highway by one or the other of the routes which have been proposed. The longest and most expensive of these, but at the same time the most valuable to the State, has been located along the eastern slope of the Washoe Mountains, running south until the divide between Eagle and Washoe Valleys is attained; then turning north, it traverses Washoe, Pleasant, and Steamboat Valleys, reaching the Truckee River by an easy grade, not exceeding seventy feet to the mile on any portion of the route. The distance from Virginia to the Truckee is a little over thirty-nine miles, not including a branch of four miles to Carson City. The cost, including equipment, would probably be about $2,500,000. It would, however, put all the principal settlements of western Nevada in communication with the seaboard by rail, at the same time placing the lumber of the Sierra and the agricultural produce of the valleys in the Virginia market at greatly reduced figures, and supplying the mills of Washoe County with ore at one-half the rates which are at present paid for freight.

Among the natural features of Washoe County, the hot springs deserve more than a casual notice. Those at Steamboat Springs, so called because when first discovered the steam as it escaped produced a noise resembling the puffing of a steamboat, are the most important. They are situated about ten miles south of the Truckee River, and cover a belt of country about a mile in length, and a quarter of a mile in width, at the foot of a range of low basaltic hills, the basalt being an extensive flow overlying granite. They are very numerous, some of them occupying narrow fissures, which emit a sound like the battery of a quartz mill. Others are still pools, from which there is a constant emission of gas and steam; but the most noticeable is an intermittent spring, occupying a small basin about two or three feet in diameter, which has been built up by the deposition of the solid matter held in solution in the water, to a height of about a foot above the bench. The rise and fall in this basin occupies about six minutes and a quarter. For about five minutes the small quantity of water in the bottom of the basin is perfectly quiescent. It then gradually begins to rise, the ebullition increasing until the water runs over the rim, when it slowly subsides, the agitation lasting a little over a minute This formula is repeated with great regularity. It may, however, be varied by artificial means. After throwing into the basin a few ounces of soap, the waters rise and fall as usual for three or four times, when they commence to boil with unusual energy, throwing up the spray from two to eight feet, and emitting immense volumes of steam. In this way the spring will boil for hours with varying activity, sometimes partially subsiding only to gather renewed strength, until it finally comes to rest, the water at such times disappearing entirely from the basin, and not rising again for some considerable time, as if completely exhausted. Its activity may, however, be renewed by a fresh dose of soap. The quantity of the article does not seem to be material, as in one instance a piece weighing about a quarter of a pound was thrown out soon after the ebullition commenced, having lost but little of its bulk; yet there was no apparent diminution in the activity of the spring. The lapse of years has gradually covered the bench with a thick coating of siliceous matter, nearly white, which renders the springs visible at a considerable distance; and the surrounding country affords every evidence that some time or other the springs covered an area many times greater than their present extent. The ground in the neighborhood of the springs is in some places strongly impregnated with sulphur. The temperature of the chief springs is about 204° Fahr., very nearly the boiling point of water at that altitude.

Without exception, the Truckee River affords the most valuable water power in the State. With a fall varying from thirty to forty feet per mile, a large volume of water, and freedom from serious floods, it possesses unrivaled qual ifications. There is no doubt but that on the completion of railroad communi

cation between it and the surrounding mining districts, many mills will be erected along the stream, which will not only be able to compete with those in the immediate vicinity of the mines, but will beneficiate ores yielding no more than twelve dollars per ton, at a profit both to mill and mine.

The only foreign incorporation is the Washoe United Consolidated Mining Company, who have a good twenty-stamp mill on the Truckee River, at present lying idle, having been built before the mines, which were to furnish the material for crushing, had been proved of value.

LYON COUNTY

contains a number of mining districts which have, at various times, attracted much attention. At present it depends chiefly on the numerous mills employed in crushing ores from the mines of Virginia and Gold Hill. Many of these mills are located in the vicinity of Dayton, and are run wholly or in part by the water of the Carson River. For the details of these mills, see the Surveyor General's Report for 1865, and the "Table of Mills" in the Appendix. The principal mining districts are the Devil's Gate, Blue Sulphur Spring, Brown's, Indian, and Palmyra.

