The New York Herald Newspaper, December 30, 1878, Page 2

a First Discoveries of Silver Ore in the Mining Centre of Nevada, “OLD VIRGINIA.” How He “Saw Some Queer Looking THE COMSTOCK LODE Stuff in a Gopher Hole.” CHRISTENING VIRGINIA CITY. Early Records of Mining Claims that Are Now “Bonanzas.” | DEPTHS OF THE SEVERAL MINES. —— Digging Out the Ore by Operations on "a Colossal Scale. ENORMOUS YIELDS OF BULLION. Vinersta Crry, Nev., Dee. 19, 1878. When the last war between the United States and Mexico terminated in a treaty of peace at Gnadalupe- Hidalgo, in 1848, there was caded to the United States a large portion of Northwestern Mexican territory, embracing what are now the States of California, Ne- vada, @ small portion of the south of Colorado, the | Lsaw some ¢ Yerritories of New Mexico, Utah and a large portion of Northern Arizona. In 1850 California was admit- ted into the federal Union as a sovereign State, and a ‘Territorial form of government was extended over Utah, reaching westward to the eastern boundary of California. Up to March, 1861, a period of eleven years, all the territory, with its rich mountains of gold and silver, which now constitutes the State of Nevada, was known in political geography as the western part of Utah, and at the period of the great discovery of the Comstock Lode, whatever law existed in Carson county was framed by the Mormon Legis- lature, at Salt Lake, and Orson Hyde, the leading apos- tle, was the chief judicial authority for both saints and sinners. In 1861 a Territorial government was extended over Western Utah under the designation of Nevada, and three years later, October 31, 1864, by proclamation of the President of the United States, Nevada was ad- mitted into the federal compact as the thirty-third State of the Union. On May 5, 1866, Congress ex- tended the eastern boundary of the new State to the 114th meridian, and thus Nevada is boanded north by Oregon and Idaho, east by Utah and Arizona—from the latter of which it is partly separated by the Col- orado River, its only southern boundary, and south- west and west by California. It is situated between latitude 35 deg. and 42 deg. north, and longitude 114 deg. and 120 deg. west; extreme length north and south in the east, 485 miles, and on the west boundary 210 miles; greatest breadth on the thirty. ninth parallel, 320 miles, north of which it contracts to about 310 miles, and south of it it contracts toa point. The area of the State is 104,125 square miles, FIRST DISCOVERIES. Im the beginning of 1850 a number of Mormons were en roule for the “gold diggings” in California. ‘They reached Carson Valley before the passage over the Sierras could be attempted with safety, and it while thus awaiting, with the wornout and be- lated emigrants of the previous year, for the depart- ure of the snow, that these Mormons discovered the first gold east of the Sierras, and which led subse- quently to the discovery of the greatest body of silver ore known to the world. ‘The gold first discovered here was found at the mouth of what is now called Gold Canyon, five miles trom where I now write. For some time it wee found as fine “dust,” and only in sufficient quwntity to pay small daily wages, which was far rom the realization of the golden dreams of the emigrants. Accordingly, a8 soon as grass grew, they pushed on to California, where they had heard of huge “nuggets” and fabulous wealth, and left their Giscovery to be taken wp by others in on after time, THR FIRST TOWN IN NEVADA. Two years later other prospectors replaced those who had departed for the great Mi Dorado, and pro- ceeded further up the canyon in search of the glit- tering metal, and were measurably successful, By the summer ot 1853 the prospectors numbered sey- eral hundreds, Roaming higher and higher, from : up the canyon and finding the gold in “paying quantities,” a convenient place for a camp was selectel, rude eabins were constructed, “dng- outs,” wagons and tents were bronyht together, and Johnstown was created: and thus began the cities of Nevada, Among this group of settlers were two somewhat eccentric notorieties who subsequently inscribed on the page of history the two imperishable names, Comstock and Virginia City. While Goid Canyon, to the south of the mountain on which Virginia City now stands, was being actively worked by small groups of prospectors, washing, wherever they could find water, ihe ore bearing grave! and eand in the bed of the gulch, other pros- peotors were in search of the precious metal to the north of the mountain, now called Six-Mile Canyon, and had a similar rough experience and it occasional streaks of fortune. ONWELOOME DISCOVERY OF SILVER, Without a particle of knowledge of mineralogy, and having only the active pnreuit of gold in their minds, the prospectors were unprepared for the discovery of silver. Its first sppearance was in the form of an annoying enemy. Associated with the gold they beyan to find a grayish and heavy black sand, which deteriorated the gold und rendered it more difficult to work. They loathed the sight of it and cursed it in profusion. The only persons in the camps who formed a favorable opinion of the unwelcome sands were two Germans by the name of Grosch. As early as 1853 they appear to have believed that there was a body of silver quartz on | the mountain, They had some knowledge ot geology and are said to have made a “claim” somewhere within the boundaries of this mnnicipality. The Jack of machinery and other appliances for mining left this claim among the numerous wnaccom- plished projects with which all mining camps abound. Hosea Grosch struck his foot with & pick and afterward died; his brother, Allen, set ont for California to procure the necessary aid of mechanies and chemicals with which +o operate on the quartz claim before “taken up;” Sat he was overtaken in @ snow storm, wae forced to hubsist on his mule, and when discovered he was nigh exhausted, His life was only a short time pro- Ymged, and he died of fever, and with lis demise perished for @ time the project of silver quartz mining. This wae in 1856. THE DISCOVERERS OF THR COMSTOCK. The work of prospecting for gold continned with unabated vigor, and labor was frequently richly re- warded, though no grent fortunes had been “struck.” Among the well known prospectors were Peter O'Reilly and Pat McLaughlin, no doubt natives of the Emerald Isle; James Finney, a native of the State of Virginia, and Henry Thomas Paige Cometock, “son of old Noah