Grant H. Smith The History of the Comstock Lode 1850-1920, Geology and Mining Series No. 37, University of Nevada Bulletin: Reno, Nevada, vol. XXXVII. 1 July 1943, no. 3, (revised 1966), Ninth printing, 1980. 305 pp., 1966, 1912, 1890s, 1884, 1883, 1881, 1880, 1880s, 1877, 1876, 1875, 1874, 1872, 1871, 1870, 1870s,1869, 1860s, 1850s, 1920-1850 Senator J.P. Jones
California Gold Miner; California Justice of the Peace; Deputy Sheriff; Sheriff; Politician; California State Senator; Unsuccessful Republican run for California Lieutenant Governor; Comstock Mine Supervisor; Comstock Mine Owner; Comstock Mines Mills Owner; Stock Market Investor, Speculator; U.S Senator, Nevada [1872-1903], 1943, 1920-1850
A Welshman, born on the English border, Jones arrived in California in 1850, 1943, 1873, 1850, 1920-1850
Mined in several camps until 1852 when Jones settled in Weaverville, Trinity County, CA 1943, 1873, 1852, 1920-1850
There Jones followed public life, serving successively as Justice of the Peace, Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff, and State Senator. [Footnote: Gold Hill News, August 29, 1873-facts evidently supplied by Jones.], 1943, 1873, 1867-1852, 1920-1850
In 1867 the constitution of the newly formed Comstock Miners' Union provided that all men working underground should receive $4 for an eight-hour shift. That rule was not enforced, it appears . . . 1943, 1867
Republican J.P. Jones ran for the office of Lieutenant Governor of California, and lost to the Democratic candidate, 1943, 1867
November 1867, at the behest of his friend Alvinza Hayward, Jones went to the Comstock to become superintendent of the Kentuck Mine, which Sharon, Hayward, and associates had just acquired, 1943, 1867
[In the 1860s everyone played the stock market, and it might be supposed that Jones too was "learning the ropes."]
Jones, a genial man and a born politician, had a meteoric rise in Nevada, 1943, 1867
Jones was Mine Superintendent of The Kentuck, (1867-1868) and the Crown Point Mine from 1868 to 1873, one of Sharon's compliant supervisors of the Comstock Mines, 1943, 1873, 1872, 1871, 1870, 1869, 1868
Three adjoining mines (the Crown Point, the Kentuck, and the Yellow Jacket) were working on the same east ore bodies from the 600- to the 900-foot level and their extensive stopes were a maze of large resinous pine timbers. 1943, 1869, 1860s,
April 7th the 1969 Yellow Jacket Mine Fire in which 37 miners died, 1943, 1869
The fire, of unknown origin, started on the 800-foot level of the Yellow Jacket and had been burning for several hours without knowledge owing to heavy doors in the drifts . . . 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
When the men on the morning shift were lowered down the shafts a mass of charred timbers in the stopes broke under the weight of the roof, sending a blast of deadly gas and smoke through the workings of the three mines, 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
A few were hoisted back, many were suffocated, and others burned . . . three days . . . heroic efforts were made to reach the remaining men. When it became clear that all below were dead and that not even their bodies could be recovered at that time, the shafts were sealed . . . 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
When the Yellow Jacket Mine burned, the Crown Point had to be closed as well. Jones made a final attempt to bring in ventilation for the trapped miners two days after the fire began and then he sealed off the Crown Point and its connections to the Yellow Jacket, 1943, 1869
[p. 123] "The last descent into the Crown Point prior to the second sealing of the shaft was made on April 12 (the fire occurred on the 7th) by Superintendent Jones and a young man who tried to connect a pipe with the blower tube. Foul air drove them out after fifteen minutes without making the connection, 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
After the shafts were sealed large volumes of steam were forced into the workings to check the fire, 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
Those mines, which had been among the most productive on the Lode, were practically ruined. The caved stopes smouldered for months and yielded but little good ore afterward, 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
Instead of paying dividends all three mines began to levy assessments, 1943, 1869, 1860s, 1920-1850
The Crown Point was being mined for low-grade ores when the bonanza was discovered, 1943, 1871
Jones "Conspired with" Alvinza Hayward to take control of the Crown Point Mine away from Hayward, Mills and Sharon, 1943, 1871
Sharon's [His] supremacy was first challenged in 1871, when Hayward and Jones covertly secured control of the Crown Point soon after the bonanza was discovered, 1943, 1871
