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OAKLAND,    CAL.: 


THOMPSON   &  WEST. 


1881 

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Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1881,  by 

THOMPSON  &.  WEST, 

In  the  ofiSce  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


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PACinC   FRESS, 
PRDiTKU,  KTKRBOTVrKllS  ASD   BIXDIRt, 

Oakland   cAUfiiRMA 


Publisher's  Introductory. 


The  publishers  herewith  present  to  their  patrons  and  the  public  the  Illustrated 
History  of  Nevada,  with  the  satisfaction  of  a  great  labor  completed,  with  pride  in 
its  appearance  and  with  confidence  in  its  approval.  The  publication  has  been  delayed 
throuo-h  the  great  difficulty  of  obtaining,  compiling,  writing  and  revu^ing  the  matter 
requisite  for  an  authentic  and  complete  History.  For  this  purpose  every  source  of  in- 
formation has  been  sought — the  archives  of  the  State,  counties  and  towns;  the  newspapere 
of  Nevada  and  California;  directories,  diaries,  lettei-s  and  scrap-books,  wherever  obtain- 
able, have  been  searched;  the  old  pioneers  have  been  interviewed  and  their  stories  re- 
corded ;  the  Indians  have  been  visited  and  their  version  of  incidents  related ;  the  historic 
oTounds  have  been  examined  with  great  care  in  order  that  statements  might  be  made  to 
accord  with  physical  features;  extensive  conespondence  has  been  carried  on  in  pui-suit  of 
historical  events  and  corrections  of  data,  and  the  skill  and  memory  of  the  best  writers 
convei-sant  with  the  history  of  the  State  and  the  various  subjects  connected  therewith 
have  been  employed  to  perfect  the  work.  All  of  this  has  taken  much  more  time  and 
labor  than  was  contemplated  at  the  outset,  and  the  gieat  mass  of  material  gathered  has 
swelled  the  book  beyond  the  dimensions  designed  when  the  work  was  undertaken. 

Nevada,  the  "  Battle  Bom,"  young  as  she  L*;,  has  made  more  hi.-.tory  than  usual  for 
States  of  many  times  her  age,  and  for  communities  many  times  her  numbei-,  and,  bulky 
as  our  book  has  giown,  much  of  interest  and  instruction  could  be  added.  The  period 
since  the  discovery  of  silver  in  the  Territory  has  been  tilled  with  most  stining  events, 
crowdin"-  within  the  short  space  of  time  the  occuiTences  of  a  century  in  the  older  and 
quieter  countries  of  the  East.  Revolutions  in  finance,  society  and  jwhtics  have  followed 
her  development  and  connect  her  intimately  with  the  great  progress  of  the  age.  Her 
second  decade  has  passed;  her  pioneei-s  are  rapidly  passing  away;  many  records  are 
fadin"  and  in  danger  of  destruction;  old  landmarks  are  becoming  obliterated;  great 
changes  are  constantly  going  on,  and  no  longer  should  be  delayed  tlie  writing  of  the  tirst 
installment  of  her  history.  This  labor  we  have  undertaken,  and  although  imperfections, 
undoubtedly  many,  exist,  we  are  confident,  with  the  unwearying  care  taken,  that  the 
main  facts  related  aie  substantial  and  incontrovertable,  that  we  have  herein  pi-eserved 
from  obUviou  nmch  important  and  essential  matter,  and  that  for  all  time  our  History  of 
Nevada  will  be  the  stanilard  and  basis  of  all  succeeding  works. 

We  have  attempted,  in  addition  to  the  History,  to  give  a  review  of  the  resources  of  tiie 
State,  which  appear  far  grander  to  the  careful  investigator  than  seems  possible  to  be 
entertained  by  the  reader  of  newspaper  reports,  or  from  the  ob-servation  of  the  country 
in  rapidly  and  carelessly  passing  over  it.  The  broad  desert  plains  are  often  found  rich 
in  many  of  the  most  valuable  elements  of  commerce,  arts,  manufactures  and  the  neces- 
saries of  life;  and  the  bare  and  sombre  hills  are  veined  with  precious  and  useful  ores  to 


iv  INTRODUCTORY. 


a  degree  that  in  the  densely  peopled  countries  of  the  old  world  would  make  nearly  every 
mountain  range  now  neglected  another  Comwa!!  or  Devonshire.  The  reviews  of  the 
mining  districts  are  necessaril}'  brief,  but  the  information  given  has  been  obtained  in  most 
cases  from  actual  visits,  close  insynction  and  careful  inquir}-.  The  aggregate  and  con- 
clusion shows  a  very  substantial  basis  for  future  prosperity.  The  agricultural  resources, 
so  generally  condemned  as  ml,  are  shown  by  statements  of  existing  facts,  from  which 
corapaiTSons  may  be  drawn  for  possibilities. 


Of  the  railroad  monopolies,  their  operations,  avoidance  of  public  duties  and  disregard 
of  public  interests,  their  corruption  of  public  officers  and  oppression  and  ruin  of  those 
who  dLsobey  their  mandates,  we  have  written  for  what  we  deemed  the  public  good,  be- 
lieving in  the  justice  of  our  course  and  having  faith  in  the  appro\'al  of  the  public. 

We  have  endeavored  in  all  things  to  be  just,  and  while  recording  the  past  as  fully  and 
accurately  as  possible,  to  report  upon  the  present  condition  and  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  future  as  far  as  lay  in  our  power. 

The  design  of  the  work  has  been  to  group  events  and  subjects  under  appropriate  head- 
ings, thereby  abbreviating  the  matter  as  much  as  possible,  and  by  index  and  full  table  of 
contents  enable  the  reader  to  at  once  find  the  subject  desired.  In  this  we  have  followed 
the  chronological  sociuence  of  events  as  far  as  their  prop;r  treatment  would  permit,  be- 
ginning with  the  eailiest  known  history,  when  the  trappers,  voyageurs  and  explorers  fiist 
penetrated  the  "Great  Ba.sin;"  following  with  the  trials  of  the  early  emigi-ants  who 
cro.«sed  it  on  their  way  to  the  Pacific  Coast  ;  the  early  efforts  to  organize  governments 
and  the  administration  thereof;  the  discovery  of  silver  and  its  eflects ;  the  Indians  and 
their  wars;  the  creation  of  the  Territory  and  the  establishing  of  a  substantial  govern- 
ment ;  the  contests  with  corporations  and  moneyed  powei-s ;  the  rise  and  progress  of  society 
as  exemplifii.'d  in  its  churches  and  schools,  and  events  of  interest,  all  of  which  are  com- 
prised in  a  general  history  anto'ior  to,  or  independent  of,  the  organization  of  the  counties. 
In  the  histories  of  counties  we  have,  in  addition  to  the  record  of  events,  given  succinct 
description^  of  their  geography  and  topogi'aphA^  with  a  slight  reference  to  their  geological 
formation,  though  without  pretense  to  scientific  accuracy;  and  such  an  account  of  the 
mining  districts  and  valleys  as  will  give  an  insight  into  theu-  resources  and  capabili- 
ties to  such  as  wish  to  invest  in  or  study  them. 

Our  illustrations,  which  number  arc  from  photographs  and  sketches  by  compe- 
tent artists,  approved  by  those  intrusted  and  convei'sant  with  the  subject,  and  engraved 
in  the  most  skillful  manner  known  to  the  art,  constituting  a  valuable  and  most  interest- 
ing feature  of  the  book.  With  the  portraits  and  biographical  sketches  we  have  preserved 
the  features  and  the  histories  of  many  of  the  principal  citizens  and  worthy  persons  and 
business  men  of  the  State  who  have  labored  for  its  advancement,  maintained  its  honor 
and  stability,  and  have  taken  a  laudable  pride  in  the  preservation  and  publication  of  its 
history. 

Much  encouragement  and  assistance  have  been  rendered  us,  for  which  we  are  ex- 
tremely grateful ;  but  on  the  other  hand  some  capitalists  and  monopolists,  having  only 
their  selfish  ends  in  view,  have  either  placed  obstacles  in  our  way  or  expressed  disapproba- 
tion of  our  enterprise.     To  the  latter  class  we  are  indifferent. 

While  engaged  in  compilation  and  gathering  together  of  the  material  for  this  work  we 
have  employed  many  assistants.  Some  have  proved  themselves  true  to  the  trust  reposed 
in  them.  Such,  we,  as  publishers,  and  thegeni.'ral  public,  as  readei's,  will  hold  in  kindiy 
remembrance.  Of  those  of  our  employees  who  proved  themselves  incompetent  or  recre- 
ant to  the  trust,  and  whose  work  required  entire  revision  and  rewriting,  the  less  said 
the  better.  The  arduous  task  of  revision,  compiling  and  writing  the  History 
has  been  under  the  editorial  charge  of  Mr.  Myron  Angel,  assisted  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Mason, 
Mr.  M.  D.  Fairchild,  Mr.  C.  K.  Robin.son  and  other  writers.  Special  articles  have  been 
furnislied  by  William  Wright  ("  Dan  De  Quille"),  on  Early  Journalism  in  Virginia  City; 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Col.  H.  G.  Shaw,  on  the  Churches;  Hon.  D.  R.  Sessions,  on  the  Schools,  and  Judge  C.  N. 
Harris  on  the  Bar  of  Nevada.  We  cannot  at  this  time  mention  all  who  have  kindly 
furnished  information  and  rendered  assistance  in  this  work.  Tlie  State  onicei-s  liave 
shown  a  deep  interest  in  our  enterprise,  and  kindly  placed  at  our  disposal  the  public  doc- 
uments in  their  possession  and  rendered  such  assistance  as  was  in  their  power;  the  Stat« 
Library  has  furnished  much  from  its  valuable  stores;  the  county  otticei-s  and  mining  re- 
cordei-s  have  responded  with  alacrity  and  great  poiitene.ss  to  every  request,  and  the 
journalists  of  the  State  have  universally  given  their  aid;  and  to  all  we  express 
our  unqualifieil  thanks.  Of  the  many  citizens  of  the  State  we  desire  to  thank 
for  information  given,  we  may  mention  Jackson  Ferguson,  of  Churchill;  S.  A. 
Kinsey,  Judge  J.  S.  Child  and  Walter  Cosser,  of  Douglas;  Hon.  John  S.  Mayhugh, 
Leonard  Wines  and  Col.  J.  B.  Moore,  of  Elko;  T.  B.  Smith,  of  Esmeralda;  W.  W. 
Hobart,  E.  U  Dodge  and  Lambert  Molinelli,  of  Eureka;  S.  B.  P.  Pierce  andE.  D.  Kelly, 
of  Humboldt ;  Hon.  M.  J.  Farrell,  Joseph  F.  Triplett  and  A.  A.  Curtis,  of  Lander;  Judge 
Mortimer  Fuller  and  D.  Bonelli,  of  Lincoln;  S.  S.  Buckland,  John  Lothrop  and  C.  W. 
Davis,  of  Lyon;  Hon.  J.  T.  Williams,  of  Nye;  Col.  Warren  Wasson,  Judge  William  M. 
Cary  and  C.  N.  Noteware,  of  Ormsby;  Dr.  E.  B.  Harris  and  Mi-s.  C.  M.  Ditten- 
rider,  of  Storey;  Hon.  H.  A.  Comins,  of  White  Pine;  and  to  Capt.  Robert 
Lyon,  of  San  Buenaventura,  Capt.  R.  G.  Watkins,  of  Humboldt,  and  Mr.  J. 
M.  Hunter,  of  Montecito,  California.  The  publishers  of  Nevada  have  extended 
many  courtesies,  furnishing  files  of  their  papers  and  promptly  responding  to  our 
inquiries,  and  we  hope  they  will  approve  the  sketches  we  have  given  of  their  papers  and 
themselves.  The  files  of  the  Territorial  Enterprise,  Virginia  Union,  Car.-<on  Ajypeal, 
Tiihune  and  Index,  Reno  State  Journal,  Reno  Gazette,  Esmeralda  Star,  Jieese  River 
Reveille,  Silver  Bend  Repwter,  and  Recjiater,  have  aided  us  in  our  history,  and  particularly 
are  we  under  obligations  to  Daniel  W,  Gelwicks,  Esq.,  of  Oakland,  for  tiles  of  the  Mount- 
ain Democrat,  of  Placerville,  through  many  years  of  the  publication  of  that  journal, 
when  Placerville  was  the  entrepot  of  the  overland  immigration,  and  his  paper  and  the 
Semi-Weeldy  Observer,  of  which  Myron  Angel  was  editor,  and  has  preserved  files, 
recorded  all  the  events  tran.spiring  on  the  route,  and  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  Terri- 
tory. The.se  old  papers  are  a  diary  of  events,  recording  them  as  they  occur,  and  remain 
uncolored  by  changes  of  sentiments,  politics,  interests,  or  opinions  to  which  the  memory 
is  subject,  and  by  which  men  are  often  influenced. 

Of  the  authorities  consulted  we  may  mention  the  "  Life  of  Kit  Ca:"son,"  by  De  Witt 
C.  Peters;  the  "  Rivers  of  the  West,"  by  Mi-s.  F.  F.  Victor;  "  Bonneville  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,"  by  Washington  Irving;  "  p]xplorations,"  by  Fremont,  in  various  yeai-s;  J. 
Wells  Kelly's  Directories  of  Nevada;  J.  Ross  Browne;  R.  W.  Raymond's  "Mineral  Re- 
sources " ;  John  A.  Church,  on  the  Corastock  Lode ;  the  various  statutes,  and  Reports  of 
State  ofHrers,  directories,  gazeteers,  and  other  publications,  many  of  which  are  referred  to 
when  used  in  the  book. 

With  these  authorities  and  the  assistance  given  u.s,  and  from  the  memoi-y  and  study  of 
our  writers,  we  have  made  the  HiSTOUY  OF  Nevada,  and  submit  it  to  the  world.  There 
is  in  it  much  to  instruct,  and  something,  we  hope  much,  to  please.  We  have  related 
facts  as  we  ha\  e  obtained  them ;  animadverted  on  men  and  measures  as  conscience  dic- 
tated, and  extolled  where  merit  approved. 

To  our  patrons  we  owe  a  double  acknowledgment,  as  without  their  aid  no  such  history 
could  have  been  written,  and  without  their  patronage  no  such  book  could  have  been 
p\iblished.  Their  liberality  and  their  desire  to  advance  and  perfect  so  important  a 
publication,  is  an  evidence  of  tlieir  enlightenment  and  refined  taste.  Nevada,  c]as.sed  as 
she  is  among  the  frontier  States,  where  the  rough  and  semi-civilized  elements  are  supposed 
most  to  congregate,  contains  comparatively  few  of  the  characteristic  features  imputed, 
but  instead  is  noted  for  the  high  civilization  ami  refinement  of  the  inhabitants.  Beinix  a 
mining  State,  the  nature  of  her  business  necessitates  an  intimate  relationship  with  the 
world,  introducing  the  purest  culture  into  the  most  secluded  and  remote  places,  forming 


INTRODUCTORY 


a  metropolitan  and  cosmopolitan  society  of  the  highest  order.  Instead  of  being  settled 
by  a  rabble  it  was  men  of  enterprise,  energy,  education,  honor,  law  and  order,  who  first  oc- 
cupied her  mines  and  farms;  who  created  a  State  in  the  wilderness;  established  substan- 
tial and  just  govei-nment,  and  carried  on  the  work  of  development  as  never  before 
witnessed  f)r  equaled  on  the  globe.  Such  a  people  rank  among  the  foremost  in  the  social 
fabric  of  the  Union.  The  many  illustrations  given,  the  portraits  of  her  prominent  citi- 
zens, the  elegant  homes  and  tasteful  sun-oundings,  the  public  buildings  and  pubUc  works, 
substantiate  the  claim  we  have  made. 

In  conclusion  we  wish  to  refer  with  gi-atitude  to  the  excellent  artistic  and  mechanical 
work  displayed  in  this  publication,  and  which  has  been  contributed  to  by  the  business  firms 
of  Louis  Evarts,  of  Philadelphia;  Pacific  Press,  of  Oakland,  and  D.  Hicks  &  Co.,  of 
San  Francisco.  Among  the  many  di.stingui.shed  engravers  whose  skill  is  shown  in  these 
pages,  will  be  found  the  names  of  Samuel  Sartain,  of  Philadelphia;  A.  H.  Ritchie  and 
R.  B.  Hall  &  Sons,  of  New  York,  and  Britton  &  Rey,  of  San  Francisco. 

Without  further  comment,  we  leave  it  in  your  hands. 

Thompson  &  West,  Publishers. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
APPEARANCE  OF  THE  GREAT  BASIN. 

Its  Condition — Strange  Freaka  of  Nature — Valley  of  Death — 
Gnome  Lake — A  Mountain  Lake — Bottomless  Fountains — 
A  Fish  Story — Caves — Rivers — Hot  Springs — Salt  Mount- 
ain and  Plains — Foot-prints  of  a  Pre-Historic  Kace — Evi- 
dence of  Ancient  Inhabitants 17-20 

CHAPTER    II. 
THE    TRAPPERS    AND    EARLY    EMIGRATION. 

Wm.  H.  Ashley — Jcdediah  S.  Smith's  Expedition  in  18-5-2G-27 — 
Peter  S.  Ogden's  Expedition  in  1831 — Milton  Sublette's  Ex- 
pedition in  183'2 — Bonneville  and  Walker's  Expedition  in 
183.T — Kit  Carson's  First  Visit  to  Nevada,  1833 — Emigra- 
tion under  Captain  .1.  B.  Bartleson  in  1841 — ,1.  C.  Fremont's 
Expedition  in  1844 — The  Emigrants  of  18-t4 — Fremont's 
Expedition  in  1845 — Edwin  Bryant  and  other  Emigrants  in 
1846— Stephen  Cooper  in  184G — The  Conner  Party  Tragedy. 
20-29 

CHAPTER   III. 

CHANGE  OF  FLAG  IN  1846. 

The  Great  Basin  Ceded  by  Mexico  to  the  United  States  in  1848 
— State  of  Deseret  Organized — Utah  Territory  Organized — 
Discovery  of  Gold  and  Early  Settlement  of  Western 
Utah— Transient  Settlement— Letter  of  Robert  Lyoa.  .29-30 

CHAPTER   IV. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  CARSON  VALLEY 

1  851. 

rhe  First  Settlement — Reese  and  Kinsey — Stockade  Built — 
Garden  Planted — Eagle  Ranch  Located — The  Squatter  Gov- 
ernment of  1851 — First  Meeting  of  Citizens — Second  Meet- 
ing of  Citizens — Third  Meeting  of  Citizens — Civil  Govern- 
ment— A  Clerk  and  Constable— Fourth  Meeting  of  Citizens — 
The  Present  of  Some  of  Those— The  Fate  of  Others 31-33 

CHAPTER    V. 

COUNTY   ORGANIZATION    AND    RECORDS. 

1S52--54. 

First  County  Organization — First  Land  Claim — First  Toll-Road 
Grant — Deep  Snow  and  P'loods  in  Carson  Valley — 1853 — 
A  Mail  Route  Established — First  Lawsuit — Fifth  Meeting  of 
Citizens — What  Mrs.  Dittenrieder  Remembers  of  1853 — 
First  Marriage  and  Divorce — The  First  Dance — IS54 — Per- 
manent Overland  Stations  on  the  Carson  River — An  Indian 
Killed  by  a  Boy — Sundry  Events — Marriage  Contract — 
Sixth  Meeting  of  Citizens — Land  Claims  Recorded  in  1854 
— Carson  County  Created 33-37 

CHAPTER  VI. 

CARSON    COUNTY    ORGANIZED. 

1855 

Entries  Closing  Pioneer  Record  Book  -  Carson  County  Organ- 
ized— First  Officers  of  Carson  County — First  County  Court 
Records — Mrs.  Sandy  Bowers,  the  Washoe  Sccrcss — 1850 — 
Naming  of  Genoa — Division  of  the  County  into  School 
Districts — Orson  Hyde's  Curse 38-41 

CHAPTER     VII. 

■WITHOUT   GOVERNMENT. 

1867. 

Exodus  of  the  Monnons — Second  Attempt  at  Territorial  Organ- 
ization— Public  Meeting  in  Carson  Valley — Resolutions — 
Memorial — Exaggerated   Statements — A  Letter  from  -Judge 


Crane  to  his  tJonstituents — Mountain  Meadow  Massacre, 
September  15,  1857 — Western  Utah  at  the  close  of  1857. 
42-49 


CBAPTER  VII 1. 

ELECTION    AND    DISCOVERY   OF    SILVER. 

Carson  County  Election  October  30,  ISoS — Hanging  of  "Lucky 
Bill"  June  19,  1858 — Preludes  to  the  Silver  Discovery — 
Searchings  in  Nevada  for  Silver — The  Grosh  Brothers — 
The  Father's  Account  of  Their  Discoveries — The  Lost  Shaft 
Explained  by  J.  M.  Hunter — The  Black  Rock  Prospectors. 
49-55 

CHAPTER  IX. 
1859 -GOLD  HILL  DISCOVERED- 

The  Comstock  Lode  Discovered,  .June,  '59 — An  Article  of  Agree- 
ment— Sierra  Nevada  Mine  Located — First  Notice — Ijould  ft 
Curry  Located — Bill  of  Sale — California  Mine — Union  Con- 
solidated Mine — Names  of  First  Ijocatorson  the  Comstock — 
Virginia  City  Laid  off  in  Lots — Carson  \'alley  Quartz — Rich 
Discovery — The  First  Quartz  Mill— Silver  Found  in  the  Com- 
stock Ores — Rush  from  California 55-(51 

CHAPTER    X. 

EFFORTS    AT   GOVERNMENT. 

Resume  of  Political  History  —  Rules  and  Regulations — A 
Conviction  and  Ear-Cropping  —  The  Third  Unsuc- 
cessful Attempt  at  Territori;il  Organization  —  Declara- 
tion of  Cause  for  Separation — Election  and  Adoption 
of  Constitution,  September  7,  1859 — Musser  certifies  to 
Results  of  the  Election — Another  Attempt  to  Re-organize 
Carson  County  by  Judge  J.  S.  Child — Carson  County  Elec- 
tion Uctums  of  October,  1859 — Attempt  at  Provisional 
Government — Provisional  Legislature  Meet  and  Adjourn — 
Governor  Roop's  Message — After  the  Adjournment  .  .  .Gl-«)6 

CHAPTER     XI. 

PROGRESS   OF    SETTLEMENT. 

1860. 

Passenger  Communication  with  California  —  Stock-raising  in 
Carson  Valley — The  Weather — Building — General  Appear- 
ance— Business,  Etc. — The  Mines — First  Efforts  to  Reduce 
the  Ores — A  Facsimile  of  '■  Territorial  Enterprise,'' July 
30,  1859 — Political  History  C<mtinued  —  Carson  County 
Oliicera  in  18(i0 — County  Court  and  Repudiation  of  Debts — 
Rates  of  Licenses— Stock  Brokers — Toll-road  and  Bridge 
Rates — First  Railroad  Franchise — First  Court  House — Ne- 
vada Invoiced  in  1860 — -Business  Statistics  for  1860 — Popu- 
lation of  Nevada,  1860 — Nativity  of  Population 66-75 

CHAPTER    XII. 

TERRITORIAL   ORGANIZATION. 
1861. 

Political  Events— Stock  and  Agriculture  in  1860 — Deaths  in 
1860 — Appointments  by  Governor  Nye — Organization  and 
Elections  —  Executive  Proclamation  — .ludicial  Organiza- 
tion— Legislative  Organization — Census  and  Election  Dis- 
tricts —  First  Territorial  Election — Meml>crs  of  the  Ter 
ritorial  Council — Members  of  Hounc  of  liepre.ientatives — 
Territory  Divided  into  Counties — Special  Election  of  Janu 
ary  14,  1862 — Election  of  September  3,  1862 — Election  of 
September  2,  1 863 — Efforts  to  Become  a  State —  \'otc  For 
and  Aiiainst  a  State  Government — Homographic  (.'hart — 
Third  House — The  Constitution  IXjfeateil — Vote  for  Oflicer* 
Under  the  Constitiiti  m — Second  Attempt  to  Beeonie  a 
State— Constitutional  Convention  Elected  June  6th,  ami 
Assembled  .luly  14,  1861 — Votes  for  Congressional  D>;lc.;ato 
— Constitutional  Vote 75-86 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Vll 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

STATE    ORGANIZATION. 

State  Politics  and  Elections— I'rcsidenti.il  Election  of  November 
8,  18(>t — Contest  for  United  States  Senate  in  18G1 — Removal 
of  Capital  Attempted— Reply  of  Mr.  Waitz— Congressional 
Election  of  I8l>5 — State  Election,  November  6.  1866 — Elec- 
tions in  lSli8-6'J — Presidential  Election  of  1868 — State  Elec- 
tion of  November  3,  1870— Politics  of  the  Legisl.iture — 
Presidential  Election  of  1872- Contest  for  Uniteil  States 
Senate — State  Election  of  1874 — Contest  for  United  States 
Senate — Presidential  Election  of  1876— Result  of  the  Elec- 
tion— Politics  of  the  Legislature  of  1876 — State  Election  of 
1S7S — Choice  of  Senator — Republican  Ticket — Democratic 
Ticket — Politics  of  Legislature  of  1S7S — Vote  for  United 
States  Senator — Presidential  Election  of  November  2,  1880 — 
Politics  of  the  Legislature  of  1880 — Election  Returns — 
Amendment  J  to  Constitution — Chinese  Immigration — Sutro's 
Net  for  Fair- ColonelJumes  (i.  Fair — Salary  Reduction  by 
Hob-irt'sBill— ludioiary  Elections,  1861  to  1878— The  S_tate 
Re-districted — Districts  as  they  are 87-99 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
BOUNDARIES  OF   NEVADA. 

The  Boundary  Line  War— Pe.ice  Meeting— Message  of  Governor 

V  Clemens — Line  .\greed    Upon — Square  Miles   in    Nevada — 

A  County  of  Two  States lOft-102 

CHAPTER    XV. 

MAILS.    STAGES    AND    EXPRESS. 

Miiil  and  Passenger  Transportation  —  Snow-shoe  Thompson — 
Pioneer  Stage  Line— Overland  Mail— Pony  Express — Over- 
land Mail  Stage  Company— Overland  Stage  Farm— Tele- 
graph Lines — Present  Mail  Routes — Wells,  Fargo 
Express 


ife  Co. 's 
102-108 


(UIAPTER  XVI. 

RIVERS  AND  LAKES- 

The  Humboblt  River— The  South  Fork— The  Truckee  River- 
Walker  River— Carson  River— The  .■\margosa— The  Vegas— 
The  Rio  Virgen — Quiii  Kiver — The  Lakes  of  Nev.-ida — 
Humboldt— Carson—  Walker— Pyi'.imid  —Washoe—  Tahoe 
—Rubv— Franklin— Donner—Hoiley— Mono— Owens— Mar- 

lettc... 109-113 

CHAPTER    XV  11. 
GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 

Baron  Ricbthofen  on  the  Comstock— General  Structure  of  Corn- 
stock  Veins— Inclosing  Rock— Outeroppings— Vein  Matter— 
Cl.iy  .ind  Clayey  Matters— Quartz,  Character  of— Variety  of 
Ores— Remarks  on  General  Geology,  taken  ffrom  Oarence 
King's  Ueport-s— The  Glacial  Epoch— Living  Glaciers— Local 
Characteristics- The  Mountain  System — Origin  of  Mineral 
Veins — Future  Mining  Prospects 1 13-122 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
MINING    AND    POLITICS. 

Mining  Influence  Upon  Politics— Why  and  How  the  Law  Was 
Changctl- Why  the  Law  W.as  Changed  in  1871 — Bullion 
Increase  in  1871  Over  1870— Table  Showing  Change  in 
Assessments  and  Taxation,  etc.— The  Law  of  187o.  Its 
Pecuniary  and  Political  Eli'eels — The  Members  Ignore  Their 
Pledges— An  Outside  Pressure  Brought  to  Bear— The  Two 
Horns  of  the  Dilemma— The  Result— .Senators  Voting  For 
and  Against— The  Veto  and  Its  Effects— Bonanza  Move 
Number  Three- Attempt  to  Conii)r(nni8e — Compromise  Ef- 
fflcted- Efforts  to  Avoid  Paying  the  Penalties 122-I.30 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

AGRICULTURE. 
E^arly  Cultiv.ation  of  Carson  Valley— Cultivation  in  Humboldt 
—Reports  of  Large  Crops— The  Climate  of  Nevada— Monthly 
and  Annual  .McteoroloLjieal  Record  for  1880— Table  Showing 
Number  of  Trees  and  Vines  in  the  State— Rain-fall— Cloud 
BursU— Irrigating  Ditches  and  Acres  Irrigated— WaU'r 
Catchment— Agricultural  Products  in  187.1  -74— Progress  of 
Fruit  Culture-Stock- Washoe  Valley— Prospects  in  1S81 
—Tabulated  Statement  of  the  Increase  of  Stock  from  1866 


to  1881— Tabulated  Statement  Showing  Area  Cultivated 
and  Grain  Raised  From  1865  to  1881— Table  of  Leading 
ProducU  for  1880— Cattle  Raising- The  Rodeo— The  Stam- 
peJe — The  Cricket — Rocky  Mountain  Locust — Washoe  Val- 
ley-Prospects in  18S1 130-145 

CHAPTER  XX. 

INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 

First  Expedition  of  Whites— Washoe  Raids— Murder  of  Peter 
Lassen — Gov.  Roup  and  the  Indians — The  War  of  1860 — 
Num.aga's  Effort  for  Peace — Burning  of  Williams  St.-ition — 
Demand  for  Vengeance — Volunteers  for  the  Expedition — 
The  Battle  Field— .\n  Aimless  Charge  and  Wild  Retreat — 
Death  of  Major  Ormsby — A  Nameless  Hero — Closing  Scenes 
—Effects  of  the  Defeat 145-158 

CHAPTER   XXI. 

INDIANS  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 

Washoe  Regiment  Organization— The  March  to  Pyramid  L.ake— 
Just  Before  the  Battle— The  Battle-Ground— The  Battle- 
After  the  Battle— Other  Events  About  Pyramiil  Lake- 
End  of  the  Campaign— Death  of  Win.  Allen— Expeditiiui  of 
Colonel  Lander  —  Indians  alter  the  War  — Indian  War 
Threatcne<l    158-165 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE  OWENS  RIVER  WAR. 
Conference  with  the  r.ab-Utes- Indian  Scaiv  at  Como  in  1863  — 
A  Chief  Murdered— Troubles  in  1864  in  Huinlwldt  County 
—Indian  Troubles  in  1865- Hostilities  in  Paradise  Val- 
ley—A Ride  for  Life— Fate  of  Collins  and  Fearbournt — 
Eighteen  Indiiins  Scalped- Events  iu  Other  Parts  in  1865— 
Hostilities  in  Paradise  Valley  in  1865— Death  of  Col.  Charles 
McDeimitt— Events  in  Humboldt  County— Black  Rock  Tom 
—Closing  Action  and  Act  of  the  Year- Paradise  V^alley 
Trouble  in  1S()7 — Hon.  James  A.  Banks  Killed — The  Winter 
of  1867  and  Spring  of  1868 166-177 

CHAPTER      \X111. 

HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 
1860. 
The  Dry  Creek  Fight— Gravelly  Ford  Massacre  in  1861— Eastern 
Nevada  Troubles  in  1862 — GoshUte  War  in  1863 — Attack  on 
Cailon  St.ition  in  1863— ilassacre  at  CafMn  Station— End  of 
the  Gosh-Ute  War— Eastern  Nevada  War  Panic  in  1875— 
Anecdotes  and  Incidents 177-188 

CHAPTER    .XXIV. 
TRANSPORTATION  OF  LUMBER  BY  WATER. 

E.arly  Methods  in  Californi.i — Uitlioulties  of  Inventors — The 
V  Flume— Capacity  of  the  V  Flume-  Flume  Companies  iu 
Nevada 188-191 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 

[by    col.    henry    G.    SHAW.] 

Mormonism  in  the  Advance— The  First  .M .arriage- Early  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Work— The  Pioneer  Pre.athers— Lontempt 
for  the  Fourth  Commandment— Tribulations  of  a  Young 
Scotch  Divine  at  Elko— A  Funeral  Sermon  Over  the  Wrong 
Man— An  Anecdote  of  the  Lightning  Express— Practical 
Praying  in  the  Legislature — Floating  Deuomiuations  in 
Nevada 191-136 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 
PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

First  Service— Value  of  Church  Property— Defection  of  a  Min 
iatfr- Work  Amoim  the  Chinese— The  Diocesan  School- 
Gift  of  Miss  C.  L.  Wolfe— Bishi>p  Whitaker's  School- 
Damage  by  Fire— Church  at  Gold  Hill— Silver  City— Car- 
son City— Dayton— Austin—  Hamilton— Pioche— Eureka— 
Reno-Belmont 196-204 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


XI 


Panal  Scheme — Disenvery  of  Mineral — Principal  Mining 
Districts— rriiicipal  Towns  and  Cities— Hon.  .M.  S.  Tlionip- 
son— Hon.  T.  J.  BraiUliaw — Joel  Bradahaw — .lames  Byrnes 
—Charles  Kemler— C.  A.  Nichols— W.  A.  Sperry— William 
Stock— E.   Blcnnerhassett 443-4tK) 

CHAPTER    XLVU. 
HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 

Discovery  of  and  Kush  to  the  .Mines— Organization  and  Bound- 
aries—County Seat  and  Court  House— County  Debt  and 
Court  House^Iudicial  District  and  .Schools- Oliieers  Ap- 
uoinUiland  Klected— The  Leading  Industries— Bonds,  Prop- 
erty and  Population- I'rincipal  Towns— Austin  the  County 
Seat— Incorporated  as  a  City— \S'ater  Company  and  Stock 
H„;,r,l— Iteaction  and  Varying  Fortunes- Destructive  Uain 
.Storms  -Changes  and  Present  Appearance— Allen  A.  Curtis 
—Andrew  Nichols— Hon.  M.  .J.  Farrell— The  Man  with  the 
Axe— Battle  Mountain— J.  A.  Blossom— Desertfitl  Towns 
anil  Cities--Prineipal  Mining  Districts 4G1-17G 

CHAPTER    XLVlll. 
HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 

Earliest  Explorations— First  Discovery  of  Mines— Organization 
and  BoHiidaries— Appointments  and  Elections— Payment  of 
Taxes  Kef  used— Court  House  and  County  Jail— Collector's 
Fees  Swindle— Sundry  Itailroad  Subsidies— Meetings  to  Op 
pose  the  Schemes— The  Govenior  \etoo3  the  Bill— Proinot- 
ersof  the  .Scheme— Causes  of  Pro.stration— I'rincipal  .Mount- 
ain Itanges— Valleys  ot  the  County— Most  Kemarkal)le 
e'ave- Pniicip.al  Mining  Districts— Pioehe,  the  County  Seat 
-Destructive  Fires  and  Floods— Rapid  Decline  after  KS70— 
Other  Towns  and  Cities— The  Salt  Mountain 470-492 

CHAPTER     XLIX. 
HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 

Characterof  the  Surface- S.amuel  S.  Bucklaiul— (!.  W.  Burrier— 
John  Carling— Org.anization  and  Boundaries— Appointments 
and  Elections— Creation  of  a  County  Debt— Internal  Im- 
prov.jinents- Court  House  and  County  Jail— Investigation 
anil  Economy- Prospecting  for  Coal— Principal  Mining 
Districts— Principal  Towns  and  Cities — Kimber  Cleaver— 
J.  L.  CamplwU— John  L  .throp— G.P.  Kaudall — J.  D.Sims— 
Princip.al  Quartz  Mdls— History  of  theSutro  Tunnel- Col. 
C.C.Thomas 492-512 

C  H  A  P  T  E  R     L. 
HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 

Early  Explorations— Petition  and  Kemonstrance— Organization 
and  Boundaries — Appointments  and  Elections — Economy 
ami  Healthy  ( irowth- Debt  and  County  Buildings— Grazing 
and  Agriculture— Valleys  of  the  County— Principal  Mining 
Districts— Principal  Towns  and  Cities— Hon.  Benj.  Curler 
Hon.  George  Ernst— Hon.  J.  T.  Williams 512-527 

CHAPTER  LI. 
HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 

Emigrants  and  Early  Settlers— Organization  of  Ormsby  County 
—Appointments  and  Elections— Topography  of  County- 
Early  .Settlers- Advent  of  .\brain  Curry— Samuel  A.  Nevers 
Aaron  D.  Treadway  — Warren  W.isson — Uesources- Wil- 
liam D.  Torreyson- H.  H.  Benee— .Mines  and  Mining  — 
Quartz  Mills— Saw  mills — Toll-roads — I'ourt  House — M.  A. 
Dricsbach  —  Hon.  Trenmor  Coffin- -County  Divided  into 
Townships— State  Prison— I iame -Carson  City— Carson  Mint 
— Hon.  Cha.s.  F.  BicUnell— George C.  Tliaxter— Hon- W.  M. 
e.,ry— J.  H.  Marshall— J.  M.  Benton— M.  D.  Hatch— 
Mathias  Itinckel — Duncan  McRae — Harrison  Shrievcs — Em- 
pire City 527-563 

CHAPTEJl    Lll. 
HISTORY  OF  ROOP  COUNTY. 

Creation  and  Boundaries— Appointments  and  Elections— At- 
tempted Organization— Topographical  Features— The  Prin- 
cipal Valleys 563-565 


CHAPTER    LIU. 

HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 

Commingling  of  .Ml  Classes — Discovery  of  the  Coinstock  Lode- 
Supplies    from   t'alifornia — Teamsters    Association — Uaa<i 
Agents — Organization  of    the    County — Capt.    Edward    F 
Storey — James    F.    Lewis — Mark    Strouse — M.   N.   Stone- 
Scenery  of  Virginia  City — First   Buildings  in   (iold   Hill- 
First  Events  Keeounted — 1-Jirly  Legislatiie  Acts — The  Char 
ter  .Anieiiiled — Philipp  Deidesheimer — Pliilo  Kiiiipp— Willian. 
(iarhart — Ch.as.    Willi  im. son — Charter  of    Virginia    City- 
Events   of  the  year  ISO.'i — lUval    and    Ambitiims   Towns — 
Col.  H.  H.  Taylor— .loseph  E.  .McDonald- Political    Excit. 
meut — Private    and    Public    Extravagance — Thos.    Moses — 
Charles     Fonnan — Amusements   in    Early    Days — How    gi 
Arastra  is  Made — Kichard  Rising — Henry  Uolfe — BcncliceM 
Institutiims — First    Quartz  Mills — Col.  A.  M.  Edgington- 
W.  E.  F.  Deal — Greater    Prosperity    Imlicated — I.  E.  .lain 
— Virginia  City  when  Five  Years  Old — Military  Coinpani 
— Leading  Industrial    Enterprises — The  Fire  Dej)artment 
The  Newsp.aper  Department — tJold  Hill  in  the  'i  ear  1865 
The  Bonanza  Period — The  .Sutro  Tunnel — James  (i.  Fair 
John  W.  Mack.ay — The  Virginia  &  Truekee  Railroad — Jam   - 
C.  Flood — William  C.  Ralston — William  Sharon — John  )" 
Jones — Depression  of  Mining — Ralston  to  the  Front — Opf  ■- 
sition  to  .Sutro  Tunnel — The  New  King  of   the  Comstock 
(ireat  Panic  of  1875 — What  the  Mines  have  Accomplished 
D.Crosby — R.  V.  Dey — Finances  During  the  Bonanza  Peri- 
— Taxing   the    X'irginia   and    Truekee     Railroad — Princiiml 
Fires  in  Virginia  City — Fires  at  GoUl  Hill — Virginia  City 
Fire    Department — The    Water     Supply — .Substantial     Im- 
provements— The    Foundries  of    Virginia    City — lohn    Mc 
Cone — The  Manufacture  of  Ice — The(;ener.il  Outlook  Hojw 
ful—L.  T.  Fox— Joseph  B.   .Mallon— William  Woodburn  — 
Fiu.anee  and   Resources — .\ppointments  and    Elections — W . 
N.  Mercer  Otey— John   F.  Egan — F-  H.  Packer — Method  of 
Working   the    Mines — Compressor    Drills — Temperature   ul 
the    Mines — J.  .Minor  T.aylor— W.  H.  Patton — Some  of  ilii 
Leading  Mines — The  Comstock  (Jroupof    Mines — Statisti.9 
of   Proceeds — List    of    Bonanzas — The    Utah    Mine — .Sierra 
Nevada — Union    Consolidated — The     Mexican     Mine — 1  i- 
California — Ccmsolidated    Virginia — Best  k  Belcher— Go  iM 
&    Curry — The  Savage  Mine — The  Hale    &   Norcross — T!;. 
Chollar-Norcross-Savagc    Sluifts —  Cholhir-Pntosi  —  Bull. on 
Mine — The  Exchequer — The  Alpha  Mine — Consolidated  li.i 
perial— Gold  Hill  Group — The  Challenge — Confidence— T  :<■.■ 
Yellow  Jiicket — Kentuek — Crown  Point  and  Belcher — .Sej 
gated  Belcher — Overman — Caledonia — American  Flat  (Jn 
— Outside    Mines — Mining    Bo.im — Fluctuatii>n  of  .Stock 
Wm.  Mooney — Accidents  in  the  Mines — The  Yellow  lac 
Disaster — Charles  Zeigler — "Sandy   "  Bowers 507- 

CHAPTER  LIV. 

HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 
Explorations  and  Settlements — Petition  to  the  County  Conii- 
John  Twaddle — Aiulrew  .S.auer — Abandoned    by    the     Mt.r 
mons — Miners    Take    Possession — Organization  and  Cou"' 
Seat— Court  House,  .lail  and  Hospital — l.umber  and  t,tu. 
Mills — Removal  of  the  C.mnty  .Seat — Location  and   Eiee 
of  Buildings — Poor    Farm  ami  Hospital — Free   Bridge  (     ■■ 
structed — Financial  and  Political  Condition — Granvdle  W 
Huflfakcr — Appointmentsand  Elections-  W.  A.  Walker-    ! 
S.   Osburn — Death    Penalty     Inllieted — Agrieultur.il     Lt 
and  Products — Ervin  Crane — W.   I).    Harden — A.  A.  Iv 
ley — George   .Smith,  Sr. — George  .S.    .Smith — Is.iiie    H. 
— Principal  Irrigating   Canals — Reno   in  its    Early    Da; 
W.    R.    ChamlxTlain  —  Henry     Lyman     Fish  —  Protec' 
against  Fire— Property  Destroye<l  by  Fire — Infested  by  • 
Characters — The  Association  of  "(iOl  " — Efforts  to  Iiico 
rate— L.  W.   Lee — Episcojul    Seminary — .Mount  St.  Ma 
Academy — Hebrew    Benev.ilent    Society — Principal    To 
and  Cities — .Steamboat  Springs — .loseph   Frey — James  .Si 
van — T.  (i.  Heruiiin '>-- 

CHAPTER     LV. 
HISTORY   OF    V7HITE    PINE   COUNTY. 
The  Mountains  and  Valleys— Timber,    Mills  and  Lumber — ^' 
Game  and  Fish — The  Indian  Tribes — Discovery  of  and  1 
to  the  .Mines — Organization  and  B  lumlaries— First  Coi 
Commissioners — Court    House   and    Defalcation — Appi 
meiits    and    Elections — Resonroas   of    the    County — .^l    !■ 
Hopeful    Prospects — Principal    Mining    Districts — Pan. 
Coal  Mines — Principal  Towns  and  Cities — O.  H-  Gray — '  ■■   ■. 
F.  Parker— He. ry  A.  Comins— (Jeo.  G.  Blair 648  <H)4 


Xll 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 


Adams.  Juliii   Q. 
Allen,  J.  W 

Alle7i,  Lciii 
Angel.  Alvioii 

Babcock,  Jasper 
Baker,  (i.  W 
Ball.  I.  H 
Barrett,  A.  .( 
Hence.  H.ll 
Beulon.  J.  M 


Faeirii 


PAOB. 

.382 
:«iC 
.360 
305 

r.    80 

228 
..628 
..407 

.530 
..501 


Bicknell,  Chas.  F  .    558 

Blair.  Geo.  G 6G2 

Blcnnerhas-sett,  E 460 

BIo.s3om.  .I..\   .  .  471 

Bond.  .T.  \V 307 

Bradshaw.  Joel .456 

Bradshaw,  T.  J 456 

Brown.  .lohn  P 367 

Huckland.  ."^anniel  S 493 

Burriir.  Cieorge  W 493 

Bvriies.  Jaine-i  4.50 


.500 
300 
494 
559 
.299 


Campbell,  J.  L 

Canfield,  Fred,  i: 
Carling.  .loliM 
C'ary,  W.  :\I 

Cassidy.  Geo.  W  

Child,  John  y 382 

Chamberlin.  W.  IX    636 

Cleaver,  Kinibcr        499 

Cleveland.  .V.C Facing. 184 

Coflin.  T 544 

059 

420 

632 

391 

Facing.  76 

597 

521 


Coniins,  H.  A 

Craig;  J.  S. . 
Crane.  Krviu 
Crane.  W.  T 
Croikett.  L.  L 
Cro.'^by,  U... 

Curler,   Benj 

Curtis,  Allen  A    Facing. 468 

Cusliiiian.  .1.  .1  .  -308 


Daggett.  Holliu  M , 

Daniel,  ,Ia!-pcr 

Davis,  Sam.  1' 

Day,  .Sylvester  H 

Deal,  W.  E.  V 

Dian.  W.  K      Facing 

Deidesheinier,  I'hilipp 

Dennis,  Maj.  ,Iolin  II 

Dey.   H.  V 

Dodge,  Krlmund  U 
Donald,  .Samuel . 
Dormer,  J.  M  . . . 
Doten.  AlC.  . 
Dre.H.sler,  A.  !•' 
Driesbaeli.  M.  ,\ 

Kdgingtou,  .V.  M     . .    

Kgan   J.  F 

Ellis,  A.  C.     Facing 

Ernst,  Geo 

Krwav,  .\.  II 


.321 

.421 

314 

224 

.585 

.124 

573 

.295 

.597 

441 

312 

298 

324 

.383 

544 

.584 

608 

.  88 

.522 

408 


Faireliild.  .1.  D 

Fuircbild,  .M.  D... 
Fairchild.  <).  L.  C 

Fair.  .lames  G 

Farrell,  M.  J 

Fergu.son,  Jackson. 

Fish.  H.  L 

Flood.  James  C  .. . 
Forbes,  William  J 
Forman,  Chas  . 
Fo.v,  J.J. 
Fo.x,  L.  T. 
Fulton  Foundry . . 
Frey,  Joseph 


FAOR 

305 

311 

295 

Facing.  48 

469 

.370 
.030 

.591 

302 

582 

408 

604 

.602 

642 


Gallaglier,  J.  B. 
Garhart,  \Vm 
Glenn,  M.  M 
Grant,  H.  Jf  . 
Grant,  John  . . . 
Goodwin,  CO.. 
Gray,  O.  H 


Hagcrmau,  J.  C. . . . 

Haines,  J.  \V 

Hall,  Warren  .S 
Halloek,  .1.  F     . 
Harden.  W.  D.    .  . 

Harri.s.  E.  B 

Harris,  C.  N 

Harmon.  A.  K.  P  .  . 

Hatch,  A.  J 

Hatch,  jr.   D  

Hawley,  Thomas  P 
Herbold,  Adam. 
Herman,  T.  G  . 
Hernleben,  C. 
Hinds,  J.  C. 
Hobart.  W.  W 
Honeyman,  F. 
Huffiiker.  G.W 


409 
-575 
297 
397 
-  92 
.321 
.658 


Facing.  212 

383 

413 

Facing.  64 

633 

Facing- 100 

.       ••      340 

. .     ■•      110 

•       220 

.501 

Facing. 3.32 
.409 
040 
410 
.418 
300 
..  387 
.028 


.lames,  I.  E. 
Joues,  John  1' 
Jones,  David  H . 


.587 
.591 
.383 


Kaiser,   Chas.    . 
Kelley,  E.D... 

Kemler,  Chas 

Kenyon,  A.  L . 

Kenyon.  Frank  .V 
Kiiikcad.  .loliii  II 
Knapp.  I'lilld 

Lee,  L.  W . 
Lee,  S.  Lent 

Lec,W.  K 

Leete,B.F 

Leonard,  O.  R 

Lewis,  J.  F 

Littletield,  K.  A 


308 

303 

4,57 

369 

308 

.  P''acing.  24 

.574 

.   (>40 
Facing. 284 

421 

.Facing.  276 
. .     ••      336 

569 

.         294 


lionglcy.  .V.  .\ 
Lorigley,  Sani'l 
Lothrop.  John 


I'AUB. 

03^ 
433 
.501 


llackay,  John  W  -  - Facing.  56 

Mallett,  Chas 408 

Mallon.  J.  B 605 

Manogue.  Kev.  P 207 

Marshall.  J.  H 560 

.Marye,  Geo.  T .      Facing- 108 

Masin.  X.  H.  A •■       148 

Maute.  .\ndre\v 312 

Mayhugh,  John  8 223 

McCarthy.  D.  E 326 

McCone.  John 603 

.McDonald,  Joseph  E 579 

McEwcn,  Arthur  B 327 


MiLeod,  .Vngus. . .  . 

410 

McHae.D 

502 

Merrill,  Geo.  W 

442 

Mighels,  Henry  It 

Facing. 312 

Mooney,  Wm 

020 

Moore,  Col.  J.  B. . . . 

390 

,Moses,  Thos  . 

581 

Jlurphy,  M.  A 

. .     Facing.  84 

Murphy,  AVilliaiii    .  _ 

369 

Myers,   Wni 

390 

Xevers,  Samuel  A 533 

Nicholls,  Andrew 469 

Nichols,  Charles  A 467 

Niles,  Edward  315 


O-sburn,  R.  S 
Otev.  W.  N.  M,rf.  r 


(i30 
.608 


Packer,  F.  H 009 

Parker,  George  F 658 

Parkinson,  il.  R   315 

Patton.  W.  H  611 

Pieott.  T.  E  308 

I'ike.  W.  H.  A  .371 

Powning,  C.  C  329 

Ralston,  W.  C 591 

Randall,  G.  P 501 

Rising,   Richard  583 

Reymcrs.  B.  H 411 

Richardson.  Abner  S 411 

Richards.  J.  W 370 

Rinckel,   Mathias 561 

Rives,  Henry  443 

Rolfe.  Henry  584 

Sanders,  W.  B   411 

Sanford,  J.  M 371 

San   Pedro.  M  Facing.  140 

Sauer.  A 624 

School  for  Girls  at  Reno 198 

Se.s.sions,  D.  R — 226 

Sharon,  William 691 

Shepherd,  G.H....  -.399 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


xni 


TAUB. 

Shrieves,  Harrison ...  5t>2 

Simpson,  U.  C. . .  .41.3 

Simpson,  K.  W 331 

Sims,  J.  I) 501 

Skillman,  Abraham 299 

Smitii.  G.  S C33 

Smith,  (i.,  Sr ^ 633 

Smith,  T.  B 413 

Sperry,  W.  A  457 

Sprag!?,  \V.  H 418 

Steamboat  Springs 644 

Stfxk,  Win 458 

Stone,  M.  N 670 


Adam.s,  Jdhn  Q 

Allen,  J.  \V 

Allen,  C.  and  Lem 


Ball.  I.  H 

Banta,  A 

Barrett,  A.  J 

Bennett,  E.  W 

Benton.  .J.  M 

Best  ami  Belcher  Office.. 

Bickm'Il.  t'ha.s.  F 

noii.I.  .1.  W 

Brad.shaw.  .loel 

Bradshaw,  T.J 

Brown,  .John  P 

Biickland.  .S.  S 

Burrier.  G.  W 

Bvrnes.  .Jamc^ 


t'dlilurnia  .Shaft 

Campbell,  J.  L 

Capitol  Building 

Carling.  .rohii 

C.&C.  Shaft 

Carroll,  (feo.  H 

Chamberlain,  \V.  R. 

Chollar.*<haft 

Church  at  Austin. .  . 
Comji.stoii,  .lame.-*... 
Com.  Virginia  Shaft 

Craig,  .John  S 

Crane,  Krvin 

Cushman,  .1.  .T....'., 


.  Facing -2G»f 

lotj- 

-       ••       152- 

••       G28 

••       648- 

••       208+ 

■       388- 

104- 

190+ 

550t 

252- 

448- 

444- 

364- 

.500-1- 

4!lG  - 

456  f 

5^ 
308  + 

174 

504- 
52  - 
440- 
112+ 
120- 
460+ 
18<»+ 
52-. 
1644 
6:52  - 
3(i8- 


Daniel,  .la.sper        

HeidcslicinuT.  I'liilipp. 

J  )epot  Hotel,  Keno 

Dillard,  U.  H • 

Itormitory  to  State  University ' 
DrcAsler,  A.  F 

E.\change  Hotel 


Fair.  .lames  (i 


424 -(- 
572  f 
112- 
244- 
46()+ 
380  f 


172- 


48. 


Adam.-<..Iolin  Q.and  wife. Facing. 268- 

Allen.  Lem.  and  wife "       152 1 

Angel,  Myron 304 


Stone,  Thos.  X 224 

Storey,  Edward  F 569 

Strause,  Mark 570 

Sullivan,  .Tames 642 


Torreyson,  W.  1) . 

Taylor,  J.  Minor  . . . 

Taylor,  Robt.  H 

Tha.\ter,  Geo.  C 

Theelen,  Henry 

Thomas,  CoI.C.  C 

Thompson,  M.  S-- 

Tollev,  .T.   B . 


535 

.611 

679 

569 

371 

611 

455 

.398 


ILLUSTRATIONS, 


Ferguson,  .Jackson 

Fitch,  A.  B 

Forgnone,  .Vngelc. 
Foreman  Shaft  .. . 

Fo.x,  J.  J 

Frey,  Joseph 

Fulton  Foundry... 


(Jazette  Building,  Reno. 
Gould  &  Curry  Office. . . 

Haines,  J.W 

Hale  ct  Xorcross  Shaft  . 

Hall  and  Simpson 

Harden,  W.  1) 

Herbold,  Adam 

Herman,  T.  G 

Hernleben,  C 

Hinds,  J.  C 

Hinds"  Hot  Springs 


Joint   Shaft 

Jones.  David  R. 


Kemler,  Chas 

Kenyon.  Afrs.  C 

Knapj).  I'liilo  &  Co. 


Lake  Tahoc  Stage  (Jffice 
Lee,  L.  W 

Lee,  W.  U 

Leete,B.F 

r.,ongley,  A.  A 

Mallet.  Chas 

.Manhattan  S.  M.  Co 

Mexican  Shaft. . 

McLeod,  Angus. 

McRae.  D 

Moeller  and  Schoeneman. 
Mooney,  \Vm 

"  New  Shaft " 

Nichols,  C.  A 

Noel.  Sol 

PORTRAITS. 

Babcock.  Jasper Facing.  80- 

Baker.  (i.  \V.  (steel) .       ••       228- 

Harutl.  .\.  J.  and    wife  208- 


.  Facing. 360- 

■       392  - 

••       344-f 

20- 

•  292- 

•  644- 

28- 

•  330+ 

•  196+ 

18lf- 

uo-*- 

•  384+ 

•  652- 
••  168f 
•'  640- 

•  416f 

•  176 ' 
■  176 

■•       120 
•'       376^ 

••       4.52  - 

•  240-f 
576- 

'•       104  J 

.556- 

••       420-1- 

"      576  •<- 

(•)-2() 

••       208 
472- 
(K)f 
172+ 

•  316^ 
160  • 
196 

44- 
352- 
476+. 


PAOI. 

Treadway,  X.  I) 633 

Twaddle,  John  624 

Walk.r.  W.  A  .    ..6»1 

WiUison.  Warren  .533 

Wightinan,  I).   M 371 

Will iamson,  Chas 675 

Woodburn.    Wil liain 605 

Wood.  .1.  C 387 

Williams.  J.  T 524 

Wren.  Thos Facing. 236 

Wright,  \Vm  31.8 

Ziegler,  Chas  ...621 


Pierce,  Saml.  B.  P 

Pike.  W.  H.  A 

Potosi  Shaft . . . 

Ragtown  Station . . 
Recanzone,  Battisti. 

Reymers,  B.  H 

Rinckel.  Mrs.  .M.  Iv 


-Facing.   40- 
244  ' 

■  120 

■  240  _- 
344- 

■•       400- 
96- 


St.  George's  Episcopal  Church  " 

Sanders,  W.  B 

Sandford,  J.  M 

Saner,  A 

Savage  Shaft •• 

School  for  Girls  at  Reno. . 
Shrieves,  Mrs.  Harry 
Sierra  Xevada  Shaft   ... 

Simpson.  D.  C 

Smith.  Geo.  S 

Smith,  G.  Sr 

Smith,  T.  B 

Snyder,  Chas 

Sperry,  W.  A 

Spragg,  W.  H 

State  Capitol   Building. 

State  University. 

Steamboat  Springs  . 

Stock,  Wra 

Sullivan,  James 

Thaxter,  Geo.  C 

Tlieelen.  Henry 

Timbering  .Mines 

Treadway,  .\.  1). . . . 

"Union  Shaft" 

Whittaker's  ( ).  W.  School 

Wightman.  1).  M 

Wood  Camp. 

Yellow  Jacket  Mine  . 

Ziegler.  Cha.s 


460- 

432  — 

356- 

476- 

120r 

198  + 

548- 

60+ 
384- 
624- 
636- 
392 1 
412 -^ 
456- 
428 -f 

17- 
224- 
160- 
440  + 
170 

556+- 
248 
572- 
136- 

tiO  - 

198- 
260 
316 -\ 

44 


280 


Bence.  H.H 

Bicknell,  Chas.  F 
Blair  Geo.  G 


.536^ 
.569  -t- 
.662 -f 


XIV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PORTR  A  ITS— Conti  n  ued 


Blennerhassett,  E 46O4 

Blossom,  J.  A 471-* 

Bradshaw,  Joel  and  wife. Facing. 448  Ij. 
Bradshaw.  T.  J.  and  wife.  "  444-;^ 
Bufkland.  8.  S.  and  wife. .  "  500— 
Burrier.  G.  W.  and  dauirhter  "       496+ 


Campbell,  J.  L.  and  wife 

Cary,  W.  M... 

Child.  John  S.  and  wife. 
Cleveland,  A.  C.  (steel). 

Cleaver,  Kimber. 

Coffin,  T - 

Cooper,  James  B.  (steel). 

Collins,  Daniel  R 

Comins,  H.  A 

Craig.  John  S.  and  wife.. 

Crane,  Ervin 

Crane,  W.T.. 
Crockett,  L.  L . 

Crosby,  D 

Curler,  Benj ... 

Curtis.  Allen  A    

Cushman.  J.  J.  and  wife. 


•       308- 

560+ 

Facing. 372- 

•■       18^- 

■       404+ 

544+ 

Facing.  132- 
.300^ 

659f 

Facing.  164- 

••       6324 

391+ 

Facing.  76- 

597  + 

521  + 

Facing. 46&~ 

'•       368t 


Hagerman,  J.  C.  (steel).  Facing. 

Hallock,  J.  F.  (steel) 

Harris,  E.  B.  (steel) 

Harris.  C.  N.  (steel) 

Harmon.  A.  K.  V.  (steel) 
Hatch.  -Vndrew  J.  (steel). 

Hatch.  M.  1) 

Hawley.  Thos.  P.  (steel).  Facing 
Herbold.  Adam  and  wife. 
Heruleben.  C.  and  wife. . . 

Hobart.   \V.  W 

Hogle.  L.  I 

Honeyman,  F 

Hutfaker,  G.  W Facing 


Daniel.  Jasper  and  wife.         "      424~- 

Davis.  Sam.  P 3144 

Deal.  \V.  E.F 585+ 

Dean.  W.  E.  (steel). Facing. 124>- 

Deidesheimer,    Philipp.  573-t 

Dey,  R.V .5974 

Dodge,  E.  R .442^ 

Dormer,  J.  M Facing. 330~- 

Doten,  Alf 324t 

Dressier,  A.  F.  and  wife  .Facing. 380 — 
Driesbach,  M.  A  .544+- 

Edgington.   A.  M .585f 

Egan.  J.  F 608t 

Ellis.  A.  C.  (steel) Facing.  88- 

Ernst.  Geo 522f 

Erway,  A.  H Facing. 408- 

Faircliild,  M.  1) -       304  >^ 

Fair,  James  G.  (steel) "        48- 

Farrell,  M.J 470  <- 

Fish,  H.  L 6364 

Eorgnone.  Angelo&  wife.  Facing-344+ 

Forman,  Chas. .  .582i: 

Fox,J.J Facing. 292- 

Fox,  L.  T 604 '\ 

Frey,  Joseph  and  wife. . .  Facing. 644 --w 

Gallagher,  J.  B 409-/ 

Garhart,  Wm 575^ 

Grant,  H.  M 397t^ 

Grant,  John  (steel) Facing.  92^ 

Gray.  O.H 658  + 


Indians. 

James,  I.  E. 
Ja^jua.  J.  H . 


212^ 

64- 

100-. 

.•MO^ 

IHi^ 

220^ 

561+ 

332— 

168- 

410- 

300^ 

.300- 

.387* 

.532- 

144+ 


587  J- 

.Facing.300-r 


Kaiser.   C'li.is. 368  f 

Kinkead,  John  H.  (steel)  Facing.  24- 


Lee,  S.  Lem.  (steel). . . 
Lee.  W.  R.  and  wife 
Leete,  B.  F.  (steel ) . . . 
Leonard.  O.  R.  (steel) 


284- 
420- 
276- 
336- 


Lewis,  James   F 56i)-t 

Longley,  8am'l 433*- 

Lothrop,  John Facing. 492  f 

Mackay,  John  W.  (steel). Facing.  56- 

.Mallon,  J.  B 605^ 

Manogue,  Uev.  P . .    .  207  * 

JIarshall,  J.  H 56(H- 

Marye.  Geo.  T.  (steel) Facing. 108— 

jra.son,  N.  H.  A.  (steel)  148-- 

Mayhugh,  John  S .223*- 

McCarthy,  D.  E 326  + 

McCone.  John .     603  Y  I 

McDonald,  J.  E .")80^ 

McKae,  1  > Facing. 316— 

Merrill.  Geo.  W 44^ 

Mighels.  Henry  R.  (steel). Facing. 312-^ 

Mooney,  William 330< 

Moore.  Col.  J.  B 390* 

Moses,  Thos 581  r 

.Murphy,  >L  A Facing.  84- 

Murphy,  William 365K. 

Myers,  Wm 390"^ 

Xa-Ma-CJa  ( Young  Winncmucca; . 

Facing.  144  ■* 

Nevers.  8am'l  .\.  and  wife.     "      532  ♦■ 

Nicholls,  Andrew 469*- 

Nichols,  C.  A.  and  wife..  Facing. 352f- 
Nu-Ma-Na  (Captain  Dave)     "       144 -^ 


PAOE 

Otey,  W.  X.  .Mercer 608-- 

Osburu.  R.  S.    .  630-t^ 

Packer,  F.H 609-^ 

Parker,  Geo.  F 608^ 

Patton,  W.  H 6lW 

Pfeirtcr.  Birdie Facing. 416  + 

Pierce,  fcjam'l  B.  P.  and  wife 40^ 

Po-i-To  (Old  Winnemucca)  Fac'g.l44— 
Powning.  C.  C.  (steeli  "       328  — 

Randall.  G.  P •       408  + 

Recanzone,  Battisti "       344f- 

Rising.    Richard. 583+ 

Reymers.  B.  H.  and  wife. Facing. 400 — 

Richardson.  Abner  S 404— 

Richards.  J.  W 370-t 

Rives.  Henry 443  t 

Rolfe,  Henry 584+ 

Sanders,  W.  B.  and  wife.  .Facing. 432 — 

Sanford,  J.  M.  and  wife "      356  ^ 

San  Pedro,  M.  (steel) "       140^- 

Sessions,  D.  R 226 

Shepherd.  G.H 39»r 

Simpson.  R.  W     .        331-+ 

Sims.  J.  D Facing. 492— 

ijmith,  W.  H 566  - 

Snyder,  Chas.  and  wife. .  Facing. 412- 
Spragg,  W.  H.  and  wife  . .     "      428— 

Stone.  M.N... 570 

Stone,  Thos.  N 224, 

Strause,  Mark 570-^ 

Torreyson,  Wm.  D.   535+ 

Taylor.  J.  Minor 611 1 

Taylor,  Robt.  H 579+ 

Tha.\ter,  Geo.  C 559- 

Thomas,  Col.  C.  C 5124- 

Thouipson,  M.  S . .  .455t— 

Tolley.  J.  B .398^ 

Treadway,  A.   D Facing.  136+ 

Twaddle,  .John "       532  + 

Walker.  W.  A 630^ 

Wasson,  Warren   ...    . .  .534  / 

Wightmaii.  D.M.  and  wife  Facing. 260 

William.-on.  (.'has 576+ 

Woo<lburn,  William 605 V 

Wood,  J.  C 387 

Williams.  J.  T 524> 

Wren,  Thos.  (steel) Facing. 236 

Wright,  Wm.  ("Dan  De  Quille")-318 

Ziegler,  Chas 621" 


Editor's  Introductory. 


By  the  courteous  invitation  of  the  publishers,  I  address  the  readers  as  editor  of  the 
Illustrated  History  of  Nevada.  The  duties  of  an  editor  comprise  those  of  an  author 
as  well  as  compiler,  reviser  and  critic,  all  of  which,  in  this  vfork,  have  been  brought  into 
service.  A  mass  of  material  had  been  gathered  by  different  parties  from  many  sources, 
often  conflicting,  contradictory  and  irrelevant,  and  to  mould  this  into  authentic  and 
consistent  history  has  been  ni}'  conscientious  aim  and  purpose.  In  this  work  I  had  re- 
course to  many  documents,  books,  manuscripts  and  papers  in  my  possession,  and  to  my 
own  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  subject.  Long  anterior  to  the  di.scovery  of  silver, 
and  while  Nevada  was  a  part  of  Utah,  I  had  visited  the  Eastern  Slope  and  written  of 
its  people  and  its  physical  features  for  the  California  press,  and  upon  the  development  of 
its  mineral  wealth  })ecame  a  citizen  of  the  embryo  Ten-itory.  For  many  years,  as  editor 
and  newspaper  writer,  and  as  author  of  several  publications  and  reports,  I  have  labored 
as.siduously  in  making  known  her  resources  to  the  world,  and  thus  have  grown  familiar 
with  her  history,  while  her  fame  and  prosperity  have  become  dear  to  mo.  Thus,  in  pre- 
paring this  work,  I  have  enjoyed  a  ph-asure  where  most  other  writers  would  have  en- 
countered painful  toil. 

Those  who  have  rendered  assistance  have  received  the  acknowledgments  of  the  pub- 
lishers, and  1  also  add  my  thanks.  To  Mes.si-s.  Thompson  &  West,  I  express  my 
obligations  for  their  generous  courtesy  and  kind  indulgence.  Through  their  enlightened 
enterprise  this  great  work  has  been  accomplished,  and  to  them  the  people  of  Nevada  should 
be  ever  grateful.  The  elegant  appearance  of  this  volume,  the  completeness  and  arrangement 
of  the  matter,  and  the  able  and  liberal  business  management  which  has  earrieil  the  work 
to  a  triumphal  conclu-sion,  is  due  to  their  excellent  taste  and  sound  judgment. 

With  pride  in  the  work  and  apologies  fur  all  imperfections,  I  submit  the  History  of 
Nevada  to  its  readers.  Myron  Angel,  Editor. 


e^ 


OF 


THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Compiled  and  Written  by  a  Corps  of  Experienced  Writers  under  tlie  Direction  of 
THOMPSON    &    WEST. 


CHAPTER   I. 

APPEARANCE  OF  THE  GREAT  BASIN. 

Its  Condition — Strange  Freaks  of  Nature — Valley  of  Poath — 
Clnonie  Laki: — A  Monnt:'iii  I,ako — Hi>ttiiinUss  F  'Uiitaina — 
A  Kiali  Mory — Cavca— Rivers — llwt  .S|iriiis;s — Salt  M'Unt- 
aiii  anil  Plains — Footpiints  of  a  rre-llistorio  Itace — Evi- 
dcucc  of  Aneient   lnlial>iCant3. 

In  Iho  convulsions  tli:it  caused  nature  to  thrust 
from  beneath  the  oeean  tlie  Koeky  and  Sierra 
Nevada  .Mountains,  there  was  left  between  them  an 
immense  basin,  hundreds  of  miles  in  width  from  east 
to  west,  and  of  mui-h  jjreater  lenj^lli  U'l^ixw  north  to 
south.  This  ba>-in  was  elevated  at  the  same  lime  a 
little  at  the  south,  liareiy  comin-^  out  of  the  ocean  at 
the  mouth  of  the  t'olorado  {{iver,  while  at  the  mouth. 
of  the  J{io  Viri;en  it  has  reached  800  feet  above  the 
sea,  at  St.Thiimas  1,115,  at  Iliko  8,7li0.  at  Dayton 
3,850;  the  elevation  increai-inf;  as  the  north  is 
approached,  the  averaj^e  altitude  bein<i;  about  4.000 
feet.  The  section  is  not,  however,  an  unliroken 
plateau;  but  on  the  contrary-,  over  one-half  of  ils 
surface  is  covered  by  rock-rilibed  mountains  whose 
lofty  p(;aks,  j;rand  slo])es,  and  immense  dimension  of 
fool- hills  seem,  to  the  casual  observer,  to  occiijiy 
most  of  the  face  of  the  couiilr}-.  The  general  trend 
of  the  mountains  is  from  north  to  south. 

ITS  (■(I.MHTION. 

Ill  our  time — it  may  not  have  l)een  always  thus — 
nature  deals  out  with  a  sparino;  hand  her  cloud  t;ifts 
of  water  over  this  vast  country,  and  the  little  that 
comes,  gathered  into  streams,  flows  towartls  the 
interior  where  it  forms  lakes  and  then  evaporates 
or  sinks  away  into  the  earth.     The  surface  of  the 


valleys  is  largely  corn]iosed  of  sand,  some  of  them 
having  an  alluvial  deposit  and  all  rcipiiring  a  largo 
quantity  of  water  to  make  them  produce  vegetation. 
The  loftj-  Sierra  Nevada,  bordering  the  biisin  on  the 
west,  intercepts  and  exhausts  the  moisture  of  the  air 
currents  ever  flowing  eastward,  consequently  they 
])as8  comparalivelj-  rainless  over  this  broad  region, 
notwithstanding  manj'  of  ils  mountain  ranges  and 
lofty  peaks  attain  an  altitude  of  10.000  and  12,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  Hecausc  of  this,  mountains  are 
generall}'  treeless  and  the  valleys  barren  and  deso- 
late to  look  u|)on.  It  is  not  a  natural  home  for  the 
husbandman  or  a  grazier's  ])ara(liso,  but  the  miner 
who  seeks  an  Kl  Dorado  will  fnni  it  here.  Yet  there 
arc  manj'  valleys  and  mountain  nooks  rendered 
exceedingly  fei'lile  by  iriigalion,  and  large  herds  of 
cattle  i-ange  over  the  hills  and  ]ilains  of  ihe  north 
and  east. 

STRANGE  FRE.\KS  OF  N.VTUIIE. 

Nature  was  in  her  eccentric  mood  when  forming 
this  region,  and  turned  out  some  strange  results 
from  the,  store  bouse  of  time.  There  is  one  valley 
thirty  miles  long,  just  without  its  borders,  lying  near 
the  line  se])araling  C.difornia  from  Nevada  north  of 
the  ;iGth°  of  latitude,  ihal  is  175  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  sea.  The  Amargosa  River,  rising  in  Nevada, 
flows  uselessly  into  it,  where  the  burning  rays  of  the 
sun  licks  its  volume  up  in  vapors  until  it  becomes  a 
creek  and  then  loses  itself  upon  the  parched  sands  of 
a  waterless  river  bed.  It  is  a  vast,  treeless,  water- 
less, alkaline  field  of  Tartarus,  where  heat,  and 
drought,  an<l  desolation  have  combine*!  to  di'ive  the 
traveler    mad    with    thirst   and    despair.      Over    its 


18 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


white,  crested,  inhoepiuble  boiom  &re  now  bleach- 
ing the  bones  of  animals  and  men  on  wittingly  loivd 
there  to  perish  with  the  horrors  of  tantalos.  and  the 
place  is  known  as  the  -  Valley  of  Death." 

There  is  a  subterranean  lake  in  Baby  Mountain 
that  is  the  soar  -vhich  fl-'    -  "  v 

of  that  name,  tc.  -:reamki.  i. 

The  entrance  to  this  hidden  sea  of  the  Mountain 
Gnome,  b    '  a  natural  tonnel  about  mx  feet 

long,  that  :-  oogh  to  admit  onlv  one  person 

at  a  time.  The  entrance  leads  to  the  margin  of  a 
beaatifal  >heet  of  clear,  c-old  water  one  hundred  feet 
long  by  &t\j  feet  wide  At  its  ftirther  extremity  fe 
a  sand-bar  fifty  feet  acmes,  beyond  which  is  a  rock 
partition  that  comes  down  within  two  feet  of  the 
waters  surface.  Beyond  this  partition  lies  another, 
smaller  lake,  from  the  farther  side  of  which  lea<ls  off 
a  narrow  cave  with  perpendicular  sides,  through 
which  the  water  flows  into  the  lake.  This  cave  has 
been  explored  for  ?ome  ;  ntil  an  abrupt  turn 

was  reached,  when  the  _  _ ,  .  ...  -  fearing  to  proceed 
fiother,  returned,  and  lett  the  mysteries  of  what  lay 
beyond  a  secret  still.      The  tor  -"-g 

over  these  subterranean  waters  -  a 

scene  of  w^rd  and  enchanting  beauty.     From  the 
caremons.  over-hanging  wa'"- 
white,    gem-decked,    stalac: 

towards  the  unrevealed  depths  of  that   beantifuL 
sUent.  sQvery  sheet  of  water  t'r       '  "  '   . 
visitor  the  remains  of  one  who  - 

while  seeking  to  learn  these  hidden  mysteries. 
Should  it  not  be  called  -  Gnome  Lake  "  ? 

On  the  summit  of  a  high  mountain  in  this  Ruby 
range  is  another  beautiful  lake,  higher  than  Lake 
Tahoe.  probably  the  highest  in  the  world,  th--  -  ' 
"  up  in  the  region  of  storms,"  ofltimes  ren. 
froxen  over  until  July.  An  outlet  fieoax  it  towaris 
the  east  feeds  a  stream  that,  leaping  down  from  the 
rocky  heights,  flows  oat  into  Ruby  Valley,  and  is 
known  as  '  Creek. 

Of  the  c.  . ,  ..y  of  this  lake,  and  the  dread  in 
whi'^h  it  is  held  by  the  Indians.  Charles  Stebbins,  of 
Austin,  relates  that  in  1><2  he  :'a 

pool  of  water  that    the    Indiac-  .     ^  ae 

summit  of  a  high,  bald  mountain  in  the  Ruby  range 
aboat  thirty-five  miles  north  from  tf 
station.     To  the  red  men  it  was  a  ni_ 
which  an  evil  spirit  ruled,  whose  home  was  in  tho«e 
water*.     This  dread  spirit  was  i.  * 

the  form  of  a  large  fish,  and  wL 
went  away  to  linger  for  a  time  and  die.     Hlko-kub,  a 

pf.:  .   .,-  .L     ,cL..u   .         '^d  of  con- ■   -    •'  •^- 

{  J  po*t  kt: 
a:  -:e  to  the  latter  con- 
Ct-Liii  vu..~  i^-,.  ./I  •A-.,.L.i  .11  i.^v  r'.'->nn'ain«  Sho- 
kub  warned  his  white  friend  n.-  ■  -  ing  the 
spot,  claiming  that  be  K  -h  that  no  per- 
son had  ever  looked  a  (.•...   - The  cari<><>ity 

of  Stebbins   having   been   excited   by   the  strange 
atoriM  coDceming  the  locality  related  to  him  by  the 


chief,  determined  to  see  the  spot  so  dreaded  by  the 
aborigines.  Accordingly,  in  company  with  the 
famous  pioneer  and  frontieranan,  Wm.  IL  Rogeis, 
'•  Uncle  Billy,"  he  went  in  search  of  it; — 

As    we    approached    the    spot — said  Stebbins — 

the    rocks    began    to  give   out   a  strange,  hollow 

«.iir  ,i  Si  though  we  were  passing  over  a  cavern,  and 

I  .re  would  break  through,  we  got  down  upon 

!    uui  Li^ii-is  and  knees  and  crawled  along.     At  length 

I   we  came  to  the  mouth  of  a  yawning  chasm,  and 

I    '  rim  saw  about  twenty  feet  beneath 

-f  of  eiistenine  water.     The  open- 

--       -  alar 

_   into 

!     the  SfifcjUi  cii*i  vi  :&  liiiiEici.      AilcT  la&iUx  ^  ;^*>LMi  look 

I    we   went    f^i-^rr:    to    where   oar    horses    were,    and 

[   camped  :  zht.     The  next  day  we  went  back 

■stA  to''r;  ;■  look,  but  we  saw  no  fish.     In  the 

:e  vicinity  we  found  large  numbers  of  final 


"I  csBMt  tell  Vnr  &e  tntk  muj  be; 
I  aj  the  tafe  a*  'twas  aaad  to  me." 

At  the  northea-n  end  of  this  same  range  o€  mount- 
aiii!»,  in  the  valley  near  the  railroad  town  of  Wells, 
are  app.  miess  fountains  of  water  miles 

&om  any  - :  ^.im.     It  is  but  a  few  fe«t  across 

the  largest  of  them,  the  smaller  could  be  croesed  at 

'■".   swarms  of  little 

~  in  length.     One 

hundred  and   seventy  miles  to   the  southwest  are 

"ar  qteomens 
.ere  else  upoa 
the  continent.     From  what  age,  and  condition  of  the 
past  are  they  the  relics  ? 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  Nevada  is  a  mill- 
stream  of  water,  in  which  are  numeroas  fish.  A  hot 
---'.-  -ear  its  banks  boils  out  of  the  rocks  and  flows 
: .  the  two  eventually  mingle  together.  The 
angler  standing  where  the  water  from  the  hot  spring 
first  reaches  the  stream  and  flows  out  over  it,  has 
but  to  drop  his  bated  hook  down  through  the  hot 
into  the  cold  current,  catch  a  fish,  raise  it  into  the 
upper  stratum,  and  eventually  'Iraw  it  forth  ready 
cooked  for  eating. 

<'  ~±rioas  places;   action^   the 

mo--  ,    .    peculiar  and  ac-cessible.  is 

one  in  the  Star  range  of  mountains,  east,  a  few  miles 
from  Humboldt  Station  on  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road. In  those  mountains,  on  the  summit  between 
Star  and  Santa  Clara  Cafions,  stands  a  high.  b<>ld, 
limestone  diff.     Its  south  front  presc-r '  -  rpen- 

dieolar  face  200    feet   high,  and  fift-  :'rom 

Its  base  is  the  entrance  to  the  cave,  through  an 
opening  six  f  •  *-  ■  .-h  and  six  feet  wide.  This  cave 
has   been    c  .    for   a   distance    of   2.5*)0   feet 

in  a  northeriy  direction,  but  the  end  has  never  been 
reached.  It  is  represented,  by  those  who  have 
visited  it,  as  being  of  strange  and  wondrous 
form,  of  numerous  galleries  and  chambers,  where 
one  could  easily  imagine  that  he  had  entered  the 
realms  of  the  Olympian  kings,  whose  castle  walls 
were  decked  with  amethyst  and  crystal  spar.    There 


APPEAHANOE  OF  THE  GREAT  RASIN. 


19 


are  numerous  :;!illcricR  carpelod  wiili  iIku  »\i..iiui  oi 
salt,  of  soda,  of  borax  and  alkaliiio  subslaneos,  so 
often  mot  with  in  this  re{;ion. 

The  streams  partake  of  the  iieneral  eliaracteristies 
of  the  region.  The  Humboldt,  risiiiji  iti  the  mount- 
ains of  the  northeast,  winds  its  way  amonj^  the 
mountains  in  a  tjeneral  eourse  to  the  southwest, 
over  300  miles,  and  pours  its  waters  into  an  inland 
lake,  where  they  sink  away  in  the  sands,  or  evapo- 
rate under  the  sun's  hot  ra3-s.  The  Truckee, 
made  from  the  overflow  of  Lake  Tahoe  up  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  in  California,  rushes  awaj'  down  the 
mountain  to  the  northeast  and  beeomes  feeder  to 
Pyramid  Lake.  The  Car.son  River,  also  risinj;  in  Cal- 
ifornia, coui-ses  down  in  a  rushing,  turbulent  stream 
through  the  canons  in  the  eastern  slope  of  that  chain 
of  mountains,  and  stretching  away  through  the 
vallej-s  and  foot-hills  to  the  northwest,  forms  a  lake 
and  disajijiears  near  the  llunibohlt.  The  Walker 
River,  also  starting  from  California,  flows  b}'  a  cir- 
cuitous route  into  Nevada,  and  forms  a  lake  bearing 
the  name  of  the  river.  Reese  River — that  should 
have  been  called  a  creek — flows  north,  begins  and 
ends  in  the  interior.  The  Great  Salt  Lake  of  Utah 
is  fed  by  many  streams  flowing  from  the  mountains  in 
the  east;  and  all  those  lakes,  taken  in  connection 
with  the  numerous  other  reservoirs,  are  but  the 
inland  depositories  for  the  groat  water-shed  of  this 
immense  basin,  among  which  are  Utah,  Sevier.  Mono, 
Owens,  Hone}',  Kagle,  Lower,  Middle,  U]>per,  Abort, 
Summer,  and  Silver  Lakes.  But  one  stream  rising  in 
all  this  region  north  of  the  Colorado  Basin,  seeks 
the  ocean  as  an  outlet,  and  that  is  theOwj-hoe,  which, 
flowing  through  the  channels  of  Snake  River,  even- 
tually mingles  its  waters  with  the  Pacific. 

Hot  springs  arc  found  in  many  ])arts  of  the  State, 
some  of  which  are  very  singular  in  their  character, 
and  many  exceedingly  valuable  as  resorts  for  invalids. 
Of  the  best  known  of  these,  are  the  Steamboat 
Springs,  eleven  miles  south  of  JJeno,  in  Washoe 
County,  on  the  road  leading  from  Reno  to  Virginia 
City.  These  cover  a  space  of  a  mile  or  more  in 
length,  and  a  third  of  a  mile  in  bi-oadth.  This  area 
is  alwa^'s  covered  with  a  cloud  of  steam,  s])ringing  in 
jet«  from  apertujes  in  the  rock,  resembling  the 
escape  from  a  liigh-jiressure  engine — he!ice  the  name. 

In  the  valley  of  Walker  ]{iver,  ten  miles  from 
Wellington  Station,  are  the  singular  and  valuable 
Hind's  ]lot  Springs,  discovered  by  the  present  ])ro- 
prielor  in  IStid,  and  bearing  his  name.  Tlieso  have 
become  a  popular  resort  for  invalids  and  tourists, 
who  enjoy  the  luxury  as  well  as  the  medicinal  ipial- 
ities  of  the  baths. 

The  great  hot  si)ririg  of  Smoky  Valley,  in  Nye 
County,  is  wonderful  for  the  high  tem|)erature  and 
abundant  flow  of  its  waters,  more  than  from  any 
medicinal  quality  they  contain.  The  spring  is 
situated  in  the  midst  of  a  broad  ])lain,  its  column  of 
steam  giving  to  the  passing  traveler  the  only  inti- 
mation of  its  presence.     A  great  shaft  in  the  earth. 


tifty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  surface,  out  of  which 
rises  a  stream  of  boiling  water,  bubbling  at  the 
center  like  a  cauldron  over  a  furnace,  and  flowing 
but  a  few  hundred  yards  in  the  jjlain,  at  first  a  con- 
siderable stream,  then  disappearing — ever  a  mysterj'. 
The  water  is  fresh  and  jiotable  when  cooled,  or  is 
used  in  tea  or  coff'ee,  which  beverages  are  readily 
prepared  bj'  it  use.  Here  is  a  favorite  camping 
place  for  travelers  and  jjrospectors,  the  boiling  ])0t 
being  perpetually  in  readine.ss  for  culinary  purposes, 
cooking  potatoes,  or  other  comestibles  immersed  or 
sus]iendcd  in  the  water.  i'laslward,  in  the  same 
county,  is  Hot  Creek,  flowing,  as  its  name  implies,  a 
stream  of  hot  water  from  several  springs  of  that 
character.  Near  Iiliko  are  a  number  of  hot  s])rings, 
which  are  regarded  as  great  curiosities,  and  much 
resorted  to  by  invalids.  Near  the  line  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  about  twent}-  miles  east  of  Wads- 
worth,  is  a  group  of  hot  springs  that  have  attracted 
the  attention  of  many  travelers,  and  were  the 
wonder  of  the  early  emigrants  crossing  the  desert 
to  California.  Others,  throughout  the  State,  are  too 
numerous  to  name  in  detail. 

The  evidences  left  of  nature's  strangest  freak  in 
this  singular  land,  consists  of  a  mountain  of  salt 
that  is  found  twenty-five  miles  north  of  the  C'olo- 
rado  River,  and  a  little  w-est  from  the  Rio  Virgen, 
much  of  it  is  chemically  pure,  transparent  as  water, 
and  so  hard,  that  to  remove  it  re<[uires  blasting. 
The  mountain  is  nearly  two  miles  long,  a  half  mile 
wide,  and  its  summit  reaching  about  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  country. 
The  surface  is  covered  by  a  coating  of  earth,  the 
salt  lying  in  a  vast  stratum,  nearlj-  one  hundred  feet 
in  thickness  through  the  entire  mass.  Blocks  of 
this  salt  have  been  used  as  windows  by  the  Mormon 
settlers  in  the  neighborhood. 

Extensive  beds  of  the  same  material  are  found  in 
every  <|Harter  of  the  State,  sometimes  the  salt  form- 
ing as  an  efllorescence  on  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
and  at  others,  found  in  large  crystallized  blocks  by 
excavation.  Beds  of  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  boracie 
acid,  sulphur,  alum,  and  kindred  substances,  best 
known  to  the  chemist  and  druggist,  are  found  in 
many  localities. 

FOOT-PRINTS  OF  A  niE-niSTORIO  K.\CE. 

Evidences  of  the  existence  of  a  race  of  people,  not 
there  now,  is  found  in  various  jilaces  between  the 
Ilocky  and  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains.  A  few  obser- 
vations will  be  given,  leaving  the  future  archieolog- 
ist  to  explain  their  occurrence.  There  is  a  place  on 
the  Carson  River  where  that  stream  cuts  oil'  the 
|)oint  of  a  fool-hill  around  which  it  sweej)«  at  the 
lower  terminus  of  what  is  known  as  the  Big  Bend, 
possibly  one  mile  up  the  river  from  where  once 
stood  the  Williams,  or  Hoiiey  Lake  Smith's,  Station. 
The  ]>lace  where  the  hill  is  cut  by  the  stream  gives 
a  facing  to  the  west  that  overlooks  the  dosort  and 
the  country  to  the  south.     Up  along  the  face  of  that 


20 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


cut,  there  are  figures,  or  cbaraciers,  chiseled  into  the 
hard  rocks,  that  can  be  seen  by  the  hundreds. 
Spiral  forms,  rings,  and  snakes,  are  the  predominat- 
ing characters;  several  triangles,  one  well-lbrmed 
square  and  compass,  and  the  I'orm  of  a  woman  with 
out-stretched  arms  holding  in  one  band  a  branch, 
was  noted  among  the  number.  Similar  characters 
are  found  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  Old  Mexico,  and 
Central  America.  The  Indians  of  the  vicinity  have 
no  kiiowlcdire  concernin;'  them,  not  even  a  leicend. 

Since  seeing  this  art  gallery,  that  speaks  from 
a  time  unknown  and  of  a  lost  race,  futher  inquiry 
has  disclosed  the  fact,  that  the  same  class  of  rock 
imagcrj'  was  to  be  seen  by  the  earl^-  prospectors,  in 
Star  Canon  on  a  bluff  below  the  Shcba  Mine,  in  what 
is  now  Humboldt  County. 

Dr.  S.  L.  Lee  of  Carson  City  reports  that  in  Con- 
dor Canon,  ten  miles  a  little  east  of  south  from 
Pioche,  there  are  about  fifiy  figures  cut  in  the  i-ocks. 
many  of  them  designed  to  represent  the  wild  mount- 
ain sheep.  Still  farther  south,  possibly  eighty  miles 
from  Pioche,  in  the  Meadow  Vailej'  wash  near  Kane 
Sj)rings,  this  class  of  pre-historic  art  is  most  numer- 
ous and  perfect  in  design.  Men  on  horseback  en- 
gaged in  the  pursuit  of  animals  are  among  the  most 
perfect  and  probably  modern  of  the  designs  at  that 
place.  The  Indians  in  that  part  of  the  country  hav- 
ing some  superstitious  belief  concerning  them,  or 
having  no  theory  of  their  meaning,  refuse  to  talk 
upon  that  subject  with  the  whites.  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  the  KurcUa  Leader  of  February  14, 
1879:— 

EVIDENCE  OF  .\NCIE.NT  INH.MUT.VNTS. 

Mr.  Walker  who  has  been  working  in  the  newly- 
opened  stone  quarry,  near  the  mouth  of  New  York 
Canon,  brought  a  singular  and  interesting  specimen 
to  the  Lender  office  this  morning,  the  same  being  a 
slab  of  sandstone  about  twenty  inches  long,  fourteen 
wide,  and  some  three  inches  thick.  The  ])eculiarity 
of  the  rock  is  in  the  imjirint  upon  its  surface  of  a 
gigantic  foot,  perfect  in  shape  and  contour  with  the 
exception  of  one  toe,  the  little  one.  which  is  missing. 
By  measurement  it  is  fourteen  and  one-half  inches 
from  the  outer  rim  of  the  heel  to  the  end  of  the  great 
toe,  and  six  inches  wide  on  the  ball  of  the  foot.  The 
print  is  sunk  into  the  rock  one-half  inch.  Mr. 
Walker  claims  to  have  taken  it  from  the  top  of  the 
sandstone  formation  at  a  ])oint  where  about  two  feet 
of  sand  rested  upon  it.  The  rock  is  firm  and  hard 
in  texture  and  forbids  the  idea  of  its  being  artificial 
work. 

The  reader's  attention  has  already  been  called  to 
the  existence  of  a  salt  mountain  in  southern  Nevada. 
The  following  concerning  the  pre-historic  evidence 
of  that  locality  is  from  the  pen  of  Daniel  Bonelli: — 

The  salt  mines  are  solid  ledges  of  rock  salt  of 
great  extent,  and  containing  salt  enough  to  run  one 
liutiilred  rpiartz  mills  for  one  thousand  veai"s.  Some 
of  the  ledges  on  which  I  have  had  work  performed 
for  m^'self  and  the  Southwestern  Mining  Company 
of  Philadelphia,  who  are  part  owners,  have  an  open- 
ing showing  below  the  cap  rock,  some  ton  to  twenty 
feet   below  the  surface,  charcoal,  corncobs,   bones, 


arrows  and  ced:ir-bark  matting  woven  into  blankets, 
giving  un<lis|iutable  evidence  that  long  ages  ago 
tlie  pre-historic  man  dwelt  in  the  caves  here,  which 
the  dust  of  lime  has  since  covered  and  indurated. 

Large  trees,  petrified  and  scattered  over  the  face 
of  the  country,  show  that  more  moi-ture  existed 
upon  this  land  long  ago  than  there  is  now,  and  what 
may  once  have  been  a  fertile  country  is  now  desert 
and  an  ap])ailin;^  desolation.  A  few  small  margins 
of  fertile  8(jil  alon:^  creeks  or  springs  are  all  that 
even  now  makes  human  or  animal  life  po-ssible,  and 
even  the  great  Colorado  of  the  We^t,  which  sweeps 
along  the  line  of  the  Slate,  bringing  its  waters  tVotn 
the  snowy  summits  of  the  conlinent  to  the  world's 
greatest  ocean,  d(}es  not  redeem  the  desert  character 
of  the  land,  for  it  has  carved  its  pathway  through 
huije  mountain  chains  in  miiiht}-  gorges,  and  shows 
so  few  margins  of  arable  land  that  no  settlements  of 
importance  are  sustained  at  present  on  its  banks. 

Evidences  of  a  less  remote  occu))ation  of  this 
country  is  found  in  the  pottery  discovered,  and  ru  le 
fortifications  yet  traceable  in  the  region  l^'ing  north 
of  the  Colorado  River,  and  along  the  streams  empty- 
ing into  it.  The  potter}'  is  of  a  dull  white  ground, 
with  black  stripes  running  up  and  di>wn,  the  Moqui 
Tribe  of  Arizona  having  in  use  at  the  present  lime 
the  same  kind  of  earthern  jars.  Another  exists  in 
the  remains  of  an  old  irrigating  dilch  along  the 
Virgen  River  that  shows  an  advanced  knowledge  of 
husbandry'.  The  ruins  of  adobe  houses  still  exist  at 
a  spring  on  the  cast  side  of  Ash  Crei-k,  in  the  same 
section  of  country.  The  remnants  of  an  old  well, 
and  blocks  of  hewn  granite  at  Pah-Tuck  Springs 
also  speak  of  a  civilization  there  that  has  ceased  to 
exist. 


CHAPTER     II. 

THE  TRAPPERS  AND  EARLY  EMIGRATION. 

\Vm.  H.  Ashley — .IcJeili.ih  .S.  .Smitli's  Kxpeilitioii  iu  l>S'J,j-iG-27 — 
I'eter  S.  O^jiluii's  Expeilitioa  in  \Ki\ — .Milton  .'sublcttc's  Ex- 
pinlitiou  ill  183:2 — Boiiiieville  an<l  Walker's  Expedition  in 
IS;J,'J — Kit  Carson's  First  Visit  to  Nevada,  1S3;1 — Emijjra- 
tion  under  Captain  J.  B.  Bartleson  in  1841 — .T.  C.  Kreniont's 
Expedition  in  1S44 — The  Emi^'ranta  of  1844 — Fremont's 
Expedition  in  1S45 — Edwin  Bryant  and  other  Emigrants  in 
1S4G — Tlie  Donner  Party  Tragedy. 

W.M.  H.  Ashley,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  a  celebrated 
mountaineer,  discovered  the  Great  Salt  Lake  of 
Utah  in  1824,  and  a  smaller  lake  near  by  that 
received  his  name,  where  he  erected  a  fort,  and 
established  his  headijnarters  for  the  remaining  years 
of  his  adventurous  career  as  a'  Rocky  Mountain 
trapper.  Mr.  Ashley  had  a  partner  named  Jedediah 
S.  Smith,  a  native  of  New  York,  whose  m<nintain 
life  was  a  chapter  of  thrilling  adventure,  until  it  was 
ended  in  1831,  by  the  arrow  of  an  ambushed  Indian 
assassin  on  the  Cimarron  River. 

jEnEDi.\n  s.  smith's  expedition  in  1825-26. 

The  first  white  man  to  see  any  portion  of  what  is 
now  Nevada  was  a  comj)any  of  some  forty  trappers 
under  the  charge,  or  leadership,  of  this  noted  mount 
aineer  Smith,  who  crossed  the  country  to  California 
from    his    rendezvous   on  the  Yellowstone  River  in 


THE  TRAPPERS  AND  EARLY  EJUGRATION. 


21 


1825.  His  route  was  through  a  portion  of  what  is 
now  westurn  \V3"oiniiiii.  down  the  Iliiinboldl,  that 
was  named  Mary's  Kivur  b}-  iiiin,  at'lor  his  Indian  wife; 
thence  to  the  Walker  River  coiintrj-,  and  out  ihrouijii 
what  lias  been  since  known  as  Walkei 's  Pass  into 
Tulare  Valley,  California,  where  he  arrived  in  Jul}- 
with  two  companions.  In  October  he  recrossed  the 
country',  leavinij  his  party  trappini;  in  the  Sacra- 
mento Vaiky.  The  only  infonniition  in  our  posses- 
sion in  regard  to  the  direction  taken  by  Stnilh  on  his 
return  tri|)  across  the  ciiuntry  is  contained  in  the 
followinic  extract  from  a  Idler  to  us  M])on  that  sub- 
ject from  Captain  R.jbert  Lyon,  of  San  Hueuaven- 
tura,  California: — 

*  *  *  His,  Smith's,  notes  mention  the  discover}- 
of  Jlono  Lake  (or  dead  sea)  on  his  return  trip  in  182.'). 
The  upper  end  of  Mono  Gulch  was  very  rich  and 
shallow;  and  when  the  ijuich  was  first  jiro-ipected 
by  Cord  (the  di-coverei)  in  1S.")1),  i!;ol<i  could  be  seen 
l^ini^  on  the  irranite  rock. where  it  bad  been  wa-'hc<l  in 
siij;lil  by  the  rains;  an^l  there  is  not  a  placer  between 
Sacramento  and  Salt  Lake  wIum-c  gobl-dust  could  be 
80  easily  obtained  by  inexperienced  miners,  with 
only  a  pan  anil  knife,  as  in  the  up]ier  end  of  Mono 
Gulch.  iJock}-  .Mountain  .J:ick,  or  Uncle  Jack,  as  he 
was  called,  ami  Hill  lieed  both  spent  the  summer  of 
18G0  in  Mono,  and  were  well  known  at  iliat  lime, 
and  both  of  tliesc  old  trappers  declared  they  were 
with  Smith  in  1825,  and  that  they  spent  a  week 
prosiiecting  and  ))icking  U])  gold  in  those  foot-hills  in 
1825.  The  gold  in  Mono  was  not  coarse,  but  1  have 
often  found  ])ieces  that  would  weigh  from  Iwentj'- 
five  cents  to  two  dollars.  (.See  Cross  of  N'irginia 
City,  he  was  our  ditch  collector  in  ISttO);  and  he- 
sides  there  were  old  stumps  which  had  been 
cut  long  years  before  1858,  for  the  s])routs  had 
grown  to  be  large  trees  in  1859.  JJill  Byrnes, 
well  known  in  Carson  Cit}',  always  claimed  that 
Jed  Smith  discovered  the  Mono  mines  in  1825, 
although  he  (Byrnes)  was  not  of  thepartj*.     *    *    * 

Upon  Mr.  Smith's  return  to  the  companj-'s  head- 
quarters, on  Green  River,  near  Salt  Lake,  Mr.  Ashley 
withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  the  business  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Smith,  M.  Sublette,  and  David  Jackson, 
who  were  known  as  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com- 
pany. This  firm  was  so  well  jileascd  with  the  suc- 
cess of  the  California  expedition  that  it  was  thought 
best  for  Smith  to  lead  another  trapping  party  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  lie  accordingly  set  out  with  a  larger 
party  than  had  accompanied  him  before,  but  passed 
south  to  the  Colorado  River,  where  his  party  were 
all  killed,  but  two,  in  a  battle  with  the  Indians. 
Smith  and  two  companions,  named  Turner  and  Gal- 
braith,  made  their  escape,  and  reaching  the  missions 
of  California,  were  arrested. 

Among  the  legacies  inherited  from  the  old  Spanish 
authorities,  and  now  preserved  in  the  archives  of 
California  are  the  following  relating  to  Captain 
Smith,  his  detention  and  release.  lie  first  a])pears  to 
have  arrived  in  the  inhabited  regions  of  California, 
in  1820,  and  to  have  been  recpiired  Ijy  the  (Joverii- 
ment,  always  suspicious  of  strangers,  particularly 
Americans,  to  give  an  account  of  himself,  his  actions. 


and  purpose.     Fortunately  he  found  vouchers  whom 
those  in  power  felt  their  interest  to  respect. 

We,  the  undersigned,  having  been  requested  by 
Ca|)tain  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  to  state  our  opinion 
regarding  his  entering  the  province  of  California,  do 
not  lioilate  tc)  say  that  we  have  no  doubt  in  our 
minds  but  that  he  was  compelled  to  for  want  of  pro- 
visions and  water,  having  entered  so  far  into  the 
barren  country  that  lies  between  the  latitudes  of 
torty-two  and  forij-'three  west  that  he  found  it 
im])ossible  to  return  by  the  route  he  came,  as  his 
horses  hail  most  of  them  jierished  for  want  of  food 
and  Wilier,  lie  was,  therefore,  under  the  necessity 
of  push  in  tr  forward  to  C.difornia,  it  being  the  nearest 
])lace  where  he  could  procure  supplies  to  enable  him 
to  return. 

We  further  state  as  our  oi)inions  that  the  account 
given  by  bitii  is  circumstantially  correct,  and  that 
his  sole  object  was  the  hunting  and  trapping  of 
beaver  and  other  furs. 

We  have  also  examined  the  ]>assporls  prtiduced 
by  him  from  the  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  for 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  America,  and 
do  not  hesitate  to  say  we  believe  them  to  be  perfectly 
correct. 

We  also  state,  that  in  our  opinion,  his  motive  for 
wishin^c  to  pass  by  a  different  route  to  the  head  of 
the  Columbia  River  on  his  return,  is  solely  because 
he  feels  convinced  that  he  and  his  companions  run 
great  risk  of  perishing  if  they  return  by  the  route 
they  came. 

In  testimony  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our 
hands  and  seals  this  twentieth  daj-  of  December,  182(!. 
W.M.  G.  Dana,  [i-.  s.] 

Citpldin  of  Sihooiier  Wacei/;/. 

Wm.  II.  CUN.\INIiIlA.M,       [l.  S.] 

C'lipfiim  of  Shi})  Courier. 

W.M.  IIe.ndeiison,  [i-.  s.] 

Ctipfiiin  of  Bri(j  Olive  Branch. 

James  Scott,  [l.  s.] 

Tiios.  M.  PoiiHiNs,  [i..  8.] 

Mate  of  ScliooJier  Wnverly. 
Tiios.  Shaw,  [i-.  s.] 

Sui>ercarijo  of  Ship  Courier. 

The  following  refers  to  his  second  expedition.  The 
locality  of  his  camp  is  not  given  but  it  must  have 
been  somewhere  near  the  Mission  of  San  Jose,  as 
there  was  the  residence  of  Father   Duran,  to  whom 

the  letter  is  addressed. 

LETTER    FllO.M    CAPTAIN   JEnEDI.\U    S.    S.MITIl    TO   FATHER 
DLllAN. 

Reverend  Father:  1  understand,  through  the 
meilium  of  one  of  your  Christian  Indians,  that  you 
are  anxious  to  know  who  we  are,  as  some  of  the 
Indians  have  been  at  the  .Mission  and  informed  j'ou 
that  there  were  certain  white  ])eo))le  in  the  country. 
We  are  Americans,  on  our  journey  to  the  river  Colum- 
bia; we  were  in  at  the  .Slission  San  Gabriel  in  Jan- 
uary last.  I  went  to  San  |)iego  and  saw  theCieneral, 
and  got  a  passport  from  him  to  i)ass  on  to  that 
place.  I  have  made  several  efforts  to  cross  the 
mountains,  but  the  snows  being  so  deep  1  could  not 
succeed  in  getting  over.  I  returned  to  this  place  (it 
being  the  only  point  to  kill  meat)  to  wait  a  few  weeks 
until  the  snow  melts,  so  that  I  can  go  on;  the  Indians 
here  also  being  friendly,  1  consider  it  the  most  safe 
point  for  me  to  remain  until  such  time  as  1  can  cross 
the  mountains  with  my  horses,  having  lost  a  great 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


many 


-  ten  ort:* 

->.  and  at: 
..?  I  ho   i.j,;ure  ot"  the 
-  'IMite  uvv'.easant.  l> 


oi 


v-5  Since. 

~  to  set 

admit. 

-    I ate  of 

lite,  wild 


1    am.    reverend    I'ather.    vour  strange,   but   real 
friend  and  Christian  bn>ther.  J.  S.  Ssiith. 

May  19.  1S27. 

This  pioneer  wanderer  through  what  is  now 
Nevada,  had  taken  his  last  look  upon  her  mountains 
and  villages.  He  was  released  by  the  Spanish 
authorities,  and  reaching  his  Sacramento  rendexvous. 
fitted  out  an  expedition  for  the  purpose  of  visiting 
the  C'olumbia  River  in  Oregon.  Arriving  with  his 
ivirty  at  the  Umpqua  River,  it  was  surprised  by  the  ; 
Indians,  and  he  again  saw  his  companions  all  mur- 
dered but  two.  who  escaped  with  him  and  made  their 
way  to  Fort  Vancouver.  From  then.\  Smith  crossed 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains  by  a  more  northern  route, 
accompanied  by  Peter  Ogvlen.  a  native  of  New  York, 
at  the  head  of  a  brigade  of  the  Hudson  Bar  Com-  j 
pany  s  trappers. 

PETEK   S.   0GI>EN'S   EXPEDITION    IX    1S31. 

The  Hudson    Bay   Company  claimed   the  region 
Iviween  the  E  "  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  as 

their  exclusive  _  -   for  trapping.      Their  right,    ; 

however,  was  not  conceded  by  the  Rocky  Mountain 

Far  C       but.  because  of  the  friendly  manner 

in    w.  -      :h  in  his  adversity  had  been  treated 

at   Fort   Vancouver,  he  decided  to  abandon  the  dis-   | 
puted  territory,  and  sejxarated  from  Ogden's  party   ' 
at  the  head-waters  of  Lewis  River,  in  1S2V>.  for  the 
purpose  of  finding  his  associate  partners,  and  carry-   , 
ing  out  the  design.     Ogden  commenced  his  trapping  ' 
through  the  region  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  Mount-   i 
ains.  and  gradually  moved  to  the  south,   eventually 
arriving  at  what  had  been  known  as  Mary"s  River, 
probably  in  the  spring  of  1S31;  traveled   down  it, 
taking  the  same  rx>ute  to  "  that  Smith  had 

followed  in   lS:i5.      From    '.     -  .    forward   until 

Fr«mont  foisted  the  name  of  Humboldt  upon  that 
stream,  it  was  called  by  some  Mary's,  and  others 
Ogden's  River. 

MILTOX  SrBLErTKS   KXPKDmOX    IX    1S32. 

The  nest  expedition  into  the  i-ountry  was  led  by 
Milton  Sublette,  accompanied  by  Nathan  Wyeth, 
who  let\  Peerass  Hole  in  the  Ro«.-fcy  Mountains,  on 
the  twenty-third  of  July.  Its!:?,  t'or  the  purpose  of 
trapping  the  waters  of  the  Mary's  River*  This  party 
reached  the  head-waters  of  that  stream  in  August. 
" '  -  en. 

„  1   .      : ~, _- ,      - jav- 

infr  the  latter  with  about  thirty  men.  Sublette  con- 
i'         "    "  '-  "         -  "  '      r.  until 

1   -  -  _  _       y  were 

forced  to  eat  the  flesh  of  the  beavers  they  caught. 
"'      -  for  these  little  ani- 

r  hunger  to  subsist 


'Mowtaia  and  Froatier,"  bj  Mza.  F.  F.  Vietar,  page  119l 


upon  wild  parsi      -       '  '  '  -      i-d  their  flesh  and 

made   them   un  for    the    trappers, 

many  of  whom  were  made  ill  from  eating  them. 
Because  of  this  it  became  necessarj-  to  at  once  aban- 
don the  river,  anvl  strike  across  the  I'ountry  towards 
the  north,  where.  at\er  being  four  days  with  almost 
no  food,  and  several  weeks  in  a  state  of  famine,  they 
reached  the  Snake  River  abont  fitly  miles  above  the 
fishing  falls.  They  were  forced,  as  they  passed  over 
the  country,  to  subsist  upon  ants,  crickets,  parched 
moccasins,  and  puddings  made  t'rom  blood,  taking 
a  pint  at  a  time  t'rom  their  almost  famished  animals, 

BOXXKVILLE    .VXD    WALKERS    EXPEDITIOX    IX    1S33. 

Capt.  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  who  died  June  12,  1S7S, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-fiveyears,  in  FortSmith, 
Arkansas,  and  who  was  so  fortuiu.'  -  ■  have  his 
Rocky  Mountain  adventures  imni  .  ty  Wash- 

ington Irving — being  an  oflicer  of  the  I'nited  States 
army  on  furiough — fitted  out  an  exploring  expedi- 
tion of  forty  men.  in  1S33,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
since  celebrated  Joseph  Walker,  for  the  purpose  of 
seeking  beaver  regions  between  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  party,  leaving 
the  general  rendezvous  in  the  Green  River  Valley, 
reached  the  head-waters  of  Mary's  River  ^^Irving calls 
it  Ogden's  River>.  and  trapped  slowly  down  its  course 
until  they  rvached  its  sink,  from  where  they  crossed 
the  country  west  to  Pyramid  Lake,  thence  up  Truckee 
River  into  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  across  those 
mountains  into  Calit'ornia. 

These  were  the  first  explorers,  the  ommipresent 
Smith  family  in  the  lead,  to  open  the  way  across  the 
continent,  and  t  '       -  .ins.  and  lakes. 

as  lasting  memu:      -  us  lives.  Trap- 

pers and  hunters  continued  to  traverse  the  basin, 
and  these  were  followed  by  "  _  ts  who  sought 
the  western  coast  as  their  h-  .  who  have  lett 

a  greater  impress  upon  the  country. 

KIT  CARSOX  S    FIRST   VISIT   TO    XEVADA. 

In  1S33,  Thomas  McCoy,  who  was  in  the  employ 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  organized  a  trapping 
party,  and  Chri>topher  i  Kit'i  Carson  with  five  com- 
panions became  members  of  it.  Reports  havinj 
become  generally  circulated  that  Mary's  River  was 
'sed  with  beaver.  McCoy's  party 
-  -  ;^ht  its  waters  in  search  of  them. 
They  must  have  arrived  upon  the  river  after  it  had 
been  tr.  ''"■'"       -  ••  they 

met  wi:  --  _    --     _         V II  iho 

stream  to  its  sink  returned  without  going  farther 
and  crossed  the  country-  to  the  Snake  River  in  the 
north.  After  this  date  Kit  Carson  did  not  visit  any 
portion  of  what  is  now  Nevada  until  with  Fremont 
in  1S44. 

EHIGRJLTIOX    rXDER   CAPT.   J.  B.  BARTLESOX    IX    1S41. 

The  Great  Basin  of  Nevada  has  been  the  field  of  but 
the  Indian  and  the  trapper  until  the  summer  of  1S4I 
The  first  explorers  have   reptorted  of  its  lakes,  its 


THE  trapp?:rs  and  early  emigration. 


2  3 


rivers,  "  sinks,"  and  deserts,  and  of  the  ffreat  snowy 
rid^e  that  separates  them  I'nmi  the  sunny  valleys  ol' 
the  I'aeific  Coast.  People  seekinu;  that  lair  land  had 
made  the  toilsome  journey  by  Orejjon,  or  the  storm}- 
voj-ajje  by  Cape  Horn.  At  Independence,  Missouri, 
a  party  of  younji;,  educated,  and  enerj^etic  adven- 
turers had  feathered  from  different  parts  of  the 
United  States,  destined  fi>r  that  land  of  the  far  West, 
and  on  the  eiiflith  of  .May,  IHH,  started  on  their 
lonii  journey-.  .Many  of  these  pioneers  have  become 
eons])icuou8  in  the  history  of  the  West,  and  their 
names  arc  here  a]ipe!i<led: — 

Col.  J.    B.  Harlleson,  Ca|)tain  of    the    jiarty,  re- 
turned to  Missouri;  is  now  dead. 

John  Bidwell.  resides  in  Chico. 

Col.  Joseph  H.  Chiles,  resides  in  Xapa  Countj'. 

Josiah  Beldcn,  resides  at  San  Jose  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Charles  M.  Weber,  founder  of  Stockton,  now  dead. 

Charles  Hopper,  resides  in  Napa  County. 

Henry  Huber,  resides  in  San  Francisco. 

Michael  C.  Nj'e,  resides  in  Oregon. 

Green  Mc.Muhon,  resides  in  Solano  County. 

Nelson  Mc.Mahon,  returned  to  Missouri. 

Talbot  H.  Green,  resides  in  Pennsylvania. 

Ambrose  Walton,  returned  to  Missouri. 

John  McDowell,  returned  to  Missouri  and  died. 

George  Henshaw,  returned  to  Missouri. 

Col.  Robert    Ryckman,  returned  to  Missouri  ami 
died. 

William  Belty. 

Charles  Fliitrge.  returned  to  Missouri. 

Crwinii  Patlon,  returned  to  Missouri  and  died. 

Benjamin  Kclsey,  wife  and  child,  resided  within  a 
few  years  in  Santa  Barbara  County. 

Andrew  Kelsey,  killed  by  Indians  at  Clear  Lake. 

James  John,  went  to  Oregon. 

Henry  Brolaski,  went  to  Callao,  and  thence  to 
Missouri. 

James  Dawson,  drowned  in  Columbia  Hiver. 

Major  Walton,  drowned  in  Sacramento  I{iver. 

George  Shortwell.accidentallj-  shot  on  the  journey. 

John  Swartz,  died  in  Ciilifornia. 

Grove  C.  Cook,  died  at  San  Jose,  California. 

1).  W.  Chandler,  died  at  San  Francisco. 

Nicholas  Dawson.  <lcad. 

Thomas  Jones,  (lead. 

Robert  II.  T homes,  died  March  2(;,  1S78,  at 
Tehama. 

JOlias  Barnelt,  live<l  in  Napa  County. 

J.  P.  Springer,  died  at  or  near  Santa  Cruz. 

This  was  the  first  ]»arty  of  emigrants  to  cross  the 
basin  of  Nevada  en  mufti  to  California  Their  jour- 
ney was  made  on  horseback  and  with  pack-animals. 
They  followed  the  then  known  trail  rin  the  South 
Pass  to  Salt  Lake,  thence  to  the  Humboldt  and  to 
the  Carson  and  Walker  Rivers,  following  the  latter  to 
near  its  source,  when  they  crossed  the  Sierra, 
descending  its  western  slojje  between  the  Stiiiiislaus 
and  Tuolumne  Rivers,  to  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  end- 


ing their  journey  at  the  ranch  of  Dr.  Marsh,  near 
the  base  of  Mount  Diablo,  on  the  fourth  of  Novem- 
ber, 184L  At  this  point  the  company  disbanded, 
making  their  future  homes  in  different  part-  nf  tin- 
country. 

FRE.MO.NT'8    E.XPEDITION    IN    184:i-44. 

Fremont,  in  his  second  e.\|>edition  of  explorations, 
visited  the  (ireat  Basin  for  the  object  of  ascer- 
taining certain  geographical  features  respecting 
which  there  was  a  <liscrepaiic3'  between  the  maps  of 
the  country  and  the  reports  of  the  trajjpers.  The 
first  was  the  position  of  the  Tlavialh,  which  he  says 
is  often  called  Klamel — now  written  Klamath.  He 
writes: — 

From  this  lake  our  course  was  intended  to  be 
about  southeast,  to  a  re])orled  lake  called  Mary's,  at 
some  days'  journey  in  the  Great  Basin,  and  thence 
still  on  southeast,  to  the  reputed  Buenaventura  River, 
which  has  a  place  on  so  man}-  maps,  and  counte- 
nanced the  belief  of  the  existence  of  a  great  river 
flowing  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco. 

Thence  he  would  go  eastward  and  home.  The 
land  was  a  terru  incoijiuta,  as  he  says: — 

A  great  part  of  it  absolutely  new  to  geographi- 
cal, botanical,  and  geological  science,  and  the  subject 
of  reports  in  relation  to  lakes,  rivers,  deserts  and 
savages  hardly  above  the  condition  of  mere  wild 
animals. 

He  enters  the  Great  Basin  December  IG,  1843, 
passing  and  naming  Lake  Abert,  in  honor  of  the 
chief  of  Topographical  Engineers  to  which  F'remont 
belonged.     On  the  third  of  January,  1844,  he 

Reached  and  run  over  the  position  where,  accord- 
ing to  the  best  maps  in  my  po.s,session,  we  should 
have  found  ilary's  Lake  o  r  River.  We  were  evidently 
on  the  verge  of  the  desert  which  had  been  reported 
to  us;  and  the  a])]>earance  of  the  country  was  so  for- 
bidding, that  I  was  afraid  to  enter  it,  and  determined 
to  bear  away  to  the  sc>utbward,  keejiing  close  along 
the  mountains,  in  the  full  expectation  of  reaching 
Buenaventura  Hiver.  Latitude,  by  observation,  40° 
48'  1.-,'. 

From  a  high  mountain  he  espied  a  column  of  steam 
sixteen  miles  distant,  indicating  the  presence  of  hot 
springs,  and  ho  determined  to  go  to  them.  Of  these 
he  writes  as  follows: — 

This  is  the  most  extraordinary  locality  of  hot 
springs  wo  had  met  on  our  journey.  The  basin  of 
the  largest  one  lias  a  circumference  of  several  hun- 
dred feet;  but  there  is  at  one  extremity  a  circular 
space  of  about  tittcen  feet  in  diameter,  entirely  occu- 
pied by  the  boiling  water.  It  boils  up  at  irregular 
intervals,  and  with  much  noise.  The  water  is  clear, 
and  the  spring  deep;  a  pole  about  sixteen  feet  long 
was  easily  imnierseil  in  the  center,  but  we  had  no 
means  of  forming  a  good  idea  of  the  depth.  It  was 
surrounded  on  the  margin  with  a  border  of  ynin 
grass,  and  near  the  shore  the  temperature  of  the 
water  was  2(lii'^.  We  bail  no  means  of  ascerl. •lining 
that  r>f  till'  crnler,  win  lo  liie  In  at  \v;is  gre;it«  .-t ;  but 
by   disper.-ing  the   water  with   a   pole,  the   tempera- 


24 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ture  at  the  margin  was  increased  to  20S°.  and  in  the 
center  it  was  doubtless  higher.  Bj-  driving  the  pole 
towards  the  bottom,  the  water  was  made  to  boil  up 
with  increased  force  and  noise.  There  are  several 
Other  interesting  jilaces.  where  water  and  smoke,  or 
gas  escape,  but  tiiey  would  require  a  long  description. 
The  water  is  impregnated  with  common  salt,  but  not 
so  much  as  to  render  it  unfit  lor  general  cooking; 
and  a  mi.xlure  of  snow  made  it  pleasant  to  drink. 
The  latitude  of  the  springs  is  40°  39'  46". 

On  the  tenth  of  the  month  he  first  came  in  sight 
of  Pyramid  Lake,     lie  writes: — 

Beyond,  a  defile  between  the  mountains  de- 
scended rapidly  about  2,000  feet;  and  filling  up  all 
the  lower  space,  was  a  sheet  of  green  water,  some 
twenty  miles  broad.  It  broke  upon  our  eyes  like 
the  ocean. 

Continuing  his  narrative,  Fremont  writes,  Janu- 
arj-  14th:— 

Part  of  the  morning  was  occupied  in  bringing  up 
the  gun;  and  making  only  nine  miles,  \ve  cam])ed  on 
the  shore,  o))posite  a  very  remarkable  rock  in  the 
lake,  which  had  attracted  our  attention  for  many 
miles.  It  rose,  according  to  our  estimate  about  600 
feet  above  the  water,  and  from  the  jjoint  we 
viewed  it,  presented  a  pretty  exact  outline  of  the 
great  pyramid  of  Uheops.  Like  other  rocks  along 
the  shore,  it  seemed  to  be  incrusted  with  calcareous 
cement.  This  striking  feature  suggested  a  name  for 
the  lake,  and  I  called  it  I'yramid  Luke. 

On  the  night  of  the  ISih,  the  whites  camped  at 
the  point  where  the  Truckce  flows  into  Pyramid 
Lake,  and  the  next  day  pursued  their  way  up  that 
stream,  which  Fremont  named  "  Salmon  Trout 
River,"  having  obtained  many  trout  of  the  Indians 
who  caught  them  in  the  river.  At  the  point  where 
Wadsworlh  now  stands,  on  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road, they  left  the  river,  still  looking  for  the  Buena- 
ventura, and  followed  an  Indian  trail  to  the  south- 
cast,  until  what  is  now  called  Car.son  River  was 
reached,  at  the  point  where  it  comes  out  from  the 
foot-hills  near  Rtigtown  into  the  great  plains  where 
it  sinks,  in  Churchill  County.  The  expedition  moved 
down  the  stream  about  three  hours  and  camped.  Jan- 
uary ISth,  because  of  the  apparent  impossibility  of 
reaching  the  Rocky  Mountains  by  continuing  in  that 
direction,  in  the  worn  and  exhausted  condition  to 
which  the  journey  thus  far  had  reduced  them. 
Fremont  determined  to  give  up  the  attempt  and  push 
across  the  Sierra  west  to  California.  The  next  day 
they  moved  up  Carson  ]{iver,  in  ])ursuance  of  this 
design,  and  in  two  more  the  place  where  now  stands 
the  ruins  of  Fort  Churchill  was  reached.  Here  he 
ascended  a  mountain,  took  a  look  at  the  Carson 
Valley  to  the  southeast,  and  along  its  western 
limits,  then  at  the  white  snowcapped  Sierra  beyond, 
and  descending  the  mountain,  again  concluded  to  go 
farther  south,  before  attempting  to  cross  this  for- 
midable border  of  storm,  of  snow,  and  of  ice. 
January  21st.  the  expedition  left  the  Carson  at  the 
point   designated,  and  moved    south    to  the   stream 


now  known  as  Walker  River,  and  moving  along  the 
east  fork  of  that  stream  left  it  on  the  23rd,  to  pass 
to  the  west.  The  thirty  days  of  struggle  for  life 
in  the  passage  over  the  Nevada  Mountains  is  more 
properlj-  a  part  of  California  history,  and  we  leave 
the  "man  of  destiny"  moving  toward  the  north- 
west with  Indian  guides,  to  attempt  and  succeed  in 
making  the  perilous  crossing.  The  mountain  how- 
itzer that  now  is  in  the  possession  of  Captain  A.  W. 
Prey,  at  Glenbrook,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Tahoc,  was  abandoned  by  Fremont  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  January.  It  was  afterwards  found  by  Wm. 
Wright,  known  to  the  literary  world  as  '■  Dan  De 
Quille."  He  gave  the  point  of  its  locality  to  a  party 
who  was  to'get  the  gun  and  bring  it  to  Virginia  City. 
It  had  become  a  question  of  some  importance,  at  the 
time,  as  to  whether  it  should  pass  into  the  possession 
of  the  Union  or  secession  element  in  Nevada,  and 
upon  its  arrival,  in  June,  1861.  at  the  Nevada  min- 
ing metropolis,  Captain  A.  W.  Prey  paid  for  it,  to 
the  party  who  packed  it  in,  8200,  and  thus  secured 
its  influence  on  the  side  of  the  maintenance  of  the 
Union.  The  gun  was  of  the  kind  invented  for  the 
mountain  part  of  the  French  campaign  against 
Algiers. 

THE   EMIORANTS   OF    1844. 

[From  Thompson  &  West's  History  o(  Nevada  County,  California,  ISSO.] 

The  next  winter  after  Fremont  made  his  perilous 
crossing  of  the  Sierra,  another  party,  a  band  of- 
hard}-  ))ionecrs,  worked  their  laborious  waj-  through 
the  drifting  snow  of  the  mountains,  and  entered  the 
beautiful  valley,  one  of  them  remaining  in  his  snow- 
bound camp  at  ])onncr  Lake  until  returning  spring 
made  his  rescue  possible.  The  party  consisted  of 
twenty-three  men,  John  Flomboj-,  Captain  Stevens, 
now  a  resident  of  Kern  County,  California,  Joseph 
Foster,  Dr.  Townsend,  Allen  Montgomery,  Moses 
Schallenberger,  now  living  in  San  Jose,  California; 
G.  (ireenwood,  and  his  two  sons,  John  and  Briit; 
James  Miller,  now  of  San  Kafael,  ('alifornia;  Mr. 
Calvin,  William  Martin,  Patrick  Martin,  Dennis 
Martin.  Martin  Murphj-  and  his  five  sons;  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock and  son.  They  left  Council  Blurt's  May  2'!, 
18-14,  en  route  to  Calil'ornia,  of  the  fertilil}'  of  whoso 
soil  and  the  mildness  of  whose  climate  glowing 
accounts  had  been  given.  The  dangers  of  the  j>lains 
and  mountains  were  passed,  and  the  parlj-  reiiched 
the  Humboldt  River,  when  an  Indian  named  Truckeo 
presented  himself  and  ottered  to  guide  them  to  Cali- 
fornia. After  <iuestioiiing  him  closely  ihej'  einp|i«yed 
him  as  their  guide,  and  as  they  progressed,  found 
that  the  statements  he  had  made  about  the  route 
were  fully  verified.  He  soon  became  a  great  favorite 
among  tiiem,  and  when  they  reached  the  lower 
crossing  of  the  Truckee  River,  now  Wadsworlh, 
they  gave  his  name  to  the  beautiful  stream,  so 
pleased  where  they  by  the  pure  water  and  abundance 
of  fish  to  which  he  had  directed  them.  The  stream 
will   ever  live  in   history  as  the  Truckee  Piver,  and 


.  ^^^^^t-^^-^y 


Gov.  John    Henry  Kinkead 


Was  born  at  Smithfield,  Fayette  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  tenth  of  December,  182ti.  Three  years 
after  his  parents  removeii  to  Zaiiesvillo,  Muskingum 
County,  Ohio.  Some  years  later  the  family  made 
their  home  at  Lancaster,  Fairfield  County,  in  the 
same  State,  where  the  eldest  living  member  of  the 
family  now  resides. 

The  Governor's  fiither,  J.  Kinkead,  was  a  native  of 
Chester  ("ountj-,  Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch  ])arenlage; 
was  married  in  Baltimore,  JIarj-land,  to  a  lady  of 
German  descent,  where  the  elder  members  of  the  fam- 
ily were  born.  He  was  also  an  enlisted  soldier  and 
officer  in  the  army  of  1S12,  though  not  called  into 
active  service.  Among  the  public  works  of  those 
early  da3'8  was  the  construction  of  a  highway  by  the 
Government,  known  as  the  National  Turnpike  Eoad, 
that  extended  from  Baltimore,  Maryland,  west, 
through  the  populous  portions  of  the  country,  to 
Columbus,  Ohio.  It  was  projected  to  terminate  at 
St.  Louis,  but  never  reached  that  point.  The  Gov- 
ernor's father  was  a  contractor  in  the  building  of 
that  road,  and  moved  along  its  line  froni  Baltimore 
westward,  first  to  Smithfield,  then  to  Zanesville, 
as  before  mentioned,  where  his  connection  with 
that  enterprise  ceased.  The  scholastic  training 
to  fit  the  subject  of  this  sketch  for  the  pur- 
suits of  life  was  not  pursued  into  fields  higher 
than  were  attainable  in  the  Lancaster  High  School, 
an  in.stitute  in  that  day  under  charge  of  the  brothers 
Mark  and  John  Howe,  bearing  a  deservedly  high 
reputation.  His  graduating  educational  degrees 
have  been  obtained  under  that  ])ractical  and  finished 
instructor  onlj-  found  in  aciiuiring  a  knowledge  of 
business  and  of  men.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
entered  a  wholesale  dry  goods  establishment  in  St. 
Louis  as  a  clerk,  whore  ho  remained  until  his 
twenty-third  j'car,  when  he  crossed  the  plains  in 
1849,  and  established,  in  connection  with  J.  M.  Liv- 
ingston, the  pioneer  mercantile  house  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  known  as  fjivingston  &  Kinkead. 

In  1854  he  removed  to  California,  where,  with  his 
partners,  a  business  was  continued  that  consisted 
chiefly  of  buying,  selling,  and  gra/.ing  stock.  On 
the  first  of  January,, 185(5,  ho  was  married  at  Marys- 
ville,  California,  to  Miss  Ijiz/.ie  Fall,  a  daughter  of 
John  C.  Fall,  who  now  resides  at  Wilcox,  Arizona. 
After  his  marriage,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
spent  in  New  York  City  in  commercial  business,  he 
was  interested  in  a  mercantile  establishment  at 
Marysville,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Fall,  until    18(11. 


In  the  fall  of  1859  his  firm  established  a  branch 
house  at  Carson  City,  Nevada;  and  in  February  of 
18G0,  moved  there  to  take  charge  of  the  new  enter- 
prisCf  since  when  he  has  considered  the  Silver  State 
his  home,  though  occasionallj'  absent,  and  at  one 
time  for  over  three  yeai's.  His  absence,  just  men- 
tioned, was  from  1,S(!7  to  1871,  when  he  visited 
Alaska,  and  was  one  of  the  ])arties  who  went  there 
to  witness  the  act  of  transfer  by  the  liussian  (iovern- 
ment  of  the  home  of  the  Esquimaux,  the  icebergs, 
and  seals,  to  our  Government.  He  was  the  first 
ofHcial  appointed  by  the  I'nited  States  to  any  (lov- 
ernmental  position  in  that  country.  It  was  ten- 
dered him,  with  a  commission  not  <iuitc  as  large  as  a 
bedspread,  dulj'  stamped  with  the  national  seal,  on 
which  could  have  been,  but  was  not,  written  the  ten 
commandments;  his  pay  was  to  be  twelve  dollars 
per  year;  his  occupation  and  title  that  of  "P.  M." 
(which  is    Postmaster). 

As  a  business  man.  Governor  Kinkead  has  been 
one  of  the  most  active  in  the  country.  In  con- 
nection with  his  associates  he  built,  in  early  times, 
the  widely-known  Mexican  (Quartz  Mill,  located  at 
Empire  City;  located  the  pioneer  town  of  Washoe 
City,  and  improved  the  water-power  there;  was  one 
of  the  original  projectors  of  the  now  Virginia  and 
Truckee  Railroad;  built  smelting  works  at  Pleasant 
Vallej',  a  mill  in  the  canon  below  Washoe  City,  and 
another  at  Austin;  has  been  engaged  in  milling  or 
mining  in  Ormsbj-,  Washoe,  Storey,  Lander,  Hum- 
boldt, and  Esmeralda  counties,  in  this  State,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  mercantile  pursuits. 

The  Governor  was  Territorial  Treasurer  under 
Governor  Nye,  during  the  existence  of  the  Terri- 
torial (Tovcrnment;  was  a  member  of  both  Constitu- 
tional Conventions  convened  for  the  pur])ose  of 
creating  a  State  Organization.  Declining  any  fur- 
ther political  advancement,  he  devoted  himself  to 
business  ])ursuits,  only  emerging  therefrom  upon  his 
nomination  and  election  as  (iovernor  of  his  State  in 
1878.  He  is  agontleman  in  many  respects  of  superior 
attainments,  with  a  fair  scholastic  education:  has 
read  law,  and  traveled  extensively  in  the  United 
States  and  Territories.  Officially  he  has  shown  him- 
self to  be  industrious,  honest,  and  capable.  Socially 
he  is  suave  and  aft'able  in  his  manner.  He  would 
address  a  prince  with  dignity,  or  treat  a  tramp 
courteously,  and  greets  all  with  a  kind  word  and 
gonial  pleasant  smile,  making  every  one  whom  he 
meets  glad  that  Nevada's  (iovernor  is  a  gentleman. 


THE  TRAPPERS  AND  EARLY  EMIGRATION. 


9.-. 


tho  fish,  tbo  famous  Tniekee  trout,  will  continue  to 
d(.-lii;iit  the  palate  of  tiiu  epicure  for  years  to  come. 

Fri)m  this  point  the  iiurly  puslieil  on  lo  the  beautiful 
mountain  lake,  whose  shores  but  two  3-ears  later 
witnessed  a  scene  of  suftoring  and  death  unequaled 
in  the  annals  of  Americ'a's  ]>ioneers.  Here,  at  Don- 
ner  Lake,  it  was  decided  to  build  a  cab  n  and  store 
their  jjoods  until  spring,  as  tho  cattle  were  too 
exhausted  to  drag  them  further.  The  cabin  was 
built  by  Allen  Jlonlgomery,  Joseph  Foster,  and  Moses 
Schallenberger,  all  young  men  used  to  pioneer  life, 
and  who  felt  I'ully  able  to  maintain  themselves  b}' 
their  rifles  upon  the  bears  and  deer  that  seemed  so 
plentiful  in  the  mountains.  The  cabin  was  built  of 
pino  sapMngs,  with  a  roof  of  brush  and  rawhides; 
was  twelve  by  fourteen  feet  and  about  eii^ht  feet 
high,  with  a  rule  chimney  and  but  one  aperture  for 
both  a  window  and  door.  It  was  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  below  the  foot  of  the  lake,  and  is  of  peculiar 
interest,  as  it  was  the  first  habitation  built  by  white 
men  within  tho  limits  of  Nevada  County,  California. 

The  cabin  was  completed  in  two  days,  and  the 
parl3'  moved  on  across  the  summit,  leaving  but  a 
few  provisions  and  a  half-starved  and  emaciated  cow 
for  the  support  of  tho  young  men,  who  had  under- 
taken a  task,  the  magnitude  of  which  they  little 
dreamed.  It  was  about  the  middle  of  November 
when  tho  party  left  Conner  l^ake.  and  they  arrived 
at  Sutter's  Fort  on  the  fifteenth  of  Decembei-,  1844, 
the  journej-  down  the  mountains  consumini;  a  month 
of  toil  and  privation.  The  day  after  the  cabin  was 
comjileted  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  commenced  and  con- 
tinued for  several  days,  and  while  the  journeying 
party  were  plunging  and  toiling  through  the  storm 
and  drifts,  the  three  young  men  found  themselves 
surrounded  bj-  a  bed  of  snow  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
deep.  Tho  game  had  fled  down  the  mountains  to 
escape  the  storm,  and  when  tho  poor  cow  was  half 
consumed  the  three  snow-bound  prisoners  began  to 
realize  the  danger  of  their  situation.  Alarmed  by 
the  prospect  of  starvation  they  determined  to  force 
thoir  way  across  the  barrier  of  snow.  In  one  day's 
journey  thej-  reached  the  summit,  but  poor  Schallen- 
berger was  here  taken  with  severe  cramps,  and  was 
unable  to  proceed  tho  following  day.  Every  few 
feet  that  ho  advanced  in  his  atteni]it  to  struggle 
along,  he  fell  to  the  ground.  What  could  they  do? 
To  remain  was  death,  and  yet  they  could  not  aban- 
don their  sick  comrade  among  the  drifting  snows  on 
the  summit  of  the  Sierra.  Foster  and  Montgomery 
were  )ilaccd  in  a  trying  situation.  Schallenberger 
told  them  that  he  would  remain  alone  if  Ihey  would 
conduct  him  back  to  tho  cabin.  They  did  so,  and 
providing  everything  they  could  for  his  comfort, 
took  their  di^parture,  leaving  him,  sick  and  feeble,  in 
the  heart  of  the  snow-locked  mountains. 

A  strong  will  can  accom]ilish  wonders,  and  a 
determination  to  live  is  sometimes  stronger  than 
death,  and  young  Schallenberger  by  an  exertion  of 
theso  was  soon  able  lo  rise  from  his  bed  and  seek  for 


food.  Among  the  goods  stored  in  tbo  cabin  he  found 
some  steel  traps,  with  which  he  caught  enough  foxes 
to  sustain  himsulf  in  liis  little  mountain  cabin,  until 
tho  doors  of  his  prison  were  unlocked  by  the  melting 
rays  of  the  vernal  sun,  and  a  party  of  friends  came 
to  his  relief  On  the  first  of  March,  1845,  he,  too, 
arrived  at  Sutter's  Tort,  having  spent  three  months 
in  the  drifting  snows  of  tbo  "Snowy  Mountains," 
the  Sierra  Nevada. 

FUE.MONT's   EXI'EDITIOS  OP  1843. 

In  October,  1845,  tho  "  Path-Finder"  started  from 
Salt  Lake  m  ilh  his  i)arty,  among  whom  were  Kit  Car- 
son and  Joseph  Walker,  to  cross  tho  country  to  the 
west.  Alter  passing  over  tho  desert  lying  immedi- 
ately be^-ond  that  lake,  the  party  was  divided,  a 
portion  under  Theodore  Talbot  who  had  accom- 
panied General  Fremont  from  Washington,  with 
Walker  as  a  guide,  going  to  Maiy's  liiver  <lown  which 
it  was  to  pass  to  the  rendezvous  near  where  now  is 
liagtown,  in  Churchill  Count}'.  The  balance,  under 
Fremont,  consisting  of  fifteen  men,  among  wnom 
was  Kit  Carson,  passed  to  the  west  lliroiigh  the  coun- 
try' to  tho  south  of  that  river,  and  all  finall}-  met  in 
November  at  the  point  designated,  liemaining  but 
one  night  in  comiiaii}'  at  ihe  rendezvous  the}-  sepa- 
rated, Talbot  going  lo  tho  south  by  way  of  Walker's 
River  and  Lake,  theso  waters  having  been  named  by 
Fremont  in  honor  of  the  famed  mounlaineer  who 
accompanied  Talbot  as  a  guide.  Fremont  moved  up 
the  stream  to  which  he  had  given  the  name  of  his 
favorite  scout,  Carson,  and  passing  through  the  val- 
ley anil  canon  that  have  since  received  their  name 
from  the  river,  reached  the  shores  of  Lake  Tahoe  and 
from  thenco  passed  over  into  the  Sacramento  Valle3\ 
In  this  connection  the  following  letters  are  of  impor- 
tance;— 

PuEscOTT,  Arizona  Terrilorj-,  ) 
February  2!t,  1S81.      | 

Mv  Deaii  Sirs:  What  is  now  called  Tahoe  Lake  1 
n:inuMl  Lake  Bonpland  upon  my  first  crossing  of  tho 
Sierra  in  1843-44.  1  gave  to  the  basin  river  its 
name  of  Humboldt  and  to  the  mountain  lake  the 
name  of  liis  companion  traveler,  Bonpland,  and  so 
put  it  in  the  map  of  that  expedition.  Tahoe  1  sup- 
pose is  the  Indian  name  and  the  lake  the  same 
though  1  have  not  visited  the  head  of  tho  American 
since  I  first  crossed  tho  Nevada  in  '44.  . 

Yours  truly,        J.  C.  Fue.mont. 

[Aniadc  Bonpland,  referred  to  by  (Jeneral  Fremont, 
was  a  native  of  France,  was  born  at  Hochelle,  in 
177;:{,  graduated  as  a  |)hysician,  and  became  an  emi- 
nent botanist.  lie  accompanied  Humboldt  to  Amer- 
ica, and  subse(iuently  became  a  joint  author  with 
that  celebrated  traveler  and  scientist,  of  several 
volumes  of  valuable  works  on  botany,  natural  his- 
tory, and  monuments  oj'  the  New  World.  He  was 
I'or  nearly  ten  years  tlelained  in  Paraguay  as  u 
prisoner  by  the  Dictator,  I)r.  l-'rancia,  lo  prevent 
him  fi-oni,  or  to  punish  him  for,  allemi)ting  to  cuiti- 


26 


HISTOEY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


vato  the  iliite,  or  raragu:iy,  tea  in  that  country.  In 
1858,  he  died  at  Montevideo,  the  capital  of  Uraguay, 
in  South  America.] 


Prescott,  Arizona  Territory, 
March  8, 


Fcrritory,  ) 

8,  1881.      ) 


Dear  Siks:  Yours  of  the  3d  reached  me  this 
morning.  Carson  iJivcr.  as  well  as  the  others  in  that 
region,  Humboldt,  Walker,  and  Owens,  with  the 
P3ramid  and  other  lakes,  were  named  by  me  in  the 
winter  journey  of  1843-44,  to  which  you  refer.  The 
only  volume  which  I  have  had  the  time  to  publish 
since  this  one,  is  a  "Geographical  Memoir  and  Map," 
])ublished  under  an  order  of  the  United  States 
Senate,  in  1848.  I  would  send  j'ou  a  co])y  if  I  had 
one  at  hand.  Thanking  you  for  the  interest  you 
show  in  the  subject,  and  for  your  disposition  to 
arrive  at  facts,         T  am  j'ours  trul}-, 

J.  C.  Fremont. 

EDWIN    BRV.\NT,    AND   OTHER    E.MKiRANTS    OF  1846. 

Among  the  overland  emigrants  of  1841),  was 
Edwin  Bryant,  who  later  jiubii^hcd  a  book  entitled 
"What  I  Saw  in  California."  ile  traveled  a  portion 
of  the  way,  from  Independence,  Missouri,  in  com- 
pany with  the  ill-fated  "Doniier  party;"  and  he 
states  that — 

The  number  of  emigrants  on  the  road  for  Oregon 
and  California,  I  estimate  at  3,000. 

lie  further  records,  under  date  of  June  l.")lh,  that 
eighteen  persons  returning  to  the  Slates  were  met,  | 
who  reported  that  in  advance  thej-  had  met  on  tl.e 
road  430  teams.  Add  to  this  those  acconijianying 
Brj'ant,  and  it  makes  470  vehicles  bound  for  the 
Pacific  Coast,  one-half  of  which  he  states  were 
destined  for  California. 

July  15th  Brj-ant  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger,  where 
he  found  L.  W.  Hastings,  and Hudspeth  of  Cali- 
fornia, awaiting  emigrants  for  that  country,  to  pilot 
them  by  a  new  route  just  survej-ed,  that  since  has 
become  known  as  Hastings  Cut  oft'.  On  the  20th 
Brj'ant  and  nine  companions  left  that  fort  on  horse- 
back, with  jiack-animals,  as  the  first  to  pass  over  the 
new  route.  He  left  letters  to  his  friends  advising 
them  not  to  follow  him  with  wagons,  but  to  keep 
the  old  way  by  Fort  Hall.  The  same  daj-  that 
Brj-ant's  party  left  Fort  Bridger,  to  reach  the  Hum- 
boldt by  Hastings  Cut-off,  that  passed  to  the  south 
of  Salt  Lake,  thej-  were  followed  by  some  fortj- 
wagons,  guided  by  Hastings,  to  bi'cak  tlio  new  i-oad. 
TheBO  reached  California  throiigii  i lie  Great  Basin, 
safe  as  did  Bryant,  his  comjianions,  and  all  who  went 
by  the  way  of  Fort  Hall,  but  such  was  not  the  case, 
however,  with  the  last  California  emigrants  of  tli.il 
season  who  followed,  contrary  to  advice,  the  trail  of 
Bryant. 

JIAJOR  STEPHEN  COOI'ER's  PARTY. 

In  the  spring  of  184C,  Maj.  Stephen  Coo]ier,  who 
now  lives  in  Colusa  County,  California,  started  from 
Missouri    for  the   Pacific  Coast  accom])anii'd   by  Ins 


family.  The  Major  was  a  frontiersman  of  note,  hav- 
ing been  an  associate  of  Daniel  Boone,  and  had,  the 
year  before,  accompanied  Fremont  as  far  as  the  Rocky 
Mountains  on  his  way  to  California,  i'rom  where  he 
had  returned  through  Texas  to  his  home  in  Missouri. 
Besides  his  familj-  the  Major  was  also  accompanied 
by  a  train,  of  which  he  had  charge,  consisting  of 
twenty-eight  ox-teams  transporting  emigrants  to 
California.  Thej-  also  passed  down  the  Humboldt 
Eiver  and  over  the  mountains  by  the  Donner  Ijake 
route  to  their  destination,  arriving  in  October  of  that 
year  in  the  Sacramento  'N'alley. 

THE  DONNER  LAKE  TRAdEDY  IN  1846. 

In  April  of  the  above  year  an  emigrant  party  set 
out  from  S])ringfield,  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  for 
California,  among  whom  were  two  brothers  George, 
and  Jacob  Donner,  and  families  numbering  sixteen, 
James  F.  Reed  and  family  of  seven  persons,  and 
Franklin  W.  Graves  with  a  family  of  twelve.  At 
Indei)endence,  Jlissouri,  they  were  joined  by  Patrick 
Breen  and  familj-  of  nine.  Later  Mrs.  Lavina 
Murphy,  a  widow  lady  with  whom  was  her  familj-, 
joined  them  one  hundred  miles  west  of  Fort  Bridger, 
and  these  were  the  jirincipal  members  of  the  Donner 
party  proper  that  numbered  ninety  souls.  Inde- 
pendence was  reached  in  the  first  week  of  May,  and 
the  train  finallj-  was  increased  to  between  two  and 
three  hundred  wagons.  At  this  ])oint  jirovisions 
were  purchased  and  the  overland  journey  commenced. 
On  the  si.xtcenlli  of  June  Mrs.  tieorge  Donner  in 
a  letter  re])orted  very  favorablj'  of  the  expedition 
u])  to  that  time  and  jdace,  450  miles  fi-(mi  Inde- 
))entlence.  At  Fort  Laramie  some  of  them  joined  in 
celebrating  the  Fonrtli  of  July,  and  on  the  20th  of 
that  month  at  Little  Sandy  River,  George  Donner 
was  elected  Ca])tain  of  the  train.  At  Fort  Bridger  a 
portion  of  the  emigrants  decided  to  try  a  new  route 
to  California  by  the  waj-  of  Salt  Lake,  known  as  the 
Hastings  Cut-otf;  the  remaining  members  of  the 
l)arty  jjreferring  to  take  the  longer,  but  belter  known 
route  by  wiiich  thej- eventually  reached  in  safety- the 
point  of  their  destination.  Those  choosing  the  Salt 
Lake  route  were  the  ones  whose  tragic  fate,  leading  _ 
them  to  Starvation  Camj),  has  handed  their  history 
down  to  ])Osterity  as  the  darkest  page  shadowing 
the  history  of  Pacific  Coast  pioneer  life.  With  the 
change  of  route  their  trials  began.  Salt  l>ake  being 
reached  in  over  thirty  instead  of  seven  days  as  antic- 
ipated. Then  the  great  desert  beyond  that  lake  was 
to  be  crossed,  trackless,  barren,  anil  desolate  and 
foreboding.  From  that  time  forward  misfortune's 
hand  lay  heavy  upon  them,  hope's  outlines  fading 
grew  less  distinct  in  the  shadows  of  each  departing 
day,  while  in  every  succeeding  event  seemed  lurking 
some  dark  tragedy.  At  the  western  margin  of  the 
desert  it  was  determined  that  some  one  must  go  for- 
ward to  Sutter's  Fort,  700  miles,  and  come  back  to 
meet  them  on  the  way  with  jirovisions.  Volunteers 
were  called  for  to  do  this  when  Wm.  McCutchcn  of 
Missouri,    and    C.    T.   Stanton  of  Chicago,   Illinois, 


TPIK  TI;AIM'KI!S  .\M»   KAULY   KMltlKATlUN. 


27 


rcs]ioiuli'(l.  and  started  on  hoi-sol)at'l<  alone  iipon  the 
forlorn  Lopo  mission  ol' lil'o  or  deatli  to  all  wlio  wore 
left  behind. 

(travellj-  Kord.  on  the  Ilumliolilt.  was  reaelied,  with 
wornoiit  cattle,  by  the  eniacialed  travelers,  who 
were  subsisting  upon  short  rations.  At  this  jilace 
oeeurred  the  saddest  event  that  misfortune  east  h}' 
the  wayside  for  those  vietims  Irailini^  their  course 
from  haiipy  homes  in  the  East  to  the  court  of  death 
bj-  the  hank  of  liake  l)onner.  There  was  a  youni^ 
man  some  twenty-three  years  of  aj^e,  named  Joim 
Snyder,  who  was  driving  one  of  the  teams  for  Mr. 
Graves.  lie  was  a  person  of  unusually  fine  apjicar- 
ance.  rather  tall,  well  develo])ed,  jireposscssitij;,  and 
lookeil  a  kinjj  amonj;  men.  In  disposition  liappy, 
mirthful,  jubilant,  with  a  smile  and  kind  word  for 
every  one;  he  had  become  the  favorite  of  the  party. 
He  had  one  misfortune,  that  of  a  fierce,  uni;overn- 
able  tenijier  when  the  lion  of  anger  W'as  stirred 
within  him.  Jlary  Graves,  a  tall,  graceful,  ilark- 
e^-ed  beauty,  also  one  of  the  emigrants,  was  to 
become  his  bride  upon  tlieir  arrival  in  California.  At 
this  fatal  ford  an  altercation  occui'red  between  him 
and  James  F.  I?eed.  Mrs.  J?eed,  in  rushing  be- 
tween tlie  combatants,  received  a  cruel  blow  from 
the  butt  .end  of  a  whip  intended  for  her  lH^^band, 
dealt  by  Sn}'der,  who  the  next  instant  staggered 
back  with  his  life  blood  flowing  from  a  mortal  wound 
received  in  the  side  from  a  knife  in  the  hand  of  the 
enraged  husband.  Mr.  Reed  was  banished  from  the 
traiTi  without  food,  or  gun  to  get  it  witli,  to  make 
his  way  as  best  he  could  to  California;  but  after"  he 
had  gone  affection  overtook  him.  A  friend  stole  out  of 
camp  with  his  gun.  accom]ianied  by  Mr.  Heed's  little 
twelve-j-ear-old  girl  Virginia,  who  had  secreted 
some  crackers  about  her  ]ierson,  and  following  the 
wretched  traveler,  came  up  with  him.  But  for  this 
he  must  have  perished  on  the  desert,  from  which 
cruel  fate  he  was  saved  through  the  constancj'  of  a 
friend  and  the  affections  of  his  child.  The  remains 
of  young  Snyder  were  buried  near  tlie  jilace  where 
he  had  fallen.  The  next  day  the  train  moved  on 
with  the  heart-broken  girl,  who  li;iil  looked  for  the 
last  time  u]ion  the  one  that  she  had  loved,  and  tlie 
little  mound  that  forever  covered  his  form  from  her 
sight. 

On  the  ninth  of  October  while  moving  down  the 
Humboldt,  an  old  man  named  llardcoo])  in  comjiany 
with  Keseberg,  fell  behind  the  train.  That  night 
Keseberg  came  into  camp  but  the  old  man  did  not; 
he  had  traveled  until  his  feet  hurst  0|)en,  and  then 
laid  down  and  died.  At  Humboldt  sink  twenty- 
eight  of  their  cattle  were  run  otf  by  Indians,  and  the 
party  was  near  the  verge  of  des))air.  They  continued 
however  to  struggle  on,  all  of  them  on  foot  now 
except  the  children  and  disabled.  They  were  liter- 
ally starving,  some  of  them  being  forced  to  go  with- 
out food  for  a  daj^  or  more  at  a  time.  On  the  four- 
teenth of  October,  between  Humboldt  sink  and 
Wadswortb,  Keseberg  and  a  wealthy  member  of  the 


party  named  Wolfinger.  fell  l)ehin<l  and  the  latter  was 
never  seen  afterwards;  Keseberg  came  into  camp 
without  his  companion,  and  later  on^  Joseph  Hein- 
hart,  when  dying,  confesse<l  to  having  had  something 
to  do  with  the  murder  of  the  missing  man.  The 
further  trials  and  terrible  horrors  that  beset  the 
])ath  of  this  ill-starre<l  jiart}-  is  taken  from  the  his- 
tory before  mentioned  of  Nevada  ('ounty,  California, 
by  Thompson  &  West,  and  wo  quote  the  following 
from  that  work: — 

On  the  nineteenth  of  October,  near  the  present 
site  of  Wadswortb,  Nevada,  the  destitute  company 
was  happily  reprovisioned  by  C.  T.  Stanton;  fur- 
nished with  food  and  mules,  together  with  two 
Indian  vaqueros,  by  Captain  Sutter,  without  com- 
pensation.        ' 

At  the  present  site  of  Iteno  it  was  concluded  to 
rest.  Three  or  four  daj's'  time  was  lost.  This  was 
the  fatal  act.  The  storm-clouds  were  already  brew- 
ing upon  the  mountains,  only  a  few  miles  distant. 
The  ascent  was  ominous.  Thick  and  thicker  grew 
the  clouds,  outsvri))ping  in  threatening  battalions  the 
now  eagar  feet  of  the  alarmed  emigrants,  until,  at 
Prosser  Creek,  three  miles  below  Truckee,  October 
28,  IS-tG,  a  month  earlier  than  usual,  the  storm  set 
in.  and  they  found  themselves  in  six  inches  of  ncwly- 
fallcn  snow.  On  the  summit  it  was  already  from 
two  to  five  feet  deep.  The  party,  in  much  confusion, 
finally  reached  DonnerLakein  disordered  fragments. 
Fre(jucnt  and  desperate  attempts  were  made  to  cross 
the  mountain  tops,  but  at  last,  liaHied  and  des])airing, 
they  returned  to  camp  at  the  lake.  The  storm  now 
descended  in  all  its  ])itiles8  furj-  upon  the  ill-fated 
emigrants.  Its  dreadful  import  was  well  undei-stood, 
as  laden  with  omens  of  suffering  and  death.  With 
slight  interru))tions,  the  storm  continued  for  several 
days.  The  animals  were  litorallj*  buried  alive  and 
frozen  in  the  drifts.  Meat  was  hastilj'  ]irepared 
from  their  frozen  carcasses,  and  cabins  rudely  built. 
One,  the  Schalleni>ergor  cabin,  erected  November, 
1844,  was  already  standing,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
below  the  lake.  This  the  Hreen  family  appro])riated. 
The  Murphys  erected  one  three  hundred  j^ards  from 
the  lake,  marked  by  a  largo  stone  twelve  feet  high. 
The  tiraves  family  built  theirs  near  Donner  Creek, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  farther  down  the  stream, 
the  three  forming  the  apexes  of  a  triangle;  the  Rreen 
and  .Murphj'  cabins  were  distant  from  each  other 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards.  The  Donner 
brothers,  with  their  families,  hastily  constructed  a 
brush  shed  in  Alder  Creek  Valley,  six  or  seven  miles 
from  the  lake.  Their  jirovisions  were  speedily  con- 
sumed, and  starvation,  with  all  its  grim  attendant 
horrors,  stared  the  poor  emigrants  in  the  face.  Day 
by  day,  with  aching  hearts  and  paralyzed  energies, 
they  awaited,  amid  the  beating  storms  of  the  Sierra, 
the  dread  revelation  of  the  morrow,  "  hoping  against 
hope  "  for  some  welcome  sign. 

On  the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  184(5,  a  party 
of  seventeen  were  enrolled  to  attempt  the  hazardous 


28 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


journey  over  the  mountains,  to  press  into  the  valley 
beyond  for  relief.  Two  returned,  and  the  remaining 
fifteen  pressed  on,  including  Mary  Graves  and  her 
sister,  Mrs.  Sarah  l''osdick,  and  several  other  women, 
the  heoric  C.  T.  Stanton  and  the  noble  K.  W.  Graves 
(who  left  his  wife  and  seven  children  at  the  lake  to 
await  in  vain  his  relurn)  being  the  leader.s.  This 
was  the  "  Forlon  Hope  Party,"  over  whose  dreadful 
sufferings  and  disaster  we  must  throw  a  veil.  A 
detailed  account  of  this  party  is  given  from  the 
graphic  i)en  of  C.  F.  .McGlashan,  and  lately  published 
in  book  form  from  the  press  of  MctJIashan,  proprietor 
of  the  Tiurkee  Republican,  to  which  we  take  pleasure 
in  referring  the  reader.  Death  in  its  most  awful 
form  reduced  the  wretched  company  to  seven — two 
men  and  five  women — when  suddenly  tracks  were 
discovered  im|>rinted  in  the  snow.  "Can  any  one 
imagine,"  says  Mary  Graves  in  her  recital,  '^  the 
joy  these  foot-])rints  gave  us  ?"  We  ran  as  fast  as  our 
strength  would  "carry  us."  Turning  a  sharj)  point 
the)-  suddenlj-  came  upon  an  Indian  ranclicria.  The 
acorn-bread  offered  them  by  the  kind  and  awe- 
stricken  savages  was  eager!}'  devoured.  Bui  on  thiy 
pressed  with  their  Indian  guides,  only  to  rejicat  their 
dreadful  sutlerings,  until  at  last,  one  evening  about 
the  last  of  January,  Mr.  Eddj-.  with  his  Indian  guide, 
precediiig  the  ]iarly  fifteen  miles,  reached  Johnson's 
IJanch,  on  Bear  IJiver,  the  firstscttlement  on  the  west- 
ern slope  of  the  Sierra,  when  relief  was  sent  back  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  the  remaining  si.x  survivors 
were  brought  in  next  daj'.  It  had  been  thirty-two 
daj^s  since  they  left  Donncr  Lake.  No  tongue  can 
tell,  no  pen  portray,  the  awful  suft'ering,  the  terrible 
and  appalling  straits,  as  well  as  the  noble  deeds  of 
heroism  that  characterized  this  march  of  death.  The 
eternal  mountains,  whose  granite  faces  bore  witness 
to  their  sufferings,  are  fit  monuments  to  mark  the 
last  resting  i)lace  of  Charles  T.  Stanton,  that  cultured, 
heroic  soul,  who  groped  his  way  through  the  blind- 
ing snow  of  the  Sierra  to  immortality.  The  divinest 
encomium — "lie  gave  his  life  as  a  ransom  for 
many" — is  his  epita)ih,  foreshadowed  in  his  own 
noble  words,  "  I  will  bring  aid  to  these  famishing 
people  f)r  l(iy  tlomt  my  life." 

Nothing  could  be  done,  in  tlii^  meantime,  for  the 
relief  of  the  suftercrs  at  Donncr  Lake,  without  secur- 
ing hel]i  from  Fort  Sutter,  which  was  s])eedily  accom- 
plished by  John  lihodcs.  In  a  week,  si.\  men,  fully 
provisioned,  with  ('aptain  Reasin  P.  Tucker  at  their 
head,  reached  Johnson's  Eanch,  and  in  ten  or  twelve 
days'  time,  with  jirovisions,  mules,  eic,  the  first 
relief  ])arty  started  for  the  scene  of  Donncr  Lake.  It 
was  a  fearful  undertaking,  but  on  the  morning  of  the 
nineteenth  of  Februarj-,  1847,  the  above  parly  began 
the  descent  of  the  gorge  leading  to  Donncr  Lake. 

We  have  iiurposel^'  ihi-own  a  veil  over  the  dread- 
ful sufferings  ol'  the  stricken  band  left  in  their 
wretched  hovels  at  Donner  Lake.  Iie<Iuced  to  the 
verge  of  starvation,  many  died  (inchnling  numerous 
children,  seven  of  whom  were  nursing   babes)  who, 


in  this  dreadful  state  of  necessity-,  were  summarily 
disposed  of.  Rawhides,  moccasins,  strings,  etc., 
were  eaten.  IJut  relief  was  now  close  at  hand  for 
the  poor  stricken  sufferers.  On  the  evening  of  the 
nineteenth  of  February,  1847,  the  stillness  of  death 
that  had  settled  upon  the  scene  was  broken  by  pro- 
longed shouts.  In  an  instant  the  ])ainfnllj-  sensitive 
ears  of  the  despairing  watchers  caught  the  welcome 
sound.  Captain  Tucker,  with  his  relief  party,  had 
at  last  arrived  upon  the  scene.  Every  face  was 
bathed  in  tears,  and  the  strongest  men  of  the  relief 
party,  melted  at  the  appalling  sight,  sat  down  and 
wept  with  the  rest.  But  time  was  precious,  as 
storms  were  imminent.  The  return  party  was 
quickly  gathered.  Twenty-three  members  started, 
among  them  several  women  and  children.  Of 
this  number  two  were  compelled  to  return,  and  three 
perished  on  the  journej-.  Many  iiardships  and  pri- 
vations were  exjjerienced,  and  their  provisions  were 
soon  entirely  exhausted.  Death  once  more  stared 
them  in  the  face,  and  despair  settled  u])on  them. 
But  assistance  was  near  at  hand,  .lames  F.  Reed, 
who  had  precLMled  the  Donner  parly  bj'  some  months, 
suildcnly  apj>eared  with  the  second  relief  ]>arty,  on 
the  twenly-firih  of  Febi'uary,  1847.  The  joy  of  the 
meeting  was  indescribable,  especially  between  the 
family  and  the  long-absent  father.  Rejirovisioned, 
the  jiarty  pressed  on,  and  gained  their  destination 
after  severe  suffering,  with  eighteen  members,  only 
three  having  ])erished.  Reed  continued  his  journey 
to  the  c.ibins  at  Donner  Lake.  There  the  scoiie  was 
simi)ly  indescribable,  starvation  and  disease  wore  fast 
claiming  their  victims.  JLirch  1st  (according  to 
Breen's  diary),  Reed  and  his  parly  arrived  at  the 
camp.  Priiceeding  dii'eculy  to  his  cabin,  he  was 
espied  by  his  liule  daughter  (who,  with  her  sister 
was  carried  back  by  the  previous  parly),  and  imme- 
diately recognized  with  a  cry  of  joy.  Provisions 
were  carefully  deal  I  out  to  the  famishing  [leoijle,  and 
immediate  steps  were  talien  for  the  i-eturn.  Seven- 
teen comprised  this  ]iarly.  Half  starved  and  com- 
pletely exhausted,  they  were  compelled  to  cam))  in 
the  midsl  of  a  furious  storm,  m  which  Mr.  Reed 
barely  escaiied  with  his  life.  This  was  "Starved 
Camp,"  and  from  this  ))oint  Mr.  Ri-ed,  with  his  two 
little  children  and  another  person,  struggled  ahead 
to  obtain  hasty  relief  if  possible. 

On  the  second  daj'  alter  leaving  Starved  Camp, 
Mr.  Reed  and  the  three  companions  were  overtaken 
by  Cady  and  Stone,  and  on  the  night  of  the  third 
day  reached  Woodwoiths  Camp,  at  Bear  Valley,  in 
safet}-.  The  horrors  of  Starved  Camp  beggar  all 
description,  indeed,  require  none.  The  third  relief 
parly,  composed  of  John  Stark,  Howard  Oakley, 
and  Charles  Stone,  were  nearing  the  rescue,  while 
W,  n.  Foster  and  W.  11.  Kddy  (rescued  by  a  former 
party)  were  bent  on  the  same  mission.  These,  with 
Iliiam  .Miller  set  out  from  Woodworth's  Camp  in  the 
following  morning  after  Reed's  arrival.  The  eleven 
were  tluly  reached,  but  were  in  a  starving  condition, 


CHANGE  OF  FLAG  IN  184G. 


29 


anil  nine  of  the  eleven  were  un:il>lo  to  walk.  ]?}•  the 
noble  resolution  and  herculean  etlbrtH  of  John  Stark, 
a  j)art  of  the  number  were  borne  and  urjijcd  onward 
to  their  destination,  while  the  other  ))ortion  \s'as 
com])elled  to  remain  and  await  another  relief  part}-. 
When  the  third  relief  parly,  under  Foster  and  Eddy, 
arrived  at  Donner  I.iake,  the  sole  survivors  at  Alder 
Creek  were  (ieorije  Donner,  the  Cai)tain  of  the  com- 
]iany.  and  his  heroic  and  faithful  wife,  whose  devo- 
tion to  her  dyin<;  husband  caused  her  own  death 
dui'ini;  the  last  and  fearful  days  of  waiting  i'or  the 
fourth  relief  (Jeorgo  Donner  knew  he  was  dying, 
and  urged  his  wife  to  save  her  lil'e,  and  go  with  her 
little  ones,  with  the  third  relief,  but  she  refused. 
Nothing  was  more  heart-rending  than  her  sad  part- 
ing with  her  beloved  little  ones,  who  wound  their 
childish  arms  lovingly  around  her  neck,  and  besought 
her  with  mingled  tears  and  kisses  to  join  them.  But 
duly  prevailed  over  affection,  and  she  retraced  the 
weary  distance  to  die  with  him  whom  she  had  prom- 
ised to  love  and  honor  to  the  end.  Such  scenes  of 
anguish  arc  seldom  witnessed  on  this  sorrowing 
earth,  and  such  acts  of  triumjjhant  devotion  are 
among  her  most  golden  deeds.  The  snowy  cere- 
ments of  Donner  i>ake  enshrouded  in  its  stilly  white- 
ness no  purer  life,  no  nobler  heart  than  Mrs.  (Jcorge 
Onnner's.  The  terrible  recitals  that  close  this  awlul 
tragedy  we  williiiglj'  omit. 

The  tliiiil  relief  party  rescued  four  of  the  five  last 
survivors;  the  fourth  anil  last  relief  Jiarty  rescued 
the  last  survivor,  Lewis  Keseberg,  on  the  seventh  of 
April,  1847.  Ninety  names  are  given  as  members  of 
the  Dormer  part}'.  Of  these,  fort3'-two  perished, 
six  did  not  live  to  reach  the  mountains,  and  foi-tj-- 
eight  survived.  Tvvent^'-six,  and  possib.y  twent}-- 
eight,  out  of  the  fortj'-eight  survivors,  are  living  to- 
day, several  residing  in  San  Jose,  Calistoga,  Los 
Galos,  JIarysville.  and  in  Oregon. 

Thus  ends  this  narrative  of  horrors,  without  a  ]iar- 
allel  in  the  annals  of  American  hisiory,  of  appallinir 
disasters,  fearful  sufferings.  Iieruic  fortituile,  self- 
denial  and  heroism. 

The  emigration  increased  in  ISIT,  and  then  the 
gold  discovered  in  1848  induced  a  steady  stream  of 
treasure-seekers  to  come  from  the  States,  over  the 
])lains,  and  down  the  IluinlmUll  liiver  in  1S40,  en 
route  for  California.  Their  number  precludes  the 
possibility  of  a  furthiM-  detail  of  ihe  aiivent  of  those 
who  were  but  passing  through  Nevada. 


CU  A  I'T  HI!    111. 
CHANGE  OF  FLAG  IN  1846. 

Tliefire.it  Risiii  Ceded  by  Mexieo  ti)  the  United  States  in  lS4i> 
— St.ite  of  J)e.ser<t  Organized— Utah  Titrritiiry  Or^^anized — 
Diacovery  of  (Jiild  anil  Karly  SettUineiit  of  Western 
Utali — Transient  Settlement — Letter  of  Itobert   Lyon. 

TiiF.  ]5ear  Flag  War  in  California  was  inaugtirated 
at  Sonoma  on  the  fourteenth  of  June,  in  184(1,  and 
while  the  Donuor  party  was  striving  to  roach  that 


coutitrj-,  unbeknown  to  them  a  struggle  was  going 
on  there  between  tlie  Mexican  authorities  and  the 
foreign  or  American  ])o])ulation  tor  ])osscssion  of 
that  country,  which  terminated  in  favor  of  the 
Americans.  At  the  same  time  war  was  r.aging 
between  the  United  States  and  Alexico,  that  finally 
resulted  in  the  trium]di  of  our  armies,  and  a  treaty 
which  was  signed  February  '1.  1848,  ceded  to  our 
Government  a  large  tract  of  countr}',  dating  the  ces- 
sion from  the  seventh  of  July,  1840,  when  Commodore 
Sloat  raised  the  American  Hag  at  Monterey.  The 
territory  thus  obtained  included  all  of  Mexieo  lying 
between  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  Jtocky  Mount- 
ain.s  that  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  42° 
of  north  latitude,  which  is  the  line  between  Oregon 
and  California;  and  on  the  south  by  the  Uila  IJiver, 
and  what  is  the  present  south  lino  of  California. 
Conseiiuently.  what  now  is  known  as  Nevada,  Utah, 
and  Arizona,  was,  until  the  conquest  in  184(i,  a  part 
of  Mexico  and  of  the  Mexican  Territory  of  Alta 
California. 

STATE   OF    DESERET   ORllANIZEl). 

On  the  eighteenth  of  March,  18 lit,  the  Mormons 
assenililed  in  convention  at  Salt  Jjake  and  organized 
a  Territorial  (iovernment  over  what  the}'  designated 
as  the  "Slate  of  Desoret."  The  boundaries  named 
for  this  new  Territory  included  what  is  now  Utah, 
Nevada,  Arizona,  a  ])ortion  of  Colorado,  a  slice  from 
Uregon,  and  thai  portion  of  Wyoming  lying  south  of 
the  Wind  liiver  Mountains.  It  also  included  of  what 
is  now  California.  San  Diego  and  Los  Angeles  Coun- 
ties, as  far  up  the  coast  as  Santa  Monica.  From 
there  the  line  ran  directly  north  to  the  ridge  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  and  took  in  half  of  Kern  C'ounty,  a 
])art  of  Tulare,  all  of  ln\o  and  Mono,  u  part  of 
Alpine,  all  of  Lassen,  a  |)art  of  Shasta  and  Siskiyou 

Counties. 

UTAH   TEllKITOllY   OIKiANl/.EU.  ^ 

On  the  nitith  of  September,  IS.'jO,  the  da}*  on 
which  California  was  admitted  as  a  State,  Congress, 
by  Act,  established  the  Territory  of  Utah  with  the 
following  boundaries:  '■  Bounded  on  the  west  by  the 
Slate  of  California;  on  the  north  by  the  Territory  of 
Oregon;  on  the  east  by  the  summit  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  and  on  the  south  by  the  thirty-seventh 
parallel  of  north  latitude." 

EAKI.V    SErri.EJIENT    l.N    WESTERN    I'TAII. 

In  the  earlj'  spring  of  1850,  a  number  of  parties 
set  out  from  Salt  Lake  District  for  California.  Tliey 
reached  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  the 
Carson  Valley  before  the  melting  of  snow  had  ren- 
dered those  mountains  traversable,  and  were  forced 
to  pass  the  consequent  tedious  houi-s  and  daj's  of 
waiting  as  they  best  could.  Some  members  of  the 
train  having  mined  before,  a  prosjiecting  party  was 
suggested,  that  started  for  this  juirpose  to  soarcli  for 
gold  along  the  various  streams  flowing  into  the 
Carson  Kiver.  They  finally  reached,  by  ])assing 
down  that  stream,  the  present  site  of  Dayton,  where 


30 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


a  little  creek  was  found  flowinij  out  from  a  canon, 
where  they  tried  for  gold  and  found  it.  The  dis- 
covery \VM  made,  but  failed  to  develop  suflScient 
richness  to  warrant  those  finding  it  in  changing  their 
original  design  ol'  going  over  the  mountains,  and 
thus  the  news  of  placers  found  in  the  Great  Basin, 
was  carried  to  California  early  in  1850. 

DISCOVERY   OP   GOLD. 

lion.  C.  N.  Noteware,  of  Carson  City,  late  Secre- 
tary of  State  for  iS'evada,  in  mentioning  this  sub- 
ject, saj^s:  "The  writer  passed  the  mouth  of  Gold 
Canon  on  the  third  daj-  of  July,  1850,  and  on  the 
divide  between  there  and  Empire,  met  a  party  of 
miners  from  California  on  their  way  with  a  mining 
outfit  to  work  in  the  canon,  where  thej-  said  gold 
had  been  discovered  the  year  before  by  a  party  of 
emigrants." 

Capt.  Robert  L}'on,  who  passed  the  same  ])lace 
about  fifteen  days  later,  writes  from  San  Buena- 
ventura, California,  that,  "In  July.  lsr)0,  there  was 
some  placer  mining  carried  on  in  the  canon  at  the 
mouth  of  whicli  Dayton  now  stands;  and  during  that 
year,  the  canons  leading  into  the  mountains  from  the 
Carson,  Washoe,  and  Steamboat  Valleys,  were 
thoroughly  explored  and  prospected  for  gold.  I 
camped  at  the  old  Mormon  Station  (Genoa)  about  the 
twentieth  of  July  that  year,  (I  know  I  arrived  at 
Placerville  the  twenty-seventh  of  Jul}-),  and  at  that 
time  there  was  a  party  of  Mormon  miners  from  Cali- 
fornia prosj)ecting  in  Gold  Canon.  They  brought 
some  gold-dust  to  the  station  while  1  was  there,  but 
said  there  was  richer  diggings  near  ilanglown, 
(Placerville),  and  unless  they  Ibund  better  pay  in  a 
few  days,  they  would  return  to  California." 

The  writer  conversed  upon  this  subject  with  manj', 
and  the  evidence  of  all  the  belter  informed  corrob- 
orated the  fact  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  1850;  but 
additional  fact  was  obtained  from  Walter  Cosser, 
who  first  came  to  Nevada  in  1852,  and  has  remained 
here  since.  Said  ho:  "  In  the  fall  of  1852  I  was 
mining  in  Gold  Canon,  when  two  young  men  came  to 
the  gulch  IVom  California,  on  their  way  to  visit  their 

parents  at  Salt  Lake.      Their  names  were" he 

hesitated  here,  and  it  was  sevi'ral  hours  before  the 
names  were  remembci'cd  as  being  that  of  Cole  and 
EobinsoD.  "  They  remained  in  tlie  cafion  until  'the 
spring  of  1853,  and  then  continued  their  journej*. 
While  there,  in  the  mines,  Ilobinson  told  me  that  he 
was  one  of  a  party  from  Salt  Lake  in  the  spring  of 
1850,  who  came  to  Carson  Valley  on  their  way  to  Cal- 
ifornia, arriving  lietbre  the  snow  had'melted  from  the 
road  over  the  mountains,  Ac."  Mr.  Cosser  ])roceeded  to 
relate  substantially  the  same  account  alreadj-  given  of 
the  gold  discovery,  and  his  language  is  repeated  here 
only  because  it  rescues  from  oblivion  a  portion  of 
the  name  of  one  of  the  gold  discoverers  in  Nevada. 

TRANSIENT   SETTLEMENT. 

The  ipicstion  of  who  were  the  first  settlers  in 
Nevada  is  a  disputed  one,  and  because  of  this  fact 
the  following  letter  is  inserte<i; — 


San  Buenaventura,  Cal., ) 
November  10,  1880.  | 
Dear  Sirs  :  Yours  of  the  sixth  in  regard  to  first 
settlement  of  whites  in  Nevada,  is  at  hand.  The 
following  facts  1  know  to  be  true.  I  crossed  the 
plains  in  1850,  in  what  was  known  as  the  Wilmington 
train,  from  Illniois,  that  was  well  fitted  up  for  the 
trip  with  good  horses  and  mules  that  outtraveled 
most  of  the  trains.  We  did  not  lead  the  emigration 
of  that  3'ear,  but  were  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  it. 
After  passing  Salt  Lake  wo  frequentlj'  met  saddle 
and  pack-trains  from  California  on  their  way  to 
meet  friends  on  the  plains.  We  were  alwa^'s  anxious 
to  see  these  Californians,  to  learn  the  news  from 
California,  inquire  the  best  road  to  travel,  and  tho 
best  place  to  purchase  such  provisions  as  we  were  in 
need  of.  And  all  of  these  Californians  spoke  of  the  Mor- 
mon Station  as  the  principal  trading-post  east  of  tho 
Sierra.  There  were  several  ])laces  on  the  Humboldt 
and  Carson  Kivors  where  whisky  and  flour  were 
sold  from  a  canvas  tent  or  cloth  house,  but  these 
traders  packed  their  house  on  a  mule  and  left  when 
the  emigration  for  that  season  was  over.  The  Mor- 
mon Station  (the  present  Genoa)  was  founded  in 
June,  1850,  by  Salt  Lake  Mormons.  I  arrived  at 
that  station  about  July  20,  1850.  and  sta3-e<l  there  to 
rest  one  day.  I  sold  a  good  American  horse  to  tho 
man  who  kept  tho  trading-post  for  thirty  pounds  of 
flour  and  fifteen  dollars.  Flour  wa-*  SI. 50  per  pound, 
and  he  allowed  me  sixty  dollars  for  niy  horse.  There 
were  two  or  three  women  and  some  children  at  the 
|(laee,  and  I  understood  that  they  had  settled  there 
with  the  intention  of  remaining  permanently.  They 
claimed  a  section  of  land,  including  the  grass  plat 
where  S.  A.  Kinsey's  orchard  and  house  now  stand. 
We  had  to  go  a  distance  above  to  picket  our  horses. 
They  had  quite  a  band  of  fat  cattle  and  cows  which 
they  brought  from  Salt  Lake;  some  of  the  fattest 
beef  1  ever  saw  hung  su^^pended  from  the  limbs  of 
a  big  pino  tree.  Beneath  the  tree  was  a  butchers' 
block,  cleaver,  and  steak  knife.  They  retailed  the 
meat  to  hungry  emigrants  at  six  bits  ])er  pound.  I 
have  never  since  eaten  beef  that  tasted  so  sweet  as  did 
that.  In  regard  to  improvements  there  was  one 
store  where  they  kept  for  sale  flour,  boans,  tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  dried  peaches,  sardines,  tobacco,  miners' 
clothing,  overalls,  shirts,  etc.,  etc.  There  was  also  a 
grocery  whore  they  sold  whiskj*,  broad,  cigars  and 
tobacco.  Thej-  had  a  good-sized  log-house  com- 
pleted all  but  the  roof.  I  was  inlbrmed  that  it  was 
intended  for  a  family  dwelling  and  eating-house.  So 
j-oii  seethe  Morinoii  Station  was  well  established  and 
widely  known  in  July,  1S50,  and  the  traders  at  that 
post  were  getting  rich  trading  with  the  emigrants. 
*       *       *       *  Respectfully  yours, 

Robert  Lvon. 


SETTLEMENT  OF  CARSON  VALLEY. 


31 


CHAPTER    lY. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  CARSON  VALLEY 

1851. 

riic  First  Settlemeat — The  .Squatter  Government  of  1851  — 
First  Meeting  o{  Citizens— Seeonil  .Meeting  of  Citizens^ 
Tliirtl  Meeting  of  Citizens — Civil  (iovernnient — A  Clerk  and 
ConstaWe — Fourth  Meeting  of  Citizens — The  Present  of  .Some 
of  Those — The  Fate  of  Others— Iteese  ami  Kiusey— Stock.iile 
Built — (Jarilen  Planted — hjigle  Uaiieh  Located. 

From  Sto])lioii  A.  Kiii.<ey,  now  liviii<;  at  Genoa, 
and  tlie  records  of  the  Mormon  Church  at  Salt  Lake,  j 
obtained  throui^h  the  courteny  of  Orson  I'ralt  and  i 
J.  Jaqucs,  the  fact  is  ascertained  that  in  tlie  sjirini^ 
of  1851,  John  Reese,  with  ten  wajjons  loaded  with 
flour,  butter,  egfjs,  etc.,  etc.,  left  Salt  Lake  for  the 
])ur|)oso  of  establishint;  a  tradiiiiijiost  somewhere 
on  the  overland  road  east  of  the  Sierra.  lie  was 
accompanied  by  Stephen  A.  Kinsey,  some  teamster.s,  j 
and  a  few  passensjers  for  California,  makint;  sixteen 
pei-sons  in  all.  The  train  arrived  at  IJagtown,  on 
the  Carson  River,  in  .May,  where  it  stopped  for  a 
while,  until  heariiiic  of  a  more  favorable  locality  in 
Carson  Valley,  through  j»arties  arrivini;  from  Cali- 
fornia to  meet  friends  or  trade  with  emigrants,  Mr. 
Kinsej-  started  on  horseback  to  "s]))'  out  the  land" 
in  advance  of  the  Reese  expedition.  He  visited  the 
head  of  that  vallcj-,  and  then  returned  along  the 
base  of  the  Sierra,  until  arriving  at  the  place  known 
in  1850  as  "Mormon  Station,"  ho  concluded  that  it 
was  the  most  favorable  point  for  a  trading-post  in 
that  section  of  country;  and  campiiig,  remained 
there  until  Mr.  Reese  arrived  with  the  train.  At 
this  time  there  was  no  one  living  there,  no  house, 
no  ruins  of  a  house,  or  the  vestige  of  one  to  be 
found.  Those  who  had  occupied  the  place  in  1849-50, 
had  folded  their  tents  like  the  Arab,  in  the  fall  of  the 
last  year,  and  silently  stolen  awaj-,  leaving  the 
torch  of  the  Indian  to  efface  any  indication  of  their 
ever  having  been  there.  On  the  fourth  of  Julj-, 
1851,  Mr.  Kinsey  selected  and  took  possession  of  the 
ground  known  as  Mormon  Station,  that  name  being 
retained  until  1855,  when  the  site  being  surveyed, 
"Genoa"  was  substituted.  When  the  Reese  parly 
reached  western  Utah,  not  over  six  miners  were  at 
work  in  Gold  Caiion;  but  some  twelve  of  those 
accom])anj-ing  him  joined  the  six,  among  whom 
were  two  of  the  teamsters,  named  Joseph  Webb 
and  James  Kenimore,  the  latter  known  as  "Old 
Virginia."  During  that  Summer,  the  Gold  Canon 
settlement  was  increased  to  about  one  hundred 
miners. 

Immediately  upon  their  arrival  at  .Mormon  Station 
the  building  of  a  log  caljiri  was  commenced  that, 
when  completed,  was  the  only  house  in  what  is  now 
Nevada.  That  pioneer  of  the  numberless  structures 
erected  through  the  Silver  State  in  the  years  that 
followed  still  stands  where  it  was  built  in  Genoa,  the 
one  relic  left  of  the  almost  forgotten  past.  A  stock- 
ade corral  was  also  jiut  uji  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand 
dollars,  that  enclosed  something  over  an  acre  of 
ground.     It  was  made  strong  as  a  prote<-lion  against 


Indians  in  case  of  need,  being  built  of  fifteen-foot 
logs,  set  on  end  three  feel  in  the  ground,  touching 
each  other  so  as  to  make  a  solid  wall.  Thus  was 
commenced  in  1851  the  first  permanent  settlement 
in  western  Utah. 

That  season  (1851)  a  garden  was  fenced  in  bj-  Mr. 
Reese,  which  was  plowed  and  sowed  to  turnips,  and 
a  generous  crop  demonstrated  the  productiveness  of 
the  soil. 

Late  that  year  emigrants  arrived  en  route  to  Cal- 
ifornia, and,  I'earing  to  attempt  the  mountain  roads, 
wintered  in  Carson  Valley.  A  few  .Mormons  arrived 
at  different  times  iluring  the  year  in  that  section  of 
country  and  joined  the  increasing  number  of  popu- 
lation, among  whom  were  three  persons  named  J^ee, 
one  named  Condie,  and  another  named  Gibson,  all 
of  whom  are  at  i)resent  residents  of  Utah. 

Early  in  November  of  that  year  a  party,  consist- 
ing of  Joe  and  Frank  Barnard,  George  Follensbee, 
A.  J.  Rollins,  Frank  Hall,  and  VV.L.  Hall,  came  from 
Bents  Bar,  I'lacer  County.  California,  for  the  purpose 
of  mining  in  western  Utah,  but  finding  the  jiay  was 
not  sufficient  to  warrant  them  in  doing  so,  they  took 
up,  in  December,  the  celebrated  Eagle  Ranch,  where 
now  stands  the  State  (!a|iitol.  They  built  a  log 
house  there  for  a  station  close  to  what  is  now  the 
Clayton  residence,  and,  after  completing  it,  rented 
the  same   to  a  couple  of  emigrants,  named   Doctor 

Daggett  and Gay.     An  eagle  soaring  over  the 

heads  of  the  builders  was  shot  and  killed  by  K'rank 
Hall,  and  the  skin  stripped  from  the  bird  was  stuffed 
and  nailed  upon  the  station.  This  incident  furnished 
a  name  for  the  station  that  was  transferred  to  the 
ranch,  and  eventually  to  the  valley  that  surrounded 
it. 

There  had  so  many  people  concentrated  in  the 
fall  of  1851  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  that 
it  became  neeessar}'  for  them  to  have  some  recog- 
nized rules  governing  their  rights  to  acfjuire  and 
hold  property,  that  could  b}'  common  consent  bo 
enforced.  In  response  to  this  ])revailing  sentiment, 
meetings  were  called,  the'  records  of  which  were 
kept  in  a  little  book  of  sixty  leaves,  in  size  six  inches 
by  seven  inches,  that  has  fortunately  been  |>reserved 
by  Mart  <>aige,  of  Carson  (."il^-,  and  the  following 
details  of  the  first  eflbrts  at  government  in  what  is 
now  Nevada,  is  obtained  from  it. 

THE  syf.VTTEU  (lOVEHN.MKNT  OF   1851. 
Klli.sr  MKtTISlI  OK  enizKNs. 

The  citi/.ens  of  western  Utah  assembled  on  the 
twelfth  of  November,  1851,  at  Mormon  Station  fur 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  Squatter  Government. 
At  the  time,  they  were  largely  subject  to  the  laws  of 
Utah  Territor}-,  but  jirobably  wen'  not  aware  of  that 
fact,  and  if  so,  considered  them  iTiadefpiale  to  the 
necessities  of  their  surroundings.  Iti  their  declara- 
tion of  intentif)ns  it  was  laid  down  that  the  object 
was  to  adopt  a  system  by  which  the  settlers  could 
subdivide  "  the  valley  so  as  to  secure  each  individual 


32 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


in  their  rights  to  land  taken  up  and  impi-oved  by 
them." — •'  To  agree  upon  a  pelilion  to  Coiijjreiis  for 
a  distinct  Territorial  Government:  the  creation  of 
public  offices  for  the  valley,  and  the  adoption  of 
by-laws  and  fixed  roifuhitions  to  govern  the  com- 
munity." At  this  meeting  Col.  A.  Woodward 
acted  as  Chairman  and  T.  G.  Barnard  as  Secretary. 
Six  resolutions  were  adopted. 

No.  1.  provided  for  the  survey  of  land  claims  and 
the  employment  of  a  competent  Surveyor  for  that 
purpose,  and  James  H.  Haynes  was  the  party  who 
seems  to  have  received  the  appointment,  as  his  name 
appears  later  in  that  capacity. 

No.  2,  created  the'  offices  of  Recorder  and  Treas- 
urer, both  to  be  held  by  the  same  party,  who  was  to 
record  and  issue  certificates  of  claims,  receive  a  fee 
of  twenty-five  dollars  for  doing  it.  and  account  to  the 
committee  for  the  use  of  the  same. 

No.  3.  limited  claims  to  quarter-sections. 

No.  4,  made  the  Recorder  and  Treasurer  acc-ount- 
able  for  his  acts  to  the  committee  who  had  the 
power  of  appointing  to  that  office  or  making 
removals  in  case  of  dereliction  of  doty. 

No.  5.  required  the  Recorder  to  collect  fees  before 
performing  duties. 

No.  ti.  provided  for  the  election  at  that  meeting  of 
seven  persons  to  act  as  the  head  of  the  organization, 
who  were  to  have  "  the  arrangement  of  all  business 
touching  claims."  also  the  power  to  appoint  a 
Recorder  and  to  be  responsible  for  his  acts.  In 
other  words,  this  committee  was  to  be  the  executive 
or  governing  department,  the  following  persons 
being  chosen  for  that  position:  Wm.  Byrnes.  John 
Reese,  E.  L.  Barnard,  A.  Woodward,  H.  II.  Jameson, 
T.  A.  Ilylton.  and  N.  R.  Haskill.  A  committee  of 
five  was  then  selecte,!  to  prepare  and  present  at  the 
next  meeting  other  resolutions  to  perfect  this  system 
of  government,  the  following  gentlemen  being 
named: — 

Committee  on  Resolutions,  John  Reese,  J.  P.  Bar- 
nard. Wm.  Byrnes,  Wash.  Loomis,  H.  H.  Jameson. 

"  A  petition  to  Congress "  was  then  read  and 
approved,  after  which  the  meeting  adjourned  until 
the  nineteenth  of  the  same  month. 

SECO.ND    MEETING   OK   CITIZENS. 

November    19,    18.>1,  the   meeting    a.ssembled    in 
accord  with  adjournment,  this  lime  with  John  Reed 
acting  a.s  Chairman,  and  T.  A.  Ilylton  as  Secretary.    | 
Five  additional  resolutions  were  adopted  and  added   I 
to  the  six  passed  at  the  former  meeting: —  ! 

No.  7,  gave  parties  a  right  to  take  up  a  new  claim 
after  they  disposed  of  one  in  possession.  i 

No.  8,  required  prepayment  of  the  twenty-five- 
dollar  fees  to  Recorder. 

No.  !>.  required   claimants  to    put   five   dollars   in    ] 
improvL-ments  on  their  land  within  one  hundred  and 
eighty  daj's  after  receiving  certificate. 

No.  10,  permitted  a  companj-  to  take  claims  for 
eal-h  individual  of  the  company,  and  improve  one 
location  enough  to  cover  expense  on  all. 


No.  11,  timber  to  be  common  property,  except 
that  parties  who  would  erect  saw-mills  were  to  have 
number  of  acres. 

The  petition  to  Congress  was  then  read,  and  then 
another  committee  of  five  were  appointed  to  draft 
by-laws  for  the  civil  government  of  the  community, 
when  they  adjourned  until  the  twentieth  instant. 

THiaD    MEETING   OP   CITIZENS. 

November  2u.  IS.jl.  the  settlers  assembled  as  per 
adjournment,  with  the  same  otficers  pre-iding  as  at 
the  .last  meeting,  when  T.  A.  Ilylton,  U.  U.  Jame- 
son, J.  P.  Barnard.  Wash.  Loomis,  and  W.  Byrnes, 
the  committee  appointed  at  that  time,  reported  a 
preamble  and  resolutions  as  follows,  that  were 
adopted: — 

CIVIL    GOVERNMENT. 
Fre  tiiibU. 

WiiEaEAS,  it  has  been  deemed  neces«arj-  to  the 
welfare  and  advancement  of  our  community,  that 
there  should  be  some  fixed  rules  of  right  agreed 
upon  and  established  for  its  government  and  the  pro- 
tection of  citizens  in  all  their  privileges,  which  each 
and  all  justly  regard  as  their  allodial  due;  and 
whereas,  it  is  always  requisite  to  ap])'>int  officers 
whose  duty  it  is  to  enforce  law  and  maintain  order, 
it  is  agreed  that  there  be  certain  officers  elected  fnmi 
among  our  comnninity,  to- wit:  A  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  a  Clerk  of  the  Cnurt,  and  a  Sheritt":  and 
these  functionaries  shall  be  required  to  exercise  and 
enforce  law  according  to  the  acknowledged  rules  of 
equity  which  govern  all  civilize!  communities. 

There  shall  be  four  individuals  associated  with 
the  Justice — himself  making  the  fif\h — in  forming  a 
court,  and  he  shall  be  empowered  to  summon  any 
four  whenever  occa.sion  shall  require  it,  to  take  cog- 
nizance and  wlju'licate  suminari/i/  in  all  cases  of 
controversy,  debts  or  offenses  against  the  public 
weal;  and  to  enforce  fines  or  other  sufficient  penal- 
ties upon  offenders;  to  issue  warrants  and  authorize 
arrests.  But  to  provide  against  the  abuse  of  these 
powers,  citizens  and  others  shall  have  the  riij/i/  of 
uppealtoa  court  o/tireU-e  citizen.i.  summoned  promiscu- 
ously, who  shall  constitute  a  court  of  inquirj- from 
whose  decision  there  shall  be  no  appenl;  scrutinize 
and  reverse  if  necessarj*  the  decrees  of  the  Magis- 
trate's Court;  and  who  shall  have  power  to  remove 
the  magistrate  or  impose  upon  him  any  other  Just 
penalty,  in  the  event  of  the  abusive  exercise  of  his 
authority.  To  strengthen  them  and  provide  for  the 
execution  of  their  verdicts,  etc.,  there  shall  be  a  Clerk 
and  Con.'table  appointed  to  aid  and  execute  the 
decrees  of  these  courts. 

After  these  resolutions  had  been  adopted 
the  following-named  parties  were  elected  to  the 
offices  thus  created:  E.  L.  Barnard.  Magistrate;  Wm. 
Byrnes,  SheriflT;  Dr.  T.  A.  Ilylton.  Clerk.  A  com- 
mittee was  then  appointed  to  bring  further  matters 
upon  the  same  subject  before  a  meeting  ordered  to 
a.s-semble  on  the  twenty-ninth  instant,  when  they 
adjourned;  but  the  meeting  never  convened  as 
ordered. 

KOCRTII   MEETI.Mi  "K  i  ill/.EXS  M.VY  22,  18.l2. 

Another  meeting  assembled  with  J.  C.  F'ain  in  the 
chair,  ami  that  authorized  any  one  who  would  build 
a  saw-mill  to  take  up  a  section  of  timber  land. 

(Signed)  E.  L.  Babn.vrd,  Recorder. 


COUNTY  ORGANIZATION  AND  RECORDS. 


.'};{ 


THE    PRESENT   OP   SOME — THE   FATK   OK   OTHERS. 

Ol'thosc  already  menlioiieil  as  sottlors,  John  Reoso 
is  now  a  comparatively  poor  man  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
Frank  Hall  in  a  resilient  of  Carson  City  and  his 
brother,  W.  L.  Hall,  lives  at  Wellington,  Esmeralda 
County;  S.  A.  Kinsey  at  Genoa,  tho  last  three  men- 
tioned all  in  Nevaila.  Frank  Harnard  was  killed  bj- 
an  emigrant  in  the  winter  ol'  1S.')2,  at  a  station  on 
Clear  Creek,  that  divides  Douglas  from  Ormsby 
County.  A.  J.  Rollins  is  now  living  at  Antioch,  Cali- 
fornia. Col.  A.  Woodward  was  killed  at  Rocky 
Point  on  the  Humboldt  in  the  latter  part  of  Novem- 
ber, 18.")1,  bj-  Indians.  E.  L.  Barnard,  one  of  the 
firm  of  Reese  &  Co.,  lotl  Nevada  in  the  fall  of  1852 
with  a  largo  drove  of  cattle,  purchased  mainlj-  on  the 
compan}-",s  credit,  and  up  to  date  has  not  returned. 
Barnard  ))ocketed  the  jiroeeeds  from  tho  sale  of  that 
stock;  the  com]):in_v  were  under  tho  necessity  of  pay- 
ing for  so  much  of  it  as  was  purchased  on  credit, 
which  bankrupted  them.  Wash.  Loomis  was  hung 
in  Los  Angeles  for  stealing.  N.  R.  ILiskill,  one  day 
in  tho  8|>ring  of  1852.  while  Wash.  Loomis  was  his 
partner  in  keeping  the  tr.iding-post  at  the  mouth  of 
Gold  Caiion,  invited  Wiili.im  Hyniesout  to  shoot  with 
a  revolver  at  a  ni:irk,  and  alter  Byrnes  had  emptied 
his  weapon,  tho  treacherous  llaskill  made  a  target 
of  him  and  left  tho  Te.\as  R  mgi-r  perfor.iled  with  ball 
holes,  as  ho  supposed  to  ilio.  The  miners  took  the 
matter  in  hand,  and  both  tho  station  keepers  had  to 
flee  tho  country  to  avoid  being  hung.  Byrnes  hav- 
ing an  iron  coii-*titation  recovered,  and  made  several 
lengthy  trip-i  in  search  of  the  man  who  had 
attetnptod  his  assassination.  After  one  of  these,  he 
remarked  to  Frank  Il.iil  that  ho  was  even  now,  and 
should  hunt  no  more  for  llaskill,  which  jiroved  noth- 
ing, but  left  the  impression  that  tho  latter  had  met 
his  death  at  tho  hands  of  tho  Te.Kan.  Byrnos  is 
now  an  inmate  of  tho  insane  asylum  at  Stockton, 
California,  lie  was  a  mm  that  a  desperado  could 
got  into  a  combat  with  on  slight  provocation;  but  an 
ordinary  ])erson.  who  did  not  travel  on  his  figiiting 
c|iialities  or  parade  them  osientatiousl}',  might  insult 
with  little  fear  of  getting  harmed. 


C  II  A  P  T  E  R     V. 


COUNTY    OR3ANIZATION    AND    RECORDS. 

1852-54. 

First  County  Orisaniz.ition — First  Laml  Claim — First  Tull-Ho.id 
(Jraiit— Deep  Simw  .iii.l  Fl<i<>il.i  in  Carson  Valloy — I8.");t — 
First  Lawsuit— Fifth  Mt-etini;  .'f  Citizi-ii> — \Vli..t  Mrs.  Uit- 
teiiriudfr  ItiinfiiilR-rs  of  l,S."):t — First  .Marriage  ami  hivorcc- — 
Tile  First  D.iiice — l.S."i4 — IVrniaiieiit  ••verhiiul  .Stations  on 
the  Carson  Itiver — An  Imlian  Killeil  liy  a  Boj — Sunday 
Kvcnts — Marriage  Contract — .Sixth  .Meetinj;  of  Citizens — 
LamKCIaiins  Hecordeil  in  l.S.")4 — Carson  County  Create<l — A 
Mail  Koute  Estalilishe*! . 

FIRST   COrNTV    (MKLVNIZATION. 

On  the  third  of  March,  lS.-)2,  Utah,  by  an  Act  of 
the    Legislature,  created  several  new  counties  and 
defined  their  boundaries.     In   what  is  now   Nevada 
5 


there  wore  seven  in  number,  their  wost  lino  being 
California,  thoir  oast  limits  all  terminating  in  what 
Still  remains  Utah,  while  their  north  and  south 
boundaries  were  parallel  lines  running  oast  and  west. 
The  farthermost  division  north  was  named  Weber 
County,  then  came  Deseret,  next  to  which,  on  tho 
south,  lay  Tooele,  the  three  including  about  luli  miles 
of  tho  north  end  of  Nevada.  The  south  lino  of 
Tooele  was  not  far  from  the  present  north  line  of 
Washoe  County.  The  next  division  was  about  thirty- 
six  miles  wide,  and  included  the  mo.stof  what  is  now 
Washoe,  all  of  Storey-  Count}',  and  was  given  tho 
name  of  Juab.  Tho  next  strip  south  was  named 
Millard.  It  was  about  fifty  milos  wide,  and  included 
most  of  Walker's  Lake  and  the  ])resont  counties  of 
Orm-i'iiy  and  1)  mglas. 

Tho  balance  of  the  Torritorj*  was  divided  into 
abiut  two  opial  parts,  and  named  Iron  and  Wash- 
ington Ciiunties,  tho  latter  bounded  on  the  south  by 
tho  thirt^'-seventh  parallel  of  north  latitude,  which 
was  also  tho   south  line  of  Utah   at  that  time.* 

On  the  seventh  of  February  of  that  year  tho  Terri- 
torial Li'gislature  elected  for  counties  as  above,  the 
following-named  persons  as  Judges  for  a  four  years' 
term  : — 

For  U^cbor  and  Doscrct  Counties,  Isaac  Clark. 

For  Tooele  County,  Alfred  Loo. 

For  Juab  County,  George  Bradley. 

For  Millard  County,  Anson  Call. 

For  Iron  and  Washington  Counties,  Chapman 
Duncon. 

This  early  book  of  records,  alrcadj-  mentioned,  was 
not  only  used  to  preserve  the  annals  of  that  which 
was  done  during  tho  several  mootings  of  tho  settlers, 
but  was  also  utilized  for  the  entry  of  land  claims, 
court  proceedings.  Sheriffs  minutes,  in  fact,  for  the 
noting  of  all  transactions  of  a  public  nature.  In  it 
is  found  the 

THE    FIRST    LAND   CLAIM. 

On  the  first  of  December.  1852,  John  Rcoso 
rjcorde  I  a  one-fourth  section  claim  extending  from 
Murmon  Station  south  to  a  lone  tree,  including  all 
between  the  mountain  base  and  Carson  Rivor — 
and  on  the  same  day  E.  L.  Barnard,  S.  A.  Kinsey, 
James  C.  Fain,  J.  Brown,  and  W.  B^Tncs  recorded 
locations,  claiming  in  succession  as  their  names 
appear,  a  one-fourth  section  each,  to  tho  north  of 
Reese,  J.  II.  Scott  &  Bro.  recording  on  tho  same  day 
a  one-half  ticclion  on  the  south  of  Reese,  and  no  other 
claims  Wen'  entered  upon  tho  records  in  1852. 

FIRST     TOLL-ROAD    ORANT. 

The  same  day,  however,  John  IJecse  and  Israel 
Mott  applied  for  the  ])rivilege  of  putting  a  toll- 
bridge  on  the  Carson  Kiver,  and  to  repair  the  road 
u]i  tho  mountain  as  a  part  of  the  enterprise,  and  to 
have  the  franchise  for  Jice  i/i'arM,  which  was  gi-anted 
on  condition  that  they  cx|)end  81,(1(111  on  the  same 
before  tho  first  of  July,  and  collect  tho  following  tolls: 

*.Soc  compilatiun  nf  185,5,   pages  S'Jd,  2'J(i,  of  Utah  laws. 


34 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Waj^jon,  one  dollar;  liurncd  cattk-  j)er  head,  ten  cents; 
Bheep  per  head,  two  and  one- half  cents;  horses  or 
mules  per  head,  twenty-five  cents.  In  May,  1852, 
Israel  Mott,  the  founder  of  Mottsville,  with  his  wife, 
left  Salt  Lake  for  Mormon  Station  with  a  train  that 
was  bound  for  California.  Upon  their  first  arrival  in 
Carson  Vallej-,  Mr.  Mott  located  four  miles  up  from 
the  station,  and  later  in  the  fall  built  a  house  out  of 
wa>;on-bcds  one-half  mile  farther  up  the  overland 
road.  He  made  a  window-sash  with  a  jack-knife, 
and  paid  seventy-five  cents  a  light  for  seven-by-nine 
inch  glass  to  jnit  into  it.  Mrs.  Mott  was  the  first 
pemianent  ladj-  settler  in  Carson  Valley,  and  as  the 
wife  of  Mr.  A.  M.  TajHor,  is  still  living  there. 

On  the  tweiily-fourth  of  December,  1852,  it  com- 
menced to  snow  in  Carson  Valley;  in  tw^o  days  three 
feet  of  it  was  lying  over  the  whole  face  of  the  coun- 
try, and  six  daj-s  later  the  ground  was  bare.  The 
sudden  melting  of  this  va.st  field  of  snow  caused  a 
greater  flood  in  the  Carson  River  to  usher  in  the 
year  1853  than  has  since  occurred. 

In  1852,  the  Halls  and  partners  ran  the  Eagle 
Station,  mined  a  little,  and  became,  to  a  limited 
extent,  packers  of  goods  from  California,  traders 
with  overland  emigrants,  and  helped  to  grade  a  road 
up  Kings  Canon,  with  a  view  of  inducing  the  over- 
land travel  to  pass  that  way.  During  that  year 
a  number  of  emigrants  went  that  way,  but  it  was 
a  bad  road,  and  was  soon  abandoned,  except  by 
pack-trains.  At  the  place  where  James  Woods  now 
lives  in  Eagle  Valley,  a  family  located  that  summer, 
named  Boweii,  w4io  raised  a  crop  and  lelt  in  the 
fall.  Jacob  H.  Rose  located  near  where  Samuel 
Nevers  now  resides,  and  Dr.  15.  L.  King  at  the 
mouth  of  the  canon,  which  received  his  name, 
both  of  these  parties  came  in  1852,  and  were  the 
only  residents  remaining  in  Eagle  Valley  in  1854. 
In  the  south  end  of  Washoe  Vallej-,  a  ranch  was 
taken  up  that  year  by  one  Clark,  who  was  forced 
to  abandon  it  because  of  the  killing  of  a  Washoe 
Indian  near  there  by  Gaines,  in  the  following  win- 
ter. 

A    MAIL   ROUTE   ESTABLISHED. 

In  1852,  a  mail  route  was  established  bj'  the  Gov- 
ernment between  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  San 
Bernardino,  in  southern  California.  The  contract 
for  carrj'ing  the  mail  over  it  was  awarded  to  the 
Mormons,  for  whose  benefit  it  had  been  called  into 
existence.  For  the  purpose  of  facilitating  the  carry- 
ing upon  this  route  and  to  gain  a  supply  station 
near  the  Potosi  lead  mine,  that  they  proposed  to 
work,  a  post  was  established  by  Rrigliam  Young 
at  the  Los  Vegas  S])riiig,  in  the  south  end  of  what 
is  now  Nevada,  on  what  vvas  known  as  the  Old 
Spanish  trail  between  San  15ernardino  and  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country.  The  .Mormons  continued  to 
occupy  this  post  until  after  the  Mountain  Meadow 
massacre,  in  September,  1857,  when  it  was  aban- 
doned. 


THE    FIRST    LAWSLIT. 

From  the  events  making  up  the  history  of  1853 
but  little  has  been  saved  from  the  wreck  of  forget- 
fulness,  which  at  best  presents  but  here  and  there  a 
foot-print  that  the  drifting  sands  of  time  have  left 
uncovered.  Uf  these  the  earliest — as  appears  from 
that  ancient  little  book  of  records — was  the  first  law- 
suit in  western  Utah,  which  was  commenced  at 
Mormon  Station  on  the  fourteenth  of  March  that 
year.  John  Reese  was  plaintiff;  George Chorpenning, 
the  surviving  partner  of  the  firm  of  Woodward  &  Co., 
was  defendant.  The  claim  was  for  SG75,  for  sup- 
plies furnished  Woodward  &  Co.,  while  carrying  the 
mails  from  Salt  Lake  to  California,  and  E.  L.  Bar- 
nard was  the  Magistrate  before  whom  the  suit  was 
brought.  Ree.se  filed  his  bonds,  an  attachment  issued, 
and  J.  P.  Barnard  as  Constable  made  the  following 
entry  upon  the  returns:  "  I  have  levied  upon  four 
mules,  one  anvil,  two  pair  of  tongs,  one  broken  vise, 
two  hammers,  one  cold  chisel,  one  bellows,  one 
sledge,  one  compass,  chain  and  surveyor's  instru- 
ments, ft/no  all  their  claim  to  the  ohl  Mormon  •Station, 
and  one  revolver."  From  the  entiy  it  appears  that 
Woodward  &  Co.  had  become  part  owners  in  Mor- 
mon Station.  On  the  sixteenth  of  the  same  month 
Judgment  was  entered  against  defendant  for  the 
amount  claimed,  and  twenty-five  dollars  in  costs 
being  added,  made  the  demand  an  even  $700. 
Eleven  daj-s  later  the  Constable  sold  the  defendant's 
effects,  and  made  the  following  entry  in  regard 
thereto: — 

One  mule  to  J.  IJecse - 8  91 

One  mule  to  J .  Reese 61 

One  mule  to  J .  Reese - 61 

One  mule  to  J.  Reese 86 

Compass  and  chain  to  J.  Reese 40 

Blacksmith  tools  to  J .  Reese 30 

Mormon  Station  to  J.  Reese 130 

Total S499 

FIFTH    MEETING   OF   CITIZENS. 

On  March  21st  occurred  another  meeting  of  the 
citizens,  on  wliiili  occasion  J.  H.  Scott  presided,  and 
F.  (i.  Barnard  acted  as  Secretary,  when  the  laws  or 
rules  previously  published  were  amended  in  the  fol- 
lowing particulars:  "No  one  to  have  a  right  to  hold 
land  unless  they  first  file  a  notice  of  claim  with  the 
Recorder;  and  then  put,  within  sixty  da^-s,  810(1  in 
improvements  on  the  same.  Occupancy  by  principal 
or  agent  necessary  to  title.  Absence  of  thirtj-  days 
vitiated  it.  A  man  of  family  might  claim  640 
acres,  and  a  single  person  one-half  that  amount. 
All  differences  regarding  land  to  be  settled  by  arbi- 
tration or  a  jury  of  actual  settlers.  Fees  to  Recorder 
reduced  to  five  dollars. 

The  following  land  entries  wore  made  in  18.53: — 
April    11th— J.  H.    Scott   and  Charles  Ferguson; 
J.  n.  Haynes  and  David  Barry;  Thomas  and  K.  II. 
Knott. 


COUNTY  ORGANIZATION  AND  RKCOllDS. 


35 


Mi»y  12tli— Chiirles  A.  l)a>;.<rett. 

Muy  17th— R.  T.  Hawkins,  in  Jack's  Valloy. 

July  22d — li.  M.  Young  and  James  Greono. 

September  30(h — L.  Olds  and  John  Olds. 

October  atli — John  L.  Car}-  and  Thos.  Knott  sell  a 
farm  to  W.  H.  Thorrington  for  SOOO. 

October  (ith — Foiir-sixtlis  of  the  F'^agle  Ranch 
sold  by  F.  and  W.  L.  Hall  to  E.  L.  Barnard;  two- 
sixths  having  been  ])urchased  by  them  from  A.  J. 
Rollins  and  George  Follensbee. 

October  2Sth— J.  W.  Murphy  and  \V.  Smith. 

WHAT    MRS.    DlTTEiNIUEUEK    UKMEMliKItS    OF    1S53. 

On  the  ninth  oT  .hiue  James  B.  Kills  ami  his  wile, 
Laura  AL,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Gold  C'anon. 
The)-  took  up  a  ranch  that  fall  about  one  and  ono- 
half  miles  below  where  Daj'ton  now  stands,  and 
built  a  substantial  log-hotise.  On  the  fourth  of  Octo- 
ber, lSr)4,  .Mr.  HIlis  was  killed  b}'  the  accidental  dis- 
charge of  his  gun;  and  his  wife,  later  married  to 
George  Dittenrieder,  now  lives  a  widow  at  Virginia 
City.  She  ke]>t  a  journal  during  all  those  early 
years,  and  to  her  the  historian  is  under  obligations 
for  many  important  facts.  When  she  arrived  at 
Gold  Caiion,  Spaft'ord  Hall,  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
was  keeping  the  station  and  trading-post,  being 
assisted  by  James  McMarlin  and  wife  as  employees, 
the  latter  receiving  sixty  dollars  per  month  as  house- 
keeper. The  station  was  standing  on  what  is  now 
Mine  Street,  and  across  the  road  opposite  to  it  was  a 
blacksmith  sho]).  built  from  wagon-bods.  The  only 
women  in  western  Utah  at  the  time  out  of  Car.son 
Valley  were  Mrs.  McMarlin,  Mrs.  Cosser,  her  little 
twelve-j'ear  old  girl,  and  the  wife  of  the  blacksmith 
who  worked  in  the  shop  just  mentioned  until  fall, 
and  then  returned  to  California.  There  were  a 
number  of  miners  in  the  cation,  none  of  them  work- 
ing at  the  time  as  far  up  as  whore  Johiitown  was 
afterwards  stalled.  Later  that  fall  another  family 
moved  in  there,  among  whom  were  several  ladies. 
One  of  them  was  eventually  mai-ried  to  liUte  Olds, 
another  to  Al.  Sijuires,  and  both  of  those  gentlemen 
now  live  in  Car.son  Valley. 

Heesc  &  Co.,  who  raised  ten  acres  of  turnips  and 
about  seven  of  small  grain  in  lSr)2,  at  Mormon  Sta- 
tion, had  increased  the  quantity  in  1853,  and  were 
making  their  effort  at  farming  a  financial  success, 
because  of  the  ready  sale  of  produfts  to  emigrants, 
who  would  pay  a  dollar  for  a  small  bunch  of  turnips. 
In  the  fall,  i{eese  &  Co.  purchased  Eagle  Ranch  from 
the  Halls,  October  (ith,  who  returned  to  California; 
and  Frederick  Bishop  took  charge  of  the  station  for 
the  company-. 

In  the  fall  or  winter  of  1853  Walter  Cosser  started 
in  the  mercantile  lino  at  the  place  which  later  be- 
came known  as  Johnlown,  and  it  was  the  first  estab- 
lishment of  any  kind  at  that  point.  Thomas  Knott 
commenced,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  March,  to 
build  for  John  Cary  a  saw-mill  at  the  head  of  t!arson 
Valley;  that  was   completed,    and    the    first    ]ilank 


sawed  by  it  on  the  twenlj-sixth  of  July.  The  lum- 
ber from  this,  the  first  saw-mill  in  western  Utah, 
sold  for  8100  per  thousand. 

FIRST    .MARRIAUE   AND    DIVORCE. 

That  summer,  an  emigrant  stopped  for  a  time  at 
Gold  Canon  whose  name  was  I'owell.  Ho  was 
seeking  a  homo  for  his  motherless  family,  among 
whom  was  a  girl  about  fourteen  years  of  age  named 
Mary.  Mr.  I'owell  left  his  children  at  the  diggings, 
and  went  up  the  valleys  in  search  of  a  favorable 
point  to  locate,  and,  while  he  was  gone,  a  young 
man  named  Benjaiiiin  Cole,  a  native  of  Missouri, 
induced  this  child  to  marry  him.  Captain  Parker, 
now  living  on  the  Humboldt,  being  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  performed  the  ceremony.  The  bride  imme- 
diately thereafter  was  taken  to  the  cabin  of  Mother 
Cosser,  to  remain  until  a  habitation  could  be  built 
by  the  husband.  The  kir.d  heart  of  this  Scottish 
lady  warmed  towards  the  child-wife,  and  she  advised 
her  not  to  go  with  the  husband  until  the  father's 
return,  and  the  advice  was  accepted.  A  consider- 
able feeling  was  awakened  because  of  this,  and  the 
miners  took  sides,  some  declaring  for  Cole,  while  the 
more  sober-minded  and  reflective  sustained  the 
Cossor's  and  the  girl,  whom  the  husband  would  have 
taken  possession  of  by  force,  but  for  the  certainty 
of  swift  vengeance  from  the  hands  of  the  sturdy  son 
of  this  mother  in  Israel. 

Mr.  Powell  soon  returned,  and  finding  what  had 
transpired  in  his  absence,  with  tearful  eyes  thanked 
this  pioneer  mother  for  her  watchful  care  of  his 
little  brood,  and  immediately  started  with  them  for 
California.  The  husband  soon  followed  in  pursuit, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  abduction,  accompanied 
by  a  number  of  friends,  and  hot  upon  their  trail, 
Walter  Cosser  rode,  with  several  others,  on  such 
horses  as  could  be  hastily  gathered,  to  prevent,  by  a 
jiitched  battle  if  necessary,  the  declared  object  of 
the  hnshand.  Mr.  Powell  was  overtaken,  and  the 
matter  was  finally  compromised  by  all  parties  agree- 
ing to  lei  the  girl  decide  whether  to  go  on  or  return 
with  Cole,  and  she  concluded  to  remain  with  her 
father.  iMr.  Powell  moved  on  towards  California, 
and  the  husband  returned  to  Gold  Cafion,  while 
Walter  Cosser  and  friends  lingered  on  the  road  to  jjre- 
vcnt  the  consummation  of  an  ulterior  design,  if  any 
was  contemplated  by  Cole.  They  met  no  more,  that 
bride  and  groom  of  an  hour,  and  thus  was  accom- 
])lished  the  first  ceremony  of  marriage  in  Nevada, 
followed  by  a  swift-wingod  and  effectual  divorce. 

THE    HRST    DANCE. 

On  the  night  of  the  last  day  of  the  year  1853, 
there  was  a  dance  in  the  log  building  over  Spafford 
Hall's  store,  at  the  mouth  of  (iold  Canon.  There 
were  nine  females,  including  little  girls,  that  attemled 
the  party,  and  this  number  constituted  throe-fourths 
of  all  the  fair  sex  in  western  Utah  at  the  time, 
Mrs.  Cosser,  old  Mrs.  Mott,  now  deceased,  and 
a   lady  in   Gold   Cafion,  remaining   at   home.     The 


36 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


miners,  ranchers,  aiul  stiition-kccpers,  from  all  over 
the  country,  numbering  possibly  one  liundred  and 
fifty  men,  were  there,  in  or  about  the  station;  and 
while  everybody  was  enjoying  themselves,  the 
Washoe  Indians  came  and  drove  off  their  horses. 
The  next  day  the  stolen  stock  was  all  recovered  by 
the  owners  e.xcejit  two,  that  had  been  killed  by  the 
Indians  for  eating,  at  a  general  barbecue  at  Chalk 
Hill,  near  where  now  is  located  Mound  Station,  on 
the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad. 

OVERLAND  STATIONS  ON  TQE  CARSON. 

Early  in  1854,  Spafford  Hall,  while  hunting,  was 
severely  wounded  by  the  accidental  discharge  of 
his  gun.  which  caused  him  to  sell  the  station  to 
James  .Mc.Marlin.  who  up  to  this  time  had  been  in 
his  employ,  and  he  started  for  his  Indiana  home  as 
soon  as  the  mountains  could  be  crossed  in  the  spring. 
Mc.Marlin  sent  for  his  brother  John  to  join  in  the 
enterprise,  who  did  so,  and  was  killed  by  Indians 
at  Slipperj'  Ford,  in  the  mountains,  a  few  years  later. 

Asa  Kenyon  permanently  located  at  Ragtown  that 
year,  where  the  overland  I'oad  lirst  reached  the  Car- 
son River,  and  started  a  station  there.  Previous  to 
this,  traders  had  been  in  the  habit  of  going  to  that 
point,  ))utting  up  a  tent,  trafficking  with  emigrants 
through  the  summer,  and  then  leaving  in  the  fall  for 
California. 

About  four  miles  up  the  stream  from  Ragtown, 
at  the  place  known  as  The  Willows,  Thomas  Pitt, 
who  had  been  the  blacksmith  at  Hall's  Station  in 
1853,  started  a  station. 

Two  brothers,  named  James  and  Harvey  Hughes, 
from  Missouri,  established  one  on  the  river  about 
four  miles  up  from  where  the  massacre  by  Indians 
occurred  in  1  Still,  at  the  place  known  as  Williams, 
or  Honey  Lake  Smith's,  Station. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  John  Smith  purchased  the 
post  on  the  Carson  at  the  western  terminus  of  the 
twenty-six-mile  desert,  from  a  California  trader. 
The  ])laco  is  now  known  as  Coonie's  Ranch. 

The  same  year  (ieorge  Brown  established  a  station 
on  the  river  about  three  miles  u]i  from  where  now 
stands  the  ruins  of  Fort  Churchill.  All  of 
these  parties  were  considered  and  became  settlers  of 
the  country.  Other  stations  along  the  route  were 
mere  summer  ones,  being  abandoned  as  the  fall 
approacheil  by  their  California  keejiei's.  S.  A. 
Kinsey  recollects  that  the  famous  Ren.  llolliday, 
joined  by  one  Warner,  opened  a  store  and  station  on 
the  road  about  three  miles  down  the  river  from 
Mormon  Station  in  1854,  and  Cosser,  who  was  the 
jiioncer  merchant  at  Johnlown,  remembei's  that  in 
1854  opposition  was  established  there  bj-  J.  S.  Child 
and  by  Moses  Job.  The  latter  started  a  store  in 
1854  at  the  ]ilace  now  known  as  Sheridan,  in  Carson 
Vallej',  near  the  base  of  the  mountain  named  in  honor 
of  him.  Mr.  Child  afterwards  became  one  of  the 
most  prominent  characters  in  the  early  history  of 
Nevada. 


SUNDRY    EVENTS. 

It  has  been  previouj^l^-  noted  that  CUvrk,  who  had 
taken  up  a  ranch  in  the  south  end  of  W^ashoe  Valley 
in  1852,  had  been  I'orced  to  leave  it  because  an  Indian 
had  been  killed  there.  In  the  latter  ))art  of  1853  a 
young  man  coming  from  over  the  plains,  where  his 
moihir  had  been  buried,  settled  upon  the  deserted 
ranch,  wiih  a  liule  sister  and  brother,  but  three  of 
them  in  all.  The  little  boj- was  about  thirteen  3-ear8 
of  age,  and  the  sister  still  j-oungcr.  One  daj-  in  the 
absence  of  the  elder  brother  a  Washoe  Indian  came 
to  the  cabin  and  demanded  food,  and  finding  them 
alone  told  the  children  that  unless  thcj*  turned  over 
to  him  whatever  he  wanted  about  the  place  he  would 
kill  both  of  them.  The  scared  little  ones  ran  into 
the  house,  the  hny  seized  his  brother's  rifle  and  as 
the  pursuing  Washoe  was  crossing  the  threshold  a 
ball  through  the  heart  from  that  trusty  weapon 
stretched  him  lifeless  in  the  door,  where  the  return- 
ing brother  found  him  several  hours  later,  stiff  and 
cold.  Again  that  ranch  became  tenantless,  for  the 
young  man  sold  the  claim  to  J.  II.  Rose,  of  Eagle 
Valley,  and  started  without  delay  to  place  his  brother 
and  sister  beyond  the  possibility  of  another  such 
thi'illing  peril. 

In  1854,  on  the  first  of  May,  the  fir.st  white  child 
was  born  in  western  Utah  of  ])arcnts  living  in  the 
Territorv.  It  was  named  James  Riimmel  Ellis,  and 
died  in  Virginia  City  in  January.  1SG9. 

On  the  first  of  July,  1854,  Charles  II.  Albrecht 
and  family,  of  St.  Louis,  'Missouri,  en  route  for  Cali- 
f(jrnia,  was  camped  at  the  Ellis  Ranch  below  Gold 
Canon,  and  his  unmarried  sister.  Rachel  F.,  was  a 
member  of  his  household.  One  of  the  miners  named 
James  Dover  became  fascinated  by  the  namesake  of 
that  ancient  gleaner,  and  desired  to  marrj'  her. 
Rachel  was  willing,  but  there  was  neither  magis- 
trate nor  minister  in  that  country  to  tie  the  Gordian 
knot,  atid  the  lovers-at-sight  were  in  a  sad  dilemma. 
It  was  finallj'  decided  to  call  u]ion  Mrs.  Laura  M. 
KIlis — now  J)ittenriedcr — for  advice,  and  she  solved 
the  ])roblem  by  drawing  up  a  triplicate  contract  of 
marriage  on  the  fourth  of  July,  which  each  signed, 
the  ])ai)ers  being  duly  witnessed,  the  two  were  pro- 
nounced to  have  to  all  intents  and  purposes  con- 
summated a  matrimonial  alliance,  and  they  were 
declared  man  and  wife  without  further  ceremony. 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  that 

MARRIAGE  CONTRACT. 

Carson  Hivkr.  July  4,  1854. 

Bj-  these  jircsents  wo  hereby  certify,  in  the  ])res- 
ence  of  witnesses,  that  we  will  from  this  time  hence- 
forth, to  the  end  of  our  lives,  live  together  as  man  and 
wife,  obeying  all  the  laws  of  the  United  States  as 
married  persons.  In  witness,  we  set  our  hands  and 
seals,  this  fourth  daj- of  July,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  til'ty-four. 

(Signed)  Jamks  "Dover, 

Kaciiei.  F.  Al.BRECnT. 

Witnesses:  James  B.  Ellis,  Charles  H.  Albrecht, 
Augustus  C.  Albrecht. 


COUNTY  ORGANIZATION  AND  RECORDS. 


37 


Ftiblishod  ill  the  Afounfuln  Denion-at  July  20,  1854. 

For  eight  years  they  lived  together,  wlien  .she  left 
him  :md  joined  her  brother  at  Placervillc,  California. 
Hventualij-,  Mr.s.  Bowers,  the  •'  Washoe  Seeress," 
gave  her  the  money  to  ilel'ray  the  expense  of  gelling 
a  divorce,  which  she  procured  in  the  courts  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  has  since  marrie<l  again. 

Thomas  Knott  built  at  Mormrin  Station,  for  the 
Reese  Compan}-,  a  grist  and  saw-mill  in  IS,")  t,  that  was 
not  paid  for  because  of  the  failure  of  IJarnard  to 
return  with  the  money  received  from  the  sale  of  the 
comjiany's  cattle  in  California.  A  stationary  thresh- 
ing-machine was  added  lo  the  mill,  that  was  run  with 
little  salisfaclion  that  fall,  and  then  di>niantled. 
Henry  Van  Sickle,  now  living  in  Carson  Valley,  made 
the  cjMinder.  To  have  warranled  them  in  building 
that  mill,  there  niu>l  have  been  considerable  grain 
raised  bv  ihe  various  fii-mers  along  the  ea^lern  base 
of  the  Sierra  Nevaila  .Mmintains.  A  number  of  new 
farm  locations  were  made  during  that  jear,  as 
exhibited  b}'  the  following  transcript  from  the 
Pioneer  Record  Book. 

L.\XD  CI,.\I.MS  KECORDED  IN  185-1. 

February  2Sth— J.  C.  Fain. 

February  2Sth— E.  L.  Baniard. 

March  28lh Post  and    the    II.    Van  Sickle 

place. 

April  2d— R.  De  Frost. 

April  2d — Fred.  Bishop. 

A]>ril  (ith^John  Stephens. 

A|iril  21st — Suit  b}'  llenr}'  McL'alla  cs.  Thus. 
Knott.     Judgment  SI  13.4:$. 

Maj'  18th — Jose])h  Williams. 

Way  27th— A.  C.  Stewart  k,  A.  Clurk. 

May  27lh— C.  D.  Daggett. 

SIXTH    MEETING    OF    CITIZENS. 

May  27,  1S54,  the  residents  had  another  meeting 
with  J.  L.  Carj-  as  Chairman,  and  M.  G.  Lewis,  Sec- 
retary, when  thej'  resolved  that  in  the  use  of  water 
no  settler  should  be  deprived  of  sufficient  for  house- 
hold purposes;  that  it  should  not  be  diverted  from 
its  original  channels,  and  when  two  or  more  lived  on 
the  same  stream  they  should  share  water  according 
lo  the  number  of  acres  cultivated,  each  using  for 
alternate  days  when  it  vvas  scarce. 

LAND  CI,.\IMS  CONTINUED. 

October  30th — George  Lambe. 

November  29th — Julius  Peltier  soils  one-half  of 
ranch  in  Jack's  Valley  to  George  Fogle  for  8300, 
same  formerly  owned  b}'  Sam.  Hlackford. 

December  4th — Nicholas  Johnson. 

December  13th — Sale  of  Brown's  farm  bj'  Con- 
stable for  8787.32  to  plaintiff,  S.  Blackford. 

December  7th — G.  B.  Parker  sells  to  !{.  Sides  and 
Rolland  Abernathey  the  Clear  Creek  Hanch,  first 
taken  up  by  George  Mires  and  C.  Phillip|)s,  who 
kept  the  trading-i)ost  where  iiarnard  was  killed. 

December  2Uth — R.  Sides,  B.  Abernathey,  and  J. 
M.  Baldwin. 


December  2<)th — Josejih  Brown  records  deed  of 
land  sale  to  IJufus  Adams  made  in  1853. 

In  the  winter  of  1854,  Walter  Cossor  paid  George 
Pierce  one  dollar  jier  pound  for  packing  over  from 
Placervillc  to  Gold  ('anon  on  snow-shoes  some  rubber 
goods.  Rubber  boots  sold  at  the  time  for  twenty- 
fivo  dollars  per  pair.  Prices  for  merchandise  that 
winter  in  western  L'lah  were — 

For  Satinet    Pants $5  00  to  S  (J  00 

Cassimere  Pants 7  00  "     10  00 

Woolen  Shirts 3  00  "       4  00 

Boots 5  00  "     14  00 

Bacon     (per   pound) 40  "  50 

Tea  "         "        1  25  "       1  50 

Tobacco     "         "         1  50 

Coffee         "         '•         45 

Sugar         "         "         45 

A    Panama   hat 5  00 

The  first  school  in  western  Utah  was  kept  by 
Mrs.  Allen,  at  the  residence  of  Israel  Mott,  during 
the  winter  of  1854-55. 

C.\KS(JN    COUNTY    CUE.VTED. 

The  following  Act  was  passed  by  the  Territorial 
Legislature  of  Utah,  on  the  seventeenth  of  January, 
1854:— 

Section  1.  ]}e  it  enacted  by  the  Governor  and 
Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Utah;  That 
all  that  portion  of  country  bounded  north  b^*  Deseret 
County;  east  by  the  parallel  of  longitude  1 18'';  south 
by  the  boundary  line  of  the  Territoiy;  and  west  by 
California,  is  hereby  included  within  the  limits  of 
Carson  County,  and  until  organized  is  attached  to 
Millard  County  for  Election,  Revenue  and  Judicial 
purposes. 

Sec.  2.  The  Governor  is  hereby  authorized  to 
ap|joint  a  Probate  Judge  for  said  county,  when  he 
shall  deem  it  ex))edient;  and  said  Probate  Judge, 
when  appointed,  shall  proceed  to  organize  said 
county,  by  dividing  the  county  into  ])recincts,  and 
causing  an  election  to  be  held  according  to  law,  to 
fill  the  various  county  and  precinct  offices,  and  locate 
the  county  seat  thereof. 

Occasionally  citizens  from  Carson  Valley  visited 
Placerville,  in  California,  in  those  early  j'cars,  for  the 
purpose  of  trade,  and  the  editor  ol'  the  .Uoiin/nin 
Democrat,  Daniel  W.  Gelwicks,  would  interview  them 
and  publish  the  results.  From  the  files  of  that  paper 
it  ajipoars  that  in  1854  Colonel  Reese,  accompanied 
by  a  Sergeant  and  three  men,  pioneered  a  new, 
farther  south,  and  shorter  route,  from  Salt  Lake  to 
Carson  Valley,  than  had  heretofore  been  traveled, 
ami  the  Sergeant  proposed  to  recommend  the  passage 
of  the  United  States  troops  over  it  that  proposed  to 
pass  through  under  Colonel  Ste|iloe. 

In  April  the  mail  carrier.  Drift,  reported  that  some 
one  had  fuund  a  jwuml  gold  nugget  at  Gold  Canon, 
and  that  nuggets  were  not  unfrequently  met  with 
there  valued  at  from  ten  to  twenty  dollai-s;  also,  that 
George  Smith  was  keeping  a  station  at  Lake  Vallej-. 

James  B.  Ellis,  of  Gold  Canon,  took  notes  in 
1854,  up  to  Jul}-  1st,  of  the  arrivals  at  that  point 
of  California-bound  emigrants,  with  the  following 
results:  213  wagons,  300  horses  and  mules,  7,528  cat- 
tle, and  7,150  sheep. 


38 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

CARSON   COUNTY   ORGANIZED. 

1855. 

Entries  Closing  Pioneer  Kecorcl  Book— Carson  County  Organ- 
ized— First  Officers  of  Carson  County — >I'"irst  County  Court 
Records — Mrs.  Samly  liowers,  tlic  Washoe  Seeress — 1856 — 
Namin<!  of  (ieuoa — Division  of  the  County  into  School 
Districts — Orson  Hyde's  Curse. 

In  the  little  book  of  pioneer  records  appears  the 
following  entries  of  land  claims  and  other  transac- 
tions, the  last  in  the  book,  which  was  superseded  by 
the  organization  of  Carson  County. 

LAND      CLAIMS     AND      OTHER      ENTRIES — CLOSING      THE     I'lONEER 
RECORD      BOOK      IN      1855. 

January  3d — W.  P.  Cozard — should  be  Cosser. 

January  12th — A.  L.  Kenyon. 

January  20th  -I.  N.  Hix. 

January  23d — Reese  &  Co.,  turn  over  to  Thomas 
Knott  a  large  amount  of  property  to  pay  him  84,000, 
for  services  in  making  lor  the  firm  a  saw-mill,  i/risi- 
mill,  threnlihiy-machine,  etc. 

January  23d — J.  and  E.  ReeseA  Co.,  sold  to  William 
B.  Thorrington  S23,0U0  worth  of  property  to  |iay 
him  for  that  amount  of  money  previous!}-  loaned  to 
them.  The  Eagle  Ranch  in  Eagle  Vallej^  was 
included  in  this  property  sold  to  him. 

February  10th — J.  and  E.  Reese  convey  balance  of 
pro])orty  to  pay  their  creditors. 

March  12th— W.  P.  Allen  and  E.  A.  Parkeivson. 

March  24th — Nicholas  Ambrosia. 

August  oOth — Julius  I'oltier,  sells  to  R.  D.  Sides,  J. 
M.  Baldwin  and  L.  B.  Abernathej'. 

[This  18  the  last  entry  in  the  book]. 

C.\RSON    COUNTY   ORGANIZED. 

The  territory  embraced  within  Carson  County 
according  to  the  Act  of  Januaiy  17,  1854,  inciuilcd  all 
of  what  is  now  Washoe,  Douglas,  Ormsbj-,  Storey, 
and  Lyon  Counties;  over  half  of  Esmeralda,  three- 
fourths  of  Ctuirehill  and  a  little  of  southwestern  Hum- 
boldt. The  Legislature,  on  the  second  daj'  after  cre- 
ating the  county,  divided  Utah  into  three  Judicial 
Districts,  Carson  being  the  third,  and  lion.  George 
P.  Styles,  United  States  Judge  for  Utah  Territory, 
was  named  to  preside  over  it.  The  new  county  was 
also  declared  to  be  entitled  to  a  representation  in  the 
Legislature,  in  consciincnce  of  which  Weber  County 
lost  a  member  in  that  body.  *The  Act  creating  the 
county  having  authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint  a 
Probate  Judge,  whose  duty  would  be  to  organize  it, 
Orson  Ilyde,  a  Mormon  Elder,  was  selected  for  that 
position,  who  left  Salt  Lake  with  such  design  on  the 
seventeenth  of  Maj-,  1855.  Judge  Styles,  Joseph  L. 
Haywood,  llnitod  States  Marshal  for  Utah  Territory, 
and  Enoch  Reese,  of  the  firm  of  J.  and  E.  Reese  &  Co., 
with  an  escort  of  thirty-five  men,  accompanied  Orson 
Hyde.  They  arrived  at  Mormon  Station  on  the 
fifteenth  of  June,  and  were  followed  by  other  Mor- 
mons who  moved  into  Carson  County  during  the 
summer. 

•See  compilation  of  Utah  Statutes  1855,  pa^cs  258  and  31)8. 


The  first  move  by  Judge  Hyde  towards  an  organi- 
zation of  the  county  was  to  call  an  election  for  Sep- 
tember 20,  1855,  to  fill  the  various  county  offices, 
that  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  following  parties  : — 

FIRST    OFFICERS    OF    CAR.SON    COUNTY. 

(1)  James  C.  Fain,  Sheriff. 

(2)  Heniy  W.  Nilcs,  Surveyor. 

(3)  Chas.  D.  Daggett,  Prosecuting  Attorney. 

(4)  Chas.  D.  Daggett,  Assessor  and  Collector. 
Richard  D.  Sides,  Treasurer. 

(5)  Henry  W.  Nilcs  was  appointed  Clerk,  Oct.  2d. 

(6)  H.  M.  Hodges,  Constable. 

(7)  James  A.  Williams,  Constable.     Bonds,  SCOO. 
Nicholas  Ambrosia,  Justice    of  the   Peace.     Not 

being  able  to  write,  signed  his  bonds  with  his  mark. 

HL^nry  Van  Sickle,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Bonds, 
81,11(11). 

James  McMarlin,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Appointed 
December  3,  1855,  for  Gold  Canon. 

(8)  Henry  D.  Sears,  Wm.  P.  Allen,  James  McMar- 
lin, Selectmen  ;  §1,000  bonds  given  by  each. 

FIRST    LOUNTY    COURT    RECORDS. 

The  fir.st  entry  upon  any  of  the  old  Carson  court 
books,  was  upon  the  County  Court  Records,  which 
bears  date  October  2,  1855,  and  states  that  Orson 
Hyde  had  apiK)inted  II.  W.  Niles  Clerk  of  the  Pro- 
bate Court  and  e.r  oj/icio  of  the  County  Court. 
This  is  followed  by  a  note  to  the  effect  that  J.  C. 
Fain  had  purchased  in  California  the  county  books 
of  record  at  a  cost  of  thirty-five  dollars,  and  was 
allowed  three  ]ier  cent,  a  month  for  use  of  the 
money  advanced  for  them.  His  bill  of  ten  dollars 
charged  for  packing  them  over  the  mountains  was 
audited  after  deducting  four  dollars  for  taxes.  This 
is  the  only  case  on  record  of  the  recei]it  of  any  county 
revenue  in  those  days  ;  but  legend  hath  it,  that  some 
one  paid  a  bushel  of  potatoes  into  the  treasury-,  and 
then  re])enting  him  for  so  doing  demanded  their 
return.  October  3d,  is  entered  the  proceedings  in  the 
first  lawsuit,  in  which  James  McLit3-re  sued  Asa  A. 
Knouse  in  an  action  '■  of  debit  and  damages  "  for 
8187.75,  that  resulted  in  a  judgment  against  the 
plaintiff  for  838.50.  On  the  twenty-seventh  of  the 
same  month,  at  a  special  term  of  the  court  hold  for 
that  purpose  at  the  house  of  John  iJecse,  there  was 
granted,  "  The  sole  and  exclusive  right  to  take  out 
any  portion   of  the  waters  of  Carson    River  which 

(1)  May  12,  1856,  Russell  KcUey  appointed  in  place  of  Fain, 
resigned. 

(2)  May  12,  1850,  Orson  Hyde  appointed  in  place  of  Niles, 
resif^ncd. 

(:<)   Novemlwr  24.  1855,  likd  his  bonds  for  §1,000. 

(4)  December  3,  1855,  appointed. 

(5)  March:),  1850,.**.  A.  Kinsey  appointed,  in  place  of  Niles, 
resigned.  l)cccnil>cr  27,  1855,  .ludge  Hyde  having  acted  .is  his 
own  clerk  during  the  interval. 

(6)  May  12,  l8o(>,  Daniel  Woudfiird  aiipointed  in  his  pUice. 

(7)  —  Woodf.ird  killed  at  .Slippery  Ford  by  Indians  in  the 
summer  of  1857. 

(8)  Selectmen  duties  were,  to  act  iw  Associate  with  the  Probate 
J  udge,  moke  provisiou  for  the  poor,  orphans  and  iusaua 


CARSON  COUNTY  ORGANIZED. 


:{!) 


they  ninj'  desiro,  in  a.  ditch  or  caiiul,  lur  mining  iiiid 
other  |)ur|iose8,  in  tho  vicinity  of  Gold  Canon,"  to  J. 
C.  Fain,  John  Roose,  Stejiiion  A.  Kinsc}',  John  .\Ie- 
Marlin,  James  MeMarlin,  ChrLstojiher  Merjjley,  Mor- 
ris Fitzf^ibbon,  and  Orson  Ilydo. 

November  2d,  occurred  a  criminal  i)roscciition. 
more  parlicularly  noted  in  the  chapter  on  the  l?ar  of 
Nevada,  and  on  the  same  day  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice before  the  courts  of  Utah  as  attorney  and  coun- 
selor at  law,  l)r.  Charles  I).  l)aj^!j;ett,  and  Sol.  C. 
Perren.  At  that  time  the  laws  of  Utah  ]iri>vided 
that  the  onlj-  <|ualitication  necessary  to  enable  per- 
sons to  ju'aclice  law,  was  the  possession  of  a  '■  j.;ood 
moral  character,"  but  the  client  could  not  be  I'orced 
to  pay  for  such  services  officially.  The  only  trans- 
actions that  followed  within  18o")  was  the  establish- 
ment of  five  dollars  per  day  as  the  amount  that  the 
Judge  and  each  Selectman  was  to  be  entitled  to  for 
their  services. 

With  a  glance  at  po])ulation  and  condition  of  the 
county  at  the  close  of  1855,  we  will  pass  on  to  the 
more  important  events  of  the  ensuing  year.  With 
Orson  Hyde  had  come  Alexander  Cowan,  his  wife? 
Mrs.  Ellery,  and  a  ne|)hew  named  IJoberl  Henderson, 
a  lad  about  eleven  j-ears  of  age.  It  is  believed  that 
Mrs.  Hannah  Reese  and  the  fourth  wife  of  Judge 
Hyde,  came  to  Carson  Valley  at  the  same  time.  The 
advent  of  a  female  in  1855,  was  an  event  of  impor- 
tance, because  of  the  few  of  them  that  had  settled  in 
the  country.  There  were  but  two  at  Mormon  Sta- 
tion, where  a  population  of  .about  200  resided.  There 
were  but  two  at  Gold  Canon,  where  about  the  same 
number  of  people  were  engaged  in  mining  and  trade, 
and  ])robably  but  fifteen  females  in  all  who  lived  in 
what  is  now  Nevada  in  the  fall  of  1855,  and  five  of 
them  are  still  residing  in  the  county.  The  lives  of 
some  of  those  women  would  make  a  thrilling  page  in 
history,  which  would  prove  that  truth  is  stranger 
than  fiction,  and  we  regret  the  necessity  of  passing 
them  all  with  a  mere  mention,  excejit  one  at  which 
onl}-  a  glance  is  taken.  The  one  at  present  is  known 
as  tho  "  Washoe  Seeross;"  a  woman  now  fifty-two 
years  of  age,  down  whose  cheeks  a  tribute  in  sadness 
trickled  as  the  writer's  (juestions  uncovei'cd  tho 
memorial  ashes  of  jjast  hopes  dead,  revealing  the 
wreck  of  a  long  and  eventful  life,  verging  njion  its 
close.  Her  maiden  name  was  Killc3- Orrum;  she  was 
born  in  the  Scottish  Highlands,  and  was  married  at 
fifteen  to  Stephen  Hunter,  who  took  her  to  Salt  Lake, 
Utah,  in  1850,  where  he  became  a  polygamist,  and 
she  left  him.  Three  years  later  she  was  married  to 
Alexander  Cowan,  with  whom  she  moved,  as  before 
stated,  in  1855,  to  Carson  County.  The  first  winter 
after  her  arrival  was  spent  by  her  in  (iold  Canon, 
keejiing  a  boarding-house;  the  next  summer  in 
Washoe  Valley,  where  a  ranch  was  taken  up,  and  in 
1857,  when  the  Mormons  were  recalle<l,  she  refused 
to  return  to  Salt  Lake  and  ])olygamy  with  her  hus- 
band. She  continued  to  reside  in  summer  at  Washoe 
Valley,  and  kept  boarders  in  winter  at  Gold  (^afion, 


until  in  1858,  when  she  married  Lemuel  S.  Bowers,  bet- 
ter known  as  "Sandy  IJowers."  At  the  time  of  her 
last  marriage  she  was  the  owner  of  ten  feet  on  tho 
Comslock  lode,  adjoining  ten  feet  owned  b^-  Bowers, 
that  later  developed  such  wealth,  and  was  known  as 
the  "Sandy  Bowers  claim."  This  rich  development 
was  in  IHiiO,  an<l  in  the  following  season  they  visited 
Euro])e,  remaining  away  for  three  years,  traveling 
through  the  Old  World,  from  where  they  returned  to 
live  in  the  Bowers  mansion,  in  Washoe  \'alley.  that 
had  been  nearly  completed  during  their  absence,  at  a 
cost  when  furnished,  of  8407.000.  In  1808  Mr.  Bow- 
ers died,  and  bis  estate  was  ap]iraised  at  8ti;!8,00O. 
Tho  full  charge  of  her  mine  and  mill  was  lefl  to  a 
superintendent  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Howei-s,  and  in  a 
short  time  that  pro])erly  had  run  her  SoO.OOO  in  debt, 
and  the  balance  of  her  possessions  soon  faded  away 
-before  the  onslaught  of  dishonesty,  and  now  she  is 
an  old  lady  and  de])endent  upon  her  earnings  as 
Seeress,  for  a  living.  This  is  a  brief  outline,  reader, 
let  your  imagination  fill  up  the  intervals. 

Tho  following  entries  appear  in  Book  A  of  Deeds, 
pages  7  and  96: — 

S<piire  Mott,  son  of  Iliram  Mott.  was  married  at 
his  father's  house  b}'  Hon.  Orson  Hv'le,  on  Siindaj', 
the  tweiityeighth  day  of  October,  1855,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  W.  Wheeler,  at  li  o'clock  p.  .m.,  on  that  daj-. 

Henry  Van  Sickle,  Ksq.,  was  married  h^-  Hon. 
Orson  llj'de  at  the  house  of  Niles  and  Sears,  on 
Tuesdaj'  evening,  November  6,  1855,  to  Miss  Mary 
Gibson. 

In  Wassaw  Vallej-  (Washoe),  on  the  second  day 
of  October,  1856,  at  tho  house  of  Judge  Oi-son  Hj-de, 
Stephen  A.  Kinsej-  to  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Thompson, 
by  the  Hon.  Orson  Hyde. 

185  6. 
In  tho  spring  of  1856,  Orson  Ilydo  turveyed  Mor- 
mon Station,  making  a  town  plat,  and  named  the 
place  (ienoa.  Tho  countj-  having  been  organiy.ed, 
a  general  move  was  inaugurated  in  1856.  with  tho 
design,  evidentlj',  to  settle  upon  the  agricultural  ])art 
of  tho  county  by  Jlormons.  A  companj-  lei't  Salt 
Lake  for  Carson  County,  ..May  7th,  of  that  year,  and 
others  came  from  time  to  time,  until  thej'  were  in 
a  majority  before  election,  that  occurred  on  the 
fourth  of  August,  resulting  in  a  choice  of  the  lollow- 
irig  county  officers:  — 

Richard  Bentley  (a  Mormon).  Recorder. 
Russell  Kelly  (became  a  Mormon),  Sheriff. 

(1)  Chas.  D.  Daggett,  Assessor,  Collector,  and 
Treasurer. 

(2)  Richard  Bentley  ( .Mormon),  Surveyor. 

(1)  'I'lio  ]n)8iti(>n  of  Assessor  ami  CoUootor  was  received  l>y 
.niiiioiiitiMirit,  IKremlKT  I,  lS.">(i,  iiiiil  on  the  tliiril  of  tlie  eiisiilii)^ 
Maicli,  tliu  rate  of  taxation  fc.r  l.S.'i?  wius  t.st.ilili.'tlied  at  one- 
foiirtli  of  one  per  cent,  for  eonnty  purposes,  and  one-half  of  one 
per  cent,  for  Territorial  purpose-s,  tile  same  as  it  had  l)een  in 
IS.jO.  If  any  tax  was  collected  the  records  do  not  show  it;  and 
the  old  settlers  say  there  was  none. 

(■J)  Kieliard  Hentley  uppi'inteil  Surveyor  on  tho  eighteenth  of 
Novemlier,  IhoG,  to  serve  during  the  absence  of  Orson  Hyde,  who 
retnrneil  to  8alt  Luke. 


40 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


(1)  William  Nixson  and  Permens  Jackman  (Mor- 
mons), Sek'ftnu-ii. 

(2)  Chester  Loveland  (Mormon)  Justice  of  the 
Peace. 

Nelson  Mcrkley  (Mormon).  Constable. 

Seth  I>ustiti  (Mormon),  Constable. 

With  the  Mormon  train  that  left  Suit  Lake  in  1850, 
Justice  DrummonfJ  came  as  United  States  J ud<^e  of 
the  Tiiird  District  of  Utah,  and  held  a  court  in  Mr. 
Motts  barn,  four  miles  up  Carson  Valley  from  Mor- 
mon Station.  A  Grand  Jury  was  summoned  that 
received  his  charge  instructing  them  to  bring  in  bills 
of  indictment  for  misdemeanors,  against  all  citizens 
of  the  county  who  had  been  guiltj-  of  gambling, 
concubinage,  or  other  minor  frontier  offenses.  The 
jury,  after  being  left  to  themselves,  took  a  good  look 
at  each  other  and  becoming  satisfied  that  lo  follow 
instructions  would  necessitate  a  wholesale  commit- 
ment of  those  present,  forthwith  notified  Judge 
J)rummond  that  they  had    adjourned  without  date. 

Practically  nothing  was  accomplished  at  this  first 
session  of  the  United  Stat<;s  District  Court  in  Carson 
County.  A  couple  of  men  convicted  of  grand  larceny 
were  sentenced  to  imprisonment,  but  both  of  them 
escaped,  and  the  Judge,  disgusted,  left  the  Territorj-, 
went  to  San  Francisco,  from  where  he  returned  to 
Washington  with  a  report  in  regard  to  western 
Utah  that  was  more  expressive  than  complimentar}-. 

The  Probate  Court,  on  the  first  of  Februarj-,  tried 
one  Charles  Kensler  for  stealing  twelve  dollars  in 
gold-dust  from  Mark  Stebbins.  The  jury  found  him 
guilty  and  pronounced  the  sentence  to  be  "six 
months  hard  labor  with  ball  and  chain."  "The 
Court  ordered  the  officer  to  procure  a  ball  and  chain 
and  attach  it  to  the  prisoner,  and  hire  him  out  to 
hard  labor  to  the  best  advantage  to  the  county  for 
the  term  of  six  calendar  months."  It  cost  the  county 
8110  to  convict  this  man  for  stealing  twelve  dollars, 
and  as  none  of  the  old  citizens  remember  anj-tliing 
in  regard  to  tlie  niattei-.  it  is  safe  to  presume  that 
he  also  escaped. 

At  this  regular  term  of  the  County  Court,  held 
December  1st,  at  the  residence  of  P.  A.  Jackman,  it 
was  "Ordered  that  the  county  bo  divided  into  four 
school  districts  as  follows: — 

1st  School  District — To  commence  at  the  line  of 
California  and  ending  at  the  Warm  Springs  below 
Van  Sickles. 

2d  District — Commencing  at  the  Warm  Springs 
and  running  below  as  far  as  Clear  Creek  (present 
north  line  of  Douglas  County),  including  Jack's 
Valley. 

3d  l)i8trict — Embracing  Eagle  Vallej'  (Ormsby 
County). 

(I)  H.  1).  Sears  liuld  over,  and  nn  the  eighteciitli  of  Novem- 
ber, IS.')!;,  A.  H.  C'liceny  was  appointe*!  to  serve  iluriii};  tlie 
temporary  altfteiice  *»f  .Sears. 

(•J)  Cliititer  l.ovelaiiil  was  ajiixiiiitcd  I'mliate  Judge  of  Carson 
County,  liy  tlie  Coveriior  of  Utali,  on  the  first  of  Septenibi-r, 
lK,")(i.  in  anticipation  of  tlie  withdrawal  of  Orson  Hyde  from 
Wi'Htern  Utah.  In  siuning  his  name,  he  indicated  his  official 
title  by  adding  the  initials  I',  ti. 


4th  District— Wassaw  Valley  (Washoe  Valley)." 

On  the  third  of  the  following  March,  Jack's 
Vallej-  w:is  named  as  District  Xo.  Five.  In  1857.  a 
school  house  was  erected  at  Franktown,  in  Wassaw 
Valley,  that  was  sold  in  the  fall  to  "  Lucky  Bill," 
who  moved  it  to  Genoa  (Mormon  Station),  where  it 
became  a  horse  stable,  and  thus  ended  the  first 
effort  to  organize  a  school  sj-stem  in  western  Utah. 

On  the  fifth  of  Julj',  1850,  appears  another  entry 
upon  the  record  books  of  the  Probate  Court,  after 
which  is  an  interval  of  three  yeai-s  and  two  months 
before  another  session  is  held,  which  convened  Sep- 
tember 12,  1850.  with  J.S.  Child  forjudge.  That 
gentleman  is  still  a  resident  of  Carson  Valley. 

On  the  sixth  of  November,  1856,  Orson  Hj-dc 
started  on  his  return  to  Salt  Lake.  He  traveled  by 
a  more  southern  route  than  the  Humboldt,  and 
reached  his  destination  December  9th.  His  com- 
]>anions  in  the  journej-  were  Simon  Baker,  James 
Kalhall,  John  Vance,  Wm.  Price.  Dui-ft'e,  Carter, 
Harsee,  Woodland,  and  Butcher,  tiie  latter  with  a 
wife  and  two  children.  This  ))ioneer  organizer  of 
Carson  County  died  at  Spring  City,  San  Pete  Count}', 
Utah,  November  28,  1878,  leaving  behind  him  the 
following  strange  evidence  of  his  peculiar  character, 
feelings,  beliefs,  and  ex])erience,  wbile  operating  in 
what  is  now  Nevada: — 

ORSON    IIVDE's   curse. 

G.  S.  L.  CiTV,  Ja.makv  27.  1S02. 

To  THE  People  of  Causon  and  Washoe  Vai.levs — 
Ladien  dial  Genlkiiien :  Not  quite  seven  j-i-ars  ai^o  1 
was  sent  to  your  district  as  I'robate  Judge  of  Car- 
son County,  with  )>owers  and  instructions  from  the 
executive  of  this  Territory  to  oriianize  your  district 
into  a  county  undor  the  laws  of  Utah — those  valleys 
being  then  the  lawful  and  rightful  field  ot  Utah's 
jurisdiction;  but  o|i|>osiiion  on  your  ))art  to  the 
me;isure  was  uncea>iiit;ly  m:i<le  in  almost  every  form, 
both  trivial  and  iniiiorlant,  o|)en  and  secret.  Your 
allies  in  California  were  ever  ready  to  second  your 
op])osition  of  whatever  character  or  in  whatever 
shape. 

In  the  3-ear  following  (1850,  I  think,;  Mr.  Price 
and  myself  budt  a  valuable  saw-mill  in  Washoe  Val- 
ley, made  and  purchased  several  land  claims  there 
for  ourselves  and  our  friends — made  considerable 
im]irovenients  thereon;  but  being  called  away  on 
short  notice,  this  |property,  then  worth  SUl.tKIO,  was 
renteil  to  Jacob  IJose  for  a  limited  term,  at  a  stip- 
ulated jM'ice.  On  this  rent  he  advanced  one  span  of 
small,  indifferent  mules,  an  old  worn-out  harness, 
two  yokes  of  oxen,  and  an  old  wagon.  This  is  all 
that  wo  have  ever  received  for  the  use  of  our  ])ro|i- 
erty  in  that  valley-,  though  we  have  sent  bills  for 
goods  or  merchandise;  but  no  res])onse,  exce|)t  on 
l)a])or,  and  even  that  not  of  the  most  encouraging 
kind. 

We  have  been  patient,  and  have  not  murmured. 
We  have  made  little  or  no  effort  to  sell  our  property 
there,  becau.se  we  considered  that  those  who  had  it 
tiiouglit  they  were  df>ing  God  and  themselves  a  serv- 
ice by  wronging  the  Mormons;  and  for  me,  1  felt 
backwani  to  do  anything  in  the  premises  until  the 
Lord  should  tell  me  what  to  do  (it  being  on  his 
account,  or  on  account  of  his  religion,  that  we  were 


RESERVOIR    IN   MARTIN   CREi 


PROPERTIES, 

PAHAOlSE    VaI 


f, 


•\ 


^' 


?vM!;::t?s^» 


^S5t.-T, , 


w.    ..    --    ■:«.     -^-. 


RESlDFflCr 


.F- 


V«<P 


1^%^ 


^  L4, 


1  CAHON,  PAKADISE  VALLEY,  NEV. 


i'TW   ff*/Tr#s 


S.B.P.  PIERCE, 

HUMBOLOTCO  Ktv. 


CARSON  COUNTY  ORGANIZED. 


41 


deprived  of  any  benefit  from  it.)  That  time  has 
now  come,  an<l  the  Lord  has  siijnitied  to  me,  hi.s  un- 
worthj-  servant,  tiial  as  we  have  been  under  eiroHm- 
stanees  liiat  e()m|)elie(r  us  to  submit  to  your  terms, 
that  lie  will  ]>hu'e  you  under  eircuinstanees  that  will 
compel  you  lo  submit  lo  (Uirs.  (tr  do  worse. 

That  mill  and  those  land  claims  were  worth  SKI, (1(10 
when  we  left  them;  the  use  of  that  proiierty,  or  its 
increased  value  since,  is  S10,0(Jtl  more,  making  our 
present  demand  Sl-M.dllil. 

Now  if  llie  above  sum  he  sent  to  me  in  Great  Salt 
Lake  City,  in  cash,  j'ou  shall  have  a  clean  receipt 
therefor,  in  the  shape  of  honorable  quit  claim  deeds 
to  all  the  propert}-  that  Orson  Hyde,  William  Price 
and  Richaril  Bentlej- owneil  in  Washoe  Valley.  The 
mill,  1  understand,  is  now  in  the  hands  of  R.  I).  Sides, 
and  has  been  for  a  lon-j  time.  Hut  ifyoii  shall  think 
best  to  rejii'diate  our  demand  or  any  ]iart  of  it.  all 
riitht.  We  shall  not  make  it  up  again  in  this  world 
in  any  shapeof  any  ofyou ;  but  the  said  I{.  I).  Sides  and 
Jacob  Rose  shall  be  living  and  dying  advertisements 
of  tiod'sdisjileasure.  in  their  persons,  in  their  families, 
and  in  their  subst.ances;  and  this  demand  of  ours, 
remaining  uncanceled,  shall  be  to  the  ])eo])le  of  Car- 
son and  Washoe  Valleys  as  was  the  ;irk  of  (xod 
among  the  Philistines.  (Sec  l.st  Sam.  fifth  chapter.) 
You  shall  be  visited  ol'ttie  Lord  of  Ifosts  with  thun- 
der and  with  eartlupiakes  and  with  floods,  with 
pestilence  and  with  famine  until  your  names  are  not 
known  amongst  men.  for  you  have  rejected  the 
authorit}-  of  (tod,  tram])led  u|ion  his  laws  and  his 
ordinances,  and  given  yourselves  up  to  serve  the  god 
of  this  world;  to  rioting  in  ileltauchery,  in  abomina- 
tions, drunkenness  and  cori'U])tion.  You  have  chuck- 
led and  gloiaed  in  taking  the  property  of  the  Mor- 
mons, and  withhohling  from  them  the  benefits  thereof 
You  have  despised  rule  and  authority,  and  ]nit  tiod 
and  man  at  defiance.  If  perchance,  however,  there 
should  be  an  honest  man  amongst  you,  I  would 
advise  him  to  leave;  but  let  him  not  go  to  California 
for  safetj-,  for  he  will  not  find  it  there. 

On  hearing  the  contents  of  this  letter,  you  maj' 
send  forth  volleys  of  your  wrath  with  your  taunts, 
jeers,  and  scurrilous  indignation;  but  j'ou  will  oidy 
prove  the  more  cons])icuously  that  you  are  dealing 
with  an  A])ostle  of  (Jod,  or  that  an  Apostle  of  tiod  is 
dealing  with  J'ou,  whom  you  have  rejected.  The 
hand  ol'tiod  is  alreaily  beginning  to  be  upon  j-ou  for 
evil  anil  not  for  good.  The  golden  treasures  of  the 
earth  are  there  to  call  together  the  worshi|)ers  of 
the  god  of  this  world,  that  j'ou  may  there  receive  a 
common  fate. 

I  have  no  sordid  desire  for  gobi,  and  have  mani- 
fested it  by  mj-  long  silence  ami  manifest  indifl'ereneo; 
and  should  not  say  anything  now  had  not  the  visions 
of  the  .Mmighty  stirred  u|i  my  mind. 

We  warned  and  forewarned  the  peo])le  of  Missouri, 
more  than  twentj-  ye;irs  ago,  of  what  should  befall 
them  for  treating  the  .Mormons  in  the  way  they  did; 
but  did  they  believe  us  then?  Do  they  believe  us 
now?  No!  Yet  what  is  their  ]>resent  condition? 
Blood  and  fire  ma3-  tell.  We  likewise  warned  the 
peo])le  of  the  United  Slates  from  .Maine  to  Missis- 
sipjii,  and  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco,  of  the  wars 
and  troubles  that  were  coming  upon  them  for  allow- 
ing the  .Saints  and  Pro|)hets  to  be  driven,  scattered 
and  slain,  their  property-  confiscated  and  destroyed, 
and  they  never  raise  a  hand  lo  protect  the  Saints,  to 
](Uiiish  the  crimes  of  our  ]ierseculors,  or  to  redress 
our  wrongs  in  an^'  way.  \S'e  tobl  the  President  and 
his  Cabinet,  ])roclaimed  it  lo  the  Congress  of  the 
United  Slates,  and  told  them  that  desolating  wars 
G 


which  should  end  in  the  death  and  misery  of  manj' 
souls  should  begin  in  South  Carolina.  Did  they 
believe  us  then?  Do  they  believe  us  now?  No  I 
Yet  what  is  their  present  condition?  They  have 
e)-es,  but  theyj;ee  not — ears,  but  they  hear  not.  and 
hearts,  but  they  understand  not.  Their  l)lood  (b)ws 
like  water,  ancl  their  rage  like  the  ocean.  3-et  the)' 
have  not  read  the  half  of  the  preface  of  their  national 
troubles. 

We  now  tell  the  people  of  Carson  and  Washoe 
Valleys  some  things  that  will  befall  them,  and  the 
'  reason  why  they  will  befall  them.  But  will  j-ou 
believe  us?  "Behold  ye  despisers,  and  wonder  ami 
perish!  I  will  work  a  work  in  your  da}' — a  work 
which  j'e  shall  in  no  wise  believe,  though  a  man 
declare  it  unto  you."  (See  Isaiah,  twenty-ninth 
cha])ter.) 

(iod  is  now  beginning  to  deal  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  for  the  wrongs  which  ihej*  have  done 
unto  his  peojjle,  and  for  i-cjecting  his  authority  and 
counsel,  given  forth  from  Heaven  through  the  .Mor- 
mons. Ilis  dealings  with  them  will  be  neither  light 
nor  on  a  limited  scale.  But  those  who  do  repent, 
and  make  right  their  wrongs,  acknowledge  the 
authority  of  (Jod  in  the  channel  through  which  he 
hath  sent  it,  may  find  mercy  and  protection  in  that 
channel,  and  nowhere  else. 

1  care  not  what  our  mill  an<l  lan<l  claims  are,  or 
were  considered  worth — whether  five  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  or  five  cents. — twenty  thousand  dollars 
is  our  demand;  and  you  can  pay  it  to  us,  as  1  have 
said,  and  find  mercy,  if  you  will  thencel()rth  do  right, 
or  despise  the  demand  and  ])erish. 

As  usual,  1  feel  quite  indifferent  about  it,  and  what 
I  have  written  1  have  written,  and  1  excuse  not 
myself. 

Without  hypocrisy,  deceit  or  falsehood,  I  remain 
as  heretofore,  a  servant  of  God.  Okson  IIvde. 

P.  S. — This  letter,  though  indited  by  me,  was 
written  and  signed  by  the  hand  of  ni}-  clerk;  j-et  I 
endorse  it  b}'  mj'  own  hand,  and  request  its  contents 
to  be  made  as  public  as  consistent. 

As  above,  •  Orson  IIvde. 

Si'uiNOTOWN,  San  Pete  County,  U.  T., ) 
March  11,  lS(i2.  j 

11.  .MoTT,  lOsQ. — Dear  Sir:  I  have  planted  my  suit 
to  recover  the  value  of  our  jiropert)'  in  Washoe  Val- 
lej'  in  the  Chancer}-  of  Heaven.  Your  note  of  the 
sixteenth  ultimo  brought  mo  the  satisfactory  inform- 
ation that  the  ])apers  were  tlul}-  served;  and  now, 
without  further  argument,  I  am  willing  to  rest  our 
cause,  and  submit  it  to  a  final  decision.  But  one 
thing  1  wish  you,  for  your  own  sake,  to  remember, 
and  that  is,  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  the  words  of 
his  servants  have  almost  invariably  been  regarded 
by  a  wicked  and  unbelieving  race  as  mere  "moon- 
shine," or  as  something  of  far  less  conse<iuence.  I 
have  rested  my  cause,  and  shall  say  no  more  for 
some  time  yet  to  come. 

Truly  j^ours,  Or-son   Hyde. 


42 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTER     VII. 

WITHOUT   GOVERNMENT. 

1857. 

Exodus  of  tlie  Morni'ins— .Suconil  Attempt  at  lerritorial  Organ- 
ization— Pulilic  Meeting  in  Car3on  Valley— UL'Solutions — 
Memorial — Kxaggerated  .Statements — A  Fyetter  frim  .JuJge 
Crane  to  liis  I'onstituents — .Mountain  Meadow  M;i33iere, 
September  15,   1857 — Wejiteru  Utah  at  the  close  of    1857. 

In  1856  an  armed  mob  of  Mormons  had  driven  the 
United  States  District  Judge  from  the  bench  in  east- 
ern Utah,  and  he  had  fled  the  Territory.  The  relations 
between  our  Government  and  her  Mormon  citizens 
in  Utah  had  become  of  an  unequivocally  hostile  and 
bellifjerent  character.  Acts  in  defiance  of  law  were 
continuous;  murders  were  not  unfrequent,  and  a 
reign  of  terror  had  been  inaugurated  wherever  that 
church  was  in  the  ascendancy,  which  was  not  the  case 
in  Carson  County.  This  state  of  things,  amounting 
to  a  rebellion,  caused  President  Buchanan  to  send  a 
small  arm}^  under  (Jeneral  A.  Sydney  Johnston  to 
Salt  Lake  in  1857  for  the  purpose  of  re-establishing 
the  (iovcrnmeiit"s  sui)remuc}'  in  that  localit}'.  Brig- 
ham  Young  called  in  the  members  of  his  church  from 
all  parts  to  defend  the  City  of  the  Saints  against  the 
ap])roach  of  what  he  designated  as  the  armed  mob  of 
Gentiles. 

In  anticipation  of  such  a  state  of  things  the  Legis- 
lature of  Utah,  on  the  fourteenth  of  Januarj*.  1857, 
enacted  the  following  law:— 

*  *  *  *  "Said  county  is  allowed  to  retain 
its  present  organization  so  far  as  County  Recorder, 
Surveyor,  precincts,  and  |)reciiict  officers  are  con- 
cerned, and  maj'  continue  to  elect  those  officers  in 
accordance  with  the  existing  arrangement;*  and  laws, 
until  further  directed  by  Great  Salt  Lake  County 
Court  or  Legislative  enactment. 

"Section  5.— The  Record  books, papers  and  blanks, 
and  seals,  both  of  Probate  and  County  Courts,  shall 
be  delivered  over  to  the  order  of  the  Probate  Court 
of  Great  Salt  Lake  County." 

April  13lh  the  County  Court,  with  Chester  fjove- 
lan  for  Judge,  adjourned  until  the  first  Monday  in 
the  following  June;  but  it  was  September  3,  1800, 
before  there  was  another  session  of  this  branch  of  the 
Judiciary. 

On  the  si.xteonth  of  July  the  P.  G.  Sessions  Cali- 
fornia Mormon  train,  numbering  thirty-one  men,  six- 
teen women,  and  eighteen  children,  with  seventeen 
wagons,  forty  horses,  and  thirt3--two  mules  as  a 
means  of  transportation,  left  Kagle  Vallej-  for  Salt 
Lake. 

The  Conover  ('om|)nny  Kxprcss  arrived  in  Washoe 
Valley  just  after  sundown  on  the  fil'th  of  September, 
bearing  a  dispatch  calling  in  the  Mormons  ?»  masse 
from  western  Utah.  On  the  twentj-sixlh  of  that 
month  about  450  souls,  several  of  whom  were  from 
California  and  Oregon,  with  128  wagons,  started  in 
obedience  to  the  order,  and  reached,  on  the  second 
of  November,  the  City  of  the  Saints.  This  exodus 
of  Mormons  left  the  Truckeo  and  the  Washoe  Val- 
leys nearly  depopulated  for  a  lime,  and  Johntown 


in  the  same  condition,  not  a  store  remaining  at  the 
latter  place.  The  property  left  by  those  people  in 
titles  to  land  and  improvements  upon  it,  in  Carson 
Count)-,  passed  for  a  trifle  into  the  hands  of  others. 
Parties  coming  from  California  invested  in  this  real 
estate,  and  the  temporary  vacancy  created  by  their 
wholesale  abandonment  of  the  country,  was  soon 
supplied  by  Gentiles  anil  apostates  from  the  Brigham 
Young  theory  of  Mormonism. 

SECOND   ATTE.MPT   AT   TERllITORIAL   0R(1ANIZ.\TI0N. 

A  ver}'  formidable  effort  was  m  ide  to  procure  the 
authorization  by  Congress  of  a  new  Territory,  and 
consequent  org.mization  of  it  by  the  people  living 
along  the  oast  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  that  was 
set  on  foot  August  3,  1857.  The  initiatory  step  was 
made  at  a  public  meeting  held  in  (renoa,  of  which  the 
following  is  the  report  as  made  by  the  Secretary  of 
the  meeting.  It  will  be  observed  that  it  occurred 
after  the  departure  of  the  Mormon  train  under 
Sessions  from  Eagle  Valley  to  Salt  Lake,  and  about 
four  weeks  before  the  arrival  of  the  order  for  all 
Mormons  in  western  Utah  to  leave  that  section  for 
the  City  of  the  Saints.  It  will  be  further  observed 
that  Judge  Lovoland,  the  Mormon  elder,  was  invited 
to  address  the  meeting,  which  he  failed  to  do. 

PUBMC    MEETINd    IN    CARSON    VAI.LEV. 

At  a  primary  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Carson 
and  adjacent  V^alle^-s,  Utah  Territory,  held  at  Gil- 
bert's saloon,  on  Monday  evening,  August  3,  1857,  to 
take  preliminary  steps  toward  calling  a  grand  mass- 
meeting  of  citizens  for  the  purpose  of  petitioning 
Congress  to  organize  a  new  Territory  out  of  portions 
of  Utah,  California  and  New  Mexico,  on  motion. 
Col.  John  Reese  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  William 
Nixon  appointed  Secretary. 

The  object  of  the  meeting  was  briefly  stated  by 
the  Chair,  when  the  following  resolutions  were  unan- 
imously adopted : — 

BesofceJ.  That  a  mass-meeting  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Territory  of  Utah,  lying  oast  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains,  west  of  the  (iooso  Creek  Mount- 
ains, and  between  the  Colorado  River  on  the  south, 
and  the  Oi-egon  line  on  the  north,  be  held  on  Satiir- 
tlay,  the  eighth  da}'  of  August,  1857,  to  take  into 
consideration  this  subject,  and  to  jtrovide  ways  and 
means  for  presenting  this  whole  question  to  the 
earnest  consideration  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  both  Houses  of  Congress. 

Jiesoloed,  That  a  committee  of  nineteen  be  appointed 
to  make  arrangements  for  holding  said  mass-meet- 
ing in  the  town  of  (ienoa,  Carson  Valley,  on  Sat- 
urday, the  eighth  <l;»y  of  August,  1857. 

h'enofceil,  That  .luiige  Crane  and  Judge  Lovoland 
be  invited,  and  are  hereb}'  requested  to  address  the 
meeting  on  that  occasion. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  apjiointod  as  a 
committee  of  arrangements: — 

R.  I).  Sides,  Clear  Creek;  Dr.  B.  L.  King,  Kaglo 
Valley;  Dr.  ]:)aggett,  James  .McMarlin,  William  B. 
Thori-inglon,  Orin  Gray,  John  S.  Child,  Daniel 
Woodford,  Major  Ormsby,  D.  E.  Gilbert,  Samuel 
Singleton.  II.  Li.  Alexander,  and  eight  others,  (Jarson 
Valley. 


WITHOUT  GUVERMilENT. 


43 


On  motion  adjourned  to  moot  en  masse,  on  Satur- 
day, Auj^iist  Stli,  at  one  o'clock  p.  m. 

John  IiEESE,  Chairman. 

W.M.  ><1X0N,  Secrclary. 
Genoa,  August  3,  1857. 

On  the  day  indicated  there  assembled  at  Genoa 
a  mass-moetint;  that  was  called  to  order  Itj-  .Major 
Wni.  M.  Orm^by;  and  Colonel  John  lieese  having 
been  elected  President  thereof  the  following  gentle- 
men were  named  as  its  Vice-Presidents:  Isaac  Jtoop, 
Cajit.  F.  C".  Smith,  Dr.  B.  L.  King,  and  Solomon 
Perrin.  Upon  motion  of  Major  Ormsbj-  the  follow- 
ing committee  was  appointed,  to  ))re.<ent  business 
before  the  meeting:  Major  Ormsby,  \l.  1).  Sides, 
Klijah  Ivnott.  Thomas  J.  Singleton,  J)r.  15.  L.  King, 
Daniel  Woodford,  S.  Stephens,  Warren  Smith,  and 
John  ilcMarlin.  They  retired  to  perform  the  duties 
assigned  them,  and  in  their  absence,  Judge  James 
M.  Crane  addressed  the  meeting  for  about  one  hour, 
after  which,  that  committee  presented  the  following, 
which  were  adopted  as  the  voi_po  of  the  meeting: — 

UESOLCTION.S. 

WiiERE.\s,  The  people  inhabiting  the  territory 
commonl}-  known  as  the  Great  American  Basin, 
l3Mng  between  the  eastern  spurs  and  foot-hills  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  west  of  the  Goose  Creek  range  of 
mountains,  the  Oregon  line  on  the  north,  and  the 
Colorado  and  its  tributaries  on  the  south,  having 
become  convinced,  from  the  rapid  increase  of  popula- 
tion within  these  limits,  the  dangers  which  threaten 
us  from  the  numerous  hostile  tribes  of  Indians,  and 
from  the  absence  of  all  law  to  restrain  the  vicious, 
and  to  ])rotect  the  u])right.  that  some  kind  of  gov- 
ernment should  be  established  as  soon  as  ])ossibie  for 
the  better  security  of  life  and  property  to  it,  there- 
fore, 

Kesolceil,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  aforesaid  portion  of  the  (rreat  Basin,  in  mass- 
meeting  here  assembled,  that  for  the  better  security 
and  protection  of  their  lives  and  jiroperty,  as  well 
as  those  of  the  emigrants  crossing  the  plains  by  the 
several  routes  which  cross  the  continent  and  ])ass 
through  this  Territorj- to  and  from  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  States  and  Territories,  tliat  a  Territorial  Gov- 
ernment should  be  organized  within  the  aforesaid 
boundaries  b}'  Congress  within  the  shortest  possible 
time. 

Jiesuli-eil.  That  to  more  eHectually  secure  this  object 
a  memorial  lie  drawn  up.  setting  forth  all  the  fads 
and  reasons  for  this  movement,  and  that  the  same 
be  submitted  to  the  respectful  and  earnest  considera- 
tion of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  to 
both  Houses  of  Congress;  and  that  as  a  further 
means  to  secure  the  attainment  of  this  object,  a  Del- 
egate be  selected  by  the  citizens  of  the  aforesaid  ])ro- 
posed  Territory,  in  mass-meeting  here  assembled,  to 
visit  the  l''e<iei-al  ca](ital,  to  re|)resent  the  interests, 
wants  and  views  of  the  jieojile  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  and  to  both  Houses  of  t'ongress. 

Resolcfil ,  That  James  M.  Crane  be  and  he  is  hereby 
selected,  authorized,  and  apjtointed  Ity  the  citizens 
of  the  aforesaid  Territory,  in  mass-meeting  here 
assembled,  as  our  Delegate  to  represent  us  in  Wash- 
ington. 

liesolced,  That  from  Judge  Crane's  long  residence 
in  thiii  part  of  the  Union,  and  his  known  devotions 
to   its   interests,  from    his  personal  explorations  in. 


and  general  knowledge  of,  the  condition,  wants, 
and  resources  of  the  Great  American  Basin  and  the 
North  Pacific,  as  well  as  from  his  known  candor, 
fidelitj',  and  ability,  wo  feel  that  we  can  not  oidy 
intrust  our  interests  to  him  while  in  the  Federal 
Capital,  but  that  we  can  most  cordiallj-  recommend 
him  to  "the  powers  that  bo"  in  Washington. 

KesolceJ,  That  for  the  more  eft'ectual  accomplish- 
ment of  the  great  object  of  thjs  meeting,  that  a  com- 
I    mittec  be  appointed,  consisting  of  twenty-eight  ])er- 
I   sons,  to  manage  and  sLiperintend  all  matters  neces- 
sary and  projjcr  in  the  jiremises. 
I        kesuli-eil.  That  the  following-named  gentlemen  bo 
I    and  they  are  herelij'  a]iiioiiUe<l  said  committee,  with 
power   to    fill    all   vacancies  and    to    increase    their 
number  when  necessary,  viz.: — 

Honey  Lake  Valley — .Maj.  Isaac  Uoop.  Peter  Las- 
sen, Mr.  Arnold,  Wm.  Hdl,  and  Mr.  McMurlry. 

Eagle  Valley — Dr.  J}.  L.  King  and  Martin  Steb- 
bins. 

Carson  Valley — Maj.  Wm.  M.  Ormsby,  James 
McMarlin,  Dr.  C.  D.  Daggett,  Col.  John  Iteese,  Col. 
Wm.  J'odgers,  Thomas  J.  Singleton,  Moses  Job,  Wm. 
Thorrington,  Isaac  Farwell,  Daniel  Woodford,  Orrin 
Gray,  and  D.  Jv  (Jiibert. 

Willow  Town — Solomon  Perrin. 

Ragtown — James  (^uick. 

Twentj'-six-mile  Desert — Jefferson  Atchison. 

Sink  of  Humboldt — Samuel  Blackford. 

Walker  River  and  Valley— T.  J.  Hall  and  James 
Mc  In  tyre. 

Hope  Vallej- — S.  Stevenson. 

Lake  Valley— M.  Smith. 

Resolved,  That  the  United  States  Senators  and 
Representatives  in  Congress  from  California,  and  the 
Congressional  Delegates  from  Oregon,  Washington, 
Utah,  and  New  >lexico,  be  and  they  are  hereby 
invited  and  requested  to  use  their  personal  and 
ofticial  influence  with  their  brother  Senators  and 
Representatives  in  Congress  to  secure  the  passage  of 
an  Act  by  that  body  for  the  organization  of  the 
aforesaid  Territory. 

Jiesulced.  That  the  newspaper  press  of  California, 
Oregon,  Washington,  Utah  and  New  Me.Kico,  bo 
requested  to  ])ublish  the  aforesaid  proceedings  and 
memorial,  and  to  use  their  editorial  infiuenco  in  giv- 
ing aid  and  comfort  to  this  undertaking. 

Resolced,  That  the  yatioiml  FnteUiyencer,  Wasking- 
toii  Union,  New  Orleans  Picayune,  Crescent  and  True 
Delta,  the  New  York  llerall,  Tribune,  News  and  Tines 
and  other  inlhiential  pa]iers  in  the  Atlantic  States  of 
the  Union,  be  and  they  are,  also,  hereby  inviteii  and 
requested  to  publish  these  jjroceedings  and  ntemorial 
and  otherwise  extend  to  us  the  benefit  of  their  pow- 
erful influence  and  sujiport. 

Rfnoh-e.it,  That  the  President  and  Secretaries  bo 
appointed  a  committoo  to  attend  to  the  publication 
of  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting. 

.MEMORI.VL. 

The  citizens  inhabiting  the  valleys  within  the 
Great  Basin  of  the  American  Continent,  to  be  here- 
inafter described,  beg  leave  respectfully  to  jjresent 
for  the  earnest  consideration  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  members  of  both  Houses  of 
Congress  this  their  jietition;  ])raying  for  the  organ- 
ization of  a  new  Territory  of  the  I'nited  States.  Wo 
do  not  propose  to  come  with  any  tlourish  of  trumpets 
or  multiply  words  in  this  memorial,  but  we  propose 
simply  to  submit  a  few  jtlain  statements  as  the 
inducements  and  reasons  which  actuate  us  in  making 
this  appeal  to  those  who  have  the  power  to  remedy 


u 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE^OF  NEVADA. 


the  existinii;  difficulties  and  embarrassments  under 
which  we  now  hibor  and  BuH'er. 

A  hirjjje  portion  of  the  inhabitants  who  make  this 
a]ij»eal  to  the  powers  tiiat  be  in  Washington,  have 
been  residing  within  the  region  hereinafter  described, 
for  the  last  six  or  seven  j'ears,  withoijt  any  Terri- 
torial, State,  or  Federal  jiroteclion  from  Indian  dep- 
redations and  marauding  outlaws,  runawa}'  criminals 
and  convicts,  as  well  as  other  evil-doers  among  white 
men  and  Indians. 

Those  who  have  come  into  this  Territory  since 
then  have  and  are  still  suttering  and  encountering 
the  same  difficulties  which  the}-  have  ever  met  with, 
and  we  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  life  and  j)rop- 
ertj'  can  ever  be  made  secure  in  this  jjart  of  the 
country  until  some  form  of  government  shall  be 
established  by  which  laws  inaj'  be  jiassed  and 
enforced  upon  the  disobedient  and  vicious. 

We  are  peaceable  inhabitants  and  law-abiding  cit- 
izens, and  do  not  wish  to  see  anarchy,  violence, 
bloodshed,  and  crime  of  every  hue  and  grade  waving 
their  horrid  scepter  over  this  portion  of  our  common 
countr}-. 

In  the  winter-lime  the  snows  that  fall  upon  the 
summits  and  s]nirs  of  the  Sierra  >.'eva<ia,  fre(iuentlj- 
interrui)t  all  intercourse  and  communications  between 
the  Great  Basin  and  the  State  of  Califoriiia,  and  the 
Territories  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  for  nearly 
four  months  everj-  year.  During  the  same  time  all 
intercourse  and  communication  between  us  and  the 
civil  authorities  of  Utah  arc  likewise  closed. 

Within  this  space  of  time,  and  indeed  from  our 
anomalous  condition  during  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
no  debts  can  be  collected  by  law;  no  offenders  can 
be  arrested,  and  no  crime  can  be  ])unislied  except  by 
the  code  of  Judge  Lynch,  and  no  obedience  to 
government  can  be  enforced,  and  for  these  reasons 
there  is  and  can  be  no  protection  to  either  life  or 
property  except  that  which  may  be  derived  I'rom 
the  j)eaceably  disposed,  the  good  sense  and  patriot- 
ism of  the  people,  or  from  the  fearful,  unsatisfactory, 
and  terrible  defense  and  ])rotection  which  the  revol- 
ver, the  bowie-knife,  and  other  deadly  weapons  may 
aftbrd  us. 

Even  in  the  spring,  summer,  and  fall  months,  we 
are  destitute  of  all  power  and  means  of  enjoying  the 
benetits  ol  the  local  Territorial  liovernmenl  of  Utah, 
to  which  the  most  of  us  belong,  as  well  as  the  local 
and  neighboring  Government  of  California,  Oregon, 
Washington,  and  IS'ew  iMexico.  The  distance  be- 
tween the  Great  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  innumerable 
fertile  valleys  which  lie  along  the  eastern  spurs  and 
foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  where  the  most  of 
the  population  of  this  section  reside,  is  nearly  800 
miles,  and  over  this  immense  space  there  swee])  two 
deserts.  On  this  account  no  intercourse  or  commu- 
nication of  a  legal  or  pcjlilical  nature  is  or  can  be 
held  with  the  civil  authorities  of  I" tali.  The  only 
authority  acknowledged  in  this  part  ot  Utah  Terri- 
tor}-,  by  any  class  of  ))eo])le,  is  that  which  the  Cliurcli 
of  the  liatter  Oa^'  Saints,  whose  members  are  gener- 
ally known  under  the  sobri(juet  of  Mormons,  exer- 
cises over  its  votaries  and  disciples.  Neither  they 
nor  the  Gentiles  appear  to  look  to  the  Territorial 
Government  of  Utah  for  an}-  statutory  laws  for  the 
regulation  of  their  business,  or  for  the  government 
of  their  conduct.  The  .Mormons,  in  all  their  social 
afl'airs,  conform  to  the  general,  voluntary  rules  and 
habits  of  life  among  the  Gentiles,  but  they  regulate 
all  their  business  affairs,  dealing  and  intercourse 
with  each  other  b}-  certain  established  rules  of  the 
church  and  not  by  any  laws  ])assed  by  the  legisla- 
tive deijartment  of  the  Territory. 


These  are  but  a  part  of  the  grievancesunder  which 
we  labor.  Xearlj-  one-half  of  the  country  in  which 
the  most  of  your  ])etitioners  reside,  has  but  two  Jus- 
tices of  the  Peace  and  one  Constable,  and  while  no 
one  even  respects  their  authoritj-.  there  are  not  jier- 
haps  fifty  men  in  the  w-hole  county  who  know  or 
care  to  know  who  thej-  are  or  where  they  live. 
Should  they  attempt  to  exercise  any  authority,  the}' 
would  be  regarded  not  only  as  intermeddlers  but 
intruders.  Nearly  the  whole  region  in  which  the 
most  of  }-our  petitioners  reside,  was  once  erected 
into  a  count}-  called  'Carson"  by  the  Territorial  l^eg- 
islature  of  Utah,  but  for  some  reason  or  reasons 
unknown  to  your  petitioners,  the  same  Legislature 
has  abolished  the  county  organization  and  has  estab- 
lished in  lieu  of  it  an  election  jirecinct — a  precinct 
too,  in  which  nobody  votes  for  an  officer,  and  nobody 
cares  to  vote. 

The  present  iiuinlier  of  white  inhabitants  who 
reside  within  the  limits  of  the  proposed  new  Terri- 
tory, cannot  be  far  from  7. (MM)  to  S,IKM»  souls, 
and  their  numbers  are  rajiidly  increasing.  As  the 
county  has  no  less  than  2(10  intermediate  val- 
valleys,  which  run  into  one  another,  of  the  most 
fertile  grazing  and  agricultural  lands,  as  well  as  foot- 
hills, mount;iiii  spurs  and  mountains  in  which  are 
found  gold,  silver,  copper,  leail,  iron,  coal  and  other 
minerals,  metals  and  precious  stones,  we  have  good 
reason  to  suppose  that,  when  they  are  ]iro])erly 
cxplored  and  developed,  it  will  be  found  that  we 
possess,  /or  its  e.f/ent,  one  of  the  richest  ttiul  most  jiru- 
il active  re.tjions  of  the  ylohe.  As  the  evidence  in  sup- 
port of  these  facts  is  known  and  can  be  known  now 
to  but  a  few  individuals,  we  do  not  propose  here  to 
discuss  the  subject,  but  rather  to  wait  until  further 
explorations  shall  develop  all  the  necessary  evidence 
in  support  of  the  truth  of  our  statements.  For  these 
and  many  other  reasons  there  will  soon  be  a  rush  of 
population  to  this  new  Territory  like  that  which 
rapidly  poured  into- Texas  and  California  in  days 
passed  ;  and,  unless  a  Territorial  (iovermneiit  or 
some  other  form  of  government  shall  be  established 
during  the  coming  -session  of  Congress  we  may 
expect  to  witness  scenes  of  a  tragical  character  so 
appalling  and  startling- in  their  nature  as  to  make 
every  man  feel  that  no  law  can  or  should  rule  but 
that  which  is  enlbrced  by  the  iron  and  savage  rule 
of  unrestrained  violence  and  bloodshed. 

There  are  some  portions  of  the  (Jreat  liasin  of  this 
continent,  claimed  by  the  State  of  California,  in 
which  reside  a  considerable  number  of  people  who, 
in  the  winter  time,  can  have  no  connection  with  it. 
This  is  the  case  with  those  who  reside  in  iloney 
Lake  Valley.  That  valley  lies  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevadas,  and  within  the  ttreal  Jiasin,  and  from  this 
cause  the  jieople  living  in  it  have  no  intercourse  with 
other  ])arls  t)f  the  Slate  during  the  rainy  season  for 
nearly  lour  months  every  year.  They,  therefore, 
naturally  belong  to  the  eastern  side  of  the  Sierra 
Nevadas,  and  on  this  account  they  desire  to  join  us 
in  this  movement.  If  they  are  forced  to  remain 
with  California  they  can  never  know  anything  about 
the  affairs  of  their  State  during  the  whole  time  its 
Legislature  may  be  in  session.  It  is,  therefore, 
folly,  and  worse  than  folly,  to  attach  the  |)eo])le  of 
this  valley  to  a  State  about  which  they  know  noth- 
ing, anil  care  notliing.  for  one-third  of  the  year,  and 
that  third  the  most  important  part  of  it  to  them. 
They  therefore  cordially  unite  with  us  in  this  prayer 
and  memorial  to  ('ongress,  asking  not  only  that  they 
may  be  attached  to  the  proposeil  new  Territory,  but 
that  they  may  add  their  united  voice  in  support  of 


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WITHOUT  GOVERNMENT. 


45 


the  grout  necessities  for  the  organization  of  tiio 
aforesaid  Territory. 

There  are  others  residing  in  the  southern  part  of 
California,  on  the  eastern  side  of  llio  Sierra  Xevadas, 
wiio  are  similarly  situated  iliiring  a  portion  of  the 
winter  niontlis  of  each  year.  That  part,  also,  of 
New  Mexico,  Ijing  near  tlte  Colorado  IJiver  and  its 
trihutaries,  and  witijin  the  tiadsdon  Purchase,  adja- 
cent to  them,  have  the  same  dillicullics  of  cmnniuni- 
cating  with  the  civil  authorities  of  New  Mexico  at 
Santa  Fe,  or  any  other  local  and  neighboring  govern- 
ment, that  a  large  jiortion  of  your  petitioners  have 
to  encounter  in  communicating  with  I'tah.  Califor- 
nia, and  Oregon  in  the  winter  season. 

In  a<ldition  to  the  facts  here  presented  we  suhmit 
tiiat  all  the  routes  across  the  continent,  between  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  will  be, 
by  the  organization  of  this  new  Territory,  amply 
guarded  and  ]irotected.  The  population  of  the 
Indian  tribes  within  the  ]iro))osed  Territory-  cannot 
be  far  from  7.').(l(l()  to  1(1(1. U(l(»  souls,  and  the  most  of 
them,  undei-  ])ro])i.'r  management,  could  be  very 
easily  controlled  if  wc  had  anyiliing  like  an  organ- 
izeil  government  within  our  limits.  For  these  and 
many  other  cogent  considerations,  which  will  readily 
suggest  themselves,  we  pray  for  the  organization  of 
the  aforesaid  Territory. 

Below  we  submit  for  the  consideration  of  the 
members  of  both  Houses  of  Congress,  a  rough  sketch 
of  the  boundaries,  which  we  woidil  suggest  as  the 
most  ))racticable  and  appropriate  for  the  j)roposed 
new  Territory-: — 

Beginning  on  the  northwest  on  a  line  of  42°  north 
latitude,  and  longitude  120°,  thence  following  the 
Oregon  and  Utah  boundary  line  on  a  direct  east 
course  to  longitude  11(5°,  thence  a  southeast  course, 
to  about  north  latitude  38°  and  longitude  114°, 
thence  farther  on  in  the  same  direction  to  north 
latitude  34°  and  longitude  112°,  thence  almost  a  due 
south  course  to  the  boumhuy  line  between  the  State 
of  Sonora,  in  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  and  the  Terri- 
tory of  New  Mexico,  thenco  along  that  lino  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  California,  and  thence  along 
the  latter  line  to  the  ])lace  of  beginning. 

This  bounilary  takes  in  a  range  of  valleys  that 
are  almost  indissolubl}'  connected  together,  and  in 
the  winter-time  the  people  who  inhabit  them  are 
almost  entirely  shut  out  from  all  communication 
with  California,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Oregon,  and 
Washington;  but  in  all  seasons  they  (^an  ami  do 
enjoy  free  intercourse  with  one  another.  All  the 
proposed  wagon,  military,  stage,  and  rai'roatl  routes, 
between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  States  and  Terri- 
tories across  the  continent,  enter  and  pass  through 
these  valleys.  All  the  Indian  tribes  which  are  now 
the  most  troublesome  to  settlers  and  emigrants  in 
this  region,  either  roam  in,  or  surround,  those  val- 
leys. For  those,  and  similar  urgent  reasons  and 
considerations,  we  ask  that  they  may  he  united  in 
ono  Teri'itory,  and  that  said  Territory  be  organized 
by  t'ongress  within  the  shortest  possible  time,  and 
for  which  ^-our  petitioners  will  ever  Jiray. 

A  committee  was  then  nominated,  consisting  of 
W.  W.  Nicols,  R.  I).  Sides,  Orrin  Gray,  J.  K.  Triimbo, 
and  Col.  William  Rodgers,  to  procure  signatures  to 
the  memorial. 

Hy  the  unanimous  request  of  the  meeting,  .Milton 
S.  llall  and  II.  P.  Duskins,  were  called  u|)on  to  sing 
the  Star  Spangled  Banner,  which  they  did  in  excel- 
lent style.  The  meeting  then  adjourned,  with  the 
full  determination  of  all  to  work  in  good  earnest  to 


accomplish  the  success  of  the  undertaking.     (Jreat 
harmony  and  enthusiasm  prevailed  on  the  occasion. 

J(UI.N  Rke.se,  I'l-eHiilenl. 
D.   E.  (ill.HEKT,   I    c         ,       . 

J.  K.   Iki Miio,  I 

The  valleys  number  from  200  to  250,  and  range  in 
size  from  10  to  1(1(1  miles  in  length.  They  are  a/f 
nlliiri'il,  and  are  the  best  ijrtizinij  nnd  lujiirultunil 
Iduil.ion  thin  i-outinint.  ( 'omparativcly  no  metals  or 
minerals  have  yet  been  found  in  them,  although  it  is 
believed  that  m;iny  of  them  contain  both.  The 
foot-hills  lying  throughout  this  basin,  as  well  as  the 
mountains,  are  known  to  possess  gold,  silver,  cojjpcr, 
lead,  zinc,  iron,  coal,  and  many  other  metals  and  min- 
erals, as  well  as  precious  n/ouen.  Already  man}^  cop- 
per, gold,  silver,  iron  and  coal  mines  are  being 
worked. 

Thus  far  thej'  have  proven  to  be  the  richest  found 
on  this  side  of  the  continent. 

The  Indian  tribes  are  numerous  throughout  the 
proposed  Territory.  The  aggregate  Indian  popula- 
tion is  supposed  to  be  from  100,000  to  115,000.* 

About  four  weeks  after  this  meeting  was  held, 
occurred  that  horrible  massacre  l)y  the  Moi'inonsand 
Indiansof  those  emigrants  at  the  .Mountain  .Meadows. 
This  fact  was  not  known  to  the  outside  world  until 
long  afterwards,  although  in  October  the  news 
reached  Los  Angeles  of  the  fate  of  the  train.  It 
was  sui)posed  that  Indians  alone  had  committed  the 
deed,  but  it  soon  began  to  be  believed  that  Mormons 
had  incited  them.  This,  with  the  further  fact  of  hos- 
tilitj-  to  the  Government  by  Brigham  Young  and  his 
followers,  caused  the  papers  of  California  to  ativo- 
cate  the  creation  of  this  proposed  new  Territory,  and 
some  of  the  absurd  exaggerations  in  regard  to  its 
importance,  made  by  correspondents,  and  editoriallj-, 
in  furtherance  of  the  plan,  furnishes  some  amusing 
reading  at  this  time.     The  following  is  a  samjile: — 

[From  tlio  SacramfiUo  SttUi'  Joiinial,  October  25,  1 857.] 
We  have  from  time  to  time  presented  to  the  pub- 
lic statements  and  facts  in  relation  to  the  ]>roject  of 
founding  and  organizing  a  new  Territory  of  the 
United  States  within  the  trreat  Basin  of  the  Ameri- 
can Continent.  ****** 
Now  for  the  count r}^  /x^r  se. 

Thej-  are  broken  up  into  many  bands.  The  Pah 
Yutes  are  much  the  largest  in  number,  being  about 
40,000.  They  are  not  hostile  to  the  Americans,  and 
have  never  favored  the  .Mormons.  They  are  friendly 
to  a  now  Territorj',  and  in<leed  anxious  for  it.  The}- 
desire  to  cultivate  the  arts  of  peace,  and  become 
tillers  of  the  soil.  They  are  the  best  servants  in 
America;  indeed,  they  have  shown  themselves  to 
be  excellent  cooks,  farmers,  herdsmen,  and  mechanics. 
All  the  other  tribes  are  war-like,  insincere,  treach- 
erous, and  the  most  of  them  blood  thirsty.  Should 
a  Territory  be  organized,  the  Pah  Yutes  would 
])romptly  ui\ite  witli  the  whites,  and  identity  them- 
selves with  the  peaceful  progress  of  the  country. 

The  following  letter  from  Judge  Crano,  shows 
that  tho  creation  of  tho  Territory  of  Sierra  Nevada 

"As  a  .sainplr  i>f  the  fx:i;;;tr;ittil  atntc-inunta  of  tlio  lu'riod  to 
wliicli  it  n'lati-H  tliis  im  iiitrrt'.stiii^,  ami  is  tlio  fXL'iiSf  for  its  iiiscr- 
tiDii,  liiit  at  that  time  tliere  were  iiii  minus  worthy  of  note  in  tlio 
Territory,  anil  it  is  doubtful  if  the  uumbcr  of  Indiana  exceeded 
•25,000. 


46 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


was  coii;<idered  at  Wasliinttton  about  the  same  as 
an  accomplished  fact  at  one  time,  but  the  Act  was 
finally  defeated: — 

JUDGE    CRANE    TO     UIS    CONSTITUENTS. 

Wasiiini;ton,  February  18,  1858. 

Fellow-Citizens:  It  affords  me  much  satisfaction 
to  furnish  you  in  advance  information  of  great 
interest.  The  Comniitteo  on  Territories  has  unani- 
mously aj^reed  to  report  a  bill  forthwith  to  establish 
a  Territorial  Government  out  of  western  Utah, 
under  the  name  of  Sierra  Nevada.  It  will  be 
bounded  on  the  east  b}'  the  Goose  Creek  Mountains, 
on  the  west  by  the  Sierra  Nevada,  or  the  eastern 
line  of  California,  on  the  north  by  the  Oregon  line, 
and  on  the  south  b}*  the  Colorado  River. 

The  bill  will  be  pressed  through  both  Houses  of 
Congre.ss,  by  all  parties,  as  having  an  immediate 
connection  with  the  present  militaiy  movements 
against  the  Mormons.  It  has  been  agreed  upon 
that  it  shall  form  a  part  of  the  measures  designed 
to  compress  the  limits  of  the  Mormons  in  the  Great 
Basin,  and  to  defeat  their  efforts  to  corrujjt  and  con- 
federate with  the  Indian  tribes  who  now  reside  in 
or  roam  through  western  Utah.  For  these  and 
many  other  reasons,  no  time  will  be  lost  to  organize 
a  Territory  over  western  Utah,  that  there  maj'  be 
concentrated  there  a  large  Gentile  |)Opulation,  as  a 
check  both  upon  the  Indians  and  Mormons.  *  *  * 
To  the  lion.  William  Smith,  the  able  member  of 
Congress  from  the  <  >range  Congressional  District  in 
Virginia  (well  known  in  California),  j'ou  and  I  owe 
an  everlasting  debt  of  gratitude  for  bringing  about 
this  auspicious  result.     *     *     * 

In  connection  with  this  subject  permit  me  to  say 
(for  I  am  not  writing  to  you  unadvisedly)  that  you 
all  sow  and  jilant  heavy  crops  of  grain  and  vegeta- 
bles this  spring,  for  they  will  briiu/  rewhj  sale  at  good 
cash  prices  to  supply  the  army  and  the  Iwlians  on  their 
reser cations.  *  *  *  *  As  soon  as  I  shall  get  my 
seat  I  think  I  can  secure  mail  routes  between  Car- 
son Valley,  via  Gold  Caiion.  Raglown,  .Sink  of  the 
Humboldt,  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  from  llonej- 
Lake  to  the  Humboldt,  where  the  two  lines  form  a 
junction.  As  to  the  establishment  of  other  neces- 
sary mail  routes  in  the  Territory  I  have  no  fears. 
in  connect'on  with  this  subject  also,  I  have  great 
hopes  of  having  a  bill  passed  to  bridge  the  deep 
snow  region  on  the  Sierra  Nevada,  over  the  Honey 
Lake  and  I'lacerville  routes,  so  as  to  keep  open  com- 
munication between  our  Territory  and  California  all 
the  year  around.  The  deep  snow  region  on  the 
I'lacerville  route  is,  1  think,  about  eight  miles  in  ex- 
tent, and  on  the  Honey  Lake  route,  ela  Shasta, 
about  the  same.  Neither  will  cost  over  85(1,(100  or 
gGO,0U0.  *  *  *  In  conclusion,  I  hope  the  Legis- 
lature of  California  will  be  as  liberal  and  as  gener- 
ous to  you  as  Virginia  was  to  Kentucky  in  her  days 
of  infancy  and  trial,  and  as  Georgia  was  to  Alabama 
in  her  days  of  infancy;  and  like  them,  withdraw 
her  jurisdiction  over  valleys  lying  oast  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  that  they  maj'  all  come  under  our  Terri- 
torial Government. 

Ever  your  faithful  friend,         James  M,  Crane. 

The  foregoing  will  give  the  reader  a  fair  idea  of 
the  state  of  mind  that  the  settlers  of  western  Utah 
were  in,  and  the  inducements  that  urged  them  to  a 
8e))aration.  It  further  presents  the  pecuniary  out- 
look  that  floated   before  the  mental   vision    of  the 


rancher  whose  products  from  the  soil  was  to 
feed  115,(100  Indians  on  reservations,  and  the  sol- 
diers that  were  to  keep  them  and  the  Mormons  in 
cheek.  Western  Utah  was  a  miners'  and  farmers' 
paradise,  where  the  roads  to  wealth  were  to  be 
paved  by  the  U.  S.  Treasury,  with  coin,  over  fields 
of  precious  stones,  and  the  richest  silver  and  gold 
mines  on  the  continent.  These  exaggerations  had 
their  efTTect,  and  the  public  was  being  slowly  pre- 
pared for  an  excitement  such  as  followed  the  eventual 
discovery  of  the  Comstock  Lode. 

.MOUNr.\IN  MEADOW  MASSACRE. 

In  advance  of  the  arrival  of  General  Johnston's 
army,  an  emigrant  train  from  the  .States  on  its  way 
overland  to  California,  stopped  at  Salt  Lake  for  a 
time  to  procure  provisions.  It  was  a  compan}'  of 
superior  intelligence,  refinement,  and  wealth,  that 
numbered  150  souls  all  told.  Thej-  had  an  outfit 
unusually  fine  and  complete,  their  live-stock  and 
transportation  alone  being  valued  at  §300,000.  It 
was  an  assemblage  of  farmers,  ministers,  doctors, 
mechanics  and  artisans,  who  had  been  lured  by  the 
sheeny  hues  of  the  "golded  fleece"  from  pleasant, 
happy  homes  in  Arkansas,  Missouri  and  Illinois  to 
seek  other  ones,  on  the  Pacific  Coast;  that  far-off 
land  where  distance  lent  enchantment  to  the  view. 
It  was  as  much  a  transcontinental  l)arty  of  pleasure 
as  aught  else,  and  recorded  among  its  numbers  the 
infant,  the  happy  youth,  the  joyous  maid,  the  fond 
parent,  and  white-haired  doting  grandam  and 
sire;  the  j-oung,  the  middle-aged  and  old,  a  grand 
patriarchal  family  moving  with  the  star  of  empire 
west.  Their  supply  of  provisions  had  been  ]irovided 
in  quantity  sutticieiit  only  to  last  them  to  Salt  Lake 
where  it  was  supposed  that  whatever  would  bo 
required  to  complete  the  journey  could  be  obtained. 
They  knew  nothing  of  the  impending  war,  and  were 
first  startled  into  a  comprehension  of  the  peril  that 
menaced  them  when  it  was  found  that  their  money 
would  not  buy  food.  The  .Mormons  would  neither 
sell  nor  give  it  them,  and  starvation  in  a  land  of  plenty 
stared  them  in  the  face.  They  were  ordered  to 
leave  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  journey  was  resumed 
along  the  southern  route  b}'  the  way  of  San  Bernar- 
dino for  the  coast.  Settlement  after  settlement  was 
passed  and  not  a  thing  could  be  procured  for  love  or 
mone}-  to  eat  except  eight  bushels  of  corn  obtained 
from  the  Indians.  Cave  S])rings  was  finally  reached 
September  Gth,  in  the  Mountain  Meadows  near  the 
southeast  line  of  what  is  now  Nevada.  At  this  point 
while  resting  to  give  their  stock  a  chance  to  graze 
and  recruit,  they  were  attacked  suddenly  on  tho 
morning  of  the  seventh,  by  a  combined  f'oi'co  of 
Indians,  and  Mormons  disguiseil  as  Indians,  under 
the  leadership  of  John  D.  Leo.  Seven  of  the  emi- 
grants were  killed  at  the  first  fire,  some  of  these 
being  awakened  by  the  leaden  messenger  of  death 
from  their  morning  slumberings  into  the  realms  of 
the  dark    unknown.      Fifteen    more    were    wounded 


WITHOUT  G0\T5RNMENT. 


47 


and  the  closing  act  of  the  darkest  drama  blistering  a 
page  in  history  had  begun.  The  tMnii;r'aiits  rallying 
like  brave  men  as  thej'  were,  beat  otV  their  assailants 
and  threw  up  temporary  tbrtifiealions.  In  the 
resistance  two  of  the  attacking  Jiarty  were  mortally 
wounded  and  Hishop  lligbee,  the  Monnon  represent- 
ative of  God's  mercj',  love,  justice  and  truth,  got 
down  on  his  knees  and  blessed  the  assassins,  calling 
upon  the  Su|)roine  IJuler  to  he.il  them,  and  Gotl 
neglected  to  do  it. 

The  Mormons  withdrew  to  procure  reinforcements, 
and  two  brave  men  among  the  emigrants  undertook 
to  break  through  and  procure  assistance  from  where, 
God  oidy  knew,  for  California  was  hundreds  of  miles 
away.  One  of  them  was  named  William  A.  Aden,  a 
Tonnessocan,  young,  chivalrous  and  bravo,  but  they 
met  the  notorious  Hill  Stewart  and  a  boy  at  Pinto 
Creek,  who  killed  young  Aden  while  his  wounded 
companion  escaped.  A  few  years  later  Stewart 
went  with  a  i'riend  to  ])oint  out  where  he  too  had 
slain  a  Gentile,  and  while  there  amused  himself  by 
contemptuouslj-  kicking  about  the  bleaching  bones  of 
his  unburied  victim,  and  yet  that  soulless,  unhung 
miscreant  still  lives  near  the  scene  of  his  atrocity. 
Jlondaj-  passed,  Tuesday  came  and  was  gone,  and 
Wednesday  brought  with  it  neither  sign,  or  hope  of 
relief.  From  the  surrounding  overlooking  hills 
came  the  constant  report  of  the  merciless  rifle  as  the 
besiegers  continued  to  fire  upon  the  e.xposed  stock 
or  any  living  thing  lli.it  shnwed  itself  from  within 
that  human  slaughter  house.  The  situation  had 
become  desperate,  they  were  without  water,  the 
spring  being  a  little  ways  from  the  fortification,  and 
commanded  b}'  the  enem^-'s  rifles.  A  heroine,  hoping 
that  her  se.\  might  pi)ssii)ly  ])rotect  her,  stei)|)ed  out- 
side the  inclosure  to  milk  a  cow,  when  her  life  paid 
the  penalty  of  the  act.  Two  children,  like  stray 
doves  from  the  ark,  dressed  in  pure  white,  hand  in 
hand  with  a  small  ]>ail,  started  for  the  si)ring  to  pro- 
cure water  for  the  famishing  garrison.  Half  the  way 
had  been  passed  when  these  little  martyr  innocents 
sank  by  the  trail,  ))ierced  with  merciless  bullets,  as  a 
cry  of  horror  from  the  besieged,  drowning  the 
despairing  shriek  of  the  childless  mothers,  wont  up 
towards  heaven  and  brought  no  answering  vengeance 
upon  the  murderers.  It  was  tluMi  decided  to  make 
one  last,  desperate,  and  almost  hopeless  effort  to 
communicate  with  the  outside  woi-ld.  A  manuscript 
was  jireparetl,  stating  the  conilition  of  the  |>arty  and 
giving  the  history  of  the  wIkiIc  all'air,  I'pon  it  was 
written  the  names  of  all  the  jiersons  constituting  the 
party;  their  residence  before  starling  upon  the  ex])e- 
dition,  to  which  was  added  the  names  and  number 
of  each  Masonic  or  Odd  Fellows'  lodge,  the  denomi- 
nation of  every  church  orsociety  in  the  East  thathad 
a  rejiresontativc  among  that  part}',  doomed  to  be 
annihilated.  The}-  did  not  expect  to  get  this  record 
through  the  lines  to  tell  humanity  of  the  ghoulish 
infam}-  that  was  striving  to  make  a  common  gi-ave 
blot  out  and  hide  this  fiendish  tragedy  and  its  victims 


from  the  world,  yet  something  might  transpire  to  place 
it  before  the  world.  At  length  three  men,  ''the  bravest 
of  the  brave,"  volunteered  to  attempt  that  night  the 
jiassago  of  the  line  with  the  record,  and  strive  while 
life  lasted  to  reach  California,  hundreds  of  miles  away 
over  the  mountains,  through  the  deserts,  on  foot, 
guideloss  and  without  tood.  It  was  a  hopeless  task, 
the  offspring  of  dcs])air,  anti  as  the  night  closed  in 
around  them  and  the  stars  came  out  to  look  down 
upon  the  world,  they  saw  this  doomed  garrison 
gather  around  a  white-haired  old  minister,  whoso 
outstretched  hands  and  upturned  face  was  calling 
upon  the  throne  of  Omni])otence  to  help  this  forlorn 
hope  of  three  to  reach — beyond  the  encircling  coil  of 
savages — the  honi's  of  humanity.  At  miilniglit  the 
throe  stole  forth,  they  passed  the  line  of  the  besiegers, 
but  the  next  da}'  their  trail  was  discovered  and  Indi- 
ans in  charge  of  Ira  Hatch  were  sent  in  jiui'suit. 
They  were  surprised  while  asleep  on  the  Santa 
Clara  Mountains,  where  two  were  killed  and  one 
escaped,  wounded  in  the  wrist,  who  struggled 
on  until  he  reached  the  Las  Vegas  in  southern 
Nevada,  close  to  the  California  line.  The  writer  of 
this  in  1873  stood  in  the  place  where  he  fell,  and  lis- 
tened to  a  detail  of  the  manner  in  which  the  last  of 
those  three  was  murdered.  As  ho  was  staggering 
along  the  road,  two  men,  one  of  them  John  .M. 
Young,  on  their  waj-  to  Salt  Lake,  met  and  cjtfored 
him  assistance;  offered  to  smuggle  him  back  to  Salt 
Lake,  ami  as  he  was  journej^ing  with  them  on  his 
return,  was  met  near  Cottonwood  by  the  jtursuing 
part}',  to  whom  he  was  unwillingly  ilelivered  up. 
At  a  signal  from  the  white  miscreant,  Ira  Hatch,  the 
Indians  rained  a  shower  of  slow  arrows  u|)on  the 
wretched  victim,  that,  entering  the  flesh,  served  only 
as  torture  shafts,  hanging  to'goad  the  prisoner  to  his 
death.  He  turned  and  ran  with  a  feeble  dragging 
step,  away  from  the  road,  leisurely  pursued  by  the 
assailants,  who  continued  their  target  practice  upon 
him.  But  it  could  not  last  always,  and  when  despair 
and  pain  had  driven  away  his  life,  the  coyotes  came 
and  feasted  on  what  was  left  of  the  last  of  the  three 
dead  heroes.  The  ])apers  that  they  had  striven  so 
nobl}'  to  place  in  friendly  hands,  were  retained  by  a 
Mormon  for  several  years,  but  finally  were  destroyed 
by  John  I).  Lee,  one  of  their  bishops  and  the  leader  in 
the  massacre. 

lii  the  mcuTitinic  the  eniii^rant  |>:irly  had  met  its 
fate.  When  the  assailants  foiunl  that  to  attack  and 
overpower  the  besieged  uoiiM  cost  too  many  of 
their  own  lives,  it  was  dciided  to  treacherously  lure 
them  to  their  fleath. 

In  carr^'ing  out  this  plan  messengers  were  sent  to 
confer  with  them  under  a  flag  of  tru<'e,  to  say  that 
the  Mormons  had  come  to  save  them  from  the 
Indians  who  were  their  assailants,  and  that  if  the 
garrison  would  surrender  to  them  all  should  be  held 
as  prisoners  an<l  protected,  Kclying  upon  this 
assurance  the  surrender  was  made,  and  the  emi- 
grants,  in    com])lianco    with    instructions  from    the 


48 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Mormons,  moved  out  from  their  defenses  unarmed, 
with  the  wounded  and  children  in  wa<<ons,  followed 
by  the  women  in  single  file,  the  men  bringing  up 
the  rear.  The}-  were  suddenly  assailed  while  moving 
in  this  form  by  both  xaiutu  and  Indians,  and  in  five 
minutes  the  only  living  members  of  that  ill-starred 
party,  that  had  numbered  over  150  souls,  were 
eighteen  children,  who  were  supposed  to  be  so 
young  that  their  memories  could  not  rise  up  in  judg- 
ment against  the  murderers  in  after  years. 

The  tragedies  that  were  enacted  in  that  hecatomb 
of  blood  is  beyond  the  power  of  any  language  to 
express.  A  faint  conception  of  its  fiendish  detail 
might  possibly  dawn  upon  the  imagination  of  the 
one  that  can  picture  a  scene  where  the  last  quiver 
of  death  is  moving  the  already-  senseless  form  of  a 
husband,  on  whose  bosom  rested  the  little  form  of  an 
infant  i)laced  there  by  the  young  mother  who  is 
standing  over  them  dagger  in  hand  defending  her- 
self, her  young  and  her  dead,  like  a  tigress  at  bay, 
while  standing  there  holding  in  chock  with  her 
blade  a  miscreant  in  front,  she  is  stealthily  ap- 
proached from  behind  by  one  who  sends  a  knife  to 
its  hilt  through  her  heart,  that  stretches  her  lifeless 
form  across  the  feet  of  the  dead  husband.  The 
murderer  then  taking  from  her  nerveless  hand  the 
dagger,  thrusts  it  through  the  infant's  body,  pinning 
its  tiny  form  to  the  breast  of  its  father,  and  then 
laughs  at  its  shrieks  of  agonj'  and  writhings  in 
death.  Such  was  one  incident;  over  one  hundred 
others,  varying  in  their  details  of  horror  and 
degrees  of  atrocity,  were  enacted,  which  left  not  a 
single  one  unperformed  that  could  have  added  to  the 
infamous  monument  built  that  day  b}'  the  Mormons 
to  make  the  world  execrate  their  name  forever. 

The  pirates  upon  the  sea  under  the  black  flag,  wag- 
in"  war  upon  all  mankind,  make  their  prisoners  walk 
the  plank  to  blot  out  evidence  of  their  transactions. 
The  Church  of  I.,atter  Day  Saints,  with  the  same 
motion,  urged  on  by  revenge  and  sustained  by  a 
religious  lanalicism;  had,  through  the  teachings  of 
years,  arrived  upon  the  same  plan  of  revenge,  rob- 
bery and  murder,  under  the  pirates  war-cry  of  "Dead 
men  tell  no  tales." 

W  hen  they  were  done  there  was  no  one  left  to  tell  of 
the  massacre  but  those  who  had  committed  it,  and  for 
a  time  the  fate  of  that  emigrant  i)arty  was  to  the 
worlil  a  mystery-  Conscience  had  driven  one  par- 
ticipant to  a  suicide's  grave,  and  reason  from  its 
throne  in  another,  but  still  the  secret  was  kept. 
At  length  whisperings  of  what  had  been  done  crept 
out  into  the  world,  and  soon  it  was  found  that  an 
overland  i)arty  was  missing.  Finally,  in  IS.jil,  John 
t'radlebaugh  was  sent  to  Utah  as  a  United  States 
District  Judge,  and  being  a  brave  man  and  just, 
sought,  regardless  of  ])eril  to  himself,  to  unravel  the 
mystery  that  surrounded  the  affair.  Those  children 
were  recovered,  but  could  tell  no  tale  of  Mormon 
participation  in  this  outrage  upon  humanity,  and 
butHed   upon   every  hand,  the  Judge   abandoned  the 


attempt,  published  to  the  world  the  evidence  he  had 
obtained,  and  was  sent  to  western  Utah  to  preside 
over  what  is  now  Nevada.  Twenty  years  passed 
after  the  massacre  before  weak-handed  human  jus- 
tice overtook  any  of  all  those  murderers,  when  at 
last  John  D.  Lee  was  shot  on  the  twenty-third  of 
March,  1877,  by  order  of  the  Court,  as  a  penalty  for 
his  leadership  and  participation  in  the  crime.  Many 
of  the  other  criminals  still  curse  the  earth  with  their 
execrated  ])resence,  and  going  unwhippcd  of  justice, 
arc  a  living  reproach  to  our  Government  and  justifi- 
cation foi-  mob  law  and  vigilance  committees. 

WESTERN    UT.\U   AT   THE    CLOSE   OP    1857. 

With  all  the  j-ears  of  opportunity  that  had  pre- 
ceeded  the  advent  of  1858  western  Utah  remained  a 
sparselj--settled  country-.  All  forces  influencing  mat- 
ter in  the  univer.se  impels  it  towards  an  improve- 
ment of  its  condition  with  inanimate  things  by  the 
blind  im))ulse  of  alHnity  with  animate  life,  possessed 
of  vitality  by  the  ceaseless  desire  to  be  less  unhappy. 
The  power  that  causes  a  man  to  voluntarily  change 
his  position  or  occupation  in  life  is  a  belief  in  con- 
sequent improved  condition.  But  few  of  the  human 
family  of  the  many  who  in  passing  through  had 
seen  ]>ortions  of  western  Utah  had  observed  any- 
thing in  it  that  if  appropriated  would  be  of  advan- 
tage to  the  possessor.  The' opportunity  of  utilizing 
anj'thing  therein  to  better  one's  condition  outside 
seemed  meager,  and  confined  to  a  limited  area;  there- 
fore, the  natural  result  was  a  population  numbering 
but  200  or  300  in  an  extensive  eounfrj-  that  had 
been  more  or  less  known  for  thirty-two  years.  The 
inducements  that  had  localized  the  few  that  lived  there 
with  temporary  designs  of  residence,  was,  traffic  with 
emigrants,  who  yearly  grew  less  in  numl)er,  jjassing 
through  the  country  en  route  to  California,  work  in 
the  poorlj'-j)aying  placer  mines  in  Gold  Canon,  and 
grazing  of  stock  for  the  California  markets  in  the 
vallej's  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains,  between  the  Truckee  River  and  the 
head  of  Carson  Valley. 

The  miner  came  to  prospect  through  the  mount- 
ains for  mineral,  hoping  to  paj-  his  expenses  by  work- 
ing a  portion  of  the  year  in  Gold  Canon.  The  trad- 
ers followed  the  miners  to  furnish  supplies  in  ex- 
change for  gold-dust,  and  scattered  along  the  over- 
land road  to  trafldc  with  the  emigrant.  The  ranch- 
ers sought  the  fertile  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra, 
along  the  mountain  streams,  where  stock  was  fat- 
tened to  drive  across  the  mountains  to  California; 
and  all  the  ])0|)ulation  of  western  Utah  were  mem- 
bers of  one  or  the  other  of  those  three  branches  of 
industry.  The  troubles  of  1857,  existing  between 
the  Government  and  Mormon  Church,  had  served  to 
withdraw  all  the  adherents  of  Hrigham  Young  from 
the  section  now  called  Nevada,  leaving  only  Gen- 
tiles, and  those  who  repudiated  J5righam's  authoi-ity 
and  jiolygamy,  as  residents  of  Carson  County. 

The  section  was  practically  without  political  organ- 


Wl^pl^^  ^  ^^^^^'^^ 


Hon.  James  G.  Fair. 


United  States  Senator  from  Nevada,  was  born  at 
Cloiii^licr.  County  Tj'roiic,  Irelaiid,  December  3, 1831, 
and  twelve  j-ears  later  came  with  his  parents  to  the 
United  States,  settling  in  Illinois.  Though  but 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  the  discovery  of  gold 
was  announced,  he  was  ripe  for  action,  and  in  1850 
we  find  him  tugging  as  hard  as  older  men  among  the 
boulders  at  Long's  Bar,  in  Butte  County,  California, 
on  Feather  River,  called  by  the  Californians  El  Rio 
de  his  Phiiiiais — the  river  of  feathers.  This  kind 
of  scrambling,  however,  did  not  suit  his  turn  of 
mind.  Placer  mining,  as  then  carried  on,  was  a 
haphazard  kind  of  business,  in  hunauza  one  day, 
the  next  in  horasca,  the  latter  daj-s  having  the  pre- 
ponderance. The  peculiarity  of  mind  which  char- 
a<'terizcd  his  later  years,  of  looking  for  the  source 
of  minerals,  or,  as  a  miner  would  say,  of  following 
croppings  or  indications,  soon  asserted  itself,  and  we 
find  him  earl}-  pounding  awaj-  at  the  (luartz  veins, 
with  the  full  belief  that  his  fortune  was  to  be  made 
out  of  quartz.  He  early  acquired  all  the  knowledge 
attainable  in  regard  to  quartz  mining,  and  added 
considerable  to  the  general  stock  by  his  own  exi)e- 
rience  while  mining  at  Angel's  Camp,  in  Calaveras 
County,  and  acting  as  Superintendent  of  quartz  mines 
in  other  parts  of  the  State.  On  the  discovery  of  the 
Comstock  he  removed  thither,  and  found  a  field 
worthy  of  his  best  powers,  llis  California  experi- 
ence soon  proved  of  value,  and  in  a  few  years  he  was 
made  Superintendent  of  the  Ophir  Mine,  and  in  1807 
of  the  llale  &  Norcross.  In  the  llale  it  Norcross, 
he  first  became  associated  with  John  \V.  Mackay,  and 
the}'  subseiiuently  induced  .Messrs.  .lames  C.  Flood 
and  William  S.  O'Brien,  capitalists  of  San  Francisco, 
to  join  them  in  that  and  other  mining  enterprises. 
With  his  judgment,  knowledge  of  mines  and  oppor- 
tunity he  coidd  hardly  fail  to  acfjuii-e  money,  and 
when  the  firm,  afterwards  so  famous  as  the  owners 
of  the  richest  silver  mine  the  world  ever  saw,  was 
formed,  lie  brought  into  it  not  only  a  share  of  the 
funds  necessary  to  carry  on  the  expensive  work  of 
exi>loration,  but  a  knowledge  of  mining  and  mines 
that  was  second  to  no  one  on  the  I'acific  Coast. 
Messrs.  Fair,  Mackay,  Flood,  O'Brien  and  Walker 
constituted  the  firm,  Mr.  Walker  selling  to  Mackay, 
and  -Mr.  Fair  became  the  Mining  Superintendent  of 
the  mines  of  the  company. 

The  long  and  persistent  search  for  the  lode  after- 
ward developed  in  the  Consolidated  Virginia  Mine, 


as  well  as  the  fortunate  finding  of  it,  are  related  in 
the  historyof  the  Comstock  Mines,  and  need  not  be  re- 
peated here.  It  is  well  known  to  all  the  world,  and 
will  be  a  subject  for  historical  writers  as  long  as  men 
search  for  precious  metals  and  silver  remains  money. 

Mr.  Fair,  as  well  as  Mi-.  Mackaj',  is  an  operator  out- 
side of  the  mines,  has  large  blocks  of  land  and 
buildings  in  San  Francisco,  knows  as  well  as  any 
one  when  the  market  is  iti  bonanza  and  horasca,  and 
knows  when  to  go  in  or  go  out.  In  June.  1S81. 
he  commenced  the  construction  of  a  grand  building 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  Sansome  and  Pino  Streets, 
San  Francisco,  which  will  be  one  of  the  most  costly 
and  imposing  structures  of  that  city.  Aside  from  the 
power  which  the  possession  of  enormous  wealth 
gives  him,  he  is  a  power  himself,  cool  when  others 
lose  their  heads,  consequently  coming  out  with  the 
balances  on  the  right  side  of  the  ledger. 

He  has  made  various  other  ventures  in  mining; 
owns  mines  in  Panamint,  in  Arizona,  (rcorgia,  and  it 
is  said  in  the  Lake  Superior  District.  He  hass|>read 
his  net  into  many  out-of-the-way  places,  and  it  is 
quite  likely  that  if  a  discovery  of  rich  silver  mines 
were  announced  as  having  occurred  in  Patagonia, 
or  along  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  with  the  same  in- 
formation would  come  the  statement  that  the  most 
promising  ])laces  were  owned  by  James  (J.  Fair,  of 
Nevada.  When  the  great  diamond  swindle  was  per- 
petrated he  had  his  trusty  agents  in  advance  of  the 
Kalston  crowd,  and  knew  before  tlioni  that  the  mat- 
ter was  a  "  first-class  sell." 

For  many  years  Mr.  Fair  spent  a  great  deal  of  bis 
time  in  the  depths  of  his  mines,  visiting  the  ditt'erent 
workings  at  all  times  of  the  day  or  night,  and  thus 
became  thoroughly  conversant  with  every  |)art  of 
the  vast  labyrinth  of  drifts,  cross-cuts,  winzes,  slo])e8, 
shafts,  and  inclines,  as  well  as  with  the  army  of  men 
under  his  charge.  There  are  few  bodies  so  robust  as 
to  bear  the  strain,  and  few  minds  so  clear  as  to  re- 
tain all  the  great  works  and  workmen  in  memory, 
giving  directions  with  perfect  confidence,  managing 
the- greatest  work  of  the  age  with  utiparalleled  sue- 
'cess,and  milking  re])orts  with  the  remarkable  accuracy 
and  clearness  shown  by  Superintendent  Fair. 

Ho  did  not  appear  to  know  he  was  getting  rich,  or 
that  ho  was  a  rich  man.  He  had  been  i)laced  in 
charge  of  a  great  property,  and  there  he  faitbfully 
remained,  toiling  as  when  years  before  necessity 
required  him  to  carefully  husband  bis  daily  salaiy. 


He  was  not  making  money  in  any  ordinary  way,  but 
a  thousand  men,  deep  in  the  sweltering  mine  were 
picking,  shoveling,  tearing  the  precious  ore  away, 
heaving  into  his  coft'ers  gold  and  silver  in  countless 
dollars  more  rajiidly  than  one  could  think  the  figures; 
and  was  worth  his  millions  before  he  was  reconciled 
to  the  fact.  Still  he  kept  faithfully  at  his  post,  as  in 
truth  the  property  was  too  valuable  and  the  respon- 
sibility too  great  to  entrust  to  any  ordinary  man. 

Fair  had  proved  his  ability,  and  with  most  laudable 
courage  saca-ificed  his  comfort  to  his  duties.  But  the 
best  work  being  done  he  concluded  to  have  a  little 
recreation,  and  proposed  a  journey  with  his  family 
in  the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe.  The  tour  of 
the  world  is  now  easily  made,  the  steamer  and  the 
rail  car  taking  the  traveler  in  comfort  to  all  the  great 
cities  and  points  of  interest  through  the  various 
countries  and  climes  in  the  circuit.  Mr.  Fair  made 
the  journey  in  triumph,  visiting  all  the  places  of  note, 
and  enlarging  his  mind  in  the  studies  and  associa- 
tions of  the  different  countries,  men  and  govern- 
ments he  met,  and  returning  the  enlarged  and  culti- 
vated gentleman,  he  was  prepared  to  enter  upon 
the  higher  walks  of  life.  His  countrymen  welcomed 
his  return  bj-  an  invitation  to  stand  for  the  office  of 
Ignited  States  Senator,  as  successor  to  the  position 
held  by  W'm.  Sharon.  The  State  of  Nevada  had 
always  been  represented  in  the  Senate  by  Eepubli- 


cans  and  it  seemed  impossible  for  a  Democrat  to  win 
the  high  prize.  The  course  had  been  made  easier  by 
the  neglect  of  Mr.  Sharon  to  attend  to  his  duties,  and 
the  people  of  Nevada  desired  a  change.  To  Mr.  Fair, 
one  who  had  been  so  faithful  to  the  trusts  reposed  in 
him  in  a  private  capacity,  one  who  had  labored  and 
dwelt  among  them  from  the  earliest  Territorial  days, 
they  turned  for  a  Senator.  His  colleague  was  a 
miner,  and  had  proven  the  ablest  of  the  Senators, 
80  try  another,  was  the  cry,  and  James  G.  Fair,  on 
the  eighteenth  of  January,  1881,  was  triumphantly 
elected  United  States  Senator  from  Nevada,  to  hold 
office  from  March  4,  1881,  until  March  4,  1887. 

He  has  the  hearty,  whole-souled  expression  that 
comes  from  a  healthy-  body  and  well-balanced  mind, 
and  makes  friends  instantly.  His  social  qualities  and 
financial  abilities  are  likely  to  make  him  an  honor 
to  Nevada  and  a  useful  member  for  the  country  at 
large.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  so  broad  in 
his  views,  so  independent  in  character,  that  the  party 
shackles  will  fail  to  hold  him  to  any  rigid  line  of 
party  action. 

He  is  a  family  man,  having  a  wife  and  four  inter- 
esting children,  who,  it  is  hoped,  will  perpettiate  the 
name  of  a  deserving  and  successful  man,  and  inherit 
the  forty  or  fifty  millions  he  has  taken  from  the 
depths  of  the  earth  and  added  to  the  wealth  of  the 
world. 


L 


ELECTION  AND  DISCOVERY  OF  SILVER. 


49 


ization,  there  being  no  officere  to  execute  or  enforce 
either  civil  or  criminal  law,  if  such  had  hovn  recog- 
nized as  existing  in  the  countr}-;  and  the  only 
influence,  except  the  innate  principle  of  justice,  that 
controlled  the  actions  an<l  dcalin<^s  of  men  with  each 
other  at  this  time  was  the  fear  of  sununary  treat- 
ment of  a  nature  euch  as  the  next  year  was  dealt 
out  to  the  unfortunate  -'Luckj-  Bill." 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  country  as  the  year 
1857  passed  into  historj-,  anil  a  now  era  dawned 
upon  Nevada  with  the  events  that  marked  the  prog- 
ress of  the  ensuing  yonv. 


CIl  A  PTF,  1!    V  1  1  I. 
ELECTION    AND    DISCOVERY    OF    SILVER. 

Carson  t'nunty  Klectiim  DctoluT  .lO,  LsTS — Jlaiigiiig  of  "  Kueky 
Bill"  .luiiu  111,  1S5S — I'ruluilcs  to  the  .Silver  Discovery — 
Se;ircliiiigs  in  Nev;ul,i  for  .Silver — The  (Irosh  Brothers — 
The  Father's  Account  of  Their  Discoveries — The  Lost  .Shaft 
Explained  by  J.  M.  Hunter — The  Black  Koek  Prospectors. 

The  year  1858  was  a  prcparatoiy  one  in  which 
events  shaped  themselves  with  an  apparent  view  of 
placing  a  silver  lining  to  the  cluud  that  had  over- 
hung the  fortunes  of  those  living  just  over  the  bor- 
ders east  from  ('alifornia. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  reorganize  the  County  of 
Carson  that  proved  only  partially  successful.  John 
S.  Child  was  commissioned  I'robate  Judge  by  Ciov- 
ernor  Cummings.  the  successor  of  Brigham  Young, 
and  he  called  an  election  for  Carson  ("ountj'  officers 
that  occurred  October  IjOth,  of  that  year.  There 
were  six  voting  precincts,  and  two  tickets  in  the 
field.  One  ticket  purported  to  be  anti-.Mormon, 
although  there  was  but  one  professed  Mormon  in  the 
valley  at  the  time;  but  the  anti-Mormon  movement 
was  ill  fact  the  vigilant  ]>art}-  who  had  sympathized 
wilb  the  act  or  participated  in  the  hanging  of  "Luck^- 
Bill."  and  they  termed  the  Judge  and  his  friends 
Mormons,  or  Mormon  sympathizers. 

When  the  election  returns  came  in,  four  of  the  six 
precincts'  votes  were  thrown  out  and  not  counted, 
because  of  illegal  voting,  and  the  two  counted  were 
as  follows: — 

CARSON  COUNTY  ELECTION  OCTOBER  30,  1858. 

FoK  KK1'UKSK..NT.\TIVE.  ntKA.SL'RER. 

11.  B.  ('lemons .57  .M.  M.  (iaige 511 

Mark  Stebbins 57         II.  Molt,  Sr 54 

.SIIKI-.IKF.  SEI.KCrMKN. 

L.  Abernathy 58  W.  (i.  Wyatt 58 

George  Chedic 55  James  Mc.Marlin  ...57 

siTBVEvoK.  '{•  !>•  Hi>les     57 

C.  N.  Noleware 58  •'"'"i  L.  Cary 55 

John  F.  Long 54  .1.  U.  liose 50 

RECORI.KR.  W.Cosser 56 

S.  A.  Kinsey 5(i 

S.Taylor 53 

Townshij)  No.  1.  .lustico  of  the  Peace — Benj. 
Sears  25,  A.  (.«.  Ilammack  22. 

Constable — T.  J.  Atchison  31,  J.  M.  Ucring  15. 

7 


Township  No.  2.  Justice  of  the  Peaoc — James 
Farwell  38,  11.  Van  Sickle  2G. 

Constable— J.  A.  Smith  2G,  J.  M.  Howard  18. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  the  candidates 
for  Representative  received  the  same  number  of 
votes.  Mr.  Ivinscj-.  the  Clerk,  saj's:  "The  result 
was  declared  in  favor  of  Mr.  ("lemons,  according  to 
the  Utah  Statutes,  pages  234,  Sec.  12." 

Votes  not  counted  on  account  of  the  illegality  of 
the  returns: — 

Stebbins.     Clemons. 

Gold  Canon 3G  2 

Washoe  Valley 18  1 

Eagle  Valley 21 

Smith's  Station 1  10 

Sink  Humboldt 15 

Total 76  28 

Stebbins'  majority 48 

The  successful  candidates  were  upon  what  was 
termed  the  Mormon  ticket,  except  Sides  and  Aber- 
nathy. 

The  people  paid  but  little  attention  to  the  results 
of  this  election,  and  although  those  receiving  the 
highest  number  of  votes  were  declared  elected,  the 
positions  became  mere  sinecures. 

HANGING   OF    LUCKY    HILL,    JUNE    10,  1858. 

Ill  the  meantime  had  occurred  one  of  those  acts  on 
the  part  of  a  large  numberol'the  substantial  citizens 
of  the  country  that  was,  and  usually  is,  the  out- 
growth of  a  long  continued  absence  of  adequate 
legal  justice.  The  act  referred  to  was  the  execution 
b}'  order  of  a  citizens'  self-constituted  court,  of  one 
of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  country,  who 
up  to  this  time,  with  two  or  three  noticeable  excep- 
tions, had  been  a  universal  favorite.  The  unfortunate 
man's  name  was  William  B.  Thorringlon,  but  ho  was 
called  "  Lucky  Bill,"  and  was  a  native  of  Chenango 
County,  New  York,  from  where  he  removed  in  1S4S 
with  his  parents  to  Michigan.  In  1850  ho  crossed 
the  plains  to  California,  and  in  1853  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Carson  Vallej',  in  western  Utah.  Ills  educa- 
tion was  a  moderate  one,  due  to  the  fact  that  his 
excessive  animal  spirits  and  vitality  would  not  per- 
mit a  close  application  to  stud}'  when  attending 
school  in  his  boj-hood. 

In  form  he  was  large,  weighing  200  pounds,  and 
with  broad,  ample  shoulders,  stood  six  feet  and  one 
inch  in  height;  his  head,  covered  with  glossy  curling 
hair  colored  like  the  raven's  wing,  was  massive,  with 
a  high  classic  forehead,  and  large  gray  mirthful  ej'os, 
looking  out  from  beneath  projecting  eyebrows,  that 
indicated  strong  perceptive  faculties.  The  country 
had  nil  liaiulsomer  or  merrier  citizen  in  it  than  Lucky 
Bill,  a  name  given  to  him  because  of  the  fortunate 
result  that  seemed  to  attend  his  every  action,  lie 
had  become  comfortably  wealthy.  It  has  already 
been  noted  that  the  Heeses  turned  over  a  largo 
amount  of  properly  to  him  in  January,  1855,  includ- 


50 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


inw  their  Eai^le  Valley  Kaiich.  lie  had  become  the 
successor  of  Israel  Mott  in  the  ownership  of  the 
Carson  Canon  Toll-road,  and  a  possessor  of  valuable 
ranch  property  in  the  valley. 

In  character  he  was  both  generous  and  brave, 
and  his  sympathies  were  readily  aroused  in  favor  of 
the  unfortunate;  or,  which  in  frontier  parlance  would 
be  termed,  "  the  under  dog  in  a  fight,"  regardless  of 
the  causes  that  had  placed  the  dog  in  that  position. 

In  addition  to  his  ftirming  and  toll-road  pursuits, 
he  was  a  gambler,  and  a  very  successful  one,  his 
specialty  being  the  "  thimble  rig  game." 

In  1854  a  couple  of  California  bound  emigrants 
stopped  at  Mormon  Station,  and  had  a  falling  out, 
and  it  transpired  that  they  were  partners,  one  of 
them  owning  the  wagon  and  cattle  that  hauled  it, 
while  the  other,  who  had  a  wife,  supplied  the  pro- 
visions. The  expense  of  this  provision  supply  and 
incidentals  along  the  route  had  exhausted  the  hus- 
band's finances,  and  the  owner  of  the  train  refused 
to  take  the  bankru])l  emigrants  any  further.  Luckj' 
Bill  passing,  saw  the  woman  weeping  disconsolately 
by  the  wagon,  and  his  sympathies  were  at  once 
aroused.  Upon  inquiry  he  learned  the  state  of 
affairs,  and  told  the  husband  and  wife  to  borrow  no 
further  trouble,  for  he  would  see  that  they  reached 
the  Sacramento  without  delay. 

That  night  the  owner  of  the  outfit  was  induced  to 
bet  against  Lucky  Bill  in  his  ■'  thimble  rig  game," 
and  in  the  morning  he  had  neither  an  outfit  nor  a  dol- 
lar in  money  left.  The  winner  gave  him  back  fifteen 
dollars  of  the  money,  bought  him  a  new  pair  of 
boots  to  travel  in,  told  him  to  "lite  out"  for  Cali- 
fornia on  foot,  and  never  after  that  to  bet  against 
any  one  who  was  playing  his  own  game.  To  the 
bankrupt  family  he  gave  a  cow,  spent  the  loser's 
money  in  buying  them  provisions,  etc.,  and  then 
hired  a  man  to  drive  the  team  with  them  to  Cali- 
fornia. In  185U  three  men  put  up  one  night  at 
Lucky  Bill's  station  in  Carson  Canon,  on  their  way 
home  to  the  States.  One  of  them  was  a  white- 
haired  old  man,  poverty-stricken  and  discouraged 
with  his  failures  in  California.  In  the  morning  his 
horse  was  dead,  and  forced  to  abandon  his  hope  of 
reaching  his  Illinois  home,  he  stood  bj'  the  roadside 
with  a  stony  look  in  the  eye  and  watched  the  depart- 
ure of  his  companions  for  the  country  (hat  seemed 
shut  out  to  him  forever.  "Cheer  up,  old  man,"  said 
Lucky  Bill,  in  his  happy,  inspiring,  whole-souled 
way,  and  snapping  his  fingers  over  his  shoulder  in  the 
direction  of  the  fast  disa|)|)earing  horsemen,  added, 
"  I'll  show  you  a  trick  worth  eight  of  that."  A  few 
days  later  the  white-haired  emigrant  set  out  again 
on  his  homeward  journey,  with  a  fine  roan  horse 
hitched  to  a  two-wheeled  vehicle  loaded  with  pro- 
visions for  the  trip  that  had  been  given  to  him  by 
Lucky  Bill.  Numerous  incidents  of  generosity  like 
these  are  rcnK'nibercd  by  the  early  settlers  of 
Nevada  of  this  strange  frontiersman,  many  of  whoso 
impulses  were  such  «•  ennoble  inen.    I|. is  associations 


in  life,  however,  had  been  with  individuals  that  had 
led  him  to  look  upon  murder  or  theft  as  a  smaller 
crime  than  would  be  the  betrayal  of  a  person  who 
claimed  his  protection,  though  that  man  might  be 
fleeing  from  justice  after  having  committed  either  or 
both  those  offenses.  This  peculiarity  of  Lucky  Bill 
being  known  to  all,  both  good  and  bad  citizens, 
transformed  him  into  an  obstruction,  sometimes  to 
the  execution  of  justice  upon  criminals,  and  this 
characteristic  eventually  proved  his  ruin. 

In  the  springof  1858,  Bill  Edwards  shot  and  killed 

Snelling,  in  Merced  County,  California,  and  fled 

to  Carson  Valley  for  safet}'.  lie  stopped  with 
Lucky  Bill  for  awhile,  and  then  wont  up  to  Honey 
Lake  Valley,  whore  he  stopped  with  \V.  T.  C.  Elliott, 
John  N.  Gilpin,  and  others.  While  in  the  upper 
country,  in  connection  with  one  Mullins,  he  mur- 
dered Harry  Gordier,  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
possession  of  the  victim's  personal  effects,  including 
a  band  of  cattle.  The  body  of  the  murdered  man 
was  found  tied  up  in  a  sack  and  sunk  in  Susan  River, 
and  an  innocent  partj-  named  Snow  was  hung  for 
doing  it  by  citizens  in  the  Honey  Lake  country, 
upon  what  was  doomed  sufficient  evidence  of  his 
guilt.  Sus])icion  finally  began  to  fall  upon  Bill 
Edwards,  and  he  started  between  two  days  for  Car- 
son Vallej-.  where  he  found  Lucky  Bill;  told  of  the 
peril  that  was  upon  his  trail;  claimed  to  be  innocent, 
and  asked  to  bo  helped  out  of  the  country.  Edwards 
owned  a  valuable  race  horso  which  he  wished  to  dis- 
])ose  of,  and  with  the  proceeds  escape  to  South 
America.  This  friend  of  the  "under  dog  in  a  fight" 
attempted  to  perform  both  these  things,  to  sell  the 
horso  and  help  in  the  escape.  Elliott  and  Gilpin, 
assuming  the  role  of  detectives,  followed  the  mur- 
derer to  Carson  Valley,  and  feigning  friendship  for 
both  Luckj-  Bill  and  P^dwards,  was  admitted  to  their 
councils,  helped  in  their  ])lans,  finally  purchased  the 
horse,  and  then  caused  the  arrest,  on  the  fourteenth 
of  June,  by  an  organization  of  citizens,  of  all  par- 
ties connected  directly  or  indirectly  with  the  aft'air, 
except  Edwards,  who  eluded  them  for  a  time,  but 
was  finally  secured  in  the  following  manner: — 

Lucky  Bill  had  a  son  named  Jerome,  a  small  lad, 
who  knew  the  lurking  place  of  the  man  they  wanted. 
The  boy  was  told  that  if  he  would  secure  the  arrest 
of  Edwards  that  his  father  would  bo  turned  loose, 
and  that  if  he  did  not,  his  parent  would  certainly 
bo  hanged.  To  save  his  father  the  son  betrayed  the 
murderer  into  the  hands  of  the  citizens,  and  then 
found  that  instead  of  working  his  sire's  deliverance, 
he  was  in  danger  of  being  hanged  himself. 

The  trial  and  conviction  took  place  on  the  seven- 
teenth. Evorj'lhing  was  conducted  with  order,  and  in 
close  imitation  of  similar  cases  occurring  in  n'gularly 
constituted  courts.  W.  T.  C.  Elliott  acted  as  Sherifl', 
John  L.  Cary  as  Judge,  and  eighteen  jurors  deter- 
mined the  ([uostion  of  guilt.  The  evidence  under 
oath  was  written  down  by  ('.  N.  Xoteware,  late 
Secretary  of  State  for  Nevada;    and  the    writer   of 


ELECTION  AND  DISCOVERY  OF  SILVER. 


ol 


this  has  road  it  all.  Not  a  thing  appears  there 
implicatiiii;  Lucky  Hill  in  sinyliiiri'^  exfi'])t  the 
attonipt  to  SL-eure  the  murderer's  escape.  The 
absence  ol'  any  knowleilijo  on  the  part  of  the  accused 
of  the  guilt  of  Edwards,  is  a  noticeable  feature  in 
that  testimony';  that  parly,  after  having  acknowl- 
edged his  own  guilt,  swore  positively  that  he  had 
assured  Lucky  Bill  that  he  was  innocent,  and  iio  one 
else  lestilti.i/  to  the  contrary,  yet  the  Jury  believing 
that  he  did  know,  decided  that  ho  was  guilty  as 
accessor}-  to  the  murder  after  the  fact,  and  con- 
demned him  to  be  hanged.  Edwards  having  acknowl- 
edgeil  the  killing  of  Gordior,  was  also  condemned, 
his  sentence  being  to  be  hanged  at  the  scone  of  the 
murder,  in  Hone}'  Jjake  Vallej'.  Of  the  other 
accused,  two  of  them  were  fined  81,000  each,  and 
ordered  to  leave  the  country;  the  balance  being  dis- 
charged. An  unsuccessful  attemj)!  was  afterwards 
made  to  collect  that  fine;  and  one  of  the  parties,  at 
least,  still  lives  in  Carson  ^'alley.  Theodore  Win- 
ters, Walter  Cosser,  and  Samuel  Swager,  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  go  with  Edwards  to 
Hone}-  Lake,  and  see  that  he  was  hanged,  which 
they  did,  the  execution  taking  place  between  six 
and  seven  p.  .v.,  on  June  23,  1858. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  June,  at  between  three  and 
four  p.  .M.,  Lucky  Bill,  whose  scart'old  was  building 
■while  the  trial  was  going  on  at  the  C'lear  Creek 
Ranch,  on  Clear  Creek,  was  placed  in  a  wagon  with 
the  fatal  noose  around  his  neck,  when,  the  team 
being  started,  he  was  dragged  by  the  tightning  rope 
out  from  the  rear  of  the  vehicle,  whore,  with  body 
swinging  back  and  forth  and  twisting  round  and 
round,  lie  slowly  choked  to  death.  His  son  is  now 
dead,  and  the  widow  is  wearing  out  her  life  in  the 
Stockton  Insane  Asylum,  in  California. 

PIIEI.IDES  TO  THE  SILVER  DISCOVERY. 

In  June,  1S58,  the  stage  line  between  Piaccrville 
and  (Jenoa,  that  had  been  first  established  in  June, 
1857,  was  continued  to  Salt  Lake,  and  at  about  the 
same  time  the  excitement  in  regard  to  the  Walker 
River  placers  began  to  spread.  Wild  stories  at  first 
reached  California  regarding  them  that  wore  soon 
tempered  down  to  reports  of  returns  only  equal  to 
ordinary  day's  wages.  April  17,  1858,  the  Afountain 
Demorriit,  of  Placerville,  California,  reports  prices  in 
Carson  Valley  upon  information  received  from  Major 
Ormsby  just  from  Genoa,  as  follows: — 

Flour,  per  hundred 88  00 

Corn,     "  "        4  00 

Bacon,     per  pound 30 

Pork,  "        "       20 

Beef,  "        "       15 

Potatoes,    "        "       02 

Butter,       •'        "       G2i 

In  August,  the  Rose  Ditch,  designed  to  take  water 
from  the  Carson  River  to  use  in  mining  at  the  mouth 
of  Gold  Cafion,  was  completed,  and  the  jiroprietors 
were  surprised  to  find  the  jiroposed  outlet  higher 
than   its   head.     This  ditch  was   dug  by  ( 'hinamen 


who  camped  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon,  and  from 
this  fact  the  place  becamd  known  as  Chinatown. 

The  search  for  gold  during  the  year  was  jiroso- 
cuted  further  U](  the  cafion  above  Johntown,  and  II. 
T.  P.  Comstock,  after  whom  the  groat  lode  was 
named,  passed  the  season  operating  with  ])oor  suc- 
cess, working  Pah-Utes  in  the  American  Flat  Wash. 
To  the  north,  in  Six-milo  Canon,  a  number  of  j)artie8 
worked,  among  whom  were  Fenmore,  known  as 
"Old  V^irginia,"  after  whose  nickname  Virginia  Citj- 
■was  christened,  Peter  O'Riley,  Patrick  McLaughlin, 
and  Emanuel  Ponrod.  A  saloon  was  there,  and  a 
restaurant,  where  board  could  be  had  at  fourteen 
dollars  per  week,  both  institutions  the  property  of 
Nicholas  Ambrosia,  known  as  "  Dutch  Nick."  When 
the  winter  set  in,  and  the  cold  weather  shut  down 
placer  mining.  Six-mile  Cafion  was  abandoned  for 
the  general  rendezvous  at  Johntown.  Thus  matters 
stood  at  the  end  of  1858.  Just  before  the  groat 
change  caused  by  the  discoveiy  of  silver,  and  before 
entering  upon  the  details  of  that  event,  let  us  take  a 
backward  glance  at  a  few  important  incidents  that 
have  been  omitted  from  the  chronology  of  occur- 
rences alreadj-  noted. 

SEARCHINGS   IN    NEVADA    KOR    SILVER. 

In  an  interview  with  Mrs.  Laura  M.  Dettenrieder, 
who  became  a  resident  of  Nevada  in  l.S,")3,  the  fol- 
lowing was  elicited  regarding  Allen  and  his  brother, 
Hosea  B.  Grosh,  and  tfeeir  operations  while  in  the 
country.     Said  she: — 

I  was  not  acquainted  with  them  in  18.").'i.  but 
became  so  in  1854.  in  the  fall  of  which  year  they 
returned  to  Calilbrnia.  and  wintered  at"  Volcano. 
In  the  early  part  of  1855  they  came  back,  ]>acking 
what  they  had  on  a  little  jenny,  and  slopped  at  my 
house  for  dinner.  On  taking  leave,  Hosea  said  that 
they  were  hurrj-ing  away  because  they  had  to  reach 
the  Sugar  Loaf  in  Six-mile  Cafion  that  night,  where 
they  proposed  making  a  camp  at  a  spring.  From 
the  Sugar  Loaf  camp  thej-  intended  to  prospect 
farther  for  silver  in  the  vicinity  of  where  thej-  had 
found  it  the  year  before.  Hosea  and  Allen  both 
said,  We  will  ])Ul  you,  Mrs.  KIlis  (that  was  her  name 
at  that  time),  in  the  "  Pioneer  claim,"  lo  bo  located 
for  the  "Pioneer  vSilver  Mining  Compau}-."  They 
had  organized  a  company  l)y  that  name  at  Volcano, 
in  the  sjiring  before  coming  over.  I  don't  remem- 
ber much  about  them  that  summer,  and  in  the  fall 
1  went  to  California  mj-self  In  the  summer  of 
1857  I  came  back  to  Nevada,  went  up  the  Humboldt, 
then  across  to  Honey  l.,ake,  from  where  I  returned 
to  l)ayton.  In  passing  down  the  trail  along  the 
American  Flat  Wash  on  my  waj-  to  Dayton,  I  came 
u|ion  the  cabin  of  the  (Jrosh  brothers,  and  found 
Hosea  B.  sitting  by  the  door  with  a  sore  foot,  that 
had  been  injured  by  driving  a  pick  into  it.  The 
wound  seemed  to  be  doing  well,  under  water  tre:it- 
ment.  which  kept  down  the  intlanimation.  The  two 
brothers  had  a  partner,  named  Captain  (iaiiiin;  antl 
Allen  returned  to  the  cabin  with  the  jiarlner  before 
I  left.  He  handeil  me  a  piece  of  rock,  and  s;iid,  -'it 
is  from  the  claim  you  are  in.  a  little  above  the 
])ioneer  location,  and  wo  have  ])Ut  your  name  down 
t'or   three  hundred  feet."     Then  wo  wont  out  upon 


52 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


some  elevated  trround.  and  ))()intin<;  to  Mount  David- 
son, he  said  "It  is  down  ut  tiie  base  of  that  ])oiiit.'' 
1  had  learned,  while  up  the  llumbohit  Kiver,  of  tlie 
murder  of  a  station-keeper  at  tiravellj'  Kord.  named 
George  Brown,  and  told  the  boys  about  it,  and  they 
felt  very  bad,  as  thej-  said  he  was  their  partner; 
that  he  had  intended  to  eome  to  (Jold  (-'anon  in  the 
fall,  with  what  he  made  out  of  the  station,  where 
he  had  six  hundred  dollars  buried;  and  all  his  effects 
was  to  become  e'ommon  property  for  the  assistance 
of  the  firm  in  opening  their  silver  mines.  Thej-  all 
seemed  disheartened  at  the  news  1  had  brought 
them,  and  I  told  the  boj's  that  if  thej-  were  sure  it 
was  safe  for  me  to  do  so,  I  would  go  back  to  Cali- 
fornia, sell  out  all  my  propertj',  and  put  in  S1,.J00 
to  open  the  mines  with.  Then  they  showed  me  the 
book  in  which  their  locations  were  entered,  and 
after  I  had  agreed  to  furnish  the  money  1  went  on 
down  to  Johnlown.  In  three  days  after  that.  Ilosea 
died  from  the  effects  of  blood-poisoning  from  the 
wound  in  his  foot.  Allen  started  to  reach  Cali- 
fornia, leaving  Comstock  in  charge  of  his  things 
and  cabin,  lie  was  snowed  in  on  the  Sierra  before 
he  could  get  over,  and  when  relief  reached  liim  he 
was  so  badlj-  frozen  that  they  had  to  cut  off  his  legs, 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  died. 

'•  I  should  like  to  know  what  became  of  the 
record  book  they  showed  me,  that  was  left  in  Corn- 
stock's  possession." 

TUE  father's  account  OF  THEIR  DISCOVERIES. 

The  following  communication  was  addressed  to 
friends  of  the  Grosh  famil}-,  who  visited  Nevada  in 
1879,  and  while  here  went  to  the  Silver  City  cemetery 
where  Hosea's  grave  was  pointed  out  to  them  by  Mrs. 
Dettenrieder.     The  letter  tells  its  own  story: — 

Washington,  July  8, 1879. 

Mrs.  C.  B.  \Vinslow,  M.  I).,  Present — Mv  Dear 
Friend:  You  desire  me  to  give  you  a  detailed  state- 
ment of  my  sons'  labors  and  discoveries  in  Nevada 
(then  Utah),  as  you  are  about  to  visit  there,  and 
would  like  to  speak  of  their  discoveries  of  silver  ore 
in  Carson  Valley,  correctly.  It  is  a  long  story,  and 
1  presume  it  will  be  difficult  to  locate  the  scenes  of 
their  actions  after  the  many  and  great  changes  since 
1857.  But  1  will  give  you  the  outlines  briefl}^  as 
gathered  from  the  letters  now  before  me. 

K.  Allen  and  Ilosea  B.  Grosh,  whom  you  knew  in 
your  and  their  childhood  and  J'outh,  went  from 
Iteading,  Pennsylvania,  in  a  companj-  in  1S40,  and 
reached  California,  cia  Tani])ico  and  Mazatlan.  They 
soon  engaged  in  gold  mining,  most  of  the  time  at  or 
near  '-Mud  Sjjrings"  (now  El  Uorado),  Kl  Dorado 
County,  with  varying,  but  never  very  iirosperous, 
fortunes.  They  visited  Carson  Valley  in  1S.")1,  but 
soon  returned  to  California.  But  in  IS.'):!  they  made 
it  a  longer  visit,  and  j)retty  thoroughly  '•  ])rospecled  " 
portions  of  what  they  called  •'  Carson  Vallej-." 
"Gold  Canon,"  "Lake  Valley"  and  "  Washoe  Val- 
ley," and  many  of  the  adjoining  mountains. 

After  their  return  to  California,  with  specimens  for 
fuller  examination,  they  wrote  many  letters,  giving 
details  of  their  discoveries,  and  of  the  information 
they  were  gradually  acipiiring  respecting  modes  of 
testing  their  value.  One  stated  that  they  found 
what  they  believed  to  bo  "  carbonate  of  silver,"  in 
"Gold  Canon" —  a  "dark  graj-  mass,  tarnished, 
probably,  by  the  sulphuric  acid  in  the  water.  It 
resembles  thin  sheet  lead,  broken  very  fine — and  lead 
the  miners  sujiposed  it  to  be.  The  ore  we  found  at 
the  forks  of  the  cafion;  a  large  quartz  vein — at  least, 


boulders  from  a  vein  dose  by  here  shows  itself.  *  * 
*  *  Other  ore  of  silver  we  think  we  have  found  in 
the  canon,  and  a  rock  called  black  rock — very  abun- 
dant— we  think  contains  silver." 

These  and  other  discoveries  of  this  period,  led  to 
many  conversations  with  '•  Old  Frank,"  an  experi- 
enced Mexican  miner,  and  to  numerous  experiments 
in  assaj'ing  as  their  limited  means  allowed,  jirepara- 
tory  to  a  return  to  Carson  Valley.  Thej-  also  organ- 
ized a  large  company  of  kindred  and  friends  in  the 
middle  Atlantic  States,  called  the  "  Utah  Enterprise 
Mining  Com])an}-,"  of  which  they  were  part,  and  for 
which  they  were  agents — which  was  to  enable  them 
to  hold  and  work  their  various  and  numerous  dis- 
coveries. 

But  lack  of  means  delayed  their  return  to  Carson 
Vallej-  until  .Maj-,  1837.  when  they  obtained  an  out- 
fit by  organizing  the  -'Frank  Mining  Companj'" — 
named  after  "  Old  Frank  "  aforenamed,  constituted 
of  themselves  and  a  few  wealthier  friends  who 
advanced  the  moncj*.  Thej-  soon  rediscovered  their 
former  discoveries,  and  what  thej-  called  ••  Our  Mon- 
ster Vein,"  they  located  in  the  name  of  the  Frank 
Com])any,  aild  other  veins  in  the  name  of  the  Utah 
Hnter|)rise  Coin]iany,  and  located  in  their  own  name 
what  they  termed  '•  a  smaller  but  richer  vein  " —  "  a 
much  more  promising  vein,  because  more  easily 
worked."  Both  of  these  arc  said  to  be  at  or  near 
"  the  forks  of  the  canon."  Thej'  also  mention  "  suits 
of  veins  crossing  the  caiion  at  two  other  points,"  and 
"a  mammoth  vein  of  copper — co])per  ])}-rites — twen- 
tj--five  or  thirtj'  miles  north  of  the  caiion,  containing 
considerable  silver,"  and  resembling  copper,  then 
about  being  mined  for  its  silver,  some  distance  from 
theirs. 

They  found  great  difficulties  in  making  reliable 
assays,  in  the  nature  of  the  'ires,  being,  '■  not,  as  we 
had  supposed,  magnetic  oxide  of  iron,  but  the  mag- 
netic sulphuret  of  iron,"  and  other  mixtures  (anti- 
mony, etc.),  adding  difficulties  in  their  toilsome  and 
tedious  labor,  with  deficient  materials  and  imjjerfect 
apparatus.  But  all  their  assaysshowed  the  blackish, 
jjurjile  and  violet  rock  to  be  rich  in  silver.  The 
greatest  difficulty — one  they  could  not  surmount 
except  after  much  time  and  labor — was  their  pov- 
erty. To  procure  food,  they  must  use  nearly-  everj- 
hour  not  absolutely  needed  for  rest  in  gold  digging 
and  washing — leaving  only  a  few  spare  hours  for 
roasting  and  smelting. 

While  engaged  in  digging  earth  on  Gold  Hill*  for 
washing,  Ilosea  struck  his  pick  into  the  hollow  of 
his  foot.  This  was  on  .Vugust  lllth.  and  mortification 
set  in  and  caused  his  death  on  September  2d.  He 
was  buried  res))ectahlj"  by  his  fellow-miners,  and  his 
remains  have  since  been  removed  to  a  cemetery  at 
Silver  City,  and  a  memorial  stone  (which  I  had 
ordered  at  mj'  expense)  has  been  placed  over  them — 
as  1  am  informed. 

Allen,  as  early  as  ho  could,  on  the  fifteenth  of 
November,  in  companj-  with  his  friend  .Mr.  Bucke 
(now  Dr.  R.  .M.  Bucke,  Superintendent  of  the  Domin- 
ion Insane  Asylum,  Ijondon,  Canada),  started  for 
California.  Thej-  were  hindered  hy  the  loss  of  their 
mule  and  his  recover}-,  and  caught  in  the  great  snow 
storm  of  that  j-ear,  while  in  the  Divide  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  comjtelled  to  kill  their  mule,  and  throw 
away  their  s])ecimens  and  other  baggage,  and  con- 
tiriue  their  journey  on  foot  through  the  dee])  and 
trackless  snow.  Their  ])owder  a!ul  matches  got  wet. 
and  the  mule  meat  being  consumed,  they  were  four 
days  and  nights  without  fire  or  food.  slee)>ing  in  their 

•Allan's  Ifttcr  says,  "  from  a  small  ravine  to  thu  ri^ht  fork 
of  the  main  cafion." 


ELECTION  AND  DISCOVERY  OF  SILVER. 


r,fi 


blankets  under  the  snow.  They  reached  a  Mexican 
miner's  canii),  loi^s  frozen  to  alxive  tiie  knees,  and 
tVorn  thence  were  taken  on  sleds  to  Last  Cliance,  by 
tlie  miners  ol'tiie  iattiT  ]phice,  where  .Mr.  Hucke  had 
one  leg  and  toot,  and  part  of  the  other  foot,  am)>u- 
tated,  and  recovered.  ]Jut  Allen,  after  lingering 
most  of  the  time  unconscious,  died  December  UUh, 
and  was  tenderly  buried.  Mr.  Bucko  has  since 
marked  the  grave  of  his  fellow-suflerer  with  a  suit- 
able memorial  stone. 

A  writer  from  Virginia  City,  in  the  New  York 
Heidlil  of  December  HO,  liSTS,  in  giving  a  description 
of  the  "Comstock''  Lode  and  oilier  mines,  gives  an 
account  of  my  sons,  their  discoveries  and  deaths, 
which  is  generally  correct,  and  says:  Krom  associa- 
tion with  the  two  brothers  Cirosh,  ](revious  to  their 
unfortunate  deaths,  Comstock,  in  some  waj-  or  other, 
at  their  melancholy  ending,  came  into  ])ossession  of 
what  property  they  left.  Dr.  Bucke,  who  knew  all 
the  ])arties  well,  says  there  was  no  intimacy  between 
Comstock  and  my  sons,  nor  was  there  anj-  likelihood 
of  there  being  anj-  confidence  reposed  in  the  former 
hy  the  latter,  so  widelj-  different  were  they  in  char- 
acter. disi)osition  and  habits.  And  if  reports  may  be 
relied  on,  Comstock  himself  told  so  manj'  differing 
stories  in  accounting  for  his  possession  and  sale  of  the 
lode,  that  it  came  to  be  believed  t!iat  he  took  posses- 
sion of  books,  maps,  and  other  ])a])ers  which  Allen 
had  boxed  up  for  safe  keeping,  and  thus  learned  of  the 
existence  of  the  mines  they  had  discovered,  and 
claimed  them — sometimes  as  his  own  discovery  ; 
sometimes  as  having  been  left  in  his  charge,  for 
which  he  was  to  receive  one-third  or  one-fourth  ; 
sometimes,  as  their  ])artner  ;  and  sometimes  as  being 
on  the  spot,  and  therefore  nearer  to  them  than  any 
distant  heirs :  having  the  best  right,  that  of  posses- 
sion. 

Thus,  my  friend,  have  I  again  gone  over  the  letters 
of  mj-  sons,  and  of  their  friends  communicating  their 
sad  fate,  and  given  you  briefly  some  of  their  numerous 
details  of  cares,  labors,  trials  and  discoveries.  1  have 
omilteil  more  than  1  have  given  ;  but  wliat  1  have 
given  may  aid  j"ou  to  find  the  scenes  of  their  toils 
and  IJosea's  grave — and  may  serve  to  correct  any 
errors  and  misunderstandings  which  rumors  and  tra- 
ditions may  have  imjilanted  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  have  succeeded  them  in  the  jilaces  they  once 
occu])ied.  You  can  rely  on  their  statements,  for  you 
knew  them  ;  and  you  also  know  that  I  would  not 
mis(|uote  or  jiervert  wh:il  they  wrote  to  mo. 

Wishing  you  all  needed  health,  recreation,  pleasure 
and  profit  on  your  journey,  J  remain, 

Very  resjpccttiill}-. 

Your  friend, 

A.  H.  (Jrosh. 

"Dan  Dc  (juille,''  in  mentioning  these  men  in  his 
"Big  Bonanza,"  states  that: — 

The  Grosh  brothers  were  well  educated,  and  had 
considerable  knowledge  of  mineralogy  and  assay- 
ing.- *  *  *  In  their  cabin,  which  stood  near  the 
])resent  town  of  Silver  C'ily,  about  a  mile  above 
Johntown,  they  are  said  to  have  had  a  library  con- 
sisting of  a  consideralile  number  of  volumes  of  scien- 
tific works:  also  chemical  apjiaratiis  and  assayer's 
tools. 

They  did  not  associate  with  the  miiier.s  working 
in  the  canon,  and  were  very  reticent  in  regard  to 
what  they  were  doing.  They,  however,  informed  a 
few  ]iersonsthat  they  had  discovered  a  vein  of  silver- 
bearing  quartz,  and  it  was  well  known  among  the 


miners  that   they  had   formed  a  company  for   the 

])ur|)ose  of  working  their  mine.  The  majority  of 
the  members  of  their  comp;iny  were  undei'stor)d  to 
be  in  California  (about  Volcano),  and  in  one  of  the 
Atlantic  States.  *  *  *  Li  ISliO  I  saw  their  old 
furn:ices  unearthed,  the}'  having  been  covered  up  to 
the  depth  of  a  foot  or  more  by  a  deposit  of  mud  and 
sand  from  Cold  Canon.  They  were  two  in  number, 
and  but  two  or  three  feet  in  length,  a  foot  in 
height,  and  a  foot  and  a  half  in  width.  One  had 
been  used  as  a  smelting  and  the  other  as  a  cupel 
furnace.  The  remains  of  melting-pots  and  frag- 
ments of  cupels  were  found  in  and  about  the  fur- 
naces; also  a  large  piec^e  of  argentiferous  galena, 
which  had  doubtless  been  procured  a  short  distance 
west  of  Silver  City,  where  there  are  yet  to  bo  seen 
veins  containing  ore  of  that  character,  some  of  which 
yiehl  fair  assays  in  silver.  *  *  *  Wiih  the 
brothers  was  lost  the  secret  of  the  whereabouts  of 
their  silver  mine,  if  they  ever  discovered  anj'  silver 
except  that  contained  in  the  ore  of  the  veins  of 
argentiferous  galena  1  have  mentioned. 

After  the  discovery  of  the  old  furnaces  of  the 
Grosh  brothers  in  LSGO,  there  was  much  search  by 
miners  in  the  neighborhooti  for  the  mine  thej-  had 
been  prospecting,  but  no  mine  was  ever  found. 

In  a  sort  of  sink,  on  the  side  of  a  large  mountain, 
at  the  foot  of  which  stood  the  cabin  and  furnaces 
of  the  brothers,  was  found  an  old  shaft.  Here  was 
supposed  to  be  the  spot  where  they  had  worked, 
and  the  place  was  "located"  {■•claimed  "  or  "  i)re- 
emptcd")  and  called  the  "  Lost  Shalt." 

About  the  first  discovery  made  by  the  locators, 
when  thej-  began  cleaning  out  the  shaft,  was  the 
body — a  sort  of  mummy — of  a  Piute  squaw,  who 
had  been  murdered  some  years  before  by  members 
of  her  tribe,  who  had  tumbled  her  remains  into  the 
old  shaft. 

After  finding  this  ■•  dead  thing,"  the  owners  of  the 
claim  let  a  contract  for  the  further  sinking  and 
exploration  of  the  old  shaft.  The  men  who  took 
the  contract  soon  gave  it  up.  They  said  they  could 
not  work  in  the  shaft;  that  Stones  were  falling  out 
of  its  sides  without  cause.  Others  took  the  con- 
tract, and  each  part}'  of  miners  that  went  to  work 
in  the  shaft  gave  it  U]),  saying  that  their  lives  were 
endangered  hy  the  stones  which  suddenly  and  at  un- 
expected times,  jumped  out  of  its  sides.  A  tunnel 
was  then  started  to  tap  the  ledge  on  which  the  old 
shaft  was  su))posed  to  have  been  sunk,  but  it  never 
was  completed.  It  is  now  well  known  that  the  old 
shaft  was  sunk  by  a  pai"ty  of  tiold  Canon  miners  in 
18.j1,  they  having  taken  it  into  their  heads  that  from 
this  curious-looking  ])it,  or  sink,  in  the  side  of  the 
mountain  came  all  the  gold  found  below  in  the 
canon. 

There  was  also  a  story  current  among  the  miners 
in  18I)U,  that  before  starting  on  the  trij)  over  the 
Sierra,  which  resulted  in  his  death,  Allen  Grosh 
boxed  uj)  the  library  and  all  the  chemical  and  assay- 
ing apparatus,  and  rwhei/  the  whole  somewhere 
about  Grizzly  Hill,  the  mountain  at  the  base  of 
which  stood  the  cabin  occupied  by  the  brothers. 
There  was  much  search  b}-  curious  miners  in  the 
neighborhood  for  this  sujpposed  deposit  of  valuables. 
They  crawled  under  the  edge  of  shelving  rocks, 
jieered  into  crevices  among  the  cliffs,  and  proheii  all 
sus])iiMous- looking  stone-heaps,  but  no  lionanza  of 
scientific  ajpjiaratus  was  ever  discovered.  When 
Allen  (irosh  left  to  go  over  the  mountains  to  Cali- 
fornia, Comstock  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  cabin, 
and  it  is  very  probable    that  whatever    books  and 


54 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ajjparatus  there  may  have  been  were  carried  away 
by  such  visitors  as  took  a  fancy  to  them,  and  thus 
were  scattered  and  lost. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1865,  Schuyler  Colfa.x  and 
party  who  were  eti  route  for  California  overland,  and 
about  two  hundred  others,  participated  in  the  cere- 
mony of  erecting  the  marble  slab  mentioned  by  the 
father  at  the  grave  of  llosea  B.  Grosh,  in  the  ceme- 
tery at  Silver  City,  Lyon  County.  Upon  the  slab  is 
the  following  inscription: — 

llosea  B.,  second  son  of  Itev.  A.  B.  Grosh,  born 
in  Marietta,  Pa.,  April  23,  1821),  died  at  Gold  ('anon, 
Nevada,  September  2,  1857. 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  lives,  discoveries,  and 
sad  fate  of  the  two  men  who  first  discovered  silver  in 
Nevada,  and  they  were  the  undoubted  first,  unless 
the  discovery  in  the  Black  ilock  country'  as  here- 
after related,  was  a  genuine  find. 

THE    "  LOST   SHAFT." 

The  mystery  and  the  history  of  the  '•  Lost  Shaft" 
has  been  explained  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Hunter,  a  responsi- 
ble citizen  of  Montecito  Valley,  Santa  Barbara 
County,  California,  who,  under  date  of  August  8, 
1881,  relates  the  following  : — 

While  in  the  mines  at  Sonora,  Tuolumne  County, 
in  the  summer  of  1S50,  there  were  continued  rejjorts 
of  rich  diggings  on  the  eastern  slo])e  of  the  Sierra, 
which  created  (piite  an  excitement  among  the  inincrs 
who  were,  as  everj'body  recollects,  constantly  push- 
ing for  new  discoveries,  leaving  good  claims  in  hopes 
of  finding  better;  also  for  the  adventure  of  prospect- 
ing, and  to  be  the  first  explorers  of  a  new  countrj'. 

Immigrants  from  over  the  plains  the  preceding 
year  reported  having  been  shown  by  the  Mormons, 
in  Carson  Vallc}-,  large  nuggets  of  gold  iiurported 
to  have  been  found  in  the  neighborhood.  To  search 
for  this  'fountain  head"  of  gold  a  jiarty  of  fifty  men 
organized,  and  went  over  the  mountains,  going  Ijy 
the  old  emigrant  road,  through  Uojie  and  Straw- 
berry ^'alll,■3•s  to  Carson  Valley,  jjassing  the  old 
Mormon  Station,  now  Genoa.  We  ])ros])ected  the 
country  from  Walker's  River  to  Devil's  Gate,  spend- 
ing some  eighteen  or  twenty  days  in  doing  so.  On 
the  eighth  of  August,  185(1,  we  commenced  sinking 
a  shaft  at  Devil's  (iate,  which  was  undoubledlj^  the 
first  hole  sunk  in  that  region.  Some  gold  was  found 
in  our  jjrospecting  trip,  but  in  small  (juantitics. 
That  which  we  found  at  Devil's  Gate  was  much 
lighter,  in  C()m))arison  to  its  bulk,  than  what  wo 
had  mined  in  California,  and  we  did  not  think  it 
of  much  value. 

The  company  disbanded  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
August,  at  the  point  where  Kiupire  City  now  is,  some 
returning  direct  to  California.  Myself  and  six 
others  went  to  Washoe  liake,  thence  to  Truckee, 
and  crossed  the  mountains  to  Nevada  City,  where  1 
remained  ten  years,  and  then  returned  to  Nevada. 

The  reason  given  bj'  the  immigrants  of  184!)  for  not 
8top])ing  to  mine  in  Caisson  Valley,  when  shown  the 
coarse  gold  and  nuggets  by  the  Mormons,  who  repre- 
sented it  to  lie  in  large  i|uantities  in  the  hills  north  of 
them,  was  that  tiiey  were  short  of  provisions;  would 
be  unable  to  winter  there,  and  were  anxious  to  reach 
California,  the  land  i>r  their  destination. 


While  residing  in  Nevada  City,  I  became  acquainted 
with  Henry  Meredith,  who  was  killed  in  the  Ormsby 
massacre,  near  Pyramid  Lake,  and  after  mj-  return 
to  Nevada  Teri-itory,  I  saw  his  gun  in  the  possession 
of  a  Piute  Indian.  This  1  bouj^ht  in  1808,  of  the 
Indian  for  .?10.  and  sent  it  to  .Mr.  John  Meredith, 
brother  of  Henry  Meredith.  1  had  known  the  gun 
well,  and  recognized  it  at  once. 

I  have  never  claimed  that  our  part)"  was  the  first 
on  the  Comstock,  as  that  lode  was  not  found  for 
several  years  alter  our  prospecting  trip,  and  Devil's 
Gate  was  lower  down  the  canon.  We  pros])eeted  the 
foot-hills  from  Walker's  Eiver  to  Pyramid  Lake. 

TIIK    ni.ACK   ROCK    PROSPECTORS. 

In  the  summer  of  184!>,  Allen  Harding  and  two 
other  parties,  whose  names  are  not  known,  at  day- 
light one  morning,  left  the  emigrant  road  to  hunt 
for  game,  being  short  of  provisions.  They  were  on 
their  way  i'rom  the  States  to  California  at  the  time, 
and  had  arrived,  almost  destitute,  at  a  point  between 
Black  Rock  and  Mud  Meadows,  in  what  is  now 
Humboldt  County. 

The  emigrant  road  in  that  county  runs  to  the 
northwest  in  the  direction  of  California,  and  these 
three  men,  in  seeking  game,  for  food,  had  )iassed  into 
the  mountains,  to  the  northeast  of  it.  It  was  a 
barren,  desolate,  burned  region  of  black  igneous 
rocks,  and  volcanic  ashes,  where  they  had  gone,  and 
the  hunters  found  no  game.  On  their  return  to 
cam])  about  noon,  they  brought  with  them,  however, 
a  chunk  of  bright  metal  that  weighed  about  twenty- 
five  pounds,  and  pronouncing  it  silver,  tried  to  get  a 
man  who  was  short  of  sutticient  oxen  to  haul  his  own 
property,  to  take  it  to  California  for  them.  The 
party  in  question  politely  informed  them  that  he 
would  not  pack  it  even  though  it  were  pure  gold,  and 
thej'  were  forced  to  leave  it  beside  the  road.  Before 
going,  however,  thoy  took  a  piece  and  melting  it 
down,  made  a  button  by  molding  it  in  the  sand. 

The  button  Allen  Harding  took  with  him  to  Cali- 
fornia, intending  to  raise  a  companj',  and  go  back 
to  work  his  mine  of  native,  or  pure  silver.  When 
he  arrived  in  the  country  about  Mount  Shasta  ho 
showed  his  s])ecimen,  and  related  the  manner  in 
which  he  had  become  possessed  of  it,  and  his  nar- 
ration was  confirmed  by  the  other  two  parties.  He 
said  that  after  becoming  discouraged  in  their  hunt 
for  game  they  h:Td  started  back  down  the  mountain 
towards  camp,  and  in  doing  so  passed  along  the 
margin  of  a  shallow  gulch  that  had  been  cut  by 
water,  a  little  to  their  right.  As  they  were  going 
along  some  bright  metallic  substance  lying  in  its 
bottom,  and  for  a  short  distance  up  the  banks, 
attracted  their  attention,  and  they  went  down  to 
take  a  closer  look.  At  first  they  supposed  it  was 
lead,  but  finallj'  concluded  the  substance  must  be 
native  silver;  and  there  it  lay  scattered  along  the 
head  of  the  wash,  and  slicking  out  from  the  sides  of 
the  gulch  in  chunks,  from  the  size  of  a  bean  to 
thirty,  forty,  and  fifty  pounds.  It  was  there  by 
the  wagon-load;  an  Aladdin's  cave  uncovered;  and 


1859— GOLD  HILL  DISCOVERED. 


"  there  was  millions  in  it."  The  gold  miners  of 
Sh!i»ta  informed  Mr.  llariHiii;  it  was  gold  they 
wanted;  that  tliej-  would  not  take  the  liluck  Rock 
country  as  a  gift  if  it  was  all  silver,  and  he  soon 
came  to  think  much  in  the  same  waj'  himself.  A 
great  manj-  people  saw  the  button  and  jironounced 
it  silver;  when  finally  he  sent  it,  in  1850,  to  San 
Francisco  to  bo  tested,  and  it  was  lost  in  the  great 
fire  that  swept  over  the  city  that  j'ear. 

Eventuall}-  turning  his  attention  to  farming,  he 
settled  in  Petaluma  Valley,  Sonoma  County,  Cali- 
fornia; and  a  little  later  a  man  named  Frederick 
Alberding,  coming  from  the  Rogue  River  country, 
also  located  there,  and  became  Harding's  neighbor. 
One  day  the  last  comer  chanced  to  hear  the  storj-  of 
Harding's  native  silver  mine,  and  he  at  once  ))ro- 
nounced  a  decided  belief  in  its  being  a  genuine  find, 
stating  that  the  same  story  had  been  told  him  in 
the  Itogue  River  country  bj-  a  [lai-ty  who  said  he 
was  one  of  the 'original  discoverers.  The  result  of 
all  this  was  the  organization  of  a  company  in  Peta- 
luma to  go  and  locate  it.  The  members  of  the  com- 
pany were  M.  S.  Thompson,  now  a  State  Senator  in 
>«'evada;  Allen  Harding,  A.  B.  Jamison.  Fred.  Albur 
ding,  H.  Whiteside.  Charles  Humphries,  Major  James 

Pingley,  Holt  Fine,  P.  McGuire,  and Oman,  and 

the)-  all  arrived  at  Black  Rock  in  quest  of  this 
Silverado,  on  the  eighth  of  July,  1S5S.  Kor  three 
years  Thompson,  Harding  and  Jamison  searched 
for  this  treasure-house  of  the  mountain-gnomes  with 
parties  numl)ering  sometimes  as  high  as  seventy 
members,  but  the  invisible  wand  had  been  waved 
over  the  spot.  Its  lurking-place  became  an  ignia- 
/(i/aiiii — tantalizing  the  brain,  and  luring  the  pros- 
pector to  his  death  among  the  rocks  at  the  hands 
of  prowling  bands  of  savages,  that  were  never  at 
peace  with  the  whiles  in  that  locality.  H  was  never 
found,  and  the  search  was  (iitile,  but  Mr.  Thomp- 
son still  believes  that  Harding  told  the  triilii.  lie 
believes  that  the  mineral  had  recently  been  sluiced 
out  by  a  water-sjiout,  and  thus  e.\i)osed  to  view 
when  seen  in  184!1,  and  that  the  storms  of  the  years 
that  intervened,  before  the  place  was  sought  again, 
had  caved  the  banks  and  covered  up  the  de|)osit 
with  washings  from  the  country  around.  At  the 
time  of  the  battle  with  the  Pah-Utes,  when  they 
defeated  Major  Ormsby,  in  1S(!0,  M.  S.  Thompson, 
with  a  Jiarly  of  about  seventy  men.  was  out  in  the 
Black  I!ock  country  searching  for  the  lost  mine, 
when  he  received  news  by  a  pony  express  that  the 
Indians  were  laying  waste  the  whole  country,  and 
also  a  call  for  him  to  come  in  and  help  i)rotect  the 
settlers  in  Honey  Lake  Valley.  The  request  was 
prom]>tly  comj)lieil  with,  and  none  of  the  original 
Black  liock  prospectors  ever  went  back  to  that 
country  again  in  search  of  the  lost  treasure-house  of 
the  gnomes. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1859-GOLD  HILL  DISCOVERED- 

The  Coiiistock  Lode  Discovvietl,  .June,  Till^Aii  Article  of  A^;roe- 
ment — Sii-rra  Nevada  .Mine  liocatiil — First  Notii-e — (loidil  & 
Curry  l.,ocated — Bill  of  Sale — California  .Mine — Union  Con- 
solidated .Mine — Names  of  First  I.K)cator8  on  the  Conintoek — 
Virginia  City  LaiilulKin  I^ot.s — Carson  N'alley  (,iuart/. — Jtich 
Discovery — The  Kirst  Quartz  .Mill — .Silver  Found  in  the  Com - 
stock  Ores — Itush  from  California. 

As  before  stated,  the  miners  all  rendezvoused  at 

Johntown,  when  the  winter  frost  of  1858  rendered 

further    placer    mining    im|)0ssible    around    Mount 

Davidson  (at  that  time  known  as  Sun  Peak),  but  in 

January,  1850,  there  came  a  thaw,  that  started  water 

in  the  gulches,  and  jiarlies  went  to  the  head  of  Gold 

Cafion    prospecting,   on  the  twenty-eighth  of  that 

month.     Arriving  at  the  point  they  had  started  for, 

at  a  rocky  knoll  on  the  west  side,  near  the  head  of 

the  Canon  at  the  north  end  of  what  now  is  the  town 

of  Gold  Hill,  the)-  tried   for  gold  and  found  it.     John 

Bisho}),  one  of  the  party,  gives  the  following  account 

of  the  discovery: — 

*\Vhero  (Jold  Hill  now  stands.  I  had  noti'^ed  indica- 
tions of  a  ledge,  antl  had  got  a  little  color.  I  spoke  to 
''Old  Virginia"  about  it.  and  he  remembered  the  lo- 
cality, for  he  said  he  had  often  seen  the  place  when 
hunting  deer  and  antelo])e.  He  also  said  he  had 
seen  any  quantitj-  of  quartz  there,  so  he  joined  our 
party,  and  Comstock  also  followed  along.  When 
we  got  to  the  ground,  I  took  a  ))an  and  tilled  it 
with  dirt  with  my  foot,  for  1  hail  no  shovel  or  spade. 
The  others  did  the  same  thing,  though  I  believe  that 
some  of  them  had  shovels.  1  noticed  some  willows 
growing  on  the  hill-side,  and  started  for  them  with 
my  pan.  The  |)lace  looked  like  an  IndiaTi  si>ring. 
which  it  proved  to  be. 

1  began  washing  my  ])an.  When  1  had  tinished 
I  found  that  I  had  in  it  about  fifteen  cents.  None 
of  the  others  had  less  than  .eight  cents,  and  none 
more  than  fifteen.  It  was  very  fine  gold;  just  as 
fine  as  flour.  Old  Virginia  decided  that  it  was  a 
good  place  to  locate  and  work. 

The  next  difflculty  was  to  obtain  water.  \Vc  fol- 
lowed the  canon  along  for  some  distance,  and  found 
what  a])peared  to  be  the  same  turmation  all  the  way 
along.  Presently  ( )ld  Virginia,  and  anothei'  man  who 
had  been  rambling  awaj-,  came  back  and  said  they 
found  any  amount  of  water  which  could  be  brought 
right  there  to  the  gi-ound. 

1  and  my  partner,  meantime,  hail  a  talk  to- 
gether, and  had  decided  to  ]nit  the  others  of  the  party 
right  in  the  middle  of  the  good  ground, 

Afrer  Old  Virginia  got  back  we  told  him  this,  but 
were  not  understood,  as  he  said  if  we  liati  decided  to 
"  hog"  it  wo  could  do  so,  and  he  would  look  around 
further;  but  he  I'emained,  ami  when  the  ground  was 
measured  off  took  his  share  with  the  rest. 

After  we  had  measured  the  groinid.  we  had  a  con- 
sultation as  to  what  name  was  to  be  given  the  jihu-e. 
It  was  decidcdl)'  not  Gold  Canon,  for  it  was  a  lillle 
hill  ;  so  we  concluded  to  call  it  Gold  Hill.  That  is 
how  the  jilace  came  by  il>  i)i-eseiit  name. 

At  first  the  new  find  was  lookecl  u|ion  with  favor 
only  by  the  owners  ;  but  when  the  pay  dii'l  became 
richer  and  richer,  as  the  miners  worked  in  the  de- 
composed quartz  towards  the  covered  u\>  ledge,  and 

*.Si-c  "  Hif{  Bonanza,"  liy  Dan  De  l,luille,  ]>age  4*2 and  43. 


oG 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  yield  increased  from  five  dollars  per  day,  to 
twenty  per  man,  the  Johntown  unbelievers  became 
excited,  and  moved  en  musge  to  the  new  loealitj'. 
At  first  they  camped  under  trees,  then  erected  tem- 
porary huts,  or  shanties,  that  gave  way  eventually  to 
log  houses.  In  this  way  was  started  the  town  of 
Gold  Hill,  that  is  built  over  that  portion  of  the  Com- 
stock  Lode,  known  as  the  Belcher,  Crown  Point,  Yel- 
low Jacket.  Imperial.  Em])ire,  Kcntuck,  and  numer- 
ous other  mines  that  have  since  yielded  to  the  world 
the  value  of  a  nation's  ransom  in  gold  and  silver. 

THE    LODE  DISCOVERED  JUNE  12  OR  13,  1830. 

On  the  north  and  south  sides  of  Mount  Davidson 
a  wash  comes  down  from  the  west  that,  reaching 
the  mountain's  base,  passes  out  through  the  foot- 
hills eastward  to  the  valley  by  the  Uarson  ISivcr. 
Both  of  these  washes  have  cut  their  way  through 
and  over  the  Comstock  Lode,  and  the  waters  that 
made  them  picked  up  the  gold  freed  by  the  decom- 
posing quartz  ledge  and  deposited  it  all  along  the 
waj-  as  far  as  the  valley  below.  These  washes,  after 
they  leave  the  mountain  and  quartz  ledge,  cut  deep 
into  the  hills,  and  are  called  canons;  the  one  to  the 
south  being  known  as  Gold  t/ufion.  the  other  just 
north  of  it,  over  the  ridge,  the  Six-mile  Canon. 
The  miners  who  had  since  1850  been  gradually 
approaching  Mount  Davidson,  as  the  diminished  sup- 
plj-  of  paj'-dirl  in  (Jold  (^afion  forced  them  to  seek 
new  ground  further  u]!,  were  consequentl}',  without 
knowing  it,  nearing  the  quartz  vein  from  which  it 
all  came.  When  some  passed  to  the  north,  over  the 
ridge,  and  commenced  working  in  Six-mile  Canon 
towards  the  main  mountain,  they  were  gathering 
gold  distributed  from  the  same  general  fountain  of 
the  royal  metals,  and  were  unconsciously  trailing 
from  another  point  to  the  same  great  treasure- 
house  that  nature  had  secreted. 

Emanuel  Penrod,  of  Elko,  under  date  of  October. 
1880,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  discover}^ 
of  the  Comstock  Lode,  and  other  incidents  of  eai-lj- 
history: — 

1  left  Illinois  in  1S.J2,  bound  for  California,  and 
stopj)ing,  mined  with  success  for  one  month  at  Gol<l 
Canon,  and  in  November  continued  my  journe}-  to 
the  Pacific  Coast.  In  November,  1858,  I  went  back 
to  that  canon,  where  I  mined  until  .June,  1854.  1 
then  visited  Illinois,  and  returned  again  in  185U  with 
my  family,  and  have  resided  in  this  State  since,  fol- 
lowing in  summer  the  occupation  of  farming,  and 
that  of  mining  in  the  winter. 

I  was  on  the  jury  when  William  Thorrington 
(Lucky  Bill)  was  hung.  It  was  not,  as  'Dan  De 
Qnille"  has  it,  by  a  ^'igilance  Committee,  but  by  a 
peoples'  court.  A  A'igilance  Committee  was  organ- 
ized afterwards.  *  *  *  \  w!iN  in  (iold  Mill  when 
Peter  Oliiley  and  Patrick  AlcLaughlin  were  ))i-os- 
pecling  at  what  is  now  the  Opliir  mine.  They  had 
just  found  a  good  ])rospect  of  gold  when  Comstock 
came  to  tiiem,  and  said,  ••  Vou  have  struck  it,  boys." 
He  tlien  told  tliiin  that  Old  Virginia.  .James  Fin- 
ney. .Jo  Curby,  .James  White  and  William  Hart 
claimed  this  ground,  and  that  they,  O'lJiley  and 
McLaughlin,  had  bettor  buy  it  or  the  old  claimants 


would  drive  them  ott".  OKiley  and  Mcl>aughlin 
sent  for  me,  and  wanted  me  to  buj-  the  old  claim- 
ants out,  as  Comstock  and  mj-self  owneil  nine  shares 
:  out  of  ten  ol'  the  spring  that  furnished  water  for 
I  working  the  mine;  Comstock  was  to  buy  the  other 
I  share,  and  we  foui-  were  to  be  equal  owners  in  the 
claim.  We  tliought  it  was  onlj-  a  continuation  of 
the  ])lacei"s  that  had  been  worked  lower  down  on 
the  flat,  where  the  Ophir  hoisting  works  now  stand. 
1  got  a  bill  of  sale  from  I-'inney,  White  and  Curby 
for  the  whole  of  the  ground.  Hart  had  left  the 
camp.  I  paid  fifty  dollars  for  it.  I  think,  and  Com- 
stock gave  an  old  blind  horse  for  the  share  of  water. 
There  were  about  six  inches  of  pay-dirt  after  strip- 
])ing  off  about  three  feet  of  surface.  This  streak,  or 
stratum,  of  pay  increased  in  thickness  as  we  worked 
up  hill.  We  found  the  gravel  ail  decomposed  quartz, 
some  of  it  black  as  soot.  When  it  became  known 
that  we  had  good  paj- — for  we  were  taking  out 
SoOO  a  day  to  the  rocker,  and  were  running  three 
of  them — Joseph  D.  Winters  found  we  had  not 
Hart's  signature  to  the  bill  of  sale.  He,  Winters, 
found  Hart,  and  got  a  bill  of  sale  of  his  interest, 
and  to  save  trouble  we  took  Winters  in  as  a  full 
partner.  About  this  time,  June  12  or  18,  1859,  our 
])a3'-streak  turned  down  into  a  lead  about  four  feet 
wide,  I  contended  it  was  a  quartz  lead,  and  the  rest 
of  the  boys  laughed  at  me.  Comstock  finally  sided 
in  with  me,  and  we  measured  off  our  claim — 1,500 
feet  as  the  law  allowed — ."jOO  feet  to  the  man,  and 
800  for  the  discoverer.  This  was  a  day  or  two  before 
Winters  came  in.  After  Wiiitei-s  came  into  the  com- 
])an}'  we  took  in  a  man  by  the  name  of  Orsburn,  in 
consideration  of  his  building  and  stocking  two  aras- 
tras,  making  six  men  in  the  companj".  After  it  was 
known  to  be  a  lead,  our  c()m]>any  gave  Comstock 
and  mj-self  100  feet  of  it,  joining  our  work  on  the 
north,  for  staking  oft'  the  claim,  and  saving  it  to  the 
company.  This  100  feet  was  the  original  "Mexican," 
In  a  short  time  the  news  reached  California  of  the 
richness  of  this  mine,  and  then  followed  a  great  rush 
of  excited  |)eo)>le.  Threats  were  made  to  cut  down 
claims  to  two  hundred  feet,  so  we  each  six  of  our 
company  selected  his  man,  and  deeded  off  fifty  feet 
each,  making  800  feet  in  all.  This  800  feet  came 
off  the  north  end  of  th»  Ophir.  This  was  afterwards 
called  the  Atchison.  Some  of  the  company,  I  believe, 
got  their  |>art  of  this  800  feet  back.  I.  from  the  first, 
considered  it  a  lonn  Jith  sale,  and  still  do.  A  major- 
ity of  our  comjian}-  soon  sold  their  interest  in  the 
Ojihir,  when  the  buyers  proposed  to  build  a  §200,000 
mill  and  to  keep  from  being  froze  out,  I  sold  my 
one-sixth  for  S5,500  to  James  Walsh.  I  sold  my 
fiftj-  feet  in  the  Mexican  to  Meldoiiado  for  §3,000. 
Of  the  six  original  locators,  or  companj',  Comstock 
died  in  Montana,  Oliiley  was  taken  to  Stockton, 
McTjaughlin,  1  heard,  died  in  Southern  California, 
()i-sl)urn  went  to  the  States  1  believe.  Jo.  I).  Wintei-s 
was  in  Califoniia  when  last  I  heartl  from  him,  and 
all  except  Orsburn  I  believe  quite  poor. 

After  many  ups  and  downs  I  am  located  in  Elko 
CJounty,  and  pro|)ose  to  camp. 

In  1.S58  I,  with  others,  mined  in  a  little  gulch  we 
called  Cedar  I'avine,  just  below  where  Virginia  Cit}' 
stands,  then  from  the  head  of  the  ravine  working 
the  flat  where  the  Ophir  Hoisting  Works  now  arc, 
and  to  within  three  or  four  rods  of  the  lead,  where 
there  was  so  much  clay  it  could  not  be  worked. 
O'Kiley  and  Mcliaughlin  wore  running  a  cut  in  this 
clay  in  June,  1S51),  wlieii  they  struck  the  croppings 
of  the  lead  broken  over  and  covered  three  feet  deep. 

Later  Mr.  Penrod,  in  answer  to  a  letter  in  which 


^  ^ 


y  z^*- 


John  \^^.  Mack  ay 


Is  a  good  sample  of  those  men  who,  leaving  Europe 
without  capital,  save  that  of  brains  and  muscle, 
come  to  America  and  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  good 
judgment,  accumulate  fortunes  which,  even  by 
princes,  are  considered  colossal,  .\stor,  crossing  the 
ocean  with  a  few  dozen  musical  instruments,  his  sole 
capital,  commences  trade  in  a  modest  way,  and  soon 
establishes  a  sj-stem  of  business  which  leads  to  fort- 
une. It  may  be  said  of  these  colossal  fortunes, 
while  they  are  often  used  to  oppress  the  public, 
they  serve  to  show  the  possible  results  of  industry, 
guided  by  good  judgment,  and  thus  induce  thousands 
to  emulate  the  owners  in  devoting  themselves  to 
work,  and  in  a  measure  atone  for  the  evils  they  oth- 
erwise promote. 

Mr.  Mackay  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1835,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  "  Bonanza  " 
firm.  He  received  his  education  in  Dublin,  where  it 
is  said  the  purest  English  in  the  world  is  spoken, 
consefjuently  ho  shows  very  little  of  the  brogue  in 
his  speech.  He  came  to  America  in  1850,  and  was 
engaged  for  a  short  time  in  a  commercial  house  in 
/  Boston.  The  discoveries  of  gold  in  California  were 
then  shaking  the  foundations  of  values,  and  breaking 
up  the  old  routines  of  business,  and  young  Mackaj- 
thought  proper  to  bid  good-bye  to  that  old  and 
highly  respectable,  though  somewhat  fossilized  speci- 
men of  eastern  cities,  and  push  out  for  California,  the 
country  of  boundless  possibilities,  where  the  customs, 
habits  and  thoughts,  had  not  jietrified  into  a  social 
bedrock  which  could  not  bo  ])enetrated  with  shaft 
or  tunnel,  or  blown  up  with  giant  powder. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  we  find  him  hard  at  work 
close  up  to  the  snow-banks  of  that  elevated  town, 
Downieville,  in  Sierra  Count}'.  It  is  not  related  of 
him  that  he  made  a  fortune  there  in  mining,  or  that 
he  lost  one,  but  here  he  met  the  talented  and  ac- 
complished lady  who  afterwards  became  his  wife. 
Few  made  fortunes  in  those  days  at  mining;  the 
miner's  dust,  as  a  usual  thing,  came  in  small 
quantities,  and  onl}-  made  a  bulk  after  it  was 
gathered  in  by  merchants  and  speculators,  who  laid 
all  kinds  of  games  and  pit-falls  to  induce  the  miner 
to  part  with  it.  Mr.  Mackay  was  not  of  that  kind, 
80  ho  delved  away  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Washoe  fever,  when  he  changed  his  location,  and  also 
bis  luck,  though  as  far  as  that  term  is  concerned 
nothing  could  bo  more  inapplicable  to  his  case  than 
the  word  luck,  for  if  ever  man  achieved  a  fortune  out 
of  hard  and  persistent  endeavor,  together  with  good 
judgment,  it  was  John  W.  Mackay;  but  this  is  antici- 
pating.    He  commenced  a  tunnel  in  company  with 


other  miners,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Union 
Ground,  and  soon  exhausted  all  the  results  of  his 
California  mining.  He  did  not  curse  Washoe  and 
leave  it  as  so  many  others  did.  but  went  to  work  on 
the  Comstock  at  four  dollars  per  day,  which,  how- 
ever, was  but  a  small  portion  of  the  benefits  ho 
derived  from  the  labor  he  performed,  for  while 
engaged  in  this  way  he  was  gradually  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  the  great  silver  lode,  and  preparing  the 
way  for  the  big  work  of  his  life. 

He  soon  began  to  acquire  feet,  and  made  arespect- 
able  raise  out  of  the  Kentuck  Mine  in  Gold  Hill 
This  enabled  him  to  operate  still  more  largely,  and  a 
few  years  later  he  felt  safe,  from  the  condition  of  his 
:  purse  and  his  knowledge  of  the  Comstock,  to  enter 
upon  the  project  of  original  explorations.  In  com- 
pany with  James  G.  Fair  he  undertook,  by  contract, 
in  IStift,  to  develop  the  Hale  \-  Norcross  Mine,  which 
had  previously  paid  large  dividends.  Heav)'  assess- 
ments were  then  in  order,  and  the  stock  fell  in  the 
market,  but  the  contractors,  having  faith  in  the  mine, 
induced  Messrs.  Flood  &  O'Brien,  successful  mining 
operators  of  San  Francisco,  to  aid  in  securing  control, 
when  shortlj-  after  another  "bonanza"  was  opened  and 
dividends  resumed.  This  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
great  fortune  since  acquired.  With  the  profits  of 
successful  mining  and  successful  speculations  the 
firm,  now  composed  of  Messrs.  John  W.  Mackaj-, 
James  G.  Fair,  J.  M.  Walker,  James  C.  Flood,  and 
William  S.  O'Brien,  extended  their  possessions  until 
thoy  had  control  of  some  :?,(M)(I  feet  of  the  Comstock 
vein  north  of  the  Hale  \-  Norcross,  and  along  that 
property  they  sent  an  exploring  drift.  Mr.  Walker 
becoming  discouraged,  sold  his  interest  to  Mr. 
Mackay,  giving  the  latter  a  two-fifths  interest  in 
the  firm. 

The  result  of  the  drift  was  the  discovery  of  the 
"bonanza"  in  the  Consolidated  A'irginia  and  California 
Mines,  which  paid  between  the  years  1874  and  1879, 
$100,000,000  in  dividends  to  its  stockholders.  It 
was  on  Mr.  Mackaj-'s  judgment  that  the  terri- 
tory afterward  known  as  the  California  and  Con- 
solidated Virginia  was  purchased;  that  in  addition 
to  the  money  paid  for  the  ground,  ?5(I0,000  was 
spent  in  tunnelingandcrosscuttingbeforoasight  of  the 
ore  body  was  obtained.  It  may  be  asked  whj-  Mr. 
Mackay  believed  in  an  ore  body?  Wh}-  did  ho 
induce  others  to  invest  also?  It  must  be  answered 
that  he  had  studied  the  lode  in  its  entiretj-.  He  had 
compared  its  formation  with  the  great  lodes  of  Mex- 
ico, which  had  been  deposited  in  similar  openings 
between  the  same  kind  of  walls.     Ho  had  calculated 


on  the  average  value  of  the  foot  in  depth  and  length, 
and  the  chances  of  an  ore  body  in  so  many  hundred 
feet  long  and  deep.     There  might  have  been  nothing. 
It   was    entirely  possible    the   ore   bodies   should 
skip  his  ground  both  in  length  and  depth,  as  much 
as  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  go  through  a  hundred 
battles  without  harm.     He  had,  however,  no  right 
to  expect  more  than  the  average  deposit,  and  when 
the  great  body  of  ore  was  found,  the  largest,  the 
richest  the  world  ever  saw,  that  much  was  luck  or 
good  fortune,  just  as  you  choose  to  name  it.     Though 
millions  have  come  at  his  call,  he  still  is  studying 
among  the  levels.     He  dons  the  mining  suit,  takes 
his  hammer  and  candle  and  goes  prodding  around 
2,000   feet  under  ground,  observing  the  dip  of   the 
wall  rocks,  the  stratification  and  character  of  the 
ores,  and  is  just  as  keen  in  searching  out  the  secrets 
of  the  mine  as  when  he  was  pleading  with  Flood  and 
O'Brien  to   test  the  ground.     He  knows  from   the 
shade  of  ore  whether  it  is  good  or  bad;  whether  to 
order  it  mined  out  for  milling,  or  whether  to  let  it 
remain  where  the  great   convulsion    left   it.     With 
him  it  is   a  science.     He  searches  out  the  secrets  of 
the  Comstock  as  the  astronomer  studies  the  stars,  or 
the  movements  of  a  planet  or  a  comet;  as  the  bot- 
anist the  structure  of   a  plant,  or  a  politician    the 
secrets  of  political  economy.      Though   money  is  a 
factor  in  the  problem  the  strong  motive  is  the  love  of 
knowledge,  in  his  case  the  knowledge  of  mines.     Let 
no  one,  because  silver  is  in  the  lode,  say  that  such 
knowledge  is  beneath  any  man's  attention.     When 
we  look  at  the  convulsion  of  the  earth  in  which  the 
Ck)mstock  fissure  had  its  origin,  the  wonderful  circu- 
lation of  subterranean  currents  (solfataras)  which  fill 


the  fissure  with  minerals,  when  we  look  for  the 
sources  of  the  mineral,  the  sources  of  the  power  that 
lifted  up  the  rocks,  and  set  them  in  order,  we  are 
lost  in  wonder,  as  much  as  the  star-gazer,  or  the 
theologian. 

Fortune  has  not  spoiled  Mr.  Mackay  as  a  citizen. 
When  not  beset  with  adventurers  he  is  as  plain  and 
approachable  as  when  swinging  a  pick  in  the  Union 
Tunnel,  or  putting  a  set  of  timbers  in  to  a  Belcher 
drift.  Like  all  wealthy  men,  he  is  annoyed  with 
applications  for  charity  and  assistance,  many  of 
which  are  doubtless  deserving  cases,  but  far  the 
greater  part  are  impositions,  deserving  only  con- 
tempt. The  very  circumstances  compel  a  hedging 
about  of  forms  for  self-defense. 

Mr.  Mackay  married,  in  1867,  the  daughter  of  Col. 
Daniel  E.  Hungerford,  who  had  served  with  distinc- 
tion in  the  campaign  against  the  Indians  in  1860.  This 
was  before  the  discovery  of  the  "bonanza,"  and 
must  have  been  a  union  founded  on  mutual  respect 
and  esteem.  He  has  had  two  children  by  her,  a  boy 
and  a  girl.  She  is  a  most  accomplished  lady,  and 
resides  most  of  the  time  in  Paris,  where  she  repre- 
sents well  the  culture  and  wealth  of  the  United 
States,  and  is  doing  much  to  bring  about  a  feeling  of 
respect  for  the  citizens  of  the  wonderful  Kepublic, 
whose  sources  of  wealth  and  power  are  unfathom- 
able, and  whose  progress  in  culture  and  refinement 
is  a  marvel  to  the   world. 

Mr.  Mackay's  house  is  a  home  for  all  worthy 
Americans,  a  stepping-stone  to  the  best  society  of 
Europe.  Our  ex-Presidents,  our  Generals,  our  mill- 
ionaires, all  feel  honored  by  being  entertained  by  the 
Queen  of  the  Comstock. 


1859— GOLD  HILL  DISCOVERED. 


57 


his  attention  was  called  to  an  incident  mentioned  by 
D:\u  Do  Qiiiilo  in  "  IJIj^  IJonanza"  i-o<{arding  the  C"om- 
8tocl<  Lode  discovery,  wrote  as  follows:— 

On  pane  52  of  the  "  15ifj  Bonanza,"  Dan  Du  (^uilie 
saj's:  "Comstock  next  dcnianded  lliat  100  feet  of 
the  ground  on  the  lead  should  lie  segregaled  and 
given  to  I'enrod  and  liiinself  for  the  right  lo  the 
water  they  were  using,"  which  is  incorrect.  The 
loo  feet  of  ground  referred  to,  al'terwards  called  the 
Mexican,  was  given  Comstofk  and  myself,  as  I  wrote 
in  my  first  letter,  as  follows:  Ahciut  a  woek  after  wo 
four,  i'.  «.,  O'lxiley,  McLaughlin,  ( 'onislcick,  and  my- 
self, were  all  in  company  aiul  working,  following  tho 
])ay  up  the  hill,  /.  e.,  the  croppings  of  tho  lead, 
broken  over  when  it  turned  to  go  down.  I  was  tho 
first  to  claim  that  it  was  a  <iuarl/,  lead;  the  rest  of 
the  company  laughed  at  mo  and  said  it  was  only  a 
crevice  washed  out  h}-  a  current  of  water. 

I  said  it  would  do  no  harm  to  locate  it  for  a  quartz 
lead,  and  did  so.  I  wrote  out  the  notice  claiming 
300  feet  to  the  man  and  300  foot  for  discovery,  four 
men,  1,500  feet  in  the  claim,  as  was  the  law,  and 
signed  the  four  names  to  it.  Comstock  then  sided 
in  with  me  and  hel])ed  measure  off  the  ground. 
O'Kiloy  and  McLaughlin  laughetl  at  us  all  the  time. 
In  a  few  daj's  it  was  proven  to  be  a  lead,  and  all  the 
country  taken  up. 

In  consideration  of  the  location  in  tini^,  and  [)Ut- 
ting  their  names  in  the  location,  O'Kiloy  and 
McLaughlin  gave  us  tho  100  feet,  to  take  it  at  any 
place  we  wished.  We  look  it  on  the  north  IVoni  the 
discovery.  Comstock  and  1  owned  tho  water  that 
supplied  the  mines.  We  then  gave  it  to  tho  com- 
pany. 

Tho  following  copy  of  a  contract  entered  into 
within  less  than  ten  daj's  after  the  location  of  the 
Comstock  Lode  as  a  quartz  vein,  will  throw  some 
light  upon  the  condition  of  affairs  at  that  time: —    \ 

NOTICE  OF  AN  ARTICLE  OP  AGREEMENT. 

This  indenture,  made  and  entered  into  this  twenty- 
second  of  June,  1859,  between  Emanuel  Penrod, 
Henry  Comstock,  Peter  O'Riley,  Pat.  McLaughlin, 
of  tho  first  part,  and  J.  A.  Orsburn,  J.  D.  Winters, 
Jr.,  of  the  second  part,  witnessoth.  That  tho  first 
party  above  named  do  agree  to  soil  and  convey  to  the 
second  part}-  (J.  A.  Orsijurn  and  J.  D.  Winters,  Jr.) 
two-sixths  of  fourteen  hundred  (14((0)  foot,  of  a 
certain  quartz  and  surface  claim  lying  and  being 
located  on  Pleasant  Hill,  Utah  Territory,  for  and 
in  tho  following  considerations  to  wit:  Tho  said 
second  j)arty  (J.  A.  Orsburn  and  J.  I).  Winters,  Jr.) 
do  agree  to  build  two  arastras  and  furnish  stock  to 
run  tho  same,  worth  tho  sum  of  875  each,  and 
the  number  of  horses  or  mules  are  to  bo  two.  It 
is  further  agretid  b}'  the  jiarties  that  after  tho  com- 
])letion  of  the  first  ai-astra,  the  proceeds  from  tho 
vein  and  claim  shall  be  e(iually  divided  between  the 
mombei-s  of  the  company,  after  all  debts  settled 
[line  worn  ofl']  copartnership.  It  is  also  agreed  that 
the  second  arastra  shall  be  built  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble after  the  cr)m|ilction  of  the  first.  It  is  also 
agreed  by  the  first  |)arty,  that  the  second  party,  J. 
A.  Orsburn  and  J.  D.  Winters,  Jr.,  shall  have  an 
equal  interest  in  all  the  water  now  on  the  claim,  for 
the  use  of  working  said  claim  and  arastras.  It  is 
further  agreed  b}-  tho  members  of  the  comiiaii}'  that, 
if  an}'  member  of  this  comjiaii}'  jiroposo  to  sell,  he 
is  to  give  tho  members  of  the  company  preference 
8 


in  the  sale.  We  do  further  agree  that  if  there  is 
any  surplus  of  water  that  is  not  used  by  the  above 
claim,  that  it  ma}*  be  usod  by  Messi-s.  Comstock   and 

E.  Penrod,  on    tho .     We   do    lurthor 

agree  that  no  member  of  this  company  shall  sell, 
convoy,  or  transact  any  business  whatever  for  the 
comjiany,  unless  ho  is  authorized  to  do  so  by  a 
majority  of  tho  company.  In  testimony  whereof, 
wo,  tho  parties  heroin  mentioned,  do  cause  seal  to 
bo  made. 

K.MANirKi,  Penuou, 
Patiuck  McrjAt'dllLlN, 
J.  A.  OllSItllRN, 

Pktkii  O'IJii.ev, 

JosKi'ii  D.  WiNTKUs,  Jr., 

IIenrv  Co.mstock. 

Attest,  n.  F.  Little. 

llecorded  this  day.    V.  A.  IIousewortii,  Recorder. 

The  following  copies  of  mine  locations  and  other 
transactions,  are  the  first  entries  in  Hook  A  of  min- 
ing records  at  Virginia  City.  It  will  be  observed 
that  the  miners  put  upon  record  within  ton  days 
after  the  discovery,  their  acknowledgment  that  it 
was  yet  a  doubtful  question  as  to  there  being  a 
quartz  vein,  and  the  credit  of  discovery  is  given  to 
Messrs.  Penrod,  Comstock  &  Co. 

SIERRA    NEVADA    MINE   LOCATED. 

(First  Notice.) 

We,  the  undersigned  claimants,  have  this  day 
located  the  .svy»/«).sci/  (luarlz  vn'iu,  (/iscoi'ereil  hi/  .\fe.sDrn. 
renrod,  Comstock  A-  Co.,  commencing  with  the  second 
ravine  north  of  Penrod,  Comstock  &  Co.,  and  run- 
ning north  through  tho  hill  and  with  tho  vein  three 
thousand  six  hundred  (3, GOO)  feet,  with  all  its  doj)ths, 
angles  and  sjiurs. 

June  22,  1859.  Henry  Miller, 

C.  C.  (lATES, 

J.  F.  Stone, 

B.  A.  Harrison, 

B.  C.  I  NO, 

R.  Robinson, 

T.  SciiAMi's,  (abandoned.) 

T.  Walsii, 

H.  M.  TUAND, 

H.  M.  Tkand, 

J.  Sturtevant,  (abandoned.) 

M  Atwooi), 

V.  (i.  Muui'iiv, 

Jos.   WiloiiWidlTII.* 

Recorded  this  day. 

Fee  paid  §3.     V.  A.  Hoisewoktu,  Recorder. 

NOTICE. 

That  wo,  tho  un<lorsigncd,  do  claim  these  springs 
and  streams,  as  designated  by  notices  and  stakes. 
Juno  23,  1859.  Peter  OUii.ev, 

Pat.  McLauoiilin. 
Recorded  this  day. 
Fee  paid.     V.  A.  Hoitse worth,  Recorder. 

NOTICE. 

That  we,  tho  undersigned,  claim  six  hundred  foot 
of  this  quartz  vein,  commencing  with  the  south  end 
of  Finny  iV  Co.,  and  running  south  six  hundred  feet 
and  two  claims  (or  chains). 


Peter  C  Rilev, 
Pat.  McLauuHlin. 


June  23,  ls5:i.      Itccorded,  etc. 


•Namca  of  L.  C.  Porter  and  Josepli  GifforJ  scratched  off. 


60 


HISTORYIOF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


erroneously  been  given  the  credit  of  having  first  dis- 
covered that  the  Comstock  Ledge  carried  silver  : — 

Carson  Valley  Quartz. — We  saw  a  specimen 
of  the  Carson  Valley  gold  quartz  yesterdaj-.  The 
rock  is  verj-  different  in  appearance  to  the  quartz  in 
this  vicinity.  It  has  a  lluish  cast,  and  looks  more  like 
common  blue  limestone  than  anj-thing  else.  The 
sample  which  we  examined  was  full  of  gold,  however, 
and  if  the  lode  is  as  extensive  as  has  been  represented, 
the  owners  have  doubtless  found  a  good  thing. 

It  was  the  following  September  28th,  before  the 
existence  of  silver  in  the  Comstock  Lode  was  hinted 
at  in  that  paper,  and  Mr.  Stewart  had  ceased  to  be 
its  editor  the  previous  August  3.  The  item  then 
crept  into  the  Observer,  as  an  extract  from  the 
Territorial  Enterprise. 

This  first  notice  was  followed  by  others  calculated 
to  create  an  excitement  over  the  mountains,  of  which 
the  following  are  samples.  They  are  also  taken 
from  the  Observer  of  July  6,  1859: — 

RICH    DISCOVERT. 

J.  S.  Child,  of  the  Walker  Jiiver  Express,  returned 
to  this  cit}-  on  Monday  last.  The  news  which  he 
furnishes  in  relation  to  the  new  diggings  at  Gold 
Canon  is  most  encouraging,  and  eminently  calculated 
to  produce  an  excitement.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  we  have  before  had  occasion  to  mention  the 
probable  richness  of  these  diggings.  Our  corre- 
spondents have  constantly  and  uniformly  predicted 
that  when  the  mines  were  proi)crl3-  ])rospected  they 
would  prove  surprisinglj'  rich,  and  it  appears  they 
were  not  mistaken.  Child  states  that  the  new  dig- 
gings are  apparently  in  the  debris  of  an  old  quartz 
lode,  which  is  so  effectually  decomposed  that  the 
quartz  is  rotten,  and  crumbles  like  pipe-clay.  Sev- 
eral of  the  claims  which  are  now  being  worked  in  this 
old  lode  are  yielding  I'rom  filly  dollars  to  five  hun- 
dred dollars  ))er  day  to  tlic  hand.  The  best  part  of 
the  matter  is,  that  the  vein  has  been  traced  a  con- 
siderable distance,  and  there  is  good  rea.son  for 
believing  that  the  diggings  are  extensive  as  well  as 
marvelously  rich. 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  richness  of  these 
mines  b}'  the  following: — 

Comstock  &  Co.  are  working  two  common  gold 
rockers,  and  are  averaging  850(1  per  daj-  with  each 
rocker. 

liishop  ct  Co.  have  struck  dirt  in  their  claim  which 
will  ])ay  forty  dollars  per  day  to  the  hand,  but  uii- 
fortutiately  lliey  have  now  no  water  to  work  with. 

The  Calitorriia  Compaii}',  a  party  of  miners  who 
recently  left  I'lacerville,  have  a  claim  which  aver- 
ages §25(1  ])cr  da}'  to  the  hand  with  a  rocker. 

W.  Knight  iV  Co.  are  crushing  the  hardest  of  the 
quartz  with  arastras.  At  jn-esent  thej-  are  running 
two,  which  j'ield  an  average  of  §4(1(1  per  day  each. 

At  Walker  IJiver  the  miners  are  all  doing  well, 
the  only  drawback  to  their  ])rospcrily  being  a  scarc- 
ity of  j)rovisions.  It  is  strange  that  our  business 
men  do  not  keep  them  better  su])])lie(i. 

And  again  from  the  same  paper  of  the  ensuing 
August  13th: — 

More  (toLn. — The  excitement  about  the  Washoe 
and  Cold  Hill  mines  continues  unabate<i.  Comstock 
&  Co.,  at   the  latter  place,  are  literal!}'  digging  gold 


by  the  panful.  Another  company  known  as  the 
California  Companj-,  have  an  extremely  rich  claim 
at  the  same  place.  It  is  stated  that  this  claim 
yields  as  high  as  .?30(J  ])er  daj-  with  a  rocker. 

Gold  has  also  been  found  in  considerable  <|uanti- 
ties  in  Honey  Lake  Valley,  and  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe  that  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  will 
shortly  rival  the  golden  foot-hills  of  the  West. 

THE   first    quartz    .MILL. 

The  news  of  the  valuable  discovery  of  gold-fields 
in  western  Utah  spread  rapidly,  and  reaching  Cali- 
fornia, Hugh  Logan  and  John  P.  Holmes  came  over 
from  Nevada  County,  in  that  State,  to  see  what 
foundation  existed  for  the  rumors.  Becoming  satis- 
fied that  a  mine  had  been  discovered,  these  gen- 
tlemen purchased  an  interest  in  the  Gold  Hill  loca- 
tion, south  of  the  divide,  on  the  thirteenth  of  July, 
just  one  month  after  Penrod  had  written  out  the 
first  notice  claiming  the  Ophir  property  as  a 'quartz 
ledge. 

Mr.  Logan  immediately  started  for  Sacramento, 
where  he  purchased  of  the  Union  Foundry,  a  small 
mill,  with  mortar,  and  four  stamps  of  400  pounds 
I  each,  with  a  horse-power  to  run  it.  In  three  daj^s 
it  was  ready,  and  shipped  on  wagons  drawn  by 
twelve  yoke  of  oxen  and  eight  horses,  under  charge 
I  of  John  Black.  The  machinery  arrived  at  Gold 
Hill  the  last  of  August;  but  as  the  water  had  all 
dried  up  at  that  ])lace  it  was  taken  to  the  Carson 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon  where  Dayton 
now  is.  The  batterj-  blocks  and  posts  for  it  were 
cut  just  over  the  ridge  east  of  Gold  Hill.  Early 
in  October  the  mill  was  started  by  horse-power, 
and  continued  to  crush  quartz  until  closed  down 
by  the  winter  storms,  because  there  was  no  lumber 
in  the  countrj-  to  cover  it. 

Castings  for  a  water-wheel,  to  run  the  machinery 
had  been  ordered  from  t'alifornia,  but  coming  too 
late  were  snowed  in  on  the  mountains  and  did  not 
amve  until  the  next  summer. 

This  was  the  first  quartz  mill  jmt  up  or  running 
between  the  Rocky  and  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
and  consisted  of  a  four-stamp  battery  with  blanket 
sluices. 

SILVER    FOUND    IN   THE    COMSTOCK    ORES  CAUSES  A   RUSH 
FKO.M    C.VLIFORNIA. 

None  of  the  parties  having  an  interest  in  the  lode 
knew  of  its  containing  anj'thing  of  value  except  gold 
until  sometime  in  Jul}-,  the  knowledge  being  finally 
obtained  in  the  following  manner: — 

A  rancher  named  W.  P.  Morrison,  living  on  the 
Truckee  Meadows,  visited  the  new  discovery  and 
carried  away  through  curiosity  some  of  the  suljihur- 
ets  that  having  bothered  the  miners  in  washing  for 
gold  they  had  thrown  away  as  worthless  material. 
Morrison's  former  residence  had  been  Nevada  City, 
California,  and  in  ros])on.i?e  to  a  business  call  he  went 
dii'cctly  to  that  i>lace,  where  in  company  with  J.  F. 
Stone,  ho  visited  the  Journal  office  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  June,  giving  an  account  of  where   it   had 


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EFFORTS  AT  GOVERNMENT. 


61 


been  obtained.  It  all  resulted  in  turning  llie  gnmplc 
over  to  an  assaj'cr,  named  J.  J.  Ott.  for  a  test,  who 
demonstrated  that  it  contained  SI, 505  in  gold  and 
S3,19G  in  silver,  making  a  total  value  of  84,701  per 
ton.  Another  test  was  made  with  similar  results  by 
an  assayer  named  Melville  Atwood,  in  Grass  Valley, 
California,  and  there  could  bo  no  longer  a  doubt  as 
to  the  value  of  the  material  that  was  being  cursed  as 
an  obstruction  and  east  away  as  worthless  by  the 
Utah  miners.  As  to  the  immediate  result  upon  the 
imagination  and  consequent  influence  upon  the 
actions  of  tho.se  making  the  discovery.  Ban  i)e  Quille 
writes: — 

The  excitement  by  no  means  abated  when  they 
were  informed  bj^  Jlr.  Morrison  that  there  were  tons 
and  tons  of  the  same  stutt"  in  sight  in  the  0])ening 
that  the  Ophir  Company  had  already  made  in  the 
lead.  It  was  agreed  among  the  few  who  knew  the 
result  of  the  assay  that  the  matter  should  for  the 
time  being  be  kept  a  profound  secret;  meantime 
the}'  would  arrange  to  cross  the  Sierra  and  secure 
as  much  ground  as  possible  on  the  line  of  the  newly 
discovered  silver  lode. 

But  each  man  had  intimate  friends  in  whom  he 
had  the  utmost  confidence  in  every  respect,  and 
these  bosom  friends  soon  knew  that  a  silver  mine 
of  wonderful  richness  had  been  discovered  over  in 
the  Washoe  country.  These  again  had  their  friends, 
and  although  the  result  of  the  assay  made  by  Jlr. 
Atwood  was  not  ascertained  until  late  at  night,  by 
nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  half  the  town  of  Grass 
Valley  knew  the  wonderful  news. 

Judge  Walsh  and  Joe  Woodworth  packed  a  mule 
with  provisions,  and  mounting  horses  were  off  for 
the  eastern  sl()])e  of  the  Sierra  at  a  very  early  hour 
in  the  morning.  This  was  soon  known,  and  the 
news  of  the  discovery  and  their  departure  ran  like 
wildfire  through  Nevada  County.  In  a  few  days 
hundreds  of  miners  had  left  their  diggings  in  Cali- 
fornia and  were  flocking  over  tlie  mountains  on 
horseback,  on  foot,  with  teams,  and  in  any  way  that 
offered.  Many  men  packed  donkej's  with  tools  and 
provisions,  and  going  on  foot  themselves  trudged 
over  the  Sierra  at  the  best  speed  they  were  able  to 
make. 

When  news  began  to  be  received  in  various  parts 
of  California  from  the  first  |)arties  of  these  adven- 
turers U])on  their  arrival  in  Washoe,  their  reports 
were  confirmatory  of  all  that  had  before  been  said 
and  imagined  of  the  new  mines,  and  an  almost 
unparalleleil  excitement  followed.  Jliners,  Ijusiness 
men  and  cajiitalists  fiocked  to  the  wonderful  land  of 
silver  that  had  been  found  in  the  wilderness  of 
Washoe,  be^-ond  the  snow}-  peaks  ol'  the  Sierra. 

The  few  hardy,  first  prospectors  soon  counted 
their  neighbors  b}'  thousands,  and  found  eager  and 
excited  new-comers  jostling  them  on  every  hand, 
))lanting  stakes  under  their  very  noses,  and  running 
lines  round  oi-  through  their  brush  shanties  as  regard- 
less of  tlieii'  presence  as  though  they  were  Pah-l'tes. 
The  handful  of  old  settlers  found  tluMuselves 
strangers  almost  in  a  single  day  in  llicir  own  land 
ai\d  their  own  dwellings. 

There  were  numerous  sales  of  mining  claims  almost 
daily,  at  what  then  were  thought  hiicli  |iri<'es,  and 
the  huridi'eds  who  were  UM|irovided  willi  money  with 
which  to  ])urchase  mining  ground,  swarmed  the  hills 
in  search  of  ledges  that  were  still  undiscovered  and 
unclaimed.     The  whole  country  was  supposed  to  bo 


full  of  silver  lodes  as  rich  as  tbo  Comstock,  and  the 
man  who  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  large,  unoccu- 
jiied  vein,  containing  rock  of  a  color  similar  to  that  of 
the  Ophir,  considered  his  fortune  made. 

Many  who  came  from  California  know  nothing  of, 
and  cared  less,  for  any  mine  except  i)lacers,  and 
when  it  was  found  that  all  such  had  been  worked 
before,  or  were  already  in  the  possession  of  others, 
they  returned  in  the  fall  disgusted  to  the  gulches 
thej'  had  abandoned  in  the  rusli  to  Washoe. 

Others  who  deemed  themselves  more  fortunate, 
having  located  something  or  purchased  an  interest  of 
those  who  had,  remained;  prodigal  in  what  means 
they  possessed  and  happy  in  what  thej-  believed  the 
coming  summer  would  reveal  to  them,  when  capital 
should  come  with  the  spring  from  over  the  mount- 
ain for  investment.  They  lived  in  tents,  brush 
houses  covered  with  dirt,  burrowed  into  the  rocks 
and  tunnels  by  twos,  half-dozen  or  twenty  together 
as  congeniality,  interest,  or  necessity  assorted  them, 
and  passed  the  most  dreary,  comfortless,  severely 
cold  winter  ever  known  in  Nevada,  warmed  by  scant 
wood  and  cheered  only  by  a  golden  hope  in  the 
future. 

Snow  commenced  falling  on  the  twenty-second  of 
November.  It  continued  through  the  daj'  and 
repeated  itself  with  slight  intermission  until  from 
five  to  six  feet  of  the  white  fleece  carpeted  the 
ground,  effectually  closing  out  for  a  time  communica- 
tion with  the  outside  world. 

Many  cattle  and  animals  of  various  kinds  perished 
in  the  country  during  the  winter;  and  though  no 
instance  was  known  of  a  white  man  starving,  Dan  Do 
Quille  affirms  that  the  stomachs  of  man}-  had  fre- 
quent holidays. 

Having  followed  in  1859  the  development  of  min- 
ing interests  in  western  Utah,  and  camped  upon  the 
"  honest  miner's"  trail  until  they  are  securely  cor- 
raled  in  snow,  perhaps  it  will  be  safe  to  leave  them 
there  for  awhile  and  return  to  the  ])olitical  history 
of  Carson  County. 


C  II  A  P  T  K  R     X 


EFFORTS    AT   GOVERNMENT. 

Resume  of  Political  History  —  IJulos  .tiiil  Regulations — A 
Conviction  ami  Enr-C'ropping  —  Tliu  Tliinl  Unsuc- 
cessful Attempt  at  Territorial  ()ri;anizatit>n  —  Kac-sim- 
ile  of  '•  Torritorial  Kiit  riirise,"  .Inly  .'10,  I8">".t — IXvlara- 
tion  of  Cause  for  .Separation — Kleetion  anil  .Ailoption 
of  Constitution,  Septi'mlier  7,  1  S.V.I— .Miisser  certilies  to 
Results  of  the  Klei-tiou — .\uotlier  Attempt  to  KeorKanize 
Carson  County  l>y  •'"'•ne  ■'•  S.  CliiUl — Carson  County  KI«o- 
tion  Returns  of  Oetoher,  l.S.V.I — .\tteuipt  at  Provisional 
(Jovernnient — Provisional  l,eKislat«re  Mwt  ami  Ailjourn — 
(iovenior  Itoop'.s  Messa;;e  — .M'ter  the  Ailjinirnnient. 

It  has  alreaily  ln'cn  noted  that  in  l.S.")S  an  attempt 
to  reorganize  civil  government  in  Cai-son  County 
had  been  made  by  the  appointment  ol'  John  S. 
Child,  Probate  Judge,  who  had  called  a  special  elec- 
tion, tiiat  was  held  on  the  thirtieth  of  October, 
that  year.     The  next  loot-print  of  an  attempt   at 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


government  is  found  in  Gold  Hill,  made  one  or  two 
days  before  the  Comstock  Lode  was  discovered. 
The  miners,  because  of  the  rapidly-increasing  pop- 
ulation centering  about  the  place  where  the  rich 
placer  gold  deposits  had  recently  been  found,  be- 
came impressed  with  the  importance  of  having  some 
well-defined,  recognized  rules  of  action  for  guidance, 
in  the  absence  of  anj-  operative,  regularly  consti- 
tuted civil  government  to  rely  upon  in  case  of 
extreme  emergencies.  Consequently,  they  assem- 
bled on  the  eleventh  of  June,  1859,  at  Gold  Hill, 
and  adopted  laws,  of  which  the  following  are  some 
of  the  most  important: — 

Whereas,  The  isolated  position  we  occupy,  far 
from  all  legal  tribunals,  and  cut  off  from  those 
fountains  of  justice  which  every  American  citizen 
should  enjoy,  renders  it  necessary  that  we  organize  in 
body  politic  for  our  mutual  ]irotection  against  the  law- 
less, and  for  meeting  out  justice  between  man  and 
man;  therefore,  we,  citizens  of  Gold  Hill,  do  hereby 
agree  to  adopt  the  following  rules  and  laws  lor  our 
government: — 

RULES   AND    REQULATIONS. 

Section  1.  Anj'  person  who  shall  willfully  and 
with  malice  aforethought  take  the  life  of  any  person 
shall,  upon  being  dulj'  convicted  thereof,  sutier  the 
penalty  of  death  by  hanging. 

Sec.  2.  Any  person  who  shall  willfully  wound 
another  shall,  u])on  conviction  thereof,  suffer  such 
penalty  as  the  juiy  may  determine. 

Sec.  3.  Any  ])erson  found  guilty  of  robbery  or 
theft  shall,  upon  conviction,  be  ]iui)ished  with  stripes 
or  banishment  as  the  jury  may  determine. 

Sec.  4.  Anj-  ])erson  found  guilty  of  assault  and 
battery,  or  exhibiting  deadlj-  weapons,  shall,  upon 
conviction,  be  fined  or  banished  as  the  jury  may 
determine. 

Sec  5.  No  banking  game  under  any  considera- 
tion shall  be  allowed  in  this  district,  under  the  pen- 
alty of  final  banishment  from  the  district. 

The  rules  thus  adopted  were  recognized  but  a 
short  time,  the  rush  from  California  in  August  and 
September  having  swept  them,  with  all  else  that 
partook  of  the  past,  into  chaos  and  obscurity.  But 
one  incident  seems  to  have  been  remembered  of  anj- 
attempt  that  year  to  punish  for  an  offense,  and  this 
occurred  in  August,  when  a  couple  of  thieves  were 
caught  in  Washoe  Valley  with  a  yoke  of  stolen 
oxen.  Their  names  wore  given  as  George  liuspas 
and  David  Heisc;  and  a  jurj'  of  citizens  ordered  an 
ear  of  each  cut  off,  which  being  done,  they  were 
recommended  to  travel  west  for  their  health,  and 
they  traveled. 

TERRITORIAI-   ORGANIZATION. 

The  movement  set  on  foot  in  1857,  previouslj- 
detailed  in  this  work,  failed  of  achieving  the  desired 
result.  The  desire  for  a  separate  government,  how- 
ever, had  not  failed  with  the  |)lan.  It  is  evident 
that  the  feeling  of  hostility  existing  between  Mor- 
mons and  other  citizens  of  the  United  States  had 
not  been  allayed  in  1859,  and  that  it  was  proposed 
to  U80  that  feeling  of  unfriendliness  as  a  leverage 


by  which  to  yet  procure  a  Territorial  organization 
for  the  western  portion  of  Utah  that  would  not  in- 
clude Salt  Lake  ('ity.  There  were  men  cast  of  the 
mountains  in  1S59  who  were  politically  ambitious, 
and  they  gave  direction  to  the  popular  feeling  by  call- 
ing a  mass  meeting  for  the  sixth  of  June,  that  year, 
at  Carson  City,  to  take  such  action  as  would  be 
best  calculated  to  open  the  Territorial  question 
again.  That  meeting  apportioned  Carson  County 
into  voting  precincts,  called  an  election  for  July  14th 
to  choose  a  Delegate  to  visit  Washington,  and  pro- 
vided for  a  convention  to  convene  at  Genoa,  on  the 
eighteen  of  July,  to  count  the  votes  for  Delegates, 
give  the  successful  candidate  his  credentials,  and 
take  such  other,  not  well-defined,  action  as  the 
emergency  demanded.  They  also  called  a  Nominat- 
ing Convention  of  regularly-appointed  Delegates  from 
the  various  precincts,  to  meet  at  Carson  City  on  the 
twentieth  of  June,  whose  only  duly  was  to  place  in 
the  field  candidates  to  be  elected,  at  the  same  time 
with  the  Congressional  representative,  as  Delegates 
to  the  (ienoa  Convention. 

The  miners  of  Gold  Hill,  at  the  first  meeting  over 
held  on  the  Comstock,  by  the  following  action 
joined  in  this  movement: — 

At  a  meeting  of  the  miners  of  Gold  Hill,  held  on 
Saturday,  June  11,  1859,  A.  G.  Hammack  was 
ap))ointud  Chairman,  and  V.  A.  Houseworth,  Secre- 
tary. The  Chainuan  briefi}'  ex])lained  the  object  of 
the  meeting,  after  which.  Judge  t'rano  in  a  brief  and 
cogent  speech,  gave  an  account  of  his  labors  and 
exertions  as  Delegate    of  Nevada  to  Congress. 

On  motion  of  V.  A.  Houseworth,  it  was  unanimously 
resolved  that  we  fullj-  indorse  the  citizen's  proceed- 
ings of  Carson  City,  on  June  Olh. 

On  motion  of  B.  F.  Little,  it  was  unanimously  re- 
solved that  the  Chair  ajipoint  five  Delegates  to  meet 
atCarson  City,  Kagle  Valley,  on  June  2ilth.  to  appoint 
Delegates  of  this  distriet  to  be  elected  by  the  people, 
to  the  Convention  to  be  hold  at  Genoa,  Carson  Val- 
lej-,  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  July  ensuing,  to  consider 
the  public  good. 

The  Chair  a|)pointed  V.  A.  Houseworth,  J.  A.  Ors- 
burn,  James  K.  Rogers,  L.  S.  Bowers,  and  Captain 
A.  11.  Parker,  said  Delegates. 

It  was  unanimously  resolved  that  we,  the  miners 
of  Gold  Hill,  in  demonstration  of  resjjcct  to  Judge 
Crane,  hold  that  his  manly  and  distinguished  services 
as  Delegate  to  Congress,  entitles  him  to  our  highest 
considerations. 

The  mass  meeting  having  boon  held  six  or  seven 
ihiys  before  the  Comstock  Lode  was  discovered,  and 
the  election  following  on  the  fourteenth  of  July, 
thirty  days  after  the  discovery,  and  before  it  was 
generally  known  that  silver  was  a  part  of  its  wealth, 
full}-  establishes  the  fact  that  this  was  a  political 
move  by  the  settlers  of  the  country,  and  not  by  an 
irresponsible  transient  population  without  fixed  or 
well-defined  purpose.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  the 
influx  of  such  a  class  that  later  swept  away  this  half- 
com))leted  governmental  fabric. 

The  Convention,  elected  on  the  fourteenth,  met  at 
Genoa,   on    the  eighteenth,  and    after  a  nine  days' 


EFFORTS  AT  GOVERNMENT. 


03 


session  inljouniod  on  the  twoiUy-oit^hth,  its  proceed- 
ings being  ])rintod  in  tlio  Territorial  Enterprise  of  the 
tliirtioth.  all  in  July,  1859. 

i'\)rluniitely  a  copy  of  this  j)iiper  has  been  pro- 
served,  brown  with  age,  and  wrinkled  and  worn  by 
handling.  Desiring  to  preserve  a  sample  of  a  paper, 
b}'  lajise  of  time  so  valuable  to  history,  a  pholograph 
of  the  original  was  taken,  producing  a  fae-simile,  in 
dimensions  fitted  to  the  size  of  the  book,  and  is  pre- 
sented on  pages  (')!)-72,  a  memento  of  the  past.  The 
original  was  on  jiaper  twentj'  bj'  twenty-eight  inches, 
of  poor  quality,  and  the  press  work  was  carelessly 
done,  all  of  which  the  8ample"shows.  Besides  giving 
in  detail  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention,  it  con- 
tains many  names  of  the  pioneers,  and  the  leading 
men  of  that  time. 

DE0LARATIO^f   OF   CAUSE   FOR   SEPARATION. 

The  following  adilress  by  the  C'onvention  is  in  some 
respect  an  exaggerated  statement  of  the  condition  of 
affairs  at  that  time,  and  causes  leading  the  people  to 
ask  for  a  separated  government: — 

Wheue.vs,  wo,  the  citizens  of  the  proposed  Terri- 
tory of  Nevada,  considering  that  we  have  sutfered 
from  a  scries  of  internal  and  external  evils  of  so 
grave  a  nature,  as  to  remlor  forbearance  a  virtue  no 
longer,  and  believing -that  the  time  has  now  arrived 
for  us  to  take  some  permanent  action  upon  our  future 
well-being  as  a  people,  and  believing  further  that  a 
plain  statement  of  the  causes  which  have  impelled 
us  to  take  this  course,  will  convince  a  candid  and  un- 
prejudiced public,  we  would  therefore  state: — 

That  a  long  train  of  abuses  and  usurpations  on  the 
part  of  the  Mormons  of  eastern  Utah,  towards  the 
people  of  Western  Utah,  evinces  a  desire  on  their 
pari  to  reduce  us  under  an  absolute  sj)iritual  des- 
potism. Such  has  been  our  ])atient  sufferings,  and 
such  is  now  the  necessity  for  dissolving  all  political 
relations  which  maj'  have  connected  us  together, 
and  we  deem  it  not  onl^-  our  right,  but  also  our  duty, 
to  disown  such  a  government,  and  such  a  people,  and 
to  form  new  guards  for  our  future  security. 

We  would  charge  upon  the  Mormons  a  gross  viola- 
tion of  the  organic  Act  creating  the  Territory  of 
Utah. 

They  have  declared  themselves  hostile  to  the  Con- 
stitution, Government  and  Institutions  of'ourcouiitr3\ 

They  have  refused  to  submit  to  its  laws,  while 
they  have,  whenever  it  suited  tliem.  claimed  protec- 
tion under  these  laws. 

They  iiave  denied  to  the  judges  of  the  United 
States  a  right  to  try  in  their  court  the  violators  of 
the  law,  when  such  violations  were  numerous. 

They  have  so  managed  lij-  their  legislation,  as  to 
defeat  justice,  protect  criminals,  and  render  the  laws 
and  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  in  Utah 
Territory p.void  and  of  no  effect. 

They  have  conferred  powers  on  their  Territorial 
Marshals,  so  extensive  as  to  render  void  ihc  au- 
thority of  the  Marshals  of  the  United  States,  in  all 
cases. 

They  have  conferred  U|)on  Probate  . Judges  the  sole 
right  to  select  juries  in  civil  and  criminal  cases,  in 
violation  of  all  law  and  all  ])rccedeiit.  'I'hey  have 
also  given  to  said  .Judges,  and  .Justices  of  the  I'eace, 
absolute  jurisdiction  in  all  civil  and  criminal  cases. 

They  have  made  all  laws  existing  under  the  em- 


bryo State  of  Deseret,  binding  upon  the  people  of 
this  Territory,  and  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  the 
United  States. 

They  have,  by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  declared 
all  unmarried  men  ineligible  as  jurymen,  unless  they 
have  resided  in  the  Territory  two  years. 

The}-  have  imbued  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  our 
citizens,  while  the}'  were  peacefullj'  ])Ursuing  their 
way  across  the  continent,  and  have  deprived  them 
of  their  property  without  due  course  of  law. 

They  have  jjoisoned  the  minds  of  the  Indians 
against  us,  forced  us  frequently  to  open  war  with 
them. 

We  have  ])etiti<jned  them  to  redress  and  protect  us 
in  our  right,  but  our  ajijjcals  have  ever  been  treated 
with  disdain  and  neglect.  To  continue  the  connec- 
tion with  Utah  longer  we  fear  would  involve  us  in 
treason  and  rebellion  to  our  country. 

We  further  consider  that  the  danger,  difficulty  of 
transit  and  ex])ense  of  communication  with  the  seat 
of  the  Territorial  Government  of  eastern  Utah,  of 
themselves  valid  reasons  to  induce  us  to  form  a  sep- 
arate Territorial  organization. 

We  have  appealed  for  assistance  to  California,  but 
she  has  declined  to  aid  and  protect  us,  because  we 
were  without  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Slate. 

We  have  for  the  last  two  ye;»rs  invoked  Congress 
to  erect  for  us  a  Territorial  Government,  and  that 
body  has  been  deaf  to  our  appeals. 

Therefore,  believing  in  the  rectitude  of  our  inten- 
tions and  believing  the  time  has  arrived,  we  make 
known  and  declare  our  entire  and  unconditional 
sejiaration  from  eastern  Utah. 

To  provide  for  and  secure  our  future  protection, 
we  pledge  to  each  other  our  sacred  obligations,  to 
erect  for  ourselves  a  Ten-ilorial  (iovei-nment,  founded 
upon  the  Re])ublican  iJriMciples  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  Slates,  and  that  we  will  maintain  and 
defend  it  to  the  best  of  our  ability.  And  we  look  to 
the  support  and  protection  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, and  our  fellow-citizens  in  every  part  of  the 
Union. 

ELECTION  AND  ADOPTION  OP  CONSTITUTION,  SEP- 
TEMBER,  1859. 

Having  decided  to  assume  tho  rcs])onsibility  of 
taking  the  preliminary  steps  incident  to  the  organ- 
ization of  a  provisional  government,  and  trust  to  tho 
future  for  a  recognition  by  Congress,  the  Conven- 
tion framed  a  Conslitulion  to  be  submitted  on  the 
seventh  of  the  ensuing  September,  to  a  vote  of  the 
people,  and  an  election  was  ordered  at  tho  same  time 
to  fill  the  various  offices  created  by  it. 

The  election  returns  wore  not  preserved,  and  a 
consequent  obscuritj-  surrounds  tho  result,  but  an 
indication  may  be  obtained  from  the  following:  A 
resident  of  Genoa,  in  writing  to  tho  Semi- Week/;/ 
Oti(cryer  of  Placcrvillo,  California,  gives  tho  vote  of 
Genoa  and  Carson,  as  follows: — 

Genoa.  t'lirsoii  City. 

For  Constitution 38  121! 

Against  Constitution 12  5 

For  Governor,  Isaac   Hoop 46  121 

For  Governor,  John  A.  Slater. .    1  4 

Soc.  of  State,  A.  S.  Dorsey 47  121 

Auditor,  .John  I).  Winters 43  115 

Treasurer,  1$.  L.  Kiujj 47  124 


64 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  above,  with  (lie  exception  of  Dr.  Slater,  were 
probably  clecti'd;  but  none  of  tbein  were  ever  called 
upon  to  servo  except  Governor  Hoop.  From  a  news- 
paper clip,  found  in  the  Governor's  scrap  book,  it 
appears  that  the  majority  for  the  Constitution  was 
about  four  hundred  votes.  The  following  election 
certificate  tells  its  own  tale: — 

MUSSER   TEKTIFIES   TO    RESULTS   OP   THE   ELECTION. 

I,  J.  J.  Musscr,  President  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention  held  in  Genoa,  in  July,  a.  d.  1S.")0,  and 
Chairman  of  the  Hoard  of  Canvassers  aiijiointed  bj- 
that  Convention  to  canvass  the  votes  cast  at  the  elec- 
tion for  otticers  under  the  said  Constitution  of  Nevada 
Territory,  held  throui;hout  said  Territory,  on  the 
seventh  day  of  Se]Ucmber,  a.  p.  1S.")0,  do  hereby 
certify,  that  the  said  Board  of  Canvassers  failed  to 
meet  at  the  a|)pointed  time  and  place  to  discharjie 
the  duties  assij^ncd  to  them.  1  further  certity  that 
the  votes  cast  at  said  election  were  received  by  me, 
and  that  I  have  examined  and  cast  up  the  vote  of 
said  election  returns  that  came  to  me  unsealed,  from 
which  1  do  hereby  certify  that  a  hirye  imijority  of  the 
votes  cast  on  that  occasion  were  in  favor  of  the  Con- 
stitution, and  also  that  Isaac  Koop  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor of  the  said  Territory  by  a  large  majority. 

J.  J.  MussER, 
Pres.  Con's  Convention, 

Carson  Cit}',  December  12,  1859. 

ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  TO  REORGANIZE  CARSON  COUNTY. 

Immediately  after  the  foregoing  election,  John  S. 
Child  held  a  session  of  Court  at  Genoa  on  the  twelfth 
of  September,  with  P.  II.  Lovel  acting  as  Clerk. 
This  was  the  first  legal  Court  held  in  Carson  County, 
after  April  13, 1857,  when  Charles  Loveland  presided, 
just  before  the  Mormons  left  for  Salt  Lake.  Judge 
Child  found  no  business  before  the  Court,  and 
adjourned  until  the  next  day.  Pursuant  to  the 
adjournment  the  Court  convened,  and  still  no  busi- 
ness; but  the  third  day's  session  was  rescued  from 
monotony  by  the  appointment  of  \V.  P.  Morrison  as 
Coroner,  authorizing  him  to  officiate  in  an  inquest  to 
bo  held  upon  the  body  of  John  Buckley,  who  had 
been  killed  at  Virginia  Citj*.  On  the  fifteenth,  six- 
teenth, and  seventeenth,  the  Court  adjourned  for 
want  of  business,  and  none  seems  to  have  presented 
itself  until  the  nineteenth  of  October,  when  Mrs. 
Rebecca  A.  Bristol  filed  an  application  for  divorce 
from  Kssic  C.  Bristol,  that  resulted  in  her  getting  it, 
and  this  was  the  only  case  tried  in  1S59.  A  Coro- 
ner appointed  and  a  divorce  granted  was  the  sum 
total  of  Court  ]irocedure  that  j'ear. 

Judge  Child   had   become   anxious  to  restore  the 
organization  of  Carson  County,  and  give  to  it  a  legal 
existence   in    all   its   functions.      The    necessity  for 
this  was    becoming    daily  greater,    because   of    the   i 
rajiidly    augmenting     population,    as    well    as    the    < 
increasing  value  of  mines  and  other  property.      In   [ 
pursuance  of  this  design,  the  Judge,  after  dividing 
the  count}-  into  ten  precincts,  called   a  special   elec- 
tion to  be  held  on  tho  eighth  of  October  to  till  the   j 
various  county  offices.     Out  of  tho  ton  precincts  but 
threo,  Carson,  No.  2,  Gold  Hill,  No.  5,  and   Walker 


River,  No.  S,  opcjned  any  polls.     The  following  are 
the  returns  fi-om  those  j)reciiicts: — 


CARSON    COUNTY    ELECTION  RETURNS  OF 

OCTOBER,    1859. 

OANIUDATES    FOR 
REPRESENTATIVE. 

PRECINCT   VOTE. 

Prtfiiict 
No.  i 

Precinct 
No.  5. 

Precinct 

No.  S. 

Total     for 
Candidate. 

C.  II.   Fountain 

100 

1 

100 

J.  C.  Jones 

G7 

84 
1 

S.  \V.  Sullivan 

R.  M.  Anderson 

1 

1 

Total  Precinct  Vote. 

t!8    1     100     1     18 

186 

SELECTMEN. 

W.  C.  Armstrong... 

101 

18 
18 
18 

101 

L.  Drixley 

K.  Lambe 

J.   M.  Luther 

C7 
G6 
65 

85 
84 
83 

SHERIFF. 

E.  C.  Moi-se 

101 

""is" 

101 

J.  Farewell          .      .  . 

66 
1 

84 

R.  Abernathy 

1 

Total  Precinct  Vote. 

67 

101 

18 

186 

TREASURER. 

II.  Van  Sickle.    ..    . 

94 

"is  " 

94 

L.  A.  Smith... 

J.  M.  Ilenry 

67 

1 

85 

1 

SURVEYOR. 


J.  F.  Long.. 
P.  C.  Rector. 


45 


100 


18 


100 
63 


William  Justice,  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Gold 
Hill;  Alexander  White,  elected  Constable, Gold  Hill; 
Thomas  Knott,  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Carson 
City;  Gocrge  Wilder,  elected  Constable,  Carson  City, 

The  returns  were  certified  to  as  above  on  tho 
twenty-fourth  of  September,  by  P.  H.  Lovel,  County 
Clerk. 

Upon  receipt  by  the  Utah  (iovernor,  A.  Cummings, 
of  the  election  returns,  ho  forwarded  commissions 
dated  November  15,  1859,  for  tho  successful  candi- 
dates, with  the  following  expressions,  to  the  t'ounty 
Clerk,  P.  II.  Lovel.  He  presumed  the  matter  would 
eventuall}'  have  to  submit  to  a  legal  investigation,  as 
there  was  no  authoritj-  for  calling  the  election;  but 
as  he  was  anxious  to  aid  in  organizing,  he  had  for- 
warded the  commissions. 

On  tho  ensuing  fourth  of  Juno,  Judge  Child  ad- 
dressed the  following  communication  to  Armstrong 
and  Drixley,  who  had  been  elected  Selectmen  : — 

"  I  urge  upon  you  the  necessity  of  appearing 
immediately  and  taking  the  oath  of  office,  from  tho 
fact  that  with  the  po])ulalion  now  within  the  limits 
of  Carson  Countj-  it  is  indispensably  necessary  that 
we  shoii!tl  hat'e  some  law." 

None  of  the  parties  elected  accep'ed  the  ]iositions 
they  were  selected  to  fill,  consequently  the  only 
legally  authorized  county  officials  in  what  is  now 
Nevada,  in  1859,  and  up  to  August  6,  1860,  were  J. 


./ 


'.  V^   ,    t 


y:j^yA  /  e  ir  r^  { 


\_ 


Hon.  James  F.  Hallock 


Is  the  present  Con trollcrol"  Novada,  the  fiiumeial  tri- 
bune of  the  State  roveniios  and  expenditures.  Chanc- 
inj?  at  his  office,  in  the  fall  of  188(1,  the  writer  obf^orved 
a  book,  of  something  over  40(1  pages,  that  boru  the 
title  of  a  "Brief  Sketch  of  the  Ilallock  Ancestry  in 
the  Ignited  States."  Turning  the  leaves  we  asked 
the  genial  State  official  if  tien.  U.  W.  Ilalleck,  who 
for  some  years  during  the  Ivebetlion  commanded  the 
Union  armies,  was  not  a  relation  of  his,  and  he 
replied  that  such  was  not  the  case.  Continuing  to 
turn  the  leaves,  however,  we  came  directly  upon  the 
name  of  that  distinguished  General,  and  asked  our 
friend  his  reason  for  denying  his  kin.  He  replied 
that  it  was  the  first  time  he  had  liecome  aware  of  the 
relationship  and  that  he  bothered  himself  but  little 
about  either  his  ancestry  or  distant  kinsman.  We 
continued  to  turn  the  leaves  and  found  that  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  the  direct  descendant  on  his 
mother's  side — whose  name  was  Mary  Fanning — 
from  Dominicus  Fanning,  who  was  Mayor  of  a  city 
in  Ireland  under 'the  reign  of  Charles  the  Fir.st,  and 
was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Drogheda  in  1640, 
all  the  balance  of  the  garrison  being  put  to  the 
sword.  Finally  this  old  Irish  hero  was  beheaded  by 
order  of  Cromwell;  his  head  being  put  upon  a  pole  at 
the  entrance  of  the  principal  gate  to  the  city,  and  his 
property'  confiscated,  because  when  Charles  I.  made 
a  proclamation  of  peace,  Dominicus  advised  the  Irish 
council  not  to  accept  it  unless  the  British  Govern- 
ment would  first  secure  to  his  people  their  religion, 
their  ])roiierty  and  their  lives. 

Turning  to  the  lather's  side,  we  noticed  that  I'eter 
Ilallock,  the  ancestor  of  those  of  that  name  in 
America,  was  one  of  the  thirteen  pilgrim  fathers, 
who  in  l(j40  fled  from  civil  and  religious  oppression 
in  England,  and  landed  in  New  Haven.  All  along 
down  the  lino  are  the  names  of  those  who  have 
fought  and  fallen  for  the  IJopublic,  among  the  most 
conspicuous  of  whom  appears  the  name  of  Gen.  II. 
W.  Halieck,  who  went  from  California  to  the  tented 
field  (luring  the  late  llebollioii,  and  eventuall}-  became 
the  commander  of  all  the  Union  armies.  Hut  as  our 
friend  remarked  that  he  cared  but  little  for  all  this, 
we  skip  much  of  it  that  would  he  interesting,  and 
pick  up  the  thread  of  his  own  checkered  destiny  at 
its  dawn. 

Born  of  humble  parentage,  his  father  being  a  small 
farmer  at  Moriches,  on  Long  Island,  New  York,  his 
life  datOB  from  that  place  and  the  twenty-fourth  of 


.March,  is:!."!.  His  earl)-  years  were  spent  in  attend- 
ance at  school  and  helj)ing  his  father,  until  seized 
with  an  uncontrollal)le  desire  to  see  the  world,  he 
went  to  sea  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  was 
absent  for  three  years,  when  returning  to  his  homo 
he  was  induced  to  abandon  an  ocean  life  and  become 
a  dry  goods  clerk  in  Brooklyn,  I^ew  York. 

In  1855  he  sailed  for  San  Francisco,  where,  upon 
his  arrival,  a  couple  of  months  were  spent  in  coasting 
in  a  brig  belonging  to  a  friend,  who  oflcred  him  the 
l)Osition  of  Captain  of  it,  or  to  furnish  monej^  to  start 
in  mercantile  business  with;  both  generous  ofl'ei-s, 
however,  were  refused.  The  mining  mania  had 
taken  full  possession  of  him,  and  nothing  short  of 
"a  cot  in  some  vast  wilderness"  would  do.  The 
next  three  years  were  devoted  to  an  unsuccessful 
search,  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  for  Alad- 
din's treasures.  During  that  time,  one  of  his  most 
extensive  operations  was  to  shift  the  course  of  the 
middle  fork  of  the  Feather  River,  with  a  dam,  and  to 
this  day,  when  reminded  of  the  fact,  ho  is  enthusiastic 
in  continuing  to  damn  that  place  and  enterprise. 

In  Jlay,  1858,  he  joined  the  throng  that  left  in 
pursuit  of  the  Frazer  River  ujnisfntuus,  and  came 
back  in  the  fall  to  Camptonville,  Y'uba  County,  Cal- 
ifornia, with  a  purse  that  looked  like  the  seven  lean 
kine  spoken  of  by  the  Evangelist. 

In  May,  18()0,  he  first  visited  Nevada,  his  com- 
panion l)eing  the  since  notorious  Azberj'  Harpon- 
ding,  who  was  arrested  on  the  eve  of  an  attem|)t  to 
sail  from  San  Francisco,  with  a  letter  of  nuinim  from 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  to  prey  upon  the  Amer- 
ican shipping  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  At  the  time 
they  arrived  in  Nevada,  in  ISIKI,  the  rahrte  \Var 
was  in  progress;  but  they  continued,  without  inter- 
ruption, their  prospecting  in  the  hills,  now  known 
as  Peavine  District,  in  Washoe  Count)'.  The  same 
year  he  returned  to  California,  and  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  at  Ih'andy  City,  in  Sierra  County, 
where  he  remained  until  1868.  This  latter  year  ho 
again  tried  his  fortunes  with  a  mining  excitement 
that  lead  him,  this  time,  to  the  Owyhee  country,  from 
where  he  returned  with  the  usual  results. 

On  the  twelfth  of  February,  1S(!4.  ho  arrived  in 
Austin,  Lander  (bounty,  and  ibrming  a  copartner- 
ship with  two  other  persons,  commoncod  work  upon 
a  mining  prospect.  An  unsophisticated  capitalist 
came  along  one  day  atid  )>aid  the  three  men  81,000 
each  for  their  hole  in  the  ground.    When  the  verdant 


purchaser  had  pasBcd  beyond  hearing  distance,  and 
the  partners  came  fully  to  realize  the  singular  freak 
of  fortune  that  had  dumped  this  money  at  their 
door,  one  of  them  expressed  the  astonishment  and 
feelings  of  them  all  at  the  strange,  unexpected, 
unaccountable  transaction  by  remarking,  -'Let  us 
pray." 

Mr.  Hallock  invested  his  proportion  of  the  funds 
obtained  from  the  sale  of  the  prospect  in  a  grocery 
business  at  Austin,  where  he  remained  until  August 
1,  18G8,  when  he  located  at  Treasure  City,  in  White 
Pine  Countj-.  For  :i  year — in  connection  with 
Charles  V.  Meyers — a  successful  mercantile  business 
was  transacted,  after  which  tlie}^  were  overtaken 
by  business  misfortunes.  Their  failure  was  caused 
h}-  having  a  large  stock  of  merchandise  on  hand 
when  the  railroad  commenced  bringing  goods  at 
reduced  freight  rates  into  eastern  Mevada,  com- 
bined with  the  sudden  collapse  of  the  mining  excite- 
ment in  that  part  of  the  countrj-. 

While  everything  was  prosperous  with  Mr.  Hal- 
lock  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  L.  Currie,  of 
Virginia  City,  on  the  thirtieth  of  November,  18G8; 
and  the  young  bride  went  to  her  new  home  with  a 
heart  filled  with  fond  hopes  of  passing  her  future 
years  over  a  life  path  covered  with  the  rose  tints  of 
happiness.  Yet  three  of  them  had  not  come  and 
gone  before  the  young  mother,  summoned  by  the 
dark  messenger,  with  a  parting  prayer  for  her  hus- 
band, and  kiss  for  the  infant  boy,  passed  out  into 
the  shadows  of  the  mysterious  unknown.  Hundreds 
of  miles  lay  between  the  dead  mother  and  her  girl- 
hood's home:  but  Mr.  Hallock  determined  to  take 
her  to  that  place  for  burial.  No  stage  company 
would  take  the  pale  sleeper  as  a  passenger,  and  he 
was   forced    to   charter   a   stage   for  that   purpose. 


With  the  cold,  inanimate  form  of  the  once  beautiful 
and  loving  wife,  lying  in  her  coffin,  fastened  to  the 
seat  beside  him;  with  the  little  child  calling  for  its 
dead  mother,  and  sobbing  in  his  arms;  with  the 
long  lonesome  miles  of  dreary  deserts  that  lay 
between  bim  and  the  grave  that  awaited  his  dead, 
he  started,  with  no  companion  but  the  driver,  the 
little  motherless  babe,  and  his  grief,  to  carry  the 
dead  wife  to  her  father's  home.  It's  all  a  sad  picture, 
sadder  than  tears,  but  from  out  the  background 
appears  the  fact,  that  such  acts  as  these  come  only 
from  promptings  of  a  kind  heart,  true  in  its  affec- 
tion, constant  in  its  allegiance,  generous  in  its 
motives;  and  from  such  we  would  choose  our  friends. 

Mr.  Hallock,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  visited 
his  home  in  New  York,  and  taking  his  little  bo)- — 
whose  name  is  James  C. — left  him  there  with  his 
grandparents.  After  an  absence  in  the  East  of 
about  one  year  he  returned  to  Nevada,  and,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1872,  settled  in  Pioche,  where  he  became  book- 
keeper and  collector  for  the  Water  Companj-  of  that 
place,  and  Secretary  of  the  Alps  Mining  Company. 

In  1878  he  was  placed  by  acclamation  upon  the 
Republican  ticket  as  a  candidate  for  State  Controller 
of  Nevada,  and  was  elected  to  that  position  for  a 
term  of  four  years. 

As  a  State  guardian  of  public  receipts  and  expend- 
itures he  has  had  no  superior  in  those  who  have 
filled  that  position  in  this  State. 

His  Controller's  report  of  1881  is  an  exhibit  of 
the  subjects  treated  that  showed  the  skillful  work  of 
a  master  mind,  a  fact  acknowledged  by  those  com- 
petent to  judge;  but  it  carried  within  it  the  seeds  of 
his  political  death,  for  the  railroad  will  never  for- 
give his  expose,  in  the  interests  of  the  people,  of  their 
short-comings  in  this  State. 


EFFORTS  AT  GOVERNMENT. 


65 


S.  Child,  Probate  J  uil.,'0  ;  P.  II.  Lovul,*  Clerk  ;  S.  A. 
Kinsey,  Recorder  ;  P.  C.  Rector,  appointed  Survoj-or, 
Jlarcli  1,  1800;  D.  G.  (iioyd,  Road  Coinmissioiu'r, 
appointed  in  February,  ISlit)  ;  A.  Kiniie,  ai)pi)iiited 
Road  Commissioner,  February,  18C0  ;  James  White, 
appointe<l  Road  Commissioner.  April,  ISOO. 

The  attom]it  to  ori^anizo  under  existini^  laws  hav- 
ing jiroved  a  failure,  let  us  return  and  follow  the 
eft'orl  beinj;  made  to  institute  a  government  unauthor- 
ized b}-  law. 

RESU.MKD  HISTORY  OF  AN  ATTEMPT  AT  PROVISIONAL  OOV- 
EU.VME.NT — DE.\T11  OF   JI'PiiE   CRANE. 

The  organization  of  a  separate  Territori;il  fiovern- 
ment  had  been  so  far  perfected  as  tin'  adoptiDii  of  a 
constitution  and  the  election  of  otKcers  and  a  Legis- 
lative body  authorized  bj'  the  instrument  could 
accomplish  such  a  result,  as  alreadj'  narrated,  when 
Judge  Crane,  the  Congressional  Delegate,  died  sud- 
denly, at  Gold  Hill,  of  heart  disease,  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  September,  and  was  buried  at  Carson  City 
on  the  following  day.  Another  election  was  called 
for  November  12,  1859,  to  fill  the  vacancj',  when, 
according  to  the  Sacramento  Union,  J.  J.  Miisser  re- 
ceived for  the  position  O/Ja  votes,  the  balance  being 
cast  for  different  parties.  Who  those  different  par- 
tics  were,  or  how  man j- votes  they  received  does  not 
appear,  but  as  Governor  Roop  in  his  message  de- 
clared that  Musser  was  "  umanimously  elected,"  it  is 
safe  to  assume  that  no  oiu'  attempted  to  run  in  o]i])0- 
sition  to  him.  Immediately  alter  a  convention  of 
citizens  counted  the  vote  and  declared  the  peoples' 
choice  for  Representative  at  Washington.  Mr.  Musser 
started  on  his  mission  to  the  National  Cajiital.  A 
few  days  after  his  departure  Isaac  Roop,  having  been 
declared  elected  Governor,  subscribed  to  the  follow- 
ing oath  of  office  : — 

Teriutorv  of  Nevada.  J-ss. 

I  do  solemnlj-  swear  that  I  will  support  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  atid  the  Constitution 
of  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  and  that  I  will  to  the 
best  of  mj'  ability  ]ierform  all  the  duties  of  Gov- 
ernor of  said  Territory'  during  my  continuance  in 
office.  Isaac  Roop. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  thirteenth 
day  of  December,  a.  d.  One  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty-nine.  F.  M.  Presto.n, 

U.  S.  Commissioner  Second  Judicial  District,  U.  T. 

THE   PROVISIONAL    LEtllSLATlIRE    MEET   AND   ADJOURN. 

The  Sacramento  Union  contains  the  following  in 
regard  to  the  session  of  that  first  Legislative  Assem- 
bly in  Nevada:— 

[By  Telegrai>li  to  the  Sncramcnto  DaHi/  Uiiinn.] 

(Jenoa,  December  K!,  IS.')!). 
The  first  Legislature  of  the  new  Ti'rritory  of 
Nevada  met  and  organized  last  evening  at  the  house 
o,f  J.  B.  HIake,  of  (ienoa.  O.  II.  I'iersoTi,  of  t'arson 
City,  was  elected  Speaker;  II.  S.  Thompson,  Clerk; 
and  J.  II.  McDougal,  Sergeantat-Arms. 

The  proceedings  met  with  a  great  deal  of  en- 
thusiasm,    (iovernor    Roop    <lelivered    his    message, 

•Succeeded  iu  March,  1800,  (Jeorgc  McXvir. 
9 


which  will  be  published  in  the  't'erri/orln/  A'"lfr/>rige 
of  to-morrow.  Several  s|)iriti'd  resolutions  were 
passed,  and  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to 
draft  a  memorial  to  Congress  to  e.\|iedite  the  for- 
mation of  the  new  Territorj*.  The  Legislature  then 
adjourned  until  the  first  Monday  in  July,  IBliK. 

GOVERNOR   ROOPS    MESSAOE. 

To  ttw,  jvojilfi  of  icesleni  Ulitli  inrlitilfd  w  lliin  the  bound- 
arieg  of  itie  pntpDsed  Terrilury  of  iVevwl  i: — 

Having  been  duly  elected  by  you  as  Executive 
of  the  Provisional  Territorial  Government  of 
Nevada  Territorj-,  and  deeming  it  my  duty  to 
address  j'ou  upon  the  subject  of  our  separation  from 
the  curse  of  Mormon  legislation,  1  present  to  you 
ni}'  reasons  why  an  organization  of  the  Pi-fivisional 
Government  would  at  the  jiresent  time  be  impolitic. 
At  the  time  we  were  compelled  to  assemble  in  our 
sovereign  cai)acity  to  endeavor  to  rid  ourselves  of 
the  theocratic  rule  of  .Mormoiiism,  we  had  no  pro- 
tection for  life,  limb,  or  ])roperty.  We  had  in  vain 
]>etitioned  Congress  for  relief  against  the  unjust  and 
illegal  attempts  of  Mormons  to  force  upon  us  laws 
and  customs  obno.xious  to  every  American.  We  had 
no  courts  nor  count}'  organization,  save  those  con- 
trolled by  the  sworil  and  satellites  of  the  Salt  J^ako 
oligarchy;  our  pf)litical  rights  were  entirely  at  the 
will  of  a  certain  cli(iuo  composed  of  those  who  were 
O])posed  to  the  first  jirinciples  of  our  Constitution 
and  the  freedom  of  the  ballot-box.  Under  these 
circumstances,  we  endeavored  to  relieve  ourselves 
from  these  impositions,  and  believing  that  a  Pro- 
visional Territorial  Government  would  best  assure 
us  protection  to  life,  limb,  and  propert}',  we  held  our 
election,  and  made  all  necessarj'  arrangements  for 
the  formation  of  a  tem])orary  government  until 
Congress  should  give  us  justice  and  ])rotection. 
Since  our  election  we  have  been  deprived,  by  dispen- 
sation of  Providence,  of  our  estimable  Delegate  to 
Congress.  James  M.  Crane,  whose  whole  energies 
were  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  our  people,  and 
who  carried  with  him  to  the  grave  the  kindest  wishes 
of  us  all,  and  who  should  have  inscribed  upon  his 
tombstone:  "  An  honest  man,  the  noblest  work  of 
God." 

Within  the  ]iast  few  months  an  attempt  has  been 
made  by  .ludge  Cradlebaugh  to  establish  the  Ihiited 
States  I)islrict  <  'ourt  in  this  district.  Coming  among 
us  as  he  did  with  the  prestige  of  his  noble  stand 
against  Salt  Lake  legislation,  we  at  once  yielded  to 
him  and  his  court  all  the  respect  accorded  in  any 
community.  Rut  notwithstanding  all  his  endeavors, 
Icicked  by  the  gooil  wishes  of  the  peojile,  the  so- 
called  laws  of  Utah  Territory  have  proved  to  him 
an  insnrinountatile  barrier.  We  have  now  en  route 
to  Washington  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  to  represent 
us  and  our  wishes,  John  ,1.  Musser,  unanimouslj' 
elected  hy  the  ]K'o|)le  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned 
by  the  derease  of  the  lamented  Crane,  and  in  whom 
we  all  jilace  the  most  implicit  I'onfidence.  The 
recent  discoveries  of  goM.  silver,  copper,  and  lead 
mines  have  caused  an  influx  of  ])opulation  totally 
unexpected  at  the  lime  of  oui"  late  convention. 

The  new  imniigration  is  composed  of  the  bone  and 
sinew  of  California — of  men  who  are  disjxjsed  to  pay 
all  due  obedience  to  laws  which  extend  to  them  a 
reasonable  ])roteclion.  Under  the  circumstances, 
but  few  members  of  the  Council  and  House  of  Dele- 
gates have  assembled  in  accordance  with  the  call 
for  their  election.  Now,  therefore,  1,  Isaac  Roop, 
Governor  of  the  Provisional  Territorial  Government 


66 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


^ 


of  Nevada  Territory,  believing  it  to  be  the  wish  of 
the  peoi)le  still  to  relj"  upon  the  sense  of  justice  of 
Congress,  and  that  it  will  this  session  relieve  us 
from  the  numerous  evils  to  which  we  have  been  sub- 
jected, do  proclaim  the  session  of  the  Legislature 
adjourned  until  the  fii-st  Monday  of  July,  ISfiO,  and 
call  upon  all  good  citizens  to  suj)port,  with  all  their 
energies,  the  laws  and  Government  ol'  the  United 
States. 

Done  at  Genoa,  December  15,  a.  d.  1859. 

Isaac  lioop,  Governor. 

AFTER  THE   ADJOURNMENT. 

Mr.  Eoop  continued  to  assume  the  duties  of  Gov- 
ernor after  the  adjournment.  Most  of  his  official 
acts  being  noted  in  this  work  under  the  head  of 
''The  Indians,  and  their  Wars  in  Xevada."  The  only 
other  instance  known  of  his  exercising  such  author- 
ity being  in  the  issuance  of  the  following  military 
commission  to  M.  S.  Thompson,  now  a  State  Senator 
from  Humboldt  Countj": — 

Nevada  Territory,  ) 

Susanville,  February  1, 1860.  ) 

I,  Isaac  Roop,  Provisional  Governor  of  Xevada 
Territory,  do  herebj'  appoint  M.S.  Thom])son  as  my 
Aid-de  camp,  to  rank  as  Colonel  of  Cavalry-,  with  pay 
and  rations  as  such;  this  appointment  to  take  effect 
from  date.  In  testimony  whereof,  1  have  thi.s  daj' 
and  date  affixed  my  private  seal,  there  being  no  pub- 
lic seal  provided.  Isaac  Roop,  Governor. 

[L.  S.] 

The  efforts  of  Mr.  Masser,  at  Washington,  fell 
short  of  obtaining  immediate  legislation  favorable 
to  his  constituents,  and  he  returned  to  Carson  Count}'. 

His  influence,  however,  had  left  its  impression,  and 
served  to  give  form  and  direction  to  a  growing  sen- 
timent in  Congress  inimical  to  leaving  other  citizens 
of  the  United  States  under  the  unfriendly  juris- 
diction that  had  already,  by  the  Mountain  Meadow 
massacre,  been  demonstrated  to  exist  in  Utah  under 
Mormon  control.  The  subsequent  development  of 
Comstock  mines,  causing  a  large  increase  of  popula- 
tion, but  served  to  increase  that  feeling  at  Washing- 
ton, and  the  breaking  out  of  the  southern  rebellion 
culminated  it  in  the  Congres.sionai  Act  of  March  2, 
18G1,  creating  the  Territory  of  Xevada.  With  the 
discovery  of  Gold  Hill;  with  the  discovery  of  quartz 
gold  and  silver  mines;  with  the  infant  Virginia  City 
born  and  named;  with  the  consequent  rush  of  pop- 
ulation to  the  new  El  Dorado;  with  the  first  steps 
towards  reorganization  of  Carson  County;  with  the 
unsuccessl'ul  attempt  to  create  a  Trovisional  Govern- 
ment; with  a  largo  population  struggling  against 
the  rigor  of  the  severest  winter  ever  known  in  the 
Great  Basin;  with  western  Utah  shaking  loose  the 
old  and  putting  on  the  habiliments  of  a  new  era,  wo 
close  the  narrative  of  1859  to  introduce  that  of  18G0. 


CHAPTER     XI. 

PRCXJRESS   OF    SETTLEMENT. 

1860. 

Passenger  Communicition  »itli  Californi.i  —  Stock-raising  in 
C'arsun  Valley— The  Weather — Building — General  Appear- 
ance— Business,  Etc. — The  Mines — P'irst  Efforts  to  lieduce 
the  Ores — I'olitical  History  Continued — Carson  County 
Otficers  in  ISOO— County  Court  and  Kepudtation  of  Debts — 
Hates  of  Licenses — Stock  Brokers — Toll-road  and  Briilge 
I{;ites — First  Railroad  Franchise — First  Court  House — Ne- 
vada Invoiced  in  1S60 — Business  .Statistics  for  ISOO — Popu- 
lation of  Nevada,  ISUO — Nativity  of  Population — Deaths — 
Stock  and  Agriculture  in  1860. 

The  excitement  in  California  had  been  increasing 
through  the  winter,  and  a  large  population  waited 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  side  in  the  spring  for  the  melt- 
ing snows  on  the  mountains  to  admit  of  a  passage 
ovor  them.  Goods  were  shipped  in  the  spring  of 
1860  on  mules  that  traveled  for  miles  upon  blankets 
s]>read  on  the  snow  to  prevent  their  sinking  into  it. 
T!ie  first  goods  shipped  into  Xevada  bj'  its  present 
Governor,  John  H.  Kinkead,  reached  the  Territory 
by  passing  the  snow  barriers  in  this  way.  The 
hiirh  price  that  the  severe  winter  had  created  in 
C:ii'8on  County  was  a  leverage  that  caused  mer- 
chants to  make  the  most  strenuous  exertions  to 
reach  that  locality  at  the  earliest  po.ssible  day  in 
spring;  and  those  having  no  goods,  lured  by  hopes 
of  sudden  wealth  awaiting  them,  were  just  as  eager 
to  reach  the  "promised  land."  Of  this  latter  class, 
Dan  Dc  Quille,  in  his  "  Big  Bonanza"  says: — 

At  first  they  came  on  foot,  driving  donkeys,  or 
other  pack-animals,  bel'ore  them,  or  on  horseback, 
rilling  when  they  could,  and  leading  their  horses 
where  the  snow  was  soft;  but  soon  sleighs  and  stages 
were  started,  and  in  some  shape  floundered  through 
with  their  passengers.  Saddle  trains  for  passen- 
gers were  started,  however,  before  vehicles  of  any 
kind  began  to  run,  and  the  snow  passed  over  was 
in  man}'  places  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet  in  de])th. 

At  first  there  was  not  sufficient  shelter  for  the 
new-comers,  and  the}'  crowded  to  overflowing  every 
building  of  whatever  kind  in  all  the  towns  along 
the  Comstock  range.  But  houses  were  rapidly 
being  built  in  all  directions,  and  the  weather  soon 
became  warm  enough  to  allow  of  camping  out  in 
comfort  almost  anywhere. 

One  of  those  parties  who  was  so  eager  to  reach 
the  Comstock  was  not  so  favorably  impressed  with 
the  country  and  its  surroundings  as  wore  manj-  who 
vi>ited  it;  and  the  consideration  of  his  evidence  is 
important  in  arriving  at  a  verdict  as  to  the  condition 
of  western  Utah  at  that  time.  He  writes  from 
Virginia  City  to  the  Jfoim/ain  Democrdf,  under  dale 
ol'  April  5,  18G0,  as  follows,  after  having  passed  over 
the  road  to  that   place  from  Placervillo  in  March: — 

There  aro  but  few  houses  in  the  Valley  (Carson), 
aixl  at  each  house  a  few  acres  have  been  fenced  in  with 
sawed  lumber,  and  these  seem  to  have  been  designi?d 
for  grazing  purposes.  1  have  not  seen  an  agricul- 
tural imjilement  since  I  have  been  in  the  Territory, 
and  only  about  one  acre  of  land  plowed,  or  bearing 
any  appearance  of  having  been  placed  in  a  prelim- 
inary state  of  preparation  for  cultivation.     I  am  told, 


PROGRESS  OF  SETTLEMENT. 


67 


however,  that  there  are  several  good  farms  in  tlie 
smaller  valleys,  back  in  the  canons  anionjj  the  fool- 
hills,  but  the  ureatest  portion  of  the  valley  1  have 
seen,  is  entirelj- destitute  of  soil,  beini;  a  loose,  dry, 
coarse  sand,  which,  with  all  the  irrij^ation  and  cul- 
tivation that  could  be  bestowed  upon  it,  could 
not  possibly  be  made  to  "  s])rout  a  pea."  Taken 
altogether,  the  whole  country  jjresents  an  uninvitiiii^ 
appearance,  and  1  am  satisfied  that  so  far  as  aijricul- 
turc  is  conceriH'd,  (.'arson  Valley  is  an  unmitii;aU'd 
hunibui^.  1  ho])e,  however,  that  a  more  IhorouLfh 
investiiralion  will  i)rove  that  the  sniall  valleys  before 
alluded  to,  will,  when  ])ul  under  cultivation,  produce 
sufficient  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  ])eople  of  western 
Utah. 

STOCK  RAISING  IN  CARSON  VALLEY. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  10,000  head  of  hoi^s, 
horses  and  cattle  in  Carson  and  neinhl)orini^  val- 
lej's  ;  horses  and  cows  are  very  poor,  and  thousands 
are  to  be  seen  iyin;^  dead  all  over  tlie  valley.  They 
evidenti}'  died  from  starvation.  All  the  hogs  I  have 
seen  are  in  good  order,  as  thej-  have  ])rofited  much 
b}-  the  numerous  dead  carcasses  of  other  animals, 
but  to  think  of  a  fat  ]K)rk  steak  under  such  circum- 
stances, is  by  no  means  refreshing  or  consoling  to 
my  mind,  and  yet  we  have  them  served  up  at  our 
restaurants,  without  knowing  from  whence  they 
came. 

THE    WEATHER. 

Ever  since  I  have  been  here,  the  wind  has  been 
blowing  continuall}',  day  and  night,  with  double  the 
intensity  of  the  afternoon  winds  which  ])revail  most 
part  of  the  year  on  Telegraph  Hill  and  North  Beach, 
at  San  Francisco  ;  and  I  am  told  that  these  winds 
prevail  here  nearly-  three-fourths  of  the  year.  Snow 
has  been  falling  here  lor  the  past  fifteen  hours,  and 
there  is  about  one  foot  of  snow  on  the  ground,  and 
still  snowing.     All  out-door  business  is  stopped. 

BUILDING — GENERAL   APPEARANCE— BUSINESS,  ETC. 

A  few  daj-s  ago  there  was  some  little  stir  here,  in 
the  way  of  preparation  for  building.  J  have  noticed 
some  eight  or  ten  small  buildings  in  the  course  of 
construction,  but  some  of  them  have  been  stopped 
for  the  want  of  lumber.  Mearly  all  of  the  "  build- 
ings "  here  are  canvas  :  a  few  are  of  rough  stone,  and 
some  of  them  are  merely-  Iwks  dug  in  the  hill-side, 
and  covered  over  with  brush  and  dried  hides,  present- 
ing moretiie  ap])earance  of  an  Indian  wigwam,  than 
that  of  a  Cili/.  The  three  fanioug  cities,  Genoa, 
Carson  and  Virginia,  all  put  together,  would  not 
make  a  town  half  so  large  as  Placerville.  The  ))riii- 
cipal  business  going  on  at  jiresent,  is  eating,  drink- 
ing and  gambling.  There  are  hundreds  of  men  here 
hanging  around  the  gambling  saloons  from  day  to 
day,  not  doing  anything  at  all.  Some  are  working 
in  the  mines  for  wages,  at  five  dollars  per  day  ;  so 
j-ou  will  see  that  after  paying  four  dollars  a  day  lor 
board  and  lodging,  they  will  have  one  dollar  a  day 
left.  There  is  no  demand  for  mechanics.  Carpen- 
ters get  seven  dollars  ))er  day,  when  they  can  get 
work,  but  there  is  veiy  little  doing  in  that  line, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  and  high  ))rice  of  lumber. 
Everything  here  sells  for  enormous  jirices,  not  so 
much  on  account  of  the  ready  return  for  labor,  or 
investment,  as  the  cost  of  getting  the  articles  here. 
Lumber  can  be  bought  at  the  mills  for  fifty  dollars 
per  thou^and  and  the  same  cnstx/oar /iiiw/ie'l  i/ol/ms 
per  thousand.  Flour  is  selling  to-daj-  for  sixty  dollars 
]ier  hundred^it  has  raised  twcntj'-five  dollars  within 
the  i)ast  three  days.    Beef,  from  sixteen  to  twenty-five 


cents  per  pound;  potatoes,  twenty-five  cents  ;  hay. 
I'our  hundred  dollars  per  ton.  These  extravagant 
]>rices  cannot  last  long,  but  thej'  are  a  great  draw- 
back to  the  prosperity  of  the  country  at  present. 

THE    MINES. 

As  to  the  extent  and  character  of  the  mines,  1  am 
not  a  whit  better  iiifornie<l  than  before  coming  here, 
bift  I  sup])ose  I  must  fall  in  with  the  current  of  |>ul)lic 
opinion  here  and  admit  that  they  are  exceedingly 
rich,  as  I  have  not  heard  any  one  here  deny  that 
such  is  the  case;  meantime  1  will  investigate 
for  m3-8elf,  and  inform  j-ou  at  the  earliest  o]ipor- 
tunity.  I  will  venture  the  following  remarks,  upon 
information  obtained  from  reliable  ])arties  here  and 
from  jjcrsonal  observation.  That  there  have  been 
false  statements  and  exaggerated  accounts  sent  forth 
to  the  world  in  regard  to  the  mines,  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  The  reports  that  have  apjieared  in  the  papers, 
that  there  have  been  heavy  operations  guiiig  on  here 
in  the  way  of  griiuling  and  smelting  ore,  are  utterly 
false.  No  smelting  has  been  done  here  except  small 
parcels  for  the  ])urpose  of  making  assays.  It  has 
often  been  stated  by  writers  from  this  place,  that 
such  and  such  men  who  have  been  here  but  a  short 
time  are  now  worth  §10,000,  820,000,  850.000.  and 
that  a  man  may  be  poor  one  day,  and  a  millionaire 
the  next.  But  when  these  statements  are  sifted  down 
to  the  bottom,  they  turn  out  about  as  follows:     Mr. 

A.  goes  out  and  stakes  oft"  200  feet  of  ground,  and 
returns  to    a  drinking   saloon;   he    approaches    Mr. 

B.  and  remarks.  "1  have  been  oft'ered  8150  \)ct 
foot  for  my  claim,  but  do  not  care  to  sell." 
"Ah  I"  saj-s  B.  "  how  much  do  you  value  j-our  claim 
at?"  A.  replies  without  hesitation,  ••82.")0  i)er  foot  !" 
B.  in  return  makes  similar  statements  to  A.  They 
drink  and  depart,  and  straightwaj'  it  is  reported  that 
A.  and  B.  are  each  worth  850. OOO,  when,  in  reality-, 
it  is  not  known  that  either  of  their  claims  are  worth 
fifty  cents.  But  perhaps  I  have  alreafly  extended 
this  letter  much  too  long  for  your  columns.  I  must 
close,  and  as  soon  as  I  have  informed  mj'self  so  as  to 
write  un<lorstandingly,  I  will  give  j-ou  a  full  histoiy 
of  the  mines  and  mining  operations  here." 

FIRST   EFFORTS  TO   REDUCE   THE   ORES. 

As  the  miners  worked  into  Gold  Hill  and  ap- 
proached the  main  ledge,  the  quart/,  became  firm  and 
required  pulverizing  before  the  gold  could  be  taken 
from  it,  and  it  was  necessary  to  treat  the  sulphurels 
in  the  same  way.  This  change  of  condition  in  the 
material  containing  gold  necessitated  a  preliminary 
work  ujjon  it  that  was  jjertbrmed  hj-  an  ancient 
Mexican  contrivance  called  an  arastra,  which  was 
used  to  grind  the  rock  and  sulphurets  to  a  ]iowder, 
thus  setting  the  gold  free.  Messrs.  Hastings  and 
Woodworth  had  two  of  these  running  by  water- 
power  on  the  Carson  River  at  Dayton,  in  the  fall  of 
1859,  that  pulverized  three  tons  of  rock  each  perilay. 
The  contract  by  which  J.  D.  Winters,  Jr.,  became  an 
owner  in  the  Comstock  Lode,  already  given,  shows 
that  an  arastra  was  one  of  the  first  appliances  for 
reducing  ore  on  that  lode.  The  building  of  this,  and 
the  one  constructed  at  the  spring  in  Gold  Hill,  both 
antedated  those  run  by  water-power  at  Dayton. 
Then  came  the  Logan  and  Holmes  horso-power  four- 
stamp  battery  ;it  Dayton,  and  these  comprised  the 
reduction  capacity  ol' works  in  Nevada  in  1S50. 


68 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  following  from  Dr.  K.  B.  Harris  of  Virginia 
City,  who  is  now  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
Nevada  and  who,  prior  to  his  arrival,  had  owned  and 
■worked  several  quartz-mills  in  California,  concisely 
states  the  progress  made  in  reduction  works  in 
I860:— 

In  companj'  with  five  others  in  the  winter  of  1859, 
I  fitted  out  an  expedition  for  Washoe,  and  ]Mtched 
my  tent  in  Gold  ilill,  on  the  s]>ot  now  occupied  by 
the  Bank  of  California.  My  visit  to  Gold  Hill  was 
not  with  the  view  of  remaining,  at  first,  but  tlie 
excitement  was  too  great  to  give  up  the  new  El 
Dorado,  and  there  being  no  physician,  1  concluded 
to  stop,  test  the  progress  of  events,  and,  aside  from 
my  professional  duties,  canvassed  well  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  surrounding  countrj'.  I  soon 
became  convinced  that  Gold  ilill  (which  took  its 
name  from  the  peculiar  mound  from  which  projected 
a  steep  bluff  of  rock)  was  rich  in  mineral  from  the 
"  grass  roots." 

Very  little  ore  had  been  taken  out,  and  that  was 
being  sent  to  San  Francisco  for  reduction  at  gre:it 
cost,  paying  as  high  as  tweiitj-five  and  thirty  cents 
per  pound,  conveyed  over  the  mountains  on  pack- 
animals. 

The  last  shipment  by  Sandy  Bowers  and  wife  of 
2,000  pounds  paid  §2.200. 

The  general  opinion  prevailing  was  that  the  ore 
could  not  be  worked  here.  This  was  not  my  opin- 
ion, however,  for  1  believed  and  maintained  the  theory 
that  ores  could  be  worked  here  in  the  same  way  as 
in  California.  The  question  of  amabjuiiinliou  was 
the  only  difficulty,  owing  to  the  silver  ])revailing. 
Many  contended  that  it  required  a  ])rocess  j-ct 
unknown  to  any  exce|)t  Mexicans,  whose  theories 
were  a(loi)ted,  but  alwaj-s  proved  in  the  end  too  slow 
an  order  for  go-ahead  Americans. 

The  "dry  crushing"  process  was  settled  U])on,  and 
no  one  would  listen  to  the  "  wet  crushing  "  theory. 
Having  surveyed  the  whole  matter  of  the  future  of 
the  Comstock.  and  being  convinced  of  the  vast  rich- 
ness of  Gold  Hill,  I  entered  into  an  understanding 
with  S.iikI}'  Bowers  and  wife  (taking  as  silent  |)art- 
ner  J.  11.  Mill^)  to  erect  a  mill  in  connection  with 
his  mine  (twenty  feel  in  the  richest  |iart  of  the  Gold 
Ilill  (rulcli)  each  party  to  be  eipial  owners. 

Ever\Mliiiig  was  completed,  ready  for  the  signa- 
ture of  Bowers  to  the  coniract,  when  that  was  re- 
fu<ed,  becau-e  his  at torney  advised  him  not  to  give 
his  mine  up  to  a  '•  Yankee  Dictor."  The  o-tensib'e 
reason  tor  refu-al  wa<  to  get  his  own  (attorney's) 
fingers  into  the  ))ie.  which  lie  did  idtimalely,  and  a 
fortune,  for  a  time,  was  taken  from  that  mine.  Then 
1  turneil  my  attention  to  a*'- custom  mill."  bein;; 
guiranteed  all  the  rock  1  could  work  at  SlOO  per 
ton. 

1  looked  about  me  for  a  thorough  tiu-'incss  ami 
moneyed  man,  and  luuiid  both  in  C.  II.  Coover.  of 
Sacramento,  who  b.  iiiir  then  in  (iold  Hill  and  seeing 
"millions  in  it,"  readily  Joined  me.  The  first  thing 
was  to  select  a  ■'  mill--ile."  I  located  a  small  stream 
of  water  runniiig  <lown  '•  Crown  Point  Pound,"  and 
secured  a  site  for  the  mill  on  the  east  side  ol'  the 
road,  nearly  opposite  to  the  present  Leviathan  hoist- 
ing works,  formerly  located  bj- Overman  for  ara.-'tras. 
On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  June,  l.^tJO,  we  lell 
for  San  Francisco.  We  secured  one  of  "Howland's 
nine-stamp,  jxirtable,  rotary  batteries;''  the  engine 
and  boilers  to  run  it  being  procured  from  Goss  & 
Lambert,  of  Sacramento,  all  of  wh'cli  was  ordered 
shipped/o/V/iiutV/t. 


We  left  for  (Iold  Hill  July  2d,  arrived  there  at 
night  on  the  fourth,  and  on  the  fifth,  I  commenced 
operations  for  the  erection  of  the  works. 

The  machinery  was  freighted  by  ox  and  mule 
teams,  at  four  and  five  cents  per  ]>ound,  and  many  of 
the  light  and  necessar}'  articles  by  pack-mules  at 
twenty-five  cents  jjer  pound,  A  great  strife  was 
gf)ing  on  to  blow  the  first  steam  whistle  in  the  then 
Teri-itory  of  Utah, 

On  the  twentieth  of  July  the  machinery  began  to 
arrive,  and  as  fast  as  it  came  I  was  ready  to  put  it 
in  position,  and  on  the  eleventh  of  August,  a,  .m.,  1 
started  the  machinerj-  and  crushed  about  a  half  ton, 
the  operation  being  witnessed  bj*  several  hundred 
peo])le,  anxious  to  see  the  "  old  pioneer  mill  start." 
Most  of  the  crushed  ore  was  carried  off  as  souvenirs 
of  the  great  era  of  a  Washoe  cnterjirise. 

The  rock  was  donated  by  Bowers,  and  valued  at 
about  8400  per  ton. 

I  procured  my  battery  block  from  two  j-ellow- 
pine  trees,  cut  near  Fort  llamsteed  in  Gold  Hill. 
There  were  three  of  those  j-ellow-pine  trees  that 
were  about  seventj'-five  feet  high.  Thej*  measured 
in  diameter  nearlj-  four  feet  at  the  stump,  and  were 
the  onlj'  ones  to  be  found  among  the  hills. 

Nearl}^  a  thousand  cord3  of  nut-])inc  wood  were 
cut  in  the  ravine  where  the  new  Yellow  Jacket 
shaft  is  located,  for  which  1  ])aid  for  about  500 
cords  of  it  SI. 71  for  cutting  and  cording,  and  82.50 
for  i)acking;  making  it  cost  84.25  per  cord,  delivered 
at  the  mill.  T>umber  was  worth  8100  jjer  thou- 
sand, and  1  ran  my  mill  ncarl}-  a  month  before  it 
was  covered.  On  the  thirteenth  of  August  I  started 
the  mill  again,  and  ran  continuouslj-  until  the  follow- 
ing October  on  ore  from  the  Bowers'  claim  (and  the 
Gould  &  Curry,  then  managed  by  Charley  Strong), 
working  about  one  ton  per  twentj^-four  hours. 

Finding  this  a  losing  business,  and  the  dry  dust 
destro^-ing  the  machinery,  I  resolved  on  the  "wet 
|irocess,"  against  the  protest  of  many  who  believed 
that  the  mineral  could  be  saved  only  by  dry  crush- 
ing. I  soon  made  the  change,  and  1  not  only  in- 
creased from  one  ton  to  ten  per  twent3'-four  hours, 
but  saved  thirteen  dollars  ])er  ton  more;  thus  set- 
tling the  )iroblem  to  a  certainty.  The  advantage 
was  soon  followed   l>v  Paul  and  others. 

As  my  facilities  increased  and  other  mills  began 
to  start,  my  prices  fell  to  seventy-five  dollars  jier 
ton.  ami  in  the  s|>ring  of  1801  fell  to  fift}-  dollars 
per  ton;  then  ;;iving-me  a  hamlsome  |)rofit.  The 
co-^t  of  working  the  ore  was  a  little  less  than  six 
dollars  jier  ton. 

I  hired  my  amalgamaters  for  fift}'  dollars  and 
sixiy  dollars  ])er  nnnith. 

Eii<;ineers  lor  one  hundred  dollars  per  month,  work- 
ing twelve- hour  shilts. 

The  retorted  bullion  ran  from  fen  dollars  to  four- 
teen dollars  per  ounce;  but  as  the  mine  increased  in 
depth,  it  fell,  owinii  to  an  increase  in  silver. 

A.  B.  Paul  commenced  to  erect  a  mill  near  Devil's 
Gate  some  time  in  the  spring  of  1800,  and  I  thiidc 
he  started  to  crush  ore  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
eleventh  or  twellth  of  August.  There  was  a  great 
strife  between  Mr.  Paul  and  mj-self  to  blow  the  first 
whistle,  and  crush  the  first  ore.  As  the  milling 
business  had  become  ))rofilable,  Coover  came  over  in 
the  winter  to  assist  me. 

The  third  tnill  of  eight  Howland  Batteries  (sev- 
enty-two slam  s)  was  erected  by  A.  15.  Paul  below 
lower  Golil  Hill,  but  was  not  made  a  very  great 
success.  The  fourth  mill  was  liy  the  Ophir  ("om- 
paiiy   in    Virginia,     The  fifth  by    Staples,  in    (iold 


VOL.  1. 


CARSON  VALLEY,  UTAH  TERRrEORY,  SATURDAY,  JULY 30. 1333. 


«if  .f.T.  t>nff.  tlitf  Hialr. 


Ctrritoriitl  f  nftrpcisf. 

JERNEGAN  &  JAMES,  "'^'  "i;;  *;,;''•'  "-L,  Kh..rc;'x.Nw 

Ia  j.  r.itiraii,  (  .iniiiiiitce  uu  Knolul  Oii« 
ma  O/.Irr  t.r  BkJuiw*.- 

Ti  tne,  CiriTjiiy  or  mi:  .Ci^^rty- 

Ttfiv:— sj-r:  U'lUCouD.iillrv  nil  |Vriii!i- 
i<«t.l  Offici-t*  <'t  ,tli-j-  0.iisrei.ii.,u  U-x 
t'lT"  la  rrwrt  ai  rti!l.i»..:  IVvi'lent 
"r:Citit>'iii:oii,  J.  J,  Mij*>tr,  Viw  I'n-v 

Un-^li  A-d .!..  I,.  C  irr;  SwMary.  Ji.o.F. 

1^'"*:;  A-5L«I«niSi-cfvtnrr.M.  .M.  Q.i:cri 

Svr^-.«..l  nl-Ar..,-.  A   0.'  n^.niu.avl-.-     . 

C.  N.  .\OTi;\VAKE.  CJ.'.u  Cvak'7 

omriidtco  r;iq;l;,tivc.|.     All. I  inofnl  itial 
\hQ  n'Kir,- iijiik-lsciiiJcilJcirUj  tlctU'd 
l«y  oallm.nioii, 
O.Lh..  ■    ,,  \rrM-.  t;;.|ron.|   \XV«nf, 

'*  =''  lie     lr»     Cun'lllCl 

C"l.  .'■  ,-  kIio  nfivr  ta- 

'  -  1  Ifittoi.ictillyii 

:tf'ii..il  vxiiljiti- 

<v;nti"n  utjdtlifir 

i>.-.icio*  iiif;i,.j,'r>ur    ilic  same. 
Tiic  rjirjiPc.vTi-.  jKMirjrj. 


KO.SIJ. 


Ob«  Vr-r .^-.„.,.™^..«,SS  M 

i"«  «-ti..... ,-.,*_^ ^4  ca 

T»rM   ^'■■el''«......,....-.._.«.H  J  VJ 

airt:t  Ct>nt» — — ..„  -.._^„«.,>.  i>. . 

AdVcrllilng',. 

One   PqWl*.  10    li-in.  fir,!    [sifTltM.  SJ- 

Mcb  ici'i-'^i.rql   laoriion,  $1  C'l.     Du'iaPd 
C»r4t   of  [»«   I.-i'i   cr.lrit.  oo^-TCifiSlS 

^"t  o:c  f;u»rCr 


tCftiKBr; 


•l;ca'j  r»r  lbs  Ea:cr^rllr  l' 
.Vnov^s  imv.T ^K^-TkiYfrfTf 

A.  B  VDI.  \  VI  J.  C  U  riAV(l>.H>.f  Stc««i4[iTo 

B.  M    »'■    t    ,.., M.R^.r.itB. 

J^C.  Ki:..!.F:i' PiMinvair 

X  M.  «  ..M.K - „.C..i'»*». 

"•C-  M     P\V Dl.l(««P  Sf.i.r.c 

JOHN  w  un»;\r. (>«*■. umie. 


Constiliitional  fuuviulion 


^OCCrdln?^  of  ilic  rtmt*cnt!on. 
^t  Grnaa.  Caw-Q  Valley,  L'..T., 

J'driuinl  lo  A  notice  Rirci  ami  Ju:'. 
liilKtl  bj  *  Mak.  Mctlirijr.  licM  ai  fu; 
mn  CitT.  Jnne  6th,  ISjD.  t)ie  D^le^Jl^. 
licet  net  ill  CoiircntlO'i,  anil  wu  caHol 
toonicrlj  A.  Q.  H4ti)iu.ii,I;:  atiiL  ^n 
taoiir>n.  Cul.  J.  J.  Mii'<cr  wnx  clio<en 
IfiMjKtrary  CUa!rijiait,  auij  Jno.,F.  Long 
S*crctiry,  I 

M.>Tr(l  antl  carrlnl  lliat  u  f 
of  fireU;  ctcCfnl  M  a  CoTr 
Cmlcntial*.  Mf»=«rii.  "Njv  nf 
lti*fr,  "nifo.  Wii-.tcrt  cf  Wj  ' 

AiMkT.".ioMIiii.ilK.lJt.  nmi   U 
l/on^  Vitll(-y,  weTc  ]ilacpil  iiinoinnul.- 
foriaJJCiiitiiiilt^^. 
Oi  mtti.,1  of  G.  W.   ir-i'Tv^lf'.  ■ 

Vft«  r-f...  I  f.%  r  ....    f  .-    .  .    I    .'  . 

byb, 
»on»    •' 
AC.« 

knil  U-.L  .,:.. 

Mov.>l  iii,.|  o.trriwl  lli«t'  tlio  ^ConV  n 
J^ioii  Mk(t  A  ri.vi-3*  to  ^'iro  tltyu  (\te  cui ; 
Initlci'  ti»  r<ji.ir:: 

;    C-Jurci-;iuj  conrcoeJ  pjrmnt  w  n  - 
lion. 

,     C-'-n-'.:'-  ■-.-....    I   (iM-rciionJ  u> 
W^.  I  I 

A  irw»  inirAiitf^,  I 

»t  8-..  . 

TtViP*T,  July  lOtli.  tllQf. 
C'tnrention  lui-t  (I'jr.ujut  tu  ■.IJtfcri: 

iBilit. 

-   Cc.mittcc  on  CrcJcntisU  rrponcd  a 

m«  rn! 

■rul  ' 

10  I 


OnJrr    i>r.Itj*itif«(— |.T.    Tist  tdc 

Cu.rCiiI«>r.oi.»..l.f    tie  J'ttMiC  Sifety. 

■  ro  tl'>iii)(  M  iiirinrj'y  pf  jour  C 


1,1 


■  ■.'.  ,1*   m^if 

i-r<i 

tCl.    CI, 

T,m:o-yef..r, 

(h 

r  • 

w»ftrV.t"tlniO. 

llr 

ri>r 

«    Wfl|fl)FlBj*l     1 

•Q.. 

0/  )n>t 

■I't  Ma  wuriliyx 

f>ji 

croiain< 

i<'rtii-«of  p«rii-i 

ri  ruli  1 

iS 

("OtOff-.m 


l-'*'i 


«ii>c 


-  iir^inUifucilon. 

■  "*'r  Ktn'lrra't. 
lis  i.nlii   of  tbit 

■  'oilieolhtr. 

'  ifi.liirr  itiv  19  ae 
1  Ili  iloiiii  ta  ft 
-9  liAlf  LtliU/  tb* 


-■  U  kr 


■Jil  irvilU'LiMlrptiO.i; 
d*  OiO  minority  Iiniftr 
PUrJi    !f"ni  our  i-oii- 


\lu,c 


^  t: 


-W.T.C.  FIlio: 
1  i  1.  A.  V.  Clui..iii 
I.  .I..l„,  ll..l.i.,.m.  3.  A 
IV   S     11,  .J   1    I.  .!_  (I 


II 
1  V  .!       . 

5.  J  \\: 

it.  V,: 

n 

J.  II 
.  11' 

TO!-*.  1 

J.  w 

•  c. 

I.J  .; 
I,  I,  . 

1.  W    ; 

Mnlii.t 
O-iJ,.  I. 
W>ll.t'<R;ier  Diiirlcl— rrf'f 

D..f.rv 

WOfllt    I, 

1,  J   A 
L 


■  I,   V'.  ii.  W-;, 


[mfiit. 


I,  p.  m. 

■t.i;..';4  .lut  (-uf^uiittto  ailjiiam- 


lauive  wuiil,!  >3)rtf,-.t  u  .it   (Im  CVurcu- 

Nu  Ti>  M<oi>  A  calf  for.  •  CmstltO' 
ti'Miar  C<"trfiii,on. 

2'1-t  T.»  irraiii  fjJ'  jSntTpr*  tu  aa;.t 
C.ifitttttloii  to  crraiu  tif.il.c  OHJcw  mi- 
•Irrtlio  C^nttitmivti,  »«.()le;i  IIh?  WhT 
dr«ft. 

Sn|.     Tin^   11.3  iif4»;/<-  Crtnrtn'.; 
Wlaliii-IuiJil.rtjn.i...  i^wrt*  Ilirmi 

C"*u.itIUiti.ii.u|  Conrt-htloii. 

4tlt.  Tu  nt'pou.i  tl/.  .Oirjcrn  of  ticc- 
Itnii  Ift  'Iio  rori'>i|«  im.;iiitti 

6ilr.    r-iiiit-ko  l.jwt  (prcrulrig  lU 

rrturns   of   i-lK-riniif. 

Cili.  T**  c.ul^ltsli  fl'C  qnal.Ccat:oii  cf 
Tot.r*. 

2mI.  Of.lT  of  Di^;(u~Ciiii-i«4  III 

Cfirmiiltcc  f-r  Ifivnlji'tf  tlitf  Tor.uUJ  rc* 
lun.H  r.r  IMa'vtf"  Iu  Cw.pn-51". 

Mr,  C'liiiinmn— .V^diiii-intr  of  TOnr 
co;iii->inw  iip-i  O'.Un  of  l;.i-Ii.p.i  iu 
rtKS  vt  tlic  u-iiUxtr-tD^  tia<uru  of  li.e 
call  ni..|.-r  wl.-rli  vv  grj  ffl.vinl.Ii.-I,  cm- 
^Mtr  lliiit  it  i/- Ijut  JiiVWmt  this  C'ti- 
ttiiti'iii  t.ik.'  lilt  .tr|(  ui^lrurict  uf  |>u'»- 
l.tni.i.,;,.,,,  f.-rlvBudsIiigit  (tm.M  h.^ 
It  ilT.tt  ciiitliii;,'!!  »t.r.utfl  .  Blndi  w.>ciM 
ot  l«j  I'liriratl  ;iml  I^Tcnia  a  rteafl  [.t* 
UTaiiinin;  L«.  ul-ollipt  |!h*  Cniiru'tioii 
Iiai  rin  r;j:I.t  fi  irflti'-"*T  any  Iiu'inc-s  iif't 

drhVltp-IIyltlll    JJH^ifii:    tlTIJUl.y    Illr 

cull,  fur  III  no  dctltt;;  it  i'oatJ  Jir'  on  uii* 
w:ifniiitiil.Io  ni<»unij.li;*ll  of  iLc  tlgUta  vt 
ilie  T'-ojiIcnt  lor^v, 

■  Wtf  imilwt  rno-r'dOTlnity  nji'n^t 
litis  Coiir^nrinn  iv..il(iin  H.,|f  into  n 
C.if!-titoiirt.,:il  C'livimiuii,  1(1.1  M(W  iti 
view  of  llif  a1.ovcjt(..'.ttori  wfliOTc  ti'ik.-n 
iiriil  wliivli  np  ciiiffita  to,  In;  torrx-it 
jiriiii  nil.-«.  li,i  nl.,)  iu^ii-w  of  lie  fuit 
ilintfli;!!  i-uc  tl.J  1,11  nitir  i'do  i!,e 
Caiirj«»,  lori.ffiurji 
iu  orin-r  wonl*,  weo« 
liail  U0]tulil(i.-ia^>rp«4' 
utidiiiir*  that  wuuM  oLlIioriip  ii.  In  m- 
[;i"jr.llt')i't'-n;  oa  *  >l!irr.)i.i,.|  wr 
W.tlyl/i-l(irpll..iMrr  wouM  not  U- 
rifli.Tlinj;  tlie  ociion  r.r  our  immidiatc 
rvimitd.iil*.  Ill  cl.nnzu);:  wlint  we  rot), 
ct-ii-c  t-i  t/c  (lie  Ii-gitimalo  coaric  of  tlii* 

Wu  Wi.uM  a\to  fnrriMiIy  rcrco^imfiitl 
"'■■  iMLiiiutirtri  of  ilcr»-l.ir.,..  to  I« 
li.til  ft<  »|*cilioI  III  otir  2..1I.  tf.Icr  of 
' 'i-iiicM;  w«  ore  t.MiiiiiJul  t.i  t],|*.  f..r 
ilii;  rullitwiti- r«L»on«.  wu    iNliiTc   it   (< 

■  te  a  ciirn-tt  i-rintijilo  10  c'ur.l  in  rvrtr 
|.o.Sill,'D3inicr  tlic  r^ulit  i<t  niiTfaii-, 
wc  Woul^l  tilr  toil  t.iil,^  fxrriiriw  inu- 
Iiini.  nitil  »jir,(ni«r.U  lltrowii  nfrn::..!  ihf 
l'«II..l  Ihix  ill  If  iiFitKc*  t'orrri.nl  l.y  Inw 
oml  we  would  BlMititi*  yftii  l.i  ihi-  na- 
Jii'foui  iiLitjawK  of  rnui.l  ollr.!.''*'!  to 
liHVf  U-cPi  (Minnilrtitl  i|  »a.li  wdl  rrjti- 
fit.nl  inmiiiiiiil»;i-<<Trr,-.^We  nru  iit<.i 
","i"'-n|  |»  HiMJiii-j  itaPO.C"iiIHniIlro  111 
•  jiitiK*  III,-*,,  n-iorii*.  .Wiiii*e  wi-Ulii  »!■ 
'    It  iviiy  mutiUr  ►li"a!Jclrp   n   *lr\r 

■u-1'il  Iol.i«co,„iiri:ft.l<  uii.l  he  Ii.|.l 

|..f.nii,IIjr  r.-f(».i..,i,iL.  |,>  il,i-iii  f,)r  dip 

:     ■  'i!  ^'mt.l»(T..ii(.t  of  |l.i<rnlii.-i.«, 

■\    lintlienllnwn|ln.I,[.M  |,iin. 

t  the  Bcti-.n  of  n  rom  niilpp; 

'TithBtMilinmlprpry  iMyntc 

•'i.iuM  U-  |.|,iTvil  in  iKM.«rMiotn.r  nil  il,o 

fjcl*  rcljliii;:  (o  the  lnkiti;rof  the  T<.Ip« 

in  PSv-li  anj  pf^rr  prrriiipf.  nil  of   Bbich 

ii  laoet  rc-jitrlfoMr  »n!.iiiitlr.l. 

r.  N.  NOTKWAnr. 

WAHRKN  WAiiO.V. 
Oi  mrtlioii  or  \Tc.  PrtKlor,  the  re. 

|iort«  n.TC  rrrritcil. 
U.  ^V•  Chic if.f>r«]  lliat  |t.o  tnlii.vr 

itv  r.,„.rl   tw  n.Ini,I...|. 

rector  ni'.vrtl  xn  amrriil.  hy 
It  ihfl  «or.l  tiojiurily"  onl 
a  of  "  msjontj." 
n  j.-tict.ly  iI.f-iKtion  on  iho 
t,  h»  MniN.  Nolririrf.  W,I|. 
■ttl.  Il»"r-nirlr.  |'f,>i  lor.  (.'■.T. 

J  Aiawir,  ii,r 


ATr«  — MfW.    Eii;ott,    JI^»(Ior.p, 

C!'C(.i.jn  (3  To:f«.)'\Vi::.jt,i'.  J.  ll..i.ii.- 

Jcn  (2  rotp*.)  r-B.;;in  (3.  tot,*.)  Ury. 
B'lt.J.  Q.  lt..r»rt^.>n.  Ntltthtry.  Il,x»| 
NVilp,  A.  A.  Siaitli,  nu-eJ'»7c  WiHttr 
Lot.c.  Ji.o.  [}.  \\  Jiitrr,  Srtilc,  KiyiT, 
P'Tw-y,  IKij*p»orlh.  StarlpTatit.  Curry, 
Cboni.  llamma^lt.  A'n!pr-on.  TpoPt-.r, 
St>"'virrJirM.  Jpp.rciii.  Orui'liT,  llfli- 
!»  rly  Kt,ri  .Mart  <;,f„ti,,_3|. 
XdP*— M(-*'r«.  Wj<»oi  ( J  TotM.)  J.  A 
■.iiiitt,  Nulpwarc  Farwrir.  CwIJu-itt-i., 

T ni***!".  Ai"-nNtl.7,  Ql-aiMtlrr,  t'*rt. 

WiiJr.    O.Igp.  CIicJk-.  aiid  Njp.    (|'; 

TofP*)— 8,1.  '    '     ^ 

^^IV^1  l,f  lltrtiniftrl:  il.tt  ■  comraH- 
trtof  IIv«l,cow-iiutn|  (,|  thtt  C!i«:n 
inanloJf.rta  Co.Miiuti'.n— poi.p,!. 

Mi-i-rn.  lUmmaclc.  N-jtrwarr,  Kariti!', 
Si-tiltf  aiitl  .N'l-alc  tprrr  tyi-o'.iiU'd  o-i  ^<l 
lotnmittec.  On  tnnliod  ..f  Mr  liry.nt 
Viv  Cliairmaii  var  odilnl  to  tl:ecvu:ait- 
'r.    .,  .    . 

On  motltiit,  Xoterarp' trnfc  rel-ntcd 
rroinllitfcoiiiniltfrif  0.  IV«)ltitioiii»  ami 
Pa  hi  nit  ion  oitdMr.  i'r.n.tor  Bulisliluiid 

ill      llil^jIuLV, 

Oil  iimtiPii  of  >rr.  yolfVttrr,  i^t 
CIiB  rniaii  o|.po;i,tcj  Me^r*,  DT'ct, 
C'HiiliiiKloii,  lCli;otr,  It^^iit  itTi<]  Oral** 
hy,  a  coiniiiiiipr  to  draft  a  MtmoriaJ  t 
Irt  lahIT|ilt^I  inCoti^'rr*f. 

On  limlioii  uf  IjOti;;,  C-it.  J.  J.  McilCr 
wa*  ftiMnl  to  til.'  C^iJi'iiittCf." 

Ai!j"i!riif.l  till  tyiuorrow  flWminff.B 
o«Iut.k,  o..nt. 

Wc&scs-iav.  Jo'jsoift.,  is:?.^ 

ConTeniioii  lotliiarcoaat  to  nJlyoru' 
n-nt. 

Ti.e  CommittPf  on  Kcfolutlgiu  r«K)H«l 
HI  niT'arution. 

Oil  in.'ii..n  of  Mr.  Carrr  tho  trporl 

Oil  m..tii.ii  of  J.  F.  Lftn-.  Ihe  fiTxvrl 
tf<i*  rifi-rrc^l  luik  lo  the  C'riiiinftce 
u.ih  injiructinn*  fiora   the    Cunrei,!liti, 

C.Mliiiiltrp*  Ott  the  Ci:i>tlmitnri  nt:-l 
M.ni.ifiult.  r.-j.rrtcU  l'if>;rcu,  and  OjItiI 
f.prf.irlhrf  tiiiif: 

Mr.  IVottorrffiTr.Ilhf  f-iITnirin?; 

rrnfro*.  Thai  :h*  TrwiiT..M,L  Tv- 
TrnrnuB  l<a  n-fiip^tHl  to  pulilts'i  rh.- 
lirwiilii.?«i.r  llii«  CoiiTciitlcu  In  full, 
wliitit  »*a«  nafcfi  10. 

On  in'.t:-»ti  ..f  Mr  Cirrf.  Mr.  Janw. 
of  the  T.-ftrr[T(»R;.M.  rMm't'itKr,  ff3«  In- 
T.tpil  to  takca  xatiollio  Coureiitioii. 
Vhirli  t.r  .!.  t-Iinisl. 

On  ini.iioii  of  A.  0.  TTammnel.  t^.p 

Ch.iir  nj-i-ilnftl  a  puitimlrtpo  of  irvcn  t.» 
tli'lrh-i  iho  'iVrntniy  into  lyiii.kltPi; 
di.lflitK.  cooMUiii;  ..f  .VM.r..  W.  S 
hr^iif,  IViPP  Nt^  Jl.  M.  G*ls- 
MMrt.Sn'lh.  Tpo'Itc  Winter,  A.  U. 

IlrtlHrnnik    ni.1l  W.    \\*4V0tt. 

Ailj.iurticvl  lit  liair  ).ul  or.6  oVIork 
p.  la.  I 

■^  AntRvftot  itiiiiy.  I 

Cmtpj.tiim  net  i.ir»oiiil  to  o'' 

nn-lif.      C iiiltir«  liol  liriii^  >■  I 

ri|->rl.  o<i    m'i|i..u    Ihc    Coiitrttt, 
j-umtj  lilt  {\}  taMTTtiw  uiumiii^  6  ■ 


to  rcpor,  i:>cy-wm)r;'rtttoSoc:o(K 
a.  m.  lo-aomr  Bunilug  to  OAk*  t^ 
p*.rt<.- 

Or.  :cotioa  C«irtfl::on  tfljAroffl  ty^ 
to-do.'ioif  Doruiiiir  9  o'clodi  a.  ta* 

SiTtMAT,  J0I7  5W.  1SS9. 

Conrpn(TOi)  npt  r^aant  to  e^fcfltt* 
racfit  MiTjtpi  of  T:.:r*I«f  iu:]  friiAf 
rrfij.  t•^Jbf^n5 19 C'-'cclItiUS  to  X'jf  fz&ti 
'I'V*!  Kt  Aft. 

n-i-or(  of  Co'ara:t!(v  or  l^f  Cw»l!l» 
ton  U.'f  U  vriKT.  A.  0.  JU-zr^tK^ 
^'''."  ySi"^-  P^^^ra^H  ^-e  fPpOft, 
e...li.rrprW..,r''-B.rM  V^i^jTrvwoi 
ou  m'jtl.ii  ..f  Mr  Cai^.  ■»■«  rcrrfftft, 
.  Ml  iittr!eTtfct  irotrl  that  l'j»  rv 
port  I-  h-ad  110.1  tii'-pt^  tr  r^Jprtw!  If 
Aft..l-«nr.aS«livL»  C:.Irf •  L'T  Irlt*  o 
t;rrM.ri*r.  ' 

Mr  tlryanl  Ciorptl  that  to  Birfflt*f 
l<*'i..Tctta  »i.«k  c:-jrc  tfita  t»tc», 
nor  l;'^rr  thtn  Cfc  (r.tuatrt  Bpoo  tbv 
Kii'c  wt;o  I  or  rjo'.rcfi.  orrlfO. 

TIipCy.*nfn;:tpe  01.  CunitJtoiioo  litft 
iTi«.r:.-!.  V.',-,',  ■»:-  *,.•,  t 

„.*^^'.--        ■  ■  '  Of«, 

•!«.'  "^  "  tbfl 

;:■-  ^..^, 

^    Fi.  «o  Ajifr^ 

J  t.-.i..  lu  U  flU.il,  t« 

Trrnor  irn.t  Lift  tttkls* 

•"■:  '•.»   r.r   r..-.,   «e<) 

V«l. 

■'ioq 

-Ibt 

UJJ*.  Wi, 

Viii<— E;.,- 1;.   t^»,;.,i,.,  Chni-tt* 

(3   Tolo-,)    nMli.m.,  J„o.     n(.l.n.pn| 

.1.  O.  KoljtrlM)!..  \Vm.  h"i!|[l,lfr,  V.acp, 
N'jlc.  A.  A.  S.;,iih,  Lo„j.  J.-.r,.  6" 
W  jt.ifr*.  S"-!:!",  K''/.  p->».^T    !;.-.«, 


f^Ji..  l;r..a., 
ll.c  "Uce  of  G 
1.1  1';.  or"  cf 


Cr.i.l,-.-. 

0.  w.  c 


iJ.,-',  .i-!l  ;.">.;  .u  w 

X«.r.-TI.TO.   W.r.lr 

■irr.  T'  "  :   - .  _    ;  ( 


TTU, 


Las* 
.  r-  .-J  ^.r  t&t 


Via.— Kii  Oil,  l)o»i!onf.  OnMnii, 


(J  totr..)  \V.ili>n 
'■'Ir'.)  V«njl.ii  c 
lt"l«  rt«in,  Nsil.  r 

J.  :r  1-. 


(» 

A. 

;'J.    Slurtt. 

~irk,  Son' 

(J    lOtM.) 

I.  CoUific- 
C«rr.  Mart 
1    .\'o    IIX 


TiiriuniT.  JalffiUr.,  19"?. 

C'nTf'i'iiii  liii  t  i^Miiatit  lo  r 
mciii.  .M.in,-,  .,,f  y,.i,„l„,  „„ 
tt|'|.roTiil.    TI.c  or>I,-r  iif   luj-inf..  I 

iImI,  Hti.1  tioDi* ftf  tlirC'.iininiili*e  W\  ,; 
rrii-ly  1.1  rijHfl,  nil  tii.iilu,!  il.,jr  wer,- 
'r-ti  fiirir-r  tiiiipln  mill;,  njxnt*. 

(1.1  i..'.!...iiil.oi:irtirii»iioii  ft.Jj.tomeil 

Iu  1  dVI.kV  I',  ni. 
jinrr.Nftrtir  iriiroT.  1  lA  WV  ji  n.  ' 

Oniti-iitOii  111.  I  ■ 
'i.l.   Mr.  N..T.  . 
lillirwi   11. 


warco'i'l  Aliaiiall.y,— 5 

^•.    i:  .<.-.-!T  -o.,  -,:„.  ,ivj^ 


'  r. 


:  lb* 
111  i.guna 
r-J  to  rtil- 


I.J„I      i>-..-l.  V.  A.  11..,,.,^ 

"•'— 1  I.  A  U,  lljuiTii.a  I  ' 
-W.  «•,..«„  2 
■•  M.  Ofuub;  1 


tCtc,     . 

JXO  l: 

TTAKRENWASSON.J 

Oo  oglMo,  comollln  dlKbar^od. 


KOfUHl,  Tl.-ii  il.i.    C..iit»il<n  tfMt. 

If.  .■•7.1  c..,.!  ;  ,,  oi,alCoi.rr;iti.i(i. 
'.init  all  fmio 
'.inj  thircto. 


1 


|W.  U  JtBNKGAy. 

O.N.  Xote».iro  lS.n  pffl.ntJ'l  th. 

followlr;  u  t  laUiUmU  Ijc  Itg  ;i]'aIoiJ- 
'ljIUf<rti 


T  ealln),   Ihf 

',    n  ilr.lrtn.. 
'    '.J.  I!..l... 


'     (»     TOIK.I 

'  ,        .      Abcr'.ath.. 

t        1,.-.   C,.-;-.    .\U,i    Sc.rl..   Wadf. 
0»l:««i..l  >;o{13.IJIcai_;i. 
Tl'O  tnotloii  aa  ain.ii..',^l  iI...)  f^uMl 

M  u  (ollo'ii  ' 


rl.  . 


J..]. 


0.1  nii>ti..ii  iif 
n-irfirt.  «»r«  rtw. ... 
ili«clij%'rd,  I 

It  n-i«  n.ir.it  Mj.l  nrrtn]  it.it  Iho  »■ 
r<|...-l  Lo  .,.l.,|.l,..|  t.,  iln.  o...'.-.it|."i. 

II   r.-  1I..I    C.iri,i|i.||rc    c.ii    n..irr.'    -' 

iI.iTiirlii.rjr  Rjivtinl.   &«  Cot.  . 

O.i  molfrtfl  cf  sir.  Curry,    ttia  rr- 

.  rmlinl  tuil  UMouifliiiltlw  (^H'u.^l• 


Ontnolf'f 

rf  Mr 

V'V-ra^ 

'*>ri  »-j«  I 

Mr.  X  ; 

ffjvi'I  K- 

'  J  J, 

•04 

■  trriMii 
.  .1  t.'i/cnti  (• 

.-  (/ 

.«  u> 

.Ir* 

-«  re*. 


.•l! 


I0.11iv.'i'w«  l«.>iu.a/.  0  iii^wca,  •,  o. 

r»i?ir.  Jul/  su  lut 

CinwDlIaoinolporva»nllo»4;oQT,::iflRl. 
^*oot  of  Ibo  CoiaiultlowbdDgrtad/ 


>-4 


■^  (I  *w 
'.1 -  ■      -.  .  .M-'jon  fi* 

llll.iu  lu  li>«  aalar7  uf  rarr.l^rlal    Aqj> 


Gfrritorial  "fntrrpvisfr.J 

■■  !■  '■  r      n       ir    ■'•'- 

lii:>0.\.CAH-<»N  VAI.I.KV.        •,'. 

SJ<tir.1aT.    .1  u  M  3om.  185'.>.  "^  "^ 

€oD!»tilntioniil  (buuutioD. !; 


^ro^erdinRs  of  tite   CnnTrnllon.  , 
lit  i;rii->;t   I'ursoa  \'allrf,  t'.  T., 


■  f  1 


.:n«s  ai  (Say   be  iirtttnlcJ  by  |tir.ii,  sn-l  no  ptrtoo  ►l-ill   l-c  r-.-jtwrlrd 
i:.  T..L  i;u»cmt.r.  ScatUry.  TrfO- 


I  Uie>rtctitQac 


■1  fto'l  ii<:f  ;«rr ' 
.1  tr]Kritiuu  fr. 


DECLARATION. 


p.: 

were  ■-■. 


T.  'ijlaP^  U'»ti«cTrOTlli, 

II..  i  ■■".  Jernpfraii,    Kirijr. 

TL  ^.  ;■!  .-.  t.-.  .\..U''.I'T.  Ny^  [12  roll'] 
Ff;»I.'.  .O.l>'UJi.  Oemjliy.j.  UoIhiiMI",  [3 

&ttlf,  A*  A .  Scn'.li.  ti-Ji-.m-Tlu-IiJ,  Slun- 

iVjuuVi,  j.  j)..iVi..tc/fl  iwi>i  y\':h.  Wudt. 

£>-«>*j3-0    tLitJic. 

T.t«"Cjiuii  Hill  oil  .w.u.itlicn  <  dccLrcd 
W^j<lcijnk]OkpKlti>lc. 


^0 


tMpi^.'O'irtrrnNVy'rif  Nir^.Ia,  o.i.M.Icr- 
Joe  I'ji'i  *<i  l'!>''c'>oITinSi  frntii  a  Mrii-> 
«f  )t,t-ri!ul  a^H  ixltjnal,  /tiU  .of  m 
^Srt- Ti'  Tiflturr-o^  tVr  rf iidor  f.trlh-jnincr 
€'»iftijf'"''  lorijrt  f  J'arnl  Wit-Tiii;*    tlmt 

fc;-*  ""   uar  foiiiri 

*■  ■     \   WUt,..^ 

ev"  ,., ..t.^  I'lif^"' 

ilftTbiVjjli  ihci^mrlnr  :iIiL- MuTit 

.■VV'-*  '  '*  ■'  .p;  k'ilc-i.'c'w"!  Ili<-ir 
fi>  ■   ui,ili:r'aii.ini*oIuic 

-♦■:  ■  -r-.''.fit  >;u!rrri [';:•, 

If,.  '  'V    fijr'dU»<jl 

»i-  •  '  vrliiclr'niar 

liu-,  ,  ii;Ml»eO.-i'i(i 

iTijfit  .>:■;_.■  Ki'-.T  -t,.;'  t,  I  .jt  tiUti  iiur  iluij 


tr' 


f 

t* 

(1.. 


ii|<j>orl  eiiit  |)foln-liiiti  of    t>i^  l-'itUral .  »>« 
iwVi-.-itio-*i*t  H'lJ  nnr  fi-lloMT-vitizciiS  inl     ^    ' 

ui;  i^rtof  lliuUir.u...  ff-^'-'".' 


CONSTtTUT[OM. 


ri,or«liall-l>fdfier-t\V  •     lv.,->.'.  ^u  ■. 

Nu  4,     ute  •  oiinc'lttofcn   ••■  ■   '--'   •■■"' 
,1  I.,  lli*  \,^^    \,r,-,    i;.-^»ln.  l>i>Uiti    No     6, 

..I*  ^  kii^ut^:  :i.i  riiiLTfi  Si»i-».  ■  j,,.;.i,.t  \-j  '  our '\tiix-iitaji.  ftna  t"u 

■r    iwii   y.-«ni  iii*i;l  i-rrrt-Jirij-   l'**l  Ix-u-piU-*,  Ui*io.l  No  6.  IKU  Luuuc. 
"  Ihvbral  rU-ctiOn  «l. 


■Af  it  ..ffir*,  tot 
'*    rXUtid 

r  (Tuf- 
»       Atl 


>lU> 


Vrriiorr    ri  ,n^.„  ft„o  f„uf  ;.rl.vatc?;  Uuina  No.  ».  K'V"''<""' 


ilrtBt-auur  ■»  oflice.    -n   F^-l.  ni 
:l.c  »»c.«rra.  At«-iLUir  rm»  j-r.. 

*.ne  Trnwur*  li'jt  m  r(iii<<tj u'i»' 
|frM|ini;i<jit<  tame  liy  Ik*   ai"! 


■'•n^ti'tlit  Mormotu, 
t'lv  "irS'i'iic  uvi.  cr»;- 
'L'lalj. 
'!  ttimi^tlTM  lio<llle 
.1  iroft-rtitiitjijt  .ami 
,'uiitrj;  ^    . 

-  i.VBr  BCftiiwt *  jlic 
United  St:ac.'  ■' 
1  .\l/  '►ut.tiiit'to'  It* 
1  Mo  wl.itr  t-T.-r  )[ 
J    liruU'L-li^:i  Budt-r 

_      .  i;:l.i   lu  rry  in   Oiclr 

cUiVUi'llit   ti<)Iatur«'of  lite  law   wliirii 
Ai'Ji  riv1d!-ir<Vt:r«  MuniioiM; 

T."-y  liort-  fu  luatiB-ii)  l.y  Uicir  Ifgis- 
UUiAi  »«Pio  tlAil  jo*llw',  jiroiixt  crimi- 
nal', liinl  iC'i'l'T  tliv  latfa  ai>tl  tht;' Qd- 
iWfify  ^)T'lflf  U''-:(vd  Simc  iu  Cia!,' 
tirr'iii'Ty  Xi':i\  ut-.il  of  no  vC-ct; 

TliiV  lifcVtf  iii.ifi-rr»sl  jjfiwir*  on  llicU 
T<rrtu>ftul  M':ni!i*ll«  ••i>txiiii-!»t  ci 
'r*hd^»rbl.l  ttic  uuUinrily  of  ll«  MA^ 
•twIMofUc  Ctiiti-d:)UU<t  In  oil  ca.'^a. 
•JTrtr/  *^u♦3  CO  ift,T>vJ  ci.Oi  I'roUle 
3(1.1,-e«lhp  wit  rijrlit  tO<<rltvljuriL-«^iii 
Ciril  *ii<l  crirnttitl  cAa-h,  tiiTJnldUuti  u( 
»ll  Uw  •ii.l"  toll  |.rk.>;«lciit.  T'^y  lia»«-' 
a1«o  t^ri-ii  Ul  Mi'l  Ju'Iq'Cs  ariiJ'  joitlkirt  of 
Clio'I>fitL'vfab«uliitc  JunUictiuii  III  oil  civ- 
il mill  rnminkl  cuu-n; 

T.i.y  h*vc  laiilj  ull  Iiw*  Mwtb-  Jin- 
«Ier  (lie  ^'bi>ro  OfViUTcrritury  b^I  Iu 
d^fiuico-cil  tliu  law«*ot ''tlto  UuiteO 
0Ut<^t   '■'  ''-^ 

T'lcf  liaTo  by  ah' bct'of  Uio  LfpTiU- 
{Dr*7«iiH:Iai'i-d  all  uiimarnnl  men  ii't.'K^i- 
L!ffii'1t:'Tr^'^"  tri'c*  tV'-y  liaTB  rg«cJiJ 
(:.  ^'       ■■ 

a".  I 3nd< Id  the 

ll'.y  <cfc 
.  ,-  .   .   ^  .         .  -y    oiTwii-llii; 
nC,  Kiftl   iiBic  tjc|iri>i.-d    Ihcia  of 
ii,K:f-\>AjiKtlJ    MItliOUt  dod  coQr|b''oI 

Uv     !>■»-'■- 

K-i  ■    -  r,l7..]|  oMf.c 

I  :  o*rn<;oml 


AllTlCLE  ]—Eli<Ure  I'ratiJiue, 
Slirir^s  I  ICvcry  ffi-cw  lute  male  |KT- 
son.  .of  twriii;  om-  yian  of  B;:e  or  ui"- 
vemd*.  «lllt^)lnll  liavc>l*ccti  six  moiitti' 
iirst  prrctrtin"  on  clt-cliDn  a  rotdriit  of 
llii*  Ttrrtiory.  Btul  ilnny  days  a  ri--iJvut 
of  tlic  rouniy  in  ivhicli  h«  may  oCi-r  to 
ciitc,  noiJ  Uni;;  at  lliv  time  a  citizrn  of 
tliv  L'tiilFi]  t^iuti'*.  stiiill  Ih'  cpiitili-*!  In 
VDle  in  oil  vIi-ciIihk  lnTraficr  ti»,  U-  licM. 
anil  at  ollfcuv-liVlfClinriotlic  rnlohlialllM; 
Uko.by  baliiil;  proiiilcd,  chat  nny  citi- 
zen of  lite  L'nit'-O  Sutt-n  ami  ft-»iit<-iil  uf 
tiic  Tcrrilnry  iitjy'iole  on  Ilic  ntlnfttiint 
•>r  ttiU  C»ii*lilii(i.jii.tii»luttlicrirj<t(ln.- 
tion  til  fill  tlic  uITo'x  licn-in  crvfiliil. 
: :;.  Knry  pcnnliiIiclfdorni.j«iirii«l  to 
niiy  t'Sci:  of  |>roIit  or  tni«t  miUit  Uil*  Coii- 
Ktitutiun'cr  laws  niailo  |>ur*u.iitt  l!icrrIo. 
Iivfuru  lie  lli3ll  nilrttj|Kiii  tlie  duli<-«  cf 
ituoi  oIEi,r,  Ahall  take  uk)  »>n>Mi-nbe  tlir 
folluwiij^u-tlh  uralliniutiuti  :  "I,  A.  U.. 
.!g»wmr  tor  uMrit»,-a»  iliri-«»o  luaylM-.J 
Hut  1  hill  »Oyi>urt  tlif  CoiutJQEioii  uf 
lliti  Utiitinl  SJtiiic^,  a:i<I  tlie  Oimtilutiun 
of 'il.cT>rrii-ry  uf  NcrBla.  n:>U  tliai  1 
Will  faillifJlly  ixrforui  all  it>c  du'.it-*  f'l 
ttic  uHiu  of  ■  -■  !■■  iIjo  tcit  of  my 
ubilify."  AuJ  if  any  (itrwo  rli-vtnl  nr 
u|'jioiiitrd  li>  oSco  a*  aforuaiJ, -mIliII 
itt^j'kA't  ur  riTd^  to  iskf  *ai<l  luih  or 
aQjriiuhun  williiii  tb«  liriu-  l:i-rriiiaru-r 
l-re-tribcil,  sanl  vQicc  lOial)  La  Uvi-tAnnJ 

3.  Wiiciitrcr  any  olcc  fr^-m  otiTOiu* 
l>r\i'lilV  iui-jiil,  tuni  no  iiiO^Iu  la  fruTidaJ 
liy  tUu  C«u»>!iii'uji  niut  (»«»  for  lilliRi- 
tliu  tVLu-,  lilt)  liiiTtn"^rAi'aimrc|fOK(,r 
lo  fill  >ui.lt  Viii-jmy  by  iiraiilin'/  »  com- 
n)ife»iitii,  uljicit  ^liuir  ikj'ire  a(  llm  iKxt 
Awaiun  ly  tlic  jiuj.Ic,  ..r  *o  >«oii  tlnTt- 
tif[ir  B«  liU(Ua»?ur  aJull  In  tUxlctlyud 

4.  Tli-ii  to  ))crson  qIioto  tlif  o;x  of 
lw(-iily-<iiii-  yiiirn,  cunTicttd  of  larci-nr  or 

'i:Lcr  iiif^uiijai  ciiiu<>.  unLa.^  in-  rliall  W 
j>ar>loiicU,  iii  iKTiiiialtiT  iirrxiitml,  kliall 
cvrr  lliiTvCllcr  I-:  viililU-d  to  tote  &l  ony 
tlivtii'n  iii  ItiisTcrrilory,  unrl  utr  (irrNOu 
UudtT  f;uenli»ii*lii^  oa  a  iBualir.  or  ni  a 
pQf soil  lua  cmpoi  mt*tu,  snail  ba  cnlillcd 
to  b  voir 
ARTICLE  11.— Catiuin  Departmtu 

Sec.  1.  'Flic  Ex:t-ulivc  i»o*ir  of  the 
Ttrriioiy  ►lall  U-  »t>lnJ  in  m  Uo»fnior. 
irbOio  term  nf  oCiro  *l.till  m:iiiiiciice  uti 
lbi>  flrot  M»ii<l'iy  in  Umiiilnr  next  eri 
«tii[i;:lii«  t!rt.ii".i,  oil.)  coii.i.iunl  f.-r  two 
yrar^,  ami  until  liii  •'utvotur  aholl  bare 

been  il'-tlnl  uitJ  1^1141  litii-d. 

2.  Tin-  Cm  »l.i.ii(ni  fi)r  b!I  oIEwraun- 
<lrr  tlu«  Coiisliiulibn  •■Lull  Ik  lidd  on  tla- 
Cf^t  \\\-dtirN<J.-«y  ufiir  lliD  Ilfil  MoiidaT 
of  .Scplt-Mlnr.  in  tlic  ytar  one  ttiuusm.i' 
ciiclil  liuiiilri-(l  anil  Iilty  nine,  ond  va  t)i< 
KOiuo  day  ond  niontli  iii  vftry  cii-ond 
ycor  tlicrt'oflcr,  outil  oIIiirwi*c  iirucidi-d 
for  by  tliU  Co'Htitulionurby  |aW|at  llic 
[■!accji  of  Tutingfiir  DclrKoU'^tu  llictiiii' 
ral  Aiurmbly.  Ttic  clivlion  ti>  be  lirM 
in  thu  fainu  manner  ili  tlic  tlcvtioii  of 
l>>Ii),'atri',  BiiJ  till-  rr1uriiilIitTtuf.nnJ<.T 
«eal,  to  lieodilffvSrtl  tu  tlic  tJjuaViT  ol 
iho  lIouMj  of  |)i:Ii-|r.iti;<,  and  chlIikl-O 
and  truiittniltftl  to  tlic  .SitTctary  uf  t)ic 
iVrhlury,  aiul  dclirtri'd  to  tttg  aaid 
Spi-ukcr  ut  ttif  coRuncnccincnt  of  tlic 
■ctflon  of  ttie  Central  Auvfubly  utxi 
ftituing  MiiU'tiitiiin;  jirOfidcil.  ll>0  Crit 
rctunu  of  an  ctn.-tioii  DmKr  tliu  C 

iiliall  be  iniilc  Ond  cariTasicd  u 


\y- 


t 


Iin-Bscof  A>y>tfancT  ^n  tlie'of- 
frif^^dcnn,:  lli«  r»T»-«  »•! 
.ViV'ibly.  tlie  I'rr^iduitof 
i!(c  I  '  •  .J  ''.•!u  !-^  iiurce  I'lC  dulit«of 
•;:iij  L.r.,i.v  ui''Jd>  '^crii'ir  U  t'lid-d  "■■' 
licn-ju  protidccT^'"  .\nd  in  r^M-oflbc 
dciiUi  or  tcKi>:Tin*Jon  of  *aid  I'rciidcnt. 
or  iii«  ninoval  from  the  Tcrrilury,  or  of 
lii»  nfiKil  til  f^rvc.  then  the  diilir«  of 
Kui'i  ofUor^liall  in  like  Di.inncf  divnhp 
n[>on  liie  Sjttokcr  of  ilic  J!ol<c  of  iJrli^ 
tatrs.  And  tlic  (itiicral  Aa«tii''!y  may 
)>roTide  by  law  for  tlic  CAM)  of  iui)icacli- 
incni  or  iTialiilily'iffttlic  (loTcrntjr,  ond 
i[(\!aro  what  \K-r*.*n  ►UU  prrfunii  tlic 
cstvutlrc  dutit-s  duriag  *uii.-ti  t[]i|icacb- 
(uciil  i>r  inahilit^r. 

The  -fi  iivctiiOr  alion  bate  |»o«rr  lo 
cwll  ont  llie  M'liija  to  rt^Rl  Invasiuii*, 
»u)>jir\-H.'i  iii^urrivtilna  and  rnfurw  tlii- 
-Itvutioii  of  the  lntr». 

a.  n«- fliull  t Ac  care  that  tb«  la«» 
be  fjitl.fully  fXtCuti-d. 

9.  Jle  fball  ^miiiiatp,  \nA  ty  ailil 
witb  tUtf  advi-TBKil  OJiiwnl  of  the  C"0'»- 
cil.  aiipi'iut  all  citJl  and  luililary  titti-er* 
•if  ihcTrfrit'ifj  Jb/Kc  »i.ii.iiiitni«.t  ur 
(-l>\'Iioi  i*  hut  iilPt-rwl-c  It-rriH  |'rOTiditJ 
lor,  U:\e*A  a  diQiirfiit  taoile  uf  afi-o^nt' 
incjil  l:^;!*^:!!!!!*!  by  tliO  law  rfwtin* 
the  iiEive.- 

10.  AllclnloCv-vrfariiomlcdby  tdr 
Qoiiniurnild  Cotiiicil  »li«ll  be  i.on.itia- 
t«l  to  the  C-iCiicd  Within  ten  day*  frma 
the  ivmniriicfturLT  •>!  «ib  rr/ular  Be*- 
otoii  iif  th<*  (jcniTtl  A>*eUibly.  b'»)  th 
i> Tin  of  xHi-c  fclisll  i-oitiuit&tx-  un  tltc  firrl 
M'iKlaym  Jsnuiry  nnt  rn^uin;:  IFinr 
a]i)>-*iiitciiiit,  BiidVoiitnne  for  tiro  year*. 
tu.ilttiwwiivr  nE'ifid  In-ni  nSc-,)  niid 
until  their  autxYxdn  be  cletU-d  and 
i|ualiScil  eaMnliiifElii  law 

11.  Tiie  OyttniPr  may  «u<iifnd  or 
orri.i  aiiy.lliilit.r*^Tiiyr  of  the  IVrrito- 

y  fur  di»obDl.»i*e  o(  orders  or  ottur 
uilitary  yCiriio-s  and  may  rcnioTo  liiiuin 
jior.uiiiii.-u  of  tiic  (iiitciicv  of  a  Court  .M:|P- 
t.al.  and  may  rcmuTu    fur  iiicouii":te«ry 

conilui-ta  allcifil  olora  wto 

ctiftf  ui'i>yiutmenl  from  tlic  Kx«tnli»c 
fuf  n  li  nil  lit>l  rxrmiii'/  t"n  yearx. 

li.  ii^hullbcllicdiityorilie  Gorrr 
Dor  Kini-aniiojllj.  and  olirm-r  if  lirdccta 
It  exjivdiciit.  111  rwmiiic  tlio  b'wk 
oiTouiit*  of  the  Treasurer  end  Auditor 
oflI.eT.rril      . 

13.  lie  ►hair,  fn^tn  line  to  titae,  inform 
the  Crtitrel  A^miihly  cf  the  rondilion 
of  Iht)  Ttmiory  ui.4  ritorominid  tu  tluir 
eori'idvnstinn  mth  iura>ori-a  aa  liO  COar 
dccTii  in-CiTuary  uld  rsiiidiriit, 
■  11.  lb*  aiiall  il:3TD  (•ower  tO  |rai>t 
n'|incri->  and  icilon-.  txt^iil  iu  cb-'cj-  of 
tniiH-achmrnt  bikI  III  ri«*H  in  whiili  Ii 
i«  jirolnbitcd  byHiiIicr  oriivli-*  uf  Ilii« 
Courtituiitvi.  and  to  rmiit  C'lr*  and  for- 
f.-itur»'«f.iruiiKa-«o;.'3ii.iil  till- Territory. 
Iiutrhull  not  r^inil  ilic  iiriiiiiiwl  or 
tiTe*t  of  any  di-M  dnc  ilio  T.rritory  rx- 
ef(>t  ill  ca*e*  of  f.iic»  and  forftiinrcf,  ond 
Inlore  praiitin^  0  i>ardi'ii  IiO  shall  (.'i^^e 
noiR-e  ill  one  or  nuTc  ocw-^ipajicni  of  tlir 
iij'[ilii-aiinn  RiSiIefur  i:  mid  of  the  d^y 
on  uhieli  liiiiliriil-n  wi'.l  hr  cifeo.  and  in 
lauli  wuc  in  ahivhhr  ticniw*  ihJ  iKtw 
er,  tlii«  power  he  sli&il  rcii.<rt  to  cither 
hninch  of  ilic  Oeninil  AiMUilily  at  it* 
liral  wii-inn  Uifrealtir;  tlio  |>itiliiii<. 
rniimmiiid«tion«.on<l  r.-OM'u*  whieli  in- 
QucMoi  lliD  dni'ion.  and  in  oil  cu«ci  of 
pjrJin,  tUo  Ucei»ioii  of  the  Oi>*enior 
mint  lie mvlahi.d  or  r.j.xuil  by  both 
IlijiHC!!  of  tUcUi^itcral  Att^ciiibly  i»  juiut 

><iAioii.         r 

.  IS.  Tfif  Oavcmor  »hall  rccciro  o* 
.coai]«cn«iiion  fiir  liiS  tcrtioi*  on  aonujl 
'•alary  of  riftcC'i  liuuilrpl  dull-ira. 

iO.  WUncitrihei'uhlc  inlcrct  rt- 


Ddii.-alca»h,:ib«  chosen  aniiaully   by  ""I"' "-/ P«W.c  Trca^ufr.     Lot  .i 
,i.ulKo,.the  r.rst   W.^..c^-y^ar.r  >  r.i^^.';"';.;  ^J/J 


I    be  clw»ct.    bi    lUe  sualiCcd   l'f»'l'l"';'-»  « 


I. 
votrr-  tii.Tiuf- 

3.  T'lc  «e**ioB  of  thv 
ily  »hall  be  onnnal,  r.:A 
J-t  Cr»t  Monday  iii  Uu' 
Miiiig  lltc  ebi'li».n  of  it*  uiuiV.r*. 
:j.  Tlie    inciiiben    of  t!.c    Mog' 


ri  froa 
Pf  ap. 
:i  atnt- 
Kivd  rx- 
.;.b11  be 
!ju«  ai 
..-al  At 


■tieral  Awm-l^'^'VSi'^*'**'' 
.-::  commitice  I ""*'',''>_,  ,        ,  ,    „        .   . 

i>-r  iKXt  cif      '^  Tho  mcBbcra  of  the  Genera!  Aa- 
lacnibiy  iholl  rcti-iiBfor  iticir   atrtjce^.  a 
.rlcorai'tnuauon  tixtd    by  law.    and  >:bi<1 

.'.....   ..f  .1  _  -..l.l.     T^ .-  II-.        ,       .■ 


the  Iirjt  ilciiiday  of  SepUiaU-r,  utile** 
otherwiic  cnlifij  by  tlio  Ocucral  A«- 
»en:t.Iy,  and  tluir  term  of  oOitA  atibll  be 

ic  ji-ar 

4.  C<Jiiiiri!rscn  bud  mcniben  cf  the 
llouicof  DcU-nutcs  tltall  be  duly  qauli> 
tied eU-clor*  iii  the  re-iiviliic  counlie* 
and  diS'.rie%  which  they  rrjirtwnt. 

t.  Countiluieu  »liu!l  l>e  cnojcn  for  two 
y<ar«.  nt  tticNiiiie  tnue  ond  plaiva  as 
inuUrt  uf  the  ll"u->c  of  KUv^tis. 
;id  no  |n  r»tiu  »h«U  \h:  B  invinUr  ul  tlic 
Cwiii'til  Of  Uou*c  of  UJtV^lt?  wlio  ha* 
iKil  l>i,vii  aciliKii  uiid  itil>.i>jiijut  of  Itic 
IVrntwfy  one  J«r,  atij  liic  d.^irul  lyf 
wtiivii  livvtull   be  enoieii   thirty   ddi*; 

uiiijiiio,  all  |i«'rM>iis  whoarvciliZvKi  ul 

V  Ti-Tr.:ury  Mfd  dLtlrivl  lo  wLi<It   thty 

i:  ciioKu  ouall  be  eligible  at  tliu  Itrsi 

rili'iu. 

C.  The  namber  of  Coaitcilmcn  ihall 
iiul  Ik  lev  tnaii  one  tlnrtl  nor  liKiix  than 
unchalf  of  irut  ol  the  la^iu'.x-r*  of  tl.e 
ilou-e  of  U  lr^'.e»,  and  al  llic  Cr»t  «■»■ 
wy.1  of  llie  tjeueral  Ajmhi'i^  afUT  Hie 
Bi.u|  tiouol  lhiaCoi'>tituituuUkeat?ct.i. 
tlic  lVqiiciIukcj  »liall  tw  diTidnl  by  'bit 
osiitkiatiy  ai  may  bv  into  IWO  cla<Mt. 
Tlic  AuU  of  the  Couiiciliiicn  of  the  flr-l 
cl*>a  ahall  Ga  vaoitvd  at  t!ic  eXiurj;.un 
ut  tl'O  tr»t  year,  mi  ttiat  onc-balf  aball 
bn  c!iu»en  iiiii.ujUy. 

".  Katli   b3use  ahall  choose   il<  Cvr. 
otSicerj  iiiid  ju-)^«  of  the  q'luli&^.^li'^  < 
lectiyiinBiid  rvturii«of  lU  own  iiiciubt: 
eXivi'L  Ul  litr.-iiil»e!orv  (iroiidi^I. 


term  for  whicb  tLa 
uicifiUrivf  lIicllou»c  Live  b^'Cit  elected. 

t'U.  Ktcry  law  ciiactcj  by  the  (Kner> 
al  AiKiobly  *ha!l  nobrocc  but  o»c  ob- 
ject, and  that  ahall  be  rx^rcurd  iu  '  the 
title,  atid  no  Uw  thall  be  teviud  Or 
ami'iid<,-d  by  reference  of  iti  title.  -  I>at 
in  iueh  cat*,  (he  act  rcviird.  qr  ilic  »rc> 
tion  Biuciided,  ahall  be  rc-cna^tcd  and 
publiihtd  at  leti;;lh. 

SI  -  .No'.-llrry  rMI  l«e  Bm^^^irrd  by 
lhi:«TerrilorT,  i.'ir  fthall  ihe  oalc    of  Ivt- 

rt  ti.ki-ln  "Ual!-«e.l. 

a.  Tlie  tieneral  Aiiembly  ihall  bore 
no  |>i>wi;r  tu  |uu  any  BlI  t:r«t,liii|;  any 
i.li.ir[er  lor  ImitV-h-.-  |.ufj..mi,  but  e'vx'i- 
BluiiM  nijy  If  formrO  U"<1»r  mucral  lawa 
Tjr  drj'UMt  of  i:n!d  ind  ailier.  but  no 
f  uvb  Bt-oklatioa  ktia!)  tnalr.  i>*ue  »r  )>ut 
in  ciriuLuiyi'^  cny  Ldl,  elmk,  tlikcf, 
kxriiticalc  (•ronitMOrt  nnte  or  other  [lapr, 
or  the  \t*\KT  of  any  Latik,  to  arcclato 
aa  monry. 

23-  K-icIi  atockhoUrr  ^f  a  cfirr.-ifi. 
iiwii.  or  jv\:,l  ai.Rk  f  '  o 

i;.'ltridujllr  and  )>rr«>i  , 

liTi;wirt:oii'of  Bllitjil' '    ■   .  .. 

AKTICLR  IV.-AJ^,:  li>j.-:.-w«r. 

Sic.  1.  TliO  Judicial  tower  of  ihla 

Teiri[..ry  al.a'.l    bt    tiMtii    iti    District 

Courti.  m  IVobatc  Ciurt*.  bmI  ia  Ju>ll< 

tvj  of  the  rLii.-e.    T'lC  Gcli^bI  Awcto- 

i-'y  msy   a'»o  f«*«'j!-ih   i--cJi  foprtnr, 

'■'.'■  c»  inay  bo 

•    |>0.(i:ni 

U,r    lUe 


proriilid  fur  by  ilii«  Cotireiitioti.  i     t—  .     .      .   ,,  ,  _  _  ,«...,.  i,- 


rj^a'.e'a  i>Iiail  Uu-ru  <>j>J'ii  tlir  laid  rviuriu 


codiwcl  who  altall  be   .ntUlnl    to  auvfi 


iiiiaa  iho  Gi-arral  Ai*rinbiy 
II  rt*h  caic  uIliT  ll'o  icrrtca 


ireienra  of  boili  llou»r".o:idlho'""'l*"'*'' 
prrMjn'bafiiiff    the    bij.'be.t  nuiuVr  of  "1"^  """r        ,,      ,  .f  ,„  „i 

Vote-,  ai-d  l*»iK  co-utitolionally  ehi:.b!r.  Of  --J.  C<»ciml  ha-  U-vn  ,,rf..^n:td^ 
.hall  b«  the  Uofinior.  aii-l  ►lull  uuahfy  t     17.  A  Scrctiry  ahall   b«  ih-cttd  for 
athvrtin|.rc>*riU-d.o.itliefif»l.\loi..I-y  thu  T.  rrnory    ot   thw  •aiur  lime  c;  ■ 
of  Utv-ciiiU-r  iirxl  eii^uin/  In*  eUvt.wn,  l-'ace.  and  in  il^e  «nie   t:itiii:cr  iki    \ 
ur  oi  avuu  tlitrcHT^er  u  way  b«  urawU-  xidrd  bir tlKtVit.o-iof  tjuurii.>r.  k 
jj(,|^    .  junnof  oDica-UiU-ouuiei;'."*;  On  H.e  !.' 

«.  If  two  or  wore  persons  bI.»II  liire  MomUy  l»  Ibcmibir  iteit  *u.tni.s  b.« 
the  liighul  und  on  i-qoal  imiubtf  ul  tKvtioii,  oml  conlmoc  fornrii  ymra,  and 
rutc^,  uiic  of  llittn  alull  be  rlivicn  Uor*  uiitl  I 

luldlemur  by  the  Counul  bm)  Itouwuf  IMe-  >^''  ' 

.  to]  |CaU-«:  JiudAll  l|Ut>liou«    in    rrlaliou   tO   I 


:J.  A  Uiajviiiy    ol  Ctitb    IloU'C    ahall    u(  *ui.ii  tvuru.  Bbu  ntaoiuti  iticir    cvu 
COUntitutv  u  iiitoniin  tu  uo  burinrc<,bullp«iitation^ 

o  lc»tr  iiiJiaWr  may  aHj-Juru  from  day  S,  llic  Territory  thai,' >*«  ditidol  Into 
today,  and  may  toii.iiel  ll.c  Oltnidinte  j«  i-otin-mtnl  nuuiticr -I  dLirnta,  by  tne 
of  ubHTKt  tuclulN-ra  III  ►uiha  maniier  atil  Cr*!  Ij'iirral  AkirniUjr,  iut>;rtt  t>>'»urh 
utiikr  nuLb  inijalim  aa  cacb  lioa»o  uiay 
prutidf. 

D.  ICdeb  boQW'  ahall  determine  Ihc 
rub -1  of  itioan  |>roi»diii^«,  atid  Itiay 
ttith  t*.ic  cct-currancv  of  tao-ll.irdi  of 
all  lhviii<t:<l>irarli>lid,f-S|«l  n  Ofinbtr. 
10.  l^ch  Uoti^»hall  kn-|t  a  journal  uf 
it*  own  (»ro-.Tedi!i;;*  oiid  pui-Iidi  the  »amf, 
BuJ  the  yeai-Biid  iifiyi  if  ntlur  IIoum.- 
on  any  nuiM:n»  ahul)  at  Il.o  Ui^iie  "t 
any  tl'irev  ii-eiuUra  i>n»cut  bo  culcTcd'd; 
on  the  journal. 

II.  Wi.tn  raronrln  ormr  In  ritlur 
lIi'UM,  i!.v  U"Virni>ror  t!.*-  j-.-r.i,n  «x- 
•  rtijiiiii  the  fiiiictiuniuf  the  UoVtri.or 
■hull  i>-Uc  viritaof  ehvl-cn  to  fill  »uili 
racande*;  pro^idid,  aiieli  Tar-tiiiJc*  Oivur 
|>r>or  to  till:  leuiuu  uf  thctjibtra)  Av 
acinbly. 

I  J.  'Hic  iloors  bf  rarli  Iloute  khill  be 
0]ieii,  exo'i't  on  ■uch  iK\'a>iviia  u  iu  liic 
ujiiiiiou  uf  the  l[uu>e  aiuy  rc'iaire  ac- 
trci  y. 

13.  NcUlicr  Ilcu'c»!:on  ti^joum  for 
niure  than  thac  djj*.  u.:t:<iat  tneccnuiit 
of  tiie  utiier,  nur  to  uny  oihcr  |itncc  tbau 
that  IU  whicb  liiey  muy  be  ovitinp. 

14.  Any  bill  may   ori;,'iiiate  Iu  cither 
lluuMiul  the  Uuural  Awvinbly,  ond  all 
li'b' [KMi-O  by  unc  lluu*i- nay  LAaiutn- 
ded  I.I  the  utncr,  and  all  bi!l«   *^  etmiv 
Oe^l  luutt  bu  relurnid  10   the    T 
wliicli  tliiy  ori;;i[iaUt!,  and    r< 
cui'CurreiKe  of  K.4id  llouic  t  < 
lent  to  the  GjTiritor  fi^f  I   • 

15.  Enry  billu:  , 
led  thcU«;iK:zl  Av 
U-eouiel  B  law,  be  {  T' 
i-riiur;  if   he  appruvc  t:,   I  '  ■  i  l  . 
ii;    but    If     iiut,     he    ahall   rituro    . 
wiih   hi  c'-!c-ti'ji*    1"  l'<«    I!t>-i«? 


a!icrr.t.«u*,  frota  time  to  t.me.  a«  nc 
[I'lliiit  ^x>i   may   rrqg.re.    I-ir  cai  h   of 

uhicb  a  Ibitrivt  Jud^-e  •!.>:.  be  rl.xtcd 

by  tlie  joint  Tote  of  tl.et'»nvral  Awifi- 

Ut.b-  ■•.  <-•  ■.   ■       ■     -    ■  '      .  '      1 
hr.  i' 
ary  i.  . 

tirXl  ,  t 

•  hiji -...•:  J-.:^^*  *;..i..  u  ....:.■:  ij 
ilir  r|ijal.rie<l  thilon  i-t  tl.nr  rrtiik-..tu 
di»lr-.:v  ..1    tr,i'    c ^'    •"'■■-  ■■  ■.    4'  d 

aha::,  .        -. 

a    : 

li'hr,,  : 

the      Hi  1.-       i. .-,.■.,   .       *..-,.. i. .9 

Bi'prtljte  ]">»(r>  Ml  alt  raf»-*   inti-'r  rr* 

•  inrlito  rli-tnrt*,  Biid  tlie  iln  i*.>  '•  i'.  »<  r 
Pi'trirt  Juilj:*-.  or  lhf»rrdivl  o(  a  Wi.il 
in  bin  rnurt.  ►hall  be  Ciial. 

4.  llie  D.'iricl  C'nurii  ahall  1i8*fl 
ftri(:ii-r.)  '  :'.-.N  ;:-■■)  iti  l".  t.t.t  (LI. I 
wh.rn  1 

d^.i:-  1 


I'ruI'Btr  i...uri»,  tlicir  jyri>d,c:njn 
bcunl..i,  1..1. 

5.  TlcGoirra!    Ai-rrV'T   -v/: 
»iJc  f-ir  Ihf  I 
Clerki  f  r  Pr. 
I.vf.i*  t'-,r  ;■ 


u   lo  ar*l   fvt 


aTa-)   Fyrrr'    ■ 


II  liBte  l^Tti  tiretcd 
jie  wliry  aliill   U- 


■,  at,, I   lo  t:,c 


l~  1 


l^r  atJuoRi. 

wf  the  T.rrilory 


not  Ixe  ritu 
aliall  bJ*r  I 


0 


. <  >..    1  (   .-      iioitfluk-«  , 
lalv  >ciMui.|l.vqcau<Ut 


u»io;**^iii'i.jf.ni'llwhi/iiol  iiuiubcTof  twtt*,*"'"""''**^''  V''*-^J  L;*i.m^v[  l..«^  U>U|k.i.ta-.il  «i.*u..;:i;.^:ui  l.-.l  i --V-^c.  t   l    i^  t.i>ii  ltd 
Btiou    b«   iut!:ijibfi.v*W^ys*f™or.iUO:l»l"»*^^^*^'^^^^  |«rfwnoaotbkoaoalw»aLaUbeoB  «ib  w  aflina** | Oatc Cocri. 


lioai  JiUfiit  •  i.  ,/iu'L  Id  t^t  i'to* 


T\c  JuJ-ei  uf  \U  Diitrlct  Cotru 
-  rtccue  for  tlieirtrr- 

*il  bo     [MI'J     Out     fcf 

kll  nul  Oc  iiicrfa*-lT.rri!afi»J  tun  dhill  U.-  tlrtic^i't.y  i 
■  ii;   ttio    ItfBi    fyr   qual  Levi  ««ilorsor    tltctuUi.ty  of 'uwu 
r  Uffi  elcctctl.   tl>r   lu  wWf.  tNc  propcrt/  Uir4  fwf  Tcrrilo- 


[>rojKitf  in  lUi  Tcrritc.y  »]  »:i  be  Ui^llj-o 
in  {>ro,>ortton  to  m    Tali.-,  tu    b'fcic-*     • 
Uinctl  Uil.rrclnl  bj  \»m,  but     tuut     ■ 
'!   ci>  !«[»>n   of     tocu,   cuiiQ'.f.    » 


r»ri,>  r'^.^'jUlP  t*  ■•  ^■-"i?''!  ef*r^in;^ir  j 


mtmsT. 

•  f>fvTtit  afa^all  lb«  «i(i|«i.   uj   11 


.   f.)l 


thrfr 


I'fMMfC  liiB  «;tcvtiWH  or    I 

Im  mcile  to  < 


cutD|)cnutiwa  to  ite  [m'J  uu!  '  ' 

tj  Treamry  of  ihtir  ft>prti. 

wLittt  iIjbII  do*,  be  iiicreucil  _' 

«^  durinc  iKc  trrui  r^  ■biclt  tic;   t.L^ljU.>/c 

bftir  brturlntrrl.  iD\iit. 

H   neDi^UKt  JoJ;rt  thM  be  in-       I2.  I  t»i  tMI 
IIi;iU!o  to  my   r.thtr  pSi-e   during    iS.r   frinu  oTht,  uniiij  uu  junv 
term   for   Mtticb  tbcj   ■JisJi   iia<<;  U.cu .  t.'.r  ri^bl«  of  «uOrut;o.  tli<*M 
«1«'»«J-  haci(urb€OJufKUj"t.f '.-'.. 

IS,  Jo4|rt«  iltall  not  rhar^  Joflcs  f.tr(;rfy.  or  wilxrl.  .■■. 
•llh  rt^prrt  to  maltrr*  of  f«ci,  brj:  tntj  Irgo  uI  Uit  taZra^^  - 
tUl«  th«  tci'.iRloDj  KuJ  ili-claro  (Lc  U«.  Iby  lu«ri  rc-i,i;l4U!.„'  fl- 

i4.  The  ^•.J\c  uf  kll  proccSsr*  llttll  bfi    lunj;  cr.drr  Bilnj 
th«  [xor^Io  of  .NftjdaTcrriicry;  B.l  (be    '  " 
pra>rct:tiont  ihal)   be   ccndoclcil   ici   the 
Ek4iM  atkl  b.T  the  Bi>t!ivri:j  of  tlieticc 

Aimcix  y.-^xcitia.^ 

Src.  1.  The  Ccf.cral   AittablT  »K»II 

ritiUe  b/  t»<r  f.>r  ar^'tnliiog  tLe  Militift 
f  uct)  &  ouricr  ft-t  the/  aliall  dcco  ex- 
polient,  not  ir>c<JS  pa  libit  with  the  Con- 
■tilut;<  ri  BnJ  lav*  of   the  Vniu-0  Sute*. 

■J:  Olctn  of  the  Miiitia  ihall  bo  eicc- 
IM  or  •(>fK>iDtcJ  lo  iQch  a  tainocr  o« 
Ihe  GrncrB.1  AucrcMy  sb^lt  from  time 
^  line,  direct  turd  tbkJl  becoasiuioonj 
|)j  the  GoTcrrOf. 

ARTICLE  yi.~TtrrUofUi  VtUi, 

6sc  I.  Tt«  <iener»l  AueiaWy  "KaU 
toot  cmt«  In  tnjr  imirtcier  dcbu  or  liabil- 

Jlif^otlicf  tbnu   'DchAi  n;s/    be   &b<i 


»bjll  bUo  Kite  jwftcr    tj    n%'u!atc_,lfc 
JBjioont  (.rfwill  loT  cnartmciiU 
■J        AftTKLE  X— t^Bi/j-vitm.  r  j 
Tfie  LouiiOiry  line*  «f  (licTcrniorf  ofl! 

*I      C' ii.iumr.n^  At  A    J 

"       NctaJ>  MilUlitBin*.      ■■ 


I'-- 


.N.jj  —  Mv^f..     AUi'io'.lj 
Cl»ndltr,  CodJificloo.    Ilo-t^ 


I  Nof.! 


.at.fj'U 


indufftce   ihtrrwu    frum  i-w-tf.  briucrr. 
tumult  nr  ol.'ier  iiu^rofxr  iffaclire.    . 

13.  Ab*iv<-c  oil  bii>.i  t-»  cf  theTtfri- 
toff.  or  the  L'uttol  ^tj£c*.  *:.Bil  uoi 
fc\-t  thoi^utittooof  tht^lidtuco  of  any' 
pcnoii. 

11.  A  i'icr»:it/  »«tei)i»ll  fOBitilole* 
cloice.  »b(rc  iioioiljeriuc  ducvtid,  ju 
Uii  Conitilution. 

iy  It  (Uil  be  thedutfof  the  Oen- 
erti  Aucoibly  ut  lu  ti>t  leMloii  nuJ 
cvcfj  (ccoiiij/  ftritiual  WMioti'  tlicrrnf- 
tt(  (otkxtBD  Attorney  forthcTcrniory. 
»  ho  •hall  br  eiTlnJ  Ki]  Attorocy  Ueiie ml. 
«hiMe  duties  a.-ii]  coinpen«aiiau  thai)  be 
prr^r.txd  ao<)  Ult<S  t-y  (jir. 

10"  All  officers  tl(\ic.l  Of  oppoinled 
by  TKluo  of  Ihlt  Coiixlituiion  >hM  nvr- 
crally  bi;   rc«)i.ircd  to  piro  Ijond 


Jowly  ur^w»rj'ru'r'lhc  %KlM^  .exprn»«   yn-idi  of  -  N^tuJ*  for'  ■  the    Ti^thful  iliv 
©(  K"icfnrBeol.^anddJr«yuifcftli   ueec»-|cUrK-cof  tl.c  dutiw  of  Ihrir   rc-i>.Aiit»; 
ul^it\  Ihcatu.tuiit/vf.'.Vhicfv,' bond* 


nry  ci|KQ*eii  vf  eon- 

2.  Tlio  Uenrrdl  A«<ii:ihly  utiall  can-e 
lo  bclcf inland  i:'illi-»;li-d  na  fla  ri.Vff»i 
UX.  Brliii-li,  whrn  Bdli'd  10  tt.c  rvUiiur. 
from  mhcr  ».iurv«.  nuy  i'l  thtirjuds'- 
tanit  l>c  «affi..-rijil  10  tnevt  all  tacb  Uivo- 

AUTICLl;  \'ll,~AmtnJliig  CfftutUKiim. 
^tc  1.  lA'iJ  wsetiiliDcnt  ur  DncinI 
4Qent«  t<\  or  rcTitiuu  »nd  [Ij«it;;e,  of  til:* 
eatircCoatlitutJon  laay  be -{'rojioscd.  in 
the  Coqncil.or.Uouic  of  Dclrgk'.cr,  ftn.l 
if  the  *4De  ^1)BlI  bi;  n^'rccil  tu  by  .  tic 
iaa>iritjf  ©f.-tticiacp'tewtlccu-d  to  each 
vi  xlf  two  Uoiitct,  Kucli  iiropO'ied  itnmid- 
inLii'.  ur  aminibuciiLi  to,  or  rcvi^iou  i.nd 
^tiall.bcrtiternl  on  their  Joeruftl, 


rll  B*a\\  iiiatU'rs'K-iruliititig'tlia.Miuu 
thgll  b>'  tiled,  by.  Uw. 
AUTICLK  IX.— rrewtry  I^pjrtauM. 
Src.  1.  There  kIiuII  be  a  7>i-iivury  IK- 
partisriit,'CVti5l«(iii;;  of  oti  Auditor  vKo' 
•on  by  thcqualiScil  clet-'torit  nf  the 'l\r- 
rttory  at  cntli  elcilJoii  of  the  tnntib.  rj 
rtf  tlio  IIoii»cyf  D.-I.-K'atc*.  »^h')^hall  re- 
■.ci»f  BiiEnuciil,<jl«ry  uf  liflccu  liuiiJred 
dolbri^:  .Olid  of  a  T.cajurvr.  tu  betlixli-d 
B.4  oboTc,  vfbiia!ia:i  tt!-io  rcctiTc  an  nuna 
al  KaUry  vt  one  jhou'^DnJ  dollart;  in 
catcof  uvacattcy  in  cither oflji-c.  by  dciith, 
fcai-iiatiori.ortilUtTwLsp.  the  Gorenioi 


bjr  nml  with  the  consent,  of  the  Couotil, 

iliali  liJIiuch  vucoocicf  by  oppoiJiluiciit 

With  iJnoiycsand  n.y»  .  taVcn  ihrreon, land  eDinniiuiort,  until  tlic   ntxL  ccneral 

^uJrcfcrrgJio   the   G«.cp!    A-   •  ■on  and;  the  riualif.catioa  of   hi.  or 


i>rit  tu  be  cho< 
l>4ibti>)i(.tl  for.llirre  iii'j»lh'>  i. 
in;(  Ihiitjme.of  ra>ikiitj{  »ucli  ■ 
if  ill  tbc  Gtncr^l  Auctiibly  u^xl  lL^^cu, 
fW  •furi.'^xid,  ktR'h  Kmci'dmcnt  fir  nmeiul- 
incut*,  rcvuion  and  chanjfc,  bhall  .be 
B^jfcfd  ty  by  ft  ia.ij  ifiiy  of  all  the  mem- 
ber. clLCtctl  to  iBcli  [Iktute,  then  it  thall 
bu  tl.c  duty  ol  Jhe  GcLirntl  A*seml>1y  to 
Minrnt  jkuc-i.>proi>o>cd  auicniiiuciit  or 
Hiacuftnienta,  rc*i>ion  and  ctiar;:e,  to  the 
t'coy'.ti  in  fuch  a  maarer  and  at  auvh  a 
liii-.c  ai  the  Ucurral  Avembly  ahaj  pre- 
Mnl>c;  opd  if  llic  |)vo{»]e  .fl);ill  Ap|irove 
nnd  ratify  suc'i  'amendment' or  wnieiid 
iDviit<,  revision  and  vhan'v,  by  a  Rinjor- 
ity  of  the  electors  qtnliCoI  :tu  tote  for 
lucnlicri  of  tliu  General  At'temMy  Tut- 
iojc  th^.-rcoii.  »li;h  nnieridtuetit  or  amend- 
raeiit«,  rctision  and  ch;in;;e,  shall  Ik-cOiqc 
a  part  f1,  or  Die  en't-re  C"ij.tiluiion, 

AttTtCLi;  vni.— .Vjrt/;.i««i, 

bic  'l.-Tiie  Ont  acuioa  of  the  Orn- 
eral  AtM-nlily  itiiJl  l>e  htid  tt  0<-nuA, 
which  \Aice  ahall  bo  lhc|trrmanent  iilau- 
of  earcriurent  until  rcTnuvrd  by  law. 

