The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-08
GEOLOGY OF
NEVADA CAMPS
United States Engineers Out
With Preliminary Reports on
Gold Districts.
TONOPAH TO SEARCHLIGHT
MUCH VALUABLE DATA TO MINE
OWNERS COMPILED.

A detailed investigation OF the geol-
ogy of Goldfield. Bullfrog and other mi
ming districts in southern Nevada was
carried on during the autumn and win
ter of 1866 by members Of the United
States geological survey. Complete re-
ports on these districts are now in prepare
ton. but "A preliminary bulletin has been
prepared by MeSsrs. +. L. RansOmc. W.
II. Emmons and G. H Garvey, which is
Immediately available and should be of
value to all interested in the development
of mining districts in this general area
The discovery of Tonopah in 1900
marked. for Nevada. the beginning Of a
new era in its mining industry, which in
the years following the decline of the
COmstock had sunk to very low ebb.
As the size and richness of the TOnOpah
bonanza became known, new stimulus
was given to prospecting and the desert
ranges Of southwestern Nevada were
more thoroughly searched than ever be
fore. Among the many new camps that
have come into existence within the last
few years as a result of this activity,
Goldfield. situated in Esmeralda county
twenty-four miles nearly due south Of
Tonopah has attained chief Importance.
On the GoldfieId District.
The topography, general geology and
ore deposits Of the Godfield district are
briefly described in this bulletin. The
deposits hitherto of most Importance in
OF rich Oxidized gold ore. The most no
table features of these ore bodies are
their remarkable richness and their equal
~ remarkable irTegusrity. Shipments
averaging over s1,OO0 "a ton are by no
means uncommon.
The principal producing mines in the
Goldfield district in the latter part OF
1905 were the Combination. Mohawk.
Florence, January. Red Top. Sandstone
and Kendall. The Jumbo, one of the most
important properties in the district was
Involved in litigation at this time and
had produced no. ore since the early part
Of the year. The quaTtzite mine at Black
Butte, now part Of the Black Butte Con
Eoiidated property, was also practically
Idle, although il had shortly before at
tanned a considerable production. The
Reilly lease. although on the Florence
ground. was worked as separate mine,
and added about $4,000 to the production
of the district in less than two months
time.
6uIlfrog's Characteristics.
The Bullfrog district described in this
report lies sixty miles SOuth-southeast of
Goldfield and about twenty miles north
east of the great trough of Death Val
lev. The principal town is Rhyolte. The
other towns in the district are Bullfrog
and Beatty. Work in the district up to
the end of the year 1893 had been confined
mainly TO prospecting and to blocking
out ore. The Montgomery Shoshone mine
is said to have shipped about 100 tons of
rich ore, the original Bullfrog about thir-
teen tons. and the Denver at the begin
ming of the year 1906 shipped 1000 sacks.
As all ore at the time the survey men,
bers visited the district had to be hauled
by wagons TO Goldfield or Las Vegas,
the general tendency among the mine
owners was to delay shipping until the
entrance of a railroad should afford bet
ter facilities.
The study of the general geology Of the /
Bullfrog district was made by Mr. W. H. /
Emmons and Mr.. g. II. CAREY. The /
rocks in the main are tertiary lavaS in I
tricately faulted and tilted All of the /
ore thus far mined or opened up is more Z
or less oXidized and IN most cases con- |
tains no sUlphides. The ores, as sacked, I
range from 500 to 500 a ton but the de- /
posits on the whole are much lower in 1
grade than those at GOldfield. 1t is evil |
dent that the future prosperity of the 4
camp must depend upon the successful I
working of ore much inferior in grade to [
that sacked for shipment under present /
conditions.
The Mines of SearchIight.
A brief visit was made in February, 1906.
TO the Searchlight district. which is in
the extreme southern point of Nevada in
Lincoln county. twelve miles west of the
river and about fifty miles north
of Needles. A day was also spent in
the Eldorado Canyon district. This can
yOn heads about twenty-five miles north
of Searchlight and is ten miles in length
Mining in EldOradO canyon is said to date
from about the year 1857. but the Search
light district is of comparatively recent
development. ore having been discovered
there in 1898. The total output of the
district is not known and is
difficult to estimate. 1t may ne any
where between 100000 and s5,OOOOOO. The
production of the Searchlight district to |
the end of the year 1903 probably lies be-
tween 81, 10000 and 100000.
The principal mines and prospects i'm the
Searchlight district are in a north-south
q fR4F- mill lima
fourths of a mile wide. which lies lust
west of the town. The material thus far
stopped is almost wholly ree-milling gold
silver ore. 1t is evident. however. that
that will not yield TO direct
amalgamation.
Eldorado and Crescent.
The principal groups of mines in the
Eldorado district are situated near the
head of the canyon. The impression car
led away from hasty examination.
without measurements or assays. of the
Quaker City. Mocking Bird. Wall Street
and Techatticup mines was that the de- {
-elopment of these properties under sin
yle management and by modern methods
constitutes problem that is well worthy
II careful consideration.
Brief notices are given of the Crescent
md the Gold Mountain districts A final !
'hapter on the Manhattan district is the
work of Messrs. Emmons and CAREY {
sold was discovered at Manhattan i'm
APRIL 1905 The production un 10 March | I
ee6 so far could be learned, had been /
bout $4,000. The typical rich ore of the I
amp is either a dense white gold bearing I
Iuartz. stained in places TO a yellowish :
olor by iron oxides or a mass of Dorous |
white quartz formed by intergrown tab /
liar crystals of quartz which are pseu-