
hundred days in the year （which none of them more than do）； this makes
their work average 1；000 a day。 Say the mills average twenty tons of
rock a day and this rock worth 50 as a general thing； and you have the
actual work of our one hundred mills figured down 〃to a spot〃1；000 a
day each； and 30；000；000 a year in the aggregate。Enterprise。
＇A considerable over estimateM。 T。＇＇
Two tons of silver bullion would be in the neighborhood of forty bars；
and the freight on it over 1；000。 Each coach always carried a deal of
ordinary express matter beside； and also from fifteen to twenty
passengers at from 25 to 30 a head。 With six stages going all the
time； Wells； Fargo and Co。's Virginia City business was important and
lucrative。
All along under the centre of Virginia and Gold Hill； for a couple of
miles； ran the great Comstock silver lodea vein of ore from fifty to
eighty feet thick between its solid walls of rocka vein as wide as some
of New York's streets。 I will remind the reader that in Pennsylvania a
coal vein only eight feet wide is considered ample。
Virginia was a busy city of streets and houses above ground。 Under it
was another busy city； down in the bowels of the earth； where a great
population of men thronged in and out among an intricate maze of tunnels
and drifts； flitting hither and thither under a winking sparkle of
lights； and over their heads towered a vast web of interlocking timbers
that held the walls of the gutted Comstock apart。 These timbers were as
large as a man's body； and the framework stretched upward so far that no
eye could pierce to its top through the closing gloom。 It was like
peering up through the clean…picked ribs and bones of some colossal
skeleton。 Imagine such a framework two miles long； sixty feet wide； and
higher than any church spire in America。 Imagine this stately lattice…
work stretching down Broadway； from the St。 Nicholas to Wall street； and
a Fourth of July procession； reduced to pigmies； parading on top of it
and flaunting their flags； high above the pinnacle of Trinity steeple。
One can imagine that； but he cannot well imagine what that forest of
timbers cost； from the time they were felled in the pineries beyond
Washoe Lake； hauled up and around Mount Davidson at atrocious rates of
freightage； then squared； let down into the deep maw of the mine and
built up there。 Twenty ample fortunes would not timber one of the
greatest of those silver mines。 The Spanish proverb says it requires a
gold mine to 〃run〃 a silver one； and it is true。 A beggar with a silver
mine is a pitiable pauper indeed if he cannot sell。
I spoke of the underground Virginia as a city。 The Gould and Curry is
only one single mine under there； among a great many others； yet the
Gould and Curry's streets of dismal drifts and tunnels were five miles in
extent； altogether； and its population five hundred miners。 Taken as a
whole； the underground city had some thirty miles of streets and a
population of five or six thousand。 In this present day some of those
populations are at work from twelve to sixteen hundred feet under
Virginia and Gold Hill； and the signal…bells that tell them what the
superintendent above ground desires them to do are struck by telegraph as
we strike a fire alarm。 Sometimes men fall down a shaft； there； a
thousand feet deep。 In such cases； the usual plan is to hold an inquest。
If you wish to visit one of those mines； you may walk through a tunnel
about half a mile long if you prefer it； or you may take the quicker plan
of shooting like a dart down a shaft； on a small platform。 It is like
tumbling down through an empty steeple； feet first。 When you reach the
bottom； you take a candle and tramp through drifts and tunnels where
throngs of men are digging and blasting； you watch them send up tubs full
of great lumps of stonesilver ore； you select choice specimens from the
mass； as souvenirs； you admire the world of skeleton timbering； you
reflect frequently that you are buried under a mountain； a thousand feet
below daylight； being in the bottom of the mine you climb from 〃gallery〃
to 〃gallery；〃 up endless ladders that stand straight up and down； when
your legs fail you at last； you lie down in a small box…car in a cramped
〃incline〃 like a half…up…ended sewer and are dragged up to daylight
feeling as if you are crawling through a coffin that has no end to it。
Arrived at the top； you find a busy crowd of men receiving the ascending
cars and tubs and dumping the ore from an elevation into long rows of
bins capable of holding half a dozen tons each； under the bins are rows
of wagons loading from chutes and trap…doors in the bins； and down the
long street is a procession of these wagons wending toward the silver
mills with their rich freight。 It is all 〃done；〃 now； and there you are。
You need never go down again； for you have seen it all。 If you have
forgotten the process of reducing the ore in the mill and making the
silver bars； you can go back and find it again in my Esmeralda chapters
if so disposed。
Of course these mines cave in； in places； occasionally； and then it is
worth one's while to take the risk of descending into them and observing
the crushing power exerted by the pressing weight of a settling mountain。
I published such an experience in the Enterprise； once； and from it I
will take an extract：
AN HOUR IN THE CAVED MINES。We journeye