The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-31

Sometimes the situation in Nevada Is
referred to as revival and some
times as an excitement" Both are
apt terms. The present great mining
revival is a constant excitement. In
the minds OF mining men, however, the
two terms convey different meanings.
Wherever mineralized rock lie discov-
cred which IL will pay TO mine there Is
a mining revival" Excitement" fol-
lows when free milling gold ore is
found. and II the glorious. dull yellow
metal can be seen In the rock by the
naked eye. excitement grows in proper
ton TO the amount visible.
There probably never was a time
when so many rich specimens OF gold
bearing rock were uncovered as during
the past year IN Goldfeld. Seeing ii,
makes the mouth water; the hope OF
owning some OF IL, incites all the pas
sions OF the human race.
Tonopah is now five years old. Gold
field is two years old and Bullfrog is
one year old. There are q dozen other
camps Of Importance IN Nevada, but
the three named hold the greater
amount Of popular public interest.
Popular public interest" could make
a mining camp on the lava beds of
Idaho IL IT wanted to do so. It is the
mainstay of the mining industry Half
the miners would starve were 1t not for
the public--the investing public which
loves TO invest in popular camps. Gold
Held has not only been the most popu-
lar camp In the public's estimation, but
II has been the high-grade camp and
the poor mans camp, each feature
adding to it's opportunities.
After the Thunder mountain fiasco
IN Ie01-02 the country was ripe for
genuine mining excitement, but even
then Tenopah suffered from lack OF
attention. Il took a whole year to get
the feeling under way, and all that
time the mountains In that Vicinity
contained great veins Of ore worth mil
liors upon millions Of dollars. Looking
back upon events now 1t is hard to un-
derstand why so many hundreds OF
men made their way on snowshoes and
suffered all kinds Of hardships in an
effort TO reach Thunder mountain when
they could have reached Tonopah so
much more easily. No one that really
knew the truth about Thunder noun
tain would tell IT, while mining men
from Tonopah shouted themselves
hoarse In an effort to attract attention.
and. whether they knew It or not, they
were telling the truth when they said
there was great wealth at Tonopah.
Revival Carries Tonopah.
The Nevada mining revival" finally
got under way at Tonopah. The Ne
vada mining "excitement'' broke out
when Goldfeids was discovered. The
gods themselves conspired in favor OF
Goldfield. BY that time Thunder noun
tain was forgotten and the disappOint-
ed were returning even from Klondyke.
Colorado was IN the midst OF its trou-
BILE with the unions. Half the Colorado
mines were closed down. Probably
5000 Colorado mining men Joined the
Goldfeld stampede.
Fully 10000 men populated Tonopah
and Goldheld and. finally. Bullfrog and
a dozen other new camps. Ten thou
sand OF them made Goldheld their
headquarters and prospected the sur
rounding country from there. One
would think that great changes would
follow in the wake OF 80 mighty
movement. Strange 20 say, the only
noticeable change in the past six
months has been in the contour OF the
hills Mighty dumps have been thrown
up on the side OF hills and every small
block OF ground is perforated with
prospect holes. In other words. the
population Of the three camps has re-
manned quite stationary.
The majority OF the first-comers re-
NAMED; a large number became dis
couraged early and pulled out for other
fields; but for every man that left there
was a newcomer TO take his place. A
few are discouraged and still remain.
= One OF this class was heard TO say not
long since that he had been unable to
ind anything IN Nevada. but that he
could not conceive OF more likely
ground TO prospect
"Once prospector, always a pros
pector." If a prospector cannot make
his living in Nevada, and II here he
does not retain the hope OF fortune