S.  The  Gcncrj]  AitcinWy  »hall  Mtnb. 
liib  a  lytlcn  of  co>i.>*.t  and  town  gov- 
ernment*, irhi^ti  (lir.l|  be  at  nearly  nni- 
form  a«  proclK'able  thrun^bom    the  Tcr- 

3  The  OenrfAl  Aiwembty  a'haTI  hare 
po*rr  to  firoTtdo  a  ]t>,(ril  of  Supervii> 
on  in  eacJi  eunnty.  ani|  lhe«e  Soficrriior* 
ahall  jointly  ani  in<liridn:dly  perfuna 
aach  (lutin  ni  luay  t>c  |jre«rribcd  by  low. 

4.  All  ol&eer4  who«o  election  or  sp- 
pointmcnt  Unot  protided  for  by  thii 
Conn  I  tu  lion,  ond  allfliyjcm  Hhotc  nlTlcc 
nay  hereafter  bo  created  by  law.  *hall  bo 
elected  by  the  peopleor  npitointed  aa  the 
Genera]!  A<iembly  may  d.rcct, 

5.  When  the  dura'.iun  of  any  oftfco  ii 
not  provided  for  by  this  ConiiitaliOQ  it 


ccc«or*  Tiie  Trciiurerand  Audi 
■  aill  kccji  their  oflieei  nl  the  *cai  of 
... .  1.,-iinicnt.  auil  enter  into.  hacIi  bondi 
«  the  General  AMembly  mar  prctcrilw 
ttlhriai;fcJd.H;Ucha.-ecof-  I'htir  rc*pet- 
ttvo  dntics. 

2.',  Tlio  Aoditor  iliall  hare  Iho  j^encr- 
b1  jopcrintcndciicc  of  the  fijcal  oijiri  of 
the  Territory;  he  stiall  di;;at  and  |>rc- 
pare  planj  f<.r  the  i(nj.rovcr.iciit  and 
luaiiQjreraent  of  the  revenue  und  for  (he 
itippcrt  of  the  pubtic  credit;  prepare  anil 
rejiort  frtlimaie-tC  of  the  rci'cime  and 
tX|ieiidittiri:<vf  thcTerrilory;  dJ;u<1.  sc'^ 
tly  bnd' .  {Kncriu  nil  poblic  utconnt*; 
erant,  under  rejulaiioa*  pre^vribed  by 
lawr,-  all  worrunls  for  inoneyt  to  bo  (laid 
«.ul  nf  the  Treasury,  in  itur»u«ncc  of  a|i- 
prupriation*  by  law;  prcccr.bo  the 
roriualitica«f  .tha  IraiL'ft-r  of  stock  or 
other  i-Tidcncw  of  the  TirriEorial  dibt; 
and  ctfuolerjlyn.  withoni  nhiih  aoch 
ctidtnie  ►hall  not  be  valid;  he^hullmake 
full  report  (if  all  hN  procciAlinu'^.  and  of 
the  "ttttc  of  Iho  Tr.-*»ury  drpartmcnt 
within  ten  days  after  thu  comtncncemvnt 
of  iho  »e»4ioji  iifeo^'h  General  Ancnibly, 
and  perfunu  such  olbcr  duties  as  tiiull  bv 
prr-t;ribi;d  by  law. 

3.  Tlio  Treojiurcr  shall  rrcrito  and 
keep  the  money  of  the  Territory,  ail 
duburie  the  fame  tipon  warrant*  dr.nvii 
hy  the  Auditor,  and  not  otherwise;  he 
>hai:  tnke  recc  pts  for  a<l  moncyi  jiaid 
by  lull),  tml  all  receipts  for  rooueyn  re- 
received  by  hnu  »hall  bo  in-Iorned  npon 
worrnntajigi.rd  by  (ho  Auditor,  without 
which  warrant  so  »i|;ncd  no  acknowlcd;-- 
ment  ofmoniy  received  in  t)io  Tr-Hury 
fchall  be  valid;  ami  upon  warn-*  *fnid 
by  the  Auditor  ho  aliall  mak«'-ran*e- 
tuciiii  fjr  thf  pajfocnt  of  fiu  intercut  of 
the  pnSlic  di'ji;  every  bond,  cerlificnte 
r  otlicr  cvidL-iieo  of    tho    diht  of   the 


,:-yji,i  I...,-  «.ij,  if.u  Uiu  Vi.'tjiiii  1-ci.i.c 
op  rani  I'.to  Viruin  to  its  junction  with 
.Mnddy  Uitir;  llivucv  due  Ni/rth  lo  the 
Oretuolinc:  thenco  WcA  to  the  nlate 
of  U-siM.i.c,  ■*        ■ 

AWVICI}:  Xt  —  ZhtlriiU.. 

Diitrict  No.  1  thnll  U-k'j?^*!  «• 
poiol  cu  the  «!3ii3it  of  th'^Ss-er^ 
Xeraita  .Mosutaioi  wWr«  jf\  4- 
of  tionh  Latitude  crosic*  .  -i^iQu 
init.  Thence  tonthcr'y  witli  Mid.  vm 
tnit  toihe  htadwoien  of  Elyxion creek; 
thence  down  that  croek  to  the  big  beiHl 
in  laid  crerk ;_  thcDVC  In  a  atrai-hl  line 
to  ti.e  mouth  cf  w^Iow  crec^;.  thence 
north  to  the  Oresou  line;  thcpec  along 
*aid  line  to  the  j«l.icc  of  brginning. 

Diitrict  No.  .2  .*hill  U-Ria-  at  the 
momKof  xillow'  crnk;  thrntc  ahv;; 
the  coitcro  Khore  of  Honey  Lake  to  the 
north  end  nf  Pyramid  Lake;  theare  ii. 
r.  to  Uuhbit  Il<ile  Spring*;  thenccuofth 
to  the  Oregon  line;  thmcc  olnug  said 
l.ric  tu  Ihu  coitcornT  of  Diitrict  No,  1. 
Thcnec  south  to  the  plaeip  wf^  U-ginning. 

I)i.'.iriit..No,-3, shall  ccnuuelico'  at  the 
hi-a4  of  Klyniumrtrk.  ',  Them-cAilloiving 
the  5U>nniit  to  a  point  npiitcitr  the  diei- 
linn:  rid^q  between.  Iloimy.  Y*ke,  ond 
l^.i.g  Viilfpy;' thctic'o  down  iffd  rid,;c 
to  Long  Vulfey  ItiTer;  thence  <n  a  di- 
nvt  line  16  the  north  oliorc  ut.  i'yretuid 
Ltke ;  thence  iilnn;;  tiio  roiitb  line  of 
O.'lricLi  No.  1  Olid  2  to  the  place  u(  be- 
ginning. 

No  4  shall  begin  at  the  wcrt  eorner 
of  Di.trict  Nu  3;  ihcncc following  llic 
huminit  (0  a  point  ojipuMte  tlie  dividing 
ridge  and  folhiwing  tho  iiain*.Lfne]udiiig 
Steamboat  Vnlky.  thence  lo  i.aid  ridge 
Olid  following  the  "ame.  including  Steam- 
boat Vallt-y,  to  Trui,kco  Uivcr;  thenic 
on  Mid  streani  lo  the  oorlii  siiJe  of  I'y- 
ramid  Lake. 

No'  5  shall  begin  at  the  we^t  corner 
of  No.  4;'lhenc«  doirn  that»trcom  lo 
Carson  Uiter  ;  thence  down  l.iid  river 
to  Nicholas  Ainbrnvinii'  ta-jJt  thence 
fiorilterly  lo  tFii- divide  between  Wmho 
and  Cjrsou  river;  thence  alor.g  ^3id 
divide  to  the  south  line  of  District  .N'o.  4. 
Nn.  <i  shall  comracticent  N.  AiiibroviiiN*. 
ranch;  tlieiicc  ca«t  to  the  boundry  line; 
thence  v.i>t  lo  DiKirict  No.  2;  tluuce 
on  thcca»t  line  I'f  Sna.  2,3,4  audi  to 
the  I'lace  of  bi-Kinning.     ' 

No.  ',  shall  Uttui  at  the  hccil  wotirs 
of  Clear  Creek;  thence  nloni.'  the  caj- 
tcni  or  open  tuntinit  to  a  point  opposite 
C.ipt.  Sinitlis  lUiicli;  thence  et't  in- 
ti'iding  sjiil  place  to  tho  west  fork  of 
Walker*  River;  thence  up  said  ittreant 
to  f  the  main  summit;  thcnee  alnn^'  the 
tuininit  to  the  nurlb  »hore  ol  Lake  Itig- 
let';  thence  cu»t    to  tbo  place 'of  begin- 

No,  8  <hii\\  crtmitiencoat  the.licad  wa- 
ter* of  Clear  Creek;  thentc;  on  the 
ftf  P.-tnct  No.  7  lo  the  ire*t  fork 
of  Walk>'r«  Uivcr;  thence  catt  to  the 
cwt  boundry  line;  thcnco  north  (o  the 
iiiio  of  ■  No.  6;  (hence  along  laid  line  to 
the  ptacc  of  beiritming. 

Nn.  9  shall  begin  at  the  lieatl  waters 
of  the  nest  fork  of  Wnlkcr'rf  R  ver  and 
fiillnwing  the  junimil  lo  the  jooth  bcun- 
dary.Iiny   of    ihn  Territory   rtn    ihenee 
alonjr  *aid    lino   lo   the   eatt  boondary; 
tlicnoc  on  caid    bonndry  to   the  line   uf 
District  No.  7  and  8;  thence  along   aaid 
line  to  the  place  of  boginniiig. 
J.  J.  Mut*er.  I*rt«.  A.  G.  MnfumacV. 
Jno.  F.  U    g.  S'V'y  J.  S.  Ward,  prcsy, 
M.  M.Gaigr,  A.S..  J  A.  Sl-iicr, 


may  be  declared  by  law;  and   If   not  »o  Territory,  aliall  be  signed  by  the  Trca«urer 


declared,  such  ofEeeihall  be  held  during 
Ibo  plciiurc  of  tl»e  authority  making  t 
^ppoifitmtfil.  nor  shall    the  duretio'.   ■ 
aoy  ofJce  not  filed  by  Ibis  Conslttut 
ever  exceed  two  ycara 

6.  Ejch  coonty.  town,  city  ift'l  \u'  ■ 
^i>eatc  village  iballrrako  p'-oriiion*    ■ 
tfeo  icpport  of  their  own  officeri.  sal^.i 
to  locn  rcstrietioni  and  reguUtious  atabt 
General  A«u-rnl>ly  may  pre>i-rilie. 


'limned  by  the  Anuitar.  oiil]  n 


■  or  other  cvidcuco 
another   thall    bo 

-5  »'-iti  K:  ,:r:;rr 


ntcn- 

Kdcd 


•  (■lail  iti«  adioa  •(  ihi  . 
ilivit  trfiirai  bad  ta  lb> 
fur  10  advi'lirc  Uie  If  f^>ri 
>uk.r  tctf.oiutec  k;<;<4iaitit  tj  i  t-m 

V>«'  brtttv*  iksl  la  adofil*:  tL»  reiclailca 


my.  El. 

f  ■  b«C**# 

Nealr. 

•■<^    It 

^**lle. 

.  ::'ci.ibb 

W.I). 

■  ..i.ttn. 

'■M.    Ny* 

•  ,  -T.   A, 

Meiiri. 


.-•j  &f  niock 

.fk-c  Meadowa 
by    tie  Cj«- 


haac  (loop. 

A.  L.  Uorsey 

,Ino.  n.  Ne.ile. 
J.  A.  O.l.gni. 
R.  L.  Km;;. 
J.  H.  S;ur:cvaMi. 

B.  F  Sa:lr, 
\.  A-  -S'fiith, 
w  ^  v.  ...' 


h-^f\i  Stark,  •• 
S-iiilhJ.  Ijjll,  •* 
J.  .1  Cwdc-'igfoft, 
O  W.  Hr,ti^.rly, 
W.  M  Orn'Aby, 
T  Anl.r-o 
3.  1>   i:  biu'on, 

n.c  J 

.1    '■!   I 


Kt  ptcUU  ■£>!£ 

I  tie  .ill.  0   cf  tliiCet 

.«!.".  1.;  f.,  .M,. 

I.i#  Ifttt'oiJ  10  lt< 

a.rj.  ..r  rr...i,  w.-U," 

•  ;i3tla;  lL»  it'.iIijFWt;    an    ni.j.orij«,tj    lo 

■eqult  ibta,».I'#i.  ' 

irrtlij  H\Si-t,e  liKtlilca- 

iluu  Ib  rce-Mlo  lb 

uiutr:  Mil   uf  whUb  Ii 

r'spedfaUj  lubrtU- 

tj    Bb  J  tbe  **Br  aikr  J  to 

'•  (a«-!f  •  w*iitr  o(  n^otd 

C.  N,  >o-t«.T», 

3.  ll(Or*»r,  Jfjeptest, 

W«/(e3  \Taiiaa, 

X.MUSta.tb. 

L«^-li  Vil:r-.     " 

J  A.  .'^mlih. 

Jaert  W.Kllt,    •' 

J.o  W  .Che^le, 

a.ril   Si^ll.       " 

:<«>t  rar«*ll. 

JoSDft.l!..fi.     " 

luLn  [..  Car;. 

L*(er  Viai'f.     •• 

t.  A   TtiecpioB, 

E:,..  L.itt.       - 

H.  «.  0..if, 

A.  J.  JJ.r^n,         •• 

P«l<r:(.r 

J,  A    T.l.oi:.     •■ 

C.C.ilci,WaMOaprei,i>.  lUttli.De.      •> 

Tho  nye «  and  nays  belug  colled  for,  re- 
lohed  a*  fitHours: 

Aye* — Mc«ar:i.  llnwdone.  Uryant.  Ga- 
ry. C.'i.ipinan,  (3  »otc«^  ChMni'lcr.  Cod- 
ditiglon.  Curry,  Klllntt,  G:iige,  lloaie- 
worth,  llaiam-iik.  Ilij-p'rly.  Jcniegan, 
King,  Lanif,  Muvht,  .\'ai;:li!ry,  Ncale, 
Oilwrn,.I.O  Uottert-on.  I'r-x'tor.  Si:ttte. 
A  .A.Sinith,  Summcra-Id.  Vnoghan,'3 
v.tc^.)  William*.  Thco.  Winter*.  J.  U. 
Winters  ond  \V  ode- 
Nays — Jno.  Kobitiioaf3  Totes,)  and 
Slurtevunt. 
Tho  protest  wax  placed'  on  record. 
On  lootiuii  of  Mr.  DoricV,  the  ret 
od-.ptiii^'tlie  maji.rity  rrport  of  the  co;,: 
iiiittee  appointed  to  cjiita^*  the  elcctii. 
rv'turiM  fur  IK-Ici^-ate  to  Concrcsi  waj  ri 
coniidered  and  uiinulled.  When,  on  [i<> 
tfoii  of  J.  J.  Mu'yer,  the  Convention  re 
solved  itself  into  a  Committee  of  the 
WhoJo  to  cunvaiL*  tho  raid  rlretioo  re- 
turn«.  After  which  tho  Coiaaitteo  rose, 
-and  rc;io:tcdaf  fullowi: 

EiircTWS   hktvr'cs. 
•Vj-i/  n/  PrmrMt.  I>»{gt. 


•'■It-  avw.ifttd  af  ivjiwiled 
aiitlec. 

On  Qotioo  of  the  adjptioa  of  the  re- 
,  port  of  the  C.<c:oii».te  cf  the  Lbi!iv7 
Station  prtTinc:.  the  yeas  and  oayi  wen 
lrt:«").  *,•!.  t»-fj!]^.p;--  rei-.-':- 

•--■"'  *  T'.'ioQf, 

Kll.ol, 
Mi'ser. 

..  -.-J,  Jftou 

'•./  J.    O    Uobertiop, 
V.  A.  Sniitb.  SoBUDCt* 
■'■•..  Vanglian    {3  totet) 
\.   .iLLi  u    i  J   D.  Wiaier.— ST.- 
Nays— Mn.r.  Chtd.r.  Ney  (12rotM) 
J.  A.  Ssi:b,  Mart.  Smitb,  acd  Watsoa 
(2  vote*.)' 
The  report  was  declared  iJcpted.*. 
Ojrr,&ton  it  was    reioNid    tbat'OO 
tc't.mony  ibeu:<l  be  receiteJ  bat  legU 
(eitiiaony. 

The  report  of  the  prteityeti  of  OUift> 
town.  Gold  tMI.  Wa^hot  Valley.  Lak* 
VtfUfy,  Geno*.  Wolker  I'.uer.  Uakei^ 
Camp,-  .Motlsviilr,  Cnrs^u  C.ty.  sad 
Ssiithl  Stati-fi  were  r^^-i  r-  reported 
by  the  Commiirr-  - 

On  the  mot  -  .^rt   of 

the  Cororoiltr'  ,[   ito 

Sink  of   the  L  .     .Nct»« 

ware.  C^ieflic:!  ■- swoni 

to  te.'.ify  to  *'  ■!)    the 

legality  of  thj  .  --rinct, 

alio  the  followir,-  it.ii  .%:.  .  ],.r!:Jty  Mr. 
James; 

llelttt'ef  -Vf.  Jar^t  t9  Mojer  D^gt.^ 
Ctsoi,  Csaioa  V*itiT,  J«Ir,  li:».' 
Ua.r.  Do39l.  L*.  3.    laOon   A|«'a:--D«ar 


— lUtinrrmoaiobnifi 


I    b*fl 


Homy  Lake 
Mud  Spring*. _., . , 

black    \Xoi\ 

L^i.g  Valtry 

Truckee  ilcaduwj 
LimUey's  StJliOil., 

Chinjtowo , 

GoM  H'll , 

Wndio  Valley.... 

Lake  Valley , 

Genoa ,., 

Wnlker'd  Uivcr  ... 

Itiker's  Cioip 

Motl'vitle 

Ca;,onC.ty   4 

Smuh'.Slatir.u 6 

Sink  of  Ilumboldliin- 

clnsiv.-,) 3 

Podjjo  Volley .   41 


17 
3 

6 
4 
3 
1 
IG 
U 

4i 

CT 

\H 

4 

49 


Crant. 

C7 

i; 
1 

41 


35 
1 


Total. 


..U-3 


Total  Dumber  of  votes B17 

Cranc'a  majority.,. CI 

Maj  Uortp  moved  that  the  report  f' 
the  Committee  of.  tbo  Whole  be  rccciv  : 
— Cnrrinl. 

MiiJ.  Hoop  moved  that  the  report  r' 
the  Committee  of  the  WhUe  be  r*.  ■    '. 

Mr  Nutcwurv  iftore*!  to  n- 
voting  on  the  udopliun  of  tho  r. 
prrcineU.  and  the  nye«  and  naj 
cuthil,  resulted  as  fullims; 

Aye*— .Mi-B^ra.  Abvrntiihyi  Cary,  Cod- 
diintlnn,     Cht-r"!!.-?.     Ctt-d--,     Firwrll, 


Ihcvnrlotid  )Uifai(BtT. 

Vt»S  If  jpscUut:/,  jaar  ob't.  im'r., 

ALFRLD  JAUC3, 

\7le  Emietrd  Statixin-l) 

••T.v..:;..ir. »;...:;..  i.r-t....t.iut  i>- 
».ir,i.  .'.liir 

cr  ihr  M  ,    iits 

IEI>  .,      ^-.na; 

Jeiidaj  cf  Jci.',  19:5.  ■     r  wtfcs, 

V.  a   lailiaa  Afval." 

The  Tole  bring  taken  aad  the  ay«s  uA 
\i»y«  being  eallcd,  resulted  as  followi- 

Avcs— 30;  Nayi  Cfi. 

W'licreufion  it  was  declared  that  tUi 
rrjinrt  nf  the  Cooimittrf,  u  tn  the  Sioh 
of  HumboMt,  should  be  adopted. 

Oa  motion  the  re|»ort  ai  to  OodA 
Vulliv  wai  adopted  as  reported. 

The  I'retidctit  tbes  declared  the  YoCi 
as  follow*: 

For  PMgr,  total  noicVer  of  votc^ 
Z'h;  for  Cranf,  total  utciVr  of  volea. 
43y;  majority  fur  Crar>e  CI  votes;  aad 
tHat  Jarees  M.  Crane  was  duly  declared 
elected  a\  Delegate  to  Coogrcu  froo 
Nevada  Territory. 

A    I.    V.:-rx  ,  tTcrrl     tl.e    r/Iowiojf- 

v>f   th» 
-  ste  to 


lb. 

tfc.  pro* 

-•:olb« 

:   1  br 

'  r  tiM 

l.r:,,,-, 

ol 

-Scr, 

...  ti 

.^u 

ii'iuinl 

— rarnrd 

.'1-  M' 

.« 

fi^'t 

llH. 

fn" 

■■■^-■f.. 

prci 


7    Tn. 


the  General  A 
lory  shall  lions  for  the  .  < 
loaned  to,   cridcncc  of  drl 


A.  C.I. 


A.  J.  .Ma.ni, 
J.  A.  T.iltw(, 
Saul.  I(aici;:!>f 


,  A.  A.        It'i 

■  v^tcs,)  rriTf,' 

>nd   J.  P  ' 


Cf  . 

■court)  i»  1.: . 

9.  N.I  c . 
WiiodQly  m  > 
of  Cftnfnrmity  i    ihe  ri., 
religiosi  Met 

10.  Tuauon  iball  boMoal  and:  atil 
fo;in    throoahool  I  tbo  i  ■.Torritoij  ■   all 


4.  Tho  Trra.orer  iliall  render  his  le-  W.  T.  C.  Elh'otl, 
''2h:\  ^^'l1f'..■t'.■;^.,  i',c  Au  litor;  ond  on' J.  U.  Winter*. 

1    of   ttie'joi.  0.  [WbcrUOti,  T'terNye, 
'  t  tothaj  I>4ar  Furwcll, 


declared  tho  lootior 


'▼IS  thra  coIIm 


■oaud 


Mhii 
.Do, 
«r  IB 
•a  o( 
J  »t« 


all  other  dttlica  ibat  ihail  be  pruaibvU 
by  law 
&.  Tbe  Gcnent  Anmb\j  »bUt  bare 


Mr 
test,  t 

record;  " 


■i  '  '  ^i^teJ  u  r 
.  tjr  D^o  3.  (. 

--■   i.-^'CuJ    ibat  th4    rep::c    i->. 

jMtc&  Mji  wen  callt4.  n-fu-- 


■.^*„k.  c'  lie  Cc^icas 
'  t^a  ViM  Presideat* 


'«Coo» 


'   •*- I   ^jti  — McJirsr  Aodmoo.  tryiat  1    1m.  M.  Wt,"  A«iiia'ai  twrmir. 


aI   Td-a'iiiftT,  liy  iit»i.riiii;;  mii-  tli  m  ... 
•  ■A.H'»!l^n^l  till- .U^Qdo;  .foortiinjc  8 

tT^rt-ivpii(!.ifi>rict  iMir*nJiit  in  ••■tj'tiin.- 
Inirut,  Uiar  U<i<>|t  in  llic  C'lifr;  iitiiinliS 
ofS.t.i'.lrtj-fri-lAiMl   nj.|.r..t-.l  ] 

*  Mi'Tol  t>/ Mr 'Ni-..'  il-.it  O'inmiltPf. 
rf  tline  lie-ofiininlt-il  '>y  the  t^iaini.mi  to  [  »•'•  "tm*-  r-u-r*.  y»(  la-'h  -ro  our  h.i 

h.T„.i/uu.  tu- .  irM...M--:  i.f-...i*  (>n.vi..,.l  !-!:5:.vJ?:!.i':*.i".t.?:'.:-^';.!r!i;''.':: 

|i<t)i*  M'Cr^J'  Ni'iil'-,*  M.irf  irnitli'uiitl 
CuTjf  «a*  ii|>|>-Miii<'il  •III.)  CiiHiiitK^' 

'flH)ftl|'«)iliOil  of  III-  C''l'*tj'lUln»'l  \g- 
(f»L'"l><i  ill  lintrr,  :>.Ttioii*^;cc<.ti'I.T.iir\l 
«n'l  Fourilt  ur  Article  Nine  1^'vn.' mloji- 
trtl. 


•  r*  hare  jtm.t  p«ikile<M' 
■    i^.^i  |.r>iir>-U"cf   •Litliio'r  r.«i 
.     ..*.  from  t<e».i>>ofiiirtor  L'Uli 

^^.in  Bi  I  erut  ^^l   ih*   |iron; 

Ato  <  f  [I  "I..-*!  Tirir  MffiUJ  Iron  ihs'^uiei 

■  ulh.riii'i  Il-vr  cfftrfl  BO    ftllcf.  rrp'tttJii 

Ir»i».«    bljt-l  ..f  ibc    |-^.««l.l»  cli.Ki 
tlirrv««*  BO  rrlirf  siteiti*!  sffwcd   bj  Uir 
fi.t.ij  fif  nil  ind'cnani  jwnplf. 

Kto'i.*  Iiive  'Ktn  ilM'»n.  \'X,»*Tjit  W. 

rr>.n  tttr  hn.i'1  nf  oor  Trrrl'orj  hdJ   coinr>(l 

tr  I  idirvL  «  h'-ra*   wlirts   ttw   an*   |ircfai). 

iTC  drU'trrJ  fr"in  tc'ltnj;  aQotf|t  g«  hv 


.r2v'flicwarc,' J.  A.  Swill", 


Marl.  SmUli, 
(2  lylc:-,) 


In 
itrtfi^uYtbi  pnfteo 

/-  DOn^EY.ChB. 
Tlic  Mcmorinl  van  ail0)>tol. 


TFlrdtm*ni)«  till 
Hue  r»)«etor  Coojrr 


'^B'liSTiBT  nr  TMrrfffth-icn'-RRtTrtRr 
,\T»"  "  ■>"i'l"J'  tiiiiicf  iliL-  T-rriof,  or 
■KiTa-U  "Iiall  t«-  fl«_-{yi!i.»«.  U)-wit 
«..  C":)!!!!' ML-iiii;  ■t"a  |i»i>iC  oil  Sirrni 
2CiTii'l.*  Miiiiiimtii'.yiiiTe  llic  42'  «■! 
^■Mlti  i^itirii'li-  Imiclir*  llio  »jmiiiLt  i>l 
fiiil  M'lii'itiiiii  l.»  tlir  aV  i-r  t..iril.  r,:il 
jlO*.li;lI"iiLO  Kl-ll■ll^^  11-'°  "f  \V-.t 
Lun;:iiU'i<-:  lUcitiv  NintliiutlirKiiil  42 
oTNnrtli  I.Tiiihi'I*';  llitiive  AWi^t  t>t  lln 
piai-tf  of  lH-o'"'iiii';r 

,  AG.  1T.\MM.\CK.  Cl.'ii. 

MrM^.'Oriii>ltr  ofT-'ftil  il^'  r->!louii>'i  n* 
•  ■iil..liriilf.  Ti-i-  i:.><i'..l.irt  liiiciif  tin- 
T  rr.trfr;  of  Nirnili  almll  bo  v^  roltoto, 
*0<irit:     l»-<..ji 

..'C-iniAriicins  nt  a  \'t\i\\  rm  \\\f  Strrrn 
'^Ci'tml.i  Mtiuiiliiiii',    «l»n*   till* 
Kortli  I..<t>iiit|r.  ii'iiclitK  tlio  :>iiiti>nit  i>\ 
iji\<\  M<iiiMt.iiii*;  llit'iii'u  S-ulliL-rly   Willi 
fciiJ  Sumriiil  !■>  llio35'   iif  NoMli  I.tli- 
iQilr;  tlii'ii'V  f^^t  on  raiil  t-^riilli-l  in 
Ctf|i>rrf<li>  llirrr;  tlinii-fiiji  >ai<l  l!>t>'i 
lU  jiini'linii  Willi  tliu  U.n  Vir;;iii:  tlic 
pjfji'^'Kio  ViriTiti  lu  iu  j.iii.-li.m   w.tli 
^l>i.M;  i;^v.'r;ll.>t>i->-il>K- .\»rlli  to  tli< 
Ou.^.i  Iiik;  tlicitiO  \Vi>l  l>>   tliu   t<Iiii'< 

,.  (I.,  i.ioh.iti  i.r.Mr.  Willintns  ilio  *ul«- 
itiliiio  wat  mli'i'i'il.  M'tvttl  \'j  llniii 
iiuik  llut  tli«-  r-'.l< •Willi;  1)0  iit>4.-rti\t  m 
tti-  Ctuiritiuijioi.  viz: 
,;-.T<iv  ruli-«,-u>iji;:u>  om)  nvolaiinn*' of 
tha  thiiji-ni  III  an;  txcality  williin  ll>i* 
^errilury  kliiill  l>u  llii-  (jv,  that  fIsII 
|^i>r<i  iIlo  inijii-rr  ur..*-iii<l  l«r..!iiii>, 
^irovulnl,  >'Ui)i  Idnnflii  iKil  uMiil  It  Willt 
Xlie  C-'ii'tiiiili.iinirtlii-Triii-ry. -'■'■' 

*••  Oil  T01<-  I'h-  Vru*  iltlll  lltlTH  WtTt!  cbrCil 

Jprilli  till-  r..l!.i*ii.i;  u-AiiIt;' 
u"Vfft«— ll.'Miloiir.  It.ifttit,  C!iaiirr.iiii 
V(3totci.)  KlI-tiK,  llui>i'iii;iik.  Ji-rif-L'uii. 
•>'cnl.  O.luTi.,  A:  A.  bmitli,  Williuin. 
_ti"l  W<iR*j.ii  {i  »oii*.» — IX 
".  'Niivd — ^"Mcjwr*.  A''ji'atl>y,^  Atnl.r>oii 
Car;,'  -CliA>itJIcr,-  •  CIkiIk-,  ,-  O><i-I<ii^lo<). 
C.irfV.  I)..r*^y.  U-i-kV,  U..'i-i*..rlli. 
lI-M-rlv.  Kill-  Luiit'.  NVjr  U-  f'lC-.) 
Nuuwi.r.-.  Unii«l-y,  It-iLn.^oii  (2  i..l.-.) 
,J.  O.  U'i'«ruiiit,  K"oj<.  TcKtiT,  Sriilv. 
Suii'iiiriCvM,  J.  A.  biuilli.  Murl.  6'<iitli, 
2iiuru»jul.  'ltiiLiii-c»i, .  V.ia^liaii.  Tiii-i>. 
\Vi(.i4:r^,  J.'D.  Wtiiion'.'iiiuP  \V.'  U. 

A»ljot>riiol  to  I  ..yak.  i».  (H.  i 

'•'JUr.  .JlryBiil  piilfo    iiniiiT)    llial*~|io 

SuulJ  t)ii>tu  oi(  tu  ipvrryw,  Iv TLH-uitHjiivr 
Lv.  I.Mf  Art.  {5,..M  ;.»■  ■».;,.:^^.,.. 
"Mr    UjhiIdiio  )fftn\i   liiiVj(;x9-  tl^at   li<' 

fM"I;l  O-i  l-i  .Hi'/fyf..|(ltftc  ly.rwVHiWiJ*' 
re.  ^.if  A(l.  3.rttM-.:.  dj  V,,.^.,. 
,  J.  F;i^ii;>:uKH-itiaiIiatlKl»0'iM. 
cnbiiMjrru#  w  r<nv i^'<Jdf ;!>.^;.  3.  i>r 
Art.  a.  ^  ,..^,-  ,.,  t,  ,  ,,,r»-r  :  7 
I^Otiiiotiou  or  C«l.  MiL**cc.llto  ruriliiT 
con  IK  Itu  Ml  II  uf  lltu  Ci><i'tttul4o>i  .WA« 
iaiiluriT  (.11  (k>  iiiurniA*  iuupiiiiK--.c1 

l<o  -  f,.i 


mtA  I 


?llr  Ory  iiiinTfil  tlint  lliu  rrp»i.lctil 
fli>|.niituii  Awi*Uiit  St-riri-mit-at-Arui* 
Cjrfic.|,     Sir,  Curry  »ro<  ii]'(>ninic«l. 

M->vo)  I'y  ll.iiiini.iLk,  lliiit  n  CmninH- 
ti-c  <.f  nil"-,  oil.- fnnii  ini'li  I).»triil,  Iji- 
a|i|-u  tili-il  \>y  Itic  rri-Ni<k-iit  tuilrjCllJivn, 
r.il<.-«  mill  rt'i;utiitiiiii*,  r»r  Ili«»  Cr*!  t1i\-' 
lii'ii  I'V  till)  |ico|>ti*,' to  f.iriii 'V'lfii'ti", 
:il'i».iiit  Jti-Ui-i  of  ilivtiiiii.  nii'l  r>)->rt 
llii-KiMit.'  tu  11(14  Coitvi-iilixiii  cutTinl. 
.Mr  rn-i.ii-nt  tti'i'niinnl  J.- II*- Nmlr. 
IM.tri.l  No.  I;  W.  S.  Ilrynnl.  D.-lri.  l 
Nn.  2;  W.  T.  C.  j;iliutt.  |l..lri.-l  Nl.  3; 
W.  \Vii^..iii,  Il.^r.iii  No,  4:  A.  CJrrj, 
jiiMra  Ni>,  5;  U.  Stiioiinrlii'l  I.  l)»lri<'i 
.V.'.  U;  MirL  Sill. III.  l»i«lr.ct  ^■...  7;  C 
.N.  N..TtWBrp.  Di-lricl  Ko.  8;  uit<l  IVtcr 
.\v.-.  Ili.lri.l  No.  jy.  .- 

On  ni'tiioni.f  J.  K.  I-fli'V.T.Jl.  Tfrtr- 
I'tr.  AIiirL  Siiiilli, '\V.  \Vu»j<iii  uiiil..! 
U'illi.iiitS' «vro  iipiMiiiilcil  u  Cituiiuillri- 
'■•  ilrnrt  lilt  uiMn'k.i  10  llii*  vitiUiin'iit  tliu 
IViril'iry  r«;|jtiru  ti>  llin  C^.i.<t)tllti<Mi. 

M..ri,|  l.y  Jlr.>\'ulf,  llMt.'.llid  C" 
•ttlul<iiii)'u  i.ilii  lliv  Commiltcu  (T  til 
U'l.'ili-  111  i-aiivj«.  ido  rituni*  for  I>..!i 
;.*tfU'  III  C«icri>4.  >-I.oii;;>'iiiiirt'il  tu 
itiiH'iHll'y  llic  L'linirtiiaii  to ai'|H»iiit  o O 

Illltli'V  nr^I'Vfll    lu  C.1IIVIIM    lllC    Mill     tv 

titrii\  iiixl  ri-|Htrt  tia-  kjiuc  U  tliii  ,C^i>' 
rviili>  II  r>'r  tinvil  uclixii^ 

Mr,  JluJttiT  iiiovLtl  lliittlio.  .wbofc 
•tii>ja-t  liiiitlcr  >>(.-  itiitilc  tliu.  i>i)c<:inl  or' 
iJ^r  iirifu-ijiipiu  to-nigrruir,  i)V  i  ^Vlvcb, 
l».  111 ,  «.-»rriv-<L 

Aiijiiuniiil  t;il  tomotroif  mvx.^-i  ot 

!^  uVtyt  k,  8.  .Hi. 

— ■— ^  I 

-TittMnAY,  July  20ili,  1B5J>. 
ConT-ntiiHi  iiii.t  [-af'U.iiii  ly  «.ijuiini- 

mtiil ;  uiitlllti'rt  of  T.  RIiril.(J  n-uJ  Uit'l  \>\> 

(ir..v,s|.  U-|Mftjii.r  C'l.ti.ii'Uirt  litv'wji 
111  unlvr,  Uiu  (iiancu  Ctfiuio'ltti}  itnt  lir 
ik;;  ri-ii>ly  |.i  roi^trt.. 0 1  .luOlimi  of  Mr 
M.'yiiitT  (licCuuiiihltiii  iitM.4  ulluvdl  to 
rr|^)ri  ul  ituy  lUuc  diicin;:  lIiiriiouKii  ot 
till*  Citiiftiii'iii.t  Ciiiuiiititvoinn  I'ri*- 
i:.iKtl»;:i;iu  Uolr^L'lA  ninl  rr|iorlini;l4\f 
111  K>)frnl  lliv  (irrt  llrvlioii  n|>nTttil,4llil 

iiiutiini  iif  Mr.  IljDitiiuck,.U>v  ri-i^ri 

«  ruiiv.^l, 

Mr.  NuUwaro  poTO  not'co  ifml  h.* 
W'liM  iri.ivc  l.n,oii«.i!.rS.v.  I.  of  Art. 
I.  i.f  till-  C'ltoiitiitiuii  tu  luurruvr  uiu[iiit>';: 
ut  H  oVKkIc. 

On  iiiolioii  of  MrXf.tlca'C'nhiiji'tlic 

..f  liv,-  B.i*ai.|«,iMU'l  I.;    tlnj   IVivoJini 

Uiijr.l  i^if  C.iiivavH'i''',  to  ail  lri   ci 


]  >"ij-»— Aii'liTrso'n,  Bryant,  Giapwan, 
(2  .V"U«.)  'CiimnJliT,  Curry,  Durn-y, 
Klliutl,  IJua'^vriirtli,  llatiiliiiiik.  Kii>|,'. 
ip'i^',  .Mus.Ncr,  Nai^lily,  Ncjic,  O»0urii. 
i'^iiiil'V,  Jill*.  iUb.n^oii  ^a  vuliT.)  J.  O. 

J^jOvrU'ii.  U'loj..  rrociMr.iHiiU-.A.'A. 

C<tnil(i,  blUrti'Vuiit.  VdU^lioii    ^3  VUtl7,) 

TiiUi'.  Wii.ttr-.'  Jiio.  l>.  \Vtut(.r<  _^ ^    , 

.'i'lfi  l^n^iiiul  4iKiit.uu  U.-inj{  ILtU.^I' 

Ic^  It  tt'.t4  IblOl'tol. 

'  irr\\ok;»ar,-  luitTof ioMrlktf Oill'lTiC 

woi-f  "Uiima"    0-  H'ltitl..!  Ill  .-uiiliii'f. 

mij  lnwrl  "Car»vu  C.li' !>•  llio  fk-al  «f 

Ijuvcihmv-iit. 

Mr ;  I'rwt.ir  morcd  afl  n  Sulislilutc  lo 
iitnkcilll  out  fnMi  \a\<\  jic.tion  ufur  t'lv 
nurti  "Liw,"  itiCHiiii'tiluti:  wu.-<Hil'i{>tiil. 

Mr.  UwuUuiitf  tl>in  inoTi-tl' tlii>l  tlic 
wurj*  '"iwu  yiarit"  llni    tli-ptiility  i>f 
Cuiiiik:  Itiinj.'bij  i-rj>i-<l,  anil  "ouo  Jw 
»uU>tuut<.il,  Kliiili  ui>»  t-urriitl.'  . 
'    ■'»^ijl^'"o  'it^J^t-J  l*>  ruH;Oii»l.KT,  Stf. 
2.  o.^tfu  2,  t'j  uiiiviiJ,  t<r  ri«(l'iiii''r'il 
|..w,«V,uu.!iil,  lliv  fir.l  rcluriH   of 
tUxiv.iVoniiLT  tliii  Cuiittitutiuii  dliall  Ik- 
inuo:^^uit-»'ivn*#n]  U4  iiruiriiJcil  fvr  l<y 

tllt«   CM|\(lltl«l.. 

■  Oiiiiwtiuii  of  Mr.'  Xtali',  (fio'worl 
'r.*»iili-a' Ml  ilio  ]<r»vi*u  uf  Si-c.  I.  t>f 
Art.  F'ttiL*»lruvk  iiut,-oii'l  llio  w 

VltHlll'  WusiUMXliJ. 

•"'Mr.  Niik-wurviriiinimiftt  tlitj'folluw 
iii|;  >w  Ii'.I.ImI  to  llii<  C»n»tiiul>on: 

AI!  U.1!.vr».l.vi.il  or  ii|'i«.iiitiO  l.y 
nrluc  -iTtlii-  Ci,ii»lituliiiit  ►Imll  hvitjI 
ly  fk*  r^iurvl  loV'^u  •'oinl''  to  'tin-  \wn- 
I'lo  of  ^^:Tl^b  Tirritury.  f..r  ifio  /ailliful 
ili;tlinrt;v  uf  llju  iliilli.*  of  tin  ir ' ri-^in-C- 
tiVi-,Ofl:>'C«,  llicnmiiuiit'nf  wlii^h  Un'iln, 
111  ft. II  i/iullliiiltiTrtrrijuIiilii'^tlici 
j:i,.IM.yliu-.|l.yli.w.- 

■  Oil  r.iittiiii  ol  Jiio.  F.  Lons,  Hip  Pffni' 
it'iif  oiyi'ii.t^il  A./A.  Suiitti  l.'urolliii 
Cl'-rk. 

Ailjo-imrJ'tlll  I  oVIoilcpii^, 

jincitsvo:<  Busny<i 
0)fi'TtSilivu  met  {<ur*aJUb  .(9  ^adjotira- 
incm.. 

0..\1(  Iftpiwrly  niiTcl  lliit  tlio  Con 
Tfliticiipt  iiiiu  toiii'uilloi.-  of  l!if  U'liult* 

t>i  i-u:ity>4iiij)  ri,lunu  (or  J^iUji^tu  tu 

Cy"i;f\-Kv 
K,  .M.,rri>i:U;r  ruatcO  as  6  xuUUtate 

tliiit  tlif:  CimiEDl>l'"ini  tv.Cuiniaitti'c  uf 
iiic  t>i  fiti'ViL-n  MiiJ  nturn«  unJ  nporl 
J  lliix'Cui|VLiiliuii  f.ir  liiiftl  uttif)... 
i.,Mr.  Nuiewuru  oJin.nl  iliu  follun.ug^ojt 
fii'i*lili.ic  for  (!iu  nlwvu.iiitfliuii^ 
!iaj\l,  Tliat   l[;u   Cli'air   oit]»ojut'  0 

C'ii|iiitilK«  ol   lliriy   iniircviK-u   of,  ilii 

C'oivtntloii,  111  ii]»-ii  oti-t  oiuiit   tlio   fc' 

lurtM  fjifil>'  l.va'«  t"  CoiiitrrM; 

..,  On  v*^if<K  Ki'*  ><:oa  >in>l  ^'"XK^SI^  Cfl)- 

W  wiTTiSr^'.iowfi";?,  ri,»ult  J 

Vua:*— AI'ariLilliT,    Ciry,     Dinndl-T, 

Clu-Uii*.    C".Mi[i-Ioo,.'FarwilI.  rUui--. 

IIilliiiIyiNyi-  tl^votLf.)  Non-ffun-,  .1. 

A. I   Smitlt,    Mart.'    Sinillt,   TiiomiMtii. 


jucliiiii  uillPllif  rri*liIii<i*'or  IIii«'C''ii- 
trnlmii  ttt  tuntu^'llif' rvluniii  of  llu- 
G'«l  tliflioii  ii.i.I.T  ■  ll.i*  Con*lltiilift:i. 
M.fcr^  J.  II-  Ni-iili-.-  C.  N.  ^"ol.  wnn-. 
IViirNy.'.  It.  K.  SJ.-III.-.  nii.M»r.'  »..  L. 
Ktoj.  ».Ti-iili|BiiMliiI  Kii.|-*0'Ulinittiv. 
M-.r.*l  I,y  Mr.  l'r<\tiT.,  ll.il  lliifr'n* 
Jiori  i,f  it.t  Coiiinnlltv  1.;^'  t^i  'iiinnrl.il 
.1  ti*«  il.i-  nonl  ■■|V.>iiliit'*fiMli-a.| 
of  ill!,-  wiif.l  "iiHiikcT'i  vf  tbla  ■  Co4ywii- 

M>milliyj.  P  |,on^'*  fi'nV  mrriiil. 
ll.  a  till-  rqi-rt  l)-i  rtf.rnillM.k  In  tin- 
C«uiiiiii(iv,  iiiij  to  tujku  irji'jrb  tujiior- 
row  iiioniiii;^ 

Uti  Moii.iiM.f  .Mr.  Mii««r,  M..j.  n-vn, 

II  tilt)  Cli«ii^,*'tfie  firttitr  t-rtinitl  r.iii. 

Tide  Co!i.|imti.i;i  WTjiH  |ii.|  on   llit)   t:i  1 ' 

Ml' till  II  nVWknrifi^l.ni.iy.  |  ■' 

.^Ir  M,i*HT  ilMVN  iii'lii-c  lliiil  lio  wrrnl  1 1  '' 

-r  U  .l.iy  lo  rvviitiAiJiT  tjcvlioo  I.  ul 

KM   t.i.liy 

'.■•.    Noti-ivaf^  olijrt'lrtl.'  hi    ?»  Iml 

iinliiv  to  nvoii-i'I.  r  llm  naniu  Srr. 

1  ,\Tr  toiiifirniw:  ii'-ivtintiJ ntcrrut. 

.  iliv  CUir.  m  .1  u)'!val  luki'ii  fniiti 

'     !>  i.y  .\Ir.  Cnolr.  •  O  i  foto-  Ilii 

•  Kt-rucalli^,  with  ilio  ful- 


'II'yflf.f,"*Chipman 

-  -y.  Klf'.if.  Iloii-i- 

":;»i't.  K'lijr.  l^wf. 

^•^\^A^  itiiUit- 

\.  A.  S.-,;!i,.  Sill- 

,  'i'litm  WiHicr-',  J. 


N'iiy4— .\nili  r*oii,  Brynrft: .  Chupmart. 
(2  loir*.)  Curry.  pofM-y,  lilli  -tt,  IIou-c- 
wnitli,  It.iitn;ii.k.Ji:rii.-;rni.  Kin?.  lyinL'. 
Nil';;M.<r.  Ni.iili-.U.ili|irii.  Oliiiol.y.J.  Muh 
iijuiii  a  votrA.)  J.  0.  Kulii  rt?on,  [l'io|i, 
rrnvt'T.  Silili'.  A.-  A.  Sriiitli,  Suiiiiutr- 
li.M.  MwtiiaiiT,  V-L-lun  (3  voh- ) 
W.lIm.iivTmu.  VViiiUft-,  J"0.  i>.  •  Win- 
tirv._uii     . 

•  Tu-P-AwlIinU-fraiiKUn-.l  [ost  Mr 
l'r..ili.r  «(r.fol  ilio  |..:itmiiit',  oihl.Kv- 
yinl.tl  lij^Mr.  .Noti-i»ur«. 

*  .M.if.iBlfut  llniClijiroi'iiointnCirii- 
iiiiltirc  olM,»i-ii,  i»iii-  fiiitn  fdclr  Ihstriii, 
iiml  oil.-  fruirt  till.-  T  rnlory  at  ttir;;r,  i<> 
vjMru.«  ilirf  ir-ito  ,  pir  I>.-Iit;'»'i'  iw  Cun- 
'^tKt^,  wltfi  rlwU  in-rfonn  iitiir'  dmiiB  in 

,  l>rvMri<a'l>t  llni  lu^-utUniif  IliU  CotiTrrr 
,|>iim;<  i;ruTiilri),  ilmt  llii'jrniliiiil  uU  Icm 
■'iioi.y  Utiidtiit;:  tlic  l.-uiiliiy  of-  ihc-  tv 
ir...  »Jui.li  iriiV  Irtj  oilonil.  au'I  njiorl 
IV  liYjiJy  orilliiri.liiiy  oft-atli  |in\-;i.Li 
l'i[.iii-});alio  vuig  .iiiNiii  vli.di,  nuN 
iiiin-iininiDi} 

.Mc.**nt.  J.  'U'illlflinF..  Tlirn.'  ^^  tntpr*. 
'ni.i..  Anil.  r-.ri,  \V.  Wu.-ud.  IVttr  Nyi-. 
O.  \V.  IM  1-1  riy  IIII.I  l»r.  I(.  L.  Kii^ 
l\i-n' u|'|il>iiit>ilon  l!>e  Coniniiltri*;   '    l. 

U. tioii  It  F.  Si'liltf  »diolpoltitn> 

a.Cl.rfor  Mill  Cwii.miili'.-. 

Ailjo'lnii.l  hil  twiuttriuvr  monitog  r. 
Bu'ulu^To-'n)- 


i^t^ifird  th*t  A  Iiir  ti[Ttui3g  oftttptopl' 

i*%  ftol  t)crn  thruu^li  I'tC  l&llol-bol  ml  the 
'Ifiiion.'  Aflil  l<i  ilrK  of  ilif  Icnj^tb  ef  Usi« 
rctriiary  IjrKiull  «i'iBia«iioa   uf  |l>«  »«1J 

TClCni,  «D<1   lhi>  ■.B-rilniQii  of  ftflil  "'fWinft 

ut  njoit  anil  n  for  drcli.ou  In  iLa  |>rFtuU>>. 
na  niiuk4  cnriiFfliy  rc.(>TDii>rsd^  itiat  Ibc 
w^olc  *u.>jr<l  n  >t;rr  n*  in  h  Ildr^/ie  to  Ciia- 
7f»»«  !•«  rtfftfrj  l)»tV  lo  til*  pcfip'r,  r>r  ibr m 
lu  .JxiJv  oil  tbe  IrtWiOaridkr  ufirribr  Cm 
Uunjnj  \a  iri.tttuUrr  Bdl.  Bi.'l  Bik  lo  b< 
ilmlj-tjtfj.^  J.  MV  WiLU.iir.  (ji»B..Co(a.  ' 
■  ^T»»V  Wi,i«M, 

Trdi-  Avi'iiuos. 

■II.  (.  Kiio."'" 
:  ■  CfBoii,  tr.  T.  J  u  ly  27  ifi  1 1  «»i" 

On  tniilioiitliv«luti-iDciit  of  iho'ScC- 
nTify  of  lliV'(Jouiniii|fC"'ira«.  biaiJtf  a 
)init  "f  l?ic  innjoniy  nj-ort.    , 

Mr  Wiiwiii  ii.k.-d  f.ir   I,<If  on'IioIirV 
linn:  to  iiiiiku  a  minuriiy    njiutt.' trLuli 
\iu9  f;ruiilL-<1.- 
' '  CouTcuiion  106k  a' rrcctk  iif  OD^lI&lf 

tltfUf.'-. 

mtsrtti!  fl?  'ftmvtAS. 

Mlimrity-  (if   C«ii*«nliig  ComiDiUi-t 

ntwrtcd  lu  fyllow.': .  "^ 

BFpninC- 

Ur  ririiiot«r-f-.\  loiiiuiltf  of  ^AvrCan 

nlte  to  nlioniAfxl  nftrrpd  llio  niniUf  ul 
cmiii'lirie  lU-r<luriia  of  llii>  infill  (Iniion 
lur  lM.t:«lrloCi.in:.e»».  ,«0ul4  fruirtlfiillj: 

li<>- li«ic  to  ill**'!!!  rnini  llir'rf|ioft  of  iVp 
in.J'irii*  nrjuurCumnintrr;  wc  tumikr  lh«t 
V.ir  firuTnmru<li>ti4n  lu  r.  ftf  lhtf■^olt  mfttirr 
li  i<  k  I'l  (he  |ip<i|i!r  li  ua«atr4i>tt-l  «n<i  wiin 
•ml  |irr<t>lciiii  iliMi  li  1<  tlctc^nlii'it  porrr* 
il.Mi  \\irj  rfuiioi  -inufi  iliitlboToir  li.islieru 
lArotii  ilir  ji'uj.Ie'unrttnlir  l^mc  •uidorli' 
I'l  f.r    l! 


'  lo  *•/  tr'Hiitip 


*UVt 


•l>«:i  n<.(  l.c  rMunlnt  HO-I  Mill  pmiOil  lU. 
ui>nn  bjr  llili  Co'iiriilMii  i*C]i3lfi|[  «  lel 
lino  up'oi  llic    ■•i)nr«iy   nuil  ifiilum   of 

ConfCbllii'i     mIiIiIi  il'.#l    nnCAtUrti    in  11 

nm  iiivITci.  in  i-r  tlinl  npn'n  rot  ra|i.i tile  i.r 
dlltiiicuiilnnj;  Lriwcfii  r>chl  Hb-I  frmnv.  >■« 
iwrtii  Ii.m-ij  ii.i.lfr>u4  Wc.Pk  oiirurny 
•■f  tour  C.iin>'iiiii-p,  tlirnf'ife.  roulil  rripni. 
full  J  frci.rt  (.lo^ti-u  ■□4  aili  iliat  Ibonbolc 
■lil-jxt  luaiicr  be  itUtn\  *i4(;k  Ui  y-mr  Com- 
iiiOirr  to  rrpi  ri  In  orroolatiir  *«l"h  ibc  in- 
tlrudiimi  *ii.l.«jir4  In  .tin-  rftolullan  m. 
atiss  ibii  C'vmiuittrr/       O^  W.  Iti  rrcuT, 

Parea  Nrt. 

Oit  motion  .tho'.mliioriiy:-  ri^iort  'was 
nT<irvil. 

.  Mr,  .NoitwoPe  mnr«l  ilmt  tlio  iniittir- 
ity  n-jiort  Ir-  ih]o|pIci1  DinlllioCoimiiittfc 
ilrsi-lun^fd;  Mr.  Ncali-,  inoTnl  to  nmrtnl 
\>y  iirvcrMi;:  tlic  wofil  "niojrtiily"  in  tl.c 
(i(.nc  wf  iiiuiionty;  on  Toto  Hic  jra*  tiinl 
ni>y;i  wcro  called  Kitli  ttio  (ollowin^  re 
suli:'> 

Ycoi— Anilcrron,'  Ilow{!on^"  nrtnnr, 
rimiimaii  (2  vote".)  Cnrry,  Il-rM-y'  Kl- 
liiit.  Mpa>i;».irt!i,  ilainiiiQrk.  Jiiin -.mii. 
Km,-..  Ljm-  5Iii^i.-r.  Nni;;!ilv.  N,-.iI.-. 
Olcrn",.  Orm»l.y.  Jni.,.' KuI.ii.m^ii  i'l 
t'ltc'.)  J.  O.  KnUrHon.  (Votlor.  SiHli-. 
A.  A.  Siiiiili,  Sunniii-iGrM.  i^Tuf|l•vlt.t, 
Vnu;.'iiuii  |J  voti--,]  Williiiius.-'  Tln.'O. 
Wintim  uiiil  Jno.  l>.  WinliT*.— SI. 
-— JirtTi*  —  Mr«i'r<."'Ahfrrftiliy.  -  C.irr, 
Clioiiilli-r,  Ciiiili<%  CoiJtIiii;;ioTi,  *Katwnl, 
'j"i;:'*,,Ny.i  (13  votiii,]  Nouworr.  J.  A. 
S'liilli.  M-iri.tiinilli,  'lliniiiiiotl;:>\Vnssuii 
(3  vni.-jij  Wa-luiiiiil  Ili-|-p.rly.— 21. 

'I'liu  iitution  ilica  K-iii;;  tir»i  cii  niiirn- ; 

.Int.  iiii.l  ilio  yi-mnrij  imyt  ljciiigmlk-(J,    '' '  ' ' 

fi-Miltiti  I  5  0  Ion-  ; 

.Villi— AiiiIirMiii,    I>f\'nn(,-:'Clilipm  .■ 
(2voti-««.]  KMioti.  ltjmr,ijitrJ'-rmt:.iii.. 
K.ii/.  .\»i;:lilT.  HofMV.  O'linrii  Orni^l  v.  j'^''  "  '.*,  iic-ih 

.  KoI.iiiMin  [i  liiw*,]  J.  O.    U'lliiri-   l'P'l'"cr».  •c- 
i^n,  IVoi-lor,  Ijvltli',  A.  A-  .*<iiiilti.  ynru- '  li"'pvr^  i  f  i 

rliil.',  bliirUviiiii,  ViiM;;liii  [3  rotiv 
U'lllain.*.  Citrry,  lluunnoilli,  Jnci.  ii 
\Viiitvri  timl   CiU]ini<in  [j    roti-a,l — 'jLi 

N.iy*— Jl'i^r*.     Ci>'t-hii;:lnti,-  'Cjit         >^     ■'■  ■■' 
Ciuivll.r.    Inrwi-ll,     Cji/r.^-lli  |.]. 


I  No.  ?,  I  precietM.— Itlack  r.o»«  - 
JEJert,  Uroiaoi  •''<I  l'i»;  I'^^fn'.'if.  S  II. 
L«>.(.  ^•  X— Jii'i|;t't,  Lcibivu  m{I  lUt'rr  i 
Uipmlor.  Tbot.  Ilarcry 

bi*irivi  Vo  S.  i  prctictia— >o.  Xr^ir.iffft, 
WnrO  Btiil  L'li"ti>'»>l  In^jM^lai.  I.'r.  Jc'.m  A. 
i^uut-  No.  i-JjlKH,K«KtilJ«B(lWiiabi: 
lun-rclOT,  W.T  C.  tlltotl. 

D>FitictN«.  4,3  pttiloeii.— N'e.  t— 'udi;ai,' 

Uoipt!)  aOd  \Val«Oa  ;  IcfptCtOf.  0.  J>.  OiUatt. 

.No.  t-^u'if.ft.  £a>a£a  AJid  (i»lta;  lUfit<lor, 

i'flrjLlO-O. 

li.iUld  .N"o  S,  Jfrt'lat^.— N»  1— Juflcn, 
ProttornAdUr  Kib(;  Ini^tttor.  U.aitb'.,jt]i. 

.No,  X— JuJgri,  tiiuruiAttt  ud  Nuifroie; 
Ioii>r<tor.  A.  UCB»aj.     . 

Liiitrtrl  No.  0.  9  pirfiorli— ClHuiowii— 
JiKt^ra,  W  C(n«tf  aid  Joi,  K-iltf  ;  Io?p<rwr, 
C*I-t  I'arkrr.  Guld  llU-JuJKr<.  Huu.e- 
ttonti  aoJ  J.  0  WiBiPr:  l-.riJt<lo<,  J  C-.irp. 
.-^S'lb'a  Suilon-W%df«'i,  WiliU'iiiauU  Ujik* 

l«iij;  \atprtlot.  tt.  OiUilfa.  MiliuKtOMO-* 
J'.>litl.JM:>i  Jontlkitl  \},.1t;  la.;.f<tof.  II, 
Kr.o.  M-k  lIua.l.aM!'>JuJ«r«,  1}l,t  *\A 
autlli;  loip'rtivf,  T,  Ktllir.  Uuba*  i;ia;.au 
—  JuJCO,  ClitrrT  nuil  Ntia'oa  ;  lotj.tciur. 
Urown.'  Wil^bli  Eulitro— Jo-It f«,  Onoril 
aad  Wililil;  le.pnior,  H.  L«}io.i.    Aufrr- 

two*  j>(at<OD— JujRCf.   rurotrtiiwa    aOJ  ^  at. 

mill;  luipritor.  T  Animwa.  .■iit>«Dti>a'« 
:ii>t>ou— JuJ^ri.b'jIrriUracd  Tyti;  l»prc> 
lor.'J,  K.  l-ipfiT. 

Oiiiri.  I  .Vo.  ;.  3  pftfiBru.— L«kt  VallfT— 
Jtiili;f>,  K  Citoiriiia-bJ  W.  lturB|.t>r.y /Ir. 
»t»(ior,  MuK«  IVitri-.  Va.  l-JjIgM.  I/. 
\V'oo.lfgf.|  mi.l  W.  II.  .-  a.U ,  lu'pfvUP,  S«»l. 
lylrr  DArr'aC-rap— Jo  e^^*.  U.  Uirawod 
■u.lJ.  Siuiih;  l.fpnior.  U»k»r. 

U.iiri.t.Vw  B.  arrerjn.n— No  I— JuJitPj, 
S  Ki'ii.y-nJ  W.  W.  5.ailb;  iT^rclor  T  J, 
•licLtBi.  o.  ■  No.  !— JuJ^w,  t'ar«<ll  u4  Lm: 
Iu>|x-ciur.  J.  Ilowarj. 

^.llficl  .No.  'J,  :  (ifff  iBftr— No.  1— Jailjra, 
t..  llillfr  ao'l  J.ni'i  U  rrii;  lotpti'or.  K. 
Limtk    .S  .  Z-JuJen.  UilliKuiiaDjlboBip- 

(on;   Liljiprlur.  n,.l>L  t'niorr. 

W*  «iiuld  aUo  iF^ommrcid  tTiat'  iftpft  t# 
■pj-oinf'l  a  ItOnr.l  of  l'i(«  CaO'iNtra.  «):• 
III.  II  >>ir(iiil<;tBi  I'.r  Cipi'ot  oa  Ibr  Jl  Moa 
<i«t  <jf  iMuliirn'xt  (.iiiioii.  la  ronnrcli.ti 
Willi  llir  1'n-i.Icrt  of  Ihi*  Contfitiioii.  ao-1 
Bholl  I'rut'cd  tu  or»R  a&<l  rouol  llif  roita 
■•■d  tt".:arc  Ihr  tnuit  tbtrrof,  aod   ht-jf  rtr- 

llbotlfluf  (Icdiori  to  ill    (vrrt^ra    l^al    rwy 

tM--lrM..|.all(i.f  •ti-,fi  U  raaii  tft;<»''^-  j 
aubm.ittd,         ■  \  JOIi.V  n.  .^t:ALt:,  LI.  n. 

Oil  motion  tfic  rrjiort  «o<  rrrcitej, 

.^!r.  Dvrtry  oQlrttl  lUc  folio* inj;,  to 
l*c  niliK-.!  to  thr  n-j-ort: 

UtMlrtti,  Tiiultla- Ji«:j;Mancl  Clcrki 
of  llic  fforiomi-IiTiioii  iirttiMf :« .il.all  re- 
(U/ii  a  Irui:  i-cjiy  of  I  lit-  |<oll  liif.  sluo 
tlio  U'ty  litt.  uiTomiuincil  ■ilU  llic  b«I- 
luLi.  viliivli  was  tdojitid.  ' 

Oir '  motigu  tlie  vomtsittce  Wu~  dti- 
cliarf.'crt. 

A.ljiiiirrnI  tiRtit'  t»KOfroir  butfoiitg 
at  ti  tiVlOLk,  n.  It!  " 

TtirtisDAr,  Jotr  23lS.  ISS?. 
ConVrntion  met  |iur>.u.iiit   lo  m'jOiiro- 
mcnl;  .M..j.  Hj...].  j.,  tl.-  t;j.,vr.    M.uutCT 
uf  yotiTOiiy  n-aiX  ami  ciloj.titJ: 

'  .Mr,  Noicwdne  lu-ircil  •  rrconialrm- 
tiuii  uf  ^i<.■vliOll  IsC  uf  Article  -  Lsl.  Dtiicii 
WU4   a^rnol  to 

^'•Mr.  >i(itvW4i:o  llicti-mori-tl'tu  rrtiaq 
till-  worxl  "Tcrrilyry."aiiil  iimrt  "Cmrrft 
:>latfK,'' ill  ita  •luiiJ,  Ijjp  cuta  ic  was  lo 
unli-rnt.i 

;  On  iiii^ion  nf  Mr  .I,'-J,''Miw«rr,  tl;9 
fullowiritf  il:iu^-  vtai  aiUv4  lo    tl)«  Ciw 


iilint  ol  «iiiw  mill 


■•■   ■ ^-     "'i'"'-  "  ...■■liur.  Inrf- 

ili-rinv  »oii'  {jj  uiKdiiho  rv|«jrt  i-f 


.\vi-.  [12    voir.]    J.     A.    Mniit.,    .M><rt  't'"*  "'•"'"'''•'» '-"wntmilUt  woa   fcODi.loJ. 


'Iivniimiiii,  I  Wauioii    [3-    vutcx) 
Wiiili-  Hlnl  Clililii-,~-23. 
'J'oc  inujuritjr  ri'imil  wai  !bi-ii  Unlurril 

U'li.Jitlll.*.  j 

ll.i  iiiiilit>n  of  J.  V.  l^iii;;.  Ilio  CviKii 

(Kill  v.'.\>  ll.iit  l;>t;iii  Ituin  the  Itltitc  I" 
forilnr  I'unMiKrjti'ni. 

Oil  iiioiioii  tEio  CuiTcDtiuniailJonrTK' 
foriMplHiiir., 

CiniTi-iiliuii  mil  fitiniuiitito.'aiijiiuni 
mill',  i 

Cntnniitlfc  0!i'- prrfliutiiip.  the  Da- 
trii'14.  ninl  ilr.il'iLii;;  r-il>->  ^miil  luwi 
r.-;;ii!fl1.iij:!tM'  1-'  ,:m!.  .■..  t».;KLiu-  m  [ 
niuko  lliv  full 


C^rnul 
Air,  J.,0.  Roldiisoii  tnofpi]  thbt  o  rnm- 


iintiti:  of  ii'iio  liL*ii|<;i 


Mltiy  llie   l*rc«- 


ft^'r^^f^*PlY,  July  2"i''. 
Clint  fill  ion  iiit't  |.iir*naiit  i"   . 
mint;  t»inutc*'  of  .y.-fliril,iy  i 
rr.iily  lu  ni«l,  il>ci>ii'r>lury   U4i»  j^u^ 
ti.-.u-'tilMClu'il<«k,  |>.  tu.  - 
'T.    CiryV  Clinn.llrr,       Mr  >"•'•'.  <''i--  Cl>i.ltii.fln  iT  llir  Cu 
l-'iirwtll.    Uriii.1'    intt'-'jOi  F.ni'n.v,  rq-irtol  Hntan   i. 
'iw,)    XutcWMfr,  ,'t""t<'nt'iiif  ono  dollar  Uii.I    liliy 


:i.-,  C  .N  Nmc- 
,    I'lUr.Njc  00 

Jiill     lU.L.IlUt.ll.'. 

Aiijunriittl   10  1  oVIoi-k    p.  m. 

'.iitii'n  tnvi  imr^uaut  to  adjoartt* 

i(tc«,.o.n>AriwtioT)mtnt  report 

rir'>itT. 
Mr  C)iJiinM*x— Vour  Commltlfa-  oir 

^11  "i: -uii  wuuiJrt»)nrituily  npori 


-n 


r*  -■— - 





tiiU  o;:t 


lilll-T.  of     I 


fit. 
••  • 
Hi. 

\.  7 

^>) 
•A  I 
.I''.  ■ 

Hi,'. 


M<l(o»4ihl  k».«  b«ta  ftb4  Ht^Mi\lfi9^\ 


■  \-j-  -y   li.il^i  •!■.  u!  ,1  fi-ijri:  j-crioj. 
Call  or  Koncrj. 
■'■  TT T'.'it  roofcil  tp(v-coi)iiJdci',Bec 

mnrnl  for  on    IiiJcOSiiTfo 
'.if  Kic  »lo«tlon.'^oii  toio 
, .  :     ;     ..  1.    i  ...ivt  Hin-  calfnl;  I. 

j      iV«— A'.Jiiiillif,  C4ry.  CIn--i;e,*CjJ- 

lOiuxtoDu  i'iTwtil,     yiijjiy   Urj>pftl/, 


>Ttavfto.'<  tMrt^r^.' 
MitJ'irliyor  C-n»»**i»jt  Cvaittitltflt', 
li-arc  (v  ri-t>orl  a4fiillo«a:- 

liirovT. ,  j 

.iiUa  DtinpiVi 'ii^  tirailrfbta  of  ib« pci. 

Tf"t'.n' 

/i  ilrw  of  ihl  rt«peftilb'>IUj'r»iiIne  o" 
et.  tt««Ottlilrt«ptiini  1/ isbvil  lb*  fo:ka 
lBjl.'l*(  lUUinfOL  ,    . 

/  'iht\  Ti  hA«  n;.|3td  ft&A  ca&rtUtil  a^l  t'  *  i.^.\^ 
votn  rr*.ire»Jaa  rt^icirtd  to  t>a*Tit  lo  ibiily  \\ 
C9a*tAit7af  m4  «•,  y*v  Cyuatluttf  utl^^' 


...  ,-.■;. Cb"ii.5 
i)t«J.  and  It* 


..♦^i^.l    '''  ""  '        '  ■^'^  Notewar*.  S<etioa 

-•ltyftpd)l*t  Cl  Ariirli;  Sil  t^aa    rKOniidcrid. 


PROGRESS  OF  SETTLEMENT. 


73 


llill.  The  sixth  by  Hobcrt,  in  Gold  Hill,  near  the 
site  of  the  Levialhaii  works.  Then  followod  the 
Nevada,  in  Six- mile  (.'anon;  ^iuc•eeeded  by  others 
too  numerous  to  mention.  Several  thousand  cords 
of  wood  was  cut  in  and  about  the  adjoining;  hills, 
and  as  it  disappeared  ran  up  to  fifteen  dollars  per 
cor<l. 

There  was  no  water  in  Gold  Hill  save  a  couple  of 
small  s])rini;s  near  the  old  Kmpirc  mill,  aside  from 
that  riinnini^  down  Crown  J'oint  ravine. 

In  the  s|)riTm  of  l,S(il  water  was  found  in  runnini^ 
a  tunnel  in  the  northern  part  of  Viri;inia,  and  the 
bulk  of  it  was  conveyed  in  boxes  and  ditches  to 
(ii)l(l  Mill  by  Williams  it  (tashwiler,  and  sold  for  (1 
think)  one  dollar  per  inch  to  su]iply  the  mills.  The 
tunnel  supplied  about  lUO  inches. 

POLITICAL    HISTORY    CONTINUED. 

The  unsuccessful  eftbrts  in  1859  to  establish  or 
resurrect  some  form  of  govei-nment  for  Carson 
County,  or  western  Utah,  has  been  already  noted; 
neither  the  Provisional  Government  or  the  county 
election  of  that  year  having  had  anj-  lej^al  base  for 
support. 

Judj^e  Child,  with  earnestness  equal  to  that  which 
had  prompted  the  eflbrt  of  lS5!t,  urii;ed  upon  the 
people  the  necessity  of  availing  themselves  of  such 
laws  as  were  operative  in  the  countiy  by  electin<; 
officers  to  execute  them.  August  0,  18G0,  was  the 
time  when  such  choice  might  be  legally  made,  and 
he  called  an  election  for  that  day,  after  first  divid- 
ing the  counties  into  fourteen  precincts.  St.  Jhuy's, 
Humboldt,  and  Carson  Counties  were  jointly  entitled 
to  one  member  of  the  Utah  Jjegislature. 

The  result  of  that  election  was  to  fill  the  vacant 
offices  of  Selectmen,  Sheriff,  Treasurer,  Surveyor, 
and  Member  of  the  Legislature,  which  gave  to  Car- 
son County,  by  election  and  appointment,  the  follow- 
ing-named persons  as  officers  in  1860: — 

CARSON    COUNTY    OFFICERS    IN    18C0. 

(1).  J.  S.  Child,  Probate  and  County-  Judge,  now 
in  Genoa. 

(2).     George  McNeir,  Clerk,  now  in  San  Francisco. 

(3).     S.  A.  Kinse}',  Recorder,  now  in  Genoa. 

(4).  W.  M.  Stewart,  Prosecuting  Attorney,  now 
in  Carson. 

(5).     Thomas  Condon,  Assessor  and  Collector,  now 

in  Carson. 

(G).     James  J.  Coildinglon,   ')       r,  ,     ,  , 

0).     William  Alford,  J       Selectmen,  salary 

(8).     1.  Williams,  ^*1,;.00   per    annum 

(9).     John  L.  HIackburn,  Sheriff,  killed  in  Carson. 
(10).     S.  H.  Marlette,  Surveyor,  now  in  Carson. 
(11).     11.  P.  Bland,  Treasurer. 
John  C.  James,  Legislature. 


(1).  S.ilary  lixi-il  ;it  $2,500  i«;r  year;  succcudud  by  Juiljje  I,. 
W.  K.OTia,  .Inly  :«),  ISlH. 

(•J).  .Salary  lixe.1  at  iJl.SOO  jicr  year,  Itcinovcil  frnm  iilficc 
Maroh  'JO,  INliO,  fur  alwciitiiig  liiiiiSflf,  ami  \V.  H.  Pi'ttit 
appiiirituil.  .May  U,  KSGl,  I'ettit  r.!)i',nieil,  ami  C'li.irlcs  V.  Cmi- 
fjer  was  a].iiiMiiU,-<l  the  •JOtli:  he  was  aucceiilcd  July  :<0,  1801,  liy 
N.   W.  Wiiitoi,. 

(3).  Hi.i  eleetii)!!  w,ia  iinsuccc.ssfiilly  coiitcsteil  liy  K  t".  Mmire, 
Decciiilier  3,  ISGO.  (iovenior  Nye  appointed  .Samiiel  U.  Kiiiy  to 
that  olliee  July  '-"J,  ISO  I. 


This  legislation  cost  Mr.  Kinsey  about  83,000.  It 
was  a  profitable  |)osition  on  account  of  the  recording 
of  mining  claims,  tiie  jiroceedH  of  the  oHice  aver- 
aging about  fifty  dollars  per  day.  Afr.  Morse  had 
run  as  a  candidate  at  the  election,  although  there 
was,  according  to  the  call,  no  vacanc}-;  and  failing 
to  get  a  division  in  his  favor  from  the  courts,  he 
opened  an  office,  and  the  minora,  not  knowing  who 
would  eventually  become  Recorder,  recorded  with 
both  Kinsey  and  Morse.  Mr.  Kinsey  retained  the 
old  Record  books.  Governor  Nyo  to  settle  the  dis- 
pute, appointed  a  third  party. 

COUNTY   COURT   ANU   REI'UIHATION    OP   DEBTS. 

The  first  session  of  the  County  Court  after  an 
interval  of  over  three  years  was  held  by  Judge  Child 
on  the  third  of  September  succeeding  the  election. 
This  Court  under  the  laws  of  Utah,  aided  by  the 
three  Selectmen,  performed  the  county  business  that 
now  is  transacted  in  Nevada  by  the  Count}-  Commis- 
sioners, and  in  other  States  by  a  Hoard  of  Supervisors. 

There  was  no  business  transacted  on  the  third  of 
September,  but  on  the  tenth  appear.^  the  following 
entry  uj)on  the  books:  ''The  Court  next  considered 
the  matter  of  county  indebtedness,  and  ordered  that 
all  county  scrip  issued  to  this  date  be  declared  void 
and  repudiated,"  On  that  same  day  commenced  the 
shower,  that  in  after  years  became  a  deluge,  of 
petitions  for  private  franchises  and  grants  of  water 
rights,  toll-roads,  bridges,  railroads,  etc. 

On  the  fourteenth,  the  county  was  divided  into 
fourteen  school  districts,  and  on  the  fifteenth,  the 
following  rates  for  licenses  were  established  lor 
county  revenue  purposes. 

RATES   OF    LICENSES. 

Billiard  T.aWe $10.00 

BowliiiK    Alley 10.00 

Theaters,  per  day .    .').(K) 

Theaters,  per  month 1  (KI.OI) 

Theaters,  three  months     "JOO.OO 

Theaters,  one  year 000.00 

Opera  or  (>)ncert,  same  as  Theater. 

Caravan  or  menajjerie,  for  each  e.xhihition 'JO. 00 

C'ireu.s,  .Slii,'ht  of  hand,  Wire  or  Kope-Dancers,  and  sneh 

per  day 10.00 

(4).  Appointeil  by  Probate  Court  Septemlwr  I'J,  1800.  He 
was  suceeeiliil  by  I'.  II.  Clayton. 

(0).  Appointed  by  tlie  court,  Septomlx;r  10,  1800.  The  olliee 
was  declareil  vacant  In^cause  of  illegality,  the  County  Treasurer 
lieins;  Collector  I'x  nfiii'in  of  Licenses,  and  on  the  sixteenth  of 
February,  1801,  V,.  C.  (.'ardoz^i  was  appointi-d  to  collect  the  tax 
in  .St.  Miiry's  ami  Hunilioldt  Counties  .-w  well  as  Carsiin  County, 
the  two  former  having  been  attached  to  Carsm  for  jmlicial  and 
revenue  purposes.  April  IJ,  ISlil,  the  Court  allowetl  the 
Assessor  and  his  deputy  ten  dollars  per  day  and  eijjht  per  cent, 
on  cnlleetioiis. 

(0).  liesi^neil  April  l.t,  1801,  to  takucfTect  on  thcsevcntocnth 
instant,  when  \V.  M.  .Stewart  was  appoint«Ml  to  lill  the  vacancy. 

(7).  Kcsii;necl  .Xpril  17,  ISOl;  acccptL'.l  .May  l.'Uh,  ami  the 
next  ilay  John  W.  (Irier,  of  fiilver  City,  was  .appointed  to  lill  the 
vacancy. 

(S).  Editor  ami  proprietor  of  TtrrKoriiU  Entrtpri*^^  com- 
missioned by  tlovcrnor  Nye,  .Inly  Ml,  1801. 

('.)).  T.  .1.  Atchinsmi  tiled  notice  of  intention  to  contest  the 
election  August  I'J,  ISOO.  .Mr.  Illackburn  was  kilhtl  ill  Carson 
by  William  .Mayliidd,  an<l  Novcndier  'J8,  I.SOl,  the  liCgislaturv 
otreretl  ,1  reward  of  ."JI.OtM)  for  the  arrest  of  his  munlerer. 

(10).      Wius  later  Surveyor  Ceneral  for  Nevad:i. 

(II).     .Salary   lixed  at  $1'J,'>  [ler  month  from  \ovend>cr  I,  1800. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


(Business  was  divided  into  three  classes  as  Ibllows )  : 

First  Class — Those   whose  sales    reached    85,000    ikt 

mouth,  quarterly  license 17.50 

Seco.s'd  Class — Those  whose  sales  were  less  than  $5,000, 

au'l  at  least  SI, 000  per  mouth,  nuarterly  liceuse. .       12.50 
Third  C'la.ss — Those  wliose  sales  were  less  than  §1,000, 

per  month,    quarterly  license 10.0) 

Traveling  merchants  or  jiack-peiUUers 12.51) 

And  if   they  used  a  pack-animal  or  wagon  to  convey 

their  gooils 35.00 

Hotels  or  Inns,  per  quarter 17.5  ) 

Saloons,  per  quarter 17. ."lO 

Pawnl>roker.<,    per  quarter 50. Oil 

Auctioneers,  per  quarter 30.00 

Stoek-Broker.s,    over  $100,000   in  business,  per  quarter      80.00 

Less  than  $100,000  ami  over  .$50,000  per  quarter 40.00 

Bankers  aud  dealers  in  l^xchauge,  if  business  was 

$200,000  aud   uu<ler   .$:50O,00O  per  month SO.OO 

If  business  was  $100,000  ami  under  $200,000  per  month      40.00 

If  business  w.as  less  than  $100,000  per  month 30.00 

This  Keveuue  Act  of  the  County  Court  was  repealed 
February  18,  ISO),  except  S(j  far  as  Liquor  Dealers 
and  Manufacturers  were  concerned,  and  their 
license  was  placed  at  per  quarter 15.00 

TOLL-ROAD  A.SD  BRIDGE   RATES. 

Established  from  Genoa  to  the  Ridge,  December,  5,  18G0. 

Carriage  or  wagon  with  six  or  eight  animals 2.50 

Carriage  or  wagon  with  four  animals 2.00 

Carriage  or  wagon  with  two  animals 1..50 

Pleasure  carriage  wiih  two  animals 2.00 

Buggy  with  one  animal 1.00 

Horseman  or  Pack  with  one  animal 25 

Loose  Stock  1  -JJ 

Same  rates  on  road  from  Chinatown  to  Palmyra. 
December  7,  1800. 

Toll  rates  when  not  specially  rated  : 

Wagon  with  six    or   eight   animals 2.00 

Wagon  with  four  animals l.ol) 

Wagon  with  two  anim  ils l.Ol) 

Carriage  or  Buggy  with  two  animals 75 

Horseman  or  pack-animals 12.', 

FIRST    RAILROAD    FRANCHISE. 

The  following  entries  also  appear  upon  the  record 
of  the  Count}'  Court,  indicating  an  earlj  faith  in  the 
future  of  the  Comstouk  Lode,  and  a  disposition  to 
take  time  by  the  forelock. 

October  4,  18G0— Petition  of  Leonard  L.  Tread- 
well  et  ul.  for  grant  of  railroad  from  Carson  City  to 
Virginia  City  ;  and  also  grant  of  water,  were  taken 
up,  and  being  duly  considered  and  examined,  the 
pra3"er  of  the  petitioners  was  granted. 

October  24,  1860 — Gonnin  and  Tulluck  arc 
granted  a  charter  bj'  the  County  Court,  to  construct 
a  railroad  "iVom  Virginia  City,  by  (Jold  Hill,  Silver 
City,  and  through  Gold  Canon  to  Johntown  *  * 
and  thence  down  to  Chinatown  and  the  Carson 
River." 

FIRST    COURT    HOUSE. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  September  the  Court,  while  in 
session  at  Genoa,  authorized  the  building  committee 
toe.\i>eii(l  not  to  exceed  8750  to  complete  the  Court 
House  in  that  place,  and  furnish  it.  This  was  an  old 
structure  being  repaired,  a  building  thirty  by  sixty 
feet,  one  and  one-half  stories  in  height.  Now  it  is 
clapboarded  in  front;  rough  boards  j)ut  uj)  endwise 
inelo.so  the  other  end  and  sides,  while  shakes  cover 
the  roof,  and  i>r<)bably  were  placed  there  by  the 
county  to  help  make  up  tl.e  cost  of  87.")0.  It  has 
been  twice  painted,  but  no  one  would  mistrust  this 
fact  from  its  ju'esent  look,  and  it  is  now  being 
occupied    as   a   stable.     In  the    ujiper   part   of   the 


building  Judge  Cradlebaugh  held  his  first  United 
States  District  Court,  access  to  it  being  had  through 
the  front  door  by  means  of  a  ladder  from  the  street. 
Later,  stairs  wei-e  built  from  the  sidewalk  up  to  it. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  building,  across  the  street, 
stands  the  Nevada  Hotel,  where  the  Roop,  or  Pro- 
visional Government,  Constitutional  Convention,  and 
later,  its  Legislature,  met  in  1859.  A  few  hundred 
feet  to  the  north  of  this  pioneer  court  building  still 
stands  the  first  house  built  in  Nevada,  the  old  Mor- 
mon Station,  a  log  structure  that  now  has  a  new 
roof  and  a  clapboard  front. 

NEVADA     INVOICED     BY     THE     DEPUTV    UNITED     STATES 
MARSHAL. 

At  the  State  Capitol  is  deposited  and  laid  away 
among  the  material  deemed  worthless  the  original 
books  of  the  census  records  of  Nevada  in  18G0,  from 
which  are  compiled  the  following  statistics.  They 
are  imjiortant,  being  an  exhibit  of  the  condition 
and  degree  reached  in  prosperity  of  Nevada  at 
that  lime. 

The  following  table  shows  the  dift'erent  kinds  of 
business,  and  its  extent  in  each  village  and  city  in 
the  countr}-,  and  is  a  volume  in  itself.  From  it 
there  appears  to  have  been  at  that  time,  in  what 
is  now  Nevada,  sixty-six  saloons,  no  preacher,  four 
school  teachers,  .six  printers,  nineteen  doctors,  and 
not  a  lawyer  practicing  his  profession. 

BUSINESS   STATISTICS   FOR    1860. 


BUSINESS    DIRECTORY 

OP 

1800  TAKEN  IN  AUGUST 


Hotels 

Boarding  Houses . 

llestaurants 

Saloons 

Stores 

IJarbers 

Carpenters 

Teamsters 

IJIacksmiths 

Jiootmakers    .  - .  . 

Jewelers 

Printers .  . 

I)octor8 

Dentists 

Lively  Stables... . 
Harness  Makera. . 

Upholsterers 

Tinners 

Painters 

School  Teachers.. 

Tailors 

Brewers .• 

Milliners 

Gunsmiths 

Speculators 

Lawyers 

Bakers 


3 
19 
3 
4 
9 
'> 

11 
7 
9 
1 
1 
1 


r 

M 


n 

C 

^ 

> 

w 

2  3 

r3  H 

a 

z 

o 
> 

. '  z 

o 

> 

19 

1 

15 

10 

6 


3 
5 

6 
42 
42 

8 
62 
68 
17 
14 

•> 

1 
<) 
1 
6 
1 
3 
9 
4 
2 
4 
3 
2 

1 
13 


16 


7 
2 

3 
10 
32 

6 
30 
46 
16 

(! 

1 

4 


19 
29 
15 
63 
109 
17 

lis 

131 

54 
•>•> 

4 
6 

19 
4 

14 
1 

10 

11 
9 
3 
4 
9 
2 

1 
21 

5 
28 


TKRRITORIAL   ORGANIZATION. 


There  should  bo  added  to  the  foregoing  list  to 
make  it  complete,  four  telegraph  operators  at  Car- 
son, and  one  in  Genoa,  two  druggists,  and  a  daguer- 
reau  urtipit  in  Carson,  The  enumeration  was  made 
in  August  by  J.  T,  Waters,  Deputj-  United  States 
Marshal. 

Long  Vallev — Three  public  houses,  ten  miners  and 
sixteen  ranchers;  the  balance  of  population  no  occu- 
pation given;   census  taken  in  September. 

SrE.\.MiioAT  Vali.ev — Two  niercliants,  two  public 
houses,  one  saloon,  and  two  blacksmiths;  census  taken 
in  September. 

Palmyra  District  (in  what  is  now  Lj-on  Count}-) — 
One  saloon  and  one  merchant;  census  taken  in  Sep- 
tember, 

Clinton  (now  Dayton) — Two  blacksmiths,  one 
shoemaker,  one  saloon,  one  merchant,  one  public 
house;  census  taken  in  September. 

Caeson  Valley — One  school  teacher,  three  hotels, 
and  throe  blacksmiths;  census  taken  in  October. 

Walker's  River  Vallev — Two  hotels,  and  one 
grocery;  census  taken  in  October. 

IIoNEV  Lake  Vallev  (taken  by  t'alit'ornia  Mar- 
shal)— Ills  claimed  that  along  the  border  over  L'JOO 
persons  were  enumerated  for  that  State  who  should 
have  been  credited  to  Nevada.  lie  also  saw  over 
2(tO  miners'  huts  made  of  willow,  that  were  aban- 
doned because  of  the  trouble  with  Indians. 

The  following  enumeration  of  population  at  Ilag- 
lown,  the  countrj-  between  there  and  Virginia  City, 
and  the  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  the  latter  place,  were 
enumerated  in  August,  all  the  valleys  along  the  base 
of  the  Sierra  being  reached  in  September  except 
('arson  Valley,  which  with  the  Walker  River  countiy 
was  taken  in  October. 

POPULATION    OF    NEVADA    IN    1860. 


SlIBnIVISIO.NII. 

White. 

Colored. 

Total. 

Dwelliuifs. 

Male. 

Female . 

5S4 
319 
ft-i 

i:« 

837 
80 
110 
610 
87 
47 
34 
80 
311 
Oil 
17S 

an 

97 

2198 

40 

18 

200 

167 

123 

8 

48 

12 

13 
10 
2 

714 
4.52 

78 
227 
319 

80 

6:is 

117 
49 
40 
80 
»i 

637 

196 
39 

105 

2345 

40 

24 

270 

CarHdli  Valley 

81 

Ka;,'le  Vallev 

64 

K..rt  Churchill 

5S 

Flowery  Mifiiii;;  Distriet 

24 

CciMia 

fjnlil  Hill 

28 
18 
29 
2 
« 

? 
1 

57 

.Itt<:k'8  Valley 

Loii;;  Valley 

>l»iiitniit)t  Ea^lo  nmrrlcl 

l'»iiit>Ta  Mining  District 

23 
14 
12 
2.'i 

tto^'tdwn 

Siher  Citv  

2 
25 
18 



11 

Su-aiiibiiut  Vallev 

58 

14 

Tnickec  .Mea<lowii 

8 
139 

6 

70 

8 

22 

SOS 

Virginia  ^linltitr  histrict 

Walker  Hi. or  Valley 

WiuHJHie  Valley 

8 
«0 

<';ir»nti  Count  V,  total 

Iluiulioliit  Countv,  total 

5957 
40 
105 

710 

4S 

6712 
40 
105 

2014 
8 

Saint  Mary'B  County,  total. 

15 

Total  o(  Nevada 

0102 

710 

46 

6' 57 

2fi37 

NirTK.— Of  the  free  colored  population  IB  are  male  and  2  Icinalc  niulntoes. 
At  < ienoa  uiie  »laoe  is  reported,  named  T.  J.  Sin(;leton,  a  female,  aged  4,'> yean. 

NATIVITY  OP    POPULATION. 

I  rish G5 1 

English 294 


German 454 

Scotch 98 

Mexicans .' 85 

Other  foreigners 482 

Total  foreign 2,()(i4 

Total  native 4,793 

Total  population G,857 


t;HAPTER     XII. 

TERRITORIAL   ORGANIZATION. 

1861. 

PolitiCTl  Events — Ai)iiointineiit.s  liy  (iovernor  Nye — Org.iniza- 
tioii  and  Kluctioiis  —  E.veeutive  Procl.imatiou — .ludicial 
Orj;aiii/,:itiiiu — Legislative  Orj;aiii/.atii)ii — Census  ami  Elec- 
tion Districts  —  Kirst  Territ.irial  Election — Mcmliers  of 
Teriitiiiiul  Council — Members  of  Huuse  of  Iteprcseutativcs — 
Territory  Diviileil  into  Counties — Special  Election  of  .Janu- 
ary 14,  18()i'— Election  of  Sei>teml)er  3,  ISti'J— Election  of 
tSeptemlM-'r  •_',  liSOH — Etforta  to  Become  a  .State— \'ote  For 
ami  Against  a  State  Government — Homograpliic  Chart — 
Third  House — The  Constitution  IJefeated— Vote  for  Dtlicers 
Under  the  Constitution — .Second  Attempt  to  Become  a 
State— Constitutional  Convention  Elected  June  litli,  and 
Assemhled  .Inly  14,  1864 — Votes  for  Congressional  Delegate 
— Constitutional  V'ote. 

Political  and  other  events  in  1861,  pertaining  to 
Carson  County,  chronologically  given  until  it  is 
merged  in  the  first  county  organization  of  Nevada 
bj-  Act  of  her  Legislature,  approved  November  25th 
of  that  year  as  follows: — 

January  8.  William  O.  Connor  filed  bonds  as 
Deputy  Sheriff  for  S2,000.  The  office  of  License 
Collector  declared  not  warranted  by  law  as  the 
County  Treasurer  had  those  duties  to  perform  ex 
officio. 

.Fanuary  18.  Territorial  law  passed  authorizing 
change  of  Carson  County  seat  of  justice  from  (tenoa 
to  Carson  City. 

February  11.  The  County  Court  declared  that 
Honey  Lake  Valley  was  within  the  limits  of  Carson 
County,  and  appropriated  8250  to  assist  any  one  in 
tile  legal  resistance  to  the  collection  of  ta.xes,  within 
th:it  valle^',  bj-  the  ollicers  of  Flumas  County.  Cali- 
fornia, and  March  9th  following,  that  section  was 
organized  as  District  No.  15. 

February  13.  Rates  of  taxation  in  Carson  County 
fixed  for  ISiil  at  one  and  one-half  per  cent,  for 
county  and  one-half  jjcr  cent,  for  Territorial  pur- 
poses. The  latter  was  remitted  on  the  following 
seventeenth  of  Juno  because  the  new  Territory  of 
Nevada  had  been  created  in  the  meantime. 

I''ebruary  14.  tJeorge  McNeir,  County  Clerk  and 
Auditor;  salary  fixe<l  at  81,S0()  per  year. 

February  15.  John  L.  Blackburn  allowed  81 ,3(1(1 
for  services  as  High  Sheriff,  and  J.  V.  Solo  jiresented 
bill  for  services  as  Deputy'  Sheriff. 

February  lU.  The  appointment  of  Assessor  and 
Collector  in  September  being  declared  illegal  and 
void,  the  Court  appointed  to  those  offices  ]•].  C.  Car- 
doza.     lie  was  to  collect   taxes   in  St.   Mary's  and 


76 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Humboldt  Counties  us  well  as  for  Carson,  those 
counties  haviiii^  been  added  to  the  latter  for  revenue 
and  judicial  pur])oscs. 

On  the  same  date  Judge  Child  was  authorized  by 
the  Count}'  Court  to  select  suitable  rooms  in  Carson 
City  for  holdini;  Ihc  March  term  of  Court,  the  counts- 
seat  having  been  moved  in  the  meantime  from  Genoa 
to  that  ]ilace;  8200  was  allowed  to  be  expended  in 
fitting  u])  such  rooms. 

February  19.  Date  of  last  entry  in  United  States 
District  Court  under  Judge  Cradlebaugh. 

March  1.  County  Court  met  in  Carson  City  for 
the  first  time.  Its  place  of  meeting  was  in  a  build- 
ing rented  of  George  Lewis  for  §175  per  month. 

March  2.  Congressional  Act  approved  creating 
Nevada  Territory'. 

March  7.  A  tax  of  one-fourth  of  one  per  cent, 
levied  to  be  continued  from  }-car  to  year,  to  raise  a 
fund  of  not  to  exceed  $15,000  with  which  to  build  a 
County  Court  llouse,  also,  one-half  of  one  per  cent, 
to  raise  that  same  amount  with  which  to  build  a  jail. 

March  8.  Poll-tax  fixed  at  three  dollars  or  two 
day's  work. 

March  22. 
of  Nevada. 

April  10. 

April  11. 


James  W.  Nj-e  commissioned  Governor 


George  McXeir  no  longer  County  Clerk. 
P.  H.  Cla^'ton  presented  a  bill  for  ser- 
vices as  Prosecuting  Attorney,  and  Thomas  Winn  as 
Deputy  Sheriff. 

April  12.  Assessor  and  his  Deputy  allowed  ten 
dollars  per  day  for  services,  and  eight  per  cent,  on 
amount  collected. 

April  18.  Selectman  J.  J.  Coddington  resigned  and 
Wellington  Stewart  was  appointed  on  the  seventeenth 
to  fill  the  vacancy.  On  this  last  date.  William  Alford 
resigned  as  Selectman,  and  May  14th,  John  W.  Grier 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

May  14.  The  salarj'  of  Probate  Judge  was  fixed 
at  §2,500  per  annum,  and  that  of  Selectmen  at  81,500. 

July  8.  Governor  James  W.  Nye  arrived  in  Car- 
son ('it  J'. 

July  11.  Governor  Nye  issued  his  proclamation 
organizing  the  Territory  of  Nevada. 

APPOINTMENTS    FOR   C.VKSON     COUNTY. 

The  following  appointments  by  Governor  Nye 
were  made  for  (Jarson  County  during  the  year  18(Jl  : 

J'robate  Judge,  L.  W.  Ferris,  Virginia  City,  July  29. 

Clerk,  Nelson  W.  Wiiiton,  Virginia  City,  July  29. 

Jiecorder,  Samuel  1).  King.  July  29. 

District  Attorney,  Marcus  D.  Larrowe,  August  12. 

T'ounty  Siirvej'or,  S.  11.  Marlette,  August  14. 

Treasurer,  AKerd  Helm,  August  20. 

Selectmen,  J.  Williams,  Chauncy  N.  Notowaro, 
George  W.  Grier.  .hily  81 .  John  F.  Long.  Septembei'  2. 

In  the  next  cha])ter  is  given  a  detail  of  events  that 
worked  the  change  by  which  Carson  County  was 
ab.sorbed  and  deprived  of  its  separate  existence.  It 
was  a  gradual  transformation. 


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DEATHS    IN    CARSON    COUNTY. 

The  following  deaths  occurred  within  a  year  ]irior 
to  June  1,  18(!0,  and  do  not  include  those  slain  by 
either  red  or  white  men: — 

FORT  CIIPRCIIILL. 

Robert  Murphj',  ago  2G,  drowned,  soldier. 
Charles  P.  Selmer,  age  28,  inflammation  of  bowels, 
soldier. 


oC't»?re/ci^^ 


Hon.  Lyman  L.  Crockett  was  born  March  1, 1S31, 
in  Waldo  ('ounty,  .Maine;  fame  to  the  Pacific  OoaHt 
by  way  of  the  l8thmu.s  of  Panama  in  1S51.  During 
the  succooding  nine  years  he  was  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing and  mining  in  California. 

In  18()0  ho  came  to  the  then  Territory  of  Utah 
and  worked  at  mining  for  one  year,  in  Washoe 
County.  In  lS(il  he  moved  to  Dayton,  Lj'on  County 
(then  called  Chinatown,  Carson  ('ounty,  Utah),  and 
built  the  first  hay  and  feed  stable  ever  opened  in  the 
town,  which  business  he  followed  for  about  one  and 
one-half  years,  when  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  remained  the  greater  part  of  his 
residence  there.  During  that  time  he  held  several 
])OHitionsof  trust  and  honor,  some  of  them  mentioned 
in  this  sketch.  In  1805  ho  was  appointed  United 
States  I)ei)Uty  Revenue  Assessor  for  liyon  ('ounty, 
and  was  also  United  States  Commissioner  and  Notary 
Pul)lic.  As  County  Cominissioner  and  Count)-  Re- 
corder and  ex  officio  Auditor,  as  well  as  in  his  various 
other  offices,  ho  accjuitted  himself  with  credit  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  constituency.  In  1870  ho  was 
I)eputy  Census  Enumerator  of  Lyon  County.  In 
1876  he  removed  to  Reno,  Washoe  County,  and 
again  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  also  in  the 
manufacture  of  gas.     In   1878  he  was  elected  to  the 


position  of  State  Treasurer,  on  the  Republican  ticket. 
Since  1863  ho  has  been  an  active  working  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  at  present  connected  with  the  same  lodge  in 
which  he  was  initiated  over  seventeen  years  ago. 
Ho  has  been  honored  by  his  brother  members  to  a 
high  degree,  having  held  many  positions  in  the  lodge; 
was  Representative  to  the  R.  W.  Grand  Lodge  for 
twelve  successive  years;  was  also  R.  W.  tJraiid  Treas- 
urer and  W.  G.  Chaplain.  In  186t)  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Order  of  F.  it  A.  M.,  joining  Valley 
Lodge,  No.  t),  at  Dayton,  in  which  he  has  held  sev- 
eral oflSces,  often  officiating  at  burials  in  the  absence 
of  clorg3-men.  He  has  always  rendered  assistance 
to  his  distressed  brethren,  and  many  live  to  testify 
to  his  generosity.  In  1861  he,  in  connection  with 
Judge  Calvin  Hall,  located  the  cemetery  at  Dayton, 
and  December  itth,  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Crockett 
dug  the  first  grave  therein.  Several  hundred  have 
since  found  a  resting-place  there;  among  them  arc 
two  children  that  once  cheered  the  household  of  Mr. 
Crockett.  He  has  a  residence  in  Reno,  Washoe 
County,  but  at  present  resides  in  Carson  City,  the 
duties  of  his  present  office  making  it  incumbent  on 
him  to  do  so.  Mr.  Crockett  was  married  in  October, 
18();5,  but  has  no  children  living. 


TERRITORIAL  ORGANIZATION. 


77 


Charles  Slapp,  ago  29,  drowned,  soldier. 
Fred.  Acaidel,  age  23,  drowned,  soldier. 

WA.SIIOE   VALLEY. 

John  Calvin,  ago  29,  typhoid  fever,  teamster. 

Senira  Perkins,  age  l(i.  typhoid  fever. 

Louisa  Perkins,  aged  4,  typhoid  fever. 

Chester  Harlow,  aged  1,  iuttamnialion  of  bowels. 

Harriet  Parks,  ago  25,  child  bed. 

Thomas  J.  Owsloy,  ago  2,  cholera  infantum. 

CARSO>J    VALLEY. 

Mary  E.  Jones,  age  40,  congestion  of  brain. 
William  Kdwards,  ago  51,  mountain  fever,  farmer. 
Iliram    Mott,  ago    29,   by    a    threshing    machine, 
farmer. 

Sarah  J.  Robinson,  ago  21,  typhoid  fever,  servant. 

WAOES  IN    18(!0. 

Farm  hands,  per  month,  ^50,  or  S:5  per  day  with, 
and  S3. 50  without  board. 

Female  help,  per  month,  S40,  with  board. 

Carpenters,  per  day,  without  board,  S7. 

Board  from  812  to  S2(i  per  week  to  laborers. 

Ruby  Valley,  in  St.  Mary's  Count}-,  has  but  one 
farm,  run  by  William  Rogers,  Indian  Agent.  Last 
winter  there  was  throe  feet  of  snow  in  the  valley, 
and  most  of  the  stock  died  for  want  of  feed. 
Mountains  highly  timbered  with  cedar  and  pine. 
No  minerals  yet  discovered  there. 

llu.MBOLUT  County. — No  inhabitants  in  the  county 
except  those  connected  vvith  the  mail  service.  The 
onlj-  things  not  human  seen  living  are  snakes,  liz- 
ards, and  crickets,  upon  which  the  Indians  are 
forced  to  live  a  portion  of  the  year.  "  Tho  county 
is  the  most  barren  of  any  I  ever  passed  over." 

J.  P.  Waters, 
United  States  Deputy  Marshal. 

First,  Congress  created  a  new  Territory  including 
it,  over  which  a  new  system  of  laws  ap])lie(l.  Then 
came  Governor  Nye,  who  applied  the  new  system  to 
tho  old  subdivision  as  they  had  existed  under  Utah. 
A  Legislature  then  met,  and  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
November,  ISGl,  the  Territory  was  segregated  into 
nine  counties,  among  whidi  the  old  names  of  St. 
Mary's  and  ('arson  found  no  ])laco.  The  Legislature 
enacted  that  the  records  of  the  county  erased  should 
be  turned  over  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for  safe 
kee])ing,  where  they  are  now  to  be  found.  Then  the 
legal  shadows  of  Utah  passed  from  that  portion  of 
the  Great  Basin  that  is  now  known  as  tho  Stale  of 
Nevada. 

OUdANIZATUtN    ANll    EI.KCTION. 

James  W .  Nye,  of  Madison  County,  New  York, 
was  commissioned  Governor  of  the  newlj'-created 
Territorj-  of  Nevada,  on  the  twenty-second  of  March, 
1801;  commissions  being  issued  on  the  lwentj--sev- 
enth  of  tho  same  month  to  Orion  Clemens,  as  Sec- 
retaiy;  to  Benjamin  15.  Hunker,  as  United  States 
Attorney;  and  (ieorge  Turner,  as  (Jhief  J  iistice;  his 
Associate  Justices  being  Horatio  M.  Jones  and  Gor- 
don N.  Mott. 
10 


In  July  of  that  3"ear  Governor  Nye  issued  tho 
following,  his  first  proclamation,  to  the  people  over 
whom  he  was  appointed: — 

EXECUTIVE    PnoOLAMATION. 
To  all  whom  it  may  concern — 

Whereas,  By  an  Act  of  Congress  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  entitled  "An  Act  to  organize  the 
Territory  of  Nevada,"  ajiproved  March  2,  ISfil,  a 
true  eo])y  of  which  is  lieri^to  annexed,  a  (iovern- 
meiit  was  created  over  all  the  country  described  in 
said  Act,  to  be  called  the  "Ten-ilory  of  Nevada;" 
and  whereas,  the  following-named  officers  have  been 
duU-  a])pointed  and  coiniuissioned  under  said  Act, 
as  officers  of  said  (iovernmenl,  viz.: — 

James  W.  Nye,  Governor  of  said  Territory,  Com- 
mander-in-Chief of  the  Militia  thereof,  and  Suiierin- 
tendent  of  Indian  Affairs  thei-ein;  Orion  Clemens, 
Secretary  of  said  Territorj-;  (ieorge  Turner,  Cliief 
Justice;  and  Horatio  M.  Jones  and  (Jordon  N.  Mott, 
Associate  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  said  Ter- 
litorj',  and  to  act  as  Judges  of  the  District  Court  for 
said  Territorj-;  Benjamin  H.  Hunker,  Attorney  of 
the  United  States  for  said  Territor}-;  I).  Bates,  ilar- 
shal  of  the  United  States  for  said  Territory;  and 
John  W.  North.  Surveyor  General  for  said  Territory; 
and  the  said  (Governor  and  the  other  officers  having 
assumed  the  duties  of  their  said  oflices,  according  to 
law,  said  Territorial  Government  is  hereby  declared 
to  be  organized  and  established,  and  all  persons  are 
enjoined  to  conform  to,  respect,  and  obey  the  laws 
thereof  accordingly. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  said  Terri- 
tory this  eleventh  day  of  July,  a.  d.  18t!l,  and  of  the 
independence  of  the  United  States  of  America  tho 
eighty-fifth.  James  W.  Nve, 

Governor  of  Nevada  Territoi-y. 

Governor  Nye  filled  the  several  offices  created  by 
the  first  Legislative  Assembly  with  tho  following- 
named  gentlemen;  and  thus  tho  swaddling-clothes 
of  government  were  )iHt  U])on  Nevada,  transforming 
liei-,  an  infant,  into  the  sisterhood  of  Territories. 

ArroINTEO    1!V    (iOVERNOIt    .JAMES    W.    NYE. 

January  1,  18ti2,  Warden  of  Prison,  Abraham 
Curry. 

February  1,  18(12,  Treasurer,  John  TL  Kinkead. 

February  1,  18(12,  Auditor,  Perry  (i.  Child. 

February  24,  18t)2,  School  Superintendent,  William 
(J,  Blakely. 

September  8,  18G3,  Auditor,  vice  Child,  resigned, 
William  W.  Rose. 

December  24, 18()3,  Superintendent  Public  Instruc- 
tion, for  two  years,  A.  F.  White. 

At  a  later  date  tho  following  officers  succeeded 
those  in  the  positions  named  who  arrived  with  (iov- 
ernor  Nye: — 

August  .il,  18(j;!,  Ciiited  States  Attorney,  Theo. 
Mdwards. 

October  2,  18(13,  Judge  First  District  Court,  John 
W.  North. 

October  14,  1803,  Assistant  Justice  Siii)remo  Court, 
Powhattan  B.  Locke. 

JUDICIAL   OROANIZATION. 

On  the  Bovcntccnth  of  Jul}-  another  proclamation 


78 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


was  iesned,  this  time  to  establish  Judicial  Districts, 
over  which  to  aBHijrn  the  three  Judges  for  duty,  and 
the  division  was  a  peculiar  one. 

District  No.  1,  to  which  Gordon  X.  Mott  was 
assigned,  included  all  of  Carson  County  lying  west 
of  the  one  hundred  and  eighteenth  degree  of  longi- 
tude, and  embraced  what  now  is  Washoe,  Ormsby, 
Douglas,  Storey,  Lj'on  and  most  of  Churchill, 
Counties.  Within  it  was,  practically,  all  the  white 
population  of  the  Territory. 

The  Second  District  embraced  that  part  of  Nevada 

ing  east  of  No.  1,  and  between  the  one  hundred 
and  seventeenth  and  one  hundred  and  eighteenth 
degrees  of  longitude,  and  J.o  it  was  assigned  Chief 
Justice  George  Turner  to  preside  over  a  country 
inhabited  by  whites  at  the  stage  stations,  Shoshonos 
and  Pah-Utes. 

The  third  was  given  to  Judge  Horatio  M.  Jones, 
and  included  all  the  Territory  lying  east  of  the  one 
hundred  and  seventeenth  degree  of  longitude,  within 
which  were  a  few  more  stage  stations,  and  quite  a 
number  of  Shoshone  and  Gosh-Ute  Indians. 

The  proclamation  further  stated,  that  the  terms  of 
Court  in  the  First  District  were  to  last  two  weeks, 
commencing  at  Virginia  City  on  the  twenty-third  of 
July,  to  alternate  between  Carson  and  that  place, 
and  closed  with  the  following  : — 

The  times  and  places  for  holding  terms  of  the  Dis- 
trict Court,  in  the  Second  and  Third  District,  will  be 
designated  in  a  subsequent  proclamation. 

LEGISLATIVE   ORGANIZATION. 

The  next  thing  in  order,  after  having  insured  an 
equitable  dispensation  of  law,  among  the  whites  as 
well  as  among  the  Indians,  by  the  assignment  of 
Judges,  was  the  organization  of  a  Territorial  Govern- 
ment, or  to  set  the  wheels  of  State  in  motion.  In 
pursuance  of  this  purpose,  another  proclamation  was 
issued,  July  24th,  that  districted  as  follows,  the  Ter- 
ritorj',  for  census  and  election  purposes,  appointing 
Dr.  Ilcnry  De  Groot,  of  Carson  City,  to  take  charge 
of  enumeration,  and  make  returns  of  the  number  of 
population  in  Nevada,  on  the  twenty-second  of  that 
month  and  year:  — 

CENSUS   AND    ELECTION    UISTRICTS   OF    18G1. 

District  No.  1,  Genoa,  including  all  of  Carson  Val- 
ley south  of  Clear  Creek.     Population,  1,057. 

District  No.  2.  Carson  City,  including  Eagle  Val- 
ley, and  that  portion  of  Carson  Valley  north  of  Clear 
Creek,  and  to  a  point  three  miles  south  of  Empire 
City.     Population.  2,076. 

District  No.  y,.  Empire  City  and  vicinity.  Popula- 
tion, 02ft. 

District  No.  4,  Silver  City  and  vicinity.  Popula- 
tion, 1,022. 

District  No.  5,  Gold  Hill  and  vicinity.  Population, 
1,297. 

District  No.  6,  Virginia  City  and  vicinity,  includ- 
ing what  is  known  as  Flowery  District.  Population, 
3,284. 


District  No.  7,  Washoe,  including  the  Washoe  Val- 
ley, and  all  the  territor}'  south  of  the  divide  between 
Washoe  Vallej-  and  Steamboat  Creek.  Population, 
1,005. 

District  No.  8,  Steamboat  Creek  and  Truckee  Val- 
ley.    Population,  608. 

District  No.  9,  Pyramid  District,  including  all 
territory  north  of  Truckee  Valley,  from  a  point  where 
the  Truckee  River  enters  the  mountains  below  Gates 
and  Gage's  Crossing,  and  west  of  Pyramid  Lake. 
Population,  1,073. 

District  No.  10,  Humboldt  City  and  vicinity,  in- 
cluding the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  and  Silver  Hill. 
Population,  469. 

District  No.  11,  Fort  Churchill  District,  including 
the  Carson  Valley,  from  a  point  ten  miles  below 
Empire  City  to  the  sink  of  the  Carson.  Population, 
569. 

District  No.  12,  The  valley  of  Walker  Eiver  and 
all  territory  south  and  east  of  it.  Population,  3,286. 
Making  the  total  population,  16,374. 

The  number  of  population  being  ascertained,  the 
next  move  in  order  was  the  calling  of  an  election  to 
choose  a  Delegate  to  Congress,  and  a  Legislative 
Body  for  the  Territory.  This  was  done,  and  the 
election  occurred  on  the  thirty-first  of  August,  1801, 
resulting  as  follows  : — 

FIRST   TERRITORIAL   ELECTION    DELEGATE    TO     CONGRESS. 

The  Union  vote  was  4,300;  Democrat,  985. 

John  Cradlebaugh  received  votes 1,806 

Charies  E.  OIney,         "  "      1,593 

("haries  H.  Bryan,        "  "      .    90l 

William  F.  Anderson,  "  ■  "      985 

Scattering  "      6 

Total  Vote 5,291 

.MEMBERS  OF   TERRITORIAL   COUNCIL. 

District  No.  1,  J.  W.  Pugh,  413  votes,  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  642. 

District  No.  2,  Ira  M.  Luther,  313  votes,  throe  can- 
didates; total  vote,  313. 

District  No.  3,  Wm.  M.  Stewart,*  557  votes,  three 
candidates;  total  vote,  1,095. 

District  No.  4,  John  W.  Grier,t  477  votes,  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  726. 

District  No.  5,  Thomas  Hannah,  220  votes,  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  386. 

District  No.  6,  A.  W.  Pray,  671  votes;  J.  L.  Van 
Bokkelen,  635  votes;  six  candidates;  total  vote, 

District  No.  7,  Solomc)n  Geller,J  134  votes,  four 
candidates;  total  vote,  408. 

District  No.  8,  none  elected. 

District  No  9,  Isaac  lloop,  62  votes,  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  68. 

•  Resignefl  in  1862. 

+  Resigned  October  23,  1 86 1 ,  and  a  special  elccti'm  culled  in 
Lyon  County,  to  choose  his  successor  November  3,  1862. 

t  George  \V'.  Hejipcrly  contested  for  the  seat,  but  faileil  lo  sus- 
tain the  charge  of  illegal  votes  cast  at  Huffaker  polls,  upon 
which  his  claim  depended. 


TEIUUTUKIAL  URGANIZATIUN. 


79 


MEMBERS   OF   HOUSE   OV    REPRESENTATIVES. 

District  N<>.  1,  Samuel  Yoiiiifjs,  M^  votes;  William 
E.Teall, 320 votes;  seven  caiulidates;  totalvote,  1,327. 

District  No.  2,  James  McLean,  180  votes,  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  31G. 

District  No.  3,  W.  P.  Harrington,  Jr.,  526  votes; 
John  D.  Winters,  652  votes;  six  candidates;  total 
vote,  2.105. 

District  No.  4,  William  L.  Card,  365  votes;  K.  M. 
Ford,  330  votes;  five  candidates;  total  vote,  1,341. 

District  No.  5,  John  11.  Mills,  ISO  votes,  three  can- 
didates; total  vote,  394. 

District  No.  6,  Mark  IT.  15ryan,  (Ml  votes;  Ejihraim 
Durham,*  582  votes;  Miles  N.  Mitchell,  623  votes; 
nine  candidates;  total  vote,  3,333. 

District  No.  7,  Edward  C.  Ing,  205  votes;  J. 
H.  Stnrtovant,  297  votes;  four  candidates;  total 
vote,  728. 

District  No.  8.  William  J.  Osborn,  215  votes,  three 
candidates;    total  vote,  4(52. 

District  No.  9,  John  V.  Wright,  52  votes,  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  58. 

After  the  election,  another  proclamation  was  made 
declaring  the  result,  and  naming  October_l,  1861,  as 
the  time,  and  ("arson  City  us  the  place,  for  the  mem- 
bers to  "  meet  in  Legislative  Asseinldy." 

Congress  had  named  820,000  in  gi-eenbacks  as  the 
amount  that  could  be  expended  per  year  in  support- 
ing a  Tci-ritorial  (iovei  iimeiit  for  Nevada;  and  the 
fear  of  not  over  prompt  pay  added  to  the  fact  that 
greenbacks,  the  U.  S.  currency,  were  onlj-  worth 
about  forty  cents  on  the  dollar,  caused  the  people  to 
look  with  reserve  upon  the  new  scheme  of  Govern- 
ment that  came  with  oflicei"s  imported  to  run  it.  The 
Assembly  was  called  to  meet  at  Carson,  but  there 
was  no  one  there  who  would  i-cnt  the  Government  a 
place  on  credit  for  the  members  to  meet  in. 

Mark  Twain,  whose  brother  was  Territorial  Sec- 
retary at  the  time  says  in  his  "  Roughing  It": — 

But  when  Curry  hoard  of  the  (iifliculty,  he  came  for- 
ward solitary  and  alone,  and  shouicU'rcd  the  Ship  of 
State  over  the  bar  ami  got  her  afloat  again.  1  refer  to 
"  Cuvry—0/<l  Curry— Old  Aim  Curry."  But  for  him 
the  Legislature  would  have  been  obliged  to  sit  in  the 
desert.  Ho  otfoivd  his  iai-gc  stone  building  Just  out- 
side the  (•a|)ital,  rent  IVoc,  and  it  was  ghullj"  ac- 
cepted. Then  ho  built  a  horse-railroad  from  town  to 
the  ca]iital,  and  carried  the  Legislators  gratis.  He 
also  furnished  j)ine  benches  and  chairs  for  the  I>egis- 
laturc,  and  covered  the  floors  with  clean  saw-dust  bj- 
way  of  car|)et  and  s|)ittoon  combined.  Hut  for  Curry 
the  Government  would  have  died  in  its  tender  in- 
fancy. A  canvas  jiartilion,  to  sejjarate  the  Senate 
from  the  House  of  liopresentatives,  was  put  u|)  by 
the  Secretary,  at  a  cost  of  three  dollars  and  forty 
cents,  but  the  rniled  States  <ioclinod  to  paj-  for  it. 
Upon  being  roniimled  that  the  "instructions"  j)er- 
mittcd  llio  p;iyinont  of  a  liberal  rent  lor  a  legislative 
hall,  anil  that  that  money  was  saved  to  the  country 
by   Mr.   Curi-y's  generosity,   the  United  States  said 

*  Was  from  jVirginia  City,  and  R.  W.  liillutt  contcHtcd  with 
him  the  Bi'iit  in  tlic  Iloiinv,  on  the  grounds  of  iiun-residence,  but 
failed  to  iiiaintitiii  the  position. 


that  did  not  alter  the  matter,  and  the  three  dollars 
and  forty  cents  would  bo  subtracted  from  the  Secre- 
tary's eightoen-hundred-dollar  salary — and  it  wm .' 

The  following,  also  from  Mark  Twain's  book,  is  in 
several  particulars  an  exaggeration  of  facts,  but  for 
all  that  gives  so  strong  an  impression  of  the  general 
surroundings  at  the  time,  that  we  give  it  in  full: — 

The  matter  of  printing  was  from  the  beginning  an 
interesting  feature  of  the  new  Government's  diflicul- 
ties.  The  Secretary  was  sworn  to  obey  his  volume 
of  written  "  instructions,'  and  these  commanded  him 
to  do  two  certain  things  without  fail,  viz.: — 

1.  Got  the  House  and  Senate  journals  printed, 
and, 

2.  For  this  work,  pay  one  dollar  and  tifty-cents 
per  "  thousand  "  for  composition,  and  one  dollar  and 
fifty-cents  per  "  token "  for  ])ress-work,  in  green- 
backs. 

It  was  easy  to  swear  to  do  these  two  things,  but 
it  was  entirely  impossible  to  do  more  than  one  of 
them.  When  greenbacks  had  gone  down  to  forty 
cents  on  the  dollar  the  jirices  regularly  charged 
every bod3' by  ])rinting  establishments  were  81.50  ])er 
"thousand,"  and  81  5(1  ]ier  '-token,"  in  (/old.  The  "in- 
structions" comniandod  that  the  Secretary  regard  a 
paper  dollar  issued  by  thotiovernmont  as  eipial  to  any 
other  (loUur  issued  by  the  Govornment.  Hence  the 
printing  of  the  journals  was  dist'onlinuod.  Then 
the  United  Slates  stt'rnly  roliuUed  the  Secretary  for 
disregarding  the  "instructions."  anil  warned  him  to 
correct  his  ways.  Whereupon  he  got  some  printing 
done,  and  forwarded  the  bill  to  Washington*  with 
full  exhibits  of  the  high  ])rice8  of  things  in  the  Ter- 
ritory, and  called  attention  to  a  printed  market 
report,  wherein  it  would  be  observed  that  even  hay 
was  8250  a  ton.  The  United  States  responded  by 
substracting  the  ])rinting-bill  from  the  Secretary's 
suffering  salary;  and,  moreover,  remarked,  with 
dense  gravity,  that  he  would  find  nothing  in  his 
"instructions"  reijuiring  him  to  purchase  hay! 

Nothing  in  this  world  is  ])alled  in  such  impenetrablo 
obscurity  as  a  United  States  Treasury  Controller's 
understanding.  The  very  tires  of  the  hereaftercould 
get  up  nothing  more  than  a  litful  glimmer  in  it.  In 
the  days  1  s])eak  of  ho  never  could  be  made  to  com- 
prehend why  it  was  that  .i?20,00(l  would  nt)t  go  as  far 
in  Nevada,  where  all  commodities  ranged  at  an  enor- 
mous figure,  as  it  would  in  the  other  Territories, 
whore  exceeding  chea])ness  was  the  rule.  Ho  was 
an  officer  who  looked  out  for  the  little  expenses  all 
the  time.  The  Secretary  of  the  Territory  ke])t  his 
ofiice  in  his  bed-room,  as  I  have  before  remarked; 
and  he  charged  the  United  States  no  rent,  although 
his  "instructions"  ])rovided  for  that  item,  and  ho 
could  have  just'}'  taken  advantage  of  it  (a  thing 
which  I  W(Milil  have  done  with  more  than  lightning 
jiromptness  if  1  had  been  Secretary  mj'self);  but 
the  United  States  never  a|i|>lauiled  this  devotion, 
indeed,  I  think  my  country  was  ashamed  to  have  so 
ini|)rovident  a  ]ierson  in  its  em]iloy. 

Those  "instructions  "  (wo  used  to  read  a  chapter 
from  them  every  morning  as  intellectual  gymnastics, 


*  Wo  notice  in  thoso  procoodings  that  (rovernnr  Nye's  me«- 
sago  to  the  I,p^;islative  Asswnhly,  coverinK  eleven  pages  in  tho 
book,  was  printed  viTbatiin  twite  over,  inakiii);  twenty  two 
jjages  in  all.  It  is  an  exwllent  niessijii',  tilled  with  a  p.itiiotio 
(ire  so  characteristic  of  the  'Hiray  ICanle,"  as  the  (iovernnr  later 
came  to  be  called;  but  it  would  seem  that  one  insertion  under 
the  trying  pc'cuiiiary  circumstances  would  have  l)ecn  enough 
even  for  that  message. 


80 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  a  couple  of  chapters  in  Sunda5'-school  every  Sab- 
bath, for  thoy  treated  of  all  subjects  under  the  sun 
and  had  much  valuable  relitrious  matter  in  them 
aionfi  willi  the  other  statistics),  those  "illustrations" 
commanded  that  ])en  knives,  envelopes,  pens,  and 
writinj^  paper  be  lurnished  the  members  of  the  Leg- 
islature, so  the  Secretary  inade  the  purchase  and 
distribution.  The  knives  cost  three  dollars  apiece. 
There  was  one  too  many,  and  the  Secretary  gave  it 
to  the  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives.  The 
United  States  said  the  Clerk  of  the  Ilouse  was  not  a 
"member"  of  the  Legislature,  and  took  that  three 
dollars  out  of  the  Secretary's  salary  as  usual. 

White  men  charged  three  or  lour  dollars  a  "load" 
for  sawing  up  stove  wood.  The  Secretary  was  saga- 
cious enough  to  know  that  the  L'nited  States  would 
never  pay  any  such  price  as  that;  so  he  got  an 
Indian  to  saw  up  a  load  of  office  wood  at  one  dollar 
and  a  half.  lie  made  out  the  usual  voucher,  but 
signed  no  name  to  it — simply  aj)pended  a  note 
explaining  that  an  Indian  had  done  the  work, 
and  had  done  it  in  a  very  capable  and  satisfactor^- 
waj'.  but  could  not  sign  the  voucher  owing  to  lack  of 
ability  in  the  necessary  direction.  The  Secretary 
had  to  paj'  that  dollar  and  a  half  He  thought  the 
United  States  would  admire  both  his  econom}-  and 
his  honest}-  in  getting  the  work  done  at  half-pi'ice 
and  not  putting  a  pretended  Indian's  signature  to 
the  voucher,  but  the  United  States  did  not  see  it  in 
that  light.  The  L'nited  States  was  too  much  accus- 
tomed to  employing  dollar- and-a-half  thieves  in  all 
manner  of  official  capacities  to  regard  his  explanation 
of  the  voucher  as  having  an}-  foundation  in  fact. 

But  the  next  time  the  Indian  sawed  wood  for  us  I 
taught  him  to  make  a  cross  at  the  bottom  of  the 
voucher, 

his 

WaW-HO  X  NO-PAH. 
mark 

It  looked  like  a  cross  that  had  been  drunk  a  j-ear — 
and  then  I  "  witnessed  "  it  and  it  went  through  all 
right.  The  United  States  never  said  a  word.  1  was 
Borry  I  had  not  made  the  voucher  for  a  thou.sand 
loads  of  wood  instead  of  one.  The  Goverrment  of 
my  countrj-  snubs  honest  simplicitj-  but  fondles 
artistic  villain}-,  and  1  lhiid<  I  might  have  developed 
into  a  very  capable  pick-jjocket  it'  I  had  remained  in 
the  public  service  a  year  or  two. 

That  was  a  fine  collection  of  sovereigns,  that  first 
Nevada  Legislature.  They  levied  taxes  to  the 
amount  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars  and 
ordered  ex])cnditures  to  the  extent  of  about  a  mil- 
lion. Yet  they  had  their  Iit4le  jieriodical  cx])losions 
of  economy  like  all  other  bodies  of  the  kind.  A 
member  projiosed  to  save  three  dollars  a  day  to  the 
nation  by  disjicii^iiiLC  with  the  Cliajilain.  And  ye* 
that  shorl-siglitcii  man  needed  the  Chaplain  more 
than  any  other  member,  )>erhiijis,  for  he  generally 
sat  with  his  feet  on  his  desk,  eating  raw  turnij)s, 
during  the  morning  prayer. 

The  Legislature  s:tt  sixty  days,  and  passed  private 
toll-road  franchises  all  the  time.  When  they  ad- 
journed it  was  esiimated  that  every  citizen  owned 
about  three  franchises,  and  it  was  believed  that  un- 
less Congress  gave  the  Territory  another  degree  of 
longitude  there  would  not  be  room  enough  to  accom- 
modate the  toll  roads.  The  ends  of  them  were  hang- 
ing over  the  boundary  line  everywhere  like  a  fringe. 

The  fact  is.  the  treigliting  bu.-iiiess  li:id  grown  to 
such  important  j)roporlioMs  that  there  was  nearly  as 
much  excitement  over  suddenly  ac(|uired  toll-road 
fortunes  as  over  the  wonderful  silver  mines. 


This  first  Legislature  held  a  forty-nine  days' 
session,  and  adjourned  November  29lh,  after  having 
passed  complete  civil  and  criminal  codes  for  the  Ter- 
ritory. Their  enactments  and  joint  resolutions,  after 
compilation,  covered  518  pages  of  a  royal  octavo 
book,  eight  of  which  are  devoted  to  toll-road  fran- 
chises, only  six  of  them  having  been  granted.  We 
mention  these  facts,  because  of  the  wholesale  exag- 
geration in  this  particular  by  Mark  Twain,  which 
has  left  a  false  impression  of  the  efforts  and  character 
of  that  first  Assembly. 

TERRITORY    DIVIDED    INTO    COUNTIES. 

By  an  Act  approved  November  25,  1861,  the  Ter- 
ritory was  divided  into  nine  counties  by  name  as  fol- 
lows :  Churchill,  Douglas,  Esmeralda,  Humboldt, 
Lake  (changed  to  Roop,  December  5,  1802),  Lyon, 
Ormsby,  Storey,   Washoe. 

Humboldt,  Churchill,  and  Esmeralda  Counties 
included  about  four-fifths  of  the  total  area  of  the 
Territory  ;  the  other  counties  the  principal  popula- 
tion. 

After  the  division  into  counties  it  became  neces- 
sary to  breathe  the  breath  of  political  life  into  those 
subdivisions,  which  was  done  in  the  following  man- 
ner: The  two  branches  of  the  Assembly  met  in  joint 
convention,  and  nominated  thrge  Commissioners  for 
each  county,  who  were  commissioned  by  the  Gov- 
ernor. It  was  the  duty  of  those  appointed  to  meet  in 
their  respective  localities  and  apportion  the  same 
into  voting  precincts,  and  prejiare  for  a  general  elec- 
tion, to  be  held  on  the  ensuing  fourteenth  of  Janu- 
ary, 18G2,  at  which  time  county  officers  were  to  be 
chosen.  Probate  Judges  and  District  Attorneys  for 
the  several  counties  were  given  a  two  years' appoint- 
ment by  the  Governor,  upon  the  recommendation  of 
the  joint  House.  For  the  result  of  that  election  see 
the  several  county  histories  in  this  work. 

This  election  of  January  14,  1802,  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  choosing  county  officers  to  serve  until  their 
successors  were  entitled  to  supersede  them;  and  it 
was  provided  that  their  successors  should  be  voted 
for  on  the  third  of  Sejitember  the  same  year.  There 
were  conscijuently  three  sets  of  officials  in  1802  for 
some  of  the  counties  in  the  Territory ;  one  by  appoint- 
ment, and  two  elected. 

At  the  election  of  September  ?,d,  twenty-six  Ter- 
ritorial IJcpreseiitatives,  five  Councilmen,  and  a  Dele- 
gate to  the  Ilouse  of  Representatives,  were  chosen. 
The  votes  cast,  and  names  of  successfid  candidates 
for  the  first  two  ])osiiions  named,  are  given  in  the 
county  histories,  for  the  latter  it  was  as  follows: — 

ELFXTION    OK    SEl'TEMIIER    3,    1802. 

Candidates  for  Delegates  to  Congress: — 

Gordon  N.  Mott 2,838 

John  D.   Winters 1,682 

J.J   M usser 1,710 

J.   II.  Rals'on 904 

Scattering  Votes •- 35 

7,169 


^H^^c^^Z^<..'^^^^--C^/^ 


Hon.  Jasper  Baucock,  Secretary  of  State  of 
Nevada,  is  a  native  of  Ashford,  Windham  Countj^, 
Connecticut  and  was  born  April  G,  1821.  His  par- 
ents moved  into  the  State  of  New  Yorli,  and  that 
became  the  field  of  his  business  operations  up 
to  1852.  He  was  a  heavy  railroad,  canal  and  build- 
ing contractor,  the  construction  of  fifteen  miles  of 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad  being  one  among  the 
numerous  operations  of  his  in  this  lino. 

In  1852  ho  moved  to  the  Pacific  Coast  for  the  pur- 
pose of  continuing  his  business  in  San  Francisco;  and 
for  a  time  was  very  successful,  many  of  the  extensive 
grading  contracts  in  that  city  in  early  days  being 
ojicrated  by  him,  until  ho  began  to  feel  as  though 
fortune  was  being  very  kind  to  him.  Hut  one  day, 
Henry  Mciggs,  who  had  caused  the  illegal  issuance 
of  large  amounts  of  city  scrip,  suddenly  disappeared, 
and  that  class  of  paper  fell  from  eighty  cents  on  the 
dollar,  to  ten.  Mr.  Habcock  had  on  hand  and  duo 
him  in  that  class  of  ])aper,  over  812(1,00(1  at  the  time, 
875,000  of  which  was  pledged  for  borrowed  money, 
and  in  a  daj'  he  was  bankrupt,  but  ho  paid  every 
dollar  of  his  debts  and  then  wont  to  work  for  a 
salary. 

From  that  time  forward  his  career  has  boon  rather 
of  a  checkered  one,  divided  between  mining  in  Cali- 


fornia, Arizona  and  Nevada,  speculating  in  real  es- 
tate, and  operating  water  ditches.  In  1873  ho  came 
to  Nevada  to  take  charge  of  a  mining  enterprise  on 
the  Comstock,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  State. 

Before  his  first  sottlomont  in  Virginia  City  ho  had 
succeeded  in  mending  his  broken  fortunes  and  in 
accumulating  a  competence;  but  it  was  swept  away 
in  a  stock  zephyr,  and  he  was  left,  at  between 
fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  with  only  his  reputation, 
his  business  qualifications,  his  energy  and  friends,  to 
start  in  life  again,  to  build  from  the  bed-rock  up. 

He  is  now  a  widower,  with  one  son  and  three 
daughters  living. 

Mr.  Babcock  has  not  made  politics  a  business  or 
a  study,  but  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  Cali- 
fornia in  185!)  as  a  Douglas  Democrat,  and  follow- 
ing the  advice  of  his  groat  loader,  became  from  the 
first  an  uncompromising  sui)porter  of  the  Union 
movement,  and  naturally  floated  into  the  ranks  of  the 
Republican  party. 

In  187(1  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  from 
Storey  County,  and  Secretary  of  State  for  Nevada 
in  1878,  for  a  term  of  four  years,  having  for  his 
deputy,  Mr.  James  G.  Chosloy,  a  very  competent 
and  genial  gentleman. 


TERRITORIAL  ORGANIZATION. 


81 


EFFORTS  TO  BECOME  A  STATE. 

At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1862,  an  Act 
was  passed  that  will  be  found  on  page  128  of  the 
Statutes  of  that  year,  that  authorized  at  the  general 
election  in  September  of  1803,  the  choice  of  Dele- 
gates to  frame  a  State  Constitution  to  be  submitted 
to  the  peoj)le  for  their  ap]iroval.  At  the  same  time 
the  question  was  submitted  of  whether  the  people 
desired  a  State  Government,  with  the  following 
results: — 

VOTE     FOR    AND     AGAINST     A    STATE    OOVERN.MENT 
SEPTEMBER   2,    1803. 

FOR         A8A1NST 

Churchill  and  Lyon  Counties. .  849  288 

Douglas  County- 193  119 

Esmeralda   County 539  72 

Jlumboldt  County 503  489 

Lander  County 583  87 

Ormsby  County 002  147 

Storey  Count}- - 2.415  155 


Washoe  County. 


91G 


145 


Totals 6,660  1,502 

Majority  for  a  State  Government 5,158 

The  people  having  decided  by  such  an  emjjhatic 
majority  in  favor  of  putting  on  the  robes  of  Slate, 
caused  the  Delegates  to  assemble  at  Carson  City  on 
the  second  of  November  after  election,  with  a  strong 
faith  in  the  eventual  adoption  of  wlialever  Constitu- 
tion they  should  iVanio. 

The  Convention  sessions  were  continued  until 
December  11th,  and  an  instrument  was  framed  that 
in  most  particulars  was  the  same  as  the  one  under 
which  Nevada  later  became  a  State  in  the  Union. 
Due  attention  was  paid  by  many  Delegates  to  the 
chances  of  future  preferment  in  a  jjolitical  waj-,  this 
fact  being  particularly  noticeable  in  William  M. 
Stewart,  ofStorey  County,  who  laterbecame  Nevada's 
United  States  Senator.     Mark  Twain  was  a  reporter 


HOMOGRAPHIC     CHART 

— OF  THE — 


Members  Constituting  the  Constitutional  Convention   of  November,  1863, 

AS   PREPARED    BY  THE  CONVENTION'S  SECRETARY,  WM.  M.  GILLESPIE. 


Delegates. 


Ciiunty 
Represented 


Alban,  Win.  G  ... 
B.1II.  Xath'l  A.  H, 
Bcclitel,  Krud'k  K 
Bryan,  C'lias.  II  . 
Brdsnaii,  C.  M  . . 
C'liapin,  Sam  I  A. 
C'ulliiis,  John  A.  . 
Conner,  Henry  .  . 
Corey,  James  C. . . 
Uorscy,  Edward  B 

Knt,  Fred'k  A 

Epler,  W'm 

(lilrson,  (leo.  L.  .  . 
llaiaca,  Jamu^  \V. 
Harrison,  W.  It  . . 
Hiokok,  Wni.  B  .. 

Hitc,  Levi 

Hudson,  Geo.  A. . 
lug,  Edward  C. . . . 
Johnson,  .1.  Neely. 
Keiiiiedy,  Frank  11 
Kinkead,  .lnhn  il. 
Larrowe,  Marcus  U 
McClure,  James  B 
Mitcllell,  Miles  \, 
Nightiiigill,  A.  \V, 
North,  John  W.  . , 
Notcware,  C.  N  . 
Plunkett,  Jos.  U. 
Potter,  Charles  S. 
iiaUton,  .fames  H 
mianip,  L'hos.  B  . 
Sm.ill,  .l.as.   W.  . . 
•Stark,  .lames. .... 

Sterns,  L.  O 

Stewart,  W'm.  .M . 
Vinlen,  \Vm.  11  . 
Wat^S'in,  Warren. 
Youii.;8,  .Samuel  . 
•Cillespie.  \V.  M 
t.Miirsli,  A.  J  ... 
+  Bowman,  Amos. 
I. Stow,  H.  M... 


Post-office  Address. 


Term  of  residence  in 
this  Territory. 


Place  of  Nativit.v. 


State   lost   resi- 
dent of. 


Storey  . . .  Virginia  .  . . 
Storey  .. .  IJold  Hill  . . . 

ICsuieralda  .\urora 

Storey  . .  .Virginia  . . . . 
Storey  . . .  I  Virginia  . . . . 
.Storey  . . .!  Virginia  . . .  . 
Storey  . .  .j  Virginia  . . . . 

Esmeralda' Aurora 

Storey  . .  .klold  Hill  .  . . 
Ormsljy  .  .  I  Empire  City. 
Washoe.  .  j  Frank  town  . 
Hunilxjldt  Star  City  . . . 


Since  July,  1861 
Since  Oct.  I,  1S6I 
Since  May,   IStjO 


Ormshy  .  . 
Uoughis.  . 
Humhcjidt 

Lyon 

Storey  . . . 
Lyon  .... 
Washoe .  . 
Ormshy  . 
Lyou  .... 
i  )rms1  >y  .  . 
Lander. .. 
Lyon  .... 
.Storey  . .  . 
Humboldt 
Washoe .  . 
Douglas.  . 
Storey  . . . 
\V;i.shoe.  . 
Lamler.. . 
Wa-sliiw. . 
Douglas . . 
l-^meralda 
ICsmeralda 
.Storey  . . . 
Lyon  .... 
Drmshy  . . 
'KsnteraKl.i 
'storey  . . . 


Carson  City. . 
( ienoa 


Silver  City. . 
(iold   Hill... 
Silver  City. . 
Truckee  .\leadows 
Ciirsou  City. . . . 

Dayton 

Carson  City. . . . 

Austiu 

Carson  Sink. . . . 

Virginia 

Unionville 

Washoe  City  . . . 
lleiioa 

^■'■■i.''"';' 

Ophir 

Austin 


10  months 

.Since  June,  1S60 


Since  Sept.,  186i 
Since  Aug.,  1851) 


.Since  March,  1 850 
Since  Aug.,  18G1 

4  years 

1  year  last  May. 


Mansticld,  Ohio 

Portsmouth,  N.  H 

Iteading,  Berks  Co.,  Penn. 


California. . .  Physician. . . . 

California.  .  .iBanker 

California. . .  IXotary  public 


Ireland 

Massachusetts . 


Ireland . 
Ohio. . . 


Since  July,  ISOO 
Since  Aug.,  ISIil 
Since  June,  I8GI 
Snice  .May  10, 'o'.t 
Since  .Sept.,  ISliO 
.Since  Aug.,  18(jl 
About ;{  years.  . . 
3  years  next  June 
Since  Aug.  1,1801 
.Since  July,  18(50 
•i  years  last  May 
.Since  .lune,  1801 
.Since  Oct.,  1857. 


.Since  April,  1801 
•i  years 


Ijake  Valley 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Virginia 

Dayton 

Carson  City .... 

Aurora 

Virginia 

.Sacramento,  Cal 

Carson  City. ... 


Germaiitown,  Penn 
■Jacksonville,   [U  .  . .  . 
Kryburg,  Maine. ... 
Lower  Canada 


Ogdenshurg,  X.  Y 

Lanciuster,  Ohio 

.Massachussets 

I'hilailclphia 

Indiana 

Canon-iliurg,    Pcna 

Smitlitiild,  Penn 

Coshocton,  N.  Y 

Pennsylvania  

Delhi,  N.  Y 

.Vshland,  Oliio     

Keusclaer  County,  N.  Y 
Suw  Y'ork 


•i  years 

'2  years 

.Since  April,  1801 
Since  April,  I.SOO 
Since  Feb.,  ISlil . 

0  years 

Since  Feb.,  1800. 
Since  July  TJ, '01 
Since  Oct., --'8, '03 
6  m<mtlis   


Schenectady  County,  N.  Y 
Kentucky . . 

Eaton,  Ohio 

.V.  S 

U.  C 

Wayne  County,  .N.  Y. . . . 

Albion,  111 

liroome  County,  N.  Y. .  . . 

i,>ueensliury,  L.  I.,  N.  Y, . 
-Vlbany,  N.  Y  ........ .. 

Chenango  Cimiity,  N.  Y'. . 
Caniula  West 


C.ilifornia.  . 
California. . 


California. . 
Indiana. . .  ■ 


Pennsylvania 
Minnesota  .  . 
Cilifornia. .  . 
California. . . 


Co.achmaker  . 
I'ivil  engineer 
Merchant. .  . . 
Farmer 


Cilifornia.  . 
California. . 
California,  . 
lifornia.  . 
California.  . 
California.  . 
California. . 
New  Y'ork. 
California.  . 
California. 
California.  . 
Minnesota  . 
California.  . 


California. 
California. 

California. 
California. 
California. 
California. 
California. 
California. 
California. 
New  York 
California. 
Californi.i. 
California. 


La«  yer .... 
Lumljer  dealer 


Merchant. . . 
Millman. . . . 


.Mill  owner. . 
Mill  owner. . 
.Mill  owner. . 

Farmer 

Lawyer  .... 
Lawyer  .... 
Merchant  .  . 
Lawyer  .... 


Miner 

.Sign  painter 
.-Vtti.rney  . . . 
Fanner 


Married 
or  Single. 


Married. 
Single  . . 
Single  . . 


Married. 
Single  . . 


43  Married. 

M  Single  . . 


Merchant. 
Lawyer  .... 

Hotel  keeper 
Min'g&.Md"n) 
Lawyer  .... 
Lawyer  .... 

.Miner 

.Miner. .... 
.Merchant.  .  . 

Uroker 

Keporler. . . . 
Reporter..  . . 


Married. 
Wid  wer 
.M.irried. 
Married. 


Single  .  . 
Single  . . 
Single  .  . 
Wid'wer 
Married. 
Single  . . 
Single  . . 
.Single  . . 

.Single  . . 
Single  . . 
Marrieil. 
.Married. 


Ja:<  Married. 
.  50  .Married. 


Married. 
.Marrietl. 
Single  .  . 
Marrieil. 
Single  . . 
Single  .  . 
.Single  .  . 
Single  .  . 
Married. 
Single  . . 


*  Secretary.     +  Keporter.     X  Doorkeeper. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


at  the  time  for  the  Territorial  Enterprise,  and  in  his 
coirespondciice  to  that  paper  notes  some  of  the 
peculiarities  of  members  as  follows: — 

Cakson,  December  13th. 

The  Third  House  met  in  the  Jlall  of  the  Cimven- 
tion  at  eleven  p.  m..  Fridaj-,  immediately  after  the 
final  adjournment  of  the   First  House. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Xightinf^ill  the  rules  were  sus- 
pended, and  the  usual  prayer  dispensed  with,  on  the 
j^rounds  that  it  was  never  listened  to  b}-  the  mem- 
bers of  the  First  House,  which  was  composed  chiefly 
of  the  same  j^entlemen  which  constitute  the  Third, 
and  was,  consequentlj%  merely  ornamental  and  en- 
tirely unnecessary. 

Mr.  Mark  Twain  was  elected  President  of  the 
Convention,  ami  Messrs.  Small  and  Hickok  appointed 
to  conduct  him  to  the  Chair,  which  the}'  did  amid 
a  dense  and  respectful  silence  on  the  part  of  the 
House,  Mr.  Small  ste])piiii^  grandly  over  the  desks, 
and  Mr.  Hickok  walkinj;;  under  them. 

The  President  addressed  the  House  as  follows, 
taking  his  remarks  down  in  short-hand  as  he  pro- 
ceeded:— 

Gentle.men:  This  is  the  proudest  moment  of  my 
life.  I  shall  always  think  so.  I  think  so  still.  1 
shall  ponder  over  it  with  unsjieakable  emotion  down 
to  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time.  It  shall  be 
my  earnest  endeavor  to  give  entire  satisfaction  in 
the  high  and  bull^'  position  to  which  j-ou  have 
elevated  me. 

The  President  ap])ointed  Mr.  Small.  Secretary; 
Mr.  (iibson.Otticial  lieporter;  and  Mr.  Pete  lIo])kins, 
Chief  Page;  and  Uncle  Billy  Patterson.  First  As.sist- 
ant  Page.  These  officers  came  forward  and  took 
the  following  oath: — 

We  do  solcmnlj-  affirm  that  we  have  never  seen  a 
duel,  never  been  connected  with  a  duel,  never  heard 
of  a  duel,  never  sent  or  received  a  challenge,  never 
fought  a  duel,  and  don't  want  to.  Furthermore,  we 
will  sup]>orl,  protect  and  defend  this  constitution 
which  wc  are  about  to  frame  until  we  can't  rest,  and 
will  take  our  paj-  in  scrip. 

Mr.  Youngs — "Mr.  President,  1— that  is — ." 

The  President — "Mr.  Youngs,  if  you  have  got  any- 
thing to  say,  saj'  it;  and  don't  stand  there  and  shake 
your  head,  and  gasj)  '! — ah.  J — a^,'  as  you  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  doing  in  the  former  Convention." 

Mr.  Youngs — "Well,  sir;  I  was  only  going  to  say 
that  I  liked  your  inaugural,  and  1  i)erfectly  agree 
with  the  sentiments  you  a](|)earcd  to  express  in  it, 
but  1  didn't  rightly  understand  what — ." 

The  President — "You  have  been  sitting  there  for 
thirty  days,  like  a  bump  on  a  log,  and  you  never 
rightly-  understand  anything.  Take  your  seat,  sir, 
you  are  out  of  order.  You  rose  i'or  information? 
Well,  you'll  not  get  it;  sit  down.  You  will  a]i])eal 
from  the  decision  of  the  Chair'.'  Take  your  seat,  sir; 
the  Chair  will  entertain  no  appeals  from  its  decisions. 
And  1  would  suggest  to  j-ou,  sir,  that  you  will  not 
be  ])ermitted  here  to  growl  in  your  seat,  and  make 
malicious  side  remarks  in  an  underione  for  tilteen 
minutes  alter  you  have  been  called  to  order,  as  j'ou 
have  habiiually  done  in  the  other  House." 

The  President — 'The  subject  before  the  House  is 
as  follows.     The  Secretary  will  read." 

Secretarj- — "A-r,  ar.  t-i,  li,  arti,c-l-e,  de — article — " 

The  J'resident — "What  are  you  trying  to  do?" 

Secretary — "Well,  1  am  only  a  heli>les8  orphan, 
and  I   can't  read  wi-iliiig." 

The  Chair  appointed    ilr.   Hickok    to  assist   Mr. 


Small,  and  discharged   Mr.  Gibson,  the  Official  Ee- 
porter,  because  he  did  not  know  how  to  write. 

Mr.  Youngs  (singing) — "For  the  lady  I  love  will 
soon  be  a  bride,  with  the  diadem  on  her  brow-ow-ow." 

President — "Order,  you  snutfling  old  granny," 

Mr.  Youngs — "I  am  in  order,  sir." 

The  President — "  Y'ou  are  not,  sir — sit  down." 

Mr.  Y'oung.s — "I  won't  sir!     I  ai)peal  to — ." 

The  President—"  Take  —  your  —  seat!" 

Mr.  Y''oungs — "  But  I  insist  that  'Jeft'erson's 
Manual'—."' 

The  President— "  l)—n  'Jeft'erson's  Manual!'  the 
Chair  will  transact  its  own  Ijusiness  in  its  own  wav, 
sir." 

Mr.  Chapin — "  Mr.  President:  1  do  hope  the 
amendment  will  not  pass.  I  do  beg  of  gentlemen — 
I  do  beseech  of  gentlemen — that  they  will  examine 
this  matter  carefully,  and  earnestly  and  seriouslj', 
and  with  a  sincere  desire  to  do  the  people  all  the 
good,  and  all  the  justice,  and  all  the  benefit  it  is  in 
their  power  to  do.     1  do  hope,  Mr.  President — ." 

The  President — "Now.  there  you  go  !  What  are 
yon  trying  to  get  through  your  head ':' — there's  noth- 
ing before  the  House." 

The  question  being  on  Section  4,  Article  1.  (free 
exercise)  of  religious  liberty. 

Mr.  Stewart  said — '■  Mr.  President:  I  insist  upon 
it,  that  if  you  tax  the  mines,  j-ou  imjiose  a  burden 
upon  the  ])eople  which  will  be  heavier  than  thej-  can 
bear.  And  when  you  tax  the  poor  miner's  shafts, 
and  drifts,  and  bed-rock  tunnels,  you  are  not  taxing 
his  projiertj';  j'ou  are  not  taxing  his  substance;  j'ou 
are  liot  taxing  his  wealth — no,  but  j-ou  are  taxing 
what  may  become  property  some  day,  or  may  not; 
you  are  taxing  the  shadow  from  which  the  substance 
maj-  eventually  issue  or  may  not;  j'ou  are  taxing  the 
visions  of  Alnaschar;  which  maj-  turn  to  minted  gold, 
or  only  prove  the  forerunners  of  poverty  and  mis- 
fortune; in  a  word,  sir,  you  are  taxing  his  ho]ies. 
taxii;g  the  aspirations  of  his  soul;  taxing  the  yearn- 
ings of  his  heart  of  hearts!  Y'essir,  I  insist  uj)on  it,  that 
if  you  tax  the  min(  s,  you  will  imixise  a  burden  upon 
the  people  which  will  be  heavier  than  they  can  bear. 
And  when  j-ou.  tax  the  poor  miner's  shafts,  and 
drifts,  and  bed-rock  tunnels,  you  are  not  taxing  his 
property;  3-ou  are  not  taxing  his  substance;  you  arc 
not  taxing  his  wealth — no,  but  you  are  taxing  what 
maj-  become  projierty  some  day  or  may  not;  you  are 
taxing  the  shadow  from  which  the  substance  maj- 
eventuall}-  issue  or  may  not;  j-ou  are  taxing  the 
visions  of  Alnaschar;  which  may  turn  to  minted  gold, 
or  merely  prove  the  forerunners  of  i)oyrt}-  and  mis- 
fortune; in  a  word,  sir,  you  are  taxing  liis  liopes  ! 
taxing  the  aspiiations  ol'  his  soul! — taxing  the  yearn- 
ings of  his  heart  of  hearts!  Ah,  sir,  I  do  insist  u])on 
it  that  if  3"ou  tax  the  mines,  you  will  impose  a  bur- 
den upon  the  jieople,  which  will  be  heavier  than  they 
can  bear.  And  when  you  lax  the  poor  miner's 
shafts,  and  drifts,  and  bed-rock  tunnels — " 

The  President— "Take  your  seat.  Bill  Stewart!  1 
am  not  going  to  sit  hero  and  listen  to  that  same  old 
song  over  andoveragain.  1  have  been  rejiorting  and 
re|)<)i-ting  that  ihlern;il  s]ieech  for  the  last  thirty  days, 
and  want  you  to  understand  that  you  can't  play  ilofl' 
on  this  Convention  an}-  more.  When  1  want  it.  I 
will  re])eat  it  myself— I  know  it  by  heart,  anyhow. 
You  anil  your  bed-rock  tunnels,  and  lilighted  miners, 
blasted  hopes,  have  gotten  to  be  a  sort  of  nightmare 
to  me,  and  I  won't  put  up  with  it  any  longer.  I 
don't  wish  to  be  too  hard  on  your  speed),  but  if  you 
can't  add  something  I'resh  to  it,  or  say  it  backwards. 


TERRITORIAL  ORGANIZATION. 


S3 


or  sinp  it  to  a  new  tune,  you  have  simply  got  to 
simmer  down  for  awhile." 

Mr.  Johnson — "Mr.  President  ;  I  wish  it  distinctly 
understood  that  I  am  not  acandi(hito  for  the  Senate, 
or  any  other  offiee.  and  liave  no  intention  of  beeom- 
inji  one.  And  1  wisii  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
Convention  to  the  faet,  .sir.  that  outside  influences 
have  been  brought  to  bear  here,  that  — " 

The  President — ••  (iovernor  Johnson,  there  is  no 
necessity  of  your  ].utting  in  jour  shovel  here,  until 
you  are  called  upon  to  make  a  statement.  And  if 
you  allude  to  the  Engrossing  Clerk  as  an  outside  in- 
fluence, I  must  inform  you.  sir.  that  his  balterj-  has 
been  silenced  with  Territorial  scri])  at  fortj-  cents 
on  the  dollar." 

Mr.  Sterns — 'Mr.  President-  I  cordially  agree 
with  the  gentleman  fnim  Storey  County,  that  if  we 
tax  the  mines  we  shall  impose  a  burden  upon  the 
people  that  will  be  heavier  than  they  can  bear.  1 
agree  with  him.  sir,  that  in  taxing  the  jioor  miners' 
siialls  and  drifts,  ai]d  bed-rock  tunnels,  we  would 
not  be  taxing  his  jiniperl^-,  or  bis  weallli,  or  bis  sub- 
stance, but  only  that  wbirh  may  become  such  at 
at  some  future  day — an  AInasch.irian  vision,  which 
might  turn  to  coin,  or  might  only  result  in  distister 
and  dis:ip]>oinlment  to  the  defendant  ;  in  a  word,  sir, 
1  coincide  with  him  in  the  opinion  that  it  would  be 
e(|uivalent  to  taxing  trie  hopes  of  the  jioor  miner — 
his  asjiinitions — the  dear  yearnings  of  his — " 

The  President — •'  Yearnings  of  his  grandmother  ! 
I'll  slam  tills  mallet  at  the  next  man  that  attempts  to 
impose  that  tiresome  old  speech  on  this  body.  Sit 
now.N  !  you  have  been  ])reltj-  regiihir  about  rehash- 
ing other  )ieople's  ))lalilu<les  heretofore.  Mr.  Sterns, 
but  you  have  got  to  be  a  little  original  in  the  Tldrd 
House.  Your  sacrilegious  lips  will  bo  marring  the 
speeches  of  the  Chair  next." 

Mr.  Kalston — '•  Jlr.  President  :  I  have  but  a  word 
to  say,  and  1  do  not  wish  to  occupy  the  attention  of 
the  House  any  longer  than  I  can  help  ;  and,  although 
1  could,  perhaps,  throw  more  light  upon  the  matter 
of  our  eastern  boundary  than  those  who  have  not 
visited  that  interesting  but  com|)aratively  unknown 
section  of  our  budding  commonwealtb.  it  is  grow- 
ing late,  and  I  do  not  feel  as  1  bad  a  right  to  tax  the 
patience — " 

Tb(;  President— "  Tax  !  Take  your  seat,  sir,  take 
j-our  seat.  1  will  not  be  bullj-ragged  to  death  with 
this  threadbare  subject  of  taxation.  You  are  out  of 
order,  anyhow.  How  do  j-ou  sujipose  anj'body  can 
listen  in  any  comfort  to  j-our  speech,  when  you  are 
fumbling  with  your  coat  all  the  time  j'ou  are  talking, 
and  trying  to  button  it  with  your  left  hand,  when 
you  know  j-ou  can't  do  it?  1  have  never  seen  you 
succeed  yet,  until  just  as  j'ou  gel  the  last  word  out. 
And  then  tlio  moment  j'ou  sit  ilown,  you  alwaj's 
unlpiittoii  it  again.  You  may  speak,  hereafter,  Mr. 
Ralston,  but  1  want  j'ou  to  understand  that  you  have 
got  to  button  your  coat  before  you  get  u]i.  1  do  not 
mean  to  be  ke])t  in  hot  water  all  the  time  by  your 
little  oratorical  eccentricities.  " 

Mr.  Larrowe — "  ilr.  I'resident:  There  ai-e  nine 
mills  in  Lander  County  already.  Lot  me  see — there 
is  Uobson's,  five  stamp;  Thompson's,  eight  stam|); 
Johnson's,  three  stamp — well,  1  cannot  give  the 
names  of  all  of  them,  but  there  are  nine,  sir — nine 
splendid  Bteam-jiower  ipiartz  mills,  disturbing,  with 
their  ceaseless  thunder,  the  <lead  silence  of  cen- 
turies! Nine  noble  ipiart;^  mills,  sir,  cheering  with 
the  music  of  their  batteries  tlii^  desponding  hearts 
of  pilgrims  from  every  land!  Nine  miraculous  (piart/, 
mills,    sir,    from    whose   steam-pipes    and    chimneys 


ascends  a  grateful  incense  to  the  god  of  Labor  and 
Progress!  Ninesceptered  and  anointed  fiuartz  mills, 
sir,  whose  mission  it  is  to  establish  the  ])Ower,  anil 
the  greatness,  and  the  glory  of  Nevada,  and  place 
her  high  along  the—" 

The  Pi-esiijent — "Now  will  j-ou  just  take  your 
scat  and  hold  j-our  clatter  until  somebody  asks  you 
for  your  confounded  Reese  River  (luarlz-mill  statis- 
tics'? What  has  Jteese  River  got  to  do  with  relig- 
ious freedom?  and  what  have  ijuartz  mills  got  to  do 
with  it?  and  what  have  you  got  to  do  with  it 
yourself?  You  are  out  of  order,  sir — plant  j-ourself 
And,  moreover,  when  j'ou  get  up  here  to  make  a 
si)ecch,  1  don't  want  you  to  yell  at  mo  as  if  you 
thought  I  were  in  San  Francisco.  I'm  not  hard  of 
hearing.  I  don't  see  why  President  North  didn't 
tone  you  down  long  ago." 

Mr.  Larrowe — "I  think  I  am  in  order,  .Mr.  Presi- 
dent. It  was  a  rule  in  the  other  Convention  that  no 
member  could  speak  when  there  was  no  ipiestion 
before  the  House;  but  after  the  ipiestion  had  been 
announced  bj-  the  Chair  members  could  then  go  on 
and  speak  on  any  suliject  tbej-  ])leased — or  rather, 
that  was  the  custom,  sir;  the  ordinaiy  custom." 

The  President — "Yes,  sir,  1  know  it  has  been  the 
custom  i'or  thirtj-  days  and  thirty  nights  in  the 
other  Convention,  but  1  will  let  gentlemen  know- 
that  the}-  can't  ring  in  these  stamps  and  Reese  River 
quartz-mills  on  the  Third  House  when  1  am  consid- 
ering the  question  of  religious  liberlj' — the  same 
being  dear  to  evcrj-  American  heart.  Plant  your- 
self, sir — ])lant  j'ourself.  1  don't  want  any  more 
yowling  out  of  you,  now." 

Mr.  Small — "  The  Secretary  would  bog  leave  to 
state,  for  the  information  of  the  Con — ." 

The  President^ — "There,  now.  that's  enough  of 
that.  You  learned  that  from  (iillesjiie.  1  won't 
have  any  of  that  nonsense  here.  When  you  have 
got  anything  to  saj'  talk  it  right  out;  and  see  that 
you  use  the  personal  ])ronoun  ■!,'  also;  and  droji 
that  presumptuous  third  per.son.  'The  Secretary 
would  beg  leave  to  state!'  .The  devil  he  would. 
Now  suppose  you  take  a  back  seat,  and  wait  until 
somebody  asks  j-ou  to  state  something.  Mr.  Cba])in 
you  will  jilease  stop  catching  flies  while  the  ('hair 
is  considering  the  suli-ect  of  religious  toleration." 

Mr.  Ball — --Mr.  President:  The  l-'inance  Committee, 
of  which  1  have  the  honor  to  be  Chairman,  have 
aiTived  at  the  conclusion  that  it  is  Rid  miles  from 
hereto  Folsom;  that  it  will  take  'I'.W  miles  of  rail- 
road iron  to  build  a  road  that  distance,  without 
counting  the  sw-itches.  This  would  figure  up  as 
follows:  Bars,  14  feet  3  inches  long;  weight,  SOO 
pounds;  1,000  bars  to  the  mile,  800, (K)0  pounds; 
130,0(10  bars  for  the  whole  distance,  weight,  104,- 
000,000  pounds;  original  cost  of  the  iron,  w-ith  in- 
surance and  transportation  to  Folsom  from  St.  Louis, 
cin  Salt  Lake  City,  added,  say  SIJ.50  a  |)ouiid.  w-ould 
amount  to  a  fraction  over  or  under  S;ji2.722.2.'i!i  42. 
Three  hundred  and  twelve  millions,  seven  biiiidred 
and  twenty-two  tboiisaiid,  two  hundred  and  tbirty- 
niiio  dollars  and  forty-two  cents,  sir.  That  is  the 
estimate  of  the  Commiltee,  sir,  for  |irime  cost  of 
one  class  of  material,  w-illiout  counting  labor  and 
other  expenses,  in  view  of  these  facts,  sir.  it  is  the 
opinion  of  the  Comniitlee  that  wo  had  better  not 
build  the  road.  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  ^ub- 
mit  a  written  re|)orl  because — " 

The  President— "Take  your  scat,  Mr.  Ball;  take 
your  seat,  sir.  Your  evil  eye  never  lights  u|)on  this 
Chair  but  the  spirit  moves  j-ou  to  confuse  its  intel- 
lect with   some  of  voiir   villi:ini)us   algelifiiical    mon- 


84 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


etrosities.  1  will  iiol  eiitcrlain  them,  nir;  1  don't 
know  anj'thinf;  about  them.  You  needn't  mind 
brinj^irif;  in  any  written  I'oports  here — or  verbal  ones 
either,  unless  you  can  confine  yourpielf'  to  a  reason- 
able number  of  fiirures  at  a  time,  so  that  I  can  under- 
stand what  you  are  driving  at.  No,  sir,  the  Third 
House  will  not  build  the  railroad.  The  other  Con- 
vention's donation  of  8.'!.000.()0(l  in  bonds,  worth  forty 
cents  on  the  dollar,  will  bu\-  enough  of  one  of  those 
bars  to  make  a  breast))in,  and  that  will  have  to 
satisfy  this  commonwealth  for  the  present.  1  ob- 
serve that  Messrs.  Wasson,  and  Gibson,  and  Note- 
ware,  and  Kenned}-  have  their  feet  on  their  desks, 
the  Chief  I'age  will  jiroceed  to  remove  those  relics 
of  ancient  continental  barbarism  from  siglit." 

Mr.  Musser — "Mr.  President:  To  be,  or  not  to  be — 
that  is  the  question — " 

The  President — "  No,  sir  I  The  question  is,  shall 
we  tolerate  religious  inditt'ercnce  in  this  community  ; 
or  the  rights  of  conscience  ;  or  the  rights  ofsuffi'age  ; 
or  the  freedom  of  the  press  ;  or  free  speech  ;  or  free 
schools,  or  free  niggers.  The  Chair  trusts  it  knows 
what  it  is  about,  without  anj'  instructions  from  the 
members." 

Mr.  Musser — '-But,  sir,  it  was  only  a  question 
from—" 

The  President — "  Well,  1  don't  care,  1  want  j-ou  to 
sit  down.  The  Chair  don't  consider  that  j'ou  know 
much  about  religion  anyhow,  and  consequently  the 
subject  will  suffer  no  detriment  fi'om  your  letting  it 
alone.  You  and  Judge  Hardy  can  subside,  and  stud}' 
over  the  ])reamble  until  you  are  wanted." 

Jlr.  Jirosnan — "Mr.  President:  These  proceedings 
have  all  been  irregular,  extremely  and  customarily 
irregular.  I  will  move,  sir,  that  the  question  be 
passed,  for  the  present,  and  that  we  take  up  the  ne.\t 
section." 

.Mr.  .Mitchell— "I  object  to  that,  Jlr.  President.  I 
move  that  we  go  into  Committee  of  the  Whole  on  it." 

Mr.  Wasson — "I  move  that  it  be  referred  back  to 
the  Standing  Committee." 

Air.  North — "J  move  that  the  rules  be  suspended, 
and  the  whole  article  jilaccd  upon  its  final  passage." 

The  President — '(ientlemen  :  Tliose  of  you  who 
are  in  favor  of  adopting  the  original  (jroposition, 
together  with  the  various  motions  now  pending 
before  the  House,  will  signify  the  same  by  saying 
'aye.'" 

No  one  voting  in  the  negative,  the  Chair  decided 
the  vote  to  be  uniiniinous  in  the  adirmative. 

The  President — "(ientlemen:  Your  i)roceedings 
have  been  e.x'actlj'  similar  to  those  of  the  Convention 
which  preceded  j'ou.  ^'ou  have  considered  a  subject 
which  you  knew  nothing  about  ;  spoken  on  every 
subject  but  the  one  before  the  House,  and  voted, 
witludit  knowing  what  j-ou  were  voting  for,  or 
having  any  idea  what  would  be  the  general  result  of 
your  action.  1  will  adjourn  the  (^'onvcntion  for  an 
liour,  on  account  of  my  cold,  to  the  end  that  I  ma}' 
a]i|)ly  the  remedy  jircscrilied  I'oi-  it  by  I)r.  Tjader — 
the  same  being  gin  and  molasses.  'I'lie  Chief  I'age 
is  hereby  instructt^d  to  provide  a  s])oonfid  of 
molasses,  and  a  gallon  of  gin  I'or  the  use  of  the 
President." 

TIIK   CONSTrrUTION    DEFEATED. 

H  was  provided  inthis  Constitution  that  all  of  (he 
offices  created  by  it  should  be  filled  at  the  time  when 
the  instrument  was  submitted  to  the  ])eoplo.  This 
was  a  serious  mistake,  for  those  disa]>poinled  in 
getting  nominations  for  the  ])ositions  they  desired, 
and  their  names  wore   legion,  became  hostile  to  its 


adoption.  A  Convention  was  called  to  assemble  ia 
Cai-son  on  the  thirty-first  of  December,  and  place  in 
nomination  Union  candidates  to  fill  the  various 
offices  to  be  called  into  existence  bj-  the  proposed 
organic  law. 

Eight  here  the  trouble  began.  In  Storey  County 
there  was  a  serious  split  in  the  Union  jiari)-,  caused 
bj'  a  bolt  at  the  County  Convention,  headed  by  the 
Daily  Union.  Eight  delegates  walked  out  of  the 
Convention,  declaring  their  intentions  to  oppose  its 
nominations,  because  of  the  unfairness  and  slate 
action  of  the  assemblage.  The  bolters  held  primary 
meetings  in  Virginia  City;  chose  delegates  who  pre- 
sented themselves  to  the  .State  Convention,  where  a 
hearing  was  given  them,  and  recognition  denied. 
In  the  controversy  that  arose,  when  the  two  delega- 
tions  were  before  that  body  asking  preferment,  a 
passage  of  wit  and  menace  occurred  between  William 
M.  Stewart  and  Baldwin,  8n  the  one  side,  and  Tom 
Fitch,  of  the  Dai/i/  Union,  on  the  other,  that  gave  a 
glimpse  of  the  personal  nature  of  the  controversy, 
and  character  of  some  of  the  principal  actors.  The 
former  charged  Fitch  with  having  offered  to  support 
the  regular  ticket  on  condition  that  ho  received  the 
nomination  upon  it  of  Attorney-General.  Fitch 
replied  that  he  had  remarked  to  those  gentlemen  on 
a  certain  occasion,  "  in  a  joking  way,"  that  if  they 
would  enter  into  §10,000  bonds  to  keep  their  word 
when  given,  that  he  might  be  induced  to  entertain  a 
proposition  to  give  them  the  influence  of  the  Daily 
Uuio7i.  To  this  Baldwin  responded,  that  "  every- 
body knew  that  when  a  little  office  was  to  be  had, 
or  a  little  money  made,  Tom  Filch  neoer  jokes." 

The  split  was  a  serious  one,  and  before  the  Con- 
vention had  made  its  nominations  a  formidable 
movement  in  the  Union  ranks  had  arra^-ed  itself  in 
hostility  to  the  Constitution,  to  which  the  secession 
element  in  the  Territory  immediately  joined  hands. 

The  Territorial  Enterprise  advocated  one  of  its 
])roi)rietors,  J.  T.  Goodman,  for  State  Printer;  and 
the  Daily  Union  desired  one  of  its  owners,  John 
(,'hurch,  in  the  place.  Neither  were  successful; 
(ieorge  W.  Bloor  being  the  choice  of  the  Conven- 
tion. The  Enterprise  was  glad  that  Church  was 
beaten,  and  Church  was  partiall}-  consoled  because 
(Joodman  was  defeated;  but  the  nomination  of  Hloor 
made  neither  one  happy  enough  to  cause  them  to 
shako  hands  over  the  inky  chasm. 

John  B.  Winters,  of  Lyon  County;  Warren  Was- 
son. of  Ormsby  ('ounty;  James  Stark,  of  Ksmoralda 
County;  and  11.  G.  Worthington,  of  Lander  County, 
wore  candidates  for  Congress;  and  the  vote  stood 
in  the  Convention,  all  the  first  day.  Winters,  21 
v*)tes;  Wasson,  It!  votes;  Worthington,  IT)  votes; 
Stark,  9  voles;  and  it  required  26  votes  to  nominate. 
On  the  second  day  Winters  won  the  coveted  ]irize. 

For  Governor,  the  names  of  Judge  Charles  II. 
Morgan,  and  M.  N.  Mitchell  were  presented  as  rival 
aspirants,  the  latter  gaining  the  nomination. 

The  Storey  County  delegation  was  iu  the  Con- 


Hon.  M.  a.  Murphy,  Attorney  General  of  the  State 
of  Nevada,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
September  2!i,  18H7,  his  father  cmij^rating  to  .Mcllenry 
County,  Illinois,  eoon  after  the  birth  of  his  son,  so 
that  the  lad's  earliest  recollections  were  of  Illinois. 

He  could  only  secure  such  poor  advantages  in  the 
•way  of  education  as  were  offered  by  the  common 
schools  of  that  day.  Those  were  sujiplcmciited.  how- 
ever, by  his  owH  exertions  to  acquire  information, 
which,  with  many  persons,  fully  compensates  for 
what  is  usually  called  the  T^nivcrsity  training.  It 
seems  that  lip  early  fixed  his  mind  on  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  turned  his  attention  to  reading  that 
would  be  profitable  in  that  connection.  The  sys- 
tematic reading  of  law  had  to  bo  postponed  until 
his  limited  finances  could  be  ])ut  in  bettor  condition. 
As  the  gold  mines  of  (,'alifornia  ort'crcd  the  speediest, 
rf  not  the  surest  way  of  rc]>lenisliing  his  cxcheiiuor,  at 
the  early  age  of  sixteen  he  started  on  hisj<iuiiiey  of 
life,  and  crossed  the  plains  in  185;^,  joining  a  bi'other 
in  Weaverville,  Trinity  County,  California.  lie 
remained  in  this  vicinity  for  several  years,  engaged 
in  mining  or  any  other  business  which  would  afford 
a  moderate  income,  with  only  moderate  success,  so 
that  the  aim  of  his  life  to  take  a  sj-stcmatic  course 
of  study  in  the  law  seemed  as  far  oft'  as  over.  In 
April,  1863,  he  moved  to  Esmeralda  County,  in  this 
State,  and  engaged  in  mining.  Here  fortune  smiled 
upon    him,  and  ho  was  able  to  pursue  the  study  of 


the  law  without  hindi'ancc.  His  perseverance  and 
close  application  to  his  studies  was  soon  rewarded 
by  his  admission  to  the  Bar. 

Here  he  resided  when  the  Republican  Convention 
at  Eureka  placed  him  in  nomination  against  the 
gentlemanly,  courteous,  eloquent,  and  distinguished 
Kittreil,  then  Attorney  General  of  Nevada.  The 
contest  between  those  men  was  spirited,  resulting 
in  the  election  of  .Mur]ihy  by  a  largo  majorit}'. 

The  arduous  and  responsible  duties  devolving 
upon  one  in  so  important  an  office  are  faithfully  dis- 
charged by  Mr.  Mur]>liy,  and  since  his  induction  to 
the  position  he  has  given  entire  satisfaction  to  every 
one.  He  is  a  good  sample  of  that  class  of  self-made 
men  like  Lincoln,  (iarfieid,  and  huiuiredsofothei-s  who 
have  wrested  fortune  out  of  poverty  and  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, and  achieved  success  by  their  own  innate 
good  sense  and  energy,  which  is  better  than  a  uni- 
versity training,  and  without  which  education  can 
make  nothing.  The  people  delight  to  honor  such 
men  because  they  know  of  them,  and  never  forget 
heir  origin.  Besides  his  present  office,  he  has 
several  times  been  elected  to  honorable  positions.  In 
1808  ho  was  elected  County  Assessor,  and  in  1872, 
District  Attorney,  to  which  office  he  was  re-elected 
in  IsTlaridin  187ti.  He  has  always  been  Republican. 
He  was  married,  September  22, 1859,  to  Miss  .Matilda 
J.  Myers,  of  Ki-d  HiufVs,  Tehama  County,  California, 
enjoying  most  hap]iy  domestic  relations. 


TERRITORIAL  ORGANIZATION. 


85 


vention  in  tho  interests  of  Hon.  John  Cradlebausjh 
for  U.  S.  Senator;  and.  in  their  preferment  for  State 
officials,  advocated  those  who  were  favoralile  to 
their  choice  for  Senator.  Colonel  John  A.  Collins, 
Henr}-  Hdi^erton,  and  James  W.  Nye  were  also  can- 
didates for  that  disiini^uished  honor,  (■ollins  with- 
drew before  the  election,  and  Alinon  llovey  became 
an  aspirant.  John  Conness,  who  at  that  time  was 
representini^  California  in  Washintjton,  writes  as 
follows  to  tho  Viri^inia  Cit}-  DdUj  Union,  regarding 
tho  candidacy  of  Mr.  Edgorton: — 

If  you  send  Henry  Edgerton  here  as  a  Senator  T 
don't  know  what  I  wouldn't  jiromise  to  do;  and  1 
do  not  hesitate  at  all,  as  a  friend  of  Nevada  Terri- 
orj',  to  advise  and  ask  that  he  bo  one  of  her  Sena- 
•.  ors.  Send  that  gifted  and  big-hearted  man  here 
as  a  Senator,  and  I  will  never  cease  to  be  thankful. 

There  were  fifty-ono  delegates  elected  to  that 
Convention,  which  lasted  three  days  ;  Chauncey  N. 
Noteware  was  President,  A.  P.  K.  Satl'ord,  Secretary, 
and  a  full  "State  ticket"  was  put  in  the  field. 

VOTE    FOB   OFFICERS   UNDER   THE   CONSTITUTION. 


N.4ME     OF     t'.1NDID.\TE    AND 

Office. 

i 

.J 

o 
o 

■i 

a 

i 

a 
o 

3 

^1 

2 

Ciiu^.jres8m;in. 
John  B.  Wiiitors 

253 

369 

453 
9 

436 
25 

455 
14 

383 

4.39 

446 

OS 

454 
2 

442 

2 

448 

1 

443 
2 

457 
2 

457 
2 

457 
2 

94 

947 

297 

154 

Scattering  Vote 

15 

(lovcrnor. 
M.  N.  Mitchell 

249 

367 

950 

302 

141 

45 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

25.'? 

245 
18.3 

57 

255 

309 

388 
372 
370 

374 

950 

303 

153 

Sc.ittering  Vote 

Supreme  Court. 
R,  S.  Mesick 

945 
940 

951 

298 
294 
300 

146 

149 

J    li.  H.irniou 

159 

Sc.itterini'  Vote 

31 

Secretary  of   State. 

940 

302 

173 

Scattering/  V^ote 

Treasurer. 
W.  B.  Hickok 

248 

373 

945 

291 

151 

Sca.ttc'riiii'  Viite 

Controller. 

244 

.308 

940 

.300 

170 

Scattering  V'ote 

Attorney  (Jeneral. 

247 

308 

.... 
932 

939 

.300 
.... 

305 

150 

Sctitt^'rin"  V'ote 

Sui»cTiittendent  Instruction. 
A.  F.  White.- 

245 

373 

175 

Clerk  .Supreme  Court. 
Alfre.!  ICclm 

252 

371 

950 

303 

104 

SUte  Printer. 
G.  W.  Bloor  

253 

.309 

937 

300 

160 

District  Judge. 
H.  M.  .fiiiica 

1300 

305 

140 

T    M    I'awlin"  . 

157 

143 
224 

319 

For  Constitution 

Against  Constitution 

270 
64! 

28 

785 

00! 
1740 

296 
!I9I 

175 
802 

.Storey  County  gave  570  for  and  3,054  votes  against  the  Con- 
stitution. 

The  foregoing  is  tho  official  returns  of  that  election, 
held   January    10,  1804,  with    Ormsby   and   Storey 
11 


Counties  left  out  ;  thej-  having  neither  mnde  anj*,  or 
loft  upon  record,  data,  upon  which  the  fi-ures  can  be 
asciTlained. 

There  were  nine  newspapers  in  tho  Territory  at 
the  time,  all  of  which  supported  the  adoi>lion  of  the 
t'onslilution  and  election  of  the  Ujiion  ticket,  except 
the  Aurora  '/'imrs,  Humboldt  la'ai/in/ei;  0/1  I'uh  L'te,  and 
"Virginia  Union.  There  was  but  one  ticket  in  the 
field,  the  fight  being  made  upon  the  organic  law  ; 
and  the  Steivart  war  cry  of  injustice,  contained  in  the 
clause  that  authorized  the  ta.xing  of"  tho  poor  miner's 
shafts  and  drifts  and  bed-rock  tunnels,"  enabled  the 
opposition  to  carr}'  with  it  the  pojjular  element,  that 
resulted  in  an  overwhelming  rejection  of  the  instru- 
ment. 

SECOND    EFFOllT    TO    BECOME    A    .STATE. 

The  first  eft'ort  to  become  a  Slate  proving  a  failure, 
the  ball  was  set  in  motion  again  within  twenty  days 
after  the  election,  by  Senator  Doolittlo,  of  Wisconsin, 
who  introduc'od  a  Rill  into  tho  TTnited  States  Senate, 
February  8th,  that  authorized  the  Nevadans  to  try 
it  over  again. 

While  the  measure  was  before  that  l)odj%  Senator 
Conness,  of  California,  remarked — "  Nevada  is  a 
mining  community  exclusively,  and  can  never  be  any- 
thing else.  It  must  alwaj's  be  fe<l  from  (u/jureut 
Countries,"  and  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany has  from  the  first  been  trying  to  denioii- 
strate  that  Conness  was  a  prophet. 

March  21,  1804,  the"  bill  was  signed  by  President 
Lincoln,  and  Governor  Nye  issued  a  proclamation, 
calling  for  an  election  on  the  sixth  of  June,  to  choose 
another  set  of  Delegates,  to  frame  a  State  Constitu- 
tion, with  the  result  given  on  the  following  page. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of. July,  the  Convention 
adjourned,  and  tho  tiuestion  of  a  State  Government 
was  onco  more  before  the  people,  under  widely 
different  circumstances  from  those  which  had  pro- 
duced tho  former  defeat.  This  time  that  obnoxious 
clause  ri'garding  the  taxation  of  the  •■aspirations  of 
the  poor  miners'  soul,  his  shafts,  and  drifts,  and  bed- 
rock tunnels,"  was  so  changed  as  to  leave  that  class  of 
the  commonwealth  free  to  enjoy,  untrammeled,  their 
hopes  and  as|)irations.  This  time  no  State  Officers 
were  to  bo  voted  for,  and  the  class  of  population  who 
were  aspirants  for  such  positions,  all  joined  hands  in 
the  effort  for  an  affirmative  vote.  This  time  there 
was  no  general  s])lit  in  tho  ranks  of  the  dominant 
party,  although  tho  old  contest  was  continued  in 
Store}-  County,  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  the  regular 
Republican  nominees  for  County  offices. 

There  was  another  cause  that  oxorted  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  public  mind  at  this  time  ;  it  being 
0|>enl3'.  and  with  iiersistence,  charged  bj*  tho  press, 
that  one  of  the  Supreme  Judges  of  the  Territory 
neglected  his  duty,  and  rendered  decisions  favorable 
to  the  "  highest  biilder  for  cash." 

Tho  charge  was  never  judicially  affirmed  or 
negatived,  and  we  do  not  know  that  the  press  was 
warranted  in  its  assertions;  yet  it  presented  a  strong 


86 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CONSTITUTIONAL   CONVENTION   THAT  WAS    ELECTED  JUNE  6TH.  AND   ASSEMBLED    JULY   4.   1864, 

AT    CARSON    CITY. 


Ball.  Nathaniel  AH 

Banks,  Janies  A 

Hclden.  W.  W 

Brady.  H.  B  

Brijtjtian,  (.'ornelius 

Chapin,  Sanincl  A 

Collins,  John  A 

Crawfonl,  Israel 

Crosman,  J.  S    

DeLonu.  i-'harlea  E 

Duniif,  E.  F 

Earl.  .losiah 

Kitrh.Th'unas 

Kriwll,  LloTd 

Folsoni.  Uiiman  N 

Gibson,  George  L 

Haines.  J.  W 

Ha\vle>  ,  Albert  T  

Hovey,  Alnum 

Hudson,  George  A 

John-nn,  .!.  Necl\     

Jones,  Williiiin  Henry 

Kennedy,  Francis  H 

Kinkead,  J.  H  

L"K,'kwood,  A.  J 

Mason,  H.  S 

MK'linton,  J.  G 

Morse.  E.  A    

Murdock,  Xelsoii  E 

Nourse.  *  ;eor;;e  A 

I'arker,  H.  G 

Proi'tor,  Fran<i8  M 

8turfe\ant,  James  H 

Tagliabue,  Francis 

Tozcr,  Charles  \V 

Warwick,  J.  H 

Wellin-ton,  O     

Wetherill,  William 

Williams,  H  H 

Johnson,  J.  Neely,  President. 
Gillespie,  Win.  M.,  Secretary. 
Whitford,  And'w,  Ass't  Scc'y. 
Marsh,  A.  J.,  ntticial  RcjKirtcr 
Carson,  T.  M..  Strg'tat-Anns 
Skeene,  Wni.  K.,  I*oorkeeper. 
Ri jhards,  Gcor;ce,  Pa^   


County. 


66fl 
KJl 
10.". 
105 
12-24 
1137 
11»J 


157 
1121 
160 

593 

12(X> 

103 


214 

218 
333 
3rt 
104 
18*[ 
11« 
10-2 

133 

1227 
321 
23.-. 
221 
330 


St  orey  . . . . 
Humboldt . 
Washoe  . . . 
Washoe  . ,  . 

Storev  

Sto,  ey 

Storey  .  .  . 
Ornisby  . .  . 

yon 

Storey  . . . . 
Humboldt. 
Storey  . . . . 
Storey  ... 

Storey  

Washoe  . . 
Ornisby  . .  , 
Doiujias.  . . 
I)i>ui^la8.  . . 

Storey  

Lyon 

Ormsby  . 
Humboldt 

Lyon 

Ornisby  . . 
Ornisby  . 
Esmeralda 
Esnieraldu 
Lander  — 
Churohill. 
Washoe  . . 

Lyon 

N'ye 

Washoe  . . 

Nye 

storey  

Ijinder  . . 
Esmeralda 
Esmeralda 
Lander. . . 
Ormsby  . . 
Store>'  . . 
Storey  . . . 
(,'alifornia 
Ormsby  .r 
Ormsby  . . 
Ormsby  . . 


Profession. 


Ranker  

Mining  Sup't. . 
Lumber  dealer 

Mechanic 

Lawyer    

Miner. . . . 

Miner  

Editor 

Miner 

Lawyer 

Lawyer 

..umber  dealer 

Lawyer 

Attorney 

Lumberman  .  . 

Merchant 

Farmer 

Lawyer 

Merchant 

.Mill  owner 

t^awyer    . 

(did  not  attend) 

lyawyer    . . 

.Menhant 

MeclKUiic 

I*h\!>i'.'ian 

Elitor      

(did  not  attend) 

Millwvitfbt 

Lawyer 

MiniMK  Sup't. .. 

Lawyer    

Farmer 

Surveyor  

Mining' ^V  Milting 

Lawyer 

(did  not  attend) 

Mininj^ 

(did  not  att«nd) 

Lawyer 

Cleric 

Clerk  

Iteporter 

Saloon  keeper  . . 
Laborer 


State    in  piat^  of  Nativity, 
Life.     I 


Whence  to 
Pacific  Coast. 


Sing^le  . . 
Single  . . 
Married . 
Single  , . 
Married. 
.Married. 
Married . 
Married. 
Married . 
.Marriet' . 
Single  . . 
-Married . 
Married . 
Single  .. 
Married. 
Married . 
•Married . 
Single 
.Married. 
Singl".  . . 
Married . 


iNew  Hamphire. 
'I^ennsjklvanla  .. 

Vermont 

Connecticut 

Ireland 

Massachusetts. . 

Vermont    

New  York 

New  York 

New  York 

New  York 

Ohio 

New  York 

Ohio 

Maine 

Maine 

bower  Canada  . 

Kentucky  

New  York 

Massachusetts    . 
Indiana 


.Single  ..  Pennsylvania.. 
37}Married.  Pennsylvania 

:{M|Single  . .  New  York 

47  Widower  New  York 

2«  Single  . .  Illmois 


Massachusetts. 
New  York    . . . 
Wisconsin 
mnectitut  . . 

New  York 

Ma.^sal■husclts. 

Ohio 

New  York  .... 
Michigan  ...    . 

New  York 

Ohio 

Alabama 

Wisconsin  .... 

Illinois 

Maine 

Massachusetts. 

Ohio 

Tennessee    . . . 

New  York 

I'ennsylvania  . 
Iowa 


Single  . .  New  York . 

.Marii  d.  Maine 

.Married    Vermont  . . 
.Marrit'd    Kentucky 


3ft  Married-  New  York 


Single 
.single  . . 
Married . 


Single 


3S  Married. 
2fi  Single  . 
32  Sinirlo  . 

35  .Married 
38  Single  . 

36  Married 
12  Single  .. 


England 

New  York     . 
Connecticut. 


Pennsylvania. 


Indiana    ...... 

Albany.  N.  Y.. 
Rhode  Is!and. . 

New  York 

Ma^isachuselts  . 

Indiana    

California 


'ennsylvania  . 

Missouri 

Ohio 

Illinois 

Illinois    


New  York  . 
Minnesota  . . 
Verimmt  . . . 
K'-ntucky  . . 
.\ew  York  . . 
New  York  . . 
.Michigan  ... 
New  York  . . 


Whence  to,o'<    Present 
^  P    Politics. 


NeTikda. 


1849  California 
18.'i3!California 
IS.'iO, Wisconsin 
IStil'Califomia 
IH-Sitcahfuniia 
ISjO  California 
1849  California 
lii52Calitornia 
18.''>2  California 
IboO  California 
1S52  Calif  >rnia 
1&49  Californa 
1S(K)  California 
1852  Calift»rnia 
1856  California 
1849  California 
1S49  t:ftlifi»rnia 
1858  California 
1849  Calif orrna 
1849,  California 
I&49. California 

1867  [California 
1849  California 
18-^4  California 
1852  California 
1859, California 


1850  California 
184)3  .Minnesota 
1^:.2  California 
184!)  Calif<»tnia 

1850  California 

1851  California 
18'»0  California 
1854, California 


Sew  Jersey . 


1849 1  Call  for  Ilia 


Fa\ored  in 
1S60. 


1863 

IS-W 
ISO; 
1863 
1860 
I860 
1863 
1863 
1863 
1863 
1864 
1863 
1S59 
1861 
1859 
18.''»9 
1861 
18.59 
1861 
1860 

lS6i 

186(1 
186fi 
I86'J 
1861 


18(t< 
18fl;i 
1864 

is:.8 

1»5 
l»f.9 
1860 
1863 


Iowa 

New  York  . 
New  York  . 
New  York  . 
Alabama... 
Ohio 


,1849 
1661 
1 1854 
.!l86U 
.184« 
.11850 


California  . 
New  York. 
California  . 
California  . 
California  . 
Kansas  . . . 
California  . 


Union  . 
I'nion  . 
Cnion  . . 
Union  . . 
Cnion  . . 
Union  . 
Union  . 
Union  . . 
Union  . . 
Union  . . 
I'nion  .  . 
Union  ,  . 
Union  . . 
Union  .  . 
Union  . . 
Union  . . 
Union  .  . 
Union  . 
Union  . 
Unii>n  . . 
Union  . . 

Uniiin  . . 
Union  . 
Union  . 
Union  . . 
Union  . . 


Douglas 

Lincoln   . .    . . 

Lincoln 

Lincoln ....  . . 

Oout'Ias 

Lincoln 

Lincoln 

Lincoln 

Lincoln 

Douglas 

Dougla**  .    ... 

Iiouglas 

Lincoln  

Dimglas 

Lincoln 

Bell 

Bell 

Rreckinridge. 

Douglas 

Lincoln 

Bell 


Union  . , . 
Union  . 
Union  .  . 
Dennx;rat 
Union  . . . 
Union  . . 
Union  . . . 
Union  .  . 


1861  Union  . 


18601  Union  . 
1861  Union  . 
lst!3  Uni<'n  . 
1864  Union  . 
1861  Union  . 
18tt2  Union  . 
1859. Union  . 


Douglas  . 

Bell 

Douglas 
Douglas  . 
Lincoln . . 


Douglas 

Lincoln 

Douglas 

BeJl 

Douglas  ..... 

Linc(iln 

Breckinridge. 
Lincoln 


Bell. 


Bell 

Lincoln 

Breckinridge. 

Lincoln 

Douglas 

Rreckinridge. 


circumstantial  case,  so  strong,  that  about  4,000  names 
were  signed  to  a  petition  asking  the  whole  Bench  to 
resign.  The  document  was  printed  with  its  names, 
in  the  Territorial  Enterpriser  and  filled  six  double 
columns  of  that  paper.  The  people  were  called  upon 
to  adopt  the  Constitution,  and  in  this  way  get  rid  of 
this  unpopular  ]5ench.* 

The  general  Territorial  election  was  to  come  off 
on  the  seventh  of  September,  that  year,  at  which 
time  County  otticers,  a  Legislative  Assembi}*  and 
Delegates  to  the  House  of  Eepresentativos  at  Wash- 
ington, \vere  to  be  chosen. 

A  Territorial  Ilepublican  Convention  was  held  at 
Carson,  on  the  tenth  of  August,  consisting  of  fifty 
Delegates,  twenty-six  of  whom  were  proxies  ;  and 
they  put  in  nomination,  on  the  regular  Union  ticket, 
Thomas  Fitch,  as  Delegate  to  the  House  of  ]ic])resen- 
tatives.  The  Democrats  put  A.  C.  Bradford  in  the 
field,  and  Judge  John  Cradlebaugh  ran  indepen- 
dent for  that  position. 

The  Constitution  was  submitted  to  the  people,  on 
the  day  of  the  general  election,  and  the  following  is 
the  vote  upon  it,  as  well  as  upon  the  Congressional 
ticket. 

VOTES    FOR    CONGRESSIONAL    DELEGATE. 

Thomas  Fitch,  Republican 1208 

A.  C.  Bradford,  Democrat ;]71G 

•^'ee  {jkM  Hill  News,  of  Auguat  6,  IbG4. 


John  Cradlebaugh,  Independent  Union 3781 

Scattering _ 4 


Total. 


CONSTITUTIONAL   VOTE. 

Yes. 

Churchill  County 178 

Douglas  County _ 470 

Fsmeral da  County 859 

Humboldt  County 320 

Lander  Countyt - 1018 

Lyon  County 898 

Nye  County 148 

Ormsby  County 999 

Store}^  County 5448 

Washoe  County    1055 


8709 

No. 

100 

76 

72 

544 

978 

92 

53 

90 

142 

115 


Total 11,393       2,262 

Majority  in  favor  of  the  Constitution,  9,131 

+A  liirge  vote  was  pollcnl  at  Ania*li«r,  and   rtjcctod   Ixicause  of 
fraud. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


87 


CHAPTER     X  1  II . 
STATE    ORGANIZATION. 

State  Politics  ami  Elections — rrtsideiitial  Klection  of  November 
8,  18(>l — Contest  for  United  State.s  .Senate  in  ISW — Removal  . 
of  Capital  Attempted — Iteply  «f  Mr.  Wait/. — Congi-essicmal 
Election  of  1S(>5 — .State  EleetiDn,  N'ovomlier  li.  18GG — Elec- 
tions in  ISGS-Oil — Presiilential  Election  of  I.StiS — .State  Elec- 
tion of  November  ;^,  1870 — I'olitics  of  the  IjCgislatiire — 
Presiilential  Election  of  1872 — Contest  for  United  States 
Senate — State  Election  of  1874 — Contest  for  United  States 
Senate — Presidential  Elc>ction  of  1876 — Uesult  of  the  Elec- 
tion— Politics  of  tlie  Legislature  of  187li — State  Election  of 
1878 — Choice  of  Senator — Kepublican  Ticket — Democratic 
Ticket — -Politics  of  I.egislature  of  1878 — Vote  for  United 
States  Senator — Presidential  Election  of  November '2,  1880 — 
Politics  of  the  Lenislatiire  of  18.S0 — Siitro's  Net  for  Fair — 
Colonel  .I.imes  (J.  Fair — .Salary  Hcduction  l)y  Hobart's  Bill — 
Judiciary  Elections,  18G1  to  1878 — The  State  Ue-districted — 
Districts  as  they  are. 

The  Constitution  having;  been  adopted,  it  required 
but  a  proclamation  IVom  tbc  President  of  the  United 
States  to  usher  Nevada  into  the  national  t'amilj-  as  a 
sister  State;  and  the  necessary  parchment  was 
signed  on  the  thirtj'-first  of  October,  18(54. 

The  year  1804  was  the  season  of  wholesale  elections 
in  Nevada.  Already  there  had  been  three,  and  her 
admission  rendered  it  necessary  to  have  another,  as 
the  Legislative  officers  and  Congressional  Delegates 
chosen  under  Territorial  law  could  not  serve  under 
the  new  regime. 

The  Presidential  election  was  to  occur  on  the 
eighth  of  November  that  year,  at  which  time  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  lieprcsentatives  were  to  be 
chosen;  and  as  Nevada  had  become  a  State,  the 
recent  election  of  Judge  Cradlebaugh  as  a  Dele- 
gate was  non-operative.  There  was  accordinglj- 
placed  in  the  field  that  fall  a  full  State  and  National 
ticket  by  both  the  Republican  and  Democratic 
parties  of  Nevada;  including  Representative,  State 
officers,  State  Senators  and  Assemblymen,  eleven 
District  Judges,  and  nine  District  Attorneys. 

The  following  is  the  ticket  placed  in  the  field  bj^ 
the  Democrats: — 

Member  of  Congress,  A.  C.  Bradford,  of  Storey. 

Governor,  D.  ¥,.  Buel,  of  Lander. 

Lieutenant  (iovernor,  R.  E.  Arick,  of  Storcj'. 

Secretary  of  State,  P.  B.  Kllis,  of  Ormsby. 

Controller,  J.  P.  (Jalagher,  of  Storey. 

Treasurer,  Paul  Moroney,  of  Storey. 

Superintetident  of  Public  Instruction,  J.  B.  Chinn, 
of  Washoe. 

Surveyor  General,  John  Ortrom,  of  Storey. 

Sujireme  Court  Judges,  John  R.  McConnell,  of 
Storey;  William  C.  Wallace,  of  Storey:  E.  W.  Mc- 
Kinstry,  of  Esmeralda. 

Attorney  (ieneral,  William  II.  Rhodes,  of  Storey. 

Clerk  of  Supreme  Court,  Tod  Robinson,  of  Storej-. 

The  following  returns,  except  for  the  offices  of 
District  Judge  and  Attorneys,  exhibit  the  result  of 
that  election: — 

ELECTION   OF    NOVE.MBER   8,  18G4. 

For  Presidential  Electors — Republican,  9,826  votes. 
For  Presidential  Electors — Democratic,  0,594  votes. 


Member  of  Congress,  H.  G.  Worthington,  9,7"G 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  16,328. 

Governor,  II.  G.  Blasdel,  9,834  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  1(;,389. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  J.  S.  Crosman,  9,786  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  Id, 348. 

Secretarj-  of  State,  C.  N.  Notoware,  9,839  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  16,335. 

Controller,  A.  W.  Nightingill,  9,842  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  ]6,3(i!l. 

Treasurer,  E.  Rhoades,  9,824  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  16,3 IT). 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  A.  F.  White, 
9,823  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  16,331. 

Surveyor  General,  S.  II.  Marlette,  9,828  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  16,326. 

Supreme  Court  Judges — C.  M.  Brosnan,  9,838 
votes;  II.  O.  Beatty,*  9,804  votes;  J.  F.  Lewis,  9,826 
votes;  six  candidates. 

Attortic}-  (Jeneral,  George  A.  Nourse,  9,798  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  16,308. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court,  Alfred  Helm,  9,846  voles; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  16,310. 

By  this  election  Hon.  Henry  G.  Worthington,  of 
Lander  County,  was  chosen  Representative  to  fill 
the  term  until  the  expiration  of  the  session  of  Con- 
gress, on  the  third  of  March.  1865.  Mr.  Worthing- 
ton served  through  one  session,  and  returned  to 
Nevada  as  an  as]>irant  for  re-election;  but  failing  to 
receive  the  nomination,  removed  to  the  Atlantic 
Coast,  where  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  recon- 
struction of  the  Southern  State  Governments  suc- 
ceeding the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 

For  the  Legislature,  Nye  County  elected  one 
Democrat,  Frank  M.  Proctor,  to  the  Senate;  and 
Churchill  County  one  Democrat  to  the  Assembly, 
named  James  A.  St.  Clair.  The  balance  were  all 
Republicans. 

CONTEST    FOR    UNITED   STATES   SENATE    IN    1864. 

After  the  organization  of  the  two  branches  of  the 
Ijegislaturc.  a  Joint  Convention  was  hold  by  them 
on  the  fii'teenlh  of  l)eceniber,  1864,  for  the  ])ur))i)se 
of  electing  two  United  States  Senatoi-s;  and  the 
first  vote  stood  as  follows: — 

William  M.  Stewart,  of  Storey  County,  33. 
James  W.  NyCj  of  Ormsby  count)',  23. 
Charles  E.  De  Long,  of  Storey  County,  23. 
John  Cradlebaugh,  of  Ormsby  County,  12. 
B.  C.  Whitman,  of  Storey  (,'ounty,  13. 
Necessary  for  a  choice,  27. 
Mr.  Stewart  having   been    elected,  there  still  re- 
mained the  necessity  of  choosing  another  Senator; 
and  the  next  seven   tallies  stood — with  the  change 
of  but  one  vote — 

James  W.  N^-e 23 

Charles  E.  De  Long 17 


*  Resignation  to  take  eSect  November  9,  1868,  and  Hon.  B. 
0.  Whitman  was  nppointe<l  the  same  day  to  till  vacancy  until 
J.  Ncely  Johnson,  who  had  been  elected  for  that  purpose,  could 
qualify. 


88 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


John  Cradlebaugh 9 

B.C.  Whitman 3 

There  seeming  to  be  a  dead-lock,  the  Convention 
adjourned  until  the  next  day,  at  1  r.  m.  During 
this  interim,  Mr.  Stewart  sent  a  mesxage  to  Judge 
Cradlebaugh,  stating  that  if  the  latter  would  con- 
sent to  yield  to  him  all  Government  patronage,  which 
would  be  due  by  courtesy  to  both  of  Nevada's  Sen- 
ators, his  election  would  be  secured.  The  reply  of 
Judge  Cradlebaugh  was  characteristic  of  the  man. 
"  Tell  Stewart,"  said  he,  "  that  I  had  rather  be  a 
dog,  and  bay  the  moon,  than  such  a  Senator." 

When  the  Convention  assembled  the  ne.\t  da}- 
one  vote  decided  the  matter  as  follows: — 

James  W.  Nye 29 

Charles  E.  De  Long IG 

John    Cradlebaugh 7 

Total 52 

Necessary  for  a  choice 27 

REMOVAL   OF   CAPITAL   ATTEMPTED. 

A  little  breeze  was  raised  in  the  horizon  of  politics 
In  the  early  part  of  18G5,  by  an  eflbrt  made  to  pro- 
cure the  removal  of  the  seat  of  State  Government 
to  American  City,  south  of  (Jold  Hill,  in  Storey 
County. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  1861  the  State  Cap- 
ital was  established  at  Carson  City,  and  the  Legis- 
lative Assembly  was  obligeil  to  meet  at  the  place 
where  the  State  Prison  is  now  located — a  suggestive 
coincidence.  Storej'  and  Lyon  Counties,  taking 
advantage  of  this  circumstance,  entered  into  com 
petition  to  secure  the  removal  of  the  same  to  within 
their  respective  boundaries,  at  Virginia  City,  if 
Storey  County  was  successful,  or  at  Da3-ton,  if  Lj^on 
County  secured  the  prize.  The  Ormshj'  County 
people  became  alarmed,  and  by  petition  asked  the 
Legislature  to  adjourn  to  Carson  City,  where  they 
would  be  furnished  with  assemblj'  rooms,  free  of 
charge,  which  was  finally  done,  Ijj'on  and  Storej- 
Counties  failing,  either  of  them,  to  gain  the  location. 

In  January,  1864,  a  company  organized  with  a 
large  caiiital,  laid  out  a  town  on  the  flat  south 
from  Gold  Hill,  ami  n;imeil  the  location  American 
City.  They  then  oflVreil  S.")(l,(l()0  as  a  duMalioii  to 
the  Terriiory  if  it  would  i-inmve  the  Capital  from 
Car.-on  Ciiy  to  ili:it  jihico;  and  tlie  Sloroy  Count}- 
pa])ers  advocali-d  the  removal.  One  of  the  reasons 
alleged  lor  its  being  desirable  to  make  the  change 
was,  that  Ormsby  County  had  oftered  to  furnish 
assembly  rooms  free  of  charge,  and  now  was  asking 
a  rental  of  84.r)00  per  ^es^ion  for  the  use  of  the 
buildinii.  'i'lie  Ca|)ital  was  not  removed;  but  the 
discussioti  li'fl  the  following  interesting  foot-|)rints 
behind  it.  that  indicated  the  existence  in  early  limes 
of  that  poliiicjil  eneigy,  and  process  of  li-tling  the 
rays  of  »i7iJ'r  li;;lil  in  ii|ion  the  understanding  of  a 
Legislator,  that  since  hue  becumo  suggestive  of  the 
Senatorial  ionn. 


The  Ormsby  County  people  seeing  the  effect  that 
the  charge  for  rent  by  their  County  Commissioners 
had  caused,  many  of  them  signed  the  following 
petition,  headed  b}-  E.  B.  Kail,  Wellington  Stewart, 
and  others: — 

The  undersigned,  citizens  of  Ormsby  County, 
hereby  resjjectfull}*  request  the  present  Commis- 
sioners of  said  County  to  resign  their  otlice  imme- 
diately. To  Adolphus  Waitz  we  especially  address 
this  reciuest.  We  tirmly  believe  he  has  used  his 
oflice  as  a  means  of  speculation.  We  know  that  he 
has  brought  the  countj-  to  present  bankruptcy,  and 
that  he  has  acted  in  odious  bad  faith  to  this  county 
in  tendering  the  free  use  of  our  public  buildings  to 
the  Territory,  and  afterwards  charging  the  United 
States  for  the  use  of  each  building.  As  to  him,  we 
wish  it  distinctly  understood  that  we  shall  not  take 
NO  for  answer. 

REPLY    OP    -MR.    WAITZ. 

*  *  *  A  proper  regard  for  the  public  good, 
and  those  who  elected  me,  as  well  as  a  feeling  of 
self-respect,  forbids  that  1  should  hasten  to  gratify 
j'our  malice.  If  it  be  )"our  pur])ose  to  intimidate  me, 
it  only  ))roves  what  1  had  supposed  was  the  case, 
that  3'ou  were  not  well  acquainted  with  my  real  char- 
acter. I  am  not  apt  to  be  scared  bj^  the  threats  of 
armed  desperadoes,  much  less  those  of  peevish  and 
excited  citizens.     *     *     * 

Your  Coi'.nty  Commissioner, 

Adolphus  Waitz. 

On  referring  to  this  matter  in  ilarch,  1865,  the 
I'osf,  ])ublished  at  Carson,  said  editorially: — 

*  *  *  And  to  show  that  wo  are  not  mistaken 
in  these  matters  we  will  add,  that  we  individually 
collected  the  mone}-  that  was  paid  to  a  member  of 
the  I^egislature  to  vote  against  the  removal.  *  *  * 
The  editor  |)ro])oses  to  expose  anyone  else  who  goes 
and  does  likewise. 

CONdKESSIONAL    ELECTION    OF    18G5. 

The  election  of  18G4  had  chosen  a  liepresentativo 
in  Congress,  Hon.  H.  G.  W^orthington,  for  the  term 
ex])iring  March  3,  18G5,  and,  consequently,  it  would 
be  necessar}'  to  elect  another  to  take  his  seat  with 
the  convening  of  the  new  Congress,  in  December, 
1SG5. 

Nevada  had  two  United  States  Senators,  but  no 
Member  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  To  pro- 
vide for  the  deficiency  a  Re])resentative  had  to  be 
chosen  at  the  Slate  Klection  on  the  seventh  of  No- 
vember, 1865.  This  brought  to  tlu-  front  three 
KeiiLibiican  as])irants,  namely.  Colonel  Charles  A. 
Sumner,  sujiported  b}-  the  Gold  Hill  iVeirn  and  Vir- 
ginia City  Union;  Hon.  W.  H.  Clagett,  supported  by 
the  Terrilorial  Kiiteiprinc ;  and  Delos  II.  Ashley,  of 
Lander  County,  su])ported  by  the  lieene  liioi-r  h'eceilk. 
Clagett  carried  the  Storey  County  delegation  by 
twenty  votes — as  claimed  b}'  the  Gold  Hill  News — 
tliroiiirh  the  agencj'  of  Democratic  votes  in  the 
iiepulilican   primaries. 

On  the  tenth  of  October  the  Hepublic.in  Conven- 
tion met  at  Carson;  the  candidates,  as  named,  were 
placed  in  nomination  before  it,  and  for  ten  or  twelve 


Col.  a.  C.  Ellis, 


Son  of  Dr.  R.  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Collier)  Ellis,  was 
born  in  Eiehmond,  Eay  County,  Missouri,  on  the 
twelfth  day  of  July,  184tl.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Sussex  County,  Virginia.  Jlis  mother,  a  Ken- 
tuckian  by  birth,  died  when  he  was  but  two  years 
old,  and  Mrs.  M.  P.  Koas,  an  aunt  upon  bis  father's 
side,  took  upon  herself  the  charge  of  his  early  train- 
ing. In  1850  the  father  removed  from  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  to  California,  and  the  son  went  to  reside 
with  his  aunt  in  Kichmond,  where  the  succeeding  ten 
years  her  house  was  his  home.  His  early  education 
was  obtained  in  the  last-named  town,  where  he 
studied  under  a  private  tutor,  and  afterwards  attended 
the  academy  of  A.  C.  Jledmon  and  It.  \V.  Finley  until 
1853,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  Masonic  College 
at  Lexington,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Freshman 
Class  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  In  1S55  he  entered  the 
Junior  Class  at  the  University  of  Missouri,  at  Colum- 
bia, and  graduated  therefrom  July  4,  1857. 

In  the  month  of  October  of  the  same  year  he 
entered  the  Law  School  at  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
which  was  a  department  of  the  State  University,  and 
remained  there  during  two  full  courses  of  law  lec- 
tures under  James  Speed,  later  President  Lincoln's 
Attorney  General,  Judge  W.  F.  Bullock,  John  C. 
Preston,  and  Wm.  Pirtle.  In  1850,  February 
27th,  Mr.  Ellis  graduated  from  this  school  and 
was  chosen  to  deliver  the  valedictory,  and  received 
his  diploma  from  James  Guthrie,  President  of  the 
Board  of  Curators.  By  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of 
that  State,  a  diploma  from  the  Law  School  entitled 
the  graduate  to  practice  in  all  of  its  courts,  and  he 
soon  after  located  at  llichmond,  and  through  the  in- 
fluence of  old  friends,  combined  with  natural  talent, 
acquired  a  good  practice  in  his  profession.  In  1800, 
on  the  twenty-eighth  of  March,  ho  was  married  to 
Miss  Lucie  Rives  Cobb,  of  Prince  Kdward  County, 
V'^irginia.  Mr.  Ellis  was  named  by  the  State  Conven- 
tion of  Missouri  as  an  alternate  elector  for  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  ill  the  camjiaign  of  180(1.  lie  was  a  can- 
didate the  same  year  for  Commonwealth  Attorney 
in  the  Fourtli  Circuit,  embracing  seven  counties,  and 
was  defeated  by  only  three  hundred  votes  by  his 
Bell  and  Everett  opponent.  The  estimate  placed 
upon  Mr.  Ellis  by  those  who  best  knew  him  may  be 
judged  from  the  fact  of  his  receiving  2,300  out  of 
2,500  votes  cast  in  his  home  county  at  that  election. 
In  18<)1  he  joined  the  Confederate  regiment  com- 
manded by  Colonel  B.  A.  Hives,  and  was  an  Adju- 
tant, first  of  General  Little's  brigade,  and  then  of  his 
own  regiment,  during  the  Pea  Ridge  battle  and  cam- 


paign. Colonel  Rives  was  killed  at  Pea  Ridge,  and 
sometime  afterwards  Adjutant  Ellis  was  sent  by 
General  Price  from  Van  Buren,  Arkansas,  to  exhume 
the  Colonel's  body  and  convey  it  to  his  old  home  in 
Ray  County  for  burial.  In  1803  Mr.  Ellis  came  with 
his  family  to  Carson  City,  Nevada,  which  has,  since 
the  fall  of  that  year,  been  his  home. 

In  1809  he  practiced  law  in  partnership  with  the 
late  Tod  Robinson,  in  "White  Pine  County.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  always  been  an  earnest  worker  in  the 
Democratic  ranks,  and  has  canvassed  the  State  in 
the  interests  of  his  party  many  times.  In  1870  ho 
was  a  candidate  for  Governor  before  the  Democratic 
State  Convention,  at  Elko,  and  was  defeated  by  only 
three  votes,  receiving,  after  a  protracted  and  exciting 
contest,  ninety-eight  votes,  while  bis  opponent.  Gov- 
ernor L.  R.  Bradley,  had  lol.  The  friends  of  the 
late  Hill  Beachy  and  Governor  Bradley  united, 
through  the  influence  of  General  T.  H.  "Williams, 
Thomas  Sunderland,  T).  K.  Buell,  and  others,)  to 
defeat  him.  Mr.  Kllis  was  chosen  Chairman  of  the 
Democratic  State  Central  Committee,  and  made  an 
active  canvass  of  the  State  in  the  interests  of  (Jover- 
nor  Bradley,  who  was  elected.  In  1872  he  canvassed 
the  State  for  Greeley,  though  he  was  not  the  man  of 
his  choice  for  President.  In  1874  he  received  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  Congress,  but  was  de- 
feated by  Wm.  Woodburn,  though  he  ran  ahead  of 
his  ticket  largely.  In  187(!  he  went  as  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Democratic  Convention,  at  St.  Louis, 
and  presented  the  resolution  of  the  Nevada  State 
Convention  against  Chinese  immigration,  and  by 
persistent  eff'orts  secured  its  insertion,  with  slight 
modification,  in  the  National  Platform.  On  his  return 
home  he  again  received  the  itemocratic  nomination 
for  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  Thomas  Wren, 
although  receiving  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  hun- 
dred more  votes  than  the  Tilden  Kloctors. 

In  1878  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  support  ol 
Bradley  for  Governor  and  Mr.  Deal  for  Congress,  and 
the  Democratic  ticket,  making  another  stirring  can- 
vass of  the  State,  though  not  a  candidate  himself. 
In  1880  he  attended  the  National  Democratic  Con- 
vention at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  as  a  delegate,  and  was 
again  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions. 
In  connection  with  the  members  from  California  and 
Oregon  he  secured  the  ado))tioii  of  the  very  emphatic 
resolution  in  the  National  Platform  against  Chinese 
immigration.  During  his  political  life  Mr.  Kills  has 
been  one  of  the  most  zealous  and  untiring  workers  in 
his  ]  tarty. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


89 


ballots  the  contest  luy  between  those  <;entlemcn. 
Colonel  Sumner  then  withdrew,  and  John  B.  Win- 
tei-s  ajipeareil  before  the  Convention  to  ask  its  jire- 
ferment  for  the  coveted  position.  It  required  lil'ty- 
three  votes  to  get  the  nomination,  and  the  new 
candidate  could  not  obtain  over  forly-nine.  Mr. 
Ashley  continued  to  receive  his  regular  fourteen 
votes  until  about  4  p.  .m.,  when  it  stood:  John  B. 
Winters,  forty-nine;  \V.  II.  Clagctt,  forty-eight; 
Delos  R.  Ashley,  eight. 

The  Convention  then  took  a  recess;  and,  after 
re-assembling,  twenty-six  of  Clagett's  men  voted  for 
Ashley.  The  friends  of  Winters  also  voted  for 
Ashlc}-.  and  thus  he  became  the  nominee  of  the 
party. 

Mr.  Ashley  then  pledged  himself,  in  a  speech  be- 
fore the  body  tha't  had  placed  his  name  upon  the 
ticket,  to  use  his  utmost  endeavors  to  oLtain  from 
the  Government  all  the  aid,  in  land  and  money,  to 
build  as  soon  as  possible  everj' railroad  contemplated 
and  in  course  of  construction,  connecting  the  Slate 
with  the  tide-water  on  the  Pacific. 

A  plank  of  the  Rei)nblican  State  platform  affirmed 
the  same  doctrine  in  regard  to  the  railroad.* 

As  before  stated,  the  election  came  off  on  the 
seventh  of  November,  at  which  time 

Delos  R.  Ashlc)-  received 3,(501  votes. 

n.  K.  Mitchell  received. 2,215  votes. 

Total  votes 5,900 

The  choice  had  fallen  upon  the  Republican  can- 
didate. 

In  the  election  of  18GG  there  entered  into  the  con- 
test the  National  issues  brought  on  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  Andrew  Johnson.  Mr. 
Ashley  again  became  the  nominee  of  the  Republican 
party  for  Congress,  and  had  for  his  opponent,  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  II.  K.  Mitchell,  the  same 
gentleman  who  had  contested  the  year  before  for  the 
honor  of  being  chosen  for  that  position.  The  result 
was  success  to  the  entire  Republican  ticket,  as  fol- 
lows:— 

STATE    ELECTION,    NOVEMBER   0,    1800. 

Member  of  Congress,  1).  R.  Ashley,  5,047  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,248. 

Governor,  II.  (t.  Jilasdei,  5,125  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  9,230. 

Lieutenant  tiovernor,  J.  S.  Slingerland,  5,211  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,208. 

Secretary  of  State,  C  N.  Notewaro,  5,207  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,257. 

Controller,  W.  R.  Parkinson,  5,203  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  9,257. 

*  Tlii'i  was  before  tlie  Central  I'aeitic  liaii  re.achol  the  .State, 
anil  when  it**  e<m8triicti"ii  wa.s  m-'st  ai'ilently  <li;«ii"eil  and  lioped 
for  .'\.x  an  aei'"iii|iliNliiiitiit  of  tin'  iliatant  Intiire.  .Vt  the  name 
time  there  were  two  rnaiKs  Heekin^  8nl>siili'-8 — one,  the  Central 
I'aeilie,  then  unnally  ilenoniinatcil  the  Dutch  Flat  roail;  and  the 
other  the  I'lacervdle  mail,  lioth  roads  were  Heekin^  favors 
whieh  all  parties  wcru  willin}^  to  grant  without  question  ur  limit 
of  powers. 


Treasurer,  E.  Rhoades,  5,157  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  9,239. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  A.  N.  Fisher, 
5,218  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,250. 

Surveyor  General,  S.  H.  Marlotte,  5,209  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  9,250. 

State  Printer,  J.  E.  Eckley,  5,208  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  9,273. 

Supreme  Judge,  James  F.  Lewis,  5,183  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  9,2(iC. 

Attorney  General,  Robert  M.  Clark,  5,193  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,249. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court,  Alfred  Ilelm,  5,000  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  9,202. 

In  admitting  the  State  into  the  Union  the  Sena- 
tors were  allotted  terms  ending  in  March,  1807,  and 
March,  1809,  respectively. 

The  election  of  United  State  Senators  in  1864  was 
for  short  terms — one  for  two  3'ears  and  the  other  for 
four;  and  the  question  of  who  should  take  the  short- 
est one  was  decided  by  lot  in  open  Senate.  James 
W.  Nj'e  drew  the  short  term,  and  became  a  candi- 
date for  re-election  before  the  Legislature,  on  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  of  January,  1807.  There 
were  five  aspirants  for  the  ])Osition;  and  on  the 
fifteenth,  when  the  candidates  were  put  in  nomina- 
tion before  the  two  separate  Houses,  the  following 
was  the  result  of  the  combined  vote: — 

Charles  E.  De  Long  received 21  votes. 

James  W.  Nye  received 18       " 

John  B.  Winters  received 7       " 

Thomas  Fiteli  received 4       " 

Thomas  U.  Williams  received 7       " 

Total.. : 57 

The  same  day  II.  R.  Mighels  published  in  his 
paper,  the  Dnifi/  Ap/iea/,  one  of  those  incisive,  burn- 
ing editorials,  for  which  he  was  noted,  calling  upon 
the  Union  men  of  both  branches  of  the  Legislature 
to  supiiort  the  "(trey  Eagle"  for  the  United  States 
Senate.     In  it  occurs  the  following: — 

The  whole  Union  ])ress,  not  only  of  Nevada;  not 
oiilv  of  California;  not  only  of  Oregon;  not  only  of 
all  the  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  but  of  all  the 
United  States,  east  and  west — with  but  two  solitary 
exceptions — are  in  favor  of,  and  persistently  advo- 
cate, the  re-election  to  the  United  Slates  Senate  of 
Mr.  Nye. 

The  exceptions  referred  to  were  the  San  Francisco 
C'tt/l  and  Humboldt  Rei/inter.  During  the  political 
camjiaign  that  had  recently  clo.sed,  Mr.  De  Long 
had  assailed  Mv.  Nye  by  correspondence  through 
the  press,  in  a  very  bitter  strain,  accusing  the  latter 
of  frauds  in  his  ailministration  of  the  Iiulian  affairs 
ill  Nevada;  consequently,  the  issue  between  these 
parties  was  intenselj-  ])ersonal.  On  the  sixteenth 
the  Convention  of  the  two  Houses  took  jjlaco,  and 
the  names  of  .Mr.  Williams  and  Winters  having  been 
withdrawn,  the  vote  stood  as  follows: — 


90 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


James  W.  Nj-e  received 25  votes. 

Chill-lea  E.  De  Lotif;;  received 27      " 

Thomas  Fitoh  received 4      " 

Thomas  U.  Williams  received 1       " 

Necessary  for  a  choice 29      " 

An  adjournment  was  then  taken  until  the  next 
da)',  when  the  vote  was:  James  W.  Nye,  32;  Charles 
E.  De  Lons^,  25. 

There  were  seven  Democratic  votes,  and  all  were 
for  Jilr.  De  Jjong.  The  successful  candidate  was  then 
declared  elected  for  a  term  of  six  years,  to  com- 
mence March  4,  18G7,  and  end  March  3,  1873. 

ELECTION  IN  18G8  AND  1809. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  September,  18GS,  the  Repub- 
lican Convention  met  at  Carson  Citj',  and  placed  a 
ticket  in  the  field. 

Thomas  Fitch  by  acclamation  for  Congress;  Chas. 
E.  De  Long  being  a  candidate  for  the  United  States 
Senate  against  ^N'iiliam  M.  Stewart,  withdrew  to 
secure  harmony  in  tlie  party;  and  the  following 
resolutions  were  passed  by  the  Convention: — 

A'e.<o/(V'(/,  That  the  action  of  Hon.  C.  E.  De  Long 
in  withdrawing  from  the  Senatorial  contest  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Stewart,  in  order  that  there  might  be  entire 
unanimity  in  our  councils,  is  an  act  of  pati-iotic  self- 
denial  so  noble  in  its  character,  and  so  gratifying  to 
the  loyal  pcoi)le  of  Nevada,  that  it  merits  their 
warmest  cf)mmcndati(ins  and  approval. 

Jie.so/oeil,  That  by  his  conduct  in  tliis  matter  Mr. 
De  Long  has  endeared  himself  to  eveiy  loyal  voter 
in  tlie  State;  and  the  thanks  of  a  grateful  people 
are  hereby  tendered  liini  tor  so  prom])tly  sacrificing 
his  personal  political  prospects  to  the  end  that  the 
victory  gained  over  error  and  wrong  in  the  late 
contest  should  not  be  shorn  of  its  fruits  by  partisan 
strife  among  the  friends  of  Freedom,  of  Humanity, 
and  of  I'rogress. 

Mr.  De  Long  was  subsequently  appointed  Minister 
to  Japan,  which  post  he  filled  with  great  satisfaction 
to  the  American  people,  strongly  cementing  the 
friendly  relations  between  the  two  (iovernments. 

All  of  the  Republican  candidates  upon  the  State 
ticket  were  elected,  as  follows: — 

I'RESIDENTIAI-    ELECTION   OP    1868. 

For  Presidential  Electors — Republican,  6,476  votes. 

For  Presidentiiil  Electors— Democratic,  5,215  votes. 

Member  of  Congress,  Thomas  Fitch,  6,230  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  11,579. 

Surveyor  General  (unexpired  term),  John  Day, 
6,301  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  11,677. 

State  Printer,  H.  R.  Mighels,  6,425  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  11,689. 

Supreme  Judge  (long  term),  B.  C.  Whitman,  6,476 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  11,698. 

Supreme  Judge  (unexpired  term),  J.  Nooly  John- 
son, 6,398  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  11,632. 

The  Legislature  of  1S(>9  was  made  uj)  of  titty 
Republicans  and  nine  Democrats. 

On  the  twelfth  of  January  of  that  year  William 
M.  Stewart  was  elected  to  succeed  himself  as 
Nevada's  United  States  Senator,  being  chosen  by 
forty-nine   out  of  the  fifty  Republican  votes  on  the 


first  ballot;  A.  C.  Cleveland,  of  Washoe,  giving  hia 
vote  for  B.  C.  Whitman.  The  Democrats  cast  their 
nine  ballots  for  Thomas  H.  Williams. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  in  Washington  at  the  time  attend- 
ing to  his  Senatorial  duties;  his  political  interests  in 
Nevada  being  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Hon. 
A.   P.   K.   Saflbrd,   who   later  became  Governor   of 
Arizona. 

.STATE   ELECTION    OF   NOVEMBER   8,    1870. 

In  1870  the  Democrats  made  their  first  political 
success  in  the  State,  securing  the  Congressman,  and 
the  most  important  State  officers,  among  whom  were 
Governor  L.  R.  Bi-adle)-,  and  Supreme  Judge  John 
Garber. 

The  Republicans,  in  Convention  at  Elko,  on  the 
twenty-first  of  September,  that  year,  placed  the  fol- 
lowing ticket  in  the  field: — 

For  Congress Thomas  Fitch  (no  opposition). 

"    Governor P.  A.  Tritle. 

"    Lieutenant  Governor J.  S.  Slingcrland. 

"    Secretary  of  State James  D.  Minor. 

"    Controller W.  W.  llobart. 

"    Treasurer Len  Wines. 

"    Superintend't Pub. Instruction A.N.  Fisher. 

•'    Survej'or   General John  Day. 

"    State   Printer H.  R.  Mighels. 

''    State  Mineralogist H.  R.  Whitehill. 

"    Su])reme  Judge J.  S.  Slauson. 

"    Attorncj' General Will.  Camjibell. 

"    Clerk  Supreme  Court Alfred  Helm. 

The  following  is  the  result  of  the  election; — 

Member  of  Congress,  Charles  W.  Kendall,*  6,821 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  votes,  13,312. 

Governer,  L.  R.  Bradley,*  7,200  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  13,349. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  Frank  Denver,*  6,689  votes, 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  13,309. 

Secretary  of  State,  J.  D.  Minor,  6,786  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  13,341. 

Controller,  W.  \V.  Hobart,  6,770  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  13,353. 

Treasurer,  Jerry  Schooling,*  6,942  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  13,333. 

Su]>erintendent  Public  Instruction,  A.  N.  Pisher, 
6,793  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  13,3t!6. 

Surveyor  General,  John  Day,  6,002  voles;  tw<5 
candidates;  total  vote,  13,375. 

State  Printer,  Charles  L.  Perkins,*  6,731  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  13,302. 

Mineralogist,  H.  R.  Whitohill,  6,711  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  13,363. 

Supreme  Judge,!  John  Garber,*  6,787  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  13,349. 

Attorney  General, J  L.  A.  Buckner,*  6,650  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  13,277. 

t.'lerk  Supreme  Court, §  Alfred  Helm,  6,801  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  13,365. 

*   Duiiiocrnts. 

t  Hu8ii,nic(l  on  the  sixth  of  November,  1872,  the  day  after 
election  iif  that  year. 

t  l{e»igiio<l  .laimary  4,  1874. 

iS  Keoigneil  January  "-,  1875.  I{is  succcaaor  had  been  elected 
ou  the  jirevious  third  of  November. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


91 


POLITICS   OF   THE    LEdlSLATURE. 

SENATE.  ASSEMDI-Y. 

COUNTIES.                               Dcm.  Rep.  Ucm.     Ke]). 

Churchill 10  11 

llsmeralda 1         1  4         0 

Elko 0         1  L'         0 

Uumboldt 2         0  H         0 

Lander 2         0  4         0 

Lincoln 1         (I  1         0 

Lyon (»         2  0         3 

Nj-o 1         0  1         1 

Ormsby 0         2  12 

Storey 1          :{  3         !• 

Washoe II         2         o         3 

White  Pino 112         3 

Totals 10       12       22       22 

Douglas  County  elected  one  indc])eiident  Senator 
and  two  independent  Assemblymen. 

PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTION  OF  1872 — SENATORIAL  CONTEST. 

The  election  year  that  gave  General  Grant  his 
second  Presidential  term,  and  consigned  his  com- 
petitor, the  unfortunate  Horace  Greelej',  to  his  grave, 
was  one  of  unusual  political  activity  in  Nevada.  Sena- 
tor Nye's  term  was  drawing  to  a  close,  which  east 
upon  the  Legislature  to  be  chosen  that  year  the 
necessity  of  electing  his  successor,  and  for  the  first 
time  the  overshadowing  influence  of  money  was  felt 
in  political  manipulations  in  this  State.  Money  had 
been  used  before,  but  not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  in 
the  campaign  of  1S72. 

The  mines  of  Storey  County  had  produced  wealth 
that  graduallj-  centered  under  the  control  of  a  few, 
and  had  placed  upon  the  floor  of  politics  a  new  class 
of  men,  untried  statesmen,  developed  by  silver  into 
monej-ed  Samsons,  who  felt  equal  to  the  task  of  car- 
r^-ing  away  the  political  gates  of  Gaza. 

The  real  contest  laid  between  William  Sharon. 
who  was  termed  the  quartz-mill  and  railroad  monop- 
olist; and  J.  P.  Jones,  called  by  the  press  of  the 
State,  ''The  Commoner."  .lames  W.  Nye,  whose 
name  had  become  a  national  one,  and  familiar  in 
every  household  in  the  land,  was  also  a  candidate, 
but  without  hope  of  ])refermenl  where  monej',  and 
not  demonstrated  fitness  and  ability  to  servo  the 
country  and  state,  was  to  be  tho  shibboleth  of  suc- 
cess. 

The  Democratic  aspirants  prior  to  tho  election 
were:  John  Garber, Supremo  Judge;  T.  IL  Williams, 
of  Storey  County;  Harry  I.  Thornton,  of  Lincoln 
County;  A.  C.  hlllis,  of  Ormsby  County;  W.  W.  Mc- 
Coy, of  Lander  County;  John  C.  Fall,  of  Uumboldt 
County;  II.  K.  Mitchell,  of  Storey  County. 

J.  P.  Jones  was  a  heavy  mining  operator  in  Ne- 
vada and  Htock-<lealer  in  San  Francisco.  His  policy 
was  to  maintain  high  prices  for  such  stocks  as  ho 
was  interested  in,  and  ho  carried  a  number  of 
friends  whose  limited  means  would  have  proved 
their  ruin  but  for  his  assistance. 

It  was  charged  by  the  Pacific  Coast  press  gen- 
ally  that  Sharon,   backed  by  the   California  Bank, 


desired  to  break  the  Stock  Market,  expecting  his 
opponent  to  go  down  with  it,  and  ruin  his  main 
supporters,  in  this  way  thinking  to  ])lace  this  bold, 
talented,  and  generous  coin  distributor  where  he 
would  be  forced  to  give  up  the  contest.  It  was 
further  charged  that  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  had  joined  Sharon  and  the  bank  in  this 
move  to  suppress  the  Nevada  •■  Commoner,"  who 
was  tho  champion  of  the  people  in  their  struggle 
against  railroad,  quartz-mill  and  bank  monopolies. 

May  7,  1872,  mining  stocks  were  at  their  zenith 
for  that  year,  tho  inflatioti  being  (caused  by  the  dis- 
covery of  a  sup])osed  bonanza  in  the  Savage  mine. 
On  the  next  day  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle  pub- 
lished charges  by  one  Isaac  J.  Hubbell,  accusing 
G.  F.  Kellogg,  the  I'oreman  of  the  Crown  Point 
mine,  of  causing  tho  Crown  Point,  Yellow  Jacket, 
and  Kentuck  mines  to  bo  fired  in  April,  18(i0.  at 
which  time  a  number  of  minors  had  lost  their  lives. 
It  further  stated,  that  the  "  Nevada  Commoner" 
was  privy  to  the  act,  it  being  done  to  influence 
mining,  or  stock,  manipulations.  This  same  day. 
after  the  news  became  current  upon  the  street,  com- 
ing in  connection  with  the  unfavorable  reports  of 
the  Savage  mine,  stocks  suddenlj^  declined  from 
thirtj"  to  forty  per  cent.,  and  continued  in  their 
downward  course  for  several  days.  The  Tcrri/orial 
Enterprise,  that  supported  J.  P.  Jones,  in  speaking  of 
this  matter,  said: — 

Mr.  Sharon,  it  is  plain  to  everj'  one  here,  has 
resorted  to  this  atrocious  means  of  alienating  from 
his  formidable  com))elitor  the  support  of  a  class  of  cit- 
izens whose  numbers  render  them,  when  united,  an 
almost  resistless  political  power. 

At  this  juncture  friends  interfered,  and  the  sub- 
ject was  left  to  an  investigation  by  the  (irand  Jury 
of  Storey  County,  which  rendered  a  decision  in  tho 
following  June  exonorating  all   jtarties  accused. 

Two  years  later,  in  August.  1S74,  at  a  public  meet- 
ing in  Carson,  Sharon  said  of  .1,  P.  Jones: — 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  thank  j-ou  on  behalf  of 
Senator  Jones  for  the  i'ece|>tion  given  him  in  your 
fair  city  this  evening.  He  has  jiroven  himself  tho 
representative  of  the  true  interests  of  the  people. 
He  has  represented  our  interests  at  Washington 
against  all  opposition.  He  has  been  true  to  tho 
trust  of  the  people  i-eposed  in  him.  and  I  am  h;ippy 
to  add  ni}'  voice  in  commending  hiin  for  it.  When 
we  find  a  representative  true  to  the  interests  of  tho 
commonwealth;  true  to  the  best  interests  of  all  the 
peo])le;  true  to  the  principles  of  liberty,  right  and 
ireedoin.  the  i)eo])le  can  welcome  him  hack  to  his 
home  with  all  the  feelings  which  are  highest  in  the 
hearts  of  freemen. 

Mr.  Jones  was  helping  Mr.  Sharon  to  become  Stew- 
art's successor  in  the  I'nited  Slates  Senate  at  tho 
time  of  the  above  eulogy;  and  it  makes  a  world  of 
dift'erence  whose  ox  is  being  gored. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  August  William  Sharon  with- 
drew as  a  candidate,  and  the  issue  then  lay  between 
Senator  Nye  and   tho  "Commoner."     But  the  con- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


test  liad  virtually  ended  when  the  bunk  and  rail- 
road interest  ceased  their  onslaui^ht  upon  J.  P. 
Jones.  It  was  claimed  by  the  friends  of  Nye  that 
there  had.  for  cause,  been  a  compromise  between  the 
moneyed  powers,  but  the  people  did  not  believe  it, 
and  still  trusted  their  -Commoner." 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  September  the  Republican 
Convention  met  at  Reno,  and  placed  upon  its  ticket 
C.  C.  Goodwin  for  Congress.  The  nomination  was 
bj'  acclamation,  and  for  some  time  he  refused  to 
accept  the  place,  only  doing  so  upon  the  assurance 
from  the  Delegates  representing  the  eastern  counties 
in  the  State  that  thcj-  were  unanimously  for  him. 
Thomas  P.  Hawley  was  successful  in  gaining  a 
nomination  for  the  Supremo  Bench,  and  C.  A.  V. 
Putnam  was  selected  for  State  Printer.  No  other 
State  offices  were  to  be  voted  for  at  the  coming  elec- 
tion. 

The  Democrats  placed  Charles  W.  Kendall  in  the 
field  for  Congressional  preferment,  and  staked  everj-- 
thing  ujjon  his  success.  The  friends  of  Jones  lost 
sight  of  Goodwin's  interests  in  their  eft'orts  to  secure 
a  Jjcgislature  favorable  to  their  leader,  and  the  result 
was  success  to  the  "Commoner"  and  the  Democratic 
candidate  for  Congress. 

RESULT   OF   THAT  ELECTION. 

Republican  Presidential  Electors,  8,413  votes. 

Denidcratic  Presidential  Electors.  C.23C  votes. 

Member  of  Congress.  Charles  W.  Kendall,  7,847 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  14.903. 

Supreme  Judge.  Thomas  1'.  Hawley,  8,193  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote.  14,021. 

State  Printer,  C.  A.  V.  Putnam,  8,179  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote.  l.j.OOS. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  the  following  Jaiuiarj-  the 
vote  for  United  States  Senator  stood,  at  the  Con- 
vention of  the  joint  Houses  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture:— 

J.  P.  Jones,  53;  W.  W.  McCoy,  17;  Charles  E.  De 
Long,  1;  Robert  McHeth.  1;  total.  72. 

There  was  but  one  ballot,  and  J.  P.  Jones  had 
fairly  entered  u])on  the  career  as  a  national  Legis- 
lator, in  which  cap;icity  he  has  since  won  and  worn 
the  laurel  crown  as  a  monetary  statesman. 

Of  the  man  whom  his  success  had  consigned  to 
private  life,  Harry  Mighels,  on  learning  of  his  death 
on  Christmas,  187G,  said  in  the  A/>/)eai: — 

To  write  a  full  and  fitting  obituary  notice  of 
James  \V.  Nye  would  be  to  write  the  history  of  the 
Hvputilican  |iartj-;  tell  the  story  of  the  administra- 
tion of  Abraham  Jjincoln;  the  struggle  for  the  Union; 
the  scheme  of  reconstruction,  and  the  lite  and 
achievements  of  the  Republican  l)arty  of  the  State 
of  Nevaiia.  For  our  deail  friend  and  neighbor  was 
as  closelj'  united  to  all  these  momentous  matters 
and  events  as  any  man  of  his  day.  In  the 
verj-  midst  of  the  most  tremendous  events  of  war 
and  jiolitics  he  was  one  of  the  grandest  figures  u|)on 
the  stage  of  ]iublic  aflairs.  His  name  will  ever  rest 
among  the  most  distinguished  patriots  and  states- 
men of  bis  age. 


His  portrait  now  hangs  in  the  State  Capitol;  and 
the  stranger  who,  passing,  stop.s  to  look  at  it,  will 
be  told — bj'  whatever  Nevadan  chan^^es  to  be  near — 
that  it  is  the  kindly  noble  face  of  "Grej'  Eagle"  that 
beams  down  from  the  cold  canvas  upon  him.  As 
he  tells  you,  if  you  note  it,  j'ou  will  see  a  look  of 
proud  regret  steal  over  the  face  of  j'our  informant, 
as  the  scene  recalls  from  the  secret  chambers  of  the 
past  a  recollection  of  the  one  great  heart,  real  states- 
man, true  patriot,  and  generous  friend  of  whose 
memorj-  all  Nevadans  are  proud. 

STATE  ELECTION  OF  1874 — CONTEST  FOR  UNITED  STATES 
SENATE. 

The  political  cam])aign  of  1874  was  started  early 
in  the  season,  the  Senatorial  contest  being  the  ab- 
sorbing issue  of  the  year.  William  Sharon  again 
became  a  candidate  for  that  position,  and  Adolph 
Sutro  was  his  main  antagonist.  General  Thomas 
H.  Williams  was  the  Democratic  choice,  and  each  of 
them  were  for  the  time  being  the  leaders  of  a  party 
in  the  State— Sharon  of  the  Republican,  Sutro  of  the 
Independent  (Dolly  Vardcn),  and  Williams  of  the 
Democrats. 

The  owners  of  the  Comstock  Lode  had  come  to 
look  upon  the  Sutro  Tunnel  scheme  with  great  dis- 
favor, although  strongly  advocating  it  at  first. 
Thej'  had  used  every  means  available  to  defeat  the 
enterprise  in  and  out  of  Congress,  and  Mr.  Sutro  was 
violentlj'  oj^posed  to  having  the  chief  capitalist  of 
the  mines  go  to  Washington  as  a  Senator  where  he 
could  use  his  position  to  cripple  the  tunnel  enter- 
prise; consequently,  that  gentleman  entered  the  list 
for  the  position  himself,  determined,  at  all  hazards, 
to  "tunnel  Sharon's  prospects."  Thus  the  mone3'ed 
Titans  of  Nevada  were  brought  in  collision  politi- 
cally. To  this  day,  fossil  remains  of  the  political 
managers  of  that  era  can  be  warmed  into  life  by  a 
reference  to  the  "  Battle  of  the  Money  Bags"  for 
Senatorial  honors. 

The  Republicans  met  in  Convention  at  Winne- 
mucca,  September  24th.  of  that  year,  and  placed  the 
following  ticket  in  the  field: — 

P""or  Congress,  Wm.  Woodburn,  of  Store}-  County. 

For  Governor,  J.  C.  Hazlett,  of  Lyon  County. 

For  Lieutenant  Governor,  John  Bowman,  of  Nye 
County. 

For  Secretary  of  State.  J.  D.  Minor,*  of  Humboldt 
County. 

For  Controller,  W.  W.  Hobart,*  of  White  Pine 
Count}'. 

For  Treasurer.  L.  J.  Hogle.t  of  Eureka  ("ounty. 

For  Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  S.  P.  Kelly, 
of  Eureka  County. 

ForSurveyortJeneral.  John  Day,*of  Tiyon  County. 

For  State  Printer,  C.  C.  Powning,  of  Washoe 
(bounty. 

'  TIic.hu  uere  ti\»o  plucLtl  upon  tile  ticket  of  the  Independents, 
and  wiTi-  dectwl. 

t  L.  .1.  Hiiglc  afterwards  withdrew  hi»  candidacy,  and  the 
name  of  George  Tully,  of  Ornisby  County,  was  subatituted. 


John    Grant.   M    D. 

Doctor  John  Grant  was  bum  in  Lenox  t'ounty,  ( »iitario,  Canada,  in  1831,  and 
as  the  name  strongly  indicates,  is  of  Scottish  anci'sti  y. 

From  early  youth  he  evinced  a  desire  for  study,  giving  ]>reference  at  that  time 
to  civil  engineering,  with  the  design  of  making  that  his  profession  For  several 
years  he  |iursued  this  branch  of  seientiHc  study,  till  in  1854  he  entered  the  Albany 
Medical  College,  New  York,  and  adopted  the  profession  of  medicine  and  surgery, 
to  which  he  has  since  assiduously  di-xoted  his  life.  From  this  college  he  graduated 
in  1857.  Subsequently  he  graduated  from  .Tetferson  Medical  College,  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  is  al.so  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Victoria  College,  of  Ontario,  and 
of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  England. 

The  Doctor's  residence  on  the  Pacific  Coast  has  been  chiefly  in  California  and 
Nevada.  For  fifteen  years  he  followed  his  profession  in  Santa  Cruz,  the  pleasant 
summer  resort  on  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  California.  Here  he  practiced  with  great 
success,  his  fame  and  skill  extending  to  surrounding  counties,  extending  his  busi- 
nes,s  proportionately.  During  his  residence  at  Santa  Cruz  his  acquaintance  was 
wide-spread,  embracing  the  prominent  members  of  the  profession  and  the. princi- 
pal politicians  and  gentlemen  of  the  State.  Subsequently,  for  several  years  he 
was  a  prominent  physician  anil  surgeon  in  Virginia  City.  In  every  sease  Dr,  John 
Grant  is  a  gentleman  of  fine  culture,  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  sacred  cause  of 
profe.s.sional  proprieties  and  obligations,  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  blessed 
with  the  itdieritance  of  a  nature  that  finds  happiness  in  cheering  the  afflicted  and 
downcast,  and  extending  a  hand  to  help  the  wearv  through  life. 

The  portrait  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  accompanies  this  sketch,  A 
fine  form  and  manly  carriage  ;  a  countenance  always  genial,  pleasant  and  intel- 
lectual ;  and  with  all  this  the  Doctor  remains  a  consistent  bachelor,  too  loyal  to 
Hygeia  to  admit  another  goddess  to  his  devotions. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


93 


For  MineriilogiBt,  II.  R.  Whitehill,  of  Churchill 
County. 

For  Supreme  Judge,  W.  H.  Bentty*  of  White 
Pine  County. 

For  Supreme  Judge,  Warren  Earll,  of  Elko  County. 

For  Attorney  General,  Moses  Tebbs,  of  Douglas 
County. 

For  Clerk  Supreme  Court,  C.  F.  Bicknell,  of 
Ormsby  Count)'. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  September  the  Dem- 
ocrats, in  Convention  at  Carson,  placed  the  follow- 
ing candidates  before  the  people  for  preferment: — 

For  Congress,  A.  C.  Ellis,*  of  Ormsby  County. 

For  Governor,  L.  R.  Bradley,*  of  Elko  County. 

For  Lieutenant  Governor,  Jewett  W.  Adams,  of 
Storey  County. 

For  Secretary  of  State,  Charles  D.  Spires,  of  Lan- 
der Count)-. 

For  Controller,  T.  R.  Cranley,  of  White  Pine 
County. 

For  Treasurer,  Jerry  Schooling,*  of  Washoe  County. 

For  Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  E.  Spen- 
cer, of  Lander  County. 

For  Surveyor  General,  George  Uaist,  of  Storey 
County. 

For  State  Printer.  J.  J.  Hill,*  of  Humboldt  County. 

For  Mineralogist,  W .  F.  Stewart,*  of  Storey  County. 

For  Supreme  Judge,  A.  M.  Hillhouse,  of  Eureka 
County. 

For  Supreme  Judge,  C.  H.  Belknap,*  of  Ormsby 
County. 

For  Attorney  General,  J.  R..  Kittrcll,  of  White 
Pine  County. 

For  Clerk  Supreme  Court,  B.  H.  Hereford,*  of 
Lincoln  County. 

The  name  of  Spencer  was  withdrawn  and  that  of 
Willis  substituted  as  a  candidate  for  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  .September  the  Independents 
met  at  Carson  in  State  Convention,  and  put  upon 
their  ticket  for  State  offices  and  Congress  some  of 
the  nominees  from  both  the  regular  parties;  but 
laiiiiig  to  find  u])()n  either  men  that  suited  them  for 
all  the  positions,  they  proceeded  to  iian)e  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  as  third  candidates  in  the  field:  Ijieu- 
tonant  Governor  A.  J.  Hatch,  of  Washoe  County; 
Attorney  (ieneral,  A.  B.  Elliott,  of  Storey  County; 
Superintendent  I'ulilic  Instruction,  II.  H.  Howe,  of 
Ormsby  Count)-. 

U.  II.  Howe  declined  the  nomination,  and  neither 
of  the  others  were  elected. 

The  Democratic  party  was  made  up  of  two  ele- 
ments— one  that  syin))aihized  with  or  had  assiste<l  the 
Southern  Confederacy;  the  otiior.  that  hail  done 
lu'ither;  and  the  former  element  had  captured  tluir 
Convention,  and  nominated  for  Congress  Colonel  A. 
C.  Ellis,  an  ex-Confederate  officer,  instead  of  C.  W. 

*  These  parties  were  also  noniin.itc<l  l)y  the  Iii(Ic|iciiduuts  ;  yet 
Ellis,  Stewart,  Belknap,  and  Heri;foril  were  ilefeiitcil. 
12 


Kendall,  a  northern  man,  who  had  twice  boon  elected 
to  that  position  by  them.  This  was  a  serious  mis- 
take, as  it  turned  out,  for  Mr.  Kendall  would  neither 
be  flattered  nor  whijiped  into  pulling  straight  in  the 
political  harness.  He  was  asked  to  "stand  in,"  and 
make  a  ratification  speech  at  a  public  meeting  in 
Virginia  City,  on  the  eighth  of  October.  He  ap- 
peared on  the  platform,  was  introduced  by  the 
Chairman  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Commit- 
tee, and  then  proceeded  with  such  a  storm  of  seri- 
ously damaging  accusations  and  denunciations  against 
the  party  platform,  managers,  and  some  of  the  can- 
didates as  the  members  present  of  that  organization 
never  before  had  listened  to.  Ho  was  ordered  off 
the  platform,  and  withdrew,  with  the  crowd  follow- 
ing him,  when  he  got  upon  a  dry-goods  box,  and 
continued  his  '-ratification  speech."  The  box  was 
then  kicked  from  under  biin  by  some  demonstrative 
members  of  the  enraged  audience,  and  he  was  forced 
to  desist;  but  followed  up  the  attack  with  very  dam- 
aging letters  that  were  published  in  the  Enterpri»e 
until  the  close  of  the  campaign. 

The  Independents  and  Democrats  chartcreil  the 
Opera  House  in  Virginia  City  for  the  campaign,  and 
forced  the  Republicans  to  hold  their  meetings  out 
in  the  streets.  Mr.  Sutro  had  magic-lantern  jiictures 
painted  in  the  East  representing  Sharon  in  various 
ways  as  a  man  that  prospered  unfeelingly  upon  the 
misfortunes  of  others,  and  free  exhibitions  were 
given  with  them  to  the  crowds  assembled  on  the 
streets. 

Thomas  Fitch,  "the  silver-tongued  orator,"  was 
called  into  the  struggle  as  a  |>aitl  attorney,  to  wither 
the  Sutro  movement  with  his  strange  metaphors, 
luminous  wit.  and  scathing  satire.  The  peo])le  of 
Storey  and  Ormsby  Counties  were  told  that  the 
defeat  of  Sharon  meant  success  to  Sutro,  and  ruin 
to  property  values  in  either  of  those  places,  as  all 
business  would  be  transferred,  in  such  an  event,  to 
the  mouth  of  that  "Banshee"  of  a  tniincl  in  Lyon 
County. 

On  the  third  of  November  the  election  came  oft', 
resulting  in  the  choice  of  the  following  parties: — 

]\Ioniber  Congress,*  Wm.  Woodburn,  0,240  votes; 
two  candidates;   total  vote,  17.S(!7. 

Governor,!  L.  H.  Bradley,  l(),l!10  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  18,0!t."). 

Lieutenant  Governor,!  Jewett  W.  Adams,  0,529 
votes;   three  candidates;   total  vote,  IS.OtiO. 

Secretary  of  Slate,*  J.  D.  Minor,  10,502  votes;  two 
candidates;   total   vote,  IS  (101. 

Controller,*  W.  W.  llobtul.  11.01!)  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  17.0.'j7. 

Treasurer,!  Jerry  Schooling,  0,404  votes;  three 
candidates;   total  voics.  18,070. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,*  S.  P.  Kelly, 
9,070  votes;  four  candidates;  tola!  vote,  17,865. 

Surveyor  General,*  John  Day,  10,078  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  17,983. 


94 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


State  Printer,!  J.  J-  HiH,  9,071  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  18,038. 

Mineralogist,*  H.  E.  Whitehill,  9,043  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  17,94G. 

Supreme  Judge  (long  term),*  W.  H.  Beatty,  9,932 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  18,088. 

Supreme  Judge  (short  term).*  Warren  Earll,  9.322 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  18,0G4. 

Attorney  General,!  J-  E.  Kittrell,  9,050  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  18,006. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court,*  C.  T.  Bicknell,  9,209  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  18,038. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Hobart's  majority  is  4,101, 
being  nearly  double  that  of  any  other  candidate. 

The  Legislative  Assemblymen  chosen  at  the  time, 
over  whoso  election  the  main  issue  had  been  made, 
stood  as  between  the  Democratic  and  Eepublican 
parties,  as  follows: — 

couNnES.                              Rep.  Dem. 

Churchill .    0  3 

Douglas 3  0 

Elko 0  6 

Esmeralda. 2  3 

Eureka 1  1 

Humboldt 1  3 

Lander 2  1 

Lincoln 0  4 

Lyon -   4  0 

Nye 0  2 

Ormsby 4  0 

Storey 14  (I 

Washoe 0  4 

White  Pine 7  0 

Hold-over  Senators 9  1 

Totals 47  28 

On  the  twelfth  of  January,  1875,  the  vote  was 
taken  in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  for  a 
choice  of  United  States  Senator,  as  follows:  William 
Sharon,  49;  H.  K.  Mitchell,  21;  Thomas  P.  Ilaw- 
ley,  4. 

The  Democratic  caucus  had  rejected  General  Will- 
iams lor  Mitchell.  The  votes  of  the  two  houses  had 
now  elected  William  Sharon  to  the  United  States 
Senate  to  take  the  place  of  William  M.  Stewart,  who 
had  proved  himself  an  able,  earnest  working  member 
of  that  body;  and  we  find  with  regret  that  the 
truth  of  history  prevents  us  from  saying  the  same 
of  his  successor. 

PRESIDENTIAL   ELECTION   OF    1876. 

The  year  that  saw  the  two  great  national  parties 
struggling  for  victory  in  the  country — with  E.  B. 
Hayes  as  standard  bearer  for  the  one,  and  S.  J.  Til- 
den  advocated  for  the  Presidencj'  by  the  other — wit- 
nessed a  comparatively  quiet  political  tournament  in 
Mevada.  The  national  office — that  sovereign  State 
gives  to  her  intellectual  Calhouns,  Jefforsons,  Doug- 
lases, Clays,  or  Webstei-s — was  not  upon  the  market 
to  call  another  Nevada  Croesus  to  the  front,  and  can- 
didates   were    left    for  ])referment   to  the   strength 

*  Uupublicans. 
+  Democrats. 


of  their  parties,  and  their  own  ability  and  fitness 
for  such  position  as  they  sought. 

The  Eepublicans  placed  their  candidate  in  the 
field  at  Carson  City,  on  the  twent3--fourth  and 
twenty-fifth  of  August.  They  gave  Hon.  Thomas 
Wren  the  preferment  over  Charles  E.  De  Long  by 
a  vote  of  fiftj'-threo  to  forty-seven;  at  the  same 
time  placing  Judge  O.  E.  Leonard  upon  the  ticket 
for  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  by  a  vote  of  fifty- 
three  to  forty-two,  as  between  him  and  Judge  D.  C. 
McKenney,  of  Austin. 

The  Democrats,  at  their  Convention  in  Virginia 
City,  August  28th,  selected  as  their  candidate  for 
Congress  Colonel  A.  C.  Ellis  by  a  vote  of  eighty-six  as 
against  fiftj--six  cast  for  W.  W.  McCoy,  of  Eureka, 
for  the  same  position.  Judge  M.  Kirkpatrick  was 
nominated  without  opposition  for  the  position  of 
Supreme  Judge.  Both  political  parties  had  placed  in 
the  field  men  of  integrity,  culture,  and  ability. 

The  question  of  whether  there  should  be  a  new 
Constitution  framed  was  submitted  at  this  election; 
also  the  proposition  to  change  the  beginning  of  the 
fiscal  year  from  December  31st  to  December  Ist. 

RESULT   OF   THE    ELECTION. 

For  Presidential  Electors  (Republican) 10,369 

For  Presidential  Electors  (Democratic) 9,294 

Eepublican  majority 1,075 

Against  a  Constitutional  Convention 8,032 

For  a  Constitutional  Convention 4,091 

Majority  against 3,941 

For  Congress,  Thomas  Wren 10,241 

For  Congress,  Colonel  A.  C.  Ellis 9,330 

Majority  for  Thomas  Wren 911 

Supreme  Judge,  O.  E.  Leonard 10.111 

Supreme  Judge,  M.  Kirkpatrick 9,530 

Majority  for  O.  E.  Leonard 581 

The  election  had  made  a  change  in  the  party 
strength  of  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  that 
will  be  best  understood  by  a  comparison  of  the  fol- 
lowing table  with  that  of  1874: — 

POLITICS   OP   THE    LEUISLATURE   OF    1876. 


SENATE.  ASSEMBLY. 

Rep.  Dem.    Rep.    Dein. 


COUNTIES. 

Churchill 0 

Douglas 1 

Elko 1 

Esmeralda 0 

Eureka 0 

Humboldt 0 

Lander 1 

Lincoln 1 

Lyon 1 

Nye II 

Ormsby 2 

Storey 2 

Washoe 1 

White  Pino 2 


Totals .12       13       34 


1 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

1 

1 

2 

1 

2 

0 

2 

2 

2 

2 

0 

3 

0 

2 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

3 

0 

1 

0 

2 

(1 

3 

0 

2 

12 

2 

1* 

3 

0 

0 

2 

2 

16 


'  Iiidcpeudeut  and  Hold-over.     Of  the  above  Senators,  seven 
Republicans  and  six  Democrats  were  hold-overs. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


95 


STATE   ELECTION   OF    1878 CHOICE   OP   SENATOR. 

The  struggle  for  Gubernatorial  place  upon  the 
Republican  ticket  in  1878  was  a  bitter  one.  R.  M. 
Daggett,  General  Batterman,  and  A.  J.  Tyrrell,  of 
Storcj-  County,  were  all  desirous  of  the  position; 
and  it  resulted  in  the  withdrawal,  before  the  county 
primary  took  place,  of  the  former,  and  the  admis- 
sion to  the  State  Convention  of  an  uninstructed  Del- 
egation from  that  count}'.  As  usual,  the  Republicans 
were  the  first  to  hold  their  State  Convention,  which 
assembled  at  Eureka,  on  the  eighteenth  of  Septem- 
ber; and,  holding  a  two  days'  session,  placed  a  Con- 
gressional and  Slate  ticket  in  the  field. 

R.  M.  Daggett  was  nominated  for  Congress  with- 
out opposition;  after  which  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
was  made  to  adjourn,  the  move  being  defeated  by 
Hon.  Thomas  Wren,  who  said  adjournment  meant 
trade;  and  he  was  opposed  to  having  a  ticket 
placed  in  the  field  that  was  made  up  of  traffic 
material.  The  choice  of  a  candidate  for  Governor 
was  next  in  order.  General  P.  E.  Connor  securing 
sixtj'-three  votes,  and  J.  H.  Kinkead  sixty-six,  the 
latter  being  declared  the  nominee.  Then  followed 
the  vote  by  acclamation  for  Lieutenant  Governor, 
II.  R.  Mighels  being  chosen  without  opposition;  in 
fact,  most  of  the  ticket  was  made  up  of  men  who 
gained  a  place  thereby  a  vote  that  indicated  a  unani- 
mous choice. 

REPOBLICAN    TICKET. 

Congress,  Rollin  M.  Daggett,  of  Storey  County. 

Governor,  John  II.  Kinkead,  of  Humboldt  County. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  Henry  R.  Mighels,  of  Orms- 
by  County. 

Secretary  of  State,  Jasper  Babcock,  of  Storey 
County. 

Controller,  J.  F.  Hallock,  of  Lincoln  County. 

Treasurer,  L.  L.  Crockett,  of  Washoe  County. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  J.  D.  Ham- 
mond, of  Ormsbj-  County. 

Surveyor  General,  A.  J.  Hatch,  of  Washoe  County. 

Supremo  Judge,  Thomas  P.  Hawlej',  of  White 
Pino  County. 

Attorney  General,  M.  A.  Murphy,  of  Esmeralda 
County. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court,  C.  F.  Bicknell,  of  Ormsby 
County. 

All  of  these  gentlemen  were  elected  except  H.  R. 
Mighels  and  J.  D.  Hammond. 

On  the  twenty- third  of  September  the  Democrats, 
in  Convention  at  Carson  City,  placed  the  following 
ticket  before  the  people: — 

DEMOCRATIC   TICKET. 

Congress,  W.  E.  F.  Deal,  of  Storey  County. 

Governor,  L.  R.  Bradley,  of  Elko  County. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  Jewctt  W.  Adams,  of  Storey 
County. 

Secretary  of  State,  George  W.  Baker,  of  Eureka 
County.  • 


Controller,  M.  R.  Elstner,  of  Ormsby  County. 

Treasurer,  J.  E.  Jones,  of  Washoe  County. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  D.  R.  Sessions, 
of  Elko  County. 

Surveyor  General,  S.  H.  Day,  of  Ormsby  County. 

Supreme  Judge,  F.  W.  Cole,  of  Eureka  County. 

Attorney  General,  J.  R.  Kittrell,  of  While  Pine 
County. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court.  Richard  Rule,  of  Storey 
County. 

The  only  two  successful  candidates  upon  this 
ticket  were  Jewett  W.  Adams  and  D.  R.  Sessions. 

There  were  several  occurrences  of  this  campaign 
worthy  of  remembrance,  among  the  first  of  which 
was  the  dropi)ingof  the  following  resolutions  from  the 
Republican  platform: — 

Resolved,  That  the  Republican  partj*  of  the  State 
of  Nevada  is  opposed  to,  and  protests  against,  any 
repeal,  modification,  or  change  of  the  law  taxing  the 
net  proceeds  of  mines,  commonly  known  as  the  Bul- 
lion Tax  Law. 

This  plank  was  introduced  by  Hon.  Thomas  Wren, 
of  Eureka,  and  was  added  to  the  platform  of  the 
party,  but  when  that  document  was  placed  before 
the  people  it  contained  no  such  provision.  Mr. 
Wren  at  once  demanded,  through  the  public  press 
to  know  what  had  become  of  the  lost  plank.  He 
advertised  for  it,  and  the  State  Central  Committee 
dug  it  up,  and  put  it  where  the  Convention  had 
placed  it,  among  the  articles  of  party  faith,  claiming 
that  the  important  resolution  had  been  inadvertently 
omitted.  The  historian  of  the  "Sazerac  L5-ing  Club," 
being  the  Secretary  who  copied  the  resolution,  was 
said  to  be  responsible  for  this  notable  absence  of 
mind.  The  Democratic  platform  contained  a  similar 
clause,  and  both  parties  tacked  upon  their  campaign 
declaration  of  rights  a  dissoloing  view,  to  the  effect 
that  they  were  for  bringing  railroad  corporations 
"to  time"  upon  the  question  of  fares  and  freights. 

Another  incident  of  importance,  and  significant 
in  many  ways,  is  related  b}'  Mr.  Ilohart,  who,  by  the 
way,  as  State  Controller,  proved  himself  to  be  one 
of  the  ablest  financiers  ever  elected  to  a  State 
office  in  Nevada.  lie  said  that  at  first  there  were 
serious  doubts  in  regard  to  the  success  of  ihe  Re- 
publican ticket,  especially  the  Gubernatorial  part 
of  it,  because  of  lack  of  funds,  and  the  great  pop- 
ularitj'  of  Governor  Bradley;  because  of  his  tried 
honesty  and  incorruptible  singleness  of  purpose  that 
could  not  be  reached  by  either  wealth  or  intimida- 
tion. Besides,  the  people,  many  of  them,  wished 
to  reward  him  by  re-election  lor  vetoing  the  "Bul- 
lion Tax  Compromise  Bill." 

General  Kittrell,  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
Attorney  General,  made  a  s]ieech  in  Virginia  Cily, 
in  which  he  handled  without  gloves  the  ''Bonanza" 
firm,  and  made  many  unnecessary  personal  remarks 
that  so  angered  Mackey  and  Fair,  the  jirincipal 
owners  of   the  "  Bonanza   Mines,"   that    they,  that 


96 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


nif^ht,  determined  to  throw  their  entire  influence 
and  streniTth  in  the  direction  that  would  consign 
General  Kiltrell  and  Governor  Bradley  to  their 
political  graves.  "1  went  to  Carson,"  paid  Mr. 
Ilobart,  "and  the  next  day  told  my  friends  that 
the  danger  had  passed,  and  the  Republican  ticket 
■would  bo  elected.  From  that  time  forward  there 
was  no  lack  of  funds  on  the  llepublican  side  of  the 
house;"  and,  as  before  stated,  with  two  exceptions, 
their  ticket  was  successful. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  and  the  votes 
that  were  received  by  the  successful  ones  at  that 
election: — 

Congress,  Rollin  M.  Daggett,  9,811  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  18,959. 

Governor,  John  II.  Kinkead,  9,747  votes;  two  can- 
didates; total  vote,  18,999. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  J.  W.  Adams,  9,877  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote.  18,898. 

Secretary  of  State,  Jasper  Babcock,  10,139  votes, 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  18,961. 

Controller,  J.  F.  Hallock,  10,193  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  19,022. 

Treasurer,  L.  L.  Crockett,  9,813  votes;  two  candi- 
dates; total  vote,  18,981. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  D.  R.  Sessions, 
9,742  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  18.933. 

Surveyor  General,  Andrew  J.  Hatch,  9,799  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  19,008. 

Supreme  Judge,  Thomas  P.  Ilawley,  10,447  votes; 
two  candidates;  total  vote,  lS,99t}. 

Attorney  General,  M.  A.  Murphy,  9,993  votes;  two 
candidates;  total  vote,  18,952. 

Clerk  Supreme  Court,  Charles  F.  BicknoU,  9,823 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  18,988. 

Constitutional  Amendment,  Article  IS:  Yes,  5,073 
votes;  ^o,  337  votes. 

Constitutional  Amendment,  Article  11,  Section  10: 
Yes,  3,357  votes;  No,  91  votes. 

Constitutional  Araondmont,  Article  9:  Yes,  2,429 
votes;  No,  22  votes. 

The  singling  out  of  Jlr.  Mighels  for  defeat  was 
an  unexpected  misfortune  to  the  party.  There  was 
no  name  on  the  ticket  more  entitled  to  receive  the 
full  party  vote  than  his  whose  pen  for  j-ears  had 
been  a  wand  of  fire  in  the  State,  wielded  in  the 
interests  of  Ilopublicanism.  Ho  was  defeated  by 
the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  Company  influ- 
ence, that  desired  to  place  S.  II.  Wright  on  the 
Bench  in  the  Second  District.  Mr.  Mighels  refused 
to  support  them  in  the  move,  and  the  candidacy 
of  Mr.  Wright  was  withdrawn.  This  independent 
jininialist  was  then  notified  that  ho,  for  his  temerity 
in  standing  between  them  and  their  interests,  would 
be  defeated  in  his  political  aspirations.  The  fiat 
bad  gone  forili,  and  the  Juggernautal  c.ir  rolled 
over  him. 

Two  years  before  the  vote  for  the  Lesri^-laturo  had 
stood  in  Ormsliy  County:  II.  R.  Mighels,  840;  M. 
B.  Elbtner,  590;  Mighels'  majority,  244. 


At  this  election  ho  had  led  his  ticket  by  66  votes. 
At  the  election  of  1878,  when  defeated  by  the  rail- 
road influence,  the  vote  stood  as  between  him  and 
Mr.  Adams  in  Ornish}'  Count}" :  Jewett  W.  Adams, 
Democrat.  532;  II.  R.  Mighels,  Republican.  499: 
majority  for  Adams,  33. 

Governor  Kinkead  had  received  140  ballots  more 
than  Mighels  in  the  hitter's  home  county  of  Ormsby, 
where  two  years  before  he  was  the  most  popular 
candidate  in  the  field. 

In  Storey  County  the  vote  for  him  was  334  less 
than  for  Kinkead,  which,  added  to  the  falling  off  in 
Ormsbj"  County — where  the  railroad  machine  shops 
are — gives  474  votes,  which  is  47  more  than  was 
required  to  have  elected  him;  and  still  the  railroad 
car  of  Juggernaut  rolls  on. 

The  unkindest  cut  of  all  came  from  the  fact,  that 
editorials  in  the  Appeal,  favoring  the  railroad  com- 
pany in  their  issue  with  the  Cornishmon  when 
attempting  to  work  Chinamen  in  1S7G,  were  used 
against  Mr.  Mighels,  thus  rendering  it  possible  for 
that  company  to  defeat  him;  and  the  coincidence 
makes  us  admire  that  sweet  singer  in  Israel  who 
remarked:  '•  Put  not  your  trust  in  princes." 

POLITICS   OF   THE    LEGISLATURE   OP    1878. 

SES.*TK.  AS.SEMBLT. 

COCTNTIES.                             Rep.    Dem.  Rep.    Dem. 

Churchill 10  10 

Douglas 10  11 

Elko .1         1  3         0 

Esmeralda 10  11 

Eureka 114         0 

Humboldt  .    1         1  3         0 

Lander 10  0         3 

Lincoln 2         0  2         I 

Lyon *2         0  3         0 

Nye 0         111 

Ormsby *2         0  *2         1 

Storey 2         2  14         0 

Washoe 2         0  3         0 

White  Pine 2         0  3         1 

Totals - 19         G       41         9 

Of  the  eleven  hold-over  Senators,  five  were  Repub- 
lican, one  Independent,  and  five  were  Democratic. 

VOTE    FOR    UNITED   STATES   SENATOR. 

There  was  virtually  no  contest  for  United  States 
Senator,  J.  P.  Jones  having  no  opponent  in  the 
Republican  party,  which  had  been  successful  in 
electing  a  majority  of  both  branches  of  the  Legis- 
lature. Ho  had  achieved,  during  the  six  5-ears  that 
ho  had  represented  Nevada  in  the  Senate  a  national 
reputation  as  a  monetary  statesman,  excelled  by 
none  of  his  com]>eers  in  that  bodj-,  and  his  re-elec- 
tion was  a  foregone  conclu>ion.  The  candidate  for 
the  empty  honor  of  the  Democratic  vote  was  Hon. 
A.  M.  Ildlhouse,  of  Eureka,  a  distinguished  and  able 
lawyer. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  January,  1879,  the  Senate 

*  Uue  uf  t^cli  of  thcau  was  luilcpeudcut;  aiid  voted  for  J.  P. 
Jouca. 


Ht.SIDENCE^'>'bUoli^JLob  dLUuK"'  M^.^M.E.  RINCKEL. 

CARSON       CT,  NEV. 


TH.BifirroN»i(ir,s  r. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


o: 


and  Assembly  went  throuy;h  the  formality  of  a  vote 
that  resulted  as  follows:  J.  P.  Jones,  60;  A.  M.  Ilill- 
house,  14. 

PRESIDENTIAL    ELECTION    OP    ISSO. 

The  nominations  were,  on  the  Republican  side. 
James  A.  (Jarfieldj  of  Ohio,  for  President;  and  Ches- 
ter C.  Arthur,  of  New  York,  for  Vice-President; 
and  on  tho  Democratic  side,  General  W.  S.  Hancock, 
of  Ponnsylvunia.  for  President;  and  William  G. 
English,  of  Indiana,  for  Vice-President. 

The  oloction  campaign  of  1880  was  contested  in 
Nevada  without  funds  u])on  the  part  of  the  Repub- 
licans. Mr.  Sharon  came  out  as  a  candidate  for  re- 
election to  tho  United  States  Senate,  and  Mr.  James 
(t.  Fair  entered  the  list  for  that  position  as  his  Dem- 
ocratic opponent.  Mr.  Sharon  would  not  furnish 
money  to  defray  the  legitimate  expenses  of  the  cam- 
paign, and  many  of  the  leadii>g  Republicans  felt  as 
though  a  i)arty  defeat  was  preferable  to  a  continuance 
of  his  Senatorial  career,  his  personal  affairs  having 
demanded  his  attention,  and  preventing  his  attend- 
ance to  his  duties  at  Washington.  His  speeches 
during  the  canvass  demonstrated  the  necessitj^  of 
making  a  change,  and  money  from  the  Democratic 
side  of  the  house  served  the  purpose  of  intensifying 
the  growing  sentiment. 

The  people  felt  that  a  change  could  be  onlj-  for 
the  better,  and  election  day  saw  tho  Republican  ship 
scuttled  and  sunk  beneath  the  jjolitical  waves. 

ELECTION    RETURNS. 

For  Democratic  Electors 9,611 

For  Republican  Electors 8,732 

Democratic  majority 879 

For  Congress,  George  W.  Cassidy 9,815 

For  Congress,  Rollin  M.  Daggett : 8,578 

Democratic  candidate's  majority 1,237 

Judge  Supreme  Court,  Charles  IL  Belknap..  -10,110 

Judge  Supremo  Court,  W.  H.  Boatty 8,251 

Democratic  candidate's  majority 1,865 

A.MENDMENTS   TO    CONSTITUTION. 

Elimination  of  tho  word  "white"  from  Section  1  of 
Article  2:  Yes,  14,215;  No,  353. 

Add  Article  18,  granting  rights  of  suffrage  and 
office-holding,  notwitlislanding  coloror  previous  con- 
dition of  servitude:  Yes,  14,215;  No,  672. 

To  add  Section  10  to  Article  11,  forbidding  the  uso 
of  public  funds  for  sectarian  pur|)Oses:  Yes,  14,848; 
No,  560. 

CHINESE    m.MIOUATION. 

Against  immigration,  17,259;  favor  of  immigra- 
tion, 183. 

It  will  bo  observed  that  Mr.  Daggett — who  had 
accomplished  more  for  his  constituents  than  all  his 
predecessors — received  loss  votes  than  was  cast  for 
the  Republican  President.  Ho  had  offended  the 
railroad  |)owers  in  the  State.  It  will  also  bo  noted 
that  lion.  W.  II.  Beatly,  one  of  the  ablest  jurists 
and    purest    men    that    ever    filled    tho    position  of 


Supreme  Judge  in  Nevada  was  the  worst  defeated 
of  all.  He  had  failed  in  his  ruling  to  please  either 
the  railroad  or  "Bonanza"  interests,  and  was  sacri- 
ficed. 

In  tho  State  Legislature,  of  the  sixty-one  mem- 
bers elected  to  tho  two  branches,  but  nine  were 
Republicans,  of  whom  two  were  Senators,  viz.:  W. 
W.  Ilobart,  of  Eureka,  and  J.  I).  Ilanunoiid.  of 
Ormsby. 

POLITICS   OF   THE    LEGISLATURE   OP    1880. 

SENATE.  A.S.SF.^rBLY. 

coiTNTiF.s.                              Rep.  Dcm.  Uep.  Uem. 

Churchill 1  0  0  1 

Douglas 1  0  0  2 

Elko .0  2  0  3 

Esmeralda 10  0  2 

Eureka .2  0  3  1 

Humboldt 1  1  0  3 

Lander 1  0  1  2 

Lincoln 1  1  0  3 

Lyon 1  1  0  3 

Nye    0  1  0  2 

Ormsby ..,*2  0  3  0 

Storey 2  2  0  14 

Washoe 1  1  0  3 

White  Pine 1  1  0  4 

Totals 15       10         7       43 

After  tho  Legislature  assembled  a  now  disturbing 
element  uncxpoctedlj'  appeared  upon  the  scene, 
knocking  at  the  door  for  Senatorial  preferment. 
Tho  new  aspirant  was  the  world-renowned  Adoljth 
Sutro,  to  whom  was  given  the  sobriquet  of  ''Assyrian 
bore"-er,  who  perforated  the  bowels  of  Mount 
Davidson  with  a  tunnel  that  boars  his  name.  It 
had  come  to  be  understood,  at  large  in  the  country, 
that  the  coveted  position  was  to  go  to  the  highest 
bidder  for  cash;  and  tho  Ass3-rian  came  with  the 
silver  notes  of  discord,  to  wither,  like  Dead  Sea  fruit, 
tho  apple  of  ambition  that  James  G.  Fair  was  in 
the  act  of  jiressing  to  his  lips.  Tho  attempt  was  a 
failure,  as  the  following  vote  will  show. 

The  dissatisfaction  respecting  Mr.  Sharon,  and  his 
conduct  of  tho  cam])aign,  resulted  in  dropping  him 
from  tho  list  of  available  camlidates  and  substitut- 
ing that  of  Hon.  Thomas  Wren. 

James  G.  Fair — Senate,  10;  Assembly,  42;  total,  52. 

Thomas  Wren— Senate,  13;  Assomblj',  7;  total,  20. 

Rollin  M.  Daggett — Senate,  1. 

Of  James  G.  Fair,  who  succeeded  William  Sharon 
as  Uriited  States  Senator,  much  has  been  i)ublislu'il 
for  and  against,  in  the  volume  of  which  lurks  but 
little  truth.  Tho  following  from  tho  Gold  Ilill  Xews, 
a  Republican  paper,  edited  by  Alf  Doten,  may  be 
regarded  as  an  impartial  and  truthful  statement  in 
regard  to  him: — 

COLONEL    .lAME.S    (I.    FAIR. 

(i>uite  a  jiopular  error  regarding  (Jolonel  J.  (J.  Fair, 
which  outsiders  and  those  not  i)ersonally  acquainted 
with  him  naturally  fall  into,  is  that  he  is  second  to 

*  Olio  (if  tho«!  WHS  ;iii  Iiiilrpi'iicli'iit.  Of  llif  fourteen  .Seiiatnra 
who  liild  liver  twelve  were  llepublieuus,  one  .in  Inilepumleut,  and 
ono  a  Demuurat. 


98 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


none  as  miner,  mine  manafjer,  and  minintjj  engineer, 
but  that  bej'ond  that  he  knows  comparatively  little. 
Never  was  a  greater  mistake.  Colonel  Fair  never 
graduated  from  any  university  of  learning,  and  his 
education  has  been  obtained  principallj'  in  the  great 
school  of  the  world;  but  he  is  not  by  any  means 
deficient  in  many  of  the  higher  branches  of  learning. 
He  is  an  extensive  reader,  and  pretty  well  versed  in 
historical,  political,  and  other  practical  acquirements 
and  requirements;  he  has  a  well-stored,  evenly-bal- 
anced mind;  is  possessed  of  sound  judgment,  an  emi- 
nent degree  of  discretion ;  and  although  he  may  not 
make  a  brilliant  mark  as  an  eloquent  member  of 
the  United  States  Senate,  yet  he  will  attend  to  his 
duty,  and  vote  intelligently  on  all  questions.  As 
member  of  any  Congressional  committee,  be  he  on 
mines  and  mining,  or  anj-thing  else,  he  will  be 
among  the  best  and  most  studiously  intelligent,  for 
whatever  he  docs  not  know  he  alwaj^s  studies  into 
until  he  does. 

As  a  smooth  diplomatist  he  has  no  superior.  *  *  * 
He  can  write  a  ]jretty  good  newspaper  article  when 
he  cares  to,  but  seldom  tries  to  distinguish  himself 
in  that  line.  He  takes  great  interest  in  the  arts 
and  sciences,  and  has  spared  no  expense  to  give 
his  children  the  best  education  obtainable.  Always 
having  a  strong  desii-e  to  see  the  strange  countries 
he  has  read  so  much  about,  he  took  a  trip  around 
the  world,  returning  only  recentlj' — ^just  in  time  to 
bo  nominated  for  United  States  Senator.  For  prac- 
tical ability,  intelligence,  general  information,  good 
judgment,  and  sound  common  sense.  Col.  James  G. 
Fair  will  average  well  with  his  fellow-Senators  and 
Congressmen  at  Washington. 

The  Legislature  of  1881  re-apportioned  the  Slate 
reducing  the  number  of  Legislators  from  sovonty- 
five  to  sixty.  This  reduces  the  expense  of  that 
body  about  glO,000  per  term.  The  following  is  the 
new  apportionment: — 

Asaembly- 
COUNTIES.  Senators.  men. 

Churchill... 1   1 

Douglas 1    .. 2 

Elko 2   3 

Esmeralda 1    2 

Eureka 2 3 

Humboldt 1   2 

Lander 1   3 

Lincoln 1 2 

Lyon 1   2 

Nye 1   2 

Ormsby 2   3 

Storey 3   10 

Washoe 2 3 

White  Pine 1    2 

Total 20 40 

Senator  W.  W.  Ilobart,  of  Eureka,  introduced  a 
bill  that,  becoming  a  law,  to  take  effect  in  1883,  will 
make  a  further  reduction  of  the  expense  of  a  State 
Government — in  mileage  about  $',i,(H)(),  and  in  sal- 
aries, 823,400;  making  a  total  reduction  of  826,400 
per  year. 

SALARY    IlEDUCTIONS   BV    UOBART's   BILL. 

Present        New 
Salary.       Salary. 

Supreme  Court  Justices  (throe) 87,000     85,000 

Governor 6,000       6,000 


Secretary  of  State 3,600  3,000 

Controller 3,600  3,000 

Treasurer 3,600  3,000 

Surveyor  General 1,000  1,000 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction,.  2,000  2,000 

Lieutenant  Governor 3,600 

Ex  officio  Eegister 2,400  2,000 

Clerk  Supreme  Court ..:..  3,600  2,400 

Ex    officio    Curator    and    Secretary 

Orphan's  Home 800  400 

Governor's  Private  Secretary 3,300  2,000 

Deputy  Secretary  of  State 3,300  2,000 

Deputy  Controller 3,300  2,000 

Deputy  in  Surveyor  General's  office.  3,000  2,000 

Deputy  Treasurer 3,300  2.0(i0 

Clerk  State  Library. 1,800  1.000 

Warden  Prison.. 3,000  2,000 

Mileage,  Members  Legislature 40c.  25c. 

Superintendent  and  Matron  Orphan's 

Home 3,000  2,000 

Superintendent  Printing. 2,400  2,000 

Totals 877,600  $53,800 

JUDICIAL    ELECTIONS — 1861    TO    1878. 

The  office  of  Probate  Judge  was  created  in  1861, 
the  jurisdiction  of  that  official  being  about  the  same 
as  now  belongs  to  a  District  Judge.  Each  county 
had  a  Probate  Judge — appointed  by  the  Governor, 
with  the  approval  of  the  Legislature — whose  term 
of  office  was  for  two  years;  but  there  was  no  Attor- 
ney either  elected  or  appointed. 

In  1862  this  law  was  changed,  making  the  office 
elective;  at  the  same  time  the  office  of  Prosecuting 
Attorney  was  created  for  each  county,  except  in 
Churchill  and  Lyon,  where  one  was  to  serve  for  both. 

In  1S04  there  occurred  another  change  that  was 
engrafted  upon  the  Constitution,  in  which  the  State 
was  apportioned  into  districts,  over  which  District 
Judges  were  to  preside,  who  were  to  be  chosen  at 
the  ensuing  general  election. 

In  1865  the  office  of  District  Attorney  was  added 
to  the  county  offices,  to  supersede  that  of  Prosecut- 
ing Attornej',  the  first  of  those  officers  being  chosen 
at  the  election  of  November  6,  1866. 

Each  of  these  judicial  officers,  except  the  District 
Judges,  were,  strictly  speaking,  county  officials;  and 
election  returns  reganling  them  will  bo  found  with 
the  county  election  histories;  but  as  there  were  often 
two,  and  even  more  than  two,  counties  embraced  in 
a  judicial  district,  wo  have  thought  it  best  to  place 
the  returns,  for  the  Judges  elected  in  them,  in  sep- 
arate tables. 

ELECTION   OP   DISTRICT   JUDGES,    1864. 

First  District,  Storey  County,  C.  B.  Burbank, 
3,416  votes;  R.  S.  Messick,  3,443  votes;  E.  Rising, 
3,418  votes;  six  candidates. 

Second  District,  Ormsby  County,  S.  II.  Wright, 
687  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,276. 

Third  District,  I/yon  County,  William  Haydon, 
964  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,262. 

Fourth  District,  Washoo  and  l?oop  Counties,  C.  C. 
Goodwin,  1,063  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote, 
1,852. 


STATE  ORGANIZATION. 


Oi) 


Fillh  District,  Nye  and  Churchill  Counlios,  S.  L. 
Baker,  247  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  442. 

Sixth  District,  Humboldt  County,  E.  F.  Dunne, 
44.)  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  81G. 

Seventh  District,  Lander  County,  \V.  H.  Beatty, 
1,278  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  2.512. 

Eighth  District,  Douglas  County,  D.  W.  Virgin, 
4G2  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  037. 

Ninth  District,  Esmeralda  County,  S.  II.  Chase, 
590  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,030. 

The  State  having  been  redistrictcd,  the 

ELECTION   OF   NOVE.MBER   G.    1866 

was  as  follows: — 

First  District,  Storey  County,  Richard  Rising,  1,811 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote.  3,280. 

Second  District,  Ormsby  and  Douglas  Counties, 
S.  H.  Wright,  683  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote, 
1,058. 

Third  District,  Washoe  County,  C.  N.  Harris,  603 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,169. 

Fourth  District.  Lyon  County,  William  Uaydon, 
465  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  762. 

Fifth  District.  Humboldt  County,  G.  G.  Berry, 
153  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  305. 

Sixth  District,*  Lander  County,  W.  H.  Beatty, 
795  votes;  one  candidate;  total  vote.  797. 

Seventh  District,  Nye  and  Churchill  Counties, 
Benjamin  Curler,  369  votes;  two  candidates;  total 
vote,  671. 

Jlighlh  District, t  Esmeralda  County,  S.  H.  Chase, 
324  votes;  one  candidate;  total  vote,  324. 

ELECTION  OP   1868. 
Ninth  District.^  Lincoln  County,  Charles  A.  Leake, 
58  votes;  three  candidates;  total  vote,  105. 

The  State  having  been  redistrictcd  again  the 

ELECTION    OF    1870 

was  as  follows: — 

First  District,  Storey  County,  Richard  Rising,  1,698 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  3,300. 

Second  District,  Douglas,  Ormsby  and  Washoe 
Counties,  C.  N.  Harris,  1,169  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  2,266. 

Third  District.  Esmeralda  and  Lyon  ('ounties, 
William  M.Seawell,  620  votes;  two  candidates;  total 
vote,  1,067. 

Fourth  District, §  Humboldt  County,  George  G. 
Berry.  378  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  731. 

Fifth  District,  Churchill  and  Nj'o  Counties,  Ben- 
jamin tUirler.  399  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote. 
753. 

Sixth  District,  Lander  County,  D.  C.  Konnoy,Mc 
781  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,445. 

*■  W.  H.  Beatty  re.sigiieil  M.iy  17,  18G9,  to  Ix;  installed  Judge 
of  District  No.  Kiglit,  the  uumljcr  of  tlie  newly-created  one. 
consisting  of  White  I'ino  County. 

+  S.  H.  Chase  ilied  October  2S,  18G!). 

t  Charles  A.  Leake  dieil  in  August,  1870. 

§  At  the  election  of  November  5,  1872,  O.  R.  Ijcon.ird  was 
elected  to  till  the  vacancy  caused  l)y  the  resignation  of  Judge 
Berry,  March  3,  1871. 


Seventh  District,  Lincoln  County,  M.  Fuller,  465 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  800. 

Eighth  District.  White  Pine  County,  W.  II.  Beatty, 
914  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,719. 

Ninth  District,  Elko  County,  J.  II.  Flack,  642 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,211. 

Still  further  changes  having  been  made  in  the 
various  districts,  the 

ELECTION    OF    1874 

was  as  follows: — 

First  District,  Storey  County,  Richard  Rising, 
3,758  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vole.  5,962. 

Second  District,  Douglas,  Ormsby  and  Washoe 
Counties,  S.  H.  Wright,  1,584  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  2,751. 

Third  District,  Lyon  County,  William  M.  Soawell, 
766  votes;  one  candidate;  total  vote,  766. 

Fourth  District,  Humboldt  County,  W.  S.  Bonni- 
fiold,  503  voles;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  879. 

Fiilh  District,  Churchill,  Lander  and  Nj'e  Coun- 
ties, D.  C.  McKenney,  1,065  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  1,831. 

Sixth  District,  Eureka  and  White  Pine  Counties, 
F.  W.  Cole,  1,290  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote, 
2,555. 

Seventh  District,  Lincoln  County,  Henrj'  Rives, 
655  votes;  three  candidates;  total  vote,  1,354. 

Eighth  District,  Esmeralda  County,  James  S.  Jami- 
son, 248  votes;  three  candidates;  total  vote,  555. 

Ninth  District,  Elko  Countj',  J.  H.  Flack,  772  votes; 
one  candidate;  total  vote,  772. 

As  the  result  of  changes  made  by  the  Legislature 
the  districts  now  stand  as  follows: — 

ELECTION    OF    1878. 

First  District,  Storey  County,  Richard  Rising, 
3,510  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  5,708. 

Second  District,  Douglas,  Ormsbj'  and  Washoe 
Counties,  S.  D.  King,  1,663  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  2,922. 

Third  District,  Esmeralda  and  Lj-on  Counties, 
William  M.  Seawall,  967  votes;  two  candidates;  total 
vote,  l,.'i89. 

Fourth  District,  Humboldt  Count}-.  W.  S.  Bonni- 
field,  533  votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  914. 

Fifth  District,  Churchill,  Lander  and  Nye  Coun- 
ties, D.  C.  McKennej',  1,039  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  2,051. 

Sixth  District,  Eureka,  Lincoln  and  White  Pino 
Counties;  Henry  Kives,  2,104  votes;  two  candidates; 
total  vote,  3,862. 

Seventh  District,  KIko  County,  J.  II.  Klack,  1,011 
votes;  two  candidates;  total  vote,  1,852. 


100 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTEE    XIV. 

BOUNDARIES   OF  NEVADA. 

The  Boundary  Line  War — Peace  Meeting — Message  of  Governor 
t'lemens — Line  Agreed  Upou — Square  Miles  in  Nevada — 
A  County  of  Two  States. 

By  the  Act  of  Congress,  approved  March  2,  ISCl, 
the  boundaries  of  Nevada  were  established  as  fol- 
lows : — 

Beginning  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  forty- 
second  degree  of  north  latitude  with  the  thirty- 
ninth  degree  of  longitude  west  from  Washington. 

Thence,  running  south  on  the  line  of  said  thirty- 
ninth  degree  of  west  longitude,  until  it  intersects  the 
northern  boundary  line  of  the  Territory  of  New 
Mexico — later  Arizona. 

Thence  due  west  to  the  dividing  ridge  separating 
the  waters  of  Carson  Valley  from  those  that  flow 
into  the  Pacific. 

Thence  on  said  dividing  ridge  northwardlj',  to  the 
forty-first  degree  of  north  latitude. 

Thence  due  north,  to  the  southern  boundary  line 
of  the  State  of  Oregon. 

Thence  due  east  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  law,  by  a  proviso,  excepted  from  the  area 
covered  by  this  descriiHion  anj-  portion  of  California 
that  might  be  included,  unless  that  State  should 
assent  to  such  segregation. 

THE  BOUNDARY  LINE  WAR. 

This  became  a  fruitful  source  of  trouble  later,  as 
the  west  line  of  California  had  not  been  established 
b}-  survey,  and  the  question  of  where  Nevada  began, 
and  the  Golden  State  left  off,  was  a  matter  of  serious 
doubt. 

October  25,  18G1,  Governor  Nye  advised  the 
aiijiointmcnt,  by  the  Legislature  of  Nevada,  of  a 
commission  to  confer  with  California  and  obtain,  if 
possible,  the  running  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mount- 
ain line  of  division  between  the  two  sections.  By  a 
joint  resolution  of  the  two  bodies,  ])as8ed  November 
9,  1861,  such  a  commission  was  to  be  named  in  a 
joint  convention  of  both  Houses*  l)Ut  they  failed  to 
meet  and  make  the  appointments. 

In  the  meantime,  Deput}-  United  States  Surveyor, 
John  F.  Kidder,  surveyed  the  line  as  designated  b}- 
Congress,  from  Lake  Tahoe.  northerly  to  Honey 
Lake,  for  which  he  was  paid  SoaO.t 

The  same  Legislature  appro))riated  SI, 000,  con- 
ditionally, to  be  expended  b^-  the  (Jovernor  in  esfab- 
lishitig  the  west  boundary  line  from  Lake  Tahoe, 
southerly  to  or  bej-ond  I'^smeralda  County. | 

Ah  that  county  extended  to  the  south  line  of  the 
Territory,  it  is  hard  to  tell  in  what  sort  of  a  fog  the 
Legislators  had  become  enveloped  at  that  time  in 
regard  to  the  geography  of  Nevada. 

Jn  1S(;2  the  line  was  run  by  J.  F.  Kiilder  and 
Buller  Ives,  that  left  Aurora,  in  Nevada,  but  the  sur- 
vey was  not  recognized  by  California. 


*  Statutes  of  1861,  page  512. 
i  Statut<a  of  1861,  p.ige  132. 
t  Statutes  of  1801,  page  209. 


The  Legislature  of  18G2  passed  a  joint  resolution 
asking  the  California  Legislature  to  cede  to  Nevada 
such  territory  as  had  been  included  in  the  original 
boundary  description  by  Act  of  Congress.* 

On  the  fourteenth  of  Julj-,  18G2,  the  bill  introduced 
by  Judge  Cradlebaugh  became  a  law  by  approval  of 
the  President,  that  added  to  the  east  line  of  Nevada 
one  degree,  or  about  sixtj*  miles  in  width  of  territory 
lying  between  longitude  thirty-eight  and  thirty- 
nine  degrees  west  from  Washington. 

Matters  regarding  the  western  boundary  remained 
in  this  unsettled  condition  all  along  the  line,  until 
1803,  when  open  war  broke  out  along  the  border  in 
Eoop  County. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  trouble  was  a  conflict 
of  authority.  The  officials  of  Plumas  Count}',  Cali- 
fornia, claiming  the  right  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over 
the  territorj-  embraced  within  the  limits  of  what  the 
Nevada  Legislature  had  organized  into  the  county 
of  Eoop.  First  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  was  enjoined 
by  the  Plumas  County  Judge  from  holding  court  in 
Eoop  Count}',  and  failing  to  obey,  was  fined  8100  for 
contempt  of  court.  Then  the  Sheriff  and  County 
J  udge  of  J{oop  County  were  ordered  by  the  courts  of 
Plumas  County  to  cease  exercising  authority  in  Eoop 
County,  and  upon  failure  to  obey,  the  Sheriff  of 
Plumas  and  his  Deputy  came  over  and  arrested  these 
two  officials.  The  citizens  then  arose  and  took  the 
prisoners  from  custody  before  they  had  been  taken 
over  the  mountains.  The  Plumas  County  Sheriff, 
whose  name  wasE.  il.  Pierce,  returned  in  a  few  days 
with  a  large  posse  of  Plumas  citizens,  stated  to  number 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  persons, 
and  one  j)iece  of  artillery,  and  attempted  to  enforce 
the  arrest  of  William  H.  Naileigh,  Sheriff,  and  John 
S.  Ward,  Probate  Judge  of  Eoop  County.  The  arrest 
was  made  but  a  rescue  ensued,  and  open  hostilities 
had  commenced  in  the  streets  of  vSusanville.  The 
Eoop  County  forces  fortified  in  a  log  house,  and  Pierce 
advancing  took  possession  of  a  largo  barn  in  the 
immediate  neigiiborhood,  on  the  morning  of  the 
filleenth  of  February,  1803.  The  Eoop  County  men 
fired  upon  their  assailants,  and  seriously  wouncied 
one  of  them,  when  the  fighting  became  general, 
resulting  in  the  wounding  of  two  of  the  log  house 
party.  An  armistice  was  at  length  agreed  to  with 
a  view  to  compromise,  and  the  following  is  a  copy  of 
the  same: — 

PEACE    MEETING. 

A  stale  of  war  existing  between  the  authorities  of 
Plumas  County,  California,  and  the  authorities  and 
<-ilizon8  of  Eoop  County,  Nevada  Territory,  a  com- 
mittee of  citizens  of  Honey  Lake  Valley  and  the 
leaders  of  the  belligerent  ])arlies  convened  at  Susan- 
ville,  for  the  ]iurpose  of  making  some  arrangements 
for  the  establishment  of  jieace.  and  to  stop  the  fur- 
ther shedding  of  blood.  Frank  Drake  was  appointed 
President,  and  H.  U.  Ji'nnings,  Secretary.  Mr. 
Pierce,  Sheriff"  of  Plumas  County,  made  the  Ibllowing 
proposition, /o  «>eV.:     "Both  parties  to  suspend  hos- 

*  Statutes  of  1862,  page  1<)5. 


(JCCyiyVCj  >^,//- 


C 


E  B.  Harris,  M.  D. 


Dr.  Harris  comes  of  an  old  New  England,  or  rather 
of  an   old   England   family,  for   the   Harris   family 
were   quite   prominent   several    centuries   ago,   and 
brought  with  them  when  they  came  to  this  country 
in  ltJ32  their  coat  of  arms,  and  probably  also,  in  com- 
mon with  all  the  older  ]S"ew  England  families,  expect- 
ations  of  inheriting   much   wealth.      The   immense 
fecundity  of  the  Harris  family  (E.  B.  is  one  of  thir- 
teen) would  have  so  divided  the  largest   estate  of 
England  that  but  a  few  millions  would  have  fiillen  to 
the  share  of  each  Harris,  and  the  tradition  has  long 
since  ceased  to  be  valued  by  any  member  of  the 
family,  the  custom  of  each  one's  looking  out  for  him- 
self and  making  his  own  fortune  being  well  estab- 
lished among  the  descendants.     Elias  Braman  Harris 
was  born  September  13,  1827,  at  Eichfield  Springs, 
Otsego  County,  New  York.     At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he    entered  Fairfield  Academy,   Herkimer   County, 
remaining  until  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he  entered 
Geneva  College,    where   he   completed  his   literary 
course.     While  in  the  last  institution  he  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine  and  surgery  under  Professor 
Frank    Hamilton.     The  following  year  he  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  \Vm.  .M.  Spencer,  of  Otsego  County, 
as  a  medical  student,  and  also  read  a  few  books  on 
common  law  at  the  same  time,  under  the  instruction 
of  Judge  Pomeroy  of  Cooperstown,  New  York,  with 
the  expectation  of  fitting  himself  for  the  profession 
of  criminal  jurisprudence,  the  profession  involving  a 
thorough   knowledge  of  medicine  as  well    as   law. 

This  design,  however,  was  soon  abandoned  and  hence- 
forth he  gave  his  force  to  the  medical  sciences. 

In  1845  he  entered  the  New  York  Medical  Univer- 
sity, and  completed  his  studies  under  the  instruction 
of  that   world-renowned    authority  in  surgery,  Br. 
Valentine  Mott,  graduating   in    1847;  also  in    1848   ! 
at  the   College  of  Surgeons.     During  the   following   ; 
year   he   commenced    the   practice   of   medicine   in    i 
Waterville,  in  Oneida  County.     At  the  beginning  of  ! 
1850  he  took  passage  for  Valparaiso.     Not  liking  the   | 
place  he  left  for  Panama,  where  he  took  passage  on    I 
a  California-bound  steamer,  arriving  in  San  Francisco 
in  December,  1850,  where  he  remained  but  a  few 
months,  going  to  Jackson,  then  in  Calaveras  County, 
by  way  of  Stockton  and  Mokelumne  Hill.     The  spec- 
tacle of  a  man  hanging  on  the  famous  tree,  executed 
by  the  court  of  Judge  Lynch,  determined  him  to  con- 
tinue his  journey  to  lone,  then  a  little  hamlet  at  the 
head  of  the  valley   bearing  that   name.     He   8oor> 
found  business  in  running  a  hotel,  selling  goods  and 
practicing  medicine  at  the  same  time  in  company 
with  Dr.  Jabez  Newton.     The  following  extract  from 


a  recently  published  history  of  Amador  County  will 
give  an  idea  of  his  career  there. 

I       Doctor  Harris  acted  quite  a  prominent  part  in  the 
!    early  settlement  of  Amador  County.     He  was  a  suc- 
;    cessful  physician  as  well  as  minor.     He  built  and  ran 
;    forsorae  time  the  Harris  cV  Newton  Hotel;  was  largely 
I    instrumental  in  the  organization  of  Amador  County- 
found  time  to  help  build  up   the   State  Agriculturai 
Society;  mingled  in  politics;  taught  singing,  and  did 
I    many  things  to  help  build  up  society.  He  was  among 
the  foremost  who  went  to  the  Washoe  mines,  put  up 
a   custom   mill,  and  made    thirty   thousand'  dollars 
before  other  men  had  time  to  look  around.     When 
the  civil  war  broke  out.  he  joined  the  Union  army 
and  was  made  full  Surgeon,  with  the  rank  of  Major 
where  Ins  known  skill  as  a  surgeon,  his  great  execu- 
tive ability    and  energy,  were  invaluable.     Though 
genial  and  social  in  his  habits,  he  never,  either  by  his 
presence  or  conversation,  promoted  or  countenanced 
gambling,  drinking,  and  other  vices,  that  swept  into 
the  vortex  of  ruin  so  many  brilliant  and  talented 
young  men  in  carl>-  days. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  officers  elected  after 
1  he  organization  of  the  new  county  of  Amador.  The 
above  remarks  were  made  regarding  the  numbers  of 
able  men  who  at  that  time  resided  in  the  limits  of 
the  county. 

In  the  history  of  the  mines  of  Amador  County, 
we  find  the  following  in  regard  to  the  Oneida  Mine! 

The  mill  and  mine  were  leased,  in  1.854,  to  Dr.  E 
B.  Harris  for  a  nominal  rent,  for  the  purj)ose  of  hav- 
ingitdeveloped.  He  was  endowed  with  great  physical 
strength  and  indomitable  energy,  as  wellas  good'jud.r- 
raent,  and  by  .selecting  good  rock,  and  acting  as  fire- 
man, engineer,  amalgamator,  machinist,  miner,  and 
supenntendont,  hy  turns,  making  about  a  dozen  men 
of  one  and  that  one  himself,  he  made  the  mine  iiay 
ior  that  year,  about  thirty  thousand  dollars  over 
expenses.  At  that  time  machinery  was  generally 
taken  to  Sacramento  for  repairs,  necessitating  long 
delays  and  much  expense.  One  day  a  cam-seat  or 
groove,  on  the  shaft  which  holds  the  key  gave  way 
and  the  cam  was  dangling  like  a  broken  leg.  To 
take  out  the  shaft  and  send  it  to  Sacramento  was 
expensive,  both  in  time  and  money,  and  it  was 
resolved  to  drill  a  hole  through  both  cam  and  shaft 
and  put  a  largo  pin  through  them  to  hold  the  cam 
By  superhuman  exertion  this  was  done  in  about 
three  hours,  the  order  to  -fire  up  '  ringing  simul- 
taneously with  the  coming  through  of  the  point  of 
''"'"    and  in  half  an  hour  the  mill  was  pounding 


the  dril 


mi 
away.      A  year   or   two   afterward    the    mine    was 
rented  to  Swam  Sc  Scgar,  of  lone,  who  in  one  year 
lost  as  much  as  Harris  made. 

After  the  termination  of  his  lease  of  the  Oneida 
Mill  and  Mine,  he  took  a  trip  to  the  East,  with  the 
design  of  remaining,  hut  he  had  too  long  been  in 
California  to  live  contentedly  in  the   East,  and    in 


1855  he  returned  and  invested  in  the  Volcano  Canal 
Company,  becoming  Superintendent.  An  unusually 
dry  season  followed,  and  even  his  energy  could  not 
make  it  a  success,  and  it  made  a  grave  of  nearly  all 
the  money  he  had  saved  in  mining,  and  he  returned 
to  the  practice  of  medicine  at  lone  in  Amador 
County,  which  he  followed  with  success  until  the 
opening  of  the  Washoe  mines. 

With  his  usual  great  energy  he  plunged  into  the 
exciting  business  of  mining,  and  erected  the  first 
stamp  quartz  mill  in  the  Territory.  There  have 
been  several  claimants  to  the  honor  of  having  started 
the  first  mill,  but  Dr.  Harris  is  most  emi)halie  in  the 
assertion  that  his  was  thejirst,  starling  the  machinery 
with  his  own  hand,  on  the  eleventh  of  August,  1860, 
at  2  p.  M.  of  that  daj',  in  the  presence  of  500  people. 
At  this  time  the  mill,  which  was  a  nine-stamp  rotary 
battery,  ran  about  an  hour,  when  it  was  stopped  on 
account  of  a  difficulty  with  the  pans.  The  njxt  day 
Mr.  Ki»ox  was  engaged  to  remedy  the  defect,  and 
again  started  the  mill,  but  he  was  unable  to  manage 
the  pans,  when  Dr.  Harris'  engineer  undertook  the 
work  and  made  it  a  success.     From   that  date   the   I 


mill  was  run  with  great  profit,  being  the  most  popu- 
lar one  in  the  district,  which  was  soon  supplied  with 
many  works  of  the  kind.     [See  page  68.] 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
he  left  for  the  East,  and  joining  the  army  remained 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  December  21,  1865,  he 
married  Miss  Anna  Isabella  Stevens,  youngest  daugh- 
ter of  the  Hon.  James  A.  Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  New 
Jersey.  Not  even  the  changed  condition  of  his 
domestic  affairs  could  induce  him  to  remain  in  the 
Eastern  States,  and  on  the  twenty-first  of  March, 
following,  he  left  for  the  Pacific  Coast,  which  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  practicing  medicine  in  Sacra- 
mento and  Virginia  City.  He  has  a  family  of  three 
children — daughters — and  his  domestic  relations  are 
all  pleasant. 

As  a  man,  he  is  social,  cheerful,  hopeful,  possessed 
of  a  splendid  physique,  indomitable  energy,  with 
excellent  intellectual  developments.  The  fault  of 
his  character,  if  he  has  any,  is  a  tendency  to  attempt 
too  many  things  at  once,  instead  of  concentrating 
his  forces  on  one  object. 


I 


I 


BOUNDARIES  OF  NEVADA. 


101 


tilitics  and  disband  tlioir  forces,  he  takini;  his  men 
home  with  him  and  report  tiie  ease  to  tlie  Governor 
orCalilbrnia,  re(iuestinii  him  to  eonfer  with  the  (lOv- 
ernor  of  Nevada  Territorj-,  that  the  question  of 
jurisdiction  may  hi-  settled  |ieaceably— ])endinff  such 
settlement  neitiier  ]>artj-  to  chiim  jurisdiction,  also 
that  tiie  citizens  of  the  valley  shall  draw  U]i  a  full 
statement  of  the  case  and  forward  the  same  to  the 
(Jovernors  of  California  and  Nevada  Territorj-, 
requestiiiiT  them  to  settle  the  ditliculties  jjeaceablj' 
and  as  soon  as  jiossible." 

Mr.  Elliott  thought  the  jiroposition  a  fair  and 
honorable  one,  and  that  it  would  lead  to  a  s]>eedy 
settlement  of  our  present  diHieulties.  He  was  lliere- 
foro  in  favor  of  Mr.  I'ierco's  jiroposition. 

Mr.  I'ieree  (Sherifl)  moved  tlie  appointment  of  a 
committee  of  four  citizens  (two  of  each  ))arly), 
to  make  the  statement  to  each  of  the  (Jovernors. 
Carried. 

Mr.  KUiott  moved  that  we  adojit  Mr.  Pierce's 
proposition  for  a  settlement  of  our  difticultics. 
Carried,  unanimously. 

The  Chairman  api)ointod  upon  the  committee  of 
corres[(ondence,  Messrs.  Itoop,  .Murray,  .lones,  and 
Young.     On  motion,  meetini^  adjourned. 

Fk.vnk  buAKK,  Chairman. 

H.  U.  Jennings,  Secretary-. 

The  above  jiroeeedint^s  is  an  agreement  of  settle- 
ment between  the  contending  parlies  of  itoop  and 
Plumas  Counties. 

(Signed)  E.  II.  Pikkce, 

Wm.  IliLi,  Naileioii. 

The  above  is  a  true  and  correct  copy  of  tiie  ])ro- 
ceedings  of  the  ])eace  meelini;  lielil  in  Susanville, 
February  1().  l.*>0:!.  W.m.  Hii.l  Nailekjii, 

.Sheriff  of  Poop  County,  Nevada  Territory. 

MESSAtiE    OF    liOVEUNOR    CLEMENS. 

Orion  Clemens,  the  Territorial  Secretary,  was 
Acting  Governor  at  the  time  when  the  difficulties 
occurred,  and  also  on  January  14,  1864,  when  he 
made  the  following  rei)ort  to  the  Legislature  of 
Nevada:  Hostilities  ceased  upon  an  agreement  to 
refer  the  subject  to  the  (iovernors  of  California  and 
Nevada  Teri-itory,  for  settlement;  b\it  yet  excite- 
ment was  great,  and  began  to  extend  be3'ond  the 
immediate  locality  of  the  disturbance;  serious  con- 
secjuencos  might  ensue. 

I  telegra])hed  in  relation  to  the  afVair  to  His 
Excellencj-  Leland  Slanforil,  (Jovernor  of  California, 
and  sent  Hon.  J.  K.  Lovejo3-  to  Susanville,  to  inves- 
tigato  the  facts.  Upon  his  return  ho  submitted  a 
written  report,  which,  with  aceom])anyiiig  jiapers, 
is  herewith  transmitted  to  your  Honorable  bodj-. 

Subsequentlj-,  a  special  messenger,  William  K. 
Parkinson.  Esf|.,  arrived,  beai'ing  an  official  state- 
ment from  William  Hill  Naileigh,  who  had  been 
appointed  Slieritf  of  Uoop  (^)anty,  bj-  (Jovernor  Nye. 
Mr.  Naileigh  staled  the  facts,  asked  nij-  advice,  and 
promised  to  obej'  mj-  direction  in  the  matter,  a 
])romise  he  faithfully  ke])t. 

Accompanying  this  is  .Mr.  Naileigh's  letter,  with 
a  copy  of  my  answer,  in  which  are  quoted  my  dis- 
patch to  (loveriior  Stanford  and  his  reply. 

Judge  Itobert  Pobinson,  of  Sacramento,  was 
appointe<i  b^-  tiovernor  Stanford,  to  confer  with  me 
in  relation  to  the  boundary.  Alter  ascertaining 
that  the  summit  boundary  would  not  be  conceded 
by  the  California  authorities,  we  drew  u|)  an  instru- 
ment, ])roviding  as  the  best  that  could  be  done. 
13 


First — That  the  tlovernor  of  the  Territory  will 
appoint  a  commissioner  to  meet  a  commissioner 
appointed  bj-  the  State  of  tJalifornia,  to  run  and  per- 
manently establish  the  boundarj-  line  between  the 
State  of  California  and  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  dur- 
ing the  ])rcsent  j'ear,  ISU^. 

The  second  clause,  ]iroviding  that  the  line  shoidd 
be  tem|)oraril}'  regarded  as  nnming  north  through 
the  eastern  eml  of  Honey  Lake,  was  ]iro])osed  by 
Judge  Pobinson,  and  was  agi-eed  to  by  myself  on 
condition  that  the  line  south  of  Lake  Pigler,  as  run 
by  Kidilcr  and  Ives,  in  ISdjl,  placing  Aurora  within 
this  Territory,  should  be  i-egarded  temporarilj-  as  the 
true  line,  and  Jurisdiction  be  accordingly  so  assumed 
b}'  Nevada  Territory.  To  this  Judge  Pobinson  did 
not  feel  authoriy.ed  to  consent,  and  the  writing  was 
leit  without  signatures,  u|)()n  a  verbal  undei-standing 
that  if  apjiroved  by  the  (Jovernor  oi'  California,  the 
dujilicate  should  be  signed  by  the  Governor  of  that 
State,  and  of  Nevada  Territory,  and  exchanged.  It 
was  not  so  approved,  but  submitted  by  (Jovernor 
Stanford  to  the  Jjcgislature  of  ('alilbrnia  then  in  ses- 
sion, and  a  law  was  enacted  ))roviding  that  the  Sur- 
veyor (Jeiieral  ot' California  should  I'liii.  measure,  and 
mai'k  the  entire  eastern  boundary  of  that  State,  and 
leqnesting  the  (Jovernor  of  Nevada  Territory  to 
ap]>oint  a  commisr-ionei-  to  accom])anj-  and  act  in 
conjunction  with  said  Surveyor  Genei'al,  "])rovided 
that  Nevada  Territory  shall  ])ay  all  expenses  of  such 
])erson  or  ])ersons  so  apjwinted."  1  send  you  a  cer- 
tified cojiy  of  that  Act,  together  with  the  ])a])er  show- 
ing Judge  Pobinson's  authority  to  act  as  agent  nl'  (be 
Stale  of  Calilornia,  and  a  duplicate  of  the  allenipled 
agreement  between  him  and  myself. 

There  was  no  law  of  this  Territory  authorizing  a 
surve}',  or  the  appoiillnieni  of  a  coniinissioner  or  the 
pa3-nieMt  of  money,  or  the  making  of  any  contract 
for  payment  for  detiiung  and  establishing  the  bound- 
ary. The  calling  of  an  extra  session  of  the  Legisla- 
tive Assembly  was  urged  Instead  of  that,  I  trusted 
this  Legislative  Assembly.  On  the  sixteenth  of  .Mmj-, 
18(53,  I  ajipointed  Butler  Ives,  Esq.,  one  of  the  most 
competent  surveyors  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  commis- 
sioner for  and  on  behalf  of  Nevada  Terrilorj-,  "  to 
accom])any  and  act  in  conjunction  with  the  Surveyor 
General  of  the  State  of  California,  in  definini^  and 
establishing  the  bouiidar}-  line  between  the  Terri- 
tory of  Nevada  and  the  Slate  of  California,"  and 
made  a  contract  with  said  Ives  by  which  he  jjroin- 
iscd  and  agreed  "  to  diligently,  faithrully  and  fullj- 
perform  all  the  duties  devolving  upon  him  as  such 
commissioner,"  and  ])re]iare  and  file  in  the  otlice  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Territory,  three  copies  of  the 
maps  andfielil  notcsof  such  survey  within  sixtj- daj-s 
after  the  completion  of  the  survej-,  and  make  to  this 
Legislative  Assembly  '-a  full  ami  detailed  report  of 
the  manner  in  which  the  survey  has  been  made." 
Said  agreement  also  contains  the  following  clause: 
"And  as  consideration  for  said  services  to  bo  per- 
formed b}-  said  Puller  Ives,  said  Orion  Clemens,  Act- 
ing Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  in  the 
name  of  the  ])eo|)le  of  said  Territory  ])leilges  the 
faith  of  Ihe  Teri'ilorv  of  Nevada,  to  pay  as  comjien- 
sation  to  said  Puller  Ives  the  sum  of  (83,0(1(1)  three 
thousand  dollars  in  gold  and  silver  coin,  of  the  cur- 
rent money  of  the  United  Slates,  said  sum  of  money 
to  bo  so  paid  to  said  Butler  Ives,  thirty  daj's  after 
the  adjournment  of  the  next  (this)  session  of  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Teri'itory  of  Nevada." 

It  was  slijiulaled"  that  this  S3.()(H)  should  be  ])ay- 
ment  in  full  of  all  expenses  as  well  as  services  of  him- 
self and  assistants.     The  detailed  statement  rofeiTed 


102 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


to  will  doubtless  be  made   by  Mr.  Ives  during  your 
session. 

In  conjunction  with  Mr.  Kidder,  who  was  appointed 
by  the  Surveyor  General  ot  Culifornia,  .Mr.  Ives  ran 
the  line  from  the  initial  point  in  Lake  Bigler,  north  ^ 
to  the  southern  boundary  of  Oregon,  and  south  to 
within  about  a  degree  of  the  southern  boundarj-  of 
the  Territory,  when  the  severe  cold  and  other  difficul- 
ties compelled  a  suspension  of  the  labors  of  the  com- 
mission, but  the  important  points  were  gained  by 
showing  the  true  location  of  the  boundary  line  in  the 
Honey  Lake  region,  and  thus  preventing  further 
difficulties,  while,  in  the  south,  upon  the  running  of 
the  line  under  this  commission  the  State  of  California 
immediately  jielded  a  jurisdiction  long  maintained 
over  the  rich  Esmeralda  mining  region,  and  the 
position  of  the  line  and  respective  jurisdiction  of  Cali- 
fornia and  Nevada,  arc  now  clearlj-  known  wherever 
there  arc  settlements  along  our  western  border.  i 

Accompanjing  this  is  a  copy  of  my  appointment   i 
of  Mr.  Ives,  as  commissioner,  together  with  a  dupli- 
cate of  our  agreement,  and  his  bond  for  arms  fur- 
nished for  protection   in   going  through  the  Indian 
countr}-,  and  the  inv(/ice  and  voucher  fur  the  arms. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted  b}-  your 
obedient  servant,  Ouion  Cle.mens, 

Secretary  of  the  Territory. 

THE    LINE   AGREED   UPON. 

February  7,  1SC5,  an  Act  was  approved  making 
the  line  between  California  and  Nevada,  the  same  as 
had  been  decided  upon  by  the  former  State,  by  a 
Legislative  Act  in  April,  18U3,  consequently  there  only 
remained  necessary  a  survey  to  establish  the  line 
where  it  had  not  already  been  done.  The  Act  above 
referred  to  of  1803  provided  for  such  sarvej-. 

May  3,  186G,  the  Congressional  Act  was  approved 
which  ceded  to  Nevada  a  strip  of  territorj-  sixty  miles 
wide,  extending  from  Oregon  to  the  Colorado  River, 
and  all  of  Arizona  lying  between  that  river  and 
Nevada's  south  line.  This  acquisition  included 
11,000  square  miles  from  Arizona  and  i;0,850  square 
miles  from  Utah,  and  January  18,  1867,  the  Nevada 
Legislature  by  Act  accepted  the  gift. 

March  5,  18f)0,  the  Legislature  ajipropriated  84,000 
to  bo  expended  in  surveying  the  east  line  of  the 
State,  that  by  the  above  Congressional  Act,  had  been 
made  on  the  thirty-seventh  degree  of  longitude  west 
from  Washington. 

A  joint  resolution  was  passed  bj-  the  Nevada  Leg- 
islature in  1871,  asking  Congress  to  give  to  Nevada, 
all  of  Idaho  that  lay  south  of  the  Owyhee  River,  but 
the  proi>o.-ition  was  not  favorably  entertained  by 
that  body.  The  same  year  the  Nevada  Legislature 
memorialized  the  Legislature  of  California  asking  the 
latter  body  to  make  the  line  of  division  between  the 
two  States  the  same  as  had  been  named  in  Nevada's 
organic  Act.  But  this  attempt  to  open  the  old  ques- 
tion met  with  no  favor  across  the  Sierra. 

The  boundary  lines  of  Nevada  as  they  now  exist, 
commence  in  the  center  of  the  Colorado  River  where 
the  thirty-filth  parallel  of  north  latitude  crosses  that 
stream  (near  Fort  Mojave);  from  thence  in  a  direct 
north-westerly  line  to  the  point  where  the  thirty- 
ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude  iutertfccls  the  forty- 


third  degree  of  longitude  west  from  Washington 
(near  the  center  of  Lake  Tahoe);  thence  north 
on  said  degree  to  the  forty-second  parallel  of  lati- 
tude (which  is  the  south  line  of  Oregon);  thence 
east  on  said  parallel  of  latitude  to  the  thirty-seventh 
degree;  thence  south  on  said  degree  to  the  center 
of  the  Colorado  River;  thence  down  said  river  to  the 
place  of  beginning.     Area  120,000  square  miles. 

A   COUNTY   OF   TWO  STATES. 

Resulting  from  a  want  of  knowledge  of  where  the 
west  line  of  Nevada  really  was,  were  manj-  serious 
incidents,  some  of  them  involving  litigation  as  lato 
even  as  1881,  others  tragic  in  their  workings,  while 
one  at  least  was  phenomenal  in  the  history  of  poli- 
tics. It  was  not  determined  whether  the  town  of 
Aurora  was  in  California  or  Nevada  until  in  1863. 
Aurora  was  claimed  by  both  States,  and  became  the 
county  seat  of  two  counties;  that  of  Esmeralda  for 
Nevada,  and  Mono  County  for  California.  In  1863, 
Thomas  N.  Machin,  of  Aurora,  was  elected  to  the 
California  Assembly,  where  hit  was  selected  as  their 
presiding  officer,  and  later  became  Lieut.  Governor 
of  that  State.  At  the  same  time,  Br.  John  W.  Pugh, 
also  a  resident  of  Aurora,  was  elected  by  the  same 
constituency  to  the  Legislature  of  Nevada,  and  he, 
too.  was  chosen  as  presiding  officer  for  the  bodj*  of 
which  he  had  become  a  member.  Thus  we  have 
the  singular  coincidence,  or  political  phenomenon, 
of  a  Legislative  branch  in  two  separate  common- 
wealths at  the  same  time,  being  presided  over  by 
men  elected  from  the  same  town,  b}'  mostlj-  the 
same  votes,  neither  of  whom,  probablj*.  were  entitled 
to  their  positions  because  of  their  having  been 
chosen  by  non-resident  voters. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

MAILS,    STAGES   AND    EXPRESS. 

Mail  anil  I'iisstu^'er  Ti'aiisport.ition  —  Snow-shoe  Thompson — 
Pony  Express— Ovurlaml  Mail  Stagu  Cmniiaiiy — Overland 
Stai-e  Fiirm — Telegraph  Lines — I'reseut  -M.iil  U"Utea — Wells, 
Far"0  &  Co.  s  Express — I'ioneer  Stage  Line — Uverlauil  Mail. 

The  history-  of  the  transi)ortation  of  the  United 
States  mails  into  and  through  the  Territory  of  Nevada 
prior  to  the  era  of  railroads  and  telegraph  lines,  is 
similar,  in  most  respects,  to  that  of  other  new  Terri- 
tories. First  the  pack-mule  and  the  covered  wagon, 
followed  by  the  pony  express  and  the  stage-coach. 
Although  several  exi)loring  parties  and  numerous 
emigrant  companies  had,  previous  to  1850,  passed 
over  that  ))orlion  of  the  Great  Basin  that  is  now 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  the  State  of  Nevada, 
yet,  there  had,  up  to  that  time,  been  no  ])ermanent 
settlements  within  the  Territory.  It  was  not  till 
the  5'ear  1851  that  regular  mail  facilities  were 
secured  to  this  section  of  the  country;  and  even 
then  the  mail  line  extended  no  farther  east  than  the 
Groat  Salt  Lake. 


MAILS,  STAGES,  AND  EXPRESS. 


103 


Colonel  A.  Woodiird  :iiul  Mr.  Chorpcninij  had 
associated  themselves  tot^ether,  and  under  the  firm 
name  of  A.  Woodard  &  Co.,  made  a  contract  with 
the  United  States  in  1851  to  carrj-  the  mail  from 
Sacramento,  in  California,  to  Salt  Lake  City.  This 
route,  commencina;  at  Sacramento,  ran  ma  Folsom 
to  Placcrville.  in  El  Dorado  Cuunty;  thence  over 
the  Sierra  by  the  old  emi<,'i-ant  road,  through 
Strawberry  and  Hope  Valleys  into  Carson  Valley, 
throuijh  Genoa,  Carson  City,  Dayton,  Rai^town,  and 
thence  across  the  Forty-Mile  Desert  to  the  Humboldt 
Eiver,  near  the  Humboldt  Sink;  then  following  the 
old  emigrant  route  east  along  the  Humboldt  IJiver 
to  what  is  now  Stone-house  Station,  on  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  near  which  it  left  the  river  and, 
turning  to  the  southeast,  took  the  "  Hasting's  Cut- 
ott'"  to  Salt  Lake  Citj-.  The  entire  length  of  this 
route  was  750  miles.  The  mail  was  packed  on  the 
back  of  a  mule,  and  the  trip  was  made  once  a  month 
each  way. 

The  actujil  difficulties  to  be  surmounted,  and  the 
dangers,  real  and  fancied,  that  beset  the  whole  line, 
are  too  numerous  to  recount,  and  beyond  the  powei-s 
of  imagination  to  correctly  paint.  Hi  the  winter, 
upon  that  portion  of  the  route  which  passes  over  the 
Sierra,  the  snow  fell  I'rom  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  on  a 
level,  and  in  the  canons  and  mountain  gorges  drifted 
to  the  depth  of  forty  or  fifty  feet.  In  the  spring  the 
Carson  and  Humboldt  Vallej's  were  sometimes  flooded, 
and  swimming  was  the  onlj-  means  of  passage, 
as  there  were  no  bridges.  From  Stone-house  Sta- 
tion, east,  the  whole  country  was  infested  by  bands 
of  hostile  Lidians.  The  Shoshone  tribes  were  the 
worst,  and  gave  the  most  trouble.  They  would  skulk 
behind  the  rocks  and  watch  day  and  night  for  the 
mail  or  emigrant  train,  lying  in  wait  to  kill  and 
plunder.  So  great  were  the  dangers  from  this 
source  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  employ  men  to 
travel  with  and  guard  the  mail.  In  the  fall  of  1851, 
Colonel  Woodard,  while  in  charge  of  the  mail,  and 
two  young  men,  John  Hawthorn  and  Oscar  Fitzer, 
who  were  employed  as  guards,  encountered  a  band 
of  these  hostile  tribes  at  Gravel  Point,  near  Stone- 
house  Station,  and  were  all  three  killed.  Chorpen- 
ing,  the  surviving  partner,  continued  to  carry  the 
mail  till  the  fall  of  1853,  when  this  contract  expired. 
He  was  then  Joined  by  Ben.  Hollidaj",  and  thej- 
obtained  permission  to  carry  the  same  with  a  four- 
mule  team  and  covered  wagons,  which  they  con- 
tinued till  Jinie,  1857,  when  the  establishment  of  a 
tri-weekly  lino  of  stages  from  Placcrville  to  Genoa, 
by  J.  B.  Crandall,  left  them  with  the  line  only 
between  Genoa  and  Salt  Lake.  Li  1857  a  station 
keeper  on  their  line  b}-  the  name  of  Brown,  while 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  Station  Agent,  near 
Gravelly  Ford,  was  killed  by  the  Lidians.  These 
hostile  demonstrations  on  the  jiart  of  straggling  bands 
of  Shoshones  and  Gosh-Utes  continued  till  18(J;],  when 
more  vigorous  measures  adoi)ted  by  General  Connor 
put  a  stop  to  them. 


SNOW-SIIOK   THOMPSON. 

The  difficulty  of  passing  over  the  Sierra,  occasioned 
by  the  deep  snows  of  winter,  was  partly  overcome  by 
the  use  of  snow-shoes.  The  mail  was  first  carried 
across  by  this  means  in  the  sjiring  of  1853,  by  Fred 
Bishop  and  a  man  named  Drift,  who  alternated  with 
each  other  in  making  the  trips.  They  used  what 
was  called  the  basket  form-,  or  Canadian  jiattern  of 
snow-shoe.  George  Pierce  succeeded  Bishop  and 
Dritt,  who  in  turn  gave  .way  to  John  A.  Thompson, 
better  known  as  "Snow-shoe  Thompson."  He  was  a 
Norwegian  by  birth,  and  the  first  to  introduce  a 
Norwegian  pattern  of  snow-shoo.  A  pair  of  them 
can  be  seen  at  the  present  time  at  the  Orinsby  House, 
in  Carson  City.  They  are  ten  feet  long,  turn  u])  at  the 
front  end  like  skates,  or  runners,  are  about  five  or 
six  inches  wide  and  one  and  a  half  inches  thick  in 
the  thickest  part,  and  are  made  from  the  fir  tree. 
They  are  the  identical  shoes  upon  which  Thompson 
carried  the  mail  between  Genoa  and  Placcrville. 
The  most  wonderful  stories  are  related  of  this  man 
and  his  exploits  on  snow-shoes. 

This  noted  mountaineer  was  born  at  Upper  Tins, 
Prestjrjold,  Norway,  in  1827.  He  came  with  his 
iiither  to  the  United  Slates  in  1837,  and  settled  in 
Illinois.  In  1851  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California, 
where  he  worked  in  different  jjlaces  for  several  years, 
sometimes  mining,  sonietimes  farming.  Hearing  of 
the  difficulties  attending  the  transportation  of  mail 
across  the  Sierra  on  account  of  the  great  de])th  of 
snovv,  he  determined  one  day  to  make  a  pair  of  snow- 
shoes  such  as  he  remembered  to  have  seen  when  a 
boy  in  Norway.  Having  made  the  shoes,  he  went  to 
Placcrville,  near  which  jilace  he  could  practice  using 
them  and  test  their  utility.  Finding  that  they 
worked  to  his  entire  satisfaction,  he  undertook  to 
carry  the  mail  across  the  Sierra  on  them,  making  his 
first  trip  in  January,  185G.  The  distance,  ninety 
miles  from  Placei'ville  to  Carson  Valley,  was  passed 
over  in  three  days,  the  return  taking  one  less  because 
of  the  down  grade.  Having  made  the  e.xiieriniental 
journey  successfully,  Thompson  continued  to  carry 
the  mail  between  the  two  points  all  that  winter.  The 
weight  of  the  mail  bags  was  often  from  sixty  to  eighty 
pounds.  When  traveling  across  the  mountains  he 
never  carried  blankets  or  wore  an  overcoat.  He 
traveled  b}-  night  as  well  as  by  day  when  necessary. 
If  he  canii)ed  for  the  night,  he  hunted  the  stump  of 
a  dead  pine  tree  and  having  sot  fire  to  it,  he  built 
him  a  bed  of  spruce  boughs,  on  the  snow,  and  lying 
down  with  his  feet  to  the  fiiv  rested  and  slept 
soundly.  Ho  was  never  lost  in  the  woods  or  the 
mountains.  By  observing  the  apjiearance  of  the 
trees  and  rocks  he  could  tell  which  way  was  north 
and  which  south  and  direct  his  course  accordingly. 
He  helped  to  bring  the  material  over  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains  on  which  the  A'tifer/n-ise  was  first 
jirinted  at  Genoa  in  1858.  He  was  in  the  battle  with 
the  Pah-Utcs  in  Maj',  IStiO,  at  I'yramid  Lake,  when 
the  whites  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


llo  was  a  man  of  great  physical  slreiigth  and 
endurance,  and  of  such  fortitude  of  mind  and  spirit, 
that  he  courted,  rather  than  feared,  the  perils  of 
the  mountains  when  visited  by  their  fiercest  storms; 
and  the  wild  rage  of  a  midnight  tempest  could  not 
disconcert  or  drive  him  from  his  path.  But  under 
the  strain  of  the  exhausting  labors  ho  forced  upon 
himself,  his  great  strengtli  gave  out,  and  in  the 
prime  of  life  he  was  compelled  to  surrender  to 
Nature's  last  summons.  After  a  brief  illness,  at  his 
residence  in  Diamond  Valley,  he  dietl  May  15,  1S7G. 
His  remains  were  taken  to  Genoa  I'or  burial,  lie 
left  a  wife  and  one  child. 

PtONEER   STAGE    LINE. 

In  the  summer  of  IS'il,  Col.  J.  B.  Crandall  estab- 
lished a  tri-weekly  line  of  stages  between  Placerville 
and  Genoa,  ami  carried  the  "  Carson  Valley  express,' 
which  was  mauagc<l  by  Theodore  F.  Tracy.  E.  \V. 
Tracy  was  agent  at  I'lacerville,  and  Smith  and  Major 
Ormsby  were  agents  at  Genoa.  In  June  of  that 
year,  T.  F.  Tracy,  accompanied  bj-  J.  B.  Crandall, 
Mark  Hopkins,  J.  11.  Neviit,  \Vm.  M.  Cary,  John 
M.  Doi-sey,  Theron  Foster,  C  A.  Sumner,  ana  M.  I). 
Keiser,  passed  over  the  route,  and  established  the 
following  stations  between  Placerville  and  Genoa, 
viz.:  Sportman's  llali,  Brockliss  Bridge,  Silver  Creek, 
and  Cary's  Mill.  This  was  called  the  ••  Pioneer 
Stage  Line,"  and  connected  at  Genoa  with  the  Chor- 
pening  wagons  to  Salt  fjake. 

OVERI,.\.ND    M.\It,. 

The  summer  of  1858  marked  a  new  era  in  mail 
and  stage  facilities.  Crandall  transferred  the  Pio- 
neer Stage  Line  to  Lewis  Brad}-  &  Co.,  who  estab- 
lished a  semi-weekly  stage  between  Sacramento  and 
Genoa.  Major  George  Chorpening,  brother  of  the 
enterprising  and  indomitable  stage  proprietor,  had 
secured  the  United  States  mail  contract  from  Placer- 
ville to  Salt  Lake  City,  which  was  to  connect  at  that 
point  with  the  regular  overland  mail  to  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri.  This  ])ut  new  life  into  the  route  from  Cur- 
son  to  Salt  Lake,  and  raised  Iresh  hopes  for  the 
future  of  the  region  of  country  along  its  lino.  The 
first  coach  under  this  arrangement  left  Placerville 
Juno  5,  1858.  The  tirst  Overland  mail  stage,  bring- 
ing letters  and  passengers  from  the  East,  arrived  in 
Placerville,  Monday-,  July  IDth  of  that  year,  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  event  CLiused  universal 
rejoicing,  and  was  celebrated  with  bonfires,  speeches 
and  other  demonstrations  of  joy  and  gladness.  W. 
M.  Cary's  new,  and  lor  those  days  elegant,  hotel  was 
illuminated,  and  the  assembled  multitudes  were 
addressed  by  G.  D.  Hall,  1).  K.  Newell  and  S.  W. 
Sanderson.  Dr.  Pettit  sent  up  a  beautiful  balloon  in 
honor  of  the  occasion.  The  Overland  mail  and  stage 
lino  was  now  considered  permanently  established, 
and  in  the  hands  of  thoroughl}-  reliable  and  com- 
petent men.  Yet  the  many  dillicullies  and  dangers 
attending  its  passage  made  it  necessary  to  send 
special  messengers  a  portion  of  the  way  to  guard 


the  mail  and  passengers.  Messrs.  Hightmire  and 
Lindsay,  most  worthy  and  etficient  gentlemen, 
were  emploj'od  to  accompany  the  mail-coaches 
as  far  as  the  Big  Meadows,  near  the  Sink  of  the 
Humboldt,  and  return  with  the  westward  bound 
stage.  On  their  return,  July  13,  1858,  they  reported 
having  met,  on  the  third  of  July,  five  emigrants  who 
came  through  trom  Iowa  that  season,  at  the  Sink  of 
the  Humboldt,  who  took  the  Truckee  route  for  Cali- 
fornia. They  had  crossed  the  country  on  pack  mules, 
and  according  to  a  rc|)orl  published  in  the  Mounfain 
Democrat  of  Placerville,  at  that  date,  they  overlook 
General  Harney  and  troo])S  on  the  Sweetwater  in 
the  Hock}'  Mountains,  en  route  for  Salt  Lake  Citj", 
who  gave  them  perenitory  orders  notto])ass  through 
ihe  Mormon  countrj",  which  they  had  complied  with 
by  going  to  the  norlh  of  the  City  of  the  Saints.  They 
further  stated  that  in  Hot  Spring  Valley  they  over- 
took a  train  consisting  of  sixteen  Mormon  families 
(most  of  whom  were  women),  hastening  on  to  Carson 
Valley.  These  families  were,  they  said,  in  perpetual 
dread  of  being  pursued  and  massacred  by  the  Salt 
Lake  Mormons,  and  were  making  almost  super- 
human eft'orts  to  widen  the  distance  between  them- 
selves and  the  sanguinar}-  saints. 

On  the  fifth  of  September,  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Lindsay  returned  with  the  overland  mail-coach, 
having  a  portion  of  the  Salt  Lake  mail  of  August 
llJlh,  also  the  mail  which  left  there  August  23d.  Ho 
reported  an  attack  upon  the  mail  party,  August  20th, 
by  the  Shoshone  Indians,  and  the  destruction  of 
their  wagon  and  part  of  the  tnail  matter.  It  appeal's, 
from  the  account  given  at  the  time  by  the  Jfoantain 
Denwrat.  that  on  the  night  of  August  20th,  while 
encamped  eight  miles  below  the  tirst  crossing  of  the 
Humboldt,  the  mail  party  of  August  IGth  wore  sur- 
rounded by  a  largo  body  of  Shoshone  Indians,  who, 
by  }-elling  and  hooting,  succeeded  in  stampeding 
and  driving  oft'  the  stage  animals.  May  field,  tho 
conductor,  and  his  assistants,  remained  during  tho 
night  to  guard  the  wagon,  but  in  the  morning,  find- 
ing that  the  Indians  had  gathered  in  great  numbers, 
they  determined  to  abandon  everything  except  their 
arms  and  ammunition,  and  take  to  the  mountains  for 
personal  safet}-.  The  mail-coach  was  afterwards 
found,  literally  torn  to  atoms;  and  the  mail-bags 
were  ripped  open,  and  tho  letters  scattered  in  every 
direction.  These  were  i)icked  u|)  and  taken  to 
Placerville,  by  Mr.  Lindsay.  About  this  time  it 
was  reported  that  General  Hunt  lia<l  Icit  Salt  Lake 
City  to  explore  a  new  stage  route,  west  of  trooso 
Creek,  which  was  thought  to  be  150  miles  shorter 
than  the  one  then  traveled.  The  overland  stage, 
which  arrived  September  20,  1858,  with  mail  and 
passengers  I'rom  Salt  Lake  and  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
brought  tho  welcome  intelligence  that  the  United 
States  troops  had  been  ordered  forward  from  Utah, 
to  protect  the  mail  and  emigrants.  October  13th,  the 
overland  mail  reached  tho  west  end  of  the  route  on 
horseback,  in  advance  of  the  stage,  which  bad  been 


MAILS,  STAGES.  AND  EXPRESS. 


10c 


delayed.  It  brought  tho  news  tliat  ( Ji'iieral  limit 
and  Dr.  Forney,  tho  Indian  Agoiit  in  Utah,  had 
rouc-heil  (Jravell}-  Ford,  and  were  snjourning  there 
with  tho  Sboshonos. 

A  settlement  having  been  effected,  for  tho  time 
being,  with  tho  hostiles  of  that  tribe,  the  mails  were 
more  regular  and  made  better  time,  and  tho  business 
■was  greatly  inereased.  In  January,  1S50,  the  over- 
lan<l  stage  brought  the  President's  message  from  Salt 
Lako  in  seventeen  days.  Letters  sent  by  the  over- 
land mail  reached  their  destination  in  tho  East  ten 
days  in  advance  of  tho  ocean  steamer,  and  as  a  stage 
left  once  a  week  this  line  began  to  be  the  more 
po|iular  and  more  generally  ]>atronized  by  the 
public. 

April  2:i,  IS.')!),  there  were  .")(!()  jiouiids  of  mail 
8bi|)|>ed  by  the  East  bound  stage,  the  largest  amount 
ever  before  taken  at  one  time.  In  June  of  this  year,  [ 
Captain  Simpson,  of  the  United  States  To])ograiih- 
ical  Engitieers,  surveyed  a  new  route  from  (^anip 
Floyd  to  Genoa,  which  it  was  claimed  would  shorten 
the  distance  about  :!l)(l  miles.  Tho  distance  from 
Camp  Floyd,  by  the  oM  Humboldt  route  to  Crenoa, 
was  reported  to  be  8.")4  miles,  lly'the  Chorpening 
route  through  Ruby  Valley  about  TilO  miles,  and  by 
the  .Simpson  survey  .")(i.")  miles. 

In  September  the  companj-  cut  hay  ami  made  the 
necessary  pre]iarations  to  move  down  on  to  (he  ('en- 
tral  or  Simpson  route,  which  ihey  did  the  winter 
following.  In  O(^tober,  18.")9,  Chorpening's  agents 
having  failed  to  call  for  the  overland  mail  at  Placer-  j 
ville,  it  was  handed  over  to  Ijcwis  Brady  &  Co., 
proprietors  of  the  Pioneer  Stage,  who  carried  it  till 
March,  IStiO,  when  it  was  returned  to  the  charge  of 
Chorpening,  ho  being  required  to  carry  it  with  four- 
horse  teams.  In  October,  18.j9,  J.  A.  Thompson  and- 
Judge  Child  started  a  now  stage  lino  to  run  tri- 
weekly botweon  Placervilio  and  tionoa.  They  run 
with  coaches  from  Placervilio  to  Strawberry  Vallej', 
and  from  there  to  ('arson  Vallo}^  they  used  sleighs, 
and  thus  kej)!  the  line  ojien  all  winter.  For  this 
purpose  they  built  two  tine  sleighs,  with  three  seals 
each,  in  December,  'ii<')'.),  which  were  the  first  sleighs 
ever  used  on  this  mountain  road.  In  the  spring  of 
1860  Louis  JIcLane  purchased  the  "Pioneer  Stage 
Line"  between  Placervilio  and  Cienoa,  which  ho 
transferred  in  tho  year  18G1  to  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co., 
who  then  run  the  entire  route  to  .Salt  Lake.  In  the 
summer  of  ]8(;o  A.  J.  Phodos  started  an  o]>posilion 
stage  line  between  Placervilio  and  Carson  City  via 
Genoa.  He  used  six-horse  coaches,  made  daily  trips 
in  from  ton  to  twelve  hours  and  reduced  the  fare 
from  fortj-  dollars  to  twenty  dollars.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  18(J2  he  sold  out  to  McLano,  binding  himself 
not  to  start  another  opposition  lino. 

PONY    KXPUESS. 

In  the  spring  of  18(;()  the  celebrated  Pony  E.vpresa 
was  established  by  Jones,  Pussel  &  Co.  W.  W.  Finney 
as  agent,  organized  tho  line  between  Sacramento  and 


Salt  Lake.  Tho  express  came  from  San  Francisco 
by  steamer  to  Sacramento,  and  was  there  immedi- 
ately taken  by  a  man  on  horseback.  Tho  old  emi- 
grant route  was  followed  across  tho  Sierra  till  tho 
valley  of  the  Carson  was  reached,  when  the  Simpson 
route  was  adopted.  This  led  to  the  east,  through 
tho  desert  in  Churchill  County,  crossing  the  Peoso 
River  at  Jacobsville;  thence  northeast  to  I'liliy  Valley 
and  thence  southeast,  passing  out  through  Deep 
Crock  and  around  the  south  end  of  Great  Salt  Lake 
to  Salt  Ijako  City.  The  time  between  Sacramento 
and  Salt  Lake  by  tho  Pony  Ex])ros8  was  three  and 
one-half  da3's  —  relay  stations  every  twenty-five 
miles.  One  rider  covered  sovonty-fivo  miles,  and  ho 
was  given  but  two  minutes  at  each  station  passed. 
Tho  average  I'ate  of  travel  was  nine  miles  ]ier  hour. 
Tho  schedule  time  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
was  thirteen  days,  via  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  The  first 
express  left  Sacramento  April  l.  1S()II,  at  2:  4.")  p.  m., 
and  carried  fiftv-six  letters  from  San  Francisco, 
thirtetn  from  Sacramento,  and  one  from  Placervilio 
at  five  dollars  jicr  letter.  Tho  first  express  from 
New  York  arrived  A])ril  l.'i.  lS(i(l,  bringing  eigh(  let- 
ters. The  time  from  St.  .losejih  was  ten  days.  The 
third  trip  of  the  ox])rcss  brought  news  of  the  result 
of  the  prize  fight  in  London  between  lloenan  and 
Sayers.  Also  of  tho  adjournment  of  the  Democratic 
National  Convonti'in  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
to  meet  in  Baltimore  tho  eighteenth  of  June  follow- 
ing, as  there  had  been  no  agreement  upon  a  Presi- 
dential candidate.  The  quickest  time  on  record 
made  by  tho  Pony  Express  was  with  President  Lin- 
coln's first  message.  The  time  taken  in  bringing  it 
from  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  to. Carson  City,  a  distance 
of  1,780  miles,  was  five  days  and  eighteen  hours.  It 
was  done  with  double  sets  of  horses,  /.  e.,  with  fresh 
horses  between  stations. 

OVERLAND    MAIL   STAGE   COMPANV. 

The  year  following  the  establishment  of  the  Pony 
Express,  the  Southern  Daily  Overland  Mail,  which 
had  been  established  in  185!!  through  northern  Texas 
to  California  was  transferred  to  tho  Central  or  Simpson 
route,  its  regular  trips  commencing  on  the  first  of 
July,  18(11.  The  reason  of  this  transfer  was  the 
anticipated  disturbances  along  the  southern  line, 
C0iise(iuent  u])on  the  war  of  the  JJebellion.  The 
trans-continental  telegra])h  was  also  built  along  this 
line.  Tho  work  of  constructing  it  was  commenced 
in  1850,  jiushed  rapidlj-  forward  in  1S(!0  and  18(!1, 
and  com]iloted  tho  twenty-second  of  Se])tembcr  of 
tho  latter  year.  Previous  (o  the  establishment  of 
the  whole  line,  that  portion  between  Placervilio  and 
Virginia  City  was  built  and  operated  by  the  '•  Pla- 
cervilio and  Humboldt  Tolcgra[)h  Company,"  and  was 
known  as  "  Bee's  (Jrapcvino  Line,"  having  been  jtro- 
jected  and  built  by  Col.  F.  A.  Bee.  (3ver  the  Sierra 
the  wire  was  attached  to  the  trees,  and  their  sway- 
ing b}-  the  wind,  caused  tho  wire  to  stretch,  until,  in 
many  places,  it  lay  along  the  ground  between  the 


106 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


points  of  Bui)|)ort.  It  is  Haid  that  teamsters  would 
sometimes  cut  out  jiiccos  of  the  line  and  use  it  in 
repairing  the  wheels  of  their  wagons.  One  teamster 
being  remonstrated  with  for  this,  said  ho  supposed 
the  wire  had  been  ]>laced  there  by  the  Toll-road  Com- 
pany to  be  used  for  that  purpose.  In  consequence 
of  these  breaks,  messages  were  often  delayed.  If 
there  were  important  messages  |)assing  ihrougli  and 
the  line  was  broken  the  message  would  bo  transferred 
to  the  Pony  Express,  and  in  this  way  the  telegraph 
was  often  beaten  into  Sacraniento  by  tiio  ))OTiy  rider. 
Tills  was  the  case  with  President  Lincoln's  tirsl  mes- 
sage and  the  news  of  his  first  election. 

From  the  date  of  the  removal  of  the  Southern  Over- 
land -Mail  to  the  Central  route,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  Daily  Stage  line,  the  mail  facilities  and  means 
of  transportation  into  and  through  the  Territory  be- 
gan to  improve  rapidly.  New  roads  were  constructed 
and  the  old  ones  were  improved,  so  that  heavj^ 
loads  of  merchandise  could  be  transported  and  faster 
time  made  over  them.  Two  toll-roads  were  built 
across  the  Sierra  ;  one  called  the  Placerville,  and  llie 
other  the  Dutch  Flat,  or  Donner  Lake  route.  These 
were  wide  enough  so  that  teams  could  pass  in  the 
narrowest  places.  The  overland  stage  run  with  great 
regularity,  and  its  business  was  conducted  with 
promptness  and  dispatch. 

The  discovery  of  silver  and  the  development  of 
the  mines  at  Virginia  City,  gave  rise  to  a  raj)id  in- 
crease of  trade,  and  other  and  competing  lines  of 
stages  were  started.  Quick  trips  from  Virginia  City 
were  often  required  to  be  made  by  parties  on  special 
business  to  Sacramento,  and  they  were  sometimes 
made  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  On  the  twentieth 
of  Februar}-,  1864,  the  Pioneer  line  is  reported  to 
have  made  the  trip  in  five  minutes  less  than  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  fastest  time  recorded  was  on  Juno 
20,  1804,  when  the  Larue  lino  is  reported  to  have 
made  the  trip  over  the  mountains,  from  Virginia  City 
to  Sacramento,  in  twelve  hours  and  twenty-three 
minutes,  canying  the  mail  and  William  M.  Lent, 
John  Skac,  and  S.  Cook,  as  passengers,  they  having 
chartered  the  coach. 

So  great  and  so  regular  was  the  inci'oase  of  busi- 
ness and  travel  by  the  Overland  stage,  that  the  com- 
pany was  eomi)ellod,  from  time  to  time,  to  add  new 
stations,  and  increase  the  number  of  horses  and 
coaches,  till,  in  the  spring  of  18()5,  thej'  had,  between 
Virginia  City  and  Austin,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles,  thirteen  stations,  eight  drivers,  sev- 
enty-eight horses,  and  fifteen  mud-wagons  and 
coaches.  Between  Austin  and  Salt  Lake,  there  were 
thirty-six  stations,  si.xty  wagons,  one  hiindi'ed  and 
ninety  horses,  and  twenty-two  drivers — distance  from 
Virginia  City  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  This  was 
called  the  Western  Division,  and  was  owned  by  the 
Overland  Mail  and  Stage  Company.  The  distance 
from  Salt  Lake  to  the  eastern  terminus  on  tlie  Mis- 
souri Kiver  was  1,220  miles,  termed  the  Eastern  Di- 


vision, was  owned  by  a  New  York  company,  and 
managed  by  Ben  Holladay. 

OVEIIL.VND   STAOE    F.VRM. 

In  consequence  of  the  exorbitant  prices  demanded 
by  the  Mormons  for  hay,  grain,  and  all  kinds  of  pro- 
visions, together  with  the  groat  expense  of  trans])or- 
tation,  the  Overland  Stage  Company  determined  to 
make  the  experiment  of  raising  their  own  fodder, 
and  selected  IJuby  Vallej'  as  the  best  place  for  this 
purpose.  The  success  of  the  enterprise  had  so  far 
developed  its  advantages,  that  in  the  spring  of  1865 
thej'  emj)lo3-ed  one  hundred  men,  thirty  plows, 
ninety  yoke  of  oxen,  and  sowed  90,000  pounds  of 
grain. 

As  a  result  they  harvested  8,.")75  bushels  of  barley, 
8,745  bushels  of  oats,  1,655  bushels  of  potatoes,  1.854 
bushels  of  turnips,  1,000  bushels  of  carrots,  and  sev- 
enty-eight bushels  of  beets.  Theirs  was  the  first 
experiment  and  the  beginning  of  farming  in  eastern 
Nevada. 

TELEORAPII    LINES. 

The  first  movement  towards  an  Overland  Tele- 
graph line  was  made  at  Placerville  in  1S5S,  by  the 
organization  of  the  Placerville  and  Humboldt  Tele- 
graph Company.  Tho  first  pole  was  erected  at 
Placerville  Julj-  4,  1858,  and  tho  line  built  to  Oonoa 
that  fall,  and  extended  to  Carson  City  in  the  spring 
of  1859,  and  to  Virginia  City  in  1860.  It  was  not 
completed  to  Salt  Lake  till  tho  fall  of  ISGl.  Tho 
line  to  Virginia  City  had  been  constructed  ijj-  private 
means,  and  frequent  attempts  had  been  made  to 
secure  Slate  and  National  aid  to  extend  it,  but  with- 
out avail.  However,  in  Juno,  1860,  Congress  passed 
an  Act,  directing  tho  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to 
advertise  for  sealed  proposals  for  the  "  use  by  the 
Government  "  of  a  lino  or  linos  of  tolograi)h,  to  be 
constructed  within  two  years  from  July  31,  1860, 
from  some  point  on  the  west  lino  of  Missouri  to  San 
Francisco,  for  a  jjoriod  of  ton  j^cars,  and  to  award 
the  contract  to  the  lowest  bidder,  provided  ho  did 
not  require  more  than  §40,0(10  per  j-ear.  By  a  con- 
cert of  action  between  all  tlie  Pacific  Coast  companies, 
they  availed  themselves  of  this  proffered  assistance, 
and  ajiplied  it  to  the  construction  of  one  through  line. 
For  this  purpose  tho  Overland  Telegraph  Company 
was  organized,  with  a  capital  of  Sl,2,")0,000.  The 
eastern  end  of  the  line,  from  Salt  Lake  to  Omaha, 
was  constructed  under  tho  supervision  of  Mr.  Edward 
Creighton  ;  from  Salt  Lake  to  IJuby  Valley,  under 
tho  su))orvision  of  James  Street ;  from  Jiuljy  Valley 
to  Carson,  by  J.  M.  Hubbard.  The  General  Super- 
intendent from  Placerville  to  Salt  Lake,  was  Horace 
W.  Carpontior,  and  Mr.  James  CJamble  liad  general 
supervision  of  tho  whole  line.  Thus  arranged  and 
divided  up,  tho  work  of  construction  commenced. 
On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  May,  1861,  operations 
were  inaugurated  by  Mr.  Gamble,  who  started  the 
construction  outfit,  consisting  of  a  train  of  thirty 
wagons,  from  Sacramento,  loaded  with  wire,  insula- 


MAILS,  STAGES,  AND  EXPRESS. 


107 


^ 


tors,  provisions,  etc. — also  eeveral  luindrod  head  of 
oxoii,  horses,  and  mules.  Although  late  in  the  season, 
there  was  no  stoppage  for  storms  or  bad  roads,  and 
on  the  twenty-second  daj-  of  September,  a  few  daj's 
less  than  four  months  from  its  commencement,  this 
great  enterprise  was  completed,  and  connection  at 
Salt  Lake  was  made  with  the  eastern  lino.  Upon 
that  day  was  transmitted  over  the  wires  the  news  of 
the  Union  defeat  at  Ball's  Bluff,  Viri^inia,  and  the 
death  of  Col.  E.  D.  Baker,  the  United  .Stales  Senator 
from  Oregon,  This  line  was  built  along  the  Central 
route  through  Nevada,  and  was  operated  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Overland  Stage  and  .Mail  line  till  the 
completion  of  the  Overland  Railroad,  May  13,  1869, 
when  they  were  both  drawn  off  and  that  route  aban- 
doned. 

PRESENT  .MAIL    ROUTES. 

The  great  Overland  Mail  and  Stage  line  was  with- 
drawn from  its  route  upon  the  comi)lelion  of  the  Over- 
land Railroad,  still  there  were  numerous  lines  in  the 
interior,  generally  well  equipped  and  conducted  with 
great  spirit,  enter]>rise  and  energy,  and  by  reason  of 
the  growth  and  gradual  development  of  the  State, 
many  of  like  character  have  been  added  since.  All 
the  towns  and  mining  camps  of  importance  in  the 
State,  not  on  railroa<l  lines,  and  now  sup])lied  with 
good  mail  facilities,  are  herewith  enumerated,  to- 
gether with  their  distances  from  each  other  and  from 
the  nearest  railroad  station. 

Commencing  with  lieno,  on  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad,  near  the  west  line  of  the  State,  there  are 
at  present  two  dailj'  stage  lines  (t'xcei)t  Sunday-)  run- 
ning from  that  station  to  the  north  anil  northwest. 
One  leads  back  northwesterly  into  California  ilii-ough 
Phimas  and  Lassen  Counties  toSusanville,  anil  is  used 
most  of  tiie  year  in  distributing  the  mails  to  those 
counties,  on  account  of  the  deep  snows  that  fall  upon 
the  mountains  to  the  west.  To  Pocville  or  Peavine  Dis- 
trict, Nevada,  is  ten  miles,  and  to  Junction  in  Cali- 
fornia is  ten  more.  The  other  line  extends  north- 
erljr  through  Roop  County  to  Fort  Bidwell,  in  Modoc 
County,  California,  ISt  miles,  passing  through  Pyra- 
mid, thirty  miles  from  Reno;  thence  thirty-five  miles 
to  Sheephead;  thence  twenty-seven  miles  to  Ikitlalo 
Meadow;  thence  to  the  northwest  into  Calif'oi'uia  by 
Eaglesville,  Cedarville,  and  Jjake  City  to  Fort  Bid- 
well;  thence  across  to  Willow  Ranch,  thirteen  miles 
to  the  west. 

From  Hye  Patch  on  the  CJentral  Pacific  Railroad 
Kouthwest  to  Vanderwater  fourteen  miles,  and  thence 
ten  miles  to  Unionvillo,  is  a  tri-wooklj'^  mail,  and 
twice  a  week  from  Mill  City  to  Dun  (ilen,  nine  miles. 

From  Winnemucca  iioilli  there  are  two  daily  lines 
(except  Sunday),  One  an  important  lino  carrying 
the  Idaho  mail,  runs  to  Willow  Creek,  fiCty-four 
miles;  thence  twenty-five  miles  to  Fort  McDerniitt, 
and  thence  on  to  Boise  City  in  Idaho.  The  other 
runs  to  Willow  Point,  twenty-five  miles;  thence  to 
Paradise  Valley,  twenty-one  miles;  aud  thence  to 
Spring  City,  twelve  miles. 


From  Battle  Mountain  on  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road, a  daily  line  (except  Sun<lay)  runs  to  Tuscarora, 
sixtj'-eight  miles;  thence  to  Cornucopia,  twentj--five 
miles;  thence  to  White  Ro.'k,  eighteen  miles,  thence 
to  Mountain  City,  twenty-eight  miles.  From  Cornu- 
copia to  Columbia,  twenty  miles,  is  a  tri-weekly  line. 
South  from  Battle  Mountain  is  a  tri-wcekly  line  to 
Lewis,  twelve  miles. 

From  KIko  to  Tuscarora,  fifty-nine  miles,  there  is  a 
daily  mail  and  stage  line,  connecting  with  the  Battle 
Mountain  lino  to  Mountain  City. 

From  Palisade  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  to 
Bullion,  fourteen  miles,  is  a  tri-weekly. 

From  Elko  south  to  Eureka,  a   weekly-   line    runs 

!    through   Mound  Valky  and  Dry  Creek,  thirty-two 

miles;    thence  twenty  miles  to  Huntington;  thence 

twenty -six  miles  to  Cold  Creek;  thence  via  Diamond 

to  Eureka,  thirty-seven  miles. 

From  Eureka  to  Belmont  is  a  daily  stage  (except 
Sundaj-)  running  to  More}-,  eight}'  miles;  thence  to 
Hot  Ci'cek,  sixteen  miles;  thence  to  Tybo,  twelve 
and  one-half  miles;  and  thence  thirtj'-five  miles  to 
Belmont.  From  Morcy  to  Duckwater,  forty-four 
miles,  the  stage  runs  once  a  week. 

From  Al]iha,  on  the  Eureka  and  Palisade  railroad 
to  Mineral  Ilill,  eight  miles,  is  a  daily  stage. 

Between  Eureka  and  Pioche  is  a  tri-weckl}-  line, 
running  fii'st  to  Pinto, seven  and  one-half  miles;  thence 
to  Hamilton,  thirty-five  and  one-half  miles;  thence 
to  Ely,  forty-five  miles;  thence  to  Ward,  seventeen 
miles;  thence  to  Bristol,  eightj'-five  miles;  thence  to 
Royal  Cit}',  ten  miles,  and  to  Pioche,  fitleen  miles, 
making  the  whole  line  215  miles. 

There  is  a  tri-weekly  mailf'rom  Hamilton  to  Ebcr- 
hardt,  five  miles  distant,  and  to  Treasure  City,  three 
miles. 

From  Wells  to  Hamilton  is  a  tri-weekly  lino,  run- 
ning through  Elaine,  twentj'-eight  miles;  thence  to 
Spruce  Mountain,  thirty  miles;  thence  to  Cherry 
Creek,  fifty-two  miles;  thence  to  .Schcllbourne, sixteen 
miles;  thence  to  Hamilton,  ninety  miles,  making  the 
whole  line  2IG  miles. 

From  Spruce  Mountain  to  Arthur,  twenty-five 
miles,  and  thence  to  Ruby  Vallc}-,  seven  miles,  is  a 
weeklj-  mail. 

From  Pioche  to  Mineral  Park  in  Arizona,  22'J  miles, 
is  a  tri-weekly  line,  running  first  to  St.  Josei>h,  117 
miles;  thence  to  .St. Thomas,  twelve  miles;  and  thence 
100  miles  to  Mineral  Park,  The  line  at  Mineral  Park 
is  connected  with  a  line  Irom  there  along  the  Colo- 
rado River  to  Yuma  IJ.'U!  miles. 

A  daily  stage  runs  from  Piorlie  to  Bullionville, 
twelve  miles;  thence  to  Panaca,  twn  miles;  thence  to 
Clover  Valley,  iwenly-eight  miles,  and  thence  east  to 
connect  with  the  Utah  Southern  Railroad. 

From  Pioche  to  lliko,  sixt^'-six  miles,  the  stage 
runs  twice  a  week. 

A  tri-weekly  mail  runs  from  Osceola  east  and  con- 
nects with  the  Utah  Southern  at  Frisco. 


108 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


From  Austin,  the  southern  terminua  of  the  Nevada 
Central  Railroad,  a  tri-woekly  mail  goes  southwest 
to  lone  Cily,  til'ly-fis-e  miles;  thence  to  Grantville,  ten 
miles,  and  to  Candalaria,  seventy  miles.  Also,  from 
Austin  southwest  to  Junction, thirtj'  miles,  thence  to 
Pine  Creek,  forty-two  miles,  and  to  Belmont,  eighteen 
miles,  is  a  tri-weekly  mail.  • 

From  Wadsworth,on  the  Central  Pacific  Eailroad, 
a  tri-wcekl}-  mail  goes  southeasterly  to  Saint  Clair, 
thirt3--two  miles;  thence  to  Stillwater,  twent3--two 
miles;  thence  to  Ellsworth,  seventy-five  miles;  thence 
to  Downej-vilie,  eleven  miles;  thence  to  (frantville, 
twenty-eight  miles;  thence  to  San  Antonio,  forty- 
seven  and  one-half  miles,  and  to  Belmont,  thirty-two 
and  one-half  miles,  making  the  whole  line  248  miles. 

From  Daj-ton  a  tri  weekly  mail  runs  to  Welling- 
ton, through  Fort  Churchill,  twenty-two  miles;  thence 
to  Wabuska,  twenty  miles;  thence  to  Mason  Valley, 
si.xtoen  miles;  thonce  to  Wellington,  fourteen  miles. 

From  Mason  \'alley  to  Aurora  a  tri-weekly  mail 
goes  via  Cambridge,  twenty-five  miles;  thence  to 
Wai'hington,  fourteen  miles,  and  thence  to  Aurora, 
twent3'-one  miles. 

From  Aurora  a  daily  mail  (except  Sundaj-)  goes 
southeasterl}'  to  Columbus,  passing  througli  Marietta, 
fiftj'  miles;  thence  to  Belleville,  ten  miles;  thence  to  i 
Candalaria;  eightmiles;  to  Metallic,  one  and  a  quarter 
miles,  and  to  Columbus  seven  miles  be^-ond.  Thence 
a  stage  goes  twice  a  week  to  .Silver  Peak,  thirty-six 
and  one-half  miles;  thence  to  Lida*,  twenty-three  and 
one-half  miles,  and  turning  north  to  Montezuma, 
twenty-five  miles. 

From  Aurora  a  daily  mail  goes  to  Bodie,  in  Cali- 
fornia, twelve  miles.  Also,  a  daily  mail  goes  from 
Aurora  south  into  California,  through  Mono  and 
Jnyo  Counties,  su))]i!ying  numerous  ])ost-ntfices  and 
connecting  with  the  Southern  Pacific  Jiuilroad  at 
Caliente. 

From  Carson  City  a  daily  stage  runs  to  Glenbrook, 
fourteen  miles.  Also,  from  Carson  a  daily  stage 
runs  to  Aurora,  jiassing  through  Genoa,  thirteen 
miles;  thence  to  Sjii'ague,  twent^'-two  miles;  thence  to 
Walker  liiver,  seventeen  miles;  thence  to  Welling- 
ton, five  miles;  thence  to  Pino  Grove,  twenty-five 
miles;  thence  to  JJockland,  five  miles;  thence  to 
Sweetwater,  twenty  miles;  thence  to  Elbow,  ten  miles, 
and  to  Aurora,  seventeen  miles. 

From  Walker  River  to  Coleville,  twenty  miles,  is 
a  weekl}'  mail. 

From  Genoa  to  Monitor  and  Silver  Mountain  in 
California,  is  a  triweekly  mail,  going  to  Sheridan, 
eight  miles;  thence  to  Woodford,  ten  miles;  thence  to 
Markleeville,  seven  miles,  and  to  Monitor  and  Silver 
Mountain,  six  miles.  Between  several  points  the 
mail  is  carried  by  a  special  supply  line.  This  is  the 
ease  iietween  Lovelock  and  .Salinas,  forty-five  miles; 
between  K\\n>  and  liamoile,  eighteen  miles;  between 
Battle  Mountain  and  J$ailey,  twenty-two  miles; 
between  Schellbourne  and  Annini,  twentj-  miles; 
between    Fair   Play  and  Buby   Valley,  twenty-five 


miles;  between  Junction  and  Twin  River,  thirty-one 
miles;  and  between  Lida  and  Gold  Mountain,  twelve 
miles. 

Such  is  the  condition  of  the  mail  and  stage  ser- 
vice in  1881;  changing  as  mining  towns  grow  into 
importance  or  decline,  and  as  railroads  are  extended. 

The  Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad  will  undoubt- 
edly produce  the  most  immediate  change  in  the  lines 
running  southeasterlj-  from  Car.son,  making  Haw- 
thorne, or  other  towns  as  the  road  is  extended,  the 
distributing,  or  initial  point  of  routes. 

In  the  historj-  of  Nevada,  the  mail  and  express 
lines  have  borne  an  important  part.  Penetrating  the 
wilderness  they  have  followed  close  upon  the  foot- 
ste])s  of  the  prospector,  rendering  aid  and  comfort  in 
the  development  of  the  country.  Wherever  the 
miners  made  a  camp  the  stage  was  quick  to  go.  In 
the  excitement  of  new  discoveries  of  mines  a  rush  of 
]ieople  would  follow,  a  stage  line  would  be  put  on,  a 
mail  route  petitioned  for,  and  post-oftices  established. 
The  National  Government  was  generous  in  granting 
subsidies  oi-  letting  contracts  for  carrj-ing  the  mail, 
and  thus  aided  materially  in  maintaining  lines  where 
the  income  was  small  and  the  necessity  for  such 
accommodation  to  important  enterprises  was  great. 
This  generosity  led  to  great  abuses,  and  soon  lines 
were  conducted  disgraceful Ij'  to  enterprise,  but  gen- 
erally Ibej-  were  an  honor  to  their  proprietors. 

WKLLS,    FARliO    ,«.    CO.'s    KXPRKSS. 

Ill  the  rapid  growth  and  suililcii  collapse  of  some 
mining  towns,  apjilicatioiis  for  ))ost-otfices  have  been 
made,  which  going  through  the  "circumlocution 
office  "  of  the  de[)arlments  at  Washington  would  bo 
granted  about  the  time  the  last  tent  had  been  folded 
and  removed.  There  was  another  jiower,  however, 
an  institution  peculiar  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  which 
has  no  such  "office"'  but  stood  ever  read\'  on  the 
frontier,  and  wherever  the  miner  pitched  his  tent, 
however  broad  the  tlesert  or  rugged  the  cafion,  if 
letters  were  to  be  sent  or  bullion  carried,  there  went 
the  messenger  with  his  pouch  and  strong  box.  This 
institution  was  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.'s  express,  always 
in  the  van  of  pioneers,  readj-  with  the  rush  to  go, 
serving  its  ])urposo  and  reaping  its  reward,  then 
retiring  as  business  declined,  its  facilities  and  accom- 
modation always  corresponding  with  the  times.  This 
com))any  rendered  the  pioneers  needed  service,  for 
which  it  is  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  So  prompt 
and  faithful  were  its  messengers  in  the  deliver}'  of 
letters,  that  for  several  years  the  express  did  the 
princi])al  carrying  business,  charging  but  two  to 
seven  cents  in  addition  to  the  Unitetl  .States  postage. 
In  addition  the  company  transjjorted  all  the  bullion 
of  the  country,  keeping  such  a  record  of  its  produc- 
tion that  its  statistics  have  become  authority  suj)er- 
seding  all  others. 


■^, 


George  Thomas  Marye. 


GEoK(iE  TiKiMAs  Marve,  OF,  118  he  usnuUy  signs  his 
name,  (reo.  T.  Maiye.was  born  on  the  twenty-seventh 
of  November  1817,  near  the  little  town  of  Luray, 
Pago  County,  Virginia.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
lovelj^  sections  of  the  Shenandoah  ^'alleJ%  and  has 
become  famous  for  its  romantic  scenery  and  wonder- 
ful caverns. 

The  familj-  of  the  Maryes  is  of  Huguenot  origin,  ! 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  State  of  Virginia. 
The  first  of  the  name,  and  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  America,  was  James  Marye,  a  clergyman  of  the 
Reformed  Church  of  France,  in  the  Province  of  Nor- 
mandy, lie,  like  most  of  bis  co-religionists,  was 
driven  from  France  by  the  persecutions  following  the  ; 
revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  in  1C8.").  His 
departure  from  his  native  country  was  attended 
with  many  dangers  and  narrow  escapes,  and  his 
adventures,  and  those  of  other  Huguenots  who 
subsequently  eanie  with  him  to  this  country,  form 
the  basis  of  a  very  interesting  story  called  "  The  ! 
Huguenot's  Sword,"  published  in  the  April  number  of 
Harper's  Magazine  for  1857.  He  was  fortunate  in 
avoiding  arrest,  and  found  refuge  in  London,  where 
he  remained  for  several  years.  While  there  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Letitia  Staige,  an  English,  lady,  who  was 
his  faithful  companion  throughout  life,  and  who  ac- 
companied him  on  his  voj^ago  to  his  new  homo  in 
what  was  then  the  distant  Colony  of  Virginia. 

In  IGIU  or  l(i02  the  British  Crown  made  a  grant 
of  lands  on  the  James  lliver  to  a  number  of  French 
Huguenot  refugees  who  had  fled  to  England.  One  of 
the  grantees  was  James  Marye,  and  among  them 
were  the  Meanx,  the  Fontaines,  the  Fiournoys,  the 
Maurys,  the  d'Aubignes  (or,  as  the  name  is  now 
written,  the  Dabnoys),  and  others  whoso  descendants 
are  still  among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Virginia. 
They  came  to  this  country  in  a  body  and  founded  the 
town, or  settlement,  of  Monacan  in  Powhatan  County. 
James  Marye  came  with  them  as  the  minister  of  the 
band  of  colonists,  and  continued  to  reside  at  Mona- 
can in  that  capacity  for  manj^  years.  Hishoj)  Meade 
in  his  work  on  the  "Old  Families  and  Cluirches  of 
Virginia"  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  church  at  Monacan,  and  of  James 
Marye's  ministry  there,  and  also  of  the  subsequent 
ministry-  of  himself  and  son,  also  called  James,  at 
Fredericksburg  in  Spottsylvania.  James  the  elder, 
as  we  read  in  the  Rev.  Philip  Slaughter's  full  and 
complete  historj-  of  St.  George's  Parish,  removed 
from  Monacan  to  Fredericksburg  in  1709,  at  the  call 
of  the  vestry  of  St.  George's  Parish,  which  at  that 


time  embraced  all  of  Spottsj-lvania  County.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  at  Fredericksburg  as  Rector  of  St. 
George's  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1730  at 
the  old  family  homestead  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  on  one  of  the  hills  overlooking  it  and  the 
neighboring  river.  The  hill,  with  the  house  that 
crowns  it,  is  called  Marye's  Heights,  and  was  the 
scene  of  some  of  the  bloodiest  engagements  of  the 
war  of  secession,  when  the  National  forces  under 
Burnside  and  Hooker,  undertook  to  capture  Fred- 
ericksburg. It  still  belongs  to  the  Fredericksburg 
branch  of  the  Slarye  familj-.  One  of  the  sons  of  tho 
younger  James,  who  succeeded  his  father  as  Rector 
of  St.  George's,  named  Pierre,  left  Fredericksburg,  and 
settled  at  Culpeper  Court  House,  where  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Eleanor  (ireen,  daughter  of  Col.  William 
Green,  of  Culpeper,  on  the  ^ixth  of  December, 
177.'>.  Ho  had  several  children,  and  among  them 
William  Staige,  the  father  of  tho  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

William  Staige  Marj'c  was  born  on  the  fifteenth 
of  February,  1775,  and  while  still  a  youth  left  his 
father's  home  and  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  Mount- 
ains into  that  portion  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
which  has  since  been  made  Page  County,  and  bo- 
came  one  of  tho  early  pioneers  of  that  portion  of 
the  country.  On  tho  sixth,  of  May,  1802,  ho  mar- 
ried Maiy  Kuffner,  the  daughter  of  Peter  Ruffner, 
whose  family  were  the  original  grantees  from  the 
Colonial  Government  of  all  tho  lands  along  tho 
Hawksbill,  between  the  Massanettan  range  of 
mountains  and  the  Blue  Ridge.  Some  time  after 
his  marriage,  William  Staige  Marye  founded  and 
laid  out  the  town  of  Luray,  at  a  point  on  the  Hawks- 
bill,  which  is  a  small  tributar}-  of  the  Shenandoah 
River,  on  the  direct  road  from  the  gap  through 
the  Massanettan  Mountains  to  the  gap  through  tho 
Blue  Ridge.  Here  he  established  himself  with  his 
family  and  engaged  in  a  general  merchaniiise  busi- 
ness, for  a  long  time  being  tho  only  merchant,  and 
afterwards  the  |>riiu-i|>al  one  in  that  jiortion  of  tho 
country.  He  was  a  man  of  broad  and  progressive 
views,  and  was  the  recognized  leader  among  his 
neighbors  in  all  matters  of  public  concern:  and 
when  in  the  course  of  time,  tho  vallej-  became  some- 
what more  populous,  and  Luray  had  grown  to  tho 
dimensions  of  a  repectablo  little  village,  he  procured 
the  |)assage  of  an  Act  of  tho  Legislature  of  the  State 
segregating  the  valley  between  tho  Massenattan 
and  Blue  Ridge  from  tho  remainder  of  Shenandoah 
County,  to   which   it  had  previously  belonged    and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


from  which  it  had  always  been  divided  by  natural 
barriers,  and  creating  a  new  countj',  which,  in 
honor  of  his  friend  Mr.  Page,  then  Governor  of 
the  State,  he  called  Page  County;  and  ho  also 
had  Luray  made  the  county  seat,  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment having,  some  time  before,  at  his  solici- 
tation, established  a  post-office  there.  After  accumu- 
lating a  competencj',  Mr.  Marye  withdrew  from 
active  business  and  resided  altogether  on  his  farm, 
called  the  Hillside  Farm,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hawks- 
bill  in  the  neighborhood  of  Luray. 

Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and  most  of  his 
other  children,  of  whom  he  had  fifteen,  were  born, 
and  here  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the  midst 
of  literary  pleasures  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
respect  of  his  fcUow-citizcns,  for.  although  he  never 
held  or  sought  for  political  office,  his  influence  in 
shaping  the  course  of  public  events  in  his  county 
was  paramount,  and  his  memory  is  held  in  affection- 
ate esteem  by  his  neighbors  of  I'age  Valley,  and  their 
children  down  to  this  day.  From  here,  too,  he  car- 
ried on  a  correspondence  with  his  son  George  after 
the  latter  had  gone  to  Baltimore,  which,  while  it  could 
not  fail  to  be  of  the  utmost  benefit  in  the  intellectual 
and  moral  development  of  his  son,  does  honor  to  his 
own  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  and  is  an  evidence 
of  his  rare  and  extensive  attainments  as  a  scholar  and 
philosopher. 

Mr.  Marye  attended  the  school  of  Mr.  Thomas  at 
Luray  until  the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  j'ears, 
when,  at  his  own  request,  his  father  placed  him  in 
the  store  of  Messrs.  Thomas  AUmand  &  Co.,  who 
were  his  successors  in  his  former  business  at  Luray. 
Here  Mr.  Marye  received  a  thorough  business  train- 
ing, and  he  attributes  much  of  his  success  in  after 
life  to  the  habits  of  industry  and  sobrietj-  that  he 
acquired  during  this  period.  He  remained  with 
Allmand  &  Co.,  several  years,  but  approaching  man- 
hood brought  with  it  a  desire  for  a  wider  field,  and 
leaving  his  native  valley,  he  went  to  Baltimore  which 
was  then,  as  now,  a  great  place  for  ambitious  young 
Virginians. 

Mr.  Marye's  eminently  legal  cast  of  mind,  his  clear, 
sound  judgment  and  powers  of  close,  logical  reason- 
ing, would  have  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  |)ractico 
of  the  law,  and  it  has  often  been  a  subject  of  com- 
ment and  surprise  among  his  friends  that  he  did  not 
adopt  that  profession.  But  his  father's  numerous 
family  made  it  difficult  for  him  to  give  his  son  any 
pecuniarj'  assistance,  and  his  own  disinclination  to 
receive  any  aid  and  his  energetic  disposition  led  him 
to  prefer  the  more  active  pursuits  of  commercial  life. 

Ho  first  found  emploj-ment  in  Baltimore  as  clerk 
in  the  dry  goods  house  of  Hart  &  Co.,  Itcginniiig  as 
junior,  but  his  industry  and  business  ca])acity  soon 
caused  his  promotion,  and  at  the  time  of  his  marriage 
and  before  leaving  his  om])loyors  he  had  the  respon- 
sible position  of  head  clerk  in  the  house.  On  the  thir- 
teenth of  July,  1839,  he  married  Miss  Helen  Tucker, 
daughter  of  William  A.  Tucker,  Esq.,  President  of  the 


Baltimore  Fire  Insurance  Company,  a  Director  in  sev- 
eral of  the  banks  of  the  citj-,  and  one  of  the  original 
stockholders  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 
After  his  marriage  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with 
Messrs.  Marriot  and  Hardestj-,  and  under  the  firm 
name  of  Marriot,  Hardesty  &  Marye,  he  carried  on  a 
large  dry  goods  business,  having  an  extensive  con- 
nection in  the  South  and  West. 

In  1849,  Marshall's  famous  discovery  was  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  the  world  to  the  fai'-off  shores 
of  the  Pacific,  and  Mr.  Marye,  who  had  inherited,  in 
an  increased  degree,  the  pioneer  energy  of  his  father, 
was  one  of  the  first  to  join  the  adventurous  band 
who  were  everj'where  starting  out  from  the  older 
States  in  quest  of  the  riches  of  the  new  El  Dorado. 
He  left  Baltimore  in  the  early  summer,  and  arrived 
in  San  Francisco  on  the  steamer  Panama,  in 
August,  1849. 

Bather  an  amusing  incident  is  told  as  occurring 
on  the  way  out.  It  was  at  a  time  when  the  first 
vigorous  attacks  were  beginning  to  be  made  on  the 
institution  of  negro  slavery  in  the  South,  and  the 
discussion  of  the  subject  aroused  the  strongest  pas- 
sions and  prejudices  of  men.  Jlr.  Marye,  not  un- 
naturally, entertained  the  same  feelings  as  were  well 
nigh  universal  throughout  the  Southern  States,  and 
they  were  shared  by  nearly  all  the  passengers  on 
the  steamer,  but  not  hy  all.  Among  the  few  who 
held  opposite  opinions,  and  perhaps  the  onlj'  one 
who  bad  the  hardihood  to  express  them  freely,  was 
William  Sherman,  who  has  since  become  a  prom- 
inent citizen  of  San  Francisco.  At  that  time  he  was 
quite  a  young  man,  fresh  from  the  New  England 
States,  and  had  not  yet  learned  the  necessity  of 
keeping  a  guard  upon  himself  in  discussing  this  ex- 
citing topic.  The  ardor  of  his  convictions,  and  the 
freedom  with  which  he  gave  expression  to  them, 
led  to  frequent  discussions,  and  the  boldness  of  his 
utterances  gave  grave  offense  to  some  of  the  more 
extreme  and  intolerant  of  the  pro-slavery  men,  and 
some  of  them  even  muttered  threats  of  personal 
violence  against  the  Abolitionist.  Mr.  Marye,  be- 
tween Avhom  and  Mr.  Sherman  a  warm  friendship 
had  sprung  up,  and  who  had  heard  some  of  these 
angry  exj)ressions,  drew  Mr.  .Sherman  aside  and  told 
him  that  it  would  bo  well  to  use  greater  moderation 
in  discussing  the  slavery  question,  as  man}'  of  the 
passengers  had  never  heard  such  sentiments  before, 
and  were  much  exasperated  by  them.  'Why,"  said 
he,  "some  of  those  fellows  may  throw  you  over- 
board." 

Mr.  Sherman  thanked  him,  and  recognized  the 
soundness  of  the  advice,  and  the  voyage  came  to  an 
end  without  any  further  incident. 

But  a  number  of  j'oars  afterwards,  when  the  war 
had  broken  out  between  the  Slates,  and  Mr.  Marye, 
although  always  a  true  patriot  and  lover  of  his 
country,  was  inclined  to  think  that  the  attempt  to 
coerce  the  South  was  unconstitutional  and  wrong, 
he  several  times  gave  expression  to  his  views  in  his 


GEORGE    THOMAS    MARYE, 


asual  vigorous  and  unequivocal  manner.  On  one 
such  occasion,  .Mr.  Sberinan,  who  hajipenod  to  be 
present,  took  him  aside,  and  said:  ''Marye,  whatever 
you  maj-  thinl<,  it  would  be  prudent  to  use  greater 
moderation  in  the  exjiression  of  your  sentiments  or 
some  of  these  fellows  maj'  hang  you  to  a  lamp  post." 

Mr.  Maryo,  who  has  a  good  memory',  recognized 
the  advice,  and  roadilj'  acknowledged  its  point. 

After  his  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  ^Ir.  ilarye  at 
once  engaged  in  a  variety  of  j)ioneer  work.  lie 
dealt  largely  in  real  estate,  and  built  the  first  house 
to  the  east  of  Davis  Street.  It  was  built  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  J)avi8  and  Sacramento  Streets, 
on  piles,  in  twenty  feet  of  water.  It  was  occupied 
as  a  ship  chandler's,  and  the  ships  used  to  come 
right  up  alongside  of  the  building  for  their  supplies. 

When  Mr.  Marye  arrived  in  San  Francisco  there 
were  no  wharves  in  the  eitj',  and  the  steamer  that 
he  was  on  cast  anchor  in  the  bay  ofl'  Clark's  Point, 
and  the  passengers  went  ashore  in  boats.  His 
attention,  therefore,  was  carlj'  drawn  to  the  neces- 
sity of  wharf  accommodations  for  the  shipping  in 
the  harbor,  and,  during  the  year  of  1850,  he  built 
the  Sacramento  Street  wharf,  which  ran  from  the 
intersection  of  Davis  and  Sacramento  Streets,  fol- 
lowing in  the  line  of  Sacramento  Street,  a  distance 
of  800  feet,  into  the  deep  waters  of  the  bay.  This 
was  for  a  long  time  one  of  the  principal  wharves  of 
the  city,  and  was  a  very  lucrative  piece  of  property; 
but  after  the  sale  of  the  citj-  slip  property  its  utility 
as  a  wharf  was  destroyed,  and  with  it  its  value;  and 
now,  where  the  largest  sea-going  vessels  used  to 
come  and  load  and  unload,  it  is  all  dry  land,  covered 
with  well  paved  streets  and  large  brick  and  iron 
structures. 

After  he  had  built  the  Sacramento  Street  Wharf, 
Mr.  Marye  went  to  Stockton,  and  built  the  first 
wharf  in  that  city.  It  was  built  under  contract 
with  the  munici))al  authorities,  that  he  should  pay 
himself  out  of  the  first  tolls  to  be  collected,  and  then 
turn  it  over  to  the  city.  The  arrangement  was 
mutually  satisfactory-  and  profitable,  and  after  he 
had  received  paj-ment  he  delivered  it  to  the  munici- 
pal Government,  who  still  hold  it. 

When  he  first  started  for  California  he  sent  at  the 
same  time,  around  the  Horn,  a  number  of  articles, 
in  the  selection  of  which  he  displayed  much  good 
judgment  of  the  wants  of  a  new  country-,  and,  sev- 
eral of  which,  among  them  a  circular  saw,  were  the 
first  of  their  kind  to  be  brought  to  the  I'acific  Coast. 
The  profits  of  the  venture  were  of  course  propor- 
tionate to  the  sagacity  shown  in  the  selection  of  the 
articles,  and  the  saw  and  a]ipurtenanees,  which  had 
cost  him  some  82,500,  were  sold  l'>jr  upwards  of 
$13,000.  The  other  things  were  disposed  of  to 
almost  equal  advantage. 

During  all  this  time  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
life  and  progress  of  San  Francisco.  Though  never 
in  any  sense  a  politician,  he  took  much  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  was  very  influential  as  a  strong 
and  consistent  Democrat.  Ills  partner  in  business, 
Caleb  Smith,  was  the  first  Judge  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  San  Francisco,  and  his  brother,  S.  ]}olivar 
Marye,  was  the  first  Judge   of  the  County  Court. 


In  185(5  he  made  a  trip  to  the  Atlantic  States,  partly 
to  enjoy  a  perioii  of  well-earned  rest  and  recreation, 
but  mainly  for  the  purjioso  of  putting  his  eldest  son, 
for  whom  he  had  received  an  ajipointment  from  his 
friend,  (Jeneral  Denver,  Member  of  Congress  at  that 
time  from  California,  at  the  Military  Academj-  at 
West  Point.  After  his  return  to  San  Francisco  the 
following  year  he  was  urged  by  many  of  his  friends 
to  become  a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate, 
but  his  partner  in  business  had  died  in  the  mean- 
while, and  the  necessity  of  giving  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  his  own  private  atl'airs  im])elled  him  to  de- 
cline. About  this  time  he  built  the  house  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  East  and  Alarket  Streets,  and  in 
front  of  the  house  a  large  wharf  running  out  into 
the  bay.  The  house  still  stands  as  he  built  it,  but 
the  wharf  has  long  since  disajjpaared,  and  its  site  is 
now  occu)>ied  by  a  portion  of  East  Street,  the  sea- 
wall and  the  ferry  slips  at  the  foot  of  Market  Street. 
In  1859  ho  again  went  East,  leaving  a  power  of  at- 
torney with  the  brother  of  his  former  partner,  who 
was  at  that  time  Xavj'  Agent  of  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  and  who  also  represented  the  heirs-at-law 
of  his  deceased  brother.  Mr.  Marj-e,  after  staying 
some  time  in  the  Atlantic  States,  went  with  his  fam- 
ily to  iMirope.  He  traveled  through  England,  Franc© 
and  Italy,  and  then,  leaving  his  family  abroad,  re- 
turned to  America  and  arrived  in  California  in  1860. 
On  his  return  he  found  that  his  agent  had  seriously 
compromised  all  his  interests  and  had  gravely  in- 
volved his  entire  estate.  The  situation  was  one  to 
try  the  nerves  and  the  fortitude  of  anj-  man.  and  if 
there  had  been  a  weak  spot  in  his  armor  so  unex- 
pected and  heavy  a  blow  would  have  reached  it. 
But  he  showed  no  signs  of  discouragement.  What- 
ever may  have  been  his  feelings,  he  gave  expression 
to  few  words  of  complaint,  lie  fully  recognized 
th.it  the  fault  was  largolj-  his  own  in  leaving  his 
business  and  in  trusting  too  much  to  the  hands 
of  another,  and  he  at  once  set  about  with  redoubled 
energy  and  vigor  to  repair  what  had  been  done,  to 
extricate  his  property  from  its  incumbrances  and 
to  unravel  the  legal  meshes  that  had  been  woven 
around  it.  The  work  was  a  long  and  tedious  one, 
but  he  never  paused  or  stayed  his  hand  until  he  had 
brought  it  to  a  successful  end. 

When  he  came  back  from  Eui-ope  in  IStiO,  Mr. 
Mar}-e  wrote  an  oloiiuent  letter  to  the  Legislature 
then  in  session  at  Sacramento,  urging  the  jiurchase 
by  the  Slate  of  Hiram  Powers'  beautiful  statue  of 
"California,"  which  he  had  seen  in  the  sculi)lor'8 
studio  at  Florence.  'J'he  suggestion  was  well  received 
and  would  probably  have  been  acted  upon,  but  it  was 
made  at  a  time  when  the  shadow  of  the  great  strug- 
gle imjjending  between  the  States  was  already  rest- 
ing upon  the  land,  and  in  the  hush  that  precedes  the 
battle,  as  in  the  clash  of  arms,  the  art*  of  ])eace  are 
forgotten.  The  statue  was  afterwards  bought  by  a 
citizen  of  California,  was  taken  to  the  State,  and  is 
believed  to  be  still  there. 

After  Mr.  Mar3-o  had  restored  order  to  his  affairs 
and  j)laced  himself  again  securely  in  the  possession 
of  his  own,  ho  made  another  trij)  to  lOurope  to  join 
his  family.      Ho  traveled  extensively  with  his  wife 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  daughter  during  the  years  18C:i-G4,  and  returned 
to  California  at  the  close  of  the  latter  year,  after 
leaving  his  younger  son  at  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge, in  England.  For  the  next  few  years  he  was 
principally  engaged  in  settling  old  matters  connected 
with  his  former  business,  and  in  the  accomplishment 
of  this  he  made  several  trips  to  the  Atlantic  States. 

In  18G9  he  went  to  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  to 
engage  in  banking  and  the  brokerage  business,  and 
the  step  proved  to  have  been  well-timed,  for  not  very 
long  afterward  came  the  great  excitement  in  the 
stock  market  attendant  upon  the  Crown  Point  and 
Belcher  discovery,  and  still  later  the  unprecedented 
upheaval  of  the  bonanza  period.  The  story  of  those 
great  discoveries  has  been  too  often  told  to  need  to 
be  repeated  here,  but,  as  maj'  bo  readilj'  supposed, 
they  were  like  the  floods  of  Pactolus  to  those  whose 
business  it  was  to  handle  the  stocks  of  the  Washoe 
mines.  Mr.  JIarye's  business,  which  had  been  very 
large  during  the  Crown  Point  and  Belcher  excite- 
ment, became  enormous  during  the  era  of  wild  specu- 
lation following  upon  the  Consolidated  Virginia  and 
California  development.  The  rush  was  so  great  that 
his  office  in  Virginia  was  never  closed  day  or  night. 
It  used  to  be  kept  open  for  customers  from  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  eight  in  the  evening,  then 
the  day  clerks  left  and  a  night  shift,  as  the^-  say  in 
Virginia,  went  to  work,  that  is,  a  set  of  clerks  who 
wrote  up  the  books  during  the  night.  The  mental 
and  nervous  strain  of  such  a  business  was  very  con- 
siderable, but  .Mr.  Marj-c  kept  it  well  in  hand,  and  it 
is  worthy  of  remark  as  ilhistralivc  of  the  independ- 
ence of  his  character  and  his  strength  of  will,  that 
during  this  whole  period  while  he  was  right  in  the 
midst  of  the  excitement,  and  living,  as  one  might 
say,  in  an  atmosphere  of  stocks,  in  constant  inter- 
course with  men  who  were  dealing  largely  and  grow- 
ing rich  through  their  ventures,  he  never  bought  or 
sold  a  single  share  of  stock  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  wont  to  say  that  the  profits  of  his  business,  if 
he  would  keep  them,  were  enough  for  him. 

In  November,  IStJa,  he  opened  his  own  office  in 
San  Francisco,  his  younger  son,  George  T.  .Mar^-e,  Jr., 
who  some  time  before  had  given  up  the  practice  of 
the  law  to  join  him  in  business,  taking  charge  of  it. 
Before  this  time  -Mr.  Marye  had  carried  on  such  por- 
tions of  his  business  as  re(iuired  to  be  executed  in 
San  Francisco  through  corres])ondents.  but  his  ti-ans- 
actions  had  now  assumed  such  jiroportions  that  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  have  his  own  otiice 
there.  This  arrangement,  too,  was  desirable  as  a 
means  of  saving  monej-,  for  during  the  last  two  years 
that  he  did  business  through  others,  he  paid  his  San 
Francisco  correspondent  over  a  hundred  and  eleven 
thousand  dollars  commissions.  (The  exact  sum  was 
8111,474.41.)  Since  the  establishment  of  the  house 
in  San  Francisco  the  tendciic}'  has  been  to  make  it 
the  main  olfice,  and  it  has  now  become  so,  Mr.  .Marye 
giving  it  much  of  his  own  time  and  attention.  Dur- 
ing the  Sierra  Nevada  and  I'liion  excitement  in 
1878,  the  two  offices,  cspeciall3'  the  one  in  San 
Francisco,  did  as  much  business  as  in  bonanza 
times,  but  the  profits  were  not  so  great,  as  the 
prices  of  stocks  were  not  so  hiL,li.  In  1879,  ho  gave 
his  nephew,  Orrick  VV.  Marye,  an  interest  in  the 
business  in  Virginia,  so  that  now  he  is  able  to  devote 
his  time  to  the  two  offices  without  finding  it  neces- 
sary to  give  his  personal  attention  as  closely  as  for- 
merly to  the  details  of  either. 

Since  his  residence  in  Virginia  he  has  been  hardly 
less  of  a  builder  than  in  early  days  in  California. 
One  of  the  most  noticeable  buildings  in  Virginia  was 
built  by  him  in  1874.     It  is  called  Marye's  Building, 


and  still  belongs  to  him.  He  is,  it  is  believed,  the 
largest  individual  owner  of  real  estate  in  the  town, 
and  although  it  is  not  now  a  verj'  desirable  class  of 
property,  he  has  no  cause  to  complain,  for  it  paid 
him  for  a  number  of  years  two  and  three  and  even 
four  per  cent,  a  month. 

Mr.  Marye,  since  he  became  a  citizen  of  Nevada, 
has  continued  to  show  the  same  interest  in  public 
affairs  that  he  has  always  displaj-ed.  Though  neither 
holding  nor  caring  for  office  he  has  furnished  a  shin- 
ing example  to  that  numerous  body  of  good  citizens 
who,  because  thej-  are  engaged  in  the  active  pur- 
suits of  an  engrossing  business,  think  that  they  are 
relieved  from  the  duty  of  giving  any  attention  to 
public  matters.  He  has  been  prominentlj-  connected 
with  the  Democratic  party  in  his  State  and  has 
worked  hard  to  promote  its  interests  and  those  of 
good  government.  To  the  combined  efibrts  of  him- 
self and  those  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  State  Cen- 
tral Committee  is  due  in  no  small  measure  the 
brilliant  success  of  the  Democracy  in  carrying  the 
State  in  the  Garfield- Hancock  campaign. 

Mr.  Marj'e,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  engraving 
accompanj-ing  this  sketch,  is  a  man  of  striking  ap- 
pearance. In  stature  he  is  above  the  medium  heighth, 
with  a  well  proportioned  muscular  frame.  He  has 
gray  hair  (formcrlj-  auburn),  a  broad,  massive  fore- 
head, bright,  searching  eyes,  an  a<iuiline  nose,  and  a 
firm,  positive  mouth,  with  well-shaped  regular  teeth. 
His  face  is  a  correct  oval  and  clean  shaven,  excepting 
the  mustache.  His  hand  is  small  and  well-shaped, 
white  as  a  woman's  and  strong  as  a  vice.  The  gen- 
eral expression  of  the  face  is  that  of  decison  and 
energy.  If  family  mottoes  are  any  indication  of 
their  dominant  traits,  the  motto  of  the  Marye's, 
that  "persistent  effort  overcomes  all  obstacles''  (om- 
nia vincil  per/ina.i-  virfus)  is  singularly  appropriate,  at 
least  to  the  member  of  the  family  who  forms  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  He  is  constitutionallj-  unable  to 
give  up  what  he  has  undertaken,  or  to  abandon  what 
he  has  once  set  his  mind  upon.  Persistent  endeavor  is 
no  efi'ort  to  him,  it  is  his  nature.  A  good  master  of 
human  nature,  and  endowed  with  a  sound,  cool 
judgment,  he  is  able  to  make  up  his  mind  promptly, 
without  much  fear  of  mistake,  and  these  qualities, 
which  are  supplemented  by  an  easy,  graceful  hand- 
writing, a  power  of  rapid  calculation,  and  a  com- 
plete knowledge  of  book-keeping,  make  him  a  thor- 
ough business  man,  and  give  him  great  facilities  in 
the  dispatch  of  business.  Ho  is  a  fast  friend,  and 
benefits  and  injuries  seem  to  bo  alike  indcliblj-  im- 
pressed upon  his  memory.  Incidents  of  his  boyhood, 
of  his  early  manhood,  and  of  his  riper  years  aro 
apparently  as  vivid  in  his  recollection  as  if  they 
had  occurred  but  j'csterday.  He  is  generous  and 
liberal  to  a  sur]irising  degree,  and  it  is  a  good  ])roof 
of  the  strength  of  his  character,  that  the  impulses 
of  his  heart  are  just  as  warm  when  he  is  exposed 
to  the  chilling  blasts  of  adversity  as  when  enjoying 
the  genial  glow  of  prosperity.  During  a  long  career 
he  has  been  often  tried  but  never  found  wanting. 

Mr.  JIaryc  has  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter.  His  eldest  son,  William  A.  .Maiyo,  holds 
the  commission  of  Major  in  the  United  States  Army, 
and  is  now  in  command  of  the  Arsenal  at  Augusta, 
Georgia;  hisdaughlor  .Vda  is  married  to  Dr.  Joseph C. 
Bail}',  Surgeon  in  the  rnited  States  Army,  and  now 
stationed  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco;  and  his 
second  son,  George  T.  Marye,  Jr.,  is  his  ])artner 
in  business,  and  President  of  the  Stock  Exchange, 
and  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  County  Committee 
of  San  Francisco. 


LAKES  AND  RIVERS. 


109 


niAi'TKU    XVI. 
RIVERS  AND  LAKES- 

The  Humboiat  River— The  South  Fork— The  Truckee  River— 
Wiilkfr  River — Carson  Kivor — The  Amarfjioa — The  Veg.is — 
The  Rio  Virgeii — Qiiiii  RiviT — The  Lakes  of  Nevaila — 
UuiiibuKlt — Carson —  Walker — ryraniid  — \\';ishoe —  Tahoe 
— Ruby — Franklin —  Marlette. 

The  rivers  of  Nevada  are  few  in  mimbcr  and 
small  in  size.  There  is  jirobaMy  no  other  country 
of  equal  extent  of  territory,  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States,  so  j)oorly  su]ii)lied  with  run- 
nini;  streams  as  the  State  of  Nevada. 

With  over  1(1(1,000  square  miles  of  territory, 
stretcliini^  across  tlie  western  half  of  the  Groat 
Basin,  from  the  (Jreat  American  Desert  on  the  east, 
to  the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  on  the  west,  a 
distance  of  over  300  miles,  and  from  the  thirty- 
fifth  to  the  fortj-'second  parallel  of  north  latitude, 
being  ncarlj*  SOO  hundred  miles  in  length,  it  does 
not  contain,  within  its  borders,  one  navigable  sti-eam, 
the  Colorado  forming  for  a  short  distance  its  south- 
eastern boundary'  being  indirt'ercntlj'  navigable. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Owyhee  lliver,  which 
rises  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  State,  and 
flows  with  a  long  sweep  to  the  west,  thence  north 
into  the  Snake,  and  thence  through  the  Columbia 
River  into  the  ocean,  and  a  few  small  streams  in  the 
southeast  which  flow  into  the  Colorado,  it  contains 
no  streams  whose  waters  reach  the  ocean.  All  those 
immense  bodies  of  water  that  gather  upon  the  east- 
ern slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  upon  the  numer- 
ous ranges  of  mountains  that  divide  and  subdivide 
the  State  and  flow  down  to  their  base,  are  absorbed 
by  the  soil,  either  immediately  upon  reaching  the 
plains,  or  are  discharged  into  lakes  and  reservoirs 
somewhere  within  the  borders  of  the  State  itself. 

The  rivers  ai"e  formed  from  s])nngs  and  the  melted 
snows  of  the  mountains,  and  until  heated  by  the  sun 
or  corrupted  by  the  soil  over  which  they  pass,  or 
through  which  they  run  after  reaching  the  plains 
below,  their  waters  arc  pure  and  cold.  Some  of  the 
smaller  rivers,  more  properly  called  creeks,  come 
abruptly  to  the  surface,  having  no  visible  source. 
Their  waters,  pure  as  crystal,  flow  briskly  along  the 
])laiiis  for  many  miles,  and  then  disai)pear,  leaving 
the  bed  of  the  stream  dry  for  long  distances,  when 
the  water  again  comes  to  the  surface  and  resumes 
its  onward  flow. 

This  gives  a  broken  appearance  to  them,  and  like 
tlie  mountain  ranges,  they  seldom  have  connected 
or  continuous  courses. 

Many  of  the  streams  have  rapid  currents  when 
they  first  leave  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  with 
large  volumes  of  water  flow  with  great  strength  for 
many  miles,  and  then  suddenly  weaken  and  give 
out,  and,  as  though  weary  with  the  struggle  for 
existence,  they  retire  ]K'rmanentlj-  beneath  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  and  never  apjiear  again.  While 
the  rivers  of  Nevada  are  useless  for  navigation  pur- 
poses, they  are  of  great  value  i'or  irrigation.  The 
14 


rains  u])on  the  plains  and  over  the  whole  State  are 
very  meagov;  by  no  means  suflicient  to  furnish  the 
necessary  moisture  for  growing  cro])s.  This  lack  is 
supplied  by  the  waters  of  these  streams;  and  largo 
tracts  of  land,  which  would  otherwise  be  barren  and 
utterly  worthless,  have  become  productive,  and  in 
many  instances,  very  valuable. 

HUMBOI-DT   RIVER 

Is  the  largest  and  most  important  stream  in  the 
State;  and  is  the  only  one  flowing  from  cast  to  west 
through  the  Great  Basin.  Its  valley  formed  the 
ordinary  emigrant  route  i'rom  the  Great  Salt  fjake 
to  California;  and  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  now 
follows  its  banks  through  nearly  its  whole  course. 
It  rises  in  the  tiooso  f'reek  Kange,  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  State,  7,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  runs  in  a  southwesterly  direction  over  300 
miles,  emi)tying  into  Ilnmboldl  Luke  on  the  bordei-s 
of  Churchill  and  Humboldt  Counties,  4,100  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  giving  a  descent  to  the 
stream  of  near  3.000  feel  from  its  source  to  its  mouth. 
Most  of  the  way  it  flows  through  a  region  of  country 
consisting  of  sandj-  plains,  destitute  of  vegetation  or 
trees,  except  immediately  along  the  stream,  and 
during  the  summer  months  its  banks  swarm  with 
flies,  mosquitoes,  gnats,  and  other  insects.  These 
are  most  numerous  along  the  lower  portion  of  the 
river  and  about  the  lake.  On  either  side  ol'  the 
Humboldt  Valley  and  in  places  long  distant  from 
the  river  are  numerous  mountain  gorges,  down 
which  ambitious  streams  leap,  and  strive  to  reach 
the  main  channel,  but,  though  promising  well  at 
first,  except  in  seasons  of  more  than  usual  snow  and 
rain,  they  fail;  and  gradually  sinking  away,  disap- 
pear in  the  sand.  The  Ivittle  Humboldt  on  the 
north  and  the  Reese  on  the  south  are  noted  exam- 
ples. The  former  rises  in  Cotton  Range,  about  100 
miles  to  the  north,  and  flows  to  the  south  through 
Paradise  Valley,  with  much  force  of  current,  but 
long  before  the  main  stream  is  reached  it  sinks  in 
the  sand  and  disai>iiears.  The  Reese  rises  200  miles 
to  the  south,  in  the  Toiyabe  IJange,  and  for  nearly 
100  miles  is  a  stream  of  considerable  magnitude  and 
im])ortance.  Before  reaching  Jacobsvillo,  in  Ijander 
County,  the  volume  of  its  waters  is  materially  dimin- 
ished, and  forty  miles  beyond  they  disappear 
entirely.  It  is  said  that  in  seasons  of  an  unusual 
fall  of  snow  and  rain,  this  stream  flows  to  the  Hum- 
boldt, but  this  does  not  often  happen,  if  ever.  This 
portion  of  the  valley  is  barren  and  almost  wholly 
worthless — with  scant  vegetation  and  no  timber, 
there  being  for  over  sixtj-  miles  not  a  stick  of  timber 
largo  enough  for  a  fence  rail.  The  upper  portion  of 
'  the  valley  is  much  better.  Years  ago,  at  the  time  of 
I  the  early  settlement  of  what  are  now  Nye  and  Ijan- 
der Counties,  the  valley  of  the  Reese  was  quickly 
i  occupied  by  farmers  and  herdsmen  and  was  made 
wonderfully  rich  and  jiroduclive  by  irrigating  the 
soil  from   this  stream  and   the  creeks  and   rivulets 


110 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


tributary  thereto.  The  silver  mines  in  the  Toiyabe 
Range  of  mountains  were  first  discovered  in  1862. 
The  overland  stages  crossed  the  vallej-  i-i<>  Jacobs- 
ville  and  Austin;  now  the  Nevada  Central  Railway 
threads  the  valley  from  Battle  Mountain  to  Austin,  & 
distance  of  ninety-three  miles,  from  which  stages 
continue  southerly  up  the  valley  crossing  the  Sho- 
shone Range,  its  western  border,  to  Grantsville  in 
Nye  County.  The  river  was  named  in  1859  by  Cap- 
tain -Simpson  of  the  U.  S.  Army  in  honor  of  John 
Reese  who  first  explored  the  route  crossing  it  from 
Salt  Lake  to  Carson  Yallej'. 

In  Elko  County,  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the 
Humboldt  join  the  main  stream,  each  rising  about 
one  hundred  miles  away,  in  opposite  directions.  The 
North  Fork  is  a  stream  of  considerable  strength,  ris- 
ing in  the  northwest  section  of  the  Goose  Creek 
range,  flowing  southerly  and  receiving  manj'  small 
creeks  and  rivulets  in  its  course.  The  valley  of  this 
fork  is  from  five  to  seven  miles  wide,  is  covered  with 
a  heavy  growth  of  grass,  and  bj-  means  of  irrigation 
is  susceptible  of  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The 
length  of  the  seasons  and  the  early  and  late  frosts, 
due  to  its  high  altitude,  however,  give  no  guarantee 
of  a  matured  crop.  The  Goose  Creek  Mountains, 
where  the  main  stream  of  the  Humboldt  River  rises, 
form  a  rough  and  broken  range;  but  the  sides  and 
gulches  afford  an  abundance  of  water  and  pasture. 
It  was  upon  this  range,  a  little  to  the  northwest  of 
Cedar  Pass,  that  the  weary  and  travel-worn  emi- 
grant first  found  water  and  food  for  himself  and 
beasts  of  burden,  after  passing  the  parched  and  life- 
less desert  lying  immediately  to  the  east. 

The  South  Fork  rises  in  the  Diamond  Range  of 
mountains,  flows  nearly  due  north  through  Hunt- 
ington Valley,  a  fair  agricultural  country,  and  enter.s 
the  Humboldt  from  ten  to  twelve  miles  west  of  Elko. 
There  are  numerous  unimportant  creeks  and  rivulets 
that  flow  into  the  vallej^  of  the  Humboldt  from  the 
various  mountain  ranges  that  skirt  its  borders. 
Some  succeed  in  reaching  the  river,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  sink  away  and  disappear  in  the 
sands  far  back  in  the  valley.  The  main  stream  is 
about  one  hundred  feet  wide,  and  from  four  to  six 
feet  deep.  Towards  its  mouth  the  waters  are  brack- 
ish, and  so  great  is  the  waste  from  evaporation  and 
absorption  that  more  water  is  lost  from  these  causes 
than  is  gained  from  the  tributaries;  and  it  is  not  so 
large  at  its  mouth  as  it  is  200  miles  above.  The 
same  is  true  of  most  of  the  rivers  of  the  State.  The 
name  was  given  it  in  honor  of  the  groat  German 
scientist  and  traveler,  IJaron  Von  Humboldt,  by 
Fremont. 

THE   TRUCKEE    RIVER 

Is  not  so  long  as  the  Humboldt,  but  being  a  more 
rapid  stream,  dL-^charges  a  much  greater  volume  of 
water  during  the  year.  It  receives  its  supplj' 
directly  from  Eake  Tahoe,  at  an  elevation  of  G,1G7 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  running  north  twelve 
miles,  when  it  is  joined  by  the  Little  Ti'uckco,  flow- 


ing from  Donner  Lake.  The  accumulated  waters 
then  turn  and  run  east  sixty -nine  miles,  when,  turn- 
ing to  the  north  again  and  running  sixteen  miles, 
discharge  into  Pyramid  Lake,  at  an  elevation  ol 
4,890  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  making  a 
descent  of  over  1,277  feet  in  ninety -seven  miles. 
The  water  is  cold  and  pure  throughout  its  entire 
course,  and  flows  with  a  rapid  current.  The  upper 
portions  of  the  Truckee  Valley  are  excellent  farm- 
ing lands.  The  banks  for  nearly  fifty  miles  are 
covered  with  heavy  forests  of  spruce  and  pine, 
which  are  being  manufactured  into  lumber  and 
shingles  by  mills  chiefly  propelled  by  the  power  of 
its  falling  waters.  The  Truckee  is  distinguished  for 
the  quantity  and  quality  of  its  fish,  a  variety  usually 
denominated  "  Lake  Bigler  trout,"  and  from  this 
pleasant  characteristic  received  from  Fremont  the 
name  of  Salmon  Trout  River.  In  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  the  Legislature,  the  waters  of  the 
Truckee  were  stocked  with  McCloud  River  salmon 
in  187!),  and  as  a  result,  good  and  profitable  fishing 
maj-  be  had  at  the  present  time.  By  State  author- 
ity, the  Carson,  Walker,  Humboldt,  and  other  rivers 
of  the  State  are  to  be  stocked  with  fish.  A  name- 
less savage  had  been  given  the  appellation  of 
Truckee  by  some  emigrants,  and  afterwards  guid- 
ing another  l)arty  of  travelers  up  the  valley  of  the 
river,  was  complimented  by  giving  his  name  to  the 
stream. 

WALKER   RIVER, 

In  point  of  size,  ranks  next  to  the  Truckee.  It  is 
formed  by  the  union  of  two  forks  which  rise  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  that  unite  about  thirty 
miles  from  their  source.  Thence  the  main  stream 
runs  northerly  about  twenty  miles,  and  taking  a 
turn  to  the  east  and  south  stretches  away  about 
thirty  miles,  when  it  empties  into  Walker  Lake, 
about  forty  miles  south  of  Carson  Lake.  In  its 
tortuous  course  it  traverses  about  100  miles.  In  the 
valleys  along  this  river  is  some  of  the  best  agricul- 
tural land  in  the  State,  and  on  which  now  resides 
some  of  its  most  prosperous  farmers,  as  will  be  seen 
by  reference  to  some  of  the  illustrations  in  this  work, 
i-epresenting  some  of  the  homes  in  Mason's  Valle3^ 
The  Walker  was  named  by  Fremont  in  honor  of 
Capt.  .lose])h  Walker,  a  noted  mountaineer,  trapper, 
and  guide. 

CARSON    RIVER, 

Ivike  the  Walker  and  Humboldt,  is  formed  by  the 
confluence  of  two  streams,  and  has  no  other  tribu- 
taries of  any  magnitude. 

The  East  Carson  is  the  main  branch,  rising  in 
Alpine  County,  California,  having  its  source  in  the 
Blue  Lakes  on  the  very  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
from  which  also  flows  the  Mokelumne,  running  west- 
ward. After  following  a  sinuous  course  through  the 
deep  cafions  and  heavy  pine  forests  of  the  eastern 
slope  it  enters  Carson  Valley,  flowing  northward, 
and  is  joined  by  the  West  Carson  a  few  miles  south 
of  Genoa,  in    Douglas   County.     Thence   the   main 


LAKES  AND  RIVERS. 


Ill 


stream  pasties  to  the  norlheai^t  through  Ormsbj*, 
Store}',  and  Lyon  Counties,  and  discharges  its  waters 
into  Careon  Lake.  From  its  source  to  its  mouth  it 
is  less  than  200  miles  by  the  river's  course,  including 
the  two  forks.  It  has  an  average  width  of  about 
sixty  feet,  and  a  depth  of  three  or  four  feet.  How- 
ever, as  it  is  fed  from  the  melting  snows  of  the 
Sierra,  it  is  subject  to  great  variations  in  this  respect. 
The  land,  aggregating  a  large  area  bordering  on 
the  river,  is  very  productive  where  irrigable,  j-ield- 
ing  largely  in  haj',  grain  and  vegetables. 

Genoa,  the  county  seat  of  Douglas  County,  is 
situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Carson,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  numerous  and  thrifty  agricultural 
population. 

The  Carson  may  be  called  the  only  navigable 
river  in  the  State.  Many  thousands  of  cords  of 
wood  are  yearly  floated  down  it,  to  supply  the 
demands  for  fuel  at  Virginia,  Carson,  and  other 
towns,  and  for  the  numerous  quartz-mills  in  Storej' 
and  Lyon  Counties.  The  quartz-mill  owners  along 
the  Carson  River,  from  Empire  to  Dayton,  have  suc- 
ceeded, to  a  large  extent,  in  securing  by  some  means 
(the  farmers  claim  by  foul,  and  the  mill  men  assert 
by  fair)  the  use  of  the  Carson  waters.  When  this 
stream  is  low  and  the  mills  in  operation,  the  ranchers 
are,  to  a  large  extent,  prevented  from  using  it  for 
irrigation,  and  this  seriously  interferes  with  the 
agricultural  industries  in  Carson  Valley.  Fremont 
also  has  the  honor  of  giving  a  name  to  this  river, 
calling  it  after  his  favorite  guide,  Kit  Carson. 

THE    AMARGOSA 

Is  a  singular  river  of  the  desert,  rising  in  the  Mount- 
ain Spring  range  of  the  Amargosa  Mountains,  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  Nye  County,  and  running  in  a 
southeasterly  course  about  150  miles,  sometimes  on 
the  surface  and  sometimes  underground,  it  tui-ns 
around  the  southern  end  of  the  range,  and  returning 
to  the  northwest,  it  disappears  in  Death  "\'^alley,  a 
depression  on  the  borders  ©f  the  State  of  California, 
175  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  Before  sinking, 
the  water  becomes  so  saturated  with  the  salts,  alkalies, 
and  other  ingredients  of  the  soil  through  which  it 
flows,  that  it  becomes  bitter  and  unpleasant  to  the 
taste,  hence  the  Spanish  name  of  Amargosa. 

The  Vegas  and  the  Rio  Virgen  are  small  streams 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  State,  which  rise  in 
the  broken  mountains  of  that  region,  and  flow 
into  the  Colorado  River.  At  Las  Vega  (The 
Meadows),  where  the  first  is  encountered  on  the 
"  Old  Spanish  Trail,"  is  a  large  area  of  fertile  soil,  as 
its  name  implies.  •'  Rio  Virgen  "  is  a  name  the 
Spanish  explorei-s  delighted  to  give  in  gratitude  for 
finding  a  pure  running  stream  in  so  desolate  a  wil- 
derness. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  State,  Quin 
River  rises  in  the  Santa  Rosa  Ilills  of  the  Owyhee 
Range.  Its  general  course  is  south  for  nearly 
eighty  miles,  when  it  turns  west  and  runs  towards 


and  sometimes  into  Mud  Sink.  Quin  Valley,  for 
sixtj-  or  seventy  miles  along  this  river,  is  from  three 
to  seven  miles  wide,  and  has  rich  grazing  land  its 
whole  length. 

THE    LAKES   OF    NEVADA. 

As  delineated  on  the  maps,  a  great  portion  of 
western  Nevada  appears  covered  by  vast  sheets  of 
water;  but  this  is  deceptive,  as  much  of  the  area  so 
represented  are  mere  mud-flats,  occasionally  inun- 
dated. There  arc,  however,  several  large  lakes  of 
permanent  and  deep  water,  Ij'ing  in  the  greatest 
depression  of  the  basin,  these  being  Pyramid,  Hum- 
boldt, Carson,  and  Walker  Lakes,  although  two  of 
these,  Humboldt  and  Carson,  vary  greatly  in  area, 
and  are  too  shallow  for  navigation.  These  four 
lakes  receive  the  waters  of  as  many  rivers,  and  in 
seasons  of  excessive  rain-fall  spread  over  the  adja- 
cent country  and  make  other  lakes.  Having  no 
outlets,  their  waters  consequently  being  absorbed 
by  evaporation  are,  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
mouths  of  the  streams  feeding  them,  salt  and  bitter. 
The  theory,  at  one  time  entertained,  that  these  lakes 
had  a  subterranean  outlet,  or  percolated  through 
the  rocks  to  the  ocean,  is  no  longer  regarded,  evap- 
oration from  so  extended  surfaces  being  sufficient  to 
exhaust  the  inflow. 

HUMBOLDT    LAKE. 

This  lake  is  4,100  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  is  situated  on  the  line  between  Humboldt  and 
Churchill  Counties,  and  receives  the  watei-s  of  the 
Humboldt  River.  It  is  thirty  miles  long  and  ten 
miles  wide.  In  reality  it  is  merely  a  widening  of 
the  river  at  this  point,  for  in  years  of  extreme  high 
water  the  stream  flows  through  this  basin  to  an  out- 
let in  the  lake,  and  passes  on  to  what  is  known  as 
the  liower  Carson  Sink,  a  few  miles  to  the  south. 

CARSON    LAKE 

Is  directlj''  south  of  Humboldt,  and  is  twenty-five 
miles  long  and  ten  miles  wide,  receiving  the 
largo  volume  of  water  discharged  from  the  Carson 
River.  In  wet  seasons,  when  the  streams  from  the 
east  and  west  have  overflowed  the  lowlands  about 
these  lakes,  they  continue  tlieir  course  towards  each 
o.ther,  and  form  what  is  known  as  the  Lower  Carson 
Sink  or  Lake,  thus  creating  an  inland  sea  that  grad- 
ually increasing  its  dimensions  from  its  double  supply 
eventually  covers  the  intervening  country  and  the 
two  Carson  Lakes  become  one,  stretching  north  to 
near  the  Humboldt  Sink  or  Lake,  a  distance  of 
eighty  miles  or  more.  These  lakes  have  no  visible 
outlets,  but  so  powerful  are  the  sun's  rays  over  this 
region  that  their  waters  disappear,  and  in  dry  sea- 
sons the  lakes  themselves  are  materially  diminished 
in  size  and  the  countr}'  around  is  left  parched  and 
dry. 

WALKKR  LAKE, 

Lying  in  Esmeralda  County,  about  forty  miles  south 
of  Carson  Lake,  is  forty  miles  long  from  north  to 
south,  and  with  a  varying  width  of  from  five  to  fif- 


112 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


teen  miles,  and  is  fed  by  the  waters  of  the  Walker 
Eiver.  The  lake  is  navis^'uble, small  steamboats  plyinji 
on  its  surface,  and  is  flanked  on  either  side  by  high 
mountains  and  rugged  hills,  which  are  dry  and  barren 
being  almost  destitute  of  wood  or  water.  The  princi 
pal  of  these  is  Mount  Corey,  which  with  its  spurs 
shields  the  water  from  the  sudden  and  severe  gusts  of 
wind  which  prevail  along  the  eastern  base  of  the 
Sierra.  The  shores  are  irregular  and  indented  with 
small  bays  and  inlets.  The  lake  and  river  abound  in 
salmon  trout,  but  not  so  numerous  or  so  well  flavored 
as  those  in  the  Pyramid  and  Tahoe.  Near  the  em- 
houchure  of  the  river  spreads  a  large  area  of  fertile 
soil,  and  on  the  eastern  shore  runs  the  Carson  and 
Colorado  Railroad. 

PyRAMID  LAKE, 

The  largest  bodj'  of  water  whoU}'  within  the  limits 
of  the  State,  is  thirty-five  miles  long  and  twelve 
miles  wide,  and  is  situated  in  Hoop  County,  near  the 
western  line  of  the  State.  It  takes  its  name  from  a 
rock  rising  from  its  center  COO  feet  above  its  surface, 
and  having  the  shape  of  a  pyramid.  It  has  consid- 
erable depth  of  water,  and  the  scenery  about  it  is 
grand  and  picturesque — precipitous  mountains  from 
2,000  to  3,000  feet  high  walling  it  in  on  either  side. 
It  receives  the  flow  from  the  Truckee  liiver  which 
discharges  an  immense  volume  of  pure,  cold  water 
into  it.  In  the  summer  when  the  melting  snows 
swell  the  Truckee,  an  overflow  of  its  banks  occurs 
near  its  mouth,  and  the  escaping  water  running 
through  a  channel  to  the  northeast  forms  a  twin 
lake  to  the  ryramid  that  has  been  given  the  name 
of  Winnemueca.  In  the  mountains  along  the 
Truckee  are  numerous  saw-mills  which  discharge 
their  sawdust  into  the  stream  which  is  carried  to 
the  lake  and  has  created  a  shoal.  This  shoal  dam 
ming  the  outlet  to  the  river  has  caused  a  greater 
quantity  of  water  than  formerly  to  flow  into  Winne- 
mueca Lake,  thus  largely  increasing  its  depth  and 
area,  some  five  feet  having  been  added  to  its  depth. 

WASHOE  LAKE, 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  valley  of  that  name,  in  the 
southern  part  of  Washoe  County,  embraces  about 
six  square  miles,  with  shallow  and  alkaline  waters, 
fed  by  small  sireams  which  flow  from  the  Sierra  on 
the  west  into  the  valley,  where  they  sink  and  then 
rise  again  in  the  lake. 

LAKE    TAllOK, 

By  far  tlie  most  noted  lake  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
is  situated  on  the  Sierra  Neva<la  Mountains,  at  an 
elevation  of  over  0,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  fourteen  miles  west  of  Carson  City,  lying  one- 
third  in  the  State  of  Nevada,  occupj-ing  the  westerly 
portions  of  Douglas,  Ormsby  and  Washoe  Counties, 
and  two-thirds  in  the  Slate  of  California.  The  bound- 
ary lino  of  the  two  States  jiasses  from  the  north  to 
the  center  of  the  lake,  to  the  intersevlion  of  the 
thirty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  when  it  diverges 


to  the  southeast.  The  lake  is  twenty-two  miles  long, 
ten  miles  wide  anU  1,700  feet  deep,  the  waters  being 
cold  and  clear  as  crystal,  and  noted  for  their  want 
of  bouyancy.  From  this  quality  and  the  great  depth 
to  which  they  sink,  persons  drowned  in  the  lake  never 
rise  to  the  surface.  The  main  body  of  the  waters 
maintain  a  nearly  equal  temperature  at  all  seasons, 
ice  forming  only  near  the  shore,  where  also  the 
warmth  of  summer  renders   bathing  pleasant. 

It  abounds  in  trout  of  a  large  size  and  fine  flavor. 
The  coast  is  indented  with  beautiful  bays  and  inlets, 
and  small  villages  are  built  along  its  shores.  Steam- 
boats cross  from  shore  to  shore  daily,  and  sailing 
j-achts  are  kept  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
pleasure-seeking  public.  There  are  good  hotels,  and 
it  is  a  pleasant  summer  resort  for  tourists.  At  its 
north  end  are  the  celebrated  hot  springs,  lying  near 
the  Nevada  line  and  within  the  State;  and  not  far 
distant  from  them  is  a  beautiful  spring  of  clear,  cold 
water,  entirely  free  from  mineral  taste.  On  the  west 
side,  about  six  miles  from  Tahoe  City,  is  a  spur  of 
mountains  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of  sugar- 
pine,  the  most  valuable  timber  for  lumber  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  On  each  side  of  this  spur  are  fine 
streams  of  water  running  into  the  lake.  Not  far  dis- 
tant to  the  south  is  Emerald  Bay,  a  beautiful  inlet 
about  four  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth  and 
widening  as  it  extends  inland  for  nearly  two  miles, 
forming  one  of  the  most  beautiful  inland  harbors  in 
the  world.  Lake  Creek,  which  comes  from  the  hills 
far  to  the  south,  and  is  fed  by  their  springs  and 
snows,  enters  Lake  Tahoe  at  its  south  end.  The 
valley  of  this  creek  is  adorned  with  green  meadows 
and  growing  fields  from  the  mountain  slype  to  the 
lake,  and  is  one  of  the  loveliest  to  be  found  in  the 
Sierra.  To  the  north  of  the  entrance  of  Lake  Creek, 
and  on  either  side  of  the  lake,  peaks  of  the  Sierra 
rise  from  three  to  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sur- 
face, and  are  covered  with  snow  nearly  two-thirds 
of  the  year.  The  waters  of  this  wonderful  reservoir 
are  derived  whollj'  from  the  springs  and  snows  of  the 
surrounding  mountains,  and  the  Truckee  Uivor  on 
the  northwest  is  its  outlet.  This  celebrated  resort 
is  reached  by  stage,  either  from  Truckee  or  Carson 
Cities;  it  being  about  twelve  miles  from  the  former 
and  fourteen  from  the  latter  place. 

Ruby  and  Franklin  are  two  small  lakes  situated 
in  the  valleys  along  the  east  base  of  the  Humboldt 
or  Rub}'  range  of  mountains,  in  the  southwestern 
portion  of  Elko  County.  In  high  water  thej'  become 
united,  and  form  a  sheet  of  brackish  water  about 
fifteen  miles  long,  and  seven  miles  wide.  They 
have  no  outlet,  and  are  merely  reservoirs,  where  the 
surplus  waters  of  the  surrounding  mountains  accu- 
mulate, and  are  absorbed  in  the  land  and  evaporated 
in  the  dry  summer.  About  twenty  miles  east  is 
Gosh-Ule  Lake  or  pond,  and  to  the  northeast,  about 
the  same  distance,  is  Snow  Lake.  These  are  smaller, 
but  possess  the  same  characteristics  as  the  othera. 


GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 


113 


DONNEll    LAKE. 

Donner,  iloiic}'.  Mono,  and  Owens  Lakes,  tliouijli 
not  within  the  State,  yet  forminj^  a  ])arl  of  that 
series  of  reservoirs  lyinijj  aloiii;  the  rim  of  the 
Great  Basin,  and  near  the  line  of  Nevada,  are  j)er- 
haps  entitled  to  a  passing  notice  here.  Donner 
Lake  lies  two  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Truckeo. 
It  is  about  three  miles  long,  one  mile  wide,  and  200 
feet  deep.  This,  and  Lake  Tahoe,  are  thought  by 
some  to  be  craters  of  extinct  volcanoes,  the  mount- 
ains around  them  presenting  evidence  of  volcanic 
formation.  The  waters  are  cold,  and  clear  as  crystal. 
It  is  surrounded  on  three  sides  with  towering  mount- 
ains, which  are  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  fir, 
8]iruce,  and  pine.  Its  watei-s  are  discharged  into 
the  Truckee  liiver. 

HONEY    L.\KE 

Is  a  circular  sheet  of  water,  about  ten  miles  across, 
and  lies  fitly  miles  north  of  Truckee  City.  Willow 
and  Susan  Creeks  from  the  north,  and  Lone  \^allcj- 
Creek  from  the  south,  supply  its  waters.  It  has  no 
outlet  and  its  waters  are  shallow  and  strongly  alka- 
line, and  in  extremely  dry  summers  they  disappear 
entirely. 

MONO    LAIvE 

Is  situated  in  Mono  County,  California,  about  ten 
miles  from  the  Xevada  State  line;  is  fourteen  miles 
long  and  nine  wide,  and  has  been  sounded  to  the 
depth  of  300  feet  and  no  bottom  found.  The  waters 
are  so  acrid  as  to  render  them  unfit  for  drinking,  and 
even  bathers,  while  delighted  with  the  first  immer- 
sion cannot  long  continue  the  pleasure  with  safety 
to  their  epidermis.  Leather  immersed  in  i'.  is  soon 
destroj'ed  by  its  corrosive  properties,  and  no  animal, 
not  even  fish  or  frogs,  can  exist  within  it  for  anj^ 
great  length  of  time.  The  peaks  of  the  Sierra  in 
this  region  reach  their  greatest  altitude,  and  the 
scenery  aliout  Lake  Mono  is  varied  and  majestic.  It 
is  fed  by  streams  from  the  surrounding  mountains, 
and,  although  it  has  no  outlet,  the  dr^mess  of  the 
atmosphere  keejjs  it  at  about  the  same  level  by  the 
process  of  rapid  evaporation. 

OWENS    LAKE, 

Lying  to  the  south  of  Mono,  in  Inyo  County,  is  a 
large  and  deep  body  of  water,  eighteen  miles  in 
length  by  twelve  in  width,  and  is  navigable  for 
steamers  which  have  been  used  in  the  transportation 
of  ores  and  sup|)lies  to  mines  on  its  eastern  border. 
The  qualities  of  its  waters  are  similar  to  those  of 
Mono,  but  notsostronglj- alkaline.  The  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains  form  the  background  on  the  west,  and 
supply  its  waters.  Like  the  other  lakes  of  the 
basin  it  has  no  outlet,  evaporation  exhausting  the 
water  poured  into  it  b}-  Owens  River,  a  stream  of 
150  miles  in  length. 

.MAKLETTE    LAKE 

Is  a  small  body  of  pure,  cold  water,  situate  on  the 
mountains  forming  the  northeast  portion  of  the  rim 
of  fiake  Taboo,  covering  about  ."iOO  acres  of  ground 


and  is  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  deep  in  the  center. 
Virginia  City  is  supplied  with  water  from  th-s  lake. 
It  is  claimed  that  Jlarlette  Lake  has  an  altitude  of 
1,500  feet  above  C  street,  Virginia,  which  places 
it  about  1,G00  feet  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Taboo, 
or  about  7.7(10  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  This 
is  probably  the  highest  lake  in  the  world  whose 
waters  have  been  used  to  supply  cities  having  large 
populations. 

CHAPTEIl    XVII. 
GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 

Baron  Itichthofeu  on  the  Comstock — General  Structure  of  Corn- 
stock  Veins — Inclosing  Rock — Outcroppiugs — Vein  M.itter — 
Clay  anil  Clayey  Matters — (^)nartz,  Character  of — Variety  of 
Ores — lleniarks  on  (Jeiieral  (ieology,  taken  from  Clarence 
King's  Ueports — The  Glacial  Epoch— Living  Glaciers — Local 
Characteristics — The  Mountain  .Syatem — Origin  of  Mineral 
Veins — l''uture  Mining  Prospects. 

Some  account  of  the  geology  of  the  State  is  neces- 
sary' to  make  constantly  recurring  references  to  the 
mines  intelligible.  The  larger  part  of  our  readers 
have,  perhaps,  carefully  read  the  published  works  of 
Baron  Eichthofen,  ]{a3-mond,  Clarence  King,  and 
others,  on  the  geology  of  the  Comstock  Lode,  and 
incidentally  of  the  mines  of  other  parts  of  the  State. 
This  article  is  not  intended  for  them,  but  for  those 
who  have  been  denied  the  ))rivilege  of  reading  tliose 
works,  or  observing  more  than  a  limited  area  of  the 
State. 

The  basin  like  character  of  much  of  the  State  has 
been  referred  to  in  another  part  of  the  work.  Some 
time  in  past  ages  an  upheaval  of  mountains  took 
place,  so  peculiarly  arranged  as  to  inclose  within 
their  embraces  several  hundred  thousand  square 
miles  of  deep  sea  with  all  the  minerals  held  in  solu- 
tion in  the  waters,  such  as  soda,  magnesia,  silex 
arsenic,  antimony,  iron,  sulphur,  as  well  as  gold  and 
silver.  North  and  south  of  Nevada  the  seas  found 
an  outlet  through  the  great  rivers  of  the  Columbia 
and  Colorado.  In  the  great  Utah  basin  they  were 
retained,  and  essentiall}'  modified  the  whole  charac- 
ter of  the  land  as  well  as  the  deposit  of  minerals 
which  took  ])lace  during  man}'  stages  of  the  geolog- 
ical eras.  The  vast  beds  of  salt,  borax,  soda  and 
sulphur,  with  the  thousand  resulting  compounds,  are 
the  relics  of  that  sea.  If  only  the  Sierra  with  the 
accom]ianyiiig  transverse  mountains  forming  the 
boundaries  of  the  basins  had  boon  elevated,  we 
should  liave  had  a  vast  desert  five  or  six  hundred 
miles  across,  a  waste  of  alkali  and  soda  flat,  destitute 
of  animal  and  vegetable  life,  impassable  for  man  or 
beast;  but  the  same  forces  which  elevated  the  JJocky 
Mountains,  and  subseiiuently  the  Sierra,  also  ele- 
vated parallel  but  shorter  ridges  of  mountains 
between  the  two  main  ranges,  some  of  whoso  to])s 
rise  10,000  feet  above  the  sea  level.  In  most 
instances  these  U])lieavals  were  mainl}-  in  line  with 
great  ranges  of  the  Ilocky  .Mountains  and  Sierra 
Nevada,  but  often  there  wore  transverse  axes  of 
elevatioti  which  considerably  modified  the  main  lines 


114 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


of  upheaval.  To  these  interior  longitudinal  and 
cross  elevations  we  owe  tlie  fact  of  having  mines 
away  from  the  Comstock  series  and  the  Colorado 
deposits.  Here  we  wish  to  caution  our  unscientific 
readers  against  falling  into  the  usual  mistake  of  sup- 
posing that  these  elevations  were  marked  by  any  sud- 
den elevations  or  catastrophes  of  any  kind  whatever, 
though  undoubtedly  mother  earth  might  have  shaken 
and  groaned  at  times  when  all  these  mighty  mount- 
ain ranges  were  being  evolved  out  of  her  bosom. 
Time,  an  element  of  such  prime  importance,  is  one 
of  the  infinite,  inexhaustible  quantities  in  nature's 
laboratory,  and  the  largest  results  may  be  wrought 
out  with  the  gentlest  means.  Foundations  for  con- 
tinents 20,000  feet  deep  may  be  laid  so  slowly  that  a 
hundred  years  may  mark  no  sensible  addition.  In 
this  way  the  auriferous  slates  of  California  were 
laid  down  ere  the  Sierra  was  raised  from  the  bosom 
of  the  deep.  So  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
was  formed;  so  was  the  Great  Basin,  the  future 
treasure-house  of  the  world.  If  we  could  have  seen 
an  east  and  west  section  of  Nevada  during  this  era, 
it  would  have  presented  something  of  the  following 
appearance: — 


Though  by  no  means  so  regular,  some  of  the  ele- 
vations being  much  farther  apart  than  others,  some 
being  perhaps  twenty,  others  a  hundred  miles 
apart,  and  some  of  the  elevations  being  thou- 
sands of  feet,  others  only  hundreds.  For  the  purpose 
of  illustrating  the  further  changes  of  the  strata  and 
fixing  an  ideal  locality  of  llie  mineral  or  ore  bearing 
portion,  let  the  dark  lines  inclose  the  supposed  min- 
erals forming  the  future  veins,  for  the  valuable 
minerals  do  not  come  out  of  the  depths  of  the  earth 
like  the  floods  of  lava,  but  are  the  result  of  deposit 
like  the  stratified  rocks,  perhaps  having  been  held 
in  solution  in  the  sea  water.  Other  forces  are  intro- 
duced. Along  these  lines  of  elevation  volcanoes 
broke  out  and  sent  floods  of  lava,  the  future  propylites, 
trachj-tes,  and  other  forms  of  rocks,  other  than  the 
ordinary  stratified  rocks,  associated  with  the  min- 
eral veins.  With  the  elevation  of  the  mountain 
ranges  came  denudation  of  the  upper  portions,  and  a 
deposit  of  tertiary  matter  in  the  retreating  seas. 
Some  portions  of  these  folded  strata  were  'so  far 
down  into  the  earth  as  to  become,  or  rather  remain, 
subject  to  a  heat  well  known  to  increase  on  an 
average  one  degree  for  each  fifty  feet,  reaching  per- 
haps a  higher  than  the  boiling  point,  while  the 
upper  portions  were  exposed  to  the  lower  tempera- 
ture   of    the    surface    of    the    earth.      The    rents 


and  fissures,  as  well  as  the  openings  of  natural 
cleavage,  would  also  be  permeated  by  the  heated 
waters  circulating  through  these  fissures,  all  of 
which  would  hold  more  or  less  minerals  in  solution. 
If  we  could  have  seen  an  east  and  west  section  of 
Nevada,  it  would  have  presented  something  of  the 
following  appearance: — 


Though  the  illustration  is  imperfect,  as  some  of 
the  axes  of  elevation,  like  Mount  Davidson,  by  this 
time  were  several  thousand  feet  above  the  surround- 
ing country,  and  the  strata  of  trachytes,  propylites, 
and  other  igneous  rocks  have  become  highly  inclined, 
following  down  the  slopes  of  the  newly-formed  and 
perhaps  still  rising  mountains,  the  portions  sur- 
mounting the  axes  of  elevation  having  been  denuded 
according  to  the  second  diagram  in  this  article. 
Before  the  upheaval  or  folding  of  the  strata  the  dif- 
ferent rocks  would  have  had  about  the  following  po- 
sition with  respect  to  each  other: — 


Tnclyle. 


Syenite,   E 

UR 

Graaiuc  Mt- 


Authorities  differ  as  to  tlic  plane  of  elevation  at  the 
time  of  the  deposit.  Baron  Hichthof'en,  Clarence 
King  and  Hossiter  \V.  ilaymond,  were  inclined  to 
give  quite  an  inclination  to  the  slopes  at  the  time  of 
the  outpour  of  proi>ylito  and  trachyte.  John  A. 
Church,  a  later  authoritj-,  fixes  the  plane  nearer  a 
horizontal.  If  Mount  Davidson  is  the  axis  of  eleva- 
tion, which  seems  probable,  it  would  look  reasonable 
that  the  elevation  and  eruption  were  contempora- 
neous. The  reader  can  elevate  the  diagram  to  suit 
his  theory.  According  to  some  writers  on  geology 
(John  A.  Church,  for  one),  sufficient  time  elajised 
between  the  deposit  of  the  propylite  and  the  over- 
flow of  the  trachyte  for  the  surface  of  the  former  to 
have  been  converted  into  soil,  as  charred  and  silici- 
fied  remains  of  timber  and  vegetable  impressions  are 
plentiful  in    some    places   in    the   upturned    strata. 


GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 


115 


After  the  foldinj;  or  upheaval  of  the  strata  and  sub- 
sequent denudation  of  the  portion  over  the  axis  of 
elevation,  a  section  would  pi'esont  the  following  ap- 


pearance, with  the  exception,  however,  that  as  the 
elevation  was  always  in  unuiiiial  <iuantities,  the 
strata  would  bo  rumpled  and  irregular: — 


Syenite. 


Main  Lode.         Propylite. 


Trachyte. 


The  portion  worn  away  by  rains  and  other  causes 
is  supposed  to  have  been  carried  to  the  unrepre- 
sented portion  below  the  line  of  denudation,  which 
maj-  be  as  many  thousands  of  feet  or  more  below 
the  level  as  the  summit  is  above  it,  which,  if  we  apply 
the  diagram  to  the  Comstoek  Lode,  would  be  Mount 
Davidson. 

So  far  there  is  no  appearance  of  mineral.  Accord- 
ing to  Clarence  King,  the  upheaval  caused  numerous 
rents  and  fissures,  even  through  the  solid  synitic 
rock,  and  more  especially  along  the  line  of  junction 
of  the  dift'ercnt  rocks.  Through  the  latter  cleavages 
or  fissures  poured  out  a  third  kind  of  lava  called  by 
some  andesite,  on  account  of  peculiar  cr^-stallizations 
found  in  it.  It  was  of  a  dark  color,  and  was  known 
by  different  names  among  the  miners.  It  is  known 
to  have  been  erupted  subsequent  to  the  upheaval  of 
the  mountains,  for  it  was  spread  out  in  horizontal 
layers  or  strata  over  the  inclined  propylites  and 
trachytes,  which  formed  the  body  of  the  mountain, 
or  elevation.  Durinij  this  dinturh/mce  the  <jre<it  Corn- 
stock  Lode  was  formed,  the  eruption  of  the  veins 
seeming  to  bo  intimately  connected  with  the  deposit 
of  mineral.  These  rocks  are  frequently  known  as 
porphyrj',  a  term  rather  descriptive  than  technical, 
generally-  meaning  any  kind  of  rock  that  has  been 
so  far  altered  by  heat,  pressure  or  exchange  of  min- 
eral bases  as  to  have  cr3'stals  of  feldspar,  bearing 
dift'erent  names,  scattered  through  the  body  of  the 
rock.  Whenever  in  any  of  the  dynamic  disturb- 
ances a  portion  of  the  overhanging  wall  broke  off 
and  fell  in  the  chasm,  it  subsequently  became  what 
the  miners  called  a  poi-pkyry  horse.  Having  made 
those  few  preliminar3'  explanations  a  description  of 
the  Comstoek  Ijodc,  by  Ferdinand  Baron  Ifichthofen, 
than  by  whom  no  better  authority  can  bo  given,  will 
be  read  with  interest.  The  description  of  the  Corn- 
stock  Lode  will  to  some  extent  atlbrd  a  key  to  the 
geology  of  other  parts  of  Nevada,  and  is  there- 
fore used  in  this  portion  of  the  work. 


BARON   RICHTHOPEN   ON    THE  COMSTOCK. 

The  range  of  the  Washoe  iLountains,  on  which 
the  Comstoek  vein  is  situated,  is  separated  from  the 
steep  eastern  slope  of  the  iSierra  Nevada  by  a  con- 
tinuous meridional  depression,  marked  by  the  deep 
basins  of  Truckee.  Washoe  and  Carson  Valleys. 
Its  shape  is  irregular,  though  in  general  a  direction 
from  south  to  north  may  be  traced  in  the  Summit 
Range.  South,  it  slojios  gradually  down  to  a  smooth 
table-land,  traversed  from  west  to  east  by  the  Carson 
River  flowing  in  a  narrow  crevice,  beyond  which  the 
Washoe  Range  continues  in  the  more  elevated  Pino 
Nut  Mountains.  Some  i)eaks  in  the  latter  have  an 
altitude  of  probably  more  than  !t,OU0  feet.  To  the 
west  the  Washoe  Mountains  sink  rapidly  beneath 
the  detrital  beds  of  Washoe  and  Truckee  Valleys, 
but  are  connected  with  the  Sierra  Nevada  by  two  low 
granite  ridges,  stretching  at  right  angles  with  its 
general  course  across  the  northern  and  southern  ends 
of  Washoe  Vallej-,  and  thus  isolating  the  basin.  To 
the  north  and  east  the  Washoe  Range  passes  into  a 
very  extensive  mountainous  region,  which  has  been 
but  little  explored;  while  to  the  southeast  it  disap- 
pears abru])tly  below  one  of  the  middle  basins  of 
Carson  River.  The  width  of  the  entire  range  is  not 
more  than  fourteen  miles,  while  its  length  from 
north  to  south  is  not  determinable  on  account  of  the 
scanty  knowledge  wo  possess  about  the  northern 
parts  of  tho  country.* 

The  culminating  point  of  the  range  is  Mount 
Davidson,  tho  elevation  of  which  was  determined  by 
J.  D.  Whitney,  7,827  feet.  The  altitude  of  the  other 
places  are:  Virginia  City,  (J.2(l5  feet;  Devil's  Gate, 
5,105  feet;  while  the  basins  to  the  west  and  south  have 
the  following  elevations:  Washoe  Lake  5,(1(1(1  feet; 
Carson  City  4,G15  foot;  Dayton,  4,4!)()  feet;  all  accord- 
ing to  barometrical  measurement  bj-  Professor 
Whitney. 

Mount  ])avi<lson,  the  prominent  central  point,  con- 
sists of  syenite,  a  granitic^  rock,  wh'ch  is  hero  com- 
posed of  two  kinds  of  feldspar  (orthoclase  and  oli- 
goclase),  hornblende  in  laminated  ]irisms  of  greenish 
black  color,  some  mica,  and  occasionallj- epidate,  Imt 
no  quartz.  It  is  probably  a  continuation  of  the  gran- 
itic axis  of  the  Pine  Nut  Mountains,  and  forms  with 
the  metainiirphic  rocks,  which  accomjyan}-  it,  the 
backbone   of  the    Washoe   .Mountains.      The    latter 

"This  was  writtun  in  I8ti(i. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


rocks  join  tho  syenite  to  the  north  and  south  and 
are  intersected  by  dj-kes  of  that  roek,  thereby  prov- 
ing its  later  origin.  Lithi)logically,  they  exhibit  a 
great  variety;  but  they  may  be  sui)divi(led  into  three 
distinct  gri)Uj)8,  one  of  which  is  of  fria^isic  age,  and 
was  discovered  by  Professor  J.  1).  Whitney  in  El 
Dorado  t'afion,  near  Dayton;  this  is  the  most  recent 
group,  and  its  rocks  are  ordinarily  but  little  metamor- 
phosed. The}'  are  immediatelj-  preceded  in  age  by 
a  series  of  micaceous  and  f|uarlzose  slates,  which 
usuallj^  contain  some  beds  of  limestone.  Both  these 
grou])s  occur  onlj'  at  some  distance  from  the  Com- 
stock  vein.  Of  more  importance,  for  the  latter  is  a 
third  series  of  hornblendic  ( uralitic)  rocks  with  inter- 
stratified  layers  of  ([Uartzile,  gray  slate  and  crystal- 
line laj'ers  of  limestoiie.  which  is  often  aecom])anied 
by  extensive  deposits  of  crystalline  limestone,  with 
extensive  dejiosits  of  ])ure  specular  iron.  These  rocks 
form  the  hills  which  flank  the  American  I'^lat  to  the 
west,  as  well  as  those  between  Silver  City  and  Car- 
son. They  are  capped  b}'  an  overflow  of  quartzosc 
])orphj-ry,  an  eruptive  rock,  which,  however,  is  of  no 
importance,  except  as  forming  the  footwall  of  the 
Justice  vein. 

Those  rocks  form  the  ancient  series.  They  partly 
preceded  and  partly  were  contcmjioraneous  with  the 
eniei'gence  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Great  Basin, 
and  the  entire  range  of  the  Cordilleras,  from  the 
ancient  sea,  whose  traces  are  left  in  the  saline  incrus- 
tations and  salt  pools  at  the  bottom  of  the  numerous 
basins  between  the  Sierra  and  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
which  had  formerly  remained  filled  with  tho  water 
of  the  retiring  sea.  The  Waslioe  .Mountains  undoubt- 
edly formed  an  elevated  range  during  the  long  period 
which  elapsed  till  the  commencement  of  the  formation 
of  the  recent  series  of  rocks,  which  bear  still  closer  rela- 
tion to  the  Comstock  vein  than  the  former.  Those 
rocks  are  eruptive  and  volcanic,  and  belong  to  the 
latter  part  of  the  tertiary  and  to  the  post-tertiary 
periods. 

To  the  first  of  them  in  age  we  apply  the  recently 
introduced  term,  ))ropylite.  In  Washoe  the  names 
'•  f'elds])atliic  ]>or|ihyry  "and  "hornblendic  porjihj-ry" 
are  conimonl)-  used  to  designate  two  jiromincnt  vari- 
eties of  it.  Tliej'are  very  approiuiate  miner's  terms; 
but  scicntificallj-  a])iilie(l,  would  be  capable  of  very 
differing  interpretations.  In  other  countries  the  term 
"  Diorite,"  '•  Doritic  jjorphj-iy,"  "greenstone,"  '•  por- 
))h3'ritic  greenstone"  have  been  applied,  which  con- 
i'usion  of  names  best  shows  the  indistinctness  of  the 
external  characters  of  tho  rock.  Pro|ivlite  has  this 
remarkable  ])eculiarity,  namelj-.  that  it  resembles 
many  ancient  rocks  exactly  in  a])pearance,  and  yet 
is  among  the  most  recent  in  origin.  It  is  ])rominent 
among  the  inclosing  rocks  of  the  ("omstock  vein,  and, 
besides,  hicfosen  seve.nd,  jxt/ih/is  niunt,  of'  fhe  ltiriie.it  anil 
nio.it  pr(i</n-/!re  Ki/ner  vniim  in  the  iror/i/,  as  those  in  the 
('ar|)athian  .Mountains,  of  Zacatecas  and  other  ])laceB 
in  Mexico,  and  probabl}'  several  veins  in  Bolivia. 
Mineralogicallj',  it  consists  of  a  fine  grained  paste  of 
ordinarily  greenish,  but  sometimes  gray,  red  and 
brown  color,  with  imbedded  ciystals  of  feldsjiar  (oli- 
goclase)and  columns  of<lark  green  and  fibrous. sehiom 
of  black,  hornblende,  which  is  also  the  coloring  mat- 
ter of  the  base.  A  peculiarity  of  the  rock  is  its  fer- 
ruginous character  wh(!n  decomposed.  ProbabI}'  it 
contains  other  metals  besides  iron.  (leologicall}- 
it  is  an  erM|itive  rock;  but  it  is  acconi))anied  b}-  vast 
accumulations  of  breccia,  which  is  sometimes  regularlv 
stratified.  The  flats  of  Virginia  City.  (Jold  Jlill. 
American  Cit}'  and  Silver  City,  consist  of  ])ro)>ylite; 
it  lies,  in  general,  east  of  the  mountains  consisting  of 


;  the  ancient  formations,  and  contains  several  minei'al 
i  veins  besides  the  Comstock  Lode.  Its  distribution 
!  in  other  countries  of  tho  world  is  not  ver}'  general. 
Several  different  kinds  of  eruptive  and  volcanic 
rocks  followed  the  outbreaks  of  prop^-lito  ;  but 
only  to  one  of  them  have  wo  to  direct  the  atten- 
tion in  reference  to  tho  Comstock  vein,  as  it  prob- 
ably caused  its  formation,  besides  taking  a  promi- 
nent part  in  tho  structure  of  the  countr}-.  It  is 
known  in  Petrology  by  the  name  of  Sanidin- 
trachyte ;  for  convenience  sake  we  simply  use 
the  name  trachyte.  Its  essential  character  is  "  a 
predominance  of  a  s]iccios  of  feldspar,  called  glassy 
feldspar  or  sanidin,  which,  along  with  hornblende 
and  mica,  is  imbedded  in  a  base  or  paste  of  pecu- 
liarly rough  texture,  caused  hy  microseo])ical  vesi- 
cles which  fill  tho  rock.  It  has  a  beautiful  aj)- 
pearance  and  presents  very  different  colors.  It  is 
an  easj'  blasting  rock.     *     *     * 

There  is  no  doubt  about  the  eruptive  character 
of  the  lava,  and  this  term  has  been  ajtplied  to  it 
in  Washoe.  The  mode  of  occurrence  shows  that 
it  has  been  ejected  through  long  fissures  in  a  vis- 
cous or  liquid  state  and  at  a  high  temiicrature. 
In  some  places  the  eruptions  wore  subaqueous,  as 
at  Dayton.  The  entire  table-land  around  that  ])laco 
is  built  up  of  trachytic  tufa.  The  solid  trachyte 
rises  from  it  in  rugged  mountains,  which  form  an 
elevated  and  verj-  conspicuous  range,  ])assing  east  of 
the  (iould  and  Curry  Mill,  across  Seven-mile  Canon 
(where,  for  instance,  the  Sugar  Ijoaf  Peak  consists 
of  it),  and  bending  in  a  semicircle  round  to 
Washoe  Ijako.  Pleasant  Valley  is  entirely  sur- 
rounded b}'  trachj'tic  hills  ;  arid  farther  north  this 
rock  covers  the  country  to  a  great  extent.  Sanidin- 
trachyte  has  never  been  found  to  contain  silver- 
bearing  veins,  and  in  Washoe  none  occur  in  it,  and 
yet  it  has  evidently  been  maiidy  instrumental  in  tho 
formation  of  the  Comstock  Lode  and  other  veins 
in  that  region.  #  *  *  Volcanic  and  eruptive 
activity  gradually  died  away,  and  we  now  behold 
their  last  stages  in  the  action  of  the  thermal 
springs,  such  as  Steamboat  S]>rings.  The  surface 
underwent  but  slow  and  gradual  denudation,  and 
tho  events  of  the  volcanic  period  are  recorded  so  per- 
fectly and  distinctly  in  the  nature  and  association  of 
the  rocks,  as  to  aid  us  groatlj-  in  explaining  the  mode 
of  formation  of  the  Comstock  vein. 

OENEIIAI.   STRUCTUKE   OP   COJISTOCIv    VEIN. 

The  Comstock  runs  nearlj-  in  tho  direction  of  tho 
magnetic  meridian  (the  variation  being  sixteen  and 
a  rpiarter  degrees  oast)  along  the  slope  of  the  .Mount 
Davidson  range,  which  descends  at  a  stee|)  grade 
until  it  abuts  against  the  gentle  slope  of  tho  three 
flats,  on  which,  at  an  altitude  of  from  ."),.S(MI  to  (1.2(10 
foot,  are  situated  the  towns  of  Virginia,  Gold  Hill 
and  American  City.  The  out-crop|)ings  of  the  vein 
extend  in  a  broad  belt  along  the  foot  of  the  steep 
grade,  and  immediately  above  the  three  towns.  Tho 
course  of  the  vein  as  far  as  yet  ex|)lored  is  somewhat 
de])endent  on  the  shape  of  tho  slo])o,  as  it  partakes 
of  all  its  irregularities,  passing  tho  ravines  in  con- 
cave bends,  and  inclosing  tho  foot  of  the  dillbrent 
ridges  in  concave  curves;  tlie  greatest  convexity 
being  around  the  broad,  uninterrii|ited  base  of  Mount 
Davidson  itself.  These  irregularities  are  ini]iorlant 
as  they  influeneo  the  ore-lieai'ing  character  of  tho 
vein.     *     *     * 

The  Comstock  vein,  at  a  do])th  of  from  4(1(1  to  (KKI 
foot  beneath  its  lowest  outcrops,  tills  a  fissure  of 
from  100  to  i;iO,  and  even  20(»   feet   iu  width,  but 


-^y  ^CytytyU^C^CO^^ 


^IQ  HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


A.  K.  P.  Harmon. 


The  pioneers  who  came  to  California  brought  lit- 
tle or  no  capital  with  them.  They  came  with  clear 
heads,  i-esoliite  wills  and  strong  arms,  Considering 
the  obstacles  they  encountered,  a  large  percentage 
became  successful  men.  but  hardly  one  of  them  had 
unvarying  good  fortune.  The  tomporar}'  disasters 
which  they  encountered  did  not  dishearten  them. 
Genuine  men  neither  lost  energy,  pluck  nor  resolu- 
tion because  this  or  that  venture  did  not  turn  out 
well.  There  is  not  a  pioneer  in  the  eountrj-  whose 
range  of  experience  during  the  last  twenty  years,  has 
not  been  greater  than  men  elsewhere  encounter  in  a 
long  life.  Their  losses  have  been  greater  and  their 
fortunes  have  been  much  more  rapidly  acquired.  They 
haveseen  a  country  with  a  floating  population  of  a  few 
thousands  become  a  prosperous  State,  with  nearly  a 
million  inhabitants.     They   arc  a  part  of  its  history. 

A.  K.  P.  Harmon  was  born  at  Scarborough,  Cum- 
berland County,  Maine,  in  the  year  1821.  He  was 
named  after  the  popular  Governor  of  his  own  State. 
His  ancestors  were  of  English  origin;  the  earliest  in 
the  line  who  settled  in  this  country,  coming  over 
about  the  year  1G:^2.  The  name  as  it  then  appeared 
in  the  records  was  written  tiarman.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Harmon  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  the 
widow,  who  deceased  during  the  present  year,  drew 
regularly  the  pension  accruing  to  the  widows  of  sol- 
diers of  that  war.  Young  Harmon  received  his 
early  education  in  the  common  schools,  the  people's 
college,  where  so  many  of  the  strongest  and  bright- 
est men  of  the  countr}-  have  been  trained.  He  is  a 
staunch  friend  of  the  public  school  system,  and  nat- 
urally has  little  patience  with  those  who  arraj'  their 
influence  against  that  beneficent  institution. 

After  leaving  the  public  school  it  became  neces- 
sary to  do  something  for  a  livelihood.  The  young 
man  went  to  Portland,  where  he  served  as  a  clerk  in 
a  mercantile  house  for  about  three  j-ears.  lie  then 
went  to  Georgia,  where  he  served  as  clerk  in  a 
mercantile  establishment  for  three  years;  returning, 
he  served  for  two  j'oars  or  more  as  clerk  in  a  busi- 
ness house  in  Portland,  and  afterwards  became  a 
partner  in  the  same.  The  news  of  gold  discoveries  in 
California  was  received  and  discussed  in  nearly  every 
household  in  the  Eastern  States  in  the  year  1848. 
Young'men  were  leaving  for  the  Pacific  Coast  bj' 
thousands.  They  came  in  all  ways  and  by  all  routes. 
Some  started  [across  the  continent  with  ox-teams, 
others'embarked  in  sailing  vessels  around  t?ape  Horn. 
Mr.  Harmon  loft  Portland  for  California  in  Decem- 
ber, 1848,  'taking  a  'steamship  passage  from  New 
York  to  Chagres,  and  trusting  to  chance,   as  many 


others  did,  for  a  passage  from  Panama  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, as  no  line  had  been  so  permanently  established 
that  through  tickets  could  be  bought.  From  Chagres 
he  walked  across  the  Isthmus  to  Panama,  where  ho 
remained  for  about  six  weeks,  and  then  took  passage 
on  the  steamship  Oreyon  for  San  Francisco.  The  Ore- 
yon  was  full  of  passengers,  and  the  two  forward 
deck-boats  were  assigned  to  Mr.  Harmon  and  his 
companions  as  sleeping  quarters.  It  was  an  odd 
place  to  sleep,  but  the  quarters  were  really  more 
comfortable  than  manj-  a  poor  fellow  had  who  was 
glad  to  stretch  himself  on  the  hard  deck.  Large  pre- 
miums were  paid  on  those  first  steamers  for  standing 
room.  Those  who  had  been  detained  on  the  Isthmus 
for  many  weeks  were  tired  of  that  embargo  and 
were  willing  to  pay  large  sums  for  a  chance  to  reach 
California.  The  prices  paid  for  some  of  these  pas- 
sages would  now  take  the  traveler  to  Europe  and 
back  very  comfortably. 

Mr.  Harmon  arrived  in  San  Francisco  on  the  sec- 
ond day  of  April,  1840.  and  camped  at  a  point  now 
intersected  by  Kearny  Street,  or  about  one  block 
from  what  was  then  the  landing  for  small  boats. 
Everj-body  was  pushing  out  for  the  mines,  and  he 
soon  took  passage  on  a  small  schooner  for  Sacra- 
mento, the  voyagers  paying  thirty  dollars  each  for 
the  passage,  boarding  themselves  and  sleeping  on 
deck,  arriving  at  Sacramento  after  an  eight  days' 
passage.  An  ox-team  was  secured,  a  square  meal 
was  obtained  at  Sutt;>r's  Fort,  and  the  partj-  struck 
out  for  Coloma.  There  Mr.  Harmon  wrought  his  first 
daj-  as  a  miner  with  a  pan;  the  result  of  that  da5-'8 
labor  was  an  ounce  of  gold-dust.  Remaining  at  this 
point  for  a  few  weeks,  ho  next  went  to  Old  Spanish 
Bar,  where  he  worked  for  some  months,  getting  very 
good  returns.  With  this  first  money  made  from  the 
mines,  he  soon  went  to  New  York,  bought  a  stock  of 
goods,  returned  to  San  Francisco  and  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  with  good  prospects.  The  fire 
a  few  months  afterwards  swept  his  stock  away.  Dr. 
Samuel  Merritt  relates  this  incident:  He  had  just 
reached  the  Coast  with  a  small  brig,  which  among 
other  articles  of  lading,  brought  a  number  of  ready- 
made  houses.  One  of  tlicm  was  sold  to  Mr.  Harmon 
to  bo  used  as  a  store.  In  sotting  it  up  it  was  found 
that  one  or  two  pieces  were  missing.  Notice  was 
given  of  the  deficiency,  but  the  fire  on  the  following 
night  swept  the  store  away,  literally  licking  up  the 
town,  and  the  doctor  was  never  called  upon  to  make 
good  the  missing  part  of  that  building. 

Mr.  Harmon  commenced  mercantile  business  again 
on  or   near  the  site  of  his  burned  premises.     In   the 


fall  of  1850  he  closed  out  his  business  in  San  | 
Francisco  and  removed  to  Racramento,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  merchandise  until  the  year  1864.  He 
was  gradually  becoming  interested  in  mining  enter- 
prises. His  ventures  about  this  time  in  the  Com- 
stock  mines  were  fortunate.  He  bought  largely, 
especially  in  the  Chollar,  of  which  mining  company,  | 
and  also  of  the  Ophir.  Imperial,  Empire,  Bacon,  Sil-  | 
vcr  Hill,  Caledonia  and  others,  he  has  been  Presi- 
dent for  manj-  years.  He  also  holds  interests  in  many 
undeveloped  mines  which  may  turn  out  to  be  good 
ventures  at  some  future  daj-.  He  is  not  a  dealer  in 
stocks  from  daj-  to  day,  but  believes  in  mining  for 
dividends;  and  for  that  reason  does  not  let  go  of  a 
mining  enterprise  because  there  is  nothing  in  sight. 
TheComstock  group  of  mines  has  been  the  richest  in 
the  known  world.  From  no  other  area  of  equal 
extent  has  there  ever  been  such  an  output  of  bullion. 
Those  who  have  carefully  watched  all  the  phases  of 
silver  mining  for  the  last  twenty  years  are  reluctant 
to  believe  that  there  are  not  still  vast  reserves  of 
ore  in  some  of  these  mines,  which  patient  labor  will 
yet  reach;  hence,  the  gigantic  preparations  for  deep 
mining.  The  pump  just  now  erected  on  the  Chol- 
lar-Fotosi  group  of  mines  is  the  largest  ever  set  up 
at  any  mine.  When  a  Mexican  mine  began  to  fill 
with  water,  the  natives  abandoned  it.  When  a  mine 
on  the  Comstock  shows  water,  a  pump  capable  of 
delivering  a  thousand  tons  of  water  an  hour  is  the 
remedy.  That  is  legitimate  mining;  mines  which 
have  yielded  millions  may  yield  other  millions;  they 
cannot  be  aiiaiidoned  so  long  as  there  is  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  finding  paying  bodies  of  ore.  Mr.  Har- 
mon has  little  to  do  with  the  mining  speculations  of 
the  day.  lie  is  considerate  and  cautious  to  a  degree,  j 
In  business  he  is  methodical,  clear-headed,  prompt 
and  accurate.  He  knows  how  to  say  yes  and  no. 
He  has  a  high  sense  of  business  honor,  and  his  ver-  ; 
bal  promise  would  be  accepted  wherever  he  is  known. 
He  is  square  built  and  square  in  his  transactions,  and 
his  record  as  an  honorable  business  man  is  without  a  | 
blemish.  In  the  j^ear  1872  Mr.  Harmon,  having 
acquired  a  handsome  fortune,  removed  to  Oakland, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  Selecting  a  tract  of  about 
six  acres  noar  the  head  of  Lake  Merritt,  with  a  front- 
age on  Webster  Street,  ho  erected  a  large  dwelling 
and    made  other   costly  improvements,  which    have   I 


always  been  in  excellent  taste.  His  greenhouse  con- 
tains one  of  the  most  extensive  collections  of  rare 
plants  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  grounds  are  hand- 
somely laid  out,  and,  with  the  improvements,  com- 
prise one  of  the  most  attractive  homesteads  in  Ala- 
meda Countj'.  He  is  a  liberal  patron  of  art,  and  has 
already  a  choice  collection  of  pictures  which  may 
serve  as  the  foundation  of  a  separate  picture  gallery 
at  no  distant  day. 

Mr.  Harmon  has  served  for  many  years  as  one  of 
the  Trustees  of  the  Mountain  View  Cemeterj-  of  Oak- 
land, and  is  also  a  Trustee  of  the  Deaf,  Dumb  and 
Blind  Asylum.  He  is  averse  to  holding  public  oflSce, 
and  onlj-  consents  to  hold  such  as  have  no  emolu- 
ments, giving  his  sers'ices  freely  to  institutions  of  a 
benevolent  character. 

Mr.  Harmon  has  alwaj's  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  State  University,  looking  upon  it  as 
the  crown  of  the  public  school  system.  Two  years 
ago  or  more,  he  erected  the  Gymnasium  building  on 
the  grounds  of  the  University  at  his  own  expense, 
and  gave  it  to  that  institution.  Before  that  time 
there  was  no  adequate  assembly  room  or  place  of 
meeting  on  Commencement  and  other  occasions. 
The  Gymnasium  was  planned  to  afford  students  the 
best  means  of  physical  exercise,  and  to  furnish  also 
a  complete  audience  room  for  1,500  people.  It  is  ad- 
mirably arranged  for  both  these  purposes.  The  cost 
was  not  less  than  S12,000.  It  bears  the  name  of  this 
citizen  in  just  recognition  of  the  noble  gift.  Mr. 
Harmon  is  a  benevolent  citizen,  never  withholding  his 
contributions  for  any  reallj'  worthy  object,  but  giv- 
ing without  ostentation,  and  often  so  secretly  that 
his  most  intimate  friends  never  know  the  extent  of 
his  benefactions.  He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Art 
Association  and  of  the  Pioneer  Association,  and  a 
member  of  the  Union  Club,  of  San  Francisco. 

In  1846,  Mr.  Harmon  married  Miss  Marietta  Ran- 
dall, daughter  of  Job  Randall,  Esq.,  of  Portland, 
Maine.  This  estimable  ladj-  was  distinguished  for 
works  of  charity,  and  especially  as  an  unfailing 
friend  and  promoter  of  that  excellent  institution, 
The  Ladies'  Relief  Society  of  Oakland.  This  lady 
having  deceased  a  few  years  ago,  Mr.  Harmon  mar- 
ried in  1879,  Miss  Sarah  S.  Johnson,  of  Portland,  who, 
with  a  son  and  daughter  grown  up,  constitute  one 
of  the  most  agreeable  families  of  Oakland. 


GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 


117 


contracting  in  places  so  as  to  allow  both  walls  to 
conio  in  close  contact.  Both  of  the  latter,  at  that 
depth,  descend  easterly  at  an  angle  varying  from 
fortj'-two  to  sixtj'  degrees.  l'|)\vards  from  the 
average  de])th  of  500  feet,  the  western  wall  rises  to 
the  surface  with  the  same  inclination,  which,  how- 
ever, occasionally  diminishes  at  the  ii])per  levels  to 
forty  and  thirty-eight  degrees,  while  the  eastern 
wall  soon  bends  to  the  vertical,  and  gradually  turns 
to  a  western  di|),  which,  at  i)laces,  is  forty-tive 
degrees.  Its  general  position  to  the  depth  men- 
tioned is,  therefore,  about  vertical,  with  an  inflation 
to  the  west.  The  vein,  conseciuentlj',  expatids 
towards  the  surface,  in  the  shape  of  a  funnel.  The 
increase  in  volume  is  especially  produced  by  the 
intervention,  between  the  vein  matter,  of  large  frag- 
ments of  country  rock,  broken  from  the  walls,  but 
usual!}'  moved  only  a  little  vr&y  downward,  by  slid- 
ing from  their  original  ])lace.  The  liulk  and  num- 
ber of  these  fragments,  or  '•  horses,"  increase  towards 
the  surface,  where  some  of  them  have  a  length  of 
1,000  feet,  and  a  width  of  fifty  to  upwards  of  one 
hundred  feet. 

Vein  matter  branching  oft'  from  below  fills  the 
spaces  between  the  fragments,  but  is  generallj',  near 
the  surfiice,  far  inferior  in  bulk  as  compared  with 
the  country  rock.*  The  width  of  the  belt  in  which 
these  branches  come  to  the  surface,  and  there  form 
scattered  outcroppings,  is  generally  more  than  .500 
feet. 

On  the  western  side  (west  of  the  Virginia  and  El 
Ilorado  cro])pings)  the  Conistock  vein  is  accom]>a- 
nied  b}'  a  number  of  smaller  veins,  the  outcrop])ings 
of  which  are  visible  on  Cedar  Hill,  Central  Hill, 
Ophir  Hill,  and  Mount  Davidson,  and  are  in  some 
places  of  considerable  size.  Thej'  are  nearlj-  ])ar- 
allel  to  the  main  vein,  anil  di|i  to  the  east.  Prob- 
ably they  will  unite  in  depth  with  the  Comstock 
vein,  which  by  its  relation  to  them  may  be  consid- 
ered as  the  main  vein  of  what  German  miners  call 
a  -'gangzug."  The  western  boundary  of  this  main 
vein  is  exceedingly  well  defined  by  a  continuous  claj' 
selvage  (gouge)  lying  on  the  smooth  foot  wall,  and 
separating  the  vein  matter  verj'  distinctly  from  the 
country  rock;  but  it  is  ditterent  on  the  eastern  side, 
where  the  adjoining  country  rock,  as  is  often  the 
case  with  true  fissure  veins,  is  impregnated  with 
matter  similar  to  that  which  fills  the  fissure.  It 
is  fre(|uently  concentrated  in  channels  running  par- 
allel to,  or  ascending  from,  the  vein,  but,  in  fact, 
forming  parts  of  it.  The  well-defined  east  wall  of 
its  main  body  has,  therefore,  not  often  the  same 
position  relatively  to  the  entire  vein,  and  with  the 
growing  depth  gained  by  successive  explorations 
the  development  of  vein  matter,  east  of  what  was 
formerly  considered  the  east  wall,  increases. 

INCLOSING   ROCK. 

The  rocks  which  accompanj'  the  Comstock  vein, 
change  in  its  course.  Tliey  are  different  varieties 
of  ])ro])j-lite  on  the  eastern  side,  throughout  its 
whole  extent.  In  some  places  the  frei|uent  and 
large  crystals  of  feldspar  give  it  a  por])hjritic  char- 
acter, which  in  certain  varieties  is  rendered  more 
striking  by  green  columns  of  hornblende;  at  others 
the  rock  has  a  very  fine  grain,  and  the  inclosed 
crystals  are  of  minute  size;  again,  the  rock  is  either 
compact  and  homogeneous,  or  it  has  a  brecciated 
'  appearance  from  the  inclosure  of  numerous  angular 
fragmentfl.     Also,    the   color  changes,   though    it  is 

*  In  other  wnnls,  tlie  horscH  or  foreign  substances  constitute 
the  larger  portion  of  the  fissure  matter. — Kd. 
15 


predominantly  green,  and  the  difTerent  varieties  of 
docomj)osition  create  finallj-  an  endless  variet}-.  We 
will  presently  have  occasion  to  consider  the  causes 
to  which  it  is  due. 

The  western  country  offers  more  differences. 
Along  the  slope  of  .Mount  Davidson  and  Mount 
Butler,  from  the  Best  k  Belcher  mine  to  (!old  llill, 
it  is  formed  bj'  sj-enito,  which,  at  some  places,  is 
separated  from  the  vein  by  a  crystalline  rock  of 
black  color,  having  the  nature  of  a]>hanite,  but  alto- 
gether obscure  as  to  the  mode  of  its  occurrence. 
It  is  from  three  to  fifty  feet  thick,  and  the  elucida- 
tion of  its  real  nature  maj-  be  expected  from  further 
developments.*  As  syenite  to  the  west,  and  propjMite 
to  the  east,  occur  just  in  that  portion  of  the  Com- 
stock vein  which  has  been  most  explored,  and  where 
works,  more  than  anj-where  else,  extend  in  both 
directions  into  the  countrj',  it  has  been  generally 
assumed  in  Virginia  that  the  lode  follows  the  plane 
of  contact  between  two  different  kinds  of  rocks,  and 
is  therefore  a  contact  deposit.  ]5ut  immediately 
north  of  Mount  Davidson,  where  ]iropylite  extends 
high  up  on  the  western  hills,  this  rock  forms  the 
western  countr}'  as  well  as  the  eastern — as  at  the 
(California  and  Ophir  mines — -though  at  the  latter 
metamorphic  rocks  and  syenite  are  associated  with 
propylite  on  the  western  side.  On  Cedar  Hill  syenite 
again  jn-edominates;  but  further  north  propj'lite 
forms  the  country  rock  on  both  sides.  South  of 
Gold  Hill  the  sj-enite  disappears  from  the  western 
wall,  and  its  place  is  taken  to  some  extent  by  pro- 
pylite, but  in  greater  part  by  metamorphic  rocks  of 
the  third  of  the  before-mentioned  classes,  )irinci|ially 
quartzite  and  uralitic  rocks.  *  *  Nowhere  have 
sj-enite  and  metamorphic  rocks  been  found  on  the 
eastern  side. 

OUTCROPPINGS. 

The  outcroppings  of  the  Comstock  Lode  do  not 
form  a  continuous  line,  but  consists  rather  of  small 
and  detached  fragments  of  ((uarlz,  ordinarilj-  jiro- 
truding  from  the  surrounding  ground,  and  sometimes 
forming  bold  crests,  which,  in  the  aggregate,  form 
a  broad  uninterrupted  belt.  The  horizontal  <lis- 
tance  across  the  vein  of  the  outcro|)s  of  the  differ- 
ent branches,  amounts  to  upwards  of  (>(I0  feet.  Those 
of  the  western  branches  wbich  retain  the  eastern 
dip  of  the  western  wall  of  the  vein,  carrj' principally 
crystallized  quartz  of  a  verj'  glassy-  appearance, 
ordinaril}-  of  white,  or  at  least  of  light  color,  and 
comparatively  of  pure  i|uality.  Angular  fragments 
of  the  country  rock  are  imbedded  in  the  quartz,  and 
form  the  center  of  its  crystallization;  they  usually 
occur  in  large  pieces  and  in  tini'ly  disseminated  par- 
ticles. 

Metalliferous  minerals  are  scarce,  though  not 
entirel}-  wanting.  Nothing  indicates  underground 
wealth,  nor,  indeed,  has  such  been  found  by  subse- 
quent mining.  The  only  exception  is  Cedar  Hill, 
where  native  gold  was  found  abundantly  in  places; 
but  its  scarce  dispersion  never  justified  great  expec- 
tations. Of  this  nature  are  the  Sacramento,  ^'■irginia, 
and  HI  Doi-ailo  outcrops,  and  others  on  Mounts 
Davidson  and  Butler.  Tbey  have  in  several  places 
a  width  of  120  feet,  besides  other  branches  which 
form  ])art  of  them. 

In  the  eastern  outcrops,  jiarticles  of  the  country 

*  This  rock  was  afterwards  termed  "andcsito,"  and  is  said  to 
liave  been  of  volcanic  origin,  sulwetjuent  to  the  upheaval  or 
elevation  of  the  accompanying  strata;  and  is  also  thought  liy 
Clarence  King  and  others  to  W'  contemporaneous  witli,  and  to 
some  extent  mstrumental  in,  the  deposit  of  the  mineral  matter 
forming  the  Comstock  I-odc.     It  will  Ik;  referre<l  to  again. — Ed. 


118 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


rock,  together  with  othei-s  of  clayey  matter  and 
metallic  substances,  occur,  finely  dis.seminated  through 
the  quartz,  causing  thereby  a  marked  dift'erence 
from  the  character  of  the  western  outcrops.  A  cer- 
tain porous  structure  of  the  quartz,  evidently  origi- 
nating from  the  removal  of  tino  particles  of  ore,  and 
the  brown  and  red  coloring  caused  by  metallic 
oxides,  indicate  the  ore-bearing  character  of  large 
portions  in  depth;  and  the  dissemination  of  native 
gold  and  silver  in  small  pores  and  larger  cavities, 
gives  evidence  of  the  presence  of  ores  of  the  precious 
metals.  Also  the  chloride  and  simple  sulphuret  of 
silver,  occur  in  the  eastern  outcrops.  These  differ- 
ent characters  of  the  "Facos"  and  "Colorados"  of 
the  Mexican,  and  the  "  iron  hat "  of  the  German 
miner,  continue  downward  to  varying  depths.* 

VEIN    MATTER. 

The  vein  matter  of  the  Comstock  Lode  is  of  a 
highly  varied  character,  if  we  consider  every  sub- 
stance which  enters  into  the  compo^tion  of  the  body 
of  the  vein  between  its  two  walls  as  belonging  to 
it.  Its  chief  component  pai'ts  are  fragments  of 
country  rock,  clay,  and  clayej'  matter,  quartz  and 
ores. 

PRAG.MENTS  OP  COUNTRY  ROCKS. 

Near  the  surface,  about  five-sixths  of  the  mass  of 
the  Comstock  vein  consists  of  fragments  of  country 
rock — "horses,"  as  the  Cornish  miner  calls  them. 
They  are  often  of  large  size,  and  then  terminate 
below  in  a  sharp  edge.  Their  shape  and  size  vary 
somewhat  with  the  nature  of  the  rock  of  which  they 
consist.  Those  of  projij-lite,  which  along  the  whole 
range  occur  on  the  eastern  side,  and  onl3-  occasion- 
all3-  extend  throughout  the  whole  vein  where  the 
country  is  of  the  same  character  on  both  sides,  are 
ordinarilj-  ver}-  much  elongated  in  the  direction  of 
the  vein,  frequently  to  1.00(1  feet  or  more,  while 
their  breadth  is  far  inferior,  and  their  height  is 
intermediate  between  both.  At  their  ends  they 
thin  out  gradually.  Those  of  syenite  terminate 
more  abruptly,  and  their  dimensions  are  more  equal, 
though  they  are  always  in  the  direction  of  the 
strike  of  the  vein.  From  the  large  "horses"  every 
variety  of  size  occurs  down  to  the  smallest  frag- 
ments. The  quartz  is  often  so  thickly  filled  with 
angular  ])ieces  as  to  have  a  breccialed  a])]ioarance. 
Propylite  is  more  common  among  them  than  sj-en- 
ite,  and  brecciated  vein  matter  is  therefore  ])rev- 
alent  in  those  parts  of  the  lode  where  ))ro])ylite 
incloses  the  same  on  both  sides,  or  where,  at  least, 
it  furnished  the  larger  part  of  the  material  for  the 
"horses."  It  is  for  this  reason  abundant  in  the  Cal- 
iiornia.  Central,  and  (Jphir  mines,  and  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  Gold  Uill  mines. 

CLAY  AND   CLAYEY   MATTERS. 

Few  largo  veins  are  so  abundant  in  these  sub- 
stances as  the  ('omstock  vein.  Clay  forms  the  east- 
ern selvage  from  north  to  south  in  continuous  sheets, 
sometimes  of  ten  to  twenty  feet  in  tliickness.  Other 
sheets  of  clay  divide  "horses"  from  (juartz  or  differ- 
ent bodies  of  the  latter;  and  where  the  two  walls 
come  in  close  contact  they  have  in  ]ilaces  a  united 
width  of  twenty  to  sixty  feet.  This  clay  is  ordi- 
nariij-  tough  and  i)Utt3--like,  and  contains  rounded 
])el)l)les  of  the  adjoining  rock;  only  where  quartz  is 
on  both  sides  it  i)artakes  of  its  nature,  and  is  more 
earthy  and  dry.     liut,  besides,  clayey  matter  occurs 

'These  surface  rncks  arc  also  called  "gossan,"  "calico  rock," 
"mundic,"  "iron  cap,"  etc. — Ed. 


in  the  body  of  the  vein  to  a  great  extent,  and  in 
places  takes  a  prominent  part  in  filling  the  fissure. 
Most  "horses"  terminate  at  their  lower  end  in  a 
clayey  substance,  and  continue  downward  as  well 
as  in  the  direction  of  the  vein  as  sheets  of  clay. 
Out  of  the  vein  the  same  matter  occurs  to  a  great 
extent  in  the  eastern  country,  but  scarcely,  if  ever, 
in  the  western,  thereby  giving  another  evidence  of 
the  indistinctness  of  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
vein. 

QUARTZ — CHARACTER   OP. 

The  differences  mentioned  before  as  prevailing  in 
the  quartz  of  the  outcrops  continue  downward,  but  are 
not  so  conspicuous  in  depth  on  account  of  the  gen- 
eral white  color  of  the  quartz.  But  even  then  the 
finely  disseminated  particles  of  the  wall  rock  are 
more  peculiar  to  the  eastern  then  the  western  por- 
tions, and  are  alwaj-s  abundant  where  the  quartz 
contains  ore.  At  the  upper  levels,  some  bodies  of 
quartz  are  of  a  reddish  color  ;  this  is  where  the 
"Colorados"  continue  downward.  Frequeiitl\%  how- 
ever, this  color  is  only  due  to  the  red  clay  filling  the 
fissures  of  the  fractured  quartz.  In  this  case  it  is 
probably  produced  by  the  percolation  of  the  vein 
matter  bj-  water,  while  in  the  former  it  is  likelj-  that 
it  is  connected  with  the  original  formation  of  the 
vein,  as  are  all  the  phenomena  presented  bj'  the  "  iron 
hat."  The  ijuartz  in  the  Comstock  vein  is  rarelj' 
solid,  and  blasting  is  a|)plied  for  its  removal  in  but 
few  instances.  Generally  it  is  fractured,  and  in  nu- 
merous places  the  effects  of  dj-namical  action  on  it 
are  such  as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  crushed 
sugar.  It  occurs  in  this  condition  when  inclosed  in 
claj'ey  matter,  and  then  frequently  reminds  one  of  the 
waving  lines  of  damask.*  J?ut  then,  also  large  and 
continuous  bodies,  consisting  entirely  of  "  crushed 
quartz,"  as  we  maj'  call  it,  are  occasionallj-  met 
with.  Such  was  the  ease  throughout  the  larger  part 
of  the  gi'eat  bonanza  of  the  Ophir  mine. 

VARIETY   OP   ORES. 

The  principal  ores  of  the  Comstock  lode  are 
stephanite,  vitreous  silver  ore,  native  silver,  and 
ver}'  rich  galena;  also  small  quantities  of  pj^rargy- 
rite  or  ruby  silver,  horn  silver,  and  poiybasite. 
Besides  these  are  found  native  gold,  iron  ))yrites,  cop- 
per ])3'rites,  zincblende.  carbonate  of  lead  and 
pyromorphite,  the  last  two  being  very  scarce. 

Having  quoted  extensivelj-from  Baron  Ilichthofen, 
a  few  extracts  from  Clarence  King's  exhaustive 
report  will  be  in  order: — 

UE.MAHKS   ON    GENERAL    GEOLOGY. 

Both  the  Sierra  and  I)e8ert  ranges  are  composed 
first  of  crumpled  and  uplifted  strata,  from  the  azoic 
period  to  the  late  Jurassic;  secondly-,  of  ancient 
erupted  rocks  which  accompanj-  the  Jurassic  up- 
heaval; and  thirdl)-,  of  modern  eruptive  rocks  belong- 
ing to  the  volcanic  familj',  ranging  in  date  ])rc)bably 
from    as    early  as  the  late  miocene    to   the    glacial 

'Great  value  is  attached  U>  the  timliiig  of  a  large  ainouiit  of 
clay,  gouge,  or  selvage  on  the  walls  of  a  vein.  By  many  miners 
it  is  consiilered  as  the  result  of  tl)e  shiw  grinding  of  the  walls 
together,  thus  indicating  a  deep  tissure,  as  no  shallow  crevice  in 
the  surface  of  tiic  e;irth  woidd  1k'  snhject  to  such  displacement. 
Other  miners  consider  tlie  clay  .as  resulting  fn>m  the  dccomjiosi- 
tion  of  mineral  waters  acting  on  the  walls  of  the  lo<le,  thus  indi-* 
eating  an  extensive  ore  chauncl.  It  is  likely  that  it  may  be 
produced  by  cither  or  both  acting  together.  In  any  case  it  is, 
next  to  firm  and  consistent  wall  rocks,  considered  the  best  evi- 
dence of  an  ore  deposit  or  ore  channel. — Ed. 


GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 


no 


period.  Folds  of  more  or  less  comploxity,  twisted 
and  warped  by  longitudinal  forces,  often  comiJressed 
into  a  series  of  zigzags,  sometimes  masked  by  out- 
bursts of  granite,  syenitic  granite,  or  syenite,  and 
last!}-,  built  upon  bj'  or  freciuently  buried  beneath 
immense  accumulations  of  volcanic  material;  these 
are  the  characteristic  features  of  the  mountain 
chains.  They  are  usually  meridional  and  parallel, 
and  separated  by  valleys  \vhi(jh  are  filled  to  a  gen- 
eral level  by  quarternarj-  detritus,  the  result  of 
erosion  from  the  early  cretaceous  period  down  to 
the  present  time.  The  east  slope  of  the  Sierra, 
directlj'  facing  the  Washoe  region,  is.  in  brief,  a 
relic  of  metamorphic  schists  and  slates,  skirting  the 
foot-hills  and  resting  at  high  east  and  west  angles 
against  the  great  granite  bod}%  which,  for  many 
miles  to  the  southward,  forms  not  only  the  summit 
but  the  main  mass  of  the  range.  Eising  through 
the  granite,  and  forming  an  eastern  summit  is  a 
lofty  mass  of  sanidin-trach3"te,  of  a  dull  chncolate 
color,  and  onl^-  remarkable  for  the  beautifully  regu- 
lar prisms  of  black  mica  which  intersect  it.  The 
ridge  known  as  the  Washoe  .Mountains  is  of  this 
trachyte.  Its  culmiiiating  height,  Washoe  Peak, 
lies  directlj'  east  and  west  across  the  vallcj'  from 
Mount  l)avidson,  the  center  and  summit  of  the 
Virginia  mining  region. 

Little  can  be  learned  of  the  ancient  structure  of  the 
Virginia  range,  for  eight-tenths  of  its  mass  are  made 
up  of  volcanic  rocks.  Only  at  rare  intervals,  where 
deep  erosion  lays  bare  the  original  range,  or  whei-e 
its  hard  summits  have  been  lifted  above  the  volcanic 
flows,  is  there  any  clue  to  the  materials  or  position  of 
the  ancient  chain.  Mount  Davidson  is  one  of  these 
relics,  being  composed  of  syenite.  Lidined  against 
the  base  of  this  mass,  and  in  the  bottoms  of  ravines 
eroded  in  the  volcanic  materials  occur  considerable 
hills  of  metamorphic  rocks,  schists,  limestones,  graph- 
itic shales  and  slates.  Southward  in  the  canon  of 
the  Carson,  and  in  the  ravines  of  the  Pine  .Nut  hills, 
are  uplifted  slates  and  carbonaceous  shales,  associated 
with  irregular  limestone  beds,  the  whole  surrounded 
and  limited  by  volcanic  (andesite)  rocks.  Still  further 
southward,  the  crest  ridge  of  the  Pine  Nut  region, 
which  is  a  continuation  of  the  Virginia  range,  is 
syenitic  granite,  forming  high,  rugged  crags,  of  an 
extremely  ]>icturesque  asjiect.  Hvery  analogy  would 
point  to  the  belief  that  these  aqueous  rocks  and  the 
granitic  masses  accompanj'in;,  them,  are  identical 
with  the  similar  njcks,  which  predominate  in  the 
majorit}'  of  Cordillera  ranges;  but  we  have  positive 
proof  of  this  in  the  fact  that  in  El  Dorado  Canon,  one 
of  the  ravines  of  the  Pine  Nut  hills,  Professor  Whit- 
ney has  found  triassic  fossils. 

In  resume,  it  may  be  said  that  this  range  is  one  of 
the  old  Jurassic  folds  of  stratified  rocks,  through 
whose  fissures  granite  and  syenite  have  obtruded; 
that  after  a  verj'  long  period  of  comparative  repose 
from  the  early  cretaceous  to  the  late  tertiary  the 
old  range  was  riven  in  innumerable  crevices,  and 
deluged  by  floods  of  volcanic  rocks  which  have 
buried  nearly  all  its  older  mass,  and  entirelj-  changed 
its  topograph}'.  l»uring  this  ])eriod  of  vulcanism 
the  present  vallej's  were  in  great  part  filled  with 
fresh  water  lakes;  and  near  the  base  of  the  A'ir- 
ginia  rango  we  have  evidence,  in  the  tufa  deposits, 
that  a  considerable  quantity  of  volcanic  material 
.was  both  ejected  under  water  and  flowed  down 
into  it.  Water  penetrating  the  fissured  range  and 
meeting  melted  rock  gave  rise  to  the  solfataras  and 
hot  springs,  whose  traces  are  everj'wherc  ajiparent. 
Following    this   age   of    lava   and    steam  eruptions 


came  the  glacial  epoch,  with  its  sequel  of  torrents 
and  floods,  and  finally  a  great  desiccating  ]>eriod, 
introducing  our  present  condition. 

THE   OL.\CIAL   EPOCH. 

A  sketch  of  the  geology  of  Nevada  which  should 
leave  this  out  would  bo  very  imperfect  indeed. 
Although  the  great  ice  ago  had  little  to  do  in 
forming  the  deposits  of  ores,  it  had  much  to  do  with 
fixing  the  to])ography  of  the  countrj-,  and  exposing 
the  mineral  deposits. 

In  common  with  all  the  northern  part  of  North 
America,  Nevada  was  covered  with  a  deluge  of  ice. 
Although  it  was,  geologically  speaking,  a  modern 
affair,  many  centuries — perhaps  thousands — have 
elapsed  since  that  period,  and  it  requires  a  great 
stretch  of  the  imagination,  while  toiling  over  the 
dreary  alkali  or  salt  plains  to  realize  the  fact  that 
at  one  time  the  ice  overspread  the  whole  country 
from  5,000  to  20,000  feet  in  depth.  But  the  proofs 
seem  incontrovertible.  From  California  on  the  west 
to  Nova  Scotia  in  the  east  can  be  found  the  track 
of  the  glaciers,  unmistakable  in  their  character  as 
are  the  ancient  roads  in  Kurope,  constructed  by  the 
Roman  legions.  The  causes  which  led  to  these  vast 
deposits  of  ice,  which  changed  the  almost  tropic 
sun  into  an  arctic  one,  and  permitted  the  accumu- 
lated snows  to  remain  for  unknown  ages,  is  as  much 
beyond  our  comprehension  as  are  the  upheavals  of 
the  Eocky  Mountains  or  Sierra  Nevada.  The  small 
snow-banks  left  in  the  mountains  seem  about  as  in- 
significant compared  to  the  original  masses  as  the 
few  hot  springs  compared  with  the  great  solfataras 
that  deposited  the  rich  lodes  of  the  Comstock.  It  is 
one  of  the  peculiarities  of  these  great  ice-fields  that 
they  have  a  regular  flow  towards  the  greatest  de- 
pression. The  movement  is  slow,  sometimes  not 
more  than  a  few  feet  in  a  j'car,  but  it  moves  with 
a  mightj'  force.  Great  masses  of  rock  held  in  the 
ice  as  in  a  vise  are  dragged  along  the  earth,  cutting 
away  the  hardest  rocks,  leveling  everything  to  a 
certain  plane.  In  this  waj'  Carson,  Truckee,  Para- 
dise, and  all  the  larger  valleys  of  the  State  were 
eroded.  At  the  lower  end  of  those  valleys  may 
generally  be  found  the  reef  of  rocks,  the  worn  out 
or  abandoned  tools  of  the  defunct  glacier  left  us; 
under  the  influence  of  the  changing  climate  it 
slowly  retreated  up  the  mountain  sides,  these  trans- 
verso,  also  lateral  piles  of  rock  (jnoraines')  indicating 
the  places  where  an  obstinate  and  prolonged  resist- 
ance was  made.  The  western  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  was  the  site  of  the  most  active  work,  bo- 
cause  the  elevation  was  from  tide  water,  or  a  molt- 
ing point,  to  a  region  of  perpetual  frost. 

LIVINU    OLACIEKS. 

The  glaciers  are  now  in  full  action  in  some  parts 
of  Alaska,  moving  in  columns  of  a  hundred  miles  in 
length  so  slowly  that  a  j'ear  is  required  to  make  any 
perceptible  movement ;  but  from  under  the  glacier 
tho    waters   pour   out    laden    with    clay    and    fine 


120 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


sand,  the  shavings  and  chips  of  the  mighty  ma- 
chine that  was,  and  still  is,  engaged  in  leveling 
continents.  In  the  southern  part  of  California, 
around  the  cluster  of  mountains  containing  Mount 
Whitney,  the  glacier  is  still  a  powerful  element  in 
shaping  the  earth.  A  few  small  ones,  not  often 
exceeding  a  mile  in  their  greatest  dimensions,  may 
be  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Carson  Eiver.  The 
number  within  the  limits  of  that  State  may  exceed 
a  hundred,  though  the  period  of  their  greatest  ac- 
tivity has  long  since  passed  away. 

LOCAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 

Returning  to  the  consideration  of  the  general 
geology,  a  few  remarks  concerning  other  jjortions 
of  the  State  will  finish  the  subject,  promising  that 
the  particular  description  given  of  the  Comstock 
Lode  will  furnish  a  key  to  that  of  most  parts  of 
the  Great  Basin,  though  it  would  seem  that  the 
deposit  of  ores  occurred  in  widely  ditteront  eras, 
as  also  under  different  dynamical  and  metalliferous 
conditions. 

The  portions  of  the  Slate  occupied  by  the  last 
of  the  reti-eating  seas  are  marked  by  extensive 
bodies  of  soda,  borax,  sulphur,  alum  and  salt. 
Those  deposits  are  more  particularly  described  in 
the  sketches  of  the  different  counties.  Humboldt, 
Churchill  and  Ksmoraldu  counties  are  of  this  charac- 
ter, being  distinguished  by  the  presence  of  numerous 
saliniferous  minerals.  They  occupy  the  lowest  po- 
sition of  the  Groat  Basin,  the  largest  rivers,  such  as 
Carson,  Humboldt,  Walker,  Truckce,  all  having  their 
sinks  in,  or  near,  those  counties.  In  other  portions 
the  beds  of  limestone,  the  remains  of  the  coral 
reefs  of  a  former  age,  become  the  associates  of  the 
gold  and  silver  veins,  and  seem  to  have  been  ac- 
tive in  producing  the  precipitation,  or  deposit. 
This  condition  seems  to  obtain  in  Elko,  Nye,  Kureka, 
and  White  Pine.  In  other  portions  of  the  State  the 
deposits  were  in  many  instances  in  granite,  in  nar- 
row fissures,  with  little  indications  of  deep  or  exten- 
sive fissures,  as  in  Esmeralda  and  Lander  counties, 
as  well  as  the  mines  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  in  the  counties  of  Esmeralda,  Ormsby, 
Washoe,  etc.  The  northwestern  ])art  of  the  State 
in  many  places  seems  to  be  overlaid  with  the  lava 
from  the  great  overflow  which  formed  the  famous 
Modoc  lava  beds. 

The  first  fossils  belonging  to  the  lower  silurian 
period,  found  west  of  the  one  hundred  and  twelfth 
meridian,  to  which  ])ublic  attention  was  called,  wore 
discovered  in  lS(i(i,  at  Silver  Peak,  I'^sineralda  County, 
by  I'rofessor  Joshua  E.  Clayton.  They  were  found 
on  the  border  of  a  large  valle}',  whoso  depressed  cen- 
tral portion  of  several  hundred  acres  in  extent,  is 
covered  with  saline  incrustations  from  the  dej)th  of 
several  inches  to  a  foot  or  more.  At  that  time  Pro- 
fessor Clayton  was  8ui)erintending  the  construction 
of  reduction  works  there,  as  well  as  exploiting  the 
mines  that  were  to  su])ply  the  ore  to  be  worked. 


The  valley  has  since  then  been  known  as  Clayton 
Valley.  A  hard,  compact,  finegrained  calcareous 
rock,  which  was  susceptible  of  a  high  degree  of 
polish,  proved  to  have  been  formed  by  the  organic 
remains  of  the  earliest  existing  corallites  known; 
while  an  arenacious  bed  of  yellowish,  thinly  laminated 
sandstone  in  immediate  proximity  contained  innu- 
merable trilobites — the  eai-liest  living  creatures  on 
the  globe — which  were  plainly  imprinted  upon  each 
sheet  of  the  rock  as  the  layers  were  separated. 
Thermal  saline  springs  of  large  dimensions  flow  near 
the  point  at  which  this  discovery  was  made;  and  on 
the  hills  that  skirt  the  valley  are  found  ledges  con- 
taining gold,  silver,  copper,  lead  and  iron,  besides 
other  metals  less  useful. 

Manj-  of  the  most  prominent  mines  of  central  and 
eastern  Nevada  arc  found  in  limestone.  Immense 
reefs  of  quartzite  are  almost  invariably  found  accom- 
panj-ing  these  limestone  belts,  and  running  parallel 
thereto.  The  Pilot  Mountains,  a  short  distance 
southeast  of  Walker  Lake,  are  mostly  composed  of 
limestone,  which  contains  numerous  large  fossils  of  a 
recent  geological  period.  Erosion  has  loosened  and 
exposed  manj^  of  these,  and  they  can  there  be  pro- 
cured in  great  quantities,  and  of  perfect  form.  In 
the  Diamond  Jlange,  on  many  of  the  most  prom- 
inent ])caks,  which  have  suffered  denudation  by  snow 
and  ice,  can  also  be  found  fossils  of  Jike  character. 
At  Hot  Creek  and  Tybo  limestone  is  the  predom- 
inating rock  along  the  metalliferous  zone.  At 
Mineral  Hill,  where  the  ore  is  found,  the  rock  is 
calcareous  slate  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  while  over- 
lying this  higher  up  is  limestone.  Spruce  Mount- 
ain is  composed  of  stratified  limestone,  or  dolomite, 
with  an  outcrop  of  porph3"r3'  on  the  western  slope  at 
its  base. 

The  rocks  of  Humboldt  County  are  syenite, 
granite,  porph3'ry  and  slate,  though  quartzite  pre- 
vails in  some  of  the  mountain  ranges,  accompanied 
with  limestone  mingled  with  calcareous  spar,  which 
either  rests  upon  or  alternates  with  hard,  compact 
grits  and  quartzile.  In  maii^'  of  the  canons  are 
found  boulders  of  ser])entine,  conglomerate,  talcoso 
slate,  fine  grey  granite,  coarse  rod,  crystalline  white 
and  metamorphic  sandstones,  gypsum,  pebbles  of 
alabaster,  and  marble  of  variable  textures.  In  some 
localities  volcanic  action  is  indicated  bj-  the  presence 
of  scoria,  obsidian,  lava  and  sulphur. 

In  Nye  County  there  is  a  vein  of  silicious  material 
which  contains  much  beautiful  lui'quoise,  useful  to 
the  lapidary.  Also  boaiitifull}'  silicifiod  wood — largo 
trees  having  been  petrified — from  which  fine  spec- 
imens can  be  procured.  The  sandy  ])laina  of  south- 
ern Nevada  frequcntlj'  show  upon  their  surface 
many  pebbles,  rough-looking  on  the  outside,  about  the 
size  of  a  hen's  egg,  which,  u|)on  being  broken,  arc 
found  to  be  agate,  hollow — geodes,  containing  innu- 
merable, iioautiful,  tiny  crystals.  Calcedony,  obsidian 
etc.,  are  frcijuently  found  in  their  company. 


^:^ 


V. 


JOINT  SHAFT  OF  THE  "CHOLLAR^t'OTOSirHALE  A 

VIRGINI/I 


f)  NORCROSS" AND "SAVAGE'MINING  COMPANIES. 
WEVADA. 


GEOLOGY  OF  NEVADA. 


121 


TllK    MOUNTAIN    SYSTEM.  • 

The  general  trend  of  the  interior  elevations  is 
parallel  to  that  of  the  Uocky  Mountains  and  Sierra 
Nevada,  though  instances  are  not  wanting  of  trans- 
verse elevations,  and  even  of  mineral  veins  to  cor- 
respond. In  places  these  elevations  rival  the  parent 
Rocky  Mountains  in  height.  The  United  States 
geological  cxjiloration  of  the  fortieth  parallel  gives 
the  altitude  of  Pogonip  Peak,  in  White  Pine  Count}', 
as  10,792  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea;  Tel 
egraph  Peak  and  Treasure  Hill,  9,228;  Treasure 
City,  S,!1S(I;  and  other  places  nL'urly  the  same.  It 
is  remarkable  that  on  those  high  elevations  some 
of  the  richest  mines  in  the  State  have  been  found 
in  a  horizontal  po.sition,  the  minerals  seemingly 
owing  their  capture  or  precipitation  to  beds  of  lime- 
stone, over  which  flowed  the  waters  of  solfiilaras, 
holding  silver  in  solution. 

The  Washoe  range  of  mountains  is  100  miles  or 
more  in  length,  ending,  on  the  south,  in  the  Pine 
Nut  Mountains,  which  are  even  higher  than  Mount 
Davidson,  without  its  fortunate  and  unexampled 
deposits,  however.  In  the  north  it  is  lost  or  .sinks 
under  the  great  lava  flow  before  referred  to. 

As  illustrated  in  Figure  No.  1,  the  surfjice  of  the 
great  intermediate  basin  appears  to  have  been  com- 
pressed between  the  flanking  ranges,  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada on  the  west  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the 
east,  the  whole  constituting  a  portion  of  the  Cor- 
dillerian  system,  which  stretches  from  Central  Amer- 
ica to  the  Arctic.  The  regular  recurrence  of  the 
mountain  ranges  and  the  parallelism  of  their  trend 
impress  the  casual  observer  with  the  conviction  of 
lateral  pressure  as  their  cause.  While  there  is  a 
general  regularity  in  the  physical  features  of  all 
the  different  ranges,  the  trend  of  all  being  northerly 
and  southerly,  there  appears  great  irregularity  in 
their  lithological  formation,  offering  to  the  geologist 
and  mineralogist  the  most  interesting  of  all  possible 
fields  for  his  studies.  Within  the  limits  of  the  State 
are  near  100  distinct  mountain  ranges,  nearly  everj^ 
one  of  which  are  worth}'  the  close  attention  and  full 
description  that  IJichthofen  and  King  have  given 
of  the  Washoe  Range,  including  Mount  Davidson. 
Among  the  jirincipal  ranges  are,  commencing  in  the 
northwest,  the  Black  Rock,  Pine  Forest,  Antelope, 
Trinity,  Cottonwood  or  Santa  Rosa,  Hot  Spring, 
Independence,  Goose (^"reek,  and  othersmaller  mount- 
ains, buttes  and  spurs  north  of  the  Humboldt  River; 
and  south  of  that  river  and  north  of  the  central 
parallel  are  the  West  Humboldt,  East  Range,  Sonoma, 
Battle  Mountain,  l''ish  ('reek,  Cortez,  Pifion,  Hast 
Humboldt,  Pequop  and  Toano.  Along  the  central 
belt  are  the  Carson  Sink  l^ange,  Augusta,  New  Pass. 
Desatoya,  Shoshone,  Toiyabe,  To<iuima,  Monitor. 
Hot  Creek.  Diamond,  Pancake,  White  Pine,  Egan, 
Long  Valley  Range,  Schell  Creek,  and  Snake,  In 
the  southwest  and  south  are  the  Walker  River  or 
Wassuch,  Excelsior,  Pilot,  Monte  Christo,  Red  Mount- 


ain, Kawitch,  Reveille,  Pahranagat,  Mount  Irish, 
Hiko,  Ely,  Highland,  S|)ring  Mountain,  Cedar,  Mor- 
mon, Virgin,  Grapevine,  Belted,  Desert,  Buckskin, 
j  Vegas,  and  Muddy.  There  are  many  other  ranges 
of  considerable  importance,  to  some  of  which  the 
geographer  has  as  yet  neglected  to  give  an  appella- 
tion; and  there  arc  also  many  i.solated  ]ieaks  and 
hills  that  have  become  famous  for  their  mineral 
wealth.  Of  these  latter  are  the  Potosi,  with  its 
stores  of  galena;  and  the  Salt  Mountain,  with  its 
great  veins  of  rock  salt  in  the  extreme  south;  Sil- 
ver Peak  in  the  southwest;  Ruby  Hill  and  Prospect 
Mountain  in  the  Diamond  Range;  Treasure  Hill  and 
Pogonip  Peak  in  the  White  Pine  Range;  Mount 
Tenabo,  and  its  giant  ledge,  in  the  Cortez  Mountains; 
Jeff.  Davis  Peak  and  Wheeler  Peak  in  the  Snake 
Range.  Some  of  the  ranges,  as  the  Toiyabe,  Dia- 
mond, Schell  Creek,  Egan,  and  East  Humboldt,  ex- 
tend unbroken  for  100  or  more  miles  in  length,  send- 
ing their  highest  peaks  10.000  and  12,000  feet  into 
the  sky.  While  the  surface  appears  so  mountainous, 
there  are  broad  valleys  corresponding,  seldom  less 
than  five  or  six  miles  in  width,  some  with  fertile 
soil,  and  some  widely  spread  with  salt,  soda,  borates, 
nitre,  suli)hur,  etc,  forbidding  to  the  eye,  but  valua- 
ble to  commerce.  Through  all  the  mountain  ranges 
arc  fretpient  passes,  and  open  ])lains  surround  their 
termini,  affording  easy  routes  of  travel;  and  in 
nearly  every  range,  whether  the  body  bo  of  granite, 
limestone,  porphyry,  or  (piartzite,  are  veins  of  the 
precious  or  useful  metals. 

ORKHN    OK    MINERAL   VEINS. 

If  the  minerals  now  sought  for  by  the  general- 
ity of  mankind  had  their  .origin  in  the  center  of 
tbe  earth,  or  in  the  Plutonic  regions,  as  so  often 
said,  it  is  quite  certain  that  they  were  ejected  at  such 
an  ancient  period  that  they  have  been,  and  still  are, 
handled  over  and  over  by  the  superficial  forces  or 
agencies.  When  superficial  is  spoken  of  it  must  bo 
given  sufficient  latitude  to  embrace  all  that  portion 
of  the  earth  which  has  been  subject  to  deposit, 
erosion,  or  denudation,  which  in  many  places  is  not 
less  than  twenty  thousand  feet.  In  one  of  the  illus- 
trations used  at  the  beginning  of  this  article  atten- 
tion is  called  to  the  dark  lities  as  inclosing  the  sup- 
posed mineral  stratum.  That  such  a  condition  may 
exist,  and  even  does  exist,  may  bo  easily  demon- 
strated. The  granite  mountains  tower  far  above 
the  stratified  rocks  at  their  bases,  with  which 
they  once  were  overlaid.  This  stripping  process 
has  gone  on  until  far  down  on  the  side  of  the 
mountains  we  find  the  edges  of  the  strata  which 
on  the  western  slope  go  down  under  the  great  Sacra- 
mento Valley, and  on  the  eastern  side  un<ler  the  Great 
Basin  of  Utah.  We  find  the  remains  of  mineral  veins 
whose  tops,  and  ]ierhaps  richest  ])arts,  have  been 
swept  away  with  all  tbe  gold,  silver  and  other  min- 
erals contained  in  them.  We  have  seen  the  surface 
of   the  Comstock   Lode  enrich   Gold    Cafion.      The 


122 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


gold  which  was  found  in  tho  canon  was  \>re- 
sumablj-  not  one  per  cent,  of  what  was  ori,i;inallj-  in 
tho  vein,  and  the  silver  was  all  swept  away,  lodging 
somewhere,  below  or  perhaps,  carried  to  tho  lake  at 
the  foot  of  Carson  River.  This  condition  prevails 
all  over  the  State.  According  to  the  reports  of  the 
Assessors  the  mineral  veins  have  been  richest  on  the 
surface,  and  these  have  for  ages  been  exposed  to  the 
wash  and  destruction  incident  to  rains,  frost  and 
sunshine.  There  is  no  destruction  of  metals,  and 
they  must  be  in  existence  somewhere  in  the  newly- 
formed  or  ]josl  pliocene  strata.  In  the  course  of  our 
history  mention  is  made  of  the  use  of  immense  quan- 
tities of  quicksilver  used  by  the  miners  everywhere. 
It  all  goes  down  the  stream,  enriching  tho  valleys. 
Thousands  of  tons  arc  deposited  in  some  shape  below 
the  mines.  Supposing  that  in  course  of  natural 
events,  propylitc  and  trachyte  should  again  cover 
the  earth,  or  at  least  the  portion  of  it  under  consid- 
eration, and  bury  it  so  deep  that  the  present  ranches, 
alkali  and  salt  beds,  should  become  subject  to  the 
internal  heat  of  the  earth,  amounting  to  one  degree 
for  each  fifty  feet  of  depth,  the  minerals  would  be- 
come redissolved  and  perhaps  be  redepositod  by  the, 
hot  springs,  or  solfataras.  which  would  result  fi-om  an 
upheaval  of  new  mountain  ranges.  The  slightest 
consideration  of  this  subject  will  enable  any  one  to 
see  that  the  8:500, 0(1(1, (100  taken  from  tho  mines  of 
Nevada  have  made  no  perceptible  impression  on  the 
total  amount  of  tho  original  quantity. 

The  minerals  lying  in  tho  flats  and  mud  lakes 
may  bo  of  ver\'  little  value  to  tho  present  race  of  hu- 
manity, and  are  referred  to  as  a  possible  solution  of 
tho  question  as  to  tho  origin  of  mineral  veins. 

FUTURE    .MININd    I'llOSPECTS. 

Whatever  the  fluctuations  in  the  mining  interests 
of  any  one  locality,  Nevada  will  undoubtedly  remain 
tho  groat  silver-producing  State  for  many  years. 
While  it  is  verj'  doubtful  whether,  as  a  rule,  the 
mines  will  grow  richer  as  greater  depths  are  attained, 
yet  there  is  such  an  immense  tract  of  metalliferous 
country  with  large  ((uantities  of  low-grade  ores, 
which  under  favorable  circumstances  will  pay  for 
reduction,  that  it  is  (juito  certain  thousands  will  mine 
with  ])rofit  for  hundreds  of  years.  When  we  look  at 
tho  extravagant  rates  of  labor,  timber,  machinery 
etc.,  extravagant  compared  with  ])rices  in  Kurope — 
where  mining  has  boon  carried  on  I'di-  hundreds  of 
years  on  a  basis  of  less  than  one-fourth  of  the 
Nevada  prices — and  considei-  that  according  to  the 
inevitable  laws  of  exchange  tho  rates  must  approx- 
imate each  other,  it  leaves  an  immense  margin  for 
develo|)ment  in  Nevada. 

Vor}'  little  profit  of  the  rich  mines  inures  to  the 
State  where  the  mines  are  situated.  Tho  profits  go 
to  stockholders,  who  ])erliaps  reside  in  I'aris  or 
Jjondon.  The  works  are  managed  by  agents,  who 
deem  it  their  duty  and  interest  to  extort  the  utmost 
profits    ))ossible;  they   cheapen    everything,    wood. 


labor  and  material  to  the  greatest  extent.  Though 
bonanzas  enrich  the  world,  or  at  least  the  owners 
thereof,  they  bring  no  more  profit  to  the  country 
than  the  poorer  mines,  which  pay  but  a  small  profit 
over  the  cost  of  working.  In  nearlj-  every  countj' 
are  found  bodies  of  low-grade  ores  of  all  kinds, 
where  bonanzas  are  possible.  In  addition  to  the 
mines  of  silver  and  gold  there  are  immense  beds  of 
borax,  salt,  sulphur,  antimony  and  copper,  all  valu- 
able in  the  arts,  that  alone  would  form  the  basis  of 
prosperity.  When  the  systems  of  railways  now 
contemplated  and  under  way  shall  have  been  com- 
pleted, so  that  the  prices  of  transportation  shall  not 
be  such  an  effectual  bar  to  development,  Nevada  will 
gradually  assume  among  tho  States  tho  position 
which  her  immense  resources  entitle  her. 


CHAPTETt   XVII  I. 

MINING    .4.ND    POLITICS. 

Mining  Inlliience  Upou  I'olitics — Why  ami  flow  tlic  L.iw  Was 
t'liangcd — Wliy  the  Law  Was  t'l\anged  in  1S7I — Bullion 
lucreasu  in  1N71  Over  1870 — Table  Showing  Chtinge  in 
Asseasments  anil  Taxation,  etc. — The  Law  of  1875,  Its 
Pecuniary  and  Political  I'jli'ects — The  Members  Ignore  Their 
Pledges — An  Outside  Pressure  Brought  to  Bear — The  Two 
Horns  of  the  Dileninia — The  llesult — Senators  Voting  Kor 
and  Against — The  Veto  and  Its  I'^ifects — Bonanza  Move 
Number  Three — Attempt  to  Compromise — Compromise  Ef- 
fected— EBbrts  to  Avoid  Paying  the  Penalties. 

The  search  for  tho  royal  metals  first  led  to  the 
settlement  of  the  whites  in  tho  country  now  known 
as  Nevada.  The  discovery  of  the  Comstock  was  the 
first  lodestone  that  attracted  any  considerable  num- 
ber into  tho  Territory.  It  is  the  mineral  resources 
of  Nevada  that  have  created  a  demand  for  other 
branches  of  industry,  and  they  languish  or  prosper 
in  response  to  the  mineral  developments  of  the 
country.  With  the  mining  industrj-  closed  ilown, 
even  at  this  day,  there  would  result  such  an  exodus 
from  the  State  as  would  leave  those  who  remained 
more  tenants  at  will  of  the  Indians.  ISecause  of  the 
importance  of  this  branch  of  Nevada's  resources,  it 
has  from  the  first  boon  the  touchstone,  or  ruling 
factor,  in  ultimatclj'  determining  her  govermontal 
policy. 

In  18G3,  when  the  first  legally  authorized  effort 
was  made  to  adopt  a  State  Constitution,  tho  question 
that  agitated  the  framers  more  than  any  other,  was 
that  of  taxing  the  mines.  A  section  was  inserted  in 
that  instrument  authorizing  taxation  of  property 
which  ])laeed  unproductive,  and  all  mines,  u])on  the 
same  basis  for  being  taxed  as  other  projierty.  A 
strong  opposition  was  developed  in  the  Convention 
against  this  clause  in  the  section  which  authorized  a 
levy  upon  a  mining  claim  on  account  of  value  given 
to  the  location  because  of  tho  present  hope  or  belief 
that  it  would  lead  to  vdlii-e  at  nomoyu/ure  time.  Wm. 
M.  Stewart  was  the  most  able  and  tenacious  of  all 
tho  members  in  his  opposition  to  tho  section  as  it 
was  introduced,  and  he  projiosod  an  amendment 
that  authorized  a  levy  only  upon  the  net  proceeds  of 


MINING  AND  POLITICS. 


123 


that  class  of  iiro])erty,  but  it  was  defeated.  Ho 
made  a  number  of  speeches  upon  the  (piestion,  in  all 
of  which  he  reminded  hia  associates  that  he  was 
"Opposed  to  taxintj  the  hopes  of  poor  miners;  his 
shafts,  and  drifts,  and  i)ed-rock  tunnels." 

Mark  Twain,  in  his  inimitable  way,  in  a  communi- 
cation to  the  Territoi-wl  Enterprise,  gives  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  burlesque  body  known  as  the  Third  House, 
of  which  he  was  President.  His  report  of  the 
meeting  leaves  a  forcible  impression  upon  tho  mind 
of  the  tenacity  evinced  by  Mr.  S.,  his  proneness  to 
recur  to  tho  hojjc  deferred  «f  the  poor  miners,  as 
well  as  the  importance  attached  at  the  time  to  that 
subject  by  tho  Convention  generallJ^  This  article 
will  be  fount!  in  full  in  Cliaptov  XII.  of  this  book. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  tho  following  January  tho 
Constitution  was  overwhelmingly  rejected  by  the 
peo])le,  on  the  grounds,  mainly,  of  its  not  contain- 
ing the  Stewart  amendment.  Another  Convention 
was  called  to  frame  a  State  Constitution,  that  met 
at  Carson,  in  Jul}-,  18(14,  and  the  rejected  instrument, 
with  slight  changes,  including  the  Stewart  idea  of 
mining  taxation,  was  again  j)laced  before  the  people. 
Tho  vote  was  taken  at  the  general  State  election 
that  year,  on  the  seventh  of  September,  resulting  in 
adopting  it  by  a  vote  of  10,378  to  1,284.  The  first 
Legislature  that  met  under  tho  Now  Constitution 
enacted  a  revenue  law  that  was  a])provod  March  tt, 
ISd."). 

This  Act*  authorized  a  tax  levy  of  81  ••")'•  for  tho 
county,  and  81.25  for  tho  State  on  each  one  hundred 
dollars  of  valuation;  but  Section  !t!l  limited  the  levy 
on  ])roceeds  of  mines  to  one  dollar  on  the  hundred, 
one- half  for  county,  the  other  for  State  purposes. 
This  was  a  discrimination  in  favor  of  mining  pro- 
ducts of  81.75  on  the  8100  over  other  kinds  of  prop- 
erty.! 

The  law  further  ])rovided  that  twenty  dollars 
should  be  deducted  for  expense  of  working  the  ore, 
and  that  only  three-fourths  of  tho  remainder  should 
bo  taxed. I  This  would  result  in  obtaining  sixty 
cents  tax  from  a  ton  of  ore  that  worked  8100. 

WHY    AND    now    THE   J,.VW    WAS    CHAN(iEIJ. 

Tho  question  of  the  constitutionality  of  the  ninety- 
ninth  section  of  that  law  had  been  mooted  from  tho 
time  of  its  passage,  but  no  case  had  boon  brought 
before  tho  courts  to  settle  the  matter  until  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1877,  when  an  af^tion  for  that  purpose  was 
brought  before  Judge  S.  II.  Wright,  of  tho  Second 
District.  Both  friends  and  enemies  of  the  law  knew 
that  the  matter  would  be  taken  before  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State,  as  soon  as  Judge  Wright  ren- 
dered his  decision,   by  appeal    of  the   unsuccessful 

•  .Statues  of  18U4  and  1865,  pages  271-300. 

t  State  of  Nevada  vs.  Kstabrook.  New  Reports,  volume  3, 
page  173. 

tNcva<la  Reports,  volume  3,  p.ige  179.  "The  closing  sen- 
tence of  Section  '.10  dincts  ;i  tax  to  be  levied  on  tliree-fourtlia  of 
tlic  value  ]irevi(iu»ly  a.seertaineil  of  llie  procecda  of  the  mine. 
This  is  clearly  unccin8tituti::n.il.  The  value  being  once  ascer- 
tained the  whole  value  is  taxable  at  the  same  rate  a.s  other  prop- 
erty. 


litigant.  The  question  was  a  very  important  one; 
and  if  the  section  in  question  was  finally  declared 
to  be  antagonistic  to  the  State  Constitution  such 
decision  would  increase  materially  tho  amount  of  tax 
that  producers  would  bo  re(iuired  to  pay  upon  their 
bullion. 

Some  idea  of  the  strength  of  motive  that  influenced 
men  to  provide  against  the  conseiiuences  of  an 
adverse  decision  will  be  gained  from  the  following: — 

In  18()G  tho  Storey  County  Assessor  had  rej)ortod 
811,951,876  as  the  gross  amount  of  their  bullion 
produced,  and  a  tax  of  817,772.54  only  had  boon 
paid  on  the  same.  If  tho  revenue  had  been  col- 
lected in  accordance  with  only  that  portion  of  the  law 
which  the  Supremo  Court  finally  decided  to  be  con- 
stitutional, the  tax  would  have  boon  increased  from 
the  amount  as  above — of  less  than  818,000 — to 
8123,776.20  in  Storey  County  alone.  The  Could  & 
Curry,  Savage,  Halo  &  Norcross,  Yellow  Jacket, 
Kentuck,  Imperial,  Crown  Point,  Belcher,  and  other 
mines  of  the  Comstock  were  ^-ielding  an  aggregate 
of  from  815,000,000  to  817,000,000  in  bullion  per  year. 
This  present  income,  and  foreshadowing  of  such 
vast  andrapidlj^  accumulating  wealth  ibr  the  future, 
made  slight  variations  in  the  per  cent,  of  tax,  repre- 
senting large  sums  of  money.  Therefore  it  was 
doomed  important  that  no  uncertainty  should  lie 
at  the  door  of  wealth,  like  tho  menace  contained  in 
the  undecided  suit;  and  the  danger  resulted  in  bring- 
ing tho  sensitive  receivers  of  fabulous  incomes  into 
the  shadows  directly  behind  the  Legislative  throne. 

A  special  session  of  the  Tjcgislature  having  been 
called,  convened  on  the  fifteenth  of  March  succeed- 
ing the  commencement  of  tho  suit,  and  two  rev- 
enue bills  were  introduced  before  that  body  that 
materially  changed  the  provisions  of  tho  law  in 
question.  One  of  them  provided  for  a  further  ex- 
emption in  the  amount  of  bullion  to  bo  assessed, 
allowing  eighteen  dollars  per  ton  on  free  ores,  and 
forty  dollars  per  ton  on  such  as  had  to  bo  worked 
by  the  Freiburg  (roasting),  or  smelting  jiroccss,  to 
bo  deducted  from  the  gross  yield.*  The  other  was 
introduced  into  the  Senate  by  D.  W.  Welty,  of  Lan- 
der County,  on  tho  twenty-second  of  March,  1S67, 
looking  to  tho  relief  of  tho  tax-op])rc88ed  bullion. 
It  passed  tho  Senate  by  a  vote  of  ten  to  five,  and 
tho  Assembly  by  a  vote  of  twenty-three  to  five, 
almost  without  discussion;  becoming  a  law  by  ap- 
proval April  2(1,  on  tho  same  day  of  its  passage. 
Tho  ninety-ninth  section  of  the  old  law  was  on  tho 
sixth  of  June  following  declared  unconstitutional, 
because  it  made  taxation  unequal;  but  in  this  respect 
the  new  law  out-lleroded  Herod  liiinself.t  It  lim- 
ite<l  the  liullinn  tax  in  Storey  < 'outit}'  to  twenty-five 
cents  on  the  one  hundreil  dollars,  for  countj-  pur- 
poses, at  tho  same  lime  authorizing  therefor  the 
levy  of  81.50  on  the  same  amount  of  any  other 
species  of  property.     Tho  State  tax  was  loil  uniform; 

*  Statues  of  1807,  page  100. 
+  Statutes  of   1807,  page  103. 


124 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


(iiBcrimination  only  heinfj  allowed  in  taxation  for 
county  pur]ioses,  and  in  Store}-  County;  productive 
mines  in  other  parts  of  the  State  being  nhut  out 
from  the  beneficiary  limitation.  Under  this  new 
regime,  thj  owner  of  a  horse  vaUv^d  at  8100  paid 
to  Storey  Countj-  §1.5(1  in  tax,  while  the  owner  of 
a  ton  of  ore  yielding  SlOO,  first  deducted  eighteen 
dollars  out  of  it,  if  the  same  was  free  milling  ore, 
and  then  ))  lid  twenty  and  a  half  cents  tax  on  what 
remained;  but  if  the  ore  had  to  be  either  roasted  or 
smelted  to  reduce  it,  then  forty  dollars  was  fiist 
deducted,  leaving  sixty  dollars  to  be  assessed  that 
was  taxed  only  fifteen  cents.* 

WHY   THE    LAW    WAS   CHANGED    IN    1871. 

It  needs  but  a  glance  at  the  following  exhibit  to 
enable  a  j)crson  to  understand  the  influences  that 
produced  a  change  in  the  existing  law  creating 
farther  exemption  in  the  tax  on  bullion. 

INCllEASE   OK    BULLION    IN    1871 

Over  the  product  of  1870,  as  exhibited  by  rolls  of 
County  Assessors: — 

Ksmeralda  County,  bullion  assesKed  in  1871,  •SK>7,- 
07!»;  in  1870,  $92,'.llil.     Increase,  .?44,l(i0. 

Elko  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,  SG14,04C; 
in  1870,  S210,l(;0.     Increase,  .«.'i0r),777. 

Humboldt  Count}-,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,  8400,- 
458;  in  1870,  8378,840.     Increase,  8120,618. 

Lyon  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,  8.")70,279. 
1  ncreaso,  8.")70,270. 

Lander  Count}-,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,82,090,01.3; 
in  1870,  Sl,104,.')00.     Increase,  8004,423. 

Lincoln  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,83,604,- 
802;  in  1870,  81,602,016.     Increase,  81,041,886. 

Nye  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,  8474,108;  in 
1870,  8191,061.     Increase,  8283,047. 

White  Pine  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871, 
§1,347,528;  in  1870.  81,177,670.     Increase,  8169,849. 

Storey  County,  bullion  assessed  in  1871,  810,644,702; 
in  1S70,  86,(153,040.     Increase,  84,500,753. 

Total  increased  bullion  assessment  of  1871  over 
1870,  88,119,801. 

In  November,  1870,  tlio  Crown  Point  and  Rclcher 
'■bonanzas"  were  discovered,  those  mines  being  the 
property  of  William  Sharon,  of  the  California  Pank, 
and  his  friends.  The  nni)recc(k'iitc(l  j)ros])crily  of 
mines  all  over  the  Slate  combined  to  help  give  own- 
ers an  overshadowing  influence  upon  legislation; 
and  they  sought,  as  |)rc)i<>ndci-ating  ca]iital  always 
seeks,  to  shift  the  burden  of  taxation  as  much  as 
possible  on  to  the  properties  and  industries  less  for- 
tunate and  able  to  bear  it.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
another  strong  incentive  was  thrown  into  the  scale 
for  exemj)tion  of  mining  products,  because  of  the 
following  facts: — 

The  Legislature  of  1869  had,  in  February,  author- 

*  Statutes  of  1867,  pages  160  and  163. 


ized  Storey  County  to  issue  8300,000  in  bonds,  to  bo 
given  to  the  Virginia  and  Truckco  Pailroad  Com- 
pany.* A  levy  of  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  was  to 
be  made  yearly  upon  the  property  of  the  county  to 
pay  interest  upon  those  bonds,  and  to  create  a  sink- 
ing fund  for  accumulating  moneys,  out  of  which  to 
jiay  them  oft'  eventually. 

The  Crown  Point,  Belcher,  Savage,  in  fact  nearly 
all  the  mines  on  the  Comstock,  were  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  California  Bank  stockholders  at  that  time. 
They  consequently  had  a  strong  incentive  for  freeing, 
as  far  as  lay  in  their  power,  this  class  of  property 
from  the  burden  of  that  debt.  An  additional  motive 
was  added,  in  the  fact,  that  the  same  parties  to 
whom  the  bonds  were  given  and  who  owned  the  rail- 
road, also  controlled  those  best  paying  mines;  and 
they  objected  to  having  their  bullion  taxed  into  this 
county  sinking  and  interest  fund,  out  of  which  they 
were  to  be  paid.  The  result  of  these  influences, 
brought  to  bear,  was  the  approval  of  an  Act  of  the 
Legislature,  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  February,  1871, 
that  further'changed  the  law  concerning  the  assess- 
ment of  bullion,  t  This  time  it  allowed  a  deduction 
from  the  product  of  mines,  of  such  an  amount  per 
ton,  as  it  cost  to  extract  the  ore  and  convert  the 
same  into  bullion.  A  limit,  however,  was  placed  to 
the  amount  allowable  for  such  expenses.  The  deduc- 
tion on  ores  going  twelve  dollars  or  less  per  ton,  could 
not  exceed  ninety  per  cent,  of  their  value.  If  they 
yielded  anywhere  between  twelve  and  thirty  dollars, 
a  deduction  of  eighty  per  cent,  might  be  made;  and 
a  sixty  per  cent,  deduction  was  admissible  if  they 
produced  between  thirty  and  one  hundred  dollars. 
If  over  8100,  fifty  per  cent,  might  be  claimed  by  the 
owner  as  exempt  from  taxation,  provided  it  could  bo 
shown  that  such  was  the  actual  expense.  A  further 
and  additional  deduction  of  fil'teen  dollars  per  ton 
was  allowable  upon  any  ores  worked  by  the  dry,  or 
Frieburg,  ])roccss.  The  eft'ect  of  this  change  was  to 
very  materially  increase  the  amount  of  bullion  that 
escaped  taxation.  As  an  example:  Under  the  law 
of  1S(')7.  forty-dollar  ore  escaped  tax,  if  worked  by 
Frieburg  or  smelting  process,  and  was  assessed 
twenty-two  dollars  if  reduced  in  any  other  way. 
Under  the  new  law,  the  owners  of  the  above  grade 
of  ores  that  escaped  ta.xation,  might  figure  expenses 
so  high  as  to  leave  but  one  dollar  per  ton  liable  to 
assessment,  while  upon  •  the  free  ores  that  were 
assessed,  as  above  twenty-two  dollars  per  ton,  the 
assessment  might  be  reduced  to  sixteen  dollars. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  eft'ect  of  the 
changes  in  the  laws,  by  showing  what  the  tax  was — 
under  each  of  the  Acts,  and  the  Supremo  Court 
decision— upon  812,  830  to  899,  and  810(1  ores.  The 
remarks  accompanying  it,  gives  the  authority  for  tho 
figures  as  they  are  given: — 

*  Statutes  (if  I8G!>,  page  49,  Sections  1  imd  4. 
i  Statutes  of  1871,  page  87. 


AA/'alter  E.  Dean. 


The  young  men  who  came  to  California  as  late  as 
1860  do  not  call  themselves  pioneers.  Yet  in  relation 
to  business,  they  have  had  a  pretty  large  range  of 
pioneer  expei-ience.  \V.  E.  Dean  was  born  in 
Eoehester,  New  York,  December  25,  1838.  His 
ancestors  on  his  mother's  side  were  of  Maryland 
stock.  His  grandfather  was  present  from  that  State 
at  the  first  inauguration  of  George  Washington  as 
Pi-esident  of  the  United  States.  On  the  paternal 
side,  his  immediate  ancestors  were  from  Kew  York. 
Mr.  Dean's  early  education  was  in  the  common 
schools  of  Eoehester  and  in  the  High  School  of  the 
same  city.  This  was  supplemented  by  a  good 
elementary  business  education  in  a  banking  house- 
In  1860,  having  attained  his  majority,  he  was  ready 
for  any  business  venture  which  had  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  succesB.  He  left  Eoehester  that  year  for 
China,  by  way  of  San  Francisco.  But  on  reaching 
the  latter  place,  the  accounts  from  China  wore  not 
assuring.  The  treatment  of  Europeans  at  that  time, 
and  the  new  hazards  of  business,  with  the  prospect 
of  a  war  between  China  and  one  or  more  European 
Powers,  were  considerations  which  changed  Mr. 
Dean's  determination,  and  he  concluded  to  try  his 
fortune  in  California.  His  business  training  stood  him 
in  good  stead.  lie  very  soon  became  Secretarj^  of 
some  of  the  most  important  mines  on  the  Pacific 
Coast.  Among  them  were  the  Chollar  Mining  Com- 
pany, and  afterwards  the  Potosi,  Imperial,  and  oth- 
ers. He  acquired  in  these  positions  the  reputation  of 
a  prompt,  accurate  and  faithful  officer,  with  a  large 
capacity  for  the  dispatch  of  business.  Courteous  and 
obliging  in  his  intercourse  with  those  who  had  busi- 
ness to  transact  with  him,  he  could  hardly  fail  of 
being  a  popular  business  man. 

Mr.  Dean  made  business  ventures  in  mines,  some- 
times with  fortunate  results,  and  sometimes  with 
losses.  Probably  an  instance  is  not  known  of  unvary- 
ing good  fortune  on  the  part  of  any  individual  long 
engaged  in  mining  pursuits.  The  purchase  of  an 
undeveloped  mine  is  always  a  venture,  where  there 
may  be  ten  chances  against  making  anything  to  one 
for  making  a  fortune.  Yet  a  groat  mine  is  such  a 
fortune,  and  there  is  so  much  fascination  in  the  ven- 
ture, that  it  is  not  a  matter  of  wonder  that  enter- 
prising men  should  be  willing  to  take  the  risks.  A 
great  mine  can  only  be  developed  and  placed  on  a 
paying  basis  by  a  large  expenditure,  and  often  bj' 
years  of  patient  labor.  Even  when  nothing  is 
returned  there  is  this  one  essential  benefit,  that  many 


hundred  thousand  dollars  may  have  been  spent  for 
labor  and  supplies,  and  this  money  goes  into  a 
thousand  small  channels,  and  helps  the  country  just  as 
much  as  the  same  amount  which  the  farmer  pays  for 
the  labor  on  his  farm,  and  for  the  supplies  which  he 
buys  from  time  to  time.  Mr.  Dean  at  last  found  the 
balance  from  his  ventures  on  the  right  side.  He  was 
set  down  as  a  fortunate  man.  It  was  rather  the  good 
fortune  which  came  from  experience,  education  and 
a  clear  business  head.  He  did  not  place  all  his  eggs 
in  one  basket,  but  at  a  later  day,  made  several  judi- 
cious investments  in  real  estate  in  San  Francisco, 
which  ho  has  since  improved,  rightly  judging  that 
the  future  growth  and  prosperity  of  that  city  were 
well  assured. 

In  the  year  1878,  Mr.  Dean  turned  his  attention 
somewhat  to  raining  interests  in  Arizona  Territory. 
Encouraging  accounts  were  given  of  some  of  the 
undeveloped  mines  in  that  region.  The  country  was 
remote.  The  railroad  had  progressed  hardly  beyond 
the  Colorado  Elver.  The  cost  of  erecting  mills  and 
transporting  supplies  was  enormous.  It  was  certain 
that  none  but  the  richest  mines  in  that  condition  of 
things  would  return  any  profit  to  the  owners.  Many 
cautious  mining  men  were  averse  to  touching  any- 
thing in  Arizona.  ^Ir.  Dean  bought  for  himself  and 
his  associates  what  was  then  known  as  the  Conten- 
tion Mine,  in  the  Tombstone  District.  The  consid- 
eration was  only  a  few  thousand  dollars.  But  the 
mine  was  only  partially  developed.  Indeed,  it  had 
never  been  opened  far  enough  to  show  forth  what 
might  be  in  it;  the  surface  indications  were  promis- 
ing enough.  But  surlaco  indications  have  often 
promised  vastly  more  than  was  ever  realized,  as 
most  mining  men  know  to  their  cost.  The  new  pur- 
chaser had  not  seen  the  mine,  and  did  not  see  it  for 
nearly  a  year  afterwards.  It  was,  however,  in 
charge  of  one  of  the  most  competent  superintendents 
in  the  country.  At  the  expiration  of  a  year  or  more 
he  and  his  associates  were  able  to  demonstrate  that 
the  Contention  was  a  good  mine. 

Mr.  Dean  was  not  onl3-  fortunate  in  his  mining 
investment,  but  also  in  his  associates.  When  the 
purchasers  were  able  to  demonstrate  its  great  re- 
sources, a  mill  was  erected  at  a  point  about  nine 
miles  distant,  whore  water  could  be  procured.  In  a 
few  weeks  the  mill  had  produced  bullion  equal  in 
value  to  the  entire  cost  of  the  establishment.  Since 
that  time  regular  monthly  dividends  have  been 
made  of  875,000  each,  besides  an  extra  one  of  the 


same  amount  last  ChristmaB.  The  name  of  the  mine 
was  changed  to  that  of  Western,  and  it  is  now 
known  as  one  of  the  great  mines  of  the  country. 
The  stock  of  this  mine  has  never  been  placed  on 
the  market.  The  owners  are  satisfied  with  safe  re- 
turns, and  with  conservative  mining  for  regular 
dividends.  The  mine  is  developed  in  an  orderly  and 
systematic  way,  and  it  promises  for  many  years  to 
come  to  be  one  of  the  best  mining  properties  in  the 
country.  Mr.  Bean  was  married  in  1863  to  Miss 
Helen  C.  MacDonough,  of  Philadelphia,  and  has  one 
son  just  coming  to  manhood.    He  is  a  member  of  the 


California  Commandery  of  Knights  Templar,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  several  prominent  clubs  and 
Associations.  He  has  a  large  social  nature,  gives 
liberally  when  his  sympathies  are  enlisted,  is  a  tried 
and  trusted  friend,  high-spirited  and  firm  in  his 
views  of  public  policy  and  duty.  He  has  no  taste 
for  politics,  votes  quietly,  but  never  conceals  his 
opinions.  He  reads  extensively,  _has  a  taste  for 
art  and  refined  amusements,  and  has  the  capacity 
to  enjoy  in  a  rational  way  the  fortune  which  he  has 
attained  in  the  prime  of  his  years. 


MINING  AND  POLITICS. 


126 


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126 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


THE     LAW    OF     1875,     ITS     PECUNIARY     AND     POLITICAL 
EFFECTS. 

The  people  of  Storey  County  became  somewhat 
restive  under  the  discrimination,  and  in  1874  elected 
John  Piper  of  Viriiinia  City  to  the  State  Senate,  who 
introduced  a  bill  that  became  a  law,*  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote  in  both  Houses,t  and  was  approved 
February  20,  1875.  The  change  made  by  Piper's 
bill  was  a  radical  one.  It  repealed  that  portion  of 
the  law  of  1SG7  which  limited  the  tax  on  bullion  in 
Storey  County  to  twentj--five  cents  on  the  SlOO,  and 
placed  the  limit  at  one  dollar  and  a  half,  the  same  as 
with  any  other  kind  of  projierty. 

This  was  a  revolution  in  the  policy  regarding 
mines,  and  the  unanimity  of  sentiment  prevailing  in 
both  Houses  in  regard  to  it,  was  due  to  the  absence 
of  any  outside  influence  in  opposition  to  the  measure. 
William  Sharon  and  associates  had  practically 
exhausted  the  known  ore  bodies  in  their  mines,  and 
no  longer  cared  to  exempt  that  class  of  property. 
In  fact,  their  interests  now  demanded  a  change  in 
their  jiolicy.  A  heavier  tax  on  mines  would  draw 
but  little  money  from  them,  and  would  increase  the 
Storey  County  sinking  fund  out  of  which  their  rail- 
road bonds  were  to  be  paid.  Consequently,  that 
firm  allowed  the  bill  to  pass,  neither  favoring  nor 
opposing  it.  They  were  well  enough  pleased  to 
rea])  the  benefits  that  came  to  them  unsought;  but 
with  those  favors  also  came  a  political  conflict  upon 
which  they  liad  not  counted. 

As  the  Sharon  mines  had  began  to  show  signs  of 
being  worked  out,  another  bonanza,  the  largest  yet 
found,  was  opened  by  the  firm  of  John  W.  Mackey, 
James  G.  Fair,  and  Flood  and  O'Brien,  in  the  Consol- 
idated Virginia  and  California  mines.  The  yield  of 
bullion  from  the  Consolidated  Virginia  was: — 

In  1873,  8(;45,587.17;  1874,  84,981,484.05;  1875, 
?1G,717,394.76;  1876,  §16,057,049.47.  Total  §39,002,- 
110.45. 

It  will  be  readily  seen,  that  the  change  in  1875, 
from  a  tax  of  twenty-five  cents  to  possibly  SI. 50 
upon  the  §100,  in  Storey  County,  was  throwing  upon 
the  above  firm,  a  volume  of  taxation  that  the  Cali- 
fornia Bank  mines  had  escaped.  This  was  not  the 
feature,  however,  which  aggravated  most;  but  the 
fact  that  it  forced  these  two  mines  to  pay  such  a 
large  proportion  of  the  Vii'ginia  and  Truckee  Kail- 
road  bonds,  was  a  hair  that  broke  the  camel's  back. 
The  owners  of  the  newly  discovered  bonanzas  de- 
elai'ed  war  against  William  Sharon,  the  bank  man- 
ager, bullion  tax  manipulator,  princijial  owner  of  the 
Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad,  and  United  States 
Senator,  who  they  supposed  was  resjionsible  for  the 
existing  state  of  things.  The  proposition  was  how 
to  avoid  the  increased  taxation,  and  at  the  same  time 
])unish  their  enemy.  At  that  time  the  members  of 
the  "Bonanza"  firm  were  not  politicians,  their  first 

•Statutes  of  1875,  pages  74  and  75. 

+In  the  .Senate,  the  vote  was  unanimous.  In  tlie  Assembly, 
only  one  vote  was  opposed  to  it. 


niove  demonstrated  this  fact;  but  they  soon  became 
such,  and  their  second  effort  showed  them  to  be  apt 
scholars,  in  the  arena  where  "  Ways  *  *  are  dark  and 
*  *  tricks  *  *  not  vain." 

Their  first  move  as  previously  suggested,  proved 
their  incipient  condition  as  jK)lilicians,  being  no  less 
an  eiTor  than  the  refusal  to  pay  any  tax,  either  to 
the  countj'  or  State;  believing  the  law  to  be  uncon- 
stitutional under  which  the  tax-gatherer  was  acting. 
The  case  was  decided  against  them  in  the  United 
States  Circuit  Court  and  was  appealed  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  where  it  lay 
undecided  during  the  ensuing  contest.  This  refusal 
to  pay  occurred  in  June,  187G,  and  was  a  direct 
demand  upon  the  pockets  of  every  property  owner 
in  the  State,  who  would  be  called  upon  to  make  up 
all  deficiencies  to  both  State  and  county  resulting 
from  the  act.  It  came  just  at  the  eve  of  an  election, 
a  fresh  political  question;  and  the  two  jiarties  in  the 
State  vied  with  each  other  in  their  outspoken  hos- 
tility to  any  action,  by  State  officials  or  Legislators, 
that  looked  towards  a  modification  of  the  law  under 
which  bidlion  was  taxed.  The  Republican  State 
Convention  Resolved,  "That  the  Republican  party  is 
opposed  to  any  repeal  or  change  of  the  present  law 
providing  for  the  taxation  of  the  net  proceeds  of  the 
mines,  looking  to  any  different  method  of  arriving  at 
values  for  the  purpose  of  taxation."  The  Democratic 
State  Convention  Resolced,  "That  all  property,  includ- 
ing the  net  proceeds  of  mines,  shall  bear  its  equal 
burden  of  taxation,  and  we  are  opposed  to  any  Leg- 
islation in  anywise  exempting  such  proceeds  from 
taxation."  All  candidates  for  the  State  Legislature 
were  under  necessity  of  pledging  themselves  as  anti- 
compromise  and  anti-change  on  the  bullion  tax  ques- 
tion before  they  were  accepted  by  either  ])arty — 
except  in  White  Pine  County.  Apparently  there  was 
but  one  opinion  in  the  State,  and  that  was  for  no 
change.  Judge  O.  R.  Leonard  was  elected  to  the 
Supreme  Bench,  aiid  Thomas  Wren  to  Congress,  the 
State  going  Republican  on  the  Presidential  issue. 
The  new  Legislative  members  were  divided  upon 
national  politics,  both  Democrats  and  Republicans 
being  elected,  but  they  were  a  unit  upon  the  one  issue 
of  the  hour,  and  such  was  the  political  result  of  bo- 
nanza move  number  one. 

THE    MEMBERS   IGNORE   THEIR   PLEDGES. 

The  State  Controller's  report,  at  the  assembling  of 
the  Legislature,  made  the  following  exhibit  of  the 
Slate  debt  up  to  the  beginning  of  1S77: — 

Bonds  payable  after  1880. .§540,400  00 
Accrued    interest    on     same 

Jan.    1,   1877 17,236  m 

Outstanding  warrants 57,441  87 

Total  outstanding  State  debt  §G1.'),078  53 

On  hand  to  pay  the  same  in 

cash  or  Us  e(juivalont 506,648  82 

Balance  of  State  debt  not  pro- 
vided for 108,429  71 


MINING  AND  POLITICS. 


127 


Deduct  amount  not  duo  until 
after  1881 33,751   18 

Jjeavinjj  Jan.  1,  1877,  to    bo 

pioviiled  for 74,678  53 

To  this  add  Controller's  esti- 
mated expense  of  running 
the  Stale  Government  for 
the    ensuing    two    years.*  894,250  85 

This  gives  a  total  expense 
that  this  Legislature  was  to 
provide  for  of 968,929  38 

The  necessities,  therefore,  lying  at  the  threshold 
of  the  Slate  Govornmenl  was  to  provide  for  the 
payment,  within  the  next  two  years,  of  8968,929.38 
by  borrowing  money,  taxation,  or  both.  The 
Controller  estimated  the  jirobablo  revenues  of  the 
State,  for  the  ensuing  two  years,  not  inclmJing  tax  on 
mines,  at  S7U,21(l.t  Add  to  this  864,464J  as  the 
income  from  mines  in  the  State,  7iol  including  tfie 
"  Bo7wnziis"  and  the  State  would  have  S775,674  to 
meet  its  expense  obligation  of  §968,929  with. 
There  would  thus  remain  a  deficiency  of  $193,255  to 
be  provided  for  bj-  borrowing  monej-,  providing  no 
tax  was  received  from  the  '-Bonanza"  mines.  This 
was  an  over-estimate  as  to  what  the  State 
necessities  would  bo,  tho  results  showing  that  the 
deficiency  would  have  been  less  than  SlOU,O0(); 
but  this  fact  c<iuld  not  be  known  at  that  time. 
Practically  the  (juestion  ])resented  was  to  provide 
for  a  deficit  of,  say  §200,000,  or  collect  the  tax  from 
the  belligerent  firm. 

AN   OUTSIDE   PRESSURE   BROUOHT   TO    BEAR. 

The  financial  coixlition  of  Storey  County  was  a 
question  that  ju'esented  itself  in  a  strong  light  be- 
fore tho  now  mombors.  Tho  County  Treasurer  had, 
on  tho  close  of  1866,  reported  that  county  as  having 
no  floating  debt,  its  only  reported  obligations  being 
those  Virginia  and  Truckee  bonds,  of  which  there 
remained  un])aid  8218,000,  bearing  interest  at  seven 
per  cent.  The  shutting  off  of  the  "Bonanza"  tax 
was  causing  a  deficiency  in  the  county  revenues  that 
presented  the  necessity  of  borrowing  8100,000  to  pay 
fortheirnew  Court  House,  and  maintain  their  schools, 
unless  tho  disputed  tax  was  paid. 

THE   TWO    HORNS   OF   THE    DILEMMA. 

The  amount  of  money  involved  in  tho  issue  was 
$290, 27.'). 72  due  the  State  and  county  of  Storey  by 
that  mining  corporation,  as  levied  under  existing 
laws.  To  this  had  accrued,  in  tho  form  of  penalties 
for  not  paying  the  amount  when  due,  the  sum  of 
877,578.22,  making  a  total  of  367,853.94. 

Tho  whole  question  apparently  presented  to  tho 
Legislature  resolved  itself  into  one  of  a  necessity  for 
borrowing  8200.000  tor  the  State;  of  forcing  Storey 
County  to  borrow  8100,000  to  maintain    her  credit; 

'This  .imoiint  was  $12,643.47  more  than  was  expended. 

tThere  was  ^SI.'l.G'iii.'JO  more  paid  into  the  treasury  in  1877  and 
1878  than  the  estimate. 

JFigureil  from  the  siippositinn  that  mines  would  continue  to 
produce  as  much  bullion  e.ich  year  .is  they  had  yiehUd  in  1876. 


or  go  back  on  their  party  instructions  as  well  as 
personal  pledges,  and  compromise  with  tho  "Bonanza" 
firm. 

THE   RESULTS. 

On  tho  seventeenth  of  February,  1877,  bill  No.  126 
was  introduced  before  the  Senate,  that  embodied  tho 
results  of  a  compromise  entered  into  between  the 
"Bonanza"  managers  on  the  ono  side,  and  the  county 
officials  of  Storey  County — joined  by  tho  State  Con- 
troller and  Treasurer — on  the  other,  to  which  Gov- 
ernor Bradley  acquiesced.*  The  existing  law  said, 
Assess  tho  value  of  what  bullion  remains,  after  de- 
ducting tho  actiial  cost — nuil  no  more — of  ])roducing 
it,  and  placed  a  limit  to  tho  amount  per  ton,  beyond 
which  owners  were  not  allowed  to  bring  in  bills  of 
expenses.  The  proposed  compromise  law  made 
those  limits  a  little  more  favorable  to  mine  owners; 
and  allowed  a  deduction  for  expenses  equal  to  the 
limits  named,  regardless  of  whether  the  actual  cost  had 
reached  those  figures  or  not.  The  difl'erences  amounted 
to  a  reduction  in  tho  tax  on  the  bullion  product  in 
tho  State  of  thirty-one  and  a  half  per  cent.,  as  ad- 
mitted by  the  friends  of  the  compromise. t  This 
was  equal  to  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  entire  taxable 
property  of  tho  State.  By  its  enemies,  the  claim 
was  that  it  relieved  from  taxation  between  forty- 
seven  and  fiftj'  per  cent,  of  mining  products,  assessa- 
ble under  the  existing  law  of  1871.  The  "Bonanza" 
firm  said,  pass  this  law,  relieving  us  in  I'uture  from 
the  necessity  of  paying  taxes  U|)on  thirty -one  and  a 
half  per  cent,  of  our  bullion  profits,  and  we  will  ])ay 
both  State  and  county  all  that  we  owe,  under  exist- 
ing laws. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  February  the  bill  passed 
the  Senate,  by  a  vote  of  fourteen  to  eleven,  as  fol- 
lows:— 


SENATORS  VOTING  .\OAINST 
n-S  PA.SS.\(JK. 

Goo.  W.  Baker, 
W.  M.  Boardman, 
11.  T.  Cresswell, 
K.  15.  Dickinson, 
A.  Garrard, 
Wm,  C.  Grimes, 
<^has.  McConnoll. 
W.  L.  Ross, 
G.  H.  Shepard, 
VV.  F.  Stewart, 
N.  Woscoatt. 


SENATORS  VOTtNO  FOR  ITS 

PAHSAr.E. 

A.  J.  Blair, 

Geo.  \V.  Cassidj', 

S.  W.  Chubbuck, 

H.  A.  Comins, 

Gen.  T.  1).  Edwards, 

M.  J.  Farrell, 

AV.  Ji.  King, 

W.  O.  IL  Martin, 

John  Piper, 

T.  B.  Rickey, 

E.  A.  Schultz, 

O.  K.  Stampley, 

T.  N.  Stone, 

W.J.  Westerfiold. 
Total  vote  for  bill,  14.  Total  ojjposing  vote,  11. 
On  tlie  twcntj'-sevcnth  of  February  tho  bill  passed 
tho  Assembly,  by  a  vote  of  twenty-seven  to  twentj-- 
threo.  On  the  first  of  March  (tov.  L.  II.  Bradley 
vetoed  it;  and  such  was  tho  result,  for  the  time 
being,  of  "Bonanza"  move  number  two. 

*  These  officials  were  elected  prior  to  the  time  when  the  ques- 
tion of  a  compromise  had  been  raised,  consequently  were  not 
pledged  in  the  matter,  aiul  acted  upon  the  question  from  a  stand- 
point of  mere  present  policy. 

t  See  (Governor's  veto,  Senate  Journal,  Eighth  .Session,  page 
315  and  316. 


128 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


THE  VETO  AND  ITS  IMMEDIATE  EFFECTS. 

The  Governor's  veto  message  contained  the  follow- 
ing remarks  upon  the  political  bearing  of  the  acts  of 
those  who  hail  taken  part  in  the  contest,  and  the 
reward  that  might  be  looked  for,  in  the  near  future, 
as  the  natural  result  incident  to  those  acts.  Its 
expression  sounds  strangely  out  of  place  and  absurd 
in  the  light  of  what  has  since  transpired;  much  as 
the  reading  of  a  prayer  would  at  a  prize-fight, 
although  the  utterances  are  those  only  of  principles 
and  sentiments  that  underlie  the  only  hope  of  per- 
petuating a  free  government:  •'  We  are  sent  here," 
said  the  Governor,  "  as  the  servants  of  the  people,  to 
execute  and  carry  out  their  will.  There  is  no  power 
on  earth  to  release  us  from  the  pledges  exacted  of  us 
by  our  constituents,  except  themselves.  The  success 
or  failure  of  our  Government  depends  upon  the 
honesty  of  the  representative  in  carrj-ing  out  his 
instructions.  The  whole  people,  in  their  State  Con- 
ventions and  in  their  County  Conventions,  have 
instructed  us  as  to  our  duty  in  relation  to  the  assess- 
ment of  the  proceeds  of  the  mines.  On  no  other 
subject  were  the  people  of  this  State  ever  so  out- 
spoken, so  unanimous.  No  member  of  this  Legisla- 
ture came  here  in  doubt  as  to  the  wishes  of  those 
who  sent  him.  We  all  will  have  an  accounting 
with  our  respective  constituencies  upon  our  return 
home  for  the  proper  execution  of  the  trust  confided 
to  us.  While  some  may  return  covered  with  the 
wreck  of  broken  pledges,  others,  I  am  happy  to  say, 
will  meet  their  people  and  receive  the  reward  of 
'  well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants.'  Many  will 
go  forth  from  this  feast  of  the  vultures  with  pledges 
kept  sacred,  with  manhood  unsullied,  and  the  people 
will  learn  whom  to  truest  hi  thi:  falare." 

"  And  the  people  will  learn  o'honi  to  tra»t  in  the 
futwe."  What  good  has  it  done  tliem  to  learn  whom 
to  trust  ?  What  advantage  has  it  pi-oved  to  those 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants?"  Of  the 
eleven  .Senators  who  kept  their  faith  with  the  people, 
but  two  have  since  received  preferment  at  the  hands 
of  their  constituents,  namely  G.  Jl.  Shopard,  of  Elko, 
and  Charles  McConnell,  of  Humboldt.  George  W. 
Cassidy,  of  Kureka,  was  one  of  the  Senators  who, 
being  pledged  to  oppose  a  change,  ignored  the  fact 
and  became  one  of  the  strongest  advocates  of  the 
compromise.  In  1S80  the  ])eople  elected  him  to  Con- 
gress as  a  reward  for  iiot  keeping  faith  with  them, 
and  defeated  R.  M,  Daggett  for  that  position,  who 
had  ably  served  them  in  Washington,  where  ho  had 
acted  consistcntl3',  in  following  in  the  line  of  his  anti- 
railroad,  and  all  other  pledges. 

The  strangest  part  of  this  political  anomaly,  how- 
ever, has  been  the  way  in  which  the  voters  after- 
wards showed  tlieii-  aiipreciation  of  what  the  chief 
actor  had  done  for  them,  by  defeating  him  for  Gov- 
ernor, because  he  had  followed  their  instructions, 
and  giving  the  United  States  Sonatorship  to  the 
party  against  whom  they  had  instructed  him  to  act 
in   maintaining  their   rights.     We  have  no  fault  to 


find  with  Mr.  Fair,  neither  have  we  with  Mr.  Cassidy, 
for  these  gentlemen  are  much  better  representatives 
at  Washington,  than  those  deserve  who  reward  their 
friends  with  defeat,  and  enemies  with  preferment. 

BON.\NZA    MOVE    .NUMBER   THREE. 

There  was  an  extensive  disjilay  of  enthusiasm 
throughout  the  State  when  the  news  spread  that  the 
Governor  had  vetoed  the  bill.  Congratulatory  meet- 
ings and  pledges  from  influential  members  of  both 
parties  was  the  order  of  the  day,  naming  L.  R  Brad- 
ley for  Governor  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  regard- 
less of  politics.  Yet  from  a  small  minority  in  the 
State,  emanated  the  mutterings  that  portended  a  com- 
ing storm.  The  press  of  Storey  County  came  out  in 
such  a  raid  of  abuse  as  it  never  before  had  turned 
loose  upon  a  State  official  in  Nevada.  The  Virginia 
Evening  Chronicle  said,  under  the  heading  of,  "  Our 
Boss  Lunatic":  "  Governor  Bradley  has  written  him- 
self down  an  ass  in  letters  as  large  as  the  State  of 
Nevada.  We  move  for  a  commission  de  lunatico  en- 
quirendo  in  his  ease,  and  that  pending  the  inquiry 
pen  and  paper  be  carefully  kept  out  of  his  way.  In 
his  hands  they  are  as  dangerous  as  a  razor  in  the 
hands  of  a  maniac." 

The  Gold  Hill  N'ews  headed  a  caustic  editorial, 
"A  I)is.\strous  Veto,"  and  satirically  remarked  that 
"  *  *  Truly  this  is  a  brilliant  piece  of  statesmanship 
on  the  part  of  Governor  Bradley — one  of  which  he 
and  his  party  may  justly  be  proud  !  *  *  He  has 
rung  the  death-knell  of  his  party." 

The  Territorial  Enterprise  boiled  over  in  bitterness 
in  the  following  strain:  "Yesterday  was  one  of  the 
saddest  days  ever  seen  in  Virginia,  The  shadow  of 
a  great  calamity  was  felt  everj'wherc;  and  over  all 
was  the  feeling  that  the  people  had  been  spat  upon 
and  betrayed  by  the  old  imbecile  whose  only  claim 
for  respect  among  men  has  been  his  reputation  for 
honesty,  *  *  »  \ye  trust  that  it  will  cause  the 
people  of  Storey  County  to  realize  at  last  that  the 
most  dangerous  man  to  put  in  office  at  any  time  is 
an  old  fool.  A  man  who  through  a  long  life  has 
followed  so  narrow  a  groove  that  the  suspicion  of 
dishonesty  is  always  awakened  in  his  breast  if  a  man 
with  a  clean  shirt  on  approaches  him.  *  *  * 
Ho  is  old  and  <lecrc|iit,  and  it  would  be  cowardice 
to  abuse  or  insult  him.  *  *  *  ]5ut  would  to 
God  that  he  was  a  young  man  that  we  might  pub- 
lish  how  much  we  wish  that  he  was  dead." 

We  give  an  extract  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
question  as  a  sample  of  the  opinions  entertained 
bv  a  large  majority  of  the  people  of  the  State. 
The  Kureka  Nejuilihcdn  was  politicallj-  o|>posed  to 
the  Governor,  but  said:  "Governor  Bradley  deserves 
well  of  the  people  of  this  State.  Wo  are  alwaj's 
glad  to  do  justice  to  a  political  opponent,  and  on 
this  occasion  we  tender  the  Governor  our  hearty 
thanks  for  his  action.  He  has,  wo  believe,  saved 
the  already  overburdened  tax-payers  of  the  State 
IVom  the  imposition  of  additional  and  unjust  bur- 
dens." 


MINING  AND  POLITICS. 


129 


ATTEMPT   TO   COMPROMISE. 

Tho  veto  of  Jlareh  Iftt  left  the  whole  question 
where  the  instructions  of  the  people  had  indicated 
that  they  desired  it  to  be,  dependent  upon  the 
action  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Seventeen  days  later 
a  proposition  was  made  by  tho  "Bonanza"  firm  to 
Storej-  t'ounty.  through  its  Commissioners,  to  loan 
that  county  880.00(1,  and  follow  tho  accommodation 
by  a  further  advance  quarterly  for  four  quarters 
of  an  amount  equal  to  a  half  of  one  per  cent,  on 
their  bullion  j'ield,  after  deducting  cost  of  produc- 
ing it. 

There  were  three  conditions  to  be  complied  with 
on  the  part  of  the  county  as  a  consideration  for  this 
advance,  as  follows: — 

First — The  money  was  to  bo  used  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  replenish  the  general  and  school 
funds,  which  left  tho  railroad  bonds  and  other  mat- 
ter out  in  the  cold. 

Second — These  advances  to  cease  when  the  suit 
was  finally  decided. 

Third — That  these  advances  were  to  be  ci-edited 
against  the  amount  of  taxes  due  the  county  and 
State,  provided  suit  terminated  adverse  to  that  firm, 
otherwise  not. 

Fourth — If  suit  was  decided  against  the  ''Bonanza" 
representatives  then  the  County  Commissioners  wore 
'•b}-  official  action,  so  far  as  they  had  tho  power  to 
do  the  same,  remit  and  release  all  penalties  and  per- 
centages for  which  either  of  said  companies  shall 
heretofore  have  been  liable,  by  reason  of  a  failure 
on  its  part  to  have  paid  the  taxes  assessed  against 
it  at  the  time  when  they  became  due." 

This  proposition  for  compromise  met  with  suf- 
ficient op]iosiiion  to  prevent  its  being  adopted,  and 
was  withdrawn  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  the  same 
month. 

COMPROMISE    EFFECTED. 

The  next  effort  of  these  mine  representatives, 
looking  towards  relief  from  a  portion  of  tho  conso- 
•luenccs  of  the  error  on  their  ])art  of  refusing  to 
pay  their  taxes,  resulte<l  more  favorably,  simply  be- 
cause they  offered  more  and  exacted  less.  This 
time  the  proposition  was  made.  May  3d,  to  pay  all 
they  owed,  both  State  and  county,  including  costs 
of  suit,  less  peivdlies  and  jier  cents  that  had  accrued 
for  non-payment.  Tho  condition  attached  for  doing 
this  was,  that  if  the  pending  case  in  tho  United 
States  Supreme  Court  terminated  favorably  to  the 
State  then  the  District  Court  of  Storey  County  was 
to  issue  a  viandamvs,  staying  execution  for  satisfac- 
tion of  so  much  of  tho  judgment  as  included  penal- 
ties and  per  cents,  until  the  first  of  April,  IST'J.  This 
would  carry  the  same  beyond  the  next  session  of 
the  State  Legislature,  thus  giving  an  opportunity 
for  relief  from  tho  necessity  of  l>aying  lliom  bj-  an 
Act  of  that  body.  The  proposition  was  accepted 
by  the  District  Attorney  and  ('ountj-  (^)mniissioner 
of  Storey  County,  atid  the  money,  S2!M),27r).72,  was 
paid  on  tho  fifth.     Un  tho  seventh  the  question  was 


decided  in  the  LTnited  States  Supreme  Court  in  favor 
of  the  State,*  the  fact  being  ]jublish(;d  in  the  Vir- 
ginia City  papers  the  next  day. 

The  appearance  of  this  transaction  would  indicate 
that  tho  attornej'  of  the  "Bonanza"  firm  at  Wash- 
ington had  advised  them  of  the  probable  result  of 
their  suit,  and  this  final  arrangement  was  a  little 
sharp  practice  to  save  as  much  as  possible  from 
the  wreck;  but  thoi-o  is  no  positive  evidence  to  this 
effect. 

EFFORTS   TO   AVOID    PAVIN(!    THESE   PENALTIES. 

On  the  ninth  of  February,  18V9,  a  bill  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Senate,  that  had  it  been  constitu- 
tional would  have  removed  the  necessity  for  paying 
the  amount  that  had  become  duo  the  State  and 
county  in  the  form  of  penalties  from  this  firm.  It 
passed  that  body  by  a  vote  of  fourteen  to  ten,  and 
the  Assembly-  by  a  vote  of  thirty-one  to  eighteen, 
and  was  aj^jroved  by  the  (iovornor,  March  17,  187J).t 

Immediately  after  the  adjournment  of  tho  Legis- 
lature, Attorney  tiencral  Murphy  asked  of  the 
Supreme  Court  that  the  cases  of  tho  California  and 
Consolidated  Virginia  Mining  Companies,  might  bo 
again  placed  upon  the  Calendar,  for  the  purpose  of 
ro-argunient;  to  test  the  constitutionality  of  tho  Act 
dismissing  the  suits,  and  releasing  the  companies 
from  tho  payment  of  the  penalties.  This  request 
was  granted,  and  after  re-argument,  the  Su])rcmo 
Court  held  the  law  to  be  unconstitutional,  for  the 
following  reasons : — 

First— That  the  District  Attorney  had  no  right,  or 
power,  to  consent  to  the  entiy  of  a  judgment,  or  to 
receive  less  than  tho  full  amount  of  taxes  due  and 
penalties  accrued,  to  the  State  and  County. 

Second — That  the  Act  was  in  plain  violation  of 
Sections  twenty  and  twenty-one,  of  Article  four,  of 
the  Constitution  of  this  State,  in  this,  that  it  was  a 
special  Act.  It  was  therefore  ordered  that  the  judg- 
ment of  tho  District  Court  be  reversed,  the  demurrers 
overruled,  and  the  tlofcndants  permitted  to  answer. 

On  tho  receipt  of  the  remitter  in  the  District 
Court,  tho  State,  by  J.  H.  Harris,  District  Attorney 
of  Storey  County,  filed  an  amended  complain!  on  the 
ninth  day  of  July,  ISSO;  and  on  the  sixth  day  of  llie 
ensuing  ^'ovomber  the  Court  rendered  judgment  in 
favor  of  the  State,  and  against  each  of  tho  com- 
panies, for  tho  sum  ])rayed  for  in  the  complaints  and 
the  penalties  amounting  to  S77,.")78.2U. 

On  tho  80vof!teenth  day  of  November,  188(1,  tho 
California  and  Consolidated  Virginia  Mining  Com- 
panies filed  their  notices  of  appeal  to  tho  Supreme 
Court,  where  the  cases  are  now  pending. 

The  plan  has  been  again  adopted,  of  operating 
with  tho  Legislature,  to  avoid  the  unavoidable  result 
of  leaving  tho  issue  for  settlement  in  tho  courts.  In 
pursuance  of  this  plan.  Senator  llaines  of  Douglas 
County,  on  tho  twenty-seventh  of  January,  1881, 
introduced  Senate  Bill  No.  68,  that  is  so  framed  as, 

*  04  United  .Stati'S  Kqiorts,  4  Otto,  page  702. 
t  .Statutes  of  IS"'.*,  pagu  143. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


if  possible  by  the  use  of  phraseology  of  a  general 
form,  to  avoid  the  objection  found  in  Section  twenty, 
Article  four  of  the  Constitution,  that  proved  dis- 
astrous to  the  former  Act  on  the  same  subject. 

Upon  the  final  passage  of  this  bill  the  Senatorial 
vote  stood  eight  Republicans  aye,  and  five  no;  five 
Democrats  aye  and  four  no;  one  Democrat  favor- 
able to  its  passage  being  absent. 

The  Senators  voting  aj'e  were  R.  P.  Dayton,  Wm. 
Doolin,  J.  B.  Gallagher,  W.  D.  C.  Gibson,  J.  W. 
Haines,  D.  W.  Perlcy,  M.  S.  Thompson,  J.  A.  Brum- 
sey,  L.  T.  Fox,  Chas.  McConnell,  J.  B.  ToUey,  W. 
R.  King  and  W.  J.  Westerfield. 

Senators  voting  no — J.  D.  Hammond,  W.  W. 
Hobart,  Chas.  Kaiser,  C.  C.  Powning,  J.  P.  Wheeler, 
B.  H.  Meder,  \V.  H.  Henderson,  Thos.  Rockhill,  G. 
H.  Shepherd,  J.  T.  Williams;  absent,  J.  Schooling. 

In  the  Assemblj^  those  voting  yea  were  Messrs. 
Bailey,  Ballinger,  Barrett,  Copeland,  Drcxler,  Duffj^ 
Englis,  Fallon,  Ford,  Gignoux,  Havenor,  Kelly, 
Knight,  Longley,  Mallon,  Masel,  May,  McBurney, 
McGowan,  McKenzie,  Mooney,  Moriartj',  Organ, 
Parker,  Penoyer,  Penton,  Tuska,  Waldorf — twenty- 
eight.  Nay,  Messrs.  Adams,  Bell,  Blair,  Bradshaw, 
Coffin,  Corbett,  Ernst,  Green,  Irvine,  Johnson, 
Lewers,  Newell,  Plank,  Richards,  Shier,  Smyth, 
Soule,  the  Speaker — eighteen. 

On  the  third  of  March  Governor  Kinkead  vetoed 
the  bill.  The  Daily  Index,  in  commenting  ujjon  the 
unexpected  event,  said: — 

There  was  a  murmur  of  delight  which  grew  into 
actual  demonstrations  of  applause  in  the  Senate 
Chamber,  last  evening,  as  the  message  of  Governor 
Kinkead  was  received  announcing  his  veto  of  Senate 
Bill  No.  (JS,  commoTily  known  ;is  the  "bullion  tax 
penalties  bill."  That  the  veto  was  not  generallj' 
expected  ailded  wonilerfully  to  the  zest  of  the  occa- 
sion. The  ([Uestion  was  jiut  by  President  Adams, 
"Shall  the  bill  ])ass  notwithstanding  the  objections 
of  the  (Jovcrnor?"  and  amid  almost  breathless  silence 
it  received  onl}-  eleven  votes  as  the  tally  closed. 
Thus  the  bill  was  finally  lost.  The  commotion 
again  commenced  and  many  faces  beamed  with 
smiles.  The  feeling  of  relief  was  to  be  marked  on 
nearly  every  countenance,  including  even  those  who 
had  sustained  the  measure  liy  their  votes. 

(iovernor  Kinkead  has  done  himself  great  credit 
by  this  veto,  and  by  none  will  this  be  acknowledged 
more  gladly  than  liy  the  DdUij  lu'lcx.  Through 
this  message  the  I{e])nblican  ])arty  has  had  a  heai"- 
ing,  and  the  recreancy  of  the  [{epublican  Senators 
to  the  will  of  the  i)arty  has  been  severely  and 
righteously  rebuked.  The  people  can  now  "thank 
God  and  take  courage,"  and  so  can  the  Governor 
himself  He  has  in  this  instance  "crossed  the  Ru- 
bicon." and  there  is  no  reason  why  he  may  not  lor 
constitutional  reasons  veto  the  "  Lottery  Hill."  As 
said  elsewhere,  we  hope  he  will  do  so. 

The  Virginia  (Jity  Ghronick  editoriallj'  remarks 
upon  the  same  subject: — 

The  bill  vetoed  by  Governor  Kinkead  last  night 
was  substantially  the  same  as  that  approved  by  him 
two  j'ears  ago,  the  only  dilference  being  that  this 


was  drawn  as  a  general  law,  to  avoid  the  constitu- 
tional objections  indicated  bj-  the  Supreme  Court. 
The  veto  of  this  bill  took  ever3-bodj'  by  surprise. 
Had  the  Legislature,  in  defiance  of  the  /ilitf/onus  of 
both  jmrties,  jxissed  any  bill  repealing  or  modi/yinij  the 
existiiu)  law  in  reijard  to  taxing  proceeds  of  mines,  it 
would,  vje  think,  have  been  the  duty  of  Governor  Kinkead 
to  veto  it,  as  upon  that  ])oint  the  door  had  been  closed 
upon  all  argument.  But  this  bill  had  no  reference 
whatever  to  the  matter  upon  which  the  people  had 
exacted  pledges.  It  was  merely  an  effort  to  carry 
out  in  good  faith  the  terms  of  a  business  agreement. 

The  platforms  of  both  parties  at  the  time  when 
Mr.  Kinkead  was  elected  Governor,  contained  just 
such  clauses,  pledging  candidates  to  oppose  any 
modification  of  the  law  under  which  mines  were 
taxed.  But  this  language  reaches  farther  than  the 
veto  by  Kinkead;  it  moves  backwards  in  its  logic, 
and  justifies  Governor  Bradlej-  in  that  act,  for  which 
the  Chronicle  so  bitterly  condemned  him  at  the  time; 
and,  ])roves  that  after  all,  those  letters  were  not  so 
large  as  they  appeared  to  be  at  the  time. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 
AGRICULTURE. 


Early  Cultivation  of  Carson  Valley — Cultivation  in  Humboldt 
—  Reports  of  Large  Crops — The  Climate  of  Neva'la — Monthly 
anil  Annual  Meteornlogical  Ilec<»r(l  for  ISSO — Table  .SliowiiiL; 
Number  (if  Trees  and  Vines  in  the  .St,ite — Kain-fall — Cloud 
Bursts — Irrig,iting  Ditches  and  Acres  Irrigated — Water 
Catchment — Ayrieultural  Products  in  li>7:^-74 — Progress  of 
Fruit  Culture — Stock — Washoe  Valley — Prospects  in  1S81 
— Tabulated  Statement  of  the  Increase  of  Stock  from  lS(i5 
to  ISSl — Tabulated  Statement  Showing  Area  Cultivatiil 
and  (irain  Raised  From  l.S()5  to  ISSl — Table  of  licailing 
Products  for  1880 — Cattle  Raising — The  Ilodeo — The  Stam- 
pede— The  Cricket — Rocky  Mountain  Locust. 

NEv.\nA  is  ranked  as  a  mineral  State.  Although 
capable  in  places  of  producing  nearly  all  the  cereals 
and  fruits  of  the  temperate  zone,  the  peculiar  geo- 
logical and  climatic  character  will  always  militate 
against  anything  more  than  a  limited  cultivation  of 
the  soil.  The  greater  portion  of  it  lies  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  more  than  8, .500  feet;  some  of  the  vallej's  are 
0,000,  and  the  mountains  10,000  to  14,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  subjecting  it  to  unseasonable  frosts.  For 
reasons  not  well  imderstood  the  rain-fall  over  a  great 
part  is  insufficient  to  mature  crojts,  being,  in  some 
instances,  as  low  as  four  inches  per  annum.  On  the 
higher  mountain  ranges  snow  falls  to  a  great  depth, 
occasionally  twenty  feet  or  more.  This  melts  on 
the  approach  of  summer,  and  forms  strong  streams 
which  flow,  some  into  the  Columbia,  some  into  the 
Colorado,  and  some  into  the  Great  Basin,  which 
constitutes  such  a  remarkable  feature  in  the  topog- 
raph}- of  the  American  (Continent.  Along  these 
limited  water-courses  are  fertile  valleys,  and,  where 
exempt  from  summer  frosts,  producing  fruits  and 
grains  in  abundance.  The  waters  flowing  into  the 
large  rivers  generally  run  in  a  deep  channel,  or 
cafion,  with  precijjitous  walls  from  one  thousand  to 
several  thousand  feet  high.  There  are  not  suflicie^lt 
rains  to  round  these  channels  into  valleys  as  on  tho 


AGRICULTURE. 


