Mining 2020 by Nevada News Group/ Winnemucca Publishing

MINING 2020 EDITION

INSIDE Relief Canyon Mine still “ramping up”

Rare Opal digging in the desert Working side-byside in a man’s world In-house historian preserves Rochester’s story

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MINING

On the cover —

2020

a publication of Nevada News Group Publisher: Peter Bernhard Special Projects Director: Samantha Andersen Writers: Debra Reid Peggy Jones Ashley Maden Michelle Cook Advertising Sales: Jacklyn Orr Stephanie Johnson Ashley Buckingham Advertising Design: Joe Plummer Emily Swindle

COURTESY PHOTO • NEVADA GOLD MINES

Nevada Gold Mines provided support to the state and host communities during the rise of COVID-19 and the state social distancing and stay-at-home orders. See the story beginning on Page 16

In this issue —

Nevada Mining Association announces 2020 Safety Awards Recipients Nevada Mining Association �� Page 4

Working side-by-side in a man’s world: a look at women in mining in the early days By Michelle Cook �� Page 6

Mining through COVID-19 By Tyre Gray, Esq., Nevada Mining Association President �� Page 14

Relief Canyon Mine still “ramping up” By Debra Reid �� Page 21

Rare Opal digging in the desert By Debra Reid �� Page 29

1022 S. Grass Valley Road, Winnemucca, Nev. 89445 (775) 623-5011

A lucky strike: In-house historian preserves Rochester’s story Nevada Mining Association �� Page 37

2020 Safety Awards

Recipients showcase an industry-wide commitment to safe mining operations Nevada Mining Association

The Nevada Mining Association (NvMA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 Individual Safety Awards. The awards celebrate the men and women who make an extraordinary effort to ensure all mine workers return home safely after every shift. “The safety standards and practices in Nevada mining are second to none,” said NvMA President, Tyre Gray. “Miners in the Silver State continue to set a high bar for workplace safety, not just in Nevada, but around the world. It is men and women like these 35 award recipients that have helped create and strengthen that culture. Congratulations to this year’s award winners and thank you for your dedication.” The NvMA Safety Awards are based on performance in the previous calendar year, and the winners are chosen by their peers. The 35 individual miners are recognized for their dedication to best practices in safety standards and for their impressive accomplishments throughout 2019. In addition to the individual awards, the NvMA will also recognize mining companies for their commitment to providing safe workplaces. Those recipients are based on data provided by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and will be announced in July. Attached is the list of NvMA Safety Awards winners and the mines at which they worked in 2019.

About Nevada Mining Association

The Nevada Mining Association is comprised of operating mining companies; exploration companies; suppliers of industry equipment, goods, and services; and individuals interested in sustaining the industry. The Nevada Mining Association champions a business environment that fosters mineral exploration, development, and production in Nevada using safe and environmentally conscious methods. For more information, visit www.nevadamining.org. Stay up to date with all Nevada Mining Association activities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages.

Mountain opment Shawn Sandoval — Nevada Gold Superintendent Mines, Cortez Dan Cords — Granite Construction, Alexandria (Xan) Camden — Nevada Lockwood Quarry Gold Mines, Carlin Matt Thompson — KGHM, Robinson Mine General Supervisor Scott Hill — Coeur Mining, Rochester Steve Scholl — Coeur Mining, RochJoshua Jones — Nevada Gold Mines, ester Cortez Jason Bohl — Nevada Gold Mines, Cortez Supervisor Jorge Gonzalez — Nevada Gold Joshua Musgrove — Kinross, Round Mines, Cortez Mountain John Jones — Coeur Mining, RochSafety Champions ester Rick Rimington — KGHM, Robison Jay Patrick — US Silica, Colado Mine Mine Scott Nevin — Nevada Gold Mines, Janel Lacey — Kinross, Round MounCortez tain Jarrod Rebiejo — KGHM, Robinson Ernie Moran — Kinross, Round Mine Mountain Luis Fernandez — SSR Mining, MariJohn Sanchez — Nevada Gold Mines, gold Phoenix Jim Lindeman — SSR Mining, MariCody Lunderman — Nevada Gold gold Mines, Phoenix

Michael Andersen — SSR Mining, Trainer Marigold Scott Cross — SSR Mining, Marigold Salvador Jimenez — US Silica, Colado 2020 NvMA Safety Awards recipients Sergio Olmedo — Kinross, Round Plant General Manager Mountain Michelle Cole — Nevada Gold Mines, Amanda Hilton — KGHM, Robinson Cortez Mine EMS Mine Rescue Megan Desmond — Nevada Gold Mine Manager Ryan Ispisua — SSR Mining. MariMines, Cortez Ralph Erquiaga — SSR Mining, Marigold Hugh Neilson — Nevada Gold Mines, gold Justin Krause — Nevada Gold Mines, Cortez Cortez Safety Professional Safety Manager Faith Holthof — Nevada Gold Mines, Robert Flynn — Kinross, Round Marie Sandoval — Small Mine Devel- Goldstrike F 4 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

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Mining History

Working side-by-side in a man’s world: a look at women in mining in the early days By Michelle Cook Nevada News Group

The women who made mining their business during the early days were prospectors who either went out on their own or worked beside their husbands or other male relatives. Women handled shovels and prospector’s hammers, chased mules, endured physical hardships from bad weather, mine hazards, and dangers from claim jumpers and other ne’er-do-wells. In Sally Zanjani’s ground-breaking work on women prospectors, “A Mine of Her Own: Women Prospectors in the American West, 1850-1950,” Zanjani states that the range and depth of women prospectors in the American West was not an anomaly. Zanjani counts 77 women who prospected and an additional 19 women who were physically engaged in mining activities, estimating that the actual numbers could be three times higher. Zanjani says, “Of all the 80 some women prospectors I could date from the 49ers to 1950, 47% belonged to the extraordinary period between 1898 and 1910 that encompassed the Klondike rush and the central Nevada mining boom.” Zanjani speculates that the reason for this high number of women entering the mining industry was the rise of the so-called “New Woman.” Changing attitudes regarding what women were capable of began after 1870 with women who were “often unmarried and employed, and her expansion into new job categories. I’ve theorized that the synergy of this new spirit of independence and capability and the bonanza dreams of the Klondike-Goldfield period produced this surge of turn of the century women prospectors …”

COURTESY PHOTO • LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Women pull a sled loaded with provisions in Skagway, Alaska

California Gold Rush brings the first of the “petty coat prospectors”

Large scale mining began with the 1849 California Goldrush. The Forty-niners who rushed into California came from all over the world. It is estimated that approximately 90,000 people arrived in California in 1849. Of these, perhaps 50,000 to 60,000 were Americans, and the rest were from other countries. By 1855, it is estimated at least 300,000 gold-seekers, merchants, and other immigrants had arrived in California from around the world. The largest group continued to be Americans, but there were tens of thousands each of Mexicans, Chinese, Britons, Australians, French, and Latin Americans, together with many smaller groups of miners from other areas of the globe.