Cometoc living in Cleveland, Ohte. “a. T. FP." how er, was born in Canada, and grew ap, he saya, “a regular | born mountaincer.” O'Reilly and MeLanghiin seem to have been industrious miners; so, too, was Finney | most of the time, but he was freqnently afflicted with | thirst, and from his humor and easy habits became | the subject of liberties, and was familiarly known as “Old Virginia.” Comeatock lived under the sobriquet of “Old Pancake,” derived, it is aaid, from bis preter. tnees of that simple arti kery. . SOMMEHISG OF COMMIO”K. © - Wrom associations with the two brothers Grosch, of cwmp NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1878—WITH SUPPLEMENT. previous to their unfortunate deaths, Comstock, in some way or other, at their melancholy ending came in possession of what property they left. He, too, no doubt, knew what discoveries they had made and their projected plans and pur- poses for the future, as roughing it in mining camp is not conducive to reticence. That he was thus able to discover the great quartz vein which bears his name is a matter of little conse- qnenee, or that O'Reilly and McLaughlin were the actual discoverers is of no moment to anybody now; | he gave his name to the lode, and there it will in all probability never pass from history. He was a sin- gular genius, unburdened with virtues, a sponta- noons-acting being with little conception of the right or wroug as abstract principles regulating life, good- natured, liberal in his days of prosperity, and, one of his acquaintances said yesterday, “A hell of a Mar.” FINDING THE COMSTOCK LODE. Comstock’s own story of the finding of the lode is worth relating, giving, as his language does, the measure of the man and furnishing a picture of the circumstances and of his associates, who were the rude instruments of Providence in laying the foun- dation of this grand enterpris ‘Che first discovery of the Comstock lode was made in this way:—in the middie of Janmary, 1859, necr looking stutt in a gopher hole, I ran my hand in and took out a handful of dirt and saw silver and gold in it. At that time Big John Bishop and “Old Virginia” were with me when] found it. They were beim upon the side of the bill (Gold Hill) a couple of hun yards from me. I took w five claims. A couple of weeks from that time, an where the Ophir is now located, I found the same prospects, and told the boys at Gold Hill I was going to work poda mine as the first discovery; dic not know at the time there was a lead of that de- seription there. Riley and McLaughlin were work: for me at the time of the Ophir discovery, Ica the cut inand went after my party to teke up the lead and form my company. Manny Penrod, Peter Kiley, Patrick MecLangllin, “Kentuek,’’ or Osborne, and myself formed a company. With my party 1 opened the lead and called it Comatock lode. ‘That is the way they came by their interests, I gave them to them. We started to rocking with my water; had onty a small quantity to work with. We made trom fiye to tenand twelve pounds a day and the dust was from $9 to $12 an ounce—went that at Brew- ster’s Bank, Placerville, Cal., where I did my busi- ness. Icontinued owning the claim, locating 1,400 fect ont for myself for the use of my water to (he com- pany. Talso located the Savage claim; showed the «round to old man Savage. I located the Gould & Curry; went into the va:ley and got old Daddy or to come down, and put bir in possession of it, aiso. owned the Hale & Norcross, and kept Norcross for a year to work in that ground, [also owned the prineipat part in Gold Hill and leased it out to Walsh & Woodrutf; leased to them 950 or 74—don’t now remember which. Now I will teil you how I sold it. It has never been told as it ought to be told through- out the United States for my benefit, and it shall be. Sandy Bowers, I gave him his claim of twenty feet in Gold Hill; Bili Knight, | gave bim lis claim; Joe Plato, Lyave him his. Joe-is dead now; his widow is. awful rich. I was working this claim, the Ophir, and taking out a good deal of ore; I did not kvow what the ore was worth, being in the wilderness then, with no road to get out or into from Cali- fornia, It was an awful wilderness! I took several tons of the ore and transported it by ox teams, to best advantage, through tue mountains of Califor: nia, and Judge Walsh was my agent and helped me. Now, during this time Iwas taking out large gold and silver specimens, and took one specimen, weigh- ing twelve pounds, and boxed it up und ordered it sent to Washington city, I instructed John Musser, 2 lawyer, at Washoe, to send it. I don't know whethie reached there or not. I wanted Con- gress and the President to gold and silver ore mixed States. i * * * * * * * Virginia City wae first called Silver City. Iuamed it at the time I gave the Ophir claim its name. Old Virginia and the other boys got on # drunk oue night there, and ‘Old Virginia” tell down and broke his bottie, and when he got up he said he baptized that Virginia—hence Virginia City, and that is the way it got its name, At that time there were a tew tents, a few little huts anda grogsho} ; that was all there was. I was camped under a cedar tree at that time— Land my party. * * * * * * * Iam a man that has been through the wars. I was in the Black Hawk war; was with Black Hawk when he died. I was in the Mexican war, and all through in the patriot war in Canada, Had three brothers in it; I was the youngest; they are all dead now, 1am the son of old Noah Comstock, living in Cleve- land, Ohio. He has been largely engaged in the lum- ber and hotel business there. 