[Clara E. Douglas, Silver Peak, Sunset, December 1906]

 

SILVER PEAK

By CLARA E. DOUGLAS

 

            AT THE northern end of the crescent-shaped, high range of the Red Mountains, Southern Nevada, rises a high point known as "Silver Peak." This mountain stands forty-five miles south of Candelaria and thirty-seven miles southwest of Tonopah. In the early days of mining excitement in Nevada it was one of the best known gold-yielding rocks of the state.

            Approaching the peak from the east one comes upon a salt marsh fifteen miles long by twelve wide; and, on the northwest corner of this marsh there are found hot springs whose curative powers for all rheumatic troubles are said to be wonderful. These springs have a temperature of one hundred and thirty-six degrees, Fahrenheit, and within six feet of their boiling caldron wells a clear spring of limpid, ice-cold depth. Such strange tricks does Nature play !

            Four miles to the north of these springs there looms an extinct volcano, conical in shape and symmetrical of proportions, the crater of which is several hundred feet across. Down the eastern side rough evidences of former lava cause the prospector to pick his steps carefully, occasionally this lava provokes automobilists to bad language for a broad road sweeps across this ancient current of molten overflow.

            In the early days of mining activity in "the desert state" interest centered largely in the famous Blair mine; among whose directors figured such famous men as Samuel J. Tilden, John I. Blair, and William A. Ogden. Very recently this fine old property came under another management, and has assumed a new name ; the Pittsburg Silver Peak Gold Mining Company. Among the present owners there are men of almost equal prominence, in this age, as were those of the earlier management. In the new directorate Senator Flinn, of Pennsylvania, is president; and George T. Oliver, the steel magnate, is one of the directors.

            The new company has already demonstrated a determination to push business forward along all needed and desirable channels. Contracts have been let for a railroad, running from Deep Wells to the new townsite of Blair, lying three and a half miles north of the old town of Silver Peak. This railroad was to be completed this November. Contract for a tramway has also been let, which runs from the mines to a new hundred-stamp quartz mill. The company is also erecting a power line, which taps the Nevada Light and Power Company wires. They are installing two twenty-drill compressors; and will reduce the ores of their mines for three dollars per ton. This will be mining and milling at a much lower figure than is done anywhere else in the state of Nevada.

            At the new townsite, called Blair, something of a boom in real estate is on. Confidence is expressed that "things will be doing" throughout the entire Silver Peak district; and many men who have wandered from this region in the past

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are coming back, loud in assertions that Silver Peak always was their "first love" and that "she'll do to tie to."

            The Pittsburg Silver Peak Gold Mining Company's nearest neighbor, on the southeast, is the Mohawk Alpine Mine, which has been consolidated with the Pittsburg Silver Peak.

            Two hundred yards from the Mohawk Alpine Company's quartz mill there is a spring of pure, sweet water. In that country of dry rocks, however golden, a spring is held in as high favor as the most glittering prospect of all.

            Many of the roads in this region are precipitous, some even registering a grade of forty-eight per cent, necessitating expert teamsters. Accidents sometimes occur, of course, but with far less frequency than one would imagine.

            Chief among the claims of the famous group of old Blair mines is one so famous that almost every mining engineer on the continent perks up at the mere mention of its name. This is Drinkwater. It was the last of the mining properties brought to the notice of John W. Mackay, of Virginia City fame, was this celebrated Drinkwater. At that time he took his engineers and miners to Silver Peak under his personal leadership and at an expense of more than ten thousand dollars, sampled this property. During the interim between his sampling and a journey to New York for consultation with his associate, J. B. Haggin, litigation was commenced between Barney Gamble and John I. Blair for possession of the property. This is how it happened that the Drinkwater failed to come into possession of Mackay and Haggin.

            The Drinkwater has been examined by so many well-known mining experts that all their names would make bulky reading. One of them was Patsy Clark. Charles D. Lane remarked, after finishing his investigation "There is ore enough here in sight to run a three-hundred stamp-mill twenty years."

            This one claim would have been adequate for the formation of a goodly company were there no other claims; but it happens that there are several other claims in this old Blair property. Now that such energetic capital has taken them over, it is safe to aver that Silver Peak will shortly attract the wide attention of miners.

            On the top of the mountain, a little to the west of the Drinkwater are the Lynches and Omearas who became celebrated in Tonopah through their lease of the Mizpah, which produced during the last thirty days of its life the sum of six hundred and forty thousand dollars. These men are building a town of their own, on the very top of the mountain, eight thousand feet high. They have laid a pipe line from a spring about three miles distant to a new mill, now in course of erection. This property was formerly known as the Valcalde. It was owned by three Italians, brothers; who having little money were compelled to work their mine in most meager method; and to do many other things which might bring in the dollars so needful to their support. They burnt charcoal, cut wood, drove teams—did almost anything, in fact, which would fetch an honest penny; confident ever that some day their mine would bring them the fortune which should compensate them for all their hardships. It came, finally, through the sale of the Valcalde to Lynch and Omeara; then the oldest of the brothers made happy preparation to return to Italy but before he could get out of the state Death came and gathered him to that shore from whence there is no return.