Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-22
PIOCHE AWAkENS
A GREATER CAMP
NEVADA'S OLDEST DISTRICT
FORCES AHEAD
STEADY INFLUX DENOTES BIRTH
OF NEW ERA
In the Past $7o,ooo,o0c Were Pro-
duced-This Amount Said to
Be Small Compared to
Prospects
Bye. w. PATTERSON

PIOCHE, New, Feb. 21.-Out here on
the desert nearly midway between the
City of the Angels and the City Of
the Saints is Old Phoebe, one of the
Oldest mining camps in the sagebrush
state. Here history is repeating itself
and the tide of prospectors and mining
investors is steadily flowing into the
future great tonnage camp of the west,
which within five years will have a
population of not less than 10000 per-
sons.
In early days, when Nevada was n
territory and reached from the south
ern boundary of Oregon to the north
erly line of New Mexico and from the
top of the Sierra Nevada mountains
east, Phoebe was one of the largest pro-
ducers of the white metal in the west,
but had for various reasons dropped
from the notice of the public, and for
two decades has been but little heard
of although it is the most mineraliZed
portion of the Union. Here the same
features of broad valleys and interven-
ing north and south mountain ranges
are to be found as are met with
throughout the state. with the eXcep-
tion that the ranges here have generally
lower elevation than those farther
north. The value of their products
in gold, silver, lead and copper since
the first discovery of mineral here is
close to $7O,0O0,0O0.
Greater Wealth in Store
This amoupt is insignificant COM
pared with the hundred millions that
remain in the large and numerous veins
of gold and silver, immense deposits of
copper and mountains of iron already
known, and all the prospecting and de-
velopment already done is but a mere
scratch upon the surface.
The mineral belt is about twenty
five miles long and from eight to ten
wide. In former days the greatest
amount of high grade ore was extract
ed from the assures close to the south
of town. There are many great por-
phyry dikes and numberless fissure
veins throughout the entire district.
The Yuba dixie, the most prominent Of
all, shows upon the surface for fully
ten miles north and south, while many
of the fissure veins have a northerly
and southerly strike. There is a veri-
table network of cross fissures, and
when these assures intersect sensa-
tionaI values are sure to be found. AS
rule large bodies of manganese are
found near the porphyry dikes, and
contrary to the belief of the early
miners the manganese carries high
values in silver, some recent discoV-
cries particularly on the ColfaX group
of mines showing 400 ounces of silver
a ton. This assay was made from the
groupings of the vein at the surface.
Dates Back to 1868
Silver was first discovered here in
the year 1863 by a man named Ham
bin, from what is now known as the
Dixie country in Southern Utah. Fer
a while after the discovery rumors of
rich Silver-lead ores above Meadow val
law fn 4170 10
world, but with bands of hostile In
dians lurking about, scarcity of water,
unbeaten roads and landmarks almost
entirely wanting, the section was not
easy of access and none but adVen-
turous spirits ventured to brave the
dangers of the journey, which was ex-
citing as well as hazardous, and many
a grave along the old emigrant trail
from Salt Lake City here conceals 4
mystery.
John H. Ely and William H. RAY
mond appeared on the scene and en-
tered into the history making of the
district in 1865. These men bought
mines on credit, backed by their nerve,
and Ely also employed Mormons from
the settlement in Meadow valley to
haul his mill from Hiko on the same
terms. The mill was rebuilt at Bull
lionville and was known as the "Pio-
neer fve-stamp mill.''
With the rich ores from the mines
being worked at this mill by the own
ers, Raymond and Ely, who had also
acquired title to some of the richest
ground here, these men soon found
that they were far richer than they
ever expected to be.
Is Christened "Pioche"
In 1870 the camp was christened
'Pioche,'' in honor of wealthy
Frenchman, f. L. A. Phoebe, who had
identified himself with the mines here,
and IN the same year a postoffice bear
ing the same name was established.
More mills soon followed the install
lation of the Pioneer five-stamp mill
A small smelter was erected. then
came more mills. Another smelter was
erected and all the scenes incident 10
the early history of all western mining
camps were enacted here. Money was
plentiful and there was much lawless-
ness in the land, where might made
right.
Salt Lake City was the chief base
of supplies for this territory, and three
times each week six-horse stage
coaches arrived from and departed
for the Mormon city, $50 miles to the
north.
Soon after the installation of the
stage line to Salt Lake City another
one was put in commission between
anu dlISolu6, Oh the central Pa
cific railroad, 260 miles away. Most Of
the heavy freight came in over this
route via Hamilton and White Pine
consuming eight days one way. Pas
senger and freight rates were very
nigh at that time, but as there was a
steady stream of wealth flowing from
the mines the cost of Transportation
mattered but little
Telegraph Connects Camp
The old Deseret Telegraph company
strung its wires south from Salt Lake
CITY and entered this field. Shortly
after it was established a competitor in
the shape of the Western Union con-
nected Phoebe with the outside world
. by a wire at Palisade. All of this time
some twenty-five or thirty of the most
important mines furnished employment
to thousands of men.
The lowest dividend declared hv anv
of the operating companies was 81 a
share, and the highest was S1O2 20 q
share, the latter being paid by the
~ Raymond-Ely
Enormous bodies of high grade ore
were taken from many of the prom
critics and worked at the BulIionviIlo
and Dry valley mills; the lower grade