Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-09-11
MINERAL BELT IN NORTHERN ELKO
70 MILES LONG AND SEVERAL WIDE
j. w. Connea, Newspaper Man, Who Recently Visited North
en EIko County Tells in Gazette of His Observations; In
accessibility Of District From Railways One Reason Why
1t Has Not Been Developed

anywhere else. Both dust and mug
gets are unusually rough. proof that
the gold has travelled" short dis.
lance only.
Sheep men have located placer
claims along twenty miles of half a !
dozen streams in the district, which !
they have found to be very profitable !
at present prices of wool and mutton.
There is no better grazing out of doors
anywhere.
To the visitor OF an inquring, spec.
ulative turn of mind this Van Duzer
district Is the center OF interest in
that whole section of country; owing
TO the fact that its possibilities of pro
duction have not been demonstrated.
that within its border are prospects
that show high value near the surface
and the alluring, acknowledged exist
ance OF that gold.bearing ledge from
which comes the placer gold and
which no prospector has yet succeed.
ed in finding. Veins thus far dis.
covered carry silver and lead, with
some gold in most of them, which
shows in paintings.
There Is only one deep hole in the
district. the shaft on the Laurel, which
old timers say goes down more than
81 In, g.,T 4, l.
property. the story is told that years
agO-dates are confusing and contra
Gictory in the local telling-that n
New York syndicate, headed by the
widely Known Mr.. Stokes, sent his
scouts through the west for the avow.
ed PURPOSE of discovering another
property for the winner. The origin.
al locator had taken out some thous.
ands of dollars worth OF bullion, mi!l.
ing his ores al the old McInnis Gus
toms mill near Mountain City. Those
wise men from the east bought and
paid a good price for the mine, sent
I
concluded that 1t was not what they
were looking for. patented one claim
and quit. That claim has since been
sold for taxes. Incidentally, the old
miner who sold to Stokes deposited
the money in an Elko bank that failed
before he had the pleasure of realiz
his long dream of spending and giving
il away where it would do the most
GCOd-oI harm. He died some years
since, without enough wealth to justi
fy the local papers in giving his death
notice a front page position.
A mile west OF the Laurel. Ray HagC
hns for dozen years done the assess
: ment work on a group of claims tina
r covers a marvelously mineralized hill
!. containing gold. silver, lead and ap
pgrently enough iron with which 4
Q fight the big war. Rich ore can b.
n picked out wherever the eight foo
n VEN Is exposed ut shallow depth. Fol
: merry he had partner In the ownei
il ship of this property, who refused
n sign the deed when Colorado mimi
I. men offered $4,000 for the group, an
I. some months later when grub wa
a getting scarce, sold him half intcres
for s1CO cash-which Is the way tn
>. old boys who have passed their live
g in the hills with the burros have
\ way of doing business. This grou
" Is called the Badger, for the reasC
% that the ledge was discovered throue
al rock thrown up from a badger hol
II Three hundred feet above water lev
* there Is on this hill an iron sprin
n This season Mr.. Hage Is working {
IN alone on a ledge that yields or tn
lc ASSAYS as high as forty.five per CO
Pr copper and few dollars In gold.
lC Gated across the Eulch. There Is b
IN one other known copper vein In Il
Y. Van Duzer district, which Is near Il
: summit Of the range and on accou
N of It's inacccssibility has not been
Gated. II outcrops In two places, fro
/. which rock has been taken that ASA!
i. from fifteen to twenty per cent. Nil
G. miles north Sam McGinnis. who owl
n ranch on Owyhee river, has held Il
@. number of years group OF copp
q, claims.
ono mile south Of the Badger.
Of Lime creek. Honolulu people are ha
IN Ing exploration work done at the pre-
IN cnt time. on n group Of claims locate
or I'm 1903 by George Clausscn. who
hc family resides in Reno. This ground
e. extensively mincralizcd. two parall
cd veins running east and west and
ng north and south ledge crossing the ty
ng having been uncovered with n smt
X. amount Of work. All openings she
IN more or less ore: numerous assays
m turning values averaging better TIL
at SEQ In gold, silver and lead, all sho
NO ing in the ncighborhood of leo Dune
IN. in silver A prospect shaft is nj
SO down nifty feet and some OF this RI
ne ore has been found In most OF the We