USA > Nevada > Eureka County > Eureka and its resources; a complete history of Eureka County, Nevada, containing the United States mining laws, the mining laws of the district, bullion product and other statistics for 1878, and a list of county officers > Part 1
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Gc 979.301 Eu7m 1131954
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01102 7056
M. OLIVER, ENG PAS. PRESS
EUREKA, NEVADA.
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES ;
A COMPLETE HISTORY
OF
EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA,
CONTAINING
THE UNITED STATES MINING LAWS, THE MINING LAWS OF THE DISTRICT, BULLION PRODUCT AND OTHER STATISTICS FOR 1878, AND A LIST OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
By LAMBERT MOLINELLI & CO.,
REAL ESTATE AGENTS, EUREKA, NEV.
WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS
SAN FRANCISCO : H. KELLER & CO., 1879.
Copyright, 1879, by Lambert Molinelli & Co ..
PACIFIC PRESS PRINTERS AND STEREOTYPEKS, OAKLAND, CAL.
1131954
PREFACE.
WELL knowing its imperfections and short comings, we ask for our work the lenient criticism of the public; and, while claiming nothing as authors, we ask fair consideration as book makers.
To those who have afforded us the means of compiling the in- formation contained in these pages, we tender our sincere thanks.
Knowing that we have written nothing which the past and present of Eureka will not corroborate, with clear conscience, with naught set down in malice, and nothing extenuated, we sub- mit our book to the public.
LAMBERT MOLINELLI & CO. November, 1879.
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
EARLY PROSPECTORS OF THE BASE RANGE
THIS WORK IS
MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
CONTENTS.
PAGE. CHAPTER I .- Geographical Outline-General Character of the County, and Mining Districts -- Its Growth and History. 7
CHAPTER II .- Progress of the County's Industries-Bullion Product- -
Furnaces-Treatment of Ores. 25
CHAPTER III .- General Geology of the District. 34
CHAPTER IV .- Our Mines-Eureka Consolidated-Richmond-K. K .-
Phoenix, and Jackson. 39
CHAPTER V .- The Albion-Price & Davies-Wales Con .- Adams' Hill Series 47
CHAPTER VI .- Prospect Mountain and Its Mines. 54
CHAPTER VII .- The Great Tunnels of Prospect Mountain-The Pros- pect Mountain-The Maryland-The Eureka-The Charter-Mc- Coy Hill and Its Mines. 63
CHAPTER VIII .- Hoosac Mountain-Hoosac Mine-Outside Distriets- Silverado-Rescue-Secret Canyon-Geddes and Bertrand-Mineral IXill -- Cortez. 72
CHAPTER IX .- United States Mining Laws -- District Mining Laws- Form of Notice of Mining Location. 84
CHAPTER X .- General Review-Conclusion 99
APPENDIX .- Bullion Product-Other Statistics-List of Officers. . . . 105
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VIEW OF EUREKA
PAGE. ..
Frontispiece
PRAIRIE SCHOONER 9
PRIMITIVE FURNACE
27
EUREKA CON. FURNACE
35
RICHMOND FURNACE
41
HOOSAC FURNACE
49
ATLAS FURNACE.
55
K. K. FURNACE.
65
EUREKA CON. AND K. K. HOISTING WORKS.
73
JACKSON HOISTING WORKS.
85
PINTO MILL.
101
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
CHAPTER I.
Geographical Outline -- General Character of the County and Mining Dis- trict-Its Growth and History.
THE county of Eureka occupies that portion of the State of Nevada lying north and east of its geographical center. It lies between the parallels of 39º 10' and 41°, and between the meridians of 115° 45' and 116° 35' west of Greenwich. It is bounded as follows : On the north by Elko county, on the east by Elko and White Pine counties, on the south by Nye county, and on the west by Lander county.
The Humboldt river, with a general westerly course, flows through the northern portion of the county. Maggie creek empties into the Humboldt from the north, and Pine creek from the south. Fish creek rises in the southwestern portion of the county, and flows in an easterly direction into White Pine county, where it sinks. There are also several minor streams, fed by the mountain springs, and sinking in a few miles from their source.
The Sulphur range of mountains lies partly within the county and along its western boundary, extending from the Humboldt river on the north to the Nye county line on the south. On the east of the county lies the Diamond range, which, trending westerly at its southern extremity, crosses the southeastern portion of the county. From these ranges numerous spurs extend into the county, the principal of which is Prospect mountain, trending northerly from the southwestern extremity of the Diamond range.
