The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1869-07-21
Bull Run Corrs,nnudsnns


from prospecting tour through the northern
portion Of Elko county. propose TO furnish your
readers with a few facts concerning the mineral
resources Of that locality. In this communication
shall coufne myself chiefly to u general history
aud description OF the Bull Ruu Mining District.
promising that. iu the future will. from time to
time, make up 10 detail what may now omit. and
keep you vel! informed of all new Developments
made.
THE First DISCOVERY
iu the District was made in the month of Septem.
bes, in the year lSGI. Many of your readers will
remember that in that year there was quite an
excitement created in austiu relative to the dis
covery Of rich pacers some where on the head
waters Of the Owyhee. Numbers of miners. ex.
cited by the numerous reports then current, rush.
ed to the locality Of the supposed discovery, but
none were successful in lnding placers that would
pay, and in short time all returned to their for.
mer pursuits: however. some few remained
long enough 10 give prominence and name to
deep canon through which flows the principal
source OF the middle fork Of the Owyhec. This
Canon, stream. was named Bull Rum
which name, although by no means euphonious,
II still bears. \ gentleman by the name of Dean,
while prospecting tor placers at the time above
referred to, discovered, near Bull Run stream.
y
quartz. Being convinced that the ledge contain
ed silver, Dean made Il location of fourteen hun.
dred feet. ana took from II about five hundred
pounds OF ore. This ore hr carried 10 Austin on
pack animals. where he had il mcd, the poorest
quality yielding one hundred and eighry-seyen
dollars per tUH az two thousand pOund-, and the
best yielding three hundred aud seNrnIy-eight
dollars per ton, IN silver. Further work would
have been immediately prosecuted upon the mine,
but the Indians IN that section were at that time
somewhat hostile. and Dean being called away To
the Swectwater mines on business no other par.
ties could be induced to so out and work on his
location
sUDSEQUETT DISCOVERIES.
Nothing rnurc thought of the Dean mine
until ahon the lOIh of June last. when some par.
ties in Austin. hearing of the rich developments
In the Cope District, bcthOught themselves that
,he Dean location might be mewhcre ia that To-
Chlity, aud might eventually prove To lie "a rich
a. tue ArgenIa mine of Cope, aud started out TO
make II relocation Of the mine and test ifs real
value. The Austin party reached the Dean lUca.
ton about the 18th OF June and found prospect
ing III that locality. Martin Durfee aud others. OF
kIku. who had discovered other lodges near by
the Dean, bearing strong Indications of rich silver
ore. There being i sufficient number of miners
present tor the purpose. meeting was called on
the 2lst OF June, when the district was organized.
10y passing code of bylaws and clectimg James
Patterson, Of Carliu, RccorjrT-ihe district being
organized under the original name given 10 the
. canon Ut BGil Run.
OTHER hTrFSI"Ts TO PROSPECT.
ficFi'"' 10 ihe organization "i the district, iu
MAY luillh II was, governor Ihttll~. OF lDTtpL,
nrUrNl'E ihat The mountain in which the district
- located contained rich minerals. attempted To
prospect the same A; but, ~ n severe storm came
Oh about that time. tile Governor was compelled
iu abandon the enterprise wiihpur making any
Important Developments. Tie Governor. how
ever. waS not ~ all di-Cuuragch by his first fail
q uir. duG ~ June returned again 10 tie sam" 10.
rulijy. at abuut The tpc the district was organ.
. Z'd taking with him Il complete aud thorough
"uiht for prospecting. all necessary tools. a
rihcf~mItlt'S shop. AMI 4 practical as-avrr with
MI requisite apparatus for testing tile ore by
means ui FIRE ESSAYS.
LOcAriuSS MADE.
Several locations were made by the Governor.
among the most important being the Hidden
Treasure Little Giant" Found Treasure"
/ "ENccIslpr.' and others. The highest assay oh.
tanned by the Governor was from taken from
the Found Treasure. IT going seventeen hundred
and thiriy-nine dollars to the ton. His other
lCdgcS assay from four To thirteen hundred dollars
I to the ton. The original Dean lode is located
under the name OF the Nevada" What the ore
assays was unable 10 ascertain. as there was no
. assay made Of it ut the mime. thousand pounds
has hccn taken 10 Austin mill. and will he able
to inform You of lis yield in my next. The "ror.
4 ter ledge, located near the Nevada, by parties
resident In bko. assays thirteen hundred and
sixty dollars. The "tdlavCras,' located a short
distance south Of tie Porter. by parties from Ar.
gcn'a, assays eight hundred dollars per ton. and
I the .,Pennsylvaua.' located five miles south OF
the Nevada. yields an assay Of seven hundred and
| four dollars. Many other lcdgcs in the district
have hcru located. all looking equally as we'll il
not better, than those have mcnlinned but ns
am not informed of any assays being made from
them. will not further nllude to them at present.
/ The lcdgcs are all bold outcropping we'll de.
. fined, and can be traced tor miles.
ruE LOCATION or ruE DISTRICT
. - on the head waters of the middle fork Of the
/ Owyhcc river, fifteen miles southwest Of Cope
/ District, and about eighteen miles north of Elko
| the principal lodges being located on a high
bold. projecting mountain that rises several hun
dred feet above the level of the surrounding
cOUutIy. A. We had no instruments. I cnnid not
determine the exact altitude Of the mountain but
/ should judge that It was between sin ana seven
thousand feet. The formation il principally slate
ana granite with limestone or marble cap.
FACILITIES OF TITS DISTRICT.
No other district in the State has better nr more
abUndant facilities for mining and milling ores
tlan lIul Hun. Clear. crystal streams of water
/ pour down every guCh aud rGyiue: the deep
cahons are all lined with nice poplar trees. while
the mountain sides are covered with dense forests
/ oi Norway and sugar pines. \ good wagon road
/ from Carlin can bc made with but little expense.
| From Argcnia good wagon road is already made
| Ia Independence valley, which Is ON q direct line
aud within thirty miles Of the district.
What the future OF the district will he, time
alone can determine. One thing, however, speaks
very ilyurlbly for 1t; aud that IL. the miners who
have locations there do not attempt TO place fc.
! titOuS value upon their mines. Ur try Ia force
| them into market: but, on the contrary, quietly
and earnestly are going to work with determi.
nation 10 prove the real value Ot their lodges he.
fore attempting to induce capitalists TO take hold
OF them: and should their present antcipations be
realized. buta few years will elapse ere hull Run
District Will rank NJ tho richest IN the state and
give employment to thousands Of Industrious min.
crs aud add millions to the circulating medium OF
our country. PROsrHCTOR.
Argenta, July ~, 1862
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