131 


oastern  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  century 
ailor  century  the  channels  are  worn  farther  into  tlio 
earth,  the  little  rain  fallini^  bein<;  absoriied  by  tiie 
earth  and  carried  otl'  by  the  Ueep  gorges,  and  never 
reappearing  as  springs  or  surface  moisture.  No 
vegetation  of  any  amount  can  grow  in  a  country  so 
drained;  and,  accordingly,  in  the  southern  part  of 
Iho  State  are  immense  deserts  of  mem,  table-lands, 
and  canons.  Farther  away  from  these  rivers  the 
streams  flow  into  the  interior  basin,  where  the 
waters  are  soon  evaporated  by  the  desiccating 
atmosphere,  leaving  dry  flats  impregnated  with  the 
alkaline  matters,  or  salts,  brought  down  by  cen- 
turies of  destruction  and  wash  of  the  mineral  veins 
of  the  mountains.  Soon  after  the  building  of  the 
Central  racitic  Railroad,  samples  of  the  soil  were 
forwarded  to  the  Agricultural  Department  at  Wash- 
ington for  analysis.  It  was  found  that  the  soils 
were  not  deficient  in  the  elements  necessary  to 
mature  good  cro[)s  of  grain,  and  that  water  alone 
was  wanting  to  convert  the  apparent  deserts  into 
blooming  gardens.  This  does  not,  of  course,  apply 
to  the  salt  and  alkaline  plains,  which  are  sometimes 
covered  several  feet  thick  with  the  impure  salts  and 
alkalies,  and  some  only  saturated  to  the  extent  of 
making  it  useless.  These  alkali  flats  constitute  ])er- 
haps  one-fourth  part  of  the  area  of  the  valley  lands 
of  the  State.  If  the  old,  worn-oul  soils  of  the  East- 
ern States  could  have  some  of  the  excess  of  potash 
and  soda  present  in  the  Nevada  soil,  both  would  be 
much  improved  by  the  arrangement. 

THE    FIRST   AGRICULTURE 

In  the  State  of  Nevada  was  undoubtcdij'  by  the  pre- 
historic cave  dwellers  of  the  (Colorado  Canons.  There 
is  much  evidence  to  show  that  by  means  of  canals 
and  contrivances  for  raising  water  the  art  of  culti- 
vating the  ground  was  carried  to  the  highest  extent, 
else  they  could  not  have  sustained  the  immense  num- 
bers of  people  which,  according  to  late  explorers, 
inhabited  the  ancient  cities.  Among  all  the  millions 
who  formerly  occupied  Arizona  and  vicinity,  a  few 
hundred  only  (the  Mocjuis  and  Zufiis)  remain,  as  of  yore 
still  cultivating  the  earth,  and  still  perched  in  stone 
houses  on  the  lofty,  almost  inaccessible  wems,  or  cling- 
ing to  the  sides  of  the  precipitious  clitls.  Whether 
they  employed  manual  labor  alone  or  had  trained 
domestic  animals  to  turn  the  furrow;  whether  they 
raised  grains,  roots  or  fruits;  whether  they  had 
machinery  or  used  sharpened,  fire-hardened  sticks, 
like  the  eastern  aborigines,  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing.  It  is  to  be  hoj)ed  that  further  exploration 
may  reveal  some  hieroglyphic  or  sign  writing  which 
shall  throw  light  on  the  subject.  Whether  they  occu- 
pied any  of  the  valleys  of  northern  Nevada  is  a  ques- 
tion to  bo  proved. 

When  the  white  settlers  first  went  into  the  Walker 
Valley  they  fouiKl  the  Indians  irrigating  portions  of  it 
to  promote  the  growth  of  an  edible  rout  which  formed 
a  groat  portion  of  their  living.     As  far  as  known  this 


was  the  only  cultivation  of  the  soil  previous  to  tho 
operations  of  the  Mormons  in  Carson  Valley  subse- 
quent to  1850. 

The  character  of  the  possible  productions  of  tho 
country  may  bo  learned  from  its  natural  growths. 
In  California  the  wild  gra]ie-vine,  fruits,  and  wild  oats 
and  annual  grasses  forshadowc<l  the  immense  grain 
and  wine  crops  which  have  since  rendered  the  Slate 
so  famous.  The  esculent  roots  of  the  valleys  of 
Nevada  and  the  perennial  bunch  grass  indicate  the 
sources  of  future  agricultural  wealth.  The  presence 
of  the  leek  or  wild  onion,  and  the  esculent  (inw/r  or 
ground-nut,  growing  in  such  abundance  on  Walker's 
River  indicate  tho  capacity  of  potatoes  and  the  hardy 
esculent  roots  which  have  succeeded  so  well  in  every 
part  of  the  State. 

Tho  well-known  serviceberry  grows  in  abundance 
and  is  utilized  as  food,  as  is  the  manzanita  berry, 
called  by  some  of  the  assessors  buttalo  berry.  A  kind 
of  wild  currant  grows  on  the  ui)])er  Humboldt,  again 
indicating  the  capacity  of  the  soil  for  the  hardy 
berries.  Tho  nuts  of  the  pinus  monopfiyUus  were  also 
used  by  the  Indians  as  food,  as  well  as  the  seeds  of 
the  wild  peach,  which  is  supposed  to  belong  to  the 
peach  family,  though  destitute  of  any  of  tho  agreeable 
pulp,  the  kernel  alone  being  used  as  food.  In  the 
spring  of  tho  year  the  Indians  feasted  on  the  young 
clover  as  well  as  many  other  grasses,  eating  it  both 
in  a  raw  state  as  well  as  cooked.  When  tho  grasses 
were  ripe  tho  squaws  gathered  the  seed  by  beating  it 
into  a  basket,  winnowing  it  in  the  old  Hebrew  fashion 
by  tossing  it  in  the  wind.  They  made  no  attempt  to 
raise  any  domestic  animals,  though  they  utilized  the 
grasshopper  when  he  came  in  their  way,  but  as  this 
insect  hardlj'  comes  in  the  catcgor}'  of  useful  articles 
he  will  be  treated  under  another  head. 

A  kind  of  dwarf  sugar-cane  grows  along  the  banks 
of  the  lower  Humboldt,  which  jjcrhaps  furnishes  a 
valuable  hint  to  the  farmers  of  that  viciiiit3\  It  is 
veritable  eane,  though  on  a  small  scale,  growing 
usually  one-quarter  to  one-half  an  inch  in  diameter 
and  three  to  twelve  foot  in  height.  The  sugar  is 
found  in  minute  crystals  on  the  stock,  probably  the 
result  of  the  evaporation  of  the  juices  of  the  plant, 
which  ooze  out  through  holes  jiunctured  by  the 
insects.  The  Indians  obtain  the  sugar  by  threshing 
the  stalks  and  detaching  tho  small  crystals,  which 
they  catch  in  a  basket  as  they  do  seeds  of  plants. 
The  sugar  harvest  is  considered  a  festival,  and  anti- 
cipated with  much  pleasure  by  the  natives. 

EARLY   CULTIVATION    OP   CAUSON    VALl.EV. 

Some  of  the  Mormons  brought  butter,  eggs,  and 
other  things,  as  well  as  fat  cattle  for  beef,  to  Carson 
Valley  in  1850,  and  the  following  j'oar,  induced  by 
the  green  waving  grass  and  clear  running  water, 
made  a  regular  settlement  and  commenced  farming 
with  the  intention  of  supi)lying  the  emigration  with 
vegetables,  eggs  and  butter.  Carson  Valley  butter 
soon  became  noted,  and  many  wagons  loaded  with  it 


1:^2 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


passed  over  the  mountains  into  California.  Some 
grain  wa«  also  raised,  and  as  early  as  1854  a  thresh- 
ing machine  was  constructed  by  J.  &  E.  Reese  &  Co. 
The  larger  part  of  the  agricultural  productions  were 
disposed  of  to  the  California  emigration  at  remunera- 
tive prices.  It  was  not  until  the  discovery j^of  the 
rich  silver  mines  of  the  Comstock  Lode  that  the  pro- 
ducing ]iower  of  any  part  of  the  State  was  tested. 
When  (Joid  Hill,  Virginia,  Dayton,  and  other  towns, 
sprang  into  existence  with  their  inevitable  extrav- 
acant  as  well  as  necessary  wants,  fruits,  vegetables, 
and  all  kinds  of  perishable  produce,  were  worth 
mints  of  money.  The  counties  of  Sacramento,  El 
Dorado,  Amador  and  Calaveras  were  taxed  to  their 
utmost  to  su])])ly  these  wants.  Apples,  peaches  and 
pears,  and  all  other  kinds  of  fruit,  often  sold  as  high 
as  a  dollar  a  pound.  Hundreds  of  wagons  took  the 
roads,  and  night  and  day  kept  moving  on.  The 
long  trill — four  to  six  days — rendered  the  marketing 
of  these  articles  in  good  order  next  to  impossible,  and 
supplying  the  wants  by  the  productions  of  the 
Nevada  soil  was  earnestly  considered.  The  high 
price  of  freight  even  in  the  summer  season — sixty  to 
one  hundred  dollars  per  ton — also  sent  up  the  prices 
of  grain  to  an  enormous  figure,  and  within  a  short 
lime  extensive  preparations  were  made  for  farming 
in  all  its  branches.  Very  little  record  of  the  general 
farming  has  been  kept.  We  find  that  as  earlj-  as 
December  l!i,  1862,  the  Washoe  Agricultural,  Mining 
and  Mechanical  Society  was  incorporated,  the  first 
fair  being  held  October  12th  the  following  year,  con- 
tinuing five  days.  Although  unequal  in  its  displaj-s 
in  any  department  to  what  has  since  been  attained, 
it  had  the  effect  of  calling  attention  to  the  boundless 
possibilities. 

CULTIVATION    IN    UL'MBOLDT. 

The  Humboldt  River  land,  the  "bad  lands"  of 
Nevada,  came  in  with  both  grain  and  vegetables,  as  did 
the  valleys  north  and  south,  and  it  became  evident 
that  the  State  or  Territory  could  become  self-sup- 
j)orting.  The  discovery  of  the  Paradise  Valley  with 
its  150,00(1  acres  of  tillable  land  turned  attention  in 
that  direction,  though  in  consequence  of  the  Indian 
difficulties  that  valley  did  not  get  fully  settled  until 
some  years  later.  'J  he  emigrants  of  earl}-  days  now 
recalled  the  Thousand  Spring  an<l  other  valleys  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  and  remembered  that 
the  Moi-nions  had  raised  enormous  crops  of  wheat 
on  that  kind  of  soil,  and  some  of  them  jiushcd  out 
and  located  in  these  valleys.  As  usual  in  a  new 
country  the  stock-raisers  were  the  ))ioneers.  Jt  is  a 
kind  of  produce  that  will  transport  itself  and  goes  in 
advance  of  railroads.  During  the  drj'  winter  of 
18C2-G:}  in  California,  many  herds  were  driven  into 
Nevada  to  crop  the  scattered  bunch-grass.  Jack 
Sutherland,  whose  ranch  is  on  Kings  Iliver,  in 
Tulare  County,  California,  drove  over  20,000  head 
and  safely  summered  them  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  State,  and  was  thus  able  to  make  a  fine  start 
when  the  feed  grow  again  on  his  place.     These  pio- 


neers first  occupied  the  tillable  valleys,  and  made 
known  their  resources. 

The  discover}'  of  the  Comstock  Mines  and  others 
farther  cast  induced  agriculture  on  an  extended  scale. 
Men  pushed  out  on  the  Humboldt  and  up  its  vari- 
ous branches,  and  in  a  few  years  began  to  be  known 
in  the  markets,  but  not  until  after  the  admission  of 
Nevada  as  a  State  was  there  anj'  organized  effort  to 
systematize  the  agricultural  reports,  so  that  we  are 
to  some  extent  unable  to  give  a  reliable  and  full 
history  of  the  earlj'  farming.  Prices  were  high 
until  a  full  sup])ly  for  home  consumption  could  be 
raised.  Hay  from  the  beginning  was  produced  in 
Nevada,  but  barley  was  imported  from  California; 
the  price  of  freight — SOO  a  ton  to  Virginia,  and 
from  that  to  S150  to  points  further  east  and  south 
— being  added  to  the  California  quotations.  Thus 
we  find  at  Austin  that  while  haj'  was  worth  S30  per 
ton,  barley  from  California  was  worth  8120.  Pota- 
toes which  were  raised  in  the  vicinity  were  worth 
two  to  three  cents  per  pound. 

Closer  attention  began  to  be  paid  to  the  weather 
as  connected  with  agriculture,  and  though  frosty 
nights  with  sunny  days  were  a  common  occurrence, 
it  was  found  that  in  IRtU  there  were  seventy-five 
consecutive  days  without  frost,  and  in  18C5,  eightj'- 
seven.  This  was  better  than  was  expected.  That 
was  as  good  as  many  of  the  northern  States.  In 
New  Hampshire,  Maine,  and  Vermont,  the  jjcriod 
exempt  from  frost  was  even  loss  than  that,  and  in 
those  States  corn,  melons,  beans,  and  potatoes,  as 
well  as  the  hardy  fruits  such  as  apples,  jiears,  cher- 
ries, and  plums,  grew  to  perfection.  In  addition  to 
this,  no  deep  snows  prevented  getting  around,  or 
sjtells  of  extreme  cold  weather  endangered  life,  as  in 
those  States,  for  the  lowest  point  marked  only  14° 
below  zero,  the  thermometer  in  the  Eastern  States 
sometimes  going  as  low  as  50°  below  zero.  It  was 
justlj-  believed  that  the  State  could  be  made  self-sus- 
taining. 

November  16,  18GG,  the  Humboldt  Keyister  con- 
tained the  following: — 

Humboldt  County  alone  is  ca|)ablc  of  jtroducing 
all  the  hay,  grain,  and  vegetables  needed  by  the 
present  jio|)ulation  of  the  State.  (Jarden  vegetables 
are  hero  in  superabundance.  They  are  a  positive 
drug  in  the  market.  Wheat,  corn,  barley,  oats, 
rj-e,  and  sorghum  grow  luxuriantly  and  ripen 
tlioroughlj'.  When  the  raili-oad  comes  to  carry  off 
the  surplus  of  the  farms,  look  out  for  farming  hero 
on  an  Illinois  scale. 

Carson  Vallej-  being  nearer  the  center  of  the  min- 
ing region  developed  faster.  A  flour-mill  was 
erected  at  the  foot  of  the  Kingsburj'  Grade  as  early 
as  18(55;  one  of  light  capacity,  having  been  built  in 
1859. 

The  Humboldt  7fe^t»/cr,  June  13,  1807,  again  called 
attention  to  the  agriculture  of  that  county:  "This 
branch  of  industry  (farming)  in  Humboldt  County 
promises    to    become  of    great    importance    in    our 


AGRICULTUIIE. 


133 


future.  The  barley  crop  this  season  is  estimated  at 
1,000,000  pounds.  The  value  of  wheat,  barley,  and 
potatoes  at  a  low  estimate  will  not  be  less  than 
§150,000,  not  a  twentieth  part  of  the  arable  land 
being  under  cultivation."  The  crops  in  lluby  Valley 
were  also  pronounced  marvelous. 

UEPORTS  OF  LARGE  CROPS. 

The  crops  of  Douglas  County  were  something 
extraordinary:  20,000  tons  of  hay.  20,000  bushels  of 
wheat,  10, ()()(»  bushels  of  barley,  1."),0(HI  bushels  of 
oats,  ],000  bushels  of  corn,  5,000  bushels  of  potatoes. 

In  ISGS  a  full  report  of  the  agriculture  was 
received  from  Humboldt  County.  The  reported 
grain  was:  2,500  acres  of  barley,  averaging  forty 
bushels,  worth  S2.50;  1,200  acres  of  wheat,  averaging 
forty  bushels  per  ton,  worth  S3. 00;  3,000  tons  of 
hay,  worth  §20. 

Lincoln  County  is  situated  at  the  extreme  south 
end  of  the  State,  near  the  Colorado  River,  and  has 
some  peculiar  features  worth  recording.  The  largest 
part  of  the  farming  was  done  at  Panaca  \'alley  by 
the  Mormons,  but  they  would  not  report  to  the 
Assessor,  even  running  him  oft' ri  cf  (irmin.  In  18()7 
the  report  for  the  i)ruduct  of  three  farms,  amounting 
to  ninety-five  acres,  was: — 

150  bushels  of  barley .: .-$4  00  per  bushel. 

loO       "         "  oats 2  80  "  " 

600       "         "  corn 3  50  "  " 

10  tons  of  beets,  worth 06  "  ])ound. 

2       "      "    parsnips,  worth 07  "  " 

10     "      "    squashes,       '•      04  "  " 

15     "      "    cabbage,        -      121  "  " 

40     "      "    potatoes,        "      05-1  "  " 

8,000  melons  (prices  not  given). 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  climate  is 
probably  warmer  than  at  Carson  City.  There  is 
considerable  ditfcreiice  also  in  the  price  of  grain  in 
favor  of  the  seller. 

In  Ormsby  Countj-  the  value  of  hay,  grain,  and 
vegetables  was  estimated  at  SlOO,500. 

The  lines  were  established  the  following  year,  and 
the  belligerent  Mormons  gathered  into  the  Nevada 
fold.  The  places  included  were  lOagleville,  I'anaca 
City,  West  Point,  St.  Thomas,  and  St.  Joseph.  The 
Assessor  reports  10,000  acres  of  hay  land,  producing 
2,200  tons  of  hay,  cvidentl}'  an  error;  otherwise  no 
new  industries  were  rejiorted. 

A  prominent  feature  of  the  agriculture  of  1871-72 
was  the  attempt,  or  the  beginning  of  planting  and 
raising  shade,  ornamental  and  forest  trees.  The 
most  prominent  man  in  connection  with  this  was  G. 
W.  G.  Ferris,  who  imported  a  great  number  of  east- 
ern forest  trees,  such  as  hickory,  black  walnut,  but- 
ter-nut, chestnut,  liard  and  soft  maple,  and  many 
other  varieties. 

tteorge  W.  t'hcdic,  (.'ountj-  Assessor,  1872,  reports 
as  follows  of  fruit  trees  for  the  county  of  Ormsby:— 

The  estimated  number  of  fiuit  and    shade  trees 
trans])lanted    in    this  county    is    about    1.'),(hI(),    the 
former    kind    predominating    in    number.     Many  of  | 
17 


the  fruit  trees  have  alrea<l3'  borne  fruif,  but  owing 
to  the  late  frosts  we  usually  experience  the  crop  is 
uncertain,  and  will  not  average  more  than  one  in 
three  years;  and  until  some  method  is  adopted  to 
protect  these  trees  from  the  frost  in  the  blooming 
season  wo  cannot  expect  to  reap  an  annual  crop  of 
fruit. 

The  Surveyor  General,  Mr.  Day,  calls  attention  to 
the  importancoof  systematizing  the  irrigation  ditches 
or  canals.  It  scorns  that  dilKculty  often  occurred 
between  the  mining  community  and  the  farmers, 
the  latter  generally  getting  the  worst  in  the  strife; 
an  experience  that  the  California  farmers  have  had 
for  thirty  years.     Mr.  Daj'  reports  as  follows: — 

The  proper  methods  of  construction,  looking  to 
durabilit}-,  efficiency,  minimum  cost,  economj'  in  use, 
and  distribution  of  su])]j|y,  together  with  careful 
estimates  of  water  flowing  through  the  channels,  to 
bo  diverted  to  useful  purposes,  are,  particularly  in 
large  agricultural  districts,  subjects  of  interest.  At 
present  no  good  system  of  construction  has  been 
adopted  in  this  character  of  improvements.  Large 
bodies  of  agricultural  lands,  containing  thousands 
of  acri's,  lying  contiguous,  are  irrigated  bj'  means  of 
ill-conl rived  ditches.  Means  are  not  generally  taken 
for  saving  the  water  in  reservoirs  wliere  the  supply 
is  scant;  the  lines  of  artificial  channels  are  neces- 
sarily extended,  and  frequently  in  such  directions 
as  to  cause  great  inconvenience  to  adjoining  lands, 
and  loss  of  cultivation.  In  large  bodies  of  agricul- 
tural lands,  such  as  some  of  our  ))i'iiicipal  valleys 
po.ssess,  a  sj'stem  of  irrigation  should  be  adopted 
comprising  the  whole  vallej-.  The  ditches,  so  far  as 
possible,  should  be  kept  on  the  dividing  line  be- 
tween pro])erty;  and  when  so  ])hiccd  their  margins 
i-an  be  ])lanted  with  ti'ees.  which,  nourished  by  the 
moisture  of  the  ditches,  will  thrive,  forming  a  pleas- 
ing feature  in  the  view,  and  greatly  assist  in  fenc- 
ing. Sufficient  care  is  not  taken  when  ditches  cross 
I  ho  jiublic  highwaj-s  to  provide  suitable  crossings, 
i^oaded  vehicles  are  drawn  with  difficulty-  across 
ditches  containing  water;  and  in  many  instances, 
from  the  nature  of  the  soil,  roads  near  ditches  are 
rendered  almo.st  useless  from  saturation.  Some  of 
our  alluvial  valleys,  during  the  time  of  irrigation, 
arc  almost  im|)assable  from  this  cause. 

Good  reports  came  in  from  Esmeralda  County,  the 
productions  being,  in  1872,  20,000  tons  of  hay,  1,000 
tons  of  |)otatocs,  2,000  tons  of  grain. 

Much  of  the  land  that  was  sup|)osed  to  be  worth- 
loss  has,  under  the  influence  of  water  and  cultiva- 
tion, become  extremely  i)roductivc. 

TIIK    CLIJIATE   OF    NEVADA 

Is  sui  (jenerts,  if  such  a  thing  can  be.  Whether  the 
visitor  comes  from  the  land  of  summer  rains  along 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  or  great  lakes,  from  the 
sunny  valleys  of  California,  the  arid  plains  of  New 
Mexico,  or  the  interminable  plains  of  British  America, 
the  climate  of  Nevada  will  ])uzzle  him.  Though 
a])pareiitly  shut  in  by  a  high  mountain  range  on  tho 
west  which  should  ward  ofl'  fierce  winds  from  that 
i|Uarter.  the  wind  will  come  pouring  down  tho  ravines 
forty  or  fifty  miles  an  hour  with  force  enough  to 
s\vee|)  everything  less  in  size  than  bullets  into  clouds, 
pelting  one  exposed  to  it  as  if  with  shot,  and  sending 


134 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


clouds  of  dust  high  into  the  air  or  through  the  closest 
weather-boarding  into  the  farthest  closet  or  pantry 
in  the  house.  The  thermometer  will  stand  at  31°  in 
the  morning  and  reach  97°  at  noon,  a  condition  that 
is  said  to  prevail  on  the  great  desert  of  Sahara  in 
Africa.  Indeed  the  two  places  have  manj-  things 
alike.  According  to  the  reports  of  travelers  the  hot- 
test days  were  often  followed  by  frosty  nights. 
The  reports  of  Eollins,  who  was  cast  away  on  the 
coast  of  Africa  by  the  wrecking  of  the  ship  Commerce 
in  1816,  taken  prisoner  and  carried  into  the  interior, 
were  discredited  until  confirmed  by  recent  travels; 
but  the  same  climatic  phenomena  which  he  de- 
scribed as  peculiar  to  the  African  deserts  occur  in 
Nevada. 

The  foregoing  table  may  be  consulted  with  interest 
and  ])rofit. 

This  peculiar  condition  seems  to  prevail  along  the 
foot  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  becomes  rather  inten- 
sified as  we  go  east;  modified  of  course  by  the  ditt'or- 
ences  in  latitude  and  altitude.  The  cold,  it  will  be 
observed,  never  exceeded  one  and  a  half  degrees  below 
zero.  On  the  head  of  the  Humboldt,  where  an  eleva- 
tion of  6,500  feet  is  attained,  frosts  are  of  almost 
nightly  occurrence.  Pjjko  County  is  of  this  character, 
precluding  the  raising  of  anything  but  grain  and  the 
most  hardy  vegetables.  In  the  southern  portions  of 
the  State,  bordering  on  the  Colorado  Canon,  a 
different  condition  ])revails.  The  difference  in  lati- 
tude and  altitude  produces  warm  nights  as  well  as 
days,  and  here  we  find  the  melon  growing  to  perfec- 
tion, and  the  semi-tropical  fruits  ripening  with  cer- 
tainty. Humboldt  County  has  perhaps  the  most 
desirable  climate  in  the  State,  being  far  enough  away 
from  the  lofty  mountains  to  avoid  the  frostj^  nights 
incident  to  the  vicinity  of  snow-banks,  yet  near 
enough  to  be  benefited  by  the  consequent  rain-fall. 
Carson  Valley  is  liable  to  damaging  frosts  as  late  as 
the  first  of  Juno.  Thej'  are  usually  preceded  b}' 
several  days  of  warm  weather  which  brings  the  fruit 
buds  out,  subjecting  them  to  the  danger  of  being 
destroyed.  The  June  frosts  are  usnallj'  preceded  by 
a  strong  southeast  wind,  which  blows  so  hard  as  to 
move  coarse  sand  and  even  gravel.  Much  of  the  early 
sown  grain  is  injured  bj'  the  flying  sand  as  well  as 
killed  by  the  succeeding  frosts.  Late  sown  grain 
escapes  these  dangers. 

IRUKiATINCJ    DITCHES  AND  ACRES   IRRIGATED. 

Irrigatif)n  is  beautiful  in  theory.  It  seemingly 
places  the  husbandman  in  comparative  indepen- 
dence. He  is  not  compelled  to  look  quietly  on  while 
a  midsummer's  sun,  darting  his  scorching  rays  from 
a  cloudless  sky,  wilts  and  burns  to  death  the  tender 
plants,  the  object  of  his  care.  He  need  not  turn 
his  anxious  gaze  from  the  parching  ground,  where 
the  grain  is  drooping  fi-om  voiy  thirst,  to  ])ray  for 
rain,  as  of  old.  At  the  first  indications  of  drought  he 
can  hoist  the  gates  and  send  tiny,  meandering  rivu- 
lets to  the  thirsty  roots  which  will  revive  with  life. 
The   reality   dis])els   much    of    the   beauty    of    this 


MONTHLY    AND    ANNUAL     METEOROLOGICAL   RECORD    FOR 

1880. 

Carson   City,  Nevada — Latitude,  39  degrees  10  minutes  ;  longi- 
tude, 119  degrees  40  minutes  from  (Jreenwich; 
altitude  above  sea  level,  4,US0  feet. 

Chas.   W.  Fbienu. 


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AGRICULTURE. 


135 


theory.  Irritcation  is  slow  ami  o.\])unsive;  ditches 
must  be  conslrucled  which,  unless  the  iiuid  has  the 
proper  inclination,  must  meander  according  to  the 
surface  to  give  the  water  the  ]iroper  motion.  W  too 
steep  it  sweeps  away  the  soil  ;  if  too  flat  the  water 
accumulates  and  saturates  the  ground,  converting  it 
into  mortar  that  bakes  and  cracks  in  the  sun.  The 
water  must  be  taken  from  the  ditches  in  quantities 
nicely  regulated  to  the  nature  and  requiremenJs  of 
the  soil,  and  constantly  watched.  Only  sand}'  soil 
will  stand  saturation  without  damage;  even  on  that 
a  little  excess  of  water  will  wash  the  sand  away  and 
lay  bare  the  roots  of  the  ])lants.  The  constant  care 
and  attention  required  make  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil  by  irrigation  in  large  (juantities  nearly  impossi- 
ble. Grazing  land  with  sod  may  be  saturated  with- 
out serious  damage. 

The  following  table,  giving  the  number  of  trees 
and  vines  in  the  several  counties,  will  give  a  better 
idea   of  the  climate  than  any    partial  description. 


» 

COUNTIES. 

V     *-         ;       *»     ;       © 
to'v      ©      ^- •    c©  10  .    --O 

©~lC50tOO.      ©©*-.      ©© 
©C-.  ^-OCO'      ©04-.      0© 

0 

Gooseberry. 

10,000 

"26 

1,000 

"  1,266 

26 

20,323 

400 

Raspberry. 

0 
c 
g 

2 
r 

H 

a 

i 

CO 

"0  lo  i    "C  •    "0  •     (X  "0  "0  •     •    "0 

00.      0  ■      0  •      =:   =  0  ■      •      = 

Strawbeny. 

H-»                      ...                           .         • 

4-               ...                  1      . 
0              .      4.  .      .      W  I--  .      • 
Ui  H-»  t;i        t— •  .     >     0  .— *  .           CJ' 
UiO©.      10.      ■      OOD.      ■      0 

Grapevine. 

H^  •            .      .      .      I      .      1      .      ■      . 

0 

—  •     OJ 

Fig- 

"to  '          ■     '' 

tCl   .         K-l   ■         .         ■         .         10   .         .         .         01 

0  .      I.S  '      '      ■      '      CJi  ■      •      .      0 

Walnut. 

•"*!.'!    1    I    !    I    I    I    I    i 

Ig:  ::::::;::  ; 

<o 

Alrtiond. 

H 
SI 

mm©.     '     ■     •     O'-''     ■     © 

Apricot. 

> 
TO 

w                1               1    ! 

0        C-,        10  •                      .     1     rf^ 

04-00-J'      ©©<o.      .      'XiCS 

Cherry. 

0 

-^                    I                  I     I 

"CJ        Ci              .            -^  10  '      ■      0 
tn  ©  m  -1  to       w  -■  — '  •     •     -^ 

*-cc©©to        ©©©•     ■     Ol»i 

Plum. 

"m       -I       ^  ■          4.  ...     en 

t*  CO  «T  0  C-.  U'  •      CO  0  ■      ■      .      *- 

m  M  —  0  0  GO  '     OO-     ■     '     00 

Peach. 

00 

p 

"h--       "0              ■           10  '-'  •      I-'  4^ 
i-'Coa5Uic;'cs.     i^-csu'.     ow 

WlntOOlOtO'      ©OW'      OW«> 

Pear. 

' 

380 

2,468 

500 

V.258 

5,000 

300 

390 

2,008 

5,700 

212 

293,053 

145 

Apple. 

The  first  full  report  of  the  Assessors  on  the  subject 
ol'  irrigation  was  made  in  1874.  The  following  is 
taken  from  the  report  of  the  Surveyor  General  for 
that  year: — 


Couuties. 


Irrigating  Ditches. 


Acres  Irrigated. 

Churchill 1,425 

Douglas 35 18,953 

Elko 50 18,000 

Esmeralda   25 850 

Eureka 12 1,886 

Humboldt 120 14,000 

Lander 3 2,400 

Lincoln    50 675 

Lyon 10 5,260 

N)'e 10 3,000 

Ormsby 5 .    1,100 

Storey 1 150 

Washoe 180 30,000 

White  Pine 60 3,000 


Total .561 


.100,099 


AGRICULTURE    IN    1874. 

The  years  of  1873  and  1874  marked  an  era  in  agri- 
cultural as  well  as  other  interests.  There  was  a  gen- 
eral settling  down  to  steady  work,  and  an  absence  of 
the  restless  fever  which  was  characteristic  of  the 
early  mining  excitement.  The  County  Governments 
were  in  healthy  operation,  and  full  i-eports  were  re- 
ceived. The  Surveyor  General's  estimates  of  agri- 
cultural products  for  1874  were  as  follows  : — 

Kind.  Acres  sown. 


VIclil  in  hush- 
els  per  acre. 


T..t.->1  yield  In 
bu..fhel9. 


W^heat 4,346 17     70,300 

Barley 26,651 20     506,790 

Oats 5,372 14     74,695 

Rye.. 100 10     1,000 

Corn 493 28     13,690 

Buckwheat 12 17     200 

Peas -      326 lOi   3,450 

Beans 53 11     593 

Potatoes 4,136 70 290,458 

Sweet  Potatoes.  i 96      24 

Onions 76 55i   4,210 

Hay 72,101 11-12 72,101 

Hops -  1 1251b8 

Beets (tons)        314 

Turnips "  320 

Pumpkins  &  Squashes "         5,350 

Butter (lbs)  227,240 

Cheese 


22,200 
W^ood "     668,738 


Honey. 


7,400 


PROGRESS  OF  FRUIT  CULTURE. 

The  traditional  orchard  was  not  forgotten. 
Whether  from  the  land  of  the  orange  or  the  apple, 
the  first  thing  after  building  a  shelter,  the  farmer 
sets  out  an  orchard.  What  is  home  without  fruit 
trees — apple,  pear  or  orange,  or  grapevines,  as  the 
case  may  be  ?  flo  who  plants  fruit  trees  is  intending 
to  stay.  In  Ormsby  County  were  125  walnut  trees, 
125  elms,  300  box-older,  1,000  white  maples,  pre- 
sumably the  property  of  G.  W.  G.  Ferris,  who  had 
manifested  a  commendable  enterprise  in  the  planting. 


No  returns. 


136 


HISTORY  OF^THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The   following  table  shows  by  counties  the  fruit 
trees  in  1874: — 


COUNTY. 

■3. 
s. 

< 

2 

H 
1 

c2 

00 

2 

H 

S 
s 

u 

0 

00 

c 

s 

03 

H 

§ 

a 
'3 

C 

S 

2 

H 
t 
'u 

0. 
< 

a 
a 

g 

Churchill.. 

40 

3001) 

100 

8500 

2 
300 
I'lO 

4 
200 

4 

400 

2 
200 

Douglas 

10 

Elko 

900 

Esmeralda. 

100 

1000 

1050 

250 

500 

Eureka  . . _ 

20 

20 

20 

20 

,  . 

Humboldt . 

;iooo  3000 

400 

400 

200 

250 

230 

100 

500 

Lander.-  . . 

430 

118 

482 

4 

120 
18 

Lincoln..  .. 

6 

20 

25 

31000 

Lyon 

Nye    

4Ei 

?:^ 

8 

7 

18 

300 

50 

20 

10 

10 

10 

Ormsby  .  . . 

5000 

100 

550 

400 

400 

20 

70 

10 

Storey 

240      40 

88 

35 

38 

1 

6 

3 

8 

Washoe .    . 

GOdO    700 

600 

900!400 

5 

10 

10 

300 

White  Pine 

50    100 

Lincoln  County  leads  strongly  in  grapevines; 
Humboldt  in  a  general  variety  of  fruits.  The  latter 
county  is  evidently  on  the    high  road  to  prosperity. 

STOCK. 

The  stock  business  also  looked  remarkably  encour- 
aging. The  product  of  mines,  even  when  it  amounts 
to  millions  a  3'ear,  is  no  evidence  of  permanent 
wealth;  tlie  i-ichest  veins  have  an  end,  but  the  jiro- 
ducts  of  the  soil  ma}'  continue  for  centuries  without 
diminution.  The  fields  in  the  Roman  Campagna, 
which  (."incinnatus  plowed  near  2,000  years  ago,  ai-e 
still  yielding  golden  grain,  while  the  silver  mines  of 
Tarshish  arc  scenes  of  desolation.  In  1874,  there 
were  22,131  horses,  4,043  mules,  181,891  head  of 
cattle,  1S5,48G  sheep,  0,7G8  hogs,  GO, 000  chickens, 
2,500  turkeys,  besides  much  other  stock  that  might 
be  enumerated.  The  annual  increase  is  not  less 
than  twenty-five  per  cent.  A  ))ortion  must  be 
consumed,  of  course,  but  the  residue  goes  into  the 
accumulations  or  investment  as  the  source  of  future 
wealth.  The  northern  and  eastern  portion  of  the 
State  are  most  fitted  foi-  grazing  ])ur|ioses.  and  many 
thousand  head  of  beeves  are  annually  shipjjed  by 
rail,  or  driven  on  foot,  to  California  and  the  eastei-n 
markets.  The  bunch-grass  of  the  hills  is  exceed- 
ingly nutritious,  and  in  many  valleys  grows  a  species 
of  sage,  which,  after  being  frozen,  constitutes  an 
excellent  herbage,  receiving  the  name  of  "  winter 
fat"  from  the  grateful  herdsman.  The  beei"  and 
mutton  of  Nevada  are  highly  prized  by  epicures. 

UAIN  FALL. 

In  the  valleys  extending  into  the  Sierra  Nevada 
the  anninil  rain-fall  may  I'each  fifty  or  sixty  inches 
in  a  year,  as  the  snow  sometimes  falls  twenty  feet  in 
depth.  As  the  lower  end  of  the  vallej-s  is  reached, 
the  rain-fall  is  less,  and  in  some  seasons  amounts  to 
but  four  or  five  inches,  and  on  the  deserts  and 
interior  plains  even  the  last-named  (juantity  is  (juite 


uncertain.  The  valleys  at  the  foot  of  the  Ruby, 
Santa  Rosa,  and  other  ranges  of  mountains  in  the 
interior  of  the  State  get  a  quantity  of  rain  approxi- 
mating the  rains  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  At  Car- 
son Valley  the  rain-fall  for  the  year  of  1880  was 
13.1  inches.  This  may  be  taken  as  an  average 
of  rain-fall  in  the  northern  and  western  part  of 
tho^  State.  But  it  is  evident,  though  no  record 
has  been  kept  from  Walker  Lake  south,  that  the 
annual  rain-fall  gets  less  until  a  minimum  is  reached 
at  the  Colorado  River,  where  the  high  mcsri  lamisaro 
rained  upon  so  little  that  the  sharp  angles  of  cen- 
turies remain  the  same,  never  becoming  rounded  into 
the  graceful  forms  incident  to  plentiful  rain  fall. 

There  is  evidence  in  the  difterent  levels  of  the 
lakes  of  the  State  of  periods  when  the  rain-fall  was 
much  greater  that  at  present.  The  Great  Salt  Lake 
in  Utah  is  said  to  be  pcrceptibl}'  rising  from  year  to 
year,  being  several  feet  higher  than  when  first  visited 
by  the  whites.  This  may  be  the  case  with  the  val- 
leys and  plains  of  the  State  of  Nevada,  which  are 
subject  to  about  the  same  climatic  laws.  But  the 
ancient  water-marks  on  the  hills  indicate  a  much 
higher  stage  of  water  at  one  time,  and,  though  the 
water,  in  consequence  of  a  period  of  unusual  fall  of 
rain  may  rise  a  few  feet,  the  evidence  is  incontro- 
vertible that  the  country  is  gradually  drying.  The 
great  changes  of  elevation  or  de])i'ession  that  have 
bi'ought  about  this  result  is  a  proper  subject  for  the 
consideration  of  the  geologist;  how  to  remedy  the 
matter,  either  bj'  introducing  or  diverting  some  of 
the  waters  of  the  Colorado  or  Columbia  into  the 
de])ression;  saving  the  annual  rains  bj-  means  of  a 
general  sj'stcm  of  reservoirs,  and  distributing  the 
rain-fall  whore  and  when  it  is  most  needed,  are 
matters  for  the  consideration  of  the  statesman  and 
civil  engineer.  That  much  might  be  done  to  amel- 
iorate the  ])erpetual  drought,  and  make  the  State  a 
desirable  and  jirofitable  home  for  many  times  its 
present  po])ulalion,  is  bej-ond  a  doubt.  The  mount- 
ains might  be  clothed  with  trees.  This  would  j)ro- 
duce  a  greater  rain-fall,  as  has  been  demonstrated 
many  time.?  in  the  Old  World.  The  pi'osent  water 
could  be  economized  anil  distributed  to  greater 
advantage.  To  do  this  the  riparian  water  rights 
would  have  to  be  recognized,  and  the  (jrah  lnw,  by 
which  the  fii-st-comer  takes  the  water  for  all  time, 
abrogated.  The  subject  is  so  vast  in  its  bearings 
and  HO  immense  in  its  consequences  as  to  be  prop- 
erly a  subject  of  National  legislation. 

The  ancMcnt  Peruvians  inhabited  a  much  higher 
plateau  than  the  Great  Basin.  It  was  nearly-  rainless, 
but  by  means  of  extensive  canals,  in  some  instances 
three  hundred  miles  long  and  carried  over  precipi- 
tous canons  and  through  gi-anite  mountains,  the}' 
were  enabled  to  sustain  an  immense  population,  and 
attain  a  high  degree  of  civilization. 

CLOUD-Bl'RSTS. 

As  in  all  countries  destitute  of  timber  the  rain  is 
liable  to  fall  in  unequal  ijuantities.     The  clouds  sat- 


AGRICULTURE. 


137 


urated  to  the  point  of  precipitation  will  pass  over  the 
treeless  j)laiiis  and  bills  without  i)artini^  with  their 
moisture.  So  well  was  this  understood  in  Greece 
that  the  most  earnest  efforts  were  made  to  protect 
the  timber  on  the  mountains  and  elevated  places. 
The  term  trce-kilkr,  the  most  o])probrious  eiiithet  pos- 
sible, was  applied  to  those  who  wantonly-  destroyed 
timber.  The  j^reatcst  calamity  that  could  befall  a 
nation,  a'^^cordint;  to  the  old  Greeks,  was  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  woodlands,  bringing  drought  and  famine 
ill  its  train.  The  people  were  taught  to  revere  the 
trees  as  the  homes  of  the  gods;  that  it  was  sacrilege 
to  wantonly  destroy  them.  Our  American,  with 
little  regard  for  the  next  generation,  will  sti-i])  mile 
after  mile  of  timber  away  without  planting  a  single 
tree  to  take  its  place.  The  western  slope  of  the 
Sierra,  as  well  as  the  eastern,  is  being  denuded,  and, 
in  consequence,  the  cloud-burst,  unknown  to  the  early 
comers  of  California,  is  becoming  a  frenuent  visitor. 
What  is  a  cloud-burst  >  The  name  is  suggestive 
enough,  but,  unfortunately,  convoj-s  a  wrong  imjires- 
sion.  It  is  as  if  a  cloud  was  a  great  sack  or  bag  of 
water  which  could  be  ruptured  and  the  whole  con- 
tents let  out  by  having  a  hole  torn  in  it  by  coming  in 
contact  with  a  mountain-top,  or  even  bj'  the  branches 
of  a  dry  tree,  a  sort  of  Cesarian  operation,  an  unpleas- 
ant ])roce8s  for  the  cloud,  certainly!  We  get  the 
following  description  from  one  who  has  witnessed 
the  phenomenon,  which  is  of  more  frequent  occur- 
rence in  Nevada  and  Arizona  than  elsewhere  in  our 
country:  "The  clouds  had  been  gathering  in  a  great 
black  bank  on  the  west  for  some  hours.  Thick 
masses  piled  up  on  the  already  accumulated  clouds 
until  they  seemed  miles  thick,  dark  and  threatening. 
On  the  ojjposite  side  from  the  northeast  was  a  similar 
gathering  of  clouds,  giving  the  impression  that  a 
storm  was  gathering  there  also.  As  the  hours  rolled 
on  the  dense  masses  approached  each  other.  At  first 
only  the  advanced  clouds  met  and  seemed  rolled  back 
on  the  main  masses;  there  was  no  rain  yet.  We 
could  see  a  long  line  forming  at  right  angles  with 
the  course  of  the  clouds.  It  was  of  a  lighter  color 
than  the  bank  of  clouds  on  either  side  and  reminded 
one  of  the  changing  shades  when  steel  is  being 
tempered.  Still  towards  each  other  the  great  masses 
moved;  the  small,  scurrying  clouds,  like  outriders, 
would  roll  back  on  the  main  mass,  or  even  sweep 
partly  to  the  rear.  The  winds,  which  at  first  had 
blown  strongly  from  the  west,  had  ceased,  but  high 
up  among  the  clouds  we  could  hear  a  sullen,  sub- 
dued roar,  as  if  from  a  thousand  brazen  throats  afar 
ofl'.  The  fall  of  a  leaf  could  be  heard;  the  birds  and 
wild  animals  were  aware  of  the  war  and  ai)peared 
terror-stricken  and  mindless  of  human  presence. 
The  roar  became  deo])er  and  seemed  mingled  with 
the  rustle  of  leaves  and  branches.  At  first  a  few 
drops  fell,  large  as  bullets  and  some  feet  apart. 
Soon  they  came  faster  until  the}-  fell  so  thickly  as 
to  render  it  impossible  to  see  fifty  feet  away.  The 
ground  was  soon  running  an  inch  deep  with  water 


every  little  ravine  that  was  a  hundred  j-ards  long 
was  running  waist  deep  and  still  the  rain  kept  fall- 
ing. Thtt  water,  that  should  have  been  drawn  away 
from  the  clouds  by  miles  of  woodland,  was  being  jire- 
cipitated  in  a  small  territory.  Now  amid  the  roar 
of  the  falling  rain  and  rushing  water  we  heard  a  still 
greater  roaring.  Down  the  channel  of  the  brook, 
which  an  hour  before  contained  scarcely  water 
enough  for  an  ox  to  drink,  came  a  breast  of  water 
four  or  five  feet  high  antl  a  hundred  feet  wide,  held 
back  to  some  extent  by  timber,  leaves  and  other 
trash,  but  sweeping  everj-thing  in  its  course.  This, 
uniting  with  other  streams,  formed  a  flood  big  enough 
to  wipe  out  a  city  if  it  was  in  its  way.  In  this  man- 
ner Eureka  was  destroyed,  and  in  this  waj",  a  coach, 
horses  and  passengers  wore  overtaken  by  a  flood  in 
one  of  the  ravines  or  cafions  of  the  eastern  Sierra  a 
few  years  since.  A  cloud-burst  is  simply  a  point  of 
condensation  between  two  opposing  currents  of  air, 
both  saturated  with  moisture,  suspended  for  some 
considerable  time  over  a  small  space.  A  timbered 
point  in  a  countrj^  otherwise  generally  destitute  of 
trees,  will  frequently  determine  the  localitj'  of  the 
phenomenon.  Such  a  cloud-burst  occurred  on 
Smart's  Mountain  in  Lynn,  New  Hampshire,  some 
forty  years  since.  The  high  point,  inaccessible  to 
teams,  and  consequently  safe  from  the  woodman's 
ax,  was  the  place  of  precipitation.  Acres  of  forests 
were  leveled  by  the  flood  which  buried  farms,  bore 
away  mills,  or  eroded  new  channels,  which  left  the 
mills  high  and  drj',  and  played  havoc  generally. 

From  the  very  nature  of  the  circumstances  this 
excessive  rain-fall  can  extend  over  but  a  small  space, 
otherwise  the  most  devastating  floods  would  occur. 
Happily  in  most  countries  these  affairs  are,  j)erha])s, 
less  frequent  than  eartlK^uakes.  People  wonder  at 
the  destruction,  and,  for  awhile,  fear  a  return,  but 
hundreds  of  years  may  elapse  before  such  a  peculiar 
combination  of  winds  and  clouds  may  bring  about 
another  catastrophe,  but  in  the  great  interior  of  the 
continent,  particularly  in  that  region  lying  between 
the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
embracing  southeastern  California,  Nevada,  Utah, 
Colorado,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico,  their  destruc- 
tive force  is  often  seen.  In  1807,  and  again  in  1870, 
the  city  of  Austin  was  visited  by  a  cloud-burst,  caus- 
ing great  damage  to  property.  A  more  serious  flood 
from  like  cause  occurred  at  Eureka  in  1874,  washing 
away  a  great  many  substantiallj-  constructed  build- 
ings and  involving  the  loss  of  several  lives.  Similar 
floods  have  visited  the  same  city  on  several  occasions, 
but  preparations  having  been  made  for  them,  the 
destruction  of  property  was  loss.  The  catchment 
area  of  either  of  these  localities  barely  exceeds  one 
square  mile,  yet  the  amount  of  water  falling  in  tlie 
short  period  of  an  hour  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
features  of  the  power  of  the  elements  that  men  ever 
behold,  and  that  such  a  sea  can  be  borne  through 
the  air  in  fleecy  clouds  is  a  phenomenon  inconceiv- 
ably grand  and  terrifying.     The  volume  of  water 


138 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


f'alliiig  in  the  brief  moments  is  almost  beyond  fompii- 
tation,  Justilying  the  term  '•  cloud-burd.,"  although 
it  is  a  misnomer.  The  incline  of  the  ravines,  or  val- 
leys, in  which  the  towns  of  Austin  and  Eui'cka  arc 
situated,  is  about  ten  feet  in  a  hundred,  average,  and 
through  these  the  current  rushes  from  five  to  ten 
feet  in  depth  and  a  hundred  feet  in  width,  continu- 
ing near  an  hour,  an  irresistible,  destructive  torrent. 
In  other  localities  far  greater  volumes  have  fallen, 
the  flood  marks  showing  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet  and 
a  width  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  with  the  incline  nearly 
as  precipitous. 

The  Los  Angeles  News,  California,  of  August  23, 
1802,  describing  a  water-spout  occurring  on  the  six- 
teenth of  that  month  in  San  Francisco  Canon,  says  : — 

It  appears  that  on  that  day,  about  1  o'clock  p.  m. 
a  heavy  rain-cloud,  which  had  been  hovering  over 
the  canon,  burst  with  a  noise  like  thunder,  discharg- 
ing a  huge  volume  of  water,  instantly  filling  up  the 
canon  with  a  roaring  stream,  canying  everything  in 
its  resistless  course.  A  family  with  wagon  and  o.x-team, 
traveling  in  the  canon,  wore  caught  and  overwhelmed 
in  the  flood,  the  di-iver  alone,  Mr.  C.  J.  Chevalier, 
escaping  with  his  life.  The  water  in  the  eauon 
when  the  party  entered  it  was  less  than  three  inches, 
and  when  the  torrent  came  it  was  over  fifteen  feet 
deep,  and  it  was  past  daylight  next  morning  ere  the 
flood  subsided. 

The  Carson  Jpi>eal  of  January  13, 1878,  gives  some 
incidents  '■  to  our  purpose  quite,"  of  avalanches  and 
cloud-bursts  occurring  in  that  (jiiarter: — 

This  beautiful  weather  is  so  seductive  and  sjiring- 
like  that  one  forgets,  as  he  sees  groups  of  children 
sitting  quietly  ujjoii  the  ground  in  the  mellow  sun- 
shine, that  il  is  .laiiuarj'  and  not  June  which  is  so 
sunny  and  so  full  of  light  and  cheer.  *  *  * 

We  fell  in  with  oui- old  ]iioMcer  friend  Spurgeon, 
j^eslerday,  and  after  the  customary  weather-wise  salu- 
tations, we  fell  into  the  inevitable  train  of  reminis- 
cences. It  was  as  if  two  gentlemen  of  Herculaneum 
were  to  meet  and  gossi]>  of  their  experiences  in  the 
eruption  remittances  from  the  Vesuvian  crater. 

The  readers  of  the  A/ijituil  will  call  to  mind  an  ava- 
lanche which  took  ])lace  in  the  winter  of  18()5-G6,  by 
whose  icy  current  and  pro])ulsive  course  a  cabin  and 
two  men  on  the  Bigler  graiie  wci-e  swejit  down  into 
the  <le))thH  below.  One  of  the  men,  liobinson  bj- 
nanu'.  survived,  his  partner,  Chadwick,  lies  there 
under  a  hundred  feet  of  gravel,  granite,  chips  and 
loam.  Robinson  stayed  all  night  in  his  bare  legs  in 
the  snow,  and  was  rescued  in  the  morning  by  some 
Canadians  hard  by. 

In  the  spring  of  1S()2  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  a  travel- 
ing companion  were  overtaken  b}' a  cloud-burst  near 
Genoa.  Spurgeon  was  complelel}'  enveloped  in  dirt 
and  debris,  but  escajicd  with  a  sti'n  and  some  bruises, 
Ilis  companion  has  never  since  been  seen.  Says  the 
Hook,  "  two  women  shall  be  standing  together;  and 
one  shall   be  taken   and  the  other  left." 

On  the  tenth  ol"  April,  1S()2,  the  mountain  which 
lies  west  of  north,  as  one  stands  in  Carson  street 
looking  towards  Washoe  Vallej-,  was  the  scene  of 
the  verj-  evident  land  slide  or  avalanche  which  is 
so  much  a  feature  of  that  jiromontor}-.  There  had 
fallen,  after  a  long  dr^^  winter,  like  the  present,  a 
very  heavy  fall  of  snow,  and  it  was  the  sudden  melt 


ing  of  this  snow  that  caused  the  avalanche  which 
buried  Spurgeon  and  his  companion,  and  caused  that 
Washoe  mountain  to  break  in  two." 

In  1874  another  cloud-burst  occun-ed  near  the 
same  locality. 

WATER  CATCn.MENT. 

The  future  agricultural  wealth  of  the  State 
depends  upon  its  means  of  irrigation,  and  as  the 
prosjject  of  turning  any  of  the  streams  of  the  Colum- 
bia and  Colorado  into  the  Great  Basin  is  remote, 
even  if  practicable,  the  system  of  impounding  the 
waste  waters  of  the  winter  season  will  eventually  be 
considered  and  adopted.  In  all  of  the  lofty  ranges 
of  mountains  snow  falls  to  a  considerable  depth. 
Most  of  this  goes  to  the  alkaline  flats  or  the  brackish 
lakes  to  be  evaporated  in  the  hot  sun  of  the  summer, 
and  is  mostlj'  a  dead  loss  to  the  State,  the  exception 
being  the  remote  and  insignificant  benefit  in  the 
slightly  moistened  condition  of  the  air  resulting 
therefrom.  In  the  mountains  are  many  flats  and 
depressions  which  could  be  converted  into  reservoirs 
and  become  of  vast  utility.  The  matters  of  climate, 
rain-fall,  water-rights,  and  irrigation  are  subjects  for 
the  consideration  of  the  wisest  heads.  The  greatest 
populations  of  the  world  have  existed  where  irriga-- 
tion  was  the  reliance.  Egj-pt,  with  its  ruined  cities 
of  Karnac,  Memphis,  and  Thebes;  Hindoostan,  with 
its  canals  a  thousand  miles  in  length,  tapping  the 
streams  running  from  the  loftiest  mountains  in  the 
world;  Ancient  Peru,  and  in  fact  nearly  all  the 
ancient  seats  of  population  were  enriched  by  arti- 
ficial water  distribution.  The  lands  of  seasonable 
showers  are  the  exceptions.  What  has  been  may  be 
again. 

Pertinent  to  this  subject  maj-  be  quoted  the  follow- 
ing from  the  report  of  the  Assessor  of  Ormsby  County, 
Mr.  H.  H.  Benee,  to  the  Surveyor  General,  dated 
November  30,  1880:— 

The  approximate  area  of  agricultural  land  in  this 
county  is  8,000  acres;  but  owing  to  a  scarcity  of 
natural  supplj-  of  water  for  irrigation,  only  about 
l.KU  acres  are  actually  under  cultivation,  and  the 
question  arises  how  water  is  to  be  obtained  for  irri- 
gating ])urposes. 

Numerous  attempts  have  been  made  to  su])ply  it 
by  means  of  artesian  wells,  but  all  efl'orts  in  that 
direction  have  failed;  and,  in  my  opinion,  the  only 
solution  of  this  question  is  that  carried  out  by 
Charles  M.  Scbultz,  on  his  ranch  near  the  mouth  of 
Clear  Creek. 

Some  three  years  ago,  Mr.  Schultz  constructed  a 
reservoir  covering  a  surface  area  of  about  twenty 
acres,  about  ten  feet  deep  at  the  deojiest  itoint,  and 
an  average  depth  of  about  three  feet.  This  reser- 
voir is  filled  from  Clear  Creek  in  the  s])ring  of  the 
year,  when  there  is  an  abundance  of  water  running 
to  waste,  and  the  water  is  thus  stored  up  for  use 
when  most  needed.  When  tapped  for  use,  it  fur- 
nishes a  nice  clear  stream  of  water  for  irrigation 
from  four  to  six  weeks  at  a  time. 

By  means  of  this  reservoir  Mr,  Schultz  has  been 
enabled  to  cultivate  about  sixty  acres  more  of  land 
than    could  have   been  successfully   cultivated  with 


AGRICULTURE. 


139 


the  natural  siip]>lies  of  water  at  hand;  and  his  succ-csr 
in  this  ]ianioular  lias  been  such  that  lie  contem|ilate8 
not  only  iiu-reasing  the  ca]>acity  of  the  present  res- 
ervoir, hut  the  construction  of  others  immediately 
below  it,  thus  comitlclin-;  a  system  of  reservoirs,  one 
below  the  other,  that  will  undoubtedly  reward  his 
enterprise  with  a  largo  increase  in  agricultural 
])roduets. 

There  are  many  other  suitable  sites  for  reservoirs, 
and  by  a  reasonable  outlay  in  their  construction  the 


agricultural  resourceB  of  the  county  might  be  more 
than  doubled. 

Statistics  have  shown  that  the  rain-fali  along  the 
western  border  of  the  State,  also  in  the  mountains 
of  the  north  and  cast,  is  about  thirteen  inches  ])cr 
annum,  which,  if  gathered  in  reservoirs,  would  be 
sulHcieut  to  irrigate  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  land  of  the 
valleys,  redeeming  the  State  from  its  present  barren- 
ness. 


Ta 

bnlate 

1  State 

meut, 

iitlOWl 

ngby 

COllUll 

estue 

Kearl 

y  liicr 

3ase  ot 

Stock 

Since 

1865  to  1880.* 

Coun- 
ties. 

18(35 

isGt; 

ISG7 

1868 

1869 

1870 

1871   j   1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

1880 

3      J 
-=      1 

Horses .   . . 

Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep 

360 

"lioo 

610 

20:i 

1,511 

64i: 

4.^ 

4,48! 

8,509 

8!)5 

205 

5,801 

4,000 

1,620 

383 

9,001) 

21,382 

3,303 

437 

49,287 

45,610 

2,620 

523 

13,  .354 

31,592 

958 

1!»0 

11,618 

400 

1,590 
833 

7o; 

260 
6,914 
5,42-- 

800 

200 

1,,")!10 

3,300 

1,500 

.300 

1 1 ,425 

7,700 

3,565 

404 

3!),6S3 

43,985 

2,545 

478 

14,355 

28,050 

1,029 
140 

10,832 
2,500 

2,017 
!)36 

9,579 

811 

14C 

6,805 

5,537 

1,183 

14-. 

4,  GOO 

1,900 

1,368 

201 

10,027 

12,435 

3,423 

.368 
35,5()3 
30,031 

1,575 
380 

25;732 

2,760 

382 

22,400 

4,372 

2,137 
893 

1,07' 

9 

>    6,8".K, 

2,50(. 

5t 

1     9,12(1 

12,00c 

1,4.37 
12h 

3,7G( 
4,860 





5S 
!),G6( 
6,31-. 

1,27- 

7! 
G,4!i; 
3,500 

1,476 

450 

9,874 

6,900 

4,021 

42G 

37,81!) 

36,038 

1,537 

230 

20.142 

28,000 

3,500 

350 

21,650 

8,120 

1,482 

GIG 

7,789 

8,940 

5,052 

79 

36,780 

5,987 

620 

198 

1,460 

5,600 

2,5(>5 

283 

16,!)48 

17,040 

600 

200 

4,762 

4,000 

1         21 
8,2  K 

75 

9,635 
12,000 

J  f 

800 

1,00(1 

200 

2,700 

1,000 

200 

2, 700 

1,009 
164 

2,472 
443 

1,121 
193 

1,271 

14! 

■  .3,852 

1,151 

12a 

3,06C 

-Mules. 

1,550 

3    \ 

Cattle 

1,800 

2,79! 
525 

81 
4,076 
4,860 

1,303 
590 

Sheep     .    . 

2    1 

Horses. . .  . 

-Mulrs. .  .  . 

396 

49 

634 

396 
49 

I.Olii 

1,5.30 

4O0 

7,G12 

I,OS0 

400 

8,380 

11(1 
5,9,37 

,0 

Cattle 

634 

Sheep 

3,506 

5,212 

383 

38,438 

26,741 

2,100 

400 

5,3.30 

23,000 

2,000 
400 

'l0,()66 

2    ( 

■^  J 
5   f 

Horses. . . . 

.Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep 

Horses  . . . 

.Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep 

Horses. . . . 

250 

1, 000 
1,000 

G(V.) 

1(>5 

3,7iK5 

1, 0*3 

600 

GO 

1,850 

1,500 

1.224 

203 

5,788 

1.159 

600 

GO 

1,8.50 

1,.383 
1,2.30 
2  292 
1,'020 

1,000 

200 

10,900 

15,000 

1,375 

235 

14,640 

26,375 

()40 

400 

4,050 

3,000 

3,386 

284 
29,851 
47,427 

4,570 

405 

39,644 

4,861 

395 

51,76!) 

41,480 

2,000 

320 

6,332 

32,000 

3,000 
475 

"  V.'oi) 

i  f 

s  -\ 

2,200 

2.50 

21,240 

3,650 

325 

23,007 

1,934 
650 

2, 100 

300 

20,500 

3,  .562 

353 

23,494 

1. 885 

605 

13,365 

Mules 

9    -{ 
^       1 

Cattle 

Sheep 

Mules 

1,903     2,084 

615        48!) 

12,!)48     7,8.30 

Cattle 

Sheep 

1.3,600 

4,000 

1,200 

54,000 

17,000 

5.54 

14G 

2,227 

1,055 

2,300 

231 

25,457 

18,154 

588 

213 

1,803 

45 

401 

55 

1,023 

72 

690 

30 

1,023 

125 

1,6.50 

149 

12,761 

lt,9liO 

1.3,719 

4,000 

1,220 

40,200 

.30,000 

665 

lOG 

2,4!M 

7,810 

2,229 
343 

23,848 
23,000 

472 

152 

2,368 

440 

62 

1,128 

794 

5!) 

1,128 

150 

1,900 

70 

17,000 

23.0l)0i 

6,225 

5,733 
142 

I2,2i(j 

548 

183 

1,851 

871 

3,211 

32-: 

18,"  102 
12,580 

726 

289 

5,046 

9,56^ 

o     1 

Horses.  . ,  . 

2,164 

816 

18,507 

14,082 

578 

123 

1,575 

3,600 

4,8.30 

435 

.38,170 

625 
53 

1,751 

7,702 

4,443 

39,200 

663 

5l! 

1,588 

18,676 
5,381 

17,200 
4,150 

Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep .    ... 

Horses. . .  . 
.Mules. . . . 

I.-JOO 

1,000 

800 

1,200 

550 
127 
999 

557 
17.-; 

1,9.35 
7,082 

514 
156 

lU.UUU 

636 

i  ) 

^} 

Cattle 

Sheep 

1,000 

176 

1,400 
2,518 

s  J 

Horses. . . . 

Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep 

Horses. . .  . 

250 

'  2,6o6 

1,0« 

300 

100 

K.-iOO 

823 

125 

1,285 

!l()0 

1,319 

.371 

8,110 

6,000 

722 

.309 

2,216 

1,674 

563 

92 

553 

2,613 
316 

I7,848l 

(>oo! 

190! 
2,790 

2,208 

20!) 

14,365 

14,137 

«1 

441 

190 
1,051 
1,189 

11,76) 
8,401 

C     1 

C      1 

3  1 

Mules 

Cattle 

Sheep 

Horses. . . . 

310 

im 

COS 
250 

620 

212 
610 
100 

815 
343 
650 



2(X)i 

3.000' 

1 

•^i 

4.'>0 

77 
6s:i 

360 

70 
5G0 

531 

82 

2,164 

» 

1,524 

76 

1,064 

4&4 
99 

"  07 '( 

626 
76 

623 

.Males 

10A             r.ikl 

Cattle 

460 
600 

836 

84 

31740 

2,625 

281 
1S,!1G7 
25,I!I5 

610 

700 

1,374 

72 

823 

250 

2,600 

2(M) 

lG,.'-.75 

22,000| 

180 

Sheep 

1,470 

65 

1,0.38 

2,075 

1,.340 
35 

1,875 

1,2^) 
32 

£   ) 

riorses. . . . 

Mules 

Cattle 

300 
300 

O   '\ 

m   9 

Sheep 

Horses. . .  . 

Mules 

Cattle.    ... 
Sheep 

170 
2,2411 
l.SiJu 

1,665 
38j 

4,G.''.7 
1,005 

2,800 
425 

17,728 

2,500 

l!IO 

14,3(55 

1 

2,825 

395 

15,!)21 

51,990 

2,650 

.390 

14,0: 1 

51.0.->.. 

*Iu  some  iustonces  no  returns  were  found;  this  accounts  for  the  blank  spaces. 


uo 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


TaMlatei  Statefflent,  Showing  tk  Area  Cnltivatefl,  aM  Grain  Raised  from  1865  to  IS 


Coun- 
tit-s. 

1865 

18GG 

18G7 

1868 

1869 

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

1880 

11 

1,000 

20 

110 

620 

18,503 

506 

!)0 

8,000 

5,725 
470 

859 
4,826 

10,000 

196 

3,611 

7,000 

1,840 
192 
438 

4,815 

2,600 

2()7 

I,. 500 

4,000 

718 

633 

61 
1,080 

19,553 

406 

1,716 

9,000 

7,500 

500 

1,012 

3,500 

10,000 

310 

5,2.50 

14,000 

2,400 
213 
360 

5,500 

.3,000 

333 

1,750 

6,000 

1,886 

18 

212 

1,508 

18,000 
267 
625 

1.5,000 

500 

1,200 

30 

200 

2,000 

3,760 
206 

.528 
9,041 

3,025 

217 

3,599 

4,236 

11,000 
1,080 
3,750 

16,000 

2,136 

54 

1,887 

18,000 

3,000 

180 

1,500 

4,000 

7.35 

15 

.375 

24,000 

8,152 

173 

3,559 

10,833 

344 

31 

IS 

1,949 

8,400 

262 

1,035 

2,000 

1,095 

57 

400 

SHK) 

1,050 

36 

75 

600 

250 
4 

1,500 

24 

225 

1,800 

3,953 

282 

662 

8,330 

3,115 

281 
3,833 
.3,403 

12,000 
1,080 
3,750 

16,000 

1,512 

22 

794 

7,500 

3,081) 

200 

1,211 

3,960 

8.50 

9 

7.50 

1,000 

12,590 

164 

3,833 

342 

58 

94 

1,979 

9,000 

300 

1,025 

2,  .500 

1,200 
60 
50 

1,000 

1,200 

18 

75 

800 

300 
3 

3,726 

10 

182 

2,079 

15,254 

90 

636 

9,829 

4,600 
254 
937 

5,700 

10,000 
1,9.50 
3,250 

16,000 

2,000 

20 

75 

1.3,000 

2.890 

200 

1,203 

4,145 

475 

15 

75 

4,500 

15,2.54 

1.53 

4,741 

18,441 

740 
30 

SO 
938 

2,700 
150 
800 

3,000 

1,705 
72 
18 

1,200 

796 
59 
19 

770 

350 

3,414 

4 

185 

.3,155 

16,140 
117 
212 

11,460 

7,240 

165 

1,862 

6,900 

3,000 

21 

75 

13,000 

2,680 

165 

1,030 

3,975 

500 

15 

75 

4,500 

16,140 

676 

3,855 

20,000 

740 

30 

120 

1,000 

2,000 

90 

500 

900 

1,232 

40 

221 

375 

3,600 

17 

455 

5,000 

16,284 

1.50 

1,241 

9,487 

8,807 

2  292 

2,'T05 

10,160 

2,800 

32 

1,100 

12,000 

1,810 

54 

449 

3,5:0 

27 

500 

Wheat.... 

71 

200 
2,000 

5,000 

666 

1,000 

20,000 

4,096 

330 

1,0.50 

1,100 

3,750 
l,:i40 
2,500 
3,000 

1,800 

Hay 

2,000 

7,000 

70 

350 

15,000 

5,000 

6I>() 

1,000 

20,000 

4,096 

330 

1.050 

1,100 

3,750 
1,340 
2,500 
3,000 

3,000 
1.5,624 

l\ 

' '  '4.3s 

932 

7,096 

492 
1,041 
6,875 

Wheat 

•)f>5 

133 

Hay 

\rea 

15,000 

I"  040 

7,782 
120 

Wlieat .  .  . 

2,000 


20,606 

1,063 
8,666 

8,900 
•'  '>62 

Hay ...... 

Area 

Wlieat .  . . 

Barley 

Hav 

355 

1.50 

12,000 

1,666 
1,716 
3,000 

3     1 

2  075 

10,000 
2,7.30 

t:    i 

Area.     . .  . 
Wlieat 

8,227 

1,800 

44 

.30 

■3  1 

Barley 

1,800 

900 

Hav 

700 

800 

60 

150 

4,000 

9,500 
2,175 

Area 

Wheat 

118 

Barley. . . . 

1,003 

Hav 

Area 

4,355 

27 

400 

2,953 

16,  .557 

900 

3,750 

50,984 

750 

30 

125 

1,000 

2,129 
130 
830 

3,168 

4,947 

Wheat 

45 

Barley .... 

1.50 
5,450 

1.5,000 

50 

Hay 

4,224 

16,124 

Wlieat     . . 

880 

2,500 

18,000 

27 

.5,475 

1.5,000 

410 

900 

i  - 

3  750 

Hay 

50,000 

J 

J3'  1 

Area 

Wheat 

fiOO 

1,670 

:j 

3 
.500 

3 

4 

952 

8 

U 

1,226 

30 

10 
250 

5,000 

125 

Hay 

Area 

Wheat  .  .  . 

2,100 
2,000 

915 

5,163 
27 
38 

2,500 

.300 

2,245 

9,000 
36 
52 

2,073 

675 

19 

94 

1,750 

1,200 

45 

87 

300 

1.50 
3 

1,000 

2,.300 

22 
69 

ISO 

l-'l 

100 
1,250 

250 
1,050 

804 

Hay 

Area 

1,000 

2,200 

2,900 

o      1 

95 

Corn.  18 
4 

Wheat 

274 

84 

1,420 

2  -{ 

Barley. . .  . 

5 
350 

' ' '  '75 
1,000 

1,0.38 

45 

87 

250 

100 

Hay   .      . 

i-  f 

Area 

2,241 

"55 
144 
250 

■■"79 

1,650 

250 

1,100 
117 
30- 
609 

385 
0 

1,164 

Wheat  .  . . 
Barley    . . . 

25 
105 

150 

150 

101 

o   ( 

172 
380 

231 

Hay . . 

200 

1.50 

457 

ll 

Area  . 

390 

VVheat 

0 

Hav 

60 

3,462 

197 

196 

11,874 

70 

2,7(K) 

225 

182 

15,600 

100 

2,9.50 
117 

125 

2,9.50 
177 

125 

2,890 

135 

215 

26,(KX) 

150 

2,680 

210 

198 

23,000 

125 

13,800 
269 
187 

125 

^  f 

Area 

Wheat .  . 
Barley. . . . 
Hay 

10,450 

7.50 

4,000 

7,-588 

13,800 

289 

3   1 
is    (^ 

178 

11,1.55 

21,000 

22,000 

*Ia  some  iustances  uo  returns  were  found;  this  accounts  for  the  lilank  spaces. 


CATTLE-RAISINQ. 

The  bunch  grass  is  the  main  relianeo  for  the  herds 
of  cattle  raiij^ing  through  the  State.  It  is  hard}-, 
nutritious,  and  acceptable  to  the  wandering  stock, 
but  has  not  met  all  the  expectations  of  those  who 
undertook  to  raise  herds  U])()n  it.  When  the  cattle 
were  Been    to  paw  away   the  snow   to  get  it,  and 


thrive  and  even  get  fat  upon  it  in  winter,  the  oxjiec- 
tations  of  stockmen  were  boundless,  but  it  was 
found  that  the  closely  cropped  bunches  required 
years  for  their  renewal,  and  that  one  season's  pas- 
turage nearly  worked  oaf  a  range,  and  the  cattle  had 
to  subsist  upon  the  wild  sage,  which  has  some  of  the 
qualities  of  the  domestic  herb,  communicating  the 


"■•Xi^i  ^  r-^,„J^  J^i^- 


^Z-t^ 


:£^ 


Manuel  San  Pedro. 

In  the  northwestern  extreme  of  the  Spanish  Peninsula,  where  the  Atlantic's  boisterous 
waves  beat  against  the  projecting  buttresses  of  the  Pyrenean  chain,  is  the  mountainous 
Province  of  Galicia,  and  therein,  forty-one  years  ago,  the  suhjcclof  this  sketch,  Manuel 
San  Pedro,  first  saw  the  light.  Ihiliive  the  coast  of  Spain  generally,  here  &torni.s  and 
sea  and  mountains  combined,  have  formed  bold  headlands,  deep  bays  and  projecting 
islands,  giving  Galicia  some  of  the  best  harbors  of  the  kingdom.  Good  harbors  are  the 
schools  of  sailors,  and  there  young  San  Pedro  took  his  lessons.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  left  his  native  land  for  a  voyage  to  Brazil,  South  America,  and  for  several  years  his 
life  was  on  the  ocean  wave.  With  that  skill  and  ambition  which  has  marked  his  later 
years,  he  soon  rose  to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  as  such  liad  coumiand  of  several  ships  in 
the  commercial  marine.  But  the  life  of  a  merchant  .sailor  did  not  offer  the  opportu- 
nities to  which  h^aspired.  His  tastes,  talents  and  inclinations  led  him  to  mining.  In 
his  native  land  mining  had  been  the  high  and  lionorable  occupation  of  the  people  for 
more  than  a  tliousand  years  before  he  was  born,  and  in  his  days  of  early  manhood,  the 
world  was  resounding  witli  the  success  of  mining  enterprises.  In  view  of  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  mineralogical  .science,  and  familiarizing  himself  with  the  practical  operations 
of  the  business,  he  visited  all  the  great  mines  of  South  America,  Central  America  and 
Mexico,  spending  several  years  in  his  studies. 

While  engaged  in  these  explorations,  the  news  of  the  wonderful  silver  mines  of  Nevada 
was  spreading  over  the  world  and  Senor  San  Pedro  .saw  that  there  was  the  proper  field 
for  his  future  operations.  In  18G1,  he  came  to  Virginia  City,  bringing  with  him  most 
valuable  knowledge  of  mines  and  mining.  With  the  experience  of  a  year  in  the  mines 
of  the  Comstock,  he  plunged  forward  into  the  wilderness,  being  one  of  the  pioneers  in 
tile  mines  of  Humboldt  County.  The  Sheba  and  other  mines  of  that  region  were  then 
attracting  the  attention  of  miners,  and  cau.sing  a  great  sensation.  But  San  Pedro  did 
not  rest  satisfied  with  the  prospects  of  that  region,  and  he  went  exploring  the  new 
discoveries  of  Reese  River,  which  carried  him  into  Nye  County,  examining  all  the  country 
of  the  Toiyabe  and  the  Shoshone  ranges  of  mountains,  becoming  particularly  interested 
in  the  mines  of  Union  District,  which  he  hflped  to  organize,  and,  at  a  later  date,  to 
found  the  town  of  Grantsville. 

The  White  Pine  excitement  of  18G9  called  him  to  new  fields,  and  since  then  his 
operations  have  been  varie<l  and  extensive  throughout  this  State  as  well  as  in  California. 
Always  observing,  always  learning,  he  has  become  an  authority  on  mining  matters,  and 
his  opinions  are  sought,  and  his  sound  and  well-matured  judgment  relied  upon  by  those 
seeking  information  in  mining  matters:  for  the  development  of  mining  property,  or 
intending  to  invest  in  the  same.  With  his  twenty  ^-ears'  experience  in  the  mines  of 
Nevada,  together  with  the  exact  knowledge  obtained  by  his  studies  in  the  Spanish- 
American  States,  he  has  risen  to  the  front  rank  as  a  mining  expert,  and  his  judgment  is 
regarded  as  infallible.  The  proof  of  this  is  given  in  his  faith  in  the  mines  of  Grantsville, 
which  among  his  earliest  discoveries  are  now  among  the  most  valuable  of  the  State, 
returning  large  profits  for  capital  invested  in  them  and  a  promise  of  being  inexhaustible 
in  their  resources.  He  has  seen  grow  up  around  him,  greatly  the  result.'*  of  his  sagacity 
and  enterprise,  the  thriving  town  of  Grantsville,  and  with  it  he  has  thrived  and  jnos- 
pered.  Some  seven  or  eight  yeai-s  ago  he  became  associated  in  his  mining  operations 
with  James  B.  Cooper,  Es(p,a  gentleman  of  great  businessj  ability,  and  in  1S77.  organ- 
ized the  Alexander  Mining  Company  with  Mr.  Cooper  as  President  and  Don  Manuel 
San  Pedro  as  Superintendent.  The  mines  of  this  Company  are  in  and  around  Grants- 
ville, and  with  one  of  the  best  mills  of  the  coast,  using  fifty  stamps  and  all  the  modern 
improvements,  employs  (juite  a  colony  of  men.  So  successful  have  the  operations  been 
that  extensive  additions  are  expected  to  be  made  to  the  mill,  quadrupling  its  capacity. 

This  sketch  is  necessarily  brief;  the  full  history  of  the  gentleman's  life,  with  all  its 
incidents,  adventures,  explorations  and  successes  being  suthcient  to  fill  a  volume.  He  is 
still  in  the  prime  of  life,  with  the  port  of  vigorous  manhood,  and  many  more  triumphs  in 
fortune's  battles  are  in  store  for  him. 


AGRICULTURE. 


141 


peculiar,  though  not  objectionable,  flavor  to  the  beef. 
N.  H.  A.  Mason,  who  is  the  largest  land  owner  and 
perhaps  cattle  owner  in  the  State — owning  1,800 
square  miles  on  Quin  River,  also  several  other 
ranges — expresses  the  opinion  that  160  acres  of  land 
to  the  head  is  required  to  carry  a  herd  through  the 
season.  This  is  a  low  estimate  on  the  abilitj-  of  the 
land,  but  it  may  be  correct.  Undoubtedly  mueh  of 
the  land  is  much  better  than  this,  and  some  is  so  bad 
that  an  animal  might  starve  while  traveling  from 
one  bunch  of  grass  to  another. 

The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  has  made  the  exten- 
sive raising  of  cattle  in  Nevada  possible,  by  furnish- 
ing a  speedy  and  economical  trans])ortation  to 
market.  A  drive  of  300  miles  will  take  fifty  pounds 
of  flesh  off  the  average  steer.  A  drive  of  600  or  a 
1,000  is,  of  course,  out  of  the  question.  The  cattle 
ranges  of  the  State  are  all  within  300  miles,  and 
cattle  are  driven  to  the  line  of  the  raih'oad,  and  in 
a  few  days  are  transferred,  with  little  loss,  to  the 
market  in  San  Francisco  or  St.  Louis.  Over  one- 
half  of  the  beef  supply  of  the  former  place  comes  from 
Nevada,  amounting  to  nearly  80.000  head  ]ier  year. 
Large  herds  onlj-  are  profitable.  The  best  judgment 
is  necessarj'  in  handling  cattle.  The  feed  designed 
for  winter  use  must  be  preserved.  The  summer  and 
winter  pastures  are  sometimes  100  miles  ajiart.  To 
remain  on  the  suiiuner  range  during  the  winter 
would  result  in  great  loss,  if  not  destruction  of  the 
herd.  A  deep  snow  would  bury  up  the  closely 
cropped  grass,  so  that  starvation  would  necessarily 
ensue.  Where  the  bunches  are  uncropped.  the  cattle 
will  paw  away  the  snow,  finding  the  grass  by  some 
kind  of  instinct,  and  feast  on  the  compact  head  of 
grass,  and  perhaps  improve  in  flesh  during  the 
winter. 

Winter  feeding  is  found  to  be  detrimental.  Cattle 
fed,  though  ever  so  little,  lose  their  enterprise  and 
hang  around  the  hay -stack,  refusing  to  exert  them- 
selves at  all,  in  this  respect,  at  least,  illustrating  the 
ordinary  results  of  charity  to  a  street  beggar. 

The  migration  of  cattle  was  taught  bj'  the  buffalo 
that  moves  from  Texas  to  the  grassy  |)lains  of  the 
Red  River  of  the  north  and  back  again  the  same  sea- 
son. The  cattle  become  half  wild,  as  do  their  con- 
stant com])anions,  the  herders,  who  are  a  unique 
race,  with  a  code  of  morals  and  almost  a  language  of 
their  own.  Tliej-  are  not  much  above  the  Indian, 
whom  they  have  dis])laced  in  their  civilization,  and 
in  time  may  form  a  pojjulation  as  troublesome  to 
control  as  the  native  Indian.  The  cow-boys  of 
Texas  are  not  a  whit  more  amenable  to  the  laws  of 
ethics  than  Cachise's  Indians  were.  A  rifle,  knife, 
saddle  and  horse  are  his  e<|uipments.  With  these 
he  will  have  the  best  the  country  aflTords.  Some- 
body has  to  suffer. 

LIABILITIES  TO  LOSS. 

A    drj'  season  may  cut  short  the  feed,  in  which 
case    thousands  may   starve.     A    deep  snow   or  an 
unusual  low  temperature  may  decimate  a  herd.     It 
18 


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142 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


is  estimated  that  one-third  of  all  the  cattle  in  Nevada 
died  in  the  winter  of  1879-80.  Ten  years  previous 
the  winter  was  very  destructive  also.  On  the  Car- 
son River  the  snow  commenced  fallini^  in  Novem- 
ber, covering  the  ground  two  feet  and  a  half  deep. 
In  Pine  Nut  Valley  the  Allcorn  Brothers  lost  360 
out  of  4(10  head.  Thej-  had  come  in  during  the  fall 
across  the  plains  and  were  not  used  to  the  range. 
Walter  Cosser  lost  seventy -five  head;  Israel  Mott, 
300  head.  Two-thirds  of  all  the  cattle  in  Carson 
Valley  died.  Among  the  farmers  hay  was  worth 
$100  per  ton  ;  if  taken  to  Virginia  City,  8300  to 
S500.     Flour  was  worth  8100  per  barrel. 

Cattle  that  were  in  good  condition  and  accustomed 
to  the  range  escaped.  The  "  big  melt,"  "  big  jaw," 
and  "black  leg"  are  diseases,  mysterious,  and  fre- 
quently fatal;  the  latter,  especially,  is  rapidly  fatal, 
no  cure  or  preventive  having  been  found.  The  vic- 
tims are  generally  the  finest  calves,  the  poorer  ones 
escaping.  The  disease  prevails  in  July  and  August, 
these  being  the  most  dreaded  months  in  the  year. 
The  hind  legs  commence  swelling  and  getting  stiff, 
the  disease  soon  passing  to  the  loins,  when  the  animal 
dies.  The  disease  usually  runs  its  course  in  three  or 
four  hours.  Some  have  supposed  it  to  be  a  kind  of 
gout,  engendered  by  excessive  nutrition  of  the  blood, 
producing  paralysis  and  stagnation,  the  blood  being 
found  in  clotted  masses  around  the  kidneys.  The 
losses  by  severe  cold,  snow  and  starvation  are  the 
most  serious,  however. 

Every  season,  in  May  and  Juno,  the  owners  have 
what  they  call  a 

RODEO. 

The  cattle  scatter  over  immense  tracts  of  country, 
being  left  pretty  much  to  their  own  keeping  and 
straying  ten,  twenty,  or  even  fifty  miles  from  home. 
An  cxteiisivo  cattle  owner  will  travel  from  one  rodeo 
to  another  branding  all  the  calves  with  his  mark  that 
follow  his  cows.  He  may  not  see  his  stock  again 
until  the  rodeo  of  the  following  j'ear,  or  until  he 
searches  out  the  fat  ones  for  a  drive.  A  cattle  farmer 
will  brand  annually  from  five  hundred  to  five  thou- 
sand calves.  The  rodeo  is  the  cattle  herders'  delight. 
Here  they  may  be  seen  in  all  their  glory  of  riata  or 
rawhide,  jingling  spurs,  and  revolver.  They  run 
races,  throw  the  lasso  over  each  other's  heads,  or 
riding  upon  an  unsuspecting  greenhorn  (gringo)  and 
catching  his  horse  by  the  tail,  tumble  horse  and  rider 
into  the  sand. 

A    DRIVE 

Is  the  jxirtion  of  the  herd  set  off  for  beef  or  for  sale, 
and  is  the  increase,  or  profit  of  the  herd.  In  a  suc- 
cessful scries  of  years  the  annual  drive  will  approxi- 
mate (he  number  of  calves  branded,  which  one  year 
with  another  will  nearly  equal  one-quarter  of  the 
herd.  It  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  stock  business, 
when  successfully  conducted  soon  brings  a  fortune. 
Dr.  Glenn  once  sent  to  market  13,000  at  a  single 
drive. 


Among  the  cattle  kings  in  Nevada  are  :  Dr. 
Glenn  &  Co.  with  30,000  ;  Todhunter,  with  25,000  ; 
Lux  &  Miller,  with  10,000;  and  N,  H.  A.  Mason, 
number  unknown. 

The  total  number  of  cattle  in  Nevada  is  estimated 
at  upwards  of  200,000.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to 
arrive  at  anything  like  correct  figures,  as  the  owners 
do  not  always  know  their  own  numbers,  and  the 
Assessor  is  not  paid  for  hunting  up  the  beasts.  If 
there  is  an}'  doubt  the  cattle  owner  is  sure  to  have 
the  benefit  of  it. 

BREEDS  OP  CATTLE. 

The  fine  Durham  or  Jerse%'  stock  would  find  them- 
selves out  of  place  in  the  sage-brush.  Cattle  are 
wanted  that  can  either  fight  or  run  away  as  the  case 
demands.  The  Texas  steer  or  cow  can  do  all  this. 
Uis  long  slender  horns  and  light  heels  make  him 
formidable  either  in  fight  or  flight.  They  are  less 
prone  to  wander  alone  and  are  more  readily  massed 
than  American  cattle. 

A    STAMPEDE 

Is  one  of  the  things  that  are  past  all  comprehension. 
As  this  book  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  who 
have  never  seen  one,  a  description  may  be  ]>ermitted. 
Whether  the  atmosphere  of  the  '-Great  West,"  the 
altered  disposition  of  the  cattle  (horses  and  mules  as 
well),  or  a  half  indistinct  recollection  of  danger  in 
past  ages  causes  it,  none  can  tell.  The  stubborn  fact 
remains  unaccounted  for.  The  emigrants  of  1849- 
50  often  learned  to  the  sorrow  what  a  stampede  was. 
An  eye-witness  thus  describes  it: — 

'  Twas  bout  three  days  this  side  Chimblej'  Rock. 
We'd  been  pokin  along  sort  of  easy  as  the  cattle  had 
got  kinder  thin  and  the  road  was  right  sandy. 
'Twas  near  middle  the  arternoon,  an  I  was  thinking 
'o  ridin'  ahead  fur  a  campin'  ground.  I'd  got  off  to 
s]iell  my  mar  a  bit  and  was  leadin'  her  with  the 
bridle  on  my  arm,  my  old  woman  walkin'  with  me. 
The}"'s  four  wagon  on  us  all  and  Riah's  was  behind, 
his  wife  and  children  had  jist  climbed  in  over  the  tail- 
board. The  old  mar  was  alius  a  blamed  thing  ter 
lead;  morn  half  asleej)  less  somebodj''s  on  her  back. 
The  mar  made  a  stumble  and  slapped  her  foot  on 
the  ground  like.  'Twant  notliin';  you  couldn't  a 
hcerd  it  twenty  j'ards,  but  Riah's  critters  heerd  it 
though.  The}'  give  a  blow  "n  a  heller  'n  started 
with  their  eyes  as  big  as  saucers,  as  if  old  Satan  his- 
self  was  prod'n  'em  with  his  forked  tail.  The  children 
spilled  out  fust  thing  and  Kiah's  wife  next;  how  she 
rolled.  "What's  the  matter  dad?"  says  she.  "Is't 
Injuns?"  "Blamed  if  I  know,"  says  I.  "1  reckon  it's  a 
stampede."  The  other  critters  started.  You  couldn't 
stop  'em  more'n  you  could  a  horrycane.  The  boys  was 
walkin'  ahead.  They  heerd  'em  a  tearin  along,  but 
tliiy-  couldn't  do  nothin  'cept  turn  the  skeered  crit- 
ters towards  the  blulVs.  My  mar  had  bruck  away 
and  we's  all  afoot,  hut  set  after  'em  as  fast  as  we 
could.  We  cud  see  tar  buckets,  'n  blankets,  'n  fry 
ing  ])ans,  'n  crackers  jist  a  flyin,  'ii  the  cattle's  tails  a 
switchin'.  Riah's  rifle  was  tied  ter  the  wag(m  bows. 
That  fell  down  'n  went  oft'  'n  ke])t  u])  the  skeer, 
though  't  didn't  hit  nothin.  We  kim  up  two  miles  or 
more  towards  the  blurt's,  it  mout  a  been  three,  'n 
found  'em  all  snarled  up.    The  forud  ones  'ad  turned 


AGRICULTURE. 


143 


'n  upset  the  waijon,  makitiica  bii;  scattcrmeiit.  Tliey 
dni<;  it  on  the  side  awiiile  til  tother  erilter.s  i-im  into 
'em  'n  we  found  'em  bellerin  'n  i)lo\vin  'n  all  beat 
out,  piled  one  top  or  tother.  The  old  mar  stood 
lookin  on  's  it' she  hadn't  done  notliin'.  We  i^athercd 
up  the  |)lunder  'n  i;ot  back  to  the  road  arter  dark. 
'■What  made  'om  run'?"  J)ogond  if  I  know,  less 
kays  they's  's  fur  from  home."  The  critters  was 
mitjhty  little  'count  arter  that." 

In  1849,  sixty  teams  of  cattle,  five  yoke  to  a  team, 
all  drawini;  emigrant  wagons,  stampeded  on  the 
Sweetwater  and  run  seven  or  eight  miles  before  they 
came  to  a  liult.  Horses  and  even  the  sedate,  stolid 
mule,  who  ought  to  be  proof  against  any  sudden 
emotion,  will  join  in  the  scare.  The  biggest  fool  in 
the  crowd  is  the  solemn-looking  mule.  In  early 
days  a  cavalcade  would  be  picketed  out  with  ropes, 
fifty  feet  long  fastened  to  an  iron  pin  eighteen  inches 
in  length.  Sometimes  a  herd  of  a  hundred  horses 
would  break  awaj^  and  run  twenty  miles,  the  iron 
pins  flying  and  prodding  them  every  step.  A  more 
terror-stricken  crowd  of  animals  never  was  seen.  In 
18G4,  McCosh,a  Missourian,  started  with  six  hundred 
mules  for  California.  They  stampeded  on  the  Platte 
River  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  were  lost  beyond 
recovery.  In  the  past  winter,  1880-81,  a  band  of 
thirteen  hundred  fat  cattle,  confined  in  a  corral  in 
Paradise  City,  took  a  panic,  broke  out  and  started. 
Some  were  killed  in  the  ravines,  or  by  falling  over 
precipices;  man3-  were  lost,  and  those  that  were 
recovered  were  greatly  injured.  The  loss  to  the 
owners  was  something  like  810,(MI().  Months  are 
required  to  repair  the  nervous  exhaustion  produced 
by  a  stampede.  The  danger  is  always  present,  and 
the  rush  comes  when  least  looked  for.  It  is  head- 
long and  irresistible,  and  can  only  be  controlled  by 
fallhig  in  and  running  with  the  crowd,  becoming  in  fact 
a  leader. 

Is  it  not  true  also  with  regard  to  a  human  panic'? 

THE    CRICKET 

Has  his  habitation  west  of  the  Rockj'  Mountains. 
He  is  a  distant  relative  of  the  cricket  on  the  hearth, 
with  many  of  his  tastes  and  habits,  but  having 
adapted  himself  to  sage-brush  and  sand  plains  ho 
has  changed  considerably  in  appearance,  being  much 
larger  and  more  clumsy  than  his  domestic  relative. 
He  is  two  inches  or  more  in  length,  of  a  reddish 
brown  color,  with  only  rudimentary  wings,  and  a 
stomach  that  will  digest  cactus  or  sago-brush  equally 
well,  though  ho  will,  when  hard  pressed  for  food, 
live  upon  lettuce,  cabbage,  and  other  garden  truck, 
or  even  growing  grain  ;  in  fact,  many  farmers  believe 
that  he  seeks  the  civilized  product  rather  than  the 
wild  plants,  and  have  experienced  considerable  dif- 
ficultj-  in  kee])ing  them  out  of  their  cultivated  fields. 
They  overran  the  fields  of  the  Mormons  at  Salt 
Lake  in  1849-50;  luit  in  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  the  Saints  for  deliverance — according  to  the  Mor- 
mon records — the  Lord  sent  innumerable  gulls  that 
devoured  the  crickets.     At  any  rate  the  fields  in  the 


vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  were  saved  from  the  crickets 
by  the  gulls  that  appeared  in  immense  numbers. 
Like  the  grasshopjier,  the  cricket  has  his  favorite 
breeding-place,  and  when  grown  emigrates  in  search 
of  better  pasture,  though,  having  little  use  of  his 
wings,  he  cannot  carry  his  heavy  body  far  away 
from  the  homo  of  his  youth. 

They  move  in  swarms,  covering  a  space  from  half 
a  mile  to  five  miles  in  width.  They  do  not,  cannot 
mass,  like  the  grasshopper,  and,  consequently,  can- 
not commit  such  wido-spread  havoc,  though  they 
are  a  great  annoyance.  Ditches  will  turn  them  or 
catch  them  so  they  can  be  destroyed.  One  farmer 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  State  allowed  ho 
had  headed  them  off  eff'ectually  from  his  garden  by 
building  a  sheet-iron  and  tin  fence,  four  feet  high, 
which  thoy  could  neither  climb  nor  jump  over.  The 
crickets  were  bad  in  places  in  1869-70-71.  but  are 
not  considered  a  serious  objection  to  settling  in 
Nevada.  Probably  they  are  not  as  destructive  nor 
as  difficult  to  exterminate  as  squirrels  in  some  parts 
of  California. 

THE    ROCKY    .MOUNTAIN    LOCUST 

Or  grasshopper  is,  perhaps,  more  of  a  menace  to 
the  Pacific  Coast  than  the  "Heathen  Chinee."  He 
seems  as  much  a  native  of  the  high  table-lands  of 
the  interior  as  are  the  wandering  hordes  of  Tartars 
of  Central  Asia.  Their  range  is  enormous,  occa- 
sionally visiting  one-half  of  the  United  States.  We 
may  commence  within  fifty  miles  of  Galveston,  and 
go  northeast  towards  St.  Louis,  leaving  that  city, 
say  a  hundred  miles  to  the  east;  thence  through 
St.  Paul  to  Winnipeg  Lake — this  line  being  nearly 
direct,  covering  twenty-five  degrees,  or  near  2,000 
miles  on  the  eastern  side;  then-ce  west  to  the  Colum- 
bia River,  taking  in  the  larger  part  of  its  territory; 
thence  to  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  taking  all 
of  Nevada  and  part  of  (California  (though  so  far 
they  have  never  crossed  the  Sierra),  all  of  Arizona 
north  of  the  Big  Cafion  (that  boats  them)  to  Santa 
Fe,  following  the  Pecos  River  to  the  Rio  Grande; 
thence,  as  the  jiotaries  say,  to  Galveston,  the  place 
of  beginning,  (containing  2,500,000  scjuare  miles,  be 
the  same  more  or  less.  This  includes  his  extreme 
range;  his  permanent  breeding-place  being  the  high 
and  dry  lands  in  the  northern  ])art  of  the  United 
States,  on  both  slopes  of  the  l{ocky  Mountains,  to 
the  fiftj'-fiilh  parallel;  though  his  breeding-places 
on  the  west  side  are  confined  to  a  few  dry  regions, 
such  as  the  head-waters  of  Snake  l{iver,  a  portion 
of  Salt  Lake  Vallej',  and  parts  of  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  In  places  his  range  is  near 
1,000  miles  from  the  breeding-place;  he  scarcely 
ever  breeds  south  of  Pike's  Peak,  but  will  sometimes 
extend  his  flight  near  to  the  (Julf  of  Mexico. 

It  chooses  for  its  breeding-place  rather  dry,  grav- 
elly soil,  and  lays  its  eggs,  some  twenty-five  or  thirty 
in  number,  about  one  inch  below  the  surface,  in  a 
cavity  half  an  inch  in  length,  and  less  than  a  quar- 
ter in    diameter,  where  they  remain  until  the  heat 


144 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


of  the  following   spring   hatches   them,  and   brings 
up  the  grass  that  shall  nourish  the  young  until  they 
are  able  to  fly,  which,  with   favorable   weather,  will 
be  in  six  or  seven  weeks.     During   this  period  they 
loiter  along,  hiding  under  the  decayed  vegetation  at 
night,  and  traveling  only  in  the  warmer  part  of  the 
day.     They  frequently  destroy  gi-ain  fields   in    this 
stage,  but  may  he  turned   by  ditches,  or  destroyed 
by  various   means.     It  is  not  until   after  they  have 
grown  their  wings  that  they  show  their  formidable 
nature.     Having  exhausted  the  herbage  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  their  breeding-place  they  apparentlj',  by  a  con- 
certed movement,  rise  in  immense  swarms,  in  num- 
bers almost  incredible,  darkening  the  air  for  miles — 
millions,  perhaps  millions  of  millions  would  not  num- 
ber them.     They  have  been  known  to  fall   into  Salt 
Lake,  so  that   the  beach    was   covered  several  feet 
thick  with  their  dead  bodies.     They  will  stop  a  rail- 
road train,  or  convert  the  roads  vvhoi-e  wagons  are 
passing  into  mud  by  sheer  force  of  numbers.     When 
in  their  flight  they  mass  and   prepare  to  alight  the 
farmer  is  filled    with    terror.     Karely  can    he   turn 
them  aside.     In  some  instances  it  has  been  done  by 
dense  smoke,  fire,  noise,  the  preparations  for  them 
having   been    ample.      Usually   the    effort    is   vain. 
Some  morning  he  sees  the  skirmishing  line  appear- 
ing like  silver  spots  glistening  in  the  air,  and  they 
commence  falling  like  the  rain,  until  the  air  is  dark 
with   their  bodies.     It  seems  as  if  the  air  for  miles 
in  height  is  full  of  them.     The  rijiciiing  grain  begins 
to  fall.     The  first  comers   select   the  choice  morsels 
near   the  ground,  cutting   the   stock   off  to  get   it. 
They  next  seize  the  straw  like  saw-logs,  and  running 
them  through  their  mandibles,  take  otf  another  por- 
tion; a  third  devours  the  balance,  and  in  two  or  three 
hours   the    harvest   is    ended,  leaving  a  blackened, 
dirty,   filthy    mass    instead   of    the    waving   grain. 
Sometimes  they  spread  over  a  great  extent  of  coun- 
tr}',  and    remain  several  days    before    the    work    is 
completed;    but    whether    coming    in    swarms    that 
cover  the  ground,  or  in  scattered  numbers,  they  do 
not  leave  until  all  is  destroj-ed;  and,  thus  they  con- 
tinue   their    flight  until    the  season    for   incubation 
arrives,  when  they  settle  for  the  purpose  of  leaving, 
their  eggs  and  winding  up  business. 

In  view  of  the  ti'cmondous  territory  which  is  sub- 
ject to  their  de)>redalions  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment, in  187ti.  ajjpointed  a  commission  to  examine 
and  report  U])on  the  matter,  which  they  did  in  a  full 
re])ort  occu])ying  some  fitly  jiages  of  tine  print.  The 
habits  of  the  insect,  from  the  hatching  to  the  laying 
of  the  eggs,  the  character  of  the  soil  and  temperature 
favorable  for  their  development,  were  cai'efuljy  ob- 
served; also  their  natural  enemies  and  the  means 
which  had  been  tried  to  destroy  them  or  turn  aside 
the  swarms.  The  result  ma}'  be  found  in  the  reports 
for  1877,  and  will  give  one  a  better  idea  of  the  possi- 
ble disasters  than  any  ordinary  report.  It  seems 
that  like  all  other  insects,  it  has  its  natural  enemies. 
There  is  a  small,  red   louse,  or  silky  mile  as   it   is 


called,  that  will  sometimes  exterminate  the  whole 
race   of  grasshoppers  over  a   large    territory.      It 
seems  a  fatal  enemy,  whether  attaching  itself  to  the 
full  grown   grasshopper   or   burrowing   in    the   egg 
nest.     In  the  first  instance  it  attaches  itself  to  the 
sides  of  the  insect,  and  never  lets  go  while  life  lasts, 
the  grasshopper  never  arriving  to  the  depositing  the 
ova.     The  appearance  of  these  silky  mites  is  hailed 
with  joy,  as  they  not  only  destroy  the  swarm    but 
the  egg  deposits  as  well.      In  the  first  period  of  the 
life  of  the  insect,  before  the  full  growth  of  the  wings, 
much   of  the  destruction   may  be  averted    or  pre- 
vented.     At  this  period  the  insects  move  but  a  mile 
or  two  in  a  daj'.     Ditches,  two  or  three  feet  deep, 
will  sometimes  turn  them  away  from  a  field.      They 
can    be  caught  in  nets   or  gathered   \>y    machinery 
rolled  by  horse  power.     A  dozen  or  more  machines, 
each  possessing  some  peculiar  merit,  have  been   in- 
vented  for  this  purpose.     Many  different  kinds   of 
poison  have  been  recommended  as  efficient,  but   the 
utmost  energy  and  watchfulness  will  frequently  fail 
to  save  any   portion   of  the   crop.     In    the   second 
stage,  in  which  the  insect  is  full-fledged,  it  is  nearly 
impossible     to    avert     total     destruction     when    a 
descent  is  made.     The"  habit  of  massing   precludes 
the  general   devastation    of  the  land.     The  stream 
may  be  from  one  to  four  miles  wide;  outside  of  this 
the  injury  will  be  comparatively  small.     The  average 
annual    loss   from    their    ravages    is    estimated    at 
$40.0(10,(100.      Hogs,  chickens,  turkeys,  and  domestic 
fowls  of  all  kinds  feed  upon  them,  as  do  most  of  the 
wild  birds  and  some  of  the  wild  animals,  such  as  the 
skunk,  coyote,  etc.     The  skunk,  in  particular,  seeks 
out  the   deposits  of  eggs,   and   in    a   country    well 
stocked  with  nests  will  dig  the  ground  full  of  little 
holes  in  search  of  the  rich  morsels.  Some  of  the  long- 
billed  birds  also  reach  the  eggs  and  feed  ujjon    them. 
In  1880,  and  also  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  pres- 
ent season  (1881),  the  grasshop])er8  ravaged  the  val- 
leys along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Some  fields  were  entirely  destroyed.     They  breed  on 
or  near  the  grounds  where  they  commit  their  depre- 
dations, and  therefore   cannot  be  the   famous  Rockj' 
Mountain  spretus,  whose  flight  extends  a   thousand 
miles.     According  to  the  report  of  the  United  Slates 
Entomologist,  the  spretus  does  not  extend  his   flight 
to  the  Ilocky  Mountains. 

WASIIOE  VALLEY. 

This,  extending  past  Steamboat  Springs  and  to 
the  Truckee  River,  being  on  the  line  of  travel  be- 
tween the  mines  and  California,  naturally  developed 
fast.  Its  big  tract  of  hay  land,  which,  umlor  the 
influence  of  irrigation,  has  ]>roduce(l  marvelously, 
being  one  great  field  of  luxuriant  alfalfa.  The  inex- 
haustible supply  of  water  and  vicinity  to  market 
have  given  it  an  impetus  that  maj-  keep  it  in  advance 
of  other  counties  in  the  State.  The  well-conducted 
farms  and  elegant  residences  are  evidences  of  thrift 
that  cannot  he  misunderstood.  Perhajis  no  jilace  in 
the  world  combines  a  greater  number  of  good  (jaali- 


P0-I-T0,OR  OLD  WINNEMUCCA 


NA-MA-GApR  YOUNG  WINNEMUCCA. 


fTM  mr  C  L.  SMITH- 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


145 


ties  than  Washoo  Valley.  Some  may  bo  more 
beautiful,  others  more  fertile,  others  with  a  more 
genial  climate,  ami  others  with  a  better  market,  but 
for  the  whole  combined  it  may  chalieiiye  the  world. 

It  was  fii-st  cultivated  by  the  Mormons,  who  seem 
to  have  an  ej-e  for  profit  as  well  as  beaut}-,  in  IS.'jH, 
but  did  not  assume  any  special  imi)ortance  until 
1860,  or  about  the  time  of  the  development  of  the 
Virginia  silver  mines.  The  subsequent  buildinij  of 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  along  its  northern 
terminus,  and  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad 
through  the  valley,  fixed  its  status  beyond  all  cavil. 
At  present  it  seems  likely  to  become  a  commercial 
as  woli  as  an  agricultural  center,  and  with  its 
natural  advantages  will  have  a  brilliant  future. 
PUOSPECTS  IN   ISSl. 

The  partial  suspension  of  the  mines  of  Nevada  has 
worked  a  temporary  hardship  for  the  farmers. 
These  seasons  of  depression  are  common  to  all 
countries,  and  are  no  evidence  of  declining  wealth. 
It  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  an  agricultural  com- 
munity, that  even  in  the  hardest  of  limes,  substan- 
tial progress  is  generally  made.  When  the  chil. 
dren  of  Israel  were  starving  in  the  wilderness,  tlicj' 
would  not  touch  their  cattle.  These  were  regarded 
as  the  source  of  wealth  when  they  should  reach 
their  promised  land.  Thej-  would  not  encroach 
on  their  capital.  Jlarkets  may  be  depressed,  as 
when  in  Iowa  the  price  of  corn  was  but  ten  cents  a 
bushel;  j)lcuro-pneumonia  may  sweep  off  the  cattle, 
or  cholera  the  hogs;  and  grasshoppers  may  cat  up 
the  crops,  as  in  Kansas,  but  the  land,  the  source  of 
all  the  wealth,  remains.  In  a  year  or  two  more 
stock  takes  the  place  of  those  that  died;  the  barren, 
blasted  fields  again  become  clothed  with  grass  and 
grain;  and  the  next  decade  shows  a  substantial 
increase  in  all  the  elements  of  wealth.  The  State  of 
Nevada  shows  no  exception  to  these  general  rules 
By  consulting  the  annexed  tables  a  general  i)rogress 
through  the  decade  of  seventy  will  be  noticed.  The 
population  becomes  contented  with  a  moderate  and 
steady  prosperity;  the  children  pick  up  the  business 
where  the  fathers  laid  it  down,  each  year,  each  gen- 
eration adding  something  to  the  general  wealth. 
So  cf)mmunilies  from  small  beginnings  grow  to  be 
mighty  States  like  Now  York,  Ohio,  Illinois.  So 
may  Nevada. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 
First  Kxpwlitidii  of  Whites — Washoe  Kaiils— Munkr  of  I'lter 
Ij^issuM — (!ov.  Hoop  anil  the  Indians — The  War  of  ISdO — 
Numaga's  KITort  for  Peace — Burning  of  Williams  Station — 
Demand  for  Vengeanee — Volunteers  for  the  I'^xpedition — 
The  Battle  Kield — An  Aimless  Charge  and  Wild  Ketreat — 
Death  of  Major  Ormsby — A  Nameless  Hero — Closing  Scenes 
—Effects  of  the  Defeat. 

The  first  intercourse  between  the  white  and  red 
race  in  Nevada,  of  which  there  is  any  record,  dates 
from  1832.  In  August  of  that  year  Milton  Sublette 
reached    the    head-waters    of  the   Humboldt    River, 


with  a  company  of  trappers,  among  whom  was  the 
celebrated  Joe  Meek,  long  afterwards  a  resident  of 
Oregon,  of  whom  the  following  traditionary  story  is 
told  by  Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor,  in  her  book  entitled 
"Mountain  and  Forest."  Within  a  few  days  after 
their  arrival  at  that  ])lace,  .Meek  shot  and  killed  a 
Shoshone  Indian.  The  unfortunate,  though  famous 
mountaineer,  N.  J.  Wj-the,  who  was  also  of  the 
party,  asked  the  tra]i])er  why  he  had  done  this,  and 
was  told  that  it  was  oidy  a  hint  ''to  keep  the  Indians 
from  stealing  their  traps." 

"Had  he  stolen  anj'?"  (|ueried  his  questioner. 

"No,"  replied  Meek;  "but  ho  looked  as  if  he  was 
going  to." 

This  was  a  suggestive  introduction  of  the  whites 
to  the  natives  of  Nevada;  one  that  gives  the  chief 
actor  a  distinction  over  which  it  requires,  u])on  our 
part,  a  great  effort  to  become  enthusiastic. 

The  following  year  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville 
started  an  expedition  of  forty  men*  under  Joseph 
Wallver,  from  the  Green  River  Valley,  to  explore 
and  trap  the  country  west  from  Salt  Lake  to  the  Pa- 
cific Ocean — Meek  being  one  of  the  party.  Kit  Car- 
son was  not  one  of  them.  He  had  been  seriously 
wounded,  a  couple  of  months  prior  to  this,  in  an 
encounter  with  the  Black  Feet  Indians,  ami  later  in 
the  season  trapped  the  Humboldt  down  to  its  Sink, 
and  no  farther.  Consequently,  the  oft-repeated  as- 
sertion that  he  discovered  the  Carson  River  in  1S88. 
is  untrue.  The  company  made  its  way  slowly  down 
the  Humboldt,  trap])ing  as  it  went,  until  the  curi- 
osity of  the  natives  had  gradually  overcome  their 
fears  of  the  whites.  From  day  to  day  their  numbers 
increased  in  the  vicinity  of,  but  at  what  they  con- 
sidered, a  safe  distance  from,  the  camp  and  line  of 
the  strangers'  advance.  At  night  the  more  daring 
would  occasionally  steal  into  camp  and  carry  off 
some  trifling  article  that  seemed  to  them  a  treasure 
of  priceless  value. 

Their  petty  larccnj'  proclivities,  combined  with 
their  constantly'  increasing  numbers,  eventually 
aroused  the  suspicion  of  Walker,  who  claimed,  as 
justification  of  what  followed,  to  have  feared  a  medi- 
tated attack. 

Washington  Irving,  in  his  account  of  this  expedi- 
tion, says: — 

At  length,  one  daj',  the}'  came  to  the  banks  of  a 
stream  emptying  into  Ogden's  River  (Humboldt), 
which  they  were  obliged  to  ford.  Hero  a  great 
number  of  Shoshones  were  ])osteil  on  the  opposite 
bank.  Persuaiied  that  they  were  there  with  hostile 
intent,  they  advanced  u|)on  them,  leveled  their  rifles, 
and  killed  twenty-fivet  of  them  upon  the  sjiot.  The 
rest  fled  to  a  short  distance,  then  halted  and  turned 
about, howling  and  whining  like  wolves  and  uttering 
the  most  ))iteous  wailings.  The  trapjiei-s  chased 
them  in  every  direction;  the  poor  wretches  made  no 
defense,  but  Hed  with  terror;  neither  does  it  a])pear 

*Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor  plaoes  the  nunilur  at  IKS,  sco  "Mountain 
and  Forest,"  hy  that  authoif.-is,  ii.ige  14;t  ami  144. 

't^'lic  nunilx'r  killeil  is  placed  at  seventy-live  by  siunc  authoress 
in  same  book,  se«  page  14U. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


from  the  account  of  the  boasted  victors,  that  a 
weapon  bad  been  wielded  or  a  weapon  launched  bj- 
the  Indians  throughout  the  affair.  We  feel  perfectly 
convinced  that  the  poor  savages  had  no  hostile  in- 
tention, but  had  merely  gathered  together  through 
motives  of  curiositj*. 

A  member  of  Walker's  company,  one  morning, 
found  some  of  his  traps  missing,  and  swore  that  be 
would  have  the  life  of  the  first  Indian  he  met.  Soon 
after  he  chanced  to  see  a  couple  fishing  along  the 
margin  of  the  river,  unconscious  of  approaching 
danger,  when  he  deliberately  raised  his  rifle  and 
fired  at  one  of  them,  who  sank  to  the  earth  as  his 
death-cry  rang  out  over  the  vallej'. 

When  the  hunters  reached  the  sink  of  the  Hum- 
boldt, they  struck  across  the  country  towards  the 
west.  Arriving  at  Pyramid  Lake,  they  followed 
the  Truckce  Eivcr  up  into  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains,  and  from  thence  passed  across  to  the 
Sacramento,  following  nearlj'  the  same  route  now 
traversed  by  the  Central  Pacific  Ilailroad. 

After  the  departure  of  Walker's  party,  there  was 
no  more  slaughter  of  Indians  for  the  ensuing  seven- 
teen j'cars,  although  numerous  expeditions  passed 
through  Nevada,  culminating  in  1849-50  in  a  tidal 
wave  of  whites  from  over  the  plains  that  passed  down 
the  western  slope,  a  deluge  upon  the  golden  plains  of 
California. 

The  passage  of  emigrants  thi'ough  the  country, 
among  whom  were  many  that  were  reckless,  and 
some  who  thought  that  the  reputation  of  having 
killed  an  Indian  would  transform  them  into  heroes, 
resulted  in  the  slaughter  of  some  straggling  Sho- 
shones,  along  the  Humboldt  in  1S49.  Several 
instances  of  the  kind  occurred,  where  they  were  shot 
in  retaliation  for  real  or  fancied  aggressions.  In 
1850  this  tribe,  or  portions  of  it,  commenced  a  series 
of  depredations  that  lasted  until   the  close  of  1803. 

In  June,  1850,  a  train  from  JoHet,  Illinois,  among 
whom  was  Capt.  Robert  Lyon,  who  relates  that 
while  camped  at  a  point  near  where  Elko  now  is, 
they  lost  one  of  their  party,  who  was  shot  through 
the  heart  with  an  arrow  while  on  |)icket  duty.  An 
ineffectual  attempt  was  made  to  stampede  the  horses, 
but  three  of  the  animals  that  were  running  loose 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  The  next  day 
the  man  was  buried  near  (iraveily  Ford,  and  the 
emigrants  pursued  their  way.  About  twenty  miles 
from  the  Ford  they  came  upon  another  train  of  seven 
wagons  and  twelve  men  that  had  no  stock,  all  of  it 
having  been  stampeded  and  driven  off,  and  they 
wore  forced  to  burn  their  wagons,  and  go  on  foot 
the  balance  of  the  way  to  California.  Later  the  same 
season  another  train  was  served  in  the  same  way, 
all  its  slock  being  taken;  but  with  the  assistance  of 
others,  among  whom  chanced  to  be  several  mount- 
aineers, ])ursuit  of  the  Shoshones  was  made  under  the 
leadership  ol' one  —  Wai'ner,  resulting  in  a  surjirisal 
of  the  Indians,  the  killing  of  some  thirtj'  of  them, 
and  the  recovery  of  the  stock.  This  put  a  stop  to 
troubles  that  season. 


Jn  the  spring  of  1851,  Walter  Cosser.  now  living 
in  Douglas  County,  in  tlii.s  State,  left  Salt  Lake  for  the 
purpose  of  going  to  California.  There  were  five  men 
accompanying  Cosser's  party,  among  whom  was  the 
since  notorious  Bill  Hickman,  the  Danite,  or  destroy- 
ing angel  of  Brigh  am  Young.  The  five  were  under  the 
leadership  of  Hickman;  and  while  they  were  camped 
at  Stony  Point,  on  the  Humboldt  Kiver,  some 
Shoshones  were  standing  around,  when  one  of  the 
Danite  gang  shot  and  killed  a  couple  of  them.  Their 
only  reason  given  for  doing  it  was  the  pleasure  that 
killing  of  redskins  afforded  the  murderers.  Three 
or  four  days  later,  while  upon  the  same  river,  Hick- 
man's satellites  killed  two  more  Indians  and  a 
squaw,  and  scalped  the  former.  As  before,  they 
made  no  attempt  at  justifying  their  acts  by  accusing 
their  victims  of  having  committed  a  wrong. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  (1851)  Col.  A.  Wood- 
ard  of  Sacramento,  California,  in  company  with  two 
guards  named  Oscar  Pitzer  and  John  Hawthorn, 
were  carrying  the  mail  from  Salt  Lake  to  Sacramento, 
and  camped  one  night  at  the  scene  of  Hickman's 
massacre.  That  night  a  mortal  tragedy  was  enacted 
there  among  the  mountains,  by  the  banks  of  the 
Humboldt  Eiver;  but  its  silent,  passing  waters,  told 
no  tale.  The  next  traveler  over  the  route  found  the 
mangled  bodies  of  three  white  men  at  Stonj-  Point, 
and  the  newspapers  of  the  Pacific  Coast  recorded  the 
fact  as  another  outrage  on  the  overland  road  by 
savages,  and  demanded  an  extermination  of  the  tribe. 
The  party  w-ho  discovered  these  bodies  was  S.  A. 
Kinsey,  who  now  lives  at  Genoa,  in  this  State.  He 
was  carrying  the  eastward-bound  mail  for  Salt  Lake, 
and  was  accompanied  by  a  couple  of  men  as  guards; 
but  upon  their  arrival  at  the  scene  of  the  late  trage- 
dies, they  camped,  intending  to  pass  a  dangerous 
point  ahead  in  the  night.  As  darkness  came  they 
were  prevented  from  doing  so,  however,  by  the  Indi- 
ans, who  built  fires  in  places  that  revealed  any  object 
that  might  ])ass  that  way.  To  go  around  was  im- 
possible. They  were  consequently  forced  to  remain 
at  camp  until  daylight  before  making  the  attempt  to 
continue  their  journej'.  In  the  morning  they 
mounted  and  rode  forward.  Where  the  river  came 
nearest  to  the  rocks  a  number  of  willows  were  grow- 
ing, and  the  horsemen,  as  thej'  approached  this  place, 
leveled  their  rifles  at  it  and  rode  quietly  along,  turn- 
ing in  their  saddles  as  they  passed,  to  enable  them  to 
continue  facing  the  point  of  danger.  Thus  they 
made  their  way  along  bj'  the  willows  to  a  more  o]>en 
and  safe  locality.  As  they  passed  beyond  rifle  range, 
however,  and  lowered  their  weapons,  a  number  of 
Indians  sprang  out  from  their  willow  ambush,  j-elliiig 
and  gesticulating  in  impotent  rage  at  the  escape  of 
their  proposed  victims. 

In  June,  1851,  Joseph  Zumwalt,  now  a  resident  of 
California,  visited  Lake  Tahoe,  from  whence  he  made 
a  tri|)  bj'  the  way  of  Dayton  to  Truckeo  Meadows, 
and  from  the  latter  place  to  Pyramid  Lake.  In  pass- 
ing down  the  river  between  these  last-named  points, 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


147 


his  party  camo  upon  the  half-docomposed  bodj*  of  a 
white  man,  whose  hair  was  red,  and  thej-  buried 
the  remains,  lie  had  l)eeii  ])ursiK'(l  and  fiiiiiliy  mur- 
dered by  a  hirge  band  oflndians,  prol)ai)ly  I'ah-l'tcf*; 
this  much  the  numerous  pony  tracks,  still  distinguish- 
able in  the  soil,  revealed,  and  nothing  more. 

WASHOE    K.MDS. 

In  the  summer  of  1852,  a  man  who  kept  a  station 
on  the  overland  road  at  a  point  near  the  present  site 
of  Empire,  came  up  to  Eagle  Station  and  informed 
those  stopping  there  that  a  band  of  Washoes  on  the 
cast  side  of  the  river,  near  that  place,  had  in  their 
possession  several  American  horses  that  he  supposed, 
of  course,  they  had  no  right  to.  It  was  immediate!}' 
determined  bj-  all  to  go  down  and  take  the  animals 
away  from  the  Indians.  The  whites,  under  the 
leadership  of  Pearson,  a  noted  Indian  fighter,  con- 
sisted of  Frank  Hall,  now  of  Carson,  his  brother,  W. 
L.  Hall,  of  Esmeralda  County,  the  station  keeper, 
and  a  man  named  C'ady.  They  found  the  Washoes 
with  little  trouble,  but  failed  to  discover  the  Ameri- 
can stock.  They  found  also,  that  the  squaws  were 
taking  the  unnecessary  camp  ecpiipage  of  the  band, 
up  the  mountain  to  the  east.  This  looked  like  busi- 
ness, and  when  a  bodj-  of  about  sixty  warriors  with 
their  paint  on,  advanced  u|)oii  them,  matters  assumed 
a  decidedly  hostile  appearance.  Pearson,  the  leader, 
decided  that  there  were  too  many  to  justify  risking 
a  fight,  and  with  two  of  his  followers  "lit  out."  Frank 
Hall  and  —  Cady  concluded  to  await  the  approach 
of  the  enemy  and  "play  the  friendly  dodge,"  which 
the}'  did  bj'  distributing  their  small  stock  of  tobacco 
among  them.  Of  course  the  Indians  did  not  object 
to  the  gifts,  but,  after  accepting  them,  ordered  the 
donore  to  hunt  their  eyrie  at  the  base  of  the  mount- 
ain in  the  west,  and  they  hunted. 

A  few  days  later  t'ady  was  riding  along  a  trail  not 
far  from  where  Dayton  now  is,  and  overtook  an 
Indian,  and  like  a  brave  many  deliberately  shot  him. 

In  1852,  the  Indians  made  many  raids  upon  the 
stock  in  Carson  Vallej'.  In  retaliation  the  whites 
captured  a  couple  of  the  tribe  and  brought  them  into 
the  Mormon  Station  as  hostages,  for  a  return  of  the 
stolen  property.  One  of  the  captives  was  a  power- 
ful man,  dressed  in  a  full  buckskin  suit,  and  the  other 
was  a  mere  lad,  some  sixteen  years  of  age,  who 
dressed  as  nature  had  clothed  him.  Several  days 
passed  and  nothing  was  heard  from  the  lost  animals; 
when  one  morning  the  larger  Indian  was  let  walk 
out  a  little  way  by  himself,  and  be  suddenly  made  a 
dash  for  freedom.  He  scattered  his  garments  as  ho 
went,  and  naked  as  he  was  born,  bounded  like  a 
frightened  stag  away  toward  the  mountains.     The 

guard,    named   Terr}',  had   in   a  careless    way 

leaned  his  gun  against  the  stockade,  and  was  prob- 
ably ten  yards  away  from  it  when  the  warrior  started; 
but  in  a  moment  he  had  the  formidable  rifle  in  his 
grasp,  and  taking  a  long,  deliberate  aim,  fired.  As 
the  whip-liko  report  broke  upon  the  morning  still- 
ness the  runner  leaped  high  into  the  air  and  then  fell 


to  the  ground;  and  when  they  had  reached  the  fallen 
Washoe,  he  was  dead.     The  Indian  boy  had  not  seen 

the  fate  of  his  comjianion;  but  the  rifle  shot  had  told 
him  enough;  and  he  was  badly  frightened,  expecting 
a  similar  fate  for  himself.  His  terror  so  impressed 
those  who  had  him  in  charge  that  they  determined  to 
set  him  at  liberty.  They  fitted  him  ui)  with  a  suit  of 
new  clothes,  hat,  coat,  pants  and  shoes,  and  then 
leading  him  about  a  hundred  yards  away,  pointed  to 
the  hills  about  twenty  miles  acro.ssthe  valley,  where 
his  people  were,  and  said  to  him,  "go."  At  first  he 
moved  oft'm  a  hesitating  kind  of  way,  looking  doubt- 
fully back  over  bis  shoulder,  expecting  every  instant 
to  hear  the  dreaded  rifle  speak  death  to  him.  At 
length  his  movements  became  more  assured.  He 
scanned  the  countr}'  ahead,  looked  back  once  more, 
then  suddenly  leaping  into  the  air,  those  shoes  went 
spinning  into  the  sage-brush  on  either  side,  and  the 
boy  was  off  for  the  camp  of  the  Washoes  with  the 
speed  of  the  wind. 

Between  the  years  1852  and  1857  there  were  more 
or  less  murders,  both  of  whites  and  Indians,  along 
the  line  of  the  overland  road;  within  what  is  now 
Nevada.  In  1857  two  men  were  killed  by  Wahoes, 
on  the  road  running  south  of  Lake  Taboo  over  the 
mountains  to  California.  Their  names  were  John 
MeMarlin  and  James  Williams,  and  both  were  on 
their  way  to  California  in  charge  of  separate  pack 
trains  from  Mormon  Station.  Both  were  killed  by 
Washoes  the  same  day,  Williams  at  Slippery  Ford 
Hill,  where  he  was  buried,  and  MeMarlin  on  the  sum- 
mit near  by.  The  body  of  the  latter  was  taken  to 
Carson  Valley,  and  buried  on  the  ranch  now  owned 
by  Mrs.  Clayton.  There  was  no  white  survivor  of 
the  double  tragedy,  consequently,  none  to  tell  of  the 
scene  that  was  enacted  in  the  shadows  of  the  pines, 
up  among  the  rocks  and  ravines  of  the  Sierra,  where 
their  life's  journey  ended. 

MURDER   OF    PETER   LASSEN. 

In  March,  1S50,  some  prospectors  went  over  from 
Honey  Lake  Valley  to  search  for  gold  in  the  Black 
Rock  country,  in  what  is  now  known  as  Hunilioldt 
County.  Some  of  them  had  been  there  before,  con- 
sequently the  part}'  sejiarated,  four  going  in  advance 
of  the  other  three.  They  had  an  understanding 
that  they  were  to  meet  in  a  canon  on  Clapp  Creek, 
where  running  water  is  to  be  found  during  a  ))orlion 
of  the  year.  The  creek  is  about  twenty  miles  north- 
west of  Black  Hock.  The  second  ])arty  consisted  of 
Peter   Lassen — after    whom    a    jteak    in    the  Sierra 

Nevada  Mountains  is  named— accompanied  by 

Clapper  and  Wyatt.      They  had   reached   the 

mouth  of  the  cafion  up  which  the  rendezvous  had 
been  appointed,  as  night  came  on,  ami  camped  by  a 
large  boulder  till  morning.  At  daylight  Lassen  got 
up,  lit  his  pipe,  sat  down  and  was  smoking,  when 
the  party  was  fired  on  by  a  concealed  foe,  and  Clap- 
])er  was  killed.  Lassen  sprang  to  his  feet,  rifle  in 
hand,  and  scanned  the  surrounding  rocks  in  search 
of  the    assailants,  but    unable  to  see  any,  told  Wyatt 


U8 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


to  move  their  camp  equipage  to  a  safer  place,  while 
he  watched  and  kept  the  enemy  at  bay.  The  latter 
had  taken  one  load  of  their  efteets  away,  and  was 
returning  for  more,  when  another  voile}-  from  among 
the  twilight  shadows  rang  out  on  the  morning  air; 
and  the  brave  old  hero  of  many  a  mountain  battle 
sank  down  by  the  rock  where  he  had  been  standing. 
As  Wyatt  came  u])  he  said  to  him,  "I  am  done  for 
at  last;  take  care  of  yourself;"  and,  mounting  a 
bare-backed  horse,  the  only  survivor,  dashed  away 
over  the  rocks  and  plains  of  sand  to  bear  the  sad 
news  to  the  Bettlements.  The  four  men  camped 
further  up  the  canon  knew  nothing  of  the  disaster  un- 
til they  were  met  on  their  way  into  the  Honey  Lake 
Station  by  a  party  on  its  way  out  to  recover  the 
bodies  of  the  two  victims.  They  were  buried  where 
they  had  been  killed,  but  in  November  of  hat  j'ear 
Lassen's  remains  were  removed  to  Honey  Lake. 

The  winter  of  1850-GO  was  one  of  unprecedented 
severity  in  Nevada,  and  the  summer  that  preceded 
it  had  witnessed  the  first  wave  of  white  emigration 
from  California  to  the  Comstoek.  The  spirit  of  dis- 
content had  gained  a  pretty  thorough  hold  of  the 
natives  of  the  country,  before  these  last  causes  had 
been  added  to  their  real  and  fancied  wrongs.  Many 
of  them  were  led  to  believe  that  the  evil  spirit  had 
been  angered  by  the  presence  in  the  territorj-  of  so 
many  whites;  and  that  in  consequence  thereof,  he 
was  sending  the  storms  that  were  freezing  and 
starving  them. 

OOVEKNOR   ROOP   AND  THE    INDIANS. 

The  Territorial  Enterprise,  published  in  Carson  in 
iJccember,  18.')0,  in  mentioning  the  arrival  of  Gov. 
Isaac  Jioop  from  Honey  Lake,  said: — 

The  Indians  in  Truckeo  Meadows  are  freezing  and 
starving  to  death  by  scores.  In  one  cabin  the  Gov- 
ernor found  three  children  dead  and  d^'ing.  The 
whites  are  doing  all  they  can  to  alleviate  the  mis- 
cries  of  the  poor  Washoes.  They  have  sent  out  and 
built  fires  for  them,  and  offered  them  bread  and 
other  provisions.  IJut  in  man}-  instances  the  starving 
Indians  refuse  to  eat,  fearing  that  the  food  is  poi- 
soned. They  attribute  the  severity  of  the  winter  to 
the  whites.  *  *  *  The  Truckee  JJivcr  is  frozen 
over  hard  enough  t<i  bear  up  loailoil  teams. 

On  the  i:!lh  of  January,  18(;(l,  Dexter  E.  Dem- 
ming  was  brutally  murdered  by  Pah  Utes  at  his 
ranch  in  Willow  Creek  Valley,  just  north  of  Ilonoy 
Lake  Valley,  in  what  has  since  been  determined  to 
be  (Jalifornia.  This  resulted  in  the  following  peti- 
tion addressed  to  Governor  Roop: — 

SusANviLi^E,  Nevada  Ter.,  Jan.  15,  18(!l». 
Dkaii  Sir:  We,  the  undersigned,  would  most 
resjx'ctfull}'  urge  the  neccHsity  of  your  l"j.\cellency's 
calling  out  the  military  forces  under  your  command 
to  follow  and  chastise  the  Indians  u])on  our  borders. 
We  make  this  request  to  5-our  l*',.xcelloncy  from  the 
fact  that  we  have  received  iiifurmation  that  we  fully 
relj-  u]>()n,  to  the  cfl't'ct  that  Mr.  Demming  has  boon 
murdered,  and  his  house  robbed,  on  or  about  the 
15lh  instant,  by  Indians,  within  the  borders  of  Ne- 


vada Territory.     Your 
will  ever  pray,  etc. 
A.  B.  McDonald, 
Win.  Bray  ton, 
E.  Aubrey, 
Wm.  Hamilton, 

D.  Chandler, 
G.  W.  Fry, 

E.  Brannan, 
Wm.   Hill, 

J.  H  Shearer, 
Geo.  W.  Shearer, 
Jas.  Belcher, 
E.  II.  Nicols, 
C3-rus  Smith, 
E.  A.  Rower, 
W.  M.  Cain, 
Wm.  Dow, 
Wm.  Arullary, 
Thomas  Bare, 
Z.  C.  Dow, 
Thos.  Sheflield, 

E.  G.  Banghan, 
Henry  Hatch, 

F.  H.  Moshier, 
r.  J.  Tutt, 

G.  V.  Lathrop, 

0.  Stresley, 
J.  Bonette, 
N.  Purdy, 
F.  Drake, 
Chas.  Kingman, 
W.  Taylor, 

C.  A.  Fitch, 

F.  Long, 

Mark  W.  Haviland 

John  .Morrow, 

H.  Kingman, 

1.  E.  Ellison, 

M.  C.  Thaderson, 

or  Shaderson, 
J.  W.  Shearer, 
J.  L.  ODonnell, 
J.  W.  Doyle, 
I.  N.  Boswick, 
S.  S.  Smith, 
W.  C.  Taylor, 
J.  M.  Painter, 
C.  Brown, 


petitioners,  as  in  duty  bound, 

Fred.  Morrison, 
G.  W.  Mitchell, 
John  D.  Robinson, 
S.  II.  Painter, 
Milton  Craig, 
A.  A.  Holcomb, 
Wm.  Hobby, 

A.  D.  Beecher, 

Dr.  Jas.  W.  Stettinias, 
Dr.  II.  S.  Barrette, 

B.  E.  Shumway, 
L.  Vary, 

Dan  Murry, 

J.  H.  HoUingsworth, 

Jas.  A.  A.  Ohen  or 

Cohen, 
A.  L.  Tunison, 
Jas.  Huntington, 
E.  L.  Varney, 
M.  S.  Thompson, 
Clark  Doty, 
Ale.x  McLoud, 
Wm.  D.  Snj^der, 
S.  I).  Patten, 
A.  W.  Worm, 
John  Altman, 

A.  B.  Jenison, 
L.  D.  Sanborn, 
J.  S.  Haggett, 
Joshua  II.  Lewis, 
II.  E.  Arnold, 

L.  J.  Spencer, 

B.  B.  tfray, 
B.  B.  Painter, 
P.  \\.  Shearer, 
James  McFadden, 
J.  II.  Anderson, 
A.  Ramsej^, 
J.  E.  Parker, 
John  Taylor, 
T.  Campbell, 
F.  A.  Sloss, 
S.  Conkcj-, 
C.  Hall, 
Antonio  StorfF, 
C.  T.  Emerson, 


A  detachment  was  immediately  sent  out  to  trail 
the  murderers,  and  find  out  if  ]>ossible,  to  what 
tribe  they  belonged.  Under  date  of  January  24th, 
Ijieut.  U.  J.  Tutt  reported  to  the  Governor  that  they 
had  been  tracked  into  the  I'ah-Ule  camp.  On  the 
twenty-eighth  of  the  same  month,  two  Commis- 
sioners were  a])pointed  by  the  Governor  to  visit 
Winnonuicca,  the  chief  of  that  tribe,  and  demand 
the  murderers  in  accordance  with  a  treaty  pre- 
viously made  with  him,  providing  for  an  emergency 
like  this.     The  following  is  a  copy  of  their  report: — 

SusANViLLE,  February  11,  a.  d.  1800. 
Your  E.\cem,f.\cy:  Wo,  the  undersigned,  your 
Commissioners,  aiipointed  Januaiy  28,  a.  d.  IStJO, 
to  proceed  to  the  camp  of  the  Pah-Uto  tribe  of 
Indians,  respoclfully  rejiort  that  we  proceo<Ied  across 
the  couiitiy  from  this  place  in  the  direction  of  Pyra- 
mid Lake;  that  on  the  third  day  of  our  travel,  we 
were  mot  by  a  band  of  about  (30)  thirty  Pah-Ute 


^ 


I 


N.  H.  A.  Mason 

Is  a  native  of  Robinson  County,  Tennessee,  and  was  born  U&y  13,  1830.  His  parents 
lived  on  a  farm,  and  their  children  were  educated  and  trained  to  that  industry.  In 
183«  the  family  moved  to  Pope  County,  Arkansas.  In  1«J2  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  he  mined  in  Tuolumne  County,  near  Sonora,  in 
that  State,  until  1853.  The  latter  part  of  this  last-named  year  he  returned  by  way  of 
the  Isthmus  to  Arkansas,  and  in  185-t,  accompanied  by  his  two  brothers,  drove  a  band 
of  cattle  across  the  plains  to  Stanislaus  County,  California,  and  passings  through  Nevada 
on  this  trip,  he  first  saw  the  valley  that  now  bears  his  name.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he 
located  at  the  place  now  known  as  Mason's  Ranch,  in  Esmeralda  County.  (See  History 
of  Mason's  Valley).  From  1854  until  1862  his  exclusive  business  was  dealing  in  stock, 
and  that  which  was  incidentally  connected  with  it.  In  18G2  he  became  interested  in 
the  Vir<Tinia  and  Gold  Hill  Water  Works,  and  became  the  first  President  of  that 
company-, as  well  as  Superintendent.  November,  4,18(31),  the  "Bonanza"  firm  purchased 
the  control  of  the  company's  uiterest  from  him  at  a  cost  of  §184,000.  While  he  had 
control  the  stock  of  the  company  paid  monthly  dividends  of  810,000,  or  SI  00  per 
.share. 

In  January,  after  the  sale,  he  removed  to  San  Jose,  California,  where  he  purchased  a 
controlling  interest  in  the  water-works  of  that  city,  and  under  his  management  pipes 
were  laid  that  brought  the  supply  for  that  place  eleven  miles,  from  Los  Gatos  Creek. 
Prior  to  this  it  had  been  raised  from  wells  with  pumps.  In  January,  1877,  he 
removed  from  San  Jose  to  Oakland,  California,  having  sold,  the  previous  fourth  of 
November,  all  his  interest  in  the  water-works,  and  now  his  residence  is  San  Francisco. 
During  this  time  his  cattle  interest,  as  well  as  the  ranch  property,  was  retained  in 
Nevada.  In  1871  he  took  up  a  stock  range  on  Quin  River,  in  Humboldt  County, 
Nevada,  that,  is  on  an  average  thirty  miles  wide  and  sixty  in  length.  In  1872  he  pur- 
chased 8,000  head  of  stock  from  R.  C.  and  A.  H.  Broder,  in  Tulare  County,  California, 
paying  therefor  §125,000,  and  drove  them  to  his  ranges  in  Esmeralda  and  Humboldt 
Counties.  This  Quin  River  range  is  considered  a  little  above  the  average  of  the  State 
in  grazing  capacity,  including  only  what  is  classed  as  grazing  land,  and  it  will  keep 
from  G.OOO  to  7,000  head  in  good  condition  the  year  round.  This  is  164  acres  to  the 
sintrle  animal,  including  mountain  foot-hills,  and  vordureless,  sandy  or  alkali  flats. 

In  1877  he  purcha.sed  of  Governor  Bradley  a  range  for  winter  grazing  on  Marys 
River,  north  from  Deeth  Station,  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad.  In  extent  it  is 
thirty-five  miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide,  and  along  the  river  is  a  bottom  on  an 
average  three-cjuarters  of  a  mile  wide  through  its  entire  length.  In  the  summer  .stock 
is  di-iven  from  there  west  into  Bruno  Basin,  that  is  twenty  miles  long  and  twelve  wide, 
with  Bruno  Creek  running  through  it.  These  two  ranges  judicially  managed  would 
keep  7,000  head  of  cattle  in  good  condition. 

He  has  accpiired  since  coming  to  the  State,  by  patent  and  claims  in  Ma-son  Valley, 
about  15,000  acres  of  land,  of  which  5,000  has  been  patented.  Add  to  this  the  Quin 
River,  the  Marys  River,  and  Bruno  Basin  ranges,  witli  12,000  head  of  stock  feeding 
upon  the  same,  ami  the  result  includes  his  posse.s-sions   in  this  State. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  October,  1857,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  F.  Dillon, 
in  San  Joaquin  County,  California,  and  has  three  children,  all  girls,  now  living,  who 
are  named  respectively,  Ursula,  Dixie,  and  Maud. 


INDIANS.  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


•149 


Indiaim,  well  mountod,  who,  with  a  war-whoop,  Bur- 
romidod  us  and  prevented  us  I'roni  ))roc't'odiiii;  to  the 
main  cami).  Wo  were  detained  over  nij^ht  by  the 
same  jiartj'  of  Indians,  under  a  sti-iet  guard,  the  said 
Indians  utterly  retusini^  to  j^ive  us  anj-  inronnatif)!! 
as  to  the  wiiereabouts  of  their  chiefs. 

On  the  followini;  morning,  we  were  released  from 
imprisonment,  an<i  ordered  to  return  to  Honey  Lake 
Valley.  Wo  traveled  two  or  three  miles  in  the 
direction  of  Ilonej-  Lake  \'alley,  there  heing  a  dense 
fog,  wo  came  to  the  deterniinalion  to  travel  across 
the  country  to  the  crossing  of  the  Truckee  Uiver. 
and  follow  down  said  river  to  1'3'ramid  Lake,  .\rriv- 
ing  at  Pyramid  Lake,  we  found  an  encanipnient  of 
tho  I'ah-Utes;  but,  from  the  contradictory  reports 
received  from  the  said  Indians,  we  were  unable  to 
ascertain  where  either  of  the  chiefs  could  be  found. 
We  then  traveled  down  the  lake  about  ten  miles, 
and  found  another  encam])ment,  which  ])roved  to  be 
the  cam])  of  Winnemucca,  the  war  chief  of  the  I'ah- 
Utes.  We  re])resented  to  tho  chief  that  we  were 
sent  to  them  by  the  whites,  to  ask  of  the  chiefs  the 
delivery  of  the  murderer,  or  murderers,  of  Mr.  J).  K. 
I  lemming,  in  accordance  with  a  treaty  made  and 
entered  into  between  the  I'ah-T'tes  and  the  citizens 
of  Ilonej'  Lake  Vallej-,  at  the  same  time  inviting  the 
chief  to  return  with  us  and  settle  our  dilticulties 
amicably. 

The  chief  acknowleged  that,  according  to  said 
treaty,  we  were  warranted  in  making  the  demand; 
but,  after  making  many  excuses,  he  not  onlj^  refused 
to  como  to  Iloney  Lake  Valley,  but  refused  to  intcr- 
])oso  his  authority'  in  ])reventing  doi)redatiotis  upon 
the  whites  on  the  part  of  his  followers.  We  then 
asked  him  to  appoint  .some  future  time  to  visit  us. 
He  said  that  ho  would  not  come  at  all,  and  that  the 
citizens  of  Honey  Ijake  Valley  must  pa}'  him  .Slti.ddO 
for  Hone}-  Lake  Valley.  We  have  ascertained  that 
ho  is  at  this  time  levying  blackmail  b}"  demanding 
from  one  to  two  beeves  per  week  from  the  herders 
of  stock,  there  being  two  or  throe  thousand  head  of 
stock  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  horded  by  so  few 
that  they  daro  not  refuse  the  demand.  We  fiiul, 
also,  that  the  owners  of  said  stock  cannot  drive 
them  to  the  settlements  from  the  groat  depth  of 
snow  between  Pj-ramid  Lake  and  Iloney  Ijake, 
Washoe  and  Cai-son  Vallej's.  We  believe  that  the 
Pah-Utos  are  determined  to  rob  and  murdei-  as 
many  of  our  citizens  as  they  can,  more  especially 
our  citizens  ujion  the  borders. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  bring  the  Indians  to  any 
terms  of  ])eaee,  notwithstanding  the  advantages 
offered  them,  wo  determined  to  return  as  spe(^(lily 
as  possible,  and  make  this  our  report  to  your  Excel- 
lencj'.  WiLMAM  Weatherlow, 

T.  J.  Harvey. 

It  will  bo  observed  that  the  report  of  tho  Commis- 
sioners  was  dated  February  11,  18(j().  On  the  next 
day,  Governor  Hoop  asked  assistance  from  tho  Gen- 
eral commanding  the  Pacific  Dei)artment,  in  language 
that  so  thoroughly  explains  tho  position  of  affairs 
in  that  part  of  the  country,  that  wo  give  tho  docu- 
ment in  full: — 

Generai,  Ci.arkr,   U.  S.  A.,      [ 

Commander  of  the  Pacific  Department,  j 

Sir:  We  are  about  to  be  plunged  into  a  bloody  and 

])rotracted  war  with  the    Pah-l'te   Indians.      Within 

the  last  nine   months   there   have  been  seven  of  our 

citizens  murdered   by  the   Indians.       Up   to  tho  last 

murder  we  were  unablo  to  fasten  thoso  depredations 

19 


on  any  particular  tribe,  but  always  believed  it  was 
the  Pah-Utes,  yet  did  not  wish  to  blamo  them  until 
wo  were  sure  of  tho  facts.  On  tho  thirteenth  day  of 
last  month,  Mr.  Dexter  K.  Demming  was  most 
brutally  murdered  at  his  own  house,  and  plundered 
of  everything,  and  his  horses  driven  off.  As  soon  as 
1  was  informed  of  the  fact  I  at  once  sent  out  fifteen 
men  after  the  mur<ierers  (there  being  snow  on  the 
ground  they  could  bo  easily  traced),  with  orders  to 
follow  on  their  tracks  until  they  would  find  what 
tribe  they  belonged  to;  and  if  they  would  prove  to 
be  Pah-lHes,  not  to  give  them  battle,  but  to  return 
:ind  re|)ort,  as  we  had,  some  two  years  ago,  made  a 
treaty  with  the  Pah-lTtes,  one  of  tho  sli|)iilation8 
being  that  if  any  of  their  tribe  committed  any  mur- 
ders or  depredations  on  any  of  the  whites,  wo  wore 
first  to  go  to  tlio  chiefs  and  that  they  would  deliver 
up  tho  murderers  or  make  redress,  and  that  we  wore 
to  do  the  same  on  our  part  with  them.  On  tho  third 
daj'  out,  they  came  onto  the  Indians  and  found  them 
to  be  Pah-lUes,  to  which  I  call  your  attention  to  the 
]):iper  marked  A.  Immediately  on  receiving  this 
report,  un<l  agreeable  to  the  said  treaty,  I  sent  Oapt. 
William  Weatherlow  and  Thomas  J.  Harvey,  as 
( Commissioners,  to  proceed  to  tlio  Pah-Ules'  head- 
([narters,  and  there  infoi'm  tho  chief  of  this  murder 
and  demand  retlress.  Here  allow  me  to  call  3'our 
attention  to  tho  paper  marked  15.  It  is  now  j)retty 
well  an  established  fact  that  the  Pah-Utes  killed 
thoso  eight  men,  one  of  them  being  Mr.  Peter  Lassen. 
How  soon  others  must  fall  is  not  known,  for  war  is 
now  inevitable.  We  have  but  few  good  arms  and 
but  little  ammunition. 

Therefore,  I  would  most  respectfully  call  upon 
j'ou  for  a  company  of  dragoons  to  come  to  our  aid 
at  once,  as  it  may  save  a  ruinous  war  to  show  them 
that  we  have  other  help  besides  our  own  citizens, 
they  knowing  our  weakness.  .Vnd  if  it  is  not  in 
your  power  at  present  to  dis|)atch  a  company  of  men 
here,  I  do  most  respectfully  demand  of  3'ou  arms 
and  ammunition,  with  a  field-])iece  to  drive  them  out 
of  their  forts.  A  four  orsix-jjoundcr  isindis])ensablo 
in  fighting  tho  Pah-Utes.  We  have  no  Indian  Agent 
to  call  on,  so  it  is  to  j'ou  wo  look  for  assistance. 
I  remain  your  humble  servant, 

LsAAP  Hoop, 
Governor  of  Nevada  Territory. 

SusANVii-LE,  February  12,  lS(iO. 

P.  S. — Sir:  If  you  should  forward  to  us  arms, 
ammunition,  etc.,  I  hereby  appoint  Col.  I.  H.  Ijowis 
to  receive  and  receipt  for  and  bring  them  hero  at 
once.  I.  Roop. 

Tho  foregoing  indicates,  with  sufilcient  clearness, 
that  the  accumulated  hostility  between  the  two  races 
had  reaclie<l  that  point  where  it  reiiuired  but  a 
spark  to  cause  it  to  burst  forth  into  a  fierce  war 
llame.  The  t!ommanding  (ieneral  sent  no  troops 
and  furnished  no  arms;  and  it  all  terminated  in  that 
sanguinary  outbreak,  in  the  following  Ma}',  that  re- 
sulted so  disastrously  to  both  Indians  and  whites. 

INDIAN    ACCOUNT   OF   THE    WAR   OV    18()0. 

The  defeat  and  massacre  of  the  party,  usually 
known  as  tho  ''Ormsby  party,"  on  tho  12th  of  May, 
18G0,  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  throughout  tho  Pacific 
Coast,  and  to  this  day  is  regarded  as  one  of  tho 
most  im])ortant  events  in  the  early  history  of  tho 
State.  IIa])poning,  as  it  did,  anterior  to  tho  groat 
war  of  tho  Rebellion,  the  people  were  unaccustomed 


150 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


to  tales  of  battle  and  bloodshed;  the  slaughter  of 
great  numbers  of  relatives,  friends  and  neighbors, 
and  the  conflicts,  movements  and  losses  which  at  a 
later  date  would  have  seemed  trifling,  then  had  a 
terrible  effect,  and  left  a  lasting  impression.  The 
publishers  of  this  work,  desiring  the  most  -minute 
particulars  of  this  most  important  Indian  war  of 
Nevada,  in  the  latter  part  of  1880  dispatched  one  of 
their  corps  of  writers  to  thoroughly  examine  the 
ground  and  interview  all  whites  and  Indians  who 
could  be  found  who  had  participated  in  the  fatal 
battle.  In  companj-  with  the  Acting  Indian  Agent, 
Maj.  W.  II.  H.  Wasson,  he  visited  the  Pj-ramid  Lake 
Reservation,  obtained  an  interpreter,  a  Pah-Ute 
named  George  Quip,  who  spoke  the  English  language 
fluently,  and  with  numerous  veteran  savages  trav- 
ersed the  battle-ground,  spending  three  days  in  the 
examination.  The  Indians  were  assured  that  what- 
ever statement  they  should  make  would  never  be 
used  against  them,  and  with  such  assurances  they 
gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  whole  atfair. 

It  was  a  strange  assemblage,  of  those  old  braves, 
each  narrating  what  he  had  done,  and  seen,  of  that 
bloody  record  of  18G0.  Each  Indian  would  recount 
his  own  experience  and  observation;  but  when  asked 
concerning  anything  beyond  that,  would  say  :    "  Me 

no  see  'um  mobe tell  j'ou  'bout  that;"  and  the 

party  designated  would  be  sent  for,  if  not  present, 
and  the  stoiy  would  go  on.  On  the  third  day  we 
rode  over  the  battle-field  and  trail  from  Pyramid 
Lake  to  VVadsworth,  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles, 
accompanied  by  some  of  them.  As  we  came  to  a 
place  where  a  white  man  had  been  killed,  or  some 
special  event  worthy  of  note  had  trans2)ired,  they 
would  stop,  and,  in  their  peculiarly  slow,  dreamy 
way,  tell  the  event,  or  describe  the  death  struggle. 
Their  speech  was  accompanied  by  gesticulations,  and 
movements  of  the  body,  conveying  to  the  looker-on 
a  knowledge  of  what  had  transpired  there  in  all  its 
tragic  detail  before  the  interpreter  had  opened  his 
lips.  In  this  manner  those  events,  that  before  had 
remained  a  secret  between  the  sla3'er  and  his  dead, 
were  revealed. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April,  18G0,  the  Pah-Utes 
congregated  at  Pyramid  Lake  from  all  over  the  ex- 
tensive territory,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  coun- 
cil. The  object  of  the  gathering  was  to  decide  what 
they  should  do,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  whites 
were  rapidly  encroaching  upon  their  lands;  killing 
their  game  ;  and  cutting  down  their  orchards. 
[Thus  referring  to  the  pine-nut  trees.]  By  the  first 
of  May  they  were  nearly  all  in  at  the  rendezvous. 

There  was  a  Shoshone  chief  there  with  his  band 
who  had  married  a  Pah-Ute  squaw;  he  was  for  war; 
and  his  Indian  name  was  Qu-da-zo-bo-eat.  A  few 
years  later  ho  was  killed  near  15nt(le  Mountain,  by 
members  of  his  own  tribe,  after  his  return  from  a 
raid  into  Paradise  Valley.  They  killed  him  because 
ho  was  all  the  time  making  trouble  for  them,  bj' 
stealing  stock  from  the  whites.      There  was  a  chief 


from  Powder  River  with  his  followers  there,  who 
was  also  for  war.  His  name  was  Sa-wa-da-be-bo; 
he  was  a  half  Bannock  and  half  Pah-Ute,  and  was 
killed  by  the  whites  some  two  years  later.  Wa-he, 
a  brother  of  Old  Winuemucca,  was  fierce  for  the  con- 
flict. He  was  afterwards  killed  by  the  Pah-Utes  at 
Walker  River,  concerning  'which  a  more  extended 
account  is  given  elsewhere.  Sa-a-ba,  chief  of  the 
Smoke  Creek  Indians,  was  for  war.  lie  was  a 
brother-in-law  of  Old  Winnemucca,  and  was  killed 
later  by  one  of  his  own  tribe,  whom  he  was  pi-oposing 
to  "Ho-do,"  or  bewitch.  No-jo-mud,  chief  of  the 
Honey  Lake  Band,  was  for  war.  Some  j-ears  later 
he  was  killed  by  his  followers,  who  had  become 
afraid  of  him,  because  of  his  continued  active  hos- 
tility to  the  whites,  fearing  that  it  would  bring  dis- 
aster upon  them.  Ho-zi-a,  another  Honey  Lake 
leader,  who  wa<  afterwards  killed  by  Capt.  Dick, 
their  present  chief,  was  also  for  war.  Yur-dy, 
known  as  Joaquin  by  the  whites,  was  for  war.  His 
band  ranged  in  the  vicinitj'  of  the  big  bend  of  the 
Carson  River,  and  south  toward  Mason  Valley.  He 
is  now  dead.  Ha-za-bok,  a  big  medicine,  and  chief 
at  Antelope  Valley,  now  living,  was  for  war.  He 
proposed  to  su]i])ly  the  warriors  with  bullets,  by 
changing  their  tobacco  into  lead;  to  cause  the  ground 
to  open  and  swallow  the  whites;  and  to  kill  them 
with  fierce  storms  of  hail. 

Se-quin-a-ta,  a  chief  from  the  Black  Rock  country, 
was  impatient  for  the  strife  to  begin.  He  now  lives 
at  the  Reservation,  is  a  little  man,  and  is  known  as 
Chiquito  (little)  Winnemucca.  He  was  a  man  grown 
and  remembers  distinctly  when  Fremont  camped  at 
P}"ramid  Lake,  on  his  way  from  Oregon  through  this 
country  in  January,  1844.  It  was  this  Indian  that 
refused  to  obey  Young  Winnemucca;  charging  with 
his  band  past  the  latter  as  he  waved  back  the  Pah- 
Utes  in  a  vain  effort  to  obtain  a  jieace  talk  with  the 
Ormsby  ])arty,  after  the  battle  had  0|)ened.  Mo- 
guan-no-ga  was  chief  at  the  Humboldt  Meadows; 
and  was  known  to  the  whites  as  Captain  Soo.  Ho 
was  for  war,  and  was  shot  by  his  brother  Bob,  a 
few  years  later,  receiving  a  wound  that  eventually 
resulted  in  his  death.  He  was  in  command  of  the 
expedition  whose  acts  precipitated  the  war,  by  the 
killing  of  the  Williams  brothers,  and  the  burning  of 
their  station.  Before  his  death,  however,  he  became 
a  strong  friend  of  the  whites,  and  rendered  valuable 
assistance  in  breaking  up  the  bands  that  kept  up 
hostilities  in  Humboldt  County  for  several  years 
after  the  outbreak.  His  friendship  for  the  whites 
was  the  cause  of  his  death.  Ho  had  been  leading 
a  com])any  of  soldiers  into  the  Black  Rock  country, 
where  they  had  killed  a  number  of  Pah-Utes. 
When  he  came  back  a  cousin  of  his,  named  Cap- 
tain John,  wanted  him  to  resign  because  of  what  he 
had  done;  and  expressed  a  determination  of  becom- 
ing the  chief  himself.  Soo's  brother  Bob  proposed 
to  settle  the  matter  by  shooting  both  of  them, 
and  the  onu  not  killed,  being  the  genuine  medicine 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


151 


man,  ought  of  course  to  be  chief.  He  accordingly 
"turned  loose"  on  his  brother  fir.-st,  and  |)roved  him 
to  be  "no  good  medicine;"  but  before  he  was  readj- 
for  John,  that  worthy  "blazed  away,"  and  fetched 
the  would-bo  arbitrator  to  "grass."  Bob  cventuallj- 
recovercd;  but,  said  our  informant,  "ho  hoep  sorrj- 
bime-by,  'cause  he  think  he  kill  um  both,  and  got 
to  be  chief  himself"  Old  Winneniucea,  whose 
Indian  name  is  I'o-i-to,  was  head  captain  over  all, 
and  medicine  chief  of  the  tribe.  He  held  his  own 
council,  and  declared  neither  for  peace  or  war  ;  but 
was  known  to  be  in  favor  of  the  latter.  Ho  was  a 
shrewd  old  jiolitician,  and  knowing  things  were  mov- 
ing to  suit  him,  kept  still  and  let  others  assume  the 
responsibility  of  acting. 

NUM.\().\'s    EFFORT    FOR    PEACE. 

Among  all  that  assemblage  of  the  Pah-Ute  tribes 
there  was  one,  and  one  only,  among  the  chiefs,  with 
sufficient  sagacity  to  foresee  the  evils  that  would 
result  to  his  people  from  war;  one  only  who  at  the 
same  time  possessed  the  courage  to  throw  his  influ- 
ence in  opposition  to  their  will,  and  declare  for  peace. 
The  name  of  that  warrior  was  Numaga;  and  he  was 
called  by  the  whites  Young  Winnemucca,  the  war 
chief.  The  word  Numaga  moans  the  giver  of  food, 
the  name  indicating  the  disposition  of  its  owner  as 
being  that  of  a  generous  man.  Numaga  was  not,  as 
the  whites  always  supposed,  the  war  chief  of  the 
Paii-Ut08.  There  was  but  one  general  chief,  and 
that  was  Poito,  at  Pyramid  Lake. 

Numaga  was  the  chosen  leader  only  of  that 
branch  of  the  tribe  living  upon  the  reservation,  hav- 
ing no  authority,  and  claiming  none,  in  any  other 
locality.  Neither  was  he  a  relative  of  Poito,  and 
the  two  were  always  unfriendly. 

Numaga  was  an  Indian  statesman  who  possessed 
intellect,  eloquence,  and  courage  combined.  He  had 
been  among  the  whites  in  California,  and  could  speak 
the  English  language;  conseqtientlj-,  ap]>reciated  the 
superiority  of  the  race  with  whom  his  peo])lo  would 
make  war.  His  power,  outside  of  his  own  band, 
was  that  only  of  a  superior  mind,  working,  under 
the  control  of  an  absorbing  wish,  to  better  the  con- 
dition of  his  race.  They  knew  he  was  capable,  they 
believed  him  to  be  sincere,  and  it  resulted  in  giv- 
ing him  an  influence  more  potent  throughout  the 
tribe  than  Poito's  commands;  consequently,  the 
whites  came  to  look  upon  him  as  the  war  chief 
and  he  would  have  attained  that  position  had  he 
outlived  Old  Winnemucca,  aiins  Poito. 

Such  was  the  man  who  threw  himself  with  all  his 
power  into  the  council,  to  try,  if  possible,  to  stem 
the  tide  that  had  set  for  war.  He  rode  from  camp 
to  camp,  from  family  to  family,  friend  to  friend, 
reasoning,  counseling  and  beseeching  them  not  to 
precipitate  a  war,  and  bring  dest^•ucti()n  upon  them- 
selves. On  every  side  ho  was  met  with  a  calm, 
respectful  silence,  that  told  as  plainly  as  words  could 
have  done  it,  that  all  wore  against  him.  Then  he 
wont  ofl'  by  himself,  and,  lying  down,  with   his  face 


to  the  ground  would  speak  to  no  one.  Without 
food,  or  drink,  or  motion,  he  laj-  there  as  one  dead. 
The  day  passed  and  the  night,  another  day  and 
night,  and  the  third  found  him  as  had  the  first,  a 
motionless  and  silent  mourner,  brooding  over  the 
calamity  that  he  saw  threatening  his  people.  This 
began  to  eft'ect  a  reaction  among  the  masses  of  the 
Pah-Utos,  and  the  chief,  seeing  it,  came  to  him  and 
said:  "Your  skin  is  red,  but  your  heart  is  white; 
go  away  and  live  among  the  pale-faces."  Others 
came  and  said:  "Get  up  or  we  will  kill  you;"  and 
then  ho  replied:  "Do  it  if  you  wish,  for  1  don't 
care  to  live." 

At  length  the  council  met.  Chief  after  chief  rose 
and  recounted  the  wrongs  of  his  band  and  demanded 
war.  After  all  had  spoken,  then  Numaga,  looking 
like  the  ghost  of  a  dead  Indian,  walked  into  tho 
circle,  and  for  an  hour  poui-ed  forth  such  a  toiTent 
of  eloquence  as  these  warriors  had  never  listened  to 
before: — 

"You  would  make  war  upon  the  whites,"  he  said; 
"  I  ask  you  to  pause  and  reflect.  The  white  men 
are  like  the  stars  over  your  heads.  You  have 
wrongs,  great  wrongs,  that  rise  up  like  those  mount- 
ains before  you;  but  can  you,  from  the  mountain 
tops,  reach  and  blot  out  those  stars  ?  Your  enemies 
arc  like  the  sands  in  the  bed  of  your  rivers;  when 
taken  away  they  only  give  place  for  more  to  come 
and  settle  there.  Could  j^ou  defeat  the  whites  in 
Nevada,  from  over  the  mountains  in  California 
would  come  to  help  them  an  army  of  white  men 
that  would  cover  your  country  like  a  blanket. 
What  hope  is  there  for  the  Pah-Ute?  From  where 
is  to  come  your  guns,  your  powder,  j-our  load,  your 
dried  meats  to  live  upon,  and  hay  to  feed  your 
ponies  with  while  you  carry  on  this  war.  Your 
enemies  have  all  of  these  things,  nioro  than  they 
can  use.  They  will  come  like  the  sand  in  a  whirl- 
wind and  drive  you  from  your  homes.  You  will  be 
forced  among  the  barren  rocks  of  the  north,  where 
your  ponies  will  die;  where  you  will  see  the  women 
and  old  men  starve,  and  listen  to  the  cries  of  your 
children  for  food.  I  love  my  peoj)Ie;  lot  them  live; 
and  when  their  spirits  shall  bo  called  to  the  tireat 
Camp  in  the  southern  sk3-,  let  their  bones  rest  where 
their  fathers  wore  buried." 

As  Numaga  was  thus  making  a  last  desperate 
ofl'ort  to  ('hange  the  action  of  the  chiefs,  and  was 
sending  homo  conviction  of  its  folly  to  their  under- 
standing, an  Indian,  upon  a  foam- flecked  ])ony, 
dashed  up  to  the  council  ground,  and  the  speaker 
paused.  Tho  new-comer  walked  into  the  circle; 
and,  pointing  to  the  southeast,  said:  "  Moguannoga, 
last  night,  with  nine  braves,  burned  Williams'  sta- 
tion, on  tho  Carson  Iliver,  and  killed  four  whites." 
Then  Numaga,  with  a  satl  look  in  the  direction  that 
the  warrior  had  pointed,  replied:  "There  is  no  longer 
any  use  for  counsel;  wo  must  prepare  for  war,  for 
the  soldiers  will  now  como  hero  to  tiffht  us." 


152 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


BURNING   OP   WILLIAMS     STATION. 

On  the  seventh  of  May,  ISOO,  the  question  was 
pending,  and  the  great  influence  of  Numaga  had 
begun  to  make  an  impression  in  favor  of  a  confer- 
ence instead  of  a  collision  with  the  whites.  A  secret 
war  party,  numbering  nine  in  all,  had  left  camp  un- 
known to  that  chief,  under  command  of  Captain  Soo. 
Thej-  reached  the  Carson  Iliver  about  sundown,  at 
the  place  where  James  O.  Williams  was  keeping  a 
station  on  the  Overland  Eoad,  ten  miles  northeast 
of  where  Fort  Churchill  was  afterwards  built. 

There  arc  three  of  that  war  party  now  living,  and 
one  of  them  described  the  scene  that  followed: — 

Said  he:  "We get  there  'bout  night;  sun  little  way 
up;  and  leave  ponies  back,  maybe  half  mile.  Then 
we  all  go  down  to  cabin,  and  three  white  men 
come  out.  They  look  mighty  scared,  and  talk  heep 
to  Captain  Soo,  and     — " 

"What  did  they  say  to  them  ?"  wc  asked. 

"Bunno  ;  talk  heep.  I  no  understand  English 
then." 

"Well,  what  did  they  do  next?" 

"Bimeby  one  start  off  and  run  up  the  road  towards 
Buckland's,  and  two  Injin  run  after  him,  and  bring 
him  back.  Then  one,  he  run  for  the  river,  and  me 
after  him;  he  jump  in,  and  me  watch;  bimeby  he 
get  half-way  across  maybe,  then  drown." 

"Did  j-ou  shoot  him  when  he  was  swimming?" 

"No;  nobody  shoot  him  in  water;  maybe  so,  some- 
body shoot  him  'fore  that,  lie  heep  splatter  water; 
no  swim  much.  1  know  him  drown  purty  soon;  no 
use  to  shoot." 

"While  you  were  gone  to  the  river  what  was 
done  at  the  station  ?" 

"  1  no  see  that.  They  tell  me  white  man  draw 
aknife,  and  then  one  Injin  grab  him  from  behind,  then 
two,  three — maybe  four — Indian  grab  bim;  then  one 
take  his  arm  and  do  so,*  and  break  it,  and  that 
make  him  drop  the  knife;  and  then  they  throw  him 
on  the  ground,  and  kill  him." 

"How  did  they  kill  him?" 

"They  no  tell  me  that.  I  dunno;  maybe  choke 
him." 

"How  did  they  kill  the  other  man  ?" 

"Dunno.  When  I  come  back,  four  Injin  hold  him 
on  the  ground;  then  1  go  oil'  down  the  river  little 
■ways,  to  find  place  to  picket  pony,  and  when  I  look 
back,  see  cabin  on  fire." 

"Was  it  dark  when  tlu'j-  burned  the  station?" 

"No — purty  near  dark,  though." 

The  narrator  insisted  that  they  found  but  tliree 
whites  at  the  station.  Wo  said  to  him  that  five  men 
wore  killed,  and  he  asked: — 

"  How  you  know?  " 

Upon  his  being  told  that  the  information  was  from 
those  who  buried  them,  ho  replied  that,  "  Maybe 
white  man  tell  you  heap  of  lies."      Finally,  ho  sug- 

*  Tlic  narrntor  here,  by  motion,  indicated  a  twisting,  back- 
ward wrenching  of  the  arm. 


gested  that  it  was  possible  that  two  might  have 
remained  in  the  house  concealed;  who  were  suffocated 
and  perished  in  the  flames.  The  following  are  the 
names  of  the  parties  who  were  killed,  and  no  one 
escaped  from  the  place: — 

Oscar  M'illiams,  a  married  man,  aged  33  years, 
and  a  native  of  Maine. 

David  Williams,  a  single  man,  aged  22  j-ears,  and 
a  native  of  Maine. 

Samuel  Sullivan,  a  married  man,  aged  25  j'cars, 
and  a  native  of  New  York. 

John  Flemming,  a  single  man,  aged  25  years,  and 
a  native  of  New  York. 

"Dutch  Phil"  ;  unknown  name,  age,  and  residence. 

The  Indians  camped  on  the  bottom  around  the 
place  until  2  or  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  then 
started  across  the  eight-mile  desert  for  Buckland's 
station,  intending  to  kill  the  owner,  after  whom  it  is 
named.  Thej'  passed  by  the  ranch  of  C.  M.  Davis 
without  molesting  him,  and  on  arriving  at  daylight 
on  the  farm  of  W.  H.  Bloomfield,  one  of  their  num- 
ber named ,  proposed  to  the  band  that  they 

drive  off  the  stock  from  the  place  and  return  to  the 
lake  without  committing  any  further  depredations. 
It  now  being  daylight,  and  as  a  further  advance 
would  be  attended  by  considerable  risk,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  i'ollow  this  suggestion;  and  one  of  their 
number  was  sent  in  advance  to  report  what  they 
had  been  doing.  It  was  the  arrival  upon  the  coun- 
cil ground  at  Pyramid  I^ake,  of  this  messenger,  that 
interrupted  Numaga's  speech. 

"Why."  we  asked,  "  did  you  not  kill  C.  M.  Davis; 
he  was  much  nearer  to  you  than  S.  S.  Buckland  ?  " 

"Davis,"  he  replied,  "purty  good  man;  never 
abuse  Ingin;  no  kill  him.  Buckland  he  heep  bad; 
whi])Ingin;  scold  Ingin;  mighty  cross  all  the  time; 
we  all  say  kill  him,  ])urty  good." 

On  the  evening  of  the  massacre,  the  owner  of  the 
station,  J.  O.  Williams,  was  camping  a  couple  of 
miles  further  up  the  river,  and  thus  escaped  the  fate 
of  his  brothers. 

The  next  morning  he  returned,  and  finding  his 
place  a  smouldering  ruin,  around  which  laj-  the  bodies 
of  his  murdered  kinsmen,  he  started  for  Virginia 
City. 

Mr.  Davis,  with  three  other  men,  remained  for 
several  days  at  his  place  alter  the  event  before  they 
knew  what  had  transpired.  When  the  news  finally 
came  to  them,  however,  they  started  with  their 
eft'ects  for  Dayton,  reaching  Huckland's  station  the 
same  evening — May  9th — that  the  Ormsby  command 
arrived  there,  on  its  way  to  chastise  the  Indians. 

DEMAND    FOK    VENGEANCE. 

The  news  brought  hy  Williams  to  Daj'ton,  Silver 
Oity,  and  Virginia  created  an  intense  excitement, 
and  couriers  soon  carried  it,  with  added  horrors,  to 
all  the  outlj'ing  towns.  Scattered  over  the  whole 
countrj-  were  little  squads  of  j)rospectt)rs  and  ranch- 
ers, whose  isolated  positions  rendorwd  them  an  easy 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


153 


proy  to  prowling  bands  of  Miivagos.  Such  woro  to 
be  warned;  and  many  a  wilil  rido  was  taken  by 
hoi-semon  over  secret  mountain  and  valley  trails  to 
boar  the  notes  of  danger  to  a  friend.  In  the  whole 
country  there  was  but  one  voice,  and  that  went  up 
from  the  whole  people,  for  a  swift  and  blood}-  retal- 
iation— one  that  should  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of 
the  Pah-Ute,  and  leave  his  country  a  tcnantless 
waste.  Detachments  were  organized  for  that  pur- 
pose at  Genoa,  Carson,  Silver  and  Virginia  Cities; 
and  on  the  ninth  of  May,  1860,  they  moved  from 
the  latter  place  to  Buckland  Station,  on  the  Carson 
River,  &h  route  for  the  scene  of  the  late  massacre. 
On  the  tenth  they  arrived  at  Williams'  Station,  and 
buried  three  of  the  victims,  and  took  a  vote  as  to 
whether  they  should  return  or  continue  their  march 
into  the  enemy's  countrj'.  The  vote  was  unanimous 
for  the  advance,  and  they  proceeded  to  the  Truckee 
River,  and  camped  on  the  night  of  the  eleventh  of 
May  at  the  place  where  the  town  of  Wadsworth  is 
now  located. 

VOUJNTEEES   FOR  THE   EXPEDITION. 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  was  standing 
at  the  time  a  log  cabin,  in  which  wei-e  five  men 
who  had  been  besieged  for  several  days  by  the 
Indians.  On  the  Sunday  prior  to  the  massacre  they 
had,  with  three  others,  been  hunting  at  Pyramid 
Lake,  where  they  were  attacked  and  three  of  their 
number  killed.  The  five,  having  made  their  escape, 
had  since  found  refuge  in  that  cabin.  They  were 
ferried,  on  a  log  drawn  by  lariats,  across  the  river, 
and  joined  the  expedition  on  foot. 

Let  us  now  take  a  glance  at  this  force  that  found 
itself  in  a  hostile  country,  intent  upon  chastising  an 
enemy  that  they  must  have  known  greatly  out- 
numbered them.  There  were  four  detachments, 
numbering  105  men,  nominally  under  the  command 
of  otlicers  selected  foi-  their  general  reputation  as 
being  courageous  men.  The  Genoa  squad  was  under 
the  orders  of  Thomas  V.  Condon,  Jr.;  Major  Ormsby 
was  leader  of  the  detachment  from  (Larson  City; 
Richard  Watkins  was  in  charge  of  the  Silver  City 
force;  and  Archie  AlclJonald  was  Captain  of  those 
from  Virginia  City.  No  one  was  selected  to  the 
chief  command,  although  its  necessity  was  strongly 
urged  by  Major  Ormsby,  J.  Gatewood,  and  othei-s; 
and  they  went  into  the  fight  without  a  leader, 
although  Major  Ornisbj'  is  usually  regarded  as  hav- 
ing been  the  commander.  It  was  a  heterogeneous 
mixture  of  independent  elements,  poorly  armed, 
without  discii)line;  and  they  did  not  believe  that 
the  Indians  would  fight.  A  few  of  tliem  would  not 
have  been  of  the  party  had  they  contemplated  seri- 
ous trouble,  but  in  the  main  they  were  boys  and  men 
who  would  have  made  a  heroic  defense  if  pro])erly 
handled.  What  they  lacked  most  was  discipline, 
and  a  leader  in  whom  tlie^'  had  entire  confidence, 
and  who  had  authority  to  enforce  his  commands. 
In  the  absence  of  these  last  two  essentials  it  would 
have  been  better  had  they  all  been  cowards.     Many 


started  on  the  expedition  with  the  watchword  of 
"An  Indian  for  breakfast  and  a  pony  to  ride,"  con- 
templating the  pleasure  of  sacking  Pah-Ute  villages, 
capturing  their  scjuaws  and  ponies,  killing  a  few 
warriors,  and  running  the  balance  out  of  the  coun- 
try. There  was  another  element  there  prompted  by 
sentiments  and  urged  forward  by  feelings  that 
make  the  patriot,  produces  heroes,  and  often  ends 
in  martyrdom.  Of  this  class  Henry  Meredith, 
Young  Snowden,  Spear,  Ileadley,  Kugene  Angel, 
and  the  "Nameless  Hero,"  were  bright  particular 
stars. 

The  following  is  as  complete  a  list  of  that  ill-fated 
party  as  we  have  been  able  to  procure: — 

OENO.V    llANdERS. 

Captain  T.  F.  t^ondon,  (".  E.  Kimball, 

Michael  Tay,  Robert  Riley, -'Big Texas," 

M.  Pillar,  Lee  James. 

J.  A.  Thompson, 

CARSON    CITY    RANGERS. 

Major  Wm.  M.  Ormsbj',  F.  Shinn, 

John  L.  Blackburn,  James  Gatewood, 

Chris.  Barnes,  Frank  Gilbert, 

William  S.  Spear,  C.  Marley, 

William  Mason,  John  Holmes, 

Richard  Watkins,  I)r.  Wm.  E.  Eichelroth, 

Samuel  Brown,  James  Mclntyro, 

Dr.  Anton  W.  Tjader,  —  Lake, 
Eugene  Angel, 

And  nine  United  States  soldiers. 

SILVER   CITY   GUARDS. 

*Capt.  R.  G.  Watkins,         Keene  Albert  Bloom, 
Chas.  Evans,  James  Sliabell, 

James  Lee,  Anton  Kauftman. 

FROM    VIROINIA    CITY. 

Company  No.  1. 

Captain  F.  Johnston,  F.  J.  Call, 

—  McTerney,  Hugh   Mcfvaughlin, 

Charles  McLeod,  John  Fleming  (a  Greek), 

Henderson  (a  Greek),  Andreas  Schnald  (Italian), 

Marco  Kucrgerwaldt,  John    (raventi    (ieorgo   (a 
O.  C.  Steel,  Chileno). 

COMPANY    NO.    2. 

Capt.  Archie  McDonald,     Wm.  Armington, 

Chas.  W.  Allen,  G.  F.  Brown, 

G.  I.  Baldwin,  1).  D.  Cole, 

A.  K.  Elliott,  Chas.  Forman, 

A.  L.  Granis,  F.  Gatehouse, 

F.  Hawkins,  Arch  Haven, 

J.  C.  Hall,  George  Jones, 

*  Captain  Watkins  w.aa  a,  vetiTan  of  the  Walker  lilliliustcring 
expedition  to  Nicaraj,aia,  where  ho  lost  a  \v^.  Upon  the  organi- 
zation of  the  party  to  pnni.sh  the  Imlians  he  Wiis  invited  to  take 
coninianil  of  a  lonipany,  l>ut  ilielineil  on  aoconnt  of  his  crippled 
condition;  hut  heing  told  that  .tome  who  had  served  under  liini 
in  Nicaragua  were  anxious  he  shoidd  be  their  leader  lie  con- 
sented. He  possesMinl  a  powerful  horse,  and  in  riding  was 
8trap|>e<l  to  the  sadiUe.  The  Captain  has  written  a  vivid  report 
of  tile  ninreli  and  liattle,  the  ^>rineiiial  points  of  which  are  incor- 
porated in  the  account  here  given. 


154 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


]?.  Ijawrence, 
Henry  Meredith, 
Pat  McCourt, 
Henry  Newton, 
A.  I.  Peck, 
M.  Sparr, 


("ol.  M.  ('.  Vane, 
H.  Mcintosh, 
S.  McNaughton, 
John  Xoyce, 
llichard  X.  Snowden, 
O.  Spurr, 


COMPANY   NOT    KNOWN. 

J.  F.  Johnson,  N.  A.  Chandler, 

G.  Joiiner,  A.  G.  B.  Hammond, 

James  McCarthy,  Armstrong, 

T.  Kelley,  Galehousen. 

J.  Bowdcn, 

The  next  day  the  command  continued  its  advance, 
moving  to  the  north  down  the  Trtickee  River.  No 
resistance  was  met  with  until  they  had  reached  the 
bottom-land,  about  one-hulf'miie  north  of  the  present 
reservation  building  and  within  about  two  miles  of 
the  south  end  of  Pj-ramid  Lake. 

THE   BATTLE-FIELD. 

Within  about  three  and  one-half  miles  of  the  lake 
the  bottom  lands  widen  out,  leaving  a  broad  level 
stretch  of  meadow  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  through 
which  the  stream  shifts  its  bod  more  or  less  every 
year.  There  is  a  belt  of  large  cottonwood  trees  with 
underbrush  among  them,  skirting  the  stream  through 
the  entire  distance.  This  meadow  land  is  inclosed 
on  the  west  by  a  mountain,  and  on  the  east  by  a  wide 
stretch  of  comparatively  level  table-land  that  is 
elevated  somewhat  above  the  meadows.  The  point 
of  contact  between  the  two  is  sharp  and  well  defined. 
The  dift'crence  in  elevation  increases  in  the  direction 
of  Wadsworth  until  it  terminates  in  a  bank  some  fiftj- 
feet  high,  at  the  south  end  of  the  valley  where  the 
meadows  narrow  down  to  a  few  j-ards  each  side  of 
the  stream.  At  this  south  end  the  trail  leading  north 
passes  down  from  the  higher  country  into  the  lower, 
ami  runs  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  to  the  lake. 
Where  this  trail  passes  down  into  the  valley  is  the 
south  end  of  the  battle-field;  and  the  point  of  the 
last  stand  made  by  the  Ormsby  i)arly. 

AN    AI.MLESS   CIIAKUE   AND    WILD    RETREAT. 

The  whites  had  passed  into  this  lowland  and  through 
it  to  the  north  about  one  and  a  half  miles,  when 
there  suddenly  ai)peared  on  an  elevated  point  to  their 
right  iront,  just  out  of  gunshot  range,  a  band  of  Indi- 
ans that  apparently  about  e(|uaU'd  their  own  number. 
The  order  was  given  by  Major  Ormsby  for  the  com- 
mand to  dismount  and  tighten  the  girths  of  their  sad- 
dles. While  this  order  was  being  executed,  a  man  by 
the  name  of  A.  K.  Elliott,  who  had  a  globe-sighted 
riflo,  took  several  shots  at  the  enemy  with  no  visible 
results.  The  comjiany  then  mounted,  and  the  order 
was  given  to  charge!  and  with  a  yell,  about  thirty  of 
the  party  dashed  up  an  easy  grade,  made  by  a  wash, 
a  little  to  the  east  of  the  eiiemj',  on  to  the  plateau 
where  they  Ibund  that  the  Indians  hail  melted  away 
from  sight  like  a  dissolving  view.  There  seemed  no 
place  for  them  to  go;  but  they  were  gone,  and  as 
before  just  out  ol'  rifle  range  appeared  another  scat- 


tered line  of  mounted  Indians.  Their  right,  as  far  as 
it  was  visible,  rested  on  an  elevated  point,  at  the 
margin  of  the  valley,  while  their  left,  stretching  away 
to  the  east  and  south,  formed  a  half  circle.  There 
seemed  but  few  of  them,  but  they  were  badly  arranged 
for  the  comfort  of  the  whites;  a  little  stretching  out 
of  that  left  or  southeast  line  would  have  inclosed 
them.  In  fact  it  looked  as  though  they  had  charged 
through  an  open  gate  into  an  Indian  corral.  For  a 
time  it  was  doubtful  whether  the  position  of  Ormsby's 
party  was  the  result  of  accident  or  design;  but  the 
uncertainty  vanished  as  every  sage- bush  in  front  and 
on  both  flanks  suddenly  developed  the  hiding-place 
of  a  Pah-Ute;  and  a  shower  of  bullets  and  arrows 
came  hissing  over  their  heads  and  among  them.  The 
verj'  air  trembled  with  the  wild  yell  that  followed 
the  discharge,  and  many  a  poor  fellow  sitting  on  his 
horse  there  began  to  picture  to  himself  the  horrors 
he  had  read  of  that  befell  those  who  fell  into  the  bands 
of  a  savage  war  party.  The  battle  was  lost  to  the 
whites  in  the  next  five  minutes  by  a  failure  to 
promptly  continue  the  aggressive,  and  thus  give  hope 
of  success  with  which  to  occupy  the  mind,  instead  of  a 
graduallj' growing  fear  and  hoi-ror  of  falling  wounded 
or  otherwise  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  Besides, 
the  greater  number  of  the  party  had  lagged  behind 
after  observing  the  force  of  the  enemy. 

The  volunteers  who  had  charged  remained  u))on 
the  plateau  possibly  ten  minutes  ;  doing  nothing  ex- 
cept, to  attend  to  frightened  animals,  and  became 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  belief  that  they  were 
outgeneraled  and  defeated.  Some  of  the  animals 
became  so  unmanageable  that  they  bucked  the  re- 
volvers out  of  their  riders'  holsters,  and  forced  others 
to  drop  their  guns.  The  time  for  a  favorable  result 
had  passed,  and  then  the  retreat  began  in  the  effort 
to  join  their  alreadj-  flying  comrades.  The  first  move 
was  toward  the  bottom  to  the  west,  to  gain  the  shel- 
ter of  the  timber  that  came  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  plateau. 

This  was  ai\other  mistake,  for  the  shelter  they 
sought  was  alreadj-  the  hiding-place  of  Chiquito  Win- 
nemucca's  band,  that  made  the  Indian  lino  continu- 
ous westerly  to  the  river.  This  move  left  the  enemy 
on  the  plateau  with  nothing  to  do  but  out-flank  the 
whites  by  moving  south  on  the  upland  and  shoot 
down  into  the  timber,  occasionally,  at  pistol  range, 
where  the  course  of  the  river  swept  close  into  the 
east  margin  of  the  meadows.  A  number  of  them  re- 
inforced Chiquito  Winnemucca  in  the  timber  where 
Numaga  joined  them;  and  as  the  Indians  were  press- 
ing forward,  ho  rushed  in  between  them  and  the 
whites,  waving  back  his  followers  in  an  attempt  to 
obtain  a  parley.  Clii(iuito  Winnemucca  refused  to 
obey  the  oi^iler,  and  dashed  by  Numaga,  followed  by 
the  entire  yelling  horde.  The  whites  fell  back,  but 
through  the  personal  exertions  of  two  or  three  men, 
they  formed  again  a  few  hundred  yards  away. 

There  was  one  member  of  Ormsby's  party  named 
William  Headly,  who  from  the  first,  until  ho  was 


INDIANS.  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


155 


killed,  made  himself  constantly  conspicuous.  He  was 
termed  by  the  Indians  the  "  White  Brave,"  and  was 

supposed  by  tliem  to  be  in  conimiiiui. 

Agiiin  and  again   members  of  tlio  relrealiiig  force 
attempted  to  make  a  stantl.     About  half  a  mile  from 
where  the  battle  opened,  some   tried   to  cross   the 
river,  but  were  swept  back  again  to  the  shore  they 
had  started  from.      At    this  jjlace  now    stands,  on 
the  upland  overlooking  the  valley,  an  Indian  school 
house,  and  the  river  approaclies  within  fifty  yards 
of  the  elevated  point.     Here  a   number  of  mounted 
Indians  had  congregated,  and  the  whites,  if  they  re- 
treated further,  were  forced  to  run  the  gauntlet,  the 
dread  of  which  had  caused  some  to  attempt  the  pas- 
sago  of  the  surging  stream.    It  had  to  be  done,  how- 
ever, and  the  rush  was  made.     One  horse  was  killed 
in  passing  this  point,  its  rider  being  among  the   last 
•  to  give  way   before  the  onslaught  of  the  band,   led 
by  Chiquito  Winncmucca,  that  was  conslantlj' press- 
ing them  in  the  timber  from  the  north.      The   horse 
in    falling  dashed  his  rider  to   the  ground,  who   in- 
stantly sprang  to  his  feet  and  turned  upon  the  foe, 
wounding  in  the  knee  the   assailant  nearest  to  him, 
and  then   sank  by  his  dead  horse  to  the  earth  again 
riddled   with   arrows   and   bullets.       His   name   was 
Eugene  Angel,  and  his  death  was  witnessed  onl^-  by 
his  slayers,  who  twenty  years   later   described   the 
death  scene,  and  pointed  out  the   spot  where   the 
bones  of  the  brave  man   were  buried.     Three-quar- 
ters of  a  mile  farther  south,  still  in  the  bottom-laiuls, 
along    the   east  bank    of  the    river,  another    rally 
was  made  in  a  grove  of  Cottonwood;  and  it  was  here 
that  the  chivalric  young  Jleredith  fell.      In  front  of 
the  grove  to  the  north  was  an  open  space  through 
which  they    had  passed  in  falling  back.      Chi(|uito 
Winncmucca  in  his  eagerness  arrived  upon  this  open 
ground  in  advance  of  his  band,  and  rode  alone  out 
into  it,  in  pursuit  of  the  whites.      As  soon  as  he  ap- 
peared the  brave  Ileadly,  who  had  been  lingering  in 
the  rear,  turned  upon  the  chief;    hatless,  coatless, 
without  a  shot  left     ho  went    for  his  enemy    with 
the  bridle  reins  in  one  hand  and  a  revolver  grasped 
by  the  barrel  in    the  othei-,    regardless   of    Winne- 
mucca's  weapons,  he  rode  down  upon  him.     The  chief 
turned  and  back  they  went,  pursuer  and  pursued, 
through  the  enemy's  lines;  when  the  heroic  "White 
IJrave"  reeled  in  his  saddle  and  fell  to  the  ground,  shot 
through    the    head    from   behind.      His    horse    and 
weapons  became  the  spoils  of  the  Indian  he  had  been 
pursuing.     The  grove  where  Ormsby's  commanti  was 
now   making    a    last,    and    by    some    a  desperate 
effort  to  stem  the  tide  of  defeat,  was  within  less  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  where  the   ft-ail   passed  out 
of  the  meadows,  up  a  steep  bank  about  fifty  feet,  on 
to   the  table-lands  above.     If  the  Indians  in  force 
gained  possession  of  this  point  of  exit  from  the  val- 
ley there  was  left,  seemingly,  no  outlet  for  escape; 
and    it    was   a  iio.silion  to  be   held  at   all     hazards. 
Major   Ormsby    ordered    Thomas    V.    Condon     and 
Richard  Watkins  with  their  commands,  to  go  and 


take  possession  of  that  place  and  hold  it,  which  they 
did,  although  deserted  by  nearly  all  of  their  men  as 

soon  as  the  point  was  reached.  Said  Anton  KaufT- 
man,  now  of  Humboldt  County,  who  was  a  boy 
about  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time:  "The  last 
I  saw  of  the  battle,  and  the  bravest  thing  I  ever 
saw,  was  Captain  Watkins  standing  there  on  the 
trail,  leaning  on  a  crutch,  and  blazing  away  at  the 
redskins.  It's  always  been  a  myster}'  to  me  how  he 
got  away.  Ho  was  the  last  white  man  I  saw  that 
day,  or  until  the  next  morning,  when  I  arrived  at 
Buckland's  Station."  Mr.  Kauff'man  was  eiTone- 
ously  under  the  impression  that  (Captain  Watkins  was 
defending  tho  trail  after  the  balance  of  the  com- 
mand had  passed  him  in  the  retreat. 

Thomas  F.  Condon  started  back  to  inform  Major 
Ormsby  of  the  critical  condition  of  affairs  on  tho 
trail;  therefore  let  us  follow  him  and  see  what  had 
been  transpiring  at  tho  front.  The  horse  that 
Chi(|uito  Winncmucca  rode  was  shot  under  him,  in 
the  open  space  before  described,  as  that  warrior 
returned  to  the  attack  after  Headly's  death,  and  ho 
had  nothing  to  do  with  tho  massacre  that  after- 
wards occurred.  The  timber  was  within  range  of 
the  heights,  and  bullets  wore  constantly  pattering 
against  and  whistling  among  tho  trees,  from  that 
direction.  An  old  bed  of  the  river,  thickly  covered 
with  an  undergrowth,  connected  the  position  of  the 
whites  with  that  of  tho  Indians  in  the  bottom,  and 
afforded  tho  latter  a  concealed  route  by  which  they 
could  reach  tho  already  hard  pressed  command. 
Soon  tho  woods  were  swarming  again  with  tho 
savages.  Meredith  went  down  under  a  mortal 
wound,  and  where  his  life-blood  mingled  with  the 
soil,  a  bunch  of  wild  roses  sprang  into  life,  to  mark 
the  place  in  after  years  where  a  hero  had  fallen. 
Again  the  whites  gave  way  and  the  Indians  in  press- 
in<r  them  out  of  the  timber,  discovered  two  secreted 
in  the  underbrush  near  where  Meredith  had  been 
left.  They  ])assed  on,  however,  in  the  pursuit,  pre- 
tending not  to  have  seen  them,  supposing  they 
would  remain  there,  hid  until  a  more  leisure  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself,  for  attending  to  them.  It 
was  tho  last  they  saw  of  tlieir  reserved  prisoners, 
the  two  men  making  their  escape. 

As  the  whites  retreated  from  this  their  last  cover, 
and  wont  flying  to  the  south  to  reach  tho  upper 
country,  they  passed  through  a  constant  shower  of 
deadly  missiles,  that  greeted  them  from  the  blutf  all 
along  the  meadow  trail.  Added  to  this  was  tho 
thrilling  war-cries  of  exultation  going  up  from  tho 
hundreds  that  crowdeil  upon  their  roar;  and  all  com- 
bined to  complete  what  had  been  so  effectually 
begun — tho  total  demoralization  of  the  entire  part}'. 
It  was  a  wonder  that  such  had  not  been  the  result 
long  before,  and  the  retreat  became  a  wild,  panic- 
stricken  stampede.  As  the  flying  horsemen  ap- 
proached the  i)lace,  where  Watkins,  like  another 
Leonidas  in  the  Pass  of  Thcrmopyle,  was,  single- 
handed,  defending  their  line  of  retreat,  death  spread 


156 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


over  tliem  her  somber  wings  and  silently  shadowed 
them  all. 

Ab  the  horsemen  reached  the  point  where  the  trail 
wont  up  the  stoo])  hank,  it  was  im])os8iblc  for  all  to 
go  at  once;  and  the  result  was  a  halt  for  many,  and 
an  almost  hand  to  hand  conflict  with  the  savages. 
One  horse,  with  a  fatal  wound,  dashed  awaj'  to  the 
west,  and  carried  its  rider  to  his  death  in  the  timber 
by  the  river  bank.  Two  men  passing  to  the  right  in 
climbing  the  heights  by  a  more  gradual  ascent,  went 
rolling  with  their  horses  fatally  shot  down  the  bank 
among  their  enemies.  Young  Snowden,  as  ho 
reached  the  summit,  fell  from  his  horse  and  expired. 
A  few  rods  farther  on,  just  a  little  waj-  to  the  south 
and  west  of  the  trail,  another  man  threw  up  his 
hands  with  a  despairing  look,  and  laid  down  with 
his  face  to  the  ground,  and  died. 

These  were  all,  eight  onlj-,  whose  lifc-blooil  had 
thus  far  paid  the  ))enalty  of  the  fatal  mistakes  of  that 
terrible  day.  Plight  only  upon  the  field  of  battle 
had  died  facing  the  foe,  as  brave  men,  all  of  them,  as 
any  for  whom  history  weaves  its  chaplets  of  fame. 

As  soon  as  the  upper  country  was  reached  all 
thought  of  an3'thing  except  escape  was  abandoned, 
and  the  i'astest  liorscs  led  the  retreat.  The  unfortu- 
nate man  whoso  animal  gradually  lost  his  position 
in  the  advance  and  fell  to  the  rear,  found  himself 
slowly  and  with  certainty  slipping  into  the  arms  of 
death.  It  was  an  open  country,  a  straight  trail, 
and  a  terrible  ride  with  a  fearful  stake  that  only 
speed  could  win.  To  lose  it  was  swift,  terrible  and 
certain  death.  The  pursuers  in  that  race  for  life 
were  constantl}'  seizing  the  whites  who  had  become 
the  last  among  the  flying  band,  and  then  would 
follow  a  quick,  desperate  struggle,  and  another  was 
added  to  the  number  of  the  nameless  dead.  Two 
miles  were  thus  i)a8sed,  when  the  Indians,  becoming 
more  bold,  one  rode  up  behind  a  white  man,  and, 
throwing  his  right  arm  around  him,  lifted  him  out  of 
the  saddle  and  threw  him  upon  the  ground,  while 
the  horses  were  at  full  speed,  where  he  was  killed 
without  otfering  anj'  resistance. 

This  feat  elicited  such  applause  from  the  pursuers 
that  it  at  once  became  po])uIar,  and  the  same  thing 
was  attempted  with  the  next  horseman  reached.  It 
was  a  difterent  style  of  a  fugitive  this  time,  and  as 
the  Indian  threw  his  arm  around  his  victim  he  was 
received  with  a  pistol  shot,  and  a  desperate  encounter 
ensued,  side  by  side  their  horsos  flew  over  the 
country.  As  the  riders  grasped  in  each  other's 
embrace,  struggled  for  master^-,  and  fought  for  life; 
until,  locked  in  a  deadly  embrace,  they  rolled  from 
their  winged  battle-field  into  the  trail.  Lying  upon 
the  ground  they  fought  and  strove,  rolling  over  and 
over,  first  one,  then  the  other  gaining  a  temporary 
advantage,  until  the  Indian  was  throttled,  and  would 
have  been  strangled  had  not  his  comrades  come  to 
his  assistance.  It  was  a  quickly  ended  contest  then, 
and  the  brave  Californian,  \Vm.  S.  iSpear,  was  added 
to  the  list  of  those  who  were  sacrificed  that  day. 


A  little  further  along,  the  trail  runs  close  to  a 
precipice,  two  hundred  feet  high,  at  the  base  of 
which  flows  the  river.  Upon  the  nan-ow  space 
between  the  brink  and  the  still  higher  hluft",  an 
Indian  rushed  up  to  look  at  an  ajtparently  dead 
white  man,  when  the  corpse  suddenly  brought  a 
revolver  to  bear  and  fired.  The  white  man  sprang 
to  his  feet,  and,  seizing  the  Pah-Ute,  struggled  as 
one  mad  to  jump  from  the  dizzy  heights  to  certain 
death  below,  with  the  Indian  in  his  embrace.  His 
design  was  frustrated  by  the  lookers-on,  who  ended 
the  desperate  combat  by  killing  their  comrade's 
antagonist,  and  rolling  his  body  from  the  heights. 

About  seven  or  eight  miles  south  from  the  battle- 
field a  mountain  comes  down  in  one  place  to  the 
east  bank  of  the  river.  At  this  point  there  is  a  narrow 
neck  of  level  ground  through  which  the  trail  passes, 
and  a  short  distance  to  the  south  of  it  passes  down' 
again  on  to  a  meadow  by  the  river.  The  meadow, 
or  bottom-land,  is  possibly  a  half  mile  long,  and 
then  the  trail  leads  out  into  the  high,  open  country 
again.  At  this  narrow  pass  Major  Urmsby  had  left 
on  his  waj'  down  a  number  of  men,  under  command 

of    a  person   named Lake,  with  orders  to  hold 

the  position  and  thus  secure  their  line  of  retreat. 
They  were^josted  on  higher  ground  that  overlooked 
the  trail,  and  in  a  favorable  position  from  where  a 
dozen  brave  men  could  have  held  at  bay  for  a  short 
time  a  small  army. 

Here  Ormsb}-  had  intended  to  have  made  a  stand, 
if  defeated  at  the  lake,  but  as  the  leading  fugitives 
came  dashing  down  the  trail  the  reserves  deserted 
their  post  and  joined  them.  Upon  Ormsby's  arrival 
at  this  j)oint  he  found  no  nucleus  around  which  to 
attempt  a  stand,  and  passed  on  with  the  balance. 
All  were  not  so  fortunate,  however,  for  as  the  rear 
entered  the  narrow  place  their  flight  was  retarded 
bj'  their  numbers.  The  Indians  overtook  them  in 
force;  rode  in  among  them;  beat  with  their  hands, 
bows  or  guns,  the  horses  of  the  fugitives  over  the 
heads,  thus  causing  them  to  fall  l)ack  further  among 
their  pursuers.  In  this  way  the  leaders  pressed  for- 
ward to  overtake  horsemen  farther  in  advance, 
leaving  those  jiassed  to  be  dealt  with  bj'  their  fol- 
lowers, and  crowded  upon  a  number  just  as  they 
were  passing  down  the  trail  into  the  bottom-land  just 
mentioned.  At  this  jioint  Ormsby's  men  received 
volley  that  filled  five  nameless  graves  down  near  the 
banks  of  the  Truckee  River. 

"  What  about  the  white  men  that  j'ou  rode  among 
in  the  nari'ow  pass?"  we  inijuired. 

"  White  men,"  said  our  informant  "  all  cry  a  heap; 
got  no  gun,  throw  um  away;  got  no  revolver,  throw 
um  away  too;  no  want  to  fight  any  more  now;  all 
big  scare  just  like  cattle;  run,  run,  cry,  cry,  heap 
cry,  same  as  papoose;  no  want  Injun  to  kill  um  any 
more;  that's  all." 

But  it  was  not  all,  for  further  questioning  revealed 
the  details  of  a  scone  that  no  artist  could  paint  or 
pen  portray.     A   scene  where  the  victims,  tortured 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


167 


by  fear  into  madness,  rodo  amonj;;  their  slayers  with 
outstretched  arms,  pleadini;  and  bogi^ini^  for  life; 
crying  in  vain  for  mercy,  while  the  jeerini;  devils, 
flushed  with  victory  and  drunk  with  blood,  lauj^hed 
at  their  supplications,  played  for  a  time  with  their 
frenzy,  and  then  ended  their  miseries. 

DEATH    OF    MAJOR    ORMSBV. 

When  Ormsby  left  the  bottom  where  the  battle 
had  occurred,  he  was  ridinjj  a  mule  that  had  been 
shot  throiijLch  the  flank  from  where  the  blood  would 
gush  forth  at  every  step.  The  Major  was  wounded 
in  the  mouth  and  l)oth  arms,  which  rendered  him 
almost  helpless,  and  as  Captain  Wutkins  dashed  past 
him  in  the  retreat  to  rally  if  possible  some  men  to 
make  another  stand,  ho  ordered  Tjieut.  Cris.  Harnes 
to  remain  behind  with  the  wounded  otticer  and  whip 
the  mule  if  possible  into  greater  speed.  Watkins 
finding  that  no  one  could  be  induced  to  attempt  any 
farther  resistance,  soon  returned  to  assist  Ormsby  and 
the  Lieutenant. 

As  he  reached  them  the  Indians,  who  were  crowd- 
ing close  in  pursuit,  fired  u])on  the  party  and  Barnes 
received  a  wound.  What  immediately  followed  is 
given  in  Captain  Watkins  own  language,  as  taken 
from  a  letter  froni  him  upon  this  subject: — 

"I  then  made  up  ni^-  miiul  that  the  fight  was  up, 
that  I  could  do  no  more  for  the  Major,  but  might  save 
myself,  so  making  a  motion  to  Barnes  logo,  I  said  to 
Ormsby  that  I  would  try  once  more  to  rallj*  the  men. 
Ho  replied  that  it  wouUl  be  of  no  use;  but  to  look  out 
for  myself,  as  it  was  but  a  question  of  a  few  more 
minutes  with  him,  and  that  all  he  now  asked  was 
strength  to  face  the  foe  when  he  received  his  death 
shot.  The  Indians  were  gaining  on  us  rapidly;  one 
look  at  them  and  thought  of  self  conquered  valor,  and 
the  next  moment,  with  a  few  parting  words  to 
Ormsby-,  I  was  on  my  way  to  Carson.  *  #  *  * 
*  *  *  *  As  I  was  climbing  up  the  third  and  last 
of  the  ravines,  I  overtook  ]5ig  Sam.  Brown,  on  his 
white  mare,  with  Ciipl.  John  Blackburn  on  behind 
him,  toiling  uj)  the  hill." 

Captain  Watkins  fartheron  took  up  a  man  behind 
him  on  his  horse  and  carried  him  to  safety. 

The  account  of  what  followed  his  departure  was 
obtained  from  the  Indians. 

The  Major  continued  his  retreat  as  he  best  could, 
and  had  reached  the  last  little  valley  down  by  the 
river  where  the  five  men  were  killed  by  a  vollej- 
from  the  savages  as  before  mentioned.  Here  he  was 
passed,  by  such  of  the  whites,  as  had  up  to  this  time 
been  following  in  his  rear  and  engaging  the  atten- 
tion of  the  pursuers  in  the  manner  before  described. 

At  the  point  where  the  trail  passes  out  from  this 
last-mentioned  little  valley  he  was  overtaken.  This 
point  is  about  hull-way  between  the  battle-ground 
and  Wadsworth,  and  is  at  the  place  where  a  month 
later  a  detachment  of  United  States  soldiei-s  under 
Captain  Stewart,  and  volunteers  under  Col.  Jack  Hays 
20 


defeated  the  Indians  as  a  chastisement  for  their  out- 
rages. He  was  half-way  up  the  trail  when  his  saddle 
turned,  throwing  him  upon  the  ground,  and  his  mule 
wheeling  towards  the  river  went  back.  The  Major 
got  up  and  walked  to  the  to])  of  the  steep  grade; 
when  looking  back  ho  recognized  one  of  the  Indians 
nearest  to  hiqi  in  the  pursuit,  and  instantly  turned 
and  started  to  meet  them.  He  evidently  sup])osed 
there  was  hope  of  his  being  spared,  because  of  the 
friendly  relations  that  heretofore  had  existed  between 
him  and  the  I'ah-Ute  that  now  confronted  him.  As 
ho  moved  down  to  meet  them  he  waved  his  hand, 
with  tlio  palm  advanced,  and  said:    "Don't  kill  me," 

calling  the  Indian  by  name.       '-I  am  your 

friend.  I'll  go  and  talk  with  the  whites  and  make 
peace."  "Xo  use  now,"  replied  the  Indian,  "too 
late,"  and  he  sent  an  arrow  flj-ing  through  the 
stomach  and  another  through  the  face  of  his  late 
friend,  who,  sinking  to  the  ground,  was  rolled  from 
the  ridge  dying  into  the  gully  below. 

A    NA.MELESS    HERO. 

A  little  in  advance  of  Major  Ormsby  on  the  trail 
were  two  parties,  one  from  necessity  and  the  other 
from  choice,  having  boon  left  with  thoir  leader,  as 
their  companions  had  passed  on.  N.  A.  Chandler 
was  the  name  of  one  of  the  two  who,  being  without 
a  horse,  was  there  against  his  will;  and  as  he  saw 
Ormsby  ascend  the  hill  and  then  turn  back  he  darted 
ofl:'  down  a  depression  until  it  came  to  a  ])rocii)ilou8 
terminus.  Reaching  this  point,  he  took  of!'  his 
revolver,  and,  laying  it  down,  sprang  from  the 
embankment  and  made  his  escape. 

The  other  member  of  that  forlorn  hope  was  a 
young  man,  a  mere  boy  in  his  teens,  out  of  whose 
grey  eyes  looked  the  soul  of  a  peerless  hero.  He 
was  riding  a  good  hoi-se,  but  had  lingered  in  the 
roar,  and  saw  the  .Major  thrown  from  his  animal. 
Ho  then  stopped  and  dismounted  in  the  trail,  within 
twenty  feet  of  where  Ormsby  stood,  when  he  turned 
back  to  talk  with  his  Iwllan  friend.  A8~  that 
friend  fired  u])on  the  Major,  two  other  savages 
dashed  past  to  make  way  with  the  youth  at  the 
top  of  the  trail,  po.ssibl}'  ino  feet  away,  expecting 
an  unresisting  victim.  In  this  they  were  disap- 
pointed, for  the  bravo  lad  sprang  behind  his  horse, 
and  with  a  revolver  fired  hastily  at  one  of  the  two 
who  were  advancing,  but  without  eftect.  One  of  the 
savages  then  rushed  up  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
animal,  and  the  struggle  went  on  with  the  horse 
between  them,  until  their  positions  were  so  changed 
as  to  bring  the  j'outh  in  range  of  the  gun  of  the  dis- 
engaged I'ah-Uto.  This  ended  the  combat,  and  the 
"nameless  young  hero"  sank  by  the  trail,  whore  he 
was  afterward  buried  and  forgotten;  and  but  for  the 
enemy  who  killed  him  the  noble  act  that  resulted  in 
his  death  would  never  have  been  known  to  his  own 
race.* 

*  It  h.is  txHMi  erroneously  atato<l  tliat  Kielianl  Siiowdeii  was 
the  name  of  tliU  yniii;;  man.  Miiowilen's  body  was  fouuil  nov- 
eral  inileii  farther  to  the  uorth. 


158 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  cruel  fate  which  quenched  in  oblivion  the 
name  and  young  life  of  this  lad  leaves  behind  it 
for  U8  a  memory  sadder  than  tears;  a  broken  home 
circle  somewhere  in  the  world  that  kept  fruitless 
watch  through  the  years  that  followed  for  the 
return  of  the  3-outh  or  the  man,  and  never  knew  of 
the  sublime  act  that,  closing  his  life,  had  transformed 
their  boy-hero  into  a  martyr. 

CLOSING  SCENES. 

The  next  victims  were  Jones,  McCarthy,  and  Mc- 
Leod.  They  were  overtaken  in  the  ojien  country, 
and  made  a  desperate  resistance,  keeping  the  band 
at  bay  for  some  time  with  their  revolvers,  but 
finally  were  killed.  The  event  was  considered  of 
sufficient  importance  to  warrant  a  kind  of  war-dance, 
and  there  was  a  circular  trail  beaten  around  them, 
where  their  slayers  had  danced  in  joyous  triumph, 
because  of  the  death  of  two  such  desperate  foes. 
While  they  were  engaged  in  murdering  these  two 
men  the  sun  went  down,  but  thej'  still  continued 
their  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  command,  until  reaching 
the  place  where  \Vadsworth  now  stands,  it  had 
become  so  dark  that  the  pursued  were  enabled  to 
hide  away  and  elude  the  search. 

Our  guide  accompanied  us  through  to  Wadsworth, 
stopping  at  each  place  where  a  white  man  had  been 
slain  to  describe  the  death  scene,  until  fortj'-si.x  were 
pointed  out.  The  Indians  claim  to  have  killed  only 
that  number,  unless  a  few  wounded,  of  which  they 
have  no  knowledge,  strayed  away  into  the  mount- 
ains and  perished.  They  claim,  however,  that  had 
the  battle  opened  two  hours  earlier  in  the  day  there 
would  not  have  been  a  white  survivor.  Their  own 
loss  by  acknowledgment  was  three  warriors  wounded, 
and  two  horses  killed. 

Thus  ended  the  Battle  of  Pi/ramid  Lakf,  the  most 
disastrous  conflict  to  the  whites  ever  waged  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Nevada. 

EFFECTS   OP  THE   DEFEAT. 

On  the  morning  of  May  15th,  after  the  disaster, 
the  stragglers  on  foot  commenced  arriving  at  Buck- 
land's  Station,  and  on  horseback  at  Dayton,  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  other  towns  in  the  valleys  farther 
west,  creating  a  panic  of  the  most  remarkable  char- 
acter that  followed  them  wherever  thej-  went.  The 
horror  was  flashed  over  the  line  to  California,  and  in 
a  few  hours  the  massacre,  with  exaggerated  general- 
ities, had  sounded  its  note  of  alarm  for  the  Xevad- 
ans  throughout  the  l'a(!ific  Coast. 

At  Virginia  the  women  and  children  were  placed 
in  a  ])artially  coin])lete(l  stone  building  for  safety, 
the  structure  being  speedily  converted  into  a  fort. 
The  place  was  called  Fort  Ililey,  and  later  the  Vir- 
ginia Hotel.  The  citizens  organized,  and  sentinels 
were  posted  around  the  town. 

At  Silver  City,  a  stone  fort  was  built  on  the  rocks 
overlooking  Devil's  Gate  and  the  town,  in  which 
was  mounted  a  cannon  made  of  wood  and  hooped 
with  iron,  that  was  trained  to  rake  the  ca&on  below, 


and  yawned  with  its  cavernous  mouth,  portcntious 
of  an  impending  calamity  to  the  Pah-Utcs.  After 
the  war  had  ended  a  few  citizens  took  that  cannon 
back  on  the  hill  and  fired  it  oft"  with  a  slow 
match,  thus  demonstrating  that  the  man  who 
invented  the  thing  had  made  a  mistake  in  naming 
and  locating  it,  as  it  proved  to  be  an  excellent  tor- 
pedo, and  a  judicious  point  of  location  for  its  most 
approved  work  would  have  been  in  the  center  of  a 
hostile  village. 

At  Carson,  the  women  and  children  were  barri- 
caded in  the  Penrod  House,  and  the  country  around 
was  picketed. 

At  (renoa,  the  only  building  suitable  for  defense 
was  the  stone  cabin  of  Warren  Wasson.  He  vacated 
the  premises,  and  that  night  started  alone  for  Car- 
son, to  find  out  why  no  telegraph  message  could  be 
obtained  from  that  place;  it  being  feared  that  the 
Indians  were  between  the  two  points  and  had  cut 
the  wires. 

Arriving  at  Carson  he  found  that  the  operator 
had  paid  no  attention  to  the  telegrajih  calls  from 
Genoa,  and  that  no  Indians  had  thus  far  put  in  an 
ajipearance  in  either  Carson  or  Eagle  Valleys.  Ho 
also  found  that  a  party  was  being  organized,  under 
Theodore  Winters,  to  carry  a  dispatch  from  General 
Wright,  of  California,  to  a  company  of  cavalry  sup- 
posed to  be  at  Honey  Lake  Valley,  ordering  that 
company  to  march  at  once  for  Carson. 

Wasson  volunteered  to  carry  the  message  alone; 
and  mounting  a  fleet,  powerful  horse,  rode  in  four- 
teen hours  through  the  enemj^'s  country  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  to  Honey  Lake,  with- 
out change  of  horse,  or  without  seeing  an  Indian. 
He  delivered  the  orders  and  the  company  moved 
south. 

CHAPTER    XXI.      • 

INDIANS  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 

Washoe  Kegimeiit  Oryanizatiim — Tlie  March  to  I'yraniiil  Lake — 
Just  Befort-  the  Battle— The  Battle-!  iroim<l— The  Battle- 
After  the  Battle— Other  Invents  Atiout  Pyramid  Fj.ake — 
Eiul  of  the  Camjiaiyii — Death  of  Win.  AUea — E.xpetlitioii  of 
Colonel  Lanilcr. 

The  road  to  California  was  the  back  door  outlet 
from  danger  that  hundreds  traveled,  and  many  who 
remained  in  the  Territory  were  so  badlj-  frightened 
that  they  would  have  been  useless  if  the  Indians 
had  made  a  further  advance. 

Across  the  mountains  in  California  the  news  of 
the  massacre  had  created  an  intense  excitement, 
and  sent  a  thrill  of  generous  and  chivalric  prompt- 
ings for  assistance  home  to  every  heart.  At  Downie- 
ville,  within  thirty-six  hours  after  the  message  came 
that  the  gallant  Meredith  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the 
knife  of  the  savage,  a  companj-  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  men  was  raised,  armed,  equipped  and  with 
forty  rounds  of  ammunition  were,  five  days  later,  in 
Virginia  City,  having  traversed  the  mountains  on 
foot.  From  Nevada  City,  San  Juan,  Sacramento 
and    Placerville,   organized   companies   surmounted 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


159 


the  ic3'  barriers  of  the  Sierra,  and  added  their  num- 
bers to  those  at  Virginia,  who  were  eager  to  be  led 
against  the  foe.  The  Governor  of  California  sent  for 
the  Nevadans  to  use  in  their  own  defense,  five 
hundred  Minio  muskets  with  plenty  of  ammunition. 
Gold  Hill,  ("arson,  (Jonoa,  Silver  City,  Dayton  and 
Virginia  City,  furnished  their  ((uota  of  volunteers; 
the  citizens  generally  contributed  to  provision  the 
force,  and  the  following  was  the  result  of  a  complete 
and  thorough  organization  of  the  command. 

WASHOE   REGIMENT   ORaANIZATION. 

Consisting  of  eight  companies  of  Infantry  and  six 
of  Cavalry. 

FIELD   OFFICERS. 

John  C.  Hays Colonel  Commanding 

J.  Saunders Lieutenant  Colonel 

Dan.  E.  Hungerford Major 

E.  J.  Brj-ant Surgeon 

Perkins Surgeon 

Bell Surgeon 

Chas.  S.  Fairfax Adjutant 

J.  S.  Plunkett Acting  Adjutant  of  Infantry 

Alex  Miot  -    Department  Quartermaster 

Benjamin  G.  Ijip])incott.  .IJegimental  Quartermaster 

John  McNish Assistant  Regimental  (Quartermaster 

K.  N.  Snowden Commissary 

COMPANY   A. 

(Known  as  Spy  Company.) 

J.  B.  Fleeson Captain 

COMPANY    B. 
(Known  .as  Sierra  Guards.) 

E.  J.  Smith Captain 

J.  H.  Freasch First  Lieutenant 

Wm.  WoUs Second  Lieutenant 

J.  llailiday Third  Lieutenant 

Number  of  men Forty-seven 

COMPANY   0. 

(Knomi  as  Truckee  Rangers. ) 

Alanson  W.  Nightingill Captain 

COMPANY   D. 
(Known  as  Sierra  Ouarda.) 

J.  B.  Reed Captain 

N.  P.  Pierce First  Lieutenant 

D.  C.  J^alston Orderly 

Number  of  men Fourteen 

COMPANY   E. 

(Known  as  Carson  llangers.) 

P.   il .   Clayton Captain 

COMPANY    F. 

(Known  as  Nevada  Rifles.) 

J.  B.  Van  Hagan Captain 

COMPANY   G. 
(Known  as  Sierra  Guanls.) 

F.  P.  Patterson Captain 

C.  S.  Champney First  Lieutenant 

T.  Maddux Second  Lieutenant 

A.  Walker Third  Lieutenant 


Number  of  men Forty-one 

COMPANY    II. 
(Known  aa  .San  .Fuan  Rifles.) 

N.  C.  Miller Captain 

CO.MPANY    I. 

(Known  as  Sacramento  Guards.) 

A.  G.  Snowden Captain 

CO.MPANY   J. 

(From   Sacramento.) 

Joseph  Virgo Captain 

COMPANY    K. 
(Known  as  Virginia  Rifles.) 

E.  T.  Storey Captain 

Number  of  men 106 

COMPANY    L. 
(Known  as  Carson  Rifles. ) 

J.  L.  Blackburn Captain 

A.  L.  Turner First  Lieutenant 

Theo.  Winters Orderly  Sergeant 

CO.MPANY    M. 

(Known  as  Silver  City  Guards.) 

Ford Captain 

COMPANY    N. 
(Known  as  Highland  Rangers  or  Vaqueros.) 

S.  B.  Wallace Captain 

Eobcrt  Ijyon Firet  Lieutenant 

Joseph  F.  Triplett Second  Lieutenant 

Number  of  men Twenty 

CO.MPANY    O. 
(Known  as  Sierra  Guards.) 

Creed  Raymond Captain 

Geo.  A.  Davis First  Sergeant 

II.  M.  Ilarshbarger Second  Sergeant 

Number  of  men Nine 

Total  rank  and  file 544 

Companies  A,  C,  F,  II,  L,  N,  and  one-half  of 
Captain  Storey's  company  K  were  mounted.  The 
entire  command  was  armed  with  ilinie-rifles  and 
muskets  without  bayonets. 

THE    MARCH   TO    PYRAMID    LAKE. 

On  the  twentj^-fourth  of  May  the  Washoe  regi- 
ment moved  from  Virginia  Citj'  down  Gold  Canon 
cheered  by  the  citizens  of  Gold  Hill  and  Silver  City 
as  it  passed  through  those  towns,  camping  the  fii"st 
night  at  Miller's  ranch,  below  Dayton,  a  village 
known  at  that  time  as  "Chinatown."  The  next  day 
was  s])ent  in  receiving  commissarj'  stores,  the  iiuality 
of  which  was  the  cause  of  considerable  complaint. 

The  march  was  resumed  on  the  twenty-sixth,  and 
the  next  cam])  was  at  Reed's  Station,  from  where 
Michael  Bushy  was  sent  out  over  the  Twenty-six- 
mile  Desert  as  a  scout,  to  learn  if  there  were  any 
Indians  in  the  immediate  front.  In  May,  two  years 
later,  the  remains  of  that  unfortunate  scout  were 
found  by  Warren  Wasson,  aided  by  Pah-Utes, 
within  eight  miles  of  Williams'  Station,  where  he  had 


160 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


been  killed  bj-  them.  They  said  that  the  white  man, 
whose  bones  wei-e  lying  there  on  the  sand,  had  been 
riding  a  horse  that  was  tired  out,  and  as  he 
approached  the  station  thej^  sallied  forth  to  capture 
him.  lie  turned  back  as  they  appeared,  and  a  ra<;e 
for  life  ensued.  As  the  Indians  approached  too  close 
to  him  he  would  halt  and  level  his  rifle,  thus  bring- 
ing the  pursuers  to  a  halt  and  cover  behind  sage- 
brush. In  this  vrixy  eight  miles  were  skirmished 
over,  but  those  delays  enabled  some  of  them  to  pass 
him,  who,  secreting  themselves,  shot  the  brave  scout 
in  the  back  as  he  faced  to  the  rear  in  beating  off  his 
pursuers.  Bushy  was  a  celebrated  Indian  fighter, 
and  had  figured  conspicuously  in  the  wars  with  them 
in  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory.  Ilis  bones 
are  now  preserved  in  a  box  at  James  Smalls'  Station, 
on  the  bank  of  Lake  Tahoe;  having  been  placed 
there  in  anticipation  of  being  claimed  hy  his  brother 
who  lived  in  Oregon. 

On  the  evening  of  the  twenty-eighth  the  com- 
mand bivouacked  in  a  meadow  by  the  banks  of  the 
Carson  iJiver,  at  the  point  where  that  stream  turns 
to  flow  north  towards  Williams'  Station,  which  is 
about  one  mile  further  below.  The  next  morning 
the  Indians  fired  into  the  camp  from  behind  some 
rocks,  on  the  hill  to  the  north,  and  then  retreated,, 
■with  loss  upon  neither  side,  as  far  as  known.  While 
camped  at  this  place  the  body  of  James  Flemming, 
one  of  the  men  murdered  at  the  station,  was  found 
and  buried. 

On  the  evening  of  May  31st  the  regiment  was 
joined,  at  the  present  site  of  Wadsworth,  by  the  fol- 
lowing United  States  troops: — 

Captain  Jasper  M.  Stewart Commanding. 

Captain  T.  Mooro Quartermaster. 

Charles  C.  Keeney Surgeon . 

C0.MP.\NY    0,   THIRD   ARTILLERY. 

Captain  Jasper  M.  Stewart,  with  enlisted  men. .     82 

DETACHMENT   OF   COMPANY    I,    TIIIRU   ARTILLERY. 

Lieutenant  Gibson,  with  two  howitzers,  and  en- 
listed men 10 

COMPANY   A,    SIXTH    INFANTRY. 

Captain  F.  F.  Flint,  with  enlisted  men G2 

COMPANY  H,  SI.XTIl  INFANTRY. 

Lieut.  McCreary  with  enlisted  men 53 

Total  United  States  force,  rank  and  file 207 

Total  Volunteer  force,  rank  and  tile 544 

Total   Command 754 

By  mutual  consent  Col.  Jack  Hays  assumed  com- 
mand of  both  divisions,  and  that  night  tliej'  camped 
near  the  lower  crossing  on  the  Truckce  Iliver.  A 
couple  of  men,  while  walking  out  in  the  evening, 
discovered  in  the  vicinity  of  this  camp  the  bodj- of 
one  of  the  victims  of  the  late  massacre,  and  a  writer 
who  was  of  tho-party  thus  describes  what  had  been 
found: — 


The  body  was  that  of  a  small-sized  man,  and 
was  traced  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet  from 
the  spot  where  it  had  fallen,  and  whence  it  had  been 
dragged  by  some  wild  beast,  which  had  partially 
devoured  it;  the  throat  was  cut  as  was  afterward 
found,  invariably,  with  all  the  slain,  scarcely-  any  of 
whom  were  scalped;  it  was  perforated  with  bul- 
lets, and,  as  if  the  grim  archer,  Death,  had  wished 
to  leave  the  special  sign  of  his  presence,  the  feathered 
shaft  of  an  arrow,  blood-begrimmed,  which  had  sped 
through  the  heart  of  the  unfortunate,  protruded 
through  the  breast.  Upon  the  fourth  fii\ger  of  the 
left  hand  was  a  gold  ring,  without  inscription  upon  its 
face,  which  was  heart-shaped.  As  he  was  recognized 
bj-  no  one,  it  maj'  serve  as  desirable,  however  sad, 
information  to  some  anxious  inquirer  after  his  fate, 
to  mention  that  the  third  and  fourth  toes  of  one  of 
the  feet  were  webbed  to  the  second  joint,  and  of  the 
other  to  the  first. 

The  camping  ground  of  the  night  of  June  1st  was 
some  eight  miles  farther  down  the  Truckee  River, 
at  the  point  since  known  as  Fort  Storey,  called  a  fort 
because  of  slight  earth-works  that  were  thrown  up 
at  that  point  bj-  the  command,  and  named  in  memory 
of  the  gallant  gentleman  killed  near  there  a  few 
days  later.  On  the  evening  of  the  arrival  at  this 
place,  S.  C.  Fletcher,  of  Capt.  Storey's  command,  was 
killed  by  an  accidental  discharge  of  his  gun,  the 
ball  passing  through  his  head,  and  the  next  morning 
he  was  buried  with  military  honors. 

JUST  BEFORE  THE  BATTLE, 

The  forces  under  Colonel  Hays  were  now  in  the 
enemy's  country,  and,  without  being  aware  of  the 
fact,  were  but  about  one  mile  from  where  the  body 
of  Major  Ormsby  still  \Ay  unburied.  The  former  dis- 
aster had  taught  the  whites  that  it  required  some- 
thing besides  a  tin  horn  and  a  riata,  to  either  corral 
or  stamj)cde  the  Pah-Ute  tribe.  In  fact,  they  had 
come  to  believe  them  more  formidable  than  they 
really  were,  and  had  largely  over-estimated  their 
numbers.  In  consequence  of  this  the  movements  of 
the  troops  were  marked  by  considerable  caution. 

On  the  morning  of  June  2d  a  detail,  eighty 
strong,  was  made,  forty  from  Capt.  J,  B.  Van 
llagan's  com))aiiy,  and  the  balance  from  Capt,  E.  F, 
Storey's  command,  each  of  those  officers  taking 
charge  of  his  own  men.  This  detail  was  ordered  to 
scout  down  the  Truckee,  to  the  Pah-Uto  village  at 
its  mouth,  unless  the  enemy  was  discovered  before 
reaching  that  point.  In  the  event  of  meeting  the 
Indians,  an  engagement  was  to  be  avoided,  and  they 
were  to  fall  back  to  Camp  Storey,  with  such  infor- 
mation as  could  be  obtained,  to  assist  in  a  general 
advance. 

They  moved  out  on  to  the  upland,  and  striking 
the  Indian  trail,  followed  it  toward  the  Pah-Ute 
village,  finding  along  the  way  man)'  of  the  ghastly 
remains  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  the  recent 
affray.  Arriving  at  the  j)oint  where  the  trail  led 
abruptly  down  into  the  bottom,  or  meadow,  where 
the  battle  of  Pyramid  Lake  had  occurred,  they 
halted   for  a  consultation,  that  resulted   in  a  portion 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


IGl 


of  the  commands  going  down  into  the  valley  and 
the  balance  remaining  on  the  table-land  above. 
It  was  hero  where  Spcar  and  Snowdcn  fell.  The 
party  going  on  soon  came  to  the  body  of  Mere- 
dith, but  were  signaled  from  the  heights  that  the 
enemy  were  in  sight,  and  then  fell  back  on  a  trot  to 
the  reserve.^*.  The  Indians  were  advancing  rajtidly 
from  the  direction  of  the  Lake,  about  three  hundred 
on  horseback  in  the  form  of  a  wedge  with  the  ]Miint 
advanced,  while  about  the  same  number  on  foot 
came  running  up  the  valley  in  a  "go  as  you  please 
style." 

An  orderlj'  retreat  immediately  followed,  at  a 
trot  march,  with  instructions  to  keep  ranks  and  not 
to  fire.  In  this  way  they  were  followed  for  several 
miles,  and  obliged  to  listen  without  response  to  the 
music  of  whistling  balls  from  a  long-range  rifle 
handled  bj-  an  Indian  riding  in  advance  of  all  his 
fellows.  That  rifle  was  probably  the  globe-sighted 
one  that  had  been  taken  from  the  nerveless  hand  of 
the  dead  Elliott.  One  of  the  whites  named  Andrew 
Hasey  was  wounded  in  the  hips  so  severely  that  it 
was  several  years  before  ho  recovered,  yet  it  was 
not  known  at  the  time  that  he  was  at  all  injured, 
as  he  made  no  allusion  to  the  fact,  and  afterward 
acknowledged  his  condition  only  when  loss  of  blood 
had  weakened  him  to  such  an  extent  that  some  of 
his  comrades  were  enabled  to  pass  him  in  a  charge 
on  foot  up  the  side  of  a  mountain  to  capture  Rocky 
Peak  from  the  redskins. 

The  officers  commanding  the  retreating  force,  after 
passing  the  rough,  gully-cut  ground  between  the 
mountain  and  river  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Truckoe,  eaw  the  main  body  of  troops  under  Colonel 
Haj-s  coming  out  to  meet  them,  and  thej-  deter- 
mined to  make  a  stand  where  they  were.  They 
accordingly  formed  their  men  in  lino  and  faced  the 
advancing  enemy. 

THE    BATTLE-GROUND. 

When  the  battle  took  place,  the  form  of  the 
ground  surface  had  been  created  by  nature,  appar- 
ently in  the  special  interests  of  the  Indians,  for 
use  on  an  occasion  like  the  one  presented.  On 
the  west  lay  a  high  mountain  with  steej),  sloping, 
rocky  sides,  that  served  as  a  lookout  and  signal 
station,  as  well  as  a  barrier  to  a  flank  movement  on 
that  side.  On  the  east  flowed  the  Truckee  River 
that  prevented  a  flank  movement  in  that  direc- 
tion, leaving  the  Indians  with  nothing  to  do  but 
take  care  of  the  open,  treeless  front.  There  had  at 
one  time  in  the  ])ast  lay  a  slo])ing  |)lain  of  soil,  sand 
and  rocks,  between  the  river  and  mountain,  about 
one-half  mile  wide,  that  narrowed  toward  the  north. 
The  rains  and  cloud-bursts,  in  the  past  centuries, 
had  poured  their  waters  upon  the  sides  of  that 
mountain,  that  flowed  down  over  the  plain  into  the 
river,  cutting  watercourses  that  were  deepest  as  the 
margin  of  the  stream  was  approached.  Thus 
nature's  breastworks  were  formed,  behind  which  a 


retreating  force  could  make  successive  stands 
greatly  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  victors.  Those 
drj-  channels  gradually  ajiproached  each  other  as 
their  course  neared  the  Truckee  until  all  were 
merged  into  one  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
river,  creating  a  level  bottom,  out  of  which  Major 
Ormsby  was  j)assing  toward  the  south  when  killed. 
One-fourth  of  the  way  down  from  the  mountain 
to  the  river,  was  a  round,  rocky  biitte,  or  peak, 
possibly  two  hundred  feet  high;  to  the  south 
of  it  was  level  country,  to  the  north,  and  between 
it  and  the  river,  the  gullies  as  described  lay 
in  continuous  succession.  About  one  mile  to  the 
north,  these  natural  earthworks  ceased  at  a  narrow 
pass  between  the  river  and  mountain,  beyond  which 
was  the  open  j)lain. 

THE    BATTLE. 

The  Storey  and  Van  Ilagan  details,  when  facing 
the  enemy,  soon  ?'ouiid  themselves  under  fire  from 
the  Indians,  who  in  numbers  had  taken  pos- 
session of  the  round,  rocky  butte.  They  had  also 
formed  a  line  extending  from  the  river  to  well  up  the 
side  of  the  mountain;  but  their  number  was  mostly  in- 
visible, having  secreted  themselves  behind  sage-brush, 
in  slight  depressions  of  the  ground,  behind  small  as 
well  as  large  rocks;  and  there  did  not  seem  to  be  so 
very  many  of  them  after  all.  How  the  large  force 
that  was  soon  unmasked  got  out  on  the  plain  so 
quickly,  south  of  the  gullied  ground,  seemed  miracu- 
lous to  those  who  had  never  experienced  the  facilit}' 
with  which  those  sons  of  the  desert  could  disappear 
from  view  when  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  behind 
which  they  could  secrete  themselves. 

Everj-  advantage  of  position  was  now  in  the 
Indians'  favor.  The  whites  had  fallen  back  until 
both  forces  were  on  level  ground  with  the  earth- 
works in  the  rear  of  the  Pah-Utes. 

Captains  Storey  and  Van  Hagan  decided  to  make 
a  charge  with  a  part  of  their  command  on  foot,  and 
take  the  rocky  butte  before  the  main  body,  under 
Colonel  Hays,  had  come  up,  which  they  did  in  gal- 
lant style,  and  retained  the  position,  although-  for 
some  time  subject  to  a  flank  fire  from  the  direction 
of  the  river,  as  well  as  from  theside  of  the  mountain. 
They  were  relieved  from  this  dilemma  of  finding 
themselves  inside  of  the  enemies  lines,  by  the  arrival 
of  the  main  force.  The  regulars  deployed  in  open 
order  as  skirmishers,  and  passed  to  the  west  of  the 
butte,  and  along  the  side  of  the  mountain,  driving 
everything  before  them,  while  the  volunteers  on 
foot  moved  forward  in  the  same  order  to  the  east 
of  it,  firing  as  they  advanced.  In  this  manner  a 
continuous  line,  about  one  mile  long,  extending  from 
the  river  to  near  the  top  of  the  mountain,  was 
formed,  and  a  general  engagement  began,  the  In- 
dians having  a  corresponding  line  to  oi)j)Ose  the 
advance. 

The  following  descri])tion  of  the  struggle  that 
ensued,  from  the  ])en  of  an  anonymous  writer  who 
claimed   to  have  been  a  ]>articipant,  was  published 


162 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


in  tho  TerrUm-idl  Enterprise,  on  the  second  anniver- 
sary of  the  battle: — 

The  gallant  Storey,  he  whose  voice  shook  with 
sorrowful  emotion  over  the  death  of  one  of  the 
humblest  of  his  ibllowern,  backed  by  the  Virginia 
Rifles,  now  rages  foremost  in  tho  fraj-.  All  the 
cavalry  are  ordered  to  the  front,  where,  dismount- 
ing, they  advance  on  foot,  while  everj-  fifth  or  sixth 
man  is  left  behind  to  hold  the  horses.  The  infim- 
try  are  posted  in  reserve.  The  regulars  deploy 
as  skirmishers,  and  advance  slowly,  steadilj-,  surely. 
A  few  of  them  fall.  The  Indians  fall  back;  their 
name  is  legion.  Whence  came  they  all,  those 
painted  swarms  of  yelling  demons?  The  plains, 
the  ravines,  the  hill-sides,  the  mountain-top.  eveiy 
rock,  and  bush,  and  sand-drift!  Wherever  a  human 
form  can  bo  concealed  they  gradually  retire  from, 
carrying  away,  as  well  as  thoy  can,  their  dead  and 
wounded.  The  afternoon  wears  in  one  continuous, 
incessant  discbarge  of  musketry  and  rifles.  Charge 
after  charge  is  made  upon  the  rocky  fastnesses,  and 
deej)  rifts  in  the  earth,  which  conceal  the  foe,  and 
always  with  success.  Though  thoj'  contest  tho  field 
inch  by  inch,  with  obstinate  determination,  and  ex- 
pose themselves  with  frantic  valor  to  tho  deadly 
balls  of  our  unerring  long-range  Minies,  thoj-  are 
driven  from  it.  Driven  from  the  rocks,  the  gullies, 
tho  ravines,  the  hill-sides  and  mountain -tops,  till,  ere 
tho  sunset,  they  flee  beyond  tho  practicability  of 
pursuit,  and  the  battle-field,  with  its  bloody  trojihies — 
seventy  of  their  dead  concealed  in  the  cliffs — are 
our  own.  ]}ut  the  victor}',  though  complete,  was 
not  gained  without  the  sacrifice  which  the  Moloch 
of  war  so  insatiably  claims  for  its  bloody  altar. 

The  gentle,  the  generous,  tho  lion-hearted  Storey, 
at  the  head  of  his  command,  and  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  fell  mortally  wounded — shot  through  the 
lungs — but  remained  on  tho  field  till  tho  conclusion 
of  the  battle.  John  Cameron  and  A.  il.  Phelps,  pri- 
vates in  Ca])tain  Storej-'s  command,  were  also  fatally 
wounded.  Both  were  shot  in  tho  head;  and  that 
evening,  after  being  carried  into  camp,  died  the 
death  of  the  hif^h-souldl  and  cliivalric,  who  shield 
the  lives  of  their  fellow-men  b}'  the  sacrifice  of  their 
own.  Andrew  llase}-,  of  the  >.'evada  Riflos,  too, 
was  dangerously  wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  hip,  and 
after  undergoing  two  years  of  torture,  and  a  severe 
surgical  operation,  recently  performed  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  but  now  recovering.  A  number  of  other 
casualties  occurred  during  tho  fight,  especially  among 
the  regulars,  four  of  whom  were  injured. 

Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Truckee,  1  believe  it  is 
safe  to  affirm,  when  all  things  are  taken  into  con- 
sideration, the  most  obstinately-contested  of  any 
which  has  taken  place  between  the  whites  and  In- 
dians on  this  coast.  It  is  reported  on  tho  authority 
of  a  Hj)y  from  the  regulars,  who  was  with  the  I'ah- 
XJtes  in  the  battle,  that  their  loss  in  the  engagement 
wan  KiO  killed,  and  an  immense  number  wounded. 
Most  of  their  slain  and  all  of  their  wounded  they 
contrived  to  carry  away  during  the  fight.  Seventy 
of  their  dead  wore  afterward  found  concealed  among 
tho  cliff's  in  the  mountain,  after  tho  expedition 
returned  to  Virginia  City. 

Certainly  not  over  two-thirds  of  tho  force  were 
actually  engaged  in  the  conflict;  about  200  being 
held  as  a  reserve,  and  fill}'  to  guard  the  cam]>.  But 
when  tlie  disparity  of  weapons  is  considered,  our 
men  being  all  armed  with  long-range  I'itles,  and 
rifled  muskets,  carrying  a  heavy  ball  1,000  yards, 
and  having  plenty  of  ammunition,  it  is  a  matter  of 


surprise,  notwithstanding  their  numbers,  that  for  full 
five  hours  the  Indians  were  able  to  make  head 
against  the  incessant  discharges  of  five  hundred 
rapidly-loaded  Minies  in  the  hands  of  men  who  un- 
flinchingly and  continuously  advanced  upon  them. 
That  the  younger  Winnomucca,  their  war  chief,  is 
an  extraordinary  man;  and  tho  Pah-lHes,  whatever 
their  other  ijualities  maj'  be,  are  a  bold  and  fearless 
race,  whom  it  wore  folly  to  despise  as  enemies,  seems 
now,  at  least,  to  be  sufficiently  attested. 

The  foregoing  is  evidently  an  overdrawn,  j-et  in 
the  main  correct,  description,  but  as  to  the  number 
killed  of  the  enemy  is  wholly  at  sea.  The  Pah-Utes 
now  acknowledge  tho  loss  of  but  four  killed  and 
seven  wounded;  and  the  most  rigid  and  persistent 
cross-questioning  made  at  different  times  and  under 
different  circumstances  failed  to  draw  anything  from 
any  of  them  that  indicated  a  concealment  of  tho 
truth;  yet  such  may  be  the  case,  as  Josoi)h  F.  Trip- 
lett,  of  Elko  County,  writes  that  the  number  killed 
was  forty-six;  and  states  that  he  obtained  the  in- 
formation soon  alter  the  war  from  Captain  Natchez, 
Captain  Breckenridge,  Big  George  and  Buffalo  Jim, 
all  Pah-Lffcs.  Mr.  Triplett  was  in  the  engagement. 
In  conversation  with  many  other  persons  who  were 
of  the  command,  not  one  of  them  saw  over  three 
dead  Indians,  or  knew  whether  over  that  number 
were  killed. 

The  battle-ground  was  not  selected  by  Colonel 
Haj'os,  but  was  fought  over  from  necessitj',  the 
engagement  having  been  forced  at  that  point  by 
the  persistent  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 

AFTER   THE    BATTLE. 

The  bodies  of  James  Cameron  and  A.  II.  Phelps 
were  buried  on  the  third  of  June,  near  Camp  Storey, 
and  the  earthworks  that  gave  the  name  of  fort  to 
the  camp  were  thrown  up  to  render  tho  place  more 
defensible,  in  the  absence  of  the  main  forces,  that 
were  to  go  in  jnirsuit  of  tho  enemy.  The  bodj*  of 
Major  Ormsby  was  also  temporarily  buried,  being 
later  taken  up  and  removed  to  Carson  City  for  final 
interment.  In  the  forenoon  of  the  day  of  tho  battle 
the  bodies  of  two  men  had  boon  found  and  buried 
with  Odd  Fellows  ceremonies  at  the  cam]).  Tho 
following  is  a  description,  taken  from  tho  same 
anonymous  correspondent  botbre-mentioned,  of  those 
victims  as  they  wore  found: — 

McliOod,  a  man  of  unusually  largo  proportions, 
was  found  \\,  ing  upon  his  face,  a  stri])  of  flesh  includ- 
ing tho  sinew,  having  been  cut  from  the  center  of 
his  back  its  whole  length.  Of  the  sinews  of  their 
enemies  the  Indians  are  said  froquontlj'  to  make  bow 
strings.  ^IcCarth}^  and  McIiOod  la}'  a  few  feel  apart 
upon  a  sandy  jilain  high  above,  and  a  mile  back  from 
the  river.  Throe  or  four  hundred  feet  from  them  lay 
Jones,  but  the  two  Ibrmer  woi'o  in  the  center  of  a 
circle  ])erhai)s  two  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  which 
was  beaten  by  feet  a])parontly  as  hard  as  tho  main 
trail  to  Pyramid  Lake,  used  doubtless  by  the  Indians 
for  centuries.  It  was  surmised  that  those  two  men 
had  maile  such  formidable  resistance,  that  their  final 
dost  ruction  was  deemed  worthy  of  the  peculiar  dis- 
tinction of  a  war  dance,  of  exultant  rejoicing. 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


ir,3 


The  appearance  of  McCarthy  was  inexpressibly 
impressive;  ho  was  of  but  medium  size,  with  loiit;, 
bushj-  beard  and  heavy  mustache;  the  crushini;  of 
the  frontal  bone  immediately  above  the  eyes,  left 
the  aspect  of  the  forehcail  high  and  square.  lie  laj- 
on  his  back;  the  chest  was  raised  and  expandeii; 
the  mouth  firmly  closed,  the  beard  liaroiy  )iormilting 
a  slight  view  of  the  compressed  li])s.  The  i-iglit  knee 
was  partially  bent  as  in  the  act  to  spring  forward, 
and  the  right  arm  drawn  back  to  its  uttermost  in  a 
curve  above  the  head,  as  if  in  the  full  tide  of  strength 
it  were  about  to  strike;  the  countenance  and  whole 
attitude  exhibiting  stern  defiance,  oven  triiunph  over 
death. 

On  tho  fourth  of  June  the  march  from  Fort  Storey 
to  Pyramid  Lake  was  resumed  ;  a  company'  under 
Capt.  Josejih  Virgo,  of  Sacramento,  being  left  behind 
with  the  wounded,  among  whom  was  Captain  Storey. 
On  the  waj'  to  the  Lake  the  little  advancing  army 
was  constantly  passing  the  exposed,  nude  remains 
of  the  decomposing  bodies  of  those  who  had  fallen 
along  the  ti-ail,  on  the  previous  12th  of  May.  Thej' 
buried  them  where  the3'  were  found  excei)t  in  the 
cases  of  Wm.  S.  Spear,  Henry  Meredith  and 
John  Snowden,  wlmse  remains  were  taken  up  and 
brought  to  the  settlcnionls.  from  where  thej'  were 
sent  to  their  former  homes  in  Calitbrnia.  The 
Pah-Ute  village  was  found  deserted,  not  a  redskin 
was  to  bo  found  in  the  country;  but  their  trail  led 
northward,  and  on  the  fifth  the  pursuit  of  them  was 
resumed. 

OTHER    EVENTS    ABOUT    PYRA.MID  LAKE. 

There  was  a  force  of  possibly  thirty  men,  under 
(Japtain  Weatherlow,  from  Iloncy  Lake  Valley,  in 
the  mountains  west  of,  and  towards  the  north  end  of 
Pyramid  Lake;  and  the  following  letter  of  confident 
power  and  prowess,  to  (lovernor  Roop,  tells  all  con- 
cerning him  or  his  command: — 

June  4Tn, 1860. 

Dear  (Joy.;  With  my  small  party  I  am  scouting 
around  Pju-amid  Lake.  Tho  last  two  daj^s  have 
been  on  the  north  side  of  it,  and  am  now  on  the 
west  side,  within  two  miles  of  the  lake.  I  have  not 
seen  an  Indian,  although  I  am  in  view  of  the  ground 
Oh  which  .Major  Ormsby  fought  the  Indians.  Would 
to  (Jod  I  had  fifty  men,  1  would  clean  out  all  the 
Indians  from  this  region.  Thus  far  1  have  been 
waiting  for  the  troo|)s  from  Carson  to  attack  them, 
and  then  to  cut  off  retreating  parties,  but  the  move- 
ments of  the  troops  are  so  dilatory  that  1  fear  the 
Indians  will  scatter  ofl'  before  there  is  anj'thing 
done.  If  there  is  anj'  more  men  in  the  valley  who 
will  come,  and  can  get  a  fit-out,  send  them  along,  for 
my  party  is  too  small  to  venture  much;  yet  all  are 
anxious  for  a  brush  with  the  redskins.  You  need 
feel  no  alarm  of  being  attacked  in  the  valley;  there 
is  no  Indians  about  to  make  it.  at  least  on  the  north. 

Respectful!}-  j-ours,  etc.,       Capt.  Weatiieri.(jw. 
Gov.  Isaac  lioop. 

It  would  seem  that  tho  Captain  got  out  of  the 
way  just  in  time,  from  the  north  end  of  tho  lake, 
to  escape  an  opportunity  of  having  the  brush  his 
men  seemed  so  desirous  of;  and  if  his  courage  was 
equal  to  his  assertion,  it  is  fortunate  that  ho  did 
not  have  the  fifty  men. 


Captain  Thomas  F.  Condon  and  Warren  AVasson 
had  induced  a  few  men,  ten  in  all,  including  them- 
selves, to  move  to  the  north  from  Carson,  and  oc- 
cupy a  pass  to  tho  west  of  the  south  end  of  Pyramid 
Lake.  This  pass  was  the  outlet  through  which  tho 
Pah-Utes  were  likelj-  to  attempt  a  retreat  in  the 
direction  of  Honey  Lake  N'allej-,  if  defeated  by  the 
Washoo  regiment,  under  Colonel  Hays.  It  was  im- 
portant this  exit  should  be  guarded — just  as  im- 
portant as  the  attempt  was  reckless,  with  such  a 
mere  handful  of  men.  Their  number  was  increased 
on  the  way,  Maj-  ^Jlst.  by  a  detachment  from  tho 
vallej'  that  the  movement  was  designed  to  protect, 
and  the  pass  was  occupied  bj'  the  entire  force  under 
Captain  Thomas  F.  Condon,  now  swelled  to  thirty- 
four  men,  on  the  first  day  of  June.  This  was  tho 
day  before  the  battle;  and  but  for  the  approach  of 
the  whites  from  the  south,  along  the  river,  they 
might  have  found  themselves  in  a  hornet's  nest. 

On  the  second  of  June  snow  fell  two  feet  deep  on 
the  tops  of  the  mountains,  north  and  south  of  tho 
Pass,  and  on  tho  night  of  the  fourth  this  command 
reached  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from  Captain 
Stewart's  command,  at  the  south  entl  of  Pj-ramid 
Lake,  whore  they  discovered  the  charred  remains  of 
seven  white  men.  Their  limbs  were  burned  otl",  but 
the  face  and  balance  ol'  their  bodies  had  not  been 
touched  by  the  flames,  even  their  beards  being 
unscorched.  They  were  left  unburied  for  about  one 
week,  with  the  hope  that  some  one  might  identify 
them,  but  no  one  did  at  that  time. 

They  were  supposed  to  be  a  party  of  California 
prospectors,  who  ha<l  last  been  seen  passing  down 
the  Truckee  River  by  O.  M.  Evans,  the  day  after 
the  massacre  of  the  whites.  They  knew  nothing  of 
tho  trouble  with  the  Pah-Utes.  and  were  never 
heard  from  after  the  thirteenth  of  May.  Their 
names  were: — 


N.  U.  Canfield, 
Spero  Anderson, 
John  (iibson, 
Charles  Ruth, 


Daniel  King, 

—  Courtright, 

—  Cenovitch. 


END   OF   THE    CAMPAKIN — DKATII    OF  WII.MA.M    S.  AI.I.EN. 

As  before  stated,  the  command  moved  towards 
the  north  on  the  fifth.  There  is  a  high  range  of 
mountains  running  northerly  along  the  east  bank  of 
Pyramid  Lake,  that  separates  that  body  of  water 
from  what  is  known  as  Mud  Lake;  and  the  lorces 
under  Colonel  Ilaj's  took  up  their  line  of  march 
along  the  eastern  base  of  this  chain  of  mountains. 
Arriving  at  a  cafion,  running  from  the  lowland  up 
into  the  rocky  range,  the  command  was  halted;  and 
Captain  Robert  Lyon,  William  S.  Allen,  Samuel 
Auckland,  Hen.  Webster,  and  S.  C.  Springer  wore 
sent  forward  as  scouts.  They  passed  along  up 
towards  the  upper  end  of  this  cafion;  but  as  they 
were  noaring  the  summit  there  intervened  in  thoir 
front  an  immense  rock,  where  Buckland,  Webster, 
and  Springer   halted,  while  Lyon  and  Allon  passed 


1C4 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


:ir<iiin<l  anil  up  to  tlio  fartlior  side.  Tho  followinij 
is  it  iloscriplioii  ol'  wliut  I'nl lowed,  wrilton  by  Caplain 
Lyon: — 

Wo  liad  soon  no  Indians  whon  noinij  uji,  luii  as 
wo  Ktoppod  on  liio  vory  toj)  of  tiio  mountain,  we 
woro  tirod  upon  liy  thoin  from  an  amlxish  and  Will 
Allon  was  killed;  a  ball  j>assod  tbroui^h  his  mouth 
and  brain,  llo  droi>iiod  at  my  foot  and  novor  s|)olvo; 
and  tlioro  diod  ono  of  tho  bravest,  truest-hearted 
men  that  over  trod  tho  soil  of  >«evadii.  1  reaehod 
from  my  saddle  and  tried  to  raise  Will's  bod)- on  my 
horse.  1  did  not  think  of  Indians  or  of  dan-jer;  I 
only  saw  the  bleodiiii;  mouth  ami  fast  jiiazin-;  eyes 
of  my  friend;  but  in  loss  than  a  minute  1  was  sur- 
rounded. I  believe  they  intended  to  oa])ture  mo 
alive  and  soeuro  my  horse  without  injuriiii;  him  by  a 
ohanee  shot.  They  had  lain  sooi-etod  behind  "(he 
elitfs  and  rocks,  and  saw  us  walk  i|uiotly  into  their 
Ira)!.  Tho  tirst  yell  of  tho  savajjos  as  they  spranjj 
out  from  rooks  ami  olitl's  to  j^rab  my  horse  revealed 
to  mo  my  peril.  My  rifle  and  the  reins  ot"  my  bridle 
were  in  my  left  hand;  but  1  had  no  time  to  use  my 
rifle.  My  rijjht  hand  instinotivoly  snatehed  front  its 
holster  my  Irustj'  revolver,  and  with  ono  eareloss 
shot  at  tho  elosiiii;  oirole  of  my  foes  1  ijave  Solim  the 
reii\s  and  in  a  seoond  I  was  flyini;  down  tho  steep 
mountain  followed  by  yells  and  whizzing;  bullets  from 
the  Indians.  .My  faithl'ul  horse  seemed  to  eompro- 
hond  tho  tiani;or,  and  ho  put  forth  every  efl'ort, 
boundinii  over  the  rooks  like  a  frii;htoned  iloer. 
That  was  his  first  and  best  raoe.  and  tho  stake 
was  liberty  for  him  and  lite  to  me,  and  ."^elim  won  it. 
1  ivde  past  two  si|uads  of  Indians  on  my  way  down 
the  mountain.  They  fii-ed  at  me  as  I  flew  i>astthem, 
but  did  not  hit  mo. 

1  ]iassed  the  three  u\en  where  they  had  halted, 
and  furthoi-  on  met  Colonel  Hays  and  Lani'o  Nij^ht- 
inu;ill  in  advanee,  followed  by  all  our  horsemen  oom- 
iuii  up  the  hill  on  a  i;allo|i.  They  halted,  and  when 
1  asked  (."olonol  Hays  to  lot  my  eompany  i;o  with 
njo  to  reoover  .Ulen's  body,  ho  answered:  "Wo 
will  all  fio."  Again  we  ilismountod,  detailed 
every  tenth  man  to  hold  the  hoi-sos,  and  marohed  on 
fool  to  the  top  ot'  the  mountain:  but  the  Indians 
had  taken  Allen's  horse,  arms  and  olothinjj  and  fled, 
and  that  was  their  last  hostile  aet  of  the  war  of  18G0. 
We  ]>laced  the  oorpse  on  one  of  my  paok-hoi-sos  and 
started  baek  to  our  oamp  on  tho  Truokee,  where  we 
arrived  about  -  o'olook  the  next  mornin-;. 

The  next  mornini;  the  volunteer  army  started  on 
their  return  to  Viri;inia  City,  where  they  surren- 
deivd  their  rifles  and  were  dismisseil.  C'a|)tain 
Storey's  rentains  were  oarried  to  Virijinia  City, 
while  my  eompany  now  redueod  to  twenty,  with  sad 
hearts  oarried  Aur  dead  oomrado  baek  to  Carson 
City,  where  he  was  buried  with  military  honoi-s. 
A  Carson  oom)>any  brt>U!jht  in  the  remains  of  Major 
Ormsby.  and  to-day  tlieir  tombs  oan  bo  soon  near 
tojjethof  in  the  Carson  oomotory. 

On  tho  seventh  of  Juno  the  volunteer  foroes  under 
Colonel  Ilnj's  woro  disbanded,  as  appears  frt>m  the 
muster-out  i-olls  of  the  (^>uartormaster.  but  the  troops 
under  Captain  .Stewart  remained  at  Pyramid  Lake, 
whoro  earth-works  were  thrown  up  that  received  tho 
name  of  Fort  Haven,  in  honor  of  General  Haven,  of 
C'alifornia,  who  had  voluntoorod  as  a  private  in 
Colonel  Uays'  command. 


EXPEPITION    OF   COLONEL    LANDER. 

In  the  s|)rini;  and  summer  of   ISGO  Colonel  F.  W. 

l-ander,  in  tho  service  of  tho  Creneral  Government, 

was  en-janed  in  survejin-;  and  constructin<^  a  waj^on 

road    crossinj;    the    Sierra    Movada    and    tho    Great 

Basin,  and  while  tho  events  of  the  Pyramid  Lake  War 

wore  transpiring,  was  in  the  vioinity  of  Honey  Lake. 

Farly  in  August,  having  about  seventy   armed   men 

at  his  command,  ho  oneounterod  tho   Indians  in   tho 

Black  Rock  country,  and  had  a  skirmish  with  them, 

losing  ono    man   nanu'd    .\loxandor     Fainter,    after 

whom  a  valley   in    IJoop  County   was  named.     Tho 

loss    of  tho    Indians    was    not     ascertained.      This 

encounter  resulteil  in  a  peace  talk   with   ono   of  tho 

oliiofs  of  tho  Fah-Utes,  Numaga,  which  resulted  in, 

measurably,    i|uieting     the     savages.       This    chief 

reported  that  his   followers  were  in  almost  a  fan\ish- 

ing  condition,   tho  result  of  their  war  against  the 

whites  and   being  driven    from    their   homos  about 

P)-ramid  Lake.      For  services  thus  and  subsoijuently 

rendered.  Colonel   Lander  was  honored  by  having 

his  name  given  to  a  county  created  soon  al\or  tho 

organization   of  tho  Territory  of  Nevada.     In    tho 

war  of  the  Febellion    Lander    became  a  prominent 

General  of  volunteers,  and  died  of  wounds  received 

in  battle  in  Virginia  in  1SC3. 

THK    I'.Ml-lTES   .\FTER   THE    WAU. 

The  brave  men  who  had  so  (juickly  volunteered  to 
avenge  the  savage  massacre  of  the  Ormsby  jtarty 
and  jn'otoct  tho  panic-stricken  people  of  Nevada, 
returned  to  their  homos  in  Calitornia.  leaving  tho 
force  of  regulars  under  Captain  Stewart  to  hold  tho 
Indians  in  chock.  This  body  of  disciplined  men 
under  tho  charge  of  skillful  otHcers  had  done  most 
ettioient  service,  and  by  their  coolness,  ease  of 
maneuver  on  tho  batllo-tield  and  ready  obedience  to 
ordei-s.  gave  an  example  of  sohlierly  iluty  that  greatly 
strengthened  the  inexperienced  volunteoi-s,  giving 
them  tho  confidence  and  courage  that  insui-od  a 
decisive  victory.  On  tho  Sth  of  June,  the  daj- 
after  the  departure  of  the  volunteers,  Captain  Stew- 
art engaged  Mr.  Warren  Wasson  as  scout,  who  kept 
a  journal  of  all  his  transactions  and  atVairs  with  the 
Indians.  Major  Frederick  |)odgo  was  at  the  time 
Indian  Agent,  whose  ett'ort«,  aided  by  Mr.  Wasson, 
wore  to  i)acify  the  savages,  entice  them  to  their 
reservati<uis  and  supply  thom  with  comforts  and 
neco.ssities.  At\er  the  battle  the  Fah-  I'tes  remained 
in  considerable  force  in  tho  vicinit}-  of  Pyramid 
Jjake,  maintaining  a  hostile  attitude  and  commit- 
ting doiiredations,  but  tho  ]>unishment  given  and 
force  displaj'od  admonished  then>  to  keep  tho  )>oace. 
Wasson  was  scout  and  express  rider,  passing  through 
many  thi-illing  scenes  and  dangei-s  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duties.  Late  in  June  some  loca- 
tions for  farming  purposes  were  made  on  the  Truckee 
and  near  Pyramid  Lake  by  .Mossi-s.  J.  !>.  Boberts, 
Thos.  Marsh.  Robert  Reed,  Hans  Parian,  O.  Spevey, 
Anderson  Spain,  Wiishington  Cox  Corey  and  M.  A. 


% 


I  I 


'^^^^ /^/t^^^^^^^ 


'Ky1lhd.J>^0./h/)-c<^.'a 


"^ 


•^;5,:. 


'?^'-^-. 


RESIDENCE   AND  STORE   OF  JOHN  S.CRAIG. 
POST&EXPRESS  OFFICE,  MASON  VALLEY,  ESMERALDA  CQ,NEV. 


INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  WARS  IN  NEVADA. 


165 


Braly.  Tho  last  two  afterwards  discovered  the 
mines  at  Aurora,  and  gave  their  names  to  Jlounts 
Corey  and  Bra!}'.  By  the  middle  of  July  the 
soldiers  had  all  left  Fort  Haven  and  engaged  in 
the  building  of  Fort  Churchill,  leaving  Wasson 
alone  to  manage  the  Indians  as  Agent  left  in 
charge  by  Major  l)odge.  Great  ett'orts  and  consum- 
mate sagacity  were  required  to  maintain  peace. 
In  the  absence  of  soldiers  largo  numbers  of  tlie 
dusky  warriors  returned  with  the  intention  of  mas- 
sacring the  whiles,  but  through  tho  efforts  of 
Numaga  and  Oderkeo,  the  jieace-loving  chiefs, 
further  bloodshed  was  prevented  at  that  time.  The 
last  of  July  Major  Dodge,  then  stopping  at  Buck- 
land's  on  the  Carson  Eiver,  directed  Wasson  to 
post  notices  on  the  Pyramid  Ijake  Beservation, 
defining  the  boundaries  and  warning  all  intruders 
to  leave.  These  notices  were  printed,  and  dated 
May  20,  1860.  On  the  fifth  of  September  Major 
Dodge  left  for  Washington,  leaving  Mr.  Wasson 
to  act  in  his  stead  as  Indian  Agent.  While  acting 
as  such  he  directed  his  proteges  in  the  arts  of 
peace,  causing  them  to  construct  some  adobe  build- 
ings, to  cut  hay  and  other  work,  both  at  tho  Pyra- 
mid and  Walker  Lake  Reservations.  In  Decem- 
ber, 18(5(1.  he  called  all  the  tribe  together  and  gave 
to  each  man  a  hickorj'  shirt  and  pair  of  blue  over- 
alls, and  to  each  woman  some  calico,  needles  and 
thread.  A  decrepit  old  Indian  arriving  late  at  the 
"potlatch,"  was  greatly  disapi)oiiiled  because  noth- 
ing had  been  saved  for  him,  and  all  the  other  Pah- 
Utes  seemed  delighted  at  his  misery  and  the  dilemma 
of  the  Agent.  But  Wasson  ij^uicUly  strij)])ed  himself, 
and  gave  his  white  linen  shirt  and  cotton  flannel 
drawers  to  the  laggard  savage,  thus  satisfying  all 
and   making  a  Itisting  impression    upon  the   Indians. 

Among  those  under  tho  Agent's  charge  was 
Captain  Truckeo,  who  possessed  papers  attesting  to 
his  services  under  Fremont,  given  him  by  that 
explorer.  This  Indian  had  acted  in  a  friendlj'  man- 
ner to  the  early  emigrants  who  gave  his  name  to  the 
Truckeo  River.  He  died  October  8,  1S6(»,  in  tho 
Pine  Nut  Mountains,  south  of  ('omo,  Lyon   ('ount3\ 

In  December,  Waz-adz-zo-bah-ago,  the  head  med- 
icine chief  of  the  Mono  Lake  band  of  Pah-Utes,  was 
killed  and  burned  to  ashes,  and  on  the  third  day, 
as  related  by  many  ])eople  of  the  tribe,  a  whirhvind 
came  and  raised  the  ashes  in  the  form  of  a  pillar, 
and  the  chief  Wazad/./.obahago  walked  out  alive 
and  well,  Tiiis  is  an  incident  of  fad  among  the 
Indians,  and  to  all  others  as  they  wish  to  take  it, 
Wasson,  who  kept  the  record,  said  if  ho  had  seen 
it  himself  he  could   not  have  believed  it. 

Several  incidents  are  related  of  the  killing  of 
Indians,  and  attem])ts  to  kill  by  whites,  who  could 
never  forget  or  forgive  the  ruthless  murders  of 
friends  and  relatives  by  these  jirowling  savages. 

I.NDIAN     WAU    TUKEATENEU. 

During  April  and  May,  1801,  over  l,r)00  Indians 
assembled  at  tho  fisheries,  near  the  mouth  of  Walker 
21 


River,  headed  by  Wahe,  who  claimed  to  be  second 
chief  of  all   tho  Pah-Utes,  and  was  really  a  brother 
of  (31(1    Winnemucca,  head  medicine    chief  of    that 
tribe.     Wahe  was  a  treacherous,  cunning,  cruel,  and 
brutal  savage,   being    half  Pah-Ute  and  half  Ban- 
nock, combining  all  the  bad  (lualities  of  bf)th  tribes. 
He  claimed    to  be  a  spirit  chief,  and  as  such  pro- 
tected from  the  bullets  and  weapons  of  his  enemies. 
This  his  superstitious  ])co])le  were  made  to  believe, 
and    no    I'ah-lUe  dare  resist    his    will,    believing  a 
cruel  and  sorrowful  death  would  follow  disobedience. 
This  chief  had    Iteen    cons]>iriiig   for  some   months 
with  various  bands  of  Indians,  and  the  largo  num- 
ber mentioned  had  gathered  in  council  preparatory, 
it  is  suj)))osed,  to  an  outbreak.     A  servant  and  inter- 
preter of  Wasson,    a  young  Pah-Ute,  had  dropped 
some  hints  of  a  suspicious  character  which  led  him 
to  sus])ect  the  nature  of  the  gathering  and  the  dan- 
ger of  the  ujjrising,  which   contemplated  his  death, 
and  tho  securing  of  the  arms,  ammunition  and  sup- 
plies in  his  possession  at  tho  agency.    He  also  learned 
that,  after  he  was  disposed    of.  Fort  Churchill   was 
to  be  ap])roached   in  squads  of  eight  or  ten,  admit- 
tance gained  to   all  parts  in  a  friendly  manner,  and 
at  a  signal,  slaughter  the  entire  garrison  there,  con- 
sisting then  of  only  about  forty  men.    Wasson,  learn- 
ing this,   boldly  entered   the  Indian  camp,  and  by 
argument   and  persuasion  diverted  them  from  this 
rash  and  murderous  attcmjit.     He  found  among  them 
Bannocks  from  Idaho  and  Oregon,  and  rej)rusenta- 
tivcs  of  the  Pah-Utes  from  far  and  wide,  those  from 
the  most  isolated  places  being  most  intent  on  com- 
mencing tho  raid  of  rapine  and  murder.     Some  had 
been  to  California  and  seen  the  strength  and  wealth 
of   the  whites,  and    somo    had   seen  the  disastrous 
effects  of  the  war  of  tho  previous  year,  and    those 
joined  with  the  Agent  in  the    plea   for  peace.     By 
this  means  the  conspiracy  of  Wahe  was  thwarted, 
and  his  ])o\vcr  overthrown.     He  afterwards  fled  to 
Oregon,  where  he  remained   until   May,  18(12,  when 
he  returned,  and  was  killed    by  two  of  the  Pah-Uto 
chiefs,  who  had   been  convinced  that  he  Avas  not  a 
sjiirit  chief,  and  could  be  slain  by   their   weapons; 
still  there  was  a  lurking  fear  of  his  power  instilled 
into  their  superstitious    beliefs    by   long   teachings, 
ami   he  was  cut  into  minute  pieces,  which  were  scat- 
tered in  widely-separated  places  to  more  ell'ectually 
prevent  his  self-resurrection. 

In  July,  18(>1,  (lovernor  Xj'e  arrived,  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  Indians.  But  the  time  for  war  in 
eastern  Nevada  had  passed.  The  rapid  influx  of 
whites  had  overrun  the  country,  intermixing  with, 
and  furnishing  the  Indians  with  more  clothing  and 
food  than  they  had  previously  been  able  to  obtain; 
and  thej'  found  their  condition  much  better  than 
when  their  nut-pine  "orchards,"  their  mice,  ants, 
grasshoppers,  rats,  snakes,  rabbits,  and  grass-seeds 
constituted  their  resource.  The  murders  they  had 
committed  were  passed  over,  if  not  forgotten,  and 
favors  were  shown  them  on  all  sides. 


16G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 
THE  OWENS   RIVER   WAR. 

Conference  with  the  P.-ih-Utes— Imlian  Scare  at  Como  in  18G.3— 
A  Chief  Murilereil— Troubles  iu  1S04  in  HumhoKlt  County 
— Indian  Troubles  in  ISOo— Hostilities  in  I'arailise  Val- 
ley— A  Ride  fi>r  Life — Fate  of  Collins  and  Kearbourne — 
Ki-liteen  Indians  Scalped — Events  in  Other  Parts  in  ISOo — 
Hostilities  in  Paradise  V:dley  in  1805— Death  of  Col.  Charles 
McUermitt — Events  in  Humboldt  County — Black  Kock  Tom 
— Closing  Action  ami  Act  of  the  Year — Paradise  Valley 
Trouble  in  18G7 — Hon.  James  A.  Banks  Killed— The  Winter 
of  1807  and  Spring  of  1868. 

TuE  winter  of  18G1  was  severe,  and  the  Indians  in 
Owens  Valley,  California,  killed  some  cattle.  In 
retaliation  the  owners,  or  their  cmploj-es,  killed 
some  Indians,  and  the  latter  responded  by  killing 
whites  wherever  they  could  get  an  opportunity  of 
doino;  so  without  endangering;  themselves,  until  E.  S. 
Taylor,  J.  Tullman,  li.  Hanson,  and  a  man  named   j 

Crosen,  better  known   as  "Yank,"   had  fallen 

victims.  Finallj'  the  white  graziers  concentrated 
their  herds  at  a  point  about  thirty  miles  above  Owens 
Ijake,  where  they  fortified,  and  sent  to  Visalia,  Cali- 
fornia, and  ('arson,  Nevada,  for  help.  This  war 
more  particularly  pertains  to  California,  but  men 
of  Nevada  were  very  active  participants. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  March,  1802,  the  fortified 
graziers  were  re-enforced  by  eighteen  men  from 
Aurora,  when  they  took  the  field  sixty  strong, 
under  Colonel  Mayfield,  marched  fifty  miles  up  the 
valley,  and  encamped  on  an  old  Indian  camping 
ground.  On  the  sixth  of  April  the  Indians  showed 
themselves  in  force  towards  the  mountains  to  their 
southwest.  The  whites  sallied  forth  in  two  divisions, 
mot  the  hostiles,  had  a  skirmish,  lost  one  man,  C.  J. 
Pleasants,  of  Aurora,  killed,  and  then  retreated  back 
to  their  camp.  They  were  followed  bj-  the  victors, 
and  com])elled  to  take  shelter  in  an  iri-igating  ditch 
(built  by  the  Indians),  from  where  shots  were  ox- 
changed  at  long  range  until  night.  Sheriff  Scott,  of 
Mono,  received  a  ball  in  the  head,  and  was  instantlj' 

killed;   Morrison,  formerly  of  Visalia,  was  shot 

in  the  stomach,  and  died  the  following  day.  After 
the  moon  went  down  the  Indians  ceased  firing,  and 
the  whites  took  advantage  of  the  darkness  to  retreat 
for  their  fortified  post,  leaving  behind  them  their 
dead,  some  eighteen  horses,  and  considerable  ammuni- 
tion buried.  They  had  killed  one  redskin  in  the 
engagement.  On  their  way  down  the  valley  the  next 
day,»ApriI  7th,  thej-  met  Colonel  Evans  with  a  ])or- 
tion  of  the  Secoiid  (.'alifornia  Cavalry. 

What  followed,  as  well  as  some  matters  of  interest 
preceding  those  events,  are  given  in  tho  following 
oflScial  report  of  Colonel  Wasson  to  Gov.  James  W. 
Nye,  dated  A])ril  20,  18G2.  A  copy  of  which  was 
furnished  by  Colonel  Wasson. 

Ja.mes  W.  Nye,  (iovernor  and  ex  o/ZiVjo  Superinten- 
dent of  Indian  Aft'airs,  Nevada  Territory,  >ViV:  You 
will  remember  that  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  JIarch  last 
I  addressed  you  at  San  Francisco  the  following  dis- 
patch : — 

"GoveunobNye:  Indian  difficultioe  ou  Owens  Jiiver 


confirmed,  hostiles  advancing  this  way.  I  desire  to 
go  and  if  possible  prevent  the  war  from  reaching  this 
Territory.  If  a  few  men  poorly  armed  go  against 
those  Indians,  defeat  will  follow  and  a  long  and 
bloody  war  ensue.  If  the  whites  on  Owens  Eiver 
had  prompt  and  adequate  assistance,  it  could  be 
checked  there.  I  have  just  returned  from  Walker 
River;  I'ah-Utes  alarmed.     1  await  a  reply. 

W.  Wasson." 

To  which  on  the  same  day  I  received  by  telegraph 
the  following: — 

"W.  Wasson:  tieneral  Wright  will  order  fifty  men 

to  go  with  3-ou  to  the  scene  of  action.  You  may  take 
fifty  of  my  muskets  at  the  Fort,  and  some  ammunition 
with  you,  and  bring  them  back.  Confer  with  Cajjlain 
Rowe.  J.W.Nye." 

In  pursuance  of  these  instructions,  I  immediately 
repaired  to  Fort  Churchill,  and  after  consultation 
with  ("a](tain  Kowe,  who  promptly  adojitcd  measures 
to  carr}'  out  j'our  designs,  it  was  determined  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  scene  of  hostilities  with  the  force  and  arms 
you  had  designated. 

Lieutenant  Noble  was  sent  in  command  of  tho 
detachment  with  the  following  letter  of  instruction: — 

"Headquarters  Fort  CmRcini.b,  ) 

Nevada  Territory,  March  27,  1802.  \ 
IjIEUTENant:  As  commandant  of  the  detachment  of 
fifty  men,  about  leaving  this  jiost  for  Aurora  and 
vicinity,  you  will  be  governed  by  circumstances  in  a 
great  measure,  but  upon  all  occasions  it  is  desirable 
that  you  should  consult  the  Indian  Agent,  Mr.  W. 
Wasson,  who  accompanies  tho  cx])edition  for  the  ])ur- 
pbse  of  restraining  the  Indians  from  hostilities. 
Upon  no  consideration  will  you  allow  j'our  men  to 
engage  the  Indians  without  his  sanction.  As  often 
as  practicable  you  will  communicate  with  these  head- 
quarters. Very  respectfully, 

E.  A.  JiowE, 
Capt.  2d  Cav.,  Cal.  Vols.,  Commanding  Post. 
To  Lieut.  II.  Nohi.e, 

Second  Cav.,  Cal.  Vols.,  Commanding  Detach'mt." 

I  proceeded  i'rora  Fort  Churchill  in  advance  of 
the  command,  and  met  the  Pah-Utes  on  the  Walker 
RiverReservation.  Theexcili'ment  was  great  amongst 
them,  and  they  aj)prehended  general  and  immediato 
hostilities  with  the  whites.  Their  usual  ])repara- 
tions  for  defense  in  case  of  attack  were  apparent. 
To  quiet  their  a]])>rehensions  of  a  ditliculty,  and  ])re- 
vent  trouble  during  my  absence,  I  (lis])atched  Indian 
messengers  to  all  the  different  bands  of  I'ah-Utos 
with  instructions  to  keep  (luiel  until  my  return,  tell- 
ing them  that  on  my  return  from  the  south  I  would 
direct  them  how  to  conduct  themselves  to  avoid 
difficulties,  etc.  These  arrangements  I  found  on  my 
return  to  have  had  the  desired  cfiect. 

Wo  left  Aurora  for  tho  scene  <»f  action  on  Owens 
River,  on  the  third  of  April,  sending  j'ou  at  that 
date  a  brief  rei)ort  of  our  i)rocecdings,  disposition 
of  the  arms,  and  our  ])lan  of  o])er-atioiis,  as  far  as  wo 
could  form  them  at  tliat  time,  (ieorgi-,  tlie  inter- 
preter, having  become  worn  out,  and  unable  to 
accom|iany  me,  at  Walker  River  I  ])r<)cured  tho 
services  ol'  J{obert,  a  Pah-Ute,  with  wliom  I  left 
Aurora,  in  advance  of  the  command,  and  proceeded 
by  Alono  Lake,  where  I  t()und  the  I'ah-Utos  of  that 
section  congregated  and  much  excited,  but  in  an 
interview  succeeded  in  quieting  them.  Thoj'  wore 
much  ])leaseil  that  1  was  going  to  stop  the  troubles, 
as  they  feared  they  might  themselves  become 
involved  iu  tho  diUicultios,  and  they  sent  with  me 


THE  OWENS  RIVER  WAR. 


167 


one  of  their  tribe   who  spoke  the  language  of  the 
Owons  RivtM-  Indians. 

We  joined  Lieutenant  Koble  at  Adobe  Meadows, 
thirt}'  miles  (Voni  Aurora,  on  the  nij^ht  of  the  fourth 
of  April.  The  next  day  I  left  tlie  command,  with 
the  two  Indian  inter|)reters,  and  traveled  ci^ht  or 
ten  miles  in  advance  of  the  troo]>s.  About  noon 
we  passed  the  boundary  between  the  I'ah-Uie  and 
Owens  Kivor  Indians  countrj-,  and  traveled  twent)'- 
five  miles,  and  encamped.  The  ne.xt  day  we  reached 
the  upper  crossing;  of  Owens  Kiver,  and  encamped, 
seeini^  no  Indians,  but  abundance  of  fresh  signs. 
My  Mono  Lake  In<Iian  on  the  morning  of  the  seventh 
instant  int'ormed  me  that  he  knew  by  certain  signs 
that  the  Indians  were  to  the  right  and  up  the  val- 
lej",  and  I  sent  him  up  towards  where  they  were, 
while  we  proceeded  down  the  valley  towards  the 
fort,  which  was  fifty  miles  distant.  I  instructed 
him  to  tell  the  Indians  that  we  had  not  come  to 
fight  them,  but  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  their 
difficulties  with  the  whites;  and  that  if  they  would 
do  right,  and  were  willing  to  come  to  a  fair  settle- 
ment, justice  should  be  done  ihem;  that  at  all  events 
1  desired  to  see  and  consult  with  them.  I  also 
instructed  him  how  to  approach  our  camp  that 
night  in  order  to  avoid  danger  of  being  shot  down 
by  the  soldiers;  and  told  him  our  camp  would  be 
twenty  miles  below  on  the  river.  After  we  had 
proceeded  about  twelve  miles  down  the  stream,  I 
saw  a  body  of  about  100  men  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  to  our  right,  some  three  miles  distant, 
and  concluded  to  await  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant 
Noble  and  his  command,  who  were  in  the  rear  about 
five  miles.  When  they  arrived,  Lieutenant  Noble 
and  myself  left  the  soldiers,  anil  rode  over  to  9ee 
who  the  parlies  were.  We  I'ound  Lieutenant-Col- 
onel George  Kvans,  aLso  Lieutenants  French  and 
Oliver,  with  about  forty  soldiers.  Second  Cavalry, 
California  Volunteers,  and  Colonel  Maytield,  a  cit- 
izen, in  command  of  about  fort}-  or  fifty  residents  of 
the  valley.  We  made  known  to  them  our  business 
and  instructions,  but  found  little  or  no  encourage- 
ment to  make  peace  with  the  Indians,  their  desire 
being  only  to  exterminate  them. 

They  informed  us  that  the  citizens  from  the  fort, 
some  si.Kty  in  number,  had  had  a  battle  the  day 
before  on  a  creek  some  twelve  miles  above,  and  in 
the  direction  my  .Mono  Indian  had  gone  that  morn- 
ing. In  the  fight  the}-  had  three  men  killed  and 
were  shamefully  defeated.  The  citizens  were 
retreating  to^'U-ds  their  fort  when  they  met  Colonel 
Evans  ■  •— ^'^  duced  Ibrty-five  of  ihctn  to  return 
w.ii^^*^^  rsuit  of  the  hostiles,  and  they  were 
also  in  pursuit  when  we  found  them.  Lvans  being 
Colonel  of  Noble's  regiment  took  command  of  the 
entire  expedition,  ordered  Noble  to  bring  up  his 
compan}-,  and  when  he  had  done  so,  we  proceeded 
to  the  scene  of  the  fight  between  the  citizens  and 
Indians,  and  camped  on  the  battle-groun<l.  The 
next  morning  by  daylight  I'-vans  had  ordered  out 
scouting  ])arties  in  all  directions,  numbering  from 
six  to  ten  men  each.  About  noon  that  day  some 
of  them  returned  reporting  the  enemy  in  force  twelve 
miles  above,  and  at  the  extreme  head  of  the  valley. 
Colonel  Evans  then  orilered  a  ra])id  movement  in 
that  direction,  and  in  two  hours  we  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  canon  in  which  the  Indians  were 
reported  to  bo.  Here  we  encountered  a  terrific 
snow-storm,  accompanied  by  violent  wind  in  our  j 
faces,  notwithstanding  which  Evans  ordered  atj  \ 
advance  up  the  mountains  each  side  of  the  canon  for 
a  distance  of  three  miles.      Fortunately  lor  us,  how- 


over,  wo  found  no  savages  there,  otherwise  an  easy 
victory  would  have  been  obtained  over  us,  as  arrows 
assisted  by  that  gale  would  have  had  dreadful  efi'ect. 
We  could  have  had  no  choice  of  position,  and  the 
enemy  choosing  theirs,  could  have  taken  advantage 
of  the  wind.  Becoming  satisfied  that  no  Indians 
were  in  the  canon,  we  were  ordered  to  retrace  our 
steps,  and  encam])eil  in  the  valley  three  miles  below. 
I  remained  behind,  and  the  storm  having  abated, 
with  the  aid  of  a  glass  I  observed  Indian  signs  in  a 
canon  one  mile  north.  I  cotichnled  to  visit  tho 
locality,  and  when  near  the  mouth  of  the  canon  I 
discovered  a  large  Indian  trail  freshlj-  made  leading 
out  of  it  in  a  nortlierlj-  direction.  As  night  was 
approaching  I  was  unable  to  see  any  Indians,  and 
turned  m}-  horse  towards  camp  that  was  some  two- 
and-a-half  miles  distant,  when  I  heard  an  Indian 
halloo  some  four  hundred  j'ards  from  me  among  the 
rocks.  1  answered  him  in  the  same  way,  but  heard 
no  reply.  1  then  hallooed  in  English,  Spanish,  and 
in  Pah-Ute,  also  making  friendl}-  signs,  several 
times,  but  received  no  reply,  but  as  1  turned  to  go 
awaj-,  the  hallooing  was  repeated.  1  re])lied,  but 
got  no  answer.  This  was  repeated  several  times, 
and  becoming  satisfied  that  he  only  intended  to 
decoj'  me,  I  ]n-oceeded  to  camp.  On  ray  arrival, 
looking   back,  1  discovered   fires  in  the  same   canon. 

The  next  morning.  Colonel  Evans  ordered  Sergeant 
Gillispie,  with  nine  of  Noble's  men,  to  reconnoiter  it, 
at  the  same  time  moving  the  whole  command  in  that 
direction.  The  detail  advanced  some  'MO  yards  up 
the  cauon,  when  they  were  fired  upon,  Gillispie  being 
instantly  killed,  and  Corporal  Harris  wounded  in  the 
left  arm,  when  they  retreated,  leaving  behind  the 
Sergeant's  body  and  his  arms.  They  met  the  com- 
mand half  a  mile  below  the  mouth  of  the  canon, 
when  as  many  as  were  not  required  to  hold  the 
horses  were  ordered  to  the  attack.  Lieutenant 
Noble  and  his  company  were  sent  to  take  possession 
of  the  mountain  to  the  left  of  the  canon.  Colonel 
Evans  was  to  have  taken  the  mountain  to  the  right. 
Colonel  Maj-field  and  four  other  citizens  accompanied 
Noble,  the  balance  of  Mayfield's  company  remaining 
below.  Ijieutenant  Noble  succeeded  in  gaining  his 
position  under  a  brisk  fire  from  both  sides  from  con- 
cealed Indians.  Here  Colonel  Jlayficld  was  killed. 
Lieutenant  Noble,  finding  it  im])ossil)le  to  maintain 
hi's  position  without  great  loss,  or  to  ])roceed  up  the 
mountain  on  accotint  of  its  ]>recipitous  nature,  or 
return  the  fire  U])on  the  concealed  foe  with  ell'ect, 
retreated  in  good  order  down  to  Colonel  Evans'  com- 
pany, carrying  with  him  Sergeant  (iillis])ie's  body. 
Colonel  Evans,  from  the  rugged  and  inaccessible 
nature  of  the  mountain,  being  unable  to  advance  to 
tho  jjosition  ho  intended  to  take,  the  whole  command 
retreated  down  the  valley,  the  Indians  following  and 
building  their  defiance  fires  on  our  campingground 
before  the  rear  of  the  column  was  a  mile  and  a  half 
distant. 

We  encamped  that  night  twelve  miles  below,  at 
the  spot  where  Sheritf  Scott,  who  had  been  killed  the 
duj-  before  in  tho  fight  between  the  citizens  and  Indi- 
ans, was  buried.  Colonel  Evans  being  without  ])ro- 
visions,  except  beef  obtained  in  the  valley,  was  com- 
pelled to  return  to  his  former  post  near  IjOs  An- 
geles, 300  miles  distant.  Lieutenant  Xoblo  with  his 
company  accomi)anied  him  as  far  as  the  Citizens' 
Fort,  fifty  miles  below,  for  the  pur|)ose  of  escorting 
the  whiles  with  their  stock,  amounting  to  about 
4,000  head  of  cattle  and  2,5(10  sheep,  to  this  Territory. 
During  the  engagement  above  mentioned,  1  selected 
a  high  nock  at  about  the  center  of  operations,  where 


168 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


I  could  observe  all  |p;irlics,  and  1  am  satisfied  there 
were  not  over  twenty-five  Indians,  who  had  ])robably 
been  left  behind,  as  a  decoj'  to  the  whites  and  to  pro- 
tect the  main  body  and  families,  who  had  gone  on 
into  the  mountains  to  the  north,  to  avoid  a  coilisiou 
with  the  troops. 

These  Indians  have  dug  ditches  and  irrigated  nearly 
all  the  arable  land  in  that  section  of  the  country',  and 
live  bj'  its  jiroducts.  Thej-have  been  repealed!}- told 
by  oflicers  of  the  Government  that  they  should  have 
exclusive  possession  of  those  lands,  and  thej'  are  now 
fighting  to  maintain  that  possession.  Their  number 
is  between  500  and  1,000,  and  they  belong  to  the 
California  Digger  Indian  tribes.  Many  of  them  are 
the  refugees  from  Tulare  Valley,  who  in  1S.")2  and  1S53 
massacred  the  while  inhabitants  and  depopulated  the 
Four  Creek  Country.  At  great  expense  to  the  Gov- 
ernment they  were  driven  over  to  this  side  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  from  Tulare  Vallej-,  and  having  taken 
up  their  abode  along  Owens  lliver  as  a  place  of  last 
resort,  they  will  fight  to  the  last  extremity  in  defense 
of  their  homes. 

Lieutenant  Noble  conferred  with  me  and  we  agreed 
as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued  till  we  met  Colonel  Evans, 
who  then  assumed  command.  This  rc-enforcement 
ruined  all  our  plans.  We  might  have  done  better; 
we  certainly  could  not  have  done  worse.  Lieutenant 
Noble  and  his  men  behaved  gallantly  on  the  field. 

The  next  morning  after  the  fight,  finding  it  out  of 
my  power  to  do  any  good  in  the  neighborhood  under 
the  circumstances,'  and  feai-ingthe  effect  of  the  vic- 
tories these  Indians  had  gained  over  us  would  be  to 
incite  the  Pah-Utes  to  hostilities,  I  left,  accompanied 
only  by  my  interpreter;  and  the  following  night 
reached  the  line  of  the  Pah- Ute  country.  From  the 
time  of  entering  it  1  met  many  of  that  nation  who 
were  anxious  to  hear  the  news  from  the  seat  of  war, 
and  what  would  be  the  possible  result.  1  told  them 
not  to  ])articipate  in  the  difticulties  and  assured  them 
that  unless  the}'  did  bo,  they  should  not  be  molested, 
etc.  They  promised  to  bo  governed  by  my  instructions 
and  advice.  1  arrived  at  the  Walker  Itiver  Keserva- 
tion  on  the  sixteenth  instant.  The  Indians  were  all 
glad  to  see  me  return;  said  they  had  been  afraid  the 
interpreter  and  myself  would  be  killed  by  Owens 
IJiver  Diggers,  and  that  if  such  had  been  the  case, 
they  had  000  warriors  ready  to  go  and  avenge  our 
death. 

I  was  detained  at  Walker  Reservation  and  at  Fort 
Churchill  three  daj-s,  on  account  of  the  officers  at 
the  latter  jilace  insisting  upon  herding  the  Govern- 
ment stock,  cavalry  horses  and  all,  thirty  miles  from 
the  fort  in  the  Indians'  country,  notwithstanding 
grass  was  just  as  good  near  the  fort  (an  argument 
used  bj-  the  Indians),  having  excited  an<l  alarmed 
the  Pah-l'tes,  who  regarded  it  as  a  war  movement 
and  an  infringement  on  their  rights.  I  took  such 
measures  as  were  cakailated  to  allay  the  ditliculty; 
anil  I  will  add  here  tlial  for  the  first  time  since  the 
cstallli^llm^•nt  of  that  jiost,  its  management  ])romisos 
to  be  ])r<Kiuclive  of  more  evil  than  good  among  the 
Indians. 

1  remain,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Wakue.n  VVasson. 

On  the  twentieth  of  July  following,  Wasson  was 
called  to  San  Francisco  by  a  telegram  from  CJovernor 
Nye,  to  confei-  with  Governor  Stanford,  of  California, 
General  Wright,  commanding  the  Dejiartment  of  the 
Pacific,  and  J.  P.  II.  Wontworth,  Indian  Agent,  in 


regard  to  the  Owens  River  difficulties.  He  was  then 
directed  to  collect  the  Indians  of  that  section  at 
Fort  Independence,  where  Wentworth  would  meet 
him  with  goods  for  presents,  and  make  a  treaty. 
Under  these  instructions  he  assembled  four  hundred 
of  the  savages,  and,  after  some  delays,  on  the  six- 
teenth of  October  the  Agent  arrived,  the  conference 
was  held,  the  presents  were  distributed,  the  treaty 
made  and  the  Indians  held  a  great  peace  dance  in 
honor  of  the  occasion.  Thus  ended  the  Owens  River 
War  of  1862. 

CONFERENCE    WITH   THE   PAH-UTE   CHIEFS. 

Governor  Nye,  being  by  virtue  of  his  office  Super- 
intendent of  Indian  Affairs,  desired  to  meet  the 
principal  chiefs  of  the  Pah-Utes  in  conference,  and 
in  May,  18(52,  arrangements  were  made  through  the 
agency  of  Mr.  Warren  Wasson,  who  had  been  Indian 
Agent,  for  the  meeting.  The  most  influential  chiefs 
were  Old  Winnomuccaand  Numaga;  the  latter,  how- 
ever, was  absent  in  the  north,  and  at  first  declined 
to  take  anj-  part  in  the  discussion  on  account  of  the 
death  of  Wahe,  which  still  rankled  in  the  breast  of 
Old  Winnemucca,  leaving  the  old  chief  to  settle  his 
private  difficulties  in  his  own  way.  However,  the 
Governor,  escorted  by  one  hundred  cavalry  of  Cali- 
fornia volunteers,  under  Captain  Price,  arrived  at 
the  lower  bend  of  the  Truckee  on  the  twenty-third 
of  May  and  there  halted,  it  being  understood  that 
Winnemucca  had  positively  refused  to  allow  the 
soldiers  to  come  below  that  point,  and  had  over  two 
hundred  well-drilled  and  mounted  warriors  and  as 
many  more  on  foot,  to  defend  his  position.  This 
refusal  and  force  was  kept  a  secret  from  Captain 
Price,  fearing  if  ho  were  aware  of  the  menace  that 
he  would  resent  it  and  bring  on  a  collision,  destroy- 
ing the  object  of  the  conference.  In  the  evening  of 
that  day  the  Pah-Utes  with  Winnemucca,  accom- 
patiied  by  Wasson,  arrived  on  the  ground,  appear- 
ing in  grand  barbaric  display,  which  seemed  to  the 
whites  as  threatening  and  overawing,  the  Indians 
being  about  lour  hundred  strong.  During  the  two 
Ibllowing  days  the  whole  band  of  si'sp''*-^  .,''ept  up  a 
continuous  war-dance   for  the  eitifi-'^*  ** 


TOv  return    ♦ 


r- 
iive 


tainment  of  their  (lule-faced  visitors, 
coals  to  show  their  disregard  for  pain,  and  perform- 
ing other  feats  of  Indian  character.  On  the  evening 
of  the  twenty-filth  Numaga  arriveii,  he  ap])earingas 
the  diplomatist  of  the  tribe,  and  during  that  evening 
and  the  succeeding  da}'  engaged  in  discussing  mat- 
ters with  (iovornor  Nye.  No  s]>ecific  treaty  was 
made  at  this  conference,  but  presents  were  inter- 
changed and  the  parties  separated.  VVasson  restored 
to  Winnemucca  the  property  of  his  brother  Wahe, 
who  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians  at  Walker 
Lake.  Among  the  effects  was  a  picture  of  the 
deceased  which  the  old  man  refused  to  keep,  saying, 
"  No  want  it;  me  see  him  too  much  all  the  lime." 
Numaga  gave  to  Wasson,  as  a  sign  of  peace  and 
friendship,  his  war  cap,  made  of  a  whole  otter  skin, 


'k3 


^BJ^v 


V"^" 


ADAM    HERBOLD. 


MRS  ADAM  HERBOLD. 


GPEChinZLD ,     hl£\/ADA. 


^^. 


eWAVEVARD. 


I'St 


RANCH  AND  RESIDENCE  OF  A. HERBOLD. 

ESMERALDA  Ca,MASON  VALLEY,  NEV. 


THE  OWENS  RIVER  WAR. 


169 


trimmed  with  larjL^o  ciii^lc  ])liimes,  his  pipe  of  pciifc, 
tomahawk,  and  a  magnificent  bow,  arrows  and 
quiver,  articles  worn  by  him  in  all  his  battles. 

INDIAN    SCARE   AT   COMO,    IN    1863. 

From  a  journal  kept  by  Alf.  l>otcn,  who  is  present 
editor-in-chief  of  the  tiold  lliil  Dally  News,  itap])ear8 
that  Numaga,  on  the  thirteenth  of  October,  1803, 
met  some  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Como,  in 
Lyon  Count}',  among  whom  was  the  journalist,  and 
through  his  interpreter,  uttered  a  iormal  protest 
against  any  further  destruction  of  the  ]iiiie  nut  groves. 
lie  said  that  his  ]ieo])lo  depended  upon  the  nuts 
from  these  trees  for  food;  that  the  "pine  nut  groves 
teere  tite  hiilinns  orchards"  and  they  must  not  be 
destroyed  by  tlie  whites.  That  the}'  were  welcome 
to  the  fallen  or  dead  timber,  but  he  should  not  per- 
mit a  destruction  of  that  portion  which  yielded  food 
for  his  followers. 

This  warning  was  not  heeded,  and  it  was  followed 
by  the  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  upon  the 
scene  of  numerous  dusky  forms,  who  with  lowering 
looks  so  thoroughly  frightened  the  wood-chop])ers, 
that  thej'  fled  to  Como  and  spread  a  war  panic  in 
the  town. 

Martial  law  was  declared  in  Como  b}'  Martin,  the 
Wizard;  jtickets  were  posted,  and  a  courier  dispatched 
to  Fort  Churchill  for  military  assistance.  That 
night,  a  lieutenant  with  twenty  men  galloped  into 
the  place  and  took  charge  of  the  besieged  garrison. 
The  next  night  every  one  "  who  prowled  the  mid- 
night darkness,"  were  su])posed  to  have  the  counter- 
sign or  sutler  a  sudden  calamity.  Two  citizens  met 
"in  the  gloaming,"  and  so  scared  each  other  that  both 
forgot  the  password,  and  •'  turned  loose  "  in  the  most 
approved  style  with  their  revolvers,  each  supposing 
he  was  having  a  struggle  for  life  with,  possibly, 
Numaga  himself  The  alarm  was  general  and  fear- 
ful to  contemi)late.  A  butcher,  in  his  hurry  to  rush 
to  the  general  defense  from  midnight  massacre  of 
the  town,  in  his  haste  to  get  hold  of  it,  accidentally 
fired  ott"  his  gun,  and  then,  as  the  aforesaid  Alf. 
Doten,  without  the  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes, 
remarked,  '•  llcU  did  pop."  The  next  morning  the 
Indians  came  into  town  to  see  what  all  the  row  was 
about. 

A    CHIKF    .MURDERED. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  October,  1863,  E-zed-wa,  a 
chief  of  the  Walker  Iliver  Indians,  was  on  his  way 
to  Virginia  City  to  see  N.  H.  A.  Mason,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  entering  a  complaint  against  that  gentleman's 
overseer,  John  V.  Hale,  when  lie  was  met  b}'  Hale  at 
Fort  Churchill,  who  got  him  drunk,  and  then  killed 
both  him  and  his  horse.  The  body  of  the  chief  was 
found  in  the  Carson  River  by  members  of  his  tribe, 
and  Hale  made  his  escaj)C  after  telling  Mr.  Mason  all 
of  the  circumstances. 

About  the  first  of  December  following,  Pah-Utos 
to  the  number  of  about  1,300  assembled  at  the  sink 
of  the  Carson,  and  by  messenger  to  Fort  Churchill 


demaiiiled  satisfaction  for  the  murder  of  their  chief, 
who  was  known  to  the  whites  by  the  name  of  Cap- 
tain George.  Lieutenant  Oscar  Jewett  was  sent  to 
hold  a  j)arley  with  them,  and  the  conference  resulted 
in  an  agreement  to  give  the  tribe,  as  damages  for 
the  loss  of  E-zed-wa,  a  wagon-load  of  provisions  and 
clothing,  and  that  Mason  was  to  pay  them  81,000. 

TROIBI.E    IN    1864,    IN    I1U.MB0LDT    COUNTY. 

A  party  of  three,  named  Br.  K.  Smeathman,  W.  F. 
White  and  Frank  Thomj)son,  were  i)rospecting  in  the 
mountains,  near  the  north  line  of  Nevada,  west  of 
Pueblo,  on  the  fourth  of  March,  1S64.  When 
engaged  in  looking  for  water,  signs  of  Indians  were 
discovered  by  them,  and  Thompson  advised  a  removal 
from  that  locality,  but  the  Doctor  objected,  and  the 
search  was  continued.  They  were  soon  after  fired 
upon  from  an  ambush,  and  Dr.  Smeathman  fell 
wounded  from  his  horse,  crying  for  help.  Thomp- 
son and  White  fled  towards  the  settlements,  leaving 
him  to  his  fate,  and  forty-eight  hours  later  rode 
into  Rabbit  Hole  Station,  from  where  they  made 
their  way  to  Humboldt  City. 

In  the  same  section  of  country,  in  the  following 
May,  a  prospecting  party  of  seven  men,  while  mak- 
ing a  temporarj'  halt  in  a  canon,  scvontj'-five  miles 
noithwest  of  Paradise  Valley,  were  fired  upon  by 
Indians,  and  four  of  the  party,  among  whom  was 
G.  W.  Dodge,  wore  killed.  One  man  named  Xoblo 
received  three  wounds,  and  the  other  two  were 
unharmed.  Noble,  although  hit  in  the  nock,  shoulder 
and  groin,  succeeded  in  keeping  the  enemj'  at  bay, 
while  his  two  comjianions  secured  the  horses,  and 
the  three  made  their  way  to  Star  Citj-.  The  locality 
of  this  tragedy  received  the  name  of  Disaster  Peak. 

The  Humboldt  Re<j infer  of  June  4,  1S64,  notes  the 
return  of  ])urties  from  the  expedition  that  recently 
left  Humboldt  and  vicinity  to  chastise  the  Indians; 
records  that  in  a  skirmish  with  the  Bannocks,  two 
of  that  tribe  had  been  killed,  on  one  of  whom  was 
found  a  shirt  that  had  been  the  property'  "of  one 
of  the  four  men  killed  by  them  last  month."  This 
paragraj)!)  undoubtedly  refers  to  those  parties  killed 
at  I'isaster  Peak. 

INDIAN    TBOUni.ES    IN    1865. 

The  first  overt  act  in  1865  was  in  the  last  of  Feb- 
ruary or  first  of  March,  by  a  couple  of  Walker 
River  Pah-Utes,  who  murdered  two  ])rospeetors 
near  Walker  Lake.  The  men  killed  were  Isaac 
Stewart,  formerly  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  aged  twenty- 
six  years;  and  Robert  Rabe,  a  German,  aged  thirty 
years.  The  two  men  were  on  a  ])rospecling  tour, 
and  had  decided  to  camp  at  a  ))oint  about  two  miles 
from  the  head  of  the  lake.  Stewart  rode  forward 
toward  the  lake  to  view  out  the  next  day's  coui-so, 
and  Rabe  remained  to  prepare  camp  and  supper. 
Ho  was  in  the  act  of  lighting  a  match,  when  shot 
from  behind  through  tlie  back.  He  fell  forward 
upon  his  face,  and  ihe  Indians  killed  him  by  smash- 
ing his  head    with   a  stone.     Tluy   then    starteil   in 


170 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


pursuit  of  Stewart,  who  made  his  escape  to  the  lake, 
where,  being  headcti  of}',  he  took  to  the  water,  and 
has  never  been  heard  from.  These  facts  were  ob- 
tained from  a  friendly  Indian.  Ilabe  had  consider- 
ble  money  on  him,  and  the  two  had  four  horses. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  March  two  young  warriors, 
who  had  been  principals  in  the  murder,  werecaptured, 
with  the  assistance  of  friendly  Pah-Utes.  When 
the  j-oung  men  found  what  was  likely  to  result  to 
them,  because'  of  their  acts,  they  proposed  to  ran- 
som themselves.  They  oftered  to  give  the  Govern- 
ment all  their  ponies,  aqd  if  that  would  not  do,  to 
throw  in,  as  an  extra  inducement,  their  fathers,  to  be 
hanged  in  their  places.  Eventually  they  were  both 
turned  loose. 

On  the  same  day,  March  14th,  Captain  Wells,  with 
a  company  of  cavalry,  surprised  at  daylight  a  camp 
of  Pah-Utes  on  the  banks  of  Mud  Lake,  within  the 
PahUte  Reservation,  and  killed  every  Indian  found 
in  the  camp.  Major  McDermitt,  in  a  letter  to  Gov- 
ernor Blasdel,  reported  thirty-two  as  the  number 
slain. 

Simultaneous  with  the  attack  of  Captain  Wells, 
Black   Hock  Tom  was  on  the  war-path  in  the  north. 

That  night  a  telegram  from  Judge  E.  F.  iJunne, 
of  Humboldt  County,  announced  to  Governor  Blas- 
del that  the  Wall  Sjjring  Station-keeper,  and  two 
men  at  Granite  Creek  Station,  on  the  Honey  Lake 
road,  had  been  killed  by  Indians.  The  names  of 
two  of  the  men  were  George  Thayer,  an  express- 
man, and  Lucius  Arcularius,  the  station-keeper. 
On  the  seventeenth,  Indians  were  reported  as  ren- 
dezvousing at  the  head  of  Humboldt  Canal.  A  war 
meeting  was  held  at  Dun  Glen,  and  only  nineteen 
guns  could  be  found.  On  the  twentieth,  M.  W. 
llaviland  arrived  at  Star  City,  asking  help  for  Par- 
adise Valley. 

HOSTILITIES    IN    I>.\RADISK    VALLEV. 

On  the  morning  of  April  4,  18G5,  two  friendly 
Indians  notified  A.  Denio  that  in  "two  sleeps"  a 
band  of  warriors  would  make  a  raid  upon  Paradise 
Valley,  kill  all  the  settlers  and  run  off  their  stock. 

Mr.  l>enio,  with  his  family,  was  living  at  the 
time  on  the  east  side  of  Martin  Creek,  near  the 
present  residence  of  N.  (iiik'ian;  and  his  neighbors 
were  A.  and  J.  T.  Bryant,  T.  J.  Fine,  and  Mr. 
Stockham.  The  latter  gentleman  being  awaj-  on  a 
mission  to  procure  military  assistance,  if  possible, 
for  the  settlci-8,  his  wife  was  at  home  alone.  Three 
miles  further  up  the  cret'k  another  settler  was 
living  named  Rembreaux.  I'rompt  as  well  as  ener- 
getic measures  were  at  once  sot  on  foot  to  notify 
all  the  settlers,  and  prepare  for  moving  from  that 
locality  to  a  place  of  safety.  A  conveyance  had 
to  bo  made  for  Mr.  Fine,  who  was  prostrated  with 
inflammatory  rheumatism,  also  for  the  children  of 
Mr.  Denio.  The  hind  portion  of  a  wagon  was  con- 
verted into  a  cart  for  this  ])urpose,  but  before  they 
could  move  a  fearful  storm  set  in,  and  all  were 
detained  until  the  following  morning.     During  the 


night  they  were  re-enforced  bj-  the  arrival  of  Thomas 
Byrnes  and  John  Lackey. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth,  the  party,  con- 
sisting of  all  the  persons  mentioned,  started  to  reach 
Willow  Point.  To  do  this  they  were  forced  to  cross 
Martin  and  Cottonwood  Creeks,  swollen  with  the 
recent  storm,  between  which  lay  a  swamp  of  mud 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  wide.  Over  that  portion 
of  the  route  the  sick  man,  women  and  children,  had 
to  be  carried  most  of  the  way,  rendering  their  prog- 
ress tediously  slow.  After  the  passage  was  made, 
Mr.  Denio  and  Rembreaux  manned  the  cart  in  which 
Mr.  Fine  and  the  children  were  placed,  and  started 
to  haul  it  to  Hamblin's  Corral,  some  three  miles  on 
their  waj*,  the  two  women  accompanying  them  on 
foot  They  were  soon  met  by  a  man  on  horseback 
named  Jacob  Hufford,  who  attached  a  riala  to  the 
reach,  which  served  as  a  tongue  for  the  cart,  and 
with  the  other  end  of  it  fastened  to  his  saddle,  hauled 
the  primitive  ambulance  over  the  intervening  dis- 
tance to  the  corral  without  delay.  The  balance  of 
the  party  remained  behind  at  the. Cottonwood  Creek 
to  get  across  that  stream  such  provisions,  goods,  etc., 
as  had  been  taken  that  far  in  their  journey.  It  was 
expected  that  thej-  would  be  met  by  a  man  named 
Christopher  Fearbourne,  who  had  gone  the  night 
before  up   the   valley   with  an  ox-team   to  get  the 

effects  of Barber,  and Collins,  who  were  to 

leave  with  the  rest. 

P'earbourne  had  remained  overnight  with  the  par- 
ties whom  he  had  gone  to  move  out  of  their  danger- 
ous proximity,  and  when  they  got  up  in  the  morning 
it  was  to  find  a  large  number  of  Indians  about  the 
house  and  corral.  No  unfriendly  demonstration  was 
made,  but  looks,  combined  with  their  awaiting  with 
no  apparent  object  about  the  place,  seemed  to  carry 
with  it  the  indications  of  hostile  designs  that  might 
develop  into  action  at  any  moment.  Barber  sug- 
gested to  his  companions  that  they  all  go  to  the  corral, 
mount  their  horses,  and  ride  off;  but  this  j)lan  was 
objected  to  by  Fearbourne  and  Collins,  who  thought 
a  bold  front  might  do  better.  They  deemed  the 
wisest  course  to  be  for  them  to  put  their  things  on 
board  the  wagon,  and  go  as  they  first  intended.  This 
plan  was  tried,  but  the  Indians  becoming  more 
demonstrative  and  rather  insolent,  Barber  said 
to  his  friends.  '•  I  am  going  to  make  the  altem])t  to 
go  for  help,  and  j-ou  shut  yourselves  up  in  the  cabin 
if  there  is  trouble,  and  do  the  best  you  can  till  I  get 
back." 

He  went  to  the  corral,  caught  and  saddled  a  floet- 
footed  horse,  as  though  nothing  had  occurred  to  dis- 
turb him,  and  one  of  the  Indians  asked  him  what  he 
proposed  to  do.  Barber  re])lied  that  he  was  going 
out  to  drive  in  a  beef  to  kill;  but  they  did  not  seem 
to  fully  believe  his  assertion,  and  two  of  them 
mounted  their  ponies  and  started  with  him.  F"or  a 
long  distance  they  rode  along,  until  finally  seeming 
to  become  convinced  that  liarber  had  told  the  truth, 
they  turned  back,      lie  rode  on  without  increasing 


THE  OWENS  RIVER  WAR. 


171 


hiH  speed,  until  an  elevation  hid  liim  from  their  view, 
when  he  j^jiiUoped  onward  in  the  direction  of  the  set- 
tlement where  the  parties  lived  whom  wo  have 
described  as  on  their  way  to  the  Ilamblin  (,'orral. 

The  men  who  had  remained  liehind  to  get  their 
property  to  a  place  where  it  could  bo  reached  and 
taken  up  by  the  expected  owner  of  the  ox-team,  had 
ju8t  comj)leted  their  task  when  Hai'ber  came  riding 
up  with  the  news  of  the  danger  that  had  overtaken 
his  comrades  at  the  cabin.  While  he  was  telling 
what  had  transpired,  one  of  the  listeners  turned  to 
look  in  the  direction  of  the  threatened  danger,  and 
saw  a  column  of  smoke  rising  from  the  valley,  and 
then  they  correctly  suspected  that  tho  cabin  had 
been  fired,  and  probabi}'  a  struggle  for  life  was  at 
that  moment  going  on  between  the  savages  and  the 
two  men  who  had  shut  themselves  in  there.  Barber, 
Bj'rnes  and  Lackey  at  once  started  to  the  relief  of 
tho  besieged,  while  Bryant  and  the  lad  Denio  set  out 
for  the  corral. 

As  Barber  and  his  two  assistants  neared  tho  burnt 
cabin  and  were  within  jiossibly  three  hundred  yards 
of  it,  they  were  suddonl}-  assailed  by  twenty-two 
Indians  on  horseback  and  a  large  number  on  foot, 
but  the  three  white  men  made  a  successful  retreat  to 
the  corral,  three  miles  away,  that  had  become  the 
place  of  general  rendezvous.  Just  at  this  time  as  A. 
and  T.  J.  Bryant,  with  whom  was  young  Robert 
Denio,  a  lad  but  twelve  years  old,  were  approaching 
the  corral,  they  were  discovered  by  the  Indians,  who 
made  an  attempt  to  cut  them  off,  which  would  have 
been  successful  but  for  a  bold  rally  on  tho  part  of 
Waldron  Foster  and  Lackey,  that  created  a  diver- 
sion and  enabled  tho  footmen  to  gain  the  defenses. 

The  little  garrison  now  consisted  of  A.  Denio,  his 
wife  and  four  children;  Uobert  Denio,  a  boy  twelve 
years  old,  Jacob  Hufford  and  wife,  Mrs.  Stockham, 
T.  J.  Fine,  A.  Bryant,  T.  J.  Bryant,  John    Lackey, 

Waldron  Foster,  Thomas  Byrnes,  Rembreaux, 

and Barber. 

Ten  men,  one  boy,  three  women,  and  four  children, 
constituted  tho  entire  force  over  which  Mr.  Denio, 
by  mutual  consent,  assumed  command-  The  place 
was  j)ut  in  tho  best  possible  condition  for  defense; 
but  it  was  believed  by  all  that  unless  assistance  camo 
soon,  a  ma.ssacro  would  be  their  common  fate.  About 
fitly  yards  from  the  corral  stood  Ilamblin's  house, 
which  became  a  point  of  considerable  danger,  as 
behind  it  the  enemy  was  liable  to  take  cover  and 
station  sharpshooters.  It  was,  therefore,  decided  to 
burn  the  structure,  and  this  task  was  performed  by 
T.  J.  Bryant  and  .Mr.  Foster  under  a  lii-e  from  the 
Indians.  Tlio  only  arms  possessed  by  tho  besieged 
settlers  were  three  common  rifles,  ono  musket,  two 
double-barreled  shot-guns,  ono  nav^-  and  five  small 
Colt's  revolvers,  and  they  were  obliged  to  stay  there 
and  receive  without  reply  the  fire  from  long-range 
guns  in  ])ossession  of  the  Indians,  who  were  on  every 
side  of  them. 


A    UIDE   FOR   LIFE. 

It  was  at  length  determined  to  make  an  effort  to 
break  through  the  enemy's  lines  and  roach  Willow 
Point,  to  let  tho  pe()])le  there  know  tho  peril  that 
menaced  the  garrison.  Thomas  Byrnes  volunteered 
to  make  the  perilous  attempt,  and  mounting  a  horee, 
he  rode  straight  down  upon  tho  Indians  and  passed 
through  their  lines  upon  a  gallop,  followed  by  a  shower 
of  bullets  and  a  half  dozen  duskj'  warriors  well 
mounted.  The  fleet-footed  horse  flew  over  the  plain 
to  the  south  with  its  ridor  apparently  unharmed,  and 
soon  passed  from  the  sight  of  those  anxious  watchers 
at  the  little  fort.  It  was  a  race  for  life.  If  over- 
taken by  a  stray  bullot,  or  tho  mounted  savages,  tho 
lives  of  all  at  the  corral  would  have  ]>ai<l  the  ponaltyi 
and,  seemingly  inspired  with  the  terril)lo  emergency, 
the  noble  animal  flow  like  a  winged  Pegasus  out  of 
sight  from  its  pursuers. 

Arriving  at  Willow  Point  Station  about  3  p.  m., 
thirteen  men  were  found  there  willing  and  anxious 
to  answer  the  call  for  help,  but  unfortunatolj-,  only 
twelve  horses  could  be  obtained  to  ride,  and  it  would 
not  do  for  them  to  wait  for  an  animal  for  tho  thir- 
teenth man.  Twelve  accordingly  mounted  tho  horses 
and  as  they  were  about  to  ride  off,  a  white-haired 
old  veteran  named  Givens,  the  one  who  was  to 
have  been  left  behind,  seized  a  rifle  in  ono  hand,  and 
laying  hold  of  the  pommel  of  a  saddle  with  tho  other, 
told  them  to  "  heave  ahead."  In  this  manner  ho 
kept  pace  with  tho  relief  party  over  that  thirteen 
miles,  refusing  to  get  on  a  horse,  and  every  little 
while  sajing,  "  heave  ahead,  boys,  heave  ahead,  tho 
women  and  children  must  be  saved."' 

Just  at  night  they  arrived  iii  the  vicinity  of  tho 
besieged  camp.  The  Indians  upon  iliscovering  their 
approach  held  a  hurried  consultation,  raised  tho  siege, 
and  fled  the  valley.  No  more  was  scon  of  them. 
About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  tho  entire  party 
started  for  Willow  Point,  reaching  the  |)lace  at  3 
o'clock  in  tho  morning  of  tho  sixth,  where  they  found 
Lieut.  Jo.seph  Wolverton,  with  twent^'-fivo  men,  who 
had  arrived  there  late  the  previous  evening. 

A  letter  from  E.  F.  Dunno,  of  Humboldt  County, 
published  in  the  Gold  Hill  i\'ei/;.t,  April  17,  18(J5,  says: 
"On  the  sixth,  Wolverton  engaged  a  band  of  Indians 
about  twelve  miles  from  Cottonwood,  killing  ton  of 
them,  and  then  pushed  on  to  Martin  Creek  Gap, 
some  thirty-two  miles  from  Willow  Crook,  where 
they  killed  two  more  Indians.  A  company  of  volun- 
teers, citizens,  arrived  at  Willow  Creek  on  tho  even- 
ing of  tho  seventh,  and  the  next  morning  started  to 
aid  Lieutenant  Wolverton,  but  found  on  their  arrival 
that  the  Indians  had  made  their  escape.  The  only 
casualty  to  Wolverton's  command  was  ono  horso  shot. 

K.VTE   OF   COM.INS    .VNI>    FE.MIHOI'RNE. 

On  tho  seventh,  Lieutenant  Wolverton  with  his 
command,  accompanied  by  citizens,  visited  the  scone 
of  the  late  trouble;  and  u|ion  arriving  at  the  burned 
cabin  found  and  buried   tho  remains  of  Collins  and 


172 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Fearbourne.  Judijiiifi;  from  the  appearance  of  the 
bodies  and  surromidiDf^s,  it  wan  evident  that  the  two 
men  had  remained  in  the  burning  house  until  there 
was  left  them  only  a  choice  as  to  whether  they 
would  die  by  bullets  or  fire.  They  had  then  sallied 
forth  to  their  doom.  Fearbourne  had,  apparently, 
remained  in  the  cabin,  holding  a  pan  over  bis  head 
to  protect  himself  fron  the  heat  of  the  burning  roof 
of  tbatfh,  until  his  hands  and  arms  were  cooked. 
He  had  then  rushed  out  of  the  burning  cabin,  and 
while  running  had  evidently  been  shot  in  the  back, 
falling  some  150  yards  from  the  cabin,  where  he  was 
found  still  grasping  the  pan.  The  charred  remains 
of  the  unfortunate  Collins  were  found  among  the 
ashes  and  embers  of  a  ))ile  of  poles  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  and  it  is  supposed  he  ha<l  been 
j)laced  on  this  funeral-pyre  before  life  was  extinct. 
Ilis  heart  had  been  cut  out,  and  his  body  otherwise 
mutilated,  in  accordance  with  the  usual  custom  of 
these  savages. 

EIGHTEEN    INDIANS    SC.VLPED. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  April  succeeding  the  events 
narrated,  four  parties  succeeded  in  surprising  a  camp 
of  Indians  near  Kane  Springs.  They  charged  in 
among  the  redskins,  dealing  death  right  and  left, 
and  brought  away  with  them  eighteen  scalps  as 
trophies  of  their  work. 

EVENTS    IN    OTUER   P.\RTS    IN     1865. 

On  the  fifth  of  May  James  Emory,  of  Trinitj- 
County,  California,  was  killed  by  Pah-Utes,  near  the 
Honey  Lake  road,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
Humboldt  Iliver.  Ho  was  one  of  seven  who  were 
en  roufe  for  Pine  Forest  Mining  District.  At  the 
same  time  another  of  the  party  was  wounded,  named 
Sponcer,  and  they  reported  having  killed  four 
Indians. 

May  20th,  Captain  Wells,  with  thirty-six  men, 
fought  a  combined  force  of  Pah-Utes,  Bannocks  and 
Shoshones,  numbering,  according  to  his  report,  500. 
The  scene  of  the  battle  was  Vii)  miles  northeast  of 
Gravelly  Ford,  and  75  miles  from  Paradise  Valley. 
The  engagement  lasted  four  hours  ;  I'esulling  in  a 
repulse  of  the  whites,  and  a  loss  of  two  men  killed, 
named  James  Monroe  and  Isaac  \V.  Godfrey,  both  of 
Company  D,  F'irst  Nevada  Cavaby,  and  four 
wounded.  The  place  whore  tho  battle  was  fought  is 
called  Godfrey  Mountain  by  the  Adjutant  General  of 
Nevada.*  A  private  letter  from  one  of  the  soldiers 
engaged  in  the  battle,  says:  "  I  can  give  no  correct 
guess  of  how  many  Indians  there  wore;  but  they 
must  have  had  fifty  or  sixty  guns,  perhaps  a  great 
many  more;  they  used  no  bows  and  arrows." 

The  following  letter  gives  all  tho  particulars  con- 
cerning tho  incident  of  which  it  treats,  that  have 
come  to  us: — 

Paradise  Vai.i.ev,  July  5,  1SG5. 
A.   P.   K.  Sakkouu:    I    have  this  moment  arrived 
at  this  jioint,  having  been  one  of  a  party  of  soven- 

*  Adjutant  (ioueral's  lleport,  f8G5,  page  C. 


teen  men  who,  on  their  way  to  Boise,  encountered  a 
large  band  of  Indians  twent}'  miles  bej-ond  Quin's 
River,  on  Monday,  the  'M  instant,  and  of  the  jiarty 
P.  W.  Jackson,  of  Virginia  City,  was  instantlj'  killed. 
Thomas  Kwing  was  shot  through  the  body.  Thomas 
Rule,  of  Humboldt  River,  was  shot  in  several  places, 
and  a  Canadian  Frenchman,  from  Virginia  (Jitj',  was 
shot  through  the  lungs.  Ewing,  llule  and  the 
Frenchman  will  be  hereto-night.  Mr.  Ewiiig  wishes 
j-ou  to  em])loy  a  ])hj'sician  and  send  him  immediatolj' 
to  this  place,  Willow  Point.  We  hope  that  none  of 
those  wounded  are  mortally  so,  but  they  are  very 
badly  shot.     The  tight  lasted  two  hours. 

Tuos.  J.  Butler. 

The  repeated  contests  in  the  northern  part  of  Hum- 
boldt County  communicated  the  excitement  to  the 
Indians  of  eastern  Nevada,  and  they  assembled  in 
threatening  bodies  in  several  localities  of  Lander 
County.  Tho  Indians  of  this  section  belonged  to  the 
Shoshone  tribe,  an  inferior  and  ])ro])ortyless  jjooplo, 
who  were  so  low  in  the  scale  of  humanitj'  that  they 
never  consti-ucted  a  house,  or  wigwam,  or  anj-tbing 
that  could  bo  called  by  any  name  indicating  a  cover, 
only  seeking  shelter  in  storms — which  in  winter 
were  frequent,  and  at  times  severe — behind  rocks 
and  in  the  lee  of  bushes;  subsisting  on  pine  nuts, 
pine  burs,  roots,  mice,  snakes  (hence  their  name 
Shoshone),  gophers,  rabbits,  and  game  of  a  similar 
character,  occasionally  killing  a  coj'otc,  antelope  or 
other  larger  animal.  The  Pah-Utes  were  their 
superiors,  holding  them  in  subjection,  limiting  their 
range  to  what  arc  now  called  the  Shoshone  Mount- 
ains on  the  west,  forbidding  them  the  ownership  of 
horses,  and  by  other  and  oppressive  moans,  continu- 
ing them  in  a  state  of  destitution  and  degradation. 
The  largo  influx  of  minors  in  18tj2-G3,  and  subseqent 
years,  had  relieved  them  from  the  opjiression  of  the 
Pah-Utes,  and  had  so  greatly  bettered  their  condition 
that  no  ap])rohonsions  had  boon  felt;  consequently, 
their  threatening  assemblages  and  thieving  doi)reda- 
tions  so  incensed  the  ])eople  of  Lander  Count}-  that 
they  called  upon  the  Military  Department  to  send  an 
expedition  against  thom.  Colonel  .Mooi-e,  of  the 
California  Volunteers,  was  in  command  at  Fort  Hubj", 
and,  in  June,  lSii5,  ho  dispatched  Lieut.  W.  H. 
Soamands,  a  young  and  energolic;  officer,  with  about 
forty  men  and  a  mountain  howil/.er,  to  tho  scone  of 
disturbance  in  the  northern  part  of  Rooso  River 
Valley.  Soamands  encountered  tho  Indians  in  tho 
hills  west  of  Reese  River,  and  after  a  few  shots  dis- 
persed them,  without  loss  to  his  command,  and  an 
unknown  loss  to  the  enemy.  Tho  energy  and 
promptitude  of  this  movement,  with  the  execution 
and  terror  inflicted  by  tho  howitzer,  pacified  tho 
Indians  of  that  quarter,  or  sent  thom  as  allies  of 
those  who  wore  still  committing  depredations  in 
northern  Nevada  and  southern  Oregon. 

hostilities  in  paradise  valley  in  18C5. 
Tho  citizens  of  Paradise  Vallo}-  determined  to  per- 
sist in  their  efforts  to  raise  a  crop  of  grain  that  year, 
and   to   enable  thom    to   do  so    two  colonies   were 


EXCHANGE  HOTEL,  AURORA, ESMERALDA  CO,NEV. 
ANGUS    M?  LEOD,  PROP'R. 


^^■AM^~ 


RANCH  OF  ANGUS  M9  LEOD, MASON  VALLEY, 

ESMERALDA  CO.,rMEV. 


THE  OWENS  RIVER  WAR. 


173 


organized.  One  of  them  was  formed  about  May 
loth  and  consisted  of  Charles  Adams,  the  founder, 

M.  W.  Havihuui.  A.  Denio,  Thomas  Byrnes, 

Travis, Doom,    and  .Mayland.      They 

established    themselves    on    the  ranch    now  owned 

by  B.  F.  Rile}-,  Charles  Siiiiihas,  an<l Rice. 

They  succeeded  in  cullivatiiii;  about  eighty  acres  of 
ground,  but  about  the  first  of  July  the  colony 
removed  to  the- place  now  owned  by  R.  Breiicbly, 
for  the  purpose  of  culliiig  hay.  In  this  new  locality 
they  found  plenty  of  Indian  signs,  that  indicated  a 
hostile  proximity  because  of  their  secrecy  or  failure 
to  lead  to  a  visible  presence  of  any  of  that  race. 

The  other  colony  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  val- 
ley, with  .Martin  Creeic  running  between  them,  and 
thej'  consisted  of  R.  11.  Scott,  Edward  Lyng,  C.  A. 
Nichols,  Richard  Brenchly,  Charles  CJegg,  J.  G. 
Johnson,  Joshua  Warlord,  Victor  T.  Schann  and 
Michael  Mayleu.  Tliese  parties  made  the  cabin  of 
R.  H.  Scott  their  place  of  nightly  rendezvous,  in  the 
day-time  working,  well-armed,  upon  their  several 
ranches.  After  their  cro))s  were  in,  four  of  them  left 
the  valley  and  the  others  remained  until  in  Jul}', 
when  indications  of  unfriendly  Indians  became  so 
strong  in  the  vicinity  that  Scott  decided  to  go  and 
see  if  military  assistance  could  not  be  obtained.  He 
started,  and  got  lost  in  the  night,  but  discovering  a 
light  ap])roached  it  and  I'ouiul  himself  unexpectedly 
in  the  temporary  camp  of  Colonel  McDermit,  who 
detailed  Sergeant  Thomas,  of  Company  D,  Nevada 
Volunteers,  with  a  Corporal  and  si.xteen  men  to 
return  with  him. 

This  command,  under  Sergeant  Thomas,  had 
moved  north  iVom  Willow  Point,  to  graze  their 
stock  and  occupy  an  advanced  position  in  the  valley. 
The  little  force  was  then  divided,  and  six  men  with 
the  Corporal  were  some  four  miles  from  the  Ser- 
geant's camp,  when  on  the  2Gth  of  July  they  were 
suddenlj-  confronted  b}'  a  body  of  Indians  number- 
ing, as  variously  stated,  from  twenty-seven  to  fifty 
warriors.  No  attack  was  made,  but  their  acts  not 
being  oi'a  friendly  nature,  a  man  was  sent  to  notify 
Sergeant  Thomas  of  the  condition  of  affairs,  and  he 
immediately  started  with  his  men  for  llie  tliroatencd 
cam]).  The  Indians  on  observing  his  approach 
hoisted  a  white  flag,  which  the  Sergeant  responded 
to  by  a  charge  that  drove  the  marauders  into  the 
swam])  where  they  took  cover  and  found  thems^'lves 
in  a  ira])  from  which  there  was  no  chance  for  escape. 
A  long  and  obstiiiate  battle  ensued,  every  man  fight- 
ing on  his  Dwn  ])lan,  as  skirmishers,  taking  advan- 
tage of  cover  in  imitation  of  the  Indian  mode  of  war- 
fare. There  were  several  citizens  who  took  j)art  in 
the  fight,  which  made  the  foi'ces  about  ei]ual  as  to 
numbers.  Five  Indians  fled  to  a  house  for  safety;  ' 
the  building  was  fired  and  each  was  shot  as  he 
rushed  out  from  his  burning  refuge. 

When  the  battle  was  over  there  were  twent^'-threo 
dead  Indians  left  on  the  battle-ground,  and  the  bal 


ance  escaped  to  the  hills,  one  of  whom  died  from 
the  ett'ects  of  his  wounds. 

THE    WRITES    LOST   IN    THE    BATTLE.* 

Jos(']ih  Warfield,  a  citizen,  killed. 

Hereford,  private,  Company  1,  California  Volun- 
teers, killed. 

Daniel  MulHy,  jirivato,  Companj'  1,  California 
Viilunteers,  wounded. 

Rehil,  jirivate,  Company  I,  California  Volunteers, 
wounded. 

Travis,  private.  Company  I,  California  Volunteers, 
wounded. 

M.  W.  Ilaviland,  wounded. 

One  soldier  who  was  wounded  cut  out  the  ball, 
and  then  continued  in  the  fight  to  its  close. 

DEATH    OF    COLONEL    CIIAULES  MCDEU.MIT. 

On  the  seventh  of  August,  this  oflScer,  who  was 
in  command  of  the  De])artment  of  Nevada,  was 
shot  bj'  an  ambushed  Indian,  when  riding  along  a 
trail.  He  was  returning  to  Camp  McDermit,  then 
known  as  Quin's  River  Station,  from  a  scout  on 
Quin's  River,  at  the  time,  and  lived  but  four  hours 
after  receiving  the  fatal  wound.  His  remains  were 
taken  to  Fort  Churchill,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
nineteenth  of  August,  and  were  buried  there  the 
next  day.  A  letter  from  him,  written  at  tjuin's 
River  Station,  on  the  first  of  August,  stated  as  fol- 
lows:—^ 

"  We  have  killed  thirty-two  Indians  since  1  took 
the  field,  and  have  had  one  man  wounded,  and  one 
man  killed." 

August  11th,  an  Indian  named  "Tom"  was  arrested 
and  shot  in  Spring  Canon,  near  Unionville,  he  hav- 
ing been  recognized  as  one  of  the  depredators  in 
I'aradise  Valley. 

EVENTS    IN    HCMBOLDT   COUNTY. 

T)nring  the  month  of  August  Colonel  Bryan  made 
a  sumnu'r  camp  near  Willow  Point,  where  he  re- 
mained until  October,  when  the  forces  under  his 
command  withdrew  to  Dun  Glen. 

Sejitember  lid,  upon  information  received  from 
and  under  guidance  of  friendly  Pah-Utes,  a  party 
of  hostile  Indians,  numbering  about  ton.  were  sur- 
priseil  in  their  cam])  near  Table  Mountain,  about 
thirty  miles  southeast  of  Unionville,  and  all  were 
killed.  Twenty  soldiers,  under  Lieutenant  Penwell, 
several  citizens,  and  the  guides,  ])artici]iated  in  the 
sanguinary  work.  The  victims  had  recently  par- 
tici])ated  in  the  war  along  the  north  lino  of  the 
State,  which  fact  was  obtained  from  the  guides, 
who  disclosed  the  hiding-i)lace  of  the  hosliles.  The 
following  account  of  the  affair  is  taken  from  the 
Humboldt  Keyister,  which  is  given  to  show  the  si)irit 
of  those  times,  and  justification  of  the  act  l)y  public 
o])inion: — 

The  I'ah-Ute  guides  led  the  ])arly  upon  the  camp 
at  daybreak  this  morning,   so   cautiouslj'  that   the 

"  Luttui-  ti)<!olil  Hill  A'eiod,  datoil  August  '1,  18G5. 


174 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OS'  NEVADA. 


entire  t;ang  was  taken  in,  and  ticketed  for  the 
hai»py  iiunting-i^rounds  before  thej-  knew  what  was 
the  matter.  Seven  bucks  bit  the  dust,  and  one  or 
two  squaws  were  killed  by  accident. 

September  13tli,  at  day-break,  Captain  Payne 
attacked  a  camp  of  Indians  in  Quin's  River  Valley, 
on  Willow  Creek;  a  running  fight  ensued  that  lasted 
about  three  hours,  resulting  in  the  killing  of  thirty- 
one  Indians,  and  wounding  of  one  white  man. 

The  following  extract  from  the  Owyhee  Aco/imche. 
of  Idaho,  ])ublishcd  by  John  and  Joseph  Wasson.  in 
October,  besides  the  historic  incident  given,  is  valua- 
ble as  being  a  true  expression  of  public  sentiment  at 
that  time  in  Nevada. 

About  the  eighth  instant,  a  friendly  l*ah-Ute 
gave  information  that  the  Indians  were  camped  fif- 
teen miles  southeast  of  Unionvillc.  Nevada.  Lieu- 
tenant Penwell,  of  Captain  Doughty 's  company,  at 
once  proceeded  from  Dun  Glun  with  a  detachment  of 
men,  and  slaughtered  them  all.  The  soldiers  have 
adopted  the  true  method  of  Indian  warfare.  They 
neither  wait  for  attacks  nor  hostile  movements  by 
them,  but  go  and  hunt  them  as  men  would  wolves 
that  prcj'  on  their  stock. 

BLACK    ROCK    TOM. 

The  above  was  the  name  of  a  chief  whose  band  of 
Pah-Utes  had  begun  their  raids  on  the  fourteenth  of 
March,  1865,  and  it  was  his  followers,  as  well  as 
those  living  in  the  mountains  to  the  north  and  north- 
east, joined  by  renegade  Shoshones  and  15annocks, 
who  had  been  keeping  up  hostilities  during  the  sum- 
mer in  Paradise  Valley  and  along  the  northern 
frontier. 

The  peaceabl}-  disposed  Pah-Utes  were  afraid  that 
the  warlike  attitude  of  this  band  would  antagonize 
the  whole  tribe  with  the  whites,  and  bring  consequent 
destruction  upon  them.  Because  of  this  fear,  Captain 
Soo,  the  chief  of  the  Humboldt  River  Pah-Utes, 
determined  to  aid  the  soldiers  in  killing  oft'  all  the 
hostile  Indians  regardless  of  their  tribal  relations. 

In  one  of  the  first  days  of  November,  ISO."),  a 
party  of  men  with  three  or  four  ox-teams,  were  haul- 
ing goods  from  California  to  the  Humboldt,  over  the 
Honey  Lake  route.  They  had  left  Rabbit  Hole 
Station,  and  were  a])proacliiiig  Cedar  Springs  in  the 
evening.  One  of  the  teams  had  gained  some  distance 
in  advance  of  the  others,  when  it  was  captured,  the 
driver  killed,  the  contents  of  the  wagon  plundered^ 
and  the  residue  set  on  fire  by  Black  Rock  Tom  and 
his  band. 

The  news  was  taken  to  Dun  Glen,  and  Lieutenant 
Penwell  was  ordereil  out  with  twenlysi.v  men  in 
pursuit  of  the  marauders.  Captain  Soo,  who  had 
been  the  leader  in  the  Williams  massacre  in  1860, 
acted  as  guide,  and  with  the  Indian  characteristic  of 
treachery  and  love  of  blood,  now  made  war  on  his 
race.  Upon  examining  the  signs  about  the  scone  of 
the  tragedy  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Black 
Hock  Tom  was  the  guiltj"  party,  and  the  command 
moved  north  in  pursuit.     On  the  ninth  of  November 


they  found  those  whom  they  were  in  search  of 
intrenched  ujion  a  mountain,  west  of  Pah-Ute 
Meadows,  and  after  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  dislodge 
them,  fell  back  into  the  valley  some  seven  miles  and 
camped  for  the  night.  The  next  morning  they 
started  for  Dun  Glen,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
eleventh  without  loss  either  to  the  Indians  or  them- 
selves. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  November^  Lieut.  R.  A. 
Osmer,  of  Company  B,  Second  California  Cavalry,  with 
sixtj'  soldiers,  four  citizens,  and  Captain  Soo,  with  four- 
teen of  his  warriors,  started  from  Dun  Glen,  to  make 
another  effort  to  punish  the  bold  outlaw.  On  reaching 
the  sink  of  Quin's  River,  about  100  miles  northwest  of 
Dun  Glen,  the  wagons  were  left  in  charge  of  fourteen 
men,  while  the  others  continued  to  march.  At  day- 
light on  the  morning  of  the  seventeenth,  after  having 
passed  through  the  swampy  sink  of  Quin's  River 
during  the  night,  Captain  Soo  declared  as  the  sum- 
mit of  some  low  hills  was  reached  that  he  could  see 
the  smoke  of  the  enemj-'s  camp-fires  some  nine  miles 
away  to  the  northeast.  He  also  insisted  that  the 
smoke  was  from  the  camp  of  Black  Rock  Tom.  The 
march  was  continued,  and  when  within  some  five 
miles  of  the  point  designated,  the  smoke  could  be 
seen  by  all.  The  hostiles  did  not  observe  the 
approach  of  the  soldiers  until  only  about  two  miles 
intervened  between  the  opposing  forces,  when  Lieu- 
tenant Osmer  sai<l :  "  Come  on  boys,  we  can't  go 
around,  the  best  man  will  get  there  fii-st;"  and  away 
went  the  entire  command  in  a  "go  as  you  please 
style"  for  a  two-mile  charge. 

The  chief,  Captain  Soo,  finding  that  he  was  likely 
to  be  passed  by  some  of  the  whites  in  the  charge, 
reached  down  and  with  a  knife  cut  the  girth  and, 
throwing  the  saddle  from  under  him  while  at  full 
speed,  flew  like  a  true  son  of  the  desert,  on  his  bare- 
backed horse,  over  the  plains,  and  was  the  first  to 
charge  in  among  the  enemy,  who  were  making  their 
best  off'orts  to  escape.  A  skirmish  battle,  that  extended 
over  several  miles  of  country,  followeil.  It  was  a 
dashing,  gullant  affair,  that  entitled  the  participants 
to  great  credit.  One  prisoner,  a  woman,  was  taken, 
whom  a  citizen  was  about  to  kill  but  was  jtrevented 
from  doing  so  by  a  soldier.  Five  squaws  and  six 
Indians  only  escaped,  among  whom  was  Black  Rock 
Tom. 

David  O'Connell  was  killed;  Sergeant  Lansdon  and 
another  man  were  wounded.  The  bodies  of  fifty- 
five  Pah-  Utes  were  found,  which  does  not  account  for 
all  the  Indians  slain,  many  of  whom  must  have 
remained  iiidden  on  the  battle-ground  that  extended 
over  an  area  ol'])ossiblj-  three  miles  scpiare,  that  con- 
tained many  gullies  and  quantities  of  sago-brush. 

After  the  battle  had  ended,  a  Corporal  in  coming 
down  the  side  of  a  mountain,  or  hill,  was  hailed  by  a 
comrade,  and  upon  going  to  the  place  found  him  try- 
ing to  stop  the  blood  that  was  flowing  from  the 
wounds  of  an  Indian  mother.  Beside  the  woman, 
who  had  received  an  accidental  shot,  lay  an  infant 


THE  OW^NS  RIVER  WAR. 


175 


possibly  six  months  old.  and  standing  close  by  with 
a  frozen  look  of  infant  horror  pictured  in  its  face, 
stood  another  child  about  two  years  of  age.  The 
private  said:  "Let's  take  her  down  to  the  cam]),  its  a 
pity  to  leave  her  here  to  die,  and  the  little  i'eliows  to 
starve."  Just  then  the  Corporal  noticed  a  citizen 
passing  not  far  away  and  said  to  his  comrade  "  call 

and  he  will  help  you,  1  must  hurry  down." 

Directly  after  reaching  the  foot  of  the  hill  he  heard 
several  pistol  shots  in  the  direction  of  where  he  had 
left  the  two  men  with  the  wounded  woman,  and 
looking  up  that  way  saw  the  soldier  coming  down 
alone.  "  Where  is  j-our  squaw  "  said  the  Corporal  as 
the  private  came  up.  "  That  was  a  tine  specimen  you 
called  to  help  me,"  was  llie  reply.  "  The  d  —  n 
bushwhacker  shot  the  whole  lot  of  them,  babies  and 
all.  bcl'ore  I  knew  what  he  was  up  to." 

CLOSING    ACTION  AND  ACT  OF  THE  YEAR. 

A  part  of  Company  B,  from  Dun  Glen,  and  Com- 
pany I,  from  Camp  McDermit,  both  of  California 
regiments,  met  at  Kane  Sjiriiigs  for  a  scout  under 
Captain  Conrad,  in  December.  Black  Kock  Tom 
had  gathered  in  the  scattered  families  of  his  follow- 
ers, and  joined  l)y  those  of  other  bands  that  were 
still  committing  depredations,  bad  rendezvoused  in 
another  locality  on  Quin's  Eiver. 

The  snow  was  lying  upon  the  ground  at  the  time, 
and  the  command  under  Captain  Conrad  were  forced. 
one  night  while  out,  to  lead  their  horses  in  a  circle 
to  keep  from  freezing.  The  Indian  camp  had  not 
been  discovered  yet,  and  camp-fires  were  not  allowed, 
as  they  would  reveal  to  those  sought  the  proximity 
of  their  enemies.  Evcntuallj- the  Indians  were  dis- 
covered on  or  near  Fish  Creek,  and  surrounded  before 
daylight.  One  squaw,  a  boy,  and  an  old  man  were 
captured,  the  balance,  about  forty  in  all,  being  killed. 
No  whites  were  injured.  Thus  ended  organized  hos- 
tilities on  the  part  of  any  band  of  the  I'ah-Ute  tribe; 
some  of  the  more  desperate,  however,  allied  to  n^ne- 
gades  from  the  Shoshone  and  Bannock  tribes,  con- 
tinued hostilities  along  the  borders  the  following 
year,  some  of  them  entering  i'aradise  Valley. 

Black  Rock  Tom.  who  was  absent  at  the  time, 
went  down  to  the  sink  of  the  Ilumlioldt,  and  deliv- 
ered himself  up  as  a  j)risoner  to  the  chief.  Captain 
Hoc,  who  turned  him  over  to  the  soldiers.  Some  cit- 
izens went  to  the  Captain  and  told  him  the  people 
were  going  to  lake  him  from  the  soldiers  and  hang 
him,  and  that  he  had  better  make  his  escape  if  he 
wished  to  live.  An  ()j)piirlunit3-  ^^'''''  given  for  the 
attempt  to  be  made  which  he  availed  himself  of, 
when  he  was  shot  and  killed. 

The  following  is  from  the  message  of  Gov.  II.  (i. 
Blasdel,  to  the  Senate  and  Assembly,  dated  January, 
1866:— 

Lack  of  time  forbids  detailing  the  incidents  of 
my  visits  among  the  various  tribes;  sutlice  it  to  say, 
some  of  their  alignments  were  unanswerable.  They 
said,  through  their  interj)reter,  "the  white  men  cut 
down  our  pine  trees,  their  cattle  eat  our  grass,  we 


have  no  pine  nuts,  no  grass-seed,  and  we  are  veiy 
hungry.'  I  found  them,  in  several  instances,  with 
nothing  to  subsist  u])on  but  rabbits,  mice,  grasshop- 
pers, ants,  and  other  insects." 

PARADISE  VALLEY  TROUBLE  IN  1867. 

In  the  summer  of  1S()(!,  Camj)  Winfield  Scott,  was 
established  at  the  noith  end  of  Paradise  Valley, 
and  on  the  twelfth  of  December,  that  year,  it  was 
occupied  by  Company  A,  United  States  Cavalry, 
under  Capt.  Muny  Davis,  with  Lieut.  John  Laflerty 
as  second  in  command. 

On  the  twelfth  of  January,  1867,  Lieutenant  Laf- 
ferty  encountered  a  band  of  Indians,  near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Little  Humboldt,  killed  several  of  them, 
and  destroyed  their  camp.  In  the  fore  part  of  Feb- 
ruary succeeding,  he  drove  another  ])arty  from  the 
south  fork  of  the  Little  llumboldt  into  the  mount- 
ains, who  escaped  because  of  the  deep  snow. 

The  last  of  February,  Cajjtain  Davis  left  Camp 
Wintield  Scott,  Lieutenant  Lafierty  remaining  in 
command,  and  his  energy  and  ability  as  an  officer 
were  soon  put  to  a  severe  test.  March  13th  the 
Indians  ran  off  the  stock  belonging  to  Charles  Gagg, 
who  lived  about  eight  miles  southerly  from  the  post. 
The  following  morning  found  the  Ijieutenant,  with 
fourteen  men,  in  pursuit  of  the  marauders,  and  not- 
withstanding a  fierce  storm  and  fall  of  snow  had 
completely  obliterated  their  tracks,  he  coi>tinued  the 
search.  On  the  ninth  day  out  he  encountered  the 
band  he  was  pursuing,  killed  six  of  them,  destroyed 
their  camp,  and  captured  their  arms. 

HON.    JAMES   A.    BANKS    KILLED. 

This  vigorous  action  made  him  a  terror  to  the 
dusky  raiders,  and  gave  a  quiet  season  for  putting 
in  crops  to  the  farmers  in  Paradise  Valley;  and  no 
further  trouble  was  experienced,  until  on  the  fii-st  of 
August,  when  Hon.  .Tames  A.  Banks  was  killed  by 
them,  within  a  couple  of  miles  of  Camp  Wintield 
Scott,  while  fishing  in  Cottonwood  Creek.  Mr. 
Banks,  who  was  at  the  time  a  resident  of  Dun 
Glen,  Humboldt  County,  was  in  eompanj-  with  Pev. 
Mr.  Temple,  of  New  York  City,  on  a  visit  to  the 
camp,  and  joined  by  Lieutenant  TiaflTertj-,  were  out 
fishing  as  before  stated.  Mr.  Banks  strolled  u|)  the 
stream  by  himself,  and  the  Lieutenant  with  Mr.  Tem- 
ple returned  to  cam|).  The  continued  absence  of  his 
guest  caused  the  Lieutenant  to  institute  a  search, 
fearing  that  he  might  have  become  bewildered  and 
lost  his  way.  The  remains  of  the  unfortunate  man 
were  found,  shot  through  the  breast,  the  assassin 
having  stripped  and  mutilated  his  body;  and  two 
daj-s  later  the  Rev.  Mr.  Temple  preached  the  funeral 
sermon  of  his  friend,  whom  they  buried  in  the  camp 
cemetery. 

Mr.  Banks  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
thirty-nine  years  of  age.  He  emigrated  to  Califor- 
nia in  18r)2  from  Pennsylvania,  and  became  for  sev- 
eral terms  a  n\ember  of  the  Legislature  of  that  State. 
He  came  to  Nevada  in   1863,  was  a  member  of  the 


176 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Convention  that  formed  the  State  Constitution,  and 
was  Speaker  of  the  House  during  the  second  annual 
session  of  her  Leffislature.  He  was  a  true  friend,  an 
able  man,  and  a  good  citizens,  and  tlie  news  of  his 
death  was  received  with  sadness  throughout  the 
State. 

The  Indians — it  was  atterward  learned  that  three 
of  them  bad  committed  the  act — made  good  their 
escape,  and  a  detail  sent  in  pursuit  of  them  soon 
returned  from  an  unsuccessful  scout.  Lieutenant 
Lafl'erty  then  took  bis  entire  available  command  and 
started  upon  the  war-path.  He  reached  the  south 
fork  of  the  Owyhee,  where  near  its  head-waters 
he  came  upon  the  enemj'  ;  killed  four  of  them  ; 
captured  four;  and,  later  in  the  same  daj-,  while 
scouting  alone  in  a  canon,  came  upon  four  other 
Indians,  and  in  a  hand-to-hanu  conflict  killed  two 
of  them,  captured  the  others  and  drove  them 
ahead  of  him  into  camp.  This  was  the  last  of  his 
combats  in  'Nevada,  being  relieved  from  command 
about  the  first  of  November,  by  the  arrival  at  Camp 
Scott,  of  Lieutenant  Jo.sepb  Karge,  with  reiniorce- 
ments. 

THE    WINTER   or    18(i7.    AND    SPRINCl    OF     18(j8. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  November,  1^()7,  before  Lieu- 
tenant Karge  had  become  informed  of  the  general 
surroundings  of  the  country,  the  Indians  made  a  raid 
into  the  eastern  part  of  the  Valley,  and  drove  off  all 
the  stock  except  that  of  Mr.  Scott.  Lieutenant 
Karge  went  in  pursuit,  but  moved  so  slowly,  on 
accou!it  of  deeji  snow  and  baggage,  that  nothing  was 
accomplished. 

The  winter  of  18G7  was  verj'  severe,  and  the 
snow  fell  to  the  dejjth  of  several  feet  in  Paradise 
Valley,  and  continued  upon  the  ground  longer  than 
ever  known  before.  Owing  to  the  sevei'ity  and 
length  of  the  winter,  many  families  were  forced  to 
subsist  upon  wheat  and  barley,  ground  in  a 
coffee-mill.  Spring  bad  hardly  come  before  the 
valley  was  visited  again  by  Indians,  who,  becoming 
emboldened  by  their  success  a  lew  months  before, 
reiiealed  the  operation,  this  time  driving  off  all  the 
stock  belonging  to  M.  W.  Uaviland. 

There  were  about  twenty  in  the  band  of  depre- 
dators, under  leadership  of  the  dreaded  Big  Foot; 
and  young  Hunter,  a  Lieutenant  who  had  recently 
arrived,  was  ordered  to  take  Sergeant  John  Kellj-, 
Cor])oral  Thomas  J{eed,  and  j)rivate  Thomas  Ward, 
and  pursue  the  enemy,  whip  him,  and  bring  back 
the  stolen  jiroperty.  Jn  obedience  to  these  orders, 
the  young  Jiieutenant,  who  had  never  witnessed 
an  engagement,  set  out  on  this  perilous  enterprise, 
and  was  joined  bj'  a  citizen  named  John  Ifogers, 
from  whom  ]Jig  Foot  had  taken  a  valuable  horse. 

A  lew  unj)leasant  words  had  jiassed  between 
Lafferty  and  the  commanding  ollicer,  because  the 
former  had  iYisisted  that  it  was  much  like -murder 
to  order  out  such  a  detail  in  pursuit  of  Big  Foot. 
Lafl'erlj-  asked  to  be  sent  in  place  of  the  young 
and  inexperienced  officer,  which  request  was  refused; 


but  after  the  forlorn  hope  was  gone  be  was  per- 
mitted to  take  a  small  force  of  select  men  and  iol- 
low  on.  He  scoured  the  foot-hills  and  cafions  in 
vain  search  of  the  young  Lieutenant,  and  was  about 
to  take  to  the  mountains  when  a  messenger  over- 
took him,  with  the  news  of  a  collision  between  the 
Indians  and  those  he  was  in  search  of  and  the 
consequent  imminent  peril  Of  his  friends,  and  with- 
out a  moment's  delaj'  started  with  his  command  at 
their  utmost  speed  to  the  rescue. 

The  five  men,  after  starting  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians,  had  gone  directly  to  the  mouth  of  Deep 
Caiion,  where  they  struck  Big  Foot's  trail;  and 
young  Hunter,  as  rash  as  he  was  inexperienced, 
dashed  along  the  rocky  j)ass,  followed  by  his  men. 
Suddenly  they  were  brought  to  a  halt  b}'  a  volley 
from  the  concealed  enemy  that  unhorsed  every  man, 
and  stretched  the  brave  j"oung  leader  bleeding  ujjon 
the  rocks,  and  beside  him  were  the  Sergeant  and 
private,  writhing  in  the  agonies  of  their  death- 
wounds.  The  Corporal  and  citizen  were  uiihai-med, 
but  their  clothing  was  jierforated  with  bullets,  and 
their  horses  were  gone.  Sheltering  themselves  behind 
a  rock,  they  held  a  consultation,  to  see  what  should 
be  done  in  this  fearful  emergency.  It  was  deter- 
mined that  one  of  them  should  try  to  reach  Camp 
Scott  to  give  the  alarm,  and  Bogers  volunteered  to 
make  the  attempt,  lie  threw  off  his  hat,  coat,  and 
boots,  and  then  made  a  dash  from  behind  the  rock 
down  the  caiion,  followed  by  a  volley,  and  then  by 
scattering  shots,  until  he  was  out  of  sight,  mirac- 
ulouslj-  esca])ing  without  a  wound.  He  finallj' 
reached  headquarters  with  news  of  the  disaster. 
There  was  "hurrying  to  and  fro,  and  gathering  in 
hot  haste"  at  Camp  Scott,  and  soon  the  entire 
force  was  on  the  gallop-march  to  Deep  Canon,  some 
eight  miles  away. 

In  the  meantime,  Thomas  Beed,  the  Cor])oral,  had 
been  protecting  his  wounded  comrades  b^'  tiring 
upon  every  redskin  that  showed  himself,  and  mak- 
ing it  a  sure  passjiort  for  any  of  their  number  to 
the  "happy  hunting-grounds"  who  made  the  attempt 
to  reach  them.  It  was  a  desperate  contest,  with 
fearful  odds  against  tlie  single  hero;  but  nerve  and 
courage  won  the  prize,  and  the  band  of  Indians 
retired  from  the  canon  without  having  been  able 
to  touch  their  prey.  At  length  the  command  arrived 
from  the  camp,  followed  later  by  Jiieulenanl  Laf- 
ferty;  both  were  too  late,  for  Big  Fool  and  his  band 
had  made  their  escajie,  and  went  unj)unislied.  The 
Government,  later,  rewarded  the  brave  Corporal 
Bccd  by  presenting  him  a  medal  for  his  gallant 
conduct. 

Soon  after  this  Lieutenant  Lafferty  was  ordered 
on  duty  in  Arizona,  where  he  distinguished  himself 
in  several  battles  with  Cachise's  Apaches,  the  most 
warlike  Indians  on  the  continent.  In  his  last 
engagement,  October  20,  1800,  while  holding  the 
Ajjaches  in  check  for  the  jjurpose  of  recovering 
the  bodies  of  some  dead  comrades,  a  portion  of  his 


RESIDENCE  AND  RANCH  OF  JAMES  SULLIVAN.   R£NQ.  WAbnut  CO.,  NEV. 


HINDS'HOT  SPRINGS. 

RESIDENCE, RANCH  r'^WATER    CURING   PLACE   OF  J.C.HINDS, 


■w; 


ESMERALDA    Cf,    NEVADA. 


HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


177 


lower  Jaw  was  carried  away  by  a  bullet,  disabling 
him  lor  lil'e.  In  the  report  by  Colonol  R.  F.  Ber- 
nard of  this  engagement,  he  says: — 

The  conduct  of  Lieutenant  Lafferly,  Eighth  Cav- 
alry, was  most  gallant  and  brave.  The  cavahy  arm 
in  Arizona  has  lost,  for  a  time,  a  good  and  brave 
officer  in  J.iieutenaiit  Laffcrtj'.  A  government,  in 
extending  thanks  to  their  officers,  cannot  bestow 
them  too  freclj-  u])()n  such  officers  as  Lieutenant 
Lafterty,  Eighth  Cavalry.. 

Occasional  straggling  bands  would  continue  to 
enter  the  valley  at  long  intervals,  and  steal  stock, 
until  the  clo.^c  of  18G9;  since  when  there  has  been 
no  further  trouble  with  Indians  in  Paradise  Valley. 


CH  APT  Eli      .\\III. 

HOSTILITIES  IN   EASTERN  NEVADA. 
1860. 

Tlie  Dry  Creek  Figlit — (iravuUy  Ford  M.-issacre  in  1801 — Eiustern 
Nevada  Troubles  ill  KSO'J — (loali-Ute  War  in  LStil}— Attack  on 
CaQou  Station  in  1SG3 — Massacre  at  Canon  Stution — Kml  of 
the  tiosh-Ute  War — Kasterii  Nevada  War  Panic  in  ISTo — 
Anecdotes  and  Incidents. 

While  the  war  between  the  citizens  and  Pah-Utes 
in  the  Pyramid  Lake  country,  resulting  in  the 
battles  of  "Pyramid  Lake"  and  '•  Truckee,"  was 
progressing,  a  bandof  Shoshones  perpetrated  a  gross 
outrage  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Territory,  at  a 
point  on  the  overland  stage  line,  known  as  Dry  Creek 
Station. 

This  occurred  on  the  twenty -second  of  May  of  that 
year,  and  was  the  natural  result  flowing  from  the 
increased  confidence  imjiarted  bj-  the  success  of  the 
Pah-Utes,  in  the  battle  where  Ormaby  fell,  to  those 
previously  disposed  to  bo  hostile  to  the  whites.  The 
following  account  is  taken  from  the  Earekn  Lender, 
with  slight  alterations  to  conform  to  evidence  received 
warranting  the  changes: — 

TUE   DRY   CREEK    FIOHT. 

The  story  of  the  killing  of  Applegate  and  Lozier 
constitutes  a  thrilling  reminiscence  of  old  overland 
times.  Of  this  sad  and  exciting  event,  Mr.  ii.  11. 
Egleston,  a  resident  of  P-ureka,  relates  the  following, 
he  having  assisted  in  their  burial,  heard  the  first 
statements  of  the  survivora  and  was  familiar  with 
the  scenes.  Four  days  after  the  attack  on  Dry  Creek 
Station  he  was  at  I)iamon<l  Springs,  sixty  miles  cast 
from  that  point,  on  his  way  from  Camj)  Floyd  to 
Carson,  in  company  with  Thomas  Smith  and  Elisha 
Mallory,  a  rancher  at  present  living  near  (renoa.  The 
details  of  the  light  were  told  to  .Mr.  Kgleston  by  a 
pony  rider,  W.L.  Ball,  more  familiarly  called  "  Little 
Baldy,"  who  with  Silas  McCanless,  the  station-keejier, 
esca])ed  from  Dry  Creek  and  made  their  way  to 
Diamond.     Thej-  were  as  follows:  — 

At  the  time  of  the  fight  there  were  four  men  at 
the  station — Si.  McCanless,  the  station-keeper,  John 


Api'lcgate,  \\h\\)\\  .M.  Lozier,  and  Little  Haldj-,  the 
pony  riiler.  McCanless,  the  station-keeper,  was  liv- 
ing with  a  Shoshone  siiuaw.  and  it  appears  that  the 
Indians  were  dissatisfied  with  this  fact,  and  wanted 
the  squaw  to  return  to  the  tribe.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  fight  the  hidians,  numbering  about  filleen 
or  twenty,  who  were  camped  near  by,  came  to  the 
station  and  demanded  of  McCanless  to  give  up  the 
squaw.  Considerable  wrangling  and  high  talk  was 
engaged  in,  but  she  was  not  given  uj),  and  McCanless 
having  given  the  Indians  a  generous  supjiiy  of 
rations  and  in  a  manner  pacifietl  them,  thej-  went  off 
evidently  satisfied.  They  returned,  however,  at  about 
seven  o'clock,  and  creeping  uj)  tothe  station,  which  was 
built  of  Cottonwood  logs,  and  being  newly  con- 
structed, had  not  been  'chinked"  with  mud,  the}- 
opened  tiro  through  the  crevices  between  the  logs, 
and  at  the  first  vollo^'  killed  Lozier  and  sevei'ely 
wounded  Applegate,  he  being  shot  through  the 
fleshy  partof  the  thigh,  the  ball  ranging  up  and  coming 
out  through  the  j)Ocket  in  his  pants.  Leaving  Lozier 
dead  in  the  station,  the  three  men,  .McCanless.  ,\]iple- 
gate  and  Bald}',  fled  from  the  )>lacefor  dear  life,  with 
the  Indians  in  hot  |)ursuit.  Ajiplegate,  at  the  out- 
start,  had  handed  his  revolver  to  Bald}-.  Alter  run- 
ning about  a  ijuarter  of  a  mile,  McCanless'  squaw  in 
the  meanwhile  i-uiining  between  them  and  the 
Inilians,  and  endeavoring  to  keep  the  latter  back, 
Applegate,  who  was  badlj-  wounded  and  was  fast 
failing  from  loss  of  blood,  knew  that  he  could  not 
hold  out  in  the  race,  and  halting  he  askeil  Bald}-  for 
the  revolver,  and  rather  than  be  overtaken  by  the 
red  devils,  who  were  close  upon  them,  and  di-eading 
the  torture  they  would  inflict,  placed  the  ])istol  to  his 
ear  and  deliberately  blew  his  brains  out.  .McCanless 
and  Baldy  continued  to  run  'for  their  lives.  In 
order  to  lighten  themselves  they  fairly  stri|i]ied  to 
their  underclothing,  and  after  a  most  desperate 
flight  of  several  miles  managed  to  outstrip  the 
Indians,  who  gave  up  the  chase.  The  two  men  con- 
tinued on  at  their  utmost  speed  until  they  reached 
the  station  at  Jiobert's  Creek,  thirty  miles  distant 
from  Dry  ("reek.  Here  they  found  a  Spanish  cook 
and  the  ]>oiiy  rider,  where  they  remained  until  mid- 
night, when  the  four  left  for  Diamond  Springs, 
thirty  miles  further  on,  reaching  that  jioint  at 
sunrise  the  ne.xt  morning.  It  was  here  that  Mr. 
Egleston  met  them,  and  he  promised  Baldy  and 
McCanless  that  the  two  men  killed  by  the  Indians 
should  be  proju'rly  buried  when  he  and  his  parly 
reached  Dry  Creek.  I'pon  arriving  at  Dry  Creek 
nearly  a  week  later,  search  was  made  for  the  bodies. 
That  of  Lozier  had  been  dragged  from  the  house 
and  horribly  7niitil;ited.  The  coyotes  had  torn  it  to 
pieces.  The  scattei'ed  remains,  with  the  e.\ce])tion  of 
the  lower  ]iortion  of  the  left  leg,  were  found, 
gatherc<l  up  and  buried  on  the  spot  where  .\])i)legate 
was  found — near  where  he  fell.  .\]i|)legate's  body 
had  been  only  slightly  mutilated  by  the  coyotes,  and 
the  two  men  were  buried  together  and  a  monument 
of  stones  piled  over  their  grave. 

This  is  the  history  of  the  affair  as  detailed  to  us. 
McCanless,  shortly  after  the  fight,  returned  to  Dry 
Creek,  and  taking  the  s(|uaw,  over  whom  the  trouble 
originated,  to  Salt  Laki%  married  her,  and  the  two 
lived  together  and  had  several  children.  .\p|jlegate 
was  a  native  of  .Michigan,  and  Lozier  was  from 
Iowa,  the  former  aged  twenty-two,  and  the  latter 
twenty-one  years  at  the  time  of  their  death.  The 
statement  that  the  station  was  burned  is  a  mistake. 
It  is  standing  to-day,  if  it  has  not  been  destroyed 
recently. 


178 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


GRAVELLY  FORD    MASSACRE    IN    18G1. 

The  account  of  this  affair  was  obtained  from 
Charles  Stebbins,  now  of  Austin. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  18G1,  four  fam- 
ilies from  the  States  stopped  for  three  weeks  at  the 
trading-post  of  Stebbins,  in  Euby  Valley.  There 
were  thirteen  persons  in  the  part}',  among  whom 
were  four  or  five  children,  and  their  conveyance  con- 
sisted of  four  wagons  drawn  by  oxen.  There  was 
one  little  girl  about  ten  years  old  among  the  num- 
ber, who  became  strongly  attached  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stebbins,  and  they  tried  ineffectuallj-  to  persuade  the 
])arents  to  leave  her  with  them.  There  was  a  squaw 
named  Maggie  about  the  place  at  the  time,  working 
for  Mr.  Stebbins,  who  also  became  attached  to  this 
little  girl,  and  knew  of  the  effort  being  made  to  get 
the  parents  to  leave  her  behind  when  thej-  left. 

The  next  day  after  the  emigrants  had  resumed 
their  journey,  Maggie  also  disappeared  from  the  sta- 
tion. Several  days  passed,  when  late  one  night  some 
one  rapped  at  the  door  of  Mr.  Stebbins'  house,  and  he 
went  to  see  who  the  intruder  could  be,  and  found  a 
squaw  standing  thei-e  whose  face  and  head  were  so 
swollen  and  cut  that  he  did  not  recognize  her.  She 
stepped  inside  and  sitting  down  on  a  stool  in  front  of 
the  fire,  commenced  a  doleful  moaning  cry  accom- 
])anied  by  a  buck  and  forward,  swaying  motion  of 
the  body,  as  though  racked  bj*  mental  and  physical 
torture.  It  was  a  long  time  before  she  would  utter 
a  word,  but  finallj-  the  harrowing  details  of  a  fiendish 
outrage  was  drawn  in  broken  sentences,  mixed  with 
sobs,  from  the  sorrow-stricken  old  Shoshone  mother. 

Before  the  emigrants  had  left  Eub}'  Station,  Mag- 
gie had  become  sus])icious  that  certain  young  warriors 
of  the  tribe  intended  to  massacre  the  party  before 
thej'  passed  beyond  the  Shoshone  countrj',  and  she 
determined  to  follow  the  wagons  and  rescue  the  lit- 
tle girl  should  her  suspicions  prove  correct.  Her 
fears  were  realized;  the  whites  were  suddenly  at- 
tacked in  Yago  Cafion,  which  connects  Pine  Valley 
with  the  Humboldt  River,  near  Palisade,  a  few  miles 
southeast  of  Gravelly  P^ord.  As  the  struggle,  or 
massacre,  was  going  on,  the  faithiul  Indian  woman 
rushed  in  among  the  combatants,  and,  seizing  the 
little  girl,  made  good  her  escape  from  the  scene  that 
ended  in  the  murder  of  all  the  whites.  Throwing  the 
child  across  her  shoulder,  she  sped  along  the  trail  on 
her  way  back  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Stebbins,  but  there 
were  many  a  long,  weary  mile  lying  between  these 
fugitives  and  safetj-.  Through  the  balance  of  the 
day  and  the  following  night  she  fled  with  her  burden 
of  innocence,  and  as  ho])e  of  success  began  to  dawn 
in  the  hearts  of  the  fugitives,  they  were  suildcnly 
made  aware  of  the  immediate  presence  of  two  Indians 
in  pursuit.  They  were  overtaken,  the  Indian  woman 
was  beaten  until  she  was  senseless,  and  the  child  was 
tied  to  a  slake  driven  in  the  ground,  when  a  knife  was 
used  to  aid  the  savages  in  committing  a  nameless 
outrage  upon  her,  and  thus  the  little  martj-r  died. 

When  Maggie  came  to  her  senses  she  found  her 


assailants  gone,  and  the  dead  body  of  her  little 
charge  slaked  to  the  ground  as  the  brutish  fiends 
had  left  her.  Then  she  had  staggered  along,  heart- 
stricken,  the  remainder  of  the  way  to  bear  the  sad 
news  to  her  white  Iriends. 

Mr.  Stebbins  immediately  set  out  with  a  few  men 
to  see  if  what  he  had  heard  could  be  true,  and  find- 
ing the  little  one  he  had  loved  so  well,  with  her 
open,  dead  eyes  staring,  horror-stricken,  heavenward, 
he  knew  that  all  he  had  been  told  was  a  terrible 
reality.  The  next  year  the  two  savages,  who  had 
thus  brutally  murdered  the  little  girl,  presented 
themselves  at  Fort  Ruby,  not  being  aware  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  known  to  the  whites  who  had  committed 
the  deed.  They  were  seized;  one  was  hung  and  the 
other  shot  in  attemjjting  to  make  his  escape. 

EASTERN  NEVADA — TROUBLES  IN  1862. 

That  portion  of  the  Shoshone  tribe  living  in  Ruby 
Valley,  in  what  is  now  Elko  County,  had  for  a  chief 
in  18G1,  an  Indian  named  Sho-kup,  who  was  friendly 
to  the  whites,  in  November,  or  during  the  first 
daj's  of  December,  of  that  year,  he  died  of  consump- 
tion at  the  house  of  Charles  Stebbins,  and  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  dead  chief  pro])osed,  in  accordance  with 
their  usual  custom,  to  kill  Sho-kup's  squaw,  so  that 
she  would  accompany  her  dead  lord  to  the  happy 
hunting-grounds.  She  fled  to  the  trading-post  kept 
by  Stebbins,  at  Ruby  Station,  on  the  Overland  Stage 
road,  and  claimed  his  protection,  which  being  given, 
caused  such  an  excitement  among  the  Indians  that 
assistance  was  asked  from  Governor  James  W.  Nj-e, 
who  sent  Colonel  Wasson  to  that  section  with  author- 
ity to  take  such  action  as  the  circumstances  de- 
manded. 

The  following  is  Colonel  Wasson's  report  to  the 
Governor,  made  after  his  return.  The  report  is 
given  in  full,  because  of  the  manj-  interesting  facts 
containetl  therein,  relating  to  the  Shoshones  at  that 
time: — 

Carson  City,  June  28,  18C2. 

Ills  ivvcELLENCY,  James  W.  Nye,  Governor  and 
Ex  (Jj/icio  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  Nevada 
Territory — .S'lV.-  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  this 
re])ort  of  my  trip,  etc.,  to  Ruby  Valley.  In  accord- 
ance with  your  instructions  under  date  of  December 
16,  1861,  I  started  bj'  overland  stage  on  the  evening 
of  the  eighteenth  of  December  for  Ruby  N'alley, 
and  arrived  at  Smith  Crock,  Hecember  19th,  eight 
o'clock  p.  M.  This  is  the  first  station  in  the  Sho- 
shone country.  The  summit  oi'the  mountains  west 
of  Smith  ('reek  being  the  boundary'  bclwoen  the 
Pah-Utes  and  the  Shoshones. 

On  the  twentieth  of  Doci'mber,  six  o'clock,  a,  .m.,  I 
arrived  at  Reese  Hivei-  whoiv  I  met  the  chief  To-to-a, 
and  about  one  hundred  of  his  liand.  I  had  a  very 
satisfactorj- interview  with  them.  The  chief  assured 
me  of  his  I'ricndshii)  for  our  Government,  and  that 
none  ol'  his  band  woulil,  under  any  circumstances, 
molest  the  stage  or  telegraph  lines,  or  any  whites 
that  might  want  to  visit  or  reside  in  his  country. 
He  seemed  to  regret  that  tlure  was  any  <listurl)ancc 
between  the  whites  and  ShoshoTies,  and  volunteered 
to  go  with  me  and  assist  in  bringing  about  a  settle- 


HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


179 


munt.  I  thanked  him  but  did  not  itvail  myself  of 
his  prort'orod  serviios,  ailhoUi,'h  I  shoiihl  have  done 
so  had  I  deemed  it  neeessarv.  His  hand  numbers 
between  throe  and  four  hundred,  are  very  destitute, 
having  no  manner  of  property  exce])t  tire  arms 
obtained  from  the  emijjrants  and  traders,  and  the 
usual  rude  instruments  used  by  savages  in  the  collec- 
tion of  seeds,  roots,  fish,  game,  etc. 

I  left  Reese  River  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
first;  passed  Simjisons  Park,  Dry  Creek,  (irubs  Wells 
and  arrived  at  Roberts  Creek  five  o'clock  i>.  m.  Hero 
I  found  about  fifty  or  si.xty  half-starved  Indians,  and 
I  observed  from  fifteen  to  twent}' -five  at  each  of  the 
last-named  stations  in  a  most  deplorable  condition, 
subsisting  principally  upon  the  indigested  barley 
obtained  by  washing  the  manure  from  the  overlan<l 
stables  in  baskets  after  the  manner  of  8e])arating 
gold  from  earth  with  a  \nw. 

I  may  as  well  state  here  that  1  met  -Mr.  Cook, 
Assistant  Treasurer  Overland  Mail  C^ompany,  from 
whom  I  learned  that  he  had  given  orders  to  station 
keepers  to  issue  rations  of  grain  to  the  Indians  at 
such  points  as  it  seemed  necessary,  and  in  quantities 
sufficient  to  prevent  starvation.  J  remained  only 
one  hour  at  IJoberts  Creek,  arriving  at  Jiuby  Valley 
on  the  twcntj--second,  at  eight  o'clock  a.  m.  Here  I 
found  about  IIH)  Indians,  headed  bj^  a  young  chief, 
by  the  name  of  ■•  Hack."  They  were  subsisting 
chiefly  upon  the  charities  of  the  Mail  Company  and 
other  settlers  in  the  valley. 

1  was  informed  that  about  half  of  the  Indians 
belonging  in  Ruby  Vallej'  had  left  for  the  ''  White 
Knife  "  country*,  on  the  upjier  Humboldt,  on  account 
of  the  late  difficulties  con8e<iueiit  upon  the  death  of 
their  chief,  Sho-ku]),  the  circumstances  of  which 
were  substantially  as  follows,  to  wit:  Previous  to 
Sho-kup's  death,  and  after  he  had  become  satisfied 
of  bis  rapidly  a])]iroaching  dissolution,  he  expressed 
the  desire  that  Buck  should  be  successor  to  his  posi- 
tion as  chief;  that  he  should  take  his  wife  (a  vcrj- 
intelligent  squaw  named  bj'  the  whites,  Julia)  also 
his  horses,  arms,  and  other  efi'ects.  Now  this  dis])0- 
sition  of  the  estate  did  not  accord  with  the  old  estab- 
lished and  time-honored  custom  of  the  tribe;  so 
immediately  upon  the  death  of  Sho-kup,  his  friends 
jiroceeded  to  slay  his  horses,  and  collect  his 
arms  and  other  effects,  and  to  complete  the 
horrid  rite  the  almost  frantic  widow  must  bo  added 
to  the  funeral  pyre,  that  she  might  accomjiany  her 
husband  to  the  haj)])}-  hunting-grounds  of  the  (ireat 
Spirit.  Rut  she  shrank  from  the  dreadful  sacrifice. 
She  fled  to  the  mail  station,  asking  jirotection  of 
the  whites,  which  was  granted.  The  Indians  fol- 
lowed demanding  her  surrender,  threatening  to  burn 
the  ))lace  and  kill  everj  white  man  in  the  valley  if 
they  would  not  give  up  the  woman,  which  the  whites 
refusing  to  do,  they  proceeded  to  |)lace  a  guard 
ai'OHiid  the  station.  The  e.xcitemcnt  increased  until 
a  young  Indian  of  the  White  Ivnife  band  shot  and 
killed  an  old  favorite  Indian  doctor  of  Sho-kup's. 
Whether  the  doctor's  death  obviated  the  necessity  of 
killing  Sho-kup's  widow  or  not,  I  cannot  say,  but 
certain  it  is  that  the  excitement  ceased,  and  upon 
the  jiromise  of  the  Indians  that  they  would  not  kill 
her,she  was  given  upbytlic  whites, and  Buck  escorted 
her  to  the  Indian  cani|»  about  one-half  mile  distant. 
Ruck  returned  to  the  station  in  the  evening,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  repi)rt  of  a  gun  was  heard  in  the 
rection  of  the  Indian  camp.  It  was  rumored  that 
.lulia  was  killed.  Buck  ran  to  get  on  his  horse,  but 
was  ordered  by  a  white  man  to  stop  or  he  would  shoot 
him,  at  the  same  time  firing  at  Buck  with  u  revolver. 


Buck  reached  his  horse,  but  was  prevented  from 
mounting  him  by  another  white  man  who  was  ahead 
of  him.  and  v.'ho  nK)utited  Buck's  horse,  and  gave 
chase,  at  the  same  time  shooting  at  him  with  a 
revolver.  But  the  chief,  through  the  tieetness  of  his 
logs  and  the  darkness  of  the  night,  escajted  unhurt. 
It  was  soon  ascertained  that  the  alarm  was  false  and 
that  Julia  was  also  safe.  Buck  returned  to  the 
station  the  next  daj',  and  the  difficulty  was  amicablj' 
settled. 

Ca])tain  McLean,  with  his  detachment,  arrived  on 
the  twenty-seventh  of  J)ecember. 

The  dangers  of  interruption  by  Indians  to  the 
mail  and  telegra]ih  lines.  a])preheiided  in  the  com- 
ing spring,  are  from  a  band  of  the  Shoshones,  called 
■'  White  Knives,"  occupying  the  couTitry  between  the 
upper  Humboldt  and  the  ]iresent  mail  road;  also 
from  the  Gosh  Utes,  who  reside  east  of  Ruby  Valley. 
The  former  are  ipiite  numerous,  and  said  to  be  very 
hostile.  I  sent  for  them  to  come  and  meet  me  at 
Ruby  Valley,  but  bad  weather  ])revented  them  from 
coming,  and  the  same  reason  prevented  me  from 
visiting  them.  I  would  res])ectfull}-  recommend  that 
they  receive  early  attention  in  the  spring. 

The  remaining  provisions  sent  out  bj-  you  for  the 
Indians.  1  placed  in  charge  of  Mr.  G.  \V.  Jacobs,  the 
road  agent,  who  will  see  that  it  is  properly  issued 
to  the  Indians  from  Reese  River  to  Roberts  ('reek; 
and  wo  estimated  that  it  would  be  ample  for  their 
necessities  until  spring.  In  view  of  the  vast  number 
of  wild  Indians  in  the  eastern  portion. of  this  Terri- 
torj-  who  were  not  included  in  the  estimate  for  the 
expenses  of  this  superintendencj*  for  the  present 
year,  and  the  increasing  necessity  for  prompt  action 
to  keej)  them  quiet  from  the  fact  of  the  rapid  settle- 
ment of  that  portion  of  the  Territory  by  the  whites, 
and  for  the  protection  of  the  mail  and  telegraph 
lines,  as  well  as  the  overland  emigration,  1  would 
most  respectfullj'  suggest  that  this  Congress  be 
urged  to  make  at  least  as  large  an  ajipropriatioit  for 
this  service  as  for  the  Pah-Ute  and  Washoe  tribes. 

I  would  also  recommend  two  more  Indian  Reser- 
vations, one  to  be  located  near  (iravelly  Ford,  on 
the  Humboldt,  and  the  other  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Keese  River. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  very  respectfully, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

Warren  Wasson. 

The  recommendations  of  Colonel  Wasson,  regard- 
ing appropriations,  were  not  carried  out,  and  there 
was  considerable  trouble  with  a  portion  of  the 
Shoshone  Indians  along  the  Humboldt  River  that 
year.  Kragmentaiy  accounts  have  been  obtained 
of  attacks  upon  emigrant  trains  in  which  white 
men  wore  killed  and  stock  driven  off,  these  bloody 
events,  hero  as  elsewhere,  running  current  with 
all  frontier  history.  Mr.  Henry  Butterfield,  an 
interpreter  of  the  Shoshone  language,  and  familiar 
with  the  tribe,  reports  that  two  diU'erent  emi- 
grant ])arties  were  massacred  that  fall  between  the 
south  foi-k  of  the  Humboldt  and  Gravelly  Ford, 
both  at  nearly  the  same  time.  One  of  them  was 
attacked  near  the  South  Fork,  and  there  was  left 
a  Chicago  wagon,  three  ox-yokes,  and  some  let- 
ters, to  tell  of  the  tragedy  enacted  there.  The 
other  emigrants,  consisting  of  two  men,  their  wives, 
and    nine    childre!).    were    slaughtered    within     ton 


180 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


miles  of  the  Ford,  and  no  survivors  from  either 
party  to  tell  the  story  of  their  fate. 

George  L.  M.  Comstock,  a  resident  of  Nevada  since 
1800,  relates  that  in  the  fall  of  1S02  news  reached 
Unionville  of  an  emigrant  train  that  had  lost,  by 
Indians,  all  tiunr  stock  at  Gravelly  Ford;  and 
were  held  there  besieged  by  the  Shoshones.  Thirty- 
two  men  immediately  set  out  for  their  relief  under 

Captain Pool,  the  narrator  being  one  of  the 

relief  part}-.  Thej' found  the  train  as  represented, 
and  so  great  was  the  joj-  of  the  besieged  at  the 
appearance  of  assistance,  that  strong  men  broke 
down  and  wept  like  children.  The  next  morning 
after  their  arrival,  Captain  Pool's  command  went  on 
a  little  scout  and  succeeded  in  surprising  an  Indian 
camp  of  about  sixty  warriors,  of  whom  thirteen 
were  killed.  The  same  day  five  of  Pool's  men  sur- 
prised sixteen  more  Indians,  and  killed  five.  This 
was  the  last  train  through  that  fall,  and  the  end 
of  hostilities  that  year. 

OOSII-UTE    WAR    IN    18G8. 

The  (tOsh-Utes.  under  their  war  chief  White  Horse, 
began  hostilities  by  killing  the  keeper  of  Eight- 
mile  Station  on  the  twenty-second  of  March,  1863. 

The  overland  stage,  bound  East,  that  day  con- 
tained four  passengers,  Judge  G.  N.  iMott,  of  Nevada, 
and  an  old  man  on  his  way  homo  to  the  States 
from  California,  accompanied  by  his  two  little  sons. 
The  driver  on  this  occasion  was  Henry  Harper, 
who  was  better  known  on  the  overland  road  as 
'•Happy  Harry." 

A/j  the  stage  arrived  at  the  scene  of  the  tragcdj' 
it  was  received  by  a  volley  from  the  savages,  who 
were  concealed  in  and  about  the  house,  followed 
by  the  Indian  wai'-whoop  that  once  heard  is  never 
i'orgotten.  Awnj-  dashed  the  frightened  horses 
guided  by  the  unerring  hand  of  the  driver,  whoso 
lil'e-l)lood  was  flowing  from  a  mortal  wound.  The 
old  man,  struck  with  an  arrow,  sank  into  the  bottom 
of  the  coach-boot  unconscious,  and  tlfV)  onlj'  chance  of 
escape  that  remained  for  any  of  them  rested  in  tlie 
nerve,  skill  and  bravery  of  the  hero  outside.  Cling- 
ing to  the  lines  and  fighting  against  the  death  that 
was  creeping  around  his  vitals,  the  driver  urged 
forward  those  maddened  animals  in  his  struggle  for 
hho  safety  of  those  whose  lives  were  intrusted  to  his 
charge,  until  a  film  gathering  in  his  eyes  he  called 
to  the  Judge  to  come  out  and  take  his  |)laco.  While 
the  stage  was  flying  at  the  lop  of  the  horses'  speed 
Judge  Mott  made  his  way  by  dinging  to  the  sides  of 
the  coach  to  the  driver's  assistance,  and  as  he 
grasped  the  lines  lla|)py  Harry  sank  dying  under  the 
seat,  whence  the  dark  angel  summoned  him  to  a 
place  beside  tiie  world's  forgotten  heroes. 

Judge  iMolt  arrived  at  l)eep  Creek  Station  with 
the  dead  driver,  the  wounded  old  man,  wiio  after- 
wards recovered,  and  the  two  little  boys.  One  of 
the  horses  died  from  the  effect  of  wounds  received 
in  the  race  for  life.     The  Indians  burned  Eight-milo 


Station,  drove  ofl'the  stock,  and  thus  was  commenced 
the  Overland  War  of  1SG3  in  Nevada. 

With  hostilities  begun,  it  required  but  a  few  days 
for  the  incipient  spark  to  kindle  a  of  flame  war  along 
the  whole  route,  from  Schell  Creek  to  Salt  Lake 
City,  a  distance  of  225  miles.  Three  days  after  the 
death  of  Hajipy  Harry,  Company  K,  Second  Cal- 
ifornia Cavahy  Volunteers,  Captain  S.  P.  Smith 
commanding,  was  marching  from  Camp  Douglas, 
in  Utah,  for  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  but  having 
divided  the  company,  the  main  bodj'  under  C'aptain 
Smith  did  not  arrive  at  Fort  Ruby  until  the  last 
of  April. 

In  the  meantime,  Henry  Buttcrfield,  who  had  been 
recently  appointed  by  Governor  Nye  as  Indian 
Agent  at  Euby  Vallej',  sent  out  two  friendly  In- 
dians as  spies  to  find  out  what  tribe  had  committed 
the  act,  and  where  the  depredators  could  be  found. 

Maj'  5th,  Company  E,  Third  California  Infantry 
Volunteers,  left  Camp  Douglas  to  guard  the  Over- 
land Stage  road  between  Salt  Ijake  and  Austin,  a 
few  soldiers  being  left  at  each  station,  usually  about 
four.  As  the  stage  arrived  at  a  station  two  of  the 
soldiers  posted  there  accompanied  it  to  the  next 
stopping-place,  and  then  guarded  the  next  return 
stage  back;  this  dutj'  being  performed  by  the  infan- 
tr\',  while  the  cavalry  was  left  free  to  scout  through 
the  country  and  patrol  the  road. 

Soon  after  the  destruction  of  Eight-mile  Station, 
where  Ilappj'  Harry  was  killed,  a  stage  was  am- 
bushed in  the  night,  while  passing  through  a  caiion, 
a  short  distance  east  of  Schell  Creek.  At  tho  time 
there  were  a  number  of  passengers  on  board,  among 
whom  were  two  women  and  five  soldiers.  The  vol- 
ley from  the  Indians  was  returned  with  a  will  by  the 
latter,  as  the  coach  dashed  past,  and  a  mile  farther 
on  tho  only  victim  of  the  assault — a  horse — fell  dead 
in  the  road  from  its  many  wounds. 

As  soon  as  the  two  spies  sent  out  by  Henry  But- 
tcrfield returned  with  the  desired  information,  prep- 
arations Were  made  for  a  movement  to  chastise  tho 
guilty  jiarties.  In  jtursuance  of  this  [)roject,  Captain 
S.  P.  Smith's  Companj-  of  California  Cavalry  moved, 
Jlay  1st,  from  Fort  Huly,  and  the  next  morning  at 
daylight  it  had  reached  Schell  Creek,  having  marched 
sixty  miles.  During  the  day  they  kept  as  much  as 
j)ossible  secreted;  but  as  soon  as  the  shadows  of 
7iight  rendered  concealment  jjracticable  the  expedi- 
tion moved  south  in  Steploe  Valley,  along  the  base  of 
Schell  Creek  Mountains.  Ever^^thing  was  conducted 
with  tho  utmost  caution  to  guard  against  their  pres- 
ence in  the  country  being  known  to  the  enemy. 
The  morning  twilight  found  the  command  camped 
in  a  deep  eafion,  secure  from  observation,  where 
they  remained  during  the  day,  while  their  Indian 
allies  were  out  searching  for  the  (iosli-l'tes.  About 
sundown  the  Shoshonos  returned  with  the  informa- 
tion that  a  number  of  them  were  about  ten  miles 
farther  to  the  south  in  the  valley,  camped  upon 
Duck  Crook.     As  soon  as  the  darkness  was  sufficient 


HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


181 


to  conceal  the  operations  of  the  cavalry  they  moved 
from  their  daj-'s  bivouac  to  ctt'ect  a  surprise,  if  pos- 
sible, of  the  unsuspecting  bostiles.  One  division 
crossed  the  creek,  three  miles  below,  and  ])asseil  up 
on  the  south  side;  and  aided  by  the  other  actinjf  on 
the  north  side  of  the  stream,  encircled  the  slumber- 
ing band  with  a  cordon  of  steel,  and  then  awaited 
the  approach  of  daylight  to  begin  the  work  of  death. 
A  pistol  shot  was  to  be  the  signal  for  the  onslaught, 
and  when  twilight  came,  and  the  shai'))  note  of 
attack  broke  the  stillness,  the  cavalry,  on  foot,  with 
a  ringing  shout,  made  a  wild  dash  upon  the  sleeping 
Indians.  Let  us  draw  the  screen,  and  not  look 
u|)on  the  scene  that  Ibllowed;  it  lasted  but  a  short 
time,  and  but  two  escaped.  That  morning's  sun 
looked  down  upon  a  dead  camp,  where  twenty-four 
warriors  lay  sleeping  their  last  sleep;  and  Happj- 
Ilany  was  avenged. 

Captain  Smith  remained  until  the  next  morning 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  believ- 
ing that  more  Indians  belonged  to  this  band,  and 
that  they  would  probably  straggle  into  camp  during 
the  day.  Ilis  camp,  meantime.  May  4th,  was  on 
Duck  Creek,  where  the  valley  by  that  name  0|iens 
into  that  of  Steptoe.  This  place  was  in  front  of 
where  now  stands  the  Caldwell  House.  To  the  south 
is  rising  ground,  and  in  that  direction  pickets  were 
posted  to  observe  the  surrounding  country,  and 
about  2  p.  M.  the}-  signaled  the  a))])roach  of  Indians. 
Immediately  some  twenty  cavalrymen  mounled,  and 
dashed  u])  the  hill,  arriving  there  just  as  live  return- 
ing tiOsh-Utes  reached  the  summit,  and  an  imme- 
diate struggle  ensued,  resulting  in  one  wounded 
cavalryman  and  tive  dead  Indians. 

The  next  morning  Company  K  moved  u]>  the 
stream,  and  crossing  the  divide  separating  Duck 
from  Steptoe  Creek,  moved  eastward  and  over  the 
Schcll  Creek  Mountains,  reaching  Spring  \''alley 
just  at  da3iight  on  the  morning  of  the  sixteenth, 
after  a  march  of  one  day  and  a  night.  Here  they 
surprised  another  Indian  camp  in  a  cedar  swam]), 
south  of  the  present  Cleveland  ranch.  The  cavalry 
charged  down  upon  the  hostile  band,  but  were 
brought  to  a  halt  by  the  swampy  character  of  the 
ground.  Many  horses  were  mired,  but  some  floun- 
dered through,  and  the  consequent  confusion,  with 
temporary  delay,  enabled  most  of  the  Indians  to 
esca])c.  Twenty-three  were  found  dead  after  the 
short,  sharj)  conflict  which  ensued.  The  casualty  to 
the  whites  was  a  soldier  wounded  and  one  horse  dis- 
abled. From  the  scene  of  the  last  encounter  the 
command  returned  to  Fort  Ruby,  where  it  arrived 
May  10th,  with  the  report  that  through  its  efforts 
fifty-two  Cfosh-Utcs  had  been  permanently  converted 
to  a  peace  jiolic}-. 

On  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month,  when  the 
overland  sta^e  was  passing  through  a  cafion  east  of 
Deep  ("reek  in  the  day-time,  it  was  fired  upon  from  a 
cliflT  of  rocks,  and  Riley  Simpson,  the  driver  I'ell  from 
his  seat  in  the  stage-boot  mortally  wounded.     Major 


Kgan,  who  was  sitting  by  his  side  at  the  time, 

seized  the  lines  and  dashed  forward,  carrying  the 
living  and  the  dead  away  from  the  scene  of  the  dis- 
aster, j)ursued  a  long  distance  by  the  yelling  savages. 
In  conse<iuenco  of  this  attack,  Company  K  was 
ordered  to  Deep  Creek,  and  during  the  remainder  of 
the  year  made  that  place  the  base  of  its  operations. 

ATTACK    ON    CANON    STATION    IN    1SG3. 

Eight  miles  east  of  Deep  Creek  on  the  Overland 
Stage  road,  near  the  Utaii  line,  there  was  in  ISOS  a 
dry  station  that  was  siip]>liedwith  water  bj*  hauling  it 
under  guard  with  a  team  from  Deep  Creek  slough. 
The  Indians  had  liiiriu'd  this  station,  killed  the  man  in 
charge  and  driven  oil'  t  he  stock  on  the  daj'  succeeding 
the  death  of  Ilappj-  Harry. 

At  this  ])oint  four  soldiers  of  Companj-  K,  Third 
California  Infantrj',  were  left  as  that  com]jany  ])assed 
the  station  on  its  wa}-  to  Fort  Uuby  from  Salt  Lake, 
in  Maj'  succeeding  this  event.  The  sad  fate  of  three 
of  the  men  left  there  and  the  heroism  of. the  other, 
entitles  them  to  a  place  in  the  memories  of  the  past. 
Their  names  were  Jacob  II.  Elliott,  Jacob  Burger,  Ira 
Abbott,  and  Corporal  William  S.  Hervey,  all  from 
Columbia,  Tuolumne  County,  California.  Besides  the 
four  soldiers  were  two  men  there  at  the  time  to 
take  care  of  the  Overland  Stage  stock,  one  of  them 
being  called  "  Deaf  Bill,"  and  the  other  was  his 
assistant. 

During  the  last  days  of  June,  Abbott  and  Ilervey 
guarded  the  stage  one  day  from  Deep  Creek  to 
their  home  station.  Before  starting,  the  latter, 
whose  courage  was  bej^ond  question,  remarked  to 
a  ladj-  passenger  that  he  dreaded  the  duty,  as  ho 
had  a  presentiment  of  impending  misi'ortiine.  The 
journey  was  made,  however,  without  an  inci- 
dent occurring  unusual  or  suspicious,  and  when  the 
stage  had  gone  the}-  set  out  with  the  water  wagon, 
in  company  with  Deaf  Bill  as  driver,  to  procure 
water,  leaving  Klliott  and  Burger  with  the  assistant 
hostler  to  take  care  of  the  station  in  their  absence. 
Thej-  ])i-ocured  the  water,  and  were  within  4(10  j-ards 
of  the  station,  on  their  way  back,  when  Hervey 
again  recurred  to  his  presentiment  of  the  morning, 
which  was  growing  stronger  with  him,  and  said: 
''I  dreamed  last  night  that  I  was  going  to  be  shot 
and  killed  by  Indians  to-day,  and — ."  As  this  last 
word  was  coming  from  his  lips  a  bullet  pierced  his 
brain,  and  he  fell  from  his  seat  into  the  road  a 
corpse.* 

The  Indians,  eighteen  in  number,  had  ambushed 
the  little  ]iarty  of  three,  and  poured  a  volk'y  into 
them  fVom  ln'liiiul  llu'  sage-brush,  at  short  range, 
killing  one  (Ilervey).  giving  a  wound  in  the  right 
shoulder  to  ,\bbott,  which  knocked  him  out  of  the 
wagon,  cut  oft"  a  thumb  of  Deaf  Bill,  and  wounded 
one  horse  in   the  breast.     The  frightened  animals 

'  "  I  wiiiilil  t.iko  my  "atli  that  tlii'so  wore  the  laat  wiinl.i  of 
my  (lid  coiiiriiili',  as  liu  fill  iIl:uI,"  aaiil  Ira  .Milxitt,  wlu'ii  narrat- 
ing th««e  events  for  the  [inriKiHe  of  cnrreoting  some  Htatements 
received  from  other  parties  uu  thia  suhject. 


182 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


sprang  forward,  but  were  stoppoci  within  a  couple 
of  iiundred  feet  by  Deaf  Bill,  who  was  not  80  deaf 
but  he  knew  the  meaning  of  a  thumb  shot  off;  and 
he  opened  on  the  (iosli-Ftes  with  his  gun,  bringing 
down  one  of  them  with  a  severe  wound.  Abbott 
sprang  to  his  feet,  and  seeing  the  blood  oozing  from 
the  forehead  of  his  dead  friend,  took  a  quick  glance 
around  and  saw  the  savages  on  the  side  of  the  road, 
less  than  a  hundred  feet  away.  He  ran  to  the 
wagon  for  his  gun,  and,  on  obtaining  it,  killed  one 
Indian.  He  then  turned  back  to  get  the  body  of 
the  unfortunate  Hervey.  Meanwhile,  the  Indians 
were  firing,  and  he  received  a  wound  in  each  log. 
Kegardless  of  this  he  reached  the  body  of  his  friend, 
seized  his  undischarged  gun.  which  was  13'ing  beside 
him,  and  fired  upon  his  assailants,  but  did  not  kill 
any  of  them,  the  wagon  having  run  over  and  bent 
the  barrel.  He  then  tried  Hervey's  revolver,  but 
the  wound  in  his  shoulder  had  begun  to  paralyze 
his  arm,  a.nd  his  fire  was  ineffectual.  After  two  or 
three  shots  he  ceased  firing,  picked  u])  the  body  of 
his  friend,  and  started  for  the  wagon.  The  Indians 
still  continued  the  fusillade,  and  he  was  wounded 
twice  more — once  in  each  side — but  finallj'  succeeded 
in  getting  all  the  weapons  into  the  wagon,  as  well 
as  the  bodj'  of  the  dead  soldier,  when  Deaf  Bill 
whipped  up  the  horses,  and  the  half-crazed  animals 
dashed  away  to  the  station. 

On  their  arrival  Ihoy  were  met  by  the  assistant 
hostler  only,  Elliott  and  liurger  having  gone  out 
hunting  sage  hens  soon  after  the  water  party  had 
loft.  Looking  towards  a  knoll  in  the  direction  taken 
bj'  the  absent  men,  Abbott  saw  and  recognized  the 
glistening  barrel  of  Elliott's  rifle  in  the  possession  of 
an  Indian,  and  knew  that  the  missing  men  were 
dead.  A  sharp  but  short  engagement,  lasting  but  a 
few  minutes,  ensued,  when  the  Indians  retreated  and 
were  seen  no  more  that  day. 

In  about  half  an  hour  after  the  departure  of  the 
Indians,  an  emigrant  train  came  to  the  station, 
bringing  the  body  of  Elliott,  which  had  been  found 
in  the  road  a  short  distance  from  there.  With  the' 
emigrants,  fortunately,  there  was  a  surgeon,  who 
dressed  Abbott's  five  wounds;  and  to  this  opportune 
arrival  that  lirave  soldier  an<i  true  friend  owes  his 
life.  The  next  day,  the  body  of  Burger  was  found 
on  the  hill-side,  evidently  the  first  victim.  The 
brave  Klliott  had  evidently  made  a  desperate 'run- 
ning fight,  struggling  heroically  i'or  life.  His  body 
was  badly  mutilated,  his  whiskers  having  been  torn 
from  his  face  in  j)lace  of  scalping  his  head,  which 
was  bald;  and  his  heart  had  boon  cut  out  and  taken 
away. 

MASSACRE   AT   CANON   STATION. 

On  the  sixth  of  Jul}',  a  few  days  after  the  pre- 
ceding occurrences,  another  and  more  successful 
attempt  was  made  to  capture  that  station.  At  this 
time  there  were  six  men  at  the  place,  Wm.  I?ilej', 
known  as  Deaf  Bill,  his  assistant,  and  four  soldiers  of 
Company  E,  Third  California  Cavalry,  named  Tarsey 


Grimshaw,  Michael  McNamarra,  Anthony  Myers 
and  Lewis  Pratt. 

About  sunrise  Deaf  Bill  was  currj-ing  a  horse  in 
front  of  the  barn,  when  he  was  shot  dead  by  a  con- 
cealed foe.  At  the  noise  of  the  gun  the  helper 
rushed  out  of  the  barn,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of 
the  soldiers  came  from  the  "  dug-out,"  and  both  were 
shot  as  they  appeared. 

The  three  soldiers  still  in  the  "dug-out,"  or  cabin 
built  underground,  decided  to  make  a  rush  for  the 
barn,  which  thej-  did,  and  one  of  their  number  was 
killed  on  the  way,  leaving  but  two  of  the  original 
six  to  continue  the  fight.  The  two  survivors  built  a 
breastwork  from  the  sacks  of  grain,  and  for  an  hour 
beat  off  their  assailants;  but  the  wily  foe  finally  set 
a  stack  of  haj'  on  fire,  close  to  the  barn,  and  the 
result  of  the  conflict  was  no  longer  in  doubt.  It  was 
Myers  and  Pratt  who  had  thus  far  escaped  the  fate 
of  their  comrades,  only  to  be  burned  at  last 
unless  they  rushed  forth  from  behind  their  defenses 
to  be  shot  down  finally  like  wolves  in  a  dei^perate 
struggle  for  life. 

They  at  once  decided  to  mount  horses  and  make  a 
dash.  As  one  was  a  favorite  fleet-footed  anVmal, 
they  drew  lots  to  see  which  should  ride  it.  Fortune 
seemed  to  favor  Lewis  Pratt,  as  he  drew  the  favorite 
horse.  Shaking  each  other  by  the  hand  they  mounted 
for  the  desperate  ride  for  life.  Out  of  the  barn  and 
down  the  road  like  the  wind  they  flow,  with  Pratt  in 
the  lead,  while  from  every  sage-bush  along  the  route 
seemed  to  come  the  leaden  missiles.  A  hope  of  life 
was  springing  into  the  hearts  of  the  flying  men 
when  Myers  suddenlj'  threw  up  his  arms  and  rolled 
from  the  saddle.  His  horse  went  a  little  farther  and 
i'ell,  both  of  them  struggling  with  their  death 
wounds.  The  bullets  whistled  about  the  receding 
form  of  the  gallant  Pratt  like  hail  as  ho  was  passing 
out  of  the  range  of  the  Indian  rifles,  until  he  disap- 
peared down  the  road  towards  Willow  Station,  thus 
far  the  only  white  survivor  of  the  conflict. 

That  day  a  train  of  emigrants  passed  this  last- 
named  station  on  its  way  to  California.  As  it  reached 
a  point  about  one  mile  west  of  that  place,  a  dead 
horse  was  found  lying  in  the  road,  and  beside  it  lay 
stretched  the  unconscious  form  of  a  soldier  mortally 
wounded.  It  was  the  last  survivor,  the  gallant 
Pratt  and  his  noble  animal,  and  the  two  lay  there 
together,  siiie  b}'  side,  the  dying  and  the  dead,  shot 
through  and  through.  He  lived  to  be  carried  to 
Willow  Station,  where  the  sad  tale  of  the  massacre 
was  told,  and  then  ho  died. 

Company  K,  stationed,  as  before  stated,  at  J>eop 
(Jreek  Station,  went  in  pursuit  of  the  band  who  had 
committed  this  last  depredation,  but  I'ailed  to  come  up 
with  them;  and  after  a  two  weeks'  scout  returned 
with  the  report  of  having  killed  two  Indians  in 
Pleasant  Valley. 

END    OF    THE    (iOSII-VTE    WAU. 

But  few  events  worthy  of  note  transpired  on  the  line 
of  the  overland  road  after  those  given  above.    Among 


HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


183 


these  were  the  hanging  of  a  Shoshone  in  Jiilj",  by 
the  military  authorities  at  Fort  Huby,  and  the  shoot- 
ing of  another — both  participants  in  the  outraging 
of  the  little  twelve-year-old  girl,  murdered  in  ISiJl  on 
the  trail  from  Ruby  Valley  to  (iravell^'  Ford.  In 
August,  Company  E,  Third  California  Infantry,  under 
Lieutenant  llosmer,  altaeked  a  eam])  of  Indians 
about  twent}-  miles  north  of  Cherry  Creek,  in  Step- 
toe  Vallej',  and  killed  five  of  thorn;  and  in  October 
the  Gosh-X'tes  asked  for  ])eace,  which  was  granted 
them,  and  they  returned  to  the  stations  begging  for 
their  rations  as  usual. 

The  loss  to  the  Overland  Stage  Com]ia'iiy  in  I'tah 
and  Nevada  from  this  war,  was  one  hundred  and 
fifty  horses,  seven  stations  burned,  and  sixteen  men 
killed.  Nevertheless  the  staires  never  failed  to  make 
their  regular  trips,  and  seldom  were  behind  their 
schedule  time,  although  beset  with  all  those  dangers 
and  calamities. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  from  one 
of  tha  agents  of  the  Stage  Company: — 

One  verj-  strange  feature  of  this  Indian  trouble 
during  the  j-eur  18(J3  was  that  verj-  nearly  all  of  the 
depredations  committed  were  against  the  Stage  Com- 
pany, its  properly  and  employes,  and  why  this 
should  have  bee!i  the  writer  is  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand, for  the  Indians  were  always  treated  kindlj', 
and  fed  and  given  emploj'ment  at  the  stations.  The 
policj'  of  the  Company  was  to  treat  them  kindly,  and 
the  onlj'  object  that  can  be  conjectured  was  ])luniler 
of  the  Company's  stations  that  were  well  supjilicd 
with  jjrovisions,  arms  and  ammunition,  and  their 
stables  full  of  fat  horses.      Kespectfully  yours, 

Len  Wines. 

Henry  Butterfield's  theory  of  the  cause  of  the 
war  is  that  it  was  instigated  by  the  Mormons.  In 
support  of  this  position  Mr.  Butterfield,  who  was 
conversant  with  the  language  of  the  red  men  and 
had  for  a  long  time  lived  in  their  country,  relates 
that  in  1SG4,  while  he  was  sub-Indian  Agent,  he  met 
by  appointment  the  Gosh-L'te  chief,  White  Horse,  at 
Desert  Station.  The  chief  upon  being  asked  whj-  he 
had  begun  the  war,  disclaimed  having  had  anj-thiiig 
to  do  with  it.  He  said  his  tribe  had  been  told  from 
time  to  time  by  the  Mormons  that  the  Gentiles  were 
holding  back  and  a]ipri)priating  to  their  own  use  their 
Government  annuities,  and  that  the  only  way  for 
them,  the  Indians,  to  "get  even"  would  be  to  begin 
killing  the  whites  and  stealing  their  property.  Under 
such  advice  his  people  had  broken  the  bonds  of 
restraint,  and  contrary  to  the  desire  of  himself  and 
other  chiefs,  taken  the  war-path.  Such  is  the  Indian 
excuse,  however  poor  it  is  and  little  entitled  to 
credence,  for  having  committed  their  barbarous  and 
brutal  acts  along  the  overland  road. 

EASTERN    NEVADA    WAR   PANIC    IN    1875. 

In  the  early  part  of  September,  1875,  two  Indians 
of  the  (rosh-Ute  tribe  informed  A.  J.  Leathers  and 
James  Tollard  that  they  knew  the  locality  of  a  val- 
uable mine  which  they  would  point  out  for  a  consid- 


eration, to  which  the  two  men  agreed  was  fifty 
dollars  for  the  services,  and  in  pursuance  of  the 
agreement  the  four  went  to  the  point,  and  the  ledge 
was  found  all  as  the  Indians  had  described,  except 
that  it  proved  to  be  woi-ihlcss.  Because  of  this  last 
fact  the  whites  refused  to  pay  their  guides,  who 
thinking  they  had  been  unjustly  dealt  with,  in 
revenge  killed  Tollard,  the  other  white  man  making 
his  escape  to  A.  C.  Cleveland's  ranch  in  Spring 
Yallej',  White  Pine  Countj-.  Cleveland  immedi- 
ately took  the  war-path,  and  captured  an  Indian 
whom  he  took  to  his  ranch,  intending  to  deliver  him 
over  to  the  civil  authorities  for  trial,  but  the  abor- 
igine in  attem])tiiig  to  make  his  escape  came  to  an 
untimely  end  from  the  efl'ects  of  a  bullet  from  the 
revolver  of  Mr.  Cleveland.  -Xnother  Indian  was  met 
with  by  some  of  Cleveland's  herders,  who  ordered 
him  to  give  up  his  gun,  and  upon  his  refusal  to  dose, 
thej-  killed  him.  The  Gosh-Utes  were  at  the  time 
assembled  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  nut-pine 
forests  of  the  neighborhood,  and  were  very  much 
alarmed  because  of  the  summaiy  killing  of  the  mem- 
bers of  their  tribe. 

These  circumstances  created  somewhat  of  a  panic, 
or  "  scare,"  throughout  Central  and  Kastern  Nevada, 
and  the  most  exaggerated  and  extremely  sensational 
reports  were  circulated  and  jtublishcd.  Volunteer 
troops  were  raised  at  Eureka,  Pioche,  and  other 
places,  equipped  and  sent  to  "  the  front."  Gov. 
L.  R.  Bradlej-,  believing  the  danger  to  be  imminent, 
issued  orders  to  captains  of  volunteers  to  seize  horses 
and  necessary  supplies  for  the  troops;  and  the 
"militarj^, "  under  command  of  Maj.  John  H. 
Dennis,  left  Eureka  September  (Jth,  for  Spring  Valley 
to  rescue  Cleveland  and  those  with  him  supposed  to 
be  beseiged  at  his  ranch.  Governor  Bradley  also 
telegraphed  to  General  Schofield  as  follows: — 

E1.K0,  Nevada,  September  G   1875. 
To  M.\.TOR-GENEu.\r,  SciioFiKi.i).  San  Francisco — 

Information  most  authentic  from  Pioche,  Eureka, 
and  Spring  Valley,  all  unite  in  denKuuis  for  troops 
and  arms.  Am  unable  to  furnish  them.  Dispatch 
just  at  hand  signed  by  all  Commissi(.ners  of  Lincoln 
Count)-,  says  that  'MW  Indians  surround  Patterson 
and  Cave  Valley,  and  that  all  the  Indians  in  eastern 
Nevada  appear  to  be  on  the  war-])ath,  and  ask  for 
20(»  guns  and  ammunition.  Most  reliable  informa- 
tion from  Cherry  Creek  assures  me  that  I  am  not 
misinformed.  L.  K.  Bkaih.ev. 

Major  Dennis  and  his  command  made  a  hasty 
march  to  Spring  Valley,  a])]iearing  to  the  frightened 
Gosh-Utes  an  overwliclniing  armj'.  Either  the 
arrival  of  so  formidable  a  force,  or  as  the  Indians 
asserted,  no  intention  tipon  their  part  to  begin  war 
with  the  whites,  they  being  assembled  there  for 
the  ])urpose  of  gathering  ])ine  nuts,  and  not  for 
hostilities,  there  was  no  conflict.  The  name  of  the 
Indian  who  killed  Tollard  was  To  ba.  He  was 
demanded  of  the  tribe,  delivered  bj-  them  to  the 
soldiers,  and  from  them  was  taken  by  citizens  and 
hung.    Thus  ended  the  last  I  ndian  "  war  "in  Nevada, 


1S4 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


resulting   in    more    ridicule    to  its  instigators  than 
glory  to  the  military  participants. 

ANECDOTES  AND   INCIDENTS. 

While  the  predatory  bands  were  raiding  in  the 
north,  the  Indians  in  the  more  densely  peopled  part 
of  the  State  were  ])rofessing  warm  friendshij)  for 
the  whites,  seeking  and  receiving  aid.  The  move- 
ments of  quite  large  bodies  of  soldiers,  and  the 
severe  punishment  inflicted,  bj'  some  denounced  as 
merciless,  had  a  most  beneficial  effect  in  overawing 
the  great  masses  of  .savages,  predispo.sing  them  to 
peace.  They  asserted  that  the  thefts,  murders,  and 
other  outrages,  were  committed  by  the  Bannocks, 
Pit  Ifiver,  Modocs,  and  other  Indians  of  Oregon, 
Idaho  and  California,  and  not  by  the  Pah-Utes. 
Notwithstanding  this  assertion,  It  was  well  known 
that  the  Pah-Utes  formed  the  majority  of  the  hostile 
bands,  although  instigated  and  assisted  by  the 
othei-s.  On  the  fifth  of  June,  180.5,  Captain  George, 
a  Pah-Ute  chief,  and  a  delegation  from  his  tribe 
called  at  the  office  of  Governor  Blasdel,  in  Carson, 
with  professions  of  peace,  saj-ing  the  Pah-Utes  had 
been  called  in  from  all  points  in  the  State  where 
hostilities  existed.  A  few  days  thereafter  the  Gov- 
ernor met  several  hundred  Sho.shones  and  Pah-Utes 
in  convention,  or  pow-wow,  at  Jacobsville.  in  Lander 
County,  as  reported  in  the  lieene  River  Reveille,  and 
through  the  interpreter,  S.  H.  Gilson,  made  a 
long  speech,  demanding  their  obedience  to  the  law, 
and  respect  for  the  rights  and  property  of  the 
whites;  assuring  them  of  protection  in  all  their 
rights,  and  of  severe  punishment  for  wrong  doing, 
at  the  same  time  explaining  to  them  their  rights 
and  duties.  The  speech  was  well  received,  and 
the  Indians  appeared  satisfied.  Governor  Blasdel 
returned  to  Carson,  arriving  ihere  on  the  fourteenth 
of  June.  Meantime,  troops  were  arriving,  and  posted 
at  the  most  advantageous  localities.  On  the  six- 
teenth of  June,  Company  B,  St-cond  California  Cav- 
alry, comprising  sixty-five  men,  under  command  of 
Lieut.  R.  A.  Osmer,  arrived  at  Carson,  en  route  to 
Fort  Churchill,  where  thej'  remained  several  months, 
and  were  then  sent  into  the  Humboldt  country. 
On  the  thirteenth  of  August,  Lieut.  Col.  Ambrose 
Hooker,  assumed  command  of  the  sub-district  of 
Nevada,  by  order  of'CJeneral  McDowell. 

INDIAN    DE.MAND   KOK    SATISFACTION. 

About  this  time  the  Walker  IJivor  Pah-Utes  made 
hostile  demonstrations  in  the  vicinit}'  of  lone,  then 
the  county  seat  of  Nye  Count}'.  Several  hundred 
of  them  entered  the  village  and  demanded  a  certain 
sum  of  money  from  the  whiles  for  indignities  ottered 
one  of  their  tribe  by  a  bevy  of  hilarious  sports.  The 
situation  beginning  to  wear  a  serious  look,  the  ])romi- 
nent  citizens  contributed  to  the  Indians'  demands, 
and  they  departed  without  shedding  blood. 

TWO    .MEN    KILLED    IN    THE   SOUTH. 

The  same  fall  a  |>arty  of  whiles,  among  whom 
were  Thos.  Shaw, Mc Bride, Broom,  Wil- 


liam Garhart,  with  others,  started  from  lone  for 
Gold  Mountain,  south  of  Lida  Valley,  and  at  the 
northern  extremity  of  Death  Valley.  One  night, 
after  having  arrived  at  their  destination,  they  were 
attacked  by  InJians.  Broom  and  McBride  were 
killed,  and  Garhart  was  shot  with  an  arrow  through 
the  wrist,  the  remainder  of  the  party  escaping 
unharmed  to  Silver  Peak. 

SARAH    WINNEMUCCA. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  May,  1867,  Naches,  the  Pah- 
Ute  chief,  came  into  Carsop  City  with  a  message  from 
Old  Winnemucca,  to  the  effect  that  the  latter  wanted 
to  make  peace  with  the  whites,  and  go  upon  the 
Pyramid  Lake  Reservation  to  live.  Subsequently, 
through  the  efforts  of  Naches  and  Sarah,  a  daughter 
of  Old  Winnemucca,  who  had  married  Lieutenant 
Bartlett  of  the  regular  army,  terms  were  made  with 
the  old  chief,  and  he  with  a  portion  of  his  tribe  were 
settled  upon  a  reservation  be^'ond  the  limits  of  the 
State.  Subsequentlj',  the  Pah-Utes,  who  had  been 
induced  to  go  to  the  north,  becoming  dissatisfied  with 
the  Indian  Agent,  tired  of  their  northern  home,  and 
longed  to  return  to  the  scenes  of  their  earlier  life. 
Sarah  Winnemucca,  who  had  been  educated  at  San 
Jose,  California,  and  developed  considerable  orator- 
ical talent,  was  ever  ready  to  eloquently  advocate 
the  return  of  her  people  to  Nevada;  while  on  the 
other  hand  the  Indian  Agent  was  most  desirous  that 
they  should  remain  where  thej-  were.  Sarah  Winne- 
mucca since  that  time  has  delivered  several  lectures 
at  San  Francisco  and  other  places  upon  the  condition 
of  her  people,  and  their  abuse  by  Indian  Agents, 
and  created  much  S5-mpathy  in  behalf  of  her  race. 

INDIAN    WAR   AVERTED. 

Mrs.  Ellis,  then  Mrs.  Dietenreider,  residing  in  Car- 
son Valley,  relates  that  in  the  spring  of  1855, 
Xumaga,  a  Pah-Ute  chief,  with  about  300  warriors, 
came  to  her  with  a  note  from  Asa  Kenyon,  to  give 
them  arms  and  ammunition  with  which  to  fight  the 
Washoes.  She  did  not  comply  with  this  request, 
but  gave  them  an  order  on  Mr.  Mc.N[arliii  for  100 
pounds  of  flour.  They  went  to  Da3'ton  where  they 
were  feasted  by  the  miners,  and  persuaded  to  aban- 
don Iheir  projected  war. 

FIRST   LOTTERY    IN    NEVADA. 

Jlr.  Jose])h  F.  Triplett,  a  well-known  citizen  of 
eastern  Nevada,  and  one  of  the  ])ioneer  residents  of 
Carson  Valley  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
first  ••Gift  Enterprise"  occurring  in  the  (Jreal  Basin, 
which  indicates  considerable  native  shrewdness  of 
the  Washoe  savage: — 

"In  1857,  Captain  Jim,  chief  of  the  Washoe  tribe 
of  Indians,  went  around  among  the  white  settlers 
in  Carson  Valley,  and  notified  them  that  upon  a 
certain  day  his  tribe  would  give  a  big  '  fandango,' 
or  dance,  and  invited  all  to  attend,  stating  that  he 
would  give  each  white  man  a  buckskin;  adding,  that 
'may-bo-so  white  man  bring  one  sack,  two  sack 
flour.'     As  it  was  the  policj-  of  the  settlers  to  con- 


JittH-?..* ,  . 


RESIDENCE  OF  J.  W.  HAINES,  GENOA,  Duu^l-d  CO.,  NEV. 


SjtrS'ti'Vc' 


RANCH  X  RESIDENCE  o«JAME5   COMPSTON. 

ON    CARSON  4   BODIE    ROAD,  ESMERAUJA  CS'.NEV. 


HOSTILITIES  L\  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


185 


eiliato  the  red  men  wo  nearly  all  of  us  attended  his 
fandanijo,  takinj;  along,  as  the  chief  suggested,  a 
Buck  of  flour.  As  each  white  man  dismounted  from 
his  horse,  and  laid  his  sack  of  flour  on  the  ground, 
an  Indian  letl  otf  and  secured  the  horse.  The  whites 
were  allotted  seats  on  the  ground,  in  a  circle  around 
the  daneei"s.  After  a  while  the  dancing  ceased,  and 
Captain  Jim  appeared  in  the  circle,  followed  by  a 
big  Indian,  laden  with  buckskins,  and  with  much 
ceremony  presented  one  skin  to  each  of  the  visitors. 
Buckskins  were  worth  about  one  dolhir  each,  while 
a  sack  of  flour  was  worth  about  eight  dollars. 
The  wily  savage  made  a  good  thing  by  the  first 
gift  enterprise  ever  gotten  up  in  the  sage-brush 
country,  and  the  whites  made  fast  friends  of  Iho 
tribe." 

TOUNO    WINNE.MUCCA. 

This  redoubtable  chief,  who  had  command  of  the 
Pah-Utes  in  muTij-  a  battle  and  foray,  died  of  con- 
sumption at  Wads  worth,  on  the  fifth  of  November, 
1871,  leaving  a  son  about  twentj'  years  of  ago,  who 
bore  the  unromantic  name  of  "  Mike."  On  the 
eighth  of  December  following  the  death  of  the  chief 
a  successor  was  elected,  bearing  the  name  of  George 
Curry. 

ATTACK    ON    EMIUR^VNTS. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  of  Jul^^  1859,  an 
emigrant  train  comprising  twelve  men,  two  women 
and  four  children,  halted  in  a  large  canon  near  a 
place  called  Cold  S])ringon  the  Sublette  (-'ut-off  for 
tiie  ])ur])oso  of  doctoring  a  sick  horse.  While  thus 
engaged  and  not  expecting  a  hostile  attack,  a  large 
number  of  Indians  made  their  appearance  upon  each 
side  of  the  caiioii  and  began  to  tiro  upon  the  party 
eneamju-'d.  W.  F.  Hheppard,  Ferguson  Sheppard,  J, 
D.Wright,  William  Diggs,  and  Clayburn  Rains  were 
killed.  Mrs.  Wright  was  seriously  wounded,  receiv- 
ing a  bullet  in  the  back.  JJeing  helpless,  the  Indians 
came  t9  the  wagon  where  she  had  been  shot, 
dragged  her  out  upon  the  ground  and  then  beat  and 
kicked  her  until  she  became  unconscious  and  they 
supposed  her  to  be  dead.  They  then  amused  them- 
selves by  torturing  her  husband,  who  lay  dying 
unable  to  move,  in  sight  of  his  wife,  and  in  tossing  uj) 
their  infant  ciiild  of  eighteen  months  by  the  heels  into 
the  air  and  letting  it  fall  upon  a  pile  of  rocks.  Not 
being  prepared  for  defense,  the  men  of  the  party 
who  were  not  shot  down  fled  and  secreted  them- 
selves as  best  they  could.  One  of  these  iti  running 
caught  UJ)  an  infant  child  of  Mrs.  Shc)>pard,  and 
after  running  several  miles  laid  it  in  some  bushes 
where  it  remained  until  some  ])assing  emigrants 
found  and  rescued  it  the  next  day.  Mrs.  Shcp])ard 
concealed  herself  in  a  thicket  not  far  from  wliei'e  the 
attack  was  made,  and  the  savages  being  intent  ujjon 
I)lunder — stripping  the  wagons  of  everything  they 
could  carry  of!'— failed  to  discover  her.  The  two 
remaining  children,  one  a  boy  of  eight  and  the  other 
five  years,  also  were  eflectuall}'  hidden  in  the  brush. 
Upon  the  departure  of  the  Indians  Mrs.  Sheppard 


started  on  foot,  and  after,  traveling  about  seven 
miles,  overtook  the  train  of  a  Mr.  Pierce,  who 
returned  the  next  day  and  relieved  the  sufferers. 
On  the  twelfth  day  of  Se])tember  the  remainder  of 
the  ])arty,  through  the  kindness  of  .Major  F.  l»odge, 
the  Indian  Agent,  wore  enabled  to  arrive  at  Placer- 
ville,  California,  Mrs.  Wright  still  unable  to  sit  up 
on  account  of  her  wound.  The  survivors  of  the 
massacre  related  the  occurrence  to  the  editor  of  the 
Placerville  Ohse.rcer.  in  which  jiapcr  it  was  published 
September  14,  185!). 

PUNISHMENT    KOH    AHULTERY. 

An  incident  which  illustrates  the  natural  crucltj^ 
of  the  Indian  race  occurred  at  Coyote  Creek,  Washoe 
Count}'',  in  the  year  18G1.  A  squaw  of  the  PahUte 
tribe  was  charged  with  adultery,  and  being  deemed 
guilt}'  was  sentenced  to  death  by  burning.  While 
living  her  body  was  pierced  with  scores  of  pitch- 
pine  splinters  which  were  set  on  fire  and  kept  burn- 
ing until  .she  died. 

INDIAN    .MUIIDEREU    EXECUTED. 

In  1S(>8,  Mr.  W.  K.  Johtison  was  killed  by  an 
Indian  in  Mason  Valley,  in  Esmeralda  County.  The 
savage  escaped  to  the  north,  but  was  pursued  and 
captured  at  Peavine,  in  Washoe  County,  taken 
thence  and  hanged  in  (Jarson  Valley,  at  the  ])lace 
then  known  as  Widow  Newman's  Kanch,  about  half 
a  mile  below  Gary's  Station. 

FATE   or   A    MEDICINE    MAN. 

In  the  year  18(5()  there  was  an  Indian  who  fre- 
quently came  into  Aurora,  Esmeralda  County,  who 
pretended  that  he  was  a  "medicine  man,"  and  prac- 
ticed his  art  upon  some  of  his  ci'edulous  brethren, 
most  of  whom  died  while  under  treatment  by  him. 
The  deaths  becoming  so  frequent  the  wise  men  of 
the  tribe  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  was  "bad 
medicine,"  and  ho  must  die.  A  delegation  of  braves 
thereupon  seized  the  unfortunate  doctor  at  Aui-ora, 
on  the  eleventh  of  October,  and  while  some  of  them 
held  him,  others  beat  out  his  teeth,  plucked  out  his 
eyes,  crushed  his  skull,  and  finally  cut  his  throat. 

INDIAN    I'UNISII.MENT. 

In  187-1—75,  among  the  characters  met  with  in  tho 
towns  of  \*estern  Nevada  was  a  Pah-Ute  Indian 
man,  tall  ami  finely  proportioned,  who  dressed  in 
squaw  costume,  lie  was  not  recognized  by  tho 
people  of  his  race  of  either  sex;  the  Indian  children 
shunned  him;  he  was  an  object  of  ridicule  for  mem- 
bers of  other  tribes  and  of  the  whites,  and  moodily 
and  disconsolately  wandered  around.  Tradition 
said,  that  upon  an  occasion,  many  years  before,  he 
had  shown  himself  a  coward  in  battle,  and  that  a 
council  of  his  tribe  had  sentenced  him  to  death 
therefor;  but  that  tho  sentence  was  afterwards  com- 
muted, and  ho  was  doomed  to  don  tho  dress  of  a 
woman  as  long  as  he  lived,  llo  finally  disajipeared, 
and  it  was  re[)orted  that  his  dead  body  was  found 
in  a  mountain  gulch. 


186 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


INDIAN   KETRIBUTION. 

In  November,  18G7,  a  Pah-Ute  squaw  residing 
near  Fort  Churchill,  impelled  by  past  grievances, 
gave  her  liege  lord  and  master  a  dose  of  poison, 
and  he  died.  Subsequently,  she  was  residing,  with 
others  of  her  tribe,  in  a  camp  near  Virginia  City, 
when,  on  the  second  of  December  following,  a  brother 
of  the  poisoned  brave  learning  of  the  whereabouts 
of  the  murderess  slipped  into  the  camp  at  night, 
and  after  many  savage  gashes  with  a  dull  knife 
severed  her  jugular  vein,  and  death  quickly  ensued. 
The  act  was  approved  by  the  Indians,  saying  it 
was  their  custom. 

ARREST   OF    NACHES. 

Naches  was  a  man  of  some  importance  among 
the  PahUtes;  was  tall,  and  of  commanding  appear- 
ance, and  was  usually  called  by  the  whites  a  chief 
although  he  appeared  to  have  but  little  authority. 
When  there  was  no  more  call  for  his  scalpingknife 
on  '-the  tented  field,"  his  many  moons  were  wasted 
about  the  kitchen  doors  and  waste  places  of  the 
mining  towns  wherever  he  wandered,  presenting 
but  little  of  the  beau  ideal  of  a  warrior.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1874,  it  was  represented  that  he  was  inciting 
the  Indians  on  the  Humboldt  to  commit  some  dep- 
redation; also,  that  he  declined  to  remain  on  the 
Reservation  at  Pj-ramid  Lake,  preferring  the  vaga- 
bond life  among  the  interior  towns;  consequently, 
on  the  twenty-seventh  of  that  month  he  was,  by 
order  of  Captain  Wagner,  in  command  of  Fort 
McDermit,  arrested,  and  sent  to  Fort  Alcatraz,  in 
the  harbor  of  San  Francisco.  There  he  was  treated 
with  much  consideration,  shown  the  -sights,"  and 
the  power  of  the  whites,  and  sent  home  rejoicing 
after  a  short  detention.  The  newspapers  of  Nevada 
represented  Naches  as  a  good  and  peaceable  Indian, 
and  attributed  his  arrest  to  the  Indian  Agent  Pate- 
man,  who  wished  to  compel  all  the  Pah-Utee  to 
reside  on  and  swell  the  list  of  the  Reservation, 
This  was  denied  by  Mr.  Pateman;  but  the  charge 
was  made  by  Naches  that  the  Agent  wronged  his 
people  and  the  (lovernment,  and  that  he  and  his 
band  did  not  like  to  live  with  him.  In  June,  1878, 
he  resigned  whatever  chieftainship  he  possessed,  and 
Captain  Charley,  of  Wadsworlh,  reigned  in  his  stead. 

The  fate  of  this  latter  chief  may  bo  surmised 
from  the  following  paragraph  in  the  Carson  Appeal 
of  February  20,  1880:  "The  PahUtes  have  disposed 
of  the  slayer  of  Captain  Charley— an  execution 
without  loss  to  the  State." 

THE    VAIl-NAR-A-OAT    INDIANS. 

The  Pah-rana-gat  Indians  are  a  branch  of  the 
Utc  family,  and  derive  their  tribal  api)ell:ition  from 
the  cultivation  of  the  water-melon,  which  in  their 
language  is  called  Pah  ran-a-gat  (pah,  moaning  water, 
and  ran-a-gat,  melon,  or  vine-growing).  At  the  time 
the  prOBjiectors  first  entered  the  country  occupied  by 
them  they  found  this  band  inclined  to  peace,  and 
engaged  after  their  rude  manner  in  tilling  the  soil. 
Although  they  raised  a  small  quantity  of  wheat  and 


some  corn,  their  principal  crop  was  the  squash.  A 
diminutive  species  of  sun-flower  was  also  planted 
for  the  seeds  it  yielded,  and  some  water-melons  were 
also  to  be  found  in  their  cultivated  patches.  Grass 
seed  was  also  largely  used  by  them  as  food.  To 
irrigate  the  land  under  tillage  they  had  constructed 
several  ditches,  which  were  creditable  to  those  prim- 
itive engineers.  Crystal  Sj)ring,  which  flows  an 
estimated  head  of  GOO  inches  of  water,  was  the 
source  of  supply  for  the  largest  of  these  ditches,  and 
at  its  head  the  canal  was  eight  feet  wide  on  top,  six 
feet  deep,  and  several  miles  in  length.  To  dig  this 
they  had  procured  iron  from  the  abandoned  emi- 
grant wagons  in  Death  Valley,  which  they  had 
tiently  cut  and  shaped  and  fastened  with  strong 
twine  upon  wooden  handles,  to  be  used  for  picks  and 
spades.  As  winter  approached  crops  wore  carefully 
gathered  and  cached  for  future  use,  and  they  were 
thus  enabled  nbt  only  to  live  well  themselves,  but 
were  also  prepared  to  trade  agricultural  products  to 
their  mountain  neighbors  who  depended  for  a  living 
upon  the  results  of  the  chase  and  pine  nuts.  The 
Ash-Utes  were  the  more  constant  dealers  with  the 
Pah-rau-a-gats,  and  supplied  the  latter  with  much 
dried  meat,  buckskins,  etc.  The  Indians,  however, 
soon  traded  off  to  the  whites  the  land  they  had 
tilled,  and  adopted  the  vagabond  life  common  to  the 
race. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1865  Pahran- 
agat  Alining  District  was  for  a  time  nearly  deserted, 
the  early  locators  there  having  sought  other  fields. 
At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  about  the  only  white 
persons  remaining  there  wore  W.  H.  Sales,  Indian 
Agent,  C.  W.  Wandell,  William  Woodman,  Ransom 
Brooks,  S.  S.  Sputt,  Isaac  Borton  and  Doctor  Grub. 
The  Indian  Agent  Sales  had  sometime  previously 
promised  the  Muddy  tribe  of  Indians,  who  lived  some 
distance  south  of  the  mines,  that  he  would  visit  them 
and  dispense  their  annuities,  which  ])romis^he  failed 
to  fulfill.  This,  with  the  small  number  of  whiles  in 
the  vicinity,  was  a  sufficient  inducement  to  start 
these  untutored  sons  of  the  de.sert  upon  the  war- 
path, and  every  Muddy  warrior  capable  of  bearing 
arms  became  a  member  of  an  expedition  of  extermi- 
nation against  the  little  colony  of  white  men  at 
Pahranagat.  The  tribe  occupying  the  valley  at 
that  time — the  Pah-ran-a-gat.s — were  divided  into 
two  bands,  one  of  which  was  headed  by  a  chief,  called 
by  the  whites  "Butternut,"  and  the  other  by  Chief 
Pah-vitch-ick.  An  Indian,  who  had  been  brought 
up  in  a  Mormon  family  and  whn  was  known  by  the 
sobriquet  of  "  Buck,"  led  the  hostile  Muddys, 
Reaching  the  lower  end  of  the  valley  Buck  halted 
his  forces  near  the  lake,  and  sent  a  runner  to  the 
Pah-rana-gat  camps  inviting  Butternut  and  Pah- 
vitch-ick  to  a  council  of  war.  The  result  must  have 
been  satisfactory  to  Buck,  for,  a  few  days  after  that 
time,  the  whites  became  aware  that  something 
unusual  was  browing,  from  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
I'ah-rau-a-gats  had  absented  themselves.     One  of  the 


HOSTILITIES  IN  EASTERN  NEVADA. 


1S7 


rotinue  of  Afjent  Sales  wan  a  Meadow  Valley  Indian, 
called  Jack.  Sale.'*  considered  tins  man  Inistwortby, 
and  therefore  imparted  his  suspicions  that  trouble 
mi^lit  bo  brewini^.  Jack  undertook  to  find  out  the 
truth.  Leavinj^  the  white  camp  he  absented  himself 
three  days.  Upon  his  return  he  related  to  Sales  the 
state  of  affairs  as  detailed  above,  and  the  prospectors 
were  forewarned.  Not  beiiit;  prepared  for  an  ex- 
tended fight,  it  was  thought  best  to  leave  for  some 
of  the  outlj'ing  Mormon  settlements,  and  by  ten 
o'clock  of  the  next  daj-  after  .lack's  return,  quietly 
and  with  as  little  bustle  as  possible,  the  white  men 
broke  camp  at  Logan,  and  at  noon  halted  at  Crystal. 
Thence  thej-  went  to  Pah-hoc,  reaching  there  at 
eight  o'clock.  So  cautiously  had  they  moved  that 
they  did  not  think  they  were  followed  by  the 
allied  Muddys  and  Pah-ran-a-gats,  and  therefore 
sought  repose  in  fancied  security  from  molestation. 
About  midnight  Jack  was  awakened  by  the  apparent 
"too-whoot,  too-whoot"  of  an  owl,  to  which  with- 
out hesitation  ho  returned  an  answering  "  too- 
whoot."  A  few  minutes  thereafter  a  dusky  form 
appeared  in  the  gloaming,  and  soon  Pori,  a  Pah-ran- 
a-gat  sub-chief,  came  stalking  into  camp.  This 
Indian  reported  that  the  Muddys  were  upon  the 
trail;  that  they  were  divided  into  three  parties,  one 
of  which  was  detailed  to  cover  the  spring  at  which 
the  party  obtained  water;  the  second  to  raid  the 
camp,  while  the  third  would  gather  up  and  run  ofl" 
the  stock.  Immediatelj-  all  was  bustle  in  the  camp; 
kegs  were  taken  to  the  spring,  filled  with  water  and 
]iut  in  the  wagons,  of  which  there  were  three.  A 
party  was  sent  out  to  bring  in  the  animals,  and 
everj-thing  was  packed  and  preparations  made  for 
defense.  Bj-  the  time  defensive  operations  were  com- 
plete Buck  and  his  band  appeared.  Finding  that 
they  could  not  surprise  the  camp,  a  strategetic 
movement  seemed  to  be  in  order,  for  I?uck  an<l  three 
of  his  men  walked  boldly  in,  as  though  no  mischief 
had  been  contemplated.  Shortly  after  ten  others 
followed.  At  this  rate  the  eight  white  men  wf)uld 
soon  be  overpowered,  and  some  decisive  measure 
must  be  taken.  The  whites  immediately  covered 
the  thirteen  Indians  with  their  guns,  comjielled  Buck 
to  order  them  to  lie  down  in  a  pile  and  to  warn 
the  Indians  outside  of  the  camp  not  to  approach 
un<ler  penalty  of  having  their  prostrate  companions 
shot  dead.  These  vigorous  mcasui-es  checked  the 
contemplated  attack,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
night_  was  ])assod  in  guarding  the  prisoners  and 
keeping  off  their  friends.  Buck  in  the  meantime 
made  two  attempts  to  escape,  and  was  once  pre- 
vented by  Doctor  (irub  and  the  other  time  by  i{an- 
som  Brooks  from  so  doing.  When  morning  came 
Agent  Sales  gave  the  Indians  what  annuity  goods  ho 
had.  and  by  that  and  other  means  they  were  induced 
to  take  the  trail  and  return  homeward.  After  the 
departure  of  Buck  and  his  warriors  the  white  men 
started  upon  their  Journey  to  the  settlements,  and 
the  ne.\t  day  arrived  at  Panaca  without  further 
trouble. 


One  or  two  months  after  the  occurrence  of  the 
incidents  above  related,  all  of  these  men,  with  the 
exception  of  Agent  Sales,  returned  to  the  mines, 
and  with  them  came  many  others,  attracted  by 
reports  of  mineral  wealth. 

That  same  year,  an  Indian  of  the  Pahranagat 
tribe,  named  Oh-kas,  murdered  a  white  man  named 
George  Pogers,  to  get  possession  of  a  fine  hOrso 
which  the  latter  owned.  Another  Indian  informed 
the  whites  of  the  transaction;  the  murderer  was 
caught,  compelled  to  disclose  the  place  where  Rogers' 
body  was  secreted,  and  then  hung. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1800,  a  camp  of  Muddy 
River  Indians  was  made  near  (Ruin's  Cafion,  in  the 
Shen-nic-a-rah  mountains,  in  the  White  Pine  range. 
These  Indians  began  to  steal  and  run  off  stock  from 
Pahranagat,  and  other  places.  Agent  Sales  being 
absent,  the  miners  thought  to  adjust  the  matter 
without  his  assistance,  which  they  did  in  a  summary 
manner.  A  party  of  six  white  men  was  organized, 
and  one  of  the  number,  named  Iloppin,  was  chosen 
Captain.  The  services  of  two  friendly  Pahranagats 
were  enlisted,  and  one  evening,  about  dark,  the 
party  left  their  camp  for  the  hunt  on  horseback. 
Early  in  the  morning  afier  the  second  night  out, 
while  in  Quin's  Canon,  they  discovered  "  signs  "  of 
the  enemy.  Leaving  their  horses  in  charge  of  one 
of  the  party,  named  N.  H.  Carlow,  the  others  care- 
fully reconnoitered  until  they  located  the  Indian 
camp.  They  then  divided,  two  in  one  squad  and 
three  in  the  other.  The  two  wont  directly  towards 
the  Indians,  while  the  three  others  had  cautiously 
slipped  around  and  were  approaching  in  the  rear  of 
the  camp.  Th^  Indians  seeing  the  two  white  men 
approaching  made  fierce  gesticulations,  and  dared 
them  to  tight.  The  three  men  in  the  rear  were  not 
seen  by  them  until  they  had  come  within  twenty 
j-ards  and  delivered  a  well-directed  vollej-  from 
their  rifles.  There  were  twelve  Indians  in  the  camp. 
After  the  fight  eleven  of  them  lay  dead,  and  the 
remaining  one  had  escaped  only  to  die,  for  he  was 
mortally  wounded. 

The  number  of  Indians  in  Lincoln  Countj'  in  1870 
was  estimated  bj'  the  Indian  Agent  to  be  1.2;!.">. 
Since  then  they  have  fallen  off  rapidly,  and  probably 
do  not  at  this  time  number  more  than  one-half  the 
above  figure.  They  are  Pah-l'tes  with  various  local 
tribal  names.  Though  gcnerall}-  peaceful,  they  occa- 
sionally commit  depredations.  In  December,  1S74, 
a  party,  supposed  to  belong  to  Tem-pah-lUe  Bill's 
band  of  Indians,  attacked  and  killed  two  white  men 
about  seven  miles  from  Iliko.  The  names  of  the 
two  men  killed  were  Peter  Dawson  and  Charles 
Olsen.  Another  man,  named  William  Ilannan,  was 
at  the  same  time  shot  and  wounded  in  the  shoulder, 
but  escaped  and  told  the  story  of  the  murder.  The 
settlors  of  Hiko  immediately  gathered  together,  and 
a  scouting  partj-  went  out  after  the  Indians,  with 
fruitless  results.  On  the  sixteenth  of  Dei'ember,  the 
following  appeared  in  one  of  the  Pioche  papers,  over 


188 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  siE;nature  of  J.  S.  Hoag.  Under  Sheriff:  M.  Fuller, 
District  Judge:  J.  H.  Cassidy  and  George  Gold- 
thwaite: — 

"The  Indians  have  killed  eight  jiersons,  including 
one  woman  and  three  children,  within  the  last  few 
days  in  this  county,  on  the  Muddy  Reservation  and 
near  Iliko.  We  have  no  arms  and  no  protection. 
Wc  wish  arms  and  that  the  Indians  be  punished." 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

TRANSPORTATION  OF  LUMBER  BY  "WATER. 

Early  Mutliods  in  Ccilifornia — Diitieultics  of  Inventors — The 
V  Flume — Capacity  of  the  \'  Flume — Flume  (^ompanies  iu 
Nevada. 

The  V  flumo  is  a  Nevada  institution.  Transpor- 
tation by  artificial  water-courses  is  nearly  as  old  as 
civilization.  Artificial  channels  were  dug  by  the 
ancient  Egyptian,  Chinoso  and  Hindoo  nations, 
though  the  lock,  or  elevation,  from  a  lower  to  a 
higher  level,  is  a  modern  improvement.  In  the  canal 
system  of  California  and  Nevada,  for  the  carrying  of 
water  to  remote  mitiing  places,  the  project  of  trans- 
jiorting  lumber  and  other  materials  was  early  con- 
sidered. Many  of  the  early  residents  had  seen  the 
"Clinton  Ditch,"  as  Thomas  Jefferson  had  termed 
the  Erie  Canal,  also  the  great  crops  of  grain  moved 
to  the  sea-board  by  means  thereof,  and  had  early 
thought  of  utilizing  the  streams  in  the  trans])nrta- 
tioii  of  lumber  and  wood.  But  a  canal  along  a  com- 
paratively level  country  like  Now  York,  and  on  the 
dizzy  heights  of  some  of  our  mountain  canons,  were 
two  different  things.  In  our  mountain;  cafions  sharp 
turns  had  to  be  inade  where  the  lodging  of  a  stick  of 
floating  timber  would  cause  an  overflow  which  in  an 
hour  would  sweep  away  the  earth  where  repair 
would  be  next  to  iinitossihie.  Again  the  ditch,  or 
flume,  would  be  set  up  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill  on 
one  leg  in  such  a  careless  manner  that  no  man  with 
liis  life  uninsured  would  have  a  right  to  travel  ovei-it, 
and  it  is  not  strange  that  most  of  them  were  failures. 
Captain  J.  C,  Ham,  of  Amador  County,  California,  as 
early  as  1834  undertook  the  construction  of  a  flume 
which  was  hoped  to  be  useful  tor  transportation  both 
ways.  The  flume  was  four  feet  wide  on  the  bottom, 
five  at  the  top,  and  thirty-two  inches  in  depth.  The 
lumber  was  floated  from  the  mill,  and  the  aqueduct 
built  some  fifteen  miles  to  the  place  where  the  water 
was  to  be  distrilnited,  the  fall  being  about  five  feet 
to  the  mile.  The  flume  was  completed  and  consid- 
erable timber  floated  down,  but  it  did  not  answer 
expectations.  The  lumber  otlon  lodged,  causing 
overflows  that  would  wash  out  considerable  distances. 
The  ])aB8age  "  up  the  flume"  was  still  more  problem- 
atical. This  was  to  be  accomplished  by  a  boat  of 
peculiar  construction.  There  was  to  bo  a  railway, 
or  gunwale,  on  each  side  of  the  flume,  on  which 
traveled  wheels  turned  bj-  a  water-wheel  on  the 
same  axle  in  the  roar  of  the  boat.  The  model  worked 


well  enough  but  when  the  working-model  was  put  in 
it  proved  a  failure,  and  no  passengers  or  other  freight 
'•  went  up  the  flumo."  A  flume  in  Calaveras  County, 
in  California,,  was  also  built  on  the  plan  to  float 
lumber,  and  a  great  quantitj'  was  floated  to  Mokel- 
umne  Hill  and  other  mountain  towns.  IJut  most 
of  the  first  attempts  were  failures  in  consequence 
of  the  washouts  which  more  than  offset  any  profits 
from  cheap  transportation,  and  the  bull-whacker 
still  flourished  and  dragged  his  loads  through  the 
rough  canons  or  over  the  hot  sands  of  the  plains. 
Not  until  recent  years  was  the  discovery  made 
that  revolutionized  the  transportation  of  lumber. 
This  was  the  V  flume.  Like  all  inventions  of 
importance  this  is  claimed  by  several  persons,  but 
was  really  a  growth  resulting  from  the  wisdom 
and  experience  of  many.  Several  men  are  still 
living  who  first  suggested  the  building  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  yet  posterity  has  agreed  in  giving  the  greatest 
credit  to  De  Witt  Clinton,  who  was  able  to  carry 
through  the  undertaking.  Though  Whitney,  as  early 
as  1S40,  )>roposed  building  an  overland  railroad  to 
Oregon,  and  thousands  after  him  plaiinod  how  it 
might  be  done,  the  countiy  is  dis|)osed  to  give  the 
chief  credit  of  the  great  enterprise  to  the  projectors 
of  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific  Railroads,  who 
brought  the  theories  together  and  out  of  the  dis- 
cordant elements  wove,  matured  and  executed  this 
great  trans-continental  enterprise.  So,  also,  posterity 
will  give  the  honor  of  the  discovery  of  the  V  flume, 
not  to  him  who  first  suggested  it,  but  to  him  who 
had  the  energy  to  build  one  and  make  it  a  tangi- 
ble and  operative  fact.  Timber  slides  are  old  affairs. 
A  hundred  years  ago  a  German,  by  the  name  of 
Rapp,  constructed,  from  an  inaccessible  mountain  top, 
a  timber-slide  to  a  lake  three  miles  awa}'.  This  was 
so  much  like  a  V  flume  that  it  ought  to  have  sug- 
gested it.  but  it  did  not,  or  anything  else  of  impor- 
tance. This  trough  was  about  three  miles  long  and 
was  whollj-  constructed  of  timber.  The  trees  wore 
divested  of  their  bark  when  put  in,  and  were  usually 
some  minutes  in  making  the  transit,  though  in 
rainy  weather,  when  the  trough  was  slippery,  trees 
had  been  known  to  go  through  in  one  minute  and  a 
half  A  hunili-ed  years  later  the  principle  was 
developed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  by  men 
who  probabi)'  never  heard  of  the  name  Rapp.  Any- 
thing pertaining  to  the  development  of  this  form  of 
transportation  not  only  has  a  jiresont  interest  but  is 
likely  to  be  of  importance  hereafter.  In  the 
Douglas  Count}'  Banner,  November  21),  18G5,  was 
the  following  notice: — 

A  surveying  ))arty  composed  of  R.  W.  Norris,  Civil 
Engineer,  and  others  passed  through  Genoa  last 
week  engaged  in  surveying  the  route  for  a  flumo 
from  Gary's  Mill  (better  known  as  Wade's  Mill),  on 
the  West  Carson  Piver,  in  .\l])ine  County,  California, 
to  Empire  City.  From  Colonel  Norris  we  learn  that 
the  distance  from  the  initial  ])oint  to  the  terminus 
is  thirty-two  and  a  half  miles  ;  that  the  fall  in  that 
distance  is  97G  feetj;    the  estimated  cost,  8150,000. 


C 


A.  C.  Cleveland. 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  was  born  at 
Skowhegan,  Somerset  County.  He  remained  in  his  native  State  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  seventeen.  During  his  life  there  he  acquired  a  fair  education,  and  in  January, 
1858,  started  for  California  on  the  steamer  Star  of  the  West,  the  boat  that  was  the  first 
fired  upon  by  the  rebels  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Upon  reaching  the  Pacific 
Coast,  Mr.  Cleveland  engaged  in  mining  in  Tuolumne  and  Calavaras  Counties,  until  1SG2 
when  he  went  to  Plumas  County  and  engaged  in  the  stock  business.  In  May,  18G3, 
he  crossed  the  mountains  to  Nevada,  and  located  in  Virginia  City.  His  business  at  that 
place  was  principally  mining.  In  18()5  he  went  to  Washoe  County  and  engaged  in  the 
lumber  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  build  a  V  Hume  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
wood  and  timber  down  from  the  mountains,  having  had  one  in  operation  as  early  as 
18G8,  at  Simonds'  place  on  Simonds  Creek,  at  theb.ead  of  Little  Valley,  near  Lakeview 
Station.     This  fiume  was  two  and  one-quarter  miles  in  length. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Cleveland  was  elected  a  Commissioner  for  Washoe  County,  and  was  a 
delegate  to  the  State  Convention  that  year,  and  during  a  contest  before  that  body, 
between  the  Winters  and  the  Blaisdel  delegations  from  Storej'  County,  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
a  member  of  the  committee  that  decided  the  matter,  and  held  the  deciding  vote.  This 
he  cast  for  Blaisdel,  in  strict  conjunction  with  his  instructions  by  the  County  Convention, 
he  having  pledged  himself  to  do  so,  although  Winters  was  his  special  friend  and  em- 
ployer, and  pecuniary  benefits,  as  well  as  threats,  were  used  to  deter  him  from  doing  so. 
It  was  threatened  that  the  patronage  of  the  Kentuck  Mining  Company  would  be  taken 
away  from  him  unle.ss  ho  disobeyed  his  instructions,  but  he  stood  firm,  and  consequently 
lost  their  patronage.  General  Clark  says  of  him:  "Hia  word  is  of  more  value  to  him 
than  money." 

In  1868,  Mr.  Cleveland  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  of  the  State  Legislature  from 
Washoe  County.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  he  went  to  Hamilton,  and  has  since  been  a  resi- 
dent of  White  Pine  County.  During  the  winter  of  1868- G9,  he  built  the  toll-road  run- 
ning fiorth  from  Hamilton.  In  1870,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from  White 
Pine  County,andin  1871,  he  was  appointed  to  prosecute  the  claims  of  the  State  at  Wash- 
ington, District  of  Columbia,  and  succeeded  in  getting  an  appropriation  for  the  State  of 
$60,000.  In  1873.  he  moved  to  his  present  ranch,  in  Spring  Valley,  where  he  is  engaged 
very  extensively  in  stock-raising. 

In  the  pursuit  of  this  bu.siness  he  has  taken  great  pains  to  improve  the  breeds  of  his 
cattle,  and  has  imported  a  number  of  very  valuable  thoroughbred  animals.  The  enter- 
prise displayed  in  this,  and  the  success  attending  it,  has  .set  the  example  to  the  graziers 
of  the  State  that  will  result  in  great  public  good.  Having  an  extensive  and  valuable 
range,  and  great  faith  in  the  adaptability  of  the  country  and  climate  to  the  rearing  of 
superior  stock,  he  has  entered  upon  the  business  with  confidence  and  judgment  supple- 
mented by  his  usual  energy. 

He  was  married  January  19,  1868,  to  Miss  Kate  M.  Petei-s,  of  Carson  City,  Nevada. 
He  has  seen  much  of  life,  and  it  is  universally  admitted  that  he  is  "true  as  steel." 


TRANSPORTATION  OF  LUMBER  BY  WATER. 


IS'J 


Governor   II.   H.   151iiK(lul,    J.   \V.   Ilaines  aiul   J.    F. 
Sehultur,  are  named  as  interested  parties. 

The  following  Ajirii  another  project  was  inaui;ii- 
rated  by  Goft".  Elliott,  Pray,  and  Spencer,  who  ]m-o- 
po.sed  to  take  the  water  from  Clear  Creek  and  carrj- 
it  to  Empire,  a  distance  of  ahout  thirteen  miles,  the 
cost  being  estimated  at  820,0(10.  This  was  also 
intended  for  the  transportation  of  wood  and  lumber. 

The  first-named  company  filed  their  articles  of" 
incorporation  about  the  first  of  -May,  IStlO,  witii  .1. 
W.  Haines,  J.  B.  Winters,  Frederick  Schulter, 
Thomas  Wade,  and  George  F.  Jones,  as  Trustees; 
the  ])i-iiicipal  place  of  business  being  Carson  City; 
John  B.  Winters,  President;  Thomas  Wells,  Secre- 
tary; George  F.  Jones,  Treasurer. 

Maj-  5th,  "Ijake  Tahoe  and  Emjiire  Flume  Com- 
pany," tiled  articles  of  incorporation,  electing  as 
officers,  A.  W.  Pray,  J.  II.  F.  (iort;  and  K.  M.  Clark. 
The  first  being  President,  the  second  Superintendent 
of  Construction,  and  the  last  Secretary.  The  com- 
pany designed  beginning  work  at  once,  and  to  com- 
plete the  flume  the  following  September.  This  com- 
pany proposed  beginning  one  mile  and  a  half  east 
of  Lake  Tahoe,  at  a  point  near  the  head-waters 
of  Clear  Lake,  and  carry  the  works  to  within  a  mile  of 
Empire  Citj'.  The  Surveyor  General  for  l.S()!)-70 
speaks  of  an  increased  interest  in  the  method  of 
"transporting  lumber  from  the  sources  of  8U])])!y  in 
the  mountains  to  the  mills.  The  old  method  by 
wagons  involved  the  construction  of  costly  roads, 
which  were  of  little  use  after  the  timber  was 
exhausted.  The  best  of  roads  were  soon  cut  u))  with 
the  pressure  of  the  enormous  loads,  and  the  winter 
rains  completed  the  ruin.  The  transportation  at  l)est 
was  slow  and  expensive,  while  that  b}-  flume  was 
ra]iid  and  cheap. 

lie  reports,  altogether,  in  the  vState  at  that  time, 
about  twenty-five  miles  of  lumber  flume,  and  recom- 
mends that  the  flumes  be  extended.  Three  of  these 
were  in  Ormsbj-  County.  One  belongs  to  II.  11.  Yerring- 
ton  &  Co.,  and  commences  at  the  end  of  the  rail- 
road, about  two  miles  west  of  (Jarson  Vhy,  and 
extends  up  the  mountain  sides  about  four  miles. 

The  second,  owned  by  Chamberlain  &  Co.,  com- 
mences near  the  last,  and  also  extends  four  miles  to 
near  the  summit. 

The  third,  belonging  to  the  "Summit  Fluming 
Companj',"  commences  in  the  mountains  near  the 
head-waters  of  Clear  Crook,  following  down  Clear 
Creek  to  the  base  of  the  mountains;  thence  along 
the  base  of  the  mountains  towards  Carson  City. 
This,  when  completed,  was  about  twelve  miles  long. 
The  oldest  enterprise  in  the  State  was  said  to  liavo 
been  that  of  J.  \V.  Haines,  and  (!.  A.  \iu\  (Jorder, 
in  Douglas  Count}',  which  was  completed  in  1SI19. 
Xo  mention  is  made  of  the  fact  that  there  were  V 
flumes,  by  the  Surveyor  General  in  his  report,  ])rob- 
ably  because  the  advantage  of  this  kind  of  flume  had 
not  as  yet  attracted  much  attention. 
24 


These  remarks  have  been  with  referetice  to  the  sub- 
se([uent  claims  for  the  invention  of  the  V,  and  the 
names  above  mentioned  will  ajjpear  again  in  this 
connection. 

The  Summit  Fluming  Company  had  filed  articles 
of  incorporation  the  fifteenth  of  June  jireviously,  and 
had  during  the  summer,  or  up  to  the  time  of  making 
the  report,  constructed  four  mile-',  connecting  Elliott's 
Mill  with  Carson  City,  showing  a  vigorous  working 
capacity.  Somewhere  in  these  years  it  was  discovered 
that  the  V  shaped  flume  was  the  most  efficient  in  car- 
rying wood  and  lumber,  and  in  1859  one  was  first 
adopted  for  such  use  without  lapping  the  boards. 

The  princi])le  involved,  or  rather,  evolved,  in  the 
V  flume,  or  slanting  sides,  was  that  when  the  lumber 
or  wood  lodged  from  any  cause,  the  water  acccumu- 
lating  would,  in  raising  it  up  from  the  slanting  sides, 
free  it,  a  result  not  accomplished  when  the  flume  was 
with  ])erpendicular  sides,  which  in  co!itradistinction 
might  bo  called  a  U  flume. 

The  question  is  still  unsettled  as  to  who  first 
invented  the  V  flume,  and  although  the  Court  decided 
adverse  to  the  claim  of  patented  privileges  by  J.  W. 
Haines,  it  did  not  appear  that  he  was  or  was  not  the 
originator  of  this  peculiar  form  of  transportation,  but 
it  did  appear  that  he  was  the  fii'St  in  Nevada  to  use 
it  as  a  wood  and  lumber  carrier. 

Litigation  of  this  character  involving  the  right  of 
an  individual  to  the  benefits  of  a  valuable  improve- 
ment that  is  of  importan<'e,  and  advantageous  for 
general  use,  often  brings  to  the  surface  a  flood  of 
truth  and  its  opposite,  and  not  unfrequently  i-esults  in 
injustice  to  the  inventor. 

So  it  was  with  Whitney's  cotton-gin,  which  made 
cotton-raising  profitable.  Though  fifty  machines 
were  running  at  the  time  within  hearing  of  the 
Court,  he  could  not  ])rove  that  his  machines  were  in 
general  use.  The  invention  was  worth  millions  to 
the  cotton  States,  but  Whitney  died  poor  notwith- 
standing. The  invention  was  of  too  much  value  to 
be  enjojed  by  one  man.  So  it  was  with  the  shuttle 
of  the  sewing  machine,  the  horizontal  sickle  of  the 
reajier,  the  revolving  cylinder  of  the  rifle.  Even 
such  a  little  thing  as  an  improved  saw-tooth  became 
the  subject  of  costly  and  vexatious  suits,  and  not 
until  a  fortune  was  expended  was  Spaulding,  the 
inventor,  allowed  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  in- 
vention. It  was  sworn  that  the  same  form  of  tooth 
had  been  in  common  u.se  for  years,  but  the  Sujireme 
Court  held  otherwise,  and  he  eventually  obtained  a 
recognition  of  his  rights.  It  is  not  always  the  case, 
however.  Smart  lawyers  and  hard  swearing  will 
sometimes  carr}'  the  day. 

In  August,  1872,  J.  \\ .  Haines  brought  a  suit  at 
Carson  City,  in  the  United  States  District  Court, 
against  William  Sharon  and  others,  to  determine 
his  right  to  benefits  as  an  inveiUor  of  the  V  flume, 
ho  having  obtained  a  patent  as  such,  September  20, 
1870. 


190 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  followincr  facts  are  compiled  from  the  notes 
of  the  tcstimonj'  taken  by  the  Judge  presiding: — 

The  value  of  the  V  flume  as  a  means  of  transporta- 
tion is  shown  bj-  the  following:  Yerrington  &  Co.'s 
flume  was  constructed  in  1809,  and  has  been  run- 
ning since  December,  1870.  It  is  used  for  running 
wood.  The  owners  passed  30.000  cords  through  it 
between  December  1,  1870,  and  January  17,  1872. 
The  cost,  including  repairs  and  attendance  of  men, 
would  not  exceed  one  dollar  per  cord.  The  cost  by 
the  old  method  of  transportation  would  have  been 
several  times  as  much.  The  following,  on  the  struct- 
ure of  the  flume,  is  from  the  testimony  of  W.  N. 
Leete:  The  flume  is  constructed  of  ])lanks  nailed 
together  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  V,  with  the 
ends  of  the  section  butted  together,  so  as  to  form  a 
smooth  channel.  It  has  been  in  existence  since 
December,  1870. 

On  the  part  of  the  defense  (Sharon  et  al.)  it  was 
denied  that  the  plaintiff  (J.  W.  Haines)  was  the 
original  inventor,  or  that  he  maintained  a  continu- 
ous use  of  it.  Ho  was  brought  on  the  stand  and 
testified  that  he  conceived  the  idea  in  1868, 
and  made  a  model  in  Julj^,  and  constructed  a 
working  flume  in  October  of  the  same  year,  above 
Genoa. 

G.  W.  White,  carpenter,  testified  that  he  knew  of 
a  V  flume  in  Simmon's  Canon  in  1808;  that  it  was 
owned  by  A.  C.  Cleveland;  that  it  was  made  of 
inch  and  a  half  lumber,  one  board  sixteen  inches, 
the  other  seventeen  and  a  half  inches  wide,  nailed 
together  at  the  edges,  so  as  to  form  a  V;  that  it 
was  commenced  in  June,  and  finished  the  following 
July;  that  it  was  6,700  feet  long,  and  was  used 
for  floating  wood.  Prom  the  diary  kept  by  himself 
he  found  that  the  flume  was  commenced  June  22d, 
and  finished  July  21st;  that  when  forty  or  fifty 
lengths  were  finished  that  it  was  tried  and  found 
to  work  well,  '-not  clogging  more  than  anj-  floom." 
From  this  it  would  appear  that  the  V  form  was 
used  because  it  was  cheapest;  and  that  it  was  found 
to  run  about  as  well  as  anj^  other  shaped  flume. 
It  would  run  about  twenty-five  cords  a  day. 

A.  C.  Cleveland,  the  proprietor,  was  put  on'  the 
stand,  and  confii-med  the  statements  of  the  previous 
wittioss.  Some  particulars  as  to  the  connection  of 
the  boxes  were  elicited.  The  [ends  were  not  butted 
together,  except  in  a  few  instances,  but  lapped.  In 
the  bends  of  the  line  of  fluming  the  jogs  would 
sometimes  make  the  sticks  of  wood  jump  out.  To 
remedy  this,  wedge-shaped  pieces,  three  or  four  feet 
long,  were  nailed  in,  which  produced  a  smoother 
current,  and  made  it  do  better  work.  They  ran  sev- 
eral hundred  cords  of  wood  through  the  flume,  and 
then  sold  it  to  the  Overman  Silver  Mining  Com- 
pany. He  also  testified  that  he  saw  Haines'  flume 
in  May  previous;  that  ho  got  his  idea  of  a  V  flume 
from  Haines.  An  older  V  flume  still  was  hunted  up. 
J.  II.  Knox  testified  that  he  had  a  V  flume  in 
1864,  at  Musgrovo  Cafion,  which  was  about  600  feet 


long,  the  boards  being  from  fourteen  to  eighteen, 
inches  in  width.  It  was  used  to  run  oft'  saw-dust 
bark,  and  other  waste  material.  Sometimes  slabs  of 
eon.Kiderable  size  would  fall  in  and  go  through, 
though  it  was  not  intended  to  put  lumber  in  it. 
Some  of  the  joints  were  lapped  and  some  butted 
together.  This  was  in  full  view  of  the  public,  and 
was  not  considered  a  thing  to  conceal. 

Another  man,  Lonkey,  testified  to  having  used  a 
V  flume  in  18G4,  in  Washoe  County,  twelve  miles 
northwest  of  Carson.  This  was  also  used  to  carry 
waste  away  from  the  mill,  though  occasionally  con- 
siderable pieces  would  fall  into  it  and  go  through. 
A  second  flume  was  built  of  larger  dimensions,  the 
planks  being  twenty-two  and  twentj'-four  inches, 
and  was  two  and  a  half  miles  long,  extending  from 
Little  Valley  to  Franktown,  and  cost  about  $2,000 
])er  mile.  The  ends  of  the  sections  were  butted 
together,  and  altogether  the  flume  was  a  good  picceof 
work.  Cord-wood,  sawed  lumber,  and  almost  every- 
thing went  through;  one  piece  recollected  was 
twelve  by  sixteen  inches,  and  twenty-four  feet  long. 
This  would  seem  to  fix  the  early  date  of  V  flumes; 
but  this  last  was  not  constructed  until  July,  1870. 
The  lapse  of  time  from  the  building  of  the  first  to 
the  building  of  the  second  flume  was  as  much  as 
was  required  for  Napoleon  to  change  the  map  of 
Europe,  and  does  not  show  any  connection  of  the 
two  events. 

The  reader  will  readily  discover  that  the  first  per- 
sons who  used  the  V  had  no  idea  of  its  being  an  im- 
provement on  the  box  flame;  that  it  was  made  of 
that  shape  because  it  was  cheaper.  Thy  state- 
ments of  other  parties  will  be  given,  and  the  reader 
will  draw  his  own  conclusions. 

Charles  Gillis,  of  Genoa,  states  that  he,  in  connec- 
tion with  J.  H.  F.  Goff,  built  some  200  feet  of  V 
flume,  at  Glenbrook,  in  1805,  for  the  purpose  of  test- 
ing its  carrj'ing  advantages  over  the  box  flume,  which 
choked  badly;  that  it  worked  admirably,  but  they 
could  not  get  capitalists  to  recognize  its  merit,  and 
the  project  was  abandoned. 

Mr.  Cleveland,  who  operated  a  V  flume  in  1808  on 
Simmons  Creek,  thinks  that  Haines'  flume  was  in 
operation  a  few  weeks  previous  to  his.  (ieneral 
Marletto,  also,  is  of  the  opinion  that  Haines  had 
the  first  V  flume  in  the  State.  Colonel  A.  C.  Ellis 
says  that  several  flumes  of  the  shape  in  ([uestion 
were  in  operation  at  the  time  that  Haines  applied 
for  a  patent,  which  should  and  must  invalidate  the 
patent.  Ellis  was  attorney  for  the  defendant  in  the 
case  of  Haines  and  others  versus  Elliott  Brothers, 
and  may  be  prejudiced;  though  if  the  flumes  had 
got  into  general  use  before  a  patent  was  applied  for 
it  would  certainly  militate  against  his  claims  as  an 
inventor.  Application  lor  the  patent  was  made  in 
the  spring  of  1860.  Mr.  Haines'  storj^  is  that  he 
first  conceived  the  idea  of  fluming  wood  in  1800; 
that  he  constructed  a  box  flume  for  that  |)urpose  in 
Kingsbury  Cafion,  one  mile  in  length,  which  proved 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


191 


iinsncccssful.  In  186G  he  tried  a  lap-over  V  flumo, 
placing  it  in  the  old  box  flume;  that  it  proved  emi- 
nently successful;  that  ho  extended  it  into  the 
mountains  durintj  the  next  four  years  some  twelve 
miles.  During  the  time,  or  about  1808,  he  changed 
it  at  the  section  from  a  lap-over  to  an  abutting 
joint.  There  maj-  be  a  saving  claim  in  the  matter. 
The  witnesses  who  saw  his  flume  at  the  time  speak 
of  it  as  a  square  box;  did  not  see  the  diamond- 
shaped  bottom. 

Judge  Field,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  decided  that 
the  fact  of  the  flumes  having  been  in  common  use 
previous  to  the  application  would  invalidate  the 
patent,  and  a  verdict  was  rendered  for  the  de- 
fendants. 

It  will  be  seen  that  few,  if  anj',  of  the  persons 
using  the  V  had,  at  first,  any  idea  of  the  value  of 
the  improvement;  that,  when  it  became  known, 
numbers  claimed  the  honor,  so  that  it  is  uncertain 
who  did  originate  the  change. 

However  much  doubt  maj-  rest  on  the  author  of 
it  the  utility  cannot  be  questioned.  By  means  of  it 
the  forests  in  the  remote  and  almost  inaccessible 
canons  may  now  be  utilized.  It  admits  of  almost 
any  grade;  maj'  be  run  on  a  slight  or  down  a  steep 
incline  with  full  assurance  of  success.  Millions  of 
dollars  have  been  spent  in  California  to  work  out 
the  problem  of  lumber  transportation.  The  V  was 
known  to  all.  They  had  passed  over  it,  used  it  in 
one  way  and  another,  getting  now  and  then  a  glimpse 
of  its  utility,  only  to  abandon  it  for  something  else. 
Within  the  last  few  years  an  entire  revolution  of 
lumber  transportation  has  taken  place.  Instead  of 
costly  wagon-roads,  and  toiling  mules  or  oxen,  the 
wood  and  lumber  is  put  into  a  box,  and  is  hurried 
by  its  own  weight  to  its  place  of  destination.  One 
of  the  largest  of  these  is  owned  by  the  Pacific 
Wood  and  Lumber  Flume  Company,  the  principal 
owners  being  John  Mackey,  J.  G.  Fair,  and  J.  C. 
Flood.  It  was  built  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  $250,000, 
is  fifteen  miles  in  length,  standing  most  of  the  way 
on  trestle  work,  and  contains  2,000,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber, having  a  carrying  capacity  of  500  cords  of  wood, 
or  5(1(1.000  feet  of  lumber  ]>er  day;  or,  to  make  the 
matter  plainer,  it  would  take  2,000  horses  to  do  tte 
work  of  this  flume.  It  was  projected  and  built  by 
John  B.  Hereford  in  ten  weeks.  The  company 
owns  12, ()()()  acres  of  timber  lanil  in  the  vicinity  of 
Huft'aker's  Mill,  north  of  Lake  Tahoo,  where  this 
flume  begins,  its  termination  being  near  the  Vir- 
ginia and  Truckee  liailroad  in  Washoe  Valley, 

The  Surveyor  General  for  1879-80,  Andrew  J. 
Hatch,  reports  the  wood  and  lumber  flumes  as  fol- 
lows:— 

Miles  in 
cowNrr.       Ko.    length.     Wood  flumed.         Lumber  flumcd. 
Douglas...    2        ..        80,000  cords     IC, 000, 000  feet, 
Ormsby...    2       25       88,0(J0      "  17,(I(MI,()(M)     " 

Washoe...   G       55       58,000      "  300,0((0     " 


Total...  10       80      171,000 


33,300,000 


CHAPTER  XXV,  , 

THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA, 

[bv  col,  henry  a.  siiaw,] 

Mormonism  in  the  A.Ivaiice — 'I'lie  First  Marri.agc — Early  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Work — The  rionocT  I'reachers— Contempt 
for  the  Fourth  Ciunmanilmeut — 'J'rihulations  of  a  Young 
Scotch  Divine  at  Klko — A  Funeral  .Sermon  Over  the  Wrong 
Man — An  Anecdote  of  the  Lightning  Express — Practical 
Praying  in  the  Legislature — Floating  Denominations  in 
Nevada. 

The  church  history  of  Nevada  begins  at  as  remote 
a  period  as  the  earliest  settlement  in  its  Territory 
of  white  men.  The  term  "church,"  as  employed  in 
this  chapter,  must  be  taken  in  its  most  compre- 
hensive sense.  It  is  intended  to  cover  every  phase 
of  religious  belief;  whether  that  of  Jew  or  Gentile, 
Christian  or  Buddhist,  Mahometan  or  Spiritualist, 
or  any  other  adopted  or  practiced  by  men.  It  may 
mean  a  society  organized  for  the  propagation  of  any 
particular  faith,  a  system  of  theology  itself,  or  a 
building  devoted  to  public  worship.  There  is  as 
great  a  diversity  in  the  creeds  of  Nevada  as  there 
are  varieties  in  the  assay  of  its  ores.  The  Mosaic 
character  of  its  population  fitly  typifies  the  religion 
of  its  people.  The  superstitious  rites  of  the  aborigi- 
nal inhabitants  and  the  Chinese  pagans  are  practiced 
side  by  side  with  the  sublime  teachings  of  Chris- 
tianity. The  proportion  of  professing  believers  to 
non-sectarians,  however,  always  has  been  and  is 
very  small.  A  glance  at  the  census  tables,  con- 
trasted with  the  returns  of  membership  in  the  dif- 
ferent denominations,  shows  this  to  bo  the  case. 
But  it  must  not  therefore  be  assumed  by  the  reader, 
who  may  not  be  conversant  with  the  conditions 
under  which  civilization  has  been  planted  in  our 
remote  Territories,  that  the  social  atmosphere  of 
Nevada  is  oppressive  on  this  account.  Her  men 
and  women  make  up  in  good  works  whatever  they 
lack  in  seeming  faith.  If  not  theoretically  religious, 
they  are  for  the  most  part  practically  so.  The 
trials  so  often  endured  bj'  the  ]iioneers  of  a  new 
country,  develop  a  spirit  of  charity,  forbearance, 
and  good-will,  toward  one  another;  and  all  the  graces 
of  Christian  love  and  tenderness  are  frei|uently  illus- 
trated in  places  where  no  spire  ])oints  the  way  to 
Heaven,  anil  where  no  man  of  God  teaches  the 
inspired  truths  of  salvation.  But  if  the  testimony 
of  zealous  distributors  of  Biblical  literature  in  earlj' 
times  in  Nevada  be  ontitlod  to  any  weight,  there  is 
not  very  much  for  the  faithful  historian  to  record  of 
the  piety  of  its  inhabitants.  As  late  as  1874  the 
Rev.  H.  Richardson,  the  agent  of  the  California 
Bible  Society,  in  his  report  of  bis  operations  in 
Nevada,  used  this  language: — 

The  work  of  Hiblo  distribution  has  special  claims  ' 
upon  us  here,  on  account  of  its  special  needs.  Is 
there  a  State  in  our  whole  Union  where  there  is  so 
little  religious  restraint,  such  ignorance  of  the  Bible, 
such  flaunting  at  its  teachings,  such  Sabbath-break- 
ing, such  heaven-daring  i)r<)fanity.  such  common 
drunkenness,    such    unblushing    licentiousness,    and 


192 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


such  glorying  in  shame — in  short,  is  there  another 
State*  whore  people  so  generallj'  feel  as  though  they 
were  almost  or  ijuito  oiitof  tiod's  moral  jurisdiction? 

Mr.  Richardson  may  possibly  liuvo  ])ut  too  many 
Eembrandl  touches  in  this  picture  of  utter  depravity 
in  his  desire  to  serve  his  society  and  to  still  iurthcr 
Btimuiate  its  zeal  in  the  matter  of  providing  reckless 
miners  and  ))rospectors  with  free  copies  of  the 
unrevised  Scriptures.  Those  who  will  carefully  fol- 
low the  story  of  the  progress  of  the  various  Christian 
denominations,  as  ])rcseiited  in  the  succeeding  jiages. 
will  probably  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Uichard- 
son's  sketch  is  just  a  trifle  over-drawn. 

ADVANCE   OF   THE    MORMONS. 

The  Mormons  were  the  i)ioneer  settlers  in  the 
country.  The}',  of  course,  brought  along  with  them 
their  peculiar  doctrines,  and  Mormonism  was  there- 
fore the  (irst  religion  introduced  bj-  white  men  in 
this  Territory.  All  of  the  ))resent  ><'evada  was  then 
known  as  Carson  County,  Utah  Territory.  In  1847 
the  first  settlemenl  cstablisliod  by  the  Mormons  in  the 
couiitj'  was  at  FraiiUtown,  Washoe  Valley.  In.hine, 
1854,  another  company  of  Mormons,  headed  by 
Elder  Orson  Ilydo.  arrived  in  Carson  Vallej-.  Two 
years  later,  another  i)arty,  emin-acing  about  twenty 
families,  arrived  from  eastern  Utah,  and  settled 
chiefly  in  Washoe  Valley.  In  1857,  Brigham  Young 
issued  his  ])roclamation  recalling  all  the  wandering 
members  of  his  tribe  to  Salt  Lake,  to  tight  the  expedi- 
tion sent  out  bj-  the  United  States  (iovernment  under 
Col.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston.  Ilis  adherents  in  Car- 
son and  Washoe  Valleys  obeyed  his  summons,  and 
abandoned  their  fartns  which  they  had  brought 
under  cultivation.  Subsequently  other  bands  of 
apostate  Mormons  returned  and  took  possession  of 
these  once  prosperous  settlements.  The  original 
settlers  in  Meadow  and  Clover  Valleys,  were  all  of 
this  church,  and  came  from  Utah  in  18(i4.  Thej- 
were  in  charge  of  Hisbo]i  Samuel  Fioo  about  two 
years,  and  at  first  numbered  about  thirty-five  fami- 
lies. In  1872  they  had  increased  to  seventy  families. 
The  settlement  now  numbers  about  thirty  families, 
and  is  in  charge  of  Bishop  Luke  Syphus.  The 
first  Mormon  settlement  in  Kagle  Vallej-  was  in 
charge  of  Bishop  M.  Hatch,  but  is  now  in  the 
jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Syphus.  The  Mormons  in 
Nevada  are  known  as  Josc])hites,  the  distin- 
guishing feature  of  which  is  ojiposition  to  the  doc- 
trines of  polygamy.  They  style  themselves  mem- 
bers of  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints.  Alexander  11.  Smith,  son  of  Joseph 
Smith,  who  was  the  founder  of  this  sect,  is  a  mis- 
sionary on  the  I'acific  Coast  of  this  branch  of  the 
Mormon  Church,  llo  is  about  forty-seven  years  of 
age,  an<l  occasionally  visits  the  Josephites  of  Xevada, 
who  number  to-day  probably  about  three  hundred 
all  told. 

EARLY    MISSIONARY    WORK. 

The  discovery  of  gold  and  silver  in  Nevada  Terri- 


tory, and  the  Washoe  mining  excitement  turned  the 
tide  of  emigration  eastward  across  the  Sierra.  By 
the  new-comers  were  borne  the  standards  of  other 
Christian  denominations.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  organization  was  the  first  to  establish  a  reg- 
ular missionary  outpost.  The  lioman  Catholic 
(Jhurch  had  its  priests  on  the  ground  soon  after- 
ward. Later  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  turned 
its  attention  to  this  inviting  field  for  missionary 
labor,  and  after  them  successivelj-  came  the  Pres- 
byterians, the  Baptists  and  the  Congregationalists. 
The  history  of  these  dift'erent  denominations  is  fully 
set  forth  further  on  under  their  respective  headings. 

Something  may  be  generally  sot  down  here  of  the 
characteristics  of  missionary  work  in  Nevada  in 
early  times;  of  the  dillicultics  of  Church  work  en- 
gaged in  by  the  men  who  pioneered  the  gospel  in 
those  daj's.  No  more  self-denying  labor  was  ever 
accom])lislie(l  than  that  performed  by  these  heralds 
of  religion.  These  jtioneer  ministers  did  not  come 
to  gain  material  wealth.  Most  of  them  are  very 
])Oor  to-daj'.  Their  successors  are  in  about  the  same 
condition.  Had  they  been  worldly-minded  they 
might  have  been  rich.  The  pioneer  ministers  saw 
the  rougher  side  of  life.  They  had  few  comforts. 
They  were  glad  to  have  a  board  shanty  to  live  in, 
and  a  tent  for  a  ])lace  of  worship.  These  men  and 
their  associates  not  onl}'  founded  churches,  but  every 
one  of  them  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  a  sj-stem  of 
public  education.  They  sought  not  their  own,  but  only 
the  highest  welfare  of  their  communities.  Nevada 
might  lose  all  its  mineral  wealth  and  not  encounter 
any  such  loss  as  it  would  were  the  initial  work  of 
the  pioneer  ministers  absolutely  stricken  out.  They 
stood  in  their  places  not  only  for  religion  but  for 
education,  law,  justice,  for  temperance,  honest  indus- 
try, and  for  eternal  principles  of  right  to  \ny  at  the 
very  foundations  of  the  State.  The  Right  Reverend 
().  W.  Whitaker,  the  Episcopal  Missionary  Bishop  of 
Nevada,  in  his  eleventh  annual  rejjort,  jiubiished  in 
1880,  indicates  in  a  general  waj-  the  difliculties  with 
which  all  ministers  in  his  country  have  contended. 

•'  In  the  good  providence  of  (iod,"  he  writes,  "I 
am  permitted  to  see  the  end  of  the  j'ears  of  mission- 
ary work  in  Nevada.  They  have  been  years  of 
almost  unremitting  lalior,  much  of  which  has  been 
attended  with  manifold  discouragements  and  appar- 
entl}'  meagre  results.  The  continual  change  which 
is  taking  place  in  the  population  of  our  towns,  and 
the  almost  universal  disregard  of  Sunday  as  a  day  of 
rest  and  worship,  have  everywhere  combined  to 
retard  the  progress  which  it  should  seem  the  Church 
ought  to  have  made  during  this  time.  If  the  ]ieoplo 
of  Nevada  were  attached  to  the  places  in  which  they 
live,  instead  of  constantlj'  planning  for  removal,  it 
would  be  much  easier  for  them  to  become  identified 
with  Church  work;  and  if  they  could  be  ])ersua(led 
to  relax  their  labors  for  one  day  of  the  week,  a  much 
larger  attendance  ujnm  Sunday  services  could  be 
easily  secured.     Whether  this    will   ever  be  in  this 


THE  CHURCHES  OE  NEVADA. 


103 


generation  i8  very  doubtful.  It  iw  certain  that  but 
little  progress  has  been  made  in  this  direction  in  the 
last  ten  yeai-s."  Again,  in  a  report  issued  two  years 
before,  the  same  gentleman  remarks:  "  No  one  who 
has  not  lived  in  a  country  where  there  is  no  Sunday 
for  the  workingman,  where  the  controlling  desire  of 
almost  every  man  and  woman  is  to  get  rich  quickly, 
where  few  have  anj-  local  attachments  or  think  of 
making  for  themselves  a  permanent  home,  has  any 
just  conception  of  the  diflicultj'  in  maintaining  a  high 
standard  of  Christian  character  in  one's  own  life,  or 
of  leading  others  to  strive  to  attain  it."  This  tcsti- 
monj-  of  Bishoj)  Wliitaker  is  concurrent  with  that 
ottered  by  all  ministers  of  tlie  gos])el  who  have  ever 
labored  in  Nevada.  The  institution  of  Sunday- 
schools  has  accomiilishcd  much  toward  securing  a 
better  observance  of  the  Sabbalh.  These  have  been 
planted  in  many  localities  where  no  tJhureh  organi- 
zation exists.  They  have  been  maintained  by  devout 
men  and  women  an.xioua  to  co-operate  in  the  work 
of  the  religious  training  of  the  young.  The  natural 
desire  for  rest  on  one  day  in  the  week  has  also 
served  the  cause.  Business  men  and  their  clerks 
have  found  the  need  of  relaxation,  and  by  common 
consent  the  stores  in  Virginia  City,  Carson,  and 
other  towns,  are  now  kept  closed  on  Sundays.  Thus 
much  of  the  cause  of  complaint  on  this  score  on  the 
part  of  clergj'men  has  been  removed. 

PIONEER   I>REACniNO    IN    KI.KO. 

One  or  two  illustrations  of  the  jiecuiiar  conditions 
under  which  the  pioneer  ministers  first  laborer!  will 
suffice  to  show  the  character  of  missionary-  work  in 
Nevada.  In  1S70  the  Rev.  John  Brown,  then  a 
graduate  fresh  from  the  Glasgow  University,  Scot- 
land, arrived  at  Hlko  to  take  charge  of  an  organiza- 
tion of  Presl)}-terians  just  formed  there.  He  arrived 
late  one  Saturday  night.  On  stejtping  into  the  rail- 
road depot  and  making  inquiries  for  a  certain 
gentleman,  whom  he  had  been  told,  before  he  left 
San  Francisco,  he  would  find  to  be  a  strong  pillar 
in  his  church,  he  was  directed  to  a  faro  bank. 
There,  amid  the  gambling  crowd,  he  found  the 
"strong  ])illar"  gambling  "  with  the  boys,"  and  evi- 
dentlj-  one  of  them.  From  the  gambling-table  this 
young  minister  was  led  by  this  '-brother"  to  Sister 
K.,  whom  he  was  informed  he  would  find  to  bo  a 
true  mother  in  Israel.  Sister  R.  was  a  queer  mixture, 
physically,  morally  and  spiritually — half  French  and 
half  Indian.  She  had  some  good  points,  but  they 
were  terribly  com])f>unded  with  |ioinls  that  were 
not  quite  so  good.  But  for  a  foundation  the  young 
Scotch  divine  had  to  take  such  timber  as  ho  could 
get  in  those  daj's.  It  was  ])retty  crooked  and 
knotty  but  he  could  get  no  better.  Next  morning 
ho  preached  in  the  Court  House  to  as  manly  a 
set  of  fellows  as  could  l)e  found  aiij'where  between 
the  Atlantic  and  the  I'acifie.  Returning  from  wor- 
ship to  his  room  ho  stumbled  over  a  dead  Chinaman 
who  had  been  shot  by  one  of  his  own  fellowconntry- 
men,  and  as  that  was  regarded  as  a  matter  of  small 


consequence  the  body  was  left  where  it  fell  till  a  hole 
could  bo  dug  somewhere  for  its  reception.  During  his 
first  week  in  Elko  Mr.  Brown  spent  his  time  pros])ect- 
ing,  not  for  silver,  but  for  proper  material  to  build  a 
Presbyterian  Church,  lie  was  convinced  that  it  was 
there,  if  ho  could  only  got  it  mined  and  separated 
from  its  surroundings.  The  Railroad  ('om|(any  gave 
him  four  nice  lots,  so,  when  he  stood  up  to  jtreach 
on  the  second  Sabbath,  ho  told  his  hearers  that 
they  were  going  to  build  a  church,  and  that  right 
awaj'.  lie  invited  his  congregation  to  meet  iiim 
next  morning  to  clear  away  the  sago-brush.  They 
obej-ed  the  summons,  though  there  was  not  a  dollar 
with  which  to  begin  oj)erations,  and  $2,500  at  least 
would  be  required.  In  tho  crowd  was  a  character 
known  as  "Parson  Cook."  He  could  drink  his  whisky 
straight,  could  hunt  Indians,  make  bricks,  build 
houses,  or  exhort  the  "boys"  on  tho  street  from  the 
top  of  a  drj'-goods  box.  This  rough  and  shaggy  pio- 
neer rose  and  declared  that  the  church  had  to  bo 
built;  and  if  he  w'as  ])ledged  a  benefit  night — that  is  an 
occasion  to  exhort  and  take  up  a  collection  when  the 
church  was  built — he  would  give  the  bricks  and  build 
the  foundation.  It  was  unanimously  agreed  to  accept 
his  offer,  and  to  proclaim  the  "parson"  the  best 
fellow  in  all  the  town.  He  was  as  good  as  his  word, 
and  when  the  church  was  completed  he  got  his 
benefit  service.  Life  in  Elko  in  those  days  was  very 
different  from  the  correct  and  somber  existence  to 
which  the  young  I'resbyterian  minister  had  been 
accustomed  among  his  native  hills  of  Scotland.  It 
was  the  custom  in  Elko,  as  it  is  elsewhere  in  Nevada, 
to  give  everj-  one  who  died  "  a  good  send  off";  "  that 
is,  to  take  him  to  church  and  preach  a  funeral  ser- 
mon over  his  remains.  This  had  to  be  done  even  for 
the  worst  characters  in  the  i>lace,  and  it  used  to  try  a 
clergyman's  soul  exceedingly  bard  to  find  out  just  the 
right  thing  to  say  on  such  occasions.  Once  Mr. 
Brown  was  called  on  vcr}'  suddenly  to  preach  a 
funeral  sermon  over  the  remains  of  a  poor  gambler 
who  had  committed  suicide.  As  gambling  was  a 
great  vice  then  in  the  town,  ho  had  pre])arcd  a  ser- 
mon on  the  subject  which  he  had  not  3-et  delivered. 
He  knew  there  would  be  a  big  crowd  of  just  the 
class  that  ought  to  hear  it,  so  he  decided  to  deliver  it 
over  the  body  of  the  suicide.  The  procession  moved 
in  solemn  silence  through  the  main  street  to  tho 
church,  and  filled  u])  every  corner  of  the  building. 
Somehow  or  other  tho  Eeverend  Mr.  Brown  got  tho 
wronir  man  in  his  mind.  The  man  whom  he  thought 
was  lying  dead  in  the  cotlin  before  the  pulpit  was 
alive  and  in  tho  audience.  After  moralizing  some- 
what on  the  evils  of  gambling,  tlie  minister  became 
rather  personal  in  his  obituarj-  discourse.  Instead 
of  sending  the  man,  whom  ho  thought  was  dead,  to 
heaven,  a  glorified  saint,  he  sent  him  in  the  other 
direction;  and  referred  in  such  plain  terms  to  his  evil 
life  and  destitute  family,  that  tho  individual  alluded 
to  and  all  ])resent  realized  that  Mr.  Brown  was 
preaching   hU   funeral    sermon.       This,    of    course, 


194 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


made  him  mad.  He  finally  rose,  and  shaking 
his  fist  at  the  minister,  swore  vengeance  and  left  the 
house.  Others  followed  him  muttering  as  they 
went  out  that  tbey  would  shoot  Mr.  Brown  on  sight. 
It  was  not  until  all  was  over  that  the  hapless  clergy- 
man know  whom  he  had  buried.  Explanations  and 
apologies  were  subseijuently  made,  and  peace  again 
was  restored  in  the  camp.  Mr.  Brown  tells  another 
good  story  of  his  experiences  at  Elko.  In  those 
days  queer  sorts  of  fellows  used  to  come  along 
preaching  the  Gospel,  or  temperance,  or  something 
else.  One  day  a  little  old  fellow  visited  Mr.  Brown's 
study,  and  asked  him  to  go  with  him  to  hold  services 
on  the  street  opposite  the  gambling  saloons.  The 
pastor  declined.  The  stranger  went  himself,  and 
while  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  sermon  his  wife 
drove  into  town  on  the  top  of  a  load  of  wood.  When 
she  saw  the  partner  of  her  joys  and  sorrows  she  got 
down,  and  seizing  him  by  the  neck  dragged  him 
in  tlic  dust,  and  after  pounding  him  well  with  her 
fists,  told  him  to  go  home  and  provide  for  his  starv- 
ing children.  The  little  old  man  got  up  and  shook 
himself,  remarking  that  that  sort  of  thing  was  not  new 
to  him.  Another  day  a  man  called  on  Mr.  Brown 
to  ask  him  for  the  use  of  the  church,  in  which  to  lect- 
ure on  temperance.  lie  was  accommodated.  In  his 
lecture  he  offered  to  bet  81"<l  there  was  not  a  single 
drop  of  whisky  in  Elko  that  would  burn.  No  one 
took  him  up,  but  next  day  the  fellow  was  as  drunk 
as  a  piper,  dancing  in  the  streets,  and  challenging 
the  community  to  climb  on  him  by  thousands.  The 
Elko  whisky  burned  a  big  hole  in  his  character,  and 
ho  had  to  leave  on  short  notice.  The  only  pair  ever 
married  by  Mr.  Brown  in  the  church  remained  to- 
gether about  twenty-four  hours.  Something  hap- 
pened, and  they  parted  for  ever.  He  received  more 
money  in  marriage  fees  in  Elko  than  he  has  ever 
received  since.  When  a  boy  in  Glasgow,  Mr.  Brown 
used  to  join  other  wicked  little  fellows  in  |)laguing 
the  Mormon  missionaries  that  occasionallj-  preached 
over  there  in  the  streets.  One  day  a  fine  silk  hat 
was  knocked  off  one  of  them,  and  Brown  did  his 
part  in  trampling  it  in  the  mire.  "God  moves  in  a 
mysterious  way  his  wonders  to  perform."  A  Mor- 
mon woman  came  to  Elko  from  Utah,  when  he  was 
there,  and  set  up  a  laundry.  She  told  a  sad  tale, 
and  got  five  dollars  out  oi'  the  clergj-man.  To  pay 
it  back  she  wanted  to  do  his  washing,  lie  gave 
her  a  big  load  of  soiled  linen,  but  never  saw  her 
again.  The  Mormon  church  more  than  got  even 
with  him,  and  he  resolved  that  he  would  never  again 
interfere  with  its  missionaries.  Elko  was  a  hard 
place  for  a  minister  to  do  much  good.  The  Rev.  J. 
II.  layers,  who  preached  there  long  after  Mr.  Brown 
had  left,  testifies  that  the  people  there  were  gen- 
erally kind,  but,  as  a  class,  very  wicked.  Mr.  Byers 
also  tells  a  good  funeral  story  of  JOIko.  The  Hon. 
II.  II.  Peyton,  formerly  amemberof  the  Legislature, 
was  buried  on  June  3,  187G.  This  was  the  <lay  the 
pooi)lo  of  I'viko  were  expecting  the  passage  through 


the  town  of  the  famous  lightning  train  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco.  The  funeral  was  set  for 
2  o'clock  p.  .M.,  but  the  train  was  not  expected  till 
about  4  o'clock.  The  bell  had  tolled,  and  the  church 
was  about  half  full  of  peo])le,  with  more  coming  in 
sight.  Tiie  corpse  rested  on  chairs  before  the  pul- 
pit, the  pall-bearers  and  friends  of  the  deceased 
were  present,  and  Mr.  Byers  was  in  the  pulpit  select- 
ing the  Ii3'mn8  appropriate  to  the  solemn  occasion. 
He  was  just  rising  in  the  pulpit  to  begin  the  serv- 
ices, when  some  called  out,  near  the  door,  and  said: 
"  The  fast  train  is  coming."  To  the  minister's  utter 
astonishment  there  was  a  general  stampede.  Ever^'- 
body  lelt  the  church,  citizens,  pall-bearers,  friends  of 
the  deceased,  and  the  sexton,  the  minister  alone 
remaining.  As  the  last  mourner  disa]jpcared  through 
the  door  the  solitary  clergyman  glanced  at  the  coffin, 
and  thought,  for  a  moment,  he  detected  a  movement 
K  on  the  part  of  the  corpse  also  as  though  it,  too, 
would  follow  the  crowd  if  it  could.  The  people  all 
ran  to  the  depot,  and  waited  about  fifteen  minutes, 
when  the  train  came.  The  train-men  and  the  few 
passengers  stoj)ped  there  for  dinner,  but  not  a 
man  or  woman  returned  to  the  church  till  the 
train  was  gone.  Mr,  Byers  meanwhile  walked  about 
the  church,  full  of  anxiety  whether  the  dead  man 
would  be  buried  or  not.  About  the  time  the  train 
left  he  began  to  toll  the  bell  again,  when  the  people 
began  slowly  to  return  to  the  church,  but  not  as 
many  as  had  been  there  previous  to  the  coming  of 
the  train.  He  then  preached  a  sermon  from  Amos, 
4th  cliajjter.  12th  verse,  after  which  the  body  of  H. 
II.  Peyton  was  carried  to  the  hill  above  the  church 
and  buried  in  a  lonely  spot  among  the  sage-brush. 
The  people  of  Elko,  though  quite  hospitable,  were 
much  like  the  Athenians.  Thej'  always  craved  for 
something  new.  The  ]ilace  was  too  fast  to  adhere  to 
old  things,  even  though  they  wore  superior.  A  spirit- 
ualist came  along  once  and  almost  depicted  the 
church  for  a  time.  Sabbath-school  teachers  deserted 
the  Sabbath-school  and  church,  and  almost  everybody 
was  carried  awaj-  with  table-rappings  and  communi- 
cations from  what  they  supposed  was  heaven,  but 
indeed  was  so  near  hades  that  the  pastor  felt  it  was 
unsafe  to  follow  his  congregation.  Mr.  Byers  says 
he  never  had  any  deacons  at  Elko  as  he  had  no 
material  out  of  which  to  make  them.  And  the  reader 
may  set  down  Elko  as  merely  a  prototype  of  all 
other  now  mining  towns.  With  some  variations,  the 
same  amusing  stories  may  bo  told  of  missionarj-  work 
all  over  Nevada. 

PHACTICAL   PUAYINd    BY   A   CHAPLAIN. 

Sometimes  even  clergj-men  themselves  were  in- 
fected bj-  the  spirit  of  the  times.  One  extreme  case 
will  illustrate  our  meaning.  Some  years  ago  during 
a  session  of  the  Legislature  at  Carson,  an  ungodlj' 
representative  was  heard  complaining  in  the  street 
of  the  folly  of  having  prayers  b}'  the  chaplain  at  the 
0])oning  of  the  session  each  day.  The  chaplain,  he 
thought,    was    taking  up   unnecessary  time.     If  his 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


105 


pniyors  wcro  onlj-  ]iriK'(ic-al  it  iiiiLjht  do  sfuno  tjood. 
The  meinbor,  thus  oom]>lainiiin,  was  a  miner,  and 
declared  he  could  stand  praj'injj  provided  some  good 
could  be  derived  from  it;  for  instance,  if  bj-  pravins^ 
for  it  the  rock  in  his  tunnel  would  be  softened,  or  the 
water  flowing  therein  made  more  plentiful.  Some- 
body told  the  Rev.  T.  II.  MctJrath.  a  Methodist 
minister  and  the  chaplain  at  the  time,  what  had  been 
said  bj-  the  petulant  solon.  ^ext  morning  when  the 
Assembly  was  called  to  order,  Mctirath  offered  up  to 
the  throne  of  grace  the  following  prayer: — 

On  Lord:     We  pray  Thee  to  remember  member 

.     Make  the  rock  in   his  tunnel  as  sofi  as  his 

head  and  the  water  in  his  ditch  as  abundant  as  the 
whisky  he  daily  drinks.     Amen. 

McGrath  is  now  Sexton  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Oeme- 
ter}-  at  Virginia  City.  lie  was  a  zealous  and  hard 
worker  during  his  connection  with  the  Methodist 
ministry.  In  1878  he  had  imbibed  ideas  at  war  with 
its  doctrines  and  he  abandimed  the  fold.  lie  there- 
upon organized  "  The  Liberal  Religious  Society  of 
Nevada,"  whose  bond  of  union  was  the  golden  rule. 
Its  first  board  of  trustees  were  0.  C.  liutlermiin,  G. 
E.  Caukin  and  E.  A.  Schultz;  William  Krause,  Treas- 
urer; and  Dr.  U.  Smith,  Secretary.  Services  were 
held  for  awhile  in  Virginia  City,  but  the  society  did 
not  long  survive  its  birth. 

I'RE.\CIIEKS   -Wn    POLITICIANS. 

A  genial  spirit  of  fraternization  is  one  of  the 
marked  characteristics  of  the  Nevada  clergj-.  A 
feeling  of  mutual  respect  has  alwaj's  prevailed 
among  the  ministers  of  the  various  denominations. 
It  is  a  common  practice  for  the  Protestant  pastors  to 
exchange  ])ulpits,  and  whenever  one  church  is  de- 
stroyed by  fire  the  others  are  invariably  ])laceci  at 
the  disposal  of  the  burnt-out  congregation.  The 
frequent  fires  in  Virginia  City  and  other  towns  have 
often  illustrated  the  kindly  relations  sustained  by 
the  churches  toward  one  another.  As  a  class  the 
pastors  are  men  of  the  world,  hard-working,  ener- 
getic, sensible  toilers  in  the  Ijord's  vineyard,  accus- 
tomed to  roughing  it,  and  inured  to  every  form  of 
hardshi|)and  personal  ])rivation.  Intellectually  they 
are  far  superior  to  the  light-waisted  theologians 
whose  cburchly  triumphs  are  indicated  by  the  num- 
ber of  embroidered  slippers  in  their  possession. 
Most  of  them  have  built  their  own  churches,  and 
after  a  year  or  two  of  experience  in  the  sage-brush 
country,  they  succeed  in  picking  u|>  a  great  deal  of 
practical  business  knowledge  which  fits  them  for  any 
avocation.  Some  after  a  while  turn  to  mining,  and 
others  to  politics.  One  clergyman  was  elected  State 
Mineralogist,  another  State  Superintendent  of  I'lib- 
lic  Instruction,  and  others  have  served  the  commu- 
nities faithfully  in  the  Legislature. 

EVANGELISTS    AND    PUBLIC.\TI0N8. 

Neither  revival  gatherings  nor  camp-meetings 
have  ever  obtained  much  headway  in  Nevada.  In 
1867  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  an  honored  evangelist  of 


the  Baptist  Church,  visited  the  State,  and  hold 
revival  services  in  Virginia,  Carson  and  other  towns. 
Ho  succeeded  in  doubling  the  membership  of  the 
Methodist  Churches;  and  his  admirers  in  Storey 
County  put  a  thirty-pound  silver  brick  in  his  hat  on 
the  night  of  his  departure  for  his  Eastern  home. 
The  ordinaiy  Church  instrumentalities  have  gener- 
ally been  relied  on  to  save  sinners.  A  novelty  was 
inaugurated  by  a  minister  in  Gold  Hill  in  1864.  In 
May  of  that  year  the  I^ews  came  out  every  afternoon 
with  scriptural  texts  distributed  among  its  local 
news  paragraphs.  The  editor  subsequently  ex])lained 
the  mj-sterious  publication  of  Biblical  text  in  the 
columns  of  his  paper,  which  had  excited  so  much 
newspaper  comment,  by  saying  it  was  published  as 
an  advertisement  and  paid  for  by  the  resident  minis- 
ter of  Gold  Hill.  The  only  attempt  ever  made  in 
the  State  to  issue  a  regular  religious  publication  was 
made  in  1S74  by  the  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Allen,  Rector  of  St. 
Peter's  (Episcopal)  Parish.  He  published  a  monthly 
magazine  entitled  T//e  Nevada  Pidp'U  for  one  year. 
It  was  ably  edited,  an  advocate  of  no  creed,  liberal 
and  independent  in  its  views,  and  was  open  to  a  free 
expression  of  opinions  from  all  sides.  It  was  a  suc- 
cess, but  Mr.  Allen's  jiarochial  duties  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  continue  its  publication,  and  The  Nevada 
F'ldpit  ceased  to  exist  with  the  number  for  Deeember 
1874. 

The  Rev.  H.  L.  Foote,  subsequently  Rector  of  the 
same  parish,  during  his  incumbency  (1S7(!-7S)  pub- 
lished a  little  pa])or  called  the  Parish  Guide,  for  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  Episcopal  Churches  in  Nevada. 

nilU.E    SOCIETY. 

An  important  auxiliary  to  church  work  in  Nevada, 
mention  of  which  may  be  made  in  this  connec- 
tion, were  the  California  and  Nevada  Bible  Societies. 
The  California  Bible  Society  was  formed  in  184!). 
Its  first  chief  agent  was  the  Rev.  Frederick  Buel, 
who  died  in  October,  186:5.  As  the  only  agent  on 
this  coast  for  many  years  ho  served  not  only  Cali- 
fornia, but  Oregon,  Washington  Territory,  Utah  and 
Nevada.  In  1868  the  Rev.  N.  Reasoner  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  American  Bible  Society  as  agent  for 
Nevada,  Utah,  and  a  jiortion  of  northeast  California. 
Having  continued  in  that  relation  lor  two  j-ears  ho 
resigned,  leaving  the  field  with  no  general  agency 
apart  from  that  of  the  California  Bible  Society.  The 
Storey  County  15ible  Society  was  organized  in  1872, 
and  made  a  good  record  of  its  doings  until  1873, 
when  it  was  merged  into  the  Nevada  Bible  Society, 
which  organized  on  the  nineteenth  of  October  in 
that  year,  at  a  meeting  held  in  St.  Paul's  (Episcopal) 
Church,  Virginia.  The  oHicers  elected  were  A.J. 
Ralston,  President;  W.  H.  Hurrall,  Vice-President; 
C.  H.  Osborne,  Treasurer,  and  Hishop  Whitaker, 
Secretaiy.  These  with  I'evs.  \.  X.  Ilurd  (I'resbytc- 
rian),  G.  W.  Kitcli  (Methodist  E])iscopal).  and  C.  L. 
Filch  (Baptist),  constituted  the  Executive  Board. 
Operations  were  entirely  carried  on  by  the  voluntary 
contributions  oi"    the    friends  of   the    Bible,   rather 


196 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


than  by  anj-  profits  on  its  books.  The  parent  society 
in  New  York  u;ranted  the  societ}-  S2,(i00  worth  of 
Bibles,  and  the  Hev.  H.  Richardson  was  engaged 
to  canvass  the  State  of  Nevada.  This  gentleman, 
writing  of  his  work  in  1874,  said:  "  Of  the  sixty  tons 
and  more  of  Bibles  which  1  have  circulated  the  last 
ten  yeai-s  in  California  and  this  State  (Nevada),  1 
thank  God  that  they  have  been  in  nearly  twenty 
different  languages." 

FLOATING   DENOMINATIONS. 

Before  relating  the  special  history  of  the  principal 
denominations  in  Nevada,  it  is  ))roper  to  briefly  refer 
to  those  religious  organizations  that  have  come  and 
gone  from  time  to  time,  and  which  may  be  more 
apjiropriatelj-  designated  as  floating  societies.  The 
Spiritualists  have  occasionally  come  to  the  surface. 
In  Virginia  City  several  attempts  were  made  to 
organize  them  on  a  material  basis,  but  all  have 
failed.  Along  in  1874-75,  services  were  regularly 
held  on  Sundays  in  Miners'  Union  Hall,  Virginia 
City,  in  the  Welsh  language,  by  people  who  pre- 
ferred to  commune  with  their  Redeemer  in  that 
ancient  tongue.  The  Reverend  Mr.  Moses  officiated 
at  these  gatherings.  In  1873  a  sect  of  Bible  Chris- 
tians under  the  Rev.  C.  R.  Klein,  held  sway  for 
awhile  in  Virginia  Cit}-.  At  Winnemucca,  a  branch 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  known  as  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians,  organized  in  1S78,  but  after  two 
oi-  three  j-ears  labor  fell  away  to  zero,  and  have  lately 
disappeared  altogether.  The  Hebrews  in  Nevada 
have  never  erected  a  synagogue,  and  do  not  very 
strictly  adhere  to  the  teachings  of  Moses  and  Abraham. 
Occasionally  they  invite  a  rabbi  from  San  Francisco 
to  visit  them,  and  hold  services  on  the  anniversaries  of 
their  most  important  festivals.  On  April  23,  1878,  the 
Jewish  citizens  of  Reno  organized  a  society  called 
the  Chobra  B'rith  Sholom,  for  religious  and  benevo- 
lent purposes.  Their  property  was  destroyed  in  the 
conflagration  of  1879,  and  the  society  went  out  of 
existence;  but  on  August  10,  187'.),  the  Reno  Hebrew 
Benevolent  Society  was  organized  with  twenty-one 
members,  for  the  same  objects.  It  owns  a  cemetery 
near  Reno,  and  is  the  only  Jewi^h  religious  society 
existing  in  Nevada  to-day.  The  spiritual  care  of  the 
Indian  tribes  in  Nevada  is  genorall}-  left  to  the 
Government  Agents,  who  are  invariably  Baptist 
ministers.  The  Rev.  C.  A.  Bateman,  at  present  pastor 
of  the  Hajttist  Church.  Nevada  City,  California,  was 
serving  in  1.S74  as  Indian  Agent  of  the  Pyramid  Lake 
Reservation.  The  Indians,  however,  are  not  easily 
converted  to  Christianit}'.  The  Roman  Catholic 
C;hurch  is  the  only  denomination  in  the  State  that 
has  done  anything  to  try  and  teach  the  Washocs  and 
Pah-Utes,  but  only  to  a  limited  extent,  and  mostly  in 
Storey  County. 

VVc  will  now  proceed  to  a  detailed  account  of  the 
rise  and  subsequent  career  of  those  various  denom- 
inations in  Nevada  which  have  established  thcm- 
BclvcB  on  a  permanent  basis. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 
PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

First  Service — Value  of  C'liureh  I'rojierty — Defection  of  a  Min- 
ister— Work  Among  tlie  CliinesL — Tlie  Diocesan  .Scliool — 
Gift  of  Miss  C.  L.  Wolfe— Bishop  Whitaker'a  .School- 
Damage  by  Fire — Church  at  (;olil  Hill — .Silver  City — Day- 
ton— Austin — Hamilton — Pioche — Eureka — Reno— Belmont. 

Population  had  been  flowing  into  the  new  Terri- 
tory of  Nevada  for  some  {wo  or  three  yeai-s  before 
the  attention  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
was  called  to  it  as  an  inviting  field  for  missionary 
labor.  As  early  as  18C1  a  church  service  was  held 
in  Virginia  City,  by  an  Episcopal  clergyman  of  the 
California  Diocese,  temporarily  visiting  that  lively 
camp;  but  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of  the  follow- 
ing year  that  the  American  Church  Missionary 
Society  selected  the  Rev.  Frat.klin  S.  Rising,  of  New 
York,  and  sent  him  out  to  this  then  remote  region, 
to  begin  the  work  of  church  organization.  How 
successfully  he  labored  in  this  field,  and  the  results 
of  his  work,  are  fully  set  forth  in  the  particular 
history  of  the  parishes,  under  their  respective  heads. 
The  first  visit  of  a  high  dignitary  of  the  church  was 
that  of  Bishop  Talbot,  now  of  the  ])iocese  of  Indi- 
ana. In  1863,  he  was  Missionary  Bishop  of  all  the 
northwest  Territories,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  extended  his  annual  tour  from  Nebi-aska  as  far 
west  as  the  Sierra.  The  first  services  held  by  him 
in  Nevada  Territory  were  at  Aurora,  Esmeralda 
Count}',  on  Sunday,  October  4,  18G3.  This  was  then 
a  mining  camp  of  great  promise,  and  bade  fair  to 
become  a  conspicuous  center  of  po|)ulation.  A  parish 
was  organized  there,  and  on  December  22d  the  Rev. 
William  II.  Stoy  became  its  regular  minister,  at  a 
salary  of  Sl.'iO  per  month.  The  society,  however, 
was  short-lived,  and  fell  to  pieces  a  few  weeks  later. 
Bisho])  Talbot,  during  his  visit,  hold  services  at 
Austin,  and  other  places,  and  consecrated  the  Epis- 
copal Church  at  A'irginia,  the  first  edifice  of  the 
denomination  built  in  the  Territory,  Until  Nevada 
was  created  a  separate  Missionary  |)iocese,  but  little 
effective  work  outside  of  the  Comstock  was  accom- 
plished. The  gentleman  whose  name  is  most  closely 
identified  with  the  growth  of  K]>iscop:ilianism  in 
Nevada,  is  the  liiglil  liev,  Ozi  William  Wliitaker, 
the  present  Missionary  Bishop.  A  man  of  liberal 
culture,  of  genial  nature,  and  recognized  executive 
ability,  he  has  endeared  himself,  not  only  to  those 
of  his  own  church,  but  to  the  people  generally.  He 
is  a  native  of  New  Salem,  Massachusetts,  where  ho 
was  born  on  May  10,  l!S30.  He  graduated  at  .Middle- 
bury  College,  Vermont,  in  185G,  and  lor  nearly  four 
j-ears  served  as  principal  of  the  High  School  at 
North  Brookfiold,  Massachusetts.  In  18(!3.  ho  was 
graduated  at  the  (ieneral  Theological  Seminary,  Now 
York,  and  ordained  a  deacon  at  Grace  Church,  Bos- 
ton, on  July  15th,  of  that  year.  On  August  7th  fol- 
lowing, he  was  ordained  a  priest  at  St.  Ste]ihen's 
Chapel,  Boston.  He  was  immediatel}-  detailed  for 
missionary  work  in  Nevada,  and  proceeded  at  once 


PIONEER  STABLE,  W^  MOONEY,    VIRGINIA,  NEV. 


OFFICE  OFTHE  GOULD&CURRY  AND  BEST  &  BELCHER. 

MINING    COMPANIES,  VIRGINIA,  NEVADA. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


197 


to  his  new  sphere  of  aetivity.  His  hibors  as  mis- 
sionary ami  rector  are  fully  set  forth  in  the  succeed- 
ing pages.  Ill  18G5,  the  Rev.  Robert  J.  Parvin  was 
ek'cteil  Hishop  of  Novuiln,  but  he  was  not  confirmed 
by  tlie  House  of  15ishoi)s;  then  the  Rev.  M.  A.  De 
Wolf  Howe,  D.  D.,  was  chosen,  but  he  declined  the 
honor,  as  well  as  the  exacting  labor  which  the  office 
then  promised  to  entail  upon  the  incumbent. 

VAI.I  E   OF    CIUKCII    PROPERTY. 

In  ISliS,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitaker,  who  up  to  that 
time  had  borne  the  brunt  of  establishing  on  a  firm 
footing  the  church  in  Nevada,  was  elected  Mission- 
ary Hishop  of  the  Diocese.  JIo  received  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  Kenyon  College,  Ohio,  in 
1SG9,  and  was  consecrated  a  Bishop  in  New  York 
on  October  13,  ISO!).  Last  year  (1S80)  Bishop 
Whitaker  closed  the  tenth  j-ear  of  his  missionarj- 
work  in  Nevada.  An  extract  from  his  last  annual 
report  to  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the  J'rotestant 
Episcopal  Church  shows  very  clcarlj'  the  progress 
of  the  denomination  in  Nevada  during  the  last 
decade.     Dr.  Whitaker  says: — 

When  I  entered  ujion  the  performance  of  mj- 
duties  as  Missionary  l^ishop  there  was  but  one 
clergyman  belonging  to  the  jurisdiction;  now  there 
are  seven.  There  were  then  three  churches;  now 
there  are  ten.  There  were  then  two  rectories;  now 
there  are  eight.  There  were  then  100  communi- 
cants, there  are  now  340;  there  were  then  thirty 
Sunday-school  teachers  and  320  scholars;  there  are 
now  ninelj--three  teachers  and  1.242  scholars.  Dur- 
ing this  time  there  have  been  1,199  infants  baptized, 
and  143  adults.  There  have  been  confirmed  368 
persons,  and  580  marriages  have  been  solemnized. 
The  number  of  burials  has  been  1,129.  The  total 
value  of  church  property  in  Nevafla  ten  years  ago 
was  830. 400;  it  is  now  .?12.').0()0.  In  making  up  this 
valuation  1  have  deducted  SlO.OOO  from  the  actual 
cost  on  account  of  de|)reciatii>n  in  the  actual  value. 
But  were  all  the  church  ]n-oi)erty  to  be  destroj-ed 
it  could  not  be  restored  to  its  ])resent  condilion  for 
less  than  812'), 000.  Of  this  amount  1  have  received 
i'rom  sources  outside  the  Slate,  and  mainly  from 
friends  in  the  Atlantic  States,  §33,071.  Subtracting 
from  the  present  value  that  of  ten  j-ears  ago,  we 
have  an  increase  of  value  in  ten  j-ears  of  888. COO. 
Deducting  from  this  §33,071,  the  amount  given  from 
outside  sources,  we  have  left  §.').■). r)29.  But  in  <leter- 
miniiig  the  amount  given  in  Nevada  for  church 
])roperty  there  should  be  added  to  this  the  §10,000 
deducted  for  (lepreeialion  in  value,  and  §9.000  which 
had  been  given  by  the  congregation  of  St.  I'aul's 
("hurch,  Virginia  Cit}'.  for  enlarging  the  chuirh  just 
before  the  great  fire  in  1S7."),  but  does  not  appear  in 
the  present  valuation.  This  gives  §74,r)29.  From 
this  amount  must  be  deducted  §8,000.  the  present 
total  indebtedness,  which  leaves  8106,529  as  the  total 
given  in  Nevada  for  church  pro])ertj'  in  the  past  ten 
J-ears.  Krom  this  it  will  be  seen,  that  for  every 
dollar  received  from  abroad  for  building  churches 
and  schools  our  own  peojile  have,  in  ten  years,  given 
somewhat  over  two  dollars,  and  have  altonether 
given  almost  three-fourths  of  the  present  total  value. 
This  amount  is  over  and  above  what  has  been  given 
for  current  ex[)enses. 

The  foregoing  is  a  fair  report  in  a  few  words  of 
25 


Ejii-scopal  i)rogress  in  Nevada.  The  history  of  each 
parish  is  treated  separately.  It  is  to  these  that 
the  reader  must  look  for  the  entrances  and  exita 
of  the  worthy  men  who  have  in  their  time  striven 
under  all  sorts  of  disadvantages  to  build  up  and 
sustain  an  Episcopal  community  in  the  sage-brush 
land.  In  common  with  all  other  Christian  denomi- 
nations who  have  tried  to  promote  the  cause  of 
religion  they  have  only  been  able  to  hold  their  own 
by  the  severest  labor,  and  by  overcoming  almost 
insurmountable  obstacles.  These  diflieulties  have 
alreadj-  been  pointed  out  in  the  introductory  observa- 
tions in  this  chaj)ter.  The  building  of  church  edi- 
fices does  not  tell  the  whole  story.  Ministers  have 
done  a  great  deal  of  work  outside  their  own  parishes, 
and  have  traveled  to  neighboring  settlements  and 
wherever  two  or  three  could  be  gathered  to  hear 
the  beautiful  services  of  their  creed.  While  Vir- 
ginia City,  having  the  largest  ])0])ulation,  was  the 
scene  of  the  earliest  work  of  the  church,  other  points 
have  not  been  neglected.  The  faithful  Bishop,  while 
doing  \york  as  a  missionary,  held  services  at  many 
places  outside  the  Comstock  Lode.  In  1864  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitaker  ])reaclied  at  Como,  which  now 
has  only  six  or  eight  inhabitants,  but  which  was 
then  a  mining  camp  of  st^veral  hundred  people. 
Occasional  services  were  also  held  in  these  daj-s  in 
Galena,  Franklin,  Mill  City,  Ophir  Citj",  and  other 
places  now  almost  abandoned  to  the  solitar}-  com- 
panionship of  the  roaming  coj-ote.  When  Washoe 
Citj-  was  in  the  zenith  of  its  ])rosperity,  the  Rev. 
W.  H.  Dj-er,  now  in  California,  labored  there  for 
awhile  as  an  Ejiiscopal  clergyman. 

DEFECTION    OF   A   CLEKGV.MAN. 

The  Rev.  Johnston  McCormac,  who  came  from 
Oregon  in  1880,  and  who  officiated  as  rector  of  St. 
John's  Parish,  Gold  Hill,  for  about  a  year,  is  the 
only  minister  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
ever  connected  with  the  Nevada  Diocese  who 
left  the  church  to  serve  in  another  denomina- 
tion. Mr.  McCormac  in  1S74  wasoHiciating  as  ])astor 
of  the  Reformed  Episcoi)al  Church,  at  Ottawa, 
Canada.  A  temporary  offset  to  his  defection  was, 
however,  subsequentlj'  secured  in  the  ])erson  of  the 
Rev.  George  W.  Fitch,  of  the  Methodist  E|)isco])al 
Church  of  the  Nevada  Conference,  who  was  con- 
firmed by  Bishop  Whitaker  at  Reno,  on  Jul}-  7,  1878, 
but  who  al'lerwards  returned  to  the  Methodist  faith, 
and  is  now  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Auburn,  California. 

I'ROSEI,YTI.N(i    WITH    TIIK    CHINESE. 

Among  the  enterprises  undertaken  by  the  Protes- 
tant E|Mscoj)al  Church  in  Nevada,  was  that  of  mak- 
ing pro-ielytes  of  the  Chinese  population;  but  this 
experiment  met  with  no  very  encouraging  success. 
The  Chinese  on  the  Pacific  Coast  make  very  good 
professing  Christians,  and  that  is  about  all.  The 
suspicion  has  been  more  than  confirmed  that  these 
people  rarely,  if  ever,  abandon  the  doctrines  of  Con- 
fucius.   They  take  readily  to  the  Missions  and  Sunday- 


198 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


schools  estiiblishud  by  wcll-incaiiing  people  lor  their 
benefit,  but  as  soon  as  they  have  obtained  a  fair  mas- 
ter}^ of  the  English  language  they  cease  to  take  that 
fen-id  interest  in  Gospel  teachings  which  distinguishes 
their  early  ettorts  to  seek  the  light.  There  are  some 
rare  exceptions  to  this  rule,  and  it  is  generally 
admitted  that  the  Chinaman's  highest  conception  of 
church  missions  is  that  they  are  primarj'  schools  in 
which  he  may  incidentally  learn  something  of  "the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus,"  while  learning  the  language 
which  vastly  improves  his  chance  of  remunerative 
employment  in  this  land  of  promise.  On  September 
23,  1874,  a  Protestant  Episcopal  Chinese  Mission 
was  established  in  Carson  City.  On  that  day  Bishop 
Whitaker  formally  opened  the  "  Chapel  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,"  a  small  building  with  a  seating  capacity 
for  fii'ty  persons.  It  was  built  at  a  cost  of  S'iyMi,  all 
of  which  was  raised  by  Ah  For,  a  Christian  eolpor- 
ter,  who  zealously  labored  to  convert  his  country- 
men residing  in  Virginia  City  and  Carson  City.  Of 
this  amount  nearly  S300  was  subscribed  by  China- 
men in  western  Nevada,  and  the  balance  was  con- 
tributed by  the  American  jteople.  In  1875,  Ah  For 
built  a  second  chapel  in  Virginia  City.  It  was  his 
custom  to  gather  his  countrj^men  in  these  houses, 
and  preach  to  them  on  alternate  Sundays,  and  to 
teach  them  on  the  evenings  of  week  days.  Toward 
the  cost  of  the  chapel  in  Virginia  City,  §150  was  sub- 
scribed by  people  residing  in  the  Atlantic  States 
through  Bisho])  Whitaker,  and  the  balance  by  China- 
men and  friends  of  the  underlaking  in  Nevada.  A 
part  of  the  expense  of  maintaining  the  services  was 
assumed  by  the  Sunday-school  of  St.  Paul's  (Jhurch, 
Virginia  City,  and  the  Chinese  Chapel  in  that  town 
was  under  the  Bishop's  charge.  With  the  assistance 
of  the  Reverend  ^fr.  Jenvey,  Ah  For  translated  the 
Order  for  Evening  Prayer  into  Chinese,  and  used  it 
at  his  services.  He  was  familiar  with  the  Bible  and 
apt  at  illustrating  its  texts.  His  Chinese  Mission  at 
Carson  (Jity  was  never  very  successful,  and  was  soon 
abandoned.  The  one  in  Virginia  City  was  fairly 
sustained  for  about  a  year,  when  in  the  conflagration 
of  October,  1875,  its  (Jhajjcl  was  destroj-eil  with  the 
whole  Chinese  quarter  of  the  city.  On  this  there 
was  no  insurance.  Ah  For  became  discouraged,  and 
no  efforts  were  made  to  rebuild  or  resume  the  work 
in  which  Ik;  was  engaged.  Through  the  influence  of 
Bishop  Whitaker,  Ah  For  secured  a  missionary 
appointment  from  the  Established  Church  in 
England,  and  is  now  serving  as  a  missionary  in  his 
own  country  under  its  direction. 

GENEaOSITY   OP    MISS   C.    L.    WOLFE. 

The  Diocesan  School  for  girls  at  Jteno,  conducted 
under  the  ausj)iccs  of  the  Protestant  Eiiiscojial  (-'hurch 
in  Nevada,  is  a  standing  tribute  to  Bishop  Whitaker's 
executive  abilit3%  and  the  resolute  purpose  which 
marks  the  man  in  whatever  he  undertakes.  lie  had 
recognized  the  constantly  increasing  need  of  a  church 
school  for  the  education  of  girls — an  institution 
that   could   not  fail  to   prove   a   most   valuable  aid 


in  the  work  of  evangelization,  and  productive  of 
the  richest  blessings  to  the  people  of  his  church. 
As  early  as  1870  he  commenced  the  agitation  of 
this  subject,  and  in  1873  he  made  an  appeal  for 
aid  in  carrying  out  this  cherished  scheme,  but  all 
that  he  received  was  8300,  which  came  from 
friends  across  the  continent.  He  was  grateful 
for  this  because  it  showed  there  were  some  who 
were  willing  to  stretch  out  their  hands  to  help 
the  project.  Two  years  later,  however,  a  substan- 
tial pledge  gave  assurance  of  success.  Miss  C.  L. 
Wolfe,  a  Now  York  lady,  informed  him  she  would 
give  810,000  for  the  school,  upon  the  condition  that 
the  Bishop  would  raise  an  equal  amount.  In  no  part 
of  the  country  was  such  a  school  more  needed.  There 
was  none  of  such  a  character  in  the  State.  Its 
establishment  would  place  the  opportunity  of  a 
Christian  education  within  the  reach  of  many  who 
would  otherwise  grow  up  in  ignorance,  for  it  was 
anticij)atod  that  the  patronage  of  the  school  would 
be  derived  mostly  from  sparsely  settled,  agricultural 
valleys,  and  little  mining  camps,  in  which  i'ow  facili- 
ties for  securing  an  education  could  be  enjoyed,  and 
in  which  religious  instruction  is  seldom  given. 

The  munificent  offer  of  Miss  Wolfe  encouraged 
Bishop  Whitaker  to  renew  his  exertions  to  found 
such  an  institution.  Success  crowned  his  ettbrts. 
The  people  of  Reno  gave  84,000;  a  friend  of  the 
school  in  Nevada  gave  82,500;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Gros- 
venor,  of  New  York,  gave  .?],(tOO,  and  the  balance  of 
the  required  ."?10,U00  was  given  in  smaller  sums, 
partly  by  residents  of  Nevada,  and  partly  by  friends 
at  the  East.  Half  a  block  of  land  was  given  by  the 
Central  Pacific  Ixailroad  Conipanj',  and  the  remain- 
ing half  was  purchased  and  donated  by  the  wide- 
awake citizens  of  Reno,  on  condition  that  the  pro- 
posed school  should  be  located  in  their  town.  The 
construction  of  the  building  was  begun  on  Juno  1, 
lS7(i,  and  on  October  12th  the  school  was  opened, 
and  has  since  boon  in  successful  operation.  We  pre- 
sent on  another  page  an  illustration  of  the  school 
and  its  surrounding  grounds.  It  is  40x88  feet  on  the 
ground,  and  three  stories  in  height.  It  was  warmed  by 
steam,  supplied  with  hot  and  cold  water  and  all  modern 
conveniences  before  it  opened  its  doors.  The  cost  of 
construction  reached  828,000,  leaving  a  debt  of  88,- 
000.  It  has  accommodations  for  forty-five  boarding 
and  fifty  day  pupils.  Miss  Kate  Hill  is  the  worthy 
princi])al,  and  she  is  assisted  by  an  admirable  corps 
of  assistants.  Since  the  school  was  opened  over 
82,000  have  been  expended  in  j)ermaneiit  im])rove- 
ments,  nearlj-  half  ot  w  bich  was  applied  to  the 
expense  of  securing  a  ])ormanent  and  abundant  sup- 
ply of  water  for  tlie  use  of  the  school,  and  for  irriga- 
ting the  grounds.  Towards  the  ]>ayment  of  the  debt 
in  1880  Miss  Wolfe  gave  82.5(10,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Gros- 
venor,  81,000,  and  Mr.  Daniel  Cook,  of  San  Fraticisco, 
81,000,  and  several  others   have  given  smaller  sums. 

Bj'  the  aid  of  those  generous  gifts  the  financial 
condition  of  tho  school  is  bettor  than  at  any  previous 


TTTE  r-TTTTHPTTES  OF  NEVADA. 


199 


limo  since  it  was  opened.  Of  the  orif^innl  builiiint; 
debt  all  has  been  j)aid  but  84,000.  There  is  a.  float- 
ing debt  of  .?2, 31 0.7(5,  which  has  been  incurred  for 
improvements,  and  by  reason  of  deficiencies  in  the 
income,  so  that  the  total  indebtuess  is  now  80,310.70. 
The  school  property  consists  of  seven  acres  of  land, 
and  a  building  admirablj-  ada]itcd  to  the  purposes 
for  which  it  was  designed.  It  still  has  many  needs. 
Among  them  a  larger  library,  apparatus,  and  a  sep- 
arate building  for  a  gj-mnasiuni;  but  it  needs,  first 
of  all,  the  payment  of  its  debt.  For  all  these,  the 
Bishop,  with  whom  the  supervision  of  this  school  is  a 
labor  of  love,  looks  to  the  friends  of  f^hristian  edu- 
cation, hoping  they  will  give  him  the  means  i'or  sup- 
plying them.  Owing  to  the  present  depression  of 
the  mining  industry  in  Nevada,  he  cannot  hope  that 
the  ini^titution  will  do  more  than  ](rovide  for  its 
current  expenses;  and  any  one  familiar  with  the 
condition  of  Nevada,  will  bear  testimony  that  it  is 
doing  nobly  when  it  does  even  this.  Its  beneficial 
influence  is  already  felt  in  almost  every  town  in  the 
State.  Whatever  is  given  to  this  school  will  yield 
a  rich  return  in  the  mental  and  spiritual  benefit  of 
those  connected  with  it.  Could  the  surplus  of  its 
income  be  employed  in  making  needed  improve- 
ments, instead  of  being  used  for  the  payment  of 
interest  and  the  reduction  of  the  debt,  the  school 
would  become  each  year  better  provided  with  the 
necessary  means  for  doing  still  better  work  than  it 
now  performs. 

The  regular  course  of  study  occupies  four  years. 
Each  scholar  on  entering  the  school  is  assigned  to 
the  class  for  which  she  is  found  to  be  qualified. 
Eegular  exercises  in  reading,  writing,  spelling,  defin- 
ing, and  composition,  are  continued  throughout  the 
course.  Especial  attention  is  given  to  English  com- 
position, and  the  formation  of  a  correct  taste  in 
reading. 

TERMS    AND    EXPENSES. 

The  school  year  is  divided  into  two  terms;  one  of 
sixteen  weeks,  and  the  other  of  twenty-four.  The 
Advent  term  begins  on  the  last  Thursday  in  August, 
and  the  Faster  term  on  the  first  Thursday  in  Janu- 
ary'. The  charge  per  month,  for  board,  washing, 
fuel,  lights,  class  lessons  in  vocal  music,  penmanship, 
free  hand  drawing,  and  tuition  in  Fnglish  and  Fatin, 
is  thirty  dollars.  For  day  scholars  (for  the  same 
instruction),  six  dollars;  day  scholars  in  preparatorj' 
department,  four  dollars.  Those  taking  lessons  upon 
the  j)iano  or  organ,  or  private  lessons  in  singing  or 
drawing,  or  French  or  German,  are  charged  at  the 
following  rates: — 

Piano  or  organ  lessons,  and  use  of  instrument, 

per  month 810.00 

The  same,  to  those  furnishing  their  own  instru- 
ment    8.00 

Private  lessons  in  singing 8.00 

FreiK'h  and  German,  each 4.00 

Private  lessons  in  drawing 4.00 

"             "      in  painting 6.00 


When  there  are  two  boarders  from  the  same 
family,  a  discount  of  ten  per  cent,  is  made  from 
the  above  charges,  for  each.  All  jiaronts  having 
daughters  to  educate,  and  all  friends  of  Christian 
education,  are  invited  to  visit  the  school  at  any 
time,  and  observe  the  manner  in  which  its  work  is 
carried  on. 

Catalogues  containing  full  information  will  be  fur- 
nished upon  application.  Letters  of  inquiry  should 
be  addressed  to  Bisnof  Wiiitakek, 

Virginia,  Nevada. 

THE   nONEER   CIlURCn    OP   NEVADA. 

The  following  is  the  historical  record  of  the  various 
parishes  in  Nevada,  considered  in  the  chronological 
order  of  their  foundation. 

The  first  Protestant  Episcopal  service  held  in 
Virginia  was  by  the  Rev.  H.  Smeathman,  a  visitor 
from  California.  The  congregation  met  for  divine 
service  in  the  United  States  District  Court-room, 
on  September  11,  1861.  While  he  was  here  a  parish 
was  organized  and  designated  as  St.  Paul's  Church. 
Its  members  made  application  to  Bishop  Talbot  to 
assign  to  it  a  Eector.  In  March,  1802,  the  Rev. 
Franklin  S.  Rising,  of  New  York,  a  brother  of 
Judge  Rising,  now  of  Virginia  City,  was  sent  out 
by  the  American  Church  Missionary  Society  to 
Nevada  Territory,  arriving  in  Virginia  City  on  April 
18,  1862.  Mr.  Rising  hold  his  first  service  on  the 
following  Sunday  (Faster),  in  the  United  States  Dis- 
trict Court-room.  On  August  19th  the  erection  of 
a  frame  church  edifice,  34x00  feet,  was  commenced 
at  the  corner  of  Taj-lor  and  F  streets,  the  site  of 
the  present  church. 

On  Christmas-day  it  was  temporaril}' occupied  by 
the  congregation  for  the  first  time,  and  on  February 
22,  1863,  was  permanently  and  formally  opened  for 
divine  worship.  It  cost  830,000;  the  whole  amount 
having  been  contributed  by  individuals  connected 
with  the  parish.  The  first  Sundaj'-school  was  organ- 
ized on  May  11,  1862,  with  five  teachers  and  four- 
teen pupils.  In  October,  1868,  Bishop  Talbot  visited 
Virginia  City,  and  consecrated  the  church.  Ho 
also  held  in  the  same  month  a  confirmation  service, 
on  which  occasion  he  conferred  the  apostolic  rite  on 
thirteen  ])ersons.  The  Rev.  F.  S.  Rising  was  heart- 
ily sustained  by  his  parishioners  from  the  start,  lie 
continued  with  them  until  January,  18()6,  when  his 
health  failing  he  resigned,  and  returned  to  his  home 
in  Ni;w  York.  The  esteemed  gentleman  lost  his  life 
in  a  collision  between  two  steamboats  on  the  Ohio 
River,  in  November,  1868.  The  sad  news  of  his 
tragic  death  was  received  with  sincere  and  genuine 
expressions  of  grief  among  his  former  parishioners 
of  Virginia.  The  Rev.  11.  D.  Lathrop,  D.  I).,  now 
of  Fureka,  California,  and  in  1866  in  charge  of  the 
parish  at  Gold  Hill,  was  invited  to  take  charge  of 
St.  Paul's  Church,  and  held  afternoon  services  until 
the  twenty-first  of  April,  1867,  when  he  was  relieved 
by  the  Rev.  Ozi  W.  Whitaker.    Mr.  Whitaker,  like  Mr. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Rising,  came  out  as  a  missionary  of  his  church,  and 
was  subsequently  called  as  Rector  of  the  parish. 
In  the  same  jear.  Bishop  Talbot  was  elected  Bishop 
of  Indiana;  and  the  missionary  district  of  Nevada 
Territory  being  left  without  oversight  was  placed 
temporarily  in  charge  of  Bishop  \V.  Ingraham  Kip,  of 
the  Diocese  of  California.  In  October,  1867,  Bishop 
Kip  visited  St.  Paul's  Parish,  Virginia  City,  remained 
over  two  Sundays,  and  confirmed  twenty-four  per- 
sons presented  b^'  the  Rector.  In  the  summer  of 
1868,  a  fire  starling  in  the  church  tower,  damaged 
the  church  building  to  the  amount  of  82,700,  which 
was  covered  bj'  insurance.  In  September,  1S72,  the 
church  building  was  enlarged,  and  the  interior  rear- 
ranged, the  seating  capacity  being  increased  six 
pews.  In  S<'])tember,  1874,  the  edifice  was,  at  an 
outlay  of  SO.OOd,  again  enlarged,  an  extension  of 
twenty  feet  being  adiled  to  the  east  end,  and  a  gal- 
lery constructed  across  the  west  end.  At  the  same 
time  a  large  ]iii>eorgan,  costing  83,000,  was  erected 
in  the  gallery.  The  Sunday-school  now  numbered 
350  ))upils  and  twentj-four  teachers,  and  the  congre- 
gation tilled  the  cliuri'h  at  all  services.  The  school 
room  was  in  the  basement  of  the  church,  80x22 
feet.  In  the  general  conflagration  of  October 
26,  1875,  the  church  building  and  rectory  were 
entirely  destroj-ed,  together  with  the  homes  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  of  the  congregation.  The 
rectory  was  rebuilt  as  soon  as  the  weather  ]>ermitted, 
and  the  church  edifice  was  rebuilt  in  the  summer 
of  1876.  The  foundation  was  laid  in  Jul}',  and  the 
structure  completed  in  December.  The  new  build- 
ing was  ten  feet  longer  and  two  feet  wider  than 
the  old,  with  a  sealing  accommodation  of  between 
350  and  400.  The  total  cost,  including  furniture, 
organ,  etc.,  reached  S25  000.  Towani  meeting  this 
the  sum  of  812  000  insurance,  recovered  on  the 
burned  building,  was  applied,  together  with  813,000 
raised  bj'  subscriptions.  An  indebtedness  of  82,00(1 
still  (1881)  remains  uncancelled.  On  December  10, 
1876,  the  new  church  was  formally  opened  for  divine 
service. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitaker  has  continuously  served 
St.  Paul's  Paxish  as  Rector  since  he  first  took  charge. 
In  October,  1868,  he  was  elected  Bishop  of  the 
Missionary  Diocese  of  Nevada  and  Arizona,  lie 
accepted  the  office  in  Februar}',  1800,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 13th  was  consecrated  as  a  Bishop  at  St.  George's 
Church,  New  York.  During  his  absence  from  Vir- 
ginia his  place  was  filled  by  the  Rev.  Arthur  Law- 
rence, who  was  visiting  the  coast.  Since  entering 
upon  his  larger  duties  as  Bishop  of  an  extensive  ter- 
ritory the  right  reverend  gentleman  has  had  to  rely 
upon  the  services  of  assistant  ministers  in  the  man- 
agement of  St.  Paul's  Parish.  His  first  resident 
assistant  minister  was  the  IJev.J.  VV.  Lee,  of  ]?oston, 
who  did  duty  in  the  parish  in  1870,  and  left  early  in 
1871.  Mr.  Lee  is  now  (1881)  Rector  at  Bristol, 
Pennsylvania.  In  April,  1871,  the  Rev.  William 
Henderson,   now    in    Iowa,    acted    as   the    Bishop's 


assistant,  and  remained  until  the  following  October, 
when  he  removed  to  Eureka,  Nevada,  and  took 
charge  of  the  pari.sli  there.  Next  came  the  Rev. 
Rush  S.  Eastman,  early  in  1872,  from  Philadelphia, 
who  remained  until  1874. 

In  1877,  Mr.  Eastman  was  chosen  rector  of  Gold 
Hill  Parish,  where  he  remained  until  called  to  the 
rectoi'ship  of  Austin,  which  he  now  holds.  In  1874, 
the  Rev.  W.  R.  Jenvey,  from  Pennsylvania,  with  Mr. 
Eastman  acted  as  an  assistant  minister  of  St.  Paul's, 
and  in  1878  left  to  take  charge  of  the  Reno  Parish. 
In  July,  1879,  the  Rev.  George  N.  Eastman,  a  younger 
brother  of  Rush,  was  installed  as  assistant,  the  duties 
of  which  office  he  at  present  discharges.  In  addition 
to  his  labors  in  connection  with  Virginia  City,  the 
assistant  minister  holds  regular  services  at  Daj'ton 
and  Silver  City  on  alternate  Sundays.  The  present 
membership  of  St.  Paul's,  Virginia  Cit}',  embraces 
about  eighty  persons.  It  never  exceeded  one  hun- 
dred. Like  all  parishes  in  the  mining  regions,  the 
population  is  constantly  changing.  As  illustrative 
of  the  effect  of  this  peculiarity  upon  church  life, 
attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  in  a  single  j-ear 
one  pew  in  St.  Paul's,  Virginia,  was  in  possession  of 
five  families  consecutively.  Judge  Rising  is  the  only 
member  of  the  ]iarish  to-day  who  was  a  pew-holder 
when  the  first  church  was  built. 

The  Sundaj'-school  (after  the  great  fire)  held  its 
sessions  in  the  basement  of  Beardsley's  building, 
nearlj-  opposite  the  Presln-terian  Church.  Bishop 
Whitaker  held  morning  services  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  until  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall  was  rebuilt,  when 
services  were  held  regularly  in  the  latter  building 
until  the  church  was  again  readj-  for  occupation. 

GOLD   niLL. 

The  Rev.  Franklin  S.  Rising  held  a  service  at  Gold 
Hill  on  Maj'  18,  1SG2,  after  which  a  Sunday-school  of 
five  members  was  organized.  The  Second  Protestant 
Episco])ul  ('hurcli  service  ever  held  in  the  town  was 
h;i(l  in  the  (iold  Hill  Theatre  on  July  Sth.  when  the 
parish  called  St.  John's  was  organized,  with  Mr. 
Rising  as  rector.  On  November  9th.  the  congrega- 
tion changed  its  base  from  the  theatre  building  to 
the  school  house.  A  gambling  game  was  carried  on 
night  and  day  in  the  former,  and  the  ownei-s  of  the 
lease  refused  to  allow  the  church  i>eo])le  the  further 
occupancy  of  it.  "  One  of  us  "  ho  said,  "  has  to  quit: 
these  things  don't  run  together."     On  October  18, 

1863,  the  Rev.  O.  W.  Whitaker  succeeded  Mr.  Rising 
as  rector,  and  remained  in  charge  until  June,  1865. 
The  erection  of  a  church  edifice  was  begun  J»\y  18, 

1864,  and  finished  in  the  fall.  It  was  a  liand.some 
brick  structure,  of  the  (iotliic  order,  and  su|)))orts  an 
S2(i  pound  bell.  When  completed  cost  about  813,000. 
It  was  at  that  time  in  a  pleasant  and  most  desirable 
location  surrounded  by  residences,  but  is  to-day 
almost  lost  to  sight  among  the  ruins  of  olil  hoisting 
works.  It  was  first  opened  for  divine  worship  on 
December  18,  1S64.  In  April,  1865,  the  church  was 
draped  in  mourning  for  thirty  days  in  memory  of 


THE  CHURCHES  IN  NEVADA. 


201 


President  Lincoln,  assassinated  in  that  month.  In 
June,  ISijS,  the  J{ev.  ])r.  11.  D.  Lathrop.  from  Ohio, 
took  charge  of  the  (iold  Hill  Parish  and  remained  in 
charge  until  September  1,  18(57.  when  he  accepted  a 
(•all  to  San  Franci.sco.  On  October  13,  18G7,  St. 
John's  Church  was  consecrated  b>-  Bishop  Kip,  Pro- 
visional Bishop  of  the  Nevada  Diocese.  The  Rev. 
0.  W.  Whitaker,  of  Virginia  City,  was  invited  to 
again  take  charge  of  the  parish  in  connection  with 
his  own,  which  he  did.  This  involved  the  most 
arduous  labor,  as  it  entailed  upon  Mr.  Whitaker  the 
responsibility  of  caring  for  throe  jiarishcs  at  the  same 
time — Mrginia,  Carson  and  Hold  liili.  lie  held  serv- 
ices at  the  latter  place  as  often  as  practicable  until 
187(»,  when  the  Kev.  J.  McCormac,  from  Oregon, 
accepted  a  call  from  the  parish.  On  the  Fourth  of 
July,  1870,  the  rectory  vvas  burned,  and  soon  after- 
wards rebuilt.  Mr.  McCormac  resigned  on  June 
30,  1871,  and  Bishoj)  Whitaker  again  was  called 
upon  to  hold  the  services  as  often  as  he  could. 
During  the  following  j'car  the  Bishop  and  Pev. 
(Jcorge  B.  Allen,  of  Car.son  City,  held  occasional 
services  in  Gold  Hill,  and  on  July  2,  1872,  Bishop 
Whitaker  was  requested  by  the  vestry  to  take 
full  charge,  which  he  did,  and  jirovidod  regular 
Sunday  services  until  187G,  with  the  assistance  of 
the  Reverends  Rush  S.  Eastman  and  W.  R.  Jenvey. 
These  three  divines  managed  among  tlioni  to  keep 
up  regular  Sunilaj-  worship  in  Virginia  Citj',  Gold 
Hill,  Silver  Citj-,  and  Dayton.  In  lS7tl,  the  Rev. 
Rush  S.  Eastman  was  elected  Rector  of  Gold  Hill, 
and  continued  to  serve  as  such  until  December  1, 
1879,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  a  call  from  Austin. 
Since  his  time  there  has  been  no  regular  rector  at 
Gold  Hill,  but  occasional  services  have  been  held 
there  by  Bishop  Whitaker  and  bis  assistant,  the  Rev. 
George  N.  Eastman,  The  Sunday-school  connected 
with  the  ])arish  has  never  missed  a  regular  session 
since  it  was  first  organized  in  June,  1803.  At  one 
time  ponding  repairs  to  its  school  room,  the  school 
held  its  session  in  the  street.  It  was  mainly  through 
the  exertions  of  the  Hon.  N.  A.  II.  Ball,  deceased, 
who  for  a  long  time  was  the  Senior  Warden  and  the 
Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school,  that  the 
church  was  built  and  the  school  maintained.  He 
died  on  August  28,  1870,  and  his  loss  was  deeply 
mourned  by  all  classes,  and  the  Gold  Hill  Church  suf- 
fered an  irreparable  loss.  The  Sunday-school  at  the 
time  of  his  death  numbered  twelve  teachers  and  l.")(l 
pupils. 

SILVER    CITY. 

Chr3'sopolis  Hall  was  the  scene  of  the  first  gather- 
ing for  public  worship  of  the  l^piscopalians  of  Sil- 
ver City.  The  Rev.  Mr,  Rising  was  the  pioneer 
clergj-man  of  the  order  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere. 
He  held  his  first  services  in  the  above  hall  on  June 
C,  181)2,  his  congregation  nunilieriiig  from  70  to 
loo  ])er.sons.  The  walls  were  lined  with  muslin,  and 
two  common  candles  inserted  in  the  necksof  a  coujile 
of  empty  beor  bottles,  shod  a    dim    religious    light 


upon  the  proceedings.  The  pulpit  consisted  of  a 
round  table,  and  the  smoke  from  the  flickering  can- 
dles now  and  then  drifted  into  the  reverend  gentle- 
man's face.  Services  were  held  in  Silver  City  with 
great  regularity  until  December,  1873,  when  they 
were  discontinued  for  a  short  time.  From  April, 
1871,  to  February,  1872,  Bishop  Whitaker  continued 
to  conduct  the  services  every  Friday  evening.  The 
Pev.  W.  R.  Jenvey,  assistant  minister  of  St.  Paul's, 
Virginia  City,  began  holding  regular  Sunday  services 
in  the  public  school  house  at  Silver  City  in  1874,  and 
in  September  of  the  following  year  began  the  erection 
of  a  church  building.  Soon  after  the  general  con- 
flagration in  Virginia  Citj'  in  October,  1875,  the  par- 
tiallj-  constructed  edifice  at  Silver  City  was  utterly 
wrecked  in  a  fearful  storm  of  wind,  rain  and  snow, 
which  lasted  ten  days.  It  fell  to  the  ground  on 
Saturday  night,  November  13th,  Undismayed  by 
this  disaster,  Mr.  Jenvey  at  once  went  to  work  and 
rebuilt  the  church,  and  had  it  ready  for  occupancy 
on  Christmas-day,  1875.  Mr.  Jenvey  continued 
holding  services  here  until  he  removed  to  Reno  in 
August,  1878.  Since  that  time  the  Rev.  George  N. 
Eastman  has  regularly  held  bi-weeklj- services  in  the 
church  at  Silver  City. 

C.\R.S0N  cm'. 
On  September  25,  18G2,  the  Rev,  Franklin  S, 
Rising  held  the  first  Protestant  E])iscopal  Church 
service  in  Ormsby  County,  in  the  Court  House  at 
Carson  City,  On  October  29,  1SG3,  the  Rev.  W.  M. 
Riley,  now  of  Haddonfield,  New  Jersey,  entered 
upon  his  duties  as  the  first  Rector  of  St.  Peter's 
Parish,  Carson  City.  His  services  were  held  regu- 
larly in  the  Court  House,  and  'ho  remained  as  Rector 
until  April.  ISOt),  when,  engendering  the  dislike  of 
his  flock  on  account  of  his  ultra  iiro-Soutliern  senti- 
ments, he  resigned.  After  his  departure  the  Rev. 
Dr.  H.  H.  Lathrop  held  a  weekly  .service  at  Carson 
every  Fridaj'  evening,  from  August  IStili,  to  Sep- 
tember, 1867.  In  July,  1867,  the  vestry  determined 
to  build  a  church  edifice,  which  was  completed  dur- 
ing the  following  summer.  Between  Seiitember, 
1867,  and  July,  1868,  the  Rev.  Ozi  W.  Whitaker, 
Rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Virginia  City,  held  a  regular 
week-day  service  at  the  State  Capitol.  At  that 
time  the  ponj'-express  was  in  operation  between 
Reno  and  Virginia;  and  the  reverend  gentleman  in 
those  daj's  was  often  seen  riding  in  hot  haste  across 
the  countr}'  on  the  fleet-footed  animals  employed  b}' 
the  express  company.  In  October,  1867,  Bishop 
Kip  visited  Carson,  and  at  a  service  held  in  the 
.Methodist  Church,  confirmed  twelve  condidates. 
In  May,  1868,  the  Rev,  tieorge  B.  Allen,  of  Pennsj-I- 
vania,  received  a  call  from  the  parish,  and  entered 
upon  his  duties  as  |{e(U()r  on  August  !'th.  It  was 
on  that  day  that  the  newly  erected  church  was 
occupied  for  the  first  time  for  divine  worship.  On 
June  10,  1870,  Trinity  Church  was  consecrated  by 
the  Right  Rev,  O.  W.  Whitaker,  Bishop  of  the  .Mis- 
sionary   Diocoso   of  Nevada.     It   was   a    plain    but 


202 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  Of  NEVADA. 


substantially  constructed  building,  put  up  at  a  cost 
of  85,500.  In  December,  1873,  it  was  enlarged 
twenty-lour  feet,  making  the  auditory  seventy  feet 
in  length.  Two  wings  of  the  same  height,  58x21 
feet,  were  added  to  the  main  building,  for  a  lecture 
and  Sunday-school  room.  The  auditory,  consisting 
of  fifty-nine  pews,  were  arranged  in  three  rows 
with  two  aisles,  and  all  the  stained-glass  windows 
were  donated  by  different  merabcre  of  the  congre- 
gation. The  cost  of  the  entire  improvements,  includ- 
ing the  expense  of  furnishing,  amounted  to  nearly 
812,000,  only  half  of  which  was  paid  at  the  time. 
The  first  service  in  the  church  after  it  was  enlarged 
was  held  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  on  Easter  Sunday, 
1874;  and  on  the  following  Sunday,  Bishop  Whitaker 
formally  re-opencd  it  for  divine  worship.  On  Decem- 
ber 3l8t,  Mr.  Allen  was  transferred  to  the  Diocese 
of  northern  California,  and  is  at  present  oflBciating 
as  J{ector  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  at 
Petaluma,  Sonoma  County.  The  Eev.  Samuel  P. 
Kelly  next  officiated  at  Carson  for  some  months, 
and  was  followed,  on  October  11,  1870,  by  the  IJev. 
H.  L.  Foote,  from  Stockton,  California,  who  remained 
in  charge  until  Maj-  11,  1878,  when  he  resigned,  to 
accept  a  call  from  Clinton,  Massachusetts,  his  pres- 
ent post-office  address.  During  Mr.  Foote's  time 
in  Carson  City,  it  was  a  period  of  great  financial 
depression,  which  quite  seriously  affected  the  pros- 
pects of  the  church.  The  heavy  debt,  however, 
upon  the  property,  was  somewhat  reduced. 

On  October  13,  1878,  the  Rev.  George  R.  Davis,  of 
Nevada  City,  California,  took  charge  of  the  parish, 
and  is  the  present  Rector.  He  found  the  church 
83,000  in  debt,  and  the  object  of  his  energetic  minis- 
tration was  to  lift  this  incubus.  The  ladies  of  St. 
Peter's  Parish,  who  have  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  the  business  details  of  the  church  went 
to  work  zealously,  and  in  eighteen  months  after  Mr. 
Davis' arrival  canceled  the  entire  debt.  The  church, 
which  in  1878  had  forty  communicants,  and  125  pupils 
in  the  Sunday-school,  now  numbers  sixty  communi- 
cants and  100  children  in  the  school. 

DAYTON. 

A  parish  was  organized  at  Dayton  on  December 
26,  1863,  under  the  name  of  the  Church  of  the 
Ascension;  but  a  year  before  that  date  sersMces  had 
been  occasionallj'  held  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rising  in 
the  Court  House.  The  Rev.  O.  W.  Whitaker  who 
organized  the  parish  began  his  labors  there  on 
November  15,  1803,  and  held  regular  services  with- 
out intcrmi.ssipn  until  June,  18G5.  The  Rev.  W.  H. 
Dyer  was  in  charge  from  November,  1865,  to  April, 
1866.  In  the  summer  of  1867  the  Rev.  O.  VV.  Whit- 
aker began  holding  regular  Wednesday  evening  ser- 
vices in  the  Methodist  Kpiscopal  Church,  and  after 
that  year  services  were  held  occasionally  until  1874. 
The  Rev.  W.  R.  Jenvey  officiated  at  the  Court  House 
regularly  until  his  removal  to  Reno  in  August,  1878. 
In  July,  1879,  the  Rev.  George  N.  Eastman  began  a 


bi-weekly  Sundaj-  service  in  Dayton    which  he  con- 
tinues to  the  present  day. 

AUSTIN. 

When  Bishop  Talbot  made  his  missionary  tour  in 
Nevada  Territory  in  1863  he  stopped  at  Austin  a 
few  days  and  held  a  service  there.  It  was  not  until 
18GG  that  regular  worship  according  to  Episcopal 
forms  was  established.  In  that  year  Mr.  D.  M.  God- 
win began  a  lay  service  in  the  Court  House  on  Sun- 
days. In  March,  1868,  the  Rev.  Marcus  Ijane,  now 
in  Michigan,  began  holding  services  at  Austin,  which 
he  continued  for  one  3'ear.  It  was  not  until  1873 
that  a  regular  parish  was  finally  organized  and  des- 
ignated as  St.  George's.  The  Rev.  Christopher  S. 
Stevenson,  from  New  York,  served  as  Rector  one 
year.  He  died  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  in  1880. 
The  Rev.  S.  C.  Blackiston,  from  Colorado,  now  at 
Fort  Benton,  Montana,  succeeded  Mr.  Stevenson  as 
Rector  in  September,  1874,  and  lubored  at  Austin 
five  years.  In  May,  1879,  he  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Samuel  P.  Kelly,  who  officiated  as  Rector  of  St. 
George's  Parish  for  a  few  months.  Mr.  Kelly  is  to- 
day an  active  and  leading  member  of  the  journalistic 
profession,  and  at  last  accounts  his  talented  pen  was 
in  the  service  of  the  Oakland  Tribane.  The  Rev. 
Rush.  S.  Eastman,  the  present  Rector  at  Austin 
took  charge  of  the  parish  on  Easter,  1880. 

A  view  of  St.  George's  Church,  Austin,  is  given  ol 
another  page  of  this  work.  It  is  of  the  Gothic 
order  of  architecture,  is  built  of  brick,  and  is  one  of 
the  handsomest  church  buildings  in  Nevada.  It  was 
erected  during  the  rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Blackiston,  and  was  consecrated  to  the  service  of  the 
Lord  on  Tinnity  Sunday,  1878.  The  story  of  its 
construction  is  an  interesting  one.  For  years  the 
services  of  the  church  in  Austin  were  held  in  the 
Court  House.  On  Easter  Sunday,  1877,  the  Rector, 
after  the  sermon,  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
great  need  of  the  parish  was  a  house  of  worship. 
The  Easter  offerings,  he  said,  would  be  applied  to  a 
building  fund.  A  lot  had  alreadj-  been  purchased, 
and  the  members  of  the  congregation  had  graded 
the  same  and  had  built  the  foundation.  Those  who 
would  pledge  themselves  to  sub.scribe  any  sum 
toward  the  cause  were  asked  to  designate  on  a  card 
the  amount  they  could  att'ord  to  give.  After  the 
contribution  plates  had  passed  around  a  pleasant 
surprise  was  in  store  for  the  wardens  when  they 
counted  the  offerings.  One  member  of  the  congre- 
gation had  pledged  himself  in  a  letter  to  build  the 
church  at  his  own  expense  if  the  others  would  agree 
to  furnish  it.  This  was  the  Easter  offering  of  Mr. 
Allen  A.  Curtis,  the  Superintendent  of  the  ilanhat- 
tan  Mine,  Austin.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  the 
offer  was  accepted,  and  that  the  liberality  of  Mr. 
Curtis  stimulated  the  generosity  of  others.  Mr. 
John  A.  Paxton  and  Mr.  W.  S.  Gage  united  in  the 
gift  of  a  fine  bell  for  the  stecjile.  Mr.  James  S. 
Porteous  presented  the  church  with  an  excellent 
pipe-organ,  which  cost  him  81,000,  and  which   was 


THE  CHURCHES  IN  NEVADA. 


203 


built  by  Alexjiniifr  Mills,  New  York.  The  whole 
cost  of  coinpk'tiiij;  and  furiiisliiiiij  the  ohun-h  was 
815,500,  of  which  all  but  85(H)  was  nivon  by  residents 
of  Austin,  or  by  those  havintj  business  interests 
there. 

The  members  of  the  cons^regation  of  St.  George's 
Parish,  without  exception,  contributed  jrenerously 
toward  the  cflst  of  the  new  church  which  is  com- 
pletely and  eletjantly  furnished  and  entirely  free 
from  debt.  The  erection,  however,  of  such  a  build- 
ing was  possible  onlj-  though  the  libcralitj-  of  Mr. 
Curtis  whose  donation  aggregated  from  first  to  last 
$9,500.  Later  the  bank  at  Austin  loaned  the  society 
$750  to  erect  a  wall  to  maintain  the  grade  around 
the  church.  A  rectory  was  built  before  the  erection 
of  the  church,  and  the  total  value  of  the  church 
property  at  Austin  is  put  at  817,000. 

II.VMII.TON. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  June  20,  1869,  Bisho])  Whit- 
akcr  held  the  first  Episcopal  services  in  White  Pino 
Count}-,  in  Broker's  llall,  Treasure  City.  On  the 
evening  of  the  same  day  he  held  the  first  services  at 
Hamilton,  in  the  court-room  of  Justice  Hotzel.  The 
next  service  was  held  b}-  Bishop  Whitaker  on  Aug- 
ust 7,  1870,  in  the  City  Hall  at  llainilton.  and  on  the 
following  Sundaj-  at  the  Court  House.  The  Bishop 
oflRciated  her  >  fur  the  ensuing  two  months,  and  until 
the  arrival  of  the  l^ev.  Samuel  P.  Keli}-  from  Khode 
Island.  On  September  24th  a  meeting  was  held  at 
the  house  of  S.  M.  Van  Wyck,  and  St.  Luke's  Parish, 
Hamilton,  organized,  of  which  Mr.  Kellj^  was  ciioseii 
as  Uector.  Two  weeks  previously  Bishop  Whitaker 
had  organized  the  Sunday-school.  In  October,  1870, 
a  house  was  purchased  and  fitted  up  as  a  rectory. 
During  1871,  owing  to  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Kellj-.  a 
neat  frame  church  was  erected,  which  was  conse- 
crated July  14,  1872.  A  month  later  Mr.  Kellj' 
accepted  a  call  to  Eureka,  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  liev.  John  Cornell,  now  of  the  American  Prot- 
estant Chapel  at  Nice.  About  the  end  of  September, 
1873,  Mr.  Cornell  resigned.  Since  his  time  the 
parish  has  had  no  rector,  though  services  are  held 
there  occasionally  by  the  bishop  and  the  clergymen 
of  Eureka  and  Pioche.  The  population  of  Hamilton 
has  almost  melted  away,  but  an  l';pisc(j|(al  Siinday- 
Bcbool  is  still  maintained  there.  Hamilton  is  still  in 
a  vcr}-  depressed  condition. 

nocHE. 

It  was  in  a  drinking  saloon  that  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  first  made  its  advent  in  this 
once  notorious  camp.  The  proprietor  surrendered  his 
establishment  to  the  use  of  praj'er  and  praise  on 
the  occasion  of  Bishop  Whitaker's  first  visit,  there 
being  no  other  place  large  enough  to  accommodate 
a  congregation.  Amidst  the  strange  surroundings 
of  vice  and  its  train  of  evils  the  impressive  services 
of  the  church  were  read  to  a  congregation  of  rough 
miners  on  September  i:!,  1870.  About  15(1  |>ersons 
densely  packed  the  saloon,  and  on  the  sidewalk  in 
front  was  gathered  an  equally  largo  crowd  unable 


to  obtain  admission.  In  the  summer  of  1871  Bishop 
Whitaker  revisited  Pioche,  and  twice  held  services 
in  the  cam]).  During  this  year  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Lee 
officiated  here  a  few  months.  The  Rev.  H.  L.  Bad- 
ger, from  Ohio,  who  had  accejited  a  missionary 
appointment,  arrived  at  Pioche  in  September,  this 
j-ear,  and  commenced  the  work  of  his  mission. 
Three  days  before  his  arrival  the  entire  town  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  For  several  months  afterwards 
Mr.  Badger  held  services  wherever  he  could  secure 
accommodations,  meager  as  they  were,  first  in  ono 
house  and  then  in  another.  A  neat  little  frame 
church  and  rectory  was  completed  on  July  21,  1872, 
at  a  cost  of  83,679.54.  After  four  years  earnest 
labor  in  this  camj)  Mr.  Badger  resigned,  on  account 
of  the  continued  illness  of  his  wife,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rov.  H.  H.  Kline,  who  served  as 
Rector  from  September  1,  1875,  to  January.  1877. 
He  was  then  transferred  to  northern  California,  but 
after  a  year's  absence  returned  in  1878,  and  con- 
tinued in  charge  of  Christ  Church,  Pioche,  until 
the  summer  of  1879,  maintaining  regular  services 
on  Sunday,  though  engaged  during  the  week  in 
teaching.  There  is  no  Episcopal  minister  at  Pioche 
to-day.  The  Sunday-school,  with  an  average  attend- 
ance of  fifty  pupils,  was  maintained  up  to  the  close 
of  1880. 

EUREKA. 

Public  worship,  according  to  the  rites  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  creed,  was  first  had  in  a  can- 
vas tent  on  Main  street.  Eureka,  on  Septeml)er  28, 
1870.  During  meal  hours  the  tent  was  occupied 
as  an  eating-house,  bearing  the  sign  of  the  Antelope 
Restaurant.  The  services  were  announced  to  take 
place  at  7  o'clock  in  the  evening,  but  owing  to  the 
failure  of  Bishop  Whitaker  to  arrive  at  the  hour 
designated  the  people  returned  to  their  homos.  It 
appears  that  the  right  reverend  gentleman  was  on 
his  way  to  Kureka,  from  Hamilton,  that  afternoon, 
but  the  stage-coach  breaking  down  on  the  road  a 
delay  ensued.  It  was  nearly  9  o'clock  when  he  did 
arrive  at  Eureka,  but  notwithstanding  the  lateness 
of  the  hour  the  people  determined  to  have  a  soi-vico 
at  anj  cost.  So  messengers  wore  sent  out.  and  be- 
fore 9  o'clock  about  fil't}'  persons  assembleii  in  the 
tent.  This  was  Eureka's  Epi8co])al  baptism.  In  the 
ensuing  winter  the  I'ev.  Samuel  P.  Kellj-  ofticiuted 
several  times,  and  through  his  exertions  a  buililing 
lot  was  secured  for  the  erection  of  a  church.  The 
corner-stone  wiis  laid  in  May,  1871,  bj-  Bishop  Whit- 
aker, and  St.  James'  ])arish  organized.  The  Hishop 
spent  several  weeks  in  lOureka  that  summer,  dur- 
ing which  the  building  of  the  church  was  pushed 
forward,  and  a  comfortable  rectory  constructed.  In 
August  the  Rev.  W.  Henderson  took  charge  of  the 
parish.  I'ntil  November,  1871,  the  services  were 
conducted  in  a  tent,  which  on  week  days  was  used 
as  a  school  room.  In  Jul3^  1S72,  the  Bishop  visited 
the  ])ariHh,  and  contirmed  fifteen  persons.  On  the 
twenty-eighth    of    that    month   the    church    edifice. 


20-1. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


built  of  stone,  was  Kolemnlj-  consecrated.  Mr.  Hen- 
derson resigned  the  rectorship  in  August,  and  on 
September  1st  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Samuel 
P.  Kelly.  In  March,  1875,  Mr.  Koily  extended  an 
invitation  to  the  Kev.  C.  H.  Marshall,  of  Wyoming, 
to  become  assistant  minister  of  the  parish,  which 
was  aecepled.  On  April  r)th  Mr.  Kelly  was  elected 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction;  and, 
resigning  his  charge,  removed  to  Carson  City  to 
enter  upon  the  discharge  of  his  jniblic  duties.  Mr. 
Marshall,  thereupon,  was  called  to  the  rectorship, 
and  assumed  ciiarge.  He  resigned  in  February, 
1877,  to  accept  a  call  as  Rector  of  the  Episcopal 
C^hurch  at  Denver,  Colorado.  The  Eureka  Church 
was  closed  for  six  months;  but  in  August,  1877,  the 
Rev.  C.  B.  Crawford,  from  i'cnnsj-lvania,  the  present 
Rector,  assumed  charge.  Since  Mr.  Crawford  began 
his  labors  the  parish  has  been  entirely  self-sustain- 
ing, which  it  never  had  been  before  his  time.  St, 
•lames  (!hurch  has  a  flourishing  Sunday-school. 

IIENO. 

Bishop   Whitaker    held    the    first  services  at  the 
school  house  in    Reno,    on    October    16,   1870.     His 
second  service  at  the  same  place  was  held  on  April 
12,  1872.     In  January,  1873,  he  began  holding  serv- 
ices in  the  Court  House  on  alternate  Sundays,  which 
were  continued  until  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  William 
Lucas,  fromTillin,  Ohio,  on  the  fifth  of  May,     The 
parish,  under  the  name  of  Trinity  (!liurch,  hud  been 
organized  by  the  Rishop  in  the  previous   February. 
J.    C.    Ijcwis    was    elected    Senior     Warden;    A.    J. 
Hatch,  Junior  Warden;  B.   F.  Leeto,  Secretary;  D, 
A.  Bender,  Treasurer;  .1.  S.   Shoemaker,  Joseph  De 
Bell,  and  C.  11.  Eastman,  Vestrymen.     Regular  serv- 
ices wore  begun    and    held   in    the  Court  House  by 
Bishop  Whitaker,  Rev.  George  B.  Allen,  of  Carson 
City,  and  Rev.  H.  S.  Eastman,  ol  <rold  llill.     In  the 
meantime  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lucas  had  been  called  to  the 
])ermanent    rectorship  of   the    parish.     On  May    5, 
1S7:5,  he  entered  upon   the  discharge  of  his  duties. 
In  July  of  the  same  year  a  lot  was  purchased  for 
$400,  and  a  rectory  built,  which  was  ready  for  oecu- 
])ancy  in   October.     The   first   confirmation    service 
ever  held    in   the    parish    took    ])lace    in    the  Court 
House,  September  (j,  1H74,  when  six  candidates  were 
presented.     On  May  24, 1875,  the  corner-stono  of  the 
church  building  was  laid,  and  the  work  of  erection 
begun.     It  was  vigorously  pressed,  and    on   Decem- 
ber 12th  of  the  same  year  the  church  was  regularly 
opened  by  liishop  Whitaker  for  i>ublic  worship.     It 
is  constructed  of  wood,  ;!2  x  7((  feet,  with  a  sipiaro 
tower  at  the  right  hand   corner,     Slill  the  church 
was  not  completed.     This    had  yet   to  1)0  done,  as 
well  as  the  laboi-  of  extricating  it  from  debt.     The 
entire  cost  of  the    building  was  about  §4,500,     On 
April  1,  187G,  a  set  of  chancel  furniture  was  received 
I'rom  some  church  friends  in  the  East,  at    the  head 
of  whom  was  Miss  Carrie  E.  Darlington,  of  (Jerman- 
town,    Pennsylvania.      The    Rev.  Samuel    P.  Kelly 
completed  this  valuable  gift  by  presenting  a  beauti- 


ful baptismal  font  as  a  thank-offering  for  the  recov- 
ery from  a  severe  illness  of  his  child,  Helen.  In 
September,  1878,  the  Rov.  William  Lucas,  run  down 
by  hard  work  and  enfeebled  by  sickness,  was  com- 
pelled to  temporarilj'  resign  his  charge.  The  Rev, 
W,  R,  Jenvey,  then  assisting  Bishop  Whitaker  in 
Virginia  Citj%  was  called  to  the  parish  as  Rector 
pro  lent,  on  September  o,  1878.  His  first  undertak- 
ing was  the  completion  of  the  church  building,  the 
interior  of  which  had  remained  unfinished  and  un- 
carpeted.  During  the  six  weeks  the  carpenters 
were  at  work  services  were  held  in  Mr.  Richmond 
Smith's  Opera  House,  that  gentleman  kiudlj-  donat- 
ing the  use  of  the  building.  On  December  17lh,  the 
church  was  again  formally  re-opened  by  Bishop 
Whitaker.  There  was  not  a  dollar  of  indebtedness 
upon  it,  and  it  was  ready  for  consecration,  which 
solemn  service  took  place  on  June  8,  1878.  Mean- 
while the  Rev.  Mr.  Lucas  decided  that  he  could  not 
return  to  the  parish,  and  Mr.  Jenvey,  at  present  in 
charge,  was  called  to  the  permanent  rcctorshi]). 
The  total  cost  of  the  church  building  has  been  about 
80,000.  It  is  free  from  debt.  The  Sunday-school 
connected  with  Trinity  Parish  has  fourteen  teachers 
and  KiO  scholars, 

BELMONT. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  P.  Kelly  held  the  first  services 
of  the  Protestant  E])iscopal  Church  in  Belmont  in 
1872,  The  Rev.  S.  B.  Moore  ari-Jved  there  from 
Pittsburgh  in  the  following  year,  and  officiated  as 
Rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Parish  during  the  next  four 
years.  The  parish  organization,  however,  dates  its 
corporate  existence  from  February  10.  1874.  In  the 
following  year  Belmont  lost  fully  one-half  of  its  pop- 
ulation by  removal.  But  by  the  indefatigable  per- 
severance of  Mr.  Moore,  a  neat  church  was  erected 
and  jiaid  for.  It  is  of  wood,  and  capable  of  seating 
about  i;iO  persons.  The  entire  cost  was  §3,790,  of 
which  §2,750  was  given  in  Belmont,  It  was  con- 
secrated on  the  third  Sundaj-  after  Easter,  1875, 
Mr.  Moore  was  succeeded  in  1870  by  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Flack,  now  of  Rochester,  ^<ew  York,  who  had  charge 
a  little  over  a  year.  Mr.  Flack  resigned  the  rector- 
ship at  Faster,  1S7!^.  the  business  of  Belmont  having 
so  far  declined  that  a  clergyman  cduld  not  well  be 
8upi)orted  there.  The  church  was  thereupon  closed 
for  nine  months;  but  in  December,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
P.  Kelly  undertook  to  revive  the  drooping  spirits  of 
St,  Stephens,  and  zealously  served  as  Rector  of  the 
])arish  until  called  to  Austin  on  June  1,  1870.  Since 
that' date  there  has  been  no  resident  Ei)isi'opal  min- 
ister at  Belmont,  though,  through  the  efforts  of  Mrs. 
R.  M.  King,  the  Superintendent,  a  flourishing  Sun- 
day-school, in  connection  with  the  ilenoniination,  is 
still  niaintaineil.  It  was  discontinued  after  Mr. 
Kelly  left,  but  this  zealous  churchwoman  reorganized 
it  in  October,  1880.  The  average  attendance  is 
about  forty-five  pupils.  Bishop  Whitaker  occasion- 
ally visits  the  place. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


205 


CHAPTEE    XXVII. 
THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH. 

The  Pioneer  Piu-at — First  Iliuiscof  Worsliip — Kll'cctDf  a  Washoe 
Zephyr — Father  Maiiogiie — First  C'hurcli  at  Iteiio — ."^t.  Vin- 
cent deSt.  Paul  .Society — Sisters  of  Charity — Father  Mano- 
giie's  Biography. 

The  Rev.  Father  II.  V.  Gulla.uhor,  now  of  Sun 
Francisco,  was  the  pioneer  priest  of  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  in  Nevada  Territory.  His  first  hibors 
were  performed  at  Genoa,  in  Douglas  County,  though 
he  took  genera!  charge  of  the  spiritual  interest  of  the 
fiiithful  in  this  region,  holding  regular  services  at 
Virginia  City,  Carson  and  Genoa.  The  historj'  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  Nevada  dates  from  the  erec- 
tion, by  the  Rev.  Fallicr  (iallaglier.  of  its  first  house 
of  worship  in  Virginia,  i!i  the  summer  of  1800.  It 
was  built  without  anj'  precautions  or  calculations  in 
guarding  against  the  heavy  winds  and  violent  gales 
which  occasionally  visit  this  region,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  first  angry  Washoe  zephyr  found  it  an 
easy  prey,  prostrating  it  to  the  ground.  About  the 
same  time  Father  CJallagher  had  another  church  con- 
structed in  Carson,  and  another  in  Genoa.  The  one 
in  Cai"son  was  shortly  afterwards  blown  down  in  a 
hurricane,  and  the  lumber  was  taken  away  bj'  those 
who  had  a  claim  for  wages. 

The  Genoa  Church  was  not  jjaid  for,  and  whatever 
lien  was  on  it  was  removed  by  some  parties  who 
had  it  appropriated  for  a  Court  House.  In  June, 
18G2,  the  Rev.  Patrick  Manogue  took  charge  of  the 
Virginia  Parish,  and  erected  another  edifice  at  a  cost 
of  §12,000,  which  was  consecrated  under  the  name  of 
•'  St.  Mary's  of  the  Mountains."  The  Passionist 
Fathers,  in  the  winter  of  the  following  year,  built  a 
frame  church  on  the  divide  between  Virginia  City 
and  tiold  Hill.  It  was  opened  for  services  on  Decem- 
ber 20,  1863.  This  building  was  afterwards  trans- 
ferred to  Gold  Hill,  but  was  found  inadequate  to  the 
wants  of  the  congregation,  and  in  the  s]>ring  of  ISC-l 
the  Rev.  Father  P.  O'Reilly  built  a  large  and  more 
commodious  church.  Mass  was  celebrated  in  it  for 
the  first  time  on  May  13th,  and  on  July  201  h  it  was 
dedicated.  Father  O'Reilly  afterwards  took  a  trip 
lor  the  benefit  of  his  health,  and  during  a  voyage 
from  Honolulu  to  Valjiaraiso,  died  on  board  the 
steamer,  and  was  buried  at  sea.  The  Rev.  Father 
Monteverde,  now  of  Eureka,  established  in  18G4,  St. 
Augustin's  Church  in  Austin,  now  in  charge  of  the 
Rev.  Father  Josc])h  I'helan,  and  afterwards,  dur- 
ing the  White  Pine  excitement,  built  a  church  at 
, Hamilton.  In  1805  a  church  was  commenced  in 
/  Aurora,  Esmeralila  County,  and  raised  a  few  feet 
over  the  ioundation  by  the  Rev.  Fallier  Walsh,  and 
then  abandoned  because  of  the  rajiid  depopulation  of 
the  place.  The  foundation  is  still  standing  there,  a 
relic  of  early  limes.  In  1808  the  congregation  of  the 
Virginia  City  Church  became  so  numerous  as  to 
require  a  larger  house  of  worship.  A  brick  church 
was  thereujHin  erected  by  the  Rev.  Father  Manogue, 
at  a  cost  of  865,000.  This  was  considered  both  an 
26 


ornament  to  the  cit_v  as  well  as  a  credit  and  honor 
to  the  Catholics.  Immediately  afterwards  the  Rev. 
Father  Manogue  was  a])poiiited  Vicar-General  of  the 
Diocese  of  Gra.ss  Valley,  which  includes  in  its  juris- 
diction all  of  the  Stale  of  Nevada. 