The county lies entirely in the Great Basin. Its surface is
8
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
mountainous. The Humboldt river, which is its lowest point, is 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, and the summit of Diamond mountain, which towers above the town of Eureka, has an elevation of over 11,000 feet. Prospect mountain has an altitude of 9,500 feet. We are not aware that the alti- tude of the higher peaks in the Sulphur range has ever been determined. They may be safely assumed to have an eleva- tion equal to that of Prospect mountain.
The soil of the county is generally barren. A good hay crop is cut in the Humboldt bottom, and in Pine and Fish- creek valleys. A few acres of land along the minor water- courses are successfully devoted to vegetable gardening. With these exceptions there is no agriculture. There is, however, an abundant growth of white sage and bunch-grass in nearly all parts of the county, affording excellent pastur- age alike for winter and summer. The grazing interest is steadily growing. A few cottonwoods are to be found along some of the water courses. There is no timber, properly so called. There is, however, upon most of the foot-hills a sparse growth of nut-pine (pinon), mountain mahogany, and dwarf cedar, which is used for fuel and in the manufacture of charcoal for smelting.
Eureka, the shire town and the center of the population and wealth of the county, is situated in a cañon between Diamond and Prospect mountains, at an elevation of 7,000 feet above the sea. The only other towns are Ruby Hill (near Eureka), Mineral Hill, (fifty-five miles north), and Pal- isadle and Beowawe, on the Humboldt ; the former near the eastern and the latter near the western boundary of the county. The town of Eureka is connected with the Central Pacific Railroad at Palisade by a narrow-guage railroad. This road was built and equipped without aid either from the State or county. It has nowhere a grade of over one hun- dred fect to the mile, and is reported to have cost something more than $1,000,000. Eureka, which in the year 1869
PRESS PAD
PRAIRIE SCHOONER.
11
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
had but one or two log cabins, has now a population of 5,000 to 7,000, two lines of telegraph, a railroad, and many fine buildings. It is the second town of importance in Nevada.
Eureka county, in common with the rest of the State, forms a portion of the territory wrested from Mexico by the heroes of 1846-7, and ceded to the United States by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It lay within the boundaries of the Territory of Utah as first created, and in that portion of it which in 1861 was erected into the Territory of Nevada. At the first creation of counties by the Territorial Legisla- ture of Nevada, in 1861, that portion of what is now Eureka county lying north of the 40th parallel fell in Humboldt county, the southern portion falling in Churchill county. In 1862 the county of Lander was created, including all of Eu- reka's present territory. In November, 1864, the territory of Nevada was admitted into the Union as the State of Ne- vada. By the Act of March 1, 1873, the county of Eureka was created, including its present territory and also that por- tion of the State lying north of the 41st parallel and between the present meridian boundaries. In 1875 this northern por- tion was ceded to Elko county. The Act creating Eureka county went into operation on the 20th day of March, 1873. The county officials were named in the Act and commissioned by the Governor. They continued in office until January, 1875, being succeeded by the officers elected at the general election of 1875.
The old Overland stage road traverses Eureka county a little north of the central line. Previous to 1864 the only white settlers within its limits were the employés of the stage company. More or less prospecting had been carried on in a desultory way, but without success. The Shoshones and Piutes were the only inhabitants of the region.
The history of the discovery and development of the Eureka Mining district comprises the history of the growth of the en- tire county. In the summer of 1864, W. O. Arnold, W. R. Tan-
12
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
nehill, G. J. Tannehill, I. W. Stotts and Moses Wilson organ- ized in Austin a party with a view to prospecting Diamond and Prospect mountains for si. ver. On the 20th of September of that year, having previously met favorable indications, they discovered and located a ledge in what is now known as New York Canyon, on one of the north-eastern spurs of Prospect mountain, about a mile south of the center of the present town of Eureka. This ledge was located as the Eureka mine, and the Eureka Mining District was at once organized with G. J. Tannehill as Recorder. Several other locations were made by these gentlemen. The ore extracted from these mines was taken to Austin, a distance of eighty miles, and at that time the nearest point where it could be reduced. The returns were so satisfactory that other prospectors followed the pioneers. In 1866, Arnold, Stotts, Wilson and the two Tannehills conveyed their mines to a New York company. This company expended large sums of money; but-as is the wont of Eastern companies-their operations were conducted in a manner alike unscientific and unpractical, and their expenditures resulted in naught. It was not until 1869 that the district entered upon a career of permanent prosperity. Before that year there were not 100 white inhabitants in the county.
