The Goldfield news. [volume], January 06, 1905, Image 1

About The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911

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"i^paqesj thf. Goldfield News i.? pa°^
“All That’s New and True of the Greatest Gold Camp Ever Known”
_ ___ _ _ ——-———■ ■ -■ i;
Vol. I. No 37. Goldfield, Esmeralda County, Nevada, . ioav, januar? 8, 1906. Price 10 Cents.
"BONANZA ORE ON SIMMERONE FRACTION
> _
GOLDREED IS RICH
New Mining District in Kawich Moun
tains Looks Like a Winner.
*
The excitement over the recent strike
in thy Kawich mountains continues un
abated and if the values hold out with
depth another bonanza camp will be
opened up as a result of the develop
ment of Goldfield and Tonopah. The
district, which has been named Gold
reed, is 60 miles east of Goldfield and 30
miles south of Reveille.
The best showing is on the property
noted in the last issue and which is
owned by the Gold reed Mining com
pany, of which Chas. E. Morris is presi
dent; O. K. Reed, first vice-president;
John May, second vice-president; Thos.
* J. Lynch, secretary and treasurer; Mal
colm Macdonald, general manager.
This company owns about 40 claims,
including the new townsite of Goldreed.
The ledge on the Bonanza claim which
has the best showing crops up for a
length of over 20 feet and the gold in
the rock can be seen from quite a dis
tance with the naked eye. As pieces
are knocked off the gold is seen well dis
tributed through the rock. On other
claims of the company there is a good
showing, also, assays going from $24 to
I $500 per ton. The ledges on the differ
^ out claims vary from 5 to 12 feet in
'width.
“January” Jones, Key Pittman, Pat
Toohy and others have ten claims on
one of which the Diamond, assays go as
high as $500.
Judge Bell, E. C. Smith of Hailey,
Idaho, Pat Toohy and others have a
group of 23 claims and the surface show
ing justifies the hope that all of them
will soon be on “easy” street.
M. C. Murphy, who returned Thurs
day, hus a group of 12 claims in partner
ship with M. Sherry, I). Singleton and
Tom Murphy. One adjoins the Dia
mond and others lie close to the big
strike. Five of the claims pan free gold
indicating values of from $75 to $200
per ton. M. C. Murphy, Singleton and
Sherry were on the way to Bullfrog, got
lost on the road and finally pulled up at
the Kawich mountains in time to get in
on good locations before the excitement.
They leave for Goldreed today with pro
visions, tools, etc., for a campaign of
development.
McKeown and Baily Bros, have about
20 claims and have had assays up to
$100 from the ground.
“Diamondfield Jack” Davis went out
this week and, with associates, located
25 or 30 claims. He also located a
townsite, two miles this side of the big
strike, and w ill send out men at once to
sink a well for water.
George Pyne and Thos. Hally returned
yesterday and reported they had made
a large number of locations.
The formation at Kawich is porphyry
with stringers of quartz running all
through. The greatest drawback to the
district is the lack of water. The near
est water is 12 miles away and the
spring makes but 100 gallons a day.
Four inches of snow are now on the
ground and men are melting it for drink
ing and domestic uses, and work on two
wells has already commenced.
The Goldreed Mining company nas
laid out a townsite which they have
named Goldreed, and Wednesday, the
first day they were placed on sale, $5,000
worth of lots were disposed of. This
. Hhows the confidence in the new dis
trict, and the general impression of
those who have seen it is that it will
make a great mining camp.
Ralph Warded was offered and re
fused $00,000 cash for his sixth interest
in the Goldreed Mining company.
It is said that many persons have
been traveling the wrong road in going
to Kuwieh, especially those bound from
Tonopah to the scene of the new strike.
They go by way of Diamondfield and
east of there the sand is so heavy that
their horses give out. Several parties
have been forced to turn back from this
cause. The best road to Kawich is said
to be by way of the (’rater weds from
Goldfield. There is plenty of water
along this route and the road is a good
one.
William II. Tibbals has received an
assay certificate of ore taken from the
Goldfield Bonanza property at Goldfield.
The returns were very gratifying, but
before releasing the returns they will
be checked up.—Deseret News.
Goldfield Mining Company.
The Goldfield Mining Company of Ne
vada, owner of the January and six
other good claims, held its annual stock
holders’ meeting in Tonopah on Mon
day, January 2d. The meeting was a
very harmonious one, and the election
resulted in the selection of the following
directors: R. L. Johns, H. T. Bragdon,
A. C. Eisen, W. M. Stansbury and Geo.
L. Brown. The company voted to abol
ish the office at Tonopah, and in future
the main office of the company, outside
of Phoenix, will be in Goldfield. At the
directors’ meeting the next day the fol
lowing officers were elected for the en
suing year: R. L. Johns, president; II.
