OHAPTEK XI. 

 SUMMARY. 



BY GEORGE F. BECKER. 



Purpose of this chapter. — A Very large portion of the foregoing pages is neces- 

 sarily occupied by detailed descriptions, written to enable readers to judge 

 whether the facts warrant the opinions expressed, and by discussions of 

 a somewhat technical character. There may be those, however, who 

 will be interested to know in brief what conclusions have been reached, 

 but who have no inclination to undertake the somewhat serious task of 

 weighing the evidence adduced, and of following the arguments in detail; 

 and for such the present chapter is written, but with the proviso that full 

 and fully qualified statements are to be found in the body of the report, and 

 there only. 



History and statistics. — No morc condcused statement of the technical and 

 economical relations of the Comstock mines can be presented than that 

 which is given in Chapter I., itself a meager abstract of reports which will 

 appear hereafter; nor is it necessary further to reduce the digests of the 

 previous memoirs on the Lode which constitute Chapter II. In some re- 

 spects the present volume is a tribute to the acumen of preceding observers, 

 upon whose investigations that here described is to a great extent built up. 

 That the recent development of the science of microscopical petrography 

 and the immensely increased facilities for observation, due to the extension 

 of the mine workings, should have led to some views different from those 

 heretofore entertained concerning the geology of the District is anything 

 but surprising. 



