Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-02-06
PROFESSOR SPUR
WRITES OF NEVADA
Conditions Favorable for Ex-
tenSive Mining.
The Last Year Has Been An I'm.
pOrtant One In the History
Of TOnOpah District.

1t was but a few weeks ago that {
j. e. Spur, the famous ~geologist,
published bis preliminary report upon s
Tonopah. He spent over a year in
vestigating the district in the inter
est Of the government, and his re-
port, to the public, means more than
those of all the interested mining tx
perts together. He writes the
Engineering aud Mining Journal Of
New York as follows:
Since the discovery of Tonopah, in
the summer Of 1900, the desert state
Of Nevada has entered upon a period
of renewed interest and activity in
mining matters. The opening up
and development Of the rich silver
and gold ores of the Comstock and
Eureka together with other famous
camps, a few decades ago, was fol
lowed by the quitting Of these mines,
the decline in the price Of silver and
the Inevitable reaction which is sequel
to a period Of reckless investment;
Nevada declined. and its busy mining
towns were deserted, sometimes al.
most to the last inhabitant, till today
two representatives in the United
States senate stand for a population
of about forty thousand.
Na..,tInIucc tbo efnfa nneaaggae
in an eminent degree the first quail
fcation for a successful mining in
dustry; it has the,ore. The geologi-
cal conditions are exceptionally
favorable. During the tertiary
period, this region was the scene OF
repeated and extensive volcanic
eruptions, which were accompanied
BY the formation OF mining veins.
Most of the rich deposits thus far
discovered-such as the Comstock,
Eureka and Tonopah-were formed
at this period. Moreover the naked
unvegetated reaches Of the mountain
ranges which separate the fat desert
valleys, and the frequent deep can.
yons, offer to the prospector facility
for finding whatever Of valuable
material may be contained therein.
On the other hand there are GER
tain adverse conditions which, unit
recently, have kept away the golC
seeker and the capitalist. These arr
the lack Of water and fuel, and tn,
consequent difficulty both in pros
pecting and in p~roftably mining ore
when found. Added to this has bee.
the damaged reputation Of the re
gion, as being a silver state, whic
could only expect to improve at tina
distant day when silver should b
rehaoilitated as a money metal.
Tonopah is a conclusive argumen
against these p%reiudices. Its dis
covery, like that of many other mir
ing camps, was almost a matter
chance. The ore was a barren lool
ing quartz and passed from hand
hand for some time, before it Wa
finally assayed. But its richnes
and the demonstration that it cou
stand high freighting and smelt'
charges and still pay a good prot
soon commended the camp to /
vestors.
The outcropping veins at Tonopa
which cover a comparatively sm'
area, became the property oil q
Tonopah Mining company and co
c~entrated most of the attention
the public till this present year,
that Tonopah was won't to be call
a one mine camp. This compa
shipped to smelters ore to the val
of a third of a million dollars in Is
and of a million and three-quarte
in 1902. In 1903 shipments ha
been actively made, but the gene
policy of the company has been
develop systematically and to p
for the future reduction of the
ready blocked-out ore reserves, b.
the shipping ore and the lower gra
at a better profit than at prese
When it was understood that in
nopah ore must run in the neighb
hood OF 800 to the ton or more
order to be good shipping ore,
Importance OF these large bodies
so.called low grade material is