White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-07
NEVADA STATE IN THE MAKING;
ELY, CAPITAL OF WHITE PINE

contract for hauling wood, ore and
supplies, as il appeared at that time
that Mr.. Long would make "A success
OF his operations, which were still
largely in an experimental stage. So
encouraging were the operations that
Smith Ely sent for Mr.. Long to come
east for the purpose of arranging to
finance operations on n large scale.
but Mr.. Long died before he reached
the east and for long time there
after nothing was done with the prop
erty. The small furnace erected by
Mr.. Long remained idle until 1883 or
1889, when IL was taken over by the
Chairman Mining Company
A. J. Underhill sold the Ely town
site to A. D. Campton for $500.
taking 1,200 cash and mortgage
for the balance. The understanding
in the sale was that whenever Mr..
Campton had been reimbursed for
his entire $4,000 investment through
the sale of lots one-half of the re-
mainder should revert to Mr.. Under
hill, who later disposed OF this inter-
est to w. G. Lyons, who jointly with
Mr.. Campton was still the owner OF
the townsite at the time the writer
left the county.
A. X. Watson, To whom rightfully
belongs the honor of being father
OF the camp and who for a score of
years labored increasingly and with
unbounded faith for its upbuilding.
shipped the first gold ore from Rob
inson canyon. This shipment. con-
sisting of five tons of high-grade ore.
was hauled by the writer's teams
ffom the Joanna mine in 1889 and
netted Mr. Watson over $500 a ton.
Mr.. Watson leased the Chairman mill
at Ely from the Chairman company
and operated IL mere or less success
fully for some time, but as the gold
values being only about 80 per cent
free and the richer orebodies be-
coming exhausted he suspended op-
erations.
Mr.. Watson pursued a system en-
tirely new in the district in paving
on his men, perhaps a dozen in num-
ber. by carrying a sack OF silver and
the payroll about town and paying
his employees wherever he happened
to find them on the streets, this plan
attracting graf deal of attention
Only a few houses had been erected
in the camp up 10 this time. but the
operations of Mr.. Watson soon attract
ed the attention of "A number of out
side mining men
Marcus DAILY, noted Montana mine
operator. was. I believe. the first big
man attracted TO the district.
Through d. II. Jackson he expended
about 200 in making an examina-
tion OF the Joanna. bonding the prop
erty and doing considerable explora.
tion work prior 10 his contemplated
purchase of the property. So sure
was Mr.. Jackson that the deal for the
Joanna would 90 through that he
bought the John Ragsdale property
at Mineral City, including the hotel
and stables. for about $1,000.
shortly after the real merit of the
Joanna as a producing mine became
known litigation was started against
Mr. Watson. and these cases dragged
through the courts for a number of
years. though the title of Mr.. Watson
&c the porperty was ultimately up
held. However. pending a decision
of the ease by the courts the mine
was forced to lie idle. During this
period of idleness a number of PROM
inent mining men examined the prop
erty and all were wonderfully inn
dressed with its possibilities, but
every deal for a sale was blocked by
the cloud on the title. Any of these
deals, had IL been possible to COM
plete them. would have netted the
faithful prospector sum sufficient
to have maintained him in comfort
for the balance of his life.
The long drawn out litigation Sc
verely taxed the resources OF Mr.
Watson. and eventually the mine fell
into the hands of his attorneys and
Mr.. Watson, comparatively poor
man, died in the early '90s near the
spot where he had spent the last act
i've years of his life in his unavailing
fight for his rights. Mr.. and Mrs
Watson raised a family OF five chill
dren, Sadie, William, Katie, Wesley
and Joe. all of whom proved a credit
to their parents. Though possessed
OF little of this worlds goods at the
time OF his death, A. II. Watson left
a name which is to be preferred to
great riches.
The Chairman mine, which was
jointly owned by J. +. McOmie, w. N
McGill. A. J. Underhill and w. G.. Ly-
ons. attained considerable prominence
during tho early '90s. The owners
built the little mill which was erected
on the site of the old Long smeiter
After several years OF experimenting,
however. the owners of the Chain
man found they could not save the
gold from the ore by the methods
then in use and operation OF the mine
not proving success financially IL
was finally closed down.
Mr.. Miller's history of Ely will he
In Mt least eight more Is
sues of the White Pine News.
A AmesIcau UeO{ou Elecfs Ncxv OfYlce,.s