The record-union., 1891-11-04
HERMIT HARTLEY.
The Meadow Lake RecIuse Coming
Out to See the World.
He Has Found French Syndicate to
Buy His Claims and Tackle the
Rebellious Ores.

The story of the rise and fall of the
phantom city of Meadow Lake, away up
in the bleak mountains of Nevada
County, has been told SO often that every
body is familiar with it; and every anec-
dote connected with the place contains
something about old man Hartley, the
sole survivor of the once booming town.
The latest thing about Meadow Lake is
thus told by the Nevada transcript OF
Monday:
The old Meadow Lake properties have
found a purchaser at last in a French
syndicate, and Hermit" Hartley, as the
owner is termed is about, it is said, to
start on Il continental tour with his wife.
This district has passed through many
vicissitudes since the time when town
OF l0,O00 inhabitants sprung up like
magic, only to disappear as rapidly when
The great mountains OF ore in the vicinity
were discovered to be valueless from the
TACT that no process could be found to eX-
tract the gold which it was supposed to
contain.
The most extensive locations We're the
Excelsior mines Nos. / and ,, and tie
Union claims. The name of the former
has been immortaliZed in verse by the
pen OF pioneer mining poet, who ably
depicts the eXasperation and disgust Of
the men who rode into the camp expect
ing to find a bonanza, and trainped back
to Virginia City amidst cloud Of dust
and profanity. The following stanza.
which closes the poem referred TO, is
highly suggestive Of the prospector's feel
ings on the OCCASION:
'sAt Huffaker's ne last was seen,
Inbibing nitrO-3lycerine.
And aS he gulpod each fiery dram,
In accents wild he cried, Cd d--n
Excelsior"
This was over twenty years ago, and
since then Hartley has stuck TO the place
and eked out an existence by working
out rich pockets in a hand mortar. His
faith in the future was unbounded, and
trom time to time he has induced men
with ideas OF their own on the subject OF
ore reduction to visit the mine, and eX-
pertinent with their inventions. 1t is
safe to say every method of working
quartz in vogue since the days OF King
solomon has been tried there, and in
every instance the result has been a fail
ure.
During the past three years the tour
claims have been bonded at a monthly
rental of $50 per month 10 Drs. \. p.
Whittel and Arnold of San Francisco
They built mill there, and tried the or
dinary process by crushing the rock, and
finally they put in an electric plant with
plates and all sorts of contrivances, but
after spending large amount of money
they gave il up in disgust. The property
fell again into the hands OF Hartley. He
has lost no time in harvesting a new crop
OF enthusiasts, and if it is true that he has
succeeded in obtaining a good, round
sum in cash to bind the bargain, he is
just SO much more in pocket.
He might nave lived to the age of Me-
thuselah before he could have raised q
dollar on the mine from any capitalist in
no To
waste much time in the attempt The
ores are of the best description, q zinc
blend, and although at times gold is visi-
bic to the naked eye, no one has ever yet
been able to save it. The season is very
short in this region, and in winter the
camp is cut off from all communication
with the outside world. The new invest
ors have not got much of bargain, as
they will PROBABLY find out when they
begin operations. They will, however,
pay for their experience, like others who
preceded them.