CIICIICIIES    BUII.T. 

Earl}-  in  1870  was  built  by  the  Rev.  Father 
Thomas  tiracc,  now  in  Marysville,  the  ])resent 
church  in  Carson  City,  known  as  St.  Theresa's,  at  a 
cost  of  S5,000.  In  1871,  a  Catholic  Society  was 
organized  by  Father  Scanlan  at  Pioche;  and  on  April 
ir)lh,  that  year,  they  completed  a  fine  frame  church 
and  parsonage  at  a  cost  of  84,000.  The  Rev.  Father 
William  Malonoy,  of  Cherry  Creek,  now  (1881)  holds 
services  there  once  a  month.  At  the  time  of  organ- 
ization the  church  at  Fioche  had  a  incnibershii)  of 
300.  To-day  the  number  does  not  exceed  thirty- 
five,  but  a  Sunday-school,  with  a  good  attendance, 
is  maintained.  In  1872  a  church  was  organized  at 
Belmont,  of  which  the  Rev.  Father  Monteverde  had 
charge;  and  in  1874  a  church  edifice  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  83.000.  There  has  been  no  priest  stationed 
there,  and  they  have  never  had  regular  services. 
The  Rev.  Father  Phelan,  of  Austin,  now  visits  Bel- 
mont once  or  twice  a  year.  No  Sunday-school 
has  been  in  session  there  since  1874.  In  1871, 
Father  Monteverde  built  a  frame  church  (St.  Bren- 
dan's) at  Eureka.  Three  years  later  a  brick  church, 
with  a  stone  foundation,  was  erected  b}'  Father 
Hj-nes,  at  a  cost  of  85,000,  the  better  to  meet  the 
needs  of  an  increasing  congregation.  The  first 
church  at  Reno  was  built  by  the  Rev.  Father  Mer- 
rill in  1871.  In  the  great  conflagration  at  Mrginia 
City,  on  October  26.  1875,  the  magnificent  church 
built  by  Father  Manogue  in  1808  t'ell  a  pre}'  to  the 
flames,  and  was  totallj*  destroyed.  The  present 
edifice,  a  neat  Gothic  structure,  considered  to  have 
the  finest  interior  finish  on  the  coast,  was  built  in 
1877  by  Father  Manogue  at  a  cost  of  800,000.  This 
elegant  structure  is  on  the  same  lot  as  the  old 
church  which  was  burned  down,  fronting  on  E 
Street,  and  running  along  Taylor  to  F  Street.  The 
church  has  a  membership  of  about  2,500  regular 
attendants.  The  communicants  average  100  a 
month,  and  at  Easter  time  increase  to  1.200  or  1.500. 
Like  other  mining  towns,  the  ])opulation  of  ^'irginia 
City  exhibits  many  fluctuations  and  vicissitudes  even 
in  a  single  decade.  The  Catholic  portion  offered  no 
exception  to  liiese  mutations.  For  the  jiast  fifteen 
j-ears  they  might  have  been  considered  as  number- 
ing active  and  nominal  from  8,000  to  5,000  souls. 

In  1879  the  first  Reno  church  was  burned  down  in 
the  great  fire  which  devastated  that  town.  The 
erection  of  the  present  church  al  Reno  was  com- 
menced hy  the  Rev.  I'^ither  .lames  J.  Callan,  the 
present  Pastor.  The  latest  addition  to  the  list  of 
Catholic  churches  in  Nevada  is  the  one  just  finished 
at  Cherry  Creek,  While  Pine,  by  the  Rev.  William 
Maloney.  The  Reverend  Father  rode  over  4,000 
miles  through  Nevada  and  Utah  in  his  expedition  to 


206 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


collect  the  necessary  funds.  And  now,  after  all  his 
labors,  he  has  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  having 
erected  one  of  the  prettiest  churches  in  eastern 
Nevada.  The  foregoing  accuratelj'  i-eprescnts  the 
surface  progress  of  the  Catholic  church  in  the  State. 
No  trouble  has  been  taken  by  the  priests  to  collect 
statistics  nor  are  anj-  attainable  by  which  a  satisfac- 
tory exhibit  could  be  made  of  the  growth  in  numbers 
from  time  to  time  of  the  church  or  the  actual  value 
of  the  property  owned  in  this  portion  of  the  Diocese. 

EARLY    CLEROVMEN. 

Neither  has  it  been  possible  to  secure  a  satisfactory 
list  of  all  the  Eoman  Catholic  clergymen  who  have 
labored  in  the  State  at  different  times  since  the 
beginning.  Those,  however,  who  are  enumerated 
have  been  those  who  remained  the  longest  and 
accomplished  the  hard  work  of  church  building. 
From  18G5  to  1874  the  Reverend  Father  Mevel,  a 
French  priest,  held  missions  in  the  interest  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  various  places  in  Nevada  and  Cal- 
ifornia. Father  Mevel  preached  during  that  time 
entirely  in  the  French  language.  He  assisted 
materiallj-  in  building  several  churches  in  this  State 
and  elsewhere.  In  March,  1874,  he  left  this  countrj- 
for  Hayti.  Those  who  are  oflSciating  to-day  are  the 
Revs.  Patrick  Manogue  and  Daniel  O'SuUivan,  at 
Virginia  City;  the  Revs.  John  Nult}^  and  Patrick 
O'Kane,  at  Gold  Ilill;  the  Rev.  James  J.  Callan,  at 
Reno;  the  Rev.  Luke  Tormey,  at  Carson  City;  the 
Rev.  Andrew  O'Donnoll,  at  Winnemucca;  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Phclan,  at  Austin;  the  Rev.  D.  Montevcrde  at 
.Eureka,  and  the  Rev.  William  Malonej-  at  Cherry 
Creek. 

BENEVOLENCE   ANI1    EDUCATIONAL. 

A  vital  and  beneficial  feature  of  Catholic  Church 
work  in  Nevada,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  will  be  found 
in  its  various  agencies  for  the  alleviation  of  human 
suffering,  the   care  of  the  orphan,  and   the  relief  of 
the  sick  and  destitute   poor.     Nearly  eveiy  parish 
has  its  benevolent  organization.     A  reference  to  one 
or  two    will   suffice   to  explain  the  character  of  all. 
The  altar  and  rosary  societies  connected  with  the 
Virginia  City  Church  are  united  in  one,  and  is  chiefly 
composed  of  ladies.     The  members  of  these  societies 
pay  one  dollar  admission  fee  and  fifty  cents  a  month 
afterwards,  and   all  funds  arising  therefrom  are  ap- 
propriated for  the  interior  decoration  and  embellish- 
ment of  the  church,  altar  and  sanctuar)\     The  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Society  of  Virginia  is  composed  of 
both  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and   numbers  about  five 
hundred  members.     This  society  is  both  benevolent 
and   charitable,   and   though  all    the  members    are 
Catholics  its  works  and  charities  are  extended  to  all 
cases  of  want,  suffering  and  distress  without  any  dis- 
crimination on  account  of  creed  or  nationality.     Suf- 
fering humanit}'  in  every  phase   and  complexion  is 
the  object  of  this  laudable  society.     Resides  a  Pres- 
ident, two  Vice-Presidents,  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
five  men  and  three  ladies  are  appointed  as  visiting  or 


investigating  committees,  whose  duty  it  is  to  hunt 
up  and  report  all  cases  of  want,  suffering,  sickness 
and  distress.  Members  pay  one  dollar  entrance  fee 
and  fiftj-  cents  monthly  dues.  This  society  was 
organized  in  1863  by  the  Rev.  Father  Manogue,  who 
is  still  its  President. 

The  Catholic  institutions  consecrated  to  the  sacred 
cause  of  charity  and  education  in  Nevada  are   the 
Nevada    Orphan   Asylum,  St.   Mary's  Hospital,  St. 
Mary's  School  for  girls  and  St.  Vincent's  School  for 
boys  in  Virginia,  and  Mount  St.  Marj-'s  Academy  at 
Reno.  The  Orphan  Asj'lum  and  the  Virginia  schools 
are  situated  a  few  blocks  from  the  church,  fronting 
on  H  street.     These  are  all  conducted  by  the  Sisters 
of  Charity.     About  one  hundred  orphans  and  half 
orphans  are  cared  for  here,  supported  recentlj-  by 
private  contributions  and  charities.      It  was  the  first 
asylum  provided  for   orphans  in    the   Tenntory   of 
Nevada,  but  as  soon  as  the  latter  was  admitted  as  a 
State  the  politicians  went  to  work  and  secured  the 
passage  of  a  bill  creating  an  orphan  asylum  under 
the  control  of  the  State.      Hence  since  that  time  no 
State  aid  has  been  received  by  the  Nevada  Orphan 
Asylum.      The  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Vincent's  schools 
are  attended   daily  bj'  about  two  hundred  girls  and 
one  hundred  boj-s.      The  schools   arc  separate  and 
boys  only  under  the  age  of  twelve  years  are  admitted. 
These   buildings   were   commenced  in   18G4   by  the 
Rev.  Father  Manogue,  and  in  October  of  the  same 
3'ear  a  branch    of  the   Sisters   of  Charity,    Market 
street,    San    Francisco,    occupied  and    opened    the 
school  and  asylum  under  the  charge  of  Sister  Frede- 
rica,  who  is  still  Superioress.      St.  Mary's  Hospital, 
in  the  eastern  suburbs  of  Virginia  Citj^  was  com- 
menced in   1875  by  the  Rev.  Father  Manogue,  and 
the  exterior  was  nearlj'  completed  when  the  great 
fire  broke  out  in  October  of  that  year.     The  hospital 
fronts  Union  Street  and  is  nearly  opposite  the  Interna- 
tional   Hotel.      It  is    well  situated,    surrounded   b}- 
pleasant  grounds,  ornamented  by   trees  and  shrub- 
bery, and   during    the    summer    months   affords   a 
charming  view    from    the  city.      This    fine    brick 
building  cost  about  845,000,  and  is  under  the  care  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity.    The  grounds  were  purchased 
and  presented  to   Father  Manogue  by  Mrs.  Mackay. 
Mr.  John  W.  Mackay  has  aided  in  its  erection,  and 
his  generositj'  and  liberality  toward  both  the  Nevada 
Orphan  Asylums  and  St.  Mary's  Hospital  are  well- 
known  and  gratefully  acknowledged.      The  Convent 
school  at  Reno,  known  as  Mount  St.  Marj-'s  Academy, 
is  under  the  charge  of  the  Dominican  Sisters.      It  is 
a   three-story   45x65   frame   building  with    a   brick 
basement.  It  was  built  in  the  winter  of  lR78-71t,  and 
narrowly   escajtcd   destruction    bj-  fire  soon   after  it 
was  completed.      The  Catholics  of  Nevada  contem- 
plate the  building  of  a  college  at  Reno  but,  owing  to 
the  prevailing  depression  in  all  branches  of  business 
in    the   State,   nothing  yet   has  been    done   toward 
carrying  out  such  a  project. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


207 


BIOGRAPHY  OP  BISHOP  MANOOUE. 

The  Rev.  Father  Patrick  Maiioijue,  who  in  Novem- 
ber, 1880,  was  appointed  by  the  Holy  See  Coadjutor, 
Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Grass  Valley,  with  the 
right  of  succession,  has  been  at  the  head  of  every 
impoi'tant  Catholic  work  in  Nevada  during  the  last 
twenty  years,  and  whose  portrait  is  here  pre- 
sented.    Bishop  Manoguo  is  a  stalwart-limbed  man 


Rev.  P.  Manogue. 

of  gigantic  build,  and  a  heart  as  warm  as  the 
tropics,  and  as  big  as  his  body.  It  is  said  that  there 
is  not  a  man,  woman,  or  child  that  does  not  know 
and  venerate  the  man.  Jle  has  had  an  eventful 
career.  Born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  March 
15,  1831,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1849. 
After  residing  two  years  in  Connecticut  he  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  spent  about  four  years  in  the 
University  of  St.  Mary's  of  the  Lake.  In  1851,  he 
drifted  out  to  California,  and  for  three  years  earned 
his  daily  bread  by  hard  work  in  the  mines  near 
Moore's  Flat.  Having  saved  enough  money  to 
defray  the  cost  of  a  more  advanced  ecclesiastical 
education,  he  left  for  Prance,  where  he  entered  the 
Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  at  Paris,  for  a  four  years' 
course  of  instruction.  On  Christmas,  1861,  ho  was 
ordained  a  priest  of  the  church  by  ('ardinal  Morlot. 
In  18(12,  be  left  Paris  for  Virginia  City,  where 
he  arrived  in  June  of  that  year.  His  labors  in 
that  parish  have  already  been  detailed.  In  1868, 
Father  Manogue  was  promoted  to  be  Vicar-Gene- 
ral of  his  Diocese,  and  in  November,  1880,  he  was 
appointed  as  Coadjutor  to  Bishop  O'Connell,  of 
Grass  Valley,  whose  advanced  ago  makes  a  helper 
necossary.     A    pleasing   incident  of  bis    exaltation 


was  tho  reception  of  a  congratulatorj-  address 
signed  by  all  the  priests  of  the  Diocese.  On  Janu- 
ary 16,  1881,  at  St.  Mary's  Cathedral,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Bishop  Manogue  received  the  rile  of  consecra- 
tion at  the  hands  of  Archbishop  Alemany.  A  com- 
plete history  of  the  dangers  Bishop  Manoguo  has 
faced  during  his  Nevada  career,  would  form  a  vol- 
ume as  large  and  exciting  as  the  history  of  the  old 
crusaders.  During  the  first  two  years  of  his  service 
he  traveled  over  the  entire  Territory,  preaching, 
organizing,  baptizing,  ministering  to  tho  sick  and 
dying,  andtending  to  the  burial  of  the  dead.  Among 
tho  rough,  turbulent  spirits  that  first  populated  the 
Silver  State,  hundreds  of  whom  only  recognized  tho 
existence  of  religion  and  priests  as  things  to  bo 
scoffed  at,  his  position  was  often  hazardous.  On  one 
occasion,  after  a  hard  ride  of  180  miles,  to  prepare  for 
death  a  man  under  sentence  of  hanging,  ho  found 
that  the  man  was  not  as  guilty  as  was  represented, 
and  without  a  moment's  delay  he  retraced  his  steps 
in  the  face  of  the  bitter  winter  blasts,  and  never 
halted  until  he  had  procured  a  reprieve  from  Gover- 
nor Nye,  which  was  followed  by  a  pardon.  On 
another  occasion,  after  a  long  and  dangerous  ride,  he 
was  compelled  to  force  a  pistol  from  the  hands  of  a 
brutal  husband,  who  refused  to  allow  him  to  admin- 
ister the  last  rites  of  the  church  to  his  dying  wife. 
His  saving  of  Bonner,  when  the  miners  were  about 
to  hang  him,  and  his  successful  efforts  in  settling  the 
difficulties  between  the  miners  and  the  (Chinese  are 
oft-told  tales.  His  services  during  the  awful  scenes 
at  the  mouth  of  tho  shafts  following  tho  fires  in  tho 
Yellow  Jacket  and  Belcher  mines,  are  well  romem* 
bered  by  all  in  Virginia  City  and  Gold  Hill. 


CHAPTER      XXVIII. 
METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

The  Pioneer  Preacher— His  Hat  Passed  Around — The  First 
Church — First  Nev.-ula  Conference— The  Colored  People's 
Churcli — Dayton — Washnf  City — Gold  Hill  —  Starve<l  to 
Death — Austin — Carson  City —  Hamilton  — Winnemucca — 
Union  ville — Keno — Eureka — Kuby  Hill  — Tuscarora — Elko 
— M.iaon's  Valley — De.ith  of  V^alentine  Kightmyer — Church 
Work  in  Various  Sections  —  Review — Defection  in  the 
Church. 

The  pioneer  of  Methodism  in  Nevada  was  one 
Jesse  L.  Bennett,  a  local  preacher,  wlio  labored  in 
Carson  Valley  as  earlj-  as  185!t.  This  was  then  a 
portion  of  Utah  Territory,  and  the  designation  of 
Carson  Valley  at  that  time  in  .Methodist  annals  was 
generally  understood  to  comprehend  all  the  territory 
now  embraced  within  the  present  boundaries  of  the 
State  of  Nevada.  Carson  Valley  was  one  of  the 
Methodist  stations  of  the  California  Confei-once  aa 
far  back  as  1855.  It  was,  however,  a  neglected  fold 
until  Bennett,  like  John  tho  Baptist  of  old,  came 
preaching  to  tho  people  in  tho  wilderness  four  years 
later.  In  1^57,  the  J{cv.  Ira  P.  Halo  had  been 
assigned  to  Carson  Valley  by  the  Conference,  but 
there  is  no  record  in  the  subsequent  minutes  of  that 


208 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  01   NEVADA. 


body  that  he  ever  labored  at  this  post.  At  the  Con- 
ference meetinsr  in  the  following  year  the  sum  of 
S400  was  apjiropriatod  out  of  the  church  mission 
funds  to  aid  the  work  in  Carson  Vallej*.  Bennett 
preached  occasionally  at  Genoa  and  Eagle  Ranch,  on 
which  Carson  City  now  stands.  In  September,  1859, 
the  California  Conference  pushed  out  the  Rev.  A.  L. 
S.  Bateman  to  Genoa,  where  he  organized  a  society 
and  labored  for  six  months.  He  then  departed  for 
the  East,  and  the  society  dissolved.  Meanwhile, 
Jesse  L.  Bennett  organized  a  society  at  Carson 
which  also  was  in  the  throes  of  dissolution  for  want 
of  members  after  he  left  in  .luly,  ISfiO.  Some  of  the 
devoted  band  wandered  ofl'  to  other  camps,  and 
some  who  remained  joined  the  Presbyterian  Society. 
Thus  at  this  time  only  two  of  the  old  members 
remained.  Bennett  arrived  on  the  Comstock  in 
the  year  following,  and  preached  the  first  sermon 
ever  heard  in  Virginia  City.  It  was  delivered 
on  C  Street  one  Sunday  morning.  It  is  related 
that  after  Jesse  L.  Bennett  had  concluded  his 
discourse,  he  passed  his  hat  around  among  the 
crowd.  The  preacher  was  astonished  on  its  return 
to  him  when  he  found  it  almost  filled  with  gold 
and  silver.  The  collection  amounted  to  several  hun- 
dred dollars.  Times  were  "flush,"  and  the  presence 
of  a  preacher  was  a  welcome  novelty  for  the  wild 
and  reckless  men  who  then  constituted  the  popula- 
tion of  Virginia.  The  Rev.  Samuel  B.  liooney,  from 
Stockton,  California,  was  the  first  regular  Methodist 
pastor  in  Virginia.  He  had  withdrawn  from  his 
connection  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
1857;  but  at  the  Conference,  in  September,  1861, 
resumed  his  relations  with  that  organization,  and 
was  assigned  to  Virginia  City,  at  which  place  he 
had  labored  on  his  own  rcsjionsibiiitj'  some  months 
before.  At  the  same  time  Bennett  was  ai)pointed  to 
take  charge  at  Washoe,  then  rising  into  prominence 
as  the  most  imi)ortant  town  in  Nevada,  next  to  Vir- 
ginia. Rooney  was  an  earnest,  indefatigable  worker. 
He  labored  in  season  and  out  of  season.  He 
preached  in  lodging-houses  and  in  blacksmith  shops, 
in  fact,  the  ruilest  shelter  aft'orded  accommodations 
to  the  church-goers  of  that  day.  Rooney  built 
the  fii-st  church  in  Virginia.  It  was  a  little 
wooden  structure  at  the  corner  of  D  and  Taylor 
Streets,  the  site  of  the  present  edifice.  It  was  an 
unpretending  aft'air,  put  up  during  the  summer  of 
1861,  and  cost  about  82,000.  At  this  time  the  regu- 
lar membershiji  of  the  Virginia  ("hurch  numbered 
fifty-one  j)crsons.  There  was  also  a  Sunday-school 
attached,  having  a  roll  of  fifty  pupils.  The  socictj' 
at  Carson,  meanwhile,  had  been  revived,  and  re- 
ported twenty-one  active  members.  At  the  Califor- 
nia Annual  Conference  in  September,  1861,  a  new 
district  was  created  and  designated  as  the  Nevada 
Ttirrilory  District,  under  the  presiding  eldership  of 
Rev.  N.  E.  Peek.  From  this  time  it  will  bo  neces- 
sary to  consider  the  se|>arate  record  of  each  church 
organization,  the  better  to  trace  and  appreciate  the 


steadj'  growth  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal   Church 
in  Nevada. 

VIRGINIA   CITY. 

Rev.  Samuel  B.  Rooney's  church  did  not  long  an- 
swer the  ambitious  needs  of  its  congregation.  He 
was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate  bj^  Rev.  C.  V.  An- 
thony in  the  winter  of  1862,  who,  in  the  j-ear  following, 
erected  a  commodious  and  elegant  brick  edifice  at  a 
cost  of  845,000,  which  was  dedicated  to  jmblic  woi-ship 
on  February  14,  1864.  A  parsonage  adjoining  was 
also  erected  at  the  same  time,  at  a  cost  of  82,000. 
Rev.  T.  S.  Dunn,  now  at  Alameda,  California,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Anthony  and  served  two  years,  ilean- 
while  at  the  General  Conference  of  the  chuix-h  in 
1864,  the  district  was  erected  with  an  independent 
Conference,  embracing  the  State  of  Nevada  and  that 
part  of  California  lying  east  of  the  western  slope  of 
the  Sierra.  The  first  session  of  the  Nevada  Annual 
Conference  was  held  at  the  Methodist  Church  in 
Virginia  in  September,  1865,  and  its  sixteenth  session 
was  held  in  the  same  place  in  September,  1880.  The 
Rev.  James  E.  Wicks  relieved  Mr.  Dunn  of  the  charge 
in  1866.  The  membership  of  the  church  had  now 
grown  to  100  persons,  and  the  Sundaj'-school  in  like 
proportion.  In  1868  Mr.  Wicks  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  A,  F.  Hitchcock,  who  served  about  filteen 
months,  and  who  was  removed  because  he  loved 
a  fair  member  of  his  flock  not  wiselj'  but  too 
well.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  T,  H.  McGrath,  who 
is  now  the  Sexton  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Cemetery  at 
Virginia.  This  work  deals  more  full}'  on  his  connec- 
tion with  Nevada  Church  history  elsewhere.  Mr. 
McGrath  was  a  great  worker,  and  gifted  with  a  rude 
eloquence  which  nearly  alwaj's  commanded  for  him 
a  large  audience.  He  remained  in  charge  of  the 
Virginia  congregation  ov,.'r  three  years,  and  during 
that  time  the  societj'  passed  through  many  vicissi- 
tudes, 

WASnOE    ZEPHYRS, 

About  one  j-ear  alter  McGrath  began  his  labors,  a 
Washoe  zejihj-r  very  effectually  wrecked  the  church 
building.  The  wind  came  up  about  midnight,  and 
before  morning  the  roof  had  fallen  in  and  the  wall 
on  the  north  side  fell,  demolishing  an  adjoining 
wooden  dwelling,  the  occupants  of  which,  asleep  in 
bed  at  the  time,  narrowly  esca])ed  with  their  lives. 
The  J{ev.  MctJrath  set  to  work  repairing  the  disaster. 
Four  weeks  later  the  debris  had  been  cleared  away 
and  all  was  ready  for  the  brick-masons,  when  a  fire 
burned  down  the  wrecked  edifice.  The  bricks  were 
next  sold,  and  a  frame  church  built  by  McGrath,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $8,000,  on  the  same  site.  On  Christmas 
Eve,  1872,  another  Washoe  zephj-r  inflicted  some 
damage  on  the  building.  The  front  doors  were 
blown  in,  the  plastering  of  the  walls  and  ceilings 
shaken  down,  and  the  inside  of  the  church  generallj' 
wrecked.  The  interior,  in  fact,  looked  after  the 
storm  like  the  breaking  up  of  a  hard  winter.  Re- 
pairs were  eflecled  at  a  cost  of  about  8.'i.000.  The 
Rev.  George  W.  Fitch,  now  Pastor  of  the  Methodist 


RESIDENCES  AND  RANCH  OF  1500  ACRES.OF  MES5RS.BARRETT  SlMALLETT. 

ESMERALDA  CO.,MASON  VALUE  Y,  NEV.  WITH  VIEW  OF  MR. BARRETT'S  RESIDENCE  AT  DAYTON. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


209 


K]ii>coi)al  Cliurcli  at  Auburn,  Caliroriiia,  succeeded 
McGrath  in  the  pastorate  in  1S73,  and  was  relieved 
by  Rev.  C.  McKelvoy,  of  Canada,  in  1875.  The  lat- 
ter took  chariio  of  tlie  pastorate  a  few  weeks  before 
the  great  conflagration  of  October,  1875,  in  which 
the  church  building  fell  in  the  general  ruin.  This 
made  the  second  destruction  by  fire  of  the  Methodist 
Church  building  in  Virginia. 

In  187(1,  a  new  and  handsome  frame  church  was 
erected  on  the  old  site  at  a  cost  of  about  820,000, 
which  still  stands  there;  the  fourth  edifice  erected  by 
the  Methodists  on  the  same  lot.  It  is  called  the  Cen- 
tennial Methodist  Church,  in  honor  of  its  erection 
and  dedication  in  the  Centennial  year.  Mr.  McKel- 
vey  remained  three  years  and  was  succeeded,  in 
September,  1878,  bj-  the  present  I'astor,  the  Rev.  W. 
C.  Gray.  The  church  indebtedness  amounts  to 
S7.000.  It  has  a  membership  of  ninety-two  persons. 
The  Sabbalh-school  is  an  encouraging  feature,  350 
children  being  members  thereof  As  an  illustration 
of  the  floating  nature  of  the  population,  it  is  a  sig- 
nificant fact  that  there  are  not  six  members  on  the 
church-roll  who  were  members  in  18G6.  The  organ- 
ization has  never  lacked  in  liberal  givers  when  aid 
was  sought.  Among  those  who  contributed  gener- 
ously toward  the  construction  of  the  first  brick 
church,  and  who  ultimate]}-  paid  the  entire  indebt- 
edness, amounting  to  S1(J,000,  were  John  C.  Fall, 
and  Ex-Governor  Biasdel. 

AFRICAN    CHURCH. 

In  1873,  the  colored  people  of  Virginia  organized 
a  church  society  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference,  and  in 
June,  1875,  erected  a  small  frame  church  on  E  street 
between  Union  and  Center  streets.  It  was  destroyed 
in  the  conflagration  in  the  following  October,  and  no 
attempt  was  made  to  reorganize  the  society,  which 
never  had  more  than  a  feeble  existence,  until  1879, 
when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wier  was  appointed  Pastor,  and 
remained  less  than  a  j'car.  Because  of  lack  of  finan- 
cial support  no  pastor  was  subsequently  appointed. 

As  early  as  18G2,  an  effort  was  piacle  to  organize 
a  branch,  in  Virginia  City,  of  the  Methodist  Church 
South,  but  the  ])roject  was  abandoned.  Beyond  the 
occasional  visitation  of  a  minister  of  the  denomina- 
tion seeking  to  build  uji  a  society,  nothing  ever  was 
accomplished  in  this  direction. 

DAVTON. 

The  second  Methodist  Episcopal  ('hurcli  l>uildin<'' 
erected  in  Nevada  Territory  was  completed  at 
Dayton,  in  18<;3.  In  the  previous  year.  J.  Kilpatrick, 
a  local  i)reacher,  ofliciated  at  Dayton.  In  l.S(j.j,  the 
Rev.  J.  H.  MadJox  took  charge  of  Silver  City  and 
Dayton,  and  the  church  building  was  erected  by 
Maddox.  The  cost  was  83,0(10,  and  it  was  a  neat 
frame  structure.  The  Rev.  A.  F.  llilclicock  suc- 
ceeded Maddox  in  18U4,  and  after  him  in  succession 
came  the  Revs.  Warren  Nims,  \V.  C.  Gray,  and 
A.    N.    Fisher.     The    town    having   run    down,    the 


charge  was  abandoned  in  1873.  Three  j-ears  later 
a  tramp  set  fire  to  the  church  building,  and  it  was 
reduced  to  ashes. 

WASHOE    CITY. 

J.  L.  Bennett,  who  afterwards  was  elected  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Washoe,  and  the  local 
preacher,  already  referred  to,  had  charge  of  the 
Washoe  Vallej'  Station  in  1801.  In  the  following 
year  he  was  relieved  by  Rev.  W.  G.  Blakelj-,  who  is 
now  in  Arizona,  preaching  and  mining,  and  practic- 
ing law  by  turns.  In  1863,  the  Rev.  T,  II.  McGrath 
relieved  Blakel}'  of  the  charge  at  Washoe.  In  the 
same  year  he  built  a  frame  church  and  parsonage, 
at  a  cost  of  $4,500,  and  remained  in  charge  until 
SeptemVier,  1S(')5,  when  ho  was  succeeded  l)y  Rev. 
A.  I^'.  Hitchcock,  who  labored  here  two  j-ears;  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  Warren  Nims,  who  left  in  1869. 
Washoe  soon  afterwards  began  to  decline,  and,  in 
1872,  was  going  down  rapidly.  The  charge  was 
finally  abandoned,  and  the  church  building  donated 
by  the  Conference  to  the  School  Trustees  for  a 
school  house,  and  the  free  use  of  all  denomina- 
tions. It  is  still  standing,  and  is  doing  good  service 
at  this  time  as  a  district  school  house. 

(iOLD    HILL. 

In  1865,  the  fourth  Methodist  Church  building  in 
Nevada  was  erected  at  Gold  Hill.  It  was  a  frame 
church  and  the  cost  was  about  84,500.  In  those 
daj's  building  material  was  very  expensive,  and  an 
improvement  of  any  description  was  worth  about 
three  times  the  present  cost.  From  this  may  be 
formed  an  approximate  idea  of  the  character  of  a 
85,000  building  sixteen  years  ago  in  Nevada.  The 
Rev.  A.  F.  Hitchcock  was  Pastor  at  tJold  Hill  when 
its  first  Methodist  Church  was  dedicated.  After  him 
came  the  Revs.  A.  Shaw,  L.  Case,  R.  A.  Ricker,  Colin 
Anderson,  A.  Taylor,  George  Jennings,  V.  Right- 
myer,  T.  S.  Uren,  and  George  W.  Fitch.  During  the 
pastorate  of  the  latter  in  lS7ti,  the  church  building 
was  sold  to  a  company  in  the  fire  de])artment  and 
moved  one  block  further  south,  whore  it  has  since 
boon  occupied  as  a  hose-house;  fighting  fire  in  a  new 
direction.  A  lot  was  jnirchased  nearer  the  center  of 
the  town  and  a  new  church  with  parsonage  adjoining 
built  at  a  cost  of  about  80,000.  The  Rev.  Warren 
Nims  succeeded  Fitch.  Next  came  the  Rev.  John 
Willis,  and  after  him  the  Ivev.  Do  La  Matyr,  the 
present  Pastor,  who  took  charge  on  >May  21,  1881. 
The  population  of  Gold  Hill  has  declined  so  rapidly 
within  the  last  two  years  as  to  make  it  highly  ])rob- 
able  that  the  charge  hero  will  be  aliandoiied. 

STARVED  TO  DEATH. 

The  Rev.  Valentine  Right  myor,  who  was  Pastor  of 
the  Gold  Hill  church  in  1873,  died  at  his  ]iost  on  the 
eleventh  of  April  of  that  year.  Ho  was  a  retiring 
gentleman  of  an  extremely  mild  and  sensitive  dis- 
position. It  was  given  out  at  the  time  that  the  cause 
of  his  death  was  pneumonia,  though  those  who  took 
the  trouble  to  investigate  the  matter,  subsequently 


210 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


made  the  painful  discovery  that  Mr.  Rightmyer  had 
died  of  inanition,  or  want  of  sufficient  nourishment. 
It  appears  that  he  had  a  large  family  and  a  small 
salary.  To  keep  them  properly  fed  and  clothed  he 
denied  himself  the  necessaries  of  life.  To  outsiders 
he  never  once  complained  of  his  hard  lot,  and  he  died 
of  starvation  among  a  people  who  had  plenty  and 
would  have  only  too  freely  and  generously  relieved 
him  had  they  known  his  true  condition.  In  those 
da^-s,  as  at  present,  the  story  of  distress  had  onlj'  to 
be  once  known  to  bring  immediate  and  substantial 
relief  to  the  suflfcrers.  The  widow  of  Mr.  Eight- 
mj'er,  now  residing  in  (California,  has  been  in  receipt 
of  a  small  pension  from  the  Nevada  Conference  ever 
since  her  husband's  death. 
'  /  The  only  other  instance  of  a  Methodist  clergyman 
dying  in  harness  in  Nevada  was  that  of  the  Rev.  H. 
D.  Slade,  who  had  charge  of  the  ^Aurora  Station  in 
ISfiS,  and  who  died  there  in  April,  1864,  after  ten 
months'  service  at  that  point.  He  was  a  native  of 
Cayuga  County,  New  York,  and  was  thirty-one  years 
of  age. 

AUSTIN. 

Church  work  at  Austin  began  in  1864,  when  it 
was  created  a  charge  by  the  Conference,  and  the  Rev. 
C.  A.  £.  Hertel  assigned  as  its  Pastor.  He  remained 
here  two  years,  and  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  J.  L. 
Trefren,  who  built  the  finest  Methodist  Church  edifice 
in  the  State  in  the  following  year.  Trefren  exhibited 
shrewd  business  tact  in  this  achievement.  The 
communitj'  was  rich  in  prospective  treasure  but 
exceedingly  poor  in  pocket.  The  Pastor  found  every- 
body willing  to  contribute  toward  the  erection  of  a 
church  building,  but  nobody  could  pledge  ready 
money  for  the  cause.  Nearly  every  man  approached 
to  subscribe  was  the  owner  of  mining  claims.  If  the 
Pastor  would  accept  an  interest  in  these  claims  ho 
was  welcome  to  them.  A  brilliant  idea  seized  the 
reverend  canvasser.  He  would  accept  donations  of 
this  character.  The  next  difficulty  was  how  to  con- 
vert these  claims  into  cash.  At  last  Trefren  hit 
upon  the  idea  of  pooling  the  claims,  and  organizing 
a  Methodist  Mining  Companj'.  The  church  was 
subsequentlj'  built  on  this  magnificent  claim,  and 
considerable  surplus  capital  remained  with  which  to 
carry  on  operations  underground.  It  is  interesting 
to  recall  how  the  jiastor  converted  his  securities 
into  coin.  He  made  a  journey  to  the  gi-anite  hills  of 
New  Hampshire,  his  native  soil,  and  diligently 
labored  with  the  brethren  there.  Ho  unloaded  on 
his  brother  j)ar8on8  in  New  England.  lie  pointed 
out  to  the  faithful  the  brilliant  ])rospecls  of  his  mine 
in  the  silver  hills  of  Nevada,  and  the  stock  could  not 
be  disposed  of  rapidly  enough  for  the  demand.  They 
saw,  as  though  by  intuition,  how  they  could  at  the 
same  timq  serve  the  Lord,  do  good,  and  make  money. 
Such  a  mine  would  pny  dividends  in  heaven  as  well 
as  on  earth.  There  was  a  "  boom,"  and  Trefren 
realized  over  8250,000  on  the  sale  of  the  stock.  Tho 
result   was   the  erection    in   Austin  of    tho   largest 


brick  church  building  in  the  State,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  tho  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Virginia  Citj'. 
A  splendid  organ  was  also  purchased,  and  a  brick 
parsonage  built.  The  amount  expended  on  these 
improvements  aggregated  over  885,000.  Trefren  had 
sold  hie  stock  on  the  installment  plan.  Before  the 
final  installments  were  paid  the  "wild-eat"  collapsed, 
and  there  was  no  money  to  pay  the  last  claim 
against  the  church,  and  a  debt  of  $6,000  was  left  on 
it.  Tho  property  was  sold  to  the  county  for  a  Court 
House,  but  was  subsequently  redeemed  by  the  Church 
Extension  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
which  advanced  money  to  pay  the  indebtedness,  most 
of  which  has  been  repaid,  and  the  societj^  is  now 
almost  out  of  debt.  The  Rev,  J,  L,  Trefren  is  now 
in  Santa  Cruz.  In  1S68  he  was  transferred  at  his 
own  request  from  the  Nevada  to  the  California  Con- 
ference, The  ministers  who  followed  him  at  Austin 
were,  successively,  the  Revs.  W,  A.  Cheney,  Warren 
Nims,  John  D.  Hammond,  W,  C.  Gray,  and  C,  W. 
Crall,  who  resigned  on  Juno  12,  1881, 

CARSON    CITY. 

Allusion  has  already  been  made  in  this  history  to 
the  fact  that  Carson  Valley  was  the  scene  of  the 
first  Methodist  activities  in  Nevada,  and  that  the 
term  was  comprehensive  enough  to  cover  a  greater 
area  of  country  than  is  now  understood  by  the  desig- 
nation. Though  as  early  as  1859,  Bennett,  the 
pioneer  Methodist  preacher,  had  labored  in  the 
present  capital  town  of  Nevada,  it  was  not  until 
eight  years  later  that  the  little  community  of  .Meth- 
odists there  had  risen  to  the  dignity  of  owning  a 
house  of  worshi]),  the  sixth  church  of  that  denom- 
ination erected  in  the  State.  For  this  reason  Carson 
City  is  placed  in  chronological  order  after  much 
younger  towns.  The  historical  truth  is  that  she  was 
the  cradle  of  Nevada  Methodism,  though  it  cost 
her  people  of  this  faith  a  long  and  desperate  strug- 
gle before  they  were  able  to  put  a  roof  over  their 
heads.  In  the  fall  of  1861,  the  Rev,  W  G,  Blakely 
was  the  Pastor  in  Charge  of  the  station.  At  a 
quarterly  Conference  meeting  held  on  November  4th 
of  that  year,  at  which  among  others  in  attendance 
was  Gov,  James  \V,  N}-e,  a  subscription  jiaper  was 
drawn  up  to  bo  circulated  in  tho  town  for  tho 
purpose  of  raising  funds  toward  the  cost  of  building 
a  house  of  worship.  The  first  Trustees  were  Judge 
Turner,  Dr,  II,  II.  llerrick,  W,  D,  Chillson,  Dr. 
Hugh  V,  Hudson,  Wm,  P.  Harrington,  and  Mr, 
McLane,  Over  8500  was  raised  on  the  first  efl'ort. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  society  on  November  1,  18()2,  the 
Pastor,  Rev,  T,  II,  McGrath,  reported  but  one  male 
and  three  female  membei-s,  including  his  wife,  as  the 
strength  of  his  congregation,  A  Sunday-school  was 
organized  for  the  first  time  a  few  days  later,  with 
six  officers  and  teachers  and  thirty  pupils.  In  1863, 
tho  Pev,  Warren  Nims  took  charge  of  tho  station, 
and  before  the  summer  of  the  ensuing  year,  a  ])ar- 
sonago  costing  8f^00  was  erected.  In  December, 
1864,   Governor    Blasdel  and    R.  L,    Higgins  wore 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


elected  Trustees  of  the  society',  and  early  in  lS(jr>  a 
block  of  land  was  purchased  for  81,000  as  church 
property,  and  preparations  made  to  build  a  stone 
church.  During  the  remainder  of  that  j'car, 
the  Pastor,  the  Rev.  Warren  Nims,  niitjht  have 
been  seen  every  week-da}-  driving  a  two-horse 
team  hitched  to  a  lumber  wagon,  on  which  ho 
hauled  all  the  rock  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  edifice.  Nims  was  made  of  the  right  kind 
of  timber  for  a  pioneer  preacher,  and  his  indom- 
itable ])huk  won  for  him  the  admiration  of  all 
classes  of  men  outside  as  well  as  inside  the  church 
circle.  In  its  issue  of  January  22,  1874,  the  Carson 
Appeal,  then  edited  by  the  late  Harry  Mighels,  in 
recalling  Nims'  work  nine  years  before,   remarked: 

Many  is  the  time  we  have  seen  this  brave,  cheer- 
ful, prayerful,  little  man's  plug  hat  looming  up  from 
the  springless  seat  of  a  stone-laden  mule-cart. 

In  fact  80  earnestly  did  this  heroic  clergyman 
address  himself  to  the  task  of  building  his  church 
that  the  people  stood  by  him  with  all  possible  and 
needed  financial  help.  It  was  a  protracted  and 
laborious  task.  In  June,  ISfiG,  the  structure,  still 
incomplete,  had  involved  an  outlay  of  S5,000.  In 
the  following  November,  the  Itev.  J.  W.  Stump  suc- 
ceeded Nims  as  Pastor  in  Charge,  and  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  1867  the  work  of  building  dragged 
its  slow  length  along.  At  the  ipiarterly  Conference 
meeting,  held  on  August  27,  1807,  the  Pastor  re- 
ported the  membership  vastly  increased  as  the  result 
of  a  powerful  revival  of  religion  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  an  honored  evangelist  of 
the  Baptist  Church.  At  that  time  the  congregation 
enjoyed  the  use  of  the  Pi-esbj'terian  Church  building 
while  awaiting  the  completion  of  their  own.  The 
edifice  was  finally  ready  for  occupation  on  Sunday) 
September  S,  1807.  and  on  that  day  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  Thomson.  Its  total  cost  was  810,000.  In 
the  following  j-ear,  however,  a  marked  falling  off 
in  church  membership  was  reported,  but,  as  an  entry 
in  the  conference  minutes  discloses,  then-  was  not 
"a  proportionate  decline  of  spirituality."  Another 
report  of  a  church  elder  of  the  period  significantly 
adds:  "  We  are  not  as  pious  as  we  ought  to  be,  but 
might  be  much  worse."  The  relative  degree  of  piety 
or  impiety  prevailing  in  Carson  in  1807  is  thus  left 
to  the  reader's  imagination.  In  1808  the  Rev.  J.  D. 
Hammond,  at  this  writing  Presiding  Klder  of  the 
district  and  one  of  the  Senators  from  Urmsby  County 
in  the  Nevada  Legislature,  succeeded  Mr.  Stump. 
In  1809,  through  the  liberality  of  Gov.  II.  G.  Bias- 
del,  the  church  debt,  amounting  to  over  81,500,  was 
discharged,  and  an  old  lot  behind  the  Presbyterian 
Church  belonging  to  the  society  was  sold.  Ham- 
mond was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  N.  Fisher  in  1,S71. 
The  Bociet}-  was  then  feeble  as  to  membership  and 
not  specially  flourishing  as  to  congregation.  The 
Rov.  A.  N.  Fisher  remained  three  years  in  charge. 

In  May,  1874,  the  church   building  was  repaired. 


re-painted,  the  windows  stained,  and  the  pews  and 
choir-gallery  re-modeled.  In  November  the  Rov.  A. 
H.  Tevis  was  returned  as  Pastor,  and  stagnation 
followed,  as  there  was  much  friction  between  him  and 
his  flock.  In  1S70  the  Rev.  J.  I).  Hammond  was 
appointed  Pastor  in  Charge  and  Presiding  Elder.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  heal  existing  difficulties,  but  it 
was  not  largely  successful.  Hammond  remained  till 
the  end  of  the  Conference  year  of  1878,  when  the 
charge  was  left  to  be  supplied.  Ho  ])reached  occa- 
sioiiall)-  during  the  winter,  and  in  the  s])ring  of  1879 
the  Rev.  J.  T.  Ladd,  came  from  Chicago  and  sup- 
plied the  charge  until  the  meeting  of  the  Conference 
in  that  year,  when  he  was  relieved  by  Rev.  E.  C. 
Willis,  the  present  Pastor. 

The  church  has  flourished  under  the  pastorate  of 
Mr.  Willis.  The  membershij)  has  been  largly  aug- 
mented, the  Sundaj'-school  doubled  its  roll  of  mem- 
bers, and  the  congregation  is  much  larger  than  for 
some  years  before. 

HAMILTON. 

In  the  winter  of  18G8,  when  the  White  Pine 
excitement  was  at  its  height,  and  there  were  over 
15,000  people  in  the  district,  the  Rev.  T.  H.  M<-Grath 
was  the  only  preacher  in  the  camj).  liev.  W.J. 
White  followed  for  one  j'ear,  and  was  succeeded  by 
W.  C.  Gray,  during  whose  pastorate  a  hall  at 
Treasure  Hill,  used  by  mining  brokers,  was  bought 
by  the  Methodists  in  1872,  and  converted  into  a 
place  of  worship.     It  has  long  since  been  abandoned. 

WINNE.MrcCA. 

The  first  preacher  in  Winnemucca  was  the  Rev. 
L.  Ewing,  a  reformed  California  gambler,  who,  after 
his  conversion  returned  to  the  East  and  studied  for 
the  ministry.  In  1872,  he  appeared  at  Winnemucca 
and  held  services  in  the  school  house.  He  was  fol- 
lowed bj'  Rev.  T.  S.  Uren,  and  after  the  latter  came 
the  Rev.  George  B.  Ilinkle,  who  built  a  frame  church 
at  a  cost  of  84,000.  Next  came  the  Rev.  W.  Carver, 
who  built  and  furnished  a  ])arsonage  at  a  cost  of 
8800.  The  Rev.  Goo.  W.  Fitch  succeeded  him  and 
the  Rev.  F.  M.  Warrington  was  the  next  Pastor. 
The  latter  was  succeeded  b}-  liev.  John  B.  Willis, 
the  present  Pastor,  in  March,  1881. 

UNIONVILI.E. 

The  Rev.  L.  Ewing,  who  operated  in  1872  between 
Winnemucca  and  Unionville,  built  a  frame  church 
at  the  latter  town  in  that  j-ear.  John  ('.  Fall,  whoso 
liberality  in  aiding  in  the  construction  of  the  first 
brick  church  in  Virginia  City  has  already'  been 
mentioned,  ofl'cred  to  contribute  one  dollar  for  every 
dollar  given  by  others  toward  the  construction  of 
the  Unionville  (Jhurch.  In  this  way  he  defra3'e<l 
half  the  ex])ense  of  the  building,  the  total  cost  of 
which  was  82,800.  After  Ewing,  canio  in  the  order 
named,  the  Revs.  A.  P.  White,  Colin  Anderson, 
(loorge  Jennings,  and  John  W .  Pendleton.  Like  a 
great  many  once  flourishing  towns  in  Nevada, 
Unionville  has  almost  faded   from   the  niaii.      \'>ry 


212 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


few  of  the  old  settlers  remain,  and  no  Methodist 
pastor  has  had  an  abode  there  during  the  last  two 
years. 

RENO. 

The  decline  of  Washoe  City  was  contemporaneous 
with  the  rise  of  Reno  as  a  populous  center.     Washoe 
Valley,  of  which  Rono  is  the  enlrepOt,  was  not.  how- 
ever, neglected  by  the  Methodists  in  the  early  days. 
In  1863,  the  Revs.  F.  M.  Willis  and  G.  B.  Hinkle 
preached   in   the   valley,  and  a   small    society   was 
organized  soon   afterwards,  but  no  regular  ser^'ice 
was  held  for  some  three  or  four  years,  till  the  town 
of  Reno  was  located.     A  societj'  was  then  organized 
in  Reno,  and  services  regularlj'  held  in   the  school 
house.     In  1870,  the  erection  of  the  church  building 
was  commenced  by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Ricker;  was  com- 
pleted in,  the  following  year,  and  dedicated  on  July 
30,  1871.     The  cost  of  the  building  was  S4,000.     In 
1873,  the    Rev.  A.  J.   Wells   was   transferred    from 
Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  stationed  at  Reno.     He 
secured  a  lot  on  West  Street,  and  built  a  very  neat 
parsonage.     In  the  following  year  Mr.  Wells  moved 
to  California,  and   was   followed    bj*   the   Rev.   Mr. 
Arnold.     At  the  Conference  of  1875,  the  Rev.  G.  W. 
Fitch  was  appointed  Pastor,  and  was  succeeded  in 
1876  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Uren,  who  also  remained 
one  year,  and  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Gray, 
in  1877.     The  present  Pastor,  the  Rev.  C.  Mclvelvey, 
began  his  labors  at  Reno  in  1878.     The  church  build- 
ing at  this  time  was  much  in  need  of  repairs,  but  the 
society  was  small,  and  most  of  its  members  in  mod- 
erate   circumstances;    but,   by   persevering   efforts, 
81,(100   was    raised,    and    exjiended    in    thoroughly 
re-fitting,    carpeting,    painting    and    papering    the 
interior,  building  an   addition  for  the  choir,  and  in 
fencing  in  the  lot.     Tlie  society  now  has  a  vary  neat, 
tasteful,    and    commodious   church    building,    which 
escaped  the  ravages  of  the  great  fire  in   1879.     Mr. 
McKelvey,  the  present  Pastor,  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
and  spent  some  seven  j'ears  in   the  Methodist  min- 
istry in  the  Dominion.     He  came  to  Nevada  in  1875, 
at  the  request  of  Bishop  Peck,  to  take  charge  of  the 
Virginia  City  Church.     He  was  there  at  the   time 
of  the  conflagration  in  October,  1875,  in   which   all 
the   church    property   was   destroyed.     He   re-built 
both  the  church  and  the  ])ars()nage,  but  before  occu- 
pying them   he  was   burned  out  again,  and  lost  all 
his  pei'sonal  jjrojierty,  including  his  library. 

El'KKKA. 

The  Rev.  Arnold  was  the  first  I'astor.  Rev.  L.  Case, 
second,  and  the  Rev.  John  l)e  La  .Matyr,  third. 
They  preached  in  the  Court  House.  Mr.  Arnold 
organized  the  first  society.  A  frame  church  costing 
83,50(1,  and  a  ])arsonage  costing  -SOUd  were  built  at 
Eureka  by  Rev.  John  A.  Gray,  the  Pastor,  in  1875. 
It  was  burned  in  the  firnt  great  fire  in  1879,  and 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  R.  A.  Ricker,  was  par 
tially  rebuilt,  and  occupied  a  few  months,  when  it 
was  again  comi)letely  destroyed  in  the  general  con- 
flagration in  the  summer  of  1880.     The  Rev.  J.  T. 


Ladd  took  charge  of  the  congregation  here  in  Sep- 
tember, 1880,  and  owing  to  his  zealous  labor,  a  new 
and  handsome  little  church  was  built  in  the  spring. 
It  was  dedicated  on  Sunday,  April  17,  1881,  the  Rev. 
C.  W.  Crall,  of  Austin,  delivering  the  dedication 
sermon.  The  entire  cost  of  the  new  church  was 
82,500.  Mr.  Ladd  assumed  an  unpaid  indebtedness 
of  S250,  and  the  Eureka  Church  stands  entirely  free 
fnom  all  liabilities.  The  present  edifice,  it  will  be 
seen  is  the  third  one  built  on  the  same  lot  in  less  than 
two  years. 

RCBV    HILL. 

The  only  instance  on  record  in  Nevada  of  a  church 
building  going  up  without  the  active  aid  of  a  pastor, 
is  to  be  credited  to  Ruby  Hill.  In  1876  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Society,  planned,  built  and 
paid  for  a  church  building,  before  a  pastor  made  his 
ap])earance.  The  Rev.  R.  A.  Ricker,  the  first  to 
labor  at  this  station,  was  assigned  to  the  charge  by 
the  Nevada  Conference,  at  its  meeting  in  September, 
1880. 

TUSCAROKA,  ELKO    COUNTY. 

At  this  place  a  Methodist  Church  Societj-  has  very 
recentlj'  been  organized,  and  the  Rev.  T.  W.  Pendle- 
ton apjiointed  to  act  as  Pastor  in  Charge.  Soon  after 
Mr.  Pendleton  arrived  at  Tuscarora  ho  found  the 
congregation  was  not  able  to  support  a  minister,  and 
for  some  time,  to  make  both  ends  meet,  he  was 
obliged  to  work  in  the  Grand  Prize  mine  during  the 
week,  and  preach  on  Sunda5's.  The  society  built  a 
parsonage  costing  $500. 

mason's  valley. 

Mason's  Vallc}-  and  Pine  Grove  comprise  one 
charge.  The  first  Methodist  Church  service  held  in 
Mason's  Vallej'  was  by  Rev.  R.  Carbcrry  in  18G(!. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr.  Orn,  who  was  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  Thomas  Bartley.  The  last-named 
minister  organized  the  church  society  in  1874,  when 
it  started  with  two  or  three  members.  The  society 
now  numbers  twenty-five  souls.  The  church  build- 
ing was  erected  in  18S0  by  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Ladd.  It 
is  a  frame  structure,  25x40  feet,  and  cost  81,700. 
.1.  .1.  Fox.  V>.  F.  Rj-mers,  C.  Hernlabin  and  I)r. 
Richardson  were  active  workers  in  the  enterprise. 
vSince  the  Rev.  G.  B.  Hinkle,  the  present  Pastor,  look 
charge,  which  was  in  November,  1880,  he  has  built  a 
neat  frame  parsonage  costing  8600. 

ELKO. 

This  is  a  .Methodist  station,  and  the  society  consists 
of  about  twenty  worshipers.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ewing 
labored  at  Elko  at  one  time,  and  the  Rev.  George 
Jennings  acts  as  a  su])ply  at  the  present  time.  There 
is  no  church  building  at  Elko. 

REVIEWS. 

The  foregoing  completes  the  list  of  Methodist 
Church  Societies  now  in  existence  in  this  State,  and 
of  those  which  have  ceased  to  exist.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  review  the  growth  of  Methodism  in  Nevada 


-^ 


^Z^/., 


James  C.  Hagerman 

Is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  having  been  born  at  Malleu,  Kanawha  County, 
August  22,  1837.  Mr.  Hagerman  traces  his  parentage,  witii  lauilable  pride,  to  a  long 
line  of  ancestors  prominent  in  the  history  of  his  country,  and  beai-s  relationship  with 
many  of  the  distinguished  personages  of  the  present  da}'.  Those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  hi.story  of  Maryland,  Virginia  and  Ohio,  will  well  remember  the  ancestral  name. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  removing  into  Virginia  when  quite 
young.  Upon  his  mother's  side  he  springs  from  the  distinguished  family  of  Tluirman, 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  of  the  Old  Dominion,  and  now  of  world-wide  fame 
through  the  veteran  statesman  of  Ohio.  ' 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  enjoyed  the  usual  advantages  of  the  j'outh  of  the 
prominent  families  of  Virginia  in  acquiring  an  education,  which  advantages  were  well 
improved,  giving  him  an  education  fitting  him  for  any  rank  in  life.  Among  his  earliest 
steps  upon  entering  the  arena  of  life,  and  perhaps  liis  wisest  one,  was  in  taking  a  partner 
for  his  toils  and  triumphs,  a  sharer  in  his  joys  and  sorrows,  from  among  the  fair  maidens 
of  his  native  place.  In  1860  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Walker,  daughter  of 
Frederick  Walker,  Esq.,  one  of  the  oldest  families  and  prominent  merchants  of  Maiden. 

Thus  prepared  ami  supported  for  life's  contest,  the  young  couple  sought  new  homes 
amid  new  scenes  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  It  is  a  bold  move  at  any  time  to  leave 
friends,  the  customs  and  associations  of  the  past,  and  to  cast  one's  lot  with  strangere, 
but  it  is  that  class  who  settle  and  create  new  countries  and  keep  the  ball  of  civilization 
rolling  onward.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hagerman  moved  to  California  in  1800,  making  their 
home  in  Marysville,  Yuba  County,  where  Mr.  Hagerman  entered  upon  the  business  of 
a  merchant.  This  he  continued  until  the  fall  of  1867,  when  he  came  to  Nevada.  Soon 
after,  following  the  excitement  of  the  time,  he  went  to  White  Pine,  and  there  engaged 
for  a  short  period  in  business,  but,  after  one  year's  experience  in  that  region,  retraced 
his  steps  westward,  and  .settled  for  a  permanent  home  at  Reno,  where  he  now  resides, 
one  of  Reno's  most  respected  citizens  and  prosperous  merchants. 

Mr.  Hagerman,  like  all  citizens  of  active  life,  intelligence  and  patriotic  impulses, 
takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  political  questions  of  the  day.  He  was  on  the  Presiden- 
tial Electoral  Ticket  of  1876,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Convention  at  Cincin- 
nati in  1880.  Though  he  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  any  office  of  profit,  he  has 
borne  his  share  through  the  political  contests,  and  has  twice  made  the  canvass  of  the 
State  through  two  Presidential  campaign.s,  giving  trenchant  blows  for  the  supj)ort  of 
his  party. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


21 :} 


since  it  was  firet  fairly  planted  twenty  years  ago.  A 
comparison  of  the  statistical  returns  submitted  at  the 
Nevada  Conference  of  1880  with  those  oxhibilinir  the 
condition  of  the  Church  in  Nevada  Territory  in  IStJd, 
the  first  of  which  there  is  any  official  record  shows 
very  clearly  the  progress  accomplished.  In  ISiio 
there  were  in  the  Territory  seventy  church  menihcrs 
and  four  local  preachers,  bcini;  seventeen  and  one- 
half  members  to  each  clergyman,  and  in  1880  the 
number  was  470,  with  thirteen  preachers,  or  about 
thirty-si.K  members  to  each  clergj'nian.  The  average 
for  the  whole  United  States  is  one  minister  to  141 
members.  In  18t;0  the  value  of  the  church  property, 
consistinj'  of  one  lot  was  S300.  The  ('onferencc 
returns  of  1880  represent  its  total  value  as  8G2,300, 
which  includes  eight  churches  and  eight  parsonages. 
To  this  should  be  added  new  improvements  since  the 
last  meeting  of  the  Conference,  consisting  of  a  82,500 
church  at  Eureka,  and  a  SdOO  parsonage  in  Mason's 
Valley;  also  the  church  at  Ruby  Hill  valued  at  82.000 
and  which  by  some  inadvertance  is  overlooked  in  the 
official  returns.  This  would  bring  the  total  value  of 
the  property  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Nevada  at 
the  present  time  up  to  807,400.  It  should  bo  borm^  in 
mind,  however,  that  this  docs  not  represent  the 
aggregate  amount  expended  in  church-building 
between  18(>0  and  1880.  A  careful  summing  up 
shows  that  the  losses  bj'  fire  during  these  twenty 
years  amount  to  859, UOO,  and  by  abandonment  of 
church  |)ropertyiii  deserted  camps  abf)ut  8'!.500  more. 
Thus  the  value  of  property  destroyed  and  unavail- 
able is  nearly  equal  to  the  present  total  assets  of  the 
church,  and  the  expenditures  for  real  estate  and 
improvements  in  twenty  years  amount  to  about  8284 
per  capita  on  the  basis  of  the  existing  membership. 

The  Board  of  Church  Extension  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  second  only  in  importance  to  its 
Missionary  Society,  if  not  indeed  a  part  of  it,  has 
contributed  liberally  to  the  practical  work  of  church 
building  in  Nevada.  Whenever  the  Conference  has 
asked  for  aid  it  has  been  cheerfully  given.  It  has 
not  onlj-  erected  new  churches  in  destitute  places 
but  has  contributed  toward  the  rebuilding  of  those 
which  have  been  destroyed  l)y  fire.  Its  last  donation 
was  §1,000  to  the  Methodist  Church  Society  of 
Eureka,  whose  property  was  twice  destroyed  by  firo 
in  one  year.  The  work  of  ])romoting  the  growth 
of  the  denomination  in  Nevada  is  still  zealously 
carried  on.  Wherever  a  new  mining  camp  springs 
uj>  their  plans  are  at  once  laid  to  extend  the 
influence  of  the  Society.  The  organization  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  so  thorough  that  no 
territory,  however  remote,  is  neglected.  Its  traveling 
preachers  are  over  on  the  go.  The  circuits  are  as 
large  as  the  area  of  many  of  our  Eastern  States,  and 
as  means  of  conveyance  the  preachers  still  largely 
rely  on  the  saddle  and  the  buck-board.  Under  the 
torrid  heat  of  the  summer  sun  and  the  fierce  and 
searching  wintry'  blasts  these  noble,  unselfish,  and 
ill-paid  men,  exposed  to  all  degrees  of  physical  dis- 
27 


comforts,  labor  incessantly  in  the  service  to  which 
they  have  devoted  their  lives. 

In  this  connection  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
Genoa,  the  county  seat  of  Douglas  County,  and 
the  oldest  town  in  the  State,  as  well  as  the  head- 
(juarters  of  a  rich  and  extensive  farming  region, 
has  never  had  a  Methodist  Episcopal  (!hurch.  A 
movement,  however,  has  been  recently  inaugurated 
having  for  its  object  the  erection  of  a  church  build- 
ing in  Genoa.  The  Hev.  .7.  D.  Hammond,  who  held 
services  in  that  town  on  March  28,  1881,  mentioned 
this  fact  and  said  he  believed  that  before  fall  the 
i-esidents  of  the  valley  would  have  a  suitable  place  in 
which  to  woi-ship. 

A  project  was  agitated  in  1878,  and  at  the  Nevada 
Annual  Conference  in  that  year  a  resolution  was 
adopted  to  build  a  University  in  the  State  under 
Methodist  auspices.  Bej^ond  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  and  the  selection  of  IJeno  as  the  loca- 
tion, nothing  further  has  been  done.  The  scheme, 
it  is  conceded,  has  been  abandoned. 

nKFECTION  I.N  THE  CHURCH. 

The  historj^  of  Methodism  in  Nevada  would  be 
incomplete  which  ignores  mention  of  the  defections 
in  its  ministr}-  during  the  period  covered  by  this 
narrative.  The  first  of  which  there  is  any  record 
is  the  case  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  H.  McGrath,  who 
had  been  conspicuously  identified  with  the  material 
progress  of  the  order  from  the  earliest  times.  The 
story  of  his  active  labors  as  a  church  builder  has 
already  been  told.  In  the  summer  of  1873.  Air. 
McGrath's  doctrinal  views  having  become  more  lib- 
eral in  character  than  the  tenets  of  his  persuasion 
permitted,  he  resigned  his  charge  in  Virginia,  and 
organized  a  liberal  society  of  Unitarians,  in  the  same 
town,  and  which  is  referred  to  under  its  proi)or  head. 
Curiously  to  say,  his  successor  in  the  pastorate  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  (Jhurch  of  Virginia,  the 
|{ev.  George  W.  Fitch,  also  abandoned  the  Methodist 
order  some  yeare  later.  Mr.  Fitch  resigned  charge 
of  th')  society  at  Winnemucca,  in  June,  1878,  and  on 
July  7th  of  the  same  year,  was  confirmed  by  Bishop 
Whitaker,  of  the  J'rotestant  Episcopal  order,  in 
Trinity  Church,  Reno.  On  the  following  day  ho 
became  a  I'of'tulant,  and  on  July  2.3d  was  admitted 
as  a  candidate  for  Deacon's  orders.  He  is  now 
(1881)  serving  as  Pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Auburn,  ('alifornia,  having,  in  1870, 
recanted  his  Episcopalian  profeshions,  to  rejoin  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTEIJ  XXIX. 
THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  New  School  Branch — First  Meeting — Call  for  a  Church  at 
Carson — Ornaniz.ition  in  Virginia  City — Clmrches  in  Vari- 
ous I'arts  of  the  State — Keniuuiation  of  a  Minister — Gold 
Hill — Austin — Klko — Eureka — i'iochc. 

TnE  Presbyterian  Church  in  Nevada  was  started 
by  what  was  known  as  the  New  School  Branch  of  the 
denomination.  In  the  spring  of  ISfJl  the  Eev.  VV. 
\V.  Brier,  explorino;  agent  of  the  Assembly's  Com- 
mittee of  Home  Missions,  visited  the  Territory  of 
Nevada  in  his  official  capacity,  and  called  a  public 
meeting  at  the  stone  school  house,  in  Carson  City, 
on  May  19th  of  that  year,  to  organize  a  society. 
This  was  the  initial  movement  to  plant  Presbyterian- 
ism  in  the  State.  The  Rev.  \V.  W.  Brier  is  at  the 
present  time  a  resident  of  Centerville,  Alameda 
County,  California.  He  organized  the  churches  at  a 
later  date  at  Virginia  and  Austin.  The  work  of 
building  up  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Nevada  has 
been  expensive,  and  not  as  a  whole  successful.  To- 
day there  are  only  four  church  buildings  in  the  State 
under  the  control  of  the  denomination — at  Carson 
City,  Virginia,  Elko  and  Eureka.  All  the  congrega- 
tions occupj-ing  them  are  self-sustaining  except  the 
one  at  Elko.  At  other  places  societies  have  been 
organized,  but  they  are  now  practicallj-  extinct.  The 
growth  of  all  has  been  exti-emoly  slow — barely  per- 
ceptible. For  a  long  course  of  years  they  seem 
stationary  or  declining.  Church  organization  as  an 
experiment  or  an  ex])edient  maj'  have  been  carried 
too  far.  Previous  to  Jul_v  14,  1870,  the  Presbyterian 
Churches  of  the  State  of  Nevada  belonged  to  a 
Presbytery  called  Sierra  Nevada,  and  the  Presbytery 
belonged  to  a  Synod  called  Alta  California.  At  the 
same  time  there  was  another  Synod  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  called  the  Synod  of  the  Pacific,  which  had 
several  Presbyteries.  These  two  Synods  in  large 
part  were  extended  over  the  same  areas  of  country. 
Both  assumed  to  occujiy  I  he  same  magnificent 
domain,  which  included  California,  Nevada,  Oregon, 
Washington,  Idaho,  Utah,  and  Arizona. 

In  the  vast  Territories  sloping  eastward  and  west- 
ward from  the  backbone  of  the  continent,  now 
known  as  Montana,  Wyoming,  Colorado,  New  Mex- 
ico, western  Dakota,  and  Nebraska,  were  six  Pres- 
byterian Churches,  without  Presbj'terian  connection, 
extremely  weak,  flickering  lights  amidst  the  wide- 
spread darkness.  These  six  churches,  added  to  the 
Synods  of  Alta  California  and  the  Pacific,  i-epresentcd 
thirteen  years  ago,  the  entire  strength  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  western  half  of  our  country. 
In  1S7(),  after  tlu^  Old  and  New  School  Branches  in 
the  northern  States  had  been  united  into  one  body, 
the  two  Synods  on  the  Pacific  Coast  were  consoli- 
dated and  called  the  Synod  of  the  Pacific.  In  Julj-, 
1870,  this  Synod  convened  in  San  Francisco  and 
divided  the  whole  country  embraced  within  its 
limits  into  five  now  Presbyteries,  without  much,  if 


any,  regard  to  the  boundaries  of  any  former  Pres- 
byteries. These  were  separate  and  distinct  from 
each  other,  lying  side  by  side,  but  not  overlap|)ing 
one  another.  According  to  this  arrangement  all 
Presbyterian  ministers  and  churches  belonging  to 
either  of  the  old  Synods,  and  now  located  within  the 
geograi)hical  limits  of  any  one  of  the  new  Pres- 
byteries, were  to  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  those 
within  whose  bounds  they  might  happen  to  be 
located.  So  when  the  Sacramento  Presbytery 
was  formed  on  July  14,  1870,  as  well  as  four 
others,  by  the  Pacific  Synod  to  include  about 
twenty-four  counties  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  State  of  California,  the  State  of  Nevada,  and 
the  Territories  of  Utah  and  Idaho,  the  Pres- 
byterian churches  in  Nevada  came  under  the  care  of 
the  Sacramento  Presbytery.  These  churches  were 
those  of  Carson  City,  Virginia  Citj%  Elko,  Austin, 
and  Hamilton.  Two  other  churches  have  been 
formed  since;  one  at  Eureka  and  the  other  at  Pioche. 
Below  are  presented  the  separate  history  of  each  of 
the  above-mentioned  societies,  except  th(S  one  at 
Hamilton,  in  regard  to  which  there  is  not  much  to 
be  said.  Jn  July,  1870,  it  was  understood  that  it  had 
only  six  members.  In  April,  1871,  Mr.  John  Mar- 
chant  was  Ruling  Elder,  and  was  elected  by  the  Sac- 
ramento Presbj'tery  an  Alternate  Lay  Commissioner 
to  attend  the  Presbj-terian  General  Assembly  in 
Chicago  in  Maj^  of  that  3'ear,  jjrovided  the  Iluling 
Elder  from  the  Elko  Church,  Mr.  E.  V.  Robbins, 
could  not  attend.  The  Hamilton  Church,  however, 
never  made  any  report  to  the  Sacramento  Presbytery. 

CARSON    CITY. 

On  the  nineteenth  day  of  May,  18G1,  a  meeting 
of  Presbyterians  was  hold  in  the  stone  school  house 
in  Carson  CitJ^  It  was  addressed  by  the  Rev.  W. 
W.  Brier,  who  urged  u])on  his  hearers  the  projiriety 
of  forming  a  church  organization  in  connection  with 
the  Constitutional  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  the  United  States.  At  this  meet- 
ing. Judge  Flenonkan  officiated  as  Chairman,  and 
the  following  gentlemen  were  elected  as  Trustees,  to 
procure  a  site  anil  erect  a  house  of  worsliip:  G.  A. 
Sears,  J.  Gasharie,  S.  Frasor,  Wm.  M.  Stewart,  and 
H.  B.  Pomeroy.  The  Board  of  Trustees  organized 
by  the  election  of  G.  A.  Sears  as  Chairman,  and  after- 
wards procured  a  ]ilan  and  drew  u])  specifications  for 
a  building.  Subscri])tions  to  the  amount  of  about 
85,000  wore  immediately  thereafter  obtained.  On 
Juno  2,  1801,  the  following  written  request  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Bev.  Mr.  Brier:  '•  We,  the  undersigned, 
desiring  the  ordinances  of  God's  house,  do  hereby 
request  j'ou  to  organize  us  into  a  church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  Carson  City,  and  to  be  placed  by 
you  under  the  care  of  the  Presbj-lery  of  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  of  the  Synod  of  Alta  California."  This 
document  was  signed  by  Mr.  G.  A.  Sears,  Mr.  J.  D. 
Sears,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Sears,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  W.  Sears, 
Mrs.  Phebo  Pierson,  Mrs.  Lydia  S.  Helm,  Mrs.  H.  A. 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


215 


Thomus.  .Mr.  S.  Friiser,  Mrs.  N.  G.  Boyd,  .Mr.  A.  T. 
Taylor,  and  Mr.  S.  G.  Lam.  All  except  Mr.'*.  Boyd 
had  been  members  of  various  evangelical  churches, 
and  Mrs.  Boyd  had  been  baptized.  A  mcotinij;  was 
held  on  the  same  day,  and  all  th(.'reu|ion  united  in 
church  fellowship.  S.  Fraser  and  A.  T.  Taylor  wore 
unanimously  elected  Rulin<;  Elders,  and  ordained 
after  service  that  evening.  Mr.  Brier  returned  to 
California  and  made  a  statement  of  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  organization  of  the  society, 
and  of  the  importance  of  the  tield  for  usefulness,  to 
the  Rov.  A.  F.  White,  of  Gilroj-.  On  September 
12th,  Mr.  White  arrived  at  Carson,  and  began  his 
labors  as  temporary-  supply,  on  the  second  Sabbath 
of  that  month.  It  was  thought  to  be  too  late  then 
to  erect  a  house  of  worship  before  the  closing  in  of 
winter,  and  the  enterprise  was  post])oned  until  the 
following  summer. 

On  August  3l8t  a  second  meeting  was  held  in  the 
District  Court-room  for  the  election  of  a  Board  of 
Trustees,  the  term  of  the  first  Board  having  expired. 
The  election  resulted  in  the  choice  of  S.  Fraser,  G. 
A.  Sears,  Orion  Clemens,  William  Corbett,  and  Judge 
E.  C.  Dixon.  The  Trustees  were  instructed  to  initi- 
ate efticient  measures  for  the  erection  of  a  house  of 
worship  with  as  little  ilelaj'  as  possible.  A  new 
subscription  jjaper  was  circulated,  and  about  S5,000 
pledged.  A  site  was  now  purchased,  money  collected, 
and  the  work  of  building  commenced.  Before  the 
approach  of  winter  the  brick  walls  were  up  and 
secured.  During  the  spring  and  summer  of  18G8 
but  little  was  done  towards  its  completion  owing  to 
the  financial  depression  in  the  community.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1S04,  a  contract  was  made  with  responsible 
parties  for  the  completion  of  the  house  entire  by  the 
first  day  of  May  following.  On  the  second  Sabbath 
of  May,  18(i4,  the  church  edifice,  which  was  of  brick, 
was  duly  dedicated  by  the  Rev.  A.  F.  White,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  William  C.  Pond,  of  Downieville;  and 
the  Rev.  Warren  Nims,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  Carson  City.  Mr.  White  remained  as  Pas- 
tor until  April  12,  18G8,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Alexander,  who  discharged  the  duties 
for  three  months.  The  Presbyterian  clergymen 
who  have  since  his  time  orticiated  as  Pastors  of  the 
church  at  Cai-son  City  were  as  follows:  Rev.  T.  W. 
Atherton  from  July  8,  18(58,  to  November  8,  18(i8; 
Rev.  J.  Fraser  from  November  8th  to  December, 
18«i»;  Rev.  I.  N.  Ilurd  from  December,  18G9,  to 
May,  1871;  Rev.  James  Woods  from  September, 
1872,  to  December,  1874;  Rev.  J.  P.  Egbert  from 
February  21,  1875,  to  May  7, 1875;  Rov.  John  Jiaird 
from  May  7,  1875,  to  June  12,  1876;  Rev.  Josiah 
McClain  from  September,  187U,  to  April,  1880.  From 
the  latter  date  until  the  beginning  of  the  present 
year  (1881)  the  pulpit  has  been  vacant.  In  January 
last,  the  i{ev.  H.  V.  liice,  from  Brooki^-n,  New  York, 
arrived  and  took  charge  of  the  church  as  its  Pastor. 
There  are  at  the  present  time  two  l-jldors  in  this 
church,  Mr.  William  Anderson,  and  John  J.  Single- 


ton. The  number  ul  church  nienibcrn  reported  la.-^l 
May  was  sevent^'-nine;  the  number  of  pupils  in  the 
Sabbath-school  was  120. 

VIUtllNrA    CITV. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  September,  1802,  a  Presby- 
terian Church  Society  was  organized  and  a  meeting 
held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  that  juir- 
posc.  Sixteen  persons  were  present.  The  Rev.  W. 
W.  Brier,  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  consti- 
tuted those  present  into  a  Church.  Messrs.  Nelson 
W.  Winter  and  E.  Caldwell  were  elected  Ruling 
Elders.  In  December,  1802,  the  Rev.  D.  II.  Palmer 
arrived  from  New  York,  and  entered  upon  his  duties 
as  the  first  Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Virginia  City.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  W. 
W.  Martin  on  November  10,  1864.  The  Pastors  who 
served  afterwards,  and  the  dates  on  which  they 
assumed  charge  were  as  follows:  Rov.  J.  E.  Tay- 
lor, August  9,  1807;  Rev.  li.  Sloat,  January,  1809; 
Rev.  W.  W.  Macomber,  March  18,  1870;  Rev.  I.  N. 
Hurd,  May  :31.  1872;  A.  C.  Gillies,  November  17, 
1875;  E.  Graham,  June,  1878.  The  latter  resigned 
in  Novombor,  1880,  and  his  successor,  the  Rev  E.  F. 
Walker,  the  present  Pastor,  took  charge  in  April, 
1881.  It  was  a  long  time  after  the  first  organization 
of  the  society  boforo  a  meeting  house  was  built.  It 
was  not  until  earlj'  in  1807  that  actual  operations 
were  commenced  having  this  end  in  view.  On  July 
7,  1807,  tho  church  was  dedicated.  It  had  cost 
84,700.  The  funds  which  enabled  the  society  to  rise 
to  the  dignity  of  owning  a  meeting  house  were  secured 
through  a  successful  mining  speculation.  Tho  Trus- 
tees had  received  from  some  friends  on  tho  inside 
what  is  known  as  a  point,  on  the  stock  market. 
With  tho  little  money  in  the  treasury  they  purchased 
a  few  shares  of  stock,  which  rose  in  a  few  weeks 
several  hundred  dollars  in  value.  They  sold  out 
before  the  crash,  and  with  tho  proceeds  bought  four 
lots  on  C  vStreet,  the  principal  business  thoroughfare 
in  Virginia.  On  cither  side  of  the  meeting  house 
they  erected  buildings,  rented  out  for  stores,  and 
from  which  they  have  since  derived  an  annual  rental 
nearlj'  suflicient  to  pay  tho  salary  of  their  minister, 
and  meet  tho  running  expenses  of  the  society.  This 
church  has  three  Elders,  A.  B.  Elliott,  John  S.Grant, 
and  Andrew  Fraser.  The  organization  reported 
last  -May,  105  members,  and  the  Sabbath-school  2(tfl 
pupils.  The  church  building  being  located  outside 
tho  district  ravaged  by  tho  conflagration  of  1875, 
escaped  damage  "b}'  the  fire.  Until  the  date  of  its 
erection  ilio  congregation  worshiped  in  the  District 
Court-room. 

OOI.D    IIII.I,. 

Tho  Presbyterians  organized  their  first  society  in 
Gold  Hill  at  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  on  Sundaj'  morning, 
November  1,  1803,  and  a  week  later  elected  as 
Trustees,  E.  Caldwell,  (iiles  H.  Gray,  S.  H.  Robin.son, 
Dana  Walcott,  and  C.  P.  Bartlctt.  Soon  after  tho 
organization,  tho  Rov.  W.  W.  Macombor,  from  tho 
East,  arrived  and  took  charge  of  the  congregation 


\ 


216 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


for  several  months.  At  the  first  service  held  in  Gold 
Hill,  the  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Fred 
Buell.  No  meeting  house  has  ever  been  built  by  the 
denomination  in  this  town,  and  the  society  has  led 
a  feeble  existence  since  its  birth.  There  is  no  Pres- 
byterian organization  in  Gold  Hill  at  the  present 
time. 

AUSTIN. 

The  first  Presbyterian  organization  in  Lander 
County  was  established  with  forty-five  members,  at 
Austin,  on  Sunday,  January  3,  18G4.  The  Reese 
River  Reveilk,  of  December  12,  1863,  had  published 
an  announcement  that  at  the  Court  House  services 
would  be  held  by  Jlev.  L.  P.  Webber,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  in  the  morning,  and  by  the  Rev.  E.  Jv. 
Miller,  a  Methodist  minister,  in  the  afternoon.  The 
society  prospered  up  to  18G8,  at  which  time  manj- 
of  the  members  left  the  place,  and  those  remaining 
found  it  impossible,  without  a  church  building,  to 
kee|)  up  the  organization.  An  effort  was  made  to 
raise  funds  to  build  a  church.  Several  hundred  dol- 
lars were  collected  for  the  purpose,  but  the  edifice 
was  never  built.  The  Austin  Society  was  assigned, 
on  July  14,  1870,  to  the  Sacramento  Presb^-torj-. 
At  that  date  it  had  about  thirtj^-six  members,  but 
it  never  afterwards  made  any  reports  to  the  Presby- 
teiy.  In  1873,  the  church  organization  was  broken 
up.  No  Presbyterian  Society  exists  at  Austin  to-day. 
The  Ruling  Elders  of  the  Austin  Church  have  been 
J.  S.  Slauson,  Elijah  Stanford,  and  John  Marchant. 
The  Trustees  were  J.  S.  Slauson,  John  liorue,  and 
A.  Nichols.  The  Presbyterian  clergymen  who  have 
successfully  oflieiatcd  at  Austin,  were  the  Revs.   L. 

P.   Webber,  Taylor,   II.   H.    Hill,    E.  Willard, 

J.  P.  Pinney,  and  A.  M.  Stewart,  deceased. 

ELKO. 

The  Rev.  John  Brown,  a  young  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, a  graduate  of  Glasgow  University,  Scotland, 
and  of  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York, 
arrived  at  Elko  early  in  March,  1870.  On  the  twenty- 
sixth  of  that  month  he  organized  a  church  society 
with  a  membershi])  of  seven  persons.  The  rail- 
road company  gave  him  four  lots  on  which  to  build 
a  church,  toward  the  cost  of  which  $1,200  were  con- 
tributed by  church  members  outside  of  Elko  count}'. 
The  total  amount  expended  in  its  construction  was 
$2,500.  In  the  introductory  portion  of  this  chapter 
the  amusing  incident  which  culminated  in  the  build- 
ing of  the  Elko  Presbyterian  Church  is  related.  The 
organ  used  by  the  congregation  was  presented  to 
them  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Brown,  who  is  now  in  Jacksboro,  Texas,  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  C.  1).  Roberts  in  August,  1872, 
who  remained  in  charge  until  October,  1875,  soon 
after  which  time  ho  died,  and  on  November  20th  of 
that  year  the  Rev.  Joseph  II.  Bj-ors  succeeded  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  church.  The  Society  at  that 
time  consisted  of  only  four  members — Mrs.  Yeatos 
and  her  two  daughters,  and  a  Mrs.  Van  Alste5-n. 
Mr.  Byors  remained  at  Elko  till  the   twenty-seventh 


day  of  August,  1877,  and  is  now  in  Lawrence, 
Kansas.  During  his  ministry  he  received  eighteen 
additions  to  the  church.  The  eldest  was  John  Seitz, 
seventy-five  years,  the  youngest,  Essie  Thebo,  ten 
j'ears  old.  Her  parents,  Mr.  Byers  complained,  were 
unbelievers,  and  soon  forced  her  to  leave  the  church. 
Four  others  were  converts  from  the  Mormon  faith. 
During  his  time  Mr.  Byers  married  twenty  couples 
and  oBiciated  at  twenty-one  funerals.  He  had  but 
one  Elder  in  his  church  and  he  lived  at  Palisade, 
thirty  miles  awaj'.  He  never  had  any  Deacons, 
being  destitute  of  material  out  of  which  to  make 
them.  Earlj'  in  1878  the  Rev.  Robert  McCulloch 
assumed  charge,  but  discontinued  preaching  regu- 
larly in  Juno,  1879,  occasionally  visiting  the  congre- 
gation for  some  time  afterwards.  There  was  a 
vacancy  until  April,  1880,  when  the  Rev.  A.  J. 
Compton  was  appointed  Pastor,  and  continued  in 
that  relation  until  the  last  of  September  following. 
The  Society  owns  a  parsonage  which  was  built  some 
time  after  the  church.  The  present  Trustees  are  J. 
H.  Rand,  U.  R.  Bigelow,  James  Clark,  L.  H.  Morgan 
and  James  Brain.  The  number  of  members  reported 
in  May.  1879,  was  twenty-five,  but  the  number  since 
that  time  has  been  reduced  to  six.  The  Sabbath- 
school  reported  in  1879  eighty-six  pupils,  but  there 
were  at  last  accounts  but  sixty-three  in  regular 
attendance.  The  Elko  Church  has  suffered  of  late 
years  by  being  frequently  left  without  a  minister, 
and  by  the  steady  waning  of  the  population  of 
the  town.  It  has  no  Elders  to-day.  In  1871  an 
Elder  of  this  church,  Mr.  E.  V.  Ilobbins,  was  elected 
by  the  Sacramento  Presbj'tery  as  Lay  (Commissioner 
to  represent  it  in  the  Presbyterian  General  Assem- 
bly, which  mot  in  Chicago  in  May  of  that  year. 

EUREKA. 

In  August,  1873,  the  Presbj^terian  Church  was 
organized  at  Eureka,  by  six  members.  The  Sacra- 
mento Presbytery  entered  it  upon  its  roll  of  churches 
on  October  4th  of  that  year.  The  Rev.  W.  C.  Mc- 
Dougal  was  the  first  Pastor.  Ho  was  succeeded  in 
the  following  year  by  the  Rev.  Josiah  McClain,  who 
remained  at  Kureka  until  the  summer  of  1876.  The 
Rev.  Samuel  M.  Crothers  then  took  charge  until 
May,  1879,  when  ho  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Geo. 
W.  (iailagher  last  year. 

The  present  Elders  are,  Mr.  John  Ilorno  and  Mr. 
Thomas  Evans.  The  number  of  church  members 
reported  last  May  was  thirty-nine.  The  number  of 
pupils  in  the  Sabbath-school  was  ninety.  The 
societj-  has  a  meeting  house  which  was  erected  soon 
after  the  organization  was  cftectod.  It  escaped 
destruction  in  the  last  disastrous  conflagration  which 
reduced  half  the  town  to  ashes.  On  March  26,  1881, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Gallagher  oxj)loded  a  theological  bomb- 
shell among  his  congregation  by  simultaneously 
renouncing  the  tenets  of  orthodoxy  and  resigning 
his  charge.  The  causes  which  impelled  Mr.  Galla- 
gher, who  was  groati)'  esteemed  in  Eureka  by  his 
own  people  and  the  public   generally,  to   sever  his 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  NEVADA. 


217 


relations  with  the  Presbyterian    failli  were  given  by 
him  in  a  letter  as  follows: — 

1  dissolved  my  connection  with  the  Prosbj'terian 
Church  of  this  place  last  ni.nht,  and  will  send  mj- 
renunciation  of  the  standard  doctrines  of  the  t'hurch 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Sacramento  by  to-nifjlit's  mail. 
The  cause  of  my  severing  my  connection  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  is  mj'  divergence  from  the 
confession  of  faith  in  these  points:  In  that  1  do  not 
believe  in  the  doctrines  of  eternal  punishment,  of  the 
Trinitj-,  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  nor  in 
the  orthodox  view  of  the  atonement.  i[y  views  now 
are  what  may  be  termed  Unitarian,  and  when  1  join 
a  Church  hereafter  it  will  be  the  Unitarian  Church, 
for  that  faith,  in  my  view,  is  truest  to  nature,  to 
reason,  and  to  true  religion. 

Mr.  Gallagher's  action  created  a  general  sensation 
among  the  church  people  of  the  town,  and  created 
no  little  interest  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  A  general 
desire  was  expressed  by  all  that  the  gentleman,  who 
was  noted  as  a  very  eloquent  speaker  and  a  sound 
logical  rcasoncr,  should  publicly  give  his  reasons  for 
his  sudden  and  unlooUed-for  ste]>.  To  this  end  an 
address,  signed  bj'  nearly  one  hundred  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Eureka,  was  presented  to  him, 
requesting  him  to  deliver  a  discourse  upon  the  sub- 
ject connected  with  his  renunciation  of  the  doctrines 
and  teachings  of  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Ou  the 
evening  of  March  30th 'Mr.  Gallagher  delivered  an 
elaborate  address  in  explanation  of  his  course  at  the 
Eureka  Opera  House. 

PIOCHE. 

In  1873,  a  Presbyterian  Society  was  organized  at 
Pioche.  The  Jlev.  J.  P.  Egbert,  now  of  San  Jose, 
California,  was  the  first  minister,  and  he  remained 
about  six  months.  lie  held  his  first  service  on  .Jan- 
uary 20,  1.S73.  The  organization  started  with  twelve 
members  in  the  following  April,  but  it  never  enjoyed  a 
prosperous  career.  The  decline  of  business  at 
Pioche,  the  de])arture  of  most  of  the  population  to 
other  camps,  and  the  fact  of  not  having  ministers  to 
labor  there,  soon  made  it  impossible  to  keep  up  the 
society  of  Presbyterians.  In  October,  1879,  it  was 
taken  off  the  roll  as  one  of  the  churches  of  the 
Sacramento  Presbytery.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Egbert  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  II.  B.  .McBride,  now  of  Colusa, 
California,  in  July,  1873. 

A  recapitulation  of  the  strength  of  the  i'resby- 
terian  Churches  of  Nevada  shows  that  in  May,  1879, 
the  date  of  the  last  official  returns,  the  total  mem- 
bership was  less  than  300,  and  the  roll  of  all  the 
Sunday-schools  combined  numbered  about  500 
children.  Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  steady 
decrease,  and  there  is  rea.son  to  believe  that  about 
one  half  the  above  number  would  more  accurately 
represent  the  real  strength  of  the  Presbj-terian 
denomination  in  Nevada  to-day.  A  fair  estimate  of 
the  total  value  of  the  church  property  places  it  at 
about  815,000. 


CHAPTER     XXX. 
BAPTIST    AND    CONGREGATIONAL. 

The  Colonxl  C'liurcli — T;ilx!niacle  H.ijiti.st  Churcli — First  Service 
ill  (.'arson — The  Congregational  (.'hurcli — Us  Organization — 
The  Mrst  Pastor. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  Nevada  Territory 
was  organized  in  Virginia  City  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Satchell,  in  18li3.  With  the  exception  of  one  pei-son 
all  the  members  were  colored  people.  Mr.  Satchell 
remained  their  Pastor  a  little  over  one  year.  Dr.  VV. 
II.  Stevenson,  from  Rhode  Island,  was  then  ordained 
Pastor,  and  continued  in  that  relation  about  two 
years.  In  186G,  the  church  having  become  dissatis- 
fied with  its  Pastor,  divided,  and  the  meeting  house 
was  sold  and  moved  away.  That  body  was  never 
reorganized.  About  the  year  18G5,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
McLafferty  came  from  the  East  and  organized  a 
society  called  the  Tabernacle  15ai)tist  Church,  which 
worshiped  in  the  Court  House.  Mr.  McLafferty 
remained  about  two  years  and  went  to  California, 
when  the  organization  died.  On  the  first  day  of 
June,  1873,  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher,  of  Santa  Clara,  Cali- 
fornia, arrived  in  Virginia  City  in  response  to  an  invi- 
tation from  an  ac(iuaintance  with  a  view  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Baptist  Church.  He  entered  at  once 
upon  his  mission.  For  two  months  services  were 
held  in  the  District  Court-room.  Tlienco  the  con- 
gregation was  removed  to  the  Miners'  Union  Hall, 
after  three  months  and  for  better  convenience  they 
again  removed  to  the  Washington  Guard  Hall.  A 
third  removal  three  months  later  found  them  hold- 
ing weekly  services  in  the  parlor  of  Sister  Cochrane. 
During  these  months  eighteen  members  had  signed 
the  roll,  and  on  December  14,  1873,  a  council  was 
called.  It  consisted  of  the  Rev.  C.  A.  Bateman,  the 
Rev.  H.  Richardson,  Bible  Agent  of  Nevada,  and  the 
Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher.  The  sermon  was  preached  by 
.Mr.  Bateman,  Mr,  Richardson  acting  as  Moderator, 
and  Mr.  Fisher  as  Clerk.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
exercises  it  was  announced  by  the  Jl(odcrator  that 
the  First  Baptist  C!hurch  of  Virginia,  Nevada,  was 
duly  organized.  The  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher  accepted  the 
pastorate.  In  Aj)rilof  the  same  year,  a  lot  was  pur- 
chased for  8800,  of  which  8300  was  paid  and  the 
Trustees  gave  their  notes  for  the  balance.  On 
June  Ist  a  contract  for  a  church  edifice  was  let  at 
82,100,  and  the  building  was  ready  for  occupa- 
tion on  July  12th.  It  is  located  on  C  Street, 
is  forty  feet  long  and  twenty-three  feet  wide  and  has 
a  seating  capacitj-  for  150  persons.  Subsei|ucntly 
the  basement  of  the  church  was  fitted  up  as  a  lodg- 
ing house  at  an  oxi)enso  of  81,207,  making  the  total 
cost  of  the  church  and  lot  amount  to  84,107.  On 
October  1,  1875,  the  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher  tendered  his 
resignation  on  account  of  ill-health.  During  his  min- 
istry thirty  members  were  added  to  the  church.  On 
December  30,  1S75,  the  Rev.  James  Wells,  of  Cali- 
fornia, accepted  the  pastorate,  which  he  resigned  on 
May  12,  1870.    The  Rev.  G.  W.  Ford  took  charge  of 


218 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  church  on  June  4,  1876,  aiiddiHcharj<ed  ihc  duties 
of  Pastor  one  year.     From  August  1,  1877,  to  March, 

1878,  the  Ilev.  T.  J.  Arnold,  oflleno,  held  a  monthly 
service  in  Virginia.  From  March,  until  November 
3,  1878,  the  chunth  was  closed.  On  the  latter  date 
the  Hev.  T.  J.  Arnold  became  Pastor,  a  relation  which 
existed  until  May  15, 1879.  During  his  ministration, 
six  united  by  baptism,  two  by  letters  and  one  by 
experience.  On  January  1,  1880,  the  Rev.  H.  VV. 
Read,  the  present  Pastor,  arrived  from  Clayton,  Jeffer- 
son County,  New  York,  and  entered  upon  his  ministry. 
Mr.  Read  had  served  as  a  volunteer  chaplain  in  the 
Union  Army  and  was  held  for  some  time  a  captive 
at  Libby  Prison.  He  had  led  an  eventful  life  during 
a  long  career  as  missionary  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
His  congregation  now  numbers  but  thirty-six  per- 
sons. The  church  society  struggles  under  a  debt  of 
$1,200,  due  the  American  Baptist  Home  Missionary 
Society.  Mr.  S.  B.  Reid  is  the  present  Clerk  of  the 
church. 

In  the  summer  of  1874,  a  few  Baptists  in  Carson 
City  began  holding  services  on  Sunday  under  the 
ministry  of  Major  Sherman,  who  had  been  licensed 
to  preach.  On  November  1st,  in  that  year,  the  Rev. 
C.  A.  Bateman  preached  a  sermon  at  Car.son  City  on 
the  occasion  of  the  regular  organization  and  recog- 
nition of  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  that  town.  Six- 
teen members  signed  the  Articles  of  Faith  and  the 
Covenant.  The  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher  officiated  as  Clerk 
and  the  charge  was  delivered  bj'  the  Rev.  H.  Richard- 
son, the  Moderator.  The  consecrating  praj-er  was 
offered  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Read.  Early  in  1876,  the 
Rev.  J.  (f.  Burchet  settled  as  Pastor,  but  remained 
only  a  few  weeks.  The  church  soon  died  for  want 
of  support. 

On  November  28,  1875,  the  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher, 
having  left  Virginia  City,  organi/.ed  a  Baptist 
Church  in  the  Oj)era  House,  Reno.  Fifteen  mem- 
bers signed  the  roll.  In  January,  1871!,  the  society 
built,  at  a  cost  of  $2,800,  a  small  meeting  house, 
assembling  in  it  for  the  first  time  on  May  7th  of 
that  year.  The  Rev.  C.  L.  Fisher  soon  afterwards 
resigned  the  pastorate  and  departed  for  California. 
For  a  short  time  the  Rev.  C.  A.  Bateman  preached 
to  the  congregation.  In  1877,  the  Rev.  T.  J.  Arnold 
acted  as  Pastor  for  fourteen  months  and  then  went 
to  Virginia  City.     In   the  contlagration  of  March  2, 

1879,  the  little  meeting  house  at  Reno  was  reduced 
to  ashes;  but  on  July  12th,  of  the  same  year,  the 
society  began  the  erection  of  a  larger  house  of  wor- 
ship. It  now  has  a  church  building  which  will  cost 
it  81,000,  when  an  unpaid  debt  of  §2,500  is  cancelled. 
In  the  summer  of  1880,  D.  Hanks  McKenzio,  a  tem- 
perance advocate  concluded  to  become  a  preacher, 
and  was  ordained  by  I.  S.  Kalloch  and  some  mem- 
bers of  the  ilctro])olitan  (-'hurch  in  San  Francisco, 
as  the  Pastor  at  Reno.  But  he  remained  with  the 
church  but  a  few  days  after  his  ordination,  return- 
ing to  California,  and  again  leaving  the  Heno 
Baptists  without  a  Pastor.    His  hasty  departure  loft 


the  im])re8Mioii  on  the  congregation  that  he  had  only 
sought  the  office  of  Pastor  to  serve  an  ulterior  pur- 
pose. He  secured  the  title  of  Reverend  to  his  name, 
thereby  giving,  as  he  hoped,  greater  ecUU  to  his 
work  as  a  temperance  orator.  The  present  Trustees 
of  the  Reno  Baptist  Church  are  Jason  Smith,  John 
Smith,  Cajitain  F.  Cook,  W.  W.  Morton,  and  W. 
Sanders;  Captain  F.  Cook  is  Treasurer,  and  Robert 
Ash,  Clerk.  The  largest  number  of  members  it  has 
had  at  anj'  one  time  was  seventy-five.  It  has  not 
fifteen  at  present,  but  has  recently  secured  the  serv- 
ices of  the  Rev. Scott  as  Pastor.     Besides  the 

two  buildings  at  Virginia  and  Reno  there  are  no 
other  Baptist  Churches  in  the  Stale.  The  present 
value  of  the  church  property  is  about  $5,000,  against 
which  there  is  an  indebtedness  of  almost  equal 
amount. 

The  Rev.  Winfield  Scott  has  recentlj'  taken  charge 
of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Reno,  and  is  building  uj)  a 
large  congregation,  besides  materially  reducing  the 
church  indebtedness. 

THE   C0NGRE0.\TIONAL   cnUROH. 

In  response  to  a  call  issued  on  June  7,  1870,  a 
Council  of  Congregational  Churches  met  at  the 
school  house,  Reno,  on  February,  18,  1871.  The 
Rev.  J.  E.  Benton,  of  California,  was  chosen  Mod- 
erator of  the  Council;  and  J.  C.  Jlagerman,  of 
Reno,  was  elected  Scribe.  A  petition  was  then 
presented  on  behalf  of  the  society  organized  on 
January  20,  1871,  to  sustain  -'an  independent  Con- 
gregational form  of  worship  in  the  town  of  Reno."  Of 
thatsocietj^  S.  M.  Webber  was  President;  I).  B.  May 
Vice-President;  and  N.  C.  Kinney,  Secretary.  On 
the  next  day,  Februarj'  10th,  the  First  (!ongrega- 
lional  Church  of  Reno  was  organized.  The  original 
members  were  J.  C.  Hagerman,  Kittio  Hagerman, 
Sophia  Scott,  ^Aiwy  F.  Poor,  Annie  L.  Poor,  James 
C.  Weston.  Nellie  Kinncj-,  Marj-  Fairchild,  Marj-  C. 
Kinney.  The  Rev.  A.  F.  Hitchcock  was  elected 
Pastor.  A  house  of  worship  was  soon  built,  and 
owned  jointly  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  of  Reno.  It  was  dedicated  to  public  wor- 
ship on  Sunday,  June  20,  1873,  by  the  Revs.  James 
Woods  and  C.  A.  Bateman.  The  J'astors  who  have 
rogularl}'  officiated  since  the  organization  of  the 
church  were  the  Revs.  A.  F.  Hitchcock,  L.  R.  Ros- 
boro,  F.  R.  Girard,  VV.  J.  Clark,  C.  H.  Rope,  A. 
Drahms,  and  G.  F.  G.  Morgan,  at  present  in  charge. 
Excepting  temporary  intervals,  the  church  has  been 
in  active  operation  since  its  establishment.  The 
edifice  is  free  from  debt.  A  Sunday-school  is  regu- 
larly maintained  in  connection  with  the  church. 


SCH(M)L  H[ST(1RY  OF  NEVADA. 


210 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 

[by  I).  K.  SKS.SION.S.] 

Sketch  of  Pioneer  Schools — Scarcity  of  Data — Sources  of  Kcv- 
eniie — Buel  Shoe  Kiiiul — Report  of  First  Su|ierinteiuleiit — 
School  at  Virginia  t'ity--Sierra  Seminary  at  Carson — 'IVrri- 
torial  Law  Helative  to  Text-books — Teachers'  Wages — Athihe 
School  Houses — Statistical  Exhibit  of  l.S(i4— State  University 
— Mining  College — Uniteil  States  Land  (Jrants — Elko  Se- 
leetetl  as  the  Site — Scarcity  of  Pupils — Ell'orts  of  First  Prin- 
cipal-— Kegents  of — Eilierality  of  Congress — Public  School 
Fund — State  Educational  OlUeers— County  School  Boards — 
Duties  of  State  .Superintendent — Compulsory  PMucati<m — 
Non-sectarian  Schools — Private  Schools — Catholic  Orphan- 
age—List of  School  OHicers — List  of  Teachers — (Jualitica- 
tion  of  Teachers — Colored  Children — Ne.;r.>es,  Chinese  and 
Indians — Ueturns  of  Teachers  ami  School  Trustees  lor  ISfiO 
— Value  of  School  Property  —  Financial  Transactions  of 
Schools  by  Counties. 

Data  for  the  compositions  of  the  beginning  of 
school  hi.-^tory  are  scarce  and  hard  to  collect.  The 
chief  reliance  for  this  information  is  the  "oldest 
inhabitant."  Few  of  the  old  pioneers  are  left,  and 
those  who  still  linger,  have  better  memories  for 
events  more  startling  than  for  the  affairs  of  rudimen- 
tary education.  From  1859,  and  up  to  this  date, 
when  all  Nevada  was  a  county  of  Utah  Territory, 
and  thinly  settled  in  occasional  I'ertile  spots  by  Mor- 
mons, nothing  definite  can  be  known  with  regard  to 
the  condition  of  education  in  the  sage-brush  land. 

What  incidental  scraps  of  such  information  might 
have  been  obtained,  liave  not  been  acquired  for  the 
reason  that  those  who  have  been  depended  on 
to  make  the  necessary  research  in  their  respective 
localities,  have,  in  almost  every  instance,  failed  to 
assist  the  writer  in  this  undertaking.  The  most 
then  that  can  be  done  is  to  give  an  outline  of  the 
school  history  of  this  State — a  skeleton  as  well 
fleshed  as  the  conditions  render  practicable. 

The  first  report  of  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction,  made  to  the  State  Legislature,  was  made 
by  A.  F.  White,  December  12.  18()4.  Jle  speaks  of  this 
report  and  the  condition  of  public  school  educa- 
tion as  the  third  that  had  been  made,  the  two 
preceding  having  been  made  annually  to  the  Leg- 
islature of  the  Territory.  These  cannot  now  be 
i'ound.  From  ilr.  White's  report,  referred  to,  the 
following  statistics  are  gleaned:  At  the  beginning 
of  the  State  Government,  in  1864,  there  were 
ten  counties  organized,  in  which  there  were  but 
twelve  school  districts,  eight  school  houses  and 
eighteen  schools.  In  18G2  the  whole  number  of 
youths  between  four  and  twenty-one  years  of  age 
was  1,134.  In  the  latter  part  of  1804  this  number 
had  increased  to  3,057.  In  1802  there  were  ])r()bably 
two  hundred  pupils  attending  school,  and  in  1804 
nearly  1,000. 

As  to  the  cost  of  maintaining  schools  in  this  new 
country,  an  approximate  estimate  may  be  formed  by 
taking  the  total  amount  expended  in  Storey  and 
Jjyon  ("ounties — the  only  counties  from  which  any 
financial  report  was  received — which  is  871,73!(  70. 
As  to  the  grade  of  schools,  in  1802  there  were  but 
five  primary    classes   in    the  Territory,      lu    1803, 


the  record    shows  six  ])riinary    schools,   two   inter- 
mediate and  one  grammar. 

Under  the  State  organization  the  public  school 
system  took  new  life  immediately,  and  toward  the 
close  of  1804  there  were  in  Xevada  twenty  pri- 
mary schools,  four  of  mixed  grade,  four  intermediate 
and  one  grammar,  the  whole  number  of  schools 
being  thirt3--scven.  The  school  communities,  how- 
ever, were  small  raining  camps  merely;  hence  it 
may  be  justly  inferred  that  the  grades  were  not 
eharply  defined,  and,  compared  with  what  we 
regard  as  graded  schools  now,  there  were  as  yet 
scarcely  any  thoroughly  graded  schools  in  the  State. 
The  condition  of  ]niblic  education  was  as  preca- 
i-ious  and  unsettled  as  the  states  of  society,  at 
a  time  when  nobody  contemplated  making  a  home 
in  '-Washoe,"  as  all  Nevada  was  familiarly  styled 
by  ('alifornians,  but  followed  the  uncertain  drift 
of  mining  excitement,  looking  forward  to  the  time 
when  he  should  make  a  "  stake,"  and  return  home 
to  live  in  "  America."  But  few  absolutely  free 
schools  were  maintained.  The  fixed  sources  of 
school  revenue  were  merely  nominal;  but  already 
the  seed  of  love  for  our  great  national  institution 
of  free  public  school  education  was  seen  trans- 
planted and  germinating  hardily  under  the  difficul- 
ties and  obstructions   of    our   peculiar  mining   life. 

THE  BtlEL  SHOE  FIND. 

In  this  great  and  good  work  the  people  showed 
themselves  deeplj'  and  thoroughlj-  in  earnest.  Ap- 
peals to  their  liberality  were  seldom  made  in  vain. 
The  demand  for  private  contributions  was  almost 
always  cheerfully  met,  nor  were  rate  bills  regarded 
as  onerous.  Indeed,  the  maintenance  of  the  schools 
in  the  early  days  of  Nevada  was  rather  a  personal 
affair,  and  was  in  substance  more  of  a  private 
than  of  a  public  character,  though  they  were  entirely 
free  in  effect,  for  none  suffered  for  the  want  of 
tuition  merely  because  they  could  not  bear  a  part 
in  its  expense.  As  illustrative  of  the  pioneer  spirit 
for  the  managoniont  of  education  among  the  chil- 
dren, an  incident  may  bo  cited  of  early  times  at 
Austin,  the  county  seat  of  Lander  County:  In  the 
fall  of  1803,  the  first  action  was  taken  toward  start- 
ing a  school  in  this  camp.  Trustees  were  elected, 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  raise  funds.  A 
collection  of  S030  was  made.  In  the  spring  follow- 
ing, the  Buel  Shoe  Fund  was  added  to  this  sum. 
The  origin  of  this  fund  is  humorous  and  suggestive: 
Col.  D.  K.  (-'Dave  "J  Buel,  still  alive  and  active, 
was  a  prominent  and  successful  jiioneer.  lie  was  a 
man  of  prodigious  stature  and  symmetrically  built.  His 
feet,  of  course,  in  order  to  corres])ond  with  the  other 
parts  of  his  frame,  were  enormous;  and  his  shoos, 
which  he  wore  loose,  as  a  sensible  man  ahva3-s 
does,  excited  surprise  and  admiration.  On  the 
evening  of  May  20.  1804,  a  pair  of  the  Colonel's 
shoes  were  l)orne  from  their  seclusion  and  ])iit  up  at 
auction  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  school  fund.  Tom 
Wade,  us  uuctionoor,   sold  and  re-sold   them,   until 


220 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


810C.05  was  realized  from  the  sale.  Another  inci- 
dent strangely  characteristic  of  the  period,  but 
earlier  by  about  two  years,  occurred  in  Carson  City. 

CARSON  ROWDY  FUND. 

It  was  when  Cai-son  was  in  her  flush,  and  when,  if 
she  could  have  looked  forward  to  her  present  law- 
abiding  and  staid  social  condition,  she  would  have 
blushed  for  her  then  horde  of  faro  dealers  and 
"short  card"  fiends.  Two  prominent  citizens,  whose 
names  are  withheld,  conspicuous  for  their  success  in 
the  mani])ulation  of  mining  shares,  as  well  as  for 
startling  bravado,  took  possession  of  a  theater  one 
night.  They  swaggered  down  the  main  aisle,  armed 
with  six-shooters  and  bowie-knives,  to  the  terror 
and  consternation  of  the  audience,  composed  in 
small  part  of  women  and  children,  and  ordered 
the  curtain  dro|)])ed.  Their  singular  command  not 
being  instantlj^  obeyed,  they  made  a  rush  for  the 
stage.  The  actors  fled  in  dismay,  and  the  curtain 
fell,  wherupon  the  con((uerors  proceeded  to  reduce 
it  to  ribbons  with  their  formidable  knives.  For  this 
act  the}'  paid,  no  doubt  cheerfully  enough,  for  it  was 
not  consonant  with  the  times  to  set  anj^  high 
value  on  money,  81,000  for  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
mon school    fund  of  the  town. 

(IROWINti  scnooLS. 

In  Virginia  City,  the  largest  town,  there  were  only 
seventeen  children  attending  school  in  October,  1862. 
In  the  same  month  of  the  following  year  there  were 
420  school  children  in  the  county,  of  whom  300 
were  at  Virginia,  and  60  at  Gold  llill.  The  school 
house  at  the  latter  place  was  a  very  creditable  build- 
ing, furnished  with  seats  and  desks  from  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  Territorial  Legislature  passed  a  law  in 
December,  1801,  authorizing  the  incorporation  of  the 
Sierra  Seminary  at  Carson  City.  The  incorporation 
has  never  been  made;  but  Miss  II.  K.  Cla])p,  one  of 
the  earliest  ladies  to  take  up  her  home  in  Nevada, 
and  who  instituted  the  project,  started  a  private 
school  about  that  time,  and  has  been  teaching  a 
private  school  for  boys  and  girls  continuously'  ever 
since,  under  the  name  of  the  Sierra  Seminary.  It 
may  be  remarked,  in  passing,  that  the  conditions  in 
Nevada  are  not  such  as  to  render  it  practicable  for 
the  higher  grade  instructions  of  learning  to  be  sue 
cessful.  The  State  is  too  sparsely'  settled,  and  the 
competition  with  old  established  colleges  and  semi- 
naries in  California  and  Kastern  States  cannot  be 
withstood.  This  fact  will  be  fully  illus' rated  in  the 
history  of  the  I^niversity  of  Nevada  farther  on. 
Associated  with  Miss  Clapp  in  founding  her  school 
were  Mrs.  E.  G.  Cutler  (now  Mrs.  Haydon)  cele- 
brated as  a  singer  and  elocutionist,  and  Miss  E.  C. 
Babcock.  The  first  com])rohensivo  statistical  cxliibit 
of  school  affairs  was  made  by  Rev.  A.  F.  White,  Ter- 
ritorial Superintendent,  and  also  the  first  Superin- 
tendent under  the  State  (Tovernment.  This  exhibit, 
given  on  the  following  page,  will  show  at  a  single 
view  the  condition  of  the  common  schools  in  1864. 


For  the  sake  of  still  further  insight  into  the  con- 
dition of  public  education  in  the  ten  counties  thert 
organized,  the  following  supplementary  statement  is 
subjoined,  being  abstracts  from  the  reports  of  County 
Superintendents,  whose  names  are  appended: — 

ORMSBY    COUNTY — WILLIA.M    B.    LAWLER. 

In  this  county  there  are  512  children  between  the 
ages  of  four  and  twenty-one.  Only  173  attend 
public  schools.  About  12.T  attend  private  schools. 
About  fortj'  out  of  every  100  receive  a  street  educa- 
tion, which  is  one  of  idleness,  and  often  of  wicked- 
ness and  crime.  Within  the  j-ear  one  school  dis- 
trict has  been  organized,  and  will  soon  have  a  com- 
fortable school  house.  At  present  there  arc  but 
two  school  houses  in  the  county.  Schools  have 
been  sustained  six  months  during  the  j'ear,  in  each 
district.  Amount  paid  teachers,  81,780;  highest 
sahuy  paid  teachers,  812.")  per  month;  lowest,  840 
per  month.  In  Enijiire  District  the  books  re]iorted 
in  use  are  Standard  First  and  Fourth  Headers, 
National  First  and  Second  Keaders,  Primer,  Ele- 
mentary and  Standard  Spellers,  Mental  and  Practi- 
cal Arithmetic,  probably  Thompson's. 

STOREY   COUNTY — JUDGE   FRANK    TILFORD. 

The  receipts  of  the  Board  of  Education  from 
December  7,  1S03,  to  October  30,  1804,  amounted  to 
847,82<^).70.  The  exijenditures  for  the  same  period 
were  840,121.31,  leaving  a  balance  of  81,009.39.  The 
existing  indebtedness  of  the  Board  is  83,300,  con- 
tracted by  their  ])redecessors  in  office,  82,000  of 
which  amount  is  evidenced  by  outstanding  bonds, 
and  the  remainder.  81,300,  is  secured  by  mortgage 
on  the  pro])crty  of  the  Board  in  the  city  of  Virginia. 
There  are  1,243  children  in  Storej-  0)unty,  between 
four  and  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The  public  school 
in  Virginia  District  has  one  Grammar  School,  two 
First  Intermediate  Schools,  one  Second  Intermediate 
School,  and  three  Primary  Schools.  In  (iold  Hill 
District  there  is  one  First  Intermediate  and  one 
Primary  School.  In  Flowerj'  District  there  is  one 
mixed  school.  The  number  of  children  enrolled  in 
the  various  schools,  is  390.  Average  dail^-  attend- 
ance, 27.").  Te.xt-books  in  use:  Sj)ellers,  Sargent's 
and  Webster's;  Algebra,  Davies';  Geography,  Cor- 
nell's; Penmanship,  Payson,  Dunton,  Scribner's; 
Grammar,  Green's  course;  History,  Ijossing's  United 
States;  Natural  Philosophy,  Comstock's. 

WASHOE    COU.N'TY — REV.  T.  H.   .m'ORATII. 

This  county  is  divided  into  seven  districts.  There 
are  .")4!t  children  and  youths  between  four  and 
twenty-one  years  of  age  — 2.")3  males  and  24.J  females. 
There  are  130  children  under  lour  j'cars  of  ago — 
fifty-five  were  born  in  Nevada.  Number  of  pupils 
attending  school,  248.  The  average  dail^'  attend- 
ance has  been  197.  The  whole  number  of  teachers 
emploj-ed  during  thej'car  was  thirteen — eight  males 
and  five  females.  The  highest  salary  paid  for  teach- 
ing was  812.')  ])er  month;  the  lowest  was  fifty-two 
dollars.  Thewhok^  lime  taught  was  fifty-six  months. 
The  whole  amount  of  public  funds  received  was 
83,340.2").  Whole  amount  raised  in  the  districts  by 
contribution  was  8129.75.  Amount  expended  for 
teaching,  84,070;  for  other  jjurposes,  82,315.75. 
There  is  no  jjrivato  school  in  the  county.  The 
schools  are  primary.  Hut  few  of  the  te.xt-books 
recommended  by  the  Territorial  Board  of  Educa- 
tion are  used.     A  list  of  the  books  in  use  not  given. 


<::?^^ie^t>(/^ 


^>yo 


Hon.  Andrew  J.  Hatch 

Was  born  April  15,  1827,  at  Lanesboro,  Susquehanna  County,  Pennsylvania 
and  resided  at  Lanesboro  and  Great  Bend,  in  that  county,  until  1  S3(S,  when  his 
father  moved  to  Chenango  County,  New  York.  In  this  beautiful  and  romantic 
country  the  young  Andrew  Jackson  grew  to  manhood.  Those  were  great 
Jackson  days  when  the  Surveyor  was  born,  and  like  many  another  scion  of 
Democratic  lineage  born  in  the  period  when  "  Old  Hickory  "  was  a  power  in  the 
land,  carries  the  initials  of  the  hero  of  New  Orleans  and  the  "  Sage  of  the 
Hermitage."  In  the  excellent  academies  of  Oxford  and  Norwich,  where 
gathered  the  ambitious  youth  of  Chenango,  Broome  and  Otsego,  he  acquired 
that  first-c]a,ss  training  which  enabled  him  in  later  years  to  become  the  skillful 
surveyor  and  engineer. 

Grown  to  manhood  he  sought  the  exciting  scenes  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in 
September,  1852,  he  went  to  Tuolumne  County,  California,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  mining  and  teaching  school  until  1857,  when  he  entered  the  Gov- 
ernment .surveying  service  under  Col.  A.  W.  Von  Schmidt.  In  1858  he  was 
appointed  United  States  Deputy  Surveyor,  by  Surveyor  General  Mandevilie. 

The  decade  of  '49  to  '59  had  passed,  and  quietness  and  stagnation  appeared  to 
be  settling  upon  California  as  it  had  rested  upon  the  o]<i  countries  of  the  East, 
but  the  fates  ruled  otherwise.  Upon  the  bleak  hills  of  the  eastern  slope  ili.scov- 
eries  were  made  which  again  aroused  the  world,  and  set  the  energetic  people  of 
California  again  upon  the  go  in  search  of  mineral  wealth.  General  Hatch  was 
early  in  the  field,  crossing  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  April,  18G0.  Then,  the  State 
constituted  a  portion  of  Utah  Territory,  and  was  almost  without  a  government 
or  a  name.  The  whole  region  was  Washoe;  but  in  Washoe  particular  he  set  his 
stake.  His  earliest  entei-prise  was  mining  in  connection  with  his  brother,  R,  S. 
Hatch,  on  Galena  Hill,  west  of  Steamboat  Springs.  This  did  not  continue  f()r  a 
lengthy  period,  as  he  was  soon  called  to  the  exercise  of  his  profession.  Gen.  S. 
H.  Marlette  was  then  County  Surveyor  of  Carson  County,  Utah,  and  called  upon 
our  subject  to  be  his  Deputy.  From  that  date  A.  J.  Hatch  has  been,  with 
scarcely  an  intermission,  surveying  the  lands  of  Nevada,  being  County  Surveyor 
or  Deputy  Unitecl  States  Surveyor  most  of  time,  and  has  in  person  surveyed  a 
large  portion  of  the  public  lands  in  the  State. 

Other  offices,  however,  have  called  for  his  services,  he  having  the  honor  of 
being  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Washoe  County,  holiling  his  court  in  galena 
and  Wa.shou  City.  In  1870  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  serving  in  the 
.ses.sion  of  1871,  when  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Connnittee  on  Public 
Lan<ls,  and  to  him  principally  may  be  accorded  the  honor  of  having  framed  the 
present  State  Land  Law. 

General  Hatch  was  married  October  4,  1870,  at  Wellsville,  New  York,  to 
Mrs.  Helen  F.  Thorf)e,  widow  of  Senator  S.  M.  Thorpe,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas 
who  was  a.ssas.sinated  by  the  notorious  (.^uantrell  and  his  murderous  band 
in  the  memorable  raid  of  1863.  He  has  ri^claimed  from  a  wilderness  of 
rocks  and  sage  brush  a  beautiful  little  farm  in  the  suburbs  of  Reno,  where 
he  has  resided  with  his  family  since  coming  to  the  Statu.  His  varieil  experience 
in  his  profe.ssion  and  in  public  life  generally,  eminently  qualifies  him  for  the 
position  of  Surveyor  General  of  Nevada,  to  which  office  he  was  elected  in  1878 
He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  many  of  the  public  enterprises  of  Washoe- County, 
anujug  which  was  the  Nevada  and  Oregon  Railroad,  of  which  company  he  was 
the  first  President  of  the  permanent  organization.  This  enterprise,  connecting 
Reno  with  the  line  of  valleys  along  the  great  plateau  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
through  eastern  California  and  Oregon,  bids  fair  to  become  one  of  the  most 
important  of  the  minor  roads  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  is  the  pride  of  Nevada's 
Surveyor  General. 


SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


221 


A  UENKKAL  STATISTICAL  TABLE 
Compiled  fkom  the  KtroBTs  of  tub  Cocnty  Superintendents — 1SG4. 


*.  < 


•A\  ^ 


(B   -ti    •* 


n 

3":  3 


5  3  is 

ffi        i  » 

■-•  o  I  ■-  o 

si  si 


M  s 


ll 

li 


8 


5 


Ormsby  . . 

Total, 
Storey . . . 

Totol 
Washoe. . , 


Total. 
DouglaB  . . 

Total 
Lyon 

Total. 
Humboldt 


Total. 
l..andcr . . . 


Total.  . 
Esmeralda  . 
Churchill . . . 
Nye 

Total . . . 


1243 
61 

80 
ISS 
i>4 
3S 

80 

549 

.'j3 
111 

84 
80 

328 

117 

i64 

381 


390 


10 
;t8.57 


*  882  00 

«G4  25 

1,530  00 


377  00 
6U0  00 
202  33 
161  40 


1,340  73 


519  00 
376  00 


100  oO 
216  00 


l,i09  00 

<I19  00 

.•>64  00 

30«  00 

99  00 

,581  00 


?1,780  0() 


$1,780  00 


$47,820  70 


12,905  86 


105  76 
24  00 


770 
[,049 
800 
260 
6S6 
225 


129  75 

473  35 
1,379  25 

360  17 
702  35 


3,476  00 


4,670  00 


476 
600 

502 
570 


3,005  12 


4,345  85 


100 


519 
375 


100  00 
1,050  00 


1,309  OO 


800  00 
170  00 


625  00 
300  00 
300  Oil 
240  00 


4,933  00 


1,365  00 


$01  AM  65 


826,60S  86 


$1,780  00 


1,864  84 
960  00 


47,820  00 


16  76 
1,400  00 


2,375  75 


374  35 

1,379  25 


7,045  76 


379  00 


!,132  60 
653  89 


4,347  85 


500  30 
214  19 
100  00 


925  00 


2,025  25 


2,728  65 


4,093  66 


$46,230  98 


rt,789  79 


I  Intcniiediate. 
(  Primary. 

Primary. 

Pr'nian'. 


I*  tiruiiinmr. 
■  Intermediate. 
(  Primary. 
\  iTitL-rmediate. 
(  Primary. 
Mixed. 


Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 


Primary. 
Primary, 
Primary. 
Primary. 


Mixed. 

Primary. 

Mixed.* 


Primary. 
Primary. 


Prluiarr. 


Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 
Primary. 


I  Intermediate. 
"(  Primar)'. 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY — JUDGE   A.    T.    IIAWLEY.  | 

There  are  four  school  districts  in  I)ou<^las  County 
— one  has  been  orfjanizod  durinj^  tiio  j-ear.  Tiio 
schools  arc  all  in  a  prosperous  condition.  There  are 
328  children  and  youth  between  the  ai^es  of  four 
and  twenty-one — l(i.")  males  and  1G8  females.  There 
are  117  children  under  four  years  of  aj^e — sixty-six 
of  whom  were  born  in  Nevada.  Ninety-cif^ht  pupils 
attend  school.  The  average  daily  attendance  is 
seventy-five.  Eight  teachers  have  been  employed — 
28 


six  males  and  two  females.  The  highest  salaiy  ])aid 
per  month  was  SlU7;  lowest,  SCH.  Whole  num- 
ber of  months  taught  during  the  year,  twenty- 
six  and  one-half  Amount  of  school  fund  received, 
81,340.73.  Amount  raised  in  the  districts.  83,(10,").  12. 
Amount  ex))ended  for  teaching,  82.215.25  ;  for  all 
other  school  purposes,  S2,132.<)().  The  schools  are 
not  classified.  There  are  seven  negro  children 
between  four  and  twenty-one  years  of  ago  in  the 
county.     No  report  of  text-booUs  is  given. 


222 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


LYON  COUNTY — MR.    C.    M'DUFFIE. 

Lyon  County  is  divided  into  three  school  districts. 
The  Trustees  of  Como  District  made  no  report  of  the 
condition  of  their  school.  In  the  two  districts  from 
which  reports  were  made  there  were  281  children 
and  youth  between  four  and  twenty-one  years  of 
age— 129  males,  and  152  females.  There  are  fifty- 
throe  under  four  years  of  age,  of  whom  fifty-two 
were  born  in  Nevada.  There  is  one  child  deaf  and 
dumb.  There  are  123  pupils  attending  school. 
Average  daily  attendance,  eighty-eight.  The  highest 
salary  paid  per  month  was  8135;  the  lowest,  thirty 
dollars.  Whole  number  of  months  taught,  twenty. 
The  amount  of  funds  received  is  not  given.  Exi)ended 
for  teachers'  salaiy,  $2,412.50;  for  other  purposes, 
§2,214.19.  Five  teachers  have  been  employed  dur- 
ing the  year. 

HU.MBOLDT   COUNTY — IKA   F.  KINOSBURY. 

There  are  seven  school  districts  in  this  county. 
There  are  235  persons  between  four  and  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  Only  fifty-nine  males  and  fifty  females 
are  reported.  Number  of  pupils  attending  schools, 
eighty-four.  Average  daily  attendance,  fiftj'-two. 
Three  schools  have  been  taught.  Highest  amount 
paid  for  salary  per  month,  8100;  lowest,  forty  dollars. 
Whole  number  of  months  taught  during  the  year, 
sixteen.  Received  from  public  funds,  81,209.  Raised 
in  districts,  8100.  Paid  for  teaching,  81,100.25;  for 
other  purposes,  8925.     No  list  of  text-books  is  given. 

LANDER  COUNTY — DR.  H.  S.  HERRICK. 

Lander  County  ia  divided  into  four  school  districts. 
There  are  308  persons  between  the  ages  of  four 
and  twenty-one  years — 171  males;  and  137  females. 
Receipts  from  tbe  school  funds,  81,581.  Raised 
from  different  districts,  82,020.  Total  receipts, 
84,093.55.  Expended  for  teachers'  salaries,  81,3G5; 
for  other  purposes,  82,728.55.  Number  pupils  attend- 
ing school,  112.  Average  daily  attendance,  sixty- 
three.  Whole  time  taught,  fifteen  months.  There 
were  five  teachers  employed — all  females.  The 
schools  are  all  primarj'.  Number  of  white  children 
in  the  county  under  four  years  of  age,  ninety-two; 
negro  children,  five;  Indian  children,  225 — all  born 
in"  Nevada.     The  list    of   text-books  is  not    given. 

ESMERALDA    COUNTY — REV.    IRA    P.    HALE. 

There  is  but  one  school  district  in  this  county. 
A  fine,  commodious  brick  school  house  is  in  pro- 
cess of  erection.  Whole  number  of  children  and 
youth  between  four  and  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  191 — males  101,  females  90.  A  school  has  been 
sustained  with  Intermediate  and  Primary  depart- 
ments. Number  of  children  under  four  years  of  age, 
113;    born  in  Nevada,  forty-five. 

No  reports  have  been  received  from  Nye  and 
Churchill  Counties,  except  that  in  Nye  County  there 
are  ten  children  between  the  age  of  four  and  twenty- 
ono  years.  A.  F.  White,  Supt.  of  Pub.  Ins. 

TEXT  HOOKS. 

Among  the  obstacles  to  be  removed  before  a  thor- 
ough organization  of  school  work  could  be  effected 
was  the  difficulty  to  secure  uniformity  of  text-books. 
The  prevalent  confusion  of  school  books  was,  how- 
ever, gradually  obviated.  Mr.  White,  in  his  report 
of  1804,  saj's:  "  But  a  month  or  two  since  a  lady, 
well  qualified  as  a  teacher,  in  taking  charge  of  one 
of  our  mixed  schools,  found  there  were  but  two  or 
three  of  the  same  kind  of  books  among  thirt}'  pupils. 
She  appealed  to  the  parents,  but  was  told  that  the 


children  could  not  be  supplied  with  new  books.  She 
wrote  to  mo,  a.sking  if  there  was  no  remedy.  I  sent 
her  the  law,  the  list  of  text-books  required  by  the 
Territorial  Board  of  Hducation,  and  their  instruc- 
tions with  regard  to  introducing  the  books  into  the 
schools,  and  urged  prompt  compliance  with  the 
requirements.  I  have  not  heard  the  result,  but  I 
presume  the  books  were  obtained,  and  the  school 
placed  on  a  proper  basis.  It  is  needless  to  say,  that 
now  the  uniformitj^  of  text-books  used  throughout  the 
State  of  Nevada  is  complete,  and  rigidly  kept  so, 
the  statute  for  the  violation  of  this  provision  of  law 
requiring  that  the  school  district  violating  it  shall  be 
deprived  of  its  apportionment  of  State  school  money. 
School  houses  in  the  early  times  were  not  too  well 
furnished,  nor  were  they  alwaj's  constructed  upon 
the  most  approved  models.  This  was  the  result 
rather  of  the  want  of  sufficient  means  than  of  ignor- 
ance in  the  premises.  Our  pioneers,  unaided  by  pub- 
lic funds,  built  a  large  majority  of  the  houses  in 
which  schools  were  kept,  and  in  every  instance 
provided  them  with  such  furniture  and  conveniences 
as  they  could  afford.  In  some  districts  in  which 
there  is  but  little  wealth  the  peo])le  showed  their 
determination  by  laying  foundations  and  building 
walls,  hoping  in  time  to  complete  the  work  thus 
resolutely  begun. 

PRIMITIVE    SCHOOLS. 

In    Humboldt    and    Lander    Counties,    in    which 
building    materials    were    held    at   fabulous    jirices, 
adobe    houses    were  used  with  earthorn  floors,  un- 
plastered  walls,  and,  in  some  cases,  with  thatched 
roofs.     Mr.  White  tells  of  visiting  a  school  in  which 
there  were   twenty-five  or  more  pupils,  who    were 
seated  upon  boxes,  without  desks  or  chairs,  or  any 
furniture  whatever  in  the  room.     The  inhabitants 
of  the  district  had   done   all    thej-  could,  but  their 
money  failed  them.     There    were   no  public  funds, 
and  impelled  by  a  deep  conviction  of  the  importance 
of  education  for  their   families,    they  gathered    the 
boxes,   employed    a    teacher,  opened   a  school,  and 
then  patronized  it;  and  their  labor  was  not  in  vain, 
says  Mr.  White,  for  their  children  learned  in  spite 
of  absent  helps  and  conveniences.     Another  obstruc- 
tion in  the  way  of  wholesome    school  work  in  the 
early  times  was  the  poor  pay  of  the  teachers.     For 
the  j-ear    1863,   omitting  Storej-    County   from  the 
estimate,  the    average   salary  paid  the    teachers   of 
the  public  schools  of  Nevada  was  about  forty-eight 
dollars,  less  than   one-half  the   wages   paid  minors 
for   digging    out    the    crude   ore    from    our   mines. 
School  teaching,  as  a  consequence,  had  nothing  in  it 
of  a  professional  character;  it  was  resorted  to  merely 
as  a  temporary  make-shift.     That  the  quality  of  the 
tuition  was  not  always  excellent  is  the  unavoidable 
inference.     The  evils  which  grew  out  of  this  under- 
estimate of  the  importance  and  value  of  the  teacher's 
services  are  numerous  and   distressing  to  our  most 
vital   interest — the  diffusion  of  intelligence   among 
the   people.     Mr.    White    says:    "  The   majority    of 


SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


223 


teachers  generally  remain  in  the  same  situation 
only  about  three  months.  A  few  continue  to  the 
close  of  the  second  term,  and  1  have  not  been  able 
to  hear  of  more  than  three  or  four  who  have 
taught  the  same  school  during  a  full  year.  In  some 
instances  pei-sons  have  actually  been  employed  to 
teach  for  a  single  month,  the  salary  ottered  being 
such  a  miserable  sum  that  they  were  unwilling  to 
bind  themselves  for  any  but  the  shortest  period  pos- 
sible." The  condition  of  things  in  this  respect  is 
greatly  changed  for  the  better  now.  Still,  where 
in  the  United  States,  in  fact,  in  the  world,  are 
teachers  adequately  remunerated,  when  the  extent 
and  quality  of  their  labors  are  considered  in  com- 
parison with  the  market  price  of  the  labors  of  other 
professional  men  and  tradesmen  ?  The  average  plas- 
terer or  bricklayer  is  ordinarily  paid  from  one-third 
to  one-half  more  than  a  first-rate  teacher.  The 
Constitution  of  Nevada  empowers  the  Legislature 
to  establish  Normal  Schools.  Of  course,  no  such 
institution  was  thought  of  in  the  beginning  of  our 
school  life,  nor  is  it  likely,  from  the  present  con- 
dition of  affairs,  that  a  Normal  School  will  be  desir- 
able or  expedient  for  a  long  time.  Nevada  could 
not  supply  material  for  such  an  institution  in  the 
way  of  pupils  even;  and  to  embarrass  the  rudi- 
mentary S(Jiools  l)y  diverting  any  of  the  moneys 
intended  for  their  maintenance  to  this  pur])0se  would 
be  little  less  than  suicidal  to  the  foundation  work 
of  public  school  education  in  the  State. 

STATE  UNIVEKSITY. 

The  Constitution  made  it  obligatory  upon  the  Leg- 
islature to  provide  for  the  establishment  of  a  State 
University  which  shall  embrace  departments  for 
agriculture,  mechanic  arts  and  mining.  The  Gov 
ernor.  Secretary  of  State  and  Superintendent  of  Pub- 
lic Instruction  were  designated  as  the  Board  of 
Eegents  for  the  first  four  years,  and  required  to 
immediately  organize  and  maintain  theminingdopart- 
ment  "  from  the  interest  I'rom  the  first  funds  which 
come  under  their  control."  To  aid  the  State  in  the 
establishment  of  a  Univei'sity,  the  treneral  Govern- 
ment donated  seventy-two  sections  of  land,  42,080 
acres.  Another  grant  was  made  to  Nevada,  as  to 
the  other  States,  of  30,000  acres  for  each  ilopresenta- 
tivo  in  Congress — 90,000  acres — for  the  maintenance 
of  a  School  of  Agriculture  and  the  Mechanic  Arts. 
This  grant  was  subsequently  changed  so  as  to  make 
this  fund  available  for  the  support  of  a  Mining  Col- 
lege instead,  0!i  account  of  mining  being  the  chief 
industry  in  the  State.  As  yet,  it  may  be  said,  noth- 
ing has  been  done  more  than  nominally  in  the  case 
of  the  University  or  Mining  College.  lu  order  to 
preserve  the  lands  thus  donated,  however,  the  Uni- 
versity was  organized  in  such  a  way  as  formally  to 
comply  with  the  conditions  of  the  two  grants.  The 
site  selected  is  at  Elko,  in  l'>lko  County,  on  the 
Central  Pacific  Ilailroad,  where  the  citizens,  to  secure 
the  location  in  their  town,  built  and  furnished  com- 
pletely, at  their  own  expense,  a  sightly  brick  edifice, 


nicely  planned,  and  having  the  capacit}-  to  accom- 
modate a  hundred  ]ni]iils. 

The  building  was  finished  in  the  winter  of  1873-74 
and  accepted  by  the  Regents;  Hon.  Jerr}'  School- 
ing, Hon.  P.  H.  Clayton  and  Sylvester  H.  I'a}-, 
elected  by  the  Legislature  to  fill  the  vacancies  made 
by  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  office  of  the  Board 
named  in  the  Constitution,  to  serve  for  the  first- 
term  of  four  years.  The  Regents  at  present  are 
Hon.  T.  N.  Stone,  Hon.  John  S.  Mayhugh,  and  Syl- 
vester U.  Day,  Esq. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Nevada,  he  was  born  in  1830,  in  Dickson  Township, 
Cumberland  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  theyear  1850 
ho  came  to  California  and  located  in  Nevada  County, 
near  Grass  Valley,  where  ho  followed  (juartz  and 
placer  mining  and  the  lumber  business  until  185!), 
when  he  moved  to  the  then  Territory  of  Nevada, 
settling  first  in  Virginia  City,  where  he  remained 
about  one  year,  and  upon  the  discovery  of  the  mines  in 
Esmeralda  County,  he  went  thither,  and  took  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  the  politics  of  the  times, 
being  chairman  of  the  committee  that  reported  strong 
resolutions  in  favor  of  the  Union,  during  the  exciting 
times  succeeding  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  ho  has  boon  an  active 
and  consistent  worker  for  the  Republican  party;  has 
represented  Esmeralda  County  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture five  regular,  and  one  extra,  sessions,  from  18(J4  to 
o  18G9.     In    the    latter  year    he   removed    to   Elko 


224 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


County,  and  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Elko  Town 
Bhip  for  two  years,  when  he  was  appointed  Kegister 
of  the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Elko,  by  Presi- 
dent U.  S.  Grant.  This  position  he  held  five  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  period  the  offices  of  Eureka  and 
Pioche  were  consolidated  with  his  office  and  located 
at  Eureka,  as  a  matter  of  economy  on  the  part  of 
President  Hayes'  administration.  In  1878  he  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  by  a  majority  of  303  in  a 
Democratic  county  that  gave  the  Democratic  candi- 
date for  Governor  a  majority  at  the  same  election  of 
352.  During  the  session  of  the  Legislature  he  was 
the  recognized  leader  of  the  House,  and  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Eegents  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity for  a  term  of  four  years,  of  which  institution 
he  was  one  of  the  founders.  His  practical  experience 
in  the  selection  of  Government  and  State  lands,  and 
the  procuring  of  titles  thereto,  places  him  in  the  front 
rank  of  that  profession  in  which  he  is  at  present 
engaged. 


Is  a  native  of  Lester,  Worcester  County,  ^lassachu- 
BOtts,  and  fir.st  beheld  the  light  of  da}'  on  the  fourth 
of  February,  1834.  Five  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  the  town  of  Lester,  when  his  parents  moved 
to  near  ItochcHtcr,  New  York.  He  was  raised  o!i  a 
farm,  his  parents  being  tillers  of  the  soil.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the  Brockport  Col- 
legiate Institute,  whore  ho  pursued  his  studies  for 


two   years,  and  then    attended   the   State  Normal 
School  at  Albany,  and  graduated  in  1855. 

Soon  after  graduating  he  became  Professor  in  the 
Fergusonville  Academy,  and  the  next  year  removed 
to  Shawneetown,  Illinois,  where  he  followed  the  pro- 
fession of  teacher  until  the  spring  of  1859,  when  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  California.  During  the  ensuing 
eleven  years  he  was  a  miner  and  school  teacher  at 
Weaverville  and  Yreka,  and  held  the  position  of 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Siskiyou 
County  for  seven  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Nevada, 
and  located  at  Elko,  Elko  County,  where  he  taught 
school  for  two  years.  In  1872  he  received  the 
appointment  of  Postmaster  at  Elko,  and  became 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  the  same  town. 
The  office  Avas  held  by  him  until  the  fall  of  1876 
when  he  resigned,  and  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate.  During  the  session  of  1879  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  University, 
and  was  chosen  President  thereof,  which  position  ho 
still  holds.  He  was  married  September  7,  1856,  to 
-Miss  Brenda  O.  Hull,  of  Buftalo,  New  York,  and  they 
have  four  children,  thixse  girls  and  one  boy. 


HON.    SYLVESTER    H.    D.\T. 

Mr.  Day  was  one  of  the  first  Regents,  and  has 
always  been  its  earnest  friend,  devoting  his  ener- 
gies to  the  successful  disposition  and  management 
of  the  lands  granted  in  aid  of  the  University.  In 
him  the  University,  as  well  as  other  institutions  of 
learning  and  public  charities  in  Nevada,  has  always 
had  a  warm  and  enthusiastic  friend;  and  were  it 
possible  by  earnest  endeavor  to  bring  the  institu- 
tion to  success,  his  devotion  to  its  interests  would 
make  it  so.  For  some  )-ears  he  has  been  Deputy 
United  Slates  Land  Survej-or,  and  otherwise  con- 
nected with  ])ublie  attairs,  and  is  now  residing  at  Car- 
son Cily. 

In  the  summer  of  1874  D.  R.  Sessions,  A.  M. 
and  B.  P.,  of  Princeton  College,  was  apjiointcd 
Principal  of  the  '-Preparatory  Department  of  the 
Universitj-  of  Nevada,"  a  name  assumed  with  be- 
coming modesty,  owing  to  the  existing  conditions, 
lie  undertook  the  mission,  and  opened  the  school 
with  a  class  of  seven  or  eight  boys  and  girls, 
the  number  being  divided  about  equally  between 
the  sexes.  They  came  to  the  Universit}'  from  the 
upper  department  of  Elko  public  school,  or  gram- 
mar class,  and  all  had  their  homes  in  the  town  of 
Elko.  Ever}-  eff'ort  was  made  to  induce  ])U))ils  to 
come  into  the  University  from  the  other  counties 
of  the  State,  and  from  the  more  remote  portions 
of  Elko  County.  In  187(!  a  wooden  building  was 
erected  for  a  dormitory,  capable  of  accommodating 
about  twenty  or  twenty-five  boarders;  and  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Rood,  an  excellent  ladj*  and  motherly  woman, 
was  put  in  charge  of  it  as  matron.  The  building 
was  furnished  and  equipped  throughout  so  as  to 
make  pu]>ils  from  abroad  comfortable,  and  to  pro- 
vide   ibr    them   the  best  temporary    substitute    for 


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SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


225 


their  own  homes,  and  although  no  ehari^e  was  made 
for  tuition  or  lodging,  and  although  board,  the 
only  item  of  expense,  was  put  down  to  the  mini- 
mum price  practicable  in  Nevada,  thirty  dollars  per 
month,  no  more  than  three  jmpils  at  any  one  time 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunities  offered,  and 
came  from  other  counties  to  stud}'  at  the  Prepara- 
torj-  Department  of  the  State  University  at  Elko. 
But  few  pupils  in  Nevada,  unless  their  parents  were 
wealth}',  proposed  to  pursue  a  higher  course  in  the 
liberal  studies.  These,  of  course,  compared  the 
school  at  Elko,  a  one-teacher  institution,  with  those 
of  California  and  of  the  Eastern  States  (where  in 
many  instances  their  relations  and  friends  had  been 
taught),  having  a  professor  devoted  to  his  specialty 
in  every  department  of  study.  Long  established 
seats  of  learning  have  a  prestige  and  a  halo  about 
them  which  place  them  bej'ond  the  competition  of 
schools  like  that  of  Elko,  struggling  under  difficul- 
ties to  get  a  foothold.  Besides,  though  the  expenses 
of  a  pupil  at  Elko  were  as  small  as  possible,  they 
were  less  almost  anywhere  else ;  and  then  the 
surroundings  at  the  University  at  Elko  cannot  be 
considered  sufficiently  attractive  to  over-balance 
much  of  the  prejudice  that  exists  against  it. 

The  town  is  small,  containing  not  more  than  a 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  yet  maintains  many  of  the 
features  of  the  mining  camp.  It  has  no  public 
libraries.  There  is  nothing  suggestive  of  literature 
in  its  atmosphere.  While  the  country  for  miles 
around  is  a  waste  of  sage-brush,  which  grows  grey 
and  cheerless  in  a  soil,  the  abundant  alkali  of  which 
makes  the  water  of  the  country  sweetish  and 
unpalatable,  and  renders  it  extremely  dilHtjult  to 
successfullj-  cultivate  the  ordinary  sorts  of  grasses, 
shrubs  and  trees.  The  location  is  unfortunate.  The 
time  is  still  far  distant,  however,  when  a  University, 
or  an}'  high-grade  school  of  learning  can  flourish 
in  Nevada.  The  number  of  ])upils  would  be  larger 
were  the  University  located  in  any  one  of  the  sev- 
eral towns  of  Nevada  that  might  be  named.  But 
granting  all  that  the  mo.st  sanguine  upholder  of 
home  institutions  could  demand,  the  efforts  to 
maintain  a  Universitj'  in  this  Slate  can  result  in 
nothing  more  than  nominal  results.  If  all  the 
pupils  in  Nevada  who  take  a  college  course  of  study 
could  be  secured  for  our  State  institution  (in  grant- 
ing which  it  would  be  necessary  to  presume  that 
it  is  on  a  footing  to  be  at  least  compared  with 
complete  colleges  elsewhere),  they  would  not  num- 
ber fifty  in  all,  to  be  divided  into  four  classes.  In 
order  to  make  a  University  compete  with  those  of 
other  and  older  States,  presuming  that  we  have  the 
adequate  material  in  the  number  of  pupils,  the  ex- 
penses of  its  sujjport  would  bankrupt  the  common- 
wealth before  the  skeleton  of  a  class  could  be 
graduated.  But  Elko  won  the  coveted  prize  fairly. 
She  outdid  the  other  thirteen  counties  in  the  otfer  of 
inducements,  and  secured  to  herself  the  site  of  the 
only  State  institution  of  learning.    By  contributions, 


bringing  many  a  time  sacrifices  to  the  altar,  the 
people  of  this  county  contributed,  each  man  what 
he  could,  towards  building  the  edifice  already  des- 
cribed, and  furnishing  it  with  the  most  im|)n)ved 
school  furniture,  at  a  cost  not  less  than  815,000,  and 
possibly  $20,000.  The  location  of  the  University 
there  was  under  solemn  contract  between  the  State 
and  the  county.  There  is  but  little  reason  in  policj', 
and  certainly  none  in  morals,  why  it  should  be, 
now,  removed  to  anj'  other  site  in  the  State. 

D.  R.  Sessions  continued  as  principal  of  the  Pre- 
paratory Department  (the  only  department)  until 
he  removed  to  Carson,  to  take  charge  of  the  office 
of  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  January  1, 
1879,  to  which  he  had  been  chosen  by  the  people  of 
the  State  in  the  election  of  the  preceding  fall. 
Starting  in  with  the  few  pupils  spoken  of  in  1874, 
he  strove  hard  to  advance  them,  and  exerted  his 
ingenuity  in  every  way  to  increase  the  size  of  his 
class.  In  the  winter  he  would  have  about  thirty 
boys  and  girls  in  school,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
summer  term,  never  more  than  fourteen  or  fifteen. 
There  were  some  ver}'  talented  children  in  Elko 
(it  must  be  remembered  that  the  school  had  to  be 
recruited  from  this  town  and  county  almost  entirely), 
whose  intellects  he  sought  to  develop  rather  by 
working  with  them  individuall}'  than  by  class  train- 
ing, by  studying  each  one's  ])eculiar  mental  dispo- 
sition, and  applying  himself  directly  to  its  individual 
culture.  At  the  end  of  the  second  school  year  ho 
had  succeeded  in  pushing  forward  a  small  class  in 
mathematics,  so  as  to  distinguish  them  by  their 
accom])lishments  as  well  as  by  their  name  (University 
pupils),  from  any  advanced  class  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  State.  They  succeeded  in  mastering  arith- 
metic, algebra,  and  geometry,  and  were  applying 
the  principles  of  trigonometry  to  surveying  and 
navigation  when  school  closed  for  the  term.  The 
members  of  this  class,  however,  could  no  longer  be 
held,  and  went  out  to  various  occupations,  to  earn 
their  own  living.  Then,  almost  at  "bedrock."  ho 
had  to  start  out  on  his  last  two  years  of  pedagogic 
toils,  which  terminated  with  pretty  much  a  repe- 
tition of  the  same  results  jireviously  reached,  lion. 
W.  C.  Dovey  succeeded  Mv.  Sessions,  and  has  been 
in  charge  of  the  University  ever  since.  Ho  is  a 
competent  educator,  and  has  done  all  for  his  pupils 
that  could  be  exjicctcd  of  a  teacher  in  the  same 
place.  Under  his  care  and  tuition  there  has  been 
no  noteworth}'  change  in  either  the  number  of  ]iui)ils 
or  in  the  conduct  of  the  school.  As  to  the  fund 
of  the  University,  the  40,080  acres  for  the  University 
proper,  and  the  00.000  acres  Mining  College  Grant, 
it  has  not  grown  large  enough  yet,  tho  interest 
alone  on  the  sales  of  land  being  subject  to  expendi- 
ture, to  paj'  its  expenses.  The  institution  is  con- 
seciuently  maintained  by  biennial  appropriation  by 
the  Legislature  from  the  (Joneral  Fund  of  tho  State. 
The  I'rincipal's  salary,  §15,000  per  annum,  is  tho 
chief  item  of  expense. 


226 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


^^^^^.^^^^^ 


The  present  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion for  Nevada,  is  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  a 
Bon  of  Thomas  R.  and  Jane  E.  Sessions,  and  was 
born  at  Georgetown,  February  24,  1847.  His  scho- 
lastic training  prior  to  the  war  was  received  in  pri- 
vate schools,  but  after  the  bruakinir  out  of  the 
Rebellion  he  entered  the  Military  Academy  of  South 
Carolina  as  a  cadet.  When  James  Island  was  evac- 
uated the  South  Carolina  cadets,  of  whom  young 
Sessions  was  one,  acted  as  the  rear  guard  of  the 
Confederate  forces  that  withdrew  to  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  whence  ho  was  ordered  homo  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  his  State.  This  was  his  only  service  in  the 
Confederate  army,  as  he  was  but  eighteen  years  of 
ago  when  the  war  closed. 

The  result  to  his  parents  of  that  struggle  was  to 
leave  them  impoverished,  and  no  longer  able  to  ren- 
der pecuniary  assistance  to  their  son  in  his  urt'orts  to 
obtain  a  thorough  education.     He  at  once  turned  bis 


whole  energj'  in  the  direction  of  achieving  success 
in  this  line.  In  Latin  a  friend  gave  him  lessons 
for  three  weeks.  Having  no  tutor  in  the  Greek  he 
took  it  up  and  successfully  prosecuted  the  study  of 
that  language  without  a  teacher.  Eventually  he 
entered  I'rinceton  College,  and  maintained  himself 
there  for  two  years,  graduating  in  1868  with  the 
honor  of  pre-oxcellence  in  English  literature  and  the 
modern  languages. 

In  187(1,  he  came  to  Nevada,  and  became  a  teacher 
and  journalist.  In  1874,  he  received  the  appointment 
of  Principal  of  the  Nevada  State  University  at  Elko, 
and  remained  in  charge  of  that  institution  until 
called,  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  to  the  poorly  paid  but 
important  position  which  he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Sessions  is  a  married  man,  his  wife  being  a 
daughter  of  C.  N.  Note  ware,  who  was  at  one  time 
Nevada's  Secretary  of  State,  and  has  been  from 
pioneer  days  ono  of  her  prominent  men. 


SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


257 


prm.ic  SCHOOL  funds. 

Tho  law  provides  that  "  the  principal  of  all  moneys 
accruing  to  this  State  from  the  sale  of  lands  hereto- 
fore given  or  bo([iicathod.  or  that  may  hereafter  bo 
given  or  bequeathed  for  public  etchool  purpo.nos;  all 
fines  collected  under  tho  penal  laws  of  the  State;  two 
per  cent,  of  the  gross  proceeds  of  all  toll-roads  and 
bridges;  and  all  estates  that  may  escheat  to  the  Stale, 
shall  be  and  the  same  are  hereby  solemnly  pledged 
for  educational  purposes,  and  shall  not  be  transferred 
to  any  other  fund  for  other  uses,  but  shall  constitute 
an  irreducible  and  indivisible  fund,  to  be  known  as 
the  State  School  Fund,  the  interest  accruing  from 
which  shall  bo  divided  semi-annually  among  tho 
counties  in  this  State,  entitled  by  the  provisions  of 
this  Act  to  receive  the  same,  in  proportion  to  tho 
ascertained  number  of  persons  between  the  agos  of 
six  and  eighteen  years,  in  said  counties,  for  the  sup- 
port of  public  schools." 

In  addition  to  this  revenue,  a  State  ad  valorem  tax 
of  one-half  mill  on  the  dollar  is  levied  on  all  taxable 
property,  to  which  five  per  cent,  of  all  State  tax  col- 
lected is  added.  The  monej-  thus  raised  is  appor- 
tioned semi-annually  among  the  counties  by  the  State 
Superintendent.  Each  county  levies  the  necessary 
supplementary  tax.  The  amount  obtained  from  State 
tax  and  interest  on  sales  of  land  on  an  average  pays 
the  general  school  expenses  at  present  of  hardly 
more  than  one  month  of  school  year. 

The  General  Government  has  been  liberal  in  her 
donations  of  land  to  2vevada  for  school  pui'poses. 
The  first  grant  was  of  the  Sixteenth  and  Thirty-sixth 
Sections,  of  which  tjl,9l!7  acres  have  been  sold.  A 
great  deal  of  the  land  included  in  this  donation  is 
barren,  and  could  not  be  disposed  of,  so  that  Con- 
gress has  lately  given  tho  State  instead  2, ()()(), 000  of 
acres,  to  be  selected  anywhere  in  the  State.  The 
Internal  Improvement  Grant,  tho  second  in  order, 
was  originally  given  for  that  purpose,  which  the 
term  indicates,  but  was  afterwards  given  directly 
for  the  benefit  of  free  school  education,  owing  to  the 
phj^sical  conditions  in  Nevada.  These  donations, 
together  with  an  Indemnity  Grant  of  12,708  acres, 
given  in  lieu  of  land  under  the  Sixteenth  and  Thirty- 
sixth  Section  Grant,  "  last  in  place,"  make  up  a 
total  which  has  the  seeming  of  a  most  munificent 
gift.  Tho  total  number  of  acres  granted  is  2,574,- 
CG5.  Could  it  all  be  sold  at  the  fixed  ])rice  of  §1.25 
per  aero,  there  would  be  more  than  a  seeming  of 
munificence  in  the  gift.  It  would  bo  an  almost  end- 
less task  to  find  out  just  how  much  of  this  land 
has  been  sold,  and  it  is,  of  course,  imjiossible  to  tell 
how  much  moro  will  be  sold.  The  Irredeemable 
School  I'und  of  Nevada,  accumulated  almost  exclu- 
sively from  these  sales,  however,  has  to  its  credit  at 
present  nearly  8550,000.  It  is  safe  to  speculate  that 
returns  from  sales  now  incomplete,  and  new  sales 
to  bo  made,  that  this  fund  will  reach  Sl,5(l(l,0(l(l 
within  the  next  sixteen  years.  Of  the  §550,000  now 
in  hand,  all  but  835,000  is  invested  in  Nevada  State 


bonds  at  four  ])er  cent.  ])er  annum  interest,  ])ayablo 
semi-annually.  Were  not  the  land  of  this  State  so 
poor,  and  were  not  so  much  of  it  absolutely  value- 
less, the  fund  realized  from  these  sales  would  bo 
enough  aloTie  to  maintain  her  free  schools  without 
the  necessity  of  resort  to  State  or  county  taxes  for 
their  sup|)ort.  Tho  educational  officers  of  this  State 
are  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  the  State 
Board  of  Education  (composed  of  tho  Governor, 
Surveyor-General,  and  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction),  County  Suj)orintendents,  and  School 
Trustees.  The  State  Superintendent  is  elected  for 
four  years  by  vote  of  the  people;  and  he  is  paid  a 
salary  of  82,000  per  j'oar.  He  is  required  to  make 
a  biennial  report  to  the  Legislature  of  tho  condition 
of  public  instruction  in  tho  State.  He  prescribes 
forms  and  provides  blanks  for  the  County  Superin- 
tendents, who  report  to  him.  With  tho  advice  and 
consent  of  the  Board  of  Education  he  may  call  a 
State  Institute  once  a  year.  He  must  visit  the 
schools  in  each  countj'  onco  everj'  year,  his  travel- 
ing expenses  being  paid  by  appropriation. 

THE   BOARD   OP   EDUCATION 

Must  hold  semi-annual  sessions,  for  tho  purpose  of 
devising  plans  for  the  improvement  and  management 
of  the  public  school  funds,  arid  for  the  bettor  organ- 
ization of  the  public  schools  of  the  State,  and  such 
special  sessions  as  maj'  be  called  by  tho  President. 
A  full  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Board  is 
required  to  bo  kept  by  the  Secretary,  and  to  be 
embodied  in  the  annual  report  of  tho  Sui)erintendent 
of  Public  Instruction. 

The  principal  duties  of  tho  County  Superintend- 
ent, who  is  elected  by  the  people  for  two  3-cars,  is  to 
audit  bills  on  the  school  fund,  apportion  county 
school  moneys,  visit  schools,  appoint  Trustees  in 
case  of  vacancy,  and  to  act  as  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Examiners  to  test  the  (pialificatioiis  of  a|)plicant8 
for  certificates  to  toach  in  the  public  schools. 

The  School  Trustees  have  the  appointment  of 
teachers  and  the  management  of  public  schools  gen- 
erally. A  Census  Marshal  is  appointed  by  the  Trus- 
tees in  each  district,  and  he  gathers  all  tho  informa- 
tion required  by  the  State  Superintendent  once  a 
year.  In  order  that  tho  provisions  made  for  free 
education  in  the  State  might  roach  thoir  fullest  and 
most  wholesome  scope,  an  Act  was  jiassed  by  the 
Legislature  in  1873,  compelling  children  to  attend 
school.  It  has  proved  im])racticablo  to  execute  this 
compulsory  law,  owing  to  the  unsoundness  of  the 
statute  itself,  as  well  as  to  tho  condition  of  life  in 
Nevada,  which  render  its  enforcement  arduous  imd 
distasteful.     The  enactment  is  a  dead  letter. 

SECTARIANISM   IN  SCHOOLS. 

The  school  law  in  operation  since  1S(!5  provides 
that  no  books,  tracts,  or  papers  of  a  sectarian  or 
denominational  character  shall  be  used  or  introduced 
ifi  any  school  establisluMJ  umler  the  |)r<)visions  of 
this  Act;  nor  shall  any  sectarian  or  denominational 
doctrines  be  taught  therein;  nor   shall    any   school 


228 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


whatever  receive  any  of  the  public '  school  funds 
which  has  not  been  taught  in  accordance  with  the 
provisionB  of  this  Act. 

In  this  connection  it  is  somewhat  singular  to  note, 
that,  up  to  the  present  administration,  the  office  of 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  the  head 
of  the  Deiiartment  of  Education,  has  been  held  by 
ministers  of  the  gospel.  Kev.  A.  F.  White,  a  Pres- 
byterian, was  the  first  incumbent.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  A.  N.  Fisher,  a  Methodist,  who  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  S.  P.  Kelly,  a  minister  of  the 
Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  John  D.  Hammond,  a 
Methodist  minister  of  Carson  Cit}',  was  the  candi- 
date for  the  office  on  the  Re])ublican  ticket  at  the 
election  in  1878.  It  is  not  improbable  that  he  would 
have  been  elected,  for  his  party  has  seemed  to  be  in 
the  majority  in  Nevada,  had  not  the  question  of 
sectarianism  entered  into  the  political  discussions  of 
the  canvass  to  his  disadvantage. 

PRIVATE   SCUOOLS 

Are  not  numerous  in  Nevada.  The  oldest  one  of  the 
kind  is  the  Sierra  Seminar}-,  at  Carson,  before 
referred  to.  This  school  has  always,  from  its  early 
organization,  been  in  a  healthy  and  flourishing  con- 
dition. Had  the  energy  and  ability  of  its  founder. 
Miss  H.  K.  Clapp,  one  of  the  pioneer  educators  of 
this  county,  received  the  encouragement  and  sup- 
port that  the  people  of  older  States  are  able  to  give 
to  such  institutions,  the  Sierra  Seminary  of  Nevada 
would  have  been  at  the  present  time,  second  to  none 
of  the  kind  in  any  of  the  Eastern  States.  It  is, 
probably,  the  best  in  this  State  of  those  founded, 
fostered,  and  built  up  by  private  enterprise  alone. 
At  Virginia  City,  the  "  Bonanza "  people  have 
had  a  small  school  for  their  own  children, 
taught  by  a  private  tutor.  There  are  one  or  two 
others  in  the  State;  but  as  a  general  thing  they  are 
small,  and  do  not  flourish  near  free  and  well-con- 
ducted public  schools.  At  IJeno,  the  Sisters  of  the 
Catholic  Church  have  a  school  for  girls.  They 
have  a  fine,  large  building,  many  pupils  in  attend- 
ance, and  their  school  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
At  Reno,  there  is  also  a  seminarj-  for  girls  under 
the  supervision  of  Bishop  Whitaker  (an  Episcopa- 
lian), which  is  under  the  immediate  charge  of  Miss 
Sill,  the  Principal,  who  is  assisted  in  teaching  by 
several  lady  teachers.  The  institution  is  well  spoken 
of,  and  is  growing  thriftily.  There  is  a  Catholic 
orphanage  and  school  at  Virginia  City,  in  which 
there  are  from  100  to  150  girls.  It  was  established 
about  sixteen  years  ago,  under  the  ausjiices  of  the 
Order  of  St.  Joseph,  and  placed  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Sister  Fredorica,  who  continues  at  it«  head, 
assisted  by  eleven  or  twelve  Sisters.  Too  much  can- 
not be  said  in  praise  of  the  genuine  charitj-  and 
good  works  of  these  self-sacrificing  women.  Their 
teaching  is  practical,  and  intended  to  prepare  the 
oridians  under  their  care  for  the  actual  duties  of 
ordinary  life. 


A  law  was  ])assed  by  the  last  Legislature  to  helj) 
maintain  this  benevolent  institution  in  these  times  of 
business  depression  by  State  appropriations. 

To  go  further  into  the  details  of  public  education 
in  this  State  might  have  the  effect  to  render  the 
subject  even  less  interesting  than  it  is  already  re- 
garded by  the  many;  hence  this  cursory  sketch  will 
bo  now  ended  bj-  a  brief  statement  of  facts,  mainly 
statistical,  to  show  the  approximate  actual  condition 
of  education  in  the  State  of  Nevada  at  the  present 
time. 

The  school  officers  of  the  State  at  this  writing  are: 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction — David  R. 
Sessions,  A.  M.,  Carson. 

State  Board  of  Education — His  Excellency,  J.  H. 
Kinkead,  President;  Hon.  A.  J.  Hatch,  and  D.  R. 
Sessions,  Secretary. 

Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  University — Hon. 
T.  N.  Stone,  Elko;  Hon.  S.  H.  Day,  Carson;  Hon. 
J.  S.  Mayhugh,  Elko. 

Secretaiy  of  the  Board— E.  A.  Littlefield,  Elko. 

Principal  of  the  University,  Preparatory  Depart- 
ment— Hon.  W.  C.  Dovey,  Elko. 

COUNTY    SUPERINTENDENTS. 
Counties  Superiutemlenta  Post-Officc  Address. 

Churchill J.  W.  Allen St.  Clair  Station 

Douglas John  Banning Genoa 

Elko F.  F.  Midler Elko 

Esmeralda     .Ira  P.  Hale Aurora 

Eureka Gid.  J.  Scanland Eureka 

Humboldt C.  Chenoweth Winnemucca 

Lander J.  S.  Hammond,  M.  D Austin 

Lincoln G.  R.  Alexander Pioche 

Lyon J.  E.  Bray Dayton 

Nye J.  R.  Dougherty Belmont 

Ormsby .L.  S.  Greenlaw Carson 

Storcj- W.  W.  Booher Virginia  City 

Washoe Morgan  D.  Bowen Reno 

White  Pine..L.  O.  Benedict Hamilton 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  teachers  now  engaged 
in  the  profession  in  Nevada: — 

CHURCHILL   COONTY. 

Maud  M.  Hall,  H.  N.  Hurd, 

A.  C.  Gilliland,  A.  C.  Gilliland, 

Mary  J.  Smith,  J.  W.  Ferguson. 

DOUGLAS   COUNTY. 

Miss  Mott,  Miss  A.  Jennison, 

Miss  Everett,  Miss  A.  Lathrop, 

Miss  Cook,  Miss  Davis, 

Mr.  Marsh,  Mr.  Schillingor. 

EUREKA    COUNTY. 

G.  J.  Scanland,  Miss  K.  McLaughlin, 

Miss  Emma  Wright,  Miss  R.  Frank, 

Mrs.  H.  M.  Atwood,  Miss  Ella  Riley, 

Mrs.  A.  L.  Marsden,  Miss  Jennie  Recce, 

Miss  Laura  Hardy,  John  Reynolds, 

Miss  Louisa  Mau,  Miss  E.  Frank, 
<;.  J.  Reek. 


6^^y^^!o^' 


Hon.  George  Washington  Baker, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  whose  portrait  we  produce,  was  born  in  Wisconsin  while  it 
was  yet  a  Territory,  hLs  parents  having  removed  from  Oswego,  New  York,  to  that  part 
of  the  country  in  IS-ti.  George,  who  is  next  to  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  the  year  18-t5.  He  received  a  common  school  and  academic  educa- 
tion, and  attended  college  for  a  sliort  time,  but  ceased  those  studies  for  the  purpose  of 
commencing  the  study  of  the  law.  This  profession  he  studied  with  Hon.  S.  M.  Baker, 
at  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  who  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  able  lawyers,  and  one 
of  the  framers  of  the  first  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

George  W.  Baker,  was  admitted  to  tlie  Bar,  at  Elkhorn,  in  his  native  State, 
in  March,  1869,  and  immediately  thereafter  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion at  Decorah,  Winneshiek  County,  Iowa,  and  rapidly  gained  a  practice  in  the 
courts  of  that  and  adjoining  counties.  The  law  practice,  however,  in  agricultural  dis- 
tricts, being  rather  uninteresting,  and  the  compensation  being  necessarily  small,  Mr. 
Baker  determined  to  try  a  new  field,  and  accordingly  emigrated  to  Nevada,  where  he 
arrived  in  March,  1872,  and  settled  at  Eureka,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  soon 
gained  a  good  practice  in  his  profession,  and,  being  an  active  Democrat,  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Bradley  to  the  position  of  ])istrict  Attorney  for  the  new  county 
of  Eureka,  upon  its  organization.  May,  1873,  which^oftice  he  held  until  January  1,  1875. 

In  1870  Mr.  Baker  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  by  a 
large  majority,  and  took  a  very  prominent  part  in  the  proceedings  of  that  body  during 
the  session  of  1877.  Being  elected  for  the  short  term,  he  only  acted  at  one  session  of 
the  Legislature.  He  was  conspicuous  in  his  opposition  to  the  attempted  change  or  mod- 
ification of  the  so-called  "  Bullion  Tax  Law,"  having  pledged  himself  .so  to  do  to  the 
convention  by  whom  he  was  nominated;  and,  after  the  law  did  pass,  he  was  mainly  in- 
strumental, after  a  veto  by  the  Governor,  in  having  the  veto  sustained  by  the  Senate. 

In  1878  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  for  Secretary  of  State,  but  was 
defeated  by  Jasper  Babcock,  the  present  incumbent.  The  whole  ticket,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  was  beaten,  and,  it  is  said,  by  the  "  Bonanza  "  ring.  Mr.  Baker  is  at  pres- 
ent in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large  and  lucrative  law  practice  in  Eureka  and  adjoining 
counties  in  Nevada,  being  also  interested  in  railroad  and  mining  industries  in  his  sec- 
tion, and  is  thoroughly  identified  with  the  material  interests  of  the  State.  He,  in  con- 
junction with  some  other  gentlemen  of  Eureka,  were  .the  incorporators  and  promoters 
of  the  Eureka  and  Colorado  River  Railroad  Company,  which  has  resulted  in  a  compet- 
itive line  of  railroad  now  in  process  of  construction  from  Eureka  eastward  to  Salt 
Lake,  Utah.  This  road  will  add  very  materially  to  the  prosperity  and  permanency  of 
the  mining  industries  of  ea.stern  Nevada,  and  greatly  benefit  the  people  of  the  entire 
State,  extending,  by  other  connections,  to  California. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married  July  1,  1873,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Hull,  and  a  pleasant  family 
blooms  around  them. 


SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


229 


ELKO   COUNTV. 

T.  N.  Stone,  Mrs.  J.  Taylor, 

Miss  Bella  Cady,  Miss  Ida  Williams, 

Miss  S.  J.  Mcllvaino,  Miss  Emma  Ramuols, 

J.  D.  liarnes,  Miss  II.  S.  Rice, 

C.  \V.  Grover,  Miss  Lizzie  Hough, 

Miss  A.  G.  Collins,  iliss  Adilio  lIuiitiT, 

C.  \V.  Grover,  Miss  15.  Pritthard, 

J.  M.  McC'lellan,  Mrs.  D.  Hall, 
Mies  Lizzie  Dorsey,  Jliss  Julia  Frost, 

Miss  Jessie  Yeates,  Jliss  Alliee  Smith, 

Miss  llattie  Edwards,-  Miss  Sarah  Gilland, 

Mise  M.  Frost,  Mrs.  M.  L.  Lemon, 

G.  A.  Davy,  Miss  Emma  Yeates. 

ES.MERAI.DA    COUNTY. 

H.  D.  Howard,  Lou  Sprague, 

Clara  L.  Gregory,  Julia  L.  Hartz, 

Esther  Smith,  W.  T.  Buriny, 

Lottie  Pierce,  Miss  M.  Ilealey, 

Jennie  Malarkie,  Mrs.  E.  trreen. 

HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 

Mrs.  M.  H.  Breck,  Annie  M.  Morrison, 

Myra  F.  Knox,  Mi.'*s  M.  T.  Dunne, 
Florence  i).  Richardson,      Miss  Delia  AlcCoy, 

Miss  Emma  Linn,  Josie  Denio, 

Nancy  J.  Holt,  William  Perkins, 

J.  B.  Case,  Marie  Stewart. 

LANDER   COUNTY. 

John  M.  Brown,  Miss  V.  Dollarhidc, 

Miss  Fannie  J.  Work,  Miss  Ida  Fleming, 

J.  A.  Moore,  Mrs.  Mary  Organ, 

Miss  Canno  Bertrand,  Henry  M.  Warne, 

Mrs.  S.  Clifford,  E.  Craine. 

LINCOLN    COUNTY. 


E.  Wyman, 

Miss  Laura  Goodrich, 

J.  T.  Moore, 

G.  P.  Dykes, 

S.  O.  Crosby, 


Miss  E.  Ciprico, 
C.  H.  Bell, 
Miss  Kate  Glisson, 
Charles  Bell, 
Mrs.  A.  Gillerland. 


LYON    COUNTY. 

Mills  Van  Waganen,  W.  W.  Boohcr, 

Miss  Mora  Uornick,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Walker, 

Miss  Anna  Henry,  Maggie  Holmes, 

J.  E.  Bray,  Carrie  McTigue, 

Minnie  Leslie. 

NYE   COUNTY. 

J.  R.  Dougherty,  Miss  M.  M.  Godatt, 

Miss  Kate  Campbell. 

ORMSBY    COUNTY. 

H.  H.  Howe,  Miss  Mary  J.  Kelly, 

Miss  Eva  Slingcrland,  Miss  Belle  J{yan, 

Miss  Emclyn  Walter,  Miss  Lena  E.  Patten, 

Miss  Stella  Gates,  Miss  E.  C.  liabcock, 
MissK.  G.  Bardenwerper,  Ed.  Farrington, 

Miss  Annie  Martin,  Miss  Annie  Lathrop. 
29 


STOREY   COUNTY. 

C.  S.  Young,  Miss  Ilattio  May, 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Kendall,  Miss  A.  Habicht, 

iMiss  N.  A.  Everett,  Mrs.  F.  V.  McNamara, 

Miss  M.  McDonald,  MissM.  E.  Cashion, 

Miss  Ida  M.  Lynch,  Miss  K.  Neale, 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Wentworth,  Miss  A.  Holmes, 

Miss  G.  A.  E.  Wright,  Miss  M.  E.  O'Toole, 

Miss  Cassio  Henderson,  Miss  Jennie  Brophy, 

Miss  M.  F.  Hurley,  Miss  Ida  Morgan, 

Thomas  P.  McDonald,  Miss Jenniellodgkins, 

Miss  (i.  Flannigan,  Miss  F.  F.  Lynch, 

Mrs.  M.  L.  Gaston,  Miss  Dettcnreider, 

Miss  N.  R.  Lynch,  Miss  Mary  O'Farrell, 

H.  F.  Baker,  T.  B.  Gray, 

Mrs.  M.  H.  Swift,  Miss  K.  Connelly, 

Mrs.  M.  B.  Jessup,  Miss  A.  M.  Ellis, 

Mrs.  A.  M.  Potter,  Miss  K.  S.  Blakely, 

Miss  A.  M.  Sullivan,  Miss  Julia  Michelson, 

Miss  M.  Buckley,  Miss  Julia  Madigan, 

Miss  A.  B.  C.  Davis. 

WASHOE    COUNTY. 

W.  F.  Anglemeyer,  Miss  Lottie  Warren, 

Miss  Lizzie  Nyles,  Miss  Frankie  Gibbs, 

Mr.  Bristow,  Miss  .Mollie  (Jrippin, 

J.  Townsend,  Aliss  Ella  McNeely, 

Miss  Addie  Park,  Miss  S.  J.  Wilson, 

Mrs.  F.  T.  Knowlton,  ('.  B.  Murtin, 

Orvis  Ring,  Miss  (Jenie  Payne, 

Miss  L.  R.  Royce,  Miss  Minnie  Gibbs, 

Miss  E.  M.  Emery,  Miss  Flora  Norlhop, 
E.  A.  Barber. 

MlllTE    riNE   COUNTY. 

Mrs.  L.  Benedict  Mrs.  C.  L.  Walters, 

Miss  A.  Randall,  Mrs.  L.  Briggs, 

Mrs.  E.  A.  Mczgcr,  .Miss  May  Baker, 

J.  Fuller,  Miss  E.  Stanley, 

Mrs.  H.  Lake,  Miss  E.  Courtney, 

Miss  E.  Courtney. 

Of  this  corps  of  teachers  it  must  bo  said  that  they 
stand  favorable  comparison  with  the  educators  of  the 
old  States  of  the  Union.  They  are  earnest  and 
skillful.  In  the  large  school  communities,  for  exam- 
ple, in  Virginia,  Gold  Hill,  Reno  and  Eureka,  their 
schools  are  well  graded  and  advanced  almost  to  the 
maximum  proposed  in  free  school  education.  It  was 
remarked  bj'  the  Hon.  John  Swett,  one  of  the  most 
experienced  teachers  in  the  United  States,  and  now 
Principal  of  the  Girls'  High  School  in  San  Francisco, 
while  present  at  an  Institute  held  in  Virginia  City 
in  188(1,  that  it  was  a  pleasure  for  him  to  meet  the 
teachers  of  this  State,  that  he  found  them  sprightly 
and  familiar  with  the  details  of  their  work,  and  that 
they  lost  nothing  by  comparison  with  the  teadiers 
with  whom  he  was  a  co-worker  in  (,'alifornia.  Were 
it  not  out  of  order  in  giving  a  mere  sketch  or  general 
outline  of  school  affairs  in  Nevada,  the  names  of 
some  of  the  teachers  might  be  mentioned  who  would 


230 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


shine  in  their  profession  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
cultivated  educators  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
great  cities  of  the  nation,  in  which  the  art  of  teach- 

STATISTICS  FEOM  EETURNS  OF  SCHOOL  CENSUS  MARSHALS 
For  School  Year  Ending  August  31,  1880. 


ing  is  most  studied  and  advanced.  The  following 
table  gives  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  school  popu- 
lation for  1880:— 


Counties. 


2; 


23. 


i- 


Churchill. . . . 

Douglas 

Elko 

Esmeralda.. . 

Eurekii 

Humboldt..  . 

Lander 

Lincoln 

Lyon 

Nye 

Ormsby 

Storey 

Washoe 

White  Fine. . 


Totals. 


50 
IGS 
463 
147 
359 
232 
289 
27G 
20S 
100 
448 
1,87!" 
424 
180 


5,223 


2i)l 
129 
468 
128 
358 
261 
260 
242 
205 
131 
532 
2,004 
457 
165 


79 
297 
931 
275 
717 
493 
549 
518 
413 
231 
980 
3,883 
881 
345 


5,369  10,592 


18 
158 
435 
162 
445 
386 
376 
304 
214 
147 
592 
2,252 
533 
218 


6,240 


2 

31 

49 

21 

49 

35 

29 

42 

34 

2 

117 

177 

77 

28 


698 


zg 

<   cT 


z 

^ 

»  = 

es    C 

"1 

11 

n 

2:  "^ 

S-o- 

3    (t 

o 

P 

^^ 

4^ 

c  •^ 

^ 

Oi 

Km 
c 

^ 

~'< 

« 

^ 

Kr'  "^ 

o 

■    o 

o  ^ 


65 
371 
512 
265 
514 
507 
569 
410 
311 
245 
1,000 
3,4CM) 
757 
309 


9,295 


11 

52 

154 

53 

106 

106 

119 

11 

53 

21 

213 

379 

175 

78 


1,632 


3 
61 

9 

4 
14 
10 
35 
11 

9 
42 
63 
26 
27 


56 
242 
737 
162 
539 
316 
388 
329 
347 
122 
650 
2,565 
610 
243 


314  7,306 


l-lj  B 
•-J  C 

5' 3. 


11 
1 

10 

34 

51 

14 

69 

13 

9 

96 

543 

102 

I 


970 


op- 

E.05'' 


2  a 
&^ 
IK  2 

c 

o  C-. 


20 

36 

112 

71 

156 

122 

135 

115 

53 

30 

179 

763 

168 

87 


2,047 


S5  (6 
CD 

-I 

P-  2 

(K  ex 


z 

O  to  —- 


3^5 
O  P  3 

r^  ft 


as: 

□I  § 

cr 

"I 
5  % 

K  or. 


>  P 


z 


W 


3 
P. 


38 

70 

92 

171 

193 

191 

160 

52 

446 

1,532 

351 

127 


3,495 


13 
20 


37 

184 

50 

3 


360 


13 
63 
29 
20 
34 
50 
29 
25 
1 
11 
70 
311 
34 


690 


In  this  statement  nothing  is  reported  separately 
concerning  children   not  white,  i.  e.  black,  copper- 
colored,    and   yellow.       Under    the    statute,    when 
Nevada  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  there  was  no 
provision  made  for  the  education  of  any  but  white 
children.      The    color  line  is  now    rubbed  out.     In 
January,  1866,  the  first  school  for  negro  children  was 
opened  in  Virginia  City  by    a   white  man — Doctor 
Waterman.       Several    other    similar    schools    were 
started,  but  they  died  out,  owing  to  the  smallness  of 
the  negro  population  in  Nevada.     Now,  all  colors  are 
being  educated  together  in  the  same  free    schools. 
Into  whatever  part  of  the  State  you  visit  the  schools 
you  may  see  a  sprinkling  of  pupils  whose  progenitors 
unmistakably  hailed  from   Ethiopia,  or  thereabouts. 
There    are    exceedingly    few    Chinese    children    in 
Nevada,  a  mother  among  them  in  this  countiy  being 
noted  as  a  rare  spectacle.      In  one  or  two  instances 
children   of  this    race    have   studied    in    the  public 
schools  of  the  State,  but  not  ever  long  enough  to 
become   educated  in  our   language.      Some  Indian 
children  have  sat  stolidlj'  in  the  public  schools  here, 
but  their  efforts  at  education  have  been  of  a  rather 
sleepy  sort,  and  they  have  never  been  known  to  mas- 
ter  the  rudiments  before    the   sago-brush  and  the 
mountains  had  claimed  them  back  again. 

MISCELLANEOUS   STATISTICS    FOE    1880. 

Whole  number  of  Primary  Schools 81 

Whole  number  of  Intermediate  Schools 11 

Whole  number  of  Unclassified  Schools 81 

Whole  number  of  Grammar  Schools 19 


Whole  number  of  High  Schools 3 

Total  number  of  Schools 195 

Total  number  of  School  Districts. . 109 

Number  of  school  houses  built  of  brick 7 

Number  of  school  houses  built  of  wood 96 

Number  of  school  houses  built  of  adobe 1 

N  umber  of  school  houses  built  of  stone 2 

Number  of  school  houses  rented 22 

Number  of  school  houses  unfit  for  use 6 

Number  of  new  school  houses  erected 16 

Number  of  teachers — male,  92;  female,  105;  total,  197 
Average  monthly  wages  paid  male  teachers. SlOl. 47 
Average  monthly  wages  paid  female  teachers. §77.00 
Number  of  schools  maintained  less   than  three 

months 3 

Number  of  schools  maintained  only  three  months,  11 
Number  of  schools  maintained  more  than  three 

and  loss  than  six  months 29 

Number  of  schools  maintained  more  than  six  and 

less  than  nine  months 34 

Number  of  schools  maintained  nine  months  and 

over 88 

Average  number  of  months  taught  in  all  schools 

of  Nevada '^ttiV 

Number  of  teachers  who  have  made  returns  ac- 
cording to  law 180 

Number  of  teachers  who  have  failed  to  make  such 

returns 12 

Amount  of  money  expended  for  County  Insti- 
tutes   8150 


SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  NEVADA. 


231 


Number  of  First  Grade  CertificatcB  issued. . 41 

Number  of  Second  Grade  Certificates  issued . .    .   97 
Number  of  applicants  for  Certificates  rejected  by 

County  Hoards  of  Kxamination 33 

Average   salarj'  of  County  Superintendents  per 


month $48.25 

Number  of  school   visits  made  by  County  Super- 
intendents   963 

Average  rate  of  County  School  Tax  on  8100..  .33,'o\ 
Supplementary  thereto  are  the  following: — 


STATISTICS  FROM  THE  EETUENS  OF  TEACHERS  AND  TRUSTEES 
For  the  Schooi,  Year  Ending  August  31,  1880. 


COUNTIES. 


^ 

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Churchill.. 
Douglas. .. 

Elko 

Esmeralda . 

Eureka 

Humboldt. 
Lander. .  . . 
Lincoln . . . 

Lyon 

Nye 

Ormsby . . . 

Storej' 

Washoe  . . 
White  Pine 

Totals... 


52 
143 
323 

82 
323 
189 
240 
194 
232 

54 

418 

1,706 

531 

129 


4,616 


19 

87 
340 

75 
270 
181 
217 
175 
229 

67 

511 

1,645 

494 

122 


4,432 


71 
230 
6G3 
157 
593 
370 
457 
367 
401 
121 
928 
3.351 
1,025 
251 


9,045 


51 
176 
449 

120 
581 
303 
371 
278 
271 
99 
546 
2,143 
562 
190 


6,140 


43 
154 

277 
10:^ 
526 
267 
213 
250 
252 
96 
493 
2,001 
525 
102 


5,401 


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11 
22 
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41 
17 
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63 
13 


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mos. 
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851  25 

71  77 
75  45 

74  00 
95  71 
80  18 

94  50 
85  72 

95  00 

75  00 
88  75 

107  30 
71  19 
83  00 


r*    O 

0  ■ 

1  o 


0-! 


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P    3 

GO  pn 


20 
21 
77 
16 
88 
50 

100 
39 
40 
14 
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92 

294 
14 


915 


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57 
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23 
3 
6 
4 

10 


30 
.44 
.36 

7 


237 


STATISTICS  FROM  THE  RETURNS  OF  TEACHERS 
For  the  School  Year  Ending  August  31, 


AND  TRUSTEES 

1880. 


•COUNTIES. 


Churchill  .. 

Douglas 

Elko 

Esmeralda . 

Eureka 

Humboldt. 

Lander 

Lincoln 

Lyon 

Nye 

Ormsby 

Storey 

Washoe 

White  Pino 


Totals, 


b 

!? 

e-.B 

g-o 

3    P 

►1 

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o  ^ 

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s) 

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6 

10 

9 

25 

17 

52 

7 

8 

11 

62 

9 

37 

7 

46 

9 

137 

5 

114 

4 

11 

4 

71 

2 

378 

11 

31 

10 

31 

111 

1,013 

18 

89 

267 

82 

541 

185 

189 

106 

162 

46 

69 

.3,138 

379 

47 


5,518 


o-P 


o 


3 


1 

7 
10 


411 

20 


518 


3.  == 
o  2. 

'■"    3 

cr 
X   B 


6 

8 

39 

19 

1 

7 

11 

29 

111 

10 
5 
4 
4 

2 

11 


97 


<t    3    (0 

W  P  >_ 

□D     Q     rr- 

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c1-    03 


4 

8 

19 

11 

6 

11 

7 

11 

8 

4 

4 

2 

111 

12 


107 


<  « 

p  2. 

p  ,) 


12 


<1 

^  p  E. 

£    3    3 
f    ^^ 

•    7: 5' 

O    3 

'     tr 

■  o  ^ 

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17 


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10 
1 
8 
2 

13 
132 


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452 
400 
250 
,500 
800 
300 
H50 
960 
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8271,532  57 


t"^ 


a 

a- 
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841   00 


12  00 
40  00 


10  00 
37  50 
52  00 


1,060  00 
4  50 


81,257  00 


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880  00 
25  00 


.374  88 
. .75  00 
. .25  00 
.100  00 
.313  00 


2,700  00 
49 '66 


83,741  88 


232 


mSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Attention  is  called  to  the  foregoing  statement  with 
regard  to  the  value  of  school  property  in  the  coun- 
ties. It  api)ears  that  in  Storey  County  alone  this 
value,  confined  to  school  houses  almost  exclusively, 
is  8132,850.  This  speaks  for  itself,  and  is  sugges- 
tive of  the  liberalitj-  of  the  people  in  this  respect, 
when   it  is   remembered  that   there   are   not   4,000 


school  children  in  this  county.  The  school  edifices 
in  Storey  Countj-,  which  are  the  best  in  the  State, 
but  which  are  not  much  superior  to  some  school 
buildings  in  other  counties,  are  large,  built  on  the 
best  plans,  in  excellent  taste,  and  comprise  all  the 
improvements  suggested  by  the  art  of  modern  school 
architecture,  being  well  ventilated,  and  convenient. 


SUOWING  THE  TRANSACTIONS  IN  THE  SEVERAL  COUNTY  SCHOOL  FUNDS 
Fob  the  ScnooL  Year  Ending  August  31,  1879. 


COUNTIES. 


Churchill  .. 

Douglas 

Elko 

Esmeralda  . 
Eureka  . . . . 
Humboldt. 

Lander  

Lincoln 

Lyon 

Nye 

Ormsby 

Storey 

Washoe 

White  Pine 

Totals  . . . 


ISCOME. 


1^ 


'CR 


O 

o 
•  o 

3 

p 

3 


> 

III 

3    CO,. 

3  «  " 
5  S.  ffl 

:  ■?  g. 


c  2. 
3   < 


$299 

374 
(>5 
2,434 
0,580 
1,994 
2,264  46 

899  40 

520 

469 

375 
3,164 
5,672 
1,801 


826,914  88 


8298  51 

1,159  55 

3,361  71 

1,134  96 

2,294  51 

1,666  46 

1,921  65 

1,876  58 

1,524  22 

803  08 

3,429  48 

15,864  90 

3,593  37 

1,569  28 


840,498  26 


8668  04 
3,850  69 
8,101  95 
3,289  28 
7.S72  62 
4,709  15 
5,006  17 
2.350  14 
7,005  48 
1,682  30 
9,689  59 
51,472  : 
8.662  99 
2,548  70 


8116,909  37 


^==3  ! 


;  ^w 

■  2. -5' 

'  «  2 


2:3 


P>  to 
ST  o 

tS2. 
Zi  < 

?  a. 


8402  45 

4,943  08 

2.859  64 

910  75 


3,362  15 
1,375  12 


813,853  19 


a  :r.3 

o  g  o 

O  g  B 

C  3  3 

3:  crt- 

-  ^  <n 

n  g  2. 


83.300  00 

2,503  60 

93  30 


85,896  90 


1-3 

o 


3 

a 
o 

3 

a 


81,265  75 
5,384  26 

11,528  74 
6,858  33 

17.150  33 

13,312 

12.051 
6,036  87 
9,049  77 
2,955  15 

16,794 

76,367 

19,397 
5,919 


92 


30 
63 
56 
21 


§204,072  60 


SHOWING  EXPENDITURES  FROM  COUNTY  SCHOOL  FUNDS 
For  the  School  Year  Ending  August  31,  1879. 


COUNTIES. 


Churchill . . 

Douglas 

Elko 

Esmeralda  . . 
Eureka.  . . . 
Humboldt  . . 
Ijandcr  .  . . 
Lincoln .... 

Lyon 

.Nye 

Ormsby 

Storey* .... 
Washoe  . .  . 
White  Pine 


KXPESDITVRES. 


p_ 

— .  o 

'  a 
I  cr 
I  o 


81,251 
4,770 

11,473 
4,045 
9,610 
5,817 
6,243 
5,001 
6,083 
1,767 

12,535 


11,829 
3,418 


Totals $83,848  06  $9,930  74 


p  —  ir 

3  3   ■ 

5  P  §: 

6  S'o. 


$305  33 


500  00 

2,806  25 

2,793  74 

122  25 

1,505  95 


1,837  22 


p  P 


p 

3 


$36  38 


$36  38 


Wg 


X  ?-J- 


$200  06 


1 


604 
712 
510 
732 
418 
883 
212 
2,918 


902  33 
630  98 


$9,726  67 


X 

O 

3 


$1,251 

5,275 

11,473 

4,649 

11,823 

9,230 

9,769 

5,542 

8.472 

1,980 

15,453 

75,737 

14,569 

4.048 


8179,278  88 


o  o 

O  3 

a  p 

S  = 


$13 

108 

55 

2.208 

5,327 

4,0S2  44 

2,282  20 
494  74 
577  10 
974  86 

1,340  35 
630  00 

4.828  28 

1.870  23 


$25,793  72 


kJ  £.  c- 
o  o  ® 

•^°>  ■s 

'    o   & 

'     <B 

!  ®  p 


Unknowu. 


$367  5» 


245  46 
3,000  00 


135  17 


$3,748  13 


*  Could  get  no  fuller  report  from  Trcisurer. 


ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  F.  AND  A.  Jf 


233 


As  showinj;  the  fiiiiincial  transaotioiis  of  the  schools 
by  counties  the  foregoing  table  is  valuable.  It  is 
taken  instead  of  a  similar  report  for  1880,  as  in  this 
year  there  was  no  report  from  Storey  County,  which 
is  the  most  important  in  the  State. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 

The  Order  of  Freemasonry  —  Speculative  Freemasonry  —  Ma- 
sonry on  tlie  Pacific  Coast — Carson  Lodge,  No.  1 — Washoe 
Lodge,  No.  2 — Virginia  Lodye,  No.  3 — Amity  Lodge,  No.  4 
— Silver  Star  Lodge,  No.  5 — Esmeralda  Lodge,  No.  (i — Kscu- 
rial  Lodge,  No.  7— Lander  Lodge,  No.  8 — Valley  Lodge,  No. 
9 — Austin  I^dge,  No.  10 — Oasis  Lodge,  No.  II — Douglas 
Lodge,  No.  12 — Reno  I»dge,  No.  IS — White  Pine  liodge. 
No.  14 — Elko  Lodge,  No.  15 — Eureka  Lodge,  No.  10 — Hum- 
boldt Lodge,  No.  17 — St.  John  Lodge,  No.  18 — Witinemucca 
Ivodge,  No.  19 — Palisade  Lodge,  No.  20 — Tuscarora  Lodge, 
No.  21 — Hope  Lodge,  N'o.  U.  I). — The  (!rand  Lodge,  F.  and 
A.  M.,  of  Nevada — Mount  Moriali  Lodge,  of  Utah — Eastern 
Star  Chapters  —  Electa  Chapter,  No.  5 — Friendship  Ch.ip- 
ter,  No.  1 — Subordinate  Chapters  of  Nevada — Lewis  Chap- 
ter, No.  1 — Virginia  Chapter,  No.  2 — Austin  Chapter,  No. 
3 — White  Pine  Chapter,  No.  4 — St.  Johns  Chapter,  No.  5 
— Keystone  Chapter,  No.  (i — Reno  Chapter,  No.  7 — Gold 
Hill  Chapter,  No.  S — (ieneral  Grand  Chapter  of  Nevada — 
Knights  Templars — De  Witt  Clinton  Commandery,  No.  1  — 
Eureka  Commandery,  No.  2 — Silver  Lodge  of  Perfection, 
Scottish  Rite  No.  1 . 

THE    ORPER    OK    FREEMASONRY. 

This  is  the  oldest  secret  organization  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world,  and  the  cdiurities  it  has  disjjensed 
have  been  of  inestimable  value  to  mankind.  Its 
spread  throughout  every  clime,  and  its  introduction 
into  all  civilized  communities  of  the  globe,  even  in 
opposition  to  bigotry;  its  steady  and  progressive 
march  and  constantly  augmenting  numbers,  is  ample 
proof  of  its  unbounded  popularity,  and  its  beneficial 
designs. 

The  origin,  though  somewhat  enveloped  in  the 
mists  of  remote  antiquity,  is  genci'ally  conceded  to 
date  from  the  time  of  the  building  of  King  Solomon's 
Temple.  At  that  time  its  members  were  operative 
architects,  and  their  skill  was  displayed  in  every 
structure  reared  at  that  period.  Operative  Masons 
were  known  to  liritain  as  early  as  the  year  287. 
During  the  invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Danes,  between 
the  years  835  and  870,  nearly  all  the  convents, 
churches,  and  monasteries  were  destroyed,  and  with 
them  the  records  and  ancient  documents  of  the  Order 
which  had  been  deposited  in  the  convents.  Fifty 
years  afterward,  King  Athelstan  desire<l  his  ado])ted 
son  Edwin,  who  had  been  taught  the  science  of 
architecture,  to  assemble  in  the  year  n2(i,  in  the  city 
©f  York,  all  the  Lodges  of  Freemasons  scattered 
throughout'the  country,  that  they  might  be  recon- 
structed according  to  their  ancient  laws.  This  done 
he  confirmed  to  them  all  the  privileges  which  they 
desired,  and  at  the  same  time  presented  to  the  assem- 
bled Masons  the  immortal  document  known  as  the 
Charter  of  York.  Thereafter  Freemasonry  flour- 
ished to  an  extraordinary  degree  in  all  civilized  lands. 

About  the  year  1G4!),  the  difterent  lo<lge8  in  Eng- 
land and  Scotland  having  admitted  manj'  honorary 
members  into  the  society,  generally  for  the  influence 


they  wieliled  rather  than  for  any  <|Ualification  ])er- 
taining  to  the  original  design  of  the  Order  they  may 
have  possessed,  Masonr)'  in  its  speculative  character 
became  a  matter  of  earnest  discussion.  With  the 
completion  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  in  the  cit^'  of 
London,  the  occupation  of  operative  Masons  .seems 
to  have  been  brought  to  a  close;  for  we  find  that 
in  the  year  1703,  the  I^odgo  of  St.  Paul,  so  named 
because  the  operative  Masons  engaged  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Cathedral  held  their  lodge  in  a  building 
situated  in  the  church-j'ard  on  its  grounds,  passed 
an  important  resolution,  the  object  of  which  was 
evidently  to  augment  its  numbers,  and  thereby 
enlarge  the  area  for  the  bestowal  of  its  benefits. 
That  resolution  was  as  follows: — 

Resolved,  That  the  privileges  of  Masonry  shall  no 
longer  be  confined  to  operative  Jlasons,  but  be  free 
to  men  of  all  ])rof'essioiis,  provided  that  the}-  arc 
regularly  approved  and  initialed  into  the  fraternity. 

This  important  decision  entirely  changed  the  face 
of  the  society,  and  transformed  it  into  what  we  find 
it  to-day — a  praiseworthy  institution,  existing  as  the 
conservator  of  art,  religion  and  tradition,  and  per- 
petuating by  the  beautiful  allegories  of  its  legends 
and  symbols,  its  eminently  humanitarian  doctrines. 

SPECULATIVE   FREEMASONRY. 

In  the  short  space  of  twenty-five  j-ears,  specu- 
lative Freemasonry  spread  itself  in  a  manner  but 
little  less  than  miraculous,  into  nearly  every  portion 
of  the  civilized  world.  J'assing  from  England  to 
France  as  earlj-  as  1725,  thence  to  Belgium,  to  Hol- 
land, to  Germany,  to  America;  subsequently  to 
Portugal,  Spain,  Italy,  Switzerland,  to  Sweden,  and 
to  Poland.  Lodges  were  to  bo  found  as  early  as 
1740  in  Denmark,  in  Bohemia,  in  Russia,  in  the 
Antilles,  in  Africa,  and  in  the  British  Possessions 
in  Hindostan.  The  missing  link  in  Masonry,  which 
made  the  chain  complete  around  the  world,  was 
welded  at  Japan,  in  the  year  1874,  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  lodge  in  that  country — the  only  land  in 
the  world  at  that  time  where  the  Order  had  not 
established  a  foot-hold.  Masonry  now  belts  the 
globe.  Taking  pattern  from  it,  all  other  secret  asso- 
ciations have  sprung  into  life;  but  none  have  j-et 
reached  an  equal  popularity,  and  probably  the  most 
prosperous  of  these  will  always  remain  behind  ita 
more  antique  paternal  instigator.  ^ 

If  Freemasonrj'  has  ceased  to  erect  temples;  if 
it  has  ceased  to  engage  in  material  architecture;  if 
it  no  longer  exhibits  itself  in  the  elevation  of  spires 
and  turrets,  or  points  from  which  eyes  may  be 
directed  and  hopes  ascend  toward  a  better  and  hap- 
jiier  world;  it  has  not  less  continued  its  work  of 
intellectual  and  moral  culture;  and  its  success  in 
this  respect  has  been  far  more  satisfactory  than 
those  who  planned  its  design  as  a  speculative  insti- 
tution ever  ho])eil  to  achieve.  Its  spirit  is  immortal; 
its  wonderful  craft  is  voiced  in  the  towering  ])yra- 
mids  and  monumental  obelisks  of  Egypt.  It  will 
live  and  thrive  as  long  as  mankind  exists. 


234 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


MASONRY    ON    THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

With  the  argonauts,  who  came  in  search  of  the 
golden  treasures  of  California  in  1849,  were  parties 
who,  previous  to  leaving  their  homes  at  the  East, 
had  formed  themselves  into  companies  for  either 
mining  or  commercial  purposes,  or  both,  as  well  as 
for  mutual  protection.  Several  of  these  organiza- 
tions were  comprised  mainly  of  Masons,  and  had, 
previous  to  setting  out  upon  their  journey  to  the  far 
West,  applied  to  the  lodges  where  they  were  made 
for  permits,  or  dispensations,  to  open  lodges  and 
"  work  "  when  opportunity  offered.  These  dispen- 
sations eventually  became  the  nuclei  around  which 
some  of  the  first  Masonic  Lodges  of  California 
formed. 

The  following  incident  will  show  that,  although 
no  lodges  were  organized  until  the  spring  of  1850, 
the  brethren  of  the  mystic  tie  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
nevertheless  forgot  not  their  charitable  duties,  even 
among  the  allurements  attendant  u]>on  those  flush, 
golden  times  of  the  earlier  days: — 

The  first  Masonic  funeral  that  over  took  place  in 
California  occurred  in  the  j-ear  1849,  and  was  per- 
formed over  the  body  of  a  brother  found  drowned 
in  the  bay  of  San  Francisco.  On  the  body  of  the 
deceased  was  found  a  silver  mark  of  a  Mark  Master, 
upon  which  were  the  initials  of  his  name.  A  little 
further  investigation  revealed  to  the  beholders  the 
most  singular  exhibition  of  Masonic  emblems  that 
were  ever  drawn  by  the  ingenuity  of  man  upon  the 
human  skin.  There  is  nothing  in  the  history  or 
tradition  of  Masonry  equal  to  it.  Beautifully  dotted 
on  his  loft  arm,  in  red  and  blue,  which  time  could  not 
efface,  appeared  all  the  emblems  of  Entered  Appren- 
tice. There  were  the  Holy  Bible,  the  square,  and 
the  compass,  the  twenty-four  inch  guage,  and  the 
common  gavel.  There  weru  also  the  Mosaic  pave- 
ment, representing  the  ground  floor  of  King  Solo- 
mon's Temple,  the  identical  tassel  which  surrounds 
it,  and  the  blazing  star  in  the  center.  On  his  right 
arm,  artisticallj'  executed  as  the  others,  were  em- 
blems pertaining  to  the  Fellow  Craft,  the  plumb,  the 
square,  and  the  level.  There  were  also  the  five 
columns,  rei)rcsenting  the  five  Ordci's  of  Archi- 
tecture— the  Tuscan,  Doric,  Ionic,  Coritithian,  and 
Composite. 

In  removing  his  garments  from  his  body,  the 
trowel  presented  itself,  with  all  the  tools  of  opera- 
tive Masonry,  besides  all  the  emblems  pertaining  to 
the  degree  of  a  Master  Mason.  Conspicuously  on 
his  breast  were  the  Lights  of  Masonry.  Over  his 
heart  was  the  Pot  of  Incense.  On  the  other  parts 
of  his  body  were  the  bee-hive,  the  book  of  constitu- 
tions, guarded  by  the  Tyler's  sword;  the  sword 
pointing  to  a  naked  heart;  the  all-seeing  eye;  the 
anchor  and  ark;  the  hour-glass;  the  forty-seventh 
problem  of  Euclid;  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  and  comet; 
the  throe  steps,  emblematical  of  youth,  manhood 
and  old  ago.  Admirably'  executed  was  the  wce])ing 
virgin,  reclining  on  a  broken  column,  upon  which  lay 


the  book  of  the  constitutions.  In  her  left  hand  she 
held  the  Pot  of  Incense — emblem  of  a  pure  heart — 
and  in  her  uplitted  hand  a  sprig  of  acacia — the  em- 
blem of  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  Immediately 
beneath  her  stood  winged  Time,  with  his  scythe  by 
his  side — which  cuts  the  brittle  thread  of  life — and 
the  hour-glass  at  his  feet — which  is  ever  reminding 
•  us  that  our  lives  are  withering  away.  The  withered 
and  attenuated  fingers  of  the  destroyer  were  deli- 
catelj-  ])laced  amid  the  long  and  gracefully  flowing 
ringlets  of  the  disconsolate  woman.  Thus  were  the 
striking  emblems  of  mortality  and  immortality  beau- 
tifully blended  in  one  pictorial  representation. 

It  was  a  spectacle  such  as  Masons  never  saw 
before,  and  in  all  probability  such  as  the  fraternity 
will  never  witness  again.  A  large  concourse  attended 
the  burial;  the  impressive  service  of  the  craft  was 
read;  the  sprig  of  acacia  was  dropped  into  the  grave 
by  the  hands  of  men  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe; 
the  grand  honors  were  given,  and  the  stranger  was 
entombed  in  the  last  resting-place  allotted  to  man- 
kind.    His  name  was  never  known. 

CARSON    CITY    LODGE,    NO.    154. 

This  was  the  first  lodge  of  Masons  established 
between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
On  the  third  day  of  February,  1802,  a  dispensation 
was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of 
California,  upon  the  petition  of  the  following-named 
persons,  to  organize  a  lodge:  Philip  Stoner,  II.  B. 
Ellis,  F.  A.  Tritle,  F.  W.  Peters,  J.  W.  Wayman,  W. 
C.  Phillips,  Seymour  Pixley,  D.  L.  Britton,  Herman 
Armer,  Wellington  Stewart,  W.  B.  King,  H.  F.  Rice, 
Abraham  Curry,  and  Henry  Grice.  After  working 
under  the  dispensation  until  the  fifteenth  day  of 
Maj-  the  same  year,  a  charter  was  gi-anted,  and  Car- 
son City  Lodge,  No.  154,  had  legal  masonic  existence 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Cal- 
ifornia. 

Its  first  officers  named  in  the  charter  were  Marcus 
I).  Larrowe,  W.  M.;  Edward  J.  Smith,  S.  W.;  and 
Henry  J{ice,  J.  W. 

The  first  lodge  meeting  was  at  Carson  City,  under 
the  dispensation,  on  the  thirteenth  of  February, 
18C2,  at  which  time  subordinate  olficors  were  elected 
and  by-laws  adopted.  At  its  second  communication 
on  the  twentieth  of  February,  ten  candidates  who 
desired  "  light "  knocked  for  admission,  and  it 
thenceforward  prospered.  It  continued  its  allegiance 
to  the  authorized  power  which  created  it,  until  some 
time  in  January,  1805,  when  the  Grand  JiOdge  of  the 
State  of  Nevada  was  organized,  which  ordered  new 
charters,  with  new  numbers  for  all  the  lodges  within 
its  jurisdiction.  Accordingly  Carson  City  Lodge, 
No.  154,  of  California,  under  the  new  regime  merged 
into 

CARSON    LODGE,    NO.    1, 

Of  Nevada.  At  that  time  its  membership  was  about 
fifty,  which  continued  to  increase  until  1877  when 
the  maximum    of    138  was    reached.      The   Grand 


ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 


235 


Lodge  Report  of  1880  shows  oiilj-  107  names — 
only  one  of  these  beinj^  of  the  originiil  c-harter  mem- 
bei-8 — that  of  Ferd.  \V.  Peters. 

The  Iodide  has  no  hall  of  its  own,  thoui;h  finan- 
cially in  good  circumstances.  Its  lodge  proportj- 
and  cash  assets  are  estimated  at  $3,500 — probably 
too  low. 

Among  its  Past  Masters  it  numbers  the  following 
names:  Henry  G.  Blasdel,  Charles  Martin,  Jacob 
Tobriner,  Benjamin  F.  Foster,  Horatio  S.  Mason, 
Benjamin  Kdson,  JJobcrt  \V.  Bollen,  and  Henry  L. 
Tickner. 

Its  present  officers  are  Benjamin  F.  Foster,  \V. 
M.;  Trenmor  Coffin,  S.  W.;  John  S.  Cheney,  J.  \V.: 
George  Tufly,  Treasurer;  Charles  Martin,  Secrctarj^; 
George  B.  Hill,S.  D.;  Pearls  B.  Ellis,  J.  D.;  William 
Anderson  and  John  J.  Singleton,  Stewards  ;  Ferdi- 
nand \V.  Peters,  Tyler. 

Its  location  is  Carson  City,  Ormsby  County,  and 
its  stated  communications  the  third  Thursday  in 
each  month. 

WASHOE    LODGE,    NO.    2. 

This  lodge  was  authorized  by  dispensation  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  California  on  the  twentj'-fillh  of 
July,  18G2,  and  on  the  fourteenth  of  May,  lSt;8,  was 
chartered  as  Washoe  Lodge,  No. — ,  of  California,  the 
charter  naming  the  following  officers:  George  W. 
Brown,  W.  M.;  R.  R.  Johnson,  S.  W.;  Thomas  B. 
Prince,  J.  W. 

The  present  Secretary  reports  the  first  officers 
(probably  under  dispensation)  to  have  been  I).  J. 
Gloyd,  W.  M.;  P.  E.  Shannon,  S.  W.;  R.  R.Johnson, 
J.  W.;  James  H.  Sturtuvant,  J.  K.  Lovcjoy  and  A. 
W.  Stowe. 

The  fii-st  report  made  by  the  lodge  was  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1863,  giving  a  membership  at  that  time  of 
nineteen.  In  1804  the  number  is  given  at  thirty- 
five. 

In  18G5  in  common  with  all  the  other  lodges  in 
Nevada,  which  had  been  instituted  by  virtue  of  the 
authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  ('al- 
ifornia,  Washoe  Lodge  transferred  its  allegience  from 
its  parental  Grand  Lodge  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
State  of  Nevada.  Its  membership  increased  to  fifty- 
eight  in  18G8,  and  then  the  number  declined  gradu- 
ally, until  the  Grand  Lodge  Report  of  1880  places  it 
at  tliirt^'-five. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  given  as 
follows:  Ihdl  Iniilding  and  lodge  furniture  8800; 
bills  receivable,  §2,500.     Total,  83,300. 

The  present  officers  are  Council  F.  Wootten,  W- 
M.;  Sanford  M.  Place,  S.  W.;  William  Foote,  J.  W; 
Cyrus  A.  Lee,  Treasurer;  John  H.  llarcourt.  Secre- 
tary; Francis  JI.  Smith,  S.  1).;  William  Morgan,  W. 
D.  Hardin,  Stewar<ls;  Phil.  E.  Hardin,  Tyler. 

Past  Masters — William  Foote,  Charles  N.  Harris, 
George  JJobinson  and  Council  F.  Wootten. 

Its  location  is  Washoe  City,  and  stated  communi- 
cations are  held  Saturdaj'  evenings  of  or  next  pre- 
ceding full  moon. 


VIRGINIA    LODOE,  NO  3. 

On  the  fifteenth  daj-  of  January,  1863,  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  California  issued  its  dispensation  authoriz- 
ing the  establishment  of  a  lodge  at  Virginia  City,  and 
on  the  Iburteenth  of  May  following  granted  the 
charter  for  Virginia  City  Lodge,  No.  162,  the  officers 
named  therein  being,  William  H.  Howard  (P.  G.  M. 
of  California)  W.  M.;  Joseph  De  Bell,  S.  W.,  and 
James  S.  Kellej',  J.  W. 

Membership  before  a  change  of  jurisdiction  was 
made  reached  100,  and  thereafter  steadily  gained 
until  1878  when  it  was  highest,  213.  In  IS.'^O  ac- 
cording to  the  Grand  Lodge  Report  it  had  declined 
to  184. 

Since  its  organization  it  has  disbursed  in  charities 
nearly  812,000.  The  present  financial  condition  of 
the  lodge  is  reported  to  be  good. 

The  pi-esent  officers  are  William  McMillan,  W. 
M.;  AVilliam  Coyne,  S.  W.;  John  Cameron,  J.  W.; 
George  II.  Dana,  Treasurer;  Lee  McGowan,  Secre- 
tary; Charles  Harper,  S.  D.;  J.  E.  Lawrence,  J.  D.; 
W.  W.  Treat  and  F.  C.  Bishop,  Stewards;  Elbert  S. 
Kincaid,  T^-ler. 

Past  Masters — Albert  Hires,  John  C.  Currie,  P.  G. 
M.;  Michael  J.  Henley  and  James  H.  Dyer.  Loca- 
tion, Virginia,  Storey  County.  Stated  communica- 
tions, second  Wednesday  in  each  month. 

The  great  fires  which  devastated  \'irginia  in  1875, 
having  destroyed  all  buildings  in  which  lodges  were 
held,  and  leaving  no  suitable  place  wherein  the 
brethren  of  the  mystic  tie  could  meet,  determined 
the  Masonic  fraternity  of  Virginia  Lodge,  No.  3  to 
imitate  the  earlier  jiatrons  of  the  craft  who  were 
wont  to  hold  their  meetings  on  the  tops  of  the  high- 
est hills  or  in  the  lowest  valleys.  Thoj' resolved  to 
open  the  lodge  upon  a  mountain  top.  This  thej'  did, 
and  the  following  account  of  it  is  taken  from  the 
Territorial  Enterprise  of  September  9,  1875: — 

THE    .MASONS   ON    THE    MOUNTAINS. 

The  top  of  Mount  Davidson  is  by  actual  measure- 
ment 7,827  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  apex 
from  which  the  flag-staft"  rises  is  1,622  feet  above  the 
level  of  B  Street,  corner  of  Taylor.  The  summit  is 
3,500  feet  west  of  the  city,  so  that  in  a  straight  lino 
from  B  Street,  corner  of  Taylor,  to  the  foot  of  the  riag- 
staff,  it  is  a  little  over  3,857  feet,  or  not  far  from  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  But  by  the  traveled  route  the 
distance  is  long  and  tedious.  Footmen  can  go  direct 
over  the  track  run  by  the  racers.  Horse  and  foot 
can  )iass  through  Taylor  Street  and  Taj'lor  Ravine  to 
the  ridge,  and  thence  to  the  summit.  Bullion  Ravine 
is  passable  for  horsemen  by  skirting  the  eastern  base 
of  the  mountain  and  winding  to  tho  west  of  the  ])eak. 
Besides  these,  there  is  the  route  by  the  way  of  the 
Ophir  grade  to  the  top  of  the  ridgo  to  the  west,  and 
thence  back  east  to  the  top.  This  is  the  route  by 
which  most  of  the  carriages  made  the  summit. 

THE    I.ODliE. 

Never  since  the  morning  stars  sang  their  lullaby 
over  the   cradled  earth   was  there  a  more  perfect 


236 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


representation  of  a  Masonic  Lodge-room  than  the 
one  in  which  the  members  of  Viri<inia.  No.  3,  and 
their  visiting  brethren  held  communication  yester- 
day. This  existed  not  only  in  the  charter,  the 
greater  and  the  lesser  lights,  and  the  number  requi- 
site to  compose  a  lodge,  but  it  was  literally  bounded 
but  bj*  the  extreme  points  of  the  compass.  Its  dimen- 
sions from  east  to  west  embraced  every  clime  from 
north  to  south.  Its  covering  was  no  less  than  the 
cloud}-  canopy;  and  it  is  only  where  this  is  wanting 
that  the  literal  supports,  the  three  great  pillars  of 
wisdom,  strength  and  beauty,  are  needed.  But, 
metaphoricallj',  they  were  all  there,  for  where,  in  a 
lodge-room,  was  ever  seen  such  wisdom  to  contrive, 
strength  to  support,  and  beauty  to  adorn?  Verily, 
it  was  a  meeting  in  the  temple  of  Deity,  and  the  wis- 
dom, strength  and  beauty  which  are  about  His  throne 
were  present  in  the  symmetry,  order  and  grandeur 
of  this  primitive  lodge-room.  It  was  a  lodge,  the 
dimensions  of  which,  like  the  universal  chain  of 
friendship  of  the  Order,  included  the  entire  human 
family.  Upon  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  and  a  little 
south  of  the  flag-staff. 

AN   ALTAR   OF    ROUdll    ASHLAR 

Had  been  improvised,  wherein  rested  the  three  great 
lights  of  Masonrj'.  Beside  them  stood  the  rc])re- 
sentatives  of  the  three  lesser  lights.  Bude  chains  had 
also  been  built  of  rough  granite  i'or  the  Worshipful 
Master,  Senior  and  Junior  Wardens,  while  the  Dea- 
cons found  ample  accommodations  among  the  bowl- 
ders around.  A  large  "  G  "  had  been  cut  from  sheet- 
metal  and  nailed  to  the  flag-staff.  The  Tj'ler  was 
indeed  in  trouble,  for  in  such  a  jilace  how  could  the 
lodge  be  duly  tyled  in  accordance  with  modern  usage. 
But,  under  the  direction  of  the  Worshipful  Master,  a 
row  of  pickets,  designated  by  white  badges  on  their 
left  arms,  were  stationed  all  around  the  summit. 
They  were  near  each  other,  so  that  none  could  pass 
or  repass  without  permission.  In  that  way  the 
approach  of  cowens  and  eavesdroppers  was  eftect  ually 
guarded  against.  On  reaching  the  summit  the 
brethren  busied  themselves  with  dispensing  and  par- 
taking of 

CORN,    WINE,   AND   OIL. 

A  bounteous  collation  had  been  prepared  by  the 
lodge,  and  members  were  mostly  well  ])rovided  with 
the  means  of  refreshments,  nourishment  and  joy. 
These  were  dispensed  with  a  liberal  hand.  All  were 
welcome  and  partook  with  an  a|)petite  sharpened  bj' 
the  labor  of  the  ascent  and  the  fresh  air  which  swept 
the  summit  with  a  freedom  known  only  to  Washoe 
zephyrs.  While  all  this  was  going  on,  the  members 
of  Virginia  Lodge,  So.  3,  and  visiting  brothers,  were 
engaged  in  registering  their  names.  Instead  of  the 
regular  lodge  register,  large  sheets  of  drawing-paper 
had  been  prepared  to  receive  the  signatures,  with  a 
view  to  framing  them  and  hanging  them  among  the 
adornments  of  their  lodge-room  when  it  is  ready  for 


dedication.  This  work  of  obtaining  the  names  of 
those  present  took  upwards  of  two  hours.  At  length 
the  hour  of  opening  having  arrived,  the  craft  were 

CALLED  FROM  REFRESHMENT  TO  LABOR 

By  the  sounding  of  the  gavel  in  the  east.  The  task  of 
clothing  was  also  a  tedious  one.  Ample  provision 
had  been  made  for  this,  but  some  of  the  brethren 
present  were  compelled  to  improvise  the  emblem  of 
innocence  and  badge  of  a  Mason  by  making  a  white 
apron  of  their  pocket-handkerchiefs.  It  was  found, 
however,  to  be  impracticable  to  satisfy  the  presiding 
ofiicer  that  ail  present  were  Master  Masons,  and  a 
special  dispensation  was  granted  by  Bobert  W.  Bol- 
len.  Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master  of  Nevada,  that 
the  lodge  be  opened  then  and  there,  without  form, 
for  the  regular  transaction  of  business.  The  opening 
ode  was  therefore  sung  by  the  lodge  quartette,  com- 
posed of  Professor  E.  J.  Pasmore,  George  N.  Eells,  C. 
L.  Foster  and  G.  W.  Dorwin;  a  brief  prayer  was 
offered  up  by  Bev.  J.  D.  Hammond,  and  the  white 
Masonic  flag,  more  ancient  than  the  Golden  Fleece  or 
Boman-  Eagle,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  displaj'ed  from  the  top  of  Mount  Davidson. 
As  the  wind  unwrapt  its  folds  and  displayed  the 
square,  compass  and  letter  G  emblazoned  thereon,  it 
was  greeted  by  three  cheers  and  a  tiger  that  must 
have  been  heard  for  miles  around.     The 

LOD(iE  WAS  THEN  DECLARED  DULY  OPENED, 

The  following  officers  being  present,  /o  wit:  — 

Albert  Hires,  W.  M.;  Alexander  Dunn,  S.  W.; 
Charles  Harper,  J.  W.;  George  H.  Dana,  Treasurer; 
G.  F.  Ford,  Secretary;  Philip  Seldner,  S.  D.;  John 
Cameron,  J.  D.;  John  Farnsworth,  W.  P.  Blight, 
Stewards;  J.  A.  McQuarrie,  Marshal;  C.  L.  Fisher, 
Chaplain;  E.  J.  Pasmore,  Organist;  E.  S.  Kincaid, 
Tyler;  Thomas  P.  Jones,  E.  Chamberlain,  Alexander 
G.  Cowan,  James  W.  Sill,  John  Abbott,  William  J. 
McMillan,  David  L.  Jones,  G.  W.  Bobertson,  J.  H. 
Dyer  and  T,  X.  Goyette,  Sentinels. 

It  will  not  be  amiss  in  this  connection  to  state 
that 

THE   JEWELS    WORN 

By  the  officers  of  the  lodge  have  just  been  subjected 
to  a  fiery  ordeal.  They  were  made  of  Ophir  bullion 
in  the  j'ear  1863,  at  the  order  of  the  late  Col.  W.  H. 
Howard,  and  by  him  presented  to  the  lodge.  Their 
cost  was  S5()().  They  were  saved  from  the  destruc- 
tion which  laid  waste  the  Masonic  Hall  in  the  early 
summer,  but  the  fire  of  last  Friday  morning  found 
them  in  the  hall  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  where  the  lodge 
met  after  being  burned  out.  They  were  mourned 
over  as  lost,  but  Were  finally  dug  out  of  the  ashes 
nearly  perfect,  but  a  single  one  being  missing.  Some 
of  those  recovered  have  had  portions  melted  away, 
but  there  is  enough  left  to  show  the  original  design 
and  to  carry  the  identity  on  down  to  future  genera- 
tions. There  were  also  present  at  the  opening  the 
following 


.J^^^-^  /^y^/Z^ 


2^ 


Hon.  Thomas  Wren. 


The  following  biography  of  Hon.  Thomas  Wren, 
of  Eureka,  Xevada,  is  taken  from  the  Nevada  Monthlij, 
of  September,  1880: — 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  McArthur, 
Athens  County,  Ohio,  January  2,  182G.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  Virginia,  and,  emigrating  to  Ohio, 
were  among  the  first  settlers  of  that  State.  They 
both  died  when  Mr.  Wren  was  quite  young.  Being 
left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  his  advantages  of 
education  were  very  limited,  especially  in  the  then 
unsettled  condition  of  that  portion  of  Ohio  in  which 
he  lived.  lie  received  but  the  rudiments  of  a  com- 
mon school  education,  but  early  developed  a  taste 
for  reading  and  study,  which  he  has  retained 
through  life,  and  thus  stored  i  is  mind  with  knowl- 
edge. This  self-education,  aided  by  talents  pecu- 
liarly fitting  him  for  the  profession,  has  enabled  him 
to  become  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Bar 
of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

He  is  a  man  of  indomitable  will,  an  inflexible 
firmness  of  purpose,  and  untiring  industry;  and  has, 
through  these  qualities,  attained  a  position  among 
the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  coast,  in  spile  of  nuiner- 
ofts  obstacles  with  which  he  was  forced  to  contend. 
He  wont  with  his  eldest  brother  to  Peoria,  Illinois, 
in  1835.  He  inherited  some  property  from  his 
mother,  and  when  scarcely  more  than  a  boy  in- 
herited what  was  in  those  days,  and  in  that  sec- 
tion, a  considerable  fortune  I'rom  his  eldest  brother. 
Through  inexcusable  carelessness,  and  the  rascality 
of  a  lawyer  employed  as  his  attorney,  this  entire 
propertj-  was  lost  before  he  had  arrived  at  an  age 
when  he  could  bo  capable  of  managing  his  own 
affairs. 

Mr.  Wren  is  a  true  typo  of  the  Western  Ameri- 
can; of  medium  stature,  with  broad  shoulders;  full, 
well-developed  chest,  and  stalwart,  manly  propor- 
tions; a  massive  head,  with  expansive  forehead; 
deep-set,  brown  eyes,  out  of  which  beam  intelligence 
and  determination;  and  thin,  close-set  lips,  which, 
more  than  any  other  feature  of  his  face,  denote  the 
character  of  the  man;  they  indicate  will-power  and 
force  of  chai-aeter,  which  would  at  once  impress  a 
physiognomist  with  the  conviction  that  the  owner 
of  those  was  a  man  not  to  bo  trifled  with.  Mr. 
Wren  is  one  of  the  kindest-hearted  of  men,  pleasant 
and  genial  to  all  with  whom  ho  is  brought  in  busi- 
ness contact  or  social  intercourse;  but  he  is  a  man 
who  will  not  brook  insult  or  slight;  and  none  who 


know  him  would  daro  to  attempt  to  impugn  his 
honor  or  outrage  his  feelings,  ^'otwithstanding  that 
his  ])rofossion  is  sedentary,  Mr.  Wren  is  a  great 
lover  of  out  door  exercise  and  athletic  and  open-air 
sports.  Often  on  a  fine  day,  at  his  home  in  Kureka, 
he  may  be  seen,  after  the  arduous  labor  of  trj-ing 
an  important  and  hotly-contested  mining  case,  out 
in  the  middle  of  the  street  obtaining  relaxation  by 
playing  liall  with  the  school-boys,  and  as  eagerly 
intent,  and  as  ardently  interested  in  the  game  as 
any  of  his  playmates.  Having  in  his  early  life 
performed  heavj'  phj'sical  labor,  such  as  mining, 
being  blessed  with  a  fine  physique  and  robust  con- 
stitution, and  never  neglecting  an  opportunity  for 
physical  exercise,  his  fifty-five  years  sit  liglitlj-  on 
his  shoulders;  and  notwithstanding  his  battles  with 
the  world,  and  the  ups  and  downs  through  which  he 
has  passed  in  the  exciting  and  feverish  life  incident 
to  the  I'acific  Coast,  and  especially  to  the  mining 
communities  of  that  section,  he  is  the  embodiment 
of  health  and  manly  vigor. 

In  185(1  he  left  his  Illinois  home,  and  cro.-^sed  the 
plains  to  California,  arriving  in  El  Dorado  C^ount}- 
in  that  year.  During  the  years  1850,  1852,  and 
1853  ho  was  engaged  in  mining,  and  in  the  last- 
named  year  became  interested  in  a  mining  ditch 
property,  of  which  he  vvas  appointed  Superintendent 
and  Chief  Engineer.  In  1854  ho  was  appointed 
Deputy  Clerk  of  El  Dorado  County,  his  first  active 
participation  in  politics  in  his  own  behalf,  though 
always  from  boyhood  having  taken  an  ardent  in- 
terest in  political  att'airs.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
term  ho  again  engaged  in  mining,  dividing  his  time 
until  18G3  between  mining  and  the  practice  of  law. 
Ever  since  his  arrival  in  California  mining  has  had 
for  him  a  fascination,  and  long  alter  his  abandon- 
ment of  that  industry  as  his  exclusive  business,  he 
continued  to  engage  in  mining  enterprises.  His 
practice  as  a  mining  lawyer  having  brought  him  in 
contact  with  many  knotty  questions  of  geology,  ho 
saw  that  it  would  become  necessary  to  familiarize 
himself  with  that  science.  Ho  accordingly  entered 
upon  the  study  of  geology  and  mineralogy,  and  so 
successfully  did  he  master  those  sciences,  that  there 
is  probably  not  a  lawyer  in  the  United  States  who 
better  underatands  them  as  applied  to  mining  litiga- 
tion. 

In  1803  an  excitement  was  occasioned  throughout 
the  Pacific  States  by  the  reported  discovery  of  rich 


238 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


William  J.  Smj-th, 

J{.  Andrews, 

C.  W.  Tozer, 

W.  H.  Gidlow, 

Mark  Brown, 

Benjamin  P.  Smith, 

A.  L.  Murphy, 

James  Morris, 

G.  Stevens, 

W.  G.  Thompson, 

G.  H.  Winterburn, 

Fred.  Harper, 

VISITING 

BRETHREN. 

William  Nelson, 

Boaz  D.  Pike, 

F.  C.  Lord, 

T.  H.  Flagler, 

J.  D.  Hammond, 

S.  H.  Goddard, 

E.  Chamberlain, 

J.  M.  Hickman, 

T.  McGovern, 

I.  M.  Thaxton, 

H.  Donnelly, 

E.  M.Long, 

A.  Thompson, 

D.  Edmonds, 

R.  J.  Bromley, 

A.  Clark, 

J.  Wellington, 

Joseph  Gruss, 

J.  B.  Braslaw, 

E.  A.  Sherman, 

J.  Chegwidden, 

E.  S.  Benner, 

William  Collicut, 

William  M.Laforce, 

Henry  Tonkin, 

H.  A.  Clawson, 

J.  H.  Molkcmbahr, 

James  Lynch, 

J.  G.  McKenzie, 

William  Wallace, 

G.  W.  Eobertson, 

J.  C.  McDonald, 

John  Lentz, 

R.  H.  Taylor, 

A.  M.  Kruttschnitt, 

E.  M.  G.  Stewart, 

John  Eiley, 

L.  Lobenstein, 

George  FauU, 

John  Carpenter, 

H.  Falk, 

S.  J.  Blair, 

I.  Z.  Kelly, 

J.  E.  Lawrence, 

Charles  V.  Boitot, 

T.  Deignan, 

Paul  Jones, 

Alfred  Troude, 

L.  0.  Templeton, 

William  McCrum, 

S.  P.  Kelly, 

T.  H.  Whister, 

I.  F.  Berry, 

W.  W.  Dunlap, 

Wm.  J.  Pendray, 

Thomas  Morrison, 

Peter  Turnot, 

T.  Tully, 

A.  G.  Cowan, 

John  B.  Winters, 

G.  W.  Hammond, 

S.  J.  Walker, 

E.  D.  Williams, 

G.  H.  McKee, 

William  Mill, 

H.  B.  Fay, 

Joseph  Sparks, 

George  W.  Hopkins, 

John  Wilson, 

H.  C.  Jacobson, 

William  Avery, 

Samuel  Owen, 

E.  W.  Adams, 

N.  C.  Kinney, 

Edward  Conradt 

A.  D.  Eitchoff, 

W.  D.  Sutherlin, 

J.  H.  Matthewson, 

W.  J.  Williams, 

Prosper  Bruley, 

P.  T.  Kirby, 

William  Webber, 

A.  H.  W.  Creigh, 

J.  McCain, 

J.  D.  Delsort, 

Eobert  Keifer, 

George  S.  Johnson, 

J.  F.  Lewis, 

John  Hewitt, 

E.  Jlortenscn, 

B.  H.  Lentz, 

Wilson  King, 

W.  W.  Filkins, 

Samuel  H.  Birtle, 

John  Canning. 

W.  PL  Kneebone, 

S.  Zenovich, 

J.  Gates, 

W.  H.  Mitchell, 

John  J.  Oswald, 

James  Chegwidden, 

James  E.  Parker, 

Charles  Glover, 

J.  H.  Heilshorn, 

F.  H.  Packer, 

E.  M.  Elliott, 

John  J{.  Lowe. 

J.  D.  Hosking, 

Joseph  Agostini, 

Sol.  Xoel, 

H.  M.  Cameron, 

C.  F.  Brant, 

A.  D.  Praxnin, 

A.  H.  Hollister, 

J.  W.  Van  Zandt, 

M.  W.  Hasset, 

G.  N.  Eells, 

Matthew  Elliott, 

J.  K.  Werldorf, 

E.  J.  Peters, 

L.  G.  Chapman, 

Horatio  Collins, 

0.  B.  McDonald, 

Joseph  Mitchell, 

John  Caublo, 

William  H.  Cloud, 

S.  W.  Grant, 

W.  J.  Westerfield, 

James  Eyan, 

A.  C.  Freeman, 

Hugh  Halligan, 

Ananias  Maj-, 

J.  P.  Eugg, 

0.  Lavigno, 

S.  Humill, 

W.  F.  Alexander, 

E.  Brown, 

C.  S.  Mott, 

E.  Bloomfield, 

J.  B.  Marshall, 

Adam  Gunn, 

Peter  Daley, 

William  Vardey, 

A.  J.  Banker, 

John  F.  Perry, 

C.  N.  Collins, 

H.  0.  Smith, 

Samuel  P.  Kelly, 

W.  H.  Smith, 

John  T.  Bray, 

J.  D.  Kenney, 

J.  C.  Turner, 

G.  F.  Hajward, 

E.  P.  Lovejoy, 

John  B.  Fegan, 

Eobert  Thomas, 

I.  S.  Burson, 

B.  W.  Guild, 

Edwin  Frolick, 

E.  E.  Edge, 

G.  W.  Cook, 

Thomas  Farsen, 

Thomas  Frellian, 

Frank  D.  Turner, 

Henry  Lux, 

E.  B.  Stonehill, 

Joseph  Cornelius, 

F.  F.  Osbiston, 

J.  J.  Alexander, 

E.  G.  Westerman, 

John  Deman, 

John  IL  Buitman, 

D.  W.  Mcintosh, 

Henry  Eolfe, 

George  Clark, 

E.  D.  Williams, 

A.  T.  Hampton, 

John  G.  Young, 

E.  A.  Bulm, 

James  Jewell, 

H.  J.  T.  Scheel, 

W.  D.  Husk, 

L.  C.  Wiggins, 

T.  NV.  McCroady, 

E.  Baird, 

Henry  Green, 

E.  U.  Jeffs, 

Eichard  Cook, 

J.  E.  Cowan, 

J.  D.  Dessert, 

A.  J.  Banker, 

William  L.  Amos, 

W.  McKoighan, 

W.  Whitney, 

J.  B.  Conrad, 

Albert  Werner, 

Bob  Marshall, 

J.  Portman, 

J.  S.  Adams, 

John  Chapman, 

F.  V.  Drake, 

W.  1'.  Workley, 

J.  S.  Coxtor, 

George  L.  Potter, 

M.  A.  McDonald, 

Alexander  Picken, 

D.  Harrington, 

C.  A.  Washington, 

J.  S.  Ingraham, 

B.  L  Tirman, 

M.  Banner, 

J.  A.  Uoher, 

B.  Springstod,                      George  B.  McLean, 

D.  Skerry, 

S.  T.  Leebes, 

T.  H.  Williams, 

L.  M.  Coffin, 

D.  McNaught, 

C.  C.  McLaughlin, 

John  Hosking, 

George  Du])roy, 

T.  A.  Atkinson, 

Desire  Perier, 

P.  J.  Aiken, 

William  Erskin, 

ANCIENT    ORDER    OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 


239 


Thomas  Penroeo, 
J.  B.  Shay, 
•  A.  L.  Murphy, 
J.  H.  Ellsworth, 
Evan  David, 
John  H.  Shermier, 
J.  R.  Jacoby, 
J.  H.  Hobbs, 
S.  B.  Ferguson, 
S.  B.  Connor, 
Charles  F.  lloffman, 
S.  N.  Snyder, 
Simon  Davis, 
E.  D.  Kitzmoyor, 
William  Garbart, 
Robert  Hayes, 
Jacob  White, 
Joseph  Hallock, 
Charles  Thompson, 
George  B.  Allen, 
S.  Longabaugh, 
B.  J.  Wakefield, 
J.  W.  Sill, 
W.  A.  Perkins, 
J.  C.  Belcher, 

William 


W.  H.  Bennetts, 
Thomas  Jones, 

C.  H.  Golding, 
G.  D.  Kend, 

J.  E.  Coulter, 

D.  S.  Dow. 
John  T.  Ueardon, 
Geo.W.  Williams, 
James  P.  Nelson, 
D.  D.  Donovan, 
J.  M.  Campbell, 
George  Rook, 

D.  Stalker, 
Henry  FauU, 
B.  Benson, 
W.  H.  Curnow, 
George  H.  Warren, 
H.  B.  Loomis, 
George  Keightley, 
Peter  Frost, 
J.  H.  Bartlett, 
T.  J.  Hodgkinson, 
Wm.  Sutherland, 
Richard  Sala, 
James  Bullen, 
Trounce. 


By  visitors  named  above,  the  following  States  and 
countries  were  represented: — 

New  York,  California,  Kansas,  Michigan,  West 
Virginia,  Utah,  ^fissouri,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Maine, 
Colorado,  Now  Jersej',  Washington  (District  of  Co- 
lumbia), England,  Scotland,  Minnesota,  Massachu- 
setts, Washington  Territory,  Oregon,  Virginia,  Nova 
Scotia,  North  Carolina,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Illinois,  Canada  West,  Idaho,  New  Zealand,  and 
Kentucky. 

AMITY   LODGE,    NO.    4. 

Silver  City  Lodge,  No.  1C3,  begun  its  existence 
by  virtue  of  a  dispensation  granted  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  California  on  the  twentieth  day  of 
March,  1863. 

The  same  power  issued  a  charter  for  the  organiza- 
tion on  the  fif'teeiith  of  May  of  the  same  j-ear  with 
the  following  officers:  John  C,  Currio,  W.  M.;  Michael 
J.  Ilcnio}-,  S.  W.;   W.  B.  Ilickock,  J.  W. 

In  the  first  report  of  the  lodge  to  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  California  it  gave  its  membership  as 
eleven.  In  18<)5,  when  a  change  of  jurisdiction 
was  effected,  there  were  thirty-four  members.  It 
prospered  and  the  number  steadily  increased  until 
the  culminating  point  was  arrived  at  in  187G.  That 
year  the  membership  was  seventy-six.  In  1880 
the  number  had  receded  to  fifty. 

Present  officers — Wm.  F''rancis  F'rame,  W.  M. 
Loring  D.  Noyos,  S.  W.;  Fenner  A.  Angell,  J.  W. 
John  G.  Young,  Treasurer;  Isaac  Haas,  Secretary 
William  W.  Sirlott,  S.  D.;  David  McAllister,  J.  D. 
Wellington  Bowen  and  John  Cauble,  Stewards;  M 
W.  Colquhoun,  Tyler. 


Past  Masters — Charles  D.  McDuffie,  James  McGin- 
nis,  Harvey  Randall,  Isaac  Haas. 

Location,  Silver  City,  Lyon  County.  Stated 
communications,  first  Thursday  in  each  month. 

SirA'EB   STAR    LODOE,    NO.    5. 

On  the  eleventh  of  April,  1863,  William  G.  Alban, 
E.  R.  Barnes,  Levi  W.  Leo,  M.  Frankenheimcr, 
Louis  B.  Frankol,  Sigmund  Ettlingor,  A.  (J.  llol- 
lingshead,  Hugh  McLood,  Henry  Donnelly,  S.  A. 
H.  Ball,  Robert  Webber,  Charles  E.  Olnoy  and 
Samuel  Robinson,  petitioned  the  Grand  Lod';.;o  of 
California  for  a  dispensation  authorizing  the  organi- 
zation of  a  lodge  of  Masons  at  Gold  Hill.  In 
response  thereto  the  document  for  which  tlicj' 
prayed  was  issued  on  the  twentieth  of  Juno,  and 
on  the  eleventh  of  July  the  organization  begun 
work  with  the  following  officers  duly  installed  :  W. 
G.  Alban,  W.  M.;  E.  R.  Barnes,  S.  W,;  L.  W.  Leo,  J. 
W.;  S.  H.  Robinson.  Treasurer;  S.  Ettlingor,  Sec- 
retary; L.  B.  Frankol,  S.  D,;  A.  C.  Hollingsliead,  J. 
D.;  M.  Frankenheimor  and  H.  McLeod,  Stewards; 
H.  M.  Vesey,  Tyler. 

The  Grand  Lodge  issued  a  charter  on  the  thirteenth 
of  October,  1864,  to  Silver  Star  Lodge,  No.  165,  the 
officers  named  therein  being  Charles  E.  Olnoy,  W. 
M.;  L.  W.  Lee,  S.  W.;  D.  L.  Bliss,  J.  W. 

At  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  State  of  Nevada  the  lodge  h:id 
sixty-six  members.  Its  largest  membership  was  in 
1876,  when  its  roster  contained  194  names.  In  18S0 
the  number  was  177. 

The  lodge  has  an  interest  in  the  Masonic  Hall 
Association  Building,  which  has  cost  it  near  S7,000, 
and  has  §1,200  cash  on  hand.  It  has  dealt  most 
liberallj-  with  its  brethren  in  distress,  having  dis- 
pensed in  charities  during  the  period  of  i(s  exist- 
ence fully  815,000. 

Present  officers — John  H.  Hubbs,  W.  il.;   Thomas 

A.  Menary,  S.  W.;  Byron  I.  Turman,  S.  W.;  John 
Jones,  J.  W.;  John  O.  Bennetts,  Secretary-;    Albert 

B.  C.  Davis,  S.  D.;  Henry  Hughes,  J.  D.;  II.  il  Lewis 
and  Jacob  Benjamin,  .Stewards;  Stewart  Logan, 
Marshal;  John  I.  Bramley,  Tyler. 

Past  Masters — Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,  Jarno.-*  McAl- 
lister, Lyman  C.  Wiggins-,  Adam  (fillespio,  William 
D.  Sutherlin,  William  B.  Wheeler,  Andrew  Ingruiid, 
David  Thorburn, 

Location,  Gold  Hill,  Storey  County.  St  itod  com- 
munications, first  Saturday  in  each  month. 

ESMEOALDA   LODQE,    NO.    6. 

A  dispensation  was  granted  on  the  twc.ity  eighth 
of  September,  1863,  empowering  certain  persons  to 
organize  a  Masonic  Lodge  in  Aurora,  by  llio  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  State  of  California;  and  on  tli  j  filloenth 
of  October  following  a  charter  was  issu  d  lor  Es- 
meralda Lodge,  No.  170,  with  the  followi'ig  officers: 
J.  H.  Richardson,  W.  M.:  John  L.  CarUr,  S.  W.; 
Alfred  A.  Green,  J.  W. 

The  first  report  made  by  this  lodge    was  to  the 


240 


mSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Grand  Lodge  of  California  in  1864,  when  it  was 
shown  there  wore  sixty-three  members.  The  exodus 
from  that  locality  about  that  time  of  the  population, 
caused  by  the  supposed  worthlessness  of  the  mines, 
had  the  oft'ect  of  greatly  reducing  the  membei-ship 
of  this  lodge.  From  then  until  the  present  time 
the  average  yearly  membership  has  been  about 
thirty-two.  The  Grand  Lodge  Report  of  ISSO  shows 
but  twenty-eight  members. 

Present  officers — D.  J.  Lewis,  VV.  M.;  James  S. 
Mooney,  S.  W.;  Alvin  W.  Crocker,  J.  \V.;  Frank 
Neal,  Treasurer;  \V.  II.  II.  Buckle}-,  Secretary; 
William  Pool,  S.  D.;  J.  W.  Towle.  J.  D.;  M.  I).  Mur- 
phy. Tyler. 

Past  Masters — M.  A.  Murphy,  John  Neidy,  Frank 
Neal,  I>.  J.  Lewis. 

Location,  Aurora,  Esmeralda  County.  Stated 
communications,  third  Thursday  of  each  month. 

ESCraiAL   LODGE,    NO.    7. 

This  lodge  was  instituted  under  authority  of  a 
dispensation  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  California, 
issued  by  that  body  on  the  twenty-second  of  Jan- 
uary, 1S64. 

A  charter  for  the  establishment  of  Escurial  Lodge, 
No.  171,  followed  the  dispensation  on  the  thirteenth 
of  October  of  the  same  year,  naming  as  the  officers 
of  the  lodge,  tieorge  W.  Hopkins,  \V.  M.;  William 
A.  M.  Van  Hokkeren,  S.  W.  ;  Columbus  Walker, 
J,  W. 

At  the  time  it  received  its  new  number,  and  came 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
State  of  Nevada  it  had  forty-two  members.  The 
following  j-ear  it  had  increjised  to  sixty,  and  reached 
its  highest  number  in  ISGll — 154.  Its  membership 
in  18S0  was  loG. 

Present  officers — Henry  IJolfe,  \V.  M.  ;  Steven 
Wilkin.  S.  W.:  Robert  M.  G.  Stewart.  J.  W.;  Frank 
Fredericks,  Treasurer;  Thomas  H.  Bingham,  Secre- 
tary; William  Manning,  S.  D.;  John  R.  Campbell,  J. 
P.;  William  M.  Thornton  and  Alexander  P.  Pion. 
Stewards;   Klbert  S.  Kincaid.  Tyler. 

I'ast  Masters — Samuel  Owen,  Robert  H.  Taylor, 
George  W.  Ilopkins,  Henry  A.  Gaston. 

Location,  Virginia,  Store}-  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, second  Thursday  in  each  month. 

L.\MIER    I.ODUK,   NO.    8. 

This  was  the  last  Masonic  I.iodge  in  Nevada 
created  by  virtue  of  authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  Slate  of  Calit'ornia.  Its  dispensation  was 
granted  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  March,  1804;  and  on 
the  third  of  June  following  it  begun  work  with  the 
following  officers:  Isaac S.  Titus.  W.  M.;  A.  I>.  Rock, 
S.  W.;  tieorge  W.  Terrill.  J.  W.;  Thomas  A.  Water- 
man, Treasurer;  John  W.  Jones,  Secretary:  R.  C. 
Gridley,  S.  D..  K.  X.  Willard,  J.  1>.;  A.  Metz,  Tyler. 

Il»  charter  bears  date  October  14.  18t!4,  and 
issued  to  Lander  Lodge,  No.  172. 

Frv)m  a  membership  numbering  twenty  in  1865. 
when  it  received  authority  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of 


Nevada,  it   had    increased,  in  1880,  to   ninety-one. 

Since  its  organization  it  has  disbursed  for  charit- 
able purposes  about  85,000.  Its  assets  are  as  fol- 
lows: Hall  building,  S3,375;  other  eflfects,  including 
money  on  hand.  SI, 000.     Total,  S4.375. 

Present  officers — Marcus  A.  Sawtelle,  W.  M.; 
Stephen  Buddie,  S.  W.;  Alexander  Dron,  J.  W.; 
Charles  P.  Soule,  Treasurer;  James  L.  Smith.  Secre- 
tary; Joel  S.  Barnard,  S.  D.;  George  L.  Williams, 
J.  D.;  Reuben  T.  Hopkins  and  Thomas  Thomas, 
Stewards;  Isiiac  W.  Davis,  Tyler. 

Past  Mastei'* — Daniel  M.  Godwin,  William  A.  Ran 
kin,  Andrew  Nichols,  P.  D.  G.  M.;  Henry  Mayen- 
baura;  De  Witt  C.  McKenncy.  G.  M.;  William  W. 
Wixom,  Marcus  A,  Sawtelle,  P.  D.  G.  M. 

Location,  Austin,  Lander  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, tirst  Friday  in  each  month. 

VALI,EY    LODGE.  NO.    9. 

The  first  Masonic  Lodge  which  came  into  exist- 
ence by  virtue  of  the  authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  State  of  Nevada,  was  Valley  Lodge,  No.  !•. 

On  the  twentieth  of  February,  1865,  several  mem- 
borsofthe  Masonic  fraternity  assembled  at  Dayton  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  steps  toward  the  organization 
of  a  lodge  at  that  place.  A  subscription  of  S350 
was  raised,  temporary  officers  were  chosen,  and  ap- 
plication was  made  to  the  tirand  I>odge  of  the  State 
of  Nevada  for  a  dispensation  to  work  as  a  Lodge. 

On  the  seventh  of  March  the  dispensation  was 
granted,  with  Charles  F.  Brandt,  W.  M.;  Henry 
Sweetapple,  S.  W.;  Albert  tJallatin,  J.  W.;  and  on 
the  thirteenth  of  the  same  month  the  lodge  organ- 
ized at  Dayton,  at  which  time  J.  C.  Hinds  was 
elected  Treasurer;  S.  Heidleheim.  Secretary;  F.  H. 
Kennedy,  S,  D.;  J.  E.  Sabine,  J.  D. 

On  the  twelfth  of  October,  1S65,  a  charter  was 
issued,  in  which  were  named  nineteen  j>ei-sons  as 
charter  members.  The  membership  increased  the 
following  year  to  thirty.  It-s  highest  number  of 
members  was  reached  in  1874,  being  then  thirty- 
nine.     In  1S80.  the  number  was  thirty-two. 

Financially,  the  lodge  is  prosperous,  having  in 
furniture  and  regalia,  S500:  and  S500  cash.  It  has 
dispensed  in  charities,  SLllUi. 

The  present  officers  are  James  L.  Camjihell,  W, 
M.;  Charles  F.  Brandt,  S.  W.;  William  Steaphens, 
J.  W.;  Manly  L.  Johnson,  Treasurer;  George  E, 
Jaqua,  Secretary;  George  W.  Keith,  S.  D.;  Frank 
B.  Mercer.  J.  D.;  William  Kean  and  Henrj-  Bishop, 
Stewards;  Frank  P.  Christman,  Tyler;  John  Carlin, 
Marshal. 

Past  Masters — James  Crawford,  Charles  F.  Brandt, 
George  W.  Keith. 

Location,  Dayton,  liyon  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, second  Monday  in  each  mouth. 

AUSTIN    LODIIK.    NO.    10. 

A  dispensation  was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Nevada,  on  the  twelt^h  of  April,  1865,  to  organize 
Austin   Lodge,  No.  10,  naming  as  officers,  Thomas 


ANCIENT    ORDER    OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 


241 


Wren,  W.  M.;  William  S.  Thomas,  S.  \V.:  Marcus 
A.  Sawtelle,  J.  W.;  atui  on  the  twelfth  of  the  ensu- 
ing October  its  charter  was  issued.  At  that  time 
it  reported  a  membership  of  twenty.  Its  highest 
number  of  members  was  attained  in  IStlS,  tiiat  year 
reaching  fifty-seven.  Thence  its  numbers  declined 
until  there  were  but  thirtj'one  in  1871;  when,  by 
a  vote  of  its  members,  it  surrendered  its  charter  to 
the  Grand  Lodge,  turned  over  its  property  to  Lander 
Lodge,  No.  8,  located  in  the  same  place,  and  became 
a  thing  of  the  i)ast.  Its  location  was  Austin,  Lander 
County. 

OASIS   LODGE,    NO.    11. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  December,  18C7,  in  response 
to  the  petition  of  seventeen  Masons,  among  whom 
were  J.  G.  Ividdle,  A.  W.  Stowe,  G.  R.  Alexander. 
M.  D.  Fairchild,  D.  C.  Turner,  George  W.  Merrill, 
James  M.  Ivennedy,  D.  W.  Cutts,  S.  Goldstein,  E.  A. 
Tullen,  E.  Pettit,  John  Sharp,  J.  A.  Ball,  Peter  Con- 
roy,  and  James  O'Brien,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Nevada 
issued  a  dispensation,  authorizing  them  to  organize 
a  lodge. 

On  the  seventh  of  January,  18GS,  Oasis  Lodge, 
No.  10,  held  its  first  regular  communication,  when 
the  following  officers  were  chosen:  James  M.  Ken- 
nedy, VV.  M.;  D.  W.  Cutts,  S.  W.;  S.  Goldstein,  J. 
W.;  J.  G.  Eiddle,  Treasurer,  John  Sharp,  Secretar^^; 
E.  A.  PuUen,  S,  D.;  E.  Pettit,  J.  D.;  James  O'Brien 
and  Peter  Conroy,  Stewards:  J.  A.  Ball,  Tyler. 

The  lodge  meetings  were  first  held  in  rooms 
improvised  for  the  purpose  in  the  Combination  Com- 
pany's stone  building  in  Belmont.  After  working 
successfully  U.  D.  for  about  eight  months,  a  charter 
was  granted  the  lodge,  September  17,  18(]8,  The 
highest  membership  was  in  1877,  then  reaching  fifty- 
three.  Its  membership  in  1880  was  forty-three. 
The  lodge  has  property  estimated  at  §2,500,  and 
it  has  bestowed  ui)oii  charities  not  far  from  ,*;2,.")(I0 
more. 

The  present  officers  are  Woodson  (Jarrard,  \V. 
M.;  N.  A.  (hirvin,  S.  \V.;  Charles  U.  Engstrom,  J.  W.; 
Soth  11.  Scjuire,  Treasurer;  Thomas  Warburton, 
Secretary;  George  W.  Bennett,  S.  D.;  Albert  Fugc, 
J.  1).;  Thomas  K.  Morgan  and  George  Nieholl, 
Stewards;  Lewis  Roberts,  Tyler. 

Past  Masters — Samuel  P.  Kelley,  Findley  McNeal. 

Location,  Belmont,  Nj'e  County.  Stated  commu- 
nications, first  Tuesday  in  each  month. 

D0UOI,.\S    LOIXiE,  NO.  12. 

In  18(58,  twelve  Masons  of  (ienoa  petitioned  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Nevada  for  a  dispensation  to  work, 
and  on  the  twenty-second  of  February  of  that  j-ear 
their  prayei- was  favorablj-  answered,  and  the  follow- 
ing officers  named:  Jtobert  W.  Bolleii,  \V.  M.;  Silas 
E.  Tuttle,  S.  W.;  Hiram  Doyle,  J.  W. 

A  charter  was  given  to  l><)Uglas  Lodge,  No.  12,  on 
the  following  seventeenth  of  September,  at  w^hich 
time  it  had  thirty-one  names  enrolled  for  member- 
ship. This  list  increased  each  j-ear  until  1S7(!,  when 
it  was  largest — sixty-six.     Since  that  time  the  num- 


ber has    decreased.     In    1880   there    were  forty-six 
members. 

During  the  first  five  years  of  its  existence  the 
lodge  was  opened  and  did  its  work  in  the  County 
Court  House,  having  no  hall  of  its  own.  Upon  its 
first  organization  in  1868,  a  joint-stock  company  of 
its  members  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  erect- 
ing a  Masonic  building,  but  after  an  outlay  of  con- 
siderable money,  from  some  cause,  to  the  chronicler 
unknown,  the  undertaking  collai)sed. 

In  1874,  however,  the  .Masons  did  er.ect  a  credit- 
able brick  building,  costing  about  $8,000.  In  the 
second  storj'  of  this  is  their  present  hall,  while  the 
first  floor  is  occupied  for  mercantile  purposes.  The 
hall  has  been  tastefully  furnished  at  a  cost  of  82,000. 
The  lodge  has  bestowed  about  S."),000  for  charitable 
purposes  since  its  establishment. 

Present  officers — Frank  Fettle,  W.  M.;  Charles  W. 
Drake,  S.  W.;  John  B.  Dondero,  J.  W.;  John  R. 
Johnson,  Treasurer;  E.  D.  Bl;u;k,  Secretary;  .Moses 
Tebbs,  S.  D.;  II.  W.  Smith,  J.  D.;  William  I).  Grey, 
and  Kopel  Rice,  Stewards;  Henry  P.  Burnham, 
Tyler. 

Past  Masters— D.  W.  Virgins,  Kopel  Rice,  Fred. 
Furth,  R.  G.  Montrose,  E.  D.  B.  Black. 

Location,  Genoa,  Douglas  County.  Stateii  commu- 
nications, Saturday  of  or  next  preceding  full  moon. 

RENO   LODGE,  NO.    13. 

The  dispensation  under  the  authority-  of  which 
Reno  Lodge,  No.  13,  was  brought  into  existence, 
bears  date  January  14,  1809,  and  its  charter  followed 
on  the  twenty-third  of  Se[)tember  of  the  same  year. 
The  first  officers  were  James  S.  Kelley,  W.  M.- 
.Michael  Borowsky,  S.  W.;  George  Grisen,  J.  W. 

Its  membership  the  first  year  was  thirty-four,  and 
it  has  steadily  gained  from  year  to  year.  In  1880 
ninety  members  were  enrolled. 

When  first  instituted  the  lodge  meetings  were 
held  in  the  upper  story  of  a  frame  building  on  Vir- 
ginia Street,  and  later  in  Alhambra  Hall. 

In  1872  an  incorporation  was  formed,  within  the 
lodge,  \indor  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Nevada,  with 
the  object  of  purchasing  land  and  building  a  hall, 
A  lot  on  the  corner  of  Commercial  Row  and  Sierra 
Street,  Reno,  was  bought,  and  on  the  fifteenth  of 
October  of  that  year  the  corner-stone  of  an  imposing 
brick  structure  was  laid  with  appropriate  Masonic 
ceremonies.  Witliin  the  receptacle  of  the  corner- 
stone were  deposited  copies  of  the  leading  news- 
papers of  the  States  of  Nevada  and  California, 
together  with  coins,  jewels,  etc.  On  the  twenty- 
first  of  February.  1S7.'),  the  new  hall  was  dedicated, 
and  after  the  .Masonic  ceremonies  were  over  the 
occasion  ended  with  a  grand  ball. 

The  lodge  is  a  prosperous  one — its  property  at 
this  time  being  valued  at  810,0(10, 

Its  present  officers  are  IL  L.  Fish,  W.  .M.;  George 
II.  Fogg,  S.  W.;  F.  J.  Windrell,J.  W.;  T.  K.  Hy- 
mers.  Treasurer;  B.  l-].  Hunter,  Secretary-;  William 
L.  Bechtel,  S.  I).;  I!,  S,  James,  J.  D.;  Martin  Sanders 


242 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  Ij.  B.  Batchelder,  Stewards;  N.  C.  Haslund, 
Tyler;   William  A.  Walker,  .Marshal. 

Past  Masters — Joseph  De  Bell,  l\  G.  M.;  L.  L. 
Crockett,  Henry  L.  Fish,  P.  G.  M.;  J.  il.  Kinkead, 
F.  J.  WinchoU,  J.  C.  Ilagerman,  Charles  Knust. 

Location,  Reno,  Washoe  County.  Stated  commu- 
nications, Saturday  of  or  next  preceding  full  moon. 

ST.    JOHNS  LODGE,    NO.  13  (COLORED), 

At  Carson  City,  is  working  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge  of  California,  Theodore 
A.  Lee,  D.  D.  Grand  Master  for  the  District  of  Ne- 
vada. This  lodge  of  colored  Masons  was  organized 
April  20,  1875,  and  had  for  its  first  officers  D.  W. 
Sands,  W.  M.;  Theodore  A.  Lee,  S.  W.;  J.  Johnson, 
J.  W.;  W.  L.  Baily,  Treasurer;  George  Burns,  Sec- 
retary; Wm.  Davis,  S.  D.;  Oliver  Janes,  J.  D.  The 
present  officers  are  B.  E.  Johnson,  W.  M.;  A.  B. 
Gibson,  S.  W.;  George  W.  Jackson,  J.  W.;  J.  Gettys, 
Treasurer;  W.  L.  Baily,  Secretary;  Wm.  R.  Brown, 
S.  D.,  and  George  A.  Ray,  J.  D.  There  were  twelve 
charter  members.  The  largest  membership  the  lodge 
has  had  at  any  one  time  is  thirty-two,  and  the  present 
membership  numbers  twenty. 

The  lodge  furniture  and  regalia  is  estimated  to  be 
worth  SOOO.  The  lodge  has  disbursed  in  benefits, 
charities,  etc.,  81,500;  is  outof  debtand  is  in  a  healthy 
and  flourishing  condition. 

WHITE   PINE   LODGE,    NO.  14. 

The  great  influx  of  population  into  the  White  Pine 
region  of  Nevada  in  18Li9,  and  consequent  attendant 
destitution  among  those  who  had  thoughtlessly  rushed 
thither  without  proper  preparation-  and  among  which 
latter  class  there  were  of  course  members  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity — induced  the  brethren  of  Treas- 
ure City,  Hamilton  and  Shermantown  to  organize 
for  mutual  assistance.  This  organization  was  main- 
tained until,  in  response  to  a  petition  to  that  effect, 
the  Grand  Lodge  i.ssucd  a  dispensation  on  the  ninth 
of  March,  1870,  authorizing  the  institution  of  a  lodge 
for  regular  working,  with  the  following  officers: 
S.  B.  Ferguson,  W.  M.;  W.  W.  llobart,  S.  W.;  M.  J. 
Henly,  J.  W. 

On  the  fifth  of  April  the  bodj*  organized,  and  on 
the  twenty-second  of  Soj)tombor  following  the 
Grand  Lodge  duly  chartered  White  Pine  Lodge, 
No.  14. 

At  that  time  the  lodge  reported  fifty-two  mem- 
bers. The  number  was  increased  to  eighty-four  in 
1872,  and  then  gradually  declined.  In  1880  there 
wore  fifty-one  members. 

On  the  night  of  the  second  of  January,  1872,  a 
fire  occurred  at  Hamilton  that  destroyed  the  hall 
in  which  the  .Masonic  Lodge  convened.  The  building 
was  owned  by  Cook  Brothers,  whose  store  was  upon 
the  first  floor.  In  this  fire  the  lodge  lost  its  orig- 
inal charter,  which  has  been  duplicated  by  the 
Grand  Lodge. 

At  present  the  lodge  assembles  in  a  stone  building 
which  it  owns,  built  in   18G9,  with  the  expectation 


that  the  county  would  purchase  it  for  a  Court  House, 
and  known  as  the  Walton  Building.  The  hall  build- 
ing is  estimated  to  be  worth  SOOO;  and  the  lodge 
has  disbursed  for  charitable  purpose  82,000. 

Present  officers— Evan  Harris,  W.  M.;  Archibald 
Beaton,  S.  W.;  John  ]\IcLean,  J.  W.;  George  B.  Mc- 
Conkey,  Treasurer;  Edward  Raum,  Secretary;  Sam- 
uel Liddle,  S.  D.;  Perlia  B.  Rowell,  J.  D.;  George  D. 
Freeland  and  William  Harris,  Stewards;  Hans 
Christensen,  Tyler. 

Past  Jlasters — Thomas  N.  Brown,  George  P.  Mc- 
Conkey,  Evan  Harris,  John  L.  Robertson,  Elllis  H. 
Morton. 

Location,  Hamilton,  White  Pino  County.  Stated 
communications,  first  Tuesday  on  or  before  the  full 
moon. 

ELKO    LODGE,    NO.    15. 

The  Masons  who  had  congregated  in  the  vicinity 
of  Elko,  in  1809,  quite  early  in  the  year  also  organ- 
ized for  fraternal  purposes.  They  asked  for,  and  on 
the  twenty-first  of  January,  1871,  were  granted,  a 
dispensation  by  the  Grand  Lodge,  under  which  they 
begun  work  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  the  same  month, 
with  John  D.  Treat,  W.  M.;  Herman  Armor,  S.  W.; 
Elijah  S.  Yeates,  J.  W.;  Robert  Oliver,  Treasurer; 
Thomas  N.  Stone,  Secretary;  J.  J.  Hofl'man,  S.  D.; 
and  John  C.  Echnaner,  J.  D. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  September,  1871,  a  charter 
was  granted  for  Elko  Lodge,  No.  15  (though  accord- 
ing to  a  report  of  the  present  Secretary,  it  appears 
to  not  have  been  issued  until  the  third  of  November). 

The  number  of  charter  membci-s  was  twenty,  but 
the  lodge's  report  made  to  the  Grand  Lodge  in 
1871,  places  the  membership  at  forty.  In  1874 
there  were  seventy-five  membci-s — the  highest.  Since 
then,  the  average  yearly  membership  has  been  about 
sixty-four.  In  1880  the  number  is  given  at  sixty- 
seven.  The  lodge  property  consists  of  a  half  interest 
in  a  brick  building,  furniture,  regalia,  etc.,  of  the 
aggregate  value  of  85,000.  Since  organizing,  the 
lodge  has  disbursed  in  charities,  82,500. 

Present  officers — John  J.  -Meigs,  W.  M.;  Joseph  A. 
Tinker,  S.  W.;  James  McBarnoy,  J.  W.;  William 
Plughoff,  Treasurer.;  Thomas  N.  Stone,  Secretary; 
F.  F.  Muller,  S.  I).;  Joseph  L.  Cox,  J.  D.;  James 
Clark  and  Thomas  Hunter,  Stewards;  George  W. 
Litton,  Tyler. 

Past  Mastci*8 — M.  P.  Freeman,  Green  B.  Able, 
Thomas  N.  Stone. 

Location,  Elko,  Elko  County.  Stated  communi- 
cations, first  Tuesday  in  each  month. 

EUREKA    LODGE,    NO.  K). 

The  Masonic  fraternity  at  Eureka,  in  1871,  also 
formed  a  ijunsi  organization  for  mutual  assistance, 
following  the  footsteps  of  their  brethren  of  White 
Pine  and  Elko.  This  was  the  nucleus  of  Eureka 
Lodge,  No.  IC,  which  received  authoritj-  from  the 
(frand  Lodge  on  the  fifth  of  April.  1872.  On  the 
nineteenth  of  September,  the  same  year,  its  charter 


ANCIENT    ORDER    OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 


243 


was  issued,  naming  officers  as  follows:  Daniel  B. 
Immol,  W.  M.;  David  E.  Baily,  H.  W.;  James  IJilloy, 
J.  VV. 

At  the  time  of  recoivini;  its  charter,  the  Iodide 
numbered  fortj^-two  members.  It  has  steadilj'  aug- 
mented its  membership,  and  now  reports  110. 

A  disastrous  conflagration  at  Eureka,  on  the  nine- 
teenth of  April,  1S70,  destroj'ed  the  building  owned 
by  the  lodge — a  brick  structure,  30x100  feet — 
together  with  regalia,  jewels,  furniture,  and  records, 
entailing  a  loss  of  S20,000;  but  S5,()00  of  which  was 
covered  by  insurance. 

Its  present  property  is  a  lot  100x100,  in  Eureka, 
besides  other  property,  valued  at  81,000.  About 
$2,500  is  annually  disbursed  by  this  lodge  for  cliai-- 
itable  purposes. 

The  present  officers  are  Reinhold  Sadler,  W.  M.; 
Evan  Jones,  S.  W.;  William  Stinson,  J.  W.;  Reuben 
Rickard,  Treasurer;  William  P.  Steichelman,  Secre- 
tary; William  A.  Darlej',  S.  D.;  John  J.  Kermeen,  J. 
D.;  Thomas  W.  Pearson  and  Alexander  Eraser, 
Stewards;  Samuel  W.  Buckham,  Tyler. 

Past  Masters— David  E.  Baily,  R.  W.  D.  G.  M., 
Alex.  D.  Rock,  John  Gillespie,  Robert  Gillespie, 
Hiram  Johnson,  Charles  J.  R.  Buttlar. 

Location,  Eureka,  Eureka  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, Saturdays  preceding  full  moon. 

HUMBOLDT   LODGE,  NO.  17. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  November,  1871,  M.  W.,  the 
Grand  Master  of  Xevada,  by  dispensation,  empow- 
ered a  body  of  Masons  at  Unionville  to  act  as  a 
Masonic  Lodge,  which  they  did  in  comformity  with 
the  usage  of  the  craft,  and  so  continued  to  do  with- 
out additional  authority  up  to  the  twentieth  of 
November,  1873,  when  a  charter  was  issued  to  Hum- 
boldt Lodge,  No.  17,  naming  the  following  officers: 
William  L.  French,  W.  M.;  George  F.  MuUer,  S.  W.; 
O.  R.  Stampley,  J.  W. 

Its  members  have  never  been  many — not  exceed- 
ing twenty-five  at  any  one  time — while  the  average 
yearly  membership  has  been  less  than  twenty-two. 
In  1880  it  reported  eighteen  members. 

Present  officers — George  Frederick  Muller,  W.  .M.; 
James  A.  Hill,  S.  W.;  John  Taylor,  J.  W.;  Pablo 
Laveago,  Treasurer;  Andrew  Davidson,  Secretary; 
A.  D.  McCuUough,  S.  D.;  William  Carpenter,  J.  D.; 
Joseph  Vivian,  Tyler. 

Location,  Unionville,  Humboldt  County.  Stated 
communications,  second  Saturday  in  each  month. 

ST.   JOHN    LODGE,  NO.  18. 

Prior  to  the  existence  of  this  lodge,  as  far  back  as 
May.  1870,  a  Masonic  organization  was  formed  at 
Pioche  for  charitable  as  well  as  social  purposes,  and 
manj'  humane  deeds  were  performed  by  it,  and 
much  money  was  used  for  the  relief  of  weary  and 
needy  brothers.  The  officers  of  this  incipient 
lodge  were  P.  McCannan,  President;  C.  Weiderhold, 
Secretary;  Robert  Apple,  Treasurer.  Finally,  in 
1872,  a  dispensation  was  asked  for  of    the  Grand 


Lodge,  for  the  establishment  of  St.  John  Ijodge,  No. 
18.  This  was  granted  on  the  tenth  of  August,  1872, 
and  on  the  twentieth  of  November,  1873,  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  charter  with  John  F.  Gray,  W.  M.; 
Daniel  E.  Mitchell,  S.  W.;  Daniel  K.  Dickinson,  J.  W. 

It  begun  with  a  membership  of  thirty-seven  in 
1872,  which  in  the  next  two  j'cars  increased  to 
eighty-four.  It  then  began  to  fall  below  seventy, 
and  in  1880  was  only  fifty-three. 

The  present  officers  arc  Robert  H.  Elam,  W.  .M.; 
David  Cohn,  S.  W.;  William  P.  Goodman,  J.  W.; 
Dana  C.  Clark,  Treasurer;  George  T.  Gorman, 
Secretary;  Joseph  A.  Behr,  S.  D.;  Julius  Hoffman, 
J.  D.;  De  Marcus  A.  Fulks  and  (feorge  T.  Finnegan, 
Stewards;  Ephraini  Dc  M.  Turner.  Tyler;  Clinton  H. 
Patchen.  Marshal. 

Past  Masters — James  F.  Hallock,  Charles  F. 
Myers,  John  M.  Hanfoi-d. 

Location,  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, fourth  Saturday  in  each  month. 

WINNEMUCCA    LODGE,    NO.    10. 

The  dispensation  which  gave  life  to  this  lodge 
was  granted  on  the  seventeenth  of  Ji^ne,  1874. 
On  the  eighteenth  of  November  of  the  same  year 
its  charter  was  issued  with  the  following  as  officers  : 
P.  W.  Johnson,  AV.  M.  ;  A.  J.  Shepard,  S.  W.  ; 
ThomasShone,  J.  W. 

The  first  report  to  the  Grand  Lodge,  in  1874,  gave 
the  number  of  members  sixteen.  In  1877  it  was 
highest — fort3'-8even.  At  no  time  since  1875  has  the 
number  of  its  members  been  loss  than  forty-one.  It 
was  fortj'-five  in  1880. 

The  present  officers  are  Alexander  Wise,  W.  M.; 
Edmund  D.  Kelly,  S.  W.;  John  E.  Bannister,  J.  W.; 
Michael  B.  Stanton,  Treasurer;  James  E.  Sabine, 
Secretary;  Charles  S.  Osborn,  S.  D.;  Isidor  N.  Lev}', 
J.  D.;  C.  W.  McDeed  and  George  Burke,  Stewai-ds  ; 
Joseph  N.  Dowdell,  Tyler. 

Past  Masters — Andrew  J.  Shepard,  Pleasant  W. 
Johnson,  Thomas  Shone. 

Location,  Winnemucca,  Humboldt  County.  Stated 
communications,  Saturday  on  or  before  the  full 
moon  in  each  month. 

PALISADE   LODGE,    NO.    20. 

This  lodge  was  not  organized  without  opposi- 
tion. Elko  Lodge,  No.  15,  protested  its  establish- 
ment. On  the  other  hand,  Eureka  Lodge,  No.  16, 
was  its  friend  before  the  Grand  Jjodge,  and  a 
dispensation  was  granted  to  the  sixteen  .Ma.sons 
who  had  applied  therefor,  on  the  third  of  June, 
1871!,  in  which  T.  F.  Lawlor  was  named  Worship- 
ful .Master.  It  worked  U.  D.  until  the  thirteenth 
of  Juno,  1877,  when  its  charier  was  given  it  by 
the  (Jrand  I.iodgc  with  Thomas  F.  L:iwlor,  W. 
M.;  tJeorgo  IJogul,  S.  W.;  .lames  E.  .Marshall,  J. 
W.  It  hold  its  first  meeting  under  the  charter 
on  the  twenty-eighth  of  .luly,  .  at  which  time  it 
installed  all  the  alii)vo-namcd  officers  but  Georgo 
Rogul  and  James  E.  .Marshall  as  Senior  and   Junior 


244 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Wardens,  tbcy  having  removed  from  thu  jurisdiction 
of  the  lodge.  In  their  stead,  W.  S.  McLlcllau  and 
T.  K.  .Moore  were  chosen  and  installed  as  Senior 
and  Junior  Wardens  respectively. 

The  membership  has  been  small— the  yearly 
average  having  been  about  twenty.  The  Grand 
Lodge  Report  of  1880  gives  the  number  of  mem- 
bers seventeen. 

Present  officers-John  N.  Hill,  W.  M.;  H.  N- 
Fletcher,  S.  W.;  Charles  Ross,  J.  W.;  T.  V.  Lawlor, 
Treasurer;  James  H.  Hathaway,  Secretary;  John 
Trcgoning,  S.  D.;  J.  R.  Jewell,  J.  D.;  T.  McArdle 
and   J.    H.  Byers,    Stewards;    Joseph    Y.     J5rown, 

Tyler. 

Past  Masters— T.  F.  Lawlor,  W.  S.  .McLellan. 

Location,  Palisade.  Eureka  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, second  Saturday  of  each  month. 

TUSC.\110RA    LODOE,    NO.    2L 

An  organization  of  .Masons  was  established  and 
maintained  at  Tuscarora  for  a  period  of  six  months 
before  the  Grand  Lodge  was  asked  to  grant  a  dis- 
pensation for  a  regular  body.  But,  upon  applica- 
tion, a  dispensation  was  granted  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  February,  LS78,  and  a  lodge  forthwith 
established  in  due  form. 

Its  first  officers  were  James  Z.  Kelly,  W.  M.; 
W.  T.  Smith;  S.  W.;  W.  J.  Hamilton,  J.  W.;  A.  R. 
Booth,  Treasurer;  T.  R.  Butler,  Secretary;  Charles 
Radcliff,  S.  D.;  J.  R.  Homes,  J.  D.;  J.  M.  Wood- 
worth  and  William  .Martin,  Stewards;  W.  H. 
Mitchell,  Tyler;  R.  KHis,  Marshal. 

On  the  twelflli  of  June,  ISSO,  a  charter  was  issued 
the  lodge,  at  which  time  the  number  of  members 
was  thirtj'-six. 

Financially  it  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  having 
lodge  furniture,  regalia,  etc.,  of  the  value  of  §500, 
and  though  only  about  three  years  old  as  a  lodge, 
has  dispensed  in  charities  81,300. 

Present  officers— James  Z.  Kelly,  W.  M.;  Henry 
C.  Garner,  S.  W.;  William  F.  Jlichards,  J.  W.;  John 
W.  Powell,  Treasurer;  E.  R.  Boynton,  Secretary;  J. 
K.  Williams,  S.  D.;  William  U.Chellon,  J.  I).;  Robert 
Johnson  and  I).  A.  Gilchrist,  Stewards;  Henry  Ben- 
nett, Tyler;  Elijah  S.  Yeates,  Past  Master. 

Location,  Tuscarora,  l-'Jko  County.  Stated  com- 
munications, third  Saturday  in  each  month. 

HOPE   LODGK,  U.    D. 

The  dispensation  under  which  this  lodge  is  work- 
ing; was  granted  on  the  soventcenth  of  July,  1880. 
Uy  reason  of  its  small  membership  at  the  last  meet- 
ing of  the  Grand  Lodge,  no  charter  was  issued,  but 
the  dis])ensation  was  continued  for  another  year. 

It  has  but  ten  members. 

Officers— Sylvester  B.  Hinds,  W.  M.;  John  K.  Hart, 
S.  W.;  Benjamin  M.  Hague,  J.  W.;  Cliarles  W. 
Mallett,  Treasurer;  Jjorin  A.  Parker,  Secretary; 
Cassius  H.  Brown,  S.  I).;  Miller  Beach,  J.  1).;  Gran- 
ville L  Leavitt  and  Robert  \V.  Saunders,  Stewards; 
William  T.  Bunney,  Tyler. 


Past  Master— Sylvester  Benton  Hinds. 
Location,  .Mason  Valley,  Esmeralda  County.  Stated 
communications,  Tuesday  of  or  preceding  full  moon. 

WARD    .MASONIC   ASSOCIATION. 

In  December,  1S7C,  there  were  among  the  people 
who  had  congregated  in  the  vicinity  of  Ward, 
White  Pino  County,  many  Masons.  It  was  seventy 
miles  to  the  nearest  lodge  at  Hamilton,  and  they 
therefore  decided  to  form  themselves  into  a  .Masonic 
Association,  which  they  did,  and  have  maintained 
the  organization  ever  since. 

There  were  forty  organizing  members.  The  num- 
ber was  increased  to  fifty-two,  but  in  IHSO  there 
were  only  twenty  Masons  left  to  maintain  the  Asso- 
ciation. 

This  Association  dispensed  about  81.200  for  charit- 
able purposes,  and  now  has  property  valued  at  81(10. 

GRAND   LODOE   V.    AND   A.    M.    OF   NEVADA. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  January,  18G5,  a  Convocation 
of  Delegates  from  six  Masonic  Lodges,  in  this  State, 
assembled  at  Virginia  City,  and  in  two  days'  ses- 
sion organized  a  Grand  Lodge  for  Nevada,  and 
adjourned. 

On  the  day  of  the  adjournment,  the  seventeenth, 
the  Grand  Lodge  convened  at  the  same  place,  with 
the  following  officers  presiding: — 

Joseph  De  Bell Grand  ^Lister. 

George  W.  Bailey Deputy  (Jrand  iMaster. 

Henry  B.  Brady Senior  Grand  Warden. 

Richard  T.  JluUard Junior  Grand  Warden. 

Charles  E.  Olney Grand  Treasurer. 

Charles  H.  Fish Grand  Secretary. 

Benjamin  F.  Shakspear Senior  Grand  Deacon. 

William  (i.  Alban.. Junior  Grand  Deacon. 

E.  Jackson Grand  Tyler. 

After  ordering  new  charters  for  all  the  lodges 
then  in  the  State,  with  new  numbers,  and  the  trans- 
action of  such  other  business  as  would  bo  incident 
to  such  a  body,  it  adjourned  on  the  eighteenth  of 
January,  having  boon  in  communication  for  two  days. 
The  limits  of  this  work  will  nut  admit  of  a 
detailed  history  of  the  Order,  and  only  a  few  i)rom- 
incnt  events  can  be  mentioned,  among  which  the 
most  important  is  the  misfortune  by  fire  that  has 
pursued  it.  Three  times  in  1S75  the  Order  was 
visited  l>y  the  fury  of  this  ruthless  deslroj'er.  First, 
on  the  nineteenth  of  May,  when  the  Masonic  build- 
in"  of  Virginia  City  was  burned,  and  with  it  most 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  Library.  The  several  organiza- 
tions of  Masons  then  moved  to,  and  convened  at, 
the  Hall  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.;  but  on  the  third  of  Sep- 
tember this  building  was  nearly  destroyed,  and  most 
of  what  had  escaped  before  hecame  food  for  the 
flames.  On  the  twenty-sixth  of  October,  still  another 
seething  wave  swept  'over  Virginia  City  that  Ktl 
the  city  a  smouldering  bed  of  desolalion,  and  the 
Masonic  bodies  only  saved  the  lands  they  hud  on 
deposit  in  the  fire-proof  vaults  of  a  bank. 


RESIDENCE  AND  RANCH  OF  D.H.DILLARD.  ST.CLAIR.CHURCHILL  CO.  NEVADA. 


C»HSCN  LAftE  IN    IHt  OISI»NCt. 


ANCIENT    ORDER    OF  F.  AND  A.  M. 


245 


necauso  of  these  misfbrtuiics  the  Grand  Lodge 
did  not  meet  tliat  j'oar,  and  for  a  time  there  was  no 
building  in  which  a  secret  society  could  congregate. 
Out  of  this  fact,  and  through  the  suggestion  of  J.  B. 
Winters,  the  Masons  decided  to  open  and  close  a 
lodge  on  the  summit  of  .Mount  Davidson,  which  was 
done;  a  detailed  account  of  which  will  be  found  in 
the  history  of  V'^irginia  Lodge,  No.  3. 

On  the  twenly-tifth  of  January,  ISOli,  a  number  of 
Masons  residing  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  petitioned 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Nevada  for  a  dispensation  to 
establish  an  organization  in  that  Territory.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  petition  the  Grand  .Master,  Joseph  Do 
Bell,  issued  the  authority  to  institute  a  lodge  there, 
to  bo  known  as 

MOINT    MORIAII    LODliE. 

In  the  instrument  was  named  as  officers: — 

J.  W.  Ellis Worshipful  Master. 

W.  G.  Higbee . .  -Senior  Warden. 

W.  L.  Halsey Junior  Warden. 

Before  the  dispensation  issued,  the  applicants  were 
required  to  give  a  pledge  to  admit  no  Mormons  into 
the  Order. 

Eventually  the  Utah  bodj-  desired  to  admit  a  mem- 
ber of  that  faith,  and  aj^iilying  for  permission  to  the 
Nevada  Grand  Lodge  were  denied  the  privilege. 

In  1,8G7  they  petitioned  for  a  charter  upon  condi- 
tion that  the  restriction  as  against  that  church  was 
withdrawn  by  the  Grand  Lodge,  which  was  refused, 
and  the  charter  withheld.  Upon  receipt  of  this  news 
they  disbanded. 

This  was  the  first  ^Ma.sonic  organization  in  I^tah, 
and  the  ruling  that  disbanded  it  has  since  been 
affirmed  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  that  Territory. 

EASTERN    STAR  CUAPTEKS. 

This  is  an  Order  of  which  only  a  Master  Mason, 
or  his  wife,  mother,  widow,  sister,  or  daughter  can 
become  members.  It  was  first  established  in  Franco 
in  1730,  and  in  the  United  States  at  a  much  later 
date,  where  it  flourished  as  a  .Masonic  side  Degree 
or  Adoptive  Rite  until  1855,  when  the  Order  of 
Eastern  Star,  as  now  conducted,  was  established. 

ELECTA   CIIAPTEll,    NO.    3. 

Wo  have  been  able  to  get  accounts  of  but  two 
of  these  organizations  in  this  State,  of  which  Electa 
Chapter,  No.  3,  seems  to  have  been  first  instituted. 
This  Chapter  is  located  at  Austin,  Lander  County; 
was  chartered  May  G,  1877,  and  the  first  officers 
were: — 

Fannie  J.  Work Worthy  Matron. 

Matthew  ]\.  Scott Worthy  Patron. 

Jhirtha  Starratt Associate  .Matron. 

Klvii-a   II.  Nichols Conductress. 

JIary  lleanan Assistant  Conductress. 

Elizabeth  L.  Work Treasurer. 

Andrew  Nichols Secretary. 

Eli  Mclntire,  lleniy  II.  Cooper,  Ch as. TajMor,  Trustees. 

There   were    twenty-nine    charter   members,  and 
the  present  mombership  is  100. 
31 


The  property  of  the  organization  consists  of  rega- 
lia, valued  at  8100;  cash,  8500.  It  has  disbursed 
in  charities  about  8300.     The  jjresent  officers  are: — 

Clara  Triplett. . Worthy  .Matron. 

John  R.  Williamson   Worthy  Patron. 

Mary  L.  lleanan Assistant  .Matron. 

Martha  Starratt   Conductress. 

Lizzie  Dawley Assistant  Conductress. 

Margaret  Fames Treasurer. 

Fannie  J.  Work   Secretary. 

Andrew  Nichols,  Thos.  Triplett,  Joel  S.  Bar- 
nard   -   - Trustees. 

FRIKNPSIIIP   CHAPTER,    NO.    1. 

Although  this  Chapter  is  numbered  One,  its  date 
of  organization,  being  .laniiaiy  20,  1880,  is  later  than 
number  Three. 

Its  location  is  at  Elko,  in  the  county  of  that  name, 
and  the  first  officers  were: — 

Mrs.  ^larj'  Jackson Worthj-  Matron. 

W.  A.  Jackson   Worthy  Patron. 

Mrs.  Rose  Steel Assistant  Worthy  Matron. 

Mrs.  S.  J.  Ellis - Treasurer. 

T.  N.  Stone - Secretary. 

Mrs.  Lizzie   Wines Conductress. 

Miss  Cecelia  Hunter Assistant  Conductress. 

James  Bruin Warder. 

G.  W.  Litton - Sentinel. 

There  were  sixteen  persons  iiame.l  in  the  charter, 
and  the  present  membership  is  twenty-nine.  The 
present  officers  are  the  same  as  given  above. 

SUBORDINATE   CHAPTERS    R.    A.    .MASONS   OF    NEVADA. 

As  early  as  18G3,  when  there  had  been  but  five 
Blue  Lodges  organized  in  the  Territory  of  Nevada, 
a  successful  effort  was  made  to  institute  a  chapter. 

The  movement  was  inaugurated  by  a  ))etition  to 
the  Great  Grand  High  Priest,  asking  authority  to 
do  so;  the  request  being  signed  by  a  number  of 
Royal  Arch  Masons  in  Carson  City,  resulted  in  the 
issuance  of  a  dispensation,  dated  in  May,  1803. 

LEWIS   CHAPTER,    NO.    1. 

The  dispensation  issued  on  the  date  as  above,  was 
from  Dept.  (i.  G.  High  Priest,  John  L.  Lewis,  and 
gave  authority  to  form  a  Chapter  at  Car.son  City, 
Nevada,  under  the  name  of  Lewis  Chapter,  No.  1, 
the  following  being  named  as  the  first  officers: — 

George  W.   Hopkins High  Priest 

John  II.  Wayman King 

Joseph    Stewart Scribe 

At  the  same  time  a  disjieiisatioii  was  issued  for  a 
cha])ter  at  Smyrna,  in  the  empires  of  Turkey;  and 
upon  this  coincidence,  combined  with  llie  additional 
fact  that  the  Nevada  Chapter  had  selected  the  name 
of  the  Dept.  G.  G.  High  Priest  as  its  own,  that 
officer  in  his  report  to  the  (ieneral  (Jrand  Chapter, 
in  1865,  says: — 

The  undersigned  congrutiilates  himself  in  having 
been  instruinetitai,  in  the  same  work,  in  planting 
our  standard  in   the  distant  Orient,  and   upon   the 


246 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


golden  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  spanned  two  con- 
tinents with  our  arch. 

For  the  gratifying  compliment  paid  him  jierson- 
ally  b}'  his  esteemed  companions  in  Nevada,  in  the 
selection  of  a  name  for  their  chapter,  and  thus 
connecting  him,  in  imagination  at  least,  with  this 
gratifying  result,  he  tenders  his  grateful  thanks. 

A  charter  was  issued  to  Lewis  Chapter  on  the 
eighth  of  September,  18C5,  by  order  of  the  General 
Grand  Chapter  at  Columbus,  Ohio. 

In  1874,  it  had  a  membership  of  sixty-six  Royal 
Arch  Masons,  and  in  1880,  there  was  reported  fifty- 
seven  as  being  carried  on  the  Chapter  rolls. 

At  present  the  officers  are  Horatio  S.  Mann,  H. 
P.;  Trenmor  Coffin,  K.;  George  Tuffly,. Scribe;  John 
E.  Cheney,  C.  of  H.;  Chas.  N.  Harris,  P.  S.;  and 
Joseph  Burlingame,  R.  A.  Captain. 

VIRGINIA    CHAPTER,    NO.    2. 

The  dispensation  for  this  organization  bears  date 
of  September  8,  1865,  and  was  issued  by  the  same 
body  which  authorized  the  formation  of  Chapter 
No.  1. 

The  first  officers  named  in  the  instrument  are: — 

George  \V.  Hopkins High  Priest. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck King- 
Samuel  Owen Scribe. 

There  were  ton  other  charter  members. 

The  issuance  of  a  charter  was  delaj-ed  until  Sep- 
tember 18,  1868.  The  membership  reported  in  1874 
was  113,  but  in  1880  had  fallen  to  ninety-four. 

The  present  officers  are: — 

Enoch  Strother High  Priest. 

Jacob  Morris King. 

Joseph  E.  McDonald Scribe. 

Henry  Rolfo *. C.  of  H. 

Charles  De  Witt  McDuffie P.  S. 

William  Sutherland R.  A.  Captain. 

AUSTIN    CHAPTER,    NO.    3. 

In  1866,  the  Royal  Arch  Masons  of  Austin,  in 
Lander  County,  by  reason  of  their  comparative 
isolation,  petitioned  for  permission  to  organize  a 
chapter  at  that  place.  A  dispensation  was  granted 
them  in  October  of  that  year,  naming  as  officers: — 

De  Witt  C.  McKenney High  Priest. 

William  W.  Wixom .  ..King. 

Henry  Mayenbaum Scribe. 

There  wore  twenty-four  other  charter  members. 

In  September  1868,  a  charter  was  issued  and  the 
organization  had  only  increased  its  membership  to 
forty-seven  in  1874.  For  a  few  succeeding  years  the 
membership  was  graduallj'  lessened  until  the  tide 
turned  in  1878,  and  in  1880  fifty-one  members  were 
reported. 

The  officers  in  the  last-named  year  were  as  fol- 
lows:— 

John  R.  Williamson Uigb  Priest. 

Albert  F.  Steinbuch King. 

Eli  Mclntiro Scribe. 

Peter  T.  Farroll C.  of  H. 


Joel  S.  Barnard P.  S. 

John  Crowl It.  A.  Captain. 

WHITE    PINE   CHAPTER,    NO.    4. 

The  authority  for  the  formation  of  this  Masonic 
bodj'  boars  date  January  10,  1871,  and  the  organiza- 
tion took  place  on  the  ninth  of  the  following  month. 
Tho  first  officers  were: — 

Thomas  P.  Hawley High  Priest. 

William  Timson King. 

Joseph  Tyson Scribe. 

Fourteen  in  all  constituting  tho  first  membership. 

On  the  twentieth  of  September,  of  the  same  year, 
a  charter  was  granted,  and  tho  records  show  an  even 
reasonable  prosperity  up  to  tho  present  time,  when 
the  report  of  1880  gives  the  number  of  members  as 
twenty-seven. 

Tho  last  officers  reported  in  1880  were: — 

William  Timson   High  Priest. 

John  R.  Williamson King. 

Archibald  Beaton Scribe. 

John  C.  Russell C.  of  H. 

Edward  Raum P.  S. 

Evan  Harris R.  A.  Captain. 

ST.  John's  chapter,  no.  5. 

In  1873  the  Royal  Arch  Masons  residing  in  Eu- 
reka petitioned  the  Great  Grand  Chapter  for  author- 
itj-  to  organize,  and  permission  was  granted  them  on' 
the  tweiitj'-sixth  of  April  of  that  year. 

The  first  officers  were: — 

Samuel  P.  Kelloy High  Priest. 

G.  C.  Robinson King. 

F.  A.  Belknap Scribe. 

Later  in  the  same  year  tho  Grand  Chapter  of  Ne- 
vada was  formed,  which  granted  a  charter  to  thia 
subordinate  organization  on  the  twenty-first  of  No- 
vember, all  in  1873. 

The  charter  named  as  officers: — 

Samuel  P.  Kelley High  Priest. 

David  E.  Baily King. 

F.  A.  Belknap Scribe. 

In  1874  the  membership  is  given  as  thirty-six,  and 
in  1880  as  fifty-five.  The  chapter  has  met  with 
financial  misfortune  in  tho  loss  of  all  their  properly 
in  tho  disastrous  fire  in  Eureka  on  the  nineteenth  of 
April,  1879. 

The  present  officers,  according  to  report  of  1880, 
are: — 

Hiram  Johnson High  Priest 

Luke  W.  Thompson..*. King. 

John  V.  B.  Perry Scribe. 

Arthur  W.  Atchinson C.  of  H. 

Jason  S.   Burlingame P.  S. 

Daniel  McKinnon R.  A.  Captain. 

keystone  chapter,  no.  6. 

This,  like  the  White  Pino  Chapter  of  Hamilton, 
was  working  under  a  dispensation  at  tho  time  when 
the  Grand  Chapter  was  organized  in  Nevada.  Tho 
dispensation,  being  dated  on  the  twelfth  of  June, 
1873,  authorized  the  forming  of  tho  above  Masonic 


ANCIENT    ORDER    OF   F.  AND  A.   M. 


247 


body  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County,  where  it  is  located. 

The  first  officers  were: — 

Martin  \V.   Kales... High  Priest. 

A.  A.  Young King. 

G.  R.  Alexander Scribe. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Grand  Chapter  of 
Nevada,  a  charter  was  given  to  Kej'.stono  Chapter, 
No.  6,  dated  November  21, 1873,  in  which  were  named 
as  officers: — 

E.  D.  L.  Cutts High  Priest. 

G.  R.  Alexander King. 

Thos.  W.  Abrams Scribe. 

This  chapter  has  money  on  hand  and  property 
valued  at  Sl,r)00.  It  has  disbursed  for  charitable 
purposes  about  81,500. 

It  started  with  fourteen  members,  increased  that 
number  to  fifty,  and  now,  in  1880,  reports  but  twenty- 
three.     The  i)resent  officers  are: — 

Clinton  H.  Patchin High  Priest. 

Gustavus  R.  Alexander King- 

Asbury  A.  Young  vScribe. 

Henry  S.  Lubbuck .C.  ofH. 

Mathew  Rogers . P.  S. 

Ephraim  D.  Turner R.  A.  Captain. 

RENO   CHAPTER,    NO.    7. 

A  dispensation  was  granted  for  the  organization 
of  this  body,  March  1,  1875,  by  order  of  the  Grand 
High  Priest  of  Nevada.  The  name  indicates  its 
locality  in  Washoe  Countj'.     Its  first  officers  were: — 

Frank  Bell High  Priest. 

Charles  Knust King. 

Abraham  H.  Manning Scribe. 

Levi  W.  Leo C.  of  H. 

John  Boyd P.  S. 

Charles  Courtois R.  A.  Captain. 

The  Grand  Chapter  ordered  a  charter  to  be  issued 
to  this  body  on  the  twenty-third  of  November,  1876, 
and  David  E.  Bailey,  D.  G.  H.  P.  instituted  the  same 
and  installed  its  officers  on  the  fourth  of  January, 
1877.  The  first  three  officers  named  in  the  charter 
were  the  same  as  those  given  above. 

At  present  it  has  thirty-nine  members,  ton  more 
than  was  given  in  the  report  of  1870. 

In  1880  the  officers  were: — 

Charles  Knust High  Priest. 

Rufus   II.  Kinney King. 

Granville  VV.  Huffakor.    Scribe. 

F.  J.  Winchell..    C.  of  H. 

Mark  Parish .• P.  S. 

Thomas  K.  Ilymers R,  A.  Captain. 

GOLD    II ILL    CHAPTEU,    NO.  8. 

By  direction  of  the  Grand  Chapter  a  dispensation 
•was  issued  November  23,  187G,  authorizing  the  insti- 
tuting of  this  chapter  at  Gold  Hill,  in  Storoj'  Count}'. 
In  May,  1877,  its  rej)ort  to  the  Grand  ( "hapter  gives 
the  following  named  officers,  who  were  probably  the 
first  filling  those  jtositions  in  that  organization: — 
Samuel   W.  Chubbuck High  Priest. 


George   Robinson King. 

Benjamin  Jl.  Carrick Scribe. 

Willot  C.  Davis C.  of  H. 

James  McAllister P.  S. 

Andrew   Ingrund R.  A.  Captain. 

The  first  three  officers  as  above  given,  were  also 
named  to  fill  the  same  positions  in  the  charter  thai 
was  issued  on  the  fourteenth  of  June,  1877.  Appar- 
ently this  chapter  has  been  the  most  j)rosperous  of 
any  of  its  order  in  the  State,  the  increase  of  mem- 
bership having  been  rapid  and  continuous.  From 
thirty-nine  members  in  1877,  it  has  increased  to  sev- 
enty in  1880. 

The  ])resent  officers  are: — 

Willet  C.  Davis High  Priest. 

Byron  I.  Turman King. 

Patrick   McCarthy Scribe. 

Thomas   A  Menary C.  of  H. 

A.  B.  C.  Davis P.  S. 

Peter  C.  King... R.  A.  Captain. 

GENERAL  GRAND  CHAPTER  OP  NEVADA. 

In  the  report  of  James  A.  Austin,  Gen.  G.  H.  P., 
made  in  1871,  occurs  the  following: — 

"  In  September,  18C9,  I  received  a  communication 
from  the  High  Priest  of  Austin  Chapter,  No.  3,  at 
Austin,  Nevada,  asking  permission  to  form  a  Grand 
Chapter  for  that  State.  I  replied  that  I  would 
willingly  grant  such  permission  when  I  had  received 
satisfactorj^  information  that  all  claims  standing  in 
the  books  of  the  General  Grand  Chapter  against  the 
three  chapters  in  the  State  had  been  fully  paid,  and 
that  said  chapters  all  united  in- the  petition  for  such 
permission.  I  soon  ascertained,  however,  that  Lewis 
Chapter,  No.  1,  at  Carson  City,  had  not  been  insti- 
tuted under  the  charter  granted  in  1805,  and  thai  said 
charter  had  been  lost  in  its  transmission.  1  there- 
upon ordered  the  General  (Jraiid  Secretary  to  pre- 
])aro  and  forward  a  duplicate  warrant.  Under  these 
circumstances,  no  further  action  has  been  had  in  the 
matter  of  said  application." 

Josiah  H.  Drummoiul,  (rcn.  G.  II.  P.,  in  1874, 
refers  to  tliis  subject  as  follows: — 

"  On  November  18,  1873,  a  convention  of  the 
High  Priests,  Kings,  and  Scribes  of  tlfe  four  char- 
tered chapters  in  Nevada,  acting  under  a  warrant 
from  me,  dated  the  first  day  of  November,  1873,  pro- 
ceeded to  form  the  (Jrand  Cha]>tor  for  the  State  of 
Nevada." 

At  the  time  referred  to  above,  the  convention  that 
had  assembled  at  Virginia  t^'ity  organized  the  (Jeno- 
ral  Grand  Chajitor  b}^  the  appointment  of  the  fol- 
lowing officers: — 

George  Robinson (i.  H.  P. 

Edward  D.  L.  Cutts D.  G.  H.  P. 

David  H.  Baily G.  K. 

John  L.  Robertson G.  S. 

Andrew  Nichols G.  Sec. 

John  C.  Currie G.  T. 

\V.  A.  M.  Van  Bokkelen  G.  C.  H. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


On  the  twenty -first  of  the  same  month,  the  Grand 
Chapter  convened  for  the  first  time,  and  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  were  chosen  as  officers  for  1874: — 
Samuel  C.  Wright,  of  Lewis  Chapter,  No.  1,  G.  H.  P.; 
John  C.Currie,  of  Virginia  Chapter,  No.  2,  D.  G.  H.  P.; 
DeWitt  C.  McKenne}-,  of  Austin  Chapter,  No.  3,G.  K.; 
William  Timson,  of  White  Pine  Chapter,  No.  4,  G.  S.; 
Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,  of  Virginia  Chapter,  No.  2, 
G.  Sec;  Horatio  S.  .Nlason,  of  Lewis  Chapter,  No.  1, 
G  T.;  Edward  D.  L.  Cutts,  of  Keystone  Chapter, 
No.  6,  G.  C.  of  H. 

The    succeeding    officers   to  date    have   been,  in 
1875:— 

John  C.  Currie,  of  Virginia  City G.  il.  P. 

DeWitt  C.  McKenney,  of  Austin ...D.  G.  H.  P. 

Chauncey  N.  Noteware,  of  Carson  City G.  K. 

John  L.  llobertson,  of  Treasure  City G.  S. 

George  W.  Hopkins,  of  Virginia  City  G.  T. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,  of  Virginia  City.. G.  Sec. 

George  liobinson,  of  Cold  Hill  - G.  C.  of  H. 

Simon  Davis,  of  Virginia  City G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

John  D.  Hammond,  of  Carson  City G.  C. 

E.  J.  Passmore,  of  Virginia  City G.  O. 

Elbert  S.  Rincaid,  of  Virginia  City G.  G. 

FOR   THE    VEAR    1876. 

DeWitt  C.  McKenney,  of  Austin G.  H.  P. 

Charles  Martin,  of  Carson  City D.  G.  H.  P. 

David  E.  Baily,  of  Eureka G.  K. 

George  Robinson,  of  Gold  Hill G.  S. 

Enoch  Strothcr,  of  Virginia  City G.  T. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,  of  Gold  Hill ...G.  Sec. 

Frank  Bell,  of  Reno -    '.G.  C.  of  H. 

Simon  Davis,  of  Virginia G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

John  D.  Hammond,  of  Carson  City . . G.  C. 

E.  J.  Passmore,  of  Virginia G.  O. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid,  of  Virginia G.  G. 

FOR   THE    YEAR    1877. 

De  Witt  C.  McKenney,  of  Austin. G.  H.  P. 

David    E.   Baily,   of  Eureka. D.  G.  H.  P. 

Philip  Seldiier,  of   Virginia G.  K. 

Frank  Boll,  of  Reno G.  S. 

John  C.  Currie,  of  Virginia G.  T. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,  of  Gold  Hill G.  Sec. 

Willet  C.  Davis,   of  Gold  Hill G.  C.  of  H. 

Chas.  J.  R.-Biitiar,  of    Hamilton G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

John  J).  llamTnoiul,  of   Carson  City .G.  C 

George  N.  Eolls,  of  Virginia G.  O. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid,  of  Virginia G.  G. 

FOR    THE    YEAR    1878. 

J'hili|)  Seldiier,  ol'  Virginia G.  H.  P. 

David    E.  Baily,  of   Kureka D.  G.  H.  1'. 

Frank  Bell,  of  Reno   G.  K. 

Horatio  S.  Mason,  of  Carson  City. .  ,  .  .G.  S. 

Charles  Kiiust,  of  Reno G.  T. 

John  D.  ILinimond,  of  Carson  City. 6.  Sec. 

Treninor  Coffin,  of  Carson  City    G.  C.  of  H. 

Jonas  Soely,  of   Virginia G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

Samuel  P.  Kelley ,  of  Carson G.  C. 

George  N.  Eells,  of  Virginia G.  O. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid,  of  Virginia G.  G. 


FOR   THE   YEAR    187'J. 

David  E.  Baily,  of  Eureka.. G.  H.  P. 

Frank  Bell,  of'  Reno '. D.  G.  H.  P. 

Horatio  S.  Mason,  of  Carson  City G.  K. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck.  of  Gold  Hill G.  S. 

Charles  Knust,  of  Reno G.  T. 

John  D.  Hammond,  of  Carson  City..    G.  Sec. 

Robert  H.  Elam,  of  Pioche G.  C.  of  H. 

Hiram  Johnson,  of  Eureka G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

Samuel  P.  Kelley,  of  Austin   . .    G.  C. 

George  N.  Eells,  of  Virginia G.  0. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid,  of  Virginia G.  G. 

FOR  THE    YEAR    1880. 

Frank  Bell,  of  Reno. G.  H.  P. 

Chaunccj-  N.  Noteware,  of  Genoa D.  G.  H.  P. 

Samuel  W.  Chubbuck,   of  Gold  Hill G.  K. 

William  Timson,  of  Hamilton G.  S. 

Charles  Knust,  of  Reno G.  T. 

John  D.  Hammond,  of  Carson  City   G.  Sec. 

Byron  I.  Turman,  of  Gold  Hill G.  C.  of  H. 

Joseph  E.  McDonald,  of  Virginia G.  R.  A.  Capt. 

William  C.  Gray,  of  Virginia G.  C. 

(ieorge  N.  Eells,  of  Virginia G.  O. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid,  of  Virginia G.  G. 

KNIGHTS   TE.MPLAR. 

The  Order  of  Knights  Templar  was  introduced 
into  the  United  States  in  1808.  Delegates  from 
seven  Encampments  of  Knights  Templar  and  one 
Council  of  Red  Cross,  organized  in  New  York  City 
on  the  twentieth  of  June,  1816,  and  formed  a  Gen- 
eral Grand  Encampment  for  the  "United  States. 
Hon.  De  Witt  Clinton,  of  New  York,  was  elected 
General  Grand  Master;  and  Thomas  Smith  Webb, 
of  Boston,  his  Deputy. 

DE    WITT    CLINTON   COMMANDERV,    NO.    1. 

In  September,  1866,  the  corner-stone  of  the  United 
States  Branch  Mint  of  Carson  City  was  laid  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Masonic  (frand  Lodge  of  Nevada. 
A  number  of  Sir  Knights  living  within  the  State 
were  invited  by  the  Order  to  participate  in  the  pro- 
ceedings; and  at  the  close,  upon  consultation,  it  was 
decided  to  take  the  necessary  steps  for  the  forma- 
tion of  a  commandery  at  Virginia  City. 

Jacob  L.  Van  Rokkelon  was  selected  to  corresiiond 
with  H.  L.  Palmer,  (iraiid  Master  of  the  Grand  En- 
campment of  the  United  States  of  America,  with  a 
view  of  obtaining  a  dispensation. 

As  a  result  of  the  correspondence  that  ensued  a 
number  of  Sir  Knights  assembled  at  the  Masonic 
Hall,  in  Virginia  City,  on  the  sixteenth  of  Decem- 
ber, 1866,  and  took  the  necessary  stops  for  obtain- 
ing a  dispensation,  among  which  w:is  the  signing  of 
a  petition  for  the  same,  upon  which  appears  the  fol- 
lowing names: — 

Jacob  L.  Van  Bokkclen.  Horace  M.  Vosey,  Henry 
G.  Blasdel,  Ansel  S.  Olin,  of  Calitbrnia  Commandery, 
No.  1. 

John  Prescott  Smith,  Nathaniel  A.  H.  Ball,  John 
C.  Hampton,  Daniel  St.  C.  Stevens,  Charles  Forman, 


ANCIENT    ORDER    OF   F.  AND  A.  M. 


249 


Leonard  X.   FerriM,  Jonah    D.  Treat,  of  Sacramento 
Comiuandory,  2S'o.  2,  California. 

John  C.  Russell,  of  Pacific  Commaiuk'ry.  No.  8, 
California. 

John  S.  Kaneen,  George  W.  Hopkins,  of  Nevada 
Commandery,  No.  C,  California. 

Charles  N.  Cook,  of  El  Dorado  Commanderj-,  No. 
4,  California. 

Milton  ilygatt,  of  Palestine  Commandery,  No.  2, 
Iowa  Citj',  Iowa. 

After  the  dispensation,  bearing  date  February  4, 
18G7,  had  been  received,  the  first  assembly  was 
held  on  the  succeeding  nineteenth  of  April,  at  which 
time  the  organization  was  coni))leto(l. 

The  Sir  Knights  who  acted  as  otticiais  at  this  first 
meeting  were: — 

Jacob  L.  Van  Bokkelen Eminent  Commander. 

John  P.  Smith Generalissimo. 

John  C.  Russell Captain  General  j)ro  tern. 

Nathaniel  A.  H.  Ball Prelate. 

Paniel  St.  C.  Stevens Recorder  ;>?-o  (em. 

John  C.  Hampton Treasurer  pro  (em. 

Milton  Mygatt Senior  Warden  pro  tern. 

Charles  AV.  Cook. ....    .  .Junior  ^Varden  jn-o  (em. 

George  W.  Hopkins Warder  pro  (em. 

Ansel  S.  Clin Sentinel. 

The  first  regular  officers  were  the  following,  who 
served  for  18(>7  and  IStlS: — 

Jacob  L.  Van  Bokkelen Eminent  Commander. 

John  P.  Smith Generalissimo. 

John  S.  Kaneen _ Captain   General. 

Nathaniel  A.   II.  Ball Prelate. 

Milton  Mygatt Senior  Warden. 

Charles  W.  Cooke Junior  Wai-den. 

John  C.  Hampton _ Treasurer. 

Daniel  St.  C.  Stevens Recorder. 

Ansel  S.  Clin Standard  Bearer. 

Charles  Jones Sword  Bearer. 

Jonah  1).  Treat Warder. 

Klbert  S.  Kincaid Sentinel. 

This  commander}-  started  with  sixteen  members. 
The  tuimber  was  eventually  increased  to  ninety-two, 
and  at  the  present  time  there  arc  eighty-six.  Its 
propertj'  consists  of  a  one-fourth  interest  in  the 
Masonic  Hail  of  Virginia  City,  and  the  paraphernalia. 

The  Recorder  reports  that  this  commander}^ 
has  disbursed  in  charities  from  S2(I,(I(I0  to  SHO.dUd. 
The  following  is  taken  from  a  historic  pam|)hlet, 
published  by  the  organization,  in  regard  to  its  own 
past  up  to  1S7(J: — 

On  the  nineteenth  day  of  Maj ,  IS"."),  the  hall, 
occu])ied  as  an  asj-luni,  was  consumed  by  fire,  and 
jiart  of  the  jiroperty  of  the  commander}-  destri)ye<l. 
The  asylum  was  then,  by  the  courtesy  of  the  Sociely 
of  Pioneers  of  Nevada,  established  in  Pioneer  Hall 
until  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  October,  .\.  d.  1875, 
when  that  hall  was  also  destroyed  by  fire,  together 
with  fully  one-half  of  Virginia  City.  Tlie  com- 
mandery had  everything  it  owned  burned  at  this 
time,  with  the  exception  of  the  charter,  oilicers' 
jewels,  and  the  report  of  a  committee  to  prepare  the 


by-laws  herein  contained,  for  publication,  which 
were  in  the  safe  of  the  Eminent  Commander.  All 
the  minutes,  records,  and  account  books,  exce])ting 
that  of  the  Treasurer,  were  destroyed,  so  that  future 
generations  will  only  know  what  was  done  by  our 
commandery  through  the  list  of  membershi])  and 
by-laws,  contained  in  this  little  volume.  The  cos- 
tumes of  ])robably  two-thirds  of  the  members  were 
also  destroyed. 

Our  condition  financially,  as  ascertained  from  the 
books  of  the  Treasurer,  is  as  follows; — 

Mortgage  on  Miller  lot SI, 500  00 

Montgomery  Ave.  bonds,  San  Francisco..  1,700  00 
Cash  2,138  0(t 

Total $5,338  00 

In  1880,  the  officers  are: — 

Charles  Forman Eminent  Commander. 

George  F.  Ford Generali.ssimo. 

Robert  H.  McDonald Captain  General. 

Hen ry  Rolfe Prelate. 

Joseph  II.  Matthowson Senior  Warden. 

Michael  J.  Henly Junior  Warden. 

John  C.  Hampton Treasurer. 

John  W.  Eckley Recorder. 

Granville  W.  Huffaker   Standard  Bearer. 

Thos.  K.  Hymer Sword  Bearer. 

Alexander  T.  Menary Warder. 

Elbert  S.  Kincaid Sentinel. 

EUREKA    COM.MANDERY,    NO.    2. 

This  commandery  having  been  recently  formed 
has  but  little  history.  It  was  instituted  in  July, 
1880,  under  a  dispensation  from  Vincent  L.  Hurlbut, 
Grand  Master  of  Knights  Templars  of  U.  S.,  with  the 
following  officers: — 

H.  H.  Conklin Eminent  Commander. 

W.  H.  Remington Generalissimo. 

W.  W.  Hobart Captain  General. 

A.  L.  Fitzgerald Prelate. 

Matthew  Kyle Senior  Warden. 

H.  Sadler Junior  Warden. 

A.  Boungard Warder. 

F.  E.  Baker Recorder. 

The  Grand  Encamjiment  of  Knights  Teii)])lars,  V. 
S.  A.,  granted  a  charter  to  Eureka  Commandery,  No. 
2,  August  19,  1880. 

The  present  officers  are: — 

H.  H.  Conklin Eminent  Commander, 

W.  H.  Remington  .    .      Generalissimo. 

W.  W.  llobart   Captain  General. 

A.  L.  Fitzgerald Prelate. 

Matthew  Kyle  Senior  Warden. 

R.  Sadler Junior  Warden. 

II.  Johnson Treasurer. 

K.  E.  Baker -. Hecorder. 

J.  1!.  Kendall Standard  Bearer. 

L.  P.  Anderson Sword  Hearer. 

A.  Boungard Warder. 

SILVER  I.OIXiE  OF  I'EHFEOTION,  SCOTTISH  KITE,  NO.  1. 

This  society  was  organized  in  Virginia,  Storey 
County,  on  the  twenty-third  of  April,  1874. 


250 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Its  first  officers  were  Hcniy  St.  George  Hopkins, 
T.  P.  G.  W.;  Phillip  Seldner,  S.  G.  W  ;  Stephen  H. 
Goddard,  J.  G.  "\V. ;  John  W.  Van  Zant,  G.  O. ;  Michael 
J.  Henly,  G.  A.;  J.  C.  Hamj.ton,  G.  T.;  Charles  E. 
Davis,  G.  G.;  J.  B.  Pichford,  M.  of  C;  James  A. 
Maynard,  G.  G.  E. 

The  present  officers  are  Phillip  Seldner.  T.  P.  G. 
W.;  ilichaelj.  Henly,  S.  G.  \V.;  Stephen  H.  God- 
dard, J.  G.  W.;  John  W.  Van  Zant,  G.  0.;  \V.  W. 
Filkins,  G.  A.;  E.  J.  Pasmore.  G.  S.;  J.  C.  Hampton, 
G.  T.;  J.  H.  Matthewson,  G.  M.  C. 

Its  total  membership  since  organizing  embraces 
about  100  names. 

The  lodge  has  lost  by  fire  about  83,000.  Its  prop- 
erty is  estimated  to  be  worth  8500.  Its  financial  con- 
dition at  present  is  embarrassed. 


CHAPTER    X X  X  1 II . 
INDEPENDENT   ORDER   OF   ODD   FELLOWS. 

Odd  FelloH-ship  in  the  two  Hemispheres — Washington  Lodge, 
No.  1— The  Order  in  1S7S— VVildey  Loilge,  No.  1— SilverCity 
Lodge,  No.  2 — Mount  Davidson  Lodge,  No.  3  —  Carson 
Lodge,  Xo.  4 — Dayton  Lodge,  No.  5 — Esmeralda  Lodge,  No. 
6 — Nevada  Lodge,  No.  7 — Waslioe  Lodge,  No.  S — Austin 
Lodge,  No.  9 — Virginia  Lotlge,  No.  10 — Alpha  Lodge,  No-  II 
— Olive  Branch  I^odge,  No.  12— Parker  Lodge,  Xo.  IS — 
Truckee  Lodge,  Xo.  14 — Genoa  Lodge,  X'o.  15 — Humboldt 
Lodge,  X"o.  10 — Hamilton  Lodge,  X'o.  17 — Elko  Lodge, 
No.  18 — Reno  Lodge,  No.  19 — Capitol  Ix>dgc,  No.  20 — Buena 
Vista  Lodge,  No.  21 — Eureka  Lodge,  No.  22 — Pioche  Lodge, 
No.  23 — iSlmont  Lodge,  No.  24 — Paradise  Lodge,  No.  25 — 
Palisade  Lodge,  No.  26 — Mountain  Lodge,  No.  27— Tybo 
Lodge,  No.  28 — Cornucopia  Lodge,  No.  29 — Tuscarora  Lodge, 
No.  30 — Battle  Mountain  Lodge,  No.  31 — Crantsville  Odd 
Fellows'  Association — Cherry  Creek  Odd  Fellows'  Associa- 
tion— Table  Showing  Location,  Strength  and  Charities  of 
the  Indepeniient  Order  of  Odd  Fellows — ( I  rand  I»dge  of 
Nevada — Encampments,  Indeiiemlent  Order  of  Odd  Feflow.s 
— Pioneer  Encampment,  No.  1 — Carson  Encampment,  No. 
2 — Piute  Encampment,  No.  3 — Keese  River  Encampment, 
No.  4 — Reno  Encampment,  No.  5 — Ciarden  Valley  Encamp- 
ment, No.  fi — Silver  .Star  Encamimient,  No.  7 — Mount  Ver- 
non Encampment,  No.  8 — Elko  Encampment,  No.  9 — Bul- 
lion Encampment,  No.  10 — Reports  for  the  Year  Ending 
December  31,  1879 — iJrand  Encampment  of  Nevada — Report 
of  the  Grand  Encampment. 

The  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  as  it  at 
present  exists  throughout  the  world  is  an  American 
institution  of  the  present  century,  although  the 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  existed  in  England  long  ante- 
rior to  the  orgiinizution  in  this  country.  The  object 
of  the  early  English  organizations  appeared  to  be 
more  for  convivialit}-  than  benevolence  and  the 
advancement  of  the  social  condition.'  The  membei's 
recognized  each  other  in  a  way  mysterious  to  the 
public,  and  acted  so  singularlj-  that  they  were  given 
the  name  of  "  odd  fellows,"  which  long  usage  made 
the  name  of  the  society.  In  the  early  part  of  this 
century  Thomas  VVildey  emigrated  from  England  to 
this  country.  He  had  belonged  to  an  Odd  Fellows 
Lodge  in  his  native  land,  and  desired  to  institute  a 
similar  association  in  the  land  of  his  adoption.  For 
this  purpose  ho  ap]ilied  for  the  proper  authority  from 
the  organization  he  had  left,  but  failed  to  get  it.  He 
therefore  determined  to  proceed  independently,  and, 


then  a  resident  of  Baltimore,  Marj-land,  advertised 
in  the  papers  of  that  city  for  any  members  of  the 
Order  to  meet  at  a  public  house  in  Baltimore,  known 
as  the  '•  Seven  Stars."  Pursuant  to  that  notice,  there 
met  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  April,  1819,  five 
persons,  to  wit,  Thomas  VVildey,  John  Welch,  John 
Duncan,  John  Cheathem  and  Richard  Rushworth, 
and  thereon  that  day  organized  the  "Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,"  distinguishing  it  from  the 
"  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  "  of  England,  being  organized 
without  a  charter  or  dispensation  from  any  grand  or 
older  organization. 

With  the  expanded  ideas  and  nobler  aspirations 
that  seem  to  inspire  all  people  as  thej-  are  trans- 
planted to  the  free  soil  and  free  institutions  of  the 
Great  Republic,  so  did  the  founders  of  Odd  Fellow- 
ship in  America  view  the  greater  field,  and  prepared 
their  institution  for  a  wider  and  nobler  scope,  with 
'•  Faith,  Hope  and  Charity "  as  its  watchwords. 
VV'ith  the  organization  of  the  Order,  at  the  same 
time  and  place,  was  organized 

WASHINGTON    LODGE,  NO.  1. 

This  was  a  worthy  name  for  the  first  lodge  of  that 
Order  that  was  to  be  in  the  great  future,  first  in 
love,  first  in  charity,  and  first  in  cementing  the  broth- 
erhood of  man.  The  officers  and  members  of  this 
lodge  were  Thomas  Wildey,  N.  G.;  John  Welch,  V. 
G.;  John  Duncan,  John  Cheathem  and  Richard  Rush- 
worth.  This  was  a  small  beginning,  its  survival  was 
doubtful,  and  the  full  scope  of  its  object  and  powers 
not  fully  comprehended.  For  many  years  the 
growth  was  slow,  but  the  foundation  was  solid,  the 
object  noble,  the  association  fraternal,  and  the  bene- 
fits so  real,  tangible,  and  substantial,  that  when  it 
became  fully  known,  the  prejudice  against  secret 
orders  removed,  then  the  growth  was  rapid,  until 
now  the  membership  has  grown  to  half  a  million 
men,  and  its  charities  have  called  for  over  827,000,- 
000.  The  halls,  lodges,  encampments  and  libraries 
are  in  every  town  of  importance  in  the  land,  and  its 
charities  are  everywhere. 

In  1821  a  convention  was  held  in  the  same  city  on 
the  seventh  of  February,  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a  Grand  Lodge,  that,  because  of  some  obstructions, 
failed  to  produce  the  desired  result  until  the  ensuing 
twenty-second  of  May,  when  that  old  pioneer  lodge 
surrendered  its  charter  and  received  one  from  the 
"  Duke  of  York  Lodge  of  England,"  and  became 
subordinate  to  the  general  head  in  America. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  was 
formed  February  22,  1S25,  at  which  there  were  but 
nine  subordinates  on  the  continent;  and  in  1828 
the  number  of  the  Order  was  first  stated,  there 
being  given  at  the  time  but  SOS  as  the  result  of  a 
growth  of  nine  years.  Ten  years  later  the  total 
amount  paid  out  for  relief  of  members  that  year  was 
84,505.85. 

From  such  a  beginning  has  developed  that  grand 
beneficiary  influence  among  men,  the  magnitude  of 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  ODD  FELLOWS. 


251 


which  pan  best  bo  realized  by  jrlaiicinij  at  the  sub- 
joined statistics,  compiled  from  re])<irtM  of  j^rand  and 
subordinate  bodies,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Grand  Lodge: — 

THE   ORDER    IN    1878. 

Grand  Lodges..  ...  50 

Subordinate  Lodges 6,975 

Eebekah  Degree  Lodges TM 

Grand   Kncampments ,.  89 

Subordinate  Kncani])mont8 1,863 

Lodge   Initiations 33,860 

Lodge  .Members 442,291 

Encampment  Members 82,408 

Eelief  l.y  Lodges 81 .553,726  70 

Relief  b}' Kncam])ment8 177,18(1  69 

Relief  by  itebekah  Lodges 9,498  29 

Total    Relief 1 ,740,4(15  68 

Revenue  of  Lodges 3,814,126  98 

Revenue  of  Encampments 415,934  22 

Revenue  of  Rebckah  Lodges 36,925  32 

Total  Jfevenuc 4,266,986  52 

The  following  is  an  exhibit  of  the  operations  of 
the  entire  Order,  including  Australia,  Germany, 
etc.:  — 

FROM  1830  TO  DECEMBER  31,  1878. 

Initiations 1,094,965 

Members  relieved 859,126 

Widowed  families  relieved 115,127 

Members   deceased 81,648 

Present   membership 450,238 

Total  relief §27,468,286  36 

Total   receipts 73,504,918  00 

ODD   FELLOWS    LODGES   IN    NEV-AD-A.. 

The  first  organization  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Nevada 
was  at  Gold  Hill,  Storey  County,  April  1,  1862,  and 
it  was  given  the  name  of  Wildey  Lodge,  No.  1. 
The  charter  members  were  Levi  Hite,  Peter  Meyer, 
VV.  W.  Shelly,  J.  Pfoutz,  Michael  Schwartz,  O.  East- 
man, J.  W.  Phillips,  VVm.  11.  Beegan,  H.  C.  Jacob- 
son,  A.  B.  Eider,  John  Lambert  and  D.  Van  Vran- 
ken.  Bro.  J.  W.  Phillips  was  elected  N.  G. ;  J. 
Pfoutz,  V.  G.;  and  W.  11.  Beegan,  Secretary.  The 
present  officei-s,  1881,  are  John  F.  Iluss,  N.  G;  Sam- 
uel Dowling,  V.  G.;  Thomas.  \V.  Booth,  R.  S.;  \Vm. 
Mercer,  Treasurer. 

Silver  City  Lodge,  No.  2,  was  instituted  on 
April  14,  1S(;2,  with  Broi.  P.  J.  H.  Smith,  Kas- 
])er  Haupt,  William  (i.  Blakeloy,  R.  C.  O'Neill  and 
Francis  McMahan  as  charter  members.  [No  report 
of  present  officers  in  (irand  Lodge  Pejjort  for  18S1.] 

Mount  Davidson  J>o<lge,  No.  3,  was  instituted 
at  Virginia  City,  on  April  22,  1862,  with  Bros. 
Erastus  Bond,  P.  (r.,  Adolplic  Philli])son,  John 
Steele,  P.  G.,  M.  Holmes,  P.  G.,  J.  W.  Noyes,  P.  G., 
W.  B.  Hull  and  H.  J.  Witto  as  charter  members. 
The  present  officers,  1881,  are  William  11.  Kent,  N. 
G.;  G.  B.  Joy,  V.  G.;  William  Kimball,  U.  S.;  J.  W. 
Noyes,  Treasurer. 

Carson  Lodge,  No.  4,  Carson  Citj-,  was  instituted 
on  April  25,  1862,  with  Bros.  D.  B.  Woolf,  E. 
B.  Rail,  J.  11.  Wayman,  Eli  Harkely,  Jacob  W. 
Uest,  B.  F.  Clark,  Morris  Bick,  Joseph  .Mandlebaum 
William  D.  Noland,  F.  W.  Blake,  John  Wagner  and 


F.  A.  Tritle  as  charter  members.  The  present  offi- 
cers, 1S81,  are  A.  .M.  .Mct'abe,  N.  G.;  David  Suther- 
land, V.  (i.;  J.  L.  Beam,  R.  S.;  George  Tufly,  Treas.; 
TI.  II.  Benco,  P.  S. 

Dayton  Lodge.  No.  5,  Dayton,  was  instituted 
June  2,  1863,  and  had  as  charter  members  R.  B.  Mc- 
Connell,  Levi  Lamb,  Ira  G.  Harlan,  J.  B.  Brazelton, 
D.  C.  McQuilty,  Timothy  .Madden,  William  Haydon 
and  J.  E.  Sabine.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are 
Samuel  Stevenson,'  N.  G.;  II.  T.  Beale,  V.  G.;  J.  A. 
Bonham,  R.  S. ;  ^I.  L.  Johnson,  Treasurer. 

Esmeralda  Lodge,  No.  6,  Aurora,  was  instituted- 
September  16,  lSt)3,  with  Bros.  John  Fisher,  William 
Eichelroth,  M.  Schwartz,  Geo.  O.  Kies,  John  W. 
Riens,  J.  \V .  Simpson,  Charles  Cardinell,  E.  P.  Davis 
and  F.  Lambert  as  charter  members.  John  Fisher 
was  elected  N.  G.;  Wm.  Eichelroth,  V.  G;  Geo.  O. 
Kies,  R.  S.;  M.  Schwartz,  P.  S.,  and  John  W.  Riens 
Treas.  The  present  officers,  1S81,  are  G.  H.  Hatch, 
N.  G.;  George  W.  Deyo,  V.  G.;  John  H.  Poor,  R.  S.; 
D.  J.  Lewis,  Treasurer. 

Nevada  Lodge,  No.  7,  Virginia,  was  instituted 
January  15,  1864,  with  Bros.  D.  B.  Woolf,  D.  M. 
Love,  Thomas  Ileffron,  Martin  AVhite,  John  A.  ^Ic- 
Quaid,  Isaac  Pforshiemer,  Jacob  Feldberg,  Frank 
Denver,  R.  M.  Black  and  Charles  .M.  Cornell  as 
charter  members.  The  present  ofKcers,  1881,  are 
Harry  Block,  N.  (;.;  J.  K.  Stephens,  V.  G;  L.  Loben- 
stein,  R.  S.;  R.  T.  Brodok,  Treasurer. 

Washoe  Lodge,  No.  8,  Washoe,  was  instituted 
January  18,  1864,  with  Jacob  Stark,  Hiram  Bar- 
ton, Louis  Wertheimer,  Wm.  M.  Bradley,  Thomas  H. 
McGrath  and  C.  A.  Gibson  as  charter  membei-s. 
The  present  officers,  1881,  are  J.  N.  Barstow,  N.  G.; 
A.  McClelland,  V.  G.;  Nat  Holmes,  R.  S.;  A.  Sauers, 
Treasurer. 

Austin  Lodge,  No.  9,  Austin,  was  instituted  Janu- 
ary 23,  1864,  with  J.  II.  Crane,  Frank  V.  Drake,  N. 
R.  Davis,  A.  D.  Rock  and  E.  X.  Willard  as  charter 
members.  It  is  the  successor  to  an  Odd  Fellows 
Association,  organized  J)ecemhor  12,  1863,  with  D. 
W.  Welt}'  for  President,  and  Frank  V.  Drake,  Secre- 
tary. The  present  officers,  1881,  are  Charles  Currelley, 
N.  G.;  A.  D.  Burchficld.V.  G,;  Charles  Lund,  H.S.; 
William  H.  Clark  Treasurer. 

Virginia  Lodge,  No.  10,  Virginia,  was  instituted 
May  18,  1865,  with  Erastus  Bond,  P.  (J.-,  F.  B.  Smith, 
P.  G.,  W.  L.  Donation,  P.  G.,  1).  M.  Love,  P.  G., 
John  S.  Kaneen,  10.  W.  Haines,  Wm.  Doolin,  ('.  M. 
Brown,  James  Steele,  Cornelius  Finley,  tJeorge  C. 
Burnett,  (Jeorge  Downey,  Josiah  Ivirle,  J.  H.  Rennie 
and  J.  G.  Farrington,  charter  members.  John  S. 
Kaneen  was  elected  N.  G.;  E.  W.  Haines,  V.  G., 
Erastus  Bond,  R.  S. ;  James  B.  Ronnie,  P.  S.,  and  D. 
M.  Love,  Treas.  The  ])rcsent  officers,  ISSl,  are  A. 
A.  Wills,  N.  G.;  C.  E.  .Mack,  V.  G.;  B.  F.  Wallace,  H. 
S.;  J.  C.  Smith,  Treasurer. 

Alpha  Lodge,  No.  II,  .\ustin.  March  11,  1867,  with 
Joseph  Fvans,  P.  Do  C'ook.  Edward  Hudson,  |)aniel 
Bowman,  William  J.  Blake,  J.  W.  Goetchus  and  J. 


252 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Marchant    as   charter  members.      SuiTendered   its 
charter  in  1871. 

Olive  Branch  Lodge,  No.  12,  Virginia,  April  4, 1867, 
with  C.  M.  Cornell,  H.  S.  Winn,  W.  11.  Virden,  A. 
AVilliams.  J.  B.  SafTord,  11.  Somers,  James  Estep,  R. 
M.  Black,  Biiri  Callaghan.  James  h.  Durant,  Mark 
Collins.  Thomas  Cowin  and  John  Cowin  as  charter 
members.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  J.  J.  Don- 
worth,  X.  G.;  S.  F.  Carter,  V.  G.;  W.  0.  Gray,  R.  S.; 
W.  J.  Luke,  Treasurer. 

Parker  Lodge,  No.  13,  Gold  Hill,  was  instituted 
October  8,  18G8,  with  W.  H.  Dolman,  P.  G.,  G. 
Stockle,  D.  Young.  J.  F.  Parks,  P.  G.,  Edward 
Schaefer,  S.  E.  IL  Spurling,  John  Nelson,  and  II. 
Motze,  charter  members.  W.  II.  Ilolman,  P.  G., 
was  elected  N.  G.;  John  Nelson,  V.  G.;  S.  E.  H. 
Spurling,  R.  S.;  Edward  Schaefer,  P.  S.;  G  Stockle, 
Treasurer.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  Charles 
Lanthier,  N.  G.;  Louis  Parent,  V.  G.;  Adam  Baird, 
R.  S.;  Conrad  llaub.  Treasurer. 

Truckee  Lodge,  No.  14,  Reno,  was  instituted  Octo- 
ber 28,  1808,  with  B.  F.  Ingram,  John  Borland,  D. 
Lachman,  T.  F.  Lewis,  T.  P.  Sikes,  \V.  L.  lludnall, 
and  Geo.  W.  Cunningham  as  charter  members.  The 
present  officers,  1881,  are  H.  Brown,  N.  G.;  R.  S. 
Osburn,  V.  G.;  F.  C.  Updyke,  R.  S.;  J.  GraflF,  Treas- 
urer; G.  Cunningham,  P.  S. 

Genoa  Lodge,  No.  15,  Genoa,  was  instituted  De- 
cember 23,  1868,  with  the  following-named  brothers, 
as  officers:  L.  S.  (ireenlaw,  N.  (i.;  Joseph  Kilpat- 
rick,  V.  tr. ;  Joseph  Martin,  Secretary,  and  I.  W. 
Duncan,  Treasurer.  (The  Committee  preparing  the 
history  failed,  after  repeated  efforts,  to  obtain  the 
names  of  the  charter  members.)  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  J.  T.  Williams,  N.  G.;  R.  W.  Vansickle, 
V.  G.;  Philip  Clarke,  R.  S.;  A.  Livingston,  Treasurer. 

Humboldt  Lodge,  No.  16,  Winnemucca,  was  insti- 
tuted August  29,  1869,  with  the  following  charter 
members:  James  E.  Sabine,  P.  G.  R.,  T.  W.  Le(Jren, 
P.  G.,  T.  V.  Jnlien,  Joseph  Barnes,  Charles  F.  .Moel- 
ler,  C.  Haupt,  James  llunkins.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  Jonathan  Fulton,  N.  (i.;  Christ  Bachtold, 
V.  G.;   W.   Perkins,   R.  S.;  F.  Naramore,  Treasurer. 

Hamilton  Lodge,  No.  17,  Hamilton,  was  instituted 
April  26,  1870,  with  J.  B.  Dayton,  P.  G.:  J.  T.  Mat- 
thewson,  P.  G.,  J.  O.  Darrow,  John  Marchant,  J.  W. 
Simpson,  and  R.  Sadler,  charter  members.  John 
.Marchant  was  elected  N.  (i.;  J.  B.  Dayton,  V.  G.; 
R.  Sadler,  R.  S.;  J.  T.  Matthewson,  Treasurer.  The 
present  officers,  1881,  are  S.  S.  Woodin,  N.  (J.;  Wm. 
Reedy,  V.  G.;  II.  Bush,  R.  S.;  C.  A.  Mathewson, 
Treasurer. 

Elko  Lodge,  No.  18,  Elko,  was  instituted  October 
1ft,  187(1,  with  A.  J.  Clark,  J.  B.  Fitch,  T.  C.  Keiiyon, 
F.  A.  Rogers,'  Elijah  S.  Yeates,  John  Ainly,  C.  B. 
John.s,  W.  A.  Harvey,  charter  members;  E.  S.  Yeates, 
was  elected  N.  G.;  F.  A.  Rogers,  V.  G.;  W.  A.  Har- 
vey, R.  and  P.  S.;  A.  J.  Clark,  Treasurer.  The  pres- 
ent officers,  1881,  are  J.  P.  Edoff,  N.  G.;  E.  Burner, 
V.  G.;  0.  E.  Green,  E.  S.;  Walter  Chase,  Treasurer,  i 


Reno  Lodge,  No.  19,  Reno,  was  instituted  May  18, 
1871,  with  Dan  H.  Pine,  J.  S.  Sellers,  Donald  Mc- 
Kay, Will  T.  Frank,  P.  B.Comstock.  John  Harwood, 
N.  J.  Roff,  Thomas  Forbes,  D.  C.  Martin,  H.  P. 
Cowles,  N.  C.  Kenney,  and  Robert  Harrison.  N.  C. 
Kenney  was  elected  N.  (i.;  Dan  H.  Pine,  V.  G.;  W. 
T.  P>ank,  R.  S.;  H.  P.  Cowles,  P.  S.;  David  Martin, 
Treasurer.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  J.  M. 
Fianigan,  N.  G.;  A.  Ljman,  V.  G.;  R.  F.  Hoy,  R.S.; 
J.  S.  Shoemaker,  Treasurer;  T.  E.  Tibbetts,  P.  S. 

Capitol  Lodge,  No.  20,  Carson,  was  instituted  July 
28,  1871,  with  William  D.  Torreyson,  J.  II.  Connor, 
C.  H.  Maish.  J.  I).  Minor,  John  Trap,  D.  G.  Kitz- 
meyer,  J.  A.  Risdon,  G.  W.  Chedic,  J.  W.  Waters,  J. 
W.  Robinson,  G.  W.  White,  and  N.  MeD.  Kennedy, 
as  charter  members.  D.  G.  Kitzmeyer,  was  elected 
N.  G.;  J.  W.  Robinson,  V.  G.;  J.  D.  Minor,  R.  S.; 
W.  D.  Torreyson,  Treasurer.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  Charles  H.Jones,  N.  G.;  John  D.  Kersey, 
V.  G.;  Geo.  W.  Chedic,  R.  S.;  D.  G.  Kitzmeyer, 
Treasurer. 

Buena  Vi.sta  Lodge,  No.  21,  Unionville,  was  insti- 
tuted October  26,  1871.  with  S.  S.  Grass,  E.  1).  Kelly, 
F.  X.  Banks,  H.  A.  Waldo,  James  McCormick,  O.  R. 
Leonard,  and  John  W.  Tyler,  as  charter  members. 
E.  D.  Kelly,  N.  G.;  F.  X.  Banks,  V.  G.;  H.  A.  Waldo, 
R.  S.;  A.  J.  Davis.  Treasurer.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  D.  AV.  Johnson,  N.  G.;  John  McClure,  V. 
G.;  F.  X.  Banks,  R.  S.;  T.  J.  Hadley,  Treasurer. 

Eureka  Lodge,  No.  22,  Eureka,  was  instituted 
March  14,  1872,  with  Michael  Borowsky,  Marquis 
Levy,  William  Head,  E.  L.  Willard,  A.  Charson,  O. 
Peterson,  Paul  Kej'ser,  Charles  G.  Hubbard.  Q. 
Waidhass,  Charles  Goll,  N.  Raffaelovich,  William 
Emery,  Solomon  Aschiem,  S.  Ridge,  M.  Fredenburg, 
W.  A.  Seaton,  Samuel  Goldstone,  E.  E.  Phillips, 
Edward  Schaeffer,  Jonathan  H.  Haslam,  and  James 
Stewart,  as  charter  members.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  G.  W.  Douglass,  N.  G.;  Daniel  Hastings, 
V.  G.;  William  11.  Davenport,  R.  S.;  Morris  Calisher, 
Treasurer. 

Pioche  Lodge,  No.  23,  Pioche,  was  instituted  Sep- 
tember 10,  1872,  with  J.  W.  AVright,  P.  G.,  E.  M. 
Crane,  P.  G.,  II.  M.  Barnes,  Harvey  Boone,  Edward 
Willet,  A.  Brown,  and  J.  ]{.  James,  charter  mem. 
bers.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  R.  J.  Gordon, 
N.  G.;  C.  M.  Hopkins,  V.  G.;  Joseph  W.  Griffin,  R. 
S.;  D.  A.  Fulks,  Treasurer. 

Belmont  Lodge,  No.  24,  Belmont,  was  instituted 
March  5,  1873,  with  W.  S.  McCornick,  P.  (i.,  Joseph 
Cornelius,  P.  G.,  R.  N.  Oliver,  Samuel  Black,  J.  II. 
Hatch,  Thomas  Warburton,  Josiah  Burnett,  charter 
members.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  S.  Fergu- 
son, N.  G.;  J.  A.  Ohiander,  V.  G.;  A.  M.  Hawkins, 
R.  S.;  W.  Garrard,  Treasurer. 

Paradise  Lodge,  No.  25,  Paradise  Valley,  was 
instituted  October  17,  1873,  with  R.  II.  Scott,  P,  G,, 
Theodore  Shiriey,  R,  F.  James,  B.  F.  Riley,  T.  Mul- 
lineaux,  F.  Bauman,  charter  members.  T.  Shirley 
was  elected  N.  G.;  R.  F.  James,  V.  G.;  B.  F.  Riley, 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  ODD  FELLOWS. 


253 


Ji.  S.;  T.  I^Iiillineaux,  Treasurer.  The  present  offi- 
cers, 1881,  are  I!.  II.  Scolt.  N.  C;  W .  A.  Spcrry,  V. 
G.;  J.  B.  Case,  K.  S.;  B..!!.  Luther,  Treasurer. 

Palisade  TiOdge,  No.  20,  Palisade,  was  instituted 
April  1:5,  1874,  with  J.  B.  Tolley,  J.  Marehaiit,  J. 
Talbott,  J.  C.  Wilkinson,  J.  B.  llosbur<f,  C.  Zimmer- 
man, W.  S.  Evans,  D.  L.  Davis,  and  \V.  X.  Rabbits, 
charter  members.  J.  Marehant  was  elected  N.  CI.; 
W.  S.  Evans,  V.  G.;  J.  C.  Wilkinson,  R.  P.  S.;  C. 
Zimmerman,  Treasurer.  The  present  officers,  1881, 
are  A.  S.  Longley,  N.  G.;  T.  R.  Jewell,  V.  G.;  J. 
.Marehant,  R.  S.;  E.  M.  Baum,  Treasurer. 

.Mountain  Lodge,  No.  27,  Eureka,  was  instituted 
May  11,  1875,  with  C.  G.  Hubbard,  P.  G.,  N.  Simon- 
son,  Julius  Beese,  Peter  Wagner,  T.  J.  White,  R.  A. 
Doak,  and  James  Hunkins,  charter  members.  N. 
Simonson  was  elected  N.  G.;  T.  J.  White,  V.  G.;  C. 
G,  Ilul.hard,  R.  S.;  P.  Wagner.  P.  S.;  Julius  Beese, 
Treasurer.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  J.  L. 
Smith,  N.  G.;  J.  Straus,  V.  G.;  W.  S.  Beard,  E.  S.; 
W.  J.  Smith.  Treasurer;  A.  J.  Dunn,  P.  S. 

Tybo  Lodge,  No.  28,  of  Tybo,  Nye  County,  was 
instituted  April  17,  1877,  with  the  following  named 
charter  members:  Simon  Rosenthal,  John  (Jregovich, 
John  Whoatley,  J.  I>.  Page,  David  O'Niel,  Richard 
Wheatley,  J.  S.  Hammond,  D.  B.  Austin,  William 
Wheatley,  R.  N.  Oliver,  and  J.  T.  Walker.  The 
present  officers,  1881,  are  A.  JlcPhail,  N.  G.;  W. 
Hrougher,  V.  G.;  C.  B.  Strieberger,  R.  S.;  J.  A. 
McPhail,  Treasurer. 

An  Odd  Fellows  Association  was  formed  in  Tybo 
in  December,  1870,  of  which  J.  S.  Hammond  was 
President;  W.  C.  Reveal,  Secretarj-;  and  S.  Rosen- 
thal, Treasurer.  A  hall  was  built  by  the  organiza- 
tion of  brick.  I.')x00  feet,  at  a  cost  of  S:!,0(i(i,  which 
was  taken  and  paid  for  by  the  lodge  after  it  was 
instituted  in  1877,  and  the  association  disbanded. 

C'ornucopia  Lodge,  No.  29,  of  Cornucopia,  Elko 
County,  was  instituted  May  31,  1877,  with  D. 
Meacham,  M.  Tobias,  A.  S.  Eiscnberg,  W.  W.  Ilogers, 
S.  L.  Stark,  and  W.  T.  Early  as  charter  members. 
The  present  officers,  1881,  are  J.  B.  Ringgold,  N.  G. ; 
Jacob  Eggers,  V.  (r.;  Samuel  Mooser,  R.  S.;  Wm. 
Grafton,  Treasurer. 

Tuscarora  Lodge,  No.  .SO,  of  Tuscarora,  I-;iko 
County,  was  instituted  Juno  7,  1878,  with  charter 
members  as  follows:  E.  S.  Yeates,  P.  G.,  George  W. 
Pliillil)s,  P.  G.,  A.  D.  Ayci-s,  P.  G.,  A.  P.  Adams,  D. 
B.  Higgins,  Ticonard  Curr}-,  Martin  Tiffany,  P.  (J., 
and  A.  D.  Walsh.  The  following  are  the  officers  for 
the  first  term  :  Noble  Grand,  E.  S.  Yeates;  Vice 
Grand,  (ieorge  W.  Phillips;  Secretary,  .Martin  Titf- 
any;  Treasurer,  A.  D.  Ayers.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  James  Bennetts,  N.  G.;  L.  H.  Curry,  V.  G.; 
Elijah  S.  Yeates,  R.  S. ;  John  Jenkins,  Treasurer. 

About  one  year  previous  to  organization  an  asso- 
ciation of  Odd  Fellows  was  formed  for  the  relief  of 
distressed  members  of  the  Onler.  and  lor  mutual 
benefit. 

Battle  Mountain  Lodge,  No.  31,  of  Battle  Mount- 
32 


ain.  Lander  County,  was  instituted  on  the  nine- 
teenth of  March,  1S71(.  The  following  named  jiarties 
were  the  charter  members:  ilobert  McHeth,  John 
•McWilliams,  Joseph  Bachelder,  Frank  Northway, 
P.  T.  .Mackrow  and  A.  D.  Leniaire.  The  present 
officers,  1881,  are  Lemuel  Egotf,  N.  G.;  F.  .M.  Spo- 
nogles,  V.  G.;  A.  D.  Lemaire,  R.  S.;  H.  F.  Hradshaw, 
Treasurer. 

Grantsvillo  Odd  Fellows  Association  of  tirantsville, 
Nye  County,  was  instituted  November  17,  1878. 
There  being  no  lodge  of  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
nearer  than  Austin,  Lander  County,  this  associa- 
tion was  formed  for  the  ])ur])ose  of  looking  after 
and  caring  for  the  sick  of  the  Order,  the  first  officers 
were  John  Irvine,  President;  R.L.Thomas,  Secre- 
tary; and  A.  J.  Fraidclin,  Treasurer.  The  largest 
number  of  members  at  any  one  time  was  fifteen  ; 
present  membership  ten.  The  financial  condition  of 
the  organization  is  good.  The  present  officers  are 
E.  O.  Vaughn.  President;  A.  J.  l-'rankliti.  Secretary 
and  Treasurer. 

Cherry  Creek  Odd  Fellows  Association  of  Cherry 
Creek,  White  Pine  Countj^,  was  organized  in  March, 
1880,  with  the  following  named  gentlemen  for  the 
first  officers:  Dr.  J.  H.  Tofibrd,  President;  E.  K. 
Phipps,  Secretary;  Jacob  Weber,  Treasurer. 

There  were  twenty-two  organizing  members.  The 
association  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  desire  upon 
the  part  of  the  numerous  members  of  the  Order 
who  lived  in  that  vicinity  to  be  able  to  render  sub- 
stantial assistance  to  any  of  their  unfortunate  associ- 
ates, the  nearest  regular  lodge  being  at  Hamilton, 
sixty-five  miles  away.  The  association  have,  besides 
their  organization  property,'  a  cemetery  for  the 
interment  of  deceased  members  of  the  Order. 

SUBOUniNATE    ENCAMl'MENT,    I.    O.    0.    F. 

The  first  six  Encampments  instituted  in  Nevada 
were  organized  under  authority'  from  the  Grand 
Encami)ment  of  California.  No.  7  was  authorized 
by  the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge,  and  the  remaining 
three  b}'  the  (irand  Encampment  of  Nevada. 

Pioneer  Encampment,  No.  1,  was  instituted  in  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nevada,  on  the  seventeenth  of  July,  1804 
the  following  being  the  charter  members:  D.  B. 
Woolf,  Isaac  Pforzheimer,  Erastus  Bond,  Warren 
Heaton,  Frank  Seely,  James  L.  Durant,  John  S. 
Kaneen.  The  officers  for  1881  are  W.  W  Booher, 
C.  P.;  William  Kimball,  II.  P.;  John  Dunn,  S.  W.; 
J.  G.  Farrington,  S.;  J.  C.  Smith,  Treasurer;  J. 
S.  Smith,  J.  W. 

Carson  Encampment,  No.  2,  was  instituted  in  Car- 
son City  on  the  eighteenth  of  November,  1807,  with 
the  following  gentlemen  as  charter  members  and 
first  officers:  A.  Wailz,  C.  P.;  John  S.  Vandyke,  H. 
P.;  W.  D.  Torreyson,  S.  W.;  Abraham  Curry,  J.  W.; 
George  Tufly,  T.;  D.  B.  Boyd,  S.;  A.  M.  Clark. 
The  officers  for  1881  are  D.  G.  Kitzmeyer,  C.  P.; 
G.  F.  Vanderhyde,  H.  P.;  George  W.  Bryant,  S.  W.; 
G.  W.  Chedic,S.;  George  Tufly,  Treasurer;  Alexander 
Leport,  J.  W. 


254 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Piute  Encampment,  No.  3,  -was  int^tituted  in  Vir- 
ginia City,  on  the  twentieth  of  February,  ISGT,  and 
the  following  were  its  charter  members:  I).  M. 
Love,  ( '.  Suttorlej-,  C.  Finlcy.  Samuel  Rosener,  George 
T.  Finn,  John  A.  .A[och,  George  Downey, ('.  J.  Collins. 
The  oflficers  for  1881  are  Charles  Lanthier,  C.  P.; 
Thomas  S.  Stephens,  H.  P.;  Samuel  Bennetts,  S.  W.; 
T.  W.  Booth,  S.;  H.  O.  L)auehy,  Treasurer;  Gordon 
Grant,  J.  W. 

Reese  River  Encampment,  No.  4,  was  instituted 
at  Austin,  in  Lander  Countj-,  on  the  nineteenth  of 
November,  1869.  There  were  seven  charter  mem- 
bers, and  the  following-named  persons  were  the  first 
officers:  F.  V.  Brake,  C.  P.;  W.  A.  Rankin,  IL  P.; 
Henry  Barter,  S.  W.;  H.  Van  Winkle,  J.  \V.;  L. 
Steiner,  S.;  T.  Obenfelder,  T. 

The  following  extract  from  the  reports  of  the  Grand 
Encampment  of  Nevada,  in  1878,  was  adopted,  and 
tells  its  own  tale: — 

AMENDED    REPORT   OF   COM.MITTEE   ON    I'ETITIONS. 

To  the  R.  W.  Grand  Encampvient,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  of  the  State 

of  Nevada  : 

Your  Committee  on  Petitions,  to  whom  was  re- 
fen-ed  back  the  report  relative  to  the  petition  for  a 
charter  of  Prometheus  Encampment,  No.  4,  with  in- 
structions to  amend  their  former  report,  beg  leave 
to  submit  the  following: — 

Beno/rei/,  That  a  new  charter  bo  granted  to  the 
following  named  Patriarchs:  R.  L.  Horton,  Charles 
Lund,  .M.  ('.  McGluniion,  James  M  Rooker,  W.  H. 
Clark.  Jefterson  Hull,  and  A.  Sower,  for  the  resus- 
citation of  Reese  Jtiver  Encampment,  No.  4,  to  be 
held  at  Austin,  Nevada,  in  the  stead  of  a  charter  to 
the  said  Patriarchs,  to  be  known  as  Prometheus 
Encampment,  No.  4,  as  prayed  for  in  the  petition; 
and  further,  that  the  books,  regalia,  and  other  ])rop- 
erty  formerly  belonging  to  IJeese  River  Encamp- 
ment, No.  4,  be  restored  to  said  Patriarchs  as  the 
property  of  the  newly  restored  Encampment. 

\V.  H.  ViRDEN, 

Jacob  Younu,  Jr. 

The  officers  for  1881  are  J.  S.  Hammond,  C.  P.; 
Frank  Bowen,  H.  P.;  J.  I).  \V.  Dow,  S.  W.:  John 
Coder,  S.;  F.  Van  Nordeck,  Treasurer;  (Jeorge  AV. 
Dale,  J.  W. 

Reno  Encampment,  -No.  5,  was  instituted  with 
the  following  charter  members  on  the  eighth  of 
January,  1872:  Abram  Prescott,  A.  Trant,  Morris 
Ash,  J.  F.  Ferguson,  Robert  A.  Frazier,  A.  F.  Hitch- 
cock, J.  P.  Richardson.  The  present  officers,  1881, 
arc  Thomas  Barnett,  C.  P.;  R.  F.  Hoy,  H.  P.;  J. 
Fredricks,  S.  W.;  D.  B.  Boyd,  S.;  G.  W.  Cunning- 
ham, Treasurer;  J.  W.  Boynton,  J.  W. 

Garden  Valley  Encampment,  No.  fi,  was  instituted 
at  Dayton,  Lyon  County,  Nevada,  December  13, 
1873.  Its  charter  members  were  William  H.  Hill, 
Patriarch;  H.  Kennedy,  P.;  L.  L.  Crockett,  P.;  L 
Lamb,  P.;  L.  Stoner,  P.;  J.Newman,  P.;  Thomas  J'. 
Mack,  P.;  Thomas  Shedden,  P.;  L.  A.  Guild,  P.;  J. 
D.Sims,  P.;  P.  Barnes,  P.;  James  fJates,  P.;  J.  S. 
Dallas,  P.;  Seth  Allen,  P.  The  following  are  its  first 
officers:  William  II.  IJill,  C.  P.;  L.  Stonor,  H.  P.;  L.  L. 


Crockett,  S.  W.;  Thomas  P.  Mack,  J.  W.;  J.  New- 
man, Scribe;  L.  Lamb,  Treasurer.  The  present 
officers  are  J.  S.  Dallas,  C.  P.;  L.  A.  Guild,  II.  P.; 
J.  1).  Sims,  S.  W.;  W.  R.  Davis,  J.  W.;  J.  A.  Bon- 
ham,  Scribe;  J.  C.  (rruber.  Treasurer. 

Silver  State  Encampment,  No.  7,  was  instituted 
also  in  Virginia  City,  and  on  the  seventeenth  of 
February,  1874,  in  pursuance  of  authority  from 
the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  F.  V.  Drake,  H.  Black,  L.  Scheen- 
feldt,  J.  E.  Guild,  John  Russ,  William  James,  F. 
Schmadeke.  The  present  officers,  1881,  are  X. 
Stocker,  C.  P.;  I.  Goodfriend,  H.  P.;  J.  Nichols,  S. 
W.;  L.  Guggenheim,  S.;  J,  W.  Noyes,  Treasurer;  W. 
J.  Luke,  J.  W. 

Mount  Vernon  Encampment,  No.  8,  of  Pioche,  in 
Lincoln  County,  was  instituted  on  the  seventeenth 
of  June,  1875,  with  the  following  as  first  officers: 
R.  H.  Elam,  C.  P.;  H.  S,  Lubbock,  H.  P.;  J.  A. 
Spraker,  S.  W,;  J.  N.  Curtis,  S.;  D.  A.  Fulks,T.;  C. 
F.  Bowen,  J.  W.  Adding  the  name  of  S,  W,  Steel, 
and  the  foregoing  will  include  the  charter  members 

In  the  annual  report  of  th«  Grand  Patriarch 
made  in  June,  1876,  appears  the  following: — 

1  have  instituted  but  one  Encampment  during  the 
recess  of  this  (Jrand  Encampment — .Mount  Vernon, 
No.  8,  in  the  town  of  Pioche,  I^incoln  Countj' — a 
charter  having  been  granted  at  your  last  session. 
The  petition  of  five  Patriarchs  was  received  and 
passed  on  by  the  Committee  on  Petitions.  When  1 
arrived  there  1  fouiul  one  of  the  Patriarchs  (Patri- 
arch Willit)  with  a  traveling  card  and  that  out  of 
date.  Said  card  was  returned  to  him.  There  being 
but  four  Patriarchs,  I  conferred  the  three  Encamp- 
ment Degrees  on  three  brothers — C.  F.  Bowen,  J. 
N.  Curtis  and  J.  A.  Sj)raker — to  make  the  necessary 
number  for  the  charter.  I  instituted  the  Encamp- 
ment and  set  them  to  work.  1  remained  with  them 
throe  days  and  left  them  with  eighteen  members. 
I  wish  to  thank  the  Patriarchs  of  Mount  Vernon 
Encampment  for  their  friendly  greeting  and  kind 
attention  during  mj-  stay  in  their  mountain  town. 
I  hope  this  young  encamjunent,  the  first  otl'spring 
of  Nevada,  will  ever  maintain  the  proud  ])osition 
that  I  believe  should  be  accorded  to  the  Patriarchs 
of  that  place. 

The  present  officers,  1881,  are  Louis  Sulton,  C. 
P.;  R.J.Gordon,  II.  P.;  J,  llildebrand,  S.  \V.;  C. 
Gebfried,  S. ;  D.  A.  Fulks,  Treasurer;  John  Jane, 
J.W. 

Elko  Encampment,  No.  9,  was  instituted  Septem- 
ber 3,  1877,  with  fifteen  charter  members,  and  the 
following  for  first  officers:  M.  P.  Freeman,  C.  P.;  R. 
R.  Bigelow,  H.  P.;  H.  W.  Brown.  S.  W.;  P.  A 
Rowe,S.;  George  Russell,  T.;  W.  Chase,  J.  W.  The 
present  officers,  18S1,  are  S.  M.  Henley,  C.  P.;  R.  R. 
Bigelow,  H.  P.;  A,  Bruce,  S.  W.;  A.  W.  Hesson,  S.; 
John  Hibbets,  T.;  J.  .M.  Lane,  J.  W. 

Bullion  Encampment,  No.  10,  of  Eureka,  Eureka 
County,  was  organized  September  6,  1877,  with 
twenty-one  charter  members.  The  first  otticers 
were  \V.  11,  Davenport,  C,  P,;  William  Doolin,  II. 
P.;  Benjamin  C.  Levy,  S.  W.;  A.  T.  Stearns,  J.  W.; 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  ODD  FELLOWS. 


255 


W.  J.  Smith,  S.;  R.  Sadler,  T.  The  present  officers, 
1881,  are  C.  Ferraris,  (J.  P.;  Peter  Anderson,  II. 
P.;  F.  M.  Heitman,  S.  W.;  \Y.  II.  Davenport,  S.; 
Henry  Mau,  T.;  Charles  Broy,  J.  W. 

GRAND    ENCAMPMENT   OF   NEVADA,  I.  0.  0.  V. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  December,  1874,  dele- 
gates from  the  various  encampments  of  the  State, 
except  No.  4,  met  at  Carson,  and  decided,  by  a  vote 
of  five  for  and  one  against,  to  [)etition  the  (Jrand 
Lodge  of  the  L^nitod  States  for  authority  to  organ- 
ize a  Grand  Encampment  in  Nevada. 

In  response  to  this  petition,  a  dispensation  was 
granted,  bearing  date  February  17,  1875,  and  on  the 
second  of  .March,  that  year,  the  Grand  Kncampment 
was  regularly  organized  in  Carson.  At  this  time, 
the  several  encampments  had  a  combined  member- 
ship of  321  persons,  with  a  revenue  of  S;},oOO  and 
SG,000  invested. 

The  first  officers  were: — 

J.   C.  Smith Grand  Patriarch 

W.  H.  Hill ^ Grand  High  Priest 

Geo.  W.  Chedic Grand  Senior  Warden 

C.  W.  Jones Grand  Junior  "Warden 

F.  V.  Drake Grand  Scribe 

Geo.  Tuflj-  .....    Grand  Treasurer 

H.  O.  Douchy Grand   ^Marshal 

C.  H.  Maish Grand  Sentinel 

J.  V.  Peers Dep't.  Grand  Sentinel 

REPORT  or   THE  ORAND  ENCAMP.MENT  OF  NEVADA, 

For  the  year  ending  December  31,  187!): — 

Number  of  Encam))ments 10 

Number  of  members  jter  last  report 435 

Initiated  during  the  j-ear 38 

Admitted  by  card 1 

Reinstated  to  active  membership 3 

Eeinstated  to  dormant  membership 154 

Total  membership G31 

From  which  deduct — 

Withdrawn  by  card 8 

Expelled 1 

Deceased 6 —  15 

Now  in  membei-ship GIG 

Deduct — 
Suspended  fromactivo  to  dormant  membership . .  IIKI 

Active  members 426 

Number  of  Patriarchs  relieved 7 

RELIEF. 

Amount  jiaid   for  the  relief  of  Patriarchs.     $350  25 

For  burying  the  dead 250  00 

Special  relief .  I'.'i  (mi 


Total  relief 8G25 


Amount  of  annual  receipts $5,645  14 

Number  of    weeks'  sickness  for  which  benefits 
were  paid 177 

GRAND    LODGE   OP   NEVADA,    I.  O.  O.  P. 

The  first  ten  organizations  of  the  Order  in  Nevada 
were  formed    under  the  jurisdiction  of  Calilbrnia; 


and  in  18G7  the  members  deemed  their  number  suf- 
ficient to  warrant  them  in  inaugurating  a  home  gov- 
ernment. In  the  pursuance  of  this  idea,  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  several  bodies  in  the  State  assem- 
bled at  Virginia  City,  in  convention,  on  the  twenty- 
first  day  of  January,  18C7,  and  organized  the  Grand 
Lodge  by  the  election  of  the  following  officers: — 

LIST   OF   OFFICERS   OF   THE    ORAND    LODGE    SINCE    ITS 
ORGANIZATION. 

(From  January  21,  1867,  to  June  6,  1867.) 

Grand  Master John  S.  "Van  Dyke 

Dejiuty  Grand  Master John  \V.  Tyler 

Grand  Warden P.  J.  II.  Smith 

Grand   Secretary R.  H .  Taylor 

Grand  Treasurer 11.  -M.  Black 

Grand   Representative   J.  E.Sabine 

Grand  Chaplain John  A.  Collins 

Grand  .Marshal J.  B.  Brazelton 

Grand  ( 'oiuluctor C.  Finley 

Grand  Guardian J.  L.  Beam 

Grand  Herald C.  C.  Wright 

(From  June  6,  1867,  to  June  4,  1868.) 

Grand  Master F.  V.  Drake 

Deputy  Grand  Master Frank  Denver 

Grand  Warden Win.   II.   Dolman 

Grand  Secretary li.  11.  Taylor 

Grand  Treasurer C.  Finley 

Grand  Representative J.  P].  Sabine 

(From  June  4,  1868,  to  Juno  10,  1869.) 

Grand  Master John  S.  Kaneen 

Deputy  (;rand  Master W.  H.  Corbett 

Grand  Warden John  Pattie 

Grand  Secretary " W.  N.  Hall 

Grand  Treasurer .    C.  Finley 

Grand  Representative G.  H.  Morrison 

(From  June  10,  1869,  to  June  10,  1870.) 

Grand  Afastcr W.  Haydon 

Deputy  Grand  Master G.  H.  Morrison 

Grand   Warden J.  W.  Wright 

Grand  Secretaiy .  .      A.  F.  Hitchcock 

Grand  Treasurer George  W.  Chedic 

Grand  Representative ...    W.N.  Hall 

Grand   Rejjrcsentativc  .....      .  .   J.  S.  Kaneen 

(From  June  10,  1870,  to  June  9,  1871.) 

Grand  Master G.  H.  Morrison 

l)c])iity  Grand  Master  J.  W.  Wright 

Grand   Warden..  .l.(i.  Laws 

Grand  Secretary.  F.  G.  Ijudlow 

Gran<l  Treasurer George  W.  Chedic 

Grand  Representative* F.  V.  Drake 

Grand  Representative Albert  Hires 

(From  June  9,  1871,  to  Juno  7,  1872.) 

Grand  .Master -  -  Martin  White 

Deputy  Grand  Master  I'.  J.   II.  Smith 

Grand  Warden M.  Stern 

Grand  Secretary J.  H.  Kinkead 

Grand  Treasurer George  W.  Chedic 

Grand  Representative D.  O.  Adkison 

*  Did  not  attend  the  session  G.  L.  U.  S. 


256 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Grand  Ifepresentativc George  Ilenning 

(From  June  7,  1872,  to  June  tJ,  1873.) 

Grand  Master Vf.N.  Hall 

Deputj-  Grand  Master J.  O.  Darrow 

Grand  Warden J.  W.  Noyes 

Grand  Secretary F.  V.  Drake 

Grand  Treasurer . .  George  W.  Chedic 

Grand  Representative Martin  White 

Grand  Eepresentative J.  C.  Smith 

f  From  June  6,  1873,  to  June  5,  1874  ) 

Grand  Master J.  \V.  Wright 

Deputy  Grand  Master P.  II.  Clayton 

Grand  Warden M.  Holmes 

(i rand  Secretary F.  V.  Drake 

Grand  Treasurer L.  L.  Crockett 

Grand  Representative Martin  White 

Grand  Rcj)resentative J.  D.  Hammond 

fFrom  June  5,  1874,  to  June  11,  1875.) 

(frand  Master J.  D.  Minor 

l)e])uty  Grand  Master E.  L.  Stern 

G rand  Warden C.  W.  Jones 

(rrand  Secretaiy F.  V.  Drake 

Grand  Treasurer L.  L.  Crockett 

Grand  Representative C.  C.  Batterman 

Grand  Representative James  Lowery 

(From  June  11,  1875,  to  June  9, 1876.) 

Grand  .Master. D.  O.  Adkison 

Deputy  ( irand  Master C.  W.  Jones 

Grand  AVarden R.  Sadler 

Grand  Secretary  , F.  V.  Drake 

(irand  Treasurer .  -L.  L.  Crockett 

Grand  Representative .1.1).  Hammond 

Grand  Rc|)resontativo T.  V.  .lulioii 

(From  .luno  '.),  1876,  to  June  7,  1877.) 

Grand  Master  ....    C.  C.  Batterman 

Di'puty  (irand  Master C.  G.  Hiil)l)ard 

(iranil   Warden J.  Marchant 

Grand  Secretary F.  V.  Drake 

(irand   Trcasuj-er L.  L.  Crockett 

Granil  J{cprcsentative J.   D.  Minor 

Grand  Represenlalivc G.  W.  Chedic 

(From  Juno  7,  1877,  to  June  7,  1878.) 

Grand  Master 1*].  L.  Stern 

l>oput}-  (irand  Master  W.  !I.  Uavonport 

Grand  Warden ti.  W.  Oungan 

Cirand  Secretary F.  V.  i)rake 

(irand  Treasurer.  .  .  ...  George  Tufly 

(irand  Uc|)re.senlalivc C.  W.  Jones 

Grand  Representative W.  II.  Virden 

(From  June  7.  1878,  to  Jiiiic  (!,  1S7!I.) 

(irand  .Master.  .      .    W.  II.  Davenport 

Deputy  (irand  .Master J.  C.  Smith 

(irand  Warden.  K    I'    Davis 

(iraixl  Secretary  William  II.  Hill 

Gran<l  Treasurer.  .   IJeorgo  Tufl^- 

(irand   l!c))rescntative ...William  Lucas 

Grand    Uepresentalivo I'.   II.  .Mulcahy 

(From  Juno  6,  1879,  to  June  5,  1880.) 

Grand   .Master J.  C.Smith 

Deputy  Grand  Master E.  S.  Yeates 


Grand  Warden J.  S.  Bowkcr 

Grand  Secretary William  H.  Hill 

Grand  Treasurer George  Tuflj' 

Grand  Rc]n-esentativc C.  C.  Batterman 

Grand  Representative V.  H.  .Mulcahj' 

(From  June  5,  1880,  to  June  10,  1881.) 

Grand  .Master George  Ilenning 

Deputy  Grand  Master H.  B.  .McKee 

Grand  Warden H.  Marden 

Grand  Secretary Wm.  H.  Hill 

(rrand  Treasurer George  Tufly 

(rrand  Representative C.  C.  Batterman 

Grand  Representative M.   W.  Starling 

llEBEKAII    DECREE    LODGES. 

Two  lodges  of  the  Rebekah  Degree  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 
made  their  report  to  the  Grand  Lodge  meeting  of 
1881,  as  follows:— 

Colfax  Rebekah  Degree  Lodge,  No.  1,  of  Virginia 
City — The  otficers  for  the  term  ending  December 
31,  1881,  are  Mrs.  C.  A.  Hancock,  X.  G.;  Mrs.  M. 
Lochlin,  V.  (i.;  Mrs.  J.  M,^Lamb,  R.  S.;  Mrs.  I. 
Goodfriend,  T.;  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Goe,  P.  S.  The 
numbor  of  members  for  the  term  ending  December 
31,  1880,  was  seventy-seven.  The  annual  receipts 
of  the  lodge  aggregate  8556.30;  and  it  possesses 
property  valued  at  $1,964.36. 

Esther  Degree  Lodge,  No.  4,  of  Austin,  Lander 
County,  was  organized  May  13,1880.  The  number 
of  charter  members  was  fifty-six.  The  first  otficers 
elected  were  Mrs.  Clara  Triplctt,  N.  G.;  Mrs.  Annie 
Thompson,  V.  (r.;  Mrs.  Annie  Troon,  R.  S. ;  Mrs 
Eliza  Hurchfield,  T.  The  oHicers  whose  terms  ex- 
pire December  31,  1881,  are  Mrs.  Annie  Thompson, 
X.  G.;  Mrs.  M.  V.  Dow,  V.  G.;  Mrs.  Annie  Troon, 
R.  S.;  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Burchfield,  T.  The  present 
membership  of  the  lodge  is  eighty-five.  The  organ- 
ization is  solvent,  and  has  the  prospect  of  soon 
accumulating  a  resi)ectablo  fund,  the  recei])ts  for 
the  year  1880  being  8123.50,  with  ])ruperty  valued 
at  870.50. 


C  U  A  I'TER    .\  .\  XI  V. 
ORDER   OF    KNIGHTS    OF    PYTHIAS. 

Washington  Lmlge,  No.  I — Kniiikliii  L'xliro,  No.  2 — Nevada 
l./iilHe,  No.  1  —  D.inion  Uodye,  No.  '2 — .Mystic  Lixlgo,  No.  3 
— C'lirsi'n  Lodj-c,  No  l — HmnlKiMt  Ij^diji',  .\o.  ;"> — Uitioohi 
I.,oilge,  No.  (i — IJcatilic  LoilL't',  N^'.  7 — Amity  LmlLrf,  No.  8 — 
Toiyiilic  Lodye,  No  ".t — Argciitft  I.odfie,  No.  10— Triumph 
•/■ulyi',  No.  II — Lyon  Ijodj;e,  No  l"J — (irand  I/odgf  K.of  1'., 
of  Nevada. 

Ai,i,  who  have  read  the  ancient  stor}-  of  Damon 
and  Pythias  will  at  onco  know  the  intent  and  mean- 
ing of  the  Knightly  Order  that  has  for  its  title  the 
name  of  the  devoted  and  honorable  friend.  As  long 
ago  as  the  third  century  before  the  Christian  era,  the 
term  has  been  a  synonym  of  truth  and  fidelity. 
Dainoii  and  Pythias  were  disci))les  of  the  I'ythag- 
oran  i)rinciples  of  friendshi]).  The  tyrant  of  Syra- 
cuse had  condemned  Pythias  to  death,  but  the  victim, 
begged    for  his  liberty   for  a  short  period  that  he 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  UF  ODD  FELLOWS. 


257 


might  return  to  his  home  and  arrange  liis  afl'airs 
previous  to  his  execution.  Damon  piodged  his  life 
for  the  return  of  his  friend.  The  tyrant  ap])earing 
satisfied  if  he  could  have  one  to  execute,  granted  the 
strange  request,  and  accepted  the  pledge.  Before 
the  appointed  time  of  execution  the  faithful  P^-thiaa 
returned  to  undergo  his  f:\te  and  relieve  his  friend 
from  jeopardy.  The  noble  action  of  the  condemned 
man  and  the  perfect  confidence  manifested  by  the 
friend  so  excited  the  astonishment  of  the  tyrant, 
Dyonysius,  that  he  nut  only  released  both  the  friends, 
but  begged  to  be  admitted  to  their  friendship.  Such 
an  example  has  been  held  as  the  chivalric  model 
of  true  manhood  through  all  the  intervening  cen- 
turies, and  as  such  presented  itself  to  the  brother- 
hood of  clerks  and  attaches  of  the  Department  at 
Washington.  The  great  war  of  the  liebellion  was 
raging  with  all  its  intensity  and  fiercene.ss  in  the 
beginning  of  1S()4,  and  during  the  year  were  to 
occur  the  culminating  campaigns,  both  political  and 
military,  that  were  to  determine  the  future  of  the 
Ivepublic.  They  were  dark  days.  The  necessity  of 
organization,  of  intimate  relationship,  of  mutual 
knowledge  and  confidence  with  associates,  for  self 
protection  and  the  good  of  the  public,  were  apparent 
to  all.  Being  the  period  of  a  groat  war,  many  of  the 
associations  assumed  a  semi-mililar}-  character. 

Such  were  tlie  circumstances  that  led  to  and  sug- 
gested the  organization  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
The  exigencies  of  the  (Jovernment  had  called  a  large 
number  of  men  to  Washington  in  a  civil  capacity  as 
oflBcera,  clerks,  and  attaches  of  the  various  depart- 
ments, (rcnerally.  they  were  far  from  home,  friends 
and  relatives.  Naturally  they  sought  for  association 
and  friendship.  Those  who  were  musically  inclined 
formed  the  Arion  (rlec  Club.  This  was  too  limited. 
Mr.  .1.  II.  Ilathbone,  who  had  previously  conceived 
the  idea  of  an  association  of  the  kind,  assisted  by  Mr. 
J.  T.  K.  Plant,  pre])ared  a  ritual  and  plan  of  an  order 
of  friendship  for  tnutual  aid  and  protection  among 
the  clerks  of  the  departments,  which  were  presented 
to  the  members  of  the  Arion  (ilee  Club  and  others, 
were  heartily  approved  by  them,  and  on  the  nine- 
teenth of  February,  l.'^dl,  the  Order  fif  Knights  of 
P3-thia8  was  organized,  with  its  motto  oi'  Janti/ia  et 
Fulelitue,  and  its  principles  based  on  the  lesson  of 
friendship  as  taught  by  the  example  of  Damon  and 
Pythias. 

W.\sniN(iTON  I.ODdE,  NO.  1, 
Was  the  title  of  the  lodge  organized,  with  J.  II. 
Iiathbono  as  Worth}"  Chancellor;  Joel  li.  Woodruff, 
Vice-Chancellor;  J.  T.  K.  Plant,  Veneralile  I'alri 
arch  ;  I).  L.  Burnett,  Worthy  Scribe  ;  A.  Van  Der- 
Veer,  Banker;  l{.  A.  < 'hampion,  Assistant  Banker, 
and  tieorgo  11.  Covert,  Assistant  Scribe. 

On  the  following  eighth  of  \\\r\\  a  (J rand  Lodge 
was  formed  with  but  one  subordinate  li(«ly  as  a 
base  of  authority,  but  there  soon  l"ollowed  four 
other  organizations,  among  which  was  Franklin 
Lodge,  No.    2.      Soon,    however,    they    all    "  went 


where  the  woodbine  twineth,"  except  No.  2,  which 
held  the  fort  and  exercised  the  functions  of  a  <irand 
Lodge.  A  reorganization  took  place,  and  on  the 
ninth  of  Jutj-,  ISGti,  the  new  Grand  Lodge  hold 
its  first  meeting,  at  which  time  there  was  a  total 
membership  in  the  order  of  139.  On  the  same  date 
as  last  given  the  Supreme  Lodge  of  the  United 
States  held  its  first  meeting  at  Washington. 

From  that  time  prosperity  rewarded  the  zeal  of 
its  members  for  e\])ansion  of  the  Order  by  suc- 
cess, and  the  following  figures  will  show  to  what 
extent: — 


Years. 

18G4. 
1865. 
1866. 
1807. 
1868. 
1869- 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 


Loilgea.  Members. 

3 78 

1 52 

4      379 

.-       41 6,847 

..    194 34,624 

.-    465 54,289 

..    615 58,577 

..    867 78,299 


1,346 98,851 

Showing  to  this  date  a  steady  and  rapid  increase, 
which  afterwards  carried  the  membership  to  up- 
wards of  100,000,  extending  over  every  State  of  the 
Union,  in  Canada,  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  From 
the  primitive  object  of  encouraging  friendship,  and 
guarding  the  interests  of  a  class,  the  broad  principle 
has  spread  its  joyful  light  over  all  classes,  knowing 
no  south,  no  north,  no 'east,'  no  west;  no  class  or 
religion,  but  a  human  brotherhood  of  all  who  possess 
its  requirements  and  conform  to  its  rules. 

THE   ORDER    IN    NEVADA. 

On  the  twenty- third  of  March,  1873,  as  a  result 
of  the  efforts  of  S.  II.  (roddard,  the  first  lodge  of 
this  Order  was  formed  in  Nevada,  at  Virginia  Cit)', 
under  the  name  of  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  1.  The 
organization  was  authorized  b}'  the  Supreme  Chan- 
cellor H.  C.  Berry,  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  the 
following  gentlemen  were  the  charter  members: 
E.  F.  Clarkson,  J.  P.  Flanningham,  M.  Nelson,  A. 
G.  Koch,  Claus  Becker,  J.  W.  Varnoy,  A.  Borlini,  P. 
(tugnina,  George  Bettinger,  F.  Schroder,  M.  Strouso, 
W.  P.  Bowden,  T.  II.  (juinlan,  William  Waltz.  The 
first  oflicers  wore  S.  11.  Goddard,  P.  C;  K.  F.  Clark- 
son.  C.  C;  J.  W.  Varney,  V.  C. ;  (ieorge  Hettinger.  P.; 
M.  Strouse,  .M.  of  H.;  II.  A.  Lenz,  .\I.  of  F.;  J.  P. 
I'"lanniiighani,  K.  of  li.  and  S.;  F.  Waltermyor.  M.  at 
A.;  T.  II.  Oiiiiilan,  I.  (I.;  Claus  Becker,  O.  G. 
This  lodge  has  been  unl'nrlunate  in  losing  its 
entire  jjaraphernalia,  which  was  consumed  by  fire 
on  the  eleventh  of  Se])tenil)er.  1S75.  Iniinediately 
the  regalia,  etc.,  was  ])rocured  of  Humboldt  Lodge, 
No.  5  (defunct),  and  this  was  also  burned  in  the 
great  fire  that  swe])t  through  Virginia  City  on  the 
twenty-sixth  of  October,  the  same  year.     The  rolls 


258 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


show  a  present  membership  of  seventy,  and  its  finan- 
cial statement  of  June  30,  1880,  showed  §1,514.38 
cash  in  the  treasuiy. 

Damon  Lodge.  No.  2,  of  Curson  City,  was  in- 
stituted July  18,  1873.  by  C.  II.  Starkweather,  who 
was  assisted  by  many  members  of  Nevada  Lodge, 
No.  1,  and  by  other  members  of  the  Order.  There 
were  eighteen  applicants  lor  the  ranks  as  charter 
members.  The  following  gentlemen  were  the  first 
officers:  George  Tufly,  P.  C;  P.  11.  Clayton.  C.  C; 
James  Dully,  V.  C;  H.  J.Peters,  P.;  F.  Bo.skowitz,  M. 
of  E.;  Henry  Decker,  M.  of  F.;  John  A.  Johnson,  K. 
of  R.  and  S.  The  lodge  immediately  began  to  reap 
the  results  striven  for;  applications  for  membership 
flowed  in  rapidly  and  they  were  soon  on  a  firm  basis 
financially,  having  June  30,  1880,  890-1.39  cash,  with 
a  membership  of  twenty-nine. 

Mystic  Lodge,  No.  3,  of  Gold  Hill,  was  instituted 
November  24,  1874.  An  application  to  the  Deputy 
Supreme  Chancellor,  signed  by  forty-five  gentlemen, 
resulted  in  the  granting  of  a  dispensation  for  the  form- 
ing of  a  lodge  of  the  Order  at  Gold  Hill.  On  that 
date  D.  S.  C.  Starkweather,  accompanied  by  raanj- 
Knights  from  Cai'sonCity,  proceeded  to  (told  Hill,  and 
the  lodge  was  organized.  The  first  officers  were 
D.  Wagner,  P.  C;  J.  A.  Grant,  C.  C;  J.  D.  Loyn- 
achan,  V.  C;  E.  A.  Prince,  P.;  H.  O.  Douchy,  M.  of 
E.;  George  Mayo,  M.  of  F.:  L.  Gazelle,  K.  of  1{.  andS.; 
G.  Archer,  1.  G.;  D.  Van  Vrankin,  O.  G.  This  lodge 
at  once  assumed  a  leading  place  in  the  ranks  of 
Pythian  Knighthood,  and  had  at  one  time  sixty-eight 
active  working  members.  The  organization  sur- 
rendered its  charter  September  2(3,  1879. 

Carson  Lodge,  No.  4,  of  Carson  City,  through  the 
exertions  of  John  P.  Meder  and  several  other  gen- 
tlemen of  Carson,  was  instituted  under  dispensation 
from  the  Deputy  Supreme  Chancellor  December  21, 
1873.  The  application  for  the  dispensation  bore  the 
signatures  of  twenty-four  of  the  residents  of  CarsOn 
City,  who  were  the  charter  members.  The  first 
ofiicers  were  E.  Mara,  P.  C;  John  P.  Meder,  C.  C; 
J.  W.  Kobinson,  V.  C;  George  Gillson,  P.;  H.  T. 
Dunning,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  B.  F.  Meder,  M.  of  F.; 
Edmund  James,  M.  of  E.;  John  E.  Mack,  M.  at  A.; 
J.  C.  Bunker,  L  (r.;  L.  A.  Frisbie,  O.  G.  This  lodge 
has  done  efficient  service  in  the  cause  of  humanity. 
It  is  a  finely  uniformed  body,  and  on  the  thirtieth 
of  June,  188(1,  had  §1,911). 70  in  its  treasury,  with  a 
membership  of  forty-six. 

Humboldt  Lodge,  No.  5,  of  Genoa,  was  insti- 
tuted March  1,  1874,  under  a  dispensation  granted 
by  the  Deputy  Supreme  Chancellor  upon  an  appli- 
cation bearing  the  autographs  of  twenty-throe 
gentlemen  of  (fenoa.  D.  S.  C.  Starkweather  assum- 
ing his  station  called  upon  the  brethren  present 
to  assist  in  inaugurating  lodge  No.  5,  after  which 
the  following  gentlemen  were  elected  and  installed 
as  its  first  oHicers:  E.  D.  Black,  P.  C;  A.  Livingston, 
C.  C;  J.  A.  WhitCaker,  V.  C;  A.  Smith,  P.;  J.  C. 
Lupton,  M.  of  E.;    W.  Swart,  M.  at  A.;    F.  Fottic,  1. 


(t,;  p.  Crippin,  0.  G.  The  requisite  number  of 
lodges  now  being  instituted  in  this  jurisdiction,  the 
question  of  organizing  a  Grand  Lodge  was  agitated, 
and  favored  by  nearly  all  ]>resent.  This  lodge  sur- 
rendered its  charter  February  10,  1875,  being  in 
existence  a  little  less  than  one  year. 

Lincoln  Lodge  No.  6,  of  Virginia  City,  was  insti- 
tuted .March  29,  1874,  a  dispensation  having  been 
granted  by  the  Duputy  Supreme  Chancellor  upon  ap- 
plication by  petition  of  eleven  gentlemen  of  Virginia 
City,  who  constituted  the  charter  members.  The  first 
officers  were  C.  H.  Clark,  P.  C;  G.  L.  Schwab,  C.  C; 
S.  W.  Powell,  V.  C. ;  H.  D.  Liudsay ,  P. ;  J.  Dunbar,  K.  of 
R.  and  S.;  J.  B.  McKenzie,  M.  of  F.;  J.  A.  Zimmer- 
man, M.  of  E.;  Wm.  Smith,  M.  at  A.;  H.  J.  Cramp- 
ton,  I.  G.;  I.  Knight,  O.  G.  From  the  smallest 
charter  membership  this  organization  took  the  front 
rank  in  the  line  of  battle,  and  grew  to  be  the  strong- 
est in  membership  of  any  in  the  State,  eighty  being 
reported  to  the  trrand  Lodge  in  1875,  and  fitl^'-two 
in  ISSO.  This  lodge  was  suspended  by  the  Grand 
Chancellor  February  24,  1875,  and  reinstated  March 
17th  of  the  same  year.  The  financial  condition  June 
30,  1880,  was  represented  by  §1,378.04  as  the  coin 
in  its  possession. 

Beatific  Lodge,  No.  7,  of  Eureka,  was  instituted 
September  22, 1874,  under  a  dispensation  granted  by 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Nevada.  The  first 
officers  were  Wm.  H.  Davenport,  P.  C;  R.  M.  Beatty, 
C.  C;  O.  M.  Paris,  V.  C;  D.  W.  McKenzie,  P.;  W. 
H.  Stowell,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  Wm.  Head,  M.  of  F.;  J. 
C.  Brown,  M.  of  E.;  A.  E.  Titus,  M.  at  A.;  J.  C. 
Lock  wood,  I.  G.;  N.  Clark,  O.  G.  There  were 
twenty-five  charter  members,  and  the  lodge  is  in 
a  flourishing  condition.  The  largest  number  of 
members  at  any  one  time  was  sixty-five,  and  as 
thej-  all  continued  with  the  organization,  it  reports 
that  number  on  their  rolls  at  the  present  time.  The 
treasurj-  on  the  thirtieth  of  June,  1880,  contained 
§595.30. 

Amity  Lodge,  No.  8,  of  Reno,  was  instituted  on 
the  thirty-first  of  January,  1875,  under  a  dispen- 
sation granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Order,  at 
Reno,  Washoe  County.  It  sprang  into  existence 
with  only  twenty  charter  members.  The  first 
officers  were  W.  R.  Chamberlain,  P.  C;  C.  C.  Pown- 
ing,  C.  C;  C.  W.  Jones,  V.  C;  R.  Smith,  P.;  C.  H. 
Stoddard,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  C.  F.  Bender,  M.  of  E.; 
C.  A.  Richardson,  M.  of  F.;  John  F.  Myers,  M.  at  A.; 
J.  T.  Davis,  I.  G.;  H.  W.  Barlow,  O.  G.  The  finan- 
cial condition  of  this  organization  is  good,  it  having 
disbursed  about  §1,200  in  benefits  and  charities, 
and  has  on  hand  ])ropcrty  to  the  amount  of  §1,5(1(1. 
The  largest  mombershij)  was  forty-nine.  The  pres- 
ent membership  is  reported  as  forty-seven. 

Toiyabe  Lodge,  No.  9,  of  Austin,  was  instituted 
November  9,  1875,  under  a  dispensation  from  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  State,  and  was  the  possessor 
of  but  ten  gentlemen  as  charter  members.  The 
first  officei-s  were  M.  B.  Scott,  P.  C;    W.  II.  Clark, 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  ODD  FELLOWS. 


259 


C.  C;  M.  A.  Sawtelle,  V.  C;  A.  Sower,  P.;  A.  E. 
Shannon,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  M.  Curtis,  M.  of  F.;  C. 
P.  Soule,  M.  of  E.;  J.  C.  Harper,  M.  at  A.;  J.  S. 
Barniiril,  I.  G.;  L.  Duncan,  O.  G.  The  present 
membership  is  fortj^-four.  though  at  one  time  they 
could  boast  of  one  more.  Their  financial  condition 
is  very  creditable  to  the  organiz;ition.  they  having 
disbursed  in  charities  and  benefits,  84,714,  and  have 
the  sum  of  SI, 300  in  cash  in  the  bank. 

Argenta  Lodge,  No.  10,  Battle  iMountain,  was 
instituted  July  20,  1S7(!,  by  C.  C.  Powniiig,  then 
G.  C.  of  Nevada,  under  a  dispensation  gi-anled  bj- 
the  Grand  Lodge,  starting  with  twenty-five  charter 
members.  The  fir.st  officers  were  as  follows:  J.  A. 
Blossom,  P.  C;  A.  Robertson,  C.  C;  James  Brown, 
V.  C;  C.  L.  Perkins,  P.;  M.  F.  Bradshaw,  M.  of 
E.;  T.  E.  Ilagar,  M.  of  F.;  J.  P.  Cope,  K.  of  R.  and 
S.;  F.  W.  AVeasterell,  M.  at  A.;  G.  A.  .Middlcton,  I. 
G.;  George  A.  Parrott,  0.  G.  The  Trustees  are  J. 
A.  Blossom,  James  Brown  and  Walter  Davis.  The 
members  of  the  Finance  Committee  are  C.  L.  Per- 
kins, J.  \V.  Hatfield  and  W.  F  Lozer.  The  present 
oiticers  are  D.  A.  Dunlap,  P.  C;  Walter  l)avi8,  C.  C; 
William  Norris,  V.  C;    Charles  H,  Sproule,  P.;    A. 

D.  Lemaire,  M.  of  E.;  A.  D.  Wilcox,  M.  of  F.;  J.  P. 
Cope,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  John  F.  Allen,  M.  at  A. 
The  lodge  at  present  has  thirtj'-one  members  in 
good  standing,  and  its  financial  condition  is  as  fol- 
lows: Cash  on  hand,  July  1,  1881,  8182.76;  amount 
invested,  S200,  making  a  total  of  cash  assets,  8382.- 
76.  Mr.  J.  P.  Cope,  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
lodge,  stills  holds  the  position  of  K.  of  R.  and  S., 
and  is  also  D.  D.  G.  C. 

Triumph  Lodge,  No.  11,  of  Virginia  City,  was 
instituted  on  October  20,  1879,  under  a  dispensa- 
tion granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State, 
and  was  formed  from  members  of  Mystic  Lodge, 
No.  3,  of  Gold  Hill,  and  for  a  time  met  at  the 
latter  place.  There  were  eleven  charter  members. 
The  first  officers  were  William  Bhukrill,  C.  C;  H. 
M.  Monk,  V.  C;  J.  S.  Newland,  P.;  P.  H.  Mulcahy, 
K.  of  R.  and  S.;  A.  M.  Sawyer,  M.  of  F;  John 
Dodge,  M.  of  E.  The  largest  membership  reported 
was  eighty-three,  and  that  numlier  is  still  on  the  rolls. 
The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  good,  they 
having  in  coin  and  personal  property  about  81,100, 
and  have  disbursed  in  benefits  and  charities  some 
8250. 

Lyon  Lodge,  No.  12,  of  Dayton,  was  insti- 
tuted October  15,  1880,  under  a  dispensation 
granted  by  the  (irand  Lodge.  This  organization 
being  of  so  recent  date,  but  little  can  bo  said 
of  its  history.  It  had  nineteen  charter  members. 
The  first  officers  were  A.  Friedline,  P.  C;  J.  S. 
Dallas,  CO.;  G.  E.  Jaqua,  V.  C;  O.  A.  Brooks,  P.; 
Charles  Rothschild,  K.  of  R.  and  S.;  D.  F.  Norton, 
M.of  F.;  (leorge  Midgley,  M.  of  F.;  S.  E.  J.  Bray, 
M.  at  A.;  R.  J.  Gancy,  L  G.;  Charles  Wagner,  O.  G. 
The  financial  condition  of  this  lodge  is  good,  it 
having  several  hundred  dollars  in  the  treasury.    The 


largest  membershi])  at  any  one  time  was  thirtj'-one, 
and  the  same  number  is  reported  at  the  present  time. 
The  preceding  reports  of  these  noble  bands  of 
friends  show  a  membership  of  about  50(1,  with 
near  810.(1(1(1  in  their  treasuries.  During  the  ])eriod 
of  their  organiz;ition  they  have  disbursed  between 
six  and  se\en  thousand  dollars  in  reliefs  and  charities. 

GRAND    LODdE    K.    OF    P.,    OF   NEVAD.\. 

Although  the  Order  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  was 
known  and  recognized  as  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
calendar  of  secret  societies  in  this  State,  for  some 
years  previous  to  the  organization  of  a  tirand  Lodge, 
the  number  was  insullicient  to  warrant  such  an 
action  until  the  institution  of  Humboldt  Lodge,  No. 
5,  when  the  subject  was  agitated  and  found  favor 
with  a  large  majority   of  the  members  of  the  Order. 

On  the  thirty-first  of  March,  1874,  the  Past  Chan- 
cellors and  Representatives  of  the  five  organizations 
met  in  conventic)n  at  Carson  City,  and  the  oi-ganiza- 
tion  of  a  Grand  Ijoilge  of  the  Order  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  for  the  jurisdiction  of  Nevada  was  the 
result. 

They  were  in  session  two  days,  and  during  that 
time  elected  and  installed  as  officers  for  the  ensuing 
year,  the  following  gentlemen: — 

E.  L.  Stern,  of  Mystic  Lodge,  No.  3,  P.  (i.  C. 

S.  H.  Goddard,  of  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  1,  G.  C. 

George  Gillson,  of  Carson  Lodge,  No.  4,  G.  V.  C. 

C.  E.  Laughton,  of  Carson  Lodge,  No.  4,  G.  K.  of 
R.  and  S. 

(ieorge  Tufly,  of  Damon  Lodge,  No.  2,  G.  M.  of  K. 

A.  Livingston,  of  Humboldt  Lodge,  No.  5,  G.  M. 
at  A. 

Cjcsar  Corris,  of  Nevada  Lodge,  No.  1,  G.  I.  G. 

Lyman  A.  Frisbie,  of  Carson  Lodge,  No.  4,  G.  O.  G. 

Another  session  was  held  on  the  tenth  of  August, 
the  same  year,  in  Carson  City.  Since  organizing, 
five  dispensations  have  been  granted  for  the  forma- 
tion of  subordinates. 

The  following  are  the  succeeding  (irand  Chancel- 
lors, and  Grand  Keepers  of  J^ecords  and  Seal  until 
August  10,  1880:  C.  C.  J'owning,  (',.  C;  Charles  E 
Laughton,  G.  K.  of  H.  and  S.;  P.  H.  Mulcahy,  G.  C.^ 
W.  H.  Laughton,  G.  C;  George  H.  Morrison,  (J.  C. 
J.  A.  Johnson,  (i.e.;  V.  U.  Mulcahy,  (J.  K.ofK.  andS 
The  ])reseiit  (Jrand  ofHcei's  are  J.  J.  Cooper,  U.  C. 
A.  K.  Shannon,  G.  V.  C;  (J.  J.  1).  King,  (J.  I'  :  I'  11 
Mulcahy,  <i.  K.  of  1{.  and  S.;  J.  M.  Flanagan,  (..  .M 
of  K. ;  W.  M.  N.  Johnson,  G.  M.  at  A.;  A.  Iie])ort,  G 
I.  C.;  J.  F  Myers,  G.  O.  (i. 


260 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 
PIONEER   AND   OTHER   SOCIETIES. 

Society  of  Pacific  Coast  Pimiecrs — Society  of  l!eesc  I'ivcr  Pion- 
eers—  Virginia  City  Miners  Union — Miners  I'nion  Library — 
Unby  Hill  Miners  Union — Nevada  State  Me«lical  Society — 
Grand  Anny  of  the  Piepublic — Phil  Kearny  Post-Custer  Post 
— Me;!iorial  Day  at  Carson — Ancient  Order  of  HilK'niians — 
Division  No.  1  of  Virginia — Hibernian  Society  at  Austin — 
Irish-American  Benevolent  Association  of  Austin — Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Hed  Men — Piute  Tribe,  No.  1 — Nevada 
Historical  and  Scientific  Society ^ — Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen — Independent  Order  of  Korestere — Court  Nevada, 
No.  1 — Eureka  Court — Silver  State  Lodge  B.  L.  F. — Cale- 
donia Club — Virginia  Turnverein. 

The  Society  of  Pacific  Coast  Pioneei-s  was  organ- 
ized at  Virginia  City  on  June  22,  1872.  It  is  com- 
posed of  three  classes  of  members: — 

First — All  who  were  residents  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
States  or  Territories  prior  to  the  first  day  of  Jan- 
uai"y,  1851. 

Second — The  male  descendants,  in  the  direct  line, 
of  all  who  were  residents  of  the  Pacific  States  or 
Territories  prior  to  the  first  day  of  January,  1851, 
and  who  are  or  have  been  members  of  the  society. 

Third — Ilonorarj-  members. 

The  society  was  designed  to  be  a  moral,  benevol- 
ent, literar)'  and  sciontific  association,  and  its  objects 
are  to  cultivate  social  intercourse,  form  a  more  per- 
fect union  among  its  members  and  create  a  fund 
for  charitable  purposes  in  their  behalf;  to  collect 
and  preserve  information  connected  with  the  early 
settlement  and  subsequent  bistorj'  of  the  Pacific 
States  and  Territories;  to  form  a  library  and  cab- 
inet, collect  and  preserve  such  literarj-  and  scien- 
tific objects  as  the  societ}-  shall  at  any  time  deter- 
mine; and,  in  all  appropriate  matters,  to  advance 
the  interests  and  perpetuate  the  memory  of  those 
whose  sagacity,  energy,  and  enterprise  induced  them 
to  settle  in  the  wilderness,  and  become  the  found- 
ers of  a  new  empire  upon  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  society  is  held  on  the 
seventh  day  of  July,  in  each  year,  the  anniversary 
of  the  acquisition  of  California  and  the  day  the 
American  Flag  was  first  raised  on  the  soil  of  that 
countiy,  and  the  annual  celebration  takes  ])lace 
on  the  ninth  day  of  September,  in  each  year,  the 
anniversary  of  the  admission  of  California  into  the 
Union. 

The  society  soon  secured  a  membership  of  nearly 
400  pioneers,  and  accumulated  money  in  its  treas- 
ur}'.  It  erected  a  fine  two-stor3-  brick  building  on 
li  Street,  and  collected  one  of  the  most  valuable 
mineral  cabinets  to  bo  found  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  In  addition  to  mineralogical  s]iecimens, 
itsshelves  were  crowded  with  rare  old  coins,  historical 
documents  and  papers,  natural  curiosities,  obsolete 
fire-arms,  and  many  other  articles  precious  to  col- 
lectors. 

In  the  great  fire  of  October,  1875,  the  hall,  with 
its  valuable  cabinet  and  library,  was  destroyed. 
The  building  had  cost  ?20,000,  upon  which  there 
■was  an   insurance  of  $3,000.     The  loss  the  society 


suftered  through  the  destruction  of  its  cabinet  can- 
not be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  The  hall  has 
since  been  rebuilt  on  the  same  site,  and  another  fine 
cabinet  is  in  course  of  collection.  The  pro])erty 
cost  about  822,00(1,  upon  which  there  remains  an 
indebtedness  of  §3,000. 

The  following  are  the  present  officers  of  the 
society:  President,  £.  B.  Harris,  M.  D.;  Vice-Presi- 
dents, Lee  McGown,  Ira  Parke,  C.  M.  Brown;  Secre- 
tary. T.  B.  Storer;  Treasurer,  S.  I).  Baker;  Marshal, 
Will  Thomas;  librarian,  W.  Frank  Stewart. 

oSince  the  rganization  of  the  society  to  the  present 
time  the  following  gentlemen  have  consecutively 
served  as  President:  Dr.  S.  A.  Mc.Means,  Charles  E. 
De  Long,  E.  H.  Taylor,  and  A.  J.  Tyrrell. 

SOCIETY  OF    REESE    RIVER    PIONEERS. 

The  Society  of  Reese  River  Pioneers  was  organized 
on  the  eleventh  of  June,  1873.  It  is  comprised  of 
males  who  were  residents  of  the  Reese  River  Mining 
District  prior  to  the  thirty-first  of  December,  1864, 
and  also  of  the  male  descendants  of  persons  eligible  to 
membership.  Its  present  oflicers  are  President,  John 
King;  Vice-Presidents,  W.  11.  Moulton,  S.  Crescenzo, 
Charles  Dunning;  Secretary,  E.  A.  Allen;  Treasurer, 
M.  M.  Eagan;  Marshal  R.  Y.  Woodward. 

The  following  are  its  members: — 


John  H.  Dennis, 

W.  E.  Ford, 

G.  A.  Bauer, 

A.  A.  Flint, 

M.  M.  Eagan, 

John  Frost, 

A.  Sleinbuck, 

Wm.  AVatson, 

Geo.  Watt, 

J.  E.  Rooker, 

L.  Ijoustalot,  • 

A.  Sower, 

Wm.  Jlinnick, 

James  Southall, 

G.  A.  Douglass, 

Henry  Alayenbaum, 

L.  Steiner, 

A.  R.  Gandolfo, 

M.  J.  Farrell, 

J.  Mctiinnis, 

J.  Evans, 

E.  S.  Samson, 

P.  Lyttleton, 

II.  II.  Allen, 

O.  C.  Blivens, 

P.  Brannen. 

J.  E.  Funston, 

N.  Wallace, 

Thomas  Doyle, 

A.  Patrone, 

James  Murphy, 

D.  Callaghan, 

J.  Bicknell, 


J.  A.  Wilson, 
B.  B.  Carthra, 
R.  McBelh, 
R.  Y.  Woodward, 
J.  P.  Thomas, 
W.  H.  Moulton, 
D.  C.  McKenney, 
IT.  R.  Whitehill, 
P.  H.  LovcU, 
A.  Nicholle, 
P.  Gross, 
John  O'Donnell, 
S.  Fuller, 

D.  L.  Hcaly, 
John  Spencer, 
J.  R.  Robinson, 
G.  A.  Shephard, 
Thomas  Taylor, 
David  Todd, 
Eli  Mclntyre, 

E.  S.  Davis, 
J.  Trolson, 
(Jeo.  Hall, 
John  King, 
Chas.  Dunning, 
Wm.  A.  Sloan, 
Charles  Kearns, 
L.  Smith, 

A.  C.  McCafferty, 
J.  Macavoy, 
Joaquin  Partargo, 
Thos.  Ward, 
N.  Barovich, 


PIONEER  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES. 


.'Gl 


J.  D.  Leutyms, 
A.  Minnium, 
J.  L.  Fulton, 
A.  E.  Shannon, 
Duncan  McCall, 
A.  Bctz, 
James  Sullivan, 
Fortuna  Guis, 
Roger  Conlon, 


P.  Sinnott, 
James  Kyan, 
\Vm.  S.  C'ooley, 
I.  James, 
John  McFeo, 
E.  A.  Allen, 
S.  Crescenzo, 
Thomas  Jones, 
A.  tireenhalgh, 


P.  Farrell. 

The  objects  of  the  society  are:  To  ciiltiviito  social 
intercoui-se  among  the  members;  to  collect  and  pre- 
serve information  concerning  the  early  settlement  of 
the  country,  and  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  de- 
parted pioneers. 

miners'  union. 

"Unions  for  mutual  protection  and  relief  are  as  old 
as  history.  The  workmen  on  Solomon's  Temple  are 
said  to  have  had  a  (ruild  or  League,  the  Egyptian 
workmen  had  combinations  when  thej'  built  the  pyr- 
amids, and  the  Chinese  records  make  them  coeval 
with  the  formation  of  their  government.  Whether 
beneficial  generally  or  not  is  a  question  that  has 
often  ]irovoked  discussion,  and  still  remains  unde- 
cidetl.  Like  all  organizations  lor  especial  purposes 
they  are  liable  to  abuse  their  strength  and  become 
in  turn  the  tyrant. 

The  -Miners'  Union  was  organized  at  Virginia  City 
June  (i,  lS(il!.  I!.  I).  Ferguson  was  made  President; 
\V.  C.  Mateman,  Vice-President,  and  B.  J.  Shay,  Sec- 
retary. 

The  (told  Hill  branch  was  organized  August  0, 
lS(!4.\Vm.\Voodburn,  afler\v;irds  member  of  ( 'ougress, 
being  made  Proident. 

These  organizations  soon  included  in  their  mem- 
bership the  larger  part  of  the  miners,  and  undoubt- 
oil\y  exerted  considerable  influence  in  kee])iiig  up  the 
rates  of  hibor  to  four  dollars  per  day,  u  jji-ice  which  did 
not  vary  much  for  years.  They  were  generally  on 
good  terms  with  liieir  eni])i()yers,  and  in  som(> 
instances  the  organizations  wore  approved  by  them 
as  giving  the  mining  pojiuiation  a  head  with  which 
to  communicate.  Some  members  of  those  societies 
organized  the  Miners'  Leagues  in  (irass  Valley  and 
Sutter  Creek,  in  California.  At  the  latter  place  the 
league  came  into  collision  with  the  authorities,  caus- 
ing what  was  called  the  Amador  war,  resulting  in 
the  stopping  of  mining  for  some  months. 

The  first  demonstration  was  made  on  the  evening 
of  July  .n,  1S(;4,  at  (Jold  Hill.  The  dissatisfied  min-  ■ 
ers  of  (iold  Hill  were  joined  b}'  the  league  from  Vir- 
ginia City.  They  paraded  again  the  iie.xt  day,  and 
the  prospect  of  difliculty  was  so  strong  that  the  min- 
ing Superintendents  thought  |>roper  to  yield  to  the 
demand  for  four  dollars  per  day. 

February  11.  1877,  quite  an  excitement  occurred 

at  the  Imperial  Mine.     The  members  of  the  league 

to  the  number  of  thousands  gathered  and  informed 

the  Superintendent  that  ho  must  discharge  all  (to  the 

33 


number  of  fiftj'-eight)  who  were  working  for  loss 
than  the  established  jjrices.  Xo  violence  was  used, 
but  the  action  was  denominated  by  the  papers  as 
a  "  forcible  persuasion." 

miners'  union  i.ibrarv. 

The  Minors'  Union  Library  was  established  Decem- 
ber 28,  1877.  The  first  Hoard  of  Directors  were 
\Vm.  H.  Parker,  B.  Colgan,  T.  J'.  Roberts,  .loseph 
Josephs,  John  F.  .McDonald;  B.  Colgan,  Secretary 
and  Librarian. 

The  present  dii-ectors  are  A.  J.  Burns,  Samuel 
Hamill,  Richard  Henderson,  James  Dolan,  Albert 
Burns;  .Tamos  Dockory,  Secretary  and  Librarian. 

The  present  building  was  erected  in  187i),  at  a 
cost  of  §15,000  (lot  worth  §5,000),  and  took  the 
place  of  the  one  destroyed  in  the  great  fire.  It  con- 
tains a  librarj',  ball  and  chess  room,  and  in  the 
basement  is  a  hall  used  by  the  -Montgomery  (iuards. 
Knights  of  the  Red  Branch,  Mechanics'  Union, 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and  Miners'  Union. 

The  library  was  commenced  bj-  an  appropriation 
of  §2,000  from  the  treasury  of  the  Miner's  Union, 
and  is  the  oidy  public  library  in  Virginia.  All 
members  of  the  Xlnion  have  access;  outsiders  are 
required  to  pay  fitly  cents  per  month. 

Cost  of  books  to  date §6,000 

Number  of  volumes '_ 2,200 

The  original  building  cost  §4,000,  and  was  used 
by  the  Minors'  Union  as  a  IkiII. 

KtiHV   HIT, I,   miners'   I'NION. 

The  ofticers  of  the  Ruby  Hill  .Miners'  Union, 
Kureka  County,  are  as  follows:  James  Rowc,  Presi- 
dent; C.  B.  Bid  well.  Vice  President;  John  Hancock, 
Financial  Secretary;  J.  W.  Richards,  Recording  Sec- 
retary; VV.  D.  Griffiths,  Treasurer;  Evans  Richards, 
Warden;  Elislia  Rule.  Conduclor;  John  Heekerling, 
E.  Richard  and  William  Giles,  Committee  on  Finance; 
n.  Rawlings,  J.  Trembalh,  J.  G.  Jury,  P.  1).  Hicks, 
J.  T.  Richards,  Trustees. 

NEVADA    STATE    .MEDICAI,    SOCIETV. 

In  April,  1878,  a  suggestion  was  made  by  several 
physicians  of  the  State  as  to  the  propriety  of  organ- 
izing a  medical  society  embracing  the  Slate  at  large, 
under  the  auspices  of,  and  in  alliliaiion  with,  llie 
"National  American  Medical  .\ssoeialion."  Accord- 
ingly, a  general  call  was  made  through  the  press,  and 
a  circular  issued  to  bo  sent  to  all  the  medical  men  of 
the  State  belonging  to  the  old  school  of  medicine. 

There  assembled  under  this  call  at  Carson  City, 
twenty-four  medical  men  from  difteront  parts  of  the 
State,  who  formed  an  organization  called  the  .Vevada 
State  Medical  Society,  divested  of  all  local  ])rejudice8, 
partisan  tendencies  or  personal  motives.  Its  objects 
are: — 

First — The  cultivation  and  advancement  of  the 
science  by  united  exertions  for  mutual  improvement, 
and  bj-  contributions  to  medical  literature. 

Second — The  promotit)n  of  the  character,  intorosts 
and  honor  of  the  fraternity    by  maintaining  union 


W-2 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OP   NEVADA. 


and  harmony  in  the  regular  profession  of  the  State, 
and  aiming  to  elevate  the  standard  of  medical  edu- 
cation. 

Third — The  separation  of  regular  from  irregular 
practitioners. 

Fourth — The  association  of  the  profession  proper 
for  purposes  of  mutual  recognition  and  fellowship. 

The  regular  meetings  are  held  semi-annually;  on 
the  first  Monday  in  July,  in  Virginia  City;  on  the 
second  Monday  in  January,  in  Carson  City. 

The  society  held  its  first  regular  semi-annual  ses- 
sion in  Odd  Fellows  Uall,  Virginia,  on  July   1  and 
2,  1878,  and  elected  officers  as  follows:    President, 
Dr.  J.  W.  Van  Zandt,  Virginia;  Vice-Presidents.  Dr.    I 
J.  W.  Waters,  Carson;  Dr.  A.  Dawson,  Reno:  Dr.  H.    i 
W.  Smith;    Recording  Secretary,   Dr,  F.   M.   Conn,    i 
Virginia;  Corresponding  Secretary,   Dr.  J.   Thomas 
Johnson,  Virginia;  Treasurer,  Dr.  E.  D.  Black,  Genoa. 

Board  of  Censors — Dr.  J.  Grant,  Virginia;  Dr.  H. 
II.  Hogan,  Reno;  Dr.  B.  Robinson,  Virginia;  Dr.  F. 
J.  White,  Carson;  Dr.  T.  J.  Magee,  Gold  Hill. 

The  roll  of  membership  at  this  time  included  the 
names  of  thirtj'-three  physicians.  The  oration  was 
delivered  by  Dr.  A.  Dawson,  of  Reno,  and  a  report  of 
a  case  of  encephaloid  cancer  of  the  brain  was  sub- 
submitted  b}-  Dr.  F.  H.  Engels,  of  Virginia. 

Since  that  time  the  society  has  held  its  meetings 
semi-annually,  kept  up  its  membership  and  greatly 
promoted  the  interests  of  the  medical  fraternity  in 
Nevada. 

Dr.  J.  Thos.  Johnson  succeeded  Dr.  Van  Zandt  as 
President,  and  the  former  was  succeeded  by  Dr. 
H.  Borgstein.  who  is  now  in  his  second  term. 

The  present  officers  are  Dr.  H.  Bergstein,  Presi- 
dent; Dr.  H.  S.  Herrick,  Hamilton,  Dr.  J.  S.  Ham- 
mond. Austin,  Vice-Presidents;  Dr.  F.  H.  Engels, 
Virginia,  Recording  Secretary;  Dr.  A.  Dawson,  Reno, 
Corresponding  Secretary. 

Board  of  Censors — Drs.  (Jeorge  H.  Thomas,  C.  B. 
Bricrly,  B.  IJobinson.  M.  Rockman  and  F.  M.  Conn. 

At  the  last  annual  meeting  the  names  of  thirty- 
eight  physicians  were  reported  on  the  membership 
roll. 

ANCIE.NT   ORDER    HIBERNIANS. 

Among  the  conspicuous  benevolent  societies  of 
Virginia  City  is  Division  No.  1  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  Hibernians.  As  its  name  implies  it  is  composed 
exclusivelj'  of  Irishmen.  It  was  organized  with 
nineteen  charter  members  in  March,  1872,  and 
rapidly  increased  to  nearl}'  300.  It  has  a  mem- 
bership at  present  of  about  half  this  number. 

The  first  officers  were  John  Snow,  President;  P. 
Fahy,  Vice-President ;  P.  Ennis,  Recording  Secre- 
tary ;  James  Moore,  Financial  .Secretary  ;  Dennis 
Nevin,  Treasurer. 

The  present  officers  are  D.  A.  Curran.  President: 
D.  Fitzgerald,  Vice-President;  Dan  McCarthy.  Re- 
cording Secretary-;  James  Marlow,  Financial  Secre- 
tarj';  Martin  Ford,  Treasurer;  D.  J.  Mahoney,  C.  D.; 
M.  A.  Feoncy,  S.  D. 


The  Hibernians  have  disbursed  nearly  S10,000  in 
sick  benefits,  and  about  as  much  again  has  been 
donated  for  charitable  purposes  outside  of  the  Order. 

UIBERNIAN    SOCIETV    AT    AUSTIN. 

The  Society  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians, 
of  Austin,  Lander  County,  was  organized  on  the 
twelfth  day  of  June,  1874. 

The  j)rescnl  officers  are  John  Smyth,  County  Del- 
egate; Thomas  Kennedy,  President;  P.  Lynch, 
Treasurer;  T.  E.  Harnej-,  Treasurer. 

The  number  of  its  charter  members  was  twenty- 
five.  The  greatest  number  of  members  at  any  one 
time  was  sixty-eight.  The  present  number  of  mem- 
bers is  thirty-five. 

Financially  its  condition  is  favorable;  value  of  prop- 
erty and  cash,  8750;  amount  disbursed  to  date  in 
benefits,  charities,  etc..  82.300. 

IRISH-AMERICAN    BENEVOLENT   ASSOCIATION. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  June,  1872,  the  Irish-Ameri- 
can Benevolent  Association,  of  Austin,  was  organized. 
Its  objects  are  purelj-  benevolent;  ever}'  dollar  paid 
into  its  treasury  is  to  be  repaid  in  benefits  to  the  mem- 
bers when  required,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  asso- 
ciation. 

The  first  officers  chosen  were  Patrick  Lynch,  Presi- 
dent; Charles  O'Brien,  Vice-President;  George  Mills, 
Treasurer;  John  Smyth,  Secretarj*. 

The  present  officers  are  M.  D.  Murphy,  President; 
Thomas  Gavan,  Vice-President;  James  Brennan, 
Treasurer;    Thomas  L.  Brennan,  Secretary. 

The  number  of  charter  members  was  fifty;  the  great- 
est number  of  members  at  any  one  time,  125,  The 
financial  condition  of  the  society  is  prosperous.  The 
disbursements  to  the  present  time  amount  to  87,500. 

GRAND   AR.MV    OF    THE    REPUBLIC— PHIL.    KEARNY    POST, 
NO.    10. 

In  1868,  the  ex-Union  veterans  living  in  Virginia 
City  organized  to  promote  the  election  of  General  U. 
S.  Grant  to  the  Presidency.  Their  campaign  club  was 
known  as  the  "  Boys  in  Blue."  After  the  election 
they  reorganized  as  Post  No.  8,  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic. 

Their  first  officers,  elected  on  October  5,  1869,  were 
A.  H.  W.  Creigh,  Commander;  B.  Ambrust,  Senior 
Vice-Commander;  C.  L.  Metcalf,  Junior  Vice-Com- 
mander; Dennis  Farrell,  Adjutant;  (ieorgeL.  Schwab, 
Quartermaster;  Henry  Kent,  Officer  of  the  Day; 
John  W.  Burke,  Chaplain. 

The  Post  comprised  at  that  time  sixty  members. 
The  organization  was  maintainc(i  until  October.  1875, 
when  the  great  fire  swept  away  their  papers  and 
efFeots  and  dispersed  many  of  the  members.  Four 
years  later  the  veterans  again  organized  as  Phil. 
Kearny  Post,  No.  10,  G.  A.  IJ.,  with  twcnt}-  names 
on  the  roll.  Since  that  time  the  membership  has 
nearly  trebled. 

The  present  officers  are  G  E.  Caukin,  Commander; 
Thomas  Moses,  Senior  Vice-Commander;  C.  L.  Met- 
calf, Junior  Vice-Commander;  Charles  H.  Galusha. 
Adjutant;  George  L.  Schwab,  (Quartermaster;  George 


PIONEER  AND  OTHER  SOCIETIES. 


26^ 


KIston,  Otficcr  of  tho  Day;  J.  W.Burke,  Chapluin, 
and  Dr.  E.  \i.  Harris,  Suri^eon. 

STANTON    POST,    NO.    20, 

Department  of  California,  G.  A.  R.,  Carson  City, 
Nevada,  was  organi7,ed  March  24,  1S70.  by  (xeorgc 
F.  Ford,  Assistant  Inspector  of  the  Seventh  Division 
Department  of  California.  Number  of  members, 
thirty.  The  first  officers  elected  were  J.  A.  Burlin- 
game.  Post  Commander;  T.  J.  Edwards,  Senior  Vice- 
Commander;  C.  A.  Witherell,  Junior  Vice-Com- 
mander; William  Wallace,  Officer  of  the  Day;  E. 
B.  Wartmen,  Officer  Guard;  W.  M.  Burthrong,  Adju- 
tant; C.  Kitzme3'er,  Quartermaster  Sergeant;  JI. 
Shrieves,  Sergeant  Major. 

This  Post  surrendered  its  charter  and  disbanded 
in  1873. 

MEMORIAL    DAY. 

Memorial  day  was  first  observed  in  Carson  City, 
May  30,  1870,  by  Stanton  Post  marching  to  Lone 
Mountain  Cemetery,  and  decorating  tho  graves  of 
Union  soldiers  buried  there. 

The  Union  soldiers  and  sailors  observed  memorial 
day  as  above  stated,  for  sevei-al  years,  when  they 
invited  the  citizens  to  unite  with  them.  School 
children,  and  children  from  the  State  Orphan's  Home, 
numbering  in  all  about  500,  the  Mexican  Veterans, 
Federal  and  State  officers,  Carson  Guards,  and  about 
1,000  citizens,  united  with  the  Union  soldiers,  and 
made  the  day  a  grand  success  in  Carson  City,  as  it 
has  been  each  year  since. 

CUSTER   POST,  NO.  5. 

Custer  Post,  No.  5,  Department  of  California,  (r.  A. 
E.,  Carson  City,  Nevada,  was  organized  July  17, 1878, 
by  J.  A.  Burlingamc,  Special  Mustering  Officer.  Num- 
ber of  members,  forty-three. 

The  first  officers  elected  were  D.  II.  Lcntz,  Post 
Commander;  C  II.  Maish,  Senior  Vice-Commander; 
H.  F.  Bartine,  Junior  Vice-Commander;  James  Hunt, 
Surgeon;  Marshall  Robinson,  Quartermaster;  C.  A. 
Witherell,  Adjutant;  William  McCatl'erty,  Chaplain; 
E.  B.  Zubriskie,  Officer  of  the  Da.y;  Joseph  Carpenter, 
Officer  of  the  Guard;  Mike  O'llare,  Inside  Guard; 
Eliiis  Breed,  Outside   (iuard. 

The  present  officers  are  E.  B.  Zabriskie,  Post  Com- 
mander; D.  H.  Pine,  Senior  Vice- Commander;  B.  D. 
Kennedy,  Junior  Vice-Commander;  Benjamin  Ilaj'es, 
Officer  of  the  Day;  W.  II.  II.  Scott,  Officer  of  the 
Guard;  C.  N.  Harris,  Chaplain;  L.  L.  Lee,  Surgeon; 
Marshall  Robinson,  Quurtermastor;  C.  A.  Witherell, 
Adjutant;  John  McCremmon,  Sergeant  .Major;  An- 
drew Layman,  Quartermaster  Sergeant. 

Custer  Post  has  been  in  a  flourishing  condition 
since  its  organization,  members  have  helped  each 
other  in  many  ways,  especially  in  looking  after  the 
sick,  and  finding  employment  for  those  who  were  in 
want  of  it. 

INDEPENDENT   ORDER   OF   RED    MEN. 

The  Grand  Council  of  I.  O.  R.  M.,  of  Nevada,  was 
instituted   on    the  seventh  of  January,   1S73,  by  A. 


Curry,  V.  S.  I.    The  following  officers  wore  elected: — 
Jonas  Seeley,  G.  T.;    H.  J.  Peters,    S.   S.;  C.  N. 
Harris,  J.  S.;  A.  Waitz,  C.  of  R.;  J.  B.  Fitch,  K.  of 
W.;  A.  Currj'  and  E.  Strother,  G.  R. 

PIUTE   TRIBE,    NO.    I. 

Piute  Tribe,  No.  1,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  was  organized  at 
Carson  City,  Ormsby  County,  on  the  nineteenth  of 
July,  1870. 

Tho  first  officers  wore  A.  Curry,  Sachem;  A.  D. 
Treadway,  Prophet;  N.  J.  Saviers,  Senior  Sagamore; 
H.  J.  Peters,  Junior  Sagamore;  George  G.  Lyons, 
Chief  of  Records;  John  liosser.  Keeper  of  Wampum. 

The  charter  members  were  A.  Curry,  N.  J.  Sav- 
iers, Isaac  McConnell,  J.  R.  Fenney,  II.  J.  Peters, 
George  G.  Lyons,  (Jeorge  Bettinger,  .M.  Willard,  A. 
D.  Treadway,  Fred.  W.  Glenn,  George  W.  Chean, 
Israel  Crawford,  John  Rosscr,  A.  Waitz,  S.  T.  Swift. 
J.  M.  Reese,  A.  P.  Cotton,  A.  Wright,  I.  M.  Benton, 
and  George  L.  Gibson. 

HISTORICAI,    A.vn   SCIENTIFIC   SOCIETY. 

The  Nevada  Historical  and  Scientific  Society  was 
incorporated  at  Carson  City  on  the  twelfth  of  July, 
1865,  with  the  following  officers: — 

A.  F.  White,  President;  W.  F.  B.  Lynch,  Vice- 
President;  C.  L.  Anderson,  Recording  Secretary; 
Thomas  Wells,  Corresponding  Secretarj-;  W.  B. 
Lawlor,  Treasurer. 

ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  UNITED  W0RK.MEN. 

Alpha  Lodge,  No.  1,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  was  organized 
at  Eureka,  on  March  11,  1870. 

Its  first  officers  were  as  follows:  M.  Rockman,  P. 
M.  W.;  11.  A.  Unruh,  M.  W.;  E.  A.  Robinson,  Fore- 
man; G.J.  Scanland,  O.;  I.  C.  C.  Whitmore,  Recorder: 
B.  C.  Levj-,  Financier;  Wm.  Pardy,  Receiver;  F.  W. 
Penfield,  (J.;  S.  S.  Sloss,  I.  W. 

The  present  officers  arc  as  follows;  C.  L.  Bray;  P. 
M.  W.;  (i.  A.  Fletcher,  JI.  W.;  J.  Schanlanker,  Fore- 
man; A.  Oliver,  O.;  I.  C.  C.  Whitmore,  Recorder;  E. 
J.  Butler,  Financier;  Wm.  Pardy,  Receiver;  Wm. 
Joannes,  (J.;  P.  II.  lljul.  I.  W.;  E.  Bertrand,  O.  W. 

The  charter  members  of  the  lodge  were  thirty-two 
in  number;  the  greatest  number  of  members  was 
eighty-eight;  the  present  number  is  eighty-two. 

Tho  regalias  and  seal  of  tho  lodge  arc  valued  at 
8116.  Its  objects  are  exclusively  charitable,  and  its 
present  financial  condition  is  excellent. 

INDEPENDENT   ORDER    OF    FORESTERS. 

The  society  of  lnde])eii(lent  Order  of  Foresters 
was  ordained  for  the  purpose  of  mutually  benefiting 
its  members  generally,  but  more  particularly  with  a 
view  of  securing  to  tho  family  of  a  deceased  brother 
of  tho  Order  a  i-ubstantial  benefit,  amounting  to  a 
sum  of  money  of  from  81,000  to  83,000.  Tho  Order 
was  first  organi/.ed  June  17,  1S74.  at  Newark,  New 
Jersey.  Since  then  over  8400,000  has  been  paid  to 
the  families  of  deceased  members.  The  origin  of  tho 
Order  dates  back  to  the  days  of  Robin  Hood  in  Sher- 
wood Forest. 


264 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


COURT   NEVADA,    NO.    I. 

Court  Nevada,  No.  1.  I.  O.  of  F.,  was  ori^anized  at 
Virginia  City,  Storey  County,  on  the  twenty-si.\lh 
of  May,  1879,  with  J.  F.  Newh-ind,  Chief  Hanger; 
M.  C.  McMillan,  Vice-Chief  Eanger;  II.  M.  Monk, 
Secretary;  C.  1*".  Sloat,  Financial  Secretary;  A. 
Learnhart,  Treasurer. 

There  were  fiftj'-four  charter  members;  the  great- 
est number  of  members  belonging  at  any  one  time 
was  eighty;  ami  in  September,  1881,  there  were 
forty-three  mnnlK-rs. 

Tlie  societj-  has  disbursed  in  benefits,  endowments, 
and  charities  since  its  organization,  83,250.  The 
amount  of  property  now  on  hand,  including  cash,  is 
estimated  at  Sl.dOO. 

The  present  oftieers  are  H.  Bergstein,  C.  R.;  E. 
Lee,  V.  C.  R.;  P.  11.  Mulcahy,  Recording  and  Fi- 
nancial Secretary;  J.  S.  Newland,  Treasurer. 

EL'REKA   COURT. 

A  lodge  of  this  Order  was  organized  at  Eureka, 
on  Januar}-  7,  1880. 

The  first  officers  were  as  follows:  B.  C.  Levy,  W. 
C.  R.;  C.  L.  Bray,  V.  C.  R.;  W.  J.  Smith,  Treasurer; 
James  W.  Smith,  R.  S.;  A.  E.  Shannon,  D.  D.  VV.  C.  R. 

The  present  officers  are  C.  L.  Bray,  W.  C.  II.;  R. 
P.  Dayton,  V.  C.  R.;  W.  J.  Smith,  Treasurer;  James 
W.  Smith,  R.  S.;  A.  E.  Shannon,  D.  D.  W.  C.  R. 

The  charter  members  were  si.\ty  in  number.  The 
greatest  number  of  members  at  one  time  were  sixty- 
five.     The  present  number  of  members  is  fifty-five. 

The  i-egalias  of  the  lodge  arc  valued  at  SlOO,  its 
financial  condition  is  solvent,  and  up  to  the  present 
time  it  has  disbursed  $700  in  charities. 

SII-VEIl   STATE    LODCE,    NO.    89,    B.    L.    F. 

The  above  lodge  was  organized  on  the  seventh  day 
of  November,  1878,  at  Carlin,  Elko  County,  with 
twentj'-two  charter  members. 

The  first  otficei-s  were:  Master,  M.  Kline;  Treas- 
urer, Ole  Thompson;  Recording  Sec,  P.  A.  Ressiguie. 

The  greatest  number  of  members  at  any  one  time 
was  thirty-six.  At  the  present  time  there  are  thirty- 
three  names  on  its  roll  of  membership. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  organization  is  good, 
it  having  disbursed  in  benefits,  charities,  etc.,  over 
five  hundred  dollars. 

The  present  officers  are:  Master,  J.  A.  Ressiguie; 
Treasurer,  Ole  Thompson,  IJecording  Secretary;  J.  F. 
F.  Hale. 

THE   CALEDONIAN    CI.IU. 

On  October  23, 1873,  the  Scotch-American  citizens 
of  Store}-  County  organized  the  Virginia  Caledonian 
Club.  Their  object  was  to  establisli  and  maintain 
friendly  intimacy  among  those  who  are  of  Scottish 
birth  or  extraction,  and  to  keep  alive  in  them  an 
interest  in  Scottish  manners  and  usages.  They  pro- 
posed to  accomplish  these  ends  by  the  encourage- 
ment and  practice  of  the  games,  and  ])roservation  of 
the  customs  and  manners  of  Scotland,  the  promotion 
of  a  taste  for  her  language  and  literature,  and  the 
binding   more  closely,  in  social   links,  the  sons  and 


daughters  of  their  mother  country.  A  preliminary 
meeting  was  held  in  August,  1873,  at  which  Robert 
Morrison  presided,  and  W.  M.  Lachlan  acted  as  Sec- 
retarj'.  The  club  started  with  thirty  members  upon 
its  roll,  and  has  now  three  times  that  number.  The 
second  Friday  of  each  month  is  devoted  to  the  regu- 
lar business  meeting,  and  the  fourth  Friday  is 
devoted  to  social  purposes.  The  First  Chieflians  of 
the  club,  since  the  dateof  its  organization,  have  been 
the  following:  A.  C.  Hay,  1873;  A.  B.  McKay,  1874; 
David  Stark.  1875;  Donald  McLean,  187G;  William 
Maxton,  1877;  Hector  Dow,  1S7S;  D.  H.  Eraser, 
1879;  J.  B.  McDonald,  18S0;  Alexander  Wilson, 
1881.  During  the  same  period  the  Honorable  Chiefs 
have  been  Hector  Dow,  A.  G.  McKenzie,  Dan.  H. 
Eraser,  Arthur  B.  Wilson,  and  Thomas  Geddes. 

THE  VIROINIA  TIUNVEREIN. 

On  March  27,  1870,  the  German  residents  of  Vir- 
ginia City  met  and  organized  the  Virginia  Turnve- 
rein  for  mutual  improvement,  athletic  culture  and 
recreation.  A  hull  was  built  and  equipped  with 
gymnastic  a])i>aratus  at  a  cost  of  83,500.  A.  Liehter 
was  the  fir-it  President  and  Fred.  Boegle  the  first 
Secretary.  Turner  Hall  was  destroyed  by  fire  about 
a  year  after  the  organization,  and  the  society  was  not 
reorganized  until  January  7,  1S72,  when  A.  Lighter 
was  chosen  President  and  L.  Siebenhauer  Secretary. 
The  society  never  rebuilt  their  ))roperty,  but  leased 
a  hail,  which  they  fitted  up  for  their  purjjoscs.  The 
President  at  present  is  H.  Uuber,  and  Tred.  Buechler 
is  the  Secretary.  The  society  has  about  forty  mem- 
bers and  holds  social  dances  about  twice  a  month. 


CII  A  I'TE  1!    .\  .YX  VI. 
MILITARY    AFFAIRS    AND    INCIDENTS. 

The  Battle-born  State — .Secession  Conspiracy  —Call  for  Arms — 
Orgaiiizint;  the  Doniocratic  Party — Hoisting  the  Confederate 
Flag — Enlistments  of  Volunttxirs — Connor  Asaunies  Com- 
mand— .Secession  Rmifpniit  el  Cimeliniit — Xevada  Volunteers 
— The  Sanitary  Commission — The  Sanitary  Sack  of  Hour — 
Assassination  of  President  Lincoln — Mexican  War  Veterans 
— History  of  the  American  Flag. 

Nearly  all  the  incidents  with  which  the  military 

have  been  connected  have  been  related  in  the  chapters 

on  the   Indians  and  their  wai^s,  but  there  are  more, 

and  could  all  the  secret  history  be  known  a  startling 

tale  could  bo  told.     Nevada  is  the 

BATTLE-noRN  ST.-VTE; 

The  great  war  of  the  Rebellion,  arising  while  the 
first  eftbrts  were  making  to  establish  a  Territorial 
Government,  and  raging  with  unparalleled  fury  and 
energy,  with  the  future  of  the  nation  in  doubt,  when 
she  was  admitted  as  one  of  the  loving  sisterhood  of 
the  Union.  But  the  battle  raged  afar  off,  giving  only 
the  faint  sounds  of  its  thunder  and  the  colorless 
picture  of  the  sanguinary  field  brought  bj'  the  slender 
electric  wire.  Yet  these  aroused  to  enthusiasm  and 
generous  deeds  the  patriots  who  made  up  her  spare 
po])ulation.  The  discovery  of  silver,  the  creation  of 
the  Territory  and  the  organization  of  the  Territorial 


MILITARY  AFFAIRS  AND    INCIDENTS. 


2G5 


Govornment,  preceded  the  secession  of  the  Southern 
Slates  and  the  oulhreak  of  the  war.  and  when  this  last 
occurred,  the  respective  streiij^th  of  the  union  and  dis- 
union elements  wore  quite  unknown,  and  the  fate  of 
the  Paeific  Coast,  in  which  was  included  the  J'oung 
Territory,  was  in  doubt.  The  population  was  com- 
posed of  natives  of  the  >>orth  and  South,  with  a 
Northern  and  foreign  element  synijtathizing  with 
the  South,  and  whose  expressions  emboldened  seces- 
sionists to  demonstrations  of  violence  threatening 
civil  war.  The  Military-  Department  was  under  the 
command  of  General  Albert  Sydney  Johnston,  a 
Southern  man,  and  believed  read}- to  co-operate  with 
the  Confederate,  or  Kebel,  tiovernmenl.  15y  a  secret 
and  strategic  movement,  General  Edwin  Voso  Sum- 
ner unexpectedly  arrived  in  Sati  Francisco  and  took 
command.  From  that  date  secession  had  but  little 
hope  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

SECESSION    CONSPIR.XCY. 

There  existed,  however,  then  and  subsequently,  a 
secret  organization,  the  details  of  which  are  still  kej)! 
a  profound  secret  by  those  who  were  leaders,  and  to 
whom  it  was  intrusted,  having  for  its  object  the 
establishing  of  Slate  and  Territorial  Governments, 
untler  Confederate  uuthorit}-.  Commissions  of  (iov- 
ernors  and  military  oHicers,  signed  by  Jetferson  Davis, 
President  of  the  Confederate  States,  were  sent  to  the 
leaders  of  the  organization.  Nevada,  it  was  under- 
stood, was  to  be  given  to  David  S.  Terry,  who  visited 
the  Territory  with  others  of  the  conspirators,  having 
in  his  pocket  the  commission  of  Governor.  Meetings 
were  held  in  secret,  and  some  slight  demonstrations 
were  made  as  if  feeling  the  temper  of  the  people,  but 
there  was  no  outbreak  of  hostilities  nor  assumption 
of  authority.  The  intentions  of  the  conspirators 
were  suspected  and  their  movements  were  closely 
watched,  and  precautions  were  taken  by  the  Union- 
ists and  Federal  authorities. 

C.VI.L    Koll    AHMS. 

The  headi[uarlcrs  of  the  conspirators  was  in  San 
Francisco,  but  their  operaticjns  and  plans  included 
the  entire  Pacific  Coast,  or  at  least  such  States  and 
Territories  as  they  could  induce  to  join  or  had 
hopes  of  conquering.  Gen.  \V.  C.  Kibbo  was  then 
Adjutant  General  of  California,  and  ho  applied  to  the 
United  Stales  military  authorities  for  1(1,0(10  stand 
of  arms,  writing  to  (ieneral  il.  \V.  llalleck  as  fol- 
lows:— 

It  is  represented  and  generally  believed  that  there 
is  a  secret  organization  in  this  Stale  (C'alifornia) 
iiiiniliering  from  20,0(10  to  30,000  men,  who  are 
leagued  together  for  the  overthrow  of  our  National 
( Jovernmenl,  and  whose  purpose  it  is,  if  an  o))i)or- 
tmiily  should  ever  favor  the  scheme,  to  carry  the 
State  out  of  the  Union.  This  class  of  men  openly 
boast  that  their  sympathies  are  with  the  traitors  of 
the  South,  and  they  lose  no  opportunity  to  defame 
the  Government  from  which  the}'  receive  jjroteclion 
of  life  and  property,  and  whose  great  benelils  they 
enjoj-.  They  continuallj'  preach  their  traitorous 
doctrines  among  loyal  men  and  do  much  to  discour- 


age enlistments.  The  loyal  citizen  has  at  this  time 
no  protection  from  their  insults,  and  even  United 
States  soldiers  have  been  shot  down  in  our  streets 
for  protesting  against  the  ])ublic  use  of  disloyal  sen- 
timents, and  the  ])robabilities  are  that  the  assassins 
will  go  unwhi]i])ed  of  justice. 

The  strength  of  the  (iovernment  should  bo  mani- 
fested and  the  Union  feeling  of  the  masses  protected. 
If  this  is  not  done  and  our  armies  should  meet  con- 
tinued reverses,  trouble  might  be  inaugurated  upon 
the  Pacific  Coast.  The  lo^-al  citizens  of  this  coast 
have  borne  this  slate  of  things  long  enough.  Will 
the  Federal  Government  help  us  to  manifest  the 
strength  we  possess  ?  If  so  we  will  raise  20,000  men 
used  to  arms. 

OROANIZINO    THE    DEMOCRATIC   PARTV. 

Whether  or  not  the  organizers  of  the  Democratic 
party  in  Nevada,  in  18G3,  had  any  connection  with 
the  conspirators  who  were  jilanning  to  make  David 
S.  Teny  (iovernor  of  the  Territory,  under  the  Com- 
mission of  Jeff.  Davis,  is  best  known  to  the  parties 
in  the  movement.  Many  of  the  Democrats  of  the 
lime  ex])resscd  strong  Union  seiilimeiits,  and  others 
openly  avowed  their  disloyalty,  for  which  they  were 
arrested  bj-  the  military  authorities  and  imprisoned 
at  Fort  Churchill,  receiving  punishment  by  being 
requii'cd  to  carry  sacks  of  sand  under  the  guard  of 
a  Federal  soldier.  At  that  date  the  fate  of  the  Union 
was  in  the  balance,  and  ho  who  was  not  for  it  was 
regarded  as  its  enemy.  One  i)rominent  Democrat, 
Hon.  John  R.  McConnell,  had  declared,  "As  Ken- 
tucky"— his  native  State — "goes,  so  I  go."  Ken- 
tucky declared  against  secession,  but  McConnell  did 
not  abate  his  denunciation  of  the  Administration 
and  the  war  for  the  Union.  •  The  secession  of  the 
Southern  States,  the  outbreak  of  war  following  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  and  the  united  uprising  of 
the  North,  had  appalled  and  stranded  the  Democracy 
of  the  Pacific  Coast;  and  having  no  i)art  in  the 
organization  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  they  were 
but  Democrats  without  a  party.  Naturally  they 
de.slred  concert  of  action,  and  on  the  fourteenth  of 
February,  1SG3,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Virginia  City 
to  organize  the  Democratic  party  in  Nevada,  and 
the  following  names  were  appended  to  the  call: — 

S.  A.  McMeans,  of  Storey  County,  Chairman. 
J.  P.  Ilickey,  Secretary. 


John  I?.  McConnell 
R.  \V.  Billett, 
J.  C.  Clark, 
R.  B.  Jloyes, 
Chas.  VV.  Fox, 
Patrick  O'Connor, 
R.  (•.  Hardy, 
L.  Rawlings, 
John  Webber, 
C.  J.  Jjansing, 
Francis  L.  Audo, 
N.  O.  Arrington, 
P.  H.  Clayton, 
R.  H.  Hall, 


W.  F.  O'Neal, 
J.  G.  Cooper, 
John  J.  Wilson, 
Charles  C.  Thomas, 
J.  W.  Titus, 
O.  S.  Allen, 
John  C.  Langton, 
George  A.  (Jray, 
George  E.  Thomas, 
John  M.  Neal, 
J.  W.  Wilson, 
J.  Sutter, 
Thomas  Scale, 
S.  V.  Berry, 


266 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


G.  E.  Williams, 
J.  S.  Pitzer. 
Archie  McDonald, 
E.  L.  Cardoza, 
H.  P.  Haynes, 
J.  "W.  Kerr, 
R.  P.  Keating, 
C.  S.  Fairfax, 
J.  G.  Howard, 
(xeGrgc  E.  Cobb, 
R.  Shelton, 
Fred.  A.  Sawyer, 
S.  L.  Curtis,   • 
E.  Janin, 
J.  A.  Paxton, 
John  I)ohle, 
G.  II.  Shaw, 

William 


John  Wobey, 
John  Gaines, 
Wm.  T.  Barbour, 
J.  C.  Hurley, 
V.  Frank  Yalle, 
J.  W.  Gash  wilier, 
James  MeGrade, 
N.  K.  Lamson, 
Jacob  Flebberg, 
A.  B.  Carrington, 
S.  G.  Post, 
L.  Videl, 
H.  B.  Cossett, 
J.  B.  Chin, 
Thos.  Marsh, 
J.  H.  Hardy, 
A.  Casamaj-ou. 
Cadien. 


HOISTING    OF   THE   CONFEDERATE    FLAG. 

The  rebellious  spirit  manifested  itself  in  a  defiant 
manner  on  many  occasions  in  the  first  and  second 
years  of  the  war,  and  issue  seemed  doubtful,  but  it 
was  met  by  the  determined  manner  of  the  loyal  ele- 
ment which  repressed  any  attempt  of  an  uprising 
On  one.  occasion  only  was  the  Confederate  flag' 
flaunted  in  the  public  gaze.  In  the  fall  of  1801,  a 
man  named  John  L.  Newman  hoisted  a  Confederate 
flag  over  a  building  of  which  he  was  proprietor,  on 
the  corner  of  Sutton  ATenue_and  A  streets,  in  Virginia 
City,  and  stood  by  with  a  number  of  sj-niputbizers  to 
protect  it.  Immediately  thereafter  Mr.  R.  M.  Water- 
house,  the  partner  in  business  with  Newman,  hoisted 
the  Union  flag  on  the  other  end  of  the  building,  and 
with  pistol  in  hand  declared  he  would  kill  any  one 
who  would  attempt  to  take  it  down.  The  people 
were  aroused,  and  great  excitement  prevailed.  For 
a  few  hours  there  seemed  danger  of  the  breaking 
out  of  civil  war,  but  discretion  prevailed,  and  the 
obnoxious  emblem  of  rebellien  was  taken  down  never 
again  to  reap])ear  in  Nevada.  The  secession  element 
was  notified  that  anj-  one  repeating  the  oft'ense  would 
be  summarily  dealt  with.  Soon  thereafter  they 
organized  the  Order  of  the  "Golden  Circle,"  and  their 
operations  were  carried  on  more  secretly.  The 
necessity  to  counteract  the  machinations  of  this 
party  was  seen  by  the  loyalists,  and  the  "  Union 
League  "  was  organized.  Both  Orders  originated  in 
the  East,  and  these  organizations  in  Nevada  were 
but  branches. 

ENLISTMENTS   OP   VOLUNTEERS. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  California  commenced  the  organ- 
ization of  four  regiments  of  volunteer  infantrj',  and  to 
obtain  recruits  for  these  Lieutenant  Soaper,  in  the 
spring  of  1862  opened  an  office  in  Virginia  City,  being 
the  first  recruitijig  oflice  in  Nevada.  After  the  usual 
manner  of  such  otlieers,  he  obtained  two  drummer 
boys,and  J.  II.  Matthewson,  afterwards  a  Lieutenant 
to  carrj'  a  flag,  and  started  to  march  through  the 
principal  streets.     They  hud  not  marched  a  hundred 


yards  when  a  rebellious  individual  sprang  from  a 
crowd  of  his  friends  on  the  sidewalk  and  destroj-ed 
one  of  the  drums,  and  was  proceeding  to  demolish  the 
other  when  he  was  knocked  down  by  Lieutenant 
Matthewson.  Several  Unionists  came  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  recruiting  party,  among  whom  were  Jack 
Williams,  Thomas  Peaslej-,  J.  V.  B.  Perry  and  George 
Birdsall.  Williams  acting  as  drummer,  and  the  march 
proceeded  in  triumph,  growing  to  a  grand  procession, 
■which  marched  to  the  Citj'  Hall  where  an  enthusiastic 
Union  meeting  was  held  and  a  patriotic  address  was 
delivered  by  Hon.  Charles  Bryan,  ex-Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  California.  Recruiting  was  con- 
tinued, and,  while  no  violent  measures  were  taken  by 
the  secessionists,  there  were  many  expressions  of  dis- 
approbation which  required  firmness  and  courage 
to  overcome.  Seventy-five  volunteers  were  thus 
obtained  for  the  California  regiments  before  any  per- 
mission was  given  Nevada  to  raise  any  companies  of 
her  own. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  the  Third  Regiment  of  Cal- 
ifornia Volunteers,  under  command  of  Col.  P.  Edward 
Connor,  arrived  and  took  possession  of  the  United 
States  posts  in  Nevada,  and  on  August  6th,  issued 
the  following  order: — 

CONNOR  ASSU.MES  COMMAND. 

[order  so.  1.] 

Headquarters  District  OF  Utah.     ) 
Fort  Ciiurcuill,  August  6, 1862.  / 

The  undersigned  pursuant  to  orders  from  depart- 
ment headijuarters  hereby  assumes  command  of  the 
Military  District  of  Utah,  coniju-ising  the  Territories 
of  Nevada  and  Utah. 

In  assuming  command  of  the  district  I  especially 
enjoin  on  all  disbursing  officers  the  neccssilj-  of  being 
particularly  attentive,  careful  and  economical  in 
their  disbursements  of  the  ])ublic  funds  ;  and  that 
thej-  in  no  instance  purchase  from  persons  who 
have  at  any  time,  by  word  or  act,  manifested  dis- 
loj-alty  to  the  Federal  Government.  Being  credibly 
informed  that  there  are  in  this  district  persons 
who,  while  claiming  and  receiving  protection  to 
life  and  property,  are  endeavoring  to  destroy  and 
defame  the  principles  and  institutions  of  our  (tov- 
ernment  under  whose  benign  influence  they  have 
been  so  long  protected;  it  is  therefore  most  rigidi}' 
enjoined  upon  all  commanders  of  posts,  cam])s  and 
detachments,  to  cause  to  be  jiromjjtly  arrested  and 
closely  confined  until  thcj'  have  taken  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States, 
all  pei-sons  who  from  this  date,  shall  be  guilty  of 
uttering  sentiments  against  the  Government,  and 
upon  the  repetition  of  the  oftense,  to  be, again 
arrested  and  confined  until  the  fact  shall  bo  com- 
municated to  these  headquarters.  Traitors  shall 
not  utter  treasonable  sentiments  in  this  district 
with  imp\inity,  but  must  seek  some  more  congenial 
soil,  or  receive  the  pmiishnient  thej-  so  richly   merit. 

By  order  of  P.  Edward  Co.nnou, 

Colonel  Third  Infantry  C.  V.  Com.  District  of  Utah. 

James  W.  Still.man,  A.  A.  A.  General. 

SECESSION    RAMPANT  ET  COUCDANT. 

The  following,  as  a  sample  of  the  times,  is  related 
in  the  Esmeralda  Star  of  August  23,  1862,  then  od- 


MILITARY  AFFAIRS  AND  IJS'CIDEMTS. 


267 


itcd  l\v  ilajor  Edwin  A.  Sherman,  a  veteran  of  the 
Mexican  War  and  a  Unionist  of  the  most  positive 
character: — 

On  Saturday  night  last,  about  eleven  o'clock,  a  band 
of  rebels  made  a  coni|ile(o  pandemonium  of  our 
town,  and  continued  tlioir  hideous  orLjios  until  late 
on  Sunday  mornini;.  iheerin;^  for  Jotf.  Davis,  Stone- 
wall .lackson  and  the  Southern  Confederacj-. 

This  demoiistrati(ui  was  no  doubt  desiijned  as  a 
test,  to  see  whether  the  orders  lately  issued  from  the 
War  Hepartment,  directini;  all  military  otHcers  to 
promptly  arrest  all  such  ottenders  and  make  them 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  or  sutler  imprisonment, 
would  be  put  in  force  or  not. 

Our  officers,  whose  dutj-  it  is  to  preserve  the  peace, 
did  not  make  themselves  known,  and  consequently 
no  arrests  were  made  by  them  ;  they  were  truly 
fieace  officers. 

Lieutenant  H.  Noble,  who  is  noble  by  nature  as 
well  as  bj-  name,  and  who  has  been  an  invalid  for 
some  time  past,  and  stojiping  in  our  town  to  recruit 
his  health,  was  repeatedlj-  insulted  by  boots  and 
cheers  for  Jeff.  Davis  in  his  presence,  when  those 
cowardi}-  villains  knew  he  was  I'eeble  and  thought 
they  could  take  this  mean,  cowardly,  contemptible 
advantage  of  the  absence  of  his  company  (Captain 
E.  A.  Rowe's),  which  is  stationed  at  Adobe  Meadows, 
and  they  sought  this  opportunity^  to  insult  him,  defy 
the  Government,  and   treat  its  flag  with  contempt. 

Lieutenant  Noble,  though  weak  from  a  long  illness, 
was  determined  to  let  them  know  that  our  (iovern- 
ment  and  its  authorities  was  not  to  be  trampled  upon 
■with  impunitj-.  lie  told  us  that  ho  was  sorrj- that 
his  Companj-  was  not  here,  and  if  he  only  had  the 
men  he  would  arrest  them.  We  told  him  that  he 
could  have  as  many  men  as  he  wanted,  and  informed 
him  of  our  ]io>ition  as  Major  on  the  staff  of  (Jeneral 
Bobbie,  of  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  State  Troops  (it 
was  then  thought  Aurora  was  in  California).  lie 
then  applied  for  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  make 
the  arrest.  We  ordered  Captain  II.  J.  Teel,  of  the 
Esmeralda  I?ifles,  to  detail  a  Sergeant  with  ten  men, 
to  report  forthwith  to  Lieutenant  Noble,  which 
order  was  obeyed,  and  Sergeant  II.  A.  Rhoades,  with 
his  men  rejwrted  to  Tjieutenant  Noble  as  directed. 
The  guard  ])roceeded  to  the  house  to  which  the  most 
rabid  had  retired,  and  though  ho  offered  resist- 
ance and  dung  to  the  house  like  a  tick,  ho  had  to 
come  along,  though  not  without  a  good  deal  of 
trouble,  and  kicking  ]>rivate  Michael  Stewart  very 
severel}'  on  the  shin,  which  .Mike  responded  to  by 
a  forcible  presentation  of  his  toe  in  the  rebel's  rear, 
after  which  he  made  no  further  resistance,  and  was 
marched  to  the  county  jail  and  ])laced  under  charge 
of  Lieutenant  I).  H.  Pine. 

Sheriff  Bailej-  would  not  allow  the  prisoner  to 
remain,  without  being  delivered  up  to  him  bj- a  writ- 
ten order;  he  was  then  removed  to  a  log  building 
latelj-  used  by  Colonel  Wingate  as  a  jjowder  maga- 
zine, where  he  was  contined  under  guard  of  the 
Esmeralda  Rifles. 

In  the  meantime  the  secessionists  about  the 
town  began  togetlheir  arms;  were  buying  ammuni- 
tion and  moulding  bullets;  the}'  also  thi-eatened  to  res- 
cue the  prisoner,  and  take  |>ossession  of  the  armojy. 

It  was  deemed  prudent  to  distribute  all  of  the 
Minie  muskets  to  the  members  of  the  Rifles,  and  the 
surplus  to  Union  men  who  knew  how  to  use  them. 
The  guard  over  the  i)risoner  was  doubled.  an<l  all  the 
Union  men  were  ready  at  the  least  alarm  to  rally  to 
the  aid  of  those  on  guard. 


Fortunately,  however,  for  the  "sccesh,"  they  made 
no  attempt  to  carry  out  the  threats,  and  the  town 
wasipiiet  tluring  the  night. 

On  Mondaj'  morning  the  whole  comjiany  of  the 
Rifles  were  under  arms,  and  at  10  o'clock  the  jtris- 
oner  was  brought  out  and  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
hollow  square,  and  was  marched  by  the  company, 
who  had  their  colors  flying  at  their  head,  to  the  flag- 
staff, where  the  oath  was  administered  by  Ijieutenant 
Noble  to  the  i)risoner,  A.  (^uinton;  after  which  Lieu- 
tenant Noble  addressed  the  i)eople.  telling  them  that 
he  considered  the  man  but  a  tool  in  the  hands  of 
others  who  had  incited  him  to  cheer  for  traitors,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  test,  and  to  see  if  he  would 
dare  to  carr3'  out  the  orders  from  General  Wright 
and  Colonel  Connor.  lie  informed  them  that  the 
next  one  would  not  get  off  so  easilj-.  After  thanking 
the  Rifles  for  so  willingly  obej-ing  the  orders  given 
them,  they  gave  him  three  hearty  cheers.  Then 
three  rousing  cheers  were  given  for  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  and  the  company  dismissed,  each  taking  his 
arms  home  with  him. 

We  trust  that  this  will  prove  a  salutarj-  lesson  to 
those  who  would  insult  our  flag  or  defy  the  authority 
of  the  Government;  and  they  may  rest  assured  that 
so  long  as  we  have  any  right  o)-  authority  to  com- 
mand, the  Government  shall  be  respected  and  its  flag 
shall  be  honored. 

There  are  traitors  in  our  midst  who  helped  to  fit 
out  Showalter  and  his  party;  they  have  also  helped 
to  fit  out  others  and  given  the  rebels  aid  and  comfort; 
but  their  game  is  now  up,  and  thej-  are  closely  watched. 
Traitors  have  come  in  here  from  other  (|uarters,  but 
the}-  will  find  this  to  be  too  hot  a  Union  community  for 
anj- of  their  kind,  and  the  sooner  thej-  gel  out  of  it  the 
better  it  will  be  for  them,  and  if  thej-  remain  we 
expect  to  enjoy  the  explicit  pleasure  in  a  few  days  of 
administering  to  them  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

NEV.\n.\    VOLtlNTEERS. 

Early  in  186;?,  the  order  was  received  for  Nevada 
to  raise  a  battalion  of  cavalry,  and  at  once  the  gallant 
Matthewson  o]iciied  a  recruiting  office  at  Gold  Hill, 
he  being  the  first  oflicer  mustered  into  the  service, 
taking  rank  as  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  B, 
Nevada  Territory  Cavalry  Volunteers,  N.  Baldwin, 
Captain.  About  the  same  time  a  companj-  was 
recruited  at  Silver  Citj-,  which  became  Companj-  A, 
and  was  commanded  by  Ca])t.  E.  R.  Zabriskie.  These 
companies  were  soon  filled;  mustered  into  service, 
and  in  1804  marched  to  Salt  Lake.  Baldwin  was 
promoted  to  Major  of  the  battalion,  and  was  ])laced 
in  command  of  Fort  Rridger.  Zabriskie,  who  was 
senior  Cajitain,  declined  the  ])romotion,  j)refei'ring  to 
remain  with  his  companj',  which  he  had  made  verj- 
efficient. 

Four  more  companies  were  subse(|uentl}'  addeil 
to  this  battalion.  ('om])any  C  was  recruited  by 
different  persons  and  at  various  places,  the  organiza- 
tion being  com])leled  in  December,  ISdH,  and  II.  ]»al- 
ton  made  Captain.  ('om|iaiiy  D  was  recruited  at 
(iold  Hill,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  18(i:i,  and  mustered 
in  with  Milo  (ieorge  as  Cajitain.  Company  E  was 
recruited  in  (ienoa,  (!arson,  and  Silver  City  in  the 
spring  of  18G4,  by  Captain  Robert  I^yon.  Company 
F  was  recruited  at  Aurora,  in  the  winter  and  spring 
of  18G4,  by  Capt.  J.  W.  Calder.     In  addition  to  these 


2G8 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


there  were  six  infantry  companies  enlisted  in  the 
Territory,  altogether  numbering  about  1,000  men. 

In  April,  186-1,  the  following  report  was  given  of 
the  force  of  Xevada  Territory  Volunteers: — 

Cavalry — Company  A,  Capt.  E.  B.  Zabriskie,  eighty 
men;  Companj-  B.  Capt.  N.  Baldwin,  ninetj'-four  men; 
Companj-  C,  Capt.  H.  Dalton,  eighty-three  men;  Com- 
pany D,  Capt.  A.  B.  Wells,  seventy-three  men;  Com- 
pany E,  Capt.  Robert  C.  Payne,  eightj-two  men; 
Company  F,  Capt.  J.  W.  Calder,  eighty-eight  men. 

Infantry — Companj'  A,  Capt.  A.  J.  Close,  eleven 
men;  Companj-  C,  Capt.  M.  R.  Hasset,  firtj--onc  men; 
Companj-  E,  Capt.  G.  A.  Thurston,  fiftj--three  men; 
Company  F,  Lieut.  W.  G.  Seamonds,  fortj-  men;  Com- 
panj- G,  Capt.  Wallace,  seventeen  men;  Company  H, 
Capt.  A.  B.  Kellj-,  twenty-one  men. 

These  volunteers  were  stationed  at  various  places 
throughout  the  Territory  and  Utah,  and  performed 
verj-  cttieient  service  in  repressing  any  rebellious 
uprising,  and  in  the  Indian  outbreak  that  occurred 
during  the  period,  the  account  of  which  is  published 
under  the  chapter  of  "  Indians  and  their  wars  in 
Nevada."  In  the  fall  of  1865  all  were  mustered  out 
of  service. 

THE   SANITARY  CO.MMISSION. 

The  grim  storj-of  war,  with  its  hecatombs  of  slain, 
the  mourning  friends  at  home,  and  wide-spread  des- 
olation, is  often  relieved  bj'  the  tales  of  individual 
heroism,  bj'  generous  deeds  of  friends  and  foes,  bj- 
the  grand  uprising  of  communities  in  acts  of  love, 
charity  and  ])atriotism,  showing  humanity  in  bright 
relief  against  the  dark  background  of  hate  and 
strife  and  death.  While  war  was  raging  with  un- 
paralleled cnergj'  in  the  east,  during  the  j'cars  of 
Nevada's  organization,  the  people  of  the  I'acific 
Coast  were  in  comparative  quiet,  enjoj-inga  remark- 
able degree  of  prosperity;  but  praying,  with  exceed, 
ing  deep  sympathj',  for  the  success  of  their  friends 
and  relatives  in  the  fierce  contest.  Jlanj-  of  the 
North  and  Soutli  wint  to  the  field  to  render  the 
assistance  of  their  strength  and  life,  and  others  sent 
of  their  stores  and  fortunes — that  for  the  South  in 
secret,  necessarily  so  as  rendering  aid  and  comfort  to 
the  public  enemy.  The  popular  crj'  was  assist- 
ance to  the  North.  The  (iovcrnment  had  never  pre- 
pared itself  for  caring  for  the  vast  number  of  sick 
and  disabled  men  resulting  from  fatiguing  campaigns 
and  merciless  battles.  ^/To  j)rovi(io  for  this  came  the 
most  pleasant  and  redeeming  feature  of  the  war, 
the  Sanitary  Commission,  which  procured  and  ex- 
pended from  1862  to  1805,  84,800,000. /I-'or  this  fund 
all  could  subscribe,  however  distant  thcj-  might  be 
from  the  scenes  of  strife  and  sutt'ering.  The  secre- 
tary of  the  committee  which  collected  money  on  the 
Pacific  Coast,  in  his  report,  said: — 

Jlen  of  overj-  political  partj-  gave,  whether  Dem- 
ocrats, IJepublicans.  or  even  secessionists;  and  there 
was  no  sect  or  religion  that  was  not  represented  in 
this  noble  arnij-  of  givers.  The  Christians  gave  with 
loyal  self-denial;  the  Jews,  as  earnest  sj-mpathizers 


with*the  suffering;  heretics,  as  citizens  of  a  Uepub- 
lic  to  be  saved,  and  men  of  no  religion  with  an  ardor 
worthj'  of  the  humblest  religious  devotee.  The  rep- 
resentatives of  every  nation  living  in  our  midst, 
English,  (Jerman,  French,  Irish,  ('hinese,  Italian, 
Hungarian,  iiussian,  Sjjanish,  gave  with  the  fervor  of 
native  citizens. 

Of  the  84,800.000  in  currency  raised  by  the  Com- 
mission, over  one-fourth  of  the  sum  came  from  the 
Pacific  Coast.  Almarin  B.  Paul,  who  was  President 
of  the  Nevada  Branch  of  the  Sanitary  Com- 
mission, in  his  final  report,  dated  September  7,  1865> 
rendered  the  following  statement  of  the  contribu- 
tions to  the  fund  in  this  State,  reckoned  in  currencj-: 
Douglas  Countj-,  82,075;  Esmeralda,  810,080;  Lander, 
810,650;  Lyon,  813,830;  Oi-msby,  813,600;  Storey, 
8109.760.07;  Washoe,  82.686;  making  a  total  of 
8163,581.07.  Churchill,  Humboldt  and  Nye,  the 
remaining  counties  of  the  State  at  that  time,  were 
then  prosjKTOUs  and  patriotic,  and  contributed  their 
quota  to  the  fund,  but  do  not  appear  in  Mr.  Paul's 
report. 

THE  SANITARY  SACK  OK  FLOUR. 

Numerous  devices  were  emploj-ed  to  attract  atten- 
tion, to  excite  an  interest  and  offer  opportunities  for 
the  people  to  contribute  to  the  Sanitaiy  Fund. 
Among  the  most  j)leasant  of  these,  singular  in  its 
origin,  and  remarkable  in  its  results,  was  the  '  Sani- 
U»rj-  Sack  of  Flour,"  the  tale  of  which  has  become 
^historic  and  of  frequent  reference.  At  Austin,  Lan- 
der Countj-,  was  to  be  an  election  for  citj-  officers, 
to  be  held  on  the  nineteenth  of  April,  18(!4.  The 
candidates  for  Maj'or  were  Mr.  Charles  Holbrook, 
a  Republican,  then  a  hardware  merchant,  and  now 
the  same  in  San  Francisco,  and  Col.  David  E. 
Buel.  a  Democrat,  a  native  of  Delaware  County, 
New  Yoi'k,  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  town 
site  of  Austin.  The  political  and  war  excitement 
ran  high,  and  great  interest  was  taken  in  the 
campaign.  Among  the  citizens  were  Dr.  II.  S. 
llerrick,  Hepulilican,  a  native  of  New  York,  then 
holding  a  Federal  position  in  connection  with  the 
Internal  Revenue  Department,  and  subsecjuentlj- 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  R.  C.  Gridiej-,  Demo- 
crat, of  the  grocerj-  firm  of  Gridlej-,  IIobart&  Jacobs, 
a  native  of  Missouri,  and  a  pronounced  secessionist. 
Challenges  to  wager  fVei|uentlv  followed  animated 
discussion,  and  Gridlej-  challenged  llerrick  to  bet 
on  the  result  of  the  election  between  Ilolbrook 
and  Buel.  The  challenge  was  accepted  upon  these 
terms:  The  stake  was  to  be  a  sack  of  flour  of 
fifty  j)Ounds,  which,  if  Buel  were  elected  Maj'or, 
])octor  Herrick  should  jturchase  and  carrj-  from 
Clifton,  the  western  ])ortion  of  Austin,  and  deliver 
to  Gridley  at  his  store  in  Upper  Austin,  being  the 
extreme  eastern  portion  of  the  city,  the  two  points 
being  about  one  mile  apart. 

The  reverse  was,  should  Ilolbrook  be  elected 
5layor,  then  Gridley  in  the  same  manner  should 
carrj-  a  sack  of  flour  from  his  store  and  deliver  it  to 


-•r- 


■^ 


MR.  JOHN  Q.ADAMS. 


MRS.  JOHN  Q.ADAMS. 


4  ' 


4\,    -^V"'^    "".*! 


.J^Ut. 


.^• 


i 


i  ^ 


Residence  andRanch  of  JOHN  Q.ADAMS,  Genoa,  Douglas  Co.,Nevaoa. 


MILITARY  AFFAIRS  AND  INCIDENTS. 


26<J 


llerrick  in  Clifton.  Subsequently  the  Doctor  sug- 
fTusled  that  the  winTiei-  (should  ijive  the  flour  to  the 
Saiiitiuy  Fund,  and  (hat  the  loser  should  carry  it 
over  the  route,  maroliing,  if  the  Heiiublican  carried 
it,  to  the  tune  of  "Dixie,"  and  if  the  Democrat  car- 
ried it,  to  the  tune  of  ",lohn  Brown's  Bodj'  Ivies 
Mouldering,  etc."  The  licpublican  Mayor  was  elected, 
and  on  the  daj-  following;  the  election,  April  20th, 
Dr.  llerrick  appeared  with  a  band  of  music  before  the 
store  of  ilr.  (iridlev.and  deni;iii<lcd  the  fulfillment  of 
.the  af^reenu'iit.  This  was  bitter  to  the  rabid  seces- 
sionist, and  manj-  of  his  sympathizers  looked  upon 
it  as  another  of  the  acts  of  enforced  humiliation 
by  the  Federal  authorities.  But  the  Doctor  was  of 
a  humorous  disposition,  and  without  an  enemj-  in 
the  world,  so  it  was  concluded  to  carrj-  out  the  wajjer 
in  a  kindly  and  jocular  spirit.  The  sack  was  pro- 
duced, which  the  Doctor  decorated  with  a  number 
of  small  fla_£;.s  of  "Stars  and  Stripes" — another  act  of 
humiliation- — and  (iridley,  givinj^  his  coat  to  Derrick 
to  carrj-,  shouldered  the  sack  and  the  procession 
formed  with  the  Austin  Brass  Band  in  front,  then  the 
newly-elected  citj-  officers  on  horseback,  then  Dr. 
Derrick  canyini;  the  coat  and  cane  of  Mr.  Gridley, 
then  tiridley  bearing  the  sack  of  flour  decorated  with 
flags  and  red,  white  and  blue  ribbons,  and  l)y|his8ide 
his  son,  aged  ten  years,  bearing  a  flag,  then  followed 
a  man  carrying  a  broom  (the  insignia  of  Democracy) 
draped  in  mourning,  and  with  him  walked  a  man  with 
a  sponge  on  a  long  pole,  and  a  large  number  of  eiti/A-ns 
following  made  up  a  very  mi.xed  and  very  jolly  proces- 
sion. In  this  form,  with  the  band  playing,  flags  fly- 
ing, steam  engines  whistling,  and  the  peo])le  cheer- 
ing, the  procession  inarched  through  the  main  street 
about  one  mile  to  the  Bank  E.\change  Saloon,  where 
was  performed  the  ceremonj'  of  delivering  the  sack, 
throwing  up  the  sponge  in  token  of  surrender,  and 
putting  away  the  broom  as  a  pledge  of  submission. 
After  appropriate  speeches  by  all  the  leading  actors 
in  the  atlair,  much  cheering  and  general  hilarity,  the 
partj-  returned  to  the  central  part  of  the  city,  and 
Dr.  llerrick  donated  the  flour  to  the  Sanitary  Com- 
mission, with  the  proposition  that  it  be  sold  at  auction 
and  the  ])roceeds  given  to  the  Sanitar}-  Fund. 

A  stand  was  erected  in  front  of  Holbrook  it  Mer- 
rill's hardware  store,  and  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Wade, 
formerl}'  Maj-or  of  Placerville,  California,  took  posi- 
tion as  auctioneer.  After  some  music  by  the  band, 
and  some  patriotic  speeches,  the  bidding  began,  .Mr. 
(Jridley  starting  it  at  .?2(l(l.  (ireat  excitement  and 
good  feeling  prevailed.  The  auctioneer  was  eloquent 
in  his  representation  of  the  good  purpose  of  the 
fund,  and  patriotic  songs  iij'  the  crowd  often  inter- 
rupte<l  his  remarks.  Many  bitlders  followed  the 
first,  there  being  a  strife  between  the  Republi- 
cans and  Democrats  as  to  which  jiarty  should  have 
the  honor  of  the  largest  coiitriliution  to  the  fund. 
Buel,  the  defeated  candidate,  not  having  cash  at  his 
command,  offered  a  certificate  of  indebtedness  of 
81,115  from  the  Indian  Department — behaving  been 
34 


Indian  Agent  in  California — but  gold  was  wanted, 
and  the  bid  was  dedineil.  Others  ofl'ered  mining 
stocks,  town  lots,  and  other  evidences  of  property, 
but  all  were  rejected.  At  last  it  was  "knocked  down" 
for  the  sum  of  8350,  to  an  enthusiastic  I'nionist,  who 
asked  time  to  Uie  following  daj-  to  go  to  his  home 
for  the  money.  Cash  down  was  demanded.  (Jrid- 
lev  oft'ered  the  money,  but  M.  J.  Noyes,  one  of  the 
newly-elected  Aldermen,  claimed  that  he  also  had 
bid  the  amount,  handed  the  auctioneer  a  bag  ol  gold 
containing  the  .?l!5(l,  and  immedi;itely  presented 
the  sack  of  flour  to  be  sold  a;;ain  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. Then  the  b;iii(i  |)layed  in  its  highest  notes, 
the  ci'owd  drowned  the  music  with  its  cheers,  and 
the  fun  was  fast  and  furious.  The  play  was  now 
fullj-  inaugurated,  and  every  bid  was  made  a  sale, 
each  )iunhaser  returning  the  sack  to  be  sold  again, 
individuals,  Democrats  and  Republicans,  would 
make  the  purchase,  and  then  join  with  clubs  to 
make  a  larger  purse,  and  buy  again.  The  mer- 
chants united  and  bid  8300;  Gridley,  Hobart  & 
Jacobs  bid  8200;  the  Oregon  Mill  and  Mining  Com- 
pany bid  8120;  the  Lander  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  hid 
$113.!J0;  Au,stin  Lodge,  No.  9,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  bid  8100; 
the  attaches  of  the  R^ese  River  ReveiUe  bid  8100; 
several  other  bids  of  8100  were  made;  others  of  800, 
850,  825,  820,  and  810,  until  it  seemed  as  if  the  town 
would  be  drained  of  all  its  ready  coin  in  the  wild 
enthusiasm  and  noble  emulation  to  swell  the  sum 
for  the  dearest  purpose  in  the  hearts  of  the  ])(ipu- 
lace,  the  giving  in  aid  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  who  were  suffering  in  the  cause  of  their 
country.  Men  who  disa])i>n)ved  of  the  war  could 
not  restrain  their  syni])athies  for  their  unfortunate 
countrymen.  The  cause  was  charity,  and  not  poli- 
tics. For  the  day's  sale  the  sum  of  84,540  in  gold 
coin  was  realized;  equaling  more  than  8t).(l(Mi  in  cur- 
rency. The  same  evening  was  published  in  the 
Reese  River  Rereil'e  a  vivid  account  of  the  events 
of  the  daj',  which  added  to  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
people.  This  account  was  re|)ublished  widely,  and 
the  "(rridley-Herrick"  sack  of  flour  became  famous.' 
Photographs  were  taken  of  (iridlej-  and  the  sack, 
and  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sanitary  Fund,  while 
a  representation  of  the  sack  was  adopted  as  the  seal 
and  coat  of  arms  of  the  new  city. 

Jlr.  Gridley  then  conceived  the  idea  of  traveling 
with  the  sack  of  flour,  and  rejieating  the  sales  else- 
where, declaring  he  would  pay  his  own  ex|ien8es,  and 
devote  all  the  i)r()cee(ls  to  the  benevolent  ])urposo  of 
the  Sanitary  Fund.  Arranging  the  affairs  of  bis 
business  as  best  ho  could,  early  in  May  be  started  on 
his  noble  mission. 

On  Sunday-,  the  fifteenth  of  May,  he  appeared  in 
Virginia  City,  and  at  an  impromptu  gathering  realized 
8580  from  sales.  The  subse<|Uent  sales  in  that 
region  are  thus  referred  to  in  a  local  ])aper: — 

May  16,  1864 — At  eleven  a.  m.,  the  Austin  flour 
sack  was  placed  in  an  ojien  barouche,  and  accompa- 
nied by  a  line  of  carriages  that  were  prucedud  by  a 


270 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


band  of  music,  started  for  Gold  Hill  from  Virginia 
City.  It  was  placed  at  auction  in  front  of  Maynard 
■  &  Flood's  Bank,  where  it  sold  for  65,822.50,  to  which 
add  8240  paid  ibr  it  by  Gold  Hill  poo])le  in  Virginia, 
j'estorday,  makes  a  total  of  S().0()2.50  paid  b}-  Gold 
Hill,  ifark  Twain  accompanied  the  exi)edition,  and 
Tom.  Fitch  made  a  speech.  The  news  had  just 
arrived  of  the  great  victory  by  Grant.  From  (Jold 
Hill  the  procession  moved  to  .'-silver  City,  where  an 
aggregate  of  8805  was  bid.  Thence  to  Dayton, 
where  81,200  was  added  to  the  amount.  Then 
returning  through  Gold  Jlill  where  about  81,200 
more  was  bid.  In  the  evening  the  auction  i)ro- 
ceeded  in  Virginia,  and  the  bidding  continued  until 
S12.025  flowed  into  the  fund  in  addition  to  the 
8580  of  the  previous  Sunday.  Subseiiuent  subscrip- 
tions resulted  in  the  following  totals: — 

Virginia  City 813.990 

Gold  Hill 7,052 

Silver  City 2,000 

Dayton 2,000 

Total 825,042 

A  sum  equal  to  §40,000  in  United  States  currency. 

Gridley  continued  his  triumphal  march  through 
the  principal  cities  of  California,  realizing  about 
6175,000  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sanitary  Fund;  after- 
wards visiting  the  cities  of  the  East,  where  much 
more  was  added.  The  hero  of  this  adventure  prof- 
ited no  more  from  his  great  success  than  the  fame 
acquired  and  a  change  of  heart,  becoming  from  a 
positive  secessionist  an  ardent  I'nionist,  meriting 
the  reward  of  an  honest  man,  a  worthj'  citizen  and 
a  genial  gentleman.  About  a  year  was  spent  in  his 
pilgrimage.  Returning  to  Austin  in  poor  health,  he 
I'ound  his  business  much  de])ressed  and  himself  over- 
whelmed in  debt.  His  tour  and  excitement  result- 
ing in  ill-health  had  unfitted  him  for  business,  and 
he  soon  left  the  State  to  make  his  home  in  Stockton, 
California,  where,  in  1871,  he  died  and  was  buried, 
the  Stockton  Evening  j>/ai7  of  March  10, 1881,  saying: 
"He  now  rests  in  the  Rural  Cemetery  in  this  cit}', 
without  even  a  stick  or  stone  to  mark  the  resting 
place  of  a  hero." 

The  emulation  of  individuals  of  different  parties 
in  the  cause  of  generous  impuisrs  attending  the  sell- 
ing of  the  sack  of  flour  resulted  in  much  good  aside 
from  the  direct  benefits  which  were  the  prime  ob- 
jects of  the  sale.  Previously  the  j)eople  of  Nevada  had 
manifested  a  spirit  of  bitter  partisanship,  at  times 
threatening  open  liostilities,  and  with  such  spirit 
opened  the  ilay  at  Austin  on  the  eventful  twentieth 
of  April,  18G4,  but  the  day  closed  on  a  fraternizing 
community,  when  sectional  and  partisan  rancor  was 
forever  obliterated.  The  call  forcharity  had  touched 
a  chord  to  which  all  responded,  and  in  the  unit}'  of 
good  deeds  made  friends  of  those  who  liad  thought 
themselves  enemies.  The  popularity  and  enthusi- 
asm of  the  movement  closed  the  voice  of  the  weaker 
part}',  while  their  o]K>n-hearled  and  open-handed 
generosity  softened  the  •  feelings  of  the  stronger. 
From  that  date  war  news  and  political  matters  were 
discussed  in  a  dift'eront  tone  than  had  hitherto  pre- 


vailed, and  there  followed  a  more  kindly  sentiment 
of  love  for  all  sections  of  the  Union. 

AS.S.\SSIN.VTION    OF   PRE.Sll)ENT   LINCOLN. 

The  great  battles  of  the  war  had  culminated  in 
the  spring  of  1865  with  the  capture  of  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomatox,  and  the 
occupation  of  Richmond,  the  capital  of  the  Confeder- 
ate States.  The  Rebellion  had  collapsed  and  the  war 
was  ended.  This  news  had  been  received  with  great 
rejoicing  in  the  North,  and  in  every  town  in  Nevada 
the  occupation  of  Richmond  was  celebrated  by  pro- 
cessions, the  firing  of  guns,  and  orations.  President 
Lincoln  had  visited  Richmond  and  had  astonished 
the  people  of  the  Republic,  North  and  South,  white 
and  black,  by  the  unprecedented  act  of  lifting  his 
hat  in  return  to  the  salutation  of  an  aged  negro, 
whom  he  met  on  entering  the  city.  This  was  a 
recognition  of  the  new  element  he  had  advanced 
from  slaver}-  to  ecjual  citizenship — this  element 
which  Chief  Justice  Tanj'  had  but  a  short  time 
previously  said,  "after  200  years  of  servitude  had 
come  to  be  regarded  as  possessing  no  rights  which 
white  men  were  bound  to  respect."  With  peace 
assured  Lincoln  had  used  his  utmost  energies, 
jjrompted  by  the  great  kindness  of  his  nature,  to 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  conquered  rebels  and 
to  restore  them  to  their  rights  in  the  Union.  For 
this,  and  many  acts  of  like  character,  he  had 
endeared  himself  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  with 
a  confiding  and  all-absorbing  love.  In  the  midst  of 
these  triumphs  of  physical  and  moral  power,  on  the 
morning  of  the  fifteenth  of  April,  1865,  the  news  was 
telegraphed  to  Nevada  that  on  the  ])receding  even- 
ing this  great  and  good  man  had  been  assassinated 
while  attending  a  theater  in  Washington.  The  feel- 
ing of  sadness  and  indignation  was  deep  in  the 
extreme.  For  the  first  time  the  cities  of  Nevada  put 
on  mourning.  As  soon  as  the  news  was  received 
every  town,  hamlet,  and  residence  of  respectability 
in  the  State,  was  draped  in  the  sombre  habiliments 
of  woe.  The  universality  of  this  expression  of  respect 
and  grief  were  nowhere  better  or  more  ajipropriately 
displaj'cil  than  in  this  young  State  in  the  wilderness, 
so  far  removed  from  the  centers  of  civilization  and 
the  scenes  of  the  late  strife. 

The  exciting  events  following  the  death  of  Lincoln, 
the  killing  of  the  assassin,  the  lying-in-state,  the 
honors  to  the  remains  of  the  great  martj-r  as  his 
remains  were  borne  westward  to  his  final  resting- 
place  in  S|)ringfield,  Illinois,  belong  to  the  nation's 
history.  On  the  nineteenth  of  April,  the  final  obse- 
quies took  ])lace.  Simultaneous  with  the  ceremony 
in  the  East,  the  princi])al  towns  in  Nevada  observed 
like  ceremonies  in  an  ai)proj)riato  and  feeling  manner. 
At  Austin,  Virginia,  Gold  Hill,  Silver  City,  Dayton, 
Carson,  Washoe  and  Unionville,  minute  guns  were 
fired,  flags  were  at  half-mast  and  heavily  draped, 
long  processions  marched  through  the  streets,  ser- 
mons, poems  and  orations  were  delivered,  and  all 
citizens,  with  few  exceptions,  wore  badges  of  mourn- 


MILITARY  AFFAIRS  AND  INCIDENTS. 


271 


ing.  "  At  Gold  Hill,"  says  tbo  lYews,  "  2,000  people 
assenihled  :it  Fort  Homestead,  on  the  heights  over- 
looking the  town,  to  celebriite  the  obseiiuies  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  At  halt-hour  intervals  the  solemn 
gun  ]iealod  forth  its  note  of  sorrow  from  the  rising 
to  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  and  the  bolls  in  the 
Episcopal  and  Catholic  churches  tolled  from  ten 
o'clock  until  four.  All  places  of  business  were  closed 
during  the  day."  At  Virginia,  2,70()  i)eople  joined  in 
a  procession  of  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  while  the 
streets  were  thronged  with  citizens  wearing  badges 
of  mourning.  At  Austin  the  procession  was  large 
and  very  impressivo,  and  attended  bj'  all  classes  of 
citizens,  burying  with  the  dead  President  all  the  par- 
tisan animosities  remaining  from  the  strife  which  had 
overthrown  the  mightiest  rebellion  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world,  and  cemented  in  blood  the  eternal 
union  of  the  Republic. 

A  few  disgraceful  incidents  followed  the  assassina- 
tion. At  Gold  Hill,  a  fellow  called  Posey  Coxey, 
upon  hearing  of  the  death  of  the  President,  remarked: 
'■I'm  glad  of  it.  It's  a  pity  he  wasn't  killed  j'ears 
ago.''  He  was  immediately  arrested  by  the  indig- 
nant populace,  and  given  a  speedy  trial  without  the 
forms  of  law,  and  sentenced  to  receive  thirty  lashes 
on  the  bare  back.  Ten  of  the  lashes  were  intlicted, 
when  a  motion  prevailed  that  the  sentence  be  com- 
muted to  carrying  a  Union  flag  from  Gold  Hill  to 
Virginia  City,  bearing  on  his  back  a  card,  with  the 
inscription,  "A  Traitor  to  his  CouNTRy."  While 
on  the  march  he  was  taken  by  the  Provost  Guard 
and  placed  in  prison. 

In  other  localities  similar  expressions  were  heard, 
and  the  culprit,  in  some  instances,  was  severely 
beaten,  in  some  arrested,  and  in  all  held  up  to  the 
scorn  and  contempt  of  the  people.  The  heartlessness 
and  want  of  manhood  that  would  permit  such  ex- 
pressions were  rare  among  the  bold  and  hardy 
people  who  were  the  pioneers  of  the  ''Silver  State." 

MEXICAN    WAR    VETERANS. 

Nevada,  though  having  but  a  small  population 
contains  her  share  of  the  men  who  responded  to  the 
call  of  tlje  United  States  Government  for  volunteers 
to  quell  the  little  unpleasantness  which  occurred 
with  the  Mexican  Government  in  18K!.  These  men 
becoming  accustomed  to  the  hardships  incident  to  a 
life  in  that  country,  were  well  fitted  for  pioneers  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  munj-  of  them  arrived  in  Cali- 
fornia in  early  days,  among  whom  wc  find  manj- 
prominent  and  influential  citizens.  The  same  is  true 
of  the  "Battle-born  State,"  where  the  .Mexican  Vet- 
eran Association  of  the  State  of  Nevada  met  and 
organized  on  the  twelfth  day  of  January,  1877,  at 
Carson  City.  The  following  gentlemen  were  elected 
as  its  first  otticers:  \V.  P.  Stewart,  President;  A.  D. 
Treadway,  Vice-President;  W.  Garrard,  Correspond- 
ing Secretary;  E.  B.  Zabriskie,  Recording  Secretary. 
The  names  of  the  members  are  as  follows: — 
Green  B.  Abel,  G.  (J.  Berry, 

1{.  W.  Bolleu,  George  Bradley, 


Charles  Billings, 
Spencer  Benson, 
William  Cradlebaugh, 
F.  Durning, 
R.  Fielding, 
Thomas  J.  Gray, 
William  Garrard, 
James  Hunt, 
James  Hamilton, 
William  Heddington, 
T,  C.  Hayden, 
S.  F.  Hoole, 
John  W.  Hall, 
Henry  Junckins, 
James  Jones, 
John  M.  Kirgan, 
Jerry  Lehigh. 
D.  W.  Lcvan, 
John  M.  Massey, 
John  .Maloy, 
J.  B.  Moore, 
W.  W.  McCoy, 
James  P.  Pettigrew, 
William  Patterson, 


0.  M.  Bockstoad, 
E.  Pearson, 

J.  D.  Patterson, 
A.  J.  Powers, 
D.  H.  Pine, 

1.  P.  Richardson, 
George  Rouse, 
J.  E.  Rooker, 
Thomas  Rockhill, 
Captain  Rhoads, 
William  F.  Stewart, 
G.  H.  She])herd, 
William  M.  Smith, 
David  Swann, 

D.  II.  Thompson, 
A.  D.  Treadway, 
J.  S.  Tipton, 

A.  G.  Turner, 
Sam  Turner, 
J.  B.  Van  Hagan, 
David  Wilkins, 
John  W.  Wingate, 
C.  B.  Zabriskie, 

E.  B.  Zabriskie. 


HI.STORY  OP  THE  AMERICAN  FI.AO. 
[Stiitistici'in,  (San  Francisco)  1S77.] 
Previous  to  the  adoption  of  a  Union  flag,  different 
devices  had  been  used  on  different  occasions,  and  the 
various  Colonics  had  chosen  their  standards,  so  that 
the  bodies  of  troops  that  joined  the  army,  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Revolution,  had  flags  of  distinctive 
designs. 

In  March,  1775,  a  flag  with  a  red  field  was  hoisted 
at  New  York,  bearing  the  inscription,  "George  Rex, 
and  the  Liberties  of  America,"  and  upon  the  reverse, 
"  No  Popery." 

It  is  not  known  with  ccrtaint3-  that  the  American 
troo|)S  had  a  flag  at  Bunker  Hill  on  June  17,  1775  ; 
but  it  is  supposed  that  they  carried  a  red  flag,  on 
which  was  the  device  of  a  pine  tree  on  a  white  field 
in  the  corner.  On  July  18,  1775,  General  Putnam 
(iis])laycd  on  Prospect  Hill,  a  red  flag  bearing  the 
motto  Qui  triinshdit,  suslinel,  (Ho  who  transplanted 
still  sustains,)  and  on  the  reverse,  "  An  Appeal  to 
Heaven." 

Col.  William  .Moultrie  designed  the  first  flag  in 
South  Carolina,  which  was  blue  with  a  white  cres- 
cent in  the  upper  coriior  next  to  the  start',  and  was 
hoisted  on  the  fortilicalions  of  Charleston  in  Se])tem- 
ber,  1775. 

In  Connecticut  each  regiment  had  its  own  jiectdiar 
standard,  on  which  was  represented  the  arras  of  the 
Colony,  and  the  motto.  Qui  franstulit,  suatinet. 

The  Continental  Congress  ap]iointed  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Benjamin  Harrison  and  Thomas  Lynch  a 
committee  to  take  into  consideration  designs  for  a 
Union  Hag.  They  wont  to  the  American  armJ^  then 
assembled  at  Cambridge,  and  after  consideration 
adopted  a  flag  composed  of  thirteen  alternate  red  and 
white  stripes,  with  the  red  and  white  crosses  of  St. 


272 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


George  and  St.  Andrew  conjoined  on  a  blue  field  in 
the  corner,  and  named  it  "  The  Grand  Union  Flag." 
The  stripes  were  a  symbol  of  the  number  and 
union  of  the  Colonies,  the  colors  being  a  combination 
of  the  red  flag  formerly  used  by  the  army  and  the 
white  by  the  navj'.  The  crosses  were  retained  to 
show  the  willingness  of  the  Colonies  to  return  to 
their  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown  if  their  rights 
were  secured.  This  flag  was  first  unfurled  by  Wash- 
ington, at  Cambridge,  January  1,  1776. 

In  1770  Col.  Gadsden  presented  a  flag  to  Congress, 
to  be  used  in  the  navy.  It  was  yellow,  and  bore  the 
device  of  a  rattlesnake  with  thirteen  rattles,  repre- 
sented in  the  attitude  of  striking,  and  the  motto, 
"Don't  tread  on  me."  This  was  used  in  the  navy 
and  was  called  "The  Continental  Flag."  The  de- 
vice of  a  rattlesnake  had  previou.slj''  been  used  on 
flags. 

The  troops  which  were  raised  by  Patrick  Henry, 
and  called  the  "  ('ulpepper  Minute  Men,"  had  a  ban- 
ner with  the  device  of  a  rattlesnake,  and  the  mottos, 
''  Don't  tread  on  me,"  and  "  Liberty  or  Death,"  and 
the  name  of  the  company.  The  celebrated  riflemen 
called  the  "  Morgan  liifles,"  had  a  flag  on  which  was 
inscribed  "  XI.  Virginia  Jlegiment,"  and  "Morgan's 
Rifle  Corps,"  also  the  date,  177G,  surrounded  by  a 
wreath  of  laurel.  The  flag  of  Washington's  Life 
Guard  was  made  of  white  silk,  with  various  devices 
and  the  motto,  "  Conquer  or  Die." 

The  first  legally  established  national  flag  was 
adopted  by  Congress  June  14,  1777,  by  the  follow- 
ing: "Jieao/ved,  That  the  flag  of  the  thirteen  United 
Stales  be  tliirteen  stripes,  alternate  white  and  red; 
that  the  union  be  thirteen  stars,  white,  in  a  blue 
field,  representing  a  new  constellation."  A  constel- 
lation could  not  well  be  represented  on  a  flag,  so  the 
stars  were  arranged  in  a  circle,  representing  har- 
mony and  union.  As  hvinbols  liie  colors  re|)resent: 
Red,  courage;  white,  integrity  of  jiurjjose;  and  blue, 
constancy,  love  and  failb.  liy  some  it  is  asserted 
that  this  flag  was  first  unlurled  by  Paul  Jones  on 
the  Hduijer,  and  bj'  others  that  it  was  first  used  at 
^he  battle  of  Saratoga. 

An  Act  of  Congress  of  January'  13,  1794,  provided 
that  after  May  1,  1795,  the  flag  of  the  United  States 
should  consist  of  fifteen  stripes,  alternate  red  and 
white,  and  the  union  of  fifteen  stars,  white  in  a  blue 
field.  Vermont  and  Kentucky  having  been  admitted, 
at  that  time  the  Stales  were  fifteen  in  number.  This 
act  indicated  that  the  flag  should  I'epresent  the  luim- 
berof  the  Slatesof  the  Union  bj'  a  corres])onding  num- 
ber of  stripes  and  stars.  The  continued  increase  in 
the  number  of  States  jjlainly  showed  that  this  law 
shoiihl  be  changed. 

A  bill  was  passed  by  Congress,  April  4,  1H18, 
reducing  the  number  of  stri])es  to  the  origiiial  thir- 
teen, and  making  the  number  of  star.s  equal  to  the 
number  of  States;  a  star  for  each  new  Slate  to  be 
added  to  the  flag  on  the  fourth  of  July  following  its 
admission.     The  flag  as  thus  established  was  hoisted 


on  the  Hall  of  Representatives  in  Washington,  April 
13,  1818;  although  it  had  no  legal  existence  until  the 
fourth  of  July  following. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

RAILROADS. 

Central  Pacific — The  Omipt'tiiii!  Line — The  C.  I'.  Railroad  Com- 
pleted— Disoriiniiiations  Aj,':iinst  Nevada — Table  Showing 
(J.  1'.  Freight  Discriminations — The  Williams  .Joint  Resolu- 
tion— Value  of  C  1'.  Railroad  Property  in  Nevada — 
E<(uuliztd  Asse.ssments  of  V.  V .  R.  li.  I'ropurty  and  Tax 
Paid — \  irginia  and  Truckee  Railroad — Tlie  V.  and  T.  R.  R. 
Built — Cost  of  Construction — Keport  to  the  .State  in  ISSO — 
Assistiinee  Received — Inducements  held  out  to  obtain  it — 
Taxai)le  Property  that  the  Railroad  would  adil  to  Ormsby 
County — Working  Test  or  Result — Substance  of  the  .State- 
ment of  the  \'ice-l're.sidcnt  in  1.S70  and  I'istimates  of  Road 
Value — Assessed  and  Eijualized  Value  of  V.  and  T.  It.  R.- 
Property  and  Tax  on  tiic  same  in  Orm-sliy  County — Princi- 
pal and  Interest  paiil  by  Ormsby  ( 'imnty  upon  the  !S*()0,000 
Given  to  tlieV.andT.  K.  U. — Moral — Table  of  E.vpensus 
and  Receipts — Freights  Passing  Over  Ro.ad  First  .Six  Months 
of  1S7.S— Annual  Keport  of  V.andT.R.R.  Company  for 
ISSO— Local  Freight  Tariff  1S80— Directors  IS.SO— Nevada 
Central  Railroad — Officers  and  Directors — OHicial  Report 
for  Ten  Months  Ending  December  'M,  18S0 — Kureka  anil 
Palisade  Railroad — Directors — Report  liSSO — Spec;ial  Freight 
Rates — Through  Passenger  Rates — Ixeport  Ruby  Hill  Rail- 
road ISiSO — I>ake  Tahoe  Narrow  Guage  Railroad — Pioche 
and  iiullionville  Kailro.ad — Carson  and  Colorado  Railro.ad — 
Sixlt  Lake  and  Western  Railroad — Ne\'ada  .Southern  Rail- 
road—  Nevada  Northern  Jiiiilro.-id  . —  Nevada  and  Oregon 
Railroad — Railroad  Tal)le  —  Railroail  (irants  anil  Incorpora- 
tions— Eureka  ami  Colorado  Itailroad — Reno  and  (.'uincy 
Railroad — Humboldt  and  Colorado  Railroad — Eastern  Ne- 
vada Railroad. 

The  Central  Pacific  liail  road  crosses  the  en  tire  State, 
having  a  length  of  4liM  miles  within  its  limits,  being 
more  than  half  of  the  direct  line  from  San  P'rancisco 
to  Ogden,  constituting  an  artery  of  commerce  upon 
which  the  life  of  business  (le))en(U,  and  with  its 
wealth  and  men  at  its  command,  a  ]iiiwer  that  over- 
shadows all.  How  this)>ovver  was  aci|uired,  and  how 
it  is  used,  a  true  history  of  its  rise  and  operations 
will  tell.  Nevada  existed  and  prospered  before  a 
mile  of  the  railroad  was  constructed.  All  her  vast 
territory  was  exi>lored,  ))r()s])ei()us  and  busy  cities 
were  built,  elegant  and  powerful  quartz-mills  were 
erected,  farms  cultivated,  the  herdsman's  cattle 
grazed  upon  her  thousand  hills,  stages  rattled,  and 
the  great  freight  wagons  rolled  along  her  interior 
roads,  bullion  flowed  in  a  grand  stream  to  the  marts 
of  the  world,  and  all  without  help  from  the  railroad. 
Hut  this  great  triumph  of  modern  art  was  most 
ardently  desired.  The  imagination  pictured  untold 
benefits  to  arise  from  its  construction.  The  trans- 
continental railroad  was  the  great  desire  of  the 
nation,  and  the  most  practicable  route  lay  across  the 
breast  of  Nevada.  Bright  anticipations  and  confi- 
dent plans  were  based  on  this  fact.  Fverywhero 
along  the  lino,  and  at  its  termini,  the  people  looked 
u|)on  its  coming  as  the  second  advent  of  a  Saviour. 
They  had  tired  of  their  wagon  roads,  over  which  all 
could  go  alike,  and  ])raj"ed  for  the  one  of  iron  and 
steam.  Like  the  frogs  in  the  fable,  who,  tired  of  the 
log  thej-  had  erected  as  their  king,  upon  which  they 
had  sported  and  rested  at  their  will,  chose   a  stork, 


RAILROADS. 


273 


■which  with  long  bill  and  ravenods  appetite  proceeded 
to  feed  upon  his  mibjects. 

The  promulijation  of  plans  for  a  transcontinental 
railroad,  were  made  almost  as  early  as  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  system  in  America.  General  Leaven- 
worth, of  the  United  iStates  Army,  is  accredited  with 
the  first  plan  as  early  as  18;')1,  and  shortly  after, 
Whitney,  who  had  been  missionar}-  to  Oregon, 
created  quite  a  sensation  in  lecturing  upon  his  plan 
of  a  Pacific  railroad,  and  the  advocacy  of  the  ajipro- 
priation  of  the  odd  sections  of  land  for  twenty  miles 
in  width  along  the  line,  to  paj-  for  its  construc- 
tion; this  to  be  a  (Tovernmeiit  road.  Through 
all  the  history  of  California,  from  the  hoisting 
of  the  flag  at  Monterey  on  the  seventh  of  June, 
lS4fi.  until  the  grant  was  made,  the  Pacific  Pail- 
road  was  the  predominant  political  question,  being 
the  most  attractive  "plank"  in  every  platform 
prepared  by  the  leaders  of  cither  party.  But  upon 
the  question  of  northern  or  southern  route,  the 
politicians  difl"ered  irreconcilably,  until,  at  last, 
secession  stopped  debate  and  left  the  northern,  or 
central,  route  without  a  rival.  Mr.  Theodore  D. 
.Judah,  who  had  been  the  engineer  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley  Railroad,  from  Sacramento  to  Folsom,  (Cali- 
fornia, and  also  of  the  California  Central,  from  Folsom 
to  Lincolrf,  in  the  same  State,  had  explored  the 
Sierra  Js'evada  for  routes  and-  passcjs  for  wagou 
roads  and  the  railroad,  and  decided  upon  what  was 
known  as  the  Donnor  Lake  route  as  the  most 
feasible.  Having  accomplished  this,  he  sought  to 
organize  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  constructing 
the  work  of  his  great  ambition,  the  Pacific  liailroad. 
So  stupendous  an  enterprise  could  not  be  carried 
into  effect  without  (rovernment  aid;  and,  in  1860, 
Mr.  Judah  went  to  Washington  to  urge  u])on  Con- 
gress the  ]iracticability  of  the  route,  and  the  nec- 
essary legislation  to  enable  liim  to  ])roeeed  with  the 
work.  Through  several  sessions  of  Congress  he 
labored,  trininphiiig  in  18G2. 

Having  found  a  satisfactory  route  either  for  a 
toll-road  or  a  railroad,  the  organization  of  a  coni- 
l)any  was  the  next  object.  In  Sacramento  were  a 
couple  of  hardware  merchants  with  whom  Mr.  Judah 
had  had  business  relations  while  acting  as  engineer 
of  the  Sacramento  Valley  Pailroad,  Messrs.  Colis  P. 
Huntington  and  Mark  Hopkins,  and  these  gentle- 
men solicited  other  friends  an<l  men  of  influence  to 
join,  and  the  Central  Pacific  Pailroad  Comjianj'  was 
formed.  Ijcland  Stanforil  was  then  (lovernor  of 
California,  and  ho  was  made  President  of  the  com- 
pany. Charles  Crocker  had  a  brother  on  the  Sujireme 
Bench  of  California;  the  United  States  was  at  war; 
the  Constitution  of  the  State  forbid  the  creation  of 
a  debt  but  for  war  |)urposcs.  The  railroad  company 
wanted  a  subsidy  of  S:!,O0n,nO(l  from  the  State,  and 
the  subsidy  was  granted.  The  Su|)reme  Court  sub- 
sequently decided  that  the  building  of  the  road  was 
a  war  measure,  and  the  debt  in  its  aid  constitutional. 
Charles    Crocker   and   Judge    E.    B.    Crocker   wore 


members  of  the  company.  The  object  of  the  organi- 
zation was  to  make  a  road  from  Sacramento  to  the 
Nevada  vState  line,  there  to  connect  with  any  road 
coming  from  the  Kast.  On  the  eighth  of  Januarj-, 
18(j,'{,  at  Sacramento,  was  hold,  in  an  imposing  man- 
ner, the  ceremony  of  throwing  the  first  earth  in  the 
construction  of  the  Pacific  Pailroad. 

The  Legislature  was  then  in  session  and  look  part 
in  the  inauguration.  The  speakers  of  the  occasion 
were  (iovernor  Stanford,  Rev.  J.  A.  ]5enton,  Hon.  A. 
M.  Crane,  Senator  from  Alameda,  Hon.  J.  II.  War- 
wick, Assemblyman  from  Sacramento,  Hon.  W.  H. 
Sears,  Assemldynian  from  Nevada,  Hon.  Newton 
Booth,  Senator  from  Sacramento,  Dr.  J.  F.  Morse  and 
Charles  Crocker.  The  principal  address  was  by  Hon. 
A.  M.  Crane.  In  an  eloquent  apostrophe  to  Nevada, 
he  said:  "Nevada,  the  younger  sister,  aye,  the  child 
of  California;  Nevada,  whose  rise  to  greatness  has 
been  almost  equal  to  our  own;  Nevada,  we  wish  to 
lock  her  in  a  nearer,  a  dearer,  a  closer  and  more  fra- 
ternal embrace."  Prophetic  words.  The  sequel  shows 
how  near  and  dear,  and  close  and  fraternal  has  been 
the  embrace  of  the  railroad  companj'  whose  iron 
bands  lie  across  her  breast. 

The  work  of  construction  progressed  slowlj-,  as  the 
subsidies  in  its  aid  could  be  but  tardily  realized,  and 
Congress  was  induced  to  allow  the  issuance  of  first 
mortgage  bonds  by  the  company,  equaling  the 
amount  of  the  national  guarantee.  Then  the  cunning 
"  Credit  Mobilicr"  sj'stem  was  invented,  which  was 
imitated  by  the  "  (.'ontract  and  Finance  Company," 
whereby  one  set  of  directors  could  contract  with 
them.selves  as  another  set  of  directors,  and  that  which 
before  had  been  doubtful  became  an  assured  success. 
The  company  had  contemplated  building  only  to  the 
State  line,  doubting  their  ability  even  to  accomplish 
so  much,  but  developments  taught  them  more  than 
they  had  ever  dreamed  of.  The}-  now  found  that 
every  mile  of  road  constructed  gave  them  besides  the 
road  a  great  atnount  of  land,  and  money  in  their 
pockets.  Congress  extended  their  nght  to  build  east- 
ward until  the  rails  should  join  those  of  the  Union 
Pacific  coming  from  the  Kast.  In  the  meantime  the 
great  Engineer,  the  pioneer  and  organizer  of  the 
enterprise,  T.  D.  Judah,  had  died.  In  October,  1803, 
he  left  San  Francisco  en  route  to  Vv'^ashington,  in  the 
service  of  the  road.  Arriving  at  New  York  he  was 
stricken  with  fever  and  died  on  the  second  of  Novem- 
ber following,  his  death  being  so  sudden  that  his 
friends  had  not  been  informed  of  his  illness. 

Thus  is  presented  the  initiation  of  that  stuj)endous 
work,  the  building  of  the  Central  Pacific  liailroad 
from  Sacramento,  f'alifornia,  toOgden,  in  Utah,  most 
of  the  waj-  through  Nevada,  placing  the  directors  in 
the  front  rank  of  financiers,  and  filling  their  coflers 
with  the  result  of  labors  not  theirown.  The  success 
of  the  enterprise  and  the  wealth  derived  from  it  were 
far  beyond  the  wildest  imaginings  of  the  people  in 
general  or  those  who  were  so  lotb  to  enter  upon  the 
responsibilities  of  the  work. 


V 


274 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  first  charter  permitted  the  buildinj^  of  the 
road  to  the  border  of  the  State  of  California,  but  in 
1S()2  the  company  sought  to  extend  its  limits  bj- pro- 
curing the  right  of  way  to  continue  its  route  through 
Nevada.  The  natural  result  of  high  prices,  in  the 
infancy  of  this  Territory,  for  passengei-s  and  transpor- 
tation, had  created  a  desire  with  the  people  to  escape 
the  evil  as  early  and  effectually  as  possible.  The 
first  foot-prints  of  a  movement  looking  to  a  practical 
solution  of  the  question,  was  exhibited  in  the  unani- 
mous vote  of  the  first  Legislative  body,  granting  a 
right  of  way  for  the  Central  Pacific  Eailroad,  to 
Lelaiid  Stanford,  Charles  Crocker,  C.  P.  Huntington, 
Lucius  A.  Booth,  Mark  Ilojjkins,  Theodore  I).  Judah, 
James  Bailey,  and  Samuel  Silliman. 

This  was  followed  during  the  session  by  three 
other  railroad  franchises  as  follows:  The  Esmeralda 
and  Walker  Eiver  Eailroad,  to  run  from  Aurora  to 
Walker  River,  granted  to  P.  G.  Vibbard,  P.  Faulks, 
John  Nye,  and  others.  The  Virginia  Citj-  and 
Washoe  Eailroad,  to  connect  Gold  Hill  and  Washoe 
City,  to  Henry  A.  Cheever  and  associates.  The  last 
one  was  for  the  Virginia,  Carson  and  Truckee  Rail- 
road, to  run  from  Virginia  City  to  the  Truckee  Eiver, 
by  way  of  Carson,  with  the  privilege  of  extending 
the  line  up  that  stream  to  the  California  line,  also  to 
build  a  branch  from  the  main  line  through  Dayton  to 
a  point  ten  miles  down  the  Carson  Eiver  from  that 
place.  In  the  Act  granting  this  last  franchise, 
the  incorporators  named  were  J.  H.  Todman,  E.  E. 
Moss,  C.  W.  Newman,  Wm.  Arrington,  Hiram  Bacon, 
Joseph  Trench,  John  A.  Hobart,  Frank  Drake,  Wm. 
Hayes,  Wm.  Gregory,  J.  P.  Faulks,  and  associates. 
No  railroads  were  built  under  any  of  these  grants 
except  the  one  to  Leland  Stanford  and  associates. 

It  was  in  December,  1803,  that  their  second  im- 
print was  made  upon  the  records  of  this  State  in  the 
form  of  a  clause  in  the  Constitution  permitting  the 
Legislature  to  give  such  com))any  as  should  first 
connect  Nevada  by  a  railroad  with  navigable 
waters,  S3, 000, 000  in  bonds.  This  Constitution  was 
overwhelmingly  defeated  bj-  a  vote  of  the  people  on 
the  nineteenth  of  the  following  January,  and  with 
it  the  proposed  gift. 

During  the  session  of  the  Convention  that  assem- 
bled in  July,  18G4,  the  desire  to  procure  cheaper 
transportation  rates  manifested  itself  again  in  the 
attempt  to  insert  a  similar  provision  into  the  Consti- 
tution, under  which  the  State  Government  was  later 
organized.  The  object  in  placing  it  there  was  to 
offer  a  reward  to  the  railroad  companies  for  haste  in 
their  efforts  to  reach  the  State  lino,  expecting  to 
reap  groat  advantage  from  a  reduction  in  transpor- 
tation that  would  make  the  gift  a  profitable  invest- 
ment. 

After  a  spirited  contest,  on  the  eleventh  of  Jul}', 
the  following  was  made  a  part  of  Article  VIII,  Sec- 
tion 9:  "  Provided  that  the  State  may  issue  bonds, 
or  secure  the  ])ayment  of  the  principal  or  interest,  or 
both  principal  and    intorcst  of  bonds,  to  an  amount 


not  exceeding  §3,000,000,  at  a  rate  of  interest  not 
exceeding  seven  per  cent,  per  annum,  in  sums  not 
exceeding  850,000  per  mile,  for  each  mile  of  road 
actually  constructed  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
State  of  Nevada,  on  such  terms  as  the  Legislature 
may  prescribe,  to  the  company  which  shall  first  com- 
plete a  railroad  to  the  State  line,  connecting  this 
State  with  the  navigable  waters  of  California  or 
with  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver; 
but  no  law  to  issue  bonds  shall  be  effective  unless 
sanctioned  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  at  a  special  elec- 
tion to  be  called  for  that  purpose;  provided,  further, 
that  the  sums  derived  from  the  proceeds  of  the  sales 
of  the  public  lands  granted  to  this  State  for  internal 
improvement  purposes  shall  bo  set  apart  towards  a 
sinking  fund  for  the  extinguishment  of  the  principal 
of  said  bonds;  and  prooided,  farther,  that  a  special 
tax  shall  be  levied  to  secure  the  payment  of  the 
principal  and  interest  of  said  bonds." 

Two  days  later  Ex-Governor  Leland  Stanford, 
President  of  the  Central  Pacific  Eailroad  Company, 
appeared,  under  a  susjjension  of  the  rules,  before 
the  convention  and  stated  that —  '•  You  propose 
to  give  your  aid  to  the  road,  only  after  it  reaches 
the  Territory,  and  then  to  the  frst  road  that  shall 
reach  it.  Allow  me,  very  respectfully,  to  say,  that 
in  my  opinion  that  action  instead  of  aiding  the 
road  is  calculated  to  delay  its  construction  because 
you  thereby  raise  a  doubt  as  to  whether  or  not 
this  road  *  *  *  has  a  practicable  route."  *  He 
made  a  strong  plea  in  favor  of  the  donation  being 
made  directly  to  his  company,  in  imitation  of  the 
counties  of  San  Francisco,  Sacramento  and  Placer, 
as  well  as  the  Government;  but  said  if  they  would 
not  do  this,  "  1  would  prefer  that  you  should  let 
us  alone  rather  than  jjrovide  that  the  State  shall 
grant  assistance  to  the  first  road  that  comes  to  the 
State  line." 

The  result  was  that  July  15th  the  clause  was 
stricken  from  the  constitution  by  a  unanimous  vote, 
and  an  attempt  to  add  another  to  conform  to  Stan- 
ford's wishes  in  giving  to  his  comijan}-  direct,  was 
defeated  bj'  a  vote  of  twenty-one  to  six. 

THE   CO.MPETINU    LINE. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  18G4,  W.  M. 
Cutter,  of  Storey  County,  introduced  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions before  the  Legislature,  in  which  appeared  the 
following: — 

Wheheas,  Congress  has  provided  what  was  deemed 
to  be  a  liberal  bonus  for  the  construction  of  such 
a  railroad,  and  said  Congressional  provision  has 
been  secured  exclusively  to  and  under  a  corpora- 
tion named  and  known  as  the  Central  Pacific  Eail- 
road C/'i)m|)any,  which  u])  to  this  date  has  con- 
structed only  thirty  miles  upon  its  jiroposed  route, 
and  who.sc  principal  labor  seems  to  have  been  to 
reduce  the  number  of  miles  ordered  to  bo  built 
per  year  (on  pain  of  forfeiture)  in  the  original 
Pacific  Railroad  Bill;  and 

Wuekeas,  a  lino  of  railroad  has  already  been  con- 

*  A|)pcndi.T  tu  First  Sessiou  of  Nevada  Senate,  pctge  58  and  62. 


RAlLKUAUo. 


275 


structed  IVom  tlie  town  of  Freeport,  at  the  head  of 
tide-wator  on  the  Sacramento,  and  the  town  of 
Latrobo,  it  beinfj  a  distance  of  thirty-eiirht  miles  on 
a  nearly  direct  line  of  communication  with  the  capi- 
tal of  Nevada;  and, 

WnKKKAs,  We  have  creditable  information  that  a 
larj^e  and  wholly  responsible  boily  of  resjiectable 
capitalists  are  ])re])ared.  with  reasonable  encoiirago- 
ment.  to  push  forward  the  railroad  from  l.alrobe  to 
the  cai)ital  of  our  Slate,  on  a  route  direct  and  feas- 
ible; therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  Etc. 

Henry  Epstein,  of  Douglas  Count}-,  moved  the  fol- 
lowing as  a  substitute,  that  finally  passed  both 
houses,  and  was  forwarded  to  Washington: — 

Resoh-eJ,  By  the  Assembly,  the  Senate  concurring, 
that  our  Senators  be  and  are  hereb}'  instructed,  and 
our  lUpresentatives  in  Congress  requested,  to  use 
tbeir  utmost  endeavors  to  secure  the  i)assage  of  a 
law  by  Congress,  lixing  the  sum  of  ten  million 
dollars  (SI 0.000,000)  in  United  Slates  bonds,  at  dates 
of  thirty  years  or  less,  to  such  corporation  as  shall 
fii"St  eomj)lete  a  line  of  railway,  and  establish  the 
same  in  perfect  running  order,  without  break  or 
interval  of  stage  transportation  between  the  navi- 
gable waters  of  the  Sacramento  Eiver  and  the  base 
of  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas. 

No  results  came  from  the  agitation,  except  to 
develop  the  status  of  the  companies,  and  infuse 
additional  vigor  into  the  operations  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Company,  that  possessed  sufficient  influence 
at  Washington  to  prevent  the  expressed  wish  of 
the  Legislature  becoming  a  law.  It  was  more 
dangerous  to  them  than  the  proposed  gift  of  S3, 000,- 
000  for  the  same  purpose  by  Nevada. 

The  companj- referred  to  as  the  rivals  of  the  Central 
Pacific  was  known  as  the  San  Francisco  and  Washoe 
Railroad  Company,  and  they  had  made  a  thorough 
survey  of  a  line  from  Placcrville  to  Nevada  by  way 
of  the  Carson  Valley,  contemplating  Reese  ]{iver  at 
Austin,  by  way  of  Virginia  City,  as  their  eastern 
terminus.  F.  A.  Bishop  said  under  oath,  of  the  offi- 
cers of  this  comi)any:  "  Thej-  are  considered  by  the 
community  in  which  they  reside  as  men  of  probity 
and  honor.  All  are  business  men,  and,  at  least  pos- 
sess fair  business  capacity.  Several  of  them  have  the 
reputation  of  possessing  large  means,  which  1  be- 
lieve to  be  true." 

The  estimates  of  their  Chief  Engineer  as  to  the 
amount  of  money  it  would  take  to  construct  a  rail- 
road to  the  State  line  in  Carson  Valley  by  the  Placcr- 
ville route,  a  distance  of  92  miles,  was  S7, 015,508, 
orS7t),2.")l')  per  mile.  To  continue  the  same  to  Carson 
City  at  859,000  per  mile,  would  make  a  total  cost 
necessary  of  $8,720, 5(i8  to  connect  the  capital  of  the 
State  with  navigable  waters.* 

The  estimate  by  Mr.  Judah  for  the  l)utch  Flat  or 
Central  Pacific  route  was,  that  it  would  cost  from 
812,000,000  to  813,000,000  to  reach  the  summit  of  the 
mountains;  and  according  to  (rovernor  Stanford's 
figures,  813,000,000  to  make  connection  between  the 
State  line,  eleven  miles  west  of  what  is  now  Reno, 

*Appondix  First  Nevada  Senate,  page  119. 


and  navigable  water  at  Sacramento.t  Continue  this 
lino  the  remaining  eleven  miles  to  Reno,  and  esti- 
mate the  cost  of  construction  at  859,000  per  mile — 
figures  set  by  the  rival  company  as  its  costs  over  a 
similar  country — and  the  total  constructing  expense 
for  the  Central  Pacific  is  found  to  be  813.049.000. 

This  varies  but  little  from  an  advantage  of 
85,000,000  for  the  competing  line  over  the  Central 
Pacific  route;  and  this  fact  interests  the  citizens  of 
Nevada  in  tliis.  that  they  are  now,  and  have  been 
since  its  comj)lotion,  asked  and  compelled  to  contrib- 
ute towards  paying  dividends  upon  an  investment  of 
that  85.000,000,  uselesslj-  expended  according  to  the 
figures  of  those  companies  made  at  the  time;  but, 
under  the  light  of  a  recent  report,  the  gap  widens 
and  places  this  excess  at  over  89,000,000. 

THE   CENTRAL   PACIFIC    ROAD    CO.MPLETED. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  December,  18G7,  the  first  loco- 
motive ran  into  Nevada,  reaching  Crystal  Peak  from 
the  California  side.  On  the  fourth  of  .May,  ISOS,  the 
track  and  telegraph  were  completed  to  Reno,  and  on 
the  nineteenth  of  June  the  last  rail  was  laid  between 
Sacramento  and  that  place,  making  railroad  connec- 
tion continuous  between  those  two  points.  On  the 
thirteenth  of  ilaj-,  18(50,  the  golden  spike  was  driven, 
and  the  two  oceans  were  united  by  an  iron  band. 

In  this  connection  we  quote  from  a  letter  by  Col. 
B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  of  the  United  States  Armj',  to 
the  St.  Louis  Democrat: — 

•'  I  observe  in  your  paper  of  June  4th,  fourth  page, 
that  the  paternitj-  of  the  Pacific  railroad  is  claimed 
by  certain  individuals.  1  desire  to  say  that  in  Juno 
or  July,  1831,  I  was  at  Jetfet^on  Barracks,  near  St. 
Louis,  and  residing  as  the  guest  of  ^lajor  (leneral 
Gaines,  of  the  United  States  Army,  and  that  bo 
told  me  that  he  had  forwarded  a  paper  from  General 
Leavenworth,  United  States  Armj-,  recommending 
the  building  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific,  and  that  ho 
Jaad  forwarded  the  same  to  the  War  Department, 
Washington  City,  endorsed  as  follows:  'I  forward  to 
you  the  niagniticent  project  of  (ieneral  Leavenworth.' 
Of  course,  this  paper  must  bo  in  the  office  of  the 
Adjutant  (Jencral  of  the  War  Department,  and  maj- 
be  revived  and  published,  in  justice  to  a  meritorious 
officer,  and  to  compare  the  rudo  ideas  of  the  early 
friends  of  that  great  and  grand  success." 

DISCRIMINATION    AGAINST   NEVADA. 

From  the  first  a  system  of  freight  and  passenger 
tarift's  was  introduced  that,  although  low  enough  to 
prevent  competition  by  teams  or  stages,  yot  worked 
a  serious  damage  to  the  State.  It  was  for  the  inter- 
ests of  the  comj)any  to  increase  its  freight  traffic  to 
the  utmost  extent.  JIanufaclories  within  the  State 
wore  institutions  hostile  to  such  an  increase,  there- 
fore not  to  be  tolerated.  The  prices  charged  were 
governed  by  a  rule  that  permitted  the  existence  of 
traffic,  and  took  for  such  permit  thoprincijial  profits. 

tAppuiulix  Kir«t  Nevada  Senate,  page  SU-tiC.  Distance  from 
summit  to  Ueuu  istil'ty-une  miles. 


27G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  citizens  of  the  State  knowini:;  that  they  had 
rights  that  ■•  while  men  were  boiiiui  to  respect," 
finally  commenced  a  public  agitation  of  the  subject. 

In  October,  1S74,  the  Republican  State  Convention 
introduced  the  I'oilowiiig  i)huik  into  their  platform, 
and  the  Democrats  maj'  have  had  a  similar  one: — 

"  Nesohetl,  That  while  we  ap\)reciate  the  advan- 
tages derived  from  railroads,  we  demand  at  the 
hands  of  our  National  ("ongress  and  our  Slate  Legis- 
lature, the  passage  of  laws  establishing  fares  and 
freights  at  a  reasonable  rate,  and  prohibiting  such 
railways  from  discriminating  in  their  charges  between 
the  residents  of  this  State  and  those  of  other  States; 
also  wo  favor  the  passage  of  laws  compelling  rail- 
roads to  pay  a  fair  and  equal  amount  of  taxation 
upon  all  property  owned  or  controlled  by  them  in 
this  State." 

This  plank  sounded  well,  but  the  Legislature  of 
1875  accomplished  nothing  in  that  direction,  and  it 
was  not  until  1879  that  the  subject  assumed  jiropor- 
lions  in  the  State  that  became  indicative  of  some- 
thing to  be  performed. 

To  show  projierly  the  animus  of  the  agitation  of 
that  year,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  back  a  little  in 
time,  and  introduce  what  might  just  as  properly 
accompany  the  history  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckeo 
Railroad,  or  ■'  the  influence  of  mines  upon  politics." 


o 

EH 

< 

i-H 

en 


EH 


From  San  Francisco  to 
Elko,  Nev.,  619  miles 


From  San  Francisco  to 
Palisade,  Nevada,  587 
miles 


From  San  Francisco  to 
Wiuneinucca  Nevada, 
475  miles 


From  San  Francisco  to 
Eeno,  Nev.,  300  miles 


From  New  York  to  Elko, 
Nevada,  619  less  num- 
ber of  miles 


From  New  York  to  Pali- 
sade, Nevada,  5S7  less 
number  of  miles 


From  New  York  to  Battle 
Mount:iiri,  Nev.,  535 
less  uumlier  of  miles. . 


From  New  York  to  Win- 
nemucca,  Nevada,  47'" 
less  number  of  miles. 


From  New  York  to  Keno, 
Nevatla,  30G  less  num- 
ber of  miles 


From  New   York 

miles  to  San  Francisco 


Q 
■«t 

O 


H 
B 
Eh 

» 

n 


o  o 

o  o 


o  o 
as  CO 

-t>  •* 


^  -o  ",o  -o  o  -^  '^  --D  o 


■M  M  0•^  (M  e-l  rH  (M  M  M 


o  o 
o  o 

00  00 


CO  CO 


O  3 

in  o 


i~  I-  Ci  -.3  1-  in  05  in  t- 


v:  -^  CO  -.:  '-0  -t<  -.=  '.i  '^ 
Mco^ro-tinrc-tJO 
•ninoo^'*'*i-iMm 


ooooooooo 
Mcc-^iTiJiroincco 


O  ^ 


t>4 


J3  ^  ^ 

«  bo  ■ 


«   t.   °   c  .£"  c   cs 


The  above  figures  from  the  Central  Pacific  freight 
schedule  of  1877,  are  changed  somewhat  since  that 
date,  but  the  same  proportion  of  discrimination  is 
maintained  in  1881. 

All  of  the  towns  given  in  the  table  are  stationed 
upon  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  road,  and  a  car- 
load of  freight  from  New  York  must  pass  through  all 
of  them  in  going  to  San  Francisco.  To  reach  the 
latter  place  it  must  pass  through  I'llko  and  then  have 
G19  miles  farther  to  go.  But  if  that  company  is 
asked  to  leave  a  carload  of  oil  or  candles  there,  and 
not  take  it  along  over  the  last  CI 9  miles  of  mount- 
ains, they  will  charge  Sr)00  more  than  they  would  to 
take  it  clear  through  and  back  again.  This  is  one 
item  disclosed  in  the  table  of  discrimination  as  against 
one  locality  in  Nevada. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  RoUin  M.  Dag- 
gett's speech  on  this  question,  delivered  in  Congress, 
lie  was  defeated  in  the  election  of  1880  in  the  inter- 
ests of  this  same  railroad  corporation: — 

I  am  here  to-day,  sir,  to  place  before  and  upon  the 

records  of  this  House  a  verified  complaint  of  discrim- 
inations against  the  State  of  Nevada,  in  character  so 
monstrous  that  beside  the  exhibit  the  i-ecital  of  other 
grievances  will  sound  like  favors  conferred,  and  the 
sweet  promise  of  still  greater  bencl'actions  to  come. 

Gentlemen  from  Illinois  maj'  bring  their  state- 
ments of  railroad  wrongs,  and  1  will  ]iile  an  Ossa 
upon  the  Pelion  of  their  complaints;  thej'  may  bring 
them  from  Texas  or  (Joloi-ado,  and  I  will  Ilood 
the  Shasta  of  their  appeals  for  relief,  and  still  fall 
short  of  expressing  in  the  double  monument  of  out- 
rage the  full  measure  of  discriminations  ])racticed 
against  Nevada.  Their  statements  tell  of  a  few  dol- 
lars per  ton  unjustly  collected;  mine  of  820(1,  SHOO, 
8400,  8500  per  car-load,  wickedly,  audaciously',  re- 
morselesslj'  taken  from  the  pockets  of  consumers 
without  even  the  ]iretensc  of  consideration. 

l)is('rimin;ition!  They  will  neverunderstand  the  full 
meaning  of  the  word  until  they  have  settled  for  the 
carriage  of  a  ton  of  freight,  I  care  not  of  what  kind, 
bj'  rail  from  New  York  to  any  railroad  i)oinl  in 
eastern  Nevada. 

Their  railroad  managers  are  comparatively  mild- 
mannered  gentlemen.  They  collect  more  than  is 
honestly  their  due,  but  are  gracious  enough  to  try 
to  explain  the  reason.  Thisis  not  the  casein  Nevada. 
There  the  merchant  is  compelled  to  p:\y  through 
rates  i'rom  ocean  to  ocean,  and  from  8200  to  8">00 
per  car-load  in  addition  for  the  iirivilege  of  paj-ing 
it,  (luil  f/ie  Dioulli  of  prolest  is  c/uned  by  the  tlireat  of 
inrri'ased  exardong. 

These  statements  must  be  regarded  as  strange  by 
those  who  know  nothing  of  tln'ir  truth;  but  I  am 
strangely  well  prepared  to  establish  that  they  arc 
strangely  correct. 

In  this  connection  the  remarks  of  Senator  Pown- 
ing,  of  Washoe  County,  made  in  the  State  Senate, 
Februar}'  9,  1881,  when  a  bill  was  before  that  body 
looking  to  the  regulation  of  fares  an<l  freights,  would 
seem  to  be  appropriate  u])on  the  ])oint  of  intimida- 
tion. His  remarks,  as  reported  in  the  Virginia  City 
C/ironicle,  were: — 

*  *  *  If  the  Legislature  could  bring  charges  for 
this  travel  down  to  a  just  figure,  he  would  be  only 


mv'. 


B.  F.  Leete. 


Mr.  Leete  is  one  of  the  many  thousands  sent  out  bj' 
the  pioneer  States  in  the  Kailroad  and  Canal  devel- 
opments, which  have  resulted  in  such  an  unprece- 
dented growth  of  a  nation  in  wealth  and  power. 
Little  did  Clinton  think  what  a  movement  he  was 
inaugurating  when  he  projected  the  Krie  Canal. 
Although  his  ideas  were  far  in  advance  of  the  age, 
his  wildest  dreams  fell  far  short  of  the  reality. 
When  "  Clinton's  Ditch  "  was  completed  to  the  cen- 
tral and  western  parts  of  New  York,  opening  up  a 
market  for  the  wheat,  the  State  took  a  start  in  the 
race  for  wealth  which  it  has  maintained  to  the  pres- 
ent day.  It  was  the  awakening  ol'  that  spirit  of 
enterprise  that  has  since  girdled  the  world  with  elec- 
tric wires  and  reticulated  a  continent  with  railroads; 
that  has  sent  into  the  commercial  arteries  of  the 
world  a  set  of  business  men  whose  ideas  of  develop- 
ment and  extension  of  business  enterprises  found  no 
geographical  limits,  no  obstructions  in  lofty  moun- 
tain ranges,  deserts,  or  wide  oceans.  Fifty  years 
since  almost  every  daring  enterprise  was  projected 
by  a  New  Yorker.  Men  from,  their  infancy  were 
accustomed  to  consider  great  enterprises,  and  rail- 
roads, canals,  and  lines  of  steamers  were  planned  by 
school  children  as  pastimes. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  outgrowth,  the 
logical  sequence,  of  that  unprecedented  intellectual 
activity  that  gave  birth  to  such  men  of  enterprise 
and  courage  as  those  who  ]>rqjccted  and  completed 
the  trans-continental  railroads,  and  who  outstrip  the 
fables  of  the  Arabians  in  their  development  of 
mechanical  powei-s.  B.  F.  Leete  was  born  at  De  Ruy- 
ter,  Madison  Countj',  New  York,  Febuary  25,  1831. 
He  had  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools,  and 
also  of  the  Union  School  of  J>ockport,  in  his  native 
State.  It  will  be  remembered  by  our  readers  that 
Lockport  is  the  site  of  the  connection  of  the  Tona- 
wanda  Creek  with  the  long  levels  oi'  the  Krie  ( !anal, 
involving  an  elevation  of  the  boats  by  means  of  locks 
ol' about  eight}' feet.  The  works,  though  surpassed 
by  many  engineering  projects  since,  were,  at  the 
time,  considered  stupendous,  and  undoubtedly  the 
vast  piles  of  cut  granite,  forming  the  five  diferent 
lifts,  had  a  stimulating  influence  in  determining  him 
to  adopt  the  profession  of  civil  engineering.     At  the 


age  of  twenty  we  find  him  engaged  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Niagara  Branch  of  the  New  York  Central 
Eailroad.  This  was  completed  and  opened  to  the 
])ul)lic  in  September,  \S't2.  He  was  next  engaged  in 
the  exploration  and  location  of  a  route  for  branches 
of  the  New  York  and  Erie  TJailroad,  under  the  im- 
mediate direction  of  Alfred  Tufts,  of  ]?oston,  and  S. 
W.  Hall,  of  Philadelphia.  These  explorations  were 
completed  early  in  1854,  from  which  time  he  engaged 
in  bridge-building  until  1858.  When  the  trans-con- 
tinental railroad  was  projected  he  was  employed 
with  the  famous  engineer.  T.  D.  Judah,  to  make  the 
preliminarj'  surveys  from  Sacramento  eastward,  the 
road  being  afterwai'ds  located  nearly  on  the  same 
survey.  After  the  Central  Pacific  was  well  under 
way,  he  took  charge  of  the  Swamp  Land  Surveying 
Corps,  for  Sacramento  District,  during  the  years 
18Gl-(i2.  Jn  the  fall  of  18G2  he  bridged  the  Pajaro 
River  below  Gilroy,  on  the  lino  of  Santa  Clara  and 
Monterej-  Counties,  for.T.  P.  Sargent  and  Brothers. 
In  September,  ISii.'i,  he  surveyed,  and  in  company 
with  F.  Birdsall,  built  the  (Jolden  Canon  Grade. 
This  operation  engaged  his  attention  until  18(10, 
when  he  discovered  the  great  salt  mine  in  ('hurchill 
County.  Perceiving  the  value  of  these  in  connection 
with  the  immense  reduction  of  silver  on  the  Corn- 
stock  and  other  mines,  he  built  the  Eagle  Salt  Works, 
from  which  are  supplied  all  the  mines  of  the  Corn- 
stock.  Previous  to  this  salt  was  imported  from  the 
coast,  or  brought  long  distances  from  the  interior,  in 
some  instances  on  the  backs  of  Indians,  These 
works  being  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Kail- 
road,  ho  was  enabled  to  sup])ly  the  mills  at  a  much 
lower  figure  than  they  were  formerly  accustomed  to 
pay.  In  consequence  of  the  permanent  character  of 
his  Nevada  investments,  he  removed  his  family  to 
lieno,  where  he  has,  since  1871,  resi<led  with  his  fam- 
ily when  not  absent  on  some  of  his  numerous  busi- 
ness operations.  His  residence,  a  view  of  which  is 
given  in  this  work,  indicates  taste  and  a  love  of 
beauty  without  a  desire  for  ostentatious  disjjlay.  Vis- 
itors will  find  the  interior  corresponding  with  the 
e.xtcrior  in  its  arrangements  for  comfort  and  the  grat- 
ification of  the  high  aspirations  of  cultivated  minds. 


RAILROADS. 


277 


too  glad  to  lu'I])  in  the  ^nnd  work,  but  t'oni;ress  can 
alone  regulate  inter-State  tratlio.  Nevaila  is  lielploss 
in  the  grasp  of  the  Central  Pacific;.  The  Legislature 
has  legal  power  to  pass  laws  saj'ing  what  shall  be 
done  bj-  the  road  within  her  borders,  but  the  Central 
Pacific  has  power  to  take  tearful  vengeance  for  any 
such  exercise  of  this  right  as  the  bill  contom])lato8. 
It  is  not  good  policj-  to  exasperate  this  monopolj' 
needlessly.  A  few  years  ago  Washoe  County  com- 
pelled the  Central  Pacific  to  paj-  845,000  in  taxes, 
which  the  corporation  did  not  want  to  i>a)'.  What 
was  the  consequence?  Within  ten  days  wood  that 
had  been  hauled  from  Verdi  to  JJeno  for  fifty  cents 
per  cord  cost  one  dollar  to  haul.  The  freight  on 
BOmo  other  things  was  also  raised,  and  Mr.  I'owning 
said  he  did  not  think  he  was  making  an  extravagant 
statement  in  saj-ing  the  Central  Pacific  had  squeezed 
$2,500,000  out  of  the  people  of  Nevada  in  revenge 
for  having  been  forced  to  pay  that  845,000.  Let 
this  bill  i>ass,  which  would  save  the  State  833,000 
a  year  on  passenger  rates,  and  the  Central  Pacific 
would  put  on  the  screws  on  freight  and  tax  us 
833,000  a  month  heavier  than  now,  in  revenge.  *  *  * 

After  producing  evidence  of  the  truth  of  his  asser- 
tions, Mr.  Daggett  continued  as  follows: — 

Is  comment  necessary  upon  these  terrible  rates? 
Do  they  not  speak  trumpet-tongued  of  imjiositions 
unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  railroad  ruffianism? 
These  charges  have  been  neither  known  nor  credited 
beyond  the  State  of  Nevada.  When  mentioned  by 
the  press  they  have  been  denied,  and  tvitfi  threals  of 
still  greater  oppressions  the  railroad  dictators  have 
silenced  the  complaints  of  their  victims. 

Nevada  is  an  orange  which  for  ten  years  these 
railroad  vampires  have  been  sucking  in  silence.  We 
have  been,  and  are  still,  bleeding  at  every  pore,  but 
the  extent,  I  am  satisfied,  has  not  been  even  imagined 
by  those  in  whose  will  has  reposed  the  means  of 
relief.  I  am  here  to  day  to  make  proclamation  of 
these  wrongs,  that  others  maj'  understand  them  as 
I  do.  *  *  *  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  seventeen 
years  ago  freights  were  hauled  on  wagons  from 
Sacramento  to  Virginia  Citj',  up  through  the  heated 
vallej-s  and  over  the  rough  roads  and  frozen  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains,  for  prices  but  a  trifle  in 
advance  of  existing  railroad  rates  between  those 
two  points.  In  favorable  weather  Sacramento 
freights  were  then  delivered  in  Virginia  City  at 
one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  hundred  pounds.  The 
railroad  rates  are  now  one  dollar  and  forty-six  cents 
and  one-half — but  three  and  a  half  cents  per  hun- 
dred less  than  old  teaming  rates. 

Yes,  pack-mule  c()m))etitioii  in  Nevada,  of  which 
the  directors  of  the  Central  Pacific  infcrcntially 
comjjlain  as  a  sort  of  wicked  and  unnecessary 
menace  to  their  financial  well-doing,  is  indeed  all 
that  stands  between  llicm  and  the  establishment  of 
rates  in  keeping  with  their  rapacity,  and  their 
charges  are  scheduled  junt  a  shade  below  fii;ures 
that  would  line  the  roads  again  with  j)ack-lrains 
and  wagons. 

*****  ***:(o. 

r.MlALVZINO   OUR   INDUSTRIES. 

Nevada  abounds  in  rich  and  rebellious  ores,  reqrir- 
ing  the  expensive   aid   of  fire  in   reduction.     To   be 
reduced    at   a  profit    thej'  must  be    either   cheaply 
transported   to  cheap    fuel,  or    chea|>    fuel    must    bo    ' 
cheajjiyjtraiisported  to  them.      These   railroad  pro-   , 
35 


moters  of  our  industries  will  fulfill  neither  require- 
ment, and  while  the  mines  remain  undevelojted, 
and  thousands  of  hands  arc  vaiidy  seeking  employ- 
ment, their  cars  are  houriy  running  unburdened 
through  the  State. 

Their  object  seems  to  bo  to  crush,  not  to  develop, 
the  industries  of  Nevada,  and  to  this  end  the  com- 
lielition  of  special  rates  from  California  is  em])lo}'ed 
when  there  is  danger  of  an  industrj-  growing  into 
ini|)i)rtance.  Lest  I  maj'  not  he  (|uite  understood, 
permit  me  to  cite  an  example  or  two: — 

Limestone  is  rare  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Comstock.  Finally,  to  the  gratification  of  all.  a 
quarry  was  discovered  and  opened  about  ten  miles 
south  of  Virginia  City,  and  for  a  few  months  lime 
was  furnished  on  the  Comstock  cheaper  than  it  had 
ever  been  sold  before.  California  lime  was  no  longer 
required  in  Virginia,  and  its  transportation  to  Nevada 
almost  ceased.  The  opening  of  this  quarrj-  was  an 
interference  with  the  business  of  the  railroad  corn- 
pan}-,  and  the}'  ])romi)tly  closed  it  by  ])utting  the 
rates  on  California  lime  to  figures  below  the  cost 
of  local  production.  The  qaarr\-  was  abandoned, 
man}-  men  were  deprived  of  emjjloj-ment,  a  grow- 
ing itidustry  was  crushed,  and  the  price  of  lime 
has  gone  back  to  its  old  figures. 

There  are  valuable  sulphur  deposits  in  Humboldt 
County,  and  large  quantities  of  the  article  were  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  acids  near  Virginia.  Nevada 
sulphur  is  no  longer  in  demand.  It  can  be  laid  down 
in  Virginia  City  cheaper  from  Europe  than  from 
Humboldt  County. 

We  have  salt  and  soda  in  abundance,  but  they 
cannot  be  trans])orted  beyond  the  Stale,  and  farmei*s 
along  the  line  of  the  i-ailroad  are  kept  in  poverty  by 
special  rates  from  California. 

SPECIAL    DISCRI.MINATIONS    AllAINST    NEVADA. 

With  San  Francisco  rates  of  transportation  the 
foundries  and  machine  sho|)s.of'  \'irginia  and  (lold 
Hill  would  be  able  to  supply  eastern  Nevada  and 
Utah  with  large  quantities  of  mining  machiner}'  ; 
but  the  Central  Pacific  folks  will  not  permit  it,  and 
to  prevent  it  they  charge  82t(t(  ])er  car-load  more  for 
machinery  forwarded  from  IJeno  to  Utah  than  from 
San  Francisco  to  Utah. 


THE    P.V.SSENOER   TllAFKK!. 

But  the  im])ositions  of  the  llnion  and  Central 
Pacific  Railroads  are  not  confined  to  the  carriage  of 
freights.  The  through  ])assage  rates  between  vSan 
l''i-aiicisco  and  (Jinulia  are  over  five  cents  per  mile, 
with  the  addition  of  fourteen  dollai-s  for  a  single 
berth,  and  811!  50  for  meals  at  their  eating-slations. 
The  most  of  these  eating-stations  are  ap])urtcnances 
of  the  railroads,  and  the  fooil  hastily  served  is  as 
economical  in  cleanliness,  variety,  and  wholesome 
material  as  it  is  extravagant  in  |)rice.  1  do  not  men- 
tion this  in  the  way  of  complaint  exactly,  for  passen- 
gers can  carry  their  own  luncli-baskets,  ami  a  rough 
))ion<'cr  experience  of  thirty  years  on  the  frontiers  of 
tlif  P:icific  liMS  rendered  me  sonieu  hat  iiiditlVrent  to 
the  luxuries  anil  a|>poiiilnienls  of  a  well-s|iread  table. 
.My  object  is  simply  lo  "lidw  that  the  exceedingly 
thril'ty  manaixers  of  the  ovtrlaiiil  road-"  are  not 
reslr:ii  111(1  by  any  feelin-;  of  |iridf  Irom  ..wellinir  their 
annual  receipts  with  the  |irofils  of  badly-|)rovisionod 
lunch-stands. 

The  jirice  of  a  ihroui^h  ticket  from  Omaha  lo  San 
Francisco  is  8100.50;  distance,  1.027  miles.  But  this 
represents  the  price  ua  well  from  Omaha  to  Reno,  306 


278 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


miles  from  San  Francisco,  and  from  San  Francisco  to 
Cheyenne,  51G  miles  from  Omaha. 

********* 

HOW    THE   CENTR.\I,    P.VCIFIC    W.\S    BUILT. 

Nor  can  the  necessitj*  of  securing  a  fair  return  for 
the  mone}'  invested  b}'  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
owners  be  urged  in  explanation  ol' their  extraordinary 
charges.  When  they  began  the  construction  of  the 
road  thej-  paid  taxes  in  the  aggregate  on  property  of 
all  kinds,  amounting  to  less  than  .'^150, 000.  To-day 
their  railroad  property  alone,  with  the  indebtedness 
standing  against  it  deducted,  is  valued  by  them  at 
the  enormous  sum  of  over  8180,000,000.  But  it  can 
not  be  shown  that  thcj-  ever  advanced  money  enough 
from  their  own  pockets  to  build  a  single  mile  of  the 
road.  The  bonds  of  the  (rovernment  and  the  subsi- 
dies and  gifts  of  the  people  were  more  than  sufficient 
to  build  and  stock  the  road  entire. 

The  original  incorporators  paid  in  ten  per  cent,  on 
$1,000  a  mile  for  115  miles,  the  estimated  distance 
from  Sacramento  to  the  Nevada  line.  Twelve  hundred 
and  fifty  shares  of  stock  were  subscribed  at  SlOO  per 
share,  of  which  Messrs.  Stanford,  Huntington,  Hop- 
kins, and  Crocker  took  600  shares.  Assuming,  how- 
ever, that  they  advanced  the  required  ten  per  cent. 
on  all  the  shares  subscribed,  and  their  original 
investment  did  not  exceed  §12,500  all  told.  On  this 
small  investment  the  gentlemen  have  done  well — so 
well,  in  fact,  that  in  1S77  President  Stanford  reported 
the  ])roi)erty  of  the  (central  Pacific  to  bo  worth 
8187,003.()80".U(J,  while  .Mr.  (.Vocker,  President  of  the 
Southern  Pacific,  valued  the  property  of  that  road  at 
§115,359,011  08,  making  a  total  valuation  of  8302.- 
363, 592. ()4.  The  indebtedness  of  the  Central  Pacific 
was  given  bj'  Mr.  Stanford  at  885.301,350.64,  and 
the  indebtedness  of  the  Southern  Pacific  was  placed 
by  Mr.  Crocker  at  830,415,332.95,  making  the  total 
indebtedness  of  the  two  roads  8115,806,083.59.  The 
account  then  stood  as  follows: — 

Value  of  the  property  of  both  roads  8302,363,592  64 
The  indebtedness  of  both  roads 115,806,683  59 


Assets  over  liabilities. 186,556,909  05 

Independentlj'  of  the  United  Slates  bonds  loaned 
to  the  Central  Pacific,  the  gifts  to  the  two  roads 
amount  to  801,011,280,  according  to  the  estimates  of 
their  executive  officers.  The  net  earnings  of  the 
roads  are  reported  at  875,000,000.  In  reality  thev 
have  been  much  larger,  as  their  expense,  like  their 
construction  accounts,  have  afforded  large  margins 
of  profit  to  their  managers  in  other  capacities. 

A  part  of  the  wealth  of  these  railroad  gentlemen 
two  years  ago  consisted  of  854.000,000  of  watered 
stock  of  the  (Antral  Pacific  and  836,000,000  of  the 
Southern  Pacific,  being  an  aggregate  of  890,000,- 
000  in  stock,  which  cost  them  onlj'  the  price  of 
printing,  and  upon  which  the}'  are  compelling  the 
public  to  pay  them  eight  per  cent,  yearly  in 
dividends. 

The  Southern  Pacific  has  been  constructed  and 
paid  for  from  the  earnings  of  the  Central  J'acific, 
yet  the  owners  issue  850,00(1  in  stock  and  840,000 
in  bonds  per  mile,  and  charge  such  rates  as  will 
enable  them  to  collect  annually  eight  per  cent,  on 
the  stock  and  six  per  cent,  on  the  bonds. 

Hut,  inviting  as  the  subject  may  be,  it  is  not  my 
purpose  now  to  intpiire  into  the  methods  by  which 
the  owners  of  the  Central  Pacific  have  acquired 
their  stupendous  wealth.  1  have  desired  only  to 
show  that  their  extortions  are  as  unnecessary  as 
they  are  ungrateful  and  dishonest. 


The  speech  from  which  the  foregoing  are  extracts 
was  delivered  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  February,  1881, 
during  the  last  days  of  Mr.  Daggett's  term;  and  it 
was  called  forth  by  the  following,  known  as  the 
Williams  Joint  Resolution: — 

THE   WILLIAMS  JOINT    RESOLUTION. 

Joint  resolution  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  Stales  in 
relation  to  iliscrimination  in  fares  awl  freights  by 
interstate  railroad  companies. 

WiiERE.\s,  the  people  of  the  State  of  Nevada  have 
long  suffered  and  do  now  suffer  under  the  imposi- 
tions and  exactions  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  which,  besides  retarding  enterprise,  injures 
the  business  and  prosperity  of  the  people  of  this 
State,  and  amounts  to  the  most  enormous,  unjust, 
and  oppressive  tax  ever  laid  upon  the  industry  of  a 
people.  The  said  railroad  company  exercises  over 
the  persons  and  property  of  others  an  almost  abso- 
lute power,  vicious  and  tyrannical,  destructive  of 
the  rights  of  persons  and  of  ])roperty,  and  opposed 
to  common  justice,  as  well  as  to  every  ]irinciple  of 
civil  and  constitutional  liberty  known  since  the  days 
of  Magna  Charta;  and 

WuERE.\s,  it  is  proper  that  the  truth  should  be 
known  concerning  this  corporation  and  its  trans- 
actions, the  following  facts  are  herein  stated:  "The 
people  of  Palisade,  distant  435  miles  east  from  Sac- 
ramento, have  to  pay  for  freight  on  flour  (fourth- 
class  freight,  per  ])ublished  special-rate  tarift'  of 
Central  Pacific  Railroad)  ))er  car-load,  the  sum  of 
8282  from  Sacramento,  while  the  people  of  Toano, 
129  miles  further  east,  paj'  freight  on  flour  jier  car- 
load, according  to  the  printed  special  rate,  the  sum 
of  8275  per  car-load,  while  the  merchant  having  a 
contract  for  some  so-called  com])etitive  point  with 
this  railroad  company  paj-s  freight  on  the  same 
article,  to  wit,  flour,  per  carload,  onlj-  S2(»0,  The 
merchant  at  Toano,  having  a  special  contract,  pays 
eighty-two  dollars  per  car-load  less  freight  than  the 
merchant  at  Palisade,  although,  as  before  mentioned, 
the  carriage  is  129  miles  more.  The  goods  delivered 
at  Palisade  or  Battle  .Mountain,  distant  respectively 
435  and  383  miles  from  Sacramento,  have  a  freight 
charge  of  8480  per  car-load,  while  at  Toano  the 
freight  amounts  to  8275  per  car-load  to  persons 
having  special  contract  rates  for  so-called  com- 
jictitive  points,  the  greater  service  being  performed 
tor  the  less  amount.  Persons  shipping  wool  or 
other  products  from  Palisade.  Battle  Mountain,  Elko, 
or  other  points  in  this  State  to  the  Eastern  States, 
have  to  pay  local  rates  to  Sacramento,  thence  freight 
at  through  rates  back  over  the  same  road  to  the 
point  of  destination,  the  shipper  being  ot'ten  com- 
])elled  to  pay  freight  at  local  rates  for  a  distance  of 
over  500  miles,  a  service  useless  and  unnecessary 
even  if  rendered.  The  same  unjust  discrimina- 
tion is  practiced  by  this  railroad  com])any  against 
the  people  of  this  Stale  in  the  rates  of  freight  upon 
goods  ship|)ed  from  points  east  of  this  State.  The 
freight  on  a  l)Ox  of  eggs  from  Ogden  to  Toano  costs 
one  man  83.35  per  box,  and  the  same  number  of 
eggs,  in  the  same  sized  box,  and  of  the  same  weight, 
costs  another  man  sixty-five  cents.  A  hundred 
pounds  of  sfjuushes  costs  one  man  in  freight  81.36, 
while  it  costs  another  fifty-five  cents.  Hams  and 
case  goods  costs  one  man  82.04,  while  it  costs 
another  but  fifty-fivo  cents.  The  distance  from 
Ogden  to  Toano  is  183  miles.  The  same  unjust  dis- 
crimination is  also  practiced  bj-  this  railroad  com|>any 
in  passenger  faros,    A  ticket  from  Omaha  to  San  Fran- 


RAILROADS. 


279 


Cisco  costs  SUM),  while  :i  ticket  from  Omaha  to  Pal- 
isade, buintc  (iOd  miles  nearer,  costs  ninety-tive  dol- 
lars. A  person  desiring  to  go  East  is  charged  within 
a  fraction  of  the  full  fare,  through  and  from  San 
Francisco  to  the  point  he  desires  to  reach,  although 
he  may  ride  over  one-third  or  less  of  the  line  of  the 
Central  Pacitic  JJailroad.  More  appalling  examples 
of  injustice  than  arc  shown  by  the  above  instances, 
selected  from  among  a  mj'riad  of  kindred  trans- 
gressions, are  hard  to  conceive;  and 

Whereas,  such  pernicious  practices  should  bo  no 
longer  tolerated;  Therefore, 

Be  it  hji  the  Sewite  atul  Ansemh/i/  conjointly  resolved, 
That  the  jiassago  of  the  bill  now  before  Congress, 
known  as  the  Reagan  Bill,  prohiiiiting  discrimination 
in  fares  and  freights  on  interstate  railroads,  will  bo 
bailed  with  joy  by  the  people  of  this  State  as  a 
measure  of  justice  and  relief 

VALUE  OP  C.  p.  RAILROAD   PROPERTY  IN  NEVADA. 

A  law  was  passed  in  18G5,  and  amended  in  1878, 
bj-  the  Legislature,  that  requires  all  railroads,  wholly 
or  in  part  within  Nevada,  to  report  each  year  to  the 
Secretary  of  State.  *  *  *  "  The  amount  of  cash 
expended  for  the  purchase  of  lands  for  the  construc- 
tion of  the  road  of  such  company,  the  cost  of  the 
construction  of  such  road,  and  the  cost  of  buildings, 
engines  and  cars,  respectively,  used  by  such  company 
in  this  State." 

A  penalty  of  §500  per  day  is  named  as  a  punish- 
ment for  every  day  that  elapses  after  February  Ist 
of  each  3'ear  that  any  compan}-  fails  to  report  the 
above  facts  regarding  the  year  ending  the  previous 
December  31st. 

The  com))anies  of  the  State  paid  no  attention  to 
this  law  until  after  the  amendment  of  187S,  which 
fixed  the  penalties  for  noncompliance.  The  Central 
Pacific  Road  has  never  comjilied  with  the  require- 
ments of  this  clause,  claiming  that  they  cannot, 
because  of  the  want  on  their  part  of  data  from 
which  to  give  the  facts. 

The  value  of  the  property  can,  however,  be  com- 
puted from  their  own  statements.  Elaborate  and 
fair  estimates  have  been  made  which  fix  the  value  of 
the  Central  Pacific  Comjiany's  property  in  this  State 
at  849,403,437.  In  1880,  that  property  was  assessed 
at  84,152,414,  being  one-twelfth  of  the  value  placed 
upon  it  by  the  companj-.  The  different  counties 
make  different  assessments,  not  being  regulated  by 
a  State  Board  of  Equalization. 

The  attempt  to  raise  the  value  of  Central  Pacific 

Railroad  pro])crty  in  any  of  the  counties  has  alwaj's 

been  met  by  expensive    litigation,  and   usually  has 

resulted  in  failure.     In  Washoe  County,  in  18G9,  the 

Board  of  Equalization  reduced  their  assessment  from 

81,203,139  to  8050,389;  but  the  Supreme   Court  set 

the  reduction  aside,  and  the  following  exhibits  the 

struggle  that  has  been  going  on  there  since: — 

As  fixed  by  Board 
Assessment  in  of  K(|uaIi/.ation. 

1870 . .  81,044  484 851 1, 1 00 

1871..  1.112,750 559,440 

1872 . .  1,04!»,150 543,050 

1873..   471,030...increa.-<ed  to,  ..  532,480 
1874..   780,000.... reduced  to....  030,000 


1875,.  806,505.. ...010,722 

1870  .  814,258 615,000 

1877..  889,277.  715.423 

1878..  888,051 723,660 

1879..  999,985 743,085 

1880..  890,110 733,210 

A  reference  to  the  speech  made  by  Mr.  Powning, 
in  the  State  Senate  in  1881,  will  give  an  idea  of  the 
animus  of  this  contest. 

In  Humboldt  County,  in  1809,  the  Board  of  Equal- 
ization raised  the  railroad  assessment  from  80,000 
per  rail?  to  88,000. 

There  were  a  number  of  citizens  holding  county 
scrip  who  became  frightened,  fearing  a  refusal  of 
the  railroad  to  pay  its  taxes,  which  would  keep 
them  out  of  their  monoj',  and  thej'  petitioned  the 
Commissioners  to  reconsider  the  raise,  and  it  was 
done. 

In  1880,  the  Board,  in  response  to  a  petition,  raised 
the  assessment  from  80,000  to  89,000,  but  failed  to 
make  it  stand,  because  of  informality  in  the  way  it 
was  raised. 

In  Lander  County  the  assessment  was  raised  to 
89,000  per  mile  by  the  Board  of  Equalization  in 
1879;  and  in  1880  a  further  raise  was  made  by  the 
Board  to  812,000  jicr  mile.  Both  times  the  Assessor 
had  placed  it  at  80,000. 

In  Eureka  County  the  main  track  was  assessed  in 
1874  at  815,000  per  mile.  The  company  litigated 
the  question  of  pa3-ment.  and  the  matter  was  com- 
promised finally  when  they  paid  on  86,000.  It  was 
continued  at  80,000  until  1879,  when  the  assessment 
was  again  raised  to  89,000,  Another  litigation 
occurred,  but  those  figures  were  maintained, 

VIRGINIA   AND   TRUCKEE    RAILROAD, 

One  of  the  first  railroad  franchises  granted  in 
Nevada  was  in  1801, 1'or  a  right  to  construct  a  road 
from  Virginia  City  to  the  boundary  lino  of  Califor- 
nia, by  waj'  of  Eagle  and  Washoe  Valleys,  and  the 
Truckee  River.  Carson  City  was  to  be  reached  by 
a  branch  from  the  main  line.  The  scheme  was 
known  as  the  "Virginia,  Carson  and  Truckee  Rail- 
road," but  never  became  operative  except  in  theory. 

The  successor  of  the  foregoing,  under  the  name 
of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad,  camo  into 
existence  under  a  special  law,  approved  December 
20,  1802,  in  which  the  general  direction  of  the  main 
line  was  changed  so  as  to  jiass  through  Carson  City. 
Under  pain  of  forfeiture  it  was  to  bo  com])letod 
within  four  years.  Among  the  incorporators  are 
found  the  names  of  John  II.  Atkinson,  Theodore 
Winters,  M.  C,  Hillyer,  and  J.  Neoly  Johnson;  but 
the  road  was  never  constructed. 

Before  the  expiration  by  limit  of  the  last  men- 
tioned charter,  a  now  company  was  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  building  a  narrow-gauge  railroad  over 
the  same  route,  and  a  special  Act  of  incorporation 
was  approved  by  the  Governor,  November  2,  1805, 
The  name  assumed  was  the  "Virginia  and  Truckee 
River  Railroad,"  This  effort,  like  the  balance,  did 
not  produce  a  railroad. 


280 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


On  tho  L'iirhth  of  May,  18G7.  ori^anization  papers 
were  filed  in  the  Secretary  of  Slate's  office,  settiiij^ 
forth  that  parties,  araonfj  whom  was  William  Sharon, 
proposed  to  build  a  railroad  from  Gold  Ilili  uorth- 
erl}- to  a  point  on  the  Truckee  River  six  miles  east  of 
the  Stone  and  Gates  crossing,  and  they  called  them- 
selves the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  Company. 
This  enterprise  followed  in  the  way  of  its  predeces- 
sors and  no  road  was  built,  although  the  route  was 
surveyed  in  September  of  that  year. 

THE  VIKUINIA   AND   TRUCKEE   RAILROAD  BUILT. 

The  menace  contained  in  the  foregoing  proposi- 
tion to  connect,  by  rail,  Virginia  City  with  navigable 
waters  by  a  route  that  would  leave  Eagle  and 
Washoe  Valleys  unapproached,  aroused  the  people 
of  those  localities  lo  action.  A  movement  was 
consequently  inaugurated  to  induce  Ormsby  and 
Washoe  Counties  to  become  stockholders  in  a  rail- 
road. It  was  proposed  by  the  officers  of  tho  Virginia 
and  Truckee  Railroad  Company,  that  if  Ormsbj' 
County  would  take  §200,000  in  their  company  stock 
atone  dollar  per  share,  and  Washoe  County  200,000 
shares  at  the  same  price,  that  they  would  change  the 
direction  of  their  route  so  as  to  reach  the  Central 
Pacific  through  Carson  City  and  Washoe  Valley  to 
the  Truckee  River. 

Articles  of  agreement  wore  entered  into  and 
signed  by  the  County  Commissioners  for  the  counties, 
and  by  William  Sharon  and  Thomas  Sunderland 
for  the  railroad  company,  embodying  these  facts. 
There  was  no  power  existing  in  the  county  officers 
to  bind  the  county,  and  the  people  signed  almost 
unanimously  a  petition  asking  the  Legislature  to 
jjass  an  enabling  Act  authorizing  this  investment. 
This  was  in  February,  1868*.  On  the  fifth  of  March 
incorporation  papers  were  filed  with  the  Secretary  of 
State  organizing  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad 
Company,  under  which  that  company  now  operates. 
In  that  paper  the  following  gentlemen  were  named 
as  Directors: — 

William  Sharon,  Charles  Bonner, 

Thomas  Sunderland,  F.  A.  Tritle, 

A.  W.  Baldwin,  Thomas  Bell, 

W.  E.  Barron,  W.  C.  Ralston, 

J.  D.  Fry, 

To  which  add  I).  O.  Mills  lo  include  all  of  the  incor- 
porators. On  the  twentieth  of  June  the  completion 
of  the  survey  for  the  road  was  announced,  I.  E.  James, 
Engineer.  On  the  twenty  first  of  Jul}-  the  Carson 
Ap/>e(t/  ntntod  that  the  railroad  company-  did  not  ))ro- 
pose  to  build  in  conformity  to  their  contract  with  the 
county.  Decenilier  i:!,  18G8,  it  was  announced  in  tho 
A/j/m;,iI  that  William  Sharon  would  procure  the  build- 
ing of  a  railroad  from  Virginia  City  to  Carson  if  the 
people  of  Ormsby  County  would  give  §200,000  as  a 
donation,  and  that  the  building  of  the  same  would 
add  at  least  8 1.0(10, 000  to  the  taxable  ])roperty  of  that 
county,  including  road-bo<i  at  840,000  per  mile.  Tho 
figures  showed  that  the  addition  of  taxable  value  in 

•tSei-  Caraoii  Daily  Ajijn-nl  I'Vliruiiry  'iSth  aud  ^Uth,  March 
17th  aud  2;!d,  aud  July  -Jlat— all  of  1868. 


Ormsby  Countj-  would  be  so  great  that  the  railroad 
|)ropcrty  alone  would  pay  within  fifteen  years  in 
taxes  an  amount  equal  to  all  the  principal  and  interest 
on  the  bonds,  amounting  to  S32G, 002,  except  the  paltry 
sum  of  §48,502.  This  last  named  amount  was  the 
sum  total  of  what  it  would  cost  the  coun'y  to  pay 
the  §326,002  as  a  gift  to  that  company. 

A  large  majority  of  the  people  signed  petitions  to 
the  Legislature  asking  the  passage  of  an  enabling  Act 
authorizing  the  issuance  of  bonds  for  8200,000  in 
Ormsby  and  8300,000  in  Storey  Counties,  and  such 
bills  were  passed. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  February  ground  was  first 
broken  for  the  road.  August  lith,  tho  first  locomotive 
for  it  was  landed  in  Carson,  and  the  first  rail  was  laid 
on  the  twentj'-eighth  of  September.  October  28th,  A. 
£).  Treadway  shipped  the  first  freight  on  it,  consist- 
ing of  two  sacks  of  potatoes,  and  Xovember  12th  con- 
nection by  rail  was  completed  between  Carson  and 
Virginia  Cities,  and  the  first  passenger  coach  passed 
from  the  latter  place  to  the  former  on  the  twentj'- 
niiith  of  the  same  month,  all  in  1869. 

On  the  seventh  of  November,  1871,  the  road  was 
completed  from  Reno  to  Steamboat  Springs,  and  the 
first  train  passed  over  tho  road  between  those  points. 
On  the  twenty-fourth  of  tho  following  August,  the 
last  spike  was  driven  that  completed  the  lino  from 
Reno  to  Carson  on  which  day  tho  first  train  passed 
over  the  road  from  Virginia  City  to  the  Truckee 
River.  The  first  freight  from  Reno  to  Carson,  all  tho 
way  by  rail,  was  the  press  and  material  for  use  in 
the  new  Appeal  office.  On  the  nineteenth  of  Septem- 
ber, the  first  through  freight  cars,  two  of  them  from 
San  Francisco  to  Virginia  Citj%  passed  over  the  road. 
On  tho  first  of  October,  1872,  the  first  regular  passen- 
ger train  passed  over  the  lino,  with  Ilarry  Slirievcs 
as  conductor.  In  December,  1872,  the  com])any  com- 
menced tho  construction  of  their  car  and  machine 
shops  in  Carson,  and  on  the  eleventh  of  the  same 
month,  the  construction  of  the  telegraph  line  from 
Reno  to  Virginia  Citj'  along  the  railroad  was  com- 
menced. In  1874  steel  rails  were  laid  between  Car- 
son and  Virginia,  necessitated  because  of  the  large 
amount  of  business,  thirty-six  trains  per  day  being 
required  to  carry  tho  passengers  and  freight. 

COST  OP  CONSTRUCTION. 

In  Dan  Do  Quillo's  book,  known  as  the  ''Big  Bonan- 
za," page  228,  it  is  recorded  that  the  cost  of  tho  road, 
ready  for  rolling-stock,  from  Virginia  City  to  Carson, 
a  distance  of  twenty-one  miles,  was  81,7.50,000 — or 
883,333  per  mile.  September  25,  1873,  H.  R,  Mighels 
states  in  an  article  in  tho  Carson  Ap]>eitl,  written  in 
the  interest  of  tho  Virginia  and  Truckee  Companj-, 
that  the  cost  of  constructing  tho  entire  road  from 

Virginia  City  to  Reno,  had  been $  2,600.000 

Rolling-stock 509,500 

Car  shops 150.000 

Real  *estate,  right  of  way,  etc 120.000 

Total   cost  of  assets $3,379,500 

Making  the  cost  per  mile  for  construction,  852,107. 


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RAILROADS. 


281 


In  1880  the  report  made  to  the  State  by  that  com- 
pany as  their  assets,  earnings,  etc.,  was  as  follows: — 

REPORT  TO  THE  ST.\TE  IN   1880. 

Expended  for  construction,  etc $  3,715,873  23 

Rolling-stock 712,278  84 

Real  estate 200,998  21 

Teams 34,047  84 

Wood 39,844  85 

Stockon  hand.. 146,994  28 

Totalcost  of  assets  in  1880 $4,856,042  25 

Transportation  receipts,  1880 1,124,300  32 

Operating  E.xpenses,  1880 674,553  38 

Net  earnings  in  1880 $449,746  94 

Length  of  road  in  miles ..52j^'^ 

Cost  per  mile  to  construct  road $71,185  00 

Cost  per  mile  for  other  assets,  including 

equipments 21,842  00 

Total  cost  per  mile 893,027  00 

Per  cent,  of  net  profit  upon  this  cost  per  mile,    9  (-J^ 

ASSISTANCE    RECEIVED. 

Ormsby  County  Bonds 8200,000  00 

Storey  County  Bonds 300,000  00 

Comstock  Mining  Companies 387,383  53 

Total 8887,383  53 

E(iual  to  817,065  per  mile  for  the  entire  length  of 
the  road. 

To  obtain  this  assistance  inducements  were  set 
forth  by  the  company's  agents,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  a  sample.  The  statement  is  direct  from  Mr. 
Sharon  and  his  associates  to  the  editor  of  the  Appeal* 
of  the  taxable  property  that  the  railroad  would  add 
to  Ormsby  County: — 

Ten  miles  of  road  at  840,000  per  mile 8400,000 

Machine  shops  and  foundries,  not  less  than  . .    150,000 

Engine  and  cars,  say . 100,000 

Increase  of  mill  property 200,000 

*  See  Caraon  Appeal,  February  20,  1S7'J. 


Increase     from     storage     and     supply     of 

wood,  etc 1 50,000 

Total  increase   in  assessable  value   in 

Ormsby  County 81,000,000 

WoKKI.NO    TEST   OR   RESULT. 

With  such  an  understanding  the  people  favored 
the  gift  to  the  company,  but  when,  in  1869,  the 
Assessor  placed  the  railroad  assessment  at  820,000 
per  mile,  just  one-half  what  the  com])any  had 
affirmed  that  the  same  should  be,  exceptions  were 
taken,  and  a  sworn  statement  was  made  by  the  com- 
pany's Vice-President,  that  in  effect  contradicted  the 
original  statement,  inasmuch  as  he  or  they  had 
placed  the  figures  six  timea  hhjher  than  the  company 
was  willing  to  be  assessed.  The  following  is  the 
substance  of  the  statement  of  the  Vice-President  in 
1870,  referred  to,  giving  his  estimate  of  the  value  of 
the  road: — 
Eleven  and  one-half  miles  of  main  and  side 

tracks  at  86,000  per  mile 869,000 

Real  estate . .        5,500 

Other  property 55,850 

Total 8130,350 

The  Carson  Appeal  o?  January  25,  1870,  says: — 

We  have  given  the  railroad  company  8200,000  in 
seven  per  cent,  interest  bearing  bonds;  and  we  did  it 
on  a  promise  that  the  company  would  add  81,000,000 
of  taxable  pro])ertj^  to  this  county.  We  did  it  also 
upon  the  statements,  often  repeated,  of  the  agents 
and  priiici])al  men  of  the  company,  that  the  com- 
pany would  submit  to  an  assessed  valuation  upon 
their  road  of  $40,000  to  the  mile. 

The  assessment  was  reduced  by  the  Assessor  to 
814,000,  and  then  by  the  County  Commissioners,  con- 
sisting of  H.  F.  Rice,  A.  B.  Driesbach,  and  S.  E. 
Jones,  to  811,333  per  mile. 

The  following  table  shows  the  working  test  of  the 
inducements  for  the  $200,000  donation  in  Ormsby 
County: — 


Assessed 

ROAD 

AND  Equalized   Value  of   Virginia  and  Truckee  Rail- 
Properiv,  and  Tax  on  the  Same  in  Ormsby  County. 

Principal  and  Intere.st  paid  by  Ormsby  County  upon 

THE   $200,000  GIVEN    TO  THE   V.    &   T.    R.    R. 

Year. 

Main  Track 
per  Mile. 

Same  as 
Equalized. 

Total 
Property. 

Total  Tax  Paid. 

Principal . 

Interest. 

Total  Paid. 

1869. 

8  42,200 
189,218 
232,04!) 
268,458 
282,573 
391,013 
520,028 
447,5!I7 
434,98!! 
428,!I77 
662,15(1 
497,492 

8  1.899  00 
7,573  74 
10,238  21 
ll,77!l  14 
11,411   62 
15,8(;4   11 
17,885   7(1 
14,5;i2  73 
15,i:!!l  87 
14,083  58 
l!t,558  91 
14.863  07 

1870... 

814,000 
11,333 
11,333 
12,000 
11,333 
11,333 
11,333 
10,000 
11,333 
25,000 
15,000 

$11,333 
'"l  1,333 

820,405  00 

13,755  00 

13,720  00 

13,242  25 

5,000   00 

18,627  87 

23,411   00 

5,145  00 

9,030  00 

7,910  00 

3,325  00 

$20,405  00 

1871.-- 

13,755  00 

1872..- 

13,720  00 

1873... 
1874 

84,833  33 
6,650   00 
9,823  63 
14,700  00 
22,749  97 
16,000  00 
18,000  00 
18,000  00 

18,075  58 
11,650  00 

1875... 
1876.. 

1877.  .. 
1878... 
1879 

11,333 

28,451  50 
38,111   00 
27,894  97 
25,030  (10 
25,910  00 

1880... 

13,800 

21,325  00 

8154,829  68 

8110,756  93 

8133,571  12 

$244,328  05 

282 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Of  the  above  tax  ])aid  by  the  com])any  the  State 
received  •?40,194.50,  which  leaves  the  county  as 
recipient  (.f  only  8114,635.18.  This  is  818,935.94  less 
than  has  been  paid  in  interest  on  the  bonds  given  by 
Ormsby  County  to  that  corporation.  Yet  the  author- 
ized agentof  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  said 
to  the  people  of  Ormsbj- County,  through  the  columns 
of  the  Appeal,  that  within  fifteen  j-ears  the  company's 
taxes,  that  would  be  paid  to  the  county,  would  equal 
both  the  principal  and  interest  thereon,  less  848,502. 

MORAL. 

Let  those  who  would  vote  to  give  money  to  soul- 
less corporations,  upon  an  expectation  of  beneficial 
results  that  will  not  be  of  a  pecuniary  benefit  to  the 
corporation,  remember  what  God  said  about  men  who 
were  given  over  to  believe  a  lie  and  be  damned.* 

ASSESS.MENT   OF  VIRCilNIA   AND   TRDCKEE    PROPERTY  AND 
TAX    PAID. 

The  result  has  been  given  of  the  first  effort  to 
place  a  taxable  value  upon  the  assets  of  this  com- 
pany that  would  be  in  proportion  to  the  property  of 
private  citizens.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
results  from  that  date  to  the  present  time  in  each  of 
the  counties  through  which  it  runs.  Will  the  reader 
please  note  the  difference  between  the  values  placed 
upon  the  property  in  1878,  1879  and  1880.  In  1879 
the  assessment  was  raised  8500,490,  and  fell  off  again 
the  next  year  $195,027.  Why  was  this  ?  In  1879  11. 
H.  Bence  was  Assessor  of  Ormsby  Count}-,  and  vis- 
ited the  Assessors  of  Washoe,  Storey  and  Lyon  Coun- 
ties, urging  upon  them  the  justice  of  making  a 
united  effort  for  an  advance,  with  results  as  indi- 
cated. In  1880  Mr.  Bence  was  not  elected,  lie  had 
served  the  people  so  well  that  the  railroad  company 
breveted  him;  the  voters  put  him  upon  the  retired 
list,  and  the  assessment  dropped  back  8195,027. 

The  following  table  will  show  what  the  expenses 
and  receipts  of  that  company  was  for  each  month  in 
1872,  and  is  the  only  report  of  the  kind  for  years 
previous  to  1879: — 

STATEMENT. 


1872. 

Expenses. 

Gross  Receipts. 

Januauy  

February 

March 

April 

Mav    

8         53,022  32 

48,147  18 
51,710  23 
42,813  59 
48,059  54 
46,894  12 
50,801   20 
53,010  77 
06,043  78 
83,360  42 
87,803  47 
86,308  76 

8           66,461  76 
66,044  97 
80,239  25 
82,357  98 
83,006  76 

Juno 

85.103  70 

July 

August 

September   ... 

October 

November 

December  . 

89.080  73 

97,478  25 

101,753  97 

95.342  38 

120,901   82 

112,577  55 

8       718,987  44 

%       1,070,300  18 

*II  ThessalouianB,  second  chapter,  eleventh  and  first  part  of 
twelfth  verBua. 


Freights  passing  over  the  road  for  the  fii"st  six 
months  of  1873,  as  reported  by  the  general  Freight 
Agent: — 

STATEMENT. 


Articles. 

In  Pounds. 

Total  in  Tons. 

Merchandise 

Lumber* ^ 

Woodt - .  - 

Coal,  (stone) 

Ore 

Tailings 

Live  stock 

Crude  bullion 

42,020,604 

70,915.872 

108,420.000 

30,068,860 

224,088,500 

12,096,000 

220,000 

160,474 

21,010 

35,457 

54,210 

19,534 

112,044 

6,048 

110 

80 

Totals 

496,799,310 

248,495 

•Number  of  feet,  2:J,93S,6l'4. 
tNumber  of  cords,  43,3tiS. 


ANNUAL  REPORT   OF  THE   VIRGINIA   AND   TRUCKEE    RAIL- 
ROAD  COMPANY-   FOR   THE   YEAR    1880.* 

Amount  of  capital  stock. 86,000,000  00 

Amount   expended    for    construction, 
land,  etc: — 

Construction 83,715,878  23 

Rolling-stock 712,278  84 

Real  estate 206,998  21 

Teams 34,047  84 

Wood 39,844  85 

Stock  on  hand 146,994  28 

Total 84,856,042  25 

Amount  of  indebtedness: — 

Bonds 8900,000  00 

Mining  Companies 92,600  08 

Total 8992,600  08 

Due  this  company  from  sundry  sources    8197,011  25 
Amount  received  for  transportation  of 
freight,  passengers,    mail,    express, 

baggage,  etc 81,124,300  32 

Amount  rec'd  from  sales  of  old  rails..      834,819  92 
Freightof  all  kinds  hauled,  am't  in  tons      343,924J^^ 
Amount  paid  for  account  of  operating 

expenses 8074,553  38 

Number  of  dividends  (paid  monthly).  12 

Amount  paid  ($15,000  per  month)...    8180,000  00 

Number  of  engine  houses,  shops,  engines,  cars: — 

Engine  houses 4 

Machine  shops 3 

Engines 24 

Passenger  coaches 10 

Baggage,  mail  and  express  cars     4 

Box  cars 7 

Platform  cars 237 

Ore  cars 117 

Traffic  receipts  as  above 81,124,300  32 

Operating  expenses 674,553  38 

Net  trallic  earnings 449,74ij  94 

Paid  dividends 180,000  00 

Bonds  redeemed 100,000  00 

Paid  interest  on  bonds 97,250  00 

Directors — D.  O.  Mills,  San  Francisco,  California; 
H.  M.  Yerrington,  Carson  City,  Nevada  ;  1).  L.  Bliss, 
Carson  City,  Nevada  ;  I.  L.  Requa,  Virginia  City, 
Nevada;  William  Sharon,  Virginia  City,  Nevada;  B. 

*  In  consequence  of  the  doatructinn  of  the  .Secretary's  books  by 
fire,  several  years  ago,  it  is  impossililc  for  the  officers  of  the  com- 
pany to  state  the  amount  of  paid  up  capital,  and  it  is  therefore 
necessarily  omitted  in  this  report. 


RAILROADS. 


283 


C.  Whitman,  Virginia  City,  Nevada  ;    J.  W.  Eckley, 
Virginia  City,  Nevada. 

Officers — i).  O.  Mills,  President,  San  Francisco, 
California;  II.  M.  Yerrington,  Vice-President,  Carson 
Cit}-,  Nevada;  Agonc}-  Hank  of  (Jalifornia,  Treasurer, 
Virginia  City,  Nevada;  W.  .M.  Thornton,  Secretary, 
Virginia  City,  Nevada;  II.  M.  Yerrington,  (Jenoral 
Sn])erinten(lont.  Cai-son  City,  Nevada;  I.  E.  James, 
Consulting  Kngineer,  Virginia  City,  Nevada;  P.  A. 
Lugonbuhl,  Road  Master,  Carson  City,  Nevada  ;  J. 
E.  Fording.  Master  .Mechanic,  Carson  Citj-,  Nevada; 
B.  F.  Ljon,  Master  Car  Repairer,  (..'arson  Citj% 
Nevada;  II.  Hunter,  blaster  Transportation,  Carson 
City,  Nevada;  I).  A.  Bender,  Freight  and  Passenger 
Agent,  Carson  City,  Nevada;  C.  P.Mason,  Purchas- 
ing Agent,  Carson  City,  Nevada.  Principal  office 
and  address,  Carson  City,  Nevada. 

The  wages  paid  on  this  road  are,  engineers  five 
dollars  per  day,  conductors  four  dollars,  firemen 
three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  and  brakemen  three 
dollars  and  twenty-tive  cents. 

