L.-Report of the surveyor general of Nevada. UNITED STATES SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: In compliance with your instructions of May 1, 1878, I have the honor to submit the following report in duplicate of the operations of this office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, with accompanying statements relative to the surveying department: A. Statement of account of appropriation for compensation of the United States surveyor general for Nevada, and employés in his office, during the fiscal year 1877-78. B No. 1. Statement of account of appropriation for surveys of public lands during the fiscal year 1877-78. B No. 2. Statement of account of appropriation for surveys of public lands during the fiscal year 1876-77, balance. C. Statement of account of appropriation for rent of office, fuel, books, stationery, and other incidental expenses, including pay of messenger, in the office of the United States surveyor general of Nevada during the fiscal year 1877–78. D. Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general, with the number of miles surveyed, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. E. List of public lands surveyed in the State of Nevada during the fiscal year 1877-'78. F. Statement of special deposits with the subtreasurer of the United States for survey of the mineral claims in Nevada during the fiscal year 1877-78. G. List of mineral claims surveyed in the State of Nevada during the fiscal year 1877-'78. H. Statement of plats made in the office of the United States surveyor-general during the fiscal year 1877-78. J. Statement for the surveying service in the State of Nevada for the fiscal year ending 1880. The operations of the surveying service in this district have been confined entirely to the survey of agricultural, grazing, and timber lands. Twenty townships have been returned, embracing an area of 233,767.88 acres of agricultural, grazing, and timber lands, 958.03 acres of mineral land, 104,144.39 acres of unsurveyed and unfit for cultivation; total, 338,870.30 acres, together with 103 applications for patents to mineral claims, embracing an area of 1,281.98 acres. Owing to the lateness of the season in letting contracts, only partial returns of contracts (No. 78 of Messrs. Hatch, Barker and Eaton) have been received. Contracts 79, 80, and 81 are still in progress of surveying. AGRICULTURE. The only material change to note in the agricultural affairs of Nevada during the year is the increased efforts made to utilize the waters of the State for irrigating purposes. Canals have been prospected, and the work of their construction commenced, which will absorb the waters of the Truckee and Carson Rivers during the irrigating season and probably add 20,000 acres to the land under cultivation. A canal commenced from the Humboldt will supply an equally extensive tract of country; the building of the railroad to Esmeralda County will, in Mason Valley, cause the cultivation of as much new land as there is water in the Walker River to supply, and will cause the redemption of 20 or 25 square miles of the best land in the State. A project is on foot to tap the Owyhee River for water for a large extent of valuable land in Humboldt County. In our sage-brush lands alfalfa, the cereals, and all vegetables flourish in profusion where water can be obtained, and the State is swiftly becoming one of the great stock-raising States of the Union. MINERAL. My report of the mineral showing of Nevada must necessarily be very much a repetition of the report of last year. The great bonanzas will not produce the enormous yields of last year, partly because of needless repairs in the mines and partly, doubtless, because the cream of the vast deposit has been skimmed. But the prospect has greatly brightened in other mines of the Comstock, and before the close of the year other bonanzas will be uncovered. The same cheerful outlook applies to other counties. In Washoe, in the Pyramid district, one paying mine has been opened, and adjacent mines are being vigorously opened. During the year a new district has been discovered in Humboldt County which is very valuable, and many old mines have been reopened and are paying well. Lander County is sustaining its old reputation as a bullion producer. The mines of Elko County will yield about the same as last year with a prospect of doing better in future. White Pine County has changed very little, but a rapid advance may be looked for soon both in Ward and Cherry Creek district. During the year past Lincoln County has added one great mine to its bullion producers. Eureka County has greatly advanced during the past twelve months, and the great ore channel there is doubtless as permanent as the Comstock; the low prices of lead seriously affects the profits of mining in Eureka, but there is no abatement in the work. Nye County shows a marked advance over last year; the more the mines at Tybo are worked the more extensive the ore deposit becomes. At Belmont the outlook is full of encouragement, while in Western Nye, at Grantville and Downeyville, the mines are yielding heavily and giving every indication of permanency and wealth. Esmeralda County is attracting marked attention; active work was resumed on the Aurora mines last winter, and the prospect there and at "Bodie," just over the State line, has justified the commencement of a railroad from here to that region; the road will be pushed forward with all possible dispatch. A new mine has been opened near the famous Northern Belle, which promises to fully equal that property in value. In Lyon County the working of Comstock tailings is steadily pursued; from that county within the year the Sutro Tunnel has reached and penetrated the Comstock. It may not be out of place to add that though a little out of the State, the fabulous product of the "Bodie" mines is materially adding to the agricultural value of the counties in Nevada adjacent to it. Gross yield of the mines of the State of Nevada for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. Eureka, 125,934 tons of ore Esmeralda, 16,334 tons of ore. For quarter ending June 30, no report. Elko, 15,607 tones of ore.... Elko, 225 tons tailings worked Humboldt, 17,270 tons Quarter ending June 30, 1878, no report. Lander, 5,720 tons of ore Lincoln, 29,643 tons of ore Lyon, 90,294 tons tailings worked Nye, 18,254 tons of ore Nye, 377 tons tailings worked.. Quarter ending June 30, 1878, no report. Storey, 508,536 tons of ore... Storey, 83,563 tons of tailings. White Pine, 11,861 tons of ore Total yield. Ore extracted, 747,169 tons, value.. Grand total $5,984, 326 44 667,552 89 1,472, 180 43 3,375 00 221, 193 07 582,584 45 631,830 68 609, 632 63 605, 348 32 6,713 43 34, 967, 307 34 811,040 43 660, 188 14 45, 792, 511 76 1,430, 791 49 47, 223, 303 25 STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct statement of the yield of the mines of this State for the year commencing July 1, 1877, and ending June 30, 1878 (except for the counties of Nye, Humboldt, and Esmeralda, whose statements for the quarter ending June 30, 1878, have not been received), as compiled from the quarterly reports of the several county auditors filed in this office. [SEAL.] W. W. HOBART, I would beg leave to state that the appropriation for incidental account for this office is entirely insufficient to furnish the necessary supplies needed to run the office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879. In the hope that this brief report will meet your approbation, Hon. J. A. WILLIAMSON, Commissioner of the General Land Office. E. S. DAVIS, United States Surveyor General. A.-Statement of account of appropriation for compensation of surveyor general and employés during fiscal year 1877-'78. DR. CR. B No. 1.-Statement of account of appropriation for surveys of public lands in Nevada during B No. 2.-Statement of account of appropriation for surveys of public lands in Nevada during C.-Statement of account of appropriation for rent of office, fuel, books, stationery, and pay of messenger, during 1877–78. D.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for Nevada, with the number of miles run during the fiscal year 1877 and 1878. 77 1878. Jan. 26 Hatch and Eaton, Run, measure, and mark all lines neces Run, measure, and mark the Mount Run, measure, and mark all lines neces- |