White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-01-28
jim BUTLER IS DEAD;
HIS GREAT DISCOVERY

JdHltS l.. bulleif ul~StoN a ~
nopah and the most picturesque char.
acter in the history of Nevada, no
excepting the early Comstoekers, diet
Tuesday at Sacramento. He had sur
viyed his late wife but seven months
she having passed away last June.
Since the first dispatch telling oI
his death the newspapers have
teemed with columns of alleged sto.
ries Of his life and of the discovery
of Tonopah. Not > per cent of these
stories are true. The White Pine
News happens to be in a position tc
give the facts as they happened. with
a few events of his previous career
in Nevada.
In the early days of Eureka Butler
lived there off and on, leading the
life Of the average %prospector or des-
ert w%anderer. He had n small home
out in the outskirts, kept some pack
burros at times and went and came
about as many unnoticed and unre
membered prospeetors still do in Ne
vada.
With the Typo boom he went there
and led a similar life of apparent list
lessness, never makingsa discovery
that is recalled and earning barely
enough 20 exc out n moderate exist
enoe. His late wife was then the
wife of Maurice Donohue, n gambler
and one of the finest physical specl-
mems ever seen in Nevada. lie was
tall, we'll proportional and his Shout
ders were like an arrow They had
trouble and Mrs. Donohue's name was
mentioned. Donohue threatened But
Ter and the next time they met both
were fixed for trouble. Butler al
ways was lightning on the draw and
he felled Donohue with a bullet be-
fore Donohue was ready to shoot.
Donohue begged for his life, but But
Ter probably feared it was a ruse and
finished him with another bullet.
For several years after that IL is
told that Butler supported the widow
until finally, when times grew so hard
in Nevada that he could not continue.
they got married.
In 1890 they were living IN the old
town Of Belmont. then county seal
of Nyc county. Butler was still a
nomadic prospector but held the Of
flee of district attorney. He was not
a lawyer but there was only one law
yer in the county. r. L. Oddie. who
was not praeticing and was there as
a representative of the Phelps-Dodge
Corporation to look after some min
ing interests at a mere pittance OF
remuneration.
Shortly after the discovery OF
klondike mountain. midway between
T%onopah and G%oldfield, Butler set out
alone to go there. but more especially
to VISIT what then was named Gold
mountain Eut which is now known
as Divide. He had three or four pack
burros and camped over night at To-
nopah springs. which is about three
miles north and a little west of To-
nopah. The next morning his burros
had wandered off and he readily
tracked them, coming up with them
on the cropping of the Mizpah ledge.
As he started to drive them back to
his camp he noticed that one of the
burros broke off a piece of rock with
its foot. Prospector fashion he picked
up the rock and In The break found It
TO be black with what appeared TO
him to be silver sulphide. He took
some more pieces and going on to
klCndike mountain vent to the tent
house OF an assayer named G.. l.
Higgs. Butler had no money so he
told Higgs that If he would ASSAY
the rock he would give him an inter
est in the claims. Higgs assentea
but after Buffers back was turned
gave the rock a throw off in the
brush.
Butler started back on his weary
Journey to Belmont and gathered
more specimens from the ~oropping
about on,-third or onc-half Of n sack
ful He threw the sack. down in
front OF his house, waiting several
weeks In vain TO near from lIiggs
fassersby walked over or kicked the
sack and animals defled 1t. Al last
oddje happened to have his attention
called to 1t. Butler and Oddie ey-
changed a few remarks about tbjs
ore and in the conversation Butler
said he had expected to hear from
H'ggs. but since he had not If nddie
would have Ii assayed he would give
him an interest in the claims Oddie
no monay. uof ovac A. .
an assay SO he sent some of the rock
the next stage TO an assayer and
surveyor at Austin named w. C. Gay
hart, telling him he would give him
an Interest In the claims IL he would
assay the rock. II assayed $500
a ton
Butler had not yet staked his !
He would not let oddie or