Chafey Camp, Nevada
Elwin S. Chafey, founder of the now
famous Chafey Camp, Nevada, has been a prominent mine developer,
and a successful one, for several years. But he has recently
developed in the rejuvenated Chafey Camp the greatest strike of
his career, and no wonder he is enthusiastic, because he has a
mine and a valuable and productive property. There is an
honorable list of the Chafey Nevada mining properties, gained
many years before the desert operators were ever heard of and
there is considerably less difficulty in wringing profits from
Chafey properties today than there was then. In those days it
cost a small fortune to have ores hauled to Winnemucca, where
there was a mill, and it cost 25 cents per ton to have it
treated, yet much of the rock smelted $800 per ton. Then
supplies were high and powder expensive and poor, and the
Indians very hostile, many of the miners being killed. Today all
that is changed and conditions perfect for the development and
production and shipping of ore at a great profit. Experts say
that there is not a greater desert camp in Nevada than Chafey,
and a wonderful profit is in store for that now famous camp. The
early operators at Chafey did not go below 80 feet, and they
walked over valuable ore year after year. E. S. Chafey went
farther and became the rejuvenator of the camp. He soon
developed the famous Black Hole Mine. The ledge followed was
very distinct on the surface; and there are more of such ledges,
any one of which may lead into as big a proposition as the Black
Hole is today.
Chafey Mines, Chafey, Nevada
Milling ores occur at Chafey in big
bodies, and the new custom mill recently built will lessen the
cost of production greatly. This district is fifteen miles long
by four to five in width, and there is not a camp in the country
with better surface showings, and no camp in Nevada can show
such a record as this district, by virtue of the Black Hole
operations and shipments, and Chafey gives every promise of
further successes and big increase in population. The town site
is perfect, climate great, and many lots are now being sold for
investment purposes.
Mr. Chafey has developed the Nevada,
the Black Hole and Golden Bell mines, and two other groups owned
by the Chafey Mines Company, of which he is president and H. C.
Ostler is secretary and treasurer. Mr. Chafey owns 95 per cent,
of the stock, and in less than one year the mines produced
$250,000, and it is estimated that there is a million dollars'
worth of ore in sight. Several shafts have been sunk, and the
profitable ore will run a great deal more. The vein on the
surface is opened for 2300 feet, every place showing ore of
milling value. The ore is siliceous, the values being chiefly in
gold, with just a little silver and lead. The Chafey Mines
Company was incorporated in 1909 for $1,000,000, with 200,000
shares of treasury stock, making an immediate offering of only
50,000 shares, which offering was guar-anteed.
Elwin S. Chafey was born October 9,
1877, at Winfield, Kansas, a son of M. N. and Elizabeth W. He
was married to Miss Ethel M. Cutler, November 25, 1907. He
arrived at Chafey, Nevada, in May, 1908, and is the founder of
the town. He discovered the Transvaal Camp, Nye County, Nevada,
and developed the Diamond Queen Mine. He also started the
Skiddoo Camp in California, and many other mines. Mr. Chafey is
a resident of Chafey, Humboldt County, Nevada.
Index
Source: Sketches of the Inter-Mountain
States, Utah, Idaho and Nevada, Published by The Salt Lake
Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1909
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