The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-23
ELY GREATEST CAMP
EVER DISCOVERED
Copper Deposit Stands Without
Equal in History of
Mining World.
FITZ-MAC DESCRIBES
LOCATION OF CAMP
Completion of Railroad Is an
Epoch in History of
hegiOn.


the three counties OF Nevada that border
on Utah. Ely lies little south OF the
center of the county, and, on straight
line, about forty-fiye miles west OF the
Utah border. Its claims upon the atten-
tlon OF the world rest upon the fact that
II contains copper deposit which III
volume and total value appears to be the
greatest ever discovered. and which Is
now about to be mined on scale never
before employed-l50 miles of railroad
having been on this date (September 20,
l908) completed expressly for that pur-
pose. Though White Pine Is only a baby
county Tor Nevada II Is almost exactly
identical in area with the whole State OF
Massachusetts. 1t contains 5000 square
miles. In county as large as that, you
are likely, Of course. TO come across a
good many wonderful things, but the
most wonderful of all in White Pine is
the great copper deposit at Ely,
l pay your Intelligence. gentle reader,
the pretty compliment OF assuming chat
you are not too stupid 10 appreLend the
profound and iGr-reacbinS Industrial sig
nihcance at this period OF the world 3
progress in tine IUltipleN enploymeuis of
electricity when he demand On tho de-
veloped co~Ser mines tGceasens their
early exhaustion, of the opening OF uew
source of supply. able apparently TO
double the present annual output of the
United States and maintain that scale
OF production for some generations. per-
haps Tor several centuries, But we'll talk
about that further Uu, adl | Ii furnish you
the figures SO that you may form your
own Judgment on the matter. Enough TO
say just here, that the completion OF the
Nevada Northern rallroad-Ely to Cobre
~ the Southern Pacific line, $50 miles 10
The north-means To Ely the immediate
opening OF the markets of the world to
ner stupendous wealth OF copper, not
heretofore marketable. That's why the
completion OF the first railroad is such
an epochal event III the history OF Ely.
Two new ones are already contemplated,
and she'll get a fourth in all probability
before she's through getting.
Nevada was the cradle in which Ameri-
IAN lode mining was rocked. and the
.eminary In which IL was effectively
schooled. She was the frst TO inaugurate
lode mining on large scale, and she de-
veloped In Mackey and Fair, on the
great Comstock lode, the two greatest
miners. not only of their day. but OF any
day since the world began TO wag, up to
the date Of this history. Both had a ma
tive genius for mining which has never
been equaled But since those old days
of her glory and her housekeeping pride
Nevada has had 10 gnaw the file OF pow
erty and eat the bitter leek of humilia-
tion, and has learned-as Col Shake
speare would state the case-"how
sharper than serpent's child 1t is to
have thankless tooth" When the tide
OF prosperity turned, the large popula-
tion OF skilled miners whom she had
trained 70 the craft, numbering some tens
of thousands deserted her and drfted OF
10 other States where 1t wasn't so lone
some, and encouragement reigned su-
preme in every line of industry from
border TO border.
She had been the worlds greatest pro-
ducer Of silver, and the decline in the
price Of silver from 81 40 an ounce, long
about 1870 to 1880. down 10 about 10 cents
in 1893. was what gave her the black eye.
BY the census OF 1900 her population had
dwindled TO a lonesome 80 900, scattered
in disheartened little squads over the
wide eXpanse OF a State that ranks fourth
In area In this grand Republic OF ours.
Those who could get away pulled out
for Utah or Idaho or Montana or Colo
rado, and those who couldn't get away
earnestly dedicated oil their energies and
talents TO the enterprise OF damning the
United States Government for demonetiz-
ing silver Most maps don't give you any
adequate idea of the innumerable north
south ranges in Nevada. You would get
better conception by studying the sur
face OF sheet OF corrugated roofing
iron. The third range from the Utah
border is the Egan, which crosses the
whole north south length Of White Pine
county near the center.
That's where the great Ely copper de-
post is-right In The heart Of the Egan
range. The town of Ely, however, lies In
Steptoe valley, close up against the
mountains at the east base of the Eean
range. It's altitude. as have mentioned.
IS 6io0 feet above sea level. The climate
is Just about what you might expect. taxi
Ing the latitude. the altitude and dryness
OF the atmosphere into your reckoning.
The drinking water at Ely Is pure and
excellent. and there is plenty OF Il,
couldn't say more than that IL talked
for month. III the whiskey were as
pure as the water there wouldn't be any
kick coming, Just at Ely there is q sag
In the Egan range which constitutes
pass that for forty years has been tray-
ersed by one OF the oldest, n-trayeled
roads Of the county The highest point
IN that pass. On tho west rim is a little
over 5000 feet. That road leads westward
straight across the range from Ely over
the surface Of the great copper deposit
But the copper deposit doesn't begin to
show strongly till you get two OF three
miles west OF Ely. The range at this
point Is distinctly what geologlsts call
a syncline-that is TO say. U-shaped on
the cross-section, with an east rim, a
west rim and an interior valley. The
Great ore deposit begins In tho interior
valley and extends over the west rim,
distance, as proved by development, Of
seven miles. It's width, as exposed by
erosion. Is irregular. but averages about
S09O feet. How much wider the ore body
is. development has not proved
Beyond the exposed surface 1t is capped
on both sides by limestone. but there Is
much reason to believe that 1t extends
out under the lime. The ore will all
have 10 be hauled down to Steptoe valley
TO be concentrated and smelted. because
there water a 6c rnjp
That Will make lot Of hauling for the
railroad and a large ret profit. One sin
gle mine. the Nevada Consolidated, is
preparing to output 10000 tons a day as
soon ns concenrator5 and smelters can
be built to handle L..