Money from the Ground Gold brings prospectors to California in 1849, but from there they spread all over the West. The first big silver strike is in neighboring Nevada, almost precisely along the path that the transcontinental railroad will take, 10 years later. The town that sprouts at the mines is called Virginia City, with a monster silver deposit known as the Comstock Lode.

	Silver Now Dominates This map shows silver strikes by 1870. The amazing thing about the pattern of dots is the fact that only a single railroad exists anywhere near these western sites. The transcontinental railroad runs through the largest siler-producing deposit at Virginia City, but nowhere else west of Nebraska. There aren't even any roads, other than settler trails. Precious metals are found mostly in mountainous areas, which are particularly difficult to reach. Most of the locations are outside of existing state borders.
	Industrial Tools Mining is different from manufacturing, in that equipment has to be frequently moved about. Ingenuity is required to design equipment that will perform efficiently when working on solid rock. Some are powered by steam engines in nearby structures. Smaller equipment is moved about on carts, and is typically pneumatically powered. This requires a steam-powered compressor to deliver pressurized air to the tool, via long hoses. A variety of odd-looking tools are devised to handle particular types of deposits.