The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-05-14
Early-DayPioche Mining Ne,os

away. never returning The Meadow
valley company spent $4,000 10 learn
what shuber proved with his time and
an expense of hut sTs 4
In November of lsss Mr. Gracey
seized an opportunity TO profit by his
ability as blacksmith. Tom Greaves
was trying in vain tc out steel into a
pickeye- Mr. Gracey welded the steel
and became great in an instant. John
Ely came to him aud said: -Graeey. L
you are Just the man for whom we
have been looking: you stay here and
do our work and you can board at our
camp Board looked pretty good TO
Mr. Grac-y about that time. SO he stuck
around while they built a furnace. this
time discarding the burro power as be-
ing obsolete and putting In a modern
thrashing machine horsepower to do /
the blowing II is sad TO chronicle that
as predicted by Raymond the furnace
proved a failure.
Mr.. Gracey had by this time Demon
strated that he knew somsth hing about /
machinery and one day was approached |
by MIR. Raymond. who had been in
formed by c. T.. Hall that Gracey was I
machinist Mr.. Raymond said: Il never !
I expected this furnace to work. but / |
wanted my partner. Mr.. Ely. to be sat
ished, which think he is now. I have
silver mill in Pahranagat valley and
| IL you think that you could take IL
down and have it put up again in good
shape l would have il brought over to
Bullionville and set up there. 1 think
that this ore can be worked by the
same process. Mr. Graeey assured him
that he could do the work. But" con-
tinued Mr.. Raymond. I'VE have no
money. III We can take II out of the
mine we Will pay you and it will also
make your own mine more valuable"
Mr.. Gracey agreed to work without pay
II Mr.. Raymond would furnish the
grub. Mr.. Raymond was unable to do
even that. but he said that his partner
was acquainted with the residents of
Panaca and perhaps MIR. Ely could get
some food from them. Then Mr.. Ray
mond broke the further sad news that
he did not own the mine yet but il Mr..
Gracey would promise to stay with him
and build the mill he would buy the
mine.
That same night the Burke brothers,
Pony Maloy. Bob Winans. the owners
Of the Burke mine, and several others
We're glumly sitting around the camp
fire facing duh future. The smelter
|
After awhile Mr.. Raymond spoke up
, and said to Pat Burke: II have prop
osition to make to you boys who own
the Burke mine. You know that have
five-stamp mill in the Pahranagat
valley. l am willing to pay you $35. 900
for the mine provided you are willing
to wait for your money until l can get
| the mill here and take out the ORE"
| All We're silent for time. Then Pony
T. Duncan spoke up and said II am will
ing to agree to that" Bob Winans next
agreed The Burke brothers, who
: owned one-half of the mine. said moth
ing. Thus they sat around the fire for
: some ten minutes, silently. as each man
= was busy with his own thoughts. Pat
! Maloy. as one of the Burke brothers
: was commonly called, finally broke the
= silence with a practical query. Where
;. do we get anything to eat while you
;, are doing all this?" Raymond replied
that John Ely, his partner, would sec
to getting the food. Then said Burke
II 1T is all right"
L. Mr.. Raymond handed him his silver
r watch and turning to Charles Grace,
l. said: Charley. you are a witness tina
T. have bought this mine and that
le have given this watch to bind the bar
II gain. Boys, you are all witnesses
II This watch is worth sixty dollars
Charley, we will start for Pahranaga
:. at once and will go as far as Panac;
nt tonight" Panaca was some twelv
IS miles distant. Then Raymond turne,
oi to Withe Walker. who was attending
ie to camp, and asked for food. Wake
"a gave him loaf of bread and larg
piece of boiled beef and they started a
- once for Panaca, or, as 1t was after
ward called, Bullionville. where the
gu arrived late at night
ne The next day they secured som
a' teams and started for the Pahranaga
r valley, where some mining had bee
r done in the early eos and in whic
Raymond had been the moving spiri
" 1t was at this time-1S64-thatG Genera
n Conner had been sent into the countr
u. with cavalry to look things over an
sit when the soldiers had located man
oe claims in the district. on which, how
De ever, they did but little work. TT
hs soldiers and all prospectors had left
ey 1855 and all the mines had been abar
eo doned in 1868.
~ The men from Phoebe arrived in Pal
ID ranagat in good time, where Mr. CIR;
>" cey took down the mill and Mr.. Ra!
ho mond made arrangements with the re
&C. idents of the valley to load it on II
wagons as they came in. Then can
nu the return to the millsite. The mine
lor of the camp volunteered their servic
MS to grade for the mill and to build Il
road. All were promised pay after Il
Ecu mill was started.
10y The building was slow work, but
eiS January, 1870, Mr.. Gracey got things
Ing fair shape and ran the five stamps
ae' the ore which had been hauled fro
ny Phoebe. In the meantime Mr.. Raymo
al had gathered around him men who h
.nu some knowledge of working the o.
III among them l.. B. Sever. an assay
~ and a good man. There was also
eh, carpenter named Mortimer Fuller. W
anu was afterward the district judge.
len The first run of the mill was an
~ iously awaited and after consideral
~ trouble it was finally started. Mr.. Gil
cey stayed up all night. He drew I
On charge from the pans into the set
~" and then drew off the quicksilver FIR,
o"u the settler and strained it. He had
GU sack full Of silver amalgam. Mr.. Re
III