Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1908-11-21
BreyfOgle
Nine Discovered

Has the long lost Breyfogle mine
been rediscovered?
That is the opinion of many people
who have recently visited the Royal
Flush property in the Gold Mountain
district. Among those who believe
hat the famous property has been
relocated is Miss Jeanne Weir, a pro-
lessor of the University of Nevada
and secretary of the Nevada Histori-
cal society, says the Goldfield News.
Professor Weir visited the south
ern portion of the state several weeks
ago and secured some relics which
now adorn the useu of the Ne
vada Historical society. They con-
sist of tools that were used decades
ago in extracting ore and they are all
out of date, particularly a tamping
stick of Sheffield steel. which could
only have been used in loading holes
with black powder, which ~antedated
the age of dynamite.
These tools were found in an aban-
doned tunnel in the Royal Flush es-
tate and the inference is that they
we're used by Breyfogle and his part
ner during the days of the wal of the
rebellion.
Following is the history of the
Breyfolge discovery. briefly stated:
John Breyfogle was a blacksmith,
who resided in Austin in the early
SOS. He made periodical prospect.
ing trips and in the spring of 1864
after a long absence, he brought tc
Austin some wonderfully rich speci
mems and said that there was 6
large quantity just as rich where il
came from.
The find created SO much excite
ment that the residents of Austin for
got that war was raging.
Late in the summer Breyfoglt
again appeared in Austin, broker
down in health and in mind. He wa
hatless and the appearance of thu
top of his bald head, which had beer
exposed to the torrid sun, was sucl
as to cause the people of Austin t
believe he had been scalped. Thi
belief was augmented when he toll,
disconnectedly how he had suffere,
at the hands of the elements an.
the redskins.
1t required months to restore tn
prospector to health, although he re
NAMED in a semi-idiotic condition a
a result of his experiences. At las
he recovered sufficiently to make
0 on a map of Nevada, shown
the locality Of his find. 1t was in til
vicinity of the Gold Mountain rang,
fifty miles south of Goldfield. TIL
only description of the locality h
could give was that it was on a littl
hill between two high ranges.
Breyfogle said that he and h
partners were camped by a littl
spring near the scene of their fine
when, n morning. they found the
horses had strayed away. For tw
days they persued them and FINAL
became hopelessly lost.
While they were wandering abol
on the desert suffering from hungt
and thirst, they were surprised by
band of Shoshone Indians and too
refuge on Jackson mountain, an a
most inaccessible landmark situate
between Goldfeld and Hornsilver.
The Indians finally succeeded /
killing Breyfogle's partner, b,
spared the others life, as he appeai
ed to be insane and Indians hol
mentally unbalanced people in re-
erential fear. The suffering indure
by Breyfogle in making mis- wa
back to Austin must have been ind
~seribablc.
Several expeditions were organize
by Austinites and the region whe
the strike wal supposed to have bee
made was thoroughly explored, b
without success, Breyfogle, who a
cempanied the parties. being unah
to locate any of the landmarks
had described. Since then the Bre
fogle has been the golden fleece
many a prospecting expedition.
The Royal Flush, which answe
the Breyfogle description, is own
by Goldfield people. A shipme
was made recently which ran ST
to the ton, while picked samples ga
as high as $4,000.
A PIOCHE PROPERTY.
The shaft Of the Moha