In the summer of 1869 the town of Eureka, then in its infancy, was first placed in regular communication with other settlements. The route of Wilson's line of stages between Austin and Hamilton was changed so as to pass through Eureka. A mail was thus afforded, but no postoffice was established until 1870. In the spring of 1870, Woodruff & Ennor established a stage route between Hamilton, in White Pine county, and Palisade, on the railroad passing through Eureka. Before this, all the travel and transportation for that portion of the State lying east of us and south of the railroad, had centered at Elko, and notwithstanding the supe- rior advantages of Palisade as a depot for freight and passen-
13
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
gers, great difficulty was long experienced upon the new route, arising principally from the discriminations of the Central Pacific Company against Palisade and in favor of Elko, the town site of the latter place being on Railroad lands. For over two years Eureka suffered greatly from this cause. In 1871, Pritchard's fast freight line, which had previously worked to Elko, established its depot at Palisade. In 1874, the Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company having been incorporated under the State laws, commenced the building of a narrow-guage railroad between those points. The road was completed in October, 1875, and has since been in successful operation. With its completion the town of Eureka became the depot of all wagon transportation and freight and passen- ger traffic to the different mining camps lying south of it. It is now in regular stage communication with Austin, Bel- mont, Tybo, Ward District, Hamilton and Pioche. The pop- ulation of the town in October, 1869, was less than one hun- dred. By October, 1870, it had increased to about 2,000. In the fall of 1872 it was estimated at 4,000; in 1874 at 6,000; and the population of to-day, as we have already stated, is no less than 7,000. From the unassuming mining camp of the winter of 1869-70, with a few scattered canvas and log houses, the town has grown to be the second in the State in population and resources, and far from unattractive in appearance. There are many fine brick and stone struc- tures; the stone quarries in the eastern and western portions of the town, and the brick yards immediately south of it, furnishing an abundant supply of building material. The town is abundantly supplied with water by the Eureka Water Works. A 55,000-gallon tank has been constructed on the west side of town, which is supplied with water from McCoy's springs, at an expense of $10,000. Water from this source is only used in case of fire. The fall to the flagstaff at the corner of Main and Clark streets is 220 feet, and is suf- ficient to reach the most elevated point in the town limits.
14
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
There are five fire companies, the Eureka Hook and Ladder, the Rescue, Knickerbocker, Nob Hill, and Richmond Hose Companies. There are also two militia companies organized. The Masons and the Odd Fellows have each fine buildings and are in prosperous circumstances. The other secret orders hold their meetings either in Masonic or Odd Fellows' Hall.
Among the prominent buildings lately erected, and now under process of construction, can be mentioned the Inter- national Hotel, Jackson House, "Sentinel" building, and Opera House ,each being handsome two story brick structures, to say nothing of the many elegant private residences that adorn our town. There are two banks, namely, Paxton & Co., and the White Pine County Bank, both of which are doing a prosperous business.
A magnificent court-house, to cost $53,000, is now in process of construction. This building will be one of the finest county buildings on the coast, and will certainly be a matter of laud- able pride to all the citizens of the county. The first edifice for religious worship, a substantial stone chapel, was erected by the Protestant Episcopal church in 1871. The first Ro- man Catholic church was built the same year. This was a frame building, and the parish has since erected a more com- modious stone church near the western limit of the town. The Presbyterian church, a large frame building, stands op- posite St. Brendan's (R. C.) The Methodist Episcopal Society is organized, has purchased land, built a rectory and erected a handsome church.
There are three newspapers published in the county, viz .: the Eureka Daily Sentinel, Eureka Daily Leader and the Ruby Hill Weekly Mining Report. The Eureka Daily Sen- tinel was established in July, 1870, as a weekly, by A. Skill- man and L. C. McKenney. In June, 1871, the growing interests of Eureka justified its publication as a daily. It has since been so published. The present proprietors are George W. Cassidy and A. Skillman. The Sentinel is democratic in
15
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
politics, and is devoted to the advancement of local interests.
The Eureka Daily Leader was established in June, 1878, by F. E. Fisk and C. L. Canfield. It is republican in politics, newsy, readable, and devoted to the interests of the county.
The Ruby Hill Mining Report was established in October, 1878, by M. W. Musgrove. It is a weekly newspaper, pub- lished at Ruby Hill, independent in politics, and strictly de- voted to the mining interests of the district.
The county of Eureka is divided into five school districts: Eureka, Palisade, Beowawe, Mineral Hill, and Pinto. The census of 1878 shows a school population, between 6 and 18 years of age, of 625.
