The evening world., 1894-09-19
JERSEYS ELO0RADO.
The Strange Case Of the Sur
prise" Gold Mine.
Assayer Wills's Alleged Exposure
and Other Opinions.
A Few Notes on "Sweeps" from
Watch Case Factories.

A gold mine located at Pompton
Plains, N. j., about twenty-five miles
from New York, and a gold stamping
mill In Woodside, a suburb of Newark,
are being operated under a representa-
tive capital Of $4,000.
The mine can best be described as a
quarry placer" and has been run
about 200 feet into the hillside with an
opening of seventy feet wide. The mill
is running under full Roadway, and SO
far as the owners and promoters of the
joint plant are concerned. 1t Is appa-
rently a serious matter of business full
of promise.
Now, comes ]. Lainson Wills, an as
eayer, who exposes, or pretends to ex-
ptse. fraud In the whole enterprise.
The mine Is located upon the farm of
tJohn Van Ness. in the Ramapo Noun
<tains,so called, near Pompton Plains.
He found a ylittering substance In the
butcropping rock on his hillside some
years ago, and concluded he had struck
gold. Various assays are said to have
developed from samples not only gold,
but silver as well. The assays are also
bald not to have done SO.
Thomas Benfield, a silent partner of
Keller & Untermeyer, manufacturers
watch cases and jewelry, at 1872
Broadway. however, was persuaded to
ave faith in the indications, as was
dr. Untermeyer later on.
They began to blast and dig into
Farmer Van Ness's hillside, and built a
mill at Newark. The mine was christ
ened "The SURPRISE" and the mill be-
longs to 1.-THE Surprise Mining Com
pany"
There is q confusion about results and
Puyster Ricketts,. of the Columbia Col
lege faculty, who has private assaying
office at l04 John street, tested some OF
the so-called ore, and his returns were
has a mind to regard them.
The organization of the stock company
went on, and now includes. beside the
Milne, President OF the Newark Watch
Case Material Company; William Arthur.
81 the sane iGdompany and Edwin NJ
tional Bank, of Newark.
When the mill was built c. f. Nader.
an OLD ana trusted employee of Keller
& untermeyer was made superintendent.
The investors began to discover that
while they were able to get paying re-
suits from small quantities Of ore-such
as 10O-pound lots-their efforts with ton
lots were most unsatisfactory.
They therefore concluded that they
needed first-class metallurgist and as
sayer to solve this puzzle. and advertised
for one In The Engineering and Mining
Journal.
The advertisement was answered by
j. Lainson Wills. a Canadian assayer,
who lives in Brooklyn. He was en-
that he was to get 5000 year II he
could make large quantities of ore
yield paying quantities of gold or silver
or both. He was just O week in the en-
ploy Of the Surprise Mining Company.
and the conditions of his departure are,
as almost every feature OF the history
Of this enterprise, a matter Of varying
He declares that there is no gold there.
and that he was unable to get any re-
ore, while a trusted employee. undoubt-
eddy referring to Mr.. Nader. was al
ways able to make a profitable showing.
nearly $50 ounces Of silver to the ton.
Wills says that he grew suspicious
and arranged mirror over his work.
50 hat he vas e snnSeS m to See
liherately dose his crucible with silver
filings from pan at his side. He says
that he reported the matter and was
weeks work. He declined this, and
asked for $500, which was refused. and
nj. Madden briefly says that Wills
was not competent for the work in
hand, and that when he offered him
400 he asked $3.50.
Now the memebers of the Company say
that some of their employees have been
able to extract snowings of $4,000, gold
and silver. to the ton, which Is all that
could be expected from the mines OF
Ormus and indie, and that they have
certificates from Prof. Ricketts, showing
that he vas able to find Sc Of precious
metal to the ton in one sample OF the
Pompton are and Sl2 in another.
Prof. Ridetts says that he got $.24
showing from one sample that came
from Jersey and S10.75 in another, which
the Company says was from the same
spot, but which Wills declares came
Prof. Ricketts, says that gold is SO
widely dfuse1 through the structure
OF the earth MAT 1t can be found in
traces almost anywhere. He demon
strated few Years. ago that there was
gold in the roclo of Central Park. The
ulfiiculty Is to tiid 1t in paying quanti-
Ties. He does not believe that the
precious metal exists TO any profitable
extent IN. this neiyhborhood.
Mr.. UntermeyeI was seen at has
oH.ce to-day. He hgan by saying that
me mine and mill we're a private enter
prise, that the Company was not trying
% sell stock. and II its members were
tooiihs themselves, they alone would