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Boomtimes Again: Twentieth-Century Mining in the Mojave Desert
A 1957 letter from a former mining employee to a friend in Trona, California, describing memories of working in Goldfield, Nevada.

A 1957 letter from a former mining employee to a friend in Trona, California, describing memories of working in Goldfield, Nevada.

Transcript:

Anderson, Ind. Jan. 15, 1957

Mr. Bill Myers

Trona, Calif. Box 4

Dear Friend:

Your letter received and you will find enclosed another bunch of prints. Some of these are different from the ones I sent you. You can trade if there is anything in this bunch you would rather have.

We had planned to be on way to Florida by this time but my wife received word from Calif that her Bro. was in hospital with severe heart attack and would have to be in hospital for three weeks.

We are having a severe touch of winter here. Two days ago it was down to 10 below Zero. Now have about three inches of snow. I knew several assayers in Goldfield. Can't remember their names now. I done a little business with one of them in Hy-Grade ore. Had him smelt me two gold buttons that I brought back home and had rings made. I worked in office of MacMaster and MacMaster (two brothers) as stenographer for about one year. They floated the Rochester-Goldfield Mining Co., and had a Supt. at diggins called Tom Short. They never hit anything. I later worked for Davis and Shoemaker who operated a lease on the Mohawk and they did get considerable high grade ore. This was not Diamondfield Jack Davis but Lincoln Davis from Chicago. Diamond Field Jack Davis had his office directly across the street from MacMaster and MacMaster in Goldfield. Jack would always ride his horse inside the office before he dismounted. Usually carried two rifles and two six shooters. I also saw a shooting scrape between an assayer near our office and another man. The assayer jumped back in his office after both shot several times and came back out with a sawed off shot gun and got the other fellow. I would sure like to see that book of Frank Crampton's. Do you know where he is located? I do not remember Al Anderson "Big Swede" but may have bumped into him at Goldfield. I don't remember many of the names now. The next time my daughter comes thru your part of country, will have her stop to see you. She has promised Seldom Seen Slim a colored picture of him she took while at your place. It was good. She was out in Death Valley again last Fall at the Flap Jack contest.

CAE Rinker

Sent 20 Prints.

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Citation Information
“C. A. Earle Rinker letter to Bill Myers, January 15, 1957,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/f1be3a08e0bf133931d5edb3a8421621.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University Libraries via Mountain West Digital Library.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience

Item 9 of 15 in the Primary Source Set Boomtimes Again: Twentieth-Century Mining in the Mojave Desert

Previous ItemNext Item
A 1905 photograph of Tonopah, Nevada.
A photograph of Tonopah, Nevada ca. 1915.
A photograph of late-nineteenth-century silver mining in Tonopah, Nevada.
A photograph of people and mining equipment in early-twentieth-century Tonopah, Nevada.
A postcard image of downtown Tonopah, Nevada ca. 1907.
A 1912 map of mining in Tonopah, Nevada.
A page from a 1912 newspaper, the Tonopah Miner.
A 1906 document listing taxpayers in Tonopah, Nevada.
A 1957 letter from a former mining employee to a friend in Trona, California, describing memories of working in Goldfield, Nevada.
A photograph of a twenty-mule team used to transport metals and minerals prior to the development of railroads in the Mojave Desert.
A 1925 photograph of magnesium bagged for transport by train near Death Valley, California.
An excerpt from a 1915 booklet called “Borax the Magic Crystal.”
A 1946 photo of a mineral processing plant in Trona, California.
A 1989 photo of dry lakes used for mineral harvesting in Trona, California.
A 1989 photo of the Kerr McGee plant in Trona, California.

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