Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-01-03
PIONEERS OF TONOPAH HOLD A
 REUNION AFTER NINETEEN YEARS

started work on a bleak hillside in neglected section of Nevada, dig ging at prospect that at times seem- ed almost forlorn hope. Out of the prospect and from their work sprang the great Mizpah mine; grew the boom days of Tonopah; brought men from the ends of the earth, says New ada Mining Press. Goldfield was founded, and more than a score of new camps sprung into being within the confines of a wide circle with Tonopah as the center. The discov- cry of the Mizpah lode, due to the pertinacity of three determined men, who endured hardships in the pursuit of the elusive treasure, ushered in a new era for Nevada. Their success has resulted in a production of gold and silver of the value of three hun dred million dollars, and the herald ing of Nevada throughout the world as state of immeasurable riches.
 Of the little band of pioneers who braved 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, quite a number of the old-timers who make their home in Tonopah and in other camps of the state. And on the eleventh of November they "got to- gether" at an impromptu meeting in Tonopah to celebrate the occasion: Tasker L. Oddie, former governor ot 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 Wilse Brougher was ill at his home in Berkeley. But Governor Od. 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. "Jim" McQuillen was
 there, and "Billy" Douglass, and "Bill" Booth, who started the first newspaper and is still publishing it; and Unri B. Curtis, "Bill" Waters and MT. Frazier, 92 years old, who dug Frazier's well 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.
 The meeting and banquet were held in the Odd Fellows hall. The table was set on bare boards with tin plates and iron knives and forks and lighted with candles stuck in the necks ot} abandoned beer bottles, as in the old days. Billy Douglass had killed a deer and barbecued venison was the piece-de-resistance, flanked by plat ters of baked beans, desert style. There was huge salad, luxury sell dom enjoyed in the old times, built in the shape of Mt. Oddie, and other good things to eat and drink. There was speech-making, too, as a matter of course, that took the form of rem- iniscenses of the rag-shack days, and as finale the organization of the Pioneers Society" that bespeaks fu- ture gatherings of the clan.
 There is 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 prospecting trip from his ranch in Monitor Valley. He was skeptical as to the value of the samples he took and carried them around for long time before they finally reached an assayer. Tasker l.. Oddie, who had gained a knowledge of mining at Austin, where he, was on the staff of Anson Phelps Stokes, was operating small property at Bel mont. This historic old camp, once county seat of Nye county, was al- most deserted. In the whole country there was less than two hundred vot- CTS. No wagon roads ran near the new find, which was almost a track less desert. Upon his return to Bel mont Butler gave the samples to Od- die with the remark, that "lf they run $2 ton this is a good prospect. If you will have them assayed I'll give you an interest"
 Oddie was "broke.' With no money to pay for assay, yet reluctant to pass the opportunity by, he sent the sam pies to Wallace c. Gayhart, an assay CT at Austin. Oddie wrose to Gay hart, eff they run, I will give you share in my interest" They ran from few dollars to as high as $6O0 a ton. Oddie was greatly excited, and disturbed by the fear that some wan dering prospector would happen upon the scene and locate the ground. He wrote to Butler, then back on the ranch. The letter laid in Buffers mail box for a month, while Oddie "sweat blood" Finally Butler came in and with Oddie planned to visit the discovery and do some digging. Wilse Brougher was taken into the partner ship, for the reason that he had taapn and copoo rootbod of tropcror