LOCAL  FREIGHT  TARIFF,  OCTOBER  1,  1880. 


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Washoe 

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30  30 
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Franktown 

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26.5 

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Gold  Hill 

Virginia 

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Merctiandise  in  cents  per  100  pounds,  as  above,  will  api)ly  upon 
all  articles  not  enumerated  under  head  of  "Car  Load  Kates." 
The  above  rates  will  apply  I)etween  stations,  unless  otherwise 
provided.  Through  rates  for  freight  range  from  eight  to  fifteen 
and  one-half  cents  per  ton  per  mile.  Passenger  rates  never  ex- 
ceed seven  and  one-half  cents  per  mile. 


NEVAD.\    CENTRAL    RAILKOAl). 

In  1874,  M.  J.  Farrell,  of  Austin,  Lander  County, 
foreseeing  that  the  time  would  come  when  the 
expense  of  mining  in  the  Reese  Iliver  country, 
because  of  slow  and  expensive  freight  facilities, 
would  exceed  the  income,  and  that  it  would  result 
in  an  eventual  abandonment  of  the  country,  com- 
menced a  railroad  agitation,  by  writing  articles  for 
the  Reese  River  Reveille,  on  the  feasibility  and  neces- 
sity of  such  an  enterprise.  lie  also  gathered  statistics 
in  relation  to  such  a  road  and  laid  tlicm  before  the 
people  at  a  meeting  called  for  that  purpose.  The 
work  was  warmly  seconded  by  the  people,  and  a 
bill    drawn    up  for  presentation  to  the  Legislature 


at  the  next  session,  granting  a  franchise  and  8200,- 
000  subsidj-  to  any  party  that  would  build  the 
road.  He  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  that  fall 
and  laid  the  matter  before  the  Legislature  of  1875 
as  Senate  Bill  No.  3.  Many  members  had  been 
elected  on  an  anti-subsidy  platform,  and  L.  R.  Brad- 
ley, the  incarnation  of  opposition  to  railroad  subsidies, 
occupied  the  Governor's  chair.  The  prospect  for 
getting  such  a  bill  through  was  gloomy,  but  he 
went  to  work  at  it,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the 
Assemblymen  from  Lander  County,  and  other 
friends,  succeeded  after  a  hard  fought  battle  not 
only  in  passing  the  bill,  but  in  again  passing  it  over 
the  Ciovernor's  veto. 

After  the  session,  he  went  to  California,  consulted 
Governor  Stanford  and  the  officers  of  the  Central 
Pacific,  with  which  road  it  was  to  connect  at  Battle 
Mountain,  as  to  what  facilities  they  would  afford  the 
enterprise;  visited  the  North  Pacific  Coast  Narrow- 
(ruuge  Railroad,  and  commenced  the  study  of  narrow 
gauges.  After  his  return  home  he  took  charge  of  the 
petition  made  necessary  by  the  bill,  and  carried  it 
through  to  completion,  meanwhile  gathering  statistics 
as  to  the  traftic  of  the  road,  procuring  all  books  possi- 
ble that  treated  of  narrow-gauge  roads,  and  writing 
up  the  whole  subject  in  all  its  bearings  five  diff"erent 
times,  for  as  many  different  parties  who  wished  to 
investigate  the  subject.  He  corresponded  with 
parties  all  over  the  United  States,  writing  volumes 
on  the  subject,  from  1875  to  1870.  Ho  dung  to  it, 
and  believed  it  would  finalij'  become  an  accomplished 
fact,  although  every  other  man  in  the  county,  with- 
out exception,  had  given  it  up,  and  began  to  laugh  at 
"  Farrell's  Hobbj-." 

After  his  return,  a  meeting^as  called  to  which  he 
submitted  the  information  acquired,  and  ])ro])osed  a 
subscri])tion  to  pa}-  for  surveying  a  route.  This  was 
responded  to  with  alacrity,  and  a  survey  was  made 
with  elaborate  maps  and  specifications  as  to  cost. 
They  were  submitted  to  several  parties,  and  finally 
to  Col.  Lyman  Bridges,  of  Chicago,  who  atler  con- 
siderable correspondence,  came  oat,  and  in  connection 
with  the  following-named  parlies  formed  the  Nevada 
Central  Railroad  Company  on  the  second  of  Septem- 
ber, 1879. 

OFFICERS    AND    niRECTOKS. 

W.  S.  Gage,  of  San  Francisco President 

R.  L.  S.  Hall,  of  New  York  City Vice-President 

A.  A.  Curtis,  of  Austin,  Nevada Treasurer 

J.  D.  Negus,  of  Hattle  Mountain,  Nevada .  .Secrotar^- 
Lyman  Bridges,  of  Chicago,  Illinois. .  Chief  Kngineer 
J.  C.  Fisher,  of  Battle  Mouut'n,  Nev.  .Master  Mechanic 

F.  W.  Dunn,  •  "  "   Asst.  Supt. 

D.  B.  Hatch,  of  New  York Director 

M.  E.  Angel, of  Battle  Mountain,  Nevada " 

James  II.  Ledlie,  of  Ulica,  New  York " 

M.  J.  Farrell,  of  Austin,  Nevada " 

A.  Nichols,  of  Austin,  Nevada " 

Work  was  immediatel}'  commenced,  and  the  con- 
struction was  completed  on  the  ninth  of  February, 


284 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


1S80.  The  road  is  a  three-foot  gauge,  with  iron  rails 
weighing  thirty-five  pounds  to  the  yard.  The  curves 
range  from  six  to  twenty-two  degrees,  and  the 
steepest  grade  is  115  feet  to  the  mile.  There  is  one 
portion  of  the  route  of  twenty-five  continuous  miles 
of  air  line,  in  another  twenty-seven,  and  the  entire 
length  of  the  road  is  ninety-three  and  three-fourths 
miles. 

A  change  of  management  occurred  May  1,  1880. 
Prior  to  that  time  the  road  was  running  at  a  loss, 
but  since  the  change  the  tide  has  set  the  other  way. 
The  present  officer.-i  and  Directors  are  Joseph  CoUett, 
President;  Itobert  S.  Walker,  Vice-President;  D.  B. 
Hatch.  Treasurer,  Anson  P.  Stokes,  Allen  A.  Curtis, 
M.  J.  Farrell,  and  A.  ^Nichols,  Directors. 

Operating  officers — Joseph  Collett,  General  Man- 
ager; F.  W.  Dunn,  Superintendent;  C.  W.  Hench- 
cliffe.  Secretary  and  General  Freight  and  Passenger 
Agent;    R.  Amerman,  Cashier. 

The  Nevada  Central  owners  contemplate  contin- 
uing their  line  farther  south  to  Grantsville;  the 
extcntion  to  be  known  as  the  "  Nevada  Southern 
Railroad,"  that  is  to  eventually  connect  with  some  of 
the  Southern  transcontinental  roads,  or  the  Nevada 
Division  of  the  California  Central  Railroad. 

Lander  County  issued  her  bonds  for  §200,000  as  a 
gift  to  the  Nevada  Central  Company  for  building 
their  railroad  that  cost  8944,590.58,  and  the  profits  for 
the  ten  months  that  it  has  been  in  operation,  up  to 
the  close  of  18S0,  was  82,007.13.  Their  average 
freight  charges  have  been  15.3  cents  a  ton  per  mile, 
the  extremes  ranging  from  ten  to  twenty  cents. 
Passenger  rates  practically  ten  cents  per  mile. 

NEVADA  CENTRAL  RAILWAY. 

LOCAL  FREIGHT  TARIFF,    MARCH   15,    1880. 


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liate  in  cents  per  100  pounds  as  alrave  on  general  merchandise 
and  all  articles  not  enumerated  under  "  .Special  Rates." 

OFFICIAt,    HEPORT    FOR    FIRST   TEN    MONTHS. 

Capital  stock . . .' 8   1 ,00(1  1)00  00 

Cash  cui)ital  paid  in  on  stock 9.12.")  (HI 

Purc-liase  of  laiids  for  construction . 13,920  58 

Cost  of  construction 944,590  23 

Cost  of  buildings 11,606  72 


Cost  of  engines S    17.000  00 

Cost  of  cars 9,666  66 

Amount  of  bonded  indebtedness 1,000,000  00 

Amount   received    for   transportation 

of  freight,   passengers,  mail,  ex- 
press, etc 108,484  79 

Freight  of  all  kinds  hauled,  in  tons. . .  9,724 

Amount  paid  for  ojiorating  expenses..      8106,477  66 

Number  of  engine-houses 2 

Number  of  machine  shops 1 

Number  of  engines 3 

Number  of  passenger  cars  (combination) 2 

N umber  of  box  cars 17 

Number  of  platform  cars 45 

Number  of  hand  cars 11 

Total  net  profits  for  1 880 82,007  13 

Special  rates  between  Battle  Mountain  and  Aus- 
tin, or  Ledlie: — 

Ores $  9  per  ton 

Lumber 15  per  ton 

Lath  and  Shingles 16  per  ton 

Ha}-,  baled 10  per  ton 

Coal  (Cumberland  and  Lehigh) 12  per  ton 

Coal  (Rocky  Mountain) 9  per  ton 

Brick 12  per  ton 

Wood,   from     Hallsville     and    Silver 

Creek  to  Austin 83  00  per  cord 

Charcoal,  from    Hallsville  and    Silver 

Creek  to  Austin 6  cents 

Mining  timbers,  from   Hallsville   and 

Silver  Creek  to  Austin 20  cts.  each 

Lagging 6  cts.  each 

Wool,    from    Austin,    Ledlie,     Silver 

Creek,  and   Hallsville   to    Battle 

Mountain 12  00  per  ton 

At  Galena,  eleven  miles  from  its  terminus  at  Bat- 
tle Mountain,  this  road  receives  a  branch  called  the 
"  Battle  Mountain  and  Lewis  Railroad,"  connecting 
the  towns  of  Lewis,  Bullion  and  (Quartz  Mountain, 
having  a  length  of  fourteen  miles.  Stages  and 
fre  ght  lines  connect  at  Ledlie  and  Austin  for  Grants- 
ville, ('andclaria,  15elmont,  and  all  other  jyoints  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  Stale. 

EUREKA    AND   PALISADE    KAII.KOAD. 

The  above-named  road,  by  a  track  ninety  miles  in 
length,  connects  the  two  towns  after  which  it  is 
named.  The  comjiany  was  organized  on  the  nine- 
teenth of  November,  1873,  with  the  following  gen- 
tlemen for  Directors: — Erastus  Woodruft",  William  IL 
lOnnor,  Monroe  Salisbur}',  John  T.  Gilmer,  C.  H. 
Hempstead,  and  J.  R.  Wilhington. 

Their  capital  stock  was  Sl.OOO.OUO,  the  amount 
being  doubled  in  September,  1876. 

In  1874  the  franchise  iia-^sod  into  the  hands  of 
Edgar  and  D.  O.  Mills,  who,  in  the  latter  |)art  of  the 
same  year  sold  one-half  of  it  to  William  Sharon,  A. 
K.  P.  Harmon,  John  Shaw,  Isaac  L.  Recpia,  and 
Thomas  liell,  and  these  gciitlemon  constitute  the 
company  as  it  now  exists.  This  cor|)oration  con- 
structed the  roa<l  at  a  cost  of  81.355.346.78,  and 
paid  for  right  of  way,  lands  and  buildings.  889.078.98, 
and  equipped  it  at  a  further  expense  of  8112,190.97, 
making  a  total  expense  for  the  property  as  it  now 
stands  of  81,556,616.73.  For  rolling-stock,  etc.,  see 
general  table. 


Kjc^ty^ 


Dr.  Simeon  Lem  Lee 

Is  a  native  of  ^'audalia,  Fayette  County,  Illinois,  and  was  l)orn  September  4,  1844. 
His  parents  resided  on  a  farm,  where  he  remained,  dividing  his  time  between  work,  play, 
and  the  school  room,  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Eighth 
Illinois  Infantry. 

It  was  in  1863,  that  he  became  a  soldier,  and  he  remained  in  the  army  about  two 
and  a  half  years,  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  finally  mustered  out,  as  an 
officer,  having  won  his  way  from  a  private  to  a  lieutenancy.  He  was  one  of  the 
storming  party  that  took  Spanish  Fort,  and  a  few  days  later  Fort  Blakeley,  in  1865, 
those  strongholds  being  the  key  to  the  city  of  Mobile,  in  Alabama,  which  surrendered 
as  soon  as  these  outer  defenses  had  fallen.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in  the  storming  party 
to  reach  the  inside  of  the  enemy's  works- — Dr.  A.  C.  Bishop,  of  Eureka,  Nevada,  being 
the  first  at  the  charge  that  took  the  latter  Fort.  His  Lieutenant,  shot  through  the  body, 
fell  a  few  yards  before  reaching  the  parapets,  in  front  of  which  lay,  dead  or  wounded, 
one-half  of  Lee's  comrades,  who,  with  him,  had  faced  the  enemy's  scathing  storm  of 
schrapnel-shells,  grape,  canister,  and  musket  laden  messengers  of  death.  Thus  a  vacancj- 
was  created,  and  a  brave  boy — for  young  Lee  was  not  j'et  twenty-one  years  of  age — 
received  the  reward  by  a  commission  for  a  gallant  and  brave  act,  that  justly  entitled 
him  to  preferment. 

After  leaving  the  service,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  entered  the  medical  college  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  finally  graduated  in  1870,  and  the  f-ame  year  settled  in  Carson, 
Nevada,  to  practice  his  profession.  In  1872,  he  removed  to  Pioclie,  remaining  there 
until  1879,  and  then  returned  to  Carson  City,  where  he  now  resides. 

In  1868,  he  was  married  to  Lola  M.  Watts,  of  Cincinnati,  and  they  now  have  three 
sons,  named  respectively,  Bi.shop  F.,  William  L..  and  Adelbert  W. 

The  Doctor  is  a  man  of  decided  opinions  and  chaiacteristics.  His  frivmls  know  that 
he  considers  them  as  such,  his  enemies  are  in  no  doubt  as  to  his  views  regarding  them, 
and  he  wa.s  never  known  to  stop  at  a  half-way  house.  Occasionally  he  takes  a  hand  in 
the  game  of  politics,  and  when  he  does,  those  M'hom  he  favors  or  those  whom  he  opposes 
are  neither  of  tl-.em  obliged  to  call  the  roll  to  find  out  whether  he  is  present  or  not.  We 
are  inclined  to  think  he  likes  his  friends  too  well  and  di.slikes  the  othei-s  too  much.  In 
disposition  he  is  generous,  and  in  manner  polite  and  courteous. 

As  a  physician,  he  is  thoroughly  read,  has  had  and  has  now,  extensive  practice  and 
observation,  and  has  brains  enough  to  profit  by  it.  As  a  surgeon,  there  are  too  many 
examples  of  skillfully  treated  cases  that  have  already  come  successfully  from  under  his 
treatment  to  leave  a  doubt  as  to  ability  in  that  line. 


RAILROADS. 


•265 


In  1875  they  purchased  the  Ruby  Hill  Road  at  a 
cost  of  S75,000,  and  constructed  additional  branches 
to  it  at  a  further  ex])eii.se  of  675,(100,  which  adds 
about  six  and  one-half  miles  to  their  line.  At  pres- 
ent their  tonnage  of  freight  is  not  equal  to  what  it 
has  been  in  the  past.  The  amount  for  one  j-ear  prior 
to  May  1,  1880,  was  as  follows: — 

Tons  Grain  2,004.73 

"     Flour 91t).84 

"     Lumber 8,688.83 

"     Coal 5,92(J.98 

"•     Merchandise 8,266.74 

Total  tons  by  railroad  to  Eureka 25,894.12 

"         "     "         "         from"      15,832.70 

Total  tons  freight  to  and  from  Eureka     41,726.82 

The  average  passenger  rate  is  nine  and  one-half 
cents  per  mile,  and  the  average  rate  of  freight  is 
twenty  cents  a  mile  ])er  ton;  through  rates  ranging 
from  five  and  one- half  to  over  eighteen  cents.  The 
principal  freights  going  north  from  Eui'eka  over  this 
road  are  lead,  bullion,  hides  and  wool. 

From  Eureka  it  connects  by  teams  with  Belmont, 
Tybo,  Morey,  Hot  Creek,  Tem  Piute,  Pioche,  Ham- 
ilton, Mineral  City,  Ward,  and  Osceola.  On  the  line 
of  the  road  is  the  company's  farm  ol'  1 ,000  acres  of 
land  enclosed,  from  which  is  cut  about  600  tons  of 
hay  ycarlj-,  and  the  company  keeps  a  total  average 
number  of  sixty-eight  men  employed.  There  are 
sixteen  way-stations  on  the  line,  the  most  populous 
of  which  are  Alpha,  twentj'-five  inhabitants,  with 
one  store,  and  Pine,  with  twenty-eight  residents  and 
a  store. 

The  present  officers  of  the  company  arc  Edgar 
Mills,  President;  E.  T.  Oatman,  Secretary;  T.  F. 
Lawer,  General  Freight,  Passenger  and  Ticket 
Agent;  P.  Evarts,  General  Superintendent. 

The  company's  shops  are  at  Palisade,  their  Cen- 
tral Pacific  terminus  on  the  north,  where  the  rolling- 
stock  is  repaired.  J.  P.  Rugg  is  the  Master  Me- 
chanic, and  A.  S.  Longley,  Master  Car-builder.  The 
former  was  at  one  time  in  charge  of  the  machinery 
of  the  Combination,  Crown  Point,  and  Belcher  shaft; 
and  the  latter  built  some  of  the  first  cars  for  the 
company  in  whose  em])loy  he  is  now  working.  T.  F. 
Lawer,  the  General  Freight,  Passenger  and  Ticket 
Agent,  entered  the  employ  of  the  company  origin- 
ally as  an  office-boy. 

REPORT   OF   THE    E.   AND    P.    RAILROAD    FOR    1880. 

Capital  stock    $2,000,000  00 

Capital    i)ai(l  up. .  1,090.375   00 

Amount  jiaid  for  lands  in  construction  17.246  7(i 

Cost  of  construction 1,355, 34(i  78 

Cost  of  buildings 71,832  22 

Cost  of  engines 40,314  22 

Cost  of  cars 71,876  75 

Amount   of  indebtedness  (outstanding 

bonds) 928,289  52 

Amount  duo  the  company 388,297  79 

Amount  received  for  transportation  of 

passengers,  freight,   ]iro])erly,  mails, 

express,  and  from  ail  other  sources..  444,532  38 

Current   expenses 196,299  44 

36 


Number  and  anidiint   nt' (livi<londs  (II 

paid  monthly) §285,000  00 

Tons  of  freight  transported 36,805.09 

Number  of  engine  bouses . .                  2 

Number  of  shops  . .    1 

Number  of  engines 5 

Number  of  coaches 2 

Number  of  cabooses 2 

Number  of  ex|)ress  and  baggage  cars 2 

Number  of  box  cars 21 

Number  of  flat-cars 95 

Number  of  hand  cars 10 

Total  profits  for  1880 ...  S248,232  94 

Per  cent,  of  profits  on  investment ^^ra 

SPECIAL    FREIGHT    RATES    BETWEEN    PALISADE    AND 
EUREKA. 

Base  metal 810  50  ])er  ton 

Brick 12  00  ])er  ton 

Coal  (Cumberland) 12  00  ])er  ton 

Coal  (Rocky  Mountain) 7  00  ])er  ton 

("oke 7  00  per  ton 

Flour •  16  00  per  ton 

Flue  dust 4  00  ])er  ton 

Grain  and  mill  stuff 12  00  per  ton 

Ilay,  baled 16  00  per  ton 

ice 15  00  ])er  ton 

Iron    (pig  or  scrap) 12  00  per  ton 

Lead 8  00  ])er  ton 

Lath,  shingles  and  shakes 16  00  per  ton 

Lumber 19  00  per  M. 

Ore 5  00  per  ton 

Potatoes 12  00  per  ton 

Wool  (compressed  in  bales,  17  lbs.  to  a 
cubic  foot) 10  00  per  ton 

BETWEEN    WAY-STATIONS   AND   EUREKA. 

Charcoal,  from  ]?radlcj's,  .Black- 
burns  and  points  between. 27Jc  per  100  fljs. 

Charcoal,  from  Al])ha  and  Oak  and 

points  between 22Jc  per  100  lbs. 

Charcoal    from  Summit  and  Horse 

Shoo 183c  per  100  lbs. 

Charcoal,  from  Garden  Pass  and  Old 

Fourth 12Jc  per  100  Ybs. 

Charcoal  from  Diamond 10c    per  100  lbs. 

Hay ''baled),  from  I'A-aiisand  Parry8.-815  00  par  ton 
Hay  (baled),  from  Hay  Ranch 14  00  per  ton 

Wood,  from  Alpha  and  Summit  and 

points    between  .  .    $4  00  per  cord 

W^ood,    from    between    Summit    and 

Garden  Fuss  3  00  per  cord 

Wood,  from  Old  Fcuirtli  and  diamond  2  50  jier  cord 

Fifty  (50)  cents  per  ton  will  bo  charged  for  loading 

and  transferring  base  metal. 

Bri<'k,  charcoal,  coal,  flue  dust,  hay,  lumber,  lath, 
ore,  shingles,  shakes  and  wood,  to  be  loaded  and  un- 
loaded liy  ship]icr,  or  at  their  expense. 

Isiniity  packages  returned  free.  The  following 
named,  having  been  used  to  trans|)()rt  ]iro])erty  to  a 
general  market,  will  be  returned  free,  provided  they 
are  i)ro])erly  marked  and  directed,  and  the  comiJany 
is  released  from  all  liability  for  loss  or  damage  to  the 
same,  and  ])rovided  they  are  removed  promptly-  from 
the  freight  station.  If  recei|its  are  denuuuied,  regu- 
lar rates  will  be  charged.  When  destined  to  points 
off  the  litie  of  this  road,  charges  to  jirepay  over  con- 
necting lines  to  destination  must  be  collected  by  the 
receiving  agent: — 


286 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Beer  kegs,  butter  and  egg  boxes,  fruit  boxes  and 
baskets,  ice  blankets,  coal,  meat  and  ore  sacks,  soda 
and  beer  bottles  in  eases,  and  mil^  cans. 

Quicksilver  flasks  and  gasoline  tanks  will  be  re- 
turned at  one-half  first-class  rates,  actual  weight. 

Agents  must  be  particular  to  see  that  this  priv- 
ilege is  not  granted  to  parties  not  entitled  to  it,  and 
must  explain  on  the  way-bill  upon  whose  account  the 
propertj-  is  returned. 

THROUGH  PASSENGER  RATES  BETWEEN  EUREKA  AND  THE 
FOLLOWING  POINTS. 

San  Francisco S45  75 

San  Jose 45  75 

Stockton 43  75 

Sacramento 41  75 

Marysville 42  85 

Colfax 38  10 

Reno 29  00 

Virginia  City 32  00 

Winnemueca 16  25 

Battle  Mountain 1175 

Elko... 10  50 

Ogden...., 31  00 

TRAIN    RATES    BETWEEN    EUREKA    AND   THE    FOLLOWING 
POINTS. 

Palisade $8  40 

Alpha  and  Pine 3  50 

Cedar 3  25 

Oak 3  00 

Between  all  other  points  conductors  collect  at  the 
rate  of  ten  (10)  cents  jier  mile  for  each  adult. 

The  onlj-  transportation  on  the  Ruby  Hill  Railroad 
is  ore  from  the  mines  to  the  different  reduction  works 
in  Eureka,  for  which  fifty  cents  or  one  dollar  per  ton 
is  charged,  according  to  distance. 

RUBY  HILL   RAILROAD   FOR  1880. 

Capital  stock SI  50,000  00 

Capital  paid  up 150,000  00 

Paid  for  lands  in  construction 3,000  00 

Cost  of  construction 111,547  50 

Cost  of  buildings 3,000  00 

Cost  of  engines 14,642  50 

Cost  of  cars 17,810  00 

Amount   of  indebtedness 

Amount  duo  the  company 10,258  70 

Amount  reed  for  transportation  of  fr'ght,  106,544  30 

Current  expenses.        .      25,803  12 

No.  and  amt  of  dividends,  H  (pd  monthly)     75,000  00 

Tons  of  freight  transported 93,377 

Kumber  of  engines.    2 

Number  of  ore  ears 30 

Number  of  hand-cars 1 

Total  net  profits  for  1880 880,741  18 

Per  cent,  of  ]irf)fits  on  investment  a  trifle  over  53. 

LAKE   TAIIOE    NARROW-GAUGE    RAILROAD. 

This  road  was  built  in  1875  by  fl.  M.  Yerrington 
and  I).  L.  Bliss  to  freight  lumber  and  wood  from 
Lake  Tahoo  at  (ilenbrook  to  the  summit  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountain,  from  whore  the  freight  is 
run  in  a  V  flume  to  Carson  City.  The  road  is  eight 
and  three-fourths  miles  in  length,  and  was  grafled  at 
a  cost  of  about  830,000  to  the  mile.  Stool  rails  of 
ti!i'h<ty'fi\<e'>[X)Unds  <por  lyardnwae.  used  in  laying  the 
track.     For  equipment  see  general  tab!*.  ■   It:b»i*460 


feet  of  tunnel;  the  two  heaviest  grades  are  165  and 
200.75  feet  to  the  mile,  and  the  average  is  130. 

In  passing  up  the  steep  mountain  from  the  lake 
the  road  makes  a  long  half-curve  in  going  to  the  east, 
and  comes  to  an  abrupt  terminus  like  the  point  of  the 
letter  Z.  From  this  point  it  runs  back  along  the 
same  face  of  the  mountain  6,000  feet,  going  up  con- 
tinuously until  it  again  terminates,  this  time  upon  a 
trestle-work  built  out  over  the  lake  so  high  that  it 
makes  one  shudder  to  look  down  upon  the  water 
below,  and  from  where  is  presented  a  scenic  effect 
surpassed  in  few  places  in  America.  Again  it  trav- 
erses the  same  side  of  the  mountain,  still  going 
up  until  an  elevation  is  reached  that  carries  it  out  to 
the  east  over  the  summit,  having  passed  back  and 
forth  three  times  to  reach  that  point  along  the  face 
of  a  mountain  so  steep  that  a  stone  started  at  the 
top  would  roll  to  the  bottom  of  it. 

There  are  three  engines  on  this  road  weighing 
twenty  three  tons  each,  with  thirteen-inch  bore, 
sixteen-inch  stroke,  six  connected  forty-inch  drivers, 
and  Bissel  trucks  of  two  wheels.  Either  of  those 
little  giants  will  take  seventy  tons  of  freight  upon 
cars  up  those  grades  at  a  speed  often  miles  per  hour. 

The  expense  of  running  the  road  is  about  83,000 
per  month.  The  transportation  expense  over  the 
road  is  seventy-five  cents  per  thousand  feet  for  lum- 
ber, and  fortj'-five  cents  per  cord  for  wood.  There 
has  been  but  one  accident,  and  that  was  in  1877, 
when  a  tourist  fell  off  the  cars  and  was  killed.  In 
the  summer  there  are  about  thirty  men  on  the  com- 
pany pay-rolls;  in  the  spring,  however,  it  requires 
sometimes  a  large  force  to  keep  the  track  in  re])air. 
The  ties  are  six  by  eight  and  six  feet  long;  the  cars 
are  extra  heavj'  and  capable  of  carrying  from  six- 
teen to  eighteen  tons  each.  The  office  at  (Jlen- 
brook  is  connected  b}-  telephone  with  Carson  Citj'. 

John  Bartholomew  was  the  first  Superintendent, 
and  was  succeeded  in  1877  by  the  present  efficient 
and  gentlemanlj'  incumbent,  John  T.  Rogers.  The 
Master  Mechanic,  George  Lindsay,  has  filled  that 
position  for  the  company  since  its  organization,  and 
is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  The  companj-'s 
shops  contain  all  the  a])pliances,  except  a  foundry-, 
necessary  for  either  locomotive  or  steamboat  repairs. 
The  present  owner  of  the  road  is  the  Carson  and  Ijako 
Tahoe  Wood,  Lumber  and  Fluming  Companj',  a  cor- 
poration organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Nevada. 

PIOCHE  AND  BULLIONVILLE  RAILROAD. 

This  company  was  organized  January  6,-  1872, 
and  their  incorporation  papers  were  filed  with  the 
Secretary  of  State  on  the  following  twelfth  of  Feb- 
ruary. 

Under  the  management  of  General  A.  L.  Page 
the  road  was  constructed,  connecting  the  two  points 
indicated  by  its  name,  which  lie  twenty-one  and  one- 
half  milos  apart.  Work  thereon  was  commenced  in 
the  summer  of  1872,  and  the  first  grading  was  com- 
platodoiu'tho  twouty-BOCond  of  Fobruaryj  1873. 


RAILROADS. 


287 


There  was  some  trouble  and  bad  work  in  the  first 
grading  of  the  road,  concerning  which  the  Pioche 
Record,  in  April,  1873,  says:  '-There  is  no  honesty 
in  longer  disguising  the  fact  that  the  BuUionville 
Narrow-Gauge  Road  is  a  failure."  It  adds:  "The 
rails  are  too  frail,  and  the  grading  in  places  is  not 
safe.  A  new  survey  is  being  made  and  the  work  of 
constructing  a  good  serviceable  railroad  between 
hero  and  BuUionville  is  now  being  prosecuted  sensi- 
bly and  in  earnest."  Heavier  rails  wei'e  soon  pro- 
cured, and  on  the  fifth  of  May  their  first  loco- 
motive was  fired  up,  and  in  the  early  part  of  June 
the  improved  road  was  completed.  .This  short  line 
was  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  carr3'ing  ore 
from  the  mines  of  Pioche  to  the  mills  at  BuUionville, 
was  built  and  managed  chiefly  by  General  Page, 
since  deceased,  and  for  a  few  years  transacted  a  fair 
business,  but  with  the  exhaustion  of  the  Raymond 
and  Ely,  and  Meadow  Valley  mines  its  resources 
failed  and  it  fell  into  disuse. 

C.'VRSON    AND   COLORADO    RAILROAD. 

The  rich  mines  of  the  southwest,  at  Belleville  and 
Candelaria,  as  well  as  those  of  the  eastern  border  of 
California,  are  inviting  fields  for  railroad  enterprise; 
and  to  supply  the  freight  and  ])assenger  necessities 
of  the  extensive  region  the  Carson  and  Colorado 
Railroad  Company  was  formed;  its  incorporation 
dating  May  10,  1880.  Work  was  immediately  com- 
menced, the  initial  point  being  Mound  House,  on  the 
Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad;  and  the  road,  as  far 
as  Hawthorne,  a  distance  of  100  miles,  was  com- 
pleted and  opened  for  business  on  the  eighteenth  of 
April,  1881.  The  lino  is  expected  soon  to  be  extended 
to  Candelaria,  fifty-three  miles  farther,  and  event- 
ually to  the  Colorado  River.  Over  this  road  passen- 
gers and  freight  are  taken  for  Aurora,  twenty-six 
miles  distant  from  Hawthorne,  southwest;  to  Bodie, 
in  California,  thirty-seven  miles;  to  Belleville,  forty- 
five  miles;  and  to  Candelaria,  fifty-throe  miles,  south- 
east. 

This  lino  is  a  three-foot  narrow-gauge,  laid  with 
steel  rails  and  redwood  ties,  and  equipped  with  new 
and  first-class  rolling-stock.  The  route  is  an  inter- 
esting one,  crossing  the  Carson  River  at  Daj'ton  (six 
miles  from  Mound  House),  the  location  of  several  ore 
reduction  works,  and  distant  three  miles  from  Sutro, 
at  mouth  of  the  Sutro  Tunnel. 

From  Dayton  the  line  follows  the  Carson  River  to 
Churchill  Canon;  thence  into  Mason  Valloj',  a  large 
and  productive  farming  district,  through  which  runs 
the  Walker  River;  thence  following  the  Walker 
River,  crossing  the  same  twice  to  Walker  Lake, 
which  is  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  and  from  five 
to  nine  miles  in  width;  and  along  the  shore  of 
Walker  Lake  to  Hawthorne,  located  four  miles  from 
the  southern  end  of  the  lake. 

The  following  are  the  names  of,  and  distances  to, 
the  various  stations  along  the  road,  starting  from 
Mound  House: — 


Dayton 6  miles 

Clifton 18  " 

Fort  Churchill 26  " 

Washout 28  " 

Wabuska 38  " 

Cleaver 42  " 

Mason  45  " 

Rio  Vista 54  " 

Reservation 58  " 

Schurz 65  " 

Gillis... 78  " 

Hawthorne 100  " 

Financial  statement,  May  31, 1880 — Capital  stock, 
§(5,000,000. 

Directors — S.  P.  Smith.  San  Francisco,  California; 
B.  C.  Whitman,  Virginia;  H.  M.  Yerrington,  Carson 
City;  D.  L.  Bliss,  C'arson  City;  D.  A.  Bender.  Car- 
son City;  W.  D.  Toboy,  Carson  City;  H.  L.  Tiek- 
ner,  Carson  City. 

Officers — II.  M.  Yerrington,  President  and  Superin- 
tendent; Robert  J.  Laws,  Assistant  Superintendent; 
.James  Oliver,  Chief  Engineer;  1).  A.  Bender,  Secre- 
tary. Principal  office  and  address,  Carson  City, 
Nevada. 

The  surveys  and  line  have  long  been  established  to 
Candelaria,  much  of  which  is  graded,  and  several 
miles  laid  with  iron.  Southeasterly  from  Hawthorne, 
along  the  line  of  the  road,  stretches  a  sandy  and  bar- 
len  waste  for  eleven  miles,  when  a  hilly  region  is 
reached,  continuing  southeast  fourteen  miles  farther, 
when  the  direction  turns  due  south.  On  this  road 
the  rates  of  pay  for  employes  are,  engineers  SllO  per 
month,  conductors  80(1,  firemen  ST5,  and  brakemen 
$70. 

SALT   LAKE   AND    WESTERN    RAILROAD. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  June,  1881,  tho  articles  of 
incorporation  of  the  Salt  Lake  and  Western  Railroad 
Company  were  filed  in  the  office  of  tho  Secretary  of 
State  at  Carson,  with  the  names  of  Holiver  Roberts, 
James  Little,  and  Perly  Williams  as  Directors,  who 
deposited  850,000  with  tho  Controller  as  an  earnest 
of  their  purpose.  The  design  is  to  build  a  road  from 
Salt  Lake  or  from  the  Southern  Utah  or  other  road, 
through  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  either  by  way 
of  Eureka  or  Pahranagat,  the  route  being  not  j'ot 
defined,  and  joining  the  California  Central,  making  a 
through  road  independent  of  the  Central  Pacifi(^ 
The  Carson  A/ipmi/  of  June  18ih  says:  "  Tho  prop- 
osition to  build  the  road  grew  out  of  trouble  between 
the  Union  Pacific  and  Central  Pacific.  Sydney  Dil- 
lon and  Jay  Gould  are  backing  the  enterprise,  and 
pro])ose  to  build  a  com])etitive  lino  from  Utah  to 
San  Francisco,  and  cripple  the  j)owor  of  the  Central 
Pacific  to  rob  tho  State  of  Nevada.  Tho  road 
will  be  pushed  forward  with  millions  of  capital,  and 
it  means  better  limes  for  Nevada. 

NEVADA   SOUTHERN    RAILROAD. 

The  line  of  the  road  is  from  Ledlie  Station  (N.  C. 
R.  R.),  to  Clovordalo,  eighty  miles.  Gauge,  three  feet. 
Rail,  thirty-five  ]>uunds. 


288 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


This  company  was  organized  February  25,  1880, 
to  extend  the  line  of  the  Nevada  Central  Railroad 
Companj-.  The  line  is  located,  and  construction  is 
commenced. 

Financial  statement,  May  31,  1880 — Capital  stock 
paid  in,  880,000. 

Directors  (elected  February  28,  1880)— J.  H. 
Ledlie,  Utiea,  New  York;  Andrew  Nichols,  Austin;  C- 
P.  Soulc,  Austin;  Lyman  Bridges,  Battle  Mountain; 
Francis  Bridges,  Battle  Mountain;  J.  W.  McWill- 
iams,  Battle  Mountain;  P.  W.  Johnson,  Battle  Mount- 
ain; R.  L.  S.  Hall,  New  York  City,  New  York;  J.  D. 
Negus,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Officers — James  H.  Ledlie,  President,  Utica,  New 
York;  Andrew  Nichols,  Vice-President,  Austin;  E. 
L.  S.  Hall,  Treasurer,  New  York  City,  New  York; 
Lyman  Bi'idges,  Chief  Engineer,  Battle  Mountain  ; 
J.  D.  Negus,  Secretary,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

NEV.\DA    NORTHERN    RAILROAD. 

The  line  of  the  road  is  from  Battle  Mountain, 
Nevada,  to  the  Idaho  Line,  120  miles.  Gauge  three 
feet.  Rail,  thirty-five  pounds.  This  company  was 
organized  Februarj^  25,  1880,  and  a  portion  of  the 
line  is  expected  to  be  opened  the  current  year. 
It  connects  with  the  Nevada  Central    Railroad. 

Financial  statement,  May  31,  1880. — Capital  stock 
paid  in,  8150,000.  Surveys  are  being  made  north- 
ward to  the  Columbia  River. 

Directors— R.  L.  S.  Hall,  New  York  City;  P.  W. 
Johnson,  Lyman  Bridges,  J.  W.  McWilliams,  L.  D. 
Huntsman,  L.  S.  Foster,  Battle  Mountain  ;  J.  H. 
Ledlie,  Utica,  New  York;  J.  D.  Negus,  Chicago, 
Illinois;  Andrew  Nichols,  Austin. 

Officers — R.  L.  S.  Hall,  President  and  Treasurer, 
New  York  City;  J.  E.  Negus,  Secretary,  Chicago, 
Illinois;  Lyman  Bridges,  Chief  Engineer,  Battle 
Mountain.  PriiKi])al  office  and  address.  Battle  Mount- 
ain, Nevada. 

NEVADA   AND   OREGON    RAILROAD. 

The  charter  line  of  the  road  is  from  Aurora,  via 
Bodie,  California,  Carson  City  and  Reno,  Nevada, 
Hoi'cy  Lake  Valley,  Madeline  Plains,  Pit  River  and 
(jooso  Ijakc,  California,  to  Oregon  Line,  342  miles. 
Branch  to  Virginia  City,  seventeen  miles;  branch  in 
Plumas  County,  California,  fifty-five  miles.  Total 
length,  with  branches,  414  miles.  Gauge,  three  feet. 
Rail,  thirty-five  i)ounds. 

Companj- organized  June  1,  1880.  Construction 
commenced  Decemin'r  22,  1880,  at  Reno,  going  north- 
ward. Colonel  Thiimas  .Moore,  of  Elizabeth,  New 
Jersey,  has  the  contract  for  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  the  road,  and  it  is  expected  to  be 
CDinpleled  to  Beckwourlh,  in  California,  before  the 
expiration  of  the  year  1881. 

Financial  statement — Bonded  debt,  810,000  per 
mile. 

Directors — A.  J.  Hatch,  George  L.  Wood,  James 
McMechan,  C.  A.  Bragg,  John  Sunderland,  R.  L. 
Fulton,  C.  P.  Soule. 


OflScers — A.  J.  Hatch,  President,  Reno;  Geo. 
L.  Wood,  Vice-President,  San  Francisco,  California  ; 
John  Sunderland,  Treasurer,  Reno;  T.  S.  Coffin,  Sec- 
retary, Reno;  H.  G.  McClellan,  Chief  Engineer  of 
Construction,  Reno.  Piincipal  place  of  business, 
Reno,  Nevada. 

EUREKA  AND  COLORADO  RAILROAD. 

This  company  was  organized  in  February,  1881,  to 
build,  as  its  name  implies,  from  Eureka,  at  the 
terminus  of  the  Palisade  and  Eureka  Railroad, 
southeastwardly  to  the  Colorado  River.  During 
the  summer  of  1881  surveys  were  made,  contracts 
were  let,  and  grading  prosecuted  from  Eureka  to 
Robinson  Canon,  in  "White  Pine  County.  This  being 
an  extension  of  the  Palisade  and  Eureka,  is  under 
the  same  management. 

RENO  AND  QUINCY  RAILROAD. 

The  Plumas,  California,  National,  in  July,  1881, 
announced  that  arrangements  had  been  made  for 
constructing  a  narrow-gauge  railroad  between  the 
town  of  (Juincy,  Plumas  County,  California,  to  Reno, 
on  the  Central  Pacific,  and  that  the  Central  Pacific 
Company  would  assist  the  enterprise  with  funds  to 
insure  its  completion. 

nUMBOLDT   AND   COLORADO    RAILROAD. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  May,  1868,  a  company  was 
formed  in  Austin,  Lander  County,  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  railroad  from  the  Humboldt  River  to  the 
Colorado.  The  following  were  named  as  the  officers: 
Len  Wines,  President;  Samuel  Barclay,  Secretary; 
John  A.  Paxton,  Treasurer;  and  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors as  follows:  Len  Wines,  W.  S.  Gage,  John  A. 
Paxton,  L.  B.  Moore,  I.  C.  Bateman,  David  E.  Buel, 
trcorge  F.  Dinsmore,  James  M.  Dawley,  Charles  O. 
Barker,  of  Austin;  Dr.  Gould,  of  Colorado;  A.  K. 
Grim,  of  San  Francisco;  Charles  Crocker,  of  Sacra- 
mento; Able  Bennett  andJ.S.  Christie,  of  New  York. 

This  company  was  organized  under  the  Act  of  the 
Legislature  of  Nevada,  entitled  "An  Act  to  Provide  for 
the  Incorporation  of  Railroad  Companies,"  &c.,  and 
the  certificate  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
State  declares  that  the  company  shall  continue  in 
existence  for  fifty  years. 

The  initial  point  of  the  road  was  to  have  been  near 
Gravelly  Ford,  on  the  Humboldt  River,  from  which 
point  it  was  supposed  a  road  would  also  be  con- 
structed into  Oregon,  thus  connecting  the  Columbia 
and  Colorado  Rivers,  as  well  as  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans  through  the  medium  of  the  Central 
and  Union  Pacific  Railroads.  It  was  also  to  connect 
at  the  Colorado  River  with  the  line  of  one  of  the  con- 
templated roads  over  the  southern  route. 

The  )>rojectors  had  a  bill  before  ('ongress  for  the 
right  of  way  and  the  usual  grant  of  lands  along  the 
route.  The  bill  provided  that  the  companj-  must 
construct  and  maintain  a  line  of  tck'gra])li  along  the 
road;  begin  work  within  two  years  from  the  time  of 
the  passage  of  the  Act,  and  stipulated  that  at  least 
ten  miles  of  the  road  should  bo  finished  each  succeed. 


RAILROADS. 


2S0 


ing  year  until  1880,  when  it  must  be  completed.    But 
the  bill  never  became  a  law  and  the  project  collapsed. 

EASTERN    NEVAD.V    R.\lI,Ri)AD. 

Januarj-  20,  1871,  the  Eastern  Nevada  Railroad 
('omj):iiiy  was  incorporated  with  \V.  J.  Forbes,  I).  T. 
Elmore,  E.  B.  Molt,  llerniau  Sadler  and  others  as 
incorporators.  The  road  was  to  run  from  Elko  on 
the  Central  Pacific,  to  Hamilton,  White  Pine  County, 
a  distance  of  120  miles.  An  Act  was  passed  permit- 
ting White  Pine  County  togrant  a  subsidy  of  8250,000 
in  bonds,  which  was  done  conditionally  upon  the  con- 


struction of  the  road.  The  period  was  one  of  excite- 
ment and  prosperity,  with  a  great  amount  of  travel 
through  the  region,  to  Eureka,  Hamilton,  Treasure 
City,  Robinson,  Mineral  City,  and  Pioche,  and  the 
prospect  bid  very  fair  for  the  success  of  the  entcrjirise. 
Messrs.  Elmore  and  Mott  visited  England  to  procure 
capital  to  carry  on  the  work;  failing  in  this,  together 
with  the  rise  of  Eureka  and  the  flianj^ing  of  the  route 
of  travel  through  that  place  to  Palisade,  caused  the 
abandonment  of  the  plan,  after  two  years'  struggle  and 
bright  prospects  of  the  instigators  of  the  enterprise. 


Name  of  Company. 


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Central  Pacific 

Virginia  and  Truckee. . . . 

Eureka  and  Palisade 

Ruby  Hill 

Nevatla  Central 

Lake  Tahoe  Narrow-Guage 
Pioche  and  BuUionville  . 

Nevada  Northern 

Nevada  Southern 

Carson  and  Colorada . . . 
Nevada  and  Oregon  .... 


452 

90 

5 

9.3 

S? 
■21  i 
i'20 
SO 

100 


284'4.8J 
37   4.84 

2i3 

4;3 
3j3 

2.\3 

•2"  3 
...3 
...3 


.13 
.3 


Steel. 

56 
Steel. 

35 

35 

35 
Steel. 

35 

30 

35 

35 
steel. 

35 

35 


S    49,403,437 
4,856,042 

1,556,616 
150,000 
996,790 


4,152,414 
1,301,304 

544,930 

51,100 

469,500 


98,631* 

7,11S,.500 

16,049 
23,509 
10,431 


7,296 

226 

261 

4567 

25,026 

00  2  0 

24 

10 

361 

5,6,>2 

■'^tV 

7 

3 

124 

6,800 
4,652 

.53 

2 
5 

3 

■■■4 

30 

79 

55 

56 
4 
2 


Organized  February  25,  1880.     Stock  paid  np,  S150,000. 
Organized  February  25,  1880.     Construction  commenced. 

Organized  May  10,  1880,     Construction  completed  April  8,  1881. 
Organized  .June  1.  1880-     Grading  commenced  December  22,  18S0. 


"That  company's  report  for  1878,  gives  the  expense  for  construction  of  their  entire  1,213  miles  of  railroad  at §134,650,527. 89. 
To  learn,  from  those  figures,  the  construction  cost  of  one  mile  of  that  road,  first  deduct  .?1.'),02 1,029  from  the  total,  for  expenses  in 
Califiriiia  not  liaving  an  eijuivalent  in  tliis  .State.  Then  divide  the  remainder  by  the  whole  numlier  of  miles,  and  the  result  will  be 
898,631,  the  cost  of  one  mile. 

LIST   OF    RAILROAD   GRANTS   AND   INCORPORATIONS. 


Names  of  Railroad  Companies. 


Under  Act. 


Papers  Filled. 


Nevada  or  Central  Pacific 

Aurora  and  Walker  River 

Virj^inia  City  ;ind  Wodhoe  

Virjfinia,  ('arson  and  Truckee     

Virjfinia  City  and  Silver  City 

Lake  Tahoe' and  Virginia  City 

VirKinia  and  Truckee 

No  name  

Virjfinla  and  Truckee  River 

Virgitna  ami  Truckee 

Vir^^'inia  and  Truckee 

Humboldt  and  Colorado 

Coli>ra'Jo  and  Nevada  R.  R.  and  Navlj^tion  Co 

Nevada  Central 

Eastern  Neva<la 

Virt^inia  and   Reno  .Narrow-Ciauge 

Reno  and  Virffinia  Narrow-Oau^^ 

No  name ,    

Palisoda  and  Eureka: 

Pioclic  and  Hullionvillo 

Central  .Nevada 

Humboldt  and  Colorado 

No  name 

No  name   

Eureka  and  Palisade  

No  name 

Nevada  and  Oregon 

No  name 

Virginia  City  and  Umatilla 

Nevatla 

Nevada  Central 

Western  Nevada 

Nevada  Noi-tbern 

Nevada  Suutliern 

Nevatla  an<I  Arizona 

Cartoon  and  Colorado 

Nevada  and  *  treuon 

Southern  Neviwla 

Eureka  and  Colorado  


Nov.  ir>, 
Nov.  26, 
Nov.  -39, 
Nov.  29, 
Dec.  19, 
Dec.  19. 
Hoc.  20, 
March  9, 
.March  2, 


1881, 
ISSI, 
1»«1. 
1S61 
1882., 
1862. , 
1882.. 
,  ISdfi. 
,1860. 


Mor;h  22, 189.'. 

Pcb.  'Ji,  i.STl'.. 
March  22,  186:'. 
Feb,  27,  1871  . 
.March  8.  IS71 


Sep.  I.ISU.")... 
Mav  8,  18(17 . , . 
.Ma'rch  5, 1888 
Sep.  l.'i,  ISfiS.. 
Feb,  8,  1869  . 
.Ian.  4,  1871.  . 
.Inn.  20,  1871.. 
Kch.  2.S,  I8TI.. 
Feb.  23,  1871. 


March  22,  I8(l.'i 
March  22,  186.'. 
Marili  22,  IWl.'i 
March  7,  187a 
March  15,  1873 
March  22,  ISO.'. 
Feb.  9,  1875  . 


sen.  14, 1871 . . 
Feb. 12. 1872 
Nov.  28,  1872. 
.Ian.  31,  1873. . 


Nov.  IB,  1873. 


Feb.  20,  1875. 
March  22,  1865 


Feb.  15,  1876. 


March  22,  188: 


March  22.  I-ld.'S 
March  22,  18(1.'. 
.March  22,  18<1.'. 


March  24.  188.'. 
March  22, 1885 
,1881 


April  21,1875 
April  1,  1878.. 
Sep.  2,  1879. 
!>«■.  13,  1878. 
.March  8,  l,18o. 
.March  N.  18.S0 
.April  30.  1S80. 
May  10,  1880... 
June  !•,  I8S0.. 
Nov.  II,  1880 


Succeeded  by  Viricinia  and  Truckee  Railroad  Act  of  1862. 


Connecting  those  points  by  way  of  Kingsbury  Grade. 

Connecting  Virginia  City  and  (California  line  via  Carson  City  and  Truckee  River. 

tnnecting  N'irginia  City  with  hayton. 
Connecting  those  two  pd  nts  cm  Euj;le  and  Washoe  Valleys. 
From  Gold  Hill  noilherly  toTnickcc  llivcr. 
Virginia  City  to  Reno  cm  Carson  and  Washoe  Valleys. 
From  Gravelly  Ford  to  Colorado  llivcr  through  Lii'icoln  County. 
From  Klk<.  to  .Mojave  City,  Arizomi. 
From  lieovvavve  or  Gravelly  Ford  to  White  Pine. 
I  onnccting  KIkountI  HiiUiltton. 

Pi'pers  micd  four  boursin  advance  of  Heno  and  Virginia  Narrow-Gauge. 
hirst  orgimizcil  under  general  law.     Tlien  a  special  .\ctvvas  passid. 
From  Palisade  to  Colorado  Ulver  via  Kureka  and  Hamilton. 


Was  organized  .lanuary  8,  1872. 

Itunning  from  Pioche  toCallvitle  i;ta  Rullionville. 

Fiom  Palisade  to  Furi  ka. 

Fiom  Ihnnboldt  Wei  s  to  Colorado  Uivcr. 

From  Kcno  t.i  .state  line  of  California  en  route  for  Susanville. 

Purchased  Uuliy  Hill  lliuid  in  187.'.. 

From  Kattle  .Mountain  to  Austin. 

N'irginia  city  t«i  I'matilla,  Oregon. 

From  crtal  mines  in  Lyon  Coiuitv  to  connect  with  Virgiida  and  Truckee  Railroad. 

From  Virginia  (  ity  to  northwest  corner  of  north  line  of  State. 

From  llntllc  .Mountain  n  Austin. 

h'roni  It. tile  Mountain  to  Austin. 

Wadsworth  to  Walker  Ijikc. 

K.vt.'nds  .Nevada  Central  north  toSLtto  line. 

Kroin  .lacolisvdle,  on  Nevatla  Central,  to  Cloverdale,  Nve  County. 

From  Wadsworth  to  t^allvillc. 

C'.nnects  Virginia  and  Tnickee  Raitntad  with  Walker  Ijike. 

From  .Aurora,  .Nev.,  toOiegon  line  via  ('arson.  Itcno  and  Henry  Ijike  Valley. 

Fr  'in  Ledlie  .Station  near  Austiii  to  i;nuiUviltc,  Nvc  Coutitv. 


290 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


THE   FUTURE   LAND    QUESTION. 

From  the  foreij;oin£;,  and  from  the  histoiy,  so 
familiar  to  all.  of  the  slrateg^y,  cutinint;  and  selfish- 
ness of  the  Central  and  Southern  I'acitic  JJailroad 
Companies  in  California,  deductions  maj'  be  drawn 
that  porlend  serious  troubles  to  the  most  worthy 
citizens  of  this  State.  The  great  grant  (>f  land 
includes  much  that  is  valuable,  and  much  that  is 
worthless.  Alternate  sections  remain  as  Government 
land  or  have  passed  to  individual  ownership.  The 
well-being  of  the  State  requires  that  all  shall  be 
util'zed.  Settlers  are  encouraged  by  the  railroad 
company  to  occupj-  and  improve  the  land,  but  are 
refused  any  title,  or  agreement  of  terms  upon  which 
they  may  rely  in  the  future.  The  prospect  opens 
before  them  of  a  repetition  of  the  Mussel  Slough  War 
of  California,  with  its  murders,  ejectments  and 
imprisonments,  its  ruinous  litigations, exorbitant  rates 
for  improvements  made  and  propert}'  created  bj-  the 
purchaser,  and  at  last  to  see  one's  rightful  posses- 
sions owned  and  occupied  by  another.  Such 
appears  the  plan  and  hope  of  the  railroad  corjjoration, 
ever  so  subtle,  so  far-reaching,  so  grasping,  so  pow- 
erful, and  so  merciless.  To  swell  the  countless  mil- 
lions already  acquired  by  the  Directors  is  their  sole 
object.  By  withholding  the  land  titles  and  0])])rcs- 
sing  the  settlers,  the  latter  maj-  beg  of  Congress  to 
retake  the  land  and  remunerate  the  railroad  com- 
pany. Such  a  petition  I'rom  the  company  would  be 
but  little  noticed,  but  tVom  a  great  number  of  suffer- 
ing citizens  it  would  bo  heard,  and  wide-spread  sym- 
pathy would  be  created.  There  are  nuts  in  the  fire 
which  the  railroad  monkey  would  make  the  citizens 
cat  draw  out.  By  oppressing  the  possessors  of  the 
good  soil,  a  vast  amount  of  worthless  land  may  be 
sold  to  the  Crovernment.  Thus  the  seven  million  acres 
of  land  east  of  the  Sierra  to  which  the  railroad  com- 
pany is  entitled  could  be  turned  into  immediate  cash 
or  its  equivalent  in  bonds,  a  consummation  it  it  sup- 
posed that  thej-  most  devoutly  wish,  and  for  which 
they  would  force  the  oppressed  people  of  Nevada  to 
most  devoutlj'  pray. 

BANISIIINO   AN    OPFENDINQ   CITIZEN. 

The  following  letter  is  a  fair  indication  of  the  rule 
or  ruin  policy  ol'  concentrated  railroad  capital,  bear- 
ing the  evidence  of  truth,  antl  signed  and  vouched 
for  by  the  writer  whose  name  it  bears.  It  discloses 
an  occurrence,  that  if  permitted  by  the  citizens  of 
Nevada  to  bo  repeated,  will  lead  to  a  species  of  servile 
bondage  on  their  part  that  would  be  intolerable  to 
those  not  born  with  the  instincts  of  peonrige. 

The  Dalles,  Oregon,  April  12,  1881. 
Dear  Sirs:  liy  an  oversight  I  have  neglected  to 
answer  j'our  favor  of  February  2(lth,  asking  for  facts 
in  regard  to  my  experience  with  the  railroad  compa- 
nies in  Nevada.  The  newspai)er»  in  Nevada  pretty 
thoroughly '•  ventilated  "  the  subject  at  the  time  of 
my  election  to  the  Ninth  Legislature.  1  was  acting 
as  agent  for  Keinhart  &  Co.,  in  the  grain  business 
in    Eureka,   and   received    a   good    salary.      1   also 


owned  one-half  of  the  Eureka  Baili/  Leader.  A  year 
or  so  prior  to  my  engaging  in  the  newspaper  business 
and  the  grain  business,  I  was  agent  for  the  E.  &  P.  11. 
R.  Co.,  and  when  I  cjuit  the  company's  employ  was 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  all  of  the  officers  of  the 
company.  The  most  important  issue  before  the  peo- 
ple of  Nevada,  at  the  election  in  1879,  was  that  of 
reduction  of  fares  and  freights,  and  a  number  of  good 
Uepublicans  opposed  me  on  account  of  the  friendship 
which  existed  between  me  and  all  of  the  railroad 
oHicers,  and  I  repeatedly  assured  the  people  that  1 
would  do  all  1  could  if  elected  to  pass  a  law  to  pre- 
vent extortionate  freight  charges  and  discriminations 
in  rates,  etc.  The  railroad  company  did  not,  to  my 
knowledge,  try  to  prevent  the  election  of  any  mem- 
ber pledged  to  oppose  these  charges,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature,  that  the  corpora- 
tions commenced  their  work. 

I  was  interviewed  bj'  ilr.  Yerrington  the  first  week, 
who  talked  to  me  as  if  it  was  fully  agreed  that  1 
would  stand  in  for  the  railroad  companies,  and  when 
1  told  him  that  I  proposed  to  stand  by  the  platform 
and  try  to  do  as  1  had  pledged  inj'self  to  do,  then 
he  commenced  his  arguments,  and  the  hired  tools  of 
the  companies  were  sent  after  me.  It  was  intimated 
that  1  would  be  placed  in  a  position  to  make  money 
by  not  taking  an  active  part  in  opposing  them,  and 
after  trying  all  moans  they  attempted  to  bluff  me, 
and  threatened  to  injure  me  in  business,  etc.,  and  mis- 
represented me  in  every  waj',  and  put  up  jobs  to  get 
me  into  trouble.  One  by  one  the  members  com- 
menced to  "fall  down,"  and  those  who  were  loudest 
in  their  denunciation  of  the  thieving  corporations  at 
the  beginning  of  the  session  were  the  first  to  yield  to 
the  influences  set  to  work  to  capture  them,  and  the 
consequence  was  the  companies  were  victorious,  and 
got  away  with  everything  they  desired.  After  the 
Legislature  adjourned,  the  oHicers  of  the  E.  &  V.  R. 
R.  Co.  commenced  to  carry  their  threats  of  ruining 
me  into  execution.  Edgar  Mills,  President  of  the  E. 
it  P.  K.,  notified  Mr.  Jieinhart  that  unless  I  was  dis- 
charged at  once,  that  the  E.  &  P.  Co.  would  start 
an  opposition  grain  business  in  Eureka,  and  break 
them  up.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Keinhart  was 
informed  that  they  desired  to  put  a  man  in  my 
place  and  furnish  bonds  that  their  man  would  attend 
to  the  business  honestly.  The  man  was  1!.  P.  Dayton, 
Senator  from  Lincoln,  who  voted  for  tho  railroad 
companies  on  every  ])ropositiofi,  and  was  always 
ready  to  assist  them,  hence  their  desire  to  reward 
him  and  to  keep  him  for  use  at  the  next  session,  as 
he  was  a  hold-over. 

Well,  I  was  discharged  and  Dayton  installed,  but 
I  still  had  mj-  newspaper,  and  1  went  and  asked 
Evarts,  Superintendent  of  the  E.  &  P.,  if  he  intended 
to  follow  me  up,  or  if  he  was  satisfied  with  procur- 
ing my  discharge  from  R.  &  Co.  He  would  give  me 
no  satisfaction,  and  intimated  that  they  intended  to 
run  me  out  of  tho  State  as  an  example  to  any  other 
presunijduous  American  who  dared  to  O])pose  their 
wishes;  and  immediately  they  commenced  to  injure 
my  paper,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  1  was  com- 
])elled  to  sell  out  and  leave  the  State,  or  be  ruined. 
Knowing  that  it  was  only  a  matter  of  a  very  short 
time  that  thej-  would  either  ''bust"  me,  or  get  mo 
involved  in  difficulties,  1  concluded  to  try  the  shot- 
gun ])lan  on  a  few  of  them,  but  was  dissuaded  from 
doing  so  foolish  a  thing,  which  would  only  bring  my 
family  in  trouble.  I  left  the  State.  I've  stated 
nothing  but  plain  facts,  which  can  bo  fully  verified. 
I  am  willing  to  "abide  mj'  time,"  and  am  fully  con- 
vinced  that   before  a  great   many  years  tho  people 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


291 


will  a]i|)ly  ii  remedy  that    will   flhake  the  world,  and 
the  (|uicker  it  fomes  the  better. 

1  know  the  inside  workiiiijs  of  the  railroad  com- 
panies. 1  know  that  members  of  the  Ninth  Ijegis- 
iatiiro  were  boui;ht,  body  and  soul,  and  money  was 
paid  for  votes  almost  openl}-.  One  member  who 
held  out  for  a  long  time  against  them,  tinallj'  told 
me  he  intended  to  make  what  he  could  out  of  it,  as 
the}'  (the  Go's)  were  going  to  win  anyway,  and 
advised  mo  to  do  the  same.  lie  afterwards  voted 
with  the  friends  of  the  Go's.  Hut  all  this  is  too  well 
known  by  anj-  resident  of  Nevada. 

I  remain  yours  trulj',  F.  E.  FisK. 

The  history  of  Fisk's  banishment  from  Nevada, 
brings  home  with  resistless  force,  the  following 
from  a  speech  by  General  Garfield,  delivered  a  few 
years  since.     Said  he: — 

It  is  painfully  evident  from  the  experience  of 
the  last  few  years  that  the  efforts  of  the  States 
to  regidufe  their  railroads  have  amounted  to  but 
little  more  than  feeble  annoyance.  *  *  In  these 
contests  the  corporations  have  become  conscious 
of  their  strength  and  have  entered  upon  the  work 
of  controlling  the  States.  Already  they  have  raptured 
several  of  the  oldest  and  strongest  of  them  ;  and 
these  discrowned  soccreiyns  now  follow  in  chains  the 
triumphal  chariot  of  their  conquerors.  And  this 
does  not  implj-  that  merelj'  the  officers  and  repre- 
sentatives of  States  have  been  subjected  to  the 
railways,  but  that  the  corporations  have  ijrasped 
the  sources  <in/l  foantains  of  power,  and  CONTROL  TUE 
CHOICE   OF   BOTH   OFFICERS   AND   REPRESENTATIVES. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

HISTORY    OF    JOURNALISM    OF    NEVADA. 

The  Rise  ami  Fall  of  Newspapers — Pioneer  .Journalism — Press  of 
Douglas  Connty— Press  of  Klko  County — 1''.  A.  Littlelield 
— O.  L.  C.  Faircliilil^Major  .John  H.  Dennis — Press  of 
Esmeralila  County — Kxtracts  from  the  Ksmeralda  Sta> — M, 
M.  (ilenn — J.  M.  Dormer — Press  of  Eureka  County — Kires 
anil  Klooils — .Abraham  Skillnian — Hon.  (leori^e  W.  C;iasiily 
—Fred  K.  CanHeM— Hon.  W.  W.  Hobart— Press  of  Hum- 
boldt County — William  Forbes  —  K.  D.  Kelly  —  Press  of 
Lander  County — W.  C.  Pliillips — ,].  D.  Fairchild — Myron 
Angel — Prsss  of  I>inuoln  County — I'ress  of  I^yon  County — 
I'Vank  .\.  Kenyon — T.  K.  Picott — Press  of  Nye  County — M. 
D.  Fairchild — I'rcss  of  Omisby  County — H.  1{.  .Mighels — 
Sam.  P.  Davis — K.  K.  Parkinson — Kdwani  Niles — I'ress  of 
Storey  County — Two  Views  of  Hun.  William  Sharon — 
i^  William  Wright  (Dan.  De  Quille) — .lournalists  l\oui;hin;,'  It 
— Hunting  Items — Hon.  C.  C.  (Jooilwin — Hon.  liollin  .M. 
Daggett — Dennis  McCarthy  —  Arthur  H.  McKwun  —  Alf. 
Doten — Press  of  Washoe  County — C.  C.  Powning — Press  of 
White  Pine  County — Robert  W.  Simpson. 

The  census  of  1880  gives  Nevada  but  62,265  popu- 
lation; to  York  Gountj',  ilaine,  exactly  the  same, 
and  to  each  of  twenty-six  cities  of  the  United  Slates 
a  greater  number.  Twenty  j^'ears  prior  to  this  time 
the  first  new8j)aper  published  in  what  is  now  the 
State  was  less  than  two  years  old;  and,  considering 
the  length  of  time,  the  number  of  people  among 
whom  it  has  been  done,  Nevada  has  ])r()vod  itself 
to  have  no  equal  in  the  nation  as  a  field  of  journal- 
istic enterprise. 

Ninety-one  different  nowspa])erH  have  been  started 
in  Nevada,  and  twenty-eight  of  them  only  are  now 


in  existence.  Fortj'-nine  dailies  have  been  born,  and 
nineteen  onlj'  of  them  are  not  to  be  found  among 
the  hecatombs.  Fifty-five  weeklies  have  looked  out 
for  the  first  time  upon  an  unfriendly  world  among 
her  sage-brush  jilains,  and  thirty-eight  of  them  have 
come  to  an  untimely  enil.  In  what  place  upon  the 
earth  where  the  Fngiish  language  is  spoken  can  such 
another  record  be  found?  The  present  of  it  all  is 
resolved,  in  1881,  into  nineteen  dailies  published  in 
the  State,  of  which  five  are  morning  and  thehalanco 
evening  editions;  eight  of  these  publications  having 
no  weekly  connected  with  them.  The  circulation  of 
these  dailies  amount  in  the  aggregate  to  16,385  copies 
per  da}%  their  average  sul)scrii)tion  price  being  ten 
dollars  per  year.  There  are  eleven  weeklies  not  con- 
nected with  these  still  in  existence,  the  total  circula- 
tion of  all  being  given  by  the  census  bureau  at  4,400 
copies,  with  the  average  subscription  ])rice  of  S3.50 
per  j-ear. 

Along  the  beach  where  these  dismantled  journals 
were  driven  by  adverse  winds  among  the  reefs  upon 
a  lee  shore  are  buried  many  absurd,  strange,  won- 
derful and  often  tragic  experiences.  It  was  the  age 
of  wonders  and  the  era  of  magic  to  the  profession 
in  the  Silver  Slate,  that  brought  forth  these  numer- 
ous journals,  often  to  become  crucibles  of  wealth  to 
their  owners  for  a  time,  then  to  decline  and  sud- 
denly cease  to  exist. 

When  a  rich  mining  district  was  discovered,  and 
a  numerous  population  concentrated,  there  the  printer 
would  go  and  set  up  his  press,  flourish  when  the 
camp  prospered,  make  money  when  coin  circulated, 
get  forehanded  for  a  time,  sometimes  even  wealthy, 
spend  his  monej-  as  freolj''  as  it  came,  invest  in  mines 
or  stocks,  stay  too  long,  and  leave  the  camp  a  bank- 
rupt, his  creditors  falling  heir  to  a  suspended  journal 
and  the  material  that  it  was  printed  with.  Ijiko  the 
miner,  his  life  was  a  succession  of  changes,  like  him 
it  was  a  day  of  wealth,  of  high  hopes,  and  a  week 
of  hardships,  of  i)overt3-,  of  mixed  doubt  and  hope, 
that  sometimes  ended  at  the  grave  in  blood,  as  did 
the  life  of  G.  H,  Derickson,  at  Washoe,  in  January, 
1863. 

PIONEER   JOURNALISTS. 

To  bo  a  good  compositor,  a  livel}-,  versatile  rejiorter. 
with  imagination  to  fill  columns  in  the  absence  of 
news,  or  an  able  editor,  was  a  moderate  fortune  in 
itself  The  first  could  earn  his  fifty  dollars  per  wei'k, 
the  last  was  often  paid  seventy-five  dollars  for  the 
same  time,  and  oecasioiially  as  high  as  S.")00  ]>er  month 
for  editorial  duties.  It  was  during  those  times  that 
the  press  of  Nevada  had  no  superior  upon  the  coast./ 
.\mong  its  little  army,  now  ]>assed  away,  were  such 
men  as  Joseph  T.  Goodman,  II.  |)e  (Jroot.  J.  Iv. 
Lovejoy,  called  the  "  Old  Pah-Ute,"  W.  .1.  Forbes, 
whose  j)aragraphs  under  the  head  of  "Semblins"  were 
([uoled  from  ocean  to  ocean.  Tom  Fitch,  the  "silver- 
tongued  orator,"  H.  C.  Bennett,  C.  A.  Sumner,  l\.  M. 
Daggett,  a  .Miraboau  with  the  pen.  Judge  C.  C.  Good- 
win, on  the  surface  of  whoso  writings  floated  some- 


292 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


thing  strange,  absurd,  or  pathetic,  through  which 
often  ran  a  strain  of  satire  that  made  one  doubt  when 
reading  whether  to  laugh  or  cry,  or  both,  or  neither. 
H.  R.  Mighels,  B.  J.  Burns,  J.  J.  Aj'er.s  Mj-ron  Angel 
and  M.  D.  Fairchild— with  such  men  sitting  in  editorial 
sanctums,  with  Samuel  Clemens,  known  as  "  Mark 
Twain,"  with  Clement  T.  Eice,  whom  "Mark" 
christened  '-The  Unreliable,"  and  William  Wright, 
whom  everybody  knows  as  "  Dan  De  Quille,"  on  the 
reportorial  staff,  could  the  Nevada  press  have  ranked 
second  to  any  upon  the  coast?  Of  that  entire  list  of 
editors  and  reporters,  but  one  is  now  living  in  the 
State  who  continues  to  grace  the  profession,  and  that 
one  is  "Dan  De  (Quille."  The  names  of  those  pioneer 
editors  or  reporters,  such  as  McCarthy,  McEwen,  Alf 
Doten,  and  others,  who  are  still  in  the  harness,  have 
been  intentionally  omitted  from  these  mentioned  as 
the  early  "  bright  lights"  in  the  State;  not  because 
their  abilities  or  prominence  denied  them  such  a  posi- 
tion; the  contrarj-  is  true;  but,  as  they  are  still  in  the 
State,  running  newspapers,  they  might  get  mad  if 
placed  there,  and  talk  back.  Those  mentioned  have 
turned  to  other  avocations,  abandoned  the  State,  or 
died  since  that  time,  and  will  probably  keep  quiet 
whether  they  like  it  or  not. 

CHARACTERS    DEVELOPED. 

The  spirit  of  the  Nevada  press  has  always  been  of 
an  exaggerated  character,  such  as  developed  a  "Mark 
Twain,"  and  "The  Unreliable";  aggressive  to  an 
extreme  that  not  unfrequently  resulted  in  a  duel. 
In  1863,  J.  T.  Goodman,  editorially  in  the  Territorial 
Enterprise,  gave  Tom  F'.teh,  of  the  Union,  so  severe 
an  overhauling,  that  the  hitter  immediately  sent  a 
challenge  to  the  writer  demanding  a  •■  blood  atone- 
ment." When  Fitch,  the  "  silver-tongued,"  could 
not  frame  language  for  his  enemy  sufficiently  "cussed'' 
to  give  him  satisfaction,  it  becomes  evid'-nt  that  the 
attack  of  Goodman  must  have  been  an  inspirational 
effort,  that  evolved  the  genius  of  assault  beyond 
which  words  ceased  to  add  a  meaning.  The  meeting 
occurred  in  Si.x-mile  Canon,  August  1st,  at  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  "  Mark  Twain  "  gives  the  follow- 
ing characteristic  account  of  the  affair: — 

*  *  *  Whereupon  "  Young  Wilson  "  and  our- 
selves at  once  mounted  a  couple  of  Olin's  fast  horses, 
and  followed  in  their  wake  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a 
minute,  since  when,  being  neither  iron-clad  nor  even 
half-soled,  we  enjoj-  more  real  comfort  in  standing 
up  than  sitting  down.  But  we  lost  our  bloody-  item^ 
for  Marshal  Perry  arrived  early  with  a  detachment  ot 
Constables,  and  I  >cpnty  ShcritV  Blodgett  came  with 
a  lot  of  blarslcd  Sheriffs,  and  these  miserable  med- 
dling whel])s  arrested  the  whole  i)arly  and  marched 
them  back  to  town.  In  interfering  with  our  legitimate 
business,  Mr.  i'erry  and  Mr.  Blodgetl  probablj' think 
they  are  almighty  smart,  but  wo  calculate  to  get  even 
with  them. 

What  in  other  places  would  have  boon  considered 
thrilling;  what  in  California  even,  would  have  boon 
deemed  sufficientlj'  uncommon,  or  nf)vel,  to  excite 
luirlh,  would  have    passed    unnoticed  in  the  Sage- 


brush State  at  that  time,  as  too  tame,  too  insipid, 
in  comparison  with  the  exaggerated  mental  condi- 
tion and  feverish  pulse  of  the  masses,  to  receive 
attention.  The  i)ress,  to  attract  notice  from  that 
people,  must  ])artake  of  the  largeness  of  the  reader. 
Because  of  this  the  reporters  were  an  exaggerated 
aggregation  that  partook  of  and  were  an  outgrowth 
of  those  excited  times.  Nothing  in  the  ordinary 
would  do.  It  was  necessary  to  furnish  literary 
food  conditioned  to  digest  by  an  inflated  public 
mind,  abnormally  developed.  But  items  of  news 
were  not  always  to  be  culled  from  events  that 
transpired,  and  this  deficiency  was  usually,  or  often 
at  least,  supplied  from  the  fertile  brain  of  the 
reporter;  blood-curdling,  like  the  massacre  of  the 
family  and  scalping  of  the  red-headed  woman  at 
"Dutch  Nicks,"  or  wonderful,  like  the  mythical  cave 
at  Como,  filled  with  virgin  gold,  related  with  an 
elaborate  detail  of  familiar  names  and  surround- 
ings that  imposed  upon  the  most  skeptical.  Tho 
inventive  genius  of  those  reporters  was  not 
always  satisfied  with  its  prey  upon  and  hoaxing 
of  the  outside  world,  but  kept  constantly  at  play 
upon  each  other.  The  first  steam  press  used  in 
printing  a  paper  in  Nevada  was  started  in  the 
Territorial  Enterprife  office  July  31,  1863.  The  gen- 
eral mix-up  on  that  occasion  of  new  press,  news- 
paper and  bottles  of  wine,  caused  "Mark  Twain" 
to  take  among  other  things,  a  severe  cold,  "that 
settled  on  his  mind,"  and  he  was  forced  for  a 
couple  of  days  to  turn  over  to  his  friend  Clement 
T.  Rice,  "The  Unreliable,"  the  local  department  of 
the  paper.  The  next  issue  of  the  Enterprise  was  a 
sensation.  The  readers  of  that  paper  were  astounded, 
nonplussed,  befogged.  They  read  the  following, 
and  supposed  of  course  it  was  from  repentant 
Twain;  but  what  could  have  caused  it?  was  this 
unmitigated  wag  drunk  again,  or  had  he  become 
sober,  gone  crazj',  or  what?: — 

August  1,  1863. 
Apolooetic. — It  is  said,  "  an  open  confession  is 
good  for  the  soul."  We  have  been  on  the  stool  of 
repentance  for  a  long  time,  but  have  not  before  had 
tho  moral  courage  to  acknowledge  our  manifold  sins 
and  wickedness.  We  confess  to  this  weakness.  We 
have  commenced  this  article  under  the  head  of 
'Apologetic' — wo  mean  it,  if  we  ever  meant  anything 
in  our  life.  To  Mayor  Arick,  Hon.  Wm.  M.  Stewart, 
Marshal  Perry,  Hon.  J.  B.  Winters,  Mr.  Olin, 
and  Samuel  Witberel,  besides  a  host  of  others 
whom  we  have  ridiculed  from  behind  the  shel- 
tor  of  our  reportorial  position,  wo  say  to  these 
gontlomen,  we  acknowledge  our  faults,  and  in  all 
weakness  and  siniplieitj- — upon  our  bonded  marrow- 
bones— we  ask  thoir  forgiveness,  ])romisini;  that  in 
future  we  will  give  tlieni  no  cause  for  anything  but 
the  best  of  feeling  toward  us.  To  "  Young  Wilson," 
and  the  "  Unreliable",  (as  we  have  wickedly-  termed 
them),  we  fool  that  no  apology  wo  can  make  begins 
to  atone  for  the  many  insults  wo  have  given  thorn. 
Towards  these  gentlemon  wo  have  been  as  moan  as  a 
man  could  be — and  wo  have  alwajs  j>ri(lo(l  oursolf  on 
this  base  quality.  We  fool  that  wo  are  the  least  of 
all  humanity,  as  it  wore.     We  will  now  go  in  sack- 


RANCH  AND  RESIDENCE  OF  J.J.FOX.  MASON-VALLEY,  ESMERALDA  CO.,  NEV. 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


29n 


cloth  and  ashee  for  the  next  forty  days.  What  more 
can  we  do?  The  latter-named  fjontlemaii  has  saved 
U8  several  timo8  from  receiving  a  sound  tlircshing  for 
our  impudence  and  assurance.  He  has  sheltered  and 
clothed  us.  We  have  had  a  liaiikerini;,  "  my  ho}'." 
to  redeem  our  character — or  what  little  we  have. 
To-morrow  we  may  iiet  in  the  same  old  way  ai;ain. 
If  we  do,  we  want  it  now  understood  that  this  con- 
fession stands.  Gentleman  do  you  accept  our  good 
intentions? 

ifark  Twain  was  thunder-struck  on  ])icking  up 
the  pa])er,  and  reading  this  apologj-.  It  ])roved  a 
galvanic  and  sovereign  remedy  for  his  cold,  how- 
ever, and  the  next  day  found  him  on  duty  again, 
when  he  took  occasion  to  explain  in  the  following 
characteristic  strain: — 

*  *  *  We  ai-c  to  blame  for  giving  "the  Unre- 
liable" an  opjjorluiiil}-  to  misrepresent  us,  and  there- 
fore refrain  from  rc|)iiiiiig  to  any  great  extent  at  the 
result.  We  sinipl}'  claim  the  right  to  </«;«//  the  Irulh 
of  every  statement  made  bj'  him  in  yesterdaj^'s 
paper,  to  annul  all  apologies  he  coined  as  coming 
from  us,  and  to  hold  him  u|)  to  public  commisera- 
tion as  a  reptile  endowed  with  no  more  intellect, 
no  more  cultivation,  no  more  Christian  princi|)le 
than  animates  and  adorns  the  sjjortive  jackas.s  rab- 
bit of  the  Sierras.      We  have  done. 

The  preceding  relates  chiefly  to  the  Territorkd 
Enterprise  and  the  press  of  Storey  Count}',  but  for 
the  purpose  of  uniformity  each  county  will  follow  in 
alphabetical  order.  The  pioneer  journal  having  borne 
the  same  name  while  ))ul)lislic(i  in  different  localities, 
nevertheless,  appeared  in  \'irginia  C\iy  before  the 
counties  were  formed,  and  it  is  therefore  not  inap- 
propriate to  include  it  under  the  head  of  the  Storey 
County  Press,  where  the  further  history  of  the  Enter- 
prise will  be  found. 


TlIK  PRESS  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 

THE    r.\R.SON    VALLEY    FARMER. 

The  ( 'arson  Appeal  notices  on  the  tilth  of  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  that  some  one  has  purchased  a  portion  of 
the  deceased  Carson  Indejxuilenl  material,  vvith  which 
to  start  a  paper  at  Genoa,  in  l)ouglas  Count}-.  That 
"somebody"  was  J.  II.  Hill,  who,  having  raised  by 
subscription  about  8-iOO  from  the  peojile  of  that 
county  for  the  j)urpose  of  starting  a  Union  ])aper,  had 
made  the  purchase,  and,  on  (probably)  the  sixteenth 
of  September  of  that  year,  he  issued  the  first  number, 
giving  it  the  above  name.  lie  changed  the  name  of 
his  next  number  to  the  Nevada  liepuhlican,  and  with 
the  third  issue  the  concern  demised.  A  citizen  of 
Genoa  purchased  Hill's  interest,  and  leased  the  es- 
tablishment to  Richard  Wheeler,  who,  being  assisted 
by  A.  T.  llawley  as  editor,  commenced  publication  of 

THE  DOUGLAS  COUNTY  BANNER. 

The  Banner  was  first  unfurled  on  the  seventh  of 

October,  1805,  by  parties  and  under  circumstances  as 

stated  above.     It  was  a  twonty-tbur  column,  weekly, 

Republican  sheet;  price,  five  dollars  per  year.     Finan- 

37 


cial  embarrassment  forced  it  to  suspend  with  the 
twelfth  number;  and  Douglas  (*r>unty  was  without  a 
newspaper  for  several  years,  until  the  starting  of  the 

CARSON    \AI,(,EV    NEWS. 

This  ])aper  was  commenced  as  a  twenty-four  column 
Republican  weekly,  on  the  twentieth  of  February, 
1875,  A.  C.  Pratt  being  its  editor  and  j)roprietor.  A 
semi-weekly  issue  of  it  was  commenced  Kebruary 
1(>,  1.S77,  that  was  continued  until  August  24th  of 
the  same  year,  when  the  weekly  was  again  resumed. 
Forty-four  weeks  later  it  suspended  for  want  of  suf- 
ficient ])atronage,  the  jiublisher  stating  that  when 
times  warranted  he  should  resume.  This  resump- 
tion occurred  Se])tember  20.  1878,  in  reduced  form, 
the  new  isfue  only  containing  twelve  columns.  July 
1(!.  1880,  Boynton  Carlisle  purchased  it,  and,  chang- 
ing the  name,  commenced  the 

CiEN().\    WEEKLY    COIKIER. 

The  firft  issue  by  Mr.  Carlisle  of  the  Cour/er  occurred 
on  the  twenty-third  of  .Fuly,  18S0.  It*  size  was  twenty 
columns,  lGx22  inches,  ])olitics  Re]mblican,  and  sub- 
scription price  three  dollars  per  year.  On  the  first  of 
January,  1S81,  he  sold  the  Courier  to  (ieorge  .M- 
Smith,  who  continues  ])ublicution  at  the  present  time. 

GENOA  JOURNAL. 

This  was  a  twenty  cohumi  weekly,  published  at 
Genoa,  on  paper  20x20  inches;  Democratic  in  poli- 
tics; subsci'iption  ]irice,  three  dollai's  ])er  year;  J.  H. 
(-.'radlebaugh,  editor  and  proprietor.  It  was  started 
in  April,  1880,  susj)ended  in  the  following  July,  and 
was  revived  in  September  of  the  same  year. 

Mr.  (ieo.  M.  Smith  purchased  the  establishment  on 
the  first  of  November,  and  changed  its  polities  to 
Republican,  and  on  the  first  of  January,  1881,  con- 
solidated it  with  the  Courier. 


TllK   l'i;i:SS  OF   HLlvO  COUNTY. 

Before  the  railroad  had  reached  eastern  Nevada, 
in  1809,  the  discovery  of  mines  south  of  the  Hum- 
boldt River,  in  that  ])art  of  the  State,  had  made  the 
question  of  establishing  some  important  shipping 
station  u])on  the  Central  Pacific  in  what  is  now  KIko 
County,  a  foregone  conclusion.  Ivireka  and  White 
Pine  were  to  bo  sup])lied  from  that  road,  and  the 
Central  Pacific  C^omjiany  decided  that  KIko.  upon 
one  of  their  land  sections,  and  not  Palisade,  where  it 
was  supposed  the  Government  possessed  the  title, 
should  lie  that  shipping  station.  The  inlluence  of 
this  company  wielded  in  the  form  of  discrimination, 
gave  to  KIko  a  largo  advantage,  and  the  fact  that 
such  was  the  case  caused  the  jmblic  generally  to 
ex|)ect  it  would  become  the  town  of  eastern  Nevada. 
It  was  faith  in  this  locality  more  than  jirosont  utility 
that  caused  E.  D.  Kelley  to  suspend  the  Humboldt 
Reijiiiter  at  Unionville,  and  move  the  office  to  KIko 
in  May,  18011,  with  which   to  start  the  Indejxndenl. 


294 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ELKO    INDEPENDENT. 

Mr.  Kellcy,  who,  in  connection  with  Judge  George 
G.  Berry  as  a  silent  partner,  had  started  the  Inde- 
pendenf,  sold  to  Berry  and  C.  L.  Perkins  in  October, 
18C!),  and  in  a  short  time  thereafter,  H.  C.  Street 
became  a  half  owner.  In  the  fall  of  1870  Perkins 
was  elected  State  Printer  on  the  Democratic  ticket, 
and  he,  with  Mr.  Street,  moved  to  the  State  Capital 
and  purchased  the  Appeal,  in  December,  from  Henry 
1\.  .Mighel.i,  and  converted  that  j)aper  into  a  Demo- 
cratic organ  under  the  name  of  the  State  Register. 
Ihay  did  not  sell  the  Independent,  but  hired  W.  B. 
Taylor  and  J.  C.  Davis  to  run  it  for  them,  it  being  a 
semi-weekly,  under  their  management.  In  1872  Mr. 
Street  sold  his  interest  in  the  Independent  to  Judge 
Berrj-,  who  became  sole  proprietor,  it  not  appear- 
ing when  Mr.  Perkin's  interest  ceased  with  that 
sheet.  In  .May,  1872,  Taylor  became  Berry's  part- 
ner, and  June  4th,  following,  the  Independent  came 
out  double  its  former  size  and  with  a  new  dress. 
During  the  time  Taylor  remained  Berry's  partner, 
he  joined  Frank  Kenyon,  in  September,  in  publishing 
the  Pioche  Review,  which  susjjcnded  November  12th, 
when  he  became  a  partner  in  the  Pioche  Record.  In 
December,  1872,  S.  S.  Sears  and  C.  C.  S.  Wright 
purchased  both  Berry  and  Taylor's  interest  in  the 
Indepewhnt.  In  August,  1875,  the  weekly  was 
changed  to  a  daih";  in  September,  187G,  it  was 
enlarged,  and  in  October,  187G,  the  present  editor 
and  proprietor,  S.  S.  Sears,  became  sole  owner. 

THE   ELKO   CHRONICLE. 

W .  H.  Taylor  and  T.  I.  Butler,  under  the  firm  name 
of  "  Chronicle  Publishing  Company,"  started  this 
paper  as  a  Republican  organ  at  Elko,  on  the  fifth  of 
June,  1870;  a  twenty-four  column  semi-weeklj-;  sub- 
scription price,  eight  dollars  per  year.  Being  a  very 
spicy  sheet,  and  conducted  with  ability,  it  lived 
through  the  political  campaign  of  that  year,  but 
suspended  December  4th,  with  the  following  valedic- 
tory, headed, 

"ALAS,  POOR   YORICK!" 

Ours  was  not  a  wiiiiiiiig  hand.  The  Democrats  held 
all  the  trun)))s. 

The  material  of  the  office  was  moved  in  August, 
1872,  by  -Mr.  Taylor  to  Pioche.  where  the  Pioche  Re- 
view was  published  with  it  until  in  November  of  that 
year,  when  it  was  absorbed  by  the  Pioche  Record. 

ELKO    WEEKLY    POST. 

This  was  the  third  and  lust  j)aj)or  started  in  Klko. 
The  first  number  bears  date  September  11,  1875,  and 
was  a  twent3--ciglit  column  weekly,  printed  on  paper 
24x:54  inches,  jiublished  by  K.  A.  Littletield  and  C.  C. 
Powning.  Politics  ahvaj-s  Republican.  In  October, 
187r>,  Mr.  Littlefield  became  solo  proprietor,  and 
March  10th  of  the  next  year,  ho  started  the  Tuscarora 
Times,  but  sold  the  same  that  fall,  having  continued 
in  the  meantime  the  publication  of  the  Post.  The 
first  of  January,  1880,  he  was  joined  as  a  partner  by 
bis  brother,  L.  B.  Litllofield.  The  size  of  the  j)aper 
was  reduced  four  columns,  and  the  firm  continued  to 


be  E.  A.  Littlefield  &  Co.,  until  suspension  of  the  Post, 
April  30,  1881. 

E.    A.    LITTLEFIELD. 

E.  A.  Littlefield  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  He 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  printer's  trade  in 
East  Greenwich,  of  that  State.  In  1857  he  removed 
to  Minnesota.  From  18G2  until  1864  he  was  editor 
of  the  Goodhiie  County  RepMicun,  in  Minnesota.  In 
1864  he  first  arrived  at  Austin,  Nevada,  where  he 
worked  for  three  months  on  the  Reese  River  RereiUe, 
from  where  he  went  to  San  Francisco,  and  for  a  time 
he  was  upon  the  American  Flag  in  that  city.  In 
November  he  started  the  Klamath  News,  at  Orleans 
Bar,  in  Klamath  County,  California.  In  September, 
1865,  he  visited  Salem,  Oregon,  from  where  he  went 
to  Yreka,  California,  and  remained  one  year.  His 
next  move  was  to  Sacramento,  C^alifornia;  thence  to 
Auburn,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1869, 
having  editorial  charge  of  the  iStars  and  Stripes.  His 
next  evolution  was  to  Sacramento;  thence  to  San 
Francisco,  working  in  the  former  place  upon  the 
Union,  and  in  the  latter  for  Bancroft  &  Co.  PVom 
San  Francisco  he  returned  to  Nevada,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  J.  G.  Law  and  W.  II.  II.  Fellows,  started 
the  Nevada  State  Journal,  November  23,  1870.  In 
the  fall  of  1871,  this  editorial  Japhet  resumed  his  wan- 
derings, visiting  Salt  Lake,  where  he  became  foreman 
and  assistant  editor  of  the  Daihj  Mining  Review.  lie 
remained  there  till  the  spring  of  1872;  then  returned 
to  Sacramento,  California,  and  fetched  up  on  the 
Territorial  Enterjirise,  in  Virginia  City,  in  the  fall. 

January  of  1873  found  him  at  work  in  Reno  on 
the  Journal,  the  paper  of  which  he  had  been  one  of 
the  founders,  and  being  "caught  in  that  place  on  the 
fly,"  was  married  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  the  next 
month.  From  Reno  he  went  back  to  the  Enterprise 
at  Virginia  City,  thence  to  San  Francisco,  where, 
taking  stock  in,  he  became  connected  with  the  Baily 
Post.  The  friends  of  this  goer  of  a  journalist,  think- 
ing that  his  being  hitched  to  a  post  would  localize 
him,  were  soon  undeceived,  for  he  broke  loose  in 
.Fuly,  1875,  and  fetched  up  at  Elko,  Nevada,  where, 
in  connection  with  C.  ('.  Powning.  he  started  the 
paper  at  that  place.  His  last  departure  was  from 
Elko  to  Ogden.  Utah,  in  .May,  1881,  where  the  peo- 
ple will  soon  learn  that  they  have  a  traveled  journal- 
ist, a  gentlemanly  citizen  and  able  writer  ])ublishing 
the  paper  among  them  called  the  Ogden  Daily  Pilot. 

THE    TI.MES-REVIEW. 

.March  10,  1877,  E.  A.  Littlefield,  who  was  at  the 
time  i)ublishing  the  Elko  Independent,  started  a  weekly 
Republican  paper  at  Tuscarora,  in  Elko  County, 
called  the  Tuscarora  Times.  That  fall  John  H.  Den- 
nis and  O.  L.  C.  Fairchild  purchased  the  Times.  In 
May  of  that  j'ear  C.  C.  S.  Wright  started  a  semi- 
weekly  at  Tuscarora,  to  which  ho  gave  the  name  of 
Mining  Review,  and  on  the  first  of  January,  1878, 
the  two  papers  were  consolidated,  the  owners  named 
becoming  ]>artners,  and  the  name  assumed  for  the 
consolidated  publication  being  The  Times-Review. 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


20= 


In  April,  1878,  Mr.  Wright  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  the  other  partners,  who  have,  until  recently,  con- 
tinued proprietors.  In  size  the  Times-Review  is  the 
same  as  the  Si/rer  State  or  Reese  River  Reveille.  In 
politics  it  is  independent.  The  edition  is  chiily.  Mr. 
Dennis  having  recently  retired,  .Mr.  Kairthild  is  now 
sole  proprietor. 

O.    L.    C.    FAlRCIIII.l). 

The  suliject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Trumans- 
burg,  Tompkins  County,  Xew  York,  February  13, 
1830.  lie  began  early  in  life  as  printer's  devil,  and 
finally  graduated  as  first-rate  compositor  at  the 
case.  After  working  as  a  journeyman  at  Elmira, 
Rochester,  and  other  places,  he  went  to  New  York 
City,  and  engaged  upon  the  Jounuil  of  Commerce 
until  1852,  when  he  sought  the  golden  shore  of  Cal- 
ifornia, and  disembarked  from  shipboard  upon  the 
wharf  in  San  Francisco  in  June  of  that  year.  Pro- 
ceeding to  the  mines,  he  engaged  for  a  time  in  min- 
ing, trading,  and  ranching;  but  finally,  tiring  of 
these,  he  went  to  Orovillc,  Butte  County,  in  185(J, 
and  there,  in  partnership  with  Charles  Lincoln, 
engaged  in  the  publication  of  the  Northern  Califor- 
nian,  the  fii'st  paper  published  in  that  place,  and  the 
second  one  in  the  county.  Afterward  he  sold  out 
his  interest  in  that  paper,  and  went  to  Coloma,  and 
worked  in  the  An/us  office  there.  In  1858,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  J.  1).  Fairchild,  he  began  the 
publication  of  the  Placerville  Semi-  Weekly  Observer, 
which  he  continued  for  a  little  more  than  a  year. 
Subsequentlj-,  the  Placerville  Repnhlican  was  begun, 
with  Thomas  Fitch  as  editor.  Of  this  establish- 
ment Mr.  Fairchild  was  foreman  until  it  suspended 
publication.  He  then  went  to  Austin  early  in  lS(i3, 
and  there  became  connected  with  the  Reveille,  and  so 
continued  until  1871,  when  he  removed  to  California, 
and  purchased  a  half-interest,  with  'William  Gagan, 
of  the  Oakland  Duily  Xews,  of  which  he  became  sole 
owner  upon  (iagan's  death  in  1873.  He  remained 
at  Oakland  until  1877,  when  he  returned  to  the  Sage- 
brush State,  and  bought  a  half-interest  in  the  Tus- 
carora  Times.  He  is  now  sole  owner  of  the  Times- 
Review  of  that  place,  a  dailj-,  and  is  also  Postmaster. 
Mr.  Fairchild  has  done  much  to  advance  the  material 
interests  of  the  State  of  Nevada. 

.MAJOR   .JOn.N   H.  DENNIS. 

John  H.  Dennis,  late  of  the  Tuscarora  Times- 
Review,  a  native  of  Middlesex  County,  Massachu- 
setts, was  born  .May  20,  1835,  and  came  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  by  way  of  Cape  Horn  in  1852.  For  eleven 
years  ho  remained  in  California,  during  which  time 
he  was  mining  a  little,  tried  his  hand  at  merchan- 
dising, became  an  editor  of  the  Independent  in  Ama- 
dor County,  and  assistant  on  the  El  Dorado  Times,  in 
Georgetown,  Kl  Dorado  County,  and  served  one 
term  in  the  Legislature  from  El  Dorado  County. 

In  18(53  he  removed  to  Austin,  Nevada,  and  has 
since  resided  in  the  Sage-brush  State.  In  1871  he 
became  a  half-owner  of  the  Reese  River  Reveille,  and 
in  1874  disposed  of  the  interest  to  John  Booth,  its 


present  proprietor.  He  then  purchased  one-half 
of  the  Eureka  Se/ilinel,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years,  and  selling  to  .\.  Skillman,  moved  to  Tus- 
carora. 

Mr.  Dennis  is  a  quaint  and  pithy  writer,  and 
withal  possesses  a  large  vein  of  humor,  which 
attracts  much  attention  to  his  editorials.  During 
the  "  war"  with  the  Gosh-Utes  in  Spring  Valley, 
Mr.  Dennis  commanded  the  troops  sent  out  from 
Eureka  to  strike  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  red- 
skins, since  which  time  he  has  proudly  worn  the 
prefix  of  Major  to  his  name.  He  was  chosen  one  of 
the  Electors  for  the  State  of  Nevada  at  the  last 
Presidential  election,  and  was  appointed  messenger 
to  carry  the  vote  to  Washington. 


THE  PRESS  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 

The  pioneer  paper  of  Esmeralda  County  was 
started  at  Aurora,  Maj-  10,  l.S(;2.  as  a  twentj'-column 
weekly  being  21x28  inches  in  size.  Republican  in 
politics,  subscription  price  six  dollars  per  year,  and 
its  name  was 

TFIE    ESMERALDA    STAR. 

Edwin  A.  Sherman  &  Co.  appeared  as  the  pub- 
lishers, but  the  name  of  the  party  or  parties  consti- 
tuting the  balance  of  the  firm  was  not  mentioned. 
Just  before  closing  the  first  volume  the  partnership 
name  was  dropped,  and  at  the  commencement  of 
the  second,  Mr.  Sherman  gave  the  following  interest- 
ing history  of  his  paper  and  the  press  upon  which  it 
was  pi'inted.  The  article  contains  much  that  throws 
out  in  bold  relief  some  of  the  peculiar  phases  of  pio- 
neer journalism: — 

[Saturday,  May  2,  18G3.] 
TO    OUR    PATRONS. 

I       To-day  we  issue  the  first  number  of  Volume  Sec- 
I    ond  of  the  Star.     It  may  not  be  deemed  out  of  j)lace 
to  review  somewhat  of  the  ju'oss  and  its  history. 

Tlie  press  and  a  very  small  part  of  the  present  mate- 
rial formerlj-  belongetl  to  the  late  and  lamented  J.  ,lud- 
son  Ames,  and  from  which  was  issued  the  San  l)iego 
Herald.  This  press  was  brought  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama  in  1850  by  Judge  Ames,  and  in  coming 
up  the  Chagres  River  was  thrown  overboard  bj'  the 
upsetting  of  the  canoe  in  which  it  was  being  con- 
veyed to  Gorgona.  The  natives  being  unable  to  lift 
the  heavier  part  of  it  from  the  bottom  of  the  stream 
which  had  a  very  rajjid  current, the  Judge,  who  was 
a  very  powerful  man,  jumped  overboard  anil  lifted  it 
out  himself  and  placeil  it  in  the  canoe,  much  to  the 
astoiiislinient  of  his  dark-skinned  companions.  This 
being  a  No.  .'!  Washington  jiress.  its  weight  can  bo 
more  accurately  estimated  bj-  the  members  of  the 
craft  than  by  others;  at  any  rate  it  will  suffice  for 
our  readers  "to  know  that  it  weighs  more  than  four 
hundred  pounds.  He  succeeded  in  getting  it  to 
Panama  after  much  difficulty;  and  soon  after  issued 
at  that  place  the  Panama  Star  for  a  very  short 
period,  and  then  brought  it  to  San  Francisco, 

By  the  advice  of  his  friends  ho  was  induced  to 
move  it  to  San  Diego,  as  that  point  was  then  advo- 
cated as  the  western    terminus  of  the    Pacific    Rail- 


296 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


road;  and  it  was  desired  by  speculators  in  town  lots 
to  have  a  newspaper  published  there,  to  induce 
immigration  and  fjive  an  importance  to  the  place. 
At  that  time  there  were  but  tew  jiapers  published  in 
California,  and  as  the  members  of  Conj^ress  were  of 
Southern  proclivities  and  intent  on  having  a  Pacific 
Jiailroad  for  the  exclusive  benefit  of  the  Southern 
route,  their  aid  and  encouragement  of  everj'  enter- 
prise in  that  jiortion  of  the  State  was  given  to  that 
end;  hence  the  encouragement  of  the  San  Diego 
IJeraH  to  that  end.  For  ten  long  years  Ames  con- 
tinued its  publication,  excepting  at  times,  when  the 
immortal  "John  Phu-nix,"  alias  '-Squibob,"  during 
the  Judge's  absence,  would  carry  it  on  in  his  own 
inimitable  stj-ie,  playing  all  sorts  of  pranks,  and 
scattering  gems  of  wit.  The  cuts  out  of  which  he 
formed  the  Pictorial  Herald,  we  still  retain.  The 
garrison  being  removed  from  San  Diego,  and  that 
county  exporting  nothing  but  hides,  its  commercial 
importance  died  entire!}'  awa}'.  The  Mormons  hav- 
ing left  San  Bernardino  to  go  to  Salt  Lake,  at  the 
call  of  JJrigham  Young,  the  Americans  in  that  vallej' 
sent  to  Ames  at  San  Diego.  oftVriiig  to  paj'  the  entire 
expenses  of  moving  it  to  their  village,  and  as  Ames 
said  "they  were  skinning  everything  in  San  Diego 
County,  he  thought  that  perhaps  they  might  com- 
mence on  him,  and  in  order  to  save  his  ovvn  hide  he 
would  accept  theoflcr  of  the  San  Hernardinos.  before 
he  was  Hayed  alive."  Ho  accordingly,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  IS.")!!,  moved  his  press  to  San  Bernardino  and 
published  the  llerahl  there. 

Unfortunatel}-  for  him  the  ]iopiilation  was  too  small 
to  support  a  paper,  and  his  |)riiitors  not  being  willing 
to  take  liurk  ill  jjiiymenl  for  their  sei-vices,  he  was 
compelled  to  let  out  his  press  to  other  parties,  who 
in  turn  failed  to  make  anj-thiiig  ibr  themselves,  or 
pay  him  for  the  use  of  the  press.  Disheartened  in 
every  respect,  the  flower  of  his  life  having  been 
thrown  away  in  endeavoring  to  sustain  the  fruitless 
project  of  making  San  Diego  the  Western  terminus 
of  the  Pacific  Pailroad,  the  blasting  of  all  his  hojies 
of  pros])erit}-  to  be  realized  in  its  completion,  and  the 
i'ailure  of  men  who  broke  their  jiromises  with  him, 
all  added  their  weight  to  his  sorrow,  and  J.  Judson 
Ames,  the  true  friend  and  social  companiim,  died  of 
a  broke!)  heart. 

Previous,  however,  to  his  death,  the  jiress  and 
material  jjassed  into  our  hands,  and  with  it  wo 
received  this  admonition  from  him.  "If  over  you 
let  this  press  he  used  in  publishing  a  rebel  sheet,  or 
dispose  of  it  to  a  traitor,  my  ghost  shall  haunt  you  as 
long  as  3'ou  live,  and  when  j-ou  die  'Squibob'  shall 
act  as  foreman  in  scidling  you  across  the  'Styx.' 
Alas,  both  are  now  Ij'iiig  'iieath  the  green  turf. 

]n  A]iril,  ISGl,  we  commenced  the  publication  of 
the  San  Heriiardiiio  Patriot.  The  ilolconibe  Valley 
mines  having  induced  a  considerable  emigi-ation  to 
that  section  of  the  country,  the  |)rospects  \\iv  ])ublish- 
ing  a  ])ai)er  were  at  that  time  somewhat  Mattering. 
But  ditliciilties  soon  intervened.  The  Mormons 
nearly  all  returned,  the  mines  were  not  so  rich  as 
the}-  ])romised  to  be,  large  numbers  of  horse  thieves 
and  other  outlaws  made  it  their  resort,  and  more 
than  all,  armed  bodies  of  secessionists  were  formed 
all  through  that  section,  and  it  was  extremelj'  ha/.-  ' 
ardous  to  publish  a  Union  paper  among  such  a  peojjle. 
I  n  October  of  that  year,  the  press  was  leased  for  a  cei-- 
tain  time,  but  the  lessee  was  totally  unable  to  suc- 
ceed, and  throwing  up  the  contract  it  was  deemed 
host  in  February,  1S02,  to  remove  it  to  Ksmeralda;  and 
accordingly  it  was  )>acked  up  and  brought  to  Aurora 
by  the  Owen's  Kiver  route.     While  on  the  way  it 


narrowly  escaped  destruction  from  the  hostile  Indi- 
ans; but  owing  to  the  kindness  of  Colonel  Evans  and 
Lieutenant  Xoble  of  the  Second  Cavahy  California 
Volunteers,  an  escort  was  furnished  and  it  finally 
reached  here  on  or  about  the  first  of  Maj' last.  At 
that  time  we  were  in  Sacramento,  and  learning  that 
it  had  arrived,  we  started  from  that  j)laee  on  the 
ninth  of  May  and  reached  here  on  the  seventeenth. 
On  oui-  arrival  we  were  astonished  to  find  the  first 
number  of  the  <S''«r  alreadj'  issued  without  giving  the 
publishers  names;  and  also  surprised  to  find  it  express- 
ing sentiments  entirely  antagonistic  to  the  principles 
we  cherish.  We  also  found  that  a  heavj-  sacrifice 
had  to  be  made  on  our  part  before  we  could  get 
possession  of  the  press  and  material  in  order  to 
publish  a  loyal  paper;  and  that  was,  to  give  a  bill  of 
sale  of  one-half  of  it  in  order  to  get  the  control  of  the 
whole,  both  cditoi-ially  and  financially.  We  made  that 
sacrifice,  and  for  nine  months  ami  a  half  had  to  strug- 
gle against  secession  enemies  in  front  and  at  the  same 
time  be  yoked  with  one  by  compulsion  in   business. 

Yet  we  staggered  along  the  best  we  could,  avoiding 
debt,  and  suft'eriiig  in  the  beginning  the  privations 
common  to  all  at  that  season  of  the  year. 

On  the  seventh  of  ilarch  last  we  purchased  the 
interest  originally  convej-ed,  and  since  that  time 
have  been  "  going  it  alone."  That,  at  times,  our 
columns  have  betrayed  a  want  of  care,  and  gram- 
matical as  well  as  ty|)Ogra])hical  errors  have  occurred, 
we  will  candidly  admit:  but  we  trust  our  excuse 
will  be  deemed  sutlieient  b>'  our  friends.  We  have 
had  the  entire  business  of  the  oHice  to  attend  to;  to 
keep  the  books,  collect  the  bills,  and  in  some  cases 
earn  the  amount  three  times  over  in  running  alter 
the  accounts  due  us,  gather  all  the  local  items  of 
interest,  climb  the  hills  to  give  a  true  account  of  the 
lodes,  and  report  the  amount  of  work  being  done 
and  the  progress  made,  and  when  utterly  fatigued, 
to  sit  down  and  write  out  copy  for  the  printers, 
some  of  whom  have  been  willfully  careless;  all  this 
duty  when  summed  up  together  and  perfoi'ined  by  one 
iruiividuul,  isii  any  wonder,  tlnTi.  that  he  >liou  d  some- 
limes  make  mistakes.  We  doubt  whether  Ijindley 
Murray  might  not  err  a  little  in  some  sentences,  or  the 
proof-reader  of  the  London  Tilings  might  not  over 
look  a  typographical  error,  if  compelled  to  perform 
so  muhifarious  a  dutj'.  Yet,  with  all  this,  the  Siwais 
out  of  debt;  it  has  sui)])lied  its  ottice  with  a  considera- 
ble amount  of  new  tj'pe;  that  it  has  been  the  means 
in  some  small  degree  in  advancing  the  interests  of 
this  district,  we  are  vain  enough  to  believe;  of  its 
loyalty  none  can  doubt ;  its  independent  tone  none 
will  (lis])ute;  that  it  is  hated  bj-  copperheads  and 
secessionists,  Union  men  will  admit;  and  from  the 
generous  su])i>ort  it  has  received  from  the  loj'al  men 
of  Esmeralda,  in  return  wo  tender  our  grateful 
thanks. 

It  was  our  intention  to  have  commenced  our  second 
volume  with  a  senii-weekl}';  but  printers  being 
scarce,  wo  are  at  present  com[)elled  to  defer  it. 

The  Star  became  a  semi-weekly  June  24,  1SG3, 
and  on  the  twenty-third  of  the  following  So))tem- 
bera  change  in  tlie  name  of  its  location  was  made. 
Previous  to  this  time  many  had  su])]>osed  that  Au- 
rora was  in  Mono  County,  California,  but  the  bound- 
ary line  survey  having  determined  lOsmeralda  ( 'ounty, 
Nevada,  to  be  its  location,  the  »SV(ir  changed  its  head- 
ing to  conform  to  the  newly  ascertained  state  of 
facts.  Between  the  fourth  and  eighteenth  of  No- 
vember of  that  year  John  Hatch  joined  Mr,  Sherman 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


297 


in  jmblishing  the  Star.  The  partnership  continued 
until  -Afarch,  1804,  when  the  paper  suspeiuled.  and 
the  material  passed  into  the  haiiils  of  John  Hatch  A 
Co..  who  used  it  to  start  in  the  same  t(3\vn  the 

ESMEU.M.D.V    U.\ILY    UNION. 

The  first  number  of  this  sheet  was  issued  on  the 
twenty-first  of  the  same  month  that  witnessed  the 
Star's  suspension.  The  following  regarding  the 
Union  is  from  the  pen  of  J.  G.  McClinton  :  "  Eev. 
J.  B.  Saxton.  formerly  of  Oakland,  California,  and 
then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  .\urora, 
was  its  chief  editor,  and  .1.  C.  McClinton  was  city 
editor  till  Augiist,  1S(;4,  at  which  time  Saxton  retired 
from  the  paper  and  McClinton  succeeded  him  as 
editor,  and  continued  as  such  till  the  summer  of  ISliO, 
when  J.  \V.  Avard  became  sole  proprietor  and  editor 
and  continued  as  such  till  the  paper  finally  sus- 
pended for  want  of  support,  in  October,  1868. 

In  IStU  Aurora  was  a  -'booming"  town  and  sup- 
ported two  dailies — the  Union  and  the  Times — the 
latter  being  edited  by  Robert  Ferral,  now  Judge  of 
Department  Twelve  of  the  Superior  Court  of  San 
Francisco.  The  prosperity  c)f  the  town  fled  rapidly 
and  the  Times  suspended  in  the  spring  of  1SG5,  and 
soon  thereafter  the  Union  was  reduced  to  a  tri- weekly, 
subsequently  to  a  scini-weeklj-  and  finally  to  a 
weekly,  and  for  several  months  before  its  final  sus- 
pension Mr.  Avard  was  not  only  sole  proprietor  and 
editor,  but  also  sole  compositor,  pressman  and  devil, 
and  also  carried  and  distributed  the  paper  to  his 
patrons. 

In  the  spring  of  1870,  the  old  press  and  material 
were  sold  to  Chalfant  &  I'arker,  who  removed  them 
to  Independence,  Inyo  County,  California,  and  there 
established  the  Inyo  Indepeinlent.  of  which  they  are 
still  the  proprietors,  and  they  probably  still  have  the 
old  historic  press. 

This  press  is  said  to  be  the  same  upon  which  were 
printed  many  of  the  most  remarkable  productions 
of  the  late  Lieutenant  Derby  (John  Ph(enix),  in- 
cluding his  trick  of  converting  the  Democratic 
paper,  then  printed  on  it,  into  a  roaring  advocate  of 
the  Whig  cause,  while  he  was  left  temporarily  in 
charge  during  the  absence  of  the  editor.  The  late 
John  Bigler,  being  then  the  Democratic  candidate 
for  (Jovernor  of  ('alifoi-nia,  jiretendcd  not  to  sec  any 
fun  in  the  joke,  but  he  probably  enjoyed  it  as  much 
as  any  one — after  he  knew  he  had  been  elected.  It 
is  a  curious  coincident  that,  in  18(!8,  the  old  press 
repeated  its  old  trick.  Mr.  Avard  went  away  from 
Aurora  for  a  vacation,  and  left  his  Esmeralda  Union 
(which  was  a  pronounced  He])ublican  journal)  tem- 
porarily ill  charge  of  Hon.  Joe  Wasson  and  another 
man.  They  thought  the  sleepy  old  town  needed 
waking  up,  so  without  notice  to  anj'  one  the}-  brought 
the  paper  out  as  a  rabid  Democratic  sheet  of  a  mixed 
Brick  Pomeroy  and  Petroleum  \ .  Nasby  character, 
with  the  name  of  Governor- llaight  flying  at  the 
masthead  for  President.     The  hoax  was  very  trans- 


parent, but  the  State  Capital  Reporter  of  Sacramento, 
then  edited  by  e.x-Governor  Higler,  swallowed  the 
whole  thing,  and  welcomed  the  now  convert  with 
open  arms — probably  without  reading  the  leading 
editorial  at  all,  as  its  ironical  character  was  clearly 
apparent. 

AUROR.\    TI.MES. 

This  journal,  on  the  material  formerly  of  the 
El.  Dorado  Times,  of  (Jeorgetowii,  California,  was 
started  as  a  weekly  twenty-four  column  paper,  at 
the  place  its  name  indicates,  in  the  forejjart  of  April, 
18(18,  by  1{.  E.  Draper  and  R.  Glenn.  May  9, 18li4,  it 
became  a  daily,  with  entire  new  dress  and  bright 
])rospocts,  and  during  its  existence  was  Democratic, 
and  aggressive.  The  bright  prospects  did  not  con- 
tinue, however,  and  on  November  7,  1864,  on  the 
day  before  the  election,  the  paper  suspended.  After 
a  short  suspension  the  Times  was  revived  under  the 
editorship  of  Robert  Ferral,  then  a  young  and  enthu- 
siastic Democrat,  now  Superior  Judge  in  San  Fran- 
cisco; but  even  his  versatility  of  talent  and  great 
popularity  could  not  make  the  paper  succeed  against 
the  decline  of  business,  and  in  the  spring  of  1865,  it 
ceased  to  exist. 

The  history  of  the  Times  was  made  eventful  by 
the  incident  of  a  duel  between  the  editor,  R.  E. 
Draper,  and  Dr.  W.  H.  Eichelroth,  fought  on  the 
fifth  of  October,  1863,  at  the  Bodie  Panch,  six  miles 
west  of  Aurora.  The  weapons  were  shot-guns  loaded 
with  ball,  firing  at  a  distance  of  forty  yards.  At  the 
second  fire  Draper  was  severely  wounded  in  the  foot, 
when  the  parties  shook  hands  and  "honor"  was  sat- 
isfied. No  political  question  was  involved  in  the 
quarrel,  the  duel  resulting  from  a  controversy  over 
trivial  matters.  Draper  survived  the  wound  but  was 
crippled  for  life. 

ESMERALDA    HERALD. 

This  paper  was  started  as  a  twenty-four  column 
weekly  by  Frank  Kenyon,  at  Aurora,  on  the  thir- 
teenth of  October,  1877,  and  continued  his  property 
until  ^larch  1,  1880,  when  it  was  ])urchased  by  M. 
M.  Glenn,  and  has  since  belonged  to  him,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  months,  during  which  time  it  was 
run  by  Glenn  Brothers.  It  is  a  weekly  ])aper, 
Republican  in  politics,  and  at  present  edited  by  its 
owner,  M.  M.  Glenn.  For  two  years  prior  to 
December  6,  187!),  J.  .\L  Dormer  was  its  editor. 

M.    M.    (il.ENN. 

This  gentleman  was  born  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  in 
1846,  and  came  to  California  in  1853.  In  1864 
became  connected  with  the  Red  Bluff  fn<li'jnndent, 
Tehama  County,  California;  leaving  which,  he  was 
for  a  time  interested  in  the  San  Joaquin  Republican, 
Stockton,  and  its  city  editor  in  1871-72.  Going 
into  Nevada  in  18711,  he  edited  the  ExmeraUa 
Herald  for  Frank  Kenyon  from  December  6,  1879, 
till  March  1,  1880,  at  which  time  ho  purchased  the 
establishment,  and  now  wields  its  editorial  pen. 


298 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


TUE    BORAX    JIINEK. 

William  W.  Barnes  started  a  iiewspajier  at  Colum- 
bus, in  August,  187:J,  a  twenty-column  Democratic 
weekly,  that  flourished  for  a  time,  and  went  down 
with  the  borax  interests  in  that  section.  The  date 
of  final  suspension  was  as  late  as  1877.  In  the  latter 
])art  of  1878,  or  early  in  1870,  Mr.  Barnes  removed 
the  printing  material  to  Benton,  in  Mono  County, 
California,  and  started  with  it  The  Mexsenger.  This 
was  but  a  six  weeks'  effort,  when  the  office  was 
again  moved,  this  time  to  Mammoth  City,  where 
under  the  name  of  Mammoth  Herahl  it  maintained 
an  uncertain  existence  until  final  dissolution  in  the 
latter  part  of  ISSU. 

THE    BELLEVILLE   TIMES 

Was  started  some  time  in  the  fall  of  1S77,  by  Mark 
W.  Musgrove,  whet  sold  in  the  ensuing  April  to  D. 
M.  Brannan,  on  whose  hands  it  died  in  about  six 
weeks.  J.  M.  Dormer  purchased  the  material,  and 
a  portion  of  it  was  later  used  on  theBodie  Free  Press. 

THE   TRUE    FISSURE. 

This  paper  was  started  June  5,  1880,  at  Cande- 
laria  by  J.  M.  Dormer.  It  is  a  weekly,  twenty-four 
column  sheet,  printed  on  paper  20x81  inches;  its 
politics  is  Eopublican,  and  subscription  price  five 
dollars  per  year.  As  it  was  in  the  start,  so  it  now 
is,  a  live  publication,  showing  a  practical  knowledge 
and  a  mental  capacity  in  the  editor  and  proprietor 
that  gives  him  a  peculiar  fitness  for  the  position  ho 
occupies. 

J.    M.    DORMER. 

J.  M.  Dormer,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  True 
Fissure,  Candelaria,  E.smeralda  County,  was  born 
in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1843.  When  only  a  few 
months  old  his  family  moved  to  Wisconsin,  and  in 
1850  came  to  California,  where  they  settled  in  Downie- 
ville,  Sierra  County,  California.  There  the  first  years 
of  the  young  man's  life  were  jtassed,  except  what 
time  ho  was  at  school  in  Marysville,  Santa  Clara  and 
Oakland.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade  under  W. 
J.  Forbes,  at  that  time  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Sierra  Democrat,  and  afterwards  well  known  through- 
out Nevada,  in  1860,  when  the  Pah-Uto  war  broke 
out,  the  j'oung  printer  was  among  the  first  to  go  to 
the  front.  At  the  close  oi  that  noted  campaign  ho 
returned  to  Sierra  County  and  followed  mining  for  a 
time.  When  the  Sierra  Detnocrat  was  destroyed  by 
tire  in  1804,  he  began  the  publication  of  the  Sierra 
AJcoca/e,  which  he  continued  for  two  years,  when  ho 
wont  to  San  Francisco,  and  thence  to  Oakland,  where 
in  conjunction  with  a  co-operation  of  jirinters,  he 
])ublishe(l  the  Dai/y  Termini.  Al'ler  disitosing  of  his 
interest  in  this  venture,  he  went  to  Oregon  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Bon.  Holliday,  who  at  that  time  was  operating 
extensively  in  that  State  in  railroad  building.  After 
the  collapse  of  llolliday's  gigantic  enterprises,  Mr. 
Dormer  went  to  Walla  Walla,  and  from  thonco  to 
Lewiston,  Idaho,  where  he  became  the  owner  of  the 
Siynal,    with   United   States    District  Judge    W.    C. 


Whitson  as  ])artncr.  .Judge  Whitaon  was  assigned 
the  Boise  .Judicial  District,  and  the  newspaper  was 
disposed  of,  .Mr.  Dormer  coming  to  I'ortland,  Oregon, 
where  he  became  one  of  the  Oregonian  staflF.  In 
1877  the  Bodie  excitement  carried  him  to  that  grow- 
ing camp,  where  he  took  charge  of  the  Staiulard, 
and  then  the  Herald,  at  Aurora.  These  papers  he 
conducted  with  marked  editorial  and  financial  ability, 
and  upon  the  death  of  h'rank  Kenyon,  in  South 
America,  disposed  of  them  for  the  benefit  of  the 
estate.  Mr.  Dormer,  with  K.  R.  Cleveland  and  K.  II. 
Fontecilla,  then  began  the  publication  of  the  Jiodie 
Free  Press.  Finding  his  hands  too  full  of  other  busi- 
ness— he  was  still  editor  of  the  Aurora  Herald — he 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  Free  Press  to  H.  Z. 
Osborn,  and  in  June,  18S0,  having  sold  the  Herald, 
he  began  the  publication  of  the  True  Fissure  at  Can- 
delaria, which  paper  he  still  owns.  Since  his  resi- 
dence in  Ksmeralda  County,  he  has  taken  a  leading 
and  active  part  in  politics.  In  1878  he  was  elected, 
on  the  Eepublican  ticket.  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
and  in  the  last  Presidential  election  was  a  candidate 
for  the  Legislature,  but  was  defeated  with  the 
balance  of  the  Popublican  party  in  the  State.  He  is 
a  writer  of  fair  ability,  and  is  acknowledged  a  lead- 
ing newsjtaper  man. 


THE  PPESS  OF  EUPEKA  COUNTY. 

When  the  town  of  Eureka  first  became  known  to 
the  world,  and  was  distinguished  as  the  possessor 
of  a  newspaper,  the  territory  formed  part  of  Lander 
Countj',  from  which  it  was  segregated  and  the 
county  of  Eureka  formed  in  1872.  The  history 
however,  belongs  to  Eureka.  The  mines  had  been 
discovered  and  the  district  organized  as  early  as 
18G4,  but  developments  were  not  made  until  1809, 
sufficient  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  public.  The 
White  Pino  excitement  of  the  preceding  year  and 
the  early  part  of  1869,  had  drawn  a  multitude  of 
people  to  eastern  Nevada,  and  with  them  printers 
and  journalists.  AtShcrmantown  was  .Mr.  Skillman, 
trying  to  make  a  success  publishing  the  Rejwrter, 
and  at  the  new  town  of  Eureka  was  Dr.  L.  C.  Mc- 
Kenney  who  had  had  some  experience  in  journslism, 
and  was  anxious  to  re-enter  the  field.  A  partnership 
was  formed  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Skillman  k 
Co.,  and  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  July,  1870,  they 
commenced  the  publication  of  the 

EUREKA     SENTINEL. 

Containing  twenty-four  columns,  with  Dr.  iMcKennoy 
as  editor.  The  town  rapidly  grew,  and  with  it  the 
paper  ])rospered.  The  Doctor  was  a  facile  writer 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  descrijttion  of  the  mining 
resources  of  the  district,  thus  aiding  materially  in 
bringing  jieople  and  capital  to  the  region.  Septem- 
ber 29th  the  paper  changed  hands,  the  purchasers 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


299 


being  Messrs.  Elliott  and  Geo.  \V.  Cassidj-,  the  for- 
mer a  practical  printer  as  well  as  writer,  and  the  lat- 
ter the  lute  editor  of  the  Inlmul  Emjilrf  of  Hamilton. 
The  Sentinel  was  now  made  a  Iri-wcckl}',  and  an 
active  Democratic  organ, though  not  lessening  its  ener- 
gies in  setting  forth  the  wealth  of  the  surrounding 
mines.  Jlr.  Elliott  retired  from  the  firm  May  28, 
1872,  leaving  Mr.  C'assidy  sole  proprietor  and  editor 
until  December  3,  1874,  when  a  half  interest  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  John  IF.  Dennis,  late  of  the  Reese 
River  Receille,  and  he  became  the  principal  editor  and 
business  manager,  leaving  Mr.  Cassidy  the  leisure 
to  devote  to  his  pr)litical  aspirations  and  duties,  he 
being  the  joint  iSonator  in  the  Legislature  I'rom  the 
counties  of  Eureka  and  Lander,  subsequently  the 
Senator  from  Eureka,  and  now  the  Representative 
of  his  State  in  Congress. 

The  paper  now  became  a  daily,  well-established 
and  prosperous.  Mr.  ]")onnis  retained  his  connection 
with  the  Sentinel  until  December  28,  1870,  when  the 
founder  of  the  paper,  Mr.  A.  Skillman,  returned  to  it 
and  purchased  his  interest,  Cassidy  &  Skillman  being 
now  the  publishers.  Notwithstanding  the  continued 
progress  and  general  prosperity  of  the  Sentinel,  it  has 
met  with  serious  misfortunes.  On  the  twentieth 
of  November,  187:i,  the  greater  part  of  the  town  of 
P^ureka  was  destroyed  by  tire,  and  with  it  went  up 
in  the  flames  the  office  of  the  Sentinel,  with  all  its 
material,  saving  a  few  sheets  of  damaged  paper  and 
one  or  two  gallej's  of  type.  By  telegraph,  new 
office  material  was  ordered  from  San  Francisco, 
which  was  at  once  forwarded,  also  the  Eureka  Daily 
Sentinel  Stijijilemenl ,  containing  the  legal  advertise- 
ments, the  latter,  with  the  type  saved,  enabling 
it  to  continue  its  publication,  as  required  by  law. 
The  loss  to  the  proprietors  by  the  fire  was  estimated 
at  SI 2,000,  with  no  insurance.  Not  a  year  had 
elapsed  since  the  date  of  the  fire,  when  the  opposing 
element,  water,  came  to  destroy.  In  July,  1874,  a 
terrific  storm,  to  which  the  mountainous  region 
of  the  State  is  subject,  broke  upon  the  surrounding 
hills,  sending  a  flood  through  the  narrow  valley  in 
which  the  town  is  built,  destroying  everything  in  its 
course.  The  Sentinel  office  met  the  fate  of  its  neigh- 
bors, but  not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  others,  much 
of  the  material  being  saved.  In  April,  1879,  the  mis- 
fortune of  fire  again  befell  it;  but  a  portion  of  the 
office  being  fire-proof,  a  total  loss  was  thus  averted. 
New  material  was  soon  added,  greater  precautions 
were  taken,  and  now  the  office  is  one  of  the  most 
complete  in  the  Slate,  jmblishing  dailj-  and  weekly 
editions  of  the  paper.  Numerous  power-presses  are 
in  use,  and  every  class  of  work  done.  The  Srntiml 
is  vigorously  edited,  giving  full  news  of  the  locality, 
together  with  telegraphic  dispatches  from  all  parts 
of  the  world.     Its  founder, 

.MR.    ABRAn.V.M    SK  II,I..M.\N, 

Is  one  of  the  pioneer  printers  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
arriving  at  San  Francisco  January  6,  1850,  lacking 


but  a  few  daj-s  of  being  a  forty-niner.  He  soon 
went  to  work  at  his  trade  as  a  printer,  and  in  1851 
was  half  owner  of  the  J'aci/ic  A'eirg,  one  of  the  first 
papers  j)ublished  in  San  Francisco.  This  property- 
was  twice  destroyed  by  fire,  and  was  at  last  com- 
pelled to  suspend  publication  on  account  of  ( he  want 
of  printing  material.  In  185:i  he  started  the  Shasta 
Courier,  then  the  only  paper  in  the  State  north  of 
Marysvillo.  AVith  this  he  remained  about  sixteen 
years,  making  tlu-  ]ia]ier  one  of  the  liest  known  and 
powerliil  in  California,  it  still  retaining  a  high  char- 
acter. In  the  spring  of  187(1,  in  companj'  with  G. 
A.  Brier,  he  started  the  Rejiorter,  at  Shermantown, 
in  White  Pine  County,  but  in  July  of  the  same  year 
ho  transferred  his  office  and  his  eflorts  to  Eureka, 
where,  in  company  with  Dr.  L.  C.  McKcnncj-,  he 
established  the  Sentinel.  From  this  he  went,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1873,  to  Hamilton,  and  in  companj-  with  Mr. 
Fred.  Ellfott,  purcha.sed  of  W.  J.  Forbes  the  I»7(i7e 
Pine  Xeivs,  which  he  published  until  1877,  when  ho 
returned  to  Plureka  and  bought  the  interest  of  Mr. 
Dennis  in  the  Sentinel,  which  he  still  retains.  This 
long  journalistic  career,  almost  without  cessation, 
gives  grounds  for  Mr.  Skillman's  claim  of  being  the 
oldest  newspaper  man  on  the  coast  who  is  still  in 
the  business.  Many  years  ago  Mr.  Skillman  was 
married  to  a  beautiful  lady,  still  his  eom])anion,  and 
one  son,  grown  to  manhood,  follows  the  profession 
of  his  father.  The  senior  of  the  firm,  but  junior  in 
years. 

HON.  GEORGE  W.  CASSIDY. 

Hon.  (reorge  W.  Cassidy  is  a  native  of  Kentuckj-, 

born  in  1838,  but  emigrated  to  California  when  a 
lad  and  grew  to  manhood  in  the  mountain  regions 
of  that  State,  his  residence  for  a  number  of  years 
being  at  Dutch  Flat,  in  Placer  County.  Ilis  first 
journalistic  experience  was  in  gathering  items  ibr 
the  Meadow  Lake  Enlerjn-ise  \n  \^W>.  In  18(!!l  he 
was  the  local  re])orter  for  the  W/iife  I'ine  News,  and 
in  1870  edited  and  ])ublislu'd  the  Inland  Empire. 
Since  September  21,  1871,  ho  has  been  proprietor, 
and  gcncrallj-  editor,  performing  all  the  editorial 
work,  as  well  as  conducting  the  business  of  the  Senti- 
nel. That  he  has  made  a  success  of  the  paper  as 
well  as  for  himself,  the  position  of  both  will 
testify.  Twice  elected  to  the  Senate,  where  ho 
wielded  a  powerful  influence,  he  has  now  been 
elected  Representative  in  Congress,  taking  his  seat 
in  December,  1881. 

El'REKA    IIAII.V    REPUBMCAN. 

In  1871  a  portion  of  the  material  of  the  office  of 
the  Humboldt  Reijinter  was  moved  to  Eureka  by  its 
owner,  Jlr.  J.  C.  Ragsdale,  who,  on  the  first  of  .Fan- 
uary,  1878,  commenced  the  Rcpui/lican  with  six 
columns  to  the  page.  Subsequently,  the  Republi- 
can Publishing  Companj-  was  formed,  under  which 
organization  the  p;iper  was  issued,  with  .AFr.  H.  B. 
Loomis  as  editor,  until  .March  ■"!,  1878,  when  it  was 
leased   to  Messrs.  Alf   Chartz,    W.    \V.  Wate  and 


300 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Arthur  McEwen,  the  latter  acting  as  editor,  and 
Chart/,  as  local  reporter,  businci^s  manager,  etc. 
Under  this  association  the  paper  flourished,  gaining 
a  reputation  for  its  sprightly  paragraphs  and  local 
news,  until  a  most  unfortunate  occurrence  over- 
whelmed it  with  disaster.  The  editor,  one  of  the 
most  amiable  and  pleasant  of  writers,  was  distin- 
guished for  his  witticisms,  and  indulging  in  this  had 
offended  Mr.  Kdward  Rickcr,  a  conductor  on  the 
Eureka  and  Palisade  Railroad,  who  threatened  vio- 
lence in  retaliation.  On  the  sixteenth  of  June,  1878, 
Kicker  and  Chartz  meeting  in  the  streets  of  Eureka, 
engaged  in  a  quarrel  in  consequence  of  the  offensive 
paragraphs,  resulting  in  the  shooting  of  Ricker  by 
t'hartz,  the  wound  terminating  fatally  on  the 
eighteenth  following.  This  sad  event  greatly  excited 
the  people  of  Kureka,  and  .Tune  24th  the  Republican 
ceased  its  publication.  For  this  Chartz  was  tried  and 
sentenced  to  the  penitentiary  for  life,  but  since  his 
incarceration  and  the  declining  excitement  attend- 
ing the  tragic  event,  new  evidence  has  been  obtained 
mitigating  his  offense,  and  great  efforts  have  been 
made  to  procure  his  pardon.  Of  his  associates  in 
the  Republican,  Mr.  Wats  is  a  compositor  in  Reno, 
and  Mr.  McEwen  is  editor  of  the  Virginia  Chronicle. 
Mr.  Chartz  is  a  native  of  Canada,  but  a  resident 
of  the  Pacific  Coast  from  boyhood.  His  journalistic 
education  he  received  in  the  office  of  the  Eureka 
Daily  Sentinel,  leaving  that  jiaper  to  engage  in  the 
publication  of  the  Republican. 

EUREKA  DAILY  LEADER. 

The  material  of  the  Republican  was  transferred  to 
Messrs.  Fred.  K.  Canfield  and  F.  E.  Pisk,  who,  on  the 
twentj'-fifth  of  June,  1878,  issued  the  first  number  of 
the  Eureka  Daily  Leader,  continuing  it  as  a  Republi- 
can paper,  with  six  columns  to  the  page.  April  24, 
1870,  the  paper  was  enlarged  to  seven  columns. 
October  4,  1879,  Mr.  W.  W.  llobart  purchased  the 
interest  of  Mr.  Fisk,  the  publishing  firm  being  then 
Jlobart  &  Canfield,  with  the  former  in  charge  of 
the  editorial  department,  and  the  latter  having  the 
local.  This  firm  were  the  publishers  until  April  IG, 
1880,  when  Mr.  Canfield  retired,  and  shortly  there- 
after Mr.  C.  A.  .Morden  entered  the  firm,  the  paper 
being  now  published  by  llobart  k  .Morden. 

FRED.    E.    CANFIELD 

Is  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York.  He  commenced 
his  journalistic  career  on  the  Sacramento  Union  in 
18(54,  and  was  traveling  correspondent  for  the  paper 
for  two  years.  Eventually  he  became  connected 
with  the  Fureka  Sentinel,  where  he  had  been  engaged 
for  about  eighteen  months,  when  he  took  charge  of 
the  Leatler.  After  leaving  this  paper  he  returned  to 
New  York,  and  is  now  with  the  North  American 
Mining  and  Development  Company,  of  New  York 
City. 


One  of  the  proprietors  and  editor  of  the  Fureka 
Daily  Leader,  is  a  native  of  Marshall,  <Jalhoun  County> 
Michigan,  where  he  was  born  August  18,  1832.  But 
little  time  was  given  him  to  acquire  a  common  school 
education,  for  at  fourteen  years  of  age  he  entered  an 
office  to  learn  the  printer's  trade,  where  he  remained 
an  apprentice  for  two  years. 

In  1849  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  and  for 
four  j'cars  mined  with  varying  success  in  the  placers 
of  that  State.  In  the  fall  of  1S53,  when  ho  was  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  the  position  was  tendered 
him  of  Deputy  Sheriff'  of  Butte  County,  California, 
and  he  accepted  the  appointment.  This  was  no  sine- 
cure at  the  time,  as  Butte  was  a  flourishing  mining 
county  and  her  camps  were  the  favorite  resort  of 
the  desperadoes  of  all  nationalities,  and  crimes 
against  both  life  and  property  were  frequent.  Ho 
occupied  the  j)osition  for  four  j'ears,  and  was  ke])t 
busy  in  enforcing  the  laws.  In  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  he  had  some  hair-breadth  escapes,  not  only 
from  criminal  classes,  but  also  from  mobs,  who, 
weary  at  the  law's  delay,  made  several  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  take  prisoners  from  him,  and  give  them 
the  benefit  of  a  short  trial  and  a  long  rope,  but  he 
never  lost  a  ])risoner  in  this  way  or  by  escajie. 

In  1857  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Tax  Col- 
lector of  Butte  County  by  an  almost  unanimous 
vote.  In  1860  ho  closed  his  official  career  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  engaged  in  merchandising,  whi(^h  busi- 
ness he  prosecuted  at  different  j)oints  in  Butte 
County  until  the  spring  of  1863,  when  he  emigrated 


HOTO    BV    MORSE.  SAN    FRANCISCO 


PMOTO  OV    O.  NMAM,  OAKLAND,  OAL 


J.  H.  Jcujua. 


^^^^  ^^^<^C^i^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


301 


with  a  stock  of  goods  to  Austin,  Lander  County, 
^'ovada.  At  the  organization  of  the  Slate  (tovern- 
nient  he  was  chosen  by  the  Re]niijlieans  of  Lander 
County  to  represent  that  constituency  in  the  State 
Senate.  In  that  body  he  was  api)ointcd  *to  the 
responsible  jiosition  of  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Ways  and  .Means,  which  he  held  during  the  ses- 
slons  of  ia(M-(15.  and  of  \>n;Ci.  He  ])repared  and 
reported  all  the  principal  financial  measures  passed 
at  both  these  sessions,  including  the  present  revenue 
law  of  the  State.  He  originated  the  present  method 
of  assessing  the  net  proceeds  of  mines,  which 
with  some  slight  modification  in  the  manner  of 
arriving  at  assessed  values,  remains  in  force  as  he 
originally  drew  it  in  1864.  At  the  close  of  the  ses- 
sion of  ISOO  ho  returned  to  California,  where  ho 
remained  until  the  spring  of  lStJ9,  when  ho  joined 
the  rush  to  White  Pine,  and  settled  in  Hamilton. 
t)uriMg  the  summer  of  187(1  he  was  nominated  by 
the  J{epublican  State  Convention  to  the  position  of 
State  Controller,  and  in  the  November  election  was 
elected  over  his  Democratic  opponent  by  a  majority 
of  onlj' ninety-four  votes.  Ho  took  the  office  Jan- 
uarj-  1,  1S71,  in  what  is  known  as  the  first  Bradley 
administration,  the  Governor,  the  Treasurer,  Attor- 
ney General — in  fact,  about  half  of  the  State  officers 
being  Democrats.  This  administration  had  not  only 
to  face  the  |)ropo8ition  of  an  empty  treasury',  but 
also  a  large  funded  and  floating  debt.  The  bonded 
debt  was  drawing  the  enormous  interest  of  fifteen 
per  cent,  per  annum.  On  his  recommendation,  the 
Legislature  which  convened  that  winter  passed 
bills  authorizing  the  Controller  and  Treasurer  to 
negotiate  two  loans.  One  to  represent  the  amount 
owed  by  the  State,  incurred  by  her  since  her  organ- 
ization to  the  amount  of  82S0,(l(l(),  to  run  ton  j'oars, 
and  the  other  to  represent  the  amount  of  debt 
inherited  by  the  State  from  the  old  Territorial  organ- 
ization, to  run  fifteen  j'oars,  both  loans  to  be  nego- 
tiated at  par,  and  to  bear  a  rate  of  interest  not 
exceeding  ten  per  cent,  per  annum.  The  Controller 
and  Treasurer  succeeded  in  negotiating  both  loans; 
SI 60.000  was  placed  at  ten  per  cent,  interest,  and 
8500,000  at  nine  and  a  half 

The  amount  of  the  State  lax  going  into  the  interest 
and  sinking  fund  was  reduced  from  seventy-five  cents 
to  fifty  cents,  thus  leaving  a  much  larger  proportion 
of  the  State's  revenue  available  for  paying  the  cur- 
rent ex))enses  than  ever  before.  This,  in  connection 
with  the  large  yield  of  the  Comstock  mines,  which 
began  in  1872,  soon  placed  the  State  on  a  firm  finan- 
cial footing.  In  1874,  Mr.  Hobart  was  renominated 
by  the  Hcpulilicans  as  their  candidate  for  Controller, 
and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  election  resulted 
in  the  choice  of  about  half  the  Democratic  State 
ticket,  he  was  successful  by  over  4,000  majority. 
Following  his  recommendation,  the  Legislature  of 
1875  reduced  the  State  tax  from  81.25  to  ninety  cents, 
and  jirovidcd  for  the  use  of  some  of  the  large  surplus 
iu  the  State  Treasury  in  the  extinguishing  of  the 
38 


State  indebtedness.  This  was  partially  done  in  the 
ensuing  four  years.  On  the  first  of  .laiunuy,  1870, 
.Mr.  Hobart  retired  from  the  Controlleixhip  with  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  State  practically  out  of  debt, 
and  a  large  surplus  in  the  treasurj'.  In  conformity 
with  the  suggestion  of  his  last  report  as  Controller, 
the  Legislature  made  a  further  reduction  of  the  State 
tax  to  fifty-five  cents,  and  enlarged  the  powers  of  the 
Debt  Commissioners  so  that  what  remained  of  the 
State  debt  was  redeemed.  At  the  close  of  his  term  he 
settled  in  the  town  of  Kuroka  and  assumed  editorial 
charge  of  the  Daily  Lender,  a  liepublican  paper.  In 
1880  he  was  the  Republican  nominee  for  State  Sena- 
tor for  Eureka  County,  and  was  elected.  During 
the  session  of  1881  he  did  what  was  in  his  power  to 
reduce  the  expenses  of  the  State  (tovernment  in 
accordance  with  the  changed  fitiancial  condition  and 
outlook  of  the  State. 

Bills  prepared  and  introduced  by  him  became  laws, 
the  result  of  which  will  bo  to  reduce  those  expenses 
after  January  1,  1883,  nearly  830,000  annually. 

EUBY    HILL   WEEKLY    MINING    NEWS. 

The  above  is  a  weekly  paper  published  at  Ruby 
Hill,  Eureka  County,  b^'  James  E.  Anderson,  who  is 
both  editor  and  proprietor.  It  is  a  largo-sized  paper 
and  well  filled  with  all  sorts  of  mining  and  local 
news,  and  was  first  issued  on  the  twentj--sixth  of 
Ai)ril,  1880.  On  the  15th  of  August,  1881,  the 
W'eehlij  .\finiiuj  Xews  distinguished  itself  by  issuing 
an  eight-page,  fifty-six-eolumn  edition,  containing  a 
short  historj-  of  155  raining  claims  in  Kureka  <  'ounty, 
giving  names  of  many  superintendents,  foremen, 
etc.,  saying  : — 

To-day's  Afhnng  New8  is  the  largest  paper  ever 
issued  in  Nevada,  and  contains  more  information 
concerning  our  mines  than  has  ever  been  published 
in  the  camp.  The  list  embraces  about  every  mine 
or  claim  worthj^  of  notice,  and  the  reports  are  in 
every  instance  correct. 

The  proprietor  also  stales,  in  the  same  number, 
that  the  paper  has  been  liberally  patroznied  since  it 
was  first  started. 


THE  PRF:SS  of  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 

W.J.  Forbes,  joined  bj-  Charles  L.  Perkins,  started 
the  first  paper  in  Humboldt  County  on  the  second 
of  May,  1863,  and  its  advent  in  Unionvillo  was  cele- 
brated by  the  citizens  with  a  thirty-gun  salute  from 
an  anvil,  followed  by  nine  cheers,  after  which  a  i)ro- 
cession  was  formed,  and  the  town,  following  a  single 
cornet,  marched  to  the  printing-office,  where  they 
madethings  hilarious.  It  isdoublful  if  anotherpaper 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  has  been  received  with  eipial 
spontaneous  cordiality.  The  name  given  to  this 
early  venture  was 

THE  niAinoLDT  keoister. 
Which    was    an    unpretending   sheet    in    size — onl}- 
21x28  inches — but  its  editorial  salute  to  the  public 


302 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


was  stamped  with  a  terseness  of  expi'ession,  and 
point  of  purpose,  that  became  eminently  char- 
acteristic of  its  editor-in-chief  in  after  years.  Polit- 
ically it  was  independent,  but  favored  a  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war  to  suppress  the  Southern 
Rebellion;  and  in  mechanical  appearance  it  was 
the  most  attractive  newspaper  published  in  Nevada 
at  that  time. 

Mr.  Forbes  became  sole  proprietor  with  the 
eleventh  number,  and  continued  as  such  until  Febru- 
ary 2,  1867,  when  he  sold  to  G.  G.  Berry,  H.  C. 
Street  and  51.  S.  Bonnificld,  who  announced  that 
"  with  a  change  of  editors  the  Heyisler  has  met  with 
a  change  of  heart."  Judge  George  G.  Berry  is 
now  ])ractising  law  at  Wiiinemueca,  and  C  L.  Per- 
kins, who  was  elected  State  Printer  in  1870,  is  now 
Clerk  of  Sonoma  County,  California.  The  firm,  of 
which  Bonnificld  was  a  silent  |>artncr,  continued  to 
publish  the  Rryisti^r  at  Uniinivillu  until  January,  1809, 
when  K.  i).  Kelly  and  .M.  S.  Bonnificld,  present 
District  Judge  of  Huniboidl  County,  became  jiropric- 
tors. 

The  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
left  Unionvillc  an  inland  town,  doomed  to  a  ])recari- 
0U8  existence,  and  this  caused  a  suspension  of  the 
Register  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  May,  1869.  The 
material  was  taken  to  the  new  town  of  Elko,  on  the 
railroad,  where  the  /nde/iendoit  was  started  with  it 
in  May,  by  E.  D.  Kelly  &  Co. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  October,  1869,  Mr.  Kelly  hav- 
ing dis])Osed  of  the  Fndejnmlenl  at  Elko,  in  connec- 
tion with  M.  S.  Bonnificld,  revived  the  name  of  the 
old  JIunihoUlt  Ii'e(/is/er,  in  a  weekly  paper  that  they 
started  in  Winnemucca  as  a  Democratic  organ.  In 
March,  1870,  T.  Y.  Julian  assumed  editorial  manage- 
ment, but  gave  jjlace  in  Julj'  of  the  same  year  to 
John  Hobins,  who  became  owner,  and  in  1872  the 
Reyinln-  passed  to  the  control  of  11.  A.  Waldo  and  T. 
V.  Julian,  who  now  reside  in  Reno.  October  1, 1<S74, 
they  commenced  a  daily  ])ublication  that  was  con- 
tinued until  November  10,  1875.  They  coiitiniicd  it 
until  January,  1876,  and  sold  to  C.  H.  Stoddard, 
under  whose  management  it  was  suspended  in  Decem- 
ber, the  material  ])assing  to  J.  (J.  Ragsdalc  &  Co., 
with  which  was  started  the  Eureka  Rc/iulitiitoi. 

WILLIAM    .1.    FORHES,  i 

The  ])ionecr  journalist  of  Humboldt  Countj',  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  was  a  thorough  practical  printer, 
acquiring  bis  trade  and  profession  under  the  teaching 
of  Hon.  Sam.  Mcdary,  the  distinguished  Journalist  of 
Columbus.  He  removed  from  his  native  State  to  Cal- 
ifornia jn  183'.J,  and  became  connected  with  various 
papers  in  that  State  prior  to  his  advent  in  Nevada, 
among  which  were  the  Coloma  Argus,  Marysville 
Ueralti,  and  Sierra  Democrat,  at  Downieville.  After 
selling  the  J/umbo/ilt  Register  ho  jjurchased  the  Vir- 
ginia City  Daili/  Union,  and  changed  its  name  to 
The  Trespass,  and  this  ])a]>er  suspended  under  his 
management.  From  there  he  went  to  White  Pine,  a 
disgusted  journalist,  and   started    a   saloon,   saying 


"  That  of  twenty  men,  nineteen  patronized  the 
saloon  and  one  the  newspaper,  and  he  was  going  for 
the  crowd." 

His  associations  with  the  press  in  the  years  gone 
before  had  taken  too  strong  a  hold  of  him  to  permit 
of  his  long  continuance  in  such  a  business,  and  again 
we  find  him  at  the  editorial  helm,  this  time  of  the 
White  Pine  News.  In  187;!,  with  a  portion  of  the 
material  of  the  office,  he  went  to  Salt  I^ake  and 
started  the  New  Endowment,  an  enterprise  that 
proved  an  utter  financial  failure,  his  valedictorj^  say- 
ing "We  cease  the  publication  because  we  did  not 
bring  money  enough  with  us."  lie  then  returned 
'  to  Nevada  and  the  Measure  for  Measure  became  one 
of  the  journals  of  that  State,  published  by  him  at 
Battle  Mountain,  where  be  was  found  dead,  lying 
across  his  bed,  on  the  morning  of  the  thirtieth  of 
October,  1875.  It  was  a  lonelj'  road  and  silent  end 
of  a  life  that  had  failed  to  achieve  its  legitimate 
results;  alone  by  himself,  "Semblins"  had  lain  down  in 
the  darkness  and  died  in  poverty-,  and  of  such  a 
dreary  ending  to  the  course  of  one  in  his  position, 
he  had  written  ten  years  before: — 

"Semblins"  sajs  death  cannot  be  a  matter  of  much 
moment  to  an  editor — no  thirty  days  notice  required 
by  law^it  is  the  local  incident  of  a  moment,  a  few 
days  as  advertised  on  the  fourth  ])agc,  a  few  calls  by 
subscribers  not  in  arrears.  A  short,  quick  breath — 
then  the  subscription  paper  for  burial  eoepenses." 

A  prophetic  conclusion. 

No  member  of  the  Nevada  press  was  better  or 
more  widely  known  in  his  time.  Some  of  his  witty 
paragraphs  under  the  nam  de  plame  of  '-Semblins" 
became  standai'd  quotations  in  the  United  Slates, 
and  were  repeated  until  their  origin  was  lost.  One 
of  them,  that  has  since  been  credited  to  various 
sources,  was  a  bitter  political  thrust  at  d'ovor- 
nor  Nye,  who  had  procured  the  appropriation  of 
•S75,000  to  be  spent  for  building  a  dam  and  mill 
with  which  to  saw  lumber  and  irrigate  land 
for  the  Pah-Utc  Indians,  all  of  which  had  been 
expended.  For  this  there  was  only  a  miserable 
excuse  for  a  dam,  with  no  mill  to  show  for  the 
outla3\  all  of  which  could  have  been  acconi|ilislK'd 
by  Indian  labor,  with  the  proper  outlay  of  Sl,0tl0. 
Korbes  sent  absurdity  floating  over  the  world 
where  the  English  language  was  read,  in  the  fol- 
lowing brief  paragraphs: — 

"Semblins"  knows  that  (iovernor  Nye  has  a  dam 
by  a  mill-site,  but  he  has  no  mill   by  a  d n  sight. 

He  made  the  following  cutting  thrust  at  the  ex- 
jiressed  opinion,  that  the  Southern  soldiers,  having 
the  blood  of  chivalry  running  in  their  veins,  were 
consequently  braver  men  than  their  Northern  adver- 
saries:— 

"Semblins  "  has  been  watching  the  record  of  the  "  su- 
perior race"  which  Hragg's  army  has  made  from 
Kentucky  to  tieorgia,  and  he  thinks  that  some  noblo 
blood  must  run  in  the  veins  of  those  soldiers." 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


303 


And  again: — 

"Semblins"  has  no  faith  in  the  eftbrt  to  raise  the 
ship  A(inil(i  hy  means  of  a  colier-dam.  It  rcjnind.s 
him  of  a  cow  in  Illinois  wiiit-li  ho  saw  swallow  a 
thistle  and  cotfor  dam  head  off. 

Forbes'  final  resting-place  on  earth  is  at  Coloma, 
El  Dorado  County,  California.  His  remains  were 
brought  there,  and  entombed  by  the  side  of  those  of 
his  wife,  who  had  preceded  him  in  death  about  two 
years.  An  orphan  child,  Sheridan,  named  after 
Forbes'  favorite  General,  whom,  in  feature,  he  much 
resembled,  now  attends  school  in  San  Francisco. 

WINNE.MUWA    AU(iKNT.  ^ 

John  and  Joscj)h  Wasson  started  a  Kepublican 
paper  by  this  name  at  Winnemucca  in  1868.  In  the 
last  of  November  of  that  j'ear  it  suspended,  and 
the  material  was  taken  to  Silver  City,  Idaho,  where 
it  was  used  in  starting  the  Tidal  Wave.  John  Wasson 
is  now  Surveyor  General  of  Arizona,  and  his  brother 
Joseph  is  living  in  California,  and  was  recently  a 
lively  member  of  the  Legislature,  representing  Mono 
and  In3-o  Counties  of  that  State. 

TOE    SILVER    STATE.  [^ 

1/  John  C.  Fall  purchased  material  for  starting  a 
newspaper  in  Unionville  after  the  Heyisler  had  been 
removed  from  there,  and  in  March,  1870,  H.A.  Waldo 
commenced  with  that  material  to  publish  the  Silver 
State  in  that  i)laee.  John  I.  Ginn  succeeded  Waldo 
in  August,  1870,  who,  in  turn,  was  relieved  by  John 
Booth,  .Fanuary  7,  1S71.  On  the  following  tirst  of 
February  If.  L.  Tilden.  who  died  in  California,  in 
1880,  took  charge.  He  stated  in  the  first  issue  that 
he  had  left  the  count j-  in  1S(J4,  when  everj-body  was 
leaving  it,  and  that  he  came  back  when  they  were 
all  coming  back,  and  that  he  jnoposcd  to  stay  while 
Humboldt  County  was])ros])erou8.  In  August,  1872, 
the  firm  name  became  !\.  L.  Tilden  it  Co.  Just  after 
the  election  that  year,  J.  J.  Hill  A  Co.,  who  later 
became  State  printers,  assumed  control,  and,  July 
26,  1878,  became  sole  proprietors.  In  1874  the  firm 
became  Peter  Myers  &  J.  J.  Hill.  Those  parties 
purchased  the  material  from  Jlr.  Fall,  and  removed  it 
to  Winnemucca,  enlarged  the  paper  to  thirtj'-two 
columns,  and  issued  the  first  number  in  that  place 
September  Kith  of  that  year.  Up  to  this  time  the 
Silver  State  had  been  a  weekly,  but  October  7,  1874, 
the  size  was  diminished  to  twenty  columns,  and  the 
publication  of  a  daily  was  started  that  is  still  con- 
tinued. September  8.  1875,  Mr.  M3-erR  withdrew 
from  the  firm,  and  H.  I).  Kell}-,  who  had  been  editor, 
took  his  place  as  a  partner,  and  continues  to  be  such, 
as  well  as  editor,  at  the  present  time. 

The  Silver  State  has  been  Democratic  through  all 
its  changes  of  partnerships  and  form,  and  is,  since 
the  suspension  of  the  I'aradise  Reporter,  the  only 
paper  published  in  Humboldt  County. 

E.  1).  KELLY,  ^ 

Editor  of  the  Silver  Stale,  is  a  native  of  Livingston 
County,  New  York,  and  was  born  July  17,  1834. 
With   his  parents   ho  moved   to   Clinton  County,  in 


about  1840,  and,  in  1859,  he  came  across  the  plains 
to  California.  After  reaching  the  Pacific  Coast,  until 
the  spring  of  1862,  he  followed  mining  in  Shasta 
County,  of  the  (ioldcn  State,  whence  ho  came  by  the 
Honey  Lake  route  to  Nevada.  After  his  arrival  in 
the  Territory,  his  time  was  passed  in  mining  until 
1868,  during  which  time  he  was  occasionally  called 
upon  to  assist  Mr.  Forbes  on  the  Reyister. 

In  January,  186!),  ho,  as  before  stated,  became 
editor  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  that  paper,  which 
he  took  to  Elko,  in  company  with  George  (i.  Berry 
as  silent  partner.  In  May,  1869,  he  disposed  of  his 
interest  in  the  fmlependent  at  Elko,  and  removed  to 
Winnemucca,  where,  in  connection  with  ..M.S.  Honni- 
field,  ho  started  the  second  Humboldt  Register.  In 
1870  ho  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  Ri;yi8ter  to 
John  Ivobins,  and,  in  1872,  he  assumed  his  present 
position  with  the  Silver  State.  His  reputation  as  an 
editor  and  publisher  classes  him  as  a  just,  sincere 
writer,  whose  ability  entitles  him  to  a  larger  field  for 
operations  than  the  one  at  present  occupied  by  him. 

IIi;.VBOLDT    NATIONAL. 

This  was  a  short-lived  concern,  that  expired  with 
its  tenth  issue.  It  was  started  as  a  twenty-eight 
column  weekly,  at  Winnemucca,  August  14,  ISiill,  by 
J.  A.  Booth,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  Kobert  Mc- 
Beth,  to  die. 

PAUADLSE    REPORTER. 

.Mr.  11.  Warren,  a  young  man  of  ability  and  energy, 
hailing  from  Bakersfield,  California,  where  he  had 
been  correspondent  I'or  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle 
and  Gall,  as  well  as  the  Stockton  Herald,  started  an 
independent  weekly,  with  Democratic  tendencies,  at 
Paradise  City,  in  Humboldt  County,  May  10,  1879. 
In  size  it  was  the  same  as  the  Daily  Silver  State,  and 
suspended  after  the  election  of  1880. 


THE  PRESS  OP  LANDER  COUNTY. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada 
Lander  County  comprised  the  entire  northeastern 
quarter,  then  being  an  almost  unknown  wilderness. 
A  military  post  in  Ruby  Valley,  and  a  few  Pony  Ex- 
press and  Overland  Stage  Stations,  comprised  the  set- 
tlements, and  the  daily  passage  of  the  Pony  Express 
and  the  stage  was  all  that  gave  life  to  the  region 
and  attached  it  to  civilization.  In  May,  1862,  the 
announcement  was  made  that  a  rider  of  the  Pony 
Jlxpress  had  discovereil  silver  ore  in  a  range  of 
mountains  near  Reese  River.  The  jiublic  mind  was 
already  excited  by  the  recent  discoveries  and  great 
fortunes  made  in  the  mines  of  Washoe,  as  'he  Corn- 
stock  region  was  then  called,  and  the  now  discoveries 
by  Reese  River  fed  the  excitement,  and  a  rush  began. 
The  indefinitonoss  of  the  locality,  the  distant 
unknown  region,  by  an  unknown  "  river,"  gave  a 
charm  to  adventure,  and  (juickly  "cities"  sprung 
into  existence.  Of  these  Austin  took  the  load,  the 
site  surveyed  and  buildings  oroctodin  January,  1863. 


304 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Among  the  first  in  this  movement  of  pioneers  was 
the  printer,  Mr.  W.  C  Phillips,  with  an  enterprise  as 
bold  as  it  was  commendable,  and  successful  in  its 
results,  transported  to  the  region  the  press  and  mate- 
rial for  a  newspaper,  and  on  the  sixteenth  day  of 
May,  1863,  issued  the  first  number  of  the 

REESE    RIVER   REVEILLE. 

The  term  -'Reese  River"  was  fiimiliar  to  all,  the 
mining  excitement  then  prevailing  bearing  the  appel- 
lation, the  mining  district  was  so  named,  and  all 
eastern  Nevada  was  called  "  Reese  River,"  so  the 
name  with  the  alliterative.  Re  eilk,  was  naturally 
suggested.  Mr.  Phillips  was  an  able  writer,  as  well 
as  a  practical  printer,  and  was  his  own  editor. 
Among  the  pioneers  of  Austin  was  a  very  skillful 
printer,  Mr.  O.  Jj.  C.  Fairchild,  who  became  the  assist- 
ant of  Mr.  Phillips,  and  these  gentlemen  put  up 
the  press,  arranged  the  office  and  pulled  the  first 
paper  in  the  wilderness  of  eastern  Nevada.  Th^ 
Reveille  was  issued  as  a  weeklj'  with  six  columns  to 
the  page,  and  at  prices  commensurate  with  the 
expenses  and  the  opportunity — fifty  cents  a  number 
or  twenty-four  dollars  a  year  in  gold  coin,  and  for 
advertising,  all  the  advertiser  would  stand.  The 
town  was  "  booming,"  business  was  good,  and  the 
paper  prospered.  It  was  a  novel  thing  to  see  a 
newspaper  in  such  a  wild,  isolated  region,  and  there- 
fore the  Rtese  Ricer  ReceiUe  was  circulated  far  and 
wide,  and  the  fame  of  the  new  mines  spread.  After 
the  third  issue  it  was  decided  to  keep  step  with  the 
progress  of  the  town,  and  on  June  3d  the  paper  was 
advanced  to  a  semi-weekly. 

Declining  health  compelled  Mr.  Phillips  to  cease 
from  active  labor  and  seek  a  milder  clime.  To 
enable  him  to  do  this  ho  leased  the  office  on  the 
first  of  October  to  O.  L.  C  and  J.  J).  Fairchild, 
who  engaged  Mr.  Adair  Wilf-on  as  editor,  who,  in 
December,  was  joined  bj-  ilj-ron  Angel  as  assistant. 
Mr.  Wilson  continued  as  editor  until  February,  18(54, 
when  Mr.  Angel  took  charge,  and  remained  its 
editor  until  January,  1868.  Mr.  I'hillij)8  returned 
to  Austin  in  May,  1S64,  still  in  feeble  health;  evi- 
dently declining  with  the  dread  consumption.  ITnable 
to  resume  the  toil  and  excitement  demanded  of  one 
in  the  management  of  such  a  paper  as  the  thriving 
city  of  Austin  then  required,  he  sold  his  establish- 
ment to  his  lessees,  the  Messrs.  Fairchild,  and 
removed  to  bis  former  home  in  Illinois,  where  he 
died  in  the  following  autumn. 

The  Reveil/e  now  takes  a  new  departure.  The 
Messrs.  Faiirhild  had  purchased  com]>lele  material 
for  a  large  daily  paper,  and  on  the  twenty-fourth  of 
May,  1864,  J.  D.  Fairchild  pulled  the  first  number  of 
the  Daily  Reese  Ricer  Reneilk,  a  morning  paper  of 
nine  columns  to  the  i)age,  being  of  the  same  size  as 
the  Sacramento  Daily  Union.  A  local  editor  was 
added,  Mr.  Locke  acting  in  that  capacity  for  several 
months,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  .Mr.  Wilmington, 
who,   in   April,   1865,  was  succeeded   by  Mr.  B.  J. 


Rums,  an  experienced  and  able  journalist,  who  con- 
tinued in  the  position  until  18(>0.  With  the  chang- 
ing times  the  size  of  the  paper  changed.  Following 
the  bright  opening  of  1804  came  a  great  depression 
in  mining  aftairs,  the  excitement  dying  away,  and 
the  extinction  of  the  new  city  seemed  threatened. 
With  prudence  the  proprietors  reduced  the  size  of 
the  paper,  first  on  August  2,  1864,  to  six  columns  to 
the  page,  and  fifteen  inches  in  length;  and  on  Sep- 
tember 6th  following,  to  five  columns.  In  June,  the 
next  year,  the  columns  were  lengthened  two  inches, 
at  which  size  the  paper  I'cmains. 

Much  ridicule  usually  attaches  to  a  small  sheet, 
contemptuously  characterized  as  a  "seven-by-nine 
concern,"  but  it  has  been  remarked  "that  the 
Reene  River  Reveille,  in  its  prime,  removed  the  stigma 
and  prejudice  against  small  papers."  The  paper 
was  distinguished  for  its  ability,  for  the  persistence 
with  which  it  advocated  the  interests  of  eastern 
Nevada,  and  for  its  searching  detail  of  its  resources. 
The  circulation  vvas  wide,  and  it  was  copied  exten- 
sively. Such  persistence  and  appeals  bore  fruit  in 
attracting  foreign  capital  to  the  development  of  the 
mines,  and  people  to  prospect  and  occupy  the  then 
"unexplored  regions."  Political  (juestions  then 
attracted  great  attention,  and  excited  intense  feel- 
ing. The  great  war  of  the  Rebellion  was  at  its 
height,  the  telegraph  brought  the  news  of  all  that 
transpired,  and  the  full  dispatches  of  the  Associated 
Press  were  published.  The  Reveille  was  ardently 
Republican,  and  commented  without  fear  or  hesita- 
tion upon  all  questions.  Supporting  all  the  measures 
of  the  Republican  parly,  it  made  itself  a  political 
power;  and  as  a  newspaper,  a  local  advocate  and 
conserver  of  social  order,  it  attained  a  high  standing 
at  home  and  a  powerful  influence  abroad. 

In  October,  1868,  J.  J).  Fairchild  sold  his  interest 
in  the  Reveille  to  ().  L.  C.  Fairchild,  who  August  14, 
1871,  sold  to  Andrew  Casamaj-ou  and  John  U. 
Dennis,  who  being  Democrats,  continued  the  paper 
as  independent  in  politics.  September  9,  1873,  Mr. 
Dennis  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  John  Booth,  Mr.  Casa- 
maj-ou  assuming  the  post  of  editor.  December  21, 
1875,  the  paper  ajipcars  under  the  firm  name  of  John 
Booth  it  Co.,  with  Mr.  Fred.  II.  liart  as  editor,  and 
A.  Maute  as  business  manager.  Following  the  death 
(ff  Mr.  Casamaj-ou,  who  died  at  Austin  on  the  ninth 
of  that  month,  Mr.  Hart  for  a  short  ])eriod  was  ])art 
owner,  but  since  November  26,  1S7S,  Mr.  Hooth  has 
been  sole  proprietor  and  editor.  With  the  com- 
mencement of  the  thirty-sixth  volume  in  May,  1881, 
the  editor  says:  "The  pa])cr  is  second  in  age,  and  its 
j)roprietor  the  oldest  continuous  j)ublisher  in  the 
State."  Mr.  Booth  probably  means  living  papers, 
the  Territorial  Entrr/rrine  being  the  only  one  of 
greater  age  now  published;  but  the  Daily  Silver  Aye 
was  published  at  Carson  in  1860,  the  Esmeralda 
Sffir  at  Aurora  in  1862,  the  Daily  Union  at  Virginia, 
November  4,  1862,  and  the  UumluMt  Register  at 
Unionville,  May  2,  1863.      Mr.   A.  Skillman,  of  the 


.#• 


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HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


305 


Eureka  .Ve/ir/ ««>(',  maUes  tlie  same   claim  of  being  the 
oldest  foiUiiiuous  jmblisher. 

J.    D.    FAIKCIULD. 

Joseph  IH'imy  Faivchild,  of  the  Reese  River  Reveille, 
was  born  at  Ovid,  Seneca  County,  New  York,  in 
April,  1838.  Growing  up  there  to  bo  quite  a  lad,  he 
learned  to  set  type.  Arrivini;  in  ('alifornia  in  1S54, 
he  not  long  afterward  engaged  himself  to  corajjlctc 
the  printing  trade  with  W.  J.  ForJjes,  who  was  at 
that  time  j)ublishing  a  paper  at  (Jeorgetown,  El 
Dorado  County.  lie  remained  with  Forbes,  going 
with  him  from  El  Dorado  to  Sierra  Count}',  for  several 
years,  until  he  concluded  to  engage  in  a  newspaper 
venture  of  his  own.  With  his  brother,  O.  L.  C. 
P'airchild,  he  begun  the  publication  of  the  J^lacer- 
ville  Semi-  Weelity  Olmercer,  the  first  number  of  which 
came  out  on  the  ninth  of  February,  1850.  lie  con- 
tinued in  that  paj)er  until  it  suspended  in  18G0. 
Then  returning  to  his  old  emploj-er,  Forbes,  at 
Downieville,  he  there  remained  until  the  Eeese 
River  excitement  begun  in  lS(j;!.  when  he  went  to 
Austin.  Engaging  as  a  journeyman  in  the  Receille 
otKce  at  Austin,  when  that  ))aper  first  started,  he 
and  his  brother  soon  after  became  its  lessees,  and 
finally  ])roprietors  by  purchase,  which  continued  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Sacra- 
mento, California,  in  the  summer  of  1869,  from 
congestion  of  the  brain,  resulting  from  a  fall  from 
a  horse,  llis  remains  were  conveyed  to  George- 
town, El  Dorado  County,  where  they  wore  buried. 

.MYRON  a'nuel 
Was  editor  of  the  Reese  River  Reveille  during  the 
most  exciting  and  prosperous  period  of  its  historj-, 
and  after  severing  his  connection  with  it  was  for  a 
numberofj-ears,  first,  editor,  then  San  Francisco  cor- 
respondent and  agent  of  the  Whi/e  Pine  News  and 
Other  Nevada  papers.  This  gentleman  is  a  native 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  born  in  Onconta,  Otsego 
County,  December  1,  1K27,  a  descendant  of  the  first 
I'uritan  pilgrims  who  landed  on  I'lymouth  Rock. 
Ilia  father,  William  Angel,  desiring  to  advance  the 
prosperity  of  Oneonta,  established  a  newspaper  in 
the  village,  and  in  this  office  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  often  assisted  in  the  mechanical  and  editorial 
departments,  although  then  verj'  young.  In  1835 
his  mother  died,  and  in  1842  his  father,  leaving  him 
an  orphan  in  his  fifteenth  year.  The  boy,  inheriting 
a  fair  ])ro|)ert}',  was  enabled  to  ac(iuire  a  fine  educa- 
tion; from  district  school  to  Hart  wick  Seminary, 
thence,  in  184t!,  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  from  which  institution  he  resigned  to  join 
the  excited  throng  bound  for  the  gold  mines  in 
the  newly  ac(|uired  regions  of  California.  At  the 
date  of  the  discovery  of  gold  his  elder  brother, 
Eugene  Angel,  was  practicing  law  in  I'coria,  Illi- 
nois, having  recently  been  admitted  to  the  bar, 
and  was  anxious  to  join  the  I'coria  Pioneers  in  the 
journey  overland.  Urging  the  cadet  to  join  him  in 
Peoria,  Mr.  Angel,  in  January,  1849,  started  on  his 


journey,   crossing   Pennsylvania   to    Pittsburgh    by 
stage,  that  being  the  only  conveyance  at  the  time, 
the  New   York   and  Erie  Railroad  only  reaching  to 
Port  Jervis,  on  the  Delaware  River,  and  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  St.  Louis  by  steamboat,  thence  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the   Illinois  River  bj-  boat,  and  a  toilsome 
journey  in  mud-wagons  to  Peoria.     In  April  the  Pio- 
neers  left  that  city,  destined  for  St.  Jo.,  on  the  ilis- 
souri,  on  the  "  uttcrlj'  utter  "  verge  of  civilization. 
The  treachery  of  the  Captain  of  the  steamboat  on 
which  was  that  part  of  the  company  in  which  was 
Angel's  party   changed   the  fate  of  the  J'oung  emi- 
grants by  landing  at  Weston  and  refusing  to  proceed 
to  St.  Joseph,  this   deciding  the  party    to  take  the 
Arkansas  and  Gila  route,  instead  of  the  direct  route 
to   the   gold    mines   via   the   South    Pass.     On    the 
steamer  was  Captain  William  Kirker,  an  old  mount- 
aineer,  who   had  been    guide  to  Colonel    Doniphan 
in  his  march  through  New  Mexico  a  few  years  pre- 
viously.    He  told  of  gold  mines  in  the  Rockj-  Mount- 
ains, far  richer  than  those  of  California,  and  a  large 
sum    was   paid    him    by   a  collection  of  Illinois  and 
Missouri  people  who  then  made  u]>  a  com])anj-.  Late 
in  May  the  journey    was   undertaken,  and    in    July 
prospecting  parties  entered  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on 
the  Rio  Sangrc  de  Christoand  other  localities,  which 
have  since  become  famous  for   their  mineral  wealth, 
but,   being   entirely  ignorant   of  the   occurrence  of 
gold  or  how  to  obtain  it,  found  nothing.     The  mines 
of  the  Pike's  Peak  region  were  then  condemned  and 
the  route  taken  again  for  California,  or  somewhere, 
the  travelers  hardlj-  knew  where.     Captain  Kirker, 
the  guide,  said  he  knew  of  mines  on  the  (lila  River, 
and  ho  would  take  them  there.     The  Captain  was 
only  plaj'ing  his  party,  as  ho  had  a  family  at  Albu- 
querque   and  ho  only  wished  to  have  an  escort  to 
take  him  safely  there.     The  long  journey  was  pur- 
sued many  hundred  miles  south  along  the  Rio  Grande, 
then   westward  into  Sonora  to  the  head  of  the  Rio 
Santa  Cruz,  then   northerly  through  Tucson  to  the 
Pima  villages  on  the  Gila  River.     From  this  point, 
the  two  brothers  Angel,  bocomii>g  impatient  to  roach 
their  destination — it   being    then   October — went  in 
advance  of  the  train,  each    taking  a  small  pack  of 
clothing  and  food,  and  after  a  journey  of  severe  fa- 
tigue,  reached  San    Diego   about   the  middle  of  No- 
vember, ragged  and  famished.     The  train  wliicli  had 
been  left  behind  dragged  its  weary  way  along,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1850  reached  the  mining  region  in 
Mariposa  County. 

At  San  Diego  was  a  small  hermaphrodite  brig  about 
to  sail  for  San  Francisco,  and  would  take  ])assenger8 
at  §100  each,  the  passenger  to  furnish  his  own  sub- 
sistence. As  a  groat  favor,  the  owner  of  the  brig 
accepted  8150  as  passage  money  for  the  two,  that 
being  the  size  of  their  pile  alter  buying  some  pro- 
visions for  the  voyage.  About  half  a  ilozen  others, 
who  had  reached  San  Diego  with  sufficient  means,  also 
wont  as  passengers,  leaving  near  one  hundred  desti- 
tute emigrants  bewailing  their  hard  fato.     A    few 


306 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


days  afterwards  the  steamer  Oregon  called  in  on  her 
wa}'  from  Panama,  and  took  all  remaining,  free  of 
charge. 

On  the  eighth  of  December,  1849,  the  two  brothers 
landed  in  San  Francisco  in  the  rain  and  mud  of  a 
severe  winter,  in  a  condition  that  can  better  be 
imagined  than  described.  A  few  days  thereafter  an 
incident  occurred  that  helped  much  to  relieve  them 
of  want  when  employment  was  unattainable.  They 
had  left  in  the  wagon  a  trunk  well  filled  with  valu- 
able books,  some  clothing,  etc.  To  lighten  the  load 
this  was  thrown  out  at  the  crossing  of  the  Colorado. 
At  that  time  Lieut.  Cave  J.  Coutts  was  in  command 
of  some  soldiers  stationed  there,  since  called  Fort 
Yuma,  and  seeing  the  trunk  as  jetsam,  on  the  sand, 
examined  it,  and  finding  the  books,  papers  and  cloth- 
ing of  a  cadet,  quicklj-  ])ut  it  on  an  ambulance  and 
hastened  after  the  departed  train.  Finding  that  the 
object  of  his  search  had  gone  before,  he  pushed 
through  to  San  l>iego,  but  wa.s  still  too  late  to  over- 
take the  owner  of  the  things  he  had  rescued  at  so 
much  trouble.  The  kind  officer  then  put  the  trunk 
in  charge  of  a  gentleman  going  to  San  Francisco, 
with  instructions  to  hunt  up  the  owner  and  restore 
him  his  property,  with  the  warm  regard  ofa  brother 
soldier.  The  trunk  thus  reached  its  destination,  and 
the  valuable  books  it  contained  sold  for  such  prices  as 
aided  to  pass  the  hardships  ofa  winter  which  proved 
the  last  to  many  young  and  homesick  pioneers. 

The  summer  of  1850  was  spent  in  mining  at  Bid- 
well's  Bar,  on  Feather  Eiver,  with  rather  ])oor  suc- 
cess, and  in  1851,  the  two  brothers  settled  on  a  ranch 
at  a  place  since  called  Angel's  Slough,  near  the  Sac- 
ramento Kiver,  south  of  Chico.  In  185G  they  pur- 
chased a  mining  claim  at  North  San  Juan,  Nevada 
County,  and  joining  with  others  commenced  opening 
it  bj-  tunnel.  In  this  enterprise  about  $40,000  was 
expended  and  lost.  The  brothers  had  continued 
inseparable,  until  in  18()0  the  elder,  Eugene  Angel, 
went  to  the  eastern  slope  in  the  Washoe  excitement, 
and  was  killed  at  the  massacre  at  Pyramid  Lake, 
May  12,  18(10.  ^13'ron  Angel,  in  the  meantime  had 
become  editor  of  the  J'lacerville  Semi-Weekly  Observer, 
in  which  situation  he  continued  until  the  spring  of 
I8G0,  when  he  returned  to  San  Juan  to  take  charge 
of  his  mining  interests  there.  Upon  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  he  offered  his  services  to  the  Governor 
of  California  and  received  the  appointment  of  Captain 
of  Infantry.  \]\>ou  this  being  announced,  the  San 
Juan  I'resg  of  October  5,  1861,  said: — 

We  are  please<l  to  learn  that  our  friend  and  fellow- 
townsmen,  Mr.  .Myron  Angel,  is  raising  a  company  of 
infantry  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  the  (Jeneral  Gov- 
ernment, liaving  received  official  authority  from 
Governor  Downey  so  to  do.  This  furnishes  an  addi- 
tional opportunity  to  all  who  are  willing  to  serve 
their  country  in  the  hour  of  her  need,  to  enroll  their 
names. 

Mr.  Angel  received  a  thorough  military  education 
asa  student  at  West  Point,  and  knows  well  the  duties 
belonging  to  an  officer,     lie  is  a  gentleman,  too,  in 


whom  recruits  can  repo.se  implicit  confidence.  Their 
necessities  under  his  care  will  be  promptly  attended 
to,  and  their  rights  strictly  guarded. 

No  fund  had  been  supplied  for  maintaining  and 
forwarding  recruits,  and  this  Mr.  Angel  did  until  his 
own  funds  were  exhausted.  Then  came  the  pressing 
demand  for  his  time  to  attend  to  the  business  of  a 
failing  mining  enterprise,  in  which  his  all  was 
invested,  and  although  appealed  to  by  Colonel  Judah, 
a  West  Point  friend,  who  then  had  command  of  the 
Fourth  California  Volunteers,  he  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  from  the  service,  hoping  for  another 
opportunity  when  his  business  would  be  better 
arranged.  That  time,  however,  did  not  offer.  After 
writing  for  various  papers,  in  1803  he  became  editor 
of  the  lieese  River  lieoeiUe,  which  is  told  in  the  sketch 
of  that  pa])cr.  While  in  that  position  he  wrote 
several  reports  on  the  mines  of  eastern  Nevada, 
assisting  Mr.  J.  Eoss  Browne  in  his  "Eeport  on  the 
Mineral  Resources  west  of  the  Eocky  Mountains." 
A  little  book  he  wrote  about  this  time  on  his 
favorite  theme  of  the  resources  of  eastern  Nevada 
had  the  distinction  of  being  published  in  French,  in 
Paris,  and  in  German,  in  Leipsic,  the  translator  into 
French  being  Emil  de  Girardin,  who  paid  the  author 
the  compliment  of  saying  it  was  the  best  English 
ho  had  ever  translated.  Mr.  Angel  was  editor-in- 
chief  of  the  yi'ei'e/7fc  until  18(!S.  when  he  left  and  became 
editor  of  the  Oakland  Daily  Xews,  in  California; 
then  of  the  State  Capital  Reporter,  of  Sacramento; 
then  of  the  White  Pine  Aeict,  of  which  paper  he  con- 
tinued as  San  Francisco  correspondent  and  agent 
until  1875,  when  he  again  became  editor  of  the 
Oakland  A^eivs.  While  acting  as  newspaper  corre- 
spondent in  San  Francisco  he  also  wrote  for  other 
publications,  the  principal  being  a  "  Pacific  Coast 
Business  Directory  and  Gazetteer,"  of  which  two 
editions  were  published,  one  in  1871,  and  the  other 
in  1876;  also  the  historical  and  miscellaneous  matter 
for  the  San  Francisco  annual  Director}-.  The 
Pacific  (.-'oast  Directory  comprised  all  the  region  west 
of  Dakota  and  Wj-oming,  and  contained  the  most 
comi)lete  account  of  the  history,  geography,  and 
resources  yet  published.  While  performing  those 
labors  he  was  engaged  in  a  mammoth  mining  enter- 
prise, in  company  with  Mr.  M.  D.  Fairchild  and  lion. 
John  l)aggott,  in  making  a  canal,  and  opening  a 
large  hydraulic  mine  in  El  Dorado  County.  After 
an  expenditure  of  over  8100,000  the  enterprise  came 
to  a  halt  for  want  of  funds.  Mr.  Angel,  when  asked 
his  employment  said,  "I  mine  for  a  fortune,  but  1 
write  for  a  living."  In  1870  he  formed  a  ha]>i)y  mat- 
rimonial alliance  with  (charlotte  I'addock  Livingston, 
an  acconijilished  lady  whose  acquaintance  extended 
from  the  days  of  their  youth. 

.MEASURE    FOR    MEAS17RE. 

This  is  rather  a  quaint  title  for  a  newspaper,  but 
it  was  the  one  adopted  bj*  a  quaint  person,  Mr. 
W.    J.    Forbes,  a  gentleman    distinguished    among 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


307 


the  journalists  of  tho  Pacific  Coast  for  his  genial 
humor,  ability  as  an  editor  and  skill  in  his  craft. 
He  sought  originality  in  all  things,  desiring  par- 
ticularly to  avoid  the  "standard"  names  for  his 
papers.  Among  the  papers  he  founded  were  the 
Trespass,  of  Virginia,  and  tho  New  Endowment,  of  Salt 
Lake.  The  name  of  tho  first  suggested  itself  by 
his  trespassing  upon  a  field  already  occu])ied  — 
there  being  other  papers  in  Virginia  City  where 
ho  had  established  his  new  enterprise  ;  and  New 
Endowment  was  adopted  as  a  challenge  to  combat 
to  the  Saints  of  Salt  Lake.  Wo  will  give  measure 
for  measure,  he  said  when  starting  bis  last  enter- 
prise. "As  ye  measure  unto  us,  so  will  we  measure 
nnto  you,"  he  was  wont  to  quote  as  the  reason 
for  his  adopting  the  name,  and  moreover  Shake- 
speare had  used  it,  and  of  course  it  was  good. 
The  Measure  for  Measure  was  first  issued  at  Battle 
Mountain  on  tho  twenty-sixth  of  December,  1873, 
W.  J.  Forbes,  editor  and  proprietor,  on  material 
formerly  used  in  succession  in  the  ReceiUe  office 
at  Austin,  Reporter  at  Belmont,  White  Pine  News 
and  Schell  Creek  Prospect,  and  was  continued  until 
Octohor,  1875,  when  ])aper  and  editor  ceased  to  be. 
The  field  was  limited  and  little  or  no  profit  had 
attended  the  publication  of  Measure  for  Measure,  but 
it  had  gratified  the  ambition  and  the  restless  spirit 
of  its  publisher. 

THE    n.\TTLE    .MOUNTAIN    MESSENGER 

AVas  started  by  Mark  \V.  AIu8grove,on  tho  nineteenth 
of  Ma}',  1877,  but  transferred  by  him  in  August  fol- 
lowing to  E.  A.  Scott.  On  the  sixth  of  July,  1878, 
the  office  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  new  material 
was  immediatelj-  purchased  and  publication  resumed 
on  the  thirty-first  of  August.  On  the  fifteenth  of 
December  of  the  same  j'ear,  Scott  leased  the  paper 
to  Messrs.  Bobbins  k,  Sterling  for  a  p'oriod  of  six 
months.  This  firm  failed,  after  a  trial  of  three 
months,  and  Scott  resumed  control,  which  ho  con- 
tinued until  February  13,  1879,  when  Mr.  S.  II.  Ful- 
ton took  charge.  On  the  first  of  December,  1879, 
the  ])roprietor  again  leased  the  office,  this  time  to 
Messrs.  Sproule  k  Davis,  who  still  continue  its  publi- 
cation, with  Mr.  C.  H.  Sproule  as  tho  editor.  The 
Messenijer  is  Republican  in  politics;  is  published 
weekly,  giving  the  news  of  the  surrounding  mining 
localities,  and  otherwise  devoted  to  local  interests. 

THE   BATTLE    MOUNTAIN    FREE    PRESS 

Was  established  in  August,  1881,  as  a  semi-weekly, 
but  has  not  yet  given  its  history  to  the  world. 


THE   PRESS   OF    LINCOLN    COUNTY. 

Tho  newspapers  of  Lincoln  County  have  all  been 
started  at  Piocho.  There  have  been  four  of  them, 
three  of  which  exist  in  tho  Piocho  Record,  and  the 
fourth,  known  as  the  Piocho  Journal,  was  closed  out 
by  a  fire. 


ELY   RECORD. 

This  was  the  pioneer  paper  of  Piocho,  and  tho 
first  number  bears  date  Sej)tember  17,  1870.  W.  II. 
Pitchford  &  Co.  were  the  jiroprietors,  who  published 
this  twenty-four-column  weekly  in  a  canvass  tent. 
With  the  fourth  number,  Pat  Holland  became 
captain  of  the  craft,  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  October, 
he  took  in  R.  W.  Simpson  as  mate.  Thoy  changed  the 
daj^  of  publication  from  Saturday  to  Sunday,  and 
November  IHth,  of  that  year,  reduced  it  to  a  twenty- 
column  sheet,  and  increased  its  issue  to  a  semi- 
weekly, one  of  its  publication  days  still  continuing 
to  be  on  Sunday.  For  nearly  two  years  there 
occurred  no  further  change,  when  on  April  1  lib,  tho 
firm  became  Holland  k  Co.,  Frank  Kenyon  assuming 
tho  editorial  chair,  and  on  the  fourteenth  of  that 
month  four  columns  were  added  to  the  paper,  it 
being  increased  to  tri-weekly,  Sunday  still  continu- 
ing one  of  its  publishing  days.  August  Kith,  of  that 
year,  Holland  became  sole  pri)priotor,  and  no  further 
change  occurred  until  he  still  further  increased  tho 
publication,  making  a  daily  of  it,  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of 

PIOCIIE  DAILY    RECORD. 

September  17,  1872,  is  the  date  of  the  first  number 
of  this  first  daily  at  Pioche,  the  size  and  pro])rietor- 
ship  remained  the  same  as  in  tho  tri-weekl3^  and  it 
advocated  tho  Democratic  candidate  tor  President 
in  1872,  A.  D.  Jones  filling  the  editorial  chair  during 
the  campaign. 

In  tho  meantime  Frank  Kenyon  had  joined  W.  B. 
Taylor,  of  the  Elko  Independent,  and  they,  with  the 
material  of  the  old  Elko  Chronicle  office,  together 
had  started,  in  September,  a  daily  Pepublican  paper, 
that  was  called  the 

PIOCIIE   REVIEW. 

The  Reriew  only  lasted  during  the  cam])aigii,  and 
was  merged  in  Holland's  i)a|>cr  November  12tli,at 
which  time  W.  H.  Taylor  became  one  of  tho  ownei"8 
of  the  Record.  Mr.  Taj-lor  did  not  remain  long,  his 
interest  being  purchased  by  tieorge  G.  Berry,  ex- 
Judge  of  Humboldt  County,  and  tho  ])ublication  was 
continued  under  the  firm  name  of  Holland  &  Co.  In 
January,  1873,  John  Booth  jiurchased  an  interest, 
and  on  tho  eighth  of  tho  ensuing  April  one  column 
was  added  to  each  page.  In  tho  fore  part  of  Juno 
H.  N.  Maguire  retired  from  tho  editorial  chair,  and 
J.  D.  Jones  assumed  that  resi)onsibility,  which  was 
followed  on  July  4th,  of  that  year,  by  the  retirement 
of  Booth,  and  the  resumption  of  the  old  firm  name 
of  Holland  iV  Co.  In  Sei)tcmbcr,  1871,  Holland  again 
became  solo  proprietor,  and  continued  to  be  such 
until  December,  1875,  when  ho  failed. 

The  Record  Publishing  Ci>m])anv  was  formed, 
and  have  continuetl  that  paper  until  the  present 
time,  1881.  September  17,  1876,  the  size  was 
diminished  and  the  dail}'  issue  abandoned,  that  of  a 
tri-weekly  taking  its  place,  which  in  turn  gave  way, 
January  1,  1877,  to  a  weekly  that  is  still  continued. 


308 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  politics  the  Record  has  always  been  independent, 
except  in  1S72,  when  it  supported  the  Democratic 
ticket. 

The  several  editors,  until  1881,  of  the  Record, 
have  been  R.  W.  Simpson.  Frank  Kenyon,  A.  D. 
Jones,  II.  N.  .Maguire,  John  Croyland,  J.  F.  O.  lloloran, 
George  Gorman,  and  II.  W.  Turner,  who  fills  that 
position  at  present. 

PIOCHE   JOURNAL. 

The  P'wche  Journal  was  tri-weekly,  started  Decem- 
ber 15,  1874,  by  O.  K.  Wescott  and  Prank  AVyatt. 
In  March,  1875,  A.  D.  Jones  and  J.  \V.  Murraj-,  pui-- 
chased  the  establishment,  and  in  November  of  that 
year,  Murray  became  sole  proprietor.  The  fire  of 
May  3,  1876,  destroyed  the  office  and  material,  and 
publication  of  that  paper  was  not  again  resumed. 


THE  PRESS  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 

THE   COMO    SENTINEL. 

The  first  newspaper  in  Lyon  County  was  started  in 
the  Como  Mining  District,  in  the  mountains  east  of 
Dayton.  The  first  issue  bears  date  April  10,  1864, 
and  the  proprietors,  II.  L.  Weston  and  T.  \V.  Abra- 
ham, announce  in  it  their  intention  to  support  the 
Administration;  to  decapitate  the  leaders  of  all 
wicked  cliques  and  ungodly  jjolitical  alliances;  to 
publish  a  weekly  twenty-four-column  sheet;  to  help 
hold  up  the  hands  of  the  mining  Aarons  of  Como; 
and  to  charge  six  dollars  per  year  for  their  paper. 
July  9th  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Weston,  wishing  to 
return  to  California,  sold  to  his  ])artner,  who  after 
the  thirteenth  number  was  issued,  removed  the  paper 
to  Dayton,  where  its  nflme  was  changed  to  the 

LYON   COUNTY    SENTINEL. 

Lender  this  name  its  publication  was  continued 
without  change  until  the  close  of  the  first  yearly 
volume  in  1865,  when  Mr.  Abraham  was  joined  in 
the  enterprise  by  B.  F.  Cooper  and  C.  S.  Paine.  This 
firm  continued  to  wield  the  SentineVs  destinies  until 
the  fire  of  1866  at  Dayton  burned  their  office. 

But  three  short  four-column  numbers  were  ])riritod 
after  the  fire,  issued  to  complete  the  requisite  time 
for  advertising  some  legal  notices  that  had  been 
running. 

LYON   COUNTY    TI.MES. 

Eight  years  after  the  Sentinel  suspended,  this 
paper,  a  Iwenty-four-column  triweekly,  was  started 
by  Frank  Kenyon,  at  Silver  City,  on  the  fourth  of 
July,  1874,  the  first  issue  having  fifteen  columns 
filled  with  advertisements,  the  subscription  rates 
being  ten  dollars  j)er  j^ear.  On  the  thirty  first  of 
January,  1875,  a  fourteen-column  supplement  was 
commenced  in  connection  with  the  Sunday  edition, 
and  continued  until  the  close  of  the  first  year,  July 
4,  1875,  when  it  was  dropped,  and  the  paper  was 
enlarged  to  twenty-eight  columns.  In  the  mean- 
time the  publication  had  changed,  in  March,  from  a 


tri-weekly  to  a  daily,  and  Henry  J.  Norton  become, 
April  6th,  as.sociate  editor,  a  position  that  he  retained 
until  the  ensuing  fourth  of  January. 

On  the  fourth  of  March,  1875,  it  was  transformed 
into  a  twenty-four-column  daily,  four  columns  being 
added  every  Thursday  to  accommodate  mining 
advertisements  and  news.  June  7th,  of  the  same 
year,  the  daily  issue  ceased,  and  the  Times  again 
became  a  tri-weekly,  of  which  Mr.  Kenj-on  continued 
proprietor  until  July  (!,  1878,  when  T.  E.  Picott 
became  its  editor  and  publisher. 

FRANK    A.    KENYON 

Died  on  board  a  steamer  en  route  to  Guatamala, 
while  on  a  voyage  for  bis  health,  in  the  early  part 
of  1879.  He  was  known  as  "  the  man  of  manj-  news- 
papers," having,  besides  founding  the  Times,  started 
the  Bodie  Standard,  the  Esmeralda  Herald,  and 
Pioche  Review,  in  addition  to  which  he  had  estab- 
lished papers  in  Oregon,  California,  Montana,  and 
Utah.  He  ser\-ed  his  apprenticeship  in  the  office  of 
the  Uerald,  in  Jacksonville,  Oregon. 

Mr.  Picott  continued  with  the  Times  until  in 
December,  1879,  when,  becoming  interested  in  a 
process  for  working  rebellious  ores,  he  sold  to 
John  M.  Campbell,  and  severed  his  connection  with 
the  paper.  November  10,  1880,  Mr.  Picott  again 
assumed  charge  of  the  Times,  and  the  publication 
was  reduced  to  a  weekly  on  the  thirteenth  of  the 
same  month,  the  price  being  reduced  to  five  dol- 
lars per  year.  On  the  thirteenth  of  December, 
1880,  the  establishment  was  removed  from  Silver 
City  to  Dayton,  where  the  Times  is  now  published. 

T.    E.    PICOTT 

Is  a  native  of  Montreal,  Canada,  is  thirt3--two 
years  of  age  and  single.  His  appi-enticeship  at 
printing  was  served  in  Burlington,  Vermont,  and 
New  York  City.  In  August,  1864,  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  he  enlisted,  without  asking  for  or  receiving 
bountj',  in  Comi)any  K,  102d  New  York  Volunteers. 

In  1867  he  became  proof-reader  on  the  Chicago 
Daily  Republican,  the  following  year  he  went  to 
Austin,  Texas,  in  charge  of  |)rinters  to  execute  the 
Stale  printing,  and  after  returning  became,  in  1871, 
assistant  foreman  of  the  N(»w  Orleans  Republican. 
In  1873  he  started  the  Colorado  Real  Estate  ami  Min- 
ing Reciew,  at  Denver,  Colorado,  and  the  same  year 
crossed  the  mountains  and  became  assistant  fore- 
man on  the  Territorial  Enterprise,  from  whore  ho 
went,  in  1S74,  to  the  Inlependent  of  that  citj-,  and 
became  its  local  editor. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  1875,  he  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  Sutro  Iwlepemlent,  in  partnership  with 
Adolpb  Sutro,  the  latter  furnishing  the  money.  A 
j'ear  and  a  half  later  he  became  evening  reporter 
on  the  Virginia  Chronicle,  and  then  business  man- 
ager of  the  same,  from  where  ho  entered  upon 
his  present  duties  as  editor  and  publisher  of  the, 
Lyon  County  Times. 


RESIDENCE  «►   J.L.Campbell, 

DAYTON. LVON   C»    N  EV. 


i'7M  mff'T'^oH  a  /Tfy.  s 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


:j()9 


DAILY    MININO    llEPORTEIl. 

IJut  littlo  is  romembored  conccrnini;  this  paper 
except  that  it  was  short  lived;  it  was  started  March 
10,  187G,  bj'  the  Reporter  Publishing  Company,  K.  G. 
Norton  being  editor;  was  reduced  to  a  tri-weeklj- 
publication  in  the  fore  part  of  May.  and  was  a  native  ' 
of  Silver  City. 

SUTKO    INDEPENDENT. 

This  pajier  was  founded  at  Sutro.[in  Ti3'on  County, 
in  July,  1875.  It  was  a  weekly,  published  on 
Saturday.  Adolph  Sutro  furnished  the  money  and 
T.  S.  Picott  the  brains  to  run  it.  Xovenibor  1.  lS7t), 
P'rank  li.  Mercer,  formerly  of  the  Oakland,  California, 
Daily  Eoening  Tribune,  succeeded  Picott  as  its  pub- 
lisher, and  the  last  of  Februar}-,  1870,  it  sus]>OMdeil 
This  suspension  resulted  from  the  cessation  of  all  work 
on  the  tunnel,  caused  by  the  unsettled  condition  of 
affairs  pending  the  negotiations  that  ended  in  a  com- 
promise between  the  tunnel  company  and  mine 
owners  on  the  Comstoek. 

Again  on  the  twenty-first  of  April,  1870,  its  publi- 
cation was  resumed  bj-  Messrs.  (Josgrovc  and  James 
McAfee.  These  gentlemen  continued  it  as  a  weekly 
until  ^lay  2(!th  of  that  year,  when  they  commenced 
issuing  a  semi-weekly.  August  11th  ensuing,  Mr. 
Cosgrove  withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  the  weekly 
publication  was  again  resumed.  Augu.st  2r)th,  of  the 
same  year,  Frank  B.  Mercer,  again  associated  him- 
self with  the  paper  as  one  of  the  publishers,  and 
November  17lh  following,  Mr.  McAfee  withdrew 
leaving  Mercer  alone  in  command. 

November  20, 1S8(I.  the  jiublication  of  the  hukpend- 
enl  again  ceased,  because  of  the  diminished  patron- 
age, caused  by  the  gradual  depopulation  of  the  town 
of  Sutro. 


THE  PRESS  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 

The  firet  paper  published  in  Nye  County  was  called 
the 

NYE   COUNTY    NEWS. 

It  was  started  by  Joseph  E.  Eckloy  and  Henry  De 
Groot,  Juno  2.5,  18(>4.  It  was  a  weekly  issue,  pub- 
lished at  lone.  Republican  in  politics,  size  twenty 
columns,  printed  on  paper  lSx21  inches,  price  eight 
dollars  per  year.  The  ])ublisliers  in  their  first  num- 
ber editorially  express  doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of  ', 
starting  a  paper  at  that  time  and  place,  and  the  ' 
result  ))r()vcd  the  doubt  to  contain  more  wisdom  than 
the  motive  that  gave  them  an  ojiportunity  to  express 
the  doubt,  for  they  were  forced  to  suspend  that  fall,    i 

In  the  latter   part  of  June,   18(55,   the   News  was    i 
revived  bj'   William    Worker  and  .loseph   E.   Kcklcy. 
the  price  was  reduced  to  six  dollars,  and  these  were    ; 
the  only  changes  from  the  original. 

The    following    note    from  the    Carson    Appeal,  of 
May  21,  18i;7,  tells  the  story  of  its  demise: — 

State  Printer  Eckley  has  disposed  of  his  printing   | 
material  used   in  the  publication  of  the  A'ye  County 
39 


News.  Hy  this  wo  suppose  that  the  paper  is  not  to 
be  resumed. 

THE   ADVERTISER 

Was  a  Democratic  sheet,  GxlO  inches  in  size,  printed 
on  one  side  only,  and  was  issued  at  lone  bj-  John 
Booth,  during  the  campaign  of  1864.  It  expired 
with  the  seventh  number. 

THE   SILVER    BEND    KEI'OKTER. 

The  j-ear  18G(]  witnessed  the  creation  of  Phila- 
delphia Mining  District,  in  the  central  portion  of 
Nye  County,  and  the  flattering  developments  made 
then  in  a  short  ])eriod  of  time  caused  a  largo  pop- 
ulation to  turn  toward  -'Silver  Bond,"  as  the  local- 
ity was  generally  known,  as  the  Mecca  of  their 
hopes  of  wealth  easily  secured.  The  "rush"  thither- 
ward was  at  its  maximum  in  the  s])riiig  and  early 
summer  of  1807,  and  the  towns  of  Belmont  and 
East  Belmont  sprang  up  as  only  such  frontier  min- 
ing hamlets  can  rise  amid  the  rockj-  canons  and 
sage-covered  hillocks  and  plains  of  a  region  to  which 
people  are  attracted  solely  by  the  glittering  allure- 
ments of  silver  and  gold. 

Anticipating  tho  influx  of  population,  and  the 
consequent  importance  of  this  point,  in  February, 
18()7,  M.  D.  Fairchild,  an  attache  of  the  /.V-w  lUver 
Reveille,  moved  a  ([uantity  of  surplus  material  and  a 
press  from  that  oflico  to  Belmont.  It  was  cold 
weather,  not  adapted  to  fast  freighting,  nor  were 
the  primitive  houses  in  tho  new  town  easj-  to  be 
secured,  or.  when  secured,  tho  most  comfortable 
structures  in  the  world  against  the  rigors  of  a  winter 
climate  at  an  altitude  of  7.0(10  feet  above  the  sea. 
These  causes  somewhat  delayed  tho  ajjpearance  of 
the  new  paper,  but  on  the  thirtieth  of  March,  18(j7, 
the  Weekly  Silrer  Betul  Reporter  came  into  existence, 
published  by  O  Ij.  C.  Fairchild  &  Co.  M.  I).  Fair- 
child  was  editor  and  manager,  as  well  as  mechanical 
operator,  assisted  only  by  a  boy.  The  salutatory, 
which  we  give  below,  is  a  model  of  newspa])er  pro- 
priety, and  its  precepts  every  Journal  in  the  land 
would  do  well  to  follow: — 

Citizens  of  Belmont,  of  Silver  Bend  and  of  East- 
ern Nevada,  we  to-day  introduce  ourselves  b)-  pre- 
senting to  your  consideration  the  first  number  of  the 
Weekly  Silrer  Bend  Reporltr,  and  with  it  our  compli- 
ments and  best  wishes,  and  in  turn  ask  j-our  friend- 
shi])  and  j'our  patronage.  American  ])ioneei's,  intel- 
ligent and  enterprising,  carr^-  with  them  the  |ires8 
and  type,  and  wlierever  they  i)itch  their  tent,  be  it 
in  the  wilderness  of  the  interior,  among  the  snow- 
covered  peaks  of  the  Sierra  or  on  the  sunny. sea 
beach  of  the  Pacific,  there  too  must  the  newspaper 
apjiear,  with  its  ]iolitical  discussions;  its  disipiisitions 
upon  men,  morals,  law  and  religion;  its  advocacj'  of 
the  resources  of  its  section;  its  details  of  local  and 
foreign  news  ;  its  talcs,  stories  and  jokes,  and  last 
though  not  least  in  im]>i)rtance  and  interest,  its  ad- 
vertisements. It  is  the  newspaper  that  links  the 
])ioneer  with  his  iormer  home — the  subtle,  invisible 
wire  over  which  courses  the  constant  stream  of  in- 
telligence, civilizing  influences  and  sweet  memories, 
drawing  tho  wanderer  back  into  the  world,  and  as- 


310 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Bimilating  ideas.  Here,  in  this  bright  offshoot  of 
civilization,  surrounded  by  a  vast  ocean  of  wilder- 
ness, shall  be  a  newspaper.  In  young,  vigorous  and 
beautiful  Belmont,  we  have  set  up  our  altars,  and 
amidst  the  crags  and  mountain  peaks  veined  with 
untold  treasures,  and  assisted  bj'  the  brave  pioneers, 
our  companions,  will  tell  the  storj-  of  Silver  Bend. 
Eich  bej'ond  all  comparison,  bej'ond  the  El  Dorados 
of  ancient  or  modern  times  we  know  our  section  to 
be,  and  to  make  this  known  to  the  world,  point 
out  the  ap})roaehes,  to  present  everj-  resource,  and 
to  tell  how  we  live,  shall  be  the  aim  and  object — 
the  specialty  of  the  Reporter.  We  have  no  jealousies 
of  localities,  no  favored  place  to  advocate  to  the 
injury  of  another,  but  while  particularly  represent- 
ing Belmont,  shall,  in  the  broadest  sense,  advocate 
the  every  interest  of  all,  of  Silver  Bend,  of  Nye 
County,  of  eastern  Nevada  and  of  the  State  at 
large.  We  are  in  the  midst  of  a  mining  region,  the 
wealth  of  which  the  world  cannot  yet  comprehend. 
In  extent  it  is  greater  than  man}'  States  of  the  East, 
or  than  many  of  the  kingdoms  of  Kuro])e.  A  future 
of  unequalcd  prosperity  a  prodigal  Nature  assures 
us,  and  in  this  bright  hope  and  confidence  we  are 
inspired  to  reach  beyond  the  narrow  circle  of  our 
vision  and  include  in  our  grasp  all  the  "  Great  East " 
and  hold  it  up  to  the  light  of  the  world.  All  inter- 
ests— mining,  milling,  agricultural,  manufacturing 
and  mercantile — shall  receive  notice,  and  whatever 
instruction  in  anj-  of  the  various  pursuits  we  may 
be  able  to  impart  from  our  knowledge,  or  that 
we  learn  from  others,  will  be  given,  and  the  best 
interests  of  all  advocated  and  protected.  Believing 
in  the  power  and  efficacy  of  the  press,  its  influence 
at  home  and  abroad,  and  that  the  paper  is  taken 
as  the  representative  of  the  people  where  published, 
we  shall  endeavor  that  the  Importer  shall  have  the 
power  and  be  a  representative  well  approved  bj' the 
peo])le. 

While  giving  our  chief  attention  to  mining,  local 
news,  and  the  advocacy  of  the  material  interests  of 
our  section,  we  will  not  shun  the  discussion  of  the 
great  political  questions  of  the  day,  nor  of  laws 
which  affect  us,  nor  of  the  merits  of  public  men,  but 
never  as  jjartisans — alwa3-s  uiitrammeled  by  the  sel- 
fish and  corrupting  ties  of  parly,  but  ever  independ- 
ent and  free  as  duty  and  a  clear  conscience  shall 
dictate.  We  do  not  wish  that  our  declaration  of 
political  independence  shall  be  understood  as  pre- 
meditating the  juggler-feat  of  carrying  water  upon 
both  shoulders,  or  riding  two  horses  going  in  oppo- 
site directions;  for  wo  shall  carry  water  for  no  one  or 
party  on  either  shoulder,  and  shall  ride  our  own 
hobby.  We  shall  work  for  all,  and  for  our  country, 
with  the  selfish  pur]>ose  of  gaining  success;  but  that 
success  we  are  determined  to  merit.  As  independent 
in  politics  we  will  ho  in  business,  fulfilling  every  en- 
gagement, and  asking  !/«(</ /^/o  qiM.  In  doing  a  dutj- 
in  su|)plying  a  pleasure  and  advancing  the  interests 
of  the  section,  we  shall  e.xpect  encouragement  and 
support.  ]'ublishing  a  newspaper  is  an  enterprise 
requiring  a  great  expenditure,  study  and  constant 
toil,  and  its  benefits  are  general,  and  cannot  be 
estimated.  The  people  of  vSilver  Bend,  of  Austin, 
central  and  eastern  Nevada,  must  not  bo  chary  in 
their  support  of  a  labor  beneficial  to  all.  To  our 
contemporaries  we  extend  the  hand  of  fellowship,  and 
ask  the  courtesies  of  the  craft.  To  our  fellow-citi- 
zens, .at  homo  and  abroad,  wo  will  make  our  bow, 
and  are  now  before  you.  Wdl  you  accept  our  ac- 
quaintance, and  be  the  friend  of  the  Silver  Bend 
Reporter  t 


The  new  candidate  for  public  favor  was  well  re- 
ceived, and  thrived,  and  ably  assisted  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  material  resources  of  the  entire  south- 
eastern portion  of  the  State,  as  well  as  the  immediate 
vicinity  where  published — being  the  advance  jour- 
nalistic outpost  of  the  then  little  known  region  lying 
to  the  south  and  east.  In  accordance  with  the  rule 
governing  political  appointments,  Nye  County,  or 
rather  the  "  Great  East,"  as  that  entire  portion  of 
the  State  was  termed  hy  the  press  on  the  western 
border,  was  entitled  to  name  the  next  candidate  for 
Congress,  the  other  officers  to  be  chosen  from  the 
west.  Tom  Fitch,  foreseeing  this,  had  early  moved 
to  Belmont,  where  ho  had  spread  his  political  net. 
As  the  time  for  conventions  to  be  called  approached, 
the  necessity  of  securing  an  "  organ  "  became  appar- 
ent. The  editor  of  the  Reporter  was  an  unpurchasable 
Democrat,  and  so  long  as  he  controlled  the  sheet, 
Mr.  Fitch  had  no  hope  in  that  quarter.  Conse- 
quently, in  the  spring  of  1878,  overtures  were  made 
by  the  Fitch  interest  to  induce  Joseph  E.  Eck- 
ley  to  again  enter  the  journalistic  arena  of  Nye 
Count}-,  and  jmblish  a  Republican  paper.  Promises 
of  money  were  made  to  Eckley,  and  he  began  nego- 
tiating a  purchase  of  the  Reporter,h\\i  non-fulfillment 
of  the  promises  made  prevented  a  change  of  owner- 
ship, and  Eckley  retired  from  the  field.  But  Fitch 
was  persistent  in  his  efforts  to  have  an  "  organ  "  to 
advance  his  political  interests,  and  the  Reporter 
having  more  material  that  it  could  use  yet  lying  in 
the  boxes  as  it  had  left  the  type  foundrj-,  besides  the 
extra  press  which  had  formerly  been  used  in  printing 
the  A'ye  County  News  at  lone,  Mr.  Fairchild  sold  Fitch  k 
Company  a  printing  outfit,  with  which  to  begin  the 
publication  of  a  rival  weeklj'  paper  at  Belmont,  the 
first  number  of  which,  under  the  title  of  Mountain 
C/utmpion,  with  the  name  of  W.  F.  Myers  as  pub- 
lisher, appeared  June  6,  1808.  On  the  eighteenth  of 
April  previous  to  this,  liowover,  political  questions 
having  been  pretty  freely  discussed,  and  peo]>le  gen- 
erally becoming  somewhat  warmed  up,  Mr.  Fair- 
child,  ignoring  his  declai'ation  of  thirteen  months 
before  in  his  salutatorj-,  that  political  subjects  would 
be  discuBsod  "  always  untrammeled  by  the  selfish  and 
corrupting  ties  of  ])arty,"  had  brought  the  Re/iorter 
out  as  "  a  Democratic  new.-ipajior,  devoted  to  the 
inculcation  of  Constitutional  principles  of  govern- 
ment," etc.,  with  his  own  name  as  proprietor,  and 
had  been  making  it  uncomfortable  for  those  who 
favored  the  aspirations  of  Mr.  Fitch. 

On  the  sixth  of  June,  the  same  day  the  Chumjiion 
was  issued  as  a  weeklj-,  the  Reporter,  which  had  until 
then  been  a  weekly  paper,  came  out  as  a  semi- 
weekly,  and  so  continued  until  July  29,  1868,  when 
its  publication  ceased — the  White  Pino  region,  with 
its  reports  of  Hidden  Treasure,  Kberliardt,  and  other 
mines,  having  allured  I'airchild  to  that  then  wonder- 
ful locality,  where  he  for  a  time  quit  newspapers, 
and  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  wood  trade  during 
the  flush  times  there. 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


311 


MAHLON    DICKENSON    VAIRCHILD. 

Tho  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Otsego 
County,  J^ew  York,  September  7,  1827.  He  moved 
with  his  father's  family,  when  onlj-  live  years  old,  to 
Tompkins  County,  in  the  same  State,  where  his 
father  began  the  publication  of  the  Trumansburg 
Advertiser,  the  labor  all  being  performed  bj'  members 
of  the  family — as  of  seven  bo3-s,  six  learned  the 
printer's  trade.  Naturally  enough,  the  boy  grew  up 
a  thorough  newspaper  printer,  having  passed  through 
all  phases  of  tho  craft,  from  devil  to  editor.  The 
year  1848,  when  the  first  rumors  of  gold  discoveries 
in  California  reached  tho  Atlantic  States,  he  was 
editing  the  Newark  UeraUl,  Wayne  County,  New 
York,  and  becoming  impressed  with  tho  great  future 
of  the  Pacific  Coast,  immediately  made  preparations 
to  emigrate  to  California.  Leaving  New  York  on  the 
steamer  Crescent  City,  on  the  fifth  of  March,  184!t, 
and  arriving  at  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  nine  days 
thereafter,  he  was  compelled  to  remain  two  months 
before  a  passage  could  be  secured  to  San  Francisco. 
The  whale  ship  6'y/p/i.  finally  atibrdedan  opportunity, 
and  on  the  twenty  sixth  of  July,  1849,  landed  her 
250  passengers,  among  whom  was  young  Fairchild. 
Abandoning  his  trade,  he  engaged  in  mining,  trading, 
etc.,  with  varying  success,  until  1859,  at  which  time 
he  began  work  in  tho  oflice  of  the  Placervillo 
Observer,  El  Dorado  County.  Early  in  May,  1859,  he 
wont  upon  a  pi'ospecting  tour  to  what  was  then 
called  the  Walker  Kivor  Diggings,  near  whore  Bodio 
now  flourishes,  and  returning  to  (.ienoa  after  a  few 
weeks,  there  met  Major  Ormsby,  by  whom  lie  was 
induced  to  go  to  the  "  diggings  "  at  Cold  Hill.  Silver 
mining  was  then  unknown  to  the  Americans,  or  in  fact 
to  any  of  tho  people  who  wore  working  at  Gold  Hill,  or 
on  tho  spot  where  the  great  mines  of  the  Comstock  are 
situated.  IJockers  were  used  in  washing  the  decom- 
posed material  that  was  picked  from  the  softer  por- 
tions of  the  croppings  of  the  great  vein,  tho  water 
being  brought  to  them  in  small  V  troughs,  leading 
from  springs,  and  passing  from  one  to  another 
until  too  thick  to  be  longer  availably  used  in  saving 
gold — a  poor  quality,  worth  only  from  nine  to  thir- 
teen dollars  ])er  ounce — the  rockers  all  amalgamating 
with  quicksilver,  the  gold  being  fine.  Packing  a 
horse  with  tho  rock  which  the  miners  wore  throwing 
from  their  rocker  screens,  and  procuring  about  a 
gallon  of  the  black  sand  (silver-bearing  sulphurets 
as  they  afterward  proved  to  be),  Fairchild  left  Gold 
Hill  for  Placervillo  in  order  to  have  the  rock  tested 
for  gold,  and  to  induce  some  one  with  capital  to  join 
him  in  the  erection  of  a  quartz-mill.  He  arrived  at 
the  latter  place  on  the  fourteenth  of  Juno,  with 
probably  the  first  ore  that  ever  reached  there  from 
the  Comstock.  But  in  those  times  quartz  mining, 
owing  to  unsuccessful  operations  throughout  Cali- 
ioviila.  gejierally,  was  at  a  discount,  and  meeting 
^fjith  J^o  su^pesp^^ipi^that  direction,  ho  dumped  his  ore 
*MR.",'Jt^^'lift'f)^.'"Rf'"  ot;^)f)i\ii  Obaeroer  ofiico,  pulled  off 
S'*^'?i^V'i'il/^^ift:)rynAi^..^HWH/it.t»i«  «^'*«o-     sub- 


sequently, when  it  became  known  that  tho  ore  was 
silver,  he  returned  to  Nevada  with  Eugene  Angel, 
and  the  two  went  into  business.  During  a  tem- 
]iorary  absence.  Angel,  his  partner,  joined  the  ill- 
fated  Ormsby  Jiarty,  and  was  killed  by  the  Imlians 
in  the  unfortunate  affair  near  Pyramid  Lake.  Dis- 
heartened at  the  turn  of  affairs,  Fairchild  soon  after 
left  Nevada  for  California,  and  thence  went  to 
Arizona,  and  worked  a  copper  mine  near  the  mouth 
of  Bill  Williams  Fork,  on  the  Colorado  lliver.  In 
September,  18G3,  he  left  this  place,  and  upon  arriv- 
ing at  San  Francisco,  learned  of  the  great  excitement 
in  relation  to  tho  discoveries  of  silver  at  Reese  River, 
and  that  his  two  brothers,  O.  L.  C.  and  J.  D.  FaiK 
child,  wore  there  and  engaged  in  newspaper  busi- 
ness. Two  months  later  fouml  him  at  Austin,  and 
one  of  the  Receille  corps,  of  which  Myron  Angel  "^yb 
editor.  Since  leaving  Belmont,  with  the  exceptioff'df, 
perhaps,  one  year  as  assistant  and  local  editor  of  tho 
Wliile  Pine  News,  under  W^  J.  Porbes,  and  a  few  ilWA flits 
upon  the  Oakland  Xewx,  in  California,  he  ¥Jto'nM 
been  in  the  newspaper  business.  His  last  vetttiti^ 
was  in  constructing  a  ditch,  and  operating  litr'CitBti'- 
sive  hydraulic  mine  in  El  Dorado  County,  (Jftltte'i'lHW. 

THE    MOfNTAIN    CHAMPION.  '  '• 

.  .1    -111    -rjili:" 

The  Mountain  Champion  made  its  first  appeara 


at  Belmont,  June  G,  1868,  published  by  W.  F..My,era. 
It  was   started  for 


tho   interests   of 

II J 1  /'  -ji-.jj'i'>iiii 

suspended    before    it    was    a   j'oar   old— its    Qhject 


3r   the  sole  purpose  ofrac^yancipg 
Thomas   Fitch    for  .Congress,   and 

llll  //  'jrjjij.lllii) 

old — its. 

attained.  Fitch  elected  to  Congress,  who  ^ubseq,tji3ntly 

rewarded      Myers     with    a     Federal    appointment. 

'''"li''"J    i\i  '"'  '""' 
-Material  and  press  aftwward    moved,  to  Shermaa- 

town,  White  Pine  County.  , 

THE    BELMONT    COU^IEJ^] ,   |ij„„   ,|.,„«  hJ! 

Was  an  independent  sheet,  withii  Jle^blicaniltendt 
ancies,  published  weekly,  its  i  progetlatdDshbaingiA). 
Casamayou  and  John  Bootl^,,. ,  Its  name  indicates 
the  place  of  its  issuance,  a^d|^h^|^^tp.|0f|^f^e  fiif^ 
number  was  February  11,  ISji.^  l,p  Noven^b|ef;,^  1|^75[, 
Mr,  Casamayou  died.  and||.t,h(j|^^^^idp\y|  bj^^onjm^  |!V 
partner,  the  firm  name  wa^  c|jrtn^ec}  t<^  J(j)|ljn|  B0|(j.t,|^ 
it  Co,,  and  renKiinod  such  unt|i!.L)«^ceijnb8i;,|18,7|i/.,|j\y,^.ojji 
Andrew  Maute  became  jts^ipole  ^,pr(pp,ij(fto|\  '  Samuej 
Donald  purchased  a  half  interest  in  t^i)^^pt5^bljyj||iii)e,^ 
from  Mauto  November  27,  1880,  and  these  two  gen- 
tlemen still  continue  its  proprietors. 

TIHj/IflBOWJNV.^.HJI'l  JlllT 
A  Republican  i)apeirri)ubliish«*di:iwe«kJ-y  at/ TyJxP'.i ivias 
started  in  May,  lS"tli,by/J/.<^«i  Kagsdale,  In  about 
four  months,  Mr.  nlliy^wi^leiiVya^MpM^-tt^wlieiiL- 4p  «)<nior 
bj-  Wm.  B,  TayloriiOnd/-h«i  i«,  t«i!ni:gav'ft.plii<i<s\inila 
little  over  one /yfeiW:  to.iiCb.ii»l<*'<hUarro(jt,  iwJbuOi-wiiUf 
succeeded  by  Mm  1^0ve^,iin:ith^/:)(rint]«Mr  oilitiSJiBi, 
finally  Love's  luonllo  doOCndiiig  «|>on  the  »I>Oiulduiy 
of  D,  -M.  BraiTinau.,!  Thal.^otilltMtVtili  v^iijUuuud  to 
lend  brilliaii«j)i,|t0.itibe  )$i()(i:<Wltih  itlntwtolinnllyjlit 
November,  li^?^,  mnoe  vtliMi  iT}1boAD^it&vc  groiicd;iB 
literary  dm^O^ss^ni jv/J    i;   ■-.<;//    ji   iiu--.ii;'.)   Jj;  jliil'// 


312 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


THE   ORANTSVILLE  SUN 

Was  a  new  luminary  that  commenced  in  December, 
1878,  under  the  auspices  of  D.  L.  Sayer,  to  help  in 
the  intellectual  illumination  of  Nye  County.  It 
proved  too  small  a  world,  however,  for  double  orbs 
of  such  magnitude,  and  after  twenty-six  evolutions 
the  Grantsville  Sun  passed  into  permanent  eclipse, 
leaving  its  Tyho  rival  still  shining. 

THE    GRANTSVILLE    BONANZA. 

On  the  eleventh  of  December,  1880.  this  paper  was 
started  as  a  weekly  at  the  place  its  name  indicates. 
The  proprietors,  Andrew  Maute  and  Samuel  Donald, 
declared  their  intention  of  maintaining  it  as  an  inde- 
pendent organ,  politically.  It  is  a  neatly  printed 
sheet,  on  paper  18x24  inches,  with  twenty-four  col- 
umns, and  we  trust  it  may  prove  a  "  bonanza"  to  its 
proprietors. 

ANDREW  MALTE 

Entered  upon  the  line  of  a  printer's  profession  first, 
in  18G0,  in  the  office  of  the  Nevada  City,  California. 
Traiiscript.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he  entered  as  a 
compositor,  the  office  of  the  Washoe  Times,  and  in 
the  fall  of  that  year  took  charge  as  foreman  of  the 
job  department  of  the  Carson  Indepeiulent,  of  which 
paper  he  became  one  of  the  proprietors,  in  1864. 
When  Charles  Perkins  was  State  Printer,  Mr.  Maute 
took  charge  of  the  establishment  as  foreman,  in 
1871-72.  From  this  time  until  July,  1875,  he  was 
connected  with  the  Mornhty  Ajipeal  of  Carson,  at 
which  time  he  became  foreman  of  the  Keese  River 
SeveiUe.  At  the  death  of  Mr.  Casamayou,  who  was 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  that  paper,  in  November, 
1875,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  appointed  busi- 
ness manager,  and  later,  editor  thereof,  remaining 
as  such  until  the  ensuing  December  I'Jth,  when  he 
left  that  establishment  and  connected  himself  as  pro- 
prietor of  the  Belmont  Cova-ier. 

SAMUEL    DONALD, 

The  jiartner  of  Mr.  Maute  in  both  the  Bonanza  and 
Belmont  Courier,  was  at  one  time  a  job  printer  in  the 
Appeal  office  in  Carson  City.  He  later  became  fore- 
man of  the  Reese  River  Reveille  office  in  1875.  In 
February,  1877,  he  became  associated  in  the  Belmont 
Courier,  of  which  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
November,  1880. 


THE  PRESS  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 

TERRIT0KL\L    E.NTERPRISE,    THE   FIRST    WEEKLY    PAPER 
IN    NEVADA. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  this  county  was 
the  Territorial  Enterprise,  now  continued  as  a  daily  at 
Virginia  City.  Alfred  James  and  \V.  L.  Jernegan, 
the  men  who  had  started  at  Genoa  this  pioneer 
journalistic  enterprise  of  .\evada.  on  the  eighteenth 
of  December,  1858,  removed  the  office  to  Carson 
City  in  November,  1859,  to  which  place  the  county 
seat  was  transferred  a  little  over  one  J'ear  later. 
While  at  Carson  it  was  a  twenty-column  weekly, 


and  was  printed  on  paper  21x28  inches.  Jonathan 
Williams  and  I.  B.  Wollard,  becoming  its  proprietors, 
removed  the  establishment  to  Virginia  City  in 
November,  18C0. 

SILVER  AGE,  THE    FIRST   DAILY  PAPER    IN    NEVADA. 

The  departure  of  the  Territorial  Enterprise  had 
been  hastened  {\i'  not  determined)  by  the  indiscre- 
tion of  a  drunken  foreman  sent  from  Quincy,  Plumas 
County,  California,  by  John  C.  Lewis,  of  the  Argus, 
to  spy  out  the  land  for  a  favorable  locality  to  estab- 
lish a  newspaper.  The  foreman,  on  looking  over  the 
field  for  operations,  decided  upon  Virginia  Citj",  and 
wrote  to  his  employer  to  that  eft'ect,  who  imme- 
diately set  out  with  a  complete  establishment  for 
starting  a  paper  there.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Carson 
City,  however,  he  found  the  Enterprise  had  flanked 
his  lieutenant,  and  taken  possession  of  the  promised 
land.  _  There  was  but  one  of  two  things  left  for  him 
to  do  under  the  circumstances,  either  to  go  back  to 
California,  or  locate  in  Carson  C'ity,  and  he  decided 
upon  the  latter  couree.  In  this  manner,  within  the 
same  month  of  the  Enterprise  exodus,  its  place  was 
filled  in  Carson  bj-  the  issuance  of  a  weekly  paper 
by  ilr.  Lewis,  which  he  christened  the  Silver  Age.  It 
was  published  in  a  carpenter's  shop,  that  faced  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  plaza.  In  size  it  was  about 
24x30  inches,  in  politics  Union,  and  being  diminished 
in  size  was  transformed,  September  3,  18G1,  into  the 
Daily  Silver  Age,  number  224  of  which  was  a  twenty- 
column  paper,  10x22  inches;  subscription  price,  SIC 
per  year. 

The  dailj'  was  only  about  six  months  old  when 
the  proprietorship  passed  to  the  Age  Association, 
consisting  of  John  Church,  S.  A.  Glessner  and  ;!.  L. 
Laird,  who,  in  November,  1S02,  moved  the  estab- 
lishment to  Virginia  Chy,  and  started  the  Virginia 
Daily  Union  on  the  fourth  ot  that  month.  In 
the  fall  of  1808  the  Union  was  ))ur(hased  Ijy  that 
strange  genius,  W.  J.  Forbes,  who  gave  it  the  name 
of  Trespass.  Eventually  the  material  was  taken  to 
White  Pine  County  by  J.  J.  Ayres  and  C.  A.  V.  Put- 
nam, where  it  was  used  at  Hamilton  in  publishing  the 
Inland  Empire.  Finallj',  Gov.  L.  R.  Bradley  becom- 
ing ])roprietor,  transferred  this  wandering  estab- 
lishment to  Holmes  C.  Patrick,  who  removed  it  to 
Stockton,  California,  and  John  Church,  in  a  lucid 
interval,  assured  us  that  in  this  last  move  the  ma- 
terial should  have  been  accompanied  by  all  itsfonner 
proprietors,  whom  he  considered  proper  subjects  for 
the  Insane  Asylum  at  that  place. 

The  Republican,  at  Stockton,  California,  was  for 
three  j'cars  printed  with  this  old  Silver  Age  material, 
when  that  paper  sus])ended.  The  A'arroiv-Gaiu/e, 
edited  and  published  by  W.  N.  Glenn,  succeeded 
the  Repahlir.iin.  The  office  was  then  liought  by  L. 
F.  Bockwith,  who  issued  therefrom  the  Dnilij  Courier, 
a  seven-day  newspaper,  until  aftei-  the  election 
of  Newton  Booth  as  Governor.  In  .Vpril,  1874,  Mrs. 
Laura   De  Force   Gordon  purchased    the   wreck  to 


J^fig^frAn  Hitcbi-' 


Hon.  Harry  R.  Mighels 


Was  born  in  Minot,  ^faine,  November  3, 1830.  He  had 
one  brother,  George.  When  ho  was  two  years  old 
his  parents  left  ifinot  and  took  up  their  residence  in 
Portland.  His  father,  Jesse  Wedgwood  Mighels, 
was  a  graduate  of  the  iMedioal  College  at  Dart- 
mouth, New  Hampshire.  His  mother  and  Henry 
W.  Longfellow  were  schoolmates. 

After  leaving  the  public  school  at  Portland,  he 
attempted  to  learn  the  watchmaker's  trade,  but  mak- 
ing no  headway  relinquished  it  at  the  end  of  two 
months.  After  his  brief  apprenticeship  he  studied 
navigation. 

In  1847.  he  went  to  Cincinnati  with  his  father  and 
studied  medicine  a  year,  and  got  some  smattering  of 
the  art  of  painting  in  oil.  On  the  first  of  August, 
1850,  he  started  for  California  in  company  with  Solon 
G.  Burch.  They  went  to  New  Orleans  and  then  by 
sailing  vessel  to  Greytown  (San  Juan  del  Norte),  in 
the  Mesquito  Kingdom.  They  then  ascended  the 
San  Juan  Hiver,  crossed  Lake  Nicaragua  to  the 
town  of  (iranada  and  went  on  to  Leon,  the  capital  of 
the  State.  Hero  they  concluded  to  return  to  Nic- 
aragua, and  kept  a  tavern  during  the  winter. 

In  the  spring  of  18.")!,  they  took  ship  at  liealejo, 
the  then  Pacific  port  of  entry,  and  went  down  to 
Panama.  The  voyage  was  made  in  the  barque 
Griffin,,  owned  by  "Pet"  Ilalstead,  since  nuirdercd 
in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  and  commanded  by  Bob. 
Ualstead.  Abe  Ilalstead,  another  brother,  was  a 
passenger. 

Mighels  lay  two  months  at  Panama,  sick  with  the 
fever,  cared  for  by  W.  Ravenhill  Harrington.  He  came 
to  San  Francisco  on  the  steamer  Punumu,  working  his 
passage  as  assistant  storekeeper.  In  1851  he  worked 
at  ditch  digging  at  Newton,  Nevada  County.  From 
there  he  went  to  Downievillo  and  painted  signs.  In 
1852  he  painted  a  drop-curtain  for  the  Oownieville 
theatre;  painted  it  in  oils.  It  was  celebrated  in  its 
day — more  for  its  avoirdupois  than  ibr  its  merits  as 
a  work  of  art.  He  next  went  to  .Marysvillo  and 
worked  as  a  decorative  i)ainter  ior  (Jreen  &  Banks. 
He  decorated  the  first  Marysvillo  theatre,  built  by 
William  Wilson  and  Sej-inour  Pixley. 

In  1853  ho  wont  to  Bidwell's  Bai',  and  worked  as 
a  sign  painter,  also  painted  pictures  from  time  to 
time. 

In  185l>  he  went  to  Oroville  and  o|)oiu'(l  a  paint 
shop  there  in  partnership  with  Frank  Ayers.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year  he  became  regularly  employed  as  an 


assistant  editor  of  the  Butte  Record  (daily).  In 
the  spring  of  1857  he  was  for  a  little  while  editor  of 
the  Sacramento  Bee.  In  1858  ho  ran  for  the  Assem- 
bly in  Butte  ('ounty  and  was  defeated. 

In  the  fall  of  1859  he  went  to  San  Francisco,  and 
obtained  employment  on  the  San  Francisco  Natiowil, 
George  Pen  Johnson  et  al.,  editors. 

In  January,  1800,  the  Marysviile  Daily  Appeal  was 
started  by  George  W,  Bloor  &  Co.,  and  Mr.  Mighels 
was  its  first  editor. 

In  April,  1802,  he  was  commissioned  b}-  President 
Lincoln  as  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  with  the  rank 
of  Captain,  and  was  assigned  to  the  staff  of  (reneral  S. 
D.  Sturgis,  whom  ho  joined  at  Fort  Leavenworth, 
Kansas.  Was  subsec^uently  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Second  Division  of  the  Ninth  (Burn- 
side's)  Corps.  Remained  in  the  division  during  his 
term  as  an  array  officer.  Was  present  at  the  second 
battle  of  Manasses,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Fred- 
ericksburg (first  battle),  siege  of  Vicksburg,  siege  of 
Jackson,  Mississippi;  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
1804;  Spottsylvania,  etc.,  down  to  Pittsburg,  where 
he  was  shot  through  the  thighs,  Juno  18,  1804;  was 
removed  to  the  hospital  at  Annapolis.  He  finally 
recovered  in  Baltimore;  was  honorably  discharged 
from  the  army  on  account  of  physical  disabilities 
from  wounds  received,  and  came  to  San  Francisco  in 
1805. 

Came  to  Carson,  May  18,  1865,  and  assumed  the 
cditorslii])  of  the  Afoniiwj  Appeal.  The  history  of  the 
paper  has  been  his  own  since  that  time.  [See  page 
312.] 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  S.  Verrill.  by  Rev. 
Horatio  Stebbins,  at  the  residence  of  Hon.  George  C. 
Gorham,  in  San  Francisco,  August  20,  1860. 

In  the  fall  of  1870,  Mighels  ran  for  the  Assembly, 
and  being  successful  was  elected  Speaker  of  the 
House.  His  manner  of  presiding  over  that  body  has 
never  been  equaled  in  the  State.  By  reason  of  his 
quickness  and  tact,  business  was  transacted  with 
nearly  double  the  usual  speed,  and  when  the  session 
was  over,  a  number  of  substantial  gitls,  ])resonted  by 
the  members  and  attaches,  showed  the  high  a]>pro- 
ciation  in  which  ho  was  hold. 

In  the  fall  of  1878  ho  made  his  ever  memorable 
fight  for  the  office  of  Lieutenant  Governor.  Ho  was 
everywhere  acknowledged  as  the  head  of  the  ticket, 
and  the  enemy  concentrated  thefiroof  the  cami)aign 
upon  him.     He  entered  into  the  fight  with  his  char- 


acteristic  fearlessness  and  vigor,  and  through  a  long, 
heated  canvass,  bore  the  brunt  of  the  foulest  abuse, 
and  most  despicabio  misrepresentation  that  it  was 
ever  the  lot  of  a  political  candidate  of  unblemished 
record  to  encounter.  A  stranger  in  Nevada,  reading 
the  Democratic  newspapers,  would  have  labored 
under  the  impression  that  Harry  Mighels,  as  he  was 
familiarly  called,  was  the  only  candidate  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket.  The  least  e.xpected  but  most  ettoc- 
tive  blow  of  all  came  from  within  the  party,  and  he 
went  down  like  Cicsar,  stabbed  by  men  from  whom 
he  had  every  reason  to  expect  the  heartiest  a.ssislance. 
His  years  of  gallant  service  for  the  party  were  all 
forgotten,  and  then  the  man  who  was  a  born  politi- 
cal leader,  and  whose  brains  and  energy  had  led  the 
Republican  party  of  Nevada  through  many  a  hard- 
fought  battle  to  victory,  was  shelved  to  satisfy  the 
petty  and  contemptible  spite  of  men  whose  only 
cause  for  grievance  lay  in  the  fact  that  he  declined 
to  be  their  tool. 

In  spite  of  the  cheer}'  ring  of  his  editorials  and 
ever  smiling  face  after  defeat,  those  who  knew  Harry 
Mighels  best  but  realized  how  bitter  was  the  cup  of 
defeat  to  his  lips,  how  humiliating  the  thought  that 
malice,  calumny,  and  treason  hadcoml)ined  to  accom- 
plish his  downfall.  In  the  following  spring,  May  27, 
1879,  he  died  in  Carson,  of  cancer  of  the  stomach. 
Up  to  the  last  hour  he  looked  death  in  the  face  as 
calmly  as  if  he  was  gazing  into  the  eyes  of  an  old 
friend. 

The  last  few  months  of  his  life  were  passed  amid 
terrible  physical  sufferings,  as  the  cancer  slowlj*  pen- 
etrated his  vitals.  Beyond  the  reach  of  medical  skill, 
and  realizing  how  near  the  end  was,  he  laughed  and 
chatted  as  merrily  as  ever,  and  seemingl}-  with    the 


determination  that  his  family  should  not  know  a  day 
of  gloom  while  he  lived.  Up  to  the  last  he  enlivened 
the  hours  with  pleasant  jests,  and  died  almost  with 
a  smile  upon  his  lips. 

All  of  Migliel's  characteristics  were  strikingly  pos- 
itive. He  had  more  warm  friends  and  bitter  enemies 
than  any  man  in  the  State.  He  was  as  thoroughly 
endeared  to  the  one  as  he  was  relentless  and  uncom- 
promising to  the  other.  As  a  writer  he  hail  no  supe- 
rior on  the  Coast.  He  penned  the  purest  and  best 
of  English,  and  leveled  all  opposition  by  his  masterlj' 
logic. 

His  wit  and  repartee  flashed  like  the  diamond. 
His  invective  was  an  avalanche.  He  loved  nature 
as  a  true  poet  loved  it,  and  spent  most  of  the  sum- 
mer months  wandering  through  the  mountains 
sketching  and  painting.  As  an  artist  he  was  a  con- 
scientious reproducer  of  nature  as  he  saw  it.  painting 
for  the  love  of  it,  and  distributing  his  efforts  among 
his  friends.  Although  he  never  offered  one  of  his 
pictures  for  sale,  he  might  have  earned  a  competency 
with  his  brush.  Ho  painted  with  great  care  and 
labor  and  gave  his  works  away  as  fast  as  the}-  were 
finished. 

After  his  death  the  press  of  Nevada  and  California 
joined  in  such  earnest  tribute  to  his  genius,  abilities 
and  sterling  qualities  of  manhood,  as  could  only  have 
been  called  forth  bj'  deserving  merit. 

The  language  of  one  of  his  biographies  is  appro- 
priate: "With  the  heart  of  a  soldier  and  the  soul  of 
a  poet  in  his  breast,  he  died  upon  the  field  of  the 
the  hardest  won  victories  and  most  crushing  defeats 
of  his  life,  laj'ing  aside  a  sword,  which,  shattered 
though  it  was,  he  hud  taught  his  enemies  to  respect." 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


313 


print  a  paper  called  the  Ihiihi  Lcmlir.  It  was  a 
Democratic  sheet,  edited  with  abilitj-,  and,  as  liowell's 
Newspaper  Directory  says,  was  the  only  daily  in  the 
world  at  the  time  edited  and  conducted  by  a  woman. 
In  1S75  the  establishment  was  removed  to  Sacra- 
mento, where  the  publication  was  continueil  until 
July,  1876.  The  material  was  then  taken  to  Oak- 
land and  used  in  the  publication  ef  the  Ddihj  Demo- 
crat, and  thus  are  its  wanderings  traced. 

CARSON    DAILY    INDEPENDENT. 

The  first  number  of  this  paper  was  issued  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  July,  1SC3,  nine  months  after  the 
Silver  Aije  had  been  removed  to  Virginia  City,  within 
which  time  no  paper  seems  to  have  been  published 
at  Carson  City.  It  was  a  twenty-four-column  sheet, 
21x27  inches;  was  unequivocalh' Union  in  sentiment, 
and  the  name  of  \V.  \V.  J{oss  appears  as  proprietor. 
Its  advertising  rates  were  given  at  three  dollars  per 
ten  lines  or  less  for  first  insertion,  half  that  for  each 
subsequent  publication,  and  there  were  fifteen  col- 
umns of  advertisements  in  the  first  issue;  subscrip- 
tion rates  sixteen  dollars  per  year.  August  Slst,  of 
the  same  )'ear,  Israel  Crawford  became  business 
manager;  on  the  fifteenth  of  September  following  four 
columns  were  added  to  the  paper,  and  on  the  twen- 
tieth of  the  ensuing  October  Mr.  Crawford  ])urchased 
the  establishment.  The  firm  of  (r.  W.  Calwell  it  Co., 
consisting  of  Mr.  Calwell,  Geo.  A.  Edes,  Andrew 
Maute,  and  Charles  J.  ililler,  an  association  of  prin- 
ters, purchased  the  paper  of  Mr.  Crawford  on  the 
twenty-eighth  of  February,  1864,  that  gentleman 
retiring,  as  appeared  in  the  (fold  Ilill  I^ews,  "  with 
the  good  will  of  his  contemporaries,"  and  the  new 
firm  reduced  the  Iwlependent  to  its  first  dimensions, 
within  a  week  after  the  purchase,  and  on  the  twen- 
ty-ninth of  JIarch,  only  one  month  after  selling,  Mr. 
Crawford's  name  again  appeared  as  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. 

In  July  a  weekl}-  publication  succeeded  the  dailj^ 
then  the  daily  was  resumed  August  llkh,  without 
explanation;  and  the  last  file  bears  date  October  11, 
1864,  Israel  Crawford  proprietor. 

A  part  of  the  material  of  the  office  and  the  jiress 
was  sold  to  start  the  Gunoa  Vulky  Farmer  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  and  the  remainder  was  taken  to  Elko. 
That  portion  taken  to  (fenoa  finall}- passed  into  the 
hands  of  A.  T.  llawley,  the  name  of  the  paper  being 
changed  to  the  Doug/as  (Jowity  Banner. 

DAII.V     EVENINd    POST. 

The  issue  of  the  first  number  of  this  paper  was  in 
Carson  City,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  August,  1S()4, 
by  II.  W.  Johnson  A:  Co.,  proprietors.  It  was  the 
successor  of  the  Mensenyer,  a  sheet  started  bj-  an 
association  of  printers  and  run  for  a  short  time  at 
Gold  Hill,  that  year.  The  J'ost  contained  twenty- 
eight  columns  printed  on  paper  2:5x32  inches,  and 
the  intention  of  holding  aloof  from  the  necessity 
of  supporting  party  !iominatioiis,  although  une- 
quivocally  Union,  was  its  declared  policy-.    John  C. 


Lewis,  former  proprietor  of  the  Silver  Age,  was  em- 
ployed as  editor,  but  becoming  too  independent  bis 
place  was  supplied  by  one  more  subservient  to  the 
policy  of  business. 

The  publication  continued  until  the  last  of  Octo- 
ber of  that  year,  up  to  which  time  files  of  that 
paper  now  exist.  After  which,  probably  immedi- 
ately, Mr.  Lewis  purchased  the  establishment  and 
changed  it  to  a  morning  edition.  The  publication  was 
continued  through  the  campaign  of  1864,  and  its  sus- 
pension is  noted  by  the  Gold  Hill  News  of  January 
[t,  1865,  the  same  paper  stating  that  for  three  weeks 
prior  to  its  last  issue  the  Post  had  been  doing  the 
State  printing. 

On  the  ninth  of  December,  1865,  Mr.  Lewis  started 
a  weekly  paper  at  Washoe  City  called  the  Eastern 
Slope,  with  the  I'ost  material,  where  it  continued  in 
use  until  1868,  when  suspension  again  occurred.  In 
July,  1808,  he  removed  it  to  IJeno  where  it  was  used 
in  printing  T/te  Crescent  until  1875,  when  he  sold  to 
J.  C.  Dow,  who  started  the  Daily  Nevada  Democrat, 
After  the  Democrat  suspended,  the  Heno  Daily  Eerord 
until  September,  1878,  was  published  with  it,  and 
then  the  material  was  taken  to  Bodie,  California,  to 
print  the  Bodie  News. 

DAILY    STATE    DEMOCRAT. 

Col.  A.  C.  Ellis  started  a  Democratic  paper  for  cam- 
paign purposes,  October  25,  1864,  at  Carson  City. 
It  had  twenty  columns,  ])rinted  on  paper  17x24 
inches.  It  ably  supported  McClellan  for  President. 
Its  editorial  matter,  ability,  and  an  enthusiastic 
energy,  must  have  proved  of  signal  service  to  the 
Democratic  party  in  the  State  during  that  contest. 
It  was  an  ephemeral  publication,  ending,  as  had 
been  designed  in  the  start,  with  the  close  of  the 
campaign. 

DAILY   APPEAL. 

Again,  Carson  City,  the  State  capital,  was  left 
without  a  news])aper.  The  ludejKiident,  the  Stale 
Democrat,  and  the  Jforniui/  J'ost,  furled  their  sails, 
pulled  down  their  flags,  and  drifted  with  the  tide 
behind  the  fog-V)anks  into  obscurit}'.  For  a  time  it 
remained  an  unoccupied  literary  port  of  entry.  This 
was  a  short-lived  state  of  things,  however,  for  there 
soon  came  from  where  the  others  had  disappeared,  a 
new  craft,  trim  built,  clean  cut,  with  something  of  a 
rakish  look,  that,  throwing  open  its  ports,  fired  a 
moderate  salute,  followed  by  heavier  ordinance,  until 
the  grape  and  canister,  hissing  shrapnel,  and  solid 
shot,  poured  in  rapid  succession  from  its  broadsides, 
forcing,  first,  stir]>rise;  then,  respect;  and  finally, 
admiration  for  the  belligerant  little  war  craft  that 
demanded  recognition  in  the  journalistic  world. 

Such  was  the  Daily  A/>jieal;  a  twent3'-column  sheet, 
started  May  16,  1865,  bj-  E.  F.  .McElwain,  J.  Barrett, 
and  Marshall  liobinson.  In  politics  it  was  Repub- 
lican, and  the  first  number  contained  the  news  of  the 
capture  of  Jett".  Davis,  whereupon  the  people  of  Car- 
son proceeded  to  hang  the  ox-Confederate  President  in 
effigy. 


314 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


lieiiry  II.  Mighels  was  engaged  as  editor,  and  on 
November  of  that  year  the  sale  to  him  of  Mr. 
Barrett's  interest  in  the  paper  is  announced,  the 
new  firm  to  be  known  as  Jtobinson  &  Migheis. 
This  firm  remained  proprietors  until  the  last  of 
December,  1870,  when  Messrs.  C.  L.  Perkins,  of  the 
State  lieijister,  and  H.  C.  Street,  purchase<i  the  estab- 
lishment, and  changed  its  politics  to  Democratic 
and  its  name  to 

DAILY    STATE   REOISTER. 

The  first  issue  of  the  Register  bears  date  December 
29,  1870,  and  it  contained  the  same  number  of 
columns  as  had  the  A/ipnal,  but  they  were  lengthened 
about  two  inches,  in  sympalbj',  probably,  with  the 
somewhat  elongated,  columnier  structure  of  the 
new  editor,  Mr.  Street. 

The  ensuing  March  5th  saw  the  return  to  the 
old  size  in  the  j)aper,  and  the  announcement  that  in 
future  it  would  be  issued  only  twice  a  vvcck;  but 
two  days  thereafter  the  dailj'  was  resumed,  in 
accordance  with  the  wish  of  many  citizens. 

February  13,  1872,  John  Booth,  late  owner  of  the 
Unionville  Silver  State,  became  proprietor,  Mr.  Street 
being  retired  as  editor. 

On  the  ninth  of  September,  1872,  llenrj'  R. 
Migheis,  having  returned  to  the  county',  purchased 
the  Register,  and  changed  its  name  to  the 

NEW    DAILY    AI'PEAL. 

Mr.  iMighels  immediately  changed  the  politics  as 
well  as  the  name  of  the  paper,  and  thus  was  brought 
back  to  the  advocacj^  of  IJejiublicanism  the  sheet, 
that  for  two  years  and  eight  months  liad  been  wan- 
dering under  an  assumed  name  among  the  labj'- 
rinthian  gardens  of  Democracy.  Ht;  gave  to  the 
New  Appeal  its  former  size  and- appearance,  and 
fixed  its  subscription  price  at  $12  per  year.  The 
press  with  which  its  first  number  was  printed  was 
the  first  through  freight  shipped  from  liono  to  Car- 
st)n  City  over  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Kailroad. 
.'^^n  51lo<««mbcr,  1872,  Captain  William  Wetherell 
i'feth-(«tlfr(*te"thl6"k)cal  editorship,  and  D.  Ji.  Ses- 
AionHihUCm'tied  l6iifh«''f(cWition,  which  he  retained 
wnlill  .WiJWh  9l,il'8T3C"'Dit'c'itfbt¥12,  1872,  Marshall 
WoiWihsoh ■bccsmol  a^Jpifli'lficfi';  ■tfrta'e^")!ilo''fi'rm  name 
of  t-itoWnscnil^l'MVijlVelk"  Oiri  im  fl)^tt<^irit^"•fi(•l*t"^f 
Jahiiai-y '•tlbei'piilJ4t-"wl<*'e*l^gell"ftiu*'  Wlu'rtliia,  illld 
»;liin'iK3doiO«dl  tt|ii1!*'y)itif*lHWHfi4b'  ori'tiile  <ll^erith>'bf 
UloiionHi(Jnf*l'MaVt'H!;illid''olrr"thlJ"fir«t''l<if  Jiiiilk'iy, 
1^1%  itho  BntHe'Wfls-ii4^'rt'cUah-j^<jaid't'ho"i'"'-  "'' 


news  |C^.s^alcl^eB|  W  ^  tcle^fpijfb, ,.  ^f,aj,,  9^  m,%S?M 


I   4'"paicheB.  by  tcletfranh.   -May  9.  J8,7G,  four 
coluuins  and  two  inchcS.in  lengt,u  wei'Q,atra.in  ladded 

fe8°rn#?P*i?^ ilf!^. n^f  ^.ll!?^. ?.VWTi Mfl?' iWS 


II 


1(1):  .iii:''il 


W.*t)''ht^ft|ft^)f  $i4nw«f»WBjil  »edlujtitinfinUho  niuaJfes 
HfiWlPiWyisi  ■irA>Wb'$W*?>titjfr-iQ«lH  ^ujiiWmltjV  »ltii9UKh 
there  was  no  change  in  the  size.     January  l,.-^ga8^ 


Mr.  Migheis  became  sole  proprietor,  and  the  sub- 
scription price  was  reduced  from  twelve  to  eight 
dollars  per  year.  The  following  September  he  was 
nominated  b}-  the  Iie|)ublican  party  as  Lieutenant 
Governor,  a  i)Osition  that  he  failed  to  secure.  On 
the  twenty-seventh  of  May,  1879,  Henry  E.  Migheis 
died  at  his  i-esidcnce  in  Carson  City,  and  with  his 
life  was  extinguished  one  of  the  brightest  lights  that 
had  illumined  an  editorial  sanctum  in  Nevada,  if  not 
upon  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Editorial  management  of  the  J/>//e«/ devolved  upon 
Mrs.  Nellie  V.,  widow  of  Mr.  Migheis,  upon  his 
death;  but  on  the  following  eighth  of  August,  S. 
II.  Fulton,  of  the  Elko  Vost  assumed  those  duties, 
from  which  he  was  relieved  by  S.  P.  Davis,  on  the 
ensuing  Xovombcr  flth,  who  continued  to  fill  that 
place  with  advantage  to  the  paper  and  credit  to  him- 
self 


THb^1aV6''l'i'iknaging  editor  of  the  Morning  Appeal,  of 
Carson  City,  isa  native  of  Uranford,  Connecticut,  and 
was  born  April'^^i'lBSOf  '  A't  fiUlfcen  years  of  ago 
alter d ancp  (upcW  t4»o 'Kiwtino  *>Ali«i<c  in'W)«<eonsin 
*iae  icoiwmeiAcid  rirtd 'WfrntYjluod'  for  throeyWil-H,  'wtieii 
h«t)  witlulrtw  from  ■*feie"i>isti't^it5on;-'ttnd!- jof/iodi  h(iii 
parents  at  iirt>wrt«TjHe.NobraBka.  ili  lo  -v'-.  ntu-. 
(j!  IJiBitfiretilconwcbtion  iwrtlr 'tttoi  ipross  iwjibii«r«« 
reporter  ftn-the  OniftM^/A'^i/'i',  Iti  whiSohU-a^iiiyitlj^'W 
bemainod  iinttiiiMWton(43'i  for  i'fjat  j'vshrs^'aiwd'  'bO<b*o 
ooiaimg  to  theiiiPafifle  €oit»t"hW  fillodiithat'i^iouU 
twaa  upott  the  slRtt' of   the fulkvwitlg' jb*irn«li»':   tlto 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


315 


Ailveriiser,  Nebraska  City  Xeo-s.  all  in  Nebraska;  and    ; 
the  St.  Louis  Jie/)ub/ican  and  Chifajjo  Times,  besides 
which  ho  was  editor  of  the  Lincoln  Statesman. 

In  1872  ho  moved  to  California  and  took  charge 
editorially  of  the  Vallejo  ludepenihiil  durin<;j  the 
political  campaign  of  that  year,  after  which  he  was  a 
correspondent  for  the  Nea-s  Letter,  and  later  a 
reporter  for  the  San  Francisco  Chrmiirfe.  His  next 
newspaper  connection  was  as  temporary  editor  of  the 
Marj-sviMe  Apjiea/,  followed  by  the  same  duty  with 
the  Colusa  I>ule//endc7it,  after  which  a  humorous  pajjer 
at  Vallejo  called  the  OfXH  Letter.  Woodford  Owens 
and  T.  A.  McCrosson  were  his  jiartner.s  in  this 
venture,  and  they  soon  moved  the  establishment  to 
San  Francisco,  whore  the  Opett  Letter  was  continued 
for  about  one  year  as  an  illustrated  paper,  when  it 
suspended. 

His  next  engagement  was  with  the  San  Francisco 
Dili/;/  Emiinij  Poi<t.  and  then  he  became  one  of  the 
staff  on  a  paper  known  as  the  Mornimj  LeiJijer,  that 
suspended  with  the  suspension  of  the  Bank  of  Cali- 
fornia. With  this  last  abbreviation  of  his  aspirations 
he  abandoned  California  and  became  a  reporter  for 
the  Virginia  Evening  Chronicle  in  Nevada,  where  he 
remained  for  four  years,  and  then  removed  to  Carson 
City,  where  fin  November  1,  187!),  ho  became  editor 
of  the  Morninij  Appeal. 

He  is  constituted  of  a  strange  combination  of 
extremes  that  permits  him  to  take  no  middle  course 
in  life,  the  ordinaiy  paths  of  men  being  monotonous 
routes  that  ho  travels  onl}- when  forced  into  them; 
an  event  out  of  the  ordinary,  or  gigantic  exceptions, 
are  his  elysian  fields  to  travel  in — where  the  mind 
is  always  building  strong  contrasts  of  strange  forms 
that  makes  of  him  a  natural  humorist. 

It  is  said  that  a  well-dressed  Frenchman  antl  a 
Chinaman  unexpectedly  met  in  the  road  one  day. 
They  were  at  first  astonished,  then  amazed;  and 
finallj'  each  laughed  himself  into  hysterics  at  the 
absurd  figure  of  the  other.  If  friend  Davis  had 
chanced  to  witness  that  meeting,  it  would  have  been 
our  pleasant  duty  to  have  ended  this  biographical 
sketch  with  an  obituary.  He  builds  strange  and 
formidable  imaginative  structures,  and  from  the 
same  material  just  as  strange  and  strong  other  forms, 
thus  creating  by  contrast,  a  constant  absurdity  in 
the  mind,  that  leaves  its  impression  more  or  less 
marked  upon  his  writings.  This  peculiarity,  exag- 
eration  and  power  to  create  imagery  for  comparison, 
makes  an  original  character  which  distinguishes  him 
from  mail}'  who  are  called  humorists.  Ilis  power  as 
a  writer  is  not  limited  to  the  above  alone,  tor  he  can 
handle  satire,  is  not  at  sea  among  the  roofs  of  logic, 
and  is  possessed  of  a  far  more  than  average  descrip- 
tive ability,  but  statistics  would  send  him  to  an 
insane  asylum.  In  disposition  ho  is  generous,  frank 
and  kind  hearted  to  his  friends;  to  his  enemies  he  is 
also  generous  and  frank — frank  in  his  expression  of 
enmity,  and  generous  in  dealing  them  blows. 


THE    NEVAD.\  TRIBUNE. 

This  paper  was  started  at  Carson  City  as  a  semi- 
weekly,  on  the  sixteenth  of  July,  1872,  by  E.'J. 
Parkinson,  K.  I{.  Parkinson  and  Joseph  JfcClure, 
under  the  firm  name  of  E.  J.  Parkinson  \'  Co.  The 
patronage  in  a  short  time  warranting,  a  change  to  an 
evening  daily  was  made  on  the  sixteenth  of  July, 
1873.  In  size  it  was  14.\2(j  inches,  in  politics  it  has 
advocated  anti-monopoly  and  Republican  jjrinciples, 
maintaining  an  inde])endence  in  regard  to  the  sup- 
port of  candidates  for  otiices,  and  for  the  last  four 
years  E.  J.  Parkinson  has  been  its  sole  proprietor. 
Its  editorial  and  mechanical  departments  are  both 
operated  b}-  members  of  the  Parkinson  family. 

R.  R.  PARKINSON, 

The  father  and  editor,  is  a  native  of  England,  and 
passed  the  years  of  his  j'oung  manhood  upon  the 
sea,  where  he  visited  many  strange  countries,  and  in 
his  wanderings  tinall}- arrived  in  San  Francisco  April 
3,  1850,  since  which  time  ho  has  remained  a  resident 
of  the  Pacific  Coast.  In  1852  he  was  married  in 
San  Francisco,  and  has  since  raised  a  family  of  eight 
children.  For  the  last  sixteen  years  his  home  has 
been  at  Carson  City,  during  which  time  ho  has  held 
various  public  positions,  among  which  might  be  men- 
tioned that  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Suj>eriiiteiident 
of  Schools,  Deputy  Supreme  Court  Clerk,  and  has 
been  four  times  Journal  Clerk  of  the  Nevada  State 
Senate. 

The  son  and  present  proprietor,  E.  J.  Parkinson, 
was  born  in  San  Francisco  in  1852.  He  is  a  practi- 
cal printer,  well  posted  in  all  the  departments  of 
conducting  a  paper,  and  besides  managing  the  busi- 
ness and  financial  affairs  of  tho  paper,  attends  to 
the  local  editorial  department. 

DAILY    EVENING    IIERAI.l). 

August  0,  1875,  tho  first  number  of  tho  above 
twontj'-four-column  sheet  was  published  by  Wells 
Drury  &  Co.,  at  Carson  City,  with  C.  A.  V.  Putnam 
as  editor.  September  3d  following,  Wells  Drury 
sold  his  interest  to  Charles  Lee.  and  the  firm  name 
became  the   Iforald  Publishing  Company. 

CARSON  DAILY  TI.MES. 

The  above  was  edited,  owned  and  published,  from 
its  fii-st  issue,  March  18,  188(»,  until  its  susj)ension, 
June,  1881,  by  Edward  Niles.  It  was  in  the  start 
only  12x18  inches,  but  was  enlarged  just  before  its 
demise  to  21x28  inches.  It  was  l{e]>ul)lican  in  poli- 
tics, the  subscription  price  being  ten  dollars  per  j'ear. 

EDWARD    NII.ES 

Is  a  native  of  Dansville,  Livingston  County,  New 
York,  where  the  early  daj's  of  his  life  passed  at  tho 
homestead  as  smoothly  as  glided  the  ri|)pling  waters 
near  that  home,  of  the  beautiful  Canesaraga.  His 
father  was  a  loading  merchant  of  the  place,  whose 
name  was  a  synonym  for  reliability  and  integrity. 
Young  Xiles  was  the  fourth  of  a  family  of  six,  and, 
receiving  a  libei'al  education,  started  in  the  world  for 


316 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


himself  at  his  father's  death,  some  fifteen  yeai's  since, 
with  only  fifteen  dollar.s  in  hi.s  potket;  and  he  sol- 
emnly assured  the  writer  that  he  has  hold  his  own. 
As  dork  and  book-kee]>er.  his  time  was  passed  in 
Chicago,  until  the  great  tire  in  that  city  of  1871, 
when  he  went  to  New  York,  remained  there  about 
one  j'ear,  from  where  he  came  to  Nevada,  and 
entered  the  emploj-  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee 
Railroad  at  Virginia  City,  as  clerk  and  ticket  agent. 
Ife  was  soon  promoted  by  that  company  to  the  posi- 
tion of  (leneral  Ticket  Agent  and  Paymaster,  and 
continued  in  their  service  for  six  j^ears.  During  the 
Sierra  Nevada  excitement  he  made  fifty  thousand 
dollars  buying  that  company's  stock,  and  lost  it 
nearly  all  in  the  same  waj^  he  had  made  it.  He  left 
the  railroad  companj-'s  employ,  and  eventually 
started  the  Carson  Daily  Times,  it  being  his  first 
experience  as  a  journalist.  He  exhibited  while  en- 
gaged in  the  duties  as  an  editor,  a  natural  talent  for 
the  business,  and  his  papers  were  never  dull,  while 
from  their  columns  often  scintillated  passages  of  wit 
and  satire,  imagery  of  conception,  and  telling  rep- 
artee, that  marked  him  as  one  "to  the  manor  born." 
The  following  explanatory  valedictory  from  Mr. 
Niles  was  published  in  the  Index: — 

"I  started  the  business  with  limited  capital  and 
incurred  a  debt  of  §2,500  for  press,  t3'pe  and  neces- 
sary outfit.  During  the  past  year  I  have  paid  on 
the  material,  including  freight  charges,  fully  81,200, 
and  nearly  §4,000  for  composition.  My  material  was 
8up])licd  by  Messrs.  .Miller  &  Richards,  through  their 
San  Francisco  agency. 

"Other  payments  fell  due  recently.  The  Scotch 
firm  above  mentioned  declined  to  extend  further 
accommodation,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they 
were  fully  protected  and  had  been  paid  nearly  one- 
half  of  the  value  of  the  property.  Aided  by  a  zealous 
and  unusually  strict  incumbent  of  our  shrievalty, 
they  pinched  me  so  hard  that  I  decided  not  to  throw 
any  more  good  money  after  bad,  concluded  that  dis- 
cretion was  the  better  part  of  valor  in  this  case,  and 
quietly  retired,  for  the  present,  from  the  arena  of 
Carson's  paper  knights. 

"Conscious  of  having  ministered  faithfully  to  a  gen- 
erous army  of  advertisers,  a  valued  corps  of  sub- 
scribers and  a  cheerful  squad  of  deadheads,  and  also 
with  the  belief  that  the  Times  has  been  lively,  enter- 
prising and  moderately  entertaining,  its  editor  and 
publisher  extends  his  sincere  thanks  to  all  who  so 
generously  aided  its  vigorous  career,  and  with  malice 
toward  none,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  will  soon 
enter  a  now  field  of  labor,  trusting,  at  some  future 
time,  to  profit  by  experience  and  with  ample  capital 
again  enter  the  editorial  ranks.  E.  Nilks. 

"Carson,  June  14,  1881." 

DAILY    INDEX. 

The  first  appearance  of  this  paper  was  at  Carson 
City,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  Deeembor,  1880,  Mar- 
shall Robinson  publisher.  In  size,  it  was  14x20 
inches,  contained  twenty  columns,  nine  of  which  were 


blanks,  having  no  printed  matter  in  them,  and  the 
subscription  price  was  five  dollars  per  year.  This 
I  blank  space  represented  the  advertisements  that  the 
publisher  was  willing  to  put  in  if  he  could  get  them, 
and  something  loss  than  a  column  from  the  ready 
pen  of  Judge  C.  N.  Harris,  the  editor,  stated  the  plan 
for  the  future  and  prospects  for  the  enterprise,  from 
which  the  following  is  condensed: — 

"Editorially  wo  have  no  pronunciamonto  to  make. 
Our  columns  will  reflect  matters  of  current  interest. 
We  have  no  friends  to  reward  nor  enemies  to  punish, 
our  mode  of  expression  will  usually  bo  definite  and 
to  the  point,  we  shall  have  opinions  to  express  now 
and  then.  Politically,  our  accent  is  Republican  and 
our  persuasion  Stalwart.  Religiouslj',  we  are  toler- 
ant. Sociallj',  we  are  bland  and  accommoilating. 
Our  appreciation  of  the  fine  points  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion is  second  only  to  that  of  a  raUroml  president. 
Financially,  we  are  not  a  bonanza;  and  commercially 
we  acknowledge  ourself  a  proper  subject  for  the 
grand  bounce.  Our  diurnal  comfort  is  principalh- 
derived  from  our  knowledge  that  a  goodmanj-  of  the 
people  of  Nevada  are  fixed  up  about  as  we  arc.  Wo 
know  of  no  good  reason  to  fear  for  the  success  of  our 
venture.  The  times  couldn't  well  be  worse  or  harder, 
nor  the  people  much  more  impoverished.  Every- 
thing is  to  be  won,  and  there  is  nf)thing  more  to  be  lost. 
We  can't  lose  much  on  advertisements,  for  wo  have 
started  publication  without  any.  We  can't  lose  anj' 
money,  for  the  reason  that  none  has  been  paid  to  us. 
It  must  be  a])paront,  therefore,  that  the  Index  is 
planted  upon  the  bedrock  foundation  of  public  esteem, 
and  its  future  consequently  secure." 

This  papex  has  been  ably  conducted  and  thus  far 
has  maintained  ceaseless  opposition  to  that  which  was 
in  the  interest  of  a  few  as  against  the  many,  because 
of  which  it  is  entitled  to  the  success  that  it  has  met 
with.  Judge  Harris,  its  editor,  is  an  able  and  logical 
writer,  who  has  alreadj-  made  an  inroad  upon  the 
stronghold  of  monopoly  in  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity at  largo. 

The  preceding  shows  a  long  list  of  papers  for  a 
single  county,  and  that  the  smallest  in  the  State, 
and  at  the  same  time  it  shows  an  intelligent  enter- 
prise most  commendable  to  the  people.  Several  of 
the  papers  most  distinguished  in  after  years  were 
hero  originated,  or  here  tarried  on  their  pilgrimage; 
and  here,  too,  have  many  editors,  reporters  and  cor- 
res|)ondents  exorcised  their  talents  and  won  their 
fame.  The  papers  of  Ormsby  contain  in  their  files 
the  histoiy  of  the  State,  and  were  they  jireserved, 
as  they  should  have  been  most  sacredly,  their  records 
would  have  been  altogether  invaluable.  Unfortu- 
nately no  complete  tiles  arc  obtainable,  although  a 
statute  of  the  State  requires  their  preservation.  The 
newsi)a|)er  of  the  present  day  contains  a  diurnal 
epitome  of  the  current  history  of  the  time,  particu- 
larizing the  locality  and  generalizing  as  the  circle 
widens  until  all  the  county,  then  the  State  and  the 
world  como  within  its  embrace. 


i 


-M 


D.   M'^     RAE 


D.  M?  Rae's    Wood     Camp, 

IN     THE      MOUNTAINS        BETWEEN       LAKE     TAHOE     AND     WASHOE     VALLEY, 
STATE  or    N  EVA  DA. 


mSTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


317 


THE  STOKEY  COUNTY  PRESS. 
Much  of  what  precedes  this  is  applicable  to  Storey 
County.  It  was  upon  the  pa])ers  there  that  Fitch, 
Coodman,  Bennett,  Sumner,  1-ynch,  Lovejoj-,  Good- 
win, Daf^Cgctt, '-The  Unreliable,"  -'Dan  De  Quille," 
and  "Mark  Twain"  were  first  jtolished  from  roujjh 
diamonds  of  the  |)re88,  and  most  of  these  gained  their 
re])ulation8  while  connected  with  tho 

DAILY    TEKUITORIAI,    ENTERPIUSE. 

This  journal  was  started  at  (Jenoa,  in  wlial  is 
now  Douglas  County,  as  a  weekly,  on  the  eighteenth 
of  l)cccmber,  1S58,  and  was  tho  first  paper  pub- 
lished in  Nevada.  The  writer  has  never  seen  tho 
first  files  of  it,  and  a  diligent  search  has  failed 
to  develop  the  existence  of  such;  but  the  twent}-- 
sixth  number  of  that  sheet  having  been  procured, 
the  publishers  of  this  history  have  obtained  a  fac- 
fiiiii/e  of  it.  in  reduced  size,  which  has  been  incor- 
porated as  pages  69-72  of  this  book.  The  size  of 
the  sheet  from  which  the  fac-simile  was  obtained 
is  twenty-one  inches  by  twent3'-eight.  The  founders 
of  this  paper  were  W.  L.  Jernegan  and  A.  James, 
who  continued  its  jnibliciition  at  Genoa  until  No- 
vember 5. 1859,  when  the  estal)lishnient  was  removed 
to  Carson  City,  where  in  the  new  locality,  on  the 
twelfth  of  that  month,  its  first  number  was  issued. 
In  the  meantime,  Jonathan  Williams,  who,  in  Jan- 
uarj-.  187ti.  committed  suicide  at  Pioehe.  had  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  James,  and  tho  firm  name 
became  \V.  L.  Jernegan  k  Co.;  remaining  such  as 
late  as  May,  1860.  In  October  of  that  year,  Mr. 
Williams,  having  become  sole  proprietor,  moved  the 
EnUrpiine  to  Virginia  Cit3-.  where  its  publication 
has  since  been  continued.  On  the  second  of  March, 
1861.  Joseph  T.  (foodman  and  D.  E.  McCarthj-  be- 
came partners  of  Williams  in  the  publication,  and 
the  latter,  in  a  short  time,  was  succeeded  by  D. 
Driscoll.  On  the  twenty-fourth  of  September,  that 
year,  the  daily  was  first  started,  at  which  time  the 
weekl}-  ceased.  July  ;M,  1863,  steam-power  was 
first  applied  in  printing  the  paper;  and  October 
28th  of  that  year  Goodman  and  McCarthy  became 
sole  proprietors.  September  IT),  1865,  McCarthy 
sold  to  Goodman,  who  became  and  remained  sole 
owner  until  early  in  February,  1874,  when  it  passed 
under  the  control  of  the  Enterprise  Publishing 
Company  of  which  H.  M.  Daggett  was  the  brains, 
and  William  Sharon  the  capitalist. 

At  present  it  is  controlled  and  owned  by  the  same 
corporation  that  has  passed  into  the  hands  of  diftbr- 
ent  men.  Col.  H.  G.  Shaw  occupying  the  chief 
editorial  chair,  and  "Dan  De  Quille"  retaining  the 
position  of  local  editor.  The  stock  is  about  ecjually 
divided  between  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad 
Companj- and  the  "Bonanza"  firm,  of  which  two  cor- 
porations it  is  the  organ. 

TWO    VIEWS    OF    W1I,I,I.\.M    SII.VUON. 

The   causes    that   led  to    tho  withdrawal  of    Mr. 
Goodman  from  the  Enterjtrlge  was  his  hostility  to  tho 
40  ^ 


candidacy  of  William  Sharon  for  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1872,  when  there  appeared  in  his  paper 
what  ho  termed  •'  a  welcome  to  Mr.  Sharon,"  who 
had  Just  come  from  California  to  look  after  his  polit- 
ical interests.  The  following  are  extracts  from  that 
"  welcome": — 

*  *  *  Your  unexpected  return,  Mr.  Sharon, 
has  afforded  no  opportunity  for  public  preparation, 
and  you  will  conse(|iiently  accept  these  sim])lo 
remarks  as  an  unworthy  but  earnest  expression  of 
the  sentiments  of  a  people  who  feel  that  they  would 
be  lacking  in  duly  and  self-resiicct  if  they  failed 
upon  such  an  occasion  to  make  a  deserved  recogni- 
tion of  your  acts  and  character.  You  are  jn-obably 
aware  that  j-ou  have  returned  to  a  community  where 
you  are  feared,  hated  and  despised.     *      *     *     *     * 

*  *  *  Your  career  in  Nevada  for  the  past  nine 
j-oars  has  been  one  of  merciless  rapacity.  You 
fastened  yourself  upon  the  vitals  of  tbo  Stale  like  a 
hj-ena,  and  woe  to  him  who  disputed  with  you  a 
single  coveted  morsel  of  j'our  prej\  *  *  *  You 
cast  honor,  honest}',  and  the  commonest  civilities 
aside.  You  broke  faith  with  men  whenever  j-ou 
could  subserve  your  purpose  by  so  doing.     *     *     * 

When  Mr.  Sharon,  who  had  failed  of  achieving 
political  success  in  1872,  became  a  candidate  again 
in  1874  for  the  same  position,  he  organized  the 
corporation  that  purchased  tho  paper  of  Goodman, 
who  abandoned  the  profession,  and  tho  Enterprise 
became  a  Sharon  organ,  giving  him  tho  following 
character,  which  by  the  way  leaves  one  in  some 
doubts  as  to  what  kind  of  a  man  (his  Sharon  was, 
or  is: — 

Mr.  Sharon  has  lived  in  Nevada  for  ten  years. 
By  his  sagacity,  energy  and  nerve,  ho  has  amassed 
a  fortune.  This  is  his  crime.  He  has  done  what 
he  has  without  once  breaking  his  jiligliied  word 
without  once  violating  one  |>rinciple  of  business 
honor.  While  doing  this  he  has  carried  with  his 
own,  the  fortunes  of  hundreds,  and  never  onco 
betraj-ed  a  trust  or  confiilence.  *  *  *  rpj^^ 
present  prosperity  of  western  Nevada  is  more  due 
to  him  than  to  ;ui3'  other  ten  men.  an<l  ct)uld  his 
work  here  be  stricken  out,  with  it  would  go  at  onco 
two-thirds  of  our  people,  improvements  and  wealth. 

In  November,  1875,  .Mr.  Daggett  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  Euterprine  and  resumed  it  again 
December  1, 1877.  In  tho  meantime  Judge  Good- 
win had  been  editor.  In  1878  .Mr.  Daggett  was 
elected  to  Congress,  and  his  mantle  again  fell  upon 
Judge  Goodwin's  shoulders,  who  remained  until 
1880  as  editor-in-chief,  when  Fred.  Hart  succeeded 
him,  who  in  turn  gave  place  to  Colonel  Shaw  in  1881. 

The  following  are  tho  changes  in  size  that  have 
been  noted  of  the  Enterprise. 

D'lte.                                    Size.  No.  Columns. 

July  30.  1859 21  x2S  inches.  20 

May.  1861 21x28     "  ..  20 

January  1.  1863 22x32     "  ..  28 

October  28,  1863...  28x12     '•  ..  36 

.March  9.  1866 21x28     "  ..  24 

September  14,  1866.  21x36     "  ..  32 

August  1,  1876 27x42     •'  ..  36 

January  1,  1878 24x36     "  ..  32 

Present  time 24x36     "  ..  32 


318 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


PHOTO.  BV  JOHN  B.  NDE.  VIROlNIA,  NEV. 


iAT'^^ff 


['•DAN  DE   QUILLE."] 

There  are  no  readers  of  iiewK])iiper8,  or  makers  of 
the  same,  ou  the  Pacific  Coast,  who  are  not  familiar 
with  the  quaint  name  that  heads  this  sketch.  Not 
only  are  they  familiar  with  it,  but  they  have  come 
to  regard  the  genial  geiilleman  whom  it  represents 
as  one  of  their  dear  friends,  ready  to  laugh  at  his 
kindly  humor  and  to  familiarly  pat  him  on  the  back  as 
an  old  acquaintance.  Few  there  are,  in  fact,  who 
enjoy  a  wider  popularity,  or  one  more  sincerely  re- 
garded than  William  Wright,  who  has  won  his  de- 
served fame  under  the  twin  ih:  jilamc  of  "Dan  dc  Quillo,' 
called  for  short, "Dan,"  and  sometimes  "Dandy,"  as  he 
started  out  in  life  a  handsome  boj-  and  with  a  dandj- 
quill,  making  fun  and  inciting  jjleasure  wherever  he 
went. 

Few  would  believe  that  Dan  is  a  Quaker,  yet 
such  is  a  fact,  often  proven,  not  by  his  sober-sided- 
neas  nor  shad-belly  style,  but  by  his  steadfast  ]uir- 
poso  and  the  sincerity  of  his  friendships.  His  an- 
cestor, on  his  father's  side,  was  Anthony  Wright, 
who  came  over  from  England  with  William  I'eiin  in 
1681,  hol))ing  to  found  the  city  of  ••  Brotherly  Love," 
and  the  groat  State  of  Pennsylvania.  Subsequently 
Anthony  Wright  moved  into  Virginia,  in  Loudon 
County,  and  there  planted  the  Wright  Colon}',  from 
which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  descended.  Dan 
also  had  forefathers  on  his  motlicr's  side,  whose  name 
was  Morrison,  belonging  to  a  family  of  note  in  the 
north  of  Ireland.  Captain  Morrison  was  in  com- 
mand of  a  man-of-war  in  the  IJritish  Navy  when 
the  American  colonies  rebelled  against  the  mother 


country,  but  being  friendly  to  the  cause  of  his  coun- 
trymen across  the  sea,  he  refused  to  fight  them  and 
resigned  his  commission.  At  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lutionarj-  War,  the  Captain,  hastening  to  meet  his 
friends  in  America,  took  a  ship,  and  with  it  the  news 
of  the  treaty  of  peace,  and  sailed  to  Philadelphia. 
Here  a  landing  was  refused,  an  enemj-'s  vessel  not 
being  permitted  to  come  into  port;  but  when  the 
truth  was  made  known  that  the  war  was  over  and 
the  colonies  free,  then  they  were  welcome.  Thus  it 
happens  that  Mr.  Wright's  ancestors,  on  both  sides, 
first  landed  and  made  their  homes  in  Philadelphia. 
At  a  later  date  the  Wrights  and  Morrisons  moved 
to  Ohio,  then  in  the  "far  West,"  and  there  the  pa- 
rents of  the  subject  of  our  sketch  met  and  were 
married,  and  there  William  AV right  was  born.  May 
0,  18211.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  removed  to  Iowa, 
where  he  first  tried  his  haiui  at  humorous  writing, 
sending  his  productions  to  the  pai>ers  and  to  Gra- 
ham's Magazine,  Philadel]ihia.  The  editor  of  the 
magazine  at  that  time  was  Mr.  Charles  (i.  Leeland, 
who  accepted  the  contributions  and  encouraged  the 
young  writer  to  continue  in  his  course  and  cultivate 
a  very  evident  talent.  In  Iowa  he  remained  until 
1857,  when  he  obej-ed  the  injunction  of  Horace 
(ireeley  and  "  went  west,"  reaching  California  the 
same  year.  First  ho  sought  a  fortune  in  the  gold 
mines  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  mining  at  Omega,  in 
Nevada  County,  thence  prospecting  all  through  the 
mountains,  extending  his  explorations  as  far  south 
as  .Mariposa  (Jountj*.  While  journe^-ing  and  pros- 
pecting he  sent  manj'  very  interesting  descriptive 
sketches  of  the  country  he  traveled  through,  inter- 
weaving them  with  humorous  anecdotes  of  people 
and  incidents,  to  the  papers,  which  introduced  him 
to  the  ])ublic  of  California.  The  Golden  £rn,  under 
the  editorship  of  Joe  Lawrence,  was  then  the  j)rin- 
cipal  vehicle  of  bis  communication  with  the  public, 
and  was  a  po])ular  and  widely  read  literary  journal. 
Through  its  columns  the  i)eople  of  California  became 
familiar  with  the  name  of  Dan  de  (^uille,  learned  to 
respect  its  bearer  and  to  eagerly  look  for  his  letters 
and  stories.  Several  j-ears  were  thus  spent  in  mining, 
prospecting,  wandering  and  story-writing,  gaining 
a  name  and  fame,  if  not  much  pelf.  While  in  his  ex- 
plorations of  the  mountains  in  1859.  he  crossed  to 
the  eastern  slope  in  the  fall,  Ity  wa}'  of  the 
Yo  Semite  Valley,  and  visited  the  mining  region 
j  since  bocomo  the  noted  and  populous  Bodie.  Then 
it  was  a  wilderness,  where  it  was  not  considered  safe 
to  remain  during  the  winter,  and  he  therefore  hast- 
ened to  return  by  the  route  he  came,  barely  escap- 
ing being  caught  in  the  snow,  having  a  fall  of  that 
clement  upon  him  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  in  his 
last  encampment  in  the  mountains  above  the  Yo 
Semite  Falls. 

The  following  year  found  him  in  the  region  of  the 
Comstock,  where  ho  has  since  resided,  where  ho  has 
happily  married  and  where  a  son  and  two  daughters 
bless    his    honored    home.     For  a  year  or  two  after 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


319 


his  arrival  in  Xovada  his  sketches  continued  to  ap- 
pear in  the  GoUUn  Era,  and  in  the  spring  of  18G2  he 
received  a  '-call  "  to  take  the  jiosition  of  local  editor 
on  the  Sttferjn-ise,  where,  except  for  a  few  months  at 
a  time,  ho  has  remained,  the  one  steady  light  of  that 
distinguished  journal. 

The  daily  newspajier  is  remorseless  in  its  demands 
upon  the  time  and  brains  of  its  editors,  particularly 
in  the  smaller  cities  where  the  editorial  corps  is 
limited  and  a  few  individuals  make  the  paper,  whose 
columns,  as  the  skeleton  forms  lie  upon  the  stone, 
sometimes,  to  the  tired  writers,  yawn  like  the  chasm 
of  Yo  Semite,  and  few  opportunities  are  offered  for 
studied  literary  efforts.  In  this  harness  of  toil  and 
drudgery  true  genius  at  times  is  recognized  and  is 
rescued  from  its  fate  by  some  good  fortune,  but  gen- 
erall}-  the  brightest  are  subdued  under  the  dark 
routine  of  labor,  the  demands  of  earning  a  livelihood 
and  the  narrow  grove  in  which  business  and  poli- 
tics force  the  mind.  In  this  harness  Mr.  Wright  has 
toiled,  and  with  all  its  disadvantages  has  won  a  name. 
In  187G  he  published  a  volume  of  sketches,  descrip- 
tions of  mining  and  incidents  of  life  on  the  Com- 
Btock.  under  the  title  of  "  The  Big  Bonanza,"  which 
is  very  interesting  and  amusing,  and  should  bring 
the  author  a  fortune  by  its  sales.  This  is  a  volume 
of  5()!>  pages,  profusely  illustrated,  and  contains 
many  incidents  in  the  life  of  its  author.  A  large 
mass  of  material  has  been  gathered,  which  Mr. 
Wright  intends  to  publish  in  future  volumes  when 
released  from  the  demands  of  daily  Joiinialism  he 
will  have  the  necessary  leisure  to  do  the  work  prop- 
erl}',  and  the  general  ])ublic  maj'  well  look  forward 
to  its  appearance  with  a  jdeasurable  anticipation. 

JOURNALISTS    ROUGHING    IT. 

The  following  from  "Dan  Do  Quille"  will  give  the 
reader  a  glim]ise  behind  the  scenes  of  life  upon  a 
newspaper  at  Virginia  in  early  times.  Mentioning 
the  Territorial  Enterprise  office,  he  writes: — 

"  The  office  was  at  the  corner  of  A  Street  and  Sut- 
ton Avenue,  then  near  the  business  center  of  the 
town;  B  Street  being  the  principal  business  street. 
The  building  occupied  as  the  office  of  publication  was 
a  one-story,  rickety  frame  structure,  about  thirty- 
five  feet  long  and  twenty  feet  in  width. 

"  In  this  room  was  the  press  (one  of  the  old-fash- 
ioned Washington  presses),  the  cases  of  the  com- 
positors, the  desk  of  the  book-keeper,  the  tables  of 
the  editors,  and  all  the  belongings  of  the  office.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  main  building  was  a  shed  addi- 
tion which  was  both  kitchen  and  dining-room,  and 
besides  was  fitted  up  as  a  sleeping  ])laeo  for  all  hands. 
Along  the  sides  of  the  walls  ■  bunks  '  were  arranged 
one  above  another,  as  on  shipboard,  and  as  in  the 
cabins  of  the  miners  of  California  in  the  earlj-  days. 

"A  Chinaman  (Old  Joe),  officiated  as  cook  and 
acted  as  waiter  during  meals.  A  table  some  fifteen 
feet  in  length  occu])ied  the  center  of  the  shed,  and 
on   this  were  always  to  be  found  all  of  the  substan- 


tials  and  most  of  the  luxuries  obtainable  in  the  mar- 
ket, served  up  in  Old  Joe's  best  style. 

"The  old  Chinaman  was  long  thought  to  be  the 
'boss'  cook  of  the  town.  This  was  chiefly  for  the 
reason  that  he  was  able  to  place  the  butter  on  the 
table  moulded  into  the  form  of  lions,  dragons  and  the 
like.  So  much  was  said  in  ])rai8e  of  Joe's  lions, 
tigers,  and  dragons,  that  he  finally  gave  most  of  his 
time  to  the  modeling  of  such  works  of  art.  Presently 
mouse  hairs  began  to  bo  found  in  the  biscuits  every 
morning  and  flies  and  bugs  in  other  articles  of  food. 
An  investigation  brought  to  light  two  or  three  dead 
mice  in  Joe's  lard  keg.  where  he  had  for  a  week  or 
two  been  pouring  back  into  the  keg  liot  fat  without 
discovering  the  four-legged  game  that  had  been 
trapped  from  time  to  time.  Other  equallj-  unpleas- 
ant discoveries  wore  made,  and  Joe  was  '  fired  out' 
by  acclamation.  O'-her  Chinamen  lollowed  but  as 
all  hands  were  now  constantly  on  the  watch  for 
faults  in  the  cookery,  none  remained  long,  and  pres- 
ently cooking  in  the  office  was  discontinued,  and  the 
employes  dispersed  to  trj'  their  luck  among  the 
restaurants. 

"While  the  kitchen  was  running  it  was  a  standing 
joke  to  invite  some  acquaintance  about  the  town  to 
dinner  in  order  to  try  ex]>eriment8  by  which  to  test 
the  strength  of  his  stomach.  No  sooner  had  the 
stranger  commenced  eating  than  some  one  began  to 
tell  about  some  disgusting  thing  calculated  to  impair 
his  appetite.  .More  than  one  guest  was  driven  from 
the  tabic  amid  the  laughter  of  the  case-hardened 
regular  boarders,  though  on  one  or  two  occasions 
they  caught  a  Tartar.  All  this  time  thej-  little  sus- 
pected the  kind  of  messes  that  were  being  dealt  out 
to  them  at  home  by  Old  Joe,  whose  ways  had  not 
yet  been  discovered. 

"The  office  did  very  well  in  summer,  but  in  winter 
it  was  as  full  of  discomforts  as  any  place  seen  by 
Dante  during  his  journey  through  the  infernal 
regions.  There  were  not  only  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold,  but  one  often  suft'ered  from  both  at  the  same 
moment — would  be  freezing  on  one  side  and  burning 
on  the  other.  On  very  cold  nights  the  stove  would 
bo  made  red  hot.  Around  it  the  editors  drew  up 
their  tables,  and  the  printers  moved  their  cases  as 
near  as  thoy  could  get  them.  They  stood  at  thoir 
cases  with  old  barley  sacks  lashed  round  their  feet 
with  jjieces  of  baling  rope,  and  were  frequently 
obliged  to  go  to  the  stove  and  thaw  out  their  half- 
frozen  fingers. 

'•  At  times,  too,  when  the  snow  began  to  thaw  off 
the  roof,  there  were  leaks  all  over  the  office.  Strings 
were  then  fastened  up  against  the  roof  at  the  worst 
leaks,  and  the  water  led  tlown  to  the  floor  at  the 
sides  of  the  building,  thus  carrying  it  over  and  bo 
yond  the  tables  and  cases.  At  times  so  many  of 
these  strings  were  in  use  that  the  ceiling  and  all  the 
upper  part  of  the  office  had  the  appearance  of  being 
hung  with  huge  cobwebs — webs  of  Brobdingnagian 
spiders. 


320 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


HUNTING    ITEMS. 

"At  that  time  J.  T.  Goodman  was  editor-in-chief, 
and  "Dan  Be  (^uille"  was  local  editor.  There  was 
then  no  telegraph  line  across  the  continent,  and  all 
Eastern  and  European  news  came  by  'Pony  Express.' 
Before  the  'Pony'  was  put  on  all  news  came  by 
steamer  cin  Panama,  or  by  the  overland  st:ige 
coaches.  The  'Ponj-,'  therefore,  was  looked  upon  as 
being  nearly  lightning,  and  he  really  was  next  thing 
to  it. 

"The  'Pony'  rider  was  often  able  to  give  items  of 
news  from  the  'plains'  that  were  not  in  his  budget, 
and  he  was  ahvaj-s  intei-viewcd  in  regard  to  the 
emigrant  trains  that  were  making  their  way  in, 
the  movements  of  the  Indians,  and  the  like. 

'•Besides  looking  after  the  news  of  the  town,  the 
local  editor  also  interviewed  the  'captains'  of  all  the 
pack-trains  that  came  in  over  the  Sierra  Nevada 
MountainiJ,  the  teamsters,  and  the  stage  drivers,  and 
their  passengers.  Also,  at  this  time,  all  the  country 
to  the  eastward  remained  to  be  prospected;  and  men 
who  scouted  out  into  the  wilderness  a  distance  of 
from  1(10  to  300  miles  always  had  some  wonderful 
stories  to  relate  on  their  return. 

"In  1S()2  the  Enterprise  office  was  moved  to  a  large 
brick  building  on  North  C  Street,  where  everything 
was  about  as  comfortable  as  in  the  majority  of  coun- 
try towns  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

"It  was  at  this  time  that  Samuel  L.  Clemens 
(Mark  Twain)  was  associated  with  the  paper  as  a 
reporter.  Before  going  to  work  on  the  paper  he 
had  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  been  writing 
letters  to  it  from  Aurora,  Esmeralda  County.  At 
that  time  he  was  not  known  as  'iMark  Twain.'  He 
simply  signed  his  letters  'Josh,'  and  when  he  first 
came  to  the  office  all  hands  called  him  Josh.  He 
did  not  relish  having  this  name  so  fastened  upon 
him,  and  looking  about  for  a  better  one  he  hit  upon 
that  of  'Mark  Twain,'  taking  it  from  one  of  the 
cries  of  measurements  in  sounding  on  the  Missis- 
si])pi  IJiver,  where  he  at  one  time  followed  the  busi- 
ness of  pilot. 

"  'Mark'  and  'Dan  De  Quille'  hunted  items  together, 
and  the  arrival  of  an  emigrant  train  was  still  a  big 
event.  The  'captain'  and  other  leading  men  of  the 
train  were  cornered  and  encouraged  to  relate  all  of 
interest  that  had  happened  during  the  Journey 
across  the  'plains.'  The  train  often  remained  en- 
canii)ed  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town  several  days 
before  proceeding  to  California,  and  before  they  left 
all  hands  were  pretty  thoroughly  -pumped.' 

'•In  these  early  da3-s  there  were  in  the  town  many 
desperate  characters,  and  blood)-  affrays  were  of  fre- 
quent occurrence.  Sometimes  while  a  reporter  was 
engaged  in  gleaning  the  particulars  in  regard  to  one 
shooting  scrape  another  would  start  (growing  out 
of  something  said  in  regard  to  the  first),  and  the 
news-gatherer  suddenly  found  him.self  in  the  midst 
of  flying  bullets,  and   had  before  him  a  battle,  the 


particulars  in  regard  to  which   he  need  not  take  at 
second-hand. 

"Strikes  in  the  mines  were  very  frequent  in  those 
days,  as  the  leading  mining  com])anies  were  then 
just  beginning  to  find  their  first  rich  deposits  of  ore. 
So  rich  were  some  of  these  that  people  were  pre- 
l)ared  to  believe  almost  anj-thing  that  was  told. 
Nothing  in  the  way  of  bodies  of  ore  seemed  impos- 
sible, and  not  a  few  men  believed  that  at  no  distant 
day  the  miners  would  reach  a  ]thu'e  where  the  Cora- 
stock  Lode  was  a  solid  mass  of  silver  from  wall  to 
wall.  Editors,  printers,  and  all  about  the  newspaper 
offices,  even  down  to  the  -devil,'  had  their  jiockete 
filled  with  shares  in  mines  (then  counted  by  feet), 
and  all  expected  in  time — and  in  a  very  short  time 
— to  find  themselves  very  wealthy  men,  if  not  mil- 
lionaires. Piles  of  ore  lay  upon  the  tables  of  the 
editors,  and  specimens  filled  the  cases  of  the  com- 
positors. 

"Men  who  had  been  far  out  in  the  eastern  wilds 
generally  made  their  way  to  the  newspaper  offices  at 
once,  upon  their  return,  to  exhibit  specimens  of  the 
ores  they  had  found,  and  tell  of  the  wonderful  regions 
thej-  had  explored.  As  the  unexplored  regions  then 
covered  thousands  of  square  miles,  it  was  thought  by 
no  means  improbable  that  somewhere,  far  out  in  these 
wilds,  existed  lodes  that  were  filled  with  native  silver 
and  gold,  even  at  the  surface.  It  was  argued  that  it 
would  be  very  strange  indeed  should  it  turn  out  that 
the  richest  vein  in  the  whole  countr\-  was  that  first 
found,  and  which  lay  at  the  very  entrance  into  the 
vast  wilderness  of  deserts  and  barren  hills,  apparently 
only  created  as  a  congenial  home  for  the  precious 
metals.  As  newspaper  men  generally  knew  when 
prospecting  parties  were  preparing  to  start  out  into 
the  wilds,  they  were  always  anxious  to  have  an 
interest  of  some  kind  in  whatever  might  be  found, 
and  were  ever  read}'  to  contribute  their  mite  towards 
the  purchase  of  supplies  and  a  proper  outfit.  When 
such  a  jiarty  had  gone  out,  all  the  talk  with  devil 
and  all  hands  would  be  about  ihe  big  interest  they 
would  own  when  their  prospecting  friends  came  home. 
Literature  and  mineralogy  were  strangely  mingled, 
and  the  latter  generally  largely  i>rc(lominated.  The 
editor-in-chief  threw  aside  his  half-finished  editorial, 
the  reporter  his  pet  humorous  sketch,  and  the  printers 
their  ty])e,  when  a  jtrospector  entered  a  newspaper 
office  with  his  sack  of  specimens. 

"In  the  early  days,  the  reporters  had  no  easy  time  of 
it  when  they  went  forth  to  gather  mining  news. 
There  were  then  no  cages  on  which  to  descend  to  the 
lower  levels — were,  indeed,  few  lower  levels.  Manj- 
of  the  shafts  wore  untimbered — were  mere  round 
holes  like  ordinary  wells — and  the  only  machinery 
/was  a  windlass.  In  descending  to  inspect  material 
'encountered  at  the  bottom  of  a  shaft,  the  reporter 
I  placed  his  foot  in  a  loop  at  the  end  of  a  rope,  and  so 
was  sent  spinning  round  and  round,  from  100  to  .300 
feet  to  the  bottom.  In  descending,  too,  he  swa^-ed 
from  side  to  side,  striking  first  one  side  then  the  other 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNAUSM  IN  NEVADA. 


321 


of  the  rocky  walls.  In  most  cases,  all  he  saw  when 
he  reached  the  bottom,  was  hard  barren  porphyry-, 
but  in  those  days  any  rock  that  had  a  blue  tinge  was 
thought  to  be  rich  in  silver  or  to  denote  that  silver 
was  close  at  hand." 

c.  C.  aOODWIN. 

C.  C.  Goodwin  was  born  in  the  Genesee  Valley, 
New  York  State,  a  few  miles  from  Rochester.  He 
received  an  academic  education,  and  became  a  won- 
derfully proficient  mathematician — had  most  of  the 
English  classics  at  his  tongue's  end  when  a  boy,  but 
could  never  surmount  the  barriers  which  laj"  between 
him  and  the  dead  languages. 

In  1S52  he  came  to  California  and  studied  law  un- 
der his  brother,  Jesse  Goodwin,  in  Marysvilic,  where 
he  afterwards  became  teacher  in  an  academy.  He 
practiced  law  and  taught  school  until  1861,  when  he 
came  to  Nevada  and  built  a  ((uartz  mill  a  few  miles 
below  Dayton,  putting  a  small  fortune  into  its  con- 
struction. When  the  mill  was  nearly  completed  the 
owner  annoutieed  a  '■  warming,"  and  was  making 
preparations  to  celebrate  the  event  after  the  manner 
of  the  sage-brush,  when  a  freshet  swept  it  away, 
with  his  fortune,  a  wreck.  At  the  same  time  six  of 
his  men  were  drowned,  one  of  them  leaving  an  or- 
phan boy  to  the  cruel  charity  of  the  world.  Mr. 
Goodwin  adopted  the  boy,  who  now  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  Lieutenant  in  the  Regular  Army.  His  kind 
care  and  providence  for  the  future  of  that  child 
speaks  of  a  generous,  loyal  nature,  true  and  unflinch- 
ing in  its  instincts,  louder  and  with  a  more  certain 
sound  than  would  a  volume  of  eulogy. 

Selling  the  dismantled  machinery  of  the  mill  he 
paid  ort'  such  of  his  men  as  were  left,  and  with  a 
few  hundred  dollars  in  his  pockets  put  up  an 
arastra  at  JJayton.  This  venture  was  a  failure,  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  left  J)ayton  a  long  way 
behind.  He  says  that  when  he  failed  he  owed  less 
than  a  81,000,  but  since  then  he  thinks  that  he  has 
paid  out  at  least  81,000,000  on  old  promissory  notes 
and  due  bills.  Since  that  time  he  has  never  put  his 
head  finnncially  above  water  that  one  of  those  com- 
pounded interest-bearing  notes  or  due  bills  did  not 
come  from  some  secluded  spot  to  greet  him,  as  the 
ghost  of  Han<|uo  to  .Macbeth.  ILis  bad  luck  seemed  to 
follow  him  like  a  shadow.  He  started  a  ranch  in 
Washoe  County,  and  a  lawsuit  twenty  miles  away  cut 
off  the  watersupply  with  an  inJiiiK-tion.  and  he  left  the 
ranch  a  howling  wilderness.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
was  elected  District  Judge  of  Washoe  County,  and 
edited  a  paper  at  J{eno.  He  next  located  a  mine 
in  Kureka,  and  just  as  his  friends  were  expecting 
to  see  him  blossom  into  a  millionaire,  the  mine  gave 
out  and  left  him  in  the  lurch  again.  Another  mine 
opened  in  Nye  (Jounty  treated  him  with  the  same 
lack  of  devotion  to  his  interests.  He  then  returned 
to  the  newspaper  business,  where  he  reall}-  belonged, 
and  for  six  years  ran  the  JUnfurprixe,  for  awhile  as 
editor-in-chief  and  a  portion  of  the  time  in  connec- 
tion   with    Congressman  Itollin  M.    Daggett.      The 


Judge  edited  the  paper  with  a  vigor  that  made 
its  influence  felt  in  Nevada,  and  it  was  recognized 
as  a.  journal  controlled  by  a  man  of  brains  and 
culture.  While  he  was  editor  the  Enterprise  had 
nothing  but  gall  and  wormwood  for  the  unrecon- 
structed Bourbons.  In  1880  he  left  that  paper  to 
accept  a  position  as  editor-in-chief  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Tribune,  where  he  still  remains. 

In  private  life  Goodwin  is  a  conversationalist  such 
as  one  seldom  meets,  and  his  fund  of  quaint  humor, 
ready  repartee  and  good  stories,  seems  inexhaustible. 
His  home  is  always  open  to  his  friends,  and  his 
purse  at  the  mercy  of  every  old  tramp,  dead-beat 
and  imposter  who  calls  upon  him  for  assistance, 
as  he  could  no  more  resist  an  appeal  for  charity 
than  he  could  change  the  attributes  of  his  nature. 

Harry  R.  Mighels,  in  the  Carson  Appeal  of  Novem- 
ber 12,  1878,  paj-s  the  following,  in  our  judgment, 
just  tribute  to  Judge  Goodwin's  editorial  labor  and 
talents: — 

In  the  history'  of  Nevada  journalism  no  such  bril- 
liant and  eft'octive  assaults  were  ever  made  by  any 
newspaper  upon  the  enemy's  line  as  Goodwin  has 
been  making.  His  splendid  services  should  be  most 
generously  remembered;  and  he  has,  while  making 
an  enviable  re|)uation  for  himself,  placed  the  Enter- 
prise in  the  front  rank  of  live  and  powerful  political 
newspapers.  The  peo])le  of  the  State  have  a  right  to 
be  proud  of  their  leading  dailj"  print,  as  his  brethren 
of  the  pen-and-scissors  have  a  right  to  glor^-  in  the 
achievements  of  their  overworked  but  unflinching 
and  faithful  brother.      The  Appenl  gi\es  him  all  hail! 

ROLLIN    iM.    DAGGETT. 

Not  having  a  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr, 
Daggett,  Judge  C.  C.  Goodwin,  of  Salt  Lake,  was 
addressed,  asking  him  to  write  a  brief  biography  of 
this  man,  of  whom  associations  had  rendered  him 
the  proper  biographer.  In  reply  the  following  was 
received: — 

Hon.  liollin  .M.  Daggett  was  born  in  the  State  of 
New  York  in  the  year  1832.  At  an  early  age  he 
was  taken  bj'  his  parents  to  Ohio.  There  he  received 
the  rudiments  of  an  education,  and  learned  also  the 
business  of  printing.  He  must  have  been  a  strange, 
queer  genius,  even  in  childhood.  He  told  the  writer 
of  this,  that  in  his  boyhood  he  had  a  pet  pig,  and 
added,  "  I  loved  that  pig  better  than  a  brother,  and 
when  it  came  time  to  butcher  1  implored  my  father 
to  sj)are  him.  But  my  father  would  not,  and  added 
hatred  to  grief  by  compelling  me  to  kill  m^-  pet. 
Do  you  know  how  it  impressed  mo?  When  my 
father  died  I  did  not  shed  a  tear,  not  a tear." 

At  sixteen,  with  only  a  rifle,  some  ammunition,  a 
little  salt  and  a  trifle  of  hard  bread,  he  started  on 
foot  across  the  plains.  He  wanilered  unharmed 
among  the  hostile  Sioux,  sleeping  in  their  wickiups  at 
night,  they  believing  him  to  be  a  lunatic.  At  last, 
after  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains,  he  fell  in  with  a 
train  in  which  the  cholera  was  raging.  One  man  was 
moving  his  family,  consisting  of  a  wife  and  three 
small  children,  the  elder  being  but  nine  years  of  age 


322 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  the  younger  a  babe  of  only  three  months,  to  Cal- 
ifornia. He  had  two  ox-teams.  The  driver  of  one  team 
had  Just  died.  Daggett  drove  the  dead  man's  team 
for  a  daj"  or  two,  until,  when  near  old  Fort  Ilalli 
the  husband  and  father  sickened  and  died  within  a 
few  hours.  The  night  after  the  death  of  the  man 
the  woman  called  Daggett  to  the  wagon,  and.  saying 
that  she  too  was  sick  and  was  going  to  die,  made  him 
promise  that  if  ho  liveil  and  if  tlie  children  lived,  he 
would  take  them  through  to  her  friends  in  Sacra- 
mento. How  she  died,  how  in  the  black  night  he 
dug  her  grave,  how  his  heart  was  wrung  as  he 
heaped  the  earth  upon  her  beautiful  face,  how  he 
selected  the  strongest  oxen,  hitched  them  to  the 
lightest  wagon,  tied  a  milch  cow  behind  the  wagon, 
and  in  a  frenzy  drove  away  from  that  Golgotha, 
together  with  his  other  adventures  until  his  promise 
was  fulfilled  and  the  children  were  safe  with  their 
Sacramento  friends,  Daggett  tells  with  dramatic 
vividness  in  his  own  book,  which  is  shortly  to  be 
published. 

In  California  he  worked  lor  awhile  in  the  mines, 
and  when  he  had  made  a  "  stake  "  went  to  San  Fran- 
cisco and  established  the  Golden  Era,  the  first  liter- 
ary journal  of  that  city. 

It  was  from  the  first  a  grand  success.  The  sturdy 
and  robust  intellect  of  Daggett  was  impressed  upon 
its  pages  in  words  which  made  a  thrill  all  over  the 
coast.  He  continued  on  the  Era  for  several  years. 
Selling  it,  at  length,  he  embarked,  with  two  associ- 
ates, in  the  publication  of  the  Mirror.  This  journal 
commenced  under  the  happiest  auspices,  and  for  a 
time  it  prospered  greatly;  but  the  civil  war  came; 
Daggett  and  his  jiartners  did  not  agree  politically;  he 
bought  them  out;  the  hard  times  of  the  war  followed, 
and  the  paper  failed.  Then  Daggett  wont  to  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nevada,  and  soon  after  became  associate 
editor  with  Mr.  J.  T.  Goodman  on  the  Territorial 
Enterprise.  "  Dan  De  (^uille  "  and  "  Mark  Twain  "* 
were  locals  on  the  same  paper,  and  under  the  hands 
of  these  men  the  journal  at  once  became  famous. 
"When  Goodman  sold  the  paper  Daggett  remained  as 
manager,  and  was  connected  with  the  Enterprige  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  until  he  was  called  away  to 
take  bis  scat  in  Congress  at  the  extra  session  in  1879. 
Since  then  ho  has  been  occupied  as  Repi-esentative 
in  Congress. 

He  was  married  in  Virginia  City  in  1866;  his  beau- 
tiful wife  died  in  1876,  leaving  two  little  girls. 

The  foregoing  tells  about  Daggett,  but  gives  no 
idea  of  him.  Jlis  writings  reveal  a'part  of  his  na- 
ture, but  only  a  part.  They  reveal  the  power  of  his 
mind,  its  wonderful  versatility  and  the  masterful 
command  he  has  over  both  robust  and  tender  Kng- 
lish.  Still  they  only  ball'  reveal  his  real  nature.  His 
genius  has  more  shades  than  the  rainbow  has  colors. 
His  audacitj-  is  something  tremendous;  his  store  of 
humor  is  inexhaustible  and   contagious.      To    read 


Twain ' 


He  (lid    not   commence   upon    the  paper  until  after  "  Mark 
ain  "  liad  left  \'iririnia. 


some  of  his  articles  a  stranger  would  declare  that  be 
must  be  a  human  tiger;  to  read  some  others,  women, 
who  never  saw  him,  would,  like  •'  Desdemona,"  be 
''^beguiled  of  tears,"  and  wish 

"  That  Heaven  had  made  her  such  a  man." 

On  seeing  him  each  would  be  astonished,  and  would 
laugh  at  the  photographs  his  writings  had  made.  It 
was  a  daily  occurrence,  before  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Daggett,  to  see  Daggett  in  his  own  home  extended 
like  a  hippopotamus  on  the  floor,  his  little  girls 
jumping  upon  him,  beating  him  with  tidies  and  pil- 
lows, and  screaming  with  delight;  while  all  the  time 
he  would  be  vehemently,  with  strange  imprecations 
and  unheard-of  anathemas,  declaring  that  in  just 
half  a  minute  he  would  jump  u])on  them,  and  smash 
them  into  a  million  of  pieces. 

He  has  a  strange  personal  magnetism  about  him. 
Lot  him  for  a  moment  take  an  old  lady  by  the  hand, 
look  into  her  eyes,  and  inquire  about  her  health,  and 
from  that  time  on,  that  woman  will  never  hear  any- 
thing said  against  Daggett.  He  is  full  of  quaint 
words  and  ways;  the  heartiest  and  jolliest  man,  take 
him  day  after  day,  and  month  after  month,  that  one 
ever  worked  beside.  Yet  his  journalistic  judgment 
is  infallible;  the  clearest,  1  think,  in  the  Union  to-day. 
His  taste  is  as  exquisite  as  his  judgment  is  clear.  He 
knows  exactly  the  weight  of  words,  and  frequently 
in  a  single  sentence  mingles  the  cynical  bitterness  of 
Carlyle  with  the  majestic,  organ-roll  of  Macauley's 
prose.  His  sphere  is  journalism.  He  makes  a  mis- 
take when  he  essays  anything  else,  unless  it  be  mag- 
azine or  book-writing.  On  a  journal  like  the  Nation 
or  the  Argonaut,  where  only  three  or  four  articles  per 
week  would  be  required  of  him,  he  would,  for  his 
party,  shape  and  conduct  public  opinion  in  his  sec- 
tion. The  pen,  in  his  hi'iid,  is  like  a  mighty  trip- 
hammer, which  is  so  nicely  adjusted  that  he  can,  at 
will,  strike  a  blow  which  seems  like  a  caress,  and  the 
next  moment  hurl  hundred-ton  blows,  one  after  an- 
other with  the  quickness  of  lightning,  and  filling  all 
the  air  around  with  fire.  Yet  while  at  his  work,  inter- 
rupt him  and  perpetrate  some  joke  at  his  expense, 
and  ho  will,  while  holding  his  intellectual  hammer 
suspended  ready  for  another  blow,  laugh  until  the 
tears  will  run  down  his  cheeks.  And  then  as  a  tender 
mood  comes  over  him,  he  will  set  thoughts  to  words 
which  the  angels  might  in  turn  set  to  music  to  sing 
on  state  occasions.  Jlead  these  opening  lines  of  one 
of  his  Decoration-day  poems: — 

With  leaf  and  blossom,  spring  has  come  again, 
And  tardy  summer,  garlamlea  with  tlowcrs, 
Trii>a  down  the  hill-side  like  a  wayward  child, 
Her  j;arlands  frinxe<l  with  frost;  but  in  her  smile 
Tlie  valleys  turn  ti)  green,  and  tender  llowers, 
Woke  from  their  slumber  by  the  song  of  binls, 
Keach  up  to  kiss  the  dimpled  mouth  of  May. 

C.  C.  Goodwin. 
Salt  Lake  City,  May  1 1,  1881. 

VIRGINIA   CITY    DAILY    UNION. 

The  proprietors  of  the  Daily  Silver  Age,  of  Carson, 
concluding  that  Virginia  City  was  a  better  location  for 
them,  suspended  at  the  latter  place,  and,  moving  the 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


323 


material  of  their  jirinling-ofRce  to  the  former,  started 
on  the  fourth  of  November,  1S62,  the  Virt^inia  City 
Daily  Union.  The  parties  entering  upon  this  ven- 
ture were  S.  A.  (ileesner,  J.  L.  Jjaird  and  John 
Church.  In  jiolitics  the  paper  was  Union,  in  size 
twenty-eight  columns,  printed  on  paper  24x3t!  inches. 
November  24,  18G8,  it  was  enlarged  four  columns, 
one  to  each  page,  and  in  May,  18G5,  O.  E.  James  & 
Co.  became  proprietors. 

This  now  tirm  was  an  association  of  printers,  con- 
sisting of  O.  E.  James,  T.  L.  Ham,  E.  Armand,  A. 
P.  Church,  James  Coiiley,  J.  H.  Bain  and  J.  H. 
Huling.  September  2U,  ISGf),  it  was  reduced  to  its 
original  size. 

October  17,  lS(i.5,  T.  L.  Ham  and  J.  H.  lluliiii>; 
withdrew  from  the  tirm,  and  the  Union  came  out  as 
a  Democratic  organ.  There  was  mourning  in  the 
Republican  camp  over  this  change  of  base  in  the 
paper  that  had  been  one  of  the  ablest  advocates  of 
that  doctrine  in  Nevada.  In  December  of  that  year 
it  was  changed  to  an  evening  edition.  Between  No- 
vember 1(1  and  19,  1860,  John  Church  and  S.  A. 
Glessner  again  became  proprietors,  and  in  July  they 
reduced  the  Union  to  twenty-four  columns. 

Then  came  W.  J.  Forbes,  the  "Semblins,"  of  the 
Humboldt  Register,  who  purchased  the  establishment 
January  23,  1867,  and  changed  its  name,  February 
3d,  to  the 

TRESPASS. 

Under  this  name^we  have  been  able  to  find  no  files 
of  the  paper,  and  have  learned  little  concerning  it, 
except  that  it  suspended,  and  that  an  association 
known  as  the  '•  Nevada  Democratic  Association,'' 
purchased  the  material,  with  which  they  started 

THE  D.\ILy  S.\FEGUARD. 

The  first  number  of  the  Safeguard  appeared  in 
Virginia  City  in  October,  1868,  about  the  Gth  of  that 
month,  its  editors  being  John  I.  Ginn  and  Robert  E. 
Lowery.  January  22,  ISGi),  the  Carson  Daily  Appeal 
noticed  that  James  J.  Ayres  and  C.  A.  V.  Putnam 
had  purchased  all  the  material  of  the  Daili/  Sn/egtinrd 
with  which  to  start  a  paper  to  be  called  the  Inland 
Empire  at  Hamilton,  White  Pino  County,  Nevada. 
For  sequel  to  this  see  History  o( Silver  y)(/eof  Ormsby 
County.    - 

VIRGINIA   EVENING    BULLETIN. 

In  1863,  Thomas  B.  Valentine,  of  San  Francisco, 
furnished  material  and  money  to  start  a  paper  in  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nevada.  Howard  P.  Taylor  and  Richard 
A.  Janus  each  purchased  a  third  interest  in  the  out- 
fit on  credit,  and  the  firm  became  H.  P.  Taylor  &  Co. 

On  the  seventh  of  Jul}^  that  year,  a  daily  thirty- 
two  column  Republican  paper  was  started  by  the  firm 
at  the  place  contem])latcd,  that  was  printed  on  pa))er 
twenty-four  bj-  thirtj'-six  inches,  the  subs(-ription 
price  being  sixteen  dollars  per  year. 

The  interest  of  Mr.  Valentino  soon  passed  into  the 
hands  of  F.  B.  Hasweli,  and  that  of  Mr.  Taylor  to 
C.  A.  Parker,  the  change  being  announced  on  the 
twenty-fourth  of  November,  1863.      The  size  of  the 


paper  was  diminished  to  twenty  columns,  Februarj' 
10,  1864,  and  on  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month 
Hasweli  withdrew  because  of  disagreement  regarding 
who  should  be  supported  as  a  candidate  for  Mayor 
of  Virginia  City. 

May  17,  1864,  the  (Jold  Hill  New»  notes  the  suspen- 
sion of  this  sheet,  stating  that  it  had  been  a  poorly 
printed  but  ably  edited  pa])er,  and  that  it  was  the 
third  that  had  suspended  in  Storey  County  since  the 
fifteenth  of  the  previous  October,  the  other  two  being 
the  Democratic  Standard  and  the  Occitlenfal. 

The  editor-in-chief.  Dr.  Wood,  was  in  ill-health, 
and  meeting  with  a  slight  accident  the  editorial  con- 
duct of  the  Bulletin  was  supervised  mainlj'  by  Mr. 
Bennett,  and  this  was  the  hitter's  first  connection 
with  the  Nevada  press.  The  Gold  Hill  News,  in  the 
following  facetious  way,  notices  the  accident  met 
with  by  Dr.  Wood: — 

Dr.  Wood,  of  the  Bulletin,  while  navigating  C 
street  yesterday  was  run  into,  collided,  rammed,  and 
capsized,  by  a  viiJianous  dog,  and  from  the  concussion, 
did,  like  the  ill-fated  .Vonitor,  then  and  there  go 
down  stern  foremost,  to  the  great  damage  and  wrath 
of  the  said  W.  H.  R.  Wood,  and  against  (In.-  ])eace 
and  dignity  of  the  Eceni)ig  Bulletin,  whereby  wo 
learn  that  the  said  editor  neglecteth  the  Scri|)tures, 
and  hecdeth  not  the  warning  voice  of  the  Apostle. 
During  his  convalescence  let  him  borrow  a  Bible  and 
turning  to  the  third  chapter  ol'  the  E])istle  of  St. 
I'aul  to  the  Phillipians,  second  verse,  and  he  will  find 
these  words,  "  Beware  of  Dogs." 

These  two  editors  are  now  both  dead.  R.  A. 
James  and  H.  P.  Taj-lor  reside  in  San  Francisco,  and 
F.  B.  Hasweli  in  Oakland,  California. 

DAILY    DE.M0CR.\TIC   STANDARD. 

The  name  indicates  its  politics.  It  was  started 
with  money  (§3,0(10)  raised  by  subscription  from 
Democrats,  the  publishei"s  being  E.  O.  Hatch,  and  J. 
F.  Linthicum,  the  latter  of  whom  was  its  editor,  and 
an  able  writer.  Formerly  he  had  occupied  that 
position  upon  the  Marysvillo  K.cpress.  in  California. 
The  Stanilard  was  an  evening  edition,  its  first  num- 
ber appearing  on  the  tenth  of  August,  1863,  There 
were  three  daily  Republican  jiapers  jiublislied  in  A'ir- 
ginia  at  the  time,  that  included  the  most  brilliant 
editorial  and  rejiortorial  staff  that  has  over  graced 
the  profession  in  the  State.  There  was  consequently 
but  a  poor  show  for  ])ros])erity  for  this  now  enter- 
prise, except  that  it  came  from  party  support.  This 
proved  insuflficiont.  and  with  the  close  of  that  year's 
campaign  it  sus])cnded,  the  last  issue  bearing  date 
October  17th. 

THE    OCCIDENTAL. 

A  weekly  jjaper,  of  a  literary  character,  called  the 
Occidental,  was  started  at  \'irginia  some  time  in  the 
year  1863,  by  Thomas  Fitch.  It  was  well  printed 
and  well  edited,  but  did  not  live  to  a  very  great  age. 

OOLIi     lin.l.     IIAII.V     NEWS. 

This  paper,  still  in  existence,  and  one  of  the  most 
important  in  the  Stale,  was  started  at  the  place  its 
name  indicates   October   12,  1863,  by  Philip  Lynch 


324 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  J.  H.  Mundall.  It  was  a  daily  from  the  first 
with  twenty-four  columns,  on  jiaper  21  x2S  inches; 
price,  sixteen  dollars  per  year,  and  the  first  number 
contained  eleven  and  a  half  columns  of  advertise- 
ments. December  14th  of  that  year  a  column  was 
added  to  each  page,  makinj;  the  size  that  is  still  main- 
tained. 

The  business  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  in 
March.  1S(>4,  that  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  that  month, 
a  supplement  was  added  eontainini;  twenty-six  and 
a  half  columns  of  advertisements.  The  otliee  had 
also  become  so  jwpular  as  a  place  to  drop  in  and 
•)Ost  the  yi-ir.i  in  regard  to  its  duties,  that  Mr.  Lynch 
editoriallj-  stated  that  if  they  did  not  come  less  and 
stay  shorter,  it  would  have  the  effect  upon  "the  edi- 
torial corps  of  this  office — if  not  already  damned  to 
the  nether  hell — of  swamping  their  souls  beneath  a 
load  of  profiinity  that  would  sink  thelireat  Eastern." 

In  May.  ISti.i.  Hiram  R.  Hawkins  jntblishes  his 
valedictory  in  the  Xeics,  stating  that  he  had  been 
editorially  connected  with  the  paper  since  its  start. 
He  was  about  to  leave  for  Peru,  where  he  was  going 
as  United  Slates  Consul,  and  before  starting  the  citi- 
zens of  Gold  Hill  presented  him  with  a  SOOii  watch 
and  chain.     He  afterwards  died  in  that  country. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1S67  Alf  Doten  became  asso- 
ciate editor,  and  February  13,  1872,  Philip  Lynch 
died  at  Gold  Hill. 

The  paper  is  now  controlled  and  owned  by  the 
News  Publishing  Company.  The  business  manager, 
W.  P.  Pratt,  is  a  gentleman  eminently  fitted  by 
talents  and  urbanity  for  the  position  assigned  him, 
which  for  two  years  he  has  ably  and  successfully 
filled. 

ALF.    DOTEN. 

Alf  l^'oten,  the  present  managing  editor,  is  a  native 
of  Plymouth.  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  born 
July  21,  1829,  his  parents  being  full  direct  descei.d- 
ants  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  In  the  earlier  part  of 
his  life  he  attended  school,  served  an  apprenticeship 
as  a  carpenter,  went  one  summer  to  the  Grand 
Banks  of  New  Foundland,  cod-fishing,  and  finally 
shipping  as  a  boy  tar,  sailed  in  l-'>40,  March  18th, 
for  California. 

He  arrived  in  San  Francisco  October  2d  of  that 
year,  where  he  remained  about  one  month  and  then 
started  for  the  gold  tields.  He  visited  \Vood's  Creek, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  at  Shaw's  Flat  (December 
25.  1S49),  and  eventually  worked  in  all  the  princijial 
diggings  in  the  southern  and  central  mines.  In  the 
spring  of  1850  he  visited  the  northern  mines,  pros- 
pected Doten's  Bar.  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Amer- 
ican IJiver,  and  for  six  years  remained  in  the  pur- 
suit of  wealth  as  a  placer  gold  miner.  His  opera- 
tions in  this  line  were  suddenly  terminated  even- 
tually by  a  cave  of  earth  that  buried  him  alive  at 
Fort  John,  in  Amador  County.  He  was  dug  out. 
resuscitated,  and  sent  to  San  Francisco  for  medical 
treatment.  After  about  one  year  he  hired  out  as  a 
farm  hand  to  a  Luncha  Plana  rancher,  and  taking 


kindly  to  the  business,  purchased  a  farm  and  spent  the 
next  six  yeai-s  in  fighting  Spanish  grants. 

In  June,  1863,  he  first  visited  Nevada,  and  located 
in  Como.  about  eighteen  miles  southeast  from  Vir- 
ginia Citj-,  where  he  tried  carpentering,  and  then 
mining,  neither  of  which  paid.  While  at  Como,  Mr. 
Doten  wrote  letters  to  various  news]iapei-s.  including 
the  Como  Stnfiue/  and  Virginia  Dni/i/  rnioti.  the 
vigor  and  compass  of  which  led  the  proprietors  of 
the  latter  to  secure  his  servii-os  as  a  local  editor. 
He  entered  upon  duty  in  that  offii-e  in  December, 
18t)4,  where  he  remained  as  local  editor  for  about  one 
and  one-half  years.  His  next  engagement  was  with 
the  Tfi-ritorifi/  Enlfrprige  for  the  same  length  of  time, 
since  when  he  has  been  constantlj'  in  editorial  har- 
ness upon  the  Gold  Hill  Xeirg,  of  which  he  is  now 
managing  editor. 

In  1874.  July  24lh,  he  was  married  in  an  open 
boat  out  on  the  waters  of  I^ake  Tahoe,  since  when, 
with  fair  winds  and^  a  flowing  sail,  he  has  passed 
along  the  river  of  life.  hapi>ier  by  far  than  many  of 
those  whose  crat\s  are  freighted  with  gold. 

He  is  a  good  manager,  having  managed  during  the 
last  few  years  to  break  nearly  all  of  the  bones  in  his 
body,  including  both  arms,  both  legs,  and  sundry 
ribs.  This  has  not  been  done  all  at  once,  but  at  dif- 
ferent times,  and  he  solemnly  assured  the  writer, 
that  the  only  reason  for  cestJation  in  breakage,  was 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


32.^ 


duo  wholly  to  the  want  of  now  material  to  operate   I  joined  by  H.  C.  Bennett,  the  Btubliorn  and  belliger- 


on;  that  if  ho  had  another  log  it  would  i;ot  broken  in 
five  minutoH. 

Mr.  Doten  is  a  hearty,  genial,  wholo-souled  char- 
acter that  it  does  one  good  to  Bhake  hands  with. 
As  an  editor  ho  is  a  hard  wnrker,  with  logic,  if 
wanted;  with  wit,  it'  j>ertinent;  with  bard  wenso  all 
the  time,  and  sutficient  caution  to  steer  his  j)aper 
safely  among  political  reefs. 

NEVAD.V    I'lONKER. 

This  was  a  (Jermuii  semi-weekly  Democratic  paper, 
subscription  price  nine  dollars  per  j'ear.  It  was 
started  March  31,  18G4,  at  Virginia  City,  by.].  F. 
Ilahiilen.  The  jiropriutor  had  been  ))romised  ?•'>()() 
to  hnist  the  Democratic  slamlard.  but  received  otilj- 
$100  of  the  amount,  and  suspended  publication  in 
October,  after  less  than  seven  months  existence. 

THE    DAILY    OI.I)    PILTE. 

John  K.  Lovejoy  &  Co.  issued  the  first  number  of 
this  ])a]>cr  on  the  eighteenth  of  April,  18()-}.  In  si/,o 
it  was  the  same  as  the  Ikmld,  Union,  or  Ti;n-it(irial 
Enterprise;  in  politics,  lU^publican;  and  was  published 
Monday  morning,  and  at  evening  for  the  balance  of 
the  week,  except  Sunday.  It  was  cm])hatically  a 
pointed  issue,  tho  editor  never  letting  an  o])portunity 
pass  to  make  a  pointed  ])un  with  a  vulgar  turn. 
Ijovejoy  was  an  eccentric  genius,  hi  repartee  he 
had  no  superior  in  the  State;  and  those  members  of 
tho  profession  who  assailed  him  loft  the  field  with- 
out Hying  colors.  His  eftort  to  establish  a  pajier 
at  Virginia  was  a  failure,  resulting  not  from  a  lack 
on  his  part  of  ability  to  conduct  a  lively,  readable 
one,  but  from  the  fact  that  the  ground  was  already 
covered  by  his  superiors  in  many  respects. 

September  8,  18t>4,  he  surrendered  the  Old,  I'iule 
to  tho  Democratic  party,  and  retiring  from  its 
tribal  affiliations,  became  a  rancher  near  Verdi, 
where  he  died  January  25,  1877. 

The  paper  passed  from  Lovejoy  to  Travis  Rhodes, 
and  eventually  sus])endcd,  when  and  why,  or  what 
finally  became  of  the  material  is  to  the  writer 
unknown. 

MESSAIiE. 

An  association  of  printers  under  the  firm  name  of 
(ieo.  W .  Bloor  &  Co.  started  a  paper  by  this  name  at 
Gold  Hill.  May  2.'],  ISIM,  The  (iold  Hill  X,:wh  notes 
its  suB|)ension  June  20lh  of  that  year,  and  the  mate- 
rial of  the  office  was  taken  to  Carson  Cit^-,  where  it 
was  used  in  starting  the  Car.son  Post. 

WASHOE    DAILY    EVENINIi    HEKAI.D. 

Tho  beginning  of  July,  1864,  saw  Virginia  City 
supporting  four  dailj'  papers,  Enterprise,  Union,  Pio- 
neer and  the  Old  Piute,  with  the  (iold  Hill  News  just 
over  tho  divide.  Hut  it  was  a  kind  of  Fourth  of 
July  j'ear  for  newspapers  in  Nevada,  anyway,  and  ad- 
ditional literary  fire-works  were  not  unacceptable  to 
tho  masses,  in  view  of  the  newsy  and  prosperous 
condition  of  the  Territory  at  that  time.  Thos. 
Filch,  the  brilliant  and  erratic  orator  and  writer, 
41 


ant,  concluding  there  was  still  room,  enlisted  in  tho 
journalistic  grand  arm}'  of  that  city,  and  fired  their 
first  editorial  rocket  on  tho  third  of  July,  1864. 
They  named  the  ventiiro  the  Wnshoe  Dnilij  Evening 
Herald;  they  proclaimed  JJepublican  principles  with 
vigor  and  eloquence  ;  they  assailed  thoir  ojiponents 
without  scru]>lo  and  handled  their  enemies  without 
gloves.  In  three  weeks  Tom  Fitch  withdrew  and  in 
five  this  rocket  burned  out.  Hut,  for  the  little  time 
it  bla;!cd  before  the  Virginians,  thoro  was  a  lively 
time  among  tho  Joves  of  tho  press.  The  (fold  Hill 
News  of  July  27th,  that  year,  mentioning  this  subject, 
notes  that: — 

The  Washoe  Ihrahl  ofTico  is  getting  to  be  a  very 
livcl}'  place,  since  tho  ventilation  of  the  (corrupt  judi- 
ciary- was  commenced.  Several  gentlemen  with 
pistols  visited  the  Herald  editorial  room  last  Satur- 
day- fJul}'  23d),  but  no  one  was  hurt.  Vestcrdaj' 
afternoon  the  jiroprii^tors  of  tho  Enlerjtrise  paid  a 
visit  to  their  neighbor  of  the  Herald,  to  induce  him  to 
swallow — a  whale,  or  something  else — but  tho  Herail 
wouldn't  or  couldn't,  and  the  wliole  matter  ended  in  a 
skirmish,  in  which  both  parties  failed  to  be  killed. 
«***#«  We  understand  that  this  morning 
the  Itendd  editor  had  another  beligcrant  visitor  in 
the  ]ierson  of  .Mr.  ('urry,  late  owner  of  the  Territo- 
rial prison,  who  deniande<l  the  author  of  certain 
statements  reflecting  upon  the  integrity  of  Mr. 
(Jurry  in  connection  with  the  prison  art'airs.  There 
was  no  fight  in  this  case,  but  liennett  laid  his  hand 
upon  a  very  formidable  derringer. 

.NEVADA    STAATS    ZEITUNO. 

This  was  the  second  (ferman  ])aper  started  at  Vir- 
ginia Cit)%  and  its  first  issue  bears  date  October  28, 
1864.  It  was  Republican  in  politics,  Dr.  H.  M.  Bien 
biMng  editor  and  proprietor. 

AT   THE   CLOSE   OK    1 8(!4. 

On  the  ninth  of  January,  186."),  tho  tiold  Hill  News, 
in  recording  the  suspension  of  the  Carson  Daily 
Evenimj  Post,  notes  that  il  was  published  with  the 
material  of  the  old  Afesstige  office,  and  that  there  had 
been  buried  in  the  newspaper  cemetery  eight  ]jubli- 
cations  in  Storey  CJounty.  The  following  were  six  of 
that  eight:  Fii-st,  the  Daily  Dewocralic  Standard,  in 
October,  1863;  the  Occident,  time  not  known,  but 
between  October  15,  1863,  and  May  17,  1864;  the 
Virginia  Evening  Bulletin,  May  17,  1864;  the  Jfessaye, 
Juno,  20,  1864;  the  Was/me  Daily  Ereitimj  Herald, 
August  8,  1864;  and  tho  Nevada  Pioneer,  October 
22,  1864.  This  leaves  two  unaccounted  for,  which 
must  have  boon  tho  Stoats  Zeilung,  and  tho  Daily  Old 
Piute. 

This  left  at  tho  beginning  of  18(!5  but  three  papers 
running  in  Storey  County:  the  Territorial  Enterprise, 
the  Virginia  City  Daily  Union,  and  the  tiold  Hill 
News. 

TWO  o'clock  news. 

This  paper  was  started  in  Virginia  City  by  John 
r.  Morrison,  as  a  Republican  sheet,  on  tho  seventeenth 
of  April,  1865.  No  date  can  bo  found  of  its  sus- 
pension. 


326 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


DEtTSCHE    UNION. 

Like  the  Two  O'clock  News,  this  paper  made  so  light 
an  impression  in  its  time,  that  no  record  seems  left 
regarding  it.  and  a  single  sentence  gives  its  history. 
It  was  started  in  Virginia  City  by  J.  F.  Hahnlen.  as 
a  neutral  paper,  October  IG,  186G,  and  the  citizens 
seem  to  have  forgotten  that  it  was  ever  published 
there. 

VIRGINIA    EVENING   CHRONICLE. 

This  was  an  independent  sheet,  and  its  first  num- 
ber, a  dailj-,  published  by  Kdwin  F.  Bean  and  John 
1.  Ginn,  is  dated  October  8,  1872.  On  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  October  Mr.  Ginn  ceased  his  connection 
as  a  member  of  the  firm,  and  became  local  editor. 
The  second  of  May  following,  H.  C.  Street  becom- 
ing a  partner,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Bean  & 
Street.  July  14,  1873,  C.  C.  Stevenson  took  Bean's 
interest,  and  the  publishing  firm  became  Pratt  & 
Street,  William  R.  Pratt  representing  the  Stevenson 
interest.  On  the  twenty-eighth  of  the  next  month 
C.  C.  Stevenson  took  the  place  of  Street  in  the  firm, 
which  was  again  changed,  becoming  Stevenson  & 
Pratt.  At  this  time  the  size  of  the  Chronicle  was 
thirty-two  columns;  on  paper  23x28  inches. 

In  -May,  1874,  John  I.  Ginn  severed  his  connection 
therewith  editorially,  and  in  September  of  that  year 
Mr.  Stevenson  ceased  to  be  a  partner;  William  P. 
Pratt  remaining  pubiii^her  and  manager.  The 
Chronicle  became  a  Democratic  organ,  and  since  has 
continued  advocating  the  principles  of  that  party. 

February  15,  1875,  The  Chronicle  Printing  Com- 
pany published  the  paper,  with  R.  U.  Bogarl,  editor 
and  manager.  April  14lh  of  that  year  Sands  W. 
Forman  and  C.  C.  Carson  assumed  Bogart's  duties,  the 
former  as  editor,  the  latter  as  business  manager; 
and  the  next  month.  May  24tb,  D.  E.  MctJarthy 
became  sole  proprietor,  and  has  since  remained  such. 
In  September,  187G,  it  was  enlarged  to  thirtj'-two 
columns;  but  at  present  contains  only  twenty-eight, 
printed  on  paper  23x32  inches. 

Under  its  present  management  tho^C'Aromcfe  has 
become  the  leading  Democratic  paper  in  Nevada, 
a  position  conceded  to  it  by  all;  and  its  present 
editorial  staff,  if  equalled,  is  not  surpassed  as  a  whole 
in  the  State. 

It  could  occupy  no  other  position  under  the  con- 
trol of  as  able  a  journalist  as  McCarthy,  assisted  by 
such  a  man  as  Arthur  McKwcn,  who  as  an  incisive, 
analytic,  or  descriptive  writer  has  few  superiors  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  in  five  years  hence  may  have 
none. 

DENIS    E.    MCARTHY. 

The  following  is  a  brief  biograi)hy  of  the  editor- 
in-chief  from  the  pen  of  one  who  has  known  him 
for  many  years: — 

Denis  E.  McCarthy,  the  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Virginia  Eoeniiu/  Chronicle,  is  a  native  of  Mel- 
bourne, Australia,  where  he  was  born  February  22, 
1841.  In  1850  he  came  with  his  parents  to  San 
Francisco.     As  is  usually  the   case   with  men   who 


make  their  way  in  the  world,  his  parents  were  not 
wealthy,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  he  had  to  take  off"  his 
jacket  and  earn  his  own  bread.  It  can  be  truly 
said  of  him,  that  he  has  climbed  the  journalistic 
ladder  from  the  verj'  bottom.  In  1851  he  lent  his 
energies  as  fly-boj'  to  the  presses  of  the  .\foniing  Bal- 
ance and  Eoening  Picayune,  in  San  Francisco,  two  jour- 
nals long  since  dead,  and  even  lost  to  memoiy.  From 
tly-boy  be  became  the  "  devil"  of  the  Eeenimj  Journal 
office,  andnextacompositoron  that  paper  and  others. 
In  Januarj-,  18G],  he  came  to  Virginia  City  and,  with 
Joseph  T.  Goodman,  bought  the  Territorial  Enlcrjiriae 
March  2d,  then  a  slow  weekly  paper.  The  two 
3-oung  men  converted  the  slow  weekly  into  a  live 
dailj'.  In  1SG5  .Mr.  .Mct-'arthy,  who  had  made  a 
snug  fortune  for  so  young  a  man,  sold  out  to  Mr. 
Goodman,  returned  to  San  Francisco,  and  deserted 
journalism  for  the  stock  market.  But  he  was  not  a 
success  as  a  speculator,  for  within  four  months  he 
had  lost  his  last  dollar.  By  this  time  he  was  a  hus- 
band and  the  father  of  two  children.  He  returned 
to  Virginia  Citj-  and  engaged  as  foreman  in  what 
but  a  few  months  before  had  boon  his  own  job  ottice. 
In  18G9  he  again  left  Virginia  City  and  became 
a  reporter  on  the  Sacramento  Hfjiorler,  where  he 
developed  a  journalistic  capacity  which  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  profession,  and  in  1870  he 
was  offered  the  position  of  city  editor  of  the  San 
Francisco  Chronicle.  For  two  j'oars  Mr.  McCarthy 
discharged  the  duties  of  this  diflicult  post  with 
energy  and  success.  Ho  left  the  cit}-  editor's  desk 
in  the  Chronicle  otfico  to  take  the   more  responsible 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


327 


place  of  managinj;  editor,  which  he  filled  until  1874, 
when  he  realized  another  fortune  through  his  foro- 
eight  in  anticipating  the  discovery  of  the  "Big 
Bonanza,"  and  conseiiuent  purchase  of  stock  at  a  low 
figure.  It  speedily  rose  in  prico  and  he  gladly,  no 
doubt,  dropped  the  drudgery  of  daily  newspaper 
work. 

A  true  journalist,  however,  cannot  long  remain 
contented  out  of  harness.  Despite  the  hard  and 
constant  toil  which  the  profession  involves,  it  has  a 
fascination  which  one  who  has  felt  it  can  seldom 
resist.  Mr.  McCarthy  was  not  one  of  the  few  who 
are  able  to  bid  the  business  good-bye,  and  although 
having  mean.s  enough  to  have  enabled  him  to  lead  a 
life  of  leisure,  had  he  so  wished,  he  returned  to  Vir- 
ginia City  and  bought  the  Eceniny  Chronicle.  At 
that  time  the  paper  was  in  a  dying  condition — 
indeed  it  had  never  boon  self-sustaining — but  within 
six  mouths  after  its  purchase  by  him  it  had  risen 
from  the  third  rank  among  Storey  County  journals 
to  the  first;  and,  within  the  year,  had  achieved  a 
circulation  greater  than  had  ever  before,  or  has 
since,  been  reached  by  any  newspaper  published  in 
Nevada. 

The  success  of  the  Chronicle  is  not  surprising.  Mr. 
McCarthy  is  confessedly  one  of  the  best  newspaper 
managers  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  as  well  as  one  of  her 
most  thoroughly  trained  journalists.  He  is  a  man 
of  strong  convictions,  a  firm  believer  in  the  Demo- 
cratic theory  of  government,  and  competent  to  ex- 
pound it.  As  a  writer  his  .style  is  peculiarly  forcible; 
clearness,  earnestness,  brevity  and  sound  common 
sense  are  the  characteristics  which  make  it  recog- 
nized. He  has  the  gift  of  seeing  the  heart  of  a 
subject,  and  wastes  no  words  in  making  it  plain  to 
his  readers.  He  has  also  the  true  journalistic  in- 
stinct for  news,  and  knows  how  to  present  it  in  a  fresh 
and  lively  form.  Mr.  MeCarthj'.  notwithstanding 
his  scant  schooling  in  boyhood,  is  a  man  of  educa- 
tion. He  has  read  widely  and  much,  and  as  he  has 
had  no  help  in  gathering  his  knowledge,  it  is  all  his 
own,  and  he  knows  just  where  to  put  his  hand  on  it 
when  he  needs  it.  Personally,  he  is  like  his  editorial 
style — plain,  direct,  kindly  and  eminently  sensible. 
An  utter  absence  of  pretense,  decision  of  manner, 
great  freedom  in  speaking  his  mind  and  unflinching 
fidelitj-  to  his  convictions  of  right,  form  the  founda- 
tion of  a  strong  character  whose  ruggedness  is  re- 
lieved by  a  n:.tive  humor,  warm-hearted  generosity 
and  a  keen  enjoyment  of  social  pleasures. 

Within  the  past  year  Mr.  McCarthy  has  made 
investments  in  Mexican  mining  property,  which 
promise  to  soon  bring  him  a  large  fortune.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  should  his  ex])ectations  in  this  regard 
be  realized  he  will  not  relinquish  the  Chronicle,  for 
his  departure  would  be  a  serious  loss  to  Nevada 
journalisn). 


ARTHLR    n.    M  EWEN. 

This  gentleman  is  the  chief  editorial  writer  of  the 
Virginia  Evening  Chronicle,  and  is  conceded  to  be  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  and  forcible  writers  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  He  was  born  in  Stranrare,  Scotland, 
in  1851.  Came  to  America  in  1853,  and, to  California 
in  1868.  There  was  plenty  of  work  ottering  just 
then  (pick  and  shovel  work  on  the  railroad  between 
Oakland  and  Sacramento),  and  young  McEwen  effected 
a  six  months'  engagement  with  the  contractor  at 
Livermore  Pass.  The  experience  thus  gained  was 
not  profitless,  as  it  supplied  the  young  man  with 
material  for  a  sprightly  and  amusing  lecture  on 
•'Hard  and  Kasy  Shoveling." 

In  1870,  Mr.  McKwen,  then  only  nineteen  years  of 
age,  drifted  into  journalism,  beginning  as  an  occa- 
sional writer  for  religious  weeklies  in  San  Francisco, 
and  profane  dailies  in  Oakland.  Having  accumulated 
suilicient  means  to  defray  the  cost  of  a  year's  board 
and  lodging,  he,  in  1873,  entered  the  State  University 
at  Berkeley,  t'alifornia,  and  began  to  write  for  the 
secular  press.  One  of  his  contributions  to  the  San 
Francisco  CA»-ontc&  attracted  the  particular  attention 
of  the  managing  editor,  who  sent  for  the  j-oung 
student  and  had  an  interview  with  him.  The  result 
was  that  Jlr.  McEwen  abandoned  the  classic  shades 
of  Berkeley  for  a  permanent  engagement  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  stat^'.  Since  that  period  he  has  been 
employed  upon  several  of  the  leading  newspapers  of 
California  and  Nevada,  always  commanding  a  first- 
class  position. 

Mr.  McEwen's  solidcst  claim  to  rank  as  a  leading 
man  in  his  profession,  however,  rests  upon  the  record 
he  has  made  on  the  Virginia  Eceitiny  Chronicle.  In 
January,  1879.  he  was  engaged  as  special  correspond- 
ent for  that  paper  during  the  session  of  the  State 
Legislature  in  Carson  City.  A  strong  effort  was 
made  by  the  best  members  of  the  Legislature  to 
enact  some  laws  which  it  was  hoped  would  relieve 
the  people  from  what  were  generally  regarded  as 
oppressive  exactions  of  the  railroad  companies.  Mr. 
McEwen  entered  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  zealous 
nature  into  the  crusade,  and  by  his  able  and  fearless 
letters  aroused  the  jicoplo  of  the  entire  State  to  such 
an  extent,  that  allhougli  the  battle  was  for  the  time 
I  lost,  many  of  the  faithless  representatives  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  State  by  their  indignant  con- 
stituents. 

Mr.  McEwen's  management  of  the  Chronicle  edi- 
torial department  throughout  the  last  Presidential 
campaign  stamped  him  as  one  of  the  most  vigorous 
I  political  writers  in  America.  For  the  first  time  in 
her  history  the  electoral  vole  of  the  State  was  given 
to  the  Democratic  caiMruiatc,  and  the  leading  Demo- 
crats of  Storey  County  showed  thoir  appreciation  of 
Mr.  McEwen's  great  services  by  presenting  him 
(through  the  Chairman  of  the  State  Central  Com- 
mittee) with  a  costlj'  and  elegant  watch  and  chain. 
Mr,  McEwen  is  now  but  thirty  years  of  ago.  To  his 
natural  gifts  of  keen  common  sense,  fine  powers  of 


328 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


language  and  manly  integrity,  are  added  untiring 
industry  and  studious  habits.  Those  who  know  hira 
best,  predict  of  AriLur  .McEwen,  that  in  a  very  tew 
years  he  will  have  acquired  a  national  reputation  as 
one  of  the  best  thinkers  and  writers  of  his  time. 

THE   D.ilLY    INDEPENDENT. 

This  was  a  paper  started  in  the  interests  of  Adolph 
Sutro,  at  Virginia  City,  on  the  first' of  June,  1874, 
John  I.  (rinn  being  its  editor,  but  afterwards  removed 
to  Lyon  County. 

CO .M  STOCK    D.\1LY    RECORD. 

This  was  a  daily  issue,  started  by  \V.  Frank  Stew- 
art, in  September,  1876,  at  Virginia  Cit}',  and  lived 
one  week. 


THE  PEESS  OF   WASHOE   COUNTY. 

W.iSHOE   TIMES. 

The  pioneer  paper  of  Washoe  Countj'  was  a 
weekl3-  started  at  Washoe  Citj%  by  G.  W.  Derickson, 
with  Gen.  James  Allen  as  editor,  on  the  eighteenth 
of  October,  18G2.  It  was  a  twenty-four  column 
paper,  21x28  inches,  price  five  dollars  per  jear. 
Republican  in  politics.  On  the  twentj'-third  of  Jan- 
uary, 18G3,  ilr.  Derickson  was  shot  and  killed  bj"  H. 
F.  Swayze,  and  General  Allen  became  jjroprietor  on 
the  thirteenth  of  the  ensuing  month,  remaining  so 
until  his  death,  October  3l8t  of  the  same  year.  Gen- 
eral Allen  died  suddenly  while  attending  the  first 
State  Fair  at  Carson  City,  and  B.  F.  .Derickson  con- 
tinued the  publication  of  the  Times  as  administrator 
of  Allen's  estate.  Judge  C.  C.  Goodwin  became  its 
editor,  retaining  that  ])Osition  until  it  passed,  bj'  sale, 
into  the  hands  of  John  K.  Lovejoy,  who  changed  its 
name  on  becoming  proprietor,  December  12,  1863,  to 

THE   OLD   PAH    UTAH. 

The  jjolitics  of  the  Old  rah  Utuh  was  Republican, 
as  had  been  that  of  the  Times,  a.\\d  it  became  a  very 
lively  sheet  under  the  new  management.  Mr.  Love- 
joy  was  a  relative  of  the  Lovejoys  of  Illinois,  the 
great  abolitionists  of  early  days,  one  of  whom,  Owen, 
was  killed  at  Alton,  Illinois,  because  of  his  Free  Soil 
sentiments.  No  change  was  made  in  the  price  or 
form  of  the  j)a])er,  but  some  of  its  editorials  and 
locals  had  a  peculiar  turn  to  them,  that  would  at 
this  day  exclude  the  sheet  from  the  homes  of 
respectable  families.  In  1864,  April  16th,  Mr.  Love- 
joy  sold  the  remaining  half  of  the  Puk  Utah  to  E.  B. 
Wilson,  the  other  hall'  having  been  previously  dis- 
posed of  to  William  Gregory,  and  moving  to  Vir- 
ginia, started  the  Duihj  Old  Piu/e. 

The  new  Washoe  firm  dropj)ed  the  old  name  and 
hoisted  in  place  of  it  at  the  head  of  I  heir  columns 
that  of 

WASHOE    WEEKLY    STAR. 

Each  change  of  firm  with  that  pioneer  Washoe 
paper  seemed  to  develoj)  a  new  name  by  which  to 
call  it,  and  the  old  Times  had  come  at  last  by  trans- 


migration to  be  known  as  a  Sfnr  in  the  constellation 
oi'  Nevada  newspapers.  No  change  was  made  in 
size  or  price,  but  on  the  evening  of  the  seventh  of  May 
Wilson  became  sole  proprietor,  and  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  of  January,  1865,  this  Utai-  dropped  from  the 
journalistic  heavens,  and  the  old  name  assumed. 
Thus,  bj-  an  after-birth,  doomed  to  a  brief  exist- 
ence, came  upon  the  stage  the  second 

WASHOE    WEEKLY   TIMES. 

With  an  unbroken  consistency,  this  change  of  head- 
light indicated  a  change  also  in  the  proprietors,  and 
De  Lashmutt  A  Co.  appear  as  owners,  the  names  of 
V.  B.  DeLashmutt,  J.  G.  Law  and  Charles  S.  Clark, 
being  given  as  the  members  of  that  firm,  the  latter 
having  editorial  charge.  July  17,  1865,  Law  retired, 
and  August  26th,  Prentice  &  Co.  became  proprietors, 
with  J.  C.  Lewis  as  owner  of  two-thirds  and  editor 
under  the  new  arrangement.  Business  called  Mr. 
Lewis  to  California,  and  in  his  absence  Prentice  con- 
fessed judgment  upon  a  demand  against  the  office, 
and  about  November  20,  1865,  it  was  seized  by  the 
Sheriff.  This  forced  a  suspension,  and  thus  ended 
the  career  of  the  pioneer  paper  of  Washoe  Countj'. 

THE   EASTERN    SLOPE. 

J.  C.  Lewis,  Esq.,  finding  himself  out  in  the  cold, 
purchased  the  material  of  the  old  Carson  Post,  and 
started  the  above-named  paper  December  9,  1865, 
at  Washoe  City.  It  was  a  weekly,  and  in  all 
mechanical  ways,  as  well  as  in  size  and  price,  was 
a  reproduction  of  the  deceased  Washoe  Weekly 
Times.  In  the  first  issue  Mr.  Lewis,  in  reply  to 
some  not  over-friendly  mention  of  his  undertaking 
that  had  appeared  in  the  Virginia  Union,  stated 
that:  — 

I'ersonally  we  take  no  offense  to  the  Uuiou's  com- 
ments on  our  entei'prise,  but  in  behalf  of  the  cred- 
itors of  the  institution,  we  must  protest.  They,  ])oor 
devils  !  were  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  be  in  at  the 
divide.  Mr.  V.  A.  Prentice  divided  the  Washoe 
Times.  ])utting  one-h;>lf  in  one  pocket  and  the  other 
half  in  the  other,  and  is  now,  we  believe,  the  lucky 
]K)ssessor  of  the  entire  material,  jiress,  type  and 
furniture,  as  well  as  the  dues  of  the  office — in  fact 
everything  connected  therewith,  save  and  except 
the  liabilities  of  the  office,  which  he  generously 
allows  the  holders  to  continue  to  hold. 

The  EasleiH  Slope  was  conducted  with  vigor  and 
success  until  the  decline  of  Washoe  City,  and  the 
sudden  growth  of  Reno  led  the  proprietor  to  remove 
to  the  new  town  and  issue  the 

RENO   CRESCENT. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  1868,  appeared  the  first 
nunilier,  it  being  the  first  )>a])er  ]tublished  in  the  town 
of  Reno,  then  but  a  few  months  old.  From  October 
22d  to  November  12,  1870,  the  Crescent  was  a  daily. 
January  2,  1873,  W.  C.  Lewis,  son  of  the  pro])rietor, 
became  editor.  March  31, 1874,  it  was  again  changed 
from  a  weekly  to  a  dailj',  and  in  1875  the  paper 
passed  into  the  hands  of  J.  C.  Dow,  who  changed  its 
name  and  politics  to  the 


A  ^.   (P^ 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN   NEVADA. 


329 


DAILY    NEVADA    DEMOCKAT. 

Mr.  Dow's  first  issue  of  tho  Demorrat  bears  date 
June  30,  1SV5,  but  his  coiiueetion  witli  the  paper  was 
short  lived,  and^  in  a  few  months,  the  establishment 
was  .sold  to  Henry  .Mitchell,  who  running  it  in  debt, 
publication  ceased.  The  material  was  stored  for 
about  a  year,  when  it  was  purchased  and  used  in  the 
publication  of  the 

RKNO    DAILY    RECORD. 

The  first  nuiDber  of  this  sheet  was  issued  .Mondaj', 
August  5,  1878,  by  U.  A.  Waldo,  W.  W.  Ellis  and  B. 
M.  Barnc}',  under  the  firm  name  of  "  H.  A.  Waldo  & 
Co."  It  began  with  tweiifj- eolunms,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 9th  was  increased  to  twenty-four.  September 
30th  the  Record  Publishing  Company,  E.  F.  Reep, 
manager,  obtained  control,  and  November  1,  1878, 
8.  F.  Hoole,  becoming  sole  editor  and  proprietor, 
soon  moved  the  material  to  Bodio,  California,  where 
it  now  is  used  in  the  publication  of  the  Bodie  News. 

NEVADA    STATE    JOURNAL. 

J.  G.  Law  &  Co.  commenced  the  publication  of  a 
weekly  twentj'-four-column  paper  at  Reno,  under  the 
above  name,  Wednesday,  November  23,  1870.  The 
associates  of  .Mr.  T^aw  were  W.  II.  H.  Fellows  and  E. 
A.  Littlefield.  August  2tJ,  1871,  tho  interest  of  Mr. 
Littlefieid,  by  sale,  passed  to  his  partners.  Febru- 
arj-  5,  1873,  the  j)ubiication  was  changed  to  a  semi- 
weeklj-,  and  it  continued  such  until  April  1,  1874, 
when  the  change  to  a  dail}-  and  woekl3'  was  made, 
and  has  continued  until  the  present  time. 

June  15,  1S72,  J.  U.  Law  sold  to  C.  C.  Powniiig, 
and  tho  firm  became  Fellows  &  Powning,  until  Sep- 
tember 5,  1874,  when  the  latter  purchased  the  for- 
mer's interest.  Thus  Mr.  Powning,  who  had  entered 
the  office  as  "  devil,"  became  sole  proprietor  and 
editor. 

Tho  Journal  under  Mr.  Powning's  management  in 
politics  is  Republican,  and  has  attained  and  main- 
tained an  active  and  substantial  position  among  the 
leading  jjapers  of  the  Slate,  where  it  is  read  with 
interest,  because  of  tho  solid,  logical  tone  of  its  edi- 
torials, that  are  known  to  have  weight  in  influencing 
action  in  Nevada.  Wo  here  insert  a  brief  but  in- 
teresting sketch  of 

HON.    C.    C.    POWNING, 

Who  was  born  in  tho  village  of  Jeflferson,  near  Hazel 
Green,  (Jrant  County,  Wisconsin,  on  the  twenty-third 
of  February,  1852. 

He  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  three  years. 
He  remained  in  Jefl'erson  with  his  grandmother  until 
1803,  when  he  came  to  California.  In  1808  he  removed 
to  Nevada,  and  permanently  located  at  Reno  in 
1870,  filling  the  ])()siti<)n  of  '-devil"  on  the  Necwhi  Silale 
JourtKtl,  a  i)aper  started   just  at  that  time. 

In  1872  he  became  a  half  owner  in  the  concern, 
and  in  1874  its  sob;  jn'oprielor. 

In  1878  he  was  elected  State  Senator  from  Washoe 
county,  by  a  majority  of  thirty-seven  over  both  his 
competitors  on  the  Democratic  and  Workingmen's 
ticket. 


Although  the  youngest  man  ever  elected  to  tho 
Nevada  Senate,  ho  at  once  took  a  front  rank  among 
its  members,  and  by  his  recognized  ability  main- 
tained that  position.  As  Senator  he  came  to  tho 
front  in  the  great  question  of  the  future — the  contest 
of  the  people  against  monopolj-.  As  an  orphan, 
fighting  his  way  in  tho  world,  dependent  upon  his 
own  resources,  and  inspired  to  a  noble  ambition  by 
his  own  genius,  he  has  grown  to  manhood  void  of  the 
prejudices  of  a  narrow  circle  or  sectarian  influence, 
and  entered  the  field  of  politics  and  legislation 
untrammeled  but  by  principles  of  justice  and  right. 
He  entered  the  field  at  a  fortunate  time,  and  with  a 
clear  head  struck  the  right  course.  The  old  dogmas 
which  had  disturbed  jjolitics  had  been  swept  into  the 
rubbish  of  the  past  with  the  questions  of  pope  and 
king,  church  supremacy.  State  rights,  free  trade, 
slavery,  and  the  like,  and  before  '•  j'oung  America" 
appears  the  mighty  strife  of  the  common  classes — 
the  great  industrial  bodj'  of  the  Republic,  its  stability 
in  peace  and  its  strength  in  war — and  the  aggregated 
wealth  of  soulless  incorpations.  Tho  j-oung  legis- 
lator saw  his  opportunity,  and  improved  it  by  hastily, 
abl)'  and  energetically  taking  up  the  cause  of  the 
people.  His  State  is  overridden  by  the  moneyed 
I  kings,  who  rule  it  more  tyrannically,  treat  the  people 
more  eontemptuouslj',  exact  tribute  more  arbitrarily, 
and  assume  more  ostentatious  greatness  and  power 
than  ever  did  potentate  ruling  by  right  divine.  In 
this  field,  fighting  for  the  rights  of  the  people,  he 
;  gave  manj-  trenchant  blows,  and  now  a  ])osition 
'  that  promises  him  a  life  of  usefulness  and  future 
fame.  While  zealous  in  the  interests  of  his  county, 
he  extended  his  efforts  in  the  welfare  of  his  State, 
and  some  of  tho  most  beneficial  Acts  of  tho  Legisla- 
ture owed  their  success  to  his  cfibrts. 

Without  the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education  and 
influential  friends,  alone,  unaided,  he  has  attained  a 
j  position  gratifying  alike  to  himself  and  his  friends, 
I  and  presenting  an  instance  of  that  success  which 
is  possible  under  our  institutions,  and  which  is 
attained  by  persistent  application  and  untiring 
energy,  involving  years  of  toil  and  study.  His 
name  bids  fair  to  be  inscril)ed  upon  the  roll  of  those 
who  will  be  honored  l>y  foremost  ])ositions  in  Ne- 
vada's future  history. 

ItKNO    ENENINll    (lA/KTTK. 

This  is  a  Republican  journal  of  wide  circulation 
and  acknowledged  rank,  published  ovory  evening  at 
Reno,  to  which  a  large  eight- page  edition  is  added 
once  a  week.  The  first  number  of  the  Gm<iti:  was 
printed  on  tho  twonty-eighth  of  iLarch,  1870,  in  a 
little  office  on  ('ommercial  Row,  opposite  the  Depot 
Hotel.  John  !•'.  Alexander,  a  recent  graduate  of  tho 
University  of  California,  only  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  being  joined  by  .Mr.  Ilaj'den,  started  the  enter- 
prise, and  achieved  merited  success  from  the  start. 
The  young  man  Alexander  had  been  a  resident  of 
Nevada  since  185!t,  having  come  with  his  parents 
when  a  child  but  five  yeare  old. 


330 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE^OF  NEVADA. 


Ill  1877  the  establishment  was  moved  into  its 
present  quarters,  west  of  the  plaza,  and  the  eight- 
page  weekly  edition  was  started  in  April  of  that 
year. 

The  partnership  between  Alexander  and  llayden 
finally  ceased,  the  former  becoming  sole  owner, 
September  2,  1878;  and  after  enlarging  the  paper, 
sold  out  to  R,  L.  Fulton  and  \V.  F.  Edwards  on 
the  nineteenth  of  November,  that  year.  Later, 
Mr.  Fulton  became,  and  still  remains,  the  sole 
owner  and  publisher  of  the  Guzette.  This  paper 
has  been  Republican  in  politics,  with  sufficient  inde- 
pendence to  prevent  its  approving  measures  simply 
because  they  emanated  from  the  party;  has  advo- 
cated reforms  advantageous  to  the  county,  and 
exerted  an  influence  beneficial  to  the  State. 

THE    PLAINUEALER. 

The  first  issue  of  the  Plaindealer,  at  Reno,  was 
in  March,  1881,  with  M.  H.  Ilogan  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. It  is  a  four-column,  eight-page  weekly, 
and  is  printed  on  paper  23x32  inches.  It  advocates 
the  principles  of  the  National  Greenback  party. 


THE  PREj<S  of  white  PINE  COUNTY. 
Following  the  great  mining  excitement  attending 
the  discovery  of  the  Hidden  Treasure  and  Eber- 
hardt  mines  of  Treasure  Hill,  in  18G8,  came  the 
printer  with  press  and  type;  and  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  day  of  December,  1868,  the  first  number  of 
the  White  Fine  News  was  published  by  Messrs.  W. 
H.  Pitchford  and  Robert  W.  Simpson.  The  press 
and  material,  as  well  as  the  publishers  and  printers, 
had  come  from  the  Reese  River  Reveille  office,  at 
Austin,  though  having  first  been  used  in  printing 
the  Silver  Bend  Reporter.  The  iVews  began  life  as  a 
weekly,  with  six  columns  to  the  page,  independent 
in  polities,  but  devoted  to  the  development  of  the 
mining  interests  of  the  immediate  vicinity.  The 
office  was  one  of  the  earliest  buildings  erected  in 
Treasure  City,  and  the  News  had  the  honor  of  being 
the  most  -elevated"  daily  paper  in  the  world,  the 
locality  having  an  elevation  of  over  9,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea. 

On  the  summit  of  this  bleak  and  storm-driven 
peak  flourished  a  city  of  5,000  inhabitants,  busy 
in  search  of  other  bonanzas  like  the  extraordinary 
one  that  had  attracted  them  hither.  Here  was  a 
good  field  for  a  newBpai)cr,  and  the  News  pros- 
pered. Myron  Angel,  I'ormerly  of  the  Reveille, 
became  the  editor,  and  in  February  the  paper  was 
advanced  to  a  triweekly,  and  in  March  to  a  daily, 
with  John  I.  Ginn  as  "local."  In  April,  George  \V. 
Cassidy,  now  Member  of  Congress,  succeeded  Mr. 
Ginn,  and  thus  became  attached  to  the  ])ress  of  Ne- 
vada. Among  the  citizensof  this  city  in  the  clouds  was 
an  experienced  and  distinguished  editor  and  printer, 
Mr.  William  J,  Forbes,  formerly  of  the  UumhohU 
Register,   and    late    of   the    Virginia    I'respass,  who 


had  left  the    profession  in  disgust,  saying    he  was 
tired    of   working    to    please    one    in    twenty ;    he 
would    now    work    for    the    other    nineteen  ;    and 
therefore    had    established  a  saloon,  thinking    sell- 
ing whisky  a  shorter  road  to  wealth  than  publish- 
ing a  newspaper.     But  "once  an  editor,  always  an 
editor."    it  is  said,  and  Forbes  was    uneasy  out  of 
his   old  vocation,  so    in    May,  1809,  he    leased   the 
News,    and    became   its    editor,  and    in    July    pur- 
chased a  half   interest.      The  paper  was    enlarged 
to  nine  columns,  which  size  it  retained  until  1S73, 
and  was    distinguished  for    its    fine    typographical 
appearance  as  well  as  the  ability  of  its  editorial  man- 
agement.     In  January',  1870,  the  News  was  removed 
to  Hamilton,  which  place  had  been  made  the  county 
seat  of  White  Pine  County.       Under  Mr.  Forbes'  con- 
trol the  paper  was  a  pronounced  and  active  Republi- 
can advocate,  being  noted  as  a  political  power.      In 
1873,  A.  Skillman  and  Fred  Elliott   purchased  the 
office,  reduced  the  size  of  the  paper,  and  changed 
its  political  character  to    Democratic.      From    this 
date     the    News    experienced     many     vicissitudes. 
Skillman  &  Elliott   continued   the   publication    until 
1875,    when    Mr.    Elliott    retired    from    the     firm, 
the  senior  partner  maintaining  the    paper  as  a  tri- 
weekly and  as  a  weekly  until  November,  1878,  when 
its  publication  was  suspended,  Mr.  Skillman    trans- 
ferring his  capital  and  energies  to  the  Sentinel,  in  the 
neighboring  county  of  Eureka.     Several  efforts  were 
made  to  revive  the  News  at  Hamilton,  but  the   issue 
of  December  23,  1880,  says  the  material  of  the  office 
will  be  removed  to  Cherry  Creek,  where   the  paper 
will  be  published  hereafter,  Mr.  W.  11.   Forrest  and 
Mr.  W.  Jj.  Davis  being  the  proprietors. 

THE   INLAND    E.MPIRE. 

The  promising  field  of  White  Pine,  as  it  appeared 
in  the  fall  and  winter  of  18G8-C9,  was  very  inviting 
to  the  enterprising  journalist,  and  two  experienced 
and  skilled  gentlemen  of  the  craft,  Mr.  James  J. 
Ayers,  formerly  of  the  San  Francisco  Call,  now  of 
the  Ijos  Angeles  Express,  and  Mr.  C.  A.  V.  Putnam, 
at  present  connected  with  the  Terriloriul  Enterprise, 
prepared  themselves  with  one  of  the  most  complete 
outfits  ever  put  in  a  printing-office  outside  of  the  large 
commercial  cities,  and  by  great  labor  and  expense 
transported  it  to  Hamilton  in  February,  1869,  and  in 
.March  following  issued  the  first  number  of  the 
D(iili)  Iiihriid  Empire.  This  was  a  large,  handsome 
paper  and  well  conducted,  but  with  the  decline  in  the 
"  White  Pine  excitement,"  the  roseate  hue  of  the 
promised  wealth  and  tame  faded  into  sombre  colors, 
the  enthusiastic  publishers  succumbed  to  their  fate, 
and  the  [idtmd  Empire  ceased  to  bo,  the  last  publica- 
tion being  in  Aj)ril,  1S70.  Rut  the  end  was  not  yet. 
The  News  being  a  powerful  political  element  on  the 
Kopublican  side,  the  Democrats,  wishing  to  counter- 
act its  influence,  ))urcha,sed  the  material  of  the /jt/n»«f 
Empire,  and  revived  its  publication  in  the  guberna- 
torial campaign  of  1870,  under  the  charge  of  G.  W. 
Cassidy.    The  result  of  the  campaign  was  the  election 


\\/Sfy?^i£^r~ 


William  mjoney 


HISTORY  OF  JOURNALISM  IN  NEVADA. 


331 


of  L.  R.  Bradley,  G-overnor,  whose  money  had  been 
chiefl}-  instrumental  in  revivinj^  the  i)ai)er.  The 
objec-t  aceompiifshed.  the  paper  ceased,  and  soon  after 
the  material  was  sold  to  H.  C.  Patrick,  who  removed 
it  to  Stockton,  California. 

THE    EVENINC!  TELEURA.M. 

The  rivalry  between  the  While  J'iue  A^ews  utTreas- 
ure  Citj',  and  the  Inlmul  Hmju're  at  Hamilton — both 
large  and  able  morninu;  pa])er8 — induced  Forbes  of 
the  lYeion  to  enter  into  an  arrani^ement  with  Pat  Hol- 
land, who  had  been  the  carrier  of  the  lalanil  Empire 
and  become  dissatisfied  with  his  business  relations 
with  that  establishment,  whereby  Holland  should 
ostensibly  be  the  publisher  of  an  evening  paper  to 
be  circulated  in  Hamilton,  hoping  thereby  to  lessen 
the  circulation  and  advertising  of  the  Empire.  In 
accordance  with  this  arrangement,  the  Evening  Tele- 
ffram  sprang  into  life  in  the  winter  of  1869,  with  Pat 
Holland  as  proprietor.  \V.  J.  Forbes  wrote  its 
"  heavy"  editorials,  while  Fred  Hart  tried  his  maiden 
pen  upon  the  "  locals."  It  was  printed  in  the  office 
of  the  White  Pine  News  on  Treasure  Hill,  and  ceased 
its  existence  when  the  Intmul  Emj/ire  succumbed. 

THE    SHER.MANTOWN    REPORTER. 

In  the  early  part  of  ISiU),  E.  F.  McElwain  and  U. 
E.  Allen  began  the  publication  of  the  Hhermantown 
Reporter,  with  Wm.  H.  Clipperton  as  editor,  which 
was  printed  with  the  material  and  press  formerly  used 
by  the  Mountain  Cluimpion  at  Belmont.  Subse- 
quently it  came  into  the  possession  of  A.  Skillman 
and  G.  A.  Brier,  but  had  only  a  short  existence. 
The  material  and  press  were  moved  bj'  Skillman  k 
Co.  to  Eureka,  and  there  used  in  starting  the  Senti- 
nel. The  press  was  a  peripatetic  one,  a  small  Wash- 
ington, and  had  been  in  use  in  the  publication  of  the 
Ni)<'  Comity  Xeii;s  as  well  as  the  Moantain  Choiiipioti, 
within  the  knowledge  of  the  writer  hereof,  and  was 
an  ancient  affair  when  he  first  saw  it.  The  Carson 
Appeal  o(  l\i\.y  1!),  187(1,  says:  '•  G.  A.  Brier,  editor 
of  the  Shermantown  Reporter,  dropped  dead  aljout 
three  o'clock  this  afternoon,  in  the  office  of  Wells, 
Fargo  &  Co.,  at  Shermantown." 

THE   SCHEI.r,   CREEK    PROSPECT, 

Chronologically,  comes  next  in  the  list  of  White  Pine 
newspapers.  In  1872  the  mines  of  the  Schell  Creek 
range  of  mountains  gave  great  ])roinise  of  wealth, 
and  the  village  of  Schellbourne  grew  into  impor- 
tance. As  every  thrifty  village  of  the  Silver  State 
must  have  a  paper,  Messrs.  Forbes  A:  Pilchford,  of 
the  While  Pine  News,  at  Hamilton  in  the  same  countj', 
supplied  the  demand,  and  established  a  six-column 
weekly,  calling  it  the  Schell  Creek  Prospect,  issuing 
the  first  number  in  July,  1872.  This  continued  for 
a  period  of  six  months,  when,  in  January,  \>>~\i,  the 
office  was  abandoned,  the  building  removed,  and  the 
press,  type,  cases,  etc.,  left  exposed  to  the  mercy  of 
the  elements.  Some  of  it  was  subsequently  gathered 
together  and  moved  to  Battle  Mountain,  in  Lan- 
der County,  where  Mr.  Forbes  produced  his  Measure 
for  Measure. 


THE    WARD    MINER. 

In  the  historj-  of  the  press  a  paper  is  a  paper, 
whether  it  be  the  size  of  a  postal  card  or  a  blanket 
sheet.  The  Ward  Miner,  as  it  appeared  in  the  fall  of 
187(!,  was  neither  of  these,  but  was  literally  a  7x0 
paper,  being  about  the  size  of  a  sheet  of  notepaper, 
and  published  by  Mark  W.  Musgrove.  The  wealth 
of  the  Martin  White  mine,  and  the  rich  croppings 
of  many  quartz  ledges  in  the  neighborhood,  had 
attracted  a  large  population  to  Ward,  and  the  field 
seemed  promising  for  a  newspaper.  Musgrove  was 
not  an  experienced  journalist,  and  his  paper  did 
not  prosper  exceedingly,  therefore  ho  transferred 
his  office  and  his  "  good-will "  to  Mr.  Robert  W. 
Simpson,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  journalism  in 
Nevada,  who  then  established 

THE    W.\Rr)    REFLEX. 

Issuing  his  first  number  April  1!',  1877,  making  it  a 
handsome  paper  with  five  columns  to  the  page,  which 
appears  the  favorite  size  in  the  mining  regions  of 
Nevada.  The  Reflex  is  independent  in  politics, 
though  with  Democratic  proclivities,  ardently  devot- 
ing itself  to  the  interest  of  its  section. 


R.    IV.  Simpson, 

Although  young  in  j-ears,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Nevada,  having  commenced  his  work  on  the  Reese 
River  Reveilk  in  18(J8,  then  a  stalwart  lad  fresh  from 
Missouri.  In  18t)8,  in  company  with  W.  H.  Pitch- 
ford,  he  established  the  White  Pine  News,  and  in  1871, 
he  became  ])art  owner  of  the  Pioche  h'ecord.  in  which 
paper  ho  remained  until  moving  to  Ward,  in  1877. 
As  a  pioneer  of  the  State  so  is  he  a  pioneer  in 
journalism,  filling  e\iprj-  jiosition  in  the  routine  of 
newsjiaper- making  faithfully  and  well.  From  his 
advent  into  the  "Snowy  State"  until  the  present  he 
has  not  crossed  its  boundaries,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  brief  intervals  when  some  mining 


332 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  01'  NEVADA. 


Bpeculation  made  him  a  millionaire,  or  attracted  by 
bright  prospects  to  develop  some  promising  claim  he 
has  kei)t  his  nasal  organ  in  close  proximity  to  the 
space-box.  As  a  faithful  friend,  honorable  gentleman 
and  deserving  journalist,  he  has  no  superior. 

THE    CHERRY    CREEK    INDEI'E.NDENT. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1878,  the  first  number  of 
the  Cherry  Creek  Imkpendenf  was  issued  bj-  Mr.  B. 
M.  Barnej-,  who  continued  it  about  two  months, 
when  he  sold  to  A.  V.  Hoyt,  who  ran  it  about  one 
year,  when  it  ceased  to  be.  The  pai)er  was,  with 
five-column  pages.  Independent  Democratic  in  poli- 
tics, and  had  a  circulation  of  about  250  copies. 


In  the  review  of  the  press  of  Nevada  many  reflec- 
tions will  arise,  and  diverse  opinions  be  formed.     To 
some  it  will    appear   as   if  newspapers    have   been 
born  but  to  die,  and  that  their  founders  either  were 
wanting  in  common  judgment,  or  conducted  their 
enterprise  with  a  want  of  common  ability.     To  them 
it  has  appeared  as  the  graveyard  of  papers,  and  the 
purgatory  of    publishers.     But  Nevada    came   into 
being,  and  has   existed   under   peculiar  conditions. 
Here   was   a    broad    expanse    of    unex])lored    and 
unknown  regions,  which,  upon  investigation,  proved 
of  unusual  character,  and  developed  resources  of  a 
kind    previously  unknown   to    Americans.      Excite- 
ment,  the    desire    for    adventure,    and    consequent 
"rushes"   attended    explorations   and    development, 
and,  with   true  American   enterprise,  the  press,  the 
school,  and  the  church  quickly  followed  in  the  wake. 
As  towns  built  up  the  newspapers  appeared,  and  as 
the    miners    moved    on    there    went    the  printing 
material.     The   conditions  were  far   difterent  from 
the  staid  farming  regions  of  the  Mississippi  or  Cali- 
fornia valleys,  where  the  reproductive  soil  contains  a 
perennial  resource,  and  where  a  paper  once  planted 
maj-  grow  with    the  crops.     If  Nevada  counts  its 
hundred  journals,  once  flourishing  as  so  manj'  dis- 
tinct papers,  then  enterprise  has  exceeded  judgment; 
but,  generally,  they  are  but  changes  of  name  and  of 
location.     However,  if  often  failing,  the  press  of  the 
State  has  been  peculiar  from   its  superiority.     For 
this  it  is  distinguished.     Compared  with  the  papers 
of  other  States,  counties  or  towns  of  equal  popula- 
tion   throughout     the    Republic,    Ihey    are  jiroudly 
superior.     Established    in  a    period   of    excitement, 
they  seem  to   maintain  a  fever  heat  and  constant 
strain  throughout  iheir  career.     As  the  most  enter- 
prising of  a  people  are  the  jjioneers,  so  must  editors 
and  publishers  maintain  the  front  rank.     In  Nevada 
their  record  has  been  most  honorable,  and  to  editors 
and  publishers  is,  more  than  to  any  other  element,  due 
the  progress  the  State  has  made,  the  maintaining  of 
law  and  order,  the   exposition  of  the   resources,  and 
the  procuring  of  the  ca])ital  for  their  develojiment. 
No  class  have  done  better  work,  or  more  unselfishly, 
and  none  have  been   so  poorlj-  remunerated.     Many 
of  those  who  have  advanced  to  wealth,  have  profited 


by  public  offico,  sold  town  lots,  mining  claims,  main- 
tained business,  or  strutted  under  titles,  have  owed 
it  all  to  the  services  of  the  local  paper,  and  at  the 
same  time  falsclj-  attribute  their  success  to  their 
own  wisdom  and  importance. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BAR  AND  BENCH  OF  NEVADA. 

[hV  HON.  C.  N.  IUKKIS.] 

First  Case  in  the  Territory — Probate  Court  of  Carson  County — 
First  Se.ssi"n  of  the  Court — The  First  Criminal  Case— First 
Ailmissinii  to  tlie  Bar — Unite<l  States  Di.strict  < 'ourt — Judge 
Druniiniiiid  Vacates — Drummoud  .Succeeded  by  Cradlel>augh 
— Aihnissiou  of  Attorneys  —  A  Grand  Jury  Impaneled — 
The  First  Indictments — Court  Expenses  for  the  Term — 
Special  Term  of  Court — Judge  Cradlebaugh  Sui>erse<K<l — 
Unpopular  Indictments  ^  Nev.ida  Territory  Judiciary  — 
.Juilge  Mott  .Succeeded  by  Judge  North — The  One-lx-dge  and 
Two-Ledge  Theories — Changes  of  Prosecuting  Attorneys — 
Homily  Upon  Nevada  Courts — First  State  Judges  Klected — 
Later  Supreme  .Judges — Attorney  (Generals  of  Nevada — 
Judicial  Districts  of  the  State — District  .Judges  Elected — 
■ludicial  Districts  Reorganized,  and  District  .Judges  Subse- 
quently Elected — Most  Upright  and  Honorable  Judges — 
Slenibers  of  the  Bar  of  Nevad.a — A  Retrospective  View. 

The  history  of  the  courts,  judges,  lawyers,  and 
litigation  within  the  territory  now  embraced  by  the 
State  of  Nevada,  extends  back  to  dates  nearlj-  cov- 
ered with  the  first  emigration  across  the  plains  to 
California. 

The  Jformon  assertion  of  jurisdiction  was  not 
strictly  limited  to  anj^  confines  short  of  the  sur- 
veys which  formed  the  eastern  boundary  of  Cali- 
fornia, although  it  was  not  much  earlier  than  1853 
when  the  advanced  settlements  of  the  Mormons 
began  to  dot  the  valleys  skirting  the  easterly  decliv- 
ities of  the  Sierra.  For  the  first  year  or  two  the 
Spanish  members  that  occupied  the  vast  wilds  that 
extend  from  Salt  Lake  to  the  Sierra  Nevada.  re(|uired 
little  or  nothing  in  the  way  of  regularlj^  organized 
judicial  tribunals.  There  was  room  for  all,  without 
any  clash  of  possessionarj-  or  legal  rights,  and  the 
powerful  motive  and  necessity  for  mutual  protection 
subserved  all  such  purposes  of  civil  government  as 
were  not  directly  administered  by  the  church  hier- 
archy at  Salt  Lake. 

FIRST   CASK   IN    THE   TERRITORY. 

It  seems,  however,  that  in  1853  one  E.  L.  Barnard 
was  acting  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  on  March 
14th  of  that  year  the  first  legal  cause  was  brought 
before  him  bj'  John  Reese  against  Woodward  &  Co., 
by  attachment,  for  the  recoveiy  of  StiTS.  The  full 
particulars  of  this  case  will  bo  found  on  page  34, 
and  is  simply  mentioned  bore  to  show  when  the 
wheels  of  the  jtidicial  tribunal  were  first  jtut  in 
motion. 

PROBATE  COURT  OF  CAHSC iN  COUNTY. 

In  1855  the  Probate  Court  in  and  for  Carson 
County,  Utah  Territorj-,  was  held  by  Orson  Hyde, 
the  Probate  Judge,  at  the  Mormon  settlement 
located  where  (ienoa  now  stands.  The  County  of 
Carson,    then    recently    organized,    was    well    nigh 


332 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  01'  NEVADA. 


speculation  made  him  a  millionaire,  or  attracted  by 
bright  pro8i)ect8  to  develop  some  promising  claim  he 
has   kept  his  nasal  organ   in  close  proximitj-  to  the 
space-bo.x.     As  a  faithful  friend,  honorable  ffent'— 
and  deserving  journalist,  he  h->-  - 


by  public  office,  sold  town  lots,  m' 
tained  business,  or  strut  •'■ ' 
it  all  ♦-  " 


lO 

■r 


( 
the 
M. 
wh 
yea 
five 
tics 


culalion  of  abou' 


'    11  A  F  'i 
HISTORY  OF  THEBAE  AMj  Bf-slv-i.^  Ur   NEVADA. 

t*-  Oourt  of  Parsnn  County — 

■      '  ••  ""'-St 


Will   ap] 


'triditions  vf- 


1 

tioi 
son 
bor 
wai 
ent 
it  h 
pur 
bcii 
He) 
unk 
of  1 
kin< 
mei 
"ru: 
and 

BCh( 

As  1 

the 

mat 

the 

forii 

perc 

ma> 

hiiii 

tine 

but, 

loca 

Stat 

this 

of  o 

lion     IhniUL' 

superior.     K. 

they  Heem  to  maintain  •■! 

stra' 

pris    _ 

and  publitthers  m  i 

thci 

and 

the 

law 

(ho 

No. 

and 

oftl 


qaickly  follow od  in  the  "wake. 


,  and  where  a  paper  once  planted 


lO  front  rank.     In  J^'evad; 


has  made,  the  maintainiuG;  ot 
'      .  of  the  r  -.  iind 

r  their  ,    'enl 

.  1.,  or  mfire  utit-titiwhly, 

'■■■" ii*ted.     Many 

have  profited 


>v  the 


aek  lo  auies  neai . 

in      r*  ;•  rcicc     t  1  w"»        t    * 


!on  ot    juriBiiiciioii    wuh    iml 

.     ,     confines  short  of   the    sur- 

vhioh  formed  the-  eastern  boundary  of  Cali- 
liiiiiiii,  although  it  rlierthan    1853 

wImii    ;1:  >    nUii!  the    Mormons 

^  skirting  '.Va  easterly  decliv 


:tend  from  Salt  J<ake  to  th 

j;  in   the  way   (_'i    rr^     :;i, 

.Is.      There  was  room  for  'H 

ly  dash  of  possession:  ly  or  legal   rights,  and    the 

rful  motive  and  necoseily  tor  mutual  protection 

.  \>od  j\U  Biiz-h  i>urpo«o«    of  civil  government    as 

'y  the  'hnrth  hier- 


'  uo  lull 


iMJUAXb 

.  In  ^'^■■" 

I'OUlii 

the     l'i-..l. 
located  \\i... 
Canon,   then 


I  or    Carson 

'rsoii  ilyde, 

.ion    Ketllcm.'nt 

Tlu    1  ..iinty  of 

'  i    nigh 


t 


Hon.  Thomas  P.  Hawley. 

Hon.  Thomas  P.  Hawley,  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Nevada,  was  born  in 
Ripley  County,  Indiana,  on  the  eighteenth  of  July,  1830.     He  resided  in  his  native 

State  until  the  spring  of  1S.")2,  when  he  came  to  California,  hy  way  of  the  plains, 
arrivinif  at  Placerville  in  the  month  of  Jul)'.  He  remained  in  El  Dorado  County 
one  year  and  was  engaged  in  mining. 

In  August,  1853,  he  located  in  Nevada  City,  Nevada  County,  California,  where 
he  lived  for  fifteen  years. 

He  continued  the  business  of  mining  until  1855,  when  he  went  into  the  County 
Clerk's  office. 

It  1857  he  was  admitted  to  practice  law,  and  at  once  secured  a  good  legal  busi- 
ness at  a  Bar  composed  of  such  able  practitioners  as  the  late  John  R.  McConnell, 
Francis  J.  Dunn,  Stanton  Bucknerand  James  Churchman,  and  the  Hons.  Aaron  A. 
Sarcrent,  Wm.  M.  Stewart,  David  Belden,Niles  Searles,  A.  C.  Niles  and  A.  B.  Dibble. 
In  1858  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Henry  Meredith,  whose  tragic  death 
at  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  at  Pyramid  Lake,  in  1859,  forms  one  of  the  saddest 
pages  of  Nevada's  turbulent  history. 

In  1858  he  was  married  to  Mi.ss  Eudora  Murrell,  daughter  of  Col.  John  T.  Mur- 
rell,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  a 
son  and  two  daughters,  born  in  Nevada  City. 

In  1863  he  was  elected,  on  the  Union  Republican  ticket,  District  Attorney  of 
Nevada  County,  and  served  as  such  officer  for  a  period  of  two  years.  He  contin- 
ued in  the  active  practice  of  his  profesion  in  California,  in  partnership  with  the 
late  L.  W.  Williams,  of  Nevada  County,  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  the  State  of 
Nevada,  locating  in  Hamilton,  White  Pine  County.  Here,  by  his  industry  and 
close  attention  to  business,  he  secured  a  first-cla.ss  practice;  and  it  is  but  a  well- 
deserved  compliment  to  say  that  he  took  front  rank  at  a  Bar  which  embraced  such 
able  legal  minds  as  the  late  Delos  R.  Ashley,  C.  E.  DeLong,  D.  W.  Perley,  and  A. 
M.  Hillhouse,  as  well  as  the  following,  who  rank  among  the  leading  law3'ers  of 
this  coast:  John  Girber,  Harry  I.  Tiiornton,  Thomas  Wren,  D.  S.  Terry,  Frank 
Tilford,  and  M.  Kirkpatrick. 

In  1870  he  formed  a  law  partnersliip  with  John  O.  Darrow,  since  deceased,  at 
Eureka,  Nevada. 

In  1872  he  was  elected,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  State  of  Nevada.  In  1874  he  became  Chief  Justice,  and  served  in  that 
position  for  four  years. 

In  1878  he  was  renominated  by  the  Republican  party,  and  re-elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Court  by  the  largest  majority  ever  given  a  candidate  for  that  office,  his 
opponent  being  an  able  jurist  and  popular  gentleman. 

As  a  lawyer  he  was  attentive  to  business  and  went  into  Court  fully  prepared  to 
try  his  causes  intelligently,  never  trusting,  as  is  too  often  the  case  to  what  some 
one  has  neatly  phrased  "  the  sublimity  of  luck."  He  was  always  clear-headed, 
quick  at  discovering  the  weak  points  of  an  opponent,  and  with  tact  to  present  his 
own  strong  points  in  the  most  favorable  light.  As  an  advocate,  his  manner  was 
earnest  and  impressive.  He  always  made  his  client's  cause  his  own.  As  a  Judge, 
the  Nevada  Reports  bear  evidence  that  he  has  continued  his  industrious  habits, 
and  the  decisions  written  by  him  will  bust  illustrate  his  legal  learning  and  judicial 
character. 

On  the  bench  he  has  been  an  impartial  Judge.  Socially,  no  man  stands  better, 
and  his  official  worth  and  personal  popularity  have  twice  received  emphatic 
endorsmeut  at  the  hands  of  tiie  people  of  Nevada. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  NEV^VDA. 


333 


co-extensive  with  the  present  State  of  Xevnda.  and 
Judge  llyde's  Territorial  jurisdiction  was  of  im- 
mense extent. 

KIUST    SESSION    OF    THK    CO|-RT. 

On  the  third  of  October  this  Court  hold  its  first 
session,  and  the  first  record  entry  was  in  the  case  of 
James  Melntyre  en.  Asa  A.  Knouse — an  action  of 
"debit  and  damages."'  The  proceedings  ujion  that 
day  seem  to  have  consisted  of  the  tiling  of  the  com- 
plaint for  recoverj'  of  S1S7.75.  A  copy  of  the  com- 
plaint and  writ  were  issued,  which  latter  was  made 
returnable  October  12th.  at  nine  o'clock.  'On  this 
day,"  saj's  the  record,  "parties  met  at  Cowin'e 
house,  and  proceeded  to  trial  without  a  jury,  by 
agreeniciit.  ]>efendant  filed  his  answer,  and  set 
oft"  in  the  sum  of  S200.25,  leaving  a  balance  in  his 
favor  of  810.50.  The  Court,  on  hearing  the  evidence 
and  the  pleas  of  the  parties,  and  on  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  account,  ordered  that  judgment  be  ren- 
dered against  Melntyre,  the  plaintiff,  in  the  sum  of 
$24.50  (more  than  was  asked  in  the  set-off),  together 
with  the  costs  of  suit,  !S14;  making  the  full  amount 
of  judgment  against  the  plaintiff  of  $38.50." 

Thus  was  the  judicial  government  of  the  people 
inaugurated.  The  tribunal  seems  to  have  been  con- 
structed upon  a  basis  that  comprehended  little  more 
than  if  found  in  Justices'  Courts,  elsewhere,  although 
the  name  "  Probate  Court "  would  commonly  imply 
the  accessions  of  a  seal  and  a  Clerk,  or  Prothonotary. 

THE    FIRST   CRIMINAL   CASE. 

On  the  second  of  November,  1855,  this  Court 
exercised  its  criminal  jurisdiction  for  the  first  time  in 
the  case  of  a  negro  named  Thackcr,  who  was  brought 
before  Hyde,  as  Probate  Judge,  "  for  using  language 
of  a  highly  threatening  character."  he,  Thacker,  hav- 
ing said  ''That  he  had  spite  enough  in  his  heart 
against  A.  .1.  Wyekoff  to  kill  him,"  and  "that  he 
could  cut  the  heart  out  of  Mrs.  Jacob  Rose  and  roast 
it  on  the  coals." 

This  inhuman  wretch  was  dealt  with  in  the  rigor- 
ous manner  following,  as  shown  by  the  "docket." 
To  protect  the  life  of  Thacker  being  taken  on  the 
spot,  the  Judge  ordered  his  syrest,  and  although  the 
language  was  proven  to  have  been  uttered  by  the 
accused,  yet  the  Judge  held  that  it  was  no  threat; 
but  nevertheless  summed  up  by  taxing  Thacker  with 
fifty  dollars,  for  costs  of  suit,  and  advising  him,  "  for 
his  own  safety,"  to  go  over  the  mountains  to  his 
master,  in  California. 

The  Court  records  the  remark  that  "A  man  may 
have  malice  enough  at  heart  to  kill  another,  and 
judgment  and  discretion  to  prevent  him  from  com- 
mitting the  deed;  he  may  have  the  ability  to  cut  a 
lady's  heart  out  and  roast  it  upon  the  coals,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  may  have  good  sense  enough  not 
to  do  it." 

FIRST   AD.MISSION    TO   THE    B.VR. 

On  the  second  of  November,  1855,  Dr.  Charles  D. 
Daggett  and  Solomon   C.  Perren    were  admitted  to 
practice  before  the  Probate  Court. 
42 


From  these  unpretentious  beginnings,  from  this 
well  spring,  as  it  were,  has  the  stream  of  justice  with 
its  various  irregularities  of  current  and  interruptions 
of  flow  ])assc(I  down  to  more  modern  ilates,  aiid  within 
more  clearly  defined  channels. 

UNITED   STATES    DISTRICT   COURT. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  judicial  organization  of 
Utah  Territory  received  the  improving  touches  and 
authoritative  recognition  that  were  so  evidently  nec- 
cessary  through  the  force  of  Congressional  legislation, 
and  in  the  j'ear  1850  there  came  into  Carson  Valley, 
from  Salt  Lake,  about  one  hundred  families,  who 
were  accompanied  bj*  Judge  Drummond,  u]ion  his 
journey  to  open  a  genuine  United  States  l)istrict 
Court.  The  Judge  awived  about  the  middle  of  July, 
iris  first  (Irand  .Turj- had  no  rejircsenf  ative  of  the 
Mormon  faith  within  its  members,  but  at  the 
expiration  of  nine  daj-s,  after  impaneling  the  same  he 
seems  to  have  oxi)elled  seven  of  the  twentj'-three 
members  and  substituted  Mormons  in  their  j)laces. 

The  court  was  held  at  Mottsville,  in  Mott's  barn, 
while  the  Grand  Jury  held  its  sessions  in  the  house, 
or  in  the  holler  portions  of  the  day,  in  the  black- 
smith sho]). 

The  Grand  Jury,  after  its  reformation  as  above- 
mentioned,  found  a  true  bill  against  two  jiarties,  one 
of  whom  bore  the  name  of  E.  Lamb,  for  stealing 
two  horses.  It  is  stoutly  asserted,  by  some  surviv- 
ing contemporaries,  that  Lamb  did  not  steal  the 
horses,  or  in  other  words,  was  innocent  of  the  charge; 
but  historj'  is  deprived  of  an  authentic  judicial 
record  upon  this  point,  for  the  reason  that  Lamb 
made  his  escape  from  .Mottsville,  and  the  indictment, 
in  consequence,  was  never  tried. 

JUDGE    DRU.MiMOND    VACATES. 

For  some  act  of  supposed  contumacy,  it  is  said 
that  .ludge  Drummond  threatened  to  "iron"  the 
Grand  Jury,  but  lliis  does  not  seem  to  have  taken 
the  form  of  a  judicial  order,  nor  was  the  threat 
carried  into  efl'ect.  The  Judge  remained  at  Motts- 
ville about  six  weeks,  and  then  departed  for  Califor- 
nia, from  whence  ho  never  returned. 

It  was  thought  that  his  judicial  administration  was 
as  unsatisfactory  to  himself  and  all  concerned,  as  the 
record  of  his  procecditigs  is  meager. 

DRUMMOND    SfCCEEDEI)    BY    rK.\DI.EHAr(llI. 

He  was  succeeded  by  John  Cradlebaugh  who,  as 
Judge  of  the  Second  Judicial  District  of  Utah  Ter- 
ritory, convened  court  at  (Jenoa  on  the  fifth  day  of 
September,  1S5!),  with  Alfred  James  for  t'lerk,  and 
George  \V.  Hep|ierly  as  Deputy  United  States 
Marshal  and  Hailifl'  ol'  the  court. 

ADMISSION    OF   ATTORNEYS. 

On  the  tenth  of  October,  of  that  3-ear,  the  follow- 
ing entry  was  made  upon  the  records  of  the  court: — 

On  motion  of  (r.  D.  Hall,  and  the  Court  being  sat- 
isfied of  the  gooil^  standing  in  the  j)rofession  of 
Messrs.  Charles  H. 'Bryan.   Hobert  Anderson,  G.  D. 


334 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Hall,  John  J.  Museer,  \V.  H.  Brumfield  and  Welling- 
ton Stewart,  practicing  attornej-s  in  the  courts  of 
other  States  and  Territories,  said  gentlemen  are 
admitted  to  practice  as  attorneys  in  the  courts  of 
this  Territory'. 

A    (iRAND    Jl'KY    I.MI'ANELED. 

On  that  day  the  Grand  Jury  was  impaneled, 
with  George  AV.  Chedic,  at  present  a  resident  of  Car- 
son City,  as  the  foreman.  Wellington  Stewart  was 
appointed  by  the  Court  as  Prosecuting  Attorney  for 
the  Second  District,  in  place  of  Alexander  Wilson, 
who  had  resigned  as  United  States  Attorney  for 
Utah  Territory,  upon  the  ground  that  heeould  not, 
for  some  reason,  attend  upon  the  courts  in  Carson 
County. 

THE    KIRST    INDICy.MENT. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  October,  185!t,  the  first 
indictment  for  murder  was  found  against  William 
Sides,  for  a  homicide  committed  at  Gold  Hill  shortlj" 
after  the  discovery  of  the  Comstock  Lode.  At  the 
same  time  two  bills  of  indictment  were  found  for 
lewdness,  one  for  adulter}',  and  one  for  robbery. 
In  fact,  the  criminal  calendar  for  the  year  l.S5!t 
would  indicate  an  older  settlement,  a  more  exten- 
sive population,  and  a  degree  of  demoralization 
rather  exceptional.  In  that  j'oai'five  bills  of  indict- 
ment for  lewdness,  one  for  adulter^-,  one  for  rob- 
bery, six  for  assault  with  intent  to  kill,  three  for 
murder,  and  one  for  felony  were  found  b}-  the  (irand 
Jury. 

COURT   EXPENSES    FOR   THE   TERM. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  November,  1859,  the  Court 
expenses  foot  up  S.")7:i.50 — the  Prosecuting  Attorney's 
fees  being  810  per  daj',  and  the  traveling  expenses 
of  the  Judge  to  and  from  Salt  Lake  being  S150 
for  the  'estimated  distance  of  1,500  miles. 

SPECIAL    TER.M    OF   COURT. 

A  special  term  of  court  was  held  on  June  11, 
1860.  John  L.  Blackburn  was  the  Deputy  .Marshal 
in  attendance.  The  term  seems  to  have  continued 
in  session  from  time  to  time  until  Februarj'  19, 
18til.  when  the  last  record  entries  were  made. 

In  1860  three  indictments  for  murder  seem  to  have 
been  found.  On  September  ]9th  the  case  of  Wm. 
Sides  was  dismissed,  on  motion  of  the  acting  Prose- 
cuting Attorney,  P.  H.  Clayton.  There  was,  in 
fact,  but  little  efficiency  shown  in  the  prosecution 
of  the  criminal  docket,  or  else  the  indictments  were 
in  the  main  without  merit. 

JUDdK    rUAI)I.EBAir(iII    SUPERSEPED. 

Judge  Cradlebaugh  had  been  succeeded  by  Judge 
H.  B.  Flanikon,  who,  in  October,  18G0,  arrived, 
accompanied  by  United  States  Mar.-hal  Henry 
Grice,  and  was  furnished  with  letters  of  introduc- 
tion to  John  S.  Child,  who  was  then  the  Probate 
Judge.  Judge  Flaniken  held  the  court  in  Carson 
City  until  its  close,  as  stated. 

UNPOPULAR    INDICT.MENT8. 

It  seems  that  when  Judge  Cradlebaugh  first 
arrived  at  Genoa  he  was  accompanied  by  Judge  St. 


Clair,  who  addressed  the  Grand  Jury,  and  charged 
them  to  bring  indictments  against  parties  living 
with  women  otherwise  than  in  the  marriage  rela- 
tion; and  against  gamblers,  and  parties  alleged  to 
have  participated  in  the  irregular  judicial  proceed- 
ings and  executions  that  had  occurred.  Several  of 
the  indictments  for  murder  already  alluded  to  are 
said  to  have  been  directed  against  the  latter  class  of 
malefactors. 

During  the  period  brought  to  a  close,  in  February, 
1861,  and  under  the  Utah  regime,  the  volume  of  civil 
business  does  not  seem  to  have  been  extensive  or 
imjjortant.  The  judicial  administration  was  rather 
a  struggle,  with  indecisive  results,  to  assert  law  and 
order  in  a  community  where  much  of  irregularity 
was  prevalent. 

Thus  closes  our  sketch  of  that  period  in  the  judicial 
history  of  Nevada  which  preceded  the  organization 
of  the  Territory  bearing  that  name. 

NEVADA    TERRITORY   JUDICIARY. 

By  Act  of  Congress,  in  1861,  the  new  Territory  of 
Nevada  was  organized,  and  Hon.  James  \V.  Nye 
appointed  Governor  bj'  President  Lincoln.  By  proc- 
lamation of  July  17,  1861,  the  (Governor  divided  the 
Territorj'  into  three  judicial  districts,  and  assigned 
the  .fudges  as  follows: — 

First  Judicial  District  —  The  county  of  Carson 
including  all  that  portion  of  Nevada  lying  west  of 
the  118th  degree  of  longitude  west  from  Greenwich; 
Gordon  N.  Mott,  Judge. 

Second  Judicial  District^ — All  that  portion  of  the 
Territory,  lying  between  the  117th  and  118th  degrees 
of  longitude;  (Jcorgo  Turner,  Judge. 

Third  Judicial  District — All  that  portion  of  the 
Territory  lying  east  of  the  117th  degree  of  longitude; 
Horatio  51.  Jones,  Judge. 

Thus  was  established  the  first  regular  beginning 
of  that  judicial  history  which  is  distinctively  Neva- 
dan,  and  disconnects  it  from  the  influence  of  the 
Mormon  Church  in  Utah,  although  it  should  be  here 
remarked  that  Judge  Cradlebaugh  made  for  himself 
a  National  reputation  by  his  firm  attitude  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  -Mormon  poxj-er  during  his  term  of  judicial 
administration.  The  newlj'  organized  Territorial 
Courts,  especially  the  First  Judicial  District,  com- 
menced the  administration  of  justice  under  conditions 
that  wore  novel,  and,  in  some  resjiocts,  anomalous. 
The  court  for  the  First  District  was  hold  princii)ally 
at  Virginia  City,  and  the  litigation  was,  in  the  main, 
tho  outgrowth  of  conflicting  claims  to  mining  prop- 
erties, that  were  held  to  represent  enormous  values. 
The  (luestions  involved  were  largely  determinable  by 
a  sort  of  common  law,  or  tho  custom  of  miners  in 
mining  districts.  Tho  ablest  representatives  of  tho 
California  Bar,  in  those  times,  flocked  to  Virginia 
City,  and  wore,  without  exception,  prominent  in  the 
forensic  discussions  that  were  almost  continuallj' 
occupying  the  courts.  In  those  days  the  law  con- 
cerning mineral-bearing  ledges,  their  location,  pos- 
session and  development,  was  largely  formulated,  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  NEVADA. 


335 


ultimately  received  the  substantial  recognition  of 
approvini;  Congressional  legislation .  The  trial  of 
the  many  causes  was  the  scene  of  almost  continual 
excitement.  The  stock  boards  of  San  Francisco  and 
Virginia  were  often  tremendously  swayed  by  the 
result  of  judicial  rulings.  Peijury  was  conceded  to 
be  common,  and  the  bribery  of  witnesses  and  juries 
was  spoken  of  as  notorious.  It  was  impossible  that 
the  Judges  should  esca))e  the  suspicion,  and  even  the 
open  charge  of  being  corrupt.  The  peculiar  confor- 
mation of  the  giant  lode,  known  as  the  Comstock, 
occasioned  two  antagonizing  theories,  which  struggled 
for  the  legal  ascendancy.  They  were  respectively 
known  as  the  '•  one-ledge  "  and  "two-ledge"  theories. 
The  excitement  in  the  legal  circles  and  among  liti- 
gants culminated  in  the  year  1803. 

.ItDdE    .MOTT    SUCCEEDED    BV    JIIDOE    NORTH. 

Judge  Mott  resigned,  and  Hon.  J.  W.  North,  who 
was  the  first  Survoj-or  General  of  Nevada,  was 
appointed  by  President  Lincoln  as  his  successor  in 
the  First  District,  and  continued  in  office  until 
Nevada  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  October, 
1864.  He  was  accused  of  corruption  by  Hon.  W. 
M.  Stewart,  afterwards  United  States  Senator.  This 
resulted  in  a  lawsuit  for  libel  with  claim  for  SlOd,- 
000  damages,  which  was  tried  by  referees  in  18t!."), 
who  rendered  a  judgment  exonerating  Judge  North, 
and  found  the  accusations  of  Stewart  to  be  without 
any  basis  of  fact. 

THE   ONE-LEDOE   AND   TWO-LEIKiE    THEOKIES. 

During  this  period  of  continued  activitj-  and 
excitement  in  the  courts,  the  "one-ledge"  and  "two- 
ledge"  theories  alternated  in  obtaining  ascendancy. 
The  decisions  were  not  uniform — no  one  case  seemed 
to  be  authoritative  in  the  ne.xt — although  at  the  close 
of  1864  the  "two-ledge"  party  seemed  the  rather  to 
prevail.  It  is  a  question  that  has  not  even  yet 
(1881)  been  finally  determined,  although  the  sj'stem 
of  United  States  patents  for  mining  ground  and 
ledges,  conjoined  with  the  consolidated  ownership  in 
few  persons  of  many  of  the  conflicting  claims,  has 
reduced  the  ([ucstion  to  one  of  vastlj-  loss  practical 
imi)ortance.  Indeed,  it  may  now  in  a  general  way  be 
asserted  as  the  prevailing  notion,  that  the  so-called 
Comstock  Ijode  is  a  gigantic  do])osit,  or  upheaval,  of 
vein  or  mineral-bearing  matter  of  indefinite  width 
eastwardly  from  Mount  Davidson,  and  of  an  unknown 
extent  in  length  north  and  south.  Its  superficial 
or  surface  indications  are  irregular,  ami  often  lead 
to  the  supposition  that  there  are  a  series  of  parallel 
veins,  but  through  explorations  at  profound  depths, 
this  idea  is  in  the  main  dispelled.  Of  course  the 
attention  of  our  courts  has  always  been  drawn  to  a 
line  of  civil  questions  similar  to  those  arising  in  any 
other  community,  b\it  as  mining  is  the  main  resource 
for  the  prosperity  of  the  State,  just  so  has  so-called 
mining   law  always  maintained  the  ascendancy. 

CHANdES   OF    PROSKCUTINO    ATTORNEYS. 

In  1S61,  Hon.  Dighton  Corsen  was  ai)pointed  the 
Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  First  District,  Carson 


County,  and  Hon.  Marcus  D.  Larrowe  for  the  Second 
District.  In  1S62.  Hon.  K.  B.  Zabriskie  was  ap]iointed 
Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  Third  District,  and  con- 
tinued in  office  from  March  till  November  17th  of 
that  3'ear,  when  he  resigned  to  enter  the  army  as 
one  of  the  Nevada  Volunteers,  where  he  was  ap- 
pointed upon  the  staft'  of  General  P.  E.  Connor  as 
Judge  Advocate,  with  the  rank  of  Ca{)tain.  He  was 
succeeded  in  the  cilice  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  by 
Hon.  Franklin  II.  Kennedy.  In  -May,  1863,  Hon. 
John  J.  Musser  was  appointed  District  or  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  to  succeed  Hon.  Marcus  D.  Larrowe,  who 
resigned. 

HO.MILY    UPON    NEVADA   COURTS. 

After  the  Territorial  Courts  were  once  organized, 
the  course  of  legal  procedure  in  Nevada  Territory 
was  characterized  by  a  regularity  and  certainty 
that  was  a  vast  improvement  upon  the  desultory 
methods  and  plans  of  administering  justice  that  had 
been  obtained  under  the  Mormon  reijime.  There 
was  a  binding  force  to  the  organic  law  of  the  Terri- 
tory and  the  Acts  of  the  Legislature,  that  at  once 
justified  a  larger  measure  of  wished-for  tranquilitj', 
especially  in  the  mining  camps,  than  had  heretofore 
been  possible. 

But  as  already  remarked,  the  vast  values  that 
were  constantly  the  subject  of  judicial  action,  caused 
immense  friction  and  distrust.  The  judges  were  the 
victims  of  open  charges  of  briber^-,  and  the  determina- 
tions of  courts  and  juries  were  seldom  received  in 
good  faith  by  those  who  had  not  prevailed.  The 
prime  cause  of  this  dissatisfaction  was  the  reckless- 
ness and  assurance  with  which  witnesses  were 
induced  to  commit  perjury,  and  the  acknowledged 
fact  that  many  who  sat  on  juries  were  to  a  moral 
certainty  subject  to  the  seductions  of  money  rewards. 
In  fact,  a  general  demoralization  of  the  public  mind 
had  so  far  gained  ground  that  it  is  scarcely  to  be 
wondered  at  that  the  courts  were  unable  to  enforce 
the  authority  and  respect  diie  to  the  law.  no  matter 
how  honorable  might  be  llie  personal  character  of 
the  judges.  It  was.  especiallj'  "on  the  Comstock,"  a 
sense  of  reckless  greed  for  the  making  of  fortunes, 
and  no  consideration  stood  in  the  way  of  its 
realization. 

In  the  First  District,  Judge  Mott  retired,  and  Hon. 
J.  W.  North,  was  in  1863,  appointed  to  succeed  him- 
He  was  a  man  of  honorable  character  and  his  per- 
sonal history  had  been  unexceptionable,  but  his  career 
was  characterized  by  as  savage  and  bitter  attacks 
from  members  of  (he  Bar  and  litigants  as  had  been 
the  case  during  the  incumbency  of  his  predecessor. 

Hon.  William  M.  Stewart,  afterwards  one  of  the 
United  States  Senators  from  Nevada,  was  especially 
prominent  in  charges  of  corrui)t  conduct  on  the  i)art 
of  Judge  North.  The  latter  resigned  in  the  summer 
of  1864.  In  August  of  that  year,  forty-nine  membei-s 
of  the  Bar  met  at  Virginia,  and  agreed  by  a  vote  of 
twenty-six  against  twenty-one  for  Hon.  H.  O.  Beatty, 
and  two  for  Hon.  C.  M.  BrosiKin.  tosuiqiort  lion.  I!.  S. 


336 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Messick  a8  a  candidate  for  the  Presidential  appoint- 
ment to  succeed  Judge  Xorth.  The  appointment  of 
North's  successor  was  never  made  by  the  President. 
The  Constitution  of  Nevada  had  already  been  framed, 
and  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  the  following  month 
of  September  the  Constitution  was  adopted  by  the 
people  of  the  Territorj^.  Hon.  Horatio  M.  Jones, 
])rior  to  the  formation  on  the  State  Government,  had 
resigned,  and  Hon.  P.  B.  Locke  had  been  appointed 
as  his  successor.  Provision  had  been  made  for  an 
election  of  a  full  set  of  State  ofMcers  on  the  first 
Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  of  the  following 
November.  The  State  was  admitted  bj-  proclamation 
of  President  Lincoln  prior  to  that  election,  and  the 
Statehood  of  the  then  Territory  was  to  all  interests 
an  accomplished  fact.  The  new  State  Government 
came  into  power  on  the  first  of  December,  1864. 

Among  the  reminders  of  the  legal  turmoil  that  had 
embittered  both  Bench  and  Bar  during  the  Territorial 
days,  was  a  suit  by  Judge  North  against  Senator 
Stewart  for  §10(1,00(1  damages  for  libel.  This  suit 
was  brought  in  Washoe  Countj-  before  the  District 
Court  in  the  spring  of  1865,  and  was  tried  before 
referees,  at  Virginia,  on  stipulation  of  the  parties, 
the  damage  being  waived.  The  findings  of  the 
referees  were  favorable  to  the  plaintiff  and  adverse 
to  the  defendant  on  all  points. 

The  course  of  judicial  government  in  the  central 
and  eastern  settlements  of  the  Territory  was  much 
more  quiet  and  regular,  although  there  were  not 
wanting  fierce  churgcs  of  jiKlieial  corruption.  Austin, 
or  "  Keese  Biver,"  was  a  mining  camp  of  some  pre- 
tentions in  those  days,  but  not  so  productive  of  liti- 
gation as  the  Corastock  liode. 

FIRST   STATE   JUDGES    ELECTED. 

At  the  general  election  for  the  State  of  Nevada, 
in  November,  1864,  the  following  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court  were  elected:  Hon.  James  F.jjcwis, 
of  Washoe  County,  then  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
an  able  3'oung  lawyer  from  Wisconsin,  who  had  been 
a  law  partner  with  Judge  North;  Hon.  H.  O.  Beatty, 
of  Virginia  City,  aged  about  fifty  j-ears,  and  for 
many  years  a  prominent  member  of  the  Sacramento 
Bar,  California,  and  Hon.  ('.  M.  Brosnan,  of  A'irginia 
City,  aged  about  fifty-five  years,  of  Irish  birth,  and 
when  a  young  man,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  well 
known  for  his  brilliancy  as  a  forensic  orator. 

According  to  the  ])rovision  in  the  State  Consti- 
tution, lots  were  drawn  and  Judge  Lewis  became  the 
first  Chief  Justice,  having  drawn  the  short  term  of 
two  years;  Judge  Beatty  drew  the  term  of  four 
years,  and  Judge  Brosnan  drew  the  term  of  si.x 
years..  The  latter  died  ,\|)ril  21,  1867,  and  Hon.  J. 
Neely  Johnson,  formerly  Governor  of  (Jalil'ornia, 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Blasdol  to  fill  the  vacancy 
thus  occasioned,  and  he  remained  upon  the  bench 
until  January,  1871.  Judge  Jjewis  was  re-elected  in 
1866,  and  remained  upon  the  bench  until  January, 
1878.  Judge  Beatty  was  succeeded  by  Hon.  H.  C. 
Whitman  of  Storey  County,  in  January,  1869,   but 


inasmuch  as  Judge  Beatty  resigned  on  the  ninth  of 
November,  1868,  Judge  Whitman  was  appointed  and 
took  his  seat  upon  the  Bench  nearly  two  months 
prior  to  his  ])crmancnt  accession  to  the  election;  and 
at  the  same  time  Judge  Lewis  again  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Justiceship,  thus  made  vacant  by  Chief 
Justice  Beatty. 

LATER    SUI'UE.ME   JIDOES. 

Aside  from  the  Supreme  Judges  thus  far  named, 
the  following  have  been  elected  and  appointed  Judges 
of  that  tribunal  up  to  the  present  year,  1881: — 

Hon.  John  Garber,  elected  November,  1870,  and 
resigned  November  7,  1.S72. 

Hon.  Thomas  P.  Hawley,  elected  November,  1872, 
and  re-elected  November,  1878. 

Hon.  C.  H.  Belknap  was  appointed  by  tiovernor 
Bradley  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resig- 
nation of  Judge  Garber,  and  remained  upon  the 
Bench  until  January-,  1875. 

Hon.  Warner  Karll  was  elected  in  November,  1874, 
to  fill  the  two  years  of  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge 
Garber,  and  so  succeeded  Judge  Belknap.  He 
remained  upon  the  Bench  until  January,  1877. 

Hon.  William  II.  Beatty,  son  of  the  former  Chief 
Justice  H.  O.  Beatty,  was  elected  November,  1874, 
and  remained  upon  the  Bench  until  January,  1881. 

Hon.  O.  II.  Leonard  was  elected  November,  1876, 
and  is  now,  1881,  Chief  Justice. 

Hon.  C.  H.  Belknap  was  elected  November,  1880, 
to  sui.-cced  Chief  Justice  Wm.  II.  Beatty. 

The  Bench  now  consists  of  Justices  Leonard, 
Hawley  and  Belknap. 

ATTORNEY     OENERALS   OF   NEVADA. 

The  Attorney  Generals  of  Nevada  were  elected  in 
the  following  order: — 

Hon.  George  A.  Nourse,  formerly  of  Minnesota, 
was  elected  at  the  first  State  election,  November, 
1864,  and  remained  in  office  until  January.  1867. 

Hon.  Pobert  M.  Clark,  formerly  of  Ohio,  was 
elected  in  1866,  and  remained  in  office  until  Janu- 
ary, 1871, 

Hon.  Luther  A.  Buckner  was  elected  November, 
1870,  and  remained  in  office  until  January,  1875. 

Hon.  John  1\.  Kittrell  was  elected  November,  1874, 
and  remained  in  office  until  Januarj',  187It. 

Hon.  Michael  A.  Murphy  was  elected  November, 
1878,  and  is  still  in  office. 

JUDICIAL    DISTRICTS    OF    THE    STATF.. 

The  State  in  1864  comprised  nine  Judicial  Districts 
as  follows  :  First  District,  Storey  County  ;  Second 
District,  Ormsby  County;  Third  District,  Lyon 
County;  Fourth  District,  Washoe  County;  Fifth 
District,  N5'e  and  Churchill  Counties;  Sixth  District, 
Humboldt  County;  Seventh  District,  Lander  County; 
Fighth  District,  Douglas  County;  Ninth  District, 
Esmeralda  County. 

The  First  Judicial  District,  Storey  County,  was 
especially  organized  under  the  Constitution  to  allow 
for  the  election  of  three  Judges,  with  coordinate 
powers  and  jurisdiction,  in  order  that  the  mass   of 


£-^ 


Judge  O.  R.  Leonard 

Was  the  youngest  of  six  ciiildren,  whose  paieuts  resided  ou  a  iarm  in  Gaysville,  Wind- 
sor County,  Vermont.  After  arriving  at  the  requisite  age  his  time  was  divided  between 
the  school  house  and  work  upon  the  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  com- 
menced fitting  himself  for  college  by  teaching  school  in  the  winter  and  attending  the 
Randolph  Academy  during  the  summer.  Eventuall}'  he  entered  Dartmouth  College, 
helping  to  pay  his  way  by  the  continuance  of  those  winter  terms  of  school  teaching, 
where  he  remained  until  his  senior  year. 

After  leaving  Dartmouth  he  removed  to  California  and  entered  the  office  of  Belcher  k 
Belcher,  at  ilar^'sville,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
April,  1863.  On  the  twenty-third  of  the  following  May  he  arrived  at  Star  City,  in 
Humboldt  County,  Nevada,  and  has  since  remained  a  resident  of  this  State. 

Frequent  mention  is  made  of  Judge  Leonard  in  this  history,  and  should  one  seek  for 
information  of  the  events  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  State,  particularly  of  Humboldt 
County,  he  could  find  no  better  posted  or  willing  informant  than  the  distinguished 
Chief  Justice.  As  a  pioneer  of  Humboldt,  he  has  witnessed  the  Hush  times  of  Union- 
ville,  Star,  and  other  cities  of  the  West  Humboldt  Range;  speculateil  in  Sheba,  when  it 
was  thought  rich  enough  to  pay  the  national  debt;  rejoiced  in  the  wealth  of  the  Arizona 
which  was  expected  to  re-establish  the  prominence  of  Buena  Vista;  cTxulted  over  the 
massive  quarries  of  glittering  oi'e  in  Montezuma  and  Trinity;  gloried  in  the  coming  of 
the  railroad  which  was  hoped  to  advance  every  interest,  anil  as  he  has  seen  these  many 
bright  anticipations  wither  in  the  blight  of  experience,  he  still  retains  his  faith  in  the 
exhaustless  resources  of  his  county  and  his  confidence  in  her  future  prosperity.  The 
best  expression  of  this  confidence  is  his  long  residence  within  its  limits.  Taking  part  in 
its  first  growth  and  "boom,"  he  has  seen  it  settle  into  the  industries  and  toil  uf  self-sup- 
port, and  thus  growing  with  it,  is  entitled  to  the  position  he  has  achieved  and  the  honors 
he  has  won. 

No  laggard  couM  have  succeeded  in  the  active  region  and  brilliant  surroundings  in 
which  he  found  himself  when,  as  a  young  lawyer  he  entered  upon  the  scene  of  his  future 
trials  and  triumphs.  At  the  period  when  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  the  law,  the 
Bar  of  Humboldt  Count}-  was  one  that  embraced  among  its  members  such  men  as  Hon- 
Frank  Ganahl,  Hon.  Wm.  Claggett,  Gen.  P.  H.  Harris,  W.  M.  Dixon,  W.  H.  Jones,  A 
P.  Overton,  and  the  late  Chief  Justice  of  Arizona,  Judge  E.  F.  Dunn.  It  was  a  high 
order  of  legal  talent,  and  for  a  young  man  and  practitioner  to  gain  recognition  among 
such  Titans  of  the  Bar,  required  ability,  knowledge  of  the  law,  nerve  and  persever- 
ance far  in  excess  of  the  average.  Within  a  few  months  after  his  arrival  he  was  elected 
District  Attorney,  and  held  that  position  by  re-election  for  five  years,  when  he  removed 
from  Star  City  to  l.'nionville,  and  became  the  law  partner  of  Judge  E.  F.  Dunn. 

In  1808  he  was  a  Republican  Delegate  to  the  Chicago  Convention  that  nominated 
Gen.  Grant  for  President;  and  always  having  been  a  Union  man  was  married  while 
East  to  Mi.ss  Eliza  Sylvester,  of  West  Newbury,  Massachusetts. 

The  practice  of  law  was  continued  by  him  until  I87-,  when  he  became  Judge  of  the 
Fourth  Judicial  District.  In  1874,  at  Winnenuicca,  he  resumed  the  law  practice  again, 
and  continued  it  at  that  place  until  elected,  in  187(i,  to  the  Supreme  Bfench  of  Nevada, 
of  which  he  is  now  Chief  Justice. 

Judge  Leonard  is  a  gentleman  of  fine  literary  and  legal  attainments.  He  is  genial  in 
his  associations,  aftable  in  his  address,  generous  in  his  judgment  of  his  fellows,  and 
courteous  to  all.  As  an  attorney  his  cases  were  pi-osecuted  with  a  persistence  and 
tenacity  of  purpose  that  left  no  just  avenue  for  defeat.  It  was  of  him  that  Harry 
Mighels  wrote,  in  1870,  that  he  was  "one  of  the  fairest-minded  and  purest  lawyers  of 
Nevada."  As  a  Judge  he  possesses  a  well-earned  reputation  of  unimpeachable  honor 
and  integrity  of  purpose,  as  well  as  that  of  an  able  and  erudite  jurist. 

The  people's  interests  are  safe  when  trusted  to  the  integrity  of  such  men  as  Judge 
Leonard. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  NEVADA. 


.137 


unfinished  business  that  Lad  accumulated  under  the 
Territorial  riylme,  might  bo  rapidi}'  uomplotod. 

DISTRICT   JUDGES    ELECTED. 

The  three  Judges  so  elected  in  November,  1864, 
were  lion.  H.  S.  Mesick,  Hon.  Richard  iiising,  and 
Hon.  Caleb  lUirbank,  who  each  continued  upon  the 
Bench  until  January,  1867.  The  Legislature  had, 
meanwhile,  provided  that  but  one  Judge  should  be 
elected  at  the  general  election  in  ISIKi,  and  Hon. 
Richard  Rising  was  re-elected  and  continues,  by 
successive  re-elections,  upon  the  District  Court 
Bench  of  the  First  District  up  to  the  present  time. 

The  District  Judges  elected  in  November  for  the 
other  Districts,  commencing  with  the  Second,  were 
in  their  order  as  follows: — 

lion.  S.  H.  Wright,  Hon.  W.  llaydon,  lion.  C.  C. 
Goodwin,  Hon.  S.  Ij.  Baker,  Hon.  E.  F.  Dunn,  Hon. 
Wm.  II.  Beatt}-,  Hon.  Daniel  Virgin,  and  Hon.  S. 
II.  Chase. 

These  Jiulges  all  continued  in  office  until  .lunuar}-, 
1867.  Several  of  them  had  not  been  regular!}^ 
trained  to  the  law,  having  very  naturally  been  pro- 
moted from  the  County  Judgeships,  which  thcj-  had 
filled  under  the  Territorial  Government.  Our  Dis- 
trict Courts  had  well-nigh  universal  original  jurisdic- 
tion. The  only  interior  jurisdictions  were  Justices' 
Courts  and  Recorders'  Courts  iu  cities.  The  judicial 
sj'stem,  as  will  be  seen,  was  simplicity  itself,  and  the 
administration  of  justice  at  nisi  priics  at  once  moved 
on  with  smoothness  and  to  the  general  satisfaction 
of  the  people. 

JUDICIAL   niSTKIOTS  REORGANIZED  AND  DISTRICT    JUDOES 
SUBSEQUENTLY    ELECTED. 

Since  the  first  organization  of  the  District  Courts 
many  changes  have  been  made  in  the  territorial 
limits  and  numbering  of  the  Districts.  The  Stale  is 
now  divided  into  seven  Judicial  Districts  only.  Aside 
from  those  already  mentioned  the  following  have 
since  been  or  are  now  Judges  of  the  several  Districts 
as  from  time  to  time  organized. 

Hon.  (i,  G.  Berry,  Hon.  C.  N.  Harris,  Hon.  Benj. 
Curler,  Hon.  Charles  G.  Hubbard,  Hon.  John  II. 
Boalt,  Hon.  J.  G.  McClinton,  Hon.  Charles  A.  Leake 
(now  deceased),  Hon.  John  D.  Gorin,  Hon.  George 
D.  Keeny,  Hon.  Mortimer  Fuller,  Hon.  J.  H.  Flacky 
Hon.  W.  M.  Sea  well,  Hon.  .M.  S.  Boniiifield,  Hon! 
F.  W.  Cole,  Hon.  Henry  Hives,  Hon.  J.  S.  Jameson, 
Hon.  S.  D.  King,  Hon.  O.  R.  Leonard,  and  Hon.  D. 
C.  McKenney. 

.MOST    UPRKHIT   AND    HONORABLE   JUDOES. 

During  the  seventeen  years  since  the  organization 
of  the  State  of  Nevada,  it  must  be  said  that  our 
Courts  have  been  of  honorable  reputation.  No 
serious  charges  of  corrupt  conduct  by  any  Judge 
have  been  made,  and  no  Judge  has  been  impeached. 
Among  them  have  been,  and  are,  men  of  thorough 
education,  ripe  scholarship,  and  earnest  devotion  to 
duty.     To  particularize  would  be  invidious. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  BAR  OF  NEVADA. 

To  turn  more  particularly  to  the  Bar  of  Nevada, 
we  can  say  that  it  is  second  to  none  in  ability  and 
integrity-,  and  numbers  many  men  of  bright  minds, 
who  shine  luminously  in  the  "  forensic  arena,"  as 
Justice  Brosnan  used  to  express  it.  The  people  of 
Nevada  maj-  bo  said  to  be  more  or  less  nomadic,  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  they  are  greatly  addicted  to 
"following  up"  every  new  and  important  mining 
discovery.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the  members 
of  the  legal  profession.  The  result  is,  that  with  few 
exceptions,  the  name  of  each  lawyer  of  prominence 
is  found  more  or  less  identified  with  the  history  of 
litigation  in  each  county  of  this  Slate.  To  classifj- 
is,  therefore,  a  matter  of  great  difficult}-,  unless  the 
history  becomes  prolix  and  realU'  uninteresting. 
Therefore,  in  a  general  way,  some  of  the  more  prom- 
inent legal  lights  of  Nevada  are  meniioned,  and 
incidentally,  a  few  of  the  different  localities  and 
scenes  of  their  ])rofessional  labors. 

During  the  Territorial  days,  the  more  important 
litigation  of  the  entire  Territory  was  in  a  large  ])art 
conducted  by  the  members  of  the  Bar  of  Virginia 
City,  Carson  and  Austin.  The  mention  of  some  of 
those  who  (aside  from  the  persons  heretofore  named 
in  connection  with  this  subject)  were  identified  with 
the  earlj-  history  of  the  Territory  before  it  merged 
into  the  sisterhood  of  States,  and  since  that  time,  as 
well,  will  have  a  familiar  sound  to  the  readers 
of  these  pages.     For  instance: — 


Aldrich,  Louis 
Anderson,  .John 
Anderson,  R.  M. 
Ashley,  Delos  H. 
Baily,  D.  E. 
Baker,  John  T. 
Boatly,  H.  O. 
Beatty,  William  II. 
Belknap,  C.  H. 
Berry,  George  W. 
Bixler,  David 
Blakely,  G.  W. 
Bon nan,  John 
Boring,  W.  M. 
Brackett,  William 
Brearley,  E.  C. 
Bryan,  Charles  H. 
Bulkley,  L.  E. 


Allen,  Richard  N. 
Anderson,  M.  D. 
Anderson,  William   F. 
Aud,  F.  L. 
Baker,  George  W. 
♦Baldwin,  A.  W. 
Beatty,  R.  .M. 
Beebe,  G.  M. 
Bell,  F.  W. 
Bisho].,  W  .  W. 
Blair,  A.  W. 
Boalt,  John  II. 
Bonnifield,  M.  S. 
Botts,  C.  T. 
Bradford,  A.  C. 
Brosnan,  C.  M. 
Bullock,  W.  H. 
Burbank.  A.  N. 


Byrne,  James  H. 
Cain,  William  Campbell,  Thomas 


Campbell,  Will 
Cassott,  IE.  B. 
Churchman,  James 
Clarke,  H.  M. 
Cole,  Frederick  W. 
Cooper,  David 
Cox,  Thomas 
Crocker,  A.  W. 


Carmichael,  J. 
Chipman,  K.  S. 
Claggelt,  William  II. 
Clayton,  P.  H. 
Coles,  J.  L. 
Corsen,  l»ighton 
Crittenden,  A.  P. 
Curler,  Benjamin 


'Aftei'wariU  United  •States  District  Judge. 


338 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Darrow,  John  O. 
Davies,  T.  \V.  W. 
Dickson,  W.  H. 
Dorsey,  J.  W. 
Dow,  J.  C. 
Edwards,  T.  D. 
Edgerton,  Henry 
Ferris,  S.  W. 
Finn,  J.  F. 
Fitzgerald,  A.  L. 
Foster,  J.  C. 
Fulton,  A. 
Garber,  John 
Gates,  William  M. 
Gilcrest,  S.  F. 
Graves,  John  W. 
Griffith,  J.  J. 
Hall,  C.  P. 
Hall,  J.  P. 
Harris,  J.  H. 
Harding,  G.  P. 
Hardy,  J.  P. 
Harmon,  F.  H. 
Hawley,  Thomas  1'. 
Hereford,  B.  N. 
Hetzel,  Seklen 
Hill,  C.  Wilson 
Hillyer,  C.  J. 
Hubbard,  Charles  G. 
Hundley,  P.  O. 
Hunt,  A.  B. 
Janin,  Edward 
Johnson,  Iioger 
Jones,  Horatio  M. 
Kelly,  John  P. 
Kennedy,  James 
Kendall',  C.  W. 
King,  Jr.,  S.  D. 
Kitlrell,  John  R. 
Knox,  W.  L. 
Lake,  Delos 
Larrowe,  M.  D. 
Lewis,  D.  J. 
Lindsay,  U.  H. 
Mann,  S.  A. 
Martin,  Hcnrj' 
Mayenbaum,  Henry 
iMcConncU,  John  K. 
Me  Hoe,  P.  A. 
Meagher,  J.  D. 
Merrill,  George  W. 
Miller,  Theo. 
Moyes,  K.  H. 
.Murph}',  John  M. 
Newmark,  M.  J. 
Xoursc,  George  A. 
O'Dougherty,  A.  B. 
Patehin,  C.  H. 
Pereell,M.  J. 
Pitzer,  Jesse  S. 


Davenport,  W.  H. 
Dibble,  A.  B. 
De  Long,  Charles  E. 
Douglass,  George  A. 
Doyle,  H. 
Elliott,  A.  B. 
Ellis,  A.  C. 
Ferguson,  E.  D. 
Fitch,  Thomas 
Flack,  J.  H. 
Fuller,  Mortimer 
Fulton.  S.  D. 
Gaston,  Henry  A. 
Gedney.  A.  W. 
Goldthwaite,  Geo. 
Gray,  J.  M. 
Griffith,  J.  L. 
Hall,  Gavin  D. 
Harris,  C.  N. 
Harris,  P.  H. 
Hardj',  James  H. 
Hardy.  William  J. 
Harmon,  J.  B. 
Haydon,  Thomas  E. 
Hereford,  Frank 
llighton,  Henry  H. 
Hillhouse,  A.  M. 
Howard,  C.  G. 
Huttaker,  M.  N. 
Hutton,  J.  F. 
Hu))p,  George  S. 
Johnson,  J.  Xeely 
Johnson,  Wm.  Neely 
J  alien,  T.  V. 
Kennedy,  Frank  H. 
Kennedy,  James  M. 
Keyser,  Phillip 
Kirkpatrick,  M. 
Knox,  A.  C. 
Labatt,  Henry  J. 
Lansing,  C.  J. 
Lewis,  J.  F. 
Lowery,  R.  E. 
liOvejoj'j  J.  K. 
Marshall,  L  B. 
Martin,  Len. 
McCurdy,S.  P. 
McDonald,  O.  C. 
.Mc(juai(i,  J.  A. 
Meredith,  Henry 
Mosiek    Kichard  S. 
Mitchell,  Henry  K. 
Murphy,  M.  A. 
Musser,  John  J. 
North,  J.  W. 
Xugent,  John 
O'Dougherty.  N.  J. 
Patterson,  William 
Perley.  D.  W. 
Powell,  Jr.,  John 


Proctor.  F.  M. 
Ralston,  J.  J. 
Rankin,  B.  P. 
Reardon,  J.  McC. 
Rising,  Richard 
Robinson,  Fred. 
Sabin,  George  M. 
Sankey.  Samuel 
Sawyer,  G.  S. 
Savage,  J.  A. 
Seely,  J. 
Slauson,  J.  S. 
Southworth,  E.  C. 
Steele,  H.  M. 
Stewart,  Francis 
Storey,  Thomas  P. 
Sutherland,  W.  J. 
Taylor,  E.  W. 
Taylor,  R.  H. 
Thatcher,  A.  M. 
Thornton,  Harry  L 
Tilford,  Frank 
Wallace,  W.  C. 
Waldron,  Daniel  E. 
Warwick,  J.  II. 
Webster.  William 
Welty,  D.  W. 
Whitchcr,  John  N. 
Wines,  J.  L. 
Williams,  George  R. 
Wren,  Thomas 
Wood,  W.  S. 


Quint,  Leander 
Rand.  J.  H. 
Read.  J.-  H. 
Reardon,  T.  B. 
Rives,  Henry 
Robinson,  Todd 
Samson,  William 
Sawyer,  Fred.  A. 
Sawyer,  P.  A. 
Seawell,  W.  M. 
Shuck,  Oscar  T. 
Smith,  Thomas  H. 
Stafford,  W.  M. 
Stephens,  J.  A. 
Stewart,  Wm.  M. 
Sunderland.  Thomas 
Swift,  J.  F. 
Taylor,  L.  W. 
Tebbs,  Moses 
Thornton,  Crittenden 
Thomas,  Richard  L. 
Wait/..  Adolphus 
Waldo.  H.  A. 
Wandell,  C.  W. 
Watson,  J.  11. 
Wells,  Thomas  H. 
Whitman,  B.  C. 
Williams,  C.  H.  S. 
Williams,  Thomas  H. 
Wright,  L.  H. 
Woodburn,  William 
Zabriskie.  E.  B. 


And  numerous  others  whose  names  are  not  to  be 
found  upon  the  official  records.  This  is  a  long  list  for  a 
population  that  has  at  no  one  time  reached  t)5,000  in 
number. 

Among  these  are  names  that  have  become  note- 
worthy in  the  history  of  Nevada,  and  in  the  coun- 
cils of  the  nation.  Many  were,  in  their  daj',  and 
others  are  now,  men  of  extraordinary  abilitj'  in  their 
profession.  Each  locality  in  this  State  can  find  in 
this  list  names  closely  identified  with  history. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  from  1801  U])  to,  and  in- 
clusive of,  18G4  the  strongest  members  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Bar  were  either  residents  in  Nevada,  or  were 
connected  with  important  litigation  in  our  courts, 
Com])aratively  few  of  the  ripe  lawyers  of  those  days 
are  now  in  practice  in  this  Stale.  Several  are  dead^ 
others  have  retired  from  practice,  and  many  of  them 
have  settled  in  California. 

A   RETROSPECTIVE   VIEW. 

The  very  origin  of  the  influx  of  people  to  the 
"  Washoe "  country  was  so  anomalous,  that  each 
feature  of  its  historj'  is  more  or  less  similar  in  some 
respects.  When  the  Comstock  Lode  was  found  to 
be  a  gigantic  deposit  of  precious  metal,  it  attracted 
at  once  some  of  the  best  as  well  as  some  of  the  worst 
ty])es  of  civilization.  As  enormous  wealth  was  under 
he  surface  of  the  rugged  side  of  Mount  Davidson,  just 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  NEVADA. 


331) 


so  there  sprang  suddcnl}-  into  existence  a  full-fledged 
municipality  with  20.000  inhabitants.  The  cit^-  bad  no 
antique  beginnings  ;  it  grew  like  a  mushroom  in  a 
night.  Its  courts  were  thronged  with  a  more  numer- 
ous and  abler  Bar  than  at  any  time  since  Nevada 
became  a  State.  The  earlier  historj*  of  jurisprudence 
of  this  State  has  less  of  that  quaint  species  of  anec- 
dote than  is  found  in  .States  where  the  hardships 
of  frontier  life  were  for  generations  endured  by  Bench 
and  Bar  with  the  people  whom  they  judicially  gov- 
erned. The  former  was  the  scene  of  earnest  conten- 
tion between  legal  giants,  and  case  quickly  succeeded 
case,  with  each,  as  a  rule,  a  new  force  of  legal  coun- 
sel. The  practice  was  well  systematized  from  the 
very  first,  and  business  was  crowded  along.  In  no 
portion  of  the  Territory  was  there  much  of  what  in 
the  Eastern  States  would  be  considered  mnd  Courts 
or  practitioners.  Everj'  locality  was  either  the  scene 
of,  or  else  closely  connected  with,  some  mining 
interest.  There  was  little  of  agriculture,  and  char- 
acter anecdotes  were  rare.  An  incident  or  two  will, 
however,  be  given,  as  much  for  the  reason  that  thej' 
are  generally  Nevadan,  as  for  any  extraordinary 
attraction  discoverable  in  the  incidents  themselves. 
The  Ophir  Silver  .Mining  Company  was  among  the 
first  on  the  Comstock  Lode  to  get  into  bonanza  and 
become  wealth}-  and  aristocratic  in  tone.  The  com- 
pany erected  extensive  reduction  works  in  Washoe 
Vallej',  about  thirteen  miles  distant,  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sierra,  and  coveted  a  valuable  piece  of  timber 
land  on  the  mountain  side  near  by,  and  began  to 
trespass  upon  the  "  possessory  title "  of  Negus  & 
Stage,  who  were  manufacturers  of  lumber  and  min- 
ing timbers.  The  result  was  a  suit  to  restrain  the 
trespass  and  to  recover  damages.  The  suit  did  not 
come  up  for  trial  in  the  Washoe  District  Court  until 
1805.  Hon.  C.  C.  Goodwin,  now  editor  of  the  Salt 
Lake  Trihune,  was  the  Judge  presiding.  Mr.  Tom. 
Cox,  a  "  rough  diamond  "  in  a  legal  way,  was  em- 
ployed to  assist  the  plaintiff,  and  ITon.  B.  C.  Whitman 
and  the  eloquent  Tom.  Fitch,  whose  oratory-  has  a 
national  reputation,  appeared  for  the  Oithir  Com- 
pany, which  latter,  by  the  way,  was  rather  in  its 
decadence  through  the  working  out  of  its  rich 
pockets  of  ore.  With  such  a  team  of  legal  lumina- 
ries to  antagonize,  .Mr.  Cox  was  somewhat  driven  to 
extremities  in  the  closing  speech  for  the  ]>laintifl'. 
It  was  necessary  for  him  to  offset  the  effect  of  the 
bewildering  logic  and  charming  eloquence  with  which 
the  able  "corporation  lawyer's  "  had  presented  an 
unjust  cause  to  the  hard-headed  jury,  and  accordingly 
he  made  a  highly  personal  attack,  not  merely  upon 
the  alleged  shaky  old  company  itself,  but  upon  the 
brethren  who  represented  the  interests  of  that  bloated 
artificial  personage.  Accordingly  ho  spoke  substan- 
tially as  follows: — 

Gentlemen  of  the  jur}-,  the  Oi)hir  Company  was  a 
couple  of  years  ago  mighty  in  influence  and  rich  in 
treasure  taken  from  the  bowels  of  Mount  Davidson. 
They  built  walla  of  masonry  three  feet  thick  in  every 


direction  down  here  on  Ophir  Creek,  and  spread 
shingles  over  them,  and  put  in  furnaces  and  machin- 
ery, and  called  it  a  mill.  Then  thej-  built  a  man- 
sion near  bj-,  and  fitted  it  u])  with  everything 
costly,  and  called  it  the  Su])erintendent's  residence; 
then  thej-  fenced  in  the  whole  premises  with  ten- 
foot  pickets,  and  called  it  the  ()|>liir  grounds,  where 
you  and  I,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  were  forbidden 
to  enter  without  the  Superintendcnfs  pass;  then 
they  had  their  wine  sujjpers,  and  the  golden  cham- 
pagne floweil  delightfull}-.  while  fair  women  smiled, 
and  bloated  aristocrats  gormandized.  Their  knives, 
and  forks,  and  spoons,  and  ])latcs  were  of  silver, 
and  their  glass  was  of  the  Bohemian  cut  of  the  first 
sparkle  and  crystal.  In  those  daj-s  they  had  distin- 
guished lawyers  like  Bill  Stewart,  General  Wil- 
liams, and  Dick  Mesick  to  assist  their  overreaching 
propensities.  P^verything  was  lovely  with  the  Ophir 
then,  while  the  outside  world  looked  on  with  help- 
less envy  at  their  shodd}-  dignity  and  their  swelled- 
up  self-esteem.  Now  all  is  changed,  gentlemen  of 
the  jurj'.  Their  fence  has  fallen  down;  thej'  no 
longer  give  wiric  su])pers;  they  have  shipped  away 
their  silverware;  the  Su])erintendent  is  gone;  the 
mill  shut  down,  and  their  old  mine  a  'wild  cat;" 
their  aristocracy  is  seedy;  and  for  law}-ers  thej- 
have  been  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  such 
men  as  ^V hitman  and  Fitch. 

The  bluf!',  contemptuous,  and  studiedl}-  intrepid 
manner  in  which  .Mr.  Cox  had  delivered  these 
remarks  were  a  source  of  great  amusement  to  the 
Court  and  jury,  and  not  without  some  slight  effect 
upon  the  usually  placid  countenance  of  the  Ophir's 
attorneys;  but  the  jury  were  unable  to  discover  the 
relevancy  of  this  tirade  to  the  case  in  hand,  and 
promptly  rendered  a  verdict  in  favor  of 'the  Ophir." 

In  that  same  locality  was  a  .Justice  of  the  Peace. 
He  was  of  diminutive  stature,  solemn  of  countenance, 
incapable  of  being  penetrated  by  a  joke,  peddled 
milk  morning  and  evening,  preached  on  Sunday,  was 
might}-  in  the  Scriptures,  and  hated  the  Church  of 
Englatid  with  a  consistencj-  that  was  indicative  of  no 
compromise  from  his  Methodist  stand-point.  He  was 
never  seen  to  smile,  and  was  a  terror  to  evil-doers. 
Thissad-ej-ed  embodiment  of  the  rigors  of  the  law  was 
called  upon  by  the  enraged  jnipulace  to  administer  a 
series  of  aflidavits  on  Sunday  morning,  April  Iti, 
1865,  to  persons  desiring  to  complain  (o  the  Provost 
Marshal,  (General  Van  Bokkelen,  at  Virginia,  con- 
cerning unpatriotic  words  and  behavior  by  one  Jim 
Pierson  concerning  .\braham  liincoln,  then  recently 
assassinated.  The  ilaj-  in  common  estimation  was 
non-judicial,  and  the  friends  of  the  oft'ending  Pierson 
employed  a  well-known  lawj-er,  now  one  of  our  Dis- 
trict Judges,  to  argue  the  matter  to  the  old  gentle- 
man, and  induce  him  not  to  proceed  with  the  taking 
of  the  affidavits.  The  Justice,  however,  was  greatly 
impressed  with  the  gravity  of  the  occasion,  and 
desired  to  do  what  he  could  to  rid  the  community  of 
the  obnoxious  presence  of  such  a  "  wicked  man." 
Little  did  ho  regard  the  waiting  of  the  congregati(m 
for  his  ministrations  at  the  church,  nor  yet  was  he 
disposed  to  let  his  freely-confessed  convictions  that 
the  day  was  non-judicial,  interfere  with  the  making 


340 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


of  his  office  equal  to  a  great  national  emergency. 
When  the  lawyer  had  ceased,  he  rested  his  face  upon 
his  hands  and  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  and  without 
a  particle  of  expression  in  his  eyes.*or  emotion  in  his 
voice  or  maimer,  thought  the  matter  over  a  few 
minutes,  lie  then  slowly  raised  his  head  and  looked 
sadly  at  the  lawyer  as  he  ])ronounced  the  "  opinion  " 
of  the  Court;  "  This  Court  is  of  the  opinion  that 
this  is  a  case  of  great  military  necessity.  This  Court 
will  go  on  with  the  affidavits."  And  so  he  did. 
The  result  was  that  on  the  following  morning  a 
squad  of  cavalry  appeared,  and  "Jim"  rode  away 
with  them  toward  Fort  Churchill  in  a  highly  "  non- 
Judicial  "  manner. 

PO.ND    vs.    RE.\I,    DEL    MONTE. 

Among  ks  causes  cil'bres  of  Nevada,  that  of  the 
great  mining  suit  of  Pond  cs.  Real  Del  Monte,  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent.  The  following  report  of  the 
trial  is  from  the  ("arson  Daily  Independent.  The 
shares  in  these  mines  once  sold  for  near  8400  per 
foot,  and  after  more  than  §1,000,000  expen'diture  in 
development,  mills  and  litigation,  were  abandoned: — 

November  26,  18(>I5.  Fond  vs.  Ileal  Del  .Monte. 
This  ease  got  fairly  under  way  yesterda}-.  and  the 
probability  is  that  it  will  continue  some  eight  or  ten 
days.     The  ground  in  dis])ute  is  verj'  valuable. 

The  counsel  in  the  case  is  as  follows:  For  plaintiffs, 
Messrs.  Quint,  Hillj-cr,  Gough.  and  Clayton.  For 
(lefcmlcnts,  Messrs.  Crittenden,  Mesi'-k.  Stewart,  and 
llardj'.     A  pretty  strong  tuam  on  both  sides. 

December  1.  ISCIJ.  The  Keal  Del  Monte  and  Pond 
ease  is  dragging  its  slow  K'ligth  along  in  our  District 
Court.  It  has  already  occujiicd  the  attention  of  the 
court  about  two  weeks,  and  promises  to  last  some 
lime  to  come.  And  yet  you  mustn't  tax  these  mining 
institutions — oh,  no! — there's  no  property  in  'em! 

December  J),  18G3.  Pond  vs.  Del  .Alonte.— This 
suit  is  still  progressing  in  our  District  Court,  and, 
being  a  very  important  case,  it  is  but  just  that  so  full 
an  investigation  of  the  facts  be  had.  The  District 
Court  ai  Aurora  was  compelled  to  adjourn  at  the 
end  of  a  two  weeks'  session  on  account  of  a  provi- 
sion of  the  statutes,  that  a  term  of  court  in  one 
county  must  end  before  the  time  fixed  bj-  law  for 
the  commencement  of  a  term  in  another  county  in 
the  same  district;  so  it  was  impossible  to  try  this  case 
there  within  the  two  weeks  of  their  court,  and  the 
court  had  to  adjourn.  15y  agreenienl  of  both  parlies 
it  was  moved  here,  and,  we  are  ))leased  to  say,  one 
of  the  best  juries  ever  imjianeled  in  this  county  is 
giving  a  fair  and  impartial  hearing  to  this  case. 

December  liJ,  ISd!!.  Pond  and  Del  Monte  case. 
The  evidence  in  this  case  has  been  submitted,  and 
the  arguments  of  counsel  are  now  being  heard.  We 
were  in  court  a  few  minutes  j-ester<la}',  and  tried  to 
become  interested  in  •slial'ts,"  "tunnels,"  "l)ed-rock." 
•driils,"  and  the  numerous  other  mining  terms,  but 
it  so  confused  ns  that  we  did  not  know  wlu'lhcr  we 
were  in  a  tunnel,  or  under  the  bed-rock.  The  suit 
i*  an  important  one — involving  property  (if  we  dare 
call  mines  property)  to  the  value,  it  is  computed,  of 
upwards  of  §1,000,000,  and  as  much  more  as  you 
rnaj-  please  to  call  it.  Wo  have  heard  it  reported 
about  the  streets  that  there  is  danger  of  a  collision 
between  the  )iarties.  no  matter  which  way  the  suit 
i  'Ii'firJed.  The  t.ffims  of  the  law  will,  wo  hope, 
look  lo  it  that  no  such  affair  takes  place. 


December  17,  1863.  Yesterday  afternoon,  the 
counsel  in  the  Del  Monte  and  Pond  case  got  through 
with  their  everlasting  jargon,  and  submitted  the 
cropjiings,  bedrock  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  to  the 
jurj-.  These  wise  men  of  "  Washoe  "  were  still  at 
work  u])on  the  mines  at  the  last  accounts  received. 
It  is  i)robable  that  thej-  will  agree,  or  agree  to  dis- 
agree, sometime  to-daj-. 

December  IS,  ISO.!.  Pond  and  Del  Monte.  The 
Jury  in  this  case  are  still  sleeping  on  soft  boards,  and 
eating  rough  meals.  They  have  been  out  some 
t\venlj--six  or  fortj-  hours,  and  it  is  the  general  sup- 
position that  the}-  haven't  come  to  any  agreement  as 
)-et.  We  don't  think  they  will  unless  (a  wise  dis- 
pensation of  law  !)  thcj-  are  starved  into  a  verdict. 
Why  should  men  be  ke])t  imprisoned  from  day  to 
day,  and  from  night  to  night,  when  they  can't  agree? 
If  an  honest  man  entertains  an  honest  oi)inion,  what 
it  was  first  it  will  be  last,  no  matter  how  much  you 
jiunish  him,  or  how  long  you  keep  him.  That's  our 
theorj-. 

December  nineteenth,  1863.  The  jurj-  in  the  case 
of  the  Pond  and  Del  Monte,  finailj*,  after  two  days 
session,  came  to  the  conclusion  to  --agree  to  disagree." 
They  came  into  court  and  so  reported,  and  were  dis- 
charged. So  the  whole  trial  must  be  repeated  again, 
unless  the  parties  come  to  some  understanding,  and 
make  a  com])romise.  It  is  said  that  this  suit  has 
cost  the  litigants  upwards  of  8200,000.  We  should 
not  be  at  all  surprised  to  see  both  mines  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  lawyers  in  the  long  run,  if  the  contest 
is  continued. 

January  10,  1864.  The  Real  Del  Monte  and  Pond 
case  settled.  The  telegraph  brings  us  the  pleasing 
intelligence  that  this  case  has  been  satisfactorily  set- 
tled between  the  parties  litigant.  Why  didn't  they 
do  this  before  spending  thousands  of  dollars  for  law- 
yers and  witness'  fees? 


\ 

CHAPTER    XL. 

HOMICIDE,    AND    SOME    OF    ITS    CAUSES. 

Causes  wliioh  Leail  to  Hnmiciile — Miinkiiul  Not  X.itur.illy  Bail 
— Cupidity  .Not  a  KreijHciit  Cause — Few  Honiii-idus  for 
Politics — Capital  Punishment  Infrequent — Konnation  of 
( lond  Society  —The  CanfieM  Outrage — Death  of  Hndrow 
and  Dillon — Deatli  of  I!.  W.  Knox — Capture  of  I,.  B. 
Vail — Vail  Tried  and  Huu'4 — His  Other  Proliahle  Murders — 
Deaths  l>y  Violence  in  IS4G  and  to  1881  in  t'hronoloj.'ical 
Order — Itetributive  .lustice — .Sam  Hrown — I.»'in{;for<l  Peel — 
The  Kxtreine  Penalty  for  .Murder — Judge  Lynch's  Tribunal 
—  Kuiglits  of  the  Uuad. 

l.\  all  new  mining  communities  the  number  of 
homicides  is  greater  in  )>roportion  to  ]io)>ul:ition  than 
in  places  settled  for  agri(ull\iral,  manufacturing,  com- 
mercial and  other  kindred  purposes.  The  causes  for 
this  unfortunate  condition  are  numerous  and  varied. 
The  expectation  of  gaining  sudtlen  wealth  in  localities 
reported  to  bo  rich  in  mineral  products,  fires  the 
hearts  of  a  restless  class  that  can  be  found  in  every 
grade  of  society — the  speculative,  the  miserly,  those 
prone  to  gambling,  the  reckless,  as  well  as  the  staid 
and  sober.  These  are  thrown  together,  strangers  to 
each  other,  in  a  new  land,  amid  chaotic  and  exciting 
scenes — a  cosmopolitan  mob  out  ol'  which  a  new  soci- 
ety must  be  evolved,  new  life  associations  formed; 
and  the  belter  elements  of  which  must  begin  at  once 


f^y; 


^   ../,  • 


^/L    A 


O  cJ^.    >^^^- 


Judge  C.  N.  Harris 

Was  born  at  Dryden,  Tompkins  Count}',  Now  York,  yepteinber  3,  1839.  When 
eight  3'ears  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to  Bellevue,  Eaton  County,  Michigan,  and 
in  1852  from  thence  to  Hennepin  County,  Minnesota,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
He  received  a  common  school  and  academic  education  and  progressed  to  the  junior 
year  at  Hamlin  I'nivursitj',  at  Redwing,  Minnesota.  While  at  college  he  enlisted, 
April,  1801,  in  Company  F,  First  Regiment,  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantr}',  and 
was  present  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21st  of  that  year.  He  was  seriously 
wounded  and  reported  killed.  Being  left  upon  the  field  he  was  taken  pri.soner  and 
sent  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  he  remained  in  the  prison  hospital  until  about 
November,  when  he,  with  fifty-six  others  who  were  supposed  to  be  permanently 
disabled,  was  paroled  and  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe,  where  he  received  his  discharge. 
In  August,  ISGl,  no  tidings  having  been  received  from  him,  funeral  services  were 
held  at  his  home  in  Minnesota. 

Again  taking  service  in  the  army  in  June,  1862,  he  received  an  appointment  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  remained  there  until  August,  1864,  when  he  resigned  a 
clerkship  iu  the  Quartermaster  General's  office  and  came  to  Nevada,  arriving  in 
September  of  that  year.  Having  studied  law  during  his  stay  in  Washington,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  Minnesota,  just  as  he  was 
leaving  for  Nevada.  He  took  up  his  residence  in  Washoe  County  and  entered 
successfully  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  until  in  1866  he  was  elected  Judge 
of  the  Third  Judicial  District,  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Washoe  and  Roop.  In 
1870  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  present  Second  District,  comprising  Douglas, 
Ormsby,  Washoe  and  Roop  Counties.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term,  in  January, 
1875,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Carson  City,  to  which  place  he 
removed  in  1873. 

In  1876  he  was  appointed  by  President  Grant  Register  of  the  United  States  Land 
Office  at  Carson  City,  which  he  continued  to  hold  until  August,  1880,  he  having 
tendered  his  resignation  in  March  previous.  He  was  one  of  the  Nevada  delegation 
to  the  Cincinnati  Republican  Convention,  which  nominated  Ha)'es  to  the  Presi- 
dency. While  practicing  his  profession  he  also  edits  the  Dailij  Index,  a  small  but 
stalwart  Republican  paper,  which  commenced  publication  in  December,  1880,  at 
Carson  City. 

Judge  Harris  is  a  man  of  good  abilities  as  a  lawyer  and  writer,  and  in  char- 
acter is  of  thoroughly  independent  and  strong  traits.  In  person  he  is  tall  and  of 
good  appearance.  He  is  thoroughly  identified  with  the  history  of  western  Nevaila 
and  is  well  known  throughout  the  State.  To  his  thoi-ough  acquaintance  with  the 
subject  and  his  ready  pen  the  publishers  of  this  work  are  indebted  for  the  h'story 
of  the  Bar  of  Nevada. 

The  Judge  was  married  in  November,  1867,  to  Miss  Clementine  Magee,  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  has  two  children,  both  boys. 


H(^MICIDE,  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


341 


to  lay  a  foundation  upon  which  to  rear  the  suporstruc- 
turo  of  good  government,  of  law,  and  of  order. 

MANKIND   ARE    NOT    NATURALLV    HAD. 

Rut  few  civilized  men  are  by  nature  ultorlj'  bad. 
The  good  traits  of  mankind  as  a  rule  overlialance  the 
bad  ones.  At  least,  such  should  bo,  and  without 
doubt  is.  the  normal  condition.  Hut  where  men  con- 
gregate in  a  new  field,  anil  that  Held  is  sought  onlj- 
for  the  one  Sole  object  of  si)eedily  actjuiring  wealth,  i 
inevitable  fate  decrees  that  a  large  projjortion  must 
meet  with  disappointment.  Defeat  of  expectation 
begets  a  reckless  disposition;  recklessness  is  followed 
by  dissipation,  gambling  and  other  attendant  vices. 

Man,  who  in  a  sober  mood  and  well  settled  in 
legitimate  business  operations,  would  not  believe  it 
possible  for  him  to  raise  his  hand  to  slaj'  a  fellow, 
often  unwittingly  becomes  a  very  demon  from  plans 
miscarried,  hopes  deferred,  ambitions  thwarted,  and 
body  and  brain  stimulated  witii  strong  waters  pro- 
duced by  the  subtle  art  of  the  distiller. 

CUPIDITY     NOT   A    FREQUENT   C.\USE. 

In  the  new  mining  regions  comi)aratively  i'cw  men 
are  murdered  for  money.  The  greater  proportion  of 
homicides  result  from  reckless  bravado.  Persons 
meet  in  saloons,  bagnios  and  gambling  places  with 
deadlj-  weapons  upon  their  persons;  they  drink, 
gamble,  dispute  when  half  intoxicated,  banter  each 
other,  and  at  last  draw  out  their  weapons  and  for 
fancied  causes  alone  slay  each  other.  If  one  survives, 
when  the  moment  of  sobriety  arrives,  in  nine  cases 
in  ten  remorse  comes,  to  escape  which  deeper 
draughts  are  indulged,  more  reckless  conduct  dis- 
plaj-ed  until  at  last  another  inuirrel  with  fatal  results 
ensues. 

In  the  list  of  homicides  we  give  below  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  total  is  402.  Those  for  which  trivial 
causes,  or  none  at  all,  is  assigned  are  more  than  one- 
half.  The  majority  of  these  can  safely  be  set  down  as 
having  begun  in  frivolous  bravado,  and  never 
would  have  occurred  had  men  not  gone  unneces- 
sarilj-  armed  and  congregated  in  places  where 
their  cooler  thoughts  were  usurped  by  those  bo- 
gotten  by  the  insidious  wiles  of  strong  drink.  There 
are  thirt}'  cases  in  which  the  causes  are  stated  to  be 
gambling  and  drunken  quarrels,  which  pro|)erly 
should  bo  classed  as  of  "no  cause."  In  newly-settled 
countries,  where  all  are  squatters  alike,  it  would 
seem  as  though  disputes  about  land  titles  ought  to 
be  a  more  prolific  source  of  ((uarrels  than  all  else; 
and  yet  such  is  not  the  fact,  for  there  are  only 
twentj'-eight  homicides  reported  as  having  been 
caused  by  quarrels  about  title  of  land,  money 
and  other  ])ro]>erty.  Quarrels  about  women  are 
fittcen.  The  unsettled  stafe  of  a  new  mining  com- 
munity, where  the  preponderating  number  are 
males,  and  a  great  many  of  the  females  not  of  the 
best  class,  makes  their  presence  no  inconsiderable 
factor  in  the  cause  of  death  by  violence.      There  are 

thirteen  cases  given  where  death  resulted  in  resist- 
43 


ing  arrest.  Most  of  these  can  be"  attributed  to 
intemperance  ;  for  no  offender  against  the  law, 
unless  incorrigible  or  inebriated,  will  risk  his  life  in 
a  contest  with  odicers,  but,  when  cornered,  grace- 
fully accept  the  situation,  and  peaceably  yield — 
trusting  to  juries  and  the  law's  delay  for  future  lib- 
ertj'.  Those  whom  ollicers  kill  for  resistance  of 
arrest  can  bo  set  down  as  brave,  foolish,  reckless 
characters.  In  all  the  long  list  which  follows  below 
there  are  onlj-  twelve  of  those  who  were  murdered 
for  monej'.  Bj-  this  the  inference  can  readilj-  be 
drawn  that,  as  a  class,  the  settlers  in  a  new  mining 
region  are  not  the  sordid,  cold-blooded  sort,  who 
kill  for  lucre  alone — though  there  are  a  few  who 
do  so.  The  justification  of  self-defense  is  given  in 
eleven  cases. 

FEW    HOMICIDES    FOR    POLITICS. 

Though  the  record  below  covers  a  period  of  in- 
tense political  feeling;  was  during  a  time  in  the 
history  of  an  internecine  war;  when  an  occasional 
individual,  for  expressing  in  unguarded  moments,  his 
sincerest  thoughts  and  most  earnest  belief  in  relation 
to  the  condition  of  the  common  countrj-,  was  sent  to 
Fort  Churchill  and  made  to  march  about  the  parade 
ground  loaded  with  bags  of  sand;  and  when  men 
from  all  parts  of  the  Union  mingled  and  discussed 
political  and  other  subjects,  to  the  honor  of  the  peo 
pie  of  that  time  there  are  only  five  cases  of  homicides 
attributed  to  jiolitical  quarrels.  By  Indians  the 
recoi'd  gives  five  as  the  number  killed.  B}'  Chinese 
fourteen — mostly  in  factional  fights.  A  stage-driver 
was  killed  by  robbers — jirobably  by  accident.  One 
Chinaman  was  killed  by  an  irate  father  in  retaliation 
for  an  assault  upon  a  girl  of  nine  years. 

CAPITAL    PUNISII.MENT    INFREQUENT. 

With  the  numerous  homicides  reported,  one  would 
suppose  that  the  natural  sequence  would  have  been 
many  executions  and  manj*  consignments  to  ])rison 
for  long  terms  of  those  escaping  capital  punishment. 
Such,  however,  is  not  the  fact.  Though  the  laws 
arc  strict  and  well-defined,  adequate  punislinient  is 
meted  to  but  few.  This  is  an  anomaly  which  Can 
only  be  attributed  to  our  jury  system  of  trial.  As  a 
rule,  judges  nor  ollicers  were  lax  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties,  but  those  charged  with  crime  were 
almost  invariably,  enabled  by  friendly  contributions, 
to  employ  able  counsel;  trials  were  ])ostponed  from 
time  to  lime  for  various  causes;  in  such  a  nomadic 
community  important  witnesses  would  be  lost  sight 
of;  time  would  pass  away  until  new  events  transpir- 
ing as  it  ran  would  render  obscure  the  deeds  of  the 
past;  and  when  trials  wore  finally  had  sympathetic 
jurors  would  predominate  in  the  ]iancl,and  acquittal 
would  ollen  follow  when  conviction  should  have 
resulted. 

To  such  causes  must  we  attribute  the  fact,  that  of 
the  entire  number  tried,  only  eight  persons  were 
hung  by  sheriffs;  twenty-three  sent  for  various 
terms   to  State  Prison;  while  twenty-nine  were  ac- 


342 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


quitted  outright,  and  the  jury  in  one  case  disagreed; 
One  case  of  killing  was  found  to  be  an  assault,  and 
the  perpetrator  fined.  With  those  facts  in  view,  is 
it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  people  at  times  relieved 
the*  law  officers  by  lynching  persons  whom  they 
knew  to  be  guilty  of  unjustifiable  murder?  The  citi- 
zens and  vigilants  hung  thirteen.  After  committing 
murder,  three  cases  of  suicide  are  reported. 

FORMATION    OF    GOOD   SOCIETY'. 

With  the  adjustment  of  land  titles;  the  establish- 
ment of  fixed  boundaries;  the  steady  progress  which 
ordinarj-  business  makes;  the  pursuit  of  permanent, 
laudable  occupations;  the  advent  of  the  true  women 
who  make  home  cheerful  by  their  presence — lessen- 
ing the  allurements  to  the  haunts  of  the  vicious — 
the  crystallization  of  the  incongruous  elements 
begins;  a  new  progcnj- arrives,  school  houses  appear, 
churches  are  built,  and  thus  the  purifying  process 
continues  until  society  in  these  new  regions  is  as 
good  as  in  the  older  settled  portions,  and  murders 
and  the  causes  which  produce  them  reach  the  mini- 
mum point. 

THE    CANFIELD    OLTRAUE. 

The  circumstances  attending  two  of  the  cases  re- 
ported below  are  herewith  appended,  as  given  by 
the  Belmont,  Nye  County,  liejwr/er  o{ April  20, 1867:- 

On  Wednesday  night  last,  at  about  the  hour  of 
eleven,  a  part}'  of  six  persons  proceeded  to  the  office 
of  the  Silver  Bend  Minint;  Company,  and  there  find- 
ing the  General  Agent,  Mr.  K.  B.  Caiifield,  demanded 
his  signature  to  a  check  for  a  sum  of  money  amount- 
ing to  S3,0()0.  As  neither  Air.  Canfiold  nor  the  com- 
jianj-  were  indebted  to  anj-  one.  much  less  to  either 
of  those  who  comprised  the  party,  he  verj-  properly 
refused  to  do  anj-  such  thing.  The  leader  of  the 
gang  then  informed  him  that  the  period  of  five 
minutes  would  be  given  him  for  consideration,  and 
if  he  failed  to  do  so  violence  would  be  used.  Air. 
(Janfield,  not  yielding,  was,  after  the  allotted  time, 
informed  that  he  must  "  take  a  walk  "  with  the  ruf- 
fians. Having  just  returned  from  a  trip  to  .Manhat- 
tan District,  and  being  somewhat  fatigued,  and 
withal,  unarmed,  he  did  as  he  was  bidden.  Pro- 
ceeding up  .Main  Sireel,  the  j>artj'  were  joined  bj- 
others,  a[)parcntly  in  the  plot,  who,  procuring  a 
scantling,  or  something  of  the  kind,  mounted  Mr. 
Canfield  astride,  and  in  this  predicament  conveyed 
him  to  various  places  in  town,  subjecting  him  to 
divers  brutal  insults  and  indignities. 

DEATH  OF    MODIIOW   AND    DICINON. 

Finallj',  between  the  houi-s  of  twelve  and  one 
o'clock,  they  had  made  the  rounds  to  the  llighbridge 
Saloon,  near  the  corner  of  Main  and  Belmont  Streets, 
where,  after  drinkinir  and  carousing  for  a  time,  were 
about  to  compel  Mr.  Canfield  to  again  mount  the 
scantling,  when  Mr.  Lew.  M.  Hodrow  interfered  in 
his  behalf,  and  an  affray  occurred,  which  terminated 
fatally  to  Bodrow  and  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  as- 
saulting party,  named  John  P.  Dignon.  So  far  as  we 
can  learn,  there  was  no  justification  nor  excuse  what- 
ever for  the  outrage  upon  .Mr.  Canfield,  but  was  only 
a  preconcerted  j)lot  U])on  the  j»art  of  a  gang  of 
lawless  rulfiuns  to  extort  money  from  that  gentleman 
Jpr  some  fancied  or  anticipated  grievance. 


The  superinducing  cause  which,  in  the  above 
instance,  produced  the  death  of  two  men  was 
whisky.  A  few  men,  whose  occupation  was  mining, 
being  idle,  anticipated  the  possibility  of  a  reduction 
of  wages,  and  the  importation  of  a  dift'erent  class  of 
miners  in  the  neighborhood  by  Mr.  Canfield.  This 
they  talked  over  in  the  saloons,  from  time  to  time 
drinking  as  the  one-sided  argument  progressed.  A 
"  lark  "  was  proposed,  and  "  fun  "  was"  sought  in  the 
torture  of  Canfield.  who  was  a  young,  boyish  look- 
ing man  at  the  time,  and  recently  from  the  City  of 
New  York.     The  result  is  written  in  blood. 

DEATH    OF    R.  W.  KNOX. 

How  different  the  cause  which  induced  L.  B.  Vail 
to  kill  Eobert  W .  Knox,  in  Lincoln  County,  about 
the  same  time — the  spring  of  1867.  The  Austin 
ReceUh  and  Belmont  Reporter  tell  the  story — this 
from  the  former: — 

Some  time  near  the  latter  part  of  March,  or  about 
the  first  of  April.  Robert  \V.  Knox  left  this  place 
with  a  man  named  L.  B.  Yail  for  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  State,  since  which  time  nothing  has  been 
heard  of  him  until  quite  recently,  when  his  dead 
body  was  found  near  Hiko,  under  circumstances 
which  indicate  that  he  had  been  murdered  by  Vail. 
James  E.  Matthews,  Sheriff  of  Lincoln  County, 
immediately  instituted  search  for  Vail,  and  in  the 
pursuit  came  to  this  place  with  Sheriff'  Ranne}-  of 
Nj-e  County,  and  enlisting  the  services  of  City  Mar- 
shal Hank  Knerr,  the  trio  captured  Vail  at  the 
White  House,  on  Reese  River,  about  ten  miles  from 
Austin. 

Vail  and  Knox,  having  a  small  drove  of  horses, 
passed  through  Pahranagat  Valley,  in  the  early 
part  of  April,  and  entered  a  canon  about  twenty 
miles  south  of  Hiko.  Vail  was  often  seen  in  the 
valley,  but  Knox  was  never  seen  alive  after  going 
into  the  caiion.  Knox  was  said  to  have  had  about 
8500  in  coin  and  a  check  foi;  S"1,<IOO,  and  is  a  relative 
of  II.  C.  Lillie  of  Virginia.  Upon  inquiries  being 
made  of  Vail  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  Kno.x,  he 
made  different  replies — at  one  time  stating  that  he 
was  hunting  stock;  at  others  that  he  had  gone  to 
the  Alormon  settlements,  to  Arizona,  to  the  States, 
etc.  Finallj-  Vail  came  from  the  camp  in  the  caiion 
and  proceeded  westward  alone,  with  the  drove  of 
stock.  It  was  then  noticed  that  he  also  wore  some 
of  Knox's  clothes.  Shortly  after  this,  men  came 
from  southern  Utah  in  search  of  stolen  horses,  and 
followed  Vail  to  Austin,  who  was  then  accompanied 
bj-  Wood  Harrington.  The  .Mormons,  securing  the 
aid  of  Hank  Knerr  and  H.  K.  .Marshall,  pursued  the 
two  men.  came  up  with  them,  shot  and  subsequently 
ea]>tured  Harrington,  and  recovered  the  stolen  horses, 
but  Vail  escaped,  owing  to  the  fieetness  of  his  hoi-se. 

CAPTURE   OF    I.,    II.    VAIL. 

He  was  not  then  suspected  of  murder,  but  the 
arrival  of  .Matthews  and  Ranney  with  a  warrant  for 
his  arrest  on  that  charge  induced  further  search, 
which  resulted  in  his  capture  at  the  White  House, 
as  above  related.  That  Knox  had  been  murdered 
was  positively  ascertained.  Indians  passing  the 
former  camping-ground  of  Vail  in  the  canon,  near 
Hiko,  discovered  a  saddle,  that  had  been  buried, 
partly  exhumed   by   coyotes.     Pulling  it   out,  they 


HOMICIDE.  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


343 


carried  it  to  the  settlements,  and  related  the  circum- 
stance. The  people  having  before  this  suspected 
foul  play,  went  to  the  spot  where  the  saddle  was 
found,  guided  by  the  Indian.s,  for  the  )nir])Ose  of 
making  further  examinations.  Upon  digijing,  they 
soon  found  the  body  of  Knox,  who  bad  been 
killed  by  a  blow  on  the  head,  apparentl)'  with  an 
axe,  and,  doubtless,  while  asleep.  Vail  had  buried 
the  body,  and  then  made  his  bed  over  the  spot, 
BO  as  to  hide  it.  This  position  he  had  occupied 
for  more  than  a  month — sleeping  upon  the  grave 
of  his  victim! 

After  his  arrest.  Vail  was  taken  to  Belmont,  and 
held  in  jail  there,  by  order  of  Judge  Curler,  for 
some  week.s,  fearing  that,  as  there  was  no  Judge 
to  try  the  case  in  Lincoln  County,  and  no  jail 
there,  he  might  escape,  or  be  hung  without  trial. 
Some  time  in  Julj-,  however.  Sheriff  Matthews,  of 
Lincoln  Countj%  took  his  prisoner  and  left  Belmont 
for  Logan,  then  the  principal  mining  camp  of  the 
county. 

VAIL   TRIED   AND    HUNG. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Belmont  Reporter,  writing 
from  Hiko,  thus  gives  the  sequel: — 

On  the  tenth  instant,  the  Sheriti"  and  an  escort 
of  six  men  arrived  here  with  L.  B.  Vail,  and  took 
him  before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  ibr  examination. 
As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  Vail  bad  arrived 
the  citizens  of  Pabranagat  Valley  arose  en  masse. 
and  u])on  the  eleventh  proceeded  to  Logan,  took  the 
prisoner  from  the  authorities,  and  brought  him  to 
this  place,  where  they  organized  a  court,  impan- 
eled a  jury,  and  proceeded  to  trj-  him  for  the  mur- 
der of  Knox.  Sheriff'  Matthews,  Justice  Gorin,  and 
Count}'  Commissioner  Wilson,  in  the  name  of  the 
count}'  demanded  that  the  prisoner  bo  given  up  to 
the  first-named  officer,  but  they  were  thrust  out  of 
the  room,  and  not  allowed  to  return. 

The  prisoner  was  given  a  fair  and  impartial  trial, 
found  irw'lt.V  "f  murder,  and  sentenced  to  be  hung 
the  same  night  at  10  o'clock — the  sentence  having 
been  pronounced  at  fifteen  minutes  before  9 — 
allowing  Vail  only  one  hour  and  a  quarter  in  which 
to  prepare  for  death.  He  said  "  all  right,"  and 
never  faltered  or  acknowledged  his  guilt.  He  went 
unresistingly  to  the  scatt'old  at  the  expiration  of  the 
allotted  time,  and  when  asked  if  he  had  anything  to 
say,  sullenly  answered,  "  No."  Whereupon  the  trap 
fell,  and  the  life  of  L.  B.  Vail  went  out  in  atonement 
for  many  dark  and  terrible  deeds, 

HIS   OTHEK    PROBABLE    MURDERS. 

That  he  was  a  great  villain  and  merited  his  fate, 
but  few  who  knew  him  doubted.  Several  years 
before,  a  man  who  had  been  in  his  company  at 
Washington,  Nye  County,  disappeared  suddenly,  and 
was  never  after  heard  of  Vail  at  one  time,  in  a 
half  serious,  half  joking  manner,  pointed  out  a  spot 
upon  the  Kuby  range  of  mountains  to  Mr.  Leo])old 
Bertschi,  who  lived  in  Reose  Kiver  Valley,  but  who 
then  happened  to  be  in  his  company,  and  remarked 
that  there  was  where  he  had  buried  three  men  whom 
he  had  killed,  and  said  that  for  seven  weeks  he  had 
slept  upon  the  ground  between  their  graves.     This,  in 


the  light  of  what  had  been  proven  \\\wu  the  liial  for 
the  murder  of  Knox,  it  was  thought  might  have  been 
true;  but  .Mr.  Bertschi's  demise,  resulting  from  an 
accident,  on  the  thirteenth  of  July,  two  days  after 
Vail  was  hung,  left  no  living  witness  to  lead  a  party 
of  discovery  to  the  place  which  Vail  had  pointed  out. 

184G. 
October  5.     John  Snyder  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 
John  F.  Jleed,  at  Ciravelly  Ford,  Humboldt  County. 
They  were  members  of  the  "  Donner  Party." 
1851. 
September  27.     John    Watson,  alias  "  Texas,"   was 
shot  and  killed  by  Green  Hensly,  near  where  Fort 
Churchill   now   stands.     Hensly  was  hung  by  his 
associates  immediately  thereafter. 
1853. 
Joe  Barnard  was  killed  bj'  a  trader  from  t'alifornia, 
at    Clear    Creek    Station,    on    the    line    between 
Douglas  and  Ormsby  Counties.     Barnard  was  one 
of  the  framors  of  the   Squatters'    Eesolutions  of 
Government. 

1857 

Two  men,  one  named  Steward  and  the  other  Larkin. 
were  mining  upon  the  east  fork  of  Carson  Uiver 
in  the  fall  of  1K57,  In  the  month  of  November 
Larkin  was  found  murdered  in  the  cabin  occu])ied 
by  both,  and  Steward  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
At  first  it  was  supposed  that  Larkin  had  been 
killed  bj^  Steward,  who  had  fled  the  countiy.  But 
later,  when  the  circumstances  were  all  taken  into 
consideration,  people  entertained  the  settled  con- 
viction that  both  men  were  murdered  by  some  one 
unknown.  Larkin  had  that  summer  arrived  in 
the  valley  with  an  emigrant  train  bound  for  Cali- 
fornia, but  falling  in  with  some  relatives  who  had 
settled  near  (fcnoa,  he  was  by  them  made  ac- 
quainted with  Steward,  and  thus  became  bis 
mining  partner.  Larkin  had  no  money  at  the 
time  he  began  work  with  Steward,  while  the  latter 
had  about  §1,00(1  in  bis  possession  and  8S00  de- 
posited with  a  Mr.  Wade,  who  lived  in  the  valley. 
Steward  has  never  since  been  heard  of,  and  it  is 
probable  that  he  was  killed  and  his  body  so  dis- 
posed of  as  to  induce  the  belief  that  ho  luid  killed 
his  partner  and  fled. 

1S.')0. 

"  French  I'ele  "  was  killed  by  Billy  Brown,  in  a  saloon 
on  B  Street,  in  Virginia  City. 

February.  William  Bilboa  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Sam.  Brown,  the  notorious  desperailo,  in  the  streets 
at  Carson  City.  Nothing  was  done  with  the  mur- 
derer, although  the  act  was  a  wanton  butchery. 

March.  K.  II.  Knot  was  shot  and  killed  by  a  boy  by 
the  name  of  John  Herring,  at  Genoa,  Douglas 
County. 

April  29. Jessup,  alias  "  Pike, '  was  stabbed  and 

killed  by  William  Sides,  at  Gold   Hill.      A   quarrel 
over  a  game  of  cards. 


344 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


June. 


Knahler  was  shot  and  killed   in.:ir  I  be 


SieiTa  Nevada  Works,  Virginia  City,  in  a  ijuarrel 
about  his  wife. 

September  5.     T.  Nelson  Deals  was  shot  and  killed 

b)- -McAbo}',  at    Willowtown.   on   the  Carson 

Eiver,  four  miles  above  Eagtown,  and  his  widow 
now  lives  at  Genoa. 

September  13.      Sailor  Jack   was  shot   bj"    AVilliam 
Newman,  at  Virginia  City. 
ISGO. 

January.  Homer  AVoodruff  was  stabbed  and  killed 
by  Sam.  Brown,  in  Virginia  City. 

January.     Henriques  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 

Isaac-  Lanier,  at  Virginia  ('ily.  A  countrj-man  of 
Henriques  killed  Lanier  with  a  piek-axe. 

February  11.     Joseph  Newberry  was  shot  and  killed 

by Mc.Marlin,  near  Genoa.  Dispute  over  title  to 

land. 

April.     Domingo  was  shot  and  killed  in  his  tent 

by  some  person  unknown. 

April.  A  Mexican  was  killed  in  Light's  saloon,  Vir- 
ginia City,  Bill  Burns  and  Jefl'.  Standifer  both 
claiming  the  honor  of  firing  the  shot. 

November.  Jas.  N.  Stevenson  was  shot  and  killed 
by  John  L.  Blackburn,  in  Car.son  City. 

Martin  Burke  was  stabbed  fatally  by Fitzgerald, 

in  Virginia  City. 

Billy  Brown  was  killed  by  Jack  Williams,  in  a  bil- 
liard saloon  on  North  C  Street,  \'irginia  City. 

"  Balz"  was  shot  and  killed  by  a  man  who  subse- 
sequently  left  the  country  with  Mrs.  "  Balz." 
1861. 

McKenzie  was  killed  by  Sam.  Brown,  in  Virginia 

City.  Brown  ran  a  knife  into  his  victim,  and  then 
turned  it  around,  completely  cutting  the  heart  out, 
then  wiped  his  bloody  knife  and  laid  down  on  a 
billiard  table  and  went  to  sleep. 

August  31.  Thomas  Stead  was  killed  b^- a  soldier, 
at  Buckland  Station,  Lyon  County.  Probably  an 
election-day  row.  The  man  was  killed  with  a 
club. 

In  the  fall  Wm.  Gejihard  shot  and  killed  an  inoffensive 
old  Irishman,  who  was  helping  to  build  Honey 
Lake  Smith's  Station.  He  was  not  even  arrested 
for  the  killing. 

November   IS.     John  L.  Blackburn,  Sheritf  of  Car- 
son County,  was  stabbed  and  killed  by  Wm.  May- 
field,  a  gambler,  at  Carson  City. 
1862. 

July  28.  Dr.  F.  Chorpenning  was  killed,  at  Aurora, 
by  Wm.  Pooler.  The  doctf)r  was  acting  Assistant 
Surgeon  for  the  command  of  Captain   Howe. 

October  29.  T.  Varney  was  killed  by  Allen  Mil- 
stead,  at  i^agtown,  on  the  C^arson  JJiver.  Mil- 
stead  was  hanged  .laniniry  !>.  1863,  at  J^ayton,  by 
the  Sheriff. 

November  28.  Cornelius  Mason  was  killed  by  Ed- 
ward Kiehardson. 

Parsons  Atkinson  and  his  nephew,  Wm.  JJogers, 
were  killed    by    Wm.     Barnwell  and  Stout, 


at  Pine  Nut,  Ormsby  County.  The  murderers 
fled  the  countr3'  and  were  heard  of  no  more.  Dis- 
pute in  relation  to  coal. 

December  10.  Jack  Williams,  a  noted  desperado, 
was  killed  in  Pat.  Lj-nch's  saloon.  Pistols  were 
fired  in  the  front  room  to  attract  attention,  when 
the  rear  door  of  tho  back  room  was  opened  a  few 
inches  and  a  shot  fired  from  a  pistol,  which  killed 
him.  He  had  killed  several  men  in  California  and 
Nevada,  had  bitter  enemies,  and  expected  to  be 
killed  finallj-.  He  was  out  on  bail  for  robbery  at 
the  time. 

December  25.  N.  Brown  was  shot  and  killed  by  R. 
T.  Ferris  alias  "Butcher  Bob,"  at  the  Pioneer  Hotel 
in  Unionville.  Ferris  was  put  under  bonds  of 
82,500  to  appear  for  trial,  but  was  never  tried. 

An  unknown  man,  a  German,  was  found  murdered 
on  North  B  Street,  Virginia  Citj-. 

December.     Thomas  Reader  was  shot   and   cut    in 
I       such  a  manner  as  to  cause  his  death,  on  B  Street, 
Virginia  Citj'. 

1863. 

Januarj'  11.  Morris  lioach  was  killed  bj-  William 
Loonej',  who  was  acquitted. 

January  17.  John  Smith  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Second  Lieutenant  Henry  A.  Williams,  at  Snake 
Creek  Station,  in  Honey  Lake  Valley.  Quarrel 
over  a  game  of  cards.  Thej-  both  belonged  to 
Company  C,  Second  California  Volunteers.  Smith 
was  a  private  soldier. 

Januarj'  23.  Geo.  W.  Derickson  was  killed  by  H.  F. 
Swayze,  at  Wasjioe  City. 

February  10.  Tbos.  McLaughlin  was  killed  by  Ed- 
ward McGrath,  at  Aurora.  A  dispute  over  a  min- 
ing claim,  the  cause. 

April  17.    McKinty  was  stabbed  with  a  knife,  by 

a  Chinaman,  at  Winters'  Mill,  one-half  mile  south 
of  iurora.      McKinty   died  on  the    twenty-fourth 

of  the  same  month. 

.March. Kelly  was  shot  in  a  cellar  on  North  C 

Street,  Virginia  City. 

October  30.  Wm.  Jones  was  stabbed  and  killed  in 
the  Texas  saloon,  Virginia  City. 

April  12.  John  Reed  and  John  McMahon  were  shot 
and  killed  on  North  C  Street,  Virginia  City,  bj'  a 
man  named  Campbell.  The  victims  were  police- 
men.    Cara])bell  was  acquitted. 

An  Italian  was  shot  and  killed  in  a  saloon  on  B 
Street. 

May  15.     Badgely  was  killed  by Tyrrell, 

at  Aurora,  Esmeralda  County. 

June.  Henry  E.  Herter  was  killed  on  the  Gould 
&  Curry  wood  ranch,  near  Steamboat  Springs,  bj' 
parties  unknown.  Supposed  to  have  been  mur- 
dered for  his  money. 

July  4.  The  proprietor  of  the  San  Francisco  Saloon, 
corner  of  B  and  L^nion  Streets,  Virginia  Citj',  was 
shot  and  killed  by  Joseph  McGee. 

August.     Richardson  was  killed  bj'J.  P.  Cullen^ 

I        at  Virginia    City.     Cullen  sentenced    to   two  and 


HOMICIDE,  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


3-^5 


one-half  years  in  Slate  Prison.  The  sentence 
was  considered  severe. 

Aufjust  22.  George  Ward  was  shot  and  killed  bj'  a 
Jlexican  named  "Jose,"  at  Unionville;  a  gambling 
difficult}'. 

October.  IJichard  N.  Snowden  was  fatally  stabbed 
at  Unionville,  Humboldt  County,  by  a  teamster. 
He  was  somewhat  noted  as  a  politician  and  had 
formerly  lived  at  Auburn,  Caliibrnia. 

October  9.  iJeuben  Martin  was  killed  bj'  John 
Spiker,  at  Clinton,  Lander  County. 

October  24.  George  Lloyd  was  shot  and  killed  by 
John  Daley,  at  Aurora,  Esmeralda  County,  during 
a  row  in  a  saloon. 

About  this  time  an  exciting  scene  occurred  in  the 
streets  of  Austin.  An  unknown  man,  supposed  to 
be  insane,  appeared  upon  the  crowded  streets, 
brandishing  a  glittering  axe,  cutting  all  who  came 
within  his  reach.  Three  or  four  men  were  either 
killed  bj-  him  or  dangerously  wounded.  Passing 
through  town  he  went  on  down  the  Clifton  Grade, 
and,  in  a  few  hour-s,  his  dead  bodj'  was  found  in 
the  road.  He  had  been  shot.  No  legal  imiuirj' 
was  ever  made  as  to  who  killed  him.  People, 
however,  generally  accredited  the  deed  to  a 
sporting  man,  since  deceased,  known  as  '•  White- 
headed  ''  Uoss.  For  a  long  time,  thereafter,  when 
anj'  person  wished  to  send  a  thrill  of  excitement, 
that  would  almost  result  in  a  panic,  among  the 
crowds  that  thronged  the  streets  of  Austin,  he  had 
only  to  raise  theory  of  '-Look  out!  here  comes 
the  man  with  the  axe!" 

October  24.  John  L)ennis,  afitis  "  EI  Dorado  Johnii}-," 
was  shot  and  killed  at  Virginia  City,  by  Langford 
Peel,  known  as  "  Farmer  Peel."  Pee!  was  acquitted 
on  the  grounds  of  self-defense.  Peel  was  killed 
in  Montana  in  18(J7,  by  a  man  named  Bull. 

October  2t>.  Yuk  Lee  was  shot  and  killed  by  another 
Chinaman,  four  miles  out  on  the  Ophir  road   from 

Gold  Hill. 

October   2(i.     Maldonado,  alias    "  Muchacho," 

was  killed  in  an  affray  that  closed  a  prize  fight 
near  Carson  City. 

October  28.  Horace  Smith,  once  Mayor  of  Sacra- 
mento, California,  was  shot  by  Capt.  F.  W.  H.  John- 
son, at  Virginia  City,  from  the  ett'octs  of  which  ho 
died  in  December  following.  These  men  had  been 
very  friendly,  but  a  dispute  arose  between  them 
concerning  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money  claimed 
by  Smith  as  his  share  of  percentage  from  the  sale 
of  some  Yellow  Jacket  stock,  which  the  two  were 
interested  in  selling  for  a  woman  living  in  Victoria, 
British  Columbia.  Ca])tain  .Johnson  was  agent  foi- 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  and  Smith  was  a  |)rominent 
lawyer.  The  latter  struck  the  former  with  a  cane, 
knocking  him  down,  and  wiiile  in  this  po.siiion 
Johnson  drew  a  ])islol  and  fired.  The  wound  was 
not  supposed  to  be  mortal  at  first,  but  after  a  time 
Smith  began  to  grow  worse  and  finallj-  died,  the 
bullet  having  abraded  an  intestine,  causing  inflam- 


mation and  death.  .lohnson  was  tried  and  ac- 
quitted. 

"Sugar  Foot  Jack  "  was  killed  on  B  Street,  Virginia 
City. 

November  11.  James  Dodd  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Daniel  Farn}^  at  (Jold  Hill,  Storey  County.  Two 
dogs  were  fighting  in  a  saloon,  when  Farny  threat- 
ened to  shoot  the  man  who  interfered  with  them. 
The  jury  disagreed. 

November  28.     .Merrill  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Gleason. 

November  29.  S.  Poraoroy  was  killed  bj'  Jesse  Bonds, 
at  Clifton,  Lander  County. 

December  1.     Mac  was  stabbed  and  killed   by 

George  Morton,  at  Everett  House,  at  the  foot  of 
Geiger  Grade.  Mac  was  boating  Morton  at  the 
time.     He  was  acquitted. 

December  9.  Joe  McGee  was  shot  and  killed  bj'  John 
Daley,  in  Carson  City,  with  the  same  gun  with 
which  McGee  killed  Jack  William,  just  one  j-ear 
previous. 

December  11.  Charles  Steer  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Deborah  Ann  Phillips,  at  Virginia  C^'ity,  for  insult- 
ing language.  She  was  sentenced  to  one  year  in 
State  Prison.  She  was  pardoned  out  by  Governor 
Nye,  prior  to  April  9,  18G4. 

Jack  Butler  was  killed  by  a  Spanish  woman  known 
as  "Sailor  Jack,"   in   Virginia  City — the  woman 
was  his  mistress.     She  was  acquitted. 
18G4. 

February  2.  W.  B.Johnson  was  killed  in  Aurora  bj- 
a  band  of  desperados,  headed  by  John  Daley.  The 
citizens  formed  a  Vigilance  Commit' ee  and  hanged 
John  Dalej-,  Jack  McDowell,  Wm.  Bucklej-  and 
James  Masterson.  Another  one  named  Vance 
was  sentenced,  but  escaped. 

February  10.  John  Scott  was  shot  and  killed  by 
William  Brown,  at  Virginia  City,  (both  colored). 
A  colored  woman,  the  reputed  wife  of  Brown,  in 
her  testimony  before  the  Coroner's  Jur}',  said  she 
was  married  to  him  "  By  nature  and  God  Almighty 
for  four  months." 

March  2.  Joseph  Gurtey  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Louis  Seldt,  on  the  Divide  in  Gold  Hill,  Storey 
County.     Seldt  went  to  State  I'rison. 

March  4.  P.  H.  Dowd  was  shot  and  killed  by  William 
Janes,  in  the  Gem  Saloon,  Gold  Hill;  Quarrel 
about  business.     Janes  sent  to  State  I'rison  for  life. 

April  10.  Eugene  Aine  was  l<illed  during  a  fight 
between  some  Frenchmen,  five  in  number,  who  had 
squatted  on  some  land  claimed  by  Dr.  Kills,  at 
Steamboat  Springs,  and  a  7W(tx''  of  fifteen  settlers, 
about  one  mile  north  of  the  hotel.  Aine  was  one 
of  the  Squatters. 

April  29.  William  Jones  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 
Martin  Harvey,  in  a  saloon  near  Devil's  Gate, 
Storey  County.  His  only  excuse  for  committing 
the  murder  was  that  Jones  was  a  Union  man. 

April.  .Tames  Thompson  was  killed  by  Ford,  at  the 
What  Cheer  House,  Gold  Hill. 


346 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


On  election  day  for  municipal  offices  at  Austin,  Rich- 
ard Allman  became  involved  in  a  dispute  with 
another  man,  about  some  trivial  art'air,  which 
resulted  in  the  killing  of  an  innocent  man  upon  the 
street — a  stranger  who  had  but  recently  arrived 
thci;e — and  who  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the 
quarrel.  Nothing  was  done  with  Allman,  but  he 
left  soon  after  for  .Montana. 

May  2G.  John  Clark  was  shot  and  killed  by  Thomas 
Wilkinson,  in  Virginia  City.  Clark  was  tearing 
down  Wilkinson's  fence. 

June  t).  John  E.  Campbell  was  killed  bj-  H.  T.  I'ar- 
lin,  in  a  saloon.  Campbell  was  the  aggressor  and 
was  trying  to  shoot  Parliu,  when  the  latter  crushed 
his  skull  by  a  blow  from  a  pistol.  Parlin  was 
acquitted. 

July  4.  Charles  11.  Plum  was  stabbed  and  killed  at 
a  ball  in  Ophir,  Washoe  County,  by  a  brother  of  a 
girl  he  kissed  in  a  sportive  manner,  when  dancing 
with  her. 

July  11.  David  Melntyre  was  killed  by  "Charley," 
near  Silver  City;  was  struck  with  a  board. 

August  5.  John  Doyle  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 
James  Linn,  at  Dayton,  Lyon  County.  Linn  was 
hanged  by  the  citizens  at  3  a.  .m.  on  the  ninth. 

Some  time  late  in  the  fall  of  this  year  a  young 
man  named  White,  who  had  previously  lived  at 
Genoa,  but  more  recentlj-  kcjit  a  waj-side  inn  at 
New  Pass,  having  had  some  difficulty  with  his 
wife,  seized  their  child  of  a  year  old,  and  started 
with  it  in  his  arms,  on  horseback,  across  Pcese 
River  Vallej'.  Friends  of  the  wife  pursued 
White  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  child  away 
from  hira;  and  when  about  to  overtake  him.  near 
the  old  town  of  Clifton,  Lander  ('ounty,  he  placed 
a  revolver  at  his  child's  head,  and  blew  out  its 
brains.  Then  turning  the  ])istol  to  his  own  head, 
he  again  fired,  and  fell  from  his  horse  a  corj)se, 
thus  completing  the  horrid  tragedy. 

December  20.  Michael  Madden,  «//««  "Micke}-  Free," 
was  stabbed  and  killed  by  Charles  Smith,  in  Gold 
Hill,  Storey  County.  Quarrel  over  a  game  of 
cards.  Sentenced  to  twenty-one  years  in  State 
I'rison. 

December  22.     Calvin  Martin  was  killed  by  James 
Parsf)n8,  in   Washoe  County,     lie  was  acquitted. 
18G5. 

Hiram  H.  Noble,  a  bystander,  was  fatally  shot  by 
J.  J.  Comer,  «/(«»  "  Pike,"  who  was  engaged  in  an 
altercation  with  a  notorious  character  named 
Squires,  at  Carson  City.     Verdict,  accidental. 

March  8.  Christo])lier  Penny  was  stabbed  and  killed 
by  Eugene  Jjcforo.  on  the  (Jeigor  (irade. 

March  12.  Benjamin  Melcalf  was  shot  and  killed 
by  John  E.  Doyle.     A  drunken  quarrel. 

April  8.  Peter  O.  Foster  was  killed  at  Gold  Hill  by 
parties  unknown. 

May  29.    Charles  McNair  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Elgin,    at  American   Flat,    Storey   County.     The 


latter  expressed  pleasure  that  Booth  had  killed 
Lincoln,  when  McNair  attem])ted  to  chastise  him 
for  his  exjircssions,  and  vvas  killed.  Elgin  fled  to 
parts  unknown. 

May.  Henry  E.  Atkins  killed  by  Daniel  Hughes,  both 
soldiers. 

June  6.  Two  young  (iermans,  who  had  a  vegeta- 
ble garden  in  Washoe  Valley,  were  found  mur- 
dered in  their  cabin.     No  clue  to  the  perpetrators. 

July.  George  Baker  was  killed  near  Butte  Station 
by  Henrj-  Warder. 

During  the  summer,  in  Reese  River  Valley,  a  prom- 
inent rancher  by  the  name  of  Wiggins  became 
involved  in  a  difficulty  with  one  of  his  neighbors, 
an  Irishman  named  Reilly.  Wiggins  seized  a 
double-barreled  shotgun  and  killed  the  man.  He 
was  afterwards  tried  at  Austin  and  acquitted. 
Wiggins  afterwards  fell  a  victim  to  small-pox, 
and  died  at  Hamilton,  White  Pine  County. 

July.  John  Templeton  was  killed  by  Charles  Duval, 
at  Gold  Hill.     Grand  Jury  failed  to  indict  Duval 

August   4.      (ruilermo    was    killed    by    Carle 

Christine,  in  \'irgiiiia  City,  with  a  double-edged 
knife,  in  a  billiard-room. 

August  7.  Colonel  Charles  F.  McDcrmit  was  killed 
by  an  Indian,  at  or  near  Fort  McDorinit,  and  the 
body  was  interred  at  Fort  Churchill. 

September  19.  Jose  Maria  Pinto  was  shot  and 
killed  bj'  I.  V.  Castro,  in  Virginia  City.  Pinto 
endeavored  to  shoot  a  woman,  and  Castro  inter- 
fered, with  the  above  result. 

October    4.       Ballard     was    killed    by    

Williams,  ten  miles  west  of  Egan  Canon.  Both 
men  were  teamsters. 

October  8.  A  ilexican,  name  unknown,  was  killed 
at  Genoa  by  a  negro.     Cause,  jealousy. 

October  10.  Patrick  MuUoy  was  stabbed  and 
killed  at  a  brewery,  in  Virginia  City. 

October  18.  Stephen  Lynnis,  n/ias  "  Dublin  Chicken," 
was  shot  and  killed  by  John  Grimes,  in  Austin, 
Lander  County;  an  election  row.  tirimes  acquitted. 

November  7.  Michael  Martin  was  shot  and  killed, 
at  Yankee  Blade,  by  Alexander  Mewton,  while 
endeavoring  to  keep  Martin  I'rom  using  a  knil'e  on 
an  unknown  man.     Newton  acquitted. 

November  21.  G.  A.  Bell  was  found  murdered, 
about  five  miles  from  the  Brunswick  Mill,  on  the 
Pino  Nut  Road;  had  been  shot,  and  the  body 
multilated  with  an  axe.  Bell  was  a  wood  and  lum- 
ber dealer;  the  body  was  rifled  of  all  valuables. 

December  25.  Herman  Eggert  was  shot  and  killed 
by  T.  McXamara. 

Ben  Bolton  was  killed  by  Bill  Shepherd,, who  put  a 
derringer  to  his  head  and  blew  out  his  victim's 
brains. 

Jessie  Leister  was  shot  and  killed,  at  Virginia 
City,  by  some  one  whose  identity  was  never 
known  except  to  herself.  She  would  not  tell  who 
did  the  shooting. 


HOMICIDE,  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


3-47 


1866. 

Februarj-  2.  Martin  V.  Burnliart  was  killed  by 
Thomas  Peuslc}-,  in  the  Orni.-ib}-  Mouse,  <  'arson  City, 
Ormsby  County,  in  self- defense.  The  former 
attacked  him  with  a  six-shooter,  and  thnunh  mor- 
tally wounded,  I'oasley  munai^ed  to  kill  his  assail- 
ant. 

February  2.  Thomas  Peasley  was  killed  by  Martin 
V.  Barnhart,  in  the  Ormsby  House,  Carson  City, 
Ormsby  County.    Mistaken  identity  the  oause. 

Februar}'  G.     Dodge  was  killed  by  Doc  Kimball, 

a(  Washoe  City,  Washoe  County-.  Dodge  entered  a 
gambliiigden  kejU  by  Kimball, and  drawiiiga  slung 
shot  struck  him  over  the  eye,  when  Kimbal' 
stabbed  him  with  a  Bowie-knife. 

March.  George  Rogers  was  killed  bj'  an  Indian, 
near  Panaca.  It  was  believed  the  act  was  insti- 
gated by  white  men  who  were  unfriendly  to  the 
murdered  man. 

June  25.     Ilisborn  was  killed  by  A.  G.  Bradley, 

near  Camp  McDerrait.  Bradley  acted  purely  in 
self-defense. 

Jul}^  14.  J.  L.  Rj-aii  was  shot  and  killed  bj-  J.  and 
G.  Showers,  at  Silver  City,  Storey  County. 

August.  W.  T.  Morphy  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Kobert  Kelly,  in  Belmont,  Xyo  County,  during  a 
fight  about  some  land.  Kelly  was  convicted  of 
murder  in  the  first  degree,  but  obtaining  a  new 
trial,  was  acquitted. 

November  7.  Daniel  McCune  was  shot  and  killed 
by  Wm.  Houston,  at  Belmont,  Nye  County.  The 
former  had  repeatedly  threatened  the  life  of  Hous- 
ton, and  was  killed  in  his  own  cabin,  Houston 
was  acquitted  on  the  ground  of  insanity. 

November  14.     Ned    Curron   was  killed  at  Washoe, 
Washoe  County,  by  Jonathan   Yates,  a/ias  Samp- 
son.   Cause  unknown.     Weapon,  pistol. 
1867. 

January  3.  Martin  Doren  was  killed  at  Aurora,  Esmer- 
alda County,  by  James  W.  Downej-,  in  a  bar  room 
fight,  stabbed.  An  old  feud  had  existed  between 
them  a  long  time. 

January  16.  Thomas  Andrews  was  killed  in  a  difticulty 
between  himself  and  brother,  and  Jacob  and  Sam- 
uel Steinongcr,  over  the  title  to  some  land,  at  Pine 
Creek,  Fjander  County. 

Tim.  G.Smith, Sheriff  of  Ormsbj'  County,  was  shot 
and  killed  by  Thomas  ]{iley.  Smith  was  attempt- 
ing to  arrest  Rilej-.  The  murderer  at  the  time 
escaped,  but  on  the  second  of  June,  1868,  Asa  L. 
Ken3'on  recognized  him  as  he  was  traveling  along 
the  overland  road  near  Dayton.  Kenyon  raised  a 
posfie  and  started  after  him.  Riley,  upon  being 
overtaken,  began  to  shoot  and  severely  wounded 
one  of  his  pursuers,  11.  A.  Comins.  Uiley  seeing 
that  his  pursuers  were  sure  to  capture  him,  and 
getting  out  of  ammunition,  killed  himself 

April  0.  Cornelius  Hill  was  found  dead,  with  his 
throat  cut  from  ear  to  ear,  in  a  stone  house  at 


the  u])|)or  end  of  Spring  Valley,  Storey  County, 
lie  ha<l  been  robbed  of  all  valuables,  his  hands 
tied  behind  his  back.  A  large  reward  was  oftered 
for  the  perpetrators  of  the  murder. 

April  17.  At  Belmont,  Nye  County,  a  gang  of 
drunken  ruffians  seized  l{.  B.  Canfield,  (reneral 
Agent  of  the  Silver  Bend  .Mining  (Jompany,  and, 
putting  him  astride  a  rail,  rode  him  through  town. 
Lewis  il.  Bodrow  interfered  and  was  killed.  J. 
P.  Dignon,  one  of  the  aggressors,  was  also  killed. 
Dignon  was  the  first  white  person  born  at  Galena, 
Illinois. 

Maj-  5.  Joshua  .Morford  was  killed  by  Cjn-us  Able, 
at  Paradise  Valley.  Morford  met  Able  on  the 
road  and  remarked:  "We  cannot  both  live  in  the 
same  valley,"  and  commenced  firing.  Five  shots 
were  fired,  when  Morford  fell. 

May  19.  Stephen  Richards  was  killed  at  Austin. 
Ijandcr  County,  by  Robert  lOlliott.  Hasty  words 
the  only  provocation. 

May.  R.  W.  Knox  was  killed  by  L.  B.  Vail,  in  Pah- 
ranagat  Valley,  twenty  miles  below  Hiko.  Vail 
was  hung  by  the  citizens  the  following  eleventh  of 
July. 

John  Milleain  murdered  a  woman  named  Julia  Pru- 
lette,  at  Virginia.  He  was  ti-ied,  convicted  and 
hung  April  24,  1868. 

July  4.  Policeman  Hawkins  attempted  to  enter  a 
house  kept  by  (!ad.  Woods,  in  A'irginia  City,  when 
John  Dalton  tried  to  ])revent  him,  and  was  shot 
dead  by  the  officer. 

July  13.  Gartrano  Labnala  was  killed  by  blows  on 
the  head  by  an  old  colored  man,  who  was  fined  for 
assault. 

July.  Tucker  .lolm,  a  Rali-I'lc,  was  killed  at  one  of 
Coffman's  stations,  on  the  Humboldt  road,  b}' 
Alexander  l-'leming,  of  Dayton.  Fleming  sus- 
pected the  Indian  of  killing  his  brother  some  three 
years  since. 

August  31.  Richard  P.  Ryan  was  shot  and  killed 
b}-  Wm.  Twaddle,  at  Ophir  (^afion.  The  former 
was  assisting  the  Constable  to  gi't  possession  of  a 
mule,  when  a  fight  ctisiieil  with  the  above  result. 
No  conviction. 

October  1").  .].  H.  Ijchigh  was  shot  and  killed  by  O. 
R.  Putney,  at  Belmont,  Nye  County-  I'utnej-  was 
badly  woundeil  and  lost  the  use  of  an  arm.  Le- 
high was  the  aggressor,  and  Putney  was  discharged 
after  a  hearing  before  the  proper  triliunal. 

November  25.  John  Ijadd}-  was  beaten  to  death  by 
Ike  Hubbel,  at  (Jold  Hill.  Storey  County. 

December  13,  Caldwell  was  killed  at  Glen- 
dale,  Ormsby  County,  by  Joseph  Stanley  with  a 
knife.     Dis])uto  about   a  cow. 

isi;s. 

Januarj' 13.  At  Ophir  Cafion,  'Syo  County,  a  man 
named  .Mexander  Johnson,  was  shot  to  <1eath  in 
the  saloon  of  Perlej-  A:  Luce  by  one  of  the  proprie- 
tors thereof     No  trial. 


348 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


January  IS.     Charles  Thompson  was  killed  by  officer 

Conley,  at   Gold   Hill.   Storey  County.     The 

officer  had  arrested  Thompson  for  carrying  a  con- 
cealed weapon,  and  after  reachini^  the  station-house 
attempted  to  kill  Conley,  when  the  latter  shot  him 
dead. 

Februarj-  (J.  Jesse  31.  Peters  was  killed  by  S.  Gold- 
stein, at  Belmont,  Nye  County.  The  former  had 
threatened  to  take  the  life  of  the  latter.  No  action 
was  taken  in  the  matter,  as  the  shooting  was  con- 
sidered to  be  justifiable. 

February  28.  T.  Francis  Lawton  was  found  mur- 
dered at  White  Pine.  lie  was  a  picture  dealer 
from  San  Francisco.     No  clue  to  the  perpetrators. 

.March  29.  Frank  P.  Pitt  was  killed  at  Pioche,  Lin- 
coln Count}-,  by  Jacob  Colburn.  Pitt  was  a  saloon 
keeper,  and  on  a  spree  when  he  attacked  Colburn. 
Nothing  done  with  Colburn. 

.March  29.  Antonio  Valencia  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Calestro  California,  at  Virginia  Citj-,  the  result 
of  an  old  quarrel. 

April  9.  Charles  Watson  was  killed  by  George  New- 
ton, at  Silver  City,  Storey  County.  They  com- 
menced fighting  up-stairs,  and  rolled  down  locked 
in  each  other's  embrace,  when  the  fall  broke  their 
holds.  Newton  got  out  his  pocket-knife  and 
stabbed   Watson. 

April  1(!.  Michael  Dunne  was  killed  by  Leslie  F. 
Blackburn,  at  Virginia  City.  Dunne  was  a 
"  shoulder  striker  "  from  Montana,  and  was  a  bad 
man. 

May  5.  Noble  T.  Sloeum  was  killed  by  Kufus  B. 
Anderson,  a  bo^-  about  eighteen  years  old,  at 
Austin,  Lander  County.  Anderson  was  hung  at 
Austin,  October  30,  1868.  At  the  execution  a 
terrible  scene  was  enacted.  The  noose  not  being 
properlj'  fastened  slipped  as  the  trap  was  sprung, 
and  the  doomed  boy  landed  on  the  ground  upon 
his  feet.  This  was  roiioatod.  and  the  e.xcited 
crowd  began  to  think  of  rescuing  him.  But  upon 
a  third  attempt,  strangulation  was  completed. 

June  G.  John  Bach  shot  and  killed  C.  H.  Maisch, 
at  Carson.     Cau.so — a  woman;  wile  of  neither. 

Juno  15.  Lawrence  Clark  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Robert  Steon,  Deputy  Shoritt',  at  Belmont,  Nye 
County.  Clark  resisted  the  officer,  and  .Steen 
shot  him  in  self-defense. 

Juno.  'S-i.  Solomon  Brundige  was  shot  and  killed 
by  A.  J.  JIuff,  a/inn  Gott',  in  Surpri.se  Vallc}-.  Got!' 
was  hanged  b}'  the  citizens  on   the  27th. 

Juno  26,  Charles  J.  Robinson  was  killed  at  Yellow 
Jacket  Springs.  Esmeralda  County,  by  Frank 
Schoonniaker.  No  one  but  the  two  present,  and 
no  conviction. 

July  18.  Walter  Williams  was  killed  bj'  Peter  Hill, 
at  Silver  City,  Storey  County,  while  assisting  the 
officers  to  arrest  the  latter. 

July  18.  Peter  Hill,  ulias  "Russian  Pete,"  while  resist- 
ing arrest  for  robbery  at  Silver  City,  Storey 
County,  took  refuge  in  the  North  Potosi  Tunnel. 


'While  the  officers  and  posse  were  attempting  to 
drown  him  out,  he  killed  one  of  the  />osse.  and 
then  putting  the  pistol  into  his  own  mouth  blew 
his  brains  out. 

In  August  of  this  year,  Thomas  Carberry.  commonly 
known  as  Irish  Tom.  shot  and  killed  a  man  named 
Vance,  at  Austin.  Vance  had  recently  arrived  there_ 
from  Montana,  and  claimed  to  be  the  "  bad  man  " 
from  that  region,  while  Carberrj-,  though  a  quiet 
man  when  sober,  had  been  engaged  in  many  shoot- 
ing scrapes  about  Aurora  and  other  new  mining 
localities.  Vance  assumed  an  oft'ensive  attitude 
toward  (^arberrj-,  and  told  him  that  he  would  kill 
him.  Irish  Tom  was  at  this  time  unarmed,  and  so 
informing  his  antagonist,  Vance  told  him  to  go  and 
prepare  himself  and  come  back  shooting.  Car- 
berry  quietly  left,  obtained  a  pistol  and  carelessly 
sauntered  back.  Vance,  who  was  on  the  lookout, 
immediatel}-  began  to  fire,  Carberr}'  advancing  to 
close  range  uotwithstandin.g  his  enemj-'s  repeated 
shots.  When  in  position  to  suit  him,  Carberry 
rested  his  pistol  across  his  arm,  took  careful  aim, 
and  shot  Vance  dead.     Carberry  ac(iuitted. 

August  26.  \V.  15.  llawslej-  was  killed  by  Al.  Haw- 
loy,  between  Gold  Hill  and  American  Flat.  After 
committing  the  murder  Hawley  climbed  the  hill 
towards  the  Ophir  Grade,  and  seating  himself  on 
a  rock  committed  suicide. 

September  22.  Thomas  Griffith  was  killed  by  George 
Wegstein,  at  Vansickle's  ranch,  Douglas  County, 
in  a  row  resulting  from  a  political  discussion.  He 
was  killed  by  a  shot  from  a  double-barreled  shot- 
gun, 

November  20.  AI,  P.  Waterman  was  shot  by  Miles 
Goodman,  at  Virginia  City,  Storej'  Count}-. 

November  30.  Jerry  Emerson,  a  rough,  was  killed 
at  Argenta.  Lander  County.  He  was  shot  by  some 
person  unknown. 

December  20.  Owen  Murphy  was  killed  by  James 
Walsh,  at  Austin,  Lander  Count}-.  Murphy  was 
drunk  and  ap|)liod  foul  epithets  to  the  wife  of 
Walsh. 

1869. 

February  3.     David  Jlclntosh  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Al.  Page,  at  Elko. 
February  29.     Lewis  and  Seiner,  two  Jew  peddlers, 

were  fgund  in  the  creek  near  Camp  Halleck  ;the 

bodies  bore  the  marks  of  an  axe.      No  clue  to  the 

murdei'ers. 
April  1.     Uonry  A.  Corcoran  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Thomas  H.  HeftVon.  at  Elko. 
.May  2.     Parsons  was  killed  by  Tom  Thacker,  at 

Winnemucca,  Humboldt  County. 
July  2.     Thomas  Matthews  killed  Charles  Jones  in 

White  Pino  County. 
July  6.     -Mrs.  Priscilla  Wilford  was  found  murdered 

at  her  house  in  (Jlear  Creek,  Ormsby  County,  with 

her  throat  cut.     No  duo  to  the  murdorors, 
July  tl.     James  Bender  was  shot  and  killed  by  Wm. 


HOMICIDE,  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


349 


Chamberlain,    at   Crescent   Station,    on    the    Tlill 
Beachj-  Toll-road. 

August.  John  L.  Roach  was  shot  by  Frank  liankin 
in  Pine  Nut  Valley.  Trouble  grew  out  of  a  wood 
ranch  sale.     Roach  died  August  21st. 

August  24.  Beneditto  Maccsstrell  was  killed  by 
Angelo  Lombardi  at  Virginia  City,  Storey  County. 
Beneditto  had  slandered  Lombardi's  sister. 

August.  Joseph  Buys  was  found  with  his  head 
crushed  and  pockets  turned  wrong  side  out,  near 
Hamilton.  White  Pine  County.  No  clue  to  the 
perpetrators. 

September  24.     John  McKinscj^  was  shot  and  killed 

by Raft'erty,  at  Paradise  Valley.    Rafferty  was 

one  of  a  Sheriff's  posse,  and    McKinsey   resisted 
arrest. 

December.    Hamilton  was  killed  by  S.  P.  How- 
ard, at  Hamilton,  White  Pine  County. 
1870. 

January  13.  George  F.  Mills  was  killed  by  Cor- 
nelius Buckle^-,  at  Eureka,  Eureka  County.  Mills 
was  a  member  of  the  Nevada  Assembly  in  1869. 
Bucklej-  was  a  noted  desperado. 

January  21.  Jonathan  Young  was  killed  at  Sher- 
mantown.  White  Pine  County,  bj-  Tray  M.  John- 
son. The  shot  was  intended  for  another  man,  but 
missed  its  mark.     Johnson  was  acquitted. 

February  15.  Wm.  A.  Decker  was  shot  and  killed  by 
George  Price,  at  Empire,  Ormsby  County.  The 
dispute  was  over  a  game  of  cards.  Price  got 
fifteen  years  in  State  Prison. 

Februarj-  28.  Vung  Yew  was  killed  by  John  Burke 
at  KIko.     He  was  kicked  to  death. 

February.  Levi  Maize,  alias  '-Buffalo  Bill,"  was  shot 
and  instantly  killed  by  "FIj-ing  Dutchman,"  at 
Eureka,  P^ureka  County. 

March  25.     Peruvian  Joe  was  killed  by  a  Mexican 

named Corralis,  in   the  White  Pine  country, 

during  a  drunken  brawl. 

March  27.  Ah  Sin  and  Lung  King  were  killed  by 
Aug  P]ye,  and  the  latter  was  killed  the  same  day 
by  Ah  Tom.     A  row  among  the  Celestials  at  Elko. 

April  12.  Henry  Phibbs  was  killed  by  George  Routh, 
at  Reno,  Washoe  Countj'.  The  shooting  was  acci- 
dental, as  the  shot  was  intended   for  another  man. 

April  12.  J.  H.  Miller  was  killed  by  George  Routh, 
at  Reno,  Washoe  County,  and  during  the  shooting 
killed  a  by-stander  named  Henry  Phibbs. 

May  1.  George  Liddicoat  was  killed  by  William" 
Little,  at  llyc  Patch,  Humboldt  County.  During 
a  fight  somebody  struck  Little,  knocking  him 
senseless.  When  he  came  to,  he  began  shooting 
promiscuously,  and  killed  his  friend. 

May.  Ad.  Rogers  was  shot  and  killed  in  the  hills 
about  six  miles  east  of  Pioche,  Lincoln  ('ounty. 
Ho  had  gone  out  to  examine  some  mining  claims, 
in  company  with  Moses  Black.  The  latter  re- 
ported that  Rogers  had  been  accidentally  shot  with 
his  own  jjistol,  which  had  fallen  from  its  scabbard, 
the  hammer  striking  a  stone  and  exploding  it. 
44 


May  24.  Richard  N.  Allen  was  killed  by  Dr.  J.  N. 
J{.  Owen,  at  Hamilton,  White  Pine  County. 

June  0.  Annie  McManus  was  killed  by  Bernard  J. 
Cosgrove,  at  Elko,  KIko  (bounty.  Sixty-five  wounds 
were  inflicted  with  a  knife.  Sentenced  to  State 
Prison  for  life. 

June  10.  John  F.  (Jlennon  was  killed  bj^  a  'sport" 
named  Ulysses  W.  Hutchinson,  at  Hamilton,  with 
a  knife;  no  cause  known. 

June  29.  Richard  H.  Dodd  was  killed  by  William 
Dodds,  at  Pioche,  Jjincoln  Count}'.  Hard  feeling 
between  the  parties,  the  cause. 

July   17.     Farlej-  was  killed   by Murphy, 

near  Moleen,  Elko  County.  The  former  was  steal- 
ing a  ride  on  the  cars,  and  when  ordered  off  by 
^lurphy,  drew  a  pistol,  when  the  latter  struck 
him  with  a  stick  of  wood — killing  him. 

August  10.  James  Wilson  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Alexander  McDonald,  at  Bald  Mountain. 

August  23.     William   Thompson  was  killed  by 

Glasset,  at  Pine  Grove,  Esmeralda  County.     The 

bullet  passed   through   the  side  of McCoolo, 

the  man  it  was  intended  to  kill,  and  struck  Thomp- 
son, a  bystander. 

September  4.  Andrew  Whitlock  was  killed  bj-  Jas. 
Maxwell,  at  .Meadow  Valley  Mill,  Lincoln  County. 
The  foi-mer  was  an  important  witness  in  a  law- 
suit over  the  title  to  a  ranch,  and  Maxwell  took 
this  way  to  kee])  liim  i'rom  testifying,  and  then 
escaped  over  the  line  into  Utah. 

September  6.  A  Chinaman  was  found  murdered 
about  four  miles  below  F,lko,  on  the  Humboldt 
River.  The  body  was  partially  consumed  by  fire. 
No  clue  to  the  perpetrators. 

September    15.     Lyon    was    killed    by    James 

Stuart,  at  Glenbrook  Hotel,  Lake  Talioe.  Lyon 
was  the  aggressor,  and  repeatedly  attcini)ted  to 
cut  Stuart,  when  the  latter  stabbed  him  fatally. 

September  20.  Harrj'  (lorman  was  killed  b^-  George 
Hirsch,  at  Pioche,  I/mcoln  County.  Grand  Jury 
ignored  the  bill  against  Hirsch. 

September  29.  Ah  Cum,  a  Chinawoman,  was  killed 
by  Ah  Lin,  at  Carson,  Ormsby  County. 

October  4.  Hiram  Thornton  was  found  shot  through 
the  head,  on  Smith's  Ranch  (Hot  Springs^  Was 
known  to  have  considerable  money  at  the  time. 

October  13.  Lally  Whitmore  was  killed  by  Edward 
Can,  with  a  carbine. 

October  30.  R.  H.  Carson,  <i/ias  '•  Kit,"  was  killed 
at  Pioche  by  parties  unknown.  Antonio  Cardenas 
was  indicted  for  the  killing,  but  was  not  con- 
victed. 

November  9.  W.  (i.  Snell  was  killed  in  a  mining 
dispute  over  the  Banner  and  Creole  mines.  Also 
resulted  in  wounding  ten  others  and  throwing  two 
men  down  a  shaft  seventy  feet. 

December  11.  Robert  Wallace  was  killed,  by  being 
struck  on  the  head  with  a  bottle,  at  Pine  Grove. 
Name  of  murderer  not  given. 


3o0 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


1871. 

February  15.  .John  Clapny,  with  several  aliases, 
was  killed  by  Jas.  D.  Kennedy,  in  Pioche.  Ken- 
nedy was  convicted  of  murder  in  the  second  de- 
force, and  obtained  a  new  trial.  The  case  was 
finally  nolk  j/rossed. 

February   18.     McDonald  was  killed  by  

McCoy,  at  Highland,  Lincoln  County.  McCoy 
then  shot  and  killed  himself,  supposed  to  be  in- 
sane.    AVas  a  stranger  in  the  vicinity. 

February  22.  Thos.  Coleman  was  killed  at  Pioche, 
Lincoln  County.  Morgan  Courtney  and  Barney 
Flood  were  arrested,  but  were  discharged  from 
custody,  there  being  no  direct  evidence  against 
them. 

March  5.  William  Smith  was  killed  by  Arthur  Per- 
kins llcftiian,  at  Vii-ginia  City,  lleffnan  was 
hung  at  (iold  Hill,  March  24th,  for  the  crime. 

March  12.  Thomas  (iorson  was  killed  by  ^fike  Case}-, 
at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  A  business  settlement 
the  cause. 

April  12.  AVilliam  McMurray  was  killed  by  K.  D. 
Chase  and  Alex.  Frazer  at  Tem  Piute,  Lincoln 
County.     Dispute  over  a  mining  claim.    Acquitted. 

April  17.  .lames  Funk  was  shot  and  killed  by  his 
wife,  Hattie,  at  Fureka.  I^ander  Countj''.  Cause, 
domestic  infelicity,  and  too  much  whisky. 

May  3.  W.  R.  Warnock  was  killed,  at  Pioche,  Tjin- 
coln  County,  while  passing  some  fo"-ts  on  mines;  a 
number  of  parties  were  arrested,  but  no  con- 
victions. 

May  11.  All  Foo,  a  Chinawoman,  was  shot  and 
killed  on  Plaza  Street,  Virginia  City,  by  a  China- 
man. 

.May    30,      .1.    J.    Moniihan    was    killed    bj'     Dennis 

JIulonoj'  and Fox,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  Countj-. 

The}-  both  got  clear. 

May  30.  Mike  Casej-  was  killed  by  James  Levy,  at 
Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  Acquitted.  Mike  Casey 
is  the  man  who  killed  Thomas  Corson,  March  12th. 

July  7.  Samuel  Cooklin  was  killed  by  a  Sberiff's 
posse,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  He  resisted 
the  officers,  firing  at  them;  thej'  had  to  shoot  him. 

Jul}'  13.  George  Kirk  was  hung  by  Vigilants,  at 
Virginia  City.  He  had  been  ordered  to  leave 
town,  and  came  back;  was  found  drunk  in  a  dance- 
house,  taken  to  the  Sierra  Nevada  works  and 
hung;  had  "GOl  "  ])inned  to  him. 

August  5.  (Jeorge  .M.  Harris  was  shot  and  killed  by 
D.  A.  Mj'endorff,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County. 
Harris  slapped  Myendorft"  across  the  face,  there- 
upon the  latter  killed  him.     Myendorft'  acquitted. 

November  !t.  William  Ilardwick  was  killed  by  Dan 
Harkins,  at  Genoa.  Douglas  County.  Harkins 
kicked  him  in  the  face  until  he  killed  him.  Money 
matters  was  the  cause. 

November  26.  James  Butler  was  killed  by  Special 
Officer Shea,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  Countj'.  In- 
sulting and  threatening  language  was  the  cause. 
Acquitted. 


November  26.    John  G.  Wood  was  killed  by  Pres. 
.     Standifer,  at   Pioche,  Lincoln  County.     The  citi- 
zens held  that  the  killing  was  justifiable. 

December  8.  Thomas  Kelly  was  killed  by  Mollie 
Forshay,  at  Reno,  Washoe  Count}'.  He  was  cook 
in  a  restaurant,  and  attempted  to  put  her  out  of 
the  place  for  disorderly  conduct,  when  she  stabbed 
him. 

December  IS.     John  Duland  was  found  murdered  at 
Panaca,  Lincoln  County.     No  clue  to  the  perpe- 
trator, and  no  known  cause. 
1872. 

March  2.  Geo.  Eeed  was  killed  by  William  Hawkins, 
at  St.  Thomas,  Lincoln  County,  accidentally.  No 
investigation. 

April  4.  Henry  Berge  was  killed  at  Elko,  by  Thos. 
Laswell  and  Charles  Dancy. 

May  18.  H.  A.  Wickware  was  accidentally  shot  in 
an  allray  between  Jesse  S.  Pitzer  and  Al.  Jonson. 
His  leg  was  amputated,  but  he  subsetiuently  died 
from  the  eft'ects  of  the  wound. 

June    5.      James    Sullivan    was   killed    by   Morgan 
^    Courtney,  for  calling  him  -'hard  names."  Acquitted 
on  jury  trial. 

July  4.  James  Jjong  was  shot  and  killed  by  P.  W. 
.Mansfield,  at  Belmont,  Nye  County. 

July  12.  Fannie  Peterson  was  killed  by  Perry  Ful- 
ler, at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  They  had  been 
living  together,  and  had  separated  some  time 
before.    Sentenced  to  fifteen  years  in  State  Prison. 

August  26.  J.  R.  Gibson  was  killed  by  Theodore 
Hawkins,  at  Double  Springs,  Douglas  County. 
Self-defense  was  claimed  by  Hawkins. 

August  27.  J.  C.  McMinn  was  shot  and  killed  by  (!. 
E.  Sampson,  at  Duckwater,  Nye  County,  Quarrel 
over  a  ranch.  After  several  trials  and  a  change 
of  venue  to  Austin,  Sampson  was  acquitted. 

September  13.  George  Wilson  was  killed  by  Wm.  H. 
Pierce,  at  Carson  City.  Pierce  kept  a  low  gam- 
bling den,  and  Wilson  was  an  inoffensive  sick  man. 
Pierce  got  thirty  years  in  State  Prison.  Pierce 
made  several  escapes  before  convicted. 

October  2.  Charles  Hickey  was  killed  by  Mike  Hol- 
land, at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  A  newspaper 
article  reflecting  on  Hickey,  supposed  to  have  been 
furnished  by  Holland,  the  cause.  The  (irand  .lury 
ignored  the  bill  ajcainst  Holland. 

October  14.     A  Chinaman  was  killed  by Buck,  at 

Noyes  Ranch,  Washoe  County. 

November  5.  John  V.  Strain  was  fatally  shot  in  an 
altercation  between  George  Manning  and  a  man 
named  Dow,  at  Piocho.  Cause,  an  election  row. 
Manning,  charged  with  the  shooting,  was  exam- 
ined and  discharged. 

November  20.     Wra.  McCarthy  was  killed  by  James 
Woods,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County,     t^uarrel  over 
""    a  game  of  cards.     Woods  was  acquitted,  as  Mc- 
Carthy struck  first, 

November  27.  James  Fvans  was  killed  by  Henry 
Lucas,   at    Dry    Valley    Mills.    Lincoln    County. 


HOMICIDE,  AND  SOME  OF  IT8  CAUSES. 


351 


tjiiarrel  about  amount  of  work  dono  by  each  olbcr. 
(irand  Jury  i>j;nored  tho  bill  against  Lucas. 

December  21).  Tbos.  Lyiicb  was  sbot  and  killed  by 
George  Bibbins,  in  Eureka,  Eureka  County,  in  a 
billiard  saloon. 

December  27.  Frank  Willis  was  killed  b}-  Joseph 
Haggerly,  at  Bullionvillo,  Lincoln  County.  An 
old  grudge.  Haggerty  sentenced  to  five  j-cars  in 
State  Prison. 

December  28.  Thomas  Ityan  was  killed  at  Pioche 
in  an  underground  tight  between  employees  of  tho 
Jiaymond  and  Ely,  and  Pioche  Phccnix  Mining 
Companies.     Ko  one  was  punished  for  the  deed. 

December.  James  Armstrong  was  killed  by Bur- 
bank,  known  as  "  Pike,"  in  lluby  Valle}'. 

December.  An  Indian  was  found  dead  near  the 
Banner  mine.  The  body  was  mangled  almost  be- 
yond recognition,  lie  was  indonlified  by  an  ac- 
quaintance through  the  puculiarity  of  his  gun. 

December  2'.i.  ('harles  Swanson  was  fatally  shot  at 
Pioche  by  some  unknown  person.  He  was  at  the 
time  going  to  work  in  the  IJaj-mond  and  Ely  mine, 
but  at  that  time  a  i]uarrel  was  in  progress  between 
that  and  another  mining  company,  and  guards 
were  posted  about  the  works.  It  being  dark, 
Swanson  was  doubtless  taken  by  the  guard  as  an 
intruder  and  shot.  A  reward  of  $1,650  was  oft'ered 
for  the   arrest    of   his  slayer,    but  he  was   never 

known. 

187.3. 

January  3.     James  L.  Armstrong  was  killed  by  Geo. 

Eubanks,  at  Elko,  Elko  (,'ounly.     Stabbed. 
January  5.    Cornelius  .Murphy  was  killed  by  Timothj^ 

MuUins,  at  East  Belmont,  Nj^o  County.     .Nlullins 

was  aci(uitted  on  the  ground  of  self-defense. 
March  11.     Harrison  Pheasant  was  killed  by  Jtobert 

G.    Moon,    at    the    Muddy.      Dispute   concerning 

boundary  lines.     iMoon  acipiitted. 
April  27.     William  Mann  was  killed  by  highwaymen. 

He  was  driver  of  the  stage  from  I  lumilton  to  W  ard. 

The  robbers  got  Wells,  Eargo  &,  (-lo.'s  treasure-box. 

The  stage  contained  five  passengers,  none  of  whom 

were  molested. 
May  1.     Thomas  Welch  was  killed  by  Frank  Soule, 

at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.     Old  business  transac- 
tions.    Soule  acquitted. 
May  8.     S.  D.  Potter  was  killed  by  Jell.  Howard,  at 

Pioche,  Lincoln  County.     Quarreled  over  a  game  of 

cards,     Howard  got  ten  years  in  the  State  Prison. 
William  li.   Bethards  killed  a  man  at  Schullbourne, 

while  druidc.   Was  tried,  convicted  of  manslaughter 

and  sent  to  State   Prison,      lie  was  subsequently 

killed  by  a  fellow  convict. 
May  17.     Charles  Sanbourn  and   (ius  Wright  were 

found  dead  in  the  water  at  Coyote  Springs,  six 

miles  from  Bristol.     No  clue  to  the  perpetrators. 
May   29.     Thomas    Flitcroff  was   killed  by   Joseph 

Watts,  atSchellbourne,  White  Pine  County. 
June  7.  Benetill  was  killed  by Crary,atMin- 


eral  City,  Eureka  County.  Tho  wives  of  each  of 
these  two  men  began  quarreling  and  their  row  was 
taken  up  by  the  men.  Crary  blew  the  top  of  Bone- 
fill's  head  oft'  with  a  shotgun. 

Juno  17.  John  Copoland  was  shot  and  killed  by 
David  M.  Hall,  at  Belmont,  Nye  County.  They 
were  both  from  Utah,  where  their  trouble  origi- 
nated. Hall  was  hanged  on  tho  seventeenth  of 
October,  1873.  This  is  tho  only  case  of  hanging 
by  sentence  in  this  county. 

June.  Frank  Durand  was  killed  by  John  .Stewart,  at 
Columbus,  Esmeralda  County.  Stewart  was  hanged 
April  24,  1874,  at  Aurora. 

July  1.  Peter  Fitzgerald,  engineer  of  the  (iouldand 
Currjf  mine,  had  a  street  duel  with  Sam.  Hamil- 
ton, a  pri/.e-ring  sport.  After  the  exchange  of 
numerous  shots,  Hamilton  was  fatally  wounded. 

July  0.  John  H.  Lynch  was  shot  and  killed  by 
James  Harrington,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  Dis- 

-  pute  over  a  dog.  He  wounded  three  other  men 
at  the  same  time.  Harrington  was  sentenced  to 
fifteen  years  in  State  Prison. 

July  15.  liobert  Ash  was  killed  by  Owen  Ferguson, 
at  tho  Carson  County  Hospital.  Ash  was  stabbed 
thirteen  times  with  a  surgical  instrument. 

August  1.  Morgan  Courtney  was  shot  and  killed  by 
George  McKinney,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County,  who 
lay  in  wait  for  him  and  shot  him  in  tlio  back. 
McKinney  was  acquitted. 

August  1.     B.  11.  Kislle  was  shot  and  killed  bj-  D. 

_    W.  Cherry,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.      He  was 

stealing  Cherry's  barley.      Cherry   was  acquitted. 

August.  C.B.Green  was  killed  by  ])aniel  Mathenj', 
in  the  vicinity  of  Eureka.  (Jreen  was  a  stock 
man,  and  was  killed  to  get  possession  of  a  band  of 
horses. 

September  2.  John  Manning  was  shot  and  killed 
by  Deputy  Sheriff  McKee,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln 
County,  in  self-defense.     Acquitted. 

September  28.  Henry  Thompson  was  shot  and 
killed  by  John  G.  Wiggins,  both  of  the  Fifth 
United  States  Cavalry,  while  on  westward  bound 
passenger  train. 

October  2.  A  squaw  called  Susio  was  killed  by 
Henry  Carl,  at  Toll  House,  Hot  Creek  Boad,  Nye 
County.  Carl  sentenced  to  ten  years  in  State 
Prison. 

October  5.  Antonio  Cardinos  was  killed  by  Charles 
Peasley,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County,  in  a  bar-room 
fight.     Acquitted  oti  self-defense. 

October  25.  En  Chu  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 
Charles  Poo,  at  Elko. 

November  1.  ,\  Cliinanian  was  murdered  and  robbed 
of  8800,  at  Toano,  Elko  County,  by  his  brother 
Celestials.  Tho  murderers  wore  arrested  at  Elko, 
and  lodged  in  jail. 

November  2.  Joseph  W.Thomas  was  killed  by  Wm. 
llosamurgay,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  Dispute 
concerning  wages.  Sentenced  to  fifteen  years  in 
the  State  Prison. 


352 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


November  3. — Matthew  Cahill  was  killed  by  Robert 
McCollough,  at  Piocbe,  Lincoln  County,  in  a  Hurdy 
House.  McCollough  got  out  on  bail,  and  went  to 
work  in  a  mine,  and  had  both  eyes  blown  out  by  a 
blast.  He  left  Pioche  for  medical  treatment,  and 
thus  got  free. 

December   14. Oulstein    was   killed   by   John 

Hubbard,  at  Morey,  Nye  County.  Struck  with  a 
shovel.     Acquitted. 

December  20.  James  Morgan  was  mysteriously 
murdered  at  Elko.  The  bullet  that  did  the  deadlj- 
work  was  shot  through  the  door  of  the  man's 
room,  striking  him  in  the  stomach.  A  man  named 
Myatt  was  arrested  on  suspicion. 

December  25.  Henry  C.  Blackwell  was  killed  b}' 
Alexander  McKeever,  at  Duckwater.  Nye  County. 
^IcKeever  was  drunk,  and  had  called  upon  a 
daughter  of  Blackwcil's,  and  when  requested  to 
leave  killed  the  old  man  with  an  axe.  McKeever 
was  sentenced  to  ten  years  in  State  Prison. 
1874. 

January  1.  Antonio  Rivara  was  killed  by  Victor 
Monego,  at  Columbus,  Esmeralda  County,  with  a 
knife. 

January  27.  John  Donovan  was  killed  by  Charles 
M.  Williams,  at  Cherry  Creek,  White  Pine  County. 
A  mining  claim  dispute. 

March.  Christian  Eckstein,  his  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren, and  a  young  man  named  Noelin,  were  all 
found  dead  at  the  cabin  of  the  former,  in  Smoky 
Valley,  about  fifteen  miles  southeast  of  Austin, 
Lander  County.  It  is  not  known  certainly  how 
they  came  to  their  death,  but  circumstances  point 
to  the  theory  that  the  men  quarreled  through 
jealousy,  that  a  homicide  followed,  and  afterward 
the  slayer  killed  the  woman  and  children  and  then 
took  his  own  life. 

April  12.  Barney  Kenney,  known  as  "Little  Bar- 
ney," was  shot  and  killed  by  Malt  Hedding,  in  the 
El  Dorado  Saloon,  Virginia  City. 

.\pril. l^iiR  was  killed  bj-  Pj'att,  at  El 

horado  ("anon.  The  ditticulty  was  first  between 
Pyatt  and  a  man  named  Jones,  when  the  former 
took  refuge  behind  some  rocks.  King  went  to 
inform  him  that  Jones  was  not  hurt  much,  when 
Pyatt  shot  him  dead.  The  cilizons  thereupon 
surrounded  the  murderer  and  killed  him. 

May  (i.  Frank  Hen  was  killcil  by  William  Somers, 
at  Miller's  Ranch,  in  l>ougIas  (.'ounty.  Somers 
sentenced  to  State  I'rison  for  life. 

May  12.  John  K.  McCalluni  was  shot  and  killed  by 
James  Murphy,  at  Carson  City.  They  had  a  row 
sometime  bofbro,  and  met  again  with  the  above 
result. 
May  Hi.  William  Dolan  was  shot  and  killed  by  H. 
H.  Sutherland,  at  Belmont,  N)'e  Counly,  in  a  bar- 
room fight.  Sutherland  was  lynched  by  the  cit- 
izens June  3d. 

June  3.     Mit  Raymond,  an  old  woman,  well  known 


to    the    sporting    fraternity,   was  shot   dead   by 
unknown  parties  in  Virginia  City. 

June  13.     Jack  Brannan  was  shot  and  killed  by  Gus 
-    Botto,  at  Eureka.     Brannan  was  a  desperado,  and 
had  threatened  to  kill  Botto  on  sight. 

June  30.     Wm.  P.  O'Reilly,  prize  fighter,  was  stabbed 
\   fatally  by  Charles  Huff,  also  a  bruiser,  in  Brophy's 
saloon. 

June.     A  Chinaman  was  killed   by  Harrj' Cresswell, 

V.  at  Hot  Creek.  The  Celestial  tried  to  carve  him 
with  a  butcher  knife. 

June.  Giovania  Fclisina,  of  Douglas  County,  was 
killed  by  his  brother,  Dominco  B.  Felisina,  and 
the  body  burned.  The  act  was  witnessed  by 
another  Italian,  who  dared  not  tell  of  it.  The 
killer  escaped,  and  was  arrested  in  Grasatto,  Italy. 

August  3.  W.  S.  Pratt  was  killed  by  J.  L,  Downs, 
near  W'adsworth.     A  dispute  concerning  some  land. 

September  9.  Samuel  Wilcoxen  was  shot  and  killed 
by  James  W.  Glaze,  at  Virginia  Citj'.  The  latter 
was  a  barkeeper  for  the  former,  and  was  on  a  pro- 
tracted drunk;  when  remonstrated  with  by  Wil- 
coxen, he  drew  a  pistol  and  killed  him. 

October  3.     W.  Kellogg.  M.  Kane  and  Reilly 

were  killed  during  a  fight  for   possession  of  the 
Justice  mine.     Several  others  mortally  wounded. 

October  18.  A  Chinaman  was  killed  in  Chinatown, 
Carson  City.  One  hundred  and  fifty  shots  (esti- 
mated) were  fired,  and  then  this  one  was  killed 
with  a  knife.     A  general  battle  among  themselves. 

November  2.  Jim  King  was  shot  and  killed  by 
James  Gleason,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  County.  He 
got  twenty-one  years  in  State  Prison. 

December  6.     Pete  Dawson  and  Charles  Olsen  were 
killed    bj'    Indians,    at    Hiko,    Lincoln    County. 
William  Honan  was  wounded,  but  escaped. 
1875. 

March.  John  Ledgway  was  found  dead  in  the 
ruins  of  his  house  that  was  burned;  he  was  an 
apostate  Mormon,  and  whether  he  was  murdered 
or  not  was  never  found  out. 

April  21.  Daniel  Osborn  was  beaten  to  death  by 
Thomas  Dwyer.  at  Verdi,  Washoe  County,  during 
a  fight. 

April.  J.  N.Sharp  was  killed  by  J.  W.  Rover,  at 
Sulphur  Springs,  Humboldt  Count}'.  The  remains 
of  Sharp  were  found  buried  in  pieces  at  different 
places.  Robbery  was  the  cause  of  the  deed.  Rover 
was  hung  Februar}-  19.  1878. 

May  10.  John  Beal  and  James  McCrearj'  were  found 
murdered,  on  the  Silver  Age  Ranch,  in  liander 
County.  The  bodies  were  in  a  cabin;  had  been 
beaten  terribly. 

June  2().  John  JJass  was  killed  by  officers  McKee 
and  Kellcy,  ati'ioche,  Jjincoln  County.  Ileopened 
tire  on  the  officers,  firing  five  shots.  They  had  to 
kill  him  to  take  him. 

July  7.     Jackson  and Beck  had  a  fight  at 

Eberhardt  City,  concerning  a  woman.     Both  were 
stabbed,  and  both  died  from  their  wounds. 


C  A.NICHOLS. 


MRS   CA  NICHOLS. 


..    «»-*i^*Q,-V-.       ^v     ., 


HOTEL,  RESlDENCL   b(   RANCH  OF  C.A.NICHOLS  , PARADISE  VALlEY  ,  HUMBUlDT     CO. 


HOMICIDE.  AND  SOBIE  OF  ITS  CAUSES 


353 


July.  Michael  Downing  was  found  murdered  near 
Battle  Mountain.  The  body  was  purtialij'  con- 
sumed by  fire,     ^'o  clue. 

August  4.    Corcoran  was  killed  by  Peter  Larkin, 

Mrgiiiia  ("ity.     Larkin  was  hung  at  Virginia  City 
on  the  nineteenth  of  January-,  1877. 

August  24.     Fred  Twigg  was  killed  by  a  shot  from 

the  pistol  of Moody,  while  the  latter  and 

~^    Kaymonil  were  at  war  with  each  other,  at   Reno, 
Washoe  County. 

August.  Ralph  Slater  was  killed  by  Harry  Will- 
iams, near  Austin,  Lander  County,  with  a  shot- 
gun. 

September  2.  At  Lower  Jefferson,  Nye  County,  a 
difficulty  occurred  between  Owen  Shehaii  and 
■'  Bufl'alo  Jack,"  concerning  some  money  matters. 
~  They  both  left  the  saloon  together.  Shortly  after 
a  pistol  shot  was  heard,  and  Shehan  was  found 
dead.  Jack  was  arrested  but  released  for  want  of 
proof 

September  30.  Richard  Mason  was  shot  and  killed 
by  Ole  Johnson,  at  Hicks  Station.  A  debt  of 
twenty-six  dollars  was  the  cause.  Johnson  was 
sent  to  State  Prison  for  twenty-five  years. 

October  9.  Casper  D.  Larkin  was  killed  by  George 
Davis,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln  Countj-.  Sentenced  to 
five  years  in  State  Prison. 

October.     Dick  Wheeler  was  murdered  in  cold  blood 
~     by    a    desjierado,   Pat   Birmingham,  at  "  Poison 
Switch." 

October.  Doc  Miller  was  killed  by  Samuel  Dorsey, 
who  struck  him  with  a  board.     Acquitted. 

November  19.    Gafney   was   killed  by  James 

Stanton,  at  Eub}'  Hill.     Stanton  struck  him  with 
a  stick  of  cord- wood. 

187tJ. 

February  5.  Donnellj'  was  murdered  and  robbed  at 
Franktown.     Suspicion  rested  on  Chinamen. 

March  18.  Earl  Hamilton  was  killed  by  John  Rice, 
at  Pioche,  Latidor  ( 'ounty.  The  latter  was  ejected 
from  a  ballroom,  and  while  the  same  was  being 
done  he  stabbed  Hamilton  with  a  bowie-knife.  At 
Hamilton's  retiuostRice  was  not  prosecuted. 

David  Roach  was  shot  and  killed  by  Lawrence 
Lynch,  at  JJuby  Hill.  Roach  had  threatened  to 
kill  Lynch. 

April  0.  James  Sloan  was  killed  by  .lolm  .Murphy, 
at  Kmpire,  Ormsby  County.  The  Coroner's  report 
says:  James  Sloan  came  to  his  death  from  pistol 
shots  fired  by  John  Murphy  and  David  Best. 

April  7.  Josejjh  Shram  was-killed  by  Dan  Sullivan, 
at  Kureka,  Kureka  County.  Both  men  wore  gam- 
blers.    Weapons,  pistols. 

April  20.  Tim  Sullivan  was  stabbed  and  killed  by 
William  Doiuioi!}-,  at  I'itxhe,  Lincoln  County.  The 
quarrel  originated  among  the  children  of  the  men. 
Donnelly  escaped, noattempt  was  made  torecajiutre 
him. 
V  April  23.  John  Dallie  was  shot  and  killed  by  R.  U. 
Carter,  at  Virginia  City.     A  woman  who  had  been 


living  with  Dallie,  left  him  and  went  to  live  with 
Carter,  this  caused  the  difficulty. 

May  2L    Webster  was  killed  by  John  Able,  near 

Camp  Halleck.     Money  matters  the  cause.     Web- 
ster was  the  aggressor. 

July  15.  S.  B.  Miller  was  killed  by  George  De 
Long,  near  Reno,  Washoe  County.  Miller  was 
drunk  and  tried  to  "lasso"  De  Long.  An  axe 
was  the  weapon. 

July  26.  D.  L.  Leighton  was  shot  and  killed  by  John 
Donahue,  at  Ward  City,  White  Pine  County.  The 
next  day  Donahue  was  taken  out  and  hanged  b\- 
a  posse  of  fifteen  armed  citizens.  Leighton  had 
testified  against  Donahue. 

September  1.  Kate  .Miller  (dias  Bull  Dog  Kate,  was 
stabbed  and  killed  by  Mary  Irwin  alias  Hog-eyed 
Mary,  at  Eureka.     An  ill-feeling  of  long  standing. 

September  19.  James  Hubler  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Ed.  M.  Gillis,  at  Winnemucca.  A  game  of  cards  the 
cause.     Sentenced  to  fifteen  years  in  State  Prison. 

October  10.  Ritchie  was  killed  bj- Will- 
iams, in  Churchill  Count}-,  with  a  Honry  rifle. 
Both  men  were  stock-raisers. 

October  30.  William  Argall  was  killed  b}-  his  son 
at  Austin,  Lander  County.  Argall  was  drunk 
and  endeavored  to  chastise  his  wife,  when  the  son 
stabbed  him  with  a  pocket-knife.  • 

December  11.  Frank  Rcidy  was  shot  and  killed  bj- 
James  Price  at  Virginia  City.  The  pair  were 
"hoodlums,"  and  the  former  refused  to  loan  the 
latter  two  dollars,  the  cause. 

December  14.  John  Emery  was  shot  and  killed  by 
"  Yank"  Buswell  at  Pine  Nut.  The  former  was 
drunk  and  endeavored  to  collect  some  money  owed 
him  by  Buswell. 

Decemberie.     Andrew  Elholm  was  killed  by  James 
_     Graham  in  Six-mile  Canon,  Storey  County.     El- 
holm had  called  the  latter  a  liar. 

December.  James  Donovan  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Frank  Killet  at  Jefferson,  Xye  County.  The  men 
agreed  to  settle  a  dispute  with  ])ist<>l8,_and  were  to 
walk  twenty-five  steps  in  opposite  directions  and 
then  commence  tiring.  Donovan  proved  treach- 
erous and  turned  at  seventeen  steps.  His  pistol 
missed  fire,  when  Killet  shot  him  dead.  The  Grand 
Jury  refused  to  indict  him. 
1877. 

January  2.  Richard  Paildock  was  killed  by  Thomas 
Hughes  in  a  saloon  row  in  \'irginia  ('ity. 

January  2.  Thos.  Hughes  was  killed  by  officer  Mc- 
Donald in  Virginia  City  during  a  row  in   a  saloon. 

January.  Charles  Silverstein  was  killed  by  Robert 
Crosier  at  Elko,  Elko  County.  Jealousy  of  a 
woman  named  Mollic  Costello.  Crosier  was  hanged 
at  Winnemucca  October  !!(l,  1877. 

February  23.     William  (Jrover  was  killed  by   Dan 

-  Coughlin  in  Belleville.  The  men  had  a  fight  some 
days  before,  and  Coughlin  emptied  a  shotgun  into 
the  body  of  Grover  to  settle  the  matter. 

February  24.      Larry  Lynch  was  shot  and  killed  by 


354 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


John  Hubbard  in  a  saloon  at  Tuscarora,  Elko 
Countj-.     Acquitted  on  the  ground  of  self-dofense. 

March  8.  Eldro  W.  Kuoll  was  shot  and  killed  by  Tom 
McDowell,  near  Fort  Churchill.  This  was  a  delib- 
erate, cold-blooded  murder.  McDowell  claimed 
that  Knoll  had  'loused"  him.  Sentenced  for  life 
in  State  Prison. 

April  2. Bellows,  killed   by  John  Leonard   at 

Ward,  White  Pine  County;  dispute  over  a  game  of 
cards.     Sentenced  to  ten  j-ears  in  State  Prison. 

April  27.  Two  Pah-Ute  bucks  quarrelled  over  a 
game  of  cards,  in  Newark  Valley.  They  attacked 
each  other  with  knives,  and  fought  for  half  an 
hour;  both  were  killed. 

Maj-.  Matt  Gleason  was  shot*  by  John  Eoach,  at 
Pobinson,  W'hite  Pine  County.  Gleason  sold  a 
mine  in  which  Poach  was  interested,  without  giving 
an  account  to  the  latter. 

June  7.     Tinnerty  was  shot  and  killed  by  Sam 

-MilLs,  a  negro  boy,  at  llalleck  Station.  The  boy 
attacked  a  lady  with  a  knife,  and  was  knocked 
down  by  a  man  standing  near.  The  boy  then  got 
a  gun  and  shot  Tinnerty,  suppo.sing  him  to  be  the 
one  who  struck  him. 

June  25.  "Charley,"  a  sheep-herder,  was  killed  by 
Thomas  Xelson,  at  the  Humboldt  Sheep  Ilange, 
H^umboldt  County.  Charley  refused  to  do  some 
work  when  ordered  bj-  his  employer,  Nelson,  and 
becoming  angrj'  attacked  him. 

June  28.  Homer  Young  was  killed  bj'  1{.  C.  Ham- 
mond, near  Lake  Tahoe.  Young  had  Jumped  some 
timber-land  claimed  by  Hammond.  Hammond 
claimed  that  he  mistook  his  victim  for  a  deer. 

June.  Ah  Hoj',  a  Celestial,  was  killed  by  Mann 
Tonn,  another  Celestial,  at  Austin,  Lander  County. 
Tonn  got  twenty-five  years  in  State  Prison. 

July  1.  Isaac  McManus  was  killed  by  Wm.  L. 
Carter  and  B.  F.  Holland,  at  Muddy  Peservation, 
Lincoln  County.  Joseph  Dean,  G.  Sloan  andChas. 
Newman  were  arrested  and  ac(iuitted. 

July  27.  Murray  was  shot  by Mc- 
Donald, at  Macke)'  &  Fair's  wood  camp  near  Reno, 
Washoe  County. 

September  (i.     Watson   was    killed    by   Henry 

])rever,  in  Steptoe  Valley.  The  men  were  supposed 
to  be  friends. 

September  it.  Ah  Ping,  a  Chinaman,  was  killed  by 
lium  Gee,  in  Carson  <.'ity,  Ormsby  County. 

September  17.  Galli  l^ucius  was  beaten  to  death  by 
two  men,  former  partners  of  his,  at  Peno,  Washoe 
County.     Pobbery  was  the  object. 

September  HI.     Wilson  was  killed,  near  Rock 

Creek,  by  his  partner,  during  a  struggle  I'or  the 
possession  of  a  gun. 

September  1!).     Dowdel   was  shot   by  Charles 

Wolgamolt,  at  Elko,  Elko  County.  Dowdel  was  a 
desperado,  and  was  on  a  spree;  had  tired  his  six- 
shooter  at  several  men. 

September  21.  Moses  Hayes  was  killed  by  W.  H. 
J'ierco,  at  Tuscarora,  Elko  County.     Dispute  over 


a  town    lot.      This  is  the  same  Pierce  who  shot 
Wilson  in  ('arson,  in  1872. 
September.       Mrs.    Hull    was   shot  and  killed    by 
.-     Mrs.  Black,  at  Paradise  Valley.     A  dispute  over 
the  quality  of  some  butter. 

October  3.     ilolliday  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Phillips,  at  Reno,  Washoe  County.     Row  in 


a  dance-house. 

Ortober  8.  Louis  Ash  was  shot  and  killed  by  Special 
Policeman  Wm.  Davis,  at  Virginia  City,  Storey 
County.  Those  who  saw  the  shooting,  proclaim  it 
a  deliberate  murder. 

October  9.  R.  C.  Allen  was  shot  and  killed  by  F. 
Topier,  in  Smith  Creek  Valley.  Jealousy  regard- 
ing a  squaw,  the  cause.  Allen  was  a  notorious 
"bully." 

October  20.     Ah  Fat  was  killed  in  a  general  row  in 

—  Chinatown,  Carson  City.  A  fight  among  them- 
selves. 

October  23.     Andrew  Mills  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Redell,  at  Tuscarora,  Elko  County.     An  old 

grudge  had  existed  between  the  parties  for  a  long 
time.  Mills  struck  Redell  with  an  ax,  and  killed 
him,  after  he  was  shot  by  the  latter.     Both  died. 

October  26. Baldorana  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Bradley  Johnson,  at  Birch  Creek,  Lander  County, 
for  stealing  wood. 

December  22.     Ah  Fung  and  Ah  Quong  had  a  tight 

_  in  ('arson  City,  during  which  both  Celestials  were 
killed  with  the  same  knife. 

Ed.  Ricker  was  killed  bj-  Alf.  Chartz,  at  Eureka, 
Eureka  County.  Churlz  was  sentenced  lor  life  in 
the  State  Prison. 

1878. 

January  18.  William  Wallace  was  killed  by  J.  H. 
White,  near  Reese  River  Station,  Lander  County. 

-  The  latter  threw  rocks  down  a  shaft  upon  his 
victim,  then  cut  the  windlass  rope,  and  letl.  A 
dispute  concerning  relative  interests  the  cause. 

January  27.     A  Chinaman  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Wm.  Hy.  Doane,   at    Virginia    City.     He   was  a 

domestic  in  the  family,  and  was  caught  in  the  act 

of  committing   an  outrage  on  Doane's  little  girl, 

aged  nine  j'oars. 
January  29.     Joe  Parmental   was  murdered  at  his 

place  of  business  in  Columbus,  Esmeralda  County, 
-     and  the  building  set  on  fire.     The  remains  of  Joe 

were  found  partiallj'  consumed. 
February  7.     Ah  Song  was  shot  and  killed  at  Carson 

City,  Ormsby  Count}',  by  some  one  unknown. 
April  7.     Gus  Botta  was  shot  and  killed   by   Jesse 

Bigclow  at  Eureka,  Eureka  t'ountj'.     The  trouble 
~    grew  out  of  a  misunderstanding  in  regard  to  seats 

at   the   Opera   House.    Bigelow   fired   five  shots. 

Botta  did  not  draw  a  weapon. 

April  18.     James  Farrell  was  killed  by  I'at  Eagan,  on 

the  Little  Humboldt. 
April.    John  F.  Jiohm  was  killed  by  Frank  Reed,  at 

Rock  Creek. 


HOMICIDE,  AND  SOAIE  Ob'  ITS  CAUSES. 


355 


April.     Chollestra   Negrana   was  killed    by   Pareno 

Phillippo,  at  Secret  Canon. 
June  2.     Albert  11.  Adams  was  killed  by  R.  11.  Clark, 

in  Cai-son  (^ity,  Ormslij-  County.     The  latter  had 

struck  a  brother  of  3-ount;  Adams,  and  was  accosted 

on  the  street  bj'  Adams  when  Clark  shot  him. 
.Tnne.     George  F.  Culver  was  killed  by  James  Clark, 

in  Tuscarora,  Elko  County.      The    shooting  was 

accidental,  as  the  fight  was  between    Clark    and 

Jo.seph  (Jarcon. 
July  5.     James  CJahill  was  killed  bj-  Jerry  Coft'noy,  at 

Tybo,  Nye  County,  with  an  ordinary  pocket-knife. 

A  drunken  quarrel  over  some  trivial  matter.    Coff- 

ney  sentenced  to  twenty  years  in  State  Prison. 
July  12.     Fletcher  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Daley,  at  Virginia  Citj',  Storey  County,   Fletcher 

having  struck  Daley  with  an  axe. 
July  20.     Michael   Donahue  was  shot  and  killed  by 

Eobert   Frazer,  at  Pioche,  Lincoln   County.     The 

former  was  a  witness  in  a  lawsuit  and  Frazer  took 

it  upon  himself  to  keep  him  from  giving  testimony. 

Frazer  died  while  waiting  a  trial. 
July  29.      David  Holland  was  killed  by  K.  P.  Hull, 

at  Columbus.     Dispute  over  a  game  of  cards. 
Julj-  29.     William  H.  Uethards,  was  killed  by  Thomas 

Flj-nn,    at   the  Carson  State   Prison.     Both   men 

were  prisoners. 
Jul}'.     L.   M.  Huntsman  was  killed  by  a  negro  at 

Carlin.     A  dispute  about  a  saddle. 
August.     Peter  Deegan  was  killed  by  John  Carnes, 

at  Silver  Reef     A  bar-room  fight. 
August.  John  Tuttlewas  shot  and  killed  by  a  woman 

named   Georgie  Syphers,  at  Belleville.     The   man 

had  slandered  her  sister. 
October  15.     Otto  SehoU  was  killed  by  Mike  Carney, 

at   Ward,    White    Pine    County.     Scholl  charged 

Carney  with  selling  himself  at  the  election  of  1874. 

Carney  was  acquitted. 
November  23.     Ed.  Haiilej-  was  killed  in  a  row  at  a 

horse-race  at  the  Muddy,  Lincoln  County. 
December  9.     Luke  Gafney  was  shot  and  Uijjod  by 

James  Quin.  at  Elko. 

1879. 

.lanuary  4.  Levy  Keithly  was  shot  and  killed  by  C. 
A.  Buck,  at  Belleville.  A  misunderstanding  about 
82.50. 

January  19.  Mrs.  Wm.  (Jill  was  killed  bj-  her  hus- 
band, Wm.  Gill,  between  Beckwith  and  lieno;  the 
body  was  horribly  mangled.  Gill  came  to  Reno 
and  re])0rted  that  his  wife  had  frozen  to  death. 

April.  Adam  Clark  was  shot  and  killed  by  Hugh  J. 
Brady,  at  the  Justice  Mine.  Clark  was  shift  boss, 
and  refused  to  allow  Brady  to  go  below,  as  the 
latter  was  drunk. 

May  8.  Oliver  Webb  was  shot  and  killed  by  O.  H. 
Farlinger,  in  Eureka,  Eureka  County,  in  a  board- 
ing-house. 

May.  T.  K.  West  was  shot  and  killed  by  C.  W.  Hy- 
mor  at  Paradise;  the  two  men  were  at  a  perform- 
ance; Hymer  sat  on   West's  lap,  as  the  hall  was 


crowded;  when  asked  to    get  up,  he  killed   West. 
Hymer  was  hung  at  Winnemucca,  April  <!,  1880. 

Julj^  7.  Joe  A])ers  was  shot  and  killed  bj-  ('a])tain 
Akey,  at  Osceola,  White  Pine  County;  a  dispute 
over  a  mine. 

July  21.  H.  Symons,  a  Constable,  was  shot  by  John 
F.  Pritehard,  at  Virginia  City.  Sj-mons  was 
endeavoring  to  arrest  the  latter.  Pritehard  was 
sentenced  to  be  hung,  January  16,  1880. 

July  27.  S.  I).  Shelton  was  shot  and  killed  by  R. 
A.  Murphy,  at  Elko. 

August  2.  John  L.  Lancaster  was  shot  and  killed 
by  his  brother,  Morris  Lancaster,  in  Mason's  Val- 
ley.    Dispute  over  a  water-right. 

August  5.     Angelo  Proti  was  killed  by  Jose  Zarger, 
_    in   Eureka,  Eureka  County,    with  a    billiard  cue. 
Trouble  over  coal  excitement. 

August  18.  Fish  Creek  Battle — 117  Italians  resisted 
a  Sheriff's  posse  of  nine  men,  resulting  in  the 
death  of  five  Italians,  and  the  wounding  of  six 
others. 

November  10.  S.  M.  Cakes  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Mrs.  Dr.  Snow,  at  Reno,  W'ashoe  County.  Oakes 
wont  to  the  house  after  the  doctor,  and,  being 
deaf,  did  not  hear  Mrs.  Snow's  question  of  "Who 
is  there?"  She  supposing  him  to  bo  a  burglar,  fired 
a  shot  through  the  door,  which  killed  him.  It 
was  a  deplorable  accident. 
1880. 

January  6.  P.  S.  Traver  was  shot  and  killed  bj- 
Mike  Owens,  at  Candelaria,  Esmeralda  County. 
A  misunderstanding  in  regard  to  a  check  in  pay- 
ment of  services.  Traver  was  Count}-  Commis- 
sioner of  Esmeralda  Countj'.    Owens  wasac(iuitted. 

February  1.     Thomas  LaswoU  was  shot  and  killed 
-     by  Barnej'  Fitzgerald,  at  Reno,  Washoe  County.   A 
dispute  over  a  game  of  cards. 

May  2.  Billy  Martin  was  shot  and  killed  by  John 
Brent  at  Eureka.  Eureka  County. 

August  ] (I.  Thomas  Mack  was  shot  and  killed  by 
Thomas  Burns  at  Grantsvillo,  Nye  County.  They 
had  been  drinking  together  all  night  and  so])aratiMl 
in  the  morning.  About  11  a.  .m.  Burns  returned 
to  the  saloon  and  shot  his  victim  while  the  latter 
was  asleep. 

December  9.     John  McCann  was  shot  and  killed  by 
_    Charles  Jlarshall,  at  Belleville.  Marshall  was  hung 
by  the  citizens. 

December  Ifi.     Thomas  Logan  was  shot  and  mor- 
talh'    wounded   by    Bart   Greeley,  at  Candelaria, 
Esmeralda  County.     A  trivial  quarrel  originating 
in  a  bar-room  was  the  cause.     Greeley  escaped. 
1881. 

Janinuy  1(!.  James  Mansel  was  shot  and  killod  b}- 
Frank  Perkins,  at  Reno,  Washoe  County.  Quarrel 
over  a  game  of  car<ls. 

April  10.     Joe  Turner  was  shot  and  killed  by   Doc 

-  Callison,  at  Candelaria,  Esmeralda  County.  Trouble 
over  a  game  of  canls.  ('allison  was  acquitted  on 
the  ground  of  self-defense. 


356 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


March  29.  S.  E.  Merrill  was  killed  by  Mattias  Sal- 
mon, at  Grantsville,  Xje  County.  The  murderer 
was  hanged  to  a  windmill  the  same  night  by 
"  vigilantes,"  with  "329"  pinned  to  him.  Salmon 
is  said  to  have  been  a  member  of  the  notorious 
Vasquez  band. 

RETRIBUTIVE  JUSTICE. 

The  criminal  history  of  Nevada  would  be  incom- 
plete without  a  few  sketches  of  some  of  the  more 
notorious  participants  in  the  frequent  broils  which 
occurred  in  the  earlier  times  of  the  new  State. 
During  his  brief  career  in  Nevada, 

SA.M    BROWN 

Was,  perhaps,  more  dreaded  than  any  other  of  his 
class — because  of  his  treachery  and  utter  meanness 
generally.  The  most  of  the  so-called  desperadoes 
have  some  redeeming  quality,  the  remembrance  of 
which  when  they  are  taken  off  will  cause  a  feeling 
of  pity  at  their  fate  and  a  sigh  that  they  were  not 
better  men  and  still  alive.  But  no  such  redeeming 
feature  shone  in  the  character  of  Sam  Brown,  and 
no  gleam  of  pity  from  breast  of  mortal  man  or 
woman  has  ever  illumed  his  pathway  to  the  tomb. 
In  pei-son  he  was  of  medium  height,  heavy  set, 
florid  complexion,  and  coarse,  red  hair  and  whiskers. 
He  swaggered  through  the  streets  and  in  the  bar- 
rooms, heavy-voiced  and  insolent  to  those  unarmed, 
with  a  large  revolver  and  huge  Bowie-knife  slung 
to  a  belt  about  his  waist — simply  a  brutal  mon- 
ster, with  every  instinct  brutish,  wearing  the  hu- 
man form.  That  he  was  not  sooner  killed  can  be 
attributed  to  the  fact  that  he  selected  for  his  vic- 
tims those  whom  he  supposed  to  be  without  friends 
to  avenge  their  death.  In  the  time  when  he  lived, 
the  population  of  the  Territory  comprised  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  as  well  as 
those  who  had  emigrated  from  the  East,  strangers 
to  each  other,  a  heterogeneous,  cosmopolitan  mass. 
Sam  Brown  selected  his  "man  for  breakfast"  from 
the  class  without  friends,  and  then  deliberately 
murdered  him  only  when  he  knew  perfectly  well 
that  his  own  person  was  safe  from  harm,  lie  was 
an  arrant  coward,  and  did  his  killing  mainly  when 
he  had  been  stimulated  to  courage  by  strong  drink. 
He  did  not  daro  to  provoke  a  <|uarrel  with  one 
equally  well  armed;  nor  did  he,  after  engaging  in 
a  quarrel,  invite  an  adversarj-  out  into  a  fair  field, 
as  brave  though  reckless  men  do.  Although  the 
record  given  above  shows  only  three  men  to  have 
been  killed  by  him,  he  was  guilty  of  many  other 
murders — one  of  a  man  known  as  one-eyed  Gray, 
in  this  State,  in  addition  to  those  reported,  lie  was 
said  to  have  killed  his  first  man  in  Texas,  and  in 
1853  is  heard  of  in  Mariposa,  California,  in  the  kill- 
ing of  a  man  named  T;yons.  About  1854  he  seems 
to  have  been  defending  his  ''bank"  at  Fiddletown, 
California,  and  in  doing  so  kills  three  Chilcnos 
and  wounds  the  fourth  one.  for  wliich  he  was  sent  to 
San  (^uentin  for  two  years.     People  who  regarded 


the  rights  of  others  desired  to  see  him  summarily 
dealt  with,  and  yet  society  was  so  crude  that  no 
one  made  a  movement  to  punish  him,  and  as  he  had 
not  yet  killed  anj-  pei-son  in  whom  anj-body  else 
had  special  interest,  none  had  moved  in  the  organi- 
zation of  a  "vigilance  committee,"  those  swift-deal- 
ing and  effective  tribunals  which  are  the  terror  of 
evil-doers  in  such  communities  as  those  of  the  era- 
bryotic  State  of  Nevada  in  the  year  1860. 

Sam  Brown  spent  mostof  his  time  during  the  winter 
of  1859-60  at  Genoa.  From  the  spring  of  1860  until 
the  time  of  his  death  in  July,  1861,  he  alternated 
between  Carson  City  and  Virginia.  On  the  day  of 
his  death,  which  was  also  his  birthday,  he  left  Car- 
son City  in  company  with  a  man  named  Alexander 
Henderson  for  Aurora,  remarking  that  "  as  this  was 
his  birthday  he  must  have  a  man  for  supper."  On 
the  road  the  two  stopped  at  Webster's  Hotel,  between 
Carson  and  Genoa,  and  sought  a  quarrel  with  Mr. 
Webster,  but  finding  Webster  prepared  for  business, 
this  discreet  murderer  backed  down,  and  with  his 
companion  rode  away.  At  Genoa,  Brown  attempted 
the  same  game  with  Ilobert  Ijockridge,  and  again 
left  when  he  discovered  his  danger.  Henry  Van- 
sickle,  an  old  resident  of  the  valley,  a  genial  man. 
withal,  and  a  quiet  citizen,  lived  three  miles  above 
Genoa,  where  he  kept  a  hotel.  Thither  rode  Brown 
and  his  companion,  arriving  there  just  as  the  bell 
was  ringing  for  supper.  Here  thought  Brown,  is  a 
man  who  will  not  fight,  and  can  be  safelj-  killed. 
Brown  dismounted  from  his  horse,  and  when  first 
seen  by  Vansickle  was  in  the  act  of  untying  his  leg- 
gings, as  the  latter  thought.  Vansickle  then  asked 
him  if  he  should  put  up  his  horse.  Brown  then 
turned  to  Vansickle  and  in  his  rough  way  said:  "No, 
I  would  not  stop  with  you,  but  I  have  come  to  kill 


you,  you 


"    and  immediately  drew  his  pistol. 


Mr.  Vansickle  was  taken  completely  by  surprise,  and 
was  not  armed.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  Brown, 
from  his  often  having  stopped  at  his  hotel,  had  never 
had  any  quarrel  with  him,  and  Brown  had  never 
before  exhibited  any  ill-feeling  towards  him.  As 
quickly  as  possible,  and  belbre  Brown  could  shoot. 
Vansickle  rushed  into  the  dining-room,  at  that  time 
filled  with  guests  at  the  supper  table.  Brown  follow- 
ing, pistol  in  hand.  Instinctivclj-  the  pei-sons  at  the 
table  ail  jumped  to  their  feet,  thus  covering  Van- 
sickle's  retreat  effectual Ij-.  Without  shooting.  Brown 
then  went  out  of  the  house  and  rode  off  up  the  road. 
Vansickle  in  the  meantime  had  got  possession  of  his 
gun — a  double-barreled  fowling-piece — and  taking  in 
the  situation,  concluded  that  as  Brown  had  begun 
upon  him  he  might  as  well  settle  the  affair  at  once, 
and  not  live  in  fear  of  future  attacks.  The  gun  was 
loaded  with  fine  shot,  which  Vansickle  did  not  take 
time  to  draw,  but  added  a  charge  of  buckshot  to 
each  barrel.  Then,  having  ordered  out  a  horse,  sad- 
dled, ho  mounted  the  animal  and  gave  chase  to 
Brown — an  avenging  Nemesis.  Overtaking  Brown 
and   his  companion   about  a   mile  up  the  road,  and 


< 


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HOMICIDE.  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  CAUSES. 


357 


when  getting  within  shooting  distance,  Vansiekle 
called  to  ilenderson  to  get  out  of  the  way,  which  ho 
quickly  did.  Vansiekle  then  discharged  both  bar- 
rels of  his  gun  at  Brown,  knocking  him  ofT  of  his 
horse,  but  not  seriou.sly  wounding  him,  for  ho  soon 
remounted  and  fired  two  shots  from  his  pistol  at 
^'ansiekle,  and  then  rode  on  as  fast  as  he  could. 
Vansiekle  followed  him  with  his  empty  gun  until  he 
arrived  at  Mr.  William  Cosser's  house  in  which  Brown 
had  taken  refuge. 

MeantiniOj.soveral  persons  had  followed  Vansiekle 
from  his  house,   and  here   overtook   him,  who  had 
been  thoughtful  enough  to  bring  with  them  a  suppl^^ 
of  ammunition,  with  which  Vansiekle  again  loaded 
his  gun.     Brown,  soon  after,  came  out  of  the  house 
and    started  up  the   road   in   the  direction  of  Olds' 
Station,    with    Vansiekle    in    pursuit.      Having  the 
fleetest  horse,  Vansiekle  overtook  Brown  near  Motls- 
ville,  and  again  discharged  both  barrels  of  his  gun, 
but   without   apparent  effect.     Brown   then   turned 
and,  after  firing  three  shots  at  Vansiekle,  rode  up  to 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Mott  and  took  refuge  in  the 
house.     By  this  time  it  began  to  grow  quite  dark, 
and  Vansiekle,  not  caring  to  attack  his  enemy  while 
he  was  under  cover,  watched  the  premises  until  he 
should  come  out.     After  waiting  for  some  time  and 
seeing  no  a])pearance  of  Brown,  and  a  ])erson   hap- 
pening along  tho  road.  Vansiekle  prevailed  upon  this 
passer-by  to  enter  the    house,  and  report  whether 
or  not  the  bird  had  flown.     This  man  reported  that 
Brown  was  not  there.     Whereupon  Vansiekle  hurried 
on  to   Luther  Olds'  hotel,  expecting  to  find  Brown 
there   ahead   of    him.     But    he  was  disappointed — 
he  was  not  there.     Ho  remained  there,  however,  for 
a  short  time,  and  at  length  heard  the  jingle  of  spurs 
which  he  recognized  as  those  worn  by  Brown.    Imme- 
diately  leaving  the  house,   Vansiekle    reached    the 
road  just   as    Brown   had    alighted  from    his  horse. 
Confronting  him  with  the  remark,  "  Sam,  I  have  got 
you  now!"  he  discharged  both  barrels  of  his  gun  into 
his  breast.     Ujjon  seeing  his  pursuer,  mortal  terror 
seized    \i\)on    the    ruffian;    abject,    unutterable    fear 
sealed  his  lips;  a  spasmodic,  agonizing  yell  of  despair 
involuntarily  forced  itself  from  his  mouth,  "piercing 
the  night's  dull  ear,"  and  the  inhuman  monster  was 
dead ! 

This  happened  on  the  si.xth  of  July,  1861;  an 
inquest  was  held  on  tho  seventh,  and  on  the  eighth  an 
examination  of  Vansiekle  resulted  in  his  discharge — 
the  general  verdict  being  that  ho  had  shown  good 
sense,  and.  instead  of  deserving  punishment,  ho 
should  be  rewarded  for  having  thus  rid  the  commu- 
nity of  this  brutal  and  cowardly  villain. 

LANOFOKK    PEEL. 