1 have been in the wilderness since achild, Was bound to the Ameri- can Pur Company. My boss died, and that’s tie way I got with old Black Hawk. My first recollection was pecking traps, ‘Trapped all over Canada, Michigan and Indisna; but the Kocky Mountains have been my home, I have been a guide these years and years, 1 was born in Canada, and am uow near fifty years of age. it, for it was the first found in the United HE COMMITS SUICIDE. Comstock in the flush of his wealth in ‘claims’ had ambition to become a merchant, aud invested considerable money in the usual outfit of a “store,” embracing everything of human wants and con- venience from lightning whiskey to 2 pick handle. He gave unlimited credit, and was popular with his customers, His goods rapidly diminished, and his treasury was empty. Ina fit of disgust he resolved to quit merebandizing—it was not his forte—and what the whites had not taken he hastily distributed among the Indians and closed his doors. Some time after this he went to Montana Territory—prospect- ing again—and during itis stay there wrote the letter from which I have extracted, Though satisfied with his experience there something seems to have un- settled him; he got crazy and ended his days by putting a pistol builet throngh his hi CHRISEENING VIRGINIA CITY, Acompanion story to the naming of the great ore body is that of the christening of the chief city of the State, and is here contributed by one who was aimnong its frst settlers :— Among the mat characters with whom T became acquainted in the early days of Washoe was “Old Vir- yinny,” as he was called. What his real name was 1 never took the trouble to inquire, When you spoke of “Old Virginny” every one knew whom you meant, and that was euongh. “Old Virginny”’ was a great ad- mirer of enterprise, and when building my first mail he frequently came down from Virginia City, and would Hang around, dropping now aud then a ed plimentary remark, and, as a contrast of what the past had been aud the future was like to be, would tell some story of hiseurly trials. Had I noted them | ail down ihen they would now, be very interesting. Porbaps you do not know bow Virginia City received its nal Lhave the following trom “Oid Virgiuny” Limself “Well,” said he, “McLaughlin, Comstock and one other aud myself ‘uad been working up near Spanisls ravine, and yot out of everything to eat. So one day we concluded to take a trip to Chinatown (near where Silver City now stands), down Gold canyon, where there was a trading post. We were very hungry when we started, and knowing we must have a meal betore getting back, took our coffee pot and f | ore-bearing quartz, ‘The Overmfan, from the greater | Nevade was the first mine recorded in Book A, page 1, in the following language :— NOTICE. We, the madesnignt claimants, have this day lo- eated the supposed quartz vein discovered by Messrs. Penrod, Comstock & Company, commencing with the second ravine north of Penrod, Comstock & Com- y, and running north through the hill, and with he vein three thousand six han (8,600) feet, with all its depth, angles and spurs. Reco. this day, V. A. Houseworrs, Recorder. Fee paid; $5. This company is known as the Sierra Nevada. Heney Miller, C. G. Gates, J, F, Stone, B. larrison, E. CU. Ing, B, Robinson, J. Walsh, H. M. Trand, L. C. Porter, Joseph Paddleford, F. J, Murphy. June 22, 1859. ‘This latter notice was prepared by a different class of men, gives evidence of care and an appreciation of the value of a clear title. Following the location of the Ophir, both to the north and the south of it, claims were soon made, and work was begun in earnest. THE DEPTHS OF THE MINES, To impart a correct idea of the immense work that has been done in the prosecution of this mining business I here subjoin a list of the lowest levels “of the principal mines. Several of the shatts are now being sunk deeper, with a view of opening still lower levels, The first column of figures shows the actual depth of the vertical shaft from the surface of the ground at the top of the shaft; the second col- unin shows the relative depth on the ledge from a given point immediately under the summit of Mount worked, and some portions were sent to Swansea, Wales, and to Freiberg, Saxony, where they were reduced and worked into bullion. Of their value there is no record; but since mining was made a learned profession here, and mills and reduction works of the best class were erected and were man- aged by business men, @ thorough ‘system of book- keeping and a perfect record has been preserved of the products of the mines and their expenditures. From these records I gather the following interesting facts:—The mines yielded in 1970, 1861 18,100,000 1862, Ie 18,600,000 :,500,000 187: 25,100,000 11,000,000 187 24,400,100 A, 000 187! ducing during that period of time paid: in assess- ments $53,122,422, The ore product of the Consoli- dated Virginia amounted, up to September 30, to $60,325,650. The California, up to the same date, $41,562,098. These two mines, under the manage- ment of Messrs. Meckay & Fair, yielded altogether $101,887,743, All the other mines together produced $209,562,252, making a total of $31,450,000. Of couyse Ihave omitted fractional numbers, Belcher paid in dividends $15,397,200; Crown Point, $11,588,000; Davidson—the Gould & Curry croppings:— Depth Below Depth Below G. and C, Top of Shay. Croppings. Name of Mine, Peet. Peet, Utah...... 1,605 tiny Challenge, & Yellow Jacket. Keutuck.. Crown Point. Belcher..... Segregated Belcher Overman. . Caledonia. Maryland. Baltimore. New York... Lady Washington. Benton, id f their own, but by arrangement work through the ebafts of adjoiuing mines. ‘The first experience in this quartz mining induced the belief that the Comstock lode dipped to the west. ‘The first shaft sinking was consequently only a short distance east of the croppings, but when they had sunk about three hundred feet or so they discovered that they had passed through the vein and reached the hard country rock or ‘est wall.’ As it became demonstrated that the lode dipped nearly forty-five degrees to the east from that point it became neces- sary to incline the shafts from the vertical in order to follow the lode, As these inclines increased in depth the difficulty of working through them became so ‘much greater than that of working through vertical shafts that the various companies found it advisable to sink shafts several hundred feet further eastward. ‘These shafts have in turn also reached the west wall at depths ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 feet from the sur- face, and further exploration has been continued by an incline sunk from the bottom of each shaft until the levels given in the foregoing table have been at- tained. CROSS FECTION OF THE LODE. The subjoined dranght of a cross section of the Comstock lode will enable the reader to fully under- stand all this and what has yet to be told of veins, shafts, inclines, levels and bonanzas:— Hh wii Kg HAAN HAM AI HW LALA ‘The black mark from the shaft to the west was the direction in which the ore was songht and found in the beginning, as previously stated; the two black marks represent bonanzas or large bodies of very rich ore that were reached near the 900-foot level. ‘These bonanzas were on the line separating the Crown Potnt and Belcher 1ines, and both of these companies took ont a large amount of