East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-12-18

Under the mighty influence of gold,
Nevada is again becoming an import
ant factor in the American union. The
camp at Goldfield continues to en-
gross attention by its productiveness
and the readiness with which fortunes
are made there. 1t is emphatically n
poor mans camp"
During 80 days In this fall Goldfield
has produced more than million
dollars in gold. The average output
has been $500, 900 n week for months.
Remarkable as 1t may seem, but n
small proportion of This wealth is be-
ing made by the mine owners them
selves. In nearly every case lessees
are the ones who are taking from the
gray desert the fortunes that for ages
have been hidden but few feet be-
low the sagebrush.
Leasing" or mining on shares mas
been carried farther in Goldfield than
in any of the other big bonanza
camps since the days of Cripple Creek,
and 1t is doubtful if the Colorado
camp ever saw at one time the mar
velous activity that Is displayed in
Goldfield.
In every camp the amount of ground
to be located is never sufficient to al
low each newcomer an opportunity to
secure land in his own name. After
all the desirable land has been secur-
ed it is divided by the owners into
blocks of varying size. These sub-di-
visions of the original claims are
known as leases" It Is from these
that the greater part of the ore has
been taken that has made Nevada the
Mecca of fortune hunters during the
past two years
How valuable the work of the leas-
ers is may be better understood when
one knows that three-fourths of all
the big strikes made In the Goldfield
district have been made by men who
did not own the ground they were de-
veloping.
Their efforts have caused mining
property to take enormous values to
itself. a year and a half ago in Gold
field the January mine Of the Gold
field Mining company was sold for
5000. Leasers first demonstrated that
1t was a valuable property. Since
that time more than a million dollars
has been taken from 1t.
The Florence, for which $4,000, 900
has been offered and refused, was
bought for $1,000 is months ago. 1t
has produced as much as has been
offered for it. B. ]. Reilly. who was
hotel keeper In Tonopah a year ago.
is just closing a lease from which
81, 200, 900 has been taken. In three
days $4,000 was removed by him.
The total amount of gold taken
from the Goldfield by leasers during
the first few months of its existence,
when 1t was but a struggling camp,
was nearly $3,000,000.
Five years ago it was demonstrated
in Tonopah the possibilities that lay
in leasing in Southern Nevada. At
that time Jim Butler let the ground
to those who braved the hardships Of
the desert, then many and severe.
Golden and Sinclair took out $3.50, 900,
Lynch and O'eMara 100000, the
Brougher brot ers 100000, Cutting
and Brown $250,000, Zeb Kendall
| $50, 900. and Foreman brothers S40,-
900. All told there was $2,100,0 ,000
mined from Mount Oddie during the
first year of Tonopah's existence by
men every one of whom was poor.
1t Is estimated that not less than
10 leases are being worked in the
Goldfield district. These employ from
to so men each. There are no less
than 1400 men being employed by the
leasers, and the number is increas-
| ing.