Among  tho  early  noted  characters  of  Nevada  was 
ho  of  the  above  name,  though  commonly  know  as 
"Farmer"  Peel.  Ho  arrived  at  Virginia  City  in 
1863,  and  it  soon  became  noised  about  among  the 
"  fancy  "  that  he  was  a  man  of  metal — of  "  sand  " — 
45 


and  had  had  a  severe  fight  at  Salt  Lake  City.  The 
truth  was,  that  at  Salt  Lake  ho  had  become  involved 
in  a  quarrel  with  a  soldier,  pistols  had  been  used 
until  emptied,  and  that  both  combatants  had  fallen 
severely  wounded;  that  I'ecl,  while  lying  as  he  then 
thought  mortally  hurt,  had  drawn  his  knife  and 
crawled,  painfullj-,  towards  his  prostrate  adversary, 
who  was  unable  to  move,  and  stabbed  him  to  the 
heart.  Peel  did  not  look  like  the  typical  "  bad  man." 
Ho  was  "  mild-mannerod,"  with  keen,  blue  eyes, 
sandy  beard,  was  slight  built,  and  of  medium  height. 
He  was  quiet  in  his  ways,  drank  lightly  and  never 
became  boisterous.  The  other  "  roughs "  soon 
sought  his  "measure."  Dick  Paddock  began  a 
discussion  with  him  in  a  saloon  in  Virginia,  a  few 
months  after  he  came  there,  and  when  a  few  hard 
words  had  passed,  said  to  Peel:  "Do  you  want  to 
take  it  up?"  "I  havn't  any  objections,"  said 
Peel  in  his  quiet  way.  "  Very  well,"  said  Paddock, 
"  what's  your  game?"  "Your  game  is  mine,"  was 
the  rejoinder.  "  Come  right  outside,"  said  Paddock. 
They  went  out,  took  positions  and  opened  fire. 
Peel  was  not  hurt,  but  Paddock  was  soon  disabled 
by  a  wound  in  his  breast  and  tho  right  hand,  from 
which  he  afterward  recovered. 

Not  long  after  this  occurrence,  Peel  was  attacked 
in  a  saloon  on  B  Street,  Virginia  City,  by  John  Den- 
nis, commonly  known  as  "  Kl  Dorado  Johnny,"  with 
fatal  results  to  the  latter.  When  Dennis  made  up 
his  mind  to  provoke  Peel  into  a  fight,  he  went  to  a 
barber-shop,  got  shaved,  had  his  hair  curled  and  his 
boots  ])olished,  stating  that  he  intended  to  go  after 
a  "  bad  man,"  and  desired  to  look  "  nice  "  if  he  got 
killed.  He  made  as  jileasant  a  looking  corpse  as  the 
roughs  over  turned  out  to  bury.  In  the  winter  of 
1867,  Peel  loft  Virginia  and  never  returned.  Ho 
went  to  Belmont,  Nj-o  Countj-,  where  ho  tarried 
several  months,  leaving  in  May,  of  that  year,  for 
Montana.  On  tho  twenty-second  of  July,  two 
months  later,  he  was  shot  and  killed  at  Helena,  by 
John  Hull,  a  former  partner,  who  had  accompanied 
him  from  Belmont.  Peel  never  hunted  a  fight; 
neither  did  ho  run  awaj'  when  a  fight  was  offered 
him.  Ho  was  brave  and  cool,  which  made  him  a 
dreaded  enemy.  Under  other  circumstances  and 
different  conditions  ho  would  have  been  a  useful  man. 
Ho  was  a  fair  representative  of  the  more  gentlemanly 
of  tho  cut-throats  who  infested  the  Comstock  in  the 
early  days  of  its  history,  and  tho  two  foregoing 
sketches  being  tho  extremes  of  the  t3-]ie,  will  suffice 
to  convoy  an  idea  of  tho  medium  characteristics  of 
tho  fraternit}'. 

THE    EXTREJIE    PEN.\LTY    FOR    MURDER. 

Notwithstanding  the  numerous  cases  of  homicide 
occurring  in  the  State  there  were  comparatively  few 
judicial  sentences  of  death,  the  causes  therefor  being 
given  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  When  the 
extreme  penalty  was  pronounced,  so  long  a  time  had 
generally  olapscd  since  the  commiosion  of  the  crime 


358 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  the  final  day  for  the  execution  of  judgment,  that  j  tary  company  were  seized,  a  cannon  was  posted  in 
sentimental  feelings  in  behalf  of  the  condemned  would 
intervene,  the  dead  man  be  forgotten,  and  when  com- 
mutation of  sentence  could  not  be  had,  a  disposition 
to  give  the  prisoner  as  easy  a  •'  send-off"  as  possible 
would  prevail,  and  theofficers  whom  the  law  demanded 
should  perform  the  act  of  strangulation  were  disposed 
to  grant  the  condemned,  at  the  last  moment,  their 
every  request,  as  the  following  incident  will  illus- 
trate:— 

A  young  man  named  John  Stewart,  aged  twenty- 
four,  had  killed  a  man  at  Columbus.  Esmeralda 
County,  been  tried  at  Aurora,  convicted  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged.  When  the  day  for  execution 
came  he  stated  to  the  officer  in  charge  that  he  had 
but  one  request  to  make,  and  that  was  to  be  allowed 
a  free  indulgence  in  alcoholic  beverages  from  the  time 
of  leaving  his  cell  until  the  moment  of  dissolution. 
This  request  was  comi)lied  with,  the  bottle-holder 
standing  by  him  and  giving  him  a  drink  whenever 
he  desired  it.  Thus  inspirated,  before  the  fatal  trap 
was  sprung,  he  gave  utterance  to  the  following 
aphorisms:  "  If  you  take  the  mountain  road,  j'ou 
will  be  murdered  by  Indians;  if  you  take  the  trail  you 
will  find  no  water  and  die  of  thirst.  I  must  take  the 
trail,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  will  be  choked  to  death." 
Though  so  young,  it  was  commonly  reported  that 
this  man  had  murdered  two  men  prior  to  killing  the 
one  for  whose  murder  he  was  hanged. 

JUDfiE    LYNCH"s   tribunal. 

The  difficulty  experienced  in  securing  the  convic- 
tion of   malefactors,  who  generally  had  no  trouble 
in   producing    witnesses  to  swear  as  they  were  in- 
structed, and  the    frequency  of  murder,  caused    in 
some  communities    a    feeling    of  insecurity    and   a 
desire  for  a  better  condition  of  society.      In  18G8-G4 
Aurora,  being  reputed    rich    as    a    mining  locality, 
and  there  having  been    considerable  dis]>ute    there 
in  relation    to  mining    pro])erty    in    the    settlement 
of  which  hired  ruffians  had  been    employed  rather 
than  the  invocation  of  the  law,  a  number   of   bad 
characters    had    congregated    and    for    a    time    run 
things  as  they  liked.      On    the    first    day    of  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  a  gang  of  these  roughs  having  decoyed 
W.  B.  .lohnsoii,  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  county, 
who    resided    on    Walker    l?iver,  to    Aurora,  under 
some  pretense,  took  the    opportunity  to  there  bru- 
tallj-  murder  him    during  the  night  of    his  arrival. 
The  brutality  of    the  act  caused  great    excitement 
among   the    citizens,  who  felt    that    the    time    had 
come    for  them  to  do  something,  surmising  that  if 
the  matter  was  submitted  to  the  courts  ])criured  testi- 
monj'  would  acquit  the  perpetrators.      Arrangements 
were    quickly  effected  and  an  organization   formed 
called  the  "Citizens'  Safety  Committee."  Meanwhile 
four  men  had  been   arrested  and  ]nit  in  jail  charged 
with  the  murder,  and  were  safely  in  the  bands  of 
the  legal    custodians  of  the  county.      But    as    the 
Safety  Committee  were  in  earnest  that  justice  should 
bo  speedy  and  certain,  the  arms  of  the  local  mili- 


convenient  position  and  a  tribunal  ordered  before 
which  the  prisoners  were  brought,  having  been 
taken  by  force  from  the  duly  constituted  officers. 
The  forms  of  law  were  observed  and  the  prisoners 
given  the  benefit  of  counsel  and  a  fair  trial.  Many 
prominent" lawyers  took  active  part  in  the  delibera- 
tions of  the  committee  and  gave  a  </uf(««-legal  shape 
to  its  proceedings.  Among  these  were  Judge  E.  B. 
McKinstrj-,  now  of  San  Francisco,  and  W.  Van  Voor- 
hces,  of  Oakland,  California.  The  trial  of  the  cul- 
prits resulted  in  the  conviction  of  John  Dailey,  Wil- 
liam Buckly,  John  iMcl)owell,  aUns  Three-P^ingercd 
Jack,  and  James  Masterton,  who  were  all  sentenced 
to  be  hanged.  On  the  summit  of  a  hill  in  the  center 
of  North  Silver  Street,  Aurora,  was  erected  a  gallows 
large  enough  for  this  quadruple  execution,  and  on 
the  ninth  of  February,  in  the  presence  of  perhaps 
5,000  peo])le,  those  four  men  were  sent  to  that 
'•  undiscovered  bourne  from  whence  no  traveler 
returns."  The  news  of  the  action  of  the  Committee 
of  Safety  having  s]>read  far  and  wide.  Governor  Nye, 
previous  to  the  execution  of  the  men,  telegraphed  to 
Samuel  Youngs,  one  of  the  Count}-  Commissioners, 
to  '-jiold  the  men  you  have  in  charge  until  1  arrive." 
To  which  the  rcplj-  was,  "The  men  have  just  been 
hung.     Peace  and  order  now  prevail." 

Other  lesser  Ij-nch  courts  were  from  time  to  time 
improvised,  but  none  of  the  magnitude  of  the  one  at 
Aurora.  L.  B.  Vail  was  tried  bj'  an  irregular  court 
at  iliko,  Lincoln  Count}',  and  hanged,  in  18C8.  In 
the  same  year  the  people  of  Surprise  Valley,  about 
fifty  in  number,  took  Andrew  J.  Huff — commonly 
known  as  Goff — a  native  of  Kentuck)',  and  escorted 
him  to  an  improm])lu  gallows  they  had  prepared  for 
his  reception — two  ujjright  posts  with  a  cross-beam 
on  top — when  he,  seeing  that  there  was  no  escape, 
took  the  matter  philosophical!}-,  and,  climbing  upon 
a  fence  underneath,  coolly  adjusted  the  rojie  around 
his  own  neck,  and  jumped  oil',  thusliterall}*  becoming 
his  own  hangman.  For  seven  years  he  had  belonged 
to  an  organized  gang  of  highwaymen  in  California, 
but  the  immediate  cause  of  his  hanging  was  the 
killing  of  Solomon  Brundage.  James  Linn  was 
lynched  and  unofficially  strangled  by  the  enraged 
citizens  of  Dayton  in  1SG4. 

KNIOIITS    OK    THE    ROAD. 

Previous  to  the  completion  of  the  railroads  in 
Nevada,  stage  coaches  were  the  medium  of  travel  for 
passengers,  and  they  at  the  same  time  carried  all  of 
the  specie  into  the  mining  towns  as  well  as  all  of  the 
bullion  away  from  them.  Large  sums  were  con- 
stantly going  over  the  main  routes  of  travel,  and  con- 
sequently the  stage  coaches  became  an  attractive 
feature  for  the  more  enterprising  class  of  "  bad  men  " 
with  whom  the  State  swarmed  in  the  flush  limes  of 
silver  mining.  Upon  some  of  the  roads  these  rob- 
beries became  so  frequent  that  guards  were  sent  with 
the  coaches,  and  some  of  the  robbers  soon  l)ecame  so 
well   known— though   evidenie  enough  could   not  be 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILJ.  r-orNTY 


359 


procured  to  eonvift  thctu — tliiU  tlicy  were  t'ni|iloyod 
b}'  the  companies  principally  engaged  in  shipping 
bullion,  in  some  sinecure  capacity  at  round  wages, 
for  the  reason  that  it  was  du-apei'  to  hire  them  than 
to  submit  to  their  exactions  u])on  the  road.  After 
a  successful  robbery,  these  knights  of  the  road  would 
rendezvous  in  the  towns,  dress  finely,  gamble  freely. 
drink  and  treat  generously,  and  mingle  with  the 
crowds  as  though  they  were  honest  men.  By  their 
suave  manners  they  in  one  instance  induced  a  porter 
of  Wells.  Fargo  I'c  Co.  to  inform  them  when  the  '•  box 
was  heavy  "  so  that  thej-  could  raid  it,  and  it  became 
so  common  for  them  to  call  upon  one  particular  stage 
driver  to  •■  pass  out  the  box  "  that  he  soon  obtained 
a  ticket-of-leave.  Sometimes  the  robbers  would  meet 
with  spirited  resistance,  and  a  number  of  bloody 
encountei-s  have  occurred  between  these  unlawful 
toll-gathers  and  the  occui>ants  of  the  stage  coaches. 

On  the  thirty-tirsl  of  January,  1871,  the  stage  run- 
ning between  Eeno  and  Honey  Lake  was  stopped 
by  two  highwajmen  not  many  miles  from  the  former 
place.  The  driver,  a  Mr.  Thomas,  who  was  also 
owner  of  the  stage,  was  ordered  from  the  box  and 
relieved  of  ninety  dollars.  In  the  stage  as  a  passenger, 
was  Major  Eggleston,  United  States  Army  Paymaster, 
who  had  in  a  purse  in  his  pocket  two  hundred  dollars, 
and  a  belt  upon  his  jierson  containing  seven  thousand 
dollars  in  currency,  all  of  which  the  robbers  took. 
They  also  took  a  small  sum  from  another  passenger. 
While  the  robbers  were  engaged  with  these  last  two, 
and  oft' their  guard,  Mr.  Thomas  pulled  out  a  derrin- 
ger which  he  had  in  his  pocket  and  which  the  rob- 
bers had  overlooked,  and  fired  at  the  man  who  had 
Major  Kgglcston's  belt,  causing  him  to  drop  it.  The 
shot  wounded  the  man,  but  the  two  opened  fire  upon 
the  passengers,  meanwhile  retreating.  l)uring  the 
melee  the  horses  ran  oft'  with  the  wagon  and  went  to 
lieno  alone,  whereupon  a  number  of  persons  came  out 
to  learn  what  had  happened.  Chase  was  given  the 
robbers  and  the  wounded  one  was  caught.  lie  proved 
to  be  Charles  Brever,  and  disclosed  the  name  of  his 
associate,  Bedford  Koberts. 

The  following  year,  August  Kith,  the  same  stage 
was  stopped  a  mile  and  a  half  I'rom  lieno  bj'  three 
armed  men  who  sprang  into  the  road  by  the  side  of 
which  the}-  had  been  concealed,  and  ordered  the 
driver,  Mr.  Thomas,  to  stop.  Instead  of  doing  so  he 
whipped  up  his  horses  and  the  robbers  opened  fire. 
A  wounded  horse  soon  caused  the  stage  to  halt  when 
the  robbers  came  u])  and  completed  their  job,  but  ni»t 
until  the  driver  and  his  three  passengers  had  inetlect- 
ually  exhausted  all  their  shots  in  an  endeavor  to 
keep  them  away.  For  this  Jackson  Morrison  and 
Clement  B.  Lee  were  sent  to  px'ison. 


CHAPTER    XLI 

HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY. 

Topograpliy  ami  ICaily  Kmij;rants — Organization  and  Bounda- 
ries— Uunionstranc'v  and  I'utition — Ixgislativf  Knactnienta— 
Kducation,  Tumiierancuand  Kelijiioii — Soil  and  Mineral  Pro- 
ducts— Appointnicntii  and  Klections — Valuable  Springs  and 
Marshes — 1.  X.  L.  .Mining  District — .Stillwater  the  County 
Seat — Deserted  lOarly  Settlcnieuts— Ancient  Mining  Dis- 
tricts— Biographical  .Sketches. 

The  topography  of  Churchill  C'ounty  is  peculiar. 
Its  sinks,  sloughs,  lakes,  salt  beds  and  alkali  flats, 
have  long  attracted  the  attention  of  travelers.  The 
early  pioneers  supposed  that  the  waters  of  Churchill 
County  reached  the  ocean  through  a  sj-stem  of  sub- 
terranean channels.  In  no  other  way  could  the  dis- 
appearance of  living  streams  in  the  earth  be  made 
explainable.  It  is  now  conceded  that  simpler  causes 
explain  the  phenomenon.  Comparativelj-  little  rain 
or  snow  ever  falls,  while  the  extreme  dryness  of  the 
atmosphere  and  soil  induces  extraordinary  evapora- 
tion and  absorption.  Humboldt  Lake,  the  chief  por- 
tion of  which  lies  within  the  northern  limits  of  the 
county,  receives  the  waters  of  the  Humboldt  River, 
the  longest  stream  in  the  State.  When  the  lake  is 
well  filled,  it  discharges  its  surplus  waters  into  the 
Humboldt  and  Carson  Sinks  (o  the  south  of  it,  by 
means  of  connecting  sloughs.  Carson  Lake,  in  the 
southwestern  quarter  of  the  countj-  is  about  twelve 
miles  in  diameter,  and  is  about  fifty  feet  deep  at  the 
utmost.  Like  Humboldt  Lake,  it  is  of  an  irregular 
circular  shape;  haslow,  flatshores;  and  connects  with 
the  Humboldt  and  Carson  Sinks.  Its  waters  are  alka- 
line, and  contain  two  or  three  species  of  unjialatable 
fish,  on  which  large  flocks  of  wild  birds,  as  gulls,  peli- 
can, swans,  ducks,  etc.,  subsist.  The  waters  of 
Humboldt  River  greatly  deteriorate  as  they  approach 
Humboldt  Lake.  At  various  localities  in  Church- 
ill County  are  imtd  lakes  and  alkali  flats.  They  are 
slightly  basin-shaped,  and  are  composed  of  a  stift' 
clay,  nearly  impervious  to  water.  During  wet 
weather  they  become  wide  lakes,  having  a  depth, 
however,  of  only  one  or  two  feet.  When  the  water 
sinks  and  evajioratcs,  leaving  the  basin  onlj-  moder- 
ately wet,  it  is  still  impassable  for  teams,  by  reason 
of  its  miry  condition.  When  it  becomes  perfectly 
dry,  its  surface  is  covered  with  alkali  or  salt,  and  is 
so  hard  that  a  wagon-wheel  scarcely  leaves  an  im- 
pression on  it  in  ])assing.  Several  of  these  flats,  as 
explained  elsewhere,  arc  of  great  j)resent  and  pros- 
pective value,  by  reason  of  their  chemical  deposits. 

The  Carson  Sink  .Mountains,  running  in  a  north- 
erly direction  through  the  central  jjortions  of  the 
the  county;  the  Clan  Alpine  Range,  next  to  the  east- 
ward; and  the  Desatoiya  Range,  forming  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  county,  are  the  jirincipal  mountains 
of  Churchill.  The  Humboldt  and  Nightingale  Mount- 
ains extend  somewhat  southward  of  the  northern 
boundary  line.  The  New  Virginia  and  Hot  Spring 
Mountains  are  in  the  western  portion  of  the  county. 
In  these  mountains,  and  along  their  foot-hills,  there 
is  a  growth  of  natural  grasses  which  is  well  adapted 


360 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


to  the  nourishment  of  all  kinds  of  etoek.  In  many 
of  the  valleys  along  the  Carson  River  are  fertile 
tracts  which  are  becoming  more  valuable  annually, 
and  produce  superior  agricultural  crops.  Irrigation 
ditches  are  also  being  constructed  in  manj-  localities, 
thus  bringing  under  cultivation  large  areas  of  land 
which  have  heretofore  been  considered  worthless. 
Stock-raising  is  also  becoming  a  leading  industr}-. 

The  early  emigrants  from  the  East  all  passed  over 
the  western  portion  of  this  county  on  their  way  to 
California;  but  there  was  little  here  to  induce  them 
to  stop  or  to  invite  their  return  from  the  Pacific 
Coast,  if  their  dreams  of  rich  mines  and  sudden,  fab- 
ulous wealth  there  were  not  quite  realized.  On 
leaving  the  Humboldt,  turning  to  the  south,  they  at 
once  encountered  a  vast  expanse  of  country,  with 
hills  and  valleys  of  sand,  utterly  destitute  of  water 
or  vegetation.  An  unbroken  desert,  forty  miles  in 
extent,  lay  right  across  their  path.  Foot-sore  and 
weary  on  reaching  this  desert,  some  perished  while 
crossing,  and  those  who  survived  were  ready  and 
willing  to  pledge  their  "lives  and  sacred  honor" 
never  to  settle  in  so  inhospitable  a  country  as  the 
present  western  portion  of  Churchill  County  then 
•  appeared  to  be.  Susequent  explorations  of  this 
county  made  little  more  favorable  impression  than 
the  first  emigrants  received  from  their  experience  in 
the  desert,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  historian  of 
Churchill  County  should  find  no  very  startling  events 
to  chronicle. 

ORGANIZATION   AND   BOUND.A.RIES. 

Churchill  County  derives  its  name  from  Fort 
Churchill,  an  early  military  post,  the  site  of  which 
is  within  the  present  limits  of  Storey  Countj',  and 
which  was  named  in  honor  of  an  officer  of  the 
United  States  Army.  The  county  was  created  by  a 
Territorial  Act  approved  November  25,  1861,  and  its 
boundaries  were  described  as  follows: — 

Beginning  at  the  north-east  corner  of  Storey,  and 
running  south,  along  the  eastern  line  of  said  county, 
to  the  northern  lino  of  Douglas  County;  thence 
easterly  along  the  said  northern  lino  of  Douglas 
County  and  the  northern  line  of  Fsmeraida  County, 
to  the  one  hundred  and  sixteenth  meridian;  thence 
north,  along  said  meridian,  to  the  fortieth  parallel 
of  north  latitude;  thence  west,  on  the  said  fortieth 

fiarullel,  to  where  it  strikes  the  old  immigrant  road 
eading  from  the  sink  of  the  Humboldt  to  the 
lower  crossing  of  the  Triickee  Hiver;  thence  westerly, 
along  said  road,  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

When  Lander  County  was  created,  on  December 
19,  18G2,  about  one-third  of  the  whole  area  of 
Churchill  was  made  a  part  of  the  new  county — all 
that  portion  lying  oast  of  the  40°  of  longitude.  By 
an  Act  approved  February  20,  18G4,  the  boundary 
between  Lyon  and  Churchill  Counties  was  estab- 
lished at  the  line  of  longitude  41°  40',  by  means 
of  which  a  small  cession  was  made  to  Lyon  County. 
By  an  Act  approved  February  27,  18G9,  a  triangular 
tract,  forming  the  southwest  corner  of  Humboldt 
County,  was  ceded    to  Churchill  County,  including 


about  twenty-five  miles  of  Central  Pacific  liailroad, 
the  object  being  to  increase  the  revenues  of  Churchill 
Countj'.  By  the  same  Act  the  present  boundary 
between  Lyon  and  Churchill  was  established.  By 
an  Act  approved  March  5,  1869,  a  small  triangular 
tract  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Churchill  County  was 
ceded  to  Nye  County. 

An  Act  approved  November  29,  18G1,  attached 
Churchill  to  Lyon  for  county  judicial  and  revenue  jiur- 
poses;  including  it  in  the  Third  Judicial  District,  and 
located  its  county  seat  at  Buckland's.  By  an  Act  ap- 
l)roved  Februarj'  19,  1864,  Churchill  was  made  a 
distinct  County,  with  all  the  rights,  privileges  and  im- 
munities belonging  thereto,  and  the  Governor  was 
instructed  to  appoint  its  first  officials. 

REMONSTRANCE   AND   PETITION. 

When  the  bill  for  making  Churchill  a  distinct 
county  was  bclore  the  Legislature,  a  number  of 
farmers  living  near  the  line  of  Lyon  County,  remon- 
strated against  its  passage,  and  petitioned  that  body, 
in  case  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  establish  the  sej)- 
arate  organization,  to  so  fix  the  boundary  lines 
between  L3-on  and  Churchill,  as  to  leave  them  in 
Lyon  County. 

To  the  llonorahle  the  Council  and  the  Legislative  Assem- 
hly  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada: — 

The  undersigned  citizens  and  taxpaj'crs  of  Church- 
ill County,  Nevada  Territorj-,  would  respectfully 
represent  that  we  regard  the  movements  now  mak- 
ing for  the  organization  of  our  said  countj-  as  prema- 
ture, and  calculated,  if  successful,  to  work  a  serious 
injury  to  the  citizens  and  taxpayers  of  said  county. 
Wo  would  respectfully  ropresoiit  to  j'our  honorable 
bodies  that  the  voters  within  the  boundaries  of  said 
county,  exclusive  of  the  soldiers  at  the  fort,  who  pay 
no  taxes,  number  onlj'  about  123. 

We  would  also  represent  that  the  taxable  propertj' 
of  said  county,  as  shown  b3'  the  assessment  rolls, 
amounts  to  only  about  §175,000.  In  case  your  hon- 
orable bodies  should  deem  it  advisable  to  establish 
the  separate  organization  of  Churchill  County,  the 
undersigned  would  respectfully-  request  that  the 
boundary  lines  between  the  counties  of  Lyon  and 
Churchill  may  be  changed  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
include  the  ranches  of  the  undersigned  within  the 
limits  of  Ijyon  County.  Your  petitioners  trust  that 
at  a  ])oint  not  far  off  in  the  future  the  agricultural 
lands  and  the  mines  of  Churchill  County  will  invite 
a  population  and  create  a  taxable  property  adequate 
to  sustain  a  countj-  organization,  but  we  desire  to 
express  to  j-our  honorable  bodies  our  decided  con- 
viction that  the  time  for  such  organization  has  not 
yet  arrived,  and  our  desire  that  the  countj-  of 
Churchill  may  at  least,  until  another  session  of  the 
Territorial  Legislature,  remain  attached  to  Lyon  for 
judicial,  revenue  and  county  pur])oses. 
S.  S.  Buckland,  S.  Corlett, 

J.  \\.  Iloiigham,  James  Wharton, 

\\.  1).  Price,  T.  H.  Coats, 

John  Wood,  John  Lennon, 

K.  V.  Roney,  T.  Harnes. 

Wm.  Chapi)ell,  G.  W.  Burrier, 

T.  Finegan,  Z.  Belled, 

D.  Barnes,  W.  Mead, 

H.  M.  Alcorn,  John  W.  Jliller, 

Wm.  Fair,  P.  I.  Ilartman, 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY 


361 


George  M.  Vicar,  Henry  Bethel, 

R.  Robinet,  Martin  Siinms, 

B.  L.  Cross,  Jeremiah  Pelcher. 

.Andrew  J.  Nelson.  P.  Treancr. 

F.  Luth.  A.  H.  Lissak, 

John  Sc-hoiiinL;.  Charles  L.  Lang. 

Frederick  Thicler,  T.  Marshall, 

James  Johnston.  Alfred  Merkley. 

LEOrSLATIVE    ENACTMENTS. 

The  Territorial  Act  of  November  28,  1801,  ordered 
a  special  election  throughout  the  State,  to  take  place 
Januarj-  14,  18152.  Bj-  an  Act  approved  December 
19,  1802,  the  Sheriff  was  made  ex  ojficio  Collector  of 
the  countj-. 

An  Act  appi'oved  the  same  day   authorized  Ellen 
Redman  and  others  to  construct  a  toll-bridge  across 
Canson  Slough   at  Redman  Station,  and  to   charge 
toll  as  follows: — 
For  wagon  drawn  by  six  or  eight  animals  —  S2  00 

For  wagon  drawn  by  four  animals 1  50 

For  wagon  drawn  by  two   animals 1  00 

For  carriage  and  buggy,  two  horses 1  00 

For  carriage  and  buggy,  one  horse 75 

For  horseman 25 

For  pack  animals 12J 

For  loose  stock 10 

Two  per  cent,  of  these  charges  went  to  the  Terri- 
torial School  Fund. 

The  fine  for  crossing  the  bridge  without  paying 
toll  was  not  less  than  ten  dollars,  nor  more  than 
SI 00.  Anj^  one  maliciously  injuring  the  bridge  was 
liable  to  bo  fined  from  twenty-five  dollars  to  8500. 
All  fines  to  accrue  to  the  Bridge  Company.  The 
rates  of  toll  could  be  changed  by  the  Governor  and 
Legislature,  and  the  Commissioners  of  Lyon  and 
Churchill  Counties  could  purchase  the  bridge  in 
three  years  at  its  appraised  cash  value. 

An  Act  of  December  20, 1802,  authorized  J.  Jacob- 
son,  John  Bowan,  Alexander  I'orson.  .fohn  Taylor, 
P.  Reynolds,  and  associates,  to  improve  the  Carson 
River  from  Daj'ton  to  Humboldt  Slough,  thence  to 
Humboldt  Lake,  thence  across  the  lake  and  up  Hum- 
boldt Kiver  to  Humboldt  City,  cutting  canals,  etc., 
and  rendering  such  route  practicable  for  rafts  and 
vessels. 

Act  of  February  2(1,  ISOf,  empowers  James  A.  St. 
Clair  and  J.  J.  McClellan  to  maintain  a  toll-bridge 
across  Old  River,  at  a  point  known  as  the  Upper 
Sink  crossing;  no  other  bridge  or  fcrr}'  to  be  allowed 
within  half  a  mile  either  way. 

Act  of  February  19,  1864,  organized  a  distinct  and 
separate  county  (heretofore  connected  ofliciall}'  with 
Lyon  Countyj,  and,  on  the  second  of  April  of  the 
same  year,  Governor  Nye  located  the  county  seat  of 
Churchill  County  at  La  Plata. 

B}'  an  Act  of  March  5,  1S(;0.  the  boundary  lines 
between  the  counties  of  Nye,  Churchill  and  p]sme- 
ralda  were  established  as  follows — cutting  off"  a  trian- 
gular piece  from  the  southeastern  portion  of  the 
county:  — 

Beginning  at  the  intersection  of  the  meridian  of 
longitude  40°  15''  west  from   Washington,  with    the 


eastern  boundary  line  of  California,  thence  northerly, 
along  said  meridian  of  longitude,  to  its  intersection 
with  the  thirty-eighth  parallel  of  north  latitude, 
thence  northwesterly,  to  the  Hot  Springs  on  the 
VW'llington  and  Reese  River  Road,  thence  northerly-, 
to  the  thirty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  thence 
easterly,  to  ODomieH's  Pass,  on  the  lone  and  West 
Gate  Road,  and  thence  the  said  boundary  line  shall 
remain  as  heretofore  established  by  law. 

But  little  was  ever  done  towards  making  the  Car- 
son navigable  under  the  Territorial  Act.  In  1868 
the  county  seat  was  moved  to  Stillwater,  where  it 
has  remained  ever  since. 

The  Act  ajiproved  February  27,  1800,  by  which  a 
portion  of  Humboldt  County  was  given  to  Churchill, 
required  Churchill  to  pay  to  Humboldt  County 
therefor  8^^.000;  but  by  an  Act  passed  by  the  State 
Legislature,  Februarj*  13,  1871,  Churchill  was  re- 
leased from  its  payment,  and  all  unpaid  warrants  on 
this  account  were  ordered  destroyed. 

EI)UC.\TI0N,  TEMPERANCE  ANI)  RELIOIOX. 

The  first  school  in  Churchill  County,  under  the 
county  organization,  was  held  in  the  "  Big  Adobe," 
on  the  U])i)er  sink  of  the  Carson,  in  December,  1871. 
The  first  teacher  was  Lemuel  Allen,  who  is  still  a 
resident  of  the  countj'.  *in  1872  the  county  was 
divided  into  two  school  districts,  the  one  being  at 
the  upper  sink,  and  the  other  at  Stillwater,  the 
county  seat.  In  1874  a  third  district  was  organized. 
In  1870  the  three  districts  were  combined  into  one, 
known  as  the  Union  School  l)istrict.  Soon  after- 
wards a  fine  school  house,  costing  84,000,  was  erected 
on  the  upper  sink;  a  teacher  and  matron  were 
employed,  and  from  forty  to  sixty  pupils  attended. 
The  consolidation  continued  until  1879,  at  which 
time  the  count}-  was  subdivided  into  four  districts, 
the  Union  School  House  being  used  as  District  No. 
1.  E.  P.  Hall  was  first  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
Up  to  1878  W.  II.  A.  Pike  was  Superintendent  of 
the  Union  School.  The  present  Sujierintendent  of 
Schools  is  J.  W.  Allen,  who  succeeded  A.  O.  Ordway. 
Mr.  Allen,  the  first  teacher,  settled  on  the  south  side 
of  Carson  Jjake,  in  December,  1803,  bringing  his 
house  with  him  from  Carson  Citj-.  He  is  now  Dis- 
trict Attorncj-,  and  has  the  additional  prominence  of 
being  the  only  attorney  in  the  county. 

In  .Tanuarj-,  1880,  an  unchartered  tem])erance  so- 
cietj'  was  organized  at  Stillwater,  with  a  member- 
ship of  forty-four  persons.  Jackson  Ferguson  was 
chosen  Presi<lent;  William  Harmon,  Vice-President, 
and  J.  W.  Bond,  Secretary.  The  present  ollicers  are 
H.  N.  Hurd,  President;  William  Harmon,  Vice-Presi- 
dent, and  J.  W.  Allen,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 
Monthly  meetings  are  held  in  the  Institute  building 
Three  jiledges  are  administered — the  tobacco  pledge, 
the  whisky  pledge,  and   the  total  abstinence  pledge. 

The  first  religious  services  held  in  the  county  took 
place  in  the  Institute  building  at  Stillwater  in  the 
spring  of  1875.  A  .Methodist  Episcopal  clergyman 
named  Pendleton  was  in  charge.     He  designed  hold- 


362 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


iiig  services  there  everj-  third  Sunday,  and  organized 
a  Sundaj'-school  with  a  fair  attendance,  but  was 
finally  obliged  to  abandon  his  efforts. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Seventh-day  Adventists 
was  held  in  the  Institute  Building  on  the  first  of 
June,  1876,  under  the  leadership  of  Jackson  Fergu- 
son, with  a  membership  of  fortj--four  persons.  Since 
then  regular  services  have  been  held  every  Saturday 
at  11  A.  .M. 

SOIL   AND    MIXERAI.    PRODUCTS. 

Churchill  County  is  not  noted  either  for  the  pro- 
ducts of  its  soil  or  its  mines.  The  personal  property 
on  the  tax-roll  consists  mostly  of  hay.  cattle  and 
sheep.  The  total  value  of  property  in  the  county 
is  less  than  half  a  million,  and  the  population  in 
1880  was  470.  For  a  fuller  account  of  its  pro- 
ducts, the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation — the 
fruit  trees,  stock  and  grain  raised,  and  the  quantity 
of  land  irrigated,  reference  is  had  to  pages  135, 
136,  139  and  140,  of   the   general    history. 

APPOINT.MENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

By  virtue  of  the  Creative  Act,  the  first  officers  of 
the  county  were  named  by  the  Governor.  Below 
will  be  found  the  names  of  all  the  persons  who 
have  filled  the  different  offices  of  honor  and  trust 
in  the  county  from  its  organization  down  to  the 
present  time,  either  by  appointment  or  election, 
with  the  date  of  such  appointment  or  election, 
and  the  particular  office  each   has  filled. 

No  record  was  made  of  the  election  of  June  G, 
1864,  for  delegates  to  the  Constitutional  Convention. 

STATE    SENATORS. 

J.  B.  McClure,  elected  November  7,  1864;  W.  G. 
Hanover,  elected  November  6,  186t;;  William  Hill, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  W.  C.  Grimes,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  Charles  Kaiser,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  187S. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

Henry  K.  Whitehill.  elected  November  7,  1864; 
\V.  H.  Taj'lor,  elected  November  7,  1865;  J.  A.St. 
Clair  and  W.  C.  Grimes,  elected  November  6,  1866; 
E.  Clark  and  A.  B.  Waller,  elected  Novembers,  1868; 
J.  J.  McClclhm  and  .).  M.  Gray,  elected  November  8, 
1870;  Cranston  Allen  and  J.  M.  Sanford,  elected 
November  5,  1872 — Sanford  resigned  July  16,  1873; 
J.  M.  Sanford  and  Ij.  Allen,  elected  November  3, 1874 
— Sanford  resigned  December  27,  1875;  L.  Allen, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  Jackson  Ferguson, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  J.  W.  Bichards,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Benjamin  Curler,  Thomas  J.  Cochran  and  J.  B. 
McClure  appointed  by  the  Executive,  March  9,  1864 
— Curler  did  not  accept;  Robert  L.  Pooler,  E.  P.  Rich- 
ardson and  Thomas  Plane  wore  elected  September  7, 
1864;  William  Hill,  J.  S.  Hall  and  W.  S.  Lee  elected 
November  6,  1866— Hill  resigned  October  12,  1869; 
James  F.  Gregory  and  J.  M.  Sanford  elected  Novem- 
ber 3.   1868— Gregory  resigned  March  16,  1870;  J. 


.M.  Sanford,  E.  Clark  and  M.  C.  Peters  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1S70 — Sanford  resigned  January  2,  1873;  D. 
U.  Dillard  and  E.  C.  Asher  elected  November  5,  1872 
— Asher  resigned  July  7,  1873;  J.  K.  Iliggins  and  E. 
Clark  elected  November  3.  1874;  William  Hill  and 
D.  M.  Wightman,  elected  November  7,  187(i;  and 
re-elected  November  5,  1878;  Jacob  Springer  and 
Henry  Theelen,  elected   November  2,  1880. 

PROBATE    JUDGES. 

Alfred  James,  appointed  by  the  Executive,  March 
17,  1864.  and  elected  September  7,  1864;  A.  J.  Ball, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  W.  J.  Eastman,  elected 
November  3,  1868;  J.  E.  Higgins,  elected  November 
8,  1870;  T.  S.  Dillard,  elected  November  5.  1S72; 
A;  W.  Allen,  elected  Novembers,  1874;  Samuel  Tru- 
man, elected  November  7,  1876;  S.  A.  Jones,  elected 
November  2.  1880. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

A.  F.  Patrick,  appointed  by  the  Executive,  March 
17,  1864;  Benj.  Curler,  elected  September  7.  1864: 
C.  A.  Jjeake,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  M.  Gray, 
elected  November  3,  1868;  L.  Allen,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  Lemuel  Allen,  elected  November  5, 1872; 
Cranston  Allen,  elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  W. 
Doolittle,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Lemuel  Allen, 
elected  November  2.  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

Walter  L.  (rates,  appointed  by  the  Executive  April 
4,  1864;  James  G.  Hughs,  elected  September  7.  1864; 
Thomas  H.  Ellison  and  E.  L.  Coldron  each  received 
110  votes,  November  6,  1866;  Coldron  died  June  25, 
1867;  J.  C.  Scott,  elected  November  3,  1868,  failed  to 
file  sufficient  bonds  and  the  office  was  declared  vacant 
March  10,  1870;  Byron  Sherman,  elected  November 

8,  1870;  Samuel  Truman,  elected  November  5, 1872, 
and  re-elected  November  3,  1874;  James  T.  Brown, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  John  T.  AValker,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

\V.  E.  Smith,  appointed  by  the  Executive  March 

9,  1864;  commission  revoked  June  111,  1864:  and  W. 
C.  Grimes  appointed  to  till  the  place  June  SO,  1864, 
and  elected  September  7,  1864;  R.  H.  Chandler, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  Daniel  Reinwalt,  elected 
November  S,  1868;  J.  J.  Cushman, elected  November 
8,  1870,  and  re-elected  November  5,  1872,  and  re- 
elected again  November  3, 1874;  J.  M.  Sanford,  elected 
November  7,  1S76;  J.  W.  Richards,"  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1878;  J.  H.  Kent,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

Walter  Goodell,  appointed  by  the  Executive,  April 
4,  1864;  Wallace  Goodell.  elected  September  7, 1864; 
James  Bucknor,  elected  November  ti,  186(>,  resigned 
June  1,  1867,  and  the  vacancy  tilled  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Wallace  Goodell,  who  resigned  October  7, 
1867;  J.  G.  Hughs,  elected  Novembers,  1868;  W. 
J.  Brandon,  elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected 
November  5,  1872,  November  3,  1874,  and  Novom- 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY. 


363 


ber  7,  ]87(>;  Wm.  Murphy,  elected  November  5,  1878, 
and  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

J.  \V.  Ciunmings,  appointed  by  the  Executive, 
April  4, 1864;  Wm.  S.  Lee,  elected  September  7, 1864; 
J.  B.  Welch,  elected  November  6,  1866;  Elisha  Siev- 
rance,  elected  November  3,  1868;  D.  M.  Wightman, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  and  re-elected  November 
5,  1872,  and  re-elected  again  November  3,  1874;  E. 
Clark,  elected  November  7,  1876;  James  A.  Daniel- 
son,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTV   RECORDERS. 

Nelson  Murdock,  appointed  by  the  Hxecutive  April 
4.  1864;  Ira  E.  Tierce,  elected  September  7,  1864;  M. 
W.  Hoyt,  elected  November  6,  1866,  and  re-elected 
November  3,  1868;  J.  W.  Rich ard;*,  elected  November 

8,  1870,  and  re-elected  November  5,  1872,  and  re- 
elected again  November  3,  1874;  J.  H.  Kent,  elected 
November  7,  1876:  J.  .7.  Cambers,  elected  November 
2,  1880. 

SUPERINTENDENTS   OF   SCHOOLS. 

A.  W.  Doolittle,  appointed  by  the  Executive,  April 

9,  1864;  George  A.  Nicholls,  elected  September  7, 
1864;  C.  D.  Davis,  elected  November  6,  1866;  James 
H.  Job,  elected  November  3, 1868;  E.  P.  Hall,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  Donald  McArthur,  elected  No- 
vember 3, 1874;  J.  B.  Ferguson,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  J.  W.  Allen,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COrXTY    SURVEYORS. 

Wm.  A.  Jackson,  appointed  by  the  Executive, 
March  14,  1864,  and  elected  September  7,  1864;  A. 
W.  Doolittle,  elected  November  6,  1866;  N.  A.  Guill, 
elected  November  3,  1868;  Frank  Goodnow,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  J.  W.  McCuusland,  November  5, 
1872;  James  Uoft'man,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
William  Reinhart,  elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  B. 
Ferguson,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

VALUABLE    SPRINOS    AND    .MARSHES. 

Twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  Wadsworth,  and 
about  two  and  a'  half  miles  from  Ragtown,i8  Soda 
Lake,  in  the  midst  of  a  desert,  and  consists  of  an 
oval  area  of  about  sixteen  acres,  having  a  depression 
of  seventy-five  feet  below  the  general  level.  It  can- 
not be  seen  until  the  visitor  almost  reaches  its  rim. 
Good  drinking  water  is  obtained  in  this  basin  all 
ftround  the  deposits  of  soda,  except  on  the  northern 
side.  Here  a  s])ring  flows  out  from  the  north,  the 
waters  of  which  come  from  another  small,  circular 
lake,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  diameter  and  half  a 
mile  distant.  Besides  some  other  salts,  the  waters 
from  the  spring  contain  about  thirty-three  per  cent, 
of  soda.  The  deposit  of  soda  occurs  native, 
in  the  form  of  incrustations,  which  have  been 
annually  precipitated  bj'  evaporation  from  the  water 
accumulating  in  the  basin  during  the  rainy  season, 
and  from  the  spring.  It  is  several  feet  in  thickness 
and  formed  in  layers,  between  which  are  dirt  and 
sand    blown    from  the  surrounding    hills   upon    the 


diflerent  strata.  The  soda  is  dug  out  in  large  pieces, 
and  is  then  dried,  separated  from  the  impurities,  and 
sacked  for  market.  The  drying  process  requires  the 
most  care,  for,  at  a  certain  temperature  and  condi- 
tion, the  soda  deliquesces  and  disappears  in  the 
ground.  In  drj-ing,  one-third  of  the  weight  of  the 
soda  is  lost.  The  purest  soda  is  obtained  from  the 
waters  of  the  spring,  which  are  pumped  into  large 
vats  and  evaporated.  The  solution  at  a  density  of 
30'  and  temperature  of  70°  Fahrenheit,  is  in 
the  exact  condition  for  the  crystallization  of  the 
soda,  and  produces  an  article  containing  ninety- 
eight  per  cent,  of  the  bicarbonate  of  soda.  Soda 
Lake  was  discovered  by  Asa  L.  Kenyon  in  1855. 
When  he  first  saw  it  he  supposed  it  be  a  large  sheet 
of  ice.  In  1868  he  sold  it  to  Higgins  &  Dufty,  who 
in  turn  sold  it  to  Doe  &  Dowd.  Its  present  propri- 
etor is  J.  S.  Doe,  of  San  Francisco.  Works  have  been 
erected  near  the  basin.  The  bed  of  solid  soda  will 
soon  be  dug  out,  but  that  obtained  from  the  spring  is 
believed  to  be  inexhaustible.  Five  men  is  all  the 
force  necessaiy  to  prepare  about  sixty  tons  for  the 
market  every  month.  The  cost  of  shipping  it  to 
San  Francisco  is  about  nineteen  dollars  per  ton,  and 
it  sells  there  at  from  fifty-five  to  sixty-five  dollars 
per  ton.  It  is  principally  used  in  soap,  glass  and 
paper  factories;  in  calico  printing,  bleaching  and 
dyeing;  and  in  the  manufacture  of  yeast  powders, 
washing  soda,  and  in  many  other  chemical  opera- 
tions. A  two-fifths  interest  in  this  proi^erty  once 
sold  for  §35,000. 

NORTH    SODA    LAKE 

Is  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  one  just  described, 
and  is  much  larger  in  extent,  covering  an  area  of 
about  400  acres,  and  having  a  depth  of  270  feet. 
The  surface  of  the  water  is  eighty-four  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  desert.  The  Nevada  and  Pacific 
Company  owns  and  operates  this  property.  Six 
crystallizing  reservoirs,  each  one  hundred  feet  square, 
and  containing  two  feet  of  water,  crystallize  the 
soda  by  solar  evaporation.  During  the  summer 
months  the  waters  are  run  into  the  reservoirs,  but 
the  crystallization  is  not  perfected  until  the  api)roach 
of  winter.  For  this  reason  the  same  reservoirs  can 
be  used  only  once  during  the  season.  The  facilities 
for  evaporation  can  be  erdarged  to  an  indefinite 
extent.  When  the  reservoirs  are  filled  the  cost  of 
preparing  the  soda  is  very  trivial.  Little  care  is 
required  until  the  water  disappeai-s.  Large  quanti- 
ties of  soda  are  annually  consumed  in  Nevada  for 
milling  purj)08es,  but  the  bulk  of  it  is  shipped  to 
San  Francisco.  S|)ecinu'ns  from  North  Soda  Lake 
were  awarded  a  prize  modal  and  diploma  at  the 
Centennial  Exposition. 

Near  Soda  Lake  are  1,600  acres  of  borax  landsi 
but  only  about  400  acres  contain  enough  salts  of 
borax  to  bo  worked  with  profit,  and  this  tract 
can  be  worked  only  once  in  two  years.  With 
j)resent  facilities  about  2,000  pounds  of  borax  can 
be  produced  daily.      The  material  taken  from    tiie 


3G4 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


marsh  contains  about  ten  per  cent,  of  borax,  but 
occasional!}-  jields  thirtj-  per  cent.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  the  manufacture  of  borax  in  Nevada  is 
not  profitable,  b}'  reason  of  the  immense  importa- 
tation  of  boracic  acitl  from  England,  which  is  ad- 
mitted to  this  country  free  of  duty.  Instead  of 
thirty-three  cents  per  pound,  a>  formally,  borax 
must  now  be  delivered  at  the  railroad  for  nine  and 
a  half  cents.  There  is  enough  borax  in  Churchill 
and  Esmeralda  Counties  to  supplj-  the  markets  of 
the  world. 

A  salt  marsh  near  the  railroad  station  of  Hot 
Springs  yields  a  large  annual  supply  of  salt,  which 
is  obtained  with  little  trouble  or  expense.  The 
whole  face  of  the  desert  in  this  vicinity  is  white, 
being  covered  from  time  to  time  with  saline  waters, 
which  evaporate  and  leave  an  incrustation  of  salt. 
Wooden  vats  were  formerly  used  for  the  jnirpose 
of  crystallization,  but  excavations  in  the  gi-ound  have 
been  found  to  answer  the  purpose  quite  as  well. 
The  salt  obtained  is  ninetj^-nine  j)er  cent,  pure 
chloride  of  sodium.  Many  other  salt  marshes, 
much  larger  in  extent,  exist  in  Churchill  Countj', 
and  can  be  made  a  source  of  wealth  when  a  suffi- 
cient demand   arises  for  utilizing  them. 

THE    I.    X.    L.    MINING   DISTRICT 

Is  in  the  Silver  Hill  range,  forty  miles  southwest  of 
Lovelock  Station,  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 
Stillwater  is  the  nearest  post-office.  Ore  was  dis- 
covered in  1878,  and  a  district  was  organized  in 
September,  1879.  The  number  of  locations  made 
in  the  district  is  eighty-five;  the  number  of  miners 
now  there,  twenty.  The  camp  consists  of  two  black- 
smith shops,  a  boarding-house,  and  a  few  cabins. 
The  veins  are  found  between  a  granite  foot- wall  and 
a  slate  hanging-wall.  The  veins  run  northwesterly, 
with  the  formation  dipping  to  the  northeast  at  an 
angle  of  sixty  degrees,  and  contain  free  and  galena 
ores.  Gold  predominates  in  some  of  the  rock,  and 
silver  in  other  localities.  The  principal  mines  are 
the  Bayfold,  East  Star,  Black  Prince,  Iron  Point, 
Spar,  Morgan  and  ^lammolh.  The  Bayfcld  mine 
contains  a  shaft  170  feet  in  depth  ;  the  Iron  Point 
mine,  a  tunnel  160  feet  in  length.  Ereight  is  teamed 
from  Stillwater  at  twenty  dollars  per  ton,  and  from 
Lovelock  at  thirty  dollars.  Nut  pine  is  abundant 
within  a  mile  of  the  mines,  and  the  supply  of  spring 
water  is  ample  for  all  purposes. 

STILLWATEK    THE   COCNTV   SEAT. 

The  first  settler  at  Stillwater  was  J.  C.  Scott,  who 
located  there  in  the  fall  of  18G2.  In  the  spring  of 
1803,  W.  II.  Dowd  and  Moses  Job  arrived,  and  soon 
afterwards  tliey  were  followed  by  William  Page,  J. 
G.  Hughs,  .M.  W.  Hoyt,  J.  W.  Richards,  J.  M.  Sim- 
ford,  A.  W.  Doolittle,  and  others.  Then  it  was  sur- 
mised that  Stillwater  would  eventually  be  the  county 
scat  of  Churchill  County,  but  more  substantial 
attractions  were  offered  by  the  fine  grazing  and 
agricultural  lands  in  the  vicinity.      A  station  of  the 


Overland  Stage  Company  had  also  been  established 
there  in  July,  1862.  A  town  gradually  grew  up, 
which  became  the  county  seat  in  December,  1868. 
Stillwater  was  most  prosperous  in  1867  and  1868, 
having  then  a  population  of  l.iO.  The  altitude  of 
this  site  is  4,000  feet,  and  is  in  the  valley  of  the  Car- 
son, on  the  right  bank  of  the  slough  connecting  Cai- 
son  Lake  with  the  Humbtddt  and  Carson  Sink.  To 
the  north  and  west  of  the  town  are  cultivated  fields; 
to  the  northeast  are  extensive  grass  and  tule  lands, 
while  sage-brush  lands  stretch  off  to  the  southward. 
The  streets  are  sparsely  shaded  by  scattered  cot- 
ton woods. 

Wadsworth  is  forty-four  milesto  the  westward;  Day- 
ton and  Sutro  are  about  sixty-five  miles  distant  in  a 
southwesterly  direction.  Stillwater's  wood  supply  is 
obtained  from  the  Silver  Hill  range,  ten  to  twenty 
miles  to  the  eastward,  and  chiefly  consists  of  nut 
pine  and  cedar.  There  ai-e  no  prevailing  diseases  at 
Stillwater,  and  as  in  the  case  of  Gilead,  there  is  no 
physician  there.  The  present  population  is  forty- 
eight.  A  store,  hotel,  saloon,  restaurant,  post-office 
and  blacksmith  shop  comprise  the  places  of  business. 
The  buildings  are  constructed  of  wood.  Public 
meetings  arc  held  in  the  Court  House.  Carson  River 
affords  an  abundant  water-supply.  The  principal 
supplies  of  goods  and  merchandise  arc  brought  from 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  at  Wadsworth,  by  team, 
the  freight  charge  being  twenty  dollars  per  ton.  The 
educational  facilities  consist  of  one  school,  a  teacher, 
and  thirteen  ])upils.  The  school  house  is  12x24 
feet  in  size,and  is  capable  of  seating  thirty  pupils. 
The  taxable  property  in  the  township  is  valued 
at  871,000.  Farming  and  stock-raising  is  the 
principal  avocation  of  the  surrounding  settlers. 
The  basement  of  the  Court  House  contains  a 
jail.  No  one  has  ever  been  killed  in  the  township, 
and  no  serious  disturbances  of  the  peace  have  ever 
occurred. 

The  Carson  River  overflows  annually.  The  most 
noted  occurrence  of  the  kind  took  place  in  January, 
18C2.  Before  then,  the  waters  of  the  Carson  emptied 
directly  into  the  Upper  Sink,  and  passed  thence 
through  Carson  Slough  and  Stillwater  Slough,  into 
the  Lower  Sink.  The  dr}'  river  bod  could  bo  plainly 
seen  in  1861,  through  which  Old  River  now  flows, 
carrj'ing  with  it  direct  into  the  Lower  Sink  a  great 
part  of  the  waters  of  Carson,  instead  of  by  the 
Upper  Sink,  and  thence  b}'  the  sloughs.  The  same 
flood  cut  a  channel  where  New  River  now  runs,  and 
also  changed  the  outlet  of  the  Upper  Sink  into  an 
inlet,  taking  .some  of  the  water  from  New  River  and 
emptj'ing  it  into  the  Upper  Sink.  The  remainder 
flows  by  Stillwater  Slough  into  the  Lower  Sink 
thus  flowing  past  the  west  side  of  the  town  of  Still- 
water. The  soil  surrounding  Stillwater  is  adobe, 
and  is  well  adapted  for  grain. 

In  1876,  Richards,  Kent  and  Sanford  constructed 
an  irrigating  ditch,  taking  water  from  Stillwater 
Slough,  one  and  a  quarter  miles  south  of  the  town 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY. 


365 


The  next  season  they  raised  the  first  crop  ever  pro- 
duced in  the  township,  and  tht-reut'ter  successfully 
conducted  agricultural  operations.  In  1879,  Walker 
\  Brown  cut  a  ditch  and  commenced  taking  water 
from  the  first  ditch  mentioned.  At  the  present  time 
Richards,  Murphj-  &  Springer  are  taking  water  from 
the  same  source. 

The  land  is  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  cereals, 
and  crops  are  growing  larger  annuallj".  The  farmers 
have  fenced  all  their  cultivated  land  into  one  field,  con- 
sisting of  500  acres,  thus  saving  considerable  expense 
in  the  way  of  fence  building.  No  subdividing  fences 
are  constructed.  Both  grain  and  pasture  lands  are 
irrigated.  As  high  as  sixty-five  bushels  of  wheat 
have  been  raised  to  the  acre  in  some  parts  of  the 
count}-.  For  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  to  the  north- 
ward of  Stillwater  there  extends  a  chain  of  sloughs 
and  fine  pasture  lands,  terminating  at  the  "  Big 
Sink,"  which  is  sometime.*  thirty  miles  in  width.  Old 
River  empties  into  the  Carson  Sink  on  the  west  side, 
after  having  meandered  through  the  valley  for  twenty 
miles,  with  a  scattering  settlement  along  its  entire 
length.  The  whole  region  is  a  net-work  of  streams 
and  baj'ous,  which  have  undergone  many  changes 
since  the  country  was  first  settled. 

On  September  2,  1862,  J.  T.  May  was  interred  on 
Mr.  Magee's  place.  There  are  now  eleven  graves 
there,  it  being  the  burial  place  for  the  surrounding 
settlement.  Back  of  Mr.  Ferguson's  place  there  are 
five  graves.  The  first  burial  took  place  there  in 
March,  1879. 

DESERTED    EAELY    SETTLE.MENTS. 

Huittown  was  at  one  time  one  of  the  most  noted 
localities  in  the  Churchill  Count}'  region,  being  a 
landmark  of  the  past.  In  the  earliest  times  it  was 
a  station  on  the  overland  road,  when  the  emigrants 
moved  across  the  Forty-mile  Desert  from  Humboldt, 
and  pushed  on  to  the  gold  fields  of  California.  When 
the  Simpson  route  was  discovered  and  adopted  in 
1860,  and  emigrants  came  by  way  of  Schell  Creek,  | 
Egan  Canon,  and  Jaeobsville,  on  Reese  River.  Rag- 
town  still  remained  an  overland  station.  Asa  L.  Ken- 
yon  settled  at  Ragtown  in  1854,  and  has  been  the 
only  permanent  settler  there  since,  stock-raising  being 
his  avocation.  On  his  arrival  there  he  found  200 
people,  but  they  all  left  in  the  fall.  Two  reasons  are 
assigned  for  the  origin  of  the  novel  name  of  the 
town.  One  is  that  it  was  originally  composed  of 
cloth  houses  built  by  traders  from  California,  who, 
leavinii  in  the  fall,  left  their  ragged  shelters  to  flutter 
in  the  wind.  According  to  another  authoritj-.  the 
emigrants,  on  reaching  it,  hastened  to  divest  them- 
selves of  their  ragged  garments,  and  plunge  into  the 
cooling  waters  of  the  Carson.  Long,  scattered  jiilea 
of  rags  daily  adorned   the  banks   of  that   stream. 

There  was  once  an  emigrant  burj-ing-ground  at 
Ragtown  containing  200  graves,  results  of  cholera, 
fever  and  exhaustion  in  early  years,  which  were  vari- 
ously marked  with  log-chains,  wagon-tires,  etc. 
During  the  flood  of  1861-62  it  was  completely  cov- 
46 


'  ered  over  and  obliterated,  and  a  public  road  now 

'   passes  over  the  spot. 

Shortly  after  reaching  Ragtown,  Kenyon  located 
fifteen  miles  distant,  on  the  '  Forty-mile  Desert, " 
where  he  sunk  a  well  and  did  a  very  good  business 
in  the  sale  of  water  to  emigrants,  llis  charge  for 
watering  stock  was  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  head. 
He  also  bought  a  store  of  his  cousin,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  his  water  enterprise,  retailed  merchandise 
until  1800.  At  a  time  when  the  road  was  not  kept 
open  regularly,  in  the  winter,  a  large  party  of  In- 
dians visited  him  and  desired  to  purchase  gun  caps, 
upon  which  Mr.  Kenyon  raised  the  price  to  S300  per 
box.  They  expressed  surprise  at  such  an  enormous 
price,  and  asked  the  reason  of  it.  '•  The  cap  man  is 
dead,"  replied  Mr.  Kenyon.  For  powder  they  were 
asked  -^SOO  per  pound.  "  Is  the  powder  man  dead, 
too  ?  "  they  asked.  "  No,"  replied  Mr.  Kenyon,  "but 
he  is  very  sick."  In  1867  an  emigrant  named  Flem- 
ing perished  from  thirst  on  the  desert  between  the 
Humboldt  and  Ragtown.  He  was  out  three  days. 
Learning  of  the  circumstance  Mr.  Kenyon  went  out 
to  search  for  him,  and  finally  found  him  in  a  hole  in 
the  ground  which  he  had  clawed  out  with  hisfingers, 
being  insane  from  suffering.  He  was  brought  back 
to  Ragtown.  but  died  the  next  morning,  and  was 
buried  in  the  emigrant  graveyard. 

In  May,  1868,  E.  Clark  paid  a  man  twenty  dollars 
to  haul  two  wheels  and  a  log  of  wood  from  the  Cot- 
tonwood, on  the  Carson,  to  the  crossroads  of  Rag- 
town and  Wadsworth,  preparatory  to  building  a  road 
between  those  two  points.  In  June  the  first  travel 
commenced.  At  about  the  same  time  the  present  road 
by  way  of  Savage  was  completed.  E.  Clark  purchased 
it  in  September,  and  has  since  owned  it.  St.  Clair 
located  the  ranch  on  Old  River,  in  1862,  which  Thce- 
lan  now  owns,  and  established  a  ferry  there.  Dur- 
ing the  following  winter  he  put  up  a  bridge,  and  toll 
for  crossing  it  has  been  charged  ever  since.  Mr.  Hill 
purchased  the  ranch  in  1S66,  including  St.  Clair's 
store.  In  1873,  the  ranch  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Henry  Theelen. 

In  earl}'  times  Centerville,  one  and  a  half  miles 
above  Ragtown,  was  a  well-known  point.  Varney 
iV  Waters  built  a  hotel  there  in  1860.  Benjamin 
Curler  purchased  it  in  1864.  and  subsequently  sold 
it  to  Joseph  Scott.  Curler  is  now  practising  law  at 
Belmont,  Nye  County.  T.  Varney  was  killed  in 
1862  by  Al.  Millstead,  who  was  hanged  at  Cai-son 
Citj-  in  1863.  Waters  was  killed  on  what  is  now 
known  as  the  -Little  Adobe"  ranch,  by  a  man 
named  Wilson,  who  was  subseiiuently  tried  and 
acquitted.  In  1866,  James  Ferguson  nwned  a  ranch 
near  Centerville,  and  was  visited  one  day  by  a  bad 
Pah-Ute  known  as  "Bufl'alo  Jim."  who  was  accom- 
panied by  thirteen  other  Indians.  They  demanded 
two  sacks  of  flour,  a  cow,  and  some  money.  Fer- 
nuson  ofl'ered  to  give  them  the  flour,  but  refused  to 
trive  anything  else,  and  a  quarrel  ensued,  upon 
which  they  strung  him  up  to  a  hay  press,  but  cut 


3G6 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


him  down  before  life  was  extinct.  They  also  cut 
open  all  the  baled  hay  on  the  premises.  For  these 
outrages  Ferguson  swore  that  he  would  kill  "Buffalo 
Jim;"  and  meeting  him  out  alone,  about  a.  year  after- 
wards, he  did  kill  him.  lie  then  fled  from  the 
country,  and  at  last  accounts  was  living  in  Missouri. 
At  the  time  he  left  Nevada  he  was  the  partner  of 
Sheriff  Scott. 

ANCIENT    .niNING   DISTRICTS. 

"Happy  are  the  people."  saj's  Montesquieau,  "whose 
annals  are  brief  in  the  history  books."  By  that 
standard  the  people  of  Churchill  must  bo  the  hap- 
piest of  Nevada,  and  no  one  can  gainsaj'  it.  Once 
its  eastern  districts  were  thronged  with  miners  and 
prospectors,  and  the  clatter  of  stamps  was  heard 
in  its  hills.  With  the  discoverj^  of  mines  in  the 
Humboldt  Eange,  in  1862,  prospectors  pressed  for- 
ward into  the  wilderness,  and  the  districts  of  Mount- 
ain Wells,  Clan  Alpine,  and  New  Pass  were  formed, 
and  active  operations  commenced. 

In  Mountain  Wells  District  a  large  number  of 
claims  were  located;  and  in  the  years  1863-64-65 
many  were  sold  to  Eastern  capitalists,  who  pro- 
ceeded to  develop  them.  The  village  of  La  Plata 
was  built,  and  became  the  county  seat.  A  quartz 
mill  of  ten  stamps  was  built, and  for  a  time  pros- 
pcritj^  seemed  to  smile  on  the  region.  The  de- 
velopments, however,  did  not  equal  the  expecta- 
tions, and  the  White  Pine  excitement  absorbed 
the  mill  and  miners.  The  county  seat  was  re- 
moved to  Stillwater,  and  soon  thereafter  La  Plata, 
the  place  of  silver,  was  relegated  to  its  original  j 
wilderness.  The  locality  where  once  stood  the  hope- 
ful village  is  on  the  e;istern  slope  of  the  Carson 
Sink  range,  sometimes  called  the  Uun  Glen  Range; 
and  fronting  it  is  Salt  Valley,  a  broad  expanse  of  bar- 
renness, but  rich  in  salt,  were  transportation  con- 
venient to  make  it  available.  In  this  range  is  Job's 
Peak,  a  conspicuous  landmark  for  a  wide  expanse 
of  country'. 

Clan  Alpine  District  was  organized  in  January, 
1864.  and  many  claims  located.  Shafts  were  sunk, 
and  drifts  run,  exposing  veins  of  small  size,  contain- 
ing ore,  both  gold  and  silver,  of  about  twelve  dol- 
lars per  ton  in  value.  The  countrj'  rock  is  porphyry. 
The  surrounding  country  being  more  valuable  for 
producing  suit  than  cereals,  and  mining  not  remun- 
erative, the  district  was  abandoned. 

New  Pass  District  was  organized  in  the  spring  of 
1864,  and  ledges  of  gold-bearing  ore  were  found, 
which,  on  the  surface,  appeared  very  valuable.  The 
district  lies  in  the  Shoshone  range  of  mountains, 
about  thirty  miles  west  of  Austin,  and  the  mines 
were  chiefly  worked  b}-  people  from  that  city.  The 
mines  were  quite  thoroughly  tested,  but  not  yielding 
to  exceed  fifteen  dollars  per  ton,  were  abandoned, 
but  the  State  Mineralogist  of  1867  regards  them  as 
valuable. 


J.    W.    ALLEN 

Was  born  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa,  March  10, 
1843,  and  resided  on  the  old  homestead,  attending 
the  common  school  during  his  early  j-ears,  and  as- 
sisting in  the  labors  of  the  farm  till  he  attained  the 
age  of  twentj-'One  years,  when,  bidding  adieu  to 
Iowa  in  1864  he,  in  company  with  his  mother  and 
two  sisters,  and  following  his  father,  who  had  pre- 
ceded them  one  year  before,  emigrated  from  there 
to  the  State  of  Nevada,  joining  his  father,  C.  Allen, 
and  his  brother  Lemuel,  who  had  found  a  home  on 
the  south  side  of  Carson  Lake. 

He  resided  from  that  time  till  1868  in  Churchill 
County,  Nevada,  from  which  place  he  removed  to 
Sonoma  County,  California,  where  he  remained 
till  1870,  at  which  time  ho  returned  to  Churchill 
County-,  Nevada,  and  entered  into  partnership 
with  his  father  and  brother  Lemuel,  in  farming 
and  stock-raising,  till  1877,  when  he  retired  from  the 
partnership  and  removed  to  his  present  homo  on 
New  River, 

He  is  the  possessor  of  420  acres  of  land,  240  of 
which  is  inclosed  and  mostlj-  under  cultivation.  The 
soil  is  a  rich  black  loam,  susceptible  of  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  adapted  to  the  growing  of  nrost 
varieties  of  gi'ain. 

Mr.  Allen  is  much  interested  in  the  improvement 
of  stock,  particularly  of  horses,  of  the  Clydesdale 
and  Copperbottom  breeds,  many  fine  specimens  of 
which  may  be  counted  among  the  horses  on  his 
ranch. 

In  1876  Mr.  Allen  united  his  fortunes  in  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Kate  Peugh,  and  soon  commenced  house- 
keeping in  his  present  residence,  which  he  erected 
that  year.  He  has  been  often  called  bj'  his  friends 
and  neighbors  to  places  of  trust  and  honor,  filling 
the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Upper  Sink  Pre- 
cinct for  six  years,  and  from  1874  to  1876  the  office  of 
Public  Administrator  of  Churchill  County,  and  has 
been  more  recently  elected  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools  for  that  countj'  for  the  ensuing  two  years. 

Ho  has  over  devoted  himself  to  the  advancement 
of  morality  and  temperance,  is  a  consistent  and  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Church  of  the  Seventh-day  Ad- 
ventists  and  the  Acting  Superintendent  of  the  Sab- 
bath-school, and  District  Socrotary  of  the  Seventh- 
day  Adventist  tract  and  mission  work  in  Nevada, 
and  Clerk  of  the  St.  Clair  Church.  Ho  is  also  known 
as  a  devoted  and  prominent  advocate  of  temper- 
ance, and  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  temperance 
organizations  in  the  county,  and  Librarian  for  the 
library  of  that  society. 

LE.MUEL    ALLEN, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Han-ison 
County,  Ohio;  on  the  twelfth  of  April,  183!t,  he  was  born 
and  in  the  same  year  his  father  and  mother  removed 
to  Van  Buren  County.  Iowa.  There  he  remained 
with  his  father,  assisting  on  tho  farm  and  attending 
school,  until  tho  year  1859.     In  that  year  he  married 


bllSTUllY  Ul    UUUKCHILL  COUNT\. 


367 


Mies  Sarah  Ann  Peu<<h.  and  in  the  same  year  he  and 
his  wile  started  lor  PiJJc's  Pcaiv,  but  stopped  in  Kan- 
sas until  the  followinjj  3-ear,  when  lhe>^  returned  to 
Iowa,  and  resided  there  uji  to  the  year  18(i2.  when 
they  started  lor  I'iirson  V'allej-.  Nevada.  They  first 
settled  seven  miles  above  Fori  Churchill,  on  the  Car- 
son Hivor.  Possessing  little  of  this  world's  wealth, 
they  found  their  little  stock  of  provisions  and  the 
team  of  patient  oxen,  all  that  was  left  them  with 
which  to  begin  life;  but  rich  in  the  mutual  faith  and 
affection  they  had  for  each  other,  they  were  nothing 
daanted,  and  cheerfully  faced  the  dim  and  shadowy 
future.  y\r.  Allen  had  paid  out  his  last  two  dollars 
on  crossing  the  bridge  spanning  the  slough  at  the 
sink  of  the  Carson.  There  they  remained  until 
December  1,  1SG3.  when  they  removed  to  the  south 
side  of  the  upper  sink  of  the  Carson  Kiver.  called 
Carson  Lake.  He  there  established  u  station  called 
"The  Wild  Cat."  taking  his  father  as  partner, 
who  had  come  out  to  join  him,  as  did  also  his  mother 
and  the  family,  the  following  j-ear.  The  station 
was  on  the  old  Pony  iJoad,  and  there  the  family 
remained  until  18G7,  when  he  removed  to  their  pi'csent 
residence. 

Since  that  time  he  has  kept  a  "  station  "  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  traveling  public.  He  now 
owns  in  the  countj-  1,040  acres  of  land,  500  acres  of 
which  is  fenced  and  under  cultivation.  He  cuts  about 
600  tons  of  hay  each  year,  and  has  also  a  fine  bearing 
orchard,  including  a  variety  of  fruit  which  yields  a 
suilicient  quantity  to  abundantly  supply  his  own 
family  and  also  his  neighbors.  Mr.  Allen  was 
ambitious  to  master  the  stud}-  of  the  law,  but  being 
compelled  to  seek  his  own  fortunes  in  life,  has  had 
but  little  leisure  lime  since  early  youth  for  anything 
like  systematic  stud}',  but  during  the  entire  length  of 
time  of  his  residence  in  the  Slate  of  Nevada  ho  has 
devoted  every  spare  moment  to  the  ])ursuit  of  his 
favorite  study,  and  at  leiiglh,  on  the  sixteenth  day  of 
January,  1873,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Nevada.  He  was  elected  District 
Attornej"  for  Churchill  Counfj'  in  1871,  and  re-elected 
in  1873;  he  was  again  returned  to  the  same  oHice  by 
the  election  in  the  year  1880.  In  the  year  1875,  he 
represented  his  county  in  the  Assembl}',  and  was  in 
1876  re-elected  to  that  jiosition.  The  children  living 
are  six,  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  .Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Allen  have  buried  three  other  children.  Willi 
his  usual  desire  to  improve  everything  pertaining  to 
his  iarm,  .Mr.  .\llen  is  jiaj-ing  s|)ecial  attentioTi  lo  the 
breeding  of  good  stock,  antl  he  is  the  owner  of  a  line 
Durham  bull.  Over  the  entire  country-  '•  Lem  Allen  " 
is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  "  go  ahead  "  men  in 
a  State  where  such  men  are  numerous,  and  is  alto- 
gether a  representative  man.  His  father,  after  a 
long  residence  in  the  count}-,  has  now  removed  to 
Reno,  Washoe  County,  leaving,  however,  (in  Chur- 
chill County)  many  representatives  in  both  children 
and  grandchildren. 


J.    W.    BOND 

Is  a  native  of  Noble  County,  Ohio,  having  been  born 
in  that  county  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  March, 
1840.  His  earlj-  years  were  passed  on  a  farm  in 
ihat  county  till  the  age  of  twenty-one,  when  ho  left 
the  labors  of  the  farm  to  engage  in  the  profession  of 
teacher  in  the  schools,  in  which  employment  he 
remained  till  the  fall  of  1862,  when  leaving 
his  native  home  he  emigrated  to  the  State  of 
Iowa,  and  there  resumed  his  occupation  of  teach- 
ing, in  vvhich  he  continued  till  the  spring  of 
1864,  when  he  determined  to  seek  the  fortune 
awaiting  him  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Relinquishing 
the  honorable  avocation  in  which  he  had  been  en- 
gaged for  the  previous  years  in  Ohio  and  Iowa, 
he  joined  the  westward  moving  army,  and  crossed 
the  plains,  to  find  a  home  in  ('alifornia.  There 
he  remained  till  1866,  at  which  time  he  retraced 
his  steps  as  far  as  Nevada,  where  he  married  Miss 
.Sarah  C.  Allen,  a  resident  of  the  southern  shore 
of  the  sink  of  the  Carson,  on  the  second  day  of 
September  of  that  year.  Returning  to  California 
soon  after  and  locating  in  Sonoma  County,  he  re- 
mained till  A.  D.  1878.  During  that  time  he  was 
largely  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  spring  of 
1878,  having  disposed  of  his  interest  in  Sonoma 
County,  he  removed  to  Churchill  County,  Mevada, 
and  investing  the  proceeds  already  accumulated  by 
energy  and  thrift  in  lands  in  this  county,  which  he 
has  by  industry  and  good  husbandry  made  ]>roduc- 
tive,  he  has  become  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and 
extensive  farmers  of  the  county. 

JOHN    p.    BROWN 

Was  born  February  8,  1826,  in  Luzerne  Countj-, 
Pennsj'lvania.  In  1842  he  removed  to  Kane  Countj', 
Illinois,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  that  county  up 
to  the  year  1850.  He  then  started  for  California 
across  the  plains,  and  after  the  usual  adventures  and 
hardships  encountered  in  those  daj's  on  overland 
journeys,  safelj'  reached  California.  He  first  settled 
in  El  Dorado  County,  finally  going  to  Placcrville  in 
the  winter  of  1852-53.  ]n  February,  of  1853,  he 
went  East  by  the  Isthmus,  and  returned  (o  Cali- 
fornia with  stock — his  brother,  Lyman,  accomiiany- 
ing  him;  in  the  same  year  he  went  back  to  Illinois. 
Dui-ing  1854  he  married  Miss  Delia  .M.  Tlioni])son, 
of  Huntly,  McHenry  Count}',  Illinois,  a  daughter  of 
Shubael  Trenk  and  .Margaret  West  Thompson.  Al- 
most immediately  after,  he  removed  to  .Michigan, 
where  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness for  six  years,  when  he  again  turned  his  steps 
toward  the  Pacific  t'oast,  locating  in  Silver  City, 
Nevada.  He  speedily  found  em|)loyment  by  starting 
a  business  in  teaming,  which  proved  reniunoralive 
during  his  stay  in  that  place.  Since  1864  he  has 
resided  in  Churchill  County,  whither  he  removed  in 
that  year  to  engage  in  farming. 

He  is  now  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  containing  660 
acres  of  land,  located  on  Old  River,  six  miles  below 


368 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  old  overland  bridge,  and  twelve  miles  from  the 
county  6eat.  One  hundred  and  sixty  acres  are  under 
cultivation  all  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  grain, 
vegetables,  etc.,  and  are  all  inclosed  with  a  fence  of 
live  Cottonwood;  he  has  also  a  young  orchard   of 
promising  fruit  trees,  about  two  hundred  in  number, 
only   four   years   planted,   and   all    bearing,   giving 
promise  of  heavy  yields  before  many  years.     The 
larger  portion  of  the  farm  extends  along  Old  Kiver, 
and  is  well  divided  by  ditches   distributed  at  con- 
venient distances  over  the  entire  farm.      The  water- 
right  is  abundant  for  irrigating,  and  was  the  third 
recorded  in  the  county.      Mr.  Brown  is  giving  his 
personal  attention  to  stock-raising,  and  may  be  con- 
sidered as  very  successful  in  the_busines8.    Although 
but  fifty-five  years  old,  the  active  life  of  Mr.  Brown 
has  been  marked  by  many  changes,  and  is  noticeable 
for  energy  and  industry.     He  and  his  wife  have  had 
a  family  of  three  children,  two  of  whom.    William 
and  Stella,  are  now  living. 


State  Senator  from  Churchill  County,  Nevada,  was 
born  in  Freiburg,  Baden,  Germany,  in  a.  d.  1830, 
where  he  received  the  advantages  of  a  good  edu- 
cation, imbibing  much  of  the  spirit  of  democracy 
that  eventually  led  him  to  seek  his  fortune  and 
cast  his  lot  among  the  many  who  have  found  homes 
among  the  freedom-loving  people  of  America. 

Leaving  Germany  when  scarcely  twenty  years  of 
age,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  landing  in  New 
Orleans  in  the  year  1850,  when  hearing  tales  of  the 
fabulous  wealth  of  California— the  gold  fields— he 
only  remained  sufficiently  long  to  secure  an  outfit 
for  the  journey,  when  he  started  overland  for  the 
El  Dorado  of  his  hopes. 


Arriving  in  California  in  the  lall   of  1850,  he  at 
once  located  near  the  Yuba  Hiver,  in]  Yuba  County, 
and  successfully  engaged  in   mining,  merchandising 
and  teaming  for  seven  years.     Moved_by  an  honor- 
able ambition  for  a  lai-ger  field  of  enterprise,  he  dis- 
posed of  his  business  in  Yuba  County,  removed  to 
Sacramento,  then  fast  growing  into  importance  and 
wealth,  and  became  extensively  engaged  in  the  live- 
stock business.     In    1S70,  he   removed   from   Sacra- 
mento, and  located  in  Stillwater.  Churchill  County, 
Nevada,  and  became  largely  interested  in  merchan- 
dising, also  dealing   in  stock.     He   is  an  honorable 
representative    of   that    German    element   that    has 
been  so  greatly  conducive  to  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  this  county.     He  has  by  his  energ}-,  indus- 
try and  business  capacity,  accumulated  a   handsome 
independence,  that  places  him  among  the  substantial 
men  of  his  county.     In  1878.  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  on  the  Eepublican  ticket,  and  has  dis- 
charged  his  duties   with  sincerity  of   purpose,  and 
evident  desire  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  his 
constituents  and  the  State. 

The  Senator  is  married,  and  both  in  social  and 
political  life  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
those  who  know  him.  He  is  now  in  the  prime  of 
life,  with  promise  of  many  years  of  usefulness,  a 
portion  of  which  his  manj'  friends  will  undoubtedly 
insist  upon  being,  as  now,  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
the  public,  and  perhaps  in  a  more  elevated  position 
than  that  now  occupied  by  him. 

J.   J.    CLSHMAN 

Was  born  October  G,  1838,  in  Piscataquis   County, 
State  of  Maine,  emigrating  at  the  early  age  of  two 
years  to  the   State  of  Ohio,  Lorain   County,   where 
he  remained  with  his  parents  the  following  six  years, 
accompanying  them  again  in  their  second  removal,  in 
1840,    to    the   count}'  of   Henry,    State  of  Illinois; 
thence  to  Iowa,  and  back  again  to  Illinois.     There  he 
remained,  assisting  his  father  with  the  care  and  labor 
of  the  farm,  till  1859,  when  leaving  his  parents  he 
crossed   the  plains  to  California,  where  he  remained 
one   winter,    and   the   following   summer  moved  to 
Nevada,  remaining  in  Carson  City  during  the  sum- 
mer.    In   1801  he  purchased  the  ranch  on  which  he 
now  resides,  located  on  ("arson  Sink,  two  miles  from 
the  Carson  Lake  on  the  Belleville  and  Austin  lioad,  in 
Churchill  County,  embracing  1,700   acres  of    land, 
1,000  acres  of  which  is  fenced,  and   125   acres  under 
cultivation,   the   remainder   being   devoted    to   pas- 
turage.    He  has  the  ranch  well  stocked  with  cattle 
and  horses,  and  finds  the  growing  of  them  jirofitable 
and  remunerative.      Near  the   old   residence,  about 
one-quarter  of  a  mile  from  his  present  one,  erected  in 
1877,   and  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work,  he 
has  a  fine  bearing  orchard  of  many  varieties  of  fruit. 
In  1865  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ellen  Adams,  by  whom 
he   has  two  sons,  Roj-al   D.  and   Clement  O.,  aged 
fourteen  and  thirteen   yearsj  resj)ectively.      He  was 
elected  Clerk   of  the  County  of  Churchill  in   1872, 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY. 


369 


and  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  so  acceptabi)' 
that  he  was  re-elected  in  1874,  and  continued  to  ])er- 
form  the  duties  till  1876,  when  he  retired  from  pub- 
lie  life  to  devote  his  attention  to  the  care  of  his 
private  business. 


''■SW^ 


The  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  whose  name  stands 
at  the  head  of  this  article,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
New  Orleans,  State  of  Louisiana,  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  Maj-,  a.  d.  184:^,  where  he  remained  with 
his  parents  till  the  year  1853;  his  father  during  that 
time  being  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  cotton, 
once  recognized  as  the  '-king"  of  Southern  com- 
merce, if  not  of  the  L'nited  States. 

During  the  year  1853,  hearing  much  of  the 
golden  paradise  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  his  father  dis- 
posed of  his  business  in  New  Orleans,  and,  following 
the  sun  in  his  western  course,  accompanied  by  his 
family,  came  to  C'ylifornia,  by  way  of  the  Nicaragua 
route,  settling  in  Tuolumne  County.  There  he  on- 
gaged  in  mining  till  bis  death  in  1879. 

William  grew  up  to  manhood  in  Tuolumne  County, 
at  times  engaged  in  mining,  after  arriving  at  sufficient 
ago  to  be  of  assistance  to  his  father,  and  at  other 
limes  in  butchering,  U>  supply  the  mining  cainjjs  in 
the  vicinitj'.  In  1870,  leaving  Tuolumne  County,  he 
removed  to  St.  Clair.  Churchill  County.  Nevada,  and 
again  engaged  in  butchering,  a  business  he  had  been 
largely  engaged  in  since  his  earl}-  youth,  and  in  con- 
nection with  that  f<jlIowed  farming,  and  is  largely 
interested  in  stock-raising,  growing  and  feeding  many 
of  the  animals  which  supply  his  main  business. 

In    1.S78  his  integrity  and  business  ability  placed 


him  prominently  before  the  people  for  their  suffrage, 
for  the  responsible  position  of  Treasurer  of  the 
county,  to  which  office  he  was  elected,  and  so  accept- 
ably discharged  his  duties,  that  ho  was  re-elected  in 
1880,  which  office  he  now  continues  to  fill,  with  honor 
and  credit  to  himself,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
constituents.  On  his  election  in  1878,  the  duties  of 
his  office  reijuiring  his  presence  at  Stillwater,  the 
county  seat,  he  removed  to  that  place,  and  has  since 
resided  there. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  December,  1879,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Met  tee. 

Ue  is  the  owner  of  1(JU  acres  of  excellent  farming 
land  on  the  west  side  of  Stillwater,  and  an  equal  part- 
ner in  the  ownershi))  of  the  irrigation  ditch  now 
under  construction  taking  water  from  Stillwater 
Slough  and  running  across  his  farm,  supplying  it 
with  water  for  all  needful  purposes. 
a',  l.  kenvon. 

Tiio  gentleman  to  whom  this  sketch  refers  is  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  Nevada.  He  was  born  in  Rome, 
Oneida  County,  New  York,  on  the  twentieth  of  April, 
1830.  His  early  life  was  passed  in  his  native  State, 
where  his  time  was  varied  between  attending  school, 
working  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  and  learning  tho 
blacksmith's  trade.  His  education  was  confined 
mostly  to  the  common  schools,  and  was  of  a  nature 
such  as  is  usually-  obtained  from  similar  institutions. 
As  youth  ripened  into  manhood,  his  ambitious  nature 
would  not  permit  him  to  remain  in  the  quiet  paths 
to  which  he  had  been  accustomed,  but  called  upon 
him  to  go  forth  into  the  world,  and  seek  tho  fortune 
that  lies  in  store  for  those  who  have  the  hardihood 
to  surmount  the  dangers  and  difficulties  that  beset 
the  paths  of  the  pioneers.  During  the  summer  of 
1852  ho  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  and  located 
at  Gold  Run,  Placer  County,  where  he  engaged  in 
mining.  In  this  he  was  very  successful,  and,  during 
the  following  winter  accumulated  quite  a  fortune. 
The  following  spring  he  conceived  the  idea  of  becom- 
ing a  speculator  in  horses,  and,  in  ])ursuanco  of  this, 
ho  returned  to  Missouri,  and  with  the  gold  he  had 
saved  purchased  a  band  of  fine  blooded  stock,  and.  on 
tho  eighth  of  .March,  1S54.  started  with  it  for  Califor- 
nia. On  tho  following  first  of  August,  he  arrived  at 
Uagtown  on  the  Carson  River,  and  there  disposed  of 
his  stock,  realizing  a  handsome  profit.  His  next 
business  venture  was  starting  a  trading-post  at  that 
place  for  traffic  with  the  emigrants.  There  were  at 
this  lime  usually  from  .''(HI  to  5(10  people  at  this  sta-. 
tion,  living  in  tents  and  willow  houses,  and  the  rags 
fluttering  in  tho  breezes  gave  the  place  its  significant 
title.  In  1855  Mr.  Kenvon  erected  a  log  house, 
which  he  used  for  a  store  and  dwelling-house,  and 
this  was  the  only  house  lolY  standing  after  the  flood 
of  1S()2  in  the  town.  .Mr.  Kenyon  has  been  a  partic- 
ipant in  many  of  the  battles  with  tho  Indians,  and 
has  also  witnessed  tho  great  mining  excitements  that 
have  transpired  in  western  Nevada. 


370 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  ni        EVAJM 


Born  in  Hatb  Uount^-,  Kentucky,  the  third  day  of 
November,  1839,  is  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Old 
River,  Nevada.  Removing  with  his  parents,  in  1856, 
to  Ralls  County,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  assist- 
ing his  father  with  the  labors  of  the  farm  till  1862, 
when,  making  the  acquaintance  of  Dr.  Glenn,  of 
Colusa  County,  California,  he  purchased  a  number 
of  mules,  and  in  companj'  with  him  crossed  the  plains 
into  California  as  far  as  Sacramento,  where  he  re- 
mained three  months,  till  the  fall  of  1863,  at  which 
date  he  came  to  Churchill  County,  Nevada,  at  that 
time  almost  on  the  verge  of  civilization  in  its  out- 
reach from  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  over  and  be- 
yond the  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  Sierra.  His 
youth  and  early  j'cars  of  manhood  having  been 
passed  in  the  honorable  labors  of  the  farm  and  the 
cultivation  of  the  earlh,  he  was  well  able  to  judge  of 
the  adaptabilitj'  of  lands  about  the  ('arson  to  the 
raising  of  grain,  when  properly  prepared.  Engag- 
ing in  farming,  he  was  among  the  first  who  encour- 
aged the  growing  of  grain  at  Stillwater,  and  the 
originator  of  the  plan,  since  so  Buccessfullj-  reduced  ' 
to  practice,  for  irrigating  the  land  by  means  of 
ditches  from  Stillwater  Slough,  lie  remained  at  Old 
River,  farming,  till  18G7,  when,  joining  a  party  of 
Government  surveyors  under  Colonel  Monroe,  he 
accompanied  them  in  the  surv'e}'  of  Arizona,  return- 
ing in  the  fall  of  1860. 

On  his  return  the  people  gave  due  evidence  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  iittogrily   and  ability  by  placing 


him  in  nomination  for  the  office  of  County  Recorder, 
and  full  assurance,  by  electing  him,  in  which  capacity 
he  continued  to  serve  the  people  till  1875,  at  which 
time  he  was  transfen-ed  to  the  office  of  Couiitj'  Clerk, 
the  duties  of  which  office  he  continued  to  discharge 
till  1880.  In  November,  1880,  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent the  people  in  the  Assembly  of  the  State  for 
the  year  1881. 

In  January,  1871,  Mr.  Richards,  ambitious  to  ac- 
quire the  art  of  telegraphy,  commenced,  under  such 
instructions  as  could  then  be  obtained,  to  practice, 
during  all  his  leisure  moments  on  the  instruments 
of  the  Overland  Telegraph  Line,  and  so  perfected 
himself  that  the  company,  in  December,  1874,  ap- 
pointed him  their  operator  and  agent,  and  made  his 
office  a  repair  office,  with  salary,  and  he  now  has 
charge  of  the  line  from  Virginia  City  to  Austin. 

In  1878  he  was  appointed  Po.stmaster  at  Stillwater, 
which  position  he  still  retains. 

.JACKSON  FERGUSON. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Jackson  Ferguson,  was 
born  in  the  county  of  Cuyahoga,  State  of  Ohio,  on 
the  fourth  day  of  September.  1832,  where  he 
remained  till  the  j^ear  1838,  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  in  their  removal  to  Wayne  County, 
Indiana,  where  they  were  engaged  in  farming  till 
1841,  at  which  time  all  removed  to  Van  Buren 
County,  Iowa.  Here  he  remained,  dividing  his  time 
in  labor  on  the  farm  and  attending  school,  till  the 
j'car  1853.  at  which  time,  having  attained  the  estate 
of  manhood,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Peugh,  a  res- 
ident of  that  county.  In  1854,  being  moved  bj'  the 
reports  of  the  golden  wealth  of  (/aliforiiia,  leaving 
family  and  friends,  he  joined  the  throng  crossing  the 
plains  to  the  Golden  State,  came  to  California,  and 
mined  in  Shasta  and  Trinity  Counties  till  1858.  He 
then  returned  to  Iowa,  and  remained  till  18G2,  when, 
accompanied  by  his  family,  ho  again  sought  the 
Pacific  Coast,  crossing  the  plains  during  that  year. 
Locating  in  Sonoma  Count}',  California,  he  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  also  became  largely 
interested  in  real  estate  business.  In  18 —  he  dis- 
posed of  his  ]>roperty  in  Sonoma  Count}',  California, 
and  removed  to  his  present  place  of  residence  at  St. 
Clair,  in  Churchill  County,  Nevada,  and  near  Carson 
Lake.  Here  he  purchased  740  acres  of  land  bor- 
dering on  Carson  River  and  along  the  Belleville 
road.  Of  this,  400  acres  are  fenced,  and  the  larger 
portion  under  cultivation.  In  1878  the  St.  Clair 
Post-office  was  removed  from  St.  Clair  Station  to 
the  ranch  of  Mr.  Ferguson,  and  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster,  which  office  he  now  holds.  He  has  also 
represented  his  count}-  in  the  Assembly  since  1878, 
with  honor  and  fidelity,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
constituents.  Mr.  Ferguson  was  appointed  to  the 
position  of  Superintendent  of  Census  for  the  State 
of  Nevada,  for  the  census  of  1880,  and  entered 
actively  in  the  discharge  of  the  responsible  duties 
of  that  position.     His  son,  J.  F.  Ferguson,  made  the 


HISTORY  OF  CHURCHILL  COUNTY 


371 


enumeration  of  Churchill  County  for  the  census  of 
that  year.  Mr.  Ferguson  is  the  fortunate  father  of 
five  sons  and  one  daufjhter,  which  with  one  daughter 
sleeping  in  the  churchyard,  and  •'  the  gude  wife," 
who  is  still  living,  constitutes  the  family. 

W.    H.    A.    PIKE 

Was  born  in  Cornish,  York  County,  Maine,  on  the 
twenty-fourth  day  of  January.  1854.  His  early  life 
was  passed  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  Henry  B.  Pike, 
who  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  farmers  and  the 
leading  cattle  merchant  of  the  State  of  Maine.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  received  a  liberal  academic 
education,  first  at  the  Cornish  High  School,  Ijimerick 
Academj-,  and  afterward  at  the  Oxford  Normal 
Institute  at  South  Paris,  Maine.  His  aspirations  to 
become  a  lawyer  prompted  him  to  enter  Bowdoin 
College,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  Preshman 
Class  in  1873. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Pike  decided  to  discontinue  his  col- 
legiate course,  and  '-go  West,"  and  we  next  find  him 
settled  in  Churchill  County,  Nevada,  where,  for 
several  years  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school; 
and,  being  one  of  the  few  "born  to  command,"  his 
fitness  for  a  teacher  of  the  young  was  readily  per- 
ceived, and  he  was  admitted  to  bo  one  of  the  most 
successful  instructors  that  ever  presided  over  a 
school  in  the  State  of  Nevada.  At  length  becom- 
ing tired  of  the  confinement  consequent  with  his 
profession,  he  turned  his  attention  in  other  direc- 
tions, and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  In  this, 
as  in  all  other  things  to  which  he  has  given  his 
attention,  he  became  eminently  successful.  In  con- 
nection with  his  profession,  he  has  been  engaged  in 
stock-raising,  and  is  at  the  present  time  one  of  the 
principal  cattle-raisers  in  his  count}'.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1877  to  Miss  Ida  M.  Kenyon,  of  Churchill 
County,  a  lady  of  rare  accomplishments,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  white  children  born  in  Nevada. 

J.  M.  SANFORD. 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch  is  a  native  of 
New  York  State,  where  he  lived  until  1855,  at  which 
time  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  was  engaged  as 
a  tiller  of  the  soil  for  the  succeeding  six  years. 

In  1861  he  crossed  the  plains,  and  arrived  at  Hag- 
town,  Churchill  County,  Nevada,  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  where  he  remained  about  one  j'ear.  He 
then  went  to  Sacramento,  California,  and  after  a  few 
month's  stay  there,  returned  to  Nevada,  and  locating 
again  in  Churchill  County,  engaged  in  the  business 
of  stock-raising  and  ranching.  By  strict  attention 
to  his  business  he  was  soon  on  a  firm  ba.sis  in  that 
line.  Ho  was  elected  one  of  the  C<imniissioners  of 
this  county  in  18G9,  and  one  year  later  removed  to  the 
county  seat,  Stillwater,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
In  1873  ho  was  chosen  to  represent  his  people  in 
the  State  Legislature,  and  was  re-elected  in  1875.  In 
this  honorable  position  he  served  his  constituents  in 
a  satisfactory  manner,  and  won  laurels  in  that  body 
that  will  remain  green  for  years  to  come.      He  has 


also  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Deputy 
Sheriff,  and  to-daj^  stands  firm  in  the  estimation  of 
his  fellow-men. 

In  1870  he  opened  a  hotel,  a  view  of  which  will  bo 
found  on  another  jiago,  and  has  since  catered  to  the 
public  in  a  style  known  onlj'  to  those  who  "know 
how  to  keep  hotel." 

HENRV    TIIEELEN 

Is  a  n;itive  of  (xcrman}',  born  on  the  fourteenth  of 
January,  1832.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  when  he  was  about  twenty-nine  years  of 
age,  settling  in  Illinois,  where  he  remained  em- 
ploj'ed  on  a  farm  until  1860,  when,  with  others, 
he  emigrated  to  California,  settling  at  Red  Bluff. 
Up  to  1873  he  was  empk>ved  in  teaming,  canying  on 
a  successful  business  between  California  and  Nevada, 
and  as  far  as  Idaho,  and  to  quite  a  number  of  other 
points.  In  that  year  he  sold  his  teams  and  purchased 
the  old  St.  Clair  Station  on  Old  Eiver,  Churchill 
County,  Nevada,  where  he  is  still  settled,  and  is  the 
proprietor  of  that  very  convenientlj'  located  station, 
which  he  successfully  manages  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  travelers,  but  more  particularly  for  teamsters 
who  team  between  Candelaria,  Grantsville  and  Wads- 
worth.  Mr.  Theelen  has  800  acres  of  fine  land, 
extending  for  three  miles  along  Old  River,  200  acres 
of  which  are  cultivated  and  inclosed  with  fence. 
With  unfiiiling  success  he  raises  each  year  an 
immense  crop  of  alfalfa,  which  he  sells  to  the  team- 
sters, and  also  feeds  to  some  very  fine  stock  owned 
by  himself.  He  owns  a  toll-bridge  crossing  the 
Old  River,  from  which  he  derives  a  handsome  reve- 
nue. Ho  also  raises  from  500  to  600  bushels  of  grain 
per  ye,ir,  and  his  alfalfa  fields  cover  at  least  160  acres. 
Mr.  Theelen  is  extensively  known,  and  throughout 
his  large  acquaintance  is  ver}^  much  esteemed  and 
respected.  He  is  a  married  man,  having  married  in 
1874,  and  is  the  father  of  two  children:  Kate,  aged 
six  years,  and  Annie,  who  is  four  years  old. 

D.  M.   WIOHTMAN 

Claims  Hancock  Count}-,  Illinois,  as  the  place  of  his 
nativity,  and  wiis  born  on  Maj-  3.  1839.  When  four 
years  of  age  his  parents  died,  leaving  him  to  the  care 
of  his  uncle.  At  seven  years  of  age  he  removed  to 
Jackson  County,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  until 
he  was  seventeen  j-ears  of  age.  In  the  year  1856, 
he  went  to  Utah,  after  stopping  ii  Iowa  a  short 
time.  His  next  removal  was  to  Ophir,  Virginia  City, 
Nevada,  reaching  that  wonderful  mining  district  on 
the  fourth  of  July,  1859 

In  epitomizing  a  hislor}-  of  any  of  the  bravo  moii 
who  turned  their  faces  tow.irds  the  setting  sun,  in 
those  earlier  days  when  hardships  were  as  much  to  bo 
expected  as  wolves  and  Indians,  thej'  who  have  fol- 
lowed after,  when  railroad  travel  and  long  cultiva- 
tion of  lands  have  supersede<l  the  first  named,  and 
bravery  and  numbers  have  bamshed  tho  two  last 
named,  will  find  but  scant  justice  done  to  the  sub- 
jects of  our  sketches.     But  to  many  readers,  memo- 


372 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ries  of  those  earlier  days  -will  be  made  vividly  real 
bj-  what  we  write;  and  to  another  class  of  readers, 
each  advance  made  toward  the  then  outposts  of  civ- 
ili7.:ition  will  need  but  few  words  to  suggest  the  long, 
patient  and  courageous  struggle  of  those  pioneers, 
who  have  but  this  terse  record  to  tell  of  lives  and 
adventures  which  will  soon  sound  as  unreal  as 
stories  of  romance. 

In  the  fall  of  1860,  Mr.  Wightman  settled  on  bis 
present  ranch  on  the  (.'arson  Sink,  where  he  now 
owns  1,200  acres  of  hind,  all  fenced,  10(1  acres  of 
which  are  cultivated  in  grains.  lie  has  a  good 
breed  of  stock,  both  cattle  and  horses,  ranging  over 
his  rich  pastures.  He  cuts  about  400  tons  of  hay 
per  year.  The  old  adobe  house,  as  shown  in  the 
view,  was  occupied  bj-  him  as  a  residence  until  the 
year  1880,  when  he  erected  a  fine  frame  house, 
which  he  now  occupies. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  Jul}-,  1865,  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  J.  Mc(Tee;  seven  children  bless  their  union, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters. 

His  ranch  is  located  on  the  Belleville  road,  thirty- 
five  miles  from  Wadsworth.  In  1870,  he  was  elected 
County  Assessor,  and  discharged  his  duties  so 
acceptabl}-  that  he  was  continued  in  that  office  until 
1876,  a  period  of  six  years.  Since  then,  the  citizens 
of  his  count}-,  appreciating  his  worth,  have  again 
called  him  to  the  responsible  position  of  County 
Commissioner  of  Churchill  County,  the  duties  of 
which  office  he  is  now  discharging  with  like  faithful- 
ness and  ability. 


CHAPTER      XLII. 
HISTORY   OF    DOUGLAS   COUNTY. 

County  Boundaries — Area  of  Agricultural  Lands — Lands  for 
Piistoral  Purposes — Valleys  in  Douglas  County — Farms 
in  Carson  Valley — Adaptability  to  Fruit  Culture — The 
Mines  of  Douglas  County — Tlie  Mammoth  -Mine  and 
Tunnel  —  Genoa  Mining  District  —  Organization  of  the 
County  —  Meeting  of  New  Commissioners  —  Rates  of 
Toll  Kstablished — New  Court  House  Secured — Rate  of 
Taxation  Fixed — Financial  Condition  of  the  County — Ap- 
pointments and  Flections- — Historical  .Sketch  of  (!enoa — The 
First  Traders — The  Pioneer  Hotels— Early  Condition  of 
(Jenoa — (Jcnoa  of  the  Present  Day — Tlie  ('mirt  Ifouse 
Building — The  Present  Population — One  of  the  Usual 
Episodes — Early  .Settlement  of  (Uenbrook — Productiveness 
of  the  Soil — Friday's  .Station  and  the  New  Road — First 
Hotel  at  (Jlenbrook — More  Mills  .it  (ilenbrook — First  Store 
at  Glenbrook — The  village  of  (Ilenbrook — The  Shakspeari.in 
Rock — A  Must  Deplorable  Affair — Rafting  Logs  Across 
Lake  Tahoe — The  Village  of  Sheridan — Medicinal  .Springs 
of  the  County — Biographical  Sketches. 

Douoi.AS  is  one  of  the  nine  counties  created  bj-  the 
Territorial  Legislature  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  No- 
vember, 1861,  when  Nevada  was  first  subdivided  by 
that  body  into  minor  divisions.  Originall}'  it  com- 
prised a  portion  of  Millard  County,  Utah,  and  later, 
of  Carson  County.  The  Act  of  the  Legislative  As- 
sembly at  that  time  established  the  county  bounda- 
ries as  follows: — 

Ik-ginning  at  Mftson's  Ranch,  on  Walker  River, 
and  running  westerly, in  a  straight  line,  to  the  mouth 
of  Clear   Creek;  thence   along   the  middle   of  said 


creek  to  its  source;  thence  due  west  to  the  California 
line;  thence  south  and  southeasterly  along  said  line 
to  the  western  boundarj-  of  Esmeralda  County; 
thence  northerly  along  said  boundary  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

The  western  limits  embrace  the  eastern  summit  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  include  no  inconsiderable 
part  of  Lake  Tahoe,  giving  it  such  advantages  of 
timber  and  transportation  as  to  make  it  the  princi- 
pal lumber  producing  countj-  of  the  State.  The 
timber  and  wood  lands  of  Douglas  County  are  about 
50,000  acres  in  extent,  and  although  to  a  great  de- 
gree exhausted  by  the  immense  drain  upon  them  in 
the  past  fifteen  years,  are  yet  capable  of  supplying 
largo  quantities  of  lumber  and  wood. 

AUE.\   OF   AORICULTtIR.\L    LANDS. 

In  1868,  the  County  Assessor,  S.  C.  Chase,  esti- 
mated the  agricultural  lands  of  Douglas  to  be  50,000 
acres — 45,000  of  which  would  require  irrigation  to 
be  made  productive;  that  but  one  inch  of  water  per 
acre  would  be  required  for  that  purpose,  and  that 
the  cost  per  acre  for  irrigation  would  be  three  dol- 
lars. The  lands  thus  rated  and  treated,  it  was  con- 
ceded would  be  exceedingly  productive  in  character 
— raising  wheat,  barle)',  oats,  corn,  buckwheat,  and 
peas,  besides  j-ieldi  ng  large  crops  of  potatoes  of  superior 
quality,  as  well  as  other  root  crops,  with  unfailing 
certainty,  thus  proving  its  capabilitj'  to  not  only 
sustain  a  large  population,  but  furnish  a  considerable 
surplus  for  export.  Swamp  and  overflowed  land  was 
estimated  at  2,000  acres,  all  of  which  could  be  re- 
claimed at  a  cost  of  ten  dollars  per  acre. 

LANDS    FOR   PASTORAL    PURPOSES. 

The  same  authority  places  the  pasture  lands  at 
200,(100,  and  the  desert  lands  at  100,00(1  acres.  Since 
then — 1868 — no  doubt  the  area  upon  which  stock 
and  dairy  cattle  can  be  profitably  ke)U  has  been 
somewhat  enlarged  by  the  destruction  of  the  forests, 
and  consequent  growth  of  shrubbery  and  bunch 
grass,  upon  which  animals  thrive,  on  the  land  for- 
merly occupied  by  large  pine  and  other  trees.  Besides 
it  is  safe  to  assert,  that  the  so-called  -'desert"  lands 
are  covered  to  a  great  extent  with  the  white  sage — 
a  shrub  upon  which  cattle  thrive  in  winter. 

The  climate,  water,  and  nutritious  herbage  of 
Houglas  are  unexcelled  for  dair3-ing  purposes;  and 
there  are  many  reasons  whj'  the  products  of  this 
branch  of  industry'  should  be  greater  in  the  future 
than  they  have  been  in  the  past.  The  butter  pro- 
duct of  Douglas  County  for  1880  is  given  at  40.000 
pounds — an  increase  in  five  years  of  .S6,000  pounds, 
which  is  an  indication  that  it  may  be  greater  in  the 
near  future.  The  manufacture  of  cheese,  as  yet, 
seems  not  to  have  been  undertaken, 

VALLEYS    IN    DOKdl.AS    COUNTY. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  ai-able  land  of  Douglas 
County  lies  in  Carson,  Long,  and  Jack's  Valleys. 
The  first  named  is  the  largest,  and  its  southern 
extremity  lies  within  the  limits  of  the  State  of  Cali- 


m-.,. 


■f^vvCrHITc  -  , 


'"■^J?r. 


V- 


§ 


«Sliiii:> 


.''  V 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


373 


fornia.  The  remainder,  what  is  known  as  Carson 
Valley  proper,  is  wholly  within  Doui^las  County. 
The  valley  receives  its  name  from  the  Carson  River, 
which  has  its  source  in  tho  hiij;h  Sierra,  entering  the 
plain  from  the  south,  and  wends  its  serpentine  way 
northeasterly  throughout  its  entire  length.  This 
valley,  or  more  properly,  large  inland  plateau,  has  a 
mean  elevation  of  about  4,500  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  is  about  thirty  miles  long,  and  eighteen 
wide;  the  lofty  peaks- of  the  snow-clad  .Sierra  send- 
ing down  their  tentacle  like,  pine-enveloped  ridges 
to  skirt  its  western  and  southern  border;  while  a 
lesser  range — tho  Pine  Xut  Mountains^dwarfed  by 
comparison  with  its  loftier  neighbor  on  tho  west, 
sage-brush  mantled,  and  now  only  with  an  occasional 
stunted  pinon  upon  its  crests,  forms  the  eastern  side. 
Carson  Vallej-  embraces  about  80,000  acres,  one- 
tenth,  or  8,000  acres,  of  which  lies  within  the  limits 
of  California. 

FARMS    IN    C.\RS0N    VALLEY. 

There  are  about  30,000  acres  of  land  in  Carson 
Valley  inclosed  by  fence,  and  there  are  a  number  of 
good  farms.  Prominent  among  these  is  that  of 
'Fred.  Dangbcrg.  five  miles  east  of  Genoa,  who  has 
4,648  acres,  all  fenced.  He  has  forty  miles  of  irrigat- 
ing ditches,  leading  water  from  the  Carson  River  to 
this  immense  farm.  In  1879  he  had  one  field  of 
reclaimed  sage-brush  land  of  GOO  acres  all  sown  to 
barlej'.  About  1,500  acres  are  used  expressly  for 
grazing,  and  sustains  nearly  1,000  head  of  stock. 
The  crop  of  1879  was  GOO  tons  of  barley  and  oats, 
and  1,600  tons  of  hay.  3Ir.  Dangberg  is  an  eld  resi- 
dent, having  settled  in  Nevada  in  1853.  Value 
of  tho  property,  860,000. 

A.  Klauber,  one  of  the  early  merchants  of  Genoa, 
and  now  of  San  Diego,  California,  owns  a  ranch 
of  1,83(1  acres,  adjoining  Mr.  Dangberg  on  the  north. 
Value.  830,000. 

F.  A.  A.  Frevort  has  a  farm  of  830  acres,  inclosed, 
south  of  Mr.  Dangberg's  ranch.     Value,  818,000. 

Heiijamin  Karmer  cultivates  800  acres,  seven  miles 
south  of  Genoa,  in  the  vicinity  of  Sheridan.  Value, 
815,000. 

Henry  Vansickle's  farm  comprises  1,800  acres,  two 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Genoa.     Value,  825,000. 

William  H.  Boyd  has  a  farm  of  1,050  acres  on  Car- 
son River,  one  mile  below  Genoa.     Value,  818,000. 

P.  W.  Vansickle  owns  what  is  known  as  the  old 
Haines  Kanch,  of  620  acres,  three  miles  below  Genoa. 
Value.  812,000. 

The  HI  Dorado  Wood  and  Flume  Company  have 
440  acres,  with  grist-mill.     Value,  815,000. 

Lawrence  Fray's  farm,  on  the  east  side  of  Genoa, 
comprises  240  acres,  and  valued  at  810,000. 

J.  W.  Haines  owns  320  acres  in  the  northern  part 
of  Genoa,  upon  which  he  has  a  fine  dwelling,  the 
whole  valued  at  812.000. 

One  of  the  finest  ranches  in  the  valley  is  that  of 
Herman  Springmeyer,  of  480  acres  of  superior  land, 
lying  five  miles  east  of  Genoa.     Value,  812,000. 
47 


Joseph  Jones  has  790  acres  of  magnificent  land, 
with  tine  buildings,  IjMng  north  of  Genoa.  Value, 
820,000. 

John  Child's  ranch,  adjoining  the  Jones'  property 
on  the  north,  of  640  acres,  with  its  neat  house  and 
large  barn,  is  valued  at  820,000. 

Ex-Sheriff  H.  C.  Crippen,  at  the  Twelve-mile 
House,  twelve  miles  from  Genoa,  owns  240  acres, 
valued  at  88,000. 

Chris.  Dangberg's  farm,  which  adjoins  Crippen's 
place  on  the  northwest,  embraces  960  acres,  and  is 
valued  at  88,000. 

J.  P.  Pettigrew  has  a  ranch  of  440  acres,  north  of 
and  adjoining  Chris.  Dangberg's  land,  which  has  all 
been  reclaimed  from  sage-brush.     Value,  88,000. 

Adjoining  and  west  of  the  Pettigrew  ranch,  L.  S. 
Ezell  has  240  acres,  valued  at  85,000. 

On  the  west  fork  of  the  Carson  River,  eleven 
miles  from  Genoa,  immediately  at  the  base  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  Bartley  Cary  has  a  farm  of 
150  acres,  valued  at  810,000. 

William  H.  H.  Cary's  ranch  of  170  acres,  lying 
south  of  Bartley  Cary's,  is  valued  at  88,000. 

Two  miles  north  of  Sheridan,  on  the  main  road, 
David  Parke  has  280  acres,  valued  at  810,000. 

Hugh  Parke  has  280  acres  south  of  the  last-men- 
tioned place,  valued  at  88,000. 

Fred.  Dressier  has  560  acres  near  Sheridan,  valued 
at  815,000. 

Six  miles  east  of  Genoa  is  Desert  Station,  a  hotel 
and  stopping-place  for  freight  teams  and  travelers. 
The  land  has  been  reclaimed  from  sage-brush.  There 
is  a  good  house  here,  a  blacksmith  shop,  barns,  and 
two  wells  where  water  is  raised  by  windmills  for  irri- 
gation, etc. 

On  the  west  fork  of  the  Carson,  one  and  one-half  miles 
east  of  Sheridan,  A.  R.  Brockliss  has  840  acres, 
valued  at  816,000. 

A.  M.  Taylor  owns  517  acres  one  and  one-half 
miles  north  of  Sheridan,  valued  at  87,000. 

Near  tho  California  lino,  in  the  upper  end  of  the 
valley,  four  miles  southeast  of  Sheridan,  John  Bald- 
win has  a  farm  of  440  acres,  valued  at  88,000. 

Anthony  McGuin  owns  580  acres  two  and  one-half 
miles  southeast  of  Sheridan,  valued  at  812,000. 

J.  Q.  Adams  has  a  farm  three  miles  north  of  Genoa, 
of  820  acres,  whi?h  is  valued  at  812,000. 

Hanson  Berry's  farm  of  360  acres,  situated  three 
miles  east  of  Sheridan,  is  valued  at  810,000. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  ranches  in  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  valley,  among  which  maj-  be  men- 
tioned those  of  William  Cradlebaugh,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Claj'ton,  J.  W.  Averill,  Kichard  Kirman,  John  Rosser, 
Ro.'fser  &  Wolfe,  and  Dangberg  &  Schultz,  all  under 
various  stages  of  cultivation.  But  enough  have  been 
enumerated  to  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  capabilities  of 
this  beautiful  valley.  Stock-raising  is  a  ])roniinent 
feature  among  the  industries  of  the  valley,  and  there 
are  not  less  than  10,000  head  of  stock  of  various 
kinds  scattered  among  the  difl'erent  ranches. 


374 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Wherever  irrij^alion  is  feasible,  ditches  have  been 
diiij  and  the  sa><e-brusli  grabbed  out;  such  land  has 
proven  among  the  best.  Fully  one-half  the  acreage 
now  tilled  was  at  one  time  covered  with  s;lge-bru^h 
and  classed  as  desert  land.  Alumt  200  miles  of 
irrigating  ditches  now  ramify  the  valley,  which  afford 
an  aggregate  of  about  500  inches  of  water.  A  fair 
average  yield  of  this  class  oi'  land,  well  tilled,  is  about 
as  follows  per  acre:  O.its  and  barley,  twenlj*  bu-hels 
e:ieh;  potatoes,  250  bu-heis;  timothy  and  ciover  hay, 
mixed  crop,  one  and  oiie-h:ilf  to  two  tons;  alfalfa 
produces  two  crops  year)}-,  and  yields  about  three 
tons  per  acre. 

This  valley,  and  the  river  which  runs  entirely 
through  it,  received  their  name  from  Fremont,  in 
honor  of  the  famous  mountaineer  who  first  entered 
it  when  it  was  a  portion  of  the  tei'ritory  of  the 
Eepublic  of  Mexico.  The  Territorial  Unterpriae, 
when  fir-t  issued  at  Genoa,  in  speaking  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  valley  by  the  white  men,  and  the 
manner  of  its  christening,  thus  romantically  saj-s:^ 

Years  ago,  Kit  Carson,  after  a  toilsome  and  peril- 
ous mireh  over  mountains,  plains  and  desert  wastes, 
looked  out  from  the  crest  of  a  snow-encumbered 
mountain  upon  the  beautiful  valley  that  now  bears 
his  name.  The  last  i'a3's  of  the  setting  sun  glanced 
in  (luivei-ing  aiTows  of  light  over  the  waters  of  the 
be:iulilul  river  which  winds  its  way  through  the 
valley;  th«  snov.  y  peaks  of  tlie  Sierra  Nevada  loom- 
ing up  against  the  ))iirplo  and  trolden  heavens;  the 
steep  mountain  siiles;  the  tall  ti'^'cs  and  the  foam- 
ImlT  vv, iters,  all  clothed  in  a  sutfuiion  of  glorious  sun- 
liirht.  Were  well  calculated  lo  arouse  the  admiration 
of  the  ])ioneer,  and  (o  form  his  conclusion  that  of 
all  the  beautiful  valleys  lie  had  triver-'ed  in  exi)lor- 
inic  the  vast  wild^rne-H  of  the  West,  none  were  more 
fit  to  bear  hi.s  name  than  this. 

Many  of  the  most  important  events  occurred,  and 
some  of  the  most  ihiilling  scenes  in  the  early  hislorj' 
of  Neva  la  were  enacted  in  this  valley;  but  as  all 
Iiistorical  matters  that  are  worthj-  of  record  occur- 
ring prior  to  tlu!  t  weiity-fil'lh  of  November,  ISlil.  will 
be  found  related  in  the  gi'neral  history  of  the  .State, 
they  are  jiurposely  omitted  hero. 

Long  Valley  lies  between  the  east  and  west  forks 
of  Carbon  River,  and  is,  as  its  name  indicates,  a  long, 
narrow  depression  extendiiii:  into  California.  Being 
traversed  by  a  limpid  mountain  stream  its  entire 
leni;th.  an  abundant  water  sup])ly  can  be  had  for 
irriifalion  when  required.  It  has  a  dark,  rich,  |)rn- 
ductive  soil,  and  is  well  adapted  for  dairying.  An 
abundance  of  timber  is  close  at  hand  upon  the 
adjacent  hills. 

Jack's  Vam.ey  is  a  small  oasis  lying  at  the  east- 
ern base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Jlountaiiis,  bordering 
Clear  Creek,  and  extentling  several  miles  southerlj' 
from  that  stream.  From  its  elevated  ])osition  it 
overlooks  the  Carson  River,  an<l  like  all  other  well 
watered  spots  of  the  re- ion  in  which  it  is  bitualed, 
highly  productlvo. 


ADAPTABIHTV   TO    FRUIT   CULTURE. 

Like  most  portions  of  Nevada,  Douglas  County 
cannot  pride  itself  upon  a  prolific  fruit  crop. 
Although  there  were,  in  1880,  3,278  apple  trees,  G70 
peach,  433  pear,  G70  plum,  469  cherry  and  125 
nectarine  trees,  but  little  of  those  kinds  of  fruit 
matured.  Late  frosts,  in  summer,  succeeding  the 
warm  weather  of  spring  are  the  banc  of  the  horti- 
culturists here.  Toward  the  last  of  April  or  early 
in  3Iay  of  each  year  it  scenis  to  be  the  rule  of  this 
elevated  region  for  the  foutheast  wind  to  prevail  for 
several  days,  and  it  is  none  the  less  a  rule  that  this 
wind  is  the  forerunner  of  severe  frosts.  As  the  fruit 
trees  have  generally,  ere  this  time,  put  out  their 
blossoms,  these  frosts  destroy  the  embryo  fruit. 
Should  anj'  escape,  still  later  in  the  season,  the 
month  of  June,  again  come  the  winds  and  frosts 
and  cut  down  all  fruits  that  were  fortunate  enough 
to  escape  the  previous  onslaught.  Gooseberries, 
raf^pberries,  strawberries  and  currants  are  more 
reliable,  and  mature  in  considerable  quantities. 

THE    .MINES   OF   DOUGLAS   COUNTY. 

No  paying  mines  have  yet  been  developed  iir 
Douglas  County,  notwithstanding  the  ouilaj-  of 
money  has  been  great  and  the  effort  j'ersistent  in 
e.vploilation.  In  1SG8,  S.  C.  Chase,  County  Assessor, 
reports  "  no  minertil  land  in  the  c<)utit\-,''  to  the  Sur- 
veyor General.  But  in  the  tabulated  statement, 
which  will  be  found  on  another  ]>age  of  this  vol- 
ume, will  be  found  under  the  head  of  "Mining 
Industries,"  an  estimate  in  1880  of  24,000  acres  of 
mineral  lands  and  one  quartz  mill  in  the  county. 
At  various  ])eriods  there  have  been  created  within  the 
limits  of  the  county  a  number  of  mining  districts; 
and  even  anterior  to  the  discovery  of  silver  there 
had  been  some  little  placer  mining  for  gold  at- 
temjited  witli  sluices  upon  the  east  fork  of  Car- 
son River,  below  and  near  the  place  known  as 
Horseshoe  Bend,  toward  llu^  upper  end  of  the  val- 
ley. And  later,  from  a  ))aper  i)rinted  August  13, 
1859,  we  have    the  following: — 

We  learn  that  John  Trumbo,  of  (ienoa,  Carson 
Vallej',  has  recently  had  men  out  pro<|)ecling 
through  the  countrj'  east  of  Genoa.  These  men 
found  dirt  on  the  east  side  of  Carson  Kiver.  and  in 
sight  of  town,  which  prospects  from  ten  to  thirty 
cents  to  the  jian. 

Across  the  valley,  about  eighteen  miles  southeast 
of  Genoa,  in  the  lower  hills  of  the  Pine  Nut  iMount- 
ains,  in  the  fall  of  1859,  there  were  found  such  min- 
eral "indications"  as  to  create  consiiierable  excite- 
ment among  the  residents,  and  man}'  claims  were 
located.  The  following  year,  however,  more  encour- 
aging "  prospects"  were  obtained  higher  up  in  the 
same  range,  at  a  short  distance  north  of  the  road 
leading  into  the  Walker  River  and  Mono  Lake 
regions,  which  caused  an  abandonment  of  the  first- 
named  discoveries,  and  the  immediate  formation  of 
Eagle  Mining  District. 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


S7S 


Silver  Lake  District  was  another  miniiij;;  locality 
in  the  Pino  Nut  ranire,  the  principal  mine  of  which  j 
was  the  Winters,  and  owned  mainly  by  John  B. 
Winters.  Ore  of  the  value  of  ?S  0(10  was  ship]ied 
from  this  mine  and  sold  at  a  net  profit  of  82,926. 
This  mine  is  now  owned  b}-  Harry  Clauson,  of  Heno. 
A  number  ol'  other  districts  were  formed  in  the 
county  abi>ut  the  same  time,  all  of  which  have  had 
their  brief  hour  and  are  now  forgotten. 

THE    MAMMOTH    MINE   AND   TUNNEL. 

The  Mammoth  mine  is  situated  in  Kaiflo  District, 
and  is  aliout  ihe  on'}'  one  in  the  county  upon  which 
operations  h.ive  not  been  wholly  suspended.  There 
is  a  tunnel  in  progress  to  sti'ike  the  ledj^o,  now  in 
nearly  1.000  feet,  and  as  large  assays  have  been  had 
of  the  ore,  great  expectations  are  indulged  b}-  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  enterprise,  when  the  ledge 
is  once  re.icb' d  by  the  tunnel.  The  expenditure 
upon  this  work  has  been  upward  of  $100,000. 

Genoa  Mininc.  District  is  adjacent  to  (he  town  of 
Gtnoa,  one  niiU-  north,  and  wa-i  created  in  186f),  at 
whi  ;h  time  i;olil-lie:iring  quirtz  was  found,  a  code  of 
laws  adopted,  man}-  large  claitus  located  for  tunnel 
pur])oses.  manj-  tunnels  begun,  and  a  gre:it  deal  oF 
labor  and  money  expended  witk  barren  results.  Of 
course,  nearly  all  locations  must  be  under  the  man- 
agement of  an  incorporated  company,  and  so  it  was. 
rrinci]i:il  among  these  corporations  was  the  Sierra 
Silver  Milling.  Saw  and  Quartz  Mill  Com]iapy,  which 
dill  more  toward  tl)e  dcvelojimcnt  of  a  mining  prop- 
erty ihan  ai'3'  other  conijiany.  A  tunnel  was  run 
1  800  feet  in  length,  and  the  ledge  not  reached.  Five 
yrars  of  labor,  and  a  cash  expenditure  of  §125,000, 
fiiKilly  convinced  the  stockholdirs  that  the  mining 
jiroperty  thej-  had  located  was  of  no  value.  The 
expenditure  of  this  and  smaller  hums  of  money  by 
other  com|);mies  for  a  time  had  a  tendency  toe.iliven 
business  at  Genoa,  as  well  as  to  create  false  ho|ics 
and  expectations  of  future  commircia!  greatness; 
but  with  a  cessation  of  work  came  the  inevitable 
reaction,  and  a  dull  season  prevailed,  until,  at  length, 
the  jiroper  level  was  reached,  and  business  matters 
began  to  run  smooildy  in  the  legitimate  channel 
where  it  has  ever  since  remained. 

ORQANIZATION    OF   THE    COUNTV. 

At  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  Act  fixing  the 
boundaries  of  Douglas  County,  the  inhabitants, 
according  to  the  census  returns  taken  in  July  of 
that  year,  numbered  },07u,  not  including  those 
residing  in  Jack's  Valley.  In  December,  Goveriior 
Nye  appointed  the  following  gentlemen  to  office, 
whose  dill}-  it  was  to  or;ranize  the  county: — 

S.  A.  Kinsey,  Uiram  Molt,  and  Henry  Vansicklo, 
Commissioners;  Joel  A.  Harvey,  County  Clerk; 
Robert  F.  Hart,  County  Surveyor;  William  Wallace, 
Sheriff;  Chauncej-  N.  Noteware,  J'robate  Judge;  B. 
Rush  Horton,  Recorder;  and  John  Tingman,  Treas- 
urer. 

The  Commissioners  held  their  first  meeting  at  the 


oflfico  of  J.  C.  Dean,  in  Genoa,  oii  the  twenty-eighth 
of  December,  1861,  divided  the  county  into  six 
precincts,  and  a])])ointed  Judges  of  the  election  to 
be  held  on  the  coming  fourteenth  of  January,  1862, 
as  follows: — 

For  the  Clear  Creek  Precinct,  which  extended 
from  the  stream  of  that  name  south  to  the  north 
lino  of  Judge  J.  S.  Child's  ranch:  J.  1)  irsey,  Wm. 
Cradleliaugh,  and  B.  Webster;  the  polls  to  bo  at 
J.  Mc.Marlin's  house. 

For  the  Genoa  Precinct,  extending  south  from 
Child's  ranch  to  .M'iit>ville,  including  the  Kings- 
bury- Grade,  as  far  as  the  first  summit:  R.  N  Alkn, 
C.  Tuille,  and  K.  Mallorj-;  the  polls  to  be  held  at 
the  office  of  J.  C.  Dean,  in  (Jenoa. 

Lake  Yalley  Pi-eciiict  exlemied  from  the  fir-t  sum- 
mit to  the  California  line,  and  J.  Small,  M.  L.  Mc- 
Donald, and  Juffri'3's  wi're  appointed  Judges; 

the  polls  to  be  held  at  Fridays. 

The  Motlsville  Prerinct  extended  from  Jlott's 
place  south  to  the  line  of  C.ilifoniia.  The  east  fork 
of  Carson  River  was  the  east  line  of  the  precinct, 
and  Israel  Alott,  J.  Kirk,  and  E.  R.  Cary  were 
appointed  Judges;  the  polls  to  be  at  the  res  denco 
of  Luther  Olds. 

Mamrnoth  Precinct  included  the  country  between 
Teasdale  bridge  on  the  E  ist  Carson  and  the  south 
line  of  the  county,  taking  in  the  E;igle  Mining  Dis- 
trict and  Double  Springs.  Judgesof  E  cclio  i:  D.  D. 
Olds  and  J.  Rjdenbaugh,  with  polls  at  the  Welch 
.Station. 

Walker  River  Prec'nct  included  that  section  of 
the  cou  iir}-  l3'ing  east  an  I  so  ith  of  DouUle  Spri  nirs; 

S.  T.  Ris-ue  an  i Himiltou  being  the  Judges; 

the  ])olii  being  located  at  the  F.iirc  lild  Stition. 

MEETINO    OF    NEW    COMMISSIONEIIS. 

On  the  twenty-ninth  of  January,  1862,  fifteen  jjaj's 
after  the  election,  the  County  Commissioners  newly 
elected  held  a  meeting  for  the  ])iirpo80  of  transact- 
ing county  business,  and  finding  that  the  old  Carson 
County  Court  House  was  not  in  condition  to  warrant 
fitting  up  for  a  continuation  in  its  old  line  of  service, 
they  decided  to  pay  J.  S.  Child  thirty  dollars  for  one 
month's  rent  fur  a  building  for  that  purpose.  They 
also  decided  to  rent  "  the  cell  "  in  the  old  Reese  mill 
an  1  fit  it  up  for  a  jail.  Having  thus  provided  a  ren- 
dezvous for  lliemsolves  and  a  place  of  safetj-  for  the 
criminals,  they  proceeded  to  divide  the  county  into 
Road  Districts  and  appoint  Siijiervisors  for  such  of 
them  as  had  a  road  within  their  limits.  The  follow- 
ing gentlemen  were  selected:  Wm.  Hamilton  for 
Genoa  District,  Benjamin  M.  Webster  for  Clear  Creek 
District,  and  1).  H.  Barber  for  Mottsville  District. 
At  the  same  time  these  Road  Siijiervisors  were 
authorized  by  the  County  Commissioners  to  pay  men 
four  dollars  per  day  to  work  on  the  road. 

RATES    OF    TOLL   ESTABLISHED. 

Toll-roads,  bridges  and  ferries  were  a  marked  feat- 
ure in  the  business  carried  on  in  the  county  in  tliose 
days,  and  as  early  as  February  13,  1862,  the  Com- 


376 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


missioners  commenced  to  deal  with  them  as  taxable 
property,  and  to  control  their  rates.  Toll-bridge 
licenses  were  established  at  fifteen  dollars  per  quar- 
ter, and  the  owners  were  authorized  to  collect  from 
the  traveling  public  as  follows: — 

For  man  and  horse 25  cts. 

For  wagon  and  two  horses 50    " 

For  each  additional  span 25    " 

For  pack  animal 10    " 

For  loose  stock 05    " 

Ferries  were  more  numerous  than  toll-bridges,  and 
their  licenses  were  generally,  S7.50  per  month,  and 
their  authorized  charges  for  ferrying  were: — 

For  loaded  wagon  with  four  or  six  animals S2  00 

For  unloaded  "         "         ■■     "     «         «     i  50 

For  loaded  wagon  with  two  animals 1  50 

For  wagon  without  a  load 1  00 

For  each  additional  team 50 

For  man  and  horse 50 

For  footman  and  pack  animal 25 

Toll-roads  were  charged  different  prices  for  a 
license,  according  to  the  length  and  importance,  or 
cost  of  grades.  For  instance,  the  Eissue  IJoad  paid 
$15  per  quarter,  and  the  one  from  Double  Springs 
which  run  to  connect  with  the  Kingsbury  Koad,  was 
charged  §17.50  for  the  same  time.  The  rates  they 
were  permitted  to  charge  also  varied,  upon  the  same 
principle  that  controlled  the  license,  but  were  about 
the  same  as  bridges  and  ferries. 

NEW    COURT    HOUSE   SECtmED. 

In  February  a  committee  reported  to  the  Board 
that  the  Catholic  Church  could  be  procured  for 
Court  House  purposes;  that  it  could  be  made  suita- 
ble for  seventy-five  dollars,  and  their  report  was 
accepted. 

RATE    OF    TAXATION    FIXED. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  the  same  month  the  first 
rate  of  taxation  for  the  county  was  levied  of  SI. 57 J 
on  the  SlOO  for  the  following  several  purposes: — 

For  county  purposes 60 

For  Territorial  purposes 40 

For  school 07i 

For  county  buildings 40 

For  Federal  purposes 10 

Total $1.57J 

On  the  following  seventh  of  May  so  much  of  the 
resolution  as  had  authorized  a  tax  for  the  last  three 
purposes  above  given  was  rescinded,  which  left  the 
first  tax  collected  in  Douglas  County  at  one  percent. 

FINANCIAL   CONDITION    OP   THE  COUNTY. 

The  financial  condition  of  Douglas  County  in 
1880  is  as  follows:  Value  of  real  estate,  8548,544; 
value  of  personal  property,  825(5,247.00,  Total  value 
of  taxable  property,  8804,791. (iO.  The  total  debt 
was  81,559.29;  cash  on  hand,  87,788.14;  county  and 
State  tax,  820,119.79;  county  tax,  815,093.  The 
population  was  1,518;  registered  voters,  570. 

For  particulars  in  reference  to  the  products  of  the 
county  from   1865  to  1880,  inclusive,  the  number  of 


acres  under  cultivation,  the  stock,  grain  and  hay 
raised,  the  fruit  trees  and  vines  growing,  and  the 
amount  of  land  irrigated,  the  reader  will  turn  to 
pages  135,  13(i,  139  and  140  of  the  general  history. 

APPOINT.MENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

In  accordance  with  the  Territorial  law,  the  Gov- 
ernor appointed  the  first  county  oflScers,  whose  names 
have  alreadj-  been  given,  together  with  an  account 
of  the  action  of  the  commissioners  in  organizing  the 
county.  In  January,  1862,  a  special  election  was 
held,  when  a  second  set  of  officers  was  chosen;  and 
again  in  September  of  1862,  at  the  general  election, 
a  third  set  of  officers  was  selected,  making  three 
sets  of  officers  in  control  of  Douglas  County  in  one 
year. 

Following  will  be  found  the  names  of  all  the  per- 
sons who  have  filled  the  dift'orent  offices  of  honor 
and  trust  in  the  county  subsequent  to  those  first  ap- 
pointed down  to  the  present  time,  whether  by  elec- 
tion or  otherwise,  with  the  date  of  election  and  the 
particular  office  each  has  filled.  The  Constitution 
submitted  to  the  vote  of  the  people  January  19,  1864, 
was  defeated;  consequently  the  officers  elected  to 
fill  positions  under  that  Constitution  were  with- 
out occupation.  Se])tember  7,  1864,  the  New  Con- 
stitution was  adopted,  and  persons  chosen  at  that 
election  took  possession  of  the  various  offices  to 
which  thej'  were  elected. 

SENATORS. 

P.  Chamberlin,  elected  September  2, 1863;  William 
Carj-,  elected  Januarj-  19,  1864;  J.  W.  Ilaincs,  elected 
November  8,  1864,  re-elected  November  6,  1866; 
Isaac  W.  Small,  elected  November  8,  1870;  S.  B. 
Rickey,  elected  November  3,  1874;  J.  W.  Haines, 
elected  November  5,  1878. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

Charles  M.  Tuttle  and  Robert  Fisher  were  elected 
September  3,  1862;  J.  C.  Dean  and  Robert  Fisher, 
elected  September  2,  1863;  P.  Chamberlin  and  llonrj- 
Epstein  were  elected  Januarj-  19,  1864;  Robert  Fisher 
and  J.  T.  Ilawley,  elected  September  7,  1864;  I.  \V. 
Small  and  H.  Epstien  were  elected  November  8,  1864; 
M.  M.  Gaige  and  Robert  Fisher  were  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1865;  W.  M.  Caiy  and  E.  Mallerj-  were  elected 
November  6,  1866;  J.  S.  Child  and  K.  F.  Dangberg 
were  elected  November  8,  1S7U;  Thomas  B.  Rickey 
and  11.  F.  Dangberg,  elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  R. 
Johnson  and  H.  Vansickle,  elected  November  3, 1874; 
Benjamin  Edson  and  P.  F.  Powers,  elected  November 
7,  1876;  Thomas  Irvine  and  11.  Vansickle,  elected 
November  5, 1878;  Thomas  Irvine  and  John  A.  John- 
son, elected  November  2,  1880. 

COnNTY    COMMISSIONERS. 

p.  C.  Chamberlin,  E.  P.  Welch,  and  Boland  Aber- 
nathy  were  elected  January  14,  1862.  George 
Thomas  appointed  in  place  of  Abernathy,  February 
4,  1862.  J.  W.  Small,  B,  M,  Webster,  and  P.  Cham- 
berlin were   elected  September   3,  1862;  David  Olds 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


377 


elected  September  2,  1863.  Small  resij^ned,  A.  U. 
Prey  was  appointed  November  29,  18G3.  E.  Mallory. 
elected  September  7,  1864;  A.  M.  Taylor  elected  No- 
vember 7,  1864;  P.  Lif,'htlo.  J.  S.  Child,  and  D.  K. 
Winters  were  elected  November  6,  186G;  Henry  Yan- 
sickle,  J.  W.  Duncan,  and  I).  K.  Winters  were 
elected  November  3,  1868.  Winters  resigned  Sep- 
tember 20,  1869.  Henry  Vaiisickle,  Fred.  Frevert 
and  J.  K.  Winters  were  elected  November  8,  1870; 
A.  M.  Taylor  and  A.  B.  Boles  were  elected  November 
5,  1872;  A.  B.  Boles  and  F.  Frevert  were  elected 
November  3,  1874;  L.  S.  Ezelland  A.  M.  Taylor  were 
elected  November  7, 1876;  David  B.  Park  and  W.  H. 
H.  Gary  were  elected  November  5,  1878;  Herman 
Sprinjimeyer  and  W .  II.  II.  Gary  were  elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

John  S.  Ghild  was  Probate  Judge,  residing  and 
holding  office  in  Genoa  under  the  laws  of  Utah. 
Ghauncey  N.  Noteware  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Nye,  December  14,  1861,  and  continued  in  office. 

DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS. 

D.  W.  Virgin,  elected  Soi)teraber  2,  1863,  resigned 
and  A.  T.  Ilawley  was  appointed  December  5,  1864, 
who  resigned,  and  H.  Doyle  was  appointed  October 
1,  1866,  and  elected  November  6,  1866;  Moses  Tebbs, 
was  elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected  November 
8,  1870;  George  P.  Harding,  elected  November  5, 
1872;  D.  W.  Virgin,  elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  G. 
Pratt,  elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 5, 187s  ;Jno.  H.  Gradlebaugh  was  elected  Novem- 
ber 2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

Geo.  W.  Brubakcr,  elected  January  14,  1862,  re- 
elected .September  3,  1862;  Jacob  Moore,  elected 
September  7.  1864;  H.  P.  Burnham,  elected  Novem- 
ber 6,  1866  ;  R.  W.  Bollen,  elected  November  3, 
1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870  ;  P.  H.  Roan, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874;  H.  P.  Burnham,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
H.  G.  Grippin,  elected  November  5,  1878.  J.  F. 
Williams,  appointed  in  place  of  Grippin,  deceased; 
Williams,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

Joel  A.  Harvey  waselected  January  14,  1862,  and 
re-elected  September  3,  1862,  re-elected  again  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864;  S.  A.  Kinsey,  elected  November  6, 
1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868;  Fred.  Furth, 
elected  Novembers,  1870;  W.  Swart,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872,  and  re-elected  November  3,  1S74,  re- 
elected again  November  7,  1876;  P.  P.  Wagstein, 
elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

Henry  Vansickle,  elected  January  14,  1862 ; 
George  H.  Wilson,  elected  September  3,  1862,  re- 
elected SejUember  7, 1864;  Henry  Vansickle,  elected 
November  6,  1866 ;  J.  R.  Johnson,  elected  No- 
vember 3,   1868  ;   Noah   Blossom,  elected  Novem- 


ber 8,  1870,  re-elected,  November  5,  1872;  Peter 
Lightle,  elected  November  3,  1874;  E.  D.  Black, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  A.  Livingstone,  elected 
November  5,  1878,  and  re-elected  November  2, 1880. 

COUNTY    ASSESSORS. 

J.  R.  Johnson  was  elected  January  14,  1862; 
Robert  Lyon,  elected  September  3,  1862;  L.  A.  Scott, 
elected  September  7,  1864;  S.  G.  Ghase,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  B.  B.  Gary,  elected  November 
3,  1868;  Joseph  G.  Lupton,  elected  November  8, 
1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  again 
November  3,  1874;  R.  (r.  Montrose,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876,  and  re-elected  November  5,  1878;  Wm. 
W.  Wyatt,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COLLECTORS. 

H.  P.  Burnham,  elected  January  14,  1862;  A.  W. 
Wilson,  elected  September  3,  1862,  and  resigned 
December  1,  1862.     C.  N.  Baker  was  appointed. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

B.  Rush  Horton,  elected  Januarj"^  14,  1862;  John  H. 
Davis,  elected  September  3,  1862,  and  re-elected 
September  7,  1864,  re-elected  again  November  6, 
1866;  Robt.  Lyon,  elected  November  3,  1868,  re- 
elected November  8,  1870 ;  Fred.  Furth,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re- 
elected again  November  7,  1876;  J.  F.  Longabaugh, 
elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY    SCHOOL    SUPERINTENDENTS. 

J.  G.  Ogden  was  elected  January  14,  1862,  but  did 
not  qualify,  and  Gharles  M.  Tuttle  was  appointed 
April  8,  1862;  C.  Daggett,  elected  September  3,  1862, 
died,  and  A.  T.  Ilawley  appointeti  March  7,  1864; 
E.  R.  Gary,  elected  September  7,  1864  ;  James  Mc- 
Lean, elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868.  Resigned  four  days  after  the  election; 
R.  G.  Dean  appointed.  A.  M.  Warnock,  elected  No- 
vember 8,  1870;  G.  B.  Ilinkcl,  elected  November  5, 
1872;  J.  E.  Johns,  elected  November  3,  1874;  H.  W. 
Smith,  elected  November  7,  1876 ;  Koppel  Rice, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  John  F.  Banning,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

B.  F.  Hunt,  elected  Jaiuiarj-  14.  1862,  re-elected 
September  3,  1862;  Reed  Bigler  elected  September  7, 
1864;  office  declared  vacant  September  4,  1865,  and 
A.  Lash  appointed  September  12,  1865,  elected  No- 
vember 6,  1866;  L.  S.  Ezell,  elected  November  8, 
1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872;  G.  P.  Young, 
elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 
1876,  re-elected  again  November  5,  1878;  John  Car- 
ney, oloetod  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   AD.MINISTRATORS. 

J.  R.  Johnson,  elected  November  6,  1866  ;  David 
Watty,  elected  November  3,  1868;  Koppel  Rice, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872;  G.  Slemmons,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re- 
elected November  7,   1876;    John  Gardner,   elected 


378 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


November  5,  1878;  R.  Raycroft,  elected  November 
2,  1880. 

HISTORICAL    SKETCH   OF   GENOA. 

Genoa.  Ibo  countj-  seat  of  Douglas  County,  is 
among  the  oldest  settlements  of  Nevada.  The  locality 
first  attracted  the  attention  of  some  Mormons  in  1848, 
who  were  eii  route  to  the  gold  diggings  in  California 
from  Salt  Lake  City,  and  during  that  and  the  succeed- 
ing years  a  few  families  settled  here.  Not  until  1850, 
however,  did  it  assume  the  title  of  Mormon  Station, 
by  which  it  was  so  well  and  widely  known  for  many 
years  afterwards.  As  a  trading  and  recruiting  place 
for  the  immense  emigration  which  was  then  flocking 
toward  California  from  the  East,  its  situation  was 
admirable,  while  its  pastoral  advantages  were  great, 
and  the  adaptability  of  the  soil  to  the  culture  of  grain 
and  the  hard}-  vegetables  had  been  proven.  The  site 
of  Genoa  is  a  pleasant  one,  on  the  west  side  of  Carson 
Eiver,  at  the  dehouihure  of  a  small  stream  from  the 
Sierra  into  the  valley,  and  about  midway  between 
the  northern  and  southern  extremities  of  Carson 
Valley.  The  view  from  the  town  is  pleasing  to  the 
eye.  To  the  south,  and  immediately  west,  towering 
grandlj"  to  great  heights  rise  the  majestic  peaks  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  while,  spread  out  to  tho  east  and 
north,  are  the  dark  green  meadows  and  pastures  of 
the  Carson  ValKy,  with  the  willow-tringed  stream 
meandering  through  it — presenting  a  picture  of 
extreme  beauty  in  front,  and  of  rugged  majesty 
behind. 

THE    FIRST   TRADERS. 

Principal  among  the  Mormon  settlersof  Genoa  was 
Col.  John  Ueese,  after  whom  Reese  River  was  subse- 
quently called,  a  man  of  robust  energy  and  much 
enterprise.  He  started  the  first  trading-post,  and 
also  fed  the  hungry  emigrants  for  a  consideration. 
But  he  did  not  stop  at  these.  He  put  up  a  black- 
smith shop  and  shod  their  animals  and  repaired  their 
wagons,  and  later  erected  a  flouring  and  saw-mill. 

William  Nixon,  also  a  Mormon,  came  to  Genoa  in 
1856  from  Salt  Lake,  bringing  a  stock  of  goods. 
Renting  the  "station"  of  Reese,  he  became  the  only 
merchant  of  the  place  for  several  years;  but  finally, 
like  Reese,  he  supposed  he  had  made  money  enough, 
and  returned  to  Salt  Lake,  leaving  as  his  successor 
in  business  a  Mr.  Child.  Nixon  built  the  small  one- 
storj-  house  that  now  stands  adjoining  L.  Prey's 
meat  market. 

The  next  merchant  to  engage  in  business  at  Genoa 
was  Mr.  A.  Klauber.  who  first  came  to  the  place  in 

1858.  He  did  not  engage  in  business,  however,  until 

1859,  when  he  built  the  house,  which  he  used  as 
a  store,  that  now  stands  between  the  Court  House 
and  Odd  Fellows  Hall — a  one-story  frame  structure, 
now  belonging  to  M.  Harris.  V.  Mandlebaum  be- 
came associated  with  Klauber  in  185!1,  and  the  firm 
continued  busiiiess  under  the  name  of  Mandlebaum  & 
Klauber. 

J.  R.  Johnson  and  S.  Salmon,  of  the  firm  of  Sal- 
mon &  Johnson,  were  the  next  firm  of  merchants. 


They  built  of  wood  in  1860,  and  a  brick  store  in 
1863,  where  Johnson  and  N.  Blossom  now  do  busi- 
ness. 

M.  Harris  came  to  Genoa  in  1876,  and  first  com- 
menced business  there.  He  now  keeps  a  general 
mercantile  establishment  under  Masonic  Hall,  and 
is  the  owner  of  the  lower  story  of  Odd  Fellows 
Hall  and  the  old  Klauber  Building.  He  first  came 
into  Carson  Valley  in  1861. 

THE   PIONEER    HOTELS. 

After  Colonel  Reese,  the  first  hotel  was  kept  by  a 
man  named  Merkly,  who,  after  awhile,  sold  out  to 
George  AV.  Brubaker,  and  he,  in  turn,  disposed  of 
the  establishment  to  a  man  named  Raycroft.  Mr. 
Brubaker  subsequentlj-  erected  the  building  in  the 
north  end  of  town  known  as  Rice's  Hotel. 

Thomas  J.  Singleton  was  a  prominent  hotel-keeper 
at  Genoa  in  1857,  and  so  coTitinued  to  be  a  )iumber 
of  years  afterward.  In  1857  he  built  a  portion  of 
the  structure  now  known  as  the  Nevada  Hotel. 
The  main  ]iart  was  not  added,  however,  until  the 
summer  of  1859.  It  was  in  this  building  where  the 
unfortunate  William  J.  Thorrington  was  tried  and 
sentenced  to  death. 

In  the  earlj-  p;irl  of  1S60.  the  winter  having  been 
vcrj'  mild  in  California,  many  people  started  from 
that  State  for  the  Comstock  mines.  About  the  time 
of  arrival  in  Car^on  Valley,  in  February  and  March, 
heavy  storms  came,  and  severe  cold  weatlier  pre- 
vailed. Snow  to  the  depth  of  nearly  two  feet  cov- 
ered the  ground  for  a  month  or  more,  cattle  died  off 
bj-  hundreds,  and  those  treasure- seekers  who  had 
come  unprepared  for  such  an  emergency  were  thank- 
ful for  any  sort  of  shelter,  or  to  submit  to  the  most 
indifferent  fare  at  high  rates.  All  of  the  temporary 
houses — mostly  of  cloth — were  crowded  at  the  mines; 
Carson  Cit}'  was  overflowing,  and,  therefore,  man}' 
tarried  at  Genoa  awaiting  the  coming  of  warmer 
weather.  These  causes  combined  to  turn  many  hab- 
itations of  the  place  into  temporary  hostelries,  which 
were  well  filled,  and  the  ]iropnetors  well  remun- 
erated, D.  Sands,  at  this  time,  was  a  prominent 
landlord  at  Genoa.  Among  the  transient  hotel- 
keepers  were  a  widow  woman  named  Baldwin,  and 
her  son  named  White.  The  latter,  several  j-ears 
afterward,  established  a  station  at  New  Pass,  on 
the  Austin  road,  a  few  miles  west  of  Jacobsville,  and 
met  a  tragic  fate — death  by  his  own  hand,  after 
having  killed  his  infant  child. 

EARLY    CONDITION   OF   GENOA. 

At  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  silver,  there  had 
congregated  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Genoa 
about  200  ])cople,  the  most  of  whom  had  been 
attracted  there  by  the  agricultural  and  grazing 
advantages  which  the  localitj-  possessed.  Several 
hundred  people  were  engaged  in  gold  mining  to  the 
southward  at  what  was  then  called  the  Walker  River, 
or  Mono,  mines,  who,  to  a  considerable  extent,  made 
Genoa  their   supplying   point,     Genoa   also   bad   a 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


379 


newspaper;  it  was  connected  with  the  outside  world 
by  a  telegraph  line,  and  the  overland  sitagea  j)a8sed 
through.  A  grist  and  saw-mill  were  in  0]ieration. 
Two  stores  supplied  the  residents  witli  all  neces- 
saries in  the  grocery  and  clothing  lines,  and  it  was 
the  leading  town  of  western  Utah.  Situated  close 
to  an  abundant  supply  of  ))ine  timber,  from  which 
lumber,  shingles,  etc.,  could  be  clieajily  manufactured, 
building  was  comparatively  easy.  During  the  im- 
mense emigration  of  former  years  it  had  been  the 
favorite  recruiting  place  for  peo])lc  tn  route  to  Cali- 
fornia; and  many  here  lingered  for  a  few  days  or 
weeks  to  rest  their  cattle,  and  lay  in  stores  prepar- 
atory to  surmounting  the  last,  then  formidable,  bar- 
rier— the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains — which  barred 
the  pathway  to  the  Mecca  of  their  weary  ])ilgrimage 
from  the  far  East;  and  it  bid  fair  to  become  an 
important  frontier  town,  which  would  be  able  to 
flourish  upon  its  own  natural  resources.  The  dis- 
covery of  the  famous  silver  mine  a  few  miles  to  the 
eastward  of  this  prospective  inland  city,  however, 
cfTectcd  an  entire  change  of  circumstances,  and,  con- 
sequenil}-,  a  change  of  futuritj-  awaited  it — a  differ- 
ent hi.-tory  than  that  aniici])ated  by  its  early  resi- 
dents. 

GENO.A.    OF   THE   PRESENT   DAY. 

Although  not  the  large  and  thriving  town  which 
the  first  settlers  foresaw,  Genoa  cannot  be  robbed 
of  its  pleasant  location.  Job's  Peak  still  lifts  its 
loftj-  ])innacle  to  the  houthward  more  than  G,()00 
feet  above  the  town,  sublimely  grand  and  awful,  ai:d 
the  emerald-carpeted  valley  of  the  Carson  yet  re- 
poses in  beauty  at  its  feet.  The  little  liamlet  is  busy, 
with  no  excess  of  population,  and  consecjuently  there 
are  no  idlers  nor  tramps.  There  are  forty-three 
dwelling-houses,  large  and  small.  Five  hotels  invite 
the  traveler  to  a  choice  of  transient  homes,  and 
each  stands  ready  to  replenish  the  inner  man.  These 
are  the  I{aycroft  Exchange,  Nevada  Hotel,  the 
Central.  Jlicc's  Hotel  and  the  Italian  House.  Mrs. 
M.  (iillman  conducts  the  Nevada;  and  the  Central, 
owned  bj-  J.  C.  Lufton,  is  kept  by  J.  Banning. 

Of  saloons,  where  but  in  a  frontit^r  town  of  equal 
po]iulation  would  one  think  of  finding  six? — the 
number  in  Genoa.  This  preponderance  of  drinking- 
places  of  itself  indicates  that  the  present  residents 
are  a  social,  jolly,  bibulous  class.  There  is  one  ])rint- 
ing  office,  two  stores  of  general  merchandise,  two 
meat  markets,  two  boot  and  shoe  shops,  three  black- 
smith and  wagon  shops,  one  drug  store,  one  bakery, 
two  livery  and  feed  stables,  and  two  barber  shops. 
And  then  come  the  comfortable  school  house,  and 
Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  Halls. 

THE    COURT    IIOl'SE    HriI,l)IN(l. 

Genoa,  being  the  shire  town  of  Douglas  County, 
also  numbers  among  its  architectural  features  a  fi.io 
Court  House.  This  building  was  erected  in  ISti");  is 
of  brick,  with  iron  doors  and  shutters,  and  intended 
to  be  fire-proof.  It  is  of  two  stories — the  ground 
story  being  twelve  feet  high  in    the  clear,  and  the 


upper  story,  fourteen  feet.  The  building  is  CGx.'iB 
feet.  Lawrence  Gilman  and  Eufus  Adams  were  the 
constructing  architects,  and  the  contract  price  for 
building  was  818,000,  but  it  cost  a  trifle  more  than 
that  sum. 

THE    rUESENT    POPULATION 

Numbers  about  500,  with  an  auxiliary  population, 
upon  the  contiguous  farms,  of  nearly  the  same  num- 
ber. There  are  two  daily  lines  of  stages  running 
from  Genoa  to  Carson  City,  the  cajiital  of  the  State, 
furnishing  s])eedy  transit  of  mails  and  passengers  to 
the  iron  road;  thus  placing  the  Genoese  in  swift 
communication  with  the  outside  world. 

A  fire,  which  consumed  six  buildings  south  of 
Masonic  Hall,  occurred  on  the  nineteenth  of  June, 
1873.  The  roof  of  the  hall  was  also  burned.  The 
total  loss  was  about  84.000,  of  which  only  8500  was 
covered  by  insurance.  A  second  fire  occurred  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  the  same  month,  which  destroj-ed 
a  brewery. 

The  Nevada  and  California  Telegraph  Company 
has  its  main  office  here.  This  is  a  private  enterjirise, 
and  was  comjileted  in  September,  1878,  in  circuit 
with  Vii-ginia,  Gold  Hill,  Carson,  Silver  City,  I'ayton, 
and  £m])ire.  It  communicates  direct  with  the 
Mountain  House  and  Aurora,  in  this  State,  and  with 
Colville,  Briilgeporl  and  liodie,  California.  Length 
of  line  112  miles.  It  works  direct  with  Virginia 
on  San  Francisco  business,  messages  being  repeated 
from  Virginia. 

The  Genoa  Flume  and  Lumber  Companj-'s  V 
flume  terminates  here,  discharging  the  wood,  which 
is  cut  high  up  in  the  mountains,  into  the  Carson 
River,  whence  it  is  floated  to  the  mills  at  Empire,  or 
taken  from  the  stream  above  that  place,  and  hauled 
to  Carson  City. 

ONE    OF   THE    USUAL    EPISODES. 

In  the  fall  of  1S58,  Genoa  was  the  scene  of  one  of 
those  unfortunate  cjiisodes  too  common  in  newly 
settled  communities  of  the  American  frontier.  Colonel 
Reese,  being  the  oldest  settler  of  the  place  had,  by 
virtue  of  his  prioritj-  of  arrival,  laid  claim  to  largo 
tracts  of  grazing  and  haj'  lands  along  the  Carson 
River  fronting  the  town.  John  K.  Trumbo,  whilom 
of  Salt  Lake  Citj-,  where  ho  exhorted  the  saints,  and 
in  later  j-ears  in  ]iersuasivo  strains  extolled  the  worth 
of  old  wagons,  harness,  saddles,  and  the  fine  points 
of  both  broncho  and  emigrant  iiorses  and  mules,  as 
an  auctioneer  at  the  old  Horse  Market,  at  the  corner 
of  Sixth  and  K  Streets,  Sacramento  City,  California, 
was  Reese's  son-in-law,  and  had  left  Calil'ornia  and 
removed  to  Genoa.  People  were  coming  into  the 
now  settlement  (piite  ra])idly.  many  of  tluni  desired 
land,  and  thinking  that  the  first-comers  had  no  par- 
ticular right  to  monopolize  the  entire  public  domain, 
began  to  crowd  upon  their  claims.  Among  the  most 
enterprising  of  the  latter  was  Warren  Wasson,  who, 
after  becoming  familiar  with  the  situation,  squatted 
upon  a  land  claim  and  began  to  fence  it  in.  It  so 
happened  that  the  particular  tract  which   Wasson 


380 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


coveted  was  claimed   by  Reese,  or  members  of  bis 
family,  and  Trumbo  undertook  to  dispossess  him. 

As  Wasson  was  one  day  hauling  lumber  upon  the 
land  for  fencing  purposes,  he  found  himself  con- 
fronted by  Trumbo,  armed,  and  a  young  son  of 
Reese,  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old.  Trumbo 
had  doubtless  gone  there  more  "for  a  bluff"  than 
for  any  desperate  business,  probably  expecting  that 
a  show  of  arms  would  deter  the  energetic  settler 
from  further  attempts  to  occupj-  the  land.  But 
Trumbo,  if  he  had  so  supposed,  reckoned  without 
his  host.  His  adversary  was  not  the  sort  of  a 
man  to  be  frightened  off,  and  after  some  threat- 
ening talk,  pro  and  ro7i.,  Trumbo,  seeing  that  he 
could  not  well  back  out  without  being  charged 
with  cowardice,  opened  his  batteries  upon  Wasson 
— firing  at  him  several  times  without  effect.  The 
latter  had  in-  his  belt  a  Colt's  navy  revolver.  Un- 
limbering  this  weapon  he  brought  it  to  bear  upon 
his  assailant,  took  deliberate  aim,  notwithstanding 
the  fusilade  of  Trumbo,  and,  firing,  placed  the  lat- 
ter hors  du  combat  with  a  shattei-ed  thigh.  By 
this  time  young  Reese,  who  had  all  the  while 
watched  the  fray,  finding  the  battle  had  not  gone 
his  waj-,  essayed  to  try  his  prentice  hand,  and 
came  running  up  to  Wasson,  who  was  not  notic- 
ing him,  presented  a  pistol  of  ancient  form  and 
fired  full  in  the  hitter's  face.  But  the  pistol,  onlj- 
having  been  loaded  with  shot,  did  no  further  dam- 
age than  to  fill  Wasson 's  face  with  leaden  pellets,  for- 
tunately none  of  which  touched  his  eyes.  Wasson, 
though  having  five  shots  left,  magnanimously  re- 
frained from  shooting  the  boy,  and  turning  his 
attention  to  assisting  the  prostrate  Trumbo,  placed 
him  on  his  wagon  and  conveyed  him  to  his  home, 
where  he  lingered  many  months  between  life  and 
death,  but  finally  recovered,  though  lamed  for  life. 
Public  sentiment  attached  no  blame  to  Wasson, 
nor  did  Trumbo  bear  him  malice  afterwards.  All 
of  the  participants  in  this  little  affair  are  yet  living. 

E.MU.Y    SETTl.E.ME.NT   OF    GLENBROOK. 

Glcnbrook  is  located  in  a  beautiful  cove  on  the 
shore  of  Ijake  Taboo,  and  is  the  great  lumber  man- 
ufacturing town  of  the  State  of  Nevada.  The  site 
of  Glenbrook  was  first  claimed  and  squatted  upon 
in  the  Spring  of  1860,  by  G.  W.  Warren,  N.  E.  Mur- 
dock  and  R.  Walton. 

In  1861  Capt.  A.  W.  Pray  erected  a  saw-mill,  which 
was  lor  several  j'cars  run  by  water,  conducted 
through  flume  and  ditch  for  more  than  half  a  mile, 
but  the  constantly  increasing  demand  for  lumber, 
and  a  lack  of  water  in  the  dry  portion  of  the  year, 
compelled  him  to  abandon  that  motor-and  resort  to 
steam.  This  he  did  in  1864,  the  newlj'  modeled  mill 
costing  820,000.  These  were  the  first  mills  built 
upon  the  soil  of  Nevada,  at  Lake  Tahoo,  though  one 
had  been  constructed  in  Lake  Valley,  California,  in 
1860,  now  known  as  Woodburn's  ..Mill.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  enterprise  Captain  Pray  had  part- 
ners, but  he  eventuallj'  bought  out  their  interests, 


and  in  1862  also  purchased  the  possessory  title  of 
the  original  locators — Warren,  Murdock  and  Wal- 
ton— at  a  cost  of  about  S9,000.  The  old  pioneer  mill 
is  3^et  standing.  With  far-seeing  saga'-ity  Captain 
Praj-  secured  from  the  Government  a  title  to  1,000 
acres  of  land — locatingit  with  Sioux  scrip.  A  portion 
of  this  land  was  heavily  timbered,  while  some  was 
excellent  for  grain,  hay  and  vegetables. 

PRODUCTIVENESS   OF  THE   SOIL. 

The  productiveness  of  the  soil  upon  the  lake  shore 
is  somewhat  wonderful,  considering  the  rigorous 
winters  and  ils  high  altitude.  But  the  soil,  being 
the  fine  debris  from  abraded  granite,  very  soon 
warms  up  under  the  influence  of  the  summer  sun 
after  the  disappearance  of  the  snow.  Captain  Pray 
has  several  hundred  acres  under  cultivation,  and  it 
is  no  uncommon  thing  to  cut  four  tons  of  timothj' 
and  clover  hay  to  the  acre,  while  three  tons  are  a 
certainty.  The  hay  land  is  not  irrigated.  The  aver- 
age of  the  wild  hay  crop,  or  indigenous  grasses,  is 
about  one  and  one-half  tons  per  acre.  Wheat  and 
barley  grow  pi-ofusely,  and  Captain  Pray's  crop  was 
so  large  one  season  that  he  brought  in  a  reaper  to 
harvest  it.  He  thinks  he  has  harvested  some  crops 
that  have  j-ielded  sixty  bushelsof  wheat  to  the  acre, 
and  there  have  been  instances  where  oats  have  been 
measured  that  stood  seven  feet  and  eight  inches  high. 
Ilaj',  baled  for  the  use  of  logging  teams,  sells  at 
Glenbrook  at  twenty-five  to  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 

Friday's  station  and  the  new  road. 

In  1860  J.  W.  Small  and  M.  K.  Burke  located  the 
place  a  few  miles  above  Glenbrook,  upon  the  Placer- 
ville  road,  and  built  the  hou.se  which  has  over  since 
been  known  as  "  P'riday's  "  Station.  This  is  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  inside  of  the  Nevada  State 
line,  and  Mr.  Small  still  lives  there.  At  that  time 
all  the  travel,  which  was  becoming  very  great, 
entered  Carson  Valley  princi])ally  bj'  the  way  of  the 
Kingsbuiy  (Jrade.  In  1862  a  now  route  was  con- 
templated from  Friday's  Station  to  Carson  City,  fol- 
lowing the  lake  shore  for  some  distance,  and  then 
diverging  into  the  bead  of  King's  Cafion,  and  enter- 
ing Eagle  Valley  at  the  Capital  City.  This  road  was 
called  the  Lake  Bigler  Toll  road,  was  of  easy  grade 
for  a  mountain  thoroughfare,  somewhat  shortened 
the  distance  to  the  great  mining  center,  and  was 
completed  in  1863. 

FIRST    hotel   at   OLENBROOK. 

The  now  road  diverted  much  of  the  travel,  and, 
consequentlj',  eligible  sites  for  public  houses  were 
sought  along  its  lino,  and  buildings  for  this  pur- 
pose erected.  Of  these  there  were  none  more  suit- 
able nor  pleasant  than  the  little  cove  upon  which 
Pray's  mill  was  located,  and  the  same  year  that  the 
road  was  finished,  1863,  Winters  &.  C'olbath  erected 
the  large  structure  which  has  since  been  known  as 
the  (ilenbrook  Hotel.  This  property  now  belongs  to 
Yerington  &  Bliss. 


'.^'^' 


/ 


M??  A.F.  ORESSLER 


A.F.DRESSLER. 


•v.:    -i   -.y    'r    ._.-.;   Aijf't'. 


.,»^  ■ 


Kesioence  ^'''  Home  Ranch  »•  A.F.  Dressler. 

SHERIDAN,  DOUGLAS   d   NEVADA 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


381 


MORE    MILLS    AT    OLENBROOK. 

Lumber  was  at  this  time  in  good  demand,  and  a 
common  article  readil_v  commanded  twenty-tive  dol- 
lars per  thousand,  and  clear,  forty  five  dollars.  No  one 
l>orson  could  be  expected  to  long  maintain  the  exclu- 
sive mono))oly  of  its  manufacture,  and  the  Pray  Mill 
was  followed  by  one  erected  by  J.  H.  F.  Gott'  and 
George  .Morrill  in  the  north  part  of  the  town.  This 
did  a  good  business  until  it  was  dostroj-od  by  fire. 
The  site  and  remaining  plant  were  then  sold  to  A.  H. 
Davis  iV  Son,  who  built  the  Davis  Mill,  which  event- 
ually passed  into  the  possession  of  Weils,  Fargo  &  Co., 
and'is  still  retained  bj-  that  firm. 

In  18T:i  the  firm  of  Yerington  i*c  Bliss  began  the 
lumber  manufacturing  business  at  Glenbrook,  and 
have  since  that  time  been  among  the  heaviest  dealers 
in  the  Pacific  Coast  iStates.  They  have  connected 
the  timber  belt  of  the  entire  valley  of  Lake  Tahoe, 
as  well  as  the  surrounding  mountains  sloping  toward 
it,  by  rail  and  V  flume  with  the  trans-mountain  val- 
leys and  great  consuming  points  of  the  interior. 
During  the  year  1873,  at  the  time  that  firm  began 
operations,  the  lumber  product  of  Douglas  County 
was  only  906,000  feet.  This  rose  in  1875  to  21,700,000 
feel,  but  with  the  enormous  consumption  of  timber 
it  had  fallen  in  1880  to  12,000,000  feet. 

FIRST    STORE    AT    ULENBROOK. 

The  lumbering,  dairy  and  other  interests,  which 
were  springing  up  all  around  the  lake, 'soon  attracted 
quite  a  population  sgid  created  the  necessity  of  estab- 
lishing a  trading-post  at  a  point  best  located  for  a'gen- 
eral  distributing  depot.  Glenbrook  was  selected  as  the 
most  available  spot,  and  in  1874  J.  A.  Rigby  and  A. 
Childers  built  the  first  store,  and  offered  for  sale  the 
first  stock  of  goods  there.  The  building  was  built 
over  the  water,  and  sot  on  piles  in  front  of  the 
present  hotel.  Tiiis  may  in  some  degree  account 
for  the  mj'stcrious  disappearance  of  Mr.  Childers, 
who  came  up  missing  one  morning,  and  was  never 
heard  of  more.  It  is  surmised  that  ho  maj'  have 
accidentally  stepped  oft'  into  the  water  and  been 
drowned,  as  from  this  peculiar  sheet  of  water  the 
body  of  not  a  single  person  drowned  therein  has 
ever  yet  been  taken.  After  the  disappearance  of 
his  partner,  Mr.  Rigby  admitted  into  the  business 
VV.  T.  and  S.  C.  Davis,  and  the  firm  name  was  then 
changed  to  Davis  Co.  &  Bro.  In  January,  1877, 
the  building  was  burned,  and  the  same  year  Cap- 
tain Praj-  built  the  present  handsome  two-storj' 
structure,  .'50x62  ieet,  the  corner  part  of  which  is 
now  occupied  as  a  store  by  J.  .M.  Short,  and  the  upper 
story  as  a  hall. 

THE    VII.LAOE   OF    GLENBROOK. 

Besides  the  Glenbrook  Hotel,  in  the  spring  of  1876, 
Captain  Praj'  converted  his  planing-mill.  which  had 
been  used  in  conjunction  with  his  sawmill,  into  a 
hotel,  which  he  christened  the  Lake  Shore  IIou.sc. 
There  are  also  several  boarding-houses  in  the  village. 

Glenbrook  supports  two   saloons,    both    being   con- 

48 


ducted  by  the  same  firm,  however,  B.  Greenhood  and 
Levi  Knowles.  The  first  saloon  in  the  place  was 
opened  by  Rico  &  Comstock,  in  1877,  in  John  Toll's 
building. 

There  are  at  (rlenbrook  thirty  cottages, onesaw-mill, 
one  hotel,  one  store,  one  saloon,  one  livery  stable  and 
one  meat  market .  all  under  one  ownership,  that  of  Capt. 
A.  W.  Pra}'.  These  rent  as  follows:  Cottages,  from 
five  to  ten  dollars  per  month;  the  store  for  81,072 
a  year;  livery  stable,  twenty-five  dollars  per  month; 
meat  market,  fifty  dollars,  and  the  hotel  for  seventy- 
five  dollars  a  month. 

The  cottages  are  principally  rented  to  the  em- 
ployos'of  the  mills,  those  engaged  ujjon  the  railroad 
and  flumes,  and  the  wood-choppers,  with  their 
families.  An  occasional  tourist  stays  here  for  two 
or  three  of  the  hottest  months  of  the  year,  and  there 
are  quite  a  number  of  transient  pleasure-seekers 
passing  through  from  stage  to  boat,  but  onlj-  a  few 
who  are  not  regularly  engaged  in  business  tarry 
long. 

THE    SHAKSPEARIAN    ROCK. 

A  singular  illusion  is  presented  to  the  observer 
from  Glenbrook — the  profile  of  a  man  reclining,  with 
face  upturned,  appears  at  the  apex  of  a  mountain 
peak.  From  a  fancied  resemblance  to  the  greatest 
of  all  poets,  it  is  called  Shakspeare  Rock.  It  was 
first  noticed  in  1862  by  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  A.  Benton, 
of  California,  who  was  at  that  time  sketching  the 
mountains. 

A    MO.ST    DEPLORABLE   AFFAIR. 

Near  Shakspeare  Rock  is  a  cavern,  the  entrance  to 
which  is  ten  feet  high  and  twentj-  wide,  upon  going 
through  which  to  the  north  the  cavern  is  reached, 
being  about  twenty  feet  wide,  seventy-five  feet  long, 
and  about  fifty  feet  high  to  the  roof.  To  reach  this, 
ropes  are  required,  and  great  caution  must  be 
observed  lest  by  a  false  movement  the  explorer  bo 
plunged  into  the  yawning  chasm  below.  It  was  to 
view  this  place  that  a  gay  party  of  young  people 
from  Carson  City  left  the  village  of  (tlenbrook  on 
the  ninth  of  September,  1877.  The  party  were  .Miss 
Carrie  Rice,  Miss  Vade  Phillips,  Miss  Esther  Moody, 
Frank  Williams,  William  Clark,  and  William  Cramer, 
the  latter  being  Miss  Rice's  escort.  Upon  reaching  a 
precipitous  point  overlooking  the  cavern,  where  the 
surface  presented  but  a  smooth,  solid  granite  front, 
and  where  the  entire  parly  should  have  paused, 
these  two  young  people,  Mr.  Cramer  and  Miss  Rico, 
clasped  hands,  and  ihoughtlcfsly  started  down  the 
iiidineil  plane  leading  to  the  chasm,  thinking  they 
could  stop  upon  its  brink.  Swiftly  they  shot  down 
toward  the  fateful  precipice,  and  when  too  late, 
essaj-od  to  chock  their  furious  progress.  Both  fell 
down.  Miss  Rice  went  over  the  precipice,  and 
when  aid  was  procured  was  found  Ij'ing  about  ten 
yards  from  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  breathing,  but 
unconsc'ous.  She  died  in  an  hour.  Her  escort  fort- 
unately succeeiled  in  grasping  something  to  which 
he  held,  and  was  rescued. 


382 


HISTORY  OF.  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


RAFTING   LOOS  ACROSS   LAKE   TAHOE. 

Ab  the  forests  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Glen- 
brook  were  denuded  of  timber,  the  millers  were  com- 
pelled either  to  suspend  Operations  or  draw  upon 
some  other  source  for  a  supply  of  logs.  On  the 
western  shore  of  Lake  Tahoe,  in  California,  were 
virgin  forests  of  immense  trees,  extending  from  the 
water's  edge,  upon  the  sloping  foot-hills,  to  the  deep 
snow  line  on  the  mountain  sides;  and  human  inge- 
nuity sought  and  soon  adopted  methods  to  render  this 
large  reserve  available^  Steamers  were  brought  into 
requisition;  the  trees  were  felled,  cut  into  suitable 
lengths,  hauled  upon  trucks  drawn  by  oxen  and 
rolled  into  the  water.  The  logs  are  then,  confined 
in  "  booms,"  consisting  of  a  number  of  long,  slim 
spars  fastened  together  at  the  ends  with  chains, 
which  completely  encircle  a  "  raft  "  of  logs  arranged 
in  the  form  of  a  V — some  of  these  rafts  containing 
timber  enough  to  make  250.000  or  800,000  feet  of 
lumber.  In  this  condition  they  are  -attached  to  the 
steamer  with  a  strong  cable,  and  towed  to  the  mills 
at  Glenbrook,  which,  being  built  immediately  upon 
the  lake  shore,  are  so  arranged  that  the.  logs  can  be 
hauled  by  machinery  upon  the  ways  to  the  saM' 
carriage  as  required. 

A  number  of  small  steamers  are  employed  for  this 
purpose;  and  the  noble  forests  that  once  were  the 
pride  and  beauty  of  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Tahoe  are  fast  disappearing  before  the  destructive 
ax  of  the  woodmen,  and  they,  too,  will  soon  be  a 
thing  of  the  past.  The  principal  vessel  used  at  this 
time  for  towing  logs  is  an  iron  tug  called  the  Meteor. 
This  boat  was  built  at  Wilmington,  Delaware,  bj- 
Harlan,  Holling.sworlh  &  Co.;  after  having  been  put 
together  it  was  taken  down,  shipped  by  rail  to  Car- 
son City,  and  then  hauled  to  Lake  Tahoe  by  teams. 
This  was  in  1876.  The  Meteor  is  a  propeller,  eighty 
feet  long  and  ten  feet  beam,  and  will  run  twenty 
miles  an  hour  under  a  pressure  of  KiJ  pounds  of 
steam.  This  vessel  cost  818,000,  and  when  not  en- 
gaged in  towing  logs,  is  frequently  seen  making  the 
tour  of  the  lake  with  sonie^distinguishod  personage 
on  board. 

THE   VII.LAOE   OF   SHERIDAN. 

Sheridan  is  a  small  village  situated  eight  miles 
south  of  Genoa.  The  princi])al  business  houses  are, 
one  store  of  general  merchandise,  two  hotels,  post- 
office,  a  saloon  and  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop. 
The  surrounding  county  is  well  ailapted  to  grazing, 
and  several  dairymen  have  settled  there.  Among 
these  is  Harrison  Hurry,  who  milks  over  100  cows, 
and  makes  a  large  quantity  of  butter. 

MEDICINAL    SPRINGS   OF   THE   COUNTY. 

Near  Henry  Vansicklo's,  at  the  base  of  the  mount- 
ain spurs  which  jut  into  the  valley  from  the  west, 
two  miles  south  of  Genoa,  are  some  largo  thermal 
springs,  now  known  as  Wallej^'s  Hot  Springs.  Here 
is  a  large  hotel  building  containing  fortj-  rooms,  with 
bath-houses   adjoining.     There  are  eighty  acres   of 


land  belonging  to  the  property,  and  the  improve, 
ments  were  made  at  a  cost  of  §100,000.  These  springs 
have  a  great  reputation  for  the  cure  of  rheumatic 
and  scrofulous  affections,  and  have  become  a  noted 
place  of  resort.  The  location  is  extremely  pleasant, 
the  scenery  grand,  and  the  climate  in  summer  invig- 
orating and  healthful. 

Upon  the  land  of  Captain  Pray,  near  Glenbrook, 
on  Lake  Tahoe,  there  is  a  mineral  spring,  the  cura- 
tive properties  of  whose  waters  in  certain  complaints 
is  highlj-  lauded.  Iron  seems  to  enter  largely  into 
its  composition. 

JOHN    gUlNCV    ADAMS,  , 

Son  of  Elias  and  Belinda  Adams,  was  born  May  15, 
\Kii,  near   Columbus,  Adams  County,  Illinois.      His 
father  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Adams  Count}\ 
and  from  whom  the  county  derived  its   name.     In 
early  life  the  subject  of  this  sketch  learned  the  brick 
makers'  trade,  and  for  many  years   followed    that 
business  in   connection    with   his  farm   duties.      In 
May,   1850,  he,  in  company  with  his    father,    emi- 
grated to  Utah,  and   was    engaged  in  farming   and 
stock-raising  until  the  first  of  June,  1853,  at  which 
time  he  came  to  Carson  Valley,  and  located   on    the 
ranch  now  owned  by   Joseph  Jones,  and  has  since 
resided    in    this    valley.     In    connection    with    his 
brother,    under    the    firm    name    of  R.    and    J.     Q 
Adams,  was  engaged  in  the  same  occupation  as  in 
Utah.      After    a    time    they   sold    one-half  of   the 
ranch  and  built  the  fine  brick  residence  in  which  Mr. 
Adams    now    lives,    and    for  alfout  five   years  kept 
a  hotel.     He  says  "those  were  the  happiest  days  of 
my  life,"  everything  brought  almost  fabulous  prices; 
hay  was    worth    from  forty  to    eighty  dollars    per 
ton;  barley  half  a   dollar  a  pound,  etc.     Going  back 
to  his  former  business  he  made  the  brick  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  United  States  Branch  Mint,  at 
Carson   Citj-,    also   for  the  Court  House  at   (ienoa. 
Mr.  Adams  was  married  to  Miss  lillen  Dolan,  daugh- 
ter of  Patrick  and  Mar}'  (Welch)  Dolan,  October  1, 
18(56.     By  this   union   there  are  three  children,   all 
living.      The  following  are   their  names  and  date  of 
birth:    Mary  Lydia,  July  18,  1867  ;    John  Elias,  De- 
cember 24,  1868;   William  T^ufus,  November  16,  1871. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Adams  is  a  Republican,  but  takes  no 
active  part  therein.     His  ranch  is  under  a  good  state 
of  cultivation,  and  well  adapted  to  the  growing   of 
all  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables  and  hay.      A   view  of 
the  ranch,  in  connection  with  portraits,  will  be  found 
elsewhere. 

JOHN    S.    CHILD 

Was  born  in  Derby.  Orleans  County,  Vermont,  on 
the  first  of  September,  1825,  where  he  lived  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Massachu- 
setts, and  resided  until  he  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast 
in  1852.  On  the  fifth  of  April  of  the  last-named  year, 
ho  sailed  from  New  York  for  the  Pacific  Coast  on 
the  slii])  Xorllfrn  Liijlil.  the  first  trij)  made  bj'  that 
boat,  and  came  by  the  Nicaragua  route.  His  first 
experience  in  California,  was  in  the  mines  at  Placer- 


HISTORY  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


883 


ville,  Kl  Dorado  County,  where  he  spent  between  two 
and  three  years.  In  Julj",  1854,  he  came  to  Carson 
Valley,  Nevada,  where  he  has  since  resided.  During 
the  first  four  j-ears  in  this  place  he  was  eiii;ai;ed  in 
merchandising;,  and  sinj'c  then  has  given  his  atten- 
tion to  stock-raising.  In  1858  ho  received  the 
api>ointmont  of  Probate  Judge,  of  Carson  County, 
and  held  the  office  until  the  creation  of  Nevada  Ter- 
ritory. This  office  was  not  sought  by  him  and  ho  has 
never  known  to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  the  appoint- 
ment. After  the  organization  of  Douglas  County,  he 
was  appointed  County  Commissioner,  and  in  1870 
waselected  a  member  of  the  Assembl}-.  In  1859  ho 
was  married  to  iliss  A.  E.  Lufkin,  of  Placervillo,  Cal- 
ifornia, who  departed  this  life  in  Kebruarj',  1873. 
He  was  again  married  in  February,  1874,  to  Miss 
Eveline  A.  Gilbert,  of  Carson  City,  Nevada,  a  native 
of  Cato,  Cayuga  Countj',  N'ew  York,  born  January 
14,  1826,  and  came  to  California  in  1852,  where  she 
lived  until  1861,  when  she  came  to  Carson  City, 
Nevada.  Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Child  are  pro- 
duced elsewhere  in  this  book. 

AUGUSTUS    F.    DRESSLER, 

Son  of  Christian  and  Maria  Dressier,  was  born  in 
Mulhausen,  Germany,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  May, 
1831.  He  learned  the  trade  of  dj-eing  and  printing 
caTico  in  his  boyhood,  and  followed  that  business 
until  he  came  to  America.  Leaving  his  native  coun- 
try on  the  seventh  of  March,  1851,  he  arrived  in  New 
York  on  the  second  of  Ma}',  same  year.  He  expe- 
rienced many  difficulties  upon  landing  in  llio  I'nited 
States  from  being  unable  to  speak  the  English  lan- 
guage. His  first  situation  in  his  adopted  countrj- 
was  with  a  farmer  on  Long  Island,  where  he  worked 
two  years,  and  afterward  moved  to  Minnesota,  fifty 
miles  north  of  St.  Paul,  to  the  town  of  Montieello, 
and  entered  the  employ  of  Geo.  M.  Botram,  for  whom 
he  worked  seven  years.  In  1860  Mr.  Dressier  started 
for  California,  with  three  wagons  drawn  by  oxen, 
and  arrived  in  Carson  Valley,  Nevada,  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year,  being  six  months  fn  making  the  trip. 
Hearing  that  times  were  dull  in  the  country  he  had 
started  for,  he  concluded  to  remain  in  Carson  Valley, 
and  soon  found  emploj-ment.  In  18(>3  he  purchased 
a  ranch  on  the  west  fork  of  the  Carson  Kiver  and 
settled  down  to  improve  the  same.  In  1875  he 
bought  a  ranch  in  Sheridan,  and  has  since  resided 
there.  In  18(16  he  was  married  to  Augusta  Wil- 
helmina  J)ietz,  daughter  of  Christian  F.  and  Chris- 
tina Diet/.,  natives  of  Morseh.  Mrs,  Dressier  was 
born  in  Krfust,  in  Germany.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  five  children,  the  following  being  their 
names  and  date  of  birth:  Maria  F.,  July  IS,  18(i8; 
L.  Adolphc,  December  26.  1869;  VVilhelm  F.,  March 
9,1871;  Rosalie,  April  11,  1873;  Clara  A.,  July  18, 
1875.  Christian  F'ritz.  a  son  of  Mrs.  Dressier  by  a 
former  marriage,  is  recognized  as  one  ol"  this  family, 
and  is  a  bright,  active  boy  of  seventeen  years. 

In  politics  Mr.  Dressier  is  a  staunch  Kejiublican; 
in   religion,  a  Protestant.     A  view  ol'  Mr.  Drossler's 


residence,  in  connection  with  portraits,  will  be  found 
elsewhere. 

nON.  J.  W.  IIAINES 

Was  born  in  Stanstcad.  Lower  Canada,  August  17, 
1826.  His  parents  were  Americans,  formerly  citizens 
of  the  State  of  Vermont.  In  the  year  1832  his  fam- 
ilj-  emigrated  to  the  wilds  of  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
upon  a  farm  until  1843,  when  he  changed  his  occu- 
pation, and  from  that  time  until  1849  sailed  upon  the 
lakes,  between  Buft'alo,  New  York,  and  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois, During  the  summer  of  '49  he  crossed  the 
plains  to  California,  in  charge  of  the  "  Ohio  train," 
as  Captain,  arriving  in  Placervillo,  El  Dorado  County, 
July  31st.  There  were  fifty-six  men  in  this  company. 
Upon  their  arrival  in  California,  the  company  went 
up  the  Sacramento  River  in  a  boat  called  the  AUedo. 
The  hardships  of  this  trip  discounted  those  of  the 
trip  across  the  plains,  and  lasted  from  August  until 
December.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  Mr.  Haines 
entered  the  mercantile  business  in  Sacramento  City, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Haines,  Lyon  &  Co.,  which 
was  changed  to  Haines,  Webster  &  Co.  in  1853.  In 
the  spring  of  1855  we  find  our  subject  Marshal  of 
Sacramento  City,  and  in  1859  he  came  to  Nevada 
with  a  band  of  sheep  for  the  Virginia  City  mai-ket. 
While  on  his  trip  across  the  mountains  he  encoun- 
tered a  snow-storm  which  held  him  a  prisoner,  in 
Lake  Valley,  for  eleven  days.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  his  stock  had  become  reduced  in  such  manner 
as  to  be  unfit  for  market,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
drive  them  to  the  sink  of  the  Carson  to  winter.  In 
1863  he  located  permanently  in  Douglas  County, 
then  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  with  his  famil}-.  Mr. 
Haines  was  a  member  of  the  first  Constitutional 
Convention,  and  has  represented  the  people  in  the 
State  Senate,  was  also  an  elector  for  Grant  at  the 
his  first  and  second  elections.  A  view  of  Mr. 
Haines'  residence  will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this 
volume. 

DAVID    R.  JONES, 

The  suliject  of  this  sketch,  is  fully  entitled  to  the 
rank  of  pioneer,  he  being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
in  this  State.  He  was  born  in  Wales,  in  1830,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  when  quite  young;  settled 
first  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  in  1853  came  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  has  since  lived  in  what  is  now 
Douglas  County.  Mr.  Jones  is  well  known  through- 
out the  section  of  country  in  which  he  resides,  is  a 
man  of  high  moral  character,  strictly  honest  in  his 
dealings  with  both  (ioii  and  man,  and  has  for  the 
I  ])ast  ten  years  promulgated  the  word  of  tiod  in  the 
cliurch  of  the  "  Latter  Day  Saints."  Much  credit  is 
due  to  Mr,  Jones  for  the  masterlj-  manner  in  which 
he  has  overcome  the  many  obstacles  that  beset  the 
paths  of  the  early  settlers  in  a  country  like  this. 
Surrounded  on  all  sides  bj-  unseen  dangers,  he  has 
lived  to  see  his  family  giow  up,  an  honor  to  their 
parents,  and  a  blessing  to  the  land  in  which  they 
live.  In  politics  ho  is  a  staunch  Kepublican.  A  view 
of  Mr.  Jones'  home  is  to  bo  found  in  this  volume. 


384 


HISTORY  OB'  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 
HISTORY    OF    ELKO   COUNTY. 

Agriculture  and  Mining — Organization  and  Boundaries — Mau- 
agement  of  County  Affairs — Appointments  and  Klections — 
Elko  Grange  No.  U — Valleysoftlie  County — F.  Honeyman— 
John  C.  ^A■ood— Col.  J.  B.  Moore— William  Myers— W.  T. 
Crane — I'rincipal  Mining  Districts— Mineral  Soap  Mine — 
Principal  Towiis  and  Cities — Henry  Martin  (Irant — Hon.  J. 
B.  ToUey— Fort  Halleck. 

The  county  occupies  the  northeastern  portion  of 
the  State,  and  contains  a  larger  area  of  land  adapted 
to  cultivation  and  stock-raising  than  anj-  other  sec- 
tion within  its  boundaries.  There  are  numerous 
streams  wending  their  way  tlirough  the  elongated 
vallcj's  that  lie  between  the  chains  of  mountains 
which  travei'se  the  county  generally  from  north  to 
south.  These  streams  being  fed  by  numerous  springs, 
produce  an  abundance  of  water,  for  this  section, 
when  compared  with  some  other  portions  of  the 
•■•  Great  American  Basin,"  of  which  it  forms  a  part. 
The  mountains,  slopes  and  plateaus  are  covered  with 
nutritious  grasses  that  afford  excellent  pasturage  for 
the  vast  herds  of  cattle,  which  fatten  there  for  a 
foreign  market. 

Grains  and  vegetables  of  all  kinds  are  grown  in 
abundance  wherever  water  can  be  brought  upon  the 
land,  and  thousands  of  acres,  that  have  been  con- 
sidered fit  only  for  the  homes  of  the  coyote  and  hare, 
are  now  bearing  the  necessaries  of  life  in  quantities 
unequaled  in  the  history  of  agriculture.  Though 
no  part  of  the  State  of  Nevada  is  probably  better 
supplied  with  living  streams  of  pure  water  than  that 
which  comprises  Elko  County,  artificial  means  for 
procuring  a  larger  supply  must  be  resorted  to  before 
the  thousands  of  acres  of  land  within  its  boundaries 
can  be  reclaimed  and  made  to  contribute  to  the  agri- 
cultural products  of  this  county. 

In  nearly  every  part  there  is  to  be  found  an  abun- 
dance of  game  of  diftcrent  varieties,  while  the  streams 
are  bountifully  supplied  with  the  finny  creatures, 
making  this  a  sportsman's  paradise. 

Here  grazing  and  agriculture  claim  the  su])romacy 
over  the  mining  interest.  The  well-waterud  valleys 
and  the  snow-gathering  hills  of  this  elevated  region 
bring  forth  abundant  forage  u]ion  which  many 
thousands  of  animals  fatten  throughout  the  year,  and 
the  nutritious  herbage,  the  purity  of  the  water  and 
rarity  of  the  atmosphere  produce  a  superior  and 
healthier  class  of  stock  than  is  possible  in  most 
other  localities.  This  superiority  has  been  most 
observable  in  the  beef  and  mutton  and  the  products 
of  the  dairy,  but  may  bo  looked  for  in  amort^  marked 
degree  when  attention  is  ])aid  to  the  ecjuine  race. 
The  rugged  hills,  the  invigorating  climate  and  other 
conditions,  are  such  as  to  invite  the  breeders  of  racers 
of  jjurest  blood  with  assurance  of  lungs  and  muscle 
that  no  other  land  can  equal.  The  agricultural  con- 
dition and  progress  of  the  valleys  of  i'illko  are  given 
in  detail  in  this  chapter,  as  well  as  the  descriptions 
of  the  mining  districts.  The  right  for  agriculture  to 
claim  the  precedence  will  bo  disputed  by  the  miner. 


The  miners  of  the  county  have  produced  a  vast 
amount  of  bullion  in  the  past,  and  their  future  is 
bright  and  hopeful.  Gold  and  silver  have  been  the 
metals  most  sought,  but  copper  and  lead  exist  in 
great  abundance.  In  the  elevated  plateau  of  the 
north,  particularly  in  the  districts  of  Tusearora,  Corn- 
ucopia, Golconda  and  Bull  Run,  and  the  placers  of 
Independence,  McCau's  and  other  streams,  the  first 
are  mined,  while  in  the  southeast  are  rich  veins  of 
copper,  and  in  the  southwest  are  found  argentiferous 
galena  and  carbonate  ores  of  great  value.  With 
such  resources,  a  soil  of  perpetual  wealth  on  the 
surface  and  mines  of  the  precious  and  useful  metals 
beneath,  Elko  may  claim  supremacy  among  the  coun- 
ties of  Nevada. 

0R0.\NIZATI0N    A.ND    B0UND.A.RIES. 

By  an  Act  approved  March,  5  18G9,  Elko  County 
was  ci'eated  out  of  Lander  County,  and  its  bound- 
aries were  established  as  follows: — 

It  shall  lie  east  of  a  line  drawn  north  and  south 
through  a  point  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
track,  three  miles  west  of  the  machine  shop  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  situated  in  the 
town  of  Carlin:  and  north  of  a  line  drawn  east  and 
west  through  the  most  northerly  part  or  portion  of 
the  military  post  or  camp  known  as  Cam])  Ruby,  the 
latter  described  line  being  the  northerly-  line  of  the 
proposed  county  of  White  Pine. 

By  an  Act  approved  .March  1,  1871,  all  that  ])art 
of  Lander  lying  between  the  forty-first  and  forty- 
second  parallels  of  latitude,  constituting  the  northern 
portion  of  Lander,  was  added  to  Elko.  The  cession 
included  about  2,772  square  miles. 

On  February  16,  1875,  an  Act  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto,  ceding  to  Eureka  a  triangular  strip 
or  piece  from  the  southwest  corner  of  Elko  (,'ounty, 
which  included  within  its  limits  the  mining  district 
of  Galena. 

MANAOEiMENT   OF    COUNTY    AFFAIRS. 

The  creative  Act  made  Elko  the  county  seat,  and 
provided  that  there  should  be  no  election  until  there 
were  a  thousand  voters  in  the  county.  The  first 
Commissioners,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the 
Governor,  took  the  nocessarj-  steps  to  ascertain  the 
number  of  voters;  and  at  their  first  meeting  estab- 
lished nine  voting  precincts.  Registers  were  ap- 
pointed to  take  the  number  of  voters,  and  May  31, 
1800,  they  reported  the  total  number  to  bo  1,097. 

The  Board  thereupon  appointed  June  21,  18G9,  as 
the  day  of  election,  fixed  the  polling-places,  and 
named  the  inspectors  of  election.  There  wore  478 
votes  cast  at  the  first  election.  The  names  of  the 
successful  candidates  at  this  election  will  be  found  in 
the  list  of  county  officers  apjiointed  and  elected. 
The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  ("ompany  jn-osented 
the  county  with  a  block  of  land  upon  which  to 
erect  proper  county  buildings. 

The  Board  of  Commissioners  acceiUed  the  gift 
and  proceeded  to  build  a  Court  House  and  County 
Jail  and  make  such  other  public  improvements  as 


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HISTORY  OF  ELKU  COUNTY. 


885 


were  deemed  essential  to  the  dij^nity  and  honor  of 
the  people  of  a  newlj*  organized  and  rapidly  grow- 
ing county. 

The  Legislatuic  passed  a  law  creating  a  State 
University,  and  left  the  location  of  it  ojjcn  to  the 
competition  of  the  various  counties  of  the  State. 
Elko  was  noted  as  "the  railroad  town"  of  the  State, 
and  her  people  were  anxious  to  make  it  famous  as 
the  seat  of  learning  as  well.  They  therefore  made 
liberal  propositions.  They  offered  to  donate  the 
land  and  erect  the  buildings  and  make  them  a  free 
gift  to  the  State.  This  offer  was  accepted  b}'  the 
State,  and  the  county  expended  §20.000  to  secure 
the  State  University'.  J5onds,  bearing  high  rates  of 
interest,  were  issued  to  pay  for  the  buildings.  Scrip 
was  issued  to  pay  current  expenses  and  over-due 
interest,  until,  in  less  than  four  years  after  the  or- 
ganization, the  county  debt  had  reached  the  enor- 
mous sum  of  SI  12,470,  while  the  entire  population 
was  less  than  3,000.  But  the  steady  increase  of 
population  and  the  factthat  Elko  is  specially  adapted 
to  grazing  and  farming,  has  enabled  the  county,  by 
strict  econom3-  and  good  management  in  later  j'ears, 
to  pay  current  expenses  and  reduce  the  debt  of  the 
county  to  less  than  800,000.  The  population  is  now 
nearlj'  6,000,  and  the  affairs  of  the  county  are  in  a 
healthy  and  prosperous  condition. 

For  a  more  perfect  knowledge  of  the  products  ol 
the  county,  the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation, 
and  the  stock  raised  and  maintained,  reference  may 
be  had  to  the  tables  on  pages  135,  130,  139  and  140 
of  the  general  history  of  the  State.  For  the  bullion 
product  see  table  in  the  later  pages  of  this  work. 

APPOINT.MENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

In  the  following  list  will  be  found  the  names  of  all 
the  county  officers,  with  the  date  of  appointment  or 
election,  from  the  organization  of  the  county  to  the 
present  time: — 

SENATORS. 

J.  B.  Moore,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Cj.  II. 
Shepherd  and  G.  Cohn,  elected  November  3, 1874;  T. 
N.  Stone,  elected  November  7,  1876;  G.  H.  Shepherd, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  J.  B.  Tolloy,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBI.V.MEN. 

J.  A.  Savage  and  J.  \V.  Ellyson,  elected  November 
8,  1870;  H.  C.  Street  and  J.  A.  Savage,  elected 
•  November  5,  1872;  J.  C.  Dow,  H.  II.  Peyton,  E.  Pen- 
rod,  and  F.  J.  Franks,  elected  November  3,  1S74;  G. 
Griswo'd,  J.  B.  Tolley,  and  J.  H.  Moore,  elected 
November  7,  lS7t>;  J.  S.  Mayhugh,  B.  L.  Pliimmer, 
and  S.  M.  Beard,  elected  November  5,  ls7H;  J.  Z. 
Kelly,  O.  H.  Ballinger,  and  James  McBurney,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COM.MISSIONEUS. 

John  Wa88on,M.  P.  Freeman,  and  Sol  Lewis  were 
appointed  County  Commissioners  by  the  Executive, 
March,  1869.  Wasson  resigned  April  29,  1869.  John 
W.  Epley,  and  \V.   M.  Gillispie  were  sworn  in  aa  the 


successors  of  the  first  Board,  May  10,  18G9;  Len. 
Wines,  J.  Pierson,  and  J.  II.Leffingwell  were  elected 
June  21,  1869;  D.  C.  Butterfield,  S.  S.  Sears,  aad  J. 
Marks,  elected  November  8,  1870.  Butterfield 
resigned  September  4,  1871,  and  T.  B.  Henley 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  A.  W.  Gedney  was 
appointed  in  1872.  in  place  of  J.  Marks.  George 
Seitz,  G.  B.  Able,  and  A.  J.  Smith,  elected  November 
5,  1872;  A.  Wiseman  and  John  Hunter,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  Thomas  Holmes  and  F.  E. 
Hughes,  elected  November  7,  1876.  Hughes  became 
non-resident,  and  his  office  was  declared  vacant, 
July,  1878.  S.  S.  Sears  and  R.  M.  Conley,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  F.  Honeyman  and  J.  J.  Camp- 
bell, elected  November  2,  1880. 

H.  P.  Lathro]),  M.  D.,  was  elected  Coroner  June 
21,  1869. 

nrSTIUCT    ATTOUNEVS. 

Wm.  M.  (iillispie,  elected  June  21,  1869;  J.  H. 
Lucas,  elected  November  8, 1870;  J.  H.  Rand,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  II.  C.  Street,  elected  November 
3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  W.  Horsey, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  G.  A.  Kingston,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

J.  B.  Fitch,  elected  June  21,  1869,  re-elected  No- 
vember 8,  1870;  resigned  October  8,  1872,  and  W.  G. 
Craighead,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  H.  H.  Scott, 
elected  November  5,  1872;  H.  W.  Brown,  elected 
November  3,  1874,  E.  L.  Seitz,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  J.  B.  Fitch,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re- 
elected November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

J.  W.  Stainbum  was  appointed  County  Clerk  April 
3,  1869;  Thomas  A.  Waterman,  elected  June  21, 
1869;  H.  H.  Scott,  elected  November  8,  1870;  0.  E. 
Green,  elected  Novembers,  1872,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 3, 1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected, 
November  5,  1878;  A.  G.  Dawlej',  elected  November 
2,  1880. 

COIJNTY    TREASURERS. 

M.  P.  Freeman,  elected  June  21,  1869;  G.  H.  Shep- 
herd, elected  November  8,  1870;  M.  P.  Freeman, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3. 
1874;  J.  11.  Bradley,  elected  November  7,  1876;  H. 
M.  Grant,  elected  November  5,  1878  ;  Thomas  Gib- 
lin,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    ASSESSORS. 

William  G.  Seamands,  elected  June  21,  1869;  H. 
A.  Ilarville,  elected  November  8,  1870.  re-elected 
November  5,  1872;  E.  II.  (Jriswold,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876;  H.  V. 
Mundell,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 

COUNTV    RECIIRDEUS. 

U.T.  llaflord,  elected  June  21.  1869;  F.  A.  Rogers, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876;  S.  M.  Henley,  elected  November  5, 
1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 


386 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS. 

Dr.  M.  V.  Hudson,  elected  June  21,  1869  ;  A. 
Kinkead,  elected  November  S.  1870;  resigned  May 
H,  1872,  and  T.  B.  Henley  appointed  to  fill  vacancj-. 
T.  B.  Henley,  elected  November  5, 1872;  E.  S.  Yeates, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  8.  S.  Sears,  elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876;  T.  W.  Huntington,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1878;  F.  F.  Muller,  elected  November  2, 1880. 

COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

E.  H.  Griswold,  elected  June  21,  1869;  C.  C.  Tracy, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  reelected  November  5, 
1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874;  R.  M.  Catlin, 
elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5, 
1878;  J.  C.  Smyles,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

H.  J.  Cady,  elected  June  21,  18G9;  H.  Ward,  elected 
November  8,  1870,  failed  to  cjualify,  and  fl.  C.  Street 
was  appointed  May  6,  1872;  L.  Terry,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872,  became  non-resident,  and  Charles  E. 
Abbott  was  appointed  November  3,  1873,  to  fill 
vacancy;  C.  C.  Melius,  elected  Novembers,  1874;  N. 
F.  Peterson,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Isaac 
Gates,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Isaac  Syoc,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

ELKO   GRANGE,    NO.  9, 

Was  organized  at  Elko,  in  1875,  with  twenty-four 
charter  members.  .  The  first  oflBcers  were  J.  A. 
Tinker,  Master;  E.  Burner,  Overseer;  G.  W.  Lit- 
ton, Steward;  J.  F.  Burner,  Lecturer;  E.  S.  Yeates, 
Chaplain;  J.  Hunter,  Treasurer;  J.  L.  Keyser,  Sec-' 
retary;  H.  Tuttle,  Gatekeeper;  Mrs.  G.  Litton,  Ceres; 
Mrs.  A.  C.  Tinker,  Pomona;  Miss  M.  Yeates,  Flora; 
T.  Hunter,  Assistant  Steward;  Mrs.  H.  Tuttle,  Lady 
Assistant  Steward. 

The  largest  membership  at  any  one  time  was 
eighty-one,  and  a  very  little  decrease  is  reported  at 
the  present  time,  the  books  showing  seventy-five 
members  in  good  standing.  Their  financial  condi- 
tion is  good,  though  a  little  in  debt,  they  having  a 
brick  building,  worth  $800.  The  present  officers 
are  J.  A.  Tinker,  M.;  J.  Brain,  O.;  G.  \V.  Litton,  S.; 
E.  Burns,  L.;  Mrs.  L.  M.  Hunter,  C;  Mrs.  G.  W. 
Litton,  T.;  Miss  N.  Tinker,  Sec;  J.  Yeates, G.;  Mrs. 
E.  Littlepen,  C;  Miss  F.  Kinnerson'  P.;  Miss  E. 
Glide,  F.;  J.  Dencor,  A.  S.;  Miss  E.  Litton,  L.  A.  S 

VALLEYS   OP   THE   COUNTY. 

Clover  Valley  lies  between  the  Spruce  and  Ruby 
Mountains  on  the  west,  and  the  Steptoe  range  of 
mountains  on  the  east,  and  is  about  thirty-five  miles 
long  by  twenty  miles  wide  on  an  average,  its  general 
direction  being  north  and  south.  In  some  places  it 
widens  out  to  a  distance  nearly'  equal  to  its  length, 
and  then  gradually  narrows  up  to  about  ten  miles, 
giving  it  a  picturesque  ap]>earnnce,  when  viewed 
from  the  surrounding  mountain  tojis.  Warm  Creek, 
so  called,  winds  its  way  in  a  serpentine  manner  from 
north  to  south,  receiving  additional  waters  from  no 
less  than   twenty  smaller  streams  that  rise  in   the 


mountains  and  empty  into  it.  There  are  numerous 
springs,  also,  that  contribute  to  the  waters  of  the 
main  stream.  These  small  creeks  are  named  after 
the  different  ranchers  through  whose  lands  they  flow. 

The  earlj'  settlement  of  the  valley,  according  to 
statistics  from  F.  Honeyman,  was  by  a  number  of 
United  States  army  officers,  who  conceived  the  idea 
of  doing  a  litilc  ranching  in  connection  with  their 
official  duties.  In  1864,  Captain  Thurstin,  Lieuten- 
ant Tolls  and  Doctor  Long  settled  on  the  ranch  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Honeyman,  at  the  south  end  of  the 
main  settlement.  After  one  year's  experience,  these 
gentlemen  sold  their  interests  to  George  Brumfield, 
a  discharged  private  soldier,  and  he  remained  in 
possession  until  1869,  when  he  sold  the  claim  to  Mr. 
Honeyman,  who  owned  the  adjoining  ranch,  and 
who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  he  having  a 
claim  and  men  at  work  for  himi  as  early  as  1864. 
He  settled  permanentlj'  there  in  1866.  In  1868,  the 
valley  commenced  to  receive  settlers,  and  during  the 
succeeding  three  years  the  population  increased 
very  rapidly. 

An  abundance  of  wood  is  found  in  the  mountain 
ranges  on  both  sides  of  the  valley,  consisting  of 
mountain  mahogany,  pine,  cedar  and  quaking- 
aspen,  with  an  occasional  spruce  or  fir  on  the  east- 
ern side. 

The  main  settlement  is  in  the  northwest  portion 
of  the  valley,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  town  of 
Humboldt  Wells,  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad, 
and  thirty-one  miles  from  Sjjrucc  Mountain  Mining 
District.  The  railroad  company  own  ever}'  odd 
section  of  land  in  the  whole  valley,  and  have  sold 
comparatively  little. 

The  land  being  well  watered,  agricultural  pur- 
suits are  a  prominent  feature.  Oats  and  barley  are 
extensively  raised,  about  23,000  sacks  being  the 
result  of  the  crop  of  1880,  also  considerable  wheat 
and  a  large  amount  of  vegetables.  There  are  about 
6,000  head  of  cattle,  owned  bj'  the  settlers,  that  find 
good  pasturage,  and  in  the  winter  a  groat  many  are 
driven  into  the  valley  to  roam  at  will  during  the 
cold  weather,  it  being  sheltered  by  the  high  ranges 
of  mountains.  It  is  second  to  none  of  the  winter- 
grazing  ranges.  Over  3,000  head  were  driven  to  this 
locality  during  the  winter  of  1880.  During  an 
unusuallj-  cold  snap  in  1880  the  frost  touched  the 
crops  slightly  for  the  first  time.  The  valley  has  also 
been  visited  b  y  crickets,  but  the  damage  done  by 
them  was  very  slight. 

The  present  population  is  about  125,  of  whom 
fortj'-tliree  are  voters.  In  the  spring  of  1872  a 
public  school  was  started,  and  is  kept  about  eight 
months  in  the  year. 

The  Indians  have  a  ranch  and  cultivate  about 
fifty  acres,  princi])allj'  in  roots,  there  being  about 
half  a  hundred  of  them  in  all,  including  squaws  and 
papooses.  The  bucks  also  work  for  the  settlers,  at 
one  dollar  per  day. 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY 


n87 


The   subject   of  this   sketch,  was   born  in    Leitrim 
County,  Ireland,  in  1833.     At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  he  emigrated  to  the  United   States  and  settled 
in  the  citj'  of  New  York,  where   he  remained  until 
185G,engai,'ed  in  a  dyeing  establishment  during  most 
of  the  time.     In  the  last-named  year  he   came  to 
Califoi'nia  \ty  the  Nicaragua  route.     Arriving  in  the 
land  of  gold,  he  sought  his  fortune  in  the  mines,  and 
after  one  year's  experience  on  the  main  Yuba  River, 
he  went    to   Oregon,  where  ho  engaged  in  farming. 
From  there  he  went  to  Washington    Territory,  and 
again  took  up  the  pursuit  of  mining,  and  remained 
until    1861,  when  he  returned  to  California.      The 
Rebellion  breaking  out  about  that  time,  he  was  one 
of  the  first  to  enlist  in    the  defense  of  his  adopted 
country,  joining  the  Third  California  Infantrj' Reg- 
iment, under  Colonel  Connor,  as  a  private,  in  which 
'  capacity    he  served    his   country  only  two  months, 
being  elected  Second  Lieutenant  during  that  time. 
His  regiment    was  ordered  to  Utah,  where  he  was 
kept  until  the  close  of  the  war,  having  re-enlisted  as 
a  veteran   in  the  meantime.     During  his  four  j-ear's 
service  he  commanded  a    battery  of  light  artiilerj- 
most  of  the  time.     At  the  close  of  the   war  be  was 
mustered  out  of  sjrviee,  and  came  to    Nevada,  set- 
tling in   Clover  Valley,    Elko   County,    his   present 
location,  where   he    has   since   resided,  engaged   in 
farming   and   stock-raising.     His  ranch  is  situated 
eighteen  miles  south  of  Humboldt  Wells. 


»IB 


PHOTO  BY  LOUIS  MONACO.  EUREKA.  NEV. 

/ohi  C.    IVood 

Was  born  on  the  twelfth  of  Januarj',  1829,  near  Rose- 
ville,  Parke  County,  Indiima.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen he  went  to  the  State  of  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  until  1850,  when  he  came  to  California  by 
way  of  the  plains.  The  haps  and  mishaps  incident 
to  such  a  trip  were  passed  in  safety,  and  upon  reach- 
ing the  Pacific  Const  he  entered  the  usual  field  of 
labor,  that  of  mining,  which  occupation  he  followed 
in  Calaveras  County  for  five  years,  al  Angel's  Camp 
and  other  places.  In  1855  he  went  to  San  Joaquin 
County,  where  he  remained  until  1859,  when  he 
removed  to  the  State  of  Iowa.  In  18()2  he  returned 
to  California,  and  one  year  later  came  to  Carson  City, 
Ormsby  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business,  remaining  until  the  j-car  ISfiO.  Soon  after 
the  excitement  upon  the  discovery  of  the  mines  in 
White  Pine  County  broke  out,  ho  went  to  Hamilton, 
in  that  county,  thence  to  Eureka,  thence  to  Spruce 
Mountain,  and  in  the  fall  of  1^7(1  located  at  Clover 
Yalley,  Elko  County,  where  he  has  since  resided, 
extensivclj-  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
his  ranch  containing  4S(l  acres.  During  the  past  two 
years  he  has  handled  large  quantities  of  grain  with 
good  success.  In  185()  he  was  married  in  San  Joaquin 
County,  California,  to  Miss  Eliza  Webb,  a  native  of 
Tennessee.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  three 
children,  onlj-  one  being  alive  at  the  present  time,  a 
daughter,  married.  On  the  twentieth  of  April,  1859, 
his  wife  died.  During  his  sojourn  in  Iowa,  he  again 
entered  the  connubial  state,  being  married  to  Miss 
Jeannette  Simons,  at  Lebanon,  Van  Buren  County, 
on  the  twenty-first  of  October,  1860.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing— two  boys  and  two  girls. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Huntingdon  Valley  is  another  fine  tract,  and  is 
twenty-five  to  thirty  miles  in  length,  and  an  average 
width  of  ten  miles,  running  from  the  extreme 
southern  line  of  the  county  northerly  to  .the  junction 
of  Huntingdon  Creek  with  the  south  fork  of  the 
Humboldt  River,  the  former  stream,  which  affords 
ample  irrigating  facilities,  running  entirely  through 
it.  Many  fine  farms  are  here  cultivated,  large  num- 
bers of  stock  are  raised  and  fattened  for  market,  and 
general  thrift  is  indicated  by  the  homelike  and  sub- 
stantial improvements  of  its  inhabitants.  Diamond 
Range  lies  upon  its  western  side,  and  the  east  Hum- 
boldt Range  upon  the  east,  from  the  latter  of  which 
many  small  streams,  as  Smith  and  Twin  Creeks,  put 
down  into  the  valley  and  join  Huntingdon  Creek 
toward  the  west. 

iNDEPr.-NDKXCE  Valley  lies  about  fifty  miles  north 
of  the  town  of  Elko,  between  the  Tuscarora  Mount- 
ains on  ihe  west,  and  Jack  Creek  range  of  mount- 
ains on  the  east,  and  is  about  twenty-five  miles  long, 
by  eight  miles  in  width,  being  in  the  shape  of  a 
quarter  moon.  The  south  fork  of  the  Owyhee  River 
traverses  the  valley  from  east  to  west,  or  nearly  so. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  water,  many  small  creeks 
rising  in  the  mountains  and  swelling  the  main  stream. 
This  valley'  was  discovered  by  a  scouting  party  of 
United  States  soldiers,  and  derived  its  name  from 
having  been  first  seen  bj'  them  on  the  fourth  of  July. 
Along  the  river  are  beautiful  meadows  that  widen 
out  in  some  places  to  three  miles,  which  produce 
thousands  of  tons  of  hay.  Lying  at  an  altitude  of 
7,0(t0  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  grain  docs  not 
grow  as  well  as  could  be  wished,  though  it  is  raised 
to  some  extent.  The  land  is  used  principally  for 
grazing  purposes,  only  about  300  acres  beingdevoted 
to  agriculture,  most  of  which  lies  in  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  valle}'.  Wood  is  found  in  the  gulches  in 
limited  quantities,  but  in  the  Jack  Creek  range,  on 
the  east,  there  is  plenty  of  timber,  and  a  saw-mill  is 
established  on  the  creek  by  that  name,  whence 
come  the  mining  timbers  for  the  Tuscarora  silver 
mines.  About  forty  men  are  constantly  employed  in 
the  lumbering  business  at  this  mill. 

Old  Tuscarora,  a  deserted  town,  lies  on  the  north 
side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Owyhee  River,  about 
two  and  one-half  miles  southwesterly  from  the 
present  town  of  that  name.  The  road  from  Elko, 
Carlin  and  Battle  Mountain  passes  through  this  val- 
ley to  Tuscarora. 

There  is  a  school  district  established  and  a  school 
bouse  eroeted  at  the  creek.  The  placer  mines  in  the 
valley  on  McCan  Creek,  are  still  worked  b}*  China- 
men in  the  spring  of  the  year,  when  there  is  plenty 
of  water.  Stock-raising  is  engaged  in  to  a  consider- 
able extent,  there  being  about  15,000  cattle  and  3,000 
horses  that  find  ])aHturage  in  the  mountains  and  along 
the  streams.  There  are  sixt}'  voters  and  about 
twenty  women  and  children  inhabiting  this  valley, 
and  some  of  the  residences  would  do  honor  to  a 
modern  city. 


Lejioille  Vallev,  though  smaller  than  some 
others,  compares  very  favorablj'  with  its  larger 
neighbors  in  man}-  respects.  Beginning  at  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Ruby  range  of  mountains  it  widens  out 
at  the  Humboldt  River,  its  course  being  about  north 
and  south,  is  about  fifteen  miles  long  by  four  miles 
in  width  on  an  average,  and  is  situated  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  town  of  Elko. 

The  first  settlers  were  John  Walker,  Thomas  A. 
Waterman  and McClain,  who  came  from  Aus- 
tin in  1804  and  located  in  this  valley.  Xone  of  the 
gentlemen  are  residents  of  the  place  at  the  present 
time,^the  last  one  moving  awaj-  in  1875.  The  water 
supply  is  unlimited;  Lemoille,  Bowlder  and  Salt 
Creeks  traverse  the  valley  and  empty  into  the  Hum- 
boldt River.  On  the  banks  of  these  streams  grow 
Cottonwood  and  quaking-aspen,  and  in  the  mountains 
are  to  be  found  the  usual  mahogany  and  piflon  or 
nut  pine.  One-half  of  the  valley  is  the  property  of 
the  Central  i'acific  Railroad  Company. 

Frost  has  twice  played  sad  havoc  with  the  crops, 
principally  on  the  lowlands  bordering  on  the  streams. 
Wheat  and  barley  are  raised  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  some  of  the  finest  potatoes  produced  in  the 
State  come  from  this  section.  Unlike  many  other 
localities,  it  has  never  been  troubled  by  that  scourge 
in  the  shape  of  crickets  that  have  found  their  way 
into  the  county.  The  nearest  mioing  is  in  Railroad 
District. 

In  1876  a  school  was  established  that  has  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  about  thirty-five  scholars.  The 
]>ost-otlice  was  established  in   1880. 

As  a  stock-raising  section  it  is  a  success,  being 
well  watered,  and  the  surrounding  country  covered 
with  nutritious  grasses.  In  connection  with  the 
business,  a  curious  incident  took  place  in  1871. 
Thomas  Atkinson  owned  a  band  of  sheep,  twenty- 
five  of  which  were  herded  and  driven  oft'  by  a  mount- 
ain ''luK-k,"  or  Rooky  .Mountain  sheep,  that  was 
finallj-  killed  by  John  Walker. 

Instances  have  beert  authenticated  in  the  State  of 
singular  hybridizing  of  domestic  and  wild  stock.  J. 
J.  O'Doughertj^,  of  Egan  Canon,  had  a  small  flock 
of  sheep,  of  perhaps  thirty  ewes,  in  1867,  several  of 
which  had  hybrid  lambs.  Two  of  them  resembled 
antelope,  in  that  they  were  akin  to  the  young  of 
that  animal  in  color,  and  had  sharp,  straight,  spike 
horns,  projecting  backward  some  five  or  six  inches 
long,  when  not  more  than  three  months  old.  Another 
resembled  the  common  black-tailed  deer  more  than 
it  did  the  family  to  which  the  dam  belonged.  Still 
another  was  of  a  dingy  white,  with  long  forelegs, 
and  shorter  hind  ones,  the  elevated  muzzle  and 
watchful  jdisposition  of  the  ovis  montatui,  or  big- 
horned  mountain  sheep.  The  ewes,  with  other 
sheep,  had  been  purchased  from  a  drove  that  came 
from  New  Mexico  a  year  and  a  half  before,  and  as 
they  were  desired  entirely  for  mutton,  were  not 
permitted  to  breed,  all  the  bucks  having  been  killed 
oflf.     In  the  fall  of  1868  these  ewes  hod  strayed  off, 


■-V 


11  M- 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


3S9 


and  were  lost  sight  of  for  many  months,  the  owner 
never  expecting  to  see  thom  again.  An  Indian 
came  one  day  and  reported  having  seen  them  upon 
a  certain  mountain,  some  twenty  miles  awaj'.  The 
owner  sought  them,  and  succeeded  in  getting  them 
home.  They  had  been  in  an  isolated  place  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  animals  of  their  own  kind. 
After  they  had  been  home  about  two  months  their 
owner  was  astonished  to  find  that  several  of  them 
had  dropped  lambs  of  the  character  above  described. 
Offers  to  purchase  the  hybrids  at  a  fanej'  price  wore 
refused  by  the  owner,  who  declared  it  his  intention 
to  send  them  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  at 
Washington,  as  curiosities  in  nature.  But  this  in- 
tention was  frustrated  by  the  death  of  the  animals, 
which  occurred  before  any  of  them  became  ten 
months  old. 

iloiND  Valley  is  situated  thirtj-  miles  south  of 
Elko  and  seventy  miles  northeast  of  Eureka,  with 
the  Rubj'  Mountains  on  the  east  and  the  Pine  Valley 
range  on  the  west,  is  five  miles  long  and  one  and  a 
half  wide,  taking  the  same  direction  as  Smith's  Creek, 
which  runs  through  it  from  northeast  to  southwest. 
W.  M.  Kennedy  claims  to  have  been  the  first  settler  in 
1861.  Governor  Bradley  came  into  the  valley  the 
same  year  with  stock,  but  remained  onl}^  a  short 
time.  Kennedy  located  on  Smith's  Creek,  and  named 
the  valley  from  a  mound  that  was  near  his  location. 
In  former  years  the  frosts  have  injured  the  grain  a 
little,  but  not  lately.  Water  from  the  mountains  is 
l)lentiful  in  the  spring,  and  wood  is  obtained  from 
the  Kuby  ilountains. 

I'r.E.\s.\NT  V.ALI.EY  is  one  of  the  smallest  in  the 
count}',  being  about  four  miles  square,  but  is  in  a 
fine  location  and  is  wonderfull)'  prosperous.  Accord- 
ing to  the  information  imjiarted  b}'  Mr.  II.  A. 
Youngs,  the  first  settlers  were  Frank  Williams  and 
(xeorge  Seitz,  who  anchored  there  as  early  as  1868, 
neither  of  whom  are  at  present  residents  of  the 
place.  The  valley  heads  in  the  Iluby  range  of 
mountains,  ami  runs  about  northeast,  and  is  well  i 
watered  from  the  several  creeks  which  flow  through 
it.  The  whole  area  of  the  valley  is  made  to  1)0  pro- 
ductive, nearly  all  of  it  being  under  cultivation. 
(Jrain  is  the  principal  product,  and  about  1,500  tons 
was  the  total  of  the  crop  of  1880.  One-half  the  val- 
ley is  the  property  of  the  railroad  company,  but  is 
nevertheless  settled  upon.  In  1877  the  grain  was 
injured  to  some  extent  by  the  crickets  that  found 
their  way  into  the  valley  from  the  distant  north. 
Smut  has  once  or  twice  visited  the  valley,  but  has 
not  done  much  damage. 

Nearly  all  of  the  original  log  cabins  are  replaced 
by  frame  houses,  which  give  the  valley  a  fine  appear- 
ance. The  land  is  well  fenced.  Pleasant  Valley 
School  District  is  located  here,  having  a  school  house, 
with  improved  furniture,  and  an  average  attendance 
of  fifteen  scholars.  The  inhabitants  number  about 
sixty,  of  whom  thirty-six  are  voters.  Wood- is  ob- 
tained from  the  mountains.  Cedar  lumber  is  found 
49 


in   the  South    Fork  range,  which  divides  the  South 
Fork  and  Pleasant  \'allej-. 

Jfr.  Youngs  became  a  resident  of  this  valley  in 
1871,  and  it  was  upon  the  ranch  now  owned  by  him 
that  the  leaders  in  the  great  car  robberj'  in  1870 
lived,  purporting  to  be  ranchers.  A  detailed  account 
of  this  daring  robberj-  will  be  found  elsewhere. 

HrBV  Vallky  lios  east  of  the  range  of  mountains 
bearing  the  same  name,  beginning  about  eight  miles 
south  of  the  old  overland  stage  road.  It  is  about 
seventj^  miles  in  length  by  about  sixteen  in  width, 
and  is  (me  of  the  most  fertile  sections  in  Elko 
County.  The  general  direction  of  the  valley  is 
nearlj-  north  and  south,  narrowing  at  both  ends, 
making  it  a  grand  corral.  It  is  well  watered  by 
the  many  streams  which  rise  in  the  mountains  and 
flow  through  it,  and  for  a  distance  of  over  fifty 
miles  are  numerous  ranches  that  are  irrigated  there- 
from. The  eastern  side  of  the  valley  looks  dry  and 
barren  when  compared  with  the  beautiful  green, 
cultivated  fields  on  the  western  side.  Xear  the 
center  are  two  beautiful  lakes,  called  Franklin  and 
RubJ^  the  former  ten  miles  long  by  four  wide,  and 
the  latter  twelve  miles  long  by  three  wide,  including 
the  tules  that  grow  around  its  shores. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  valley  grows  the  pifion,  a 
species  of  timber  found  in  nearly  all  the  mountain 
ranges.  The  Ruby  Mountains  are  generally  des- 
titute of  timber,  but  on  the  high  elevations  j-ellow 
pine  is  found,  though  difficult  of  access.  Along  the 
streams  grows  a  sufficient  ijuantity  of  cottonwood 
for  all  purposes  of  the  settlers.  Everj-thing  con- 
sidered, this  is  one  of  the  finest  valleys  in  the  State 
of  Nevada. 

According  to  the  information  so  kindly  furnished 
by  Col.  J.  B.  Moore  and  E.  II.  Griswoid,  the  honor  of 
first  settlement  is  given  to  William  Rogers — known 
as  "  Uncle  Billy" — who  arrived  there  as  earlj-  as  1859. 
in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  Indian  Agent,  for 
the  pur|K)so  of  selecting  a  reservation  for  the  Sho- 
shone Indians.  His  selection  was  a  part  of  what 
was  afterward  known  as  the  Overland  Farm  The 
Government  did  not  a])prove  the  selection,  however, 
but  Uncle  Billy  built  a  cabin  and  put  in  a  small 
patch  of  grain,  and  planted  some  vegetables  near  the 
center  of  the  valley,  thus  demonstrating  the  fact 
that  the  land  was  capable  of  being  made  productive. 

In  1S()1  the  Overland  .Mail  and  Telegraph  Com- 
]ianys  established  stations  at  the  south  end  of  the 
valley.  In  1S(!2  Colonel  P.  E.  Connor,  established 
Camp  Ruby,  while  ««  route  for  Salt  Lake,  Utah, 
leaving  two  com])anies  of  the  Third  California 
\'olunleor  Infantry,  under  command  of  .Maj.  P.  A. 
(Jallager,  who  was  succeeded  in  1863  by  Lieut,  Col. 
.1.  B.  Moore,  who  hehl  command  of  the  post  until 
the  fall  of  1804,  when  Cajjt.  (J.  II.  Thurstin,  with  a 
j)ortion  of  the  Nevada  battalion,  took  command.  In 
1800  the  camjt  was  abandoned,  and  the  troops  were 
removed  to  Fort  Ilalleck. 


390 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  1865  the  Overland  Mail  Company  becoming 
tired  of  paying  the  exorbitant  prices  demanded  by 
the  Mormons  for  barley  and  oats,  concluded  to  raise 
grain  for  their  own  use,  and  accordingly  put  in  about 
1,000  acres  in  Kuby  Valley.  Their  experiment 
proving  a  success,  others  entered  into  the  same  pur- 
suits, and  this  was  the  pioneer  grain  country  of 
eastern  Nevada.  All  the  supplies  for  the  company 
were  raised  there  until  the  line  was  drawn  oft'  in 
18G0.  upon  the  completion  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Eailroad. 

Col.  J.  B.  -Moore  and  Lieut.  K.  Gilman  had 
raised  grain  and  vegetables  the  previous  year, 
though  not  in  great  quantities.  There  was  a  grist- 
mill built  in  1867  by  C.  A.  Griswold  and  Samuel 
Woodward,  on  the  overland  farm,  with  two  runs  of 
stone.  They  also  built  a  saw-mill  during  the  same 
year  on  Cave  Creek.  Both  these  mills  were  run  by 
water.  This  was  the  onlj^  saw-mill  ever  built  in  the 
valley,  and  is  still  standing,  there  being  but  one 
other  in  the  county  of  Elko. 


Col.  J.  B.  Moore. 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Piermont,  Grafton  County, 
New  Hampshire,  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  October, 
1828.  He  remained  there  until  1840,  and  during 
that  time  received  a  limited  education,  such  as  can 
be  obtained  in  the  common  schools,  lu  the  last- 
named  year  be  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  cast  his  first  vote  for  President  James  K.  Polk. 
In  1846  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Alassaehusetts  Regi- 
ment of  Volunieers,  and  served  through  the  Mexi- 
can War.  (jame  to  California  in  18.52,  where  he 
served  seven  consecutive  years  on  the  San  Francisco 
police  force.  In  1861,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion,  he  raised  a  company  of  volunteers  for  the 
Third  Regiment,  of  which  ho  was  elected  Captain. 
In  the  month  of  October  of  the  same  year  he  was 


promoted  to  be  Lieutenant  Colonel.  In  1863  he 
came  to  Nevada,  and  commanded  Camp  Ruby,  also 
Camp  Douglas,  in  Utah;  and  was  discharged  in  the 
month  of  January,  1865,  at  his  own  request.  Set- 
tling in  liubj'  N'alley,  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  still  resides  in  the  valley.  He 
raised  the  first  grain  in  Elko  Countj'.  In  18G9  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  on  the  Republican  ticket 
by  a  majority  of  only  one  vote,  against  a  Democratic 
majoritj'  of  150  in  the  county.  Served  in  the  fifth  and 
sixth  sessions.  In  1876  was  elected  to  the  Assembly, 
being  the  only  Republican  elected  in  the  county.  Was 
Deputy  Warden  of  the  State  Prison  in  1879,  and 
has  held  numerous  positions  of  trust  in  the  county. 
The  Colonel  still  continues  in  single  blessedness. 

WILLIAM    MYERS 

Was  born  in  Herkimer  Count}',  New  York  State, 
September  28,  1839,  where  he  lived  until  the  fall  of 
1858.  He  then  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast  by  way  of 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  settled  in  Contra  Costa 


IVm.  Myers. 


County,  California.  He  afterwards  lived  in  various 
parts  of  that  State  until  the  j'ear  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Third  Infantry  California 
Volunteers,  Col.  P.  Edward  Connor,  commanding. 
July  12,  1862,  the  regiment  left  California  and  was 
stationed  in  Utah,  whore  it  was  engaged  in  fighting 
Indians  part  of  the  time.  Ho  held  the  office  of  Com- 
missary Sergeant  of  the  Regiment  for  one  year  and 
was  then  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant  of  Company 
E.  After  about  three  years'  service  he  resigned  and 
came  to  Nevada,  settling  in  Kuby  Valley,  Elko 
County,  his  present  location,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  has  a  ranch  containing  640  acres,  and 
is  quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising  as  well 
as  being  a  good  farmer.     In  politics  Mr.  Myers  is  a 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


391 


strong  and  consistent  l{o|)ubli(.'an.  Was  married 
March  17, 18i!9,  to  Miss  Lottie  Mangus,  at  Horkimor, 
New  York  State.  They  have  two  children  named 
Ruby  and  Mabel,  aged  respectively  nine  and  four 
years. 

Silver  t?REEK  Valley  heads  in  the  Bull  Run 
Mountains,  and  runs  east  and  west,  being  about  twelve 
miles  in  length  and  has  an  average  width  of  eight 
miles,  lying  about  twentj-  miles  south  of  the  Idaho 
boundary.  It  is  strictlj'  an  agricultural  section,  being 
well  watered  bj*  several  creeks,  among  which  are 
White  Rock  and  Bull  Run,  that  flow  west  and  empty 
into  the  south  fork  of  the  Owyhee  River.  About  four 
thousand  acres  have  been  broken  up  and  seeded  to 
grain  and  grass.  Land  under  fence  is  valued  at  five 
dollar.s  |>er  acre.  The  present  population  as  ]ier 
census  of  1880  is  seventy-four. 

South  Kork  Valley  beads  in  the  J?uby,  or  East 
Humboldt,  range  of  mountains,  lying  between  them 
and  the  Inskipt  Mountains,  and  runs  nearly  east  and 
west.  Its  length  is  about  fifteen  miles  by  one-half 
mile  in  width  on  the  average,  and  is  nearly-  all  fenced 
and  under  good  cultivation.  The  upper  end  is  de- 
voted to  agriculture  while  the  lower  end  is  used  as  a 
grazing  range  for  the  thousands  of  cattle  that  find 
pasturage  upon  the  nutritious  grasses  that  grow  in 
abundance  upon  the  mountain  slopes.  The  valley 
terminates  in  a  cafion  on  the  ranch  of  W.  A.  Shep- 
herd, the  gorge  stretching  away  for  twelve  miles  to 
the  Humboldt  River.  The  scenery  through  this 
cafion  is  magnificent,  and  would  well  i-epay  the 
tourist  for  his  trouble  in  visiting  this  locality  in 
beholding  this  grand  upheaval  of  nature.  The 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  owns  a  portion 
of  this  valley,  although  it  is  nearly  all  occupied 
by  the  settlers.  Grain  is  the  principal  product, 
though  the  frost  sometimes  happens  along  at  a 
time  when  it  is  of  no  benefit  to  the  ranchers. 
The  crop  is  seldom  a  failure,  however.  Fruit  does 
not  thrive,  but  berries,  such  as  strawberries,  goose- 
berries, etc.,  arc  a  success.  Melons  are  also  raised  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  valley. 

The  old  Hamilton  and  Eureka  road  passes  through 
the  valley,  which  lies  directly  south  of  the  town  of 
Elko,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles.  (Jottonwood  grows 
in  abundance  from  the  ranch  of  G.  H.  Shepherd,  to 
the  head  of  the  valley,  a  distance  of  some  ton  miles. 

According  to  information  received  from  the  last- 
named  gentleman,  the  first  settlers  were  John  Rich- 
ardson, T.  Chandler,  W.  A.  Tucker,  Robert  Toller 
and  \V.  T.  Crane,  who  arrived  and  anchored  there 
in  18G7,  in  the  spring.  G.  II.  Shepherd  arrived  in 
18C8,  and  W.  A.  Shepherd  came  in  1871. 

The  population  at  this  time  does  not  exceed  seven- 
ty-five, and  about  thirty-five  votes  are  polled.  A  fine 
school  house  adorns  the  settlement,  and  two  schools 
are  maintained. 

W.  T.  CRANE 

la  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  in  the  year 
1829,  in  Green  County,   whore  he  passed  his  boy- 


PHOTO.  BY  TOGO.  SACRAMENTO,   CAL. 

IV.  T.  Crane. 

hood  days  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  1845  he 
went  to  Illinois,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until  ho 
came  to  the  State  of  Nevada,  in  1808.  He  first  set- 
tled in  Austin,  Lander  County,  adding  stock-raising 
to  his  former  business,  in  which  he  has  been  success- 
ful. In  1867  he  moved  to  his  present  location.  South 
Fork  Valley,  Elko  County,  where  he  has  since 
resided,  engaged  in  the  same  business.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  Postmaster  at  Coral  Hill,  also  that  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  On  the  first  of  January,  1857, 
he  was  married  to  KlizaWallace,  a  native  of  Sangamon 
County,  Illinois,  their  union  proving  fruitful,  eleven 
children  having  been  born  to  them,  ten  of  whom  are 
now  living.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the 
children,  and  the  date  of  their  birth: — 

Geo.  W.  W.,  born  January  o,  1858;  Jessie  Rae, 
born  March  2G,  1800;  Knox  A.,  born  November  1(5, 
1861;  Mary  E,  born  April  18,  1865;  Lizzie  L.,  born 
January  28,  1867;  Henry  Shepherd,  born  February 
14,  186!l;  Emma  Francos,  born  January  2S,  1871; 
Charles  Humboldt,  born  December  20,  1872;  Andrew 
li.,  born  May  15,  1875;  Jennie  B.,  born  October  27, 
1877;  James  M.,  born  .May  11,  1879.  Jessie  Rao,  the 
second  child,  died  August  6,  1861. 

Star  Valley  heads  in  the  Rubj-  range  of  mountains, 
its  general  direction  being  north  and  south — is  about 
twelve  miles  in  length  with  an  average  width  of 
eight  miles,  and  lies  twenty  miles  southwest  from 
the  town  of  Wells.  There  is  an  abundance  of  water 
flowing  through  the  valley,  the  principal  creeks 
being  Herders,  Arikler,  Deering  and  Boulder,  which 
rise  in    the    Rub}^    range    and  traverse  the   valley, 


392 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  ranchers.  Wood 
is  procured  from  the  mountains,  consisting  of  mount- 
ain mahogany,  yellow  pine  and  aspen.  Barley  is 
the  principal  grain  jiroduct,  though  wheat  and  oats 
are  raised  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  frost  has 
never  injured  the  crops,  with  the  exception  of  one 
season.  Crickets  have  made  their  appearance,  but 
have  never  seriously  injured  the  grain.  Stock-rais- 
ing is  a  prominent  feature  in  this  locality,  the  cattle 
finding  excellent  pasturage  along  the  streams  and 
on  "the  neighboring  mountain  slopes. 

A  public  school  was  established  in  187G,  which 
has  an  average  attendance  of  sixteen  pupils.  The 
school  building,  which  was  erected  in  the  latter  year, 
is  an  ornament  to  the  section,  and  would  do  justice 
to  any  ordinary  city.  The  building  and  furniture 
cost  SI, 250.  When  the  small  number  of  population 
is  considered — only  about  150,  with  twenty-five 
voters — this  institution  reflects  great  credit  upon  the 
little  band  of  pioneers,  who,  isolated  as  they  are, 
desire  to  give  the  young  a  chance  for  an  education. 
The  nearest  post-office  to  this  place  is  at  Deeth's 
Station,  on  the  Central  Pacific  itailroad. 

Thousand  Spring  Valley,  at  the  source  of  the 
Humboldt  River,  is  another  great  grazing  section, 
and  largo  quantities  of  hay  are  here  yearly  cut. 
This  place  in  former  times  was  a  goal  toward  which 
the  weary  emigrant  hopefully  plodded,  knowing 
that  if  once  reached  his  foot-worn  and  emaciated 
cattle  could  speedily  recruit.  The  valley  receives 
its  name  from  innumerable  springs — some  of  cold, 
some  of  warm  and  others  of  mineral  water.  On 
the  northeast  are  the  Goose  Creek  Mountains,  and 
the  canon  of  the  Humboldt  affords  egress  to  its 
waters  at  the  southwest.  To  the  northward  is  a 
high  plateau,  also  abounding  in  springs,  in  which 
heads  the  many  creeks  and  tributaries  of  Snake 
River,  whose  waters  flow  into  the  Columbia  and 
thence  to  the  Pacific.  Notwithstanding  its  eleva- 
tion, there  is  no  barrenness  ;  it  abounds  in  forage 
throughout  valley  and  hill,  offering  superior  induce- 
ments to  stock-raisers. 

PRINCIPAL    .MINING    DISTRICTS. 

ALABA.MA  Dlstrict  lies  forty  miles  north  of  Hum- 
boldt Wells,  and  was  discovered  in  1871  by  Messrs. 
Noll  and  Slack.  Several  locations  were  made,  but 
only  a  small  amount  of  work  has  ever  been  done 
in  the  district.  A  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of 
fifty  feet,  which  disclosed  a  vein  of  considerable 
thickness.  Water  caused  a  cessation  of  work.  Some 
of  the  ore  taken  out  was  shipped  to  Winnemucca, 
and  worked  there.     The  Dayton  is  the  chief  mine. 

Aurora  District  was  discovered  in  December. 
1875,  at  which  time  its  organization  took  place,  and 
several  locations  were  made.  A  code  of  laws  was 
adopted  in  regard  to  the  water  privileges,  locations, 
etc.  Wood  and  water  are  found  in  abundance  in 
close  proximity  to  the  mines.  Developments  arc  in 
order;  the  indications  are  fair. 


Bruneau  District  is  situated  about  two  miles 
from  Island  Mountain  District,  and  is,  therefore, 
about  seventy-five  miles  north  of  Elko.  It  was 
formerly  known  as  the  W^^oming.  Limestone, 
granite,  sla*,e,  and  quartzite'are  the  prevailing  rock 
formations,  and  the  ore  found  here  is  comparatively 
rich.  Wood  and  water  are  found  in  abundance  in 
convenient  distances,  making  the  facilities  for  min- 
ing exceedingly  good.  The  Mordis  is  the  principal 
mining  company.  Their  prospects  were  good,  but  for 
undefinable  reasons  the  place  is  deserted.  It  was 
hero  that  G.  W.  Marlis  was  killed  by  a  Chinaman 
on  the  eleventh  of  September,  he  being  the  only 
white  man  left  in  the  district.  The  first  location 
was  made  in  July,  1869. 

Cave  Creek  District  lies  twelve  miles  north  of 
F'ort  Ruby,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Ruby  Mount- 
ains, near  the  summit.  The  organization  of  the  dis- 
trict took  place  on  the  fourth  day  of  June.  18G!t, 
having  been  discovered  in  the  preceding  month  of 
May  by  General  Ewing.  There  is  an  abundance 
of  wood  and  water  close  by  the  location.  The 
Amazon,  Mississippi,  Dodds,  Exchequer,  Enterprise, 
Longmore,  Murphy,  and  others,  are  claims  which 
were  located  the  same  month  in  which  the  district 
was  organized.  The  country  rock  is  limestone,  and 
the  ore  carries  lead,  copper,  and  chloride  of  silver. 

Centennial  District  was  originally  named  Bull 
Run,  and  afterward  changed  to  White  Rock,  and 
finally  received  the  name  it  now  beai's.  The  mines 
were  discovered  in  1SG8,  but  the  district  was  not 
properly  organized  until  June  21,  18G9.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  the  Bull  Hun  range  of  mountains,  sixty- five 
miles,  air  line,  north  of  the  town  of  Elko.  About  two 
hundred  locations  were  made  soon  after  the  organi- 
zation of  the  district.  The  chief  formations  of  the 
mountains  in  which  the  mines  are  situated  are  gran- 
ite and  limestone,  with  a  bolt  of  porphyry  between 
the  two.  James  Patterson,  now  of  Carlin,  was  the 
first  Recorder.  Wood  in  abundance  is  found  in 
close  proximity  to  the  mines,  consisting  of  ma- 
hogany, tir,  white  and  yellow  pine,  pifion,  juniper, 
Cottonwood  and  alder  Sufficient  water  for  all 
purposes  is  found  in  the  canons  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  mines.  The  Blue  Jacket  ia  one  of 
the  principal  mines  and  has  a  twentj'-stamp  mill 
and  two  Bruckner  furnaces.  Among  the  other 
prominent  mines  are  the  Porter,  Tuscarora,  On- 
tario, Potosi  and  Revenue,  upon  which  considerable 
work  has  been  done.  This  is  a  fine  agricultural 
section,  there  being  some  fine  cultivated  ranches 
on  Silver  Creek,  a  few  miles  to  the  northwest. 

Cope  District  was  organized  .May  27,  ISGP.  It  is 
situated  on  the  Owyhee  River,  about  twelve  miles 
from  the  Slate  line.  Plenty  of  wood  and  water  are 
found  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  in  Duck  \'alley, 
twelve  miles  away  are  some  fine  agricultural  lands. 
The  character  of  the  formation  and  veins  here  is 
similar  to  that  of  Ueose  River   District,  in  Lander 


^••■■■■1- '^  ■■'    ■■  ./-.^^^i;:- 


RANCt-i  r"   r;E:5iDENCE<>'  A.B.  FITCH. 

LYON    CVNEV. 


,ti.-.    ~     _.. 


?^i:*^.h' 


^4 


^%^>^v 


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**5l 


*•  W 


.**>■ 


v; 


^  JS^ 


& 


'If  i(£r,s.f. 


RESIDENCE  ,.'"  DAIRY    RANCH  »•   T.  B.  SMITH. 

SMITH    VALLEr,    ESM  E  RALDA  C?,  N  EV. 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


393 


County.  The  ores  also  contain  considerable  horn 
silver  near  the  surface.  The  Excelsior  and  El 
Dorado  were  among  the  princij)al  mines.  The 
former  was  put  on  the  stock  board  at  San  Francisco, 
at  KHi.iion  shares,  and  was  quoted  in  1S73  at  S2.'M). 
A  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of  about  liOO  feet  on  this 
mine  and  another  on  the  Argenta  reached  a  depth 
of  240  feet.  Mountain  City  grew  up  in  consequence 
of  this  discoveiy,  and  at  one  time  was  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  mining  towns  in  the  State.  In 
1871-72  it  contained  about  1,000  people,  some  of  the 
buildings  were  of  cut  stone  and  two  were  built  of 
brick.  The  frame  buiMings  have  near)}'  all  been 
moved  awaj".  There  is  one,  out  of  twelve  hotels. 
that  still  continues  business,  also  one  store.  The 
closing  down  of  the  E.xcelsior  in  the  fall  of  1873 
caused  the  decline  ot  the  town. 

Cornucopia  District  was  discovered  in  August, 
1872,  by  Mart  Durfee,  and  organized  during  the 
same  month.  It  lies  about  sixty-five  miles  north  of 
Carlin.  There  are  at  present  onlj-  about  ten  miners 
at  work  in  the  district,  though  about  fifty  locations 
have  been  made.  The  principal  mines  are  the 
Leopard,  Hussey,  Panther  and  F'isher,  the  first  two 
being  the  only  ones  upon  which  work  is  now  done. 
The  quartz  veins  are  found  principally  in  porphyry, 
and  run  northeast  and  southwest  with  the  forma- 
tion, and  dip  at  an  angle  of  45°  to  the  southeast.  The 
ores  are  mostlj'  free-milling,  silver-bearing,  carrying 
some  gold,  and  are  worked  by  the  roasting  process. 

The  only  quartz  mills  built  in  this  district  were  by 
the  Leopard  .Mining  t'ompanj',  first  a  ten-stamp, 
which  was  consumed  by  fire  and  replaced  by  a 
twenty-stamp  mill  at  a  cost  of  Slli;{,000,  which  was 
likewise  destroyed  on  the  eleventh  of  July,  1880. 
This  company  sunk  a  shaft  on  their  mine  a  distance 
of  800  feet.  The  longest  tunnel  in  the  district  is  on 
the  Fisher  mine,  which  is  250  feet. 

Freights  are  received  from  the  town  of  Carlin,  and 
are  hauled  to  the  district  at  a  cost  of  two  cents  per 
pound.  The  ores  are  shipi)ed  to  Bull  ituii  and  Tus- 
carora,  for  working.  Wood  and  timber  are  procured 
from  the  Jack  Creek  range  of  mountains,  a  distance 
of  sixteen  miles  away. 

The  excitement  incident  to  the  discover}*  of  this 
district  caused  the  building  of  the  town  of  Cornu- 
cojiia,  which  at  one  time,  in  1874,  was  quite  lively 
and  containe<l  about  l.ddO  inhabitants,  and  polled  a 
vote  of  400.  Considerable  business  was  transacted 
during  the  excitement,  requiring  five  stores  and  other 
buildings  in  jiroportion.  It  was  a  prosperous  town 
until  the  destruction  of  the  quartz  mill,  since  when 
the  population  has  steadily  decreased  until  there  are 
very  few  people  left  in  the  place.  The  census  of  ]8S(I 
places  the  number  ;it  174.  A  fine  twostory  hotel, 
containing  thirty  rooms,  is  the  only  one  running  at 
this  time.  In  1874  L.  I.  Ilogle  erected  a  large 
boarding-house  and  saloon,  at  a  cost  of  88,0(10. 

Delano  District  is  situated  north  from  the  town 


of  Tocoma,  distant  about  thirty  miles.  The  prevail- 
ing geological  formations  are  limestone  and  porphyry. 
Very  little  work  has  been  done  in  this  district, 
though  quite  a  number  of  locations  were  made. 
Wood  and  water  for  all  purposes  are  found  in  the 
vicinity.  There  were  hopes  at  one  time  that  the 
mines  would  be  developed  by  the  Servia  and  Slavonia 
Mining  Companj',  which  incorporated  in  San  Fran- 
cisco for  that  purpose,  but  these  hopes  were  never 
realized.     It  is  a  quiet  place  at  the  present  time. 

DoiJ.Y  Vauden  District  is  located  about  sixty 
miles  south  of  Toano,  and  was  organized  in  1872. 
No  work  is  being  performed  there  at  the  present 
time,  though  the  localitj-  was  considered  good  about 
eight  years  ago.  The  prevailing  formation  is  lime- 
stone, and  the  ores  are  of  a  character  requiring  the 
smelting  process.  There  being  a  scarcity  of  water 
along  the  wagon  road  from  the  nearest  railroad 
station  makes  freighting  veiy  costi}-.  Wood  is 
found  in  the  vicinity  in  quantities  for  all  j)urpose8. 

Good  Hope  District  lies  in  Elko  County,  about 
twenty -five  miles  northwest  of  Tuscarora.  and  was 
discovered  in  1878,  the  nearest  post-office  being  Cor- 
nucopia. The  place  was  originally  called  Aurora. 
Miners'  cabins  constitute  the  village.  There  are  at 
present  about  fifteen  miners  in  the  district,  but  about 
fifty  locations  have  been  made.  The  principal  mines 
being  Tiger,  I'age  and  Kelly,  Snyder,  Voii  and  I, 
Amazon,  Kattler,  Golden  Era,  Buckej'c,  Aurora, 
Atlantic  Cable,  Trade  Dollar,  and  Silver  Brick.  The 
veins  run  principally  north  and  south  with  the  forma- 
tion, which  is  porphyry,  anddij)  at  an  angle  of  about 
75°  degrees  west.  The  ores  are  usually  free-milling, 
and  are  worked  by  the  Freiburg,  or  roasting,  pro- 
cess. The  ledges  are  silver-bearing,  with  a  slight 
trace  of  gold.  The  deepest  shaft  is  on  the  Page 
and  Kelly,  and  has  reached  a  depth  of  110  feet. 
The  ores  are  shipped  principallj-  to  Tuscarora, 
some  going  lo  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  however.  Freights 
are  received  by  team  from  Cornucopia  and 
Tuscarora,  at  an  expense  of  fifteen  to  twenty 
dollars  per  ton,  during  the  summer  months.  The 
wood  supply  is  principally  of  sage-brush  for  fuel, 
but  the  timbers  for  mining  purposes  are  obtained 
in  the  Bull  l{un  Mountains,  and  hauled  to  this  dis- 
trict. Amazon  and  Four-mile  Creeks  furnish  the 
water  supply.  The  population  of  the  district  is 
sixty. 

(ioosE  Creek  Distuict  lies  in  the  mountains  bear- 
ing the  same  appellatiiui,  about  thirty  miles  north 
of  Tecoma,  a  station  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 
The  mines  were  first  <liscovered  by  an  Indian,  who 
pointed  them  out  to  Messrs.  Thomas  and  Brown.  The 
organization  took  place  in  the  summer  of  1872,  and 
about  ninet}'  locations  were  made.  The  geological 
formation  is  limestone  and  [lorphyry,  the  veins  vary- 
ing in  width,  and  crop  out  in  many  places  on  the  sur- 
face. Wood  and  water  are  very  scarce  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  though  there  is  a  good  supply 


394. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


within  a  radius  of  four  or  five  miles.  Assays  give 
from  SI 60  to  8350  per  ton.  Some  work  is  being  per- 
formed in  the  district  at  the  present  time. 

Grand  Junction  District  is  well  wooded,  and  has 
an  abundant  supply  of  water.  It  is  situated  about 
fifty-five  miles  from  Klko.  in  a  northerly  direction, 
and  quite  a  number  of  locations  were  made,  but  no 
important  results  were  obtained.  It  is  now  lying 
ijuiet,  those  holding  claims  living  in  hopes  of  further 
development. 

Granite  Mountain  IJistrict  lies  three  miles  west 
of  Dolly  Varden  District,  in  the  same  range  of 
mountains.  It  was  located  in  August,  1872,  by 
William  Muncey  and  Judge  Eciliy.  The  ore  is  prin- 
cipally copper.  Work  is  entirely  suspended  at  the 
present  time. 

Halleck  District  is  situated  about  six  miles  from 
the  Fort  bearing  the  same  name,  and  is  on  the 
northwestern  slope  of  the  Ruby  range  of  mountains. 
It  was  organized  during  the  summer  of  1873,  and 
quite  a  number  of  locations  were  made  by  the 
otticcrs  and  soldiers  from  the  Fort.  (iold  and  sil- 
ver are  found  in  small  quantities  in  the  ore  veins. 
Work  is  suspended  at  this  time. 

Hick's  District  is  situated  near  the  Island, Mount- 
ain District,  distant  about  ten  miles.  There  are  some 
prospectors  still  there  who  firmly  believe  in  this 
eventually  becoming  a  noted  locality.  The  McDon- 
ald mine  was  bonded  at  one  time  for  a  considerable 
sum,  that  and  the  mine  bearing  the  same  name  as 
the  district,  being  the  principal  locations.  Some 
very  good  ore  has  been  produced  by  both  these 
mines. 

Island  Mountain  District  was  organized  in  Sep- 
tember, 1S73,  and  is  situated  seven t^'-fivo  miles  north 
from  Elko,  and  twenty-five  miles  south  from  the 
Idaho  line,  near  the  Eruneau  Mountain.  The  orig- 
inal discoverers  were  E.  Penrod,  C.  T.  Russell  and 
W.  D.  Newton,  the  first  named  being  one  of  the 
discoverers  of  the  Comstock  Lode  in  ISSO.  In  1875 
a  town  started  up,  and  several  bouses  were  built, 
but  in  1878  it  declined  and  only  a  few  buildings 
remain,  among  which  are  a  hotel  and  blacksmith 
shop,  also  a  Chinese  store.  The  principal  features 
in  this  district  are  the  placer  mines,  though  (piartz 
is  found  to  some  extent,  generally  in  porphyry  forma- 
tion. The  principal  mines  are  the  Owyhee  and  Hope 
Consolidated,  Groelm  and  French,  and  W.  A.  Penrod. 
There  are  only  five  white  men  and  fifty  Chinamen 
in  the  district,  though  about  100  locations  have  been 
made.  The  (|uartz  veins  run  northwest  and  south- 
east, with  the  formation,  and  generally  dip  about 
40°  to  the  northeast.  The  veins  carry  but  little 
silver,  but  go  from  §20  to  8400  in  gold,  which  is 
worth  819.50  per  ounce.  The  longest  tunnel  is  on 
the  Island  .Mountain  Mine,  and  is  about  sixty  feet; 
the  deepest  shaft  is  on  the  Golden  Star,  and  is  about 
seventy-five  feet.     The  latter  mine  was  recently  sold 


by  Henry  G.  Catlin  to  a  New  York  company,  but 
the  purchasers  have  not  yet  commenced  operations. 
Freight  is  received  from  Elko,  and  costs  about  thirtj' 
dollars  per  ton.  Wood  is  found  in  abundance  in  the 
mountains  four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  consists 
principally  of  mountain  mahogony  and  cottonwood. 
There  arc  no  ores  now  worked  in  this  district,  but  it 
is  expected  that  when  the  new  company  begins  ope- 
rations those  who  have  retained  their  interests  in  the 
district,  will  realize  the  fruition  of  their  fondest  hopes. 
The  Owyhee  Canal  in  connection  with  this  district, 
deserves  mention.  It  was  built  by  a  company  which 
organized  in  1874,  with  J.  W.  Pence  as  President, 
but  is  owned  and  controlled  at  the  present  time  by 
E.  Penrod.  Its  total  length  is  about  ten  miles, 
including  the  branches,  which  aggregate  about  three 
miles,  and  has  a  capacity  of  500  inches  of  water.  It 
has  a  reservoir  located  two  miles  from  the  lower 
end,  that  covers  an  area  of  two  acres,  and  cost  about 
81,000.  The  total  cost  was  about  810,000.  Unfort 
unately  there  is  only  suflScieiit  water  to  keep  it  run- 
ning two  months  in  the  year  to  its  full  capacity. 
The  altitude  is  7,500  feet,  and  the  winter  weather 
is  severe.  In  the  spring  the  melting  of  the  snow 
on  the  mountains  produces  the  water  supply. 

KiNGSLEY  District  was  originally  located  in  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  by  Felix  O'Neil,  and  is  situated  in  the 
Antelope  Mountains,  about  ten  miles  north  of  the 
old  emigrant  road.  After  partially  organizing,  and 
doing  nearly,  a  month's  work  on  the  claim,  Mr. 
O'Neil  was  driven  from  the  locality-  bj'  the  Mor- 
mons. In  1865  the  claims  were  discovered  by  a 
soldier  named  George  Kingsley,  and  the  district 
was  reorganized  under  the  above  title.  It  lies  in 
the  second  range  of  mountains  east  of  Egan  Canon, 
in  a  country  abounding  with  wood  and  grass;  water 
in  limited  quantities  is  found  in  springs.  In  1867 
about  thirtj-  shafts  were  sunk,  varying  in  depth 
from  twenty  to  100  feet.  The  geological  formation 
of  the  district  is  granite  and  limestone.  Rich  cop- 
per oi'e  is  found  here,  and  a  furnace,  omploj'ing 
twenty  men,  is  running.  The  district  is  about 
seventj'  miles  from  Toano,  and  about  thirty-five 
miles  from  Schellbourne. 

Kit  Carson  District  lies  in  a  northerly  direction 
from  Humboldt  Wells,  distant  about  sixtj'  miles, 
and  was  organized  in  1872  by  the  same  parties  who 
located  the  Salmon  District.  Quite  a  number  of 
locations  were  made,  but  developments  are  still 
necessary.  The  formations  are  granite  and  lime- 
stone. The  ores  contain  gold,  silver,  and  copper. 
Little,  if  any,  work  is  in  progress  there  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

liONE  Mountain  District  wa»  organized  in  June, 
1869,  and  is  situated  about  thirty  miles  in  a  north- 
erlj-  direction  from  the  town  of  Elko.  Considerable 
excitement  prevailed  incident  to  the  discovery  of 
this  mining  locality,  but  soon  died  out  from  the 
want  of  confidence.     Wood  is  scarce  in  the  district, 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


39c 


but  water  in  sufficient  quantities  m  obtained  from 
springs  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  There  are  four 
or  five  miners  at  work  there  at  the  pre.sent  lime. 
W.  R.  Litchfield  was  the  first  Recorder. 

LrciNE,  OR  RuELi,,  District  is  situated  about  five 
miles  from  Tecoma,  southeast  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad;  a  portion  of  it  lying  in  Utah,  but  the  prin- 
cipal locations  are  in  this  State.  There  are  several 
mines  which  produce  smelting  ore,  one  of  them  hav- 
ing a  furnace  verj-  complete  in  its  appointments, 
which  was  erected  and  ei|ui])])ed  at  an  expense  of 
nearly  §4(1,000.  This  furnace  is  idle  at  present,  and 
is  the  property  of  the  estate  of  1.  C.  Bateman.  The 
town  was  quite  lively  at  one  time,  and  there  is  still 
considerable  pruspocling  in  the  vicinitj'.  The  [jopiila- 
tion  has  dwindled  down  to  about  a  dozen  people. 
There  is  one  hotel,  one  brcwerj',  and  a  lew  houses. 
The  ores  are  chiefly  lead,  but  carry  a  large  per- 
centum  of  silver.  Some  beautiful  specimens  of  wol- 
framine  from  this  camp  were  exhibited  at  the  Cen- 
tennial Exhibition,  and  received  a  prize  medal.  They 
were  the  property  of  Mr. Adams. 

Murray  District  is  situated  in  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  county,  and  was  organized  in  July,  18(59. 
The  Eclipse,  Wool,  Kansas,  Black  Eagle,  St.  George, 
Raven,  Lodi,  and  others,  were  at  one  time  considered 
good  claims.  On  the  Wool  claim  there  was  a  tunnel 
run  about  eighty-five  feet.  Shafts  were  sunken  other 
mines,  but  at  the  present  time  nothing  is  doing  in  the 
district. 

Rock  Creek  District  was  discovered  in  August, 
187t),  and  is  situated  at  the  head  of  the  creek,  from 
which  it  is  named,  about  ten  miles  distant  from  the 
town  of  Tiiscarora,  in  a  westerly'  direction.  (Jood 
prospects  are  found,  and  about  twenty-five  miners 
are  at  work  in  the  district.  Wood  and  water  are 
found  in  suflicient  ipiantities  for  mining  purposes  in 
the  immediate  vicinity. 

Salmon  District  is  situated  near  the  Kit  Carson, 
and  about  sixty  miles  north  of  the  town  of  Toano.on 
the  Salmon  Falls  iiiver.  It  was  organized  in  1872 
by  Messrs.  Hanks,  Noll,  and  Lewis.  The  ores  are 
principally  copper,  several  tons  of  which  have  been 
shipped  to  San  Francisco.  Developments  arc  neces- 
sary in  order  to  judge  what  this  district  is  capable 
of  producing.  There  are  some  fine  agricultural  lands 
in  the  vicinity. 

Sooner  District,  formerly  known  as  "  Fair 
Weather,"  is  situated  about  ten  miles  east  of  Mount- 
ain City,  in  the  Bruneau  range  of  mountains.  It 
was  first  located  in  April,  1870,  and  organized  in  the 
following  July.  The  geological  formation  is  granite. 
The  ores  are  argentiferous  galena  and  copper.  Wood 
and  water  for  mining  purposes  are  found  in  sufficient 
quantities  near  the  location.  The  district  at  present 
is  abandoned. 

Spruce  Mountain  District  is  situated  about  forty 
miles  south  of  Humboldt  Wells  and  due  east  from 
Elko.     It  was  a  lively  camp  in  its  earlier  days,  and 


still  continues  to  exist,  after  experiencing  many  se- 
rious drawbacks.  The  Ingot  Mining  Company 
erected  a  magnificent  smelting  furnace  at  an  enor- 
mous outlay,  and  for  a  time  bid  fair  to  astonish  the 
world  with  its  ))roduction  of  bullion;  but  for  some 
unaccountable  reason  the  furnace  was  closed  down 
in  1872,  long  before  the  ore  veins  gave  evidence  of 
being  worked  out.  The  district  is  well  watered  and 
an  abundant  supply  of  wood  is  found  very  conven- 
ient to  the  mines.  Other  companies  erected  furnaces, 
and  a  bold  endeavor  was  made  to  keep  this  camp 
in  a  lively  condition,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  geo- 
logical formation  of  the  district  is  limestone  and 
porphyry.  Among  the  most  prominent  claims  lo- 
cated there  in  the  palmy  days  of  this  camp  were  the 
Star  King,  Latham,  Fourth  of  July,  Black  Forest, 
Melrose,  Iroquois  Chief  and  others. 

A  New  York  company  is  putting  up  a  large  furnace 
at  the  present  time,  which  will  undoubtedly  enliven 
things,  and  greater  developments  in  the  near  future 
may  be  looked  for.  The  camp  at  present  contains 
two  hotels,  two  saloons,  one  livery  stable,  one  black- 
smith shop,  one  butcher  sho]),  six  families  and  fifty 
miners. 

TuscARORA  District  was  organized  in  July,  1867, 
and  lies  in  the  mountains  bearing  the  same  name, 
about  fortj^-five  miles  north  from  the  town  of  Carlin, 
which  is  the  nearest  railroad  station.  The  Owyhee 
River  has  its  source  in  this  locality,  the  waters  of 
which  flow  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  district 
was  discovei-ed  by  the  Beard  Hrothers,  but  the 
work  was  confined  mostly"  to  placer  mining  for  some 
time  thereafter.  The  principal  quartz  mines  are 
Grand  Prize,  Argenla,  Independence,  Navajo,  Belle 
Isle,  Young  America,  South,  Silver  Star,  Silver  Prize, 
Star  Spangled  Banner  and  Commonwealth.  The 
geological  formation  is  iiorph}^-^-,  the  veins  gener- 
ally running  with  the  formation.  The  (Jrand  Prize 
vein  runs  east  and  west  while  nearly  all  the  others 
run  north  and  south,  and  generally  dip  at  an 
angle  of  45°  north,  the  Belle  Isle  lying  nearlj'  flat. 
The  ores  are  nearly  all  free-milling,  and  carry  gold 
in  considerable  quantities  near  the  surface,  which 
diminishes  as  the  dc])th  increases.  The  greatest 
depth  of  shaft  was  on  the  Grand  Prize,  about  600 
feet.  The  longest  tunnel  is  on  the  Independence 
Mine,  which  is  about  1,.")00  feet. 

Pine,  fir  and  cottonwood  timber  is  obtained  from 
the  Jack  Creek  Mountains,  a  distance  of  from  ton  to 
sixteen  miles.  The  water  supply  for  mining  pur- 
poses is  obtained  from  the  mine.  F'reight  is  received 
by  teams  from  Carlin  and  Elko,  and  costs  from  one 
and  one-fourth  to  three  cents  per  pound.  At  pres- 
ent there  are  about  500  miners  in  the  district. 

WvoMiNfi  Dlstrict  is  situated  about  twent}'  miles 
southeast  of  Cope  District,  and  was  discovered  in 
October,  1869.  Organization  took  place  on  the  fol- 
lowing third  of  November.  The  geological  forma- 
tion is  granite  and  slate,  with  limestone   near  the 


39G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Ruramit.  In  the  mountains  fir  timber  is  found,  while 
along  the  creek,  which  flows  through  the  center  of 
the  district,  cottonwood  grows  to  a  considerable 
extent.  In  the  cafions  are  fine  springs  of  clear,  cold 
mountain  water.  Among  the  ])riiKipal  mines  are 
the  Mountain  King,  Uhrysopolis  and  Miners  Delight. 
The  courses  of  these  leads  are  northeast,  and  dip  at 
an  angle  of  30°  to  the  southeast.  The  ores  contain 
silver,  copper,  antimony  and  arsenic.  There  ie  very 
little  work  being  performed  at  the  present  time. 

Mineral  So.\i>  Mine:  A  very  remarkable  deposit  of 
mineral  soap  was  discovered  by  the  Hon.  G.  II. 
Shepherd  in  October,  1875,  near  the  junction  of 
Smith  Creek  and  the  south  fork  of  the  Little  Hum- 
boldt Eiver.  It  lies  south  of  the  railroad,  and  was 
discovered  while  in  search  of  coal  deposits.  The  for- 
mation in  which  the  soap  is  found  is  of  limestone.  A 
stratum  of  coal  one-half  inch  in  thickness,  lies  fifty 
feet  beneath  this  vein.  The  soap  and  coal  veins  lie 
horizontal,  ai.d  parallel  with,  and  in  many  respects 
bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  each  other.  It  is  free 
from  grit  and  makes  a  fine  toilet  soap,  though  not 
strong  enough  for  bleaching  or  washing  purposes. 
It  is  easily  dug  out  with  a  shovel,  and  when  dry 
crumbles  to  a  dry    powder. 

An  analysis  made  by  a  chemist  gave  the  following 
qualitative  result :  Silicic  acid,  sesquioxide  of  alumi- 
num, magnesia,  oxide  of  iron,  traces  of  lime,  and 
water — corresponding  to  a  mixture  of  clay  and 
steatite,  tinged  by  iron. 

PRINCIPAL   TOWNS   AND    CITIES. 

Carlin  dates  back  in  the  annals  of  time  to  the 
year  1868.  J.  A.  Palmer  was  the  first  settler,  he 
having  located  in  the  month  of  July  of  that  year. 
In  the  following  September,  S.  Pierce  joined  with 
Mr.  Palmer,  and  stands  second  on  the  list  of  pio- 
neers of  the  town.  In  186!)  C.  Boyen,  James  Clark, 
and  others,  settled  there.  This  being  the  end  of  the 
Humboldt  Division  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  a 
town  sprang  into  existence  in  a  very  short  time. 
The  place  is  located  on  the  Humboldt  Piver  bot- 
tom, with  mountains  on  the  north  and  south. 
The  altitude,  b}-  railroad  survej-,  is  4,897  feet.  The 
round-house  and  car-shops  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad  being  located  at  this  place,  gives  it  a 
lively  appearance,  t'arlin  was  most  prosperous  in 
1871,  at  which  time  there  were  about  eight  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  while  at  the  present  time  it  has 
but  about  five  hundred.  The  nearest  towns  are 
Klko,  twenty-live  miles  east,  I'alisado;  nine  miles 
west,  both  on  the  line  of  the  railroad  ;  Tuscarora 
is  forty  miles  north. 

The  wood  supply  for  the  place  is  obtained  from 
the  mountains  and  consists  of  juniper  and  cotton- 
wood.  Water  is  procured  from  wells.  One  school 
house  adorns  the  place,  built  in  1871,  at  an  expense 
of  81,500,  which  sum  was  raised  principally  by  sub- 
scription. The  building  is  of  wood,  is  30x60  feet, 
and  will  seat  100  scholars.     The  average  attendance 


of  children  is  about  thirt3--five.  There  is  a  Sunday- 
school  with  about  fifty  scholars,  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Episcopalian  denomination;  also  a 
lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  (rood  Templars, 
and  one  of  the  King  Solomon  Brotherhood. 

Stock-raising  and  ranching  is  carried  on  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  easterly  of  the  town,  many  of  the 
old  settlers  being  engaged  in  those  pursuits.  On  the 
night  of  November  28,  1879,  the  library  building, 
furnished  by  the  railroad  company,  was  entirelj' 
consumed  by  fire,  likewise  1,1(10  volumes  of  books, 
a  piano,  and  the  furniture,  entailing  a  loss  of  $3,000, 
on  which  there  was  an  insurance  of  82,000.  The 
value  of  taxable  property  in  the  township,  not 
including  that  belonging  to  the  railroad  company,  is 
about  S50.000.  There  is  a  cemetery  which  is  enclosed, 
but  as  the  locality  is  exceedingly'  healthy,  and  there 
being  no  prevalent  diseases,"  it  has  been  but  little 
used. 

At  present  Carlin  contains  the  railroad  machine 
shops  and  round-house,  four  stores,  one  hotel,  two 
saloons,  two  restaurants,  two  blacksmith  shops,  six 
other  ])laces  of  industrj-,  one  telegraph  office,  one 
express  office,  one  ])hysician,  and  one  jail. 

Elko  is  the  county  seat  of  Elko  County,  and  is  situ- 
ated on  the  north  side  of  the  Humboldt  River,  on  the 
line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  at  an  altitude  of 
5,000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  (reorge  F.  Paddle- 
ford  is  credited  with  being  the  first  settler,  he  having 
anchored  there  as  early  as  the  first  of  December, 
1869.  Fred.  Wilson  came  during  the  same  month. 
CdI.  Frank  Denver  and  Len  Wines  had  selected  this 
point  early  in  1869  as  the  most  eligible  for  the 
receipt  and  discharging  of  freights  and  passengers 
from  the  railroads  to  the  White  Pino  mining  dis- 
tricts, and  a  road  was  laid  out  and  constructed  by 
these  gentlemen  connecting  the  two  points.  A  line 
of  stages  was  started  by  them,  and  were  followed  by 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  and  Hill  Beachy  &  Co.  Soon 
after  this  the  railroad  company  laid  out  the  town 
site  and  sold  lots,  through  their  agent,  D.  H.  Has 
kell,  at  prices  ranging  from  83(10  to  8500  per  lot  of 
25x100  feet.  These  same  lots  sold,  in  the  following 
June,  for  from  81.5(10  to  82,000,  at  which  time  the 
population  had  increased  to  2,000,  and  the  town 
contained  500  houses  including  shanties  and  tents. 

The  nearest  towns  are  Carlin,  twenty-five  miles 
west,  and  Wells,  fiftj'-five  miles  east,  both  on  the 
line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

The  Prosbj-terian  denomination  has  a  church 
built  of  wood,  which  cost  about  82,0(MI,  and  will 
seat  200  people.  Two  other  religious  organizations 
are  in  existence.  The  Presbj'terians  also  conduct  a 
Sunday-school,  containing  about  ninety  scholars. 

Among  the  corporations  are  a  large  Milling  Com- 
pany, with  a  flouring  mill,  built  at  a  cost  of  812,000; 
the  Elko  .Mining  and  Soap  Deposit  Company,  f)rgan- 
ized  in  May,  1879;  and  the  Water  Company,  organ- 
ized in  1873.  Water  for  the  use  of  the  town  is 
taken  from  the  Humboldt  River,  and  conducted  in 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


397 


pipes  wlierevcr  required.      The  supply  is  unlimited. 

Freights  are  shipped  from  this  point  to  Tuscarora, 
Kailroiid  District,  and  to  the  neighboring  valleys,  at 
a  cost  of  from  three-fourths  to  one  cent  per  pound; 
and  supplies  are  received  from  San  Francisco  and 
the  East. 

There  is  considerable  stock-raising  and  farming 
ill  the  neighborhood,  large  quantities  of  wheat  and 
barley  being  raised,  most  of  which  is  shipped  to 
the  mines  in  the  interior. 

The  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  Good  Templars,  For- 
resters, and  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  all  have  their 
lodges,  and  are  generally  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
The  first  two  mentioned  own  cemeteries  for  the 
burial  of  deceased  members,  which  are  enclosed  and 
decorated.  There  is  no  public  cemetery  in  the 
town.  The  prevalent  diseases  of  the  locality  are 
of  pulmonary  character,  but,  as  a  general  thing,  the 
place  is  verj-  healthy. 

A  school  house  of  brick,  20x60  feet,  with  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  200,  employing  three  teachers,  with 
an  attendance  of  about  !')((  scholai-s,  is  a  noted 
feature,  and  a  credit  to  the  inhabitants.  There  is 
also  a  public  hospital  that  ranks  well  with  similar 
institutions  elsewhere. 

The  total  value  of  taxable  pi'operty  in  the  town- 
ship is  about  8341,000;  and  the  total  length  of  the 
streets  is  about  four  miles,  which  are  well  supplied 
with  sidewalks  of  brick  and  planks. 

About  one  mile  from  the  town  are  situated  the 
Hot  Sulphur  Springs,  one  of  those  strange  freaks  of 
nature  for  which  the  State  of  Nevada  is  noted. 

The  Elko  Independent,  a  daily  and  weeklj^  news- 
paper, is  published  with  S.  S.  Sears  as  editor  and 
proprietor.     The  State  University  is  located  here. 

Elko  has  been  visited  by  the  fiery  elements  at 
dift'erent  times,  the  most  disastrous  of  which 
occurred  on  the  nineteenth  of  October,  1871,  when 
that  portion  of  the  town  Ij'ing  between  Fourth  and 
Fifth  .Streets,  on  Commercial,  was  destroyed,  includ- 
ing a  large  portion  of  Silver  Street,  known  as  China- 
town. The  loss  was  upwards  of  875,000,  on  which 
there  was  an  insurance  of  about  $10,000.  On  the 
twentj'-first  of  Janiiarj-,  1875,  another  extensive  fire 
burned  that  portion  of  Commercial  Street  lying 
between  Fifth  and  Sixth  Streets,  with  the  exception 
of  the  two  corner  buildings.  The  loss  incurred  at 
this  fire  amounted  to  about  §20,000. 

A  jail,  built  of  brick,  with  iron  cage  ceils,  the 
structure  costing  SI 0.000,  stands  as  a  warning  to 
evil-doers. 

At  present  the  town  contains  800  population,  ten 
stores,  one  hotel,  seven  saloons,  two  restaurants,  two 
livery  stables,  two  blacksmith  shops,  one  lumber 
yard  and  ten  other  ])laces  of  industry;  one  clergy- 
man, five  lawyers,  two  physicians,  and  two  other  pro- 
fessional men. 

IlKNRY    JI.MITI.N    (IKANT, 

Son  of  Cyril  R.  and  Abby  Falcs  (Mason)  Grant,  was 
born  in    Wooiisockett,  lihode  Island,  September  4, 
50 


1812.  He  received  a  thorough  education,  his  in- 
tention being  to  adopt  the  profession  of  civil  engi- 
neer. At  the  age  of  eighteen  3-ears  he  left  school,  and 
was  occupied  in  various  clerical  duties  until  1863, 
when  ho  engaged  as  clerk  and  accountant  for  a 
copper  mining  compaiij-,  in  the  Lake  Superior 
country.  This  he  continued  until  1866,  when  ho 
came  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in  the  interests  of  a  New 
York  com]>an}-,  who  were  devclo|)ing  mines  in  Nye 
County  ill  this  State.  Ho  remained  in  their  employ 
two  and  a  half  years  as  chief  accountant.  In  1868, 
he  returned  to  the  East  and  was  married  to  Miss  N. 
Arda  JJorison,  daughter  of  D.  H.  Rorison,  of  Ypsi- 
lanti,  Michigan.  Mrs.  Grant  was  born  in  Seneca 
County,  New  York,  a  lad}'  of  unusual  force  of  char- 
acter, excellent  judgment  and  cultivated  tastes;  and, 
after  a  life  of  usefulness,  departed  this  life.  May  31, 
1878.  Upon  the  return  of  our  subject  to  this  coast,  ho 
accepted  a  position  with  the  Owyhee  Mining  Com- 
pany as  accountant  for  the  working  of  the  Poorman 
Mine  at  Silver  Citj-,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  until 
1870,  at  which  time  he  engaged  in  the  banking 
business  in  .Mountain  City.  I'iko  County,  Nevada,  for 
himself.  He  followed  this  business  for  three  years, 
but  failing  to  bo  remunerative  it  was  abandoned, 
leaving  him  somewhat  embarrassed;  but  through  his 
extra  exertions,  and  pure  self-denial,  he  paid  his  in- 
debtedness dollar  for   dollar.     In   1873,  he  engaged 


398 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


as  cashier  in  a  banking  house  at  Elko,  Elko  County, 
Nevada,  and  there  continued  until  1880,  when  he 
was  appointed,  by  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  as  their  agent 
in  the  same  town,  which  position  he  now  holds,  and 
conducts  in  connection  therewith,  a  general  insur- 
ance business.  In  1878,  he  received  the  Eepubli- 
can  nomination  for  County  Treasurer,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  G27  votes,  this  in  a  strongly 
Democratic  county,  being  a  strong  indorsement  of 
his  standing  in  the  community.  Mr.  Grant  is,  at 
present,  also  largely  interested  in  stock-raising  and 
farming  in  Ruby  Valley,  Elko  County.  He  has  an 
interesting  family  of  three  children:  Harry  M.,  born 
January  15,  1872;  Adele,  bom  March  31,  1874;  and 
Sarah  A.,  born  July  15,  1875. 

Fort  Halleck  was  established  in  July,  1867,  by 
Capt.  S.  P.  Smith,  of  the  Eighth  United  States 
Cavalry,  under  orders  from  the  General  commanding 
the  Department  of  California.  This  fort  is  on  the 
right  bank  of  Cottonwood  Creek,  about  six  miles 
from  its  source,  and  the  same  distance  above  its 
junction  with  Secret  Creek,  thirty  miles  southeast 
from  the  town  of  Elko.  It  is  in  latitude  40°  48'  45" 
north,  longitude  115°  19'  34"  west,  altitude  5,800  feet, 
magnetic  variation  10°  21'  24",  and  has  a  post-office, 
at  present  in  charge  of  Charles  E.  Maj'er.  The 
military  reservation  covers  about  nine  square  miles. 
There  are  no  large  tribes  of  Indians  now  in  this 
vicinity.  A  few  wandering  Shoshones  are  seen  occa- 
sionally. 

The  East  Humboldt  Range  is  directly  back  of  the 
fort.  Several  of  the  peaks  rise  to  a  height  of  12,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  range  is  scantily  covered 
with  a  growth  of  mahogany,  pine,  cedar,  and  aspen. 
In  the  canon  is  a  fair  growth  of  Cottonwood,  poplar 
and  willow. 

The  soil  is  a  rich,  black  loam,  quite  fertile  when 
irrigated.  The  country  is  exposed  to  frosts  almost 
every  month  in  the  j-ear,  so  that  only  the  hardier 
vegetables  can  be  raised.  Juno,  July  and  August 
are  generally  very  warm.  The  winters  are  usually 
long  and  the  snow-fall  very  heavj'.  The  prevailing 
wind  is  from  the  southwest.  The  annual  rain-iall 
at  the  fort  in  three  years  was  fi.Gl  inches.  The 
health  of  the  country  is  excellent.  The  mean  tem- 
perature is  46°.  The  maximum  tompcraluro  for 
several  years  past  was  108°.  Minimum,  27°  below 
zero.  Maj.  Geo.  B.  Sanford,  of  the  First  United 
Slates  Cavalry,  is  commander  of  the  fort.  The  gar- 
rison consists  of  Company  I,  First  United  States 
Cavalry  and  Company  G,  Eighth  United  States 
Infantry. 

HON.  J.  B.  TOLLEY 

Is  a  native  of  La  Fayette  County,  Wisconsin.  When 
but  thirteen  years  of  age,  ho  started  for  California 
by  the  overland  route  in  company  with  a  brother, 
and  being  a  delicate  boy  sufl'ered  greatly  from  the 
privations  consequent  upon  such  a  long  and  tedious 
trip.  His  first  occupation  after  reaching  the  land  of 
gold  was  mining  at  Placorvillo,  El  Dorado  County, 


V/ ,/    '■ 


J.  B.    Tolley. 

California,  where  he  was  not  favored  by  dame  for- 
tune, and  soon  afterwards  accepted  the  position  of 
clerk  in  a  grocery  store  at  Michigan  Bar,  Sacra- 
mento County,  whei'o  he  remained  during  the  winter. 
In  1851,  he  emigrated  to  Trinity  County,  in  the 
same  State,  and  again  sought  his  fortune  in  the 
mines  on  Texas  Bar;  but  the  hostility  of  the  Indians 
was  a  great  hindrance,  and  the  severity  of  the 
winter  of  1852,  caused  much  suffering  among  the 
bold  pioneers  of  that  region.  In  18.")3.  Mr.  Tollej^ 
invested  in  a  pack-train,  packing  supplies  from 
Colusa  to  the  northern  mines,  enduring  all  manner 
of  hardships  in  the  interests  of  his  enterprise.  In 
1854,  ho  returned  to  the  State  of  W^isconsin,  and 
devoted  himself  to  a  course  of  mental  culture,  attend- 
ing a  select  school  at  Mineral  Point,  and  afterwards 
the  seminar^'  at  IMattsville,  reaping  invaluable  bene- 
fits therefrom.  In  1861  he,  in  company  with  his 
father,  drove  a  herd  of  cattle  across  the  plains  to 
Trinity  County,  California,  and  experienced  great 
trouble  from  the  redskins,  having  some  desperate 
skirmishes  with  them.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Califor- 
nia again,  he  pursued  mining  until  1862,  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  State.  The  next  year  he  again 
sought  the  Pacific  Coast,  accompanied  by  his  family, 
this  time  taking  the  route  via  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama.  For  seven  years  he  followed  his  old  occu- 
pation, that  of  mining,  when  he  received  the  appoint- 
ment as  agent  for  Woodruff  k  Ennor's  Stage  Line, 
at  Elko,  and  was  afterward  appointed  as  assistant 
superintendent  of  the  Leopard  Mill  and  Mining 
Compan3%  at  Cornucopia.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
to  the  Assembly,  and  in  1878  he  removed  to  Tus- 
carora,  his  present  ])Iace  of  residence,  from  whence 
he  was  elected  Senator  from  Elko  County,  a  position 
he  now  holds. 


HISTORY  OF  ELKO  COUNTY. 


399 


Is  a  native  of  Christian  county,  Kentucky,  and  ■was 
born  on  March  14,  1827.  Hia  parents  were  farm- 
ers, and  at  the  tender  age  of  sixteen  years  ho  com- 
menced the  battle  of  life  for  himself  In  1845  he 
went  to  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  a  wholesale  firm  as  salesman.  The  breaking 
out  of  the  Mexican  War  caused  him  to  leave  his  situ- 
ation, and  he  hecanie  one  of  the  first  volunteers  in 
answer  to  the  call  by  General  Gaines  for  six-months 
men  to  assist  General  Taylor  on  the  Rio  Grande. 
One  year  later  he  returned  to  Kentucky,  and  spent 
the  succeeding  five  years  in  the  emploj-  of  W.  \V. 
Western,  a  stock  dealer. 

In  1853  he  started,  with  a  band  of  cattle,  from 
Texas  for  California,  and  spent  the  winter  in  the 
Cherokee  Country,  and  completed  the  journey  the 
next  summer,  delivering  the  stock  at  Redding,  Shasta 
County,  California.  He  then  remained  with  his 
brother,  J.  A.  Shepherd,  at  the  place  then  known  as 
Doak  &  Bonsell's  Kerry. 

In  1858  he  commenced  merchandising  at  same 
place,  now  known  as  Shepherd's  Ferry,  on  the  San 
Joaquin  river,  in  San  Joaquin  County.  In  the  spring 
of  1866  he  closed  out  his  business  at  that  place,  and, 


with  a  large  stock  of  goods  and  a  band  of  horses, 
went  to  Virginia  City,  Montana,  disposing  of  them 
at  a  decided  advantage,  and  in  the  fall  returned  to 
California.  In  the  spring  of  1SG8  he  came  to  Nevada 
and  settled  in  the  valley  of  the  south  fork  of  the 
liumboldt  River,  in  Elko  Count}-.  The  next  fall  he 
commenced  to  grade  what  is  known  as  the  Elko  and 
Hamilton  Toll-road,  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in 
eastern  Nevada,  and  for  six  months  after  its  com- 
pletion was  a  bonanza,  but  Hill  Beachey  constructed 
an  opposition  route  running  parallel  with  it.  and  the 
bonanza  ceased  to  exist.  After  the  White  Pine 
excitement  was  over  his  attention  was  turned  to 
stock-raising,  a  business  he  still  follows.  In  the  early 
organization  of  Elko  Count}'  he  was  elected  Countj' 
Treasurer,  and  he  has  been  twice  elected  to  the  State 
Senate,  having  two  years  of  his  present  term  yet  to 
servo,  and  rejoices  in  the  fact  that  ho  was  born  a 
Democrat  and  has  never  sold  his  birthright.  His 
nominations  at  the  hands  of  his  party  have  been 
without  opposition,  and  the  journals  of  the  State 
Senate  reveal  a  record  of  his  unvaried  hostility  to 
monopolies  that  in  itself  speaks  volumes.  It  is 
safer  to  trust  a  man's  record  than  his  promises. 


400 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Humboldt  Wells  is  situated  on  the  Central  Pa- 
cific Railroad,  fifty-seven  miles  east  of  Elko  and 
thirty-!*ix  miles  west  of  Toano.  It  was  first  brought 
into  existence  by  the  railroad  company,  as  a  station, 
being  the  end  of  the  Humboldt  and  Ogden  Division. 
It  lies  on  an  open  plain  at  an  altitude  of  5,629  feet 
above  the  sea.  On  the  south  are  seen  the  snow- 
capped mountains,  elevated  10,700  feet  above  the  sea 
level,  reaching  with  majestic  grandeur  away  up 
among  the  clouds.  In  every  direction  mountains  are 
to  be  seen  from  this  town,  though  those  on  the 
south  rear  themselves  far  above  their  neighbors. 

The  station  was  established  in  1869,  and  R.  P. 
liamill  was  the  first  settler,  he  being  the  agent  for 
the  railroad  company,  and  also  for  Wells,  Fargo  & 
Co.  His  date  of  settlement  was  in  September  of 
the  last-named  year.  The  next  settlers  were  H.  P. 
Renshaw  and  W^m.  Humphreys,  who  opened  a  sa- 
loon in  a  log  shanty  on  Christmas,  1869.  P.  D. 
Freese  and  T.  A.  Jones  arrived  in  1870.  Badt  & 
Cobn  opened  a  store  in  1871.  The  first  hotel  was 
built  and  opened  to  the  public  by  J.  H.  Smith  in  the 
same  year,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Depot  Hotel. 
In  1871  a  stage  line  was  established,  running  south, 
by  way  of  Spruce  Mountain,  to  Schellbourne,  and 
that,  in  connection  with  the  developments  of  the 
mines,  by  an  Eastern  company  from  Philadelphia, 
gave  the  place  a  start. 

From  1872  until  1876  the  place  was  most  prosper- 
ous, though  the  population  never  exceeded  300.  A 
supply  of  wood,  consisting  of  mountain  mahogany, 
nut  pine  and  cedar,  is  obtained  in  the  mountains  to 
the  east.  The  water  supply  is  from  wells  and  springs, 
there  being  no  public  water-works.  A  school  house, 
built  of  wood,  capable  of  accommodating  fifty  schol- 
ars, has  an  attendance  of  about  forty  children,  under 
the  instruction  of  one  teacher. 

Among  the  curiosities  of  nature  that  are  found  in 
this  vicinity  are  the  celebrated  Humboldt  Wells,  from 
which  the  town  derives  its  name,  mention  of  which 
is  made  in  the  general  history,  page  18. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  March,  1877,  there  was 
an  extensive  fire,  that  swept  awaj'  the  main  part  of 
the  town,  including  the  buildings  belonging  to  the 
railroad  company.  This  was  a  sad  blow  to  the  busi- 
ness interests,  and  the  loss  was  very  heavy,  amount- 
ing to  about  850,000.  The  fire  was  undoubtedl}'  of 
incendiary  origin.  Another  fire  occurred  February 
21,  1881,  which  entailed  a  lo.ss  of  about  §20,000. 
Notwithstanding  these  calamities  there  is  still  life 
in  the  place. 

In  the  cemetery  are  twenty-three  graves,  mostly 
of  children.  The  prevalent  diseases  are  mountain 
fever  and  pneumonia. 

Stock-raising  around  the  outskirts  oi  the  town  is 
quite  oxtensive,  though  agricultural  pursuits  are  not 
engaged  in  to  any  great  extent. 

At  present  the  place  contains  IfiO  persons,  the 
round-house  and  railroad  buildings,  two  general 
merchandise  stores,  two  grocery  and  variety  stores, 


one  hotel,  two  saloons,  one  restaurant,  two  barber- 
shops, one  blacksmith-shop,  one  liverj'  stable,  two 
breweries,  one  harness-shop,  one  Chinese  store. 
The  official  name  of  the  place  is  Wells. 

TcscARORA  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  towns  in 
the  State,  and  was  first  started  by  men  who  were  in 
search  of  the  gold  placer  mines  reported,  by  the 
Indians,  to  be  located  in  that  vicinity.  According 
to  the  best  authority  obtainable  HamiUon  McCan 
was  the  first  settler,  he  arriving  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember,1867,  and  during  the  next  month,  Warren  Shoe- 
craft,  Tim  Brown,  .M.  H.  Black  and  the  Beard 
brothers,  John  and  Stejihen,  arrived  there.  The 
location  of  the  foregoing  gentlemen  was  at  Old  Tus- 
carora,  about  two  andone-half  miles  southwest  of  the 
present  town,  and  is  now  deserted.  An  adobe  fort 
was  built  in  1868  by  the  settlers  for  protection 
against  the  Indians,  and  is  still  standing. 

In  1875,  the  discovery  of  silver  caused  an  excite- 
ment, and  many  people  rushed  to  the  new  El  Dorado 
during  the  year,  at  which  time  the  present  town 
was  started,  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains 
which  bear  its  name,  on  the  west  side  of  Inde- 
pendence Valley,  about  four  miles  from  its  head. 
Among  the  first  to  settle  in  the  present  town  was  A. 
V.  Lancaster,  who  put  up  the  first  building,  which 
was  used  as  a  store,  boarding-house,  and  saloon. 

In  1876  it  was  a  very  lively  camp  and  contained 
about  3,000  inhabitants,  and  though  the  population 
has  decreased,  the  prosperitj-  of  the  place  still 
remains.  It  is  located  on  the  foot-hills  which  skirt 
the  valley  at  an  altitude  of  about  7,000  feet.  The 
houses  are  built  principally  of  wood,  though  there 
are  some  constructed  of  brick,  stone  and  adobe.  The 
nearest  towns  are  Cornucopia  twenty-five  miles, 
Columbia  forty-five  miles,  and  Mountain  City.  The 
wood  supply  is  obtained  from  the  mountains  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  valley,  and  consists  of  pine,  Cot- 
tonwood, quaking-aspen  and  alder.  The  water  is  sup- 
plied by  a  private  company  and  is  obtained  from  the 
mountains  back  of  town.  There  are  two  churches, 
Methodist  and  Catholic.  A  Sunday-school  connected 
with  the  former  contains  about  sixty  scholars. 

The  mining  interests  have  kept  (ho  town  in  exist- 
ence, the  quartz-mills  furnishing  employment  for 
many  men.  The  Grand  Prize,  twent}'  stamps;  Tus- 
carora.  Independence  and  Navajo,  ten  stamps;  Lan- 
caster, ten  stamps;  and  De  Frees,  ten  stamps;  being 
located  at  this  place. 

Freights  are  received  bj-  teams  froin  Elko  and  Car- 
lin,  the  former  fifty-eight  miles,  and  the  latter  forty- 
six  miles  distant.  The  cost  of  transportation  from 
these  places  being  from  one  and  one-quarter  to  three 
cents  per  pound. 

Tuscarora  has  a  school  of  about  150  scholars,  em- 
ploying three  teachers,  although  no  regular  school 
building  lias  been  constructed.  The  building  used  is 
a  wood  structure  25x45  feet,  and  is  rented  for  that 
purpose. 


^ 
■^f 


a 


B.H.  REYMERS. 


Mrs  B.  H.REVMERS. 


X  A  .♦.?.?.  y.  y."  .♦,»  1"  ?  t  r  <  t )  1  -I  ,  ^  f  f  f.  . . 


^»- 


■>^i!»iv 


■  '.A.'..M. 


^ 


•UU.. 


RESIDENCE   AND  RANCH   OF   B.  H.  REYMERS. 

MASON  VALLEY,  ESMERALDA  CO.,  NEVADA. 


HISTORY  UF  ESMKRAi.DA  COUNTY. 


401 


There  is  eonsidoruble  stock-raising  in  the  viciniU'. 
but  agricultural  pursuits  are  not  engaged  in  to  any 
great  extent.  The  Hot  Springs  in  close  proximity 
to  the  place  are  a  great  natural  curiosity.  The 
Ti meg- li'e clew,  a  daily  twentj^-colunm  newspaper,  is 
published  here  by  O.  L.  C.  Fairchild,  and  is  one  of 
the  lire  papers  of  the  State. 

The  town  has  a  number  of  secret  societies,  among 
which  are  Tuscarora  Lodge  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons, Tusearora  and  Cornucopia  Lodges  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Kellows,  also  a  lodge  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Good  Templars,  and  the  Tuscai'ora  Miners' 
Union. 

The  total  value  of  taxable  property  in  the  town- 
ship is  about  §700,000. 

Tuscarora  has  been  very  fortunate  in  regard  to 
fires,  there  having  been  but  few  of  any  consequence. 
Among  them  was  the  burning  of  the  Grand  Prize 
Mill,  January  1,  1879,  which  caused  a  loss  of  about 
820,000,  and  the  destruction  of  J.  R.  Wilkin's  hotel 
and  some  other  Iniildings,  which  ])roved  a  loss  to 
their  owners  of  about  810, OOU,  on  which  there  was 
an  insurance  of  86,0()i). 

The  prevalent  diseases  arc  mountain  fever,  pneu- 
monia, and  diphtheria. 

There  is  no  jail,  which  speaks  well  for  the  inhab- 
itants, a  small  lock-up  answering  every  purpose  in 
that  lino. 

At  present  the  town  contains  twelve  stores,  one 
hotel,  eleven  .saloons,  eight  restaurants,  two  liverj- 
stables,  three  blacksmith  shops,  three  butcher  shops, 
one  telegraph  office,  one  express  office,  two  assay 
offices,  two  clergymen,  two  physicians,  four  lawyers. 


CHAPTER     X  L I  V . 
HISTORY   OF    ESMERALDA    COUNTY. 

Organizatiun  ami  Boiiridarios — Conflict  of  Authority — Double 
Courts  anil  Double  Electiou — Unpaid  Warrants — Financial 
Statement — Change  of  Houmlaries — Appnintnieiitsanil  Klec- 
tion — Topography,  Mines,  ami  Agriculture — .Settlement  of 
Mason  Valley — Albert  .James  Barrett — Albert  H.  Krway — 
J.  J.  Vox — .John  IJurrard  (lallagher — Aihim  llerbolil — C. 
Hernlel)en — Angus  McLeoil — Bcrnhard  H.  Keymers — -Abuer 
Stanton  Hiehanlson — Warren  Benjamin  .Saunilers — .Settle- 
ment of  Smith's  Valley — T.  B.  Smith — Columbus  Mining 
District — Esmeralda  .Mining  District,  Uold  .Mountain  — 
Lida  Valley  anil  other  Mining  Districts — W.H.Spragg — 
J.  C.  Hinds — Aban<loncd  Districts — I'rincipal  Towns  and 
Cities — Execution  of  Desperadoes  in  1S|)4 — (irand  Jury 
lieport . 

One  of  the  nine  counties  into  which  the  Territory 
of  Nevada  was  divided  by  the  Act  of  the  First  Ter- 
ritorial I.iegislature,  api)rovod  November  2"),  ISdl, 
was  the  county  of  Esmeralda,  with  the  seat  of  justice 
^  at  Aurora.  The  following  boundaries  wore  given: 
Beginning  at  a  point  where  the  thirty-sevcntli  ])arallel 
of  north  latitude  intersects  tlie  one  hundred  and  six- 
teenth meridian,  and  running  west  along  said  thirty- 
seventh  parallel  to  the  ("alifornia  line;  thence  along 
said  line,  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  to  the  sumnjit 
of  the  divide  between  the  east  and  west  forks  of  the 


Walker  River;  thence  along  said  divide,  in  a  north- 
erly direction,  to  the  head- waters  of  Desert  Creek; 
thence,  following  down  the  middle  of  said  creek,  to 
a  point  where  it  debouches  from  the  mountain; 
thence,  following  the  base  of  the  mountain,  to  the 
west  branch  of  Walker  River;  thence  across  said 
river  to  the  base  of  the  mountain;  thence,  following 
the  base  of  the  mountain  in  a  direct  lino,  as  near  as 
may  be,  to  Mason's  Ranch;  thence  due  east  to  the 
one  hundred  and  sixteenth  meridian;  thonco  south 
along  said  meridian,  to  place  of  beginning. 

This  vast  tract,  27.")  by  14(1  miles  in  extent,  as  in 
the  case  of  Humboldt  and  Churchill  Counties,  was 
composed  chiefly  of  outside  and  unexplored  terri- 
tory'— a  country  that  was  considered  worthless,  and 
was  devoid  of  white  inhabitants.  The  only  people 
within  its  limits  wore  those  scattered  along  the  route 
of  travel  from  Carson  to  Aurora,  in  .Mason  and 
Smith  Valleys,  and  in  the  town  of  Aurora  itself. 
The  balance  of  the  county,  embracing  all  of  the 
territory  of  Nye  County,  then  belonging  to  Nevada, 
was  a  ban-on,  unknown  waste. 

CONFLICT   OF   AUTHORITY. 

The  uncertainty  of  the  exact  location  of  the  east- 
ern boundary  line  of  the  State  of  California  kept 
Aurora  a  bone  of  contention  between  that  State  and 
the  Territory  of  Nevada  for  two  j-ears.  The  spring 
of  ISGl  finding  Aurora  a  new  and  rapidlj-  growing 
town,  and  Monoville,  also  a  new  town  of  some  im- 
portance, the  California  Legislature  organized  the 
county  of  Mono,  by  Act  of  March  24,  18G1,  and  es- 
tablished the  seat  of  justice  at  Aurora.  The  terri- 
tory included  in  the  new  county  embraced  that  lying 
between  Amador  and  Fresno  Counties,  and  between 
the  summit  of  the  Sierra  and  the  eastern  line  of  the 
State.  The  Act  provided  also  for  an  election,  to  be 
held  June  1,  18(51,  for  County  Clerk  and  ex  officio  Re- 
corder and  Auditor,  Sheriff'  and  e.v  officio  CoWcHor. 
District  Attorney,  Assessor,  Treasurer.  Surveyor, 
Coroner  and  three  Supervisors.  The  Governor  was 
to  appoint  a  C'ounty  Judge.  These  officers  were  to 
hold  office  for  the  full  term,  commencing  ai  the  next 
annual  election  for  Assemblyman.  The  new  countj' 
was  attached  to  Tuolumne  for  re])resentative  pur- 
poses. P.J.  Hickey,  W.  M.  Boring,  K.W.Casey, 
C.  N.  Noteware,  L.  A.  Brown,  G.  \V.  Bailey  and  T. 
A.  Lane  were  appointed  a  Board  of  Commissioners 
to  supervise  the  election  and  issue  certificates. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  Act  an  election  was 
held  June  1,  ISfil,  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the 
following  officers  for  Mono  Count)',  California,  nearly 
all  of  whom  were  residents  of  Aurora:  County 
Clerk,  R.  M.  Wilson;  Sheriff,  N.  F.  Scott;  Di.strict 
Attorney,  R.  E.  Phelps;  Assessor,  J.  H.  Smith;  Treas- 
urer, William  Feast;  Surveyor,  L.  Tuttle;  Super- 
visors, E.  tireen,  Charles  R.  Worland  and  J.  S. 
Schult/..  Tho  Governor  of  California  appointed  J. 
A.  Moutrio  County  Judge. 

Governor  Nye  arrived  in  Nevada  in  July,  1861, 
and  in  dividing  the  Territory  into  Council  and  Rop- 


402 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


reeentative  Districts,  became  convinced  that  Aurora 
was  within  the  limits  of  Xevada,  and  therefore  made 
it,  with  a  large  tract  of  adjacent  country,  Council 
District  One,  with  one  Councilman  and  two  Eepre- 
/  eentatives.  August  24,  1  SGI,  the  Esmeralda  Union 
(j^  Club,  a  large  patriotic  association  of  Aurora,  recom- 
mended an  election  of  members  of  the  Territorial 
Legislature,  in  accordance  with  the  proclamation  of 
Governor  Nye,  and  also  sent  K.  M.  J  lowland,  H.  G. 
Phillips,  L.  A.  Brown,  \V.  E.  Johnston,  F.  K.  Bech- 
tel  and  Samuel  Young  to  Carson  City  to  attend  the 
Union  Convention  for  the  nomination  of  a  candidate 
for  Delegate  to  Congress.  An  election  was  accord- 
ingly held  August  ;^1,  18(>1,  resulting  in  the  choice  of 
John  \V.  Pugh  for  the  Council  and  Samuel  Youngs 
and  William  E.  Teell  for  the  House  of  Eepresenta- 
tives.  These  gentlemen  sat  in  that  body  and  helped 
frame  the  first  laws  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada, 
while  the  city  from  which  they  came,  and  which 
contained  nine-tenths  of  the  population  of  the  dis- 
trict they  represented,  was  the  county  seat  of  ^lono 
County,  California,  and  was  governed  by  officer!^ 
elected  and  acting  under  the  laws  of  California. 

It  was  by  this  first  Territorial  Legislature  that 
the  county  of  Esmerald  was  created  with  Aurora  as 
the  county  seat,  making  that  city  the  seat  of  justice 
of  two  counties,  under  the  laws  of  one  State  and 
one  Territory,  and  complicating  matters  as  much 
as  it  was  possible  to  do.  California  by  no  means 
relinquished  her  claim  to  the  disputed  territory, 
upon  the  above  action  of  the  Nevada  authorities, 
but  her  Legislature  continued  to  exercise  its  juris- 
diction, and  to  grant  toll,  water  and  gas  fran- 
chises in  the  city  of  Aurora  and  vicinity.  The 
Nevada  Legislature,  not  desiring  to  press  mattere 
until  the  boundary  line  could  be  definitelj-  de- 
termined, excepted  Esmeralda  fi'om  the  provisions 
of  the  Act  of  November  28,  "1801,  calling  an  elec- 
tion of  county  officers  for  January  14,  18G2,  pre- 
ferring to  leave  the  disputed  territory  under  the 
authoritj'  of  the  Mono  Count}^  otHcers  until  the 
boundary  question  could  be  settled.  The  same  Act 
granted  the  Governor  power  to  appoint  officers 
and  organize  the  county  of  Esmeralda,  whenever 
in  his  opinion  it  was  desirable  to  do  so. 

By  Act  of  March  26,  1861,  the  California  Legis- 
lature appointed  a  Commissioner  to  act  in  concert 
with  the  United  States  Surveyor  in  locating  the 
boundary  line,  and  approjjriated  810,000  to  defray 
the  expenses.  By  Act  of  November  20,  1861,  the 
Nevada  Legislature  ai)])ropriated  81,000  for  the 
same  purpose.  Nothing  was  accomplished  by  either, 
and  the  year  1802  passed  without  the  vexed  ques- 
tion being  settled.  The  disputed  line  ran  in  a  south- 
east direction  from  the  point  where  the  thirty-ninth 
parallel  of  north  latitude  intersects  the  one  hundred 
and  twcntietli  degree  of  longitude  west  from  (Jreen- 
wich,  to  the  jjoint  where  the  thirty-fifth  parallel 
of  north  latitude  intersects  the  Colorado  Hiver.  The 
citizens  of  Aurora  were  divided  in  their  inclinations 


and  ideas.  Those  who  preferred  forming  a  portion 
of  California  maintained  that  the  line  ran  northeast 
of  Aurora  by  the  Five-mile  House,  while  those  who 
desired  to  be  in  Nevada  were  just  as  po.sitive  that 
the  line  passed  southwest  of  the  city  and  through 
the  Bodie  District.  There  was  but  little  else  than 
the  inclination  of  the  people  that  decided  their  opin- 
ions as  to  the  location  of  this  line,  an  actual  case  of 
"the  wish  being  father  of  the  thought."  As  a  rule 
the  Eepublicans  were  in  favor  of  Nevada,  and  the 
Democrats  of  (^alifornia,  and  as  at  that  time  the  Re- 
])ublican8  were  in  a  large  majority,  California  stock 
was  quoted  very  low.  In  1862  Judge  Moutrie  re- 
signed, and  Judge  Baldwin  was  appointed.  The 
same  year  Sheriff  Scott  was  killed  by  Indians  on 
Owens  River,  and  G.  \V.  Bailey  was  appointed  to  the 
vacancy. 

At  the  election  of  September  3,  1862,  the  county 
of  Esmeralda  not  having  been  fully  organized  and 
the  terms  of  the  Jlono  County  officials  not  having 
expired,  there  was  no  election  for  count}'  officers 
whatever.  There  were,  however,  chosen  lour  mem- 
bers of  the  Territorial  House  of  Representatives, 
John  W .  I'ugh,  Councilman  from  the  First  District, 
holding  over  as  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Council 
for  Esmeralda  County.  The  gentlemen  elected  were 
as  follows:  John  S.  Ross,  Arthur  M.  McKeel,  J.  \V. 
Calder,  A.  D.  Allen.  The  last-named  gentleman  did 
not  take  his  seat,  and  Esmeralda  had  but  three 
Representatives  in  the  second  session  of  the  Terri- 
torial Legislature. 

The  first  officer  of  Esmeralda  County  was  John 
F.  Kidder,  who  was  appointed  Surveyor  by  the 
Governor,  July  8,  1862,  followed  by  the  appointment 
on  the  twenty -second  of  the  following  December,  of 
Wm.  M.  Dixon  as  District  Attorney. 

On  the  second  of  December,  1862,  the  Nevada 
Legislature  passed  a  joint  resolution,  requesting  the 
Governor  to  organize  Esmeralda  County  as  soon  as 
prat'ticable,  but  he  did  not  consider  matters  suffic- 
iently settled  to  do  so  at  that  time.  In  Februarj-, 
1863,  the  conflict  between  Roopand  Plumas  Counties 
over  the  Honey  Lake  region  brought  matters  to  a 
'crisis,  and  ste])s  were  taken  to  bring  the  boundarj- 
difficulty  to  a  final  settlement.  By  the  Act  of  April 
27,  1863,  the  California  Legislature  directed  the 
Surveyor  General  of  that  State  to  establish  the  point 
of  intersection  of  the  thirty-ninth  parallel  of  north 
latitude,  and  the  one  hundred  and  twentieth  degree 
of  west  longitude,  and  to  survey  the  State  line  from 
that  ])oiiil  north  to  the  Oregon  line,  and  southeast 
to  the  Colorado  River.  The  same  Act  appropriated 
825,000  to  defraj'  the  expenses  of  the  surve}',  and 
re(iuested  the  Nevada  authorities  to  ajijioint  some  one 
to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  Surveyor  General. 
Acting  Governor  Clemens  ap])ointed  Butler  Ives  as 
Boundary  Commissioner  on  the  j)art  of  Nevada,  and 
the  survey  was  thus  jointly  undertaken. 

No  sooner  had  the  initial  point  of  the  survey  been 
established  in  the  clear  waters  of  Lake  Tahoe,  than 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 

/        


401 


the  Governor  became  convinced  that  Aurora  was  in 
Nevada  Territory ,  and  Juno  22,  18(13,  appointed  the 
following  officers:  Sheriff,  D.  tV.  Francis;  Clerk, 
Cyril  Hawkins;  Commissioners,  C.  1).  Wingate, 
Samuel  Youngs  and  John  F.  Moore.  Samuel  Youngs 
declined  the  appointment,  and  the  following  day 
John  Hawkins  was  appointed  in  his  stead;  he  also 
resigned  on  the  first  of  August.  It  was  the  duty  of 
these  officers  to  organize  tlie  county  and  prepare  for 
an  election  of  county  officers  at  the  next  genei-al 
election  in  September. 

DOUBLE   COURTS   AND   DOUBLE    ELECTION. 

In  the  month  of  July,  1863,  Judge  Turner,  CJhief 
Justice  of  the  Territory,  and  assigned  by  Governor 
Nye  as  Judge  of  the  Second  District,  opened  a  term 
of  the  District  Court  for  Nevada  in  Aurora.  At 
the  same  time  Judge  Baldwin,  of  Mono  County,  was 
holding  county  court,  and  the  novelty  was  presented 
of  two  courts  sitting  concurrently,  exercising  juris- 
diction bj'  virtue  of  authority  derived  i'rom  distinct 
sources.  By  wise  and  judicious  management,  no 
conflict  of  authority  was  inaugurated,  and  the  session 
of  each  court  was  held  quietly  and  with  no  inter- 
ference with  the  proceedings  of  the  other.  Causes 
were  brought  in  either  court,  as  the  litigants  pre- 
ferred, the  majority  being  taken  before  Judge  Bald- 
win, his  court  being  held  there  regularlj'. 

When  the  second  daj'of  September,  18()3,  arrived, 
the  boundary  line  had  not  been  surveyed  as  far  south 
as  Aurora,  and  the  uncertaintj-  of  location  was  still 
as  great  as  ever.  The  term  of  office  of  the  Mono 
County  officials,  elected  in  1861,  expired,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  elect  their  successors.  A  bril- 
liant idea  was  conceived;  they  would  hold  two  elec- 
tions, one  for  Mono  and  one  for  Esmeralda.  P^ull 
tickets  were  nominated  by  both  Republicans  and 
Democrats,  making  four  in  all,  two  for  each  county. 
In  Aurora  the  election  was  lively.  The  polls  for  the 
Esmeralda  election  were  held  in  Armory  Hall,  and 
those  for  Mono  in  the  Police  Station,  some  distance 
awaj-  on  the  same  street.  Considerable  hilarity  was 
exhibited  and  good  feeling  prevailed,  people  voting 
at  one  place  and  then  passing  down  the  street  to 
vote  at  the  other,  thus  making  sure  to  hit  it  on  one 
side  if  they  missed  it  on  the  other.  The  Republican 
ticket  was  successful  in  both  contests. 

FOR    MONO   COUNTY. 

County  Clerk,  John  Hawkins;  Sheriff,  H.  J. 
Teel  ;  Treasurer,  E.  R.  Rhoades  ;  Assessor,  J.  H. 
Smith. 

At  this  time  Judge  Baldwin  was  holding  a  term 
of  the  County  Court,  and  when  the  line  had  passed 
Aurora,  leaving  it  in  Nevada,  objection  was  made 
to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  in  the  case  then 
before  the  court,  and  it  was  sustained  by  the  Judge, 
who  declined  to  try  any  more  cases  in  Aurora. 

Within  twenty  days  after  the  election  those  en- 
gaged in  the  boundary  survey  reached  Aurora  and 
passed  to  the  southwest,  leaving  the  city  in  Nevada, 


-r 

much  to  the  disgust  of  some  of  the  strong 
adherents  of  California,  who  asserted  that  the  sur- 
veyors ran  the  lines  around  Aurora  in  order  to  leave 
it  in  Nevada,  and  there  are  some  of  them  who 
maintain  to  this  day  that  there  is  a  jog  in  the 
State  line.  In  order  to  obviate  any  possible  diffi- 
culty in  regard  to  the  legality  of  the  Esmeralda 
County  election  of  September  2,  1863,  the  (iovernor 
apjiointed,  on  the  nineteenth  of  that  month,  the 
officers  that  had  been  elected,  adding  to  the  list 
A.  S.  Peck,  as  County  Judge,  and  all  were  sworn 
into  office  on  the  twentj'-second  of  September. 

As  soon  as  the  question  of  location  was  settled, 
R.  M.  Wilson  and  William  Feast,  officers  elected 
for  Mono  County,  loaded  all  the  records  upon  a 
wagon  and  took  them  across  the  line  to  the  then 
little  town  of  Bodie,  and  the  next  spring,  when 
Bridgeport  was  declared  the  county  seat  ot  Mono, 
took  them  to  that  i)lace.  An  Act  approved  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1864,  to  have  these  records  transcribed, 
was  repealed  January  10,  1865,  because  of  opposi- 
tion by  citizens  of  Esmeralda,  who  were  not  willing 
to  pay  §10,000  for  that  purpose,  and  the  law  was 
never  carried  into  effect  farther  than  to  expend 
8300  for  the  necessarj^  books. 

The  officers  for  Mono  County  elected  in  1863, 
nearly  all  remained  in  Aurora,,  and  their  places 
were  filled  by  appointment  bj*  the  Governor  of 
California;  R.  M.  Wilson,  the  County  Clerk,  removed 
to  Bridgeport,  and  William  F'east  continued  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  Treasurer,  although  residing 
in  Aurora,  until  his  death  in  the  summer  of  1864. 
H.  J.  Teel  who  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Mono  County, 
was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Esmeralda,  by 
Sheriff  Francis,  there  having  been  an  agreement 
made  bj-  them  before  the  election,  that  in  which- 
ever county  Aurora  was  decided  to  be,  the  one 
elected  sheriff  of  that  county  should  appoint  the 
other  his  deputy. 

UNPAID    WARRANTS. 

The  taxes  for  1861  and  1862  were  collected  in 
Aurora  for  Mono  County,  but  those  for  1863  were 
not;  and  as  soon  as  the  money  in  the  treasury 
became  exhausted  outstanding  warrants  remained 
unpaid.  When  the  county  seat  was  settled  at 
Bridgeport  the  officers  of  Mono  County  refused  pay- 
ment on  all  ]ireviousIy  issued  warrants,  on  the 
ground  that  the  expense  was  incurred  in  and  for 
the  benefit  of  Aurora,  and  that  Esmeralda  County 
should  ])iiy  them.  There  are  outstanding  now  some 
§20,000  of  these  old  warrants,  the  larger  portion  of 
which  have  been  collected  together,  and  suit  is  now 
pending  to  compel  Mono  Count)-  to  paj-  them. 

FINANCIAL   STATE.MENT. 

The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  elected  in 
1863  met  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  September,  and 
divided  the  county  into  three  townships,  Aurora, 
Sweetwater,  and  Excelsior  District,  being  the  elec- 
tion precinct  established  in  each.     The  brick  build- 


f 


404 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ing  on  the  corner  of  Pine  and  Silver  Streets,  now 
owned  by  the  county,  was  leased  of  Preble,  De  Noe 
&  Co.    for   8250  per  month,  to   be  used  as  a  Court 
House.     The  jail  that  had  been  erected  by  the  Mono 
County  authorities  was    also  leased.     In  December, 
1864,  the  Court  House  was  purchased  by  the  county 
for  §12,000,  for  which  county  warrants  were  issued. 
After  considerable  discussion  about  the  best  manner 
in  which   to  redeem  these  warrants,  and  after    the 
Commissioners  had  made  and  rescinded  two  orders 
for   the  issue   of  bonds  for  that   purpose,   one    for 
822,000,  and  the  other  for  825.000,  (here  were  issued 
in  October,  1865,  bonds  to  the  amount   of  811,500, 
and  all  warrants  on  the  Court  House  Fund  then  out- 
standini^  were  paid.     These  bonds  bore    interest  at 
the  rate  of  two  per  cent,  per  month;  and  in  Decem- 
ber, 1871,  88,000  in  bonds,  with  interest  at  the  rate 
of  one  and  a  half  per  cent,  per  month,  were  issued 
to  redeem  all    the    old   bonds    still  outstanding.     In 
1874  a  jail  was  made  in  the  Court  House  building  at 
an  expense  of  about  81,500,  and  two  bonds  of  8500 
each  were   issued,  due  in  one  year,  with  interest  at 
one  and   a    half  per  cent,  per   month,   which    were 
paid.     In  September,  1877,  the  house  and  lot  known 
as  the  Kidd  House  were  purchased  for  8500  of  S.  B. 
Smith,  to  be  used  as  a  countj^  hospital.     Under  the 
Act  of  March  14,  1877,  amended  January  31,  1879, 
the  Commissioners  issued  8H*,(I00  on  the  eleventh  of 
February,   1879,   to   provide   for   current   expenses. 
They  were  made  to  fail  due  82,000  each  year  after 
the  fifth  year,  interest  ten  percent,  per  annum.    The 
total  debt  of  the   county    at    the  present    time   is 
$32,915.     Amount  of  cash  in  the  treasury,  810,767. 

CHANGE   OF   BOUNDARY.  , 

By  the  Act  of  Fobruarj'  16,  1864,  creating  the 
county  of  Nye,  Esmeralda  lost  more  than  half  of 
its  territory,  all  that  portion  east  of  the  meridian  of 
40°  30'  west  of  Washington  being  set  off  into  the 
new  county.  This  Act  was  amended  March  0, 1865, 
by  making  the  line  of  the  one  hundred  and  seven- 
teenth degree  of  longitude  west  from  Greenwich 
the  lina  of  division,  thus  restoring  a  narrow  strip 
of  what  had  been  taken.  By  the  Act  of  March 
5,  1869,  the  boundary  between  Nye  and  Esme- 
ralda was  declared  to  be  a  line  running  from  the 
intersection  of  the  California  line  by  the  meridian  of 
longitude  40°  15'  west  from  Washington,  norlhto 
the  thirty-eighth  parallel  of  north  latitude;  thence 
northwe.-iterlj'  to  the  hot  springs  on  the  Wellington 
and  Keeso  J{ivcr  road;  thence  north  to  the  thirty- 
ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude.  The  Act  of  Febru- 
ary 26,  1875.  changed  the  eastern  lino  to  the  meri- 
dian of  longitude  40°  7';  thence  north  to  the  thirty- 
eight  parallel  northwesterly  to  Hot  Springs,  and 
north  ia  the  thirlj'-ninth  ])arallol,  as  before,  leaving 
the  boundaries  as  they  exist  at  jtresent,  the  north- 
ern boundary  never  having  been  changed. 

Al'l'OlNTMENTS    AND    KI.ECTIONS. 

A    complete  list  of  the  officers  of  the  county  from 
its  organization  down  to  thepresenttime  is  herewith 


given,  together  with  the  date  of  appointment  or 
election  of  each.  The  vacancies  in  oftice  by  death, 
resignation  or  removal,  if  any  have  occurred,  will 
also  be  noted,  with  the  names  of  the  persons  se- 
lected to  fill  the  same. 

SENATORS. 

J.J.  Coddington,  elected  Councilman  under  Terri- 
torial organization  September  2,  1863;  B.  S.  Mason 
and  William  Wethcrall,  elected  Senators  under  the 
provisions  of  a  State  Constitution,  Januarj'  19,  1864, 
but  never  qualified  as  the  Constitution  was  rejected; 
J.  C.  Parks,  elected  Councilman  September  7,  1864; 
Lewis  Doran  and  John  Ives,  elected  Senators  No- 
vember 8,  1864;  B.  S.  Mason  and  Lewis  Doran, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  T.  W.  Abraham,  elected 
November  3,  1868;  W.  .M.  Boring,  elected  November 
8,  1870;  J.  G.  Mc('linton  and  Frank  Campbell,  elected 
November  5,  1872 — Campbell  to  fill  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  W.  M.  Boring;  A.  Garrard,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  John  B.  Gallagher,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1878. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

J.  W.  Calder,  Jacob  Hess,  and  J.  H.  Graj^  were 
elected  Eepresentatives  under  the  Territorial  organ- 
ization, September  2,  1863.  Gray  did  not  take  his 
seat.  John  S.  Mayhugh,  J.  G.  McClinton,  E.  T. 
Loomis,  and  G.  A.  Green  were  elected  January  19, 
1864,  under  the  provisions  of  a  State  Constitution 
which  was  rejected,  therefore  never  qualified.  A.  S. 
Peck  was  elected  County  Judge  under  the  same 
regime;  J.  C.  Darragh,  P.  B.  Comstock,  and  L.  Eice 
were  elected  Ec))resentatives  September  7,  1864;  D. 
H.  Haskell,  John  S.  Mayhugh,  D.  Wellington,  and 
Cyril  Hawkins,  elected  Assemblymen.  November  8, 
1864;  A.  M.  Wingate,  J.S.  Mayhugh,  T.  N.  Browne, 
and  B.  V.  Poor,  elected  November  6,  1866.  Browne 
resigned  April  0,  1867.  C.  P.  Shakspeare,  E.  R 
Shimmin,  John  S.  Ma3'hugh,  and  S.  J.  Davis,  elected 
Novembers,  1868.  Mayhugh  resigned  July  7,  1869, 
Angus  McLeod,  D.  C.  Simpson,  D.  F.  -Manning,  and 
M.  R.  Delano,  elected  November  8,  1870;  J.  B.  Gal- 
lagher, Robert  McCall,  W.  H.  Carpenter,  and  P.  M. 
Brummer,  elected  November  .">,  1872;  Alexander 
Spencer,  R.  I.  Hubbard,  R.  V.  Tone,  and  E.  R. 
Willis,  elected  November  3,  1874;  C.  P.  Shakspeare 
and  H.  E.  Sargent,  elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  J{. 
Kldred  and  Charles  P.  Shakspeare,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1878;  W.  F.  Bolding  and  T.  M.  McGowan, 
elected  November  2,  18S0. 

COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS 

Appointed  by  (Governor  Nye  June  22,1863:  C.  D.  Win- 
egate, Samuel  Youngs,  and  John  F.  Jlooro.  Youngs 
declined,  and  John  Hawkins  was  appointed,  but  re- 
signed August  Isf.  P.  W.  Randall,  Geo.  A.  Green  and 
Cieo.  A.  Whitney-,  elected  Soptembor  2,  1863.  Randall 
resigned  January  22,  1864.  and  W.  II.  Hurgcss  ap- 
pointed by  Commissioners  April  5th.  The  Su- 
preme Court  decided  the  aj)])()intment  illegal,  and 
the  Governor  appointed  Samuel    Youngs   April    11, 


•r^' 


i'^- 


a-.^ 


/^ 


,^^'r^.-  ■■ 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


*0o 


18S4.  D.  W.  Davis,  George  A.  Green  and  Samuel 
Youngs,  elected  Septemher  7.  1864;  George  Benson 
elected  November  7,  18G5  ;  E.  B.  Cooper,  M.  Y. 
Stewart,  and  E.  U.  Smith,  elected  November  6,  1866. 
Cooper  resigned  and  J.  G.  MeClinton  was  appointed 
hv  the  Governor  April  If),  1867.  lie  resigned  Sep- 
tember 25,  1868,  and  the  Governor  appointed  Gardi- 
ner C.  White  October  5,  1868,  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
W.  G.  McBride,  G.  C.  White,  and  Henry  Williams, 
elected  November  3,  1S6S.  McBride  and  While  re- 
signed, and  T.  H.  Burt  and  Frank  Neal  were  ap- 
pointed August  3,  1869,  to  fill  the  vacancies.  F. 
Strackler,  R.  Keever  and  E.  W.  Bennett,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  Henry  Williams  and  C.  Dumay, 
elected  November  5,  1872.  Dumaj^  did  not  qualify, 
and  Angus  McLeod  was  appointed  June  2,  1873.  T. 
B.  Smith  and  F.  Strackler,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  P.  L.  Traver  and  D.  C.  Simpson,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876.  Franklin  Neal  was  appointed  January 
15,  1880,  in  place  of  Traver,  deceased.  D.  C.  Simp- 
son, and  T.  B.  Smith,  elected  November  5,  1878;  W. 
S.  Stone  and  G.  A.  Hamilton,  elected  November  2, 
1880. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

Wm.  M.  Boring  was  elected  Probate  Judge,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

R.  S.  Mesick  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney, 
under  Territorial  Government,  September  2,  1863, 
resigned  January  22,  1864,  Geo.  S.  Palmer  appointed 
to  till  vacancy;  S.  H.  Chase,  elected  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  September  7,  1864;  T.  N.  Browne,  elected 
District  Attorney  November  7,  1865,  vice  S.  H.  Chase, 
elected  District  Judge;  W.  M.  Boring,  elected  No- 
vember 6,  1866;  T.  N.  Browne,  elected  November  3, 
1868,  removed  from  county,  and  W.  K.  Boring 
appointed  April  5,  1869.  to  fill  vacancy;  John  Curtis, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  M.  A.  .Murphy,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874, 
re-elected  November  7,  1876;  A.  L.  Greeley,  elected 
November  5, 1878.  According  to  the  canvass  Daniel 
Holland  received  more  votes  than  (irooley,  but  the 
latter  successfully  contested  the  election.  Cande- 
laria  was  re-counted  and  (ireeley  given  the  office. 
D.  J.  Lewis,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

D.  G.  Francis,  elected  September  2, 1863,  re-elected 
September  7.  1864,  re-elected  November  6,  1866, 
re-elected  November  3,  1868;  John  B.  Helm,  elected 
November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872, 
re-elected  November  3,  1874;  L.  B.  Lott,  elected 
November  7,  1876,  died  September  25,  1878,  and  J. 
B.  Hiskey  ajipointed  October  7th,  to  fill  vacancy; 
Clem.  Ogg,  elected  November  5,  1878;  David  J.  IJobb, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COINTV    CLERKS. 

E.  B.  Dickinson,  elected  September  2,  1863,  re- 
elected September  7,  1864;  Jas.  S.  Jamison,  elected 
November  6,  1866:  F.  K.  Bccbtel,  elected  November 

51 


3,  1868;  D.J.  Lewis,  elected  November  8,  1870,  re- 
elected November  5,  1872;  I.  N.  Farwell,  elected 
November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876,  re- 
elected November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY    TREA.SrRERS. 

Eben  Rhodes,  elected  September  2, 1863,  re-elected 
September  7,  1864;  W.  A.  Howard,  elected  Novem-. 
ber  7, 1865,  vire  Rhodes,  who  had  resigned.  Howard 
resigned  April  16,  ^1866,  and  J.  (i.  MeClinton  was 
appointed  to  fill  vacancj'.  Oliver  Kimball,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  G.  W.  Daran.  elected  November 
3,  1868;  Wm.  H.  Hail,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1866,  died  November 
26,  1876,  and  O.  Kimball  appointed  December  11th, 
to  fill  vacancy;  A.  V\^  Crocker,  elected  November  5, 
1878;  Angus  McLeod,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

J.  H.  Smith,  elected  September  2,  1863;  J.  H. 
Richardson,  elected  September  7,  1864;  Ira  P.  Hale, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  M.  A.  Murphj-,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  re-elected,  November  8,  1870;  S. 
M.  Booker,  elected  November  5,  1872;  Dennis 
Thompson,  elected  November  3,  1874;  C.  J.  Dunlap, 
elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5, 
1878;  office  vacated  for  non-qualification,  February 
10,  1879,  and  Dennis  Thompson  appointed  the  next 
day;  December  2,  1879,  office  again  declared  vacant 
for  not  filing  a  new  bond,  and  G.  II.  Hatch  was 
appointed  January  6,  1880,  to  fill  the  vacancj'.  S.  B. 
Hines,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

John  Hawkins,  elected  September  2, 1863,  died,  and 
Cyril  Hawkins  appointed  January  8,  1864,  to  fill 
vacancy;  G.L.  Church,  elected  September 7, 1864;  I). 
W.  Hastings,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  G.  Me- 
Clinton, elected  November  3,  1868,  resigned  July  20 
1869,  and  G.  C.  White  appointed  to  fill  vacancy;  G. 
C.  White,  elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  No- 
vember 5,  1872;  David  McKee,  elected  November  3, 
1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876.  II.  W.  Barton 
was  appointed  August  14, 1877,  vice  McKee,  deceased. 
I).  J.  Lewis,  elected  November  5,  1878;  H.  W.  Bar- 
ton, elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OP  SCHOOLS. 

J.  B.  Saxton,  elected  September  2,  1863;  Ira  P. 
Hale,  elected  September  7,  1864;  W.  C.  Meredith, 
elected  November  7,  1865,  vice  Ira  P.  Hale,  who 
resigned  October  4,  1865.  Meredith  resigned  April 
16,  1866,  and  Hale  was  again  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy;  Larkin  Smith,  elected  November  6,  1866; 
B.  T.  Tade,  elected  November  3,  1868,  resigned 
October  5,  1869,  and  Ira  P.  Hale  appointed  to  fill 
vacanc}';  Ira  P.  Hale,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
resigned  July  3,  1871,  and  S.  B.  Smith  appointed 
to  fill  vacancy;  W.  H.  H.  Buckley,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872;  H.  D.  Fletcher,  elected  November  3," 
1874;   J.    F.    De    Vol,    elected   November    7,   1876; 


406 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


John  M.  Dormer,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re- 
signed April  6,  1880,  and  H.  D.  Howard  appointed 
to  fill  vacancy;  Edwin  Wood,  elected  November 
2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

Wm.  Me  Bride,  elected  September  2,  1863,  re-elected 
September  7,  1864;  re-elected  November  6,  1866; 
Chas.  E.  Baldwin,  elected  November  8,  1870;  A.  Gar- 
rard, elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  R.  NcNeese, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  resigned  April  3,  1876, 
and  Franklin  Neal,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy;  F. 
C.  Farnham.  elected  November  7,  1876;  the  oflRce 
was  declared  vacant  March  8,  1878,  for  non -resi- 
dence, and  J.  M.  Houston,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy; 
J.  M.  Houston,  elected  November  5,  1878;  re-elected, 
November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

Henry  Keever,  elected  November  6,  1866;  S.  M. 
Booker,  elected  November  3,  1868;  Samuel  Youngs, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872;  Henry  Keever,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
Henry  D.  Fletcher,  elected  November  7,  1876;  A. 
H.  Hawley,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Henry 
Keever,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

TOPOCiUAPHY,    MINES   AND   AGRICULTURE. 

The  topography  of  the  county  and  the  character 
of  the  soil  differs  very  little  from  the  balance  of  the 
State.  A  large  body  of  fresh  water,  called  Walker 
Lake,  covers  a  considerable  ai-ea,  extending  from  the 
mouth  of  Walker  River  in  a  southeasterly  direction 
a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles,  having  an  aver- 
age width  of  nine  miles,  and  abounds  with  fish  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  The  lake  is  deep,  and  like  all 
bodies  of  water  in  the  Great  Basin  of  Nevada,  has 
no  outlet.  The  waters  from  Walker  River  flow 
into  it  winter  and  summer.  The  floods  in  the  last 
days  of  1861  and  first  of  1862,  raised  its  waters 
seventeen  feet.  The  surface  gradually  receded  un- 
til about  1867-68,  when  another  flood  raised  them 
about  seven  feet.  With  these  exceptions  the  waters 
of  the  lake  have  been  gradually  decreasing,  owing 
probably  to  the  supply  being  largely  used  for  irri- 
gating the  ranches  along  the  course  of  the  river. 
The  Walker  River  has  its  source  in  two  main 
branches,  which  rise  in  the  f?ierra  Nevada  and 
unite  about  forty  five  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
stream.  The  main  stream  then  flows  northerly, 
makes  a  coni])lete  curve  to  the  east,  and  then  flows 
south  into  Walker  Ij.ike.  The  bottoms  and  valleys 
lying  along  the  river  and  the  creeks  flowing  into  it, 
constitute  a  large  ])()rtion  of  the  tillable  land  of  the 
county.  Upon  Walker  Ijake  are  two  small  steam- 
boats, used  in  conveying  produce  from  Mason  Val- 
lej'  to  Columbus  District,  shortening  the  usual 
route  of  travel  considerably.  One  of  those  boats 
is  forty  feet  long,  and  carries  ten  tons,  the  other 
being  of  the  same  capacity  and  ton  foot  longer.  The 
first  was  built  in  the  valley  and  taken  down  the. 
river,  while  the  other  was  constructed  at  the  lake. 


Three  principal  ranges  of  mountains,  the  Wassuck, 
Excelsior  and  Volcano,  together  with  a  great  many 
lower  and  shorter  ranges  of  hills,  traverse  the  county 
in  all  directions,  the  general  course,  however,  being 
north  and  south.  Several  hot  springs,  a  number  of 
borax  and  salt  marshes,  numerous  iron,  copper,  gold 
and  silver  mines,  are  found  in  the  county;  the  pro- 
duction of  gold,  silver,  salt  and  borax,  aside  from 
agriculture,  being  the  chief  industries. 

The  superficial  area  of  the  county  is  about  9,000 
square  miles,  a  great  deal  of  it  being  utterly  value- 
less. Of  the  balance  it  is  estimated  that  there  are 
150,000  acres  suitable  for  agriculture,  300,000  acres 
of  grazing  land,  150,000  acres  of  timber  land,  covered 
with  a  growth  of  pinon,  or  dwarf  ])ine,  and  750,000 
acres  of  mineral  land.  Of  the  agricultural  lands 
some  13,000  acres '  are  ini-losed,  and  8,000  under 
cultivation. 

These  lands  lie  in  Mason,  Smith  and  portions  of 
Antelope  Valleys,  along  the  branches  of  Walker 
River  and  Sweetwater  Creek,  in  Fish  Lake  Vallej% 
and  in  a  few  isolated  localities  where  water  can  be 
obtained  for  irrigation.  Haj-  and  barley  are  the 
principal  crops.  There  is  always  a  great  demand 
for  these  in  the  mining  districts  adjacent,  and  a  good 
price  can  always  be  obtained.  Considerable  stock  is 
raised  in  the  county,  and  small  orchards  are  found 
in  considerable  numbers.  For  statistics  giving  the 
products  of  the  county  for  each  year  from  1865  to 
1880,  the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation,  the 
stock  and  grain  raised,  and  the  fruit  trees  and  vines 
growing,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  tables  to  bo 
found  on  pages  135,  136,  139  and  14(i  of  the  general 
history.  For  the  bullion  product  see  tables  in  the 
latter  pages  of  this  work. 

The  Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad,  opened  for 
travel  in  the  si)ring  of  1881,  penetrates  to  near  the 
center  of  the  county,  skirting  the  east  shore  of 
Walker  Lake,  traversing  the  valley-  of  Walker  River 
and  connecting  with  the  general  system  of  railroads 
by  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  at  Mound 
House,  in  Lyon  County. 

SETTLEMENT   OF    MASON    VALLEY. 

In  1854  N.  H.  A.  Mason,  in  company  with  two 
brothers,  was  driving  cattle  from  the  Western  States 
to  California,  and  passed  through  the  fountrj\  now 
known  as  Mason  Valley,  along  ^Valker  River.  Their 
cattle  were  stampeded,  and  in  collecting  them  they 
had  a  good  opportunity  of  learning  something 
of  the  value  of  this  section  as  a  grazing  range. 
In  1859  Mr.  Mason  again  visited  the  place,  and,  after 
making  a  thorough  examination,  located  what  has 
since  been  known  as  AIason"s  Ranch.  The  fall  of 
that  year  a  large  band  of  cattle  from  the  East  was 
wintered  there,  and,  in  1860,  he  drove  from  Califor- 
nia (Stanislaus  County),  what  cattle  he  had  there 
to  the  Nevada  range. 

In  October,  1859,  Wm.  11.  Dickson  located  on 
what  is  now  the  reservation,  up  the  river,  about 
fourteen   miles  from  the   lake,   where  Campbell,  or 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


407 


Wasson,  later  built  the  reservation  house.  He  is 
still  a  resident  of  the  valley. 

During  the  Indian  troubles  Mason  and  Dickson 
drove  their  stock  to  Antolojio  Yalloy.  In  July  the 
former  returned  to  his  ranch,  but  Dickson's  claim 
was  lost  to  him  because  of  its  being  on  reserved 
Indian  laiuls,  and  he  did  not  return  \intil  1S(>2. 

The  tirst  house  built  in  the  vallej-  was  by  ilr. 
Mason  in  1860,  16x24  feet  in  dimensions,  the  walls 
being  eight  feet  high,  and  were  of  willows  and 
adobe.  The  roof  was  of  tules,  and  the  sides  were 
made  by  placing  poles  in  the  ground,  then  nailing 
willows  to  them,  and  filling  in  between  with  mud. 
It  was  built  near  the  center  of  section  thirteen,  town- 
ship fourteen  north,  twenty-five  east.  The  structure 
was  maliciously  burned  in  1866. 

Tom  Wheeler  and  brother  settled  about  eighteen 
miles  south  of  Mason's  Ranch,  on  the  west  fork  of 
Walker  River,  in  the  fall  of  1861.  The  place  is  now 
owned  by  D.  Wilson.     The  next  settlers  were  Angus 

McLeod,    Charles  Sneider,   and  Clement,  who 

came  in  the  fall  of  1862,  and  took  up  what  is  now 
known  as  McLeod's  Ranch.  The  same  fall  A.  J. 
and  C.  D.  Lane  and  W.  K.  Johnson,  in  connection 
with  John  R.  Bradlej-,  purchased  a  part  of  the 
Mason  Ranch,  and  drove  cattle  in  from  California  to 
the  place.  The  same  fall  William,  George  and 
Richard  Alcorn,  three  brothers,  settled  between  the 
McLeod  and  Lane  ranches.  In  1863  Jesse  Wood- 
cock and Porter  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the 

river,  opposite  McLeod's,  and  during  the  same  year 
Sprague,  Kimball  and  Buler  took  up  the  ranch  now 
owned  by  Mason  where  his  house  is  built. 

Mr.  Mason,  in  1861,  sowed  about  one  acre  of 
barley  and  planted  some  potatoes  on  the  bottom 
across  the  river  from  the  old  original  house.  The 
second  effort  in  this  line  was  in  1863,  bj^  Angus 
McLeod  and  another,  who  both  raised  barley  that 
year.     In  1864  several  parties  had  fields  of  grain. 

In  1861,  Mason  run  a  portion  of  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Mason  Ditch,  for  irrigating  purposes 
on  his  ranch.  It  is  now  about  four  miles  long,  and 
has  cost  about  $2,000.  The  next  was  the  Joggles 
Ditch,  taken  out  in  1863,  that  being  connected  with 
a  slough,  has  a  total  length  of  about  six  miles,  and 
cost  83,000.  The  I^ane  &  Johnson  Ditch  was  also 
taken  out  in  1863  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
and  is  about  three  miles  long.  This  was  followed  by 
the  McLeod  Ditch  in  the  same  j-ear.  It  is  two  and  one- 
half  niilcslong.  The  Sprague,  Alcorn, andBuIer  Ditch 
was  dug  in  1864,  and  is  now  one  of  the  main  ditches 
of  the  valley.  In  addition  to  the  above  are  several 
that  have  been  constructed  since,  among  which  are 
the  Greenwood  and  Fox  ditches,  on  the  East  Walker, 
and  the  Mickey,  Weston,  Nichol,  and  Merritt  ditches 
on  the  West  Walker. 

A  tragic  incident  transpired  in  Mason  Valley,  in 
the  winter  of  1865-66,  in  which  William  Johnson, 
who  came  to  Mason  Vallc^'  in  1862,  lost  his  life.  He 
came  in  company  with  Charles  Lane,  from  California, 


and  they  brought  an  Indian  with  them.  This  son  of 
the  desert  was  accustomed  to  amuse  himself  by  but- 
tingheads  with  a  ram  belonging  to  Messrs.  Lane  and 
Johnson,  and  during  one  of  bis  trials  of  hard-head- 
edness,  the  ram  used  a  little  too  much  force  and 
knocked  the  redskin  out  of  time.  This  so  enraged 
him  that  he  seized  a  club  and  commenced  pounding 
his  victor,  when  Mr.  Johnson  interfered,  and  in  order 
to  make  his  arguments  effective  slapped  the  Indian 
across  the  face. 

During  that  night  Johnson  was  murdered,  and 
suspicion  was  at  once  attached  to  this  Indian,  who 
had  taken  a  horse  and  disappeared.  A  ]Kirty  imme- 
diately started  on  his  trail  and  found  him  in  a  min- 
ing camp,  in  Peavine  District,  near  where  the  town 
of  Reno  now  stands.  On  their  waj-  to  the  valley, 
those  having  him  in  charge,  concluded  that  the  surest 
plan  for  making  a  good  Indian,  would  be  to  hang  him, 
which  they  proceeded  to  do.  lie  was  accordingly 
hanged  to  the  limb  of  a  tree,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Carson  River,  below  Dayton,  near  the  place  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  Newman  and  Mr.  Ilonej-man. 

The  valley  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  is  eighty 
miles  long,  with  an  average  of  nine  miles  in  width, 
the  Walker  River  running  through  its  entire  length. 

The  statutes  make  four  counties  corner  on  Mason's 
Ranch,  but  the  point  of  contact  has  never  been 
determined  by  survey,  although  a  strict  construction 
of  the  statutes  would  seem  to  carry  the  line  about 
six  miles  north  of  his  present  home,  and  take  the 
whole  vallej-  into  Esmeralda  County.  This  is  not 
the  construction  now  given,  however.  There  are  at 
present  260  voters  in  the  valley,  thirty-one  of  them 
voting  in  Lyon  County. 

ALBERT   JAMES   BARRETT. 

Was  born  in  Fairfield,  Somerset  County,  Maine,  on 
the  twenty-eighth  day  of  February.  1822.  His 
ancestors  were  among  the  earlj'  settlers  of  America, 
his  great-grandfather  and  six  sons  coming  from 
England  and  first  settling  in  Massachusetts  prior  to 
the  Revolutionarj-  War,  five  of  whom  served  in  the 
struggle  for  independence  against  the  mother  coun- 
try. His  father.  Mr.  C.  Barrett,  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  his  mother,  Betsj-  Barrett  ni'e  Davis, 
was  a  native  of  Maine.  On  the  father's  side  the 
English  is  allied  with  Scotch,  his  grandmother  being 
a  descendant  of  the  Chalmers  of  Scothind.  a  family 
respected  and  esteemed  on  either  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
Barrett,  Sen.,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  foL 
lowed  the  cooper's  trade,  and  the  son  was,  at  the 
early  ago  of  five  years,  inducted  into  the  mysteries  of 
sawing  staves,  and  at  seven  years  was  promoted  to 
the  "bench,"  shaving  hoops.  He  continued  to  fol- 
low this  trade  until  1850,  when,  animated  by  a  desire 
to  improve  his  fortunes,  he  embarked  on  the  steamer 
Crescent  Citij  for  ("alifornia.  Cro.ssing  the  Isthmus 
and  finding  no  steamer  ready  to  sail,  ho  engaged  in 
working  at  his  trade  for  two  months,  and  then  tak- 
ing passage  on  the  A'orlherner,  landed  in  San  Fran- 
cisco on  the  sixth  of  July,  1851,  and  from  thence  to 


40K 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  mines.  Not  finding  the  success  he  anticipated, 
he  left  the  mines  and  settled  in  Sacramento,  working 
at  his  trade  for  three  years.  From  thence  he 
removed  to  Michigan  Bar,  and  for  one  and  a  half 
years  followed  merchandising.  Subsequently  he 
engaged  in  the  same  business  in  other  places,  closinir 
at  Brownsville. 

In  1857  he  purchased  a  ranch  in  Yolo  County,  on 
which  he  resided  for  three  years,  and  then  disposing 
of  that  removed  to  San  Francisco.  Dissatisfied  with 
city  life,  in  company  with  Capt.  A.  VV.  Pray,  he 
removed  to  Nevada  and  erected  the  first  saw-mill  at 
Glenbrook,  near  Lake  Tahoe,  in  which  business  they 
continued  for  one  year,  and  then  selling  his  interest 
in  the  mill  removed  from  Glenbrook  and  located  on 
Clear  Creek,  in  Ormsby  County,  Nevada,  farming 
for  two  years  at  that  place,  and  subsequently  for 
thirteen  years  near  Dayton.  Eenting  his  ranch 
in  Dayton,  he  removed  to  Mason  Valley,  Esme- 
ralda County,  where  he  still  resides. 

Mr.  Barrett  was  married  March  22,  1848,  to  Miss 
Clin  E.  Day,  daughter  of  Tobias  and  Pha-be  Day,  of 
the  State  of  Massachusetts.  They  are  blessed  with 
five  children,  all  living — George  A.,  Mary  W.,  Charles 
H.,  Isabel  F.,  and  Lettie  C.  The  eldest  daughter, 
the  wife  of  Charles  W.  Mallett,  resides  near  her 
parents  in  Mason  Valley.  They  have  one  son, 
William  Albert,  born  July  28,  1879. 

Mr.  Barrett  cast  his  first  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  the 
great  Whig  leader  and  orator,  in  1844,  and  like  most 
of  the  New  England  men  of  that  political  school, 
early  united  with  the  Eepublican  party,  to  which  he 
has  ever  since  belonged.  In  religion  Jie  is  best 
described  as  a  Protestant  in  its  most  acceptable 
sense,  than  which  he  could  hardly  be  otherwise  edu- 
cated, as  he  was  in  the  common  schools  of  New  Eng- 
land. 

ALBERT    H.    ERWAY, 

Son  of  Charles  and  Susannah  (Croddit)  Erway,  was 
born  near  Ithaca,  Tompkins  County,  New  York, 
January  8,  1811.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of 
New  York  State.  The  first  fifteen  years  of  his  life 
were  divided  between  working  on  a  farm  and 
attending  school,  and  at  that  age  engaged  as  a 
driver  on  the  "  raging  canal "  in  summer,  and  was 
in  the  lumber  business  during  the  winter.  In  1835  he 
removed  with  his  parents  to  the  State  of  Michigan, 
locating  at  Three  Itivers,  St.  Joseph  County,  and 
entered  a  store  as  clerk,  and  soon  after  purchased 
the  business,  and  conducted  the  same  for  about  three 
years.  The  succeeding  thirteen  years  he  devoted  to 
the  occupation  of  farming.  In  February,  1852,  he, 
with  his  family,  sailed  from  New  York  on  the 
steamship  El  Dwmlo,  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama, and  took  passage  on  the  steamer  Oreyon  for 
San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  landed  April 
7th.  His  first  occupation  in  that  State  was  mining 
on  Mormon  Island.  The  next  winter  he  went  to 
Sacramento  and  in  companj^  with  a  friend,  ])ur- 
ohased  a  stock  of  goods,  which  they  took  to  a  place 


called  Fiddletown.  In  this  enterprise  they  were 
successful,  and  continued  the  business  until .  after 
the  destruction  of  Sacramento  City  bj-  fire.  He 
then  commenced  freighting  with  a  six-mule  team, 
making  Stockton,  San  Joaquin  County,  his  head- 
quarters. In  1855  he  returned  with  his  family  to 
the  East,  and  located  in  Cass  Count}*,  Michigan, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  One 
year  later  he  sufl^ered  losses  bj'  fire,  and  went  to  farm- 
ing, which  he  followed  until  1860,  when  he  went  to 
Mills  County,  Iowa;  thence  to  Nebraska,  and  kept  a 
hotel  at  Plattsmouth,  Cass  County,  until  1862,  when 
he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and,  contracting  the 
Salmon  Eiver  mining  fever,  started  for  the  north- 
west. He  spent  one  winter  packing  supplies  from 
Walla  Walla,  Washington  Territorj-,  to  the  mines 
in  Idaho.  In  1S63  he  again  sought  California,  and 
engaged  in  freighting  from  Sacramento  over  the 
mountains.  In  186G  he  purchased  a  ranch  sixteen 
miles  below  the  latter  city.  In  1868  he  came  to 
Nevada,  and  engaged  in  the  wood  business  at  Carson 
City,  Ormsby  County,  also  was  interested  largely 
in  freighting,  but  reverses  overtook  him,  and  he 
was  left  to  again  build  up  a  business,  his  entire  cap- 
ital consisting  of  a  ten  cent  piece,  which  was  at- 
tached to  his  watch  chain.  At  the  end  of  eighteen 
months  he  had  by  strict  attention  established  him- 
self in  business,  and  had  teams  worth  fuU}^  S3, 000. 
In  1876  he  settled  in  Mason  Valley.  Esmeralda 
Countj",  fully  satisfied,  after  traveling  over  the 
State,  that  this  valley  is  inferior  to  none,  as  an 
agricultural  district,  in  the  State. 

Mr.  Erway  was  married  Februarj'  11,  1838,  to 
Miss  Abigail  Jane  Phillipps,  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
Their  union  was  blessed  by  eight  children,  all  living 
at  this  time,  six  of  whom  are  being  educated  in  the 
Eastern  Slates.  Mrs.  Erway  died  February  18, 
1869. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Erway  is  a  Democrat  of  the  old 
school.  In  business,  he  has  always  been  success- 
ful until  he  reached  a  certain  point,  when  reverses 
would  surely  overtake  him,  but  now  with  his  fine 
ranch  as  a  backer,  he  need  fear  no  foe.  He  is 
able  to  produce  2,000  bushels  of  grain  per  year 
from  his  place,  and  thoroughly  understands  his 
business. 

J.   J.  FOX. 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  the  town  of  Auggen,  Muellhcim. 
In  the  year  1854,  he  left  his  "  Faderiaiid,"'  bidding 
adieu  to  the  scenes  of  his  youth,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  of  America.  His  first  location  after 
reaching  American  soil  was  in  the  State  of  Missouri, 
where  ho  lived  nearly  five  years,  and  in  1859  emi- 
grated, having  California  as  his  objective  point. 
He  came  by  way  of  the  plains,  and  underwent  all  the 
trials  peculiar  to  a  trip  across  the  country.  He 
finally  reached  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  for  a  period  of 
about  five  years  was  a  resident  of  the  "Golden  State." 
In  1864  he  crossed  the  mountains  and  became  a  resi- 


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HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


409 


dent  of  Nevada,  and  in  the  winter  of  1865-66,  located 
in  Mason  Vallej',  Esmeralda  County,  where  he  now 
lives.  Mr.  Fox  has  a  fine  ranch  in  this  beautiful 
valley,  and  is  one  of  the  much-esteemed  citizens  of 
that  locality;  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  honest  and 
upright  in  his  transactions  with  his  neighbors,  and 
will  in  time  become  one  of  the  solid  men  of  the  State. 


/^^^^^f^^ 


Was  born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  in  1843,  and 
came  with  his  parents  to  America  when  but  a  child. 
Arriving  in  this  country,  his  people  went  to  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  where  they  have  since  resided. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  the  battle  of  life 
for  himself  at  an  early  age,  and  by  industrj^  and 
economj'  saved  money  enough  to  pay  his  way  at 
school,  and  graduated  from  Bull's  College,  at  Racine, 
Wisconsin.  Possessed  of  an  ambitious  nature,  and 
realizing  the  fact  that  wealth  and  intellectual  im- 
provement are  the  result  of  personal  eft'ort  and 
industry,  he  seized  upon  the  first  opportunity  to 
reach  the  much  talked-about  land  of  gold.  California, 
and  engaged  himself  to  a  man  to  assist  in  driving  a 
band  of  sheep  across  the  plains.  Upon  bis  arrival 
in  California  he  did  not  realize  the  fruition  of  his 
fondest  hopes,  and  with  youth  and  health  as  his 
stock  in  trade,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  "briny 
deep,"  and  shijiped  before  the  mast  on  a  vessel  then 
at  San  Francisco,  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  South 
American  trade,  and  in  this  ship  visited  all  the  ports 
from  Puget  Hound  to  Valparaiso.  During  that 
time  he  saved  some  money,  and  entered  the  stock 
business,  which  resulted  decidedly  to  his  advantage, 
and  for  some  years  he  was  engaged  in  traveling  in 
the  interests  of  his  business,  and  became  well  known 


in  every  town  in  California  and  all  the  northwestern 
Territories,  often  going  as  far  east  as  Fort  Hen- 
ton,  on  the  Missouri  River.  It  is  a  safe  assertion 
to  say,  that  Mr.  Gallagher  is  one  of  the  best 
informed  men,  in  regard  to  the  geographical  lay 
of  the  country,  and  the  peculiarities  of  its  inhab- 
itants, to  be  found  west  of  the  Rockj-  Mountains. 

Having  acquired  a  substantial  capital,  also  a  good 
reputation  as  a  stock-man,  he  settled  in  Mason  Val- 
ley, Esmeralda  County,  Nevada,  and  purchased  a 
largo  tract  of  land.  In  1873  he  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly  of  the  State  Legislature;  and  in  1878 
was  elected  to  the  high  and  honorable  ])osition  of 
Senator,  an  office  he  has  sustained  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  his  constituents.  Mr.  (Jallagher  is  an  exam- 
ple of  what  can  be  accomplished  with  industry, 
economy,  perseverance,  and  a  well-balanced  head. 
His  position  in  life,  single. 

ADA.M    IIEIIBOLD 

Is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  at  Baden,  in  183.").  At 
the  age  of  thirteen  years  he,  with  his  jjarcrits,  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  settled  in  Canal  Dover,  Tus- 
carawas County,  Ohio,  and  remained  in  that  town 
about  five  3'ears.  His  father  was  by  trade  a  cooper, 
and  followed  that  business.  In  lS.").'i,  the  family  re- 
moved to  Sabuhi,  .Jackson  County,  Iowa,  and  for 
two  years  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  trained  to 
the  calling  of  a  farmer  in  connection  with  his  father. 
During  the  year  1855,  the  elder  Mr.  Herbold  sold 
bis  farm  and  bought  a  brewery  in  the  same  town, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  his  two  sons,  Adam  and 
John  B.,  succeeded  in  building  up  a  good  and  flour- 
ishing business.  In  1856  the  mother  of  the  family 
departed  this  life,  and  the  duties  of  the  household 
devolved  upon  her  only  daughter,  a  young  lady  just 
blooming  into  womanhood.  There  is  an  old  adage 
that  says,  ''misfortunes  never  come  singly-,"  and  so 
it  proved  in  this  family,  for  during  the  year  1859 
the  brewery  and  buildings  connected  therewith, 
were  consumed  by  fire,  while  our  present  subject 
was  away  on  a  visit  to  the  State  of  Kansas.  Upon 
learning  of  this  second  calamity  ho  came  home. 
His  father  had  already  commenced  rebuilding,  and  in 
a  short  time  thereafter,  while  boating  sand  across 
the  Mississippi  River,  for  use  in  j)lastering  the 
building,  the  flat-boat  sunk,  ami  before  assistance 
could  be  rendered  our  subject  was  an  orphan.  He, 
assuming  the  management  of  the  property,  finished 
the  building  and  occupied  it  in  a  ditt'erent  calling, 
that  of  the  butcher  business. 

In  1861  Mr.  Herbold  sold  out  his  interests  in  Iowa 
and  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  his  objective  point 
being  California.  In  company  with  Colonel  Hes- 
ter, ho  crossed  the  plains,  enduring  untold  hard- 
ships. Upon  reaching  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  he 
sold  his  cattle  and  purchased  horses,  and  continued 
the  journey  as  far  as  Walker  Lake,  in  Nevada, 
and  was  obliged  to  camp  for  some  time  to  recruit 
his  animals.  The  Indians  refused  to  allow  this 
little  band  of  worn-out  pioneers  to  graze  their  stock 


410 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


in  that  vicinity,  except  upon  condition  of  payment 
therefor,  to  which  the  travelers  were  obliged  to  con- 
sent. When  they  got  ready  to  move  on,  however, 
thej-  found  themselves  minus  most  of  their  horses, 
they  having  become  mired  in  the  mud  and  died, 
without  the  consent  or  knowledge  of  their  owners. 
This  was  a  damper  on  the  spirits  of  the  emigrants, 
as  there  were  only  six  horses  left,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible to  haul  their  heavily  laden  wagons  over  the 
mountains  to  California.  So  Mr.  Herbold  concluded 
to  winter  in  Mason  Valley,  which  he  did,  and  has 
since  lived  there.  His  son.  John  Adam,  being  the 
first  white  child  born  in  that  valley. 

Mr.  Herbold  was  married  in  1857  to  Louisa  Alber- 
tine  Berger,  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  in  1839,  com- 
ing to  America  ten  years  later.  Mrs.  Herbold  has, 
like  a  true  wife,  followed  the  fortunes  of  her  husband, 
until  now  she  can  rest  in  the  knowledge  that  they 
are  beyond  want,  and  can  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their 
united  labors. 

Mr.  Herbold  is  at  present  engaged  iu  the  dairy 
busiuess  and  stock-raising,  in  connection  with  his 
farm  labors.  Eight  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  only  two  of  whom  are  living. 

0.  UERNLEBEN. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  JJuvaria 
on  the  tenth  daj'  of  May,  1838,  where  he  resided 
until  early  manhood,  emigrating  from  there  to  the 
United  States  in  the  year  1859,  and  soon  after  located 
in  Missouri,  remaining  till  IStiO,  when  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  there,  and,  procuring  an  outfit 
suitable  for  the  journey,  crossed  the  plains  to  find  a 
home  at  Michigan  Bar  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
Sacramento  Countj',  California.  There  he  remained 
only  one  year,  going  to  Nevada  in  1861,  and  engaged 
in  mining  at  Virginia  City  for  three  j'ears.  but  not 
finding  it  as  remunerative  as  he  had  hoped  gave  up 
mining  and  removed  to  El  Dorado  Canon,  where  for 
two  years  he  was  engaged  in  supplying  wood  to  the 
people  of  that  vicinity.  In  18G5.  disposing  of  his 
interest  in  the  wood  business,  he  turned  his  hopes 
towards  ranching,  and,  purchasing  a  farm  in  Mason 
Valley,  settled  down  to  the  honorable  pursuit  of 
farming,  and  with  such'  success  that  he  has  become 
the  possessor  of  a  fine  farm  and  a  comfortable  home. 

In  1809,  while  residing  in  Virginia  Citj',  he  mar- 
ried Wilhelmina  Keymers,  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  where  she  was  born  on  the  ninth  day  of 
February,  1847.  She  sailed  for  the  United  Slates  in 
1868,  landing  in  New  York,  whore  after  remaining 
two  months,  she  took  passage  by  ship  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, California,  and  soon  after  went  to  Virginia 
City,  Nevada,  where  she  resided  some  seven  months, 
and  there  remained  till  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Hern- 
leben.  In  1872  she  visited  her  native  home  in 
Germany,  and  returned  in  September,  1873.  Mr. 
Hernleben  has  remained  industriousl}-  employed  on 
his  farm  since  his  marriage,  though  not  so  closely 
but  that  he  found  the  time  to  visit  the  Elastern 
States  during  the  year  1876,  and  to  bo  present  at  the 


Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia.  They  have 
no  children  of  their  own,  but  this  disappointment  is 
largely  consoled  by  the  presence  of  an  adopted 
daughter,  the  child  of  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Hernleben. 
named  Birdie  Pfeifer,  born  in  Mason  Vallej'.  Nevada, 
on  June  27,  1871. 

HON.    ANGUS    m'lEOD 

Is  a  native  of  Arkansas,  and  was  bom  in  1837. 
October  23d.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  young, 
and  he  was  left  to  seek  his  own  fortune  or  misfor- 
tune as  circumstances,  ability,  and  nerve  should  dic- 
tate. At  twenty  years  of  age  he  started  for 
California,  over  the  plains,  with  a  few  cattle,  in  com- 
panj-  with  W.  C.  iLcCune.  They  had  altogether 
about  1,000  head  of  stock,  and  lost  half  of  it  before 
the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  were  reached.  It  was 
the  year  1857,  when  the  Government  was  having 
trouble  with  Brigham  Young,  and  the  Indians  were 
verj-  troublesome  along  the  route.  About  100  head 
of  animals  were  run  off  by  them,  and  one  man  was 
killed  at  City  Eock,  where  the  Fort  Hall  and  Salt 
Lake  roads  come  together.  At  the  place  where  the 
road  passes  over  the  high  country,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Humboldt  I?iver,  between  Elko  and  Gravelly 
Ford,  they  reburied  a  man  named  Nichols  who  had 
been  killed  by  Indians  in  a  train  that  was  moving 
in  advance  of  them.  Two  daj"8  march  farther  down, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  thej'  came  upon  seven 
fresh  graves;  men  killed  also  by  Indians.  This  was 
rather  a  startling  and  sudden  transition  from  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  the  Arkansas  farmer  to  that  of 
traveling  among  hostile  tribes  in  the  mountains. 
That  winter  he  crossed  the  mountains  to  California, 
wintered  there,  and  returned  to  Carson  Valley  the 
next  spring,  to  assist  in  driving  the  stock  across  the 
Sierra.  In  September,  1859,  he  again  visited  Nevada, 
and  became  a  clerk  for  Moses  Job,  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Sheridan,  in  Douglas  Count}'.  In  the 
spring  of  1860,  he  purchased  a  couple  of  teams,  and 
became  a  freighter  from  California  to  the  mines  in 
Nevada,  continuing  that  business  for  the  next  three 
seasons,  each  year  increasing  his  transportation 
facilities.  The  succeeding  two  years  his  trains 
freighted  lumber,  etc.,  to  Aurora,  in  Esmeralda 
County.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  McLeod  took  up  the 
ranch  in  Mason  Vallej-  that  he  now  owns,  a  sketch 
of  which  can  be  seen  in  this  book.  In  the  fall  of 
1864  he  moved  on  to  this  land,  where  he  lived  until 
March,  1878,  when  he  returned  to  Aurora,  the  county 
seat.  Since  removing  to  the  latter  place  his  time 
has  been  principallj'  occupied  in  caring  for  his  houses 
there,  and  attending  to  matters  concerning  the  Car- 
son and  Aurora,  as  well  as  the  Aurora  and  Sunshine 
Toll-roads.  He  is  a  half-owner  in  each,  and  Henry 
Williams  is  his  partner.  In  August,  1880,  he  com- 
menced taking  charge  of  the  Exchange  Hotel  at 
Aurora.  The  property  belongs  to  him,  and  a  view 
of  the  same  also  accompanies  this  work.  He  still 
continues  in  the  business,  in  addition  to  his  num- 
erous  other   attairs.     In  1871,  Mr.  McLeod   repre- 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


411 


sented  Esmeralda  County  in  the  State  Lei^islatiiro; 
in  1873  and  1874  was  a  County  Commissioner  of 
the  same;  and  at  present  is  its  Treasurer.  In  1877, 
July  •'^d,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  K.  Ellis,  of 
Gold  Hill,  Nevada.  They  have  two  children,  named, 
Charles  A.,  born  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  April, 
1878;  and  Henry  S.,  born  on  the  fourteenth  of 
October,  1879. 

BERNHARD    H.    REYMERS, 

A  native  of  Hanover,  (Jermany,  was  born  in  1840, 
and  eame  to  the  United  States  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty  years,  in  the  ship  Christopher  Columbus,  ar- 
rivintj  at  Castle  Garden,  New  York,  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  day  of  November,  1800,  alone  and  destitute, 
having  lost  everything  on  the  voyage.  Securing 
employment  at  blacksmithing  and  house-moving 
during  the  winter  and  following  spring,  ho  earned 
enough  to  paj-  his  passage  to  Nevada,  arriving  there 
in  June,  1870.  Going  to  Esmeralda  County,  he  im- 
mediately, on  his  arrival,  found  employment  on  a 
farm  for  two  years,  and  bj^  industry  and  economy 
secured  means  to.  purchase  a  large  tract  of  land, 
and  at  once  engaged  in  farming,  which  he  carried  on 
extensively  till  1875.  In  April,  1873,  he  married 
Miss  Henrietta  Motseher.  also  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  at  the  town  of  Wadsworth,  Nevada. 

In  1875  he  abandoned  his  farm,  and,  going  to 
Candelaria,  then  becoming  noted  as  a  mining  town, 
he  managed  the  boarding-house  for  the  Northern 
Belle  Mine  until  June,  187G.  He  then,  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  visited  Germany  to  see  their  parents, 
then  residing  in  Bremen  and  Hamburg,  and  remained 
till  the  following  October,  when  they  returned  and 
again  settled  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Reymei-s  has,  by  his  industry  and  energy, 
placed  his  farm  under  good  improvement,  and  by 
attention  to  business  and  economj'  acquired  a  large 
and  valuable  property. 

Thej^  have  three  children  living.  May  and  Willie, 
of  five  and  two  years,  respectively,  and  Eda,  of  un- 
numbered years,  the  queen  of  the  household.  Two 
others,  Wilholmina  and  Emma,  are  waiting  across 
the  river. 

DR.    ABNER    STANTON    RICHARDSON 

Was  born  in  Jericho,  Chittenden  County,  Vermont, 
on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  June,  A.  d.  1841,  where 
he  resided  with  his  parents,  Sylvanus  and  Jiaura 
(Goodhue)  Richardson,  till  about  the  age  of  tifleen 
years,  receiving  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools  till  suffieientl}-  advanced  to  enter  the  fJroen 
Mountain  Academy  at  Underbill,  Vermont,  and  sub- 
sequently the  academy  in  Frielburgh,  Missiscjuoi 
County,  Canada,  and  from  there  entered  the  Med- 
ical Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
at  Philadelphia,  of  which  school  he  is  a  graduate. 

When  scarcely  twenty  years  of  age  his  studies  anil 
profession  were  interrupted  by  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion, and,  inspired  by  the  patriotism  of  all  true 
lovers  of  one's  country,  enlisted  in  the  First  Regi- 
ment of  Vermont  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  private 


soldier,  and  served  three  months,  till  the  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out.  Ho  afterwards  enlisted  for 
three  years,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Big 
Bethel,  and  participated  in  the  attacks  on  the  forts 
below  New  Orleans  and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, an<l  resided  there  from  1865  to  1870,  when  ho 
removed  to  Chautaucjua  County,  New  York,  where 
he  resided  till  1876,  when  he  migrated  to  Nevada, 
first  settling  at  Belleville  for  eighteen  months  and 
then  in  Mason  Valley,  where  he  has  ever  since  re- 
sided, engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  His 
skill  and  integrity  have  obtained  for  him  a  lucrative 
practice  and  the  confidence  of  his  numerous  patients, 
of  which  he  is  in  every  way  worth3^  In  1870  the 
doctor  was  married,  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  to  Miss 
Phrebe  M.  Decker,  of  Roj^al  Oak,  Oakland  County, 
Michigan.  Ho  is  a  consistent  and  exemplary  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  an  active 
member  of  the  Masonic  Order. 

WARUEN    BEN.IAMIN    SAUNDERS 

Was  born  in  Lagrange,  Lorain  County,  Ohio,  on 
the  thirty-first  day  of  October,  1829.  His  father, 
Horace  Saunders,  and  mother,  Miranda,  daughter  of 
Nathan  Clark,  of  that  Slate,  soon  after  their  mar- 
riage removed  to  Lorain  County,  among  the  first 
settlers  of  that  part  of  Ohio.  There  for  half  a  cen- 
tury he  took  active  part  in  the  stirring  events  of  the 
early  days  of  the  State,  living  to  see  the  dense  wil- 
derness transformed  into  cultivated  fields;  the  log- 
cabin  give  place  to  commodious  dwellings  and  stately 
mansions;  the  narrow  path  of  the  wilderness  to 
I'oads,  highways,  and  railroads;  the  pack-horse  to 
the  stage-coach  and  cars.  After  outliving  the  al- 
lotcd  years  of  man,  respected  for  his  integrity, 
energy,  and  intelligence,  he  died  on  the  twentj'-fifth 
daj'  of  September,  1873,  at  the  ago  of  seventy-two 
years,  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him  as  a  Christian 
whose  deeds  of  kindness  and  charity  adorned  his 
profession. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  Lorain 
County ,^assi8ting  on  the  farm  of  his  father  during  his 
early  life,  and  till  April,  1852,  when  ho  started  over- 
land with  a  small  party  for  California,  crossing  the 
plains  with  teams,  and  arriving  in  Beckwourth  Val- 
ley on  the  twentieth  of  August  of  that  year.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year,  he  moved  to  Rich  Bar  in 
Plumas  County,  and  engaged  in  mining  for  a  few 
months,  and  thence  to  Feather  River,  in  Butto 
County,  where  he  mined  till  the  spring  of  1857. 
Hearing  favorable  reports  of  Siskiyou  County,  he 
disposed  of  his  interests  in  Butto  County  and  going 
to  Siskiyou,  engaged  in  mining  for  four  years,  but 
failing  to  find  it  as  profitable  as  he  hoped,  he  closed 
his  business  and  removed  to  Carson  City,  Nevada, 
and  for  two  years  engaged  in  carpentering  and  the 
millwright  business,  a  trade  he  had  learned  in  Ohio. 
.\fter  laboring  in  Carson  City  for  two  years,  he 
again  returned  to  mining,  removing  to  Palmyra  Dis- 
trict, Como  Mountain,  where  ho  planted  all  that  ho 


412 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


had  reaped  and  gathered  in  the  previous  years  of 
labor  and  of  toil.  Leaving  Palmyra  District  and 
mining  for  ever,  he  sought  a  location  where  he  could 
return  to  the  time-honored  pursuits  of  his  youth, 
and  in  company  with  N.  (ireenwood  and  (J.  Mecum- 
ber,  purchased  a  "squatter's  location  "  in  Mason  Val- 
ley in  the  spring  of  18G5,  and  began  at  once  the  con- 
struction of  the  Greenwood  Ditch,  and  having  com- 
pleted the  same,  thej'  turned  their  attention  to 
clearing  and  improving  their  farms.  Mecumber  soon 
sold  his  interests,  and  not  long  since,  Greenwood 
disposed  of  his  and  removed  to  another  portion  of 
the  valley,  Saunders  alone  remaining  on  the  original 
location.  In  1868  Mr.  Saunders  and  W.  R.  Lee  lo- 
cated a  mill  site  on  the  West  Walker  River,  and 
erected  tbe  Mason  Valley  Mill,  a  two-story  mill, 
with  two  run  of  stone  propelled  by  water-power. 
They  continued  to  operate  the  mill  till  1871  success- 
fully, when  William  Wilson  became  the  owner,  and 
Mr.  Saunders  returned  to  the  care  of  his  farm.  His 
labors  of  cultivating  and  improving  have  been  re- 
warded by  a  farm  productive  in  the  growth  of  all 
grains  and  fruits  common  to  the  climate  and  altitude, 
and  a  residence  commodious  and  comfortable,  sur- 
rounded by  shade  trees,  orchard  and  garden,  views 
of  which  can  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Mr.  Saunders  was  married  on  the  thirtieth  daj-  of 
September.  1873,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Kreisel,  daughter  of 
T.  G.  and  Rebecca  Fcigenspan,  natives  of  Germany, 
where  the  father  died  in  1852.  Mrs.  Saunders  came 
to  America  in  1854,  and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  where 
she  married  Ferdinand  Kreisel,  and  with  him  re- 
moved to  California  in  185G,  where  he  soon  after 
died,  when  she  with  her  two  children,  Edward  and 
Theodore,  in  1S(!2  removed  to  Nevadn,  where  she 
resided  with  her  children  till  her  marriage  with  .Mr. 
Saunders.  In  1876  she  returned  to  Germany,  attend- 
ing the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia  on 
her  return,  in  company  with  her  mother,  who  now 
rests  in  the  cemetery  in  Mason  Valley. 

Mr.  Saunders  has  never  engaged  in  politics,  and 
has  held  no  office  other  than  School  Commissioner. 
Is  a  Republican,  conservative  in  politics,  and  a  Prot- 
estant, charitable  in  religion. 

SETTLEMENT   OF    SMITH    VALLEY. 

Mr.  T.  B.  Smith  furnishes  the  following  history 
of  Smith  Valley;— 

This  valley  is  pleasantly  situated  among  the  hills 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  Esmeralda  County.     Its 
length  from  southeast  to  northwest  is  over  sixteen 
miles,  whilst  its  average  width  is  six  miles,  giving   i 
an  area  of  more  than  60,000  acres. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1S5!1,  a  ]>arty  of  herds- 
men from  Stanislaus  County,  California,  consisting  j 
of  R.  B.  Smith,  T.  B.  Smith,  S.  Baldwin,  and  J.  A. 
IJogers,  crossed  the  mountains  with  their  cattle  from 
the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  by  the  Big  Tree  route,  and 
commenced  the  settlement  in  this  valley.  Thej' 
had  been  informed  by  a  i)arty  of  emigrants  who  had 
passed  this  way  four  years  before,  that  there  was 


a  good  place  here  to  winter  stock.  Upon  viewing 
the  valley,  the  herdsmen  decided  to  settle  here,  the 
abundance  of  white  sage  and  bunch  grass  being  in 
great  contrast  with  the  scarcity  of  pasture  in  Cali- 
fornia, because  of  several  successive  dry  seasons. 
They  pitched  their  camp  about  the  center  of  the 
valley,  near  the  banks  of  the  West  Walker  River. 
A  tule  house  was  constructed,  in  which  the  whole 
party  passed  the  winter.  It  was  no  warm  recep- 
tion they  met  with  in  their  new  house.  The  winter 
was  colder  than  any  since  known  there.  Heavy 
snows  covered  the  ground,  and  severe  frosts  froze 
two  feet  of  ice  on  the  river,  that  had  to  be  broken 
in  order  to  water  the  stock.  Provisions  had  to  be 
procured  in  Genoa,  at  a  distance  of  forty  miles 
away,  and  twenty  cents  a  pound  was  the  price  paid 
for  flour  at  this  place.  To  crown  their  trials,  the 
little  tule  house  took  fire  in  the  spring,  and  was 
quickly  converted  into  smoke  and  ashes. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  the  question  of  a  name 
for  the  valley  was  discussed,  and  that  of  Smith 
Vallej'  was  agreed  upon,  in  honor  of  the  Smiths, 
of  which  there  were  two  in  the  party.  In  the 
summer  of  1860  there  was  an  addition  to  the  col- 
ony in  the  person  of  J.  B.  Ijobdel,  who  settled 
about  six  miles  south  of  the  original  cam)).  He  was 
a  farmer,  and  in  the  following  spring  put  in  a  crop 
of  barley  and  vegetables,  which  he  irrigated  with 
water  from  a  sm;ill  mountain  stream  called  Desert 
Creek.  This  was  the  pioneer  crop.  In  1868,  Lob- 
del  sold  his  ranch  to  H.  Mather,  whose  wife-^then 
Mrs.  W.  R.  Johnson — was  the  first  lady  to  settle  in 
the  valley.  Soon  after  Lobdol  made  his  settlement, 
W.  L.  Hall  and  1).  C.  Simjtson  located  a  ranch  five 
miles  further  south.  Wright  and  Hamilton  built 
the  station  now  called  Wellington,  at  the  head  of 
the  valley,  and  on  the  southern  route  from  Carson 
City.  Daniel  Wellington  jMirchased  the  station  in 
1863,  and  in  1865  had  a  post-office  established  there. 
It  is  now  the  property  of  J.  Nicliolson,  who  is  Post- 
master. 

When  the  mining  interest  commenced  in  Aurora, 
in  1860,  Wellington  became,  and  is  still,  an  impor- 
tant stage  station.  The  stage  changes  here,  and  the 
repairing  and  horse- shoeing  is  done  in  a  shop.  Mr. 
Zadok  I'icrce  has  lately  established  a  store,  station, 
and  blacksmith  shop  some  half  mile  below  Welling- 
ton, and  now  commands  the  whole  trade  of  the 
valley. 

Lobdel's  success  in  raising  crops  showed  that  the 
valley  was  well  adapted  for  cultivation,  while  the 
ra])id  rise  of  the  mining  interests  at  Aurora  created 
a  brisk  demand  for  farm  products.  Those  advan- 
tages were  soon  realized,  and  farming  became  the 
leading  industrj'.  The  first  ditch  was  constructed  in 
1862  by  the  two  farming  companies.  Fuller  & 
Mitchell,  and  Hall  &  Simpson.  Its  length  was  four 
miles,  and  the  cost  was  82.000.  The  ranch  to  which 
it  belongs  is  now  the  property  of  Frank  Rivers. 
Messrs.  Hall  &  Simpson  found  a  ditch  one-half  mile  in 


MRS.  CHARLES  SNYDER. 


CHARLES  SNYDER. 


^m^^^^WiW^- 


fti?€ 


HOME  RANCH  &  KtblUtiNuc  ui-  lHARLES  SNYDLK. 

ESME    'ALDA  C0.,MASON    VALLEY,    N  EV 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


413 


lenn;th  on  their  place  when  they  came,  which  they 
say  was  built  by  the  Indians.  In  18()3  the  Smith 
Company  constructed  a  ditch  nearlj-  four  miles  in 
Icnslh,  at  a  cost  of  SI, 200.  It  now  beionfjs  to  the 
Smith  Brothers,  and  sui)plies  water  for  their  farms, 
which  lie  about  four  miles  north  of  Wellington  Sta- 
tion. In  1S(>4  an  incorporated  company  constructed 
the  West  Walker  Ditch,  about  seven  miles  in  length, 
at  a  cost  of  S4,000.  It  supplies  abundant  water  for 
the  tract  of  about  1,500  acres,  lying  one  mile  north- 
east of  Smith  Brothers,  and  embracing  the  farms  of 
A.  H.  Hawley,  J.  McViear,  H.  M.  Schooley,  Mrs.  E. 
McCall.  W.  R.  Hutson,  and  J.  N.  Mann.  D.  Well- 
ington built  a  ditch  the  same  year  to  irrigate  the 
ranch  now  owned  by  J.  A.  Rogers.  It  is  two  miles 
long  and  cost  8600.  In  1876,  McFarnahan  &  Gard- 
ner completed  a  capacious  ditch  at  a  cost  of  820,00(1. 
It  runs  along  the  side  of  a  verj-  precipitous  hill  for  a 
distance  of  four  miles,  and  reaches  a  point  which 
none  of  the  others  could  have  watered.  Its  entire 
length  is  eight  miles,  and  it  irrigates  the  ranches  of 
M.  C.  Gardner  and  J.  Irwin.  In  1877  the  Burbank 
Brothers  completed  a  ditch  some  five  miles  in  length 
at  a  cost  of  81,200.  It  irrigates  the  farms  of  S.  M. 
and  S.  E.  Burbank.  A  ditch  of  large  proportions 
is  now  in  process  of  construction  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river.  It  is  intended  to  be  about  eight  miles  in 
length,  with  a  capacity  sufticieiit  to  irrigate  four  or 
five  thousand  acres.  It  will  have  two  reservoirs  to  be 
used  in  case  of  low  water  in  the  river.  This  will 
bring  under  cultivation  a  fine  tract  of  land.  It  is 
owned  by  Hall  &  Simpson,  J.  N.  Mann,  and  M.  C. 
Gardner  k  Co.  There  are  several  other  farms  in  the 
vallej-  bcsidesthose  mentioned, and  are  owned b}-  Hall 
&  Simpson,  \V.  L.  Hall,  L.  C.  Hobart,  Mr.  Phinne- 
mon,  and  Leonard  Hamilton.  In  the  north  end  of 
the  valley  is  a  fine  ranch,  the  property- of  J.  C.  Hinds, 
watered  bj-  native  springe.  On  this  ranch  are  the 
celebrated  Hot  Springs,  resorted  to  by  many  for 
their  medicinal  pro|)erties. 

The  farms  above  mentioned  cover  an  area  of  about 
C,000  acres,  and  j-ield  a  fair  compensation  for  tillage. 
The  soil  varies  in  dift'erent  parts  of  the  valley,  the 
prevailing  character  being  a  mixture  of  sand  and 
loam.  It  is  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  alfalfa, 
and  all  kinds  of  trees  thrive.  There  are  several  fine 
orchards  which  jiroduce  well  in  favorable  seasons, 
the  fruit  being  of  the  finest  quality.  The  staple  pro- 
duct is  hay,  of  which  the  greater  portion  is  alfalfa, 
which  averages  four  tons  to  the  acre.  Vegetables, 
such  as  corn,  potatoes,  melons,  etc.,  do  well.  The 
principal  stock-raisers  are  \V  R.  Hutson,  Hall  ct 
Simpson,  C.  Smith,  J.  A.  Rogers,  A.  H.  Hawley, 
Burbank  Brothers,  and  T.  B.  Smith.  The  latter 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Ayrshire  stock  for  the 
dairy.  The  winters  are  cold,  yet  not  so  severe  but 
stock-cattle  can  be  wintered  without  feeding. 

T.    B.    S.MITII, 

Born   in  Berkshire  County,  Massachusetts,    on    the 
second  day  of  April,  1834,  is  now  a  resident  of  Well- 
52 


ington,  Esmeralda  County,  Nevada.  In  his  early 
life,  he  like  most  bo\-s  of  New  England  parentage, 
alternated  from  the  labor  of  the  farm  to  the  wooden 
bench  and  high  desk  of  the  country  district  school. 
Having  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  ho  was 
apprenticed  to  a  firm  in  Bristol,  Connecticut,  to  learn 
the  trade  of  rule  making;  but  becoming  dissatisfied 
with  this  business,  packed  his  portmanteau,  and  bid- 
ding adieu  to  Bristol  and  its  "  rules  "  departed  for 
Lebanon.  New  York,  where  he  engaged  as  clerk  in 
the  store  of  Tilden  iV  Co.,  until  the  spring  of  1853,  at 
which  time  he  decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  those  seek- 
ing the  golden  shores  of  the  Pacific.  Crossing  the 
plains  during  that  year,  ho  arrived  in  California  late 
in  the  fall,  and  for  a  few  years  was  engaged  in  min- 
ing with  the  usual  success  of  the  early  daj-s.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  stock-raising,  but  finding 
his  business  circumscribed  in  California,  migrated 
with  his  flocks  and  herds  to  the  goodly  lands  of 
Nevada.  In  the  fall  of  1867,  he  married  Miss  Maggie 
Nichol,  of  Wellington,  which  union  is  blessed  with 
three  children — Dwight  T.,  James  U.,  and  Maggie  1., 
aged  twelve,  nine  and  four  years  respectively. 

HALL    A    SIMPSON 

Are  extensive  farmers  and  stock-ranchers  in  Smith's 
Valley,  Esmeralda  County.  The  engraving  of  their 
place  gives  one  an  idea  of  the  beautiful  valley  and 
improvements  nestling  in  the  embrace  of  the  bold 
range  of  mountains.  The  proprietors  have,  doubt- 
less, anchored  permanentlj-.  and  intend  to  build  up — 
have  built  up — a  charming  home.  The  stream  on 
which  it  is  situated  bears  the  name  Desert  Creek. 

Mr.  Warren  S.  Hall  is  a  native  of  Pitston,  Maine, 
born  in  1826.  He  was  on  this  coast,  in  the  ship 
Barnstable,  as  early  as  1845,  and  left  for  Boston  in 
1848,  about  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  gold, 
returning  again  in  1849,  since  which  time  he  has 
made  the  coast  his  home.  He  came  to  Nevada  in 
1851,  and  soon  after  located  the  Eagle  Ranch,  where 
Carson  City  now  stands.  Ho  settled  on  the  present 
homo  in  December.  1860. 

D.  C.  Simpson  was  born  in  Cape  Noddick,  Maine, 
in  1832,  and  came  to  California  in  1850,  and  to 
Nevada  in  1859,  locating  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides  in  1860. 

The  Arm  have  been  doing  business  together 
twenty  one  ^-ears,  and  propose  to  continue  the  part- 
nershi])  well  into  the  next  century.  Their  principal 
force  is  expended  in  raising  cattle  for  the  Nevada 
market,  the  mountains  and  vallcj-s  around  them 
aftbrding  an  excellent  range  both  summer  and  winter. 
The  large  barn  is  to  store  hay,  with  which  to  carry 
stock  through  the  exceptional  severe  seasons,  which 
are  liable  to  occur. 

PRINCIPAL    MINING    DISTRICTS. 

Columbus  District,  at  present  the  most  important 
in  the  county,  is  sixty  miles  southeast  of  Aurora,  and 
thirty-five  miles  northwest  of  Silver  Peak,  in  the 
Candolaria  Mountains.  Facts  in  reference  to  the 
organization  and  early  history  of  this  district  were 


414 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


gleaned  from  an  article  written  b}'  Wells  Drury  and 
published  in  The  Tru«  Fissure  in  November,  1880. 
The  organization  was  made  b)'  Mexicans;  and  the 
preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  Washington  Dis- 
trict, Lander  County,  in  1864.  The  presence  of  hos- 
tile bands  of  Indians  within  the  district  made  it 
unsafe  for  white  men  to  live  in  this  region  at  that 
time.  For  this  reason  a  special  law  was  passed  by 
the  organizers  of  the  district,  allowing  the  Recorder 
to  live  outside  of  the  district  until  it  was  sufficiently 
populated  to  be  safe  within. 

The  laws  adopted  by  the  miners  allowed  the 
owners  of  claims  to  have  the  free  use  of  all  streams 
crossing  their  property,  as  well  as  all  timber  growing 
on  their  claims;  a  provision  not  very  essential  as 
there  was  neither  timber  or  water  on  any  of  the 
claims.  At  the  present  time,  the  only  timber  to  be 
found  is  the  dwarfed  greaswood,  and  there  is  no 
water  excujjt  what  is  hauled  to  the  mines  in  barrels 
and  tanks.  The  fir.st  meeting  was  held  August  17, 
1864,  the  necessary  laws  passed  and  ofiicers  elected. 
Jose  A.  Ochoa  was  elected  President,  Casimiro 
Arteche,  Secretary,  and  C.  L.  Benedict,  Eecorder. 
Although  the  organization  was  by  Mexicans,  the 
minutes  were  written  up  in  English.  The  Eecorder 
was  allowed  to  live  in  Washington  District  till 
Columbus  District  was  sufficiently  populated  to  be 
safe  to  live  in. 

Notice  of  the  first  claim  was  put  up  August  31, 
1864,  for  1.400  feet,  and  signed  by  Antonio  Barbe, 
Seneriano  Arna,  Jose  A.  Ochoa,  Refugio  Galuviz, 
Ventura  Veltran,  Maria  Hurtado,  and  Angel  Parcha, 
and  named  the  Jesus  Maria  Ledge  and  Gold 
and  Silver  Mining  Company.  On  the  same 
day  a  large  number  of  other  claims  were  made, 
among  which  were  the  fiuadalupe,  the  Zaragosa, 
Chol»la,S:incho  Panza,  and  other.s.  On  the  eleventh 
of  October  the  San  Pedro  was  recorded.  After  that 
came  the  Esmeralda,  the  San  Callentano  and  many 
others,  nearly  all  of  which  bore  Mexican  names,  the 
Mexicans  holding  a  virtual  monopoly  in  the  camp  up 
to  this  time.  By  degrees,  however,  a  few  Americans, 
Sclavoiiians  and  Germans  managed  to  get  their 
names  on  the  notices  of  location,  and  the  control  of 
the  district  finally  passed  from  the  hands  of  the 
original  claimants,  together  with  the  ownership  of 
the  propertj'. 

The  records  show  that  Gov.  L.  R.  Bradley  was  one 
of  the  early  locators  in  this  district.  His  claim  em- 
braced 400  feet,  and  was  called  the  Bradley  ground. 
His  son,  John  Bradley,  was  half  owner  with  him. 
Alf.  Doten,  well-known  in  Nevada  as  editor  of  the 
Gold  Hill  N^eios,  was  also  one  of  the  early  locators. 
He  was  interested  with  Andy  Colman,  W.  II.  Virden, 
Abram  Lewis,  Donald  Ross  and  Harloy  Fay  in  two 
claims,  known  as  the  Zenobia  and  Tuscarora,  1,400 
feet  each.  On  the  twelfth  day  of  October,  1865,  the 
Northern  Belle  and  the  Southern  Belle  claims  were 
located  by  Alsop  J.  Holmes,  M.  C.  Hubbard,  Fran- 
cis Seip  and  Edmund  Griffin,  having  1,000  feet  each. 


On  the  twenty-sixth  of  May,  1865,  Mineral  Mining 
District,  being  uninhabitable,  was,  on  petition  of 
its  claim-holders,  annexed  to  Columbus  District. 
Candelaria  Mining  Claim  was  located  May  22,  1865, 
and  from  this  the  town  of  Candelaria  is  supposed  to 
have  received  its  name. 

The  mineral  belt  on  which  Columbus  District  is 
established  is  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  and 
four  miles  in  width.  The  ledges  are  found  princi- 
pall}-  in  slate  and  granite,  and  in  the  limestone 
adjoining  those  formations.  The  general  character 
of  the  ore  is  a  chloride  of  silver,  carrying  galena, 
copper,  iron,  antimony  and  arsenic.  The  ledges 
generally  run  parallel  and  crop  boldly,  frequently 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  surface,  and 
are  from  twelve  inches  to  three  feet  in  width. 
The  rock  taken  out  bj-  prospectors  assayed  from 
S50  to  8200  per  ton,  but  the  absence  of  wood  and 
water,  and  the  generally'  desolate  character  of  the 
district,  operated  to  prevent  a  rapid  development 
of  what  were  known  to  be  rich  ledges.  The  near- 
est wood  and  water  was  found  eight  miles  from 
the  mines. 

Ill  1870,  active  operations  were  commenced  by  sev- 
eral comjianies.  Samuel  Youngs  moved  a  four-stamp 
mill  here  from  Aurora  that  year,  and  the  Columbus 
Mill  and  Mining  Company  built  a  ten-stamp  mill,  as 
did  also  Sweetapple&  Ilazeltine.  Water  was  brought 
from  the  town  of  Columbus,  a  distance  of  eight  miles 
from  Candelaria  Hill,  where  the  mines  are  located, 
and  wood  was  hauled  an  equal  distance,  thus  ren- 
dering the  working  of  the  mines  very  inconvenient. 

The  leading  mine  in  the  district  is  the  Northern  Belle, 
at  Candelaria,  first  located  in  186.'),  and  relocated  in 
July,  1870.  It  was  worked  not  vcr}'  successfully  till 
1873,  when  such  a  bodj'  of  ore  was  opened  up  that  the 
companj'  decided  to  build  a  twenty-stamp  mill,  which 
was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1875.  The  mill  was 
erected  six  miles  north  of  the  mine,  and  water  was 
brought  to  it  by  a  ditch,  and  pipe,  fifteen  miles  in 
length,  at  a  cost  of  S25,000.  A  road  was  built  to  the 
mine,  and  another  to  the  source  of  wood  supply. 

The  Northern  Belle  (^ompaiij'  built  a  new  twenty- 
stamp  mill  in  the  fall  of  1876.  Up  to  1878  the  yield 
of  bullion  from  (his  mine  was  >?3.754.(I00.  and  divi- 
dends had  been  paid  to  the  amount  of  81, 500, 000.  Since 
then  the  mine  has  continued  to  be  very  productive, 
although  the  yield  of  1S77,  81.270,000,  has  not  been 
equaled.  The  other  leading  mines  in  the  district  are 
the  General  Thomas,  Mount  Diablo,  Metallic,  Victor, 
Vanderbilt,  Platina  and  Baluartel. 

EsMERAi.PA  Mining  District.  This  district,  sur- 
rounding the  town  of  Aurora,  was  the  first  discov- 
ered in  this  portion  of  the  State,  and  gave  its  name 
to  the  county,  a  name  that  was  a  rival  of  Nevada  for 
the  honor  of  being  the  name  of  the  State.  As  this 
was  the  first  quartz  discovery  in  the  county,  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  circumstances  under  which  it 
was  made  will  be  interesting.     It  is  from  the  pen  of 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


415 


J.  Wells  Kell}',  in  the  First  Directory  oi  Nevada  Terri- 
tory, published  in  1SC2: — 

The  credit  of  this  discover^'  is  due  to  J.  M.  Corey, 
James  M.  Bnily  and  E.  1{.  Ilioks,  and  was  brought 
about  in  the  lollowing  manner:  Messrs.  Corey  and 
Braly,  residents  of  San  Jose,  haviiii;  t;ono  over  to 
Wa-^hoe  in  the  sprinu;  of  18(i(i,  on  a  jjrospecting  tour, 
which  contemplated  the  exploration  of  a  pretty  wide 
range  of  country,  found  themselves  prevented  by 
Indian  troubles  from  extending  their  labors  beyond 
the  immediate  vicinit}'  of  Virginia,  until  late  in  July. 
They  then  struck  north,  and  having  examined  the 
district  about  P3-ramid  Lake  to  their  satisfaction, 
returned  and  passed  over  into  the  Sullivan  District, 
east  of  Carsoi\  liiver.  Here  they  fell  in  with  Hicks, 
who,  having  ])ros|)ected  the  country  from  Oregon 
down,  was  still  following  u])  his  searches  for  silver, 
heading  south.  Having  a  similar  object  in  view,  the 
throe  formed  themselves  into  a  company,  and  con- 
tinuing their  journej-  in  that  direction,  along  the 
Pine  Nut  range  of  mountains  to  the  West  P^ork  of 
Walker  River,  bent  their  couise  east,  and  pursuing  a 
zig-zag  route  through  the  mountains  between  the 
forks  of  the  Walker,  worked  their  way  down  as  far 
as  Mono  Lake.  Here  they  bent  their  steps  to  the 
northeast,  and,  passing  through  the  Bodie,  El 
Dorado  and  Masonic  Districts,  all  being  worked  to 
some  extent  at  that  time,  thej'  proceeded  in  that 
///direction  until  they  reached  the  rugged  chain  of  hills 

I  west  of  Walker  I^ake.  Having  inspected  these,  and 
a  similar  range  further  east,  without  meeting  with 
anj-  encouraging  prospects,  thej'  determined  to  go 
south  to  the  Coso  region,  then  already  somewhat 
talked  of.  and,  if  necessarj-,  push  their  journey  the 
length  of  Arizona,  or  even  Mexico. 

For  the  purpose  of  getting  an  extended  view  of 
the  suiTounding  countr}',  and  shaping  their  course, 
they  ascended  a  high  peak  in  the  Wassuck  range  of 
mountains,  which,  seen  a  long  waj'  off  bj'  the  trav- 
eler approaching  Ksmeralda,  has  since  very  properly 

^  been  named  Corey's  Peak.  Having,  from  this  ele- 
vated position,  determined  a  route,  they  entered 
boldly  upon  what  promised  to  be  a  long  and  toilsome 
journey  through  one  of  the  most  fearfully  barren 
sections  of  the  Great  Basin.  The}'  had  not  gone  far 
until  a  want  of  water  compelled  them  to  make  a 
deflection  toward  the  west.  Coming  upon  a  spring 
in  a  valley-like  depression  encompassed  by  steep  and 
rockj-  hills,  they  camped  for  the  night.  In  the 
morning  Hicks,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  hunter 
of  the  party,  started  out  with  his  rifle  to  look  for 
game.  Passing  over  a  craggy  height  lying  west  of 
y  their  camp,  since  known  as  Esmeralda  Hill,  this 
man,  who  had  a  quick  and  observing  eye,  noticed 
the  peculiar  appearance  of  the  quartz  ledges,  hero 
quite  numerous,  and,  breaking  ott'  some  pieces, 
brought  them  into  camp.  His  companions,  better 
versed  in  mineralogy,  at  once  detected  in  the  blue 
streaks  that  had  attracted  his  attention  the  sul- 
phi'rets  of  silver,  and,  proceeding  to  test  it,  found  the 
metal  present  in  abundance.  With  such  a  prospect 
all  idea  of  going  on  without  further  inspection  of 
the  locality  was  of  course  abandoned.  The  three 
went  out,  and,  examining  the  neighborhood,  found 
the  hills  ribbed  with  quartz  veins  from  to]>  to  bottom. 
Having  tested  these  veins  and  found  them  all  more 
or  less  impregnated  with  the  precious  metals,  they 
took  up  seven  of  thenumhcr.  The  spotfrom  which  the 
first  pieccofrock  was  taken  bj- Hicks  is  in  the  Discov- 
ery Claim  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Old  Win- 
nemucca"  Ledge,  located  near  the  brow  and  on  the 

"^  west  declivity  of  Esmeralda  Hill.     This  occurred  on 


>{he  twenty-fifth  of  August,  18G0,  a  day  that  will  be 
memorable  as  having  brought  to  light  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  extensive  mineral  districts  ever  yet 
discovered.  [Newlj-  discovered  districts  were  usu- 
allj'  so  regarded. — Ed] 

Having  taken  uj)  this  small  number  of  claims,  act- 
ing, under  the  circumstances,  with  a  moderation 
highly-  commendable,  these  young  men  hastened  to 
Monoville,  twenty-five  miles  distant,  and  acquainted 
the  inhabitants  with  the  discovery.  On  the  thirtieth 
of  August,  a  companj' of  some  twentj-  returned  with 
them,  when  a  mining  district  having  been  duly  laid 
out,  and  a  set  of  rules  and  regulations  adojited, 
numerous  claims  were  taken  up.  This  district,  ten 
miles  square,  was,  at  the  suggestion  of  J.  M.  Corey, 
named  Esmeralda — an  appellation  that  has  since 
gradually  extended  itself  to  the  adjacent  country, 
and  finally  been  given  to  the  county  erected  from  a 
portion  of  it  by  the  Legislature  of  Nevada. 

The  name  Esmeralda,  thus  ap])lied  to  the  new  dis- 
covery, is  the  Spanish  name  of  the  green  jewel^which 
in  English  is  called  emerald. 

Reports  of  the  rich  discovery,  with  samples  of  the 
rock,  soon  made  their  way  to  Carson  and  Virginia, 
and  iramediatelj-  there  was  a  great  rush  for  this 
region,  and  before  winter  set  in  every  out-cropping 
ledge  was  taken  up.  The  little  collection  of  tents  on 
the  hill  was  known  by  no  distinctive  name,  the  whole ,' 
region  being  called  Esmeralda.  No  attempt  wa* 
made  to  build  a  town  there,  but  the  later  comers 
pitched  their  tents  on  the  flat  at  the  head  of  the 
canon,  and  the  advantages  of  this  place  as  a  site  for 
the  town  was  so  evident,  that  before  long  every  one 
was  located  there.  The  winter  was  severe  upon 
those  who  spent  it  in  the  new  town,  the  canvas  tents 
and  rude  huts  constructed  of  stones  being  but  scant 
protection  from  the  rigorous  climate  of  that  high 
altitude,  0,(500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Not- 
withstanding the  unpropitious  weather,  the  people 
continued  to  arrive  all  the  winter,  and  the  population 
became  so  great  and  the  evi<lences  of  permanency  so 
certain,  that  the  next  spring  the  Legislature  of  Cali- 
fornia created  the  new  County  of  .Mono,  with  Aurora, 
the  name  that  had  been  given  to  the  new  town,  as 
the  county  seat. 

For  several  years  the  yield  of  bullion  was  very 
great,  the  celebrated  Wide  West,  and  the  Real  Del 
Monte,  Crocket,  Ktna,  Lord  Byron,  Juniata,  Ante- 
lope, Utah,  Winnemucca,  Esmeralda,  Lady  Jane,  and 
others  being  very  productive.  The  mines  have 
never  been  worked  below  the  water  level,  and  the 
work  done  seemed  to  develope  the  following  facts 
(see  State  Mineralogist's  Report  1867-68): — 

First — There  seems  to  be  a  bolt  of  quartz,  nearly 
barren,  underlying,  every  mine  at  about  tho  same 
depth. 

Second — In  every  instance  it  is  above  tho  water- 
level  . 

Third — The  jrold  decreases  genorallj'  from  tho 
depth  of  about  1(1(1  feet,  and  finally  entirely  disap- 
pears where  the  barren  quartz  is  found,  while  the 
silver  increases  from  the  depth  of  about  1(1(1  feet  to 
the  barren  quartz.  It  does  not  wholly  disappear, 
but  tho  yield  is  not  sufficient  to  pay  for  reducing. 


416 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


,        Fourth — The  water-level  is  reached  in  this  barren 
quartz. 

Fifth — At  the  greatest  depth  to  which  this  belt 
has  been  opened  there  was  evidence  that  rich  silver 
might  reappear. 

Inference — These  mines  may  be  worked  profitablj- 
at  greater  depths. 

Acting  upon  the  inference  deduced  from  the  above 
facts,  and  encouraged  by  the  important  develop- 
ments in  the  Bodie  District,  the  Real  Del  Monte 
Company  was  incorporated  in  October,  1877,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  85,000,000;  and  a  new  shaft  was 
started  on  Last  Chance  Hill,  with  the  design  of 
making  a  thorough  and  deep  prospect.  The  shaft 
has  three  compartments,  and  has  already  reached 
the  depth  of  750  feet,  at  which  point  a  station  is 
established,  and  cross-cutting  being  done.  The 
shaft  is  also  being  continued  down  250  feet  further. 
If  rich  developments  are  made  by  this  companj- 
similar  efforts  will  be  made  on  a  number  of  the 
ledges,  and  Aurora  maj-  look  to  become  again  the 
mining  center  she  was  in  the  days  of  her  infancy. 
Since  this  company  has  been  at  work  business  has 
improved,  and  the  town  advanced,  and  there  arc 
now  some  250  men  at  work  in  this  mine,  or  prospect- 
ing some  of  the  others. 

The  quartz  mills  that  have  been  at  Aurora,  only 
one  of  which,  the  Coffee  Mill,  is  now  running,  deserve 
mention  bj'  name. 

Pioneer  Mill,    built,  and    commenced   running   in 
June,  1S61,  by  Green,  Culver,  and  Jackson,  the  first 
in  the  district,  and  cost  825,000.     It  was  situated  on 
Willow  Spring   Gulch,  in  the  upper  part  of  town 
Eight  stamps. 

Union  Mill,  built  in  1861.  Cost,  830,000.  Eight 
stamps.     Esmeralda  Kavine  in  lower  edge  of  town. 

Taylor  &  Co's  Mill,  below  Coffee  Mill,  on  opposite 
side  of  street. 

Moses  Mill,  built  in  1862.  Below  the  Union  Mill. 
Cost,  816,000. 

Napa  Mill,  built  in  1862.  Cost,  $20,000.  Eight 
stamps. 

Aurora  Mill,  commenced  running  May  11,  1863 
Cost,  850,000.     Ten  stamps. 

Pine  Creek  Mill — This  mill  was  also  known  a^ 
Brodie's  and  as  Luf  kins'.  Built,  1802.  Eight  stamps. 
Cost,  840,000. 

Gibbons'  Afill,  built,  1862.  Coat,  815,000.  Four 
stamps. 

Clayton's  Mill,  built  in  18G2,  one  mile  east  of  town. 
Twelve  stamps.  Cost,  830,000.  Afterwards  called 
Spring  Valley  Mill. 

Lamb's,  or  Peck's,  Mill,  built  in  1862,  near  Clay- 
ton's Mill. 

Antelope  Mill,  built  in  1864,  in  Bodie  Gulch.  Gran- 
ite and  brick.  Twenty  stamps.  Cost,  8150,000. 
First  built  in  1863  with  eight  stamps. 

Alturas  Mill,  built  in  1862.     Seven  stamps.     Cost, 
820,000. 
-V  Wide  West  Mill,  built  in  1862.    Granite  and  briek. 
Cost,  8150,000.     Twenty  stamps. 


Fogus  Mill,  built  in  1863.  Twelve  stamps.  Cost, 
850,000. 

Independence  Mill,  built  in  1863.  Cost,  890,000. 
Sixteen  stamps. 

Real  Del  Monte  Mill,  built  in  1863,  in  Bodie  Gulch. 
Cost,  8250,000.     Granite  and  brick.     Thirty  stamps. 

Union  Foundry  and  Coffee  Mill,  built  in  1862. 
Cost,  820,000.  Complete  foundry  and  a  four-stamp 
mill.     Now  running  on  custom  work. 

Nearly  all  of  the  above  mills  ceased  operations  in 
1863-64r-65,  though  the  Antelope  and  Real  Del  Monte 
ran  several  years  later,  and  the  Coffee  Mill  is  still 
running. 

Bullion  to  the  amount  of  816,000,000  had  been 
produced  in  the  district  up  to  1880. 

Gold  Mountain  District  is  twenty  miles  south- 
east of  Lida  Valley,  just  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  Death  Valley,  in  the  same  range  of  mountains, 
and  the  first  discovery  was  made  by  Thomas  Shaw 
in  1866,  the  district  being  organized  in  September  of 
that  year.  It  is  supposed  that  it  was  here  that  C.  C. 
Brcyfogle  obtained  the  rich  specimens  that  he 
claimed  to  have  found  in  Death  Valley,  and  in  search 
of  which  so  manj'  people  were  so  eager  and  so  dis- 
appointed. But  little  work  was  done  until  1871, 
when  some  new  discoveries  were  made,  especially 
the  Oriental,  which  was  discovered  that  year  by 
Thomas  Shaw,  who  found  some  very  rich  gold  crop- 
pings,  and  on  which  a  shaft  has  since  been  sunk  150 
feet.  This  ore  was  worked  by  a  six-foot  arastra. 
No  mill  has  ever  been  erected.  There  are  two  min- 
eral belts  in  the  district  eight  miles  apart,  and  sep- 
arated by  a  high  valley.  They  are  called  the  granite 
and  slate  belts.  The  princi])al  locations  on  which 
more  or  less  work  has  been  done  are  the  Oriental, 
from  which  the  richest  specimens  in  the  State  have 
been  taken;  Enterprise,  Old  Gal,  Mountain  View, 
Golden  Leaf,  in  the  granite  formation,  and  the  State 
Line,  Kelley  and  Ober,  Ann  Arbor,  and  the  Liberty. 
Some.  200  locations  have  been  made  in  the  district. 
Wadsworth,  until  Hawthorne  was  started,  was  the 
nearest  railroad  station  and  the  source  of  supplies. 

There  is  plenty  of  pine  nut  timber  in  the  district, 
but  water  is  scarce.  The  ore  is  free-milling  gold, 
with  some  silver;  and  at  present  there  are  ten  men 
living  in  the  district. 

LID.V    VALLEY    AND   OTHER   DISTRICTS. 

LiDA  Valley  District  is  about  twenty-three  miles 
southeast  of  Silver  Peak,  and  was  discovered  by  Will- 
iam Scott,  in  May,  1871,  and  organized  August 
7th  of  that  year. 

The  formation  is  limestone,  slate,  and  granite. 
The  veins  that  have  been  traced  for  a  distance  of 
eight  miles  vary  in  width  from  eighteen  inches  to  two 
feet,  run  from  northeast  to  southwest,  and  dip  to  the 
southeast.  Some  of  the  silver  ore,  in  which  is  a  small 
per  cent,  of  gold,  is  free-milling;  but  it  generally  car- 
ries lead,  with  some  copper  and  iron,  as  a  base 
metal;  pinon  pine  in  abundance  upon  the  surround- 


Uj^'IcIul 


"'iV,»» 


'£^y?l4^--^^__^ 


RESIDENCE  AND  RAiNi^n  ur    i^.  nLhiNLLoLN 

MASON  VALLEY,  ESMERALDA    CO.,NEVADA. 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


417 


ing  muuDtains,  water  suflScient  for  milling  purposes 
in  springs  and  shallow  wells.  Ores  are  now  worked 
raw.  There  are  two  mills  in  the  district,  one  an 
eight-stamp,  the  other  having  five,  and  both  are  run 
by  steam.  Freights  by  team  cost  five  cents  per 
pound  from  Wadsworth,  distant  1G8  miles  away  in 
an  air  line.  What  the  reduction  will  be  in  gaining  a 
nearer  railroad  station  at  Hawthorne,  is  yet  to  be 
seen.  There  have  been  about  250  locations  made  in 
the  district,  fifty  of  which  are  still  in  existence, 
among  the  more  important  of  which  arc  the  Brown's 
Hope,  Death  Vallej',  Suwaneo,  Cinderella,  Lida  Hill, 
or  '' Hawkej'e,''  Lida  Belle,  Blue  Dick,  Sapphire, 
Centennial,  and  Fortunatus,  or  ••  Buster." 

The  greatest  depth  obtained  is  by  shafts  on  the 
Fortunatus  and  Brown's  Hope  mines,  each  having  one 
250  feet  down.  The  longest  tunnel  is  on  the  Suwanee, 
and  is  200  feet. 

•Montezcma  District  was  discovered  by  Thomas 
Nagle,  ifat  Plunkott.  and  a  man  named  Carlyle,  on 
the  twenty-fourth  of  -May,  1867,  and  shortly  there- 
after the  district  was  organized.  The  mineral  bell 
is  six  miles  long  and  about  two  miles  wide.  The 
rock  formation  being  limestone  and  calcareous  shale, 
and  is  very  compact.  The  water  supply  is  limited, 
while  wood  is  found  in  abundance,  and  very  con- 
venient to  the  mines.  The  district  lies  ninetj^  miles 
from  Belmont,  and  fourteen  miles  from  Silver  Peak, 
and  has  an  altitude  of  7,750  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  About  sixty  locations  have  been  made.  The 
manner  of  finding  the  ore  is  bj'  making  cuts  in  the 
limestone  from  one  to  five  feet  in  depth,  but  few  of 
the  deposits  having  croppings.  In  the  fall  of  1870 
a  fine  ten-stamp  mill  was  erected,  and,  after  a  run  f)f 
about  four  months,  was  shut  down.  It  was  provided 
with  four  pans,  one  largo  settler,  and  four  reverba- 
tory  furnaces.  The  ores  obtained  in  this  district  are 
the  chloro-bromide  (embolite),  sul])hide  of  silver 
and  antimony  (sittengerite),  malachite  and  azarite. 

Oneota  District  was  discovered  May,  1870,  by 
Mr.  Wetherell,  who  was  led  to  the  place  b)'  an 
Indian  who  had  found  some  rich  rock  here.  This 
gentleman  located  the  Indian  Queen.  The  district 
was  organized  June  20,  1870,  and  the  following 
spring  a  large  number  of  locations  were  made.  In 
1802  a  district  was  organized  here  by  some  parties 
who  were  prospecting  for  gold  in  the  White  Mount- 
ains They  discovered  a  ledge  two  and  one-half 
miles  north  of  the  Indian  Queen,  but  no  valuable 
rock  being  found,  the  district  was  abandoned.  There 
are  several  good  springs,  a  fine  stream  of  water,  and 
wood  in  abundance.  The  district  is  about  thirty 
miles  southwest  from  Columbus,  and  within  two 
miles  of  the  California  line.  The  Indian  Queen  is 
the  principal  mine,  and  is  now  incorporated.  For  the 
first  two  or  three  years  ore  was  sent  to  IJeno  and 
San  Francisco  for  reduction,  and  in  this  way  the 
mine  yielded  $200,000  up  to  January,  1875.  At 
this  time  the  incorporation  was  formed,  a  four-stamp 


mill  completed  in  June  of  that  year,  and  since  then 
the  yield  has  been  much  greater,  and  a  large  amount 
has  been  paid  in  dividends. 

Pine  Grove  District  is  about  forty  miles  north- 
west from  Aurora,  and  was  discovered  Julj'  9,  1806, 
by  William  Wilson.  A  great  many  locations  were 
made,  only  three  of  which,  the  Wilson,  Kean  and 
Wheeler,  were  found  to  be  valuable.  The  district  is 
cut  by  many  canons  running  in  ditferent  directions, 
forming  an  irregularly  shaped  mountain,  the  mass  of 
which  is  granite.  Tlie  veins  are  found  on  both 
sides  of  the  principal  canon,  having  a  courije  north- 
east and  southwest.  These  mines  are  worked  for 
the  gold,  although  some  silver  is  found  in  the  rock. 
There  are  three  mills  in  the  district,  the  Pioneer  with 
ten  stamps,  the  Central  with  five  stamps,  and  the 
Wilson.     The  Central  is  not  now  running. 

Palmetto  District  lies  west  of  the  Lida,  and  was 
organized  in  1866,  the  discoverers  being  II.  W. 
Bunyard,  Thomas  Israel  and  T.  W.  McNutt.  About 
fifty  locations  have  been  made,  and  at  one  time  things 
were  in  a  flourishing  condition,  but  at  the  present 
time  there  are  no  miners  in  the  district.  It  lies  in  the 
same  range  as  the  Lida,  Sylvaniaand  tJold  Mountain 
Districts.  A  large  twelve-stamp  mill  was  erected  in 
1866.  for  the  purpose  of  working  the  ores  from  the 
Champion,  and  one  or  two  other  mines  on  the  same 
lead.  Water  was  obtained  by  sinking  wells  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  supply  the  mills  and  mines, 
and  after  a  successful  run  of  a  few  months  the  mill 
was  obliged  to  shut  down  for  the  want  of  ore,  the  ore 
body  giving  out,  and  the  mines  requiring  much  dead 
work  and  capital  before  other  ore  bodies  could  be 
uncovered,  wore  finally  abandoned.  The  mill  being 
left  to  look  out  for  itself,  has  been  entirely  taken 
away,  although  the  mines  and  mill-site  are  still  held 
by  the  old  company  under  the  patent.  Pinon  timber 
is  found  in  abundance  in  close  proximity,  the  mines 
being  situated  in  an  immense  forest.  The  ores  of  the 
district  carry  considerable  copper,  being  silver  ores, 
carrying  no  gold.  The  leads  run  east  and  west,  dip- 
ping to  the  north.  The  deepest  shaft  is  on  the 
Champion  mine,  and  is  about  100  feet  in  depth. 

Sylvania  District  lies  twelve  miles  southwest  of 
the  Lida,  and  was  organized  in  1872  under  the  name 
of  Green  Mountain  District,  but  in  lS7li  was  changed 
to  its  present  name.     The  first  location  was  made  in 

1870  by Kincaid,  which  was  followed  by  about 

100  others.  The  district  is  located  in  a  spur  of  the 
White  Mountain  Kange,  and  there  are  at  present  ten 
men  at  work  there.  The  ores  are  principally  galena, 
with  some  silver  and  gold-bearing  leads  which  seem 
to  indicate  permanency.  The  formation  is  slate  and 
limestone,  the  veins  running  east  and  west.  Smelt- 
ing works  were  erected  at  Lost  Springs,  in  1875,  but 
are  not  running  at  the  present  time.  The  timber 
supply  is  abundant,  and  of  the  kind  known  as  pifion 
])ine.  Water  is  obtained  in  sufficient  quantities  from 
the  many  strong  springs  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 


418 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  deepest  shaft  in  the  district  is  on  the  mine  owned 

by Kincaid  and  John  Judd,  being  150  feet,  and   i 

the  longest  tunnel,  about  200  feet,  is  on  the  Uncle 
Sam.  The  post-office  is  at  Lida,  but  the  nearest  rail- 
road station  is  Hawthorne. 

Silver  Peak  and  Red  Mountain  are  virtually 
one  district,  situated  in  the  high  mountains  east  of 
Fish  Lake  Valley.  The  latter  was  discovered  and 
organized  in  July,'18ti4,  during  which  year  a  three- 
stamp  mill  was  erected,  and  later  a  thirty-stamp 
mill,  called  the  Red  Mountain  Mill,  was  erected  at  a 
spring  a  few  miles  from  the  mine.  About  this  time 
ledees  were  found  but  a  few  miles  distant,  and  Silver 
Peak  District  was  organized.  The  principal  vein 
is  the  Red  Mountain,  and  the  Crowning  Glory  the 
leading  mine.  Operations  were  suspended  in  Novem- 
ber, 1870,  the  mill  was  shut  down  and  all  the  hands 
discharged.  Since  then  but  little  work  has  been 
done  by  the  Silver  Peak  and  Red  Mountain  Com- 
pany. 

abandoned  districts. 

There  are  a  great  many  other  districts  in  the  county 
some  of  which  have  been  entirelj-  abandoned,  while 
others  are  being  slightly  prospected,  or  being  M^orked 
simply  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the  claims. in  the  hope 
that  in  the  future  developments  will  make  them  valu 
able.  There  is  no  doubt  that  when  the  narrow-gauge 
railroad  is  completed  to  the  Columbus  District,  an 
upward  influence  will  be  given  to  the  whole  region. 
The  districts  now  prominent,  of  which  particular 
mention  has  not  been  made,  are  the  Baldy,  Cornell, 
Cottonwood,  Desert,  Lake,  Walker  itiver,  Tule 
CafiOD,  Masonic,  Van  Horn,  Montgomery,  ilinnesota. 
Thunder  Springs,  Blind  Springs,  Hot  Springs,  Inde- 
pendentia,  Pahdet,  and  Washington.  There  are  now 
about  500,000  acres  of  mineral  lands,  sixteen  quartz 
mills,  and  there  have  been  22,292  tons  of  ore  crushed. 

J.  c.  hinds, 
The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Pennsj'lvania,  and  first  saw  the  light  of  da}- 
about  sixty  years  ago.  In  1844  he  left  his  home  and 
for  many  years  was  a  traveler,  having  in  his  wander- 
ings been  twice  nearly  around  the  world.  In  1800 
he  located  where  ho  is  at  present  to  be  found,  the 
genial  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  celebrated  "Hinds' 
Hot  Springs,"  a  view  of  which  will  be  found  in  this 
volume.  The  medicinal  tjualities  of  the  water  of 
these  springs  are  among  the  wonders  of  the  present 
age.  There  are  three  different  classes  of  baths,  each 
bath  combining  the  waters  of  many  springs  with 
various  degrees  of  temperature.  The  springs  are 
situated  only  ten  miles  from  Wellington  Station.  A 
good-sized  volume  could  bo  written  about  these 
springs,  but  suffice  it  to  saj-  that  they  are  fast  becom- 
ing a  popular  resort,  and  rank  first  among  the  health- 
sustaining  institutions  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

W.  H.  SPRAOO 

Is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  first  opened   his 
eyes  upon  this  sinful  world  in  the  year  1833.     When 


a  lad  of  but  fourteen  years  he  removed  to  the  State 
of  Maine,  and  settled  in  Cumberland  County.  In 
1853  he  "  went  west"  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and 
two  years  later  went  to  Illinois.  In  1859  the  ex- 
citement connected  with  the  discovery  of  the  mines 
at  Pike's  Peak,  in  Colorado,  caused  him  to  emigrate 
to  that  section  of  the  countrj-,  and  soon  after  he 
continued  his  journey  and  landed  in  (California.  In 
1862  he  crossed  the  mountains  and  has  since  that 
time  been  a  resident  of  Nevada,  engaged  in  min- 
ing. He  was  the  discoverer  of  the  Excelsior  mine, 
and  lias  been  extensively  interested  in  several  other 
mines.  At  present  he  is  interested  in  the  Ludwig 
Copper  Mine,  and  he,  with  his  associates,  have  re- 
cently erected  a  new  furnace  at  that  place.  This 
mine  is  in  the  Wilson  District,  and  bids  fair  to 
realize  for  its  owners  a  bonanza.  Mr.  Spragg  was 
married  to  Miss  R.  G.  Knox,  daughter  of  Captain 
John  Knox,  of  Kentucky,  and  they  have  one  child,  a 
daughter,  Alice,  wife  of  Charles  T.  Martin.  Mr. 
Spragg  has  a  residence  and  ranch  in  Mason  Valley, 
and  is  very  comfortably  situated. 

PRINCIPAL   TOWNS   AND   CITIES. 

\/  Aurora,  the  county  seat  of  Esmeralda  County,  is 
located  in  the  center  of  Esmeralda  Mining  District, 
and  was  first  settled  \>y  J.  M.  Carey.  James  M.  Brady 
and  E.  R.  Hicks,  who  came  from  San  Jose  in  the 
spring  of  1860  on  a  prospecting  tour.  They  organ- 
ized the  camp  and  named  the  town,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1801  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  California 
created  the  new  county  of  Mono  and  fixed  the 
county  seat  at  Aurora,  supposing  it  to  be  within  the 
limits  of  the  county.  The  officers  of  Mono  County 
located  here,  rented  a  Court  House  and  built  a  jail. 
During  that  3-ear  the  town  continued  to  increase; 
many  substantial  buildings  were  erected,  and  hotels, 
stores  and  other  places  of  business  were  opened. 
Messrs.  Green,  Culver  and  Jackson  erected  the  Pio- 
neer Quartz  Mill,  a  steam  mill  with  eight  stamps  and 
four  roasters,  which  cost  over  825,000,  owing  to  the 
high  rates  of  freight  and  exorbitant  prices  paid  for 
material  and  labor.  During  the  next  two  years 
Eighteen  quartz  mills  were  erected,  some  of  which 
only  ran  for  a  short  time.  The  height  of  pros- 
perity was  reached  in  1863-64,  at  which  time 
there  were  twenty  stores,  a  dozen  hotels  and  as 
many  more  boarding-houses,  and  saloons  in  great 
numbers.  The  population  in  the  summer  of  1863 
was  6,000.  During  the  summer  of  1864  most  of  the 
mills  shut  down,  and  the  following  winter  half  the 
people  left,  and  the  population  continued  to  decrease 
till  1870. 

Aurora  has  only  had  two  fires  of  anj-  magnitude, 
the  first  of  which  occurred  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  the  sixth  of  January,  1806.  All  the 
frame  buildings  on  both  sides  of  Antelope  Street, 
between  Pine  and  Aurora  Streets,  were  burned, 
entailing  a  loss  of  about  840,000.  The  next  fire 
was    at    11  o'clock   in    the  forenoon   of  September 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


4.19 


11,  1873.  In  half  an  hour  ten  wooden  buildings, 
reachinc;  from  the  corner  of  Pine  and  Antelope 
Streets  to  the  drug  store,  were  burned,  including 
the  County  Jail  and  AVingate  Hall  badlj-  dam- 
aged. The  Pah-Utos  worked  bravely  in  helping  to 
subdue  the  flames. 

In  1S80  Aurora  had  500  population,  four  stores, 
seven  saloons,  one  hotel,  two  lodging-houses,  four 
restaurants,  one  livery  stable,  one  blacksmith  shop, 
one  Methodist  organization,  one  telegrajih  office,  one 
express  office,  one  assay  office,  one  clergyman,  four 
attorneys,  one  doctor,  one  dentist,  one  hospital,  onie 
school  building,  20x40  feet. of  brick,  one  newspaper, 
the  Esmeralda  Herald;  S200,000  value  of  taxable 
property. 

The  nearest  railroad  station  is  Hawthorne,  distant 
twenty-eight  miles  to  the  northeast.  Bodie  lies 
twelve  miles  to  the  southwest.  Belleville,  east  forty- 
eight  miles,  and  Pine  Grove,  north  forty  miles, 

Belleville  is  situated  on  a  slope  in  the  foothills  fac- 
ing west,  and  was  started  in  1878;  was  most  prosper- 
ous from  that  time  until  1876,  the  greatest  number  of 
population  having  been  about  500.  The  altitude  of 
the  town  is  about  5,000  feet.  Candelaria  lies  south  of  it 
eight  miles,  and  Marietta,  northwest  ten  miles.  At 
present  it  contains  about  two  twentj'-stamp  quartz 
mills,  thirty  houses,  twelve  families,  150  men  em- 
]>loj-ed  by  the  company,  300  population,  four  stores, 
two  hotels,  seven  saloons,  two  restaurants,  one  livery 
stable,  two  blacksmith  shops,  one  telegraph  offino, 
one  assay  office,  one  express  office,  one  doctor,  no 
lawyers  or  clergymen,  one  school  house,  built  of 
wood,  20x30  feet. 

Freights  are  received  from  the  new  railroad  town 
of  Hawthorne,  forty  miles  away,  for  which  one  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound  is  charged. 

Candelaria  derived  its  name  from  the  mine  of 
that  name,  located  May  22,  1865.  It  is  also  the 
name  of  one  of  the  mass  days  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
■which  accounts  for  its  having  been  given  to  the 
location  bj'  its  Spanish  discoverers. 

In  1875,  John  McDonald  erected  a  saloon  on  or 
near  the  mine  referred  to,  but,  owing  to  a  lack  of 
business,  closed  down.  In  the  summer  of  1876, 
Zadoc  Pierce  purchased  the  McDonald  property,  and 
opened  a  small  store.  Later  he  formed  a  co-part- 
nership with  George  Vernon.  That  year  a  town 
site  was  surveyed  on  the  flat  north  of  the  hill,  by 
J.  B.  Hiskey,  and  in  November  it  contained  a 
post-office,  four  stores,  two  hotels,  eleven  saloons, 
one  restaurant,  one  livery  stable,  and  a  number  of 
dwelling-houses. 

In  1880,  the  population  was  estimated  at  000,  the 
registered  vote  was  359,  and  the  town  contained 
six  stores,  one  hotel,  ten  saloons,  three  restaurants, 
two  livery  stables,  one  blacksmith  shop,  three  law- 
yers, three  doctors,  one  school  house,  lGxl2  feet,  no 
church,  one  assay  office,  one  telegraph  office,  one 
express  office. 


The  wood  and  water  supply  is  obtained  from  a 
distance,  water  being  brought  in  wagons  from 
Columbus,  eight  miles,  and  costs  four  and  one-half 
cents  per  gallon.  Wood  is  obtained  in  the  Excel- 
sior Mountains,  twentj- miles  west,  and  from  mount- 
ains twelve  miles  to  the  south,  and  is  of  the  kind 
known  as  nut  pine. 

The  nearest  towns  to  Candelaria  are  Columbus, 
eight  and  a  quarter  miles  to  the  southeast;  Belle- 
ville, eight  and  three-quarter  miles  to  the  northwest, 
and  Metallic,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Columbus.  Freights  come  from  the  railroad 
station  of  Hawthorne,  liftj--five  miles  distant,  and 
cost  twentj-  dollars  per  ton.  Prior  to  this,  team- 
ing freights  came  from  Wadsworth  Railroad  Station, 
130  miles  distant,  at  an  expense  from  San  Francisco 
of  four  cents  per  pound.  There  is  a  twenty-four 
column  weekly  paper  published  at  Candelaria,  by 
John  Dormer,  that  was  started  June  5.  1880.  There 
have  been  seven  homicides,  the  following  being  the 
names  of  the  victims:  John  Ferris,  Joseph  Tur- 
ner, Thomas  Logan,  Traver,  Moore,  one  Chinaman, 
all  of  whom  were  shot,  and  John  Lawless,  who  was 
killed  with  a  pick. 

Columbus  was  an  outgrowth  from  the  discovery 
of  mines;  was  the  first  town  started  in  the  district  of 
that  name,  and  its  commencement  dates  from  1865. 
The  building  of  a  quartz-mill  was  the  first  thing  that 
concentrated  settlement  there,  the  mill  being  located 
at  this  point  because  of  its  proximity  to  the  salt 
and  borax  flats,  as  well  as  the  facility  for  obtaining 
water,  that  is  found  by  digging  wells  but  a  few 
feet  into  the  ground.  Nut  pine  and  cedar  wood 
are  found  in  the  adjacent  White  Mountains.  In 
1866,  the  town  had  gained  a  population  of  about 
200.  The  place  has  not  been  entirely  dependent 
upon  the  mines,  for  the  large  deposits  of  salt  and 
borax  in  the  vicinity  have  supplied  an  industry  that 
has  supported  quite  a  population.  The  Pacific 
Borax  ('onipany  commenced  operations  in  Septem- 
ber, 1872,  at  the  Columbus  Marsh,  five  miles  south 
of  Columbus.  In  1875  the  company  also  went  to 
work  in  Fish  Ijake  Vallej',  ten  miles  farther  south, 
and  a  little  village  of  some  forty  cheap  buildings, 
chiefly  adobe,  sprang  up,  containing  some  twelve 
families,  and  200  pcoj)le.  This  conii>any  suspended 
work  some  time  ago.  Teel's  Salt  Marsh,  and  the 
Virginia,  or  IHioades',  Salt  Marsh  lie  north  and  north- 
west of  Columbus,  and  have  been  worked  quite 
oxtensivclj'.  The  former  is  at  ])resent  being  worked 
by  Smith  Brothers,  and  the  latter  by  A.  J.  Rhoades. 

Columbus  was  most  prosperous  between  the  years 
1870  and  1875,  during  which  time  the  number  of  its 
population  is  reported  to  have  reached  1,000.  The 
buildings  are  of  wood  and  adobe.  There  is  no  church, 
but  a  school  house,  built  of  adobe,  16x20  feet,  with 
twenty  pupils  to  attend  in  it,  is  among  the  institu- 
tions of  the  town, 


420 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


At  present  there  are  about  ]  00  people  living  there, 
and  the  town  contains  two  quartz  mills,  two  stores, 
one  hotel,  one  restaurant,  six  saloons,  one  black- 
smith shop,  one  livery  stable,  one  doctor,  one  attor- 
ney, one  express  office,  a  post-oflice  and  a  news- 
paper, the  Borax  Miner. 

In  early  times  W.  W.  Barnes  started  a  weekly 
twenty-four  column  paper,  known  as  the  Columbus 
Times,  there,  but  was  forced,  for  want  of  patronage, 
to  suspend  ])ublication.  The  nearest  railroad  station 
is  at  Hawthorne,  distant  tittj'-eight  miles,  and  team- 
ing freights  from  that  place  are  thirty  dollars  per 
ton. 

There  have  been  several  homicides  in  the  place, 
and  two  men  have  been  hung,  one  of  them,  a  Mexi- 
can, being  lynched  for  killing  a  countryman. 

(tReenkielu  is  a  thriving  little  town  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  rich  agricultural  country  in  Mason  Valley. 
In  1869  W.  R.  Lee  settled  upon  160  acres  where  the 
town  now  stands.  In  1S71  Dennis  Iliggins  and  E. 
W.  Bennett  came,  and  the  year  following  Mr.  Hig- 
giiis  purchased  the  KiO  acres  of  Lee,  and  had  it 
patented  in  his  own  name.  There  was  at  that 
time  the  saloon  of  James  Downey,  the  store  of 
E.  W.  Bennett,  and  the  blacksmith  shop  of  Isaac 
Sims,  on  the  land.  Geiger,  of  the  Virginia  Geiger 
Grade,  kept  store  about  two  miles  below  the  present 
site  of  (treiMifiokl.  He  settled  there  about  1863.  In 
1872  William  Withero  and  B.  .(ackson  came,  and  J. 
S.  Craig  in  1873.  At  present,  the  town  is  in  a  pros- 
perous condition,  having  a  population  of  200,  five 
stores,  three  hotels,  two  saloons,  two  restaurants, 
three  livery  stables,  three  blacksmith  shops  and  four 
other  places  of  industry.  A  tri-weekly  mail  goes 
there  from  Carson.  J.  S.  Craig  is  the  present  Post- 
master, and  agent  for  Wells,  Fargo's  Express. 
Freights  arc  received  from  Wabuska,  twelve  miles 
distant.  They  have  a  wood  school  house  20x30, 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  forty.  The  regular  at- 
tendance is  twenty-two.  The  Methodists  have  a 
church  building  that  will  seat  200;  also  a  Sabbath- 
school  of  twenty-five  scholars.  A  good  supply  of 
pure  water  is  obtained  from  private  wells,  and  wood 
is  procured  from  the  mountains.  The  town  is  at  an 
elevation  of  500  feet,  and  is  healthful  the  j'car  round. 
The  Post-oflice  address  is  Mason  Vallej',  but  an  eflbrt 
is  being  made  to  change  it  to  Greenfield. 

TuE  Town  ok  L'ida  Valley  was  laid  out  in  the 
valley  by  that  name  on  March  1,  1872,  and  now  con- 
tains three  stores,  one  saloon,  one  boarding-house, 
one  blacksmith  shop,  one  butcher  shop,  one  livery 
and  feed  stable,  and  one  post-oflice. 

J.  S.   CRAIG 

Is  a  native  of  Ireland,  County  of  Donegal,  and  was 
born  in  October,  1839.  Leaving  his  native  homo  at 
the  early  age  of  twenty-two  years  became  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  in  Philadelphia,  Ponnsj'lvania,  and 
there  learned  the  saddler's  trade,  at  which  ho  worked 
till  1860,  in  which  year  he  took  passage  for  the  State 


of  California,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
and  from  thence  to  Nevada  the  following  spring, 
engaging  in  the  saddler's  business  in  Aurora,  Esme- 
ralda County,  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  From 
thence  he  removed  to  Pine  Grove,  in  1869,  and  re- 
sided thereuntil  1875,  whence  he  removed  to  Green- 
field, Esmeralda  County,  where  he  now  resides.  Mr. 
Craig  has,  during  his  leisure  hours,  devoted  himself 
to  the  study  of  the  law,  with  such  success  that  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S68,  and  with  his  pro- 
fessional avocation  combines  the  pursuits  of  the  mer- 
chant and  hotel  keeper,  besides  having  charge  of  the 
express  and  post-offices,  kept  in  the  store  adjoining 
his  hotel.  To  offset  the  seeming  blessings  before 
mentioned,  Mr.  Craig  might  count  among  his  misfor- 
tunes that  of  having  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  dur- 
ing most  of  the  years  of  his  residence  in  the  Silver 
State,  an  office  that  during  the  early  years  of  the 
settlement  of  the  State  necessarily  combined  the 
Legislative,  Judicial  and  Executive  in  one. 

One  of  many  instances  illustrative  of  this  occurred 
at  Rockland,  Nevada,  in  1872.  During  one  of  those 
early  entertainments  known  as  "sprees,"  a  despe- 
rado, known  by  the  name  of  Australian  Kelly, 
engaging  in  a  free  fight  such  as  often  were  indulged 
in  in  those  days,  was  stabbed,  and  at  the  time  sup- 
posed to  be  fatally,  bj-  one  Griffith.  A  man  by  the 
name  of  John  Grosser  was  arrested  for  the  crime, 
though  at  the  time  of  the  affray  he  was  asleep  in 
bod.  Kelly  believed,  as  did  his  friends,  that  Grosser 
was  the  guilty  parly,  and  that  Kelly  was  mortally 
wounded.  The^-  determined  to  be  avenged.  To 
accomplish  this,  throe  of  Kelly's  friends  entered  the 
building  whore  Grosser  was  held  in  custody  by  a 
Constable,  while  the  fourth,  a  largo,  powerful  fellow, 
remained  outside.  At  the  time  agreed  upoij,  he 
entered  the  room,  and,  accosting  Grosser,  asked  if  he 
was  the  man  who  cut  Kelly.  Grosser  at  once  an- 
swered he  was  not.  The  other,  drawing  a  revolver, 
replied,  ''  You  aro,  and  you  shall  die;"  but  before  he 
could  use  it  Justice  Craig,  who  was  present,  with 
great  courage  and  presence  of  mind,  seized  the 
would-be  murderer  and  thrust  him  outside  the  build- 
ing, closing  the  door.  Immediately  the  throe  others 
rushed  for  Grosser,  when  they  were  met  by  tho 
dotermined  presence  of  the  Constable,  supported  by 
a  cocked  revolver,  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to 
second  and  su]>port  the  action  of  tho  "  Court." 

They  soon  decided  that  Grosser  was  not  the  man 
the}-  were  looking  after,  and  tho  little  meeting 
adjourned  without  notice.  On  the  examination 
Grosser  was  clearly  proven  innocent,  and  was  re- 
leased— his  life  saved  by  the  courage  and  prompt 
action  of  the  officers  of  tho  law. 

Justice  Craig  was  married  in  August,  1873,  to 
Miss  Kitlie  A.  McGower,  a  native  of  New  York  City, 
at  the  home  of  her  parents  in  Bridgeport,  Mono 
County,  California.  They  have  two  little  daughters 
living,  and  have  buried  one  son,  who  died  in  early 
childhood. 


(l/aj% 


RESIDENCE,  Ml  LLt.-"  RANCH    OF  W.R.  LEE. 

ESMERALDA  CO.,  MASON   VALLEY,    N  EV. 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


421 


JASPER    DANIEL 

Is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  born  in  Warren 
County,  March  13,  1843,  where  he  remained  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  thirteen  3'ears.  His  facilities  for 
obtainint;  an  education  were  only  those  of  a  common 
school,  but  he  was  one  to  improve  his  opportunities, 
however  measure  the)'  mij^ht  be,  and  succeeded  in 
acquiring  a  fair  knowleilge  of  the  common  branches. 
In  1856,  Mr.  Daniel  romovcfl  to  the  State  of  Iowa, 
and  was  a  resident  of  that  State  until  1862,  at  which 
time  he  emigrated  to  the  far  West.  He  endured  the 
hardships  of  a  journe)-  across  the  plains  and  wintered 
with  the  -'Saints"  at  Salt  Lake  Citj-,  Utah.  The 
next  year  he  continued  his  travels  toward  the  sotting 
sun,  and  as  he  expresses  it:  "  Willed  away  eight 
years  of  the  choice  portion  of  his  life."  Being  a  man 
who  observes,  he  learned  a  great  deal  concerning  the 
countrj'  and  the  peculiarities  of  the  people  of  the 
State  of  California  and  Territory  of  Nevada,  where 
he  lived  during  the  eight  years  before  mentioned. 
He  finally  returned  to  Iowa,  and  was  married  to  the 
lady  who  ])residcs  over  his  household  at  the  present 
time.  In  1876,  Mr.  Daniel  returned  once  more  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of 
Greenfield,  Esmeralda  County,  Nevada,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  blacksmithing,  also  deals  largelj'  in 
agricultural  implements  and  general  merchandise. 

Mrs.  .Tosie  Daniels,  wife  of  the  subject  of  the  fore- 
going sketch,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  born 
in  Audubon  County,  July  5,  1856,  where  she 
remained  during  the  first  year  of  her  life.  In  1857, 
she  went  with  her  parents  to  Missouri,  and  for  the 
succeeding  fourteen  j-ears  lived  in  that  State,  and 
then  returned  to  Iowa,  and  was  soon  after  married. 
Her  union  with  the  husband  of  her  heart,  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children,  as  follows:  Ida  E.,  aged 
seven  years  and  Ernest  B.,  aged  two  years, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniel  are  much  respected  b}-  their 
neighbors,  and  are  a  well-to-do  couple,  living  in  the 
knowledge  that  thej'  have  by  industry  and  energy 
succeeded  in  establishing  a  homo  surrounded  with 
the  comforts  of  life. 

W.    R.    LKE 

Was  born  in  Covington,  Kentuckj',  in  1831,  and  dur- 
ing the  same  year  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ox- 
ford, Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1830,  when 
another  move  was  made,  this  time  to  Wayne  County, 
Indiana,  and  that  place  was  the  family  headquarters 
until  the  subject  of  this  sketch  reached  his  majorit)-. 
In  1852.  .Mr.  Lee,  with  his  father  and  mother,  came 
to  California,  and  settled  in  Shasta  County.  Ho  hav- 
ing learned  the  trade  of  his  father,  that  of  a  mill- 
wright, came  to  the  Territory  of  \evada,  in  ISiil, 
and  settling  in  Dayton,  followed  that  business  until 
1863,  when  he  went  back  to  California,  and  in  1865 
went  to  the  Owens  River  country  where  he  remained 
until  1868.  In  the  last-named  year  he  again 
anchored  in  Nevada,  settling  on  the  place  now  called 
the  Wilson  Mill  property.  Mr.  Lee  built  the  mill  in 
the  same  year,  and  sold  to  William  Wilson  in  1871, 
53 


at  which  time  ho  located  the  land  where  the  town  of 
Greenfield  now  stands.  In  1873  he  sold  said  land  to 
Dennis  Higgins,  and  removed  to  his  present  home, 
two  miles  north  of  Greenfield,  in  Mason  Valley. 
During  that  year  ho  built  his  flouring  mill,  and 
started  it  running  on  the  fourteenth  of  October. 
These  are  two  thirty-two-inch  turbine  water-wheels, 
with  a  six-foot  head  of  water,  and  the  mill  has  a 
capacity  of  twelve  barrels  of  flour,  and  fifteen  tons  of 
barlej%  per  run  of  twelve  hours.  Wheat  is  ground 
for  ten'dollars  per  ton  and  barley  at  three  dollars. 
.Mr.  Ijeo  ships  quite  extensivelj'  to  Bodie,  Belleville 
and  Candelaria,  and  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  he  is  a  public  benefactor  in  establishing  an 
institution  of  so  much  value  to  the  communitj'  in 
which  he  lives.  Nearly  everything  about  his  estab- 
lishment is  the  work  of  his  own  hands,  he  having 
made  everything  in  connection  with  the  mill  except 
the  buhrs. 

Mr.  Lee  was  married  to  Miss  Sylvia  A.  Kincaid,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  October  30,  1863.  .Mrs.  Lee  came  to 
Dayton,  Nevada,  in  1862,  with  her  brother  Alfred 
Kincaid.  Her  union  with  Mr.  Lee  has  been  blessed 
with  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living. 
The  following  are  their  names  and  ages  in  1881: 
David  A.,  fourteen  years;  Louisa,  twelve  years; 
Schuyler,  eight  years;  Robert  E.,  six  years;  Eva  B., 
four  years;  Nettie  M.,  nine  months.  The  names  of 
those  deceased,  Elmore  and  Frank. 

Hawthorne  is  the  name  of  the  town  site  at  the 
present  terminus  of  the  Carson  and  Colorado  Rail- 
road, on  the  east  shore  of  Walker's  I,ake.  The  fol- 
lowing is  taken  from  the  Virginia  Evening  Chionic/e 
of  April  1,  1881,  in  reference  to  the  new  town: — 

The  new  town  of  Hawthorne,  on  the  line  of  the 
Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad  at  Walker  Lake,  will, 
in  the  near  future,  give  employment  to  a  great  many 
workingmen  of  all  classes.  The  town  at  present  con- 
sists of  two  tents  and  a  clapboard  shanty,  but  when 
the  railroad  begins  to  crawl  out  that  way  it  will  grow 
very  rapidlj'.  Hawthorne  will  doubtlessbe  the  countj' 
seat  of  Esmeralda  County  in  a  j-ear  or  two.  and  as  it 
will  be  at  the  Junction  of  the  railroad  and  the  Bodie 
wagon  road,  it  is  sure  to  be  a  prosperous  jtlace.  The 
new  wagon  road  to  Bodie,  which  is  owned  by  the 
same  men  who  are  building  the  Carson  and  Colorado 
Railroad,  is  as  fine  a  grade  as  is  to  be  found  any 
place  in  the  mountains.  From  .Vurora  to  Bodie  a 
new  route  has  been  taken,  that,  although  two  miles 
longer  than  the  old  one,  is  nearly  an  hour  shorter  in 
time.  The  old  grade,  which  is  still  traveled  bj'  a 
few,  is  in  places  precipitous  and  dangerous.  The  new 
grade  is  so  constructed  that  a  railroad  track  could  be 
laid  down  on  it  without  much  additional  work.  The 
railroad  will  not  bo  built  to  Bodie,  however.  The 
])eo|ile  out  there  ])refer  to  have  the  teams  and 
teamsters. 

Esmeralda  County  for  the  past  ten  years  has  had 
a  steady  and  healthy  growth.  Her  present  popula- 
tion is  3,220;  assessed  property  valuation,  81,179,388; 
and  total  debt,  832,!tl5. 

EXECUTION    OF   BESPEUAD0E8    IN    1864. 

In  the  year  1863  Aurora  was  u  prosperous  mining 


422 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


town  of  most  flattering  prospects  for  the  future,  with  ' 
a  population  of  not  less  than  5,000;  with  a  city  gov- 
ernment; two  daily  newspapers;  two  fire  companies 
of  sixty  men  each,  with  their  machines;  two  military 
companies,  uniformed  and  fully  equipped,  with  com- 
modious and  convenient  armories;  a  brass  band  of 
eleven  pieces,  together  with  all  other  appendages 
and  accompaniments  that  go  to  make  up  a  full- 
fledged  city.  In  common  with  all  lively  mining 
camps,  it  was  infested  with  bad  characters;  gam-  i 
biers  and  thieves  were  numerous,  and  wert'  inces-  ' 
santly  getting  drunk  and  killing  each  other.  A 
"man  for  breakfast"  became  so  common  an  oc- 
currence, that  the  citizens  ceased  to  be  interested 
in  ascertaining  his  name  and  the  circumstances  of 
the  killing,  feeling  a  sensation  akin  to  gladness 
when  it  was  announced  that  one  more  rowdy,  they 
cared  not  which  one,  had  met  his  natural  and  deserved 
fate.  A  feeling  of  insecurity,  however,  rested  con- 
tinually upon  the  people;  they  knew  not  at  what 
time  a  peaceable  citizen  might  be  shot  down.    ■ 

A  reign  of  terror  existed  during  this  period,  cul- 
minating on  the  ninth  of  February,  1834,  and  it  was 
useless  as  well  as  unsafe,  to  invoke  the  majesty  of 
the  law  for  the  jirotection  of  person  or   property. 
No  witness  could  then  be  found  that  would  be  willing 
to  tell  what  he  had  heard  or  stten  in  any  given  case. 
for  to  do  so  tliey  would  be  the  next  victims  in  the 
hands  of  that   desperate   gang   of    murderers   and 
thieves  who  had  been  attracted  to  Aurora  from  the 
report  of  the  richness  and  extent  of  her  mines.     It 
made  no  difference  how  often  this  gang  of  cut-throats 
maj'   have  assaulted  one,  or  taken  propertj-,  a  jury 
could  not  be  selected  who  had  the  moral  courage  to 
find  a  verdict  against  them,   as  sure  death    awaited 
them  if  they  did  so.     The  officers  of  the  law,  includ- 
ing even  the  Judge  on  the  Bench,  were  more  or  less 
under  the  same  influence  of  fear  of  personal  injurj- 
or  loss  of  popularitj-  in  a  political  power.     Nor  were 
the  political  parties  of  the  daj'  altogether  free  from 
the  annoyance    and   interference  of    this  villainous 
gang.     At  a  primary-  election    held    by    the    I'nion 
Party  in  September,  1864,  for  delegates  to  represent 
Aurora  in  the  County  Convention,  these  ruflians,  who 
were  all  Hemocrats,  insisted  upon  voting,  and  having 
other  persons  who  were  not  members  of  the  Union 
Party  vole  also,  and  they  enforced  their  demand  to 
vole  by  walking  uj)  to  the  officers  of  the    election 
and  holding  out  in  one  hand  their  ballot,  and  in  the 
other  hand  a  pistol  which  was  pointed  at  the  officer. 
Thus  things  continued  to  go  from  bad  to  worse.     If 
the  ticket  voted  by  this  gang  had  been  successful,  a 
Democratic  "secesh"  delegation   would  have    been 
elected  to  the  Union  Republican  Convention. 

One  of  the  leaders  of  this  gang  of  rowdies,  thieves, 
fighters  and  murderei-s  was  John  Uailey,  then  recently 
from  Sacramento,  a  young  man  of  but  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  Another  of  the  gang  was  Sears,  one  of 
whose  acts  led  to  the  culminating  event.  Sometime 
in  Ihc  month  of  April,  1863,  ho  had  seen  a  horse  tied 


in  front  of  Mayberry's,  near  Hoy's  Station,  on  the 
banks  of  the  West  Walker;  mounted  the  animal  and 
rode  away.  The  owner,  a  German  named  Louis 
Wedertz,  was  much  distressed  b}-  the  loss  of  his 
horse,  and  followed  down  the  road  to  Jack  Wright's 
Station,  now  Wellington,  and  asked  assistance  of  W. 
R.  Johnson,  who  was  keeping  the  place.  Mr.  John- 
son directed  John  A.  Rogers,  one  of  his  men,  to  mount 
and  pursue  the  robber  and  bring  the  horse  back. 
Away  flew  Rogers  in  hot  pursuit,  leaving  a  dense 
trail  of  dust  behind  him.  The  thief  was  overtaken 
at  Sweetwater,  and  being  called  upon  three  times  to 
stop,  and  refusing  to  comply,  was  shot  dead.  The 
horse  was  returned  to  the  happy  German,  and  both 
Johnson  and  Rogers  were  commended  for  their  activ- 
ity in  recovering  the  stolen  property-,  the  fate  of  the 
robber  being  considered  a  deserved  one. 

The  balance  of  the  band  determined  to  kill  John- 
son for  the  part  he  took  in  this  aftair,  and  laid  their 
plans  to  accomplish  this  secretly.     They  sought  to 
induce  him  to  go  to    Adobe   Meadows,  where  they 
owned  a  ranch,  and  keep  a  station  there,  intending 
to  kill  him,  where  there  would   be    none   to  witness 
the  act.     They  so  far  prevailed    upon    him  that   he 
was  in  Aurora   on  the   first   day  of  February,  1864, 
with  the  intention  of  going  with  them  to  view  the 
place  on  the  following  day.     Their  intentions  were 
discovered  by  one  of  Johnson's  friends,  who  told  him 
that  if  he  went  with    them  to  Adobe   Meadows  ho 
would  certainly  be  killed,  and  advised  him  to  tell  the 
conspirators  that  he  had  received  a  letter  from  his 
wife  that  necessitated  his  return  home  in  the  morn- 
ing, and    that  he  would  go  with   them  .some  other 
time.     Johnson  did  as  he  was  advised,  and  retired  to 
bed.      The    conspirators    were   satisfied  that    their 
victim  had  discovered    their  intentions,  and  deter- 
mined  to  kill  him    that  night.     They  went  to  the 
place  where  he  was  sleeping,  aroused  him,  and  coaxed 
him   down   to    a    saloon,  where  the   balance  of  the 
night  was  spent.     Between   four  and  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning  Johnson   started   for   his   lodgings,  and 
was  met  on  Antelope  Street  by  lour  men,  and  shot. 
Not  content  with  this,  the  murderers  cut  his  throat, 
and  set  fire  to  his  clothing.     Great  was  the  excite- 
ment   in    the  morning.     The  citizens   felt    that  the 
time  had  come  for  them  to  do  something,  knowing 
that  if  left  in  the  hands  of  the  law  enough  pcijured 
testimony  would    be   ])rocured   to  acquit  the  pcr])e- 
trators.     Quickly  arratigements  were  made  for  the 
organization   of  a    vigilance  society.     Three  of  the 
men,  John  l)ailey,  James  Masterson,  and  John  Mc- 
Dowell,  (i/itis   Three- Fingered   Jack,   were  arrested 
by  the  authorities,  and  lodged  in  jail,  while  Sheriff 
Francis,   with  an   eager  posse,  started  in  pursuit  of 
William     Buckley,    who     had    fled.     The    prisoners 
were  given  a  preliminary  examination  before  .Justice 
Moore,  at  the  old  policestation,  during  which  an  alter- 
cation   occurred   between    one  of  the  Dailey  crowd, 
named  Vance,  and  a  citizen  by  the  name  of  Watkins. 
resulting   in  the  shooting  of  Vance    in    the  groin. 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


423 


Tho  three  men  were  committed  for  trial  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  examination. 

51  can  while  tho  organization  of  the  vigilance  society 
was  progressing  in  the  Wingate  Building,  some  350 
of  the  law  and  order  citizens  joining  the  organiza- 
tion. An  executive  committee  of  twelve  ol' the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Aurora  was  selected  to  decide  the 
conduct  of  the  organization,  and  their  orders  were 
full}-  and  {iromptly  obeyed.  Colonel  Palmer  was 
appointed  Marshal  by  them,  and  executed  all  orders. 
The  society  was  divided  into  companies,  with  proper 
officers,  and  everything  was  done  in  a  most  systema- 
tic manner.  Captain  Tecl,  the  Deputy  Sherifl",  was 
arrested  and  guarded  in  his  own  house,  some  of  the 
guards  belonging  to  the  Esmeralda  dangers,  of 
■which  company  he  was  Captain.  Other  police  offi- 
cers were  placed  under  like  restraint,  and  the  vigil- 
antes maintained  a  guard  over  the  police  station  and 
jail.  Vance  and  a  number  of  other  bad  characters 
were  confined  in  the  police  station,  and  a  few  days 
later  liberated,  and  requested  to  immediately  vanish 
from  sight,  a  request  which  they  complied  with 
hastily.  Vance  was  afterwards  killed,  at  Austin,  by 
Irish  Tom,  one  who  had  left  Aurora  in  the  same 
unceremonious  manner  as  himself. 

AVhile  these  events  were  transpiring  in  Aurora, 
Sherifl'  Francis,  with  his  posse,  were  in  hot  pursuit 
of  Buckley.  The  fugitive  had  secreted  himself  in  a 
cabin  near  the  Mono  Lake  placer  mines,  and  when 
the  pursuing  party  approached,  a  dog  which  accom- 
panied them  ran  up  to  the  cabin  and  began  to  bark. 
Buckley  looked  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and 
then  fled  from  the  rear  door,  pui>ued  by  the  dog. 
Not  seeing  the  fleeing  murderer,  but  being  convinced 
that  the  dog  had  discovered  something,  the  party 
hastened  after  them,  and  soon  came  U])on  tho  saga- 
cious animal,  watching  at  the  mouth  of  a  prospect 
hole.  From  this  hole  Buckley  was  soon  brought, 
and  the  party  started  for  Aurora,  where  they  arrived 
during  the  night.  As  soon  as  tho  Sheriff  passed 
with  his  prisoner  within  the  guard  lines  he  was 
arrested,  and  placed  under  guard  in  his  office,  while 
Buckley  was  confined  in  the  jail.  Tho  vigilance 
committee  had  taken  charge  of  tho  arms  of  the 
Esmeralda  Rangers,  and  used  Armory  Hall  for  their 
headquarters.  On  the  summit  of  the  hill,  in  the 
center  of  North  Silver  Street,  100  feet  northeast  of 
Armory  llall,  was  erected  a  gallows  large  enough  for 
the  quadru))lc  execution. 

For  several  days  saloons  had  been  required  to  close 
their  doors  at  9  o'clock  in  tho  evening,  and  on  tho 
ninth,  the  day  set  for  the  execution,  business  of  all 
kinds  was  suspended.  People  for  miles  around  came 
flocking  into  town,  and  on  that  day  no  less  than 
5.000  were  gathered  hero,  tho  majority  of  them  being 
in  sym])athy  with  the  proceedings.  The  town  was 
very  quiet,  guards  patrolod  tho  streets,  and  everj-- 
thing  was  still  and  orderly,  and  when  Governor  Nye 
telegraphed  to  Samuel  Youngs,  one  of  the  County 
Commissioners,  that  there  must  be  no  violence,   that 


gentleman  sent  the  following  reply:  "All  quiet  and 
orderlj-.  Four  men  will  be  hung  in  half  an  hour." 
At  noon  tho  vigilante  companies  formed  in  a  hollow 
square  about  the  scaffold,  being  under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Palmer,  who  received  his  orders  from  the 
executive  commiltee  in  Armorj-  Hall.  Tho  four 
doomed  men  were  escorted  to  the  scaffold,  while 
guards  upon  the  outside  of  the  square  kept  the  crowd 
at  a  distance.  The  execution  could  be  witnessed 
to  great  advantage  from  a  number  of  places  in  town, 
and  at  each  one  of  these  was  assembled  a  crowd  of 
eager  spectators.  At  half-past  1  o'clock  a  little 
cannon  that  stood  beside  the  gallows  was  tired,  the 
rope  was  cut,  and  tho  four  men  disappeared  through 
tho  trap-door  and  were  soon  hanging  lifeless,  a  terrible 
example  of  the  vengeance  of  an  outruLa'd  commu- 
nity. 

Two  days  later  Governor  Nye,  I'rovost  Marshal 
Van  Bokkelen,  and  United  States  JIarshal  Wasson, 
rode  into  town,  but  accomplished  nothing  and  left 
on  the  third  day.  The  effect  of  this  wholesome  ex- 
hibition of  justice  and  the  absence  of  the  bad  charac- 
ters warned  out  of  town,  was  a  quiet  and  orderly 
community  for  some  time,  and  a  considerable  modi- 
fication of  lawlessness  ever  after. 

KEPORT  OF  THE  GRAND  JURY 

Of  Esmeralda  County,  Second  Judicial  District,  for 
the  March  Term  of  said  Court,  a.  v.  1864. 

To  The  Honorable  District  Court:  The  Grand 
Jury,  whose  term  is  about  to  expire,  in  conformity 
with  custom,  have  the  honor  to  jiresent  this  report: — 

In  the  discharge  of  our  duties  we  have  examined 
thirtj--six  cases,  of  which  twenty-two  true  bills  are 
found,  ten  ignored  or  dismissed,  and  four  cases  con- 
tinued to  the  next  (irand  Jury.  Tho  Grand  Jury 
find  it  necessary  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  County 
Commissioners  to  the  condition  of  the  County  Jail, 
which  has  been  leased  from  the  county  of  Mono,  Cal- 
ifornia, by  the  Commissioners  of  the  county  of  Esmer- 
alda. At  this  time  it  contains  four  prisoners,  against 
whom  have  been  found  indictments  for  various 
offenses  by  this  Grand  Jury.  The  j)rison  itself  is 
inefficient  and  insecure,  and  totally  unfit  for  tho 
lodgment  and  safe-keeping  of  the  ))risoners  therein 
We  feel  warranted,  after  inspection,  in  recom- 
mending that  some  other  locality  and  a  more  suit- 
able building  be  jirovided.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  reit- 
erate tho  report  of  the  Grand  Jury  of  last  October 
Term,  as  to  its  total  unfitness,  however  careful  and 
particular  the  officers  in  charge  maybe,  to  secure  tho 
itimates. 

The  Grand  Jury  would  therefore  call  the  attention 
of  the  County  Commissioners  lo  this  subject,  and 
suggest  the  purchase  of  some  suitable  location  in  this 
City  and  erection  thereon  of  a  building  better 
adapted  to  the  i)urpose,*nd  more  convenient  than 
the  one  now  leased  by  the  county.  Until  that  is 
done,  we  would  recommend  that  a  night  guard  be 
placed  over  the  present  place  of  confinement  till  the 
l)risoners  therein  confined  shall  have  been  brought 
to  trial  or  their  cases  disposed  of. 

The  Court  room  and  various  county  offices  are 
leased  from  I'reble,  Devoe  &  Co.,  by  the  County 
Commissioners,  for  the  sum  of  8250  ])or  month,  tho 
owners  thereof  reserving  to  themselves  the  right  to 
lease  or  let  the  center  or  Court  room  at  any  and  all 


i^' 


+24 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA 


times,  provided  they  do  not  interfere  -with  any  Court 
of  Record.  The  floor  of  the  room  occupied  bj-  the 
County  Recorder,  as  also  that  of  the  Probate  Judge, 
is  of  such  a  character  that  we  beg  leave  to  call  atten- 
tion thereto.  It  contains  great  openings  and  not  a 
few  holes,  through  which  come  noises  from  a  saloon 
below,  to  the  disturbance  and  annoyance  of  those 
engaged  in  malting  Records,  whereby  mistakes  are 
liable  to  occur.  We  therefore  recommend  that  the 
owners  of  said  property  be  required,  at  as  early  a  daj- 
as  possible,  to  construct  therein  floors  of  such  char- 
acter that  there  need  be  no  further  cause  of  com- 
plaint. An  examination  has  been  made  into  the  con- 
dition of  the  afl'airs  of  the  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
Township  No.  1,  and  everything  therewith  found 
satisfactory. 

The  City  Marshal's  ofiBce,  rented  at  a  cost  of  fifty 
dollars  a  month,  is  a  small  frame  building  in  the  back 
of  which  are  two  cells.  Although  we  believe  that  as 
yet  no  one  has  succeeded  in  escaping  therefrom,  yet, 
it  is  patent  to  all  that  to  make  the  attempt  is  to  be 
successful.  The  prisoners  in  these  cells  are  fed  at  a 
cost  to  tiie  city  of  one  dollar  per  diem,  whereas,  upon 
inquiry  it  is  found  that  the  prisoners  confined  in  the 
County  Jail  are  fed  at  a  cost  to  the  County  of  SI. 50 
per  diem.  We  find  the  books  and  records  of  all  the 
countj'  oflScers  kept  in  a  neat,  correct  and  clearly  busi- 
ness-like manner.  Having  thoroughly  examined  the 
bonds  of  all  the  county  officers,  it  is  found  that  one 
of  the  bondsmen  on  the  undertaking  of  the  ("ounty 
Assessor  has  filed  a  protest,  notifj'ing  the  pi«nper  au- 
thorities that  he  has  withdrawn,  as  one  of  the  sure- 
ties upon  said  bond,  for  the  sum  of  §2,000.  We  also 
find  that  many  of  the  bonds  on  file  are  without  the 
necossarj-  stamp  required  by  the  United  States  Inter 
nal  Jievenue  Law,  and  upon  others  the  sureties  have 
been  c]ualified  before  officers  not  authorized  by  law 
to  administer  oaths  in  such  cases. 

With  these  exceptions  the  bonds  are  all  correctly  ex- 
ecuted and  approved,  and  in  our  opinion  the  bondsmen 
are  all  good  and  responsible  men.  We  also  find  that 
the  County  Assessor  has  not  complied  with  the  pro- 
visions of  an  Act  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
(approved  December  20,  18C!1),  providing  for  an 
assessment  on  the  gross  proceeds  of  the  mines.  Since 
the  ])resent  Assehsor  entered  upon  the  discharge  of 
the  duties  of  his  office,  to  wit,  From  October  1,  18G3. 
to  January  4,  18()4,  there  has  been  shi|)ped  from  this 
county  by  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  of  Aurora,  bullion 
amounting  to  8219,770,  upon  which  a  revenue  of 
8659.31  has  been  lost  to  the  county  and  Territory  by 
the  negligence  and  inefficiency  of  the  County  Asses- 
sor. We  also  find  for  the  last  quarter  ending  this 
day,  that  there  has  been  shipped  by  the  above-men- 
tioned company,  bullion  amounting  to  8307.500,  upon 
which  an  additional  revenue  of  8922  50  is  due  this 
county.  We  would  especially  call  the  attention  ol' 
the  proper  authorities  to  a  nuisance  now  infecting 
nearly  everj'  part  of  this  cit}-,  to  wit,  the  numerous 
disgusting  Chinese  brothels  tliat  exist  on  most  oC 
our  public  streets,  to  the  great  detriment  of  public 
morals  and  danger  of  propertj',  and  recommend  that 
some  action  be  immediatoJy  taken  that  will  effectu- 
ally abate  the  evil. 

Among  other  alleged  ])ublic  offenses,  we  have  been 
called  upon  to  investigate  the  action  of  a  self-styled 
"  Citizens'  Safetj'  Committee,"  and  upon  inquirj'  we 
find  that  it  was  composed  of  over  six  hundred  of  our 
best,  most  substantial  and  law-abiding  citizens.  We 
find  that  this  association  was  organized  on  the  sec- 
ond of  February,  1864,  and  on  the  ninth  of  the  same 
«aonth,  four  men,  to  wit,  John  Dailoy,  Wm.  Buckley, 


John  McDowell,  alias  "Three-Fingered  Jack,"  and 
James  Masterson,  were  executed  for  the  murder  of 
W.  R.  Johnson,  and  various  other  crimes,  by  being 
hung  by  the  neck  on  a  gallows  near  Armorj'  Hall, 
in  the  city  of  Aurora,  at  the  hands  of,  and  in  pursu- 
ance of  a  preconcerted  action  on  the  part  of,  said 
association.  Having  considered  the  homogeneous 
character  of  our  population,  isolated  as  we  are.  and 
removed  from  the  influences  of  older  communities, 
and  the  great  difficulty  and  expense  of  procuring 
witnesses,  which  deter  persons  of  limited  means  from 
prosecuting  and  bringing  to  justice  the  perpetrators 
of  crime,  and  the  fact  that  within  the  last  three  years 
some  twenty-seven  of  our  citizens  have  come  to  their 
death  by  the  hand  of  violence,  and  the  delaj-s  and 
inefficiencj',  and  we  believe  also,  the  indifference  of 
those  who  were  the  sworn  guardians  and  ministers 
of  the  law,  and  the  unnecessary  postponement  of 
important  trials,  whereby  many  notorious  villians 
have  gone  unpunished,  we  are  led  to  believe  that  the 
members  of  that  association  have  been  governed  by 
a  feeling  of  opposition  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
law  has  beeti  administered,  rather  than  by  any  dis- 
regard of  the  law  itself,  or  of  its  officers. 

Under  institutions  so  eminently  popular  as  under 
those  which  we  live,  where  all  power  for  the  correc- 
tion of  abuses  emanates  from  the  people  themselves, 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  thej-  should  exercise 
that  power  when  the  tardiness  or  maladministration 
of  the  law  fails  to  correct  evils  complained  of ;  and 
when  those  who  are  deeply  interested  in  good  and 
wholesome  laws,  and  in  seeing  them  purely  adminis- 
trated, will  not  give  sufficient  attention  to  our  elec- 
tions to  secure  proper  and  sober  legislators,  judicial 
and  othei-  officers,  they  must  expect  insecurity  of  life 
and  property.  In  this  we  find  the  true  cause  whence 
have  sprung  many  of  the  evils  of  which  we  have  suf- 
fered. The  Grand  Jury  deplores  the  necessity  that 
called  into  existence  that  association  or  self-styled 
"  Citizens'  Safety  Committee,"  yet  it  is  believed  that 
the  members  of  said  association  were  influenced  in 
their  actions  by  no  personal  or  private  malice,  but 
were  actuated  b^-  a  due  regard  for  what  the}- deemed 
the  best  interests  of  the  community  at  large.  Feel- 
ing assured  now.  however,  that  lawless  ruffianism 
has  been  effectually  checked,  and  will  no  longer  dare 
put  at  defiance  our  laws  and  its  officers,  and  being 
satisfied  also  that  there  is  a  determination  on  the 
part  of  all  our  officers  to  fully  and  faithfully  perform 
all  their  duties,  we,  therefore,  in  view  of  iUI  these 
facts,  dismiss  the  whole  matter  as  being  one  of  those 
peculiar  results  of  circumstances  which  cannot  be 
full}-  justified  in  the  ej-es  of  the  law.  j-et  we  cannot, 
in  our  o])iiiion,  eft'ect  an3'thing  by  presentment  that 
would  result  in  ))ublic  good. 

We  believe  the  association  has  ceased  to  act  and 
formally  dissolved,  but  doubtless  the  members  are 
ready,  if  ever  sad  occasion  should  again  require  it, 
to  assert  the  right  of  self-preservation  and  the 
supremacy  of  natural  law  over  defective  statutory 
forms  and  tedious  tribunals,  when,  thereby,  the  sub- 
stantial ends  of  justice  can  be  best  or  alone  attained, 
and  societ}'  relieved  of  the  horrors  of  unchecked  and 
triumphant  villainy. 

It  is  sincerely  hoped  by  every  member  of  this 
(irand  Jury  that  never  again  may  dire  necessity 
require  ly-ene  wal  of  that  terrible  scene  on  the  ninth 
of  Februftry,  1864. 

We  desire,  before  closing  this  report,  to  bear  testi- 
mony to  the  able,  efficient  and  )irompt  manner  in 
which  the  Sheriff'  and  his  deputies  have  each  dis- 
charged their  duties  as  oflSccrs  of  the  law,  in  arrest- 


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RESIDENCE. 5T0RE  AND  SHOP  OF  JASPER  DANIEL 

GREENFIE  LD,  MASON  VALLEY,  ESMERALDA  CO.,NEV. 


HISTOFIY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


425 


ing  and  confining  in  prison  the  desperadoes  tliHt  have 
recently  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  above-named 
committee  of  citizens.  We  also  reiurn  our  thanks 
to  Deputj'  Sherifl'  Capt.  H.  J.  Teel,  for  tlie  j)rompt- 
ness  with  -whioh  he  executed  all  orders  of  the  Jury, 
thereby  greatly  facilitating  the  dispatch  of  business; 
also  to  the  county  officers  generally,  for  such  infor- 
mation as  was  required  of  them. 

John  S.  MAVHidH. 
Foreman  of  Grand  Jury. 

SUPPLEMENT. 

While  submitting  our  general  report,  we  deem  it 
our  duty  to  add  a  few  su])plementar}-  remai'ks  rela- 
tive to  the  late  outbreak  and  escape  of  three  prison 
ers  from  the  t'ounlj-  Jail.  Wc  find  ujion  inquirj-  that 
the  following-named  prisoners,  to  wit,  Geo.  Alexan 
dcr,  G.  Valliano  and  Nicholas  George,  escaped  from 
their  cells,  between  the  hours  of  7  and  8  o'clock  on 
the  evening  of  the  twenty-fifth  instant,  bj'  removing 
a  portion  of  the  planking  from  over  the  cell  dooi-s, 
thereby  gaining  access  to  the  main  or  front  room  of 
the  prison,  when  they  escaped  by  making  a  breach 
in  the  south  or  front  wall. 

We  learn  upon  inquirj-  also,  that  the  only  imple 
ment  in  possession  of  the  prisoners,  by  which 
u  they  effected  their  release,  was  an  ordinarj'  table- 
knife,  with  which  they  jiicked  the  mortar  from  the 
wall,  thereby  rendering  the  removal  of  the  stones  an 
easy  task.  The  Grand  Jury  Committee,  whose  duty 
it  was  to  examine  into  the  condition  of  the  public 
buildings,  suggested  to  the  proper  authorities  the 
necessity  of  placing  a  night  guard  over  the  jaM  until 
the  prisoners  therein  confined  should  be  brought  to 
trial,  and  had  these  suggestions  been  followed,  no 
escapes  would  probablj'  have  taken  place. 

We  would  mention,  however,  in  justice  to  the  Sher- 
ift'  and  other  ofticcrs  of  the  law,  that  they  have  made 
all  efforts  in  tlieir  power  to  recapture  the  fugitives, 
but  as  3'et  without  success. 

We  deem  it  not  inappropriate  to  state,  in  conclu- 
sion, that  in  consequence  of  the  great  difficulty  wn 
have  labored  under  in  procuring  witnesses,  many  of 
whom  have  been  brought  from  a  great  distance,  mak- 
ing it  necessary  for  us  to  adjourn  from  day  to  daj- 
while  awaiting  their  arrival,  our  session  has  been 
protracted  to  an  unusual  length.  In  the  discharge 
of  our  duties  we  liave  examined  one  hundred  and 
forty  witnesses,  besides  reviewing  a  great  deal  of  the 
written  testimony  given  in  the  various  cases  tried  in 
the  Justices'  Court,  and  now,  having  finished  the  bus- 
iness before  us,  we  submit  this  our  report  and  ask  to 
be  discharged. 

All  of  which  is  most  respectfully  submitted. 
John  S.  Mayhuoh, 
Foreman  of  Grand  Jury. 


CHAPTER    XLV. 
HISTORY   OF    EUREKA    COUNTY. 

Pioneer  Mines  and  Mining — Creation  and  Boundary — Action  of 
Commissionera — Appointments  and  KIcctiona — Topograph- 
ical Features — Principal  Mining  Districts — Eureka  District 
in  1870 — Eureka  District  in  iS7G — The  Process  of  deduction 
— Hon.  Samuel  Loni;liy —Prospect  Mountain — (icology  of 
Eureka  District — Williams'  Salt  Marsh — HemarkaUe  Min- 
ing Accident — Statistics  of  1878-80 — The  Pish  t'rcek  War 
of  1S7"J  —  The  Principal  Towns  —  Beowawe — Kurcka  — 
Pioneer  Items  of  Eureka — Buililin^;s  and  Materials — Several 
Disastrous  Fires — Sudden  and  Destructive  Flooils— Fxlmund 
R.  Dodge  — Hon.  (i.  W.  Merrill  —  Hon.  Henry  Rives - 
Palisadi^Ruby  Hill. 

The  earliest  incidents  of  Eureka's  history  were 
associated  with  the  Indian  wars,  the  overland  mail 
and  pony  express,  already  related.  Till  the  year  1873 
it  formed  part  of  Lander  County,  but  its  general  his- 
tory is  readily  separable,  and  will  be  here  given  even 
while  it  is  a  part  of  the  mother  county.  With  the 
discovery  of  the  Reese  River  mines,  and  the  planting 
of  such  a  frontier  post  as  Austin  in  the  wilderness, 
troing  at  one  bound  to  the  very  center  of  the  Terri- 
tory, and  the  unexplored  region  of  the  maps,  gave 
an  extraordinarj-  impetus  to  prospecting,  and  soon  a 
very  large  area  of  country  was  run  over  and  new 
districts  formed.  First  the  prospectors  ran  northerly 
and  southerly  along  theToiyabe  Range  or  contiguous 
spurs,  and  then  easterly  on  the  overland  road  and  in 
its  vicinity.  In  the  north  was  found  the  great  out- 
croppings  of  the  Cortez  Giant,  cutting  through 
Mount  Tenabo,  then  other  ledges  of  smaller  size  and 
richer  surface  ores,  and  the  district  of  Cortez  was 
formed  early  in  18t)3,  probably  the  first  in  what  is 
now  Eureka  County.  Here  active  operations  have 
been  carried  on  continuouslj-,  although  at  times  on 
the  verge  of  abandonment  until  success  crowned 
good  judgment  and  perseverance. 

Eastward,  near  the  overland  stage  station  of 
Diamond  Springs,  silver-bearing  veins  were  found  in 
May,  1864,  and  Diamond  District  was  formed.  Pros- 
pectors ranged  through  the  mountains  with  much 
energj',  and  often  with  little  judgment,  as  is  proven 
by  the  neglect  to  discover  the  richest  outcroppings 
until  a  number  of  j-ears  afterwards.  The  discover}' 
which  gave  the  name  to  Eureka,  and  subsecjuently  led 
to  the  explorations  that  disclosed  the  rich  bodies  of 
ore  that  have  since  given  the  place  its  wealth  and 
celebrity,  was  made  on  the  nineteenth  of  September, 
18G4,  by  a  prospecting  party  from  Austin,  composed 
of  Messrs.  W.  O.  Arnold,  W.  R.  Tannchill,  G.  T. 
Taimehill,  J.  \V.  Stotts.  and  Moses  Wilson.  This 
party  found  a  species  of  rock  difi'eriiig  from  anj-  they 
had  previously  seen,  and  curiously  examined  it.  The 
crojipings  at  Austin  were  a  rich  chloride,  and  when 
pieces  of  ore  were  placed  in  a  fire,  small  globules  of 
silver  would  appear  on  the  surface.  This  experiment 
was  tried  with  ore  found  by  Arnold  and  bis  com- 
panions by  ])lacing  large  pieces  of  the  rock  in  their 
camp-fire,  the  result  being  a  flow  of  metal  greatly 
surprising  the  prospectors.  They  could  not  believe 
it  silver,  and  it  was  too  hard  for  lead.     However  it 


426 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


was  metal,  and  they  exclaimed.  •'  Eureka,"  locating 
their  claims  and  organizing  a  district  under  that 
name,  with  G.  T.  Tannehill,  as  Jiecorder,  locating  at 
what  is  since  called  Xew  York  Canon. 

The  ore  taken  to  Austin  proved  to  be  valuable, 
being  a  combination  oflead  and  silver,  but  not  work- 
able in  the  mills,  and  therefore  not  available  but  by 
smelting  or  some  new  process.  The  lead  mines,  as 
some  called  them,  did  not  create  the  usual  excite- 
ment attending  new  discoveries,  and  but  few  visited 
the  new  localitj*.  The  discoverers  were  without  cap- 
ital, and  sought  to  sell,  as  they  did  not  know  how 
nor  had  they  the  means  to  develop  their  new  prop- 
erty-. In  1864  thirty,  and  in  1865  thirty-one  claims 
were  located;  the  next  year  but  fifteen,  then  in  1867 
but  eleven,  and  in  1868  forty-three,  which  increased 
in  1869  to  354.  There  are  now  about  3,000  claims 
recorded,  which,  however,  does  not  indicate  that 
there  are  so  many  distinct  mines  or  veins  in  the  dis- 
trict. 

F'ollowing  the  original  locators  came  Alonzo  Mon- 
roe, M.  G.  Clough  and  Owen  Farrell,  in  1805,  who 
were  led  to  the  locality  bj-  an  Indian,  and  who  lo- 
cated the  Buckeye  and  Champion  mines  on  what  is 
now  known  as  Euby  Hill.  In  the  meantime  the  first 
locators  were  seeking  purchasers  of  their  propertj', 
and  were  successful  in  disposing  of  it  to  a  party  of 
New  York  capitalists.  In  1806  the  purchasers  of  the 
original  locations  began  operations,  expefiding  large 
sums  of  money,  but  through  want  of  knowledge  of 
the  proper  treatment  of  the  ores  failed  in  their  eiforts 
to  work  the  property  profitably. 

This  failure,  and  others  following,  dampened  the 
prospects  of  the  district,  and  it  was  not  until  1869 
that  interest  in  its  wealth  was  again  aroused.  In 
that  year  the  "rush  "  to  White  Pine  occurred,  and 
as  the  excitement  abated,  people  looked  at  the 
mines  of  Eureka.  Monroe  and  a  i'cw  others  were 
there  and  the  abandoned  furnaces  were  standing  in 
a  dilapidated  condition. 

With  this  brief  review  of  the  general  history  we 
will  return  to  particulars. 

CREATION   AND    BOUNDARY. 

The  county  of  Eureka  was  created  out  of  Lander, 
by  an  Act  approved  March  1,  1873,  and  its  bound- 
aries wore  described  as  follows:  "  Beginning  at  a 
point  on  the  north  boundary  line  of  Lander  County, 
equi-distant  between  the  northeast  and  northwest 
corners  of  said  Lander  County;  thence  running  due 
south  from  said  initial  point  to  the  south  boundary 
line  of  said  Lander  County;  thence  running  east 
along  said  south  boundary  line  of  Lander  Countj'  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  said  Lander  County;  thence 
running  north  along  the  east  boundarj-  line  of  said 
Lander  County  to  the  northwest  corner  of  White 
Pine  County;  thence  running  west  along  the  south 
boundary  line  of  Elko  County  to  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  said  Elko  County;  thence  running  along  the 
west  boundary  lino  of  Elko  County  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  said  Lander  County;  thonce  running  west 


along  the  north  boundarj*  line  of  said  Lander  County 
to  the  place  of  beginning."  On  February  16,  1875, 
an  Act  was  passed  over  the  Governor's  veto  ceding 
to  Lander  a  triangular  strip  or  piece  from  the  south- 
west corner  of  Elko  Count}-,  which  included  within 
its  limits  the  mining  district  of  Galena.  By  an  Act, 
approved  March  2,  1881,  a  small  strip  was  added  to 
the  eastern  boundary  of  Eureka  Count}-,  being 
detached  from  White  Pine  County.  It  begins  at  a 
point  where  the  eastern  boundary  of  Eureka  crosses 
the  summit  of  the  Diamond  range  of  mountains!,  and 
extends  northward  along  the  summit  of  the  mount- 
ains to  the  southern  boundary  of  Elko  County. 

The  Act  creating  the  county,  stipulated  that 
Eureka  County  should  pay  one-half  the  public  debt 
of  Lander;  fixed  the  seat  of  the  new  county  at  the 
town  of  Eureka,  and  named  the  first  county  officers. 

ACTION    OF     COMMISSIONERS. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  County  Commissioners 
took  place  at  Eureka  on  March  20,  1873,  Commis- 
sioners, D.  H.  Hall,  E.E.  Phillips  and  L.  W.  Cromer 
being  present.  V.  H.  Harmon  presented  his  commis- 
sion as  County  Clerk,  and  was  recognized  as  such. 
William  Arington  presented  a  commission  as  County 
Commissioner,  signed  by  the  Governor,  but  the  Board 
rejected  him.  The  amount  of  the  various  bonds  to 
be  given  by  the  county  officials  was  then  fixed  upon, 
after  which  commissions  were  presented  by  District 
Attorney,  G.  W.  Baker,  and  by  T.  C.  Edwards  as 
County  Recorder.  William  M.  Gates  appeared  as 
attorney  for  A.  S.  Campbell,  and  claimed  for  his  cli- 
ent the  office  of  County  Recorder.  The  matter  was 
spread  upon  the  books  without  the  recognitiin  of 
either  party  by  the  Board.  Later  in  the  day  Camp- 
bell was  recognized.  W.  A.  Edwards  was  appointed 
County  Surveyor,  and  J.  D.  Sullivan  was  recognized 
as  Sheriff,  and  L.  P.  KoUey  as  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  The  Board  then  adjourned,  but  assembled 
again  on  the  21st.  C.  C.  Wallace  was  recognized  as 
County  Assessor  and  W.  A.  Seaton  as  County  Treas- 
urer. Various  gentlemen  offered  to  furnish  rooms 
for  county  seat  i)urpose8  free,  and  their  ofters  were 
taken  under  advisement.  On  March  22d  the  Board 
rejected  the  bond  of  William  Head,  who  claimed  to 
be  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  declared 
the  position  already  filled.  On  March  25th,  Skat- 
ing Rink  Hall,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Main  and 
Bateman  Streets,  was  accepted  for  county  purposes, 
the  property  being  presented  to  the  Board  by  J.  O. 
Darrow. 

On  April  8th  the  Board  abolished  Vanderbilt 
Township,  which  includtid  all  that  part  of  the  county 
lying  south  of  a  lino  running  as  a  continuation  west 
from  the  south  line  of  Elko  County.  Palisade  Town- 
shij)  was  created  the  same  day,  and  Vanderbilt 
Township  was  re-established  on  the  following  day. 
It  was  abolished  finally  on  October  23,  1876,  and  its 
territory  made  a  part  of  Eureka  Township,  in 
accordance  with  a  petition  presented  to  that  effect. 
The  Act  creating    Eureka  County  and  naming   its 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


427 


county  officials  provided  that  if  500  citizens  should, 
before  the  first  Jfonday  in  July,  1873.  petition  for  an 
election,  such  election  should  bo  called  for  the  first 
Mondaj-  in  August.  A  petition  asking  for  such 
election  was  duly  presented  to  the  County  Commis- 
sionei-s,  but  they  decided,  on  Jlay  5th,  that  the  ])oti- 
tion  was  not  in  accordance  with  law,  as  it  did  not 
contain  the  names  of  500  persons  who  were  actually 
citizens.  Manj'  persons  who  were  not  citizens  had 
signed  it.  On  June  Uith  the  question  came  before 
the  Commissioners  again,  additional  names  having 
been  procured,  but  again  the  application  was  refused. 
On  May  10th  bids  were  received  for  the  building  of 
a  County  Jail,  the  lowest  being  for  the  sum  of  S3, 750. 
All  were  rejected.  On  May  14th  the  Board  ordered 
new  bids  to  be  received,  but  the  Commissioners 
reconsidered  the  matter,  and  concluded  to  build  a 
jail  themselves.-  On  April  2l8t  the  Board  approved 
of  the  settlement  made  of  public  matters  between 
the  counties  of  Eureka  and  Lander.  On  December 
2d,  in  response  to  a  petition  of  680  citizens,  repre- 
senting three-fifths  of  the  taxable  property  of  the 
township,  Eureka  was  declared  subject  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Act  approved  February  21,  1873, 
enlarging  the  governing  powers  of  towns  and  cities 
of  Xevada.  This  Act  was  made  to  apply  to  an  area 
two  miles  in  length  north  and  south  of  the  Court 
House,  and  one  mile  west  of  the  same,  and  half  a 
mile  east  of  the  same.  On  March  9,  1874,  the  pay  of 
the  County  Commissioners  was  fixed  at  ten  dollars 
per  daj-  each,  when  actively  engaged.  On  March 
16lh  Ruby  Hill  Township  was  created,  its  area  being 
described  as  two  miles  in  length  north  and  south, 
and  one  mile  in  width.  On  September  11,  1876, 
this  township  was  abolished,  and  its  territory  was 
made  a  jjurt  of  Eureka  Township.  On  May  18th 
Henry  Mathey  was  granted  permission  to  lay  gas 
pipes  in  Eureka,  "  the  grant  to  expire  in  four  months 
unless  gas  works  have  been  erected  in  the  mean- 
time." In  September,  fifteen  voting  ])recincts  were 
created,  and  afterwards  two  more,  making  seventeen 
in  all.  In  October,  1873,  bonds  to  the  amount  of 
820,000  were  issued  to  meet  public  expenses,  and  in 
December  817,347.04  more  were  issued  to  meet  the 
indebtedness  to  Lander  County.  These  bonds  have 
all  been  paid. 

In  1875  the  new  Board  of  Commissioners  created 
Mineral  Hill  Township  out  of  the  territory  then 
recently  acquired  from  Elko  County,  but  subse- 
quently reconsidered  their  action,  and  abolished  the 
township.  In  1877  they  issued  current  expense 
bonds  to  the  amount  of  85,000,  which  were  paid  in 
1870.  In  1878  the  sum  of  81,2{»0  was  paid  to  KIko 
County  on  account  of  the  cession  to  Eureka  of  the 
Mineral  Hill  strip,  and  Pine  Valley  School  District 
was  created.  In  1880  the  new  Court  House  was 
formally  accepted,  and  Eureka  School  District  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  820,000  were  issued. 

At  present  the  county  is  divided  into  the  five 
School  Districts  of  Eureka,  Palisade,  Beowawe,  Min- 


eral Hill,  and  Pinto.     The  school    tax   collected  in 

1872  amounted  to  85,275.  The  children  of  school 
age  in  1878  was  472.  Eureka  County  now  has  two 
daily  and  one  weekly  newspapers.  The  SeiUinel  and 
the  Leader  are  published  daily  at  Eureka.  The 
Week/;/  Mlnit«j  Niwn  is  published  at  Ruby  Hill.  (See 
chapter  on  the  Press  of  Nevada.) 

The  chief  industries  are  mining  and  grazing.  For 
full    statistics  of  the  products  of  the  countj-  from 

1873  to  1880,  the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation, 
the  stock  and  grain  raised,  and  the  fruit  trees  and 
vines  growing  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  tables 
to  be  found  on  pages  135,  136,  139  and  140  of  the 
general  historj'.  For  the  bullion  product  of  the 
county,  see  general  table  of  bullion  products. 

APl'OINTMENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

The  first  officers  of  Eureka  County  were  named  in 
the  Act  creating  the  county,  March  1,  1873. 

Below  will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  all  the 
officers  of  the  county  from  its  organization  down  to 
the  present  time,  with  the  date  of  appointment,  or 
election  of  each.  The  vacancies  in  office  bj-  death, 
resignation,  or  removal,  if  anj^  have  occurred,  will 
also  be  found,  with  the  names  of  the  person  selected 
to  fill  the  same. 

SENATORS. 

Geo.  W.  Cassidy  and  Geo.  \V.  Baker,  elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876;  \Yilliam  Doolin,  elected  November 
5,  1878;  W.  W .  Uobart,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBLVJIEN. 

M.  B.  Bartlett  and  Thomas  Wren,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  D.  E.  Bailey,  M.  G.  Cavanaugh,  J.  L. 
Smith  and  A,  W.  Atchinson,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  Thomas  Robinson,  William  Wermuth,  J.  L. 
Smith  and  F.  E.  Fisk,  elected  November  5,  1878;  G. 
W.  Merrill,  11.  A.  Knight,  Samuel  Longley,  and  James 
Adams,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS. 

D.  H.  Hall,  E.  E.  Phillips  and  L.  W.  Cromer 
appointed  March  1,  1873;  John  Hoi-n,  J.  W.  Leran 
and  J.  H.  Morrison,  elected  November  3,  1874;  T.  D. 
Page  and  Jose])h  Oberer,  elected  November  7,  1876. 
The  seat  of  the  latter  was  declarecL  vacant  for  non- 
residence  March  4,  1878;  A.  W.  Campbell  and  B.  J. 
Turner,  elected  November  5,  1878;  N.  Smith  and  C. 
N.  Mikel,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

lUSTHICT    ATTORNEYS. 

Goo.  W.  Baker,  appointed  March  1,  1873;  Geo.  W. 
Merrill,  elected  November  3, 1874,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5.  1878;  W.  II. 
Davenport,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SHERIFFS. 

John  I).  Sullivan,  appointed  March  1,  1873;  George 
Gilmore,  elected  November  3,  1874;  James  Sias, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  Matt  Kyle,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

F.  il.  Harmon,  appointed  March  1,  1873,  re-elected 
November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 1876;  E. 


428 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


R.  Dodge,  elected  Novembers,  1S78;  C.J.  R.  Buttlar, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

W.  A.  Seaton,  appointed  iMarch  1,  1873;  W.  A. 
Montgomerj',  elected  November  3,  1874;  R.  Ryland, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  S.  Cooper,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1878;  R.  Sadler,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COl'NTY    ASSES.SORS. 

C.  C.  Wallace,  appointed  March  1,  1873;  J.  C. 
Powell,  elected  November  3, 1874;  H.  Knight,  elected 
November  7,  187(j;  H.  A.  Knight,  elected  November 
5,  1878;  C.  C.  Wallace,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

A.  S.  Campbell,  appointed  March  1.  1873,  resigned 
December  2,  1873,  and  iSamuel  Bell  was  appointed. 
Bell  resigned  May  7,  1874,  and  T.  J.  Tennant  was 
appointed  to  fill  vacancj'.  R.  L.  Chase,  elected  No- 
vember 3,  1874,  re  elected  November  7,  1870;  B.C. 
Levy,  elected  November  5,  1878;  L.  Molinelli,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

William  Head,  appointed  March  1,  1873;  A.  E. 
Kaye,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  G.  J.  Scanland,  elected  November  5, 
1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

W.  A.  Edwards,  appointed  March  1,  1873;  T.J. 
Reed,  elected  November  3,  1874;  II.  H.  Conklin, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  T.  J.  Reed,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1878,  re-elected  Novembtr  2, 1880. 

PUBLIC    AD.MINIS'I'RATORS. 

Francis  Hanson,  appointed  March  1,  1873,  office 
declared  vacant  December  10,  1874;  James  Williams, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  C.  Bishop,  elected 
November  7,  1876;  J.  W.  Smith,  elected  November 
5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

T0PO0RAriIIC.\L    FEATURES. 

Like  other  portions  of  the  State,  the  surface  of 
Eureka  County  consists  principally  of  mountains  and 
valleys.  Humboldt  River  flows  across  the  northern 
part,  with  a  general  course  to  the  west.  Maggie 
Creek  from  the  north  and  Pine  Creek  from  the  south 
empty  into  the  Humboldt.  Fish  Creek  rises  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  county,  flows  east  into 
White  Pino  County  and  sinks.  Numerous  small 
streams  originate  from  mountain  spring.s,  flow  a  few 
miles  and  disappear  in  the  earth.  Along  the  west- 
ern boundary  are  the  Sulphur  Mountains,  extending 
from  the  Humboldt  River  on  the  north  to  the  line  of 
Nye  County  on  the  south.  The  Diamond  range  of 
mountains  skirts  the  eastern  border  for  nearly  100 
miles  south  from  the  Humboldt  River,  then  trending 
westerly  crosses  the  southeastern  |)ortion  of  the 
county.  The  general  altitude  is  high,  the  lowest  point 
being  on  the  Humboldt  at  Beowawo,  which  is  4,695 
leet  above  the  sea. 

Prospect  Mountain  and  some  of  the  lotlior  peaks 
of  the  Sulphur  Range,  have  an  altitude  of  9,500  feet. 


Diamond    Mountain,  which    overlooks   the   town  of 
Eureka,  has  an  altitude  of  11,000  feet. 

The  topography  of  the  county  does  not  encourage 
agricultural  pursuits.  The  soil  is  generally  sterile, 
and  water  is  not  plentiful.  In  favorable  localities, 
along  the  Humboldt,  Fish  Creek  and  Pine  Valleys, 
good  crops  of  hay  and  garden  vegetables  are  raised. 
The  grazing  interest  is  steadilj'  growing  in  impor- 
tance, the  white  sage  and  bunch-grass,  found  almost 
eveiywhere,  aftbrding  ample  pasturage  for  cattle. 
The  few  cottonwoods  along  the  streams,  the  pinon 
and  mountain  mahogany  and  dwarf  cedar  in  the 
foot-hills,  furnish  timber  for  fuel  and  charcoal. 

Pine  Valley  extends  southward  from  Palisade  for 
the  distance  of  fifty  miles.  It  is  wedge-shaped,  the 
point  being  to  the  north,  and  the  valley  being  about 
three  miles  wide  at  the  southern  extremity.  Pine 
Mountain  looms  up  to  the  southwestward,  being 
sprinkled  with  timber.  The  other  mountains  are 
almost  denuded,  yet  hero  and  there  men  can  be  seen 
at  work  cutting  fuel  for  the  railroad  engines,  the  val- 
ley being  pierced  bj-  the  Eureka  and  Palisade  railroad. 
Pine  Creek  heads  in  the  I'ine  Mountains  and  flows 
northward  to  the  Humboldt.  The  principal  crop 
raised  consists  of  wild  hay.  Eighteen  miles  south- 
ward from  Palisade  is  the  haj'  ranch  of  the  Eureka 
and  Palisade  Railroad  (Company,  consisting  of  2,500 
acres  of  fenced  bottom  land,  from  which  1,000  tons 
of  hay  are  cut  annually.  The  company  runs  a  line 
of  freight  teams  from  the  terminus  of  their  road  at 
Eureka,  to  Piochc  and  all  intermediate  points,  em- 
ploying from  300  to  400  mules,  each  team  hauling 
from  30,000  to  40.000  ])ound8.  The  hay  cut  at  the 
ranch  is  for  the  jiartial  subsistence  of  these  teams. 
(The  j'ear  the  railroad  was  built  the  number  of 
freight  wagons  thus  emploj'cd  was  201);  animals,  000; 
men,  10(1;  stages,  32;  miles  traversed,  not  including  to 
Belmont,  230.)  From  Palisade  to  the  railroad  ranch 
there  are  thirteen  ranches,  including  five  dairy 
ranches.  J'ine  Valley  contains  a  school  district 
twenty  miles  in  length,  north  and  soulh,  in  which 
there  are  thirteen  pupils. 

principal    .MINI.Nii    DISTRICTS. 

Antelope  District,  twenty  miles  north  of  Eureka, 
lias  been  prospected  to  a  considerable  extent,  and 
many  locations  have  been  made;  but  no  reduction 
works  have  been  erected. 

CoiiTEZ  Distuk-t  is  in  an  isolated  mountain  east  of 
the  Toiyabe  Mountains,  at  a  locality  about  thirty 
miles  southeast  of  Beowawo  Station,  on  the  Central 
J'acific  Railroad.  Ore  was  discovered  in  May,  1863, 
by  Dr.  Hatch  and  others,  from  Austin,  and  a  district 
was  at  once  organized.  For  a  brief  period  it  ex- 
cited remarkable  attention  on  account  of  its  mon- 
ster lodes  and  the  distance  thej'  could  be  traced. 
One  of  its  claims,  the  Nevada  Giant,  was  considered 
the  greatest  discover}-  in  the  State,  but  failed  to  re- 
alize its  great  expectations,  but  recent  developments 
are  proving  its  bidden  wealth.     Its  large  quartzite 


W.HSPRAGG. 


MR5.W.H.SPRAGG. 


RESIDENCEf-^^HANCH  OF  W.H.  SPRAGG. 

ESMEnAU)A  CO   MASON    VALLEY,  N  EVAOA. 


LITM  S^ir.^N  A  ^/' 


I 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


429 


dyke,  400  feet  in  width,  was  found  to  be  not  entirely 
composed  of  pay  ore.  It  yields  very  well,  however, 
and  is  being  steadily  worked.  The  prineiiial  mines 
are  located  on  the  westerly  slope  of  the  loft}-  peak. 
Mount  Tenabo.  The  Garrison  is  the  most  important 
location  in  the  district.  Steam  hoisting  works  and 
all  the  necessary  appliances  for  working  ore  are  in 
use.  The  water  for  the  steam  engine  is  packed  on 
mules  a  distance  of  about  three  miles.  The  prevail- 
ing formation  is  limestone  and  ([uartzite.  The  veins 
are  small  but  rich.  The  ores  require  roasting  before 
amalgamation,  and  are  of  very  high  grade  and  carry 
both  gold  and  silver.  The  deepest  shaft,  that  of  the 
Garrison,  extends  down  300  feet. 

The  mill  which  the  Cortez  Company  built  in  lS(i.3, 
at  a  cost  of  SIOO.OOO,  and  which  was  subsequentlj- 
enlarged  from  eight  to  sixteen  stamps,  was  sold  in 
1860  to  Samuel  Wenban,  one  of  the  original  locators, 
for  Sti.OOO.  It  is  situated  about  eight  miles  from  the 
mines,  by  wagon  road,  and  four  miles  by  trail.  The 
ore  is  transported  on  mules.  Wood  is  found  in 
abundance  about  eight  miles  from  the  mines.  Most 
of  the  labor  in  the  mines  is  performed  by  Chinamen. 
The  district  is  producing  well. 

The  following  description  of  Mount  Tenabo  and 
its  great  vein  is  from  the  Reese  River  Reveille  of  Jan- 
uary 4,  1807:— 

This  vein  is  imbedded  in  the  bosom  of  Mount 
Tenabo,  a  ]>eak  11.500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  upwards  of  5,(100  feet  above  the  surrounding 
vallej's. 

Its  base  u])  its  side  to  the  vein  is  covered  with  a 
scrubby  pine,  while  its  summit,  and  1,500  feet  below, 
is  overgrown  with  grass  and  shrubs. 

The  scarred  and  rugged  mountain  looks  eternal. 
Some  '5,000  feet  above  its  base  a  vein  of  silver-bearing 
quartz  cuts  its  face  obliquely,  burj'ing  itself  in  the 
mountain  at  one  end  and  penetrating  into  the  valiej- 
at  the  other,  after  stretching  out  in  ])al]iable  vii'w  to 
the  length  of  1S,(;50  feet.  Its  width  is  400  feet. 
This  vein,  or  perhaps  more  |)roperl}-,  stratum  of  the 
mountain  formation,  bears  beds  of  ore,  the  extent  of 
which  is  only  conjecture.  The  workings  at  various 
mills  have  proved  encouraging.  The  vein  is  encased 
in  crystalline  limestone. 

Twentj'  locations  have  been  made  with  the  follow- 
ing names  and  dimensions: — 

Commencing  at  its  greatest  point  of  altitude  is 
the  Chieftain,  (ienesee  County,  1,400  feet;  Murphy 
Comjtanj-,  SOO  feet;  Gill  Com])any,  800  feet;  Taj'lor 
and  Passmore,  800  feet;  Dewitt  (Company,  450  feet; 
St.  Louis  Company,  2,000  feet;  Meacham  &  lirolhers, 
400  feet;  Niagara,  400  feet;  Savage  Company,  400 
feet;  Nebraska  Coni])an}',  1,200  feet;  Cortez  (iiant, 
Mount  Tenabo  Comiiany,  4.000  feet;  Elmore  Com- 
panj",  200  feet;  lUissell  Com|>aiiy,  600;  Continental 
Companj-,  1,000  feet;  Argentine  Company,  1,000  feet; 
Empire  Comjiany,  800  feet;  Conn  &  Brothers,  400 
feet;  Traverse  Company,  400  feet;  and  the  Anna 
Burr  Company,  2,000  feet.  The  latter  claim  is  some- 
what broken,  and  at  its  termination  the  vein  pene- 
trates the  earth  and  is  lost  altogether.  The  vein 
disappears  also  at  the  u|)j)er  boundary  of  the  ("hief- 
tain.  It  has  been  openeii  at  several  i)oints  along  its 
course,  in  every  case  disclosing  mineral. 

The  Gill,  Taylor  and  Passmore,  and  St.  Louis  loca- 
54 


tions,  near  the  upper  end  of  the  vein,  have  been 
worked,  the  two  latter  considerably.  The  Cortez 
Giant,  which  lies  near  the  center  of  the  vein,  is  the 
most  full}-  developed,  and  has  yielded  a  considerable 
amount  of  bullion  this  season.  Some  work  has  also 
been  done  on  the  ('onlinental,  situated  towards  the 
lower  end  of  the  vein,  with  about  the  same  results 
as  in  the  other  cases  specified.  Of  this  vein  there  is 
little  exact  knowledge,  but  that  it  stands  out  upon 
the  mountain  face,  a  large,  palpable  fact.  It  will 
probably  be  developed,  and  when  that  day  arrives 
we  believe  the  Nevada  Giant  will  be  regarded  as 
among  the  remarkable  veins  of  the  world. 

DiA.MOND  District  is  situated  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Diamond  Mountains,  about  twenty-five  miles 
northeast  of  Eureka.  Ore  was  discovered  in  May, 
1864,  and  the  district  was  organized  in  July  follow- 
ing. Very  little  work  was  done  until  1866,  when 
the  Mammoth  claim  was  stripped  forty  feet.  Several 
tons  of  ore  taken  from  it  were  sent  to  Austin  and 
reduced,  and  yielded  8150  per  ton.  In  this  mine  the 
walls  are  of  hard  blue  limestone,  well  defined,  and 
carry  lead,  iron,  and  antimony.  The  (^hampion, 
Cumberland,  Silver  Wreath,  Utah,  Blue  Ware,  and 
Cash,  are  among  the  other  most  prominent  claims. 
The  vein  of  the  Champion  is  three  feet  wide,  and  dips 
east  at  an  angle  of  sixty  degrees.  The  ore  is  found 
in  pockets,  and  averages  8100  per  ton  in  silver.  The 
mineral  belt  of  the  district  is  about  three  miles  in 
length,  and  three-(iuarters  of  a  mile  in  width.  The 
ores  are  argentiferous  carbonates.  A  smelting  fur- 
nace was  erected  in  1873,  and  some  bullion  was  pro- 
duced. Wood  and  water  are  to  be  had  conveniently 
and  in  sufficient  quantities. 

EUREKA  DISTRICT    IN    1870. 

To  the  general  observer  Eureka  Mining  District 
will  be  understood  as  comprising  all  the  mining  re- 
gion contributory,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  city  of  Eureka,  and  the  history  of  these  to  com- 
prise about  all  pertaining  to  the  county.  There  are, 
however,  several  organizations  within  the  limits, 
each  of  which  bear  a  difl'erent  name,  as  Prospect 
Mountain,  Secret  Canon,  and  Pinto.  The  early  his- 
tory of  Eureka  has  been  mentioned  in  the  introduc- 
tory to  this  county  up  to  the  date  of  its  revival  in 
the  season  of  186!).  On  the  sixteenth  of  July,  1870, 
a  newspaper  was  established  in  the  now  camp,  and 
in  its  first  issue  published  the  following  account  of 
the  district,  which  forms  an  important  link  in  its 
history:  — 

Flight  months  ago.  where  the  town  of  Eureka  and 
its  furnaces  now  stand,  was  a  wihl  waste.  In  No- 
vember, Colonel  I).  K.  Buel  arrived  in  the  canon,  and 
bonded  the  Buckeye  and  Champion  niiiics.  then  only 
just  located  and  barely  opened.  At  about  the  same 
time.  Colonel  Hobbins  came  to  Eureka  and  i)urehased 
the  Kentuck  and  Mountain  Boy  mines.  In  Decem- 
ber both  these  parties  commenced  to  smelt.  The 
former  hired  the  McCoy  furnace,  and  under  the 
hands  of  .Messrs.  Jones  &  Williams,  as  foremen, 
worked  ores  from  the  Buckeye.  The  latter  built  a 
draft  furnace,  and,  under  the  directions  of  Mr.  W.  T. 
K.  Pritchard,  smelted  ores  from   the  Mountain  Boy. 


430 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Both  works  proved  the  practicability  of  smelting  the 
Eureka  ores  successful Ij',  and,  what  is  most  impor- 
tant, they  demonstrated  that  smeltinu;.  under  skillful 
direction,  was  more  profitable  in  this  district  than  in 
any  other  yet  tested  in  the  State  of  Nevada.  In  fact, 
their  operations,  though  then  necessarily  conducted 
on  a  somewhat  narrow  scale,  showed  the  fact  that 
the  limit  to  the  money  to  be  made  in  the  business 
was  marked  only  by  the  extent  of  the  operations 
and  the  size  of  the  works. 

Eneouraijed  by  these  results,  in  January  Messrs. 
Bateman  iV:  Buel  commenced  the  erection  of  exten- 
sive works,  while  Colonel  Robbins,  representing  the 
Buttercup  Mining  Company  of  New  York,  made 
arrangements  for  starting  up  larger  operations. 
The  energj-  of  the  Bateman  Association,  as  the  com- 
pany was  now  called,  brought  their  works  to  com- 
pletion rapidly,  and  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  April 
last  they  fired  up  their  first  new  furnace,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  after  the  second  one  began  to  run  out 
bullion.  In  the  meantime  the  Marcelina  Mining 
Company  commenced  to  build  their  furnace  and 
work  their  mines  under  the  direction  of  Jlessrs. 
Wilson  &  Pritchard.  Messrs.  Wallace  &  Bevan,  who 
had  prositected  the  district  in  the  fall,  returned  from 
Philadelphia  with  two  iron  cupola  furnaces  and  the 
necessary  machinery.  Between  the  first  and  fifteenth 
of  May,  these  furnaces  were  all  in  full  blast,  and  the 
results  up  to  the  thirtieth  of  June  are  as  follows: — 

Eureka  Consolidated  Mining  Company  (late 
Batuman,  Buel  ct  Co.)— bullion,  374  tons; 
average  value,  8348  per  ton ;  total §130,152 

Marcelina    Mining    Company — bullion,   200 

tons;  average  value,  S350  per  ton;  total   .      70,000 

McCo}-  Furnace^bullion,  110  tons;  average 

value,  81.")0  per  ton;  total 49,500 

Buttercup   Mining    Company — bullion,  100 

(ons;  average  value,  S375  ))er  ton;  total..     37,500 

Wallace  and  Bevan — bullion,  75  tons;  aver- 
age value,  $350  per  ton ;  total 26,250 

Total 8313,402 

Not  to  extend  our  present  notice  to  too  great 
a  length,  we  select  the  operations  of  the  Eureka  Con- 
Bolidated  Mining  Company  for  fiftj'six  days  imme- 
diately' preceding  the  transfer  of  the  works  from  the 
Bateman  Association  to  the  Consolidation,  to  show 
the  comparative  costs  and  profits  of  smelting  in 
Eureka.  We  are  indebted  to  the  urbanitj-  of  Col- 
onel Ingoldsby  for  these  figures,  who  gave  them  to 
us  from  the  books  of  the  company,  and,  therefore, 
are  thoroughly  authentic  and  reliable. 

In  fifty-six  working  days,  the  company  smelted 
76(i  tons  308  pounds  of  ("hampion  ore,  which  gave 
238  tons  of  bullion,  realizing  in  New  York  §348  per 
ton.     The  net  results  stand  thus  on  the  book: — 

Bullion,  238  tons,  at  S34S  per  ton $82,824 

Total  costs,  including  mining,  hauling,  coals, 
smelting,  freight  to  New  York,  refining, 
commissions,    etc 37,186 

Leaving  not  profit,  in  fifty-six  daj's 845,638 

The  amount  of  coal  consumed  in  smelting  this  ore 
was  25,832  bushels,  and  the  cost  of  mining  and 
hauling  from  the  duni))  to  the  platform  at  the  fur- 
naces was  $4.25,  while  three  and  one-half  tons  of 
ore  gave  one  ton  of  bullion. 

From  these  figures  our  readers  can  draw  their  own 
conclusions  as  to  the  merits  ol'  the  Kureka  mining 
district.     The  results  of  the  operations  of  the  other 


furnaces  may  safely  be  inferred,  and  certainly  require 
no  comments  from  us. 

Wood  is  abundant  and  easy  of  access.  The  cur- 
rent rates  for  cord-wood  are  six  dollars  to  seven  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents,  and  for  charcoal  thirty  cents 
per  bushel,  delivered.  Water  runs  in  a  fine  stream 
through  the  canon,  and  is  ample  to  supplj-  a  large 
number  of  works.  What  with  the  quantitj- of  ore 
now  in  sight  in  the  various  mines,  and  the  ores  on 
the  dumps,  together  with  the  abundance  of  wood 
and  water,  both  readily  accessible,  the  future  of 
Eureka  may  be  insured  as  at  once  prosperous  and 
profitable. 

We  give  the  following  as  average  assaj-s  from  the 
three  mines  which  are  as  yet  the  most  thoroughly 
opened  and  tested: — 

Champion $53  67 

Champion 75  70 

Buckej-e 75  75 

Buckeye 83  60 

Jackson ...   81  00 

Total $383  58 

General  average,  $76.73;  and  this  may  be  safely 
taken  as  the  average  of  the  smelting  ores  of  the  dis- 
trict. 

Of  the  mines  from  which  ores  have  been  smelted 
i    the  following  may  be  named  as  the  most  prominent: 
1    The   Champion,   Huckeye,   Tiptop,    Richmond,  Sen- 
tinel,  Central,   .Marcelina,   .\dams,  Jackson,   Fulton, 
Cambria,   Justice,   Home  Ticket,  Conncllj-,  llooiloo, 
I    Accidental,  Badger,  Lord  Byron,  Punderberg,  South- 
ern   Pacific,    El    Dorado,   Big  Bdk,   Santiago,  Bull- 
whacker,  Otho,  Kentuck,  Mairnolia,  .Moutitain  Boy, 
and    about   a  dozen    more.     There  are  about    1,000 
locations   made   in   the   district,  on    most  of  which 
enough    work  has   been  done  to  hold    them  for  one 
year,   and  to  show  that  the}-  carry  good  smelting 
ores. 

The  most  prominent  of  the  mines  are  found  within 
a  mineral  belt  which  runs  in  a  northwesterlj-  and 
southeasterly  direction,  carrying  a  width  of  some 
two  miles.  This  belt  commences  at  the  Tip-toj),  and 
with  the  Richmond,  t'hain])ion,  Buckeye,  Sentinel, 
Central,  Great  Rejiublic,  ilarcelina,  Deep  Mine, 
Adams  and  Farren,  runs  in  a  direction  from  north- 
west to  southeast;  thence,  bending  in  a  more  south- 
erlj'  direction,  with  the  contour  of  the  hills,  it  takes 
the  Fulton,  (/"ambria.  Justice,  and  several  others  in 
immediate  proximit}-;  thence,  again,  it  embraces  the 
Dunderbcrg  and  Home  Ticket,  on  the  eastern  limit 
of  the  belt,  and  the  El  Dorado  on  the  western  limit, 
running  onward,  with  the  Connelly  and  the  Santiago, 
the  Robert  Emmet,  the  Pritchard.  and  the  .Manhat- 
tan, to  name  only  those  mines  on  the  extremes  of 
the  breadth  of  the  bell;  and  bending  d(nvnward 
again,  somewhat  easterly'  it  takes  its  course  onward 
to  Secret  Cafion. 

EUREIvA    DISTRICT    IN    1876. 

A  further  history  is  given  in  the  following,  quoted 
from  a  paper  prepared  by  Judge  S.  Hetzel,  for  the 
Librarian  of  Congress,  in  response  to  an  invitation 
by  the  President  as  an  exposition  of  the  condition 
and  wealth  of  the  county  in  the  centennial  year,  1876. 

From  1S69  dates  the  first  successful  tivatmentof 
the  Eureka  ores,  and  in  the  train  of  that  success  came 
capital,  labor  and  increased  facilities  for  trans|)orta- 
tion.  The  histoiy  of  the  industrial  growth  of  Eureka 
is   the  history  of  the  first  successful  treatment  in 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


431 


America  of  argentiferous  lead  ore.  The  first  attempt 
at  emeltiiif;  this  class  ol"  ore  was  made  at  Oroana,  in 
Humboldt  County,  and  was  unsuccessful.  In  18G6, 
Moses  Wilson  built  a  furnace  in  Eureka  on  tlie  site 
now  occupied  bj-  the  Koslin  Furnace,  and  an  attempt 
at  smelting  was  made.  This  resulted  in  a  total 
failure.  In  ISGS  Morris,  Monroe  &  Co.,  having 
acquired  a  large  mining  property  in  the  district, 
empio3-ed  Mr.  Stetefeldt,  of  Austin,  to  erect  and 
conduct  a  I'urnace.  Having  completed  the  furnace, 
he  commenced  operations  in  May,  IStiit,  but  each  of 
three  attempts  made  b}-  him  resulted  in  failure.  In 
the  meanwhile  Maj.  W.  \V.  McCoy  had  aci[uire(l 
the  Morris,  Monroe  &  Co.  property.  Major  McCoj- 
attributed  Stetefeldt's  want  of  success  to  an  insuf- 
ficiency of  blast,  the  poor  quality  of  the  material  used 
for  lining,  and  the  incompetency  of  his  subordinates. 
The  last  difficulty  he  overcame  by  securing  the  serv- 
ices of  R.  r.  Jones  and  John  Williams,  who  had  had 
considerable  experience  in  Wales. 

In  coming  to  Eureka  from  White  Pine,  Jones  and 
Williams  discovered,  on  Paii(-ake  Mountain,  an  excel- 
lent quality  of  tire  rock,  and  thus  the  second  difficult}' 
was  overcome.  Major  McCoy  then  inserted  in  the 
old  Stetefeldt  furnace,  two  side  tweei's  (it  having 
previously  had  but  one,  and  that  in  the  rear),  and 
the  Pancake  rock  lining  having  been  procured,  Jones 
and  AVilliams,  in  J  uly,  1869,  commenced  their  first  run 
on  ore  from  the  Champion,  Buckeye,  Grant,  and 
Eureka  mines.  A  deserved  success  attended  their 
eflbrts;  the  practicability  of  eheaplj'  treating  these 
ores,  heretotore  regarded  as  so  stubborn,  was  dem- 
onstrated, and  the  future  ])rosperity  of  Kureku  was 
assured.  Major  McCoy  continued  smelting  until 
November,  1SU9,  when  he  leased  the  furnace  to  I>. 
E.  Buel  and  I.  C.  Bateman,  who,  about  this  time, 
bonded  the  Cham])ion  and  Buckeye  series  of 
mines,  and  purchased  the  Monroe  town  survey. 
These  gentlemen  smelted  successfully  until  the  ter- 
mination of  their  lease  in  May,  1870. 

In  December,  18(19,  G.  C.  Eobbins  commenced 
erecting  a  draft  furnace,  which  was  afterwards  con- 
verted into  a  blast  furnace.  Still  another  furnace  was 
added  to  the  Robbins  reduction  works,  and  all 
of  them  were  sold,  in  187(),  to  a  Chicago  companj*. 
In  187U,  Bevan  &  Wallace  built  a  furnace  and  engaged 
in  smelting,  but  their  oj>eratio!is  ])roved  unsuccessful. 
In  the  summer  of  1870,  15ucl  i^  Bateman,  having 
purchased  the  Champion  and  Bucke3-e  series  of  mines, 
built  two  furnaces  at  ihelowei-end  of  town.  These 
were  subsequently,  together  with  the  mines,  sold  to 
the  Eureka  Consolidated  Mining  Company.  That 
company  subsequently  built  three  additional  furnaces, 
and  also  constructed  a  narrow-guage  railroad  from 
its  reduction  works  a  distance  ol' three  miles.  About 
the  same  time  the  Jackson  Mining  Company  pur- 
chased Wilson's  furnace  site  and  erected  two  furnaces 
which  were  run  on  ore  from  the  Jackson  mine.  In 
the  summer  of  1S7(I,  the  furnace  of  the  Uoslin  Com- 
pany was  built,  which  has  l>eeii  iille  for  some  years. 
In  the  fall  of  1S70,  Thomas  J.  Taylor  commenced 
erecting  a  furnace,  which  ho  subsequently  sold  to  the 
Phoenix  Mining  Company,  which,  in  turn,  sold  it  to 
the  Iloosac  Com])anj'. 

In  Se])tember,  1870,  J.  J.  Dunne  &  Co.  purchased 
of  H.  P.  McNcvin,  an  uncompleted  furnace  at  the 
south  end  of  town,  and  completed  it,  and  it  was  sub- 
sequentlj'  used  to  run  ores  from  the  Hichmond  mine. 
In  1871,  the  Richmond  Consolidated  .Mining  Com- 
pany, of  London,  purchased  the  works  of  Ogden, 
Dunne,  &  Co.,  and  the  Richmond  mine.  Four  fur- 
naces have  sioco  been  added  to  these  works.     The 


Richmond    Company   has   also   erected    a    refinery. 

In  1872.  II.  lioynemann,  having  previously  pur- 
chased the  Dunderberg  and  other  mines,  built  his 
reduction  works,  comprising  two  furnaces,  which 
have  since  been  almost  constantly  employed  in  smelt- 
ing ores  from  the  Dunderberg  and  Atlas  mines. 
(Prom  January  1st  to  September  I^Oth,  1880,  3,500 
tons  were  hoisted  through  the  Atlas  shaft.)  The  Sil- 
ver West  Mining  Com])any  also  built  a  furnace  in 
1872,  which  has  since  been  run  principally  on  ores 
from  the  K.  K.  mines.  There  are  now  in  Eureka 
(^1870)  nineteen  furnaces,  whose  dailj' capacity  varies 
Irom  forty  to  sixty  tons  each.  The  Lemon  M.  &  M, 
Company  has  also  erected  a  mill  of  fifteen  stamps. 

The  production  of  charcoal  has  so  far  kept  pace 
with  the  requirements  of  smelling,  and  there  has 
been  no  change  in  the  price  for  over  four  years.  The 
supply  is  limited,  however,  and  before  long  our  smelt- 
ers will  look  to  the  illimitable  forests  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  for  their  coal.  The 
area  of  the  ore-producing  region  is  extending  annu- 
allj-.  Four  years  ago  nearly  all  the  ore  reduced  in 
the  district  was  extracted  from  a  few  mines  on  Ruby 
Hill.  While  their  yield  has  increased,  new  and  large 
bodies  of  ore  have  been  oj)ened  elsewhere,  and  the 
mines  of  Pros])cct  Mountain,  McCoy  Hill  and  other 
localities  bid  fair  ere  long,  to  rival  in  productiveness 
the  mines  of  Ruby  Hill  itself 

The  experts  difi'er  as  to  the  character  of  the  form- 
ation of  the  ore  bodies  in  the  district,  but  the  best 
opinion  appears  to  be  in  favor  of  the  existence  of 
true  fissure  veins.  The  main  cause  of  the  unexam- 
jjled  prosperity  of  the  mining  interests  of  Eureka  is 
to  be  found  in  the  character  of  the  ores.  Tbey  are 
selffiuxing.  They  carry  from  fifteen  to  sixty  per 
cent,  of  lead,  and  sufficient  iron  and  silica  to  obviate 
the  necessity  of  importing  foreign  material  for  smelt- 
ing purposes.  Eureka  is  the  only  known  mining  dis- 
trict possessing  this  all-important  advaniago. 

The  total  bullion  yield  of  Eureka  District  for  the 
year  1869  was  less  than  §100,000.  Since  that  year 
it  has  continually  increased,  until,  for  1875,  the  yield 
was  §6,100,000.  The  total  amount  of  foreign  capital 
invested  in  mining  in  Eureka  certainlj' does  not  exceed 
81,500,000,  including  assessments.  In  return  thei-efor 
there  has  been  extracted  and  reduced,  in  less  than 
seven  years,  over  §20,000,000,  and  mining  in  Eureka  is 
yet  in  its  infancj'.  Not  onlj-  are  new  mines  being  con- 
tinuallj-  opened,  but  in  all  the  mines  increased  pro- 
duction follows  an  increase  of  depth,  aiid  not  even 
in  the  oldest  mines  has  great  depth  yet  been  attained. 
The  history  of  Eureka  lies  in  the  future. 

The  Eureka  Sentinel,  in  January,  1877,  gave  the 
following  as  the  bullion  shipments  of  P'ureka  Dis- 
trict for  187G:— 

Gold 9   827,985  78 

Silver 1,452,459  20 

Lead 602,306  28 

Fine  bullion 1,120,396  49 


Total 84,003,147  75 

The  bullion  shipments  of  Eureka  District  for  1878 
were  as  follows,  as  per  reports  of  Wells,  Fargo  & 
Co,:— 

Gold 82,341,497  03 

Silver 3,257,481  37 

Lead 1,382,728  00 


Total 86,981,706  40 


43-2 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  Ruby  Hill  Miniru/  News  of  August  15,  1881, 
made  the  following  statements: — 

There  are  in  Eureka  District  at  the  present  time 
fifty  producing  mines,  and  thrice  that  number  that 
could  be  made  productive  at  a  very  small  outlay. 
Every  share  of  the  Eureka  Consolidated  (there  being 
50,000  shares)  purchased  in  1871  has  returned  a 
profit  of  882  to  the  holders. 

The  Richmond,  although  only  900  feet  in  depth, 
has  already'  returned  nearly  83,000,000 in  profits,  and 
the  mine  is  still  in  its  infancy. 

Of  the  amount  invested  in  the  district  by  foreign 
capitalists  about  §800,000  has  come  from  England,  and 
about  8400,000  from  the  Paeific  Coast  and  other 
points  in  the  United  States,  making  in  all  81, 201), 000. 

The  value  of  Eureka  mines,  as  shown  by  (juota- 
tions,  is  855,000,000.  Ten  thousand  dollars  per 
month  would  more  than  cover  the  amount  paid  in 
prospecting  non-dividend  paj'ing  mines,  and  still  the 
district  has  yielded  in  gross  over  868,000,000,  has 
paid  over  87,000,000  in  dividends  and  has  the  richest 
and  most  extensive  mines  now  in  this  country,  and 
its  bullion  product  is  constantly  and  rapidlj-  in- 
creasing. 

The  combined  capacity  of  the  smelting  works  in 
Eureka  is  745  tons  daily,  as  follows:  Richmond 
Consolidated — Four  hydrocicles  capacity — two  of 
90  tons  each,  one  of  70  tons,  and  one  of  50  tons. 
Combined  daily  reducing  capacity,  300  tons.  Eureka 
Consolidated — Four  stone  furnaces  of  50  tons  each. 
Combined  capacitj-,  200  tons  daily.  Ruby  Consoli- 
dated— Two  stone  furnaces  of  50  tons  capacity  each. 
Silver  West  Consolidated — One  stone  furnace  of  50 
tons  dailj^  eapaeitj'.  Matamoras  Mining  and  Smelt- 
ing Companj- — One  stone  furnace  of  50  tons  dailj- 
capacity.  Hoosac — One  stone  furnace  of  45  tons 
daily  capacity. 

THE   PROCESS   OP   KEDUOTION. 

The  ores  of  the  precious  metals  are  usually  reduced, 
or  beneficiated,  bj^  crushing  under  stamps  to  an 
impalpable  powder,  then,  by  different  processes, 
according  to  the  combinations  of  the  ore,  efl'ect  the 
amalgamation  of  the  gold  or  silver  with  quicksilver, 
but  in  Eureka  the  predominant  metal  is  lead,  rich  in 
silver  and  also  containing  gold,  and  this  ore  is  most 
successfully  reduced  by  the  smelting  process.  For 
this,  great  furnaces  are  required,  whose  blazing  fires 
and  brilliant  streams  of  molten  slag  and  silvery 
bullion  constantly  present  a  picture  of  weird  interest 
to  the  observer,  and  whose  tall  stacks  with  rolling 
clouds  of  gas  and  smoke  intensify  the  jiicture. 

The  two  great  companies  are  the  Eureka  Consoli- 
dated and  the  Richmond.  The  first  reduces  its  ore 
to  bullion,  as  it  is  locally  called,  being  a  rich  lead, 
which  is  then  shipped  to  Newark,  Now  Jersey,  for 
refining.  The  Richmond  Company  separate  their 
lead  and  silver  in  their  own  works  in  Eureka.  The 
process  is  described  in  the  Ruby  Hill  Mininy  News, 
as  follows: — 

F'roin  three  to  five  immense  furnaces  in  each  of  the 
reduction  works  arc  kept  constant!}-  charged,  day 
and  night,  from  year  in  to  year  out,  smelting  all  the 
ore  as  it  comes  from  the  mines;  consuming  about  720 
cords  of  wood  a  day,  in  the  form  of  both  charcoal 
and  wood. 

The  process  of  smelting,  a  stranger  can  never  cease 


to  admire.  Two  red-hot  streams  of  melted  ore  are 
constantly  running,  one  in  front  of  each  fiery  fur- 
nace, and  one  at  the  side;  the  one  in  front  a  little  the 
higher  to  drain  off  the  upper,  lighter,  worthless  mat- 
ter, called  slag,  being  earth}-  matter  and  iron;  the 
other,  lower,  connected  by  a  pipe  dee])cr  down  in  the 
melted  mass,  where  the  purer  metals  of  heavier 
weight — lead,  silver,  gold,  etc. — will  not  allow  the 
surface  to  rise  as  high  as  the  other.  The  fierj'  slag 
is  wheeled  oft'  to  be  emptied  from  great  kettles — a 
burning  stream  down  the  front  of  the  ever-increasing 
hill  of  waste.  The  metal  is  dipped  into  moulds  as 
bars,  and  wheeled  awaj-  to  a  differentlj-  arranged  fur- 
nace, melted  over  and  skimmed,  removing  five  per 
cent,  of  remaining  ini])urity.  From  this  furnace  the 
mass  is  again  drawn  off  into  immense  vats,  and  cooled 
in  masses  of  over  four  tons.  From  here  they  are 
raised  by  power  deri-icks  and  put  into  another 
immense  iron  retort  or  furnace  of  twenty  tons 
capacity,  and  melted,  while  heated  steam,  forced 
into  the  bottom,  causes  a  violent  boiling  of  the  liquid 
mass.  At  length  a  partial  cooling  crystallizes  the 
lead  in  part,  so  as  to  appear  like  wet  meal.  Now 
opening  a  vent  at  the  bottom,  the  uncrystallized 
liquid  portion,  by  its  weight  rushes  out,  carrying 
with  it  three-fourths  of  the  silver  and  gold  in  the 
mass,  while  the  crystallized  lead  remains  behind. 
The  lead  drawn  oft',  is  again  put  through  the  same 
steam  boiling  process  three  or  four  times,  each  time 
the  running  mass  carrj-ing  away  throe-fourths  of 
the  precious  metals  with  it.  At  the  last  the  whole 
is  put  into  a  reverberatory  furnace,  the  heat  of  which 
burns  away  all  the  remaining  lead  as  an  oxide,  and 
leaving  the  pure  silver  with  all  the  gold  the  ore  con- 
tained. 

This  last  is  called  the  cupelling  process,  and  ends 
refining. 

The  Richmond  retains  its  refined  lead  bars,  stacked 
in  immense  cord-wood-like  rows,  thousands  of  tons, 
the  purest  load  in  the  world. 

THE    RICHMOND   COMPANY. 

A  series  of  claims  covering  the  larger  portion  of 
Ruby  Hill,  some  patented  and  others  unpatented, 
were  purchased  by  the  Richmond  Company  in  1871, 
the  principal  of  which  are  as  follows:  The  original 
Richmond  and  Tip  Top,  the  Lookout,  Victoria,  Silver 
Region,  Colorado,  St.  George,  St.  Patrick,  St.  David, 
St.  Andrews,  Standard  and  Cyrus.  The  six  last 
named  form  the  westerly  boundary  of  the  Richmond 
property,  and  cover  the  entire  westerly  slope  of  the 
hill,  and  the  limestone  belt,  which  is  the  true  ore 
country  of  the  district.  This  largQ  and  valuable 
property  is  owned  by  an  English  company  having 
its  headquarters  in  London,  all  the  claims  having 
been  purchased  from  the  original  locators.  In 
speaking  of  the  Richmond  Company,  Molinelli's 
"Eureka  and  Its  Resources,"  published  in  1879,  says: 

For  years  four  furnaces  have  been  kept  in  uninter- 
rupted operation,  with  the  exception  of  the  time 
necessary  for  repairs  and  the  delay  caused  bj-  the 
destruction  of  the  works  by  fire  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  Septeml)er,  1878,  which  entailed  a  loss  of 
880,000,  and  English  capital  has  foun<l  in  this  ])roperty 
one  of  the  most  profitable  investmentsevor  madein  the 
United  States.  The  famous  Potts  Chamber,  a  body 
of  ore  so  called  after  one  of  the  foremen  in  the  mine, 
yielded  without  cessation  an  immense  number  of 
tons    of    high-grade    ore,  all    of    which    has    been 


"^f/ 


'// 


c^^.    7^  'M    ll^^^n^-rcT. 


I IV*  ■'  w-ji;  *"jii^»  y,**" 


OLD  &  NEW  RESIDENCE  AND  RANCH  OF  W,B.  SANDEK-j. 
ESMERALDA  CO.,MASON  VALLEY,  NEV. 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY 


433 


reduced  and  refined  at  the  company's  works.  The 
establishment  of  a.  refinery  at  this  point  bj-  the  man- 
agers has  given  a  large  force  of  men  employment, 
and  demonstrated  the  fact  that  there  was  no  neces- 
sity to  ship  our  base  bullion  thousands  of  miles 
before  the  precious  metals  could  be  separated  from 
the  lead,  that  process  being  carried  on  as  scientific- 
ally and  cheaply  at  the  company's  works  as  at  any 
foreign  refinery.  The  mine  is  distinctively  an 
English  cor|)oration,  and  the  profits  from  it  flow  to 
London.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  great  benefits 
accrue  to  Eureka,  as  it  gives  emploj'ment  to  a  small 
army  of  miners  and  workmen,  and  draws  its  supplies 
i'rom  our  local  resources.  The  bullion  product  of 
the  Richmond  for  the  3^ear  ending  June,  1878, 
amounted  to  82,193.178. 

The  Richmond  works  consist  of  four  large  fur- 
naces and  a  refinery  fully  equipped  for  treating  fifty 
tons  of  bullion  daily.  Two  of  the  furnaces  have  a 
capacity  of  ninety  tons  each;  one  of  them,  a  capacity 
of  sixty  tons;  and  the  fourth,  a  capacity  of  fifty 
tons.  The  charge  for  working  custom  ore  is  from 
ten  dollars  to  eighteen  dollars;  it  was  formerly 
thirty  dollars.  In  the  mines  and  reduction  works 
450  men  are  employed  at  four  dollars  per  day  each. 
The  amount  of  custom  ores  worked  at  the  Richmond 
furnaces  in  1878  was  11,953  tons. 

Since  the  first  purchase  of  the  Richmond  property 
its  stockholders  have  never  been  called  on  to  con- 
tribute one  dollar  toward  its  development  or  support, 
and  up  to  April,  1881,  has  paid  twenty  dividends, 
aggregating  82,312,000,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  forty 
dollars  per  share.  In  addition  to  the  amount  paid 
out  in  dividends,  a  large  sum  has  been  expended  in 
litigation  and  in  the  improvements  at  the  mines  and 
reduction  works  and  in  repairing  the  damages  of  the 
great  fire  alluded  to.  The  stock  of  the  company 
was  selling  in  London  at  £15  and  £15  lOs  in  Sep- 
tember, 1880,  and  (;,tlOO  tons  of  lead  bullion  were 
then  lying  at  the  mill.  At  the  500-foot  level  of  the 
Richmond  Mine  is  a  natural  cave  sixty  feet  in  width 
and  250  feet  in  length.  Its  roof  is  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  feet  high,  and  sparkles  with  crystallized 
gems.  Still  another  cave  in  this  mine  is  named 
the  Jlountain  King's  Domain,  and  is  in  the  form  of  an 
inverted  tea-cup.  It  is  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  and 
the  apex  of  the  roof  is  thirty  feet  high.  200  tons 
are  daily  hoisted  from  this  mine.  Richard  Rickard 
is  the  present  Superintendent. 

HON.  SA.MUEL    LONOLEY, 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  ^'ork,  having  been  born  in  Oswego 
City.  When  a  boy  he  entered  a  dry  goods  estab- 
lishment as  clerk;  but,  possessing  a  restless  spirit,  he 
was  not  satisfied  with  his  lot,  and,  conceiving  the  idea 
that  his  fortunes  lay  in  the  mines  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  he  bid  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  his  youth,  and, 
at  the  early  age  of  seventeen  )-ears,  loft  his  home 
for  California.  For  twelve  years  subsetjuent  upon 
his  arrival  in  the  land  of  gold,  ho  traveled  through 
the  country,  visiting  nearly  all  the  camps  in  the 
State,  as  well   as  those   in   Nevada,  coming    to  the 


Samuel  Longley. 


latter  State  in  1809.  During  these  twelve  long 
years  he  had  learned  the  art  of  mining  in  all  its 
details,  and,  upon  his  arrival  here,  was  recognized  as 
an  expert  at  the  business.  His  abilities  in  other 
channels  have  also  manifested  themselves,  as  he  has 
creditably  filled  the  honorable  position  of  Assembly- 
man from  Eureka  in  the  Nevada  Legislature,  being 
one  of  the  few  Republicans  elected  from  that  county. 
Mr.  Longley  is  Foreman  of  the  Richmond  Mine,  at 
Eureka,  a  position  that  onlj-  a  responsible  man  can 
fill,     llis  position  in  life,  single. 

OTHER    IMPORTANT    MINES. 

The  K.  K.  Consolidated  Mines  join  the  Eureka 
Consolidated  on  the  east,  and  were  located  in  1872 
by  W.  S.  Keyes,  then  Superintendent  of  the  Eureka 
Consolidated.  From  June  30, 1877.  to  June  30, 1878, 
their  bullion  yield  was  8378,787.71. 

The  Jackson  Mine  consists  of  three  claims.  Dur- 
ing the  years  1869-70-71  the  original  owners  ex- 
tracted considerable  ore.  Subsetjuently  they  sold 
the  property  to  a  San  Francisco  firm,  which  made 
large  developments  and  im]>rovemonts,  and  brought 
the  mine  into  much  prominence.  The  net  bidlion 
yield  in  1879  was  $132,000.  The  Ruby  Hill  Railroad 
Company  has  laid  a  track  to  the  mine,  and  ore  is 
being  shij)ped  daily  to  the  Matamoras  Company's 
furnace,  where  it  is  reduced,  and  the  resulting  bull- 
ion shipped  to  San  Francisco  for  refinement. 

The  Phu'iii.x  .Mine  lies  between  the  Jackson  on 
the  east  and  Eureka  Consolidated  on  the  west, 
being  of  the  Ruby  Hill  group.  The  ground  was 
located  in  1870  and  the  work  of  development  began 
in  1871.  In  1872  large  bodies  of  ore  were  developed 
near  the  surface  and  much  bullion  produced,  but, 
through  incompetent  management  and  strife  to  con- 
trol the  stock,  the  company's  debts  accumulated  and 


434 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


work  was  suspended  in  1878,  up  to  which  time  the 
yield  aggregated  §475,000.  Since  that  date  it  has 
been  worked  spasmodically,  j-ielding  a  fair  profit.  A 
shaft  to  the  depth  of  710  feet  has  been  sunk,  at  which 
point  a  strong  flow  of  water  was  encountered,  and 
on  the  twentieth  of  January,  ISSO,  work  ceased,  but 
with  the  intention  of  resumption,  as  it  is  believed  to 
be  one  of  the  great  mines  of  the  district. 

The  Albion  Mine  was  located  in  1878  by  miners 
working  in  the  Richmond  Mine,  under  the  impi-ession 
that  the  vein  of  ore  in  the  latter  mine  extended  into 
what  was  then  thought  unclaimed  ground.  The 
claim  has4,500feet  of  length  by  500  of  breadth.  Work 
of  development  was  prosecuted  with  energy,  but  has 
been  interrupted  bj-  extensive  and  costly  litigation 
with  the  Richmond  Company. 

These  are  the  principal  mines  of  Ruby  Hill,  which 
is  the  great  bullion  producing  region  of  the  district. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Richmond,  all  are  owned 
by  incorporated  companies  whose  place  of  business 
is  in  San  Francisco,  and  the  stocks  are  extensively 
dealt  in  at  the  stock  boards  of  that  city.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  are  the  mines  of  Adams  Hill,  where  the 
Bullwhacker,  Bowman,  Titus,  Wales  Consolidated, 
Williamsburg,  Oriental  and  Belmont  Consolidated, 
Adams  Hill  Consolidated,  and  numerous  others  are 
located,  which,  in  the  aggregate,  have  yielded 
upwards  of  82,000,000  in  bullion. 

McCoy  Hill  contains  another  group  of  mines,  of 
which  the  Silver  State,  Green  Seal,  Grant,  Burt,  and 
others  are  important. 

PROSPECT    MOUNTAIN. 

The  most  prominent  and  conspicuous  of  the  hills 
and  peaks  of  Eureka  District  is  Prospect  Mountain, 
which  rises  in  imposing  grandeur  to  the  south  of  the 
city,  and  is  thus  described: — 

The  highest  peak  of  the  mountain  towers  about 
2,000  feet  above  the  valley.  It  consists  superKcially 
of  limestone,  and  has  on  both  sides  manj'  outcrops 
of  ore,  which  seem  to  occupy  a  succession  of  gash 
veins.  On  the  western  slope  the  quartzite  reajipears 
and  extends  to  the  south  for  several  miles  in  the 
direction  of  Spring  Valley.  Still  west  again  is  the 
limestone,  whereon  there  are  some  few  mining  loca- 
tions. This  limestone  formation  extends  onward  to 
the  west,  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles. 

The  geological  structure  of  the  mountain  consists 
of  alternations  of  limestone,  quartzites  and  shales, 
which  form  a  continuous  section  of  many  miles 
from  the  north  of  Prospect  Mountain  to  Secret 
Cafion.  The  geological  sun'ej'  of  the  fortieth  par- 
allel demonstrates  that  this  great  limestone  mass  of 
Eureka  Mining  District  reaches  to  the  de])th  of  over 
30,000  feet  into  the  interior  of  the  earth.  The  mines 
of  this  mountain  have  jiroduced  about  SI 2, (10(1, 000 
worth  of  bullion.  Among  its  principal  mines  are 
the  Connolly,  with  8350,000  to  its  credit;  the 
Dunderbcrg.  having  yielded  82,000.000;  the  Ham- 
burg, with  an  aggregate  yield  of  near  8400,000;  the 
Emmet  Consolidated,  having  produced  $100,000;  the 


Williams,  with  over  8100,000;  the  Mata moras, 
Atlantic  and  Pacific,  and  others,  with  large  ])ro- 
ductions,  and  many  in  course  of  development. 

FIRST    LOCATORS   OF   RUBV    HILL. 

In  1865,  while  Owen  Farrell  and  Alonzo  Monroe 
were  prospecting  in  the  Diamond  range  of  mount- 
ains, an  Indian  brought  them  a  piece  of  mineral- 
bearing  rock.  They  at  once  perceived  that  it  bore 
valuable  indications,  and  for  ten  dollars  the  Indian 
guided  them  to  the  sj)ot  whence  he  had  taken  it. 
The  locality  was  about  two  and  one-half  miles  west 
of  Eureka,  on  a  northwesterly  spur  of  Prospect 
Jlountain,  which  they  named  Rubj-  Hill.  The}- 
located  the  whole  hill,  and  the  now  famous  mine 
known  as  the  Eureka  Consolidated  was  called  by 
them  the  Great  Republic.  Senator  M.  J.  Farrell  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  enterprise.  Soon  afterwards 
J.  H.  Kinkead,  now  Governor,  bonded  all  these  loca- 
tions and  placed  them  on  the  London  market,  but 
the  firm  he  entrusted  the  matter  with  liiiled  to  make 
any  sales.  Titles  to  the  discoveries,  however,  were 
maintained  until  1867,  when  Moses  Wilson,  recorder 
of  the  district,  took  possession  of  the  Great  Repub- 
lic, and  the  other  claims  were  abandoned.  Subse- 
quently they  were  taken  up  by  new  parlies.  From 
one  of  them,  the  Champion,  Dan.  Dalton  shipped 
sixty  tons  of  ore,  in  June,  1869,  to  McCoy's  furnace, 
which  was  situated  where  Fisk's  barley  mill  now 
stands,  and  was  at  that  time  the  only  smelting 
furnace  in  the  district.  The  product  was  about 
twenty  tons  of  bullion,  which  was  hauled  to  Palisade 
by  W.  H.  Clark,  who  claims  to  have  hauled  the  first 
bullion  ever  yielded  by  Eureka  District.  These 
twenty  tons  of  bullion  were  shipped  to  San  Fran- 
cisco and  refined,  and  the  ore  assayed  881  in  gold 
and  silver  per  ton.  In  November,  1869,  the  Mam- 
moth, Buckeye,  Sentinel  and  other  claims  were 
bonded  and  then  sold  to  Buell  &  Bateman,  who,  in 
Maj',  1870,  sold  them  to  a  party  of  San  Francisco 
capitalists.  The  latter  incorporated  under  the  name 
and  style  of  the  Eureka  Consolidated  Mining  Com- 
pany. This  organization  was  eft'ected  in  July,  1870, 
and  in  Januar}-,  1871,  W.  S.  Keys  took  charge  as 
Superintendent  ot  the  mines  and  furnaces. 

GEOLOdV    OF    El'REKA    DISTRICT. 

The  following  on  the  geology  of  Eureka  District  is 
from  Lambert  Molinelli's  book  on  the  resources  of 
Eureka: — 

Immediately  east  of  the  long  and  narrow  gulch,  in 
which  lies  the  town  of  Eureka,  we  find  some  high 
lava  bills,  which  extend,  interrupted  by  vallej-s,  very 
nearly  to  While  Pine,  fori}-  miles  distant  to  the  south- 
east. Bordering  on  the  lava  hills,  and  extending 
also  west  of  ibe  town  a  few  hundred  yards,  are 
trachytic  tufas  of  whitish  or  ])inkish  color.  These 
rocks,  ])robably  volcanic  ash,  are  used  for  building 
material.  When  frcshi}-  quarried  the}-  may  be  easily 
shaped  by  an  axe;  but,  on  exposure,  they  lose  much 
water  and  become  quite  hard.  The  tufas  extend 
southerly  along  the  gulch  about  one  mile.  South  of 
the  town  we  note  also  other  gulches;  the  most  west- 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


43o 


erly,  called  Goodwin  Canon,  skirts  alonsj  Prospect 
Mountain;  the  next,  called  Now  York  ('anon,  runs 
more  or  less  parallel  with  the  main  sjuleh  and  ends  in 
a  species  of  basin  ai^ainst  a  portion  of  Prospect  .Moun- 
tain; the  next,  to  the  east,  follows  aloni;  soutiierly 
and,  crossing  a  low  divide,  forms  the  highwa}-  to 
Secret  Canon  District.  The  main  gulch  receives  some 
minor  tributaries  from  the  east  and  passes  on  to  Fish 
Creek  Valley.  At  the  point  first  mentioned,  south 
of  the  town  where  the  tufas  give  out,  occurs  a  prom- 
inent ledge  of  sandstone,  from  which  rock  has  been 
taken  for  lining  the  smelting  furnaces.  This  sand- 
stone reef  is  largely  developed  on  the  eastern  side  of 
Diamond  Range,  facing  Newark  Valley,  and  ap])ears 
again  some  fifteen  miles  to  the  east,  as  a  part  of  the 
coal  measures  at  Pancake.  It  is  hence  called  Pan- 
cake Rock.  The  mechanical  aggregation  of  its 
quartZ3-  particles  varies  very  much.  In  some  speci- 
mens the  sandstone  is  distinct!}-  granular;  in  others 
it  appears  compact,  tough,  and  cross-grained.  Only 
the  former  varietj-  is  used  for  the  furnaces;  and  when 
80  used  it  must  be  built  in  with  the  edges  of  the  bed- 
ding exposed  to  the  fire;  otherwise  it  shales  off  in 
large  flakes.  But  one  fossil  has  been  found  in  the 
Eureka  reefs.  This  ap]3cared  like  a  short  section  of 
a  small  wood  screw  about  three  inches  long  and 
nearly  half  an  inch  thick.  The  fossil  was  surrounded 
by  a  hollow  cj'lindrical  space,  leaving  the  articula- 
tions free,  the  extreme  ends  of  which  formed  part  of 
the  inclosing  rock.  The  specimen  has  unfortunately 
been  lost.  In  New  York  Canon  we  find  a  series  of 
ti'ue  clay  shales,  which  furnish  the  tamping  for  the 
furnaces.  On  the  western  side  of  the  same  gulch, 
we  find  a  high  ridge  of  calcaro-silicious  rock,  called 
Silver  Hill.  The  last  contains  some  specimens  of  ore, 
and  has  been  located  for  mining  purposes.  In  some 
places  it  has  yielded  very  rich  ore  carrying  chloro- 
bromide  of  silver.  No  well  marked  deposit  has, 
however,  as  yet  been  uncovered.  A  similar  ore  in 
similar  rock  has  also  been  found  on  and  near  Adams 
Hill,  about  three  miles  west  from  the  town. 

Adjoining  the  town,  a  little  south  of  west,  are  two 
hills  of  trachj-tic  tufas,  and  again  west  of  these,  an 
isolated  hill  of  massive  quartz  or  quartzite,  called 
Cariboo  Hill.  In  places  this  hill  shows  some  very 
rich  specimens  of  chloro-bromide  of  silver,  but  not  as 
3'et  in  any  great  quantity. 

Due  south  of  the  town  and  west  of  the  main  gulch, 
not  delineated  upon  the  map,  is  a  high  mountain  of 
massive  quartz  or  quartzite,  whereon  are  situated  the 
Hoosac  and  other  mines.  The  Hoosac  has  yielded 
large  quantities  of  atitimonial  lead  ores,  some  of 
which  were  very  rich  in  silver,  but  carried  no  gold. 

In  this  respect  thcj-,  in  common  with  the  ores 
found  in  the  silicious  limestone  ridges,  differ  from  the 
lead-bearing  ores  of  the  dolomitic  limestone,  all  of 
which  latter  carry  more  or  less  gold. 

Soulhweslof  Cariboo  Hill  we  come  to  Ajax  Hill  and 
Ruby  Hill.  The  former  is  merel}'  an  easterly  continu- 
ation of  the  latter.  The  quartziles  and  silicified  lime- 
stones extend  in  a  northerlj'  and  southerly  direction 
from  Adams  Hill  on  the  north  to  beyond  the  Hoosac 
Mine  on  the  south.  A  heavy  line  of  calcareous 
shales  is  found,  more  or  less  continuously,  between 
the  same  points.  They  seem  to  bear  some  fixed 
relationship  to  the  quartzitcs,  and  are  ])robablj'  the 
remnants  of  conformably  deposited  beds.  Hack  of 
Rub}-  Hill,  to  the  south,  the  high  peak  of  Prospect 
Mountain  towers  about  2,000  feet  above  the  valley. 
It  consists  superficially  of  limestone,  and  has,  on 
both  flanks,  many  outcrops  of  ore,  which  seem  to 
occupy  a  Buccession  of  gash  veins.     On  the  western 


side  of  the  mountain  the  quartzite  reappears  and 
extends  to  the  south  for  several  miles  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Spring  Vallc}-.  Still  west  again  we  find  the 
limestones,  wherein  there  are  .some  tew  mining  loca- 
tions. The  limestones  extend  onward  to  the  west, 
a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles,  until  we  approach 
Smok}-  Valley,  which  bounds  on  the  east  the  Toij-abe 
range  of  mountains,  in  which  are  the  granite  forma- 
tions of  the  Reese  River  and  other  districts.  To  the 
east  of  Eureka,  the  same  broad  belt  of  dolomitic 
limestone  extends  quite  to  the  limit  of  the  Great 
Basin,  and  is  broken  only  by  the  valle3's,  and  by 
occasional  onlpourings  of  the  volcanic  rocks,  and 
rare  appearances  of  the  deep-lying  granites. 

The  Eureka  limestones  carry  Silurian  and  Devo- 
nian trilobites  in  but  two  ])laces,  as  far  as  known  at 
present.  The  one  is  at  a  point  near  the  northwest- 
erly end  of  Ruby  Hill,  in  the  direction  of  the  ex- 
treme southerly  spur  of  Adams  Hill,  and  the  other 
is  in  New  York  Caiion,  directly  east  of  the  Morti- 
mer Mine,  at  a  point  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  the  town.  These  fossils  are  all  small,  the 
largest  being  about  the  size  of  a  finger  nail. 

OTHER   MINING   DISTRICTS.  ' 

Pisii  Creek  District  is  eighteen  miles  south  of 
Spring  Valle\%  and  was  organized  in  1871.  The  ores 
are  chieflj'  galena,  containing  silver.  The  mines  are 
all  located  on  a  small  hill,  and  cover  an  area  of  about 
four  acres.  Scarcely  any  work  has  ever  been  done 
there. 

Leopold  District  lies  north  of  Eureka,  near  Rob- 
ert's Creek  Station  on  the  old  Overland  road.  Was 
organized  in  1870,  and  very  little  work  has  ever 
been  done  on  any  of  its  locations. 

Mineral  Hill  District  adjoins  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Elko  County,  and  is  fift}--two  miles  north  of 
Eureka.  PJighleen  miners  are  working  there,  about 
one-third  of  whom  own  mines.  Two  families  live 
there.  A  fifteen-stamp  mill  runs  when  it  has  ore, 
which  is  during  about  tvvo  months  in  the  year,  and 
it  obtains  from  the  ore  from  sixty  to  ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  the  silver  it  contains,  according  to  quality. 
None  of  the  ore  is  roasted.  This  is  the  original  mill 
built  by  Curtis,  of  Austin,  for  the  discoverers.  They 
sold  it,  through  the  agoncj'  of  Ike  Bateman,  to  an 
English  comi)anj-,  for  §1,200,000,  that  was  known  as 
the  Mineral  Hill  Silver  Mining  Company,  which  put 
up  a  twent}--stamp  mill  in  addition,  with  a  verj- 
costly  roasting  furnace,  but  failing  to  got  a  sufficient 
supply  of  ore,  sold  both  mills  and  retired  from  the 
district,  with  a  total  loss  of  their  large  investment. 
Subsequently  the  Austin  it  Spencer  mines  were 
located,  and,  in  ISSO,  the  mills  were  purchased  by  the 
Austin  &  Spencer  company, 

PiNTO  District,  sometimes  called  Silverado,  lying 
partly  in  White  Pine  County,  is  on  the  eastern  slope 
i)ftho  Diamond  range  of  mountains,  about  fourteen 
miles  southeast  of  Eureka,  The  ore  is  free-milling, 
high  grade,  and  the  developments  thus  far  mad« 
indicate  the  existence  of  true  fissure  veins.  The 
mines  were  dinfeovered  in  18G7  by  Moses  Wilson  and 
a  party  from  Austin,  and  a  number  of  locations  were 


43G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


made.     In  1868,  Mr.  Duquette  and  others  made  loca- 
tions, which  comprise  the  mines  now  wori<cd. 

KrcH.MOND  District,  located  eighteen  miles  north 
of  Palisade,  was  orifanized  in  1875.  Xo  mines  have 
been  developed,  however,  as  at  the  depth  of  forty 
feet  the  ore  "pinches."  So  far,  not  over  ten  tons  of 
ore  have  been  shipped.  Half  a  dozen  prospectors 
have  taken  up  their  residence  in  the  district. 

Secret  Canon  is  seven  and  a  half  miles  south  of 
Eureka,  in  a  deep  vallej',  on  the  southern  slope  of 
Prospect  Mountain.  Ore  was  discovered  August  1, 
1869,  by  Charles  C.  Breyfogle,  M.  Dougherty,  B. 
McCrorey,  P.  Murphy,  and  D.  J.  J.  McLaughlin. 
The  first  location  was  made  that  day,  and  on  August 
7th  a  district  was  organized,  Charles  C.  Brey- 
fogle presiding  at  the  meeting.  It  was  first  called 
the  Sierra  District,  then  the  Secret  Yallej-  District, 
and  finally  the  Secret  Canon  District.  Three  hun- 
dred locations  have  been  made  in  all,  and  there  are 
now  about  thirty  miners  in  the  district.  At  one 
time  the  town,  Vanderbilt,  was  a  very  lively  place. 
In  1870  it  contained  125  inhabitants,  three  stores, 
two  boarding-houses,  a  post-office,  and  a  blacksmith 
shop.  For  a  time  it  had  two  dailj-  lines  of  stages, 
and  one  line  continued  in  operation  six  months. 
There  were  then  300  miners  in  the  district,  and  the 
population  of  all  classes  exceeded  l.KOO.  The  ])rinci- 
pal  mines  are  the  Stockton,  Monroe,  Irish  Ambas- 
sador, Hodgdon,  Page  and  Corwin,  Bayse,  and  the 
Geddes  and  Bertrand  series.  Part  of  the  ores  are 
of  high  grade,  containing  antimonial  silver,  and  they 
require  roasting.  The  others  are  lead-bearing,  and 
are  treated  by  the  smelting  jjrocess.  Quito  large 
quantities  of  the  ore  was  taken  to  Austin  in  the 
first  year  of  the  discovery,  which  yielded  as  high 
as  8600  per  ton,  returning  a  fine  profit  to  the 
miners.  The  veins  are  found  between  quartzite  on 
the  west  and  shale  on  the  east,  and  generally  run 
north  and  south  across  the  formation,  containing 
silver  and  a  trace  of  gold.  The  Stockton,  and  Ged- 
des and  Bertrand  mines  are  pierced  by  a  tunnel 
310  feet  long.  Freight  is  teamed  from  Eureka  at 
$4.50  per  ton.  Nut  pine,  mahogan}-,  and  cedar 
abound  all  over  the  district,  but  the  supplj-  has  been 
considerably  reduced.  The  water  is  obtained  from 
springs.  In  the  latter  part  of  1875  over  1,500  tons 
of  ore  were  extracted  that  j-icldod  about  Sli'M)  per 
ton.  Bad  management  has  much  retarded  the  devel- 
opment of  this  once  promising  district.  Present 
facilities  for  working  ore  consist  of  a  twenty-ton 
furnace.  A  ten-stamp  mill  was  burned  in  1873.  Ore 
is  now  chiefly  shipped  to  Eureka. 

Sierra  Di.stkh'T,  which  was  organized  in  Januarj' 
1863,  is  eight  miles  south  of  Eureka.  The  jjHncipal 
claims  are  the  Monroe,  Essex  and  Ophir.  A  ten- 
stamp  mill  was  once  erected  near  the  mines,  but  the 
enterprise  proved  unsuccessful.  Sage-brush  was  used 
for  fuel.  , 

Sprino  Valley  District  is  situated  in  the  Spring 


Vallej'  or  Prospect  range  of  mountains,  about 
twelve  miles  south  of  Eureka,  and  was  discovered 
and  a  district  organized  on  the  twenty-seventh  of 
June.  186!),  by  Joseph  Magett,  William  Murray,  E. 
H.  Ross,  and  (reorge  M.  Kittell,  while  on  a  prospect- 
ing trip  from  Treasure  Hill,  after  the  great  "White 
Pine  excitement."  The  mountain  range  rises  from 
an  elevated  plateau,  and  runs  almost  due  north  and 
south,  and  was  at  the  date  of  discovery  heavily  cov- 
ered with  timber,  and  although  drawn  upon  with 
fierce  energy  to  supplj'  timbers  for  mining  and  fuel 
for  the  furnaces,  promises  a  supply  for  many  years. 
In  1869  the  district  had  a  population  of  from  800  to 
1,000.  The  ores  were  of  a  high  grade  in  the  crop- 
pings,  and  the  veins  stood  prominently  above  the 
surface  of  the  country  rock.  Seventy  tons  of  ore 
from  the  Reeves  and  Berry  mine  were  taken  to 
Austin  for  reduction,  and  yielded  from  seventy-four 
dollars  to  S600  per  ton;  and  ten  tons  from  the 
North  Star  mine  yielded  from  sixty  dollars  to  $250 
per  ton,  being  a  chloride  ore.  The  ore  seemed 
concentrated  in  the  croppings,  and  as  depth  was 
reached  became  more  diffused  through  the  rock, 
rendering  expensive  transportation  and  reduction 
unprofitable,  and  soon  thereafter  the  excitement 
attending  the  developments  of  the  mines  at  Ruby 
Hill  drew  attention  from  Spring  Valley,  and  the 
district  declined.  The  country  rock  is  a  stratified 
and  metamorphic  limestone,  and  the  ore  is  found  in 
bunches,  chiefly  near  the  surface.  At  present  there 
are  about  forty  dwellings  in  the  district. 
Williams'  salt  .marsh. 
In  Diamond  Vallcj',  forty-three  miles  north  of 
Eureka  and  ton  miles  cast  of  Mineral  Hill,  is  Will- 
iams' Salt  Marsh,  which  consists  of  a  thousand  acres 
of  salt  land  in  the  midst  of  a  flat  fifteen  miles  in 
length  and  six  in  width.  Salt  is  obtained  in  incrus- 
tations on  the  surface  and  from  the  solution  in  the 
waters,  which  latter  come  within  four  feet  of  the 
ground.  For  a  long  time  the  incrustations  were 
gathered  without  refining,  but  they  were  not  pure, 
containing  only  sixty  per  cent,  of  salt.  The  waters 
are  now  evaporated  by  artificial  heat  from  pans  ten 
feet  long,  four  feet  wide  and  ten  inches  deep,  twen- 
ty-two pans  being  in  use,  producing  5,000  pounds  of 
salt  per  day,  the  salt  being  ninety-five  per  cent.  pure. 
The  waters  contain  about  twelve  per  cent,  of  salt, 
a  gallon  of  water  yielding  a  pound  of  salt.  The 
latter  is  sold  at  the  marsh  at  two  cents  per  pound. 

RE.MARKABLE    MININCl   ACCIDENT. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  June,  1873,  a  remarkable 
accident  occurred  at  the  Eureka  Consolidated  Mine. 
John  George  and  George  R.  Dobbs,  miners,  started 
to  ride  to  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  on  the  cage 
ordinarily  used  for  the  ])urpose.  The  brake  around 
the  reel  broke,  upon  which  the  cage  drop])cd  to  the 
bottom  with  fearful  velocity,  a  distance  of  226  feet. 
George  was  mortally  injured  and  died  in  half  an  hour. 
His  right  arm  was  broken,  but  his  fatal  injury  doubt- 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


4.37 


loss  arose  from  the  concussion.  Dobbs  was  not 
futiillj'  injured,  but  almost  any  other  man  would 
have  been,  under  the  circumstances.  His  right  arm 
was  torn  off  near  the  shoulder;  his  left  arm  was 
'•  smashed  all  up;"  his  ris^lit  thigh  was  broken,  and 
the  bones  protruded  through  his  pantaloons,  and  he 
was  bruised  generallJ^  He  states  that  ho  was  per- 
fectly conscious  during  the  descent  of  the  cage,  and, 
in  fact,  throughout  the  ordeal.  He  knew  perfectly 
well  what  was  happening,  but  when  the  cage  struck 
the  ground  the  breath  was  knocked  out  of  him  for  a 
moment.  As  soon  as  possible  both  men  were  raised 
to  the  surface.  George  soon  expired.  Dobbs  was 
taken  to  his  home,  where,  for  nine  weeks,  he  was 
devotedly  cared  for  by  his  faithful  wife.  His  physi- 
cians were  Drs.  Chamblin  and  Cummings,  of  Eu- 
reka. At  the  end  of  nine  weeks  ho  began  to  walk 
about,  upon  which  it  became  apparent  that  his  left 
arm  required  to  be  re-sot.  Ho  accordingly  went  to 
San  Francisco,  and,  without  stimulants  or  narcotics, 
endured  the  additional  ordeal  of  having  his  arm 
broken  again  and  re-joined.  It  was  then  placed  in 
plaster  of  Paris  and  kept  in  that  condition  for  seven 
months,  and  has  never  given  any  trouble  since,  al- 
though Mr.  Dobbs  is  unable  to  lift  a  weight  above 
the  level  of  his  shoulder.  At  the  time  of  the  acci- 
dent he  was  thirty-seven  years  of  age  and  weighed 
180  pounds.  He  is  the  father  of  eleven  children, 
two  of  whom  have  been  born  since  the  accident. 
The  mining  company  paid  all  his  surgical  bills,  and 
allowed  him  full  wages  for  eleven  months.  He  is 
now  in  the  enjoyment  of  robust  health  and  is  a  con- 
ductor in  the  United  States  Mint  at  Carson  City. 

I.MPORTANT   EVENTS   OP    1876. 

Some  of  the  most  notable  local  incidents  of  1876 
may  be  summarized  as  follows: — 

January  1.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  were  noti- 
fied to  leave  town  by  the  committee  of  "  601." 

Januarj'  24.  A  great  snow-storm  occurred,  block- 
ading the  railroad. 

Fcbruarj'  16.  A  threatening  anti-Chinese  excite- 
ment began. 

March  13.     An  agitation  was  inaugurated  among 
the  miners  concerning  wages.     David  IJich  was  shot 
and  killed  in   Frank  Wallace's  salooti,  on  iluby  Hill 
by    Larry   Lynch.     The    latter    was    subsequently 
acquitted. 

March  17.  The  anti-Chinese  crusade  renewed. 
Two  Chinamen  were  killed  in  Eureka  and  one  on  a 
wood  ranch  in  Diamond  Valley. 

April  7.  Joseph  Schram.«/(««  "Dutch  Joe,"  was 
shot  by  Daniel  Sullivan,  and  died  on  the  following 
day. 

April  10.  The  first  party  of  Eurokans  started  for 
the  Centennial  K.xhibition. 

May  1.  Some  town  lots  on  South  Main  Street  near 
Atlas  furnace,  were  jumped  by  a  party  of  men  who 
were  driven  otf  b}-  Captain  I'later. 

May  0.     A  warehouse  belonging  to   the  railroad 
55 


companj-,  and   occupied    by   E.    B.   Millen,  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.     Loss,  $4,000. 

May  23.     First  anti-Chinese  public  meeting. 

Juno  4.  The  Jerrott  &  Palmer  lightning  train 
passed  Palisade  at5:30i  p.  .m.,  four  hours  ahead  of 
time. 

June  22.  A  Centennial  flag-staff  was  raised,  which 
cost  nearly  $900. 

July  17.  Fire  on  South  Main  Street.  Loss  $11,- 
000. 

August  1.  Decided  by  the  Judge  of  the  Sixth 
Judicial  District,  that  an  alien  cannot  acquire  title 
to  mining  ground  in  the  United  States  until  the  same 
has  been  patented  to  a  citizen. 

August  24.  Incorporation  of  the  Prospect  Mount- 
ain Tunnel  Comj)any. 

August  25.  Hon.  Thomas  Wren  nominated  bj-  the 
State  Republican  Convention  at  Carson,  for  Congress. 

August  26.  A  son  of  Mrs.  Fales,  of  Palisade,  was 
drowned  in  the  Humboldt  River  at  that  place. 

August  30.  Joseph  Dascomb  committed  suicide 
by  shooting  himself  A  switch  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad,  near  Palisade,  was  thrown  open  by  two 
bo3-s,  and  a  train  was  thrown  from  the  track.  The 
offenders  were  arrested,  tried  in  Eureka,  and  sen- 
tenced to  a  term  in  the  County  Jail. 

September  1.  Kato  Miller  was  stabbed  bj'  Mary 
Irwin,  from  the  effects  of  which  she  died  on  the 
fourth. 

September  8.     Matamoras  furnace  started. 

November  7.  (Jeneral  election.  Haj'es  and 
Wheeler  carry  the  count}-  by  an  average  majority  of 
only  nine.  Democratic  Senators  and  two  Assembly- 
men elected.  The  Republicans  elect  Sheriff",  Auditor, 
Assessor,  Surveyor.  Public  Administrator,  and  County 
Commissioner  for  the  long  term. 

November  14.  The  Pioche  and  Eureka  stage  was 
robbed  near  Pinto. 

December  5.  Wm.  Kavanaugh  commited  suicide 
at  Ruby  Hill. 

December  11.  The  contested  election  case  between 
Hank  Knight,  Assessor,  and  J.  C.  Powell,  was  decided 
in  tho  former's  favor  by  a  majority  of  two. 

December  14.  After  being  out  seventeen  hours, 
the  jury  in  the  case  of  Mary  Irwin  disagreed,  and 
a  new  trial  ordered. 

December  15.  Anti-Chinese  demonstration.  A 
number  of  Chinese  driven  from  their  work  on  tho 
railroad. 

December  22.     John  Mai"sh  shot  by  J.  M.  Fleming. 

December  23.  J.  Mctfarry  shot  at  by  J.  Mann,  in 
New  York  ('afion. 

Tho  number  of  marriages  in  tho  county  during 
1876,  was  thirty-seven;  tho  number  of  divorces, 
seven;  tho  number  of  recorded  births,  fifty -one;  the 
number  of  deaths  reported,  fifty-one.  At  the  dose 
of  that  year  tho  county  debt  was  836,000,  of  which 
820,000  was  in  county  bonds,  payable  July  1,  1877. 
Cash  on  hand  in  the  various  funds,  $34,535.38. 


438 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


STATISTICS   FOR    1878-80. 

In  1878  the  Sheriff  granted  licenses  as  follows: — 
325  liquor  licenses,  366  merchandise  licenses,  157 
licenses  for  hotels  and  lodging-houses,  25  gambling 
licenses,  32  licenses  for  livery  stables,  6  bank  licenses, 
and  15  licenses  for  shows  and  theatres.  In  that 
year  268  mining  claims  were  located,  30  mining  suits 
were  commenced,  102  arrests  were  made  bj-  the 
Sheriff;  there  were  100  deaths,  54  marriages,  17 
divorces,  and  at  the  close  of  that  year  five  more 
divorce  cases  were  pending.  The  Methodist  Church 
at  the  town  of  Eureka  had  been  closed  during  most 
of  the  year,  but  on  October  20lh  was  opened  bj-  Rev. 
R  A.  Richer,  who  soon  increased  the  membership  of 
the  society  from  6  to  30,  and  the  membership  of  the 
Sunday-school  from  17  to  60.  The  Presbyterian 
Church  was  in  charge  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Gallagher,  the 
Catholic  Church  in  charge  of  Father  Monteverde,  and 
the  Episcopalian  Church  in  charge  of  Rev.  C.  B.  Craw- 
ford. The  ])opulalion  of  the  county  in  1880  was 
7.086.  The  total  property  valuation  was  §3,500,267, 
and  the  aggregate  debt  was  S21,020. 

THE    FISH    CREEK    WAR  OF    1879. 

In  August,  1879,  occurred  the  somewhat  noted 
"  Fish  Creek  War."  The  mine  managers  at  Eureka 
having  decided  that  thirty  cents  per  bushel  forchar- 
coal  was  an  excessive  price,  resolved  to  pa}"^  only 
twentj'-sevcn  and  one-half  cents  thcreattcr.  The 
Charcoal  Burners' Association,  which  numbered  sev- 
eral ihounand  men,  refused  to  accede  to  the  reduc- 
tion, and  prevented  any  supplies  of  charcoal  from 
being  delivered  at  the  mines.  Its  members  also  took 
possession  of  the  town  of  .Eureka  on  August  11th, 
with  alarming  threats.  B.  J.  Turner,  Chairman  of 
the  Countj'  Commissioners,  and  Sheriff  Kyle,  tel- 
egraphed particulars  to  Governor  Kinkead,  stating 
"  2.000  persons,  banded  together,  and  with  arms  in 
their  possession,  defied  the  civil  authorities,  and 
refused  to  have  anj'  of  their  number  arrested."  It 
was  further  added,  'they  now  hold  forcible  posses- 
sion of  many  coal  pits  in  this  countj-.  By  force  they 
have  prevented,  and  are  now  preventing  the  owners 
of  charcoal  from  hauling  it  to  the  furnaces,  and  they 
threaten  to  destroj-  other  properly  and  burn  the 
town.  Arrests  have  been  resisted  by  the  rioters  who  are 
well  armed  and  organized  under  the  command  of  des- 
perate leaders."  The  Governor  was  accordingly'  urged 
to  call  out  a  force  of  militia  to  quell  such  insurrection. 
A  telegram  in  response  was  immediately  forwarded 
by  the  Governor,  instructing  Gen.  (Jeorge  M.  Sabin 
to  call  into  active  service  a  sufficient  force  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  State  militia  to  insure  a  restora- 
tion of  order.  In  the  absence  of  General  Sabin,  at 
San  Francisco,  Major  Butler,  his  Adjutant-General, 
took  the  required  action.  A  lull  ensued  until  August 
18lh.  At  about  6  o'clock  that  afternoon  a  posae  of 
nine  men,  headed  by  Deputy  Sheriff  J.  B.  Simpson, 
attacked  a  coal  ranch  at  Fi^h  Creek,  about  thirty 
miles  from  Eureka,  and  opened  fire  on  about  a  hun- 


dred coal  burners.  Five  of  the  latter  were  killed, 
six  were  badly  wounded,  and  several  were  made 
prisoners.  None  of  the  Sheriff's  posse  were  injured, 
although  it  is  claimed  that  the  coal  burners  were 
well  armed,  and  fired  the  first  shot.  Much  excite- 
ment followed  this  collision,  and  statements  damag- 
ing to  the  Deputj'  Sheriff's  party  were  freely 
circulated.  However,  the  Coroner's  jury  impaneled 
in  the  case  brought  in  a  verdict  that, 

The  deceased  persons  came  to  their  death  from 
shots  fired  by  the  Sheriff's  posse  while  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  duty. 

The  "  war  "  was  thereupon  terminated.  The  Sher- 
iff's;)osse  consisted  of  Joseph  Toomej',  G.  H.  Smith, 
Wm.  Martin,  Marshall  Rice,  Robert  Brown,  Henry 
Storey  and  James  Porter.  In  referring  to  the  out- 
break and  its  dcjjlorable  culmination,  the  Carson 
Appeal  of  August  21st  said: — 

Whoever  is  in  the  right,  this  infraction  and  defiance 
of  law  cannot  be  permitted  in  this  State.  There 
is  scarcely  a  question  but  that  the  coal  burners  have 
been  imposed  upon.  They  furnish  coal  to  contract- 
ors, who  deliver  it  at  the  furnaces  from  their  own 
teams,  and  insist  that  the  burners  shall  take  their 
returns  without  being  furnished  with  certified  meas- 
urements from  the  receivers.  It  is  easily  seen  how 
great  wrong  can  be  done  through  the  collusion  of 
dishonest  parties. 

The  manufacture  of  charcoal  is  one  of  the  most 
important  industries  of  Eureka  County,  the  annual 
consumption  of  that  article  reaching  over  1,200  000 
bushels.  The  average  distance  the  coal  is  hauled  by 
teams  to  the  mines  is  thirtj'-five  miles.  A  cord  of 
nut  pine  wood  produces  about  twenty-eight  bushels 
of  coal,  which  is  now  worth  twentj'-two  cents  per 
bushel.  The  su|)|ily  of  timber  for  this  purpose  will 
soon  be  exhausted.  Including  the  victims  of  the 
charcoal  war,  and  five  suicides,  twenty  eight  persons 
died  violent  deaths  in  the  county  that  year. 

THE  PRINCIPAL  TOWNS. 

Beowawe  is  a  railroad  station  on  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  eighteen  miles  west  of  Palisade, 
and  contains  a  post-oflSeo,  hotel,  store,  a  few  dwell- 
ings and  the  necessary  railroad  buildings.  Accord- 
ing to  the  recent  census,  its  population  consists  of 
fifty  whites,  seven  Chinese,  and  four  Indians.  It  is 
the  supplj'  point  of  the  mining  districts  in  the  Cortez 
Range. 

Eureka  Township  was  incorporated  by  an  Act  of 
the  Legislature,  approved  March  1,  1877,  and  its 
corporate  powers  were  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees, 
consisting  of  five  members.  By  an  Act  of  the  Leg- 
islature, ajiproved  .March  1, 1881,  the  right  of  laying  a 
street  railway  track  in  Eureka  was  granted  to  W.  O. 
Mills,  Jr.,  E.  T.  Butler,  Thomas  Wethered  and  others. 
H^'  an  Act  approved  March  2,  1881,  a  cor])oration 
was  created  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  railroad 
from  Eureka  via  Pioche  to  Callvillo,  in  Lincoln 
County  on  the  Colorado  River;  and  on  the  samodaj', 
a  Senate  joint  memorial  asked    Congress  to  appro- 


I 


HISTORY  OF  EUREKA  COUNTY. 


439 


priate  $250,000  for  Iho  improvement  of  the  Colo- 
rado River  between  Fort  Yuma  and  Caliville. 