The assessed value of property in the county in 1869, was merely nominal. In 1878 it was $5,000,000.
The assessment for the current year has not been com- pleted, but it will undoubtedly reach $6,000,000.
This, of course, under our State laws, does not include the value of the mines.
The history of the industrial growth of Eureka District is the history of the first successful treatment in America of argentiferous lead ores.
The first attempt at smelting this class of ore was made at Oreana, in Humboldt county, and was unsuccessful. In 1866, Moses Wilson built a furnace in Eureka, on the site now occupied by the Roslin furnace, and an attempt at smelt- ing was made. This resulted in total failure. In 1868, Morris, Monroe & Co., having acquired a large mining prop- erty in the district, employed Mr. Stetefeldt, of Austin, to erect and conduct a furnace. Mr. Stetefeldt having built the furnace, commenced reduction in May, 1869. Three attempts were made by him, each resulting in failure. In the mean while, Major W. W. McCoy had acquired the Morris, Monroe & Co. property. Major McCoy attributed Stetefeldt's want of success to an insufficiency of blast, the poor quality of the ma- terial for lining, and the incompetence of his subordinates.
16
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
The last difficulty he overcame by securing the services of R. P. Jones and John Williams, who had considerable experience in Wales. In coming to Eureka from White Pine, Jones and Williams discovered, on Pancake mountain, an excellent quality of fire-rock, and thus the second difficulty was overcome. Major McCoy then had inserted in the old Stetefeldt furnace two side tweers (it having previously had but one, and that in the rear), and the Pancake lining having been procured, Jones and Williams, in July, 1869, commenced their first run on ore from the Champion, Buckeye, Grant and Eureka mines. A deserved success attended their efforts, the practicability of cheaply treating these ores, heretofore regarded as so stub- born, was demonstrated, and the future prosperity of Eureka was assured. Major McCoy continued smelting until No- vember, 1869, when he leased the furnace to D. E. Buel and I. C. Bateman, who, about this time, bonded the Champion and Buckeye series of mines, and purchased the Monroe town survey. These gentlemen smelted successfully until the ter- mination of their lease in May, 1870.
In December, 1869, G. C. Robbins commenced the erec- tion of a draft furnace. This, before the spring of 1670, he converted into a blast furnace, and, by the summer of that year, was engaged in smelting, with good results, the ores of the Kentuck and Mountain Boy mines. Colonel Robbins soon after added another furnace to his reduction works. These furnaces were purchased since by a Chicago company, which is now pursuing operations in Eureka.
In 1870, Messrs. Bevan & Wallace built a furnace and engaged in smelting. This enterprise, from various cause:", proved a failure. The furnace no longer exists.
In the summer of 1870, Buel and Bateman, having pur- chased the Champion and Buckeye series of mines, built two furnaces at the lower end of the town. These were subse- quently, together with the mines, sold to the Eureka Consol- idated Mining Company. That company subsequently built
17
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
three additional furnaces. The company has also constructed a narrow-gauge railroad from its reduction works, a distance of three miles, which has been subsequently sold to the Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company. About the same time the Jackson Mining Company purchased Wilson's furnace site and erected two furnaces, which were run on ore from the Jackson mine.
In the summer of 1870, the furnace of the Roslin Com- pany was built. The furnace has remained idle for someyears
In the fall of 1870, Thos. J. Taylor commenced the erection of a furnace, which he subsequently sold to the Phoenix Min- ing Company. By that company it was sold to the Hoosac Mining Company, by which it is now owned.
In September, 1870, J. J. Dunne & Co. purchased of H. P. McNevin a furnace site at the south end of the town. Mr. McNevin had commenced the erection of a furnace, which was completed by Ogden, Dunne & Co., in which firm the old company of J. J. Dunne & Co. was shortly merged. This furnace was run on ores from the Richmond mine, adjoining the mines of the Eureka Consolidated. In 1871, the Rich- mond Consolidated Mining Company (limited) of London purchased the works of Ogden, Dunne & Co. and the Rich- mond mine. Four furnaces have since been added to these works. The Richmond Company has also erected a refinery, which for nearly two years has been in successful operation, separating the precious metals from the base bullion.
In 1872, Hermann Heynemann, having previously pur- chased the Dunderberge and other mines, built his reduction works, comprising two furnaces, which have since been almost constantly employed in smelting ores from the Dunderberge and Atlas mines.