silver. Kecently a third series of shafts have been started much further to the east—viz., the Gould & Curry, North Consolidated Virginiaand Overman—in order to develop the mines npon which they are sunk and the mines adjoining them. The first two named cx- pect to sink vertically from 3,000 to 3,500 feet before reaching the west wall, which limits the body of the distance eastward where it has begun to sink, is not likely to reach the west wail before it has attained a depth of 4,300 feet from the surface, In the develop- ment of such great mines everything is necessarily on @ colossal scale, “Immense” is the only word that expresses the thought of every department that is looked at. If all the vertical shafts were put togeth- er they would extend fully six miles; the main work. pan with us. Getting along down below, where ee Gold Hill is, Pat expied a lonely crow, and we soon inds to ewpture him,’ which we did. fire, and, utter plucking his feathers, crammed him into the coffee pot, and I thurk the meal we made ou that old black © was the best one I ever ate. We all relished it, and it made the balance ot our journey down the canyon quite easy. At the trading post we Inid in our flour, cotiee, bacon and beans and started to Virginia. It was not Virginia then, but Silver Gity, Comstoex called it Silver City, but others said it should be called ‘Virginia City,” after me. Well, we laid in, among other things, some whiskey—we all had ® liking tor i, going back, lightened up all the bit- ana that I held en to. Going along wo got into a dispute about the name of the contem- plated city—all of us @ little sprung. The dispute was waxing warm when an unit uy boulder hap- pened to be in my Way, and over it I stumbled, and away went the bottle, whiskey and 1, That settled the question, ‘There was something ominous about it aud the place was baptized ‘Virginia Cit ‘Two years later “Old Virginia” was on “a «pree” in 4 neighboring town, end, “for the fon of it,” he mounted a “bucking” mustang, whieh very soon threw him to the ground and fractured his skull. He | died in a few hows atterward, THE FIRSE UXCORDED or ‘The official record book exhibits the primitive in- nocence of the first locators, and shows how little they dreamed of the great future that was to flow from their first step in legitimate mining claim, They had no idea of the magnificence of what they had begun, A cheep two-uwnd-ahalf-qnire account book was their first record book, and from it L copy the first paye NOTICE, ‘That wo, the undersigned, claim this spring and stream for mining purposes. A. G. HAMMAOK, J. W, MOREL, GW. DURAN, 380. POWLL, Josn 21, 1859, A, RICOD, Recorded this day.—V. A. Hovsewowes, Kecorder, Writt on & piece of paper, nailed on to a rongh voard or to the branch of a tres and that atuck into the ground at (he mouth of the spring aud the head of the stream, the ‘notice’ was clear enough; but to be so recorded in all the glory of utter indefinitencss of location was laying the foundation for a rich har- vest for the legal fraternity, who instinetively follow on the heels of the snevessful miner, Oa that same first page there is another notice, ce | ering whet seors to be the next great bonanza on the Comstock—the Sierra Nevada. The Ophir was the first mine located, but by some delay the Sicrra ing inclines would be four miles; winzes, vertical ond incline, would be twelve miles; the drifts on the various levels would be 110 miles; altogether 132 miles. THE MINES TN THEIR INFANCY. Up to within afew months the unfavorable devel- opments made for the past three years led many to doubt the oro bearing character of the lode below the 2,000 foot level, but recent discoveries of very rich ore several hundred feet deeper have thoroughly dispelled that apprehension, and the opinion now is genera, that mining on the Comstock is but in its infancy. The extent of the rich ores recently discovered no one can tell til the mines are thorouyhly explored by drifts, cross cuts and winzes. There can be, however, no valid reason why ore bodies of equal magnitude and richness should not be discovered below any depth yet attained; in fact, the history of the Com- stock Jeads to the conclusion that the ores grow in richness the deeper they are found, while the ore bodies are fewer in number and of greater dimen- sions. The commencement of the new shafts already alluded to shows in a very practical way that those best acquainted with the character of the lode lave every confidence in the future. A fear has been entertained that mining much be- | low two thousand fect would be too expensive and too hot, but that fear existed before they reached the firet thourand feet. Science ond mechunies will over- come those greater difficulties in the future as they have overcome thove that threatened them in the | post. The best mining authorities here speak to me | of 7,000 fest deep without tho slighest hesitation, With the present appliances for hoisting ore that would be impossible; the expense would be too great, Tn & conversation with Mr. Mackay I learned that he had recently heard of some new discovery for hoist skilled machiniat was immediately sent from Son Francisco to Rurope to study it out, Thore is not a valuable piece of machinery in the world connected with mining that the “bonanza kings” are not in pos. escapes their attention, There arc scientists and mechanics ready, so they assert, to reduce the tem- | perature of the mines to that of a pleasant spring | morning. } THA PRODUCT OF THE MINES. In the early days of the Comstock mining small | the vehicle, upsetting # ing made by a Frenchman, 1 think he said, and a | season of the drawings. Nothing in their profession | Consolidated Virginia, $41,040,000; California, $29,060,000, The total product of bullion of these two mines is $70,100,000; all other mines, including Belcher and Crown Point, $45,068,700; total, $115,168,700 paid in dividends, For those who may care to have details I give the folowing table of the principal mines :— Assessments, — Bullion. Dividends, bor 4 $15,397,200 42,074,800 29,160,000 14,677,000” 3,080,000 78,000 41,040,000 11,888,000 3,820,500 1,598,000 1,252,000 1,394,600 4,460,000 102/500 Silver Hill... — Suceor Mill 22,800 Trojan......... 215,000 71,200 — Yellow Jacket,. 8,798,000 14,372,200 2,184,000 Totals........