The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1919-12-06
Nevada Pioneers Celebrate
Discovery of Tonopah
Story of Finding of Mizpah Mine, Famous in An
nails of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Camp Gather
At Tonopah to Relive Days of Past

AIATleU WOIh va
neglected section Of Nevada, digging
at a prospect that at times seemed
a forlorn hope. Out Of the
prospect and from their work sprang
the great Mizpah mine; grew d
boom DAYS of Tonopah; brought men
from the ends Of the earth. Gold
field was founded, and more than q
score of new camps sprung into be-
ing within the confines Of a wide cir
Gle with Tonopah as the center. The
discovery of the Mizpah lode, luz 70
h pertinacity Of three determined
men. who endured h~ardships In the
pursuit OF the elusive treasure, ush-
cred in a new era for Nevada Their
success has resulted in . production
Of gold and silver OF the value Of
three hundred million dollars, and
the heralding OF Nevada throughout
the world as q State Of immeasurabie
riches.
MPROMPTU DINNER HELD
OF the little band Of pioneers who
brayed the cold of Winter and the
heat of Summer, who trekked miles
over the desert, making their own
roads. many have gone-some to the
far corners of the earth from which
they came, others ON the last long
journey. There are left, though,
unite a number of the oldtimers, who
make their home In Tonopah and in
other camps of the State. And on
the eleventh of November they got
together" at an fmpromptu meeting
in Tonopah to celebrate the occasion.
Tasker Z. Oddie, former Governor of
Nevada, was the only one present OF
the trio who found the Mizpah. Jim"
Butler was not able to travel from his
ranch in Owens valley, California,
and Wise Brougher was Ill at his
home In Berkeley; but Governor Cd
die, who presided at the meeting and
banquet" looked down the double
line at the table into the faces OF
many sturdy men and women whose
worth he learned In the trying days
of the camp. Tim" McQuillen was
there, and BILLY" Douglass, and
"BiIl" Booth. who started the first
newspaper and Is still publishing it;
and Urf b. Curtis, "Bill" Waters
and Mr.. Frazier, 90 years old, who
dug Frazier's wen in the north end
OF the camp. The board also was
graced by the presence Of the wives
of several OF the pioneers, who still
call Tonopah home.
TABLE MADE OF BARE BOARDS
The meeting and banquet were held
in the Odd Fellows hall. The table
was set on the bare boards with tin
plates and iron knives and forks and
lighted with candles stuck in the
necks of abandoned beer bottles, as
in the old days. Billy Douglas had
killed a deer and barbecued venison
was a piece de resistance, fianked by
platters of baked beans, desert style.
There was a huge salad, q luxury sell
dom enjoyed in the old times. built in
the shape of Mt. Oddie. and other
good things to eat and todrink. There
was speechmaking, too, as a matter
of course, that took the form of rem
iniscences of the rag-shack days, and
q finale the organization of the
Pioneers society" that bespeaks fu-
ture gatherings Of the clan.
There Ii no more romantic chapter
In Nevada's picturesque history than
the discovery and development Of the
Mizpah mine. Jim Butler found the
outcrop while on a prospecting trip
from his ranch in Monitor valley. He
wasskeptical as to the value Of the
samples he took and carried them
around for a long time before they
reached an assayer. Tasker
L. Oddie, who had gained q knowl-
edge of mining at Austin, whore he
was on the stan of Arson Phelps
was operating . small prop
srty at Belmont. This historic old
camp, once the county seat Of Nye
County, was almost deserted. IN the
county there we're less than
.wo hundred voters. No wagon roads
an near the new find, which was al
most . trackless desert. Upon his
'eturn to Belmont, Butler gave the
samples to Oddie with the remark
hat "ff they run 50 q tom this Is a
rood prospect. II you will have them
lssayed I'll give you an interest.
Oddie was broke" With no mon
" to pay for assays. yet reluctant to
BASS the opportunity by, he sent the
to Wallace @. Gayhart. an as
layer at Austin. oddie wrote to Gay
lart. III they run. I viii give you >
hare in my interest" They ran.
rom q few dollars to as high "a 5000
ton. Oddie was greatly excited,
md disturbed by the fear that 1ome
prospector would h1ppen
lpon the scene and locate t~hegrouDd.
IL wrote to Butler, then back on the
The letter laid in Buffers
nail box for q month. while Oddie
$50 ----