[p.129] "The ore had been found only 200 feet north of the Belcher line, and, as it lay on the footwall of the Lode, there was every probability that it would extend into the Belcher. That stock also began to rise. 1943, 1871
Crown Point stock rose quietly from $3 a share on November 19 to $16 on December 10. The market price of Belcher, meantimes, had increased to $7.50 a share. Development work proceeded slowly for a time and the reports were not very encouraging, due no doubt to the plans of Hayward and Jones who were aiming to secure control, 1943, 1871
"Jones' sick baby" was given as one of the excuses, which later became a byword on "The Street" in San Francisco. Jones, who was without means, induced some San Francisco speculators to buy stock for him "upon his agreement to bear all the losses in consideration of one half of the possible profits." Later, he advised these men to sell, "although assuring them of his firm belief in the mine . . . They regarded his story as a lame pretense," and began to sell short, which later cost them dear, 1943, 1871
Almost overnight, J.P. Jones became a millionaire, 1943, 1871
The Crown Point-Belcher bonanza brought millions to John P. Jones, 1943, 1870s
"Sharon was bitter when he learned that Jones and Hayward had the control of the Crown Point, but made the best of the situation: "He proposed to sell to Hayward and his friends all the shares of himself and friends in the Crown Point mine, at the market price, on condition that Hayward and his friends would sell to them all of their interests in the Belcher." The offer was accepted and the transaction closed. Lord states on the authority of Sharon that Sharon sold his 4,100 shares of Crown Point to Hayward on June 7, 1871, for $1,400,000, which would be at the rate of $341 a share. This was by far the largest single transaction in Comstock stocks up to that time, 1943, 1871
[p. 130] "The boundary line between the two mines [the Crown Point and the Belcher] passed downward through the middle of the bonanza, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. The Belcher's portion proved richer and more productive so that the trade eventually favored Sharon and his associates, Ralston and Mills [over Hayward and Jones.] In addition to the lion's share of the dividends, each group made private milling profits running into the millions, 1943, 1870s
Hayward and Jones had taken control of the Savage from Sharon at the annual meeting in July 1871, in order to get its ore for their mills and to display their newly acquired power. "It was then that Hayward launched his spectacular boom in Savage Mine stocks, partly for the purpose of furthering the senatorial aspirations of his partner Jones, 1943, 1871
Jones and Sharon campaigned for the opportunity to run against former Governor James W. Nye for the junior Senator from Nevada seat, 1943, 1871
[p. 135] "Newly created Comstock millionaires, with the notable exception of Mackay, almost invariably aspired to a seat in the U.S. Senate, and the campaign of Jones in 1872, against former Governor James W. Nye, U.S. Senator from Nevada, 1980, 1966, 1943. 1864
Sutro was also a candidate, as he was in every senatorial election thereafter up to and including 1880, 1943, 1872
John P. Jones, less than two years earlier, had been one of his [Sharon's] compliant superintendents, 1943, 1873, 1871
"It was then that Hayward launched his spectacular boom in Savage, partly for the purpose of furthering the senatorial aspirations of his partner Jones. They had taken control of the Savage from Sharon at the annual meeting in July 1871, in order to get its ore for their mills and to display their newly acquired power, 1943, 1871
"Toward the end of January 1872, Hayward gave an unlimited order to buy Savage stock, which was then $62 a share. Next the miners were confined, and the public denied entrance to the mine. No one was permitted to see or tell of a rich strike-which had not been made, 1943, January 1872
[p. 87] "Hayward began to boom Savage stock early in 1872 by giving out mysterious reports of a rich strike, and by confining the miners underground-an old Comstock trick. The miners did no [p. 88] work and lived on the fat of the land. Great excitement followed, 1943, January 1872
"The whole market went up with a rush. Savage rose from $62 on February 1 to $310 on the 8th, fell to $230 the middle of March, 1943, February, March 1872
The Savage stocks rose to $460 on April 17, and to $725 on April 25. At that price the mine was selling on a basis of $12,400,000, which was almost as much as Crown Point and Belcher were worth, 1943, April 1872
