Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1913-06-19


ter a search of over 80 years, ac-
cording TO kilograms received last
night from Tom Pepper at Nina.
Pepper made the discovery and i'm
his message to w. ]. Douglas de-
clares the mine is exceedingly rich.
Douglas was also informed that Pep
per had located a claim for him and
20 tell his friends of the discovery.
Douglas, accompanied by Duncan Nc
Donald and w. W. Booth, left this
morning for Nina to investigate the
discovery of the famous lost mine.
Judge Hawthorne discovered the
cinnabor deposit while on a prospect.
ing tour and did not learn the ma.
ture of the ore until an analysis had
Jeen made. AS soon as he was in
formed that the rock contained mer-
curry he set out from Hawthorne.
he town having been named after
aim but was unable to again find
he location, In later years he as
serted the mine was on the road be
tween Luning and Wadsworth, the
same road that is now used for trav-
Il to Rawhide.
During the early years Hawthorn
kept the news of his discovery quiet.
tearing that prospectors would find
,he deposit After making a dozen
trips without success he often talked
Of the lost property, but little credit
was given him. No faith was placed
in his story and after several years.
the old man moved to Carson he
made several trips in later years. on
each occasion being accompanied by
some person whom he had interested
by his story, and who paid the ex
penses Of the investigation. A team
would be secured at Hawthorne and
the searchers would spend week
or ten days in their fruitless quest
In late years the lost mine has
been practically forgotten except to
the minds of the old timers residing
in the southern district Pepper was
well acquainted with the Hawthorne
tale and it is possible that he has
run across the long lost deposit.
Hawthorne was justice of the peace
at the town that bears his name and
it was from this office that he Sc.
cured the title of Judge
Stampede Is Started.
The following dispatch received
this afternoon from Nina deals with
the discovery of the lots mine:
/ NINA, June 19.-The missing
mound of cinnabar, discovered in the
last Of the 7O's by Judge Hawthorne.
after whom the town of Hawthorne
in Mineral county was named and
who spent ten years in a vain effort
to relocate It, has been found nine
miles east of Nina, and rush was
started to the strike last night. Al
noon today more than 100 claim,
had been staked by over so residents
of this place.
News of the strike spread over
night and prospectors and soldiers
of fortune are either on the ground
or are on their way from Blair, Tono-
pah, Goldfield and Hawthorne.
Ore from the long lost mound was
assayed at Goldfield and found to
contain 121a per cent quicksilver and
worth from s125 TO $20a to the ton.
The mound is estimated to contain
at least one million tons,
Tom Pepper, a pioneer mining mal
of Nina, and Charles Keough Of
Reese river rediscovered the mound
Keough came to Nina two weeks agC
with cattle for Pepper and during til,
heavy rains the stock strayed. 1t was
during the search for the stock tha.
the discovery was made
Ten days later james Lothrop
baggageman on the Tonopah & Gold
field road. who owns property nea,
the mound, found Keough and Pep
per stalking claims while on his way
to inspect his holdings Pepper and
Keough agreed to give Lothrop sever
claims if the news Of the discovery
was withheld until several sacks ol
specimens were taken 10 Goldflet
to be assayed The assays proved
the ore to be rich in mercury.
Over 30 years ago Judge Haw
thorne, who had property at New
Boston. near Luning, discovered the
mound. He noted its shape and the
presence of two petrified trees on a
hill nearby and then started to re
turn to New Boston He became
confused, however, and was lost Oh
the desert for several days, fina y
managing to make his return to hi'
home. He Immediately started ou'