6 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

Of the 40,000 people who arrived by ship in the San Francisco harbor in 1849, only 700 were women (including poor women, wealthy women, entrepreneurs, prostitutes, single women and married women). They were of various ethnicities including Anglo-American, African-American, Hispanic, Native, European, Chinese, and Jewish. The reasons they came varied: some came with their husbands, refusing to be left behind to fend for themselves, some came because their husbands sent for them, and others came (singles and widows) for the adventure and economic opportunities. By the time the 1850 US California Census was conducted, approximately 5,500 women lived within the state with the number of women in mining communities estimated to be about 3,500. By 1850 the female popula-

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MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 7

COURTESY PHOTOS • NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Top — The Montana Café in Ellendale during the town’s short-lived boom. Bottom — Ellen and Joe Nay.

tion was estimated at about 20,000. By the time the discovery of silver in Virginia City, Nevada was made public in 1859, there were roughly 107,000 women living in California. Many of the women who came seeking their fortune during the gold rush worked in saloons, gambling halls, dance halls, peep shows or brothels. A few worked with their husbands or other family members panning gold. Others arrived and set out on their own to mine for gold. One such woman was Marie “Pantalon” Suize, a French orphan who read about the discovery of gold in California and joined other gold seekers in early 1850. Finding the living conditions of French immigrants deplorable, she cut off her hair, put on men’s clothes, and went

prospecting in gold country. In the April 25, 1871 edition of the Daily Alta News, Marie was fined $5 by a San Francisco judge who required her to “doff her masculine toggery and don the proper habiliments of her sex.” The paper reports that she states she had dressed as a man for eighteen years and had worked in the mines with men dressed in pants. The paper makes the not too gentle suggestion that Marie get out of town as soon as possible and take her unflattering “breeches” with her. When Marie eventually mined her claim, it produced $100,000. Marie took the money and invested it in a vineyard, eventually becoming a successful wine merchant in Virginia City and San Francisco. The vines Suize first cultivated near

8 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

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Jackson, California still produce grapes for wine today.

Founder of Ellendale mining district can’t believe her eyes

Ellen Clifford Nay, a Nevada native, married Joseph Brigham Nay and together they worked claims at Saulsbury Wash east of Tonopah, Nevada. In March 1909, Ellen made the discovery which she says made her throw off her sunbonnet and search out her husband. She told a Goldfield News reporter, “When we got back to my claims it was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I strayed up the wash a ways and found a boulder half hidden in the sand. I knocked off a little piece, examined it, and found a pretty speck of gold. I knocked off a larger piece, and my gracious, it was half covered with yellow stuff that looked like gold, but I couldn’t believe my eyes. I threw off my bonnet and away I flew to Joe.” By the time Ellen and Joe finished investigating her findings, Joe had carried out a 75-pound boulder wrapped up in Ellen’s apron. It’s interesting to note Ellen’s specific words to describe the situation: she says “my claims,” not “the claims” or “our claims.” Zanjani alludes to Ellen’s ownership, pointing out that Ellen located the claims in her own name, together with her mother and her brother Ed. Zanjani goes on to speculate that it “seems more likely that Joe, who actually wrote the location notices while Ellie built the monuments, took pride in her accomplishments and thought it unnecessary to add his name to hers ….” Nor was Ellen’s recognition for her achievements “buried in the location notices.” A new mining town, Ellendale, sprung up in the wake of her discovery and the mining district was named after her. But like all mining booms, this one went bust by 1912. Total production value for the Ellendale district from 1909 to 1912 was a little over $100,000.

Actress turned prospector encourages other women

Another woman who defied contemporary Victorian definition of femininity was Lillian Malcom. Malcom started out as an actress on Broadway. When news of the 1898 Klondike gold rush spread around the world, Malcom

Women prospectors of Nevada Mary Louise Grantz

Mary Louise Grantz (originally Grenz) was born on December 4, 1879 to German parents who farmed at Tigerton, Wisconsin. It was around 1919 when Mary staked her first claims in Nevada. In 1943 Mary struck pay dirt in the Pumpernickle Valley east of Winnemucca with a manganese claim at Black Diablo. World War II cut off Soviet Union supplies of manganese which made her claim a valuable piece of property. It’s estimated the mine paid out as much as $150,000 for Mary. She attempted to develop tungsten and more manganese claims after the war but was unsuccessful. She died in 1970.

Ferminia Sarras

Ferminia was born in Nicaragua in July 1840. Like hundreds of other fortune seekers, Fermina made her way to San Francisco in 1876 and by 1880 had moved move on to stake claims at Belleville, Nevada. In 1885, Ferminia moved near Tonopah and spent the next 15 years staking mostly copper claims. After rich discoveries were made at Tonopah and Goldfield, investors were attracted to Fermina’s properties. Her first sale came in June 1902 when investors bonded 25 of her copper claims at $8,000 each. Fermina became a celebrity, acquiring the nickname Nevada’s Copper Queen. Legend has it when railroad officials decided to create a depot north of Belleville, they decided to name it after Fermina. So it was that the town of Mina (the common version of Fermina) suddenly appeared on the map. Fermina died in 1915 but a few of the properties she once owned continued to be mined well into the 1990s.

Josie Reed Pearl

Josie was born in Evening Shade, Arkansas on December 19, 1873. She and her family moved to San Luis Valley, New Mexico Territory in 1881. In 1886 she filed a gold claim located on Rat Creek in Colorado, which she later sold for $5,000. Josie moved to Creede, Colorado in 1890 and worked in a boardinghouse until she married Lane Pearl. She followed him from one mining camp to another until they ended up in Goldfield, Nevada in 1904. When Goldfield’s boom went bust in 1910, the couple moved to White Pine County. Widowed by 1918, Josie drifted across Nevada until 1922 when she acquired mining claims in Cove Canyon in northern Humboldt County where she was to remain for the next forty years. Josie fell ill and died on December 29, 1962. On her death certificate, her occupation was listed as “hardrock miner.” left behind her stage career and head to Alaska. Malcom apparently piloted a dog sled solo across the dangerous Chilkoot trail to arrive at Dawson City in the Canadian Yukon. Once settled, she staked a group of claims but lost them to men who jumped her claims. She took the matter to court but gave up after a year of legal battles and mounting court fees. By her own account, she suspected the claim jumpers bribed the judge to place her claims into receivership

10 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

which effectively delayed hearing the case. Broke and unsuccessful in Alaska, Malcom “pulled up stakes” and used her theatrical experience to tell of her Klondike adventures to earn her keep as she made her way to Tonopah, Goldfield and the Silver Peak area. Malcom missed the rushes at Tonopah and Goldfield, while the claims at Silver Peak proved to be worthless. By 1911, Malcom had made her way to the Slumbering Hills district in Humboldt County. Once again, Mal-

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com missed the gold rush so she moved to the Jarbridge area in northeastern Nevada. She made it known she intended to stay in the area to prospect, and it is here where her mining career seems to end. There is nothing more in the records about her. Malcom, however, did leave encouraging words for women who wanted to push the boundaries society lays out for them: “The grandest and healthiest life known is this rough pioneer life. And I don’t see why more women are not out in the hills. It ought to be as easy and natural for women to read rocks as it is for astronomers to read the stars. … Woman can endure as much as a man.”

