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[Marvel or Goldfield, Esmeralda County, Nevada, ca. 1910]. 1.5 pp. manuscript in ink on 2 loose leaves, 13.75” x 8.25”, manuscript map on lower-half of the second leaf, 7.75” x 8.25”. CONDITION: Good, old folds, two 1” tears to the second leaf, tape repairs to the verso of both leaves.

A prospectus describing the Marvel Copper Claims by their apparent owner L. W. Marvel, including a manuscript map of the claims and evidently created for the consideration of a small number of potential investors. 

Located in Esmeralda County, Nevada, the property described in this document embraces five claims (Dedman, Hill Top, Illakee, Bon Ami, and Thompson) and spans some ninety acres. The claims were situated about twenty-five miles southwest of the town of Goldfield, eight miles north of the town of Lida, and sixteen miles south of the settlement of Silver Peak and the town of Blair (settled around 1906). At this time, Blair was the terminus of the Blair Railroad and the closest shipping point to the property. Marvel notes that “the railroad was expected to be continued on to the town of Lida this fall, and if constructed will go within two miles at least from these claims.” The formation of the country is “lime and quartzite with phonolite or porphyry dykes cutting through the country, usually north and south.” There was “plenty of timber on the ground for all fuel purposes,” as well as several springs within two or three miles—the nearest being 1.25 miles away. 

Referring to the map, Marvel writes that 

you will see…that our work covers a width of about 50 feet along the upper side of a phonolite dyke. The ore is exposed in all of these holes and the hanging wall is not in sight yet. The ore makes along the footwall and extends out into the lime in chimneys and pockets. The carbonate ore will average 35 to 40% copper and the oxidized ore 15 to 30% copper and $4.00 to $6.00 in gold and silver. There is about 10 tons of ore on the dumps[?] at present that is good for $150.00 per ton, and there is no doubt that $5,000.00 could be taken out in 60 days with two or three men at work. The expense of mining would be about the same as at Goldfield except cheaper water and fuel. 

The map spans from the town of Goldfield in the northeast to the town of Lida in the south. At the center of the map are five rectangles representing the five identified claims. Dykes are shown on three claims (Dedman, Bon Ami, and Thompson), and eight numbered squares correspond to eight notes in the map key, which are more fully described in Marvel’s text. Connecting Lida and Goldfield is a Wagon Road which passes through “R.R. Springs” and Ceder Spring. A Wagon Road stemming from Lida moves in a northwest direction and passes through Barrel Spring. Lying to the west of Barrel Spring are “Mud S. O.” and “O Log. S.” A third Wagon Road leads from the Thompson claim to Goldfield. 

The text includes descriptions of the eight identified sites on the map:

No. 1 Open out on line of footwall, this is a small cut in the iron ledge showing some copper.

No. 2 Incline about 25 feet, pitching into the hill at about 40° the ore outcropped here about 8 feet wide and will average 15% copper.

No. 3 Shelf 70 feet deep, perpendicular and the main body of pitched away from the shaft into the hill at about 35 feet, but there are stringers and pockets of ore from this point on down but have not struck the footwall yet. The ore in this shaft is nearly all a carbonate or malachite and will average about 40% copper.

No. 4 Shaft 8 feet deep, this is same kind of ore as main shaft. Took out about five tons in sinking.

No. 5 Location shaft 10 feet. This shows the same ore 20 feet further up the hill.

No. 6 Open cut along foot wall, showing carbonate ore on the wall.

No. 7 Open cut on west side line of property. This is on a cross dyke, but shows a little pine ore

No. 8 Iron ledge about 50 feet wide on line with the main ore showings. This iron carries a little copper. 

The Marvel Copper Claims, like Lida’s copper mines, are located within the Walker Lane Mineral Belt of Nevada, “a 500 km long continental scale structural zone which is host to numerous world class gold and copper deposits and mining districts including Goldfield” (Saxon). After the discovery of gold in the area of Goldfield in 1902, the population rose to some 30,000 people within four years—making it Nevada’s biggest town. Goldfield produced $86 million worth of ore during its boom, but the bulk of the mining in the area had ended by 1910. Goldfield’s boom caused a return of mining in Lida beginning in 1905, causing Lida’s population to rise to 300. Water from springs close to Lida was conveyed to Goldfield by a pipeline. However, by 1907 Lida began to decline.

REFERENCES: Saxon, Mark. “Aguila American Gold Acquires Lida Copper-Silver Project in Nevada” at Junior Mining Network online; “Get to know a Nevada mining town Goldfield” at Nevada Mining online; “Lida Esmeralda County” at Nevada Expeditions online.

Item #8851

Price: $950.00