L. Bragdon, vice-president and mine
manager; A. C. Eisen, secretary and
treasurer.
The Conqueror.
The Conqueror Mining company is
having the Tonopah Club and Bonanza
claims thoroughly prospected in order
that the permanent development may
be done at the best points. Surface
trenching continues on the Bonanza
claim and five ledges altogether have
now been opened up. All of them pan
free gold and assays go from $6 to $72
per ton. On the Tonopah Club claim
surface prospecting continues and also
drifting on the ledge at the 45-foot level.
At the present time the values in the
drift go from $40 to $150 per ton.
Goldfield Treasure.
The shaft on the Goldfield Treasure
company’s properties is breaking into
ore at a depth of 27 feet. From appear
ances and pannings the ore approaches
a good milling grade. The shaft will be
continued to a depth of 60 feet, from
which level drifts will be extended in
both directions. The bottom of the shaft
now shows a good body of quartz. Some
very good values were encountered on
the ledge at the surface.
The tmpire.
On the Silver Tip claim of the Em
pire company the foot-wall has been
drifted on and the ledge crosscut, show
ing it to be 8 feet wide. Average assays
across the ledge go from $15.40 to $22
per ton. Pannings from small streaks
in the ledge indicate much better values
and the ledge will be drifted on with the
hope of soon encountering shipping ore
in a body.
On the Apex.
Work is progressing very satisfactorily
on the Apex company’s group under the
leasing system. There are three sets of
lessees operating and very good show
ings are made. Chisholm and Thomp
son have put down a shaft to a depth of
35 feet on a strong ledge of quartz and
are meeting with decidedly encouraging
values. The shaft will be continued to
50 feet where levels will be extended
and the ledge systematically exploited.
Jamison and Robinson, operating on
the north end of the property, are also
sinking a shaft on an unusually large
lead and are more than pleased with
their prospects. From all indications
the Apex will soon enter the list of
shippers.
Looking for Leases.
The Atlanta, Union Jack, Black Bear,
Bismarck and Black Bear Fraction com
prise a group located just south of the
Jumbo which will bear watching. A
number have applied for leases on
claims of this group of late and one who i
has done so is said to have found some
fine free gold specimens. No leases will
be granted for the present, however, as
the property is under control of Henry I
Weber, who is now in the East, and un
til his return nothing can be done.
M«.re Reduction Works.
Todd C. Woodworth and Frank B.
Keever, capitalists of Boston and San
Francisco, arrived in camp last night.
These gentlemen have incorporated the
New Western lieduetion company and
have the machinery for a new mill now
on the road from Denver and more or
dered in San Francisco. They are
backed by large capital and it is said
will buy all the ore that is offered them
in Goldfield.
! P. J. Somers returned from Milwau
kee Saturday. lie is much pleased with
1 the showing on the Milwaukee-Goldfieid
' claims near Diamondfield.
“What’s Doing on the Simmerone?” The News asked last week. And
k has found out. As stated then, it is unusual in this district for a claim to
be enclosed with a high board fence, but the men who now own the Simmer
one are not accustomed to either make grand stand plays or do anything in
the mining line without a good reason. And the reason for the high board
fence is that ore recently developed is so rich that common business sense
dictates that it be closely guarded and that the work shall go on free from the
interruption of curiosity seekers. When the strike ■ was first made on the
Simmerone, assays taken across the 2-foot ledge showed values of over $2,000
per ton. Since the development work was begun under the new management
three average samples were taken across2 feet and returned values of $13,108,
$7 ,800.20 and $5,302.40 to the ton. This rich ore is now being sacked and un
less it is finally decided to sort it down with low grade ore, the first shipment
is liable to lie one of the most sensational ever sent out of the camp. The
officers of the Goldfield-Simmerone Mining company are: Chas. E. Morris,
president.; M. L. Macdonald, vice-president and general manager, Louis A.
Parkhurst, secretary and treasurer; R. B Wampler, superintendent. .
THE SANDSTORM SHIPME IT.