Forging new roles

It was difficult to change the perception that women’s sphere included only “women’s work.” Even after women participated in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies, perception continued that women’s place was anywhere but in mining. For example, the US. Geological Survey did not permit women geologists like Medora Hooper Krieger to go into the

field. Krieger joined the USGS in 1944 but at that time the USGS didn’t allow women to work in the field because the work was considered too “hard and rough for a woman.” Later, Krieger became one of the first field geologist when she was sent to the USGS Southwestern geology branch in Prescott, Arizona. As a whole, women’s employment from 1900 to 1950 underwent gradual change. The rates for women as a whole started at 20.5% in 1900 and had climbed to 29% by 1950. Single women worked at rates around 40-50% in the first half of the 20th century. The increase of married women who worked was the highest gain. In 1900 only 5.6% of married women worked but by 1950 there were 23% working. But it wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s when women began to legally challenge men’s perceptions regarding the roles in the workplace. According to the Colorado School of Mines, by the end of 1974 a total of 51 women had graduated from its mining and engineering programs. The number of women graduating with mining degrees increased during the 1970s from five

women graduating in 1970 to a total of 167 women by the end of the decade. By the end of the 1980s, the Colorado School of Mines had an average graduating class of 91 women. As the graduating class of 1978 received their diplomas, the last laws banning women from working underground were repealed.

Future looks bright

Today, women work in all areas of mine operations as geologists, metallurgists, engineers, and managers. The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration estimates that women make up about 13% of the industry’s workforce. The Society estimates that the industry will need 128,000 skilled workers to replace retirees and fill new jobs. By 2029, more than half the current workforce will be retired and replaced creating a skill and knowledge gap the industry may be challenged to accommodate. The average rate of job addition is expected to be between 11,000 and 13,000 per year and is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. F

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Mining News

Mining through COVID-19

Insight into how Coronavirus impacted Nevada Mining By Tyre Gray, Esq.

Nevada Mining Association President

In January of 2020, most of us had never used the words “corona” and “virus” in the same sentence. Yet today, the merger of those two words has become such a part of our lexicon that there is not a single hour we do not see, hear, or feel the impacts of COVID-19. While the virus has created uncertainty both locally and around the world, Nevada mining’s safety-first culture has prepared the industry to adapt and respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. Anyone who knows anything about mining, knows how invested the industry is in keeping its employees safe on the jobsite. Preparing for global pandemics has long been a part of that strategy. Many would be surprised to learn that during the Ebola outbreak in Africa, miners in

Tyre Gray, Esq. Nevada underwent trainings similar to what their African counterparts received. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada mine operators have been uniquely positioned to respond and institute protocols to keep employees healthy, including requiring employees and contractors to complete pre-site access screening questionnaires, emphasizing hygiene and the use of PPE, and practicing social

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distancing within its operations. Mining rarely receives credit for taking these types of forward-thinking and innovative actions; but they allow the industry to continue operating during difficult times, while still protecting the health and welfare of its workers, their families, and the communities where mines operate. Unfortunately, this pandemic’s grip has extended itself to every corner of the Silver State. The mining industry has always been a net exporter of philanthropy and taxes, paying an industry-specific tax in addition to the same taxes paid by every other business. But these unprecedented times have called for mining to renew and expand upon its philanthropic commitment to Nevada. It is estimated that the mining industry and its employees have directly contributed or pledged more than five million dollars in

aid; directing funds to the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force, southern and northern Nevada food banks, and small businesses in rural Nevada. These efforts reaffirm the long-held position that all of Nevada is well served by the mining industry, in times of crisis and prosperity alike. As we approach the reopening of Nevada to what will undoubtedly be a new normal, it will be important that the mining industry serve as an example to others that now find themselves in need of developing a stronger health and safety culture. Clinging to the way things used to be will only stifle the innovations that will be needed to lead Nevada out of this pandemic into a stronger future. Just as the industry has been for over 150 years, mining will be there to lead in the aid, recovery, and reinvention of Nevada. F

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Mining News

Mines provide community support during COVID-19 Winnemucca Staff Report Nevada News Group

As Nevada struggled to face the COVID-19 pandemic the Nevada mining companies came forward to helps support the state and their host communities. Overall, Nevada mining companies have donated over $5 million in economic relief and food distribution in coordination with the Nevada COVID19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force. Many mining companies also have fueled money, food and supplies into their host communities. In a press release from Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) the Executive Managing Director Greg Walker stated, “We have ensured that our operations are working as safely and responsibly as possible, but it is not only our employees that we are concerned about – we are also using our resources to support our friends and neighbors, and particularly the seniors, the homeless, and Native Americans.” Nevada Gold Mines is the largest global gold producing complex and a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corporation (61.5%) and Newmont Corporation (38.5%) and operated by Barrick. At the state level, NGM announced in a press release in April a donation of $1.5 million to the Nevada Covid-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force. The Task Force brings together community business leaders to help find solutions to the pandemic.

Aid to host communities

According to a NGM press release, in Elko, Battle Mountain, and Winnemucca, the closest towns to NGM’s operations, the joint venture has committed a total of $275,000 to support these local communities with food supplies

COURTESY PHOTO • BATTLE MOUNTAIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Battle Mountain Chamber of Commerce published this photo as a thank you to Nevada Gold Mines for purchasing over $78,000 in Chamber Bucks.

and other basic necessities, particularly those most impacted included seniors, the homeless, and Native Americans. To help jump-start the local economy in their host communities NGM and SSR Marigold Mine purchased Chamber Checks to give to their employees. Chamber checks are purchased from the community Chamber of Commerce. The checks serve as cash or a gift card at any Chamber Member Business. The Battle Mountain Chamber of Commerce in a thank you to NGM and

16 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

Marigold stated, “Chamber Bucks is a beneficial program as it encourages shopping with local business and ultimately supporting our Battle Mountain community as a whole by keeping monies within the community.” According to the Battle Mountain Chamber of Commerce, NGM purchased over $78,000 and SSR Marigold purchased over $18,000 in Chamber Bucks. The Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce reported that NGM pur-

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chased over $180,000 and SSR Marigold purchased $50,000 in Chamber Checks to give to their employees. The Humboldt County Chamber Board of Directors stated that the purchase has been greatly appreciated by the local business community.

Food donations

The Nevada Mining AssoCOURTESY PHOTO • PERSHING GENERAL HOSPITAL

Pershing General Hospital shared this photo with a post stating Coeur Rochester’s General Mine Manager Robert Stepper, Safety Manager Rich Wagner and HR Generalist Frankie Graham dropped off 1,000 KN95 masks. “Thank you to Coeur for your generosity and continued community support! PGH appreciates your kindness. We even practiced our social distancing!”

