Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1905-05-20
GOLD REEF
IS A WONDER
Free Gold and Plenty of it in
the District Adjoining Gold
Mountain on the
East Side

The sensational strike of a ledge
rich in free gold, at Gold Reef, men
toned exclusively in last Saturdays
BONANZA, has been the talk OF the
town during the week and a STAN.
pede is 10Y on, to the district. Every
thing was located some time ago,
however, and the newcomer will have
to 60 at least three miles to the east
to secure any ground.
This is a section of the country
that has been neglected. When Jim
Butler, the good father OF Tonopah,
and whom we all respect, discovered
Tonopah, be was on his way to Klon-
dixie, which is but four miles south
east of Gold Reef. He had pros
pected the section between Tonopah
and Klondike on two other occasions
and was convinced that the rich gold
values existed in that section. That
vas in May, 1900, and as a matter of
fact, it vas May 10, 1900, that Jim
Butler discovered the great Mispah.
Mr.. Butler had for fifteen years
kept these hills in mind, feeling conf
dent that they were thoroughly min
eralized, and on the 18th day OF May
left Belmont to prospect them. He
had a hard, rough trip, reaching
what is now T~onopah on the after
noon of the 18th. On the following
morning he started to climb Mt.
Oddie, but had proceeded only a
short distance when he discovered
the outcroppings of a ledge. He
secured several samples and took
them to Klondike. Messrs. Higgs &
Brougher, the assayers at that place
thought but little of them, and threw
them aside as not worth a~ssaying
Mr.. Butler still had faith, however,
and returned to his camp. Securing
more samples he took them to Austin.
He arrived there on Nav 18th. and
after leaving instructions to have
assays made, returned to Belmont to
attend to business and harvest his
crops. About this time Messrs.
Higgs & Brougher, the Klondike as
sayers concluded to test the samples
they had thrown aside, and they
were surprised at the results OBJ
tanned, the best assay being one hun
dred ounces Of gold and sixteen hun
dred ounces OF silver. The results
from Austin were equally startling
and Mr.. Butler was notified. He
arranged his business affairs and in
company with his wife left Belmont
on August23d for the''new diggings."
They reached their destination on
the 26th and on that day made the
locations covering the great Mizpah
ledge. They remained six days, per
fecting their locations and making
trails. Their corner monuments
were made OF rich ore taken from the
Mizpah ledge, for they had no stakes
and timber was conspicuous by its
absence. Water vas another scarce
article, the nearest spring being
three and a half miles distant. Mr..
Buffers plucky wife, however,
proved equal to the occasion, and
driving the team over the rough hills
every other day, hauled the water to
the camp. She was a great help to
her husband and he was proud Of
her. Concluding their location work,
Mr.. and Mrs. Butler returned to
Belmont and consulted T. L. Oddie
and Wilson Brougher, whom they
took in as partners. More assays
were made with the following re
suits: The first, $40 ounces of sill
yer and $206 in gold; the second, 1896
ounces Of silver and 1851 in gold; the
third, $40 ounce Of silver and $3.50
in gold The next fifteen ASSAYS
averaged $l73, and.ffteen more went
$47l.
As the assays proved the rich