Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-26

pay. 1t Is claimed, from $50 ton upward.
The Tonopah Mining Company, composed of
Philadelphia people. has more than $1,000
square feet of ore exposed: and John Hays
Hammond estimated It's value at about
$S4 100000. Frank A. Keith. superintendent
of the mine. who was for several years in
charge of the Iron Silver mine in Leadville.
claims that he has $3.50 100000 In sight
The Montana Company claims 10 have from
$5.000,000 to 10.000,000 in sight, while other
companies make similar assertions. They
have been digging away al! this time and
have found lodges from eighteen inches to
three feet of ore which assays all the way
from $106 to 5000 ton. Very little of
this ore has been shipped. 1t has been
piled up to await the completion of the
railway. and much more has been left in
the veins ready for attack as soon as 1t can
be proftably handled
Mines in the Desert
The manager of the Nevada and Califor-
MIA railroad is now shipping five or six
trafnloads of ore day, and is gradually in
creasing the amount. This, however. af-
fects only .Tonopah. Back of that town. for
distances of sixty miles into the desert, are
other mines which promise equally well,
but are in the same situation liz not worse.
The farther they are from railway trans
portation the greater their disadvantages
Thirty-six horse power automobiles are now
used for transportation. and can handle
eight tons of freight at speed of six or
eight miles hour over the oiled roads,
but the charges are very high and 1t does
not pay to ship ore at that rate. Some OF
the miners are compelled to do SO in order
to keep going. because they lack capital,
but the most valuable properties have been
gathered up by rich syndicateS who are not
compelled to realize. but are able to hold
their ore at the mines indefinitely until they
can handle 1t with economy.
Conditions at Tonopah.
Tonopah, as Mr.. Nixon says. is quite a
modern town, with all conveniences and
improvements except hotel accommodations,
which are limited. 1t has one daily news
paper-the Sun-and two weekles-the
Miner and the Bonanza-both OF which are
enterprising and well edited. There Is a
club of $50 members. with commodious and
comfortable rooms where visiting strangers
are cordially welcomed There are also
churches, schools, water works, electric
lights, first-class retail shops, book stores
reading clubs, literary societies and good
deal of home life. There are abundance
of saloons and gambling houses, however,
and those who are addicted to the tradi-
tional vices of the mining camps will find
plenty of opportunities to crafty them
selves.
But mining is becoming more and more a
serious business, and the tragedies. come
dies and other excitements, like the reck-
less splurges and disorder of olden times,
are rare today. The miner of the twentieth
cehtufy SllS at TOlleF-COp desk with a tete-
phone at his elbow and an electric light
hanging over his head and sends his soiled
clothes to a steam laundry instead of wash
ing his shirt IN the brook and spreading 1t
to dry on the roof of a log cabin. He sleeps
on woven wire mattress instead of bed
of pine needles; he does not broil venfson
steaks on the end of ramrod and let the
gray drip into the wash basin any more,
but orders his meals from a printed bill of
fare and has a breakfast canteloupe brought
from the refrigerator. Fashion, luxury and
conveniences follow on the heels of the
pioneer these days. 1t Is impossible to find
a place without a telephone, and even the
farmers stables and the ranch houses are
lighted with electric lamps.
Tonopah is notable, however, for one pc
culiarity. Although it is four years old and
has a population of nearly 5000, 1t has
never had municipal organization. 1t has
no mayor. or common council or police
force The only authorities are those of
Esmeralda county, which was organized
years ago-long before gold was dreamed of
and the highest official is a justice of the
peace, whose dignity Is supported and
whose DEGREES are enforced by the sheriff.
When you ask citizen why they do not
organize municipal government he looks
at you with surprise. Two-thirds of the
people of the town suppose they have one,
and have never felt the need of 1t.