$33,788,100 $254,699,200 $15,493,700 BULLION AND COINAGE. ©. C. Pendergast, the agent of Wells, Fargo & Co., has been shipped from here by that express company from 1871 to October 1, of the present year, which may be of service to statisticians. About forty per cent of all this product may be taken as gold and sixty per cent silver. OrrIce OF Wriis, Fanco & Co. Express, Vieni, Ney., Uct. 26, 1478, Statement of bullion shipped trom Virginia, Nev., by Wollxe, Fargo & Co., trom January 1, 1871, to October 1, 1878. Piet me with the totel amount of bullion that 2, + 22,018,207 25 INSTT. 35,943,773 39 « 19,330,025 51 1878, 9 m’hs. 18,707.056 18 Toll. ci ceseeecceeeeee a. os eeee ee $173,754,336 48 PENDERGAST, Agent. Another interesting item of business «rowing out of this mining interest here is supplied by Superin- tendent Crawford, of the Carson Mint, showing that from 1870, when that institution was organized, up to September 30, 1878, they have coined in yold 643,050 pieces, of the value of $10,826,270; in silver, 42,800,761 pieces, of the value of $13,464,533 80. Total, 43,448,811 pieces, $24,290,823 80. Deposits and pur- chases during that timo in gold, $20,378,001 42; in silver, $23,100,564 57. VENTILATION IN THE SCHOOLS. DILATORY ACTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS EVIDENCE OF INDIFFERENCE AND NEGLECT— A PARENT'S COMPLAINT. To tHE Epitor or THE HERaLD:— Your able articles on ventilation of school buildings must have attracted the attention of thousands of in- terested parents, whose children daily pass hours in an atmosphere one sniff of which overpowered Pres- ident Wood of the Board of Education. In your Christmes issue you hit the point when you said:— “It is impossible not to feel that the Loard itself needs- immediate and thorough ventilation.” Al- though I am not connected with the press and cannot gather information, as a reporter who kuows how to interview the proper parties would readily do, I can vouch for the necessity of ventilating the Board, as the following facts may indicate :— OFPERS OF RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, ‘The Board of Education are offered by responsibie partics every facility to find # satistactory system of ventilation, without expense, unless results are such as meet their own views. Several parties of un- doubted responsibility who desire to show the effi- ciency of their systems, offer to guarantee results and to give bonds to remeve their apparatus and re- store the building, in every respect, on the ipee dixit of the Board. Under these circuunstances the public will hardly accept as @ plea for postponing action that the Board can fiud no cote that is adequate. As evidence that the must first be ventilated, 1 quote from ventilator men who have recenily ap- proached the Board on this matter. One party is toid by Mr. Commissioner that the necessity of ven- is imaginary. Says this mtelligent official :-— I went to school no patent ventilators were J, aud i stilllive. With sensible teachers there is Why, the thermom- ; Board are not co: sulted, What's the use ?”’ and the ventilator is bowed out, Still another is diemiased with understand! I sev your objective point! If you sneceed in this you expect a job ow 'y school building in the city,” wnd the Gomumssioner, having found that mare's nest, collects tho exys. A fourth Comunissioner, prefers to be excused from any responsibility. He say«:—The Board of Educa- tion employ @ superintendent of buildings and an enginecr, wno would have founda plan it there is any. Atali events, it's their business and they are paid for it, Excuse me!” Itistrne thet, under pressure of public interest, stimulated by your paper, the Board have recently referred several applications ou this subject to their Committee on Warming und Ventilation; but no- body can inform me when this committee met laxt, nor can {find anybody who believes they will meet now, notwithstanding that they have at last some business to attend to. Hoping that you will continue the good work until our children are ensnred wholesome air in the achool- room, even if ventilation must begin with the mem- bers of the Board, I subscribe myself, AN INTERESTED PARENT. New York, Dec, 28, 187! MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL. ‘The annual meeting of the officers of the Mount Sinai Hospital was beld yesterday morving in the board room of the institution, Lexington avenue and Sixty-sixth street. ‘The reports of the va rious officers showed that during the year the receipts from ali sources in round figures had been $42,000 aud the disbursements $44,000, ‘The following officers were elected tor the ensuing year:—President, Harris Aronson; Vice Presicd Hiram Bioom; ‘Treasurer, Semuel M. Schafer, and LU, Hi, Nathan, Secretary. The directors elected wore Adolph Hallgarten, V. D. Rothschild, L. Lewisoln and J. . Schwett, for four years, and ‘Henry Rosen. wuld for two years, WHAT A FATALITY REVEALED, Coronet Parelow, of Hoboken, will this evening hoid an inquest on the body of Adolph Vou Ohien, | who was killed on the 19th inst. by falling from the seat of his wagon on Manhattan avenue, Jersey City Heights. Although there was no suspicious cir- cumetances connected with the affair the man's death has given rise to something of @ mystery, which Coroner Parslow has set himaelfto unravel, the wheels sinking into a rut and overturiiny hogshead of molasses which was in the wagon and spilling the liquid in the road. His name was only ascertained from sev. eral receipted Ville which were found in his pocket, The wagon bore the name of D. Ilsen, New Jersey, ‘The Coroner learned that the man fiisen resided ina house on the old Vreoland estate, but failed to find lim, He found Tiken’s wife, who, in answer to bis inquiries, gatd her husband had gone to Hackensack ; that Von Ob en worked for them, vat she could not toll | whut bisiness he worked at, ‘The neighbors thonght | it suspicious that the small family of three used so many hogsheads of molissos and these suspicions | reaching Corouer Parsiow he visited the house next day. Failing to receive any anawer to hia knock he en- | tered the house and found it not only deserted, but | entirely bare of furniture. Mrs, Llken baa not since d, wnd the Coroner has been unable to sub. | pane her or her husband, He is of the opinion that honse had been used for an illicit distillery, tho case will be investigated by the authorities, The | inquest will go on to-uight, and Coroner Parslow holds the horse and wagon until Ll appears to | amounts of rich ore wore sent to San Francisvo to be claim them, ‘Tho man was dumped out of his wagon by one of | EES, CLAIRVOYANCE. Opinions Regarding the Case of Miss Fancher. PHYSICAL DISEASE OR SUPERNATURAL POWER, ls There a New Law of Nature Yet Dimly Understood ? A RECORD OF STRANGE PHENOMENA, To Tae Eprror or tHe HEnasy:— ‘That “there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy” is accepted by all as an abstract proposition, but nothing is moro common than to deny it in practice. We all drawa line somewhere outside of which lies the ‘imposei- ble.” ‘This line has @ larger circumference every year, and, doubtless, will continue increasing, The “immutable laws of nature” alluded to in this dis- cussion have often undergone extension in the his- tory of science. No one but a clerical bigot ora scientific babe admits any fact to be beyond the laws of nature. But while we know there must be some Jaw governing any given phenomenon, it may be dif- ficult at present to state the general law. Under such cireumstances we must be content to gather the sim- ple facts and wait patiently for some master mind to classify and arrange them under a system. ‘To argue facta to be impossible implies a presumptuous know]- edge of the universe no true philosopher would ever claim. Professor Huxley says:— “That the possibilities of nature are infinite is an aphorism with which I am wont to worry my friends.” CLAIRVOYANCT. Clairvoyance has been a great bugbear to the scien- tifie world, more especially the medical section. Who has not laughed at the conclave of philosophers try, ing to solve the problem of their facctious sover- eign—Why a globe full of water did not run over when a live fish was put in it? They argued a long time before it oceurred to them to experiment for themselves and ascertain if it wasafact, Much in the same way have our modern savans dest with the subject of clairvoyance. They have spent as much time arguing the impossibility of the thing as would have put the matter to a practical test. Kz cathedra denunciation will never succeed in crushing the sim- plest fact in nature. As Sir Humphrey Davy affirmed :—‘One good experiment is of more value than the ingenuity of a brain like Newton's. Facts are more useful when they contradict than when they support received theories.” Two things have pre- vented an examination of this subject by many in- terested in it. 1. The character of the numerous professional clairvoyants. For any scientist to experimeat with such material is to court failure and deception as a general rule. But it is obvicusly wrong to draw any conclusion based on such evidence, 2. An ignorance.of the fact that the laws governing this phenomenon are presently unkuown and conse- quentiy no programme can be arranged with axsur- ance, in fact that seldom can two experiments ex- actly similar be depended on, however careful may be the arrangements. And as often happens, as ex- plained iu my last communication, just at the time you are most anxious to succeed then do you fail most signally, Now, if any man wishes to learn the truth in cases like the present he must lay aside prejudice and self- conceit and humbly wait on nature. He must avoid paid processional clairvoyants as a ru'e and evoke the phenomens for himself. No truescientist will accept facts like these on hearsay evidence alone. periment tor yourself requires time, patience and opportunity; but if @ man_ thi it worth the trouble be found. 1 was just as tard . pabeterer pt some. ef your correspondents; hos f pudent selling taliaeere in ft and fools like 8. 8. W.), Lwent to work and experimented for my- self, and in the course of ten years’ observation I came across several cases of undoubted clairvoyance, I do not mean by clairvoyance all the wonderful powers claimed by our Caitedenap seers. For the purposes of discussion, I simply define the faculty as that by which some people are able to see or per- ceive accurately without the aid of the physical organ of vision, such as being able to read letters in aseated envelope, describe whut is taking place in another room or house, read a book with eyes blind- folded. Such a power is claimed for Miss Fancher by her friends, and sneeringly derided by those who have not seen her. I have not personally witnessed any of the phenomena occurring through this un- fortunate invalid, but have been assured by one of her physicians of the truth of the statements re- corded, and I have uno difiiculty in believing in the facts as narrated, because I have seen so many of a similer nature, Knowledge gives charity as well as power, SPECIMEN CLATRVOYANTS, 1 havo a relative, an elderly lady, who, in a state of sonnambulism or trance artificially induced by me, could accurately describe an_ en, shee. 9 by rubbing her hand aeross the plate while the book was held so that she could not see the page. This I have repeated under circumstances that made imposture of auy kind quite impossible. She had no warning of my experiment, had never seen the voluine aud the plates were anatomical in character and sneh as she was not acquainted with. Another subject, a little girl, while in this induced trance condition, accurately described people at a dis- tance whom she had never seen, and correctly diag- nosed an internal tnmor in a patient, of which I was then entirely ignorant. When I meutioned this fact to the patient afterward she stated that Sir James Simpson had told her just the same in regard to her tronble, Now, where could the tion come in here? The little girl had never seen the patient be- fore, of that Lam certain; I was utterly ignorant of the ce of atumor, and was not aware she had been treated by the gremt gzncoolog But, in spite of this fact and several others of 4 similar nature, I place little or no reliance on clairv: in medical diagnosis. It is too ii lar, uncontrollable » tac- ulty as yet to be much utilized. Possibly it may have a great futnre of usefulness in this line. Meantime 1 prefer to on my ordinary senses. One of the most interesting cases I have met with is that of my friend D. D., a ter, forty years of age, 1 wood health and of active habits, 1 hud known him a long time before he became clairvoyant, and was familiar with his mental habits and abilities, Tie went spontaneously into a condition of trance— that is, withont Ey. ot the usual so-called mesmerjc manipulations, and While in that state painted many fair pictures without the use of his eyes. We ban- daged his eyes most completely, but he worked on just as nsual. We put out the gas, and he selected his colors with perfect accuracy aud applied