The  town  of  Eureka,  which  is  located  ninety 
milos  south  of  Palisade,  in  a  narrow  valley  running 
northerlj-  between  projectinj;  si)urs  ol'  the  Prospect 
Mountains,  dates  the  commencement  of  its  growth 
from  the  j'ear  1869.  The  orisjinal  proprietors  were 
Maj.  W.  W.  McCoy  and  Alonzo  Monroe,  who  held 
the  title  to  the  town  site,  their  two  surveys  joining 
on  a  line  crossing  the  valley,  or  ravine,  at  the  pres- 
ent center  of  the  town.  The  Monroe  survey  lay  to 
the  north  and  the  McCoy  survey  to  the  south  of 
this  line.  In  the  latter  were  the  springs  which  now 
supply-  the  town  with  water.  Two  additional  sur- 
veys were  subsequently  made,  the  O'Neil  on  the 
west  and  the  McDonald  on  the  east,  over  portions  of 
which  the  town  has  since  extended.  In  ]8(j9  its 
mining  prospects  had  acquired  permanent  impor- 
tance; and  in  compliance  with  popular  demands,  the 
route  of  the  semi  weekly  stage  line  between  Austin 
and  Hamilton,  run  bj-  John  A.  Wilson,  was  changed 
so  as  to  pass  through  Eureka.  A  mail  was  thus 
afforded,  but  no  post-office  was  established  till  1870. 
In  the  spring  of  1870,  Woodruff  &  Ennor  estab- 
lished a  stage  line  between  Palisade,  on  the  railroad, 
and  Hamilton  in  White  Pine  County,  which  line 
passed  through  Eureka.  In  August,  1870,  Beachc}', 
Wines  &  Co.  changed  their  route,  so  that  their 
stages,  going  between  Elko  and  Hamilton,  passed 
through  Eureka.  The  passenger  list  on  Woodruff 
&  Ennor's  line  averaged  about  ninety  ])cr  week  for 
Eureka.  During  the  White  Pine  excitement,  four 
daily  lines  of  stages  ran  between  Elko  and  Hamil- 
ton. 

Previous  to  this  all  the  travel  and  transportation 
of  that  portion  of  the  State  lying  east  of  Eureka 
and  south  of  the  railroad  had  centered  at  Elko; 
and  although  Palisade  possessed  superior  advan- 
tages as  a  shipping  depot,  yet  the  discriminations 
of  the  Central  Pacific  Company  against  it  and  in 
favor  of  Elko,  proved  a  great  hindrance  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  new  route,  and  Eureka  also  suffered 
for  two  years  from  this  cause.  However,  during 
1870,  the  town  grew  rapidlj-.  According  to  the  Sen- 
tinel  of  July  23,  1870,  forty-three  houses  were 
erected  in  one  week;  three  came  from  Carlin,  100 
miles;  twelve  from  Hamilton,  forty  miles;  four  from 
Treasure  City,  forty-three  miles;  sixteen  from  Sher- 
man, forty-five  miles;  and  three  from  Elko,  123 
miles.  On  the  thirtieth  of  June  of  that  year  the 
various  mining  companies  reported  8313,402  as  the 
total  product  of  the  mines  to  date. 

PIONEER   ITEMS   OP   EUREKA. 

The  first  and  only  election  in  Eureka  Township 
was  held  on  the  eighth  of  November,  1870,  result- 
ing in  the  choice  of  W.  Adams  for  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  S.  B.  Bell  for  Constable;  and  C.  J.  Lansing, 
A.  Skillman,  and  A.  E.  Titus  for  .School  Trustees. 
The  following  are  related  as  -pioneer  facts"  by  the 
Eureka  Leader  of  December  31,  1879: — 


The  first  hold,  and  also  the  first  two-story  frame 
building  in  Eureka  is  the  old  Parker  House.  Atone 
time  it  was  Iheoldoverland  station  and  stage  stable  at 
Austin.  It  was  moved  to  Eureka  by  P.  II.  Parker, 
and  converted  into  a  hotel.  Its  first  position  was 
opposite  the  Eureka  Consolidated  Works,  from 
where  it  was  moved  to  its  presetit  site. 

The  first  load  of  bullion  ever  shi])pcd  from 
Eureka  was  taken  to  Carlin  by  one  of  Seaton  & 
('lark's  ten-mule  teams.  The  road  at  that  time 
was  simply  a  buggy  track  through  the  sage-brush. 
The  freight  charged  to  Carlin  was  thirt}-  dollars 
per  ton.     This  was  in   l.s70. 

Nathan  &  Harrison  brought  the  first  goods  for 
a  store  to  Eureka,  and  opened  in  the  old  Tanne- 
hill  log  house.  They  subsequently  built  a  stockade 
on  the  present  site  of  Doutiick  &  Co's  brick  store. 

The  first  smelting  furnace  in  Eureka  was  erected 
by  the  Eureka  Smelling  Company,  under  the  super- 
vision of  Maj.  \V.  W.  McCoy,  on  the  ground  now 
occupied  by  Ucinhart  &  Co's  barlcj-  mill. 

Eureka's  first  house  was  built  of  logs,  in  1865,  by 
the  Tamichill  Company,  of  Austin,  who  fir^t  pros- 
pected and  located  in  Eureka  District.  It  now 
stands  just  above  the  K  K  furnace,  adjoining  the 
residence  of  R.  Rickard. 

The  first  death  in  Eureka  was  that  of  a  man 
named  Desmond,  who  M'as  accidentally  shot  by 
"Red  Mike,"  in  George  Thatcher's  saloon.  His 
grave  was  the  first  in  the  old  cemetery  back  of 
Chandler's  stone-quarry. 

John  S.  Capron  put  u|i  the  first  lusiness  house,  the 
Pioneer  Restaurant.  It  was  at  first  a  large  tent, 
and  occupied  the  ground  where  Vanina's  store  on 
North  Main  Street,  now  stands. 

Eureka's  first  fire  occurred  in  a  small  frame  build- 
ing situated  where  Dumas'  saloon  now  stands.  It 
caught  from  a  defective  stovepipe,  and  destroyed 
three  buildings. 

The  stone  Episcopal  Church,  on  Spring  Street, 
was  the  first  building  erected  lor  religious  purposes. 
The  Catholic  Church  on  Nob  Hill  followed  in  the 
same  year. 

The  first  Eureka  mine  listed  on  the  San  Francisco 
Stock  Board  was  the  Eureka  Consolidated,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1870.  The  first  share  was  sold  for  nineteen  dol- 
lars. 

The  first  stone  building  was  the  present  County 
Hospital,  and  was  built  as  an  olHce  for  the  Eureka 
Smelting  Comjiany,  by  Maj.  W.  W.  .McCoj-. 

The  first  drug  store  was  o|)encd  by  f)r.  M.  Rock- 
man,  near  where  Dr.  Bisho]i's  warehouse  on  North 
Main  Street  now  stunils. 

The  first  post-office  was  kept  in  the  Parker  House, 
with  George  S.  Haskell  as  Postmaster. 

The  first  practicing  ph)'sician  was  Dr.  M.  Rock- 
man,  and  the  first  lawyer  Judge  Wm.  H.  Davenport. 

The  first  woman  that  graced  the  Base  Range  was 
a  Mrs.  (y'hristy,  who  came  from  While  Pine, 

W.  B.  Wilson  ran  the  first  stages  out  of  Eureka  to 
Austin  and  Hamilton,  in  November,  1869. 

Judge  Adams  held  the  first  Justices' Court  in  a  log 
cabin  in  the  rear  of  the  Parker  House. 

Abo  Bateman  built  the  first  adobe  house  where 
the  new   Kolcj-- Rickard  buildintr  now  stands. 

C.  Carpenter  o])cned  the  first  hardware  store, 
whore  the  Empire  Saloon  now  stands. 

Paxton  &  Co.s  was  the  first  bank,  at  which  J.  S. 
Capron  made  the  first  deposit. 

Ham  &  Hunter  opened  the  first  livery  stable  on 
Charley  Lautenschlager's  corner. 

The  City  Brewery,  on  North  Main  Street,  fur- 
nished the  first  beer  for  Eureka. 


440 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Just  below  Bonetti's  Saloon  Joshua  Bailey  erected 
the  first  lodging-house. 

The  Eureka  Consolidated  erected  the  first  steam 
hoisting  works  in  the  district. 

Eureka  was  first  called  Napias,&  Shoshone  word, 
meaning  silver. 

G.  J.  Tannehill  was  the  first  Mining  Eecorder  of 
Eureka  District. 

Malcom  McDonald  opened  the  first  butcher  shop 
in  Eureka. 

Jimmy  Duker  had  the  first  billiard  table,  in  the 
old  Mint  Saloon. 

In  187((,  was  raised  the  first  crop  produced  In 
Eureka  County.  At  what  is  now  known  as  the  Ital- 
ian Ranch,  on  Hunter  Creek,  four  miles  east  of  the 
town  of  Eureka,  J.  T.  Hunter  sowed  and  planted  as 
follows:  Eight  hundred  bushels  of  barley  that  pro- 
duced twelve  tons;  200  bushels  of  wheat  that 
produced  five  tons  of  hay  and  three  tons  of 
wheat;  and  three  and  a  half  tons  of  potatoes  that 
produced  fifty  tons.  In  1871,  Pritchard's  fast  freight 
line  removed  its  depot  from  Elko  to  Palisade.  In 
1874,  the  Eureka  and  Palisade  Railroad  Company 
commenced  building  its  narrow  guage  line  from  Pal- 
isade to  Eureka,  completing  it  and  putting  it  in  oper- 
ation by  October,  1875.  This  made  Eureka  the  depot 
for  all  wagon  transportation,  and  freight  and  passen- 
ger traffic,  for  the  innumerable  mining  camps  to  the 
south  of  it.  It  was  now  in  regular  stage  communi- 
cation with  Austin,  Belmont,  Tybo,  Hamilton,  Pioche 
and  Ward  District. 

BUILDINGS  AND  MATERIAL. 

Excellent  stone  quarries  within  the  town  limits 
furnish  an  abundance  of  good  building  material,  and 
large  quantities  of  brick  are  manufactui-od  just 
south  of  the  town.  Tiiese  advantages  are  noticeable 
in  the  architecture  of  Eureka,  stone  and  brick  struct- 
ures being  numerous.  The  recently  com])leted  Court 
House,  the  cost  of  which  was  S.5.5,000,  is  the  finest  in 
the  State,  with  the  exception  of  that  at  Virginia  City. 
The  first  edifice  for  religious  worship  was  built  in 
1871,  by  the  Episcojial  Church,  and  is  a  solid  struct- 
ure of  stone.  The  Roman  Catholics  erected  a  frame 
edifice  in  the  same  year,  but  have  since  built  another 
one  of  stone.  The  Presbyterians  and  Methodists 
also  have  tine  church  buildings.  Among  other 
attractive  buildings  should  be  mentioned  the  Inter- 
national Hotel,  Jackson  House,  .SWt//«e/  building  and 
the  Opera  House.  The  (Jounty  Jail,  vault  and  fix- 
tures cost  815,000;  the  Court  House  and  the  lot  sur- 
rounding it  cost  855,000.  The  County  Hospital,  its 
furniture  and  library,  cost  $10,000. 

The  Eureka  Water  Works  Company  abundantly 
supplies  the  town  with  water.  As  a  protection 
against  fire,  a  tank  with  a  capacity  of  55,000 
gallons,  has  been  constructed  on  the  west  side 
of  town,  drawing  its  water  supply  from  McCoy's 
springs.  Water  from  this  source  is  only  used  in  case 
of  fire.  These  works  cost  810,000,  and  arc  220  feet 
higher  than  the  corner  of  Main  and  Clark  streets, 
and  are  capable  of  forcing  water  to  the  most  elevated 


points  within  the  town  limits.  The  fire  department 
consists  of  the  Rescue,  Knickerbocker,  Nob  Hill, 
Eureka  Hook  and  Ladder,  and  Richmond  Hose  Com- 
panies. 

SEVERAL    DISASTROUS    FIRES. 

In  common  with  every  other  mining  town  on  the 
Pacific  Coast,  Eui-eka  has  had  destructive  conflagra- 
tions. The  first  occurred  on  March  28,  1875.  A  fire 
originated  in  the  Montana  House  and  spread  over 
the  surrounding  locality,  destroying  ten  buildings 
and  occasioning  a  loss  of  825,000.  The  greatest 
calamity  of  the  kind  occurred  on  April  19,  1879.  At 
about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  that  date,  while 
a  fearful  gale  was  blowing,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the 
green-room  of  Bigelow's  Opera  House,  from  the 
explosion  of  a  lamp.  The  flames  spread  to  the  Senti- 
nel building,  the  Masonic  Hall  and  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  office,  and  by  the  winds  were 
blown  east  and  north,  down  Buel,  Spring  and  Main 
Streets.  The  Jackson  House  and  the  front  portion 
of  V.  B.  Perrj^'s  saloon  escaped  bj'  a  miracle,  but  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  town  embraced  within  the 
streets  above  named,  was,  within  the  period  of  two 
hours,  a  mass  of  blackened  ruins,  and  the  fire  was 
only  checked  when  it  reached  the  end  of  Main  vStreet 
at  the  foundry,  Spring  Street  above  Mrs.  Dennis', 
and  Paul  Street  at  its  terminus.  In  all  this  area  the 
onlj'  property  that  escaped,  excepting  the  two  struct- 
ures already  mentioned,  consisted  of  the  fire-proof 
building  of  the  Sentinel  office  and  the  vaults  of  Pax- 
ton's  bank.  Mr.  Moch,  proprietor  of  a  restaurant, 
was  fatally  burned,  and  Frank  Alderson  received 
serious  injuries.  The  Fire  Department  had  battled 
manfull}',  but  in  vain.  The  total  loss  was  estimated 
at  81,000,000;  half  the  town  lay  in  ashes,  and  two 
thousand  people  were  destitute  and  homeless.  Imme- 
diatelj'  after  the  conflagration,  a  remarkable  jour- 
nalistic feat  was  performed  by  the  Sentinel  force. 
The  stone  fire-proof  building  at  the  rear  of  the  main 
office  was  so  hot  that  the  printers  could  remain  in  it 
only  by  shrouding  themselves  in  wet  blankets. 
Nevertheless  they  set  up  the  paper  and  got  out  an 
edition  before  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  To  relieve 
the  suffering  of  Eureka,  Governor  Kinkead  imme- 
diately placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  authorities  of 
that  town  the  sum  of  81,500,  which  remained  unex- 
pended from  a  IjCgislativo  a)q)ro])riation  in  aid  of  the 
Silver  City  suft'erors.  Public  meetings  were  also  held 
at  Reno,  Carson,  and  other  points,  and  energetic  steps 
were  taken  to  collect  and  forward  money  and  su]) 
plies.  The  smoke  of  the  conflagration  had  scarcely 
passed  away  before  the  rebuilding  of  Eureka  had 
been  resolved  upon,  and  in  a  few  months  (he  task 
had  been  completed  with  remarkalile  energy.  -\l 
about  ten  o'clock  on  the  seventeenth  of  August,  1880, 
another  groat  fire  began,  breaking  out  at  the  rear  of 
Mrs.  Po])lin's  fruit  and  vegetable  store  on  Main  Street, 
and  taking  almost  the  same  course  as  the  conflagra- 
ation  of  the  previous  year.  Three  hundred  houses, 
many  of  them  business  establishments,  and  some  of 


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I. 


HISTORY  OF  ElJRKFvA  ("OUNTY 


441 


them  the  finest  private  residences  in  town,  were  con- 
sumed. A  space  equal  to  fifty  acres,  consisting  of 
the  very  heart  of  the  town,  was  swept  almost  com- 
pletely. Only  half  a  dozen  buildings  remained  to 
relieve  the  scene  of  desolation.  These*  were  as  fol- 
lows: Jack  Perry's  corner,  the  Douglas  building, 
the  Foley-Kickard  Block,  Paxton  A:  Co.'s  bank,  Jacob 
Cohn's  store,  Schneider's  drug  store,  and  C.  Lauten- 
schlager's  saloon.  The  Leader  office.  Odd  Fellows 
Hall,  theater.  International  Hotel,  Vanina  &  Co.'s 
billiard  saloon,  A.  .\[.  Hillhouse's  elegant  residence, 
and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  were  among 
the  prominent  buildings  destroyed.  But  for  the 
most  determined  efforts  of  the  firemen,  the  fire  would 
not  have  been  confined  to  the  east  of  Main  Street. 
No  statement  of  the  exact  amount  of  the  damage 
was  ever  published. 

SUnnEN    AND    DESTRUCTIVE    FLOODS. 

On  July  24,  1874,  a  violent  rain  storm  prevailed 
all  the  forenoon  at  Eureka.  At  a  little  after  noon  a 
cloud  burst  on  the  lofty  range  of  mountains  bordering 
the  canon  on  which  the  town  is  situated,  and  large 
streams  of  water  poured  down  the  mountain  slopes. 
A  perfect  deluge  of  rain  also  swept  over  Eureka, 
sending  rivers  through  the  streets,  and  flooding  the 
eastern  portions  of  the  town,  but  the  inhabitants 
considered  themselves  safe  in  their  houses.  Sud- 
denly there  came  thundering  down  the  canon  from 
two  directions,  a  torrent  that  carried  everything 
before  it.  Houses  were  surrounded  by  water  or 
swept  away,  and  their  occupants  flung  into  the  black 
and  turbulent  flood.  Ropes  were  hastily  procured, 
and  brave  men  rushed  to  the  rescue  of  the  struggling 
victims,  and  many  lost  their  lives  in  the  attempt. 
The  scene  was  described  as  terrible.  For  half  an 
hour  the  flood  lasted,  and  the  destruction  of  life  and 
property  w;;s  great.  Thirtj-  houses  were  wrecked 
or  carried  away,  and  8100,000  worth  of  damage  was 
done.  Among  the  heaviest  losses  of  property 
reported  were  the  following:  Eureka  Hall,  88,000; 
Eureka  Consolidated  furnace,  88,000;  A.  E.  Davis' 
stables  and  wagons,  87,000.  The  following  persons 
lost  their  lives:  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Bray,  recently  mar- 
ried; A.  C.  Latson,  pioneer;  John  Turner,  teamster: 
Eoger  Robinette,  reporter;  J.  W.  Talbot,  tcamstei-; 
John  Rauft,  saloon  keeper;  W.  J.  McGcary,  carpen- 
ter; William  Smith,  miner;  James  Galvin,  Jean  Dor- 
ney,  Henry  Heine,  and  five  Chinamen.  The  Eureka 
iS'ew^me/ gives  the  following  additional  details: — 

There  have  been  ijuantities  of  rain  for  several 
daj-s.  At  8:30  in  the  morning  considerable  dam- 
age had  been  done  at  Ruby  Hill.  At  10  o'clock, 
after  having  increased  in  violence;  the  storm  br(»ke 
away,  excepting  on  the  hills  to  the  southwest  of 
town.  Shortly  after  11  o'clock,  the  effects  of  the 
morning  rain  were  manifested  by  the  rush  of  the 
flood  that  filled  the  channel,  and  some  out-buildings 
standing  close  to  it  were  carried  away,  and  tlio 
floors  of  other  buildings  were  covered  with  water. 
At  about  1  o'clock  the  rain  re-commenced  with 
redoubled   force,    and    hail    mingled    with    it.      The 


interval  between  the  flashes  of  lightning  was  about 
one  and  one-half  seconds.  A  few  minutes  before  2 
o'clock,  horsemen  -tlashed  down  the  streets  giving 
the  alarm  of  the  approaching  flood.  After  them 
came  a  torrent  three  feet  dee])  and  a  iiuarter  of  a 
mile  wide.  For  half  an  hour  it  beat  against  Eureka 
Hall,  which  was  25x100  feet  in  size,  and  it  finally 
carried  the  building  away.  Other  buildings  were 
also  swept  off. 

Among  the  miner  incidents  of  the  catastrophe,  the 
Sentinel  mentions  that  a  little  girl  rushed  into  the 
flood  and  rescued  her  pet  kid.  The  water-shed 
having  an  outlet  through  p]ureka  has  an  area  of 
thirty  S((uare  miles. 

On  July  24,  1876,  at  the  same  hour  that  the  alarm 
of  the  flood  of  July  24,  1874,  was  given,  the  whistle 
of  the  Richmond  Company  and  the  ringing  of 
the  fire-bells  sounded  the  alarm,  and  a  turbulent 
volume  of  water  was  seen  making  its  way  down 
Spring  and  Buel  streets.  The  inhabitants  fled  to 
the  hill.  The  stream  fortunately  confined  itself  to 
the  ditch,  and  no  lives  were  lost,  and  but  little 
property  was  destroyed.  On  August  15,  1878,  at 
twentj'  minutes  past  0  P.  m,  a  second  flood  was 
heralded  by  the  steam  whistle  of  the  liichmond 
Company.  Soon  a  multitude  of  voices  sent  up  the 
startling  cry  of  "  the  flood  !  the  flood  !"  The  skies 
were  rent  by  lightning,  and  thunders  rumbled  over 
the  valleys.  The  inhabitants  again  sought  the  hills 
for  safety,  for  a  white,  resistless  wall  of  foamy 
water  swept  down  the  main  thoroughfare  of  the 
town,  and  divided  below  the  Eichmond  dump.  It 
originated  in  Pinto  Canon,  four  miles  distant,  and 
was  first  seen  by  William  Martin,  who  happened  to 
be  riding  a  mule  at  the  time.  He  spurred  for  the 
town,  shouting  the  alarm  as  he  went,  and  notified 
the  men  at  the  Richmond  works,  thus  undoubtedly 
saving  many  lives.  This  flood  was  a  heavier  one 
than  that  of  1874,  but  was  not  so  destructive.  No 
lives  were  lost.  The  damage  was  estimated  at 
875,000.  Among  innumerable  incidents  that  oc- 
curred, it  is  related  that  a  woman,  frightened  out  of 
her  senses,  rushed  into  the  water,  but  was  overtaken 
and  saved  by  a  man  who  had  to  abandon  a  barrel  of 
whisky  to  the  flood  in  order  to  perform  his  gallant 
exploit.  Dark  clouds  still  overhung  the  mountains 
when  a  beautiful  rainbow  arched  the  inky  canop)-, 
the  sun  shone  out  brightly  over  Diamond  \'alley, 
and  alarm  and  danger  were  passed.  At  1  o'clock  in 
the  following  afternoon,  still  another  flood  swept 
through  Eureka,  but  the  people  were  on  the  alert, 
and  no  lives  were  lost,  and  only  about  $5,000  worth 
of  damage  sustained. 

ED.MIWD    U.    UUIlliE, 

So^l  of  Joel  and  Hannah  (^Clarkj  Dodge,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  New  Lisborn,  Juneau  County,  Wiscon- 
sin, August  14.  1853.  The  parents  of  our  subject 
were  farmers,  and  young  Dodge  was  trained  to  that 
calling  until  he  reached  his  fifteenth  year,  at  which 
time  he  accompanied  his  father  across  the  plains  to 


442 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ii./ 


the  Pacific  Coast.  Sickness  and  the  failure  of  teams 
caused  him  to  stop  at  Austin,  Lander  County.  In 
January,  1870,  he  commenced  work  in  the  Manhat- 
tan Quartz  Mill,  where  he  continued  for  one  year. 
Leaving  the  mill  he  began  teaming,  which  occupa- 
tion he  followed  only  a  few  months,  when  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  as  clerk  in  their 
express  office,  where  he  remained  about  one  year. 
Throwing  up  his  clerkship  at  that  time  he  went  to 
California,  and  entered  Ileald'H  Business  College  in 
San  Francisco.  In  this  last  jjlace  he  acquired  a 
thorough  business  education,  and  returned  to  Nevada. 
Being  an  active,  energetic  man,  he  did  not  wait  for 
something  to  turn  up,  but  went  to  work  hauling 
wood  until  December,  1872,  when  he  removed  to 
Eureka,  and  in  company  with  another  parly  opened 
a  bakery,  which  the}'  conducted  for  about  one  year. 
From  this  Mr.  Dodge  entered  the  real  estate  business, 
and  in  a  few  months  accepted  a  position  as  book- 
keeper in  the  mercantile  establishment  of  W.  H. 
Clark.  His  next  venture  in  the  business  line  was 
opening  a  general  fire  insurance  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1878  ho  received  the  nomination  for  County  Clerk, 
and  was  handsomely  elected  by  the  Republican 
party,  and  still  holds  that  position,  lie  was  married 
to  Miss  M.  L.  Beardsloe,  of  Eureka,  December 
17,  1879. 


Son  of  Paine  and  Uuth  (Bray)  Morrill,  was  born 
June  26,  1837,  in  the  town  of  Turner,  Oxford  County, 
Maine.  He  was  the  eldest  of  three  children,  Hattie 
E.,  born  September  28,  1842,  married  Geo.  E.  Slroub, 
and  Philo  C,  born  February  28,  1847,  died  Septem- 
ber 5,  1861.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born 
December  7,  1S0:J,  died  May  5,  1854.  Mrs.  Merrill 
was  born  January  11,  1809,  and  is  now  living. 

After  obtaining  a  thorough  academic  education, 
Mr.  Merrill  entered  the  law  office  of  Barrows,  the 
present  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  of  Maine,  and  subsequently  studied  with  a 
well-known  firm  in  Evansville,  Indiana.  In  1860  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  the  latter  State,  and 
when  the  country  was  threatened  with  destruction, 
consequent  upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Kebellion, 
ho  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Sixteenth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Regiment,  but  was  soon  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  then  to  a  captaincy,  and  was  sub- 
scquentlj' elected  major  of  his  regiment,  but  resigned 
before  receiving  his  commission.  After  his  with- 
drawal from  the  army  he  came  to  California,  and 
soon  after  to  Austin,  Ivander  Counlj%  Nevada; 
thence  to  Nye  County,  where  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  District  Attorney  for  several  terms.  Alter 
spending  one  year  in  the  White  Pine  country,  he 
settled  permanently  in  Eureka,  engaging  in  the 
practice  of  law.  In  1874,  was  elected  District 
Attorney  of  Eureka  County,  holding  the  office  three 
consecutive  terms.  In  1880  Mr.  Merrill  was  chosen 
to  represent  the  )icoplo  in  the  Legislature,  being  the 
only  Democrat  elected  in  the  county.  He  was 
elected  Speaker  of  the  House,  and  proved  to  be  the 
right  man  in  the  right  place. 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


44n 


Judge  of  the  Sixth  District,  and  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia, 
April  6,  1848.  Ills  education  was  obtained  at  the 
Richmond  College,  in  lia,y  County,  Missouri,  and  at 
the  Port  Roj-al  Academy,  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Soon  after  leaving  school  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  Col.  A.  vS.  Buford,  President  of  the  Rich- 
mond and  Atlanta  Air-line  Railroad  Company,  at 
Danville,  Virginia,  where  he  pursued  the  study  of 
law,  and  afterward  came  to  Nevada,  and  finished  his 
studios  with  Col.  A.  C.  P^llis,  in  Carson  City.  In  1869 
he  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  this  State.  His 
ability  in  his  profession  was  readily  recognized  by  the 
people,  and  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Dis- 
trict in  Nevada  in  November,  1874,  being  the  young- 
est man  ever  elected  to  such  a  position  on  the  Pa- 
cific Coast,  and  probably  in  the  United  States,  being 
only  twenty-six  years  of  age.  Again,  in  1878,  he 
was  elected  to  the  same  high  office,  and  has  yet  two 
years  before  the  expiration  of  his  term,  drawing  the 
largest  salarj-  paid  in  this  State  to  any  officer,  not 
excepting  Governor  or  Supreme  Judges.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  counsels  of  his  party  from  the  days  of  his  youth, 
and  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  its  leaders. 
On  the  sixth  of  April,  1874  (his  birthday),  ho  was 
married  to  Miss  F.  M.  llazen,  in  the  Church  of  the 
Advent,  in  San  Francisco,  California. 

P.\ns.\DE  is  situated  at  the  west  end  of  Twelve- 
mile  Canon,  otherwise  known  as  "  The  Palisades," 
through  which  flows  the  Humboldt  River.  It  con- 
tains  about  200  inhabitants,  and    consists   of  two 


hotels,  two  saloons,  a  barber  shop,  a  boot  and  shoo 
shop,  two  stores,  a  post-office,  about  twenty-five 
dwellings,  the  shops  of  the  Kuroka  and  Palisade 
Railroad  Company,  and  various  railroad  buildings. 
At  those  shops  are  manufactured  all  the  box  and 
flat  cars  ref|uired  by  the  company.  Large  ])iles  of 
base  bullion  bars  arc  usually  to  be  seen  stacked  up 
at  the  freight  house  awaiting  shipment.  During 
1878,  .31,038,884  pounds  of  base  bullion  were  brought 
by  rail  from  Eureka.  The  water  supply  is  brought 
from  a  huge  tank  located  on  the  mountain  side  to 
the  northward,  at  a  height  of  300  feet.  This,  in 
turn,  is  supplied  from  never-failing  mountain 
springs.  The  recent  census  gives  the  population  of 
Palisade,  and  the  lower  part  of  Pine  Valley,  as  fol- 
lows: Whites  and  blacks,  105;  Chinese,  48;  Indians, 
40;  total,  253.  That  part  of  Eureka  County  de- 
scribed as  "north  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad, 
along  the  Central  Pacific,  and  the  lower  part  ot 
Pine  Valley,"  is  credited  with  the  following  popula- 
tion: Whites  and  blacks,  223;  Chinese,  61;  Indians 
not  taxed,  44;  total,  328. 

The  town  of  Ruby  Hill  is  two  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  Eureka.  The  census  of  1880  gives  it  a  pop- 
ulation of  2,165.  It  is  the  home  of  about  900  miners 
with  their  families,  has  good  streets,  substantial 
buildings,  stores,  churches,  schools,  a  newspaper,  a 
theater  hall,  and  all  other  characteristics  of  a  live,  pro- 
gressive town.  The  Miners'  Union  numbers  600 
members,  and  has  a  largo  hall  of  its  own.  The 
appearance  of  the  town  is  much  enhanced  by  the 
large  and  costlj'  works  of  the  varions  mining  com- 
panies operating  there.  Its  history  has  been  suffi- 
ciently given  in  the  preceding  account  of  the  rise 
and  progress  of  the  mining  industry  in  Eureka 
County. 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

HISTORY   OF    HUMBOLDT    COUNTY. 

Impressions  of  the  E.arly  Emii;rants — f  Jenenil  Char.icteristics — 
P-iradise  ami  (^'uiii  Kiver  V.alleys  —  Ori;anization  and 
Boimilaries — Fiuanoi.il  anil  IVlitioal  Matters — Humboldt 
Canal  Scheme — Discovciy  of  Mineral — Principal  Mining 
Districts — Principal  Towns  and  Cities — Hon.  T.  .1.  Brad- 
shaw — Joel  Bradshaw — .lames  Byrnes — Charles  Kimler — 
C.  A.  Nichols— W.  A.  Sherry— Hon.  M.  S.  Thompson— E. 
Blennerhas.sett. 

Alk.\li  ])lains,  covered  in  part  with  scattering 
sage-brush,  with  now  [and  then  a  tuft  of  bunch- 
grass;  basaltic  rocks,  twisted  and  contorted  in  the 
great  convulsions  of  nature,  over  which  the  lizard 
darted  in  his  daily  hunt  for  a  dinner  of  insects; 
crickets  sQuealing  out  a  complaint  when  the  long 
whiplash  of  the  ox-driver  fell  too  near  them;  a 
sage-hen  or  a  hare  Inirrj-lng  out  of  sight  of  the 
man  with  a  gun  intent  on  getting  fresh  meat; 
those  were  the  prominent  objects  that  photographed 
themselves  on  the  memory  of  those  who  passed 
down  the  Humboldt  in  the  early  California  days. 
How  the  horned  toad,  lizards,  crickets,  rabbits, 
and  sage-hens  managed  to  survive  and  maintain  a 


444 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


tolerable  appearance  of  vitality  passed  the  under- 
staiidin£c  of  the  average  ox-driver  who  wended  his 
weary,  toilsome  way  towards  the  setting  sun. 
What  puch  a  country  was  made  for — so  uscle^JS,  so 
trod-forsaken — was  the  standing  question  alwaj's 
entering  into  consideration,  whether  watching  the 
cattle  during  the  long  hours  of  the  night,  forcing 
them  onward  with  the  resounding  lash  during  the 
day,  or  taking  the  dailj-  rations  of  sodden  bread, 
fried  pork,  and  black  coffee.  It  is  true,  that  now 
and  then  one  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  valley  which, 
with  seasonable  rains,  might  make  a  fine  home;  but 
to  the  average  emigrant  the  country  was  repulsive 
in  the  extreme,  and  thought  of  only  as  separating 
them  from  the  land  that  was  pouring  out  its  gold 
in  the  profusion  of  J^l  Dorado. 

To  the  thoughtful  man  there  was  much  to  study. 
The  fixcls  that  the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  was  the 
bottom  of  an  ancient  sea;  that  the  waves,  at  some 
distant  period,  rolled  hundreds  of  feet  above  the 
present  water  level,  were  a  source  of  constant  won- 
der. Far  up  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains  could  be 
seen  the  terraces  of  the  former  beach  or  water 
level.  Every  fragment  of  obsidian  or  petrifaction 
was  a  subject  of  wonder,  and  a  text  for  numberless 
thoughts.  The  white  sands  and  colored  claj's  were 
the  relics  of  bj- -gone  ages,  when  the  whale  and  other 
monsters  of  the  deep  sported  over  the  present 
mountains  and  plains.  The  ancient  lava  beds,  with 
basaltic  or  columnar  crystallization,  and  the  inter- 
vening or  protruding  rocks,  twisted  and  contorted 
with  the  changing  of  the  alkaline  bases,  were  ex- 
posed to  the  inspection  of  the  curious  and  the  stu- 
dious. 

Year  after  year  the  emigrants  hurried  along, 
little  heeding  the  treasures  that  were  locked  up  in 
the  hills,  or  reposing  in  the  numerous  valleys  which 
lay  hidden  between  the  mountain  spurs  which 
traversed  the  Great  Basin.  The  "great  meadows,"  as 
they  were  called,  which  marked  the  last  resting- 
place  of  the  retreating  sea,  with  their  thousands  of 
acres  of  fine  meadow  grass,  would  induce  the  emi- 
grant to  tarr}'  a  while  to  recruit  his  worn-out  cat- 
tle; but  when  the  indications  of  approaching  winter 
came,  all  left  the  valley  of  the  Humboldt  to  the  pos- 
session of  the  Pah-Ute  and  his  neighbors,  the 
lizards.  It  was  not  until  the  discovery  along  the 
base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  the  richest  silver 
mines  of  historj'  that  the  attCTition  of  explorers 
was  turned  toward  the  great  vallej'of  the  Humboldt. 

With  explorations  and  improvements  marked 
changes  have  resulted  and  different  ideas  prevail. 
As  late  as  IHSit  Horace  (freeley  made  his  memorable 
journey  across  the  country,  and,  remarking  upon  the 
repulsive  appearance  of  the  "  Great  Basin,"  expressed 
the  opinion  that  it  would  bo  better  if  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada and  Rocky  Mountains  could  be  brought  to- 
gether and  the  intervening  country  eliminated  from 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  Denunciation  was  popular 
then,  but  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  treasure  since 


produced,  and  the  perennial  stream  of  bullion  flow- 
ing from  countless  fountains,  the  succulent  beef  fat- 
tened upon  its  hills  receiving  a  premium  in  every 
market,  the  abounding  health  of  the  people  and 
their  general  wealth,  the  high  and  orderlj-  state  of 
society,  and  the  many  great  fortunes  that  point  to 
this  region  as  their  source,  have  changed  the  tone, 
and  Nevada  can  be  no  longer  disparaged. 

GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 

Humboldt  County  contains  about  Ifi.OOO  square 
miles  of  territory,  traversed  by  numerous  mountain 
ranges  with  general  north  and  south  trend.  Some 
of  the  peaks  have  an  altitude  of  10,000  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  and  4,000  to  5,000  feet  above  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  mountains  generally  have 
an  abrupt  elevation,  leaving  broad,  flat  valleys,  cov- 
ered with  sage-brush  or  barren  sand,  between.  The 
Humboldt  River  enters  the  county  near  the  center 
of  its  eastern  border,  makes  a  wide  detour  to  the 
northwest,  turns  abruptly  towards  the  southwest, 
emptying  into  Humboldt  Lake  in  the  southwest, 
having  a  course  of  about  150  miles  in  the  county. 

This  great  valley  afforded  the  most  feasible  and 
natural  passage  for  the  emigration  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  opened  a  route  for  the  great  transconti- 
nental railway.  Through  it  now  runs  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  with  144  miles  within  the  limits  of 
the  county,  thus  giving  superior  advantages  of  inter- 
communication. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  county  is  the  most  ele- 
vated. From  its  boundary  at  the  one  hundred  and 
seventeenth  meridian  from  Greenwich  it  slopes  grad- 
ually to  the  level  of  the  Great  Basin,  where  it  termi- 
nates in  level,  barren,  sandy,  alkali  plains,  dry  and 
parched  in  the  summer  and  half  covered  with  water 
in  the  winter.  This  kind  of  land  forms  a  notable 
feature  in  the  topography  of  the  county.  One  body 
of  this  kind  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the 
county  is  fully  sixty  miles  wide  east  and  west,  bj-  IGO 
in  length  from  north  to  south.  North  of  this  tract  the 
country  graduallj-  rises  until  a  mountainous  elevation 
is  reached.  Hero  were  the  famous  Black  Rock  Mines, 
which  for  a  long  time  were  a  puzzle  and  a  delusion  to 
the  prospector  who  saw  possible  millions  in  the  myste- 
rious, uncertain  mineral.  The  Forty-mile  Desert,  the 
terror  of  the  earl  j^  emigrants,  where,  in  1850, hundreds, 
or  rather  thousands,  of  wagons,  harnesses,  yokes, 
and  skeletons  of  horses  and  cattle  attested  the  real- 
ity of  their  apprehensions,  is  a  part  of  this  barren 
plain,  which  may  find  a  parallel  in  the  Great  Desert 
of  Africa. 

In  the  northern  and  eastern  portion  of  the  county 
are  many  fine  vallej's,  which  for  beauty  and  fertility 
have  no  superiors  and  few  equals.  The  bunch-grass 
is  probably  the  most  nutritious  of  all  the  grasses,  and 
keeps  its  virtues  even  when  covered  several  feet 
with  snow.  Cattle  will  thrive,  and  even  get  fat  on 
this  when  they  have  to  paw  the  snow  away  to  get 
at  it,  though  the  snows  do  not  often  remain  on  the 


1 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


446 


ground  many  weeks  at  a  time.  The  TTumboldt 
Valley  east  of  the  Great  J5end  is  nearly  worthless  for 
agriculture,  but  after  the  river  passes  through  the 
West  Humboldt  range  of  mountains  and  turns 
toward  the  south,  the  valley  becomes  wider,  grass}- 
meadows  take  the  place  of  the  sage-brush  flats,  and 
finallj'  the  great  meadows  are  reached.  Those  who 
crossed  the  plains  with  teams  before  the  time  of  the 
railway,  will  remember  that  unbroken,  even  untrod- 
den miles  of  the  finest  grass,  waist-high,  covered  these 
natural  lawns,  50,000  or  more  animals  halting  there 
had  only  cropped  awaj-  the  outer  edge,  so  extensive 
was  the  range.  These  meadows  will  be  referred  to 
again  in  the  sketches  of  the  several  towns  and  set- 
tlements. 

PARADISE   AND   QUIN    RIVER   VALLEYS. 

The  first  of  these,  which,  fortunately,  does  no  dis- 
credit to  the  name,  is  one  of  the  oases  sometimes 
found  in  the  most  barren  and  desolate  countries,  like 
Broussa,  in  Syria,  or  the  vale  of  Cashmere,  in  Persia. 
It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Little  Humboldt, 
which  rises  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  in  the 
Santa  [?osa  and  Volcanic  ranges  of  mountains,  and 
flows  southward  nearlj'  a  hundred  miles,  being  joined 
in  its  course  by  several  smaller  streams,  finally  join- 
ing the  main  Humboldt  at  the  Great  Bend.  The 
vallej'  is  reckoned  twenty  to  forty  miles  long  and 
ten  to  twenty  wide,  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
writer  as  to  the  character  or  classification  of  the 
land.  In  some  places  the  rich,  black  soil,  or  alluvial 
deposit,  is  six  or  eight  miles  wide,  while  the  slope  or 
sides  of  the  mountains,  which  maybe  made  product- 
ive bj'  irrigation,  are  ten  or  twenty  more;  in  other 
places  the  valley  narrows  to  a  much  less  distance, 
actually  segregating  it  into  several  distinct  valleys. 
As,  from  its  lertility  and  favorable  situation,  it  is 
likely  to  become  the  most  important  and  permanent 
agricultural  ])ortion  of  Nevada,  an  account  of  its  dis- 
covery and  settlement  well  deserves  a  place  in  the 
historj'  of  the  State. 

About  the  first  of  June,  18G3,  K.  D.  Carr,  W.  B. 
Huff,  J.  A.  Whitmore  and  \V.  C.  Gregg  started  from 
Star  City  with  the  intention  of  prospecting  the 
mountains  on  the  north  side  of  the  Humboldt,  rang- 
ing to  the  east.  They  crossed  near  where  Mill  City 
now  stands,  and  followed  the  western  slope  of  the 
mountains  until  they  struck  Tlobcl  Creek,  which  they 
followed  to  its  source  near  the  summit.  On  attaining 
the  summit  a  wide  and  beautiful  valley  burst  on 
their  view.  Having  seen  only  cafions  and  rugged 
hills  they  were  much  sur])rised,  and  \V.  B.  Huff  invol- 
untarily exclaimed,  "What  a  paradise !"  and  thus 
gave  name  to  the  valley.  The  men  were  so  elated 
with  the  discovery  that  all  thoughts  of  mines  were 
forgotten,  and  they  lost  no  time  in  taking  possession 
of  homesteads,  or  at  least  driving  stakes  to  indicate 
their  claims.  In  July  following,  Gregg  returned 
with  fourteen  head  of  horses,  wagons,  mower,  hay- 
press  and  blacksmith   tools.     During   the  season   he. 

cut  and  baled  two  hundred  and  tifly  tons  of  hay,  the 
5G 


most  of  which  he  sold  at  remunerative  prices  at 
Star  City  and  Austin.  In  1804,  M.  Maylen,  Thomas 
Byrnes,  P.  H.  Scott,  E.  Lyug, Moffett, John- 
son, Geo.  IL  Carrol,  J.  B.  ( "arrol,Wm.  Stock,C.  W.  Hin- 
key,  Geo.  A.  Middlelon,  Charles  A.  Nichols,  Richard 
Brenehley,  John  Stockham,  R.  H.  Scott,  A.  Denio, 
M.  W.  Haviland  and  Jacob  Hufierd,  the  two  latter 
with  families,  came  to  the  valley,  Mrs.  Hufferd  being 
the  first  white  woman  to  set  foot  in  it. 

They  made  houses  of  turf  and  such  other  material 
as  was  at  hand,  and  set  up  housekeeping  with  pros- 
pects of  eventually  building  up  comfortable  homes, 
and  cultivated  small  patches  of  land  in  vegetables. 
March  6,  1864,  Richard  Brenchlcj'  and  Charles  A. 
Nichols  plowed  the  first  furrow,  and  on  the  twelfth 
sowed  the  first  grain  in  the  valley.  The  grain 
exceeded  all  expectations.  From  forty -five  acres  of 
wheat  they  threshed  1,000  bushels,  which  they  sold 
for  S9,000.  Others  also  engaged  in  farming,  the 
results  being  equally  satisfactory,  and  the  whole 
colony  calculated  on  engaging  extensively  in  farm- 
ing the  following  season.  Early  in  the  spring  of 
18G5  the  hostile  appearance  of  the  Indians  induced 
many  of  the  settlers  to  abandon  the  valley.  Others 
relied  upon  the  presence  of  the  military  at  the 
different  camps  to  awe  the  Indians  into  quiet;  but 
Nevada  is  a  large  State,  and  a  few  scattered  troops 
can  do  but  little  towards  restraining  thousands  of 
savages  hidden  in  the  cafions  and  wild  places.  April 
4th  two  friendly  Indians  came  to  Nichols'  place  very 
much  excited,  and  told  him  that  in  two  or  three 
sleeps  (days)  the  Indians  were  going  to  kill  all  the 
white  men,  and  advised,  or  rather  entreated  him  to 
leave  immediately.  Circumstances  prevented  them 
from  doing  so,  and  some  of  the  number  were 
killed.  The  Indians  continued  hostile,  and,  notwith- 
standing the  presence  of  the  soldiers,  made  a  resi- 
dence very  dangerous.  Much  of  the  stock  was  driven 
off;  some  of  the  men  were  killed,  and  it  was  not 
until  1869  that  the  settlers  felt  secure  in  their  homes. 
A  full  account  of  this  period  is  given  in  Chapter 
XXII  of  this  history,  to  which  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred. 

In  1866  a  military  post  was  established  at  Camp 
Winfield  Scott.  This  was  abandoned  in  1871,  the 
troops  being  transferred  to  Camp  McDermit.  near 
the   Oregon  lino.     Among  the  early  sottlei-s  of  the 

valley,  coming  afler  the  emigration  of  1864,  were 

Mitchel,  H.  V.  Hilcy,  Wni.  Trousdale,  James  H.  Glass- 
gow,  Victor  John,  Chris.  l)oarborn,  killed  in  1866, 
also  his  companion,  S.  B.  Wordin,  John  and  William 

Sheldon, Roper,  S.  B.  !'.  Pierce,  Chauncej-  T^aw- 

rence,John  Mullenaux,  Alonzo  Bryant,  T.J.  Bryant, 

Batista  and  John  Rickanzoni, Fornian,  Cyrus 

Abel,  Edward  Odell,  J.  G.  Johnson,  Samuel  Fore- 
man, and  others  whose  names  are  not  remembered. 

Since  1870  the  settlement  and  improvement  of  the 
valley  has  been  rapidly  going  on;  148,358  acres  of 
land  had  been  surveyed  as  early  as  1876;  33,994 
were  sold  at  that  time.     Flour  and    barley,  products 


446 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


of  the  valley,  are  now  sold  everywhere  within  a 
radius  of  a  hundred  miles.  The  development  of  the 
mines  in  the  valley  is  also  increasing  the  value  of 
the  land  by  bringing  a  nearer  market  for  the 
productions. 

The  valley,  owing  to  the  immense  range  of  hills 
covered  with  bunch-grass,  has  become  famous  as  a 
stock  range,  and  we  find  the  following  estimates,  for 
1880,  of  its  live-stock:  Cattle,  7,000;  sheep,  10,500; 
horses,  1,000. 

The  first  store  kept  in  the  valley  was  owned  by 
(reorge  A.  Middleton,  at  Milton's  Point.  Whisky 
was  fifty  cents  a  drink,  though  regular  customers 
got  it  at  reduced  rates.  Coftee  was  SI. 00;  bacon, 
fifty  cents;  beans,  thirty;  flour  and  sugar,  fifty,  and 
tea,  $1.50  per  pound.  The  fii-st  flour-mill  was  built 
by  C.  A.  Adams  in  1868.  Previous  to  this  wheat 
was  ground  with  a  coffee-mill.  Wheat  yields  twenty- 
three  bushels  to  the  acre  on  an  average.  Of  course 
larger  crops  than  this  are  frequent,  as  high  as  eighty 
bushels  to  the  acre  having  been  harvested.  The 
mill  now  has  two  run  of  buhr-stone,  turning  out  a 
first-rate  qualit}'  of  flour. 

The  Humboldt  County  Agricultural,  Mining  and 
Mechanical  Society  owes  its  existence  mostly  to 
the  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  Paradise  Valley. 
This  society  has  a  capital  stock  of  810,000,  divided 
into  2,000  shares.  The  principal  place  of  business  is 
Paradise  City.     The  officers  for  1880  were: — 

C.  C.  Biles,  President;  J.  K.  Harvey,  Vice-Presi- 
dent; J.  B.  Chase,  Secretary;  Wm.  Stock,  Treas- 
urer; J.  R.  Harvey,  Superintendent  of  Arena;  J.  B. 
Case,  Superintendent  of  Pavilion. 

Board  of  Trustees— W.  B.  Carrol,  C.  A.  Nichols, 
Ferdinand  Bauman,  W.  M.  Barnum,  L.  L.  Rickard, 
S.  B.  P.  Pierce,  J.  E.  Harvey,  C.  C.  Biles,  Chas. 
Kemler,  Wm.  Weighl,  B.  F.  Riley,  B.  H.  Luther, 
Anton  Hinkey,  J.  B.  Carr,  Wm.  Stock. 

Committee  on  Speed  Programme — C.  C.  Biles,  J. 
R.  Harvey,  B.  H.  Luther. 

Committee  on  Premium  List — Chas.  Kemler,  J.  B. 
Case,  C.  C,  Biles. 

Committee  on  Printing — J.  B.  Case,  C.  C.  Biles. 

Over  85,000  were  offered  as  premuims,  besides 
medals  and  diplomas,  for  best  horses,  stock,  miner- 
als, agricultural,  artistic  and  mechanical  productions. 
The  list  of  the  premiums,  with  the  liberal  rewards 
ofl'ered,  attest  the  intention  of  the  citizens  to  put 
themselves  in  the  front  ranks  of  enterprise  and  im- 
provement. 

Lees  than  twenty  3-ears  have  elapsed  since  the 
settlers  turned  the  first  furrow,  but  the  comfortable 
residences  and  farm  buildings,  fences,  waving  fields 
of  grain,  and  numerous  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep, 
attest  not  only  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  but  the  enter- 
prise and  industry  of  the  inhabitants. 

QuiN  River  Vai.let  lies  along  the  river  of  the 
same  name,  which  rises  in  a  high  range  of  mount- 
ains   near    the   Oregon    lino,    and    flowing    south- 


westerly several  hundred  miles,  meandering  among 
the  alkali  flats,  finally  dwindles  away  and  disappears 
in  the  sands.  The  upper  part  of  this  valley  contains 
some  good  grazing  land,  most  of  which  is  in  the  pos- 
session of  one  man — N.  A.  H.  Mason,  who  maintains 
upon  it  a  herd  of  over  six  thousand  head  of  cattle. 
No  great  attempts  have  been  made  to  cultivate  the 
soil,  and  the  population  is  sparse.  There  are  neither 
schools,  churches  or  other  institutions  for  the  benefit 
of  the  few  scattered  herdsmen  who  compose  the 
entire  population. 

0RG.\NIZATI0N    AND    BOUNDARIES. 

Humboldt  County  was  created  at  the  first  session 
of  the  Territorial  Legislature  by  an  Act  approved 
November  25, 1861,  and  its  boundaries  were  described 
as  follows:  "  Beginning  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Storey  County;  thence  running  easterly  along  the 
immigrant  road  leading  to  the  sink  of  the  Hum- 
boldt, to  the  fortieth  parallel  of  latitude;  thence 
east  along  said  line  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
Territorj-;  thence  north,  along  the  eastern  bound- 
ary, to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Territory; 
thence  west  along  said  boundary  line  to  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  Lake  County,  (since  called  Hoop); 
thence  south  along  the  boundary  lines  of  Lake 
and  Washoe  Counties  to  the  point  of  beginning." 
This  comprised  close  uj)on  23,490  square  miles 
in  the  northeastern  quarter  of  the  Territory. 
This  tract  of  country  was  larger  than  all  of  New 
England,  and  larger  than  several  of  the  other 
States;  in  fact  it  would  have  been,  as  far  as 
territory  was  concerned,  a  very  respectable  State.  It 
is  not  presumed  that  the  organization  of  a  county 
government  served  as  much  of  a  restraint  on  the 
Indians,  or  on  the  more  civilized  whites  who  launched 
themselves  into  this  fei-ra  incog7iita. 

By  the  Act  approved  December  19,  1862,  creating 
Lander  County,  all  that  portion  of  Humboldt  County 
lying  between  the  fortieth  and  forty-second  parallels 
of  north  latitude,  and  lying  between  the  one  hundred 
and  sixteenth  and  one  hundred  and  seventeenth 
degrees  of  longitude,  was  made  a  part  of  Lander 
County.  This  included  about  one-third  of  the  origi- 
nal area  of  Humb'jldt  Countj\  By  the  Act  approved 
March  7,  1873,  a  portion  of  the  southeast  corner  of 
Humboldt  County  was  added  to  Lander  County, 
leaving  the  boundaries  between  the  two  counties  as 
at  present.  By  an  Act  approved  February  27,  1869, 
the  fortieth  parallel  of  north  latitude  was  made  the 
southern  boundary  of  Humboldt  County.  By  this 
change  Humboldt  County  lost  a  triangular  ])iece  of 
territory  at  its  southwest  corner  that  contained  29J 
square  miles.  In  return  for  this  cession,  t'hurchill 
County  was  required  to  pa}'  to  Humboldt  County 
the  sum  of  8.'J,000.  The  object  of  the  cession  was  to 
include  a  portion  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  in 
Churchill  County,  and  thus  assist  Churchill  in  main- 
taining u  government.  Subseijuently  another  small 
.triangular  section  was  coded  to  Churchill  County  in 
the  extreme  southwest. 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


447 


FINANCIAL   AND    POLITIOAI,    MATTERS. 

It  seems  to  bo  the  fate  of  young  communities,  like 
the  j'oung  generally,  to  plunge  into  debt,  and  then 
struggle  for  years  to  get  out,  or  to  keep  even.  Debts 
are  usually  incurred  in  prosperous  years  and  paid 
when  times  are  hard.  In  some  instances  a  community 
is  organized  with  high  hopes,  rich  mines  or  other 
sources  of  wealth  being  apparently  unlimited.  Pub- 
lic works  of  an  extravagant  character  are  inaug- 
urated, bonds  bearing  a  high  rate  of  interest  are 
issued  to  pay  for  them,  and  for  a  few  years  at  least 
everything  appears  prosperous.  But  the  tide  of  pros- 
perity turns;  the  mines  fail  or  become  worked  out; 
the  population  which  was  attracted  by  the  excite- 
ment leaves  for  some  other  new  wonder;  property 
depreciates;  everything  but  the  debt  gets  less  and 
less  as  the  years  pass  on;  but  the  bonds  bearing  a 
high  rate  of  interest,  which  perhaps  is  not  paid,  roll 
on  increasing  as  they  go,  until  everj'  industry  is 
overshadowed  by  them;  while  the  authors  of  the  mis- 
fortunes, the  office-seekers  and  politicians,  who 
usually  are  parasites  on  the  community,  neither  toil- 
ing nor  spinning,  fold  their  tents  and  glide  away. 
This  is  the  history  of  many  a  county  in  California; 
and  Nevada  seems  no  exception.  Humboldt  County 
for  years  had  a  nominal  debt,  but  a  Court  House  com- 
mensurate with  the  jDTOsperous  condition  of  the 
county  was  needed,  and  the  nucleus  of  a  debt 
started.  From  a  few  thousands  it  became  806,000. 
A  thousand  or  two  was  added  each  year  until,  in 
1880,  approaches  to  near  the  sum  of  $100,000. 
Luckily  for  Humboldt  County  the  influx  of  popula- 
tion was  not  by  tens  of  thousand  a  year  as  in  the 
counties  of  El  Dorado  and  Calaveras,  in  California, 
or  the  experiences  of  those  counties  might  have  been 
repeated  here.  By  looking  at  the  assessment  roll  it 
will  be  seen  that  there  has  been  a  general  and  steady 
increase  of  property  values.  This  is  owing  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  farming  and  grazing  interest, 
which  is  subject  to  much  less  fluctuation  than  min- 
ing. The  incomplete  returns  of  \S(j'.\  do  not  show 
the  basis  of  the  assessmtsnt  roll  of  81,09(!,848.r)0  for 
that  year,  but  the  decrease  of  over  8200,000  the  fol- 
lowing season  might  have  been  occasioned  by  the  loss 
or  driving  away  of  cattle  and  other  stock  in  conse- 
quence of  the  diy  winter  of  1863-64,  also  by  the 
Indian  difliculties.  The  lowest  point  was  reached  in 
1865,  when  the  assessment  roll  showed  a  total  of 
8385,460.  From  this  point  it  gradually  increased  to 
over  81,500,000  in  1868,  and  to  82,1!I8,7!)7  in  1869. 
The  fluctuation  was  caused  by  the  discovery  of  some 
of  the  richest  mines  away  from  the  Comstock  Lode, 
causing  a  boom  which  reached  its  climax  in  1869. 
The  reaction  lasted  but  a  year  or  two,  when  the 
prosperitj'  of  the  county  was  placed  on  a  permanent 
basis. 

The  mines,  though  not  fabulously  rich,  are  generally 
on  a  paying  basis.  Though  it  may  seem  strange  to 
relate,  yet  it  is  now  a  conceded  fact  that  mines 
■which  are  rich  enough  to  attract  the  attention  of 


millionaires  do  a  country  but  little  good.  The  man- 
agement is  entrusted  to  agents  who  obtain  labor  and 
materials  at  the  lowest  rates,  the  profits  going  to 
some  other  place  to  bo  expended,  perhaps  in  London 
or  Paris  in  "  creating  a  sensation." 

Humboldt  County  has  an  assurance  of  a  moderate 
prosperit)',  and  when  the  people  awake  to  the  neces- 
sitj-  of  curtailing  county  expenses  to  the  rates  pre- 
vailing in  older  communities,  as  they  inevitably  will, 
and  commence  a  reduction  of  the  hitherto  increasing 
debt,  they  may  rest  in  peace. 

The  total  value  of  taxable  property  in  the  county 
for  1875,  was  82,098,716,  and  the  total  debt  was 
869,403.  In  1880  the  taxable  property  was  82,375,- 
973,  with  a  debt  of  898,079;  showing  that  the  increase 
of  debt  keeps  pace  with  the  increase  of  property  val- 
ues in  the  county.  According  to  the  reports  of  the 
various  Assessors  there  are  but  20,000  acres  actually 
under  cultivation,  while  the  Surveyor  IJeneral  reports 
150,000  acres  in  the  county  available  for  agriculture, 
with  the  possibilitj-  of  increasing  the  amount  to  300,- 
000  by  means  of  proper  irrigation.  So  that  there  is 
ample  room  for  a  larger  population  and  more  homos 
in  Humboldt  County. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  population,  the  bullion 
product,  the  fruit  trees  and  vines,  the  amount  of 
land  under  cultivation,  and  the  various  products  of 
the  same,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  various  tables 
in  the  general  history,  where  each  is  given  under 
the  proper  heads.     See  pages  135,  136,  139,  and  140. 

AI'POINT.MENTS    AND    ELECTIONS. 

The  names  of  those  who  tilled  the  various  positions 
of  honor  and  trust  in  the  county,  either  by  appoint- 
ment or  election,  and  the  date  of  such  appointment 
or  election  in  each  case,  are  given  below: — 

SENATORS. 

M.  S.  Thompson  was  elected  Councilman  under 
Territorial  law  September  3,  1862;  \V.  H.  Claggett 
and  Win.  Essler,  elected  Senators  January  19,  1864; 
Fred.  Hutchins,  elected  Councilman  September  7, 
1864;  Fred.  Hutchins  and  M.  S.  Thompson,  elected 
Senators  November  8,  1864;  J.  J.  Linn,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  M.  S.  Bonnifield,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868;  Robert  McBeth,  elected  November  8, 
1870,  resigned,*  March  18,  1873;  Charles  S.  Varian, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  resigned,  August  8,  1875; 
O.  K.  Stampley,  elected  November  3,  1874;  Charles 
McConnell,  elected  November  7,  1876;  M.  S.Thomp- 
son, elected  November  5,  1878;  Charles  McConnell. 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSE.MBLV.MEN. 

\Vm.  II.  Claggett,  A.  J.  Simmons,  elected  Repre- 
sentatives under  Territorial  law  September  3,  1862. 
re-elected  September  2,  1863;  L.  D.  Preseott,  J.  W. 
Strong  and  A.  J.  Simmons,  elected  Assembly-men 
January  19,  1864;  D.  II.  Brown  and  E.  \V.  Pratt, 
elected  Representatives  Se])tombor  7,  18C4;  D.  H. 
Brown,  B.  H.  Nichols  and  J.  Angus  Dean,  elected 
Assemblymen,  November  8,  1864,  under  the  Con- 
'Bcsidciico  legislated  into  Lander  County. 


448 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


stitution  that  was  rejected;  J.  A.  Banks,  T.  \. 
Juliet!  and  J.  J.  Linn,  elected  November  7,  1865;  P. 
J.  Parmater,  T.  V.  Julien  and  O.  K.  Stampley,  elec- 
ted November  6,  1866;  J.  M.  Woodworth,  R.  H. 
Scott  and  T.  W.  Rule,  elected  Novembers,  1868;  W. 

A.  Trousdale,  Thomas  Harris  and  Joseph  Organ, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  John  O.  Teviss,  Charles 
H.  Stoddard  and  John  H.  Hoppin,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872;  L,  A.  Buckner,  Pablo   Laveago  and  J. 

B.  Case,  elected  November  3, 1874;  S.  W.  Hammond, 
W.  H.  Howard  and  W.  A.  Trousdale,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  Angus  Mon-ison,  David  McLarkey  and 
O.  P.  Crawford,  elected  November  5,  1878;  A.  J. 
Shepard,  Joseph  Organ  and  Thomas  J.  Bradshaw, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

M.  S.  Thompson,  J.  G.  Briggs  and  A.  Benway 
were  appointed  in  1861;  J.  G.  Briggs,  L.  M.  Carter 
and  M.  S.  Thompson,  elected  January  14,  1862;  R. 
M.  Johnson,  A.  P.  K.  Safford  and  L.  M.  Carter, 
elected  September  3,  1862.  Johnson  did  not  qualify, 
and  J.  B.  Addlebaugh  appointed  November  15,  1862. 
Safford  resigned  October  20, 1862,  and  Thomas  Ewing 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  Thos.  A.  Freeman,  W.  W. 
Williams  and  C.  VV.Shang,  elected  September  2, 1863; 
A.  D.  McCuUough  and  T.  A.  Freeman,  elected  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864;  Geo.  W.  Fox,  elected  November  8, 
1865;  A.  D.  McCuUough,  Robert  B.  Fluger  and  L.  L. 
Higby,  elected  November  6,  1866;  H.  G.  Cavin  and 
Thomas  Thompson,  elected  November  3,  1868;  B.  F. 
Riley,  Frank  Drake  and  G.  M.  Miller,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  John  Borland  and  Nathan  Levy,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  C.  A.  Nichols  :ind  J.  F.  Clark, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  R.  W.  Wood  and  A. 
Westfall,  elected  November  7,  1876;  R.  H.  Scott  and 
H.  P.  Marker,  elected  November  5,  1878;  D.  (firoux 
and  L.  N.  Carpenter,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

A.  W.  Olliver,  appointed  December  10, 1861;  Hiram 
Knowles,  elected  September  2,  1863,  re-elected  Jan- 
uary 19,  1864. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

Wm.  W.  Dixon,  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney 
December  22,  1862,  resigned  January  9,  1863,  and 
Hiram  Knowles,  appointed  January  15,  1863,  to  fill 
vacancy;  O.  R.  Leonard,  elected  September  2,  1863; 
A.  P.  Overton,  elected  District  Attorney  November 
8,  1864.  There  being  no  vacancy  he  never  served. 
O.  R.  Leonard  held  over  until  January,  1867,  by 
virtue  of  Section  13  of  Article  17  of  the  Constitution. 
O.  R.  Leonard,  elected  November  6,  1866;  P.  H. 
Harris,  elected  November  3, 1868,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  T.  V.  Julien,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
S.  S.  Grass,  elected  Novembers,  1874;  Goo.  P.  Hard- 
ing, elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November 
5,  1878;  J.  H.  McMillan,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

A.  W.  Nightingill,  appointed  December  10,  1861; 
Robert  McBeth,  elected  January  14, 1862;  re-elected 


September  3,  1862;  S.  D.  Prescott,  elected  September 
7,  1864;  J.  M.  Woodworth,  elected  November  6, 
1866;  J.  N.  Thacker,  elected  November  3,  1868;  N. 
H.  Westfall,  elected  November  8, 1870;  Samuel  King, 
elected  November  5,  1872;  Richard  Nash,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  Charles  A.  Kyle,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  Geo.  M.  Miller,  elected  November  5, 
1878;  W.  T.  Burns,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

J.  W.  Whitney,  elected  Januarj-  14, 1862;  re-elected 
September  3,  1862.  Wm.  K.  Parkinson,  appointed 
March  1, 1864,  in  place  of  Whitney,  deceased.  Wm. 
K.  Parkinson,  elected  September  7,  1864;  J.  D. 
Minor,  elected  November  6,  1866;  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868;  C.  S.  Varian,  elected  Novembers,  1870; 
J.  H.  Job,  elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  No- 
vember 3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876,  re- 
elected November  5,  1878;  J.  E.  Sabine,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

A.  W.  Nightingill,  elected  January  14,  1862;  W.  A. 
Holeomb,  elected  September  3,  1862,  re-elected  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864;  M.  P.  Freeman,  elected  November 
6, 1866;  J.  M.  Brown,elected  Novembers,  1868;  Chris- 
topher Lark,  elected  November  7,  1870,  re-elected 
November  5,  1872;  A.  J.  Shepard,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected 
November  5,  1878;  C.  A.  La  Grave,  elected  Novem- 
ber 2, 1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

S.  M.  Boblett,  elected  January  14,  1862;  E.  E. 
Comstock,  elected  September  3,  1862.  Hiram  Welch 
was  appointed  June  6,  1864,  in  place  of  Comstock, 
absent.  W.  J.  Hanks,  elected  September  7,  1864;  M. 
H.  Haviland,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  Q.  Dry- 
den,  elected  November  3,  1868;  Charles  Kyle, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872;  James  Buckner,  elected  November  3,  1874, 
re-elected  November  7,  187t);  L.  L.  Rickard,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  William  Perkins,  elected  Novem- 
ber 2,  1880. 

COUNTY   RECORDERS. 

Wm.  Brayton,  elected  January  14, 1862,  re-elected 
September  3,  1862.  J.  D.  Minor,  appointed  April  6, 
1863,  in  place  of  Braj-ton,  deceased.  A.  P.  K.  Saf- 
ford, elected  September  2,  1863,  re-elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864;  H.  Welch,  elected  November  6,  1866, 
re-elected  November  3,  1868;  S.  J.  Bonnifiold, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872;  Charles  A.  La  Grave,  elected  November  3, 
1874,  ro-olocted  November  7,  1876;  G.  F.  Turriten, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  W.  A.  Trousdale,  elected 
November  2,  1880, 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OP  SCHOOLS. 

E.  A.  Scott,  elected  September  3,  1862.  Office 
declared  vacant  April  6,  1863,  and  H.  Pfersdorff 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  J.  F.  Kingsbury,  elected 
September  7,  1864;  A.  H.  Ileaslep,  electeil  November 
7,  1865;  George   M.    Miller  was   appointed  April  2, 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


449 


1866;  T.  G.  Negus,  elected  November  6,  1866,  re- 
elected November  3,  1868;  L.  M.  Irving,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  C.  Chenowith,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected 
November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878,  re- 
elected November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

Wm.  Epler,  appointed  December  9,  1861;  Wm. 
Epler,  elected  January  14, 1862,  re-elected  September 
3,  1862,  re-elected  September  7,  1864;  P.  K.  Root, 
elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected  November  3, 
1868;  T.  Ginacca,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Joseph 
Ginacca,  elected  November  5,  1872;  D.  Van  Lennep, 
elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 
1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878;  T.  D.  Parkinson, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

W.  F.  Stevens,  elected  November  6,  1860,  re- 
elected November  3,  1868;  James  Buckner,  elected 
November  8, 1870;  David  McLarkey,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872;  M.  Oppenheim,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  Pat.  Bell,  elected  November  7,  1876;  M.  Op- 
penheim, elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 

COLLECTORS. 

Frank  K.  Wheeler,  elected  September  3,  1862, re- 
elected September  7,  1864,  resigned  April  2,  1866;  J. 
D.  Minor  appointed  to  fill  vacancy. 

UUMBOLDT   CANAL   SCHEME. 

This  canal  was  projected  in  1862  and  built  by  an 
incorporated  company,  with  the  central  oflSce  at  San 
Francisco,  the  most  of  the  stock  being  also  owned 
there.  The  principal  operator  in  the  matter  was  J. 
Ginacca,  an  Italian,  who  had  been  a  resident  in  the 
Territory  since  1860,  being  the  earliest  settler  of  the 
town  of  Winnomucca.  It  was  proposed  to  irrigate 
all  the  land  along  the  line  of  the  ditch  and  also  fur- 
nish motive  power  to  all  the  mills  on  its  route.  Mill 
City  was  started  u])  with  the  intention  of  making  it 
a  milling  and  reduction  center  for  all  the  mines  in 
the  Star  District,  but  the  canal  never  reached  that 
point,  stopping  at  VVinnemucca,  twenty-eight  miles 
from  the  place  where  the  water  was  taken  out.  For 
some  reason  it  was  not  found  profitable  and  the  work 
was  abandoned,  no  water  having  been  through  the 
canal  for  ten  years.  About  $100, Odd  wore  expended 
in  constructing  the  canal  to  Winnemutca.  The  canal 
was  to  have  been  ninety  miles  long,  fifteen  feet  wide 
and  three  feet  deep. 

DISCOVERY    OF    .MINERAL. 

The  first  mineral  from  Humboldt  County,  seen  in 
Nevada,  was  exhibited  by  two  Frenchmen,  Louis 
Harleau  and  A.  (Jintz,  early  in  the  si)ring  of  1861. 
They  kept  a  trading-j)0st  about  one  and  one-half 
miles  south  of  the  Humboldt  House,  and  reported 
rich  and  extensive  veins  carr^'ing  both  gold  and  sil- 
ver in  the  main  Humboldt  range.  The  prospect  of 
finding  a  new  El  Dorado  induced  a  groat  number  to 


plunge  into  the  unknown  land.  The  common  route 
of  travel  was  along  the  Cai-son  River  to  the  Carson 
Station;  thence  across  the  Forty-mile  Desert  to  the 
sink  of  the  Humboldt  River;  thence  along  the  lake 
and  river  to  the  Humboldt  canons.  The  Indians  also 
brought  in  many  rich  specimens  which  they  reported 
as  having  been  found  on  the  east  side  of  the  West 
Humboldt  range.  They  appeared  willing  to  lead  the 
whites  to  the  sources  of  these  specimens.  Hugo 
Pfersdoi-ff,  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  April,  1861,  was 
conducted  into  the  valley  where  Unionville  has  since 
flourished.  About  the  same  time,  Isaac  Miller  and 
Joe  Thacker  were  guided  into  Star  Canon,  the  dis- 
covery of  the  famous  Slieba  mine  being  the  result. 
During  the  year  but  three  settlements  were  made, 
Humboldt  City  being  the  third.  Dun  Glen  was  set- 
tled in  1862. 

PRINCIPAL   MINING   DISTRICTS. 

Battle  Mountain  District,  lying  mostly  within 
the  limits  of  Lander  County,  will  be  treated  of  in 
the  history  of  that  county. 

Black  Rock  District  has  been  the  subject  of 
more  speculation,  the  cause  of  more  brilliant  expecta- 
tions, and  greater  disappointments  than  perhaps  any 
other  section  of  country  in  the  mining  regions.  As 
early  as  1851)  men  began  to  hunt  I'or  precious  metals 
among  the  curious  black  ledges  which  wei-e  so  differ- 
ent from  anj'thing  seen  elsewhere.  It  was  soft, 
easily  whittled,  and  had  some  of  the  lustre,  when 
cut,  pertaining  to  all  minerals  and  ores.  Anj'thing 
new  had  tremendous  possibilities  in  it.  If  this  was 
silver  the  only  appi-ehension  felt  was  that  the  enor- 
mous quantity  in  sight  would  uttorlj^  destroy  the 
value  of  that  metal.  By  some  it  was  urged  that 
precious  metals  were  never  deposited  in  such  large 
quantities;  that  it  was  impossible.  Others  saw  no 
reason  why  mountains  of  silver  should  not  bo  found 
as  well  as  mountains  of  iron.  Most  of  the  assayers 
pronounced  the  rock  worthless;  others  said  that  it 
would  yield,  under  proper  treatment,  S50  to  ?500 
per  ton.  The  Assessor  and  Surveyor  of  the  county 
for  1867-68  reported  as  follows:— 

The  difficulty  met  in  reduction  has  already  boon 
adverted  to.  It  arose  from  a  total  misundei-standing 
of  the  nature  of  the  ore.  The  ores  are  true  salts  of 
silver  and  gold,  which  have  gone  through  one  of  the 
most  important  stops  in  the  process  of  reduction  in 
the  laboratory  of  nature,  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth, 
and  are  found  in  the  I'orni  of  chlorides,  iodides,  brom- 
ides, cyanides,  and  nitrates.  To  attempt  to  chlorid- 
ize  a  chloride  is  folly,  but  that  is  what  most  of  the 
workers  of  this  rock  have  undertaken  to  do,  and  the 
reputation  of  the  district  hassuH'ered  in  conseijuenco. 
But  give  credit  to  nature  for  what  she  has  done — 
commence  whore  sho  has  left  oft"  and  the  reduction 
of  the  ores  is  a  very  simple  matter. 

The  public  chose  the  side  of  tremendous  possi- 
bilities, ajid  pronounced  the  rock  good.  Several 
districts  were  organized,  and  a  number  of  mines  in 
each  opened.  A  railway,  with  steam  navigation 
across   Pyramid  Lake,    was    talked    of,   and   great 


450 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


cities  built  in  imagination,  but  the  price  of  silver 
did  not  come  down,  nor  did  the  discovery  work 
any  change  in  the  monetary  affairs  of  the  world. 
The  silver  was  not  there.  At  present  there  is  no 
work  being  done  at  Black  Rock.  Three  mills,  built 
respectively  by  the  Black  Rock,  Goodwin,  and 
Atchinson  Companies,  were  removed,  after  giving 
the  mines  a  fair  trial.  Other  districts  in  the  vicinity, 
called  the  Hardin,  Piute,  Foreman,  Chico,  and  High 
Rock  had  about  the  same  history. 

The  famous  Rabbit  Hole  sulphur  mines  are  in  this 
district.  The  first  locations  were  made  in  March, 
1875,  by  McWorthy  and  Rover.  Shortly  afterward 
locations  were  made  by  Hale  &  Wright,  one  mile 
and  a  half  distant.  The  sulphur  is  found  mixed  with 
clay,  and  sometimes  nearh^  pure  in  large  masses, 
and  seems  to  have  been  distilled,  or  sublimed,  out  of 
the  adjoining  rocks,  which  are  black,  slaty  marl  and 
limestone.  An  alkali  tiat  bounds  the  sulphur  deposit 
opposite  the  hills  or  mountains.  Both  places  are 
owned  by  the  Pacific  Sulphur  Company,  which  ships 
large  amounts  to  Sun  Francisco,  where  it  is  refined 
and  used  for  making  sulphuric  acid  and  other  chem- 
icals. It  is  worth  at  San  Francisco  about  seventy- 
five  dollars  per  ton.  The  deposit  is  about  twenty-five 
miles  due  north  of  the  Humboldt  House,  a  station  on 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

BuENA  Vista  District  was  organized  in  1861.  Is 
in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sections  of  the  State, 
with  cold  springs,  which  feed  a  perennial  mill-stream 
flowing  through  a  broad  and  fertile  valley.  The 
mines  in  this  district  have  furnished  nearly 
$4,000,000  in  bullion,  and  some  of  them,  such  as  the 
Arizona  and  Hope,  are  still  on  a  paying  basis. 
Among  the  prominent  mines  in  earlj'  days  were  the 
National,  Governor  Downey,  Alba  Nueva,  Cass,  Joe 
Pickering,  llalleck,  Seminole,  Eagle,  Leroy,  Aga- 
memnon, Manitowoc,  Champion,  Cedar  Hill,  North 
Star,  Atlas,  etc.  These  had  veins  of  ore  three  feet 
or  more  in  width,  reported  as  paying  from  850  to 
$1,200  per  ton.  Some  of  the  veins  would  run 
as  high  as  8400  per  ton;  but  the  general  aver- 
age was  very  much  less  than  was  estimated 
when  the  mines  were  being  opened,  and  the  final 
result  was  not  as  satisfactory  as  the  estimates  and 
assaj's  indicated.  In  1878,  of  all  the  mines  in  the 
county,  only  the  Arizona  and  Rye  Patch  paid  a 
bullion  tax.  From  1871  to  1878  the  Arizona  pro- 
duced 81,i502,23H.58.  Water  was  encountered  at  the 
depth  of  eighty  feet,  and  at  the  depth  of  400  feet 
it  became  uncontrollable.  The  property  was  owned 
by  John  ().  Fall  \;  Co.  The  district  lies  on  the  east- 
ern slope  of  the  West  Ilomboldt  Mountains,  about 
twenty-five  miles  south  of  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road at  Mill  City. 

Central  District  was  organized  in  1862,  the 
principal  mine  being  called  tlio  Fiftj'-Si.x.  The  vein, 
which  was  a  compound  or  multiple  vein,  and  sixty- 
five  feet  wide,  was   rich   in   copper  and   silver,  con- 


taining of  the  latter  some  sixty  or  seventy  dollars  to 
the  ton.  It  was  soon  after  sold  to  a  New  York 
compan_y,  in  anticipation  of  the  building  of  the  trans- 
continental railway.  Ten  years  afterward  locations 
were  made  under  the  names  of  Teamster,  Golden 
Age,  Railroad,  Locomotive,  Hammond  and  Monarch, 
The  veins  are  said  to  be  very  narrow,  with  bodies  of 
very  rich  ore,  j'ielding  in  some  instances  82,000  to 
the  ton.  Up  to  1875  the  Golden  Age  had  produced 
about  §17.000  in  bullion,  the  ore  averaging  8400  per 
ton.  The  mill,  a  four-stamp,  was  burned  in  187C, 
since  which  time  little  work  has  been  done. 

Echo  District  was  among  the  first  organized, 
dating  back  to  1863.  and  is  situated  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  West  Humboldt  range  of  mountains, 
the  Buena  Vista  being  opposite  on  the  east.  The 
noted  mines  at  the  time  of  the  organization  were  the 
Washington,  Mountain  King,  Mining  Star  and 
Alpha.  The  Wasliington  ,Mine  included  several  par- 
allel veins,  two  to  three  feet  wide,  assaj'ing  as  high 
as  8500  per  ton,  with  every  appearance  of  being  a 
true  fissure  vein.  The  Mountain  King  was  to  the 
south  of  the  Washington,  with  similar  croppings  and 
characteristics.  This  was  considered  a  very  prom- 
ising vein  also.  The  vein  was  tapped  at  a  depth  of 
500  feet  with  a  tunnel  450  feet  in  length.  The  San 
Francisco  was  north  of  the  Washington  Mine.  The 
Mining  Star  veins  were  at  the  head  of  the  Echo 
('anon,  on  the  same  range  as  the  Washington  and 
Mining  Star.  The  Alpha  Mine,  located  in  1864,  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  Panther  Canon.  The  ore 
is  found  in  considerable  quantities  in  chutes  and 
pockets  in  a  metamorphic  limestone.  The  mine 
was  sold  in  1869  to  an  English  company  for  862,000, 
and  has  been  worked  most  of  the  time  since.  Se- 
lected ore  mills  8100  per  ton.  The  Rye  Patch  Mine 
is  a  similar  formation  and  is  owned  and  worked  by 
the  same  company,  as  is  also  the  Butte  Mine.  The 
company  has  paid  several  dividends  and  owns  a 
Stetefeldt  furnace  and  ten-stamp  mill,  at  the  Rye 
Patch  Railway  Station. 

The  dividends  aggregate 8127,500 

Tho  assessments         "      97,500 

The  Rye  Patch  Consolidated  is  an  incorporated 
company  with  stock  called  on  the  Boards  at  San 
Francisco.  The  works  have  been  tied  up  to  some 
extent  for  some  years,  in  consequence  of  a  suit  with 
the  Reese  River  Gold  and  Silver  Mining  Company, 
who  sued  to  obtain  possession  of  tho  Alpha  .Mine 
and  8225,000  damages. 

El.  Dorado  District  is  situated  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  West  Humboldt  Range,  west  of  Star 
Peak.  The  ledge  which  drew  attention  to  this  sec- 
tion was  the  Banner,  and  is  now  known  as  tho  El 
Dorado,  and  is  I5,l{80  feet  in  length.  The  Corinth, 
New  England  and  Mount  Carmel  were  also  noted 
mines.  None  of  the  mines  have  met  the  expecta- 
tions of  tho  owners  or  become  noted. 

Gold  Run  Distkict  was  organized  in  1866,  and  is 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


451 


located  on  tho  socond  range  of  mountains  eawt  of 
the  lower  ilumbokit,  the  Golconda,  Cumberland  and 
Jefferson  being  the  principal  places  of  promise, 
though  numerous  other  locations  wei'o  made.  Tho 
(lolconda,  in  particular,  was  supposed  to  be  an  im- 
mense fortune.  The  following  extract  from  the  re- 
port of  tho  Surveyor  General  will  show  the  estimate 
of  its  value  in  18GS: — 

The  Golconda  is  an  immense  mass  of  mineral, 
yielding  from  840  to  8118  per  ton  in  the  mill.  *  * 
*  A  shaft  eighty  feet  deep  has  boon  sunk  in  a  solid 
bed  of  ore.  This  shaft  and  a  largo  cut  on  tho  sur- 
face, some  forty  feet  in  length  and  fifteen  feet  deep, 
expose  thousands  of  tons  of  ver}-  tine  ore,  sufficient 
to  emplo}-  several  mills  for  several  3'curs.  In  work- 
iiig  the  assessments  under  the  district  laws  tho  own- 
ers have  found  rich  and  well-detinod  veins  of  ore  on 
three  several  places,  of  the  same  character  as  tho 
original  location.  *  *  #  »  *  A8sa3-8  as  high 
as  812,48(5  per  ton  have  been  made  from  this  ore 
by  Sidney  Tuttle,  assayer  at  the  Oreana  Smelting 
Works. 

But  a  small  amount  of  bullion  tax  was  ever  paid 
from  these  mines. 
f  Htr.MBOi.DT  District,  organized  in  1860,  has  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  in  the  county,  is  on  tho 
westerlj'  slope  of  the  Star  range  of  mountains, 
about  five  miles  from  tho  rivor,  two  and  a  half  from 
the  Central  Pacific  Eailroad,  sixteen  miles  from 
Unionvillo,  and  one  hundred  and  soventy-fivo  miles 
from  Virginia  City.  Humboldt  Creek,  forming 
Humboldt  Canon  which  is  four  miles  long,  runs 
through  tho  district.  A  strong  vein  or  reof  of  lime- 
stone, in  some  places  seventy  foot  high,  crossing  the 
canon,  is  one  of  the  main  geological  features  of  the 
district.  Several  quartz  veins  running  parallel  to 
tho  limestone  roef  first  called  the  attention  of  the 
prospectors  to  the  mineral  wealth  of  tho  district. 
On  tho  lower  side  of  the  reef  are  tho  Eoveillo,  Frank- 
lin, Santa  Cruz,  and  Monte  Christo  veins.  On  the 
upper  side,  in  a  <juartzite  formation,  are  the  Star- 
light, Calaveras,  Sigel,  Adriatic,  Winnomucca,  Wash- 
ington, and  Saint  Bernard,  occurring  in  the  order 
mentioned.  According  to  the  reports  of  IfiOS,  tho 
Starlight  had  a  vein  ten  feet  wide;  Calaveras,  sixteen 
feet;  Sigel,  two  feet,  bearing  gold;  Adriatic,  four 
feet;  Winnomucca,  twenty-four  feet;  Washington 
and  Saint  Bernard,  four  feet  each. 

Nine  mines  were  opened  to  a  depth  of  fifty  feet  or 
more,  and  tunnels  were  driven  into  the  mines  at  a 
great  expense,  but  no  large  bodies  of  ore  wore  found. 
During  the  panic  of  1865  all  work  was  suspended, 
though  tho  claims  wore  not  wholly  abandoned.  In 
the  winter  of  1H7()-71  work  was  resumed  on  tho  Star, 
light  and  a  mine  called  the  Madia.  At  a  depth  of 
seventy  feet  the  vein  of  the  Starlight  was  four  feet 
thick,  standing  nearly  perpendicular.  The  Madia 
was  in  the  foot-hills,  and  was  a  vast  mass  of  <|uartz 
containing  some  gold,  arsenic,  and  silver,  the  gold 
being  four  to  nine  dollars  a  ton  through  the  mass. 
None  of  these  mines  ever  became  productive.     With 


chea])  timber,  fuel,  and  labor,  some  of  tho  mines  may 
be  put  on  a  paying  basis.  l)uring  its  best  days  the 
district  contained  about  500  inhabitants.  Not  far 
from  the  railway  is  a  deposit  of  sulphur,  left  by  an 
extinct  thermal  spring.  Tho  deposit  of  sulphur 
alternating  with  gypsum  is  about  twenty-five  feet 
across,  and  of  uncertain  depth.  It  has  some  econ- 
omic value,  but  is  more  interesting  as  a  relic  of  the 
geological  formation  of  the  country. 

Mount  Eose  District,  located  in  1871,  is  situated 
in  the  boundaries  of  tho  famous  Paradise  Valloj-,  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  count}-.  Having  been 
discovered  and  developed  since  the  great  mining 
craze  of  the  decade  of  sixtj-,  it  may  be  relied  upon 
as  promising  something  for  tho  future.  It  is  said 
that  wood,  water  and  other  supplies  are  in  such 
abundance  as  to  make  it  the  most  favorable  point  for 
mining  in  tho  State.  The  veins  are  well-defined  with 
porphj-ry  and  granite  walls.  The  ore  is  rich,  carry- 
ing both  gold  and  silver,  and  ea.sily  reduced.  The 
principal  work,  so  far,  has  been  done  by  the  Paradise 
Mining  Company,  though  perhaps  a  hundred  other 
locations  are  made.  Their  vein  crops  out  on  the 
face  of  a  steep  mountain,  affording  good  opportu- 
nities to  mine  with  tunnels  or  drifts.  Large  quan- 
tities of  ore  have  been  extracted,  which  averages 
8200  per  ton.  So  far  as  explored,  the  vein  averages 
six  feet  in  width.  The  ore  is  crushed  at  a  ten-stamp 
mill,  running  by  water  and  steam,  as  circumstances 
require.  The  mill  has  changed  hands  several  times, 
so  that  the  quantity  of  ore  reduced  is  unknown.  It 
is  estimated  at  8:!00,()00. 

Oro  Find  Dlstrict  was  organized  in  18615,  in  tho 
same  range  as  the  Sierra  District,  lying  to  the  south. 
The  prominent  features  are  a  quartzite  formation 
dipping  west  and  capped  with  limestone.  This  gives 
an  appearance  to  the  ridge  or  reef  as  being  com- 
posed of  quartz  on  the  cast  side  and  lime  on  tho 
west.  On  the  summit  of  the  ridge  is  an  immense 
vein,  called  the  Great  Eastern,  of  opaque,  brilliant, 
white  quartz,  which  crops  out  for  a  distance  of  seven 
or  eight  miles,  from  six  to  thirty  feet  wide,  from  which 
assays  have  been  made  from  880  to  8500  per  ton  in 
silver,  which  is  found  as  a  black  chloride.  Two  other 
veins,  less  prominent,  but  sujiposed  to  bo  richer, 
called  the  Natchez  and  Yo  Semite,  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  tho  first  prospectors  of  this  district.  The 
Natchez  is  on  the  eastern  slope,  and  con8ei|uently 
underlying  the  Croat  Eastern  and  running  parallel  to 
it  at  a  distance  on  tho  slope  of  about  2,000  feet.  The 
ore  was  said,  in  1868,  at  tho  time  of  the  discovery, 
to  assay  as  high  as  81(i,(ioo  per  ton,  and  the  whole 
mass  as  averaging  8175  per  ton   by  the  jian   process. 

The  Yo  Semite  vein  is  in  tho  northern  part  of  tho 
district,  and  was  estimated  to  yield  8."'0U  per  ton  on 
an  average.  Oro  Fino  Creek,  at  the  foot  of  the 
western  slope,  was  thought  to  furnish  ample  mill- 
power  for  tho  mines.     None  of  these  fino  prospects 


452 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ever  became  profitable  mines,  and  at  present  are  not 
worked. 

Pine  Forest  District  is  in  the  extreme  northern 
portion  of  the  vState,  and  was  organized  about  the 
time  of  the  Black  Rock  excitement.  Nothing  has 
ever  been  done  in  the  dis'rict.  The  country  is  said 
to  be  well  watered  and  timbered,  and  will  probably 
prove  more  valuable  for  agriculture  than  for  mining. 

SACRA.MENTO  DISTRICT  is  in  the  West  Humboldt 
Range,  south  of  Unionville  and  east  of  the  Great 
Meadows,  and  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad.  The  Montana,  Bullion, Sacramento, 
and  Nevada  were  the  prominent  attractions  in  the 
district  at  the  time  of  the  organization.  The  ledges 
cropped  out  boldly  and  were  said  to  be  well  charged 
with  sulphurets  of  silver.  Like  many  others,  most 
others,  in  fact,  failure  was  the  result. 

SiERR.\  District  was  organized  in  January,  18G3, 
and  is  one  of  the  cluster  in  the  vicinity  of  Unionville, 
which  is  about  twentj'-three  miles  to  the  southwest. 
The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  and  the  Humboldt 
Canal  run  through  the  district.  The  town  of  Dun 
Glen,  in  the  center  of  the  district,  is  about  five  miles 
from  the  river. 

The  attractions  to  this  district  were  the  Neptune 
series  of  ledges,  on  which  wereTallulah.  Empire  and 
Essex  Mines,  and  the  Gem,  about  five  miles  to  the 
north  of  Dun  Glen.  These  ledges  were  several  feet 
in  width,  with  firm,  smooth  walls  and  clay  selvedge, 
and  were  suppo.sed  to  be  permanent,  first-class  mines. 
According  to  the  Assessor  of  1868,  the  ledges  were 
well  charged  with  various  kinds  of  silver  ores,  the 
rock  assaying  as  high  as  8G,000  per  ton,  the  Gem 
Mine  reaching  as  high  as  816,000  per  ton.  Several 
long  tunnels  were  run  into  the  hills,  one  to  the  Essex 
vein  being  6.35  feet  long,  tapping  a  vein  of  three  feet; 
another  to  the  Ophir  Ledge,  of  320  feet,  cutting  a 
vein  of  four  and  a  half  feet,  both  of  which  were  esti- 
mated to  mill  forty  dollars  per  ton  without  selection. 

The  Gem  was  in  a  limestone  formation,  and  was 
said  to  yield  an  averageof  S175pcr  ton.  The  Chrys- 
opolis  was  about  two  miles  north  of  Dun  Glen,  and 
had  a  vein  of  white  quartz  twenty  inches  wide, 
charged  with  black  sulphurets  of  silver,  and  was 
estimated  to  average  6100  per  ton.  The  company  had 
1,800  feet  on  the  vein,  which  held  its  width  and  qual- 
ity to  the  depth  of  eighty  feet,  the  deepest  working. 
The  Munroe  J>edgcs  were  to  the  south  of  I)un  Glen 
about  one  mile.  These  were  charged  with  free  gold 
and  also  gold  in  Hul])hurets.  The  country  rock  is 
graywackc  or  metiimori)hic  slate  of  the  earlier  series 
of  sedimentar}-  rocks.  The  average  yield  was  said 
in  1868  to  bo  S250  per  ton. 

For  the  first  two  quarters  the  returns  were 
$526.92  per  ton  and  8270.05.  Selected  ore  paid 
81,000  or  upwards  per  ton. 

Star  District  was  organized  in  1861.  and  is  one  of 
the  cluster  in  the  vicinity  of  Unionville,  the  town  of 


Star  City  being  about  twelve  miles  from  Unionville. 
The  strata  at  this  point  dip  west  at  angles  varj'ing 
from  25°  to  80°.  The  district  comprised  a  territory 
six  miles  long  on  the  slope  of  the  mountain  and  four 
miles  wide.  A  gorge  through  this  toward  the  oast 
exposed  the  different  strata  and  also  served  to  drain 
the  entire  district,  the  stream  running  about  seventy 
inches  of  water,  miners' measurement,  in  the  summer 
and  a  larger  stream  during  the  rainy  season.  As  the 
sources  of  this  stream  are  high  up  among  the  snows 
it  affords  quite  a  (quantity  of  water  when  the  vicinity 
is  parched  with  drought.  In  ascending  the  canon  or 
viewing  the  stratification  from  the  east,  the  rocks 
appear  in  the  following  order,  the  first  named  being 
the  lowest  of  the  series  and  the  last  named  the 
uppermost: — 

Brown  Quartzite,  steel-gray  when  broken,  greatly 
metamorphosed. 

Black  Limestone,  sprangled  with  veins  of  feldspar 
and  sulphuret  of  iron;  has  a  cleavage  parallel  to  the 
stratification.  In  this  stratum  is  the  Almira  series  of 
veins  on  the  north  of  the  creek  and  the  Yankee 
series  on  the  south.  The  Commonwealth  Company 
of  New  York  owned  2,400  feet  on  this  range.  The 
width  of  the  veins  is  three  to  eight  feet.  The  ores 
were  supposed  to  be  free  from  rebellious  mixtures 
and  to  be  easily  milled.  The  ores  on  the  south  side, 
or  on  the  Yankee  claims,  were  similar  to  the  Almira 
lode,  though  there  were  throe  distinct  varieties,  one 
being  identical  with  the  ore  of  the  famous  Sheba 
mine. 

Graywacke,  of  a  bluish-graj'  and  extremely  hard, 
forming  an  extensive  portion  of  the  mountain. 

Hard,  Mack  laminated  slate.  Between  the  last  two 
is  the  celebrated  Sheba  vein  or  ore  channel,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  foot  wide,  the  value  estimated  in 
1868  as  follows:  First-class  ore  per  ton,  81,200;  sec- 
ond-class ore  per  ton,  8250;  third-class  ore  per  ton, 
8150. 

Some  of  the  assays  reached  as  high  as  816,000  per 
ton.  The  ore  required  roasting  before  reduction.  It 
was  worked  up  to  within  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  fire 
assay  at  a  cost  of  thirty-five  dollars  per  ton. 

The  extensions  north  and  south,  two  or  three 
thousand  feet,  did  not  differ  materially  from  the 
original  location.  An  immense  amount  of  work  was 
done  on  the  mountain,  but  the  ores  wore  not  as 
extensive,  nor  as  rich  or  as  easily  reduced  as.  was 
anticipated  in  1868,  and  the  mines  were  nearly 
abandoned  for  a  long  time.  Recently  considerable 
concentrated  ore  has  been  shipped  to  San  Francisco 
for  reduction.  No  bullion  tax  was  paid  in  1880.  The 
Sheba  and  De  Soto  mines  are  still  being  worked. 

7V«  black  slate,  forming  the  hanging  wall  of  the 
Sheba  mines,  extended  u])  the  mountain  for  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile,  when  it  abruptly-  terminated,  meet- 
ing a  quartzite  stratum  more  decidedly  silicious  than 
the  veins  at  the  foot  of  the  slope.  Several  veins  of 
hard,  glassy  quartz,  four  to  eight  feet  thick,  cropped 
out  of  this  stratum  for  nearly  a  mile,  receiving  the 


STORE    &  RESIDENCE,  AT  PARADISE,  HUM  BO  LOT  CO.NEV. 


ig   ly   Ui'iU  •^.  '^  ^  ,ii  LJ   ifi   t_>  (-/t-u 


'    t^o    Nc* 


PROPERTY  of  CHAS,  KEMLER 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


453 


name  of  the  Mammoth  Lodes.  The  ore  was  an  artjen- 
tiferous  galena,  assaying  $180  to  SiKM)  per  ton.  The 
.Mauch  I'hunk  and  Maston  were  the  prominent  loca- 
tions on  this  lode. 

Above  the  mammoth  series  and  in  the  same  quartz- 
ite  formation  were  the  .Mountain  Top  series,  which 
is  such  a  geological  curiosity  as  to  merit  an  extended 
notice.  This  lode  seems  to  have  been  a  fissure  in  all 
the  rest  of  the  formations,  made  after  they  were  all 
in  place,  as  it  cuts  all  in  a  direction  diagonal  to  all 
the  lines  of  stratification,  the  fissure  being  filled 
with  brilliant  white  <iuartz  which  is  visible  by  its 
outcrop  for  ten  miles,  forming  a  prominent  land- 
mark. It  is  an  evidence  of  the  vigor  of  nature's 
workings  when  the  minerals  were  being  distributed 
or  perhai)s  concentrated  into  veins.  Krom  the  south 
side  of  this  great  vein  a  dozen  or  more  small  veins  of 
mineral  shoot  out  and  come  to  the  surface.  Little 
work  was  done  on  them,  though  it  was  proposed  to 
run  a  tunnel  into  the  mountain  which  should  tap  it 
at  a  depth  of  2000  feet.  They  went  so  far  as  to  organ- 
ize and  name  the  Perigord  Tunneling  Company,  and 
stopped  at  that  point. 

Trinity  Distkict  was  organized  in  18(i3.  It  is 
situated  twenty-five  miles  north  of  llumboldt  Lake, 
and  thirt}-  miles  southwest  of  Unionville,  opposite 
and  west  of  the  towns  of  l-Una.  Torreyvillo,  and 
Oreana,  which  are  built  along  the  llumboldt  River. 
The  mines  which  gave  the  place  its  reputation 
were  the  Montezuma,  Jersey,  Savannah,  Sultana, 
Chloride,  (Juatimozin,  Tontine,  Eagle,  Dunderburg, 
Ne  Plus,  Bald  Hornet,  Daisy  and  Oxide,  Atlantic, 
Northern  Belle,  Southern  Belle,  Eastern  Belle,  and 
Western  Belle,  Hurricane,  Vanderbilt,  Belvidore, 
Savanna,  Shamrock,  Dundock,  Daisy,  Kingkalla,  and 
General  Grant,  formerly  the  Moonlight.  These  were 
all  located  in  a  section  of  couiilrv  called  Arabia,  and 
at  one  time  were  believed  to  be  the  richest  mines  in 
the  known  world,  the  Assessor  of  the  county,  in 
1868,  expressing  the  opinion  that  a  mile  siiuare, 
within  which  they  were  located,  would  produce 
more  bullion  than  any  other  ever  known.  The 
Montezuma,  especially,  was  so  rich  that  everj'  ton 
of  ore  produced  a  half  ton  of  metal,  consisting  of 
antimony,  load,  and  silver,  there  being  no  rock  at 
all  in  the  vein.  Up  to  1875  there  had  been  taken 
out  of  the  mine  7,0(10  tons  of  ore,  yielding  8,150 
tons  of  lead,  and,  according  to  the  State  Mineralogist, 
8455,000  in  silver.  The  Evening  Star,  by  the  same 
authorit}-,  ])aid  sixty-five  dollars  j>er  ton  in  silver. 
The  Chloride,  a  narrow  vein,  was  said  to  assay  as 
high  as  $1,200  per  ton.  The  General  Grant  was  a 
relocation  of  the  Moonlight.  About  ?100,000  was 
taken  from  this  mine  when  it  was  first  located  and 
worked.  The  ore  from  the  Montezuma  mines  were 
reduced  at  the  Montezuma  Smelting  Works,  located 
at  Oreana,  which  at  that  time  (18(i8)  were  said  to  be 
the  most  com])lete  of  any  in  the  State.  They  were 
under  the  charge  of  A-  W.  Nason,  and  were  esti- 
57 


mated  by  George  Lovelock  to  have  cost  $250,000. 
In  18<i8,  the  annual  product  was  estimated  at  $45,000. 
In  1880,  the  best  authorities  place  the  whole  of  the 
ores  extracted  at  30,(10(1  tons,  which  paid  from  thirty 
dollars  up  to  $700  per  ton.  The  veins  followed 
the  general  trend  of  the  mountains  from  north  to 
south. 

The  Evening  Star  mine  was  worked  extensively 
in  lS(i4.  The  ore  is  a  black  sul])huret,  with  some 
horn  silver,  remarkabl}'  free  from  base  metals,  and 
yielded  sixty-five  dollars  per  ton  down  to  a  depth 
of  200  feet,  when  water  was  reached,  since  which 
time  little  work  has  been  done.  Since  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Oreana  Smelting  Works  by  fire  the  ores 
of  this  district  are  reduced  at  Salt  Lake  City.  All 
the  paying  mines  are  now  bonded  to  Voshaj-  & 
Lyons,  formerly  of  the  Emma  Mine  of  Utah. 

VicKSBURd  District  was  organized  about  the  time 
of  the  Black  Rock  excitement,  and  was  situated  some 
seventy  miles  north  of  Humlioldt  City.  The  miners 
were  driven  out  of  the  country  in  18()4,  during  the 
Indian  War.  The  principal  mines  were  the  Spring, 
Silver,  Groat  Southern,  Montana,  and  Excelsior. 
After  the  termination  of  the  Indian  difficulties  work 
was  resumed,  but  nothing  valuable  was  developed. 

WiNNE.MiiccA  District  is  about  forty  miles  north 
of  Unionville,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Humboldt  River, 
near  the  great  bend  and  three  miles  from  the  rail- 
road. The  princi])al  mines  were  the  Pride  of  the 
Mountain,  Winnemucca  and  Union.  The  ores,  though 
supposed  to  be  rich,  were  too  refractory  to  be  worked 
by  mill  process.  In  18(j9,  the  first-named  mine 
reduced  eighty-seven  tons  of  ore,  producing  $5,220. 
The  following  year  (1870)  the  Winnemucca  reduced 
sixt3'-eight  tons,  producing  88,285.70;  14(1  tons  in 
the  Union  claim  produced  82,029.51. 

The  country  rock  is  a  hard  slate,  containing  sul- 
phurets  of  iron.  Considerable  money  has  been  ex- 
pended in  developing  or  testing  the  mines.  200 
tons  of  ore  from  the  Pride  of  the  Mountain  pro- 
duced $80  to  $175  per  ton.  The  ore  is  a  chloride, 
carrying  horn  silver.  During  the  years  lS75-7(! 
about  $40,000  in  bullion  was  produced  in  this  district. 
No  bullion  was  reported  for  1880. 

principal  towns  anu  cities. 

Dun  Gi.en  was  among  the  earliest  sottlctl  places 
in  the  county,  its  settlement  dating  back  to  18(12.  D. 
P.  Crook  was  the  first  person  who  ventured  into  this 
section  of  countr}'  as  a  settler,  lie  was  soon  atler 
followed  bj'  Angus  Dunn,  D.  McLarkej-,  J.  Slado,  A. 
J.  Elsey,  D.  P.  Crook,  R.  Monroe,  Thomas  Ewing 
and  James  A.  Banks.  A  company  of  United  States 
soldiers  were  stationed  here  in  1868,  to  keep  the 
Indians  in  check.  At  this  time  and  for  two  or  three 
years  after,  the  population  reached  250,  but  since 
then  has  dwindled  down  to  about  fiftj'.  Nearly  the 
whole  industrial  interest  is  stuck  raising.  The  ham- 
let is  surrounded  by  high  mountains,  partially  cov- 


454 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ered  with  stunted  cedar  trees,  which  furnish  the  wood 
of  the  settlement.  It  has  a  post-office  called  Dun 
Glen,  but  no  telegraph  or  express  office.  It  has  one 
ton-stamp  mill  for  extracting  the  gold  from  the 
quartz.  The  total  amount  of  bullion  so  far  is  about 
$100,000.  It  is  believed  by  many  that  thorough 
exploring  would  develop  profitable  mines. 

Supplies  are  obtained  from  San  Francisco  and  Sac- 
ramento bj'  way  of  .Mill  City,  on  the  line  of  the  Cen- 
tral Pacific  Railroad,  distant  nine  miles;  freights 
being  about  nine  dollars  per  ton.  Winnemucca  is 
about  twenty  miles  awa}'.  The  houses  are  mostly 
adobe  and  wood.  The  most  noted  homicide  was  the 
killing  of  a  frerman  merchant  by  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Jackson,  with  a  pistol  shot.  Ho  escaped  and  was 
never  aj)prehended. 

The  Humboldt  House  and  grounds,  though  not  in 
themselves  remarkable,  are  quite  so  when  the  sur- 
rounding circumstances  are  considered.  Perhaps  no 
more  desolate  place  than  this  vxis  can  be  found  in 
the  State  of  Nevada.  What  it  now  is  shows  what 
the  State  might  become  with  proper  preservation 
and  distribution  of  the  winter  rains. 

A  stream  of  water  of  perhaps  100  inches  miners' 
measurement,  was  brought  in  a  ditch  from  a  canon 
some  miles  away,  and  turned  upon  the  desert,  irri- 
gating or  moistening  about  thirty  acres.  The  results 
are  1,000  fruit  and  shade  trees.  Among  the  former 
are  500  peach,  apple,  pear,  and  apricot  trees,  which 
produce  fruit  equal  to  that  of  California  or  Oregon. 
The  shade  trees,  consisting  of  locust,  cottonwood, 
willow,  pine,  and  oak,  give  an  air  of  comfort  and 
prosperity  to  the  jilace,  all  the  greater  for  the  con- 
trast with  the  surrounding  sterility.  Gooseberries, 
strawberries,  currants,  and  blackberries,  the  lilac, 
rose  and  other  flowering  shrubs  grow  as  if  to  the 
manor  born,  while  eight  acres  of  alfalfa,  yielding  sev- 
eral crops  a  year,  and  a  garden  of  all  kinds  of  vege 
tables,  supply  the  physical  wants  of  man  and  beast. 

What  might  Nevada  be  with  a  people  as  energetic 
as  the  author  of  this  place? 

HuMBOi.DT  (y'lTY  may  be  said  to  be  the  best  illu.s- 
tration  of  the  celebrated  "  places  that  were"  that  is 
known.  There  are  stone  and  adobe  houses,  stores 
and  hotels,  but  not  a  foot-fall  gives  evidence  of  life. 
In  18GH,  when  in  its  most  flourishing  state,  it 
had  a  population  of  some  500  inhabitants.  The  first 
settler  was  Louis  Barbeau,  who  has  the  reputation 
of  being  the  first  to  discover  the  existence  of  valuable 
minerals  in  Humboldt  County.  Soon  after  him  came 
A.  Pryor,  John  Coulter,  F.  J.  Daniels,  Colerick 
Brothers,  Geo.  W .  Meacham,  Thos.  McKinzio,  C/'harles 
Lewis,  Toney  Martinn,  and  John  Sylvester.  The 
mines  at  the  time  of  the  settlement  were  considered 
very  promising,  and  ])rospective  millionaires  were  as 
plentiful  as  mosquitoes.  Among  the  mines  which 
promised  much  were  the  Starlight,  Calaveras,  Sigel, 
Adriatic,  Winnemucca,  Washington,  and  Saint  Ber- 
nard.    Some  of  these  veins  were  cut  by  tunnels  sev- 


eral hundred  feet  in  length.  A  vast  expense  was 
incurred.  During  the  panic  of  186.5  all  work  was 
suspended,  though  the  clains  were  not  quite  aban- 
doned, sufficient  work  being  done  to  hold  possession. 
In  1871  work  was  partly  resumed  on  the  Starlight 
and  Madia,  which,  however,  are  not  worked  at 
present.  The  town  seems  to  be  utterly  prostrated. 
The  nearest  place  is  the  Humboldt  House,  two  miles 
away.  The  place  seems  capable  of  being  useful,  and 
in  the  hurly-burlj-  of  mining  maj-  again  wake  to  life. 
A  correspondent  of  the  Humholdt  Register,  May  2, 
1863,  thusdescribes  the  town: — 

*  *  *  A  picturesque  and  beautiful  village  con- 
taining some  200  well-liuilt  houses,  some  of  which  are 
handsome  edifices,  and  manj^  beautiful  gardens  that 
attest  the  taste  and  industry  of  the  inhabitants.  A 
beautiful,  crystal  stream  oi'  water  diverted  from  its 
natural  course  runs,  a  little  babbling  stream,  through  , 
every  street.  *  *  *  Humboldt  City  contains  two 
hotels,  kept  in  good  style,  one  the  Coulter  House,  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baile}-  Nichols,  the  other,  the  Iowa 
House,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson ;  two  saloons,  one  by 
Messrs.  S3-lvester  &  Helmer,  gentlemen  ready  to 
argue  or  fight  for  their  politics,  or  deal  out  red-ej-e  to 
their  numerous  thirsty  customers,  the  other  by 
Messrs.  Wilson  &  Coulter;  one  blacksmith's  shop,  by 
Daniels  A:  Cooper,  who  will  at  any  moment  stop 
shoeing  a  refractory  horse  to  spina  j"arn;  two  stores 
with  large  and  well-selected  stocks  of  goods;  four 
families  (five  or  six  more  are  on  the  road  for  this 
place)  and  children,  chickens,  pigs,  and  dogs  enough 
to  give  the  place  a  lively  appearance. 

Lovelock  is  a  station  on  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road seventy-three  miles  southwest  of  Winnemucca, 
and  near  the  south  line  of  Humboldt  County.  Those 
who  crossed  the  plains  in  an  early  day  will  remem- 
ber this  as  the  place  where  hundreds  of  emigrants 
were  compelled  to  leave  iheir  worn-out  teams, 
wagons,  and  the  remains  of  their  outfit,  to  bo  appro- 
priated by  any  who  liked,  and  to  make  the  balance 
of  their  way  on  foot  to  California.  Guns,  pistols, 
clothing,  carpenter's  tools,  and  every  conceivable 
thing  with  which  they  had  loaded  their  wagons  in 
Jlissouri  were  thrown  away  to  put  themselves  in 
light  marching  order  for  the  balance  of  the  trip. 

The  vallej'  here  capable  of  cultivation  is  some 
thirty  miles  long  and  twelve  miles  wide,  the  Hum- 
boldt River  running  along  its  southeastern  side. 
The  first  permanent  settlers  were  induced  to  come 
here  in  consequence  of  the  location  of  a  station  for 
the  overland  stage  at  this  point.  James  Blake 
located  in  April,  1861,  being  joined  by  George  Love- 
lock and  others  the  following  year.  In  1866  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  established  a  sta- 
tion here  for  the  convenience  of  the  people  doing 
business  in  the  Trinity  Mining  District,  and  a  small 
town,  numbering  about  sixty  inhabitants,  was  the 
result.  The  neighborhood  is  thickly  settled,  so  that 
about  fifty  children  attend  school.  The  school  house 
is  large  and  commodious,  30x80  feet,  divided  into  two 
portions.  Church  service  and  Sunday-school  is  reg- 
ularly  held   in   one  of  the  rooms  by  the  Wesleyan 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


455 


Methodists,  the  Sunday-school  attendance  being 
usually  about  forty,  children  and  teachers.  The 
taxable  property  of  the  town,  exclusive  of  the  rail- 
road property,  is  about  870,0(10.  There  arc  about 
four  miles  of  streets  in  the  aggregate,  partly  shaded 
with  locusts  and  other  trees.  The  buildings  of  the 
town  are  generally  constructed  of  wood,  some  few 
being  of  stone.  The  lumber  for  building  is  brought 
by  railroad  from  the  Sierra  Jsevada.  The  name  of 
the  post-office  and  station  is  Lovelock.  The  town 
has  four  stores,  three  hotels,  two  saloons,  one  livery 
stable,  and  one  blacksmith's  shop.  The  locality  is 
considered  healthy,  a  light  malarial  (ever  in  the 
autumn  being  the  worst  to  be  apprehended. 

The  town  has  a  good  reputation  for  peace  and 
sobriety,  there  being  but  one  homicide  on  record. 
This  was  the  killing  of  Patrick  TuUoy,  July  28, 1880, 
bj'  Robert  St.  Clair,  with  a  pistol-shot,  ibr  which  the 
latter  was  sentenced  to  the  penitentiarj^  for  twenty- 
five  years.  There  have  been  no  Ij'nchings  or  mob 
demonstrations  in  the  place,  nor  disastrous  fires  or 
floods. 

The  valley  around  the  town  contains  about  400 
inhabitants,  most  of  them  being  engaged  in  stock- 
raising  and  farming;  C,000  head  of  cattle  are  pas- 
tured in  the  valley  and  adjoining  mountains.  Among 
the  prominent  stock-raisers  are:  Morzen,  who  owns 
2,000  head;  Morker  Brothers,  2,000,  and  Carpenter 
&  Lowery,  1,000.  Of  grain  1,500  tons  are  usually 
grown  in  the  valley.  Joseph  ALirzen,  the  largest 
stock-raiser,  owns  1,200  acres  of  highly  improved 
land,  the  .Morker  Brothers,  about  1,000. 

The  prospects  of  the  vallej-  are  hoj)eful,  in  view 
of  the  immense  mineral  resources  in  the  vicinity. 
On  the  north  the  Trinity  Mining  District,  which  has 
an  inexhaustible  supply  of  smelting  ore,  containing 
lead,  antimony  and  silver,  at  no  distant  day  must  be 
a  source  of  much  wealth.  Thirty  miles  south  are 
mines  rich  in  copper,  which  are  also  promising 
elements  in  the  future  of  the  place.  Six  miles  south 
are  beds  of  salt,  soda,  gypsum  and  saltpetre,  which 
will  eventually  become  valuable. 

Mill  City  was  started  in  ISti.S,  in  anticipation  of 
the  Humboldt  Canal,  and  therebj'  becoming  a  center 
for  the  reduction  of  the  ores  of  the  Bucna  Vista  and 
Star  districts,  which  were  distant  from  six  to  twenty 
miles.  The  water,  however,  never  reached  the 
place,  and  the  town  became  a  shipping  place  for  the 
mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Unionville.  The  present 
population  is  about  fifty.  It  has  a  store  for  general 
merchandise,  one  hotel,  saloon,  livery  stable,  black- 
smith, and  foundry;  also,  telegraph,  express  and  post- 
office.  It  is  supplied  with  water  by  the  Mill  City 
Water  Works. 

The  town  claims  to  be  the  healthiest  in  the  world, 
having  so  far  no  necessity  for  starting  a  cemetery. 

HON.    .M.    S.    TH0.MP80N 

Was  born  in  Alleghany  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  the 
year  1827,  where  he  received  his  early  education, 


and  ill  1852  he  came  to  California.  In  1853  he  set- 
tled in  Sonoma  County,  and  built  a  flouring  mill, 
being  the  first  to  enter  that  branch  of  industry  in 
that  county.  With  a  party  of  ten  men,  he  left  that 
portion  of  the  countrj'  in  1858  and  crossed  into  the 
then  Territory  of  Nevada,  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
a  rich  mine  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  some 
emigrants  as  early  as  1849.  It  was  said  to  bo  located 
in  the  Black  Rock  country,  now  Humboldt  County, 
and  of  immense  richness.  [See  page  54.]  He  was  not 
favored  by  dame  fortune  in  this  enterprise,  but  liking 
the  climate  he  concluded  to  settle  there,  and  has  since 
been  an  active,  energetic  resident  of  Humboldt  County. 
He  has  identified  himself  with  the  politics  of  the  State 
in  a  creditable  manner,  and  has  had  considerable  to 
do  with  the  law-making,  from  the  time  of  its  merg- 
ing from  a  Territory  into  a  State.  Was  three  times  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  Council.  In  185!>  he  was 
appointed  by  (iov.  J.  W.  Nye  as  one  of  the  Commis- 
sioners to  form  and  organize  the  county  government 
of  Humboldt.  He  was  nominated  and  elected  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  of  Nevada,  under  the  first  con- 
stitution, but  as  the  constitution  was  defeated  in  18i;4. 
he  did  not  enter  upon  the  duties  of  that  office.  Mr. 
Thompson  was  a  member  of  the  Senate,  during  the 
first  and  second  sessions  of  the  State  Legislature. 
From  this  time  on,  he  was  engaged  in  mining,  until 
in  1878  when  ho  was  again  elected  to  the  Senate,  and 
in  all  of  the  many  positions  to  which  he  has  been 
elected  and  appointed,  he  has  given  the  utmost  satis- 
faction to  his  constituents.     In  politics  he  has  been  a 


45G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


thorough  Republican,  and  in  all  the  years  of  his 
political  life  has  not  once  swerved  from  his  fixed 
principles.  The  healthy  town  of  Mill  City  is  his 
home  and  post-oflSce  address. 

Paradise  City,  the  center  of  business  in  the  valley 
of  that  name,  was  located  in  186G  by  C.  A.  Nichols 
and  family.  After  him  came  Charles  Kemler,  J.  B. 
Case  and  others.  The  town  now  contains  over  100 
inhabitants,  three  hotels,  two  public  halls,  three  stores 
for  general  merchandise,  one  drug  store,  one  brewery, 
four  saloons,  one  cabinet  shop,  two  blacksmith  shops, 
one  physician,  a  barber,  a  harnessmakcr,  carpenter, 
butcher  and  one  school  house. 

The  Paradise  Record,  a  twenty-four  column  paper, 
Democratic  in  politics,  keeps  the  people  well  informed 
on  national  and  general  topics.  The  town  is  nearlj- 
in  the  center  of  the  valley,  forty  miles  northeast 
from  Winnemucca  and  nine  from  Spring  City,  a  rival 
town  in  the  same  valley.  The  buildings  are  con- 
structed of  wood  and  adobe.  The  school  house  is 
28x56,  divided  into  two  rooms,  each  14x28.  The 
value  of  taxable  property  is  about  $100,000.  There 
has  been  but  one  homicide  committed  in  the  valley. 
May  4,  1879,  Charles  W.  Hyner  killed  J.  K.  West 
with  a  pistol  shot,  for  which  he  was  tried  and  exe- 
cuted. The  valley  is  generally  considered  healthy, 
a  slight  tendency  to  pneumonia  and  typhoid  fever 
being  the  only  exceptions. 

HON.    THOMAS   J.    BRADSHAW 

Is  a  native  of  Jacksonville,  Morgan  County,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  born  in  184(1,  and  lived  on  a  farm  till 
the  age  of  twenty-three.  Like  most  young  men,  he 
had  an  intense  desire  to  get  a  larger  view  of  the 
world  than  could  be  obtained  by  looking  across  a 
prairie,  and  in  18GI!  he  pushed  out  west  across  the 
plains,  bringing  up  at  Virginia  City,  in  Montana, 
llemaining  here  but  one  year  he  then  went  to  the 
newl3^-diHcovered  mines  of  Kootcnay,  in  British  Co- 
lumbia. Fortune  had  no  favors  for  him  there,  and 
he  left  for  Washington  Territory,  traversing  much  of 
the  country  since  so  famous  for  wheat,  taking  Walla 
Walla  and  other  noted  points  in  his  course.  Seeing 
nothing  ])eculiarly  attractive,  he  concluded  to  try 
California,  and  lived  two  years  in  Colusa  County  in 
that  State.  Whether  because  his  expectations  were 
not  realized,  or  that  he  had  not  satisfied  his  desire 
for  travel,  he  pushed  out  into  the  Territory  of  Ne- 
vada, and  connected  himself  with  the  greatest  rail- 
road entor|)ri8e  of  the  age,  remaining  with  the  Cen- 
tral Pacific  Company  until  the  last  rail  was  laid 
which  connected  the  Occident  and  Orient  of  the 
American  Continent.  When  this  was  done  he  settled 
down  for  life  in  the  sago-brush,  having,  perhaps,  a 
father's  feeling  for  the  land  which  he  had  assisted  in 
developing.  His  judgment  as  to  the  resources  of  the 
land  proved  correct,  and  he  soon  made  a  pleasant 
home,  a  view  of  which  is  given  in  another  part  of 
this  work.  He  owns  C40  acres,  or  one  square  mile 
of  fine  soil  in  Paradise  Valley,  and  cultivates  it  all. 


He  has  not  surrounded  himself  with  the  good  things 
of  this  world  lor  himself  alone,  for  he  is  a  happily 
married  man,  with  five  children  to  share  his  joys  and 
assuage  his  sorrows.  His  neighbors  manifested  their 
appreciation  of  his  upright  character  and  ability  by 
sending  him  to  the  Legislature  during  the  session 
of  1880,  from  which  he  returned  with  the  respect 
of  his  constituents. 

JOEL     BRADSHAW, 

Son  of  John  and  Susannah  Bradshaw,  was  born  at 
.Jacksonville,  Morgan  County,  Illinois,  October  22, 
1842.  His  parents  were  natives  of  the  State  of  Ten- 
nessee, but  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  earij- life,  and  set- 
tled in  Morgan  County.  John  Bradshaw  was  born  in 
1819,  his  wife  being  only  two  years  his  junior,  born 
in  1821,  and  has  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
on  a  farm.  In  1840  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Hancock 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  lived  until  18G6,  when  he 
removed  to  Franklin  County,  Kansas,  where  he  still 
resides.  But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  lived  with  his  parents  until  April  13,  1864,  when 
he  started  across  the  plains,  in  chargeof  a  four-horse 
wagon,  in  the  employ  of  a  man  named  John  M.  Jones, 
and  arrived  in  Maiysville,  Yuba  County,  California, 
September  1st,  of  that  year.  During  the  succeeding 
four  years  he  was  roaming  around  through  the 
State,  and  on  the  nineteenth  of  November,  18()8, 
arrived  in  Paradise  Valley,  in  Humboldt  Countj', 
Nevada.  Three  months  later  he  went  to  White  Pine 
on  a  prospecting  tour,  and  was  for  two  years  in  that 
district,  east  and  south  of  White  Pine  for  a  distance 
of  twenty-five  to  150  miles.  In  October,  .1871,  he 
returned  to  the  valley,  and  on  the  twentj'-first  of 
that  month,  homesteaded  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  twenty,  where  ho  now  resides.  He  has 
added  to  his  original  amount  until  he  has  at  ))resent 
300  acres  of  as  good  soil  as  the  valley  contains,  all 
under  a  wire  fence,  and  well  improved.  He  has 
about  twenty-five  acres  in  alfalfa.  His  house  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  valley,  ceiled  throughout.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Bradshaw  is  a  liberal,  in  religion  a  Protes- 
tant. He  was  married  November  21,  1876,  to  Jliss 
Adolia  Akin,  a  native  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  daugh- 
ter of  Jonas  and  Eliza  Jane  Akin.  By  this  union 
there  are  two  children,  named  Jool  Pomera  and 
Francis.  In  business  Mr.  Bradshaw  has  been  suc- 
cessful, and  is  blessed  with  a  pleasant  home  that  in 
summer  has  tho  api)eaniiice  of  an  oasis  on  the  ])lains. 

■lAMES    HYKNES, 

Son  of  James  and  Mary  Byrnes,  was  born  at  Rome, 
New  York,  October  20.  1848,  and  was  educated  at 
the  common  school  of  his  native  town.  His  jiarents 
resided  on  a  farm  near  Rome,  and  James  worked 
thereon  until  March,  1867,  when  he  sailed  for  the 
Pacific  Coast,  and  arrived  at  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia, April  2d,  following.  About  a  month  later 
ho  went  to  Paradise  Valley,  Nevada,  where  he 
arrived  May  9,  1867,  and  has  resided  there  ever 
since.     In  1872  he  returned   East,  and   while  there 


4 


"^  ^ 


RESIDENCE  ^•"' RANCH  ■"    W.A.SPERRY,  PARADISE  VALLEY,  HU  M  BO  LDT  CO.  NEVADA 


■■'S^fefS 


:..Vu  u{nlXl'Vl.%^AV^-V  V  iVlxik 


RETSiDENCE  ^»    JAMES   BYRNES,   PARADISE  VALLEY,  HUMBOlDT  CO-  NEVADA. 


TMsmirroMtar^fY.s  r- 


HISTORY  OF  HLTMHOLDT  COUNTY. 


467 


was  married  to  Miss  .Mary  Skahen,  a  dauj^bter  of 
Patrii'k  ami  Catherine  Skahen  ol'  Rome,  New  York, 
February  13.  1872.  lie  ami  his  bride  at  once 
returned  and  settled  at  their  present  residence.  By 
this  union  they  have  had  four  children  born,  viz.: 
Kiitie,  December  4,  1873;  Charles,  October  25, 1875; 
James,  September  IS,  1877;  Alice,  Auijust  31,  1879, 
all  living.  Mr.  Byrnes  has  a  good  ranch  all  under 
fence,  and  400  acres  cultivated.  A  view  of  his  place 
appears  on  another  page.  In  politics  Mr.  Byrnes 
is  a  Republican,  in  religion  a  Catholic. 

CHARLES    Kl.MLER. 

This  well-known  pioneer  business  man  came  to 
I'aradise,  in  Humboldt  t^ounty,  from  Sacramento, 
California,  in  1862,  shortly  after  the  discovery  of  the 
famous  valley,  and  has,  perhaps,  done  as  much  as 
any  other  person  to  develop  and  make  known  its 
resources.  He  first  engaged  in  freighting  goods  to 
the  valley,  soon  adding  trade  to  it,  opening  the  first 
store  in  the  place.  lie  also  ran  a  hotel  in  connection 
with  the  store.  In  1873  he  erected  a  tlour  mill,  the 
first  run  by  steam  in  the  State,  lie  al.so  found  time 
to  engage  extensively  in  farming  and  raising  blooded 
stock,  mostlj-  cattle,  some  of  which  rank  among  the 
best  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  -Mr.  Kimler  is  also  heavily 
interested  in  mining,  being  the  Superintendent  of 
the  Bullion  Mill  and  Mine,  situated  about  two  miles 
from  the  town  of  I'aradise.  He  has  been  and  is  now 
a  live  man,  who  sees  at  a  glance  the  opportunities  for 
business,  and  acts  without  dela^'.  His  humanity  is 
broad  and  liberal,  prompting  him  to  acts  of  public  as 
well  as  private  benefits.  The  erection  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  Hall  illustrates  his  public  spirit,  lie  has 
assisted  manj'  worthy  but  impecunious  men,  putting 
them  in  the  way  of  doing  well  for  themselves.  A 
view  of  his  place  of  business  will  be  found  in  another 
part  of  the  work.  The  building  is  fifty-four  feet  by 
eighty-five,  and  two  stories  in  height,  and  is  an 
ornament  to  the  town. 

CHARLES    A.    NICHOLS, 

Son  of  Asa  and  Harriett  (Ilildrcth)  Nichols,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Crown  Point,  Essex  County, 
New  York,  September  30,  1823.  His  education  was 
confined  mostly  to  the  public  schools,  with  a  short 
attendance  at  a  select  school.  After  reaching  the 
age  of  eight  years  he  only  attended  the  winter  terms, 
working  on  a  farm  during  the  summer,  and  when  si.v- 
teen  years  old  left  school  and  devoted  his  time 
entirely  to  farming  and  hauling  lumber.  With  his 
meagre  facilities,  Mr.  Nichols  had  acquired  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  common  branches,  and  in  1S44 
wont  to  Michigan,  with  an  uncle,  locating  in  Branch 
County,  and  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  the  winter 
and  working  on  a  farm  during  the  summer.  This 
he  continued  until  the  fall  of  1851,  when  he  was 
obliged  to  change  his  residence  on  account  of  poor 
health,  and  desiring  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  mines, 
came  to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama, arriving  in  San   Francisco  in  November.  1851, 


lie  at  once  went  to  the  mines  at  Sonora,  on  foot, 
being  almost  penniless.  In  company  with  Dr.  Hall- 
inger,  of  Branch  County,  Michigan,  ho  prospected 
for  a  claim,  and  not  being  supplied  with  blankets 
sufficient  for  the  life  he  was  leading,  he  contracted  a 
severe  cold  and  was  compelled  to  lay  idle  at  Sonora 
all  winter.  In  the  si)ring,  he  bought  a  claim  on 
Woods  Creek,  from  which  he  took  out  enough  to  pay 
his  doctor's  bills.  In  company  with  Amos  Gustin, 
he  left  the  mines  at  that  place  and  started  for  Fresno. 
When  he  reached  Merced  River,  he  concluded  to  go 
to  work  in  a  quartz-mill,  and  was  to  receive  SlOd  per 
month,  but  the  man  failed  and  .Mr.  Nichols  got  noth- 
ing. Soon  after  he  engaged  in  mining  and  merchan- 
dizing on  the  river,  and  very  soon  was  well  situated 
from  a  financial  point  of  view.  In  May,  1855,  he 
sold  his  business  and  returned  to  Michigan,  thence  to 
Iowa,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  j'ear  returned  to 
.Michigan,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Cragin, 
daughter  of  Milo  and  Susan  Cragin,  of  Quincy,  Michi- 
gan, and  with  his  bride  removed  to  Iowa,  settling  in 
Ozark,  Jackson  Count}',  where  he,  in  connection  with 
an  uncle,  was  engaged  in  milling  and  merchandising, 
for  a  few  months,  when  Mr.  Nichols  removed  to 
llo[)kinton,  Delaware  Countj',  and  purchased  a  mill- 
site  and  saw-mill,  partly  constructed,  for  85.500,  and 
through  the  ill-luck  of  his  untile,  lost  every  dollar. 
The  creditors  allowed  Mr.  Nichol  to  finish  the  mill, 
and  he  also  erected  a  fiouring  mill,  and  by  good 
management  and  industry  cleared  the  indebtedness  on 
the  propcrtj'.  In  lKt)4,  Mr.  Nichols  rented  the  mills, 
and  again  sought  the  Pacific  Coast  and  located  in 
Honey  Lake  Valley,  California,  where  he  farmed  one 
season,  and  then  removed  to  Paradise  Valley,  Hum- 
boldt County,  Nevada,  where  ho  was  joined  by  his 
wife  and  daughter,  and  has  since  resided.  He  has 
held  the  office  of  County  Commissioner  of  Humboldt 
County  for  four  years,  and  was  also  Justice  of  the 
Peace  two  years.  Their  daughter,  llattie  Josephine, 
is  married  and  living  in  the  valley. 

WILLIA.M    A.    SPERRY 

Is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  born  in  the 
town  of  Derby,  December  18,  1840.  At  the  age 
of  eleven  years  he  went  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in 
farming.  As  youth  ripened  into  manhood  he  desired 
a  wider  field  for  his  labors,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  j'ears  sailed  on  the  ship  Xorlliem  Lujhl  to 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  from  there  came  to 
San  Francisco,  California,  in  the  steamer  Golden 
Gate..  I'nlike  nearly  all  new  arrivals,  he  did  not 
seek  the  mines  as  his  first  occupation,  but  going 
into  the  Sacramento  Valley  ho  pursued  the  same 
business  he  had  followed  in  his  Illinois  home.  After 
two  years  as  a  farmer  ho  went  to  Dutch  Flat, 
Placer  County,  and  commenced  mining,  whore  he 
stayed  about  one  year.  From  there  he  went  to 
Summit  Valley,  thence  to  Bear  Valley,  thence  to 
Meadow  Lake,  and  finally  arrived  at  Dutch  Flat 
again.     Having  traveled  rather  extensively  through 


458 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


California,  he  came  to  Nevada,  and  for  a  period  of 
three  months  was  located  at  Gravelly  Ford.  He 
then  came  to  Paradise  Valley,  Humboldt  County, 
and  was  there  about  the  same  length  of  time,  when 
ho  went  to  White  Pine,  and  for  two  years  was 
engaged  in  quartz  mining.  He  then  came  back  to 
Paradise  Valley,  and  taking  up  |some  Government 
land  settled  down  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  In  1873  he  built  a  fine  house, 
and  has  a  well-appointed  farm.  In  January,  1879, 
he  was  married  to  Lena  E.  Wilder,  of  Athens,  Mich- 
igan. 

WILLIAM    STOCK 

Is  a  native  of  Germany,  the  country  to  which  the 
United  States  is  so  largely  indebted  for  the  steady, 
industrious  emigration  which  has  done  so  much  to 
make  the  wilderness  blossom  like  the  rose.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1854,  making  his  first  halt  at 
Cincinnati,  in  (Jhio,  where  he  engaged  in  coopering 
for  five  years.  The  reports  of  fortunes  easily  made 
in  California  swept  him  off  his  moorings,  and  the 
summer  of  185!!  found  him  on  his  way  to  the  farthest 
West.  He  worked  for  two  years  in  the  mines  in 
Trinitj'  and  Shasta  counties,  and  then  three  more  at 
farming.  Having  accumulated  a  considerable  sum 
by  his  industry,  and  desiring  to  try  the  world  for 
himself,  he  ])urchascd  an  ox-team  and  went  to 
freighting  between  California  and  Nevada,  and  made 
his  way  into  Paradise  Valley  among  the  first.  His 
experience  there  will  be  found  more  fully  related  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  the  Indian  difficulties  in 
1803-64-05-60.  He  also  mined  at  Silver  City,  Idaho, 
during  the  years  1864-05,  visiting  California  during 
the  time.  In  the  fall  of  186(!  he  came  to  Paradise 
again,  and  located  the  farm  u])on  which  he  has  since 
lived,  in  company  with  G.  H.  Carroll.  His  adven- 
tures and  hair-breadth  escapes  during  these  years 
will  be  a  source  of  interest  as  long  as  people  shall  be 
interested  in  frontier  tales. 

Queen  City  was  one  of  the  prospective  rivals  of 
Paradise  City.  It  was  built,  or  rather  the  name  was 
given  to  a  cluster  of  buildings  on  Martin's  Creek,  at 
the  time  of  the  building  of  the  Paradise  Quartz 
Mills,  in  1874.  At  the  closing  down  of  the  mills 
most  of  the  population  left.  In  1879  it  contained 
about  100  inhabitants,  but  being  situated  in  a  canon 
in  a  rather  inaccessible  place,  it  did  not  long  prove  a 
rival  to  Paradise  City.  It  is  distant  five  miles  from 
Paradise,  and  six  miles  from  Spring  City.  It  has  at 
present  eighteen  inhabitants;  no  stores  or  places  of 
active  industry.  Letters  to  jjcrsons  at  this  place  are 
sent  to  Paradise  City.  The  mill  (not  running)  is  a 
ten-stamp  mill,  dry  crushing,  with  a  capacity  of 
teTi  tons  per  day,  using  both  steam  and  water  power. 
It  has  a  roasting  furnace  (White  &  Howell)  with  a 
capacity'  of  twenty  tons.  The  amount  of  bullion 
produced  while  running  was  estimated  at  8235,000. 

Spring  City  is  a  lively  little  town,  twelve  miles 
northeast  of  Paradise  City.     It  has  a  post-office  and 


daily  mail,  express  office,  seven  saloons,  two  stores, 
two  hotels,  one  restaurant,  one  brewery,  one  book- 
store and  other  industrial  places.  It  is  quite  a 
center,  and  at  the  last  election,  in  1880,  cast  eighty 
votes. 

Star  City  was  the  principal  town  of  the  Star  Dis- 
trict, and  is  ten  miles  north  of  Unionville,  the  former 
County  Seat,  and  ten  miles  south  of  Mill  City.  It 
has  an  altitude  of  3,700  feet,  and  is  situated  in  a  deep 
canon,  with  Star  Peak,  a  loftj'  mountain  which  is  a 
landmark  for  all  the  region  south  of  the  Humboldt, 
only  two  miles  distant.  In  1864-05  it  had  a  popu- 
lation of  1.200,  whioh  began  leaving  during  the 
panic  of  the  following  years,  until  now,  but  four 
persons  keep  guard  over  the  place.  It  has  a  Crane 
Concentrating  Mill  capable  of  reducing  forty  tons  of 
ore  in  twenty-four  hours.  The  value  of  all  the  tax- 
able property  in  the  place  is  estimated  at  810,000. 
[n  consequence  of  the  almost  utter  desertion  of  the 
place  it  has  been  next  to  impossible  to  gather  any- 
thing of  its  early  history.  A  full  account  of  the 
mines  has  been  given  under  the  head  of  Star 
District.  That  1,200  active  men  should  ever  have 
assembled  at  any  point  and  remained  there  three  or 
four  years  without  making  materials  for  an  interest- 
ing history  would  be  absurd,  impossible.  The  aban- 
doned shafts  and  tunnels,  the  holes  where  the  miner 
had  his  shanty,  the  half-ruined  chimnej^s,  and  the 
hundreds  of  trails  ramifj-ing  in  every  direction 
through  the  cafion,  are  all  that  remain  to  speak  of 
the  busy  thousand  who  once  hoped  to  achieve  fort- 
unes which  should  make  them  respected  and  happy. 

^  Unionville  has  a  history  of  its  own,  which  alone 
would  make  a  good-sized  volume.  To  condense 
into  a  few  pages  a  history  which  involves  so  many 
social,  political,  and  financial  features  is  a  piece  of 
vandalism  that  a  true  historian  is  verj-  unwilling  to 
be  guilty  of,  but  there  seems  to  bo  no  alternative. 

Soon  after  the  discovery  of  the  Comstock  Lode, 
the  Indians  brought  into  the  camp  pieces  of  ore 
similar  to  the  rich  rock  of  that  lead,  and  expressed 
a  willingness  to  conduct  white  men  to  the  vicinit}'. 
Captain  Hugo  Pfersdorff  and  J.  C.  Hannan,  with 
two  donkeys  loaded  with  supplies,  and  four  Pah- 
Ute  Indians,  started  out  into  the  desert  of  sage- 
brush, sand  plains,  and  rugged,  barren  mountains, 
and  on  the  twelfth  day  of  May,  1861,  just  as  the 
sun  was  setting,  stood  on  the  top  of  the  ridge 
overlooking  the  Uuena  Vista  Valloj-,  or  Cafion,  as 
it  seems  to  have  been  improperly  called,  for  it  is 
rather  a  valley.  The  <|niet  vallej-,  with  a  clear 
stream  running  through  it;  the  great  gorge  in  the 
mountain  range,  which  towered  among  the  clouds; 
Star  Peak  some  miles  to  the  north,  the  summit  co%'- 
ered  with  snow,  contrasting  with  the  dark-green  of 
the  valleys,  were  features  fit  to  bo  limned  by  a 
painter,  or  immortalized  in  poetry  by  a  Homer  or 
Virgil.  Though  our  pros])ectors  appreciated  the 
scenery,  they  bad  come  for  the  silver   that  was  in 


HISTORY  OF  HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


459 


the  monntains,  and  lost  no  time  in  giving  the  rocks 
a  thorough  examination.  They  wore  gratified  in 
finding  abundant  indications  of  mineral.  Soon  after 
the  arrival  of  the  first  part}-  of  explorers,  carao  Jerry 
Harmon,  \V.  Strong.  C.  Lark,  S.  Montgomery.  G. 
\V.  Whitney,  John  Wolliver,  1).  B.  Higgins,  A.  P.  K. 
Saftord,  J.  C.  Fall,  Thomas  Kutherford,  A.  W.  Night- 
ingill,  F.  Aires,  W.  A.  Koleomh,  George  Wortman, 
jO.  r.  Dietz,  (i.  W.  Fox,  \Vm.  H.  Claggett,  and  Sam. 
^  Clemens  (Mark  Twain),  all  following  the  trail  of  the 
first  party,  and  anxious  to  share  the  fortunes  which 
were  said  to  be  had  for  the  taking.  Within  a  week 
from  the  time  the  first  white  men  came  into  the 
cafion  a  meeting  was  called  to  organize  a  mining  dis- 
trict, S.  M.  Carter  being  chosen  Chairman;  W.  Cum- 
mings.  Secretary.  Within  a  year  a  town  was  organ- 
ized, the  first  set  of  officers,  or  Board  of  Directors, 
being  K.  McBeth,  Chas.  Kyle,  Chris.  Lark,  James 
Emorj',  and  John  Spencer.  J.  W.  Story  was  the  first 
Treasurer  of  the  town.  The  town  was  originally 
laid  out  nearlj-  a  mile  above  the  present  location  by 
;^aptain  Pfersdorft',  who  called  the  place  Buena  Vista. 
It  is  said  that,  in  anticipation  of  a  great  population 
coming,  the  owner  asked  extortionate  prices  for  his 
land;  in  consequence  of  which,  Chris.  Lark,  who  had 
taken  up  a  place  a  mile  below,  conceived  the  plan  of 
having  a  rival  town,  and  by  judiciously  giving  away 
and  selling  lots  cheap,  he  turned  the  tide  of  set- 
tlement to  his  portion  of  the  vallej',  100  houses 
being  put  up  in  a  short  time. 
i  '  What's  in  a  name  ?  At  first  the  new  place,  which 
had  a  preponderance  of  persons  sympathizing  with 
the  Rebellion,  was  called  Dixie,  but  in  the  course  of 
the  3-ear  a  great  many  Union  men  came  to  the  place, 
and  July  14,  ISGl,  after  much  angry  discussion  and 
hard  feeling,  the  town  was  baptized  "  Unionville," 
and  the  American  flag  flung  to  the  breeze  amid 
much  rejoicing. 

In  1861  there  were  but  three  settlements  in  the 
county,  Unionville,  Humboldt  City,  and  Star  City, 
Dun  Glen  being  settled  the  following  season.  At  the 
organization  of  the  county,  in  1802,  the  (iovornor 
designated  Unionville  as  the  county  seat,  which  posi- 
tion it  retained  until  1873,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Winnemucca.  Though  the  population  poured  rapidly 
into  the  Star  District  very  little  substantial  work 
was  done  until  1866,  when  the  Arizona  mine  was 
sold  by  Wm.  (Jraves  and  Ed.  Kelly  to  Fall  and 
Temple,  who  organized  the  Arizona  Silver  Mining 
Company,  with  John  C.  Fall  as  Superintendent.  It 
is  said  that  the  Arizona  Mine  has  produced  8.'{,500,- 
000  of  bullion  to  date.  The  IlumliuUt  Register,  a 
lively,  six-column    paper,  was   started  in  May,  1863. 

The  population  of  the  town,  in  its  best  days,  is 
variously  estimated  from  000  to  1,500.  The  ditt'er- 
enco  in  the  estimates  is  probably  caused  by  the 
boundaries  not  being  exactly  doSned,  one  party 
basing  his  estimates  on  those  who  actually  resided 
in  the  compact  part  of  the  town,  the  other  including 
the   suburbs  many  miles  in  extent.     Since  1870  the 


town  and  surrounding  district  has  declined  consider- 
ably in  population,  the  present  population  being 
about  2(10.  Unionville  is  considerabl}*  above  the 
level  of  the  basin,  which  is  about  4,000  feet  above 
the  ocean,  and  is  pleasantly  located  in  a  valley  which 
brings  to  perfection  all  kinds  of  hardy  fruits,  and 
good  crops  of  hay  and  grain.  There  are  now  two 
stores,  one  saloon,  two  restaurants,  one  livery  stable, 
two  blacksmith  shojjs,  a  post-office,  a  telegraph  and 
express  oflSce.  The  buildings  are  constructed  mainly 
of  wood  and  adobe,  some  being  of  stone,  however; 
there  is  one  church  (Methodist  Episcopalj,  built  of 
wood,  costing  $2,500,  and  capable  of  seating  500 
persons. 

The  only  mining  machinery  in  the  town  is  a 
twenty-stamp  tailing-mill,  capable  of  working  forty 
tons  a  day,  and  a  two-stamp  prospecting-raill,  work- 
ing one  ton  a  day.  The  town  is  supplied  with 
water  by  a  pipe  running  from  the  head  of  the  cafion. 
It  is  private  property.  The  villages  in  the  vicinity 
are  Rye  Patch  Station,  six  miles  west  over  the 
mountains.  Mill  City,  on  the  line  of  the  railroad 
twenty  miles  away,  through  which  supplies  are 
obtained  from  Sacramento  and  San  Francisco,  Star 
City,  ten  miles  north,  and  Vandewater,  ten  miles 
south.  Wood  for  fuel  is  obtained  from  the  surround- 
ing mountains,  and  is  mostly  cedar  and  mahogany. 
There  is  no  prevailing  disease  unless  a  tendency  at 
some  seasons  of  the  year  to  pneumonia  may  be  con- 
sidered as  such.  The  locality  is  not  subject  to  floods, 
and  has  had  but  one  severe  fire,  which  occurred  in 
August,  1871,  burning  the  express  office,  Luther's 
store  and  David's  shoe  shop;  the  damage  being  about 
85,000. 

WiNNE.MUCCA  is  situated  on  the  south  side  Of  the 
Humboldt  River,  475  miles  from  San  Francisco,  130 
miles  oast  from  Wads  worth,  fifty  miles  north  of  Union- 
ville, and  forty-two  miles  southeast  from  Paradise 
City.  This  place  was  known  in  1861  as  the  French 
Bridge,  or  Ford,  from  its  being  a  noted  crossing 
place.  Joseph  Ginacca  and  J.  A.  Algaur,  both  now 
dead,  were  the  owners  at  that  time.  The  former  of 
these  was  the  originator  of  the  Humboldt  Canal, 
spoken  ofin  another  place.  The  immediate  site  of  the 
town  was  formerly  a  hay  ranch,  owned  by  White, 
Moore  k  Rule,  as  early  as  1801.  The  town  received 
its  name  from  C.  B.  O.  Bannon,  nephew  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  under  Lincoln,  who  wished 
to  perpetuate  the  name  of  a  famous  Indian  Chief 
Along  with  Bannon  came  Jlillon  Shepardson,  J.  il. 
Thackor,  R.  B.  Cutler,  T.  D.  Parkin.son,  and  soon 
after,  H.  liarnes,  N.  Levy,  W.  F.  Stephens,  and 
others.  When  the  Idaho  travel  commenced  in  1868, 
a  large  portion  of  it  found  it  most  convenient  to 
leave  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  at  this  point,  and 
it  became  a  famous  stage  and  teaming  center.  Its 
most  prosperous  jieriod  was  from  186S  to  1874,  when 
it  had  a  population  of  some  1,600.  In  1872  it  got  the 
county  seat  away  from  Unionville,  being  much 
nearer  the  center  of  population  than  that  place. 


400 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  present  population  is  about  1,000,  with  fifteen 
stores,  three  hotels,  twenty-one  saloons,  three  livery 
stables,  live  blacksmith  shops,  and  twelve  other 
places  of  business  not  enumerated;  telegraph  office, 
post-office,  express  office,  assay  office,  reduction 
works,  tlouring-mill,  two  churches  (Methodist  and 
Prcsbj'teriaii),  two  clergj-men,  two  lawyers,  six 
physicians,  and  one  newspaper,  the  Silver  State. 

The  Humboldt  Iieduction  Works  have  a  smelting 
furnace  and  ten -stamp  mill.  The  flouring  mill  has 
two  run  of  buhr-stone,  and  turns  out  a  good  quality 
of  flour,  enabling  the  farmers  in  the  vicinity  to  realize 
good  prices  for  all  their  wheat. 

The  education  of  the  children  is  attended  to, 
there  being  two  schools  with  competent  teachers. 

The  Court  House  is  a  large  and  substantial  brick 
structure,  with  jail  and  fire-proof  vaults,  built  in 
1874,  at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  for  which  bonds  were 
issued  bearing  an  annual  intei-est.  A  county  hos- 
pital provides  a  home  for  the  indigent  sick. 

The  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  have  strong  socie- 
ties in  Winnemucca,  as  do  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
tTOod  Templars.  The  first  two  have  an  inclosed 
cemetery. 

Th(!  supplies  are  obtained  at  Sacra-nento  and  San 
Francisco,  by  way  of  the  Central  I'acific  Jtailroad. 
Wood  is  supplied  from  the  surrounding  hills,  and  is 
mostly  of  juniper,  or  cedar  as  it  is  commonly  called. 

Winnemucca,  in  consequence  of  being  situated  on  a 
line  of  extensive  travel,  where  persons  of  all  nations 
and  character  come  in  contact,  has  an  extensive 
record  of  homicides.  These  are  recorded  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

Extensive  fires  occurred  in  1870  and  '76,  destroying 
considerable  property. 

The  immediate  prosperity  of  the  town  depends  upon 
the  trade  to  the  northern  portion  of  the  State  and  Ida- 
ho, and  the  possession  of  the  county  seat.  It  is  quite 
likely  that  a  railway  may  be  built  through  the  Par- 
adise Valley  to  Idaho,  making  Winnemucca  a  railway 
center,  in  which  case  the  town  will  have  a  brilliant 
future. 

The  valley  of  the  Humboldt  is  hero  very  broad, 
and  the  possibilities  of  an  extensive  farming  and 
pastoral  region  are  suggested  to  the  observer.  The 
bottom  lands  near  the  river,  where  the  old  French 
Crossing  was  the  town  before  the  railroad  came, 
are  already  fertile,  and  other 'localities,  where  water 
has  been  ajqilied,  show  the  productive  ((ualities  of 
the  soil.  Should  enterprise  bring  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity- of  water  for  general  irrigation,  either  b^-  pipes 
from  the  mountains,  as  at  Humboldt  House,  or  by 
artesian  wells,  as  at  Battle  Mountain,  the  whole 
could  bo  made  part  of  that  Paradise  Valley  that 
stretches  away  to  the  north.  Such  was  the  view 
that  Ginacca,  the  enterprising  pioneer  of  the  town, 
hail  when  he  jirojected  the  great  canal  which  was  to 
redeem  the  desert  and  establish  manul'actories  and 
towns  along  its  course,      Hut  Ginacoa  has  passed 


awaj-  without  realizing  the  dream  of  his  life,  but 
instead,  bearing  the  contumely  of  devoting  a 
fortune  to  an  impracticable  idea.  He  was  acting, 
simpl}-,  in  advance  of  the  time.  The  localities 
irrigated  prove  what  can  be  done,  and  intelligent 
enterprise  will  not  permit  the  wide  plains  and  valleys 
of  Nevada  to  remain  the  deserts  of  the  savage. 


H.  Bleiinerhassett 

Is  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  a  grandson  of  the 
Blennerhassett  of  the  Ohio,  so  celebrated  in  the 
story  of  Aaron  Burr  and  his  southwestern  empire. 
He  served  in  the  Confederate  Army  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  came  to  the  Stale  of  Nevada,  in  1S70.  He 
was  one  of  the  Democratic  Presidential  Electors  for 
Tilden,  and  was  also  Chairman  of  the  Democratic 
State  Central  (Committee.  Married  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  C.  Chenowith,  of  Winnemucca,  Humboldt 
County.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two 
children. 


-?.-    ? 


i^.-»'-i^ 


■i-'J 


'*^'f^»^.«^ 


EORGE'S      EPISCOPAL     CHU  RCH  ,  AUSTI  N,  LAN  0  E"R    CO.NEV. 


DORMITORY  to  STATE  U  NIVERSiTV,  ELKO,  NEV. 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


4C1 


CHAPTER    XLVll. 

HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 

Discovery  of  and  Rush  to  the  Mines — Organization  and  Bound' 
aries — County  Seat  and  Court  House — (bounty  Debt  and 
Court  House — Judicial  District  and  Schools — Otiicers  Ap- 
pointed and  Elected — The  Ix.a<lin;;  Industries — Bonds,  Prop- 
erty and  Population — Principal  Towns — Austin  the  County 
Scat — Incorporated  as  a  City — Water  Company  and  Stock 
Board — Reaction  and  \'aryinj;  Fortunes — Destructive  Rain 
Storms — Chanf;e8  and  Present  Appearance — Hon.  M.  J. 
FarrcU — Andrew  Nichols — The  Man  with  the  Axt — Battle 
Mountain — A.  J.  Blossom — Deserted  Towns  and  Cities — 
Principal  Mining  Districts. 

The  occupation  and  settlement  of  the  various 
States,  Territories  and  localities  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
have  been  in  periods  of  excitement  and  by  "  rushes" 
of  people.  Possiblj'  in  no  other  way  could  the 
development  of  the  country,  or  at  least  many  local- 
ities have  been  accomplished,  and,  however  much  an 
excitement  and  consequent  rush  may  be  deprecated 
the  results  have  been,  almost  without  exception,  of 
great  public  benefit.  Great  indignation  has  at  times 
prevailed  against  those  who  have  told  stories  of  rich 
prospects,  and  traditions  are  extant  of  the  summary 
execution  of  men  who  have  led  others  on  a  wild 
hunt  for  rich  mines  which  they  failed  to  find.  But 
wherever  the  rushes  have  been  some  discoveries  have 
been  made,  and  settlements  followed.  California  was 
thus  settled  in  the  excitement  consequent  on  the 
gold  discover}-  of  1848.  British  Columbia  was 
overrun  and  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  world 
by  the  Fraser  River  excitement;  the  current  of  pop- 
ulation was  turned  over  the  Sierra  Nevada  by  the 
Washoe  excitement,  and  at  last  the  great  interior 
of  the  wilderness  was  penetrated  at  a  bound  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Reese  River  excitement.  Perhaps 
without  an  excitement  the  distant  Pacific  Coast, 
with  all  its  loveliness,  would  have  remained  unoccu- 
pied, and  the  sage-brush  ])lain8  of  JSevada  would 
still  have  remained  on  the  maps  as  "  Unexplored 
Regions." 

The  Reese  River  excitemctit  began  in  18U2.  At 
that  period  the  overland  mail  created  all  the  civilized 
life  of  the  central  and  eastern  part  of  the  Territory 
of  Nevada.  The  route  crossed  the  valley  of  Reese 
Jliver  at  Jacobs  Station,  and  from  eight  to  twelve 
miles  northeast  crossed  the  Toij-nbo  range  of  mount- 
ains, bj-  a  j)ass  called  Telegraph  Cafion.  Nearly  east 
of  Jacobs  Station  was  a  pass,  through  which  the 
Pony  Express  riders  had  often  traveled  as  a  cut-off 
on  the  overland  road,  and,  as  a  consequence,  received 
the  name  of  Pony  Canon.  From  this  cafion,  on  the 
second  of  May,  18(J2,  Mr.  William  M.  Talcott,  who 
had  been  a  Pony  Express  rider  before  that  institu- 
tion was  superseded  by  the  telegraph,  was  hauling 
wood  for  the  stage  station,  and  discovered  a  vein  of 
ore-bearing  quartz.  The  ore  was  taken  to  the  sta- 
tion, and  some  sent  to  Virginia  for  assay.  Proving 
rich,  the  report  of  the  new  discovery  soon  got 
abroad,  and  the  excitement  soon  followed. 

The   ])revious    history  of  this  section   consisted  in 
the  laying  out  of  the  Simpson  Route,  the  establishing 
58 


of  the  overland  mail,  the  construction  of  the  tele- 
graph— all  of  which  are  related  elsowhere  in  this 
work.  Talcott,  the  discoverer  of  the  ledge  which  ho 
named  the  Pon}',  and  the  first  Recorder  of  the  dis- 
trict, was  a  native  of  Maryland,  to  which  State  ho 
afterwards  returned  and  died. 

Reese  River  Mining  District  was  organized  on  the 
tenth  of  May,  18(>2.  The  first  locators  of  mines 
were  Wm.  M.  Talcott,  Felix  O'Neil,  Augustus  Clapp, 
James  Farmer,  G.  W.  Jacobs,  J.  R.  Jacobs,  A.  P. 
Hawes,  Joseph  Town,  Walter  Cary,  (r.  L.  Turner, 
and  T.  L.  Crubb.  Their  locations  covered  a  total  of 
of  2,(500  feet.  The  first  location  was  called  the  Pony 
Ledge,  which  is  now  owned  by  Charles  R.  Stebbins 
of  Austin. 

ORd.VNIZATION  AND  BOITNDARIES. 

The  bill  creating  Lander  County,  out  of  por- 
tions of  Humboldt  and  Churchill  Counties,  was 
framed  by  A.  J.  Simmons,  and  was  approved  Decem- 
ber li),  1802.  The  boundaries  of  the  new  county 
were  defined  in  the  statute  as  follows; — 

Beginning  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  for- 
tieth meridian  of  longitude,  west  from  Washington, 
with  the  forty-second  parallel  of  north  latitude,  or 
northern  boundary  of  Nevada  Territorj-;  thence,  run- 
ning south  on  the  line  of  said  fortieth  meridian  of 
longitude,  through  the  counties  of  Humboldt  and 
Churchill,  to  the  thirty-ninth  parallel  of  north  lati- 
tude, ornorthern  boundary-  line  of  Esmeralda  County; 
thence  east,  along  the  said  northern  boundary  line 
of  Esmeralda  County,  to  the  eastern  boundary  line  of 
the  Territorj^;  thence  north,  following  the  eastern 
boundary  line  of  the  Territory,  to  the  northern 
boundary  line  of  the  Territory  aforesaid;  thence 
west,  along  said  northern  boundary  line,  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

This  included  about  one-third  the  area  of  Nevada, 
as  its  boundaries  then  existed.  The  region  was  a 
vast,  unexplored  wilderness,  crossed  by  two  overland 
routes  of  travel,  the  Humboldt  Valley  and  the  Simp- 
son routes.  The  mines  in  Ponj-  Cafion  had  been  dis- 
covered, and  the  name  of  "Reese  River"  given  to  the 
district.  Six  miles  west,  near  the  stream  called 
Reese  River,  was  a  station  of  the  Overland  .Mail,  and 
the  only  settlement  near.  This  was  then  called 
Jacobs'  Springs,  afterward  called  Jacobsvillo,  in  hon- 
or of  George  Washington  Jacobs,  the  division  agent 
of  the  Overland  Mail  Com])any.  Here  was  located 
the  county  seat,  subject  to  a  vote  of  the  people  at 
the  next  general  election.  In  the  midst  of  the  mines 
in  Pony  Cailon,  Austin  had  been  built,  and  on  the 
second  of  September,  1803,  the  people  voted  that 
Austin  should  become  the  county  seat.  By  calcula- 
tions subsequently  made  the  fact  was  ascertained 
that  the  western  boundary  of  the  countj',  the  fortieth 
meridian,  was  east  of  the  county  seat.  This  was  rec- 
tified by  an  Act  approved  February  20,  1864,  by 
removing  that  part  of  the  western  boundaiy  between 
the  fortieth  and  thirty-ninth  parallels  westward  to 
the  Mount  Airoj-  Station,  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles.  This  lino  was  subsequently  made  to  conform 
to  the  summit  of  the  Desatoya  range  of  mountains. 


462 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


By  Act  of  Congress  approved  May  5,  1866,  a  strip 
of  territory  of  one  degree  of  longitude  was  taken 
from  Utah  and  added  to  Nevada,  ceding  to  the  State 
at  the  same  time  all  that  part  of  Arizona  north  and 
west  of  the  Colorado  River.  This  added  three  square 
degrees  of  territory  to  Lander  County,  which  then 
comprised  about  twenty-eight  percent,  of  the  entire 
State,  and  all  the  population  of  the  region  which  soon 
became  known  as  "The  Great  East."  From  this  great 
area  numerous  counties  were  afterwards  carved,  giv- 
ing Lander  the  title  of  "Mother  of  Counties." 

By  an  Act  approved  March  5,  1869,  the  counties 
of  Elko  and  White  Pine  were  created,  taking  a  little 
more  than  two  degrees  of  the  eastern  part  of  Lan- 
der, and  by  an  Act  approved  March  1,  1871,  all  that 
portion  north  of  the  fortj'-first  parallel  was  ceded  to 
Elko.  By  an  Act  approved  March  1,  1873,  the 
county  was  divided  bj^  a  line  drawn  south  from  a 
point  midway  on  its  northern  boundary,  and  the 
eastern  portion  was  made  the  county  of  Eureka. 
Subsequently  to  the  organization  of  Xye  Countj*,  a 
strip  of  about  ten  miles  in  width  was  added  to  it 
from  the  southern  part  of  Lander,  and,  in  1873,  the 
line  between  Lander  and  Humboldt  was  adjusted  to 
run  from  the  northeast  corner  of  Churchill  direct  to 
the  center  of  township  32  north,  range  42  east,  Mount 
Diablo  base  and  meridian,  thence  east  to  the  fortieth 
meridian  of  longitude,  taking  quite  a  large  area  from 
Humboldt  County,  and  with  it  all  the  lower  portion 
of  the  Reese  River  Valley.  The  present  area  of  the 
county  is  about  5,200  square  miles. 

The  name  was  bestowed  in  honor  of  General  Fred- 
erick W.  Lander,  previously  mentioned  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Indian  War  of  1860,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  construction,  bj^  the  United  States  Government, 
of  a  wagon  road  across  Nevada.  He  Rubsecjuentlj- 
became  a  Brigadier  General  in  the  L^nion  Army  during 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  dying  at  the  age  of  forty, 
at  Paw  Paw,  Virginia,  March  2,  1862,  from  wounds 
received  in  battle. 

COUNTY  SEAT  AND  COURT  HOUSE. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  creative  Act,  Jacobsville 
was  made  the  county  seat  of  Lander  until  a  census 
could  be  taken,  and  a  permanent  location  could  be 
fixed  upon  by  a  vote  of  the  people.  The  Governor 
was  authorized  to  appoint,  prior  to  the  next  gen- 
eral election,  such  county  and  township  oflicers  as 
he  might  deem  necessary.  The  County  Commis- 
sioners, thus  appointed,  hold  their  first  meeting 
March  3,  1863,  approved  the  bonds  of  officers  pre- 
sented, and  granted  to  J.  Gooding  a  franchise  for  a 
toll-road  across  Warsaw  Slough  to  Jacobsville.  Thoj- 
also  authorized  the  County  Clerk  to  advertise  for 
bids  for  a  Court  House.  At  a  subsequent  meeting, 
held  April  29th,  they  awarded  the  contract  to  J.  A. 
McDonald.  He  was  to  have  the  building  completed 
by  the  first  of  August  following,  and  was  to  receive 
therefor  the  sum  of  88,440.  At  the  same  meeting 
they   divided    the    county   into    thirteen    districts. 


The  Court  House  was  completed  on  time;  and  at 
the  meeting,  held  August  5th,  the  Commissioners 
accepted  the  building,  and  issued  scrip  to  the  con- 
tractor for  the  amount  agreed  upon.  They  also 
redivided  the  county  into  ten  districts,  each  to  be  a 
voting  precinct,  and  to  have  a  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

The  census  taken  in  July,  1863,  showed  the  actual 
residents  in  these  precincts  to  be  1,052  men  and  110 
women,  also  two  "young  children,"  which  were 
credited  to  Austin.  No  attempt  was  made  to  enu- 
merate the  prospectors  scattered  among  the  hills  of 
the  various  mining  districts,  but  their  number  was 
cstimiitod  at  400.  About  500  emigrants,  not  entitled 
to  vote,  were  not  included  in  the  census.  Counting 
all,  the  total  population  of  Lander  County  on  July 
22,  1863,  footed  up  2,062;  and  the  larger  proportion 
consisted  of  persons  under  forty  years  of  age. 

By  a  vote  of  the  people  at  the  election,  hold  Sep- 
tember 2,  1863,  Austin  was  made  the  county  seat; 
and  the  new  Board  of  Commissioners  met  on  the 
twenty-first  of  September,  at  Jacobsville,  and  ad- 
journed to  meet  at  Austin  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day. 

COURT    HOUSE   AND   COUNTY   SEAT. 

The  Court  House  which  had  been  built  at  Jacobs- 
ville was  removed  to  Austin  immediatelj-  after,  and 
additions  made  thereto.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board, 
held  in  April,  1804,  voting  precincts  in  each  of  the 
four  wards  were  established,  and  the  nineteenth 
day  of  A|>ril  fixed  as  election  day.  Thcj'  also  divided 
the  county  into  nine  townships  for  the  purpose  of 
revenue,  issued  scrip  in  payment  of  outstanding 
claims  against  the  county,  and  entered  upon  what 
now  would  seem  to  be  a  system  of  useless  as  well 
as  extravagant  expenditure  of  public  funds.  Within 
two  years  after  the  organization  of  the  county  it 
was  nearly  $200,000  in  debt,  and  its  scrip  sold  for 
fifteen  cents  on  the  dollar. 

JUDICIAL   DISTRICT    AND    SCHOOLS. 

By  an  Act,  approved  February  16,  1864,  Lander 
County  was  attached  to  the  Third  Judicial  District, 
that  district  being  already  composed  of  Lyon  and 
Humboldt  Counties. 

In  October,  1865,  H.  S.  Herrick,  Superintendent 
of  Public  Schools  for  the  county,  rejjorted  that  there 
were  five  school  districts,  four  school  houses,  and 
five  schools  in  the  county;  that  there  had  been  ex- 
ponded  forschool  purposes  during  the  year  84,464.14, 
and  that  the  number  of  children  of  school  age  was 
444.  The  schools  were  carried  on  by  the  aid  of  the 
State  School  Fund  and  a  direct  property  tax. 

OFFICERS    APPOINTED    AND    ELECTED. 

By  the  Act  creating  Lander  Countj',  the  Governor 
was  authorized  to  appoint,  prior  to  the  next  general 
election,  such  county  and  township  officers  as  ho 
may  deem  necessarj'.  The  appointments  made  by 
him,  December  22,  1862,  together  with  all  subsequent 
appointments  and  elections  t<>  otiico  in  this  county, 
are  given   hereafter  with  the  title  of  the  office,  the 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


4G3 


name  of  the  officer  and  date  of  election  or  appoint- 
ment in  each  case. 

SENATORS. 

i>.  E.  Waidron,  elected  to  Council  September  2, 
18G3;  A.  B.  Dibble  and  A.  P.  Hereford,  elected 
Senators  January  19,  18C4,  under  the  Constitution 
that  was  defeated;  M.  1).  Larrowe,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1864,  became  non-resident  September  21, 
1860;  W.  W.  Ilobart,  elected  November  8,  1864;  1). 
\V.  Welty,  and  G.  T.  Terry,  elected  November  6, 
1866.  Terry  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of 
Larrowe.  S.  Wilson,  elected  November  3,  1868;  W . 
VV.  McCoy,  and  John  Spencer,  elected  November  8, 
1870;  Geo.  VV.  Cassidy,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
M.  J.  Farreli,  elected  November  3,  1874,  i-e-elected 
November  5,  1878. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

T.  J.  Tennant  and  R.  S.  Dixon,  elected  Ivcpresent- 
atives  under  Territorial  Government  September  2, 
1863;  C.  S.  Sherman,  S.  G.  Sewell  and  D.  H.  Lem- 
mon,  elected  Assemblymen  Januarj*  19,  1864,  under 
the  Constitution  that  was  defeated;  E.  A.  Morse  and 
D.  P.  Waters,  elected  Representatives  under  the 
Territorial  Government,  but  were  superseded  by  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution  at  the  same  election, 
September  7,  1864;  1).  P.  Waters,  J.  L.  Hinckley,  E. 
P.  Sine  and  M.  A.  llosenblatt,  elected  Assemblj'men 
November  8,  1864;  J.  M.  Dorsey,  J.  R  Jacobs,  T.  J. 
Tennant,  and  Robert  Cullen,  elected  Novembjr  6 
1866;  T.  J.  Tennant,  R.  J.  Moody,  Geo.  D.  Coburn 
and  Geo.  F.  Mills,  elected  November  3,  1868;  S.  L. 
Fuller,  T.  J.  Jones,  L.  Murphy  and  H,  A.  VV illard, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  E.  J.  Elzy,  R.  L.  Horton, 
Frank  V.  Drake  and  James  II.  Burgess,  elected 
Novembers,  1872;  Geo.  Watts  and  Andrew  Nichols, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  JamesE.Rooker,  Andrew 
Nichols  andM.  A.  Sawtelle,  elected  November 7, 1876; 
Thomas  E.  Ilagar,  Geo.  Watts  and  John  Smyth, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  John  Smyth,  W.  B.  New- 
ell and  C.  P.  Soule,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COCNTV    COMMISSIONERS. 

J.  A.  Veatch,  Wm.  M.  Talcott  and  Geo.  W.  Wilson, 
appointed  January  26,  1863.  Talcott  resigned  April 
10th  and  Abraham  Hopper  was  appointed  April  20, 
1863,  to  fill  vacancy;  Wilson  resigned  May  15th, 
and  James  P,  Greaves  was  apjwinted  July  17,  1863, 
to  fill  vacancy.  T.  H.  Thompson,  Wm.  B.  Morse,  and 
J.  P.  Greaves,  elected  September  2,  1863.  G.  A. 
Swasey,  appointed  December  5,  1863,  in  place  of 
Thompson;  E.  G.  Lamb,  appointed  March  24,  1864, 
in  place  of  Swasey;  J.  A.  Mitchell,  appointed  August 
17,  1864,  in  place  of  Lamb;  Morse,  left  the  county, 
and  George  iMay  appointed  to  fill  vacancy  December 
3,  1863;  M.  P.  Haynes,  appointed  April  20,  1864,  in 
place  of  May,  resigned;  AV.  II.  Anderson,  appointed 
July  23,  1864,  in  place  of  Haynes,  resigned;  Greaves, 
resigned  April  12,  1864,  and  R.  H.  Williams  ap- 
pointed June  16,  1864,  to  fill  vacancy;  F.  C.  Chase, 
appointed  November  11,  1864,  in  place  of  Williams. 
A.  H.  Wilson,   F.  C.  Chase  and  J.  M.  Jonos,  elected 


September  7,  1864;  J.  O.  Mitchell,  A.  H.  Wilson  and 
John  Gray,  elected  November  8, 1864;  J.  F.  Hallock, 
J.  A.  Mitchell  and  John  Gray,  elected  November  6, 
1866;  Gray  resigned  August  7,  1867;  James  Burgess, 
John  Spencer  and  M.  Sowers,  elected  November  3, 
1868;  M.  Sowers,  J.  H.  Burgess  and  Matt.  Furth, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  W.  S.  Gage  and  Wm. 
Arrington,  elected  November  5,  1872.  Arrington  re- 
signed March  11,  1873;  Gage  resigned  September  15, 
1876.  A.  M.  Home  and  J.  W.  McWilliams,  elected 
Novembers,  1874;  Geo.  L.  Love,  and  J.  N.  Baker, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  H.  Burgess,  J.  N. 
Baker  and  Henry  Kling,  elected  November  5,  1878. 
Burgess  died  January  3d,  and  T.  W.  Triplett  ap- 
pointed June  17,  1879,  to  fill  vacancj'.  A.  A.  Curtis 
and  J.  P.  Cope,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

Parish  B.  Ladd.  appointed  December  22,  1862,  re- 
moved for  disloyalty  July  6,  1863,  and  J.  H.  Ralston 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  E.  A.  Crane,  elected  Sep- 
tember 2,  1863.  Geo.  S.  Hupp,  elected  County  Judge 
Januarj'  19,  1864,  but  never  served,  the  Constitution 
under  which  he  was  elected  being  defeated. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

John  Carmichael,  appointed  December  22,  1862; 
Frank  Jones,  elected  September  2,  1863;  E.  C. 
Brearly,  elected  November  8,  1864,  resigned  June 
12,  1865,  and  B.  P.  Rankin,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy. 
11.  Mayenbaiim,  elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected 
November;!,  1868;  F.  H.  Harmon,  elected  November 
8,  1870;  N.  D.  Anderson,  elected  November  5,  1872, 
re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re  elected  November  7, 
187();  George  A.  Douglass,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
H.  T.  Creswell,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

George  W.  Jacobs,  appointed  December  22,  1862; 
J.  H.  Tabor,  elected  September  2,  1863;  J.  Leffing- 
well,  elected  November  8,  1864;  B.  F.  Sanborn, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  M.  Dawlej-,  elected 
November  3.  1868;  C.  D.  Spiers,  elected  November 
8,  1870;  John  Emory,  elected  November  5,  1872,  re- 
elected Nevember  3,  1874;  J.  C.  Harper,  elected 
November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878,  died 
December  12,  1879,  and  B.  C.  Thomas  appointed 
December  18th  to  fill  vacancy.  B.  C.  Thomas, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

Elisha  A.  Marsh,  appointed  December  22,  1862; 
S.  E.  Greele}-,  elected  September  2,  1863;  Richard 
Brown,  elected  November  8,  1864;  C.  D.  Spier, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  D.  C.  McKenney,  elected 
November  3,  1S(;8;  John  H.  Dennis,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  M.  J.  Farreli,  elected  November  5, 1872; 
W.  A.  Clifford,  elected  November  3,  1874;  J.  L. 
Brennan,  elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  A.  Miller, 
elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 
1880. 


464 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

Augustus  Clapp,  appointed  December  22,  1862;  J. 
M.  Dawly,  elected  September  2,  18(53;  Wm.  Pardy, 
elected  November  8,  1864;  Jesse  Beene,  elected 
November  6,  1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868; 
George  F.  Dinsmore,  elected  November  8,  1870;  A. 
A.  Curtis,  elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  No- 
vember 3,  1874;  J.  Gilbert,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  J.  A.  Wright,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re- 
elected November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

James  R.  Jacobs,  appointed  December  22,  1862; 
H.  S.  Herrick,  elected  September  2,  1863;  C.  O. 
Barker,  elected  November  8,  1864;  A.  E.  Titus, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  T.  W.  Triplett,  elected 
November  3,  1868;  S.  O.  Clifford,  elected  November 
8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872;  L.  Duncan, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  C.  D.  Spiers,  elected 
November  7,  1876;  J.  C.  Smyle,  elected  November 
5,  1878;  L.  Duncan,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

James  L.  Thompson,  appointed  December  22, 
1862;  E.  S.  Davis,  elected  September  2,  1863,  re- 
elected November  8,  1864;  Richard  Brown,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  C.  D.  Spier,  elected  November 
3,  1868;  H.  J.  Biddleman,  November  8,  1870,  re- 
elected November  5.  1872;  J.  F.  Roberts,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  Charles  Lund,  elected  November 
7,  1876;  A.  C.  McCafferty,  elected  November  5, 1878, 
re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OP  SCHOOLS. 

W.  J.  Brown,  elected  September  2,  1863,  resigned 
March  8,  1864,  H.  S.  Herrick,  appointed  to  fill  vacan- 
cy; H.  S.  Herrick,  elected  November  8,  1864;  T. 
Norwood,  elected  November  6,  1866,  resigned  and  J. 
S.  Slauson  appointed  April  2,  1867,  to  fill  vacancy; 
T.  11.  Harmon,  elected  November  3, 1868;  M.  Dozier, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  J.  R.  Williamson,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re- 
elected November  7,  1876;  C.  A.  Dyer,  elected  Nov- 
ember 5,  1878;  J.  S.  Hammond,  elected  November  2. 
1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

Francis  Tagliabuo,  appointed  December  22,  1862; 
M.  J.  Noyes,  elected  Se|)tember  2,  1863,  re-elected 
November  8,  1864;  T.  J.  Read,  elected  November  6, 
1866;  David  Kerr,  elected  November  3,  1868;  T.  J. 
Read,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Wm.  A.  Edwards, 
elected  November  5,  1872;  C  Von  Netzer,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  Melville  Curtis,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  J.  C.  Smyle,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
Frank  Duffy,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   AD.MINISTRATORS. 

H.  A.  Barrows,  elected  November  8,  1864;  W.  W. 
Wixom,  elected  November  6,  1866;  B.  B.  Stansbury, 
elected  November  3,  1868;  John  Grove,  elected  No- 
vember 8,  1870;  W.  B.  Wilson,  elected  November  5, 
1872,  resigned   March  28,  1873,  and  Richard   Pierce 


appointed  to  fill  vacancy;  J.  Dreyfus,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  R.  Y.  Woodward,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  P.  Laughlin,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re- 
elected November  2,  1880. 


COLLECTORS. 

Samuel  Gilson,  appointed  December  22,  1862.  In 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an  additional  Act 
approved  December  19, 1862,  the  office  of  Sheriff  and 
Collector  of  Lander  County  were  consolidated. 

THE   LEADING    INDUSTRIES. 

In  view  of  frosts,  lack  of  rain,  and  the  apparent 
sterility  of  the  soil,  the  first  settlers  of  Lander 
County  entertained  little  hope  of  ever  being  success- 
ful in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  this  they  were  not 
much  mistaken,  although  experiments  and  intelligent 
operations  have  resulted  in  the  production  of  suffi- 
cient grain  and  vegetables  to  meet  the  local  demand, 
and  at  prices  profitable  to  the  producer  and  reason- 
able to  the  consumer.  Stock-raising  has  also  become 
an  important  industry.  Still  the  leading  industry  of 
the  county  is  and  always  has  been  that  of  mining. 

The  first  bullion  product  was  from  Buell's  five- 
stamp  mill,  which  was  put  in  opei'ation  in  August, 
1863,  and  was  the  first  mill  started  in  the  county. 
From  this  time  forward  the  construction  of  mills 
kept  pace  with  the  discovery  of  mines.  In  the 
beginning  of  1865  there  were  fifteen  mills  in  opera- 
tion in  the  county,  with  a  total  number  of  110 
stamps,  and  in  the  spring  of  1866  there  were  twenty- 
nine  mills,  with  an  aggregate  of  444  stamps.  The 
cost  of  a  twenty-stamp  steam  mill  at  the  place  of 
manufacture  in  San  Francisco  was,  at  that  time, 
from  S17,000  to  825,000.  The  cost  of  transportation 
to  the  Reese  River  District  was  from  64,000  to  87,000, 
and  ground,  grading,  furnaces,  buildings,  etc.  usually 
made  the  cost  aggregate  from  §125,000  to  §250,000 
for  a  first-class  mill.  There  were  at  that  time 
nearly  sixty  mining  districts  in  the  Reese  River 
region. 

The  yield  of  the  mines  increased  steadily  from 
1863,  when  the  product  was  816,109,  to  1868,  when 
it  was  82,574,810;  and  the  total  product  to  1880  was 
816,659,209.  The  revenue  derived  from  the  tax  on 
bullion  aided  the  county  greatly  in  the  reduction  of 
its  bonded  and  floating  indebtedness,  and  in  placing 
it8oll'ui)on  an  easier  financial  footing. 

BONDS,  PROPERTY  AND  POPULATION. 

B}'  an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  January 
23,  1877,  the  county  was  authorized  to  issue  its 
bonds  to  the  amount  of  8200. (K)O  in  aid  of  the  Nevada 
Central  Railroad,  which  was  soon  afterward  com- 
pleted, giving  the  county  of  Lander  (juicker  commu- 
nication with  the  outside  world.  The  total  popula- 
tion, as  appears  from  the  census  of  1880,  is  3,624. 
The  assessed  valuation  of  property  for  that  year 
was  82,007,319;  total  debt,  82(10,000,  and  cash  on 
hand  in  the  treasury  of  the  county,  817,348.03. 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


465 


PRINCIPAL   TOWNS. 

Austin  leads  in  age  as  it  does  alphabetically  the 
towns  of  Lander,  while  Amador,  once  its  rival,  has 
passed  to  the  list  of  "  deserted  towns  and  cities." 
The  growth  of  Austin  and  its  history  will  constitute 
the  major  part  of  the  history  of  the  county.  Should 
one  look  for  it  on  the  map,  it  will  bo  found  in  lati- 
tude 30°  29'  :W'.  and  in  longitude  40°  4'  west  from 
Washington,  or  almost  exactly  in  the  center  of  the 
State.  Senator  M.  J.  Farrell,  in  a  lecture  before  the 
Reese  River  Pioneers,  gave  such  a  sketch  of  its 
history  that  it  is  reproduced  in  the  following: — 

When  1  arrived  in  Austin  in  Ajiril,  ISfj.'},  there 
was  but  one  house,  unfinished,  and  a  few  brush 
tents.  Clifton  was  at  that  time  a  verj-  livelj-  mining 
camp,  containing  probably  twenty  or  twenty-five 
houses,  and  was  rajiidly  filling  up  with  pilgrims  from 
California,  but  the  grand  rush  had  not  commenced. 
1  made  a  trip  to  California,  in  vSeptember  of  that 
year,  and  the  emigration  was  then  at  its  zenith.  I 
did  not  take  the  trouble  to  count,  but  others  did, 
and  one  who  traveled  over  the  road  on  horseback, 
and  was  ])art  of  two  daj-s  off  the  main  track,  re])orteii 
274  freight  teams  (carrying  freight  at  fifteen  to 
twenty  cents  per  pound),  nineteen  passenger  wagons, 
three  pack  trains,  sixty-nine  horsemen,  and  thirty- 
one  footnu-n  between  Austin  and  Virginia.  Another 
recorded  4(M)  teams  of  all  descriptions,  counted  in  a 
stage  ride  between  the  same  places,  and  it  would  be 
safe  to  say  that  there  were  one-third  as  many  on  the 
way  from  Salt  Lake  Citj'  and  the  East.  At  the 
same  time  two  lines  of  stages  from  Virginia  were 
booked  for  six  or  seven  days  ahead ;  and  parties  in 
Virginia  who  never  intended  to  come  to  Austin 
made  a  good  speculation  b}'  booking  and  selling 
their  chances,  at  a  good  advance,  to  persons  who 
were  afraid  the  claims  would  all  be  located  before 
they  could  get  to  the  scene.  Li  fact,  the  road  was 
literallj' crowded  with  people  in  wagons,  stages,  car- 
riages and  carts,  on  horseback,  on  donko3's.  with 
saddles  and  without  satldles,  with  hand-carts,  wheel- 
barrows, on  foot,  and  in  every  other  conceivable 
mode  of  traveling,  all  rushing  wildly  to  Reese  River, 
the  land  of  promise,  the  poor  man's  paradise,  the 
Mecca  of  fortune's  devotees.  Thej-  seemed  to  have 
but  one  idea,  with  which  they  were  perfectly  satu- 
rated, and  that  was  to  get  to  Austin  </uic/c.  It  was 
impossible  not  to  get  excited  when  brought  in  con- 
tact with  this  eager  crowd  of  people;  and  those 
who  smiled  at  the  recital  when  at  a  distance,  in  Cal- 
ifornia or  at  the  East,  were  the  wildest  of  the  wild 
when  they  reached  hero.  Houses  were  built,  tents 
erected,  and  bru.sh  shanties  thrown  togclluT,  and  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  a  town  had  sprung 
up  as  if  by  the  touch  of  an  enchanter's  wand. 
Water  was  scarce,  and  an  enterprising  firm  that 
retailed  it  in  carts,  cleared  from  81.0011  to  61.200  per 
week.  The  dust  became  unbearable,  by  reason  of 
the  immense  amount  of  teaming  and  travel,  and  an 
Austin  bath  was  described  as  composed  of  two  inches 
of  cold  water  in  a  big  tub,  a  piece  of  brown 
soap,  a  napkin,  and  a  dollar  and  a  half  The 
whole  surrounding  section  was  laid  otf  into  lots. 
streets,  blocks,  mining  claims  and  water  rights. 
Even  wet  ground  was  made  the  subject 
of  proprietary  interest.  City  lots  sold  all  the 
way  from  8100  to  88,000  apiece.  During  the 
summer  of  1863,  building  operations  were  carried 
on  with  the  greatest  energy,  and  in  addition  to  innu- 


merable tents  and  shanties,  3CG  houses  were  built. 
Fortune-hunters  from  California  brought  their  houses 
with  them,  having  them  all  ready  to  put  up  on 
arrival  at  Austin.  New  mining  excitements  occur- 
red constantly,  new  districts  were  discovered  and 
organized,  new  towns  were  laid  ofi",  and  thousands 
who  had  hurried  to  Austin  hurried  ofi'  as  eagerly 
elsewhere,  and  j'ot  the  Jtocsc  River  metropolis  con- 
tained 10,000  |)oo])le.  Money  was  abundant,  chiefly 
in  twentj'-doUar  gold  pieces,  which  nobody  could 
change,  and  provisions  were  correspondingl}-  high. 
Flour,  at  one  time,  sold  at  fift}-  dollars  per  hundred 
weight.  Every  industrial  avocation  and  every  pro- 
fession had  representatives,  and  saloons  and  gambling 
dens  were  ample  for  all  emergencies.  Stages  departed 
regularl}'  to  Watertown,  Canyon  City,  ]?ig  Ci-eek, 
Washington,  Lme,  Yandleville,  Yankee  Blade,  ]5utte 
City,  tieneva.  Coral  City,  .Tacobsville,  Lander  City, 
Pizarro,  Clinton,  Centervillc,  Augusta,  Bolivia, 
Unionville,  Star  Citj^  and  a  multitude  of  places  no 
longer  heard  of.  From  California  and  Utah  ])ack- 
trains  were  constantly  ari-iving,  and  even  an  air  of 
oriental  magnificence  was  imparted  to  the  scene  by 
the  advent  of  a  long  train  of  camels,  loaded  to  an 
astonishing  extent.  A  duel  occurred,  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  was  formed,  killings  were  com- 
mon, six  ore  mills  were  put  U]),  from  ten  to  twenty 
mining  organizations  were  incorporated  daily,  an 
enormous  postal  and  express  business  was  ti'ansacted 
and  more  than  fifteen  hundred  ofilices  were  oi)ened  in 
San  Francisco  for  the  sale  of  the  hundreds  of  millions 
of  dollars'  worth  of  stock  of  the  thousands  of  Reese 
River  mining  companies." 

Some  additional  accounts  of  early  events  have 
been  furnished  by  John  Frost,  of  the  Manhattan 
Company.  He  says  that  Felix  O'Neil,  J.  Q.  C.  Van- 
dcnbosch,  George  Buffet,  and  himself,  arrived  in 
Austin  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  December,  18G2, 
and  found  a  Mr.  Marshall  and  William  Colo  living  in 
a  cabin  at  Clifton,  and  running  what  was  known  as 
the  Highland  ,Mary  Tunnel,  opposite  the  present  site 
of  the  International  Hotel,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
canon,  at  a  ]>oint  which  is  now  near  the  middle  of 
the  town  of  Austin.  There  was  no  one  else  there 
at  the  time,  and  as  they  wore  the  first  to  build  a 
cabin,  they  could  properl}-  be  called  tho  first  set- 
tlers, although  the  first  discovery  of  tho  mines  was 
made  by  the  pony  rider. 

Mr.  Frost  and  his  partners  located  claims  known 
as  tho  North  Star,  Oregon  and  Southern  Light, 
and  then  returned  to  tho  Truckoo  River  to  spend 
the  winter. 

They  returned  in  .March,  1803,  and  built  the  first 
cabin  in  Austin,  which  was  of  logs.  The  claims 
they  located  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  present  Man- 
hattan Company.  The  company  was  first  known 
as  O'Noil,  Frost  A:  Co.;  then  as  the  Oregon  Com- 
pany, under  which  name  a  ten-stamp  mill  was  built 
and  operated  for  two  years.  In  June,  18G5,  the 
property  was  sold  to  a  New  York  Company,  and 
tho  name  changed  to  Manhattan.  The  Frost  iV 
O'Neil  survey  was  the  first  town  location  made, 
and  its  object  was  to  secure  the  water  and  mill  site. 
After  that,  Marshall,  previously-  referred  to,  located 
a  town  site;  and  after  him,  D.  E.  Buoll,  W.  C.  Uar- 


466 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


rington.  E.  Welton,  and  I.  C.  Bateman  made  a  loca- 
tion. The  citizens,  together  with  the  town-site 
proprietors,  built  the  grade  which  made  Austin 
possible,  as  no  teams  could  previously  get  up  from 
the  valley.  This  was  in  the  spring  and  summer  of 
1863.  Meantime,  the  town  of  Clifton,  situated  on 
the  flat  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon,  had  grown  to 
respectable  dimensions,  but  after  the  grade  was 
built  its  inhabitants  commenced  moving  up  to  Aus- 
tin, which  became  the  central  town.  The  cost  of 
the  grade  was  83,00(1,  By  the  sixth  of  April,  1863, 
the  town  company  had  also  completed  the  Inter- 
national Hotel,  at  Austin,  a  building,  37x90  feet  in 
size;  had  donated  St^OO  for  the  establishment  of  the 
Receille  newspaper;  and  one  of  its  members,  Buell. 
had  started  to  San  Francisco  to  secure  the  erection 
of  an  ore  mill. 

On  A])ril  Cth  a  post-office  was  in  operation  at  Clif- 
ton, with  John  \V.  Clark  as  Postmaster.  G.  L. 
Turner  also  started  a  pony  express  for  the  carrying 
of  letters  to  the  various" mines,  and  to  an  office  of 
Wells,  Fargo  iV  Co.,  that  was  in  charge  of  S,  W. 
Langhorne.  The  Reveille  of  May  16th  mentions  that 
Clifton  has  hotels  and  stores  of  every  description; 
that  Austin  promises  to  be  a  fine  town;  that  flour 
is  selling  at  seven  dollars  per  hundred,  whereas  it 
commanded  twontj'-two  dollars  in  January;  that  the 
overland  .stages  pass  regularly;  that  an  extra  line 
departs  for  Virginia  Citj';  and  that  Austin  is  within 
four  da3-s'  travel  of  San  Francisco,  and  three  days 
travel  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  same  day  it  records 
the  return  of  J.  K.  Jacobs  from  Carson  City,  bring- 
ing with  him  his  daughter  Nellie  and  Mrs.  J.  Stead- 
man,  who  were  just  over  from  San  Francisco.  To 
meet  these  parties,  "  Wash.  "  Jacobs  and  General 
Ford  drove  in  a  buggy  to  Mount  Airey.  Captain 
To-to-a,  high  chief  of  the  Shoshones,  also  met^them  at 
New  Pass  Station,  accompanied  by  a  band  of  his 
chosen  braves.  His  attachment  to  Mr.  J.  R.  Jacobs 
was  remarkable,  whose  life  he  several  times  saved  by 
giving  timely  warning  of  impending  peril,  and  by 
putting  out  of  the  way  jealous  or  vicious  members  of 
the  tribe.  On  one  occasion  To-to-a  killed  an  Indian 
who  designed  to  assassinate  Mr.  Jacobs  for  thejreason 
that  the  latter  had  given  the  Indian  some  medicine 
which  failed  to  eftect  a  cure.  On  May  17th,  twenty 
families  arrived  from  the  States,  and  six  families 
from  California.  On  .May  2lid  it  is  recorded  that  ''Iht* 
International  Hotel  is  under  the  control  of  the  firm 
of  Bateman,  Paul  &  Buell.  George.  W.  Terrill  has 
supervision  of  the  restaurant  in  connection  with  the 
same,  and  presides  with  dignity."  In  June  following, 
this  hotel,  which  was  but  a  lodging-house  and  saloon, 
was  leased  to  Charles  Stebbins. 

In  addition  to  these  W.  K.  Logan,  at  present 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  kept  a  tobacco  and  s  tationery 
store.  Jeff.  Work,  afterwards  in  the  United  States 
Land  Office,  ke])t  the  Hank  Exchange  Saloon,  and 
Daniel  E.  Waldron,  now  of  San  Francisco,  was  attor- 
noy-ut-law.     Austin  then  contained  about  450  citi- 


zens, and  its  business  enterprise  was  represented  by 
two  hotels  or  lodging-houses,  two  stores,  five  saloons, 
one  billiard  room,  two  meat  markets,  one  bakery, 
two  stationery  stores,  three  blacksmith  shops,  one 
wagon  shop,  one  variety  store,  tbree  laundries,  one 
lodging-house  and  a  new  one  in  course  of  construc- 
tion, one  livery  stable,  one  barber  shop,  one  tailor 
shop,  telegraph  office.  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.'s  Express 
Office — John  Leach.  Agent — Turner's  Express  Office, 
two  adobe  yards,  one  dairy,  one  printing  office,  two 
lawyers,  four  Notaries  Public,  one  sign  painter,  four 
carpenters,  four  stone  masons,  one  boot  and  shoe 
store,  one  phj'sician. 

In  July  of  this  year  Miss  Jennie  B.  Bauch  started 
a  school  in  a  brush  tent.  The  Receille  of  Julj'  20th 
records  the  death  of  Annie  McDonald,  and  alludes  to 
it  as  '' the  first  from  natural  causes."  The  first  child, 
a  daughter,  was  born  to  Mrs.  W,  M.  Middlcton,  of 
Upper  Austin,  in  the  latter  part  of  June;  and,  on 
July  4th,  the  first  marriage  took  place — C.  Bryant  to 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Leet. 

A0STIN   THE  COUNTY   SEAT. 

By  a  vote  of  the  people  at  the  election  held  Sep- 
tember 2, 1863,  Austin  was  declared  the  county  seat 
of  Lander  County.  It  was  here  that  prospectors, 
miners  and  men  of  means  were  congregating.  It 
was  thought  to  be  the  center  of  a  series  of  min- 
eral-bearing veins,  which  would  be  found  to  extend 
through  the  earth  for  miles  around.  These  things, 
together  with  the  fact  that  it  occupied  about  the 
geographical  center  of  the  State,  from  which  parties 
in  search  of  mines  would  take  their  departure,  and 
to  which  they  would  return,  raised  great  hopes  con- 
cerning the  future  of  Austin.  The  population 
increased  rapidly,  and  the  highest  prices  were  paid 
for  mechanics  of  all  kinds.  Food  was  scarce,  and 
8400  per  thousand  was  paid  for  lumber.  The  cost  of 
working  ore  was  8100  per  ton,  and,  in  January-,  1804, 
the  mills  reported  a  total  production  of  ore  to  date  of 
8100,000. 

On  the  second  of  January,  1864,  a  fire  company 
was  organized,  which  was  called  the  Hook  and 
Ladder  Company  of  Austin,  with  ten  charter  mem- 
bers. Wm.  J.  Brown  was  elected  President,  and  J. 
Iv.  Fisher,  Foreman.  At  a  meeting  held  January 
11th  the  name  was  changed  to  Pioneer  Hook  and 
Ladder  Companj-,  and  under  this  name  the  organiza- 
tion exists  at  the  present  lime,  with  the  following 
officers:  George  W.  Dixon,  President;  W.  Walton, 
Foreman;  II.  Y.  Woodward,  First  Assistant;  John 
Gray,  Second  Assistant;  W.  A.  Clifford,  Secretary, 
and  W.  P.  Dyer,  Treasurer.  The  companj- now  con- 
sists of  twenty-six  active  and  four  honorary  mem- 
bers. The  first  outfit  was  obtained  by  donations 
from  citizens,  but  the  present  one  was  jnirchased 
by  the  company  itself.  In  July,  1880,  the  funds  of 
the  company  on  hand,  derived  from  dues  and  fines, 
was  8706.46. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  first  company  two 
other  companies    have    been    organized,    the   Man- 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


4G7 


hattan  Hose  and  Eagle  Hose.  The  regular  officers  of 
the  Fire  Department  of  the  city  at  the  present  time 
are,  Melville  Curtis,  Chief  Engineer;  A.  NichoUs, 
First  Assistant;  A.  Sower,  Second  Assistant.  The 
Board  of  Delesjates  are  C.  P.  Soule.  Wm.  Schwin,  Geo. 
Alsop,  J.  B.  Eddy,  R.  Y.  Woodward,  Joseph  Mc- 
Ginness  and  Patrick  Lynch — the  first  three  named 
being  respectively  President,  Treasurer  and  Secre- 
tary. 

INCORPORTED    AS    A    CITY. 

In  January,  18()4,  ii  petition  was  largel}' signed  by 
the  citizens  of  Austin,  asking  the  liCgislature  to  in- 
corporate Clifton,  Austin  and  Upper  Austin  into  one 
body  politic,  to  be  known  as  the  "City  of  Austin." 
On  the  seventeenth  of  February,  18G4,  the  Gov- 
ernor signed  the  bill  which  was  passed  in  accord- 
ance with  such  petition,  and  the  City  of  Austin  was 
launched  with  high  hopes  and  brilliant  prospects. 
The  fii'st  city  election,  which  was  held  April  19, 
1864,  and  at  which  there  were  1428  votes  cast,  re- 
sulted in  the  choice  of  the  following  officers:  Mayor, 
Charles  Ilolbrook;  Clerk,  L.  M.  McKenney;  Record- 
er, W.  P.  Harrington;  Marshal,  Louis  M.  Bodrow; 
Assessor,  N.  McLean;  Aldermen,  Wm.  W.  Hobart, 
Andrew  Nichols,  Thomas  A.  Waterman,  Thomas  W. 
Triplett,  Dudley  Sale,  G.  F.  Dinsmore  and  S.  O.  Clif- 
ford. 

On  the  day  following  this  election,  occurred  the 
celebrated  incident  of  the  sale  of  Gridlej-'s  sack  of 
flour,  the  particulars  of  which  will  be  found  on 
pages  268,  269  and  270  of  this  work.  By  the  terms  of 
the  Act  of  incorporation,  the  City  Recorder  was  ex 
officio  a  Justice  of  the  Peace;  the  City  Marshal  was 
also  City  Collector;  and  the  Citj'  Clerk  was  Treasurer 
and  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen.  The  City  At- 
torney was  elected  by  the  Common  Council,  the  choice 
falling  on  W.  H.  Beatty.  Of  the  above-named  offi- 
cers, Bodrow  was  killed  at  Belmont,  Dinsmoro  and 
Clifford  died,  and  the  remainder  reside  as  follows: 
McKenney,  in  California;  Harrington,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco; Harmon  and  llobart,  in  Eureka  County; 
Nichols,  in  Austin;  Sale  and  Waterman,  in  Elko 
County;  Triplett,  in  White  Pine,  and  Beatty,  late 
Supreme  Judge,  is  now  a  resident  of  Sacramento. 

WATER   CO.MPANY   AND   STOCK    BOARD. 

William  C.  Harrington,  J.  C.  Bateman,  John 
Frost,  Felix  O'Neil,  J.  Q.  C.  Vandenbosh,  and 
others  organized  a  water  company;  and  on  the 
sixteenth  of  February,  1864,  the  Legislature  gave 
them  a  charter,  granting  exclusive  privileges  in 
supplying  the  town  of  Austin  with  water,  the  same 
to  extend  over  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  By  an 
amendatory  Act,  passed  February  17,  1877,  this 
charter  was  made  to  cover  an  additional  period  of 
four  years. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  March,  1864,  the  "Pioneer 
Stock  and  Exchange  Board"  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  dealing  in  mining  stocks,  but  there  was 
never  very  much  business  done,  and  the  seats 
never  commanded  fabulous  prices. 


REACTION   AND   V.\RYINfJ    FORTUNES. 

Alter  such  a  period  of  wild  excitement  and  fever- 
ish ])r()sperity  as  accompanied  the  discoveiy  of  ore 
in  Lander  C'ounty,  it  was  but  natural  that  a  reac- 
tion should  follow.  It  came  in  the  winter  of  1864- 
65,  and  manj-  who  had  been  enormously  rich  in 
expectation  'were  compelled  to  ])rospcct  again,  or 
seek  emplo3'ment  outside  of  the  city.  However,  in 
the  spring,  speculators  swarmed  in  from  the  East, 
claims  were  purchased,  and  a  rage  for  building 
(juartz  mills  ensued;  and  although  the  iieo])lo  some- 
times overdid  the  business,  and  by  the  emploj-mont 
of  incompetent  superintendents,  made  partial  failures 
in  this  line,  }'et  Austin  was  destined  to  grow  and 
become  an  important  town.  Wild  speculation 
ceased,  prudent  ventures  succeeded,  and  business 
flowed  on  smoother  and  in  more  enduring  chan- 
nels. 

A  fair  estimate  of  the  business  transacted  there 
may  be  formed  from  the  simple  statement  of  the 
passengers,  produce,  and.  building  materials  that 
were  taken  over  the  roads  leading  into  the  city 
during  1865.  The  Overland  .Mail  Company  carried 
between  Virginia  City  and  Austin  5,840  passengers, 
charging  forty  dollars  each.  The  first  part  of  the 
year  the  Reese  River  Fast  Freight  Company  ran  a 
tri-weekly  line  of  stages,  and  carried  several  hun- 
dred passengers.  Other  occasional  passenger  wagons 
probably  brought  the  number  up  to  6,000  for  the 
j'car;  7,620  tons  of  freight,  consisting  of  merchan- 
dise, machinery',  and  lumber  were  transported  from 
San  Francisco  to  Austin  at  a  total  cost,  for  freight 
alone,  of  $1,381,800.  Lumber  was  brought  from  the 
Sierra  at  a  cost  of  six  cents  per  pound  for  freight. 
Besides  the  above,  there  were  about  525  tons  of 
freight  hauled  through  this  city  to  Salt  Lake, 
Egan  Cafion.  and  other  points  east,  making  a  total 
of  over  8,000  tons  arriving  at  Austin.  The  principal 
portion  went  through  the  care  of  the  merchants  of 
Austin,  being  i-eshi]iped  at  this  ])oint.  The  rates  of 
freight  between  Salt  Lake  and  Austin  ranged  from 
six  to  nine  cents  per  paund  in  coin;  and  from  San 
Francisco  to  Austin  from  eight  to  twelve  cents  dur- 
ing ordinary  weather;  but  in  severe  winters  and 
springs  they  sometimes  reached  eighteen  cents  per 
pound.  The  charges  on  freights  received  at  Austin 
during  1865  averaged  over  84,000  daily. 

The  lumber  at  that  time  used  at  Austin  and  vicin- 
ity consisted  of  two  varieties.  The  first-class  article 
was  brought  from  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  second- 
class  was  manufactured  from  native  pifion,  and  was 
known  as  Reese  River  lumber.  The  receipts  for 
1865  were  as  follows: — 

Sierra  Nevada  lumber 1,170.000  feet 

Reese  River  lumber 1,200,000     " 

Total 2,370,000  feet. 

This  lumber  cost,  Sierra  Nevada,  8250  per  thou- 
sand; Reese  River  lumber,  S125  to  8150  per  thousand. 
During  that    year,    1,600,000    shingles    and  shakca 


468 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


were  received  from  the  Sierra.  The  shingles  cost 
820  per  thousand,  and  the  shakes  from  $80  to  $100 
jHT  thousand.  The  number  of  brick  manufactured 
during  the  season  was  2,500,000;  price,  812  to  $18 
per  thousand.  A  great  quantity  of  brick  was  used 
during  the  year  for  the  construction  of  mills,  roast- 
ing furnaces,  smoke  stacks,  stores,  and  dwellings; 
250  tons  of  lime  were  also  used  at  a  cost  of  $45  per 
ton.  Estimates  and  prices  are  always  in  coin,  then 
at  a  groat  premium  over  the  National,  or  Greenback, 
currency. 

During  1865  the  amount  of  treasure  that  passed 
through  the  office  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  at  Austin, 
aggregated  $0,000,000.  A  line  of  telegraph  connec- 
ted with  every  section  of  the  Union,  and  a  mail 
arrived  daily  both  from  the  east  and  from  the  west, 
via  the  Overland  Route.  About  40(i  letters  were 
received  daily,  and  about  the  same  number  were  dis- 
patched. Letters,  papers,  and  packages,  were  car- 
ried by  express  wherever  stages  went.  Three  bank- 
ing houses  were  in  operatipn  (one  of  them  a  National 
bank)  purchasing  bullion,  furnishing  exchange,  re- 
ceiving deposits,  loaning  money,  etc.  The  learned 
professions  were  represented  by  twelve  physicians, 
five  clergymen,  and  thirty-three  lawyers.  There 
were  several  private  schools  in  addition  to  the  public 
school,  conducted  by  competent  teachers,  in  which 
the  English  and  foreign  languages  were  taught,  as 
well  as  vocal  and  instrumental  music,  drawing,  danc- 
ing, and  calisthenics. 

DESTRUCTIVE    R.\IN-STOR.>rs. 

Although  business  had  settled  into  more  conserva- 
tive and  legitimate  channels,  the  White  Pine  excite- 
ment of  1868  attracted  from  Austin  and  vicinity 
large  numbers  of  adventurous  and  enterprising  men. 
Home  who  were  doing  moderately  well  where  thej' 
were,  were  willing  to  change  with  even  a  remote 
prospect  of  doing  better.  In  August  of  that  j'ear, 
also,  great  damage  was  done  to  the  town  by  a  de- 
structive rain-storm.  It  occurred  on  the  fifteenth 
day  of  the  month.  At  half-past  2  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  a  storm  of  rain  ancj  hail,  accompanied- by 
sharp  lightning,  swept  over  the  city,  and  at  four 
o'clock  torrents  of  water  poured  down  the  canon  and 
through  Cedar  Street,  destroying  $80,000  worth  of 
propcrtj\ 

The  Reveille  office,  a  one-story  brick  structure  that 
stood  above  the  Court  House,  was  swept  away  and  one 
life  was  lost,  A  man  named  Spernam  was  carried 
awaj'  in  his  saloon  and  drowned. 

Six  years  afterwards  a  storm  still  more  destructive 
to  property  visited  the  city.  In  August,  1874,  a  cloud 
burst  occurred  among  the  hills  east  of  the  town, 
and  an  immense  volume  of  water  poured  down  into 
Pony  Canon,  and  rushed  through  the  streets  of 
Austin,  dashing  trees,  boulders  and  drift  of  every 
description  against  the  buildings,  and  creating  great 
devastation.  The  inhabitants  took  the  alarm  in 
time,  and  fled  to  the  hills.  No  lives  were  lost;  but 
■sidewalks,  porches,  roads,  awnings  and  fences  were 


demolished;  goods  and  merchandise  were  swept 
away,  and  three  feet  of  mud  and  debris  filled  the 
streets  and  houses  when  the  waters  had  spent  their 
force.  The  damage  was  estimated  at  8100,000,  and 
the  scene  presented  was  deplorable.  Resolute  and 
undismaj-ed,  the  people  set  to  work  to  repair  their 
loss,  and  within  a  few  months  no  signs  remained  of 
the  catastrophe, 

CHANUES  AND  PRESENT  APPE.\RANCE, 

During  the  latter  part  of  1879  and  the  first  part 
of  1880  the  Nevada  Central  Railroad  was  built 
between  Battle  Mountain,  on  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  Clifton,  giving  Austin  railroad  com- 
munication with  San  Francisco, 

In  the  earlj'  part  of  1881,  Allen  A,  Curtis,  one  of 
the  principal  mine  owners  of  Austin,  constructed  the 
Austin  City  Railroad  to  Clifton,  to  connect  with 
the  Nevada  Central,  It  is  a  narrow-gauge  road, 
and  runs  through  the  main  street  of  the  town. 

There  have  been  several  changes  in  the  organic 
Act  which  created  the  city  of  Austin,  from  time  to 
time,  and  final!}-,  the  city  was  disincorporated  by 
Act  of  the  Legislature,  and  Austin  is  now  a  quiet, 
peaceful,  and  pleasant  country  town. 

The  present  population,  according  to  the  census 
report  of  1880,  consists  of  1,092  persons;  in  addi- 
tion to  which  there  are  320  Indian-i  and  120  China- 
men, 

Austin  is  situated  in  a  canon,  running  west  into 
Reese  River  Valley,  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Toij-abe  Mountains,  and  at  an  elevation  of  about 
7,000  feet. 

Surrounding  it  on  all  sides  are  mountains  and 
sage-brush  vallej's.  Its  streets  are  shaded,  to  some 
extent,  principally  with  locust.  Battle  Mountain 
is  ninety  miles  to  the  northward;  Eureka,  seventy- 
four  miles  to  the  eastward;  Belmont,  eighty-four 
miles  to  the  southeastward;  and  Grantsvillc,  seventy 
miles  west  of  south.  Fuel,  chiefly  nut  pine,  is 
brought  by  rail  from  the  mountains  to  the  north- 
ward. In  the  vicinity  of  the  town  are  three  cem- 
eteries, which  have  been  decorated  and  beautified 
to  some  extent.  One  hotel,  seven  or  eight  stores,  two 
restaurants,  fourteen  saloons,  three  livery  stables, 
three  blacksmith  shops,  two  assay  offices,  a  printing 
office,  a  telegraph  office,  an  express  office,  a  foundry, 
and  some  railroad  machine  shops,  comprise  the  lead- 
ing industrial  and  business  establishments.  The 
buildings  are  constructed  of  wood,  stone,  brick,  and 
adobe.  The  Catholic,  E])iscopal,  and  Methodist 
denominations  are  well  organized,  and  have  each  a 
clerg3'man,  and  a  fine  brick  edifice  of  worship,  and 
have  well-attended  Sunday-schools.  These  churches 
are  among  the  finest  in  the  State, 

Public  educational  facilities  consist  of  one  school 
held  in  a  largo  brick  structure,  capable  of  seating 
400  i)upils.  Four  teachers  are  employed,  and  the 
number  of  pupils  in  attendance  is  about  350,  The 
County  Hospital  occupies  a  large  brick  building,  and 
is  under  the  management  of  the  County  Commis 


J 


JyXWvVW^J^ 


Allen  A.  Curtis,  the  subject  of  this  ukutch, 
Is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  November  1,  1838, 
in  Passaic  County,  near  the  town  of  Belleville,  on 
the  Passaic  lliver.  His  father  was  an  extensive 
paper  manufacturer,  and  his  grandfather  on  his 
mother's  side,  Robert  Morris,  of  New  Jerscj-,  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. Mr.  Curtis  came  to  California  in  1850,  by 
water, and  at  once  entered  the  employ  of  Van  Winkle 
&  Duncan,  iron  merchants,  at  Sacramento,  at  thirty 
dollars  per  month  and  board.  He  remained  in  the 
employ  of  this  firm  until  1865.  During  that  time  he 
visited  Austin,  Nevada,  in  the  interest  of  his  emploj-- 
ers,  and  being  well  pleased  with  the  prospects  in 
that  section  of  the  country,  concluded  to  locate 
there,  which  he  did  in  April,  1865,  and  filled  the 
position  of  book-keeper  for  the  Oregon  Milling  and 
Mining  Companj-,  until,  in  August  of  that  year,  the 
company  sold  its  interest  to  the  Manhattan  Com- 
pany, at  which  time  Mr.  Curtis  entered  the  employ 
of  that  company,  and,  with  the  exception  of  two 
months,  filled  the  same  position  he  had  held  in  the 
Oregon  Company,  until  P'ebruaiy,  1867,  when  be 
was  appointed  Superintendent,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  three  years,  at  which  time  he  resigned,  and 
his  brother  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

From  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  the  countr3%  he 
has  been  a  stockholder  in  that  company  to  a  limited 
extent,  and,  to  demonstrate  his  faith  in  the  value  of 
the  property,  assumed  all  he  was  able  of  the  indebt- 
edness of  the  Manhattan  Company,  in  1800,  that 
eventually  jiroved  the  sagacity  of  his  judgment, 
and  resulted   greatly    to  his  pecuniary  advantage. 


.T 


At  the  time  he  became  Superintendent,  the  indebt- 
edness of  the  company  was  S180,0U(J,  and  within 
one  year  that  obligation  was  paid,  and  eventually 
Mr.  Curtis,  with  his  associates,  became  the  pur- 
chasers of  the  entire  property.  He  built  a  narrow- 
gauge  railroad  from  the  mill,  a  distance  of  two  miles, 
which  connects  with  the  Nevada  Central  Kailroad, 
in  the  outskirts  of  Austin. 

He  is  one  of  the  firm  of  Paxton  &  Curtis,  of  the 
Bank  of  Austin,  and  also  connected  with  the  Paxton 
c*c  Co.  Bank  of  Eureka.  He  has  twice  held  the  office 
of  County  Treasurer,  and  is  interested  in  the  whole- 
sale grocery  house  of  Gage,  Curtis  &  Co.,  at  Austin, 
Lander  County,  Nevada.  In  connection  with  oth- 
ei-8,  he  erected  a  fifteen-stamp  mill  at  Mineral  Hill, 
that  was  under  his  supervision  while  being  Super- 
intendent of  the  Manhattan  Mill,  and  was  situated 
eighty-five  miles  northeast  therefrom.  AVith  a  relay 
of  three  horses  he  often  made  the  trip  between  these 
two  points  in  eight  and  one-half  hours.  The  Smoky 
Vallc}-  Salt  Works,  in  Nye  County,  are  also  his 
l)roperty.  In  lieno,  Washoe  County,  there  is  also  a 
banking  house  controlled  by  Paxton,  Curtis  &  Co., 
and,  in  thepalmj-  days  of  Belmont,  they  also  had  an 
establishment  of  the  kind  there.  Mr.  Curtis  was 
married  November  1,  1877,  to  Mary  C.  (Curtis— who, 
though  bearing  the  same  name,  was  no  relative,  until 
after  the  date  mentioned  above — in  Austin,  and  is  a 
native  of  Sacramento,  California.  Their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  one  child,  now  living,  about  two 
years  of  age,  named  Allen  Ralston.  Mr.  Curtis  has 
been  closely  identified  with  many  enterprises,  and  is 
one  of  the  solid  men  of  the  State. 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


4U9 


sioners.  The  Court  House,  furniture,  and  the  five 
lota  surrounding  the  structure  cost  830,000.  The 
sidewalks  of  Austin  are  plank.  In  the  vicinity  of 
the  town  enough  haj-,  barlcj',  and  vegetables  are 
raised  to  supply  the  local  demand.  The  Masons, 
Odd  Fellows,  Kebekahs.  Knights  of  Pythias,  lied 
Men,  Good  Templars,  Ueese  liiver  Pioneers,  and 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  all  have  lodges  and 
societies.  (See  i)artieulars  elsewhere  concerning  the 
secret  societies  and  benevolent  associations  of  the 
State.) 

The  onlj-  mill  now  in  operation  at  Austin  is  that 
of  the  Manhattan  Compan}-.  which  is  a  very  com- 
plete establishment.  It  was  built  in  1863  as  the 
Oregon  Mill,  and  rebuilt  in  18(!5  by  a  New  York 
company,  and  transferred  to  the  present  company 
in  1875.  Originally  it  consisted  of  ten  stamp.s,  and 
had  a  capacity  of  ten  tons,  but  now  contains  twenty 
stamps,  and  has  a  capacity  of  twenty-two  tons. 
Attached  to  it  is  a  melting  room  and  machine  shop. 
The  roasting  is  done  in  a  Stetefcldt  furnace,  only 
salt  being  used  in  the  process.  The  ore  works  to 
within  ninety-three  and  one-half  per  cent,  of  its  assay 
value,  and  has  done  so  for  the  past  two  years. 
The  engine  is  of  120  horse-power.  Formerly  from 
fourteen  to  eighteen  cords  of  wood  per  day  were 
required  to  run  the  mill,  but  since  boilers,  with 
upright  tubes,  have  been  put  in,  the  same  work 
is  accomplished  with  six  cords.  The  cost  of  wood, 
delivered  at  the  mill,  is  twelve  dollars  per  cord. 
The  charge  for  working  custom  ore  is  thirty-five 
dollars  per  ton,  and  was  formerly  forty-five 
dollars.  Previous  to  1S67  no  record  of  the  amount 
of  bullion  worked  at  the  mill  was  kept.  Since 
then  the  total  amount  has  been  to  the  value  of 
313,287, 874. G7.  In  and  around  the  mill  about  forty 
men  are  emploj-ed.  who  receive  four  dollars  each 
per  day.  The  present  Manhattan  Silver  Mining 
Companj-  is  a  San  Francisco  corporation,  with  the 
following  officers:  President,  John  A.  Paxton;  Vice- 
President,  C.  P.  llubbell;  Secretary,  John  Crockett; 
Superintendent,  Melville  Curtis. 

ANDREW    NICHOLLS 

Is  a  native  of  New  Y'ork;  born  in  the  town  of  (Jen- 
eseo,  fjivingston  (bounty,  September  6,  1832.  His 
parents  wore  from  Scotland.  In  the  year  183(;  they 
moved  from  the  native  town  of  the  subject  hereof  to 
Coburg,  Canada.  His  education  was  consequently 
obtained  on  Canadian  soil,  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen j'ears  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  drj'  goods  firm, 
and  after  a  time  was  a  clerk  in  the  same  establish- 
ment. In  1855  he  went  into  business  for  himself  in 
western  Canada,  achieving  success;  btit  in  the  year 
1858  was  taken  with  the  milling  fever,  and  started 
for  California.  On  his  arrival  ho  found  the  Frazer 
River  excitement  somewhat  subsided,  and  turned 
his  attention  in  other  directions,  spending  four 
years  in  the  mines  in  Butte  County.  In  January, 
18G2,  be  crossed  the  mountains  to  the  Territory  of 
59 


I 

Nevada,  and  located  in  Carson  City;  and  about 
one  year  later  came  to  Austin,  Lander  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  which 
he  still  continues.  In  18(59  he  started  a  lumber- 
yard, and  is  now  in  full  possession  of  that  branch 
of  industry  in  that  town.  During  his  residence  in 
Austin  he  has  made  many  investments  in  mines, 
which  have  not  proved  as  remunerative  as  he  could 
wish.  In  181)6  Mr.  NichoUs  received  the  appoint- 
ment as  Assistant  Assessor  of  United  States  Internal 
Revenue,  and  held  the  position  until  1871,  at  which 
time  he  resigned.  In  the  years  1875  and  1877  ho 
was  a  member  of  the  Nevada  Legislature,  and  was 
one  of  the  parties  to  procure  the  passage  of  the  bill 
that  resulted  in  giving  Lander  Count3-  a  railroad,  of 
which  he  is  a  director  and  stockholder.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican.  His  rise  in  the  world  to  his 
present  high  ])osilion  among  his  fellow-men,  and  the 
accumulation  of  his  estates,  is  wholly  duo  to  his  own 
energy  and  perseverance,  having  received  no  pecuni- 
ary assistance  from  any  one.  He  was  married 
March  9,  lS(i3,  to  Miss  E.  H.  Wells,  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, California. 

HON.   M.  ,1.   FARREI.I, 

Was  born  at  Mount  Hoi)e,  near  Rockaway,  Morris 
County,  Now  Jersey,  March  29,  1832.  He  is  of  Irish 
jiarcnlago,  his  parents  coming  from  the  •'Emerald 
Islo"  when  they  wore  very  young,  his  father  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  and  his  mother  when  only  six  years  of  ago. 
.Mr.  Farrell  was  educated  in  bis  native  State  and 
sailed  from  Now  York  for  California  on  the  old 
steamer  Georgia,  April  5,  1853.  Tho  steamer  was 
wrecked  on  her  next  trip.     On  the  fifth  of  May,  1853, 


470 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Mr.  Farrell  arrived  in  San  Kraneinco,  and  immedi- 
ately went  to  tiic  mincH  in  Nevada  City,  where  lie 
found  a  friend  with  whom  ho  engaged  in  mining  in 
Myor's  Ravine,  about  four  miles  north  of  Nevada 
Citj'.  His  next  anchorage  was  at  Jones"  Bar,  on  the 
South  Yuba  Kiver,  where  lie  bought  a  Hume  claim. 
After  that  he  wandered  through  Northern  Caliibr- 
fornia,  jjrincipally  in  Nevada,  Sierra  and  Plumas 
Counties,  as  a  miner,  school-teacher,  hotel-keejier. 
butcher,  and  in  fact,  as  ho  saj-s,  "turning  his  hand  to 
almost  anything,"  until  in  1863,  ho  came  to  Nevada 
during  the  Reese  River  excitement,  and  located  at 
what  is  now  Austin,  in  Lander  County,  arriving  there 
about  tho  fifteenth  of  April.  The  summers  of  1863 
and  18()4  he  spent  in  prospecting,  and  the  winters  in 
the  town.  In  tho  summer  of  ISli.")  he  took  charge  of 
a  lumber-yard,  as  agent  for  Ilendrick  &  Bowstead. 
During  the  same  season  he  furnished  tools  and  pro- 
visions for  his  brother  and  another  man  to  prospect, 
and  they  discovered  and  located  what  is  now  Ruby 
Hill,  in  Eureka  County.  These  locations — about 
eight  of  them — covered  nearly  all  of  the  hill.  Tluy 
also  located  claims  in  Secret  Cafion,  which  have 
since  proved  valuable.  For  three  years  Mr.  Farrell 
and  his  associates  kept  up  the  assessment  work  on 
these  claims,  but  there  being  no  demand  for  base 
metal  claims  at  that  time,  they  were  bonded  to  Gov. 
J.  II.  Kinkcad,  for  sale  in  Europe,  which  proved 
a   failure,  and    .Mr.  Farrell  turned  his  attention  to 


other  matters  and  let  them  go.  The  claims  referred 
to  covered  the  ground  r\ow  known  as  the  Kureka 
Consolidated  and  Richmond  Mines,  and  would  have 
proven  a  "  bonanza  "  to  their  owners  had  thej-  con- 
tinued to  hold  them.  In  August,  IcSGT,  Mr.  Farrell 
entered  tho  office  of  the  Manhattan  Mining  Company 
as  Secretary,  and  has  since  remained  in  the  employ 
of  that  company.  In  1872,  he  was  elected  to  tho 
office  of  County  Clerk  of  Lander  County  by  a  largo 
majority.  In  1878  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
the  Nevada  Legislature  and  re-elected  in  1880.  Ho 
was  married  A])nl  20,  1871,  to  Miss  L.  C.  Peterson,  of 
Au.stin,  Nevada.     Thcj'  have  no  children. 

"THE    M.\N    WITH    THE   A.\." 

William  Cornell,  lately  arrived  at  Austin  from 
Winncbiigo  County,  Illinois,  laliorod  undei-the  insane 
belief  that  everybody  about  liim  was  awaiting  an 
opportunity  to  take  his  life.  At  about  9  o'clock  on 
the  evening  of  Julj-  18,  18G3,  he  went  to  his  tent  on 
Main  Street,  and  recjuestcd  one  of  his  partners  to 
get  him  a  glass  of  whisky,  making  the  excuse  that 
he  had  been  working  hard  all  daj'  and  was  not  feel- 
ing well.  This  was  a  mere  stratagem  to  get  pos- 
session of  a  knife  and  ax.  The  partner  started 
across  to  a  saloon,  soon  after  which  the  third  partner, 
William  iMolligan,  came  to  the  tent  and  called  to 
Cornell  to  see  if  he  was  there,  at  the  same  time 
looking  in  through  the  opening.  Cornell  immedi- 
ately struck  him  with  the  edge  of  the  ax.  Tho 
blow  was  a  downward  one,  and  inflicted  an  ugly 
gash  over  Melligan's  left  oj'o.  On  receiving  a  sec- 
ond blow  Melligan  fell  to  the  grouiul.  The  maniac 
then  rushed  out,  and  crossing  over  to  Dunham's 
saloon,  began  striking  right  and  left  with  tho  ax 
at  numerous  persons  congregated  there,  who  sue- 
<eedcd  in  avoiding  his  blows  and  escaping.  One 
shot  was  tired  at  him  there.  J\eturning  to  the  street, 
he  inflicted  a  severe  cut  on  the  left  elbow  of  John 
Capron,  severing  most  of  the  su])porting  leaders, 
and  then  chased  a  party  of  men  into  Stebbins'  stone 
building.  Passing  on,  he  struck  a  Dayton  man, 
known  as  "Frenchj-,"  tho  edge  of  the  ax  cutting 
from  tho  left  crown  to  the  right  side  of  the  neck, 
and  fracturing  "Frenchy's"  skull,  in  spite  of  which 
the  latter  walked  up  town,  took  a  drink,  and  then 
rode  horseback  to  Clifton  to  have  his  wound 
dressed.  The  next  victim  was  B.  O.  Anderson, 
from  Sweetland,  California,  who  received  a  terrible 
cut  above  the  left  ear.  The  maniac  then  met 
Charles  Ludlow,  and  inflicted  on  him  a  dangerous 
gash  near  the  left  temple;  and  soon  afterwards 
struck  Hillj'  .Mills,  of  Clifton,  on  tho  right  side  of 
tho  head,  laying  the  skull  bare.  Next,  a  barber, 
named  Hammersmith,  saved  his  head  by  receiving 
a  descending  blow  on  his  right  hand  and  arm. 
Further  on,  Mr.  Powell  was  slightly  cut  in  the 
back;  and  Charles  Tureinan  only  eseajied  death  by 
falling  sidowise  over  tho  edge  of  tho  road,  his 
breast  pocket    being  cut  away  bj-  a  stroke  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


471 


ax.  Nearing  Clifton,  the  maniac  fortunately  began 
to  use  the  handle  of  his  ax,  and  knocked  Hevural 
persons  ainiost  senseless,  but  inflicted  no  serious 
wounds.  Running  the  entire  length  of  Clifton,  he 
met  no  one,  and  started  in  the  direction  of  Jacobs- 
villc.  An  armed  party  had  been  following  him,  and 
picking  up  the  wounded,  but  did  not  succeed  in 
overtaking  him,  for  he  had  all  the  time  been  run- 
ning with  the  speed  of  a  race-horse.  The  next 
morning  bis  dead  body  was  found  about  a  mile  down 
the  Jacobsville  Road.  On  the  back  of  his  head  was 
a  gash  made  by  the  edge  of  his  ax;  his  throat  was 
cut  from  ear  to  ear,  and  tive  stabs  were  found  over 
his  heart.  These  wounds  were  supposed  to  have 
been  inflicted  by  himself 

Battle  ilnuNTAiN  is  a  station  on  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  535  miles  east  of  San  Francisco,  via 
Stockton,  or  47-t  ciu  Benicia,  and  ninety-three  miles 
north  of  Austin,  being  also  the  northern  terminus  of 
the  Nevada  Central  Railroad.  A  daily  lino  of  stages 
connects  it  with  Tuscarora,  Elko  County.  The  place 
is  supplied  with  water  from  mountain  springs  about 
three  miles  distant,  and  by  a  number  of  flowing  arte- 
sian wells.  Argenta  had  taken  a  very  good  start,  but 
the  discovery  of  the  Battle  Mountain  galena  and 
copper  mines  caused  its  principal  business  men  to 
remove  to  Battle  Mountain  in  the  winter  of  1870. 
It  was  thought  that  Battle  Mountain  would  serve  as 
a  point  of  departure  lor  Austin,  as  well  as  Argenta, 
and  have  the  additional  advantage  of  being  near  the 
new  mines.  Among  the  earlj'  residents  who  made 
this  change  of  base  were  the  following  persons:  J. 
A.  Blossom,  lumber  and  coal  dealer,  J.  \V.  McWill- 
iams,  engaged  in  merchandising,  A.Robertson,  agent 
of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  L.  D.  Huntsman,  hotel-keeper, 
A.  Layton,  freighter.  Case  &  Burnette,  stage  owners, 
I).  Mclntyre,  and  Brown  &  Sadoris,  merchants.  The 
railroad  depot  building  was  also  oceuj)ied  by  I>.  VV. 
Karl,  and  Wliilney  &  Co.,  forwarding  merchants. 
Frevious  to  the  arrival  of  these  parties,  the  railroad 
station  bad  been  in  charge  of  Daniel  Kegan,  who  had 
been  the  only  resident  there  for  six  months,  and  had 
furnished  accommodations  for  travelers  passing  to 
and  from  Battle  Mountain  District. 

The  first  fire  in  Battle  Mountain  occurred  in  July, 
1877,  most  of  the  block  between  Reese  and  Broad 
Streets  being  burned.  It  consisted  of  frame  build- 
ings, and  the  loss  was  about  §2(1,000.  J5iossom'8 
brick  corner  building  was  saved,  and  also  McWill- 
iam's  stable,  the  latter  being  protected  by  an  artesian 
well.  The  buildings  destroyed  were  insured  for 
about  two-thirds  their  value.  In  the  fall  of  1878, 
Block  A  was  burned,  with  the  exception  of  Scott 
Hall,  and  the  flames  also  entered  the  Chinese  quar- 
ter and  swept  it  clean.  Again  the  loss  was  about 
$20,000,  and  the  insurance  to  the  value  of  two-thirds. 
The  third  fire  occurred  in  March,  1880,  destroying 
Huntsman's  Hotel  and  the  Railroad  Local  Dej)Ot. 
Loss  $15,000,  well  covered  by  insurance.  The  onl}- 
visible  iniprovemont  to  Battle    Mountain    resulting 


fVom  the  construction   of  the  Nevada  Central  Rail- 
road has  been  the  building  of  round  houses. 

For  fort)'  miles  each  way,  north  and  south,  the 
country  is  supplied  from  Battle  Mountain,  creating  a 
trade  of  about  81O,(l(i0  per  month.  The  business  of 
the  town  is  represented  by  the  following  establish- 
ments: Two  general  merchandise  stores,  one  cloth- 
ing store,  a  livery  stable,  brewerj-,  five  saloons,  three 
hotels,  one  tin  shop,  one  blacksmith  shop  and  wagon 
repair  shop,  salt  works,  one  harness  and  shoe  shop, 
two  newspapers,  post-office,  express  office,  a  school 
house,  the  railroad  depot  and  sixty  dwellings  make 
up  the  remainder  of  the  place.  The  water  supply  is 
derived  from  seventeen  artesian  wells.  They  are  sunk 
to  the  depth  of  from  140  to  160  feet,  and  flow  from 
six  to  ten  feet.  The  average  flow  through  a  five- 
inch  well  is  a  strong  inch.  In  addition  to  these,  a 
great  strike  of  water  was  made  in  an  artesian  well 
belonging  to  J.  A.  Blossom,  which  flows  a  stream 
through  a  large  pipe  sixtj'-five  feet  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground.  From  this  stream  150  acres  of 
ground  has  been  irrigated,  literally  making  the 
desert  to  blossom. 


"^'^^^W^ 


J.  A.  Blossom  was  born  in  Miamisburg,  Montgom- 
ery County,  Ohio,  Juno  0,  18.SG,  where  his  father  still 
resides.  In  30uth  he  learned  the  trade  of  his  father, 
that  of  harness  maker,  but  did  not  work  at  the  business 
after  he  reached  his  majority.  In  185G  he  left  his 
home  and  went  to  Missouri,  and  took  charge  of  a 
land  office  in  the  interests  of  an  Eastern  company, 
where  he  remained  until  March,  1800,  when  became 
to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  I'anama,  and 


472 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


located  in  Tehama  County.  The  next  j-ear  he  came 
to  the  Territory  of  Nevada,  and  settled  in  what  is 
now  Humboldt  County,  being  one  of  the  first  settlers 
and  locators  of  the  celebrated  Humboldt  mines.  He 
•was  also  one  of  the  founders  of  Star  City,  on  the 
Sheba  Ledge.  During  his  twenty  years  residence  in 
Nevada,  Mr.  Blossom  has  seen  much  of  the  State, 
living  at  Dun  Glen,  AVinnemueca.  and  other  places. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Battle  Mountain, 
where  he  now  resides,  and  built  the  first  house,  with 
the  exception  of  the  railroad  station  house,  erected 
in  that  town.  He  was  also  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  flourishing  towns  of  Galena,  and  Lewis,  and  was 
the  most  extensive  freighter  in  that  section  of  the 
country.  His  mining  transactions  have  proved  very 
successful,  he  having  sold  no  less  than  six  diff'erent 
mines  within  the  past  five  years.  He  has  always 
been  an  active  business  man,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
merchandising,  and  is  well  known  as  a  mining  man; 
is  also  largely  interested  in  stock-raising.  In  1879 
he,  under  contract,  graded  the  Nevada  Central  Rail- 
road from  Battle  Mountain  to  Austin,  employing  as 
high  as  800  men  and  500  horses  in  the  work.  Dur- 
ing the  years  intervening  between  the  years  1861 
and  the  present  time,  Mr.  Blossom  has  had  many 
curious  and  thrilling  adventures,  in  his  wanderings 
among  the  mountains  in  search  of  the  precious  metal, 
and  in  fighting  the  "  dusky  sons  of  the  sage-brush." 
He  was  married  in  April,  1866,  to  Miss  Elvira  Hunter, 
at  Star  City,  Nevada,  and  they  have  three  children, 
two  sons,  aged  twelve  and  fourteen  years,  who  are 
at  the  present  time  at  school  at  Santa  Clara  College, 
in  California. 

DESERTED   TOWNS   AND   CITIES. 

In  the  excitement  of  mining  rushes  there  are  many 
speculators  in  the  crowd  who  are  fiercely  intent  on 
becoming  proprietors  of  great  cities,  looking  to  the 
future  with  a  happy  old  age  made  ])leasant  by  a  large 
rent  roll,  or  acquiring  sudden  wealth  by  the  sale  of 
city  lots.  The  great  example  of  John  Jacob  Astor, 
who,  with  tar-seeing  sagacity,  acquired  much  unim- 
proved land  in  the  city  of  New  York;  the  many  land- 
grabbers  of  the  cities  of  the  Mississippi  Valley-,  who 
became  millionaires,  and  the  examples  of  Sutter, 
Lick,  Brannan,  and  others  of  California,  were  before 
them,  and  they  wanted  a  city.  These  speculators 
were  exceedingly  livel)-  in  the  IJeese  River  region. 
Jacobsvillo  had  been  taken  as  a  ranch  before  the 
excitement  began,  and  land  there  must  be  purchased. 
The  first  rush  was  for  Pony  Canon.  On  a  small 
level  j)lat  of  ground  at  the  emboaehure  of  the  canon 
the  city  of  Clifton  was  located.  Half  a  mile  up,  pass- 
ing a  precipitous  gorge,  the  city  of  Austin  was  loca- 
ted, and  on  its  borders  several  ••  Additions "  were 
surveyed,  and  half  a  mile  further  up  the  cafion,  now 
broadened  into  valleys  and  ravines,  was  built  Upper 
Austin.     These  survive. 

Almost  immediately  following  the  location  of  set- 
tlers in  Pony  Cafion,  cities  were  located  in  Big  Creek 
Cafion,  seven  miles  south,   in    Washington    Cafion, 


twenty-eight  miles  south,  and  Amador,  seven  miles 
north,  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Toij-abe  Mount- 
ains. South  of  Austin,  in  the  canons  of  the  eastern 
slope,  were  Geneva,  twelve  miles,  Clinton,  fifteen 
miles,  Guadalajara  or  Santa  Fe,  eighteen  miles, 
Kingston,  twenty  miles,  and  Bunker  Hill,  twenty-two 
miles  distant.  These  were  all  cities  of  great  expec- 
tations. 

Amadok,  seven  miles  north  of  Austin,  was  very 
pleasantly  located  on  a  bench  of  level  land  at  the 
western  base  of  the  Toij-abe  Range,  overlooking  the 
Reese  River  Valley.  In  1863  it  was  a  candidate  for 
the  location  of  the  county  seat,  and  polled  TOO  votes 
in  its  own  favor,  claiming  a  population  of  1.500.  Sev- 
eral very  promising  mines  were  located  in  the  vicin- 
it}',  and  large  sums  were  expended  in  prospecting 
them,  but  the  results  appear  not  to  have  been  encour- 
aging, as  work  ceased  in  a  few  years  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  mines.  The  town  was  built  chieflj-  of 
cloth,  and  has  gradually  disappeared. 

Bunker  Hill. — The  reader  of  the  files  of  the  Reese 
Rlcer  Beveille  of  1863-65  will  see  frequent  and 
favorable  mention  of  Bunker  Hill,  which  appears  to 
have  been  a  thriving  place.  This  was  situated  in 
the  narrow  valley  of  Big  Smoky  Creek,  twenty-two 
miles  south  of  Austin.  The  town  was  but  a  collec- 
tion of  miners'  cabins,  and  as  there  was  never  a  great 
rush,  there  were  no  fortunes  made  in  the  sale  of  city 
lots.  Numerous  fine  appearing  ledges  with  croppings 
bearing  both  gold  and  silver,  a  rapid,  sparkling 
stream  of  cold  mountain  water,  an  abundance  of 
wood,  sites  for  buildings  and  gardens,  were  the  at- 
tractions that  brought  its  early  inhabitants. 

C.A.N0N  City,  situated  on  Big  Creek,  seven  miles 
south  of  Austin,  contained  in  1803  about  fifty  -per- 
manent" residents,  had  one  hotel,  one  store,  two 
restaurants,  three  saloons,  one  meat  market,  a 
Notary  Public  and  Recorder's  office,  u  telegraph 
office,  and  twelve  houses  and  cabins.  The  cit^'  is 
no  more;  the  streets  are  deserted,  and  the  houses, 
including  the  cabins,  have  departed.  The  beautiful 
and  strong  stream  of  water  flowing  through  the 
canon  was  a  most  attractive  feature  in  building  up 
the  town,  the  impression  being  that  its  power  would 
be  required  in  moving  the  machinerj-  of  the  manj- 
mills  that  must  be  built  for  the  reduction  of  ores. 
The  ledges,  however,  proving  small  and  le.ss  valuable 
than  anticipated,  the  sparkling  waters  have  gone 
unused  to  their  sink  in  the  Reese  River  Valley. 

Cut'TON,  in  1863,  numbered  about  5U0  inhabitants, 
had  a  post-office.  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co's  Express  Office, 
and  many  important  places  of  business.  Though  it 
cannot  properly  be  said  to  bo  deserted,  its  popula- 
tion is  very  much  decreased,  and  its  business  mostly 
gone;  it  is  a  part  of  the  village  of  Austin,  and 
joins  it  on  the  west. 

Clinton  was  one  of  the  cities  of  1863  situated  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Toiyabe,  bordering  Smoky 
Valley,  and   fifteen  miles  south  of  Austin.     Some 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


473 


mines  of  fine  promise  were  opened  here,  and  in  1865 
a  splendid  quartz  mill  was  constructed,  but  to  dis- 
apjioiiit  for  the  time,  probably  to  reappear  in  the 
future  and  fulfill  by  further  developments  the 
promise  of  early  days. 

Geneva  occupied  a  little  nook  in  the  great  Smoky 
Valley,  where  Birch  Creek,  a  beautiful  stream, 
debouched  from  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Toiyabe 
Range,  twelve  miles  south  of  Austin.  In  the  hills 
inclosing  Birch  Creek  were  some  large  and  appar- 
ently very  rich  veins  of  quartz,  some  of  which  were 
sold  to  New  York  capitalists,  who  expended  large 
sums  of  mone}'  in  thoir  development,  but  with 
unsatisfactory  results.  Geneva,  in  1864,  had  some 
fine  stone  buildings,  and  numerous  log  and  cloth 
houses,  but  the  inhabitants  long  ago  folded  what 
tents  they  could,  and  the  stone  walls,  the  pretty 
vale,  and  the  sparkling  stream  are  left  in  their 
wildness. 

Jacobsville,  the  first  county  seat  of  Lander 
County,  was  situated  six  miles  west  of  Austin,  was 
originallj'  a  station  on  the  overland  stage  line,  and 
at  one  time,  in  181)3,  had  a  population  of  three  or 
four  hundred;  also  contained  two  hotels,  three  stores, 
post-office,  telegraph  office.  Court  House  and  fifty 
residences.  By  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county,  in 
September,  1863,  the  county  seat  was  moved  to 
Austin,  and  most  of  the  residents  followed  soon  after. 
There  is  nothing  left  of  Jacobsville  at  the  present 
time  but  a  single  farm  house. 

Kingston  was  not  one  of  the  earliest  towns,  but 
followed  the  location  of  Bunker  Hill.  A  correspond- 
ence of  the  Reese  River  Reveille,  dated  February  22, 
1864,  says:— 

From  Bunker  Hill  I  wrote  you  last;  two  miles 
down  the  canon  of  the  Big  Smoky  a  lately  construc- 
ted wagon  road  leads  to  the  new  village  of  Kingston. 
Here  improvements  are  making,  building,  fencing, 
and  such  other  as  to  the  enterprising  and  hopeful 
promise  returns  in  the  future.  And  the  future,  too, 
of  Kingston,  is  bright,  in  truth,  for  none  can  see  its 
pleasant  location,  survey  its  unlimited  water-power, 
backed  b}-  its  inexhaustable  ledges  of  metalliferous 
quartz  of  extent  and  richness  unsurpassed,  its  arable 
and  wood  land  without  stint,  its  ever}-  facility  and 
resource,  none  can  witness  without  believing  it  des- 
tined to  eminent  prosperity. 

This  prosperity  continued  a  few  years;  a  large  mill 
was  built  to  be  run  by  the  power  of  the  stream,  and 
a  pretty  village  flourished.  The  mines  not  meeting 
expectations,  and  a  great  demand  arising  for  mills  in 
the  White  Pine  region  in  l.stl!),  the  mill  was  removed 
thither,  and  business  on  the  Big  Smoky  declined. 

Landkii  Citv  had  an  existence  in  I .S(;.'!  with  sev- 
eral hundred  inhabitants.  l)avid  K.  Huell  built  a 
telegra])h  line  to  the  place,  and  the  city,  as  the  place 
was  called,  possessed  considerable  importance.  It 
was  situated  at  the  dehoarhare  of  Big  Creek  upon 
the  plain,  six  miles  south  of  Austin.  The  place  is 
now  known  only  in  name. 


PBINOIPAIi    MINING    DISTRICTS. 

Amador  District  is  a  few  miles  north  of  Austin, 
and  was  organized  in  1863,  but  all  its  mines  have 
been  abandoned  with  the  exception  of  those  in  Now 
York  Cafion,  and  it  has  been  incorporated  with 
Reese  River  District.  The  mineral  vein  crosses  New 
York  Canon,  running  east  and  west,  a  six  hundred 
foot  tunnel  having  been  driven  in  on  the  vein  from 
the  canon.  Three  chimneys  of  good  ore  were  found 
in  this  tunnel.  On  the  first  one  an  incline  has  been 
sunk  to  the  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  to  the  water 
level.  Hoisting  works  have  been  erected  over  the 
Midas  mine,  and  a  large  amount  of  pay  ore  has  been 
extracted. 

Bid  Creek  District  is  situated  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Toiyabe  Mountains,  six  to  twelve  miles  south 
of  Austin.  None  of  its  mines  have  been  developed, 
and  most  of  its  claims  have  been  abandoned.  Five 
miles  north  of  it  there  is  a  large  out-crop  of  anti- 
mony on  a  very  high  spur  of  the  mountain.  One  dis- 
lodged boulder  of  antimony  is  four  feet  s<|uaro.  The 
country-rock  is  granite.  The  stream  which  gives  its 
name  to  the  district  is  of  bright,  pure  water,  flowing 
with  a  rapid  current  tumbling  over  its  rocky  bed, 
having  a  width  of  from  ten  to  twenty-five  feet  in  the 
canon,  but  soon  sinking  as  it  enters  the  Reese  River 
Vallej-.  The  water  to  a  great  extent  is  now  utilized 
for  irrigation. 

Battle  Mountain  District  is  ten  miles  southwest 
of  Battle  Mountain  Station.  It  includes  within  its 
limits  the  whole  of  the  Battle  Mountain  Range, 
which  is  twenty  miles  in  length,  north  and  south, 
and  ten  miles  in  width.  In  these  hills,  in  ISfiT,  John 
Kirk,  of  I'lacerville,  California,  with  a  party  of  road- 
builders,  had  a  fight  with  the  Indians,  hence  the 
name  of  Battle  Mountain.  The  vallej'  boundaries  of 
the  district  are  as  follows;  Humboldt  River  Valley 
on  the  north,  Reese  River  Valley  on  the  east.  Sum- 
mit Springs  Valley  on  the  west,  and  on  the  south  a 
valley  connecting  the  Reese  River  and  Summit 
Springs  Valleys.  The  general  formation  of  the  range 
is  that  of  a  plateau,  the  highest  elevation  being  at 
the  center,  from  which  canons  radiate  to  the  valleys, 
their  names  being  as  follows:  Copper  Cafion,  Dark 
Creek,  Cotton  Creek,  Long  Creek,  Elder  Creek,  Trout 
Creek,  Trenton  Cafion  and  Willow  Creek.  The  rocks 
of  the  district  consist  of  slates,  poridi3Tics,  (juartzite, 
sandstones,  silicious  limestones  and  granite.  The 
limestones  are  confined  to  the  highest  part  of  the 
mountains,  as  layers,  and  were  evidently  formed 
before  the  elevation  of  the  mountains  took  place. 
The  metalliferous  deposits  chiefly  extend  along  the 
eastern  and  western  mountain  slopes;  along  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  eastern  slope,  and  along 
the  northern  extremity  of  the  western  slope.  Their 
nature  is  that  of  true  fissure  veins,  although  in  most 
cases,  the  walls  are  not  well  defined.  They  can  bo 
traced  for  distances  of  from  two  to  five  miles,  and 
generally  consist   of    a  main  channel,  from   which 


474 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


branches  extend  on  both  sides.  They  continue  their 
course  independent  of  any  change  in  the  strike  or 
dip  of  the  country  rock.  The  width  of  the  vein  varies, 
producing  ore  chambers.  Slickensidcs  occur  inside 
of  their  boundaries,  as  well  as  on  the  wall,  and  are 
accompanied  by  a  thicker  or  thinner  layer  of  clay. 
The  ore  is  often  found  in  conglomerated  masses,  con- 
sisting of  separate  angular  pieces  of  ore  and  gangue, 
cemented  by  vein  matter,  quartz  or  calcspar.  Crys- 
tallized specimens  of  ore  and  gangue  are  found  fre- 
quently. Slate  and  sandstone  frequently  occur  as 
the  main  filling  of  the  veins  when  the  country  rock 
is  of  these  kinds.  Some  of  the  veins  might  be  classed 
as  contact  and  some  as  gash  veins.  The  minerals 
found  are  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead  and  antimony. 
Free-milling  ores,  in  limited  quantities,  exist  near 
the  surface.  The  bulk  of  the  ores  are  worked  by 
the  smelting  process.  The  principal  silver  ores  are 
fahlerz,  rubj-  silver  and  argentiferous-galena;  the 
principal  copper  ores,  red  oxide  of  copper,  copper 
glance,  and  carbonates  and  silicates  of  copper.  Anti- 
mony occurs  as  a  sulphuret.  All  these  ores  are  of 
high  grade,  galena  having  been  found  assaying  as 
high  as  8400  in  silver  per  ton,  and  seventy  per  cent, 
lead.  The  average  yield  of  galena  is  about  8150  per 
ton,  when  yielding  fifty  per  cent,  lead  and  over. 
When  mixed  with  silver  ores,  as  ruby  silver  or  fahl- 
erz, it  has  been  found  to  contain  as  high  as  from 
$3,000  to  84,000  per  ton  in  silver.  The  copper  ores 
are  of  equally  high  grade,  shipments  having  been 
made  fre(iucntly  of  ores  of  from  forty  to  fifty  per 
cent.  Surface  indications  are  most  numerous  at  Cop- 
per Cafion  and  Duck  Creek,  at  the  southern  end  of 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  range.  Galena,  the  princi- 
pal mining  camp  of  the  district,  is  at  the  head  of 
Duck  Creek.  In  its  vicinity  a  number  of  parallel 
fissure  veins  have  been  opened.  They  run  in  a  north- 
erlj-  and  southerly  direction  and  are  from  1,000  to 
1,500  feet  distant  from  each  other.  The  leading 
mines  of  this  locality,  in  order  from  west  to  east,  are 
the  Huena  Vista,  the  White  and  Shiloh,  the  Trinity 
:ind  the  Butte.  The  principal  rocks  in  which  these 
veins  occur,  are  slates  of  different  kinds,  graywacke, 
graywacke  sandstones  and  dykes  of  breccia,  the  lat- 
ter probably  being  the  eruptive  rocks  which  caused 
the  fissure.  These  veins  have  been  traced  for  from 
two  to  five  miles,  and  show  a  width  of  from  three  to 
twenty  feet.  The  Huena  Vista  ores  are  principally 
galena,  assaj'ing  from  8150  to  8400  per  ton  in  silver. 
The  White  and  Shiloh  vein  is  a  continuous  paj-  streak 
1,300  feet  in  length,  of  an  average  depth  of  250  feet. 
The  width  of  the  pay  ore  has  averaged  six  feet,  and 
the  ore,  sixty  dollars  in  silver,  seven  in  gold  and  six 
per  cent,  in  lead.  The  ores  of  the  White  Mine  are 
distinguished  by  the  frequent  and  abundant  occur- 
rence of  ruby  silver  and  argentiferous  gray  copper 
ore.  Beautiful  specimens  of  galena,  covered  with 
wire  silver,  have  been  fre(|UeiUl}'  found.  The  ores 
in  the  Trinity  Jline  arc  ])rincipally  argentiferous 
galena,  averaging  8180  in  silver  j)er  ton,  when  con- 


taining fifty  per  cent,  lead  and  over.  The  width  of 
the  vein  is  from  four  to  six  feet.  In  the  Butte  Mine 
the  vein  shows  a  thickness  of  from  two  to  six  feet, 
with  a  paj'  streak  of  from  six  to  thirteen  inches  of 
ore,  averaging  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  feet.  The 
greatest  depth  attained  is  300  feet.  The  ores  con- 
tain less  lead  than  the  ores  of  the  previous-mentioned 
lodes,  and  are  properly  milling  ores.  A  mile  and  a 
half  south  of  Galena,  are  the  Copper  Canon  mines, 
which  are  owned  by  an  English  company.  The  ore 
is  shipped  to  Liverpool  for  reduction.  The  prevail- 
ing rock  there  is  quartzite,  and  the  galena  ores, 
when  entering  the  formation,  change  to  copjier,  at 
least  for  the  depth  already  obtained.  A  concentrating 
mill,  capable  of  working  thirty  tons  of  ore  per  day,  is 
in  ojjeration  within  three  miles  of  these  mines,  where 
a  good  supply  of  water  exists.  The  wet  process  of 
working  ore  is  employed.  After  concentration,  less 
than  two  per  cent,  of  the  ore  remains  in  the  slimes. 
Battle  Mountain  District  was  organized  in  June,  1867. 

Jersey  Dlstrict  is  fort^^-five  miles  southwest  of 
Battle  Mountain  Station.  Ore  was  discovered  in  the 
fall  of  1874.  by  A.  S.  Trimble.  There  is  a  good  nat- 
ural highway  from  the  mines  to  the  railroad.  The 
locations  are  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountain. 
The  geological  formation  is  quartzite  and  porphyry. 
The  principal  claim  is  the  Jersej',  which  has  been 
traced  on  the  surface  for  a  distance  of  1,500  feet. 
The  vein  is  from  one  to  six  feet  in  width,  and  runs 
north  and  south,  dipping  to  the  west.  Two  shafts 
have  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  140  feet.  The  ore  is 
argentiferous  galena,  with  carbonates  of  lead.  It 
assays  from  8140  to  8100  per  ton  in  silver,  and  con- 
tains about  sixty  per  cent  of  lead.  During  the  sum- 
mer of  1870,  500  tons  of  first-class  ore  from  this  mine 
were  reduced  at  Omaha.  The  cost  of  transportation 
from  the  mine  to  the  railroad  was  812.50  j)er  ton.  A 
small  smelting  furnace  erected  at  Jersey  proved  un- 
successful for  want  of  pro])er  fluxing  material.  It 
l)ays  best  to  concentrate  and  ship  the  ore  for  reduc- 
tion. 

Lewis  District  is  on  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
Toiyabe  range  of  mountains,  about  sixteen  miles 
southeast  from  Battle  Mountain.  Ore  was  discov- 
ered in  the  summer  of  1874,  by  Jonathan  Green  and 
E.  T.  George.  The  geological  formation  is  limestone 
and  quartzite.  The  principal  locations  are  all  on 
the  same  vein,  which  is  from  two  to  nine  feet  in 
width,  and  has  a  course  nearlj-  north  and  south.  A 
hundred  tons  of  ore  taken  from  the  Logan  &  Dusang 
claim  were  worked  at  Winnemucca.  and  yielded 
8140  to  the  ton.  Two  hundred  tons  from  the  Eagle 
Consolidated  yielded  8135  per  ton.  This  mine  has 
connected  with  it  a  good  ten-stamp  mill  with  roast- 
ing furnace.  The  district  is  well  supplied  with  water, 
but  there  is  no  wood  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
mines  and  mill.  The  ores  contain  a  large  per  cent,  of 
antimony,  iron  and  manganese.  A  short  line  of  rail- 
road connects  Lewis  with  the  I^evada  Central  Hail- 


HISTORY  OF  LANDER  COUNTY. 


47.- 


way  at  Galena,  thus  giving  ready  transportation  of 
ores  and  supplies  to  this  rich  district. 

Ravenswood  District  is  on  the  western  slope  of 
the  Shoshone  Mountains,  near  the  summit,  and  is 
twcnty-tive  miles  northwest  of  Austin.  Water  is 
sufficient  for  mining  purposes,  and  nut  pine  and 
juniper  abound.  Ore  was  discovered  in  18G3,  and  a 
district  organized.  The  country  rock  is  limestone  and 
slate;  the  mineral  belt  runs  ten  miles  north  and  south ; 
is  two  miles  in  width  .and  copper  occurs  more  or  less 
in  all  the  mines,  yielding  as  high  as  fifteen  and  twenty 
per  cent.  The  principal  mine  is  the  Shoshone,  the 
ore  of  which  carries  a  largo  amount  of  galena,  not 
much  copper,  and  yields  thirty  dollars  per  ton  in  sil- 
ver. A  number  of  locations  j-ield  fifteen  and  twentj' 
per  cent,  copper,  and  twenty-five  to  thirty  dollars  in 
silver,  with  some  gold.  Most  of  the  claims  in  the 
district  have  been  abandoned. 

Roberts  District  is  about  forty-five  miles  north 
and  a  little  east  of  Austin,  on  the  western  slope  of 
the  Dry  Creek  Mountains,  on  a  spur  running  at  right 
angles  with  the  main  summit,  and  about  1.000  feet 
above  the  valley.  The  lower  part  of  the  spur  is  a 
dark  granite.  The  cropping  of  the  hill  is  limestone 
seamed  with  white  spar,  running  in  various  direc- 
tions. A  hard,  red-covered  slate  is  exposed  in  a 
slide  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  limestone.  Granite 
occui's  east  of  the  slate.  The  ore  is  found  in  bunches 
on  the  south  slope  of  the  spur,  which  occur  in-cgu- 
larly.  In  one  or  two  places  they  reach  the  summit 
of  the  hill.  The  belt  of  the  limestone  extends  north- 
ward about  200  feet,  and  probably  2,000  feet  east  and 
west.  Ore  has  been  found  in  twelve  diftercnt  places, 
and  consists  ol'  a  chloride  with  galena  and  iron.  The 
first  discover}'  was  made  in  August,  in  1870,  but 
traces  of  old  work  were  found.  South  of  the  spur  on 
which  this  district  is  situated  there  is  a  large  body  of 
very  pure  magnetic  iron  ore.  Four  miles  west  of 
the  district  is  a  salt  marsh  in  Grass  Valley.  Few 
developments  have  been  made  in  this  district. 

Reese  River  District,  the  principal  one  in  Lander 
County,  includes  within  its  limits  the  celebrated  Pony 
Ledge  and  the  city  of  Austin,  and  was  organized 
May  10,  1862,  since  which  date  Yankee  Blade  and 
Amador  Districts  have  been  consolidated  with  it. 
All  its  records  have  been  carefully  preserved.  The 
number  of  locations  in  it  is  over  8,000.  The  veins 
are  chieflj^  found  in  gneiss  or  granite,  although  in 
the  northern  portions  of  the  district  they  are  found 
in  slate  and  porphyiy.  They  run  nearly  southeast 
and  northwest  with  the  formation,  and  di))  to  the 
northeast  at  an  angle  of  about  35  degrees.  The  ores 
contain  antimony,  some  iron  and  galena,  and  a 
little  copper  and  zinc.  They  arc  silver  bearing, 
although  gold  is  found  in  ^larshall  Cafion,  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  district  at  the  rate  of  from 
five  to  fifteen  dollars  ])er  ton.  The  principal  mines 
are  the  New  Pacific,  King  Alfred,  Magnolia,  Chase, 
Morris  &  Caple,  Patriot,  and  those  of  the  Manhattan 


Company.  Many  small  companies  known  as  Cblo- 
ridcrs  are  also  operating.  The  deepest  shaft  is  in 
the  Oregon  Mine,  and  extends  down  700  feet.  Plenty 
of  nut  pine  is  to  be  had  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or 
eighteen  miles.  The  water  supply  is  procured  from 
s])rings  in  the  canon,  and  is  distributed  bj-  the  Austin 
City  Water  Company.  Remoter  points  are  supplied 
by  local  springs.  Freight  from  San  Francisco  costs 
sixty -six  dollars  per  ton.  The  mines  of  the  Man- 
hattan Company  have  been  steadily  productive  for  a 
long  period,  and  bid  fair  to  continue  so  for  an  indefi- 
nite time  to  come.  Allen  A.  Curtis  is  the  agent  of 
the  company.  The  King  Alfred  mines  are  the  prop- 
ertj-  of  an  English  company,  and  have  produced  a 
large  amount  of  bullion.  A  great  deal  of  ore  has 
been  extracted  by  the  Pacific  Company. 

The  gross  bullion  yield  of  the  Reese  River  District 
previous  to  1805  is  estimated  at  82,000,000,  although 
no  exact  record  was  kept  up  to  that  time.  Since 
that  time  the  district  has  yielded  819,591,551.18,  and 
now  ranks  the  third  in  the  State,  only  yielding  the 
palm  to  Eureka  and  the  Comstock. 

The  princijial  mines  of  Reese  River  District  are 
situated  on  Lander  Uill,  which  is  a  gentle  ridge  pro- 
jecting westerly  from  the  main  Toiyabe  Range,  and 
forming  a  divide  between  Pony  and  Emigrant  Canons, 
north  of  Austin. 

Most  of  the  mines  on  Lander  Hill  are  owned  by 
the  .Manhattan  t'ompanj',  such  as  the  Oregon,  South 
America,  Ogden,  Dollarhide,  Mohawk,  Freehold  and 
Lone  Star.  The  ledges  are  well  defined,  but  are 
verj'  narrow,  which  objection  is  compensated  for  in  a 
great  measure  by  the  richness  of  the  ore.  The  ores 
on  the  surface  and  down  to  the  water  line  are  chiefly 
chloride,  bromide  of  silver  being  occasionally  found. 
Below  the  water  line  only  antimonial  sulphuret 
ores  exist,  commonly  called  ruby  silver. 

All  the  ores  of  the  district  reijuire  chloronalion. 
The  ledge  of  the  Oregon  Mine  varies  in  thickness 
from  eight  inches  to  three  feet,  and  chiefly  contains 
antimonial  and  ruby  silver.  5Iany  smaller  mines  in 
the  vicinity  are  worked  through  the  Oregon  shaft. 
The  widest  vein  in  the  South  America  Mine  averages 
two  and  a  half  feet. 

The  New  Pacific  Company  is  an  Fnglish  incorpo- 
ration, and,  in  addition  to  its  ledges  on  Lander  Hill, 
owns  propertj'  in  Yankee  Blade  District. 

An  Act  was  approved  on  March  4,  1871,  incorpo- 
rating the  Union  Pacific  Tunnel  Company  for  the 
construction  of  a  draining  and  exploring  tunnel  in 
Lander  Hill.  Among  the  originators  of  the  scheme 
were  B.  H.  Stansbury  and  ])r.  A.  Chase.  A  tunnel 
was  run  for  a  distance  of  300  feet,  when  operations 
ceased  for  want  of  funds.  It  was  afterward  sold 
under  execution,  and  was  purchased  by  the  Man- 
hattan Comj)any.  It  never  amounted  to  anything, 
and,  in  all  probability,  never  will,  as  it  would,  if  ex- 
tended, roach  the  mines  of  highest  outcrop  at  a  depth 
of  between  700  and  800  foot,  and  work  is  now  in 
progress  much   deeper  than  that.     It  is  the  opinion 


47G 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


of  experienced  mining  operators  that  there  is  not 
water  enough  in  Lander  Hill  to  justify  such  a  long 
and  expensive  tunnel  as  that  would  be,  for  the  drain- 
age of  the  depth  it  would  reach,  and  the  mines  can 
be  worked  to  better  advantage  by  shafts. 

Sante  Fe  District  is  eighteen  miles  south  of 
Austin  in  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Toiyabe  range  of 
mountains.  It  contains  some  well-defined  veins  of 
quartz,  the  ore  of  which  has  given  good  assays,  prin- 
cipally in  gold.  Very  little  work  has  ever  been  done 
in  the  district.  It  was  organized  on  the  twelfth  of 
April,  18(53,  Peter  Brandow,  Robert  Stuart  and  John 
Heed  being  the  discoverers  of  the  mines.  The  prin- 
cipal mines  are  the  Yo  Semite,  Eureka,  Amazon, 
Rattler  and  Hudson.  The  Shoshone  Canon  cuts 
through  the  district,  and  in  it  flows  a  perennial 
stream  of  e.xcellent  water. 

Yankee  Blade  District  is  a  few  miles  northwest 
of  Austin  and  consists  of  a  series  of  canons.  The 
formation  is  gneissoid,  or  granite.  The  low  grade 
claims  have  not  been  worked  much  for  years.  A 
few  locations  containing  high  grade  ore  are  being 
developed.  Ore  was  discovered  in  June,  18()3.  The 
district,  of  late  years,  has  been  incorporated  with 
Reese  River  District. 


CMIAPTER    XLVllI. 
HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 

Karliest  Kxplorations — First  Discovery  of  Mines — Organization 
and  Boundaries — Appointments  and  Elections — Payment  of 
Taxes  Kefused — Court  House  and  County  Jail — Collector's 
Fees  Swindle — Sundry  Kailroiwl  Subsidies — Meetings  to  Op- 
pose the  .Schemes — The  Governor  Vetoes  the  Bill — Promot- 
ers of  the  .Scheme — Causes  of  Prostration — Principal  Mount- 
ain Ranges — Valleys  of  the  County — Most  Remarkable 
Cave — Principal  Mining  Districts — Pioche,  the  County  Seat 
— Destructive  Fires  and  Floods — Rapid  Itecline  after  1S7G— 
Other  Towns  and  Cities — The  Salt  Mountain. 

The  earliest  mapsof  the  American  common  schools 
displaj'cd  the  great  region  embraced  between  the 
Rocky  .Mountains  and  a  narrow  coast  line  on  the 
Pacific  as  "  unexplored,"  and  as  they  are  traced  down 
to  later  times  a  few  lines  are  evolved,  among  the  first 
of  which  is  one  designated  "  The  Sjianish  Trail." 
This  leads  by  a  winding  course  from  Santa  Fe,  in 
Nuevo  Mcjico,  to  El  Pueblo  de  Los  Angeles,  in  Alta 
California,  and  by  the  trail  are  marked  Rio  Virgen 
and  Fias  Vegas.  Sjianish  history  records  that  be- 
tween the  years  1527  and  1537  a  party  of  four  per- 
sons, the  survivors  of  100,  under  the  leadership  of 
Count  Alvar  Nuficz  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  crossed  from 
the  Florida  Coast  to  the  I'acific,  i-itt  Santa  Fe,  con- 
suming ten  years  in  the  journey.  Whether  they 
passed  over  the  Spanish  Trail  or  not  is  not  related, 
but  for  many  years  this  route  was  traveled  by  the 
Spanish,  as  well  as  American  trappers,  stock-dealers 
and  exjilorers.  This  southern  extreme  of  the  State, 
therefore,  if  now  the  last  developed,  has  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  to  witness  the  people  of  oivilixa-   i 


tion,  and  to  have  its  features  delineated  on  the  maps. 
But  with  the  mythical  past  we  will  leave  this  ancient 
history. 

E.\KLY    explorations. 

The  first  white  people  in  our  modern  period  who 
traversed  the  region  now  embraced  in  Lincoln 
County,  were  Mormons  from  Salt  Lake.  As  earlj-  as 
1849  a  company,  in  quest  of  a  shorter  route  into 
southern  California,  crossed  the  lower  part  of  this 
county  through  the  then  unknown  desert.  They 
wandered  about  over  this  dreary,  desolate  waste  of 
land  for  several  weeks  in  search  of  water  and  forage 
for  their  animals,  and  finallj-  perished  of  thirst  and 
hunger  in  Death  Valley.  In  the  winter  of  1865-66 
the  tire  and  other  irons  from  the  wagons  supposed 
to  have  belonged  to  them  were  found  and  brought 
to  Pahranagat,  and  used  by  the  miners  there.  In 
1852  the  Mormons  obtained  the  contract  for  carrying 
the  mail  over  the  route  which  Congress  had  that 
year  established  from  Salt  Lake  to  San  Bernardino. 
A  station  was  established  at  Las  Vegas,  and  Brigham 
Young  located  a  settlement  at  that  point,  partlj-  for 
protection  to  the  route,  and  partly  for  smelting  lead 
from  the  Potosi  mines  near  b}'.  The  Mormons  occu- 
pied this  place  till  the  time  of  the  Mountain  Meadow 
massacre  in  1857,  after  which  they  sold  out  to  par- 
ties from  El  i>orado  Canon,  and  returned  to  Utah. 
However,  as  Montana  and  T^tah  received  their  early 
spring  supplies  from  southern  California,  this  route 
to  Los  Angeles  was  used  for  commercial  purposes 
about  five  months  in  the  year,  till  the  completion  of 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

In  1858,  while  the  United  States  troops  under 
Colonel  Johnston,  were  encamped  at  Ham's  Fork, 
Brigham  Young  started  up  several  exploration  par- 
ties from  the  southern  .Mormon  settlements,  with 
instructions  to  search  out  certain  places  farther  to 
the  north,  where  the  "saints"  might  find  a  safe 
retreat  in  case  of  nocessitj'.  One  of  these  parties 
followed  the  emigrant  route  and  encamped  in 
Meadow  Valley.  While  there  they  broke  up  the 
ground  and  planted  several  acres  in  grain.  They 
constructed  irrigating  ditches,  made  some  other 
improvements,  and  then  returned  to  their  old  settle- 
ments, leaving  the  crop  in  charge  of  the  Indians. 
Brigham  Young  having  become  satisfied  that  the 
L'nited  States  troops  were  there  to  enforce  the  laws, 
and  that  the  new  Federal  Judges  proposed  to  act 
onlj-  through  courts  of  law,  withdrew  the  brethren 
from  Meadow  Valley,  and  abandoned  for  the  time 
being  the  further  exploration  of  this  part  of  the 
country.  However,  in  18(13,  the  Mormons  at  St. 
(toorge  sent  out  small  colonies  to  occupy  this  valley, 
as  well  as  Eagle  and  Spring  valleys,  as  herding 
grounds. 

FIRST    IlISCOVKRV    OF    .MINES. 

It  was  in  the  winter  of  1863-t)4,  when  the  Indians 
were  cold  and  hungry,  that  an  Indian  went  to  Wm. 
Hamlin,  at  Meadow  A'alley,  and  offered  to  show  him 
mines  for  a  consideration.    In  this  way  the  famous 


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BiRDSEYEVIEW    •'     GOLOHILL      RANCH. 
RES:w»  PROPERTY  •>■    S  O  L      W  O  E  L  ,    MASOW  VALLEY  ,  tyON  C?    NEV 


t>rfc  jA^rrpk  ^  mfy  s  * 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN    COUNTY. 


477 


Panaca  Ledge  was  found.  Hamlin,  although  he  had 
worked  in  placer  diggings  j-ears  before,  knew 
nothing  about  silver  ores,  so  ho  wont  to  Salt  Lake 
City  with  his  specimens  and  showed  them  to  Gov- 
ernor lleod.  They  wore  examined  and  approved  by 
(Jeneral  Connor  and  others,  and  then  expeditions 
were  fitted  out  and  sent  to  the  Meadow  Vullej- 
mines.  The  first,  headed  bj-  J.  M.  Vandormark  and 
Ste])hen  Sherwood,  reached  the  mines  in  A])ril,  18(;4, 
and  after  making  some  locations  proceeded  to  form 
"  Meadow  Valley  Mining  District."  Up  to  this  time 
Brigham  Young  had  resisted  all  attempts  to  ])rospec.t 
in  Utah  for  the  precious  metals,  and  generally  with 
suceess.  This  time,  however,  he  and  the  Mormons 
were  taken  by  surprise,  and  in  order  to  get  the  bal- 
ance of  power  in  the  district  thoy  suddenly  turned 
miners,  and  Erastus  Snow,  the  Mormon  High  Priest 
of  southern  Utah,  came  from  St.  (Jeorge,  accompa- 
nied by  a  host  of  "  saints,"  and  proceeded  immedi- 
atclj'  upon  their  arrival  to  locate  the  countr}-.  As 
Sherwood,  who  was  the  Recorder  of  the  District,  had 
returned  to  Salt  Lake,  taking  with  him  the  records, 
Snovv  formed  a  new  mining  district,  and  the  second 
expedition,  under  C.  W.  Wandell,  having  arrived, 
they  united  with  each  other  in  locating  mines  and 
making  laws  for  the  new  district.  Snow  and  his 
part}-  made  their  locations  in  square  lots,  so  as  to 
cover  as  much  ground  as  possible,  and  thus  crowd  out 
the  Gentiles.  They  left  their  records  in  the  district 
and  returned  home.  When  Sherwood  returned  to 
the  mines  with  the  original  records,  a  question  was 
raised  as  to  the  legality  of  the  "square  locations," 
and  thej'  were  finallj-  declared  irregular,  and  were 
dropped.  In  due  time  the  third  party,  composed  of 
soldiers  from  Camp  Douglas,  arrived  and  made  their 
locations.  Some  work  was  done  on  the  I'anaca  and 
Mammoth  locations,  but  at  that  time  there  could  be 
no  profitable  mining  in  this  district  for  various 
reasons.  The  fear  of  the  Mormons,  who  were  op- 
posed to  mining  and  might  at  any  time  create  another 
•'Mountain  Meadow"  aft'air  in  this  district,  was  the 
chief.  The  district  was  however  never  entirely 
abandoned,  as  a  few  bona  fide  claim  holders  were 
always  in  that  region  till  the  organization  of  the  now 
district,  although  they  probably  had  no  idea  of  the 
true  value  of  the  mines  at  that  time. 

In  ISG")  exploring  parties  wont  into  the  Pahrana- 
gat  Valley,  and,  finding  what  they  supposed  to  be 
valuable  mines,  Eastern  capitalists  were  induced  to 
invest  largely  in  them.  The  surface  show  of  rich 
ores  was  well  calculated  to  mislead  even  experienced 
miners,  and  in  less  than  a  year's  time  the  I'ahrana- 
gat  Mining  District  was  organized  and  hundreds  of 
locations  made.  In  the  fall  Wm.  11.  Raymond  made 
his  appearance,  and.  after  looking  over  the  mines, 
located  and  purchased  about  1,(MI(I,(I0()  feet  of  ground. 
The  district  at  that  time  was  thought  to  bo  a  pa3ing 
one.  It  was  believed  that  a  large  population  would 
be  at  once  attracted  there,  and  that  a  groat  amount 
of  business  would  be  done,  requiring  county  seat  fa- 
60 


cilitios.     Steps  were  therefore  at  once  taken  towards 
the  organization  of  a  new  county. 

nllU.\NIZATION    .\NIi    BOUNDARIES. 

The  county  of  Lincoln  was  created  by  a  Tjogisla- 
tivc  Act  a|)i)roveil  February  2i),  1S(JC,  and  its  bounda- 
ries were  fixed  as  follows:  — 

Beginning  at  tho  intersection  of  the  thirly-ninth 
degree  of  longitude  west  from  Washington  with  the 
thirty-eighth  parallel  of  north  latitude;  thence  east 
to  the  State  line;  thence  south  to  the  southerlj' State 
boundary  line;  thence  along  said  line  to  its  intersec- 
tion with  the  thirty-ninth  degree  of  longitude; 
thence  along  that  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

It  was  also  provided  that  any  addition  which  may 
be  made  to  the  State  on  the  east,  south  of  the  thirty- 
eis^htli  parallel  of  north  latitude;  and  any  addition 
which  may  be  made  on  the  south,  east  of  tho  thirty- 
ninth  degree  of  longitude  west  from  Washington, 
shall  become  a  portion  of  Lincoln  Count}-,  By  an 
Act  approved  March  18,  18(57,  along  the  entire  west- 
ern boundary  of  the  countj^  a  strip  about  ten  miles 
in  width  was  ceded  to  Nye.  By  an  Act  approved 
February  20,  1S7.T,  a  considerable  portion  of  Nye 
was  added  to  Lincoln  on  the  north,  consisting  of  a 
tract  about  forty-six  miles  north  and  south,  and  about 
fiftj'-four  miles  east  and  west,  l}'ing  along  tho  west- 
ern boundary  of  Utah.  By  tho  provisionsof  the  first- 
named  Act  Crystal  Springs  was  made  the  county  seat. 

Early  in  tho  spring  of  1S()G,  ( Governor  Blasdel  left 
Carson  City,  accom|ianied  by  numerous  friends,  with 
the  view  of  organizing  the  new  county.  The  party 
in  endeavoring  to  reach  I'ahranagat  by  a  route  dif- 
lerent  from  the  ordinary  one,  journe^-ed  by  way  of 
Death  Valley,  California.  They  crossed  the  valley 
without  serious  difficulty,  but  after  passing  Ash 
.Meadows,  found  themselves  reduced  to  very  short 
allowances  of  food  and  water.  Realizing  the  perils 
of  the  situation,  the  Governor  and  State  Geologist 
White,  hastened  on  to  Logan,  where  they  loaded  a 
wagon  with  sup|)lies,  and  dispatched  it  under  guard 
to  their  suffering  friends.  The  latter  were  met  at 
Summit  S|)ring.  For  several  days  they  had  been  sub- 
sisting oil  liziirds.  one  man  of  tho  party  had  died, 
and  all  were  more  or  less  exhausted  with  unusual 
hardships.  Contrary  to  the  Governor's  expectations, 
the  county  lacked  the  number  of  legal  voters  neces- 
sary' to  fill  tho  legislative  requirements,  and  its 
organization  was  postponed  for  one  year. 

By  tho  provisions  of  the  Act  of  March  IS,  1867, 
the  count}'  seat  was  changed  to  lliko;  11.  U.  Day, 
Charles  Wilson,  and  .M.  Fuller,  wore  appointed  County 
Commissioners.  Tho  count}'  was  constituted  tho 
.Ninth  .ludieial  District,  and  its  legislative  representa- 
tion was  fixed  at  one  Senator  and  one  Member  of  the 
.\ssembly.  On  February  21,  1871,  an  Act  was 
approved  ])roviding  for  an  election  concerning  tho 
removal  of  the  county  seat  from  lliko  to  any  other 
point  tho  citizens  of  the  county  might  prefer. 

On  February  24,  1871,  an  Act  was  approved  mak- 
ing  Pioche    the  seat  of    Lincoln  County    for  three 


478 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


months,  and  providing  for  the  immediate  removal  of 
the  public  archives  to  that  point.  On  April  22d 
following,  the  county  seat  election  took  place,  and 
Pioche  received  a  majority  of  168  votes  over  the 
town  of  Hiko,  and  became  and  has  since  remained 
the  county  seat. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  April,  18G7,  Messrs.  Day,  Wil- 
son, and  Fuller,  met  at  Logan  Springs,  took  the 
recjuired  oath  and  legally  constituted  themselves  a 
Board  of  County  Commissioners,  electing  H.  H.  Day 
their  Chairman.  The  Board  then  adjourned  to  meet 
at  Iliko  on  April  22d.  John  D.  Gorin  acted  as 
Clerk.  In  accordance  with  the  Act  approved  on  the 
eighteenth  of  March  preceding,  the  Commissioner-s, 
as  soon  as  practicable,  selected  and  appointed  the 
first  county  officers.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Commis- 
sioners held  April  6,  1868,  the  first  school  district 
was  organized.  This  district  was  throe  miles  long 
and  one  mile  wide,  and  included  the  town  of  Iliko. 
In  October  of  this  year  the  whole  county  was  divided 
into  school  districts,  and  Trustees  of.  each  were 
ajipointed. 

APPOINT.MENTS   AND   ELECTIONS. 

The  first  Commissioners  of  Lincoln  County  were 
named  in  the  .\ct  of  organization,  March  18,  1867. 
The  balance  of  the  county  officers  were  appointed 
by  the  Executive,  and  held  their  positions  till  the 
election,  November  3,  1868. 

Below  will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  county  offi- 
cers from  its  organization  down  to  the  present  time, 
together  with  the  date  of  appoiiUnient  or  election  of 
each.  The  vacancies  in  office  by  death,  resignation 
or  removal,  if  any  have  occurred,  are  also  noted, 
with  the  names  of  the  persons  selected  to  fill  the 
same. 

SENATORS. 

¥j.  B.  Hazard,  elected  November  3,  1868;  R.  S. 
Ciai)p  and  J.  R.  Wilson,  clec'tod  November  5,  1872; 
N.  Wescoatt,  elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  J.  Blair, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  R.  P.  Dayton,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  W.  II.  Henderson,  elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 

ASSE.MBLVMEN. 

F.  W.  Randall,  elected  November  3,  1868;  M.  B. 
(iurrahan,  elected  November  8,  1870;  P.  L.  Shoaft", 
Thos.  Wallace  and  P.  A.  Craig,  elected  November  5, 
1872;  A.  J.  Blair,  J.B.  Van  Ilagan  and  H.Bergstein, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  T.  Moore,  John  Bow- 
man and  George  Goldthwaite,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  U.  K.  Allen,  Geo.  Paton  and  R.  L.  Wash, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  Alilton  Barrett,  C.  H. 
Ponton  and  John  >Shier,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTV    rOMMrSSIONERS. 

li.  II.  Day, Charles  Wilson  and  M.  Fuller,  appointed 
March  18,  1867;  Henry  Raymond,  appointed  August 
20,  1867;  James  Moe,  Chas.  P.  Ely  and  J.  Gilbert, 
elected  November  3,  1868;  W.  C.  Glisson,  Wm.  H. 
Ferguson  and  P.  McCannon,  elected  November  8, 
1870.  August  4th  Wm.  S.  Ferguson  resigned  and 
Michael  McClusky  appointed.     D.  A.    Fulks,   T.  J. 


Jones  and  C.  R.  Dann,  elected  November  5,  1872;  J. 
C.  Lynch  and  J.  Hoffman,  elected  November  3,  1874, 
E.  F.  Morton  and  J.  N.  Craig,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  D.  C.  Clark  and  J.  Eisenmann,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1878;  A.  Veitch  and  J.  V.  Keeley,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

DISTRICT    ATTOKNEYS. 

William  H.  Clipperlon,  appointed  May  27,  1867; 
Chas.  S.  Colton,  elected  Nov.  3, 1868,  did  not  qualify; 
C.  W.  Wandell.  appointed  January  IG,  ISGO;  G.  S. 
Sawyer,  elected  November  8,  1870,  resigned  August 
22,  1871;  George  Goldthwaite  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy.  George  Goldthwaite.  elected  November  5, 
1872,  re-elected  November  3, 1874;  Thompson  Camp- 
bell, elected  November  7,  1876,  C.  H.  Patchen,  elected 
November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SUEUIKFS. 

J.  E.  Matthews,  appointed  May  27,  1867,  resigned 
July  27,  18G8,  G.  W.  List  appointed  to  fill  vacancy; 
Wm.  Ritter,  elected  November  3,  1868,  resigned 
November  21,  1868.  G.  W.  List  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy;  John  Kane,  elected  November  8,  1870;  W. 
S.  Travis,  elected  November  5,  1872;  A.  Fife,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  W.  L.  McKoe,  elected  November 
7,  1876,  reelected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  CLERKS. 

John  D.  Gorin,  appointed  April  22,  1867,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  resigned  September  5,  1870;  P. 
B.  Miller,  appointed  to  till  vacancy,  atid  elected 
November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872,  re- 
elected November  3,  1874;  .1.  M.  Hanford,  elected 
November  7,  1876;  re-elected  November  f),  1878; 
George  T.  Gorman,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  TllEASURERS. 

Charles  R.  Hoppin,  appointed  .\pril  22,  1S()7, 
resigned  Januar}'  8,  lS(i8,  ('has.  .Sehinuck  appointed 
to  fill  vacancj-;  William  .M.  Wilson,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868,  did  not  qualify;  A  Barber,  appointed 
.Tanuaiy  16,  18l)9;  Henry  Philli])s,  elected  November 
8,1870;  John  Uoeder,  elected  .Xovember  5,  1.S72;  M. 
Quillen,  elected  November  3,  1874;  D.  A.  Fulks, 
elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5, 
1878;  R.  II.  Elam,  elected  November  2.   1880. 

COUNTY    ASSESSORS. 

George  Ernest,  appointed  April  22,  1867;  N.  H. 
Carlow,  elected  November  3,  1868;  J.  A.  Curtis, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  K.  J.  Hanlo}-,  elected 
Xovember  5,  1S72,  being  a  defaulter  in  the  sum  of 
§'J,812,  and  failing  to  give  additional  bonds,  man^-  of 
bis  suroties  being  insolvent,  he  was  removed  Sep- 
tember 2G,  1873.  and  O.  P.  Sherwood  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy;  O.  P.  Sherwood  and  Henry  Rives  were 
allowed  to  pay  86,135.50  in  settlement,  and  the  claim 
was  canceled.  R.  P.  Daj-ton,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  X.  Wescoatt,  elected  Xovember  7,  1876;  W. 
H.  Henderson,  elected  November  5,  1878,  did  not 
fiualify;  G.  W.  Arnold,  appointed  June  26,  1879;  T. 
Hort'man,  elected  November  2,  1880. 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


479 


COtJNTT   RECORDERS. 

N.  E.  Allan,  appointed  April  22, 18(J7;  Henry  Itay- 
mond,  elected  November  3,  1868;  W.  11.  Henderson, 
elected,  November  8,  1870,  re  elected  November  5, 
1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874;  J.  C.  ilender- 
8on,  elected  November  7,  187(5,  re-elected  November 
5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

B.  S.  Fullington,  appointed  Julj-  1,  1867,  resigned 
June  8,  1868,  W.  II.  Clipperton,  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy;  George  \V.  McLane,  elected  November  3, 
1868,  resigned  January  4,  1870;  Charles  P.  Ely, 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy;  D.  J.  Wilmans,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  Lowi.s  Sultan,  elected  November 
5,  1872;  G.  W.  Hill,  elected  November  3,  1874,  died; 
W.  Dolman,  appointed  December  6,  1875,  who 
resigned  May  26,  1876,  and  G.  E.  Alexander  was 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy;  E.  R.  Wilmarth,  elected 
November  7,  1876,  failed  to  qualify;  G.  R.  Alexan- 
der, appointed  January  11,  1877;  G.  R.  Alexander, 
elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November 
2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

Charles  Schcnk,  appointed  April  22,  1867;  S.  R. 
Nichols,  elected  November  3,  1868,  did  not  qualify; 
C.  W.  Wandell,  appointed  April  5,  1869;  E.  Schopp- 
man,  elected  November  5,  1872;  O.  K.  Wescoatt, 
elected  November  3,  1874,  removed  for  absence 
October  14,  1875,  N.  Wescoatt,  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy;  N.  Wescoatt,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
O.  K.  Wescoatt,  elected  November  5,  1878,  did  not 
qualify;  G.  W.  Arnold,  appointed  June  26,  1879;  L. 
V.  W'ertheimer,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

John  11.  Ely,  appointed  April  6,  1868;  Charles 
Cook,  elected  November  3, 1868;  C.  F.  Philson,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  D.  L.  Deal,  elected  November  5. 
1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874;  C.  F.  Philson, 
elected  November  7,  187(i,  failed  to  <jualify;  S.  L. 
Lee,  appointed  January  23, 1877;  John  Shier,  elected 
November  5,  1878,  did  not  qualify;  James  Pierson, 
api)ointed  Januaiy  5,  1880;  M.  J.  Cortclls,  elected 
November  2,  18S0. 

PAY.MENT   OK   TAXES   REFUSED. 

A  good  deal  of  difficulty  was  experienced  in  col- 
lecting the  taxes  levied  against  the  property  of  the 
Mormon  settlers  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State. 
By  an  Act  of  Congress,  passed  in  1866,  one  degree 
bad  been  taken  from  Utah  and  added  to  Nevada; 
still  the  boundary  line  had  never  been  determined, 
and  though  their  propcrtj-  was  assessed  in  Lincoln 
County  the  Mormon  settlers  refused  to  pay  their 
taxes,  and  there  was  not  sufficient  power  in  the 
count}-  at  that  time  to  force  collection.  Assessments 
were  made  in  1868  and  1869;  suits  were  brought  and 
levies  made  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  taxes, 
but  to  no  purpose — the  Mormons  would  notjiaj-.  In 
1870  the  boundary  lino  was  surveyed  and  established 


by  Isaac  James  and  Captain  Monroe.  Since  then 
there  has  been  no  trouble  about  taxes,  but  there  has 
been  a  great  exodus  of  Mormons  from  Lincoln 
County.  However,  their  place  has  been  more  than 
supplied  by  succeeding  Mormons,  and  these  latter 
make  the  better  citizens. 

A  great  change  has  come  over  these  settlements. 
The  dug-outs  and  sod  shanties  have  given  way  to 
comfortable  dwellings;  the  scantil3--drcssed  and  half- 
fed  population  now  go  well  clothed  and  have  an 
abundance  to  eat;  the  rude  farm  tools  are  supplanted 
by  the  most  approved  implements  of  husbandrj-;  the 
few  old  broken  down  wagons  are  no  more,  their 
places  being  supplied  by  those  of  the  best  Eastern 
manufacture — the  ponderous  quartz  wagon  and  the 
bugg}-;  and  the  small  store  whose  entire  contents 
could  have  been  packed  on  a  mule  has  grown  to  be 
a  large  and  ver}-  respectable  mercantile  establish- 
ment, all  the  result  of  the  influx  of  the  "Gentile" 
population  and  the  opening  of  rich  mines  bj-  Amer- 
ican enterprise. 

COURT   HOUSE   AND   COUNTY   JAIL. 

The  Court  House  of  Lincoln  County  is  a  two-story 
brick  building,  40x60,  and  was  built  in  1871,  at  a 
cost,  including  the  jail,  of  S75,00O.  The  jail  is  a  two- 
slory  stone  building,  20x30  feet,  and  joins  the  Court 
House  in  the  rear.  The  historj-  of  the  construction 
of  these  buildings  is  sufficient!}-  remarkable  to  jus- 
tify a  relation  of  it  here.  The  contract  was  let  in 
August,  1871,  to  build  the  Court  House  for  816,400,  and 
the  jail  for  810,000.  T'p  to  this  time  the  finances  of 
the  county  were  in  good  condition.  The  revenue 
from  bullion  tax,  quarterly  license  tax,  etc.,  kept  a 
fund  continually  on  hand  to  meet  current  expenses, 
and  it  was  thought  al  the  time  that  with  the  increas- 
ing wealth  of  the  county  this  sum  could  be  sj)ared 
for  county  buildings,  and,  after  a  year  or  two,  would 
not  be  felt.  Hut  schemers,  who  saw  their  way  to 
profit,  determined  to  absorb  this  increasing  revenue. 
By  some  uiuiccountable  ])lan,  after  the  work  of 
building  commenced,  the  contract  was  broken,  and 
the  work  completed  by  the  piece  at  the  most  extrav- 
agant price  for  each.  Rude  stone  stops,  leading  from 
the  Court  House  to  the  jail,  cost  several  hundred 
dollars  each;  88,000  were  allowed  for  water-closets, 
and  the  whole  work  was  done  in  this  extravagant 
way,  till  the  Court  House  and  jail  complete  cost 
875,000;  both  of  which  could,  under  proper  manage- 
ment, have  been  built  of  the  same  material,  and 
<[uitc  as  substantial,  for  at  least  830,000. 

collectors'  fees  swindle.  * 

Upon  the  heels  of  the  Court  House  and  County 
Jail  swindle,  came  tho  purchase,  by  the  County 
Treasurer,  of  projierty  sold  lor  taxes  and  costs,  the 
county  paying  tho  costs  only.  Under  an  Act  of 
the  Legislature  of  1871.  the  passage  of  which  was 
])rocured  by  tho  combined  influence  of  the  Sheriftsof 
the  dift'erent  counties  of  the  State,  pro])erty,  tho  tax 
upon   which  could  not  be  collected,   and  for  which 


480 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


there  were  no  bidders  because  of  its  worthlessuess, 
was  "  bid  in  "  to  the  State,  and  the  fees  or  costs  were 
paid  by  the  county  to  the  Sheriff,  the  same  as  though 
he  had  collected  the  tax.  The  object  of  this  law  was 
to  enable  the  collectors  of  taxes  to  get  fees  from  all 
property  assessed  in  the  county,  whether  the  tax 
was  collected  or  not.  The  fees  paid  by  the  county 
the  first  year  under  this  infamous  law  was  816,000. 
These  and  other  extravagances  created  a  debt  of 
870,000  more  than  there  was  any  necessity  for,  and 
this,  too,  in  the  hifancy  of  the  county.  This  afforded 
an  opportunity  to  speculate  in  the  securities  of  the 
county,  anil  so  great  was  the  distrust  in  them  that 
the  scrip,  instead  of  being  taken  at  par  for  supplies, 
commanded  but  about  thirty  cents  on  the  dollar.  As 
an  illustration  of  its  value,  or  rather  its  want  of  value, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  state  the  fact  that  the  Com- 
missioners, after  the  Court  House  was  built,  allowed 
8180  in  scrip  for  four  student  lamps  for  the  use  of  the 
county  offices.  Prices  in  this  ratio  had  to  be  paid  for 
hospital,  jail,  Court  House,  and  all  other  county 
supplies,  from  that  time  forward,  with  exceptional 
instances.  After  the  bonding  of  the  county  debt, 
for  awhile,  the  credit  of  the  county  was  better,  but 
the  great  wonder  is  that  the  county  is  not  more  in 
debt  from  this  cause  alone,  aside  from  the  great 
expense  attending  the  trial  of  so  many  criminals. 

SUNDRY    RAILROAD   SUBSIDIES. 

The  bullion  product  of  the  county  continued  to 
increase,  and  it  was  thought  the  revenue  therefrom 
would  soon  liquidate  this  great  indebtedness.  Indeed, 
there  was  a  prospect  that  there  might  sometime  be  a 
surplus  after  paying  the  county  debt,  and  the 
schemers  laid  their  plans  again  to  absorb  whatever 
there  might  be.  The  same  innocent  and  unsuspect- 
ing Board  of  County  Commissioners,  who  had  been 
led  into  building  the  Court  House  by  the  piece, 
were  induced  to  do  something  in  the  waj'  of  sub- 
sidies for  a  railroad  from  Piocbe  to  IJullionville,  that 
had  already  been  partly  built  by  a  mining  company 
for  the  express  purpose  of  freighting  their  ores  to 
their  mill.  So,  on  the  twent5--second  of  Julj-,  1872, 
the  Board  mot  at  the  call  of  the  Chairman.  M. 
McClusky,  a  member  of  the  Board,  and  William  C. 
Glisson,  Chairman,  were  present,  and  the  I'ollowing 
business  was  transacted: — 

After  reciting  that  a  large  portion  of  the  tax-pa)-er8 
of  Lincoln  County  had  petitioned  the  Board  of 
County  Commissioners  of  said  county  to  i.ssue  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  8200,000  to  aid  in  the  construction 
of  the  Pioche  and  Bullionville  Eailroad,  the  bonds 
were  ordered  to  be  issued  to  the  Railroad  Company. 
They  were  made  payable  in  ten  years  from  January 
1,  1873,  with  annual  interest  at  ten  percent.,  interest 
and  principal  paj-able  in  gold  coin.  Thej-  were  to  bo 
signed  by  the  Chairman,  countersigned  by  the  Clerk 
of  the  Board,  and  authenticated  by  the  seal  of  the 
county,  to  be  numbered  and  registered  when  issued, 
and  to  bo  delivered  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Railroad 
Company  upon  the  approval  by  the  Board  of  a  bond 


from  the  companj'  agreeing  to  expend  the  moneys 
received  on  the  bonds  in  the  construction  of  the  pro- 
posed railroad.  This  action  was  made  subject  to 
the  ratification  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of 
2Cevada.  The  resolution  further  set  forth  the  duty 
of  the  County  Auditor  in  providing  the  necessary 
funds  to  pay  the  interest  on  these  bonds,  also  a  sink- 
ing fund  to  meet  the  principal.  The  Clerk  of  the 
Board  was  instructed  to  procure  200  blank  bonds  of 
the  form  to  be  approved  by  the  Commissioners;  and 
the  Board  adjourned. 

Here  was  legislation  for  the  people  by  two  men 
acting  as  County  Commissioners.  The  bonds  had 
already  been  printed  in  San  Francisco,  and  were 
expected  to  arrive  by  that  evening's  mail.  They 
were  to  be  signed  that  night  and  taken  back  to  San 
Francisco,  and  negotiated  to  innocent  parties  (?)  by 
Gen.  A.  L.  Page,  then  Superintendent  of  Construc- 
tion of  the  Railroad.  This  much  having  been  done 
it  was  thought  the  Legislature  would  ratify  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Board,  as  these  innocent  parties 
would  have  good  cause  of  action  in  court  against  the 
county.  For  some  reason  the  mail,  which  was 
expected  to  bring  the  blank  bonds  did  not  arrive  that 
night.  The  next  morning  the  District  Judge,  being 
curious  to  know  for  what  the  special  meeting  of  the 
Commissioners  had  been  called,  went  to  the  Clerk's 
office  and  asked  to  see  the  proceedings  of  the  Board 
of  the  daj'  before.  Upon  reading  the  same  he 
hastened  to  the  office  of  the  District  Attorney,  George 
\V.  Goldthwaite,  to  request  him  to  commence  action 
at  once  to  restrain  the  issuance  of  these  bonds.  The 
District  Attorney,  never  before  distrustful  of  his 
!  own  ability,  now  in  a  state  of  trepidation  confessed 
his  want  of  ability  to  do  the  work.  The  Judge  then 
applied  to  another  attorney,  J.  C.  Foster,  who,  with 
John  P.  Kelley,  now  connected  with  the  firm  of 
(iarber,  Thornton  i*t  Bishop,  of  San  Francisco,  drew 
the  complaint,  Kelley  being  plaintiff  in  the  case. 
When  the  time  sot  for  hearing  arrived,  the  attorney, 
W.  W.  Bishop  (not  of  the  firm  just  mentioned),  for 
the  JJailroad  Com])an3-,  did  not  appear,  and  default 
was  entered  and  an  injunction  ordered. 

This,  however,  only  paved  the  waj'  for  a  still  more 
magnificent  scheme  to  get  at  the  increasing  revenue 
from  the  then  wonderful  products  of  the  mines  about 
Pioche;  and  another  railroad  project  was  devised. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  February,  1873,  a  meeting  of 
the  citizens  was  held  at  the  Court  House  to  consider 
the  matter  of  '•  railroad  communication  with  the 
Central  Pacific."  Judge  Fuller  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, and  a  large  number  of  persons  named  for  Vice- 
Presidents.  D.  Carson,  II.  A.  Thompson,  J.  S.  Cros- 
man,  O.  P.  Sherwood  and  D.  B.  Hunt  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  draft  resolutions.  After  considerable 
discu.ssion  in  which  the  sense  of  the  meeting  was 
fully  expressed,  the  following  resolutions,  reported 
by  the  committee,  and  adopted: — 

Resohed,  That  the  large  and  constantly  increasing 
business  of  Lincoln  County,  and  the  full  and  successful 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


481 


development  of  our  mineral  resources  imperatively 
demand  the  speed}'  construction  of  a  railroad  con- 
necting Piocho,  in  said  Count}',  with  Eureka  and 
Palisade. 

Heso/red,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  the 
increase  in  the  value  of  j)roporty  and  in  the  jirodiic- 
tion  of  bullion,  which  would  be  caused  by  the  con- 
struction of  the  railroad  above  mentioned,  would  be 
more  than  sutiiciont  to  enable  us  to  pay  the  interest 
on  8350,000  of  bonds  without  increasing  the  burden 
of  ta.xation. 

A'eso/ve</,  That  we  are  in  favor  of  the  County  sub- 
scribing for  stock  in  some  well  organized  company 
for  building  a  road  between  the  points  aforesaid,  and 
issuing  its  bonds  in  payment  for  the  same. 

Resolved.  That  our  Senators  and  Assemblymen  be, 
and  thej-  are  hcrebj-  requested,  to  secure  the  passage 
of  a  law  requiring  the  County  Commissioners  of  this 
County  to  subscribe  for  the  amount  of  stock  above 
mentioned,  and  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of 
8350,000,  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  seven  per 
cent,  per  annum,  payable  in  not  less  than  ten  and 
not  more  than  twenfy  years, 

Resolced,  That  provision  should  be  made  in  anj- 
law  that  may  be  passed  for  one  or  more  directors  to 
be  selected  by  the  County  to  act  in  its  behalf. 

Copies  of  the  above  resolutions  were  published  in  the 
Record,  and  also  sent  to  the  Lincoln  County  delegation 
in  the  Legislature.  The  feeling  was  s'ronglj'  in  favor 
of  a  speedy  railroad  communication  with  the  "outside 
world,''  and  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  three  cheers 
were  given  for  "  the  success  of  this  great  enterprise," 
The  meeting  was  a  small  one  in  point  of  numbers, 
and  though  the  Vice-President*  represented  a  large 
amount  of  tax-payers,  only  a  part  of  them  were 
present,  some  being  out  of  the  State,  and  those"who 
were  present,  aside  from  those  connected  with  the 
scheme,  had  not  suspected  anything  wrong.  The 
President  of  the  meeting.  Judge  Fuller,  and  E.  W. 
Fleming,  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents,  after  learning 
the  object  of  the  resolutions,  opposed  their  adoption, 
and  pronounced  them  "  monstrous." 

.MKETINOS    TO    OPPOSE    THE    SCHEME. 

From  this  on  Judge  Fuller  became  tlic  champion 
opponent  of  county  subsidies  to  railroads.  Jle  made 
several  unsuccessful  attempts,  soon  after,  to  get  a 
meeting  called  to  rescind  the  action  of  the  meeting  of 
the  15th.  Finally,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  Feb- 
ruary, he  succeeded  in  getting  a  notice  published  in 
the  Record  for  a  meeting  that  night,  a  full  account  of 
which  was  published  the  following  day  in  the  Record, 
from  the  columns  of  which  the  following  is  gleaned: 
Judge  Thompson  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  E. 
Schopmaiin  appointed  Secretary.  Judge  Fuller  came 
to  his  feet,  and  made  a  lengthy  speech. 

He  said  his  position  was  misrepresented  at  the 
previous  meeting,  and  he  would  avail  himself  of  this 
occasion  to  set  himself  right.  lie  thought  the  rail- 
road would  come  just  as  soon  without  a  subsidy,  but 
the  first  road  would  probably  come  from  I'tah;  that 
he  did  not  believe  in  the  count}'  being  swindled  by 
issuing  bo!ids  to  rings. 

Mr.  Hunt  and  Louis  Folsenthal  spoke  in  favor  of 
the  proposition  to  aid  the  construction  of  a  railroad. 


The  latter  said  his  house  had  paid  834,000  for  freight 
the  past  year,  and  he  was  anxious  for  railroad  facili- 
ties. John  Pattie  opposed  the  issue  of  8350,000  in 
bonds,  and  endorsed  the  sentiments  of  Judge  Fuller. 
Judge  Bishop  took  sides  most  emphatically  for  the 
railroad.  In  his  opinion  it  was  clearlj'  in  the  interest 
of  Lincoln  County  to  issue  the  bonds.  The  county, 
he  said,  had  already  spent  thousands  in  building  a 
Court  House,  that  was  sinking  at  every  corner,  and 
a  worthless  jail,  and  other  improvements,  and,  here- 
after, he  wanted  money  spent  to  some  purpose. 
Judge  Fuller  replied  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be 
understood  as  opposing  railroads.  He  was  in  favor 
of  them;  but  it  would  be  mockery  to  issue  bonds; 
he  spoke  of  the  Hullionville  Railroad,  and  said  that 
corporation  would  have  got  away  with  8200,000  of 
the  people's  money,  if  Mr.  Kellej-  and  other  tax- 
paj'ers  had  not  interfered.  Colonel  Sabin  favored 
aid  to  the  railroad,  and  gave  figures  showing  that 
it  would  be  the  greatest  benefit  to  that  section  of  the 
country;  no  railroad  would  or  could  come  there,  he 
said,  unless  the  citizens  and  tax-payers  put  in  cap- 
ital. In  five  years  the  bonds  given  by  the  county 
would  be  wiped  out,  and  the  wealth  of  Lincoln 
would  be  (juadrupled.  Mr.  Hunt  thought  if  the 
citizens  would  help  the  Palisade  &  Eureka  Railroad 
Company,  the  road  would  be  built  in  eighteen 
months.  Then,  he  said,  Californians  and  other 
people  would  come  and  invest  in  their  mines;  the 
mining  stock  now  selling  at  fifty  and  seventy-five 
cents,  would  bring  five  dollars  and  ten  dollars;  also 
the  way  w'ould  be  open  for  other  roads.  At  this 
juncture,  Judge  Fuller  introduced  the  following 
resolution: — 

Resolced,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting  that 
our  Representatives  in  the  State  Legislature  be,  and 
are  herebj'  instructed  to  disregard  any  resolutions 
heretofore  ])assed  with  reference  to  Lincoln  Count}' 
subscribing  stock  or  giving  a  subsidy  to  any  railroad. 

Judge  Bishop  spoke  long  and  vigorously  against 
the  resolution^also  Mr.  Wheeler  and  others  advo- 
cated giving  aid  to  the  road,  attempting  to  show 
how  much  the  cost  of  living  would  be  reduced,  and 
the  immense  saving  to  the  business  men  of  the 
county  in  the  way  of  reduced  rates  of  freight. 
Judge  Fuller  again  arose  and  made  a  masterly  speech 
against  issuing  the  bonds.  He  argued  that  the 
Company  would  fix  their  stock  at  five  times  the  cost 
of  building  the  road;  that  this  stock  would  be  given 
at  par  for  county  bonds  worth  at  least  ninety-five 
cents;  that  the  stock  would  need  to  bo  assessed  but 
twenty  cents  to  complete  the  road,  and  the  ring 
would  exchange  this  twenty-cent  stock  for  ninety- 
five-cent  bonds,  and  thereby  make  seventy-five  cents 
for  themselves,  and  the  railroad  would  be  benefited 
but  twenty  cents  on  the  dollar  by  the  bonds. 

The  facts  were  that  the  Railroad  Company  had 
already  fixed  their  capital  stock  at  830,000.000,  while 
their  estimate  for  building  the  road  was  84,500,000. 
This  would  make  the   stock  in  the  railroad  cost  a 


482 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


little  over  fourteen  cents  when  the  road  shoult)  be 
completed.  To  make  an  exchange  of  county  bonds 
for  this  stock  would  indeed  be  mockery.  On  motion 
of  Judge  Fuller  the  meeting  adjourned  to  the  fol- 
lowing night,  when  the  numbers  and  interest  were 
greatly  increased.  The  people  of  the  county  were 
thoroughly  aroused  to  the  importance  of  the  issue. 
The  meeting  was  organized  by  the  election  of  J.  C. 
Foster  as  Chairman,  who  on  assuming  the  chair, 
defined  his  position  on  the  subsidy  question.  He 
favored  a  gratuity  of  8100,(100  in  county  bonds  to 
the  road  that  should  be  first  built.  Judge  Fuller 
offered  a  resolution  to  that  effect,  which  was  ap- 
proved by  Bishop,  Holland,  Wheeler,  Hunt  and 
others.  Questions  of  order  were  raised  as  to  the 
admissibility  of  the  resolution  in  place  of  the  one 
offered  at  the  meeting  before,  and  which  was  claimed 
by  some  to  be  first  in  order.  Motions  to  appoint 
tellers,  to  exclude  all  but  tax-payers  from  voting, 
to  adjourn  and  to  lay  on  the  table,  were  made  with 
much  confusion.  A  motion  was  also  made  by  Judge 
Fuller  to  have  ex-Licutcnant  Governor  Crosman  take 
the  chair,  as  he  was  a  good  parliamentarian,  pro- 
vided Foster  was  willing. 

The  Chairman  made  an  appeal  for  order  and  free 
discussion,  and  finally  the  meeting  came  to  order, 
and  Judge  Fuller  took  the  floor,  and  spoke  to 
the  resolution  of  the  first  meeting.  He  favored 
railroads,  but  not  subsidies,  and  he  wanted  the  people 
of  Lincoln  Countj'  to  dictate  any  law  passed  on  the 
subject.  He  said  he  held  in  his  hand  a  copy  of  a 
bill  which  proposed  to  rob  the  people  of  their  sub- 
stance. U  came  to  him  to-day,  he  said,  from  the 
Capitol.  He  read  and  explained  its  provisions, 
claiming  that  thej'  were  ambiguous,  and  showing  the 
cost  to  the  county  to  be  8150,000,  and  that  the  road 
might  not  come  nearer  than  ton  miles  of  Pioche; 
commercial  rivahy  would  insure  the  completion  of 
the  Palisade  road  as  soon  as  the  Utah  road  was  con- 
structed, and  it  was  wholly  unnecessary  to  impov- 
erish the  county  for  a  generation  to  come  with  the 
provisions  of  this  law.  Judge  Bishop  opposed  these 
views,  and  thought  Judge  Fuller  had  misconstrued 
the  bill;  there  was  not  the  danger  a])]iruheiided;  the 
proposed  road  would  cross  a  rich  mineral  belt  almost 
every  ten  miles,  and,  viewed  merely  as  a  wise  invest- 
ment, he  was  in  favor  of  extending  substantial  aid  to 
it.  Ex-Governor  Crosman  spoke  in  favor  of  the 
subsidy,  and  argued  at  some  length.  Messrs.  Hol- 
land, Hunt  and  .hidge  Pitzer  also  favored  the  subsidj'. 
They  wanted  the  railroad,  and  did  not  believe  they 
could  got  it  without  the  proposed  aid.  The  motion, 
to  allow  none  but  tax-payers  to  vote,  was  called  for, 
and,  when  the  meeting  showed  a  disposition  not  to 
allow  it  to  be  put.  Judge  Bishop,  Mr.  Holland,  and 
others  withdrew  from  the  meeting.  Judge  Fuller 
then  made  a  few  remarks,  explaining  that  the  bill 
would  come  up  for  final  action  on  the  following  day, 
and  he  wanted  the  pcoi)lo  to  vote  undorstandingly. 
The  resolution  of  tho  former  meeting  was  then  read, 


and  a  vote  taken  by  tellers.  The  resolution  was 
carried  bj-  a  unanimous  vote.  The  regular  Secretary 
having  withdrawn,  N.  H.  Maguire  was  appointed  to 
act  for  the  balance  of  the  evening.  A  motion  was 
adopted  requiring  the  officers  of  the  meeting  to  sign 
this  resolution  as  adopted,  and  telegraph  it  to  the 
Representatives  in  the  Legislature. 

Thus  the  citizens,  in  mass  meeting  assembled, 
declared  that  their  Kepresentatives  in  the  Legislature 
should  disregard  the  action  of  all  previous  railroad 
meetings  in  Lincoln  (.'ounty.  The  proceedings  of 
the  meeting  were  telegraphed  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, but,  notwithstanding  the  unanimous  action  of 
the  meeting,  the  bill  passed,  owing  to  a  combination 
having  been  made  between  the  friends  of  the  bill 
and  the  friends  of  the  Elko  and  Hamilton  charter  for 
a  railroad.  The  Record,  it  seems,  published  the  tele- 
graphic news  of  the  passage  of  the  bill  by  the  Senate, 
but  suppressed  tho  news  of  its  passage  by  the  House, 
and,  for  three  days,  the  people  of  Pioche  were  con- 
gratulating each  other  on  the  su])po.sed  defeat  of  the 
bill  in  the  House.  On  the  fourth  day  after  the 
adjournment.  Judge  Fuller  telegraphed  Governor 
Bradley  that  the  bill  was  a  fraud  upon  the  peo])le  of 
Ijincoln,  and  to  await  his  letter.  That  night  the 
letter  was  written,  and  placed  in  the  express  office, 
and  nothing  was  he;ird  from  it  till  Judge  Fuller 
received  the  following  letter  from  Governor  Bradlej-: 

State  of  Nevada,  Executive  Department,  ) 
Carson  CiTy,  March  18,  1873.      f 

Hon.  Mortimer  Fuller,  Pioche,  Lincoln  County, 
Nevada — Afj/  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  eleventh  instant 
came  to  hand  to-day.  1  have  to  thank  j-ou  for  the 
valuable  information  as  to  the  stale  of  j>ublic-  feeling 
on  the  railroad  question  in  your  county.  J  vetoed 
the  Lincoln  and  Nye  Railroad  Bill  this  morning, 
using  substantially  the  argument  contained  in  your 
letter.  I  hope  that  my  course  will  meet  the  a])proval 
of  the  good  people  of  Ijincoln  ('ountj-.  Allow  mo 
to  assure  you  of  mj-  sincere  thanks  for  j-our  honora- 
ble and  friendly  course  in  this  matter. 

I  remain  yours,  very  truly,  L.  R.  Bradley. 

Tho  Governor  called  this  the  "  Lincoln  and  Nye 
Railroad  Bill,"  for  the  reason,  likely,  that  it  provided 
for  both  counties  taking  stock  in  the  com))any.  Nye 
then  owned  a  strip  of  country  about  twentj-  miles 
wide, ^extending  across  what  is  now  the  northern 
part  of  Lincoln  County.  There  was  a  provision  in 
the  Bill  that  Nye's  subscription  to  the  stock  should 
be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  that  county, 
while  it  contained  no  such  provision  in  regard  to  Lin- 
coln. The  subsidy  was  made  absolute  as  regards 
Lincoln,  if  the  road  was  built. 

Judge  Fuller  contended  in  the  debate  that  the  bill 
was  drawn  so  ambiguously  that  the  railroad  company 
could  force  another  SI (lO, (1(1(1  from  Lincoln  County 
for  tho  last  ten  miles,  or  else  not  allow  tho  road  to 
como  to  Pioche,  but  allow  it  to  go  north  of  that  place 
into  I'tah.  Here  was  a  chance,  he  thought,  to 
blackmail  the  county  to  the  extent  of  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 


I 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


483 


CAUSES   OF   PROSTRATION. 

These  schemes  to  get  at  the  then  expected  great 
revenue  of  Lincoln  County,  together  with  the  very 
bad  manajj;ement  of  the  mines  at  the  most  critical 
moment  (at  water  level)  when  the  best  manage- 
ment was  required,  have  contributed  largely  to  the 
downfall  and  prostration  of  what  is  no  doubt  one  of 
the  best  mining  sections  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

In  April,  1878,  the  debt  of  the  county  was  bonded 
to  the  amount  of  SI  81. 000,  the  bonds  bearing  ten  per 
cent,  interest,  and  payable  in  ten  years.  Ninety 
thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars  have  been  paid 
for  interest,  and  none  of  the  bonds  redeemed.  The 
county  is  now  in  debt  over  $300, 000,  which  sum 
equals  about  half  its  present  taxable  property  value. 
The  present  population  is  2,110,  a  decrease  of  nearly 
one-third  in  five  years. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  products  of  the  county 
from  18G7  to  1880,  the  number  of  acres  under  culti- 
vation, the  stock  and  grain  raised  and  the  fruit- 
trees  and  vines  growing,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
pages  135,  13(i,  140  and  189  of  the  general  history. 
For  the  bullion  product  of  the  county,  see  bullion 
table  in  this  book. 

PRINCIPAL    MOUNTAIN   RANGES. 

The  principal  mountains  of  Lincoln  Countj^  arc 
included  in  the  White  Pine,  Yellow  Pine  and 
Pahranagat  ranges.  The  White  Pine  Range  is  in 
the  western  part  of  the  county,  running  nearly 
north  and  south;  is  bold,  high  and  snowy,  and  is 
well  wooded  with  nut  pine,  fir,  white  pine  and 
mahogany.  Twenty  miles  to  the  eastward  are  the 
Pahranagat  Mountains,  a  low  range  covered  with 
nut  pine,  and  running  north  and  south.  In  the 
southern  part  of  the  county  are  the  Yellow  Pine 
Mountains,  running  northeast  and  southwest,  a 
wide  and  lofty  range,  well  timbered  with  yellow 
pine.  Mount  Irish  is  a  lofty  peak  of  the  Pahrana- 
gat Range,  rising  to  the  height  of  11,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  is  seamed  with  ore-bearing  veins  of 
quartz.  This  peak  was  named  in  honor  of  Mr. 
Irish,  Indian  Agent  for  that  region  in  18(15.  when 
the  mines  were  discovered.  The  Ely  Mountains, 
west  of  Pioehe,  running  north  and  south,  arc  rich  in 
mineral  veins.  The  Spring  Mountain  Range,  in  the 
southwest,  is  a  verj'  interesting  group,  and  contains 
a  large  area  of  pastoral  lands.  There  are  other 
groups  and  hills  bearing  local  names. 

VALLEYS    OF   THE   COUNTY. 

The  most  northern  valley  in  the  county  is  Spring 
Valley,  which  is  four  miles  long  and  tliree-quai-ters 
of  a  mile  wide.  It  was  first  settled  in  18ti7  by 
William  C.  Moody  and  Alma  Willett.  During  the 
following  year  they  planted  jjotatoes,  and  sowed 
wheal,  barley  and  oats.  The  potatoes  did  well. 
The  grasshoppers  devoured  the  grain,  however,  but 
have  not  put  in  an  appearance  there  since.  Few 
subsequent  attempts  to  raise  grain  have  been  made, 
for   the  reason   that   the   frosts  usually   injure    Ihe 


crops.  At  one  time  this  vallej-  contained  a  j)opnla- 
tion  of  twenty  Mormon  families,  but  only  four  now 
remain. 

South  of  Spring  Valley  is  f^agle  Valley,  two  and  a 
half  miles  long  and  half  a  mile  wide.  All  of  it  is 
capable  of  cultivation,  being  irrigated  by  springs. 
At  present  it  is  chiefl)-  utilized  for  meadow  lands. 
Notwithstanding  freciueiit  frosts,  large  quantities  of 
fruit  are  often  raised  in  it.  It  was  once  inhabited 
by  twenty-two  Mormon  families;  only  seven  now 
remain. 

EosE  Valley,  south  of  Eagle  Valley,  is  a  mile 
and  a  half  long  and  about  half  a  mile  wide.  It  con- 
tains no  running  water,  and  is  used  as  a  meadow. 
Eight  families  formerly  inhabited  it,  but  only  two 
remain. 

Dry  Valley  is  south  of  Rose,  and  is  four  miles 
long  and  half  a  mile  wide.  It  was  once  settled,  but 
the  Meadow  Vallej-  Mining  Company  took  the 
waters  from  it,  and  it  had  to  be  abandoned. 

Next  south  of  Dry  Vailcj'  is  Meadow  Valley,  ten 
miles  long  and  a  mile  wide,  and  well  watered.  It 
produces  large  quantities  of  vegetables  and  some 
fruit.  It  was  first  settled,  in  18(33  and  1864,  by  the 
Mormons,  most  of  whom  afterwards  returned  to 
Utah.  About  twenty-five  families  now  reside  in  it, 
not  including  the  poi)u!ation  of  Panaca. 

Southward  I'rom  Meadow  Vallej'  is  Meadow  Val- 
ley Wash,  which  is  ninety  miles  long,  and  occasion- 
allj'  widens  out  into  tracts  of  tillable  land.  It  is 
watered  bj-  springs,  and  is  occupied  bj'  about  twenty 
families.     It  extends  into  Muddj'  River  Vallej'. 

Muddy  River  Valley  runs  north  and  south,  and  is 
about  two  miles  wide  and  thirtj'  long.  It  was  set- 
tled bj'  the  Mormons  in  18(;4,  .as  will  be  found  nar- 
rated elsewhere  in  this  work.  It  is  capable  of  pro- 
ducing abundantlj',  as  was  then  demonstrated.  At 
one  time  it  contained  a  population  of  1,700,  but  all 
returned  to  Utah  in  1871,  excepting  five  families. 

In  the  southern  portion  of  the  countj',  about  fiftj- 
miles  southwest  of  Muddj'  River  Valley,  is  the  oasis 
of  Las  Vegas  Spring.  It  is  almost  in  the  center  of  a 
desert  twentj-  miles  wide,  and  affords  water  sutHcient 
for  the  irrigation  of  500  acres.  The  climate  around 
it  is  semi-tropical.  Manj'  kinds  of  fruit  thrive  vigor- 
ouslj-.  The  old  emigrant  road  from  Salt  Lake  Citj' 
to  Los  Angeles,  California,  passed  near  this  spring. 
The  localitj'  has  been  settled  siiu-e  1852. 

Clover  Valley,  lying  west  of  the  Meadow  Vallej' 
Wash,  is  four  miles  long  and  one  wide.  It  is  par- 
tiallj'  watered,  is  used  for  meadow  land  and  is  occu- 
pied bj'  ten  families. 

Fortj-  miles  west  of  Las  Vegas,  adjoining  the 
line  of  Inyo  Countj'.  Cjilifornia,  is  the  Pah  Rump 
\'allej',  running  northeast  and  southwest.  It  is 
thirtj'  miles  long  and  ten  wide,  and  is  but  slightlj' 
watered,  but  when  irrigated,  jiroduces  well  in  fruit 
and  grain. 

North  of  Pah  Rump  Valley  is  Ash  Meadow  Valley, 


484 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


running  north  and  south.  It  is  thirty  miles  long 
and  ten  wide,  and  is  well  watered  by  springs,  but 
the  soil  contains  too  much  alkali  to  be  capable  of 
cultivivtion.  It  produces  good  grass,  however.  This 
valley  is  inhabited  by  three  families. 

Lying  between  the  Pah  Rock  and  Pahranagat 
Mountains,  fifty  miles  west  of  Pioche,  is  the  fertile 
Pahranagat  Vallej-,  thirty  miles  long  and  half  a  mile 
wide.  Numerous  springs  su))plj'  it  with  an  abun- 
dance of  water,  and  fruit,  grain  and  vegetables  are 
raised  in  liberal  quantities,  and  find  a  ready  market 
at  Pioche  and  the  adjoining  camps.  Twent}' families 
now  inhabit  this  valley.  It  was  first  settled  in  1805 
by  John  H.  Ely  and  others. 

The  northern  part  of  the  county  is  troubled  some 
with  late  frosts,  but  the  southern  valleys  are  exempt 
from  this  misfortune.  Grasshoppers  have  seldom 
committed  serious  ravages  in  any  of  the  valleys,  and 
rarely  visit  more  than  one  valley  in  one  season. 

At  the  northern  edge  of  the  county,  near  the 
center,  is  Lake  Valley,  which  is  really  a  continuation 
of  Steptoe  Valley.  It  is  about  ten  miles  long  and 
two  wide,  runs  north  and  soutrh,  is  partially  watered 
by  springs,  produces  hay  and  grain,  and  is  inhabited 
by  three  or  four  families. 

MOST   REMARKABLE   CAVE. 

There  is  a  cave  opening  into  the  east  side  of  what 
is  called  Cave  Valley,  in  the  northern  partof  Ijincoln 
County.  .  The  valley  is  really  a  continuation  of 
Steptoe,  and  further  south  is  called  Perr^-  Valley. 
The  opening  to  this  cave  is  about  two  and  one-half 
feet  by  four,  and  grows  larger  two  or  three  rods  from 
the  mouth.  There  are  chambers,  some  of  which  are 
ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet 
wide,  and  sevent5^-five  or  more  in  length.  About 
half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  mouth  is  a 
shaft,  the  mouth  of  which  is  eight  or  ten  feet  wide, 
extending  across  the  cave,  so  that  a  plank  has  to  be 
laid  over  it  to  get  beyond.  This  hole  has  lately  been 
explored,  and  found  to  be  about  ninety  feet  deep,  and 
dry  at  the  bottom. 

One  small  spring  of  clear  water,  which  runs  but 
a  few  rods  before  sinking,  is  all  the  water  found  in 
it  so  far.  This  cave  has  been  explored  two  miles  or 
more,  but  the  end  or  extent  of  it  has  not  yet  been 
ascertained. 

PRINCIPAL    MININd    DISTRICTS. 

Chief  District  is  twelve  miles  south  of  Pioche, 
and  throe  miles  west  of  Meadow  Valley.  Not  a 
great  many  locations  have  ever  been  made,  and  these 
have  all  boon  abandoned.  It  is  said  that  some  of 
the  ore  taken  out  in  this  district  produced  6100 
per  ton. 

Colorado  District  comprises  a  large  area  border- 
ing on  the  Colorado  Kiver,  and  embracing  El  Dorado 
Canon.  Mines  were  first  discovered  here  in  ISGl  by 
Joseph  Good  and  other  prospectors  from  North  San 
Juan,  Nevada  Countj',  (California,  an<l  the  district 
organized.  As  in  so  many  other  instances  recorded, 
:  '.I  Indian  led  the  prospectors  to  the  discovery,  and 


asking  for  "  techatticup,"  meaning  bread,  or  some- 
thing to  eat,  for  his  trouble,  the  principal  and  most 
promising  vein  was  named  Techatticup.  This  was 
a  beautiful  white  spar  vein  and  carried  considerable 
silver,  (^uite  an  excitement  was  raised,  and  for  some 
years  El  Dorado  Canon  was  the  object  of  many  pros- 
pectors, and  the  shares  in  its  mines  sold  for  high 
prices  in  the  market  at  San  Francisco  and  Los  An- 
geles. Many  locations  were  made,  some  bearing 
silver,  others  gold,  and  others  copper.  Some  of  the 
gold-bearing  veins  have  been  worked  successfully, 
and  with  facilities  for  transportation  the  large  copper- 
bearing  ledges  would  be  of  great  value.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  dry  and  sterile,  cactus  and  a  few 
thorny  shrubs  being  the  only  vegetation.  The  canon 
extends  to  the  Colorado  Jiiver,  by  which  freight  is 
sometimes  brought  bj'  steamer  from-  Yuma  or  the 
Gulf  of  Califoi-nia.  The  settlement  in  the  district  is 
called  El  Dorado,  and  under  that  head  further  par- 
ticulars are  given. 

Ely  District  is  situated  on  the  Shell  Creek  Range, 
in  this  locality  usually  called  the  Ely  Range,  in  tho 
northeastern  part  of  Lincoln  Counly,  and  was  dis- 
covered by  Wm.  Hamlin  in  18t)4,  and  was  then  named 
the  Meadow  Valley  District.  Stephen  Sherwood 
was  the  first  Recorder.  But  little  was  done  toward 
developing  the  mines  till  18G8.  Late  in  that  year 
John  II.  Ely  and  W.  II.  Raymond  came  over  from 
Hiko,  failing  in  with  McCannon  and  Smith  in  tho 
vicinity  of  where  thecity  of  Pioche  was  subsequently 
built.  They  made  a  re-location  of  the  mines  re- 
corded in  Meadow  Valley  District,  changed  the  name 
to  the  El}'  District,  adopted  laws,  laid  out  a  town 
and  settled  down  to  develop  the  mines. 

From  this  time  the  mines  were  rapidly  developed, 
and  in  1872  twenty-one  hoisting  works  were  in  op- 
eration and  2, (too  miners  at  work  in  the  district.  The 
net  jjroeeeds  of  these  mines  has  reached  the  enor- 
mous sum  of  S20, 000,000.  Tho  productions  in  187(5 
had  exceeded  the  assessments  bj'  §3,500,000.  There 
have  been  1,800  locations  made,  the  mining  record 
books  being  kept  by  the  County  Recorder. 

Among  the  principal  mines  are  the  Raymond  & 
Ely,  Meadow  Valley,  Iluhn  &  Hunt,  Pacific,  Inde- 
pendence, Buliionvillo.  Garfivid  i*c  Hancock,  Alps, 
Mazeppa,  Washington  iV  Creole  and  American  Flag. 
The  veins  are  chiefly  found  inthequartzito  formation, 
run  in  an  east  and  west  direction  with  the  formation, 
and  dip  south  at  an  angle  of  between  forty-five  de- 
grees and  perpendicular.  Tho  Raymond  &  Ely  shaft 
has  reached  the  de])tli  of  1.48t!  feet;  being  the  deep- 
est in  the  district.      Pacific  Tunnel  is  in  2,800  feet. 

The  present  facilities  for  working  the  ores  are 
throe  mills,  having  eighty  stamps  altogether.  Water 
is  furnished  by  the  Floral  Spring  Water  ('ompany. 
Freights  are  brought  by  wagon  from  Milford,  on  the 
(Hah  Southern  Railroad,  at  a  cost  of  thirty  dollars 
per  ton.  Pioche  is  the  post-ollice  address  for  the 
district. 


J 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


485 


Since  1876  but  little  has  been  done  in  these  mines, 
and  comparatively  little  produced  by  the  district. 
It  is  claimed,  however,  that  these  miiie.-i  are  l>y  no 
means  exhausted,  and  hojies  are  entertained  that 
Pioche  will  a!L;aiu  bo  a  tjood  camji.  In  is":!  it  was 
producing  half  a  million  monthly. 

Freyberu  District  is  situated  in  the  nortlicrn 
part  of  the  I'ah-Utc  Mountains.  Ore  was  discov- 
ered in  the  fall  of  ISti.");  its  existence  being  divulged 
to  Messrs.  l>idlake  and  Aikens,  of  Pahranagat. 
The  Worthington  District  was  thereupon  organized. 
Not  until  the  sixteenth  of  Maj',  IStiil,  however,  was 
actual  work  commenced.  In  that  j-ear  a  party  of 
prospectors,  led  by  George  Ernst,  re-organized  the 
district  under  its  present  name.  Water,  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity,  is  scarce,  but  there  is  plenty  of  it 
at  the  distance  of  a  few  miles,  and  nut  ])ine  and  fir 
are  in  sufficient  ([uantities  for  mining.  Three 
springs  flow  down  the  west  side  of  the  mountain, 
and  one  is  situated  on  the  east  side  near  the  mines. 
The  mineral  belt  is  about  three  miles  in  length  and 
one  in  width.  Eight  parallel  veins,  varying  from 
one  to  five  feet  in  width,  have  been  counted.  They 
are  from  thirty  to  five  hundred  feet  apart,  and 
appear  in  the  limestone.  The  principal  mines  are 
the  Ellen,  Shoute,  Trident,  Boulder  and  Neptune. 
Closely  selected  ore  from  the  Ellen  has  j-ielded  as 
high  as  8G90  in  silver.  Selected  ore  from  the  Shoute 
has  }-ieldcd  from  8144  to  8S(lO  per  ton.  The  veins  in 
this  district  dip  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  forty-five 
degrees  in  some  cases,  and  of  eighty  degrees  in 
others.  In  the  valley,  about  five  miles  to  the  north- 
east are  a  thousand  acres  of  fertile  land,  having  a 
sufficiency  of  water. 

Groom  District  joins  Tom  Pah-I'te  District  on 
the  south,  and  was  organized  in  1870.  It  is  about 
ten  miles  west  of  Summit  S])rings,  in  the  same  range 
of  mountains,  and  includes  within  its  limits  Pah- 
Ute  Peak,  which  has  an  altitude  of  8,80(1  feet. 
Fir  and  pine  cover  the  western  slope  of  the  peak 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  mines.  The  ore  is 
of  low  grade,  assaying  from  ten  dollars  to  sixty-five 
dollars  per  ton  in  silver,  and  was  discovered  in  1870. 
During  the  next  five  years,  considerable  work  was 
done,  and  steam  hoisting  works  were  built  at  one 
mine.  At  the  end  of  that  period  operations  ceased, 
and  no  work  is  now  being  done.  The  formations 
are  of  limestone,  quartzite  and  argillaceous  shale. 
Wood  and  water  arc  in  near  proximity  to  the  claims. 

Paiiranac.vt  District  is  situated  in  the  I'abrana- 
gat  range  of  mountains,  about  sixty-five  miles  south- 
west of  Pioche.  The  nearest  post-office  is  Iliko, 
ten  miles  distant.  Ore  was  discovered  in  .March, 
ISC"),  by  John  11.  Ely,  T.  C.  W.  Sayles,  David  San- 
derson, Samuel  S.  Strut,  \Vm.  McClusky  and  Ira 
Hatch,  all  from  T'tah.  guided  there  bj-  an  Indian 
The  district  was  immeiliately  organized;  and  1,000 
locations  have  been  made  up  to  date.  The  veins 
are  found  in  quartzite,  and  run  northeast  and  soath- 
61 


west  across  the  formation,  dipping  to  the  east  at 
various  angles.  The  ores  are  both  free  and  base, 
and  contain  no  gold.  The  base  ores  are  ])rincipallj' 
load.  The  leading  mines  are  the  Illinois,  Green 
Monster,  Black  Warrior.  North  Side,  Montezuma 
and  ("astle.  The  Illinois  contains  a  tunnel  000  feet 
long,  and  a  shaft  about  2.')0  feet  in  depth.  The 
(jreen  Monster  is  developed  to  about  the  same  ex- 
tent. Plenty  of  nut  pine  is  obtained  near  the 
mines;  water  is  hauled  two  and  a  half  miles  to  the 
mines;  the  ore  is  milled  at  the  ten-stamp  mill  at 
lliko,  ten  miles  distant.  Little  more  than  assess- 
ment work  is  now  being  done,  active  operations 
having  been  sus])ended  in  June,  1871.  Freight  is 
hauled  from  Milibrd,  Utah  (the  nearest  railroad 
station,  distant  175  miles),  at  the  rate  of  fortj^-five 
dollars  per  ton.  Onlj'  ten  miners  are  now  in  the 
district.  The  records  are  kept  by  the  County 
Recorder.  Some  specimens  of  ore  once  taken  from 
the  Illinois  assayed  into  thousands. 

Pennsylvania  District  is  situated  in  the  range 
of  mountains  between  Meadow  and  Clover  Valleys, 
and  is  about  forty  miles  south  of  Pioche.  Ore  was 
discovered  by  a  Mormon  named  Klingcnsmith, 
but  no  work  was  done  until  the  fall  of  1871.  The 
principal  mine  is  the  Klingensmilh,  the  vein  of 
which  is  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  wide. 
An  incline  of  seventy-five  feet,  and  a  shaft  of  200 
feet  have  been  sunk  in  this  mine,  and  low  gi-ade  ore 
has  been  taken  out  which  has  yielded  from  twenty 
to  twenty-five  dollars  per  ton.  The  vein  is  in  quartz- 
ite, a  largo  belt  of  which  runs  through  the  district 
east  and  west.  The  chief  tbrmation  is  granite. 
Water  is  obtained  from  springs,  although  the 
Meadow  Valley  Wash,  not  far  away,  contains  an 
excellent  stream  of  water  at  all  seasons  of  the 
j-ear.  Lumber  is  obtained  at  a  saw-mill  ten  miles 
distant.     The  nearest  post-office  is  in  Clover  Valley. 

Silver  Springs  District  is  in  the  northeastern 
corner  of  the  county,  in  the  Snake  Range  Mountains, 
and  was  organized  in  1^!()9.  Some  exceedingly  rich 
ore  was  found  near  the  surface,  in  a  limestone  forma- 
tion, and  several  hundred  tons  of  it  yielded  850,000. 
Two  mills  were  built,  one  of  which  was  subsequently 
taken  down  and  removed  to  Utah.  Not  enough  ore 
could  be  found  to  keep  the  mills  in  active  operation. 
Many  of  the  claims  have  been  abandoned,  and  only 
11  few  miners  remain  in  the  district.  Some  of  the 
best  ore  has  been  taken  from  the  Nevada  Queen. 

SiL\  EK  KiN(i  Di.stkict  is  in  the  Lake  Valley  range, 
sixteen  miles  northwest  of  Bristol,  the  latter  being 
the  nearest  post-office  and  stage  station.  Ore  was 
discovered  in  1S74,  bj- John  Ileussand  Phillip  Marton, 
and  a  district  was  organized  the  same  year.  Seven 
locations  have  been  made;  four  miners  reside  on  their 
claims,  and  the  records  are  kept  by  Julius  llofl'man, 
at  Pioche,  The  veins  are  Ibund  between  slate  and 
granite,  running  north  and  south  with  the  forma- 
tion, and  dipping  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  forty-five 


4«0 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


degrees.  The  ores  are  both  free  and  base,  the 
bullion  containing  about  ten  per  cent,  of  gold.  The 
principal  mines  are  the  Cjesar,  Ida,  Highbridgo, 
Morning  Star,  and  Schiller.  These  properties  have 
lately  passed  into  the  hands  of  an  eastern  company, 
and  early  active  operations  are  contemplated.  The 
ores  are  very  rich,  and  the  prospects  of  the  district 
very  promising.  The  base  ores  yield  from  S75  to 
8100  per  ton;  the  free-milling  ores,  from  8700  to 
81,000  per  ton.  The  Cffisar  Mine  has  a  shaft  sixty 
feet  deep,  and  the  Highbridge  Mine  a  tunnel  eighty 
feet  long.  Freight  is  hauled  from  Eureka,  165  miles 
distant,  at  forty  dollars  per  ton,  and  at  the  same  rate 
from  Milford,  Utah,  135  miles  distant.  Plenty  of 
cedar  and  nut  pine  are  dose  by  the  mines,  and  water 
is  obtained  from  springs  two  miles  distant.  The  ores 
arc  hauled  to  Bristol,  and  worked  both  by  milling 
and  smelting.     No  town  has  been  built. 

St.  Thomas  District  is  a  few  miles  east  of  the 
town  of  St.  Thomas,  on  Mount  Bonelli,  of  the  Virgin 
range.  Ore  was  discovered  in  December,  1872,  by  a 
partj^  composed  of  D.  Bonelli,  Lewis  Siebrecht, 
Thomas  Belding,  and  Hans  Gottfredsen.  A  district 
was  organized  January  25,  1873.  Eight  or  ten 
miners  are  now  in  the  district.  About  fifty  locations 
have  been  made,  most  of  which  have  been  aban- 
doned. The  formation  consists  of  white  quartz 
ledges  in  dark,  coarse  granite.  The  veins  run  six- 
teen degrees  west  of  south,  across  the  formation,  and 
dip  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  degrees  to  the 
east.  The  bullion  product  of  the  district  contains 
six  per  cent,  in  gold  and  seventy-two  per  cent,  in 
silver.  The  principal  mines  arc  the  Jlormon  Ledge, 
Virgin  Queen,  Kecluse,  Belding  Ledge,  Pacific  Mine, 
Desert  Foundling,  Toshoe  Foundling,  Mica  Pioneer, 
Princess  Louisa,  Diadem,  Summit  Queen,  Seventy- 
Nine  and  Mountain  Beautj^.  The  Seventy-Nine  has 
a  shaft  thirty-five  feet  in  dui)lh;  the  Mica  Pioneer  a 
tunnel  twenty-five  feet  in  length.  Freight  facilities 
are  very  poor— -almost  prohibitory — although,  if 
developments  warranted,  steamboats  might  ply  on 
the  Colorado  Piver  and  accommodate  portions  of  the 
district.  No  timber  is  nearer  than  seventy-five  miles, 
excepting  mesquit  forfire-wood.  Lumber  is  hauled  150 
miles.  Water  is  procured  from  the  Muddy  Piver,  Pio 
Virgon  and  Colorado  River.  Mica  is  found  in  the 
Virgin  range,  but  not  of  a  merchantable  (juality,  the 
plates  being  stained  and  cross-fractured,  the  ledges 
not  having  been  worked  to  a  depth  beyond  the 
surfiice-sliding  of  the  rock. 

South EASTEKN  District  is  situated  about  seventy- 
five  miles  north  of  Las  Vegas,  in  the  Las  Vegas 
range  of  mountains.  Ore  was  discovered  in  Septem- 
ber, 1870,  u])on  which  a  district  was  organized,  and 
seven  locations  were  made.  Only  assessment  work 
has  been  done  since  1871.  The  ore  contains  a  large 
per  cent,  of  copper,  and  is  found  in  i|uartzitc  and 
j)orphj'ry,  and  assays  from  830  to  8180  per  ton. 
Specimens  of   native   copper  are   frequently  found. 


Wood  is  scarce,  but  a  good  supply  of  water  is  obtain- 
able at  Summit  Springs,  twelve  miles  to  the  north- 
west. 

Timber  Mountain  District  lies  north  of  Yellow 
Pine,  is  about  thirtj'  miles  square  and  contains  an 
abundance  of  wood  and  water.  Ore  was  discovered 
in  October,  1809.  Fifteen  locations  have  been  made, 
but  very  little  work  has  been  done.  The  ore  is 
chiefly  galena. 

Tem  Pah-Ute  District,  formerly  known  as  Sheri- 
dan District,  is  situated  about  fifteen  miles  west  of 
Crescent  Mill,  in  the  Tem  Pah-Ute  range  of  mount- 
ains. The  nearest post-oflice  is  Tem  Pah-Ute.  Ore 
was  discovered  in  December,  1868,  by  D.  Service  and 
William  Plumb.  A  district  was  organized  on  Janu- 
ary 28,  1809.  The  mines  are  in  a  sharp,  abrupt  hill 
about  six  miles  long,  the  eastern  side  of  which  shows 
a  belt  of  calcareous  slate,  eappe<l  with  limestone, 
which  extends  down  to  the  low  spurs  on  the  western 
side.  Along  the  whole  length  of  the  western  slope 
of  the  hill  a  belt  of  quartzito  crops  out  which  is  from 
50  to  100  feet  in  length.  A  vein  bearing  silver 
appears  at  several  points  between  the  slate  and  lime- 
stone, running  north  and  south  with  the  formation, 
and  dipping  to  the  east.  The  ores  are  free-milling. 
The  principal  mines  are  the  South  End,  Colchis,  Old 
Abraham,  Balbec,  Savage,  Inca.  Bagdad,  Silver  Peak, 
Blue  Bell,  Wyandott  and  Cliff.  The  shaft  of  the 
Inca  is  250  feet  deep;  a  tunnel  ])ierces  the  Colchis, 
South  End  and  Old  Abraham  Mines.  Ore  from  the 
Balbec  shows  rich  chloride,  and  specimens  have 
assaj'cd  very  high.  Punning  parallel  with  the  first 
vein  described  is  still  another  one,  a  thousand  feet  to 
the  west.  For  upwards  of  two  miles  it  shows  from 
a  foot  to  ten  inches  in  width,  and  dips  to  the  east  a'j 
an  angle  of  forty  degrees.  The  ore  carries  antimony, 
arsenic  and  copper  in  small  quantities.  Selected 
specimens  of  ore  from  this  district,  carr^-ing  lead, 
antimony  and  copper,  have  assayed  8874  per  ton. 
Five  miners  are  now  in  the  district,  and  the  number 
of  locations  is  150.  As  high  as  fifty  miners  were 
formerly  at  work,  but  when  the  ten-stamp  mill  at 
Crescent  was  taken  elsewhere,  operations  ceased, 
pjxcavations  are  still  being  made  in  the  tunnel,  but  no 
ore  has  been  taken  out  during  the  past  year.  Plenty 
of  wood  and  water  can  be  had  in  the  Na(|uintah 
range  of  moutains,  eight  miles  distant.  Considerable 
ore  has  been  hauled  to  Tj-bo,  eighty  miles  to  the 
westward.  The  records  of  the  district  are  kept  by 
D.  Service. 

WiiEEi.ER  District  is  situated  in  the  extreme 
southern  section  of  the  county,  in  the  Mountain 
Spring  range  of  mountains.  Very  little  work  has 
every  been  done  in  it;  no  ore  taken  from  it  has  ever 
been  reduced;  and  all  the  claims  in  it  have  been 
abandoned. 

Yei.i.ow  Pine  District  is  situated  in  the  extreme 
southwestern  corner  of  the  county,  in  the  Mount- 
ain   Spring    range    of   mountains,    and     is    thirty 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


487 


miles  Boutheast  of  Las  Vogas.  Ore  has  boon  dis- 
covered, thus  far,  in  only  one  locality.  It  crops  out 
on  the  west  side  of  an  almost  perpendicular  clifi'  ir)(l 
feet  in  height,  and  near  the  summit  of  the  mount- 
ain. Rich  deposits  of  argentiferous  galena,  lying 
almost  horizontally,  and  varying  in  width  from  one 
to  five  feet,  crop  out  about  ihirtj-  feet  from  the  base 
of  the  cliff.  Long  before  a  white  man  ever  entered 
Lincoln  County  the  Indians  moulded  bullets  from  ore 
procured  from  this  vein.  The  Mormons  did  the  same 
when  preparing  to  resist  Albert  Sydney  Johnston's 
oci'upation  of  Utah  in  18.J7.  For  this  mine  an  En- 
glish company  is  said  to  have  once  paid  ."^IdOjOOd.  Xo 
work  is  now  being  done.  The  district  is  well  wooded 
and  watered.  Here  were  the  Potosi  mines  of  former 
times. 

PIOCHE,  THE  COUNTV  SEAT. 

Pioche,  the  county  seat,  and  chief  place  of  business 
of  Lincoln  County,  is  situated  on  the  northern  slope 
of  the  mountain,  just  below  the  mineral  belt,  and 
close  to  the  mines.  The  mountain  is  a  spur  of  the 
Ely  range,  extending  easterly  into  the  valley  some 
eight  or  ten  miles.  It  is  ISO  miles  southeast  from 
Eureka  and  100  miles  from  Milford,  on  the  Utah 
Southern.  In  1868  Joseph  Grange  and  E.  M.  Chu- 
bard  came  to  this  place  and  built  a  small  furnace, 
and  reduced  a  small  quantity  of  ore,  but  financially 
made  a  failure.  Of  its  early  history  we  gather  the 
following  from  the  Ely  Refwd :  "  The  city  was  located 
in  ISGit  bj-  P.  McCannon,  L.  Lacourand  A.  M.  Bush, 
and  surveyed  by  E.  L.  Mason,  Civil  Engineer.  It 
was  named  after  F.  L.  A.  Pioche,  a  citizen  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, who  had  invested  largely  in  the  mines.  The 
buildings  are  mostly  one-story,  and  made  principally 
of  wood.  The  town  grew  rapidly  from  the  start. 
Business  and  population  increased  with  the  increas- 
ing shipments  of  bullion,  so  that  in  the  winter  of 
1870-71  it  had  become  the  most  active  and  iinj)orluut 
mining  town  in  southeastern  Nevada.  Lots  which 
had  originally  cost  less  than  SlOO  were  sold  for  thou- 
sands. Schools,  churches  and  benevolent  institutions 
had  been  established,  and  a  flourishing  city  had  sprung 
into  existence." 

DESTRUCTIVE    FIRES   AND    FLOODS. 

On  the  night  of  September  15,  1871,  a  terrible  ca- 
lamity befel  the  town.  It  was  the  anniversary  of 
Mexican  Independence  and  the  citizens  of  that  nation 
were  glorifying  the  occasion  with  ball,  bonfire,  wine 
and  song,  \then  just  after  midnight  flames  were  seen 
to  issue  from  the  rear  of  a  restaurant  on  the  upjicr 
part  of  Main  Street,  and  though  the  air  was  unruffled 
b}'  a  breeze  they  had  got  under  irresistible  headway 
before  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  were  massed  to 
oppose  them.  In  vain  were  all  attempts  to  arrest 
the  progress  of  the  fire.  Nearly  all  of  the  houses 
being  of  a  dry  and  resinous  material,  the  furious 
flames  swept  them  away  in  quick  succession,  until 
only  heaps  of  ashes  and  smouldering  embers  marked 
the  site  of  what  two  hours  earlier  was  the  most 
flourishing  and  jirogressive  of  mining  towns. 


From  1,500  to  2,000  men,  women  and  children  were 
without  roofs  to  shelter  them,  and  many  were  in 
destitute  circumstances.  Still  these  were  not  the 
most  melancholy  incidents  of  the  fearful  catastro- 
phy.  300  kegs  of  powder  which  were  stored  in  the 
cellar  of  a  leading  mercantile  house  on  Main  Street, 
exploded  with  a  force  that  shook  the  mountains  to 
their  center,  and  with  it  went  up  one  wild  wail  from 
all  who  witnessed  the  grand  yet  terrible  spectacle. 
Rocks,  timbers  and  every  conceivable  missile  of  death 
swept  across  Main  and  Meadow  Valley  Streets,  and 
the  crowd  on  the  latter  street  was  raked  as  if  by 
grape  and  canister.  Thirteen  men  were  killed 
and  forty-seven  others  seriou.sly  wounded.  The  loss 
in  property  was  over  half  a  million,  but  a  trifle  of 
which  was  insured. 

Undismayed  and  but  momentarily  discouraged  by 
this  annihilating  blow,  the  sufferers  set  about  rebuild- 
ing, and  six  months  later  the  temporary  structures 
had  all  disap]>eared,  and  Pioche  City  was  again  in 
existence,  her  limits  extended,  population  increased, 
and  having  improvements  of  a  more  substantial 
character. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  May  5, 1872,  the  town 
was  again  visited  by  a  destructive  fire,  resulting  in 
the  loss  of  twelve  buildings,  and  property  estimated 
to  be  worth  §50,000.     So  lives  were  lost. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  August,  187.3,  a  flood 
occurred  which  caused  damage  to  the  citizens  to  the 
amount  of  810,000.  It  was  the  effect  of  a  terrible 
rain-storm,  which  for  a  time  so  blackened  the  sky 
that  it  was  nccessarj-  to  light  lamps  in  the  houses. 

Another  rain-storm  of  less  violence  occurred  in  tho 
summer  of  1874.  Again,  in  1876,  another  destructive 
fire  visited  tho  town.     Of  it  the  Pioche /?ecor(/ said: — 

On  the  morning  of  May  3,  1870,  Pioche  was  again 
visited  by  a  destructive  fire,  burning  nearly  a  block 
of  buildings,  ])artially,  on  the  east  side  ol"  Lacour 
and  the  west  side  of  Muin  Streets.  The  tire  com- 
menced about  three  o'clock  in  the  old  unoccu])ied 
hurdy,  ordance  house,  on  Lacour  Street,  adjoining  the 
Journal  office,  and  was  discovered  l>y  two  men  iti  the 
oHice  who  had  just  com])leted  striking  off  the  pa])cr, 
and  were  about  to  retire.  A  general  alarm  was 
sounded,  and  the  three  tire  companies  were  on  hand 
as  soon  as  possible.  VVc  noticed  one  of  the  boys 
having  on  a  rutfled  night-gown,  showing  that  he  did 
not  waste  any  time  going  home  to  put  on  a  red 
shirt.  After  an  hour  of  hard  struggle  the)-  got  tho 
best  of  the  flames  and  extinguished  them.  Twenty- 
one  buildings  were  burned,  and  the  loss  estimated  at 
§40,000. 

The  town  was  most  prosperous  from  the  latter 
part  of  1872  to  the  close  of  1873.  In  the  tall  of  1874, 
1,800  votes  were  cast,  and  the  town  was  estimated  to 
have  6,000  people.  Although  a  city  in  size,  contain- 
ing all  the  usual  citj^  organizations  and  places  of 
amusement,  among  which  were  a  tine,  largo  skating 
rink  and  throe  theatres,  the  citizens  declined  to  be 
governed  by  a  city  charter. 

A  fire  company  was  organized  in  June,  1871,  with 
about  forty  members,  but  without  any  apparatus  were 


488 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


unable  to  do  much  at  the  fire  in  September  of  that  | 
year.  In  October,  1871,  the  Lightner  Hook  and 
Ladder  Company  was  organized,  with  W.  W.  Bishop 
for  President.  In  1872  this  company  obtained  a  cart 
and  hose,  and  in  July,  1875,  the  Pioehe  Hose  Com- 
pany was  organized,  with  Thomas  Campbell  for  Pres- 
ident. The  Protection  Hose  Company,  Xo.  2,  was 
organized  in  April,  1875,  with  George  W.  Arnold  for 
President;  and  the  same  year  a  Fire  Department  for 
the  town  was  organized,  with  J.  J.  Halpin  for  Pres- 
ident, and  L.  V.  Loomis.  Chief  Engineer. 

Until  1872  the  water  used  in  Pioehe  was  hauled 
four  miles  from  a  well,  and  from  Floral  Springs,  five 
miles  distant.  In  1871  a  water  company  was  or- 
ganized to  bring  the  water  to  Pioehe  from  Floral 
Springs  in  pipes.  John  H.  Wilson  was  President 
and  Superintendent  of  the  company.  The  work  was 
completed  in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  §200,000,  giving  a 
supply  sufiicient  for  a  town  of  20,000  people.  The 
water  has  a  fall  of  112  feet,  which  gives  the  town 
good  protection  against  fire. 

Pioehe  ])rocures  its  goods  and  supplies  from  abroad, 
principally  from  Chicago  and  San  Francisco.  Much 
of  the  flour,  and  all  of  the  grain  and  products  of 
the  farms  are  supi)lied  from  Utah  and  the  surround- 
ing countrj-  in  Nevada. 

The  nearest  railroad  station,  where  goods  are 
received  or  shipped,  is  Milford,  Utah,  distant  115 
miles.  Kates  for  teaming  freight  to  and  from  this 
station  is  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 

The  nearest  towns  to  Pioehe  are  Royal  City, 
eighteen  miles  north-west,  Bullionville  and  Panaea, 
distant  twelve  and  fourteen  miles  respectively  to 
the  southeast.  A  narrow-guagc  railroad  was  built 
by  Gen.  A.  L.  Page,  aided  b}'  the  Uaymond  &  Ely 
Mining  Company,  from  Pioehe  to  Bullionville,  to 
transport  the  ore  from  the  mines  to  the  mills.  The 
road  was  completed  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  8400,000, 
and  for  about  tvvo  years  trains  made  regular  daily 
trips  and  carried  passengers. 

In  Januar}-,  1873,  the  Miners'  Union  was  organized 
with  Michael  Cady  for  President,  and  had  at  one 
time  over  250  members.  The  '-Citizens'  Protective 
Union  "  was  organized  the  same  year.  The  killing 
of  Ryan  in  the  fight  between  the  Raymond  and  Ely, 
and  the  Pioehe  and  Phanix,  and  the  assassination  of 
(;harles  Swanson  by  unknown  parties  a  few  daj-s 
previous,  led  to  this  organization.  The  "  Citizens' 
Union"  never  took  the  law  into  its  own  hands,  but 
rather  aided  the  lawful  authorities  in  the  prompt 
execution  of  the  laws.  No  attempts  at  lynching 
were  ever  made  in  Pioehe. 

RAl'in   DECr.INE   AFTKR    1870. 

In  1875  the  town  commenced  going  down  and  fell 
off  rapidlj'  after  the  principal  mines  shut  down  in 
187U.  The  census  of  18S0  gave  the  population  as 
800,  of  which  probably  200  have  since  left.  It  had 
i:^!t  registered  voters  at  the  last  election.  There  are 
now  no  furnaces  in  Pioehe  except  the  one  built  in 
1868.      The  one  built  byJoseph  Grange  in  1869,  and 


one  by  John  H.  Ely  about  the  same  time,  and  the 
large  furnace  erected  by  the  Meadow  Valley  Com- 
pany have  all  proved  failures.  The  amount  of  bull- 
ion produced  here  cannot  be  definitely  ascertained, 
but  820,000,000  is  probably  about  the  aggregate. 
There  are  no  benevolent  associations  in  operation  now 
except  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  an  account  of 
which  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

The  County  Jail  and  Court  House,  built  of  stone 
and  brick,  which  cost  §75,000,  arc  located  in  Pioehe. 
The  public  cemetery  is  not  inclosed,  but  the  Masons 
and  Odd  Fellows,  the  Catholics  and  the  Hebrews 
have  cemeteries  inclosed. 

The  Bescret  Telegraph  Company  completed  its 
line  to  Pioehe  in  October,  1871,  and  the  Western 
Union  line  was  completed  in  October,  1872.  These 
two  companies  conducted  business  separately  till 
January  1,  1878,  since  which  time  the  two  offices 
have  been  in  one  apartment,  and  conducted  by  one 
operator — J.  L.  Sears,  The  post-office  building  is 
made  of  stone  and  was  erected  in  1869,  Wells,  Fargo 
&  Co's  Express  office  is  in  a  brick  and  stone  build- 
ing. The  office  was  established  here  in  1870.  There 
is  an  assay  office  in  a  wood  building.  A  daily  mail 
is  received  from  the  East  by  way  of  Milford  on  the 
Southern  Utah,  and  a  tri-weekly  from  Eureka.  The 
Pioehe  Record,  once  a  large  and  prominent  daily 
paper,  is  now  published  weekly.  [See  chapter  on 
Journalism  in  Nevada.] 

OTHER   TOWNS   AND    CITIES. 

Bristol  City  is  situated  on  the  Bristol  range  of 
mountains,  about  twenty-five  miles  northeast  of 
Pioehe,  Its  distance  from  Eureka,  by  the  traveled 
route,  is  180  miles,  and  from  Milford,  Utah,  120 
miles.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1870,  by  a  party  of 
Mormons,  Messrs.  Atchison,  Hyatt  and  Hardy.  In 
1871  the  district  was  organized,  the  town  of  National 
City  started,  and  a  smelting  furnace  built.  The  lat- 
ter was  operated  only  a  short  time,  after  which  it 
remained  idle  until  1878.  In  the  winter  of  1877-78 
new  ore  discoveries  were  made,  and  in  the  following 
March  the  smelting  furnace  was  started  up.  A  new 
company  was  also  organized,  a  water  jacket  furnace 
built,  and  the  name  of  the  town  changed  to  Bristol. 
It  has  two  stores,  one  blacksmith  sho)),  three  board- 
ing houses,  a  livery  stable,  post-office,  etc.,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  100.  It  is  the  trading  point  for  about  7(10  men 
who  work  in  the  mines  of  the  surrounding  region. 
It  has  no  religious  organizations,  but  services  are 
occasionally  held  by  wandering  missionaries.  The 
mines  of  the  district  are  ])rodiu-ing  about  SI, 5(10  per 
day.  One  hundred  and  fifty  locations  have  been 
made,  and  about  :!(i0  miners  are  in  the  district.  The 
veins  are  found  in  limestone  and  quartzite,  and 
run  northeast  and  southwest,  obliquely  across  the 
formation,  and  dipping  to  the  southeast  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees.  The  ores  are  base,  and  arc 
carbonized,  and  contain  iron,  antimony,  lead  and  some 
copper.  In  addition  to  silver  the  ores  contain  a  small 
per  cent,  of  gold.     The  principal  mines  are  the  Ohio, 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN    COUNTY. 


489 


Mayflower,  Bristol  Tunnel  Company,  Hillside.  Bay 
State,  National,  Tempest,  Tiger,  Iron,  and  (ircat 
Eastern.  The  Hillside  Mine  has  the  deepest  shaft. 
720  feet;  in  the  claim  of  the  Bristol  Tunnel  Company 
there  is  a  tunnel  250  feet  in  length.  Freight  is 
teamed  from  Milford  at  thirty-five  dollars  per  ton,  and 
from  Eureka  at  forty  dollai-s  per  ton.  Cedar  and  nut 
pino  are  abundant  close  by.  Water  is  obtained  from 
wells  at  Bristol,  and  is  hauled  a  distance  of  from  three 
to  five  miles  to  the  mines.  The  ores  are  worked  by 
smelting,  and  by  the  milling  and  roasting  process. 
The  present  facilities  for  working  ores  consist  of  the 
smelting  works,  and  a  ten-stamp  mill  with  a  Howell 
roaster.  Both  establishments  have  a  total  capacity 
of  forty-five  tons  per  day.  The  records  of  the  dis- 
trict are  kept  by  William  Roe. 

BuLLioNviLLE  is  Situated  on  the  north  side,  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  the  head  of  Meadow  Valley 
and  twelve  miles  southeast  from  Pioche.  This  being 
the  nearest  point  to  the  principal  mines  of  this  dis- 
trict at  which  a  good  and  never  failing  supply  of  water 
could  be  obtained,  most  of  the  mills  for  the  reduction 
of  ore  in  the  Ely  District  were  located  here.  The 
town  dates  its  origin  from  the  erection  of  the  first 
mill,  and  it  grew  rapidly  till  187-1,  when  it  contained 
a  population  of  500,  and  was  a  lively  business  place. 
In  1875  it  commenced  to  decline.  In  1877  two  of 
the  mills  were  taken  away,  and  in  the  spring  of  1880 
the  remaining  mill  stopped  running,  and  the  town  was 
really  deserted.  vSinco  then  a  new  companj-  has  pur- 
chased the  tailings  and  put  up  new  smelling  and  con- 
centrating works,  which  has  infused  new  life  into 
the  town.  The  abundance  of  water  found  in  the 
mines  of  Pioche  in  1876,  rendered  BuUionville  no 
longer  a  necessity  for  milling  purposes.  The  popula- 
tion now  is  100. 

BuNKEUViLLK,  situated  thirty-five  miles  northeast 
from  St.  Thomas,  on  the  Rio  Virgen,  and  near  the 
east  line  of  Lincoln  Countj',  was  located  in  Jan  nary, 
1877,  by  E.  Bunker  and  others,  who  came  to  that 
part  of  the  count}'  to  engage  in  farming.  The  town 
now  contains  about  l25  people,  one  store,  one  saloon, 
one  restaurant,  one  livery  stable  and  one  blacksmith 
shop.  They  have  a  poet-office  and  a  somi-weeklj- 
mail.  There  is  one  church  building,  which  cost  S5((0, 
and  will  seat  about  350  persons,  owned  by  the 
"  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,"  a 
Mormon  Sabbath-school  with  sixty  scholars  in  usual 
attendance,  one  day  school  with  thirty-three  pupils. 
The  buildings  are  for  the  most  part  adobe,  though 
there  are  a  few  frame  structures.  Their  supplies 
are  obtained  mostly  from  St.  (ieorgo.  in  Utah,  about 
fifty  miles  distant  to  the  northeast.  The  taxable 
property  in  the  township  is  valued  at  about  82,000. 
Good  water  is  obtained  from  the  Rio  Virgen  and 
wood  from  the  valley  along  the  stream.  The  soil  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town  is  well  adapted  to  agricul- 
ture, vegetables  being  raised  in  great  abundance. 
Near  the  town  are  some  remarkable  curiosities,  ruins 


of  a  stone  fort,  relics,  no  doubt,  of  the  Spaniard  of 
-Mexico  or  Arizona,  evidences  of  whose  trace  may 
be  found  in  remains  of  old  furnaces,  pottery,  etc.,  in 
various  places  in  southern  liincoln  County. 

Callville  was  settled  in  18G4  by  Anson  Call  and 
a  small  number  of  emigrants  from  northern  Utah. 
They  constructed  a  few  dwellings  and  two  ware- 
houses for  the  storage  of  freight,  for  at  that  time  it 
was  believed  that  considerable  trade  would  soon 
spring  up  along  the  navigable  portion  of  the  Colorado 
River.  The  altitude  of  the  town  is  700  feet.  It 
is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado,  among 
rough  gorges  and  barren  sand-hills.  The  surround- 
ing scenery  is  desolate  in  the  extreme,  and  few  of 
the  original  settlers  remained.  Its  position,  however, 
is  an  important  one,  standing  at  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  Colorado  River,  and  must  eventually  be 
connected  with  Fort  Yuma  by  a  line  of  freight  and 
passenger  steamers.  A  charter  has  already  been 
obtained  for  a  railroad  from  Eureka  to  Callville.  At 
the  last  session  of  the  State  Legislature  a  memorial 
to  Congress  was  adopted,  asking  for  the  immediate 
improvement  of  the  Colorado  River  to  Callville.  It 
set  I'orth  that  evidences  exist  that  a  prehistoric  race, 
advanced  in  art,  science  and  civilization  once  occupied 
the  region  bordering  on  the  Colorado,  from  the 
(Jrand  Canon  to  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  inhabited 
large  and  regularly  laid-out  cities;  built  canals, 
aqueducts,  highways  and  culverts;  understood  engi- 
neering, constructed  systems  of  irrigation  and  drain- 
age, and  embarked  cxtensivelj-  in  mining  operations. 
The  fact  that  Nevada  has  never  before  asked  the 
General  Government  for  river  improvements  was 
adverted  to,  and  it  was  urged  that  immeasurable 
benefits  would  accrue  by  rendering  the  Colorado 
navigable  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  to  Callville,  since 
vessels  can  now  ascend  to  it  only  during  the  spring 
months.  An  appropriation  of  8250,000  was  asked 
for,  and  it  will  undoubtedl}'  be  granted  within  a 
reasonable  period  of  time.  The  result  would  be  M 
vast  enhancement  of  the  prosperity  of  eastern 
Nevada. 

Ei,  Dorado  is  in  Colorado  District,  in  the  extreme 
southeastern  corner  of  the  State,  and  is  about  four 
miles  west  of  the  Colorado  River,  near  the  cele- 
brated El  Dorado  Canon.  It  was  started  in  1801, 
at  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  ore  and  the  organi- 
tion  of  the  district,  and  at  present  consists  of  a 
store,  boarding-house,  saloon,  blacksmith  shop  and  a 
few  dwellings.  A  ten-stamp  mill  was  erected  in 
1804,  almost  entirelj'  composed  of  old  material  and 
machinery.  This  was  run  at  intervals  for  three  orfour 
years,  after  which  its  capacity  was  increased  by  the 
addition  of  five  stamps  and  a  roasting  furnace.  At 
the  present  time  a  new  ten-stamp  mill  is  being  built. 
The  nearest  railroad  station  is  Fort  Yuma,  on  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  with  an  excellent  chance 
for  steam  navigation  up  the  Colorado  to  Callville. 
The  cost  of  freight  from  San  Francisco,  bj'  water,  is 


490 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


eight}-  dollars  per  ton.  El  Dorado  Canon  is  a  re- 
markable fissure  through  masses  of  roek,  and  is 
twelve  miles  in  length.  Its  width  varies  from  twenty 
to  two  hundred  yards,  and  its  walls  are  from  two 
hundred  to  six  hundred  feet  in  height,  abounding 
in  striking  and  majestic  scenes.  Through  this 
canon  flows  the  Colorado,  having  a  fall  of  240  feet 
to  the  mile.  By  reason  of  ravines  or  washes,  it  is 
conveniently  reached  from  the  mines,  and  affords  an 
unlimited  supply  of  water.  Wood  from  the  adja- 
cent mountains  is  delivered  at  ten  dollars  per  cord. 
Much  of  it  is  rafted  down  the  river  for  a  distance 
of  125  miles.  Float-wood  is  also  caught  in  large 
quantities  during  high  water,  and  costs  only  one  dollar 
per  cord.  Ore  was  discovered  in  April,  18G1,  by 
Joseph  Good  and  others,  from  Xorth  San  Juan,  Cal- 
ifornia. For  several  years  considerable  work  was 
done.  Xo  steam  hoisting  works  have  been  put  up 
at  any  of  the  mines,  hand  windlasses  being  used 
where  tunnels  and  cuts  are  impracticable.  Salt  is 
obtained  from  the  mines  near  the  Rio  Yirgen,  and  is 
brought  down  in  boats  from  St.  Thomas.  The  veins 
in  the  district  are  found  in  talcose  slate,  and  run 
southeast  and  northwest  across  the  formation,  and 
dip  to  the  southeast  at  a  slight  angle.  The  ores  are 
base,  and  contain  lead,  antimony  and  zinc,  and  in 
addition  to  silver,  carry  ten  per  cent,  of  gold.  Six 
hundred  and  fifty  locations  have  been  made  in  all, 
forty  of  which  have  been  recorded  within  the  past 
year.  The  principal  mines  are  the  Savage,  Nash, 
January,  O.  K.,  Silver  Eagle,  Silver  Legion  and 
Techatticup.  The  latter-named  mine  contains  a 
shaft  380  feet  deep,  and  a  tunnel  400  feet  long. 
Mining  prospects  are  regarded  as  very  promising. 

HiKO,  situated  in  the  Pahranagat  range  of  mount- 
ains, sixty-five  miles  southwest  of  Piochc,  was  laid 
out  in  the  spring  of  18GG,  by  Col.  \V.  II.  Raymond 
and  others.  Mr.  Raymond  had  purchased  a  large 
quantilj'  of  what  were  called  "squatters  claims,"  in 
this  vicinity,  lie  had  been  East  the  year  before,  and 
brought  back  with  him  the  Pioneer  Mill,  which  he 
erected  with  the  avowed  object  of  determining  the 
value  of  the  Pahranagat  ores.  This,  however,  proved 
a  complete  failure,  both  in  construction  and  in  work- 
ing the  ores,  and  was  taken  down  and  removed  to 
-Meadow  Vailc}-,  op|)08ite  I'anaca  to  work  the  ores  of 
the  Ely  District. 

In  March,  18G7,  by  the  action  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners, lliko  became  the  county  seat  of  Lincoln 
County,  and  continued  to  be  such  till  the  twenty- 
fourth  day  of  February,  1871,  when,  by  the  action 
of  the  Legislature  and  the  vote  of  the  people,  the 
county  seat  was  removed  to  Pioche.  At  one  time 
Iliko  was  a  lively  little  village,  but  after  the  removal 
of  the  county  seat,  it  declined  in  population  and 
importance  to  almost  nothing,  although  a  post-office 
is  still  maintained  there,  with  a  semi-weekly  mail 
from  Piocho. 

In  the  summer  of  1881,  Jay  Gould,  of  New  York, 


commenced  at  this  point  to  survey  the  line  of  a  rail- 
road which  is  thought  will  connect  San  Francisco 
with  the  Utah  Southern.  Should  this  road  pass 
through  Hiko,  it  may  again  become  a  town  of  some 
importance. 

Highland  is  situated  on  the  summit  of  Bennett 
Spring  Mountain,  in  Highland  District.  Pioche  is 
the  nearest  post-office.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1868, 
by  H.  Henderson,  Mr.  McDougal  and  others,  and  in 
1869  a  district  was  organized,  and  the  town  was 
started.  The  latter  consists  of  a  boarding  house, 
brewery,  saloon,  and  a  few  dwellings.  Twenty-five 
miners  are  in  the  district,  and  about  fifty  locations 
have  been  made.  The  veins  run  north  and  south 
across  the  formation,  which  is  of  limestone,  and  dip 
to  the  east  at  various  angles.  The  ores  are  base, 
containing  lead  principally,  but  showing  copper,  iron, 
and  a  small  per  cent,  of  gold.  The  leading  mines  are 
the  Mendha,  Phcenix,  Henderson,  and  Arizona. 
Selected  ores  from  the  latter  have  assayed  fron  880 
to  8210  per  ton.  The  Mendha  iline  contains  a  shaft 
300  feet  deep,  and  a  tunnel  800  feet  long.  Selected 
ores  from  the  Phienix  and  Henderson  Mines  have 
assayed  from  880  to  8210  per  ton.  The  nearest  rail- 
road station  is  Milford,  Utah,  120  miles  distant,  from 
which  freight  is  brought  bj'  team  at  the  rate  of  thirty 
dollars  per  ton.  Fir,  white  and  yellow  pine,  and 
mahogany  are  in  abundance  near  the  mines;  water 
is  hauled  from  springs  two  miles  distant.  The  ores 
are  smelted  at  Bristol,  twenty  miles  distant,  at  a  cost 
of  seven  dollars  per  ton,  and  about  twenty-five  tons 
are  taken  from  the  mines  daily.  The  records  of  the 
district  are  kept  by  the  County  Recorder. 

JuNCTioNViLLE  is  a  few  miles  south  of  St.  Thomas, 
and  twenty-five  miles  northeast  of  C'allville.  D. 
Bonelle  was  its  pioneer  settler,  being  attracted  there 
in  1875.  J.  Ellis  arrived  soon  afterwards.  Thej- 
opened  a  mail  station  and  stopping-place  for  travel- 
ers, and  also  tried  to  do  some  farming,  as  the 
locality  was  on  the  direct  route  of  travel  between 
Idaho,  Utah  and  Nevada,  Arizona  and  Mexico.  It 
stands  on  a  small  delta  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Colorado  River  and  Rio  Virgen,  and  is  surrounded 
by  barren  hills,  and  by  the  mountains  of  the  Grand 
Canon  of  the  Colorado. 

The  first  white  settlement  of  any  part  of  this 
region  took  place  about  the  year  1856  by  some  few 
Mormon  families  establishing  a  way-station  at  Ijas 
Vegas  for  the  convenience  of  the  overland  travel 
between  southern  California  and  Salt  Lake  City. 
This  settlement  was  abandoned  again  by  tliem 
when  the  branch  at  San  Bernardino  was  called  to 
Salt  Lake,  about  1857,  and  the  station  fell  into  the 
hands  of  other  white  men  who  have  since  occupied 
it.  In  1865  a  mission  of  some  250  Mormon  families, 
from  northern  Utah,  arrived,  and  settled  the  vallej' 
of  the  Muddy,  establishing  five  villages  along  the 
course  of  the  stream;  the  lowest  and  largest,  near 
the  confluence  of  the   Muddy  with  the  Rio  Virgen, 


Ji 


HISTORY  OF  LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


491 


was  called  St.  Thomas,  and  maintained  the  prece- 
dence over  the  rest  by  reason  of  first  rights  to 
water  and  proximity  to  the  (^olorado  River,  which 
wa.s  calculated  upon  as  an  important  factor  in  the 
prof^ress  of  settlements,  a  large  warehouse  being 
built  at  Callvillo,  and  steamboats  bringing  goods 
from  California  to  that  point.  In  ISGS,  these  settle- 
ments were  about  doubled  in  population  by  another 
influx  from  the  north,  and  the  Muddj-  Valley  flour- 
ished as  I'ah-Ute  County,  Arizona.  The  subsequent 
cession  by  Congress  of  a  degree  of  longitude  from 
Arizona  to  Nevada  placed  these  settlements  within 
the  State  of  Nevada,  and  some  controversies  arose 
with  the  authorities  of  Lincoln  County  about  taxes 
of  former  j-ears,  during  which  Brigham  Young 
ordered  the  abandonment  of  the  Muddj-  settlements, 
and  the  exodus  of  the  entire  population,  excepting 
one  family',  took  place  in  March,  1871. 

During  the  Mormon  occupancy  of  the  valley  some 
4(tO,0(IO  shade  trees,  some  50,000  grape-vines  and 
fruit  trees  were  planted,  and  about  3,000  acres  of 
land  were  reclaimed  and  irrigated,  the  aggregate 
expense  of  dams  and  ditches  being  about  8200,000. 
The  products  of  the  soil  were  wheat,  barley,  corn, 
cane,  grapes,  peaches,  plums,  and  some  other  fruits; 
cereals  j'ielding  very  well;  cotton  flourishing  better 
than  in  Tennessee  or  Kentucky.  I'nder  the  close 
and  diligent  culture  of  these  people  ten  acres  of  soil 
would  sustain  an  ordinary  family  comfortably. 
Since  the  exodus  the  land  has  passed  into  other 
hands,  in  quarter  sections,  taken  up  under  the  Pos- 
sessory Act  of  Nevada,  and  has  retrograded  in 
capacity  of  production  as  it  has  lacked  careful 
attendance.  There  are  about  500  acres  of  swamp 
lands  in  the  valley,  susceptible  of  drainage,  and 
now  yielding  only  wild  hay. 

The  only  industry  followed  is  farming.  Lack  of 
transportation  renders  mining  impracticable,  except 
that  the  mills  of  El  Dorado  Canon  and  of  northern 
Arizona  mining  camps  are  supplied  with  rock  salt 
from  the  l{io  Virgen.  This  salt  is  blasted  out  of 
solid  ledges,  resembling  those  in  Poland  and  Bavaria, 
and  is  carried  on  boats  on  the  Colorado  Iliver,  and 
used  in  roasting  and  chloridizing  silver  ore. 

The  aboriginal  Pah-Ute  inhabitants  of  this  region 
have  declined  from  500  lodges  to  about  150  souls, 
during  the  past  two  decades  just  elapsed. 

The  Colorado  River  forms  the  boundary  of  the 
county  and  State  for  175  miles  and  is  or  would  bo 
navigable  if  any  industry  existed  sufticicnt  to  war- 
rant it,  up  to  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  west 
boundary  of  Arizona  at  the  foot  of  the  celebrated 
Grand  Canon;  although  the  highest  point  reached  bj' 
a  large  steamer  heretofore  is  Junctionville  at  the 
mouth  of  the  llio  Virgen,  where  a  tract  of  desert 
land  is  being  reclaimed.  At  this  point  the  mountain 
passes  of  the  State  and  of  Utah,  and  the  drainage  of 
this  vast  region  converge  with  the  Colorado  liiver, 
thus  determining  also  the  main  lines  of  travel  which 
follow  the  natural  passes,  which   in  primeval   ages 


were  immense  water-courses.  The  indications  of  a 
more  advanced  tribe  of  Indians  having  occupied  this 
region  are  numerous,  ])ottery  ware  of  superior  char- 
acter being  often  found.  Also  ruins  of  rock  forts  and 
irrigating  ditches  are  occasionally  seen,  similar  to 
those  ascribed  to  the  Aztecs  and  found  among  the 
Pueblos,  The  climate  of  this  region  is  semi-tropical, 
the  maximum  temperature  of  summer  in  the  shade 
being  120°,  and  the  minimum  temperature  of  win- 
ter about  20°  above  zero.  Grapes,  tigs,  pomegran- 
ates, etc,  etc.,  are  in  their  proper  sphere  here,  and 
thrive  wherever  planted  and  attended.  All  crops 
need  irrigation.  No  society  has  existed  hero  since 
the  Mormon  exodus  in  1871,  The  region  has  been 
sparsely  settled,  and  mostly  by  a  transient  element, 
having  no  religious  profession  or  name  in  which 
any  considerable  number  agreed.  The  T'tah  South- 
ern Railroad  is  the  nearest  point  for  shijjment  by 
rail,  and  is  250  miles  distant.  The  rate  of  freight 
from  Milford  is  from  S80  to  8100  per  ton.  Su])plies 
are  brought  from  Utah  and  from  El  Dorado  Canon. 

Panaca  is  located  in  Meadow  Valley,  three  miles 
below  the  head  of  it,  and  is  fourteen  miles  southeast 
of  Pioche.  It  was  laid  out  by  the  first  settlers  in 
1864,  and  grew  rapidly  till  1868,  when  it  had  over 
500  inhabitants.  Business  continued  to  be  prosper- 
ous till  in  1873,  when  work  for  the  mines  fall- 
ing off  the  town  commenced  going  down.  The 
present  population  numbers  about  300  people,  with 
a  larger  percentage  of  children  than  any  other  town 
in  the  State,  the  school  census  giving  eightj'.  Pan- 
aca has  a  tine  school  house,  which  cost  81,200,  and 
which  will  accommodate  120  pupils.  The  average 
attendance  is  sixty. 

The  town  occupies  about  250  acres  of  land,  which 
is  laid  out  in  lots  and  blocks.  The  water  supply  is 
abundant,  being  taken  from  Warm  Spring,  which  is 
about  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the  town.  A 
large  stream  of  water,  about  three  feet  deep  and  six 
feet  wide,  is  thrown  out  from  this  spring,  and  the 
quantity  is  not  aft'ected  by  the  seasons.  This  is  the 
principal  source  of  water  suj)ply  for  the  whole  valley. 

]{oVAi,  City  is  in  Jack  Rabbit  District,  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Bristol  range  of  mountains, 
about  a  mile  east  of  Day  Mine  Stage  Station,  and 
previous  to  1876  was  included  in  Bristol  Di.-itrict,  It 
is  situated  near  the  mines,  and  contains  a  store,  sa- 
loon, boarding-house,  blacksmith  shop  and  restaurant. 
Ore  was  discovered  in  1876  by  Isaac  (iarrison  and 
others,  and  a  district  was  at  once  organized.  The 
veins  are  found  in  limestone.  The  vein  matter  is 
black  and  white  spar,  and  runs  northeast  and  south- 
west with  the  formation.  Its  dip  is  nearlj-  vertical. 
The  ore  is  soft  and  carries  native  silver  in  flakes, 
and  chambers  are  also  found  containing  very  rich 
carbonate  deposits.  No  indications  of  gold  exist. 
The  Day  or  Jack  Rabbit  Mine  is  the  princij>al  one. 
It  has  been  worked  since  1876,  and  at  present  is 
yielding   ten  tons  per  day.     It  is  owned  by  a  San 


492 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Francisco  corjjoration  known  as  the  Day  Silver  Min 
ing  Company,  of  which  A.  S.  Gould  is  Superintend- 
ent. ItH  regular  vein  goes  about  forty  dollars  per 
ton,  and  the  chambers  of  carbonate  yield  as  high, 
sometimes,  as  82,000  per  ton.  It  contains  a  shaft 
525  feet  deep,  and  a  tunnel  900  feet  long.  Freight 
from  San  Francisco  costs  8120  per  ton;  it  costs 
$40  per  ton  from  Milford,  on  the  Utah  Southern 
Railroad,  115  miles  distant,  and  is  brought  by  team. 
Water  is  hauled  from  wells  three  miles  distant.  A 
scanty  supply  of  pine,  cedar  and  mahogany  exist  at 
the  distance  of  six  miles.  The  ore  is  smelted  at 
Bristol,  seven  and  one-half  miles  distant.  Forty 
miners  are  in  the  district,  twentj--five  locations,  and 
the  records  are  kept  by  George  F.  Weed. 

vSt.  Thomas  was  laid  out  in  18G4,  in  obedience  to 
the  instructions  of  Brigham  Young,  and  a  ilormon 
colony  was  established  there.  Jt  was  then  expected 
that  commerce  and  emigration  M'ould  move  toward 
thenavigable  waters  of  the  Colorado,  and  St.  Thomas 
was  intended  as  one  of  the  various  settlements  that 
were  to  connect  Salt  Lake  City  with  that  river.  Its 
colonists  consisted  of  seventy-five  families  from 
northern  Utah,  under  the  leadership  of  Thomas 
Smith.  The  town  is  situated  on  a  small  eminence  at 
the  mouth  of  a  mountain  gorge  near  Muddy  Eiver, 
and  its  altitude  is  800  feet.  Surrounding  it  are  dry 
mesas  and  sandstone  hills.  At  the  preriod  of  its 
greatest  prosperity,  in  1807,  it  contained  500  inhab- 
itants. Its  streets  and  irrigiition  ditches  are  shaded 
by  20,000  Cottonwood  trees.  Overton  is  seven  miles 
northwest  of  St.  Thomas,  St.  Joseph  is  eleven  miles 
northwest,  Junctionville  is  twenty-five  miles  south- 
ward, and  thirty-five  miles  to  the  northward  isBun- 
kerville.  Fuel  consists  of  mcsquit  and  drift-wood, 
and  is  gathered  on  the  bottom-lands  of  theVirgen  and 
Muddy. 

The  cemetery  is  not  inclosed.  The  prevalent  dis- 
eases are  ague  and  malarious  complaints  of  a  mild 
type.  Only  four  families  now  live  at  St.  Thomas, 
the  original  population  having  been  withdrawn  to 
Utah.  A  livery  stable,  blacksmith  shop,  butcher 
shop,  store,  post-ofRce  and  stopping- place  for  trav- 
elers represent  all  existing  business  activitj-.  The 
buildings  are  adobe.  The  water  supply  is  obtained 
from  Muddy  River,  which  contains  two  thousand 
inches,  and  is  claimed  by  the  first  settlers,  bj-  priority 
right.  The  nearest  railroad  station  is  iMIH'onl,  Utah, 
260  miles  distant.  Freight  is  teamed  from  that 
point  at  a  cost  of  eighty  dollars  perion.  The  jn-inci- 
pal  supplies  are  obtained  from  Salt  Lake  City  and 
St.  (ieorge,  Utah,  and  from  Pioche,  Nevada.  An 
adobe  school  house,  12x11  feet  in  size,  accommodates 
twenty-five  or  thirty  pupils.  The  taxable  jjropcrty 
of  the  township  is  valued  at  81(1,000;  aggregate 
length  of  streets,  five  miles;  agricultural  operations 
in  the  vicinity  are  confined  to  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  a  small  scale.  The  only  murder  on  record 
is  that  of  George  Reed,  a  teamster,  who  was  fatally 


shot  with  a  needle  gun,  in  1872,  by  a  man  known  by 
the  sobriquet  of  "  Green  River."  Nothing  was  done 
about  it. 

On    August   9,  1872,  a    flood  occurred  which  in- 
flicted considerable  damage. 

Salt  Moi'ntai.n,  three  miles  south  of  St.  Thomas, 
is  a  leilge  of  solid  crystalline  salt,  which,  aside  from 
its  material  value,  is  of  remarkable  interest  from  the 
fact  that  it  contains  traces  of  prc-historic  man. 
Jt  crops  out  along  the  points  of  the  low  hills  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  the  Rio  Virgen,  is  75  or 
100  feet  in  width,  and  dips  slightlj^  to  the  west. 
Trachitic  tufa  incases  it  on  either  side.  The  canons 
from  the  hills  to  the  weslwai'd  of  it  cut  through  it  to 
the  depth  of  50  or  GO  feet.  It  is  worked  on  the 
sides  of  these  canons,  and  is  so  hard  as  to  require 
blasting.  The  tufa  is  a  light  chocolate  color,  and 
has  stained  the  salt.  The  altitude  of  this  mine  is 
1,100  feet  above  the  sea,  and  about  300  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Rio  Virgen.  Another  body  of  salt, 
of  a  similar  character,  crops  out  on  the  face  of  a 
hill  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  about  three  miles 
south  of  the  first  described  deposit.  It  can  be  traced, 
at  intervals,  for  a  distance  of  four  miles  to  the  south- 
ward, in  the  low  hills  about  half  a  mile  from  the  river. 
This  body  of  salt  is  estimated  to  be  about  nine  miles 
long,  including  the  opening  where  the  river  i)asses  it. 
Two  miles  west  of  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Virgen,  on 
a  bench  of  ground,  is  a  natural  salt  well,  with  a 
funnel-shaped  opening  about  ;>0(l  feet  in  diameter. 
The  sides  descend  at  an  angle  of  about  30°.  The 
water  is  sevent}'  feet  below  the  level  of  the  opening, 
has  a  temperature  of  about  70°  and  is  very  salty. 
Its  depth  has  not  been  ascertained,  but  it  is  known 
to  be  more  than  seventy  feet  deep.  To  mine  the 
rock  salt  costs  about  five  dollars  per  ton,  and  it  costs 
about  eight  to  ten  dollars  per  ton  to  deliver  it  at  nav- 
igable waters. 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 
HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY 

Character  (if  the  Surface — .Samuel  S.  lUicklaiul — (i.  W.  Burrier — 
Jolin  Carting — Organization  and  Bmnularics — Appointments 
anil  Elections — Creation  of  a  Comity  Deht^ Internal  Im- 
provements— Court  House  anil  County  Jail — Investigation 
anil  Kconomy — Kinilier  Cleaver — .1.  S.  Campbell — John 
l.othrop — li.l'.  Ilnnilall — J.  I).  Sims— Prospecting.'  for  Coal 
—  I'rincipal  .Mining  l>istriets — IVincipal  Towns  ;ititl  Cities — 
Principal  tjuartz  Mills — ^History  of  the  Sutro  Tunnel — Col. 
C.  C.  Thomas. 

Ti!K  general  character  of  the  surface  of  Lj'on 
County  is  mountainous  and  barren,  except  along  the 
Carson  River  where  there  is  land  susceptible  of  cul- 
tivation. 

The  Carson  Valley  l)ottom,  as  it  was  called,  com- 
menced about  one  mile  above  Dayton  and  continued 
down  the  river  about  twelve  miles.  Near  Fort 
Churchill,  now  Bucklands,  there  is  quite  an  exten- 
sive tract  of  good  land,  which,  by  irrigation,  might 
be  capable  of  raising  an  immense  amount  of  all  kinds 


I 


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HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


493 


of  produce.  This  section  is  now  known  as  the  Big 
Bend  of  Carson  Valley.  The  quantity  of  hay  grown 
in  18G3  was  estimated  at  2,100  tons.  Grain  and  veg- 
etables were  also  raised  in  abundance.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  10,000  acres  ol'  land  might  easily  be 
br4)ught  under  cultivation.  There  is  not  much  alkali 
in  the  soil,  the  drainage  of  the  river  effecting  the 
elimination  of  that  class  of  minerals.  In  manj-  ])arts 
of  the  county,  especially  south  and  east  of  Dayton, 
the  country  is  covered  with  ranges  of  low  mountains. 
The  nut  pine  abounded  in  these  portions  of  the 
county  in  an  early  day.  The  cutting  and  hauling  of 
this  timber,  or  wood  rather,  to  the  mills  of  Da3-ton, 
furnished  employment  for  many  men.  It  was  esti- 
mated in  1865  that  the  twenty-eight  mills  around 
Dayton  consumed  1,815  cords  of  wood  perday,  much 
of  which  came  from  this  source.  This  extraordinary 
destruction  soon  denuded  a  countr}'  by  no  means 
well  timbered,  and  that  source  of  revenue  was  soon 
exhausted.  Walker  River  runs  through  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  county,  leaving  about  eight 
miles  of  the  famous  Mason  Valley  within  the  lines. 

SAMUEL  S.  BUCKLAND, 

Whose  name  appears  so  often  in  the  early  history  of 
Nevada,  was  born  at  Kirkersville,  Licking  County, 
Ohio,  September  13,  1826,  where  he  remained  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  about  twenty-four  years,  at 
which  time  he  came,  by  waj-  of  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama, to  California,  arriving  in  San  Francisco  on  his 
birthday,  1830.  His  aspirations  led  him  to  the  mines, 
and  he  soon  after  started  for  those  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State,  in  company  with  James  O.  Will- 
iams, of  '•  Williams'  Station  "  notoriety,  where  he 
remained  until  1857.  During  the  last-named  year  he 
came  to  what  is  now  Nevada,  intending  to  buy  an 
improved  ranch  of  the  Mormons,  hut  found  they  had 
left  for  the  eastern  part  of  the  territory  three  days 
prior  to  his  arrival.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  he 
engaged  in  packing  suj)])lies  from  Piacervilie,  Cali- 
fornia, to  Genoa,  using  ten  mules,  and  receiving  eight 
cents  per  pound  freightage.  There  being  but  little 
snow  that  winter  he  continued  this  business  nearly 
all  the  time  until  the  spring  of  1858,  when  he  took 
up  a  ranch  in  Jack's  Vallej'.  In  these  last  two  bus- 
iness relations  he  was  associated  with  James  O. 
Williams.  After  selling  this  ranch  they  dissolved 
partnership  and  Mr.  Buckland  took  up  another  ranch 
at  the  north  end  of  Carson  Valley,  which  he  sold 
during  the  same  year. 

In  Jul}-,  1858,  he  took  charge  of  a  band  of  iiOO 
cattle  belonging  to  W.  H.  Bloomfield,  moving  them 
from  Carson  Valley  to  the  big  bend  of  the  C'arson 
River.  He  arrived  at  the  place  known  as  Buckland's 
Station  the  last  day  of  July,  that  year.  He  took  up 
a  ranch  for  Bloomfield  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Island,  and  built  a  cabin.  In  the  fall  of  1850  ho 
settled  on  his  present  ranch,  and  at  the  suggestion 
of  Mr.  Roberts.  Agent  for  the  Overland  Stage  Com- 
pany, established  a  station  and  ke])t  the  stage  stock 
and  boarded  the  company's  men.  In  the  winter  of 
62 


1859-CO  Lo  built  a  bridge  across  the  Carson  River 
near  the  station,  which  was  used  as  a  toll-bridge 
for  some  years.  This  was  the  first  bridge  built  over 
the  river  below  Carson  Valley,  and  was  in  use  until 
1865,  when  it  was  replacetl  by  one  of  a  toll-road  com- 
]>:iny's.  During  the  month  of  November,  1859,  snow 
fell  to  the  depth  of  two  and  one-half  feet  and  the 
winter  was  unusuallj'  severe.  Mr.  Buckland,  how- 
ever, lived  in  a  tent  and  "  took  boarders."  Some- 
times as  many  as  twenty  men  were  staying  with 
him.  All  who  could  found  room  to  sleep  on  the  floor 
of  his  "tent  hotel,"  and  the  remainder  were  obliged 
to  resort  to  the  haystack.  He  did  not  charge  for 
lodging,  though  he  acted  as  chambermaid  and  cook 
for  the  wearj'  travelers.  In  the  s|)ring  of  1860  ho 
built  a  log  cabin,  of  good  size,  that  was  replaced  by 
his  present  residence  ten  years  later.  In  ]S6-t  he 
opened  a  store,  the  goods  being  kept  in  his  house 
until  he  erected  a  stone  building  for  their  reception. 
His  partner  in  the  mercantile  business  was  Henry 
Bethel,  who  lost  his  life  by  the  explosion  of  the 
steamer  Yo  Semite,  on  the  Sacramento  River,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1865. 

Mr.  Buckland  was  married  December  6,  1860,  to 
Miss  Eliza  A.  Prentice,  at  the  residence  of  G.  M. 
Reed.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  eight  children, 
three  of  whom  are  now  living:  George  H.,  aged 
eighteen:  Nelson  J.,  aged  fourteen, and  John  F.,  aged 
nine  years.  The  portraits  of  these  brave  pioneers, 
and  the  pleasant  home  they  have  made  out  of  the 
wilderness  in  the  valley  of  the  Carson,  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

O.  W.  BURRIER 

Is  a  native  of  Penns3-lvania,  born  in  Luzerne  County, 
September  14,  1838,  where  he  lived  until  he  was 
about  four  years  of  age.  He  then  went  with  his 
parents  to  Rock  County,  Wisconsin.  In  April.  1861, 
he  left  homo  and  came  to  the  then  wild  country 
that  is  now  called  the  Slate  of  Nevada.  Soon  after 
his  arrival,  he  located  on  some  land  near  where  his 
present  residence  now  stands,  and  purchasing  some 
of  W.  II.  Bloomfield,  has  a  fine  ranch  containing 
637  acres,  all  of  which  is  inclosed,  60  acres  hav- 
ing been  plowed;  260  acres  is  classed  as  haj-  land, 
and  the  remainder  is  well  ada]>ted  for  grazing. 
Mr.  Hurrier  was  one  of  the  first  to  sow  grain  in  his 
section  of  the  country,  putting  in  ten  acres  of  barley 
as  early  as  1862.  Owing  to  a  lack  of  knowledge  as 
to  the  proper  waj-  to  irrigate,  he,  like  others,  made 
a  failure  of  his  first  attempt.  His  total  jMcld  that 
year  was  not  over  three  tons,  but  he  has  since 
learned  how  to  produce  as  much,  and  as  fine  grain 
as  can  bo  raised  in  the  county.  In  1864  he  exper- 
imented with  trees,  setting  out  several  varieties  of 
fruit-bearing  trees;  among  them  were  a  dozen  apple, 
only  three  of  which  lived,  but  thej'  began  bearing 
the  next  year,  and  have  continued  to  3Meld  fruit  over 
since.  His  peach  trees  all  died.  In  1863  he  pro- 
cured some  strawberry  plants  from  ('alifornia,  and 


¥Ji 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  next  year  gathered  about  fortj-  pounds  of  fine 
fruit,  that  sold  readily  for  half  a  dollar  per  pound. 
There  were  1,000  plants  originally,  but  requiring 
too  much  attention,  were  allowed  to  run  wild. 
Coming  from  a  warmer  climate  they  start  too  early 
in  the  spring  for  his  locality.  Currants  are  a  success, 
but  blackberries  brought  from  California  do  not 
thrive. 

During  the  winter  of  1861-62,  snow  fell  to  a  depth 
of  about  eighteen  inches,  on  a  level  around  his 
his  habitation,  and  a  warm  rain  following  soon  after, 
his  partly  constructed  log-house  was  washed  away; 
he,  however,  regained  the  logs  and  built  a  house  on 
higher  ground,  in  which  he  lived  until  he  built  a 
frame  house,  his  present  residence,  during  the  winter 
of  1863-64. 

Mr.  Burrier  was  married  in  1872  to  Miss  Helen 
Burst,  at  Hanover,  Rock  County,  Wisconsin,  and 
they  have  an  interesting  little  daughter  about  six 
years  of  age. 

JOHN    CARLIN, 

Son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Dalej-)  Carlin,  is  a 
native  of  Hudson  County,  New  Jersey,  and  the  date 
of  his  birth  was  the  fourteenth  of  March,  1841.  His 
first  occupation,  according  to  his  best  recollections, 
was  driving  a  produce  wagon  from  his  home  into 
Washington  Market  in  the  city  of  New  York.  In 
1860  he  came  to  California,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama.  He  naturally  sought  the  mines  as  the 
proper  place  to  enlarge  his  worldly  treasures  and 
became  one  of  the  earl}-  prospectors  in  the  Mono 
County  placers.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  mined  at 
Placerville,  El  Dorado  County,  and  was  again  in  the 
Mono  diggings  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  Having 
accumulated  a  little  coin  by  industrj-  and  hard  work 
he  came  to  Daj'ton,  L^'on  County,  Nevada,  in  1861 
and  engaged  in  teaming  until  January,  1863,  at 
which  time  he  purchased  one-half  of  his  jiresent 
home  ranch,  then  containing  360  acres,  and  otie  year 
later  became  sole  owner.  P'rom  a  small  farm  of  360 
acres  he  has  from  time  to  time  purchased  adjoining 
lands  until  he  is  at  present  the  jiossessor  of  4,000 
acres  of  very  detiirable  land,  on  a  portion  of  which 
stands  his  elegant  residence  that  can  best  be  appreci- 
ated by  reference  to  a  view  of  the  same  to  be 
found  in  this  work.  His  land  is  well  divided,  120 
acres  being  under  cultivation,  1,000  acres  of  meadow, 
and  the  remainder  in  pasture  land,  the  whole  being 
under  a  substantial  I'enco.  Ho  has  also  about  twenty 
miles  of  ditches  for  irrigating  purposes. 

Mr.  Carling  was  married  in  October,  1865,  to  Miss 
M.  L.  Newman,  of  Lj-on  County,  and  of  the  six 
children  born  to  them  but  throe  are  living,  named 
James  H.,  aged  twelve;  Mary  E.,  aged  eight;  and 
Maggie  C,  aged  five  years.  Their  mother  now 
sleeps  in  the  cemetery  that  overlooks  the  ruins  of 
Fort  Churchill,  a  dweller  in  the  city  of  the  dead, 
having  crossed  the  silent  river  on  the  twenty-second 
of  July,  1880. 


ORGANIZATION   AND   BOUNDARIES. 

We  have  given  an  extended  histoiy  of  the  early 
settlement  of  the  territory  of  which  Washoe,  Storey, 
Douglas  and  Lj-on  Counties  were  formed,  and  in 
this  sketch  will  speak  of  Lyon  County  as  a  political 
organization,  and  give  some  account  of  the  social 
and  financial  features  at  the  time  it  was  created  a 
countj'.  The  great  influx  of  active,  aggressive  men, 
eager  for  wealth  and  not  always  particular  how  it 
was  obtained  rendered  the  formation  of  county  gov- 
ernments absolutely  necessary.  The  most  feasible 
routes  of  travel  to  the  new  mines  lay  through  this 
section;  the  only  available  water-power  for  the 
reduction  of  ores  was  along  the  Carson  River;  the 
overland  travel  came  directly  through  it,  and  these 
facts,  with  the  rich  silver  mines  of  the  Devil's  Gate 
and  other  districts,  then  supposed  to  be  equal,  if  not 
better,  than  the  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  mines,  had 
induced  a  large  number  of  people  to  settle  within  its 
limits.  In  fact,  Silver  City  was  a  town  sooner  than 
Virginia  Citj-or  Gold  Hill,  and  l)ayton  was  supposed 
to  be  a  candidate  for  the  location  of  the  future  Cap- 
ital. Section  5  of  the  Act  to  create  counties  and 
establish  the  boundaries  thereof,  approved  Novem- 
ber 2.5,  1861,  provides  that  there  shall  be  a  county, 
to  be  known  as  Lyon  County,  to  include  all  that 
part  of  the  Territory  within  the  boundaries  described 
as  follows: — 

Beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Washoe 
Countj-;  thence  following  the  north  line  of  Ormsby 
County,  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  to  the  Half-way 
House  between  Silver  City  and  Carson  Cit}-;  thence 
following  the  said  line  of  Ormsby  County  to  Douglas 
County;  thence  following  the  northern  boundary  of 
Douglas  County  to  the  llOth  meridian  of  west  longi- 
tude; thence  north  five  miles;  thence,  by  direct  line, 
northwesterly  to  a  point  on  Carson  River  one  mile 
below  Reed's  Station;  thence  north  three  miles; 
thence  westerly,  bj'  a  direct  line,  to  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  Gold  Hill  Mining  District,  but  run- 
ning so  as  to  include  in  this  countj'  the  Devil's  (iate 
Toll-house;  thence  continuing  westerly  in  the  same 
course  to  the  eastern  boundar}'  of  Waslioi'  ("i)untj-; 
and  thence  southerly  along  the  eastern  boundary  of 
said  county  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Daj-ton  was  appointed  the  county  seat.  At  the 
same  time  the  county  of  Churchill  was  organized  on 
the  east  of  Lyon,  with  provisions  that  for  judicial 
and  revenue  purposes  they  should  be  considered  one 
county.  The  name  Lyon  was  in  honor  of  (ieneral 
Nathaniel  Lyon,  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Willson's 
Creek,  near  Springfield,  Missouri. 

AI'I'OINTMKNTS    AND  ELECTIONS. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  creative 
Act,  the  (rovernor,  in  December,  1861,  appointed  the 
county  oflicers,  who  hold  their  positions  till  Januarj' 
14,  lS(i2,  when  their  successors  were  elected.  These 
surrendered  to  their  successors,  who  were  chosen  at 
the  general  election  held  September  3,  1862,  so  that 
there  were  three  sots  of  officers  in  power  during  the 
year  1862. 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


495 


Below  will  be  found,  under  appropriate  heads,  the 
names  of  all  the  persons  who  have  filled  the  differ- 
ent offices  of  honor  and  trust  in  the  county  from  its 
organization  down  to  the  present  time,  cither  by 
appointment  or  election,  with  the  date  of  such 
appointment  or  election,  and  (he  particular  office 
each  has  tilled. 

SENATORS. 

R.  M.  Ford,  elected  Territorial  Councilman  Sep- 
tember 3,  18(52;  N.  P.  Sheldon,  elected  September  2, 
1863;  D.  L.  Hastings  and  John  McDonald  elected  on 
the  defeated  Constitutional  ticket  .Tanuarj'  19,  1804; 
W.  Ci.  Lee,  elected  September  7, 1S()4,  but  superseded 
by  Alfred  James,  elected  under  the  new  Constitu- 
tion November  8,  18G4;  C.  Carpenter,  elected  No 
vember  0,  1S(;(;;  L».  L.  Hastings  and  M.  S.  Ilurd  were 
elected  November  3,  18G8;  J.  C.  Haylett,  elected 
November  5,  1870;  J.  S.  Davenport,  elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872;  W.  R.  King,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
Wm.  J.  Westertield,  elected  November  7,  187(i;  \Vm. 
R.  King,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Wm.  J.  Wester- 
field,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBLY.MEN. 

Jno.  McDonald,  Jr.,  Jno.  B.  Winters  and  J.  M. 
Ackley  were  elected  September  3,  1862;  McDonald, 
R.  E.  Trask  and  Benj.  (Jurler  were  elected  September 
2,  18G3;  Curler,  J,  B.  Brayleton,  C.  F.  Brandt  and 
C.  A.  Witherell  were  elected  January  19,  1864,  but 
did  not  serve,  (he  Constitution  being  defeated;  J.  D. 
Hedfern  and  II.  (J.  Parker  were  elected  as  Territo- 
rial Representatives  September  7, 1864;  W.  T.  Toombs, 
W.  C.  Lee,  H.  S.  Parker,  November  8,  1864;  Jas. 
Crawford,  Geo.  A.  Hudson  and  Geo.  W.  Walton, 
elected  November  7. 1865;  Walton,  J.  F.  Rooney  and 
A.  Koneman,  elected  November  I),  1866;  C.  D.  King, 
J.  K.  Barnej-  and  T.  C.  Ford,  elected  November  3. 
1868;  Geo.  W.  Likens,  W.  D.  Dovey  and  J.  F.  Rooney, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  James  Crawford,  T.  M. 
Hart  and  T.  P.  Mack,  elected  November  5,  1872;  N. 
C.  Dovej',  H.  J.  Carling  and  L.  Morrill,  elected  No- 
vember 3,  1874;  P.  D.  Wright,  H.  Kennedy  and  C. 
Cleaver,  elected  November  7,  187G;  AV.  E.  Smith,  II. 
Kennedy  and  Levy  Lamb,  elected  November  5,  1S78; 
J.  J.  Corbett,  M.  H.  Fallon  and  J.  E.  Gignoux, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS. 

E.  B.  Zabriskie,  Rufus  E.  Trask  and  S.  S.  Buck- 
land,  were  appointed  by  the  Legislature  December  11, 
1861;  B.  C.  Howard,  R.  E.  Trask,  S.  S.  Buckland. 
elected  January  14,  1862;  T.  Varney,  L.  L.  Crockett 
and  B.  C.  Howard,  elected  September  3,  1862;  Chas. 
Ludlam,  appo'nted  County  Commissioner  December 
22,  1862,  in  place  of  Varney,  deceased,  Howard 
resigned  May  7,  1866;  A.  Koneman  was  appointed 
July  2,  1866;  L.  L.  Crockett  and  T.  J.  Cochran, 
elected  September  2,  1863;  G.  W.  Walton,  elected 
September  7,  1864;  F.  H.  Smith,  Jno.  Cutler  and  J. 
K.  Barney,  elected  November  6,  1866;  Smith  resigned 
September  4, 1867,  and  Robt.  Robinson  was  appointed 
September  9,  1867. 


W.  W.  Byron,  J.  F.  Rooney  and  W.  Buncher  were 
elected  November  3,  1868;  J.  L.  Campbell,  A.  Per- 
kins and  C.  R.  Ahorn  were  elected  Novembers,  1870, 
Ahern  resigned  November  4,  1871;  J.  A.  Angell, 
appointed  December  9,  1871;  Albert  Perkins  and  J. 
M.  McGinnis  were  elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  R. 
Shaw  and  J.  M.  McGinnis,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
J.  G.  McKinzie,  G.  W.  Burrier  were  elected  Novem 
ber  7,  187G;  G.  W.  Burrier  and  J.  R.  Shaw,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  J.  R.  Shaw  and  H.  J.  T.  Schell 
wei-e  elected  November  2,  1880. 

DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS. 

Frank  II.  Kennedy,  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  18,  1861;  Ellas  B.  Zabriskie,  appointed 
March  22,  1862,  resigned  November  17,  1862,  and  F. 
H.  Kennedy,  re-appointed;  Wm.  M.  Gates,  elected 
September  2,  1863,  re-elected  November  G,  18G6,  re- 
elected again  November  3, 18G8;  J.  Powell,  Jr.,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  Geo.  W.  Keith,  elected  November 
5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  November  7, 
1876;  John  Powell,  Jr.,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
Geo.  W.  Keith,  elected  November  2.  1880. 

COUNTY  SHERIFFS. 

J.  Martin  Reese  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  11,  1861;  G.  H.  Moore,  elected  January  14, 
1862,  re-elected  September  3,  1862.  resigned  October 
20,  1863— H.  C.  Lynch,  appointed;  (t.  W.  Shaw, 
elected  September  7,  1864,  re-elected  November  6, 
18GG,  Xovember  3,  1868,  November  8,  1870.  and 
November  a,  1872;  R.  A.  Cooke,  elected  November 
3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 1876,  re-elected  again 
November  5,  1878,  and  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

Daniel  Kendrick  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  21,  1861,  re-elected  January  14,  1862.  re- 
elected again  September  3,  1862,  September  7,  1864, 
November  G,  1866;  died  August  20,  1867,  and  W. 
A.  Landers  was  appointed  to  fill  vacancy  on  the 
twentj'-second  of  same  month;  G.  W.  Keith,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  i-e-elected  November  8,  1870;  J. 
A.  Bonhan,  elected  November  5,  1872,  reelected 
November  3,  1874,  J.  S.  Dallas,  elected  November  7, 
1876,  re-elected  Novembers,  1878,  and  again  Novem- 
ber 2,  1880. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

John  Irvine  was  a])pointed  bj'  the  PLxecutive  De- 
cember 21,  1861;  John  Irvine,  Jr.,  was  elected  Janu- 
ary 14,  1862,  resigned  Juno  2,  1862,  N.  C.  Power  was 
appointed;  K.  II.  Dean  was  elected  September  7, 
18)4,  and  resigned  Novembers,  1865,  B.  F.  Leet  was 
appointed;  B.  H.  Carrick,  elected  November  6,  1866, 
re-elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected  again  No- 
vember 8,  187(1;  W.  W.  Byron,  elected  November  5, 
1872;  (tco.  W.  Shaw,  elected  November  3,  1874;  J, 
D,  Sims,  elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected  No- 
vember 5.  1878,  re-elected  again  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

Daniel  Vanderhoof,  elected  January  14,  1862; 
Daniel  L.  Smith,  elected  September  3,  1862;  J.  K. 
Barney,  elected   September  7,  18ti4;    D.    L.   Smith, 


496 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


elected  November  6,  1866;  G.  C.  McFadden,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  again  November  5,  1872;  O.  E.  Naeh 
elected  November  3,  1874,  C.  F.  Brant,  elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878;  Fred 
Winzell,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

John  G.  Shirts  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  20,  1861;  A.  W.  Russell,  elected  January 
14,  1862,  re-elected  September  3,  1862,  re-elected 
again  September  7,  1864;  C.  D.  MoDuffie,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  L.  L.  Crockett,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870,  and  again 
November  5,  1872;  Z.  T.  Gilpin,  elected  November 
3,  1874;  John  Lothrop,  elected  November  7,  1876, 
re-elected  November  5,  1878;  W.  R.  Davis,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

S.  W.  Kees  was  elected  January  14,  1862;  C.  D. 
McDuffie,  elected  September  3,  1862,  re-elected  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864;  J.  C.  Hazlett,  elected  November  6, 
1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868;  P.  T.  Kirby, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  resigned  November  4, 
1871,  C.  V.  Boiset  appointed  February  20,  1872;  M. 
B.  Augustine,  elected  November  5, 1872;  J.  G.  Crom- 
well, elected  November  3,  1874,  resigned  December 
6,  1875;  C.  D.  McDuffie  appointed,  who  resigned 
September  4,  1876,  and  was  succeeded  by  W.  E. 
Doovey;  John  G.  Young  was  elected  November  7, 
1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878;  T.  B.  Mercer, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

Francis  Tagliabue  was  appointed  by  the  Execu- 
tive, December  13,  1861;  John  Day  was  elected  Jan- 
uary 14,  1862,  and  was  re-elected  September  3,  1862, 
re-elected  again  Seitttmber  7,  1864,  again  re-elected 
November  6,  1866;  R.  T.  Mullard,  elected  November 
3,  1868;  J.  C.  Grubcr,  elected  November  8,  1870;  A. 
S.  Dildine,  elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected 
November  3,  1874,  again  re-elected  November  7, 
1870,  and  November  5,  1878;  John  M.  Campbell, 
and  elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC  AD.MINISTRATORS. 

T.  II.  Laverty,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  II. 
Jaqua,  elected  November  3,  1868;  W.  H.  II.  Scott, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  Isaac  Leversee,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874; 
Thomas  R.  Hawkins,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
George  E.  Jaqua,  elected  November  5,  1878;  J.  P. 
Haj-nes,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COLLECTORS. 

J.  S.  Dillej'  was  elected  January  14,  1862;  M.  W. 
Starling,  elecled  September  3,1862,  re-elected  Septem- 
ber 3,  1862,  re-elected  September  7,  1864,  resigned 
September  4,  1866;  B.  II.  Carrick  was  apj)ointed. 

INTERNAL    l.MPROVE.MENTS. 

Soon  after  the  approval  of  the  bills  organizing  the 
counties  of  J^yon  and  Churchill,  and  uniting  them 
temi)()rarily  for  judicial  and  revenue  purposes,  a  full 
set  of  officers  was  appointed  by  the  Governor,  who 


held  their  respective  places  till  their  successors  were 
elected,  in  January,  1862.  By  a  reference  to  the 
election  returns  of  that  year  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  were  no  lack  of  candidates,  although  they 
were  to  hold  only  till  the  next  general  election, 
in  September  of  the  same  year. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
in  1862,  A.  F.  Hurley  contested  the  election  of  A. 
\V.  Russell  for  Recorder,  on  what  grounds  does  not 
appear,  but  the  Board  declined  to  investigate  the 
matter  for  want  of  jurisdiction.  Churchill  County 
was  made  a  district  for  the  election  of  a  Commis- 
sioner. The  Board  made  an  appropriation  of 
810,000  to  build  a  free  bridge  across  the  Carson, 
provided  the  public  would  subscribe  a  sufficient 
sum  in  addition  to  this  to  complete  the  bridge. 
This  appropriation  was  however  revoked  at  a  sub- 
sequent meeting:  and  in  December  following  the 
Legislature  authorized  Bolivar  Roberts  to  build  a 
toll-bridge  across  the  Carson,  at  Dayton.  By  a 
special  Act  of  the  Legislature,  the  Dayton  Gas- 
light Compan\-  was  organized,  to  be  under  the 
management  of  M.  W.  Starling,  William  Haydon, 
James  H.  Jaqua,  and  their  associates.  Tbe  Silver 
City  Water  (Jompaiij-  was  also  created,  Robert  C. 
Buzan  and  others  being  managers.  Isaac  II.  Stith 
and  associates  were  authorized  to  build  a  toll-bridge 
across  the  Carson,  at  Franklin  Mill;  and  finally  a 
vast  project  for  inland  navigation  was  conceived 
and  attempted.  This  project  was  nothing  less  than 
an  attempt  to  improve  the  Carson  River  and  Car- 
son Lake,  the  Humboldt  River  and  Humboldt  Lake, 
so  as  to  make  a  continuous  line  of  navigation  from 
Dayton  to  Humboldt  City.  The  charter  was  granted 
to  J.  Jacobson,  John  Bowen,  Alexander  Pierson,  John 
Taylor,  T.  Reynolds,  and  associates.  The  plan  has 
never  been  executed,  but  it  was  considered  far  more 
feasible  than  the  great  Sutro  Tunnel  was,  which  is 
now  a  fixed  fact,  and  with  the  same  energy  might 
also  have  been  accomplished. 

CREATION  OP  A  COUNTY  DEBT. 

To  create  a  countj'  government  is  much  easier 
than  to  run  it  afterwards.  Money  is  required.  Sal- 
aries of  officers  must  be  paid,  rents  for  rooms  as  well. 
In  short,  a  county  government  must  be  paid  for. 
The  debts  had  accumulated  until  outstanding  war- 
rants called  for  81,902.50,  exclusive  of  interest. 
There  was  no  money  in  tbe  treasury,  and  something 
had  to  bo  done.  The  Auditor  was  authorized  to 
issue  bonds,  bearing  interest,  and  paj-able  out  of  the 
general  fund  when  there  should  be  anj-.  It  was 
stipulated  that  the  bonds  should  be  sold  for  not  less 
than  half  of  the  face  thereof  It  was  also  ordered 
that  the  rent  of  the  Court  House  and  jail  be  paid 
the  same  way. 

The  jail  was  an  insecure  place,  and  extra  guards 
had  to  be  stationed  around  the  prisoner  who  had 
murdered  Varney.  Silver  Cit}'  also  had  its  share  of 
criminals,  with  no  suitable  lock-up;  a  sum  of  8250 
was  ordered  to  be  expended  for  that  object,  i)rovided 


X 


< 


UJ 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COTTNTY. 


497 


the  citizens  of  Silver  City  raise  half  as  much  more 
for  the  same  purpose. 

COrRT    HOUSE    AND    COUNTY"    JAII,. 

A  king  without  a  kingdom;  a  general  without  an 
army;  a  county  without  a  Court  House — what  are 
they?  A  Court  House  was  determined  ujjon.  and 
Commissioner  Howard  was  authorized  to  procure 
plans  and  estimates,  and  to  obtain  such  legislation 
at  the  session  of  1SG4  as  would  enable  the  Commis- 
sioners to  issue  bonds  necessary  for  the  purpose. 
Accordingly  the  Legislature  passed  an  Act,  approved 
February  18,  1864,  which  authorized  the  Commis- 
sioners to  issue  bonds,  to  the  amount  of  830,000, 
bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent,  per 
annum. 

A  call  for  plans  and  proposals  was  inserted  in  a 
Virginia  paper  April  4th,  and  was  dulj-  responded  to. 
Sites  were  ottered  for  the  buildings  in  ditt'erent  parts 
of  the  town,  but  the  Commissioners  fixed  upon  a  lot 
on  Main  Street,  near  Leslie's  haj-  yard  and  a  bouse 
occupied  by  Rothschild;  provided  that  the  parties 
interested  in  the  lot  gave  a  trust-deed  to  the  Com- 
missioners, and  opened  streets  in  the  vicinity;  these 
latter  conditions  not  being  complied  with  the  loca- 
tion should  be  at  another  specified  point.  John  C. 
McDonald,  Jr.  was  appointed  to  sell  the  bonds  to 
be  issued  by  the  county.  April  4,  18G4,  the  contract 
for  building  the  Court  House  was  awarded  to  Wm. 
M.  Hussc}',  who  gave  bonds  for  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  the  work  in  the  sum  of  86,000.  B.  C. 
Howard,  one  of  the  Commissioners  was  authorized 
to  superintend  the  work,  at  a  salary  of  §200  per 
month,  March  20,  18G5,  the  Commissioners  levied  a 
special  tax  of  fortj'-five  cents  on  each  8100  for  the 
erection  of  the  county  buildings,  to  be  applied  to  the 
bonds.  In  May,  1866,  the  Grand  Jury  made  an 
examination  into  the  aff'airs  of  the  Court  House, 
there  being  some  dissatisfaction  on  the  purt^of  the 
public  in  regard  to  the  matter.  Their  report  August 
8,  18(U),  will  make  the  matter  plainer  than  any  con- 
densed history  can.     It  was  as  Ibllows: — 

We  find  the  Commissioners  of  Lyon  County  au- 
thorized bj'  Act  (approved  February  18,  1864,)  to 
issue  bonds  in  $30,000,  payable  85,000  in  one  year, 
85,000  in  two  years,  810,000  in  three  years  and  810,- 
000  in  four  years,  bearing  interest  payable  semi- 
annually at  ten  percent,  per  annum;  to  appoint  a 
suitable  person  to  negotiate  the  sale  of  bonds,  no 
sale  to  be  negotiated  at  not  less  than  seventy-five  per 
cent;,  on  the  par  value.  Said  agent  encouraged  the 
letting  of  the  contract  for  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing, as  he  had  succeeded  in  negotiating  for  the  sale 
of  the  bonds.  A  contract  was  let  in  April,  1864,  to 
Wra.  M.  Hussej-,  for  818,750,  for  the  erection  of  a 
Court  House,  exclusive  of  the  jail.  The  contractor 
proceeded  at  once  to  the  erection  of  the  building. 
After  he  had  expended  several  thousand  dollars,  and 
had  completed  the  basement  walls,  the  first  storj' 
approaching  completion,  information  was  received 
from  the  agent  that  the  parties  with  whom  he  had 
negotiated  for  the  sale  of  the  bonds  had  declined 
advancing  the  money  upon  them  without  assigning 
any  satisfactory  reason.     Then  it  was  that  the  first 


financial  embarrassment  occurred,  leaving  the  Com- 
missioners with  the  contract  upon  their  hands,  it 
having  been  abandoned  by  the  contractor,  anil  the 
count}'  deeply  involved  for  the  work  already  per- 
formed. *  *  *  To  relieve  the  embarrass- 
ment individual  notes  were  issued  by  the  Commis- 
sioners pledging  the  faith  of  the  county  for  the  re- 
demption. These  notes  were  given  to  quiet  the  ap- 
prehension of  parties  who  had  furnished  labor  and 
material,  the  Commissioners  presuming  that  the  in- 
terest that  would  accruo  on  these  notes  would  be 
much  less  than  the  costs  that  would  necessarily  arise 
from  legal  proceedings  threatened  bj'  the  various 
claimants.  Then  to  procure  money  to  relieve  their 
obligations  the  Commissioners  were  obliged  to  give 
their  notes  pledging  the  bonds  as  collateral  security. 

Accompanying  the  report  was  a  financial  state- 
ment of  the  Court  House  affairs,  showing  the  total 
cost  of  the  jail  and  Court  House  to  be  849,066.15. 
The  830,000  of  bonds  had  been  sold  for  824,500, 
leaving  a  debt  of  over  825,000,  on  account  of  the 
Court  House,  still  outstanding.  The  Commissioners 
found,  in  the  course  of  their  investigations,  that  B, 
C.  Howard  had  been  paid  82,180  for  superintending 
the  work  of  construction.  Thej-  also  found  that  the 
sum  of  83,509.10  had  been  paid  for  interest  upon 
notes  which  had  been  given  from  time  to  time  during 
the  process  of  the  work  of  building,  and  that  these 
various  sums  were  incorporated  into  the  total  cost  of 
the  building. 

In  this  way  the  county  buildings  cost  the  county 
twice  as  much  as  they  would  have  done  for  cash  in 
hand,  and  the  accumulation  of  years  of  interest  has 
made  them  cost,  probably,  three  times  as  much. 

INVESTIGATION   AND    ECONOMY. 

The  Grand  Jury,  at  this  time,  went  into  a 
thorough  investigation  of  all  the  financial  matters 
of  the  county  from  its  organization  to  that  time 
(1866).  They  found  the  entire  receipts  of  the 
county,  from  December  30,  1861,  to  August  7,  1866, 
to  be  8199,263.54,  and  the  total  disbursements  for 
same  time,  including  a  defalcation  of  Treasurer 
Dean  in  the  sum  of  82,484,  to  be  8105,669.18.  And 
still  there  was  an  outstanding  indebtedness  of  840,- 
952.82. 

They  entered  into  an  extensive  mathematical  cal- 
culation and  found  that  at  the  i)resent  rates  of  income 
and  expenditure  it  would  take  just  272  j-ears  to  pay 
ofi'  the  debt,  and  recommended  that  it  be  bonded  and 
a  tax  levied  that  would  extinguish  the  debt  in  four 
years.  They  also  recommended  that  the  expendi- 
tures be  put  on  a  cash  basis,  and  thought  that  the 
legitimate  expenses  might  be  brought  within  81,000 
per  month.  As  there  was  no  paper  published  in  the 
county  the  report  was  posted  in  the  Clerk's  office. 
October  8,  1866,  in  accordance  with  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Grand  Jury,  the  Commissioners  levied  a 
tax  of  ninety  cents  on  each  8100,  to  be  applied  to 
the  Court  House  bonds. 

Following  up  the  work  of  economy  and  retrench- 
ment thus  auspiciously  begun,  the  county  was  very 
soon  enabled  to  paj-  current  expenses  without  the 


498 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


necessity  of  putting  its  scrip  on  the  market  at  a  dis- 
count, and  materially  to  reduce  the  bonded  debt. 
In  1873,  less  than  ten  years,  the  bonded  debt  was 
reduced  to  815,000,  and  to-da}'  it  is  entirely  wiped 
out.  The  present  population  of  the  county  is  2,400. 
For  a  more  perfect  knowledi^c  of  the  products  of 
the  county,  the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation, 
the  stock  and  grain  raised  and  the  fruit  trees  and 
vineyards,  reference  is  bad  to  pages  IH.'),  136,  139  and 
140  of  the  general  history.  For  the  bullion  product 
of  the  county  see  table  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

PROSPECTINO    FOR   COAL. 

Coal  has  not  been  found  in  quantity,  or  is  it  likely 
to  be.  The  ranges  of  metamorphic  slates,  granite, 
syenite  and  porphyry  which  traverse  the  State  indi- 
cate the  presence  of  metals  older  than  coal.  On  the 
other  hand  the  fact  that  the  Great  Basin  was  form- 
erly an  inland  sea:  that  the  rivers  flowing  from  the 
Eocky  Jlountains  and  also  from  the  Sierra  would 
be  likely  to  bring  down  with  them  large  quantities 
of  drift-wood,  point  to  the  probability  of  deposits  of 
lignite,  or  brown  coal,  which  is  a  deposit  of  a  recent 
age.  The  peat  beds  and  deposits  of  vegetable  matters 
several  i'ect  in  thickness  along  the  Humboldt,  point 
to  such  a  conclusion.  If  they  had  been  buried  a  few 
hundred  feet  in  a  tight  clay  for  a  hundred  thousand 
years  or  more,  they  would  now  have  been  tertiary 
coal  or  lignite.  Such  deposits  have  been  sought  for, 
but  not  with  great  success.  The  largest  yet  known 
is  in  this  county,  about  twenty-five  miles  southeast 
ofUayton  in  El  Dorado  Canon,  though  mention  of  it 
is  made  at  other  places.  It  is  found  in  a  similar  for- 
mation near  Walkers  Lake,  and  also  in  Washoe  Val- 
ley, and  appears  to  be  comjiosed  of  nearly  the  same 
kinds  of  timber  now  growing  on  the  hills  and  mount- 
ains to  the  east,  the  pine  being  particularly  abun- 
dant. The  first  discoveries  were  made  in  1861  by 
Whitman  and  others.  They  proceeded  to  organize  a 
mining  district  and  establish  regulations  for  the 
size  of  claims.  Forty  acres  were  allowed  in  each 
claim,  which  was  to  be  surveyed  and  treated  as  real 
estate.  The  Whitman  Com])any  expended  810,000 
or  more  in  prospecting,  but  did  not  find  very  much 
to  remunerate  them.  The  coal  was  worth  at  the 
mines  about  twelve  dollars  per  ton.  It  is  said  that 
it  contained  so  much  incombustible  matter  as  to 
choke  the  flues  and  obstruct  the  draft,  though  much 
of  the  dilficulty  might  have  resulted  from  inexperi- 
ence in  the  use  of  it.  The  beds  of  coal  were  on  a 
slope  about  twenty  degrees  from  a  horizontal,  and 
were  from  six  inches  to  thirty  inches  in  thickness, 
inclosed  in  strata  of  clays  of  different  kinds,  some  of 
them  approximating  fire  clays  in  mineral  character, 
all  finall}'  terminating  in  a  coarse  sand. 

The  discoveries  in  El  Dorado  Cafion  were  made 
soon  after.  This  coal,  or  lignite,  met  with  more  favor 
than  that  of  the  Whitman  Mine,  several  hundred 
tons  being  carried  to  market  in  a  short  time.  Sam- 
ples from  the  Newcastle  Mine  assayed  as  fo  1  .ws: — 


Moisture 19  65 

Hydro  Carbonaceous  Matter 40  59 

Fixed    Carbon 28  31 

Ash. 11  00 

With  traces  of  sulphur  and  iron. 

It  was  remarkably  free  from  sulphur,  and  if  found 
in  sufficient  quantities,  would  be  of  value.  For  the 
most  of  the  foregoing  statements  we  are  indebted  to 
the  work  of  J.  Ross  Brown  on  the  mines  of  the 
Pacific  Coast. 

According  to  the  report  of  the  State  Geologist  for 
1876,  the  explorations  for  coal  in  El  Dorado  Canon 
have  been  quite  extensive,  something  over  8200.000 
having  been  expended  in  the  search.  The  shafts 
have  been  carried  down  to  a  depth  of  600  feet  or 
more.  The  prospects  were  at  one  time  so  promising 
that  a  railroad  to  the  mines  was  contemplated,  a  char- 
ter having  been  granted  by  the  Legislature  for  this 
purpose. 

PRINCIPAL    .MININO    DISTRICTS. 

The  mineral  veins  in  the  early  days  were  not  con- 
sidered much  inferior  to  those  of  Virginia  City  and 
Gold  Hill.  In  all  mining  countries  where  the  mines 
are  free  to  those  who  will  find  and  work  them  there 
are  a  large  number  of  men  who  will  stake  off  claims 
in  any  direction  that  is  possible  for  a  lead  to  be 
found.  Everything  like  a  quartz  vein,  or  even  a 
stained  rock,  will  attract  their  attention;  they  lay 
claim  to  it,  doing  just  enough  to  hold  the  ground, 
and  otherwise  wait  the  approach  of  the  industrial 
miner,  with  shafts  and  tunnels,  to  develop  the  sup- 
posed lead,  and  enhance  the  value  of  their  ground. 
If  the  lead  runs  through  their  ground  they  make  a 
stake,  if  not,  they  seek  some  other  scone  of  excite- 
..ment,  and  tr}'  again.  Lyon  County  was  no  excep- 
tion to  this  rule.  It  was  overrun  b}'  a  multitude  of 
prospectors  and  forestallers.  By  the  first  of  January, 
1860,  the  number  of  claims  recorded  amounted  to 
thousands,  manj^  of  which  never  had  five  dollars 
of  work  done  on  them.  To  give  the  names  of  all 
the  locations  would  be  giving  too  much  space  to 
folly.     Only  noted  mines  will  be  mentioned. 

Devil's  Gate  District  was  organized  November 
19,  1859,  and  is  situated  in  Lyon  County,  about 
two  miles  from  Dayton.  The  first  claim  was 
named  the  "Wild  Cat,"  and  was  recorded  Novem- 
ber 24,  1859.  By  the  first  of  January,  1860,  there 
were  as  many  as  100  locations  recorded.  Among 
the  prominent  claims  were  the  Pride  of  the  West, 
Buckej-e,  Gray  and  Cook,  Kossuth,  Mount  Hope, 
Danej-,  and  many  others.  The  Daney  eventually 
became  a  celebrated  mine.  The  Surveyor  General, 
in  his  report  of  1865,  claims  that  the  Grosh  Brothers 
made  the  discovery  of  silver  in  this  district  as  early 
as  1857,  on  the  ground  then  (1865)  owned  by  the 
Kossuth  Company. 

Indian  Spring  District  was  claimed  to  be  rich, 
having  a  number  of  promising  mines,  among  which 
were  the    Whitman.  Jackson,    Enterprise,  Consoli- 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


499 


dated,  Maiden,  Half  X,  Commodore,  Walton,  Spring 
Dale,  Maine,  Superior,  Buena  Vista,  Constitution, 
Red,  White  and  Blue,  Banner,  Washington  and 
Oswego. 

In  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  near 
Esmeralda,  were  found  several  veins  of  copper  ore, 
which  assayed  also  fifteen  to  eighteen  dollars  per 
ton  in  gold  and  silver  The  ledges  appeared  to  be 
true  fissure  veins,  with  selvage  or  gouge  of  clay, 
and  firm,  well-defined  walls,  with  a  dip  to  the  east. 
This  belt  of  veins,  carrying  silver  and  gold  as  well 
as  copper,  was  said  to  cover  hundreds  of  s(iuare 
miles  in  the  vicinity  of  Walker  River,  and  to 
extend  an  unknown  distance  into  other  counties. 
This  view  of  the  matter  was  taken  in  18(35,  when 
it  was  sujiposed  that  Nevada  was  almost  a  mass  of  ore. 

Palmyra  District  was  about  eight  miles  south- 
east of  Dayton,  among  the  Pine  Nut  Mountains. 
The  whole  district  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  nut  pine,  which,  however,  was  soon  stripped  off. 
Water  was  found  in  sufficient  quantity  for  steam 
purposes.  The  mining  claims  looking  best  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  were  the  Orizaba,  Tecumsoh, 
Rappahannock,  Jloy  Del  Monte,  Orizaba  No.  2, 
Santa  liosa.  Palmyra,  ^lontgomery,  Santa  ('ruz, 
Walker,  Oriental,  Magna  Charta,  Nebraska,  Buena 
Vista,  Prince  of  Wales,  Anna  McLellan,  Winfield 
Scott,  Jlontezuma,  Margaret  White,  La  Fayette,  St. 
Lawrence,  Cash  Ledge,  Express  Company,  Mont- 
gomery Ledge,  Green  Mountain  (!ompany.  Vera 
Cruz,  Green  Mountain  Boy,  Hooker  Ledge,  San  Jose 
Company,  and  the  Wagram.  These  were  all  consid- 
ered promising,  but  none  of  them  have  been  mined 
with  good  results. 

PRINCIPAL    TOWNS   AND   CITIES. 

Cleaver  is  one  of  the  stations  on  the  Carson  and 
Colorado  Railroad,  thirty-nine  miles  southeast  of 
Dayton,  in  the  valley  of  Walker  River,  being  a  north- 
ern extension  of  Mason  Valley.  The  surrounding 
region  is  well  adapted  to  farming  and  grazing,  and 
the  station  has  the  promise  of  growing  into  a  busi- 
ness town.  The  Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad,  which 
has  now  fifty  miles  of  track  in  T^yon  County,  is  more 
fully  described  in  the  chapter  on  railroads  in  the 
early  pages  of  this  work. 

KI.MHER   CLEAVER 

Was  born  near  Toronto,  Canada  West,  July  10,  1837. 
His  father,  J.  H.  Cleaver,  emigrated  from  PennsjM- 
vania  to  Canada  a  few  years  before  his  birth.  Be- 
coming involved  in  the  War  of  the  Patriotsof  18li7-:{8 
the  family  sacrificed  their  properly  in  the  struggle 
for  libertj',  and,  being  forced  to  leave  the  country  of 
their  adoption,  became  henceforth  one  of  that  band 
of  fearless  pioneers  who  blazed  the  way  of  civiliza- 
tion to  the  far  West,  bringing  up  in  Iowa  in  1853. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  hail,  by  his  early  life  and 
experience  instilled  in  him  a  great  desire  for  knowl- 
edge, which  on  every  occasion  he  developed,  thereby 
securing,  by  close  application  to  his  books,  an  excel- 


lent common  school  education.  In  1861,  when  the 
youth  and  aged  were  rallying  around  the  flag,  Kim- 
ber  Cleaver  entered  for  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  as 
member  of  Compaii}-  II,  Thirteenth  Regiment  Iowa 
Infantry,  the  flag  of  which  regiment  he  faithfully 
followed  from  Shiloh  (where  he  was  wounded)  to 
Vicksburg,  and  from  Atlanta  to  the  Sea,  being  again 
wounded  at  Atlanta,  serving  in  all  three  years  and 
ten  months,  seeing  active  service  most  of  the  time. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Marshalltown, 
Iowa,  and  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  his  farm.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  R.  A.  IJandall  on  May  14,  18(58,  and 
removed  to  Mason  Valley,  L3-on  County,  in  1873.  He 
has,  of  course,  experienced  some  fluctuations  in  fort- 
une during  an  active  life  of  nearly  forty-four  3-ears, 
but  now,  being  well  established  on  a  pleasant  ranch, 
and  also  dealing  in  agricultural  implements,  with  a 
home  and  his  wife  and  happy  children  about  him, 
he  evinces  no  desire  for  a  change.  He  is  an  earnest 
advocate  of  Republican  principles  and  is  an  active 
leader  of  the  temperance  cause,  being  an  officer  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  G.  T.  of  Nevada,  and 
an  untiring  and  efficient  member  of  the  home  lodge, 
which  numbers  among  its  members  many  of  the 
representative  men  of  the  valley,  who,  with  Mr. 
Cleaver,  are  zealous  in  their  desire  to  inspire  the 
youth  of  the  land  with  industrious  and  temperate 
habits  and  to  instill  into  their  minds  the  nobler  aspi- 
rations of  manhood. 

Co.Mo  AND  Palmyra,  two  towns  in  Palmyra  Min- 
ing District,  situated  soutlieast  from  Dayton,  at  one 
time  contained  seven  hundred  inhabitants,  but  they 
have  since  been  nearly  abandoned.  Como  was  quite 
a  place  in  its  day.  In  ISGl  the  town  cast  200  votes 
for  Lincoln  and  not  one  for  McClellan.  The  people 
had  determined  to  have  200  votes,  and  to  make  the 
number  a  sick  tJcrman  was  taken  from  his  bed  and 
carried  to  the  polls.  Some  said  the  man  was  dead 
when  he  was  voted;  others  say  he  was  alive  at  the 
time,  but  died  shortly  afterwards. 

At  that  time  Como  was  the  county  seat  of  Lyon 
County,  and  had  a  newspaper  called  the  Como  Sen- 
tinel, a  livelj%  hopeful  sheet,  with  no  doubt  whatever 
of  the  ultimate  success  of  everything  connected  with 
Como. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  blandishments  of  the 
place,  men  would  commit  suicide.  The  first  death 
was  of  this  nature.  The  place  was  so  alarmingly 
healthy  that  it  was  a  deliatable  question  whether  any 
one  would  not  have  to  move  away  to  die,  so  that  the 
suicide  might  have  been  a  grand,  self-sacrificing  ex- 
periment. The  ingenuity,  as  well  as  the  liberalitj^ 
of  the  (riti/.ens.  was  taxed  to  give  him  a  decent 
burial.  There  was  no  sawed  lumber  to  bo  had  for 
love  or  money,  but  a  wagon-bed  which  had  been 
utilized  as  a  |iig  pen  was  brought  into  re(|uisition, 
and  the  youthful  swine  had  to  give  up  his  house  to 
accommodate  the  suicide's  body,  Alf  Doten  made 
the  cofiSn,     As  there  was  no  paint,  a  mixture  of  blood 


500 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  other  materials  was  used  to  stain  the  wood, 
polishing  it  with  a  rag.  This  piece  of  extravagance 
cost  his  friends  forty  dollars. 

When  the  first  mill  arrived  in  Como.  a  public 
reception  was  tendered  it.  A  procession  headed  bj' 
a  band  composed  of  fife,  drum,  cymbals  and  cornet, 
escorted  it  into  the  town.  This  mill,  called  the 
Solomon  Davis  Jlill,  bad  quite  an  eventful  history. 
It  was  built  in  California  for  saving  free  gold,  and 
when  quite  old,  was  brought  into  Nevada  and  set  up 
at  Dayton,  being  the  second  steam  mill  at  that 
place.  It  proved  a  failure,  and  in  1863  it  was  moved 
to  Como  with  the  ceremonies  mentioned.  It  was 
true  to  its  former  character,  and  made  no  money  for 
its  owners.  In  December,  1865,  this  mill  was  moved 
to  the  Kearsage  District,  and  ground  out  a  twelve- 
horse  load  of  bullion  for  Almarin  B.  Paul,  which 
was  taken  to  Virginia  City  under  a  strong  guard  of 
troops.  When  it  arrived  it  proved  to  be  pyrites 
of  iron ! 

The  town  of  C!omo,  in  spite  of  its  having  such  a 
romantic  name,  graduallj'  dwindled  away,  hotel, 
saloon,  stores  and  mining  oflfices  consolidating  until 
but  one  solitary  individual.  Judge  G.  W.  Walton, 
was  left.  On  the  night  of  November  22,  1874,  the 
cabin  burned  down,  leaving  his  charred  remains  as 
the  last  of  Como.  He  was  a  Mason,  and  his  body 
was  taken  in  charge  by  the  fraternity  and  buried  in 
the  southwest  corner  of  their  cemeterj'  at  Dayton. 
Judge  Walton  at  his  death  was  sixty-three  years  old. 

Captain  Truckee,  perhaps  the  best  Indian  that 
ever  inhabited  Nevada,  lived  in  this  vicinity.  He 
was  always  the  white  man's  friend,  and  when  he 
died  he  was  buried  according  to  his  wish,  "alle  same 
white  man,"  with  a  "  wooden  head-stone  "  marking 
his  grave.  This  has  since  rotted  away,  and  now  no 
one  can  tell  where  Captain  Truckee  sleeps.  His 
death  occurred  October  8.  1860. 

D.WTON,  the  present  count}'  seat,  is  at  the  mouth 
of  the  gulch,  or  stream,  which  runs  from  the  Bonanza 
mines  to  the  Carson  Kiver,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
twenty-mile  desert,  across  the  fireat  Bend  of  the 
Carson,  and  seven  miles  from  Gold  Hill.  It  has  had 
an  existence  since  1849,  but  for  ten  years  ])revious  to 
the  discovery  of  silver  was  only  a  straggling  lianilet, 
bearing  the  name  of  Chinatown,  in  consequence  of 
the  Chinese  engaged  in  washing  the  gravel  of  the 
ravine  for  gold,  being  the  most  numerous  of  any 
nationalitjv  The  jirescnt  name  was  determined  at  a 
public  meeting,  held  for  that  purpose  November  ;5. 
1861.  The  discovery  of  the  rich  silver  lodes  had  the 
effect  of  near!}'  destroying  the  ])iace  I'or  awhile,  as 
the  discovery  of  gold  did  .San  Francisco,  hardly  a 
half-dozen  persons  being  left  to  keep  possession. 
Manj-  of  the  houses  were  moved  away  to  \'irginia 
City  and  (lold  Hill.  As  the  mines  developed  the 
relation  of  Daj'ton  to  them  became  apparent,  it 
was  the  natural  gateway  to  tlie  outside  world.  Jn 
addition  to  this  the  mill-sites  along  the  Carson  Kiver 
were  necessary  to  reduce  the  rich  ores,  consequently 


a  reaction  set  in  that  made  Dayton  nearly  as  flour- 
ishing as  Virginia  City  or  (Jold  Hill.  All  the  min- 
eral had  to  pay  toll  there.  From  the  time  that 
milling  commenced  Dayton  had  a  full  share  of  the 
profits  arising  from  mining.  In  1865  it  had  2.500 
inhabitants,  a  school  house,  lodge  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  numbering  fifty  members,  lodge 
of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  numbering 
twenty-seven,  a  military  company  of  eightj'-four, 
one  brewery,  five  car|)enters,  three  grocery  stores, 
seven  hotels,  five  saloons,  three  lumber  yards,  and 
other  institutions  common  to  flourishing  towns  in 
mining  countries. 

In  1880  the  population  was  about  200.  It  has  a 
post-office,  telegra])h  and  express  office,  hotel,  drug- 
store, three  for  general  merchandise,  several  saloons, 
two  blacksmith  shops,  two  shoo  shops,  and  one 
barber  shop.  The  people  complain  of  its  being 
terribly  dull. 

In  July,  1866,  the  people  of  Dayton  sustained  heavy 
loses  by  fire.  The  office  of  the  Lyon  Countj^  Sentinel 
was  destroyed,  and  the  paper  was  subsequently 
issued  in  small  sheets  containing  legal  advertise- 
ments. 

J.  L.  CAMPBELL, 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of 
Indiana,  born  in  the  city  of  Logansport,  Cass  Countj', 
March  7,  1832.  His  father  and  mother  were  natives 
of  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
years,  Mr.  Campbell  emigrated,  with  his  parents,  to 
New  Boston,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  as  a  plow- 
boy,  on  his  father's  farm,  until  he  reached  his  major- 
ity. He  had  during  that  time  acquired  a  fair  educa- 
tion, and,  as  youth  ripened  into  manhood,  he  thought 
to  better  his  condition  by  leaving  the  j)arental  roof, 
and  launching  out  into  the  great  world  in  search  of 
the  fortune  he  believed  in  store  for  him.  He,  there- 
fore, decided  upon  California  as  the  place  for  his 
future  operations,  and,  accordingly,  jirepared  for  a 
trip  across  the  plains,  and,  alter  a  five  months' 
journej",  through  the  hiirren  country  lying  between 
his  home  and  the  Pacific  Coast,  arrived  in  Sonora, 
Tuolumne  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  butch- 
ering business,  and  continued  to  follow  that  occupa- 
tion until  1S62,  al  which  lime  ho  crossed  the  mount- 
ains, and  located  at  Daj-ton,  Lyon  County,  Nevada. 
Since  his  arrival  in  this  State,  Mr.  Campbell  has 
followed  the  same  business,  having  besides  his  estab- 
lishment in  Dayton  a  branch  meat-market  in  the 
town  of  Sutro.  about  three  miles  away.  He  kills 
his  own  beef,  and,  therefore,  is  able  to  supply  bis 
many  customei-n  with  a  fine  (Hiality  of  meal. 

He  was  first  married  at  Sonora.  California,  to 
Miss  Liz./.ie  Mitchell,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  joined 
her  husband  in  l)a3'ton,Juiy  1,  lS(i3,  and  was  buried 
in  the  cemetery  at  that  place,  on  the  twenty-first  of 
September,  the  same  year.  One  son,  George  B.,  is 
the  result  of  that  union. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  again  married  in  1867,  and  has 
six  children,  four  boys  and  two  girls. 


S.  S.   BUCKLAND. 


M'".'    S. 5.  BUCKLAND. 


"^.^t^^^.-^:^^  ^ 


«■  t*ff, 


Vrf« 


"^  -^   ^    /    ^'  Z    ^    ; 


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t-i  I  i  I 


.--:•'.'.^ 


RESIDENCE  AND  PARTIAL  VIEW  OF  RANCH  OF  S.S.  BUCKLAND. 

FORT  CHURCHILL, LYON   CO.,NEV 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


601 


MR.  JOHN  LOTHROP 

l.s  a  nutive  of  Missouri,  and  was  born  July  25,  1842. 
When  ten  years  of  ago  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia, in  18()0  he  became  a  resident  of  the  State  of 
Nevada,  and  was  actively  employed  in  mining  pur- 
suits for  several  years,  and  has  so  satisfactorily 
established  himself  in  the  esteem  and  regard  of  his 
fellow-citizens  that  ho  has  been  called  upon  to  give 
them  good  service  as  Deputy  Sheriff  and  Deputy 
Clerk,  and  has  three  times  been  elected  Countj' 
Recorder  of  Lyon  County  and  is  now  a  resident  of 
Daj'ton,  the  county  seat  of  Lyon  County. 

a.    p.    R.\NUALL 

Was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  October  9,  1831. 
His  father,  Samuel  R.  Randall,  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati in  1838.  While  there  he  was  sent  to  school  and 
was  advanced  in  his  studies  as  much  as  was  possible 
at  his  ago,  receiving  Judicious  care  and  careful 
instruction  at  home,  besides.  When  twelve  j-ears  of 
age,  bis  parents  removed  to  Campbell  County,  Ken- 
tucky, and  when  eighteen  years  old,  G.  I'.  Randall 
returned  to  Cincinnati  and  worked  at  the  blacksmith 
trade  until  1852. 

He  then  loft  for  ('alifornia,  reaching  that  long- 
looked  for  goal  on  the  last  day  of  August,  18.J2.  In 
that  year  he  was  in  Downieville,  Sierra  County,  and 
then  in  San  Francisco,  going  from  thence  to  I'unto 
de  los  Rej-es,  thirty-five  miles  from  San  Francisco, 
where  he  remained  until  1858  engaged  in  farming. 

During  the  spring  he  removed  to  Calaveras  Countj^ 
and  erected  a  substantial  steam  saw-mill  in  Nassau 
Valley,  and  had  it  constantly  running  until  1861, 
when  he  removed  it  to  French  Gulch,  in  the  same 
count}'.  In  18(13  ho  disposed  of  his  business,  sold  the 
saw-mill  and  went  to  Summit  City,  Alpine  County, 
but  was  there  oiilj-  a  short  time.  He  then  came  to 
Nevada,  farming  in  ('arson  Valley,  I)ouglas  Count}', 
and  was  so  engaged  until  in  18C6  when  he  went  to 
Empire  Cit}'  and  engaged  in  his  legitimate  business 
of  blucksmilhing,  and  for  eight  years  continued  at 
that  calling.  In  1874  he  removed  to  Dayton,  Lyon 
('ounty,  and  purchased  a  blacksmith  shop.  He  imme- 
diately added  extensive  improvements,  and  now,  in 
1880,  his  shops  and  yards  occupy  an  entire  block  in 
the  center  of  the  growing  town  of  Dayton.  The 
work  which  he  turns  out  of  his  shops  in  wagon-mak- 
ing and  all  the  branches  of  the  business  shows  him 
a  careful  workman. 

.Mr.  Randall  owns  also  a  pretty  residence  in  the 
town.  He  married  .Miss  JI.  E.  C.  Williamson,  April 
22,  1855.  They  have  eight  children  living  and  three 
deceased. 

J.  I>.  SIMS, 

Whose  father,  Robert  Sims,  left  Tennessee  at  an 
early  day  and  settled  in  the  then  sparsely  peopled 
district  of  Missouri,  now  well-known  as  Greene 
County.  There,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  1841,  and  meritoriously  remained  with  his 
father  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  giving  \ 
63 


most  of  his  time  and  care  to  the  clearing  and  culti- 
vation of  the  farm,  going  to  California  in  1860,  by 
the  southern  overland  stage  route.  He  stopped  in 
Najia  N'alley  until  the  fall  of  that  year,  when  he  left 
for  Sacramento. 

In  the  following  sjiring  he  removed  to  the  State 
of  Nevada  and  settled  permanently  in  Dayton,  Lyon 
County.  For  a  number  of  years  he  found  steady 
employment  in  the  quartz  mills,  but  concluding  on 
a  change,  in  1874,  he  established  himself  in  a  gene- 
ral merchandising  business,  which  has  proven  so 
successful  that  he  has  found  it  necessary  to  extend 
his  facilities  for  trade,  and  to  very  materially  en- 
large his  stock,  and  he  now  owns  and  occupies  the 
well-known  brick  building  on  Main  Street.  Mr. 
Sims  was  elected  Treasurer  of  Lyon  County  in  1876, 
and  being  re-elected  at  each  succeeding  election  he 
has  filled  the  position  ever  since;  on  the  eighteenth 
of  September,  1880,  was  nominated  by  the  Republi- 
can convention  for  a  third  term,  and  being  again 
re-elected,  is  still  Treasurer.  In  August,  1871,  ho 
married  Miss  Hattic  E.  Midgley,  by  whom  ho  had 
four  children,  two  of  whom  are  dead  and  two  are 
now  living.  Mrs.  Sims  died  on  the  twenty-third  of 
April,  1880. 

Fort  Churchill  has  often  been  mentioned  in  this 
Historj'.  and  is  more  noted  for  its  past  than  for  its 
])resent.  The  glory  of  its  military  career  has  long 
since  departed.  The  Post  was  first  occupied  in 
.June,  1860,  by  U.  S.  troops,  under  Captain  Stewart, 
who  had  been  engaged  in  subduing  the  Indians  at 
Pyramid  Lake,  and  after  the  commencement  of  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  was  enlarged  and  garrisoned 
by  the  California  Volunteers.  Barracks  and  i|U«rter8 
were  erected  at  a  largo  cost,  there  being  six  fine 
buildings  for  officers'  quarters  which  cost  S1G,Q00 
each.  In  March,  1870,  the  Post  was  abandoned, 
and  tlio  buildings  sold  at  auction,  bringing  the  sum  of 
8750.  As  a  ranch  overlooking  the  valley  of  the 
Carson,  it,  for  some  years,  hold  its  name,  and  later 
the  name  is  a]>plied  to  a  station  on  the  Carson  and 
Colorado  Railroad,  twenty  miles  oast  of  Da3'ton.  The 
railroad  follows  the  Carson  River  to  this  point  in 
order  to  pass  the  Fort  Churchill  Caiion,  then  turning 
Houth  to  the  plains  of  Mason  Valley  and  Walker 
River. 

Maso.v  Vallev  embraces  a  largo  extent  of  country, 
having  within  it  the  corners  of  the  three  counties  of 
Lyon,  Douglas  and  Esmeralda.  This  is  principally 
described  in  the  History  of  Esmeralda  Count}',  where 
the  town  of  that  name  and  |)OSt-oflice  is  located. 
Properly  speaking,  the  extended  valley  should  be 
called  Walker  River  Valley.  This  extensive  valley 
embraces  one  or  more  square  townships  of  govern- 
mont  survey  in  Lyon  County,  the  river  flowing 
from  the  south  through  Esmeralda,  across  the  corner 
of  Lyon,  for  about  ten  miles,  and  into  Churchill, 
where  it  turns  east,  and  then  southerly  to  its  moutb 
in    Walker  Lake,      Entering  this   valley    from  the 


502 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


north  is  the  Carson  and  Colorado  Eailroad,  with  the 
stations  of  Wabuska,  Cleaver  and  Mason.  This 
railroad  has  its  initial  ])oint  at  Mound  House,  in 
Lyon  County,  on  the  Virginia  and  Truekee  Eailroad, 
and  its  present  terminus  at  Hawthorne,  in  Esmeralda, 
having  a  total  length  of  100  miles,  about  half  of 
which  is  in  Lyon. 

Mound  House  is  a  busy  milling  and  railroad  cen- 
ter, six  miles  southwest  of  Dayton,  being  the  junc- 
tion of  the  new  Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad  with 
the  Virginia  and  Truckcc  Railroad. 

Wabuska  is  one  of  the  villages  in  the  northern 
part  of  Mason  Valley,  and  is  a  station  on  the  Carson 
and  Colorado  Railroad,  thirty-two  miles  southeast  of 
Dayton.  The  exact  location  is  in  township  fifteen 
north,  range  twenty-five  east.  Mount  Diablo  meridian 
of  the  United  Slates  Land  Survey. 

Silver  City  was  settled  before  Virginia  Citj',  and 
was  a  place  of  considerable  importance  in  1860,  hav- 
ing four  hotels,  ten  stores,  two  drug  stores,  two 
butcher  shops,  three  blacksmith  shops,  and  several 
elegant  dwellings.  In  early  days  it  rivaled  Virginia 
City  in  its  mines,  but  failed  to  develop  any  "bonan- 
zas," and  afterwards  derived  most  of  its  importance 
from  the  quartz  mills  in  its  vicinity,  and  to  being  on 
the  line  of  travel  between  the  "bonanza"  mines  and 
the  mills  on  the  river.  In  18G1  it  had  a  population 
of  over  1,000  persons,  the  "Directory"  giving  the 
names  of  2G0  persons  engaged  in  business.  Several 
hundred  horses  and  mules,  engaged  in  hauling 
quartz,  were  boarded  hero  in  the  early  years,  and 
the  string  of  teams  daily  going  to  and  fro  were  quite 
a  feature. 

The  Devil's  Gate  is  an  opening  or  gorge  across 
a  reef  of  the  metamorphic^  rock  which  traverses  the 
country  parallel  to  the  trend  of  the  mountains.  It 
was  a  landmark  from  an  early  day,  and  was  con- 
stituted one  point  in  the  boundary  line  between 
Storey  and  Lyon  Counties.  The  town  has^  few 
resources  for  prosperity  within  itself,  and,  depending 
upon  the  Comstock  mines  for  life,  it  has  partaken  of 
the  general  recent  dullness. 

It  now  has  two  hotels,  two  stables,  one  brewery, 
express  office,  post-office,  barber  shop,  blacksmith 
shop,  butcher  shop,  two  shoe  shops,  one  store  for 
general  merchandise  and  several  saloons. 

Wadswortii  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  is 
claimed  to  be  in  Lj'on  Cminty  in  its  extreme  north- 
western corner,  and  is  also  claimed  by  Storey  and 
Washoe,  the  latter  maintaining  jurisdiction. 

PHINCII'AL   yUAKTZ   MILLS. 

Lyon  County  contains  nearly  all  the  mill-sites 
available  for  reducing  the  ores  of  the  mines  of  the 
Comstock  Lode,  and,  for  a  time,  the  whole  of  the 
Carson  River  for  twenty-five  miles  was  claimed,  and 
much  of  it  improved.  John  Lothrop,  present 
County  Recorder,  came  to  Dayton  April  )i'^,  1801, 
and  found  the  Logan   and   Holmes  two-stamp  mill 


about  1,000  feet  southeast  of  the  present  works  of 
the  Lyon  Mill  and  Mining  Company.  It  had  been 
driven  by  an  undershot  water-wheel,  but  seemed  to 
have  been  abandoned.  Tbe  Sutro  Mill  was  building 
at  the  same  time.  This  was  the  second  mill  built 
in  the  canon,  and  the  first  that  was  run  by  steam 
power.  It  had  fifteen  stamps,  and  was  considered  at 
the  time  "  a  highly  respectable  aftair."  The  Carson 
and  Colorado  Railroad  runs  through  its  ancient  site 
at  the  southwest  bank  of  the  canon  in  Dayton.  It 
worked  ores  for  the  Gould  &  Curry  but  it  would 
seem  not  verj'  thoroughly,  for  Sutro  has  since 
worked  over  the  tailings,  and  made  §100,000  out  of 
them.  The  mill  was  burned  in  18(53,  a  man  sleeping 
on  the  premises  perishing  in  the  flames.  There  was 
a  rumor  (hat  the  fire  was  premeditated  to  obtain 
quite  a  large  sum  for  which  the  mill  was  insured. 

During  the  same  season,  1801,  the  Solomon  Davis 
Mill  was  set  up.  This  was  an  old  aft'air  from  C!alifornia 
and  was  only  capable  of  saving  free  gold.  It  proved 
a  failure  and  was  removed  to  Como,  and  thence  to 
the  Kearsage  District.  Its  history  is  given  more 
fully  in  the  account  of  the  town  of  Como. 

The  Rocky  Point  Mill,  built  in  18(51.  was  the  first 
large  mill.  A  mill  was  put  up  opposite  the  point 
where  the  Sutro  Tunnel  now  opens  about  the  same 
time,  but  was  soon  after  carried  away  by  a  flood. 
The  Illinois  Mill  was  above  the  Rocky  Point,  and  had 
fifteen  stamps.  The  Shaw  Mill  was  east  of  the  Rocky 
Point.  It  had  fifteen  stamps,  but  was  never  put  in 
operation,  as  the  Rocky  Point  Company  claimed  the 
water  with  which  the  company  expected  to  run  the 
mill,  and  succeeded  in  holding  it.  From  this  lime  on 
mill-sites  were  rapidly  appropriated.  Many  a  con- 
test took  place  in  settling  these  rights,  in  which  a 
strong  arm  and  a  resolute  will  took  precedence  of  a 
prior  location.  That  the  chaos  terminated  in  a 
peaceful  industrial  period  of  years  is  a  matter  of  as- 
tonishment and  wonder  to  this  day.  It  technical 
law  was  violated,  and  the  strong  arm  gras])ed  more 
than  the  courts  would  have  awarded  it,  the  property 
generally  fell  to  those  who  would  utilize  it. 

In  1862  the  following  mills  were  in  operation  on 
Carson  River.  First  on  the  river  below  Ormsby 
County  was  the  Eureka  Mill.  The  water  was  brought 
through  ditch  and  flume  l.r>(Ml  loot  from  the  dam  120 
feet  long  across  the  river.  The  building  was  "fix  180, 
had  twenty  stamps,  fonr  arastras,  and  reduced  thirty 
tons  of  rock  a  day.  They  used  the  IlunI  jirocess  of 
concentrating,  with  forty-two  Hungarian  bowls, 
twelve  copper  concentrators,  six  flues,  two  Varny 
pans  and  employed  twenty-five  hands. 

iSan  Francisco  Mill,  next  below,  with  twenty 
stamps,  (Jhas.  Itgen,  A.  H.  Doschor,  Chas.  .McWill- 
iams  and  William  C.  Divoll,  proprietors,  the  last 
named  being  Superintendent. 

The  Franklin  Mill,  Superintendent  J.  McDonald, 
near  the  Daney  ledge,  was  a  large  and  substantial 
structure  l{Ox()((  feel,  with  ten  stamps,  two  arastras, 
with  shaking  tables  and  Hungarian  rilttos.     This  was 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


503 


one  of  the  most  substantial  structures  on  the  river. 
The  dam  half  a  mile  above  was  of  stone,  twenty 
feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and  ten  at  the  top.  The 
cost  was  about  §00,000.  The  works  were  intended 
to  reduce  the  Daney  ores,  the  mine  being  but  one 
and  one-half  miles  distant. 

Barton  Company's  Mill  was  situated  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river  below  the  Franklin.  The  water  was 
carried  one  and  one-half  miles  from  a  sub.stantial 
dam.  The  machinery  was  arastras,  using  the  I'atio 
process,  J.  N.  Barton,  Superintendent. 

Sproul's  Mills,  owned  by  J.  IJ.  Sproul,  C.  C.  Good- 
win, Levi  llile  and  J.  E.  Brett,  the  first  named  being 
Superintendent,  run  ten  stamps,  but  have  water-power 
for  100,  if  neeessarj';  use  twentj-  Huni^arian  pans 
and  employ  fifteen  hands. 

Carson  Eiver  Quartz  Mill,  Woodworth,  Stewart  and 
Winters  proprietors,  was  one  and  one-half  miles 
above  Dayton.  They  had  ton  stamps  and  four  aras- 
tras. Two  Turbine  wheels  were  driven  by  a  large 
stream  of  water  taken  from  the  river  2,000  feet  above, 
the  canal  being  twenty-three  feet  wide.  The  Hun- 
garian bowls  and  Kayden  process  are  used. 

The  Aurora  Mills  immediately  joining  the  fore- 
going, were  owned  by  Mossheimer,  John  D.  and 
Joseph  D.  Winters  and  G.  Kustcl,  the  latter  being 
Superintendent.  Had  thirty-eight  stamps  and  re- 
duced forty  tons  of  rock  per  daj-.  The  two  Turbine 
wheels  were  driven  by  water  taken  out  of  the  river 
GOO  yards  above. 

Keller  &  Co.'s  Mill  was  below  the  Aurora,  was 
G0x75  feet,  had  fifteen  stamps,  reducing  twenty  tons 
of  ore  per  day,  saving  both  silver  and  gold. 

Solomon  and  Jacobs  Mill  was  a  steam  mill  of 
small  capacity,  working  ten  arastras,  and  employing 
ten  or  twelve  hands. 

Sutro's  Mill  had  ten  stamps,  and  reduced  about 
twelve  tons  of  rock  a  day. 

The  Dayton  Mill,  owned  by  Ford,  Berry  &  Co., 
was  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town  of  Daj'ton.  It 
had  fifteen  stamps  and  crushed  about  fifteen  tons 
per  day.     Cost  8t;0, 000.    L.  J.  Carr,  Superintendent. 

Mineral  Ilapids  Mill.  A  town  was  laid  out  hero 
which  was  intended  to  eclipse  Dayton,  but  it  did 
not.  The  mill,  owned  by  Colton  &  Smith,  was  run 
by  steam  and  had  ten  stamps  and  four  twelve-foot 
arastras,  crushing  twenty  tons  of  rock  per  day. 
The  mill  did  custom  work,  not  being  connected  with 
any  mine. 

The  Kocky  Point  Mill,  owned  by  11.  Logan,  J. 
It.  Logan,  J.  P.  Holmes,  and  John  Black,  built  in 
1800,  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  establishments  in 
the  countr}-,  the  main  building  being  90xlO(t  feet, 
with  water-wheel  of  one  hundred-horse-power,  forty 
stamps,  and  reduced  fifty  tons  of  rock  per  da}-, 
working  for  both  silver  and  gold.  The  water  was 
brought  a  distance  of  2,000  feet  in  a  flume  ten  feet 
wide  and  three  feet  deep.  The  dam  was  built  of 
stone  and  timber,  and  with  the  race  cost  over  810,000. 
The  wheel  was  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  and  twelve 


long,  with  forty  buckets  holding,  when  full,  6,000 
pounds  of  water.  Superintendents  were  Logan  and 
Black.  It  cost  8200,000,  and  in  1808  was  owned  by 
the  Imperial  Silver  Mining  Company. 

Freeborn  &  Sheldon's  Mill  was  on  the  east  side 
of  Carson  Eiver,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  below  Daj'- 
ton.  It  was  on  a  large  scale,  the  building  being 
seventy-five  feet  square.  The  machinery  was  driven 
by  a  Turbine  wheel  weighing  .").000  pounds,  being  the 
heaviest  in  the  countr}-  at  that  time,  having  a  power 
sufficient  to  run  fortj-  stamps.  J.  S.  Aitkin  was 
Superintendent. 

Gautier's  Mill  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
run  ten  stamps,  crushing  fifteen  tons  of  rock  a  day. 
The  process  of  amalgamation  was  (iautier's  own 
invention. 

The  Succor  Mill,  one  mile  and  a  half  below  Day- 
ton, run  fifteen  stamps,  crushing  twenty  tons  per 
day.  The  building  was  sixty  feet  square.  The  ditch 
or  flume  convej-ing  the  water  was  thirty  feet  wide. 
J.  B.  Moore  was  the  Superintendent. 

Frolhingham  &  Co.'s  Mill  was  four  miles  below 
Daj'ton,  and  run  three  8tam))8  and  four  arastras, 
crushing  and  reducing  eight  tons  of  rock  per  day. 
P.  Frothingham  was  Superintendent. 

This  completes  the  list  of  all  the  mills  completed 
on  Carson  River  in  1802.  Many  moi-e  were  contem- 
plated, and  some  were  built.  In  Gold  Cafion  near 
the  Devil's  Gate  were  the  following: — 

Pioneer  Mill  of  the  Washoe  Gold  and  Silver  Min- 
ing Company.  This  mill  was  in  Gold  Cafion,  just 
above  Devil's  <4ate,  and  was  started  August  13, 1800. 
It  has  been  claimed  for  this  mill  that  it  was  the  first 
in  the  Territory,  but  it  is  quite  certain  that  one  if  not 
two  were  prior  to  this.  The  Logan  and  Holmes 
mill  (a  small  affair  however)  started  in  October,  in 
1859,  and  E.  B.  Harris'  mill,  contest  the  priority  with 
the  one  in  question,  having  probably  started  a  day 
or  two  sooner.  The  subject  of  priority  is  more  i)ar- 
ticularly  mentioned  in  the  early  history  of  mining. 
It  was  erected  under  the  superintendence  of  Almarin 
B.  I'aul,  having  two  engines,  thirty-two  stamps, 
twenty-four  amalgamating  pans,  and  employed  fif- 
teen men. 

Burk  &  Co.'s  Mill,  formerly  McNulty's  Mill  was 
situated  at  the  junction  of  Gold  Canon  and  American 
Ravine  at  the  lower  end  of  the  citj-,  and  was  the 
second  quartz  mill  started  in  the  Territorj-,  was  run 
by  steam,  had  five  stamps,  with  ten  grinders,  on  tlie 
principle  of  the  grist  mill,  invented  bj-  the  superinten- 
dent. 

Trench's  Mill  was  built  during  1800.  at  a  cost  of 
about  840,000  and  was  near  the  American  Ravine. 
It  had  a  thirty-horse-power  steam  engine,  twelve 
stamps,  two  of  the  Brevoort's  grinders,  eighteen 
pans,  the  invention  of  the  projirietor.  The  main 
building  was  50x80. 

Silver  City  Quartz  Mill  was  owned  by  Lam- 
bert, Weaver  &  Sullivan  and  had  a  thirty-five-horse- 
])ower   steam    engine,  five   stamps,    two    Brevoort's 


504 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


grinders  and  crushed  ten  tons  a  day.  This  mill  com- 
menced running  in  Pebruar}-,  18(11,  and  cost  about 
«35,000. 

Union  Mill  was  on  American  Uavine  about  fifty 
yards  above  the  Silver  City  Mill,  had  a  forty-horse- 
power steam  engine,  ten  stamps  and  crushed  custom 
rock. 

Pioneer  Company's  Mill,  near  Devil's  (iate,  had 
a  forty-horsc-power  engine,  fifteen  stamps,  and 
crushed  twenty  tons  of  rock  per  day.  Like  several 
other  mills  they  had  an  improvement  of  their  own 
in  the  shape  of  a  mullcr  or  grinder. 

Swansea  Mill  was  in  Gold  Canon,  one  mile  below 
Silver  City.  It  had  a  forty-horsepower  engine  and 
twelve  stamps  weighing  800  pounds  each,  doing  cus- 
tom work,  crushing  about  twenty  tons  of  rock  per 
day.  Amalgamated  with  Hungarian  bowls.  John 
Tregloan,  Superinten<lent. 

Excelsior  Mill  was  situated  above  and  near  the 
Swansea.  It  had  a  forty-five-horse-power  engine 
with  eight  stamps  weighing  900  pounds  each,  crush- 
ing sixteen  tons  i)er  day.  Thej'  also  had  two  ten- 
foot  arastras.     John  Briggs,  Superintcmlent. 

Osgood  &  Co.'s  Mill  was  on  the  Dayton  Road.  It 
was  worked  by  an  eighteen-horse-power  engine, 
had  eight  stamps  crushing  twelve  tons  per  day, 
doing  custom  work.  Employed  twelve  men  and 
used  the  Bertola  process  of  working  ores.  C.  A. 
Chapin,  Superintendent. 

Van  Horn  &  Co.'s  Mill,  one  mile  and  a  half  above 
Dayton,  was  driven  by  water,  having  an  over-shot 
wheel  fortj'  feet  in  diameter.  It  was  running  six 
stamps  with  a  reserved  power  for  six  more.  Van 
Horn,  Weston  and  Simon  were  the  proprietors. 

The  Eastern  Slope  Mill  was  one  mile  and  a 
quarter  below  the  Devil's  Gate,  had  twelve  double 
stemmed  stamps  driven  by  a  forty- horse- power 
engine  and  crushed  twenty  tons  of  i"0ck  per  day, 
employing  twelve  hands.  They  used  the  Novelty 
Company's  process,  an  entirely  new  one  and  one  from 
which  great  things  were  expected.  J.  C.  Cushing, 
Superintendent. 

The  Phii'nix  Mill  was  on  the  south  side  of  Gold 
Cafion  half  a  mile  below  Silver  Cit)-.  It  had  a  forty- 
horse-powcr  steam  engine,  crushed  forty  tons  of 
rock  j)er  daj*.  It  was  one  of  the  largest  mills  run- 
ning at  that  time  and  cost  850,000.  It  was  said'to 
have  been  managed  very  successfully.  Bowton  and 
Uztiaj-  ])roprictors. 

Kellogg's  Mill  was  about  half  a  mile  below  Silver 
City.  The  building  was  about  40x60.  It  had  a 
8tc;im  engine  of  twcnty-horse-])ower,  eight  stamps 
weighing  (iOO  poun<ls  each  and  crushed  fifteen  tons 
per  day.  They  used  the  Chili  mill  in  amalgamating. 
It  will  bo  seen  that  the  mill  men  were  laboring 
under  many  ditticulties  in  reducing  the  ores.  Almost 
every  Superintendent  had  a  plan  of  his  own.  How 
these  experiments  succeeded  will  be  learned  in  the 
portion  of  the  work  devoted  to  mining. 

In    1868    there    were    thirty-one    quartz    mills  in 


operation,  which  had  an  aggregate  of  440  stamps, 
227  pans,  and  cost  in  round  numbers  the  sum  of 
S050,000.  The  greatest  public  work  is  the  Sutro 
Tunnel,  which  has  its  terminus,  or  opening,  in  this 
county.  Lyon  has  an  area  of  621  square  miles  and 
a  population  according  to  the  census  of  1880  of 
2,409. 

THE   SDTRO   TUNNEL. 

The  plan  of  working  deep  mines  by  means  of  an 
adit  is  nothing  new.  Since  the  Romans  worked  the 
mines  of  Spain,  for  silver,  to  the  working  of  the 
mines  of  Saxony,  the  adit  has  been  a  common 
method.  Some  of  these  adits,  or  tunnels  as  the  miners 
choose  to  call  them,  are  of  immense  length.  The 
adit  of  the  Clausethal,  in  the  Harz  Mountains,  is 
six  and  a  half  miles  long.  It  was  commenced  in 
1777,  and  was  not  completed  until  1800.  Within 
the  last  few  years,  the  surve^-ors  demonstrated  that 
a  tunnel  of  fourteen  miles  in  length  would  intersect 
the  lodes  300  feet  deeper,  and  the  work  was  under- 
taken to  save  that  much  elevation  of  water  and  ore. 
The  supposed  importance  of  the  work  was  indicated 
by  naming  it  after  the  King  of  Hanover,  the  •'  Ernst 
August  Tunnel."  One  in  Gevenap,  in  Cornwall,  has  a 
total  length  of  more  than  thirty  miles.  One  in 
Germany,  commencing  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Gram  passing  through  the  mines  of  Hodritz  to  those 
of  Schemnitz.  has  a  direct  line  of  about  ten  miles.  It 
was  constructed  both  as  a  drain, and  for  the  explora- 
tion of  the  ground  along  its  course.  When  the  im- 
mense wealth  of  the  Comstock  Lode,  as  well  as  the 
floods  of  water,  began  to  be  apparent,  the  necessity  of 
working  the  mines  in  a  more  scientific  manner  was 
soon  considered.  The  elevation  of  the  mines,  near 
2,000  feet  above  Carson  River,  which  was  but  five 
or  six  miles  distant,  suggested  that  as  a  proper  loca- 
tion for  a  drainage  adit. 

THE    projector's    TRIUMPH. 

Mr.  Adolph  Sutro.  a  German  by  birth,  and 
acquainted  with  the  manner  in  which  the  mines  of 
his  native  country  were  worked,  undertook  the  hercu- 
lean task — as  will  be  hereafter  related — of  openmg 
this  great  lode  by  such  a  work — and  the  Sutro  Tun- 
nel was  made. 

On  March  1,  1881,  this  tunnel  had  attained  a 
length  of  20,469  feet.  The  mouth  of  this  tunnel  is 
on  the  northwestern  face  of  the  Dayton  range  of 
mountains,  in  Lyon  County,  near  the  Carson  Uiver, 
and  about  150  feet  above  its  bed.  At  the  Virginia 
City  end  of  the  tunnel,  and  at  right  angles  to  it,  are 
two  branches,  known  as  the  North  Lateral  aiui 
South  Lateral  Tunnels.  The  former  had  attained, 
on  March  1,  1881,  a  length  of  4,4(13  feet,  and  the 
latter,  4,114  feet.  These  extensions  are  still  being 
continued.  Including  the  main  tunnel,  the  total  dis- 
tance penetrated  underground  is  28,980  feet,  or  fiftj-- 
four  feet  less  than  five  miles  and  a  half. 

The  Sutro  Tunnel  was  constructed  at  a  total  cost 
of  about  84,500,00(1,  and  it  took  nearlj'  nine  years  to 
complete  it  from  its  mouth  to  the  Comstock  Lode 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


505 


Itfl  cost,  including  lateral  branches,  up  to  and  includ- 
ing March  1,  1881,  is  85,069,801.16.  It  has  an  inter- 
esting history.  At  the  time  the  scheme  was  pro- 
posed, it  was  denounced  as  Utopian,  and  Adoiph 
Sutro,  its  projector,  was  mercilessly  ridiculed.  When 
it  was  seen  that  he  was  terribly  in  earnest,  he  re- 
ceived some  encouragement;  but  when  he  began  to 
lay  his  plans  for  success,  he  encountered  the  most 
bitter  opposition  from  the  mining  and  milling  com- 
panies and  the  banking  and  railroad  corporations  in 
Virginia  City.  But  Sutro's  shrewdness,  with  his 
indomitable  energy,  pluck  and  perseverance  proved 
in  the  long  run  too  much  for  his  powerful  antago- 
nists. Starting  without  a  dollar  of  money,  and 
defeated  in  his  many  efforts  to  obtain  government 
aid,  he  traveled  through  all  the  European  money 
centers,  and,  after  many  refusals,  succeeded  in  rais- 
ing sutKeient  means  to  begin  the  enterprise,  and 
conduct  it  to  success.  The  tunnel  is  a  monument  to 
Sutro's  genius,  as  well  as  to  his  pluck  and  stamina — 
and  we  shall  now  relate  something  of  its  construc- 
tion anil  history. 

THE  IDEA    CONCEIVED. 

Soon  after  the  discovery  of  silver,  on  the  Comstock, 
Adoiph  Sutro,  who  was  carrying  on  the  cigar  business 
in  Virginia  Cit}',  formed  an  opinion  that  the  vein 
was  a  true  fissure  one  and  likely  to  be  productive  to 
an  indefinite  depth.  Ho  next  conceived  the  idea 
that  the  most  economical  method  of  developing  the 
various  mines  was  by  means  of  a  gigantic  tunnel 
from  Carson  Valley  to  the  lode.  This  idea,  suggest- 
ing in  itself  the  greatest  mining  enterprise  ever  un- 
dertaken in  this  country,  and  involving  in  extent 
some  of  the  costliest  engineering  feats  of  the  Old 
World  was  at  first  regarded  as  chimerical  and  im- 
practicable. The  encouragement  and  capital  neces- 
sary to  the  execution  of  the  scheme  were  nowhere 
to  be  found.  On  April  20,  1860,  a  communication 
appeared  in  the  Alta  California,  of  San  Francisco, 
from  Sutro  calling  attention  to  the  lack  of  any  sys- 
tem in  working  the  Comstock  mines.  "  Most  of  the 
companies,"'  he  said,  "commence  without  an  eye  to 
future  success.  Instead  of  running  a  tunnel  from 
low  down  on  the  hill,  and  then  sinking  a  shaft  to 
meet  it,  which  at  once  insures  drainage,  ventilation, 
and  facilitates  the  work  by  going  upwards,  thcclaims 
arc  mostly  entered  from  above,  and  large  openings 
made  which  require  considerable  timbering ;  and 
exposes  the  mine  to  all  sorts  of  difficulties."  He 
wrote  this  when  he  had  been  in  Virginia  only  a 
week,  and  when  he  did  not  know  to  his  entire  satis- 
isfaction  that  there  was  an  extensive  vein  of  ore 
there.  Such  explorations  as  had  been  then  made 
did  not  extend  to  a  greater  depth  than  twenty  or 
thirty  feet.  In  1861  Sutro  erected  a  mill  and  reduc- 
tion works,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Comstock.  He  continued  amid  a 
wilderness  of  indifference  to  advocate  his  project  and 
after  awhile  the  people  began  to  look  upon  Sutro  as  a 
monomaniac   upon    the   subject.      He    watched   the 


current  of  events,  and  day  after  daj'  it  became 
plainer — to  him  that  there  was  absolute  necessit}' 
for  a  deep  mining  tunnel. 

TlIE  PKO.IECT  K.WORED. 

In  the  fall  of  1804  he  petitioned  the  Legislature  of 
Nevada  for  a  franchise,  and  a  bill  was  drafted,  giving 
him  and  his  associates  the  right  of  way  for  a  tunnel, 
as  far  as  it  lay  in  the  power  of  the  State  to  give  it. 
While  this  Act  gave  to  the  project  the  official  sanc- 
tion of  the  State,  j^et  the  amount  of  toll  or  roj'alty  to 
be  paid  b)'  the  mine  owners  was  not  yet  provided  for, 
but  was  wisely  left  to  a  voluntary  agreement  between 
the  tunnel  projectors,  and  the  various  mining  com- 
panies interested  in  the  completion  of  the  work.  Sen- 
ator Stewart  was  the  first  President  of  the  Tunnel 
Company.  He  and  Sutro  spent  nearly  eight  months 
in  persuading  the  mine  managers  to  enter  into  some 
kind  of  agreement  with  their  company  to  push  along 
the  enterprise.  After  protracted  negotiations  and 
considerable  expenditure  of  money,  it  was  at  length 
agreed  by  a  niajoritj'  of  the  companies  representing 
nine-tenths  of  the  value  of  the  lode,  that  a  royalty 
of  two  dollars  per  ton  should  be  paid  on  every  ton 
of  pay  ore  extracted,  and  a  compensation  was  also 
provided  for  the  waste  rock  and  passengers  which 
should  be  transported  through  the  tunnel  after  its 
completion.  The  royalty  was  then  regarded  as  a 
mere  bagatelle.  The  peo])lo  interested  now  began 
to  appreciate  the  magnificence  of  the  undertaking 
and  instead  of  throwing  obstacles  in  the  way  they 
all  joined  to  help  Sutro,  the  Bank  of  California 
among  them. 

The  following  document  shows  the  standing  of  the 
Bank  of  ('alifornia  towards  the  enterprise  at  the 
date  mentioned: — 

BANK  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

I).  O.  Mills,  President.  W.  C.  Ealston,  Cashier. 

San  Francisco,  May  4th,  1866. 
To  THE    OiiiE.NT.vi.    Bank  CoiiroitATioN  London — 

Dear  Sirs:  This  letter  will  be  presented  to  you  by 
Mr.  A.  Sutro  of  this  city  who  visits  England  with  the 
view  of  laying  before  capitalists  there  a  verj-  impor- 
tant enterprise,  projected  by  himself,  and  known  as 
the  Sutro  Tunnel  in  the  State  of  Nevada.  This  tun- 
nel is  designed  to  cut  the  great  Comstock  Lode  or 
ledge,  upon  which  our  richest  silver  mines  are  located, 
at  a  depth  of  2,000  feet  from  the  surface,  to 
drain  it  of  water,  render  it  easily  accessible  at  that 
])oint  and  thus  increase  the  facilities  and  diminish 
the  expenses  of  the  progressive  development  of  these 
mines. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  of  the  great  importance  of 
the  work,  if  practicable  u])on  any  remunerative  basis. 
We  learn  that  the  sclicnie  has  boon  very  carefully 
examined  by  scientific  men,  and  thej-  unhesitatingly 
pronounce  in  its  fav^r  at  all  points — practicabilit}-, 
])rofit  and  groat  i)ublic  utility,  Mr.  Sutro,  wo  pre- 
sume, is  furnished  with  the  necessary  documents  to 
make  this  apjiarent;  and  our  object  in  this  letter  is 
sim])ly  to  gain  for  him,  through  your  kindness,  such 
an  introduction  as  will  enable  him  to  present  his 
enterprise  to  the  |)ulilic  fairly  upon  its  merits. 

Conimen<ling  .NIr.  Sutro  to  3-our  courteous  atten- 
tions, we  remain  dear  sirs,  j-ours  very  irulj'. 

W.  C.  Halston,  Cashier. 


506 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  a  year  or  two  the  bank  company  was  fighting 
the  tunnel  project  with  terrific  power.  No  one 
thought  that  a  two  dollars  roj-alty  was  an  adequate 
compensation  for  the  manifold  benefits  the  tunnel 
would  confer.  Many  were  firm  in  the  conviction  that, 
even  at  a  ro3-alt}'  of  six  or  eight  dollars  per  ton,  it 
would  be  advantageous  to  them.  The  Bank  of  Cali- 
fornia, which  later  entered  into  a  vigorous  warfare 
against  the  ciiterprise,  then  seemed  particularly  anx- 
ious to  help  Sutro. 

At  that  time  the  title,  or  fee,  to  the  mines  was  in 
the  United  States  Government,  and  an  Act  of  Con- 
gress was  deemed  necessary,  which  should  embody 
the  general  features  of  the  Act  already  passed  by 
the  Legislature  of  the  State,  and  which  would  grant 
other  necessary  privileges  in  addition.  Sutro  accord- 
ingly visited  Washington,  and,  on  the  twenty-fifth 
of  July,  18()G,  the  bill,  commonlj-  known  as  the 
"  Sutro  Tunnel  Act,"  was  approved.  15y  the  pro- 
visions of  this  bill  the  (rcneral  CTOvernment  entered 
into  a  direct  compact  with  Mr.  Sutro  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  tunnel,  and,  in  addition  to  giving  the 
right  of  way,  empowered  him  to  jiurchase  4,3b7 
acres  of  land  at  the  mouth,  and  to  claim  the  owner- 
ship of  the  mines  within  2,000  feet  on  either  side  of 
the  tunnel,  which  he  would  have  had  under  the 
common  mining  law.  The  bill  also  confirmed  the 
roj'alty  of  two  dollars  a  ton,  and  made  the  patents 
of  mining  companies  thereafter  obtained  subject  to 
the  condition  that  the  royalty  be  paid.  Other  minor 
concessions  were  also  made  by  the  Act.  But  there 
were  manj-  difficulties  to  be  overcome.  Objections 
were  to  be  met,  capital  to  be  secured,  and  private 
interests  were  to  be  guarded. 

BRIUIIT    PROSPECTS   OP   SUCCESS. 

After  the  Act  of  incorporation  passed  Congress, 
Sutro  thought  his  long-cherished  project  stood  on  a 
basis  that  was  not  susceptible  of  doubt.  Visiting 
New  York  to  enlist  the  aid  of  capitalists  he  pub- 
lished a  little  pamphlet  in  which  he  explained  the 
advantages  of  the  tunnel,  and  the  probable  income 
tiiat  would  be  derived  from  it.  He  was,  however, 
confronted  by  the  objection  that  if,  as  he  alleged, 
there  were  millions  in  the  scheme,  he  would  easily 
raise  the  money  in  California  to  carry  it  forward. 
After  considerable  imporUmity,  however,  they  prom- 
ised that,  if  he  would  return  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and 
raise  three  or  four  or  five  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
thi-y  would  get  SH, 000, 0(1(1  for  him  in  the  Kast.  He 
returned  to  California  and  submitted  the  proposition 
to  the  mining  companies.  They  began  to  subscribe, 
and,  in  May,  18f)7,  ho  had  8(;00,(I00  pk-dged.  A 
groat  many  private  people  i)ut  down  their  names  for 
five  or  ten  or  twenty  thousand  dollars  each,  and  lie 
had  a  fair  i)rospect  of  raising  81,0(»0,000  in  San 
Francisco,  and  the  whole  amount  retiuirod,  perhaps, 
in  California. 

OPPOSITION    CO.M.MENCEU. 

H  was  at  this  promising  stage  of  the  worlc  that 
the  Bank  of  California  stepped  in  and  condulod  to 


break  up  the  enterprise.  Early  in  the  year  Sutro  had 
induced  the  Nevada  Legislature  to  memoralize  Con- 
gress in  the  strongest  terms,  to  aid  the  ])roject  by  a 
loan.  The  Bank  of  California  at  that  period  virtu- 
ally controlled  the  mines  and  mills.  Thinking  Sutro 
was  about  to  get  a  subsidy  from  the  United  States, 
they  set  out  to  defeat  his  project.  The  first  step 
taken  by  them  was  to  get  the  mining  companies  to 
repudiate  their  subscrij)tions.  The  officers  of  the 
mining  companies  had  willingly  entered  into  con- 
tracts for  royalty  on  the  ores  raised  and  also  for  other 
things,  but  the  mining  companies  had  changed  sides, 
as  the  following  telegram  will  show: — 

ViBtiiNiA,  Nevada,  Jan.  15, 1868. 
To  the  lion.  William  M.  Stewart  and  James    W.  Nye — 

We  are  opposed  to  the  Sutro  Tunnel  project  and 
desire  it  defeated  if  possible. 

Signed:  William  Sharon,  Charles  Bonner,  Super- 
intendent Savage  Companj';  B.  F.  Sherwood,  Presi- 
dent Central  Company;  John  B.  Winters,  President 
Yellow  Jacket  Company;  John  P.  Jones,  Superin- 
tendent Kentuck  Companj';  J.  W.  Mackaj-,  Super- 
intendent Bullion  Companj-;  Thomas  G.  Taylor, 
President  AIj)ha  and  Su])eriiilendent  Crown  Point 
and  Best  and  Belcher  ('()m))any;  F.  A.  Tritle,  Pres- 
ident Belcher  Company;  Isaac  L.  Requa,  Superin- 
tendent Chollar-Potosi  Company. 

Alphcus  Bull,  President  of  the  Savage  Mining 
Company,  in  his  official  report  July  10, 186(5, wrote  as 
follows; — 

The  im])ortance  of  affording  drainage  at  a  great 
depth,  if  it  can  possibly  be  obtained,  cannot  be  too 
highly  estimated.  The  Sutro  Tunnel  Company  is 
the  only  part}'  that  proposes  to  undertake  this 
important  enterprise,  and  j'our  trustees  have  entered 
into  a  contract  with  that  company^  for  the  purpose 
of  efl'ecting  this  great  object.  It  is  much  to  be  desired 
that  success  may  atteinl  the  effort,  for  it  is  in  my 
opinion  a  work  upon  which  depends  the  future  value 
and  profitable  working  of  the  mines  of  the  Comstock 
Lode.  1  recommend  that  this  contract  be  ratified  by 
the  stockholders  at  their  present  meeting. 

The  company  in  accordance  with  his  recommen- 
dation did  ratify  it.  In  July,  1867,  he  wrote  to  the 
company  that  there  were  grave  reasons  for  doubting 
the  policy  of  the  arrangement,  and  recommended  the 
stockholders  to  repudiate  it.  This  was  generally 
done  under  the  pretext  that  Sutro  had  not  complied 
with  the  terms  of  his  contract.  Two  conditions  it 
was  claimed  had  not  been  fulfilled;  first,  the  tunnel 
com|)aiiy  were  to  procure  bona  fide  subscriptions  to 
the  amount  of  83,000,000;  and,  second,  the  agree- 
ments were  to  have  been  submitted  for  ratification 
by  the  stockholders  in  the  mines  at  their  annual 
meetings.  Sutro,  however,  showed  that  ho  had 
secured  extensions  of  time  from  the  trustees,  and 
that  under  such  extensions  they  had  no  right  to 
repudiate  their  contracts.  The  real  motive  which, 
it  is  said,  inspired  the  0])position  to  the  tunnel  pro- 
ject, was  the  I'ear  that  it  would,  when  completed, 
ruin  the  business  of  the  railroad,  owned  by  the  bank 
people,  which  carried  the  ores  from  Virginia  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


507 


quartz  mills  owned  by  the  same  intere8t  and  located 
on  the  Careon  River.  As  Sutro's  scheme  contem- 
pla4,ed  the  erection  of"  extensive  reduction  works  ut 
the  mouth  of  his  tunnel,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
array  against  it  the  hostility  of  the  people  of  Vir- 
ginia City.  They  became  alarmed  at  the  prospect 
of  seeing  their  town  sooner  or  later  depopulated, 
and  witnessing  the  rise  of  a  still  larger  camp  at  the 
mouth  of  the  tunnel  some  four  miles  southeast  of 
them.  They  therefore  regarded  with  genuine  appre- 
hension the  destruction  of  ]>ro])erty  values  to  the 
extent  of  813,000,000  or  814,000,000— that  is  to  say, 
property  in  Virginia  City  and  Gold  Hill,  the  mills 
on  the  Carson,  and  the  railroad. 

The  upshot  was,  that  Sutro  was  baffled  on  the 
very  threshold  of  his  success.  He  could  not  raise  a 
cent.  lie  returned  to  Xow  York  disappointed  but 
not  vanquished.  He  soon  discovered,  to  bis  dismay, 
that  ho  could  get  no  money  there.  Then  he  formed 
the  resolution  to  visit  Europe  in  quest  of  the  sinews 
of  war.  During  his  tour  abroad  he  met  such  men 
as  Von  Beust,  Sir  Roderick  Murchison,  Von  Cotta, 
Weissbach,  Kerl.  Hivot,  Chevalier  and  many  others 
— the  great  scientific  celebrities  of  the  world.  They 
all  indorsed  his  project.  But  it  was  impossible  to 
raise  monej'  to  further  it.  The  great  obstacle  in 
1S(;7  was  a  feeling  all  over  Kuropo  that  there  was 
going  to  be  a  war  between  Prussia  and  Franco. 
Nothing  could  be  done  with  American  enterprises, 
either  railroads  or  tunnels,  or  anything  else,  because 
war  was  bound  to  come.  It  did  not  come  for  two 
j'ears  afterwards,  but  it  did  come,  and  long  before  it 
broke  out  uivesters  had  became  timid. 

F.WORABLE    ACTION    BY    CONGllESS. 

At  the  close  of  1SG7,  Sutro  returned  to  America, 
still  resolutely  intent  upon  accomplishing  his  ])ur- 
pose.  His  first  step  was  to  submit  the  memorial  of 
the  Nevada  Legislature  to  Congress,  which  was 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  Mines  and  Mining,  of 
which,  at  that  time,  Jl  r.  Iligby,  of  (California,  was 
Chairman;  the  other  members  were  Judge  Wood- 
ward, of  Pennsylvania;  Mr.  D.  R.Ashley,  of  Nevada; 
J.  Proctor  Knott,  of  Kentucky;  M.  C.  Hunter,  of 
Indiana;  Judge  Ferris,  of  New  York;  .Mr.  Mallory, 
of  Oregon;  Ceneral  Ashley,  of  Ohio;  and  Mr.  Driggs, 
of  .Michigan.  They  became  deejilj'  interested  in  the 
question.  Sutro  was  irrepressible.  He  fairl}-  bom- 
barded the  committee  with  arguments  in  behalf  of 
the  tunnel.  He  haunted  both  Houses  of  Congress 
and  soon  became  hale  fellow  well  met  with  nearly 
all  the  Scnatoi-s  and  Representatives.  The  result  of 
his  active  winter  campaign  was  that  the  committee 
mentioned,  in  an  able  report  to  the  House,  recom- 
mended a  loan  of  85, (10(1, (((»(»  to  the  tunnel  c<>mi)any, 
with  a  mortgage  on  all  its  property.  A  bill  was 
drafted  and  had  every  chance  of  a  favorable  consider- 
ation. But  Sutro's' evil  star  was  still  in  the  ascend- 
ant. When  the  committee  was  about  to  be  called  in 
the  House,  the  impeachment  of  Andrew  Johnson 
commenced,  and  that  lasted  for  months.     Sutro  had 


in  fact  accomplished  nothing.  Congress  adjourned 
before  his  bill  was  reached.  Under  large  expense, 
out  of  pocket  and  almost  despairing,  he  went  home 
again.  But  he  was  still  full  of  courage.  After  a 
few  months'  reflection  in  California  he  returned  to 
Washington  to  again  press  his  claim  before  Congress. 
The  session  of  18tJ8-(i'.l  was  a  short  one,  and  the 
whole  time  was  occupied  in  passing  appropriation 
bills.  Sutro  this  time  could  not  get  a  hearing,  so  he 
went  back  to  California  once  more  and  kept  up  com- 
munication with  financial  men  all  the  time,  but  did 
not  succeed  in  doing  anj'thing. 

IMPORTANT  VISIT  BY  CONGRESSMEN. 

In  the  summer  of  ISdli  the  Ways  and  Means  Com- 
mittee paid  a  visit  to  California.  Mr.  Hooper  was 
the  acting  (Jhairman.  Sutro  saw  the  importance  of 
getting  those  gentlemen  over  to  Virginia  City.  He 
urged  them  veiy  earnestly  to  go  to  the  mines  on 
their  return  to  the  East.  They  accepted  his  invita- 
tion, but  the  California  Bank  people,  Sutro's  relent- 
less enemies,  insisted  on  taking  charge  of  the  com- 
mittee during  their  visit  to  the  Comstock.  They 
became  the  guests  of  .Mr.  William  Sharon,  but  this 
did  not  prevent  them  from  visiting  Sutro  at  the 
hotel  in  Virginia  City.  Ho  showed  them  the  lay  of 
the  country,  and  they  loft  fully  convinced  of  the 
justice  of  his  case.  They  went  down  into  the  mines  and 
were  nearly  prostrated  by  the  terrible  heat.  Sutro 
regarded  it  as  a  verj'  fortunate  circumstance  that  these 
gentlemen  came  and  saw  the  country.  He  thought 
it  would  secure  to  him  at  last  a  hearing  in  Congress, 
They  had  become  fully  satisfied  that  what  he  had 
stated  in  regard  to  his  undertaking  was  correct. 

THE    MINERS  START  THE  WORK. 

The  next  move  made  by  Sutro  was  to  fire  the 
hearts  of  the  working  miners.  To  that  end  he 
harangued  them  in  Virginia  City.  He  apjiealcd  to 
them  to  assist  him  in  the  work.  If  each  one  would 
put  in  tive  or  ten  dollars  apiece  he  declared  he  could 
go  on  with  the  work  and  carry  it  out.  He  engaged 
Pijier's  Opera  House  at  Virginia  and  addressed  the 
workers  at  considerable  length,  showing  up  the  con- 
s])iracy  that  had  been  forniod  to  lircak  uj)  the  tunnel 
])roject.  It  may  be  concluded  that  Mr.  Sutro  had 
motive  enough  for  a  bitter  speech.  He  proved  him- 
self no  mean  orator,  and  by  telling  the  miners  of 
the  terrible  nature  and  danger  of  the  work,  of  the 
dangers  from  sufl'ocation,  from  heat  and  from  fire, 
which  the  mine  owners  subjected  them  to,  and  of 
the  comforts,  safety  and  profits  of  working  with  a 
tunnel,  which  the  mine  owners  refused  to  adopt,  so 
raised  their  wrath  that  death  to  the  capitalists  and 
general  destruction  of  mining  ])roperty  was  so  im- 
minent that  be  had  to  go  around  among  them  and 
allaj'  the  e.\citenient  he  had  raised,  lie  circulated 
pictures  among  the  miners  to  illustrate  .'ill  these  mis- 
haps. Not  long  before  a  large  number  of  men  had 
been  lost  by  a  fire  in  the  Yellow  Jacket  Mine.  This 
was  made  into  a  picture  of  hundreds  of  miners  fall- 
ing headlong  down  a  burning  shaft  a  thousand  feet 


508 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


deep,  while  the  wives  and  children  were  wringing 
their  hands  in  frantic  despair  and  imploring  Heaven 
for  vengeance.  The  other  picture  represented  the 
miners  as  escaping  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  in 
case  of  a  fire,  to  be  caught  in  the  arms  of  the  happy 
wives  and  children.  Pictures  of  a  rich  mine  owner 
driving  six  fast  horses  and  contemptuously  covering 
a  worn-out  miner  with  dust,  and  more  to  the  same 
eftect,  calculated  to  arouse  animosity,  were  spread 
through  the  communitj'.  There  was  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  excited  by  his  speech.  The  Miners' 
Union  subscribed  S.")0,000  and  received  an  interest  in 
the  tunnel  company.  Th<it  helped  to  start  the  work 
going. 

BEGINNINf,    OF   THE   TUNNEL. 

It  was  on  the  nineteenth  of  October,  1S(J9,  that 
the  first  shovelful  of  earth  was  turned  over  in  this 
gigantic  enterprise.  The  occasion  was  marked  by 
some  festivities.  Manj'  of  the  laboring  men  came 
down  from  Virginia,  and  the  officers  of  the  labor- 
ing associations,  but  none  of  the  prominent  operat- 
ors on  the  Comstock  showed  themselves.  The  tunnel 
was  started  going  on  a  small  scale.  A  little  money 
had  been  raised  in  California,  but  the  means  of  the 
tunnel  companj'  were  limited.  In  December,  the 
projectors  incorporated  as  a  company  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. At  the  end  of  the  year  a  progress  of  460 
feet  had  been  made. 

MORE   TROUBLE   AT    WASHIN(iT()N. 

In  the  following  spring  Sutrowas  startled  from  his 
work  by  the  information  that  the  Bank  of  Califor- 
nia had  sent  agents  to  Washington  to  get  his  fran- 
chise repealed.  He  thereupon  rushed  off  to  the 
Capitol,  and  discovered  on  his  arrival  that  Mr.  Fitch, 
of  Kevada,  had  introduced  a  bill  to  repeal  the  third 
section  of  the  law  which  secured  him  his  royalty. 
The  measure  provoked  quite  a  debate  in  the  Fortieth 
Congress.  Then  it  was  Sutro's  good  fortune  that 
the  gentlemen  of  the  Ways  and  Means  (Jommittec 
had  been  over  in  Virginia  City.  They  all  stood  up 
for  him.  With  the  exception  of  Mr.  Sargent,  of 
California,  the  conimitee  made  a  unanimous  report 
against  the  repeal.  The  vote  upon  the  measure  was 
124  nays  and  42  yeas. 

After  the  bill  was  defeated,  Sutro  had  to  remain 
in  Washington  to  watch  his  opponents  during  the 
remainder  of  the  session.  .Meanwhile  he  began 
negotiations  for  money  in  Europe  once  more.  He  was 
])roniised  15, 1)0(1, 00(1  francs  from  Paris,  and  was  wait- 
ing for  ('ongress  to  adjourn  to  leave  for  that  city  to 
complete  the  financial  arrangements.  lie  was  just 
read}'  to  sail,  in  July,  when  he  received  letters  from 
JJoveriiy  Johnson  in  JiOndon,  that  it  was  no  use  to  go 
over,  and  sure  enough  on  the  fifteenth  of  July,  when 
he  had  reason  to  suppose  ho  had  secured  all  the 
money  required,  news  came  that  war  had  broken 
out  between  France  and  Prussia.  That  broke  up 
the  negotiations.  Sutro  could  not  raise  one  dollar 
in  Europe  or  in  the  United  States,  bo  ho  returned  to 
Nevada  once  more.    He  carried  on  his  work  in  the 


tunnel,  all  the  time  struggling  to  get  money  to  pay 
for  it.  The  miners  were  paid  four  dollars  a  day,  in 
eight- hour  shifts,  that  is,  three  dollars  in  money  and 
one  dollar  in  stock.  Powder,  tools  and  timbers  had 
to  be  supplied.  It  was  also  necessary  to  erect  steam 
machinery,  and  Sutro  had  to  provide  the  funds  or 
stop  the  work,  and  that  he  was  determined  should 
not  happen.  He  tried  to  get  along  the  best  way  he 
could,  pending  the  termination  of  the  European  war, 
and  then  to  commence  anew  negotiations  for  money 
abroad. 

In  December,  1870,  he  was  back  in  Washington. 
He  could  do  nothing  in  (California.  He  thought  it 
probable  he  might  yet  induce  Congress  to  do  some- 
thing for  him.  It  was  a  most  mortifying  situation 
for  him  to  see  some  of  the  ]{cpresentativos  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  arrayed  against  the  tunnel.  They 
were  nearly  all  opposed  to  it.  The  other  members 
were  told  the  tunnel  was  all  a  humbug,  that  it  was 
not  necessary,  and  that  the  mines  had  given  out. 
During  the  year  1,200  additional  feet  had  been  exca- 
vated. Sutro,  now  almost  rendered  desperate  by 
the  untoward  course  of  events,  asked  Congress  to 
send  out  a  commission  to  investigate  the  subject. 
The  request  was  granted.  On  the  fourth  of  April, 
1871,  President  (rrant  signed  a  bill  authorizing  the 
appointment  of  a  commission  to  examine  into  the 
cost  and  utility  of  the  work.  The  President 
appointed  Major  (ieneral  H.  G.  Wright,  Major  Gen- 
eral John  G.  Foster  and  Professor  Wesley  Newcomb. 
During  the  following  summer  the  examination  and 
necessarj-  reports  were  made.  The  work  was  deemed 
altogether  ieasible  by  the  report;  the  cost  was  esti- 
mated at  $4,500,000,  and  the  time  neeessaiy  for  its 
completion  was  somewhat  dependent  upon  the  capi- 
tal and  machinery  emploj'od;  but  the  tunnel  was  not 
regarded  as  necessary  for  working  or  draining  the 
mines. 

PROSPECT.S    BRKiHTENINO. 

While  these  gentlemen  were  carrying  on  their 
investigations,  Sutro  received  advices  from  London 
thai  his  friends  thei-e  could  arrange  some  financial 
matters  for  him.  On  the  thirtieth  of  August  he 
sailed  forKuro])e,  and,  a  few  days  after  his  arrival  in 
London,  he  arranged  for  S(i50,(M»0  in  gold  coin.  He 
returned  to  .Nevada  after  an  absence  of  thirty  days, 
and,  soon  after  his  return,  succeeded  in  raising  in 
London  8800, (M)0  more,  which  made  in  all  81.450,000, 
a  prett}-  good  sum  towards  constructing  the  tunnel. 
With  this  increase  of  capital  a  more  energetic  pros- 
ecution of  the  enterprise  was  undertaken.  Some 
400  men  were  set  to  work.  In  .\'oveml)cr  four  verti- 
cal shafts  were  located  along  the  tuiinol  line.  On 
December  3l8t  985  additional  feet  had  been  exca- 
vated, and  the  tunnel  was  then  advanced  2,(iG5  feet 
from  its  mouth.  Willi  the  beginning  of  the  New 
Year  (1872)  work  on  all  the  shaft's  was  begun. 

INVE.STKiATINO    THE   COMMISSION. 

But  Sutro  was  not  satisfied  with  some  of  the  con- 
olusione  reached  by  the  commission.  These  he  claimed 


TflSTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


509 


were  based  upon  information  furnished  by  hiecnemiee 
in  reference  to  the  important  points  of  drainage, 
transportation  and  concentration.  lie  insisted  that 
the  commissioners'  estimate  of  the  comparative  cost 
of  worlcing  by  means  of  the  tunnel,  and  the  way  the 
mines  wore  then  worked,  was  certainly  erroneous. 
Another  visit  to  Washington  was  made  by  him.  this 
time  to  request  the  Chairman  of  the  mining  committee 
to  ask  that  the  commissioners  bo  cited  before  it. 
In  compliance  with  the  request  the  Secretary  of  War 
was  asked  to  have  them  ordered  to  Washington. 
The)'  arrived,  and  the  time  from  Kobruary  12lh  to 
April  22,  1S72,  was  occupied  in  their  examination 
before  the  committee.  The  evidence  taken  and 
arguments  made  filled  810  pages  of  printed  matter, 
making  up  Executive  Document  No.  15,  of  the 
Second  Session  of  the  Forty-second  Congress.  Sutro 
did  nut  leave  a  stone  unturned  to  show  up  every 
point.  A  great  many  scientific  facts  were  brought 
out  in  the  evidence.  The  testimony  made  a  conclu- 
sive case  for  Sutro.  The  Committee  on  Mines  and 
Mining,  as  a  result,  submitted  a  strong  report  in  favor 
of  the  enterprise.  Tiic}-  rocommondod  a  government 
loan  of  82,000,000  in  its  aid  and  submitted  sixty-one 
reasons  to  sustain  their  recommendation  to  this  effect. 
A  bill  had  alread}-  been  introduce<l  to  aid  in  the 
construction  of  the  SutroTuniioi  from  the  proceeds  of 
the  sale  of  mineral  lands  and  authorizing  a  loan  of 
85,000,000  to  the  tunnel  company.  This  bill  was 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  .\Iines  and  Mining  and 
their  bill  authorizing  a  loan  of  82,000,000  was  offered 
as  a  substitute  and  its  passai^e  recommended.  The 
committee  reported  that  thccost  of  theoonstruction  of 
the  tunnel  would  be  from  84,000,000  to  85,000,000  and 
that  it  would  take  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  and 
a  half  3'ears  to  complete  it.  Under  the  bill  roi)orted, 
the  security  to  the  government  was  to  be  one-half  of 
the  royaltj';  the  company  to  spend  an  equal  amount 
to  that  loaned  by  the  government;  one-half  of  all  the 
income  to  be  paid  over  to  the  government  semi- 
annually; no  money  to  be  ])aid  until  commissioners 
report  the  completion  of  each  section;  the  aid 
extended  to  applj-  only  to  the  first  four  miles  of 
tunnel  to  the  Comstock  Lode.  Nothing  could  have 
been  more  satisfactory  to  the  indomitable  Sutro, 
whose  hour  of  triumph  was  now  evidently  at  hand. 
But  the  bill  was  never  passed  and  Sutro  thencefor- 
ward trusted  to  his  business  sagacity  and  energy 
alone  to  carry  forward  this  stupendous  enterprise. 
The  money  which  ultimately  completed  the  tunnel 
came  from  private  capitalists,  and  chiefly  from  Eng- 
land and  Germany. 

.'■,EI,K-DEPE.NDENCF,    ANU    PROOKESS. 

The  mouth  of  the  tunnel  at  the  town  of  Sutro 
enters  the  mountain  about  150  feet  above  the  Carson 
Rivor-bed.  The  grade  is  three  inches  in  100  feet, 
and  the  distance  to  the  point  where  connection  was 
made  with  the  Savage  .Mine  (1,640  foot  level)  is 
20,018  feet.  The  first  shaft  is  located  4,915  feet  from 
the  mouth,  and  the  top  is  522  feet  from  the  tunnel 
64 


level.  In  eighteen  months  after  the  beginning  of 
work  upon  this  shaft  the  level  was  reached  and 
drifts  east  and  west  were  started,  the  former  in  due 
time  being  connected  with  the  tunnel  header.  A 
great  deal  of  ditticulty  was  experienced  from  the 
influx  of  water,  and  accordingly  very  effective  pumps 
were  placed  in  position,  and  an  average  of  ;{,000,000 
gallons  per  month,  or  100,000  gallons  per  day  were 
discharged.  The  second  shaft  is  located  4,150  feet 
further  from  tho  tunnel  mouth  than  the  first,  and  its 
elevation  above  the  tunnel  level  is  519  feet  greater. 
During  the  seven  months  following  the  commence- 
ment, the  work  of  sinking  was  prosecuted  with  con- 
siderable vigor,  but  when  a  depth  of  600  feet  had 
been  attained  the  work  was  stopped  to  place  the 
necessary  pumps  in  j)08ition. 

After  a  delay  of  four  months,  sinking  was  re- 
sumed; and  with  an  interruption  during  a  part  of 
the  year  1873,  the  tunnel  level  was  reached  in  the 
spring  of  1874.  East  and  west  drifts  were  then 
started;  and  when  the  former  had  reached  a  dis- 
tance of  171  feet,  and  the  latter  170  feet,  a  large 
body  of  water  was  unexpectedly  encountered  in  the 
west,  and  in  loss  than  a  month  the  drifts  and  shafts 
were  almost  filled  to  tho  top.  Nine  months  later, 
this  enormous  bodj*  of  water  was  tapped  b}-  means 
of  a  hole  lOO  foot  long,  bored  by  a  diamond  drill 
from  the  face  of  the  tunnel  header.  The  water  then 
filled  the  two  drifts,  being  a  chamber  .341  feet  long 
and  8x12  feet  in  dimensions,  in  addition  to  filling  the 
5x10  feet  shaft  over  1,000  feet  high.  The  tapping  of 
this  water  was  the  most  interesting  incident  of  the 
year.  Upon  the  completion  of  the  hole,  the  press- 
ure was  so  great  that  the  water  burst  through  with 
tremendous  force.  Nothing  seemed  able  to  with- 
stand it.  Hocks  and  fragments  of  timber  were 
carried  along  with  irresistible  power,  and  the  miners 
were  obliged  to  have  a  care  for  their  lives.  The 
outlet  becoming  stopped  by  the  debris,  it  was  again 
opened,  and  the  force  ot  the  water  was  so  great  that 
the  steel  drill  was  hurled  out  into  the  tunnel.  Grad- 
ually, however,  the  water  became  exhausted,  and  in 
a  few  days  work  was  resumed  on  the  header.  Tho 
third  shaft  is  located  4,490  feet  from  the  second,  and 
its  distance  to  the  tunnel  level  is  320  feet  greater 
than  the  second.  After  a  depth  of  456  feet  had 
been  attained,  owing  to  an  influx  of  water,  which 
could  only  be  regulated  with  enormous  labor  and 
expense,  the  shaft  was  abandoned.  The  fourth 
shaft,  17,()!t5  feet  from  the  tunnel  entrance,  was  also 
abandoned  when  674  feet  had  been  attained.  The 
cause  of  abandonment  was  the  same  as  that  in  the 
shaft  above  described.  In  addition  to  these  main 
shafts,  a  small  air  shaft  was  successfully  completed 
in  the  summer  of  1872.  It  is  situated  2,250  feet 
from  the  mouth,  and  has  a  depth  of  211  feet. 

During  the  j'ears  1871  and  1S72,  tho  progress  made 
was  1,730  feet,  and  at  tho  end  of  the  latter  year 
3,480  feet  had  been  completed.  The  average  num- 
ber of  foot  made  per  month  during  the  two  years 


510 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


was  seventy-two  and  one-twelfth.  During  the  year 
1873, 1,919  feet  were  made,  making  a  total  excavation 
at  the  end  of  the  year  of  5.399  feet.  The  average 
number  of  feet  made  per  month  was  105i.  The 
total  estimate  includes  the  655  feet  made  in  the  east 
and  west  drifts  of  the  first  shaft.  During  the  follow- 
ing year  the  average  monthly  progress  was  223J  feet, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  year  8,079  feet  had  been  made. 
This  great  increase  was  due  to  the  introduction  dur- 
ing the  year  of  six  Burleigh  drills,  which  were  run 
by  means  of  compressed  air.  The  compressor,  which 
had  been  constructed  by  the  Societe  Cockerill,  of 
Belgium,  was  located  at  the  first  shaft.  But  after 
the  second  shaft  had  been  passed,  this  compressor 
was  exchanged  for  a  new  one  located  at  the  second 
shaft,  and  constructed  bj'  the  Humboldt  Company 
of  Kalk,  near  Dentz  and  Cologne,  on  the  Ehine. 
Both  compressors  worked  smoothly  and  gave  excel- 
lent satisfaction. 

During  the  year  1875,  the  number  of  feet  made 
was  greater  than  during  any  year  preceding,  or 
anj-  year  which  has  followed.  No  less  than  3,728 
feet  were  made,  and  the  average  number  of  feet  per 
month  was  3IO5.  During  the  following  year,  the 
monthly  progress  was  forty-five  feet  less  than  in 
1875,  and  the  total  distance  made  was  3,130  feet. 
The  falling  ofi"  in  the  number  of  feet  was  due  to  the 
taking  off  of  two  drills  early  in  the  year,  and  also  to 
the  diffic'ult  character  of  the  ground  encountered.  In 
1877  the  same  difficulties  were  met  as  in  the  preced- 
ing year.  In  addition  to  the  dangerous  character  of 
the  ground,  and  the  constant  watchfulness  necessary 
to  prevent  accident,  the  temperature  of  the  air  was 
terribly  oppressive,  and  the  water  extremely  hot. 

TITROUOH  TO  THE   COMSTOCK. 

On  the  night  of  the  eighth  of  July,  1878,  and  eight 
years,  eight  months  and  nineteen  days  after  the  be- 
ginning of  work  upon  the  tunnel,  a  connection  was 
made  with  the  cast  drift  on  the  1,640  foot  level  of 
the  Savage  Mine.  At  the  end  of  the  drift,  which  is 
270  feet  east  of  the  incline,  a  drill  hole  was  bored 
through  some  six  feet  of  rock  down  into  the  tunnel. 
This  was  the  first  connection  between  the  tunnel 
and  the  mine,  and  through  the  bole  a  rush  of  hot  air 
came  up  from  below  with  a  sound  that  could  be 
heard  some  distance  from  the  spot.  About  1 1  o'clock 
the  workmen  on  the  Savage  side  placed  eight  Eig- 
orret  cartridges  in  position,  and  the  tunnel  men  filled 
the  bottom  of  the  hole  with  clay.  The  blant  being 
fired,  the  ground  was  shaken  on  all  sides,  and  as  the 
workmen  above  hastened  to  the  spot  to  see  the  con- 
nection, they  were  met  about  half  waj-  up  the  drift 
by  a  rush  of  hot  air  ami  smoke  which  was  almost  un- 
bearable. Their  lights  being  blown  out,  they  groped 
their  way  in  tlio  darkness  to  the  spot,  and  found  that 
the  blasts  had  made  a  hole  about  five  feet  square  in 
the  rock.  Through  this  opening  a  shower  of  dust 
and  fine  fragments  of  rock  shot  up,  and  the  impure 
air  which  had  accumulated  during  the  j'ears  of 
working  found  an  easy  outlet  through  the  Savage 


drift.  On  the  following  evening  Mr.  Sutro,  his 
daughters  and  a  party  of  friends  passed  through  the 
opening,  and  thus  the  first  step  in  the  completion  of 
the  tunnel  was  accomplished.  They  left  the  mouth  of 
the  tunnel  at  half  past4  o'clock  in  two  passenger  cars, 
and  after  passing  to  the  Savage  Mine,  they  were 
landed  on  the  surface  in  Virginia  Citj'  in  scarcely 
more  than  one  hour  from  the  time  of  starting.  It 
was  a  season  of  great  rejoicing  among  the  tunnel 
miners  and  their  friends,  and  some  festivities  were 
had  at  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel. 

L.^TEKAL   BRANCHES. 

The  work  upon  the  main  tunnel  was  continued 
somewhat  longer  when  preparations  were  made  for 
lateral  branches  in  the  direction  of  the  Comstock 
Lode.  In  August  a  contract  was  entered  into  be- 
tween the  tunnel  company  and  the  Julia  Mining 
Company,  and  the  south  lateral  branch  was  immedi- 
atelj' begun.  By  virtue  of  this  contract,  the  Julia 
company  agreed  to  pay  §100,000  for  the  benefit  to 
be  derived,  while  the  tunnel  company  procured  an 
outlet  to  Virginia  City  with  full  railroad  facilities 
from  Carson  Eiver,  for  the  transportation  of  both 
freight  and  passengers.  The  Julia  company  also 
purchased  the  right  of  way  to  any  ore  bodies  or 
ledges  that  may  be  encountered  in    the  tunnel  grant. 

During  the  last  three  years  the  work  of  extending 
these  lateral  tunnels  has  been  steadily  progressing. 
In  addition  considerable  repaii-ing  has  been  done 
along  the  entire  line.  A  large  portion  of  the  tunnel 
had  to  be  retimbered,  tracks  had  to  be  laid  and  re- 
laid,  drain  boxes  constructed  to  cany  off  the  water 
and  much  other  work  done  to  make  the  tunnel  serve 
its  purpose.  On  March  29,  1879,  the  Sutro  Tunnel 
Company  relin((uished  one-half  the  royalty  of  two 
dollars  per  ton  (to  which,  under  the  original  agree- 
ments, it  was  entitled)  as  far  as  ores  are  concerned 
which  would  mill  fort}-  dollars  per  ton  or  under,  so 
that  only  those  ores  which  yield  over  forty  dollars 
per  ton  will  hereafter  have  to  pay  the  full  royalty. 
The  mining  companies  had  continued  up  to  this  time 
to  regard  the  tunnel  with  disfavor,  and  to  win  them 
over  a  readjustment  of  relations  had  become  abso- 
lutely necessary.  The  mining  companies  by  the 
new  contract  made  at  that  date  also  agreed  to  ad- 
vance to  the  tunnel  compan}-  seventy  dollars  per 
running  foot  for  every  foot  of  lateral  tunnel  con- 
structed northerly  along  the  line  of  the  Comstock 
Lode  to  the  Utah  Mine  and  southerly  to  the  Over- 
man Mine,  to  be  liquidated  out  of  half  the  royalties 
earned  on  ores  extracted.  The  expenses  of  the 
work  during  the  last  three  j-ears  have  been  defra>-ed 
from  advances  ami  roj'alties  received  under  such 
agreements,  from  sales  and  rents  pf  land  and  other 
property,  and  from  amounts  borrowed  on  mortgage 
from  time  to  time  as  needed. 

THE    ITILITY    OF    THE    TUNNEL. 

The  Sulro  Tunnel  was  constructed  chiefly  with  a 
view  of  facilitating  the  working  of  the  Comstock 
mines,  by  ventilating  and  draining  them,  and  trans- 


HISTORY  OF  LYON  COUNTY. 


511 


porting  their  ores  to  a  point  where  they  can  be 
worked  cheaply.  It  was  also  to  serve  as  a  channel 
for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and  supplies  for 
the  mines.  While  the  tunnel  has  not  thus  far  met 
all  the  expectations  of  its  projector,  it  is  a  fact  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  carry  on  the  mining  explo- 
rations on  the  Comstock  at  their  present  great  depth 
of  3,000  feet,  had  it  not  been  for  the  tunnel.  As  a 
means  of  ventilation  it  has  failed.  No  rich  ore 
bodies  have  ever  been  found  in  the  course  of  its 
excavation,  and  this  was  one  of  the  groat  dreams  of 
its  bold  originator.  It  is  true  the  Brunswick  Lode 
is  intersected  by  the  Sutro  Tunnel  at  a  distance  of 
11,600  feet  from  the  mouth,  and  at  a  depth  of  1,361 
feet  from  the  surface,  but  the  ore  is  of  a  low  grade, 
the  assays  varying  from  ten  to  thirty  dollars,  and 
no  prospecting  has  been  done  on  this  vein  from 
the  level  of  the  tunnel,  except  by  two  small  drifts. 
On  the  surface  the  vein  shows  well-defined  crop- 
pings,  and  is  traceable  two  and  one-hail' miles.  It  is 
estimated  that  8700,000  have  been  taken  out  near  the 
surface  from  the  various  mines  from  the  Monte 
Christo  to  the  Occidental.  The  greatest  benefit,  and 
an  indispensable  one  at  that,  aft'orded  by  the  tunnel 
is  the  increased  facilities  afforded  by  it  for  the  drain- 
age of  the  mines.  AVater,  which  has  heretofore  been 
pumped,  at  an  enormous  expense,  to  the  surface, 
needs  now  only  to  be  raised  to  the  tunnel  level.  In 
the  Savage  Mine  water,  which  had  to  be  raised  2,200 
feet,  has  now  onlj-  to  be  raised  600  feet.  In  other 
mines  the  same  comparative  difference  of  level  will 
be  maintained.  Much  of  the  monej'  raised  annually 
by  mining  assessments  is  expended  in  the  purchase 
of  pumping  machinery,  and  in  the  working  of  the 
same,  and  so  troublesome  has  the  water  been  found, 
that  the  cost  of  discharging  the  same  has  been  esti- 
mated at  83,000,000  per  annum.  Some  idea  of  the 
great  volume  of  water  carried  off  from  the  mines  by 
the  tunnel  maybe  learned  b}'  referring  to  the  StTper- 
intendent's  report  for  1880.  According  to  that 
report  the  average  amount  of  water  received  during 
that  year  was  equal  to  about  3,500,000  gallons  per 
twenty-four  hours,  or  208  miners'  inches;  but  it  has 
run  as  high  as  232  inches,  or  3,9-12,720  gallons  per 
twenty-four  hours.  The  tunnel  is  at  this  writing 
connected  with  the  following  mines:  Yellow  Jacket, 
Consolidated  Imperial,  Union  Consolidated,  Hale 
&  Norcross,  Savage,  Ophir,  California  and  Consoli- 
dated Virginia,  aggregating  a  distance  along  the 
Comstock  Lode  of  about  9,000  feet.  As  a  prospec- 
tive profitable  venture  the  hopes  of  the  tunnel  com- 
pany are  based  upon  working  the  low  grade  ores 
remaining  in  the  Comstock  Ijode.  It  is  difficult  to 
get  reliable  data  concerning  their  quantity  or  value. 
Most  of  the  upper  levels  and  workings  are  inacces- 
sible, as  the  machinery  on  the  surface  has  been 
removed,  and  many  of  the  old  drifts  have  closed  in. 
It  is  the  prevailing  opinion,  however,  of  those  who 
are  familiar  with  the  early  workings  of  the  lode, 
that  there  are  large  quantities  of  low    grade   ores 


still  remaining  in  the  various  mines  which  can  bo 
worked  at  a  profit.  Should  this  work  be  commenced 
it  would  not  only  become  an  industry  of  vast  impor- 
tance in  itself,  but  would  offer  opportunities  for 
exploring  new  bodies  of  ore.  The  average  value  of 
the  low  grade  ores  extracted  near  the  surface  from 
the  Crown  Point,  Belcher  and  Imperial  claims  is 
812. 40|.  In  addition  to  the  low  grade  ores  of  the 
value  mentioned,  there  are  vast  bodies  of  ore  of  too 
low  a  grade  to  be  worked  at  a  profit  without  concen- 
tration. If  there  were  some  method  by  which  these 
ores  could  be  concentrated,  they  could  be  cheaply 
extracted  and  transported  through  the  tunnel  and 
worked  at  a  profit. 

MR.  SUTRO    RETIRES. 

In  1879  Adolph  Sutro  resigned  his  position  as 
Su])erintendont  of  this  company,  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  believed,  disposing  of  all  his  stock  in  the  enter- 
prise. He  retired  wealthy  and  well  satisfied  with 
the  result  of  his  long  struggle  against  the  most  ad- 
verse circumstances.  His  enemies  had  finally  been 
compelled  to  recognize  the  man's  genius  and  his 
devotion  to  a  single  idea.  Sutro  will  need  no  other 
monument  than  the  tunnel  named  after  him.  The 
officers  of  the  Sutro  Tunnel  Companj-,  in  1881,  were 
Charles  \V.  Brush,  President;  William  Irvine,  Vice- 
President;  Lazard  Freres,  Treasurer;  Pelham  W. 
Ames,  Secretary,  and  C.  C.  Thomas,  General  Super- 
intendent. 

COL.   C.  C.  THOMAS. 

Colonel  Thomas  was  born  in  Frederick  County, 
Marj-land,  on  the  ^ixth  daj-  of  September,  a.  d.  1827. 
His  father,  John  il.  Thomas,  was  Surgeon  in  the 
United  States  Armj%  and  his  uncle,  Francis  Thomas, 
was  at  one  time  Governor  of  Marj-land,  and  also 
represented  his  State  in  Congress  for  manj-  years. 
He  received  in  early  years  the  advantages  of  the 
best  schools  in  his  native  town,  and  subsequently 
entered  St.  John's  College,  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
from  which  school  he  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  attracted  by  the 
romantic  reports  of  the  golden  wealth  of  California, 
he  left  Marj'land,  and  in  company  with  a  few  friends, 
crossed  the  continent  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
and  engaged  in  mining  on  Feather  River,  at  Bid- 
well's  Bar,  and  in  other  portions  of  Butte  County, 
California.  In  1853  he  was  elected  to  represent  that 
county  in  the  Legislature,  whore  he  served  with  dis- 
tinction. In  1854  he  removed  to  Sierra  County,  and 
was  one  of  sixteen  who  originated  the  mining  enter- 
prise known  as  the  Masonic  and  Highland  Mining 
Company,  to  work  the  Blue  Gravel  lead  near  Forest 
City,  and  there  erected  the  second  steam  Imisting 
works  erected  in  the  State.  This  was  his  first  ex- 
perience in  deep  mining.  He  was  then  engaged  in 
practical  mining  for  seven  years. 

In  1862  ho  received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of 
one  of  the  Maryland  regiments  engaged  in  the  Civil 
War,  and  at  once  sold  his  interests  in  Sierra  County, 
and  started  east  on  the  ill-fated  steamer  Golden  Gate, 


512 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


-.x^ 


PHOTO,  ar  JOHN  s-  hoc,  viroinia,  ncv. 

Col.  C.  C.  Thomas. 

burned  oiF  the  coast  of  Mexico,  wherebj'  600  lives 
were  lost. 

At  the  time  of  this  terrible  calamity,  Colonel 
Thomas  remained  on  the  ship,  giving  all  the  assis- 
tance in  his  power,  and,  when  the  heat  became 
unendurable,  cast  himself  into  the  waters  and  swam 
ashore.  He,  and  about  100  others,  being  all  that 
were  saved.  Soon  after,  obtaining  passage  to  San 
Francisco,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  resume  his 
journey,  resigned  his  commission,  and  accepted  the 
position  of  Superintendent  of  the  North  Potosi 
Mine,  and  removed  to  Nevada.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  Nevada,  he  has  been  at  various  times  Super- 
intendent of  the  Overman,  Uncle  Sara,  and  of  the 
Halo  &  Norcross  for  nearlj'  three  years,  in  which 
time  a  large  amount  in  "  dividends "  were  paid 
to  the  stockholder.^.  After  twenty-seven  j'ears  of 
experience  in  raining  and  milling,  he  has  been 
appointed  to  the  responsible  j)osition  of  General 
Superintendent  of  the  Sulro  Tunnel,  one  of  the 
greatest  mining  and  engineering  enterprises  of  the 
age. 

The  Colonel  is  now  residing  at  Sutro,  Nevada, 
near  the  scene  of  his  labors,  surrounded  by  his 
family  and  respected  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances and  friends. 


CHAPTER  L. 
HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 

Early  Explorations — Petition  and  Kemonstrance — Organization 
and  Boundaries — Appointments  and  Elections — Economy 
and  Healthy  Growth — Debt  and  County  Buildings—Grazing 
and  Agriculture — Valleys  of  the  County — Principal  Mining 
Districts — Principal  Towns  and  Cities — Hon.  George  Ernst 
— Hon.  J.  T.  Williams. 

Organized  in  1864  and  named  in  honor  of  Gov.  J. 
VV.  Nye.  In  the  organization  of  the  Territory  of 
Nevada,  all  that  part  south  of  the  thirty-ninth  par- 
allel and  east  of  Mason  Valley  was  assigned  to  Es- 
meralda County.  Little  was  iben  known  of  the  re- 
gion, excepting  that  about  Aurora  and  a  narrow  belt 
leading  thereto  frora  the  north.  All  the  east  was  an 
unexplored  wilderness,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
localities.  Some  of  the  old  maps  liad  a  line  running 
ilirough  Smoky  Valley,  designated  as  '-Fremont's 
Trail  in  1845,"  and  along  it  were  the  names  of  San 
Antonio  Peak,  Hot  Springs,  Twin  Pivers  and  Smoky 
Creek. 

Lilllo  or  nothing  more  was  known  of  that  section  of 
I  lie  Territory  prior  to  the  Reese  River  excitement  ol 
1862-63.  Soon  after  the  settlement  of  Austin,  pros- 
(jcctors  went  on  exploring  expeditions  along  the 
Toiyabe  range,  which  extends  southward  beyond  the 
limits  of  Lander  County.  In  that  range  were  soon 
organized  the  districts  of  Washington  and  Marys- 
ville  on  the  western  slope,  and  Twin  River  on  the 
eastern  slope.  In  Reese  River  Vallej',  part  of  which 
was  in  Esmeralda  County,  several  ranches  were  lo- 
cated and  settlements  were  made. 

Prospectors  were  thought  exceeding  bold  who  pen- 
etrated the  unknown  country  beyond  sight  or  easy 
reach  of  known  springs  or  water-courses,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  any  dry  valleys  were  crossed.  South 
of  the  Lander  County  line  the  Toiyabe  range  is  a 
high  and  precipitous  ridge  from  8,000  to  12,000  feet 
in  height,  and  flowing  down  both  sides  are  numer- 
ous streams,  generally  sinking  in  the  border  of  the 
subjacent  vallej's,  but  Reese  River,  coming  from  the 
southern  part  of  the  range,  continues  its  course  100 
miles  or  more  to  the  north.  These  supplies  of  water 
led  the  prospectors  south.  Heading  Reese  River 
Valley  and  inclosing  it  on  the  west  is  the  Shoshone 
range,  and  this  was  ne.xt  explored.  On  the  western 
slope  of  this  range  silver-bearing  veins  were  found 
in  1863.  Union  District  was  organized  and  the  town 
of  lone  was  soon  built  in  the  midst  of  supposed  rich 
mines. 

PETITION    AND    ItE.MONSTRANCE. 

The  causes  which  led  to  the  organization  of  Nye 
County  are  partially  set  fortii  in  a  petition  to  the 
Territorial  Legislature,  signed  b}'  a  large  number  of 
pioneers,  who  had  recently  discovered  a  new  mining 
district,  and  reads  as  follows: — 

To  His  Excellency,  the  Governor,  and  the  Honorable  mem- 
hers  of  the  Leyislature  of  the  Territory  of  S^evada — 
We,  the   undersigned   residents   of  Nevada  Terri- 
tory, respectfully  represent  that  we  are  residents  of 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


513 


a  newly-discovered  mining  district,  which  is  now 
known  as  "Union  District;  "  that  the  same  is  situ- 
ated in  the  ransje  of  mountains  lyin^j  between  the 
valley  of  Keese  River  on  the  east  and  the  valley  of 
Smith  Creek  on  the  west.  We  are  distant  from  the 
city  of  Austin,  in  Lander  County",  in  a  southerly 
direction  about  sixty  miles,  and  from  Aurora,  in 
Esmeralda  Count}-,  in  an  easterly  direction,  about 
100  miles.  Now  wo,  your  petitioners  and  residents 
of  this  district,  pray  your  honorable  bodies  that  you 
take  into  consideration  the  proprietj'  of  forming  a 
county  for  us,  believing  that  our  ends  and  the  ends 
of  justice  will  be  better  subserved  by  so  doing. 

Immediately  upon  the  presentation  of  the  above 
petition,  a  remonstrance  was  forwarded  to  the  (tov- 
ernor  and  Legislature,  vvhich  was  extensively  signed 
by  residents  of  Lander  County,  protesting  against 
the  cession  of  any  portion  of  thi-ir  county  to  the 
proposed  new  corporate  body.  Nevertheless,  a  bill 
was  introduced  into  the  Assemblj'  for  the  creation 
of  Nye  Count}-,  and  was  favorably-  reported  upon  by 
the  commitlee  t"  whom  it  was  referred.  In  report- 
ing the  commitlee  stated  that  the  [jroposed  county 
contained  from  1,000  to  1,500  people. 

ORGANIZATION   AND    BOUNDARIES. 

The  bill  to  organize  the  countj'  of  Nj-e  was  ap- 
proved and  became  a  law  Februarj-  Iti,  18(54.  The 
territory  of  the  new  county  was  thus  described: — 

Beginning  at  the  intersection  of  the  thirty-ninth 
parallel  of  north  latitude  with  the  meridian  of  longi- 
tude 40°  .30'  west  from  Washington;  thence  running 
east  along  said  lhirt3'-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude 
to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada; 
thence  running  south  along  said  eastern  boundary 
to  the  point  of  intersection  with  the  thirty-seventh 
parallel  of  north  latitude;  thence  running  along  said 
thirty-seventh  parallel  of  north  latitude  west  to  the 
California  line,  and  northwest  along  said  California 
line  to  the  jjoint  of  intersection  with  the  meridian  of 
longitude  40°  30'  west  from  Washington:  thence  run- 
ning north  along  said  meridian  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. 

Subsequent  to  the  original  creative  Act  the  bound- 
aries of  Nye  County  have  been  changed  six  times. 
On  the  ninth  day  of  March.  18()5,  half  a  degree  was 
ceded  to  Esmerahla  Count}-,  making  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  county  the  meridian  of  longitude 
40°  .30' west  from  Washington.  February  2G,  18(50, 
a  large  part  of  the  southeastern  portion  of  Nye  was 
formed  into  Lincoln  County.  -May  5,  18GG,  an  Act 
was  approved  by  the  President  of  the  United  States 
extending  the  eastern  boundary  of  Nevada  sixty 
miles  into  Utah,  and  adding  to  this  State  all  its 
present  area  south  of  the  thirty-ninth  parallel  of 
latitude.  This  addition  on  the  south  increased  the 
territory  of  Nye;  but  on  March  2,  18G0,  a  portion 
of  Nye  was  added  to  White  Pine.  March  5,  1869, 
the  western  boundar)-  of  the  county  was  established 
as  at  present.  In  1875  that  part  of  Nye  oast  of  the 
one  hundred  and  fifteenth  meridian  west  from  Green- 
wich was  added  to  Lincoln  and  While  Pine.  Tho 
area  is  18,432  square  miles. 


APPOINTMENTS   AND   ELECTIONS. 

Below,  under  appropriate  heads,  will  be  found  the 
names  of  all  the  persons  who  have  filled  the  different 
ottices  of  honor  and  trust  in  the  county  from  its  or- 
ganization down  to  the  present  time,  either  by  ap- 
pointment or  election,  with  the  date  of  such  appoint- 
ment or  election  and  the  particular  oflSce  each  has 
filled.* 

.STATE   SENATORS. 

F.  M.  Proctor,  elected  November  8,  1864,  and 
vacated  his  seat  September  20,  1866;  J.  G.  Riddle, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  Robert  Mullen,  elected 
November  3, 1868;  1).  P.  Walter,  elected  November 
5,  1872;  H.  T.  Cressweli.  elected  November  7,  1876; 
J.  T.  Williams,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSE.MBLYMEN. 

A.  C.  Bearss,  elected  November  8,  1864,  and 
re-elected  November  7,  18G5;  J.  M.  Graves  and  W. 
T.  Jones,  elected  November  6,  1866;  Wm.  Doolin 
and  John  Bowman,  elected  November  3, 1868;  Bow- 
man and  A.  II.  Greenhalgh,  elected  November  8, 
1870;  Bowman  and  J.  A.  Prague,  elected  November 
5,  1872;  John  B.  McGee  and  P.  M.  Ellison,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  T.  J.  Bell  and  J.  M.  Caldwell, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  W.  B.  Taylor  and  J.  T. 
Williams,  elected  November  5,  1878;  T.  J.  Bell  and 
Geo.  Ernst,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Wm.  B.  Gould,  G.  A.  Swasey  and  Lucius  B.  Moore 
were  appointed  by  the  Executive  April  4,  1864. 
Moore  did  not  accept  and  E.  C.  Southworth  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  place  July  6,  1864;  J,  M.  Bowes, 
J.  P.  Courter  and  A.  H.  Sinimonds  were  elected 
September  7,  18G4.  Courter  resigned  .March,  1865, 
John  L.  Craig  appointed.  O.  T.  Clark,  elected  No- 
vember 8,  1865;  A.  T.  Hatch,  J.  S.  Bernard  and  W. 
N.  Smyth  were  elected  November  G,  186G.  Hatch 
resigned  September  26,  1868;  Samuel  Tallman,  J.  A. 
Ball  and  J.  S.  Tipton,  elected  November  3,  1868,  E. 
G.  Brueii,  A.  Pearson  and  R.  A.  Prior,  elected  No- 
vember 8,  1870.  Tho  vote  between  Pearson  and  Prior 
was  a  tie.  R.  M.  King,  E.  G.  Bruen,  and  P.  M.  Elli- 
son, elected  November  5,  1872.  Elli.son  resigned  Sep- 
tember 27,  1873,  Joseph  Stowe  appointed  to  fill  the 
place.  C.  E.  Ashburn  and  B.  .\IcCann  were  elected 
November  3,  1874.  W.  C.  Humiihrey  and  T.  F.  Mor- 
gan, elected  November  7,  1876;  Andrew  Bradley 
and  J.  (r.  Mitchell,  elected  November  5,  1878;  A.  U. 
Spaulding  and  John  Gooding,  elected  November  2, 
1880.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Commissioners  June  5, 
1865,  J.  C.  Johnson  appeal's  as  a  member  of  the 
Board,  there  is  nothing  on  the  minutes  to  show 
how  he  came  there. 

DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS. 

Elias  C.  Brearley  appointed  bj'  tho  Executive 
April  8,  1864,  resigned  July  28,  1864,  George  W. 
Merrill  appointed,  and  elected  September  7, 1864,  and 
re-elected  November  6,   186G;    George  R.   Williams, 


)14. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


elected  November  3,  1868,  and  re-elected  November 
8, 1870;  Frank  Owen,  elected  November  5,  1872;  H. 
T.  Cresswcll,  elected  November  3,  1874;  Benjamin 
Curler,  elected  November  7,  1876,  and  re-elected 
November  5,  1878;  J.  I.  Griffith,  elected  Novem- 
ber 2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SHERIFFS. 

Edward  Irwin,  appointed  by  the  Executive  April  8, 

1864,  re-elected  September  7,  18G4,  resigned  June  5, 

1865,  A.  Ranncj'  appointed  to  fill  vacancy,  and 
elected  November  7,  1865,  re-elected  November  6, 
1866;  Robert  Stein,  elected  November  3,  1868.  and 
re-elected  November  8.  1870;  J.  M.  Caldwell,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  and  re-elected  November  3,  1874; 
W.  H.  Huyck,  elected  November  7,  1876;  David 
O'Neil,  elected  November  5,  1878,  and  re-elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

George  W.  Chandler,  appointed  by  the  Executive, 
April  11,  1864;  E.  D.  Turner,  elected  September  7, 
1864;  J.  M.  Bellrude,  elected  November  6,  1866;  W. 
A.  Brophy,  elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected 
November  8,  1870;  G.  Nieholl,  elected  November  5, 
1872,  and  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  November  7. 
1876,  November  5,  1878,  and  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

Henry  D.  Groot,  appointed  by  the  Executive  April 
4,  1864,  resigned  July  28,  1804,  P.  C.  Turner  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  place;  A.  Ranney,  elected  Sep- 
tember 7,  1864,  resigned  June  5,  186.5,  and  A.  A. 
Simmonds  was  appointed  to  fill  the  place;  John  Sharp, 
elected  November  7,  1865;  William  Locker,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  Perry  Coleman  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868,  and  failing  to  file  additional  bonds 
the  office  was  declared  vacant  August  20,  1870,  and 
C.  F.  Singletary  was  appointed,  and  elected  November 
8,  1870;  A.  McLean,  elected  November  5,  1872,  and 
re-elected  November  3,1874,  re-elected  again  Novem- 
ber 7,  1N76,  November  5,  1878,  and  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

D.  p.  McHay,  appointed  b3-tho  Executive  April  4, 
1864;  S.  Brees,  elected  September  7,  1864,  failed  to 
qualify;  James  II.  Berrj-,  a])])ointed  April  6,  1865; 
Stephen  Roberts,  elected  November  7, 1865,  re-elected 
November  6,  1866,  November  3, 1868,  and  November 
8,  1870;  Thos.  Morgan,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
T.  Warburton,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected 
November  7,  1876,  and  November  5,  1878;  T.  F. 
Morgan,  elected  November  2, 1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

Nicholas  Smith,  appointed  by  the  Executive  April 

4,  1864;  Josejih  Stowe,  elected  Sei)tember  7,  1864, 
and  re-elected  November  6,  1HH6;  John  Sharp,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  and  re-elected  November  8,  1870; 
J.  J.  Falkinheim,  elected  November  5,  1872;  James 
A.  Service,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected 
November  7,  1876;  George  Ernst,  elected  November 

5,  1878;  M.  R.  Delano,  elected  November  2,  ^    d. 


COUNTY   SUPERINTENDENTS   OF   SCHOOLS. 

H.  D.  lloyt,  elected  September  7,  1864;  Thomas 
Cahill,  elected  November  7,  1865;  B.  W.  Crowell, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  G.  R.  Alexander,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  resigned  July  6,  1869,  and  Jno. 
Powers  appointed;  J.  V.  Hathaway,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872,  resigned 
April  9, 1873;  C.  E.  Ashburn,  appointed,  who  resigned 
July  7,  1873,  and  E.  C.  Soulhworth  was  appointed; 
F.  C.  Granger,  elected  November  3,  1874;  M.  R. 
Delano,  elected  November  7,  1876,  and  resigned 
April  2,  1878;  R.  M.  King  was  appointed;  J.  R. 
Daugherty,  elected  November  5, 1878,  and  re-elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

John  F.  Kidder,  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
April  4,  1864;  Francis  Tagliabuc,  elected  September 
7,  1864;  D.  S.  Childs,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J. 
A.  Phillips,  elected  November  3,  1868,  office  declared 
vacant  January  4,  1872,  and  A.  D.  Rock  was 
appointed;  John  Jack,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
office  declared  vacant  January  4,  1872,  and  George 
Ernst  was  appointed;  J.  C,  Ogden,  elected  November 
5,  1872,  failed  to  qualif}^  and  George  Ernst  was 
appointed  April  3,  1873,  and  elected  November  3, 
1874,  re-elected  November  7,  1876;  A.  M.  Hawkins, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  Aug.  Matthews,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

S.  L.  Baker,  appointed  by  the  Executive,  April  4, 
1864;  C.  E.  Ashburn,  elected  November  6,  1866, 
failed  to  qualify,  and  G.  A.  Swasey  was  appointed, 
January  6,  1868,  and  resigned,  July  21,  1868;  L.  W. 
Ferris,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy,  was  elected  No- 
vember 3,  1868,  and  resigned  November  18,  1868,  W. 
W.  Brow!i  appointed  to  fill  the  place;  J.  Cornell, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  J.  W.  Hollis,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  C.  C.  Dykeman,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  J.  L.  Thomason,  elected  November  7, 
1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878;  A.  Crabtree, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

ECONOMY   AND    HEALTHY    GROWTH. 

The  territorj-  originall)-  embraced  in  Nye  County 
was  carved  out  of  Esmeralda. 

April  2,  1864,  in  accordance  with  the  Creative  Act, 
the  Governor  issued  hio  proclamation,  locating  the 
county  seat  at  lone  City,  and  ai)poiuting  the  first 
county  offifiers. 

The  County  Commissioners  thus  appointed  con- 
vened at  the  countj'  seat  April  26,  1864,  and  ijuali- 
fied  by  taking  the  prescribed  oath  of  office  and  the 
oath  of  allegiance. 

A  tax  was  then  ordered  of  eighty  cents  on  each 
$100  worth  of  taxable  property  in  the  county,  to  be 
■made  immediately  i>:iyablo;  and  the  Clerk  was  in- 
structed to  notify  the  Auditor,  Assessor,  Treasurer 
and  Tax  Collector  of  the  fact.  Thus  was  the 
machinery  placed,  and    the   wheels   of  government 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


515 


were  set  in  motion.  Although  the  birth  of  the 
new  county  was  ushered  in  by  the  discovery  of  a 
new  mining  district,  there  was  not  that  unbridled 
extravagance  in  the  management  of  its  financial 
affairs  which  characterized  and  distinguislied  many 
of  the  county  organizations  of  the  Slate. 

A  Court  House  was  necessary,  and  the  modest 
sum  of  ?800  was  deemed  sufficient  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  building  for  that  purpose. 

The  wisdom  of  the  Commissioners,  in  this  regard, 
is  now  apparent,  as  the  county  seat  was  removed 
from  lono  in  three  years'  time.  Februarj'  G,  18(57, 
the  Legislature  of  the  State  passed  an  Act  decreeing 
that  from  and  after  the  fifteenth  daj-  of  tlie  follow- 
ing May,  the  county  seat  of  Nye  Countj^  should  be 
at  the  town  of  Belmont,  to  which  place  the  i)ublic 
records,  archives  and  officers  were  moved  on  the  day 
provided. 

The  numerous  mines  located  in  that  vicinity,  and 
the  rapid  developments  that  were  being  made, 
attracted  wealth  and  population,  and  Belmont  soon 
became  an  important  center  for  all  kinds  of  busi- 
ness. The  year  previous  and  the  year  following  the 
change  of  the  county  seat,  several  quartz  mills  were 
constructed  in  the  district,  of  which  Belmont  was 
the  center. 

DEBT    AND    COUNTY    BUILDINOS. 

In  1874  it  was  found  necessary  to  build  a  Court 
House  and  county  jail  at  the  county  seat,  with 
accommodations  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  growing 
county.  The  sum  of  §34,000  was  appropriated  for 
this  purpose,  and  the  bonds  of  the  county  were 
issued  to  cover  the  appropriation.  This  fact  will 
explain  the  great  increase  of  the  countj'  debt  in  the 
year  1875,  which  was  869.101.  The  total  valuation 
of  property  for  that  j'car  was  61,500,000.  The  jjop- 
ulation  was  nearly  2,000.  From  that  year  to  the 
present  the  county  indebtedness  has  steadil}'  dimin- 
ished, and  the  population  remains  about  the  same. 

The  bullion  product  of  Nye,  although  aggregating 
nearly  SS, 000, 000,  has  not  been  so  great  as  that  of 
some  other  counties,  nor  the  returns  from  her  agri- 
culture so  satisfactory.  Still  the  afl'airs  of  the 
county  are,  and  always  have  been,  in  a  health}-  and 
flourishing  condition.  ; 

In  the  tables,  found  on  jiagcs  i:55.  180,  1.80  and  140    i 
of  the  general  history,  can  be  seen  the  total  products   ' 
of  the  county,  the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation,   j 
the  stock  and   grain  raised,  and   the  fruit  trees  and 
vineyards  under  training.      For  the  bullion  product 
of  the  county  see  table  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

ORAZINti    A.\D    AliRICULTUUK. 

The  topography  of  the  county  difTers  little  from 
that  of  the  major  portion  of  Nevada,  consisting  of 
valleys  running  north  and  south,  and  of  mountain 
spurs  and  ranges.  A  few  years  ago  Nye  was  con- 
sidei-ed  a  fine  grazing  countr}-,  but  its  feed  supply 
has  been  nearly  destroyed  by  the  large  herds  of 
stock   which  have  been  subsisted    within   its  boun- 


daries for  several  seasons  past.  During  the  last  two 
years  more  than  10,000  head  of  cattle  have  been 
driven  awaj-.  The  summer  feed  consists  of  bunch 
grass.  The  winter  feed  is  white  sage,  a  fine  forage 
plant  growing  from  eight  to  ten  inches  high,  which 
is  not  eaten  bj'  stock  till  after  a  heavj-  frost  occurs, 
which  latter  sweetens  or  softens  the  plant.  Cattle 
are  then  very  fond  of  it,  and  prefer  it  to  anything  else, 
and,  where  it  is  abundant,  will  fatten  on  it  through 
the  severest  winters  known  in  Nevada.  The  ranch- 
ers of  this  county  have  never  been  seriously  troubled 
with  grasshoppers,  but  crops  are  frequently  injured 
by  frosts.  With  the  exception  of  barley,  very  little 
grain  is  raised.  Alfalfa  does  well,  and  is  being  intro- 
duced where  sufficient  water  can  be  had  for  irrigation 
purposes. 

In  1874  the  Surveyor  General  reported  ten  ditches 
in  the  county  for  this  purpose,  and  that  3,000  acres 
of  land  were  being  supplied  with  water  sufficient  to 
make  them  productive.  Fruit  trees,  especially  apples, 
pears  and  plums,  were  being  cultivated  with  good 
success.  At  that  time  the  value  of  taxable  propertj' 
in  the  county  was  a  little  over  .?1.5M0,00(),  nearly 
two-thirds  of  which  was  personal  property.  Since 
then  the  value  of  jiersonal  property  has  been  re- 
duced one-half,  while  the  real  estate  value  has  re- 
mained about  the  same,  showing  that  while  the 
mining  interests  of  the  count}'  have  materially  de. 
dined,  the  farming  and  grazing  interests  have  about 
held  their  own. 

VALLEYS   OP  THE   COUNTY. 

DucKWATER  Valley  commences  about  seven 
miles  south  of  the  north  line  of  the  county,  and  runs 
southerly  into  Railroad  Valley.  It  is  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  wide  and  about  twelve  miles  long,  and  is 
well  watered  by  Duckwater  Creek.  It  almost  en- 
tirely consists  of  meadow  land,  only  about  800  acres 
of  which  arc  under  cultivation.  It  produces  all  kinds 
of  grain  and  vegetables,  which  are  only  slightly 
liable  to  injury  by  frost.  .Many  fruit  trees  have  been 
planted,  none  of  which  are  yet  old  enough  to  bear. 

Hot  Creek  Valley  runs  nearly  parallel  with  Rail- 
road Valley,  and  is  about  eight  miles  wide  and  200 
miles  long.  It  affords  good  winter  grazing,  produc 
ing  white  sage  in  abundance.  Its  water  supply  is 
insufficient,  being  obtained  from  small  creeks  and 
springs.  No  families  occu])y  the  valley  at  ])resent. 
The  towns  of  Hot  Creek.  Tybo  and  Morey  are  in  the 
bordering  mountains. 

Monitor  Valley  lies  to  the  westwardol  Hot  Creek 
Valley  and  extends  about  seventy  miles  southerly 
from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  county,  and  is 
about  eight  miles  wide.  It  is  watered  by  Fine  and 
.Mos(|uil<)  Creeks  and  several  other  small  streams. 
Only  about  300  acres  of  its  entire  area  are  under 
cultivation;  the  balance  consists  of  hay  land.  This 
valley  was  first  settled  in  ISOtl  by  Jacob  and  Samuel 
Stainenger.  Soon  afterwards  (ieorge  and  Thomas 
Andrews  settled  near  them,  and  in  a  difficulty  which 


516 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ultimately  followed,    Thomas   Andrews   was  killed. 
The  Stainengers  were  acquitted. 

Ralston  Valley  commences  at  a  point  sixty  miles 
south  of  the  northern  lineof  the  county  near  the  town 
of  Belraont,  and  runs  to  the  southern  line.  It  is 
about  eight  miles  wide,  contains  no  water,  and  no 
attempts  to  settle  it  have  ever  been  made.  It  was 
named  in  memory  of  Judge  James  fl.  Ralston,  who 
left  Austin  on  May  1,  1864,  to  go  to  his  ranch,  situ- 
ated about  thirtj'-five  miles  .southwest  of  Austin. 
Losing  his  way,  he  crossed  several  mountain  ranges, 
and  on  the  eighth  of  May  died  of  exposure  and  star- 
vation at  the  edge  of  the  valley  bearing  his  name,  at 
a  locality  sixteen  miles  southeast  of  Belmont.  He 
had  traveled  more  than  250  miles.  Some  days  after 
his  departure  from  Austin,  his  friends  feared  that 
something  had  befallen  him,  and  a  search  party  was 
dispatched  to  overtake  him,  but  returned  unsuccess- 
ful. A  second  party  was  organized,  and,  accom- 
panied by  Indians,  trailed  him  to  the  place  of  his 
death,  and  recovered  his  body.  Here  and  there,  on 
their  way,  they  discovered  evidences  that  he  had  fed 
on  mountain  berries,  and  had  been  sufficiently 
refreshed  to  resume  his  dreary  pilgrimage.  On  the 
day  he  died  he  was  observed  by  an  Indian  while 
staggering  along  in  a  demented  condition.  The 
Indian  remarked  to  his  squaw  that"  that  man  would 
die  before  night,"  and  approaching  the  Judge 
endeavored  to  take  charge  of  him.  but  was  unable 
to  do  so,  and  found  his  body  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. The  Indian  refrained  from  communicating  the 
fact  to  the  whites  for  fear  of  being  charged  with 
murder.  In  1837,  Judge  Ralston  succeeded  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  as  Judge  of  the  Fifth  District  of  Illinois. 
Later  he  was  a  State  Senator  in  Illinois,  and  a  Quar- 
termaster in  the  arm}-  during  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
In  1850  he  removed  to  Sacramento,  California,  and 
became  a  State  Senator,  and  about  1860  came  to 
Nevada.  At  the  time  of  his  death  his  family  resided 
at  Austin. 

Railroad  Valley,  on  some  maps  called  Warm 
Springs  Valley,  lies  between  the  White  Pine  Range  and 
the  Pancake  range  of  mountains,  and  is  twelve  miles 
wide  and  nearlj-  20u  miles  long.  This  valley  was 
first  settled  in  1867  by  Alexander  Beaty  and  others. 
There  is  a  lack  of  water,  which  is  found  only  in 
occasional  spots,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities  for 
use  in  irrigation.  There  is  enough  for  stock-raising, 
however,  and  the  valley  is  a  good  stock-raising 
region,  producing  plenty  of  white  sage  and  sand 
grass.  It  also  contains  two  salt  marshes,  which  sup- 
ply the  local  demand  for  salt  for  milling  and  domes- 
tic purposes.  There  is  at  present  but  one  family 
in  the  valley. 

Reese  River  A''allev,  which  extends  south  from 
Lander  County  and  reaches  thirty  miles  into  Nye,  is 
eight  miles  wide,  well  watered  and  contains  eighteen 
Pinches  and  fifty  inhabitants.     About  900  acres  have 


been  brought  under  cultivation,  much  of  which  is 
white  sage  land  which  yields  well. 

Sierra,  or  White  River,  Valley  extends  across 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county  and  is  an  extensive 
grazing  region  with  a  number  of  fine  ranches  in  it. 

S.\ioKY  Valley  also  commences  in  Lander  County, 
and  for  140  miles  runs  southward  through  Nye,  a 
little  west  of  the  center,  being  about  fifteen  miles  in 
width,  and  watered  by  numerous  small  streams  and 
springs.  H.  Rpbinson  and  William  Shay  were  the 
first  settlers.  They  took  up  land  as  early  as  1863. 
The  valley  now  contains  thirteen  ranches  and  forty 
inhabitants,  and  500  acres  of  ground  are  under  culti- 
vation. The  crops  suffer  verj-  little  from  frost,  the 
reverse  of  which  is  the  case  in  the  principal  portions 
of  the  county.  An  extensive  salt  marsh  is  in  the 
central  part  of  the  valley,  from  which  large  quantities 
of  salt  is  gathered  for  the  supply  of  the  quartz  mills 
of  the  neighboring  districts.  Some  remarkable  hot 
springs,  elsewhere  described,  are  in  the  southern 
part. 

principal  mining  districts. 

Blue  Spring  District  is  situated  about  fifty  miles 
southerly  from  Austin,  and  about  seventeen  miles 
northerly  from  the  stage  station  of  Hot  Spring, 
ilineral  discoveries  were  made  there  in  1867,  upon 
which  a  district  was  immediatelj'  organized.  Fifteen 
locations  have  been  made.  The  formation  in  which 
the  veins  are  found  consists  of  slate,  quartz,  por])liyry 
and  granite.  The  veins  run  with  the  formation,  in 
the  direction  of  northeast  and  southwest.  The  ore 
is  low  grade,  is  both  free  and  base,  and  contains  a 
trace  of  gold.  A  fifty-foot  shaft  is  the  deepest  in  the 
district.  Freight  charges  to  Austin  are  twenty 
dollars  per  ton.  Timber  and  water  are  scarce.  No 
mills  have  yet  been  erected,  and  but  little  work  has 
been  done  in  the  district  for  several  years.  The  ore 
is  worked  b}'  milling  and  roasting,  and  has  thus  far 
been  taken  to  Park  (".ifion  in  .Vnrtli  Twin  District. 
The  name  of  the  post-office  at  Blue  Spring  District  is 
Minnium.  The  mining  records  are  kept  by  J.  H. 
Greenhalgh. 

Danville  District  is  situated  in  the  Monitor  range 
of  mountains,  about  half  waj-  between  Hot  Creek 
and  Eureka,  and  a  little  westerl_v  of  the  direct  line. 
Ore  was  discovered  by  P.  W.  Mansfield  in  1866,  and 
a  district  organized  which  was  re-organized  in  1870. 
(Quartz  veins  are  found  in  a  formation  of  limestone, 
running  north  and  south  with  the  formation,  and 
dipping  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
The  ore  is  free,  and  bears  a  small  trace  of  gold.  It 
is  most  advantageously  worked  by  the  milling  pro- 
cess. Spring  water  is  abundant,  and  nut  ])ine  grows 
in  close  pro.ximiry.  The  freight  rate  to  Eureka,  by 
team,  is  thirty-five  dollars  per  ton.  The  prin(.-i|)al 
mines  are  the  Sage  lien,  Boston,  Kucalyptus,  Argo- 
naut and  Richmond.  The  greatest  depth  of  shaft  is 
in  the  Boston,  150  feet;  the  greatest  length  of  tunnel 
is  in  the  Eucalj'ptus,  125  feet.     About  thirty  locations 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


517 


have  been  made  thus  far.  The  ore  is  hauled  to  Morey. 
From  1877  to  18711  about  twenty  men  worked  in  the 
various  mines,  but  only  five  arc  now  employed,  and 
very  little  more  than  assessment  work  is  done. 
Some  of  the  ore  assays  from  .S2(I0  to  -SciOd  per  ton. 
The  mining  records  are  kept  b^-  Frank  Miller. 

E.MPIRE  District  takes  in  a  portion  of  the  town  of 
Tybo,  and  is  in  the  Hot  Creek  range,  about  100 
miles  southerlj'  from  Eureka.  Ore  was  discovered 
in  August,  1866,  by  John  Centers,  P.  B.  Ilaight,  J. 
B.  Saburn,  E.  P.  Sine,  and  others,  and  a  district  was 
immediatelj'  organized.  The  principal  mines  are  the 
Bunker  Hill,  Mayflower  and  Sclavonian  Chief.  The 
greatest  length  of  tunnel  is  in  the  Bunker  Hill.  200 
feet;  the  greatest  depth  of  shaft,  180  feet.  The  for- 
mation is  of  limestone,  running  southeast  and  north- 
west, the  veins  running  with  it  "and  dipping  to  the 
east  at  an  angle  of  thirty'  degrees.  The  ores  are 
both  free  and  base,  and  contain  lead,  iron,  a  little 
copper  and  a  small  percentage  of  gold.  The  num- 
ber of  locations  in  the  district  is  168,  and  the  number 
of  mines  twenty.  Little  more  than  prospecting  has 
ever  been  done  excepting  in  the  Bunker  Hill  Mine, 
from  which  about  2.000  tons  of  ore  have  been  taken 
that  yielded  from  thirtj-  to  thirty-five  dollars  per  ton. 
Small  lots  of  surface  deposits  have  been  shipped  from 
the  district  which  went  as  high  as  S500  per  ton,  but 
no  permanent  ledge  of  such  value  has  been  found. 
Sufficient  spring- water  is  available,  and  at  a  distance 
of  eight  miles  nut  pine  is  abundant.  The  ore  is 
worked  b_v  the  milling  process.  Freight  teamed 
from  Eureka  costs  forty  dollars  per  ton.  The  mining 
records  of  the  district  are  kept  bj-  J.  D.  Pago,  of 
Tybo. 

GR.A.NT  District  was  organized  on  the  twcntj-- 
sevcnth  of  October,  1868,  and  lies  on  the  western 
elope  of  the  White  Pine  Mountain-*,  at  a  locality 
seventy-five  miles  south  of  Hamilton.  The  forma- 
tion is  of  talcose  slate,  which  dips  to  the  east.  The 
two  principal  mineral  veins  also  dip  to  the  east  at  an 
angle  of  forlj--five  degrees.  They  run  parallel.  The 
mountain  is  lofty,  broken  and  precipitous,  and  affords 
an  abundant  supply  of  white  and  j-cUow  pine,  fir  and 
other  woods  valuable  either  for  fuel  or  timber. 
Water  and  grass  are  also  abundant.  The  Meridian 
ledge  is  about  four  feet  wide,  the  ore  of  which  con- 
tains carbonate  of  copper  and  chloride  of  silver.  The 
width  of  Blue  Eagle  ledge  is  five  feel,  the  ore  of 
which  is  a  green  and  blue  carbonate  of  copper. 
Assays  show  silver  as  high  as  8300  dollars  per  ton. 
Very  little  work  has  been  done  in  t  he  district.  But- 
terficld's  Salt  Marsh  is  adjacent,  and  could  produce 
an  unlimited  amount  of  salt  for  milling  purposes.  In 
1860  a  considerable  quantity-  of  ore  was  shipped  to 
Austin  from  Grant  District,  and  j-iclded  from  8500  to 
$600  per  ton.     The  ore  is  base. 

Hot  Creek  District  was. organized  in  1806,  ore 
having  been  discovered  by  William  Waters,  William 
Robinson,  and  others.    The  mining  records  are  kept 


65 


by  W.  Gluys.  There  are  ten  miners  in  the  district, 
and  the  number  of  locations  is  200.  The  formation 
is  limestone  running  north  and  south,  the  veins  run- 
ning with  it,  and  dipping  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of 
eighty-five  degrees.  The  ore  is  free-milling,  bears  a 
small  per  cent,  of  gold,  a.ssays  as  high  as  8900  per 
ton,  and  averages  about  8250.  The  principal  mines 
are  the  Old  Dominion,  New  Dominion,  Coal  Burner, 
Wyandott,  Mountain  View,  Free  Ore  Ledge,  Oliver 
Twist  and  Night  Watch.  The  Old  Dominion  has  a 
shaft  300  feet  deep,  and  the  Night  Watch  a  tunnel 
300  feet  long.  Freight  is  teamed  from  Eureka,  a 
distance  of  eighty-five  miles,  at  the  rate  of  forty 
dollars  per  ton.  Water  is  abundant,  and  plenty  of 
nut  pine  is  to  be  had  at  a  distance  of  two  miles. 
The  mineral  belt  included  in  this  district  is  about  six 
miles  long  and  a  n\ile  in  width.  There  is  a  belt  of 
slate  on  the  cast  of  the  mines,  and  near  them  an 
outcropping  of  transition  rock.  The  district  received 
its  name  from  a  great  natural  curiosity,  being  a 
stream  of  hot  water  of  several  hundred  inches  in 
measurement,  and  running  for  several  miles  in  a 
deep  chasm  through  the  mountains,  sinking  in  a  tuie 
marsh  in  a  valley  east  of  the  range. 

Jackson  District  is  in  the  lone,  or  Shoshone, 
range  of  mountains,  thirty  miles  south  of  the  rail- 
road station  of  Ledlie,  and  ten  miles  west  of  the 
stage  station  of  Barrett.  Ore  was  discovered  in 
18G4  by  a  prospector  named  Thomas  Barnes,  and 
the  North  Union  District  was  organized.  In  1878 it 
was  reorganized  under  the  name  of  Jackson  District. 
The  veins  are  found  in  a  formation  of  porphj-ry  and 
syenite,  and  run  north  and  south,  the  veins  running 
with  it,  and  dipjiing  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  from 
forty  to  si.xty  degrees.  The  ores  are  free  and  con- 
tain metal  that  is  forty  per  cent,  of  silver  and  sixty 
per  cent,  of  gold.  The  principal  mines  are  the  San 
Francisco,  Arctic  and  North  Star.  The  Arctic  has 
a  shaft  sixty  feet  deep,  and  the  North  Star,  a  shaft 
fifty  feet  deep.  Wood  and  water  are  found  in 
abundance  immediately  around  the  mines.  The 
wood  consists  of  nut  pine  and  cedar.  Aboul  twenty 
locations  have  been  made  in  the  district,  and  there 
are  about  six  miners  there.  The  district  was  dis- 
tinguished, in  the  early  3-ears  of  its  organization,  for 
the  many  beautiful  specimens  of  geodes,  chalcedony, 
agates,  silicified  wood  and  other  stones,  valuable  to 
the  jeweler  and  lapidarj-,  found  in  it. 

Jett  District  is  situated  in  the  Toiyabe  range, 
near  Summit  Cafion,  thirty  miles  west  of  Belmont. 
Hot  Springs,  ten  miles  to  the  northward,  is  the  near- 
est stage  station.  Belmont  is  the  nearest  post-office. 
Ore  was  discovered  in  the  district  in  1875,  by  John 
D.ivenport.  During  the  ensuing  year,  the  district 
was  organized,  but  not  until  1880  did  active  opera- 
tions begin.  More  than  a  hundred  locations  have 
been  made,  although  no  miners  are  now  resident 
there.  The  records  are  kept  bj-  J.  W.  Bolcn,  of  Hot 
Springs,     The   principal  wines  aro  the  Centennial, 


518 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Seventy-six  and  the  Idlewild.  In  the  Centennial, 
the  ores  are  of  a  varied  character,  such  as  carbonate 
of  lead,  argentiferous  galena,  zincblende  and  anti- 
mony. They  are  very  rich,  assaying  from  SlOO  to 
8300  per  ton.  The  general  character  of  the  ore  in 
the  district,  however,  is  low  grade  and  base,  with 
no  trace  of  gold.  The  veins  are  found  between 
slate  and  porphyry.  The  greatest  depth  of  shaft. 
190  feet,  is  in  the  Centennial;  the  greatest  length  of 
tunnel,  200  feet,  is  in  the  Idlewild.  Plenty  of 
wood  and  water  are  to  be  had  near  the  mines.  Con- 
siderable ore  has  been  shipped  to  Eureka  and 
smelted.  Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin,  sixty 
miles  distant,  at  the  rate  of  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 
A  New  York  company  contemplates  active  opera- 
tions at  an  early  date. 

Lone  Mountain  District  takes  its  name  from  a  sol- 
itary mountain  standing  in  Smoky  Valley.  On  this 
mountain  the  minei«  are  located.  The}-  were  discov- 
ered by  Mexicans  in  1863,  and  were  worked  in  a 
rude  way  for  several  years,  in  quest  of  gold.  A  dis- 
trict was  organized  in  1864.  In  1866  the  mines  were 
abandoned.  In  1878  new  mines  were  opened,  and 
the  ore  was  transported  to  Belleville  and  milled, 
yielding  from  seventy  to  seventy -five  dollars  per  ton. 
The  number  of  miners  now  in  the  district  is  fifteen; 
the  number  of  locations,  twenty.  The  veins  are  found 
between  slate  and  porphyry,  and  run  with  the  forma- 
tion in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction,  dipping 
to  the  east.  The  ore  is  base,  being  adapted  for 
smelting,  and  contains  copper,  lead,  silver  and  some 
gold.  The  greatest  depth  of  shaft  is  thirty-five 
feet.  The  nearest  railroad  point  is  Austin,  120  miles 
distant,  from  which  freight  is  brought  by  team. 
Spring-water  is  abundant,  and  there  is  plenty  of  nut 
pine  and  cedar  convenient  of  access.  Not  very  far 
west  of  Lone  Mountain  is  a  salt  mine,  but  it  has 
never  been  worked  to  a  great  extent. 

JL\NHATTAN  DISTRICT  is  ten  miles  southwest  of 
Belmont.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1866  by  George 
NichoU,  and  a  district  was  organized  the  following 
year.  Fifty  locations  have  been  made.  The  princi- 
pal mines  are  the  Mohawk  and  Black  Hawk.  The 
veins  are  between  limestone  and  porphj-ry,  which 
formation  runs  north  and  south.  The  veins  run  with 
it  in  most  cases,  but  in  others,  across  it.  The  dip  is 
westerly,  at  an  angle  of  thirt3'-fivo  to  thirty-seven 
degrees.  The  ore  is  base,  containing  copper  and 
iron,  but  no  trace  of  gold.  The  Black  Hawk  Mine 
has  a  shaft  sixty  feet  deep,  and  the  Mohawk  a 
tunnel  100  feet  in  length.  Freight  from  Austin, 
ninety  miles  to  the  northward,  is  teamed  at  sixty 
dollars  per  ton.  Plenty  of  nut  pine  and  cedar  are 
close  by  the  mines,  and  the  supply  of  spring-water 
is  ample. '  The  ore  has  been  milled  at  Belmont,  and 
has  averaged  about  SIOO  per  ton.  Very  little  work 
has  been  done  in  the  district  since  1869.  The  mining 
records  are  kept  by  treorge  Nicholl. 

Milk  Spring  District  joins  Tybo  District  on  the 


south,  and  was  organized  in  1867.  About  forty  loca- 
tions have  been  made.  In  the  fall  of  1867  Colonel 
Bucl  worked  six  or  eight  mines.  Considerable  ore 
was  taken  out,  much  of  which  yet  remains  on  the 
dumps.  Since  then  nothing  has  been  done.  The 
district  receives  its  name  from  the  appearance  of 
the  water  which  rises  in  a  large  spring,  which, 
although  pure  to  the  taste,  is  milky  in  color. 

North  Twin  Eiver  District  lies  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Toiyabe  Mountains,  forty  miles  south  of 
Austin.  A  mill  was  built  there  in  1867,  by  the  La 
Plata  Mining  Company,  of  Reading.  Pennsylvania, 
but  ran  only  for  a  short  time.  The  Buckeye  Min- 
ing Companj",  of  New  York,  worked  extensively  for 
several  years  upon  the  Buckej'e  Mine,  which  was 
discovered  and  opened  in  1865.  The  mine  produced 
considerable  silver,  the  ore  being  in  irregular  bunches, 
sometimes  very  rich  and  promising,  but  not  equaling 
the  great  expectations,  the  mine  was  abandoned  by 
them.  Ore  is  occasionally  taken  out  and  shipped  to 
Austin. 

San  Antonio  District  is  situated  in  the  Toiyabe 
Mountains,  about  thirty-six  miles  southwest  of  Bel- 
mont. Ore  was  discovered  in  1863  by  a  party  of 
Mexicans,  and  a  district  was  at  once  organized. 
Considerable  work  was  done  during  the  ensuing 
few  years.  In  1865  a  ten-stamp  mill  was  built  at 
San  Antone  Station,  in  Smoky  Valley,  twelve  miles 
distant,  but  after  being  operated  a  year  it  was  pulled 
down  and  removed  to  some  other  mining  locality. 
A  four-stamp  mill  was  also  built  in  1867,  but  was 
only  run  a  year.  Slate,  lime  and  porphyry-  are  the 
prevailing  formations,  and  run  north  and  south,  the 
veins  running  in  the  same  direction.  The  ore  is 
base.  It  is  of  high  grade  and  boars  load  and  anti- 
mony, but  no  gold.  It  is  worked  by  the  milling  and 
roasting  process.  The  principal  mines  are  the  Poto- 
mac and  Liberty.  The  latter  contains  a  shaft  400 
feet  deep.  Plenty  of  nut  pine  and  cedar  are  found 
at  the  distance  of  twenty  miles  from  the  mines. 
Water  is  hauled  from  springs  three  miles  distant. 
Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin,  100  miles  distant,  at 
a  cost  of  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 

Silver  Point  District  is  twelve  miles  south  of  the 
stage  station  of  Hot  Spring.  The  nearest  post-office 
is  Belmont.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1865  by  Edward 
Shumwaj-  and  others,  and  a  district  was  organized 
under  tho  name  of  Argcntoro.  In  1871  it  was  re- 
organized under  the  present  name.  Twenty-one 
locations  have  been  made.  Tho  veins  are  found  be- 
tween slate  and  porphyry,  and  run  north  and  south 
with  tho  formation,  dipping  to  the  southwest  at 
an  angle  of  fort3--fivc  degrees.  The  ores  are 
base,  containing  copper  and  iron,  and  aver- 
age about  $130  to  tho  ton.  About  100  tons 
have  been  taken  out  that  have  not  been  milled. 
The  principal  mines  are  the  Minnesota,  Blue 
Bell,  Modoc  and  Monte  Christo,  The  shaft  of  the 
I   Minnesota  is  eighty  feet  in  depth.     Water  is  scarce. 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


619 


Plenty  of  wood  is  found  within  three  miles  of  the 
mines.  Freight  is  brought  from  Austin,  seventy 
miles  to  the  northward,  at  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 
The  ores  of  the  district  are  worked  at  Austin  and 
Jefferson.  The  mining  records  are  kept  by  the 
County  Clerk. 

Springfield  District  is  on  the  west  side  of  Moni- 
tor Vallej',  in  Silver  Bend  Mountains,  about  thirty- 
five  miles  north  of  Belmont.  It  was  organized 
November  2-i,  1874.  More  than  a  hundred  springs 
furnish  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  while  the 
slope  of  the  mountain  is  covered  with  white  and  nut 
pines.  The  ores  arc  base,  containing  iron,  lead  and 
silver,  and  best  adapted  for  smelting.  The  bolt  has 
been  traced  for  five  miles  along  the  range,  some 
of  the  veins  being  shown  by  continuous  croppings  for 
a  mile  or  thereabout,  which  reappear  in  the  distance. 
Considerable  work  has  been  done  on  the  Sheba  Mine, 
which  produces  ore  assaj-ing  ninety  dollars  to  the 
ton. 

The  Devil's  Punch  Bowl.  About  a  mile  east  of 
the  district  is  the  remarkable  feature  of  nature 
known  as  the  Devil's  Punch  Bowl.  It  consists  of  a 
butte  in  the  form  of  an  inverted  wash-bowl,  which 
is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  diameter  where  it  touches 
the  ground,  and  a  hundred  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
apex.  Upon  ascending  the  smooth  side  of  the^bowl 
to  the  top,  the  visitor  is  confronted  by  an  immense 
chasm,  almost  perfectly  circular,  with  vertical  walls, 
and  of  great  depth,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a 
seething  cauldron  of  boiling  water  of  unfathomable 
depth,  which  is  incessantly  foaming  and  exhaling  hot 
vapors  and  steam. 