A matter of unusual interest is the value of the first Sand storin'shipment
from the Loftus-Davis lease. Complete sampler returns are not yet in, but
the following statement, showing the gioss tonnage and value, will serve:
Lot No. 1— 2.04 Ions, value per ton 242.55 ozs. gold, $4,851.00. $ 0,800 04
Lot No. 2— 4.21 tons, value per ton 32 03 ozs. gold, 040.00. . 2,000 02
Lot No. 3—11.10 toiiB, value per ton 7.20 ozs. gold, 144.00 .. 1,007 04
17.41 tons, average value, $815.70 per ton. Total. $14,200 00
In making up this initial shipminent from the great strike the lessees
made no effort whatever to do anything sensational. Lot No. 3, two-thirds
of the whole, was run in from the old abandoned dump and from the upper
vein without sorting. Had they desired to do so, there is no doubt, as indi
cated by the astonishing value of lot No. 1, they could have exceeded the best
the camp has ever done.
Speaking of the matter the management insists that, the business of the
lease will be conducted strictly as business. The shipping of high-grade in
car lots is a mistake. On $5,000 ore there is a 5 per cent excess value of
freight charge, ami ore of this grade would have a freight charge of $.‘$00 a
ton. The better policy is to lower the average value oi each shipment by run
ning in lower grades, and thus keep below the excess charges. This is the
policy now generally followed in the camp—lower the grade and make up in
weight what is lacked in value.
The management reports the mine in excellent shape. The big vein has
been exploited its entire width, 20 feet, and holds its values; while the rich, or
lower vein, is now widened to 0 feet. Better ore has been taken out of it the
last few days than ever before. The depth is hardly 7 feet—the vein pitching
very flat—and for this entire width of 6 feet the* values, just as it is broken
down, run from $500 to $] ,000.
Another shipment is now nearly ready. There are but four men em
ployed on ore, and even with this force—all that can be conveniently worked
—the lessees will send out two or three shipments a month.
Incident to this, it develops that there has been a reorganization of the
Sandstorm directory, T. L. Oddie and Frank Everett retiring; J. I’. Loftus
and Kenneth Donnellan succeeding. Other and important changes will fol
low, and the company be given a*strong business head.
JANUARY LEASE EXPIRED.
When the 12 o’clock whistle blew yesterday noon, the lease of Reilly,
Kendall, Jones and Patrick on the January expired and with a few formali
ties the property was turned over to the owners, the Goldfield Mining com-'
pany of Nevada. Not a minute was lost in the actual work of mining, as the
Goldfield Mining company had previously arranged to keep Supt. Sol Camp
and the old force of employes, who had given splendid satisfaction, besides
buying the engine, hoist and other surface improvements from the lessees.
The termination of this bonanza lease, as well as all the business between the
lessees and lessors during its life, was marked by the utmost harmony and
good feeling—features that are frequently absent in such things. As indi
cating this good feeling, individual officers of the Goldfield Mining company
now in Goldfield will tender a banquet at the Palm tonight to the lessees.
The guests will l>e: Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Patrick, Mr. and Mrs. B. J. Reilly,
Mr. and Mrs. Sol Camp, Mr. and Mrs. II. T. Bragdon, Mr. and Mrs. J. F.
O’Brien, Miss Hazel Clark, Messrs. 11. L. Johns, A. C. Eisen, John Jones,
J. F. Mitchell, L. S. Finnegan and Ike McKay.
STRIKE ON THE PIEDMONT.
A good strike was made this week on the Piedmont claim of the Colum
bia Mountain group, the ore going from $100 to $300 per ton in values. J. F.
Mitchell and associates have taken a lease on the ground and will go right to
work with a good force. With the surface showing they should soon have a
shipper. The tunnel on Columbia Mountain is now in 400 feet and the own
ers expect to have to go 250 feet more to get the main ore body.
BETTER SHOWING AT THE PORTLAND.
The gallows frame and engine have been installed at the Portland and
the work of Supt. Mitchell was highly commended by Malcolm McDonald,
the consulting engineer. The showing in the Portland is improving daily
and some of the l'ock shows visible gold. Many applications for leases on
the ground have been received by the management and one applicant is said
to have found ore on the surface that runs from $100 to $1000 per ton.
COMBINATION STRIKE.
The strike which was made recently on the surface of the Combination, a
short distance southwest of the shaft, is furnishing quite a little shipping ore
going from $200 to $300 per ton. The strike was made by accident while
trenching for a pipe line.
THE GOLDFIELD-DIAMOND CO.
Development work on the Goldfield*
Diainond property has been progressing I
rapidly, and it has been known for some 1
time by the management that the prop- ;
erty contained high-grade ore in paying '
quantities. Now it is known that assays |
run from $4-r>.30 to $222.60 and one assay !
of over $600 a ton; one specimen was
gotten which was fully one-fourth gold.
The main shaft is down over ‘>0 feet
and drifts have been run both ways'
nearly 100 feet from the bottom of the 1
shaft in ore on the ledge.
