Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-05-18
RUSH IS ON TO
WILLOW CREEK

Willow creek will be the scene of
Southern Nevada activity during the
coming summer months, for in spite
of the coming heat of the summer a
determined rush is being made to the
new district.
Willow creek is just south of
Greenwater, twenty miles by auto
road and but ten by the trail, and
a steady stream of prospectors and
investors are pouring over the trail
daily. Three weeks ago there was
no excitement in this district. own
ers of property were Systematically
prospecting, and a few small sales
had been made, but the discovery of
immense ore bodies, especially in
copper underlying the iron lodges,
brought on the excitement. Willow
creek men were hardly prepared for
the sensation which was sprung when
high grade silver-lead ore was
brought to light on the Battles less
than two weeks ago. Samples were
brought in by Tom McCauley from
this property, owned by Harrison
Dibblee of San Francisco and Los
Angeles, that ran 1000 ounces of
silver to the ton and carry copper
and lead values. The ledge is I'M
usually rich.
At the surface there was a stringer
of silver ore not six inches wide that
hardly seemed worth working at the
time of the discovery. At four feet
the Gaping of the ledge was broken
through and a ledge six feet wide
was uncovered. At a depth of seven
feet the teaching point was reached
and the high values were received
in a ledge fully nine feet wide.
The news of the strike flew like
wildfre through the southern country
and Dibblee was called from San
Francisco to see the property. He
reached Willow Creek on Tuesday
and had hardly stepped from his au-
tomobile before he was besieged by
lease hunters. To each of these
Dibblee declined to make a definite
answer until after the meeting of
the Baltic stockholders in San Fran
cisco. Upon visiting the property he
at once ordered the central three feet
of the ledge to be broken down on
canvas and sacked, without sorting,
to the smelter.
The Battles have a trace of ro-
nance about them, for it is only by
chance that the title remains in
Dibblee's possession. When the
Greenwater rush was it's height, A
Morrison, who was Dibblee's repre-.
sentative in the Bullfrog district
took an authorized trip to Willow
creek. He was shown the Baltic
group and bought 1t, making a frs
payment. He Immediately notified
Dibblee that he had purchased
property for him in Willow creek
and Dibblee, accompanied by an ex
pert, hurried across the desert t,
look into his purchase. After care
fully examining the property Dibble'
stated most emphatically that h
Y would throw no good money afte
bad, but agreed to look over tn
r district in view of making othe
purchases. Just before leaving h
visited the Royal Blue group, owne,
: by Tom McCauley and Jack Robicha
: The Royal Blue showing was SO goo,
and Morrison was so insistive tina
Dibblee was finally induced to max,
the remaining payment. Men wer
put to work on the property to pros
Q pect it and less than two weeks ag,
the bonanza ore was uncovered.
/, Comparison of Willow creek an,
other silver and copper camps ar
made daily, and the weight of opin
: ion is that Willow creek shows or
9 typical of Butte, Bisbee and Cananes
e Other properties in the district ar
. doing almost equally as well. o.
: the Stevens property work is beinI
pushed rapidly, and in the shaft tn,