Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-02
a,tiseellansuus geaains.
TRUE BONANZA STATE.
History of Nevada's Ups and Downs a
Veritable Golden Romance.

/
Veritable Golden Romance.
The estimated population OF the
state of Nevada at the beginning OF
this year yas $4,000. Twenty-Five
cities in the United States boast of a
larger population than that. Yet the
state of Nevada at present STANDS
without a peer in the worlds history
of mineral wealth.
Until five years ago Nevada was
living ON a tradition, a memory. The
great Comstock, that marvellous lode
which turned out $4OO.0O0,O00 in gold
and silver, had run its gamut. Goid
was still being taken from 1t, but the
shaft was going deeper and deeper, and
the deeper the men went down In the
earth the less they got for their pains.
Besides, the temperature was always
increasing, and at the deepest the ITO
degrees of heat encountered mace
work uncomfortable, to say the least.
Yes. II seemed that Nevada was dwin-
ding. Then, at last, in May, 1900, came
the discovery that sounded around the
earth.
James L. Butler was a rancher liv-
ing in Monitor Valley. He had long
been impressed by the possibilities OF
the San Antoine range Of mountains,
and at last outfitted for a journey OF
prospecting in them. At the end OF a
six-day ride he camped one night with
his pack train of six burros at spring
called by the Shoshone Indians Tono-
pah-meaning water near the sur
face"
He took samples of some black CROP
pings, heavy with minerals, and pass
ed on the South Klondike. where the
showed them to an assayer named
Higgs. Higgs, after examining them
carelessly, threw them out Of the WIN
dow as worthless.
Later Butler took more samples and
turned them over to another assayer,
at Austin, New. They showed more
than 1,600 ounces Of silver and heavy
proportion Of gold. The Klondike as
saver, hearing Of this assay, hunted up
the discarded samples and found they
ran 100 ounces Of gold and were equal
ly rich in silver.
The news did not get out until No.
vember, and then the rush came. The
original owners, Butler, and two assay
ers, Brougher and Oddie, let out leases
along the lodges. A total Of 120 leases
was made by Butler, all without a
scrap of writing, though there were
as many as thirty partners to single
lease.
This property sold to Philadelphia
capitalists for sS3S,OOO, speedily paid
the leasers between $5,000,000 and $6,-
600 900. Tonopah was only the begin
ming Of the newer and bigger Nevada
Not long after the feverish thousands
Of fortune hunters landed in this fav-
ored spot strikes were reported from
other places.
One gratifying change from the old
days, however, was noticeable. Gun
play, promiscuous shooting, was
frowned upon. Fights there were, OF
course, and crooked dealing Of cards
undoubtedly; but for some time it was
Tonopah's proud bc ast that the only
man killed was q bad" man who had
drifted in to renew the old time pleas
ures Of gun handling.
Very soon Goldheld came to the CEN
ter Of this marvellous porphyritic belt
Of prosperity, extending 400 miles In
area from Comstock to Searchlight
and east and west for sixty to one
hundred miles.
Not all the strikes are worth while.
Again, not all the money that goes
into the ground brings money out.
Sometimes fortune plays mean pranks
on the poor hunters. One Of the most
heartbreaking instances Of this fact
was the experience Of the lessees Of
the Hayes Monette property on the
Mohawk.
They spent 100000 drifting round
and round the compass-in all direc-
tions except one. They got nothing.
Then Hayes and Monette took the
lease. There was nothing for them to
do save follow the forlorn hope Of that
one unexplored direction.
There 1t was They found an ore,
gray black in appearance, Of such tre-
mendously rich proportions that the
gold was actually plastered over the
quartz e-eighth to one-fourth Of an
inch in thickness. So rich was this
ore that it was necessary to store it
in the vaults of bank for safety.