The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1917-11-24
HAMILTON MAY come BACK
Old Eberhardt Tunnel Near Ham
ilton May Revive Rich His
toric Old Mining District

Interest which may result in the
revival of the once great silver camp
at Hamilton, and which may again
send miners to work in the mile-long
tunnel of the abandoned Eberhardt
mine, is indicated in the report, this
week, that an option has been grant
ed to a group of Eastern capitalists.
for the purchase of that famous prop
erty, which is credited with the pro-
duction of the richest silver ore ever
found in the State.
Following close on this report says
the Reno Gazette, comes word from
San Francisco that IN eminent geo.
logist and mining engineer has been
sent out to make a report on the
mineral country in which the historic
discoveries we're made.
In the late sixties. Treasure Hill
was the center around which cities
sprung. The population of which
aggregated rs. 200. Hamilton alone
was credited with IL. 1000 inhabitants.
The life of the camp. though, was
e%vanescent. and it only remained for
the disastrous fire of 1873 to destroy
Hamilton and Treasure City, and to
reduce the once great camp to a popu-
lation which dwindled rapidly to a
solitary sheepherder resident a few
years after. To-day there are prob
ably a few hundred residents in the
abandoned cities. The old smelters
are idle, and there are mines worked
by a few shippers who sent out ore
by auto truck to Ely and to Eureka.
The renewed interest throws into
the limelight a country with a his
tory fully as romantic as that of any
| other district of Nevada. According
to the stories told to-day by men who
were acquainted with the life of the
old camp, the rich silver ores were
| discovered by an Indian who divulged
the secret of his mines to evade pun
ishment for stealing a mess of beans.
According to the story, AL feathers
of Ely, heard a noise in his cabin one
night. and investigating. found an
Indian. Napias %(silver) Jim stealing a
lunch of bread and beans from the
pantry. He chased the Indian away.
In a few days. SO the story runs. the
Indian returned to make his peace,
and gave feathers a chunk of almost
pure silver, which he told Leathers
came from his mine. feathers per
suaded Napias Jim to lead him to the
rich deposit with a result that in 1868,
the famous Hidden Treasure mine
was opened up. This property.
which never fulfilled the great prom.
ises that were made of it was sold
during the Hamilton excitement
which followed in the wake of its
discovery, for $3.50. OOO. The ore,
which was wonderfully rich on the
surface. did not go down to depth.
and the mine was finally abandoned.
Very shortly after the discovery of
the Hidden Treasure, the Eberhardt
mine was found. This property. an
exact production record from which
is impossible to obtain gave up fabu-
J lous sums, and was one of the most
famous properties In the State.
According to the most reliable
sources of early Hamilton history.
this mine is credited with producing,
from a single pocket of rich ore. the
sum of $4,000, 900. This ore. of
which there were $500 tons averag-
ing $1,000 ton, vas removed from
an opening 10 feet long and 40 feet
wide. no portion of which was more
than 20 feet below the surface.
A body of hornsilver weighing 40
tons is said to have been found in the
Eberhardt mine, which is claimed to
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