Starbuck's Exploring

The mine was discovered in 1904 by Johnnie Cyty, a prospector with the nickname of "Johnnie-behind-the-Gun." He got his name because he was known to draw his machine pistol on more than one occasion. Johnnie optioned the mine for a small fortune but the operators only worked it on a minor basis. Unfortunately, the mine (and district) were overshadowed by strikes in the nearby Bullfrog district and the rush there was on. By 1907, both the mine and Johnnie had fallen on hard times and were out of money. A year later, late one night in Rhyolite, Johnnie gambled away all of his stock in a twelve hour roulette game to C. E. Jones. Seemingly Johnnie accepted his loss and moved on. (He was involved in a gunfight later that year over another mine where he killed a man but was acquitted.)
Even with new owners, the Bank Panic of 1907 made it very difficult to find any investors for the property. The mine lay idle until the 1930's when another company purchased the mine and built most of the camp and mill. The operation only lasted for a few years and the mine lay idle again.