18 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

ciation wrote that NGM sent about 17,000 pounds of beef, milk, potatoes and bread to tribes in the region. “We saw that many Native Americans were adhering to stay-at-home orders, but they often had to drive three to four hours roundtrip for groceries,” said Joe Mike, head of Nevada Gold Mines Native American Affairs. “Goal was to help them shelter in place and provide as much food to the communities, elders and tribal members, to keep them fed and from being exposed to COVID-19.”

Fulfilling other needs

COURTESY PHOTOS • PERSHING GENERAL HOSPITAL

Pershing General Hospital shared photos of the carport tent donated by Coeur Rochester. PGH specifically thanked Rich Wagner and Eric Nolan for their help in getting the cover ready for patients coming in for evaluation, screening and testing.

In April, Coeur Mining donated a carport tent for the Pershing General Hospital’s clinic to provide privacy when patients were being tested for COVID-19. Coeur also provided the staff to help set up the carport. Pershing General Hospital reported that also in April, Coeur donated 1,000 KN95 masks for the hospital’s staff to use. Pershing General Hospital wrote in a statement, “Coeur is a great community partner and we are extremely grateful for their support.” Other Nevada mining companies — including Coeur Mining, Kinross Round Mountain, Kinross Bald Mountain, Robinson Nevada Mining Company and Lithium Nevada — have contributed to support small businesses, school districts, food banks and provide medical supplies for first responders, the Nevada Mining Association said. F

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Mining News

Marigold produces four millionth gold ounce 2020 exploration budget increased By SSR Mining Press Release VANCOUVER, BC — SSR Mining Inc. is pleased to announce that our Marigold mine achieved another major milestone with the production of its four millionth ounce of gold on June 30, 2020. The Marigold mine has been in continuous operation for more than 30 years and produced a record 220,227 ounces of gold in 2019. Paul Benson, President and CEO said, “Four million ounces of gold from continuous production is a testament to the scale and quality of the Marigold deposits and the commitment of the Marigold team. Since the mine began operating in 1989, it has consistently replaced

Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources and today it has a longer mine life than when it opened. We are advancing several exploration targets across our Marigold, Valmy, and Trenton Canyon land packages which have the potential to increase Mineral Resources. With the recent promising sulphide ore intercepts at Trenton Canyon, the Marigold mine continues to demonstrate its exploration potential and longevity.” Additionally, SSR Mining is increasing its Marigold 2020 exploration expenditures to $14 million, a $2 million increase, to accelerate reverse circulation and diamond drilling at the Trenton Canyon sulphide gold discovery reported in our press release dated May 14, 2020. COURTESY PHOTO • SSR MINING

Gold bar poured at the Marigold Mine process plant.

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INSIDE Relief Canyon Mine construction underway

Renewable energy for mining industry New sulfur oxidation at Hycroft Mine Coeur expands technological reach

1022 S. Grass Valley Rd,Winnemucca, NV 89445

(775) 623-5011 20 - MINING • SPRING 2018, an April, 2018 publication of Nevada News Group

Pershing County

Relief Canyon Mine still “ramping up”

High return project due to gold prices By Debra Reid Nevada News Group

Despite delays due to the pandemic, Relief Canyon Mine could be back in business producing gold sometime this year according to the new owner. Since it took over in 2018, Americas Gold & Silver Corporation has managed to resurrect a mine that was dormant for over thirty years. Relief Canyon will be the company’s “big growth vehicle” according to Americas Gold & Silver President & CEO Darren Blasutti. With gold prices up to nearly $1,750 per ounce and stock

market volatility that makes gold attractive, the company should have no trouble turning a profit. “Relief Canyon is going to grow our silver and gold production revenue by 500 percent next year alone,” Blasutti told Bloomberg. “That’s been the big play, that’s what everybody’s interested in. We did a great financing deal with Sandstorm Gold in April. That got the stock moving and as we get closer and closer to production, we think the stock will continue to move up.” In exchange for a $42 million investment, Sandstorm gets a share of the gold and more. “We’ll pay them $25 million worth of gold back so basically 30,000 ounces of the 600,000 or 700,000 ounces we’re going to get out of the ground,” Blasutti

MINING MINING •• AA July July 2020 2020 publication publication of of Nevada Nevada News News Group Group -- 21 21

said. “They did a ten million dollar equity deal and a ten million dollar convert. Right now, they’ve got a five percent stake, with the conversion, they’d be about eight percent.” Annual gold production at Relief Canyon Mine could be 90,000 ounces for up to eight years. “The reserve life is just under six years. I think we’ll see a seven or eight year mine life,” Blasutti said. “It’s very profitable. We paid $38 million for the company, Pershing Gold, and only $30 million to get it into production. We’re going to produce six or seven hundred thousand ounces of gold. It’s $800 all in sustaining costs so it’s going to be a great cash flow producer for us.” In a March 27, 2020 interview with Kitco News, Blasutti predicted the pandemic would be good for precious metal prices and a benefit for mining especially in Nevada where mines were not shut down because they are considered essential services by the state COURTESY PHOTOS • AMERICAS GOLD & SILVER CORPORATION government. Ore conveyance system at Relief Canyon Mine. “You can’t ignore how much it’s going to MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 23

cost to combat this virus. The economic costs are going to be astronomical,” he said. “This is going to be good for gold, silver and precious metal miners.” Blasutti cautioned the mining industry to follow government safety protocols to protect its economic and political status. In the Americas Gold & Silver June corporate report, investors were told “there are presently no known (COVID-19) cases within the company.” “If mining companies don’t take the appropriate safety measures and the virus spreads at mines, then they could be shut down and that’s something we don’t want,” Blasutti said. “We have the opportunity to lead and show the world that we can safely protect our workers.” Safety precautions have delayed commercial production until at least the third quarter. “Our operations in Nevada and Idaho continue to operate according to state government guidelines,” says the corporate report. “Challenges are present in getting key personnel, contractors, consultants and equipment on site.”

COURTESY PHOTO • AMERICAS GOLD & SILVER CORPORATION

An aerial shot of the Relief Canyon Mine processing plant and solution ponds.

SIMPLE HEAP LEACH

Blasutti described Relief Canyon Mine as a “standard heap leach” Nevada-type operation. “It’s a very simple heap leach,” he said. “We’ve had some issues in Nevada before with clay and other permeability issues. This mine doesn’t have any of those things. It’s a brownfield mine site so it’s been run before and recoveries are quite simple.” Initial construction is complete including a new ore crusher, conveyance system and leach pad. Since the start of pre-production, the mine has been “ramping up” for commercial production with about 5.2 million tons of earth moved including 4.2 million tons of “waste” and 1 million tons of ore according to the report. About .8 million tons of ore have been stacked on the new leach pad and solution flow rates have increased along with surface area available for leach irrigation. In a test of the mine’s upgraded refinery, a few hundred ounces of gold was poured in February.

