Editorial Comment. 383 
fourteen tons produced over $45,000.00 net. Rich strikes 
have been made at other points, notably at the "Quartzite," 
some five miles southeast of Columbia mountain, and at the 
"Simmerone" which lies between the two. No such regu- 
lar and well defined ledges of ore have been found in the 
outlying portions of the camp as upon the properties near 
Columbia mountain ; but the development work has not yet 
been prosecuted to the same depth. 
The discoveries thus far made are scattered over an 
area some five or six miles square. This area was formerly 
covered by lava, the erosion of which has laid bare the rocks 
and veins and has formed a plateau or mesa which bounds 
the district on the west. The siliceous reefs of quartz and 
rhyolyte appear in irregular ridges of no great hight, mark- 
ing the croppings of some of the veins. The rocks are much 
iron-stained, but are not very deeply oxidized. 
Undecomposed sulphide minerals can be seen in the ore 
almost upon the surface upon the Jumbo, January and 
Florence. The ground water is met at the depth of about 
200 feet from surface and below this level the ore is base 
although free gold is abundant. The ground is "heavy" be- 
low water level, and will require timbering and filling mak- 
ing the mining cost heavy in that desert country. Fuel 
also is expensive ; and pumping and hoisting costs will be 
above the average. 
The rocks of the district are andesytes, basalts and 
rhyolytes with some aplyte and silicified limestone. The 
andesyte is very soft ; and shafts are easily sunk in it. The 
rhyolyte is much harder, and usually constitutes the ore. 
It contains much chalcedonic silica, evidently deposited by 
hot waters ; but not much normal vein quartz. The dikes of 
rhyolyte are of all sizes from a few inches to forty feet in 
thickness ; and have irregular strikes and dips with many 
branches and ramifications, both on the surface and in 
depth. They are so numerous and so frequently auriferous 
and so variable in position that there will certainly arise a 
great many conflicts and much litigation in the future. 
Several instances were noticed of opportunities for such 
trouble already fully developed. 
The strike of the auriferous dikes is generally northerly 
