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Show AS ONE SEES NEVADA MINES Speaking of conditions in Nevada, I L. J. Matlock, Just returned from a I winter's stay in Tonapah, says they arc something tierce. In his estimation estima-tion thero are not a half dozen properties prop-erties In the state worth one-tenth their capitalization, and ho Insists that It Is only blg-monled fellows like Schwab who arc keeping the bottom from dropping out of the whole "shebang" "she-bang" and these fellows are holding It up only that a few more suckers may bo roped In. Mr. Matlock says ho has visited every camp In south and western Nevada In company with engineers of unquestioned lepute and their observation Is that not aslnglo permanent ledge has been discovered. Good values have been and aro still found on the surface, but few of these properties dare go below 250 feet. In most Instances lava rock is found at this depth and the prospectors cover up the hole and proceed to drift on tho ore "above. Matlock Rlvesthe Mohawk Mo-hawk credit for being tho best property prop-erty In any of tho groups, but even this, like tho others, Is over-capitalized. Terrific Figures. The total capitalization or Goldlleld properties Is said to run to $180,000,000 and with no more than $1,000,000 worth of ore In sight. Mr. Matlock says Goldtluld Is a dead ono and will never again be what It once was. The labor troubles havo caused no end of trouble, but as vlowed by those on the inside that is exactly what the mine owners really desire. They hope to llnd good excuse for dumping their proporty and stockholders. At tho present time thero aro 400 vacant houses for lent In Goldlleld. in the opinion of all, Ely Is destined to make good. Tho copper Is thcic, low grado but In great quantity. The Logan-Tonopah. Mr. Matlock saw Alfred Hansen at tho Logan-Tonopah property, and says ho Is Aorklng honestly to get results. This property Is located entirely out of the discovered mine zone, fully two miles from any developed property, but a fair looking quartz Is being takon out and thero Is a possibility of a bunch of good oro being uncoeied. Wattr Is Purchased. Of Tonopah, where Mr. Matlock has been employed the past winter, ho has llttlo to say that would Induce any to hike out for that placo on short notice. no-tice. Tho town Is a treeless, grassless, watcrlessdesert of houses where pcoplo exist rather than live. Thero Is no water nearer than seven miles and the whiskey is never the best, though much nearer. Water is secured by driving wells in mountain washes and then Is hauled to Tonopah whero it Is Bold tlftcen gallons for 45 cents. It Is never sold any other way. If ono wants a drink ho must purchase three I five-gallon oil cans full. This water Is used for all purposes, bathing even, though yhc people there learn to do without a bath. The water Is brack-sh, brack-sh, full of alkali even after It's boiled and coffer alwajs tastes like lc soap. The town has no -sidewalks and tho only splotch of green north, east, south or west Is on Urn loof of a certain millionaire's mil-lionaire's residence There Isn't an ounce of soil on 40,000 acrts there and a "row" Is about the only thing that can be raised on the never-ending shale No one Is permanently located tlieio except those In thogracyard, and the- number there Is small, for tho reason that people drv up and blow away before they havo time to die, The air is so hot chickens lay boiled eggs and continuous prairie 11 res aro prevented only by the fact that there arc no prairies. Great Opportunities. As Matlock saw Tonopah, it is a splendid placo to stay away from, though opportunity of a kind Is still there. If one desires to get on the insldo of things and go after the ever-credulous ever-credulous foreign investor, he can make money all right. It's easy to exploit a worthless property and sell stock, and that's what most of them ate doing In Tonopah Thay are In there for a graft, aro living any old way for a time and making every sacrifice sac-rifice for the get-rlch-qulck idea. Matlock Mat-lock says Zlon looks a Paradise Indeed, |
