HOW A.J. LEATHERS STRUCK SILVER
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How A.J. Leathers Struck Silver

Many people have searched for treasure in the past and have been left empty-handed and many still go searching in vain today, following stories of lost treasure that was buried, sunk to the bottom of the ocean, or otherwise lost. Most of the time, this should be left as just a hobby as it usually turns up nothing but in some cases, such as that of A.J. Leathers, the hunting turns up more than one could ever imagine, and the story also shows that to find treasure, all one has to do is wait for the right opportunity. It took place in the White Pine Mountains at a company called the Monte Christo Mining Company. It was here that Edward Marchand was the Superintendent, a man by the name of Murphy was in charge, and A.J. Leathers was the blacksmith. It was during the fall of 1857 that a huge mining discovery was made and that discovery would lead to the establishment of the White Pine Mining District.

It was late one night when Leathers, asleep, was woken up by the sound of utensils being clanked around. He woke up and asked who was there to find an Indian eating the remains of his supper. The Indian told Leathers that his name was Jim but Leathers was feeling sour about being woken up after a hard day of work and he beat the man and threw him out. However, Jim appeared a few nights later, trying to make it up to Leathers. He offered the blacksmith a piece of silver ore, which Leathers melted down and placed a hole through so that he could wear it as a ring for many years to come. Murphy found out about the situation and persuaded Jim to tell him where he had found the precious silver. Once everyone involved agreed Murphy, Leathers, Marchand, and Jim set out to find the silver. From hereafter the Indian would be known as “Napias Jim,” as napias is the Indian term for silver.

The weather was not good when they left on their journey. They had just experienced a severe snowfall, which made conditions life-threatening at times. Napias Jim took the men to the main part of White Pine Mountain, where Shermantown would later be built. They fought against snow and wind to reach their destination but on arrival, there was much silver ore lying around. Over the winter, no one came to claim the treasure and the men called the mine “Hidden Treasure.” The mine was then sold for $225,000. However, what the purchasers didn’t know was that the mine only extended about one hundred feet and the mine had very little value. 

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