Up for consideration is a Hayseed Mining Company
stock certificate from 1907:
#282
Issued to A. C. Broderick for 100 shares on October
4, 1907
Signed by Sam T. Lindsay as president and S. J.
Hernstadt as secretary
Incorporated in South Dakota
Capital stock of $1,250,000
Datelined Rhyolite, Nevada
Uncancelled
Certificate in very good condition
Black print on cream colored paper
The Hayseed Mine was located within the Echo-Lee
Mining District in Inyo County, California, within what is now Death Valley
National Park. The district is in the southern part of the Funeral Range near
Echo Canyon and the former mining town of Lee. The Hayseed Mining Company owned
the patented Hayseed and State Line claims, where they began mining in the
spring of 1907 (the company was organized in March of 1907 and was the first
mine in the district). Mining on the two claims showed very encouraging early
results, when at a depth of 25 feet they struck an 18-inch gold vein which
assayed from $8,600 to $123,600 of gold per ton of ore. Mining continued on and
off for several years without much success while the company owners attempted
to find a lessee for the mining property, which by that time had a 100-ton ore
house, 25-horsepower gasoline hoist, a blacksmith shop and a horse stable.
Company owners were also negotiating with J. P. Nelson, the vice-president and
general manager of the company and S. J. Hernstadt, the secretary, to lease the
mine, with the financial backing of Hernstadt's brother, W. L. Hernstadt of New
York City. However, the company was not successful, and went out of business in
1911. (S. J. Hernstadt and J. P. Nelson also had other business interests
in the district – Hernstadt was a principal owner of the Hidden Treasure Mining
Company, including mining claims, real estate and water rights at the
neighboring mining camp of Lee, and Nelson also was a real estate owner and
promoter who had announced plans to build a hotel at Lee, before the boom ended
in 1911.)