In 1867 the constitution of the newly formed Miners' Union provided that all men working underground should receive $4 for an eight-hour shift. That rule was not enforced, it appears, but became uniform after John P. Jones, then candidate for the U.S. Senate, ordered that on and after April 1, 1872, the eight-hour day should apply to all men working underground in the Crown Point mine, 1943, April, 1872, 1867
The price of Savage stock rose rapidly to $725 on April 25, 1943, April 1872
"Crown Point rose to $800 on February 1, then hung around $770 until the middle of March, rose to $1,250 by April 17, to $1,700 on the 25th, and to $1,825 on May 5. Belcher followed along with Crown Point, and reached the top, $1,525, on April 25. . . . 1943
[p. 133] "The stocks in the 150 mines listed on the exchange (which included many scattered all over the West), had increased in value from $17,000,000 in January to $81,000,000 on the 5th of May. A crash was inevitable and was hastened by the moves of Sharon who was a rival candidate against Jones for a seat in the United States Senate. On May 8, Sharon let it be known that he had information that J.P. Jones had been instrumental in setting the Yellow Jacket fire in April 1869, in order to break the market at that time. The charge was baseless and almost absurd, although Sharon had the affidavits of several irresponsible men. The market had reached tottering heights and the sensation brought it down. Stocks dropped 30 to 40 percent. The panic that followed shook San Francisco like an earthquake; speculators saw their fortunes crumble . Crown Point fell from $1,825 on May 5 to $1,659 on the 8th, and to $1,000 a few days later. 1943, May, 1872
In May the Crown Point boom collapsed and Savage with it. There had been no rich strike; it was a cold-blooded stock deal that hurt many people. [Footnote: The San Francisco Chronicle of May 19 charged Jones and Hayward with unloading Savage on their friends.] 1943, May, 1872
The Jones crowd raided Belcher, which fell from $1,400 to $750, but recovered shortly to $1,000, 1943, 1872
"One of Lord's best stories is spoiled by a little fact. He says that because of Sharon's charge against Jones, Crown Point shares fell to one eighteenth of their former price and hurried on a general fall in mining stocks, overlooking the fact that on May 15 the capital stock of Crown Point was increased from 12,000 to 100,000 shares (8 1/3 for 1), which left the price $100 a share. A few weeks later it rose to $135. Belcher was increased from 10,400 to 104,000 on August 1, 1872, and fell to $108 a share, which led innocent writers to comment on the extraordinary decline in prices, 1943, 1872
The elections were said to be characterized by "a saturnalia of corruption." [Footnote: Davis' History of Nevada, pp. 421-423 (1913), 1943
Jones, a seasoned politician, had himself called "The Commoner," spent his newly won wealth regally, and was triumphantly elected in January 1873-an office which he filled with credit to himself and his State for thirty years, 1943, 1903-1873, 1870s
Harry M. Gorham, Sen. J.P. Jones' nephew, wrote in My Memories of the Comstock (1939), "When Jones went to the Senate he took off a balance sheet, and he was worth $8,000,000," 1943, 1939, 1873
Superintendent J.P. Jones, Annual May 1, 1873-1870 Crown Point Mine Report, U.S. Mineral Resources for 1873,
Prefaces his report for 1873 with the statement: "The last general report submitted by the superintendent was dated May 1, 1870. At that time the Crown Point mine was yielding nothing.", 1943, 1873
"He does not make any explanation for the failure to report to his stockholders in 1871 and 1872. The report of 1873 covers all three years."1943
In 1874, Sharon ran for Stewart's empty seat, and won election by the legislature, 1943, 1874
Sutro was also a candidate, as he was in every senatorial election thereafter up to and including 1880, 1943
[ Jones bought into Arcadia and Col. Robert Baker's holdings in Los Angeles County, 1874]
[p. 135] "The aftermath of the Hayward-Jones friendship, according to the Virginia Evening Chronicle of December 12, 1874, was a quarrel over the Crown Point, in which Jones prevailed. "Now Jones and Hayward are at swords' points. They are even more bitter in their hatred of each other than Sharon and Jones ever were," 1943, 1874
Jones is among those who are only our well-to-do citizens, men of comfortable incomes-our middle class. [Worth between $5 million and $20 million.] San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 1875, 1943
One of San Francisco's own with fortunes of at least $5.000.000, 1943, 1875
[Built the Baker and Jones Wharf, terminal of the Los Angles and Independence Railroad; platted the town of Santa Monica, 1875]
By 1876, Along with the Bank Crowd and the Bonanza Crowd, one of the three groups who controlled the Comstock, mines and mills, 1943, 1876, 1870s
