The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-04
HISTORY Of THE
NEVADA COUNTRY
Mining and Scientific Press
Gives Space to Mining
in Nevada.
OLDER CAMPS BEING
AROUSED TO ACTION
Capitalists Fully Aroused to,
the Chances of Making
Fortunes Quickly.

attention from the mining and spcCu
lative public than any other mining Stat
In the West. This interest is Iargel.
based OIL prospective values, but there u
no doubt that some OF the mines alread,
productive are making such n showing
as 10 give confidence both In themselves
and in others sun In course of develop
mcnt In the same camps. Moreover. whll'
the present excitement has been bfoueh
about by the Developments In the newer
camps of southern Nevada, II is also tru,
that many OF the older camps known fol
thirty or forty years have again be-
come the seats of great activity. says the
Mining and Scientific Press in an ah-
stract from n United States Geological
survey article.
After the working out of the great and
famous nonan5as of the Consolidated Cali
fornia & Virginia mine on the Comstock
and the failure for many years TO lind
new ore bodies OF value In any OF the
mines In that extensive lode. the mining
public turned its attention elsewhere. As
a result. Nevada became neglected. 1t
became difficult TO obtain capital for IN
Vestmcnt in any Of the mining districts,
no matter what prospective showing was
made. The annual bullion production OF
The State continued to decrease until II
became small amount compared with
the output In the Dalmy days of the Com
stock lode The revival of interest In
the mining industry OF the State may be
said 10 date from the discovery of ore AZ
Tonopah about five years ago. As de-
relopments progressed at Tonopah II be-
came apparent that the camp bid fair 10
become as permanent as old Virginia City
itself. IL has taken strenuous develop
ment work and large investments to bring
Tonopah TO its present position. but dur
Ing the progress OF this work the swarms
OF pgoSpcctors and miners attracted there
spread over the adjoining region and dis
covered several other camps. some OF
them already overshadowlns Tonopah IT.
scli In point of productiveness,
AS one after another of these new dis.
tricts were discovered and rich bodies Of
orc were found the mining world began
10 realize the great Importance or the
region under development. Both miners
and investing capitalists saw opportunities
Tor cnriching themselves. An abundance
Of money was Forthcoming for any min
Ing venture. Miners obtained grub stakes
With ease, securod valuable leases, were
aoled 10 sell their best ore for cash as
soon as II was brought Ia the surface or
could sell their claims outright for good
prices If they so desired. II was pos
sible also 10 obtain the money at once
for equipment and development OF any
claim making any sort OF showing. I'm
der these conditions. not always prevail
ing in new districts. II Is small wonder
that remarkable and rapid development
has taken place throughout Southern Ne
vada Moreover the claims themselves
mcrited the work done upon them. as has
been shown by the financial results, the
most potent factor in the success which
has followed the opening Of the districts
referred to-
The building OF now railroads across
Nevada he'd already been projected when |
these mines were discovered. but the min /
ing developments have caused much more |
rapid construction Of these roads and also /
the building from main lines OF others |
designed TO furnish transportation for the |
more important camps. Only the richest !
Of the orc could bear transportation where /
long wagon haulS We're necessary TO reach I
the railroad lines, but II is a matter of I
that such large quantities of .
ore were shipped under the circumstances /
The nearest smelling works-hundreds OF I
miles aaWny-bccame oVercroWdcd with /
ore from the new mines. and thousands .
OF tons OF second grade ores have been
piled on the dumps waiting for cheaper \
transportation or local reduction works.
] seems odd now. In view of subsequent
development. that tha first of the new
camps. Tonopah. was held back n year or
more by the lack Of faith In the mines
on the part OF the companies which had
bought the more prominent claims. In
stead of proceeding on their own ac-
count. they adopted the leasing system.
ting the lessees themselves prove the
value Of the claims. This they did, how
ever. in short order, not only making
fortunes for themselves, but making great
nines out of mere prospects TO the bene-
it Of the more timid companies.
II may be confessed that TO the Leasing
Developments .yhich have been made in
some some Few oXthe companies have, '''r5 Of
'ourse done their own work, but the
|
some OF these leases have resulted i'm
he output Of millions OF dollars Most
# them expire carly In 1907. There Is
wide aren OF the southern desert sec
ion of Nevada over which prospecting
operations are now being conducted, and
his mineral belt has been found 20 con-
California boundary. This review of the
conditions existing in Nevada, accom- |
,enied by the statistics for 1905. refers |
'nly 10 that year, but II may not be out
MIA 10 ,,-r.i t.-f6 nr Co., |
elatinS 10 a subsequent date, as they
ave been largely influential In bringing
bout the present widespread interest in !
he mining affairs Of the State, Tho
most important development In any 7
ingie mine has been that which has !
cclrrod in the Mohawk mine al Gold !
{ tho ores obtained by the lessees during
pos have arrested the attention OF the s
Mining world. From published reports [
onccrnlne the leases In this mine (not c
erincd by the United States Geological j
urvey( il appears that from April 1S to G
'oveinher 90 1906. the gross value OF v
ne ores shipped by the various lcssees in {
his mine amounted 10 Sl.076.9l9 and the
ct values To s8.I3o, i2g They also had
re stored and In transit amounting In
alue to $9ooOOO additional. ii was est- r
ecovered during the remainder of the
fe OF the leases, which expired In Janu-
ry, 1907. On Nov. 20. 1905 the Mohawk ;.
'erger took place, by which the Godheld y
a.
he Mohawk. the Red Top. the Jumbo !,
nd the Laguna properties, and they will =
G hereafter worked as one. The com !,
any has been organized with 5000 900 :.
lares OF capital stock. par value 5lO per =
lare. Before the consolidation these ,
,parato properties had produced q total e
ross sum Of S6,054. Gl0. The Mohawk did e
ot produce until 1906; the Jumbo beran u
-oducing in July, 1904, Tch Top ore ;,
rs been reduced In a small local mill ~
lerated under lease. ~ ~
The average freight and treatment rate .' n
ores shipped 20 smelters for 1906 has a. a
zen $3.50 per ton. The cost OF frear "
ent OF oxidized ores In the Combination ~
ines company mill for the same perjod ~ :.
rs been s5.S2 per ton. with about 81 nor -
mt EXTINCTION This cost Will be fur
er reduced by mill treating a large
image, and this mill has now been cor K
ruGted; The mines are well developed
ns!dering the short time which has
en- occupied In the work Under Tho =.
ising system, although the ore was ey u
ptionaliy rich and tho life of the Icsse
orr. there has doubtless been rn~cI,
poing OF the mine. which win no, hn r
case when systematic deveIonYncot 10
'i6 is conducted by the company jtsoir ~