Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-12
ANTS DISCOVER
THE LUCY GRAY
DEv0UR HUNGRY PROSPECT
0R'S DINNER
STUDY OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
REVEALS CRATER
Strike of Gold Running $4,000 Ton
Follows Theft of Ten-cent Meal
on caIfornia-Nevada
Desert


DESERT, April 11.-Just across the
state line in Nevada along the salt
Lake road Is the Lucy Gray Gold Min
ing company that considers itself some
pumpkins. 1t hasn't done much cack-
ling or strutting round. but from all
appearances it's owners will soon be
able to indulge in hen fruit the entire
year-even in Southern California.
There are many things unique in
connection with it. T. L. Bright,
Hoosier lad, was prospecting the Nc
Collough range. One day he left his
dinner pail at the foot of a small gulch.
Returning he found nine (or was 1t
ten) hundred thousand million big
black ants In possession. First kick
of disgust at the pail then hungry
look around. His eyes became fixed
quick walk up hill: Eureka" There
dazzling his boyish vision was mann
moth egg-shaped crater, with outcrop-
pings of ore $50 feet wide. 1t assayed
from a trace to $500 ton.
First he tried partnership: 1t was
unsatisfactory. Next bond 1t was
fizzle. Then he organized his poor
mans company. No ornamental
houses, reclining chairs, servants or
linen napkins; no mahogany desked Of
fees, salaries or banquets. Owners, Of
ficers and the regular miners work
side by side in this mine, day in and
day out. The only office man employed
also does the teaming. Stock has not
been placed on the general market:
just enough solo to relatives and
friends TO keep the development work
going.
Values Increase with Depth
Fair milling ore was fou in the
main shaft on the eighty and 100-foot
levels. Some s1400 in high grade was
also taken out. There's better ore
down below" said the prospector.
Within thirty feet of the shaft on the
200 $1,000 ore was struck. From that
day to this the men have had string
ers and bug-holes running from SOS to
$500 most of the time.
Some time ago, long after the men
had finished work on the main drift,
something induced the prospector to
put a round of shot in there. Stringers
running from more than $4,000 to more
than $4,000 a ton were uncovered the
first shot.
Figures don't seem large! Well.
wagonload would net nearly 100000:
a carload would be sufficient to erect
Hamburger building or two and
enough be left to pay the presidents
salary for years to come. These string
ers were followed and then crosscuis
started for the walls of the ore Chin
ney.
Ores of various values were found.
In one drift $1,000 rock was promising
for while, then came Indifferent rock,
the drift was abandoned by the miner.
Along came the prospector. The spirit
moved him again. He put in some
holes there. The result-high grade. 1t
runs over $500 to the ton and is be-
ginning to look permanent.
In February the company leased part
of one of its claims. The Wizard said
dig here" In the first fifty feet two
men opened up more than $1,000 worth
of ore.
Office Is Still Tent
Success will not be the undoing of
the members of this organization. The
office Is still tent; the men all sleep
in tent houses, eat hearty meal of
simple food, take their lunch pals and
with light hearts and ready hands
climb the hill to work. The same
economical management exists, the
principal owner does a miners work
every day and receives miners wages.
There is no place for boomers or adj
venturers. The company has quietly
taken up surrounding claims and
water. No leases are for sale.
Offers from capital to lease, bond or
buy have been frequent. The prospec-
tor shakes his head: my friends and
have a mine up yonder. We're going
to stay here until 1t is the biggest pro-
Queer in this part'of the country"
The Lucy Gray Gold Mining COM
pany is poor mans organization, and
1t looks winner