Learn more about Relief Canyon Mine online at www.americas-gold.com

HIGH RETURN PROJECT

At current gold prices, Relief Canyon is a “very high return project.” Labor costs are the downside for mining in the United States, Blasutti said. But, Nevada’s economic and political stability make it worth the trade off. In Mexico, the Cosala Mine was closed for months by an “illegal blockade” by union mine workers and the pandemic

24 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

shutdown. “In Mexico, you’ve got 24 or 25 percent of your costs in labor. In the United States, it’s more like 65 percent,” Blasutti told Bloomberg. “The biggest thing about Mexico, we want to see stability of law. I think we can all make money in Mexico so we want to see a stable legal frame and if we have to pay a little more in taxes, that’s o.k.” F

Mining News

First-of-its-kind land conservation agreement will protect Greater SageGrouse habitat, support rural economy Special to Nevada News Group

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is excited to announce that Coeur Rochester, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coeur Mining, Inc. and Crawford Cattle, LLC have entered into a first-ofits-kind agreement to protect critical sagebrush habitat in Nevada while ensuring continued environmentally sensitive and sustainable mining practices. Under Nevada’s sagebrush ecosystem conservation program called the Conservation Credit System (CCS), Coeur Rochester will provide full funding to preserve and enhance over 3,000 acres of vital greater sage-grouse habitat in Elko and Humboldt Counties. This is the first project agreement established between a mine operator and a private landowner to secure conservation credits under Nevada’s CCS to protect sage-grouse habitat and overseen by the stakeholder-driven Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Council. The habitat conservation project is designed to mitigate and offset environmental impacts related to Coeur Rochester’s mining activities near Lovelock, while achieving net conservation gains for sagebrush species. The project includes monitoring and maintaining exist-

ing sagebrush ecosystems, enhancing brood-rearing and nesting habitats, and other important conservation work for the next 30 years. The project will also support healthy habitats for other native wildlife species, including the Lahontan cutthroat trout, mule deer, and more. “This landmark agreement between Coeur Rochester and Crawford Ranch underscores how environmental stewardship and a thriving economy go handin-hand,” said Bradley Crowell, Director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Because of the vastness and critical importance of Nevada’s sagebrush ecosystem, the partnership and collaboration of landowners and industry are key to protecting the environment while allowing for multiple use. I applaud the commitment of Crawford Ranch and Coeur Rochester on this excellent achievement that perfectly exemplifies how landowners and mining can be partners in protecting this valuable ecosystem.” “We applaud the great work of Governor Sisolak, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Bureau of Land Management, Crawford Ranch, and our employees to preserve greater sage-

FILE PHOTO • Nevada News Group

Healthy sagebrush stands with perennial bunch grasses make ideal sage grouse nesting habitat.

grouse and wildlife habitats in Nevada,” said Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur Mining’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Extension of the mine life at Rochester allows us to proudly employ Nevadans for years to come while continuing to care for Nevada’s lands and environ-

ment.” Shane Hall, Crawford’s Ranch and Operations Manager added, “We are grateful for the tremendous efforts of all our project partners: Coeur Rochester, the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Council, the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Program, and

MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 25

Rovert Veldman with KCOE Conservation. IN our family owned and operated ranch, our visions is to blend traditional values with progressive teamwork and reliable habitat stewardship. Crawford Ranch focuses on balanced land management and responsible grazing in providing food for our country. We are grateful that this project has been a part of reaching toward that vision.” Sage-grouse are chicken-sized, ground-dwelling birds considered an “indicator species” for the health of sagebrush ecosystems in the U.S. West, which support more than 350 species of wildlife. The CCS, as part of Nevada’s overall sagebrush ecosystem plan, is an innovative, Nevada specific approach that allows Nevada to manage its wildlife species through private and public arrangements to protect and enhance habitats. It is a performance-driven and market-based mechanism that mitigates for impacts on greater stagegrouse habitats and provides regulatory certainty for both mining and landowners without prohibitive regulations. The CCS is a program that provides incentives for private landowner to

FILE PHOTO • Nevada News Group

Sage grouse are chicken-sized ground-dwelling birds considered an “indicator species” for the health of sagebrush ecosystems.

carry out Greater Sage-grouse habitat improvements through the award of “Conservation Credits” that are quantified based on the ecological value of the habitat improvements. Those conservation credits can be sold to industry to offset habitat impacts and ensure a

26 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

net conservation gain. The partnership between landowners and industry is key to protecting critical habitat while providing for multiple-use in the sagebrush ecosystem. Learn more at sagebrusheco.nv.gov. F

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Mining News

Pray & Company announces acquisition of Mine Staffing International (MSI) Special to Wnnemucca Publishing

Pray & Company is excited to announce the acquisition of industry-leader, Mine Staffing International, and its associated assets from Co-Founder, Bob Lundblad. The all-cash deal closed June 4, at which time, Bob and his team joined Pray & Company as they continue to grow and diversify their human resources and communications business in mining as well as construction, light manufacturing and the government sector. “This acquisition provides multiple synergies including an even broader

industry connection to clients and professionals, in large part due to Bob’s 20 years of industry success,” said Pray & Company leadership. With a footprint throughout North America reaching the mining, construction and government sectors, services include outsourced and contract labor in human resources, communications, project feasibility, safety and health. Additionally, Pray & Company provides customized and flexible People Strategy, recruitment brand marketing and related communications services such as reputation management — in addition to talent search for industry professionals.

28 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

“The ability to offer a wider-array of solutions to clients, such as leadership training, performance management programs and engagement surveys, is among the many exciting aspects of this purchase,” said Bob Lundblad, Co-Founder of Mine Staffing International and minestaffing.com. In spite of the difficult times facing employers world-wide, Pray & Company remains bullish on the future and excited about their even stronger ability to bring people and communications solutions to clients; particularly those in the small to mid-tier space. For more information, contact Pray & Company at 833-775-7729. F

Humboldt County

Rare Opal digging in the desert A five-generation development By Ashley Maden Nevada News Group

For five generations, the Royal Peacock Opal Mine has been owned and developed by the Wilson Family, passed down as it evolved from a hobby to a family business with space for plenty of visitors to dig opals. In the mid-1940s, current owner Julie Wilson’s grandparents Harry L. Wilson and Mabel Wilson purchased mining claims for the opals on the property in the Virgin Valley that is now the Royal Peacock Opal Mine. Harry was a cattle and horse rancher in the Virgin Valley and Mabel loved the way the opals in the area sparkled. The mine encompasses approximately 160 acres of land with several active mining claims on the property. The mining claims were originally purchased to dig as a hobby and eventually developed into a business. Julie Wilson, daughter of Harry W. and Joy Wilson, moved away to Reno to go to college after high school and later returned to the area to help her parents run the mine. When she was younger, she said she had always loved the opals and would help her parents sign people up to dig, fill out paperwork and drive a Honda 70 up the hill

COURTESY PHOTO • JULIE WILSON

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to show visitors how to dig, along with her sister and brother. Wilson’s son Jake, 31, has been back helping operate the mine for the last ten years, after graduating high school and serving in the military for a couple of

years. One of Wilson’s sons is active in the military and the other a business owner; they help with the mine as they can. Wilson’s father passed away in 2016. Young grandchildren come to visit the mine every summer and help

COURTESY PHOTOS • JULIE WILSON

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30 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

Above: The late Harry Wilson, “King of the Hill” digging opals in the Virgin Valley. Left: Harry W. and Joy Wilson who originally purchased mining claims on the land in the Virgin Valley. Bottom: Julie Wilson (left), 3rd generation and Jake Anderson (right), 4th generation currently operate the Royal Peacock Opal Mine.

