Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-04-12

The history of Hayes-Monnette |
lease on the Mohawk mine was
unique; but in keeping with the
discovery of the majority of the
worlds greatest gold mines; luck
was the biggest factor in it. Hayes
was practical miner, and Mon
nette was a cattle man from Omaha
and Chicago. The two men met
socially in a hotel in Goldfield and
whiled away the evening together
playing cards. Monnette had the
gold fever and Hayes entertained
him with stories of his adventures
and experiences in mining. In the
vernacular of the mines he got
Monnette going" and ripe to adj
vance money in lease on the
Mohawk.
Other leases had been taken on
the Mohawk, and the ground was
about as promising in appearance
as the malapi which surrounds
Goldfeld. Malcolm Macdonald, ].
McKane and Donald Gillies had
operated a lease on the property,
and had abandoned it upon the adj
vice of their manager, Mitchell,
afterwards a candidate for govern
or of the state. Hayes and Mon
nette started to sink not far from
this shaft, and when their money
gave out they had not a thing in
sight at the bottom Of their 200-foot
shaft. They were in despair, and
the world looked pretty blue for
both OF them. Monnette then got
into communication with Benedict
and Smith of Chicago. cattle men
with whom he had done business
in the past; men in easy circum-
stances of life. Upon his solicita-
ton these two gentlemen made the
lease. This was early in the yeal
1906.
Hayes and Monnette used all the
arguments at their command to in
duce the cattlemen to put up $1,000
for a half interest in the lease
which they had about eight months
to run. The best argument wa
lacking-the presence of gold The,
had absolutely nothing to show an,
the cattlemen left for home declin
ing the offer, leaving behind then
two disappointed and beaten men
Then fate interviewed in the behal
of all parties. Benedict and Smith
seized with the same idea. Bot
had been thinking of their frien
Monhette and of the plight in whic
they had left him; and one CON
mented upon it.
"Tll tell you what | was think
ing of" said Mr. Benedict. "Thos
boys seem very firm in their belle
that they will get mine there
confess that | know nothing c
mining But suppose we put u
$500 for a half interest in tn
lease with the understanding tha
if anything is developed by tn
time that money is spent we wi
put up the other $500"
My idea exactly" chimed in h
partner. 1--WE are not taking niue
of a chance, and something goo
may develop. Let's do it.
They were taking a long sho
and it is more than probable tn;
If they had known anything
mining they never would have dor
ANYTHING of sort They kne
nothing ,of the failure of the Ma
donald, McKane, Gillies lease cit
err, and knowledge of that mig
have disuaded them. But that mig
Hayes and Monnette received
wire which gladdened their hear
and fired them with new ambitio
In sinking their shaft they had g
one assay from a point somewhe
Before the assay was made t
spot had been timbered, and tn
had not attempted to find it. Nc
they went back to this vicinit
tore out the timbers and we
prospecting for the one fortuna
spot. They found it, and abo
ten feet in from the shaft they E
countered the famous Mohawk We
The news spread through Go
field and over to Tonopah, but
did NOT create much of an impr
sion. The old-timers knew IL
ground, or thought they did, a
it was hard to believe that al
thing could come from it. I
new find might be stringer,
Manhattan was all the go then, a
Goldfield was not at all attract
There was one man, however, W
had his eye on the Mohawk. GeOl
Wingfeld was then getting into
mining game; he had taken
gamblers chance on a number
properties, and some of them i