Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-03-23
EXPERTS REPORT
ON Lee DISTRICT
RHYOLITE BOARD OF TRADE
HEARS INTERESTING
NEWS

RHYOLITE, March 16.-J. c..
Thema, the mining expert, has lust
returned from the Lee district, whtre
he went on a tour of expert inspec-
ton in the interests of the Rhyolite
board of trade, and his report upon
the district is decidedly interesting.
In part, Mr., Thema's report reads as
follows:
"The Lee district is composed Of
a belt of quartzite that crosses the
Funeral range through the Echo-Lee
pass. On the east of the pass it
runs through Burro canyon and
mountain, cuts through the oil In.
dian camp at the base of the range.
and is buried in the sands of the
Amargosa desert. On the west side
of the range it runs down into Death
valley through the Echo canyon. The
district is twenty-five miles at least
in length and is two miles in width,
the sides of the district being clearly
marked with lime dykes.
During my trip through the coun-
Try I sampled freely from every prop
erty, and while | have not received
the assay returns as yet from all the
samples taken. | am free to state
that ] am surprised at the values
shown. There have been two great
drawbacks to mining in this district
during the past years. Water and
transportation have been hard to
supply. Water now costs so cents a
gallon in the district, as it must be
hauled across the Amargosa desert
from Roses Wells or up from Fur
mace creek, in Death valley.
within the next six weeks, now.
ever, ore will be shipped out from
the summit of the Echo-Lee pass, fol
by that time the wagon road which
property-owners in the district arr
planning to build up the eastern sid,
of Burro mountain and on over the
Echo-Lee pass, and through Schwal
into Death valley on the west. WI
ne half complete. At the head O
the Echo-Lee pass ore is being sacked
foi shipment. and as soon as til,
wagon road is finished it will be sen.
down the mountains on the road Il
the smelter.
Three railroads will be into II,
district within the next three months
and already n of the three is build
ing within twelve miles of the Ne
Nada end of the district. The waite.
question also is being settled salts
f~actorily by the plans for a pipe lin,
to the head of the pass, thai WI
supply the mines of the district wit
water for milling purposes. fh0
erection of the smelter in Los An
geles will aid materially in the de
velopment of the district, for unde
present conditions mine-owners are
In a great measure. dependent upol
Salt Lake smelters. and the placini
of a big rival in the field should d
much to keep expenses down, as wei
as TO cement the growing relation
with Southern California.
The ore in this belt is PRACTICAL
all shipping ore. as far as the mai
! lodges are concerned, and the eros
veins are. some OF them. rich i
: metal. From n claim in Echo can
yon | knocked of a specimen froT
a surface outcropping that vas III
orally plastered with free gold, anC
! In my opinion. the specimen will ru
better than $4,000 to the ton. TIL
belt is so rich and of such an e,
G tent that as soon as the transports
s tion and water can be provided ther
will be a trainload of ore a da
shipped out. This may seem a large
: sized estimate, but the quartz /
which values are found is so sol
that practically no blasting is n
quired for mining, and n mine
ought to dig out and load more tina
I five tons a day, as. the ledge cave
y as soon as the bottom is cut froi
under It, and mining can be carrie
n on by the stopping method"
a FREE GOLD NEAR WINNEMUCC