The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-17
MAPS MADE THAT
Open THE DESERTS
Government Survey Has Taken
Away Many Terrors of For
bidding Region.
CAMPS ATTRACT THE
ATTENTION OF BUREAU
Districts Are Unique, Owing to
the Present Facility
of lngress.

journey across the desert valleys OF
southwestern Nevada and eastern Cali
fornia cannot even now be looked forward
To likely TO afford the traveller much
pleasure, but that the hardy explorer and
prospector may derive much profit from
IT has been known since the late sixties,
when it was discovered that the bare,
uninvitlng mountain ranges OF that region
contain valuable deposits OF precious
metals The wave OF mining activity and
prospecting that Immediately swept over
that section reached q maximum In the
seventies, and died out before the end of
the next decade. In 1900. however, the
discovery of phenomenally rich vene at
the site OF Tonopsh gave new interest
TO the development OF the district and led
thousands sof men 10 brave the dlscom-
forts of this hot and arid land
An aid TO the miner and prospector OF
the present day unknown to the pioneer
explorers is the United States geological
survey. through whose systematic inyeSti-
cations the desert regions OF the country
have lost many OF their tcrrors. South
western Nevada In particular has been
and is being carefully explored, and the
mountains and valleys OF that section are
fast Yielding their secrets at the tap Of
the seologist's hammer.
The report on "A geological reconnais-
SanCe In southwestern Nevada and east
ern California" by Sidney II Bail. just
issued by the survey as Bulletin No 30S.
is the result Of seven months field work.
from June TO December. 1905. inclusive
During this period geologic mapping, UNI
der the general supervision OF r. l.. Ran
some, was carried on simultaneously with
topographic mapping by Messrs; r. c.
surveyed embracing more than $3.50
square miles. including portions of Es-
meralda and Nye countiee New, and Inyo
county, Cal
Practically the only industries in the
region are prospecting and mining and
the towns OF this desert mining territory
typify both the push and energy OF the
Western frontier and the unstable con6i-
tons of new gold fields. Tonopah Hes
four miles north OF the area mapped.
Goldheld. by'far the largest city in south
western Nevada, Bullfrog and Beatty
population about 25O0 eachO arc provided
with telegraph and telephone lines water
systems; newspapers: and most OF the
essentials OF city life. though the first
tent was pitched at Goldfeld in January,
1904. and Rhyolitc and Bulfrog were not
started until year later. \ number of
other camps within the area range in
population from nifty TO 400.
Few countries so sparsely settled are
so accessible. The various camps are
connected by wagon roads, most of them
surprisingly good considering that they
are less than year old. The Tonopah e
Goldheld railroad connects with the Union
Pacific at Hazen. New. The Carson L.
Colorado railroad in Owens Valley Is from
twenty-five TO forty-five miles west OF the
Pedro. Los Angeles & Salt Lake railroad
commonly called the Clark road is from
forty to seventy five miles to the east. A
railroad has been surveyed from Goldfled
To Bullfrog, and two branches are pro-
jected from the Clark road To the same
point. Daily or semi-daiy automobiles
make the run from Goldneld to Bullfrog
In four To six hours, and stages run daily
from Goldheld and Las Vegas TO camps
In the Bullfrog district. Some of the
mines have small but sufficient water
supply near at hand: other camps are
compelled To haul water from springs or
seeps twenty miles distant. The power
question will probably he solved al other
camps as II has been A Goldheld by the
transmission Of electricity generated on
the swift streams OF the Sierras
Mr.. Balls report, OF course, discusses
primarily the general, structural and eco
nornic geology Of the districts into which.
for convenience. he has divided the area
The report Is illustrated By A geologic
map. a. map showing economic conditions,
and many sections exhibiting structure.