The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-14

| FS was called Copperopolis
! The city came and went in
w. side of ten years. Wher
first l visited Copperopolis it contained
5000 people. When last saw the place
100 would cover its entire population.
But the copper fever ragged in the be
ginning. Gold was temporarily thrown
in the shade. Miners became speedily
learned in surface copper indications.
The talk far and wide was of copper
"carbonates." "oxidss," "sulphurets,
"gosson" Great was the demand fol
scientific works on copper. From many
miners cabin was heard the clink OF
mortar and pessie pounding copper rock
preparatory to testing it. The pulver-
lied rock placed in solution of diluted
nitric acid, knife blade plunged there
in and coming out coated with precip-
itation of copper was exhibited triumph
antly as prognosticator of coming
fortune from the newly found lead. The
fever few from one remote camp to an
other. A green verdigris stain on the
rocks would set the neighborhood copper
crazy On the strength of that one
Surface indication" claims would be
staked out for miles, companies formed,
shafts in f1inty rock sunk and cities
planned. Nitric acid came in great de-
mand. 1t was upset 1t yellowed our
fingers and burned holes in our clothes,
but we loved it for what it might prove
to US. A swarm of men learned in cop
per soon came from San Francisco.
They told all about it, where the leads
should commence, in what direction
they should run, how they should dip"
what would be the character of the ore,
and what it would yield. We, common
miners, bowed to their superior knowl-
edge. We worshiped them. We fol-
lowed them. We watched their faces
as they surveyed the ground wherein
had been found bit Of sulphuret or a
green stained ledge, to get at the secret
of their superior right under ground. 1t
took many months, even years, for the
knowledge slowly to filter through our
brains that Of these men nine enths had
no practical knowledge of copper or any
other mining. The normal calling of
one of the most learned of them all l
found out afterward to be that of a
music teacher.
Old s., the local geologist of Sonora,
who had that peculiar universal genius
for tinkering at anything and everything
from broken wheelbarrow to clock,
and whose shop was museum of stones,
-
vicinity, classified" and named, some
correctly and some possibly otherwise,
took Immediately on himself the mantle
of copper prophet, and saw the whole
land resting on a basis Of rich copper
ore. He advised in season and out of
that all men, and especially young men,
betake themselves to copper mining. 1t
was, he said, sure thing. 1t needed
only pluck, patience and perseverance.
Sink" he said, ''sirk for copper. Sink
shafts wherever indications are found.
Sink deep. Don't be discouraged if the
vein does not appear at twenty, thirty,
sixty or a hundred feet"
And they did sink. For several years
they sunk shafts all over our county,
and in many another county. In re-
mote gulches and canyons they sunk
and blasted and lived on pork and beans
week in and week out, and remained all
day underground till the darkness
bleached their faces. They sunk and
sunk. and saw seldom the faces of others
of their kind, and no womankind at all.
They lived coarsely, dressed coarsely,
been, felt coarsely, and in accordance
acted coarsely, They sunk time and
money and years, and even health and
strength, and in nineteen cases out
Of twenty found nothing but barren
rock or rock bearing just enough min
eral not to pay.
took the copper fever With the rest.
In few weeks became an expert" in
copper. | found two veins on NV
former gold claim at Swett's Bar.
found veins everywhere. l really did i'm
ngne that knew good deal about cop
per mining, and being an honest enthu-
siast was all the more dangerous The
banks of the Tuolumne became at last
too limited as my field for copper expior-
alton and discovery. left for the more
thickly populated portion of the county,
where there being more people there
was liable to be more copper, and where
the Halsey claim was located. The
'Hslsey" was having its day then as the
hing claim of the county. 1t had really
produced few sacks of ore, which was
more than any other Tuolumne copper
claim had done, and on the strength of
this Its vSlue was for few months
pushed far up into high and airy realms
IF finance
| Vold some of my acquaintance in
Sonora that could find the continual
ion" of the Halsey lead. They ''staked' |
ne with few dollars. in consideration |
Of which / was 70 make them sharehold- |
ars in whatever l might find. Then I !
went forth into the chappsyal to pros |
Dect." The Halsey claim Law about a 1
mile east of Table mountain. near Mon |
:ezuma, mining camp then far in its /
iecline. Table mountain is one of the |
geological curiosities, If not wonders. of
ruolumne and California Through |
ruolumne it is a veritable wall, from |
80 to 600 feet in height, fat as floor
IN the top. That top had an acreage
width of 800 yards. The '.table" is COM
'osed of what we miners cali "lava." It