(By Jack Bell.)

Rawhide, Nev., June 6. - Not since the discovery of Rawhide camp has there been such excitement as that attending the bonanza discovery made Friday of last week on the Crystal Queen No. 1 claim of the Bethania Mines estate, known as the Lawyers' lease. This lease is owned by the prominent firm of young lawyers of Stevens, Shelton & VanPelt. The last two weeks or more the ore has been increasing in value and size and the bottom of the shaft has been in good grade of milling ore. Good pannings were secured, but the owners did not dream that the ore that they were throwing over the dump was as a general average the highest grade ever discovered in the camp. It remained for P. R. Whytock, an eminent geologist, who is now here studying the geological features of the district to discover the true value of the ore. Mr. Whytock the early part of last week expressed a desire to the owners of the lease to inspect its workings and other workings on Bethania Mines estate for the purpose of studying and placing definitely the different rocks and their relation to the values that occur. In this way he hoped to solve several perplexing problems that the leasers and operators south of Bethania Mines have been bothered with for many months. As the big ledges on Bethania Mines were sufficiently far from the seat of disturbance and all true fissures he could, therefore, simplify his study and research. Mr. Whytock began his examination at the Lawyers' lease, taking therefrom a general sample from the bottom of their shaft which is now down 62 feet. He made no attempt to make anything but a cold-blooded sampling. The returns were received fronm the assays and showed that the entire shaft which is being carried down 8 feet by 8 feet contained average of $76 per ton. No hanging-wall has yet been discovered. When it is taken into consideration that the entire break of the shaft runs into such phenomenal figures without screening, it is little wonder that the camp saw cause to rejoice. The owners of this lease at once ordered a machine hoist and will begin work on a large scale to reach the hanging-wall and to block out ore preparatory to having a tonnage available when the big King-Heizner mill begins to purchase the ores of the camp and pay for the same. In order to determine the extent of the fissure, a crosscut was today started in the direction of the hanging-wall. Sampling by the officers of the Bethania Mines estate and by the lessees themselves gives a return of a little better than 4 ounces in gold, and disinterested sampling shows the same result. This is based positively on a commercial value of the ore that is being taken from this shaft. As a matter of fact this lease is being investigated and sampled by outsiders daily. The fact that this ore is in a true fissure vein, one of seven on the same estate now being developed and proven on this estate lends additional importance to the big strike.

Bethania Mines is a close corporation, being owned by prominent mining men here and in the east. The parent company is now making plans which have been about completed for the largest plant of machinery and the contracts, plans and estimate for a three-compartment working shaft to be sunk in the center of the estate. The shaft will be sunk at once to the 1,000-foot point. Air drills and all labor and money-saving machinery will be employed with a view to reaching that depth at the earliest possible date. Four other leaseholds on this estate are getting their ore blocked out to be in readiness for the King-Heizner mill. The estate will be one of the big mining ventures of the state.

Another important feature of the mining situation in Rawhide tonight is the fact that the great Grutt Balloon Hill lease on the estate of Queen Mines is breaking into the high-grade vein in the crosscut from the 185-foot level. At this level precisely the same formation was penetrated as on the crosscut from the 137-foot point. Not a single change was noted. The extent of the ore body at the 185-foot point has not yet been determined. Three shifts of miners are at work on this part of the development and two shifts are at work in the upper level. The immense richness of this bonanza lease may be gathered from the fact that one man is breaking sufficient ore daily to pay all the mine's running expenses and give a surplus of over a ton a day. If as it now seems as an assured fact the ore body has not diminished in size or value at 185-foot point, additional miners will be put to work as fast as places can be made for them and the lease will begin a production the like of which no lease in any camp in the past will have exceeded. Fifteen miners are now employed by the Grutt Balloon Hill and it is safe to make the prediction that 100 men will be digging out ore within the next 60 days.

The old Kearns No. 2 lease, now being worked on company account, is again the money on the 67-foot level north. Manager Barrett states that the miners have now broken into two feet of ore that will run $100 per ton.

Two men are working days and two men at night on the Lillian lease on Consolidated estate crosscutting from the 100-foot point east. This lease is now being worked under the direction of Chas. J. Moore, a prominent mining engineer, representint the Moffats of Denver, who have recently become interested in this lease.

Mr. Merritt, a prominent capitalist of Duluth, Minn., is on his way to Rawhide to start operations on a larger scale on the Big Four lease on Consolidated estate. Sinking will be begun at the 400 point and continued to the 800-foot point. Work will also be pushed blocking out the ore above the 400-foot point.

The Dayton-Toledo started an east crosscut from the 300-foot point today which will be continued across the entire block of ground. They are stoping from the 300 and the screenings give a return of one and one-half ounces gold per ton.

The Mint has reached the 381-foot point.

The Gold Crown on Coalition estate has purchased the Aspinwall plant consisting of hoist and equipment and will be completing installation on their lease this week. Sinking will be continued to the 200-foot point where crosscutting will begin for the Grutt Balloon Hill ore body.

Proskey No. 1 on Coalition estate has made an eight-ton shipment to the sampler at Hazen. This ore was taken from the 100-foot level from the south drift. The ore samples about $100 per ton. According to Manager Nat Proskey the lease has totalled $3,700 for the week ending May 29th.

On the Rawhide Louisiana, southwest end of the district, ore that will average about $8 per ton is developing. The management states that they have ordered a power plant and will begin greater development.

The frame-work of the King-Heizner mill has been completed, the 20 receiving bins at the sampler side of the mill have been completed and some of the machinery has been set up. By the 15th of the current month, the management states, they will begin receiving ore ready to be sampled.

The Weiss mill, under experienced mill men, will begin receiving ore by the 15th of this month. Dr. Weiss states that he will put in a sampler in connection with his mill and buy the ore direct the same as the National Ore Purchasing Co. There will be new blood from the heads to the tails on this plant.

The camp is full of out-of-town men who have become interested in different properties in the camp. Without exception they are unanimous in their praise of the camp and give free expression to their surprise at the wonderful showings and active development of the dizens of leases.