Extensive cross cuts are being run on
the surface for the purpose ef exposing
other pay shoots and the operators are
getting some very tine results.
This is not surprising as good assays
were gotten from the surface; in fact,
better than most of the surrounding
mines, which have proven with depth
enormously rich and contain large bodies
of milling ore.
For example, the Quartzite of the
Diamondfield company, which is one of
the great mines of the district; the Black
Buttes, Vernals, Daisy, Great Bend and
Spokane contain great bodies of milling
and shipping ore, and the Goldfield
Diamond is located almost in the center
and is almost surrounded bv those great
mines.
As the ledges of some of these mines
pass through thcolaimsof theGoldfield
Diamond, the news of strikes on the
latter property is not at all surpris
ing, as mining men who are familiar
with the ground have often predicted it.
The Touopah-Goldfield railroad passes
through the claims of the company and
a switch can easily be made to the
dumps, but it is now planned to build a
stamp mill and save the cost of railroad
rates and reduction charges.
The Touopah-Goldfield Trust Cc>., of
Goldfield, Nev., has charge of the funds
of the company and use them with the
greatest care, and J. F. Mitchell, the
former manager who opened up the
January claim of the Goldfield Mining
company, and who is now consulting
engineer of the Jumbo mine, has the
general superinteudence of the mines of
the Goldfield-Diamond Mining company.
Mr. Mitchell has always contended t
the surface indications »er<s as g"*»l
better than most of the other iniuc* ri
the district, and that d< vclopment « rk
would prove it, and it Las.
WORK OF DASTARD
A StocK-Jobbing Scheme Fiendish in Its
Disregard of Consequences.
Since the discovery of the camp noth
ing has ever occurred which has caused
so much indignation in Goldfield—and
justly so—as the lurid reports of jiesti
lence and disease which were sent out
last week by the Scripps News associa
tion, and to which brief allusion was
made in our last issue. The News has
received clippings from many papers
which take the Scripps' service, the
reader, of course, inquiring anxiously if
the reports are true. That those of our
readers who live here and know the re
jsirta to be made out of whole cloth
may get an idea of the maliciousness of
the author we reproduce the articles in
full below:
Huso, Nev., Dec. 27. —Frightful con
ditions prevail at Goldfield, the new
mining camp in the southern part of
this State.
An epidemic of diphtheria, small-pox
and black pneumonia is raging and it is
impossible to get medicines, food, water,
building material and other necessaries
into camp on account of a 60-day em
bargo on freight at Reno, due to conges
tion.
Pneumonia is taking men off in a
night and no effort is being made to is
olate small-pox patients.
The supply of coffins is wholly insuf
ficient and corpses are therefore per
mitted to remain above ground for days
at a time.
Hundreds are now sleeping in thin
tents, but the rush into camp continues
and unless building material is brought
in soon the conditions will become still
more appalling.
Hold-ups are now' of nightly occur
rence and a veritable reign of terror is
expected by the lirst of the year, when
a large number of leases will expire,
forcing operations to shut down for lack
of equipment.
The lease-holders openly threaten to
jump valuable claims and the owners
are preparing to defend their properties
.with their lives.
Efforts have been made to keep the
true condition of affairs from the public
to prevent a possible shrinkage in the
value of stocks.
It was worth the correspondent’s life
to send the story over the wires or evep
to be suspected of giving information by
other means.
The saloons and gambling halls are
practically deserted, some having been
closed by the death of bartenders or
dealers.
There is absolutely no sanitary sys
tem. For a time when it was impossi
ble to Hecure even rough lumber with
which to make coffins the proposition
to bury corpses in quicklime was con
sidered.
Men who are literally one mass of
small-pox sores work side by side with
men in the first stages of dipththeria
and pneumonia, and others who are as
yet untouched by disease.
Small-pox patients are permitted to
mingle with the crowds around the sa
loon stoves. The cold is intense, the
temperature falling as low as 10 degrees
below zero.
The suffering is made more acute by
sharp winds from the desert.
The next day the following dispatch,
dated San Francisco, was published in
the Scripps newspapers:
Han Francisco, Dec. 28.—The publi
cation of the story of the terrible condi
tions at Goldfield', Nev., created a sen
sation in the brokers’ offices and they
are being besieged by investors and rel
atives of persons located in Goldfield, all
in quest of information regarding the
situation in the camp. A number of
men arrive*! here from Goldfield today
and confirmed the story in detail. They
say that many contemplated coining out
for the winter and lay particular stress
on the over-crowded condition of the
camp, and declare the conditions were
not exaggerated.