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as she did when she was younger. Wilson said the opals are nearly as fragile as glass, which is why some are found in pieces when digging or after being hit with a pick or shovel. Opals may be found during digs on their own as stones, in petrified wood or opalized wood. The mine has also produced findings of fossilized and opalized camel teeth, camel bones, horse teeth and pig bones. Opals range in color from black, white and everything in between. The Virgin Valley is the only known place to find rare jet black opals. The valley also produces fire opals, which contain what’s called a “play of color,” which shows greens, reds, yellows, purples, etc. Wilson said the mine is also home to the only known deposit of green fluorescent opal in the world and one of the only few fluorescent opal deposits in the world. In the 1980s with the help of Wilson’s parents and a visit to the capital, the state legislature named opals as Nevada’s state precious gemstone. Wilson said that opals are report-

COURTESY PHOTO • JULIE WILSON

(left to right) Julie Reyes, Ellie Prothro Clark and Dave Clark digging in the bank at the Royal Peacock Opal Mine.

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COURTESY PHOTO • JULIE WILSON

Fifth-generation opal digger Jade Anderson loves to dig in the opal tailings during the summer and when she visits the Virgin Valley.

ed being formed millions of years ago when the area was underwater and volcanoes continued to erupt. As the lava flowed through everything it combined with the ashes and formed a silica gel that ran into air pockets and wood that later formed opal. Based on carbon dating, the events happened 12-15 million years ago. Wilson said that Virgin Valley is the birthplace of the volcano that now sits under Yellowstone National Park The largest opalized log ever found in the Virgin Valley weighed 135 pounds. The average size of an opal ranges from the size of a thumbnail to the size of a fist. In the 1970s after mining claims were purchased, the Wilson Family welcomed visitors to dig in the area and that has continued to this day.

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MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 33

Wilson’s parents built an RV park with full amenities, a small furnished cottage and cabin to open the property to those who wanted to come to dig. The cottage and cabin were both built in the 1970s. The mine is open to visitors and opal diggers from May 15 to October every year and sees from 7,500 to 13,000 people who come from all over the world. Diggers can choose from digging from the virgin bank or though tailings, both of which offer the opportunity to find never-before-seen opals and take them home. The opals are found by using a pick and shovel in the side of a hill and slowly looking for anything that is sparkly or any petrified wood. The sound of glass breaking means that an opal has been hit and the goal is to get the opal out in as carefully as possible to preserve the large pieces.

Cattle were raised in the area throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s and prospectors would travel through the area picking up “float opals” located on the top of the grown and take them to the nearest town to trade them for various goods and services. There is a ranch that sits next to the opal mine that has not been in use since 1993 when the family was issued a permit to run 0 head of cattle, forcing Wilson’s parents to leave the area and find another ranch to operate on. Wilson said the opal mine also sees visitors for the dark night sky which is perfect for stargazing with no light pollution. The closest town to the opal mine is Denio, 35 miles away, where there is just a post office, two bars, a little motel, restaurant and gas sta-

COURTESY PHOTOS • JULIE WILSON

Above: Black opal before cutting and polishing. Right: Visitors have the option to dig in the tailings or in the bank, both with the opportunities to find opals. Below: An opalized limb cast.

On behalf of the Staff, Board of Directors of the Battle Mountain Chamber, and residents of Lander County, we would like to thank Nevada Gold Mines & SSR Marigold Mining for their continued support of the Chamber and our community. Nevada Gold Mines recently purchased 1.1 million dollars in Chamber Bucks/Checks from the Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, and Elko Chambers. Between the two purchases from Nevada Gold Mines and SSR Marigold Mining we were able to distribute over $101,000.000 in Chamber Bucks into our community. Nevada Gold Mines gave $150 to each of their employees hoping to help stimulate the economy and help the small local businesses that are struggling to survive. Chamber Bucks were developed and introduced to increase awareness of the importance of shopping locally and supporting local businesses. The goal is for Chamber Bucks to act as a catalyst to inspire businesses to reinvest in the community. With this Chamber Bucks system being successful to all our Chamber members, it shows that businesses recognize the economic value of spending locally and encouraging their employees to recirculate their money within Battle Mountain. As this is a Chamber member benefit, only members of the Chamber can accept Chamber Bucks. If you are not a Chamber member and are interested in accepting Chamber Bucks for the first time, we would love to have you join the Chamber. Let us know and we will provide you with signs and more information. Our Chamber Bucks system has NO cost to our Chamber members and each business is allowed to recoup the wholesale cost of whatever service, product, or items that the business provides. This is one of the many great benefits of being a Chamber member. Please contact Falicia Ochoa at 775-635-8245 or battlemtncommerce@gmail.com #BattleMountainStrong #ShopLocal #SupportLocal

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34 - MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group

tion. Winnemucca is located 140 miles southeast from the mine and Lakeview, Oregon is 110 miles west. Wilson said the mine is right in the corner of the Oregon, California and Nevada borders. The Royal Peacock Opal Mine also holds several annual opal digging events and dinners, which bring people from all over the world. The first dinner was started on Memorial Day and has continued for four years in memory of Wilson’s

Dad. The event started out at approximately 50 people and 144 people were served last year. “It’s amazing the number of people that come here,” said Wilson. “It’s a unique place, who else can say they have an opal mine in their back yard?” Wilson said that there is no information as to how long the opal mine will continue to produce the shiny gemstones but hopes that it will be generations to come. F

Mining News

Scientists develop numerical capability of laser-driven x-ray imaging University of Nevada, Reno experiments validate numerical modeling method for variety of uses Special to Wnnemucca Publishing

RENO — A team of scientists led by University of Nevada, Reno’s Hiroshi Sawada, an associate professor of the Physics Department, demonstrated that numerical modeling accurately reproduces x-ray images using laser-produced x-rays. The images were obtained using the University’s chirped pulse amplification-based 50-Terawatt Leopard laser at their Zebra Pulsed Power Lab. The modeling approach established in this work could be used as a predictive tool to simulate radiographic images of complex 3D solid objects without carrying out radiation-based experiments. The work illustrates a numerical method to model and predict x-ray images using widely available numerical tools.