Jones made private milling profits running into the millions, 1943, 1870s
[p. 208] "There were three active stock exchanges in San Francisco during the flush '70s, each with a large membership. Able and daring men gravitated to them by instinct. They were the liveliest places on the Coast and the focus of public attention, 1943, 1876, 1870s
"The big speculators, like Sharon, Flood, Hayward, Jones and Skae had their favorite brokers, who in turn usually employed other brokers to buy and sell on the exchanges. These groups were almost constantly at war with one another. Other large dealers, "Lucky" Baldwin for example, played a lone hand against everybody, 1943, 1876, 1870s,
[The Panamint Episode . . ]
James G. Fair was elected to the U.S. Senate, Nevada in 1880, 1943
"The Battle of the Money Bags for Senatorial Honors," it is termed in Thompson & West History of Nevada, p. 92 (1881). 1943
Nevada was often characterized as "The Rotten Borough." 1943
Sutro was also a candidate, as he was in every senatorial election thereafter up to and including 1880; and each time he failed to receive a single vote in the Legislature.], 1943, 1880
Following press criticism, Sen. Jones took the precaution to have the names of others appear as trustees of his mines and his private milling companies, 1943, 1890s, 1880s
Senator J.P. Jones . . . had been mining low-grade ores from the old stopes of the Crown Point and the Belcher for three years (as a lessee) [Jone leased his old mine (s) in 1880], 1943, 1883, 1880
[The stopes were still filled with resinous wood . . .]
[See Fire, 1881, Lumber; Stopes]
"Fortunately, no fire occurred until May 3, 1881, when the bonanza ore was exhausted. There was no hope of quenching it, so all drifts and other openings into the stopes were closed and sealed in order to shut off the supply of oxygen. [p. 249] Three years after, when the fire was brought under control by the injection of carbonic acid gas, the upper stopes were opened and the extraction of low-grade ore was begun, 1943, 1884, 1883, 1881
"In 1883 Senator J.P. Jones, who had been mining low-grade ores from the old stopes of the Crown Point and the Belcher for three years (as a lessee), was given a lease on the Con. Virginia stopes from the 1550 level upward under an agreement to pay a royalty of 50 cents a ton for every ton milled, 1943
All of the openings into the stopes had been sealed since the fire broke out in 1881 and it was stipulated that he should not begin operations until the stopes could be entered., 1943
[Footnote: "When the fire burned out the millions of feet of timbers which had been packed into the stopes as the ore was removed, the whole country caved downward to fill the vacancy. The cave extended far up on the hillside back of the town leaving a long crack like an earthquake slip. So great was the pressure in the stopes that pieces of old 14-inch timbers were compressed to 6 and even 4 inches and resembled petrified wood. The town itself slid downward a little, but without damage except to brick buildings." Nevada Historical Magazine for 1911-1912.], 1943
The Jones Interests and the Sharon Interests the Yellow Jacket reduced 750,000 tons of ore averaging $12 a ton, mill returns, during the eight years following 1882, but only to the advantage of their mills. No dividends were paid, but on the contrary a few assessments were levied when the mill returns failed to pay the expense of mining and milling. Such of the other mines as could find a little ore were producing on the same basis, 1943, 1890, 1882, 1920-1850
"[Footnote: Comstock mines during the past three years have been steadily increasing the yield from low-grade ores extracted from old workings in the upper levels; no dividends being paid, but nearly all steadily levying assessments. Of course there is no profit in the business on that basis," says the Mining and Scientific Press of December 27, 1884, "and yet most of those interested in the operations of these mines manage to get a profit out of them by ownership of the mills that crush the ore. ", 1943
"In 1883 Senator J.P. Jones, who had been mining low-grade ores from the old stopes of the Crown Point and the Belcher for three years (as a lessee) [Jone leases his old mine (s) in 1880] was given a lease on the Con. Virginia stopes from the 1550 level upward under an agreement to pay a royalty of 50 cents a ton for every ton milled. All of the openings into the stopes had been sealed since the fire broke out in 1881 and it was stipulated that he should not begin operations until the stopes could be entered, 1943, 1883, 1881, 1880s, 1920-1850
