[K. R. Casper, The Money-Makers of Goldfield, Sunset, July 1905]

 

Money Makers of Goldfield

            THE history of mines and mining camps is always an interesting subject. The circumstances under which so-called worthless public domain is accidentally made to bring forth endless treasure are always read with close attention. No less interesting are the histories of the men who made the discoveries and aided in their development.  Comstock, Sharon, Flood, O'Brien, Mackay and Fair are a part of the history of

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Virginia City, Nevada; Tabor, Rische and Hook of Leadville, Ed. Schieffelin of Tombstone, Stratton of Cripple creek, Jim Butler of Tonopah, and those of the pioneers who have made Goldfield, for the time being, one of the greatest mining districts in the world, are no less so.

            The accompanying sketches are of a few of the men who went to Goldfield less than eighteen months ago; who have reclaimed a worthless desert, built up a town of seven thousand people, and taken out of the earth $4,000,000. The men who did this are no ordinary men, and for the most part, they are young men.

            One of the most interesting characters, to whom Nevada owes a monument, is W. H. Smith, better known in the mining world as "Hank" Smith. He went to the Comstock to stay away back in 1860, from which time he has been closely identified with mining. At first he was a miner in the Gould and Curry, then he became foreman; subsequently he was on the Crown Point under Mr. Batterman and Senator John P. Jones. It was under the management of Batterman that the ore in the Crown Point gave out at the four-hundred-foot level. It was at the suggestion of Captain Smith that a drift was run in an easterly direction, and to the surprise and delight of every one on the Comstock, the first bonanza ore was found on the east dip. He was afterward at the Belcher, which during his connection with it, took out the fabulous sum of $33,000,000 in five years. At one time Captain Smith had on deposit in a California bank, in cash and securities, over $1,000,000, and he also lived in the handsomest residence in Virginia City. At seventy-one years of age he is still hale and hearty and imbued with the idea that he will make another fortune.

A. A. BORLINI

            One of the leading men of Goldfield is Alfred A. Borlini, who is a product of Nevada, having been born in Virginia City thirty-four years ago. He is the son of Gus Borlini, who walked from Placerville, California, to Virginia City, Nevada, and became the pioneer restaurateur of that place. Young Borlini worked in the mines and attended the school of mines at the University of Nevada from which he was graduated. He rose to be an official of the Gold Hill group and subsequently had some experience in banking. He went to Goldfield a year ago, and is a member of the firm of Jones & Borlini.

            One of the most picturesque characters is John Jones, who opened up the famous January mine. He is known by everybody as "January" Jones and no man deserves more credit than he for making Goldfield what it has become. He was born thirty-four years ago in Wales, where he worked in the lead mines as a boy. Then he came to this country and mined in Colorado, British Columbia and elsewhere. Two years ago he went to Tonopah where he did not accomplish much. Just after the Combination mine was located he went over to Goldfield, saw the owners of the January, which adjoins the Combination, secured a lease from them, prospected the ground and in twelve months took out and distributed among his associates over $1,000,000. He is largely interested in developing other mining districts.

            Another citizen of note is Zeb. Kendall, who although standing six feet four inches in his stocking feet is called "Shorty" Kendall. He was born in Lehi, Utah, thirty-five years ago. At the time of the Tonopah find he secured a lease on the Mizpah and took out $50,000. He was one of the associates of Jones in the January-lease and with the money he has made is helping to build up the state.

            Jack Davis, better known as "Diamond-field Jack," and after whom the town of Diamondfield was named, is another one to whom much credit is due. He is thirty-four years old and a native of Lynchburg, Virginia. At twelve years of age in Montana he "grub-staked" a man to go prospecting, giving him a horse and $20. He has prospected, mined and punched cattle all over the west. Two years ago, while in Idaho, he was tried and convicted of the murder of two sheepherders, and sentenced to be hanged. He was reprieved and subsequently pardoned by Governor Hunt, and it was afterward ascertained by the confession of two men that they, and not Davis, had committed the crime. He landed in Goldfield, February 5, 1903, "broke," but soon became one of the lucky ones.

MILTON M. DETCH

            Perhaps the most interesting career of all is that of Milton M. Detch, a lawyer who was born in Indiana, but for the past fifteen

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years has resided in Colorado. Attracted by the reports about Tonopah and Goldfield he concluded to try his luck and went to the camp, which then had less than two hundred people, on March 12, 1904, having only five dollars in his pocket. He rode in the stage from Sodaville to Tonopah, and from Tonopah to Goldfield in a violent storm. The outlook on his arrival was decidedly discouraging. The excess freight on his baggage was $34.10, and he had no means of paying it, and to make matters a great deal worse, an old friend who was even worse off than he borrowed his last dollar and left him flat broke. He is today secretary and treasurer of over fifty mining companies, among them being the famous Original Bullfrog.

FRED CARLSEN

            Fred Carlsen was born thirty-eight years ago in Denmark. His first trip to Goldfield was made in June last. In July he purchased some mining property which he sold at a profit. At the instigation of a friend he purchased a one-sixth interest in the Original Bullfrog for $5,000.

H. L. TAYLOR

            The Jumbo, another of the mines that has made Goldfield famous, which produced in one year $1,250,000, was discovered by C. D. Taylor, who offered to sell it for a song and failed. In doing some surface work ore running $300 a ton was uncovered, and he became rich in spite of himself. In conjunction with his brother, H. L. Taylor, he owns the controlling interest in this wonderful property.

K. R. CASPER.