The next day after the appearance of
the above, the following appeared in the
San Francisco News, one of the papers
taking the Scripps news service:
Fitzgerald Murphy, the playwright,
returned last night from Goldfield, Nev.
lie confirms the dispatch from Reno
published in the Daily News of yester
day telling of the conditions now pre
vailing in the camp.
Mr. Murphy said today that the con
ditions at Goldfield were frightful. The
weather is bad, there is much sickness
and the camp is overcrowded. He lays
particular stress upon the fact that lots
are selling from $4,(XX) to $10,000 each
with no guarantee of ultimate title.
The town is being boomed by the real
estate men who are making fabulous
sums.
"I have no hesitancy in saying that
the camp will eventually be an impor
tant one,” said Mr. Murphy, ‘‘but from
my severe experiences there I believe
that everybody should be warned to
stay away this winter. All freight is
tied up at Reno for from 20 to B0 days
S \ *
and it is impossible to get supplies into
Goldfield.
“Lumber is scarce and the jieoplc use
living in tents. In the spring, when the
weather moderates, will be the proper
time for people to visit the camp. Thei®
! is much pneumonia, smallpox and diph
. theria there now. I am just recovering
! from a severe attack of pneumonia mjf
I self and left the camp under my physi
cian’s orders.”
Several others arrived from Goldfield
today and confirm Mr. Murphy’s state
ment. These iiersons say there is a reg
ular exodus from the camp, due to the
had conditions.
It takes no great amount of perspica
city to see that the articles above are
part of a stock-jobbing scheme and that
some broker or others interested in
“bearing” the ({notations on Goldfield
stocks are the leading conspirators in
tiie fiendish {dot which, while it cannot
hurt hut temporarily Goldfield or the
stocks of legitimate companies opcrating
here, has caused intense worry and
mental anguish to those on the outside
who have relatives or friends in this
district.
When the first article appeared much
speculation was indulged in as to who
was the correspondent who had lent,
himself to the furtherance of the stock
jobbing scheme. When the last article
reproduced above appeared there was
no longer doubt in the minds of those
who knew the facts of his recent visit
hero that the author was Fitigerald
Murphy.
Murphy is a man brilliant, yet erratic,
who has had a varied career actor,
playwright, politician and spellbinder.
He arrived in Goldfield about two
months ago financially broke ami physi
cally sick as he freely acknowledged,
lie told a story of how he had been
robbed and boycotted by the theatrical
trust, how even his wife had left him,
and that he had come to Goldfield to
onee more get a start in life, working
from the ground up.. Those to wbonv.
he told the story, including "Thn News,
sympathized with him and materially
assisted him to get the start he wanted.
Some few weeks later lie announced
that Barton l’ittman the mining
stock broker, was to open a branch
office on his arrival in camp and
that he (Murphy) expected to lie man
ager of it. Later, when Pittman had
come and gone, he said that the branch
ofHcc would not bo ojiened at present,
and that he didn’t expect to gel the
position of manager if it did.
A few days later Murphy came .to
Tuk News office and said the Scripps
people had sent to him for a 1,000-\w I
story on the camp and asked for data
on which to base the same. As the
Scripps people are supposed to deal only
in legitimate news, when it is news, the
statement that they had asked for a
general write-up sounded fishy, but"i>eo
ple in Goldfield are too busy to pay
much attention to other than their own
business.
About a week later Murphy canto
around again, said the story had Ivon,
sent off and that in a day or two be ex
pected a check in payment forthesanic,
WHICH WOULD PROVIDE HIM.
WITH SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO EN
ABLE HIM TO GO TO CALIFORNIA
AND SPEND SOMETIME DURING
WHICH HE EXPECTED TO DIS
POSE OF GOLDFIELD PROPERTIES
IF 1IE COULD SECURE OPTIONS
ON SAME.
Those who are posted on the compen
sation received for newspaper stories !
know that the pay received for a 1,000
word story would not enable a man t
travel fur in a Pullman or stay long—
unless the pay was received front other
than the news agency, which is un
doubtedly the case with Murphy’* story.
And no one but one interested in
“bearing” stocks would have any object
in paying for the publication of lie*
about conditions in Goldfield.
A number in San Francisco are known
to be selling somo Goldfield stix-ks
“short”—that is, selling stocks which
they do not have, but which they ex
pect to buy later at a lower price an< I
deliver on the date w hen due. The dev -
ilish ingenuity of the perpetrator wa
apparent when all the facia are shown.
The original dispatch had the nigger in
(Continued on Page 6.1
* \