Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1906-07-21
PIONEER TELLS
OF SILVER PEAK
The Railroad, Etc.---NO Better
Mines to Be Found in the
State Of Nevada

John Chiatovich, pioneer of Silver
Peak for the past forty odd years, paid
Tonopah visit last Thursday. Mr..
Chiatovich has seen all the ups and downs
of that locality during the long period
Of his residence there and recites a
very interesting story Of the old camp.
He first came from Virginia to Colum-
bus at the time when there was quite
a stir in mining at that camp; then he
went to Fish Lake valley to work on a
ranch, and later, with the accumula-
tions from his work, opened a general
merchandise store and feed corral at
Silver Peak, while he prosecuted min
ing on the claims he owned in the local.
ity as a side issue. His mines were
situated eight miles from town and as
there was no water on the site he built
a 10-stamp mill in town, where water
could be had, and hauled his ore to the
mill in wagons. Thus he prosecuted
work for years, and many were his
mining vicissitudes. Having every
confidence in the merits of his mine, he
often incurred very heavy indebtedness
in order to carry on work 1T at one
time running as high as $4,000. The
mine finally yielded good returns, and,
being scrupulously honest, he paid off
every cent of indebtedness and still
persevered. Again and again he ran
in debt, but his mine as often came to
rescue with another strike and pulled
him through. Today, as of yore, he
still conducts his store, and has a
couple of locations the Borden and
the San Francisco which he is devel-
oping on small scale.
In the Borden the ore will mill from
$40 to $50 per ton and the ledge is from
two to IL feet in width. There is q
6O-foot shaft on each of the properties.
The ore in the San Francisco will give
mill returns of $35 ton.
Mr.. Chiatovich says that the electric
power line will make connections al
the Blair and Mohawk mines Ia short
distance from town. in few days.
With reference to the new railroad
to Silver Peak he says that surveyors
are at work in the field and it is ex-
pected that the road will be completed
to the Blair mine within ninety davs.
The contract for building has been let
to Messrs. Mclean & McSweeney, the
same parties who did the construction
work on the Tonopah and Goldfield
road. The rails and ties are now on
the ground and there is no doubt but
that the road will be rushed to COM
pletion within as short time as possi-
BILE, as there is but very little cutting
or graning to be done.
In regard to changing the townsite
to a point about three miles distant,
he does not believe there is anything in
the report and that the town will al
ways remain where it is. In the first
place. there is no water at the place of
the proposed townsite and no way of
getting it there. In support of his
statement he recites the fact that in
1868 or 1869 lO-stamp mill (which is
still standing) was built on the Blair
mine, but sufficient water could not be
had especially during the months OF
July and August) to run it, so it could
hardly be expected that there would
be enough to supply town.
In conclusion, Mr.. Chiatovich said
there were no better or more perma-
nent mines in the state than at Silver
Peak, and with proper management
they would make immense dividend.
producers.