roughing it-第64部分

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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