Lee's Ferry: From Mormon Crossing to National Park

10. The Aftermath

10 The Mtermath CHARLIE SPENCER'S ABILITY TO PAINT A ROSY PICTURE NEVER DESERTED HIM as he tried to reassemble the pieces of his broken enterprise. He undoubtedly stretched the truth by telling his creditors that the shutdown was only temporary, and he promised to remember those who stood by him. The truth was, he had little money, no credit, and most of his workforce had gone elsewhere. But Charlie still had faith in the blue silt and his ability to generate backing to mine the Chinle Formation. Only a handful ofworkers remained, the ones willing to take a chance as long as Spencer fed them. Among those who hung on were John and Jesse Palmer, Bill Adams, Bob Billings, Nick Van, Fred Austin, Noan Apperson, and Frank Watson; Bert Leach and Jerry Johnson stayed for a while. Charlie had a persuasive approach: "We have this thing figured out and we need your help. If it develops, you'll have a good job."1 Already, he was thinking of another promotion based farther upstream on the Pahreah River. John Palmer packed considerable equipment to Pahreah over several months and remained there to ride herd on it. Spencer had big plans; he even ordered five-inch pipe cut into packable lengths and transported along with hand tools and the contents of the machine shop. Cash was Spencer's immediate problem. His only income was the $75 that the county paid him monthly as custodian of the ferry, plus auxiliary sums he wangled from time to time for work on the road or ferry. The money he turned in as ferriage never came close to his salary as custodian. He did not personally work as ferryman and dispensed a few dollars among his men just to keep some of them around. Bookkeeping was nonexistent. Bill Switzer knew the project was dead and remained in Flagstaff. Charlie settled what he could with his workmen by dispensing company equipment in lieu of wages. According to FrankJohnson, Spencer owed JerryJohnson about $800 but never paid a cent;Jerry finally settled for a wagon and team. John Palmer claimed he was owed $1,500 one time, $2,000 another, but he received nothing. Nick Van persuaded Spencer to give him a bill of sale for two wagons, six horses, and two mules to prevent other creditors from claiming them. When the danger of attachment had passed, Charlie asked 249 250 Lee's Ferry Charles H. Spencer, no date (P. T. Reilly Collection, Cline Library, Northern Arizona University) . Van why he didn't return the property and Nick is reported to have said, "Don't you think I have sense enough to mind my own business?" Spencer supposedly had four thousand pounds of mercury in seventy -six pound flasks for use on the plates of the Pierce amalgamator. He cached these under the bench in the assay office but was observed by Fred Austin who, with Jesse Palmer, removed and buried the flasks under the corral gate. Austin is said to have double-crossed Jesse, removed the flasks secretly and sold them on the open market. Apocryphal? Probably, but it is The Aftermath 251 known that the company had a large number of flasks and there was no known accounting ofthem. Legend tells ofIndians observing a team straining to pull an apparently empty wagon over the dugway.2 Spencer's work force diminished as the food supply was exhausted. According to FrankJohnson, Spencer owed the cattle company about six hundred dollars when Stephenson cut off his credit. Previously the miners had obtained hay, lumber, vegetables, and honey whenever there was a need and Frank merely added it to the account. The ranch had proven to be a convenient supermarket until the flow was stopped, and now the plight of the men hanging on would become serious. When it was definite that the operation was dead, JerryJohnson unsuccessfully attempted to get his back wages. He then quit his non-paying job of ferryman early in April and went to Wyoming in another effort to persuade his wife to come south. The ferry was left without an operator, although Leach crossed a few who appeared. Bert Leach saw the handwriting on the wall, and though he was single at the time, he told Spencer that his wife was in desperate need of funds in New York City. Charlie gave him some money and Bert left for Wales...