them correctly. The stage of the painting was noted, and the progress observed when the gns was afterward turned uy left no doubt that he worked in the dark, Ihave turned up just a pecp of gas, sufficient tor usto soe by, but utterly insufficient for any artist to select colors in, and we could observe him painting as freely asin the best lighted studio, ‘To make absolutely sure that there was no substitution of pictures we got him frequently to paint smail landscapes on cards given him by ourselves, on which signatures were written and a corner torn off the card by ourscives, As it is almost impossible to tear two cards exactly alike, the Atting in of the torn-off corner might be Leld as indisputable proof that the card returned was the cw he received, Atd then the oil paint was still damp, as proot of its reeeut production. These and similar experiments wore tried on numerous occasions und in the presence of many eminent scientific men, including Sir William Thomson, the great electrician, No one ever discovered any trick, although prac- tically every visitor went for that purpore. At the beginning of these experimeuis D. could not paint while in bis normal condition; he had never studied the art, and i! wes foreign to his usfal trade as acarpentet. Ap exaltation ot his mental faculties also occurred while in the trance state, aud he would discourses ou subjects to which he was s stranger in rmal condition, Altogether his story would be le & match in wondrous phenomena to that of iss Fancher, bat I restrict myself to that part showing his ability to see or perceive without the use of hia eyes. Now, why should my word be doubted in this mat tor or that of the many physicians who have testified to the peeuliar facts in Miss Fancher’ case? The observation of the phenomena involves no subtle process of reasoning, requires gs well trained Fs and ordinary common sense, ‘0 account for the facts, to theorize on them, gives room for con- siderable difference of opinion. This at prasent I do not attempt. te gpd would certainly be ac- cepted in a court of law in any moetter of fact eimilar to the above~that is, where the court fancied it could account for the facts, So that iu reality most men deny the simple facts because as yet they cannot get them to fit into any of their pet schemes of the universe, The whole history of science has been a | repetition of this same blunder, and we do not seem to learn from the errors of the past. Were Mise Fancher's case as @ miracie to indorse some theological sect it would merit the treatment accorded it by our self-appointed experts; but it is not coupled with any such superstition. ‘Thore seems to be no disposi tu invke money ont of it as u show. There is an obvious shrinking from public gaze wtterly unlike the usual character of im- postors, or even the hysterical performances of some morbid patient, Looked atin the light of my per sonal experience [ean see no good reason to doubt the accuracy of the statements put forth by you as to the condition of Miss Fancher, 1 trust, should Sa 8. W." again t, that you will not ned 0" edi ee in his reckless lan- guage. SPECULUM. ‘BROOKLYN, Dec, 26, 1878, “M,N.” EMPHATICALLY REAFFIRMS POSITIONS HERETOFORE ASSUMED BY HIM—THE TRANS- POSITION OF THE SENSES—A BLOW AT THE VYOUNDATIONS OF REVEALED RELIGION. ‘To rae Eprron ox TAR HERALD:— I respectfully submit that it is not fair that T should be placed in afalse position before the public by the misinterpretations and abuses which I have been receiving from some of your correspondents without being afforded umple opportunity and space for self-defence. A perfect hornets’ nest of self-suf- ficient “experts” seems to have been stirred into the ventilation of their pecullar lucubrations, Notably among these is the epistle of “8. 8. W. in Tuesday's Hunaup, who, in defective English, assumes the audacious rdle of our modern self-styled scientists—those men who measure possibilities by the extent of their own attainments or their own faculties of comprehension, This last victim of the seribenda furore which has grown out of the discussion of Miss Fancher’s alleged phenomenal powers exhibits the very essence of offensive dog- matism. He characterizes as “presumptive” and “silly” all who recognize as facta any of the oceuli phenomena which have been declared to be truti by such men as Benjamin Franklin, Barnard, Mayo, Cheyne, Wallace, Gregory and a host of others who cecupy prominent pluces in the domain of philo- sophic research, Verily we ‘‘silly” people can find great solace in the consciousness of being in such goodly company. If the positions assumed by these fallow Tyndallites are correct; it they have really grasped the limits of philosophic possibility; if nothing is true which seems to extend beyoud these prescribed limits which they have marked out for the operation of al) natural lnws, then we may as well burn the Bible, disband all religious corporations and turn our churches into tres or public institutions for hysica! culture. We may as well prepare the way tor # return to the Epicurean Philosophy. Even the moral codes of the old pagan philosophers may be set aside, for such men as Confucius, Plato and Socretes recognized certein occult truths, and the latter even had his * familiar spirit,” as he supposed. ‘TWO POSITIONS REAFFIRMED, ‘These assailants open their batteries principally on two positions which I yentured to assume in refer- ence to the Miss Fancher case:— First—That some of her alleged powers were in ac- cordance with the hypothesis of what some writers call ‘a transposition of the senses.” Not being suf- ficiently ex in setting forth the exact meaning which was intended the expression was construct literally and elicited a passing editorial stricture. Finding myself not only misconstrued, but flagrantly misquoted in other quarters, Isent to the HeraLp a list of authors who use the term, with an explana- tion stating that the only rational signification which could be given to it was that virtually stated in the Henauy edit |-—namely, a transference of some of the functions of certain nerves of sensation to other nerves of sensation. Up to the time of this writing (Tuesday, 24th inst.), that explanatory has to appear, while strictures and criticisms seem to multiply.