The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1902-05-09
THE WEEPAH MINES.
Indian Legend Connected With Discovery of
Gold al Lone Mountain.

Gold at Lone Mountain.
In a communication to the Reno Jounr-
nal C. D. Van Duzer tells of the recent
discovery made at Lone mountain, about
twenty-six miles from Tonopah. The new
camp has been named Weepah after the
Indian maiden mentioned in a legend
which is connected with the discovery of
the mines. Mr.. Van Duzers story is as
Il follows:
A tribe of Indians once lived in these
valleys, so the story runs, and the summit
of this granite range was the home OF
thee hief and his daughter. A severe
drought Of years had desolated the coun-
try and the Indians fled to the mountains.
Thousands had perished of thirst and
granite ridge to pray to the gods for rain
The rain failed to come and water was
nowhere to be found. The Indian chief
and his daughter were about to perish
when one of the ancestors of the Indian
Patterson who found these mines, came
upon them.
The granite ridge is absolutely bare.
But the wind and the rain and the con-
slant erosion had worn out hollows and
large bowls hidden in crevices and In
places where the ordinary traveller would
4 never expect to look for water. The In
q dian, by route known only to himself,
q disappeared among the lodges into vast
cavern where runs living spring and
brought water to the famished chief and
his daughter.
AS reward the chief gave his daughter
TO the Indian who saved their lives and
told him that in generations to come
and waving his hand toward the basin
where the mines of weepah now lie
said There lies the gold that your sons
son shall have"
The story was handed down from gem
Grafton to generation until 1t came TO
the Indian sDick Patterson. who was rails
@ ed and provided Tor Dy white men. ne Is
@ an intelligent Indian and has for years
been looking for the gold mines.
III Five years ago, down In the wash four
miles from the preset location of the
mines. he found float and has been look
ing for the Lodges ever since. 1t was only
last year that he found them. Nothing
was said of the matter Locations were
made and he told the man who had be-
friended him, Mr.. Darragh of Smoky
valley.
1t was only few weeks ago that the
matter became noised around. The rush
began. and in the short space of two
weeks something like one hundred mer
have gone into the district. which has
been called Patterson district after the
Indian discoverer.
The only water obtainable is in the
II granite pools in the ridge. in the great
u bowls hidden in the vast crevices In the
granite where rain water is gathered
Mr. Darragh located eight or nine
claims covering the principal locations
The large mine is situated fiat or
basin containing about 2,000 acres. The
reef can be seen for miles. II is ten
feet out of the ground and thirty feet
across and many pieces of the rock carry
free gold There is some galena in it
and considerable silver This ledge is
T exposed for thirty feet across and several
hundred long 1t can be traced a thous-
and feet. From hole shaft, eight
feet of solid ledge matter assays averag-
ing $27 in gold and Sis In silver were
taken.
The ledge seems to be in limestone
and from as ample O fthe formation an
assay Of 81 Sc was taken. Running at right
angles with the main ledge are a number
3 of smaller veins paralleIing, running from
two to six feet in width and carrying
81 high gold values. The entire hillside is
scanned with gold-bearing quartz veins.
The entire mineral bearing zone lies
southerly from a range of almost solid
granite mountains
The prospecting was done by the Indian
and is remarkable. He has put down
twenty-five holes and struck the ledge
every time Thirtytwo assays from the