COURTESY PHOTO

The 50-Terawatt Leopard Laser at the Zebra Pulsed Power Lab demonstrated that numerical modeling accurately reproduces x-ray images using laser-produced x-rays. A high intensity laser can produce an intense x-ray beam in the laser-target interaction. Such laser-produced x rays have been applied for recording x-ray images of various objects including a compressed laser fusion fuel, but a numerical tool for the quantitative comparison of a radiographic image has not been available until now. “A challenge to a realis-

tic simulation of laser-produced x-ray radiography is its spatial scale,” Sawada said. “Generally speaking, numerical modeling simulates physics phenomena in much smaller spatial scale than actual experiments. To overcome this limitation, we have separated modeling into two steps: x-ray generation is calculated with a fine resolution spatial grid, while computation of x-ray images

MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 35

using the calculated x-ray source is performed with a coarse grid to reproduce an x-ray image at a real experimental scale. Furthermore, a 3D Computer Aided Design-like model of a test object allows us to directly compare experimental and simulated images.” Laser-produced x-ray sources could be an alternate source of non-destructive industrial imaging and medical imaging from soft tissues to heavy metal objects, the team of scientists have found through experiments with chirped pulse amplification using a tightly focused laser beam and several target materials. The NSF-funded work is published in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. In this paper, they present experimental benchmarking of numerical modelling for fast electron and x-ray source characterization as well as broadband x-ray radiography. The work shows both qualitative and quantitative agreement between the experiment and the simulation for different x-ray attenuation filters. In this paper, they present experimental benchmarking of numerical modelling for fast electron and x-ray source characterization as well as broadband x-ray radiography. The work shows both qualitative and quantitative agreement between the experiment and the simulation for different x-ray attenuation filters. The NSF-funded work is published in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. Sawada, a faculty member in the College of Science, and physics undergraduate student Chris Salinas started working on the modeling project in Spring 2018. “This work would have never been

published without the help of students,” he said. The first part of the two-step simulation is a basis of Physics graduate Tyler Daykin’s thesis work, which enables researchers to determine laser-produced x-ray characteristics. In addition, Anthony Bass and Brandon Griffin, Physics graduates, helped obtain x-ray images of a spark plug. “Measurements of spark plug images were not originally planned in our two-week experiment conducted in December 2013.” Sawada said. “When the experiment began, a delivery of diagnostics from my collaborators was delayed due to a snowstorm. All we had were metal targets to be shot and x-ray imaging detectors. In order not to waste the beam time in the Zebra Pulsed Power Lab, we started shooting the targets and taking x-ray images of tools and electronic parts we could find in the lab so that at least we could get visually appealing x-ray images. Anthony and Brandon came up with an idea of radiographing a motorcycle spark plug, and it turned out images we got show clear, distinct intensity contrasts. Then, we used it for a systematic study of how image quality varies by changing x-ray attenuation filters that we found pieces of polyethylene, aluminum and brass in a machine shop.” Since the invention of a laser amplification technique called the Chirped Pulse Amplification, which was awarded 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, the peak power of a tightly focused laser beam has been steadily increasing, making such a laser available for a variety of applications other than laser pointers or laser lighting displays.

High energy x-rays produced by intense short-pulse lasers interacting with a solid has been studied for a broad range of applications, such as basic plasma science, medical imaging and industrial and national security applications. Laser-produced x-ray sources have advantages of a small source size, short duration, high photon numbers and tunable x-ray spectrum compared to a well-developed x-ray tube. “The creativity and the dedication of faculty and students in the academic research environment is what distinguishes research projects supported by the National Science Foundation,” said Vyacheslav (Slava) Lukin, Program Director for Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation. “In this project, Professor Sawada’s research group advanced development of predictive capability for x-ray radiography in ways that will surely pay dividends in both fundamental and applied research down the road.” Working with Sawada on this project were: Christopher Salinas also of the University of Nevada, Reno; Farhat Beg, University of California San Diego; and from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Hui Chen, Anthony Link, Harry McLean, Pravesh Patel, Yuan Ping and Gerald Williams. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1707357. The team’s article, “Development of a predictive capability of short-pulse laser-driven broadband x-ray radiography”, was published by IOP Publishing in their journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion in April. F

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Mining History

A lucky strike —

In-house historian preserves Rochester’s story

COURTESY PHOTO • BRANDON MACDOUGALL

Brandon MacDougall stands by a mine overlook at Coeur Rochester. By Peggy Jones Nevada News Group

Coeur Rochester Mining’s general foreman, Brandon MacDougall, P.E. wears many hats – some official and others unofficial. On its web page, the company refers to him as their in-house historian. MacDougall generously shares his knowledge of Rochester, NV, the historic boomtown. A massive population increase followed Joseph Nenzel’s 1912 silver strike. It led to the creation of several townsites, including Rochester, East Rochester, Central Rochester, Rochester Heights, Panama and Packard. Rochester’s underground miners are long gone. HowHISTORIC PHOTO ever, you can still see them tunneling under the earth at Rochester’s East Main Street housed several wooden buildings, including the the Marzen House Museum’s Opera Bar, Topic Saloon, Cafe and Bank Bar, 1913. MINING • A July 2020 publication of Nevada News Group - 37

NeedOilNow.com HISTORIC PHOTO

Patrons visit the first two-story building in Rochester, NV., circa 1913. Coeur exhibit. Dale Darney’s 3-D model shows the town as it looked in 1916. Coeur bought the property in 1983 and started surface mining in 1986. Except for a three-year shutdown from 2007-2010 due to low metal prices, they’ve operated continuously since reopening. The crusher never dozes, but Rochester’s ghosts sleep deeply. MacDougall attended Pershing County High School (Class of 2004), where he played four years of football under Coach Joe Yanni. “I was mostly special teams and tight end,” he says. “I wasn’t a superstar by any stretch of the imagination.” “In terms of old ruins, there are still a few things up Rochester canyon, though the recent fires have taken a toll,” he says. “The Rochester Mine Company’s mill foundation is still visible, as well as the Looney Mine’s headframe.” “You can still see the tailings from the mill on the canyon floor and the railroad bed if you know where to look.” That’s all that remains of Nevada’s last great mining boom. In its heyday, 2,000 to 3,000 people lived in the Rochester district. Its ame-

nities included a short-line railroad, two telephone companies, electric power from Lahontan dam, a newspaper, two U.S. post offices, three grammar schools, two baseball teams, a race track, a gun club, a mining stock exchange, a commercial club and a cemetery. Rochester even had a Philharmonic Orchestra. Women owned a significant number of businesses. They earned livelihoods not only in mining but in the commerce of the mining camp. A Reno newspaper reported the construction of two saloons, a restaurant, and a lodging house all in one day. According to the Coeur website, the Rochester district once had 51 saloons that operated 24 hours a day. In 1917, the County Commissioners, shocked by scandalous tales from the camps, voted against renewing any of Rochester’s liquor licenses. Rochester was the first Nevada town to fall under mandated Prohibition. Today, old broken glass and rusty cans litter the former townsites. Antique tramways decay on the hillsides. Bob Maher (1928-2020) was probably the last former