The same year the Silver West Mining Company purchased a furnace site immediately above the Jackson furnace, and built a furnace, which has since been run principally on ores from the K. K. mine.
18
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
Hon. C. C. Goodwin, at present the distinguished editor of the Territorial Enterprise, was one of the early operators in . Eureka district. He erected the Jackson furnace, which he ran on ores from the Jackson mine with marked success for many months. He netted for himself and associates nearly a quarter of a million of dollars, which was perhaps the first profitable mining done in this district.
From 1869 dates the first successful treatment of the Eureka ores ; and in the train of that success came capital, labor, and increased facilities for transportation. In that year the towns of Palisade and Beowawe were located on the Central Pacific railroad, then just completed, and the town of Eu- reka, ninety miles south of Palisade, was laid out. The two original proprietors of Eureka were Major W. W. McCoy and Alonzo Monroe. These gentlemen respectively acquired the possessory title to the Eureka valley, their surveys joining on a line crossing the valley at the present center of the town. The Monroe survey lay to the north, the McCoy to the south of this line. In the latter were included the springs which now, with some additional ones since discovered, sup- ply the town with water. Two additional surveys were sub- sequently made, the Robbins and O'Neil on the west, the McDonald on the east, of the original surveys. The town has extended over both of these tracts.
All the locations made in the district up to the summer of 1869 were in New York Canyon and on the easterly flank of the high peak now known as Prospect mountain. All the prospectors had sought for mineral on the east side, and had unfortunately overlooked the westerly and northwesterly foot-hills. At this time, however, some Cornish miners dis- covered a very promising ferruginous outcrop about two and a half miles west of the town of Eureka, on a northwesterly spur of Prospect mountain, which they named Ruby Hill. From this discovery dates the beginning of the prominence and prosperity of the district.
19
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
The party located the Champion, Buckeye, Sentinel, Mam- moth, and other claims, which they set to work industriously to open and develop. The owners of the Buckeye, Mam- moth, Sentinel, etc., built a brush fence marking and defining their claims. They prudently took in all the law allowed them, and something more ; and, subsequently, when the ground had become valuable, patrolled their boundary line with loaded rifles to keep off encroaching locators. Subse- quently a party of San Francisco capitalists bought out the owners of the Buckeye, Mammoth, Sentinel, etc., and a con- solidation was effected. From the properties thus united re- sulted the incorporation now known as the Eureka Consoli- dated Mining Company. This company was organized in July, 1870, and in the month of January of the succeeding year, W. S. Keyes took charge as superintendent of the mines and furnaces. During the next few years a large number of incorporations were formed to work the mines of this dis- trict, among others the Richmond, K. K., Jackson, and Phœ- nix. All of these are situated upon what we shall call the Eureka lode. Of these the Richmond lies to the west of the Eureka Consolidated, and the K. K., Phoenix, and Jackson in the order named, follow one another to the east of the Eureka.
In the Spring of 1869, or about June, Dan. Dalton shipped ore from the Champion mine to Major McCoy's furnace, which was situated where Fisk's barley mill now stands, and was at that time the only smelting furnace in the dis- trict. The amount of the first shipment consisted of about 60 tons, which produced about 20 tons of bullion, which was hauled to Palisade by W. H. Clark, who claims to have hauled the first bullion ever produced in Eureka. This furnace was built by Messrs. Stetefeldt, Monroe, and others, and is known as a cupola blast furnace. The first bullion produced was sent to Selby & Co., of San Francisco, to be refined, the ore assay- ing $81 in gold and silver per ton,
20
EUREKA AND ITS RESOURCES.
RUBY HILL.
The history of Ruby hill is, of course, intimately blended with that of Eureka. Had the rich ores of that wonderful hill not been found and profitably utilized, Eureka would have had no more tangible or solid existence to-day than what might have been given it upon a nicely-executed town survey, made at the instance of some ambitious, oily-tongued land-grabber. Previous to 1869, the year so memorable, and yet so disastrous, to many who took part in the hegira to the Pogonip region, this portion of sage-land, outside of the few who then resided here, was looked upon as a sort of terra incognito-a half savage, unexplored territory; whose hills had not yet, except in a small way, afforded any evi- dence of their possessing the vast wealth which has since been extracted from them. From 1864, the year of the first or- ganization and discoveries, till 1869, or early in 1870, Eureka might be said to have lain in a state of statu quo. Early in the latter year, however, a new and enterprising element of strength, in the shape of hardy miners and experienced pros- pectors, invaded our then sparsely populated camp.
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