About the Vulture Gold Mine
Freighting & Highgrading

Water was a necessary ingredient in the processing of the gold ore. Water, however, was also the indirect cause of many of the Vulture Mine’s troubles. Freighters would line up at the mine with wagons to transport the gold ore. As soon as they were out of sight of the mine, the freighters would begin picking through the gold, pocketing the best nuggets. "Highgrading" was the name of this practice, stealing the highest grade pieces of ore. In fact, freighting for the Vulture was more profitable than mining. Several nearby mine owners closed down their mines to become freighters for the Vulture.

Freighters weren’t the only ones "pocketing" extra profits from the Vulture. Thanks to the miners, many gold nuggets never made it into the company’s storage room. It was widely known among the prospectors that working at the Vulture for a few months could provide them with a grubstake for the rest of the year.

Gold Fever | Henry Wickenburg | Highgrading | Ghosts | The Goldwaters | The Vulture's Discovery
The Glory Hole | The Hanging Tree | The Walnut Grove Dam Disaster |
The Vulture's "Profit Sharing Plan" | Gold Mines vs. Gold Placers | The Depression at the Vulture |
John and Marge Osborne | The Birth of Phoenix, AZ

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