DEVIL'S GATE DISTRICT

is situated in the northwestern portion of the county, and is the oldest district in the county. It is remarkable as the locality of the first operations for the discovery of silver in the State. The following notice from the Report of the Surveyor General for 1865, will explain itself:

"In 1852, H. B. and E. A. Grosch, or Grosh, (sons of A. B. Grosh, a Universalist clergyman of considerable note, and editor of a Universalist paper at Utica, N. Y.) educated metallurgists, came to the then Territory, and the same or the following year engaged in placer mining in Gold Cañon, near the site of Silver City, and continued there until 1857, when, so far as I can learn, they first discovered silver ore, which was found in a quartz vein, (probably the one now owned by the Kossuth Gold and Silver Mining Company) on which the Grosh brothers had a location. Shortly after the discovery, in the same year, one of the brothers accidentally wounded himself with a pick, from the effects of which he soon died, and the other brother went to California, where he died early in 1858, which probably prevented the valuable nature of their discovery from becoming known. In the meantime, placer mining was carried on to considerable extent in various localities, principally in Gold Cañon."

At various times a large amount of work has been done on the many claims in this district. Of these, the Pride of the West, Buckeye, Gray and Cook, and others in the vicinity of the Devil's Gate, have a general course east and west, and are more auriferous than argentiferous in their character. Others, such as Kossuth, Genessee, Mount Hope, Jewel, Hawley, Daney, Charles Caney, Cayuga, etc., are true silver bearing lodes, many of them containing considerable low grade ore, which, before many years elapse, will make them valuable property. Some of this ground has already been re-located under the State law of last winter relative to the location and possession of mining claims, and will probably be held for that purpose. But little work is being done at the present time in the district, except in the vicinity of the gold bearing lodes.

INDIAN SPRINGS DISTRICT

lies northeast of, and adjoining Palmyra District. Many of the lodes in this district are very large. but though reported to contain much valuable ore, the mill suspended operaThe croppings of the Whitman are of immense extent, tions from some cause or other, and has, I believe, been removed elsewhere. The ores from the Whitman mine bear a strong resemblance to those found in the neighborhood of Fort Churchill, in Storey County.

PALMYRA DISTRICT

lies between Sullivan and Indian Springs District, and like the latter, is located in the lofty mountain range east of the Carson River. But little work is being done in either of them.

For notices of the copper mines, found in the southern part of the county, see Esmeralda County.

The mountains in the eastern portion of the county produce large quantities of piñon, which finds a market in Drytown, Gold Hill, and Virginia.

CHURCHILL COUNTY

occupies the central portion of the State, and has, at various times, attracted much attention, from the reported discovery of rich mining districts within its limits. With regard to its agricultural resources I would refer to the Reports of the Surveyor General for 1865-6. In addition to its argentiferous lodes, many other minerals are found in abundance. Carbonate of soda occurs in large quantities near Ragtown, as a deposit from the water of two small lakes, the smaller of which dries up every summer, leaving an incrustation of considerable thickness, capable of furnishing a large supply. The larger one has a diameter of something less than a mile, and is supplied by springs which keep the water about the same level; if such was not the case, the deposit here would be equally large, as the amount of alkaline matter held in suspension is very great, probably a saturated solution. Sulphur too is an abundant article, and the Sand Spring and Humboldt Salt Beds are in this county, having an aggregate area of nearly 20,000 acres.

The following mining districts have been located in the county: Mountain Wells, Silver Hill, Clan Alpine, Desert, Augusta, Salina, Alamo, New Pass, and Ravenswood.

In the latter

Hot springs are numerous in the northwestern portion of the county, and in the valley between Silver Hill and Clan Alpine Districts. locality, the remains of many others now extinct are abundant.

This county may be considered the central basin of Nevada. Nearly in its center, is the sink of the Carson River, which here spreads itself out over a wide extent of low land into a shallow lake, whose area varies with the varying evaporating qualities of the atmosphere. On the northern boundary is the sink of the Humboldt River, regulated in the same manner, the two being connected in wet seasons; and near the northwest corner is Pyramid Lake, which receives the waters of the Truckee River. The peculiar features of all these rivers is, that they flow into lakes having no visible outlet. Persons unacquainted with meteorological phenomena have on this account imagined that there must be subterranean communications to carry off the large volume of water constantly pouring into them, an idea which needs no refutation. The true explanation is that given above; and the immense capacity of the atmosphere, not only in Nevada but throughout the Great Basin, for the absorption of water, is amply illustrated by the remains of dead animals scattered over the plains. These are completely desiccated or dried up, undergoing only a partial decomposition. Were other confirmation needed, it might be found in the shrinkage of all woodwork when brought to these elevated plateaus, even though it may have been seasoning for years at or near the sea level. Barometrical observations, had we them at our command, would undoubtedly afford additional proof.