The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-06-10

1t Is always hard to realize and
appreciate conditions which one has
never seen. We see the hills in this
Phoebe district covered with dumps
and here and there appears some ruiz
of what was once an ore bin, or Q
shaft house. But now all is desert.
I'd In the midst Of this stagnation
and desolation we naturally imas'
inc many things about those old days
which are far from the truth. Tradi-
tions also get twisted and distorted
with the lapse of time, until in many
matters they have grown to be az
so,utely false.
1t is now nearly five years since
of this camp and about four years
since | wrote "the Story of Phoebe"
for the Arrowhead Magazine. Dill
igent as | had been in my investi-
cation, and patiently as had gath
cred notes. interviewed old-timers
and read such material as had come
To my notice before that time, I
now look upon the STORY" with some
modification, for in IL told much
that had been told me, and which lat
er investigation has proven to me
was incorrect.
Naturally. the. best chronicle OF a
time Is that which is presented fresh
in the local press. 1t may be coll
ored. and pipe" dream may creep
in here and there, but careful
study OF this local. cnntinued. nars
ratiye will surely reveal the really
pertinent facts of the time.
CONSULTS RECORD FILES
On this theory have studied care
fully and patiently the files af the
Phoebe Record from September, 1870.
when it was started until December
81, 1876, when it returned to week
ly as it began 1t be-
came semi-weekly November IL,
1870, tri-weekly April IA, 1872. and
on September II. 1872, just two
years after its initial number was is
sued, it became fullfledged daily,
with all metropolitan facilities. 1t was
amply equipped with hand and pow
er presses, had correspondents
at many of the great centers, and
had the most complete Associ-
ated Press service obtainabIe in those
days. 1t was an elegant newspaper,
and without doubt the most complete
ever published in town of this
size in the United States
Such newspaper was published
because tile needs OF the country call.
ed for 1t. 1t is from its pages that
| have cleaned the few facts in this
article and obtained the data from
which ! have deduced some conclu.
sions.
A WRONG IMPRESSION
think the impression has become
quite universal that, outside of the
Raymond and Ely and Meadow Val
ley Mining companies. there were
no other companies of much real msr
it operating here. OF course, 1t is
true that the enormous activities of
those companies made possible the
the conditions under which the
other companies worked. Phoebe at
that time was in the wilderness, near
ly 800 miles from the only railroad
In the west, and that there should be
any camp here at al was marvellous.
But segregating from these two com
panies all the others which produced
ore in this district and we find that
these alone would have made camp
of very considerable size.
The recorded locations go back to
March 1864, when Meadow VALLEY
Mining district was formed, and the
first attempt made to locate regular
ly. In those days a claim was 200 1T.
long and was known by its number
from the point of discovery. This
initial point was not very far from
where the old Lightner shaft was
sunk No. 8, No. and No. z were
all owned by the Meadow Valley
Mining company. and the locus Of
each perpetuated by working shaft
No. Z was just back of the old
Meadow Valley office, near where
VIM. Lloyds house now stands. It
was sunk a thousand feet and prodnc-
ed a vast amount OF ore before it
was abandoned. sometime In 1873. No
8 shaft was sunk to replace it and
was intended to be the main work
ing shaft of the mine.
No. was sunk on the site OF the
old stone fort. This fort was erect
ed BY one Of the factions which held
Its ground with the help of profes-
siond gun fighters, who received the