* Second-—I assumed the position that a recognition of the poaemnty. of mortals being so endowed us to reach super-sensuous perception and knowledge un- derlies all religious belict; that all la poriant spir- itual truths must of necessity be revelations from the spirit world, and these truths must have becn imparted, if at all, by the exercise of the very gifts and 9 wers on the part of mortals which these won- dortully self-éutisfied and self-styled assert to be frands, deceptions, umpositions and impossibili- ties, because contrary to their definition of what con- stitutes “the immutable limits of natural law.” ‘Now, in the face of all the sneers of these doughty champions, I emphatically reaffirm these positious and invite them to fire away. They suppose they are Coen. Sgarad popguns at the phenomenal features of Miss cher’s case and at those who claim them to be verities. But in reality they are wasting their ammunition on the very foundations of Christianity, Ido not aflirm that all the exceptional endowments I have mentioned have been developed in Miss Fau- cher. But I wish to know from these smart people, “s, 8. W.,” “J. W. 7.” and others, if such endow- ments have ever been poesenret in the oa and if in the why not possible in the presen: I js the conundrum with them. They will find it one of the conundrums of the Dundreary sort, which ‘no fellow can find out.” . He Touxspay, Dec, 24, 1878, ‘Norz.—No communications from this correspond- ent have been received by us except those printed.— Ep. Henan. A PROPOSITION FROM A PHYSICIAN. Oxxronta, Oteego County, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1878. To THe Eprtox or tHe HERALD:— Thave lately seen s0 much in relation to the so+ called supernatural aspect of the case of Mollie Fancher that my wonder has been excited that no one seems to take any interest in the natural side of the case. Now, as I think that I can relieve her of her physical troubles, and that with them her so- called supernatural powers will disappear and sho become a well and sound person, physically and mentally, I make the following proposition in good faith:—I will at my own expense come to New York clty and at my own expense put het under treatment, and unless I cure her and restore her to health, sufti- ciently to enable her to walk, I will muke no charge, but if I succeed a fee to be guaranteed to me by responsible parties sufficiently large to be com- mensurate with the importance the case has att “dl, Iwill only add that Lhave for thirty years been in practice, making # specialty of kindred complaints, and have seen several similar cases. ROBERT 8. GALT, M. D. SNOW BOUND PASSENGER'S COM- PLAINT. BAD TREATMENT OF UNFORTUNATES ON THE CENTRAL ROAD--MARKED CONTRAST WITH THE ACTION OF ERLE OFFICIAT, To ran Eprror or tim Henaip: It may be of interest to the public to know of the kind of treatment to which they would be subjected iu case they should be snow-bonnd on any part of the New York Central or Lake Shore railroed, from the employés of the roads. I left Cleveland tor New York last Monday, on the ten minutes to three P. M. train and reached Buffalo nearly on time, only having run off the track twice, At Buffalo I found that it was impossible to go further on account of the block- ade of snow und trains between there and Rochester. I therefore turned in and rested until morning, when the passengers of the car in which I was (tho Adriatic) were ordered out in Gacy and ready style, and on asking where we should g , were tie formed that they “did not care; go to’# hotel or into any of the other cars; that they wished to put the cat into the yard.” A few hours later that car wae sent to Chicago, with the berths all sold, ondératood that the berth had been taken throngh to New York and Albany. Is not this an outrage ? Some of the passengers went to hotels, but I, witit two or three others, succeeded late at night in hav- ing our berths replaced for usin another car. A COMPARISON DRAWN. ‘That is one part only of what could be complained of, and I now take pleasure in comparing the treat- ment received on the Central with that accorded to on the Erie under similar circumstances. ‘The Erie took pains to send basket load after basket load of food to their delayed and suffering passen- gers, aud provided such as were without money with what they needed. The Central, on the other hand, lett their car loads of poor and needy people to sutter from hunger until they were found by the gentlemen on the teats and relieved by their bounty and by the kind action of the proprietors of the City Hotel, Such conduct, I think, deserves notice in the daily paper and if you will kindly publish this you will conter favor upon a musnber of thoto whose rights aud pri ileges were outraged. CHARLES L, HEISER, ‘New Yous, Dec 78, “INTENT TO KILL.” Paul Engle, six years old, was a prisoner yosterday in the Hariem Police Court to answer a charge of ielonions assault and battery with intent to kill. The facts are substantially as follows:—On Satur- day afternoon Paul, who lives with his father in Kast Ninety-second street, near Fourth ave- nue, went out into the street to slide with & number of young companions, While the sport was at its height Jimmy Goodwin, a boy of ten or twelve years, (ook up a position on a small rise of ground near where the children were at pla; and for some little time quictly watched their ya bolw. Alter a while, by way of diversion, he bog to throw stones at them, Paul Engle resented the impertinence and warned him that it the thing went on he (Paul) woula seek . Jimmy iaughed and landed a eed ern of ice under Paul's ears ‘The indignant lad fost all self-control, and seizing @ larger chunk of ice strick his assatlant in the eye, dummy then ran scream to his father’s house, at No. 118 Kast Ninetieth street, as he says, with the blood streaming down his face. His father resolved at once to prosecute the young culprit who had endaugered his son's life, Hurrying to the Bighty-olghuly street police station he told Captain Robbing of the occurrence, but that official declined to iuke an arrest till some evidence of young Good+ win's injuries should be laid before him, Mr. Good+ win retired, bat returned in a few moments with @ blood soaked shirt, which, he said, had been taken off his son, who was confined to his bed. Detective Crowley soon found Paul and took him to the station house, where he was locked up for the In court yesterday Mr. Goodwin eed and waved the bloody shirt and handed Judge certificates (rom two physicians in regard to his sou + serious condition, eae Sinith oom hired Paul's or is to wiva fecurity guaranteeing the appearauce 0! young mua in court when needed,