The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1914-04-18

this the Meadow Valley company sent
Smoky mill at White Pine for treat
ment. Judged according to the mill
practice of those days, the process
proved itself great success in hand
ling the Phoebe ores. This was not to
be wondered at, for 1t is said that the
ninety-five tons shipped for the test
assayed 800 per ton, and that much
of it contained SO much native silver
that 50-cent piece pressed against
it would leave the image of the God
dess of Liberty stamped upon it.
Having satisfied themselves as to
the process best adapted to their ores.
the Meadow Valley company, with
Phoebe at their head, proceeded to
drawn for twenty stamps, located in
Dry valley, about ten miles northeast
of Phoebe, where abundant water had
been secured, and construction began
at once. A stone foundation 100x106
feet was put in. Power for 100 horse
power engine was generated in two
boilers, each 16 feet long and Sc
inches in diameter There were forty
watts. with a capacity of $500 pounds
apiece, ten pans, five settlers and two
Hungerford concentrators. The plant
cost complete 100000, and the stamps
began dropping in July Is, 1870. The
mill was soon enlarged to 80 stamps,
with capacity of sixty tons daily. A
completely equipped foundry and ma
chine shop were added. Yet even this
- H., Il
all the ore the Meadow Valley was
producing, and the surplus was sent
to White Pine, $50 miles away, at a
haulage charge of $40 per ton, which
still left handsome profit to the
company.
Raymond and Ely, pounding away
with their little five-stamp mill, were
meeting with even more phenomenal
success. The Pioneer Fiv' was soon
replaced by ten stamps. This plant
was enlarged to twenty. Another of
thirty stamps was added, which was
soon followed by custom mill of ten
stamps, also enlarged to twenty; and
this by another ten. and then by an
other Ely City, the mill town near
Panaca, which had sprung up around
the Pioneer Five soon came to be
known as Bullionvillc, name that
sticks to this day. John Ely married
in Panaca, built an expensive home in
the shadow of his mills, and dispensed
lavish hospitality.
Phoebe in ~.
Phoebe has long been known
throughout the west for it's easy toler.
ance of battle, murder and sudden
death during the early days. Much
nonsense has been written on the sub.
ject of Phoebe in TO-" which would
be better forgotten. The real facts
are self-explanatory. Mining laws and
district rules were in confusion;
claims were small, 200 feet in length
400 being the maximum allowed any
one locator on the same lode; side
lines were indeterminate; the Phoebe
vein system was complex and the 10
Gators were many and conflict
ing. Moreover, the boundary line be
tween Utah and Nevada had never
been surveyed, and jurisdiction was
claimed for both territories. For a
considerable time there was no recog
nized local or county authority. The
effect of all this upon community
gone money-mad would be easy to pre-
dict Might made right. Title, real
or alleged, to mining property, was
enforced by shotguns and Henry
rifles, and professional, gun-fighters
commanded the respectable wage OF
$40 per day. Gamblers, grafters, wild
caters and confidence men of all sorts
flourished. So also did honest men
The population of the camp reached
the 10000 mark. Two daily newspa
pers were published A local brew
cry helped to overcome the aridity o.
the climate.
After the Utah-Nevada line hat
been definitely established by act o.
congress, and an official survey, II
January, 1871, determining the bound
aries of Lincoln county, Nevada, ha(
nrOvpd hpynpd apv doubt thar tho pi