The San Francisco call., 1897-04-09
JOOST'S
ME- MERCURY
DEPOSIT
It Was Discovered by the
Railway Builders
Little Son.
THE LAD WAS PLAYING
PROSPECTOR.
Confidence of the Father That
There Is Fortune in
the Mine.
SAYS He WILL NOT SELL THE
PROPERLY.
He Declares He Will Proceed at
Once to Erect Plant, but
Wants No Callers.
SAYS He WILL NOT SELL THE
PROPERLY.
He Declares He Will Proceed at
Once to Erect a Plant, but
Wants No Callers.

Behrend Joost is more positive than
ever that his recent discovery of the pres
ence of native mercury on his Twin Peaks
property is destined to put an immense
fortune In his hands.
He had experts at work on the rock
taken from the mine yesterday, and they
agreed that unless the vein turns out to be
too small q grand strike has been made.
So far as can be ascertained at present the
vein is three feet wide and runs obliquely
into the earth-how far, though, nobody
can tell. Mr.. Joost also submitted some
of the rock, and the free mercury taken
from it, to the Tread well brothers OF Brad
ford mine fame. and they, too, declared
that the discovery gave promise OF return
ing great profits.
1t develops now that Joost's mine was
not discovered by a workman, as at frat
reported, but by Mr.. Joost's eleven-year-
old son, Benny. The lad, it is said, long
since exhibited a taste for mining and
minerals, and in this WAS encouraged by
his parents. 1t has been the boys custom
for some time past to 60 out on the hills
with his little pick and shovel every after
noon after school and Practice at pros
pecting. It was his mbit1on to locate q
vein of gold bearing quartz, for he had
heard once that ore of that character had
been found several times in this vicinity.
So it happened, then, that one day about
fortnight ago he dug into ridge not far
from his home and uncovered the rock
which the officials OF the State Mining
Bureau, the experts and the Treadwelts
say is rich with native mercury. The lit
tie fellow did not know what ii was at the
time and was puzzled when he saw the
bead like globules of quicksilver tumbling
out of the rock. He took it to his father
for an explanation, but the elder Joost
was equally in the dark until after he had
submitted the ore to experts.
The elder Joost processes 70 be consider
ably put out over the publicity that has
been given to his supposed good fortune,
it having been his intention to keep the
matter quiet, he says, until he had ascer-
tanned just what he had. THE CALLS ex-
elusive story yesterday was a great sur
prise to him. But now that the secret is
out, he has cast all reticence aside, with
one exception, and that is that he will not
divulge the exact location of the mine.
81 feel confident that Benny has discov-
cred fortune" said Mr.. Joost when seen
yesterday, land out of com pliment to him
| am going to name the mine after him.
l am sorry that this matter got TO the pub
lie ear SO soon, because | hoped TO 90 on
developing the mine and testing the pro-
ductive qualities without having crowd
of idIers and curiosity / may
add, .coffers, as well-around ths place.
You know stories have gone out re-
garding alleged discoveries of gold, quick
silver and other precious metals on the
San Francisco peninsula, but none OF
them ever amounted to anything. am
serious about this affair of mine, but
don't care about being looked upon as a
dreamer, and to be laughed at.
Il want to say one thing right now, and
that is that none OF my land in the vicin-
itv of this mine is for sale, and therefore
do not want any boom worked up for il.
have about 700 acres upon and around
Twin Peaks, and 1 propose to keep it.
II l have a good quicksilver deposit
there. and / hope I have, it seems to me
that can profit better by keeping it and
working it myself, than can by disposing
OF the property. 1t may not amount to
any thing at ALL and in that event nobody
i: out nickel but myself. 1t is my
in ntention to begin work modestly and
economically. l will have constructed a
small retort shortly ana get right down to
business. I don't think 1 will be long
finding out whether I have made a strike
or am doomed to disappointment.