Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1878 — Au Extinct Volcano on the Comstock. [ARTICLE]

Au Extinct Volcano on the Comstock.

Although little has ever been said about it, we have an extinct volcano within about three miles of this city. It is the largest of the several mountains lying immediately west of American Flat and a short distance southeast of the Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company’s big reservoir. Those who doubt what we say have only to visit the mountain mentioned to be convinced. All the top and east side is covered with lava. In places the lava is from ten to twenty feet in depth. It is light brown in color and is honeycombed with holes resembling the openings in a sponge. The place where the crater once was is clogged up with this lava. The only depression on -" the mountain is a large sink on the west side, where a part of the crus* appears to have fallen in. Before water was brought from the Sierras for the use of this city the old water company ran a tunnel under this large basin of depression, thinking to tap a good deposit of w ater. The mountain being of great height, snow lies till late in the season on its northern slopes, and the water from the melting drifts finds its way into the sink. It was to secure the water thus collected that the tunnel was run. For some reason all the geologists, our State Geologist and all others, have failed to make mention of this, our extinct volcano. Nor have they ever said a word about the lava. They probably thought it the croppings of a sponge mine or something else equally valuable.-- Virginia City (Nev.) Enterprise. Just at this season of the year the barriers of human nature seem to break down, and great philosophers and hightoned poets may be seen kneeling down and anxiously wondering whether that pig-weed is a cucumber or a climbing bean.— Detroit Free Press. Some men have tried the plan of dying without a will and leaving their property to natural heirs; but this only makes it more difficult for the lawyers to get their share.