A short, but unverified history from Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nye County, Nevada, related the following:
Ed Workman, who later discovered National, came acros gold and silver ore in the western part of the Cloverdale District in 1909. He was soon shipping ore from the Orizaba mine to the town of Millers, in Esmeralda County. The property came under the control of the Diamondfield Black Butte Reorganized Mining Company based in Goldfield. The company was incorporated in 1905 and then reincorporated in 1910 with 2 million dollars in capital. The Diamondfield Company sold its claims to the Orizaba Mining and Development company but maintained a financial interest in the new company which was incorporated in 1915 with $1 million in capital.
In 1911 prospectors stake six claims covering 120 acres, the ore contained quantities of gold, silver, lead and copper. By October 1915 miners had uncovered over 1500 tons of rich ore in the Orizaba mine and processed another 1200 tons of lower grade ore in the tailings piles. During the next two years the Mines Selections Company gained control over all of the stock and assets of the Orizaba Company and became the property new owners. In 1917 the company moved mining equipment from the Golden to improve the Orizaba mine. Orizabas main disadvantage was the fact that 100,000 gallons of water were seeping into the mine every day.
By 1918 the holdings of the Mines Selection Company had expanded to 9 claims covering nearly 190 acres. It is interest to note that the Diamondfield Company owned most of the Mines Selection Company's stock. The district production level continued to increase for a while, but by 1918 production had slowed due to water issues.
From 1913-1918 the mine produced ore valued at $122,000. In May of 1922, the Silver Mines Selection company, which was unrelated to the mines selection company, purchased all the holdings at Orizaba and began removing water from the mine. The Orizaba is documented to have produced over $128,000 in silver, which was only worth sixty cents an ounce at the peak of the mine activity."
A USGS surveyor breezed through the Republic District in 1986, he made a short, incomplete reports that stated the following:
Over $100,000 mostly in the 1920's and 30's. Lour miller found the mine but later sold it to John Conely. A local named Norman Coombs began working at the mine at age 12.[1]
The principal mine in this part of the district, the Orizaba, has a recorded production of about $127,980 produced between 1913-1918.[2]
In 1913 the mine was owned by the Tonopah Banking Corporation and was being worked under lease. At that time, a sample assayed for $8 for gold and $41.16 for silver.[3]
A report on the Orizaba from that time reported:
This Property (the Orizaba) is located about a mile east from Republic and is developed to a depth of about 100 feet. Considerable drifting and stoping have been done on the upper level and some high grade shipments are said to have been made. All of the work to date has been above the water level by the present leasers are preparing to sink and develop the sulphide ore. My grab sample of this sulphide ore gave assay returns as follows: Gold: $8; Silver $41.16; Total:$49.16 per ounce.
The vein occurs along the contact of a light-colored limestone and granite. Near the contact this granite resembles diorite.
The Orizaba Mine is the property of the Tonopah Banking Corporation. It is being worked at present under a lease and bond given for two years.
Work below the water level in the Orizaba may develop some good ore. The vein varies from two to five feet above the water level. If this width is maintained in depth and the sulphides continue to have the value determined above, this property will be worth further investigation. A winze is to be sunk to the point where the above sulphide sample was taken.[3]