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resident of the district. In the mid-1930s, his father, Kent, became superintendent of the Buck and Charley mine, named after the owner’s favorite horses. As a boy, Maher walked from his West Rochester home to Mrs. Gossi’s oneroom schoolhouse for daily instruction in the 3 Rs. Mrs. Quinlan still ran the Post Office, but most of the businesses had closed. People abandoned the area by the early 1950s. For the curious, MacDougall recommends Glenn Emminger’s notes. In 1915, Emminger assayed for Rochester Mines. Later, he served as the state senator from Pershing County. His photographs and writings are in Pershing County Library’s Nevada Room. Both of MacDougall’s parents worked for Coeur Rochester. After graduation, he headed straight for the mine as a summer intern. His next stop was the Mackay School of Mining at

UNR. MacDougall returned to Coeur in 2010. As an engineer, MacDougall is intrigued by the logistics of how the early miners transported their ore. He’s especially drawn to the years between 1912 and 1920. “A lot happened in a surprisingly short amount of time,” he observes. When Joe Nenzel struck rich silver float at the head of Rochester Canyon in June of 1912, he faced the problem of getting his treasure down the hill’s 2,000 foot slope. The solution to Nenzel’s problem sprouted from the hillside. Nenzel packed his ore in sacks and dragged them down the mountain in sleds made from local junipers. “This process known as ‘stone boating’ was labor-intensive and slow,” says MacDougall. “Only the highest grade material could be mined for a profit.” Horsepower waited at the base of the mountain. Wagons hauled the sacks of ore

HISTORIC PHOTO

Joe Nenzel (foreground) sacks high-grade ore at the site of his discovery in the Rochester district, 19001905.

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to the Southern Pacific Railroad at Oreana. “Eventually, a chute was developed for the sacks to slide down the hill, but they still had to be stoneboated half-amile down the canyon to meet up with the wagon road,” says MacDougall. Late in 1912, Nenzel split his claims into five parts, each measuring about 300 by 600 feet. He leased these out, usually for periods of two years. The leaseholders paid royalties to Nenzel, later known as the Father of Rochester. Two of the leaseholders would play starring roles in Rochester’s boom – Arthur Ashton Codd and Louis A. Friedman. Codd arrived in the district in Dec. 1912, about six months after Nenzel struck silver. After negotiating his lease, Codd established the Rochester Hills Mining Company and installed himself as president. Nenzel incorporated the Rochester Mines Company. Early on, everyone saw that they needed a cheaper way to haul the ore to Oreana. In 1913, Nenzel, Codd and other leaseholders formed an Ore Road association. Their labors were successful. The High Line Road ran southward from Limerick Canyon to the mines near the peak of Nenzel Hill. With a maximum grade of eight percent, the road cut the haulage cost by one dollar a ton.

COURTESY PHOTOS • BRANDON MACDOUGALL

Top: The Nevada Short Line pulls into Upper Rochester, the fall of 1915. Bottom: The Nevada Short Line Railroad wreck between Nenzel Hill and lower Rochester Mill (a Glenn Emminger photo).

A survey report from 1913 describes the road as “six miles of easy grade, suitable for auto trucks, constructed jointly by Rochester Mining Company and the leaseholders for $10,000.” Business flourished, but as more wagon loads of ore left the mines, other issues arose. Wagons hauling ore from Nenzel Hill to Oreana had to negotiate the sandy alkali flat between the foot of the Hum-

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boldt Mountains and Oreana. Codd came up with the idea for a narrow-gauge railroad from Oreana to the mouth of Limerick Canyon. He established the Nevada Short Line. Its first run was in Aug. 1913. The 12.6-mile railroad terminated near but did not connect with the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Short Line’s three-foot gauge was incompatible with the SP’s standard gauge.

Codd intended to transition to standard gauge but never did. Throughout the short life of the Short Line, disaster struck, hid around corners and struck again. Codd held on for four years before losing his brainchild to a receivership. After only two weeks of operation, “Mike (a Hall-Scott locomotive),” broke its crankshaft. Codd located a steam engine to fill the gap. Soon, both engines worked around the clock. The mines could now transfer ore from the wagon trains to the railroad for transport over the flats. Still, the project failed to turn a profit. “Meanwhile, there was talk of building a mill in Rochester canyon, which would eliminate the need to ship ore to Oreana,” says MacDougall. “Codd risked losing a majority of his railroad contracts.” His answer was to expand. In 1914, Codd announced a plan to extend the NSL 5.5 miles

COURTESY PHOTO • BRANDON MACDOUGALL

Glenn Emminger’s photograph of the Rochester Mill shows the aerial tram and rail line. up the canyon to Lower Rochester. He instituted mail and passenger service. “He removed the last mile of rail into Limerick Canyon and extended the railway

six miles into Rochester Canyon, with a terminus in Lower Rochester,” says MacDougall. Codd incorporated the Nevada Short-

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line. As its sole stockholder, he had “more than a passing interest” in maintaining haulage contracts. He owned all the stock. The innovations continued. In early 1915, workers completed a transportation tunnel on the western slope of Nenzel Hill, below the major mines. It allowed them to drop ore through raises in the mountain, haul it through the tunnel and drop it into ore bins. A three-rail tramway carried the ore the remaining 479 feet down the hill to another set of bins where it was loaded into wagons. In 1915, the Rochester Mine’s Company Mill eliminated the need to ship ore to Oreana. Codd risked losing his railroad contracts to the mill, so he built another rail line extension to the ore bins at the base of Nenzel Hill. A series of derailments, shop fires and other mishaps

COURTESY PHOTO • BRANDON MacDOUGALL

An aerial tramway leaves Nenzel Hill (a Glenn Emminger photo from 1917). followed. Codd held on as long as he could. He sold the majority of his mining interests to keep the railroad afloat, but ultimately lost the enterprise. The Rochester Mines Company had the NSL

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placed in the hands of a receiver, Frank M. Manson. The calamities continued. On Feb. 12, 1917, four weeks after Manson restored passenger service, an engine got away from the crew on the high line. It left the tracks near the mill and rolled downhill. The backup engine picked that time to suffer a gearbox failure. Manson kept a sense of humor, saying the railroad was adopting a tri-monthly schedule. “We’ll make a round trip one month and try to make one the next,” he said. The next innovation was Friedman’s. He grew weary of relying on the railroad. The wagon teams had left the district when the Short Line came on the scene, so each disaster caused interruptions at the mill. “By this point in the Rochester story, most of the original leases had expired and the Rochester Mines Company owned the majority of the district,” says MacDougall. Friedman forced the Father of Rochester out of the company he started after his lucky strike.

“Next, Friedman developed a 17,000-foot long aerial tramway from the ore bins to the mill,” says MacDougall, completing it in Sept. 1916. The tramway remained in use until the mill ceased operation. “The railroad continued to transport mail, equipment, people and supplies until June 1918 when a flash flood destroyed a portion of its track,” says MacDougall. The flood made the front page of the Sacramento Bee. “Two houses were destroyed, several buildings damaged and the roadbed of the Nevada Short Line Railroad between Rochester and Oreana washed out by a violent cloudburst that swept both Upper and Lower Rochester,” they reported. “The water poured down in a flood for nearly 30 minutes.” In 1920, the abandoned line was sold for scrap. According to Coeur’s web page, the Short Line was the last independent railroad built in Nevada. Its engine #1 is on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. F

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