The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-17
MINING CAMPS
Of the DESERT
Geological Survey Work Strips
Forbidden Region of Its
Many TerrorS.

A journey across the desert valleys of
southwestern Nevada and eastern Cali
fornia cannot even now be looked for
ward to as likely to afford the traveller
much pleasure. but that the hardy ex-
plorer and prospector may derive much
profit from it has been known since
the late sixties. when it was discovered
that the bare, unnvit1ng 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 a maximum in the seventies and
died out before the end of the next de-
cade. In 1900 however, the discovery of
phenomenally rich veins at the site of
Tonopah gave new interest to the de-
Nelopment of the district and led thou
sands of men to brave the discOmfOrts of
this hot and arid land.
Aid to Miner and Prospector.
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 inves-
legations the desert regions of the coun-
try have lost many of their terrOrs.
Southwestern 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 biologists hammer.
The report on "A geological recOnnais-
sance in southwestern Nevada and east
ern California" by Sidney II. Ball, 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. I'M
der the general supervision of MIR. F, L.
Ransome, was carried on simultaneously
with topographic mapping. by Messrs. r.
G. Chapman and B. d. Stewart, the area
surveyed embracing more than $3.50
square miles, including portions of Es-
l., 10, 4
lnyO county, Cal
Frontier Push and Energy.
Practically the only industries in the
region are prospecting and mining, and
the towns of this desert mining terri
tory typify both the push and energy
of the western frontier and the unstable
conditions of new gold fields. TonOpah
lies four miles north of this area mapped.
Godfield. by far the largest city in
southwestern Nevada; Bullfrog and Beat
ty population about 300 each) are pro-
vided with telegraph and telephone lines.
water systems, newspapers, and most of
the essentials of city life, though the
first tent was pitched at GOldfieId in
January, 1904, and Rhyolite and BullfrOg
were not started until a year later. \
number of other camps within the area
range in population from % to 400.
Good Roads Connect Camps.
Few countries so sparseIy settled arc SO
nected by wagon roads, most of them sur
prsingly good considering that they are
less than a year old. The TonOpah &
CiOldfield railroad connects with the Tn
ion Pacific at Hazen, New The Carson
X Colorado railroad in Owens valley is
from twenty-five to forty-five miles west
Of the western border of the area, and the
San Pedro Los Angeles & Salt Lake
railroad, commonly called the Clark road.
i from forty to ScVCnty-fiVC miles to
the cast Daily or semi-daly automobiles
make the run from Goldfield to BulifroG
i'm four or six hours, and stages run daily
from Goldfield and Las Vegas to camps
in the Bullfrog district
Some of the mines have a small but Suf-
ficient water supply near at hand other
camps are compelled to haul water from
springs or seepS twenty miles distant.
The power question will probably be
solved at Other camps as II has been
at Goldfield. by the transmission of cleo
trcty generated on the swift streams
of the SicrTas.
Mr.. Balls report of course. discusses
primarily the general. structural, and
economic geology of the districts into
which. for convenience, he has divided
The area. The report is illustrated by
"A geological map, a map showing ecOnOm-
ic conditions. and many sections exhibit
structure