The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-07-01
MOTHER OF TONOPAH
DIES IN CALIFORNIA

MIS-. JAMES Ia. Duticfr decu W,
died last Saturday at Sacramento.
where the family had recently bought
a magnificent home on 10th street.
says the Tonopah Times. The cause
Of death vas an accumulation of ills
from which the worthy woman had
been suffering for ONE time. In
terment will be 1T San Jose instead
of Pig Pine. where 1t was the in
tention to transfer the body from
Sacramento. The burial at San Jose
will be temporary as the family feels
that Mrs. Buffers preference would
be for Big Pine, which has been hal
lowed by her presence for the greater
part of her lifetime. The news was
broken to Jim Butler. the husband,
at the Mizpah hotel. Mr.. Butler col
lapsed completely when apprised of
the demise of his affectionate part
ner who had shared his varying for
tunes ranging from poverty to af-
fiuence.
Jim Butler. the father OF Tonopah.
had been the steadfast company of
his esteemed wife during her pro-
longed illness and only left the bed
side when assured that a decided i'm
provement had taken place in her
condition. Believing the crisis had
been bridged. Jim" went ove to
Big Pine to attend to some business
and then came to Tonopah where he
remained in close touch with the
family in Sacramento.
Mrs. Butler was born in Prince
Edward Island and was brought to
this State when only 3 years of age,
her parents settling in Fish Lake
Valley, where she spent her maiden
years. After marrying Jim Butler the
couple settled in Belmont where they
lived a number of years while Mr..
Butler was engaged in prospecting
the desert country.
Credit for the finding of the lode
on which the fortunes of Tonopah
was based is given unreservedly to
Mrs. Butler by her husband who
explains the cropping on Mount Cd
die was picked up by his wife while
she was resting on the hillside while
hunting for a couple of runaway
burros which the pair was using in
making the journey from Belmont
Il Klondyke. The story that always
received credence was to the effect
that the rock was kicked up by a
r.. TIL fanfa oo nnlafn6 hxr tho
father of Tonopah set forth that
Mrs. Butler recognized the rock the
moment she saw II and it was to her
intuition that the biggest mine in
Nevada was located in the heart of
the grey, lonesome desert. Mr.. and
Mrs. Butler were j%ourneying from
their home in Monitor Valley, using a
blackboard drawn by a couple of bur-
ros. They camped at what was
known as Tonopah wells, near the
present laundry, four miles north of
Tonopah. The burros strayed away
and the owners spent four days
searching for the missing animals.
Mrs. Butler was walking over the
mountain while her husband followed
the bottom of the gulch, along what
is the present Main street. Resting
on the hillside Mrs. Butler picked up
a piece of rock from a cropping and
marked the spot. When her husband
appeared he was accompanied by the
vagrant burros and she showed the
sample with the inquiry:
Jim, what do you think of this
rock?"
ut is the greatest rock in the
world" Jim replied.
Mrs. Butler promptly rejoined that
she would stake the claim and call
1t Mizpah.
At the death were her daughter
Mrs. Lottie Whitacre, of Sacramento.
and her son. Frank ]. Butler, of Big
Pine: her mother. Mrs. Anna Luce,
aged 80. and a sister, Mrs. John
Moore of Smoky Valley.