This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... covered the roads to the depth of 6 feet, wood was sold for $40' and even $50 per cord,7 and the sufferings of the poor were extreme. The hardy Chinese burrowed under the snow for the roots, which they hawked about the. streets at the rate of $60 per cord, selling their loads as soon as gathered. This rate was of course exceptional, but even in the most favorable seasons the supply could scarcely keep pace with the increasing demand. Timber was in no less urgent request, and the cost of transportation was even greater, as it was cut mainly on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada range. In 1866 it was reported that 200,000 cords of wood were delivered to consumers in the district. 'Gold Hill News, November 14,1863; December 9,28, 1865; January 9, 1868;.Iarch 13, 1868. 9 Ibid., March 2, 1867. 3Ibicl., April 8, September 19, 1864. 4 The Big Bonanza, p. 384. 5 Virginia City Union, in Mining and Scientific Press, November 19, 1864. 5Gold Hill News, April 5, 1866. " Iln'd., March 1, 2, 1867. Daily consumption of firewood. Cords. By hoisting-Works on mines ____________________________________________ __ 70 By mills crushing ores _______________________________________________ __ 378 For domestic use ____________________________________________________ __ 120 568 568 cords per day, X 365 days, = 207,320 cords, yearly consumption. Cost, at $10 per cord, = $2,073,200. It Was estimated that the consumption of lumber for building purposes and mining timbers Was 25,000,000 feet (board measure) yearly, of Which 17,900,000 feet Were used in and around the mines. The annual cost of this supply Was computed to be $800,000. 1 Within the city limits similar indications could be noted of a growing reliance upon the stability of the main industry...

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Excerpt from Comstock Mining and Miners To present these varied themes clearly and fairly in a well-joined narrative has been the aim of the writer. No assertion or statement of fact has been made without the citation of authorities. If, in any case, more positive evidence is desirable, its lack may fairly be attributed to the death of witnesses and the absence or destruction of trustworthy records. Cumulative evidence has only been cited when its support was clearly requisite, but all material obtained has been filed for reference among the manuscript records of the United States Geological Survey. No minute examination has been here essayed of subjects which have been elaborately treated in the complementary reports already published and now in press. For strictly technical discussions of the geology, chemistry, physics, and mechanics of the Lode, reference should be made to the standard treatises of Richthofen, King, Church, and Hague, and to the reports of Professor George F. Becker and W. R. Eckart, C. E., form ing the principal portion of the series of volumes treating of the Comstock Lode as the work was originally planned. It has been judged, however, that the investigation here attempted merits a place in the annals of mining in America, and is fittingly conducted under the direction of the United States Geological Survey. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The History of the Comstock Lode, first published in 1943, provided mining investors, engineers, and western historians with the first comprehensive, chronological history of mining operations on the Comstock. Of particular note is Smith's progressive record of the ways the mines were developed, the failures encountered, the bonanzas discovered, and the production records of the mines. In addition to the invaluable mining information, The History of the Comstock Lode includes the personal histories of the colorful men of the Comstock - "Old Virginny," the ill-fated Grosh brothers, John W. Mackay, Mark Twain, Dan De Quille, and Charles Howard Shinn, to mention a few. The book also contains many rare historic photographs of the mining district. With the addition of new material by Joseph V. Tingley, which brings the history of mining operations on the Comstock to the present, The History of the Comstock Lode will once again he enjoyed by scholars and students of mining history as well as western history buffs.