Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1905-03-25
GETTING WISE
ABOUT TONOPAH
San Francisco and Eastern
Capitalists Have at Last
Walked Up.

ana Ionopan IN particular, cohIdius
the following interesting article
anet IA great camp:
Gradually the truth is beginning
to dawn on that portion of the Amer
lean public which is interested in
mining, and it is now pretty gener-
ally understood that somewhere on
the sandy wastes of the Nevada
desert, mines of fabulous wealth and
unlimited ore deposits have been
found; that some Of these mines have
already yielded millions Of dollars;
that hundreds of miners are engaged
in opening up those magnificent ore
bodies; that on a site where a lizard
could hardly exist and where the
desert winds, sweeping over the sage
and sand, alone held sway a few
years ago, a modern town, which is
fast assuming the proportions and
pretensions of a city, with fine frame
buildings, stone blocks; electric
lights, telephone and telegraph SER
vice and railroad accommodations
with a comfortable depot, has sprung
into being with a population Of about
1000 people.
Nearly two years ago John Hays
Hammond visited Tonopah and ex-
amined some Of the big mines Of the
camp. He, conservative as he is,
said there was in sight in the mines
Of the Tonopah Mining company
alone, over $50, coo, 900, ]. E. Spur,
of the United States Geological Sur.
vey, after a laborious and painstak-
ing examination lasting three
months, pronounced the district to
be remarkably rich in its mineral
bearing zones. The American Smelt-
ing and Refining company, after re-
ports from their experts, tried to
obtain a foothold in the camp, SO as
TO have the privilege of treating the
ores and stood ready, If certain on
cessions were granted, to erect a
million dollar smelter,
The writer visited the camp and
after inspecting the mines came
away with the impression that the
greatest gold and silver mines in the
world had been discovered on Oddie
Mountain, and so expressed himself
in a published report on the camp IN
the Mining and Engineering Review
in the issue OF June 20, 1903. Car
loads of ore, running up into the
hundreds of thousands of dollars per
ton, were being shipped to the smelt-
ers daily. But all these things
made but a slight impression on the
minds of investors, who are prone to
look at all mining ventures through
the same glasses rather than inves.
tigate.
However, the mines paid from the
grass roots. The leasers became
rich and the money from the mines
built up a town and equipped the
mines, though building material aud
machinery were hauled sixty miles
across the desert by mule teams.
Then the mine owners constructed a
railroad and put on the rolling stock.
While the work of development was
going on, more than one of the com
panies paid dividends and money be-
gan to accumulate in the treasures.
Then came the discoveries on Gold
Mountain, and later in the Goldteld
and Bullfrog districts. The inan-
ciers of the east began to think that
there surely was a field for capital
in these wonderful mineral belts and
the steel king touched the camps
with his magic wand. Then the
bankers and other capitalists Of San
Francisco began to awake. They
saw the golden opportunity slipping
away and a rush was made to secure
the stocks which we're loose on the
markpt Nnvar wara tho hrokare
on Pine Street so busy since the hal
cyon days of the Comstocks as they
have been the past few weeks. But
there is good reason to believe that
the stocks heretofore quoted at cents
will be sold at dollars before the
year expires, and the output from
the mines will justify the advance.
Those who purchased the better
class Of Tonopah and Goldtield stocks
at the low figures, have made hand
some Dr1nts. Those who will hold