Amador ledger., 1902-09-19
TONOPAH and ITS RICHES
Nevada's New Mining Camp
and Surroundings.
Lucky Strike of Man and Wife
Out Prospecting Have Realized
Over $3Oo,OOO.
ToNoPAH, NYE Co., NEv.

dPPISCldte d llue from Tue uuueTSlS ueu
relative to Tonopah surroundings.
In the first place, nobody knows
whether Tonopah is in Nye county or
Esmeralda county. The U. S. govern
ment is now at work with competent
surveyors to decide the question.
As anew mining camp Tonopah diff
fers from all old-timc camps of the
coast. 1t is quiet, orderly, and cir
cumspect. There are no bad men
from Bodice" no broad shouldered,
sombrero covered yelpers with a belt
full of pistols and knives to intimidate
the ''tenderfoot." But in their place
are shrewd business men, who do not
consider it crime to don a ''boiled
shirt and collars and cuffs. The old
time hight -feller from HI has evil
IDENTIFY gone where the woodbine
twineth. He is not here at all events.
No person here goes armed openly; no
person expects to be insulted. Every
body treats his neighbor as brother,
and if of convivial nature, drink
or two be taken, few carry it to excess.
l never was in so orderly and gentle
manly camp in my life, and that is
saying something, for was at White
Pine. Candelaria, and other camps in
this state years ago, where six-shooters
and bOwie-knives appeared to be the
main part of miners habiliment.
Another remarkable feature of Tono-
pah is the absence of drunkenness. 1t
is seldom one observes a person under
the influence of Intoxicating liquor, and
whenever one is seen he is invariably
slowed away in safe and Out-of-the-
way place where the better class do
not congregate. In many respects
Tonopah is one of the most remarka able
mining camps in the world.
First of all, it is in the heart of the
San Antonio desert, surrounded by
nothing inviting. Water is hauled for
miles, and cooked by the sun in transit.
The recently installed ice plant, how
ever, adds exceedingly to the way
farer's happiness. In the second place,
ore that will not average at least $3.50 a
ton is not worth shipping, and remains
on the dump, like so much dirt, entire
ly worthless until the cost of trans
portation to the smelter shall have
been materially reduced. Without
doubt, millions of dollars of ore that
will run from S35 to SS5 ton is stacked
up in Tonopah, waiting for cheaper
transportation or home smelling In
the third place, living is comparatively
cheap when one considers that cactus
and sage brush are the only vegetables
within thirty miles of the camp. A
very good meal can be had for fifty
cents, and one not quite so good for
thirty cents. Lodging costs from
fifty cents to S1.50 a night, according
to the style in which one desires to live
There are nun ber of well-stocked
stores, and all lines of business are rep
resented. Really if it were not for the
hundreds of new unpainted dwellings
one would say Tonopah was an old
camp instead of a two-year-old. 1t is
the liveliest yOungster in existence, and
if the three great necessities, water,
fuel, and cheaper transportation, can
be secured, it will rival the famous
Comstock.
The main ledge is called the Mispah,
and it is phenomenally rich. The
whole region is capped with porphyry,
and beneath it lies the pay ore. Claims
are staked out for distance of five to
ten miles in every direction, and hun
dreds of hardy prospectors are still
securing the region in every direction.
Prospecting here, by the way, is not
cheap matter. 1t is estimated by
competent judges that prospector to
do good service will require at least
$3.50 to So day for expenses.
A number of comfortable fortunes
ranging from $685. to $500, ZOO have
been made, and numerous lucky ones
have netted five and ten thousand dol
lar clean-ups. Those who have made
fortunes are spending their money in
building up the town, several stone
structures being underway, the stone
for which comes from Butler mountain,
which is but rifle shot from the heart
of the town.
The population of Tonopah is about
two thousand, possibly twenty-five
hundred, and is composed of all classes,
including about forty saloon keepers
one hundred gamblers, seventy-fve
sOiled doves, and large majority of
first-class men and women, many of
whom are refined and cultured. 1t is,
however, very disagreeable place of
abode, being hot, dusty, and isolated.
The nearest railroad is sixty miles
away.
1t is estimated that 2000 head of
horses and mules are employed in haul
ing freight and passengers in, and ore
out, and judging from the stuff that
has been hauled in since the town
started this estimate is not too high.
The strike at Touopah has put new
life into almost every town of note in
Nevada, those receiving the greatest
benefit being Hawthorne, Sodaville,
Candelaria, Bishop, Austin and Reno,
What the outcome of the camp will
be is beyond the ken OF mortal man,
but judging from the past it certainly