[p. 250] "Mackay was in Europe practically all of that year [1883] engrossed in the affairs of the proposed Atlantic cable, and it is evident that neither he nor Superintendent Patton had much confidence that the fills and margins of the old stopes could be mined at a profit. All of their efforts during the preceding four years [1883-1879] had been spent on a search for a new ore body below the Con. Virginia bonanza. Development work down to and including the 2900-foot level had been a continual disappointment, and on January 1, 1885, deep mining in the North End mines was abandoned. Ten months later the water was at the 2000-foot level and still rising. 1943, 1885, 1884, 1883, 1880s, 1879, 1920-1850
[p. 250] "Patton notified Jones in the spring of 1884 that he had extended a drift into the stopes o the 1200-foot level and that he could begin operations. Jones commenced in May, and up to November 1, 1885, had mined and milled 18,487 tons of ore yielding $310,109.69, or $16.70 a ton, valuing silver at $1,2929 an ounce. The discount brought the value down to $14 a ton., 1943
[p. 250] "As soon as it appeared that Jones was succeeding the Con. Virginia company began to extract low-grade ore below the 1550-foot level. For economy of management and operations the Con. Virginia and California companies were reincorporated on October 1, 1884, as the Consolidated California and Virginia Mining Company with a capital of 216,000 shares of the par value of $100 each. The company itself mined 19,670 tons, yielding $15.91 a ton during the first year, which gave a small profit. Mackay wanted the company to take over all of the operations and he [p. 251] persuaded Jones to surrender his lease to the company by agreeing to give him a one-third interest in the new milling company to be organized to mill the ores. James L. Flood who had taken his father's place in connection with mining affairs,, was the third partner. [p. 251 Footnotes: James C. Flood [ -1889] died in 1889 of a long and distressing illness with Bright's disease. It is said that Mackay and James L. Flood bought all of the stock in the treasury at the market price when these operations were begun.], 1943
[p. 251] "The Jones lease was surrendered on January 1, 1886, and the Consolidated Company entered upon ten years of very profitable mining in and about the old stopes, although the operation would have been far less successful except for the lucky discovery of three narrow sheets of good ore adjoining the old California stopes. The first one was found in the summer of 1886, the second in 1891, and the last in 1894. It happened that the first was encountered after Mackay returned to take charge while Superintendent Patton took a vacation. Fair had done little crosscutting on either side of the bonanza owing to the rush of water that followed the cutting of clay walls. In these later years the stopes were practically dry as the water had been drained by deeper workings, 1943
[p. 252] "During the years 1884 to 1895, inclusive, the (the Con. Virginia) mine produced 860,661 tons of ore, yielding $16,447, 221, coin value, or $19.11 a ton, from which dividends amounting to $3,898,800 were paid, after the payment of $1 a ton royalty to the Sutro Tunnel Company. The value of the gold exceeded that of the coin value of the silver by nearly $2,000,000. The average milling charge was $6.50 per ton, with an 80 percent recovery rate. Mackay and Flood had large idle mills at that time, which enabled them to make a low milling charge . . . 1943
[p. 252] "It is interesting to note that the low-grade operations in the bonanza mines yielded more in dividends than were paid by any of the other Comstock mines in all their history with the exception of three-the Savage, the Crown Point, and the Belcher, 1943
[p. 252] ". . . Mackay and Flood . . . withdrew from the Comstock in 1895, 1943
[Senator Jones supported William Jennings Bryan's campaign for President, 1890s]
Senator Jones was chiefly distinguished for his eloquent advocacy of silver and as the best story teller and poker player in the Senate, 1943, 1903-1872, 1920-1850
Nevada was ably represented in the United States Senate during those years, where Jones [1873-1903] and Stewart [1865-1874; 1886-1904] served as the spearhead in the contest for the remonetization of silver, 1943, 1904-1886, 1903-1873, 1874-1865, 1920-1850
The Jones Crowd, Interests, 1943, 1890, 1890s, 1882, 1880s, 1876, 1872, 1920-1850
Miner, Public Servant, Private Businessman, Mine superintendent [1867-1873]; Mill Owner and Operator; Mine Owner, Stock Market Speculator, Investor; Land owner, real estate developer, railroads, 1943, 1876, 1870s
He was a large full-bodied man with a long chin beard and a benevolent countenance, a gambler, a story teller 1943, 1876, 1904-1867, 1920-1850
Residences: Weaverville, CA; San Francisco, CA; Virginia City, NV; Washington, D.C.; Santa Monica, CA , 1943,
Senator J.P. Jones died 1912