SuM.MiT  District  is  in  the  Toiyabe  range  of  mount- 
ains, thirty  miles  south  of  Austin,  on  the  southeast 
side  of  Bunker  Hill.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1863,  a 
district  organized,  and  three  mills  erected.  Opera- 
tions were  not  successful,  however,  owing  to  inade- 
quate machinery,  and  lack  of  proper  knowledge  of 
the  ores.  The  companies  engaged  in  mining  failed, 
and  very  little  work  has  been  done  since.  The  prin- 
cipal mines  are  the  Victorine  and  Phtenician.  The 
formation  of  the  latter  is  limestone  and  slate.  The 
vein  is  five  feet  thick,  has  a  course  east  and  west, 
and  dips  north  at  an  angle  of  forty  degrees,  A  tun- 
nel fifty  feet  in  length  has  been  driven  into  the  ledge, 
and  from  the  end  of  it  an  incline  has  been  sunk 
forty  feet.  The  ore  contains  a  large  per  cent,  of 
gold.  Assays  have  been  made  which  show  $150 
gold,  and  8125  silver  per  ton.  Some  years  ago,  1,800 
tons  of  ore  from  the  Victorine  were  worked,  the 
average  pulp  assays  of  which  were  sixty  dollars  per 
ton.  Thirty-seven  per  cent,  only  of  this  was  saved, 
which  was  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
milling  and  mining.  There  is  plenty  of  good  ore  in 
this  district,  which  improved  machinery  could  handle 
at  a  profit.  There  is  an  abundance  of  water,  and 
wood  can  be  had  at  five  dollars  per  cord.  The  ore 
can  be  mined  and  delivered  at  the  mills  for  two  dollars 


and  fifty  cents  per  ton,      [This  district  is  probably 
in  Lander  County,] 

Toiyabe  District  is  fifteen  miles  north  of  San 
Antone  Station.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1876  by 
Messrs,  Nicholl,  Wallmer  and  Terrill.  In  1878  a 
district  was  organized,  but  no  town  has  ever  been 
built  there.  The  veins  are  between  limestone  and 
slate,  and  between  slate  and  porphyry,  and  run 
north  and  south  with  the  formation,  dipping  to  the 
west  at  an  angle  of  forty  degrees.  The  ores  are 
both  free  and  base,  and  bear  gold  and  silver.  The 
base  ores  contain  lead  and  antimony.  In  some  of 
the  mines  there  is  very  little  silver,  the  ore  going 
about  8300  per  ton.  About  thirty  tons  have  been 
milled  at  Jefferson,  The  base  ore  yields  from  sixty 
to  eight}-  dollars  per  ton.  Wood  and  water  are 
abundant,  the  latter  being  obtained  from  springs. 
Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin,  eighty  miles  to  the 
northward,  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  dollars  per 
ton.  The  principal  mines  are  the  Toiyabe  North, 
Wykiup,  California  North,  California  South  and 
Toiyabe  South,  The  deepest  shaft  in  the  district  is 
-seventy-two  feet.  The  mining  records  are  kept  by 
S.  Compton  at  Peavine, 

Other  districts  are  described  in  connection  with 
the  principal  towns  within  their  limits, 
principal  towns  and  cities. 

Belmont,  the  countj-  seat  of  Nye  County,  is  situ- 
ated on  a  sloping  plateau  of  the  Toquima  range  of 
mountains,  and  has  an  altitude  of  8,000  feet.  Its 
environs  are  picturesque  in  the  extreme.  The  loca- 
tion is  also  at  the  center  of  the  important  Philadel- 
phia Mining  District,  the  principal  mines  of  which 
are  aliout  a  mile  east  of  town.  They  are  the  Bel- 
mont, Ilighbridge,  Arizona,  El  Dorado  South,  El 
Dorado  North,  Combination,  Green  &  Oder,  North 
Belmont,  Monitor-Belmont  and  Quintero.  Ore  was 
discovered  by  an  Indian,  and  the  first  locations  were 
made  in  October,  1865,  soon  after  which  a  district 
was  organized  called  the  Philadelphia.  In  1866  the 
name  was  changed  to  Silver  Bend,  but  in  the  same 
year  was  changed  back  to  the  one  originall}- 
adopted.  The  quartz  veins  are  found  between  slate 
and  porphyry,  which  formation  runs  north  and 
south,  the  veins  running  with  it,  and  dipping  east- 
erly at  an  angle  of  from  thirty -seven  to  forty-five 
degrees.  The  ore  is  base,  containing  copper,  lead 
and  antimony,  and  is  worked  by  milling  and  roasting. 

Spring-water  is  abundant  for  all  purposes,  and  nut 
pine  and  cedar  are  found  within  eight  miles  of  town. 
Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin,  ninety  miles  distant, 
and  from  Eureka,  109  miles  distant,  at  the  rate  of 
from  two  to  three  dollars  per  100  pounds.  The  com- 
pletion of  rail  communication  to  Walkers  Lake  will 
probably  somewhat  reduce  these  rates.  Three  hun- 
dred locations  have  been  made  in  this  district. 

The  first  mill  was  built  in  1866.  having  ten  stamps. 
During  the  following  year  a  twenty-stamp  mill  was 
put  up,  and   in    1868  a  forty-stamp  mill.     The  first 


520 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


mill  erected  ceased  operations  in  1869.  The  second 
was  idle  from  1868  until  1878,  after  which  it  ran  at 
intervals  for  two  years,  and  was  then  taken  down 
and  moved  to  Gold  Mountain.  The  third  stopped 
running  in  1876.  The  present  facilities  for  working 
ore  consist  of  a  five-stamp  and  a  twenty-stamp  mill. 
The  richest  of  the  ore  has  yielded  as  high  as  81,000 
per  ton. 

The  deepest  shaft  in  the  district  is  in  the  Belmont 
Mine,  and  penetrates  to  the  depth  of  500  feet.  At 
the  depth  of  360  feet  a  level  has  been  run  in  the  vein 
for  the  distance  of  1,400  feet.  In  sinking  winzes  from 
this  level  two  ehimnej's  of  ore  were  discovered,  pitch- 
ing south,  which  were  so  remurkabiy  rich  that  the 
stock  of  the  company  rose  from  81.50  to  830  per  share 
within  a  few  days.  One  of  these  chimneys  was 
within  200  feet  of  the  locality  from  which  the  Can- 
field  Company  took  half  a  million  dollars'  worth  of 
ore  a  few  years  ago.  Considerable  difficultj*  is  ex- 
perienced ia  working  the  Belmont  Mine,  on  account 
of  the  flow  of  water.  Pumps  throwing  out  200  gal- 
lons of  water  per  minute  can  scarcely  remedy  the 
difficulty.  Nevertheless  the  mine  has  been  most 
entensively  developed,  which  can  also  be  said  of  the 
El  Dorado  South.  The  shaft  of  the  Monitor-Belmont 
has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  250  feet,  and  much  rich 
ore  has  been  taken  out.  An  incline  in  the  Arizona 
Mine  is  175  feet  in  depth.  Some  of  the  ore  extracted 
from  the  Green  &  Oder  Mine  has  yielded  8400  per 
ton.  The  records  of  the  district  are  kept  by  George 
Nicholl,  of  Belmont. 

The  first  settler  of  Belmont  was  Antonio  Borquez, 
who  arrived  in  1865.  He  was  soon  followed  by  A. 
BiUraan,  H.  G.  C.  Schmidt,  J.  M.  Reed,  C.  L.  Straight, 
R.  Kelley,  D.  R.  Dean,  Len.  Martin,  O.  Brown,  S. 
Tallman,  J.  Grover,  D.  E.  Buel,  Dr.  \Vm.  Geller, 
Charles  St.  Louis,  J.  W.  Gashwiler,  S.  M.  Burk  and 
others.  Ore  discoveries,  the  convenience  of  wood 
and  water,  and  a  naturally  fine  location,  caused  the 
selection  of  the  town  site.  Belmont  was  most  pros- 
perous in  1866-67,  and  again  in  1873-74,  at  which 
times  it  contained  about  1,500  inhabitants.  Its  streets 
are  partially  shaded  by  maples,  locusts  and  Balm  of 
Gilead  trees. 

The  nearest  towns  are  these:  Barcelona,  eight 
miles  west;  Jefterson,  fourteen  miles  north;  Hot 
Creek,  thirty-five  miles  easterly,  andTybo  about  the 
same  distance  southeaster!}'.  Nut  pine,  cedar  and 
mountain  mahogany  arc  obtained  from  the  surround- 
ing hills.  At  present  the  town  contains  four  stores, 
two  saloons,  five  restaurants,  one  livery  stable,  a 
post-office,  an  assay  office,  a  blacksmith  shop,  and 
about  400  inhabitants,  '^'he  buildings  are  constructed 
of  stone,  brick,  adobe  and  wood. 

The  Episcopalians  and  Koman  Catholics  have 
organizations,  and  frame  houses  of  worship.  The 
Episcopalian  ('hurch  will  seat  200  persons,  and  the 
Catholic  Church  150.  There  are  no  clergymen  at 
Belmont,  however.     There  are  four  lawyers,  and  the 


extreme  healthfulness  of  the  township  enables  it  to 
fare  well  with  one  physician. 

The  number  of  quartz  mills  is  three — one  of  five 
stamps,  one  of  twenty  stamps,  and  one  of  thirty 
stamps.  The  water  supply  is  obtained  from  springs 
and  wells,  and  is  ample  for  general  use.  Merchandise 
is  procured  both  from  San  Francisco  and  Chicago. 
Secret  societies  consist  of  one  Masonic  lodge  and  one 
lodge  of  Good  Templars.  A  stone  school  house 
20x24  feet  in  size,  is  capable  of  seating  100  pupils, 
but  only  about  half  that  number  are  in  attendance. 
The  public  hospital  is  under  the  management  of  the 
County  Commissioner*',  and  at  present  contains  ten 
patients.  The  aggregate  length  of  streets  is  three 
miles.     The  sidewalks  are  of  wood  and  stone. 

Agricultural  interests  in  the  vicinitj-  are  not  of  an 
important  character.  Some  stock-raising  is  carried 
on.  In  Smokj-  Valley  are  numerous  hot  springs, 
which  have  attracted  much  attention. 

In  1867  a  weekly  newspaper  called  the  Silver  Bend 
Weekly  Reporter  was  established  and  continued  in 
existence  about  two  years.  Another  paper  The 
Mountain  Champion  was  published  in  1868  during  the 
election  campaign,  and  in  1874  the  Belmont  Courier 
was  established  and  still  continues. 

The  prices  of  board,  and  commodities  in  general,  as 
they  were  in  March,  1867,  may  be  learned  from  the 
following  extract  from  the  Silver  Bend  Reporter  of 
that  time: — 

For  the  information  of  persons  contemplating  a 
trip  to  Belmont,  we  append  the  following  list  of 
prices  of  various  articles  at  this  time.  Lumber  per 
1,000  feet,  8140;  stone  wall  per  perch,  85;  passage 
from  Austin,  815;  freight  from  Austin  per  pound, 
fast  4(«,5  cents,  slow  do  22@3;  board  per  week, 
S10(n)812;  flour,  per  1(10,  813;  sugar,  (crushed)  per 
])Ound,  33J  cents;  coft'ee,  45(5)50  cents;  bacon,  35(0)40 
cents;  wood  j)er  cord,  84(aj8G;  beef,  15(V^25  cents, 
eggs  per  dozen,  81.25;  tea  ])er  pound,  81(5 150; 
beans,  15(^20  cents;  butter,  75  cents;  barlej'  9(^10 
cents;  hay  per  ton,  875.  Adobes  are  valueless,  and 
there  is  no  brick,  shingles,  nor  shakes  in  the  market. 

Nye  County,  at  present,  is  classed  among  the  un- 
developed counties,  being  distant  from,  and  untouched 
by  any  railroad.  Every  other  county  has  some  rail- 
road history,  but  this  great  means  of  development 
promises  to  reach  these  most  distant  parts  at  an 
early  day.  From  the  east  is  promised  the  extension 
of  the  Utah  Southern  from  Milford,  through  the 
northern  part  of  Lincoln,  crossing  thiscountj-  bj-  Rev- 
eille and  Tum  Pah-Ute,  opening  easj-  communication 
to  Belmont,  San  Antonio.  Smoky  Valley  and  to  a 
junction  at  Silver  Peak  with  a  railroad  from  Califor- 
nia. The  work  of  construction  has  already  begun 
for  the  extension  of  the  Nevada  Central  from  Ledlie 
in  Lander  County,  under  the  name  of  the  Nevada 
Southern  Railway,  which  will  pass  through  the  rich 
mining  region  of  Granl.sville,  and  extending  to  a 
junction  with  the  road  from  California  and  from  the 
East. 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


sn 


?yCt>^,^^^<i^ 


Hon.  Benjamin  Curler  was  born  in  Ferrisburgh, 
Addison  County,  Vermont,  September  27.  18.34. 

Tho  father  of  our  present  subject  being  a  farmer  of 
no  great  wealth,  his  earlydays  were  spent  in  active 
pursuits,  and  were  only  varied  b}-  his  attendance  at 
the  district  school.  In  September,  1853,  he  entered 
a  high  school  kept  by  B.  B.  Allen,  at  Vergennes, 
Vermont,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  term,  re- 
turned to  his  father's  farm,  and  worked  until  the 
school  opened  again  the  next  September,  when  he 
once  more  settled  down  to  his  studies  in  good  earn- 
est. After  his  second  term,  he  taught  a  school  for 
four  months.  During  his  twenty-first  year  of  life 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  but  returned  to  his  native 
State,  and  taught  school  that  winter.  In  the  spring  of 
185C  he  again  went  to  Illinois,  and  for  a  period  of 
nearly  two  years  was  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and 
reading  law.  In  the  fall  of  1857  he  went  to  Wisconsin 
remaining  but  a  short  time,  however,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  In  the  spring  of  1859  ho  started  for  tho 
mines  at  Pike's  Peak,  Colorado,  and  not  realizing 
what  he  expected  in  that  region,  he  continued  his 


journey,  and  reached  Carson  City,  Nevada,  on  the 
fifteenth  of  September  of  that  year,  and  followed  tho 
occupation  of  carpentering  for  some  time.  In  1862 
he  kept  a  stage  station  on  the  Carson  River,  and 
continued  the  study  of  his  profession.  In  18G3  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature. 
March  9,  18G4,  was  appointed  County  Commissioner, 
by  Gov.  James  W.  Nye,  for  Churchill  County;  and 
during  the  same  year  ho  was  elected  District  Attor- 
ney, and  admitted  to  practice  law  in  all  the  Ter- 
I'itorial  Courts.  At  tho  general  election  in  186('>, 
ho  was  elected  District  Judge  of  the  Fifth  Judi- 
cial District,  comprising  the  counties  of  Xyo  and 
Churchill;  and  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office  four 
years  later,  his  opponent  being  the  Hon.  C.  H. 
Belknap.  At  the  expiration  of  his  last  term,  he 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  187C 
ho  was  elected  District  Attorney  for  Nye  County; 
and  was  re-elected  in  1878,  which  office  ho  still 
holds.  Mr.  Curler  is  well  known  throughout  the 
State  of  Nevada,  and  is  universally  esteemed.  He 
was  married  in  Vermont,  November  6,  1856.  to  Miss 
Rhoda  A.  Thompson. 


522 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Hon.  George  Ernst  was  born  in  Kirchheim,  Hessen 
CasBcl,  Germany,  a.  d.  1837.  His  father  is  a  stone 
mason,  and  is  still  living.  At  the  early  age  of  two 
years  the  subject  of  this  sketch  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  America.  In  184.")  his  family  settled  in 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  George  received  bis  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  that  place,  and  also  learned 
the  trade  of  his  father.  He  subsequentlj'  entered 
Konyon  College,  in  Ohio,  from  where  he  graduated 
with  high  honors  in  1862.  In  18G3  he  came  to 
Nevada,  and  located  at  Daj-lon.  Ln'oii  County,  where 
he  soon  alter  received  the  appointment  of  Deputy 
County  Surveyor,  under  John  Day,  and  for  three  years 
remained  in  that  office.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  Mr. 
Ernst  accompanied  Governor  II.  G.  Jilai.sdel  on  an 
expedition  to  Pahranagat  Valley,  and  for  a  time 
remained  there.  In  1867-68  he  was  Assessor  for 
Lincoln  County,  being  the  first  man  elected  to  that 
office  in  the  county.  In  1870  wo  find  him  a  farmer 
at  Hot  Creek,  in  Nye  County,  and  in  1872  he  was 
appointed  County  Survej-or  of  the  same,  to  which 
office  he  was  elected  in  1874  and  1876.  In  1877  he 
had  charge  of  the  office  of  County  Recorder  and 
Auditor,  and  was  elected  to  perform  the  duties  per- 
taining to  that  office  in  1878.  In  1880  ho  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly  of  the  Nevada  Legislature. 
Mr.  Ernst  was  the  first  to  suggest  to  Adolph  Siitro, 
the  feasibility  of  the  enterprise  resulting  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  famous  Sutro  Tunnel,  and  to  him  is 
accorded  the  honor  of  making  the  first  survey,  locat- 
ing the  tunnel  and  shafts.  In  connection  with  his 
many  other  duties  bo  has  been  Deputy  I'liited 
States  Mineral  Surveyor  for  eight  years.     In  politics 


he  is  a  Democrat,  but  was  a  strong  Union  man 
during  the  slight  misunderstanding  between  the 
North  and  South.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen 
Mary  Hinton  at  Dayton,  in  1865. 

Barcelona  is  eight  miles  west  of  Belmont,  in 
Spanish  Belt  District,  which  is  situated  in  the 
Smoky  Valley,  or  Toquima,  range.  Ore  was  discov- 
ered by  a  party  of  Mexicans  in  1867.  In  1875  the 
district  was  detached  from  the  Philadelphia  District, 
and  organized  as  at  present.  During  the  Ibllowing 
year  Barcelona  was  started,  and  attained  a  popula- 
tion of  150.  It  contained  a  store,  blacksmith  shop, 
assay  office,  three  boarding-houses,  etc..  but  was 
deserted  in  the  latter  part  of  1877,  by  reason  of  the 
cessation  of  work  in  the  mines.  In  1879  the  mines 
started  up  again,  and  about  500  tons  of  ore  were 
taken  out.  The  ores  of  the  district  are  rich,  and 
prospects  are  promising.  The  formation  is  between 
slate  and  porphyry,  running  northeast  and  south- 
west, the  veins  running  with  it,  and  di])j)ing  to  the 
east  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  ores  are 
base,  requiring  roasting.  They  contain  antimony, 
zinc  and  iron,  and  some  have  yielded  twentj-  dollars 
per  ton  in  gold  and  S3S0  per  ton  in  silver.  There  is 
plenty  of  spring-water  at  the  mines,  and  nut  pine, 
white  pine  and  cedar  ai'c  abundant  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  principal  mines  are  the  Barcelona,  Ligu- 
sia,  Altocana,  Enterprise,  and  San  Pedro.  The 
shaft  of  the  Barcelona  is  180  feet  deep;  the  tunnel  of 
that  mine  is  1,300  feet  long.  Freight  is  teamed  from 
Austin,  eighty  miles  to  the  northward,  at  the  rate  ot 
fifty  dollars  per  ton.  The  ores  taken  out  are  worked 
at  Belmont,  Austin  and  Eureka;  but  it  is  believed 
that  a  mill  will  soon  be  erected  at  the  mines.  The 
records  of  the  district  are  kept  by  George  Nicholl, 
at  Belmont. 

Bartlett  is  twenty  miles  east  of  the  stage  station 
of  iMinniuni,  on  Miner's  Mountain,  in  the  midst  of  a 
good  mining  region.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1866  bj* 
a  prospector  named  Logan,  and  a  district  was  organ- 
ized called  Northumberland.  In  1875  the  name  was 
changed  to  Monitor,  but  was  changed  back  to  North- 
umberland in  1879,  at  which  date  the  town  was 
started.  It  once  contained  a  store,  boarding-house, 
post-office,  numerous  saloons,  etc.,  but  is  now  entirely 
deserted.  A  ten-stamp  mill  was  erected  in  187!i,  but 
was  operated  only  three  months.  The  quartz  veins 
are  between  slate  and  porphyry,  running  north  and 
south  with  the  formation,  and  dipping  to  the  east  at 
an  angle  of  thirty-seven  degrees.  The  ore  is  free- 
milling,  containing  gold  and  silver.  Some  of  it  is 
very  rich  in  gold.  The  j)rincipal  mines  are  the 
Monitor  and  Blue  Bell.  The  shaft  of  the  latter  is 
1 20  feet  deep.  Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin,  sixty- 
five  miles  distant,  at  the  rate  of  twenty  dollars  per 
ton.  Nut  and  white  pine  are  abundant.  Water  is 
scarce,  and  is  ])rocured  from  springs.  Belmont  and 
Austin  are  the  nearest  post-offices.  The  books  of 
the  district  are  kept  by  S.  Slusher,  of  Eureka. 


I 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


523 


Ellsworth  is  in  Mammoth  District,  thirty  miles 
south  of  the  old  overland  road  through  the  Cold 
Spring  range  of  mountains,  and  about  twelve  miles 
■westerly-  from  lone.  It  contains  a  ]io8t-orticoand  stage 
station.  Ore  was  discovered  in  18(53  by  the  Indians, 
and  in  18(14.  Sam.  .McKeon,  A.  T.  Hatch,  and  others, 
organized  a  district.  The  town  was  started  soon 
afterwards,  but  its  growth  was  slow  and  discourag- 
ing until  1870,  when  a  ten-stamp  mill  was  built.  Its 
population  then  increased  to  200,  and  it  became  verj^ 
lively.  Since  1874  the  mill  has  been  operated  on!}-  a 
portion  of  the  time,  and  the  population  of  the  town 
has  dwindled  down  to  twenty  persons,  including  six 
miners.  The  quartz  veins  are  found  in  a  formation 
of  granite,  which  runs  northeast  and  southwest,  the 
veins  running  with  it  and  dipping  to  the  west  at  an 
angle  of  fortj--five  degrees.  The  ores  arc  most!}- 
free-milling,  and  average  about  SI  00  to  the  ton.  The 
principal  mines  are  the  Peoria,  Morning  Call,  General 
Lee,  Silver  Wave.  Mount  Vernon  and  Lisbon.  The 
greatest  depth  of  shaft  is  in  the  Mount  Vernon,  180 
feet.  When  the  mill  was  in  operation,  Indians  were 
employed  at  the  pans,  settlers,  concentrators  and  fur- 
naces, with  a  couple  of  white  men  to  oversee  them, 
and  proved  very  eiBcient  laborers.  The  cost  of  wood 
delivered  at  the  mills,  has  usually  been  three  dollars 
and  a  quarter  per  cord.  Salt  is  worth  thirty-five 
dollars  per  ton.  Water  for  the  mill  is  obtained  from 
a  forty-foot  well.  Some  very  rich  ore  has  been  taken 
from  the  Esta  Buena  Mine,  located  and  owned  by 
Don  Manuel  San  Pedro,  of  (Trantsville.  Some  of  it 
has  gone  as  high  as  Sl,(iOO  per  ton.  Several  tons 
worked  in  the  mill  j'ielded  8325  each.  The  nearest 
railroad  point  is  Austin,  sixty-five  miles  to  the  north- 
east. Freight  is  brought  from  Wadsworth  at  the 
rate  of  fifty  dollars  per  ton. 

Grantsville  is  in  a  beautiful  canon  about  four 
miles  from  lone  Valley.  It  is  in  Union  District, 
which  IS  situated  in  the  lone,  or  Shoshone,  range  of 
mountains,  just  west  of  the  Toiyabe  range.  Ore 
was  discovered  in  1863  bj^  P.  A.  llaven,  and  a 
district  was  at  once  organized.  llaven  also  laid  off 
the  town  of  Grantsville,  and  about  fifty  persons 
settled  there,  among  whom  was  John  Bowman,  J.  C. 
John.son,  Mr.  Veach,  Peter  Lefler,  M.  C-.  JIahone, 
Manuel  San  Pedro,  and  others.  Its  growth  has 
been  most  promising.  Its  altitude  is  about  8.500  feet, 
and  fine  mountain  scenery  stretches  away  on  everj- 
hand.  Ton  miles  to  the  northward  is  lone,  and 
seventy  miles  to  the  northeastward  is  Austin. 

In  September,  1877,  the  Alexander  Company 
became  mterested  in  the  mines  in  and  around  (Jrants- 
ville,  and  re-located  and  laid  oft'  the  town,  and  built 
a  twenty-stamp  mill  there,  the  capacitj'  of  which  was 
increased  to  forty  stamps  in  1880. 

The  present  population  of  Grantsville  is  800, 
including  356  registered  voters.  It  contains  ten 
merchandise  stores,  two  drug  stores,  one  hardware 
store  and  tin  shop,  one  furniture  store,  five  restaurants 


two  bakeries,  five  saloonB,  two  barber  shops,  one  jew- 
elry store,  two  blacksmith  shops,  two  meat  markets, 
two  livery  stables,  one  brewery,  two  assay  offices,  an 
express  oftice.  bank,  newspai)er,  ami  a  foundrj-.  The 
climate  is  healthy-  and  the  atmosphere  pure.  Three 
mails  arrive  and  depart  every  Avcek,  and  stage  lines 
connect  with  Wadsworth  and  Austin  b\- way  of  lone, 
and  with  Eureka  by  way  of  Belmont.  Town  lots 
sell  all  the  way  from  850  to  8500. 

In  the  vicinity  of  tJrantsville  there  are  fourteen 
valuable  silver  mines,  as  follows:  The  J*;ii/,abeth, 
Bonanza,  Lefler,  Harvey,  Success,  Galatea,  Chicago, 
Centennial,  Cooper,  Silver  Crown,  Cadiz,  Alameda, 
Brooklyn,  and  the  Alexander  series. 

The  veins  of  the  district  are  found  in  porphyry, 
quartzite  and  limestone,  running  northwest  and 
southeast  with  the  formation,  and  dipping  to  the 
southwest  at  an  angle  of  sixty  degrees.  Porphyry 
is  the  predominating  formation.  The  ore  contains 
native  gold  and  silver,  chloride  and  sulphuret  of 
silver,  antimony,  copper,  and  the  carbonate  of  lead. 
Some  excecdinglj-  rich  specimens,  containing  gold, 
have  been  found  in  the  Shamrock  and  Franklin 
Mines.  Large-sized  specimens  have  been  obtained 
from  the  former  mine,  showing  moi'e  gold  than 
quartz.  The  deepest  shaft  is  in  the  Alexander  mii;e, 
1,200  feet.  The  incline  of  the  same  mine  is  500  feet 
long.  The  ores  of  the  district  are  worked  by  the 
milling  and  roasting  process. 

Wood  and  water  are  convenient  and  abundant. 
Freight  is  teamed  from  Austin  at  the  rate  of  forty 
dollars  per  ton.  The  number  of  miners  now  in  the 
district  is  140.  Thus  far  the  total  bullion  product 
has  been  to  the  value  of  about  81,000,000.  The 
mining  records  of  the  district  are  kept  by  J.  F. 
Duchct. 

The  Odd  Fellows  have  a  well-organized  lodge. 
Educational  facilities  consist  of  a  good,  brick  school 
house,  capable  of  seating  sixty  pupils,  about  forty 
pupils  being  in  regular  attendance.  The  aggregate 
length  of  streets  in  ihc  town  is  two  miles.  About 
ten  miles  to  the  westward,  on  Reese  River,  are  a 
few  small  ranches,  and  some  stock-raising  is  also 
carried  on. 

In  November,  1870,  Ihe  Grantsville  Snn,  a  weekly 
paper,  was  started  in  the  interest  of  Senator  Jones, 
but  suspended  in  1880.  In  Januarj-,  1881,  the  Grants- 
ville Bonunza  was  started  by  -Mautc  &  Donald,  and 
is  now  being  regularly  ])ulilished. 

A  tunnel  in  the  hillside  answers  the  purpose  of  a 
jail.  In  February,  1881,  a  Spaniard  was  Ij-nched 
for  the  murder  of  a  countryman  of  his.  Another 
murderer  was  arrested  in  August,  1880,  and  alter 
conviction,  was  sent  to  the  State  Prison,  where  ho 
is  now  incarcerated.  The  prospects  of  Grantsville 
are  favorable  in  the  extreme. 

The  town  ok  Hot  Creek  is  situated  in  the  center 
of  a  rich  mining  region,  with  wood  and  water  con- 
venient and  abundant.     Amonj'  its  earliest  settlers 


524 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


were  Jeremiah  Miller,  David  Baker,  Eli  Baker,  G.  B. 
Montgomery,  Dr.  Walter,  E.  G.  Brown,  Garrett  & 
Joslyn  and  Capt.  A.  D.  Rock— who  arrived  in  1867. 
The  town  was  most  prosperous  in  1868,  when  its 
population  numbered  about  300.  The  altitude  is 
6,800  feet.  It  is  situated  in  a  beautiful  valley  in 
the  foot-hills  of  the  Hot  Creek  Mountains,  and  is 
fifteen  miles  south  of  Morey  District,  twelve  miles 
north  of  Tybo,  and  thirty-five  miles  southeast  of  Bel- 
mont. Its  present  inhabitants  number  only  twenty- 
five.  The  site  of  the  town  is  now  the  property  of 
Hon.  J.  T.  Williams.  A  saloon,  restaurant,  hotel, 
post-office,  blacksmith  shop  and  assay  office  meets 
the  present  wants  of  the  community.  The  buildings 
are  of  stone  and  iron.  In  1867  a  twenty-stamp  mill 
was  built,  but  it  was  soon  afterwards  burned  down. 
The  town  at  that  time  consisted  of  two  camps,  and 
the  upper  one  wa't  then  abandoned.  In  1880  a  ten- 
stamp  mill  was  built  at  the  lower  town,  but  it  has  j 
never  been  operated  much. 

The  bullion  product  of  the  town  to  date  has  been 
about  81,000.000.  The  water  supply  consists  of  300 
inches,  and  is  private  property.  Austin,  about 
ninety  miles  to  the  northwest,  is  the  nearest  railroad 
point,  and  to  team  freight  from  it  costs  two  cents 
per  pound.  The  taxable  property  of  the  township 
is  valued  at  §200,000.  Large  herds  of  cattle  and 
horses  are  raised  in  the  vicinity,  and  one  fine  ranch 
raises  a  large  amount  of  hay  and  other  produce. 

Near  the  town  are  boiling  hot  springs  of  great 
medicinal  value,  and  mineral  water  is  also  abundant 
of  a  quality  highly  appreciated. 

The  principal  fire  occurred  in  1867.  when  the  Old 
Dominion  twenty-slamp  mill  was  burned  down, 
causing  a  loss  of  890,000. 

The  P^ureka  ^en^tJie^  of  September  2,  1877,  contains 
the  following  information  concerning  Hot  Creek: — 

Hcniy  .\lleii,  the  well-known  contractor  of  Eureka, 
has  just  finished  a  work  of  considerable  magnitude 
at  Hot  Creek.  Last  summer  he  was  employed  by 
the  Tybo  Consolidated  Company  to  build  fifteen 
kilns,  in  which  the  company  proposed  to  burn  the 
charcoal  necessary  to  supply  their  furnaces  at  Tybo. 
He  finished  the  work  about  a  week  ago,  and  some 
idea  of  its  magnitude  maj'  be  gathered  from  the 
fact  that  600,000  bricks  were  used  in  building  the 
kilns.  They  are  oval  in  shape,  having  a  diameter 
of  twenty-five  feet.  Kacli  one  has  a  cajiacity  of 
1.400  b'lsbels.  turning  out  that  riuantity  of  coal  to 
each  charge,  the  o))eralion  consuming  five  days,  A 
great  economj'  of  time  results  from  these  kilns, 
instead  ol'  burning  in  the  old-fashioned  way,  and  as 
the  com|):iny  owns  a  vast  quanlitj-  of  wood  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  they  calculate  on  their  fuel  cost- 
ing them  about  one-half  the  usual  rates.  .\  force  of 
twenty  men  were  emploj'ed  about  three  months  in 
building  the  kilns. 

The  White  Pino  excitement  jjroved  a  great  injury 
to  Hot  Creek,  from  which  its  recovery  has  been  slow. 

HON.    J.    T.    WILLIAMS 

Is  a  native  of  Arkansas,  born  in  Conway,  July  21, 
18'i2.     His  father  was  a  planter  and  died  when  the 


PHOTO.  BY  LOUIS  MONACO.  EUREKA.  HEV. 

/.  T.  Williams. 

present  subject  was  quite  young.  At  the  earlj-  age 
of  seventeen  j-ears  he  came  to  California,  by  way  of 
the  plains  and  arrived  in  1859  in  the  land  of  promise. 
He  having  no  relatives  or  friends  on  this  coast,  was 
obliged  to  follow  the  promptings  of  his  own  nature. 
He  settled  in  Calaveras  County  and  engaged  in  min- 
ing until  1862,  when  he  came  to  the  then  Territory 
of  Nevada,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  silver 
mining. 

In  1863  he  went  in  company  with  Gov.  L.  R.  Brad- 
ley to  Austin,  during  the  Reese  River  excitement, 
and  assisted  in  the  organization  of  Nj'e  County, 
and  has  since  resided  in  that  countj'.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Sophia  Ernst,  September  20,  1870,  a 
lady  of  cultured  tastes,  and  more  than  ordinary 
ability. 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  descendant  of  an  old  Democratic 
family,  and  is  himself  a  Jiickson  Democrat  of  the 
strictest  kind.  His  ancestors  on  his  father's  side 
were  from  Wales,  and  settled  in  North  Carolina  long 
before  the  American  Revolution.  His  mother's  ances- 
tors were  of  French  descent,  settling  in  Virginia 
about  the  same  time,  both  families  being  strongly 
identified  in  the  cause  of  American  Independence. 
His  grandfather  was  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  his  brother,  Colonel  Williams,  fell  at  a 
])lace  known  as  Williams'  Pond,  in  South  Carolina. 
The  works  of  Thos.  Benton,  "Thirty  j-ears  in  the 
United  States  Senate,"  reveals  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Williams  comes  from  good  stock.  His  brother  Lewis 
Williams,  of  North  Carolina,  was  a  member  of  Con- 
gress for  manj- years,  and  Jonathan  Williams,  at  one 
time  United  States  Senator  from  Tennessee,  whoso 
father  fought  in  the  Revolution,  and  who  participated 
himself  in  the  war  of  1812,  Wfts  also  a  member  of 
the  same  family. 


HISTORY  OF  NYE  COUNTY. 


525 


The  great  triumph  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
in  the  authorship  of  the  Williams  Resolution  regulat- 
ing freights  and  fares  on  the  railroads  of  the  State, 
which  be  introduced  in  the  Nevada  Senate  in  1881. 
His  present  residence  is  at  Hot  Creek,  Nj-e  Count}-, 
and  his  business  is  divided  between  mining  and  farm- 
ing. He  is  extensively  interested  in  mining,  owning 
several  paying  claims.  He  also  owns  a  hotel,  and 
has  some  500  acres  of  fine  bottom-land  at  his  home 
place  and  his  hay  crop  is  very  valuable,  being  worth 
about  fort}'  dollars  per  ton.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  gentle- 
man, esteemed  by  all  who  have  the  honor  of  his 
acquaintance. 

loNE,  the  original  county  seat  of  Nye,  is  about 
twelve  miles  north  of  Grantsville,  and  is  situated  in 
a  romantic  canon  surrounded  by  lofty  mountains. 
Among  its  first  settlers  were  Messrs.  Veach,  Carmack_ 
Bowman,  Barker,  Baker,  Johnston,  Williams  and 
other  prospectors.  In  1865  lone  contained  a  popu- 
lation of  about  600.  At  present  it  contains  a  store, 
hotel,  saloon,  livery  stable,  post-oftice,  blacksmith 
shop  and  twenty-five  inhabitants.  Its  two  quartz 
mills  are  idle.  Their  total  bullion  product  to  date  is 
estimated  at  850(1.000.  Austin  is  the  nearest  rail- 
road station,  and  the  freight  rate,  by  team,  is  one 
and  one-half  cents  per  pound.  The  taxable  prop- 
erty of  the  township  is  valued  at  §50,000.  About  a 
thousand  head  of  horses  and  cattle  are  owned  in  the 
vicinity.  In  1865  a  weekly  newspaper  was  started, 
called  the  Xye  Coanly  Xews,  but  it  discontinued  pub- 
lication in  1867.  The  wood  and  water  supplies  of 
the  town  are  abundant.  Its  buildings  arc  chiefly 
frame  structures. 

Jefferson  is  situated  in  Jefferson  I^istrict,  in  Jef- 
ferson Mountain,  a  loft}'  section  of  the  Toquima  range, 
and  is  about  twelve  miles  north  of  Belmont.  Ore 
was  discovered  in  1873  by  John  Johnson  and  Robert 
Furgerson,  and  a  district  was  organi/,ed  under  the 
name  of  tJrecn  Isle,  which  name  was  subsei|Uently 
changed  to  the  present  one.  In  1874  the  town  of 
Jefferson  was  started,  which,  in  less  than  two  years, 
contained  a  poi)ulation  of  800  and  polled  600  votes. 
It  contained  two  stores,  three  blacksmith  shops,  throe 
boarding-houses,  a  post-ofl^ce  and  an  express  office. 
Two  mills  were  also  in  operation,  and  eight  of  the 
mines  were  producing  ore.  In  1876  the  ten-stamp 
mill  stopped  work,  and  in  1878  the  othcroncstopped, 
upon  which  the  town  was  abandoned.  Only  four 
miners  are  now  there.  One  hundred  and  twenty 
locations  have  been  made.  The  ore  is  free  and  con- 
tains chloride  of  silver,  containing  a  small  percentage 
of  gold,  and  is  very  rich,  and  is  worked  by  the  mill- 
ing process.  The  veins  are  small,  and  are  found 
between  porphyry  and  slate.  They  run  with  the 
formation,  nearly  north  and  south,  and  dip  to  the  east 
at  an  angle  of  sixty  degrees.  The  Jefferson  Mine 
contains  a  tunnel  625  feet  long,  and  a  shaft  700  feot 
deep.  Selected  specimens  of  ore  from  this  mine, 
having  the  appearance  of  granite,  and  betraying  no 
'  66 


evidence  of  metal,  yielded  as  high  as  810,000  and 
820,000  per  ton,  and  took  the  premium  at  the  Cen- 
tennial Exhibition.  General  ore  from  the  district 
assays  from  S40  to  SI .700  per  ton.  Freight  is  teamed 
from  Austin,  seventy-six  miles,  at  thirty  dollars  per 
tOTi.  An  ample  quantity  of  spring-water  exists, 
and  nut  pine  is  abundant  at  the  distance  of  three 
or  four  miles,  the  records  of  the  district  are  kept 
by  K.  E.  Shumway. 

LoDi  is  in  Lodi  District,  in  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  county,  about  a  mile  from  the  line  of  Churchill 
County.  The  district  is  situated  on  a  mountain  spur 
running  northwest  from  the  Mammoth  Range.  It  is 
seven  miles  from  Porter's  Stage  Station,  and  the 
nearest  post-oflicc  to  it  is  Downeyville.  Ore  was  dis- 
covered in  1874  by  Henry  Welch  and  J.  Kirkpatrick. 
On  May  14,  1875,  a  district  was  organized.  In  1878 
the  town  contained  a  population  of  100,  and  boasted 
a  store,  blacksmith  shop,  boarding-house,  saloon,  a 
ten-ton  smelting  furnace,  and  other  indications  of 
business  life.  It  has  since  been  abandoned,  however, 
and  there  are  only  six  miners  in  the  district.  The 
records  are  kept  by  Mr.  Massey.  About  twenty-five 
locations  have  been  made. 

The  formation  is  of  limestone,  running  southeast 
and  northwest,  the  veins  running  with  it,  and  dip- 
ping to  the  southwest.  The  ore  is  ba.se,  and  contains 
lead  and  a  little  antimony,  but  no  trace  of  gold. 
The  principal  mine  is  the  Illinois,  on  which  a  largo 
amount  of  work  has  been  done.  Its  shaft  is  450 
ieet  in  depth.  At  a  depth  on  the  vein  of  100  feet, 
a  tunnel  has  been  run  200  feet,  from  which  level 
winzes  have  boon  sunk  at  different  points.  The  vein 
is  from  two  to  eight  feet  in  width,  and  the  ore  in  it 
is  chiefly  carbonate  of  lead,  which  carries  a  large 
per  cent,  of  silver,  some  of  which  assays  as  high  as 
S500  per  ton. 

Water  is  brought  in  pipes  from  springs  five  miles 
distant.  Wood  is  scarce.  Freight  is  teamed  from 
Wadsworth,  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad.  100 
miles  to  the  northwest,  the  rate  being  forty-five 
dollars  per  ton.  Tho  present  facilities  for  working 
ore  consist  of  a  small  water  jacket  furnace.  Since 
its  organization  the  district  has  yielded  ore  to  the 
value  of  $400,000. 

MoREY  is  in  a  mining  district  of  the  same  name,  sit- 
uated in  the  mountains  about  fifteen  miles  north  of 
Hot  Crook,  and  four  and  a  half  miles  from  More's 
Stage  Station.  Ore  was  discovered  in  1865  by  T. 
J.  Barnes,  and  in  1866  S.  A.  Curtis,  Wm.  .Muncey, 
John  Emerson  and  others  organized  tho  district.  In 
1869  tho  town  was  started.  A  ten-stamp  mill  was 
built  in  1873,  but,  after  running  a  month,  it  discon- 
tinued operations,  and  tho  ore  was  shipped  to  Tybo 
until  .\pril,  1880,  when  tho  mill  started  up  again, 
and  ran  until  tho  following  December,  turning  out 
89,000  worth  of  bullion  per  month.  Another  resump- 
tion of  milling  operations  is  soon  expected.  Moroy 
contains  a  store,  blacksmith  shop,  post-office,  board- 


526 


mSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ing-house,  express  office,  and  a  population  of  about 
sixty  persons.  Thirtj--fivc  locations  have  been  made 
in  the  district,  and  there  are  twenty  miners  there. 
The  records  are  kept  by  George  Hammond. 

The  quartz  veins  are  found  in  a  formation  of  por- 
phyry, which  runs  east  and  west,  the  veins  running 
with  it,  and  dipping  to  the  south  at  an  angle  of  fifty 
degrees.  The  ores  contain  zinc,  lead,  antimony, 
some  copper,  and  a  small  percentage  of  gold.  The 
principal  mines  are  the  Bay  State,  American  Eagle, 
Cedar,  Keyser,  Monterey,  Little  Giant  and  Black 
Diamond.  The  shaft  of  the  American  Eagle  is  200 
feet  deep;  the  tunnel  of  the  Bay  State,  1,000  feet 
long. 

Freight  is  teamed  from  Eureka,  a  distance  of  sev- 
enty-five miles,  at  the  rate  of  thirtj'  dollars  per 
ton.  Wood  and  water  are  in  sufficient  quantities  for 
all  purposes.  The  ores  averaged  about  eighty  dol- 
lars to  the  ton.  Most  of  the  mines  in  the  district 
have  been  self-sustaining  from  the  outset. 

Ophir  Canon  is  situatod  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Toij-abe  range  of  mountains,  in  Twin  Eiver  Dis- 
trict. The  nearest  stage  station  and  post-office  is 
Minnium,  twenty-six  miles  to  the  northeast.  Ore 
was  discovered  in  1864,  by  G.  H.  Willard,  Joseph 
Patty  and  John  Murphy,  and  a  district  was  organ- 
ized. In  1865  a  twenty-stamp  mill  was  completed, 
costing  over  $200,000;  connected  with  it  was  the 
first  experimental  Stetefeldt  furnace  ever  built.  The 
mines  proved  very  rich  at  the  outset,  but  after  pen- 
etrating below  the  water  level,  the  wall  rock  was 
found  to  be  so  hard  that  it  could  not  be  worked 
profitably.  Over  82,000,000  worth  of  ore  was  taken 
out  of  the  Murphy  Mine.  When  the  mill  was  built 
the  town  was  started,  and  it  grew  to  a  population  of 
400,  but  work  on  the  mines  ceased  in  1868,  and  the 
town  became  deserted. 

In  the  Murphy  Mine   the   vein   is  from  eight  to 
forty  feet  in  width,    its  course  is  northeast  and  south- 
west, and  it  dips  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  forty-five 
degrees.     The  ore  is  found  in  pockets  near  the  hang- 
ing-wall,  and  contains   a   largo   per   cent,    of  iron, 
copper,  and  arsenic.     Beautiful  specimens  of  native 
silver  have  been  found  in  this  mine.     The  country 
rock  on   both  sides  of  the  canon,  where  the  metal- 
bearing  veins  are  found,  is  slate,     it  contains  a  large 
amount   of    the  pyrites  of  iron;   small    stringers  of 
white  quartz  cut  through  it  in  all   directions.     The 
.Murphy    Mine    contains  a   shaft  HOO   feet  in   depth. 
Freight    from  Austin,  sixty  miles  to  the  northward, 
is  teamed  at  the  rate  of  twenty -five  dollars  per  ton. 
Timber  is  scarce;  Ophir  Canon  Creek    supplies    an 
abundance  of  water.     The  mining  records  are  kept 
by  A.   H.  Greonhalgh;  the   number  of  locations   is 
100;  onlj'  four  mines  still  remain  in  the  district,  but 
the  massive  stone   walls  of  the  costly   and  splendid 
mill,  and  the    brick  walls  of  the  elegant  office  and 
mansion  connected  with  the  works,  mark  the  scene 
of  the  once  busy   place,  monuments  of  great  expec- 
tations and  wasteful  extravagance. 


Reveille  is  in  a  mining  district  of  the  same  name, 
in  the  Eeveille,  a  continuation  of  the  Pancake,  range 
of  mountains,  about  thirtj'-five  miles  southeast  of 
Tybo.  Ore  was  discovered  in  August,  18G6,  by  W. 
O.  Arnold,  M.  D.  Fairchild  and  Alonzo  Monroe,  and 
a  district  was  at  once  organized,  and  named  in  honor 
of  the  Reese  River  Reveille,  of  Austin.  By  the  ensu- 
ing year  fifty  mines  were  in  course  of  development, 
and  the  ore  shipped  to  Austin  and  other  places.  A 
town  sprung  into  being,  containing  two  stores,  a 
blacksmith  shop,  a  boarding-house,  a  post-office,  and 
150  inhabitants. 

In  1S69  a  five-stamp  mill,  and  another  one  of  ten 
stamps,  were  built  about  twelve  miles  west  of  the 
town,  where  water  was  to  be  had  in  abundance. 
They  were  operated  only  a  short  time  owing  to  the 
failure  of  the  company  interested.  In  1875  the  ten- 
stamp  mill  again  started  up,  and  was  run  at  inter- 
vals for  four  years,  producing  about  81.500,000  worth 
of  bullion.  It  then  ceased  operations.  In  the  spring 
of  1880  work  was  stopped  on  all  the  mines  and  the 
town  was  abandoned,  but  the  indications  are  that  it 
will  again  be  re-peopled. 

The  number  of  locations  in  the  district  is  !»50.  The 
formation  is  of  limestone,  quartzite  and  porphyiy, 
and  runs  northeast  and  southwest,  the  veins  running 
with  it  and  dipping  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of  forty 
degrees.  Most  of  the  ores  are  free-milling.  The 
base  ores  contain  lead  and  antimony.  The  jirinci- 
pal  mines  are  the  tiila,  Spj',  Liberty,  Fisherman, 
Good  Hope,  La  Salle,  and  Joliet.  The  Gila  mine  has 
a  shaft  4G0  feet  deep  and  a  tunnel  a  thousand  feet 
long. 

The  water  supply  of  Keveille  is  obtained  from 
wells,  and  is  insufficient.  Wood  is  scarce,  but  there 
is  an  amjilc  supplj-  of  nut  pine  and  cedar  ten  or 
twelve  miles  distant.  The  mining  records  are  kept 
by  J.  U.  Taylor,  of  Grantsville.  Much  of  the  ore  of 
this  district  has  averaged  from  875  to  8100  per  ton, 
and  in  several  instances  has  j'ieldcd  81,500  per  ton. 
Reveille  District  is  remarkably  healthj%  most  of 
the  deaths  which  have  occurred  having  originated 
from  accidents.  There  have  been  some  cases  of 
pneumonia.  The  town  of  Reveille  now  consists  of 
one  hotel,  a  saloon,  post-office,  butcher  shop,  livery 
stable,  and  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  about  thirty 
inhabitants.  The  buildings  are  constructed  of  wood 
and  stone.  Freight  is  hauled  from  Eureka,  a  distance 
of  125  miles,  at  a  cost  of  two  and  one-half  cents  per 
pound.  In  the  vicinity  of  Itcveille  are  five  or  six 
cattle  ranches,  but  agricultural  interests  are  not 
flourishing. 

Trov  is  situated  on  (irant  Mountain,  about  fifty 
miles  east  of  Hot  Creek.  The  nearest  post-office  is 
Duckwater;  the  nearest  railroad  station.  Eureka.  In 
1867  the  attention  of  A.  Bcaty  was  attracted  to 
some  float  rock  in  a  ravine.  Ho  immediately  sunk  a 
shaft  on  the  side  hill  above  and  struck  ore,  and  a 
district  was  soon  organized.  In  1869  the  town  of 
Troy  was  laid  otV,  and  it  soon  contained  two  stores, 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


527 


a  boarding-house,  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  post-office, 
an  express  ottit-e  and  other  adjuncts  of  embryo  civil- 
ization. 

In  1871  a  twenty -stamp  mill  was  built,  with  a  fur- 
nace in  connection.  It  ran  about  six  months  and 
was  then  moved  to  Ward.  The  ore  was  of  such  low 
grade  that  its  reduction  was  considered  unprofitable. 
Work  ceased  on  the  mines  and  the  town  became 
deserted.  The  formation  is  slato  and  limeHtone,  run- 
ning northeast  and  southwest,  and  dijiping  to  the 
southeast  at  an  angle  of  fifty -five  degrees.  The  ores 
are  base,  containing  lead  and  copper.  The  principal 
mines  are  the  Clifton,  Troy  and  Blue  JOagle.  The 
latter  has  a  shaft  300  feet  deep  and  a  tunnel  700  feet 
long.  The  Troy  Mine  is  also  well  developed.  Plenty 
of  black  pine,  nut  pine,  j-ellow  pine  and  fir  are  in 
close  proximity  to  the  mines.  Water  is  abundant,  a 
fine  creek  flowing  past  the  town  and  mines.  Freight 
is  teamed  from  Eureka,  12.")  miles  distant,  at  the  rate 
of  sixty  dollars  per  ton.  No  ore  is  now  being  taken 
out.  The  mining  records  are  kept  by  A.  Beaty.  at 
Blue  Eagle  IJanch.  There  are  seventy  miners  in 
the  district. 

Tybo  is  twelve  miles  south  of  llot  Creek,  and 
about  forty  miles  southeast  of  Belmont,  in  a  mining 
district  of  the  same  name,  which  is  situated  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Hot  Creek  Mountains.  Ore  was 
discovered  in  18G6,  and  in  1870  some  important  loca- 
tions were  made,  including  the  Two  (x  Mine,  bj-  Dr. 
Gallj-  and  M.  V.  B.  Gillett.  Tybo  District  was  or- 
ganized in  1870,  being  composed  of  the  southeast 
portion  of  Empire  I)istrict.  In  1874,  the  town  of 
Tybo  was  started  in  Tybo  Canon,  about  two  miles 
from  its  mouth  at  Hot  Creek  Valley.  John  Centers 
was  its  first  settler,  having  made  bis  home  there  in 
August,  18CG.  Its  altitude  is  0,500  feet,  and  it  is 
surrounded  by  fine  mountain  scenery. 

Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  district,  a 
smelting  furnace  was  built  at  the  town,  and  put  in 
operation,  and  in  1875  still  another  furnace  was 
built,  and  also  a  twenty-stamp  mill.  In  1S7(!  the 
town  contained  five  stores,  two  blacksmith  shops, 
numerous  saloons  and  1,000  inhabitants.  From  the 
opening  of  the  mines  until  1879,  most  of  the  ore 
worked  in  the  district  was  smelted,  but  in  that  year 
the  process  of  crushing  and  roasting  was  adopted, 
since  which  time  the  smelting  furnaces  have  not  been 
ran.  Closing  them  threw  more  than  400  men  out  of 
employment,  and  the  town  commenced  declining. 
The  present  population  is  100.  It  contains  three 
hotels,  one  saloon,  two  restaurants,  two  livery  stables, 
a  post-office,  an  express  office,  an  assay  office  and  a 
blacksmith  shop.  Pneumonia  is  the  only  disease 
which  can  be  called  prevalent,  for  the  whole  region 
is  remarkable  healthy.  The  buildings  are  of  wood 
and  stone.  The  fuel  supply  is  obtained  from  the 
mountains,  at  distances  varjnng  from  ten  to  twenty 
miles. 

The  Tybo  Consolidated  Company  has  two  furnaces, 
having  a  total  daily  capacity  of  eighty  tons,  and  a 


twenty-stamp  mill.  The  water  supply  is  obtained 
from  s])rings,  which  are  private  property.  Eureka 
is  the  most  convenient  railroad  station,  100  miles 
distant,  and  the  I'reight  rate  by  team  therefrom  is 
two  dollars  per  100  pounds. 

Tj'bo  has  a  Good  Templar's  lodge,  a  brick  school- 
house,  18x20  foot  in  size,  with  twentj'-tive  pupils  in 
attendance;  and  the  taxable  property  of  the  town- 
ship is  valued  at  §200,000.  In  the  vicinitj^  of  the 
town  are  numerous  tine  ranches,  and  about  2,000 
head  of  horses  and  cattle.  The  Tybo  Sun  was 
started  in  187(1  by  Mr.  Ragsdale,  who  sold  out  to 
\Vm.  B.  Taylor.  William  Love  and  D.  M.  Braunan 
in  turn  succeeded  Taylor,  and  in  1879  the  paper  sus- 
pended. The  jail  consists  of  a  stockade,  and  is, 
fortunatelj',  but  little  used.  Several  shooting  affrays 
occurred  at  Tybo  during  its  palmy  days,  resulting 
fatally;  but  the  victims  and  the  slayers  were  desper- 
adoes, and  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  matter. 

The  reduction  mill  is  now  working  about  twenty- 
five  tons  per  day,  which  average  about  twenty-five 
dollars  per  ton.  The  formation  of  the  district  is 
limestone  and  porphj-ry,  running  east  and  west,  the 
veins  running  with  the  formation,  and  dipping  nearly 
perpendicularly.  The  ores  are  base,  containing  lead, 
iron  and  zinc,  and  seven-eighths  silver  and  one-eighth 
gold.  The  principal  mines  are  the  Lafayette,  Casket 
and  Two  tr.  The  latter  is  the  most  thoroughly 
developed,  having  a  shaft  450  feet  in  depth.  The 
vein  is  very  regular  and  dips  slightly  to  the  north- 
east. The  ore  is  principally  gray  and  yellow  car- 
bonates and  argentiferous  galena.  The  tunnel  is 
3,000  feet  in  length,  extending  through  the  three 
principal  mines.  The  mill  is  supplied  with  water 
from  the  mines.  It  contains  twenty  stamps  and  a 
White  roaster.  The  records  of  the  district  are  kept 
by  George  Turin.     Total  number  of  locations,  100. 


CHAPTER  LL 
HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 

Emigrants  ami  Early  .Settlura — Organization  of  Drmsby  County 
— Appointinunta  and  Elections — Topograiihy  of  County — 
E;irly  .Settlers — .Samuel  A.  Nevers — Aaron  D.  Treadway— 
Warren  Wasson — AVilliam  I).  Torreysou — Advent  of  .\bram 
Curry — Resources— Mines  and  Mining--(Juartz  Mills — .Saw 
mills  —  Toll-ro.ids — Court  House — County  Divideil  into 
Townships — (iame — State  I'ri.son — Carson  City — Hon.  Chas. 
]•'.  Hioknell — Hon.  Trenmor  ColKn--Mouroe  A.  Drieahadi — 
H.  H.  Hence— \V.  M.  Cary— M.  D.  Hatch— .1.  H.  Marshall 
— Duncan  McKae — Mathias  Kinckel — Harrison  Slirieves — 
tieorge  C.  Thaxter. 

The  historj'  of  Ormsbj-  blends  with,  and  has  its 
source  in  the  earliest  history  of  western  Nevada, 
when  the  region  formed  part  of  Carson  County  of 
the  Territory  of  Utah.  The  Carson  Hiver  flows 
northeasterly  through  the  county,  and  along  its  valley 
came  the  trappei-s,  explorers  and  emigrants  in  the 
dim  period  of  the  past,  in  their  search  for  game,  for 
new  transcontinental  routes  and  mountain  passes, 
and  for  new  homos  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.     Of 


528 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  early  trappers  and  explorers.  Kit  Carson  has 
left  his  name  applied  to  the  beautiful  river  that  first 
greets  the  thirsty  traveler  from  the  East  and  points 
the  way  to  the  crossing  of  the  Sierra,  and  of  the 
early  settlers,  Ormsby  leaves  his  name  to  the  county. 
For  many  years  the  white  strangers  came  and  went, 
leaving  but  their  tracks  to  tell  of  their  passage. 
Some  had  tarried  a  few  months,  and  a  few  localities 
in  the  valley  were  said  to  have  been  "  settled,"  but 
the  great  emigration  of  1849  —  of  preceding  and 
later  years  was  for  California,  and  the  beautiful 
valley  of  the  Carson  was  still  a  wilderness. 

In  November,  1851,  a  party  of  men  from  the 
placer  mines  of  California,  seeking  gold  on  the  east- 
ern slope,  were  attracted  by  the  advantages  offered 
for  agriculture  and  trading  purposes  and  located 
upon  ground  where  now  stands  the  city  of  Carson. 
These  were  Joseph  and  Frank  Barnard,  George  Fol- 
lensbee,  A.  J.  Rollins,  Frank  and  W.  L.  Hall.  Kill- 
ing an  eagle  on  the  spot,  and  preserving  the  stuffed 
skin  as  a  trophy,  which  was  used  as  a  sign  for  their 
station,  the  place  bec.ime  known  as  Engle  Valley. 
This  was  the  first  settlement  of  the  region  under 
review.  Xo  government  yet  threw  its  protecting 
segis  over  the  county.  The  whole  region  was  a  part 
of  Utah. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  Januarj-,  1852,  the  county 
of  Carson  was  formed  by  Act  of  the  Territory, 
including  all  the  inhabited  portion  of  the  west.  This 
early  historj-,  with  the  transition  from  Utah  to 
Nevada,  belongs  more  particularly  to  that  of  the 
State  in  which  it  is  fully  treated,  leaving  it  necessary 
in  this  place  to  refer  only  to  the  period  since  its  polit- 
ical organize tion  as  a  county. 

ORGANIZATION    OF    OR.MSBY    OOUNTV. 

Ormsbj'  County  was  created  by  the  Act  of  the 
Territorial  Legislature,  approved  November  25, 1861, 
with  boundai'ies  defined  as  follows: — 

Beginning  at  the  northeastern  corner  of  Douglas 
County,  and  running  easterly  along  the  northern 
boundary  thereof  to  a  point  where  it  crosses  Kl 
Dorado  Cafion;  thence  down  the  center  of  said 
cafion  to  a  point  thereon  due  east  of  Brown  &  Com- 
pany's dam.  on  Carson  Kiver;  thence  in  a  westerly 
direction,  crossing  Carson  River  at  said  dam;  thence 
to  the  Half-way  House,  between  Carson  and  Silver 
City;  thence  northwesterly  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountains  east  of  Washoe  l^ake;  thence  in  a  westerly 
course  along  said  summit  to  the  tops  of  the  Sierras; 
thence  due  west  to  the  California  line;  thence  south 
along  sai<l  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  name  of  Ormsby  was  given  in  honor  of  Maj. 
William  M.  Ormsby,  one  of  its  ])ioneer  and  most 
prominent  citizens,  who  had  recently  been  slain  in 
battle  with  the  Indians, 

Geographically  it  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Washoe  and  Lyon  Counties,  east  by  Lyon,  south  by 
Douglas  and  west  by  Placer  County,  in  California. 

The  Legislature  having  ]>assed  the  Act  creating 
the  county,  met  in  Joint  session  on  the  twenty-third 
of  November,  two  days  before  the  approval  of  the 


bill,  and  chose  three  County  Commissioners — H.  F. 
Rice,  J.  S,  Albro  and  F,  A.  Tritle  being  the  Com- 
missioners then  chosen  for  Ormsby  County. 

By  an  Act  approved  November  28,  18G1,  a  special 
election  was  ordered  throughout  the  Territory  for 
county,  township  and  Territorial  officers,  to  be  held 
on  the  second  Tuesday  in  January,  1802,  and  pro- 
viding that  the  officers  then  chosen  should  enter 
upon  their  duties  on  the  first  Monday  of  February 
ensuing. 

By  Act  of  the  same  Legislature,  approved  Novem- 
ber 29,  1801,  the  rounty  seat  of  Ormsby  was  located 
at  Carson  City. 

We  have  now  the  new  countj',  with  its  bounda- 
ries, county  seat,  commissioners,  officers  and  stat- 
utes providing  for  the  complete  organization  of  its 
srovcrnment.  The  Commissioners  held  their  first 
meeting  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  1861, 
and  Mr,  H.  F,  Rice  was  chosen  Chairman,  Under 
the  general  statates  of  the  Territory  they  were  re- 
quired to  organize  election  precincts  and  establish 
polls,  providing  for  the  election  to  be  held  on  the 
ensuing  fourteenth  of  January,  The  county  was 
declared  to  be  one  precinct,  with  polls  established  at 
the  following  places: — 

Polls  No.  1 Carson  City at  Ormsby  House 

"         "     2 Empire  City at  Kinney's  Hotel 

"         "     3 Clear  Creek.,  .at  Haskell's  Saw-mill 

"         "     4 at  Half-way  House 

The  following-named  gentlemen  were  appointed 
to  act  as  Judges  of  the  Election: — 

Polls  No,  1 — W.  G.  Bingham,  W.  D.  Torreyson  and 
Seymour  Pixley. 

Polls  No.  2 — H,  Kinney,  Abe  Jones  and  D.  C. 
Clark 

Polls  No.  3— H,  G.  Haskell,  R.  Walton  and  Chas. 
Jones. 

Polls  No.  4— W,  F.  Bryant,  H.  Howell  and  Geo. 
Pringle. 

APPOINTMENTS   AND   ELECTIONS, 

The  following  is  a  complete  record  of  the  officers 
of  Ormsby  Countj-,  elected  and  appointed  since  the 
organization  in  IStil,  The  first  election  was  on  the 
fourteenth  of  January,  1862,  specially  ordered  by 
the  Territorial  Legislature.  At  this  election  the  fol- 
foUowing-namcd  persons  were  candidates:  Clerk, 
Parker  II.  Pierce,  and  Charles  W.  Curry;  Recorder, 
S.  D.  King;  Sheritl',  William  L.  Marloy,  D.  J. 
Gasherie,  and  Thomas  J,  Bradford;  Assessor,  O,  H. 
Pearson,  (ieorge  Chandler,  A,  H.  Greenhalgh,  and  H. 
H.  llerrick;  Collector,  D,  L.  Huntsman,  J.  H.  Cor- 
mack,  L.  D,  Strong,  and  S.  G.  Lane;  Treasurer,  W. 
D.  Torreyson,  Charles  C.  Conger,  and  Samuel  Doak; 
Surveyor,  James  S.  Lawson;  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  Rev.  A.  F.  White:  County  Commissioners, 
George  L.  Gibson,  H.  Smith,  George  W.  Chedic,  A. 
Treadway,  James  Sanderson,  W.  S.  Goodridgo,  and 
eight  others  receiving  from  1  to  17(>  votes;  Justices 
of  the  Peace  and  Constables  were  also  elected  at  the 
same  time,  there  being  fourteen  candidates  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


529 


latter  position.  The  Cleric  was  ex  officio  County  \ 
Auditor.  Tlie  liigliest  vote  was  998,  for  A.  F.  White,  , 
who  had  no  opponent  for  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

SENATORS. 

Gavin  D.  Hall  and  J.  C.  liewis,  elected  Septem- 
ber 3,  1862,  the  total  vote  was  1,080;  Abram  Curry, 
elected  September  2, 18G3,  total  vote  779;  E.  li.  Cox, 
elected  September  7,  1864,  total  vote  1,240.  The  gen- 
tlemen elected  to  the  Senate  and  Assembly  wore 
chosen  under  the  Territorial  organization,  and  as  the 
State  Constitution  was  adopted  at  this  time,  none  of 
them  could  serve  under  it  in  the  capacity  for  which 
they  were  chosen.  This  necessitated  another  elec- 
tion to  fill  these  otHces  on  the  following  eighth  of 
November.  Jonas  Seely  and  A.  J.  Loekwood,  elected 
November  8.  1864,  total  vote  1,273.  Seely  resigned 
June  13,  18G6.  Theo.  D.  Edwards  and  B.  H.  Meder, 
elected  November  6,  1866,  total  vote  743.  Edwards 
was  elected  for  the  long  term,  and  B.  11.  Meder  for 
the  short  term.  D.  R.  Brown,  elected  November  3, 
1868,  total  vote  919;  Israel  Crawford,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870,  total  vote  866;  A.  J  Loekwood,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  total  vote  930;  T.  D.  Edwards, 
elected  November  3, 1874,  total  vote  1,156;  W.  O.  H. 
Martin,  elected  November  7,  1876,  total  vote  1,346; 
B.  H.  Meder,  elected  November  5.  1878,  total  vote, 
1,056;  John  D.  Hammond,  elected  November  2, 1880, 
total  vote  1,102. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

A.  Curry,  A.  D.  Treadway  and  W.  11.  Brumtield, 
elected  September  3,  1862;  \V.  H.  Brumfield  and 
Wellington  Stewart,  elected  September  2,  1863;  S. 
D.  King,  J.  E.  W.  Casey  and  S.  C.  Denson,  elected 
September  7,  1864.  The  gentlemen  elected  to  the 
Assembly  were  chosen  under  the  Territorial  organ- 
ization and  as  the  State  Constitution  was  adopted  at 
this  time,  none  of  them  could  serve  under  it  in  the 
capacity  for  which  they  were  chosen.  This  necessi- 
tated another  election  to  till  these  offices  on  the  fol- 
lowing eighth  of  November.  S.  C.  Denson,  L.  C. 
McKeeby  and  J.  E.  W.  Casey,  elected  November  8, 
1864;  Orion  Clemens,  T.  D.  Edwards  and  George 
Munckton  elected  November  7,  1865;  Horace  H. 
Bence,  George  Munckton  and  U.  A.  Horton,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  S.  C.  Wright,  Wm.  H.  Corbitt 
and  John  Hansen,  elected  November  3,  1868;  A.  J. 
Loekwood,  J.  A.  Burlingame  and  J.  R.  Cowen,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  Jacob  Tobriner,  W.  D.  Keyser 
and  I).  B.  Lj'man,  elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  W. 
Haynie,  Alfred  Helm  and  S.  E.  Jones,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  H.  R.  Mighels,  H.  G.  Parker  and  W. 
P.  Mcintosh,' elected  November  7,  1876.  Mighels 
resigned  Noveinhcr  7,  1878.  E.  F.  Gibson,  T.  W.  W. 
Davies  and  II.  II.  Howe,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
Trenmor  CotHn,  Eugene  May  and  William  Havener, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

H.  F.  Rice,  J.  S.  Albro  and  F.  A.  Trille  were 
appointed  by  a  joint  session  of  the  Legislaturdt 
November  23,  1861,  when  three  Commissioners  were 


named  for  each  county.  George  L.  Gibson,  H. 
Smith  and  Geo.  W.  Chedic,  elected  January  14,  1862. 
July  8,  1862,  (leo.  W.  Hopkins  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
position  of  County  Commissioner  in  place  of  Smith, 
who  had  removed  from  the  county;  Hopkins  had 
been  appointed  by  the  (rovernoroii  the  thirty-first  of 
the  previous  May.  Abraham  Jones,  J.  Sanderson  and 
Adolphus  Waitz,  elected  September  3,  1862.  The 
Commissioners  drew  terms  of  office — Waitz  three 
years,  Jones  two  years  and  Sanderson  one  year; 
Jones  removed  from  the  State,  and  John  Tarbell  was 
appointed  .January  8,  1863;  E.  C.  Dixon  was  ap- 
pointed July  6,  1863.  A.  M.  Elsworth  and  L.  D. 
Strong,  elected  September  2, 1863.  Elsworth  resigned 
December  10, 1863,  and  Samuel  Ripley  was  appointed. 
Ripley  did  not  serve,  and  Hazard  Webster  was  ap- 
pointed January  2,  1864.  Webster  did  not  qualify, 
and  E.  W.  Whitman  was  appointed  March  24,  1864. 
Whitman  resigned,  and  S.  E.  Jones  was  appointed 
July  1,  1864;  J.  R.- Mason  and  H.  F.  Rice  were 
appointed  March  24,  1864.  U.  F.  Rice,  S.  Bucking- 
ham and  S.  E.  Jones,  elected  September  7,  1864; 
H.  F.  Rice,  S.  Eugene  Jones  and  John  Bunker, 
elected  November  6,  1866.  Bunker  resigned  March 
31,  1868;  A.  B.  Driesbach,  appointed  April  15,  1868. 
H.  F.  Rice,  A.  B.  Driesbach  and  S.  E.  Jones,  elected 
November  3,  1868;  J.  E.  Cheney  and  A.  B.  Saben, 
elected  November  8,  1870.  Cheney  resigned  July  7, 
1873,  M.  C.  (lardner,  appointed.  B.  H.  Meder  and 
James  Morris,  elected  November  5,  1872;  George 
Gillson  and  James  Morris,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
O.  P.  Willis  and  James  Morris,  elected  November  7, 
1876;  John  E.  Cheney  and  M.  Hogan,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  S.  E.  Jones  and  Israel  Crawford, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

E.  C.  Dixon  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  14,  1861,  resigned  July  13, 1863,  and  S.  H. 
Wright  appointed  to  the  vacancy;  S.  H.  Wright  was 
elected  September  2,  1863.  The  office  ceased  with 
the  organization  of  the  State  Government  in  1864. 

DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS. 

Dighton  ('arson  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  18,  1861.  The  district,  according  to  the 
apportionment  made  by  Governor  Nye  July  17,  1861, 
included  all  of  Nevada  west  of  the  one  hundred  and 
eighteenth  meridian  west  from  Greenwich.  S.  D. 
H^ng,/"  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  September  2, 
f863,  resigned;  T,  D.  Edwards  api)ointed  October  2, 
1sb».  Edwards  resigned  February  10,  18(i4,  Thos. 
ESJJaydon  appointed.  R.  M.  Clark,  elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864;  Samuel  C.  Denson,  elected  November  6, 
1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868,  resigned  Decem- 
ber 7;  1868,  Thomas  Wells  appointed,  April  6,  1870. 
Wells  ^*.as  succeeded  by  Wm.  Patterson.  Patterson 
was  elected  November  8,  1S70,  reelected  November 
5,  1872,  and  November  3,  1874;  Trenmor  Coffin, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  M.  A.  Driesbach,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  Horace  F.  Bartine,  elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 


y 


530 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


COUNTi'  SHERIFFS. 

Win.  L.  Marley  was  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  9,  1861;  D.  J.  Gasherie  elected  January 
14,  1862,  re-elected  September  3,  18G2;  T.  G.  Smith, 
elected  September  7,  1S(J-1,  re-elected  November  G, 
1866;  killed  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  December  17, 

1867,  A.  W.  Nightintjill  appointed  December  19, 1867, 
resigned  September  7,  1808,  and  T.  J.  Edvvards  was 
appointed.  S.  T.  Swift,  elected  November  3,  1868, 
re-elected  November  8,  1870,  November  5,  1872, 
November  3,  1874,  and  November  7,  1876;  Lloyd 
Hill,  elected  November  5,  1878;  S.  T.  Swift,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTV    CLERKS. 

Parker  H.  Pierce,  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  21,  1861,  elected,  January  14,  1862;  Chas. 
W.  Curry,  elected  September  3,  1862.  Samuel  H. 
Wright,  appointed  May  4,  1863,  in  ])lace  of  Curry, 
deceased.  Wright  resigned  July  2,  1863,  to  become 
Probate  Judge,  and  Silas  Caulkins  was  appointed, 
and  elected  Se])tember  2,  1863,  resigned  Jul}'  4, 1864, 
and  B.  F.  Small  appointed.  H.  B.  Pomroy,  elected 
September  7,  1864;  M.  J.  Ashmore,  elected  Novem- 
ber 6,  1866,  resigned  November  10,  1S6S,  and  O.  11. 
Parker  appointed;  T.  J.  Edwards,  elected  November 
3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  No- 
vember 5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  re- 
elected November  7,  1876,  resigned  March  3,  1877, 
and  Alfred  Helm  appointed;  J.  II.  Marshall,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  M.  D.  Hatch,  elected  November 

2,  1880. 

COUNTY   TREASUUEllS. 

Phillip  Stoner,  appointed  bj-  the  Executive  Decem- 
ber 14,  1861;  W.  D.  Torreyson,  elected  January  14, 

1862,  re-elected  September  3,  1862;  John  Wagner, 
elected  September  7, 1864;  Horatio  S.  Mason,  elected 
November  6,  1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868,  No- 
vember 8,  1870,  and  November  5,  1872;  II.  J.  Peters, 
elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 
1876,  resigned  August  27,  1877,  and  James  Fraser 
appointed;  M.  L.  Yager,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
James  Fraser,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  ASSESSORS. 

O,  H.  Pearson,  elected  January  14, 1862,  re-elected 
November  3,  18(!2,  resigned  April  17,  18()3,  and  H.  H. 
Bence  appointed.     Bence   was  elected  September  2, 

1863,  re-elected  September  7,  1S64;  Geo.  W.  Chedic, 
elected   November  6,  1866,   re-elected    November  3, 

1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870;  J.  P.  Winnie, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874;  E.  B.  Pixley.  elected  November  7,  1876;  H.  11. 
Bence,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Jno.  I).  Kersey, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

S.  D.  King,  elected  Januarj'  14,  1S(;2,  re-elected 
September  3,  1862;  S.  D.  King,  Sr.,  elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864,  re-elected  November  6,  1866,  November 

3,  1868,  and  November  8,  187(1.  Samuel  D.  King,  Jr., 
ap])ointed  virvH.  D.  Fiing,  deceased,  Novcmbei-  ■<  IH72. 
F.  D.  Turner,  elected  November  3,  1874,  n      ccted 


November  7,  1876,  November  5,  1878,  and  November 

2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

Rev.  A.  F.  White,  elected  January  14,  1862,  re- 
elected September  3,  1862,  resigned  June  5,  1863, 
and  was  succeeded  by  A.  C.  Knox.  Knox  resigned 
and  Chas.  L.  Anderson  was  appointed.  Anderson 
was  elected  Se))tember  2, 1863;  W.B.  Lawler,  elected 
Sejjtembcr  7,  1864;  B.  F.  Bivins,  elected  November 
6,  1866;  Chas.  Martin,  elected  November  3,  1868, 
resigned  August  16,  1869,  and  E.  R.  Parkinson  ap- 
pointed. L.  S.  Greenlaw,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected    November 

3,  1874;  E.  A.  Moody,  elected  November  7,  1876;  L. 
S.  Greenlaw,  elected  November  5,  1878,  re-elected 
November  2, 1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

James  S.  Lawson,  appointed  by  the  Executive 
December  11,  1861,  elected  January  14,  1862;  Porter 
C.  Rector,  elected  September  3,  1862;  J.  M.  Ackley, 
elected  September    7,  1864,   resigned    December    4, 

1865,  Butler  Ives  was  appointed.  Ives  did  not  qualify 
and  Richard  A.    Chase  was  appointed  February  5, 

1866,  and  again  June  5,  1866.  Abram  Curry,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  R.  A.  Chase,  elected  November 
3,  1868;  did  not  qualify,  and  H.  J.  Barker  was 
appointed  December  6,  1869.  R.  A.  Chase,  elected 
Novembers,  1870;  succeeded  June  3,  1871,  by  Hugo 
Hochholzcr;  Hoehholzer  was  elected  November  5, 
1872.  Office  vacated  for  non-residence  June  1,  1874, 
and  Alexander  Mitchell  appointed.  C.  L.  Anderson, 
elected  November  3, 1874,  failed  to  qualify,  and  H.  H. 
Bence  was  appointed  January  11,  1875.  V.  Hoyt, 
elected  November  7,  1876—1878  none  elected,  1880 
ditto. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

Gregory  A.  Sears,  elected  November  6,  1866, 
resigned,  H.  H.  Bence  appointed  September  2,  1867; 
II.  H.  Bence,  elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected 
November  8,  1870.  Office  vacated  for  failure  to  file 
additional  bond  January  2, 1872,  and  George  G.  Lj'on 
appointed  Febniiuy  17,  1872.  J.  O.  Pierce,  elected 
November  5,  1872,  failed  to  qualify,  and  John  P. 
Mcder  appointed  December  13,  1873;  J.  P.  Meder, 
elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November  7, 
1876.  Office  vacated  May  7,  1877,  for  failure  to  file 
additional  bond  and  J.  D.  Kersey  appointed  June  4, 
1877;  B.  l'\  Foster,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Mar- 
shall Robinson,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

THE  TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COUNTY. 

The  Act  defining  the  boundaries  had  given  the 
county  an  area  of  172  sipiurc  miles,  including  lake, 
mountain  and  valley,  being  the  smallest  county  of 
the  Territory.  The  area  of  water  was  its  portion  of 
Lake  Talioc,  comprising  twenty-seven  square  miles, 
the  mountainous  portion  embraces  near  100  square 
miles,  the  remainder  being  valley.  The  form  of  the 
county  is  ])eculiar;  being  of  very  irregular  shape,  its 
greater  length  being  along  its  southern  border,  a  nar- 
row arm  of  about  six  miles  in  width  reaching  out  to 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


531 


the  lake  on  the  west,  while  the  body  spreads  out  in 
the  vallej'  of  the  Carson  River. 

The  mountains  of  the  west  are  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
and  east  of  the  Carson  Kiver  is  the  Pine  Xut  range. 
The  first  rise  to  an  altitude  of  between  7,(100  and 
8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  and  are  covered 
with  a  grand  forest  of  jnne  and  other  coniferous 
trees,  from  which  lumber,  firewood  and  charcoal  are 
obtained  in  large  quantities.  Thisluniber  and  other 
))ro<Uu'ts  of  the  forest  arc  brought  to  market  by  rail- 
road and  flumes,  which  are  fully  treated  upon  else- 
where in  this  work  under  their  ap])ropriate  headings. 
The  Pino  Xut  Mountains  of  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  county  were  so  named  from  being  clothed  with 
that  species  of  tree,  but  the  demands  of  the  minor 
and  the  quartz  mills  long  since  demanded  their 
denudation,  leaving  them  bleak  and  barren. 

The  valley  of  the  Carson  River  widens,  after  enter- 
ing Ormsbj-  County,  a  bi-oad  arm  of  it  reaching  sev- 
eral miles  westward  to  the  base  of  the  Sierra,  and 
bears  the  local  appellation  of  Eagle  Valley.  This  has 
an  area  of  about  twenty-five  square  miles,  is  fertile 
in  soil,  abounding  in  water,  and  is  exceediiiglj-  pic- 
turesque in  scenery.  The  pine-clad  spurs  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  rise  abruptly  in  the  west,  a  spur  from 
it  and  outlying  bills  border  it  on  the  east  and  south, 
and  in  the  north  the  gold  and  silver- bearing  hills 
that  inclose  the  great  Comstock  Lode  limit  the  vis- 
ion. In  the  northeast,  following  the  course  of  the 
river,  the  valley  of  the  Carson  opens  a  distant  hori- 
zon. The  altitude  of  the  valley  at  Carson  City  is 
4,015  feet  above  the  sea,  and  of  the  river  as  it  leaves 
the  county,  3,850  feet.  The  height  of  the  mountain 
ridge  bordering  Lake  Tahoe  is  7,312  feet,  and  of  the 
lake  6,137.  The  Pine  Nut  range  within  the  county 
attains  an  altitude  of  about  (i.OOO  feet. 

The  principal  river  is  the  Carson,  running  north- 
erly, with  a  sinuous  course  of  about  eighteen  miles 
within  the  county.  This  is  a  stream  of  variable  vol- 
ume, flooded  with  the  rains  and  melting  snows  of 
winter  and  spring,  and  dwindling  to  a  stream  of  ten 
yards  in  width,  and  less  than  a  foot  in  depth  in  the 
summer  and  fall. 

Clear  Creek  is  a  mountain  torrent  in  the  season  of 
floods,  having  a  short  course  from  its  source  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  to  its  junction  with  the  Carson. 

Mill  Creek  is  a  small  but  rapid  stream  flowing  from 
the  Sierra  and  entering  Eagle  Valley  near  Carson 
City,  its  rapid  fall  making  it  valuable  for  propelling 
machinerj-,  hence  its  name. 

El  Dorado  Cafion,  which  borders  the  county  on 
the  east,  sometimes  bears  a  stream  of  water  in  its 
bed,  and  these  with  a  few  rivulets  in  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada constitute  the  water  courses  of  Ormsby. 

Eagle  Valley  embraces  the  greatest  area  of  arable 
land.  A  small  portion  of  it  was  originally  covered 
with  natural  grasses,  but  the  greater  portion  was 
covered  by  sage-brush.  Hy  means  of  cultivation  and 
irrigation  it  has  been  made  ])roductivc.  producing 
the  best  of  grain  and  vegetables.     Trees  have  boon 


planted  which  flourish  luxuriantly,  and  with  farms 
made,  roads  and  ditches  constructed,  the  natural 
appearance  of  the  country  is  greatlj-  changed.  In 
the  vallej-  arc  the  principal  towns  and  settlements  of 
the  county,  the  most  important  being  Carson  City, 
Empire  CAty  and  Warm  S)irings. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  products  of  the  county 
from  18G7  to  1880,  the  number  of  acres  under  culti- 
vation, the  stock  and  grain  raised,  and  the  fruit  trees 
and  vines  growing,  the  reader  is  referred  to  pages 
135,  136,  139,  140  and  141,  of  the  general  history. 
For  the  bullion  ]iroduct  of  the  county  see  table  else- 
where in  this  work. 

EARLY   SETTLERS. 

We  have  already  given  the  names  of  Joseph  and 
Frank  J3arnard,  George  Foliensbee,  A.  J.  Rollins, 
Frank  and  W.  L.  Hall,  as  the  locators  of  Eagle 
Ranch,  in  November,  1851.  These  men  opened  a 
trading-post,  cultivated  a  garden  and  made  hay, 
enjoying  a  profitable  business  until  1854,  when  they 
sold  it  for  the  sum  of  82,000  to  Messrs.  Reese  and 
Barnard,  who  had  previously  been  established  at 
Mormontown,  or  Genoa,  as  it  was  subsequently 
called.  In  1855,  Reese  it  Barnard  sold  the  ranch  to 
some  Mormons,  several  families  of  whom  had  settled 
in  the  valky.  This  route  had  now  become  the 
favorite  one  tor  trains  of  emigrants  and  droves  of 
stock  passing  between  the  Eastern  States,  Salt  Lake 
and  California,  until  bj-  1857  the  grass  was  entirely 
eaten  out  "  root  and  branch."  Then  the  tide  of 
travel  passed  by  other  routes,  and  trade  declined. 

In  1852  the  Legislature  of  California  appropriated 
825,00(1  for  the  relief  of  destitute  emigrants  on  their 
way  overland,  and  a  party  was  sent  out  to  meet  those 
needj^  people.  .Vmong  the  party  was  Mr.  J.  T. 
(irifiitb,  who  camped  in  Eagle  Vallej',  explored  it 
thoroughly  and  subaoiiuently  returned,  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  Carson  City,  Of  the  old  settlers  it  is 
inenlioiicd  that  Dr.  B.  L.  King,  after  whom  King's 
Canon  is  named,  came  to  the  valley  in  1852,  and  at 
one  time  kept  a  place  of  public  resort  at  tho  old 
brewery,  west  of  the  present  city  of  Carson.  Accom- 
panying him  were  his  daughters,  Sarah  and  Mrs.  M. 
Little.  A  married  daughter  of  Dr.  King  still  resides 
in  the  neighborhood.  Hiehard  Rose  was  the  next 
comer,  giving  his  name  to  Hose  Cafion,  and  Jacob 
II.  Ro.se,  now  living  near  Battle  Mountain,  Charles 
Wolfe,  James  Menifee,  and  .Mr.  Miller,  are  names 
recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  pioneer  settlers.  Tho 
year  1857  is  given  as  the  advent  of  Maj.  William  M. 
Ormsby,  Mr.  S.  A.  Nevers,  Mrs.  Harmon,  her  sons, 
John  and  Jamos,  and  her  daughters,  Sarah,  Eliza, 
ami  Josephine.  Charles  Stei)biiis  was  there,  tho 
]>roprietor  of  a  store  in  that  eventful  year  of  1867. 
Mr.  S.  A.  Nevors  is  credited  with  building  tho  first 
dwelling  in  the  vallej',  beingthe  same  in  which  he  now 
rosidesnearCarson.  Mr.  Homy  Fulstone,from  whom 
these  facts  arc  obtained,  arrived  in  the  vallej-  in 
1858  with  his  fainilj-,  consisting  of  himself  and  wife, 
and  sons,  Ilenrj-,  Robert.  William,  John,  and  Joseph, 


5^2 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  company  with  him  came  also  John  Bath  and  wife. 
In  1857  the  Mormons  were  summoned  by  Brigham 
Young  to  Salt  Lake,  which  unreasonable  and  tyran- 
nical behest  the  deluded  and  superstitious  devotees 
of  the  Church  obe^-ed,  and  their  settlements  in 
western  Utah  were  abandoned  or  disposed  of  to  any 
person  offering  any  price.  The  same  scenes  and 
sacrifices  enacted  here  were  repeated  wherever  the 
Mormon  Church  had  a  "  stake,"  in  Utah,  California 
or  elsewhere.  Those  of  Eagle  Valley  went  with  the 
others,  and  the  region  was  left  with  a  new  element. 
At  this  time  a  new  man  enters  upon  the  scene. 
The  following  sketch  of  this  person  was  published 
in  the  Carson  Dally  Index  of  March  20,  1881: — 

Soon  after  those  days  a  few  Mormon  families  had 
ranches  in  Eagle  Valley.  As  those  people  were 
about  to  remove  hence  and  return  to  Salt  Lake,  a 
man  named  John  Mankin,  whom  the  early  settlers 
designate  as  an  old  pirate,  mountaineer  and  frontiers- 
man, purchased  for  a  mere  trifle  the  possessory  right 
and  became  the  owner  or  claimant  of  all  the  valley 
land  lying  between  Nevers'  Lane,  extending  to  the 
hills  north  and  south,  and  the  now  Prison  Hot 
Springs.  This  man  was  a  widower  with  four  chil- 
dren, one  a  daughter  named  Mace,  about  twelve 
years  old.  With  him  lived  also  an  Ute  Indian  boy 
named  "  Cap."  They  resided  in  a  cabin  then  a 
little  northwest  of  the  present  town  site. 

Mankin  was  a  rough,  passionate,  illiterate  fellow; 
given  to  quarreling  with  his  neighbors.  He  was  a 
splendid  marksman  with  his  rifle,  which  was  his  con- 
stant companion,  and  in  his  hands  a  dangerous 
weapon.  His  unpopularity  caused  some  of  the 
"  boj's  "  to  plan  a  scare  for  him  one  night.  Among 
the  part}'  were  Jim  Menifee  and  Charles  Wolfe. 
They  might  as  well,  as  thej-  discovered  to  their  own 
fright,  have  attempted  to  catch  a  weasel  asleep. 
Thejf  disappeared  behind  a  log-fenced  corral  not  an 
instant  too  soon  to  escape  a  bullet.  Mankin  was  a 
broad-shouldered  man  of  fifty-four  years,  so  active, 
that  in  sport  he  would  run  a  race  with  any  one  in 
the  country,  and  there  were  some  extraordinarily 
active  men  here  in  those  days.  The  distance  of 
fifty  j'ards  would  be  measured,  and  Mankin  would 
lie  flat  U|)on  his  face,  and  at  the  word  would  rise 
and  distance  all  his  com])etitors. 

Mankin  took  a  ])arty  to  the  Walker  River  country 
on  the  pretense  of  showing  them  rich  mining  pros- 
pects. Once  there,  he  gave  them  the  slip  and  re- 
turned home.  Vov  weeks  thereafter  he  ke])t  his 
gra}'  stallion  saddled  night  and  da}-,  ready  to  escajie, 
fearing  the  return  and  attack  by  the  men  ho  had 
deceived,  lie  also  rented  some  ground  to  a  man 
named  Obar,  where  Mr.  Folsom's  dwelling  and  the 
Nj-c  stone  mansion  now  stand.  There  was  a  dis- 
pute about  the  area  under  cultivation,  and,  as  usual 
in  those  da3-s,  the  matter  was  left  to  referees;  in 
this  case  Theodore  Winters  and  Dr.  King  being 
chosen  to  view  the  ground  and  report.  An  im- 
])romptu  court  was  held  at  Obar's  house  just  north- 
oast  of  Nevers'  present  residence,  at  which  John  ( 'arj' 
(since  dead),  an  elder  brother  of  our  |>resent  Police 
Magistrate,  W.  .M.Car}-,  presided.  Ex-County  Com- 
missioner S.  A.  Nevers,  who  resides  here,  was  clerk 
of  the  Court.  During  the  consideration  of  the  case, 
Mankin  stood  one  side  of  the  f)))en  doorwaj-  and  Dr. 
King  the  othei-  side.  .Mankin  was  balancing  himself 
on  one  foot  and  looked  as  though  he  might  at  any 
moment  kick  King  under  the  chin,  which  he   was 


physically  capable  of  doing  with  ease,  while  a  man 
nicknamed  •■  Pike,  "  who  lived  with  King,  reclined 
upon  an  old  table  with  his  hand  upon  a  revolver. 
Behind  the  last-named  individual  stood  a  son  of 
.Mankin  with  a  knife  up  his  sleeve.  All  this  was 
plainly  seen  by  the  clerk.  ]5ut  no  violence  was 
attem])ted.  Obar  won  the  suit.  His  house,  where 
the  court  was  held,  was  built  by  the  Mormons. 
The  same  cabin  was  afterwards  removed  and  is  now 
a  part  of  the  dwelling  of  our  esteemed  townsman, 
Farmer  Treadway,  who  purchased  the  same  some 
j-ears  later. 

ADVENT  OF  ABRA.M  CURRY. 

For  a  short  period  it  appears  that  Mankin  and  his 
family  were  the  only  occupants  of  the  region.  But 
a  more  energetic  class,  with  more  civilizing  influ- 
ences, was  soon  to  make  its  appearance.  Early  in 
1858,  there  came  to  western  Utah  a  man  of  enter- 
prise, ability  and  energy,  whose  course  was  to  have 
a  decided  influence  on  the  future  of  the  Territorj' 
and  State.  This  was  Mr.  Abram  Currj'.  His  com- 
ing is  told  in  the  Nevada   Tribune  of  July  17,  1876: — 

A  traveler,  weary  with  riding  over  the  Sierra  from 
California,  arrived  at  the  ancient  village  of  Mor- 
montown  (Genoa),  where  a  town  site  had  been  laid 
ofl",  the  owners  expecting  to  make  a  great  specula- 
tion in  the  sale  of  lots  therein.  Curry  was  in  pur- 
suit of  an  eligible  location  to  build  a  store  for  general  • 
merchandising.  He  examined  the  town  site,  and 
soon  selected  a  corner  lot  to  build  upon.  The  price, 
$1,(100,  and  no  less,  must  be  paid.  One  of  the  partners 
plead  for  reduction,  the  other  was  unflinching  in  his 
demands  for  the  sum,  or  no  sale.  His  stubbornness  was 
excelled  only  by  his  iiiability  to  estimate  the  strength 
and  determination  of  his  man,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  trade  was  never  consummated.  The 
stranger  mounted  his  horse,  asked  for  the  last  time 
for  a  reduction  of  terms.  The  cold,  unrelenting 
answer  was  returned  as.  before.  Our  hero  replied, 
"  Well,  then,  I  will  build  a  city  of  mj-  own,"  and, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  pressed  his  spurs  to 
the  flanks  of  his  alreadj^  restive  steed,  and,  before 
the  sun  had  settled  into  the  laj)  of  the  west,  Abram 
Curry  was  in  Kagle  \  alloy  foi- the  purpose  of  redeem- 
ing his  promise  of  tlio  mnrning.  Here  he  was  joined 
by  B.  F.  Green,  Frank  M.  Proctor  and  J. I.  ^lusser, 
his  companions,  who  had  crossed  the  mountains  with 
him.  A  Mr.  .Mankin  was  at  this  time  in  possession 
of  Kaglo  Ruich,  its  eastei-n  limits,  the  Warm  Springs 
and  State  Prison  grounds,  thence  west  to  a  point 
near  .Minnesota  Street.  The  party  viewed  the  jn-om- 
ises,  and  concluded  to  buy  the  ranch.  Jlr.  Mankin 
was  asked  what  was  his  price,  and  he  answered, 
'•SI, Goo."  The  purchase  was  made,  the  pa)-ment 
being  8500  coin  and  some  mustangs. 

The  storj-  of  Mankin  is  concluded  as  follows:  -'To 
avoid  his  creditors  he  took  to  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains  between  two  days,  mounted  upon  his 
gray  stallion,  and  the  children  and  the  Indian  boy 
on  the  recently  purchased  animals.  He  went  to 
Santa  (.!ruz,got  into  a  shooting  scrape  there,  and  went 
thence  south,  leaving  his  daughter,  who  married  in 
Santa  Cruz."  Upon  leaving  Fagic  \'alley  he  swore 
eternal  vengeance  against  the  Pah-Utes,  claiming 
that  he  had  killed  fifty  of  them. 

In  September,  1858,  .Mr.  Curry  proposed  to  lay 
out  a  town   site,  which   was  done,  from  which  date 


k 


G.W    HUrrAKER. 


JOHN  TWADDLE. 

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UTM.a^TTO/i*  mlr 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


538 


the  locality  and  the  actors  pass  into  the  history  of 
Carson  Cily. 

At  this  period  the  population  was  excecdinpl}' 
gcarec.  it  being  represented  that  bj-  coUcetinji  all  the 
people  in  Carson,  Washoe  and  Eagle  Vallej-s,  enough 
would  be  present  to  have  three  sets  in  a  dance. 
These  gatherings  usually  took  ]>lace  at  Dr.  King's 
brewery,  which  was  made  a  place  of  public  resort. 
The  settlers  of  Eagle  Valley  regarded  the  Fiagle 
Ranch  as  the  central  point,  and  it  was  long  before 
any  other  localitj-  bore  its  specific  name.  A  station 
was  established  on  the  overland  road  where  it 
touched  the  river,  three  and  a  half  miles  from  Eagle 
Ranch,  which  siibsequentlj-  bore  the  name  of '•  Dutch 
Nicks,"  the  usual  name  for  Nicholas  Ambrosia,  the 
first  settler,  but  afterwards  changed  to  Empire  City. 
Families  also  located  at  Clear  Creek.  Mill  Creek,  and 
other  localities  prior  to  the  discovery  of  the  Com- 
stock  Lode  and  the  rush  of  people  to  Nevada. 

SAMUEL    A.   NEVERS, 

Son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sarah  C.  (Andrews)  Nevers, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
March  1,  1824.  His  ancestors  as  far  back  as  Mr. 
Nevers  can  recollect  were  New  England  people. 
His  parents  were  both  natives  of  Massachusetts, 
his  father  being  born  at  Lexington,  and  mother 
at  Boston.  Young  Nevers,  was  educated  in 
the  common  and  high  schools  of  his  native 
city;  during  his  minority  following  the  calling  of 
book-keeper.  On  the  first  day  of  March,  1849,  he 
bid  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  started 
in  pursuit  of  fortune  in  the  golden  State  of  California, 
coming  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  in  the  ship  Svoeden. 
On  the  third  day  of  August  of  the  same  year  he 
landed  in  San  Francisco,  and  without  delay  proceeded 
to  the  mines  on  Big  Bar,  at  Mokelumne,  San  Joa- 
(juin  County.  After  one  month's  trial  in  search  of 
the  golden  nuggets,  he  i-eturned  to  San  Francisco 
and  spent  the  winter.  In  June  of  the  year  1850,  he 
went  to  the  mines  on  American  River  and  worked  at 
Rattlesnake  Bar,  until  the  fall  of  1857,  at  which 
time  he  crossed  the  mountains  to  Nevada  and  located 
in  Eagle  Valley,  arriving  there  October  14.  During 
his  many  years'  residence  in  the  sage-brush  country, 
he  has  witnessed  the  transformation  of  a  desolate  wil- 
derness into  a  thriving  and  beautiful  city.  Asa  far- 
mer, Mr.  Nevers  has  been  successful,  through  his 
untiring  energy  and  strict  attention  to  business,  and 
has  sold  his  crops  some  seasons  at  fabulous  prices. 
Hay,  8500  per  ton  and  potatoes  as  high  as  8100  per 
to!i.  lie  was  married  October  10,  1S59,  to  May 
Eliza  Harman,  daughter  of  J.  and  Mary  (Smilhson) 
llarman,  and  two  children  live  to  bless  their  union. 
The  following  are  their  names  and  date  of  birth: — 
Sarah  II.  horn,  August  5,  1860  and  John  \V.  born, 
Januarj'  18,  1869.  In  politics  Mr.  Nevers  is  a  Re- 
publican but  has  held  no  office  except  that  of  County 
Commissioner.  His  portrait  will  be  found  on  another 
page.  Mrs.  Nevers  is  a  native  of  Monroe  County, 
Mississippi,  born  April  29,  1830. 
67 


AARON   D.   TREADWAY, 

One  of  the  pioneers  of  the  State  and  the  subject  of 
the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the  Slate  of 
Connecticut,  born  in  the  town  of  Middletown,  .March 
1, 1815.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  brick  mason,  and  mastered  that  trade  dur- 
ing the  succeeding  four  J'ears,  when  he  went  to  Ma- 
con, Georgia,  in  1835,  and  worked  at  his  trade  during 
the  winter.  In  the  spring  of  1S;^()  he  went  to  Illi- 
nois, where  ho  continued  the  business  until  1847,  at 
which  time  he  went  as  First  Lieutenant  of  Com- 
])any  I,  Fifth  Illinois  Regiment,  to  the  Mexican  War. 
The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Newby. 
Lieutenant  Treadwaj-  won  man}'  laurels  as  an  officer, 
and  was  discharged  at  Alton,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of 
1848.  In  the  Spring  of  1849  he  came  to  California, 
arriving  at  Weaverville,  Trinitj'  Countj',  in  the  month 
of  July.  Alter  a  short  stay  at  the  last-named  place 
he  went  to  Sutter's  Mill,  in  El  Dorado  County, 
and  from  there  to  Sacramento  Citj',  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  came  to  what  is  now  Washoe,  in 
Nevada,  in  1859.  Mr.  Tread  way  has  done  much  to 
build  up  the  country  in  which  he  has  resided  dur- 
ing the  past  twenty-two  j-ears,  always  an  active, 
enterprising  business  man,  recognized  as  authority 
on  anything  pertaining  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil, 
and  is  known  throughout  the  State  as  '•  Farmer 
Tread  way."  In  186(!  he  bought  the  land  known  as 
Trcadway  Park,  and  hy  diligent  labor  has  produced 
for  the  pleasure  of  the  people  a  park  second  to  none 
in  the  State.  It  is  situated  on  \Vashington  Avenue, 
of  easy  access  from  Carson  City,  and  the  thousands 
who  visit  the  place  during  the  summer  months  speak 
volumes  in  favor  of  it  as  a  summer  resort.  A  view 
of  the  park  is  to  be  found  in  this  work. 

COL.    WARREN  WASSON 

Is  a  gentleman  with  whom  the  readers  of  this  history 
are  already  familiar,  he  being  one  of  the  earliest  of 
the  pioneers,  and  prominent  in  the  Indian  wars  of 
Nevada.  Colonel  VVasson  was  born  at  Harpersville, 
Broome  County,  Now  York,  December  25,  1833,  a 
"Merry  Christmas  "  gift.  When  but  three  years  of 
age,  his  parents  moved  with  him  to  Illinois,  and  of 
the  Prairie  State  are  his  earliest  recollections.  In 
1849  ho  crossed  the  j)lain8  in  company  with  his 
father  and  Judge  John  II.  McKune,  now  of  Sacra- 
mento, California.  In  1851  he  returned  to  the  East 
by  water,  and  again  made  the  journey  overland  the 
following  year.  In  1S57  he  came  to  the  eastern  slope, 
then  a  part  of  the  Territoi-}-  of  Utah. 

About  the  first  of  December,  1858,  he  located  Big 
Hot  Springs,  about  five  miles  from  Beckwourth's 
Pass,  claiming,  by  location,  two  miles  of  Long  Valley, 
being  one  mile  each  waj-  from  the  spring.  In  the 
following  January  he  occujiied  his  new  ranch  with 
100  head  of  cattle  and  twenty  horses,  having  with 
him  one  hired  man  named  William  Harley.  Hero 
he  met  and  made  friends  with  Xiimaga,  also  men- 
tioned in  the  Indian  history,  and  on  the  twentieth  of 


534 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


February,  1859,  bargained  with  him  for  all  the  rights 
the  Pah-L'tc8  had  to  the  valley  for  a  distance  of  nine 
miles  of  its  length.  In  the  following  month,  Deer 
Dick,  chief  of  the  Washoe  tribe  of  Indians,  came  and 
demanded  pay  for  the  land,  denying  the  Pah-Uto 
Jurisdiction  and  his  right  to  cede  the  land  of  the 
Washoes.  Another  purchase  was  therefore  made, 
and  peaceful  occupation  followed. 

On  the  twentieth  of  June,  1859,  James  Morgan, 
with  three  others,  moved  into  the  valley  and  settled 
fifteen  miles  below  Hot  Springs,  thus  making  six 
settlers,  and  these  were  the  first  inhabitants  of  Long 
Valley.  On  the  twent3--fifth  of  the  same  month, 
Wasson  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Genoa  Con- 
vention, which  met  on  the  eighteenth  of  July  to 
organize  a  provisional  government,  (see  chapter  X. 
of  this  book).  In  August,  1859,  he  sold  his  Long 
Valley  properly  to  J.  Hood,  and  moved  to  Genoa. 
The  following  September,  Wasson  received  the 
appointment  of  Deputy  United  States  Marshal  from 
Judge  Cradlebaugh. 

In  the  winter  of  1859  and  spring  of  1860  he  visited 
Mono,  Walker  and  Pyramid  Lakes,  making  the 
acquaintance  of  the  Pah-Ute  Indians  and  becoming 
familiar  with  the  country,  which  knowledge  was 
afterwards  of  great  service  to  him  in  the  Indian 
difficulties  which  followed.  He  also  purchased  a 
ranch  near  Genoa  which  he  held  vi  el  arinis,  as  else- 
where related. 

Colonel  Wasson  has  hold  several  public  positions,   j 
beginning    with    that    of    Deputy    Marshal    above   ; 
referred  to,  followed  bj'  Acting  Indian   Agent  for  a 
long  period,  although    others  held  the    commission. 
-March  6, 1862,  he  was  appointed  United  States  Mar- 


shal of  Nevada  Territory  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  which 
position  he  resigned  December  25,  1864,  being  suc- 
ceded  by  Edward  Irwin.  August  29,  1862,  he  was 
appointed  and  confirmed  Assessor  of  Internal  Reve- 
nue for  Nevada,  thus  holding  two  important  posi- 
tions at  the  same  time.  He  continued  as  Assessor 
until  June  1,  1869,  being  succeeded  by  Warren  F. 
Myers.  He  has  also  held  three  military  commissions, 
twice  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  on  the  Staff  of  Governor 
Blaisdel,  and  once  the  same  rank  as  aid  to  Governor 
Bradley. 

Colonel  Wasson  was,  married  Ma}'  29, 1867,  to  Miss 
Grace  A.  Treadway,  of  Carson,  a  lady  of  superior 
beaut}-,  intellect  and  refinement,  and  a  family  of 
seven  daughters  and  one  son  bless  the  union. 

After  a  residence  of  twenty-four  years  in  Nevada, 
the  Colonel  declares  his  intention  of  moving  to  Ore- 
gon and  there  making  his  future  home. 

RESOURCES. 

The  wealth  and  prosperity  of  Ormsby  County  are 
evidences  that  it  possesses  resources  of  an  important 
character.  Situated  centrally  in  the  most  thickly 
peopled  belt  of  the  "  Eastern  Slope."  it  derives  great 
profit  from  the  trade  and  travel  its  favorable  position 
demands.  Trade  with  passing  emigrants  incited  the 
first  settlers,  who  had  the  additional  incentive  of 
seeking  gold  in  the  soil  of  the  valley  or  ravines  enter- 
ing it.  The  pastoral  and  agricultural  resources 
seemed  the  most  reliable  to  the  early  settlers,  and 
these  were  most  cultivated. 

Eagle  Vallej^  contains  the  greater  part  of  the  ara- 
ble land  of  the  count}'.  This  contains  about  16,000 
acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  susceptible  of  cul- 
tivation. The  soil  is  fertile,  and  produces  the  best 
of  grain  and  vegetables.  The  Surveyor  General  of 
Nevada  in  his  report  for  1880,  says  that  "  about  5,000 
acres  of  this  valley  are  inclosed  with  good  fences,  a 
large  part  of  which  is  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation." 
Along  the  Carson  River  and  in  some  of  the  cafionsof 
the  Sierra,  are  small  tracts  of  arable  land.  The  Car- 
son River  opens  a  channel  of  trade  with  the  heavily 
timbered  mountain  region  about  its  source,  and  im- 
mense ([uantities  of  lumber,  firewood,  etc..  are  floated 
down  the  stream,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  taken 
from  the  water  in  this  county. 

A  largo  area,  comprising  more  than  40,000  acres, 
extending  into  the  Sierra  Nevada,  was  originally 
heavily  timbered,  and,  although  much  has  been 
taken,  this  forest  still  constitutes  an  important 
resource.  In  connection  with  this  interest  are  the 
various  small  mountain  streams,  which  afford  power 
for  manufacturing  the  forest  trees  into  lumber. 
These  are  Clear  Creek,  Mill  Creek  and  King's  Canon 
and  small  streams  flowing  into  Lake  Tahoe.  The 
Carson  also  affords  a  groat  water-power,  and  nu- 
merous quartz  and  saw-mills  are  propelled  by  its 
force.  Those  streams  furnish  a  perpetual  power  for 
manufacturing  purposes. 

The  mineral  resources  have  not  been  developed, 
but    at  different  periods  have  attracted  considerable 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


535 


attention.  The  Nut  Pine  Mountains  bear  many 
ledges  of  gold  and  silver-bearing  quartz,  as  well  as 
gold  in  placers.  Iron  and  copper  ores  are  also  found 
in  the  same  range,  and  !i  bed  of  lignite,  once  mined 
for  coal,  exists  in  El  Dorado  Cafion.  The  dearth 
of  Tvater  in  this  region  is  a  serious  obstacle  to  its 
development.  The  placer  mines  have  given  evidence 
of  the  mineral  wealth.  "For a  few  weeks,"  says 
Kelly's  Director)-  of  Nevada  for  1862,  "  while  the 
water  lasted,  some  twenty  men  made  half  an  ounce 
a  day  each,  working  surface  diggings  at  Onion  Val- 
ley, in  Sullivan  District.  There  are  other  points 
where  equally  good  prospects  can  be  had,  but  there 
is  no  water." 

In  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  are  numerous 
quartz  veins  which  have  been  sufficiently  prospected 
as  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  gold  and  silver  in 
their  stony  embrace.  The  abundance  of  wood  and 
water,  so  essential  to  successful  mining  and  milling 
operations,  in  this  section  of  the  county  is  an  advan- 
tage it  possesses  seldom  obtained  in  the  mining  re- 
gions of  Nevada.  Extending  from  Clear  Creek  along 
the  base  of  the  mountains  across  the  entire  county, 
a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  a  series  of  quartz 
ledges  may  be  traced,  all  more  or  less  impregnated 
with  the  precious  metals.  These  mines  have  been 
worked  with  spasmodic  vigor  at  various  limes,  and 
considerable  gold  and  silver  has  been  produced. 

Building  stone  of  several  varieties  and  of  most  ex- 
cellent quality-  is  abundant.  A  quarry  of  sandstone 
one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  town  of  Carson  is 
especially  adapted  for  architectural  purposesand  has 
been  largel}-  used  in  building  the  Slate  Prison,  United 
States  Mint,  Capitol  and  other  important  struct- 
ures. The  State  Mineralogist  reports  this  species  of 
rock  as  existing  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  in  great 
masses.  It  is  a  sedimentary  formation,  somewhat 
stratified  and  varying  in  compactness,  easily 
wrought  and  wearing  well.  Granite  is  in  great 
abundance  in  the  Sierra  Nevada;  clay  suitable  for 
making  brick  is  found  in  profusion,  and  marble 
suitable  for  ornamental  as  well  as  other  purposes  is 
obtained  from  a  bed  of  that  stone  five  miles  northeast 
of  Carson  City. 

The  streams  of  Ormsby,  notably  the  Carson,  bear- 
ing their  freight  of  lumber,  mine  timbers  and  fire- 
wood constitute  a  living  and  lasting  source  of  wealth. 
Besides  being  carriers  of  the  forest  products,  they 
afford  irrigation  for  the  arid  soil,  without  which 
there  would  be  no  agriculture,  no  beautiful  gardens 
or  shady  trees  about  its  dwellings,  and  more  than 
all,  do  they  afford  the  power  which  drives  the  manj- 
quartz  and  saw-mills  which  furnish  remunerative 
employment  for  so  largo  a  proportion  of  the  popu- 
lation. Added  to  these  are  the  railroads  centering  at 
the  capital  city,  the  Carson  and  Colorado  reaching  to 
the  mining  regions  of  the  southeast,  and  the  Virginia 
and  Truckee  extending,  in  one  direction  to  the  mines 
of  the  Comstock,  and  in  the  other  to  lieno  and 
the  Pacific  Railroad.     Willi  these  improvements  and 


natural  resources  the  county  presents  the  condition 
of  continued  and  substantial  prosperity. 


/Ui^T^^,  <{/^^^-^vJ^^  '^-^ 


William  D.  Torreyson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  having  been 
born  in  Unison,  Loudoun  County.  September  5, 
1821.  When  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age  his 
parents  removed  to  Brooke  County,  West  Virginia, 
where  he  lived  with  them  until  the  year  1S55. 
r)uring  his  stay  in  Brooke  County  he  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  glass,  owning  the  first  glass-works 
built  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  In  1835  he 
came  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  located  at  Downie- 
ville,  Sierra  County,  California,  where  he  followed 
blacksmithing  and  mining  until  18G0,  when  he  came 
to  Carson  City,  Ormsby  Count)-,  Nevada,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Being  one  of  the  early  arrivals 
in  this  place,  ho  has  seen  the  town  grow  up  around 
him,  and  has  ver)-  materiallj-  aided  the  progress  of 
several  branches  of  industry,  being  engaged  in 
blacksmithing,  milling  and  mining.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent the  projiriotor  of  an  extensive  wagon  manufac- 
tory in  connection  with  a  general  blacksmithing 
business.  .Mr.  Torreyson  is  a  man  well  known 
throughout  the  county — and  respected  bj-  all — a 
quiet,  well-informed  gentleman,  and  an  honor  to 
the  town  in  which  he  lives.  Ho  was  married  to 
Miss  S.  C.  Brown,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  De- 
comber  6,  184!t,  and  has  an  interesting  family  of  five 
children. 


536 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


HON.    H.    H.    BENCB 

Was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  New  York,  February 
16,  1827.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  that 
State.  After  receiving  an  ordinarj'  common  school 
education  he  learned  a  trade,  which  he  followed 
until  he  started  for  California  in  1852,  by  way  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  in  the  steamer  Pioneer,  arriving 
in  San  Francisco  on  the  twentieth  of  August  that 
same  year.  Immcdiatelj'  after  his  arrival  he  went 
to  Calaveras  County,  and  engaged  in  mining  .with 
the  usual  ups  and  downs  of  the  miners  of  those  days. 


y^/^;  <^  ^ 


In  1858  he  contracted  the  Krazer  [liver  fever,  and 
went  with  the  throng  to  that  region,  arriving  in  the 
month  of  Jul}-.  I'iiiding  that  ''things  are  not  always 
what  the}-  seem."  be  returned  to  San  Francisco  in 
the  fall  an  invalid,  and  soon  after  went  to  San  Mateo 
and  engaged  in  farniing  until  he  came  to  Carson 
City,  Ormsby  County,  Nevada,  in  1860,  where  he 
has  since  remained.  In  18(i3,  .Mr.  Bence  was  elected 
County  Assessor,  and  held  that  office  until  1866, 
when  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly.  He  was 
Public  Administrator  during  the  years  1868-69-70, 
and  received  the  appointment  as  County  Surveyor  in 
1874,  and  again  elected  Assessor  in  1878.  He  was 
also  for  two  years  l)e])uty  United  States  Itevenue 
Assessor,  and  the  l)e])uty  I'nited  Slates  Mineral 
Surveyor.  Mr.  Bence  has  held  otlice  longer,  as  prin- 
cipal and  deputy,  than  any  other  man  in  the  county. 
As  an  officer  he  has  faithfully  served  his  county,  a 
jiractical  man,  he  became  familiar  with  the  laws  of 
his  country,  and  was  at  one  time  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  but  preferring  the  profession  of  civil  engineer. 


he  soon  became  proficient  in  the  business,  and  to-day 
stands  at  the  head  of  Lis  class  in  that  line.  As  a 
mathematician  he  has  few  equals.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Eepublican,  having  fought  on  that  line  since  the 
organization  of  the  party. 

-MINES   AND    MINING. 

The  mines  of  Ormsby,  even  if  they  have  not  en- 
riched their  owners  or  added  their  millions  of  treas- 
ure to  the  wealth  of  the  world,  still  constitute  an 
important  feature  in  the  natural  resources  of  the 
county,  and  their  discovery,  the  excitement  attend- 
ing their  earliest  development,  the  high  hopes  of 
their  owners,  the  struggles  with  adversity,  the  manj' 
abandonments  and  resuscitations  of  mining  enterprises 
and  their  present  condition  form  an  interesting  chap- 
ter in  its  history. 

The  excitement  following  the  discovery  of  silver 
in  the  Comstock  Vein  caused  a  great  "rush  ''  of  peo- 
ple from  California  to  the  "  Eastern  Slope,"  very  few 
of  whom  had  ever  seen  silver  ore,  and  knew  nothing 
of  its  appearance  or  how  it  occurred  in  its  native 
State.  Gold  mining  was  the  great  interest  of  Cali- 
fornia, either  from  the  placers  where  it  occurred  a 
native  and  pure  metal  and  was  obtained  by  simply 
washing  the  earth  containing  it,  or  by  crushing  the 
quartz,  the  original  matrix  of  the  metal.  In  both 
cases  the  ])rocess  was  simple,  the  pure  metal  was 
])laiii  to  the  view  and  no  scientific  skill  was  required 
to  extract  it.  The  miners  had  learned  nothing  of 
ores.  These  were  a  mystery.  Silver,  cojiper,  iron,  zinc 
and  other  metals  were  known  to  come  from  ores,  and 
that  was  sibout  all  of  the  science  of  metallurgy  that 
they  did  know.  This  mj'stery  gave  zest  to  the  excite- 
ment. The  dark  ore  concealed  the  rich  metal.  Veins 
of  quartz  contained  the  ore.  Everj-where  through- 
out the  mountains  were  veins  of  quartz.  That  which 
appeared  at  the  surface,  whether  in  Mount  Davidson, 
the  Sierra  Nevada  or  Pine  Nut  range,  was  to  the 
inexperienced  eye  all  the  same.  Claims  could  be 
located,  and  if  the  locator  had  not  the  capital  or 
inclination  to  develop  his  mine  he  could  sell  to  spec- 
ulative parties,  or  at  least  hoped  to. 

With  these  views,  the  people  entering  the  Terri- 
tory spread  over  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
oldest  settlements.  Carson  City  became  the  bead- 
quarters  of  an  army  of  jjrospectors,  who,  in  1859 
and  '60,  centered  here  and  explored  the  surround- 
ing region  for  "  croppings  "  of  quartz  and  "  indica- 
tions "  of  metals.  There  were  then  no  mining 
bureaus,  no  cabinets  of  minerals,  no  treatise  on  vein 
formations,  or  descriptions  of  ores,  by  which  the  pros- 
pector could  familiarize  himself  with  the  appear- 
ance and  occurrence  of  ores,  and  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence he  wont  blindly  to  his  work.  All  was  ex- 
citement and  enthusiasm.  Peo])le  rushed  hither  and 
thither.  Wherever  a  j)iece  of  (piartz  was  observed 
it  was  "  located."  A  claim  was  made,  using  the  set 
phrase,  so  many  "  feet  on  the  ledge,  with  all  its  dips, 
spurs  and  angles,"  few  knowing  or  caring  what  it 
all   meant.      Under   such  conditions   districts   were 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


537 


formed  which,  in  the  aggregate,  covered  ihc  entire 
country,  lapping  and  covering  each  other. 

In  the  outlying  hill;*,  forming  the  base  of  the 
Sierra,  bordering  Eagle  Valley  on  the  west,  wore  dis- 
covered many  veins  of  quartz,  which  were  speedily 
located,  and  Eagle  District  was  organized  in  the  fall 
of  1859.  The  following  year  a  number  of  these 
lodes  were  prospected  quite  extensivel}-,  but  not 
showing  the  wealth  the  high  hopes  of  the  owners 
had  pictured  for  them,  were  abandoned.  At  differ- 
ent periods  since,  renewals  of  work  have  been  made, 
long  tunnels  have  been  run,  and  deep  sdiafls  sunk, 
and  nearly  as  ol'ten  have  all  despaired  of  success. 

The  various  Commissioners  appointed  to  gather 
mining  statistics  of  the  United  States,  the  State 
Mineralogist,  and  the  Surveyor  General  have  for 
many  years  neglected  to  place  Ormsby  County  in 
the  list  of  mining  counties.  The  mines,  however, 
still  exist.  In  1876  work  was  energetically  carried 
on  in  the  North  Carson  Mine,  two  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Carson  Citj',  and,  says  the  M'miay  Jieciew 
of  July,  1876:  "The  hoisting  works  of  the  North 
Carson  has  reeentlv  blown  the  first  steam  mining 
whistle  ever  sounded  in  Ormsbj'  County." 

For  some  years  this  mine  took  a  prominent  posi- 
tion in  the  public  mind  and  on  the  stock  board  of 
San  Francisco.  Says  the  Tribune,  of  Carson  City, 
July  22,  1874:— 

North  Carson  takes  a  jump  this  morning,  and  now 
the  hearts  of  the  holders  may  rejoice.  From  twenty- 
five  to  seventy-five  is  no  small  leap,  and  doubtless 
the  stock  will  continue  to  advance,  from  the  fact  that 
mining  experts  have  pronounced  the  mine  a  merito- 
rious one,  and  also  because  it  is  now  a  recognized  fact 
that  valuable  mines  exist  in  the  hills  surrounding 
Eagle  Valley. 

The  Mining  Review  of  1876,  says: — 

Assays  of  the  rock  have  been  made  at  the  branch 
mint  at  Carson,  which  range  from  S5  to  82,132.17 
per  ton.  The  company  have  500  tons  of  milling  ore 
on  the  dump.  The  new  hoisting  works,  which  have 
been  put  up  at  a  cost  of  815,000,  will  develop  the 
mine  to  a  depth  of  1,500  feet.  The  company  own 
forty  acres  of  land  adjoining  their  claim  upon  which 
are  located  their  offices  and  other  buildings,  making 
quite  a  little  village. 

Clear  Creek  District  was  organized  in  185!l,  also 
in  the  spurs  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  west  of  Carson 
City.  J.  Ross  Browne,  United  States  Commissioner 
ol  Mining  Statistics  in  1868,  saj-s:  "  The  Clear 
Creek  District  in  1859  and  1860  was  the  scene  of 
much  excitement  and  activity.  Extensive  mining 
grounds  were  taken  u|(,  and  prospecting  operations 
initiated.  llere  a  number  of  long  tunnels  were 
afterwards  driven,  and  deep  shafts  sunk,  but  none  of 
them  availed  to  reach  ore  deposits  of  a  remunerative 
kind,  and  the  district,  under  an  absence  of  population 
and  an  entire  cessation  of  labor  for  several  years,  is 
considered  as  practically  abandoned."  Mr.  11.  H. 
Bence,  Assessor  of  the  county,  in  his  report  for  1866 
says:— 


Near  the  base  of  the  mountains,  three  miles  west 
of  Carson  City,  is  located  the  Athens  Mine,  the  rock 
of  which  prospects  very  well  in  gold  and  silver. 
There  ai'e  other  veins  of  quartz  rock  in  the  same 
vicinity,  which,  it  is  said,  jjrospect  well,  but  at  iires- 
cnt  there  is  no  work  being  done  upon  them. 

Commissioner  Browne,  in  1868,  and  State  Mineral- 
ogist Whitehill,  in  1872,  say: — 

In  1860  a  fiti'ul  interest  was  awakened  in  regard  to 
supposed  valuable  discoveries  made  in  the  bald  hills 
southwest  of  Carson,  which,  having  led  to  the  loca- 
ting of  many  claims  in  that  neighborhood,  even- 
tuated, soon  after,  in  their  total  abandonment,  since 
which  time  nothing  further  has  been  done  either 
towards  locating  or  working  mines  in  the  district. 

The  abandonment  of  the  mines  of  Ormsby  appears 
to  have  been  complete  for  a  number  of  j'ears;  but  in 
1874,  says  the  State  Mineralogist's  report  for  that 
year,  "  Mines  of  gold  and  silver  have  also  been  dis- 
covered, which  are  being  worked  with  vigor  at  pres- 
ent, and  which  bid  fair  to  soon  become  paying  prop- 
erties." He  then  mentions  the  North  Carson,  the 
Eagle,  the  Clear  Creek  Mine  and  the  Niagara,  all 
showing  extensive  work  and  good  prospects.  Fol- 
lowing this  comes  the  report  of  H.  H.  Bence, 
County  Assessor  of  Ormsby,  dated  November  30, 
1880,  saying:— 

This  count}'  cannot,  like  many  other  counties, 
boast  of  its  extensive  mines,  and  bullion  product, 
but,  nevertheless,  we  have  some  prospective  mines. 
The  Voltaire  Mine,  belonging  to  the  Voltaire  Mining 
Company,  is  situated  about  five  miles  southwest  of 
Carson  C'itj-  in  a  spur  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mount- 
ains, bearing  easterlj-  from  the  main  range,  and  is  a 
property  that  gives  fair  promise  of  success.  The  ore 
vein  of  this  mine  has  an  average  width  of  from  three 
to  five  feet,  with  fine  clay  seams  next  the  hanging 
and  foot-walls,  the  formation  of  the  foot-wall  being 
granite,  and  that  of  the  hanging-wall,  gneiss.  The 
course  of  the  vein  is  nearl)'  northeast  and  southwest, 
magnetic  meridian,  and  has  a  di])  to  the  southeast 
of  about  fortj'-tive  degrees  from  the  horizon.  The 
ore  is  somewhat  base,  containing  a  small  ])ercentage 
of  copper  and  lead,  but  readily  yields  to  the  roasting 
process.  Some  small  lots  of  the  ore  worked  have 
yielded  as  high  at  6200  per  ton.  The  owners  have 
lately  8hii)ped  a  number  of  tons  of  this  ore  to  San 
Francisco  for  reduction  or  sale.  The  company  have 
built  a  house  over  their  shaft,  and  hoist  the  ore  bj' 
horse-power,  and  have  the  mine  well  opened  for 
working,  and  are  constantlj-  taking  out  ore,  as  well 
as  making  further  developments  on  their  vein. 

Sullivan  District  was  the  result  of  the  excitement 
of  1859-60.  This  district  lies  in  the  Pine  Nut 
Mountains  east  of  the  Carson  River,  and  was  organ- 
ized in  the  early  ])art  of  1 860.  The  croppings  showed 
the  existence  of  free  gold,  and  this  most  pleased  the 
inexperienced  miners  from  California. 

The  first  locations  in  this  district  had  been  made 
quite  early  in  the  winter,  and  large  talcs  of  their 
richness  were  told  in  Carson,  when  the  snow  cov- 
ered them  and  they  were  deemed  inaccessible.  As 
an  evidence  of  the  excitement  and  means  used  for 
speculating  upon  it  this  incident  is  related:  At  that 
time  Mr.  Eugene  Angel    then  a  resident  of  Carson, 


538 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


had  in  his  possession  a  beautiful  minoralogical  spec- 
imen from  the  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  This 
specimen  contained  quartz,  native  copper  and  native 
silver.  For  this  and  the  claims  he  held  he  was  of- 
fered a  large  sum  in  cash  and  a  guarantee  of  850,000. 
to  be  paid  upon  reaching  San  Francisco,  if  he  would 
represent  the  specimen  as  coming  from  his  mines 
in  Sullivan  District.  He  resented  the  proposition  and 
the  specimen  was  exhibited  freely  under  its  true 
character. 

The  Indian  War  in  May,  and  the  great  panic  fol- 
lowing the  defeat  of  ifajor  Ormsby's  party  near 
Pyramid  Lake,  put  a  stop  to  all  mining  operations, 
as  is  shown  by  the  following,  published  in  the  Terri- 
lonal  Enterprise  of  Carson  City,  May  19,  1860: — 

.MEETING    IN  SULLIVAN  DISTRICT. 

At  a  meeting  held  by  the  miners  of  Sullivan  Dis- 
trict, on  the  fourteenth  day  of  May,  1860,  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted: — 

Where.\s,  Reliable  information  has  been  received 
from  Mr.  J.  J.  Webster  of  the  existence  of  Indian 
hostilities  in  this  vicinity,  and  the  miners  of  this  dis- 
trict being  entirely  destitute  of  arms  for  their  de- 
fense; therefore  be  it 

Resoh-eil,  That  labor  may  be  suspended  on  all  claims 
in  the  district  for  two  months  from  this  date,  or  until 
said  hostilities  cease,  and  that  no  forfeiture  of  claims 
shall  take  place  in  consequence  of  said  cessation  of 
labor. 

Resolcud,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be 
published  in  the  Territorial  Enterprise. 

John  D.\y,  President. 

J.  M.  Jones,  Secretary. 

After  the  subsidence  of  the  panic  which  the  mer- 
ciless character  of  the  massacre  had  caused,  and 
which  had  extended  throughout  all  the  mining  region 
of  the  Territor}-,  and  cast  a  pall  over  the  people  of 
California,  then  unaccustomed  to  tales  of  fierce  war 
and  the  loss  of  friends  in  battle,  work  was  resumed 
in  this  district  as  elsewhere.  J.  Wells  Kelly,  in  his 
first  Directory  of  Xevada,  in  1862,  says: — 

In  Sullivan  District,  a  great  number  of  ledges  were 
located,  and  considerable  work  done  in  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1860,  but  not  turning  out  as  well  as  was 
expected,  the  whole,  with  the  exception  of  some  half- 
dozen  claims,  was  subsequentl}'  abandoned.  Work 
is  still  being  done  on  the  Bullion,  Hatfield,  Phccnix, 
and  one  or  two  others,  from  which  some  good  gold- 
bearing  rock  has  been  obtained.  At  the  period  men- 
tioned over  loo  men  were  at  work  in  this  district,  at 
present  there  are  not  more  than  eight  or  ten.  I'lacer 
mines  also  exist  in  that  section,  which  would  pay 
fair  wages  with  water  for  working  them,  but  this 
being  almost  whol!}-  wanting,  little  can  bo  done. 
For  a  few  weeks,  while  the  water  lasted,  some 
twenty  men  made  half  an  ounce  a  day,  each  work- 
ing surface  diggings  at  Onion  Valley,  in  this  district. 
There  are  other  j)oints  where  eriually  good  prospects 
can  be  had,  but  there  is  no  water. 

The  Countj-  Assessor,  Mr.  H.  H.  Bonco,  in  his 
report  for  1866,  says  of  this  district: — 

Lately,  copper  ore  was  discovered  on  the  east  side 
of  Carson  Kivor,  about  six  miles  from  Carson  City, 
which,  I  have  been  informed,  assays  from  forty  to 
sixty  per  cent,  of  copper;  but,  as  yet,  there  ha"  been 
nothing  done  to  indicate  the  extent  of  the   lodge. 


There  is  also  in  the  same  vicinity  a  gold  and  silver- 
bearing  ledge,  known  as  the  ■'  Wood  Chopper 
Ledge,"  which  prospects  extremely  well  and  is 
about  twelve  I'eet  wide,  but,  like  all  others,  remains 
undeveloped  for  want  of  capital. 

The  Surve^-or  General,  K.  H.  Stretch,  in  his  report 
for  1866,  in  referring  to  this  district,  saj's: — 

Iron  and  copper  ores  are  abundant.  About  two 
years  ago  there  was  considerable  excitement  about 
reported  discoveries  of  coal  in  El  Dorado  Canon. 
Considerable  work  was  done  on  the  Newcastle  Com- 
pany's location,  and  a  depot  established  in  Virginia 
for  the  sale  of  the  coal,  which  was  of  a  dull,  black 
color,  and  shaly  in  its  appearance,  being  an  inferior 
lignite,  probably  of  the  Triassic  age;  but  work  has 
been  suspended  for  many  months.  The  deposit  is 
not  likelj-  to  be  of  permanent  value.  An  attempt  is 
now  being  made  to  utilize  the  copper  ores  of  this 
section  in  the  manufacture  of  sulphate  of  copper,  an 
article  of  great  importance  in  the  milling  operations 
of  our  State.  The  absence  of  any  large  percentage 
of  iron  in  the  copper  ores  of  some  of  the  deposits 
near  Carson  Elver  makes  them  suitable  for  this 
purpose. 

The  State  Mineralogist,  Eev.  A.  F.  White,  in  bis 
report  for  1868,  says: — 

There  are  no  mines  worked  in  this  countj'.  In 
El  Dorado  Canon  a  bed  of  lignite  was  worked  for  a 
time  for  coal,  but  has  been  abandoned.  In  tbo 
northern  part  of  the  mountains  near  the  line  of  the 
county,  copper  and  iron  ores  have  been  found  in 
large  ([uantities.  These  mountains  present  a  variety 
of  geological  formations,  among  the  most  prominent 
of  which  are  basalt,  trachyte,  and  transition  slate, 

J,  Ross  Browne,  in  his  report  to  Congress  in  1868 
upon  the  mineral  resources,  says  of  this  district: — 

Another  drawback  upon  the  success  of  these  mines 
was  at  that  time  experienced  in  the  absence  of  mills 
for  working  the  ores,  which  were,  therefore,  unavail- 
able, compelling  claim-holders  who  were  without 
means  to  suspend  work,  leaving  the  problem  as  to 
the  character  and  value  of  these  lodes  still  unsolved. 

The  same  language  is  used  by  Mr.  Henry  R. 
Whitehill,  State  Mineralogist,  in  his  re|)ort  for  1872, 
showing  that  the  same  state  of  things  as  previously 
reported  continued  to  exist. 

Aruentine  District  was  located  in  the  summer  of 

1859,  lying  in  the  range  of  mountains  to  the  east  of 
Washoe  Valley,  and  west  of  Virginia,  and  immedi- 
ately north  of  Eagle  Valley,  in  which  Carson  City  is 
situated.  Like  all  other  mining  localities  at  that 
early  day  this  had  its  enthusiastic  prospectors  and 
ponderous  companies,  A  record  of  one  of  these  is 
furnished   by    the    Territorial   Enterprise   of  May   19, 

1860,  from  w^Jiich  is  taken  the  following  list  of 
incorporators: — 

A.  F.  Chapman.  M.  Bankhoad,  William  N.  Bank- 
head,  R.  F.  Cahill,  R.  C.  McKenzie,  J.  Drake,  R. 
Neasham,  S.  I.  Hill,  A.  J.  Rutledge,  J,  P,  Sharp,  D. 
Lowrie.  M,  W,  Lusk,  J,  S,  Coftee,  S.  E.  Lewis,  R.  K. 
Steele,  J,  P,  Pettigrew,  M,  II.  Spencer.  William  C. 
Taylor,  Henry  Jones,  John  T.  Ward,  D.  Marshall,  J. 
Williams. 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


539 


Mr.  R.  H.  Stretch,  State  Mineralogist  in  1866, 
gives  the  farewell  to  the  mines  of  Argentine  Dis- 
trict.    iTesays: — 

The}-  lie  chieriy  in  the  granite,  the  gangue  being  a 
glassj'  quartz,  in  (some  instances  carrying  iron  pjTitea, 
and  stained  Mack  with  other  comj)Oiin(ls  of  iron, 
assaj'ing  small  quantities  of  gold.  The  mines  are 
not  likely  to  prove  of  much  value. 

QUARTZ    .MILLS. 

The  development  of  the  mines  discovered  in 
1859-()(l  required  at  once  the  construction  of  mills 
for  the  reduction  of  the  ores.  The  tirst  ore  extracted 
was  from  the  Mexican  and  Ophir  claims  at  Virginia 
City,  and  this  was  packed  on  mules  over  the  Sierra 
Nevada  to  California,  some  to  Grass  Vallej',  and 
.some  to  San  Francisco  for  reduction,  a  small  jiortion 
being  reduced  in  arastras  near  the  mines.  This  ore 
being  very  rich,  one  mule  carrying  82,000  worth,  it 
was  a  good  enough  way  of  transporting  the  bullion 
to  market.  But  there  was  other  ore  in  the  mines  not 
so  near  pure  silver,  and  this  required  reducing 
nearer  home.  For  this  purpose  the  first  thought  was 
power,  and  the  Carson  River  seemed  to  oft'er  it  in 
abundance.  This  stream  was  about  fifteen  miles 
distant,  and  there  at  once  the  enterprising  owners  of 
the  mines  directed  their  energies. 

A  small  mill  was  first  constructed  near  Empire 
City  in  the  spring  of  1860,  which  was  subsequently 
enlarged  as  the  Mexican  Mill,  or  the  Silver  State 
Reduction  Works.  The  building  of  mills  once 
entered  upon,  the  business  increased  with  wonderful 
rapidity. 

In  1861  a  mill  was  built  in  Clear  Creek  District  and 
run  by  water-power  from  Clear  Creek.  In  the  same 
year  a  man  named  Ashe  built  a  mill  in  Gregory's 
Canon,  which  afterwards  took  the  name  of  Ashe's 
Canon.  This  mill  was  destroyed  by  a  flood  in  the 
winter  of  1861-62  which  was  so  powerful  that  it  re- 
duced the  level  of  the  cafion  fourteen  feet.  .Shortly 
afterwards  the  mill  of  Childs  &  Hunt  was  built  on 
Mill  Creek  five  miles  north  of  Carson  City,  driven 
by  water  from  the  Creek.  This  had  ten  stamps  and 
crushed  irom  eight  to  ten  tons  per  day,  according 
to  the  quality  of  the  work.  The  mill  was  running 
in  1863.  The  Silver  State  Mill,  which  is  the  common 
appellation  for  the  Silver  State  Reduction  Works,  was 
built  in  1861.  one-half  mile  south  of  Empire  City  on 
the  cast  bank  of  the  Carson.  The  motive  power 
was  water  brought  from  the  river  through  a  ditch 
four  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  ten  feet  wide  on  top. 
four  feet  on  the  bottom  and  four  and  one-half  feet 
deep,  having  a  capacity  to  supply  4,000  cubic  feet  per 
minute.  In  1861.  this  mill  had  twelve  stamps  and 
was  capable  of  reducing  twelve  tons  o^ore  per  day  of 
twent}--four  hours,  cost,  including  ditch.  825,000.  ,1. 
M.  Davis  was  then  Superintendent.  This  was  greatly 
enlarged  in  1862,  at  which  lime  lh<' following  descrip- 
tion is  given  of  it,  and  of  the  method  of  reducing  ore, 
in"  Kelly's  Directory  of  Nevada  Territory  for  18()3." 

The  mill  is  driven  by  water  acting  on  a  breast  wheel 
twenty-eight  feet  in  diameter,  and  an  outside  breadth 


of  twenty-six  feet,  being  the  largest  water  wheel  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  furnishing  about  two-hundred- 
horse  power.  The  fall  of  water  is  twenty-two  feet. 
There  are  now  forty-four  stamps  working,  running 
with  an  average  speed  of  seventy-five  blows  j)er  min- 
ute, and  the  amount  of  rock  crushed  averages  from 
seventy  to  seventy-five  tons  daily — this  being  more 
than  double  the  amount  crushed  bj-  any  other  mill  in 
the  Territory-.  Twentj'-eight  of  these  stamps  are 
employed  constantly  on  ore  from  the  .Mexican  Mine, 
Virginia  City,  from  which  jilace  the  ore  is  freighted 
in  sacks.     The  remainder  on  custom  work. 

The  plan  adopted  in  working  the  ore  dift'ers  from 
what  is  elsewhere  in  use,  inasmuch  as  it  is  a  combina- 
tion of  two  distinct  processes — that  of  simple  amal- 
gamation, and  the  Barrel  Process.  The  ore  is  crushed 
wet,  and  flows  through ''Brevoort  Grinders,"  to  con- 
vert it  into  as  fine  a  state  of  division  as  possible, 
and  thence  through  a  series  of  twelve  Mitchell's 
Amalgamators,  in  which  the  pulp,  by  means  of  cop- 
per screws,  is  forced  through  a  mass  of  quicksilver, 
for  a  total  length  of  one  hundred  and  forty-four  feet. 
From  the  lust  amalgamator  the  pulp  flows  into  agi- 
tators, in  which  are  gathered  all  particles  of  quick- 
silver or  amalgam  that  maj-  have  escaped  from  the 
amalgamators  with  the  pulp.  From  the  agitators 
the  pulp  then  flows  into  vats,  where  it  is  allowed  to 
settle,  in  order  that  as  little  as  possible  of  the  sul- 
phurets  of  silver  may  escape. 

The  ore  has  now  been  deprived  of  all  its  gold  and 
free  silver,  and  there  remain  but  the  sulphurets  of 
silver,  with  sulphurets  of  copper  and  other  base 
metals.  The  ore  is  then  taken  from  the  vats,  spread 
out  upon  a  dr3-ing  floor,  deprived  of  its  moisture, 
carried  thence  b}'  machiner}'  to  a  grinder,  where  all 
the  lumps  that  may  have  been  formed  are  destroyed. 

The  salt  that  is  necessary  for  the  roasting  is  ground 
at  the  same  time  with  the  ore.  thus  causing  it  to  be 
intimatelj-  mixed,  and  in  this  state  it  is  elevated  and 
carried  to  hoppers  above  the  furnaces,  without  the 
intervention  of  manual  labor.  When  the  furnace 
(a  reverberator}')  is  readj'  for  a  charge,  an  aperture  in 
the  top  is  uncovered  and  the  ore  shoveled  in  and 
spread  out  equally  upon  the  bed  or  hearth  of  the 
furnace,  and  then  roasted  and  stirred  for  such  a  length 
of  time  as  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  ore  demand. 

As  soon  as  the  sulphurets  of  silver  are  converted 
into  chlorides  (the  result  of  the  action  of  salt  upon 
heated  sul|)hurets)  the  ore  is  drawn  from  the  furnaces, 
cooled,  and  then  carried  by  means  of  a  belt  and  ele- 
vator to  the  dust  chamber,  immediately  above  the 
barrels. 

The  furnace  shed  is  187  feet  long  by  40  feet  broad, 
and  is  intended  for  six  furnaces,  four  of  which  are 
now  in  use.  The  draught  necessary  for  the  fires  is 
created  bj^  a  large  chimney  12x12  feet  at  the  base, 
and  tapering  to  a  height  of  eight}-  feet.  The  chim- 
ney is  connected  with  the  flues  of  the  furnaces  by 
means  of  a  main  flue  passing  underground,  along  the 
entire  length  of  the  shed.  The  flues  of  the  retorting 
and  smelting  furnaces  are  also  connected  with  the 
main  flue,  and  thus  the  possibility  of  an  accidental 
fire  is  entirely  avoided.  Near  the  base  of  the  chim- 
ney are  condensing  chambers,  in  which  are  caught 
such  particles  of  silver  as  may  be  carried  oft"  from  the 
furnaces  iiy  vohitiiization  or  otherwise. 

The  ore  having  been  deposited  in  the  dust-room,  is 
now  ready  for  the  i)arrels.  This  portion  of  the  mill  is 
58x40  feet,  and  thirty-one  feet  high,  and  divided  into 
three  stories,viz.:  the  basement,  barrel  and  dust-room. 
In  the  dust-room  the  ore  is  bolted.  ])reparalor}-  to  be- 
ing charged  in  the  barrels.     The  barrel-room  is  fitted 


540 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA 


up  for  twenty  barrels,  each  capable  of  working  from 
two  to  two  and  a  half  tons  per  daj-;  oiilj-  fifteen  of 
these  are  now  in  use.  The  barrel  is  charged  with  a 
quantity  of  ore,  watei",  iron  and  fiuicksilver,  and 
then  made  to  revolve  until,  bj'  a  test,  it  is  ascer- 
tained that  all  the  silver  has  been  extracted.  The 
amali;am  and  quicksilver  are  now  drawn  off,  and 
then  the  ore  washed  out  of  the  barrels  into  a  series 
of  atcitators,  in  which  all  escaping  particles  of  amal- 
gam are  caught.  In  the  basement,  the  salt  and  ore 
are  ground  up  together,  and  space  reserved  for  ex- 
perimental researches. 

The  above  description  refers  chieflj-  to  the  mode 
of  working  the  ore  from  the  Mexican  Mine.  In  the 
custom  department  the  ore  is  treated  differentlJ^ 
Here  a  series  of  twelve  Hepburn's  pans  are  em- 
ployed, and  the  pulp  flows  into  them  directl}'  from 
the  battery.  No  one  system  is  adopti^d  for  all  ores; 
but  each  kind  is  first  thoroughly  tested  and  then 
treateil  according  to  its  contents. 

The  crushing  and  amalgamating  part  of  the  mill 
(comprising  the  stamjis,  j)ans,  amalgamators,  etc.,) 
is  contained  in  a  building  lS(i  feet  long  bj-  90  feet 
broad.  The  total  length  of  the  entire  mill  is  450 
feet.  The  line  shaft  is  driven  by  two  pinions,  which 
gear  directly  with  spur-wheels  fitted  in  segments 
upon  each  outer  shrouding  of  the  water-wheel.  So 
true  are  these  segments  placed  (each  spur-wheel 
consisting  of  twcntj--seven)  that  not  the  slightest 
jar  is  perceptible.  All  of  the  machinerj-  is  of  the 
most  solid  descri])tion. 

The  mill  has  been  running  for  Tiine  months,  and 
not  a  single  stop  has  occurred  bj' reason  of  breakage. 
The  millwright  is  Mr.  Isaac  Railey.  The  wood 
which  is  consumed  at  this  mill  is  cut  on  a  wood 
ranch  owned  by  the  company,  and  situated  at  the 
head  of  the  ditch,  down  which  it  is  floated  to  the 
mill. 

Another  feature  of  this  mill  is  the  completeness  of 
the  assay  office.  This  is  a  fire-proof,  brick  building, 
20x40  feet,  erected  between  the  barrel  build- 
ing and  the  furnace  shed.  The  assay  office  oc- 
cupies the  entire  basement  of  this  building.  All 
the  bullion  produced  by  the  mill  is  here  smelted  and 
stumped  ready  for  market.  Daily  assays  are  made 
to  ascertain  the  working  of  the  mill  in  its  various 
departments.  A  chemical  laboratory  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  assay  oflice.  Quite  an  extensive 
assaying  bu.siness  is  carried  on  here  independent  of 
:hat  of  the  mill.  In  the  upper  story  of  the  same 
building  is  the  oflice  of  the  mill.  The  windows  and 
doors  of  this  oflice  open  directlj'  upon  the  various 
departments  of  the  mill,  and  thus  a  constant  super- 
vision is  exercised.  Mr.  E.  B.  Dorsey  is  Superin- 
tendent. 

This  is  locally  known  as  the  Mexican  Mill,  hav- 
ing at  latest  dates  forty-four  stamps,  twenty  pans, 
ten  settlers,  and  a  capacitj'  for  reducing  ll!0  tons  of 
ore  per  day.  The  power  is  now  given  by  a  Turbine 
wheel. 

Mead's  Mill  was  constructed  in  1801,  about  the 
same  time  as  the  Silver  Slate,  and  was  run  by 
water  from  the  same  ditch.  It  was  located  at 
Empire  City,  had  sixteen  stamps,  ten  stone  ]ians  in 
the  amalgamating  department,  employed  twelve 
men  and  reduced  twenty  tons  of  ore  per  day.  The 
mill  building  was  4l).\5l)  feet  in  dimensions  on  the 
ground  and  cost,  including  bringing  in  the  water, 
825.000. 


Two  miles  below  Empire  City  was  built,  in  1861-62, 
the  Merrimac  .Mill,  by  Messrs.  Bryant,  Ellsworth  & 
Co.,  at  a  cost  of  850.000.  In  1H63  it  was  owned  by 
Messrs.  A.  M.  &  S.  R.  Ellsworth,  and  run  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  latter.  The  machinery  was 
pro]iullud  by  water  brought  from  the  Carson  in  a 
ditch  2,100  feet  in  length,  fourteen  feet  in  width  and 
four  feet  in  depth,  the  dam  at  the  head  being 
regarded  at  that  time  as  one  of  the  most  substan- 
tial on  the  river.  The  head  of  water  at  the  mill 
was  twenty  feet,  acting  on  a  center  discharge  wheel, 
and  creating  eighty-horse  power.  The  building  was 
100  feet  in  length  by  seventy  in  width,  containing 
sixteen  stamps,  of  750  pounds  each,  and,  running  day 
and  night,  crushed  thirty  tons  of  ore  ever}'  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  '•  Hatch  |)rocess  "  was  used,  which 
was  regarded  with  great  favor.  The  machinery  was 
made  at  the  foundrj'  of  H.  J.  Booth  &  Co.,  of  Mar^-s- 
ville.  California.  The  locality  of  this  mill  is  now 
designated  as  Merrimac  Station,  on  the  Virginia  and 
Truckee  Railroad.  It  has  increased  its  power  by 
improved  machinery',  and  is  able  to  crush  fifty  tons 
of  ore  per  day. 

One  mile  further  down  the  river  was,  in  1802,  the 
Copper  Canon  Mill,  owned  by  Van  Vleet,  Tucker, 
Moor,  Kendriek  and  Clark,  owners  of  the  "  Yellow 
Jacket  Claim  on  the  (iold  Hill  Ledge,"  as  the  writers 
of  those  days  express  it,  crushing  rock  from  that 
mine,  and  superintended  by  Mr.  Henry  Shadel.  The 
Copper  Canon  Mill  was  run  by  water  brought  from 
the  Carson  in  a  ditch,  600  feet  in  length,  operating 
on  a  center  discharge  wheel,  six  and  a  half  feet  in 
diameter,  giving  motion  to  ten  stamps,  crushing  fif- 
teen tons  of  ore  per  day.  The  mill  cost  815,000,  the 
building  being  sixty  feet  in  length  by  forty  in  width. 
The  Vivian  iMill,  owned  bj'  Sperry  it  Co.,  in  1862, 
was  a  short  distance  below  the  Copper  Cafion,  con- 
tained sixteen  stamps,  emploj'ed  twelve  men  and 
crushed  twenty-five  Ions  of  ore  per  day.  The  power 
was  water  brought  from  the  Carson  River  through 
a  ditch  and  flume  1,100  feet  long  and  twelve  and  one- 
half  feet  head,  operating  a  central  discharge  Turbine 
wheel  seven  and  one-half  feet  in  diameter.  The 
dam  at  the  head  of  the  flume  was  constructed  of 
stone,  very  substantial,  ariid  the  water  supply  was 
sufticient  for  double  the  stumps  used.  In  1SG3  this 
mill  was  owned  b}-  E.  Kuhling  &  Co.,  and  was  super- 
intended by  Mr.  C.  B.  Barstow.  Subsequently  a 
IjcIIV'I  Turbine  wheel  of  fil'ly-six  inches  diameter  was 
placed  in  the  mill,  att'Drding  ninety-horse  power  and 
capable  of  reducing  forty  tons  per  day. 

One-(|uarter  of  a  mile  below  the  last  mentioned,  in 
1S()2,  Messrs.  ,\Vm.  .M.Stewart,  John  llenning,  Jas. 
Morgan  and  C.  1'.  Wood  built  a  mill  containing 
twelve  stamps,  with  which  thirty  tons  of  ore  wore 
crushed  every  twenty-four  hours.  The  |)ower  was 
water  brought  from  the  Carson  in  a  canal  fifteen  feet 
wide  and  half  a  mile  in  length,  operating  under  a 
pressure  of  twenty-one  feet  head  a  Turbine  wheel 
seven   feet  in  diameter  and  weighing  7,000  pounds. 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


541 


then  the  largest  in  the  Territory,  and  estimated  to  be 
capable  of  running  150  stamps.  The  mill  edifice  was 
a  fine  solid  stnic-ture.  160  feet  long  and  sixty  feet 
wide.  A  substantial  stone  building,  30x40  feet, 
served  for  oflSces  and  for  the  use  of  mill  hands.  This 
was  one  of  the  most  complete  and  best  constructed 
in  the  country  in  1802,  costing  about  850,000.  The 
company  owning  it  were  the  owners  of  thirty-three 
and  one-third  foot  of  the  best  of  the  (lold  Hill  ground, 
and  crushed  the  ores  from  that  mine.  In  18(i8  this 
mill  was  known  as  the  Zephj-r  Flat  Mill,  anil  owned 
by  Messrs.  H.  H.  Raymond  and  Wm.  Thompson,  Jr., 
with  Mr.  Wm.  S.  liowo  as  Superintendent. 

Baldwin  iV  Go's.  Mill  was  at  Kmpire  City  in  1863. 
This  combined  steam  and  water-power,  using  the 
first  to  drive  its  battery  of  sixteen  stamps,  and  the 
twenty  amalgamating  pans  were  run  by  water  re- 
ceived from  the  Carson.  Fourteen  men  were  em- 
ployed under  the  superintendency  of  Joseph  Bald- 
win, Jr. 

These  mills  have  experienced  many  vicissi+udes  of 
fortune  since  their  construction  in  1800-61-62-63,  and 
have  undergone  alterations  and  changes  unnecessary  ' 
to  trace.  Survej-or  General  8.  II.  Marlette,  in  1866, 
reports  six  mills  in  the  count}',  viz.:  Mexican,  forty- 
four  stamps;  Yellow  Jacket,  forty  stamps;  Bruns- 
wick, eight  stamps;  Merrimac,  twenty  stamps;  Viv- 
ian, sixteen  stamps,  and  Santiago,  twenty-four 
stamps.  In  1874  Mr.  Henry  R.  Whitehill,  State  Min- 
eralogist, reports  five  mills,  viz.:  Mexican,  fortj'-four 
stamps,  with  capacity  of  crushing  120  tons  per  day; 
Morgan,  forty  stamps,  and  seventy-five  tons  capacity; 
Brunswick,  fift^'-six  stamps  and  155  tons  capacity; 
Merrimac,  twenty  stamps  and  forty  tons  capacity, 
and  Santiago,  thirty-four  stamps  and  eighty  tons  ca- 
pacity; and  such  is  their  present  condition,  receiving 
their  ore  from  the  Comstock,  brought  to  them  by  the 
cars  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckec  Railroad. 

SAW- MILLS. 

The  grand  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  wore  a 
great  attraction  to  the  early  settlers  of  the  "  eastern 
slope,"  offering  them  facilities  for  obtaining  lumber 
of  which  they  quickly  availed  themselves.  The  first 
saw-mill  erected  in  the  region  afterwards  embraced 
in  Ormsby  County,  was  built  by  Mr.  Gregory  in  the  fall 
of  1859,  on  Mill  Creek,  three  miles  west  of  Carson. 
This  was  a  steam-power  mill,  and  was  the  first  steam 
mill  of  any  kind  erected  in  what  is  now  the  State  of 
Nevada.  The  transportation  of  heav}-  machinery 
over  the  Sierra  at  that  date  was  a  very  expensive 
undertaking,  and  this  was  regarded  as  an  enterprise 
quite  extraordinary.  The  mill  was  capable  of  cut- 
ting 15,000  feet  ])er  day,  and  for  many  months  was 
run  to  its  full  capacity,  so  great  was  the  demand  for 
lumber.  Orders  were  taken  weeks  in  advance  of 
the  possibility  of  filling  them,  and  customers  con- 
tended greedily  for  their  turn. 

Shortly  after  this  Mr.  Alexander  Ashe  built  a  saw- 
mill on  Mill  Creek  near  the  former,  running  it  by 
water  from  the  creek.  One  mile  north  ol  Gregory's, 
68 


Meeers.  Thompson  &  'JVeadwell  erected  a  powerful 
steam  mill  capable  of  cutting  15,000  feet  of  lumber 
per  day,  also  containing  a  shingle  and  planing 
machine,  which  prepared  for  market  large  ([uantilies 
of  material  for  building  purposes.  In  1861  these 
three  mills  were  employing  upwards  of  100  men,  and 
had  cost  in  their  construction  860,000. 

Mills  now  multiplied  rapid!}-,  there  being  in  1862 
three  on  Clear  Creek  at  a  distance  of  from  nIx  to 
eight  miles  southwest  of  Carson  ('ity.  The  first  was 
the  Coyote  Mill,  owned  by  Mr.  George  VV.  Chedic  and 
Mr.  D.  B.  Milne,  afterwards  by  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Mar- 
tin. This  was  propelled  by  water,  and  was  of  large 
capacity.  Haskell  &  Co.'s  Mill,  built  in  1861,  was 
also  propelled  by  water,  and  the  Clear  Creek  Mill, 
owned  by  Mr.  C.  Jones  and  Mr.  Denton,  was  driven 
by  steam.  To  one  of  the  mills  was  attached  a  shin- 
gle machine,  there  being  a  great  demand  for  the  lat- 
ter article,  of  which  large  numbers  were  also  made 
by  hand,  there  being  much  timber  in  the  neighbor- 
hood suitable  for  that  purpose.  These  mills  had 
been  erected  at  an  aggregate  cost  of  833,000.  In 
1862  they  employed  100  men,  and  were  capable  of 
cutting  50,000  feet  per  day.  Several  changes,  im- 
provements and  additions  were  made  this  year  and 
in  1863.  Howe,  Gray  I't  f -o.  Ifad  succeeded  to  Has- 
kell &  Co.,  and  Elliott's  Mill,  driven  by  steam  had 
been  added  to  the  group  in  Clear  Creek  Cafion,  each 
turning  out  from  15,000  to  30,000  feet  daily.  Two 
shingle  machines  had  also  been  added,  and  were  con- 
stantly employed,  so  great  was  the  demand.  At  the 
point  where  Clear  Creek  debouches  ujion  the  plains, 
a  substantial  structure  was  erected  in  18()2for  a  sash 
and  door  factory,  driven  by  •»  large  overshot  wheel 
of  thirty-horse  power,  but  the  design  was  altered  and 
the  factory  was  converted  into  a  ((uartz  mill. 

The  Lake  Bigler  Lumber  Company,  C.  R.  Barrett, 
A.  W.  Pray,  andN.  1).  Winters,  jiroprietors,  wenl  into 
operation  in  1862  in  the  region,  as  the  name  implies, 
of  Lake  Bigler,  or  Tahoe,  where  was  an  abundance  of 
large  trees  affording  a  superior  quality  of  clear 
lumber,  compensating  for  its  distance  from,  and  at 
that  time  difficult  access  to  market.  The  mill  of 
the  company  was  propelled  by  water  conducted 
through  a  flume  and  ditch  upwards  of  half  a  mile 
in  length,  giving  abundant  power.  In  1862  this 
mill  contained  a  set  of  double  circular  saws,  a 
muller,  edger  and  shingle  saws,  employed  twelve 
men  and  turned  out  20,000  feet  of  lumber  daily, 
besides  a  largo  quantity  of  shingles.  The  company 
secured  by  location  and  purchase  several  quarter 
sections  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  their  mill. 
Shortly  after  the  construction  of  this  mill  the 
King's  Cafion  toll-road  was  made,  giving  it  oppor- 
tunity to  send  its  products  to  the  markets  of  Car- 
son City  and  the  mines  of  the  Comstock.  The 
Monitor  Mill  was  erected  in  King's  Ciifion  in  1863, 
doing  a  largo  business,  and,  says  the  chronicler  of 
the  times,  "  were  there  half  a  dozen  olhei-s  in  that 
neighborhood,  they  could   hardly    supply   the    ex- 


542 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


traordinary  want  of  lumber  for  mining,  milling  and 
building  purposes." 

In  1862,  Messrs.  Hobbs,  Russell  &  Co.,  built  a  large 
saw-mill  one-quarter  of  a  mile  below  Empire  City, 
expending  thereon  about  820,000.  This  was  enlarged 
in  1863,  and  many  improvements  have  been  added 
since,  making  it  one  of  the  best  and  largest  saw- 
mills in  the  State.  This  mill  was  built  in  conjunction 
with  a  company  organized  for  the  improvement  of 
the  Carson  Eiver  to  make  it  available  at  all  times  for 
the  purpose  of  rafting  logs  from  its  head-waters  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  For  this  purpose  the  Legislature  of 
Nevada  in  1863  granted  the  company  an  exclusive 
franchise  extending  five  years,  to  use  the  river  for 
the  purpose  of  rafting  logs,  fire-wood  and  lumber,  in 
consideration  of  the  improvements  to  its  channel. 
The  timber  sawed  at  this  mill  is  cut  in  Alpine 
County,  California,  on  the  east  fork  of  the  Carson,  a 
distance  by  the  river  of  upwards  of  eighty  miles, 
and  driven  down  the  stream  in  bodies,  usually  con- 
suming forty  days  in  a  drive.  About  5,000,000  feet 
of  lumber  ie  made  annually. 

From  the  earliest  date  of  settlement,  particularly 
in  1862-63-64,  when  the  building  excitement  was  at 
its  height,  there  was  much  wanton  destruction  of 
timber.  The  shingle  and  shake  makers  were  en- 
couraged by  the  great  demand  for  the  product  of  their 
labor,  and  these  destroyed  great  numbers  of  the  most 
valuable  trees,  being  the  most  wasteful  of  all  classes  of 
lumbermen.  The  forests  being  on  public  land  there 
was  little  care  for  economy,  and  all  energies  were 
exercised  for  immediate  gain  regardless  of  what  de- 
struction resulted.  As  a  consequence  the  forest 
rapidly  disappeared  before  the  legitimate  enterprise 
of  the  mill  owner  and  the  ruthless  destruction  by  the 
shingle  and  shake  maker,  until  the  greater  part  has 
entirely  disappeared.  [For  later  reports  see  chapter 
on  V  flumes.] 

TOLL-ROADS. 

The  settlement  of  the  countj'  came  with  a  grand 
rush,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  the  silver  mines, 
and  at  that  time  the  avenues  of  travel  were  about  as 
the  first  emigrants  had  found  and  left  them.  For 
the  ordinary  travel  of  passing  from  one  bend  of  the 
river  to  another,  or  crossing  the  valleys,  or  even  pen- 
etrating the  cafions  and  foot-hills,  they  were  pas- 
sible, but  were  entirely  inadequate  when  the  great 
mass  of  travel  poured  into  the  country,  bringing  its 
mammoth  "  prairie  schooners "  with  merchandise, 
its  heavy  machincrj',  and  dashing  stage  coaches. 
The  necessity  for  good  roads  was  great,  and  the 
opportunity  for  individual  enterprise  in  making  them 
was  very  bright.  A  few,  loading  to  Nevada,  up  the 
western  slope  of  the  Sierra,  had  enriched  the  build- 
ers, and  one,  leading  down  the  eastern  slope,  built  by 
Kingsbury  &  McDonald,  in  1859-60,  annuallj'  re- 
turned double  its  cost.  Then  followed  a  fierce  con- 
test for  toll-road  franchises,  wherever  there  was  a 
prospect  of  a  passing  team. 

There  was  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  public  to 


improve  the  natural  roads,  and,  on  the  twenty-fifth 
of  February,  1862,  the  county  was  declared  by  the 
Commissioners  to  be  one  Road  District,  and  Timothy 
G.  Smith  was  appointed  Road  Supervisor.  But  offi- 
cial duty  did  not  carry  the  power  or  enterprise  to 
construct  new  roads.  This  was  left  to  the  enterprise 
of  individuals. 

The  road  leading  across  Eagle  Valley  to  Virginia 
City  was  over  sandy  and  marshy  land,  which,  at 
times,  rendered  passage  difficult.  To  avoid  this, 
Messrs.  Mark  L.  McDonald  and  Thomas  Bedford,  in 
1862,  constructed  a  road  from  Carson  Citj-  to  the 
Half-way  House,  six  miles,  skirting  the  foot-hills  on 
the  west  of  Empire  City.  This  was  a  very  profitable 
road,  was  well  built,  and  traveled  daily  bj'  hundreds 
of  the  heaviest  teams.  On  July  11,  1862,  the  toll  on 
this  road  was  fixed  by  the  County  Commissioners  as 
follows: — 

Loaded   wagon,  two  animals 50  cts. 

Each  two  additional  animals 25 

Buggy,  two  horses 50 

Buggy,  one  horse 37i 

Horseman 12i 

Pack    animal 5 

Loose  animals  (each) 3 

Empty  wagons  half  rates. 

At  the  same  time  a  license  tax  was  fixed  at  three 
per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts  on  all  toll-roads. 

The  same  j'ear  Levi  Fisk  &  Co,  owned  a  toll-road 
leading  over  the  divide  between  Eagle  and  Washoe 
Vallcj's,  the  tolls  on  which  were: — 

Loaded  teams  o*"  '  70  animals.    . . .   25cts. 

"  "  four        "       50 

Empty  wagons  and  buggies  free. 

David  B.  Milne  owned  a  toll-road  on  Clear  Creek, 

running  northerly  from  the  Coj'ote  Saw-mill  to 
Jack's  Valley,  on  which  the  Commissioners,  July  11, 
1862,  fixed  the  toll  as  follows:— 

Loaded  wagon,  two  animals 25  cts. 

Each  two  additional  animals 12 J 

Pack  animal 5 

Loose  stock  (each) 3 

Empty  wagons  free. 

Rufus  Walton  at  the  same  time  owned  a  toll-road 
leading  from  the  Coyote  Mill  down  Clear  Creek  to 
the  Jack's  Valley  Road,  on  which  tolls  were  fixed 
July  11,  1862,  as  follows:— 

Loaded  wagon,  two  animals 25  cts. 

Each  two  additional  animals 12i 

Buggy 25' 

Pack  animal 5 

Loose   stock  (each) 3 

Empty  wagons  half  rate. 

The  Lake  Bigler  Road  from  Small  &  Burke's 
C'  Friday's")  Station,  on  the  southern  shore  of  the 
lake  to  Carson  City,  running  along  the  eastern 
shore,  and  entering  Eagle  Valley  via  King's  Cafion, 
was  completed  in  lSt!3,  and  was  a  very  important 
improvement  to  the  county.  The  length  was  twenty- 
one  and  a  half  miles,  and  the  heaviest  grade  was 
eight  feet  in  100.     This  crossed  the  summit  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


543 


Sierra  200  feet  lower  than  that  of  Kingsbury  <fe  Mc- 
Donald's, and  Baved,  on  the  road  from  Carson  to  the 
junction  with  the  Placervillo  Road,  three  and  a  half 
miles.  This  was  a  broad  and  well-constructed  road, 
and,  during  the  dry  season,  was  kept  sprinkled  as  a 
protection  against  the  wear  of  its  surface  and  for 
the  greater  comfort  of  those  passing  over  it.  This, 
however,  was  the  custom  on  all  first-class  toll-roads. 
The  rates  were  fixed  by  the  County  Commission- 
ers, July  9,  1863,  as  follows: — 

Wagon  with  two  animals $2  00 

Each  additional  animal 25 

Empty  wagons,  half  rate 

Buggy  and  two  horses 1   50 

Buggy  and  one  horse 1  00 

Horseman 50 

Pack  animal 25 

Loose  animals,  (each) 12* 

The  Trustees  of  this  company  were  Messrs.  H.  F. 
Rice,  Alfred  Helm  and  Thomas  E.  Haydon;  Butler 
Ives  was  Superintendent. 

Hartshorn's  Ferry,  on  the  Carson  IJiver,  was 
licensed  July  8,  1863,  and  tolls  fixed  as  follows: — 

Loaded  wagon,  two  animals 50  cts 

Each  additional  animal  . 6i 

Buggy  and  two  horses 50 

Buggy  and  one  horse 37 J 

Man  and  horse 25 

Footman 12} 

Pack  animal 5 

Loose  stock,  (each) 3 

By  Act  of  Legislature  approved  December  19, 
1862,  J.  M.  Forsythe  and  his  associates  were  em- 
powered to  construct  a  plank  and  turnpike  road 
between  Carson  City  and  Empire  City. 

December  20,  1862,  the  Legislature  granted  to  A. 
J.  Van  Winkle  and  associates  the  right  to  construct 
a  toll-road  from  Como,  in  Lyon  CountJ^  to  Kmpire 
City,  in  Ormsby  County,  and  to  bridge  the  river  as 
part  of  their  road;  and  the  same  rights  were  granted, 
February  20,  1864,  to  D.  E.  Hunter  and  associates. 
The  Legislature  of  the  same  year,  February  9, 
granted  to  A.  Curry  and  associates  the  right  to  build 
a  macadamized  road  from  Carson  Citj-  to  Empire 
City. 

By  an  Act  approved  January  27,  1869,  the  County 
Commissioners  of  Ormsbj-  County  were  authorized 
to  issue  $200,000  bonds  in  aid  of  the  Virginia  and 
Truckee  Railroad. 

This  Act  was  considered  by  some  as  unconstitu- 
tional and  the  payment  of  taxes  to  meet  the  interest 
was  contested.  On  the  tenth  of  November,  1869, 
the  Board  of  Commissioners  ordered: — 

That  the  taxpayers  of  Ormsby  County  be  per- 
mitted to  pay  all  taxes  assessed  against  them  under 
protest,  pending  the  case  now  in  the  Supremo  Court 
testing  the  legality  of  the  issuance  of  certain  railroad 
bonds,  and  the  tax  of  one  per  cent,  for  the  payment 
of  the  interest  thereon,  and  in  the  event  of  a  decision 
against  the  collection  of  said  railroad  tax.  the  same 
shall  bo  refunded  to  each  person  paying  the  same 
without  suit. 


At  a  special  mooting  of  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners, held  December  9, 1869,  for  the  purpose,  it 
was  ordered  that  the  8200,000  bonds  authorized  by 
the  Act  of  Januarj-  27,  1869,  be  issued  to  the  Vir- 
ginia and  Truckee  Railroad  in  denominations  of 
81,000,  dated  December  10,  1869,  and  that  the 
interest  be  payable  on  the  first  day  of  June  and 
December  of  each  year. 

Those  bonds  were  delivered  to  Mr.  W'm.  Sharon  on 
the  twentieth  of  December,  1809,  also  the  coupons 
due  June  1,  1870,  were  paid,  the  road  discounting 
8350.  This  road,  to  which  so  much  aid  was  given, 
soon  after  its  completion  claimed  to  be  the  best  pay- 
ing road  in  the  world,  running  over  thirty  heavily 
freighted  trains  daily. 

COURT   HOUSE. 

The  countj'  being  created  in  1861,  it  became 
necessary  to  possess  a  Court  House,  and  before  build- 
ing or  purchasing  one  the  first  step  was  to  rent 
rooms  for  tom|)orary  purposes.  For  this,  on  the 
fifteenth  of  February,  1862,  the  Countj*  Commis- 
sioners rented  the  lower  story  of  the  building  owned 
by  C.  Adams,  at  the  rate  of  8140  per  month.  The 
Board  of  County  Commissioners,  May  5th,  advertised 
for  proposals  for  grounds  on  which  to  erect  a  Court 
House,  and  also  plans  for  the  building,  and  the  firet 
of  July,  1862,  was  set  for  the  opening  of  bids  and 
plans.  On  the  fourteenth  of  October  following,  the 
county  purchased  of  Abram  Curry  the  stone  build 
ing  known  as  the  "  Great  Basin  Hotel,"  corner  of 
Carson  and  Musser  Streets,  for  the  purposes  of  a  Court 
House.  The  price  agreed  upon  was  842,500,  of 
which  85,000  was  paid  in  cash  and  bonds  issued  for 
the  remainder  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  ten  per 
centum  per  annum.  The  bonds  were  issued  as  fol- 
lows: 810,000  due  January,  1,  1864;  810,000,  due 
January  1,  1805;  810,000,  due  January  1,  1866;  and 
§7,500  duo  January  1,  1867.  A  jail  was  added  at  a 
cost  of  85,954.35,  and  a  further  sum  of  84,493.65  was 
expended  in  alterations  and  additions  to  render  the 
building  suitable  for  the  purposes  designed. 

The  Court  House  stands  in  1881  nearly  as  it  did 
when  first  converted  to  its  present  use.  not  conspicu- 
ous as  a  public  building  nor  particularly  ornamental. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  June,  1870,  the  building 
met  with  disaster,  being  partially  destroyed  by  fire. 
Being  insured,  the  damage  was  estimated  at  83,000, 
which  amount  was  paid  to  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners on  the  sixteenth  of  August  ensuing  by  the 
Pacific  Insurance  (,'ompany.  The  repairs  made  cost 
about  85,000,  including  a  new  tin  roof 

The  building  is  of  two  stories,  in  the  upper  of  which 
are  the  court  rooms  and  below  are  the  offices  of  the 
county  officers. 

The  jail  is  thus  referred  to  in  the  Nevada  Tribune 
of  Carson  City,  July  24,  1874:  "  It  is  bad  enough  to 
be  confined  in  jail;  it  is  bad  enough  to  be  a 
criminal;  it  is  bad  enough  to  be  sentenced  to  be 
hung  by  the  neck:  but  nothing  is  so  bad  as  to 
be  confined  in  that  damnable  hole  called  the  County 


■544 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Jail  of  Ormsby  County.  The  Sheriff  and  hie  subordi- 
nates do  all  in  their  power  to  keep  it  clean,  but  ail 
their  labor  is  ill-bestowed,  for  it  is  the  worst  hole  we 
ever  read  of,  the  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta  excepted. 
The  stench  emanating  from  the  cells  is  intolerable, 
and  we  pronounce  it  a  disgrace  to  incarcerate  pris- 
oners of  any  kind  therein." 

The  severity  of  this  denunciation  maj-  lead  to 
exaggerated  opinions  of  the  condition  of  the  jail; 
the  editor  undoubtedly  delighting  in  senfiation,  not 
thinking  his  opinion  might  ever  be  incorporated  in 
history. 

The  Court  House  is  at  times  used  for  other  than 
court  purposes.  The  large  hall  of  the  court  room  is 
available  for  ])arties,  dance?,  fairs,  etc.  In  1862  a 
verj'  successful  fair  was  held  in  it,  the  first  in  Xevada, 
by  the  Territorial  Agricultural,  Mining  and  Mechan- 
ics Society,  continuing  three  days. 


Monroe  A.  Driesbach,  son  of  Peter  and  Hannah 
(Zerfars)  Driesbach,  is  a  native  of  New  York  State, 
born  in  the  town  of  Sparta,  Livingston  County, 
April  18,  1843.  His  parents  were  of  German  descent, 
but  the  date  of  the  arrival  of  his  ancestors  in 
Amorica  takes  us  back  before  the  days  of  the 
American   Itevolution. 

His  grandfather,  Henry  Driesbach,  emigrated  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1804,  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  New 
York,  in  what  in  now  called  (ieneseo  Valley,  pur- 
chasing a  large  tract  of  land,  some  of  which  still 
remains  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants.  Both  the 
father  and  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 


fought  in  the  defense  of  their  country,  one,  in  the 
Revolution,  for  American  Independence,  and  the 
other,  in  the  war  of  1812.  and  was  in  the  memora- 
ble battle  of  Lundj-'s  Lane.  Monroe,  our  present 
subject,  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  as  the  "best 
man,''  his  mother  being  a  widow  for  many  years. 
After  reaching  his  majority,  he,  to  satisfy  his  am- 
bition for  learning  entered  Alliance  College,  after- 
ward transferred  to  Mount  Vernon  College  in  Ohio, 
from  which  he  graduated.  He  then  entered  the 
Albany  Law  School,  and  graduated  with  high  honors. 
He  was  married  September  23,  1874,  to  Helen  A. 
McXair,  at  Danville,  New  York.  Mr.  Driesbach 
was  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  A.  W.  Cooles  &  Co., 
Alliance,  Ohio,  manufacturers  of  farming  implements, 
as  book-keeper,  until  his  departure  for  Nevada  in 
the  spring  of  1877.  He  was  elected  District  Attorney 
of  Ormsby  County,  Nevada,  in  1878.  Mr.  Driesbach 
is  a  resident  of  Carson  City,  and  is  a  man  much 
respected  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 


Hon.  Trenmor  Coffin,  was  born  in  Hendricks 
County,  Indiana,  a.  d.  1848. 

His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  accustome  dto 
hard  work,  he  working  with  his  father  in  clearing 
away  the  native  forest  which  covered  the  farm  in 
early  days.  Up  to  the  age  of  twenty  years  he 
acted  as  plow-boy  during  the  summer,  and  attended 
a  small  country  school  during  the  winter,  where  he 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  a  common-school  educa- 
tion. Ho  entered  the  National  Normal  School,  at 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  and  by 
strict  economy  maintained  himself  for  three  years. 
His  pluck,  in  connection  with  the  disadvantage  under 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


54.-) 


which  he  labored  to  gain  his  education  has  been  a 
characteristic  feature  with  him  all  through  his  life. 
One  of  his  modes  for  reducing  the  expense  of  his 
tuition,  was  acting  as  steward  for  a  club  of  fifty 
students,  receiving  for  his  services  his  board  and  a 
very  small  sum  of  money  from  each  student.  Alter 
graduating  from  this  school,  he  came  west,  and 
reached  Carson  City,  ^s'evada,  in  the  month  of 
August,  1871.  Having  no  banl<  account  at  that  time, 
and  not  finding  a  situation  suitable  to  his  position  in 
the  world,  he  went  to  work  with  a  pick  and  shovel, 
helping  to  build  a  mountain  road,  and,  for  some  four 
years  thereafter,  he  was  engaged  in  various  employ- 
ments, such  as  driving  a  team,  and  for  a  time  worked 
under  the  lion.  W'm.  Westerfield,  running  a  truck  in 
the  freight  depot,  at  Steamboat  Springs,  that  being 
the  terminus  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad, 
at  that  time.  Mr.  Collin  is  a  living  example  of  what 
can  be  done  with  courage  and  a  persistent  self-will, 
intermingled  with  an  ambitious  nature.  He  finally 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  situation  as  teacher  in  the 
grammar  department  of  the  public  schools  of  Carson 
City,  where  he  acquitted  himself  creditably,  and  was 
soon  after  placed  in  charge  of  the  Nevada  State 
Library,  and  for  one  j-ear  acted  as  Librarian.  During 
the  time  of  his  teaching  and  acting  in  the  capacity 
of  librarian,  he  devoted  his  spare  time  to  the  study 
of  law,  and  such  progress  as  he  made  is  seldom 
recorded,  for  in  the  month  of  October,  1874,  he 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Courts  of 
Nevada.  In  connection  with  Hon.  C.  N.  Harris,  he 
opened  a  law  office  for  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  the  State.  In  1876,  Mr.  Coflin  was  elected  Dis- 
trict Attorney,  of  Ormsby  County,  and,  in  ISSO,  he 
was  placed  upon  the  Republican  ticket  as  a  candidate 
for  the  Assembly.  This  nomination  was  not  sought 
b}-  him.  but  was  tendered  to  him  bj'  his  part}'  from 
pure  principle.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  he  was 
handsomelj'  elected,  and  his  constituents  have  had 
no  cause  for  complaint  in  regard  to  his  actions  as 
their  representative.  He  is  ostensibly  a  self-made 
man,  and,  by  dilligence  and  energy,  has  built  up  a 
lucrative  practice,  and  has  also  built  a  reputation 
among  his  fellow-men  that  will  be  remembered  long 
after  he  ceases  to  exist  in  human  form. 

COUNTY    DIVIDED    INTO    TOWNSHIPS. 

The  creation  of  the  county  by  the  Territorial 
Legislature  in  November,  18(11,  its  organization  by 
the  appointment  of  officers,  and  their  meeting  in 
December  following,  have  been  fully  related.  At  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Commissioners,  December  24, 
18(il,  the  county  was  made  one  voting  precinct,  with 
polls  established  at  Carson  City,  Empire  City,  Has- 
kell's saw-mill  on  Clear  Creek,  and  the  Half-way 
Hou.se;  four  in  all.  July  11,  1802,  the  county  was 
divided  into  two  townships,  by  a  line  running  north 
and  south  from  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county 
to  the  northern  boundary  on  a  direct  lino  of  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  race-track  east  of  Carson 
City.      All   that  portion  lying  west  of  that  line   to 


be  called  Carson  Township,  and  all  east  to  bo  called 
Empire  Township. 

The  dividing  line  between  the  two  townships  was 
changed  on  the  fourteenth  of  August  following,  so  as 
to  run  along  the  eastern  edge  of  Eagle  Valley. 
This  division,  as  the  names  imply,  made  Carson  Citj- 
the  nucleus  of  one  township,  including  Eagle  Valley 
and  the  mountain  region  of  the  Sierra  Nevada;  and 
the  other  with  Empire  City  as  central  point,  taking 
in  the  busy  milling  and  lumbering  population  along 
the  Carson  River  and  the  miners  and  woodchoppera 
of  the  Pine  Nut  range  east  of  the  river. 

Carson  Township,  on  the  ninth  of  November, 
18G3,  was  divided  into  two  townships;  that  portion 
north  of  the  line  of  Spear  Street  and  its  extension  in 
Carson  City,  to  be  called  Carson  Township  Number 
One;  and  all  south  to  be  called  Carson  Township 
Number  Two. 

These  divisions  remained  in  force  until  Sep- 
tember 4,  1865,  when  the  county  was  divided 
into  two  townships  by  a  line  running  from  the 
mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  northerly,  with  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mountains  running  west  of  Carson 
River,  and  east  of  Eagle  Valley,  to  a  point  east 
of  the  State  Prison,  where  the  countj-  road  between 
the  Warm  Springs  Hotel  and  Empire  City  crosses  the 
reservoir  or  dam  of  the  Mexican  Mill  Company, 
thence  due  north  to  the  county  line.  All  west  of 
said  line  to  be  Carson  Township,  and  all  east  to  be 
Empire  Township. 

The  limits  of  the  city  of  Carson  were  defined  in 
February,  1873,  as  comprising  an  area  of  one  and 
a  quarter  sections  of  land  according  to  United 
States  surveys,  being  parts  of  sections  seven  and 
eight,  and  seventeen  and  eighteen  of  township  num- 
ber fifteen  north,  range  number  twenty  east,  ot 
Mount  Diablo  base  and  meridian. 

STATE    PRISON. 

With  criminals  abundant  and  crime  prevailing  it 
was  the  evident  duty  of  the  first  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture to  provide  the  usual  means  for  preserving  law 
and  order.  In  December,  1861,  the  Legislature 
created  a  Board  of  State  Prison  Commission(frs,  con- 
sisting of  the  Secretary  of  the  Territory,  the  Auditor 
and  Treasurer,  and  clothed  them  with  power  to  lease 
suitable  buildings  and  grounds  for  the  use  of  the  Ter- 
ritory as  a  Territorial  Prison  from  the  first  of  Janu- 
ary, 1862.  Abram  Curry,  one  of  the  most  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  Nevada,  had  furnished  a  ])lace  of 
meeting  for  the  Legislature,  and  now  proposed  to  do 
the  same  for  the  criminals,  and  the  lease  was  made  of 
Currj-'s  propertj-  at  Warm  Springs  for  the  future 
prison.  The  property  included  a  stone  quarry  where 
the  prisoners  could  be  put  at  work  and  liy  their  own 
labor  add  to  the  buildings  already  existitig  such  as 
would  be  needed  for  workshops,  cells,  dwellings, 
walls,  etc.  The  location  was  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
city  of  Carson,  and  in  every  way  seemed  the  ir.ost 
suitable  place  that  could  bo  selected, 

January  1,  1862,  the  Governor  appointed  Abram 


546 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Curry,  Warden,  completing  the  stops  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  prison.  This  was  but  a  beginning,  and 
for  a  year  or  more  the  Territorial  Prison  was  but  a 
place  of  detention,  with  Warden  Curry  as  contractor 
in  charge.  The  Territorial  Legislature  at  the  suc- 
ceeding session  passed  an  Act,  which  was  approved 
December  2,  18G2,  empowering  the  Board  of  Prison 
Commissioners  to  renew  the  lease  of  the  property 
made  the  previous  year,  from  January  1,  1863,  to 
March  1, 1864,  and  for  the  keeping  of  all  the  prisoners 
for  said  fourteen  months,  the  expense  not  to  exceed 
810,000.  Section  two  of  the  Act  said:  "  It  shall  be 
the  duty  of  said  Commissioners  to  report  to  the  next 
Legislative  Assembly  at  its  next  session  what  kind 
of  property,  if  any,  it  is  advisable  to  purchase  for  a 
Territorial  Prison."  Accordingly  the  Board  recom- 
mended the  purchase  of  the  property  already  leased. 

February  20,  1864,  an  Act  was  approved  to  pro- 
vide for  a  Territorial  Prison.  The  Act  saying:  "The 
Board  of  Prison  Commissioners,  consisting  of  the  Sec- 
retaiy  of  the  Territory,  Territorial  Auditor  and  Ter- 
ritorial Treasurer,  shall,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
March,  1864,  contract  with  Abram  Curr}-  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  building  now  occupied  for  a  Territorial 
Prison,  together  with  twenty  acres  of  land  including 
the  stone  iiuarr3',  with  all  improvements,  implements, 
arms  and  mechanic's  tools  belonging  to  or  now  used 
for  the  labor  and  security  of  the  prisoners.  The' said 
Curry  shall  make  a  deed  of  conveyance  of  the  said 
premises  to  the  people  of  Nevada  Territor3-,  with  full 
particulars  of  boundarj-,  description  of  property, 
inventory,  source  of  title,  etc.,  and  upon  the  proper 
execution  thereof  the  Territorial  Auditor  shall,  by 
order  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners,  issue  bonds  to 
said  Curry  to  the  amount  of  880,000  bearing  interest 
at  the  rate  often  per  centum  per  annum  for  the  pur- 
chase of  said  property." 

The  buildings  then  purchased  were  destroyed  b}' 
fire  on  the  first  of  May,  1867,  together  with  the 
records  of  the  prison.  Of  these  structures,  ijieuten- 
ant  Governor  James  S.  Slingerland,  e.e  officio  Warden, 
writes  in  his  report  to  the  Legislature  in  1868: — 

The  "  old  kitchen  "  which  stood  as  a  landmark, 
to  which,  it  is  presumable,  the  main  buildings,  com- 
posing the  prison  were  afterwards  built,  was  nothing 
but  a  tinder  box  built  of  rock,  with  here  and  there 
a  patch  of  mortar,  full  of  seams  and  openings, 
through  which  the  wind  had  full  sweep;  covered 
with  an  old,  weather-worn  shingle  roof,  through 
which  the  rain  poured  in  winter;  lined  inside  with 
canvas,  that  hung  in  tatters  on  the  walls,  and 
connected  with  the  main  building  by  an  opening  in 
which  no  door  had  ever  been  built.  The  dining- 
room  was  lined  in  Iho  same  manner,  and  also  the 
two  front  rooms  ailjoining,  with  the  addition  of  here 
and  there  a  patch  of  wall  j>aper,  making  ii  still  more 
infiammablo.  Ottice  and  guard  were  in  the  same  con- 
dition; wood- work  old  and  decayed,  and  with  all 
the  rest  sadly  in  need  of  new  material.  The  roof  of 
the  main  building,  40x100  feet,  was  shingled,  rival- 
ing in  antiquity  the  roof  of  the  kitchen — open  and 
leaky  in  winter,  and  in  summer  ventilatiiiic  the 
whole  building  with  a  hurricane  of  wind  and    und — 


and  throughout  the  whole  of  this  100  feet,  but 
three  flues,  to  which  the  stove-pipes  led  from  the 
different  parts  of  the  building,  some  of  which  reached 
for  a  distance  of  thirty  feet,  smoking  and  leaking 
with  every  storm  of  wind  and  rain;  putting  all 
together,  you  have  a  fair  picture  of  the  condition  of 
the  buildings  as  1  found  them  on  the  seventh  of 
January,  1867,  and  for  which,  with  the  rock  pile 
adjoining,  the  Territory  paid  880,000. 

After  the  purchase  of  the  property  in  1864,  Kob- 
ert  M.  Howland  was  made  Warden.  The  records 
having  been  destroyed,  no  official  particulars  are 
attainable.  As  a  reminiscence  of  prison  discipline  of 
early  days  the  Eureka  Sentinel,  of  a  recent  date, 
relates  the  following  as  occurring  during  Howland's 
incumbency: — 

Bob  had  then  the  same  reputation  for  levity  that 
he  now  enjoys,  and  when  he  became  Warden  the 
prisoners  thought  they  would  have  an  easy  time  of 
it,  but  were  disappointed,  as  Bob  looked  well  after 
the  discipline  of  the  •  prison,  and  not  a  prisoner 
escaped  during  his  term  of  office.  George  Kirk,  a 
notorious  character,  was  sentenced  in  1864  to  impris- 
onment for. highway  robberj*.  The  first  morning  of 
his  stay  in  the  penitentiary  he  refused  to  come  out  of 
his  cell  and  ''fall  in  line"  with  the  other  prisoners. 
This  is  how  llowland  subdued  Kirk:  The  AVarden 
quietly  ordered  his  cell  door  closed,  and  the  other 
prisoners  wore  marched  ''  left  hand  on  next  man's 
shoulder "  to  breakfast.  Kirk,  in  the  meantime, 
was   raving,    and    loudly    cursing,    and  defying  the 

Warden  or  any  other to  even  try  to 

make  him  come  out,  until  he  felt  disposed  to.  The 
Warden  ijuietly  went  to  the  blacksmith  shop,  pro- 
cured a  bar  of  steel  about  twelve  feet  long,  and  had 
it  heated  for  about  four  feet  on  one  end  to  a  red  heat, 
and  as  quietly  came  back  with  it  to  cell  No.  5.  He 
again  ordered  Kirk  to  come  out  and  '•  fall  in,"  and 
was  met  with  the  former  refusal  and  violent  abuse. 
The  Warden  closed  the  grated  door  of  the  cell,  and 
shoved  the  bar  of  steel,  hot  end  foremost  (which  ho 
had  now  cooled  to  a  dull  color),  through  the  bars. 
Kirk  sprang  for  and  grasped  it  with  both  hands  with 
a  close  grip  to  wrench  it  from  the  Warden.  With  a 
howl  of  pain,  as  it  soared  the  flesh,  he  dropped  it  and 
retreated,  cursing  with  fierce  rage.  The  Warden, 
without  speaking,  swayed  the  hot  bar  back  and  forth 
in  the  narrow  cell,  at  times  wedging  Kirk  in  a  corner, 
searing  his  limbs  with  every  touch.  Kirk  howled 
with  mingled  rage  and  torture,  now  bounding  over 
it,  and  again  under  it.  striking  his  head  against  the 
top  of  the  cell  and  falling  back  upon  the  bar,  j-elling 
and  screeching  like  a  pandemonium  turned  loose. 
At  last  he  realized  the  helplessness  of  his  position 
and  begged  for  mercy. 

After  this  discipline.  Kirk  became  very  submissive, 
but  his  good  behavior  did  not  seem  to  be  of  long  con- 
tinuance, as  it  is  related  that  he  took  part  in  an 
imeute  in  the  winter  of  1864-65,  when  Alexander 
Hunter,  Assistant  Warden,  was  shot,  and  made  his 
escape,  A  reward  of  81, 000  was  offered  for  his  arrest, 
which  was  accomplished  bj'  Sheritt"  Sexton,  of  Placer 
County,  California,  and  he  was  returned  to  the  prison. 
The  tragic  end  of  this  noted  criminal  occurred  in 
1871,  when,  refusing  to  obey  the  order  of  the  mjstic 
"  601 "  in  Virginia  City,  to  leave  that  place,  his  body 
was  found  hanging  to  the  Sierra  Nevada  hoisting- 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


547 


works,    with    a  card,  labeled   "  601,"  pinned  to  his 
breast. 

Ol'  the  Territorial  prisonera  there  were  but  two 
remaining  in  18(j7,  at  which  time  there  were  I'orty- 
one  convicts  in  the  prison,  of  whom  five  were  under' 
going  life  sentences.  All  the  prisoners,  even  China- 
men, of  which  race  there  were  two,  were  able  to  read 
and  write.  Of  the  fortj'-onc  prisoners,  Iwentj'-three 
were  of  foreign  birth,  and  eighteen  natives  of  the 
United  States. 

The  Constitution  adopted  in  ISfU,  ])rovided  for  a 
State  Prison,  which  "  shall  be  maintained  as  provided 
by  law."  The  Governor,  Secretaiy  of  State  and 
Attorney  (leneral  were  constituted  the  Hoard  of 
Prison  Commissioners — tlie  Governor  being  President 
of  the  Board,  and  the  Secretary  of  State,  Secretary. 
The  Constitution,  following  the  example  of  California, 
provided  that  the  Lieutenant  Governor  should  be 
ex  officio  Warden.  The  first  Legislature  meeting 
under  the  State  Constitution,  passed  an  Act  to  pro- 
vide for  the  government  of  the  State  Prison,  which 
was  approved  March  4,  1865.  This  authorized  the 
Board  of  State  Prison  Commissioners  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  Territorial  Prison.  One  of  the  provi- 
sions of  the  Act  was  the  prohibition  of  any  barbar- 
ous or  unusual  punishment;  and  another  that  ordered 
the  Warden  to  furnish  each  convict  with  a  Bible  and 
such  other  books  and  papers  as  the  Commissioners 
may  direct.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  John  S. 
Crosman,  and  he  became  Warden  of  the  prison,  con- 
tinuing in  the  position  until  Januarj-  7,  ISliT,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Lieut.  Gov.  James  S.  Slinger- 
land.  Governor  Crosman  had  many  things  to  con- 
tend with  during  his  wardenship  arising  from  the 
meager  appropriations  allowed,  and  the  inadequacy 
of  the  prison  buildings,  grounds  and  resources  to 
make  the  labor  of  the  convicts  remunerative.  Gov- 
ernor Slingerland,  in  his  report  to  the  Legislature, 
says: — 

The  improvements  made  by  Mr.  Crosman  were 
eminently  fit  and  proper,  and  doubtless  would  have 
been  continued  on  a  larger  scale  had  there  been 
funds  sufficient  to  have  carried  out  the  j)lans  as  orig- 
inally projected. 

As  previously  stated,  the  principal  buildings  were 
burned  on  the  first  of  May,  1867.  Of  this  fire  the 
report  further  says: — 

The  timelj-  urrival  of  the  Fire  Department,  of  Car- 
son C'itj-,  with  their  engines,  was  all  that  saved  to 
the  Slate  the  "  Territorial  Addition,"  in  which  the 
prisoners  were  confined  when  the  fire  broke  out. 
Their  superhuman  eftbrts  saved  this  ])<)rtion  of  the 
prison  property,  which  was  not  damaged  to  the 
amount  of  81,IMI(),  as  on  the  third  daj-  following  the 
prisoners  were  all  safel}'  housed  in  their  same  (piar- 
ters  once  more,  and  ready  for  work  as  usual,  owing 
solely  to  the  good  and  effective  work  of  a  Fire 
Dopiirtment  which  any  city  might  well  be  proud  to 
claim  as  its  own. 

The  fire  was  undoubtedly  the  work  of  an  incen- 
diary. During  the  tire  the  prisoners  were  taken  to 
and  kept  in  the  Ormsby  County  Jail  until  the  fourth 


of  May,  when  they  were  returned  to  the  prison  and  to 
work.  The  ruins  were  cleared  away,  and  the  Board 
of  State  Prison  Commissioners  authorized  the 
Warden  to  take  immediate  steps  to  rebuild  the 
prison  in  conformity  with  the  plan  submitted  by  the 
Board.  Sealed  proposals  for  furnishing  material  for 
the  building  were  called  for  and  the  prison  rebuilt, 
having  a  total  capacitj'  for  112  prisoners.  Of  the 
treatment  of  prisoners,  Governor  Slingerland  re- 
ports:— 

In  the  system  adopted,  I  have  not  ]>roposed  to 
consume  precious  time  in  trying  to  make  an  unmiti- 
gated rascal  an  honest  man.  I  have  no  "trusties," 
they  all  stand  on  a  equal  footing,  one  with  another; 
yet  among  them  there  are  good  men,  who,  if  re- 
stored to  libertj-,  would  make  good  citizens  and  bo- 
come  worth}-  members  of  society. 

They  are  all  cleanlj-  clothed  and  well  fed,  each  one 
is  dressed  in  prison  uniform,  made  of  woolen  cloth 
with  stripes  black  and  white.  They  all  labor  faith- 
fully each  day  in  the  prison  yard,  and  at  meals  get 
for 

BREAKFAST, 

Beefsteak,  potatoes,  bread,  hot  or  cold. 

DINNER, 

Eoast  beef  or  stew.  Baked  beans  on  Monda3-s, 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays.  Mush  and  molasses,  o  r 
pudding,  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Fridays.  Soup 
on  Tuesdays.     Bread  and  potatoes  each  day. 

SIPPER, 

Cold  meat,  hash,  potatoes  and  bread,  stewed  peaches 
or  apples  everj'  other  day.  To  which  may  be  added 
vegetables,  when  in  market. 

It  is  a  fact  worthj*  of  notice  that  during  the 
past  two  j-ears  there  have  been  but  two  occasions 
for  punishment,  those  being  for  insubordination. 
Prisoners  have  been  orderly  and  well  behaved,  and 
with  a  few  exceptions  have  all  been  credited  with 
the  five  days,  commutation  allowed  by  law  for  good 
behavior,  thus  materially  shortening  their  terms 
of  imprisonment.  A  "  Conduct  Poll  "  is  kept,  and 
posted  at  the  end  of  each  month,  in  which  the  five 
days  is  credited,  if  deserved,  and  if  not,  in  lieu 
thereof,  a  black  mark  is  set  opposite  the  name  of  the 
prisoner  incurring,  by  misconduct,  the  forfeiture. 

It  seems  to  be  the  general  desire  of  all  to  gain 
this  commutation,  and,  as  the  record  shows,  but  few 
have  failed  to  gain  it  for  each  month  of  the  two 
years. 

The  expenses  of  the  two  years  covered  by  the  re- 
port aggregated  §72,070.04,  made  extraordinary  by 
the  cost  of  rebuilding,  and  for  the  two  years  to  follow 
the  Warden  asked  an  appropriation  of  8tiO,00(l.  to 
cover  care  of  prisoners  and  to  make  further  neces- 
sary improvements. 

By  the  election  of  1S(!S  Frank  Denver  was  chosen 
Lieutenant  (iovernor,  and  by  virtue  of  his  office 
succeeded  Lieutenant  Governor  Slingerland  as  War 
den,  in  Janiiarv,  1860.  During  his  Wardenship 
stone  was  (piarried  for  the  Slate  Capitol  and  other 
buildings. 

The  Carson  Appfitl  of  December  2,  1870,  gives 
the  following  account  of  an  outbreak  at  the  State 
Prison : — 

Theodore  Hawkins,  one  of  the  guards,  unlocked 


548 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  outer  grated  door  to  let  out  the  kitchen  hands. 
McClner  was  one  of  these  and  came  out  first,  he 
struck  Hawkins  a  blow  in  the  neck,  knocking  him 
clear  ofi'  the  door.  McCluer  was  followed  bj-  William 
Shea,  Thomas  Hetfron  and  Michael  Loon.  These 
four  made  a  rush  at  Jake  Whipple,  Captain  of  the 
Guard.  McCluer  attacked  him  with  a  butcher  knife, 
cutting  him  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  and  drove  the 
knife  through  the  rim  of  his  hat,  clothing,  etc.  Other 
members  of  the  guard  hearing  the  scuffle  came  to  the 
scene  of  conflict.  HeftVon  grabbed  Biggs  and  pre- 
vented him  from  using  a  gun.  Then  Bowen  turned 
loose  with  his  pistol  shooting  McCluer  through  the 
head  and  again  through  the  breast  killing  him 
instantly.  Bowen  then  shot  Heffron  just  below  the 
right  shoulder-blade.  Shea  dealt  Bowen  a  terrible 
blow  with  a  slung-shot  made  out  of  a  piece  of  lead 
pipe  in  a  woolen  stocking.  Bowen  turned  and  shot 
Shea  in  the  abdomen.  Loon  during  the  melee  ran 
out  the  front  door  and  hid  in  the  cellar.  In  the 
meantime  Captain  Dingman,  the  inside  guard,  had  a 
perilous  time  of  it.  One  of  the  prisoners  supposing 
him  unarmed  seized  him  and  attempted  to  drag  liim 
awaj',  when  the  Captain  drew  a  derringer  and  shot 
him  in  the  abdomen,  he  then  got  outside  and  rushed 
to  the  armory  and  got  a  gun,  mounted  the  roof  just 
in  time  to  prevent  Pat  Hurley  and  other  prisoners 
from  escaping  through  the  skylight. 

The  most  serious  emeute  occurred  on  the  seven- 
teenth of  September,  1871,  during  which  Gover- 
nor Denver  and  four  of  the  guards  were  badly 
wounded,  and  F.  M.  Isaacs,  a  guard,  and  Matthew 
Pixley,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Carson,  who  had 
volunteered  to  assist  in  the  suppression  of  the  revolt, 
were  killed.  Twenty-nine  of  the  most  desperate 
characters  escaped,  many  of  whom  were  hunted  and 
killed  in  various  parts  of  the  State  and  California, 
and  some  returned  to  prison  and  were  tried  and 
executed.  Great  consternation  and  excitement  pre- 
vailed in  Carson.  All  able-bodied  men  rallied  to  the 
assistance  of  the  officers,  and  the  militia  were  called 
out  as  an  addition  guard. 

By  the  election  of  1872,  P.  C.  Ilj-man  became  ea- 
officio  Warden,  but  did  not  easily  obtain  possession  of 
the  prison.  The  Carson  Apjiecd  of  March  13,  1873, 
relates  the  following: — 

THE  STATE  PRISON  WAK. 

Owing  to  a  conflicting  construction  of  a  new  law, 
Frank  Denver,  Wai-den  of  the  Penitentiary,  refuses 
to  surrender  the  prison  to  his  successor,  P.  C.  Hj'- 
man.  He  even  refuses  to  admit  (iovernor  Bradley, 
Attorney  (ieneral  liuckner  and  Secretar}-  of  State 
Minor — who  constitute  the  Board  of  Prison  (Commis- 
sioners— into  the  prison.  Thereupon  the  Governor 
orders  Major  General  Van  Bokkelcn  to  assemble  an 
armed  force  of  sixtj-  men.  On  the  fourteenth  the 
sixty  men,  and  a  jjieceof  artillery  arrived  at  Carson, 
they  consisting  of  thirty  men  of  the  National  (hiard. 
Virginia  Citj';  ten  men  and  a  corporal  from  the  Em- 
met Guard,  Virginia  City;  ten  men  from  the  Sars- 
field  Guards  and  ten  men  from  the  Montgomerj- 
Guards.  (leneral  Van  Bokkelcn  is  then  ordered  to 
])lace  Hyman  in  possession  of  the  ])rison,  even  at 
cost  of  life.  After  receiving  a  summons.  Denver  sur- 
renders the  "Bastile,"  saying:  "  Under  military  ne- 
cessit}',  and  from  the  fact  that  you  liave  a  su])erior 
'orce  in  numbers,  and  that  if  I  should  stand  by  mj- 
I  iL^hts  by  meeting  force   with   force,  innocent  blood 


might  be  shed,  and  the  convicts  escape,  I  hereby 
surrender  to  )-ou  as  commander  of  the  military 
force."     The  capitulation  then  took  place. 

The  position  of  Warden,  at  no  time  a  bod  of  roses, 
was  a  particularly  trying  one  during  the  incumbency 
of  Mr.  Hj-man.  To  make  the  prison  a  source  of  rev- 
enue a  boot  and  shoe  factory  was  added  which, 
though  at  first  badly  managed,  aided  largely  in  pay- 
ing the  expenses  of  the  institution.  For  a  short 
period  Hyman  was  suspended  anil  Milton  R.  Elstner 
was  made  temporary  Warden.  At  the  close  of  the 
term,  ending  December  31,  1876,  there  were  128 
convicts.  The  earnings  of  the  prison  aggregated 
874,417.71,  and  the  actual  cost  of  maintaining  the 
prisoners  844,887.11. 

March  17,  1877,  Gen.  C.  C.  Batterman  succeeded 
to  the  Wardenship.  In  his  report  he  relates  the  fol- 
lowing:— 

On  the  twenty-ninth  of  October,  1877,  there  was  an 
uprising  among  the  ])risoner8  with  a  view  to  escape, 
in  the  suppression  of  which  prisoner  Ole  Johnson 
was  killed  and  prisoner  Daniel  Matheny  wounded. 
Xone  succeeding  in  escaping.  In  suppressing  the 
outbreak  Deputy  Warden  Mathewson  and  Captain 
of  Guard  Gounond  were  wounded.  To  these  officers, 
and  to  allot  the  officers  and  guards  on  duty  at  the  time, 
great  ])raise  is  due  for  tneir  cool  judgment  and 
prompt  action. 

Of  this  revolt  the  Carson  Apjieal  of  October  29, 
1877,  says: — 

At  3  o'clock  p.  .M.,  the  convicts  at  the  State  Prison 
made  an  outbreak.  Captain  Mathewson,  Deputj' 
Warden,  on  entering  the  shoe  shoj)  was  siezed  b}' 
ilatheny  and  Kellj-  (prisoners  for  life),  Crawford 
(seven  years),  Ole  Johnson  (twenty  five  years), 
Estrada  (twenty-five  years)  and  Allen  (six  years). 
(lOunond,  Captain  of  the  Guard,  was  seized  bj-  Bada- 
racco  (life).  Belcher  (twenty-one  yeai-s)  and  Burton 
(three  years).  All  these  convicts  were  armed  with 
knives.  Gounond  received  a  dangerous  cut  in  the 
groin.  Mathewson.  on  being  pushed  outside,  ordered 
three  times  for  the  guards  to  fire.  .Mathewson  was 
shot  through  the  right  arm.  The  convict  Johnson 
received  twenty-seven  slugs  and  shot  through  the 
back  and  shoulders,  and  died  at  5  p.  m.  These  shots 
quelled  the  revolt. 

At  the  close  of  General  Batterman's  incumbency 
there  were  140  prij^oners,  of  which  two  had  received 
a  university  education,  and  llti  are  rejjorted  as  able 
to  I'ead  and  write,  and  the  same  number  were  un- 
married; thirty  five  were  temperate,  and  the  re- 
mainder addicted  to  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks; 
sixty  seven  were  of  foreign  birth,  and  eighty-two 
native  born;  throe  were  convicted  of  murder  in  the 
first  degree,  twenty-seven  in  the  second  degree,  and 
eight  for  manslaughter. 

The  appropriation  for  the  support  of  the  prison 
for  the  years  1877-78  was  8175,000.  Receipts  from 
the  sale  of  boots  and  shoes,  8(i!1,066.54;  sale  of  stone 
from  the  quarry,  83,8!)2.12,  and  for  stone  charged  to 
building  account.  83.084. 

General  liatterman  continued  as  Warden  until 
January  1,  1881,  saying  in  his  report  of  that  date: — 


■•# 


^-> 


J 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


549 


Good  order  and  discipline  among  the  prisoners 
have  generally  prevailed.  While  those  amonir  them 
disposed  to  infraction  of  the  rules  have  been  closely 
watched  and  kept  in  check,  the  treatment  of  all  has 
been  just  and  impartial.  In  August,  1879,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  fire  the  prison;  no  other 
serious  attempt  at  an  outbreak  has  been  made. 

The  number  of  prisoners  was  151.  The  appro- 
priation for  the  years  1879-80  was  8175,000,  of 
which  §17,744.68  remained  unexpended.  The  pro- 
ceeds of  the  labor  of  the  convicts  amounted  to 
$56,756.48.    The  present  Warden  is  William  Garrard. 

The  Legislature,  in  March,  1873,  passed  an  Act  to 
provide  for  the  purchase  of  ground  and  construction 
of  a  State  Prison,  sufficient  to  accommodate  300 
prisoners,  and  appropriated  8100,000  for  the  same. 
The  site  was  selected  at  Ueno,  and  work  begun,  but 
whether  it  will  be  finished  as  designed,  is  a  question 
of  doubt. 

Of  this  new  State  Prison  we  give  the  following 
histoiy: — 

The  State  Prison  at  Carson  City  being  regarded  as 
unable  to  accommodate  the  number  of  prisonei's  that 
would,  at  the  usual  rate  of  increase,  soon  become 
inmates  of  it,  a  bill  passed  the  Legislature,  and  was 
approved  March  7,  1873,  "  to  provide  for  the  erection 
of  a  Slate  Prison."  By  this  Act  the  Board  of  Slate 
Prison  Commissioners,  consisting  of  the  Governor, 
Secretary  of  State  and  Attorney  General,  as  provided 
b}'  the  Constitution,  were  authorized  to  purchase 
the  necessary  lands  and  erect  thereon  a  Slate  Prison 
with  a  capacity  to  accommodate  300  prisoners, 
enough  of  the  building  to  be  at  once  completed  to 
hold  125  prisoners.  The  Board  were  authorized  to 
use  prison  labor,  and  $100,000  were  appropriated  for 
the  purchase  of  lands  and  the  erection  of  buildings. 

Not  until  the  summer  of  1874  did  the  Commis- 
sioners select  the  site  and  make  active  preparations 
to  carry  out  the  will  of  the  Legislature.  At  that  lime 
they  purchased  206  acres  of  land  on  the  bank  of  the 
Truckee  River,  a  little  more  than  a  mile  east  of 
Reno,  chosen  on  account  of  its  healthful  location, 
splendid  water-power  and  contiguity  to  the  overland 
railroad.  Plans  for  a  building  450x500  feet  were 
adopted,  S.  F.  Iloole  was  placed  in  charge,  and  the 
work  was  commenced  August  29,  1874.  At  first  but 
few  men  were  employed,  then  the  number  was 
gradually  increased  _to  160,  and  about  the  last  of 
December  work  ceased  entirely. 

The  Legislature  of  1875  appointed  a  joint  commit- 
tee, consisting  of  C.  S.  Varian  and  W.  L.  Boss,  of  the 
Senate,  and  J.  P.  Smith,  A.  Spencer  and  L.  Morrill, 
of  the  Assembly,  to  investigate  the  matter.  The 
committee  reported  in  favor  of  the  location  ;  that  the 
land  had  cost  83,318.35,  that  a  foundation  wall  nini; 
feet  high,  seven  feet  thick,  and  1,904  feet  long,  inclos- 
ing five  and  one-half  acres  of  ground,  had  been  con- 
structed of  granite,  concrete  and  rubble  stone,  at  a 
cost  of  829.520.35;  that  other  work  had  been  done, 
and  materials  purchased  to  the  amount  of  $50,711.87; 
that  835,000  properly  expended  would  have  accom- 
69 


plished  the  same  work;  that 8100,000  more  would  bo 
sufficient  to  complete  the  wall  and  enough  of  the 
cells  to  enable  the  prisoners  to  move  thither  and 
engage  in  the  completion  of  the  work;  that  estimates 
by  two  architects  of  the  cost  of  completing  the  works 
were  8345,143.67  and  8304,352.95.  A  minority 
report  was  presented  by  W.  L.  Ross,  dissenting  from 
the  report  of  the  majority  that  the  work  could  have 
been  done  for  835,000,  and  accompanying  it  with  an 
estimate  bj-  G.  Hai8t,one  of  the  architects  who  made 
the  above  estimates,  showing  that  the  value  of  the 
work  done  was  §50,771.10. 

Final  Report  of  S.  F.  Hoole,  architect  of  the  Reno 
State  Prison,  July  17,  1876,  sa}'s  the  contract  is 
completed,  and  the  walls  in  following  condition:  — 

"The  walls  are  finished  to  their  connection  with 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  cell-house,  and  the  west 
wall  of  the  Warden's  house,  leaving  an  open  space 
for  the  Warden's  and  cell-house  of  377  feet.  If  this 
wall  was  built  twenty-four  feet  high  to  its  connec- 
tions at  each  end.  in  accordance  with  the  plans,  the 
iron  doors  and  gratings  inserted  in  their  proper  places, 
all  the  prisoners  now  in  the  Carson  State  Prison, 
with  the  colls  and  other  material,  could  he  moved  to 
the  Reno  Prison,  and  the  whole  work  could  be  com- 
pleted by  prison  labor  under  the  direction  of  the 
Warden.  The  cost  of  placing  the  walls  in  perfect 
security  to  receive  the  prisoners  will  not  exceed 
§15,000,  including  all  the  iron  work  required." 

Wm.  Thompson,  contractor  for  State  Prison  walls 
at  Reno,  sclllod  with  Board  December  16,  1876, 
having  82,328.04  due  him,  which  he  authorized  the 
Board  to  pay  ;-»ro  rata  on  certain  debts  contracted  by 
him  in  {irosecuting  the  work,  amounting  to  $2,687.42. 

GAME. 

The  word  "  game  "  does  not,  in  Nevada,  always 
apply  to  the  animals  running  wild  in  forest  and  field, 
nor  to  the  untamed  birds  ot  the  air,  neither  to  the 
fish  of  its  lakes  and  streams,  although  "  seeing  the 
elephant  "  is  commonly  mentioned,  and  "hunting  the 
tiger  in  his  jungle  "  appears  to  be  an  every-daj",  and 
nightlj%  sport.  A  writer  of  the  region  says  "A  man 
can  find  there  any  game  he  wants,  whether  played 
with  a  pack  of  cards  or  pistol;  whether  it  comes  in 
the  shape  of  a  big  knife,  or  a  straight  from  the 
shoulder,  or  in  courtesj-  and  kindness,  from  the 
heart."  Hunting  game,  in  this  acceptation  of  the 
term,  has  often  brought  "a  man  for  breakfast."  But 
"  game  "  in  cities  and  mining  hamlets,  and  "  game  "  in 
the  open  country,  in  the  plains  and  hills  of  the  broad 
State,  are  widclj-  dift'erent  things. 

The  extended  area  of  barren  plains,  sparsely  cov- 
ered by  shrubbj",  dull-colored  sage-brush,  often  vast 
expanses  of  salt  and  alkaline  plains,  and  hills  bearing 
but  few  trees  to  conceal  their  baldness,  or  furnish  a 
refuge,  seemed  to  forbid  the  idea  of  the  presence  of 
wild  animals.  While  large  game  was  never  abun- 
dant, there  were  frequently  found  bands  of  antelope, 
and  deer,  and  occasionally  a  few  mountain  sheep. 
Coyotes   were    quite    numerous,   and  foxes,  wolves. 


550 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


lynx,  bear,  and  California  lions,  were  sometimes 
met.  In  some  sections  were  badgers  in  great  num- 
bers. The  trappers  of  the  early  period  sought  the 
streams  for  beaver  and  muskrats,  of  which  some  are 
still  found  in  the  wild  regions  of  the  8tate.  Rabbits, 
hares  and  sage-hens  were  the  most  plentiful  of  all 
game  worthily  so-called,  but  the  degraded  savages 
of  the  Great  Basin  sought  for  mice,  rats,  ground 
squirrels,  snakes,  lizards,  horned  frogs,  and  the  like, 
which  were  numerous  and  afforded  him  food.  The 
sage-brush  and  other  shrubby  bushes  of  similar  char- 
acter appeared  to  furnish  the  desired  food  for  rabbits 
and  hares,  for  where  they  grow,  and  the  coyote 
driven  off  or  exterminated,  there  these  little  jvnimals 
increase  exceedingly,  so  much  so  as  to  become  a  pest 
to  the  fiirmers  and  ranchers. 

Of  Eagle  Valley,  Mr.  Henry  Fulstone  writes  in 
his  diarj',  January  1,  1850:  "  We  are  much  troubled 
with  rats.  This  place  abounds  with  mice,  rats, 
ground  squirrels,  horned  frogs,  lizards  of  several 
kinds,  night  owls  and  night  hawks  of  several  kinds, 
coyotes,  magpies,  rabbits,  hares,  sage-hens,  grouse 
and  ducks." 

CARSON    CITY. 

Every  city  dates  its  rise  from  some  obscure  or 
accidental  beginning,  but  all  must  have  a  cause  for 
business,  prosperilj-,  and,  consequently,  existence. 
Lines  of  travel,  arable  land,  facilities  for  manufac- 
ture, rich  mines,  resort  for  health,  grand  scenery, 
one  or  more  of  which  must  exist  to  fix  the  site  of 
a  town  or  city,  which  will  grow  in  proportion  as  its 
natural  advantages  are  utilized  and  improved  by  the 
necessities  and  enterprise  of  its  inhabitants. 

Nestling  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
is  a  little  valley,  nearly  circular  in  form,  of  about 
twenty-five  square  miles  of  area,  separated  from 
the  Carson  Valley  and  River,  on  the  south  and  east, 
by  a  low,  projecting  spur  of  the  Sierra,  opening  to 
the  river  in  the  northeast,  and  fronting  the  hills  of 
the  W'ashoe  Mountains  in  the  north. 

This  valley  was  crossed  bj-  one  of  the  roads 
traveled  by  the  early  emigrants  to  California,  and 
near  its  western  border,  about  three  miles  from  the 
river,  appeared  an  eligible  site  for  a  ranch  and  trad- 
ing-post. The  locality  was"  well  watered,  with  a 
fertile  soil,  having  an  elevation  of  4,615  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  with  a  saluiirious,  healthy  climate.  The 
great  travel,  many  thousands  of  emigrants  with 
long  trains  of  wagons  and  herds  of  cattle  passing 
continually,  affording  a  most  favorable  opportunity 
for  trade,  a  fertile  soil  with  natural  grass,  neighbor- 
ing mountains  clothed  with  luxuriant  forest,  and 
springs  and  mountain  streams  supplying  abundant 
water  of  purest  quality,  were  the  attractions,  cen- 
tering to  a  point  on  the  western  side  of  the  valley, 
that  directed  the  location  of  the  settlement. 

Here,  in  November,  1851,  as  told  in  the  history  of 
Ormsbj'  County,  Frank  and  W.  L.  Hall,  A.  J.  and 
Frank  Barnard,  and  George  Follensbeo  settled  and 
established   a    trading-post,  using   an    eagle,  killed 


upon  the  spot,  as  a  sign  and  trophy  over  their  house. 
From  this  circumstance  the  station  became  known 
as  Eagle  Ranch,  and  the  valley  became  Eagle  Valley 
unto  this  day — and  this  was  the  beginning  of  Car- 
son City.  We  have  traced  the  history  of  the  settle- 
ment until  the  purchase  of  the  Eagle  Ranch  by 
Curry,  Proctor.  Green  and  Musser,  in  July,  1858, 
and  the  laying  out  of  a  town  site  in  September  of 
that  year.  To  that  date  the  history  is  that  of 
Ormsbj'  County. 

The  laying  out  of  the  plat  of  Carson  City  is  told 
in  the  Nevada  Tribune  of  July  22,  1876,  as  follr-vg: — 

In  September,  1858,  Mr.  Curr3'-  proposed  to  his 
partners  to  survey  a  town  site.  After  due  reflection 
they  consented,  and  Mr.  Green  went  to  Chinatown 
(now  Dayton)  to  secure  the  services  of  Jerry  Long 
(J.  F.  Long,  formerlj^  of  Plaeerville,  California,)  to 
survey  and  lay  out  the  town.  When  the  Surveyor 
examined  the  premises  he  doubted  very  much  the 
propriety  and  feasibilitj^  of  the  enterprise,  and 
urged  its  abandonment.  Currj^  had  not  forgotten 
his  pledge  to  the  speculators  of  Mormontown,  to 
build  a  city  of  his  own,  and  no  argument  could 
deter  him  from  his  seeming  rash  enterprise,  and 
in  the  face  of  natural  objection,  and  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  reasonings  urged  bj-  the  less  sanguine, 
who  looked  upon  the  plan  as  a  foolish  one,  the 
survey  of  the  site  progressed  to  completion, 
and  for  the  first  time  Carson  City,  that  being  the 
name  given  it,  figured  as  a  cil}-  on  paper  onl3-. 
The  streets  were  made  wide  for  the  reason  that 
by  pursuing  that  plan  the  plot  would  be  larger, 
which,  of  course,  would  give  it  raorc  prominence. 

The  survey  must  be  paid  for,  and  Mr.  Curry  of- 
fered to  give  the  Surveyor  that  block  of  land  east 
of  the  plaza,  on  which  is  located  ^Ir.  E.  B.  Rail's 
hardware  establishment,  J.  M.  Benton's  liver}-  stable 
and  a  number  of  other  business  places.  But  .Ferry 
Long  could  not  see  the  point,  refused  to  take  it,  and 
said  he  would  rather  have  him  (Curry)  owe  him 
than  to  take  such  stuff  as  compensation  for  his 
skill  and  labor.  On  the  other  hand,  so  great  was 
the  faith  of  .Mr.  Currj-  in  the  success  of  this  new 
enterprise  that  when  surveying  the  plaza  he  repeat- 
edly said  that  the  (Japitol  of  the  State  would,  ere 
many  j'oars,  bo  built  on  that  square. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  the  tcrritoiy  now 
comprising  the  State  of  Nevada  was  at  that  time  a 
part  of  Utah  Territoiy,  and  known  as  Carson 
1  Count}'.  Mr.  Curry  at  this  verj-  early  daj-  looked 
I  forward  to  some  time  in  the  near  future  when  Utah 
Territory  would  be  divided,  the  western  ])ortion  be 
given  to  a  now  Territory,  which  in  a  short  time 
would  assume  the  proportions  of  a  Slate  of  the 
Union.  The  plaza,  or  (/apilol  Square,  was  full}-  de- 
signed by  Mr.  Curry  to  be  the  site  for  the  Capitol 
building  of  the  new  State,  the  hope  of  which  his 
own  mind  alone  seemed  to  grasp.  Our  readers  can 
now  see  the  wisdom  of  his  predictions  and  their 
fulfillment. 

The  four  men  purchasing  the  ranch  of  its  previ- 
ous owner,  Mr.  John  Mankin,  were  Abram  Curr}-, 
F.  -M.  Proctor,  B.  F.  Green  and  J.  J.  Musser,  and 
were  now  the  owners  of  a  city — on  paper.  Their 
names,  and  those  of  other  residents  of  the  vicinity 
at  the  time  of  the  survey,  wore  given  to  streets, 
perpetuating  their  memory.     Shortly  after  the  sur- 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


531 


vey,  in  the  same  month,  an  equal  division  of  the 
town  lots  was  made  between  the  four  proprietors. 
These  gentlemen  were  alive  to  their  interests,  were 
energetic,  able  and  enterprising,  and  each  took  an 
active  part  in  the  future  development  and  political 
history  of  the  Territory  and  State. 

Says  the  historian  of  Eagle  Valley,  publi.'^Led  in 
the  Nevada  Tribune  July  24,  1876:— 

About  the  time  the  proprietors  divided  the  town 
lots  between  themselves,  Curry  was  engaged  in  mak- 
ing adobes  in  a  yard  situated  near  P.  H.  Clayton's 
residence  in  the  southwest  part  of  town.  The  first 
house  was  built  by  Mr.  Green,  and  is  a  part  of  the 
present  residence  of  Mr.  \V.  D,  Torreyson;  the  sec- 
ond was  built  by  Mr,  Proctor,  and  is  a  part  of  the 
present  residence  of  Mr.  A.  Waitz;  the  third  was  built 
bj'  J.  J.  Musser,  and  is  now  the  property  of  Mrs. 
Sheyer,  and  the  fourth  was  an  adobe  store  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  county  building  block,  into 
which  Miijor  Orrasby  moved  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
year,  and  in  which  he  did  a  general  merchandising 
and  hotel  business  on  a  limited  scale.  He  had  pre- 
viously engaged  in  business  in  Genoa,  his  first  loca- 
tion. 

Lots  were  freely  given  away  to  parties  who  would 
agree  to  build  upon  them,  and  some  wore  traded  off 
for  almost  anything  that  was  necessary  and  obtain- 
able. For  instance,  the  Methodist  Church  block 
and  the  next  one  south  were  sold  for  twenty-five 
dollars  and  a  pair  of  boots.  The  property  convej-ed 
in  this  transaction  is  now  (1876)  worth  ai)out  87,000 
or  88,000.  A  fourth  interest  in  the  Warm  Springs 
(unimproved)  was  sold  to  Mr.  Curr}'  for  a  pony, 
which  was  afterwards  traded  bj'  its  new  owner  for 
twenty-five  pounds  of  butter,  which  goes  to  prove 
that  Mr.  Green  appreciated  butter  more  than  he  did 
hot  water;  whilst  Messrs.  Proctor  and  Musser  made 
a  gift  of  their  two-fourths  interest  in  the  springs,  and 
in  this  way  Mr,  Curry  became  sole  owner  of  the 
Warm  Springs, 

By  this  time  quite  a  community  had  gathered  in 
the  little  valley  and  the  new  village,  there  being  sev- 
eral families,  as  has  been  previously  related  under 
the  heading  of  "  Old  Settlers."  All  the  people  of 
those  dates  have  left  a  record  of  respectabilitj'  and 
obedience  to  law,  and  among  them  are  names,  seem- 
ingly the  great  majority,  which  are  still  held  in 
remembrance  of  the  warmest  regard  and  highest 
respect.  In  such  a  community  of  pioneers  is  foujid 
the  pioneer  preacher  of  the  church  of  the  pioneers, 
the  Methodist,  always  in  the  van  of  civilization.  The 
Rev,  Mr,  Bateman  (or  Jesse  L,  Bennett),  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  represented  that  denomination  in 
the  little  hamlet  of  Carson  City  in  the  fall  of  1858, 
He  was  devoted  to  his  work,  and  without  doubt 
exercised  a  restraining  influence  over  the  community 
where  he  dwelt,  as  well  as  affording  an  unspeakable 
comfort  to  those  who  wore  religiously  inclined. 
This  pioneer  minister  also  solemnized  the  first  Chris- 
tian marriage  in  the  valley,  A  marriage  bj-  civil 
contract  had  taken  place  in  the  valley  of  the  Carson 
on  the  fourth  of  July,  1854,  the  history  of  which  is 
elsewhere  given,  the  celebration  of  which  with  a 
wedding  festival  party  took  place  at  the  Eagle  Ranch, 

The  winter  of  1858-59,  says  the  chronicler  before 


quoted,  was  very  severe,  which  worked  great  hard- 
ship on  the  people,  uncomfortably  housed  as  they 
must  have  been  and  were.  Stock  died  because  of 
scarcitj-  of  food  and  shelter,  and,  altogether,  this 
people  had  to  endure  privations  that  none  of  us  can 
now  realize.  These  great  mountains,  covered  in 
winter  by  excessive  snows,  separating  them  from 
communiciition  with  California,  it  could  not  be  other 
than  uncomfortable;  but  the  hope  of  something  bet- 
ter in  the  future — a  hope  to  which  we  are  all  in- 
debted— sustained  them.  The  next  place  of  business 
erected  was  the  Gem  Saloon,  and  occupied  by  Mr, 
F.  Perkins  for  that  purpose,  and  is  the  building  now 
occupied  by  Mr,  O,  P.  Willis  for  his  apothecary 
business. 

During  this  period  Mr.  Harry  Fulstone  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Carson  City  kept  a  private  journal,  from 
which  the  following  extracts  are  taken,  distinctly 
bringing  to  view  the  scenes  and  actors  of  those  prim- 
itive days. 

November  7,  1858.  Flour  is  now  selling  at  twelve 
dollars  per  hundred  pounds;  potatoes,  five  cents  per 
pound;  beef  and  pork,  twelve  and  one-half  cents  per 
pound;  milk,  twelve  and  one-half  cents  per  quart; 
cow,  if  you  want  to  sell  her,  forty  dollars,  if  you 
want  to  buy,  seventy-five  dollars. 

November  15.  You  have  a  deal  of  trouble  here 
to  get  your  pay  after  it  has  been  due  for  months. 
They  are  a  pack  of  speculators,  robbing  one  to  jjay 
the  other.  They  pay  what  they  please  after  making 
agreements,  and  have  it  all  their  own  way,  and  it  is 
of  no  use  to  remonstrate. 

November  17.  Stebbins  wanted  my  team  to-day 
to  fetch  lumber. 

November  19,  Fall  of  rain  and  snow;  water  came 
through  the  roof  and  wet  the  room.  My  son  William 
collected  a  debt  to-daj-  in  potatoes  and  squashes, 

November  28,  Got  some  meat  to-daj'.  Quite  a 
treat.     Meat  is  scarce.     We  are  sick  of  rabbits. 

November  20.  Had  a  hare  to-daj'.  It  was  quite 
fat.  They  are  still  (|nite  fiit  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
I  would  rather  have  an  English  tame  rabbit  than  one 
of  these  American  dainties. 

December  4.  Wo  have  had  a  great  deal  of  snow 
latelj'.     Money  rather  scarce. 

December  23,  The  grass  on  the  ground  is  dry 
and  buried  in  the  snow.  The  cattle  begin  to  want 
feed.     The  winds  are  tremendous. 

December  24.  Abe  ('urry  gave  me  a  bottle  of 
whisky  to  celebrate  Christmas  with. 

January  1,  1859.  A  dance  in  Curr^-'s  new  build- 
ing at  night.  We  are  very  much  troubled  with 
rats,  etc. 

Januarj-  11.  Times  very  hard.  Not  much  trad- 
ing, and  things  very  high.  Poor  men  working 
simply  for  their  food.  Flour  fifteen  dollars  per  100 
pounds;  vegetables  seven  to  eight  dollars  per  100 
])Ounds. 

January  12.  Turned  tailor  to-day,  and  cut  out  for 
Joseph  a  pair  of  buckskin  pants.  The  mines  in 
the  cafions  at  Walker  River  cannot  be  worked  by 
reason  of  heavy  frosts  and  want  of  water.  Times 
seem  dull,  but  there  are  jjloiity  of  dances;  the 
charge  per  couple  is  five  dollars.  Feed  for  cattle 
is  getting  plenty  again, 

January  30.  Planted  trees  for  Stebbins.  [The 
first  planted  in  Carson  City.  t)ne  is  still  standing 
on  Main  Street.] 

February  2.  First  horse  race  of  Car-son.  Fifty 
persons  present.     Nearly  every  one  drunk. 


552 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


February  15.  Bad  weather,  wind  and  snow. 
Cattle  and  horses  suffering. 

February  19.     Finished  Josepli's  buckskin  pants. 

February  21.  Twenty-eight  feet  of  snow  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountains.     Snowing  almost  daily. 

Alarch  9.  A  boy  at  Genoa  shot  a  man  3'esterday 
about  a  bridle.  [Killing  of  E.  Knott  by  John 
Herring,  aged  nineteen  )-ear8.] 

March  IS.  Went  to  another  horse  race.  It  was 
about  the  same  kind  of  an  ailair  as  the  other. 

March  25.     Another  horse  race. 

March  27.  Horse  race.  Thej'  have  found  good 
diggings  at  Gold  Canon.  Some  men  have  made 
from  §175  to  S300  in  three  days.  [Gold  Hill  stands 
at  the  head  of  Gold  Canon.] 

March  30.  Went  down  to  a  dance  at  Jacob's,  at 
Johntown,  in  Gold  Canon.  Walked.  Stage  over- 
took me.  Saliie  King  urged  me  to  get  on  the  stage, 
and  I  did  so.  We  had  a  gay  time.  I  came  back  in 
Major  Ormsby's  wagon.  It  broke  down  three  times, 
and  we  had  to  tie  it  up  with  ropes. 

April  1.  Flour  hard  to  get.  Paid  twenty-eight 
dollars  per  100  for  it  to-daj-. 

April  22.     We  sow  wheat. 

April  29.  Bill  Sides  murdered  a  man  named 
"Pike,"  (Jessup)  at  Gold  Cafion.  Stabbed  him 
twice.     Row  over  cards. 

April  30.     Sides  brought  to  Eagle  Valley. 

June  2.  Sides  liberated  on  bail  after  a  week's 
mock  trial.  He  paid  Musscr  $700  to  clear  him. 
Trial  put  oft'  till  fall.  Got  bondsmen  in  S2,500. 
[Finally  acquitted,  as  is  told  elsewhere.] 

July  4.  Celebration.  Cannon  burst  near  Green's 
house.     Man  severely  hurt. 

July  17.     Made  Robert  a  pair  of  buckskin  pants. 

July  18.  Great  excitement  at  (ioid  Canon.  Only 
seven  dollars  an  ounce  paid  for  gold-dust  at  Genoa, 
[Genoa  being  the  chief  commercial  ))oint]  and  twelve 
dollars  fifty  cents  allowed  at  Gold  Cafion. 

That  society  was  progressing  at  this  early  period, 
and  that  the  dwellers  of  the  neighboring  vallej's 
and  hamlets  enjoj'ed  themselves,  is  shown  from  the 
following  from  a  communication  to  the  Territorial 
Enterjrrise  of  January  29,  1859,  published  at  Genoa, 
then  the  chief  town  of  western  Utah: — 

Some  of  us  sought  these  valleys  when  they  be- 
longed to  nature's  solitudes,  assured  that  their  nat- 
ural advantages  would  soon  gathor  society  about  us. 
In  this  we  have  not  been  disappointed.  The  influx 
of  actual  settlers  has  of  late  been  very  considerable, 
and  our  late  holiday  frolics  should  convince  an  an- 
chorite that  society  in  Carson  Valley  is  a  fixed  fact. 
Youth,  oeauty,  intelligence  and  grace  arc  all  here  in 
their  freshness  and  potency,  and  the  spirit  of  concord 
seems  to  preside  over  our  pastimes. 

Our  New  Year's  ball  at  Eagle  Valley  was  a  perfect 
jam.  The  house,  though  large,  was  quite  too  small. 
Wo  crowded  ourselves  out !  H"  any  cold-blooded 
mysogamist  doubted  the  fact  that  man  is  gregarious, 
our  New  Year's  ball  would  have  cured  him.  All 
seemed  to  saj'  in  the  language  of  the  poet: 

"On  with  the  dance,  let  joy  be  unconfined." 

The  people  of  Carson  seemed  determined  to  have 
a  hap])y  time,  notwithstanding  their  many  discom- 
forts arising  from  badly  constructed  dwellings,  the 
high  price  of  comestibles  and  the  severity  of  the 
weather. 

The  rigors  of  winter  abated  about  the  first  of  Feb- 


ruary, giving  great  relief  to  stock  and  their  owners, 
but  the  deep  snow  on  the  Sierra  Nevada  rendered 
communication  with  California  exceedinglj-  difficult. 
With  the  opening  of  spring  additions  were  made  to 
the  population  which  had  been  constantly  increasing 
since  the  exodus  of  the  Mormons.  There  is  now 
here  the  nucleus  of  a  city.  The  surrounding  valley  is 
"  claimed  "  in  ranches  and  occupied  by  the  claimants, 
herdsmen  and  station  keepers.  South  is  the  greater 
valley  of  the  Carson,  with  Genoa  as  its  capital,  and 
northeast  are  Johntown,  Gold  Canon  and  the  settle- 
ments along  the  Carson  River.  A  few  white  men 
and  Chinamen  have  been  washing,  or  mining,  for 
gold  at  Johntown  and  in  the  canon  at  intervals  for 
several  years,  and  now,  in  the  spring  of  1859,  are 
meeting  with  greater  success  than  before.  Astonish- 
ing developments  are  made  in  the  mines,  and  soon 
their  fame  spreads  abroad.  Population  flows  in,  and 
Carson  Ci'y  has  soon  grown  so  large  that  it  would 
be  difficult  to  keep  the  record  of  its  individual  citi- 
zens, although  at  this  date  all  are  pioneers.  As  soon 
as  the  mountains  were  passable  in  the  spring,  the 
proprietors  of  the  town  site,  Messrs.  Curry,  Proctor, 
Green  and  Musser.  brought  their  wives  and  children 
to  join  them,  and  comfortable  dwellings  were  erected. 
City  lots,  before  the  rich  mining  devolopments  were 
made,  were  usually  sold  at  fiftj"  dollars  each,  and 
many  were  given  awaj'  to  those  who  would  build 
upon  them. 

A  great  excitement  followed  the  discovery  of  the 
rich  gold  deposits  in  the  upper  part  of  Gold  Cafion, 
changing  entirely  the  condition  of  affairs  and  trans- 
forming the  inhabitants  from  a  simple  pastoral  and 
trading  people  to  a  busy  mining,  manufacturing  and 
speculating  communitj*.  With  the  quality,  instinc- 
tive to  all  Americans,  of  self-government,  obedience 
to  law  and  the  observance  of  legal  forms,  courts 
were  organized  in  the  absence  of  anj-  regularly  con- 
stituted authorities.  This  was  soon  found  to  be 
necessary. 

The  organization  of  a  Lynch  Court,  under  the  ex- 
citement of  some  recent  outrage  when  passion 
sways  justice,  is  verj'  repugnant  to  all  law-abiding 
citizens,  although  in  cases  of  necessity  they  are 
compelled  to  take  such  a  course.  To  avoid  this 
exigency  a  People's  Court  was  organized,  and  J. 
L.  Cary  was  made  Judge.  In  the  diary  of  Mr. 
Fulstone,  from  which  extracts  have  been  made, 
the  killing  of  Jessup  by  William  Sides,  is  men- 
tioned, and  that  the  murderer  was  brought  to 
Carson  City  for  examination.  Sides  and  Jessup, 
miners  in  Gold  Canon,  hud  quarreled  over  a  game 
of  cards,  resulting  in  the  death  of  the  latter  as  is 
elsewhere  related. 

The  examination  of  Sides,  which  partook  of  the 
form  of  a  trial  for  the  murder  of  Jessup,  was 
before  the  People's  Court.  Mark  Slebbins  and 
Samuel  Tj-ler  managed  the  prosecution,  and  J.  J. 
Musser  and  F.  M.  Proctor  were  attorneys  for  the 
defense.  A.G.  Hammack  was  appointed  Judge  in  place 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


553 


of  J.  L.  Gary,  absent.  These  were  the  jurors  selected: 
J.  Mott,  Geo.  Hill,  Thomas  Boyd,  J.  Adams,  P.  Brown, 
Thomas  Yancy,  J.  Gatewood,  W.  Sturdovant,  W. 
H.  Boj-d,  II.  Mott,  J.  Rose,  and  Joiin  Cesser.  The 
trial  was  reported  by  P.  H.  Lovell,  then  telegraph 
operator  at  Genoa,  to  the  Semi- Weekly  Observer,  at 
Plaeervillo,  and  published  in  the  issue  of  June  4, 
1859.  The  above  is  the  report  of  the  first  day, 
concluding  as  follows: — 

Several  witnesses  were  examined  yesterday,  and 
the  case  rested  by  both  counsels.  The  evidence 
goes  to  show  conclusively  that  Jessup  made  the 
first  assault. 

June  7th  he  telegraphs:  — 

The  People's  Court  met  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment. W.  il.  Ormsby  was  chosen  Chief  Judge;  H. 
F.  Pierce  and  G.  "Whippcrly,  Associates;  and  J.  K. 
Trumbo,  Clerk.  A  resolution  was  passed  that 
Sides  be  held  to  bail  in  the  sum  of  82,500  till 
Wednesday,  the  first  of  September  next.  A  reso- 
lution was  also  passed  requesting  the  press  not  to 
publish  the  evidence  in  the  case.  The  case  was 
then  withdrawn. 

On  the  sixth  of  June  an  important  meeting  was  ' 
held  in  Carson  City,  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
initiatory  steps  to  organize  a  Territorial  govern- 
ment. At  this  meeting  A.  J.  Haramack  was  ap- 
pointed Chairman,  and  J.  K.  Trumbo,  Clerk.  The 
following  resolutions  were  adopted: — 

Resoloed,  That  a  convention  of  the  people  of  the 
Territory  of  Nevada  be  called  to  assemble  in 
Genoa  on  the  eighteenth  of  July  ensuing,  to  consider 
the  public  safety. 

Kesohed,  That  an  election  for  delegates  to  said 
convention  be  held  throughout  the  Territory  on  the 
second  of  July  ensuing. 

The  convention  was  held  as  ordered,  the  proceed- 
ings of  which  are  published  elsewhere  in  this  History. 

The  thirteenth  of  June  was  celebrated  in  Carson 
by  a  well-attended  ball,  as  the  birthday  of  Mr. 
Charley  Stebbins,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
valley  and  a  very  popular  member  of  socictj'. 

Among  the  pioneers  first  to  obey  the  impulse  of 
the  mining  excitement  was  Dr.  O.  H.  Pierson,  then 
of  Marj'sville,  California,  who,  ten  j'cars  before,  had 
felt  the  same  thrill  of  adventure  while  practicing 
his  profosMion  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  joined  the 
throng  that  went  seeking  the  golden  placers  of  the 
Pacific  Coast.     Ho  writes,  twenty-one  years  after: — 

In  June  1  came  here;  with  pioneer  wagon  drove 
through  Washoe  Valley  seeking  a  new  home,  and 
after  visiting  the  then  houseless  and  lonely  rough 
spot  now  known  as  Virginia  City  came  to  Kagle 
Valley,  alius  Carson,  and  found  a  valley  of  beautiful 
pasture,  but  only  three  buildings,  one  owned  by  the 
well  remembered  Major  Ormsby,  one  by  the  noble 
Abram  Carry,  who  assisted  so  much  afterwards  in 
im])roving  Carson,  and  one  owned  by  Mr.  Stebbins. 
[Dr.  Pierson's  letter  does  not  agree  with  older 
records,  which  mention  Green's,  Proctor's,  and  .Mus- 
ser's  residences,  Ormsby's,  Stebbins'  and  Curry's 
business  houses  and  the  Gem  Saloon,  besides  sev- 
eral cabins  and  dwellings  either  in  the  town  limits 
or  in  the  immediate  neighborhood.]     I  erected  the 


fourth  building,  the  old  St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  on  the 
corner  of  Carson  and  First  Streets,  and  after  that 
built  twelve  other  houses  of  various  sizes  and  differ- 
ent forms  of  construction,  in  different  i>art8  of  the 
city.  As  by  magic  buildings  were  erected  all  along 
the  main,  or  Carson  Street,  and  on  the  cross^streets. 

Less  than  a  year  has  jtassed  since  the  survey  of 
the  town  plot,  and  in  the  fortunes  and  prospectB 
of  the  pioneers  changes  have  been  made  as  vividly 
romantic  and  interesting  as  ever  conceived  in  the 
brain  of  the  novelist.  The  discovery  of  mines  has 
been  made  whose  wealth  startled  the  world,  and 
brought  to  this  quiet  eastern  slope  a  rushing,  ex- 
cited mass  of  humanity.  Carson  City  becomes  a 
city  in  reality.  Hotels,  saloons,  stores,  a  brewery 
and  other  places  of  business  are  opened.  The  en- 
terprising firm  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  establish  an 
express,  and  by  this  means  letters  are  quickly  and 
regularly  sent  to  California  at  twentj'-fivo  cents 
each.  Stages  were  run  tri-weekly  between  Genoa 
and  Gold  Canon,  via  Carson,  Messrs.  Lewis  &  Wylie 
being  the  proprietors. 

So  far  had  progress  been  made  that  on  the  fourth 
of  July,  1859,  a  grand  celebration  of  the  Nation's 
birthday  was  held.  An  oration,  prayers,  and  the 
reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  with 
procession,  the  firing  of  cannon,  feasting,  and  dancing 
in  the  evening  were  the  features  of  the  day.  An 
accident,  resulting  from  the  bursting  of  the  cannon 
used  in  firing  the  salute,  severelj'  injuring  one  of  the 
cannoneers,  marred  the  happiness  of  the  occasion. 

Acts  of  violence  were  quite  common  in  the  town 
and  surrounding  country,  some  quarrelsome  people 
disregarding  settlements  by  arbitration,  and  defying 
the  People's  Court  in  the  absence  of  courts  and  oflS- 
cers  authorized  by  regularly  constituted  govern- 
ments. A  correspondent  of  the  Plaeervillo  Observer, 
writing  from  Carson  City  under  date  of  June  2G, 
1859,  says: — 

Such  things  as  cutting  and  shooting  are  of  too 
frequent  occurrence  here,  and  a  stop  should  be  ])Ut 
to  them.  Offenders  ought  to  be  placed  in  confine- 
ment until  we  shall  have  courts  legally  organized. 
It  is  true  some  time  may  elapse  before  we  are  blessed 
with  such  institutions,  but  criminals  are  the  j)ersons 
who  should  suffer  for  this  delay.  Thej- ought  to  be 
kept  even  for  forty  years,  and  if  they  survive  the 
present  generation  of  men  and  still  no  courts  are 
organizoil,  wo  should  hand  them  down  prisoners  to 
posterity. 

August  13th,  the  telegraph  wires  were  stretched  to 
Carson  and  an  office  opened.  This  was  an  institution 
at  that  time  (|uito  uncommon  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and 
the  erection  of  a  single  line  of  wire  to  any  town  was 
regarded  as  an  important  event.  An  extract  from 
the  Terrilorial  Enterprise  of  September  17,  1859,  says 
of  Carson  City: — 

All  is  life,  bustle  and  activity  at  this  growing 
place.  Major  Ormsby  is  building  an  ailobe  house 
45x50  feet,  and  two  stories  high.  Ho  intends  it  for 
a  residence  and  [)laco  of  business.  There  is  a  hotel 
in  progress  of  construction  by  Sears  &  Co.,  100x50 
feet.     Rice  &  Co.,  have  a  large  saloon  adjoining  their 


554 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


hotel  nearly  completed.  Mr.  f'nrry  has  commenced 
a  building  also  intended  for  a  saloon.  There  are 
also  many  other  buildintrs  in  course  of  construction 
intended  tor  stores  and  ])rivate  dwellings.  The  scarc- 
ity of  lumber  is  a  great  drawback  to  our  prosperity; 
J.  K.  Trumbo  disposes  of  his  lumber  weeks  in  ad- 
vance. Thomas  Knott  is  building  a  saw  mill  in 
Jack's  Valley.  A  company  from  Forest  City,  Cali- 
fornia, is  about  building  a  mill  in  Eagle  Valley  and 
ere  long  all  demands  for  lumber  will  be  supplied." 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  September,  five  teams 
from  the  new  mines  of  Virginia  Citj'  passed  through 
Carson  en  route  to  California,  loaded  with  silver  ore. 
This  was  a  palpable  evidence  of  the  wealth  of  the 
mines;  offering  a  future  resource  of  business  in  trans- 
portation, from  which  Carson  City  would  greatly 
profit.  As  a  consequence,  it  created  a  sensation. 
The  rich  and  mysterious  ore  would  all  be  sent  to 
San  Francisco,  and  probably  Europe,  for  reduction, 
as  it  was  not  generally  believed  that  skill  and  means 
for  beneficiating  them  could  be  had  in  that  wild 
region.  Now  it  was  first  becoming  known  that  the 
mines  were  really  valuable  for  silver  ore,  and  this  is 
the  first  mention  made  of  anj-  quantity  of  that 
metal  being  found.  Now  everybodj-  began  looking 
for  silver. 

On  the  fifth  of  October,  Messrs.  E.  Dearborne,  II. 
E.  Bond  and  John  A.  Talbott  arrived  at  Carson  from 
the  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Mono  Lake,  and  re- 
ported finding  rich  silver  veins  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Carson  River,  and  man}-  went  out  to  locate 
claims,  thus  originating  Sullivan's  District.  From 
this  date  silver  predominates  in  the  reports. 

November  5th,  is  an  important  day  in  the  history  of 
Carson  City,  as  on  that  day  the  Territorial  Enierprise 
was  transferred  there  from  Genoa,  indicating  the 
growth  of  the  new  town,  and  giving  it  precedence 
as  the  place  of  first  importance  in  the  Territory. 

Numerous  stage  and  express  lines  are  now  appear- 
ing. George  McCarter  established  a  transmountain 
express  September  Ist.  John  A.  Thomjison  ct  Co.  es- 
tablished a  tri-weekly  stage  and  express  from  Car- 
son City  to  Placerville,  commencing  Novetnber  2, 
having  purchased  the  line  of  Brady  &  Sunderland, 
who  had  failed  in  their  contract  of  carrying  the 
overland  mail.  Saunders  k  Co.  established  an  ex- 
press, commencing  on  the  ninth  of  the  same  month. 

The  nineteenth  of  November  is  darkened  b}'  the 
tradegy  of  John  L.  Blackburn,  Deputy  Marshal  of 
western  Utah,  and  engaged  b}'  the  citizens  of  Car- 
son as  watchman,  killing  James  N.  Stevenson.  For 
this  Blackburn  was  arrested  and  tried  for  murder. 
The  Territorial  En'er/rrine  of  December  3d,  reported 
bis  acquittal,  it  having  been  proven  that  he  acted  in 
self-defense,  and  that  Stevenson  was  a  malicious  and 
desperate  man.  Tragical  events  of  this  character 
resulted  greatly  to  the  prejudice  of  the  young  com- 
munity on  the  eastern  8lo])e,  and  have  been  much 
commented  on  and  exaggerated,  but  order  was  gen- 
erally bettor  maintained  than  is  usual  in  ui  organ- 
ized society  on  the  frontiers.     Blackburn  h;  c|  pre- 


viously been  a  resident  of  Dutch  Fiat,  in  (California, 
where  he  held  the  reputation  of  a  quiet  and  peace- 
able citizen,  and  in  his  new  home  was  honored  with 
high  otfice;  but  he  was  subsequently  regarded  as  a 
desperate  and  fighting  man.  and  at  last  fell  by  the 
hand  of  an  assassin,  being  murdered  by  Wm.  .May- 
field,  in  November.  ISCl.  for  whose  arrest  a  reward 
of  81,000  was  offered  by  the  State. 

A  second  winter  was  then  approaching,  finding  the 
people  poorly  prepared  to  meet  it.  There  had  been 
a  great  increase  of  population,  many  arriving  late 
in  the  season,  both  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and 
many  thousand  head  of  stock  were  scattered  in  the 
valleys.  Eoads  had  been  constructed  over  the  Sierra 
with  the  expectation  that  they  would  be  traversable 
continuously,  and  no  apprehensions  of  want  were 
entertained.  Quoting  further  from  Dr.  Pierson's 
reminiscences;  he  says: — 

Who  does  not  remember  the  winter  of  1859,  when 
the  snow  fell  on  the  night  of  the  seventh  of  Novem- 
ber two  feet  on  a  level,  and  remained  until  the  ensu- 
ing March,  and  the  inhabitants  living  on  the  scanty 
supplies  that  were  then  in  the  vallej',  for  it  was 
impossible  to  get  provisions  from  over  the  mountains. 
I  paid  twenty-five  dollars  to  a  man  to  go  with  three 
j^oke  of  oxen  up  to  the  first  mountain  to  bring  in 
half  a  cord  of  wood,  and  on  one  occasion  went  on 
horseback  to  Jack's  Vallej',  cleared  oft' the  snow  and 
dug  up  two  sacks  of  onions  and  three  sacks  of  cab- 
bages, paid  an  enormous  price,  had  them  hauled  up 
and  used  them  for  the  guests  of  the  St.  Nicholas, 
showing  how  scarce  vegetables  were.  Barley  was 
one  dollar  a  pound,  hay  two  hundred  dollars  a  ton, 
charges  for  keeping  a  horse,'to  stabling,  haj-  and  grain 
seven  dollars  a  night,  day  board,  two  meals  a  day, 
eighteen  dollars  a  week.  And  now,  1880,  how 
changed.  On  nearlj-  every  street  through  which  I 
pass  I  find  new  buildings,  I  see  trees  in  everj-  j-ard, 
the  first  ones  of  the  kind  I  having  set  out  in  that 
same  summer  of  '59. 

At  intervals  during  the  winter,  the  roads  crossing 
the  mountains  were  opened,  and  trains  of  pack- 
mules  carried  over  8U])plies,  but  it  was  late  in  the 
spring  before  business  was  fully  resumed. 

During  this  winter,  Mr.  John  A.  Thompson,  who 
had  previously  established  a  stage  line,  rendered 
great  service  by  carrying  the  mail  across  the 
mountains,  going  over  the  deep  enow  on  snow-shoes, 
by  which  act  he  gained  much  credit  and  notoriety, 
earning  the  sobriquet  of  "  Snow-shoe  Thompson." 
A  sketch  of  him.  and  of  his  perilous  feats  are  given 
elsewhere. 

The  Enterprise  had  repeatedly  called  upon  scien- 
tists of  metallurgical  experience,  to  establish  an 
assay  office  in  Carson,  pointing  out  its  opportunity 
for  business  and  the  necessity  to  minors.  Early  in 
the  spring  of  1860  this  requirement  was  filled  by 
Prof  Louis  Lanszwcert,  which  gave  an  impetus  to 
prospecting,  and  many  of  the  since  celebrated  mines 
first  had  their  value  told  at  this  office. 

Among  other  enterprises  called  for  was  that  of  an 
accurately  surveyed  race-course  near  town,  and  this 
was  accomplished  in  April,  1860,  over  which  many 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


555 


trials  of  speed  have  been  made,  and  over  which  some 
prominent  politicians  have  presided. 

The  Cai-pon  City  Water  Company,  for  the  purpose 
of  supplying  the  citizens  with  water  for  domestic 
and  other  purposes,  was  organized  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  February.  ISfiO,  and  the  following  officers 
were  elected:  Wellington  Stewart,  President;  Thos. 
J.  Moore,  Superintendent;  John  Leach,  Secretary; 
and  Wm.  DeKa^-,  Treasurer. 

The  past  year  had  been  one  of  continued  prosper- 
ity, notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  winter. 
Carson  City  was  now  the  acknowledged  center  of 
business,  and  most  important  town  in  western  Utah. 
Here  people  gathered,  and  built,  and  speculated  in 
city  lots,  thinking  its  eligible  site,  its  abundance  of 
pure  water,  its  fertile  soil,  so  favorable  for  gardens 
and  comfortable  homes,  and  its  many  other  advan- 
tages so  perceptible  to  the  eye,  would  secure  to  it  a 
permanent  precedence.  The  barren  and  wind-driven 
mountain-slope,  where  the  silver  mines  were  found, 
was  regarded  as  so  inhospitable  as  to  forbid  its  selec- 
tion for  homes  or  places  of  business  to  any  great 
extent,  and  it  was  at  tliis  time  neglected  for  the 
pleasanter  valley.  But  it  was  soon  found  that  busi- 
ness centered  close  to  where  the  miners  delved, 
whether  in  deep  canon  or  on  a  rocky  peak,  and  the 
fair  Carson  was  surpassed  in  the  race. 

In  May  a  temporary  pause  was  given  to  progress, 
a  most  disastrous  Indian  war  occurring,  in  which 
several  of  the  most  prominent  and  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  Carson  lost  their  lives,  and  causing  a  panic 
that  sent  many  families  to  safer  quarter,^  in  Califor- 
nia. This  was  the  war  with  the  Pah-Utcs,  resulting  in 
the  battles  near  Pyramid  Lake,  to  which  a  chapter 
is  devoted  in  this  history. 

At  this  date  the  following  were  among  the  princi- 
pal business  men  and  professionals  of  Carson  City 
as  shown  by  their  advertisements  in  the  Terriforiaf 
.^jt^er/jrtse,  published  bj-  Col.  Jonathan  Williams  and 
Wm.  L.  Jornegan,  Attorneys-at-law,  J.  J.  Musser, 
Frank  M.  Proctor,  William  S.  Spear,  1{.  M.Anderson, 
W.  F.  Anderson,  John  C.  James,  Charles  H.  Bryan, 
W.  Stewart.  D  B.  Milne,  Gavin  1)  Hall  and  Kirkpat- 
rick  &  Baldwin.  Dr.  Anton  W.  Tjader,  and  Dr. 
Moore  were  resident  physicians  and  Dr.  S.  F.  Child 
practiced  dentistry.  P.  C.  Rector,  John  Day  and 
S.  H.  Marlette  were  surveyors  and  engineers.  Thomas 
Knott  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  by  commission  of 
Governor  Cummings,  of  Utah.  Parker  II.  Pierce 
sold  shingles  and  shakes.  Mrs.  C.  C.  Williamson 
advertised  machine  sewing.  P.  II.  Lovoll  was  tele- 
graph operator  and  agent  for  the  Pony  Express 
which  advertised  to  take  letters  t'rom  San  Francisco 
to  New  York  in  twelve  da5-s.  and  to  transmit  tele- 
graphic dispatehesin  eight  (lays.  Loiters  wore  carried 
through  for  five  dollars  every  half  ounce,  and  tele- 
gra])hic  matters  from  Carson  (Jity  to  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, at  two  dollars  an<i  forty-five  cents  for  each  ilis- 
patcb,  adding  the  telegraphic  charges.  Lewis  &  Rico 
cried"  Ho!  For  the  Diggings,"  as  thoy  sent  oft' their 


•'Pioneer  "  stages  with  six  horses  each  twice  a  day  to 
Virginia  City.     Wells.  Fargo  &  Co.,  and  S.  W.  Lang- 
ton,   advertised   their   express  business.       AdolphuB 
Waitz  kept  the  Carson  City  Hotel.    Siege's  Hotel  and 
Restaurant  was  under  the  proprietorship  of  Richard 
Siege.     L.   Arpin,  V.  Bick  &  Co.,  conducted  the  St. 
Charles  Hotel,  (leorge    Lewis  was  proprietor  of  the 
Magnolia  Saloon.  J.  &  W.  Pearson  made  beer,  ginger 
wine,  bitters,  syrups,  etc.,  at  the  Pioneer  Brewery,  on 
Carson  Street,  and  J.    Barenkamp  &  Co.,  on    King 
Street  sold  all   kinds  of  liquors,  wines,  etc.     A  Lin- 
dauer&  Co.,  advertised  new  store  and  new  goods.     0_ 
II.  P.   White  &  Co.,  in   connection  with   Landeckor, 
were    merchants    and    forwarders.      John    C.    Falli 
William  P.  Harrington,  Jr.,  and  S  Buckingham  had  a 
general  merchandise  store  and  also  a  banking  busi- 
ness.   Col.  J.  B.  Starr,  late  of  Sacramento,  and  Van 
Winkle  &  Co.,    were  auctioneers,   and   Louis    Lans- 
zweert    was    assayer.      Gen.    Thomas  H.  Williams 
and  W.  II.  Clow,  advertised  that  they  owned  a  one- 
half  section  of  land  north  of  Nicholas    Ambrosia's 
ranch,  known  as  "  Dutch  Nick's,"  and  warned  people 
off  from  it.     Much  of  the  advertising  in  the  papers 
of  that  period  are  from  Placerville  and  other  points. 
Some  of  these  advertisers  are   still  residents  of  Car- 
son, some  living  in  various   parts  of  the  world,  and 
others  have  closed  their  life's  history.     The  list  does 
not  comprise  all  who  were  engaged  in  business  at 
that  time,  only  those  who  handed  their  names  down 
in  the  pioneer  newspaper  of  the  city  and  Territory. 
Major  W.  M.  Ormsby,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  at 
Pyramid   Lake,   was  engaged  largely   in    business; 
Henry  Meredith,  a  young  lawyer  recently  from  Cal- 
ifornia, the   same;  Kugene  Angel,  a  lawyer  bj'  pro- 
fession,   but  then    surveying    and    dealing    in    real 
estate  at  Carson,  also  a  victim  of  the  war;  Dr.  Munck- 
ton,  druggist;    H.  S.  Phillips,  groceries    and  real  es- 
tate; O.    H.    Pierson,  hotel,   succeeded    by   Scott  & 
Vantine;  II.  Remington,  carpenter;  H.  Muller  kept 
a  restaurant  ami   .1.  Muller  was  barber.     .Fohn  Wag- 
nerstarlcd  the  first  brewery.   Others  of  the  pioneers 
have  been    mentioned     in    different   parts    of    this 
history.     Among    those  who  claim  pioneership  not 
prcviouslj-  mentioned  are  J.  (,|.  Moore,  who  built  the 
first  theater  in  1861;  George  and  Daniel  Kitsmeyer, 
saddler  and  harness   makers   and   furniture  dealers; 
.1.  II.  Kinkead,  merchant,  now  Governor  of  the. Stale; 
A.  B.  Driosbach,  merchant;  Jacob   Klein,  merchant; 
John  Kosser,  butcher,  now  ]iroprielor  of  the  Ormsby 
House;  .lames   Dufl'^-,  acid   works;  Thomas  Millard, 
tailor;  J.  M.  Benton,  livery  stable;  Wm.  Littlefield, 
merchant;  Geo.  T.  Davis,  groceries;  Chas.  Mann  and 
Jos.  Plat,  clothing;  George  Tuffl}-,  hotel,  now  banker; 
,1.  (i.  Torrej'son,  carriage  maker;  Joseph  and  George 
Cowan,   painting;  Augustus    Lewis,    carpenter;   Ed. 
Sweeney,    water-works;     Alfred    Helm.    Parker   & 
Moore,  saloon  and  theater;   Ilenr^-   Martin,  teaming; 
U.  S.    Mason,    grocer;     Kaiser   A    KIrod,  hay  yard; 
Samuel    Wright,    undertaker;    A.   D.  Troadway,  M. 
W.    Little,  .Mr.  Phillips,  .Mr.  Woods  and  Mr.   Winny 


556 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


farmers;  Col.  A.  C.  Ellis,  lawyer;  Win.  Pierson,  mer- 
chant; 0.  P.  Willis,  druggist;  Matt.  Riiikel,  butcher, 
H.  F.  Rice,  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co"8.  agent. 

For  several  month.s  following  the  massacre  of  Pyr- 
amid Lake  the  fright  continued,  and  little  advance 
was  made,  but  thelndians  having  been  subdued,  and 
the  people  becoming  convinced  of  the  fact,  resumed 
their  business  and  general  prosperity  ensued.  Dur- 
ing this  period  looal  politics  considerably  agitated  the 
people  of  Carson,  who  were  restive  under  the  rule  of 
Mormon  laws,  and  were  desirous  of  self-government. 
They  had  previously  sent  on  one  of  their  promi- 
nent citizens.  Hon.  John  J.  Musser,  as  Delegate  to 
Congress,  asking  the  creation  of  a  Territor}'.  but 
he  had  been  unable  to  accomplish  the  object. 

In  the  spring  of  1800,  Judge  Cradlcbaugh.  one  of 
the  United  States  District  Judges  for  the  Territory 
of  Utah,  arrived  and  organized  a  court.  This  im- 
proved matters  slightly,  but  as  all  civil  cases  required 
to  be  adjudicated  according  to  the  statutes  of  Utah, 
little  business  was  done.  In  August  an  election  for 
town  officers  was  held,  but  the  laws  being  Mormon, 
great  dissatisfaction  continued.  The  formation  of  a 
new  Territory  was  constantly  urged,  some  advocat 
ing  the  name  of  Washoe,  and  others  the  name  of 
Nevada.  (ircat  was  the  rejoicing  when  it  was 
learned  that  on  the  twentieth  of  March,  1861,  Presi- 
dent Buchanan  had  approved  the  bill  organizing 
the  Territory  of  Nevada.  Shoi-tly  afterwards  James 
VV.  Nye  was  appointed  Governor  by  President  Lin- 
coln, and  in  July,  in  company  with  most  of  the  Fed 
eral  appointees,  arrived  in  the  Territory,  and  on  the 
eleventh  issued  his  proclamation  of  the  organization  of 
the  government,  selecting  Carson  City  as  the  capital. 
A  census  of  the  people  having  been  made  as  required 
in  the  Organic  Act,  an  election  ibr  choosing  a  Dele- 
gate to  Congress  and  members  of  tlie  Legislature 
was  ordered  to  be  held  on  August  31st.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Legislature  chosen  at  this  election,  met  at 
Carson  City  October  1,  1861.  Wm.  M.  Stewart 
represented  Carson  City  in  the  Senate,  and  John  p. 
Winters  in  the  Assembly.  This  event  was  celebrated 
by  a  ball  given  at  the  house  of  John  D.  Winters, 
which  was  one  of  the  most  notable  affairs  of  the 
kind  occurring  in  the  young  city.  Governors  Nye, 
Roop,  and  numerous  other  distinguished  gentlemen 
were  among  the  guests. 

Carson  City  has  now  become  the  cajMlal  of  the 
Territory,  an  honor  to  which  she  had  aspired,  and  to 
which  her  founders  had  looked  forward  when  survey- 
ing Eagle  Ranch  into  town  lots  and  squares.  The  first 
Legislature  met  at  the  Warm  S|)rings  Hotel,  a  large 
building  recently  erected  and  belonging  lo  Abram 
Curry. 

Among  the  firststatutcs  was  one  apjiroved  Novem- 
ber  28,    ISdl.   giving   to  John   J.  Musser.  Jonathan 
Wild,  Sarah   A.  Blackburn,  and  John  G.  Kelly,  and 
their  associates  the  right  to  lay  water  pi))es  to  sup- 
•  ply  the  town  of  Carson  City. 

November  29th  an  Act  was  approved  creating  the 


Carson  City  Gas  Company,  granting  the  franchise  to 
John  J.  Musser.  George  Lewis  and  associates. 

The  Act  creating  the  County  of  Ormsby  had  been 
approved  on  the  twenty-fifth,  and  on  the  twenty- 
ninth,  Carson  City  was  made  the  county  seat.  This 
is  another  step  of  importance  in  the  historj'  of  the 
town,  it  now  being  countj'  seat  and  capital,  and  on 
the   high   road  to  prosperity. 

The  principal  events  in  the  history  of  Carson  are 
epitomized  in  the  following: — 

February  12,  1865.  The  Nevada  Historical  and 
Scientific  Society  incorporated.  President,  A.  F. 
White;  Vice  President,  W.  F.  B.  Lynch;  Recording 
Si'cretiuy,  C.  L.  Anderson;  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Thomas  Wells;   Treasurer,  W.  B.  Lawlor. 

August  2,  1865.  At  3  a.  .m.  a  fire  broke  out  at  the 
rear  of  "  Squire's  Bowling  Allej'',"  corner  Fourth 
and  Carson  Streets,  spread  to  adjoining  buildings  and 
destroyed,  including  merchandise,  about  §60,000 
worth  of  property.  James  Sanderson,  Samuel  Cohn, 
and  S.  Foulk  were  the  heaviest  losers. 

August  IB,  1865.  At  3:30  a.  m.  a  fire  broke  out  in 
an  unoccupied  building  known  as  the  People's  Mar- 
ket, on  Cai'son  Street,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth, 
directly  opposite  the  scene  of  the  conflagration  of 
the  second  instant.  The  surrounding  buildings  were 
light  frames,  and  the  whole  block  was  swept  awaj-. 
Ijoss,  825,000,  which  was  well  divided  up  among 
man}'  citizens.  This  fire  was  the  work  of  an 
incendiarj'. 

December  26,  1865.  Five  prisoners  escaped  from 
the  penitentiary  just  before  the  breakfast  hour. 
They  had  dug  a  hole  through  the  wall  of  the  dining 
room.  Careless  guarding  was  the  cause.  Their 
names  were  Dade,  Sharner,  Donnelly,  Coolej^  and 
George.    The  latter  was  recaptured  in  the  afternoon. 

December  27,  1865.  The  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury at  Washington  a]ipointed  Abram  (^urry,  Ilenrj' 
F.  Rico  and  .lohn  H.  Mills,  as  Commissioners  to  es- 
tablish a  Mint  at  Carson. 

February  it,  1866.  B.  F.  Small,  Postmaster  at  Car- 
son, received  notice  from  the  Postmaster  General 
that  Carson  had  been  designated  as  a  mone3--or(ler 
office. 

April  18,  1866.  The  Warren  Hose  Company  of 
Car.son  receive  a  S500  hose  carriage  purchased  from 
the  Libertj'  Hose  Company  of  San  Francisco. 

July  17,  1866.  From  (^arson  Appeal :  "  A  glorious 
day  for  ("arson!  The  arrival  of  the  Mint  papers! 
Joj'  and  gunpowder  !  At  an  earl}^  hwur  yesterday 
morning  our  citizens  were  startled  from  their  beds 
by  the  booming  of  cannon  and  the  riTigiiig  of  bells, 
which  demonstrations  were  m;ulc  in  honor  of  the 
arrival  of  a  bigjiackage  ofpa])crs  by  express  marked 
'A.  Curry.  Sn|)crintendeni  of  ( 'onstruclion,  Carson 
Mint."  And.  glorious  to  contemplate,  that  package 
contained  the  long-looked-lbr  plans  and  specifications 
tor  the  Branch  Mint  at  Carson."  A  handsome  in- 
stallment of  the  appropriation  for  the  ilint  was  at 
that  date  in  San  Francisco,  subject  to  the  check  of 
the  Disbursing  Agent. 

July  IS,  1866.  On  this  date  at  8  A.  m.,  ground  was 
broken  for  the  mint.  ,Iohn  H.  Mills  threw  the  first 
shovelful;  II.  V.  Rice  the  next;  Col.  Abe  Currj- the 
third,  and  11.  H.  Mighels  of  the  Ap/>ea/  the  fourth. 
The  lino  of  the  front  porch  was  selected  for  the  cere- 
mony. An  ani|)le  force  of  laborers  then  went  to 
work. 

August  11,  1866.  At  12:30  a.  m.,  a  lire  broke  out 
at  the  rear  of  the  premises  of  Jacob  Beam,  on  Carson 


I 


fl/-^-    Lira's 


RESIDENCES  »'    Miiii^    Cha'S    F.  B  I  CK  N  E  LL  >"•   GeO    C.ThAXTER, 

CARSON,   NEV. 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


557 


Street.     Less,  buildings,  tools,  etc.,  84,630.     An  in- 
cendiary' fire. 

September  24,  1866.  To-daj'  the  Masons  laid  tbe 
corner-stone  of  the  mint.  Fine  day,  brass  band, 
sinfiing,  a  big  crowd.  Senators  Nye  and  Stewart, 
and  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  present.  J. 
C.  Carrie,  G.  M.  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  I^evada,  laid 
the  stone.  Col.  Robert  Taj'lor,  and  Nj'e  and  Stewart 
spoke.  Ceremonies  closed  by  the  singing  of  "  Old 
Hundred." 

The  following  is  a  brief  description  of  the 

CARSON    .MINT. 

Granite  from  the  prison  stone  quarry.  Pict  style 
of  architecture.  Portico,  Ionic.  Hall,  twelve  feel  in 
width;  main  hall  12x40;  on  the  right  of  the  entrance. 
Paying  Teller's  office,  13x16  feet.  Coining  room, 
19x19.  Spiral  staircase  conducts  above.  Whitening 
room.  10xl4J,  with  a  vault  in  solid  masonry  5x6. 
Annealing  furnace  and  rolling  room,  17x24.  Gold 
and  silver  melting  room,  10x24.  Melters  and  re- 
finers' office,  12.k19  feet.  Deposit  molting  room, 
14ixl9.  Deposit  weighing  room,  10x10,  with  a 
strong  vault  6JxlOJ  feet.  Treasurer's  office,  13x16, 
with  a  vault  five  feet  square.  Engine  room,  16Jx53 
feet.  Beside  which  there  is  a  cabinet,  adjusting 
room,  ladies'  dressing  room,  humid  assay  room, 
assayer's  office,  assaycr's  room,  watchman's  room, 
two  store-rooms,  attic,  basement.  As  a  preventive 
against  fire  the  floors  are  double,  with  an  inch  of 
mortar  between.  The  foundations  are  seven  feet 
below  the  basement  floor  and  laid  in  concrete. 
Building  two  and  a  half  stories  high. 

The  machinery  for  the  mint  arrived  November  22, 
1868.  The  mint  has  a  front  of  ninety  feet  on  t'arson 
Street. 

January  23,  1869.  A  bill  was  introduced  in  the 
Ijegisiature  appropriating  8100,00(1  for  a  Capitol 
buiiiiing.     The  local  press  agitates  in  its  favor. 

November  1,  1869.  The  machinery  of  the  mint 
was  put  in  motion  in  the  afternoon. 

January  26,  1870.  The  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Nevada  Orphan's  Home  hold  a  meeting  and  accept 
the  tract  of  land  known  as  the  Perley  and  Lander 
lot,  on  which  to  build  the  Home.  It  has  a  frontage 
of  940  feet  on  Fifth  Street  and  750  feet  on  Stewart 
Street,  and  contains  seventeen  acres.  The  purchase 
money  was  donated  bj'  the  citizens  of  Carson,  the 
chief  movers  being  (ieo.  L.  Gibson,  A.  L.  Treadwaj', 
A.  Curry,  Geo.  Tufly  and  A.  B.  Driesbach.  The 
law  requires  that  the  building  shall  be  constructed 
and  be  ready  for  occupancy  by  October  18,  1870. 

April  14,  1870.  The  State  Capitol  Commissioners 
received  proposals  for  the  erection  of  the  Capitol 
building.  They  were  as  follows:  (ieo.  H.  Hancock, 
Virginia  City,  896,700;  John  C.  Metson,  Gold  Hill, 
$89,000;  Charles  Hanberger  and  John  Hughes,  San 
Francisco,  896,t)00;  S.  F.  Hoole,  Reno,  892,400;  John 
A,  Fiske,  Carson,  8160,000;  Peter  Cavanagh,  Carson, 
884,000.  Contract  awarded  to  Cavanagh  on  con- 
dition that  he  file  a  bond  to  tb"  amount  of  fifty  per 
cent,  of  the  bid.  The  bond  was  filed  on  the  fol- 
lowing da}-;  Cavanagh  to  be  paid  monthly  as 
the  work  ])rogre.ises,  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the 
amount  due.  He  agrees  to  have  the  building  read}' 
for  occupancy  by  December,  1870,  and  finished  by 
January  1,  1871.    Mr.  Gosling  is  appointed  architect. 

April  18,  1870.  Water  pipes  were  laid  across  Car- 
son Street  to  tbe  Capitol  grounds,  aTid  a  load  of 
rock  was  hauled  to  the  same  place. 

April  21,  1870.  (Jround  was  broken  for  the  Capitol 
building.  Firm  ground  was  found  at  three  and  one- 
70 


half  feet.     Tbe  foundations  of  the  exterior  walls  are 
to  be  seven  feet  thick. 

April  23,  1870.  The  Board  of  Orphan's  Home 
Directors  receive  bids  for  the  Orphan's  Home  Build- 
ing as  follows:  B.  H.  Meder,  Carson,  88,500;  S.  F. 
Hoole,  Virginia  City,  89.500;  E.  B.  Hancock,  Gold 
Hill,  87,800;  C.  H.  and  J.  P.  Jones,  Carson,  89.995; 
J.  E.  Metson,  Gold  Hill,  88,350;  E.  Demuelle,  Vir- 
ginia City,  88,500.  Hancock  was  awarded  the 
contract. 

LAYING   THE   CORNER-STONE   OF  THE  CAPITOL,   JUNE 
9,    1870. 

The  procession  consisted  as  follows: — 

Marshal  Triile  and  Aids,  mounted. 

BAND. 

Emmet  Guard,  of  Virginia  Citj',  fift)'  members. 

National  Guard,  of  Virginia  City,  forty  members. 

Eagle  Engine  Company,  of  Virginia  City, 

and  machine. 

Curry  Engine  Company,  of  Carson  City,  and  machine. 

Federal  officers  in  carriages. 

Officers  and  attaches  of  Mint,  in  carriages. 

Liberty  Engine  Companj-,  of  Gold  Hill,  and  machine. 

BAND. 

Warren  Engine  Compaii}',  of  Carson,  and  machine. 

The  contractor  and  builder  of  the  Ca|)itol. 

Capitol  workmen,  fifty-six  men. 

Carriages  with  citizens. 

Seventy-six  members  of  Grand  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Thirty-three  Knight  Templars  mounted  on 

black  horses. 

Two  hundred  Masons  of  the  Grand  and  Blue  Lodges. 

After  a  march  through  town  the  Choral  Society 
opened  ceremonies. 

While  the  procession  was  moving,  Stanton  Post, 
of  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  fired  salutes  with  a 
howitzer. 

Grand  Master  George  Hopkins  laid  the  corner- 
stone, and  Robert  M.  Taylor  delivered  the  address. 

A  brass  box,  deposited  in  the  corner-stone,  con- 
tained a  copy  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  Organic  Act  of 
Nevada  Territory,  etc.,  etc. 

September  10,  1872.     A  84  500  fire  occurred. 

September  19,  1872.  Supt.  H.  F.  Rice  puts  down 
before  the  Mint  building  a  granite  sidewalk,  twelve 
feet  wide  and  180  feet  long.  Gas  is  introduced  into 
the  Ca]iitol  building. 

September  20,  1872.  Peter's  new  flouring  and 
barley  mill  starts  up. 

"  Carson  is  noted  all  over  the  State  as  the  Forest 
City  of  Nevada;  cotton  wood,  being  the  native  to 
the  manor  born,  does  the  best,  but  trees  of  all  kinds 
do  well." — Ajrjieol. 

November  30,  1872.  F"'irst  anniversary  dinner  of 
the  St.  Andrews  Society  of  Carson. 

January  7,  1873.  The  (.irand  Council  of  the  Inde- 
l)ondent  Order  of  Rod  Men  of  Nevada  was  instituted 
this  evening  by  A.  Curry,  V.  G.  I.  The  following 
officer.s  were  elected:  Jonas  Seolj-,  G.  S. ;  H.  J. 
Peters,  S.  S;  C.  N.  Harris,  J.  S.;  A.  Waitz  C.  of  R.; 
J.  B.  Fitch,  K.  of  W.;  A.  Curry  and  E.  Strother,  G. 
R.  Representatives  from  all  the  tribes  in  the  State 
were  present. 

March  1,1873.  An  unusual  Washoe  zephj-r.  The 
highest  wind  ever  known  here.  Several  largo  barns 
blown  over  and  miles  of  fencing. 

July  1,  1873.  F.  D.  Hotrich  became  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Mint  vice  H.  F.  Rice. 

July  31,  1873.  A  big  fire  occurred  at  Camp  18. 
A  825,000  mill,  belonging  to  Bragg,  Folsom  &  Co., 
was  burned,  and  830,000  worth  of  lumber. 


558 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


August  2,  1873.  A  big  fire  occurred  at  the  lumber 
yard  of  Sharon  &  Yerington's  flume,  one  and  one-half 
miles  west  of  town.  About  8,000  cords  of  wood 
were  burned,  worth  seven  dollars  per  cord.  Origin 
of  fire  not  stated.     Insurance,  seventy  per  cent. 

August  17,  1873.  The  Aijjieal  says:  "  The  finances 
of  Ormsby  County  are  in  fine  condition.  The 
county  pays  cash  for  everything,  and  has  been  doing 
so  since  the  last  income  of  taxes. 

August  2.  1874.  The  Glenbrook  planing  mill, 
owned  by  Davis  &  Tha.xter  was  burned  at  2  a.  M.this 
morning.     Loss  S15,000.     Origin  a  mystery. 

August  12, 1874.  At  G  p.  m.  sixteen  men  working  on 
the  new  ditch  at  the  end  of  the  flume  about  two  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  town,  uncoupled  a  car  standing 
on  a  side  track,  and  started  for  town.  The  brake 
would  not  work  and  the  car  came  down  at  terrific 
speed,  and  finally  collided  with  some  freight  cars. 
Peter  McMahon  was  mortally  injured,  and  died  in 
one  hour  and  a  half  E.  L.  Anderson  was  seriously 
injured,  and  all  the  others  more  or  less  hurt. 

"November  10,  1874.  Rice  &  Holmes  water-works 
completed,  west  of  town.  The  reservoir  is  on  Porter 
Warren's  place— old  Camp  Nye— is  capable  of  hold- 
ing 200,000  gallons,  to  be  drawn  from  Taylor's 
springs,  and  other  springs  in  the  vicinity.  The  main 
pipe  enters  the  city  on  Robinson  Street. 

December  29, 1874.  John  Murphy  hanged  at  Carson 
for  murdering  John  McCuUom. 

January  20,  1875.  Great  snow  storm  at  Carson. 
Two  feet  of  snow  on  a  level  falls  in  thirty-six  hours. 
Greatest  storm  since  1861-62. 

February  27,  1875.  Carson  Incorporation  Act 
signed  by  the  Governor.  Also,  bill  to  appropriate 
S25.000  for  the  improvement  of  Capitol  Square. 

October  7,  1875.  Ordinance  passed  creating  Car- 
son fire  department. 

October  30.  1875.  At  5  a.  m.  Carbon  Acid  Works 
burned;  incendiary  fire;  loss  853,000;  insured  for  825,- 
000.  Completest  establishment  ofthe  kind  on  the  coast. 
Produced  sulphuric  acid  and  blue  stone.  Belonged 
to  a  stock  company  of  which  the  principal  men  were 
Adolphus  Waitz,  George  Gillson,  and  Felix  Marzbach. 
These  are  the  second  acid  works  burned  on  that  spot. 
December  17,  1875.  At  an  early  hour  this  morning 
the  body  of  Tom  Burt  was  found  hanging  to  the  cross 
beam  of  the  gate  of  the  graveyard.  Pinned  to  his 
breast  was  a  sheet  of  note  paper,  on  which  was  in- 
scribed with  a  pencil  ''601."  Uo  had  been  taken 
from  the  Curry  Engine  House  during  the  night  by  a 
party  of  disguised  men  and  hanged.  It  was  well 
enough  known  that  he  had  been  connected  with  re- 
cent acts  of  incendiarism.  Uo  was  a  rough  and  va- 
grant, and  had  been  in  the  habit  of  sleeping  in  the 
engine  house.     Had  a  very  bad  record. 

June  6.  1876.  When  a  construction  train  of  the 
Virginia  &  Truckee  Road  was  nearing  the  tunnel  on 
the  divide  between  Ormsby  and  Storey  Counties, 
loaded  with  Chinese  laborers,  it  was  stopped  by 
thirty  or  forty  armed  white  men,  and  compelled  to 
turn  back  to  town.  The  white  men  declared  that 
they  needed  work  for  the  support  of  their  families, 
and  that  the  Chinese  should  not  work. 

The  next  day  a  crowd  of  150  white  men  drove  80 
Chinamen  from  the  wood  camj)  of  Yerington  k  Co., 
and  notified  other  employers  not  to  keep  Chinamen 
more  than  forty -eight  hours.  That  evening  three  of 
the  rioters  were  lodged  in  jail,  and  threats  were  made 
that  the  jail  would  be  mobbed.  Chinatown  quaked 
to  its  foundations,  and  the  war  ended. 

August  !t,  1876.  Mountain  fires  in  the  Clear  Creek 
gulches  and  cafions,  at  Ash  Cafion,  etc.  No  great 
damage  done.     Fine  scene  at  night. 


August  19.  1876.  Cobetot  House  burned.  Loss, 
825.000. 

November2, 1877.  At  7p.  m.,  an  immense  wood-pile 
at  the  flume  south  of  town,  was  discovered  to  be  on 
fire;  9,500  cords  of  wood  burned.  Loss,  847,000. 
Origin  unknown.    Owned  by  the  Flume  Companj^. 

Januarj'  10.  1878.  At  1  a.  m.,  the  old  Frisbie  Cor- 
ner (restaurant  and  saloon)  was  burned.  It  was  the 
first  frame  building  in  Carson,  although  much  en- 
larged and  added  to.  Built  by  Ben.  Green  in  early 
times.  I>.  P.  Frisbie  bought  it  in  1860.  Was  a  bar- 
room, lodging-house  and  eating-house  for  eighteen 
years.     Origin  of  fire  unknown. 

January  19,  1878.  At  1  a.  m.  an  incendiary  fire 
broke  out  in  Chinatown,  and  twenty-two  houses 
were  burned. 

August  6,  1879.  James  McCarthy  was  tied  to  a 
post  in  the  Capitol  grounds,  with  a  placard  of  "  Wife 
Beater,"  adorning  his  person. 

November  25,  1879.  In  the  District  Court,  M.  C. 
Gardner  vs.  Yerington  &  Bliss.  Plaintiff  entered 
into  a  contract  in  the  spring  of  1875,  to  furnish  logs 
to  defendants,  the  latter  to  provide  a  man  to  measure 
the  logs.  Plaintiff  claims  that  by  false  measurement 
he  was  cheated  out  of  8.000,000  cubic  feet  of  lumber, 
worth  830,000.  (Colonel  Ellis  and  Judge  Harris  for 
plaintiff.  Judge  Whitman,  of  Virginia  City,  for  de- 
fendants.) Yerington  k  Bliss  had  previously  loaned 
Gardner  814.700  with  which  to  build  the  railroad 
near  Yanks,  Lake  Tahoe,  and  sought  to  cripple  him 
and  get  the  road.  A  hard,  legal  fight  ensued.  After 
a  second  trial  the  jury  gave  a  verdict  of  84,400  for 
Yerington  k  Bliss.'and  an  offset  of  810,(100  for  (Gard- 
ner for  underscaling.  Gardner  had  hard  work  to 
raise  the  84.400  nceessarj-  to  save  his  road,  but  by 
great  efforts  succeeded,  and  then  sold  the  road  to  a 
rival  lumber  company  for  817,000.  In  various  ways 
the  damage  in  cash  and  business  to  Yerington  & 
Bliss  amounted  to  $100,000. 

In  the  bad  days  of  1861-62,  there  was  a  high- 
toned  mulatto  barber  at  Carson  named  Underwood. 
He  was  partially  educated,  and  affected  to  regard 
full-blooded  negroes  with  unbounded  contempt,  and 
seldom  lost  an  opportunity  to  express  himself  on  the 
subject.  "  Doc,"  a  black  man,  entered  his  shop  one 
evening,  and  a  conversation  between  them  soon 
drifted  into  a  row. 

"  You  niggers  ain't  got  the  sand!  "  Underwood  ex- 
claimed. "Doc  "drew  an  immense  knife;  Under- 
wood fled  out  of  the  shop  and  across  the  street,  but 
"  Doc"  overtook  him  on  the  plaza. 

"Aint'gotthe  sand,  eh?  "  exclaimed  "  Doc  "  re- 
peatedly, each  time  plunging  the  long  blade  into  the 
shrieking  mulatto,  who  soon  fell  dead.  The  murderer 
served  a  term  in  the  penitentiarj'  for  this  offense. 

HON.  CHAS.  F.  BICKNELI., 

Was  born  May  22,  1840,  in  Bath,  Sagadahoc  County, 
Maine.  After  receiving  a  high  school  education  in 
his  native  State,  he  learned  the  trade  of  carriage 
making.  Not  contented  with  the  quiet  life  ho  was 
there  leading,  he  sought  new  fields  for  his  labors, 
and  came  to  California,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  in  I860.  Reaching  San  Francisco  in  due 
time,  he  remained  there  until  May.  1863,  at  which 
time  he  came  to  Nevada,  and  worked  in  the  mines 
fifteen    months.     When    the   excitement    at    White 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COITNTY. 


559 


Pine  broke  out,  he  went  with  the  throng  to  that 
locality,  and  waB  the  first  Deputy  County  Recorder 
of  that  county.  In  1871  he  came  to  Ormsby 
County.  He  was  appointed  Assistant  Secretary  of 
the  Nevada  Senate  in  1869,  and  elected  Secretary 
during  the  sessions  of  1871  and  1873.  In  1874  he 
was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court;  and  was 
reelected  to  the  same  office  in  1878.  In  the  fall  of 
1874  5Ir.  Bicknell  built  his  handsome  residence  on 
Elizabeth  Street,  Carson  (^ity,  a  view  of  which  will 
be  found  in  this  history.  Mr.  Bicknell  is  well  known 
throughout  the  county  in  which  he  resides,  as  well 
as  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State.  He  is  a  court- 
eous gentleman,  and  universally  respected  by  all. 
He  was  married  to  Mrs.  A.  G.  Roberts,  daughter  of 
A.  H.  Davis,  of  Carson  City,  on  the  tenth  of  April, 
1872. 

GEORGE    C.    THAXTER, 

Is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Bangor,  October  14,  1842.  Ho  lived  in  his 
native  city  until  1862,  when,  fired  with  patriotism  for 
his  threatened  country,  he  enlisted  in  the  Eleventh 
Regiment,  Maine  Yolunteor  Infantry,  receiving  the 
appointment  of  hospital  steward.  After  seeing  serv- 
ice in  the  field  as  well  as  the  hospital,  ho  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disability  caused  by  exposure. 
On  coming  out  of  the  army  he  returned  to  his  native 
State  and  entered  the  drug  business  at  Newport, 
Penobscot  County,  where  ho  remained  during  the 
succeeding  five  years.  In  18<)8  he  went  to  Moingona, 
Iowa,  and  for  eighteen  months  was  engaged  in  the 
same  business  and  then  came  to  the  State  of  Nevada, 
and  located  at  Carson  City,  Ormsby  County,  where 
for  nine  years  ho  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 


ness,  being  a  partner  in  the  Glenbrook  Mill  Company. 
In  1878  he  left  the  last-named  business  and  returned 
to  his  first  love,  the  drug  business,  buying  the  estab- 
lishment of  O.  P.  Willis,  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Carson  and  King  Streets,  Carson  City,  where  he 
continues  to  hold  forth  as  one  of  the  leading  drug- 
gists in  the  State,  a  man  thoroiighlj- conversant  with 
the  profession.  He  was  married  to  Miss  M.  Davis, 
of  Newport,  Maine,  December  11, 1864. 

HON.    WM.    M.    GARY 

Was  born  at  Smitbfield,  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  Jan- 
uary :5,  1814.  In  1818  the  familj-  moved  to  Stillwa- 
ter, Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  to  re-commence  life  on 
the  frontier,  their  respectable  fortune  having  been 
swept  awaj-  amid  the  general  depression  that  resulted 
from  the  war  of  1812.  After  one  year  at  that  place 
the  family  moved  to  the  banks  of  the  Sandusky 
River,  where  the  town  of  Bucyrus  now  stands.  In 
1822  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  sent  to  his  grand- 
father, in  Middletown,  Washington  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  ho  attended  a  school  kept  by  the  father 
and  sister  of  the  celebrated  Alexander  Campbell,  the 
founder  of  the  Campbellite  Church.  In  1823  his 
mother  died,  and  ho  lived  with  his  relations  until 
1827,  when  ho  was  a))prenticed  to  a  hatter,  in  his 
native  village.  In  1831  ho  removed  to  Lima,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  coramencod  life  for  himself  In  1834 
he  left  the  latter  ])laoe  and  located  in  Peoria,  Illinois, 
whore  ho  lived  until  the  spring  of  1836.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1836,  ho  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Kirk,  at 
Bucj'rus.  Ohio,  and  soon  after  moved  to  Angola, 
Indiana,  where  a  commission  awaited  him  as  the  first 
Sherift'  of  the  now  countj'  of  Steuben.  lie  remained 
in  Angola  until  the  fifteenth  of  March,  1850,  when  he 
started  for  California,  and  arrived  at  what  is  now 
Placon'ille  on   the  fourth  day    of  August  the  same 


560 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


year.  He  acquired  some  wealth  and  returned  in  Jan- 
nary,  1851,  to  Indiana  for  his  family.  Three  months 
and  seventeen  days  were  occupied  in  his  trip  home, 
he  taking  the  Nicaragua  route.  In  March,  1852,  he 
left  Angola  with  his  family  for  a  second  trip  across 
the  plains  to  California,  and  arrived  at  Placervillc. 
by  a  singular  coincidence,  on  the  fourth  of  August, 
1852,  just  two  years  from  the  date  of  his  first  ar- 
rival. Soon  after  he  commenced  the  hotel  business, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  built  the  Placer 
Hotel,  which  was  burned  in  April,  1856.  One  year 
later   he  built  the   Gary  House,  and  remained  the 


/ff^ 


/h-Jt^^, 


owner  and  usually  the  proprietor  of  this  well-known 
bouse  until  1865,  when  he  sold  the  place  and  came 
to  Carson  Valley,  Nevada,  and  built  a  flouring  mill. 
In  1866  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  of  the  Ne- 
vada Legislature  from  Douglas  Count}'.  In  May, 
1867,  his  wife  died,  and  he  removed  to  Virginia  City 
and  was  Superintendent  of  several  quartz  mills.  In 
1869  he  removed  to  Washoe  City  and  was  married 
to  Mrs.  Eslflle  M.  Clark.  Ho  remained  in  this  place 
until  1874,  when  he  returned  to  his  farm  in  Douglas 
County.  In  1877  he  moved  to  Carson  Citj',  where 
he  now  resides.  He  has  been  twice  elected  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  City  Magistrate,  and  at  present 
holds  the  office.  Mr.  Gary  has  two  sons,  Edwin  R, 
and  \Vm.  H.  H.  Cary,  the  result  of  his  first  marriage, 
and  one  son,  a  lad  of  nine  years,  Eugene  D.,  by  his 
second  marriage.     Mr.  Cary  has  seen  much  of  active 


life,  and  is  a  man  of  unusual  vitality.  He  is  of 
Quaker  origin,  and  his  family  is  noted  for  longevity, 
and  he  bids  fair  to  live  for  many  years. 

J.  H.   MARSHALL 

Was  born  July  26,  a.  d.  1850,  in  Bucyrus,  Crawford 
County,  Ohio.  His  father  was  born  in  the  same 
town,  while  his  mother  was  a  native  of  Xenia,  Ohio. 
During  the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  he  lived  in  his 
native  town,  and  then  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Missouri, 
where  he  attended  the  Webster  School  for  seven 
months.  He  then  moved  with  his  parents  to  Mat- 
toon,  Illinois,  where  he  had  the  benefit  of  one  year's 


^ 


r^ 


schooling,  and  at  the  early  age  of  eleven  years, 
entered  the  mercantile  business,  as  clerk,  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  Mclntyro  &  Ogden,  afterwards  that  of 
J.  M.  Douglas,  where  he  continued  until  the  spring 
of  1864.  The  father  of  Mr.  Marshall  was  Assistant 
Quartermaster  of  the  United  States  Army  stationed 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  whither  young  Marshall  went. 
After  a  short  stay  at  that  place  he  went  to  Bucyrus, 
his  native  town,  and  six  months  later  went  to  Xenia 
and  commenced  a  five-years'  course  of  study  with 
the  intention  of  qualitiyiiig  himself  for  a  lawyer.  A 
few  weeks  later  his  father  was  killed,  and  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  compelled  to  relinquish  his 
pet  object  and  go  to  work,  which  he  did  in  a  mas- 
terly manner.  His  first  move  after  quitting  his  stud- 
ies, was  in  obtaining  a  position  as  clerk  and  book- 
keeper in  a  store  at  Sulphur  Springs,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  until  November,  1867;  thence  to  Junction 
City,  Kansas,  where  he  hold  the  position  of  Assistant 
Postmaster  one  year,  and  changed  to  his  old  pro- 
fession as  book-keeper  in  a  general  merchandise  store 


HISTORY  OF  ORMSBY  COUNTY, 


561 


for  ono  year;  thence  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and 
entered  the  cmplo}'  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  as  Chief  Clerk,  Cashier  and  Ticket  Aj^ent. 
After  this  he  held  positions  on  several  railroads, 
until  1873.  March,  1874,  he  accepted  a  position  as 
book-keeper  with  J.  G.  Fox,  of  Carson  Citj',  Nevada, 
and  came  to  the  latter  place.  He  occupied  that 
position  until  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  of  Ormsby 
County,  in  1876,  on  the  Dolly  Vardon  ticket.  Mr. 
Marshall  has  never  married. 

J.    M.    BENTON, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  being  born  in  Tompkins  County,  July 
19,  1837.  His  parents  were  driven  from  New  York 
City  b}-  the  Tories,  during  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  settled  in  Yates  County.  Benton  Center,  of 
this  last-named  county,  derived  its  name  from  this 
family.  They,  however,  afterwards  removed  to 
Tompkins  County.  In  1856  .Mr.  lienton  started  out 
to  seek  his  fortune,  and  for  about  six  years  traveled 
through  the  Western  States.  In  1862  he  entered  the 
United  States  Army,  as  a  surgeon,  a  position  he 
creditably  filled  for  nineteen  months.  In  the  spring 
of  1864  he  came  across  the  plains  to  Nevada,  and  was 
engaged  in  mining  and  milling  until  1867  when  he 
entered  his  present  line  of  business,  that  of  livery  and 
sale  stable.  A  view  of  his  stable  buildings  accom- 
panies this  sketch.  They  are  situated  on  the  north- 
east corner  of  Carson  and  Third  Streets,  the  site  of 
one  of  the  first  buildings  in  Carson  City.  He  bought 
this  property  in  1867  and  has  built  additions  from 
time  to  time  as  his  increasing  business  demanded, 
and  has  at  present  one  of  the  finest  and  best  arranged 
establishments  in  the  State.  For  the  past  ten  years 
he  has  been  the  proprietor  of  the  stage  line  running 
between  Carson  City  and  Lake  Tahoe,  of  which  the 
celebrated  "  Hank  Monk "  has  been  the  "  whip." 
Mr.  Benton  was  manned  August  28,  1868,  to  Miss 
Mattie  E.  Meder,  daughter  of  Senator  B.  H.  Meder, 
of  Carson  City. 

M.  D.   HATCH, 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the 
Green  Mountain  State,  being  born  in  Williamstown, 
Orange  County,  Vermont,  on  the  nineteenth  of 
August,  1841.  Though  a  native  of  that  State,  his 
recollections  do  not  date  back  to  the  time  he  lived 
there,  for  at  the  early  age  of  two  years  he  went  with 
his  parents  to  Lake  Count}',  Illinois,  where  he 
obtained  a  common-school  education,  and  passed  the 
days  of  his  youth  in  the  garden  State  of  the  West. 
When  he  was  a  mere  boy  his  parents  moved  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  he  accompanied  them  on  the  long  and 
tedious  journey.  This  was  in  the  year  1852.  Arriv- 
ing in  the  land  of  gold  they  settled  in  Nevada  County, 
where  they  remained  until  1867.  During  the  last- 
named  year,  Mr.  Hatch  crossed  the  mountains  and 
located  at  Carson  City,  Ormsby  County,  Nevada, 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  lumber  business, 
hwere,   by    strict    application    to    his   business,  he 


acquired  a  competence,  and  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness life.  A  man  of  sound  judgment  and  sterling 
integrity,  the  partiality  of  his  fellow-townsmen  did 
not  allow  him  to  remain  a  private  citizen  among 
them,  and  he  was  induced  to  accept  the  nomination 
as  County  Clerk,  to  which  office  he  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority  in  1880,  and  without  doubt  will 
bo  able  to  exhibit  as  clean  a  record  at  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  as  his  predecessors  have  done. 
He  was  married  October  20,  1869,  to  Miss  Bertie  A. 
Davis,  of  Glenbrook,  Nevada, 

MATHIAS  BINCKEL  (DECEASED) 

Was  a  native  of  the  old  world  and  was  born  in  the 
year  1833.  Coming  when  a  mere  babe  to  America, 
with  his  parents,  his  early  recollections  did  not  date 
back  to  his  native  land.  His  people  settled  in  the 
city  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  our  subject  passed 
the  days  of  childhood  and  early  youth  until  ho  was 
about  nineteen  years  of  age;  being  a  man  every  way, 
except  in  years,  he  started  out  at  this  age  to  seek  his 
fortune. 

In  1852  he  went  to  California  and  after  eight  years' 
stay  in  there  he  came  over  the  mountains  to  Virginia 
City,  During  the  next  three  years  he  made  the  trip 
between  California  and  Nevada  several  times,  and 
located  permanently  in  Carson  City,  Ormsby  County, 
in  1863,  where  he  carried  on  the  meat  business  for 
many  years,  and  by  strict  application  to  business 
accumulated  a  comfortable  fortune.  In  1876  he 
erected  the  palatial  residence,  corner  of  King  and 
Curry  Streets,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city,  where  his 
family  now  reside,  Mr.  Rinckol,  departed  this  life 
October  6,  1879.  Ho  was  well  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  State,  and  his  death  was  a  calamity  to 


562 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


the  town  in  which  he  lived.  Miiny  m<>nuinenU<  of  hi^ 
untiring  energy  are  still  visible  in  Carson,  in  the  shape 
of  fine  buildings.  He  was  married  to  Miss  M.  E. 
Coftej-,  at  Carson  City,  on  the  sixteenth  of  Sep- 
tember. 1865,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  six 
children,  four  girls  and  two  boj-s,  all  of  whom  are 
living.  A  view  of  their  home  and  one  of  the  many 
business  properties  owned  by  them  may  be  seen  else- 
where in  this  work. 

DUNCAN  .m'rae. 
The  subject  referred  to  in  this  sketch,  is  a  native  of 
Canada,  and  first  beheld  Ihe  light  of  day  in  the 
Province  of  Ontario,  on  the  seventeenth  day  oi' 
March,  1840.  His  education  was  obtained  on  Cana- 
dian soil,  and  for  some  years  after  arriving  at  man- 
hood's estate,  was  employed  as  foreman  of  a  large 
lumber  3'ard  in  his  native  town.  In  1870  he  emi- 
grated to  Nevada,  and  located  at  ('arson  Cit^-. 
Ormsby  County.  His  old  business  still  clung  to 
him.  and  soon  after  his  arrival  ir\  the  land  of  silver, 
we  find  him  an  extensive  contractor  for  the  cutting 
of  large  amounts  of  wood  for  different  companies. 
His  early  training  combined  with  a  clear  well-bal- 
anced head,  soon  placed  him  in  advance  of  his  com- 
petitors, and  he  has,  beyond  a  doubt,  handled  more 
wood  during  the  past  few  years  than  any  man  in  the 
State  of  Nevada.  Mr.  .McKao  now  ompioj-s  a  large 
force  of  men,  numbering  about  125,  and  over  100 
horses  and  mules,  in  the  delivery  of  400  cords  of  wood 
daily  at  Lakeview.  The  wood  is  cut  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains  and  placed  in  a  V  flume  and  thus 
transported  bj'  water  to  a  point  nine  miles  below. 
The  wood  is  owned  by  the  Sierra  Nevada  Wood 
and  Lumber  Company,  and  is  used  principally  by 
the  Bonanza  Firm  in  working  their  mines  on  the 
Comstock.  A  view  of  McRae's  wood-camp  and  por- 
trait of  himself  may  be  seen  amongst  the  illustra- 
tions of  this  work. 

HARRISON    SHRIEVES 

Was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio,  November  16,  184G, 
where  he  spent  his  boyhood,  i-oceiving  such  advan- 
tages in  education  as  wore  afforded  by  the  schools  of 
his  native  town.  Fired  bj^  the  prevailing  patriotic 
feeling  he  left  school  when  ho  was  sixteen  and 
enlisted  in  the  three-months  service  under  Captain 
Henley,  and  went  to  Camp  Chaso,  Columbus,  Ohio, 
in  the  latter  part  of  1862.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
three-months'  term  ho  re-cnlistod  in  the  Tenth  Ohio 
Cavalry.  On  the  reorganization  of  his  company  he 
was  made  Sergeant,  and  was  afterward  promoted  to 
First  or  Orderly  Sergeant. 

Ho  partici])atod  in  all  the  active  service  of  that 
Regiment,  down  to  the  time  of  the  famous  march 
through  Georgia,  whore  in  a  charge  on  the  enem}- 
at  a  place  called  Bear  Creek  ho  received  a  wound 
which  necessitated  his  being  carried  in  an  ambulance 
the  rest  of  the  way  to  thc.'<ea.  Tho  charge  was  con- 
sidered a  brilliant  affair,  and  ho  received  the  approba- 
tion of  his  officers  for  the  daring  displayed  in  le  iding 
tho  way  and  enthusing  his  company  with  his  own 


spirit.  VVp  can  hardly  conceive  a  more  disagreeable 
position  than  to  hear  the  thunder  of  the  guns  and 
see  the  triumphs  of  the  Union  cause  in  that 
famous  '•  march  to  the  sea,"  without  being  able  to 
participate  in  the  brilliant  achievements.  On  his 
arrival  at  Savannah  he  received  a  furlough,  and 
visited  his  home  in  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until 
able  to  report  for  dut}',  when  he  rejoined  his  regiment 
in  1865,  which  was,  however,  soon  disbanded.  His 
career,  short  as  it  was,  was  long  enough  to  stamp  his 
character  with  the  soldierly  qualities  of  bravery  and 
endurance. 

In  1866  he  went  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he 
engaged  in  merchandising.  While  there  he  was  ap- 
pointed Cashier  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  which 
position  he  was  obliged  to  resign  on  account  of  his 
failing  health,  which  had  been  much  impaired  In-  the 
necessarj'  hardships  to  be  endured,  as  well  as  the  se- 
vere wounds  ho  received.  He  turned  his  steps  towards 
California,  the  land  supposed,  above  all  others,  to  be 
best  fitted  to  restore  impaired  health.  Soon  after 
reaching  California  he  was  appointed  conductor  on 
one  of  the  trains  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Lou  C.  Tufly,  February  21, 
1871.  Their  dreams  of  domestic  happiness  were, 
however,  rudely  broken  by  his  untimely  death,  which 
occured  March  11,  1874.  The  hardships  of  camp 
life  on  his  boyish  frame,  together  with  the  severe 
wound,  cut  short  a  promising  career  and  swelled  by 
a  unit  the  number  of  victims  of  the  great  Rebellion 
and  the  price  of  establishing  a  free  government. 

The  widow  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  resides  in 
what  is  called  the  Governor's  house,  or  the  Nye  Man- 
sion, which  was  occupied  bj-  that  famous  man  during 
the  Territorial  existence  of  Nevada.  It  ])assed  into 
her  possession  June  15,  1880.  A  sketch  of  it  will  be 
found  on  another  page. 

EMPIRE   CITY. 

Throe  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Eagle  Ranch, 
now  Carson  City,  tho  overland  emigrant  and  stage 
road  struck  the  bank  of  the  Carson  River,  and  there 
Nicholas  Ambrosia  located  a  ranch  and  kept  a 
station,  his  claim  being  recorded  March  24,  1855. 
This  station  became  known  as  "  Dutch  Nick's," 
which  name  it  bore  long  after  the  locality  had  been 
8urvej-ed  into  lots  and  streets,  and  was  officially 
known  as  Empire  City.  Tho  town  site  was  laid  out 
in  March,  1860,  by  Eugene  Angel  and  other  survey- 
ors, and  tho  name  it  now  boars  given  it. 

Tho  fine  water-power  hero  afforded  by  tho  river, 
and  its  convenient  access  to  the  mines  of  the  Com- 
stock Lodge,  were  tho  inducements  for  making  a 
town.  Several  largo  quartz  mills  were  built,  as  has 
been  mentioned  in  the  historj-  of  Ormsby  County, 
and  tho  town  has  always  been  busy  and  prosperous. 
Within  tho  town  aro  the  Mexican  and  Morgan  Mills, 
and  others  in  the  vicinity.  Two  miles  below  is  tho 
Brunswick  Mill  which,  when  in  operation,  employs 
200  mon. 

At  Empire  is  tho  depot  of  the  wood  business  of 


HISTORY  OF  ROOP  COUNTY. 


.563 


the  Carson  River;  the  many  thousand  cords  of  fire- 
wood, mining  timber  and  other  classes  of  lumber 
floated  down  that  stream  are  here  caiicht  in  booms, 
landed  and  transferred  to  the  oars  of  the  Virginia 
and  Truckee  Railroad  which  passes  through  the 
place,  and  borne  to  their  destination.  Fifty  thou- 
sand cords  of  wood  were  thus  brought  to  market  in 
1880. 

Among  the  places  of  business  are  four  saloons  and 
one  large  store.     The  present  population  is  150. 


CHAPTER    LII. 
HISTORY  OF  ROOP  COUNTY. 

Creation  aud  Boundaries — Appointmen's  and  Hections^ At- 
tempted Organization — Topographical  Features — The  Prin- 
cipal Valleys. 

One  of  the  errors  fallen  into  when  the  Territory- 
of  Xevada  was  organized,  in  consequence  of  the  un- 
certainty of  the  eastern  boundary  line  of  the  State 
of  California,  was  the  assumption  that  the  fertile  and 
well  populated  region  of  Honey  Lake  Valley  lay- 
within  the  limits  of  the  Territory.  It  had  always 
taken  a  jirominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  western 
Utah,  was  the  home  of  Hon.  Isaac  Roop,  Governor 
under  the  preliminary  Territorial  organization  of  1859 
and  18(50,  and  when  Governor  Nye  called  an  election 
for  members  of  the  first  Legislature  it  was  made  the 
Ninth  Council  District,  and  apportioned  one  Council- 
man and  one  Representative.  The  election  was  held 
August  31,  1801,  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Isaac 
Roop  for  the  Council  and  John  C.  Wright  for  the 
House  of  Representatives. 

The  Legislature  divided  the  Territorj-  into  nine 
counties,  November  25.  18G1,  among  which  was  the 
county  of  Lake,  embracing  this  region,  with  bounda- 
ries as  follows: — 

Beginnning  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Washoe 
Count}-,  and  running  easterl}-  along  the  northern 
boundarj-  of  said  county  to  the  mouth  of  Truckee 
River;  thence  due  east  to  the  summit  of  the  first 
range  of  mountains  east  of  said  river;  thence  in  a 
northerly  direction  along  said  range,  and  the  main 
granite  range  of  mountains,  to  the  Oregon  line; 
thence  west  along  said  line  to  the  summit  of  the 
Sierra:  thence  south  along  said  summit  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

Bj-  the  Act  of  November  29,1861,  the  county  seat 
was  declared  to  be  at  such  a  point  as  should  be  de- 
cided by  the  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  said 
county,  at  the  first  election  to  be  held  therein.  By 
the  same  Act  Storey,  Washoe  and  Fjake  Counties 
were  erected  into  the  First  Judicial  District,  to  which 
Hon.  Gordon  N.  Mott,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  was 
assigned  as  Judge. 

APPOINTJIENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

At  a  Joint  session  of  the  Legislature,  hold  Novem- 
ber 27,  1801,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  Commis- 
sioners to  organize  the  various  counties,  and  super- 


vise the  election  to  be  held  January  14,  1862, 
William  Wetherlow,  William  H,  Naileigh  and  Daniel 
Murraj-  were  chosen  for  Lake  Count}-.  These  gen- 
tlemen did  not  provide  for  the  election  as  intended, 
and  the  county  was  not  organized  until  a  year  later. 
A  county  election  was  held  September  8,  1862,  at 
which  the  following  county  officers  were  chosen: — 

Re])resentative,  C.Adams;  Sheriff.  W.  H.  Naileigh; 
Clerk,  H.  J.  Borette;  Recorder,  Z.  N.  Spaulding; 
Treasurer,  Frank  Drake;  Assessor,  E.  A.Townsend; 
Collector,  Henry  E.  Arnold;  Surveyor,  E.  R.  Nichols; 
School  Superintendent,  A.  A.  Holmes;  Commission- 
ers, Franklin  Strong,  S.  J.  Hill,  J.  C.  Wimple. 

Adams  did  not  take  his  seat.  Hon.  Isaac  Roop 
sat  in  the  Council  in  the  session  of  1862,  holding  over 
from  the  Ninth  District.  He  was  the  last  member 
from  this  region  to  sit  in  the  Legislature. 

Bc}ond  tlie  election  of  officers  the  county  still 
remamed  unorganized  until  after  the  Legislature 
assembled.  Honey  Lake  Valley,  in  which  the  wealth 
and  population  of  the  county  existed,  was  claimed 
by  Plumas  County,  California,  as  being  within  its 
limits,  and  this  had  retarded  the  organization  of 
Lake  County.  When  the  Legislature  met  it  was 
determined  to  fully  organize  the  county,  and  main- 
tain the  jurisdiction  of  Nevada  over  the  disputed 
section.  Accordingly,  the  Legislature  changed  the 
name  from  Lake  to  Roop,  by  Act  of  December  2, 
1862.  The  Governor,  on  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
of  the  same  month,  appointed  and  issued  commis- 
sions to  all  the  county  officers  that  had  been  elected 
in  September,  also  a  commission  to  John  S.  Ward  to 
act  as  Probate  Judge.  By  Act  of  December  19, 
1862,  the  Legislature  ordered  a  special  term  of  the 
First  District  Court  to  be  held  in  Roop  County  the 
third  Monday  in  January,  1863. 

ATTEMPTED    OROANIZATION. 

The  county  was  promptly  organized  by  the  newly- 
appointed  officers,  and  trouble  at  once  commenced 
with  the  authorities  of  Plumas  County.  This  diffi- 
culty, and  the  manner  of  its  settlement,  are  fully 
related  in  another  portion  of  this  volume,  and  it  is 
only  necessary  to  say  that  the  disputed  territory  was 
decided  to  be  in  California,  thus  leaving  Roop  County 
shorn  of  all  that  contributed  to  make  it  a  county,  the 
portion  remaining  being  a  vast  tract  of  barren  and 
uninhabited  land. 

At  the  election  held  September  2,  1863,  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  were  chosen  to  represent  Roop 
County:  William  V.  Kingsbury,  in  the  Council; 
John  C.  Partridge,  in  the  House  of  Re])resentative8; 
II.  L.  Partridge,  in  the  Constitutional  Convention. 

When  the  Legislature  met  on  the  twelfth  of  Janu- 
ary, 1864,  the  boundary  ruiestion  had  been  settled, 
and  as  Honey  Lake  Valley,  the  residence  of  these 
gentlemen  and  the  section  they  represented,  had 
ceased  to  be  considered  a  portion  of  the  Territory  of 
Nevada,  they  were  not  jjermitted  to  take  scats  in  that 
body. 

February  18,  18(i4,  the  Legislature  passed  an  Act 


564 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


attaching  Roop  County  to  Washoe,  for  judicial  and 
revenue  purposes,  and  in  the  State  Constitution, 
framed  the  following  summer,  and  adopted  in  Sep- 
tember, the  same  provision  was  inserted,  thus  ending 
the  separate  existence  of  Roop  County,  and  making 
it,  what  it  has  since  continued  to  be,  simply  a  portion 
of  Washoe  County. 

TOPOGRAPHICAL    FEATDKES. 

Roop  County,  as  it  exists  to-day,  is  but  a  long  strip 
of  barren  and  unoccupied  land,  there  being  not  over 
100  white  people  within  its  limits.  Its  topographical 
features  consist  of  low  ranges  of  hills,  between 
which,  running  north  and  south,  lie  two  chains  of 
valleys.  The  western  boundarj'  line  runs  along  the 
summit  of  a  range  that  shuts  out  from  this  county 
the  fertile  and  well-populated  regions  of  Honey 
Lake  and  Surprise  Valleys,  the  most  prosperous  and 
only  well-settled  districts  in  this  portion  of  the 
Nevada  basin. 

Of  the  valleys  in  the  county  there  are  about  a 
dozen  of  considerable  size,  and  with  soil  capable  of 
producing  a  rich  growth  of  vegetation  if  supplied 
with  water,  the  scarcity  of  which  is  the  great  obsta- 
cle in  the  way  of  their  advancement.  Mineral  and 
hot  springs  abound,  and  extensive  salt  marshes  are 
found,  some  of  which  are  being  rendered  produc- 
tive. Placer  mines  have  been  worked  to  some 
extent,  and  quartz  ledges  have  been  found,  the 
mineral  deposits,  however,  being  greater  in  that  por- 
tion now  belonging  to  California.  One  large  and  arid 
desert  and  several  mud  lakes,  once  large  bodies  of 
water,  but  now  simply  sheets  of  mud  in  the  wet 
season,  and  drj'  ground  at  other  times,  are  also  to  be 
found. 

The  celebrated  Pyramid  Lake,  discovered  by  Lieut. 
John  C.  Fremont  on  the  tenth  of  Januarj-,  1844,  lies 
in  the  southern  extremitj^  of  the  county.  His  ac- 
count of  the  discovery  is  interesting: — 

Beyond,  a  defile  between  the  mountains  descended 
rapidlj'  about  2,000  feet,  and  tilling  tii)  all  'the  lower 
space  was  a  sheet  of  green  water  some  twenty  miles 
broad.  It  broke  ui)Oii  our  eyes  like  the  ocean.  The 
neighboring  peaks  rose  high  above  us,  and  we 
ascended  one  of  them  to  obtain  a  better  view.  The 
waves  were  curling  in  the  breeze,  and  their  dark 
green  color  showed  it  to  bo  a  body  of  deep  water. 
For  a  long  time  we  sat  enjoying  the  view,  for  we 
had  become  fatigued  with  mountains,  and  the  free 
ex])anse  of  moving  waves  was  verj*  grateful.  It  was 
set  like  a  gem  in  the  mountains,  which,  from  our 
position,  seemed  to  inclose  it  almost  entirely.  Its 
position  at  first  inclined  us  to  believe  it  Mary's  Lake, 
f Humboldt),  but  the  rugged  mountains  were  so 
entirely  discordant  with  descriptions  of  its  low  rush}- 
shores  and  o|)cn  countrj-,  that  we  concluded  it 
some  unknown  body  of  water,  which  it  afterwards 
proved  to  be, 

Fremont's  party  camped  on  the  lake  shore  the 
next  day  and  passed  down  its  western  shore  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Truckee  J{iver,  which  point  they 
reached  on  the  fifteenth,  and  found  a  large  Indian 
village.     In  regard  to  the  name  he  says: — 


We  encamped  on  the  shore  opposite  a  very  remark- 
able rock  in  the  lake,  which  had  attracted  our  atten- 
tion for  many  miles.  It  rose,  according  to  our 
estimate,  (500  feet  above  the  water,  and,  from  the 
point  we  viewed  it,  presented  a  pretty  exact  outline 
of  the  great  p3-ramid  of  Cheops.  This  striking 
feature  suggested  a  name  for  the  lake,  and  I  called  it 
Pj'ramid  Lake;  and  though  it  may  be  deemed  by 
some  a  fanciful  resemblance,  I  can  undertake  to  say 
that  the  future  travelers  will  find  much  more  striking 
resemblance  between  this  rock  and  the  pyramids  of 
Egypt,  than  there  is  between  them  and  the  object 
from  which  they  take  their  name. 

THE    PU1NCII'.\L    VALLEYS. 

The  most  considerable  vallej^  in  the  county  is  the 
one  commencing  some  distance  above  the  southern 
line  and  extending  north  forty  miles,  with  an  average 
width  of  five  miles.  It  is  known  as  Long  Valley, 
and  lies  near  the  California  line.  A  number  of 
springs,  little  streams  and  small,  shallow  lakes  are 
found  here,  and  maintain  the  vegetation  of  sage- 
brush and  bunch-grass.  The  vallej-  is  simply  a  cattle 
range,  and  is  by  far  the  largest  in  the  count}'.  One 
band  of  11,000  is  owned  by  W.  B.  Todhunter,  and 
several  others  have  smaller  bands.  With  irrigation 
this  large  valley  could  be  made  extremelj-  productive, 
as  no  doubt  it  some  day  will  be. 

Birectlj'  north  of  Long  Vallcj',  and  over  a  low 
range  of  hills,  lies  Coleman's  Valley.  One  family 
lives  here  and  there  have  been  three  or  four  claims 
taken  up.  A  little  gardening  is  done  where  water  is 
readily  obtained,  but  the  valley  is  chiefly  used  for  a 
range  for  the  2,000  cattle  kept  there.  The  soil  here 
is  also  fertile  and  with  irrigation  would  soon  produce 
grain  and  hay  in  abundance. 

West  of  these  two  valleys  and  over  the  California 
line  lies  Surprise  Vallej',  and  below  this  the  well 
settled  and  fertile  Hone}-  Ijake  Valley. 

Twelve  miles  east  of  Coleman's  Valley  is  Antelope 
Valley.  This  is  small  and  contains  large  numbers  of 
the  animals  from  which  its  name  is  derived.  There 
are  no  claims  taken  up  hero,  and  it  is  used  as  a 
stock  range  in  winter. 

Guana  Valley  Irtes  six  miles  further  east,  and  is  a 
largo  and  fertile  valley.  It  is  about  thirty  miles 
long,  only  five  of  which  lie  in  this  State,  the  balance 
being  in  Oregon.  It  is  used  simply  for  a  stock  range 
and  is  the  best  one  in  the  county. 

South  of  this  is  a  small  tract  called  Badger's  Flat. 
It  is  well  watered  by  springs,  and  is  used  tor  a  range 
for  the  1,<I00  head  of  cattle  kept  there. 

Still  farther  south  is  Massacre  Vallo}',  a  fine  tract 
of  land  six  by  twelve  miles  in  extent.  Two  thousand 
head  of  cattle  are  kept  here,  and  there  is  a  small 
tract  of  meadow  land. 

South  of  Massacre  Valley  is  High  Hock  Canon, 
running  diagonally  across  three  townships.  Some 
land  has  been  taken  up,  and  a  creek  runs  through  it. 
Along  the  creek  the  land  has  been  surveyed. 

Lying  to  the  oast  of  the  above,  and  on  the  edge  of 
the  desert  is  Deep  Hole.  Here  about  eight  hundred 
head  of  cattle  and  horses  are  kept. 


HISTORY  OF  ROOP  COUNTY. 


66S 


Going  back  to  Long  Valley  and  then  continuing 
south,  a  fertile  spot  known  as  Duck  Flat  is  found. 
It  is  on  the  stage  road  to  Surprise  Vallej-,  and  there 
are  throe  claims  taken  up,  on  which  from  two  to 
three  hundred  tons  of  hay  are  annually  cut.  Some 
gai'dening  is  also  done,  and  1,000  head  of  cattle 
are  kept  here. 

Passing  to  the  south,  across  a  number  of  small 
barren  valleys,  Buffalo  Canon  is  reached,  a  narrow 
tract  eighteen  miles  long.  Buffalo  Station  in  this 
place  is  on  the  stage  road.  A  few  cattle  are  kept 
here  and  some  ha}-  cut. 

South  of  this  is  Murphy's  iSalt  Marsh,  where  B.  F. 
Murphy  has  been  preparing  salt  for  the  market  for 
the  past  ten  years.  His  salt  works  are  located  at 
Reno. 

Eight  miles  south  of  Murphy's  is  Sheep  Head,  a 
station  in  the  desert  on  the  stage  road.  A  spring  of 
water  is  found  here,  the  only  good  water  in  the  des- 
ert. This  stretch  of  inho.^pitablo  land  is  in  some 
places  forty  miles  wide,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  scant 
growth  of  sage-brush  and  grease  wood,  while  for 
miles  there  is  no  vegetation  whatever.  Alkali,  salt, 
borax  and  gypsum  are  the  leading  components  of  the 
soil,  rendering  a  trip  across  its  arid  waste  extremely 
unpleasant.  Six  miles  south  of  Sheep  Head  is  a 
spring  called  Buck,  or  Bull,  Spring,  and  six  miles 
farther  south  is  Rotten  Egg  Spring,  a  name  pecu- 
liarlj-  appropriate,  so  extremely  disagreeable  is  the 
water  both  to  the  smell  and  taste.  Round  Hole,  or 
Deep  Hole,  Spring  lies  six  miles  more  to  the  south, 
and  the  water,  although  not  very  pleasant  is  used  for 
drinking  purposes.  It  is  on  the  above  route  that 
the  stage  road  runs,  and  sixteen  miles  southeast  of 
Round  Hole  is  P^-ramid  Lake,  on  the  road  now  fol- 
lowed by  the  stage,  passing  through  Pyramid  City, 
and  Jonesville,  which  lie  on  the  line  between  AVashoe 
and  Roop  Counties. 

Following  in  a  southerly  direction  from  Round 
Hole,  along  the  old  stage  road,  Fish  Springs  is 
reached,    at   a   distance   of  eighteen    miles.      Here 


William  Anderson  has  a  largo  ranch.  Two  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  of  hay  and  fifty  tons  of  alfalfa  are  cut 
here,  and 'considerable  small  fruit  is  raised.  A  num- 
ber of  fruit  trees,  not  yet  bearing,  have  been  set  out. 
Ho  has  about  600  cattle  and  horses. 

Eight  miles  southeasterly  of  Fish  Springs,  on  the 
old  stage  road,  is  Dry  Lake,  where  Newcomb  has 
about  GOO  hoi'ses  and  cattle,  cuts  some  haj-  and  has 
a  nice  vegetable  garden  and  a  small  patch  of  grain. 
X  little  lake  that  becomes  dry  in  the  summer  gives 
the  name  to  the  locality. 

Just  six  miles  to  the  south  is  Dry  Valley,  a  small 
tract  watered  by  springs.  There  are  two  ranch 
claims  here,  on  which  a  little  grain,  hay  and  vegeta- 
bles are  raised. 

Six  miles  southeast  of  Newcomb's,  and  directly 
east  of  Dry  Vallej',  on  the  old  stage  road,  is  Little 
Winnemucca  Valley.  It  was  formerly  a  milk  and 
butter  ranch,  and  has  now  sever?!  claims  taken  up, 
where  considerable  grain  is  raised  and  a  quantity  of 
stock  kept. 

South  of  this  lies  Winnemucca  Valley  proper, 
about  ten  miles  long  and  extending  to  the  end  of 
the  county.  Two  large  ranches  in  the  valle}-  are 
owned  by  Dickinson  and  Hepperly,  who  raise  con- 
siderable barle}'  and  some  oats  and  wheat.  A  quan- 
tity' of  hay  is  cut,  and  some  hor.ses  and  cattle  are 
kept.  The  valley  is  watered  by  small  streams  fed 
by  a  number  of  springs. 

Four  miles  east  of  Hepperly's  is  Pah-Ute  Cafion,  in 
which  is  one  ranch  on  which  hay  and  vegetables  are 
raised,  and  about  500  head  of  cattle  kept. 

It  is  thus  seen  that  Roop  County  contains  many 
thousand  acres  of  land  that  need  but  the  presence 
of  water  to  render  them  fertile  and  productive. 
What  the  future  of  the  countj'  will  be  is  difficult  to  tell, 
but  that  irrigation  from  some  source  of  water  su]i])Iy 
will  render  them  productive  and  inviting  to  settlers 
can  scarcely  be  doubted,  though  years  will  probably 
pass  away  before  people  will  have  settled  here  in 
any  considerable  numbers. 


71 


566 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


PMOTO    BY    TABtR.  SAN    fRAHClSCO 


IV.  H.  Smith. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COITNTY. 


567 


CHAPTER    LI  1 1. 
HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 

Commingling  of  All  Classes — Discovery  of  the  Comstock  Lode — 
Supplies  from  California  —  Teamsters  Association  —  Itoad 
Agents — Organization  of  the  County — Capt.  Kihvartl  F. 
Storey — James  F.  lAnvis— Mark  Strouse — -M.  N.  Stone  — 
Scenery  of  Virginia  City — First  Buildings  in  (iold  Hill — 
First  Kvents  Recounted — Early  Legislative  Acts — The  Char- 
ter Amended — Philipp  Deideslieimer — Pliilo  Knapp— William 
(iarhart — Chas.  Williamson — Charter  of  Virginia  City  — 
Kveuts  of  the  year  18G3 — Rival  and  Amliitious  Towns — 
Col.  1{.  H.  Taylor— Joseph  E.  McDonald— Political  Excite- 
ment— Private  and  Public  Extravagance — Thos.  Moses — 
Charles  Forman — Amusements  in  Early  Days — How  an 
Arastra  is  Made — Richard  Rising — Henry  Rolfe — Beneficent 
Institutions — First  Quartz  Mills — Col.  A.  M.  Edgington — 
W.  E.  F.  Deal — Greater  Prosperity  Indicated — I.  E.  James 
— Virginia  City  when  Five  Years  Old — Military  Companies 
— Leading  Industrial  Enterprises — The  Fire  Department — 
The  Newspaper  Department — (!old  Hill  in  tlie  Year  18(1,3 — 
The  Bonanza  Period — The  Sutro  Tunnel — James  C.  Fair — 
John  W.  Mackay — The  Virginia  &  Truckee  Railroad — .lames 

C.  Flood— William  C.  Ralston— William  Sharon— .lohn  P. 
Jones — Depression  of  Mining — Ralston  to  the  Front — Oppo- 
sition to  Sutro  Tunnel — The  New  King  of  the  Comstock — 
(Ireat  Panic  of  lS7o — What  the  Mines  have  Accomplislied — 

D.  Crosby — R.  \' .  Dey — Finances  During  the  Bonanza  Period 
— Taxing  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad — Principal 
Fires  in  Virgania  City — Fires  at  Cold  Hill — Virginia  City 
Fire  Department — The  Water  Supply — Sulistantial  Im- 
provements— The  Foundries  of  Virginia  City — lolin  Mc- 
Cone — The  Manufacture  of  Ice — TlieCeneral  Outlook  Hope- 
ful — L.  T.  Fox — Joseph  B.  Mallon — William  Woodburn — 
Finance  and  Resources — Appointments  and  Elections — W . 
N.  Mercer  (Hey — John  F.  Egan — F-  H.  Packer — Method  of 
Working  tlie  Mines — Compressor  Drills — Temperature  of 
the  Mines — J.  Minor  Taylor— W.  H.  Patton— Some  of  the 
Leading  Mines — The  Comstock  Croup  of  Mines — Statistics 
of  Proceeds— List  of  Bonanzas — The  Utah  Mine — Sierra 
Nevada — Union  Consolidated — The  Mexican  Mine — The 
Californiu — Consolidated  Virginia — Best  &  lielcher — (Jould 
&  Curry — The  Savage  Mine — The  Hale  &  Norcro.ss — The 
C hollar-NorcrossSavage  Shafts  —  Chollar-Potosi  —  Bullion 
Mine — The  Exehetjuer — The  Alpha  Mine — Consolidated  Im- 
perial— (iold  Hill  (iroup — The  Challenge — Contidencv — The 
Yellow  .Jacket — Kentuck — Crown  Point  and  Belcher — ."segre- 
gated Belcher — Overman — Caledonia — American  Flat  Croup 
— Outside  Mines — Mining  Boom — Fluctuation  of  Stocks — 
\Vm.  Mooney — Accidents  in  the  Mines — The  Yellow  Jacket 
Disaster— Charles  Zeigler — "Sandy"  Bowers. 

The  bistory  of  this  county  is,  to  some  extent,  the 
history  of  the  whole  State.  It  was  here  that  the 
mines  were  discovered;  here  they  developed  into  the 
wonderful  proportions  that  revolutionized  all  pre- 
vious values,  and  sent  trade  and  manufactures 
into  new  channels,  built  new  cities,  and  sent  new 
millionaires  into  the  world.  Thoui^h  apparentl}' 
insignificant  and  unknown  men  became  fabulously 
rich  and  noted,  we  shall  see  as  our  history  pro- 
gresses, that  energy  and  judgment,  hero  as  else- 
where, soon  asserted  their  superior  values,  and  gave 
to  their  fortunate  possessors  the  control  of  the  great 
bonanzas.  Here,  as  in  all  countries  and  in  all  times, 
the  presence  of  great  wealth  drew  together,  not 
only  the  energetic  men  of  business,  but  also  the 
criminal  and  abandoned  classes,  those  who  fasten 
themselves  on  society,  and  gather  a  large  share  of 
the  products  of  the  industrious.  Gamblers,  thieves, 
swindlers,  bummers  and  prostitutes — all  claimed  a 
share  of  the  silver  mountain,  and,  though  such  people 
hardly  ever  retain  for  any  length  of  time  their  ill- 
gotten  gains,  they  manage,  somehow,  to  handle  a 
great  share  of  the  money. 

DISCOVERY    OF   THE   COMSTOCK    LODE. 

The  lode  was  found  in  1859,  and  a  small  portion 


of  the  community  were  soon  aware  of  the  fact  that 
an  important  discovery  had  been  made.  The  few 
sacks  of  ores  that  were  shipped  to  San  Francisco 
wore  like  the  few  samples  of  gold  that  found  their 
way  East,  which  only  indicated  the  vast  possibilities 
of  the  country.  Sili^er  ore,  that  would  assay  forty  to 
eighty  per  cent,  in  the  shape  of  blue  clay,  had  been 
trodden  under  foot,  washed  awaj',  sluiced  out,  and 
gotten  rid  of  in  the  easiest  way  possible.  It  was 
said  there  were  mountains  of  it.  Previous  to  this 
California  had  had  many  excitements.  Gold  Lake, 
Gold  Bhitl',  Ivcrn  River,  Frazer  River,  \Vhite  Mount- 
ain, and  others  had  all  drawn  away  their  thousands, 
and  sent  them  back  disappointed;  but  in  those 
instances  gold,  that  was  only  found  in  small  quan- 
tities, was  the  object  sought.  The  new  discoveries 
were  silver  ores.  Some  who  visited  the  new  mines 
reported,  on  their  return,  that  more  millions  were  in 
sight  at  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  than  California  had 
yet  produced.  All  the  stories  of  the  fabulous  wealth 
that  Spain  drew  from  South  America  and  Mexico 
came  to  mind;  of  Spanish  galleons  sunk  with  the 
weight  of  silver  on  board;  of  the  solid  altars  and 
crucitixes  of  silver;  of  the  hundreds  of  vessels  with 
rich  cargoes  captured  by  the  buccaneers;  of  cities 
plundered  of  their  vast  wealth;  of  the  burial  of  the 
|)ilo8  of  money  in  many  places  along  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Coasts,  and  on  lonely  islands.  The  awkward 
coinage  of  the  Mexican  and  South  American  money 
bore  evidence  of  the  rude  age,  when  half-savage 
miners  boiled  their /rj/ofes  in  silver  kettles.  A  new 
Mexico,  a  new  Peru,  was  found  just  over  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  the  whole  country  was  aroused.  As 
soon  as  the  melting  of  the  snow  permitted,  and  oven 
before,  a  great  multitude  set  out  for  the  silver  land, 
some  on  foot,  and  some  with  jjack-mules. 

The  snow  still  covered  the  country,  and  little  could 
he  done  to  discover  new  mines,  or  even  develop  the 
old  ones.  Some  run  tunnels  to  intersect  the  veins 
discovered,  and  some,  who  had  good  locations,  sunk 
on  the  leads.  The  winter  passed  away  however, 
and  the  scramble  commenced.  Indications  were 
found  high  up  on  the  mountains  to  the  west  (Mount 
Davidson),  and  east  of  the  Comstock  location, 
towards  Carson  River,  as  well  as  north  and  south  of 
the  site  of  the  first  discovery,  and  soon  every  one 
had  any  quantity  of  feet.  Numerous  disputes  about 
claims  occurred  in  consequence  of  the  uncertain 
terms  of  occupation.  Those  who  have  had  any  ox- 
jierienco  in  making  possessory  claims,  well  know  on 
what  slight  circumstances  the  right  to  a  claim 
depends.  In  most  cases,  however,  possession  was- 
the  only  title,  and  even  that  was  not  always  good, 
unless  a  show  of  force  was  made  to  give  it  respecta- 
bility. In  some  instances  men  fortified  their  ground 
and  held  it  by  military  possession. 

Along  with  the  miners  came  those  of  whom  it  has 
been  written; — 

"  True  patriots  wo,  for  be  it  understood 
Wo  left  our  country  for  our  country's  good." 


568 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


SUPPLIES   FROM   CALIFORNIA. 

The  whole  of  western  Utah,  or  Nevada  as  it  was 
afterwards  called,  did  not  produce  provisions  enough 
to  Bupplj'  the  new  population  a  week;  but  California 
had  now  become  an  exporter,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  roads  leading  to  "Washoe"  were  thronged  with 
teams  carrj-ing  everything  over  the  mountains,  from 
quartz  machinery  down  to  strawberries,  that  could 
be  desired. 

Ten  j'ears  of  cultivation  had  developed  the  agricul- 
tural resources  of  Califoi'nia,  and  the  miners  of  the 
new  Territory  could  make  themselves  far  more  com- 
fortable than  did  the  gold  miners  in  the  da3's  of  '49. 
A  passable  wagon  route  across  the  mountains,  used 
by  the  tirst  emigration,  enabled  the  farmers  of  El 
Dorado  and  the  adjoining  counties  to  carry  in  pro- 
visions, but  soon  costlj'  roads  were  established,  with 
easj-  grades,  which  were  kept  sprinkled,  and  equal 
to  the  walks  of  a  city. 

TE.iMSTERS'    ASSOCIATION. 

Thousands  rushed  into  teaming,  but  it  was  by  no 
means  a  sinecure,  though  there  was  enough  profit  to 
induce  hundreds  of  men  to  engage  in  it.  Freight  at 
first  was  enormously  high,  twenty-five  cents  a  pound 
not  being  deemed  too  much  for  hauling  over  the  rough 
roads.  Finely  graded  roads  enabled  the  teamsters 
to  make  money  at  two  cents  a  pound,  or  fjrty  dol- 
lars a  ton,  and  the  competition  became  so  sharp  that 
a  "Teamsters'  Association  "  was  established,  which 
fixed  the  uniform  rate  at  sixty  dollars  per  ton  from 
Folsom,  the  terminus  of  the  Sacramento  Talley  Rail- 
road. An  agent  was  appointed  who  resided  there, 
shipping  all  goods  by  members  of  the  association, 
who  waited  their  turn,  sometimes  for  days,  before  get- 
ting a  load.  It  was  of  course  a  voluntarj'  associa- 
tion, but  it  became  well  understood  that  goods  ship- 
ped through  other  agencies  were  liable  to  be  injured 
while  in  transit.  vSometimos  the  wagon  containing 
them  would  unaccountably  roll  over  the  grades  in  a 
dark  night,  while  the  owners  were  camped  but  a  few 
feet  away.  Again,  nuts  from  the  wheels  would  be 
missing;  harness  would  be  cut,  and  a  man  known  to 
be  "  cutting  under  "  was  annoyed  in  various  ways. 
These  regulations  did  not  apply,  however, to  those  who 
were  engaged  in  hauling  their  own  jiroduco.  Like 
all  combinations  of  this  kind,  it  worked  its  own  cure, 
by  lessening  the  amount  of  freight  and  increasing 
the  applications  for  loads,  until  the  teamsters  them- 
Bolves  were  willing  to  see  the  society  disorganized. 

RO.\r>    AdENTS, 

As  highwaymen  designated  themselves,  drove  a 
thriving  trade  during  the  early  days  of  the  Washoe 
excitement.  Provided  they  escaped  the  first  wrath 
of  the  victims  the  robbers  were  generally^safe  enough, 
for  few  persons  had  any  time  to  track  up  a  thief,  or 
prosecute  the  case  in  court.  As  no  one  thought  of 
traveling  without  money,  almost  everyone,  even  the 
man  trudging  along  on  foot,  would  have  fifteen  or 
twenty  dollars,  and  a  few  days  of  successful  foraging 


in  this  way  would  make  quite  a  "  stake  "  for  a  gamb- 
ler or  broken  prospector.  The  vacant  ground 
between  Virginia  Citj'  and  Gold  Hill,  as  also  down 
the  road  towards  Dayton,  was  a  favorite  ground  for 
robbing  footmen.  Many  a  man  has  been  halted  in  a 
dark  evening  and  compelled  to  give  up  his  loose 
change,  and  many  a  man  who  resisted  has  been  shot 
and  unceremoniously  tumbled  into  some  of  the  numer- 
ous abandoned  shafts  which  dotted  that  part  of  the 
country.  Others,  bolder  in  their  oj)erations,  would 
attack  the  stage  and  capture  the  bullion  which  was 
sent  over  the  mountains  in  bars. 

The  following  extracts  taken  at  random  from  the 
newspapers,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  manner  of 
these  road  affairs: — 

August  28,    1865.      Jack   Harris,   A.    AVatcrman, 

Mose  Haynes, Pitcher,  and Love,  were  put 

on  trial  for  highway  robberj'.  Haynes  turned  States' 
evidence.  Harris  was  acquitted,  and  Waterman  was 
sentenced  to  thirteen  years'  imprisonment. 

October  31,  186U.  The  stage  was  stopped  on  the 
Geiger  Grade,  and  the  safe,  containing  S5,150,  was 
taken  and  blown  open.  The  passengers  also  lost 
several  thousand.  Wells,  Fargo  &  Company  offered 
89,000  for  the  apprehension  of  the  robbers. 

November  14,  186G.  A  partj'  entered  the  toll 
house  at  American  City,  and  compelled  the  toll  col- 
lector to  open  the  safe,  which  contained  about  S550. 

October  7,  1865.  The  stage  was  robbed  in  Six- 
mile  Cafion  of  about  82,300. 

June  10,  1868.  The  overland  stage  was  met  bj' 
three  men  with  double-barreled  shot  guns,  and  the 
passengers — four  gentlemen  and  two  ladies — ordered 
out.  The  ladies  were  not  molested,  although  one  of 
them  had  8900  on  her  person,  but  the  men  were 
relieved  of  about  84,000. 

October  26,  1872.  Lieut.  Col.  M.  N.  Stone, 
Democratic  stump  speaker,  was  stopped  near  Spring 
Valley  by  two  road  agents  and  robbed  of  a  valuable 
watch  and  fifty-five  dollars.  He  was  out  making 
speeches. 

ORGANIZATION    OF  THE   COUNTY. 

This  was  accomplished  at  the  first  session  of  the 
Territorial  Legislature.  By  the  Act  approved  No- 
vember 25,  1861,  the  boundaries  were  established  as 
follows: — 

Beginning  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  Lyon 
Count}'  and  running  thence  in  an  easterly  direction 
along  the  northern  boundary  of  Lyon  County  to  the 
northeastern  corner  thereof  (which  was  one  mile  east 
and  three  miles  north  of  Heed's  Station  on  the  Carson 
Jliver),  thence  north  in  a  straight  line  to  the  road 
leading  from  the  lower  crossing  of  the  Truckee  to  the 
sink  of  the  Humboldt;  thence  westerly  along  said 
road  to  the  Truckee  River;  thence  up  the  middle  of 
said  river  to  the  eastern  line  of  Washoe  County; 
thence  southerly  along  said  line  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

It  would  seem  that  the  geography  of  the  country 
was  little  understood  by  the  memborsof  the  Legisla- 
ture. In  the  Act  organizing  Lyon  County  the  north- 
ern line  was  fixed  so  as  to  include  in  the  territory  the 
Devil's  Gate  Mining  District,  it  being  the  intention 
to  give  Lyon  County  a  share  of  the  promising  ground. 
The  first  officers,  excepting  County  Commissioners 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


569 


who  were  made  by  the  Legislature,  were  appointed 
by  the  Territorial  Governor  Nye. 

In  August,  ISGO,  the  census  showed  the  following 
facts:  Virginia,  total  i)opul:ition.  2,300.  Females, 
118.  Dwellings,  868.  Gold  Hill,  total  population, 
638.     Females,  14.     Dwellings,  179. 

Silver  City,  which  for  all  business  purposes  was  a 
part  of  the  same  community,  was  about  the  same  in 
size  as  Gold  Hill.  These  three  places  had  something 
over  half  the  poi)ulalion  of  the  Territory.  This 
census  was  taken  in  August,  but  bj-  the  first  of  Janu- 
ary- following,  the  population  had  largely  increased. 
Within  one  year  from  that  time  Virginia  had  a  popu- 
lation of  3,284;  Gold  Hill  1,294. 

C.\PT.    EDWARD    FAUIS    STOREY, 

After  whom  Storey  Countj'  was  named,  was  born  in 
Jackson  County,  Georgia,  July  1,  1828,  his  father 
being  Col.  John  Storey,  who  was  in  command  of 
a  regiment  of  volunteers  during  the  diflSculties 
with  the  Indians  in  the  western  part  of  Georgia 
during  General  Jackson's  term  of  the  Presidency, 
and  afterwards  acted  as  commander  of  an  escort 
which  conveyed  them  to  the  Indian  Territory  at  the 
final  settlement  of  the  difficulty.  Colonel  Storey  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Texas  in  1844.  and  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  events  which  preceded,  and  re- 
sulted in.  theannexationof  Texas  to  the  UnitedStntos 
as  well  as  the  war  which  soon  occurred  with  Mex- 
ico. Early  in  the  Spring  of  1846  Colonel  Storey  and 
three  sons  enlisted  in  a  company  of  Texan  Rangers, 
commanded  by  Capt.  (now  General)  H.  E.  McCul- 
Joch.  The  Colonel  and  the  son  under  consider- 
ation survived  the  war.  In  1848,  on  the  breaking 
out  of  border  difficulties  the  surviving  son,  though 
but  twenty  j-ears  of  age,  was  elected  Lieutenant  of  a 
company  of  Rangers  under  Capt.  Jacob  Koberts,  and 
did  effective  service  in  quelling  the  outlaws.  The 
young  ranger  was  married  in  1849  to  Miss  Adelia 
Calhoun  Johnson,  of  Lockhart,  Caldwell  County, 
Texas,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  a  daughter,  now 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Williams,  residing  in  Visalia,  California. 
His  wife  dying  in  1852  Lieutenant  Storey  took  his  in- 
fant daughter  and  started  overland  to  California  by 
way  of  Mexico,  reaching  the  Pacific  Coast  at  Mazat- 
lan.  Here  he  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  which, 
meeting  storms  and  adverse  winds  was  blown  out  of 
her  course,  sprung  a  leak,  and  was  delayed  until  the 
crew  and  passengers  were  stricken  with  famine,  some 
of  the  party  dying  of  their  sufferings.  He  finally 
reached  San  Francisco,  and  soon  after  made  his  way 
to  Tulare  County,  where  ho  engaged  in  stock-raisitig 
until  the  discovery  of  the  Washoe  mines,  when  he 
came  to  Nevada.  After  the  unfortunate  attack  on 
the  Indians  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  Major 
Ormsby  and  the  dispersion  and  destruction  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  attacking  party,  ho  raised  a  com- 
pany of  riflemen,  and  with  others  made  the  attack  on 
the  fortified  camp  of  the  I'ah-Utes  Juno  2,  18(J0,  which 
resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  Indians.     Captain  Storey 


here  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  an  Indian  who, 
ambushed  behind  a  rock,  shot  him  through  the  lungs, 
producing  death  the  same  evening. 

Captain  Storej',  though  raised  on  the  frontier  and 
engaged  most  of  his  life  in  border  afl'airs,  was  instinc- 
tively a  gentleman,  loved  and  respected  by  all.  His 
native  good  sense  atoned  for  the  want  of  high  cul- 
ture, and  made  him  a  man  to  be  consulted  with  profit 
in  every  emorgencj'.  He  leaves  many  relatives  to 
share  his  honors.  A  younger  brother  has  recently 
been  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Texas. 


PHOTO  BY  JOHN  S  NOE     VlHQiNlA.  HtV 

James  F,  Lezvis. 

JuDciE  Ja.mes  F.  Lewis  is  a  native  of  Wales,  and 
was  born  May  4, 1836.  In  childhood  he  loft  his  native 
land,  and  coming  to  the  United  States,  settled  with 
his  parents  in  the  city  of  Utica,  in  New  York  Stale. 
He  received  a  thorough  academic  education  at 
Whitosboro,  near  Utica.  In  1S.')(;  ho,  with  his  parents, 
removed  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  where  he  studied  law, 
and  was  admited  to  the  Bar  in  that  State  in  the  year 
1860.  In  18(i2,  during  the  great  mining  excitement 
in  Nevada,  ho  removed  thence  and  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  connection  with  Hon  J. 
W.  North.  TTpon  the  admission  of  the  State  of  Ne- 
vada into  the  Union,  in  the  year  18(J4.  ho  was  nomi- 
nated and  elected  by  the  Republicans  to  the  Supreme 
Bench  of  the  Slate,  and  became  its  first  Chief  Justice. 
The  term  for  which  he  was  elected  ex|)iring  two  years 
later,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  same  position, 
which  he  held  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  on  the 
first  of  Januarj',  1873.  Shortly  afterward  he  located 
at  Virginia  Citj-,  Storey  County,  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  law,  immediately  obtaining  a   large 


570 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


and  lucrative  bu.Niiicss.  Judge  Lewis  is  now  one  of 
the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Deal,  Attorneys  and  Counselors- 
atlaw,  in  Virginia  City,  a  firm  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  State. 

MARK    STROUSE 

Is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  the  town  of  Lauder- 
bach  in  May,  184.5.  He  was  the  youngest  of  a  fam- 
ily of  ten  children.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he 
left  his  home  and  wont  to  Butzbock,  and  two  years 
later  came  to  America,  bringing  a  sister  with  him, 
and  settled  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  ob- 
tained a  situation  in   a  wholesale  house,  two  days 


butchering  business.  His  brother  died  in  1868  since 
which  time  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  managed 
the  business  alone.  His  establishment  is  the  largest 
in  the  State.  His  business  house  is  four  stories  high 
and  121  feet  long  by  26  feet  wide.  He  also  has 
a  fine  stock  ranch  containing  500  acres  in  Honey 
Lake  Vallej-,  California.  In  1808  Mr.  Strouse  was 
elected  Chief  of  Police,  and  has  also  served  two  terms 
as  City  Treasurer  of  Virginia  Citj'.  and  was  for  seven 
years  Foreman  of  Company  No.  1  of  the  Volunteer 
P^ire  Department.  He  was  married  January  14, 1874, 
to  Lilly  B.  JIdgington,  and  has  one  child,  a  daughter 
six  j'cars  of  age. 


iL    LEE,   VIR3l^r» 


^^/^'^ 


after  bis  arrival.  Ho  stayed  with  this  firm  about 
three  months,  whon  he  came  to  California  and  loca- 
ted at  Mokolurane  Hill,  in  Calaveras  County,  and 
was  engaged  in  mining,  and  the  mercantile  and 
butcher  business,  foi  two  and  one-half  years.  While 
in  that  place  he  owned  a  claim  that  promised  well, 
and  refused  810,000  for  it,  but  like  many  others  he 
could  not  foresee  that  from  his  claim  he  would  not 
realize  the  fruition  of  his  fondest  hopes,  and  in  a 
short  time  it  was  abandoned.  In  June,  1863,  he 
crossed  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  to  Virginia 
City,  Nevada,  with  a  large  band  of  sheep  and  lambs, 
numbering  5,500,  camping  frequently  in  the  snow 
during  his  tedious  journey. 

Immediately  after  reaching  his  destination  he 
started  in  business,  owning  a  hog  ranch,  lending  a 
stall  in  a  moat  market,  and  keeping  a  .set  of  books  all 
at  the  same  time.  In  1856  he  formed  a  partnci  ship 
■with  his  brother,  Abraham  Strouse,  in  the  general 


M.  N.  Stone, 


Son  of  Francis  Preston  Stone,  is  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, born  in  Wayne  Countj-,  August  U,  1842.  At 
tho  age  of  eighteen  years  he  entered  the  office  of  his 
father,  who  for  thirtj'  j-ears  was  a  prominent  lawj'er 
of  Kentucky,  and  commenced  tho  study  of  law.  On 
tho  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  tho  subject  of  this 
sketch  relinquished  his  studios  and  entered  the  Con- 
federate service  as  a  private  in  the  Sixth  Kentucky 
Infantrj-,  which  became,  early  in  1861,  attached  to 
tho  famous  "  First  Kentucky  Brigade,"  commanded 
by  Gen.  John  C.  Breckinridge.  After  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  in  which  he  ])artici])ated,  ^Ir.  Stone  was 
transferred  to  the  Sixth  Kentuck}'  Cavalry,  Duke's 
Brigade,  and  served  in  the  "  Raiders'  Division,"  com- 
manded bj-  the  celebrated  John  H.  ^forgaii,  until  tho 
close  of  the  war,  and  was  a  member  of  the  >let1'erson 
Davis  escort  until  within  a  few  hours  of  President 
Davis'  capture  in  Georgia,  tho  escort  having  been 
disbanded  just  before  that  event  transpired.  Mr. 
Stone     witnessed    and    participated    in     many     of 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY 


571 


the  hard-fought  battles.  Among  them  were  Shiloh, 
Stono  River,  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  Chickamauga,  Mis- 
sion Eidge  and  numerous  other  engagements,  and 
rose  to  the  rank  of  Captain  of  Cavalry  in  18G4.  In 
1868  he  came  to  Nevada  and  entered  the  law  office 
of  Gen.  Thos.  II.  Williams  and  David  Bixler,  in  Vir- 
ginia Cit}-,  ;uid  subseciuently  became  a  partner  with 
those  gentlemen.  In  1872  he  received  the  nomina- 
tion by  the  Democratic  State  Convention  for  Presi- 
dential Elector  on  the  Greeley  ticket,  and  stumped 
the  State.for  the  Democratic  party.  His  party  being 
in  the  minoritj'  in  the  State  he  was  defeated.  In 
1874  he  received  the  Democratic  nomination  for  the 
office  of  District  Judge  of  the  First  District,  em 
bracing  Storey  County,  and  again  the  election  re- 
sulted in  his  defeat.  Mr.  Stono  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics  since  he  became  a  citizen  of  Nevada, 
and  in  the  Presidential  election  of  1880,  in  connec- 
tion with  W.  E.  F.  Deal  and  others,  conducted  the 
campaign  in  a  manner  creditable  to  his  party  and 
himself  which  resulted  in  carrjMng  the  State  for 
Hancock  and  the  election  of  Col.  James  G.  Fair  to 
the  United  States  Senate.  At  the  present  time  .Mr. 
Stone  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Virginia  City. 

SCENERY   OP   VIROINIA    CITY. 

The  view  from  Virginia  to  the  eastward  is  remark- 
ably fine.  The  eye  can  sweep  in  a  vista  of  180  miles 
in  some  directions.  To  the  southeast  are  the  Pine 
Nut  Mountains,  about  Como.  The  Twenty-six-milc 
Desert  and  the  Forty-mile  Desert  are  also  plainly  pcr- 
coi)tible  from  C  Street,  looking  eastward.  Far  to 
the  right  of  the  Como  Mountains  are  the  snow- 
capped summits  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  As  regards 
scenerj'  Virginia  City  has  much  to  boast  of  although 
its  immediate  environs  are  desolate  in  the  extreme. 
It  is  a  city  built  on  a  mountain  side. 

In  the  winter,  when  this  happens  to  be  covered 
with  snow,  the  view,  though  cheerless,  is  not  with- 
out interest.  The  atmosphere  sometimes  is  so  clear 
that  trees  can  be  distinguished  at  a  distance  of 
thirty  miles  or  more.  Virginia  City  has  an  elevation 
above  the  sea  of  0,205  feet,  and  above  the  Humboldt 
plains  about  2,000  feet.  Mount  Davidson  rises  above 
the  city  1.G22  feet,  having  a  total  height  above  the 
sea  of  7,827  feet.  Some  of  the  Pine  Nut  Mountains, 
in  the  same  range,  are  still  higher. 

Snow  falls  to  the  depth  of  several  feet  at  Virginia 
City,  and  still  deeper  further  west  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  Snow-slides  ol'ten  occurred.  John  Yager 
was  buried  by  one  at  Cedar  Hill  in  January,  18fi0. 
The  snow  also  buried  the  mouths  of  shafts  so  as  to 
hide  them  from  view.  In  .March,  18G0,  James  J. 
Kelly,  while  passing  from  Gold  Hill  to  Virginia  ("ity, 
rode  into  a  shaft,  horse  and  rider  both  being  killed. 

In  1859  Virginia  City  had  but  two  or  three  houses, 
and  these  were  stone  cabins;  a  year  latter  the  place 
had  (|uite  a  metropolitan  a])pearance.  The  Interna- 
tional Hotel  had  the  usual  bar-room,  dining-room, 
kitchen  and  twelve  sleeping-rooms.     The  lumber  of 


which  it  was  built  was  whip-sawed  in  Six-mile  Canon. 
The  receipts  of  the  hotel  for  the  first  day  after  open- 
ing were  8700.  The  erection  of  steam  saw-mills 
soon  after  obviated  the  necessity  of  whip-sawing 
lumber. 

FIRST   BUILDINOS   IN    GOLD    HILL. 

The  first  building  in  Gold  Hill  was  a  small  frame 
erected  bj-  Dutch  Nick  (Nicholas  Ambrosia)  on  Main 
Street,  opposite  where  the  Eclipse  Stable  now  stands. 
The  next  was  a  small  boarding-house  and  restaurant 
run  by  Mrs.  Cowan,'afterward8  Mrs.  Sandy  Uowers. 
It  was  built  of  logs,  from  the  hills  around  the  town. 
The  third 'was  a  one-story  frame  about  sixteen  feet 
square,  built  in  August  bj-  Soi.],\V'eihl,  and  used  as  a 
grocery  store.  Like  the^first-mentioned  building,  it 
was  moved  from  Johntown  on  account  of  the  scarcity 
of  lumber  at  Gold  Hill.  John  Vignot  also  built  a  log 
oabin,  and  quite  a  number  of  rude  shanties  were  con- 
structed, in  some  of  which  families  made  homes. 
Many  people  lived  in  tents,  and  even  brush  shanties. 
This  was  during  the  summer  of  185!). 

FIRST   EVENTS   RECOUNTED. 

At  the  dedication  of  the  new  school  building  of 
the  Fourth  Ward,  November  28,  187G,  the  following 
facts  with  regard  to  Virginia  City  were  related  by 
the  editor  of  the  Territorial  Enterprise,  for  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  children: — 

The  first  child  born  in  the  city  of  Virginia  was 
a  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Levina  S.  Tilton,  on  the 
first  day  of  April,  ISGO.  Mr.  Tilton  was  then  living 
in  a  house,  built  by  himself,  on  the  Original  Opera 
House  lot.  The  child  was  named  Virginia  in  honor 
of  the  new  mining  camp.  Mr.  Tilton  crossed  the 
plains  the  previous  summer,  reaching  this  place 
September  1st,  and  lived  for  awhile  in  their  wagon. 
The  following  March  he  built  a  house  on  the  lot 
where  the  child  was  born.  The  first  dollar  he  earned 
was  bj'  carrying  mortar  for  the  Ophir  .Mining  Com- 
pany, who  were  putting  up  an  office.  His  wife  at 
the  same  time  earned  82.50  with  her  needle. 

The  first  school  was  opened  by  the  Misses  Down- 
ing who  rented  a  house  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by 
Ijipman's  dry  good  store  on  South  C  Street  near  Tay- 
lor, in  the  summer  of  ISGO.  Miss  Gregory  subsequently 
opened  a  school  on  D  Street.  The  firet  public  school 
was  organized  in  18G2.  The  school  bouse  was 
erected  on  the  present  site  of  the  Third  Ward  School 
House.  Captain  Melville  was  Principal,  Miss  Fida 
Collins  Assistant,  Col.  John  \  Collins.  Siiiierin- 
tendent. 

The  first  religious  services  and  the  establishing  of 
the  first  churches  are  detailed  in  chapters  XXV  to 
XX.X  ii\clusive,  devoted  to  the  Churches  of  Nevada. 

The  first  funeral  was  that  of  the  young  daugh- 
ter of  Ijyman  Jones  who  died  in  1S5!)  and  was  buried 
in  a  cemetery  near  the  present  Ophir  works. 

The  first  bank  was  that  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co., 
in  1859,  under  the  charge  of  Captain  Simmons  and 
Charles  Foreman.  The  office  was  at  the  corner  of 
A  Street  and  Sutton  Avenue. 


ov: 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  first  theater  was  the  Opera  House,  built 
t-  in  the  spring  of  1863  by  Thomas  Maguire  and  John 
Burns,  now  on  the  corner  of  1)  and  Union  Streets, 
afterwards  owned  by  John  Piper. 
t.  The  first  ball  was  at  the  San  Francisco  Restau- 
rant, Christmas  eve,  18G0.  Present  the  following 
ladies:  Mrs.  Dirks,  Mrs.  Delanej',  Mrs.  Paxton,  Mrs. 
Tilton,  Mrs.  Bryan;  Miss  Leonora  Dirks,  Mrs.  Blair, 
Mrs.  Flick,  Mrs.  Hastings,  Mrs.  Dill,  Mrs.  Howard, 
Mrs.  Adams,  Mrs.  ]{08s,  Mrs.  R.  J.  Smith,  Mrs.  How- 
ard and  Mrs.  Charles  Barstow.  The  proprietor  of  the 
livery  stable,  'Mr.  Whipple,  built  a  sleigh  expressly  for 
the  occasion,  and  the  sound  of  sleigh  hells  mingled 
with  the  merry  voices  of  the  dancera. 

The  first  paper  was  the  Territorial  Enterprise 
more  particularly  referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  the 
press. 

E.A.RLY    LEGISLATIVE    ACTS. 

The  Act  of  November  28,  1861,  incorporated  the 
Virginia  City  Gas  Company,  giving  the  franchise  to 
Henrj-  ('.  Smith,  Chas.  Ransom  and  associates.  The 
bill  incorporating  the  Gold  Hill  Gas  Company,  with 
Seymour  Ilurlburt,  A.  De  Ijand  and  John  Keinbleas 
associates,  was  passed  the  twenty-ninth.  The  same 
day  the  county  seat  was  established  at  Virginia  City. 

The  Act  approved  December  17,  1862,  incorpor- 
ated the  town  of  (iold  Hill  and  fixed  its  boundaries 
as  follows:  "Bounded  on  the  north  by  the  southern 
line  of  Virginia  City;  on  the  south  and  east  by  the 
boundary  line  between  Store}'  and  Lj'on;  on  the 
west  by  the  boundary  lines  between  Storey  and 
Washoe."  This  Act  was  amended  February  20,  1864, 
excepting  from  the  Act  of  incorporation  the  follow- 
ing tract:  "  Commencing  at  the  intersection  of  Broad- 
way and  Carson  Avenues,  according  to  the  survej-ed 
map  of  American  City  made  by  John  Ostrom  and 
filed  in  the  Recorder's  oflico  of  Storey  County,  run- 
ning thence  sixty  degrees  east,  magnetic  meridian, 
tweiit}-  chains;  thence  in  a  direct  line  southeasterly 
to  the  intersection  of  the  boundary  line  between 
Lyon  and  Storey  Counties  and  American  Ravine, 
runnijig  through  American  Flat  to  Silver  City; 
thence  in  a  southwesterly  direction  along  said 
boundarj'  line  between  Lyon  and  Storey  Counties  to 
the  southwest  corner  of  Storey  County;  thence  in  a 
northerl}'  direction  along  the  boundary  line  between 
Storey  and  Washoe  Counties  to  its  intersection  with 
the  Ophir  Grade  Toll-road;  thence  along  said  Ophir 
Grade  Toll-road  to  a  point  north  sixty  degrees  west, 
magnetic  meridian,  from  the  place  of  beginning; 
thence  to  the  place  of  beginning."  The  Act  was 
still  further  amended,  February  18,  1862.  By  this 
Act  American  Flat  was  excepted  from  the  order  of 
incorporation.  It  was  re-incorporated  December  17. 
1862,  February  IS,  1S64,  and  in  March,  1865. 

Though  Gold  Hill  did  not  e(|ual  Virginia  City,  on 
account  of  the  rival  towns  of  American  Flat  and 
Silver  Citj',  which  drew  away,  or,  rather,  absorbed 
large  numbers  of  the  incoming  population,  it  early 
became  quite   an  important  place,  with  several  fine 


fire-proof  buildings.  The  Virginia  City  Water  Com- 
pany also  supplied  Gold  Hill.  Acting  under  a  sim- 
ilar charter  to  that  of  Virginia  City,  Gold  Hill  ef- 
fected an  organization  in  1863,  and  at  the  first  elec- 
tion chose  H.  H.  Flagg,  W.  H.  Matthews,  S.  H.  Rob- 
inson, G.  Douglass  and  C.  II.  Hobbs  as  Trustees.  The 
total  vote  was  503. 

Virginia  City  was  first  incorporated  under  the 
Territorial  laws  of  TTtah,  in  Februarj-,  1861,  and  on 
March  11th  following  a  set  of  ofticers  were  cho.sen  for 
one  year  as  follows:  N.  W.  Winton,  President;  L  C. 
Bateman,  Secretarj';  George  H.  Shaw,  Joseph  Scates, 
Louis  Feusier,  Trustees;  C.  P.  Robinson,  Treasurer; 
D.  Bailej',  Marshal  and  Street  Commissioner:  Joseph 
F.  Atwill,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  document 
granting  this  incorporation  was  issued  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  Utah,  and  will  be  transcribed  here  both  as 
a  curiosity  and  to  preserve  it,  as  it  is  not  known  to 
be  in  print  in  any  work.  It  will  be  found  on  pages 
576-7. 

THE    CHARTER   A.MENDED. 

After  the^organization  of  the  Territory  of  Nevada, 
the  charter  of  Virginia  City  was  amended  so  as  to 
conform  more  nearly  to  the  habits  and  customs  of 
the  citizens.  Section  8,  granting  powers  to  the 
Trustees,  the  words  "  and  ]irovide  for  licensing  bars 
at  which  spirituous  liquors  are  .sold  "  were  interlined, 
also,  "  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  also  have  power 
to  levy  and'provide  for  the  collection  of  a  license-tax  on 
all  billiard  tables  and  nine  or  ten-pin  allej-s,  kept  for 
public  use;  on  all  theatrical  performances  and  exhibi- 
tions for  money  of  ever}-  kind;  on  all  insurance  com- 
panies incorporated  under  the  laws  of  this  Territory; 
on  brokers,  dealers  in  exchange,  stocks,  gold  and 
silver  bullion;  on  all  persons  engaged  in  trading, 
merchandising,  or  delivery  in  any  kind  of  goods, 
articles  or  wares  whatsoever;  on  tavern-keepers, 
saloon  or  bar-keepers  engaged  in  selling  wines,  dis- 
tilled or  fermented  liquors,     *     *     *" 

The  authorities  of  ITtah  never  encourage  the  sale 
of  liquors,  never  permit  it  if  possible  to  prevent  it. 
Of  course  this  was  an  impossibility  from  the  very 
commencement  with  such  a  po|)ulation  as  made  up 
Virginia  City.  "  Whisky  or  death"  would  have  been 
a  rallying  cry  to  rouse  the  whole  population. 

In  August,  1862,  Virginia  City  had  a  population  of 
2,704  inhabitants,  which  was  estimated  to  exceed 
3,000  at  the  beginning  of  winter.  It  had  three 
churches,  a  Court  House,  and  several  flourishing 
schools.  The  Virginia  City  Water  ("ompany  had 
laid  pipes  through  the  greater  part  of  the  town,  sup- 
plying it  with  pure  water  from  several  tunnels,  which 
had  penetrated  Mount  Davidson  and  other  elevations 
in  the  vicinity.  A  company  was  also  formed  to  sup- 
ply the  place  with  gas,  made  from  the  Whitman  coal, 
which  was  thought  to  be  of  good  quality  for  that 
purpose.  Good  roads  were  early  constructed,  leading 
through  Gold  Hill  to  the  Carson  Hiver,  both  for  the 
transportation  of  ores  to  the  mills  and  to  receive  the 
neceeeary  supplies  of  lumber  and  provisions. 


SCALt  4-  '" 


0   a   fl   a 


(?ffau  and  S^<>kni  of  crimccxitia 

Qn>fMieA  hu  S^VifMjp^iid^sfttvmet-  in  IS60  wdiie  in  cluvt^  o|  fhe  Opfiii  '•inivw  cu 
•■initiincj  8iijnwiw._ ^r?if  ontti  4a|^ ,  <><cwic  and  wx^iiit  iticlAod,  svfu'«t>i^  a  Uae  o| 

Ai  \c  Jajt'tti  i^'  lip  vitici  ptt>|j*'ttM  {^a»iu  cvUttf  in  vnA\k  <.\ir>\^  anA   icna^ 

Drawn  h)Errtesi\\aiser,Cti>£>u)irurr  Sait.h'nuvixeApnit'ylS'  PhilIPP    OEIOESHEiMER 


i^fiv  mS'rrv^  »*^ 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


573 


PHIUPP    DEIDESHEIMER 

Is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  1832.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  he  came  to  California,  by  way  of  Cape 
Horn.  He  remained  in  the  hitter  Slate  until  18G0, 
when  he  came  to  Nevada,  and  has  since  resided  on 
the  Comstocli.  A  full  description  of  the  wonderful 
invention  of  this  gentleman  accompanies  this  notice, 
and  a  view  of  the  same  will  be  found  in  this  work. 
"Dan  De  <^uille,"  in  relation  to  the  invention,  sa^'s: — 
It  is  to  Philipp  Deidesheimer  that  the  world  is 
indebted  for  the  invention  of  that  plan  of  timbering 
mines,  known  as  timbering  in  -'square  sots." 

It  is  the  system  now  in  universal  use  on  the  Corn- 
stock,  and  that  which  must   everywhere  be  used  in 
mines  containing  bodies  of  ore  of  great  width.     But 
for  this   method   of  timbering,  it   would  have  been 
almost  impossible  to  work  the  immense  ore  bodies  of 
the  Ophir.    Gould  \-  Ciirry,  Belcher,    Crown    Point, 
Yellow  Jacket,  California,  Consolidated  Virginia,  and 
the  other  great  mines  of  Virginia  City  and  Gold  Hill. 
The  history  of  the  invention  is   as  follows:   About 
the  first  of  November,  1860,  Mr.  W.  F.  Babcock,  of 
San  Prancisco.  Agent  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship 
Company,  and  a  leading  Director  of  the  Ophir  Min- 
ing Company,  sent  to   Mr.   Deidesheimer,  who  was 
then    engaged   in    mining  operations  in   El   Dorado 
County,  California,   requesting  him  to  come  to  San 
Francisco.     When    Mr.  Deidesheimer  arrived  in  San 
Francisco,  Mr.  Babcock   asked   him  if  he  had  ever 
seen    or   worked   a    quartz   lode   over  sixty  feet  in 
width.     Mr.  Deidesheimer  said  he  had  never  seen  or 
heard  of  a  vein   of  ore  of  such  great   width.     Mr. 
Babcock   then   asked   him  if  he  could  work  such  a 
mine,  and  Mr.  Deidesheimer  said   he  could  not  toll 
what  he  could  do  until  he  bad  seen  and  studied  such 
a  vein.     Mr.  Babcock  then  said  that  up  to  that  time 
all  miners  and  mining  engineers  had  failed  to  prop- 
erly work  the  mine,  that  the  Ophir  was  a  very  val- 
uable mine,  but  unless  some  way  of  supporting  the 
ground  could  be  discovered,  it  would  bo  of  but  little 
value  to  the  owners. 

Mr.  Deidesheimer  finally  agreed  to  try  what  he 
could  do  with  the  mine,  and  was  requested  to  leave 
that  ver}-  day  for  Virginia  City.  He  arrived  at  the 
mine  about  the  eighth  of  November,  and  at  once 
began  the  investigation  of  the  difficulties  with  which 
ho  found  the  minors  contending. 

He  studied  the  situation  till  about  the  fourteenth  of 
November,  when  he  set  to  work  upon  the  problem. 
After  about  three  weeks  devoted  to  experiments 
and  studj-  ho  hit  upon  the  plan  of  building  up  square 
sets  of  timbers,  a  system  upon  which  it  has  since 
been  found  impossible  to  improve. 

Mr.  Deidesheimer  then  began  opening  up  what 
was  at  that  time  called  the  third  gallery,  a  chamber 
on  the  vein  some  215  feet  below  the  surface.  Under 
his  directions  the  carpenters  had  properly  framed  a 
great  number  of  timbers.  The  miners  were  not  a 
little  puzzled  when  these  short  pieces  of  timber  were 
taken  into  the  mine.  They  had  no  idea  of  theman- 
72 


PHOTO    By    NOE    *    LCE,  VIBQINIA,  NCV 


^^ 


^ 


J^^€^ 


nor  in  which  they  were  to  bo  used  Even  after  the 
first  row  of  the  sets  had  been  placed  in  position  they 
did  not  see  what  was  to  come  next.  However  when 
they  had  erected  upon  this  first  row  a  few  sots,  and 
had  built  u|)  sots  by  the  side  of  sols  as  well,  they 
began  to  got  the  idea  and  wore  able  to  see  that  they 
could  easily  and  safely  go  on  adding  set  to  set 
to  any  height  or  width;  in  iact,  in  any  direction  re- 
quired. 

By  building  up  and  extending  his  "square  sots  " 
as  was  required,  Mr.  D.!iiloshoiniorsuecossfull3-  sloped 
out  tho  ore  from  wall  to  wall,  tho  vein  averaging 
over  sixty-five  feet  in  width,  and  tho  ground  sup- 
ported by  the  wall  of  timber  stood  as  firmly  as  did 
the  undisturbed  sections  of  tho  mountains. 

In  the  following  February,  18G1,  the  work  had  so 
far  progressed  that  the  idea  could  readil}'  bo  grasped, 
and  tho  whole  plan  at  once  understood  bj'  all  who 
saw  it,  whether  mining  men  or  men  of  other  pro- 
fessions. All  who  examined  the  sj-stem  at  once  ac- 
knowledged that  it  was  the  only  true  way  of  sloping 
out  and  timbering  up  ore  bodies  of  great  width. 

In  that  part  of  the  vein  then  being  worked  the 
ore  was  so  soft  that  it  was  all  dug  down  with 
l)icks.     No  blasting  was  required. 

Persons  who  have  even  the  slightest  knowledge  of 
mining  can  see  that  without  A[r.  Deidesheimer's  sj's- 
tem  of  timbering  it  would  have  been  almost  impos- 
sible to  work  such  ground. 

At  Gold  Hill,  previous  to  Mr.  Deidesheimer's  inven- 
tion, they  had  experienced  great  difiiculty  in  keep- 


574 


HISTORY 'OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ing  up  the  ground  in  which  they  were  at  work,  and 
several  accidents  had  occurred.  Then  they  were 
using  round  logs.  And  to  get  as  much  ore  as  possi- 
ble out  of  one  chamber  or  gallery,  they  made  these 
about  thirty  feet  long.  We  say  "  made  "  them,  for 
the  reason  that  owing  to  the  short  growth  of  the 
timber  on  the  surrounding  hills  it  was  necessary  to 
splice  two  stieks  by  fastening  them  together  with 
iron  bolts  and  bands.  These  posts  were  set  up  close 
together  in  rows,  and  caps  some  eighteen  feet  in 
length  were  then  placed  across  the  tops  from  row 
to  row. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that,  owing  to  the  great  height  of 
these  timbers,  and  the  great  distance  between  the 
rows,  there  would  be  constant  danger  and  trouble 
from  their  being  crushed  in;  also,  one  can  see  at  a 
glance  that  after  such  a  set  of  timbers  was  in  posi- 
tion, there  was  no  way  of  placing  another  set,  either 
over  or  under  it,  ami  thus  getting  at  the  ore  above 
and  below. 

The  Gold  Hill  people  were  not  slow  to  see  the 
advantages  of  the  system  of  timbering  practiced  at 
the  Ophir  Mine,  and  at  once  adopted  it. 

The  timbers  are  so  framed  that  when  a  post  is  set 
up  there  is  a  place  on  its  top  for  the  ends  of  four  caps, 
and  when  these  are  in  position  a  mortise  is  formed 
in  which  fits  the  end  of  the  next  post.  So  of  all 
four  of  the  posts.  And  there  is  always  a  place  for 
the  caps  of  the  sets  that  arc  to  be  put  on  any  side. 
These  sets  form  cribs  of  timber  about  five  by  six 
feet  square,  and  when  completed  make  convenient 
places  in  which  to  stow  away  waste  rock,  which 
filling  in  of  refuse  rock  renders  the  whole  almost  as 
firm  as  was  the  original  material.  The  sets  are  as 
compact  as  the  cells  in  a  honeycomb,  and  like  these 
are  by  repetition  capable  of  being  extended  in  all 
directions  to  any  distance  that  may  be  required. 

There  is,  indeed,  a  striking  resemblance  in  these 
sets  of  timbers  to  the  cells  formed  by  the  honey  bee, 
the  only  difference  being  in  the  shape. 

Soon  Mr.  Dcidosheimcr's  system  of  timbering  was 
introduced  everywhere  on  the  Comstock.  It  was  a 
necessity.  The  mines  could  have  been  worked  by 
no  other  plan.  With  it  the  miners  could  safely  ex- 
tract ore  to  any  height,  or  any  width,  or  any  length, 
or  any  depth.  Without  it  they  could  do  nothing  or 
next  to  nothing. 

The  plan  must  be  used  everywhere  in  the  world 
where  an  ore  bodj'  is  over  twentj-  feet  in  width. 

When  the  officers  of  the  Ophir  Mining  Company 
saw  the  great  advantages  of  Mr.  Doidesheimer's 
plan  of  timbering— which  they  were  not  slow  to 
do — they  gave  him  full  charge  of  the  mine,  with  the 
title  of  Mining  Engineer.  This  title  and  honor  came 
to  Mr.  Deideshcimor  in  the  spring  of  18G1.  In  1862 
they  had  reached  what  was  called  the  sixth  gal- 
lery, some  560  feet  perpendicular  below  the  surface. 
All  of  this  ground,  200  feet  in  length,  G5  feet 
in  width  and  560  feet  in  depth,  had  been  stopod 
out  and  supported  by  means  of  Mr.  Deidesheimer's 


square  sets,  built  up  as  shown  in  our  illustration. 
This  great  space  was  afterwards  filled  with  waste 
rock  from  the  surface,  which  rendered  it  as  strong  as 
a  mass  of  solid  rock. 

Never  has  there  been  loss  of  life  or  property  any- 
where on  the  Comstock  through  any  defect  in  this 
system  of  timbering.  English  and  German  mining 
engineers  who  crossed  the  ocean  to  examine  the  plan 
of  timbering,  complimented  Mr.  Deidesheimer  very 
highly  upon  the  ingenuity  of  his  invention,  and 
heartily  congratulated  him  upon  the  grand  success 
it  had  proven.  They  said  it  was  the  only  perfect 
system  of  supporting  large  areas  of  grouml  by 
means  of  timbers  that  had  ever  been  invented,  and 
was  no  more  capable  of  improvement  than  were  the 
cells  of  the  honey  bee.  Xo  matter  how  hard  the 
rock  may  be,  or  how  soft,  the  "  square  sets  "  arc 
equally  efficacious. 

When  -Mr.  Deidesheimer   hit  u])on   this  invention 
he  had  an  immense  fortune  within   his  grasp.     He 
had  but  to  close  his  hands  upon  it  to  make  himself 
a   millionaire.     Unfortunately  for  himself,  but  most 
fortunately  ffor   the  mining  world,  he  neglected  to 
patent  his  invention,  which  he  could  have  done  with 
out  the  slightest  trouble  or  dissenting  voice  from  any 
part  of  the  world.     At  that  time   his   only   thought 
was  to  solve  the  great  problem  and   earn  the  ap- 
proval of  his  employers.    Also  great  cares  and  respon- 
sibilities claimed  ever}' moment  of  his  waking  hours. 
He  had  no  time  in  which  to  look  further  than  to  see 
that  his  "  square  sets  "  were  doing  all  that  was  re- 
quired of  them.     He    had  not   leisure   in   which  to 
study  out  the  full  scope  and  value  of  his  invention, 
or  to  think  how  indispensable  it  was  to  all  engaged 
in    mining   large    bodies   of  ore.     Had    he  taken  to 
himself  a  single  day,   and  made  use  of  it  in  taking 
the  steps  necessary  to  secure  a  patent,  he  might  from 
that  daj-  to  this  have  folded  his  hands  and  given  no 
thought  to  anything  further  than   the  collection  of 
the  royalty  that  would  have  been  paid  him  bj'  every 
leading  mining  company  on  the  Comstock.     As  it  is 
ho  still  has  his  fortune  to  make. 

(Signed)  W.  Wright. 

Ifom  lie  plume,  Dan  De  Quille. 

The  above  written  history  on  mj'  plan  and  system 
of  timbering  large  bodies  of  ores  by  "square  sets" 
is  true  and  correct.  ruiLiPP  Deideshelmeb. 

Virginia,  May  18,  1881. 

PUILO    KNAPP, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  but  came  to  California  in  the  year  1856, 
where  he  remained  seven  years  and  came  to  Nevada 
in  1863,  locating  at  Virginia  City,  Storey  County. 
Being  born  in  a  cold  country,  he  naturally  entered  a 
cold  business,  and  in  1864  started  the  ice  trade  in 
that  city,  furnishing  all  the  ice  used  in  the  mines  on 
the  Comstock  until  1877.  Previous  to  the  great  fire 
that  swept  through  Virginia  City  in  1875,  he  was 
extensively  engaged  in  the  ice,  soda,  also  wood  and 
coal  business  on  D  Street,  occupying  eight  buildings 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


575 


situated  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Virginia 
and  Truckee  R-iilroad  freight  buildings,  all  of  which 
were  consumed,  also  six  other  buildings  belonging 
to  him  in  other  parts  of  the  city.  Notwithstanding 
his  great  loss  he  set  immediately  to  work  and  erected 
the  fine  buildings  on  E  Street,  opposite  the  Ophir 
Works,  during  the  next  year  and  has  since  carried  on 
the  Pioneer  Soda  business.  An  illustration  of  his 
works  will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  book. 


other  callings,  he  was  saccessfui,  and  at  the  present 
time  rejoices  in  the  part  ownership  of  one  of  the 
finest  establishments  in  the  State,  and  has  done  a 
prosperous  business.  "  Curly  Bill  "  was  a  popular 
driver,  a  gonial,  whole-souled  man,  and  a  general 
favorite  with  the  travelinir  public,  and  it  is  said  that 
a  passenger  who  was  fortunate  enough  to  occupy  the 
box  seat  with  him,  when  he  held  the  reins,  considered 
it  a  streak  of  good  luck. 


PHOTO    BY    JOHN    S    HOE,    VlROlNIA,  NEV 

PVm.   Garhart. 

Or  "  Curly  Bill,"  as  he  was  called  in  early  days,  is  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  at  Reading, 
April  3,  1834.  His  youthful  days  were  passed  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  until,  at  the  ago  of  sixteen  years, 
he  came  to  California,  arriving  in  San  Francisco, 
April  3,  1850.  After  a  stay  of  six  weeks  in  the  city 
he  sought  his  fortune  in  the  mines,  and  for  one  year 
worked  in  French  Gulch,  in  Shasta  County.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  stage,  and  for  the 
succeeding  eighteen  years  followed  the  business  for 
a  livelihood,  not,  however,  as  Booth  or  Forrest,  but  on 
a  Concord  coach,  as  one  of  the  finest  rcinsmen  on 
the  Pacific  Coast.  His  first  route  was  from  Sacra- 
mento to  Nevada  City,  where  he  drove  for  five  years. 
Ho  then  drove  from  Folsom  to  Nevada  City,  by  way 
of  Auburn,  until  1858.  In  185!l  he  drove  from  Forest 
City  to  Marysvillo  and  Downievillo.  In  18H3  ho 
commenced  driving  from  Donner  Lake  to  Virginia 
City,  Nevada,  where  he  continued  until  18(59.  He 
then  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  Derby,  at  Vir- 
ginia City,  and  opened  a  livery  stable.     In  this,  asin 


PHOTO    BY    NOE    4    LCE.    VIRQINIA,  NEV 


CHA'i^Syf^'l^^ 


Charles  Williamson,  the  present  Sheriff  of  Storey 
County,  Nevada,  was  born  August  23,  a.  u.  1831, 
on  the  Islo  of  Unst,  ono  of  the  Shetland  Isles  of 
Scotland.  In  the  year  1852,  upon  reaching  his 
majority,  ho  left  his  Highland  homo  and  came  to  the 
United  States,  locating  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
at  once  engaged  in  mining,  following  the  business 
for  four  years  in  that  State.  He  then  removed  to 
Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  Illinois,  where  for  two 
years  ho  followed  the  same  occupation.  About  the 
year  185!»  he  went  to  Fulton,  Missouri,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  remaining  at  that  place  until  1SG2,  at  which 
time  he  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  locating  at  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nevada,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
homo.  Ho  once  more  engaged  in  his  old  occupation, 
and  was  a  miner  until  1878,  when  he  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  Storey  County,  which  office  he  holds  and 
creditably  fills  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Williamson 
was  married  in  1872,  to  Asenath  G.  Gay,  who  is  a 
native  of  Cornwall,  England. 


576 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


CHARTER   OF   VIRGINIA    CITT. 

Be  it  enacted  hy  the  Governor  and  Legislative  Assembly 
of  Utah. 

Section.  1.  That  the  citizens  of  Virginia  City  shall 
be  a  body  politic  and  corporate  under  t^ie  name  and 
style  Virginia  Citj%  and  by  that  name  shall  have  suc- 
cession, maj'  complain  and  defend  in  all  courts,  and 
in  all  actions  and  proceedings,  purchase,  receive  and 
hold  ])roperty,  and  sell  or  otherwise  dispose  of  the 
same  for  their  common  benefit. 

Sec.  2.  The  area  of  Virginia  City  shall  be  two  miles 
square,  and  shall  be  bounded  and  described  as  fol- 
lows: Commencing  at  a  point  one  mile  south  of  the 
quartz  mill  of  the  Mexican  Silver  Mining  Company; 
thence  east  one  mile;  thence  north  two  miles;  thence 
west  two  miles;  thence  south  two  miles;  thence  east 
one  mile. 

Sec.  3.  The  corporate  powers  and  duties  of  Vir- 
ginia City  shall  be  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees,  to 
consist  of  five  members,  who  shall  be  elected  by  the 
qualified  voters  of  Virginia  City  on  the  first  Mondaj^ 
of  March  of  each  year,  and  shall  hold  their  office  for 
one  j^ear,  and  until  their  successors  are  elected  and 
qualified. 

Sec.  4.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  assemble 
within  five  daj's  after  their  election  and  choose  a 
President  and  Clerk  from  their  number.  They  shall, 
by  ordinance,  fix  the  times  and  places  of  holding 
their  stated  meetings,  and  may  be  convened  by  the 
President  at  any  lime. 

Sec.  5.  At  all  meetings  of  the  Board  a  majority 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  shall  constitute  a  quorum  to 
do  business,  and  a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  from 
time  to  time,  and  may  compel  the  attendance  of 
absent  members  in  such  manner,  and  under  such 
penalties,  as  the  Board  previously,  by  ordinance,  may 
have  prescribed. 

Sec.  C.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  be  the  judges 
of  the  election  returns  and  qualifications  of  their  own 
members,  and  determine  contested  elections  of  all 
city  officers.  The}-  maj'  establish  rules  for  their  own 
proceedings,  punish  any  member  or  other  per.son 
for  disorderly  behavior  in  their  own  presence,  and 
with  the  vote  of  four  of  the  Trustees  expel  anj- 
member  of  the  Board.  The}'  shall  keep  a  journal  of 
their  proceedings,  and  at  the  desire  of  any  member 
shall  cause  the  j-cas  and  nays  to  be  taken  on  anj' 
question,  and  entered  in  the  journals,  and  their  pro- 
ceedings shall  be  published. 

Sec.  7.  In  case  of  a  vacancy  in  the  Board  of 
Trustees  by  resignation  or  otherwise,  the  remaining 
Trustees  shall  have  power  and  bo  required  to  fill 
such  vacant-}-  at  their  next  regular  meeting. 

Sec.  8.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  have  power 
to  make  such  ordinances  (not  inconsistent  with  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States)  and  the  laws 
of  tlio  Territor}'  as  the}-  may  deem  necessary  to  pro- 
hibit disorderly  conduct ;  construct  pumps,  aqueducts 
reservoirs  or  other  works  necessarj-  for  su|)pljMng 
the  city  daily  with  water;  to  keep  in  repair  public 
wells;  to  lay  out,  alter,  keep  open  and  repair  public 
streets  and  alleys  of  the  city;  to  provide  such  means 
as  they  may  deem  necessary  to  protect  the  city  from 
injury  by  fire;  to  levy  and  collect  annually  a  tax  on 
all  property  in  the  city  not  exceeding  one  per  cent, 
on  the  assessed  value  thereof,  except  the  mines  which 
shall  not  bo  subject  to  taxation;  to  levy  and  collect 
a  poll-tax  of  not  exceeding  one  dollar  per  annum  on 
every  male  inhabitant  of  twenty-one  years  of  age 
and  under  fifty;  and  to  pass  such  other  ordinances 


for  the  regulation  and  police  of  said  city  as  they  may 
deem  necessary. 

Sec.  9.  The  Board  of  Trustees  may  cause  to  bo 
erected  at  Virginia  City  a  city  jail,  and  the  Recorder 
may  impose  penalties  of  fines  and  imprisonment  in 
the  city  jail  for  such  times  as  he  shall  prescribe  for 
the  breach  of  and  not  inconsistent  with  the  ordinances 
of  said  city.  All  fines  collected  in  pursuance  of  this 
Act  shall  by  the  executive  officer  collecting  the  same 
be  paid  over  to  the  treasury  of  the  city. 

Sec.  10.  The  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  precinct 
in  which  Virtjinia  City  is  located  shall  be  ex  officio 
Recorder  of  Virginia  City  and  shall  have  jurisdic- 
tion of  all  offences  against  the  ordinances  of  said 
city.  The  fees  of  tho  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  said 
city  shall  be  such  as  shall  be  established  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall 
have  power  to  create  such  other  offices  as  they  may 
deem  necessary  and  to  fill  the  same  by  ajipointmcnt; 
to  ])rovide  their  duties  and  fix  their  compensation; 
to  fix  bonds  for  the  faithful  performances  of  their 
duties  and  to  remove  them  from  office  at  pleasure. 

Sec.  11.  The  Justiceof  the  J'eace  of  Virginia  City 
shall  have  power  to  sentence  anj'  person  convicted  of 
offences  under  the  statutes  of  the  Territory  of  Utah, 
to  imprisonment  in  the  city  jail  as  provided  for  by  law 
for  imprisonment  in  the  county  jail,  and  all  fines  for 
offences  within  the  jurisdiction  of  said  Justice  im- 
posed by  the  statutes  of  Utah  shall,  when  collected, 
be  paid  into  the  City    Treasury. 

Sec.  12.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  have  power 
to  make  such  laws  for  the  assessment  and  collection 
of  taxes  as  they  may  deem  expedient,  and  may  pro- 
vide that  the  property  of  all  delinquent  tax-payers 
be  sold  for  taxes  at  such  time  and  in  such  manner  as 
the  Board  of  Trustees  by  ordinance  shall  direct,  and 
such  tax  deed  made  under  a  sale  in  pursuance  of  an 
ordinance  of  said  Board  of  Trustees,  shall  be  prima 
facie  evidence  of  title  to  real  property,  and  in  a  sale 
of  personal  property  the  delivery  of  possession  by 
the  proper  officer  shall  pass  title  to  tho  purchaser. 

Sec.  13.  All  officers  of  tho  cit}',  before  entering 
upon  the  duties  of  their  office,  shall  take  tho  oath  of 
office  and  give  bonds  to  the  inhabitants  of  Virginia 
City. 

Sec.  14.  The  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
shall,  on  the  first  day  of  March  and  September  of 
each  year,  make  out  a  full  and  correct  statement 
of  all  moneys  received  and  expended  daring  the  next 
six  months  preceding,  and  shall  cause  such  statement 
within  ten  days  thereafter,  to  be  jmblished  in  some 
newspaper  published  in  tho  city,  or  posted  in  three 
public  places  in  tho  cit}'.  For  any  neglect  of  duty 
or  to  comply  with  this  section,  ho  shall  forfeit  tho 
sum  of  ?100,  to  bo  recovered  with  costs  in  any  court 
of  competent  jurisdiction  to  tho  use  of  the  city. 

Sec.  15.  The  Board  of  Trustees  shall  cause  to  bo 
)iublished  in  some  newspaper  |)ublislied  in  Carson 
County  all  ordinances  of  the  city  at  least  two  weeks 
before  said  oniinances  shall  be  carried  into  effect. 

Sec.  10.  Should  any  of  the  Trustees,  or  any  other 
city  officer  remove  from  the  city,  or  absent  himself 
therefrom  more  than  thirty  days  without  leave  of 
the  Board,  or  neglect  to  qualify  within  ten  days  after 
receiving  notice  of  his  election,  or,  if  bond  is  ro- 
([uired  of  him,  neglect  for  the  said  time  to  give  said 
bond,  his  office  shall  thereby  be  vacated. 

Sec.  17.  Charles  L.  Strong.  John  Ricketon,  John 
A.  Collins,  T.  J.  Andrews  and  A.  E.  Bead,  or  any 
three  of  them,  are  authorizeil  and  required  to  give 
not  less  than  four  days'  notice  of  an  election  on  the 
second  Monday  of  March,  one  thousand  eight  hun- 


p.  Knapp  &  Co. 

OtPOT     VIRGINIA     ICE     CO.      -"'      PIONEER      SODA     WORKS. 


<  •'^ 


1L. 


;-A     "M'Pr'pjl^Tt"" 


RESIDENCEo'    B.    F.    LEETE, 
RCNO,  WASHOE  C  NEV. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


577 


dred  and  sixty-one,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  may  be, 
for  the  election  of  city  officers  provided  for  in  this 
Act;  they  shall  also  appoint  the  Judge  to  act  at  said 
election.  The  said  Judi^es  shall  nive  certificates  of 
election  to  the  five  persons  having  the  highest  num- 
ber of  votes  for  Trustees. 

Sec.  18.  The  Board  of  Trustees  of  Virginia  City 
shall  not  contract  any  liabilities,  either  by  borrow- 
ing money,  loaning  the  credit  of  the  city,  or  contract- 
ing debts  which,  singly  or  in  the  aggregate,  shall 
exceed  the  sum  of  88,000,  and  the  Trustees  shall 
issue  scrip  not  exceeding  this  amount  when  they 
shall  deem  necessary  for  the  construction  of  a  city 
jail  or  for  current  expenses  of  the  city  government. 

Sec.  19.  Any  person  shall  be  qualified  to  vote 
and  hold  an  office  in  Virginia  City  who  is  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States,  and  is  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
said  city  for  thirty  days. 

Daniel  II.  Wells, 
President  of  the  Council. 
John  Taylor, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Approved  January  18,  18C1. 

A.  Cdmmino, 
Governor  of  Utah  Territory. 

I,  Francis  Wootton,  Secretary  of  the  Territory  of 

Utah,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  is  a  true 
copy  of  an  Act  to  Incorporate  Virginia  City,  the 
original  of  which  is  now  on  file  in  this  office.  In 
testimony  whereof  I  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  affix 
the  seal  of  the  Territory  of  Utah.  Done  at  Great 
Salt  Lake  Citj%  Utah  Territory,  on  the  second  of 
February,  a.  d.  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  six- 
ty-one. Francis  H.  Wootton, 
[seal.]                               Secretary  of  Utah  Territory. 

EVENTS   OF   THE    YEAR    1863. 

The  county  and  town  governments  had  gone  into 
operation.  The  proper  courts  had  been  established 
and  peace  and  prosperity  seemed  well  assured.  The 
towns  of  Virginia  City,  Gold  Hill  and  American  Flat 
were  lively  places  whetein  all  kinds  of  industry  as 
well  as  vice  flourished. 

The  Washoe  Stock  and  Exchange  Board  was 
organized  March  G,  18G3,  with  A.  C.  Wightman,  Presi- 
dent; Jackson  McKinstry,  Vice-President;  John  Mc- 
Carthy, Secretary;  W.  R.  Scribner,  Treasurer. 

After  the  organization  was  completed  the  Board 
adjourned  to  have  a  champagne  supper,  Mark  Twain 
happened  to  be  in  town  and  reports  the  baptismal 
ceremonies  as  follows: — 

By  a  sort  of  instinct  we  happened  in  at  Almack's 
just  at  the  moment  that  the  corks  were  about  to  pop, 
and  discovering  that  wo  had  intruded  we  were 
retreating  when  Daggett,  the  soulless,  insisted  upon 

our  getting with  the  Board  of  Brokers,  and  we 

very  naturally  did  so.  The  President  had  already 
been  toasted,  the  Vice-President  had  likewise  been 
complimented  in  the  same  manner.  Mr.  Mitchel 
had  delivered  an  address  through  his  unsolicited 
mouth-piece,  Mr.  Daggett,  whom  he  likened  unto 
Baalam's  ass — and  very  a])tly  loo — and  the  press  had 
been  toasted,  and  he  had  attempted  to  respond  and 
got  overcome  by  something — feelings  jjerhaps — when 
that  everlasting,  omnipresent,  irrepressible,  "Unre- 
liable" crowded  himself  into  the  festive  apartment, 
where  ho  shed  a  gloom  upon  the  Board  of  Brokers, 


and  emptied  their  glasses  while  they  made  speeches. 
The  imperturbable  impudence  of  that  iceberg  sur- 
passes anj-thing  we  ever  saw.  By  a  concerted  move- 
ment the  young  man  was  partially  put  down  at  length, 
however,  and  the  Board  launched  out  into  speech- 
making  again,  but  finally  somebody  put  u])five  feet 
of  "  Texas,"  which  changed  hands  at  eight  dollars  a 
foot,  and  from  that  they  branched  otl'  into  a  whole- 
sale bartering  of  •'  wildcat" — for  their  natures  were 
aroused  by  the  first  smell  of  blood  of  course — and  we 
adjourned  to  make  this  report.  The  Board  will 
begin  its  regular  meetings  Monday  next. 

We  find  about  this  time  an  obscure  entrj-  in  the 
police  records  that  Jack  Perry,  the  City  Marshal, 
corraled  the  Stock  Board  of  Virginia.  Whether 
the  entry  refers  to  the  orgies  of  this  evening  the 
editor  is  unable  to  say,  and  must  again  leave  the 
reader  to  judge  the  necessity  of  corraling  them,  as 
well  as  of  the  fact. 

Some  laughable  accounts  of  the  humorous  man- 
ner in  which  Sherifl'  iloward  occasionally'  discharged 
his  official  duties  gained  him  great  notoriety  in  the 
county.    The  following  are  related  of  him  for  facts: — 

He  once  summoned  a  jury  of  squint-eyed  men,  and 
the  lawyers  were  nearly  crazed  in  trying  to  get  the 
attention  of  the  jurors.  The  next  time  be  summoned 
the  fattest  men  in  the  county,  and  the  jury-box  was 
running  over  with  oleaginous  matter  for  the  whole 
week.  The  next  the  thinnest  men  were  in  the  jury- 
box  that  could  be  found.  It  is  said  the  Sheritl'  had 
also  planned  to  summons  the  ugliest  men  for  another 
session;  also  the  handsomest,  which  raised  such 
curiosity  that  the  court  had  to  interfere,  as  the 
crowds  coming  to  see  the  show  would  seriously  inter- 
rupt business.  Sheriff  Howard  summoned  the  fol- 
lowing tall  men: — 

HEIGHT. 
NAME.  PEF.T.    INCUE3. 

H.  G.  Blaisdel G  5 

O.  P.  McCalmont 6  4i 

J.  B.  Chinn 6  4* 

John  N.  Crans G  2} 

L.  Eawlings t>  2 J 

Samuel  Doake G  Ij 

Samuel  A.  Chapin  .  .  G  1| 

J.  M.  .Merrill G  U 

D.  Bailey 6  1 

Joe  Clark G  } 

Thomas  Taj-lor G  \ 

William  McCoy 5  11} 

S.  B.  Bloomfield 5  llj 

WilliamWelch 5  Hi 

Cornelius  Finley 5  11 

H.  M.  Vessoy 5  10 

Those  who  ascribe  greatness  of  soul  to  those  who 
have  large  bodies  will  find  an  argument  in  the  liberal 
character  of  this  jury,  for  they  donated  the  scrip  to 
which  they  were  entitled  to  the  Ladies'  Relief  Society 
of  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  City.  The  first  of  the  list 
was  afterwards  Governor  of  Nevada,  and  many  of 
the  others  achieved  distinction.  The  long  jury  is 
still  remembered  by  many  of  the  citizens  of  Storey 
County. 

Virginia  City  was  lighted  with  gas  for  the  first 


578 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


time  November  12, 1863,  and  the  principal  stores  and 
hotels  were  illuminated. 

In  this  year,  too.  the  citizens  of  the  whole  State 
were  made  glad  bj-  the  arrival  of  a  through  over- 
land mail.  Those  who  now  are  accustomed  to  read 
the  news  from  the  Eastern  States  at  the  hour  at 
which  it  transpires,  can  form  little  idea  of  the 
pleasure  with  which  the  gold  and  silver  hunters  of 
those  days  read  the  news  of  twenty  days  previous, 
or  how  they  began  to  feel  themselves  coming  once 
more  into  the  light  of  civilization. 

The  Fire  Department  of  Virginia  City  was  or- 
ganized and  quite  early  put  on  an  efficient  basis. 
The  system  had  not  gradual!}-  grown  into  existence 
as  in  some  of  the  older  eastern  towns  which  in  the 
course  of  a  century  of  experience  had  arrived  at  an 
efficient  working  condition.  Many  of  the  members 
had  been  members  of  fire  companies  and  had  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  value  of  decision  and  energy  requi- 
site to  conquer  a  fire  where  the  combustible  nature 
of  the  materials  and  the  fierce  winds  rendered  a  fire 
nearly  uncontrollable  when  once  under  waj'. 

The  Fire  Department  was  organized  as  early  as 
March  4,  18G1.  In  18()2,  the  officers  were:  John 
V.  B.  Perry,  President;  Samuel  E.  Wetherell,  Vice- 
President;  \V.  H.  Barstow,  Treasurer;  Peter  Lar- 
kin,  Chief  Engineer;  John  Cullen,  Fir.«t  Assistant; 
M.  R.  Williams,  Second  Assistant. 

There  were  two  engine  and  one  hook  and  ladder 
companies  with  nearly  two  hundred  members,  most  of 
whom  were  property  holders  and,  as  such,  personally 
interested  in  the  efficiency  of  their  respective  com- 
panies. 

The  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Sons  of  Temper- 
ance as  well  as  the  C'hurches  were  early  organized 
and  acted  an  efficient  part  in  controlling  the  turbu- 
lent elements  in  society  and  introducing  the  ameni- 
ties of  civilized  life. 

In  18G2  the  Masons  had  two  working  Lodges,  the 
Odd  I'^ellows  two,  and  the  Sons  of  Temperance  one, 
in  Virginia  City.  In  other  portions  of  the  county 
they  also  had  strong  working  organizations.  It  is 
impossible  to  estimate  the  value  of  these  societies  in 
assisting  to  bring  such  an  energetic,  restless  and,  to 
some  extent,  reckless  population  under  social  and 
political  restraint.  The  man  who  joins  any  eocietj- 
acting  under  regular  rules  and  learns  to  listen  with 
deference  to  opinions  differing  from  his  own  is  un- 
consciously becoming  a  better  citizen. 

Education  was  not  forgotten.  The  presence  of  a 
child  almost  called  forth  a  donation  for  a  school. 
No  matter  how  devoted  to  business  or  how  depraved 
a  man  may  be,  the  innocent  face  of  childhood  will 
call  up  memories  of  youthful  years,  and  bring  with 
it  a  desire  to  benefit  the  little  one  and,  j)erhap8,  save 
it  from  the  scathing,  self-consuming  fire  of  a  life  sim- 
ilar to  his  own.  A  school  was  established  in  Gold 
Hill  in  1862,  and  continued  through  the  months  of 
May,  Juno,  and  July,  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Gaston  bein;;  the 
teacher,  at  a  salary  of  $100  per  month.     The  i. um- 


ber of  pupils  was  fourteen.  The  Trustees  were  C 
H.  Hobbs,  C.  H.  Deland,  and  E.  R.  Barnes.  Judge 
S.  A.  Kellogg  acted  as  examiner.  The  following 
3-ear  Jlrs.  Sue  H.  Summers  taught  eight  months  with 
a  salarj-  of  SI 25.  per  month.  A  school  was  also 
opened  at  American  Flat  by  Miss  Ida  Tuttle.  From 
this  time  forward  schools  were  on  a  firm  basis.  For 
History  of  Schools  see  Chapter  XXXI. 

The  year  1863  may  safely  be  put  down  as  a  3-ear  of 
marked  progress  in  Storey  County.  During  that 
year  new  buildings,  of  a  substantial  character,  were 
erected;  the  prices  of  goods,  in  consequence  of 
increased  freighting  facilities,  were  more  reasonable; 
the  promising  condition  of  the  mines  created  a  good 
demand  for  labor;  stage  and  fast  freight  lines  were 
established  in  all  directions,  and  everything  gave  evi- 
dence of  increasing  prosperity.  The  countj-  debt 
was  less  than  825,000,  and  the  ])opulation  rapidly 
increasing.  The  approach  of  winter  now,  did  not, 
as  formerlj',  herald  destitution  and  suffering.  The 
shipments  of  bullion,  from  (iold  Hill  alone, 
amounted  to  $1,156,121.  The  Water  Company's 
receipts  for  the  last  half  of  the  year  were  847,386. 
Expenditures,  81."), (Hd. 

Though  there  was  much  of  the  southern  element 
in  the  State,  the  Union  feeling  predominated.  A 
tall  staft',  with  a  flag  thirty  feet  long,  was  erected  on 
Mount  Davidson,  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 
Some  of  the  speakers  pledged  Nevada  to  raise  bullion 
enough  to  pay  lor  putting  down  the  Rebellion. 

RIVAL    AND    AMBITIOUS    TOWNS. 

Whether  because  the  principles  of  secession  or  con- 
solidation, disintegration  or  union  were  frequently 
discussed,  or  whether  any  natural  and  constitutional 
causes,  such  as  a  radical  difference  in  race  or  in  civil- 
ization aroused  unconquerable  antipathies,  or  whether 
some  political  aspirants  who  Vere  out  of  office  wanted 
offices  created  for  them,  or  whether  some  ambitious 
persons  who  held  office  wanted  to  swell  their  per- 
quisites a  little  more,  there  was  a  serious  disturbance 
about  the  county  and  municipal  lines,  "  about  this 
time,"  as  the  almanac  makers  say. 

The  ball  was  opened  bj-  the  introduction  of  a  bill 
into  the  Legislature  to  consolidate  into  one  munici- 
pal government  all  the  towns  of  the  county.  As  Vir- 
ginia City  was  practically  the  county  it  would  virtu- 
ally have  the  effect  of  being  ruled  by  that  city.  To 
this  Gold  [lill  seriously  objected.  It  was  enough  to 
support  the  county  officers;  to  see  them  serenely 
enjoying  the  use  of  the  money  drawn  from  them  by 
county  iaxes,  but  to  be  obliged  to  pay  for  Virginia 
sidewalks,  Virginia  gas-lights,  Virginia  sewers,  and 
for  Virginia  debts  and  Virginia  rascalities  generally, 
they  would  not,  could  not  agree  to,  and  the  opposi- 
tion became  so  fierce  that  the  bill  was  dropped  in 
compliance  with  an  almost  universal  protest  of  the 
Gold  Hillers. 

Having  felt  their  power  in  a  fight,  the  citizens  of 
Gold  Hill  now  resolved  to  establish  a  municipal  gov- 
ernment of  their  own,  and  a  bill  was  introduced  to 


1 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


gr9 


incorporate  that  burgh  into  a  city  and  create  a  set  of 
municipal  officers.  But  American  t'lal  now  inter- 
posed. Were  they  to  be  made  to  support  in  lazy 
dignity  the  tTold  Hill  swells;  so  Gold  Hill  was  incor- 
porated with  American  Flat  left  out,  leaving  a  great 
want  of  harmony  in  the  lines  of  the  new  city. 

Having  tasted  the  pleasure  of  authority,  the  Gold 
Ilillers  now  proposed  to  cut  loose  from  Virginia 
Citj-  cntirel}-  and  have  a  county  of  their  own,  and 
had  a  bill  introduced  into  the  Legislature  of  1804-65 
to  that  effect.  This  was  "  carrying  the  war  into 
Africa,"  and  Virginia  City  was  put  on  the  defense,  the 
Territorial  Enterprise  taking  up  the  cudgels  with  a 
terrible  vim.     Storej- County,  shorn  of  Gold  Hill  and 

American  Flat,  would  not  be  worth  a forotHcers. 

Gold  Hill  retorted  that  the  Virginia  sports  and 
gamblers  governed  the  countj-  and  were  |)luiiging 
everything  in  ruin;  piling  up  a  huge  debt  for  ttold 
Hill  to  paj-.  The  project  failed,  and  county  affairs 
went  on  in  the  old  way. 

Among  the  many  changes  proposed  by  the  people 
of  Virginia  Citj',  who  seemed  to  have  some  of  the 
ambitious  character  of  their  namesake,  the  mother  of 
Presidents,  was  a  plan  to  remove  the  Capital  to  Sto- 
rey Countj\  In  this  matter  they  were  generous, 
and  were  willing  it  should  be  located  at  American 
Flat,  850,000  being  subscribed  for  erecting  suitable 
buildings.  They  urged  the  matter  with  much  zeal, 
and  created  considerable  alarm  in  other  parts  of  the 
State  by  their  efforts,  but  Lyon  County  putting  in  a 
claim,  and  the  Ormsby  County  authorities  becoming 
more  reasonable  in  their  demands  for  rent,  the  pro- 
ject was  abandoned. 

COL.    R.    II.    TAYLOR 

Was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  August  17,  1822. 
After  finishing  his  studies  in  the  schools  he  entered 
the  law  office  of  his  father  and  read  law  until  1840, 
when  he  came  to  California.  In  1850  he  located  in 
Marysville,  Yuba  County,  and  started  the  ^lar^-sville 
llerall,  the  first  newspaper  published  in  that  town. 
The  date  of  the  first  issue  was  August  (i,  1S50.  The 
history  of  Yuba  County,  published  in  1879,  in  speak- 
ing of  this  paper  says:  "  It  presented  an  extremely 
neat  ap])earance.  Its  editorials  were  spicy  and 
showed  ability.  The  impossibility  of  procuring  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  white  paper  compelled  the  pub- 
lisher to  rrcf|uentl\-  print  the  issue  upon  brown  paper, 
or  as  the  editor  remarked,  'do  it  up  brown.'"  In 
1853  he  sold  his  paper  and  business  and  went  to 
Downieville,  where  in  1850  he  was  elected  District 
Judge  of  the  Seventeenth  Judicial  District,  composed 
of  Sierra  and  Plumas  Counties.  In  .June.  18(')2,  he 
resigned  the  office  and  resumed  the  ])ructice  of  law. 
which  profe.ision  he  has  since  followed.  He  came  to 
Virginia  City,  Nevada,  in  March,  1863,  and  in  1868, 
was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Supreme  Judge. 
Until  1872  he  had  al\va3-s  been  a  Democrat,  but  the 
nomination  of  Horace  Greeley  was  something  he 
could  not  indorse  and  he  came  out  for  Grant.     Be 


PHOTO    BY  JOHN  8.  NOE.  VIRGINIA.  NCV. 


coming  at  that  time  convinced  of  the  truth  and  jus- 
tice of  Republican  principles  he  has  done  good  work 
for  that  party  at  every  election  since  then.  Ho  was 
on  the  Republican  electoral  ticket  in  1880.  lie  has 
been  twice  elected  President  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
Pioneers  of  Nevada,  and  was  the  first  Noble  Grand 
of  the  first  lodge  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows on  this  coast,  in  which  office  he  was  installed 
September  0,  1840,  which  was  one  year  to  a  day 
before  the  admission  of  the  State  of  California  into 
the  Union.  He  was  married  to  .Miss  Emily  M.  Kav- 
anah,  in  New  York  City  in  1842,  who  died  in  San 
Francisco,  California,  in  September,  1849.  In  1854 
he  was  married,  in  Downieville  California,  to  MisB 
Mary  J.  Leahigh. 

.JOSEPH    E.    m'D0N.\LD 

Is  a  native  of  Canada,  born  in  the  town  of  Hillier, 
April  28,  1846.  His  boj'hood  days  were  passed  on 
Canadian  soil.  His  education  was  principally  re- 
ceived at  the  town  of  Pictou,  where  he  continued  his 
studies  until  he  reached  his  seventeenth  year.  His 
facilities  for  obtaining  an  education  in  the  higher 
brunches  wore  not  of  the  best,  but  during;  his  school 
days  he  improved  "  the  shining  hours."  and  accumu- 
lated more  useful  knowledge  than  many  who  re- 
mained in  school  years  after  he  was  obliged  to  relin- 
quish his  studies.  As  youth  ripened  into  manhood 
he  sought  wider  fields  wherein  to  search  for  the  fort 


580 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA, 


1 


PHOTO    ev    JOHN    S    not.   VIRQINIA.    NCV 


f^^^^W^-^^ 


t^-r^ 


uno  ho  fully  believed  laid  in  store  for  him,  and  in 
18G3  came  to  ^Nevada,  and  located  in  Yirsrinia  City 
where  he  engaged  in  mining,  and  soon  after  forsook 
that  occupation  and  entered  the  wood  and  coal  busi- 
ness. In  this  he  was  successful,  and  not  forgetting 
tis  parents,  living  away  back  in  the  land  where  he 
"first  beheld  the  light,"  ho  returned  to  them  in  1875, 
and  from  his  accumulated  wealth  bought  a  home  and 
placed  them  therein,  that  their  declining  years  might 
be  passed  in  peace  and  quiet.  For  this  act  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald deserves  the  res])ect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
men.  It  is  an  example  that  might  be  followed  by 
thousands  of  our  young  men,  had  thej'  the  ambition 
and  filial  atlection  reposed  in  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  He  returned  to  Nevada  during  the  same 
year,  and  in  1878  was  nominated  and  elected  to  the 
responsible  position  of  County  Clerk  of  Storey 
County,  by  the  licpublican  part}-,  an  office  he  filled 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents  and  the 
people  generally.  In  1880  ho  was  nominated  for  the 
same  office  and  without  doubt  would  have  gained  an 
easy  victory,  but  for  reasons  best  known  to  himself 
withdrew  his  name,  declining  to  run  for  the  office 
again.  His  principles  are  not  altered  in  the  least, 
and  he  is  to-day  asHtauiich  a  Republican  as  ever,  and 
will  cast  bis  vote  with  that  party  as  long  as  he  is  sat- 
isfied that  it  is  in  the  right. 

lie  was  married  in    1875  to  Miss  Lizzie  Virginia 
Crosby,  of  San  Jose,  California. 


POLITICAL    EXCITEMENT. 

In  Gold  Hill  the  election  of  Trustees,  under  the 
late  Act  of  incorporation,  occurred  June  6,  1864,  and 
resulted  in  the  success  of  the  Citizens' Ticket  by  186 
majority.  C.  S.  Coover,  S.  H.  Eobinson,  H.  C. 
Blaiichard,  Moses  Korn,  and  G.  W.  Aylsworth  were 
the  successful  candidates.  Great  excitement  pro- 
vailed.  Twenty-one  double  votes,  found  in  the  bal- 
lot-box. were  rejcclod.  One  side  charged  fraud, 
while  the  other  claimed  the  result  as  the  "  triumjjh  of 
law  and  order." 

The  whole  political  struggle  culminated  in  the 
November  election.  The  pride  of  being  one  of  the 
galaxy  of  States,  of  having  a  voice  in  the  selection 
of  a  President,  brought  out  a  full  vote.  The  Repub- 
licans buried  their  dissensions  to  unite  against  the 
common  enemy.  The  Democrats,  encouraged  by 
their  partial  successof  September  7th,  were  confident 
and  noisy.  As  might  have  been  expected,  hard 
words  were  succeeded  by  hard  blows  and,  in 
instances,  by  the  use  of  fire-arms  and  knives,  with- 
out any  fatal  results  in  the  county  however,  and, 
when  the  decision  was  rendered,  all  bowed  in  submis- 
sion to  the  popular  verdict.  The  average  majority 
of  the  Republican  Ticket  in  the  county  was  some- 
thing over  800. 

Some  amusing  wagers  were  made  which  served  to 
dull  the  edge  of  the  strife,  and  help  to  renew  good 
feeling  after  the  election  was  over.  L.  D.  Noyes 
agi'eed  to  saw  a  cord  of  mountain  mahogany  wood, 
in  a  public  hall,  if  McClellan  was  elected  President, 
provided,  J.  C.  Benson  would  do  the  same  if  Lincoln 
was  elected.  A  committee  from  Virginia  City,  Gold 
Hill,  DajHon,  Silver  City  and  Carson  were  to  see 
that  "  all  things  were  done  decently  and  in  order." 
The  wood  when  sawed  was  to  be  sold  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Sanitary  Fund. 

The  ladies  of  Gold  Hill  gave  an  entertainment, 
during  the  election  season,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Sanitary  Fund,  which  resulled  in  raising  S3. 080. 
The  donations  added  to  the  fund,  during  the  thirty 
daj-s  succeeding  the  election,  raised  the  amount,  so 
that  the  whole  fund  was  e(|ual  to  $10.30  for  each 
voter  in  the  place. 

PRIVATE   AND    PUBLIC    EXTRAVAOANCE. 

"  Every  man  for  himself  and  th^  Devil  take  the 
hindmost"  seemed  to  have  been  the  general  motto 
up  to  the  year  18()5,  and  if  there  was  any  reform  in 
subsequent  j-cars  it  was  not  rapid  enough  to  shock 
the  ordinaiy  mind.  Those  of  our  readers  who  are 
familiar  with  the  early  history  of  San  Francisco, 
Sacramento,  Piacervillo,  ^lokehimne  Hill  or  Sonora 
will  recogni7,e  the  jiicture  as  one  common  to  all  new 
mining  towns,  and  the  accumulation  of  sudden  wealth 
by  those  who  have  been  ])oor.  (iold  intoxicates,  not 
like  whisky,  but  like  nothing  else.  It  is  said  that 
some  of  those  who  discovered  the  enormous  de- 
jiosits  in  Hallarat,  in  Australia,  had  their  horses  shod 
with  shoes  made  of  gold.     Though   this  form  of  ex- 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


581 


travagancc  did  not  prevail  in  CuiiCoi'nia  or  Nevada, 
Eomo  other  equally  as  absurd  did.  Man  is  much  tbo 
same  animal  everywhere,  whether  in  the  oil  regions 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  mines  of  Colorado,  thcbonanzas 
of  Nevada  or  the  placers  of  California. 

The  reports  of  the  finances  of  the  municipal  gov- 
ernment in  future  years  will  be  no  less  astonishing 
than  the  bonanzas.  The  following  is  vouched  for  by 
the  editor  of  the  Gold  Hill  News,  Alf.  Doten,  who 
was  a  "  part  of  the  history  "  and  the  statements  may 
be  relied  upon  as  substantiallj'  correct: — 

The  debt  of  Virginia  City  in  1SG5  was  as  follows: 

Scrip  bearing  interest  at 

5  and  6  per  cent,  per  month $29,467  34 

3  and  3A  percent,  per  month 15,582  62 

4  per  cent,  per  month    8,050  00 

2  ))er  cent,  per  month  ) 

12  per  cent,  per  annum  ) 78  294  28 

K.inds 48.000  00 

Accumulated  interest 45,462  86 

As  this  estimate  was  made  after  the 
annual  paj-nients  had  been  made  and 
showing  the  .•■maliest  amount  of  debt  at 
anv  ]iortion  of  the  vear  we  may  add  pay- 

mJnt  of .- 20.980  68 

Making   the  sum  total  for  the  earlier 

part  of  the  year  as §254,837  78 

The  12  per  cent,  bonds  were  worth  in  the  market 
forty-five  cents  on  the  dollar;  the  scrip  twenty  to 
forty  five  cents. 

Tliccount}-  finances  were  not  less  astounding. 

The  county  debt  in  1863  was 8  10.897  43 

The  county  debt  in  1864  was 194  099  51 

The  county  debt  in  1865  was 280,579  76 

If  we  add  to  the  l.'ist   amount  the 

warrants  redeemed  for  1865 46,495  36 

The  amount  of  the  debt  the  earlier 

part  of  the  j'car  would  be 8327,075  12 

What  this  debt  was  for  can  hardly  bo  imagined  as 
there  were  no  county  buildings  except,  perhaps,  a 
hospital. 

The  indebtedness  December  1st  was  as  follows: — 

First  class   indebtedness $100,069  28 

Second  class  indebtedness 174,510  48 

Total 8280,579  76 

The  firstsum  was  contracted  prior  to  July  25, 1864. 

TH0.M.\S    MOSES 

Was  born  in  Wolcottville,  Connecticut,  June  2,  1834. 
When  two  j-ears  old  ho  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Auburn,  New  York;  thence  to  Litchfield,  Ohio,  in 
1842;  thence  to  Wisconsin  in  1851;  one  year  later  he 
removed  to  Illinois.  In  1853,  ho  emigrated  to  Ore- 
gon, crossing  the  plains.  The  next  year  found  bim 
in  (California;  and  in  1855  ho  returned  to  the  I'^asl, 
and  followed  farming  in  Wisconsin  until  1858.  In 
the  spring  of  1859  he  went,  as  wagon  master  for  a 
government  train,  to  Fort  Yuma.  Cilifmnia.  Ho 
returned  to  Wisconsin  the  same  year,  and  in  1800  ho 
went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  settled  in  Clear  Creek 
County.  In  1861  he  went  as  ])ack-masler  for  W.  H. 
Kussell,  for  the  i)urposo  of  looking  out  a  stage-road 
from  Denver,  Colorado,  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
73 


PHOTO    BY    JOHN    S    NOE.    VIRGINIA,    NEV 


In  1861,  in  the  full,  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Clear 
Creek  County,  Colorado,  under  the  Territorial  organ- 
ization. The  War  of  the  Rebellion  being  well  under 
way  at  this  time,  he  joined  the  army,  receiving  a 
Lieutenant's  commission,  and  was  recruiting  oflicer 
for  the  Third  Colorado  Infantry.  In  1863  he  was 
promoted  to  a  Captaincj-,  and  served  with  distinc- 
tion in  the  Department  of  Missouri.  After  serving 
four  years  Captain  Moses  was  mustered  out  of  ser%-- 
ice  with  his  regiment.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  1865, 
ho  became  a  member  of  tho  firm  of  J.  W.  Bloom- 
field  it  Co.,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  ami  went  to  Santa 
Fe,  Now  Mexico,  in  tho  interest  of  the  firm;  he  also 
made  trips  in  other  directions  for  tho  firm,  until  in 
the  spring  of  1867  ho  went  to  Kansas,  and  was 
appointed  sutler  at  Fort  Wallac.  In  1869  we  find 
him  a  contractor  in  Colorado,  on  tho  Kansas  Pacific 
IJailroad.  In  1871  ho  again  crossed  the  ])lains  to  tho 
Pacific  Coast,  and  located  in  Seattle,  Washington 
Territory,  where  he  kept  a  hotel.  In  1872  ho  was 
one  of  tho  surveyors  for  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road Contpuny.  Ver^'  few  men  have  traveled  as 
much  as  tho  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  alter  an 
eventful  life  ho  settled  in  Virginia  City,  Storey 
Count}-,  Nevada,  in  1873,  where  he  has  sinco  resided. 
In  1S7(!  ho  was  elected  as  Justice  of  tho  Peoco,  and 
ro-olected  in  1878. 


582 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


^ 


PHOTO    BY   NOC   A   LEE,  VIRQiNIA.  NEV 


'gp'z-*^^ 


■^ 


-<.  Cl/^^ 


Charles  Forman,  one  of  the  olfiost  and  most  prac- 
tical raining  Huperintendents  on  the  Comstocif,  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Tioga  County, 
New  York,  in  January,  ISri").  His  education  was 
received  at  Owego.  At  the  cixvXy  ago  of  eighteen 
years  he  left  his  home  and  emigrated  to  California, 
reaching  Sacramento  in  1853,  where  for  four  years  he 
was  box  clerk  and  cashier  of  the  post-oflico  at  that 
place.  Subsequently  he  received  the  appointment  as 
Deput}- Sccrctar}' of  State.  During  18G0  Mr.  For- 
man came  to  Virginia  City  to  examine  the  mining 
interests  of  that  place,  and  was  offered,  and  accepted 
a  position  in  the  express  office  of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co., 
with  whom  he  remained  about  one  year.  After 
which  date  he  devoted  his  time  wholly  to  mining  at 
Gold  Hill,  having  the  superintendcncy  of  the  Kdipse 
Mill  and  Mining  (Jompanj-,  which  position  ho  filled 
until  18()7.  During  this  time,  however,  he  superin- 
tended the  Bacon  .Mill  and  Mining  Companj",  Piute 
Mill  and  Mining  Company,  and  the  Confidence  Min- 
ing (/Onipanj',  also  the  Vivian  Mill.  In  1S70  he 
went  to  Piocho,  Lincoln  County,  as  General  Sujierin- 
tendent  of  the  Meadow  Valley  Mining  Company, 
where  ho  romaiaed  o&ly  about  ton  months.     The  fol- 


lowing three  years  he  spent  partly  in  San  Francisco, 
and  the  remainder  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  being  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  B.  F.  Sherwood  &  Company, 
brokci's.  In  Salt  Lake  City  he  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  Upon  bis  return  to  San  Francisco 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  a  trip  through  the  northern 
Territories,  to  examine  the  coal  mines  said  to  exist 
there.  His  trip  was  an  extensive  one,  taking  him 
through  Oregon,  Washington  Territory  and  British 
Columbia.  Ho  returned  to  Virginia  City  in  1874, 
and  at  once  assumed  the  position  as  Superintendent 
of  the  Overman  Mine,  at  Gold  Hill,  and  soon  after 
that  of  the  Caledonia  Mine,  both  of  which  he  super- 
intends at  the  present  time.  He  resides  in  Virginia 
City,  having  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city. 

AMUSEMENTS  IN    EARLY  DAYS. 

These  partook  of  the  character  of  the  jieoplo; 
something  strong  for  miners;  no  milk  and  water  ex- 
hibitions. If  it  had  been  po.^sible  to  hang  men  and 
afterwards  resuscitate  them  or  blow  them  from  can- 
nons and  afterwards  gather  the  scattered  fragments 
together  it  would  have  drawn  finely.  Tom  Maguire 
of  California  notoriety  built  an  opera  house  as  early 
as  18G3.  It  was  afterwards  known  as  Piper's  Opera 
House  and  became  famous  as  a  place  for  all  kinds 
of  public  meetings,  political  and  social  as  well  as 
theatrical.  It  fronted  fifty-four  feet  on  D  Street  and 
was  one  hundred  feet  deep. 

Prize  fights  were  not  uncommon.  Onlj-  a  few  of 
the  exhibitions  of  this  kind  can  be  noticed.  In  con- 
sequence of  being  prohibited  bj'  law  they  were  gen- 
erally held  in  out-of-the-way  places.  They  com- 
menced as  early  as  1863.     In  October  of  that  year 

Bradlej-  and  Pat  Fogg  arranged  a  fist  fight  for 

money. Gallagher  and Brooks  also  made 

an  exhibition  of  their  prowess  according  to  the  rules 
of  the  ring,  the  latter  coming  off  second  best. 

January  8, 1864.  Two  Hibernians,  "  jist  to  honor 
Jinoral  Jackson"  arranged  a  fist  fight  to  come  oft' on 
a  vacant  lot  on  B  Street,  but  the  police  interfered 
with  the  amusement,  to  the  disgust  of  many  of  tho 
spectators. 

March  1 0th  of  the  same  j'ear,  Patsey  Fogg  and 

Bradley    met   again,    this   time  in    Six-raile  Canon. 
We  are  unable  to  say  who  came  off  best. 

June  4th,  Bill  Davis  and  Patsej'  Daylej-  fought  at 
American  Flat  for  SI. 000  a  side.  Three  thousand 
spectators  witnessed  tho  exhibition  at  82  50  a  head. 
The  grounds  were  inclosed  in  a  tight  board  fence. 
The  manner  in  which  this  was  got  up,  "  regardless 
of  expense"  showed  tho  esteem  in  which  such  exhi- 
bitions wore  held. 

August  8th,  same  year,  Patsej'  Fogg  again  ap- 
jieared  on  the  jiugilistic  arena,  this  time  against 
William  Blackwood.  The  place  of  meeting  was  at 
Spring  Valloy.  Aftortwonty-four  rounds  the  victory 
was  awarded  to  Fogg. 

January  17,  LSC'i.  Patsey  Fogg  fought  Harry 
Cooper  one  hour  and  twenty-two  minutes.  At  the 
close  of  tho  sixty-third  round    Fogg  was  declared 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


583 


winner.  In  consequence  of  the  porsietence  of  the 
combatants  it  was,  according  to  the  papers,  a  pro- 
longed and  brutal  affair. 

April  4,  18()5.  Patse}-  Fogg  whipped  John  Kelle- 
her  at  the  end  of  one  hour  and  seventeen  minutes, 
after  thirty-nine  rounds.  The  stakes  were  81. '"lO. 
The  place  of  meeting  was  on  the  border  of  Storey 
County. 

October  1,  1865.  A  bear  and  dogfight  came  off  at 
the  Opera  House,  in  which  the  bear  made  short  work 
of  whiiipiiig  the  dog.  After  the  dog  was  whipped 
the  police  arrested  the  managers. 

The  last  of  these  exhibitions  of  any  note  occurred 

May  4,  1872,  between White,  an  Irishman,  and 

Williams,  a  Cornishman,  who  fought  on  the  old 

race  course  for  8250  a  side.     Williams  won. 

HOW    AN    .\R.ASTRA    (S    .MADE. 

Dig  a  circular  hole  five  to  eight  feet  across  and  two 
feet  deep.  In  the  center  of  this  set  down  a  i)ost  of 
four  or  five  inches  in  diameter,  to  the  depth  of  three 
or  four  feet.  Pave  the  bottom  of  the  hole  smoothly 
with  the  hardest  rock  you  can  get,  fitting  the  pieces, 
which  should  weigh  fifty  to  one  hundred  pounds  each, 
rather  closely  but  not  too  closely  together,  using  a 
stiff  clay  to  cement  the  joints.  The  ])orphyry  rocks 
generally  found  in  the  vicinity  of  mineral  lodes, 
make  a  good  pavement  for  the  arastra.  At  a  dis- 
tance of  three  to  five  feet  from  the  center  of  the 
hole,  make  a  rim  of  curbstones  rising  eight  or  ten 
inches  above  the  floor;  this  should  also  bo  made 
water-tight  with  stiff"  day.  If  the  work  has  been 
well  done  it  will  hold  water.  A  sweep  should  be 
attached  to  the  central  part  with  an  arm  reaching 
out  three  or  four  feet  to  hitch  a  mule  or  horse  to,  or 
if  the  arastra  is  large  enough  to  justify,  the  sweep 
may  be  extended  from  the  center  in  both  directions, 
so  as  to  have  two  horses  or  even  two  pair  attached 
to  it.  To  this  sweep  are  attached  the  stones  by 
ropes  or  chains,  which  do  the  grinding  by  being 
dragged  slowly  around  in  the  circle,  bringing  every 
particle  of  quartz  to  a  condition  of  ])a8to.  The 
charge  is  from  300  or  400  pounds  up  to  a  ton, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  concern.  Enough  water 
should  be  used  to  make  a  rather  paste-like  hasty 
pudding  or  meal  mush,  which  it  much  resembles 
when  it  is  done  or  ground  fine  enough.  Too  much 
water  would  wash  the  fine  particles  of  the  ores  out, 
and  too  little  would  prevent  them  from  settling  to 
the  bottom  or  into  the  clay  seams,  where,  if  the 
process  is  well  done  the  gold  and  silver  is  found 
mixed  with  the  quicksilver  at  the  end  of  the  process. 
In  the  opinion  of  many  persons  this  is  the  cheapest 
way  of  reducing  ores,  especially  at  a  distance  from 
a  town  where  machinery  is  manufactured. 

In  18G5  the  Gold  Hill  mines  worked  724  men 
regularly,  and  produced  9(>0  tons  of  ore  daily. 
The  Virginia  City  mines  employed  6C2  men  and 
produced  475  tons  daily.  The  gross  yield  of  the 
Comstock  for  three-quarters  of  the  year  was  257,728 
tons,  which  produced  89,328,188  in  bullion. 


PHOTO.  BY  JOHN  g.  HOC.  VIROINtA,  NEV. 


Judge  Richard  Rising,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia  in  1837.  His  boyhood  was  spent  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  until  in  January,  1853,  when 
with  his  mother  and  other  members  of  the  family,  he 
joined  bis  father  in  California.  He  entered  the  oflico 
of  Geo.  Foote  and  commenced  reading  law,  where  ho 
staj'cd  but  a  short  time,  and  afterward  finished  his 
studies  with  Gen.  J.  A.  McDougall,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  at  the  age  of  twenty -one  years. 

Ho  was  married  in  1859,  and  removed  to  Downie- 
ville.  Sierra  County,  California,  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  profession.  Being  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinar}'  intellect,  and  possessing  the  qualifications 
necessary  for  success,  ho  soon  gained  a  largo  and 
lucrative  practice.  In  18G1,  the  discovery  of  the 
mines  on  the  Comstock  led  him  to  Nevada,  and  in 
partnership  with  W.  M.  Stewart,  afterwards  United 
Slates  Senator,  and  Mr.  .M.  Kirkpatrick,  was  engaged 
in  nearly  all  the  important  litigation  of  those  days. 
When  the  Territory  of  Nevada  was  converted  into  a 
State,  ho  was  elected  one  of  the  District  Judges, 
being  then  only  twenty-six  years  of  age.  At  the 
expiration  of  two  yeai's  the  throe  offices  of  District 
Judge  were  merged  into  one,  and  Judge  Rising  was 
re-elected  to  that  high  position,  which  he  has  held 
until  the  present  time,  having  boon  re-elected  four 
times.  Ho  is  a  man  of  great  argumentative  powers, 
an  able  lawyer,  and  enjoys  to-day  the  respect  and 
good-will  of  his  follow-mon. 


98* 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


PHOTO   BY  JOHN   S   HOC,   VIRQrNIA,  NCV 

^1 


Henry  Rolfe  is  a  native  of  Maine,  and  was  born  in 
Farmington,  July  30,  1844.  His  boyhood  daj-s  wore 
passed  in  the  city  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  attended  school  and  finally  graduated  at  Harvard 
Universitj'.  Soon  after  graduating  ho  came  to  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  located  in  San  Francisco,  California, 
where  he  remained  until  the  year  1872  when  he 
crossed  to  Nevada,  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of 
Virginia  City.  His  first  occupation  in  the  latter  city 
was  with  the  well-known  Geo.  T.  Marye,  stock- 
broker, in  whose  employ  he  remained  until  1875,  at 
which  time  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  \V. 
n.  Clark  &  Co.,  in  the  same  line  of  business.  In 
1878  he  severed  his  connection  with  that  firm  and 
was  tendered  and  accepted  the  office  of  Deputy 
County  Clerk,  which  position  ho  creditably  fills  at 
the  present  time.  Mr.  Rtjlfo  is  thoroughly  convcr- 
eani  with  the  duties  pertaining  to  his  office.  In  poli- 
tics lie  is  a  strong  Republican,  but  a  consistent  one, 
and  in  social  life  is  a  popular  gentleman,  the  possessor 
of  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the  people  generally. 

HENEKICENT    INSTITUTIONS. 

It  must  not  bo  supposed  tliat  Gold  Hill  and  Vir- 
ginia City  were  altogether  made  up  of  pi'izo  fighters, 
gamblers  and  their  victims.  Ono  di-unken  man  in  a 
town  will  make  more  noise  than  twenty  respectable 
citizens,  and  a  Joaquin  Muriclta  has  made  more 
history  tlian   hundreds  of  good    men    would    make. 


Along  with  the  rest  came  those  who  not  only  main- 
tained self-respect  and  integrity  but  became  active 
in  ])romoting  the  reforms  necessary  and  establishing 
beneficiary  societies. 

The  German  Turn-vereins  established  an  order  at 
Gold  Hill  as  early  as  October.  18C3,  with  the  follow- 
ing officers:  C.  Fliender,  President;  George  Perry, 
Secretarj'i  J.  G.  Meyer,  Treasurer;  C.  Haul,  Second 
Treasurer;  Fred.  Ulil,  leader  of  gymnastic  exercises. 

The  Gold  Hill  Band  was  organized  December, 
18C3. 

The  Odd  Follows  Hall  at  Virginia  was  dedicated 
December  7,  18G4.  The  Library  was  established  in 
the  winter  of  1865  with  GOO  volumes. 

May  21,  18GG,  the  Good  Templars  was  organized 
at  Gold  Hill  with  about  thirty  members  bj-  E.  S. 
Loomis  of  Champion  Lodge,  Virginia  CilJ^  When 
the  Champion  Lodge  was  organized  we  are  not 
informed.  These  institutions  exerted  a  positive 
influence  in  building  up  societj'  and  neutralizing  the 
virus  of  the  criminal  element. 

FIRST   QUARTZ    MILLS. 

At  this  date  many  forms  of  mills  were  experimental. 
The  weight  of  the  character  (whether  rotating  or 
fixed)  of  tappit-shape  of  cams  and  other  things, 
were  something  to  be  determined  by  experience. 
The  number  of  mills  in  the  county  was  tliirly- 
six;  aggregate  number  of  stamps,  G23,  with  an 
aggregate  of  1,510-horsc  power,  and  a  crushing 
capacitj-  of  850  tons  each  twentj'-four  hours.  Thirty- 
four  wore  classed  as  wet  crushing,  and  two  as  dry 
crushing,  using  the  Freiburg  process  of  reduction. 
There  were  also  five  arastra  mills  in  the  county,  with 
a  capacity  of  crushing  from  a  half  ton  to  one  ton 
per  day  each.  The  arastra  is  a  Mexican  or  Spanish 
institution,  and  though  a  very  slow  affair,  has  many 
valuable  qualities,  such  as  cheapnessand  availability. 
It  furthermore  has  the  reputation  of  being  more 
thorough  in  its  work,  working  nearer  to  an  assay 
than  any  other  process.  It  is,  from  the  ease  with 
which  it  is  set  up  and  the  absence  of  iron,  adapted 
to  the  use  of  the  prospector  in  places  remote  from 
machine  shops. 

COLONEL   A.    M.    EDGINOTON 

Was  born  in  East  Springfield,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1828. 
At  the  comparatively  earl}'  ago  of  twenty-four  he 
turned  from  the  quiet  haunts  of  his  youth  to  seek  in 
the  distant  West  an  adventurous  path  to  possible 
fortune.  Reaching  California  in  1852,  he  was  soon 
in  the  midst  of  the  stirring  scenes  around  him.  For 
eight  years  he  shared  the  ])erils,  excitements  and 
privations  of  frontier  life  in  all  its  phases.  Locating 
in  Placer  County,  he  became  in  turn  merchant, 
miner,  teamster  and  lumberman.  His  nature  was 
too  generous  and  proiJigal,  however,  for  large  finan- 
cial accumulations.  He  was  ton  ready  to  assist  the 
unfortunate  and  share  with  needy  friends  to  enroll 
his  name  among  the  great  money  makers  of  the  day. 
In  18G0  he  crossed  the  line  into  Nevada,  and  alter 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


585 


various  vieisiludes  became  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Storey 
County.  In  1865  he  was  appointed  Deputj'  Internal 
Revenue  Assessor,  which  position  heresittned  during 
the  followinjj  year,  by  reason  of  political  complica- 
tions. At  this  time,  and  until  the  day  of  his  death, 
ho  was  an  uncompromising  Republican.  In  18G7  ho 
became  accountant  at  the  Morgan  Mill,  in  Ormsby 
County,  and  in  the  following  j^ear  was  appointed 
Superintendent  of  the  Union  Mill  and  Mining  Com- 
pany- at  Virginia  City.  In  1870  he  received  the  com- 
mission of  Major  on  the  Staff  of  Brigadier  General 


j4  ^h-  wcA^^ 


COT^ 


Batterman.  During  all  these  years  his  health  had 
been  slowly  yielding  to  the  dread  destroyer,  con- 
sumption, and  he  was  finally  compelled  to  resign  his 
position,  and  entirely  abandon  the  active  pursuits  of 
life.  On  the  fifteenth  of  October,  1875,  ho  died  at 
Sacramento,  calm  and  conscious  to  the  last.  His 
remains  were  interred,  a  few  days  afterwards,  at 
Virginia  City,  with  civic,  military  and  Masonic 
honors.  Never  before  did  the  population  of  that 
mining  metropolis  betray'  such  unanimous  respect  and 
sorrow  in  memory  of  a  departed  citizen.  His  benevo- 
lence, honesty  and  noble  sense  of  duty  had  com- 
mended him  to  all  classes,  and  exacted  their  esteem 
and  love.  Behind  him  he  left  an  unblemished  record. 
He  was  not  a  scholar  in  the  collegiate  sense,  but  a 
finely  gifted  brain  and  persistent  self-culture  had 
mude  him  the  peer  of  anj'  with  whom  he  camo  in 
contact.  In  ever3--day  life  he  was  a  practical  expo- 
nentof  Christianity,  and  concerning  bis  religious  pro- 
fession Bishop  Whillaker  wrote  of  hini,  after  his 
death,  as  follows:     "  He  was  one  of  the  vestrymen 


of  vSt.  Paul's  Church,  in  this  city,  and  for  years  had 
been  one  of  the  church's  warmest  friends  and  sup- 
porters. He  was  always  ready  with  voice  and  hand 
and  purse  to  aid  in  anything  that  would  promote 
the  church's  welfare.  By  his  death  I  feel  that  1 
have  lost  not  only  a  warm  personal  friend,  but  that 
the  church  has  also  lost  a  zealous  advocate."  The 
universally  popular  homage  paid  to  the  memory  of 
Colonel  Edgington  is  not  that  which  wealth  or  politi- 
cal station  command  but  such  as  mankind  reserve 
for  examples  of  the  purest  and  noblest  manhood. 


Cr^ 


PHOTO    ev    MORSe    SAN    FRANCISCO 


C^/i^ 


W.  E.  F.  Deal,  son  of  Dr.  Wni.  Grove  Deal,  was 
born  in  Calvert  County,  Maryland,  March  8,  1840. 
In  1845  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  attended  school,  and  in  September,  1855, 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania, 
from  where  he  graduated,  after  pursuing  a  full  col- 
lege course,  in  July,  18.')9,  with  degree  of  A.  B.,  and 
afterward  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  his 
Alma  Mater.  Dr.  Deal,  father  of  the  present  subject, 
was  one  of  the  first  who  left  Baltimore  for  California 
upon  the  discovery  of  gold,  reaching  the  latter  place 
in  the  spring  of  '49,  and  was  closely  identified  with 
the  early  history  of  the  State.  Mr.  Deal  left  for 
California  soon  after  graduating,  where  ho  arrived 
September  12,  1859.  His  first  occupation  was  as  a 
teacher  in  a  school  in  Oakland,  Alameda  County, 
where  he  staj'ed  until  March,  1800,  and  moved  to 
Colusa,  Colusa  County,  California,  and  had  charge  of 
a    school    from   March    until  July,    1860;  thence  to 


586 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Nevada  City,  California,  whore  ho  opened  a  private 
school,  over  which  he  presided  until  May,  1863,  at 
which  time  he  came  to  Nevada,  and  has  since  been 
a  resident  of  Virginia  City.  Daring  that  year  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  I).  W.  Perley  and  Chaa.  E. 
DcLoncr,  and  studied  law  while  uctinsjf  as  their  clerk, 
and  in  18G5  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Nevada.  In  1800  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Curtis  J.  Hillj-er  and  W.  S.  Wood,  which  con- 
tinued until  1871.  In  1870  Mr.  Deal  was  nominated 
by  the  Democrats  for  the  office  of  District  Judge,  of 
the  Fourth  Judicial  District,  but  was  defeated  by 
Judge  Rising,  by  only  ninety-six  majority.  In  1873 
the  jiartnership  of  Lewis  &  Deal  was  formed,  which 
still  exists,  and  is  cxtonsivelj-  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law  in  the  courts  of  Nevada  and  California.  In 
1878  Mr.  Deal  was  nominated  for  Congress,  but  was 
defeated  by  R.  M.  Daggett.  In  1880  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee,  for 
the  campaign  of  that  )-ear.  which  resulted  in  the 
election  of  Democratic  nominees  for  Presidential 
electors — of  which  Mr.  Deal  was  one — Member  of 
Congress,  Justice  of  the  Sui)rcmc  Court,  and  a  Dem- 
ocratic Legislature,  insuring  the  election  of  a  Demo- 
cratic United  States  Senator  from  Nevada.  He 
was  married  in  1875.  and  has  three  children. 

ORE.\TER  PROSPERITY  INDICATED. 

Great  energy  had  been  displaj^ed  in  building  up 
the  Slate.  Churches,  schools  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions seemed  to  succeed  as  niitiirally  as  though  to 
the  "  manor  born."  Many  projects  were  inaugurated 
that  afterwards  exerted  a  great  influence  on  the 
trade,  mining  and  social  character  of  the  new  com- 
munity. 

"  Wild  cat  "  schemes  are  pressed  to  the  front.  This 
term  has  been  ;ised  for  half  a  century  or  more  to  de- 
note baseless  projects.  Forty  years  since  the  West- 
ern States  were  overrun  with  wild  cat  banks,  and 
happy  the  business  man  who  did  not  get  bitten  by 
them  more  than  once  in  a  daj'.  Wild  cats  of  this 
description  flourish  best  in  a  land  of  great  possibili- 
ties, where  fortunes  are  quickly  made  by  a  brilliant 
stroke,  or  lost  much  sooner  by  one  false  move.  The 
silver  mines  of  Nevada  had  more  wild  cats  to  the 
square  mile  than  any  other  land  ever  discovered. 
There  were  greater  varieties,  more  colors,  they  ap- 
peared in  more  places,  and  under  more  varied  cir- 
cumstances than  were  ever  known  before.  If  men 
in  other  places  were  bitten  by  them,  here  men  were 
devoured,  lost,  so  that  not  a  vestige  was  left;  or,  to 
descend  from  the  figurative  style  of  talking,  there 
were  more  swindling  projects  than  were  ever  con- 
ceived before. 

When  the  Comstock  Lode  was  discovered  the 
croppings  oast  and  west,  more  particularly  the  for- 
mer, looked  nearly  as  well  as  those  which  afterwards 
])roved  to  be  so  immensely  rich.  There  was  much 
mineral  in  the  surface,  in  fact  many  of  them  had 
considerable  quantities  of  milling  ore,  but  they  gen- 


erally "petered  out"  at  no  great  depth,  but  they 
formed  splendid  material  to  organize  stock  compa- 
nies on  and  draw  out  assessments.  Most  of  those 
interested  in  these  concerns  had  very  little  knowl- 
edge of  mines,  theoretical  or  practical,  and  were 
easily  imposed  upon,  even  the  men  who  organized  the 
companies  were  themselves  often  deceived.  When 
such  a  field  presented  itself  to  rascals  they  were  not 
slow  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  Mines  were  incor- 
porated on  ground  that  did  not  have  a  particle  of 
mineral,  this  being  supplied  from  other  mines 
Gold-dust  was  shot  into  the  ground,  silver  was 
melted  into  the  rock  or  plugged  in,  in  such  a  way  as 
to  resemble  natural  ores,  so  that  a  person  not  an  ex- 
pert would  see  silver  all  around  in  a  worthless 
mine.  In  one  instance  the  pure  silver  specimens 
taken  out  of  the  rock  had  the  impression  of  an 
American  Eagle  including  the  j)luri  bugler  on  them 
the  work  of  salting  not  having  been  well  done.  A 
sample  of  this  salt  can  be  seen  in  the  Mining  Bureau 
of  California,  at  San  Francisco.  But  jirofcssional 
swindlers  generally  succeeded  in  deceiving  the  public, 
or  rather  individuals  of  that  extensive  family.  Even 
some  of  the  Comstock  mines  were  assi'sscd  to  tho 
extent  of  millions  without  ever  making  dividends. 

Some  amusing  things  in  this  connection  occurred  in 
an  early  day.  A  party  from  Sun  Francisco  who  had 
been  visiting  tho  mines,  returning  with  a  sack  of 
ores  stopped  all  night  at  a  hotel  in  Amador  County 
with  a  notorious  wag  by  the  name  of  Iloslcy.  After 
listening  to  their  talk  awhile  he  planned  a  surprise 
for  them,  and,  aflcr  they  had  retired,  judiciously  ex- 
changed their  worthless  specimens  for  similar  look- 
ing ones,  which  he  knew  to  bo  good.  Tho  unsus- 
pecting travelers  continued  on  their  waj-  to  the  city 
whore  they  put  their  find  in  the  hands  of  an  assayer. 
The  results  exceeded  their  most  sanguine  hopes. 
Companies  were  formed  and  money  raised  to  carry 
on  the  work,  but  tho  clouds,  though  bright,  had  no 
silver  lining. 

Men  who  had  good  mines  did  not  know  how  to 
manipulate  them  but  were  to  some  extent  at  the 
mercy  of  any  pretender  to  the  art  of  mining  or  valu- 
able methods  of  reducing  refractory  ores.  Valuable 
mills  which  should  save  half  of  the  expense  of  reduc- 
tion were  sold  in  great  numbers  to  the  unsophisti- 
cated miners. 

The  result,  however,  of  so  many  experiments  and 
mistakes  was  the  adoption  of  tho  best  system  of  min- 
ing tho  world  ever  saw.  While  the  world  was  plan- 
ning how  deep  mining  could  be  carried  on,  the  miners 
of  Nevada  had  solved  it  with  air  compressor  drills, 
diamond  augers  and  powerful  hoisting  machinery. 
When  Sutro,  backed  by  European  cajutal,  started  to 
tunnel  the  mines  at  a  depth  of  1,000  foot,  according 
to  the  best  methods  of  mining  known  to  them,  the 
miners  with  their  modern  machinery  beat  him  in  tho 
race,  getting  below  the  range  of  the  tunnel  long 
before  he  made  the  connection. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


587 


PHOTO    By    NOE    A.    LCE.    VlflOINIA,   NCV 

/.  E.  James 

Is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  Marion  t'ounty, 
January  6,  1830.  The  first  twenty  years  of  his  life 
were  passed  in  his  native  Slate.  lie  received  a 
thorough  education  at  Granville  College,  and  studied 
civil  engineering,  a  profession  in  which  he  has  gained 
a  name  throughout  the  Pacific  Coast,  ilis  first 
situation  as  an  engineer  was  with  the  Bellefontaine 
and  Indiana  Kailroad  Company,  where  ho  was 
employed  two  years.  In  1833  he  came  to  California 
by  the  Nicaragua  route,  reaching  San  Francisco  in 
the  month  of  January-,  and  settled  in  Downieviile, 
Sierra  County,*  where  he  followed  his  profession  and 
was  elected  County  Surveyor  of  Sierra  County.  In 
May,  IStjO,  Mr.  James  crossed  the  mountains  to 
Nevada,  settling  at  Virginia  Cit^-,  making  the  Corn- 
stock  his  headijuarters,  as  a  mining  surveyor,  until 
1878.  Duringthis  time  he  was  chosen  Chief  Kngineer 
of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Jlailroad,  which  road 
was  built  under  his  supervision  in  1870.  He  also 
located  the  boundary  line  between  Utah  and  Xevada, 
from  the  Idaho  line  to  the  C!olorado  River.  In  1S73 
he  made  an  exploration  from  Blue  River  Station,  on 
the  Colorado  Desert,  to  the  (Julf  of  California,  encoun- 
tering numerous  dangers  and  didiculties,  abouiKiing 
in  that  comparatively  unknown  region.  Mr.  James 
filled  the  responsible  position  as  Superintendent  of 
the  Yellow  Jacket  Mine  for  one  year,  and  was  then 
chosen  to  the  same  position  at  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mine,  where  he  is  at  present  engaged.  He  is  also 
Consulting  Engineer  of  the  Carson  and  Colorado 
Railroad,  now  under  course  of  construction. 


VIRGINIA   CITY    WHEN    FIVE   YEARS   OLD. 

Mining  towns  violate  all  the  ordinary  laws  of 
growth  and  decay.  To-day  there  is  no  sign  of  life; 
the  Indian  squaw  gathers  grasshoppers  and  seeds, 
and  all  is  serene  and  sleepy  as  though  generations 
had  come  and  gone,  and  might  do  so  to  the  end  of 
time.  The  minor  finds  ore,  and  all  is  changed. 
The  ground  swarms  with  humiinity;  the  earth  is 
piled  with  goods  for  sale;  lumber  is  made  of  the 
adjoining  forests;  buildings  go  upof  brick  and  stone; 
water  is  brought  into  the  new  city  through  pipes; 
the  streets  are  lighted  with  gas,  and  ere  a  summer's 
sun  is  gone  the  city  blooms  out  with  st^Me  and  com- 
fort, and  crime  also,  such  as  our  fathers  never 
thought  of. 

At  the  end  of  five  j'ears  Virginia  City  was  lull 
grown,  rejoicing  in  life.  She  assessed  taxes  to  the 
amount  of  ^OOiSs,*^.""),  and  spent  a  great  deal  more  in 
the  shape  of  bonds  and  scrip;  had  a  City  Police, 
and  a  population  which  gave  them  ample  work  to  do. 

The  churches  were  numerous  and  the  schools 
ranked  high  as  has  been  previously  stated. 

The  public  cemetery'  was  purchased  by  the  city 
and  contained  twenty -seven  acres. 

Mount  St.  Mary's  Cemetery  was  owned  by  the 
Catholics  and  was  connected  with  the  churches.  It 
was  the  first  to  im]irove  and  decorate  the  grounds. 

The  Eureka  Society  (Hebrew)  ;il30  had  a  cemetery 
which  was  considerablj'  improved. 

The  Count}-  Hospital  was  located  in  Virginia  City. 
The  building  was  three  stories  high,  divided  into 
two  departments.  The  male  department  being 
40x60  feet  and  ca])able  of  accommodating  sixt)- 
patients.  The  female  department  had  accommoda- 
tions for  fourteen  persons.  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Pinker- 
ton  was  the  visiting  physician. 

The  City  Hospital,  a  fine  large  building,  was  not 
in  use  at  this  date,  lS(!,i,  for  some  whim  of  the  city 
government. 

There  were  two  Masonic  Lodges,  two  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, one  Sons  of  Temperance,  one  Fenian  Brother- 
hood, Eureka  Society,  Typographical  Societ\-.  all  of 
which  are  more  particularly  described  under  the 
head  of  societies. 

MILITARY    COMPANIES. 

The  patriotic  spirit  of  the  citizens  of  Storey  County 
has  been  referred  to  before.  At  a  time  when  a  word 
might  rouse  the  flame  of  rebellion  the  surest  way  of 
keeping  it  down  was  to  be  i)ropared  fur  its  suj)- 
])rossion.     Several  comjianies  were  early  organized. 

The  Virginia  (^'ily  (tuards  were  organized  in  1863. 
and  had  seventy-three  members.  The  otticers  were 
Captain,  Thomas  ('ahill;  First  Lieutenant,  John 
Cahill;  Second  Lieutenant.  .Alexander  Mort;  Brevet 
Lieutenant,  James   Holan. 

Washoe  Guards,  sixty-seven  members,  organized 
September,  lS!ii:!.  Captain.  Thomas  (i.  Murphy ;  First 
Lieutenant,  M.  Ila.ssett;  Second  Lieutenant.  James 
Bronn;  Brevet  Lioutonant,  Charles  Rotto. 

National   Guards,  eighty-six  morabors,  organized 


58ft 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


November,  1863.  Captain,  C.  C.  Warner;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, A.  B.  Elliott;  Second  Lieutenant,  W.  A. 
Bourne;  Brevet  Lieutenant,  C.  \V.  Meizner. 

Emmet  Guard,  seventy-one  members,  organized 
May  15,  18C4.  Captain,  Peter  X.  Ryan;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, P.  ^['Auliffe;  Second  Lieutenant,  J.  M'Kenna 
Dolan;  Brevet  Lieutenant,  J.  H.  Hassett.  It  was  said 
that  this  last  body  organized  with  especial  reference 
to  being  useful  in  the  expected  difficulty  between 
England  and  Ireland. 

LEADING    INDUSTRIAL    ENTERPRISES. 

The  gas  works  were  established  in  November,  1863. 
In  1865,  1,200  feet  of  main  had  been  laid  down  and 
the  works  enlarged  so  as  to  manufacture  5,000  feet 
per  day.  President,  C.  H.  Simpkins;  Secretary,  W. 
B.  Tbornburgh. 

The  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  Water  Company  was 
the  nucleus  of  the  company  which  afterwards  merged 
in  the  present  Company.  In  1865  the  Trustees 
were  John  Skuc,  C.  G.  Funk,  J.  W.  Gashwiler,  M.  M. 
G.  Ross.  Officers:  N.  A.  H.  Mason,  President;  John 
Skae,  Vice-President;  C.  G.  Funk,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer:  J.  W.  Gashwiler,  Superintendent. 

The  California  Stage  Company  ran  a  daily  line 
connecting  with  the  approaching  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road at  Auburn,  and  also  running  to  Marysville, 
Grass  Valley,  Nevada,  and  other  places,  also  connect- 
ing with  their  line  to  Portland,  710  miles  distant. 

Pioneer  Stage  Company  ran  a  daily  line  to  Sacra- 
mento via  Gold  Hill,  Silver  City,  Carson  Cit}-,  Genoa 
and  Placerville,  carrying  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.'s 
express  and  the  United  States  mail. 

Pacific  Express  and  Stage  Company  ran  a  daily 
line  to  Sacramento  through  the  Henness  Pass,  con- 
necting with  the  steamers  at  Sacramento,  or  connect- 
ing at  Newcastle  with  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

The  Overland  Stage  Company  left  daily,  westward 
for  Sacramento,  and  eastward  for  the  Missouri  River, 
passing  through  Austin  and  Salt  Lake. 

Besides  these  stage  lines  there  were  several  stage 
and  express  companies  connecting  with  ihc  towns  in 
the  adjoining  counties.  Also  a  Fast  Freight  line  run- 
ning to  Sacramento,  carrying  freight  from  Virginia 
City  to  San  Francisco  in  three  days.  This  was  the 
bonanza  period  for  stages.  They  ran  full  at  high 
rates  and  consequently  could  afford  to  stock  their 
roads  with  the  best  of  horses. 

The  Fulton  Foundry  was  started  in  1863,  and  in 
1865  were  ready  to  make  castings  or  machinery  of 
anj'  size. 

The  Gould  &  Curry  Foundry  did  their  own  work 
exclusively. 

The  Mechanic's  Mills  were  engaged  in  manufactur- 
ing sash,  doors  and  other  articles  incident  to  the 
extensive  building. 

The  Virginia  Planing  Mill  was  established  in  1863, 
and  also  did  all  kinds  of  work  connected  with  build- 
ing. 

Beer  was  not  forgotten,  and  five  breweries  could 


scarce  supply  the  people  with  beer,  for  Nevada  has 
a  dry  climate! 

There  were  three  assaj-  offices,  one  brick  yard,  one 
pottery,  besides  other  places  where  repair  and  manu- 
facturing was  carried  on. 

THE    FIRE   DEPARTMENT. 

Cities  built  up  rapidly'  are,  from  the  nature  of  the 
materials  used,  peculiarly  subject  to  destruction  by 
fire.  This  liability  was  vastly  increased  by  the  high 
winds  which  came  pouring  over  the  Sierra  Nevada 
nearly  every  day.  The  citizens  early  recognized  the 
necessity  of  providing  against  this  source  of  destruc- 
tion. The  department,  up  to  this  time,  was  entirely 
voluntary,  and,  perhaps  for  that  reason,  was  a  most 
efficient  organization. 

The  Virginia  Engine  Compan}^,  No.  1,  was  organ- 
ized in  March,  1861.  It  had  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful engines  on  the  coast,  with  nine  and  one-fourth 
inch  cylinders,  seven  and  one-half  inch  stroke,  and 
twenty-four  feet  brakes,  with  600  feet  of  hose.  The 
company  was  composed  of  sixty-five  men. 

Nevada  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  1,  was 
organized  out  of  the  members  of  the  first  engine 
company,  who  felt  the  necessitj'  of  such  an  organiza- 
tion to  supplement  the  operations  of  the  engine  com- 
panj',  and  generally'  acted  with  and  under  the  same 
management  as  that  companj'.  It  was  organized  in 
March,  1861,  and  had  sixtj--five  members. 

The  Young  America  Engine  Company,  No.  2,  was 
organized  March  17, 1862.  The  spirit  of  rivalry  with 
the  first  organization,  induced  them  to  purchase  an 
engine  a  little  better  than  that  of  Company  No.  1,  if 
possible,  at  a  cost  of  S6,000.  It  had  ten  inch  cylin- 
ders with  nine  and  one-half  inch  stroke,  and  was 
manned  by  eighty  members.  It  had  GOO  feet  of  hose, 
and  was  so  arranged  as  to  throw  five  streams  if  nee-  ■ 
essary. 

Eagle  Engine  Companj-,  No.  3,  was  organized  in 
August,  1863.  The  engine  was  of  the  Jeffrey  make, 
and  cost  83,700;  had  600  feet  of  hose,  ifnd  was  manned 
b}'  eighty  members. 

Washoe  Engine  Company,  No.  4,  was  organized  in 
August,  1863.  The  engine  was  similar  in  size  to  that 
of  No.  1,  and  was  built  to  order  at  a  cost  of  82,800  in 
Now  York.  They  were  supplied  with  600  foot  of 
hose.  As  with  the  other  companies,  there  was  much 
of  corjis  da  esprit. 

Though  these  large  and  efficient  companies  were 
organized  with  especial  reference  to  the  dangers  of 
fire,  yet  it  is  evident  that  the  superabundant  energy, 
which  must  be  worked  off  somehow,  was  a  largo  ele- 
ment in  the  life  of  the  organizations.  That  class  of 
men  who  were  made  to  move  the  world,  delight  in 
the  excitement  and  exertion  incident  to  the  service 
in  a  fire  com|iany.  Transferred  to  other  field>  they 
become  leading  stock-brokers,  merehants  and  specu- 
lators. No  town  of  its  size  ever  had  moro  of  that 
element  than  Virginia  City. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


589 


THE   NEWSPAPER   DEPABTMEKT. 

The  pioneers  of  Nevada  were  eminently  a  reading 
people.  Thej-  might  plead  guilty  to  charges  of 
extravagance,  excitability  and  recklessness,  but  no 
one  ever  suspected  them  of  a  want  of  general  intel- 
ligence. The  newspaper  followed  closely  the  saloon, 
and  when  the  matutinal  drink  was  taken  the  morn- 
ing paper  was  read  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  press 
of  Storey  County  has  been  noted  for  vigorous  edito- 
rials since  the  mines  became  famous.  One  of  the 
/  first  as  well  as  most  noted  was  the  Territorial  Enter- 
prise, the  pioneer  paper  of  the  Territory,  having  been 
first  published  in  Genoa,  then  in  Carson  City,  from 
which  place  it  was  removed  to  Virginia  in  Novem- 
ber, 18(50.  Under  the  management  of  Goodman  & 
McCarthy,  it  became  a  first-class  paper.  Mark 
I  Twain  and  Dan  Do  Quille  enriched  the  paper  with 
^  their  humorous  productions. 

The  Daily  Union  was  established  November  4, 1862, 
by  John  Church  ct  C'o.  It  claimed  the  largest  circu- 
lation, and  was  the  newspaper  of  the  place. 

The  Daily  Old  Piute  was  started  in  18C5  by  Lovejoy 
&  Co.,  and  was  issued  as  an  evening  paper. 

The  Nevada  Pioneer  was  published  by  J.  F. 
Ilahnlen  for  the  German  population.  It  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  ablest  German  papers  on  the 
coast.  It  will  be  seen  that  Virginia  City  was 
second  only  to  San  Francisco  for  the  number  and 
ability  of  its  papers.  The  circumstances  under 
which  the  city  had  its  birth  and  growth,  the  class 
of  readers  unusually  intelligent  and  energetic,  with 
the  large  admixture  of  the  reckless  and  even  crim- 
inal element  in  the  population,  called  for  editorial 
ability  of  the  highest  class.  Firmness,  mingled 
with  discretion,  honestj'  without  bigotry,  and  the 
ability  to  treat  with  vigor  all  the  current  ques- 
tions of  the  day,  were  absolute  essentials  without 
which  a  paper  would  not  survive  a  week. 

These  papers  have  been  more  particularly  noticed 
in  the  general  article  on  papers,  and  have  been 
noticed  here  as  showing  the  peculiar!}-  intellectual 
and  moral  condition  of  the  community  during  the 
period  of  time  under  consideration. 

OOLD    HILL    IN    THE    YEAR    1865. 

Gold  Hill  early  organized  as  a  town  under  the 
Utah  laws,  and  after  the  admission  of  the  State 
into  the  Union  reorganized  under  State  law.  The 
number  of  votes  cast  at  the  first  election  was 
somewhat  over  1,000.  A  Town  Hall  was  erected 
costing  815,000.  They  had  various  fine  buildings, 
such  as  Jfaj-nard  i^  Flood's  fire-proof  block,  the 
Odd  Fellows  Building,  and  many  elegant  resi- 
dences, which  were  sources  of  pride  to  the  citizens. 

The  churches  were  well  represented,  though  the 
members  were  not  numerous. 

The  Calvary  Presbyterian  (new  school)  organized 
November   1,  18G3,  with  one    Elder,    Rev.    William 
Wirt  Macomber,  and  seven  members.      Two  years 
later  the  number  had  increased  to  thirteen. 
74 


St.  John's  Episcopal  Chiirch  met  in  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Hall,  Hev.  O.  W.  Whitaker,  Rector.  This 
church  had  a  Sabbath-school  under  the  charge  of  N. 
A.  H.  Ball,  numbering  seventy-five  scholars. 

The  Roman  Catholics  were  under  the  care  of  the 
Rev.  Father  O'Riley,  formerly  of  Marysville.  They 
had  not  at  this  date  erected  a  church,  though  the 
matter  was  under  consideration. 

The  public  schools  were  divided  into  two  depart- 
ments; the  intermediate,  with  forty  pupils,  under 
the  charge  of  Miss  L.  H.  Crocker,  and  the  primary 
with  fifty  pupils.  Miss  S.  D.  Meacham,  teacher.  The 
building  had  improved  school  furniture. 

Silver  Star  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons 
had  twenty-four  members,  and  was  in  a  flourishing 
condition. 

Wildey  Lodge,  No.  1,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  numbered  ninety  members,  and.  as  before 
mentioned,  had  a  beautiful  hall.  It  was  organized 
April  1,  1862. 

Pioneer  Division,  No.  1,  Sons  of  Temperance, 
had  an  organization  numbering  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  members.    They  met  in  the  Odd  Follows  Hall. 

Gold  Hill  was  well  connected  with  the  outside 
world,  with  stages;  the  Overland  Stage  to  the  States, 
the  Pioneer  Stage  to  California,  Langton's  Line  to 
Dayton,  Russel's  Fast  Freight  Line,  and  all  others 
coming  to  Virginia  City  by  way  of  Carson  Valley, 
coming  through  the  place. 

Maynard  &  Flood,  and  Almarin  B.  Paul  &  Co., 
carried  on  the  business  of  banking,  and  supplied  all 
the  exchange  wanted  by  the  citizens,  for  the  Eastern 
States  or  Europe. 

The  Pioneer  Foundry'  and  Machine  Shop  was  the 
first  in  the  Territory.  The  first  building  having 
been  destroj-ed  by  fire,  a  new  one,  126x30  feet,  with 
wing  40x50,  built  of  brick  with  tin  roof,  was  erected 
shortly  after,  and  supplied  with  all  the  necessary 
machinery  for  doing  first-class  work. 

The  Empire  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop  was  also 
recentl}'  put  in  operation,  with  improved  machinerj' 
of  all  kinds.  A  third  foundry  was  being  erected  by 
McCondy  &  Co. 

The  Gol<l  Hill  Neios  (evening  paper)  was  supposed 
to  be  the  best  paying  newspaper  in  the  State.  It 
was  remarkably  well  edited,  and  strong  in  advocat- 
ing the  union  of  the  States. 

The  Daily  Aforninij  Message  was  but  recently 
started,  but  had  brilliant  prospects,  the  publishers 
being  men  of  experience  and  ability. 

A  large  list  of  quartz  mills  and  mines,  also  a  long 
list  of  business  firms,  showed  that  Gold  Hill,  if  not 
a  brilliant,  elegant,  and  aristocratic  place,  had  a 
solid  foundation  for  prosperity  in  its  legitimate  busi- 
ness operations. 

THE    BONANZA    PERIOD. 

If  the  discover}-  of  the  silver  mines  had  startled 
the  commercial  world,  the  bonanzas  had  the  effect 
to  astonish  and  move  it  to  an  incredible  activity. 
As  it  became  known  that  greater  deposits  below  the. 


590 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


surface  had  been  found  than  were  ever  known  be- 
fore, when  millions  on  millions  began  to  roll  into 
the  banks  and  mints,  it  had  much  the  effect  on  trade 
and  commerce  of  the  first  knowledge  of  the  abun- 
dance of  gold  in  California.  Where  would  the  new  ad- 
justment of  values  cease?  Whatever  else  might  be- 
tide, a  dollar  would  remain  a  dollar,  though  it  might 
not  purchase  as  much  food,  clothing,  houses  or  lands 
as  in  former  times  it  would  still  paj-  a  dollar  of  in- 
debtedness. Up  to  1SG5  the  yield  of  the  Comstock 
Lode  had  been  about  845,000,000. 

Virginia  City  had  a  population  estimated  at  15,000. 
The  estimated  value  of  property  outside  of  the  mines 
was  811,000,000.  The  value  of  bullion  raised  annu- 
ally was  estimated  at  S800  for  each  person.  The 
uncertain  values  of  the  mines,  the  fluctuations  from 
week  to  week  and  month  to  month,  as  favorable  or 
unfavorable  rumors  were  put  in  circulation,  showed 
the  morbid  sensitiveness  of  capital  to  the  possibilities 
involved  in  Washoe.  We  must  go  back  several  hun- 
dred years  in  history  to  the  time  that  unknown  con- 
tinents and  rich  silver  mines  were  coming  into  the 
vista  of  awakening  Europe  to  find  a  parallel  to  the 
almost  superhuman  energy  displayed  by  the  citizens 
of  Storey  County. 

This  section  of  time,  although  named  the  Bonanza 
Period,  opened  with  a  few  gigantic  financial  opera- 
tions, each  of  which  in  any  other  part  of  the  world 
or  at  any  other  time,  would  have  boon  considered  as 
brilliant,  daring  or  reckless,  as  risky  or  safe  princi- 
ples dominated  the  observer.  Among  the  most  prom- 
inent measures  inaugurated  and  under  way  about 
this  time  may  be  mentioned  the  Sutro  Tunnel;  the 
works  for  bringing  water  to  the  Comstock  from  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  and  the  Virginia  and  Truckeo  Eail- 
road.  Each  of  these  became,  in  the  hands  of  the 
projectors,  a  great  factor  in  the  tremendous  drama 
which  the  money  gods  of  the  Pacific  Coast  acted 
during  the  years  of  the  discovery  of  the  bonanzas, 
ll  will  be  the  task  of  the  historian  to  give  an  intel- 
ligent view  of  the  operations,  and  show  how  they, 
one  after  another,  came  upon  the  stage,  now  elevat- 
ing and  now  crushing  some  of  the  actors,  until,  met- 
aphorically speaking,  the  stage  was  strewn  with  the 
blood  and  brains,  the  limbs  and  bodies  of  the  finan- 
cial kings.  The  stock  boards  of  San  Francisco,  the 
California  and  Nevada  Banks,  though  non-residents, 
are  active  members  in  this  huge  contest,  and  will  be 
referred  to  as  they  make  their  influence  felt  in  the 
game. 

THE   SUTRO   TUNNEL, 

More  particularly  described  in  the  history  of  Lyon 
County,  was  a  project  to  tap  the  mines  at  an  average 
depth  of  1,6(10  feel  below  the  surface.  This  project, 
though  favored  at  first  by  all  the  mining  companies, 
came  to  be  regarded  finally,  in  consequence  of  local 
interests  which  itatt'ect«d,  as  the  bclenuir,thii  death's 
head  and  cross-bones  of  every  vested  interest  in  the 
.  county.  The  projector,  Adolph  Sutro,  however, 
proved  himself  no   mean  competitor  with  any  who 


I  entered  the  drama,  fighting  his  way  inch  by  inch, 
and  stubbornly  holding  every  coigne  of  vantage, 
whether  among  the  miners  of  the  Comstock,  in  the 
Legislature  of  Nevada,  in  the  Halls  of  Congress,  or 
among  the  capitalists  of  Europe. 

JA.MES    U.    FAIR 

Was  born  in  Clougher,  Tyrone  County,  Ireland,  in 

\   December,  1831.     He  came  to  this  country  in  1843, 

attended  school  at  (Geneva,  Illinois,  where  some  of 

his  family  still  live.      He  was  an  orignial  '49er.     In 

I  that  year  he  was  at  work  on  Long's  Bar,  Feather 

!    River,  California.     He  did  not  find  it  profitable,  so 

he  turned  his  attention  to  quartz  mining.     His  first 

assay  was  at  Angels,  Calaveras  County.     He  soon 

ranked  high  as  a  good  judge  of  mines  and  as   an 

operator.     In  1855  he  became  Superintendent  of  the 

j   Ophir  Mine,  and  in  1857  the  Hale  &  Norcross  Mine 

came  under  his  direction.     It  was  the  latter  which 

gave    Fair  his   start   in    the  world.     Soon  after  he 

made   a   lucky   guess.      He   surmised    that   certain 

ground  might  contain  a  great  deal  of  rich  ore.     With 

the  help  of  Flood  he  secured  the  claim,  since  grown 

so  famous  throughout  the  world  as  the  Consolidated 

Virginia  and  California  Mines. 

The  particulars  of  the   discovery  are  more  fully 
described  in  the  chapter  on  mines  and  mining  booms. 

.JOHN    W.    MACKAY, 

The  j-oungcst  of  the  Bonanza  Firm  was  born  in  Dub- 
lin, in  1835.  Coming  to  California  in  1852  he 
engaged  in  mining  in  Sierra  County  with  moderate 
success,  and  left  for  Nevada  on  the  discovery  of  the 
silver  mines.  He  secured  a  location  on  the  Com- 
stock, but  having  exhausted  bis  means  before  strik- 
ing ore  he  worked  in  the  Mexican  Mine  at  four  dol- 
lars per  day.  It  is  related  of  him  that  he  had  set 
••  his  pile  "  at  825,000,  a  sum  in  the  opinion  of  his 
companions  which  denoted  an  unreasonable  ambi- 
tion. In  1809  he  became  connected  with  Flood  & 
O'Brien  in  their  operation  on  the  Halo  &  Norcross, 
from  the  development  of  which  he  formed  his  opin- 
ion of  the  value  of  the  ground  on  which  the  Big 
Bonanza  was  afterwards  discovered.  Ho  owes  his 
success  in  life  to  several  qualities:  good  judgment, 
close  attention  to  business,  or  in  this  instance  we 
might  say  a  close  study  of  the  nature  of  mines,  a 
tenacity  of  purpose  that  was  proof  against  ordinary 
adversities,  and  a  good  share  of  luck.  Sandy 
Bowers,  Comstock,  Penrod,  and  Finney,  had  luck, 
but  they  did  not  have  the  other  qualities,  and  they 
were  soon  lost  to  view. 


n 


THE    VIRGINIA    AND   THUCKEE    RAILROAD 

Was  also  a  daring  enterprise.  The  country  to  be 
supplied  by  it  was  of  limited  extent,  the  route  which 
it  was  to  traverse,  a  mountain  region  of  precipitous 
cliffs  and  deep  gorges  over  which  it  was  deemed  a 
triumph  of  engineering  to  carry  a  wagon  road.  In 
any  country  and  by  any  other  people  the  project 
would  have  been  deemed  chimerical,  but  it  was  car- 
ricd  through,  and  became  a  powerful  operator  in  the 
period  under  consideration. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


691 


It  is  not  always  easy  to  account  for  the  motive 
power  that  impels  men  to  dure  the  dangers  of  the 
frozen  regions,  the  arid  deserts  of  the  tropical 
countries,  the  trackless  wilds  of  the  malarious  for- 
ests, the  dark  depths  of  deep  mines,  or  the  terrors 
of  the  hattle-field.  Although  money  generally  enters 
into  all  these  operations  as  a  factor,  a  sine  qtui  non 
it  is  not,  as  some  mercenary  and  narrow-minded  per- 
sons would  have  us  think,  the  only  inducement  to 
action.  Wo  have  seen  the  Jesuit  missionary  leave 
the  lu.xuries  of  his  native  city,  and  go  barefooted, 
poor  and  sick  among  the  rude  Indians  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  and  bury  himself  from  the  world.  Some 
other  motive  than  money  must  be  sought  as  the 
source  of  action.  The  man  who  rushes  into  battle 
and  throws  awaj'  his  life  in  the  almost  certain  fatal 
charge  has  more  inducement  than  the  pittance  paid 
him  as  wages.  The  men  who  explored  the  Colorado 
Canon,  the  wilds  of  Africa,  the  wy  regions  of  the 
North  Pole  could  have  had  no  hope  of  reward  in  the 
shape  of  coin.  In  some,  the  motive  is  the  love  of 
knowledge,  which  may  also  include  a  love  of  the 
marvelous.  Such  men  were  De  Solo,  JJaleigh.  Cabot, 
Livingstone,  Franklin  and  Kane.  Frances  Xavier, 
Ignatius  Loyola  and  Father  Junipero  Serra  did  not 
seek  gold.  The  love  of  power,  of  self-assertion,  of 
individuality,  seems  to  be  the  strongest  motive  with 
the  men  who  move  the  world,  whether  in  the  halls  of 
legislation,  the  cloisters  of  Rome,  the  fields  of  battle, 
the  brokers'  boards  of  the  commercial  cities,  or  the 
silver  mines  of  Nevada.  Though  our  bonanza  kings 
strained  ever3-  nerve  to  overthrow  each  other,  to 
grab  the  biggest  pile,  j-et  when  the  object  was 
attained,  the  money  seemed  to  flow  away  from  their 
possession  as  the  rain-drops  on  the  sandy  soil.  The 
superhuman  struggle  once  over,  the  adversary  over- 
thrown, and  the  results  attained,  the  victory  was 
soon  forgotten  in  some  now  struggle  for  supremac}'. 
Shakespeare,  who  seemed  to  have  looked  farther  into 
the  human  heart  and  seen  more  of  the  motives  of 
humanity  than  any  other  writer,  makes  one  of  his 
heroes  say  of  Ciesar: — 

Now  in  the  name  of  all  the  gods  at  once 
Upon  what  meat  Joth  this  our  Ciesar  feed 
That  he  is  grown  so  great  V 

In  this  connection  some  knowledge  of  the  personal 

character  of  the  men  who  figured  so  extensivelj-  in 

these  years  will  be  desired  by  our  readers. 

JAMES   C.    FLOOD 

Was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1820,  coming 
to  California  in  18-19.  His  early  years  in  California 
were  spent  in  a  retail  liquor  busincs."*,  where  in  con- 
nection with  W.  S.  O'Brien  he  accumulated  the  funds 
which  afterwards  enabled  him  at  the  opportune 
moment  to  purchase  the  grounds  or  portions  of  it  on 
which  the  famous  mine  was  developed.  Uo  has 
been  successful  in  every  movo  in  his  life,  and  his 
judgment  and  executive  ability  seem  equal  to  any 
emergency.  His  operations  in  the  Ilale  &  Norcross 
and  other  mines  evinced  a  high  order  of  talent,  and 


when  the  great  discovery  threw  830,000,000  into  his 
hands  he  proved  himself  a  first-class  financier, 
eventually  overthrowing  all  his  competitors,  involv- 
ing in  ruin  some  of  the  strongest  financial  institu- 
tions on  the  coast.  This  looks  like  a  heartless  war- 
fare, but  it  is  the  rule  among  financiers  and  not  the 
exception. 

WILLIAM    C.    RALSTON 

Came  to  California  in  1854,  and  engaged  in  such 
banking  as  there  was  in  California,  as  one  of  the 
firm  of  Garrison,  Fritz  &  Ralston;  afterwards  engag- 
ing in  banking  with  Donohoe  &  Kelly.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Bank  of  California  he  was  made 
cashier.  Besides  the  numerous  projects  in  Nevada, 
he  was  also  instrumental  in  building  n\^  the  Dry 
Dock  at  Hunter's  Point,  Mission  Woolen  Mills,  Bay 
Sugar  Refinery,  West  Coast  Furniture  Factory, 
Kimball's  Carriage  Factory,  Cornell  Watch  Factory, 
California  Theater,  Grand  and  Palace  Hotels,  Rec- 
lamation of  Sherman  Island,  besides  others. 

WILLIAM    SHARON 

Is  a  native  of  Ohio,  but  spent  the  early  years  of  his 
manhood  in  Illinois  as  an  attorney-at-law,  coming  to 
California  in  1849,  where  he  soon  commenced  specu- 
lating in  real  estate  in  the  city  of  San  Francisco, 
fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  a  great  city  would 
spring  up  on  the  hills  around  the  harbor,  and  when 
the  discovery  of  silver  began  to  set  millions  ot  dol- 
lars in  motion  he  came  to  Nevada  as  confidential 
agent  of  the  Bank  of  California,  which  was  con- 
ducted by  William  C.  Ralston.  Like  all  the  other 
operators  his  career  shows  a  combination  of  energy, 
tenacity  of  purpose  and  close-tistedness,  whifih  will 
will  if  it  is  possible. 

HON.   JOHN    p.    JONES. 

Few,  if  any,  of  the  mining  men  or  politicians  of 
Nevada  have  made  a  more  world-wide  reputation 
than  ho  whoso  name  heads  this  parugrajih.  John  P. 
Jones  was  born  in  Hereford  County,  England,  near 
the  border  of  Wales,  in  1828.  His  father,  a  man  of 
considerable  force  of  character,  moved  to  America 
when  his  son  was  but  an  infant,  and  settled  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of 
a  marble  cutter  until  his  death  about  ten  years  ago. 
John  P.  received  the  ordinary  education  of  American 
youth  in  the  common  schools  of  Cleveland.  In  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  he  sailed  for  California  in 
1849  and  arrived  on  the  golden  shore  early  in  1850. 
His  early  experience  in  California  was  that  which 
usually  attended  j'oung  men  of  those  days,  seeking 
their  fortunes  in  the  mines,  rushing  from  place  to 
place,  making  a  fortune  one  season  and  exhausting 
it  in  some  great  enterprise  the  next,  constantly  re- 
Imildiiig  and  never  discouraged,  with  faith,  honor, 
and  ambition  as  their  anchor  and  their  star,  in  their 
mature  years  thoy  are  the  stalwarts  of  the  land. 
Jones'  first  experience  was  in  185(1  in  the  mines  of 
Poorman's  Creek,  in  the  Feather  River  region,  then 
in  the  southern  mines,  in  Tuolumne  and  Calaveras 


592 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Counties;  in  1852  he  was  in  the  far  northwest  on  the 
Trinity,  in  1853  back  again  in  Tuolumne,  and  back 
to  Trinitj'  again  in  1855,  where  he  remained  for  sev- 
eral j-ears,  being  Sheriff  of  Trinity  County,  volunteer 
in  an  Indian  war,  miner,  debater.  State  Senator  for 
Trinity  in  1861,  and  candidate  for  Lieutenant  Gover- 
nor of  California  in  1867,  on  the  ticket  with  George 
C.  Gorham.  At  that  time  "  Jones  of  Trinity  "  was  a 
power  in  the  Republican  party  and  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State,  but  the  ticket  was  not  popular  and 
was  deieated. 

Jones  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  Comstock, 
and  was  made  Superintendent  of  the  Kentuck  and 
Crown  Point  Mines,  taking  up  his  residence  at  Gold 
Hill,  where  he  has  since  maintained  his  home.  His 
career  in  Nevada  has  been  both  successful  and  hon- 
orable to  an  eminent  degree,  and  the  reward  has  been 
fortune  and  fame  unsurpassed  by  the  most  brilliant 
tales  of  romance.  Soon  after  taking  charge  of  the 
Kentuck  and  Crown  Point  a  dii'astrous  fire  occurred 
in  the  Yellow  Jacket,  an  adjoining  mine,  which 
wrought  death  and  destruction  in  his  own  mines.  In 
rescuing  and  caring  for  the  miners  injured  and  his 
kindnes^s  to  the  families  of  those  who  perished,  ho 
attached  himself  to  the  people  bj'  ties  which  can 
never  be  sundered.  With  great  intelligence  and 
characteristic  courage  ho  devoted  his  energies  to 
retrieve  the  property  intrusted  to  his  care,  and  in 
December,  1870,  came  upon  a  bodj'  of  rich  ore  in  the 
Crown  Point  Mine  1,100  feet  below  the  surface,  then 
the  deepest  workings  on  the  Comstock  Lode. 

Disaster  and  oft-repeated  assessments  had  depreci- 
ated the  shares  of  the  company  from  SlOO  in  June, 
1868,  to  two  dollars  in  November,  1870,  with  an 
assessment  of  83.50  per  share,  due  in  December.  At 
this  low  rate  Jones  invested  all  his  earnings  and  all 
he  could  borrow,  and  induced  his  friends  to  take 
shares.  One  wealthy  friend  he  called  upon  and  told 
of  his  discovery  with  all  the  happiness  of  a  miner  and 
the  glowing  enthusiasm  of  his  nature,  but  the  friend 
was  unmoved,  replying,  "Jones  I  will  loan  you  the 
money  to  buy  with,  but  as  for  me,  I  have  seen  the  time 
when  I  reached  through  the  holes  in  my  pants  and 
scratched  a  poor  man's  hide,  and  I  don't  mean  to 
ever  take  any  risks  that  will  make  me  do  it  again." 
Jones  got  the  money  on  his  promise  to  pay;  the  stock 
in  May,  1872,  was  $1,825  a  share,  and  the  determined 
miner  was  enjoying  an  income  of  81,000,000  a  year. 
This  was  the  largest  and  richest  bonanza  found  up 
to  that  date,  extending  into  the  Belcher  Mineon  the 
south,  and  yielded  about  860,000,000,  of  which  nearly 
half  was  paid  to  stockholders  in  dividends. 

Jones  again  entered  the  ])olitical  field.  The  cam- 
])aign  of  1872  was  believed  to  be  vital  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  extraordinary  efforts  would  be 
required  to  carry  Nevada  to  insure  a  Republican 
Senator.  The  stalwarts  of  the  State  looked  to  Jones 
for  a  standard-bearer,  and  the  monopolists  were  all 
opposed  to  him  from  his  known  opposition  to  their 
selfish  schemes  and  tyrannical  conduct,  consequently 


he  bore  the  burden  of  the  campaign.  For  this  the 
party  by  a  unanimous  vote  rewarded  him  with  Sena- 
torial honors,  while  the  monopolists,  even  those  pro- 
fessing to  be  Republicans,  conspired  to  achieve  his 
ruin,  to  destroy  his  power  and  counteract  his  influ- 
ence. Fortunately  he  triumphed  over  all,  and  in 
j  1879  was  re-elected  to  the  high  position  he  now 
holds. 

The  Senator  can  claim  the  honor  of  making  the 
first  campaign  of  anti-monopoly  against  monopoly; 
although  the  real  issue  was  carefullj'  kept  in  the 
background.  The  open  contest  is  to  come.  In  accept- 
ing the  position  of  Senator  in  January,  1873,  ho  thus 
addressed  the  Legislature: — 

As  a  Senator  of  the  nation,  I  will  not  vote  for  the 
appropriation  of  a  dollar  out  of  the  public  treasury 
except  for  the  maintenance  of  the  public  faith  and 
credit,  and  for  purely  governmental  jiurposesand  the 
attainment  of  the  objects  for  which  this  government 
was  created.  I  will  not  vote  for  a  subsidy  of  land, 
money,  bonds  or  credit,  to  cither  individuals  or  cor- 
porations. I  will  not  vote  for  any  hot-bed  scheme 
for  "the  development  of  our  resources,"  because  I 
believe  their  development  to  be  more  healthy  when 
made  solely  by  private  enterprise,  under  the  all- 
sufficient  stimulus  of  private  interest,  and  I  further 
believe  that  such  propositions  are  not  generally 
made  for  the  public  good,  but  in  thcinterest  of  public 
plunderers. 

Such  sentiments  aroused  the  ire  of  the  "public 
plunderers,"  and  their  pursuit  of  him  has  been  con- 
tinuous and  merciless.  As  a  guardian  of  the  people's 
interests  he  has  been  faithful,  and  as  an  advocate  of 
questions  of  great  national  importance  he  has  won  a 
fame  that  places  him  among  the  first  students  of 
political  economy,  the  most  conservative  and  just  of 
statesmen  and  the  most  brilliant  of  orators  of  our 
country;  winning  the  title  of  "The  Great  Com- 
moner." 

Senator  Jones  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Thomas  Conger  of  Sacramento, 
who  died  in  a  few  years  after  marriage,  leaving  one 
son;  and  again  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  Hon. 
Eugene  L.  Sullivan,  Collector  of  the  Port  of  San 
Francisco. 

The  Senator  is  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  fair 
countenance  and  massive  brow,  a  robust,  command- 
ing form,  and  dignified  carriage,  looking  well  worthy 
the  honors  he  bears.  Rut  the  austere  Senator  is 
not  always  unbending,  being  rather  distinguished 
for  his  social  qualities  and  the  enjoyment  of  fun. 
Numerous  stories  are  told  of  his  early  mining,  as 
1  well  as  of  his  political  career.  The  pioneers  of  Cali- 
fornia were  a  spirited  set  in  their  day,  and  Jones 
was  one  of  them.  Ho  was  mining  in  the  vicinity  of 
Sonora,  Tuolumne  County,  in  1850.  His  early  opera- 
tions were  not  extensive  enough  to  indicate  the 
business  talents  he  afterwards  disj)la3*ed;  but  his 
energj-  and  love  of  strife  exhibited  itself  in  camp 
fun,  which  promised  much  in  that  line.  It  is  not 
recorded  of  him  that  he  organized  any  bull  and  bear 
fights,  but  he  was  the  projector  of  a  fight  that  set 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


693 


the  camp  into  a  laughter,  that  propagated  itself 
until  the  name  of  Jones  was  famous  in  connection 
with  it  across  the  continent. 

As  the  story  goes,  it  was  in  185(1  that  Jones  and 
his  partners  repaired  to  Sonora  on  a  Sunday,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  the  country,  to  lay  in  supplies 
for  the  coming  week,  see  the  sights,  and  spend  such 
few  scads  in  pleasures  as  the  state  of  their  purses 
would  warraTit.  While  there  a  great  outcry  occurred 
in  one  of  the  corrals.  A  little,  lean,  insignificant 
looking  jack,  upon  which  a  Mexican  was  packing 
his  crowbar,  bafea  and  frijofes,  had  wandered 
unobserved  in  the  corral,  and  had,  notwithstanding 
his  burden,  successively  attacked  and  whijiped  out 
all  the  horses  in  the  j'ard,  finishing  U])  with  a  famous 
black  stallion,  whose  fighting  qualities  were  beyond 
question,  he  being  considered  not  only  dangerous, 
but  invincible  But  the  extraordinary  development 
of  jaw  in  the  jackass,  combined  with  a  phenomenal 
courage,  enabled  him  to  make  short  work  of  the 
big  stallion,  that  was  now  writhing,  utterly  helpless 
in  the  terrible  mouth  of  the  infernal  little  animal, 
that  was  as  relentless  as  a  bear  trap.  After  some 
considerable  trouble  the  jack  was  induced  "to  let  go 
his  hold,  and  was  led  out  to  be  shot;  but  the  Mexi- 
can pleading  his  povert}'  and  the  generally  peaceable 
character  of  the  animal,  the  sentence  was  commuted 
to  banishment,  on  condition  that  he  should  be 
instantly  taken  out  of  town. 

Jones,  who  had  quietly  witnessed  the  proceedings, 
was  struck  with  an  idea.  In  the  camp  where  he 
was  mining  lived  an  odd  character  from  Arkansas, 
by  the  name  of  Joggles,  who  owned  a  worthless  old 
plug  of  a  horse,  which  had  made  itself  famous  and 
finallj'  infamous  by  running  everything  of!' the  range 
in  the  shape  of  a  horse.  When  appealed  to  in  re- 
gard to  the  ill-doings  of  the  brute  the  old  man  would 
laugh  until  the  tears  would  run  down  his  cHeeks, 
remarking  that  "Old  Pison  is  some,  you  bet,"  and  his 
valuation  of  the  animal  would  go  up  with  every  fresh 
com]ilaint.  until  half  the  money  in  the  camp  would 
not  buy  him;  in  fact,  the  horse  had  become  an  in- 
tolerable nuisance,  but  old  Joggles  was  on  the  shoot 
atid  it  was  dangerous  to  molest  Old  Pison.  In  Jones' 
opinion  the  jack  was  good  for  him,  and  a  bargain 
was  soon  struck  with  the  Mexican,  who  was 
glad  to  get  two  ounces  for  the  jack.  Jones  and  his 
partners  packed  their  supplies  on  the  brute,  that  had 
by  this  time  resumed  his  sleepy,  innocent  look,  and 
about  sundown  they  reached  their  camp  with  their 
purchase.  As  expected,  old  Joggles  made  his  ap- 
pearance, and  joined  with  the  crowd  in  the  funny 
remarks  about  the  new  animal. 

"  What  ur  yer  gonter  do  with  thot  thar  critter?" 
says  Joggles,  referring  to  the  jack. 

"Turn  him  out  to  grass,"  says  Jones. 

"  He,  he,"  chuckled  Joggles,  "  he  won't  be  a  mouth- 
ful for  Old  Pison;  he'll  chaw  him  inter  a  dish-rag 
quicker'n  shucks." 


"  Don't  know  about  that,"  says  Jones,  "you  can't 
tell  how  these  jacks  will  fight." 

"  Bet  yer  fifty  dollars  Old  Pison  licks  him  in  a 
minute,"  says  Joggles. 

Jones — "  Well,  old  man,  I  don't  know  as  I  want 
your  money,  but  if  j-ou  want  to  bet  a  little  on  it 
perhaps  wo  can  accommodate  you;  but  then  a  jack 
is  a  mighty  ugly  thing  to  fight;  you  had  better  not 
try  it." 

The  old  man's  blood  was  up.  Old  Pison  never  had 
been  whipped,  and  his  opinion  was  that  it  was  im- 
possible. "  I'll  bet  yer  one  hundred,"  says  he;  "  I'll 
double  the  bet."  Jones  didn't  care  much  to  bet,  but 
thought  that  the  jack  could  whip  Old  Pison.  Jog- 
gles continued  by  raising  the  bet  to  8300,  and  daring 
Jones  to  take  it.  Jones  reluctantly  consented,  pro- 
vided the  jack  could  rest  until  tomorrow,  which,  as 
it  was  now  nearly  dark,  the  old  man  agreed  to. 

Joggles  dug  up  his  oyster  can  containing  his  pile, 
and  put  up  the  dust.  It  was  agreed  that  the  jack 
was  to  be  turned  out  on  the  flat  back  of  the  town, 
and  that  they  should  not  be  driven  together,  but 
left  to  meet  each  other  "sorter  by  chance."  Jones 
and  his  company  went  to  work  in  sight  of  the 
expected  arena.  After  a  time  Old  Joggles  was  seen 
driving  the  horse  over  the  hill  from  the  opposite 
side,  though  ho  kept  out  of  view  as  much  as  possible. 
The  tvPo  creatures,  from  an  inborn  sense  of  true 
chivalry,  mutually  recognized  each  other  as  worthy 
foes,  and  gave  the  challenge  for  mortal  combat, 
the  horse,  by  laying  back  his  ears,  elevating  his 
head,  and  giving  a  loud  snort;  the  jack,  by  a  series 
of  sharp  though  graceful  curves  with  his  spike 
tail,  and  a  loud  blast  from  his  war  trumpet. 

The  horse  rushed  to  the  onset  with  mouth  open, 
wide  enough  to  take  in  any  part  of  the  jack  but  his 
head.  The  ground  on  which  the  meeting  occurred 
was  a  kind  of  rod  clay,  and  the  dust  obscured  the 
combatants  from  view  for  a  few  minutes,  but  when 
they  did  come  to  sight  the  horse  was  makinir  for 
town  for  dear  life,  with  the  infernal  jack  hangiu'T  to 
his  withers.  The  hold  broke  loose,  and  Old  Pison 
put  in  his  best  licks,  getting  away  from  the  jack, 
who  came  after  as  fast  as  his  short  legs  could  carr3'- 
him,  his  tail  rapidly  making  short  circles  in  the  air, 
and  his  terrible  trumpet  uttering  the  fiercest  notes 
in  his  repertoire.  Down  the  hill  came  the  horse,  his 
eyes  standing  out  as  if  pursued  by  a  fiend.  The 
fight  was  all  gone  out  of  him  now.  In  abject  terror 
he  rushed  to  his  stable  for  securitj',  but  the  door 
was  closed,  and  Old  Joggles  was  some  distance 
aw!>y,  following  up  the  fight.  Old  Pison  ])aused  just 
a  moment,  but  the  jack  was  coming,  with  that  terri- 
ble mouth  distended,  for  another  bite,  and  as  there 
was  no  time  to  consider  the  situation,  he  sornnvfullv 
passed  on  through  the  town:  but  the  road  terminated 
in  a  deep  gully  over  which  it  was  impossible  to 
leap,  and  into  which  it  was  death  to  jump. 

Old  Pison  paused  a  moment  on  the  brink,  but  the 
enemy  was  upon  him;  over  he  wont,  choosing  death 


594 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


rather  than  another  encounter  with  that  terrible 
pair  of  jaws.  When  Joggles  got  on  the  ground  be 
beheld  his  favorite  just  expiring,  and  the  jack  looking 
on,  venting  his  still  unsatisfied  rage  in  furious  trurapet- 
ings. 

"Dog  on  yer  big  coffin  head,  yer've  licked  Old 
Pison.  Nothin'  can't  live  that's  did  that;"  and, 
drawing  his  revolver,  the  jack  was  soon  lying  in 
death  with  his  defeated  enemy. 

"Jones,"  says  the  old  man,  his  revolver  still  in  his 
hand,  "you  know'd  how  that  there  critturcud  tight." 
Jones  had  need  of  all  bis  diplomacy  to  make  the  old 
man  believe  that  he  didn't  know;  but  peace  was 
made,  and  Old  Pison  never  troubled  the  range  again. 

DEPRESSION    OF    MINING. 

Among  all  the  fluctuations  which  the  Comstock 
has  experienced,  the  depression  of  1864-65  was  the 
most  depressing.  It  is  true  that  a  few  mines  like  the 
Ophir  and  Gould  &  Curry  had  been  paying  divi- 
dends, and  had  gone  up  to  fabulous  prices,  but  the 
depression  carried  the  estimate  of  the  mines  as  much 
below  the  true  value  as  the  previous  excitement  had 
carried  it  above.  In  the  opinion  of  many,  ruin  and 
general  desertion  of  the  town  was  apparent.  Houses 
were  moved  away,  some  going  to  Meadow  Lake  and 
some  even  to  Reese  River. 

RALSTON    TO   THE   FRONT.  • 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  William  Sharon,  acting 
for  the  Bank  of  California,  under  the  direction  of 
Ralston,  came  to  the  front,  loaned  money  on  the 
mills  and  mines,  and  helped  to  sustain  the  drooping 
courage  of  the  operators.  Whether  to  ascribe  the 
success  of  the  experiment  to  good  luck  or  sound 
judgment  may  be  difficult.  What  the  value  of  the 
securities  would  have  been  without  the  discoveries 
made  in  the  Savage,  Chollar-Potosi,  and  Hale  & 
Norcro.ss  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture:  but  it  may 
also  be  said  that  loans  on  such  prospects  for  fortunes 
were  reasonably  certain;  that  no  more  risks  on  an 
average  were  made  than  any  business  then  carried 
on  in  California  required.  The  loans  were  repaid, 
and  the  business  became  very  remunerative.  The 
capital  of  the  Bank  of  California  was  nominallj*  but 
85,000,000.  It  is  said  that  Friedlander  in  California 
produced  the  great  corner  in  wheat  in  186.3  with  less 
than  825,000,  though  the  operation  involved  millions. 
Something  of  this  kind  must  have  been  evolved  by 
Sharon  acting  for  the  bank,  for  in  a  few  years  we 
find  it  virtually  controlling  the  mines.  Money  had 
been  advanced  on  nearly  everything,  and  certificates 
of  stock  taken  as  security.  The  business  operations  of 
the  bank  were  enormous.  According  to  the  custom  of 
deposit,  the  holders  were  authorized  to  vote  for  all 
shares  of  stock  placed  in  their  hands  for  security. 
By  using  stocks  in  their  possession,  and  judiciously 
exchanging  and  bu5'ing,  as  the  case  might  demand, 
they  managed  to  control  nearly  all  the  prominent 
mines.  It  is  asserted  that  a  few  feet  of  H;.'e  & 
Norcross  wore  purchased  once  at  $16,000  perfoui  to 


hold  a  controlling  interest  in  the  election,  although 
the  market  value  was  but  82,000.  By  means  of  this 
control  they  were  enabled  to  starve  or  feed  the  mills. 
It  is  charged  that  Sharon  would  loan  money  on  a 
mill  and  then  refuse  to  give  it  custom  work,  and  that 
in  a  year  or  two  the  mill  would  fall  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  bank.  At  anj-  rate,  we  find  in  1875, 
the  following  mills  owned  by  the  Union  Mill  and 
Mining  Company,  of  which  William  Sharon  was 
President;  Pacific  Mills,  co.sting  8130.000;  Sunder- 
land, 860,000:  Empire,  830,000;  Express,  815,000; 
Land's,  860,000;  Railroad,815,000;  Winfield,  880,000; 
Nevada,  855,000;  Merrimac,  8130,0(10;  Santiago, 
860,000;  Vivian,  845,000;  Eureka,  8300,000;  Franklin, 
830,000  ;  Island,  820,000  ;  Sacramento,  835,000 ; 
amounting  to  $1,200,000.  The  Water-works  cost- 
ing 87,000,000,  were  virtually  under  their  control. 
The  value  of  these  was  87,000,000,  and  the  Virginia 
and  Truckee  Railroad,  83,000,000.  Ralston  in  his 
best  days  had  at  least  825,000,000  under  his  control. 
It  may  be  asked  how  such  a  contingency  could  hap- 
pen. Every  one  had  confidence  in  his  financial 
ability.  Everything  that  he  touched  turned  to  gold. 
He  seemed  the  favored  child  of  fortune,  and  no  one 
hesitated  to  deposit  money  with  him.  The  milling 
business  was  almost  monopolized  by  the  Union  Mill 
and  Mining  Company.  The  usual  price  was  twelve 
dollars  per  ton,  of  which  seven  dollars  was  said  to  be 
clear  profit.  This  turned  more  than  81,000,000  ayear 
into  his  hands.  lie  was  also  able  to  bull  or  bear  the 
stocks  by  working  in  good  or  bad  portions  of  the 
mines,  making  dividends  or  assessments  at  will,  it 
was  generally  believed  that  the  mines  were  worked 
in  the  interest  of  the  stock  speculators  rather  than 
the  stockholders. 

The  railroad  commanded  the  timber  and  wood 
trade  necessary  for  the  mills  and  mines,  and  gave 
the  bank  a  still  farther  hold  on  the  community.  The 
bank,  during  its  existence,  had  made  regular  divi- 
dends of  one  per  cent,  per  month  toils  stockholders, 
and  had  paid  in  this  way  86,500,000,  the  earnings 
amounting,  according  to  the  books,  to  more  than 
87,000,000. 

OPPOSITION    TO   THE   SUTBO    TUNNEL. 

When  the  tunnel  scheme  was  first  proposed  all 
Nevada  was  in  favor  of  it.  Ralston  gave  Sutro  a 
very  fine  letter  of  recommendation  to  the  Globe 
Bank,  of  London,  asking  them  to  give  him  a  hear- 
ing. The  Legislature  endorsed  it.  and  unanimously 
adopted  a  memorial  to  Congress  asking  a  loan  to  the 
project  of  84,000,000,  and  Sutro  was  sped  on  his  waj' 
to  the  capitalists  of  Europe  by  the  prayers  and  good 
wishes  (presuming  that  stock-dealers  i)ray)  of  all 
Comstock.  But  when  the  threads  of  all  the  enter- 
prises began  to  fall  into  Ralston's  hands;  wlien,  by 
actual  experiment,  it  was  found  that  with  the  aid  of 
dynamite,  compressor  drills  and  powerful  hoisting 
machinerj',  the  mines  could  be  worked  without  a 
tunnel;  that  it  was  likely  to  injure  the  value  of  the 
railway    by    superseding   the   necessity    for    wood; 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


595 


impairinpj  the  value  of  the  mills  in  consequence  of 
the  ores  being  brought  to  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel 
for  reduction,  building  up  a  rival  town  around  the 
mouth  of  the  tunnel  and  dethroning  him,  making 
Sutro  the  king,  he  turned  all  his  influence  against  it, 
making,  perhaps,  the  greatest  eft'ort  of  his  life  in  try- 
ing to  defeat  the  pi-oject.  If  he  did  not  move  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  he  certainly  came  as  near  it  as 
any  man  could  have  done.  It  was  carried  into  the 
domain  of  politics,  and  became  mixed  up  with  recon- 
structions and  the  Fifteenth  Amendment.  As  the 
question  of  tunnel  or  no  tunnel  had  no  possible  bear- 
ing on  the  national  questions  or  connection  with 
any  political  party,  the  adoption  of  Ralston's  side  of 
the  contest  must  have  been  a  bid  for  popular  favor 
and  temporary  success.  It  is  quite  true  that  the 
proposed  system  of  working  the  mines  through  the 
Sutro  Tunnel  would  involve  many  changes,  and, 
perhaps,  impair  the  value  of  the  buildings  at  Vir- 
ginia City,  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  liailroad,  and 
the  Water-works  as  well,  but  the  damage  was  only 
such  as  would  result  from  a  cheaper  transportation 
and  working  of  the  ores  by  another  route  and 
another  method.  Such  damages  occur  whenever 
new  lines  of  transportation  are  established,  or  now 
machinery  for  manufacturing  is  introduced.  The 
real  fact  was:  '•  AVe  will  have  Ealston  for  king,  and 
not  Sutro." 

Sharon  was  running  for  the  United  States  Senate. 
Sutro  announced  himself  as  a  candidate  also,  and 
went  into  the  fight,  with  his  accustomed  vim  and 
tenacity,  but  circumstances  were  against  him,  and 
he  did  not  make  much  of  a  contest.  The  Republican 
Convention,  of  1874,  adopted  the  following  strong 
platform  against  the  tunnel: — 

Resolved,  That  in  the  name  of  the  whole  people 
of  Storej'  County  we  earnestly  denounce  the  attempt 
of  the  Sutro  Tunnel  Company  to  destroy  the  pros- 
perity of  this  county;  that  in  the  final  completion 
of  the  Sutro  Tunnel  we  apprehend  ruin  and  destruc- 
tion to  the  prosperity  of  the  people.  We  cannot 
close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  in  the  ultimate  suc- 
cess of  this  iniquitous  scheme  all  property  must  bo 
reduced  in  value,  business  must  decline,  and  wages 
be  reduced,  entailing  unmeasured  misery  and  dis- 
tress upon  this  people;  and  we  urgently  call  upon 
all  classes  of  people  in  Storey  Count}-,  of  whatever 
business,  trade,  or  occupation,  and  aside  from  any 
political  bias,  to  seriously  consider  the  danger  to 
which  they  are  exposed — a  peril  which  threatens  at 
once  their  homes,  their  fortunes,  and  the  means  by 
which  a  support  for  themselves  and  families  is  fur- 
nished. The  hopes  of  every  man  in  this  communitj- 
to  better  his  fortune,  hang  \ipon  the  issue  of  this 
struggle  l)etwecn  property  hDldei-s  on  one  side,  and 
on  the  other  this  adventurer,  who,  backed  b}-  foreign 
capital,  is  seeking  by  every  possible  means  to  transfer 
the  earnings  of  years  of  toil  by  this  people  to  his 
own  private  coffers.  To  property  owners  and  busi- 
ness men  the  fact  must  be  a])parent  that  A'irginia 
and  Cold  Hill  are  doomed  places  if  Adolph  Suti-o 
and  his  confederates  are  ])erniilted  to  carry  out 
their  designs;  and  to  miners  and  all  laboring  men 
we  particularly  appeal,  to  be  mindful  of  their  own 


interests  in  this  matter,  for  it  has  been  openly 
threatened  that  a  completion  of  the  Sutro  Tunnel 
will  force  a  reduction  of  the  wages  of  laborers  to 
half  the  present  prices.  In  everj'  view  of  the  mat- 
ter, except  that  of  the  projectors  own  personal  inter- 
est, justice  and  right  loudlj'  demand  that  the  people 
of  this  community  should  ])ress  the  contest  against 
this  common  enemy  until  success  crowns  their  efforts. 
That  in  the  Republican  part}-  alone  the  ])eople  of 
Storey  (Jounty  can  bo  assured  that  their  interests 
will  find  protection  and  defense.  This  party,  and 
all  its  candidates  for  State  and  county  ofl[iceVs,  are 
not  only  fully  pledged,  but  are,  in  sincerity  and 
honesty  of  purpose,  determined  to  leave  no  hon- 
orable means  untried  until  this  great  shadow  shall 
have  been  dispelled,  this  great  danger  averted,  and 
the  promoters  of  this  wicked  scheme  routed  and 
defeated. 

Sharon  was  elected,  and  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment did  not  lend  their  aid  to  the  tunnel,  which, 
however,  went  on  to  completion,  and  no  disastrous 
results  have  followed.  Mining  is  still  carried  on 
through  shafts  as  before,  the  miners  still  reside  in 
Virginia  and  Gold  Hill,  air  compressors  are  still 
required  to  ventilate  the  mines,  and  water,  only, 
pumped  from  below  runs  through  the  tunnel. 

THE    NEW    KING   OF   THE    C0.M8T0CK. 

In  another  part  of  this  work  we  have  given  an 
account  of  the  discovery  of  the  bonanza  and  the 
rapid  accumulation  of  wealth  by  the  fortunate  ))os- 
sessors.  In  former*  times  the  proprietors  patiently 
endured  the  domination  of  the  California  Bank  until 
they  could  act  independently.  They  purchased  one 
mill  after^  another,  not  in  the  name  of  the  mining 
companies,  but  as  the  Union  Mill  and  Mining  Com- 
pany, and  thus  became  a  syndicate  similar  in  its  op- 
erations to  the  Credit  Mobiiier  and  the  other  agen- 
cies of  the  railroad  companies.  In  1874  the  products 
of  the  Consolidated  Virginia  amounted  to  84,079,- 
200.  In  January,  1875,  the  receipts  were  81,001,400; 
in  February,  81,200,000;  March,  $1,705,600;  April, 
$1,509,000;  May,  81,521,000;  June,  81,502, COO;  July, 
81,604,000,  amounting  to  over  815,000.000.  The 
owners  of  this  bonanza  were  cool  and  cautious,  as 
well  as  enterprising.  They  had  made  arrangements 
to  open  the  Nevada  Bank  in  San  Francisco,  and,  ac- 
cording to  reports,  had  withdrawn  their  deposits, 
amounting  to  over  81,800,000,  from  the  Bank  of  Cal- 
ifornia. It  is  also  said  they  had  locked  up  for  their 
use  several  millions  of  the  bonanza  proceeds. 
THE   liUE.\T   p.\Nir  OF    1875. 

This  resulted  in  a  stringency  causing  a  panic,  the 
dethronement  of  the  old  king  and  in  setting  u]i  a 
new  dictator.  Though  the  nucleus  of  tliis  was  in 
California,  the  basis  of  it  was  the  Comstock,  and  its 
history  is  necessarily  a  part  of  the  history  of  the 
mines,  more  especially  as  the  effects  were  mmv  visi- 
ble in  Virginia  City  than  in  San  Francisco 

January.  1875,  opened  with  the  prices  of  all  stocks 
on  the  lode  at  the  highest  rates.  California  was 
rated  at  8780  per  share,  at  the  rate  of  100,000  shares 
in  the  company.  Consolidated   Virginia  being  8700. 


596 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Others,  though  not  as  high,  were  as  much  above 
their  value,  and  a  reaction  was  necessary,  inevitable, 
though  few,  even  of  the  wisest,  had  an  idea  of  the 
utter  demoralization  of  the  stock  market  which  was 
to  ensde.  In  February  the  stock  of  the  California  Min- 
ing Company  was  increased  to  500,000  shares,  which 
exhibited  a  monthly  fluctuation  of  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  dollars  per  share,  or  selling  at  sixty-nine  dollars, 
the  highest,  in  March  and  forty-six  dollars,  the  low- 
est. The  California  and  Consolidated  Virginia,  how- 
ever, being  in  bonanza  and  paying  regular  dividends, 
were  the  least  fluctuating.  In  all  speculation  was 
wild.  During  the  eight  months  following  the  open- 
ing of  1875  stock  values  had  declined  the  enormous 
amount  of  8100.000,000,  and  during  the  last  week 
of  August  the  shrinkage  amounted  to  §42,000,800. 
This  was  equivalent  to  the  loss  of  so  much  property, 
or  at  least  of  so  much  available  security.  Such  a 
collapse  could  not  but  result  in  a  panic. 

Common  reports  are  not  very  reliable,  and  it 
is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  real  cause  of  the  panic. 
Probably  a  combination  of  causes,  among  which  may 
be  reckoned  the  immense  inflation  consequent  upon 
the  discoverj-  of  the  bonanza,  the  inevitable  reaction, 
the  withdrawal  of  money  from  this  coast  for  supplies, 
the  moving  of  the  wheat  crop  which  required  four 
or  five  millions,  and  the  locking  up  of  money  for  a 
cinching  of  the  market.  The  palifornia  Bank  was 
carrying  an  immense  number  of  projects  involving 
many  millions.  Many  of  the  papers,  the  San  Francisco 
Bulktin  especially,  had  frequently  called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  community  to  the  irrcgularitj-  of  Ralston's 
proceedings,  for  he  was  virtually  the  bank',  and 
perhaps  had  some  influence  in  precipitating  the 
inevitable  downfall.  As  the  summer  advanced, 
great  masses  of  stocks,  which  were  traceable  to  the 
bank  crowd,  were  thrown  upon  the  constantly  falling 
market,  and  the  deluge  was  made  greater  bj-  those 
who  could  not  get  money  to  keep  their  margins  good. 
It  was  circulated  through  the  streets  that  Flood  & 
O'Brien  were  throwing  the  bonanza  stocks  on  the 
market  to  break  it,  and  they  also  sj-mpathized  with 
the  downfall. 

The  twenty -sixth  of  August  was  the  daj-  of  grief  for 
the  whole  coast,  the  day  that  swept  thousands  who 
supposed  themselves  well  off  into  povcrtj-.  The 
bank  closed  its  doors;  Ralston  resigned  his  position 
and  the  bank  went  into  the  hands  of  a  committee  for 
examination.  The  liabilities  amounted  to  814,000,- 
000,  its  assets  to  §7,000,000;  the  latter  being  uncertain 
from  the  fluctuating  value  of  the  securities.  The 
previous  reports  of  the  officers  had  fixed  the  assets 
at  820,000,000,  and  the  liabilities  at  §1. "5,000, 000. 
Other  banks  had  to  suspend,  but  the  panic  was 
stayed,  although  the  stock-board,  for  fear  of  further 
depression,  suspended  operations  for  two  months. 
The  further  history  of  the  institution  does  not 
particularly  concern  Storey   County,  as   from   that 


time  the  Bonanza  Firm  carried  things  much  their 
own  way.  The  bank  was  a  legitimate  fruit  of  the 
sj'Stem  of  mining  and  stock  s])eculations,  and  as  such 
necessarily  is  a  part  of  our  histor}'.  Ealston,  himself, 
though  a  financial  failure,  is  one  of  the  best  out- 
growths of  the  Comstock.  He  was  energetic  in 
action,  comprehensive  in  his  schemes,  and  generous 
to  all  who  did  not  stand  in  his  way.  He  did  more 
to  develop  business  and  bring  out  the  resources  of 
the  country  than  anj-  man  before  or  since  his  time. 
His  greatest  monuments  are  the  works  (and  they 
number  scores)  which  he  projected  and  completed> 
and  Nevada  lost  a  true  friend  when  Ralston  died. 

WHAT    THE    -MINES    HAVE    ACCOMPLISHED. 

The  first  ones  to  put  up  engines  thought  a  great 
thing  had  been  done  when  they  put  up  an  engine  of 
twenty-five-horse  power.  Five  hundred  feet  was  a 
long  distance  into  the  earth,  but  experience  is  a 
groat  teacher.  The  class  of  men  who  opened  the 
Comstock  were  awake  to  any  plan  of  improvement, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  developed  a  sj-stem 
of  machinerj'  which  for  effectiveness  was  never 
excelled  in  any  part  of  the  world.  When  one 
stands  by  the  C  and  C  shaft,  the  Yellow  Jacket,  or  the 
Forman  shaft,  he  may  well  wonder  how  any  addi- 
tional improvement  can  be  made.  The  massive 
hoisting  gear,  the  reels  with  the  graduated  circum- 
ference which  equalizes  the  weight  of  the  cable  as  it 
comes  up  making  the  lifting  power  the  same,  the 
compressor  which  sends  a  supply  of  fresh  air  to  the 
farthest  drift  in  the  mine  and  drives  a  drill  at  the 
rate  of  250  strokes  a  minute,  the  automatic  ore  skip 
which  dumps  itself  as  it  comes  to  the  surface  with- 
out endangering  the  lives  of  anj'  one  as  the  old 
method  of  bucket  landing  did,  are  all  the  products  of 
late  j^ears.  The  present  idea  of  deep  mines  limits  it 
to  4,000  feet,  but  if  the  ore  goes  farther  some  way  will 
bo  contrived  to  get  it.  The  old  saying  of  chase  a 
dollar  to  the  gates  of  hell  has  been  realized  on  the 
Comstock  for  mai.^-  years,  and  still  the  work  goes  on. 

The  amount  of  machinery  now  in  use,  and  which 
has  been  worn  out  at  Virginia  City,  has  had  an 
immense  effect  in  stimulating  the  manufacturing 
industries  of  San  Francisco.  This  machinery  has 
been  of  a  costly  character,  and  has  been  mainly  pur- 
chased there.  Local  iron  works  have  done  the 
repairing  and  have  constructed  the  simpler  mechan- 
isms required,  but  San  Francisco  has  reaped  the 
vaster  benefits.  In  fact,  Virginia  City  and  environs, 
can  almost  be  said  to  have  made  San  Francisco  what 
she  is  to-da}-.  It  is  the  great  riflle  whieh  has  caught 
the  silver  that  has  flowed  from  the  Comstock.  But 
for  that  the  long  linos  of  palatial  stores,  the  princelj' 
residences  in  the  suburbs,  the  linos  of  railroads  and 
steamships,  and  the  clanging  machine  shops  would 
not  have  been.  Yet  it  is  the  fashion  to  speak  slight- 
ingly of  Xevada  as  the  land  of  sage- brush  and 
deserts. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


597 


D.  Crosby,  eldest  son  of  eight  children,  born  to 
Joseph  and  Sarah  (Johnson)  Crosby,  natives  of  Dum- 
fries, Scotland,  was  born  in  Syracuse,  New  York, 
July  30,  1835.  At  the  age  of  eight  years,  he,  with 
his  parents,  emigrated  to  the  State  of  Jlichigan, 
Township  of  Nankin,  Wayne  County,  at  that  time  a 
dense  wilderness.  His  early  years  were  spent  on  a 
farm,  with  no  special  opportunity  for  obtaining  an 
education  other  than  those  afforded  bj-  the  district 
schools,  but,  through  the  combined  influences  of  both 
farm  and  school,  he  receiveda   thorough  training  of 


^r(^^^ 


self-reliance,  perseverance  and  fortitude,  that  were 
developed  in  after  life  to  a  remarkable  degree.  As 
youth  ripened  into  manhood,  his  vigorous  and  ambi- 
tious nature  led  him  to  seek  new  fields,  and,  at  the 
early  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  went  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  and  secured  a  position  in  the  dry  goods 
establishment  of  Zach.  Chandler,  where  he  remained 
two  j'ears.  After  leaving  that  position,  he  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  a  jewelrj'  and  Yankee  notion  store, 
and  for  five  )'ears  remained  there,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Crosby  &  Lovell.  In  1860,  desiring  a  richer 
field  for  his  labors,  he  set  sail  for  California,  where 
he  arrived  April  12lh  of  that  year.  After  a  short 
stay  in  San  Francisco,  he  went  to  Sacramento  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  T.  H.  Cook,  and  for  the 
succeeding  four  years  carried  on  a  mercantile  and 
teaming  business,  and  delivered  the  first  brick  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  Slate  Capitol  at  Sacra- 
75 


mento.  In  1864  ho  severed  his  connection  with  the 
firm,  and  came  over  the  mountains  to  Virginia  City, 
Store}'  County,  Nevada,  soon  after  as.sociating  himself 
with  R.  J.  Breed  in  the  wood  and  coal  business,  also 
general  teaming,  under  the  name  of  Breed  &  Crosby, 
owning  and  using  as  many  as  300  horses  and  mules 
at  a  time,  hauling  quartz  from  the  mines  to  the  mills. 
The  firm  continued  successfully  for  nearlj'  fifteen 
years,  up  to  the  fifteenth  of  December,  187SI,  when  it 
was  dissolved,  and  he  associated  himself  with  his 
brother,  John  J.  Crosbj-,  conducting  the  same  line  of 
siness  under  the  name  of  Crosby  &  Co. 


Richard  V.  Dey 


Was  born  in  New  York  City,  on  the  eleventh  day  of 
March,  1835,  where  he  continued  to  live  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
great  metropolis.  His  ancestors  wore  from  Holland, 
and  the  date  of  their  arrival  in  New  York  was  as  far 
back  as  1(>2(;.  Dey  Street,  in  that  city,  derived  its 
name  from  once  being  in  the  possession  of  this  fam- 
ily. In  185.5  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Cali. 
fornia,  and  for  four  years  was  engaged  in  the  jewelry 
business  in  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  In  1859  he 
became  associated  with  Col.  J.  C.  Fremont,  and  for 
one  year  was  engaged  in  mining  with  him  in  Bear 
Valley,  Mariposa  County,  California.  He  then  came 
to  Virginia  Citj-  and  engaged  in  mining,  and  was  also 
interested  in  a  saw-mill  in  Carson  City,  following  the 
business  for  throe  years.  During  the  year  18G4  ho 
received  the  appointment  of  Deputy  United  States 
Marshal,  and  upon  the  resignation  of  his  superior 
officer  was  appointed  United  States  M.'irsbal,  and 
continued  in  that  position  for  one  year,  since  which 


598 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


time  he  has  been  connected  with  the  Bonanza  Firm, 
in  relation  to  the  title  to  their  mines.  In  1880  Mr. 
Doy  took  a  trip  around  the  world  in  company  with 
Col.  James  G.  Fair,  occupying  nearly  eight  months 
in  viewing  the  wonders  of  the  Old  World  and  the  New. 
ilr.  Dey  is  of  fine  appearance  and  a  well-bred  gentle- 
man, gaining  hosts  of  friends  wherever  he  goes. 

FINANCES   DUKINO    THE    BONANZA    PERIOD. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  at  the  close  of  our 
first  period  (1805)  the  finances  were  in  a  peculiarlj"- 
shaky  condition.  The  Virginia  City  bonds  and  scrip, 
drawing  from  one  to  five  per  cent,  per  month, 
amounted  to  825-1,837.78. 

The  county  debt  in  May,  1865,  amounted  to  no 
less  than  8327,475.12.  The  destruction  of  many  of 
the  records  by  the  great  fire,  and  the  abstraction  or 
mutilation  of  others,  prevents  getting  a  very  clear 
idea  as  to  how  the  county  and  city  threw  off  its 
debts.  From  the  extravagant  habits  of  municipal 
and  county  officers  of  that  date  the  impression 
would  obtain  that  bankruptcy  was  inevitable,  but 
the  discovery  of  the  different  bonanzas,  which  com- 
menced soon  after  the  bullion-tax  income,  which  was 
almost  enough  some  years  to  run  the  county,  to- 
gether with  wiser  financial  measures,  carried  both 
city  and  county  out  of  debt,  and  left  the  finances  in 
a  healthy  condition.  The  construction  of  a  Court 
House,  the  water-works,  and  the  l>onds  (8300,000) 
for  the  building  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckeo  Rail- 
road, were  ail  canceled  in  the  course  of  a  few  years, 
80  that  almost  alone  in  counties  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
Storey  County  is  practically  out  of  debt.  For  the 
full  statement  of  this  question  see  (Jhapter  XVlll. 

TAXING   THE    VIRGINIA   AND   TRUCKEE   RAILROAD. 

The  8300,000  of  bonds  donated  were  receipted  for 
by  the  company  January  31,  1H70.  The  value  of 
the  portion  of  the  track  in  Storey  County  at  first 
was  fixed  at  812,000  per  mile.  October  7th  it  was 
reduced  to  810,000  per  mile,  and  afterwards  to 
88,000,  the  difference  82,000  per  mile  for  six  and  one- 
half  miles,  813,000,  being  added  to  the  rolling  stock. 
October  10,  1873,  the  value  of  rolling  stock  was 
reduced  from  840, 920  to  S3!  ,920.  It  was  reduced  still 
more  October  4, 1875.  October  4, 1879,  the  assessment 
was  still  further  reduced,  making  the  total  value  of 
the  track  810,580  less  than  in  1873.  The  valuation 
was  still  further  reduced  in  1880. 

PRINCIPAL    FIRES    IN    VIRGINIA    CITY. 

The  combustible  nature  of  the  materials  of  which 
the  towns  are  built,  the  terrific  winds  which  dailj'  visit 
this  side  of  the  mountains,  with  the  dry  character  of 
the  atmosphere,  and  the  careless  habits  of  the 
transient  population,  all  combined  to  make  the 
chances  of  a  conflagration  numerous.  This  was 
early  seen  bj-  the  resident  population,  and  efficient 
means  were  taken,  as  it  was  thought,  to  prevent  any 
widespread  disaster.  So  thought  the  cities  of 
Chicago  and  Portland,  but  the  fire-fiend  devoured 
tbera. 


The  first  great  fire  in  Virginia  City  broke  out 
August  29,  1863,  in  a  carpenter  shop  in  the  rear  of 
Patrick  Lynch 's  saloon.  About  8700,000  worth  of 
property  was  destroyed.  The  burned  district  ex- 
tended from  Taj-lor  Street  to  Sutton  Avenue,  north 
and  south,  and  from  A  Street  to  B,  and  partly  down 
to  C,  east  and  west.  This  was  then  the  principal 
business  part  of  the  town.  This  fire  was  the  occa- 
sion for  the  culmination  of  the  feud  between  the 
engine  companies  Number  One  and  Two,  more  par- 
ticularly described  in  the  account  of  the  Fire 
Department. 

On  September  29,  1865,  a  fire  started  at  the  Foun- 
tain Head  Restaurant.  It  burned  over  an  area 
extending  from  Union  Street  to  below  Suttcm 
Avenue,  and  as  far  as  D  Street  east,  and  A  Street 
west.  About  8400,000  worth  of  propertj-  was 
destroyed. 

On  September  23, 1866,  Music  Hall  was  destroyed 
by  a  fire  occasioned  bj'  the  bursting  of  a  lamp. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  Sejitcmber,  1S70,  another 
fire  broke  out  in  Lonkey  &  Smith's  lumber  yard, 
corner  of  D  and  Smith  Streets.  It  spread  from  D 
down  to  E  Street  east,  and  as  far  as  A  Street  west, 
running  close  to  Taylor  Street  on  the  north,  and  to 
the  Tahoe  House  on  the  south.  The  total  damage 
amounted  to  8300,000. 

June  29,  1873,  at  11  o'clock,  i'.  .v..  the  McLaugh- 
lin &  Root  building,  on  B  Street,  blew  up  and  took 
fire;  100  pounds  of  Hercules  powder,  six  cases  of 
nitro-glycerine,  100  pounds  of  giant  jjowder,  and 
200  pounds  of  common  powder  had  been  stored 
under  the  bed-room  of  Major  General  Xnn  Bokkelen, 
by  that  gentleman,  and  exploded.  He  was  killed, 
also  J.  P.  Smith,  W.  I).  Davis.  Ben  Mandel,  Mrs.  Ed. 
Dean  and  her  little  daughter,  Billy  Low,  Chas.  Knox, 
Mrs.  Emily  Connor  and  John  Devine.  Losses  by 
fire,  water,  etc.,  8225,000.  Many  persons  were 
wounded. 

A  portion  of  the  building  was  occupied  by  the 
Hank  of  California. 

The  great  fire,  one  long  to  be  remembered,  com- 
menced at  5:30,  A.M.,  October  26,  1875,  in  a  low 
lodging-house  on  A  Street,  and  resulted  in  the  total 
destruction  of  the  business  part  of  the  citj',  and  a 
loss  of  about  $12,000,000.  The  burned  district 
included  all  between  Taylor  .Street  on  the  south,  and 
Carson  Street  on  the  north,  Stewart  Street  on  the 
west,  and  the  Chinese  quarter  on  the  east.  The  fire 
soon  passed  bc^'ond  all  possibility  of  control,  driving 
the  firemen  and  people  from  one  block  to  another 
with  scarcelj'  any  delay.  As  the  air  became  heated 
the  flames  seemed  to  leap  across  whole  blocks  at  a 
time.  The  '•  fire-proof"  buildings  seemed  to  offer  as 
little  resistance  as  those  of  wood.  The  mills  and 
hoisting-works  were  swept  away  as  bj-  a  whirlwind. 
Considerable  quantities  of  powder  were  stored 
around  the  towTi,  and  this  exploding  increased  the 
horrors  of  the  scene,  and    paralyzed    the   eflorts  to 


1 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY 


69f> 


quell  the  tire  or  to   remove  valuables,  so  dangerous 
was  it  to  approach  a  building. 

The  shafts  of  the  mines  burned  down  to  a  consid- 
erable distance,  occasioning  much  caving  in.  At  the 
Ophir  a  cage  was  let  down  and  covered  with  dirt  to 
prevent  the  fire  from  passing  down,  but  the  fasten- 
ings or  springs  gave  way  when  the  dirt  was  shoveled 
on  it,  and  the  fire  went  down  the  shaft.  The  Con- 
solidated Virginia  saved  their  shaft  with  a  bulk-head 
covered  with  dirt.  Soon  after  the  fire  a  gale  com- 
menced blowing,  tumbling  down  the  tottering  wails 
and  filling  the  air  with  clouds  of  ashes  and  cinders. 
November  2d  a  snow-storm  setin  and  made  the  situa- 
tion still  worse. 

The  business  houses  destroyed  numbered  over  JiOO; 
the  dwellings.  1,000.  The  mill  of  the  Consolidated 
Yirginia,  which  cost  8500,000,  was  destroyed. 

The  people  set  to  work  to  rebuild  even  while  the 
beds  of  coals  were  glowing  with  heat,  and  in  a  few 
days  most  of  the  people  were  under  shelter.  The 
railroad  brought  in  supplies  of  timber  and  provisions. 
Fortj'-six  trains  passed  over  the  road  in  one  day ;  1 00 
cars  were  dropped  at  Reno  for  Virginia  City  in  one 
day.  But  for  the  railroad  the  city  must  have  been 
abandoned  until  spring.  Let  those  who  see  no  good 
in  railroads  make  a  note. 

The  mines  were  soon  in  working  condition.  The 
Ophir  shaft  was  repaired  (retimbered)  sixty  feet 
deep,  new  and  powerful  hoisting  works  set  up.  and 
everytiiing  in  running  order  in  thirty  days,  four  of 
which  were  used  in  putting  out  the  fire.  Samuel 
Curtis  was  the  Captain  in  this  rapid  work. 

FIRES   AT    GOLD    HILL. 

The  largest  fire  that  Gold  Hill  ever  experienced 
occurred  April  20,  186-1.  It  broke  out  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  the  What  Cheer  House,  at 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Crown  Point  Streets.  The 
Virginia  Engine  Company,  No.  1.  and  Eagle  Com- 
pany, No.  3,  came  to  their  relief,  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  of  Gold  Hill, 
succeeded  in  quelling  the  fire.  The  loss  was  about 
815,000. 

VIRGINIA    CITY    FIRE    DEPART.MENT. 

The  Fire  Department  of  Virginia  Citj-  had  its  origin 
in  a  bucket  company.  In  the  fall  of  1800  the  citizens 
met  at  the  International  Hotel,  then  a  frame  house 
on  1$  Street,  and  organized  to  fight  fire,  their  only 
equipment  being  a  supply  of  buckets.  This  com- 
pany was  disbanded  carlj'  in  the  following  year, 
when  the  nucleus  of  the  present  department  was 
formed,  by  the  organization  of  Hook  and  Ladder 
Companj",  No.  1,  and  Virginia  Kngine  Company, 
No.  1.  Tom  Peasley  was  the  first  foreman  of  the 
truck  company,  a  position  he  subsequently  resigned, 
to  become  the  foreman  of  the  first  engine  company, 
which  he  had  also  organized.  On  March  lit,  18()2, 
Young  America  Engine  Company,  No.  2,  was  organ- 
ized, with  Jacob  Young,  Jr.,  as  foreman.  This 
company  was  composed  of  young  workingmen,  gen- 
erally   designated    as    "the    boys;"    while     Kngine 


Company,  No.  1,  was  made  up  principally  of  those 
who  prided  themselves  on  being  the  "sports"  of 
the  town.  The  Fire  Dejjartnient  was  now  organized, 
with  Tom  I'oasley  as  the  first  chief  engineer,  who, 
some  years  later,  met  with  a  tragic  death  in  the 
Ormsl.y  House.  Carson  City.  On  March  4,  18G3. 
Peter  Larkin  defeated  Peasley  for  chief.  On  August 
29th,  of  that  year,  Virginia  Citj-  had  its  first  great 
fire  (described  elsewhere).  During  the  progress  of 
the  conflagration,  a  long-standing  feud  between 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  1,  and  Engine 
Conipan3\  No.  1.  on  one  side,  and  Engine  Company. 
No.  2,  on  the  other,  culminated  in  a  severe  battle, 
with  fatal  consequences  to  one  man.  The  fire  broke 
out  in  a  carpenter's  shop,  in  the  rear  of  Patrick 
Lynch's  saloon. 

The  fight  occurred  between  C  and  D  Streets.  Brick- 
bats were  freely  used  and  several  men  received 
brui^es  and  contusions  from  these  missiles.  The  gen- 
eral conflict  had  ended  when  John  Cullen,  First 
Assistant  Engineer  of  the  Dipartment,  shot  and 
killed  one  Richardson,  an  expelled  member  of  Engine 
Company,  No.  2.  Cullen  was  a  member  of  the  same 
company  and  after  the  fire  a  crowd  composed  of 
Richardson's  friends  gathered  in  front  of  their  engine 
house  and  threatened  to  demolish  it.  The  comjiany 
had  a  cannon  loaded  with  grape  and  canister,  which 
they  were  prepared  to  discbarge  against  the  mob  in 
the  event  of  an  attack. 

Billy  Warnock.  a  member  of  another  company, 
stood  up  and  made  a  speech  warning  the  infuriated 
men  not  to  attack  the  house,  as  there  were  inside 
forty  or  fifty  armed  men,  and  they  would  be  taking 
desperate  chances.  The  crowd  thereupon  took  the 
hint  and  withdrew.  Thus  ended  the  first  and  only 
battle  ever  fought  bj*  the  fire  laddies  of  the  Com- 
stock. 

Eagle  Engine  Company,  No.  3,  was  organized  on 
August  2,  18G3,  and  purchased  the  hand  engine 
belonging  to  Vigilant  Company,  No.  9,  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Washoe  Engine  Comjianj-,  No.  4,  was  organ- 
ized soon  afterwards.  Billy  ilackintosh,  now  dead, 
was  their  first  foreman.  In  the  summer  of  18G4, 
Knickerbocker  Engine  Company.  No.  5,  was  organ- 
ized with  Hugh  Kelly  as  foreman.  Confidence  En- 
gine Companj-,  No.  6,  was  organized  October  19,  1864, 
with  Frank  Ilollaway  as  foreman.  By  a  resolution 
of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  passed  on  Maj'  11,  18(10, 
Confidence  Engine  Company  were  granted  leave  to 
change  their  name  to  Monumental,  No.  0.  On  Nov- 
ember 24,  18G6,  a  hose  company  called  Hand-in-Hand 
Hose  Company,  No.  1,  was  organized,  but  disbanded 
after  a  brief  existence.  The  foregoing  included  all 
the  companies  organized  in  the  Old  Volunteer  Fire 
Department  of  Virginia  City. 

In  May,  18G5,  the  Board  of  Aldermen  passed  an 
ordinance  reducing  the  salaries  of  the  foremen  and 
assistants.  This  gave  great  dissatisfaction  to  the 
members  of  the  Fire  Department,  and  on  June  Ist,  all 
the  companies  passed  resolutions  not  to  turn  out  to  a 


600 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


firo  or  in  any  way  to  act  as  a  department  or  to  sell 
their  apparatus  until  the  objectionable  ordinance  was 
rescinded.  The  vote  on  the  resolutions  stood  252 
yeas,  6  noes.  The  next  day  a  mass  meeting  of  citi- 
zens was  held  and  a  committee  appointed  to  request 
the  council  to  repeal  the  ordinance,  which  they  did 
on  condition  that  the  citizens  subscribe  to  pay  the 
diflference. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Chief  Engineers  of 
the  Virginia  Volunteer  Fire  Department  for  1862  to 
1875,  in  which  year  it  was  disbanded  and  reorganized 
as  a  Paid  Department. 

Thomas  Peasley,  1862;  Peter  Larkin,  1863-64;  R. 
Williams,  1865;  Hugh  Curran,  1866;  James  Wellock, 
1867;  Thomas  Fo.x,  1868;  William  Pennison,  1869; 
James  Malone,  1871-72;  '-Kettle  Bully"  Brown,  1873; 
F.  McNair,  1874-75. 

Of  the  above,  Peasley,  Larkin,  Williams,  Wellock, 
and  Malone  are  dead.  Peasley  was  murdered  at 
Carson,  and  Malone  was  suffocated  by  gas  in  the 
Andes  Mine,  June  6,  1881. 

In  the  great  fire  of  1875  all  the  companies  except 
Monumental,  No.  6,  and  Young  America,  No.  2,  lost 
their  apparatus.  Kook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  1 ; 
Virginia  Engine  Company,  No.  1;  Young  America,  No. 
2;  Eagle,  No.  3;  Knickerbocker,  No.  5;  and  Monu- 
mental, No  6,  owned  their  houses  and  apparatus. 
Some  of  these  companies  owned  dwelling-houses 
from  the  rent  of  which  they  derived  a  little  income. 
These  were  also  swept  away  by  the  flames.  The  Fire 
Department  was  in  fact  burned  out.  Engine  Com- 
pany, No.  1,  presented  their  apparatus  to  the  E.xempts 
as  a  relic,  and  the  Monumentals  retain  theirs  to  this 
day,  the  company  keeping  up  its  organization  and 
acting  as  au.xiliaries  to  the  present  department. 

In  1876  the  Legislature  passed  an  Act  authorizing 
the  organization  of  a  paid  Firo  Department.  The 
Volunteers  thereupon  disbanded.  Engine  Company, 
No.  2,  incorporated  as  a  building  association,  with 
twenty  members.  All  the  flxempts  organized  under 
the  title  of  the  Virginia  Exempt  Fire  Association. 
This  organization  owns  and  occupies  the  house  form- 
erly belonging  to  the  Knickerbocker  Engine  Com- 
pany. Its  property  is  worth  86,000.  Its  Presidents 
since  its  organization  have  successively  been  William 
Pennison,  John  S.  Pidge,  D.  O.  Adkinson,  and  Jacob 
Young,  Jr. 

The  reorganization  of  the  Fire  Department  of  Vir- 
ginia City  was  radical  and  complete.  The  change 
in  the  system  of  water  supplj-  brought  about  a 
change  in  the  methods  of  fighting  firo.  The  pres- 
sure at  the  mains  was  so  increased  as  to  render 
unnecessary  the  employment  of  the  old  hand  en- 
gines, or  ''man-killcrs."  By  increasing  the  number 
of  hydrants,  and  freely  distributing  sections  of  hose 
at  different  points,  ready  for  instant  use,  a  small 
body  of  permanent  firemen,  stationed  in  some  cen- 
tral locality',  would  bo  ready  to  meet  all  emergencies. 
No  community  in  the  United  States  is  better  pro- 
pared  than  Virginia  City  is  to-day  to  fight  fire,  and 


that,  too,  with  only  a  handful  of  men.  The  amount 
of  material  belonging  to  the  department  is  as  fol- 
lows: One  steam  engine,  one  hand  engine,  one  hook 
and  ladder  truck  complete,  five  extra  ladders,  two 
horses  and  harness,  two  one  horse  hose  carts,  two 
one-horse  hose  carriages,  five  hand  hose  carts,  one 
four-wheeled  hand  hose  carriage,  8,000  feet  of  hose, 
with  full  supply  of  nozzles,  axles,  lanterns,  etc. 
There  are  ninety-six  hj-drants  and  twenty-one  cis- 
terns distributed  throughout  the  city,  and  extra  lad- 
ders are  also  distributed  at  various  points  ready  for 
immediate  use.  The  hose  depositories  are  over 
twenty-five  in  number.  They  resemble  the  little 
shelters  provided  for  railroad  switchmen,  are  always 
locked,  the  key  being  kept  in  the  nearest  house. 
These  depositories  each  contain  from  150  to  300  feet 
of  hose,  with  pipes,  spanners,  lanterns,  nozzles,  etc. 
At  the  largest  depositories  the  hose  is  reeled  on 
carts.  The  Department  consists  of  a  Chief  Engin- 
eer, Assistant  Engineer,  and  twelve  horsemen.  K. 
B.  Brown  was  the  first  Chief  under  the  new  riyime. 
He  was  succeeded  by  William  Pennison,  who  was 
displaced  on  political  grounds  by  John  Reardon, 
after  the  consolidation  of  Virginia  City  and  Gold 
Hill. 

THE    WATER    SUPPLY. 

It  was  not  until  1873  that  the  inhabitants  of  Vir- 
ginia City  and  Cold  Hill  enjoyed  an  abundance  of 
pure,  soft  water.  In  the  early  days  natural  springs 
afforded  a  sufficient  supply  for  the  few  persons 
living  in  the  two  mining  camps.  As  the  popula- 
tion increased  these  springs  wore  found  inadequate 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  people,  and  various 
devices  were  adopted  to  collect  and  distribute  the 
water  flowing  from  several  tunnels  which  had  been 
run  into  the  mountain  west  of  Virginia  City  for 
prospecting  purposes.  Large  wooden  tanks  were 
built  at  different  points  to  store  the  precious  fluid, 
but  the  company  which  had  been  organized  to  sup- 
ply the  community  frequently  found  itself  embar- 
rassed in  its  attempts  to  keep  filled  these  rude  res- 
ervoirs. The  tunnels  running  dry,  a  water  I'amine 
would  bo  imminent;  when  new  strata  of  rock  were 
cut  across  and  ibr  a  time  the  supply  increased. 
But  the  tunnels  at  the  best  furnished  but  feeble 
streams,  and  these  were  charged  with  minerals. 
The  next  device  resorted  to  was  to  dam  up  the 
shallow  basins  on  the  summits  of  the  distant  hills 
to  hold  back  the  water  from  the  molting  snow. 
These  wore  found  to  yield  largely  and  for  a  long 
time,  when  tapped  by  a  tunnel  run  under  the  basin 
or  sunk  at  the  depth  of  300  or  400  feet.  Yet  one 
after  another  these  hills  failed.  Thousands  of  dol- 
lars had  been  expended  in  these  various  experi- 
ments, but  the  danger  of  water  famines  constantly 
confronted  the  people.  Finally  the  Virginia  and 
Gold  Hill  Water  Company  determined  to  bring  a 
suppi}'  of  pure  water  from  the  streams  and  lakes 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains — Irom  the  regions 
of  eternal  snow.     It  was  a  bold  scheme  and  its  ac- 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


GOl 


complisbment  one  of  the  most  remarkable  engineer- 
ing triumphs  of  the  ago.  The  distance  from  Vir- 
ginia City  to  the  first  available  streams  in  the 
Sierra  was  about  twenty-five  miles;  but  between  the 
Virginia  range  of  mountains  and  the  Sierra  lay  the 
deep  depression  known  as  Washoe  Valley — in  one 
part  of  which  is  situated  Washoe  Lake. 

The  problem  to  be  solved  in  bringing  water  from 
the  Sierra  to  Virginia  City  was  how  to  convey  it 
across  this  deep  valley.  To  succeed  was  to  achieve 
a  feat  in  hydraulic  engineering  never  before  at- 
tempted in  any  part  of  the  world.  This  was  to 
carry  the  water  thi-ough  an  iron  pipe  under  a  per- 
pendicular pressure  of  1,700  feet.  This  feat,  how- 
ever, -Mr.  II.  Schussler,  the  engineer  of  the  Spring 
Valley  Water-works,  of  San  Francisco,  said  could 
be  performed,  and  he  was  prepared  to  undertake 
it  at  once.  In  the  spring  of  1872  surveys  wore 
made  and  orders  given  for  the  manufacture  of  the 
pipe.  The  first  section  was  laid  June  11,  1873,  and 
the  last  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  July  the  same  year. 
The  whole  length  of  the  pipe  is  seven  miles  and 
134  feet.  Its  interior  diameter  is  twelve  inches,  and 
it  is  capable  of  delivering  2,200,000  gallons  of  water 
per  twenty-four  hours.  In  its  passage  the  water 
makes  a  descent  of  2,100  feet  from  the  mountains 
into  Washoe  Valley,  and,  by  means  of  an  inverted 
syphon,  is  again  raised  1,5-40  feet  to  flow  thence  on 
to  the  city. 

Thus  is  brought  to  bear  an  enormous  pressure 
which  forces  the  water  rapidly  through  the  pipe. 
The  water  is  brought  to  the  inlet  through  a  large 
wooden  flume,  and  at  the  outlet  is  delivered  into  a 
similar  tlume,  twelve  miles  in  length,  which  conveys 
it  to  Virginia  City.  The  pipe  is  of  wrought  iron, 
and  is  fastened  by  three  rows  of  five-eighths  inch 
rivets.  At  the  lowest  point  in  the  ground  crossed, 
the  perpendicular  pressure  is  1,720  feet,  equal  to  800 
pounds  to  the  square  inch.  Hero  the  iron  is  five- 
sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  but  as  the  ground 
rises  to  the  east  and  west,  and  the  pressure  is  re- 
duced, the  thickness  of  the  iron  decreases  through 
one-quarter,  three-sixteenths  down  to  one-sixteenth. 
The  pipe  in  its  course  crosses  thirteen  deep  gulches, 
making  that  number  of  undulations,  as  it  is  through- 
out its  length  laid  at  the  depth  of  two  and  one-half 
feet  below  tlic  surface  of  the  earth.  Besides  these, 
there  are  several  lateral  curves  round  hills  and  points 
of  rocks. 

The  manufacturers  of  the  pipe  had  been  furnished 
with  a  diagram  of  the  line  on  which  it  was  laid,  and 
each  section  was  constructed  to  fit  a  certain  spot,  so 
there  was  just  one  place  and  none  other  for  each 
section  of  pipe  as  received  from  the  manufactory. 
The  pipe  contains  no  less  than  1,150,000  pounds  of 
rolled  iron,  is  hold  together  by  1,000,000  rivets,  and 
there  were  used  in  securing  the  joints  52,000  pounds 
of  lead,  which  was  melted  and  poured  in  from  a  port- 
able furnace  that  moved  along  the  line  as  the  work 
of  laying  the  pipe  progressed.     It  is  related  that  at 


the  first  filling  of  the  pipe,  a  stream  of  water  about 
the  thickness  of  a  common  lead  pencil,  escaped 
through  the  lead  packing  of  a  joint,  at  a  point 
where  the  pressure  was  greatest.  This  struck 
against  the  face  of  a  rock,  and  rebounding,  played 
upon  the  upper  side  of  the  oipe.  The  water 
brought  with  it  from  the  rock  a  small  quantity  of 
sand,  or  grit,  ])erhaps,  but  at  all  events  it  soon  bored 
a  hole  through  the  top  of  the  pipe,  and  from  this 
hole,  which  shortly  became  two  or  three  inches  in 
diameter,  a  jet  of  water  ascended  to  the  height  of  200 
feet  or  more,  spreading  out  in  the  shape  of  a  fan 
toward  the  top. 

This  was  repaired,  and  the  water  finally  flowed 
through  the  pipe,  and  reached  Gold  Hill  and  Vir- 
ginia City  on  the  night  of  August  1,  1873.  When 
the  water  reached  the  outlet  there  was  great  rejoic- 
ing. Cannon  were  fired,  bands  of  music  paraded  the 
streets  and  fire-works  were  discharged  all  over  the 
city.  Many  persons  went  out  and  filled  bottles  with 
this  first  water  from  the  Sierra,  and  a  bottle  of  it  is 
still  preserved  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
Pioneers. 

In  1875  the  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  Water  Com- 
pany laid  a  second  pipe  alongside  of  the  first.  This 
has  an  inside  diameter  of  ten  inches.  Instead  of 
being  fastened  with  rivets  it  is  lap- welded,  and  is  the 
longest  pipe  ever  made  in  that  way.  As  there  are 
no  rivet  heads  in  it  to  produce  friction,  it  delivers  the 
same  amount  of  water  as  the  larger  pipe,  namely, 
2,200,000  gallons  per  twentj'-four  hours. 

Up  to  1875  the  supply  of  water  was  chiefly  drawn 
from  a  stream  known  as  Hobart  Creek,  but  in  that 
year  the  works  in  the  mountains  were  extended  by 
pushing  the  supplj'  flume  through  to  Marlette  Lake, 
within  the  basin  of  Lake  Tahoe,  a  distance  of  eight 
and  a  half  miles,  and  a  total  distance  from  Virginia 
City  of  thirty-one  and  a  half  miles.  To  tap  Marlette 
Lake  it  was  necessary  to  run  in  one  place  a  tunnel 
3,000  feet  in  length  under  the  ridge  forming  the  rim 
of  the  Lake  Tahoe  basin. 

Connected  with  the  works  are  several  reservoirs 
that  hold  from  3,000,000  to  10,000,000  gallons  of 
water.  Marlette  Lake  lies  at  an  altitude  of  1,500 
feet  above  C  Street,  Virginia  City,  and  the  water  is 
brought  in  at  such  a  height  above  the  town  that  it 
can  everywhere  bo  carried  far  above  the  highest 
buildings,  and  streams  from  the  hydrants  are  thrown 
with  great  force  and  eft'ect  in  case  of  fire  occurring 
near  them.  The  cost  of  those  water- works  was  over 
82,000,000.  The  supply  is  now  more  copious,  accord- 
ing to  population,  and  of  finer  quality  than  is  that  of 
any  other  city  in  the  Union.  This  flood  of  water, 
soft  and  pure  as  that  distilled  in  dews,  is  conducted 
into  every  house  in  Virginia,  Gold  Hill  and  Silver 
City,  and  is  praeticallj'  inexhaustible.  It  supplies 
not  only  the  wants  of  the  peo])!e,  but  those  for  all 
milling,  mining  and  mechanical  purposes.  It  furn- 
ishes the  boilers  of  all  the  hoisting  works  on  the 
Comstock,  and  also  those  for  the  steam  mills;  and  so 


602 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


I'rec  li-om  impuriiies  is  it,  that  those  boilers  never 
become  coated,  nor  are  they  eaten  out  with  chemicals 
held  in  solution. 

SUBSTANTIAL    IMPROVEMENTS. 

Shortly  after,  the  great  fire  the  citizens  commenced 
the  substantial  structures,  which  make  Virginia  City 
an  honor  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  Hotels,  theatres, 
churches,  and  school  houses,  sprang  up  as  if  by 
magic;  and,  in  a  few  years,  presented  a  more 
advanced  growth  than  many  larger  cities  a  hundred 
years  old.  The  International  Hotel  would  com- 
pare favorably  with  the  Sherman  House  at  Chicago, 
or  any  of  the  first-class  hotels  in  the  East.  This 
was  completed  in  1876.  It  is  built  of  brick,  with 
cut-stone  facings.  It  is  05  feet  front,  108  feet  deep, 
six  stories  in  height,  exclusive  of  basement;  is  109 
feet  high,  and  contains  160  rooms.  It  occupies  the 
site  of  the  International,  destroyed  by  the  great  fire. 

The  Court  House  is  one  of  the  finest  structures 
in  the  State;  and,  including  the  fixtures  and  jail, 
coat  $117,000.  This  building  was  completed  in  1876. 
The  ground  on  which  the  building  stands  is  con- 
sidered worth  830,000.  The  property  is  estimated 
at  $150,000. 

School  houses  were  80on  erected  to  the  value  of 
$140,000.  The  liberality  of  the  Comstockers  in 
affairs  of  this  kind  is  never  questioned.  The  pride 
of  the  people  extends  farther  than  the  erection  of 
public  edifices,  and  the  education  of  the  children 
was  amply  provided  for.  The  annual  amount  of 
the  school  fund  is  §135,000. 

The  City  Hall  is  also  an  honor  to  the  place.  This 
is  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  and  is  con- 
veniently situated  to  tran^tact  the  business  of  the 
united  interests  of  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  City. 

Piper's  Opera  House,  famous  for  the  many  politi- 
cal meetings  held  there,  as  well  as  the  exhibitions 
of  histrionic  talent,  is  a  large  building,  with  audi- 
torium capable  of  seating  900  persons,  and  a  stage 
fifty-four  feet  wide,  and  thirty-eight  feet  deep. 
The  whole  building  covers  a  space  130x54  feet 
deep.  It  is  on  the  site  of  the  first  opera  house, 
built  by  Tom  ^laguire,  and  was  opened  January  28, 
1878.  It  has  dress  circle,  parquette  and  gallery. 
The  flats  are  12x18  feet  in  size.  The  receipts  of  a 
single  night  have  often  been  over  81,000. 

After  the  big  fire,  theatrical  representations  were 
held  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall  until  the  erection  of  the 
new  building.  'J'he  present  building  with  its  prop- 
erties cost  about  850,000.  As  in  all  towns  containing 
a  large  number  of  energetic,  resolute  men,  the  theatre 
has  always  been  liberally  patronized,  and  consider- 
able first-class  talent  has  at  different  times  appeared 
on  the  stage. 

St.  Mary's  Hospital  was  built  in  1875  and  opened 
March  6,  1876.  The  grounds  formerly  known  as 
Van  Bokkelon's  Gardens  wore  presented  bj-  Mrs. 
Mackaj-.  The  cost  of  the  building,  with  furniture, 
was  840,000.  The  mining  and  milling  men  contril>ute 
one  dollar  per  month  each  for  the  support  ol   the 


institution.  The  income  from  this  source  is  about 
8500  per  month.  Six  Sisters  of  Charity  reside  at  the 
hospital. 

THE    FOUNDRIES   OF    VIROINIA    OITV. 

The  mines  of  Storey  County,  with  that  extensive 
demand  for  castings  and  machinerj-  of  all  kinds,  led 
to  an  extraordinary  development  of  the  foundry 
business.  The  great  foundries  of  San  Francisco  are 
indebted  mainly  for  their  rise  and  prosperitj-  to  the 
discovery  of  silver  on  the  Comstock.  At  an  early 
day,  however,  it  was  seen  that  an  inviting  field  for 
the  foundryman's  industry  was  to  be  found  in  the 
vicinitj"  of  the  mines.  The  pioneers  in  Nevada  in 
this  branch  of  industry  were  Messrs.  Mead,  McCone 
&  Tascar.  These  gentlemen  had  for  a  long  time  con- 
ducted a  flourishing  little  foundry  in  Placerville, 
California.  In  the  fall  of  1862  they  moved  their 
machinery  over  the  Sierra,  and  established  them- 
selves in  Johntown,  two  miles  below  Silver  City. 
They  began  operations  with  two  lathes  and  a  drill- 
press,  and  with  facilities  for  running  down  forty 
hundred  weight  of  castings  at  one  melting.  This 
firm  struck  a  wave  of  genuine  prosperitj-.  So  rap- 
idlj'  did  the  orders  flow  in  that  they  had  to  labor 
night  and  day  to  accommodate  their  customers. 
They  fairly  coined  money,  and,  after  two  years' 
operations  at  Johntown,  they  again  moved  their 
machinery,  this  time  to  Silver  City,  where  they 
erected  a  large  stone  building,  at  a  cost  of  8125,000. 
It  was  known  as  the  Nevada  Foundry,  and  was  then 
the  largest  establishment  of  its  kind  in  the  State. 
At  first  the  firm  employed  seventy-five  men,  which 
force  was  subse(iucntly  increased  to  100. 

In  1864  McCone  bought  out  Tascar's  interest,  and, 
in  1866,  his  other  partner.  Mead,  sold  his  interest  in 
the  business  to  him,  thus  making  McCone  the  sole 
proprietor.  On  Maj-  15,  1872,  a  fire,  supposed  to 
have  been  started  by  an  incendiarj',  left  nothing 
standing  but  the  walls.  The  damage  inflicted 
amounted  to  alrout  8160. (UtO,  on  which  there  was 
only  835,000  insurance.  McCone,  having  saved  his 
patterns  and  a  few  tools,  then  moved  to  Virginia 
City,  and  bought  the  Fulton  Foundry,  which  he 
thereafter  conducted. 

This  establishment  had  its  rise  in  a  small  machine 
shop  started  at  the  corner  of  B  and  Taylor  Streets, 
in  1861,  by  Kdwards  &  Hughes.  After  working 
one  year  they  rented  the  shop  to  a  millwright 
named  Thomas  R.  Jones.  The  latter's  lease  expir- 
ing in  June,  1863,  he  bought  some  land  on  the 
Divide,  and  erected  thereon  the  Fulton  Foundry, 
by  which  name  it  has  since  been  known.  Jones 
started  work  with  two  lathes,  and  a  little  drill- 
ing machine.  The  following  year  ho  enlarged  his 
premises,  added  two  more  lathes,  a  planing  and  shap- 
ing machine,  and  made  many  other  improvements. 
At  first  ho  employed  ten  men,  but  when  he  returned 
in  1867,  the  force  steadily  at  work  numbered  over 
forty.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  sold  oat  to  A.  L. 
Greeley,  a  lawyer  by  profession,  who  had  previously 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


been  carrying  on  a  small  foundrj'  business  in  Gold 
Hill.  In  1869  (rreeley  sold  the  Nevada  Foundry  to 
the  Bank  of  California,  when  the  latter  placed  it  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Crraves.  a  master-mechanic  on  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad,  and  .Mr.  J.M.  t^»tiimby.  also 
a  railroad  man.  -All  the  castings  and  finishings  for 
the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  were  manufac- 
tured by  the  establishment  at  this  time. 

On  June  15,  1872,  the  Bank  sold  the  foundiy  to 
Mr.  McCone,  who  rebuilt  the  institution,  put  in  new 
machinerj',  and  extended  the  works  generally.  Mr- 
McCoiie  had  just  finished  ail  iho  niilroad  work  when 
the  rich  strikes  in  the  Crown  Point  and  Belcher 
mines  led  to  a  large  increase  in  orders  for  castings 
and  machinery  from  all  the  mines  in  process  of 
development  along  the  famous  lode.  At  this  time 
(1874)  the  daily  average  of  emploj-cs  in  the  foundry 
reached  111)  men.  Business  continued  brisk  up  to 
1877,  when  it  fell  off  materially,  and  the  force  of 
workingmen  was  reduced  to  sixty.  The  dull  period 
which  followed  the  exhaustion  of  the  "bonanza" 
mines  led  to  a  still  further  reduction,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  about  thirty  men  can  do  all  the  work  re- 
quired. 

John  McCone.  whose  skill,  zeal,  and  marvelous 
industry  built  up  this  great  interest,  died  in  187G, 
since  which  year  the  business  has  been  managed  by 
the  executors  of  his  estate.  To  illustrate  the  capaci- 
ties of  the  Fulton  Foundry  it  is  only  necessary  to 
add,  that  the  largest  casting  in  one  piece  ever 
turned  out  on  the  Pacific  Coast  was  the  product  of 
this  establishment.  This  was  the  fly-wheel  center 
for  the  Yellow  Jacket  hoisting  works.  Its  weight 
is  44,500  pounds,  and  it  was  successfully  cast  on 
Saturday,  December  11,  1880. 

The  Fulton  Foundry  also  had  the  honor  of  con- 
structing the  first  engine  and  pump  ever  made  in 
Nevada.  This  achievement  was  accomplished  in 
June,  1864,  and  the  work  was  done  for  the  Bullion 
Mining  Company. 

The  wages  paid  to  foundrymen  in  Virginia  City 
are  higher  than  paid  anywhere  else  in  the  world  to 
the  same  class  of  workmen.  Machinists  receive  §6; 
moulders  and  pattern  makers,  85.50;  blacksmiths. 
86.50;  helpers,  -54;  and  laborers,  SH,50  per  daj-. 
Among  the  other  foundries  which  have  also  flourished 
in  Nevada  may  be  mentioned  the  Union  Foundry, 
established  in  1869  by  James  Mead,  and  the  Gold 
Hill  Foundrj",  started  in  18ti4  by  (Jreeley,  which  is 
now  owned  bj-  George  Emmott. 

The  Pioneer  Foundry,  of  (Jold  Hill,  was  started  by 
Oliver  Ilj'de  in  1862.  lie  operated  it  on  a  small 
scale  until  lH(i7  when  he  sold  his  tools  and  patterns 
to  the  other  foundries.  In  1878  the  Virginia  Foun- 
dry was  started  by  l''razer  \-  ('ummiiigs,  but  the  lat- 
ter soon  sold  out  his  interest  and  in  September,  188(1, 
Andrew  Frazer  moved  to  Heno  and  opened  a  foun- 
dry in  that  town.  In  1.S7(!  John  Ivenis  starteil  u 
small  brass  foundry  in  Virginia  City  and  after  run- 
ning it  one  year  abandoned  it  for  want  of  biisiness 


John  McCone 


Was  born  in  Countj'  Armagh,  Ireland,  in  the  year 
1830.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  j-ears  he  came  to 
America,  and  located  at  Newmarket,  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the 
moulder's  trade.  Thence  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
worked  as  a  journeymen  in  a  machine  shop  until 
1850,  when  he  came  overland  to  California,  and  for  a 
iQ'^  months  was  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  cattle 
at  Sacramento  and  vicinity.  Thence  to  the  city  of 
San  Francisco,  and  engaged  in  the  house-moving  and 
general  teaming  business,  until  he  accumulated  capital 
enough  to  buy  an  engine  and  other  machinery  neces- 
sary to  start  a  small  foundry,  which  he  located  at  San 
Jose,  California.  This  proving  unprofitable  he  ex- 
changed it  for  a  wind-mill  factory,  and  this  proving 
likewise  he  turned  his  attention  to  stock-raising,  also 
in  hauling  lumber  from  the  foot-hills  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. In  1852  he  forged  a  plow-share,  probably  the 
first  one  made  in  the  Santa  Clara  V^alloy.  In  1857 
he  went  to  El  Dorado  County,  and  for  a  time  was 
engaged  in  hydraulic  mining  at  Placerville.  His 
desire  for  his  former  business  induced  him  to  estab- 
lish a  foundry  at  that  place,  which  he  conducted 
until  the  discovery  of  the  Comstock  minesi!)  Nevada, 
at  which  time  he,  with  his  partner,  crossed  the 
mountains  and  started  the  same  business  at  John- 
town,  two  miles  below  Silver  Citj-.  This  was  in  lsi!2. 
Business  was  rushing,  and  it  soon  became  necessary 
to  have  more  room.  From  natural  advantages 
existing  in  Silver  City,  he,  with  his  partner.  James 
Mead,  decided  to  buihl  a  foundry  that  would 
accommodate  their  steadily  increasing  business  nl 
that  place,  and   accordingly   had  constructed  a  <!!,>• 


604 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


granite  structure  300x100  feet,  at  a  cost  of  about 
8120,000.  In  1866  Mr.  McCone  purchased  the 
interests  of  his  partner,  thereby  becoming  sole 
proprietor.  During  the  White  Pine  excitement  in 
1869,  he  built  and  shipped  to  that  place  a  twenty- 
stamp  mill,  which  was  burned  a  short  time  after, 
entailing  a  loss  to  Mr.  McCone  oi  nearly  .860,000.  In 
May,  1872,  soon  after  this  disaster,  the  fine  struct- 
ure built  at  Silver  City  was  also  destroyed  by  the 
fire-fiend,  causing  another  loss  to  the  proprietor  of 
8132,000.  This  was  a  fearful  blow  to  him,  but  with 
his  characteristic  pluck  and  energy,  he  at  once  pur- 
chased a  small  foundry  located  on  the  Divide  between 
Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  City,  and  as  business  increased 
he  built  additions  to  the  building,  and  at  the  present 
time  it  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  largest  establish- 
ment of  the  kind  in  the  State,  known  as  the  Fulton 
Foundrj-.  During  the  time  of  building  up  this  last 
business  his  health  became  impaired,  and  after  an 
illness  of  four  years  he  died  in  San  Francisco, 
on  July  2!).  1H76.  Mr.  McCone  was  ostensively 
a  self-made  man,  ranking  as  one  of  the  prom- 
inent business  men  of  the  State,  having  all 
the  requisites  to  make  him  successful,  viz.;  good 
judgment,  pluck  and  perseverance.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Alicia  Kcllej^  in  October,  1858.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  his  family  consisted  of  his  wife 
and  four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls. 

THE    MANCFACTURE    OF    ICE. 

The  water  company  put  up  an  ice  factory  in  1877. 
using  Holden's  Machine,  that  is  capable  of  making 
fifteen  tons  of  ice  daily,  which  is  sold  for  about 
twenty  dollars  per  ton.  Ice  was  formerly  brought 
from  Truckee.  Groat  quantities,  formerly  10,000 
tons  annually,  are  used  in  various  ways  in  the 
mines;  for  cooling  drinking  water,  for  putting  on 
the  persons  of  the  miners  when  in  the  hot  drifts, 
etc.  The  superintendents  have  found  that  a  liberal 
supply  of  ice  is  economy.  The  present  ice  works 
are  found  adequate  to  the  demand.  The  process  of 
making  is  interesting,  but  too  complicated  to  be 
explained  without  drawings.  The  principle,  how- 
ever, is  that  of  surrounding  the  water  to  be  frozen 
with  a  liquid  capable  of  expansion,  which,  during 
the  expansion,  absorbs  the  heat,  or  caloric,  from  the 
water,  reducing  it  to  a  freezing  point. 

THE    (iENERAL   OfTLOOK    HOPEFUL. 

With  the  failure  of  the  Bank  of  California  and 
the  re-adjustment  of  titles  to  propertj',  came  a  period 
of  gradual  depression  in  mining  and  real  estate  val- 
ues, with  u  gradual  decline  in  the  population.  The 
bonanzas  wore  gradually  worked  out,  and  no  new 
ones  wore  discovered.  This  is  not  supposed  to  be 
permanent,  as  the  same  condition  obtained  in  1865 
to  a  greater  extent  than  at  any  time  since.  Bonanzas 
have  been  expected  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  the 
adjoining  mines.  Stocks  would  go  up  to  a  fabulous 
value,  but  "naJa  hnnanza,"  as  a  Spaniard  would  say, 
and  the  shares  would  sink  again,  lower  than  before. 


It  is  now  believed  that  the  Bonanza  Firm  own  a 
controlling  interest  in  all  the  important  mines  on 
the  Comstock,  and  no  one  cares  to  risk  much  in- 
vestment in  them,  and  thej-  have  shrunken  to  less 
than  one-thirtieth  of  their  value,  January  1,  1875. 


PHOTO    BY    TABeO.   SAN    rRANCISCO 


Hon.  L.    T.  Fox 

Is  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  Accomack  County,  in 
the  j'ear  1828,  and  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  until 
at  the  age  of  eleven  j'ears  his  attention  was  directed 
to  the  "  briny  deep,"  which  occupation  he  followed 
until  1850,  serving  in  every  capacitj-  on  board  a 
vessel  from  cabin-boy  to  Captain.  At  the  early  age 
of  sixteen  he  was  an  oflScer  under  the  American  flag, 
which  is  evidence  of  more  than  ordinary  abilitj'.  In 
his  travels  by  sea  he  visited  ncarlj-  every  port  of  anj' 
consequence  in  the  old  world  and  the  new.  In 
1850  he  reached  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  desiring  a 
change  of  occupation,  he  left  the  sea  and  engaged  in 
mining  in  Sierra  County,  California,  which  he  fol- 
lowed about  one  j-car,  and  then  engaged  in  the  stock- 
raising  and  butchering  business  in  the  same  count}' 
until  1863,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Nevada.  From 
1SC3  to  the  present  time  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Storey  Countj-,  making  and  losing  several  fortunes. 
In  politics  he  has  alwaj's  been  an  earnest  and  con- 
sistent Democrat,  and  has  filled  several  positions  of 
trust  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
In  1870  ho  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from 
Store}'  County,  and  reelected  in  1880  for  a  second 
term;  has  been  County  Commissioner,  President  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  town  of  Gold  Hill  for 
five  years,  and  is  Major  General  of  the  State  Militia, 
and  is  withal  a  popular  man,  esteemed  by  all  of  his 
large  circle  of  acquaintances. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


605 


PHOTO     BY    NOC    fc   LEE,  VIROINIA,    NEV 


W/?.A^^^<j 


Hon.  Joseph  B.  Mallon,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  a  native  of  Ireland  ;  was  born  in  County  Tyrone 
in  the  year  1838.  At  the  aijc  of  twelve  years  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  where  he  attended  school  five  years,  re- 
ceiving a  sound  business  education.  In  1855  he 
sailed  away  from  the  city  where  he  had  improved  his 
knowledge,  and  in  due  time  landed  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, California.  After  one  and  one-half  years  ex- 
perience in  the  latter  city,  he  went  to  Victoria,  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  to  assist  in  the  management  of  a  busi- 
ness house  for  a  San  Francisco  firm,  remaining  there 
about  three  )-cars.  He  then  returned  to  California 
and  located  in  Mariposa  Count}-,  engaged  in  the 
grocery  and  general  merchandising  trade,  spending 
two  years  in  that  place.  He  then  came  to  Virginia 
City,  Nevada,  and  joined  his  brother,  John  Mallon, 
who  was  already  established  in  the  same  business, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  subject  of  this  sketch  became 
a  partner  with  him.  This  firm  did  a  prosperous 
business,  but  the  ruthless  destroyer,  fire,  twice  swept 
away  their  store,  incurring  a  loss  each  time  of  about 
870,000;  but  it  is  credited  to  the  firm  that  they  paid 
all  thoir  liabilities,  dollar  for  dollar,  without  a  thought 
of  compromise.  John  .Mallon,  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm,  died  March  11,  1876,  since  which  time  Jo- 
seph B.  has  owned  and  controlled  the  business,  and 
ranks  to-day  among  the  prominent  business  men  of 
the  State  of  Nevada. 
76 


Hon.  William  Woodburn,  of  Virginia  City,  was 
born  in  County  Wicklow,  Ireland,  in  the  j^ear  1838; 
emigrated  to  the  State  of  Maryland,  and  was  for 
some  time  a  student  in  St.  Charles  College,  in  that 
State,  lie  came  to  California  in  1855,  and  subse- 
quentlj-  to  Nevada,  where  ho  studied  law,  being 
admitted  to  practice  in  18G5;  since  which  time  he 
has  generally  followed  the  law  as  a  profession.  He 
was  J>istriet  Attorney  for  Storey  Count^-in  1871-72, 
and  was  elected  to  the  Forty  fourth  Congress  as  a 
Republican,  receiving  9,317  votes  against  8,567  for 
bis  opponent,  Ellis,  Democrat. 

FINANCE   AND    RESOURCES. 

Storey  County,  although  a  heavy  loser  by  the 
defalcation  of  the  Treasurer,  B.  H.  Carrick,  who  was 
charged  with  embezzlement,  tried,  found  guiltj'  and 
sent  to  the  State  Prison  for  a  term  of  years,  has  no 
debts  of  any  consequence,  either  bonded  or  floating. 
The  assessed  valuation  of  her  property  in  1880  was 
.*5, 197, 574,  and  her  population  was  16,115. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  agricultural  and  mis- 
cellaneous products  of  the  county  from  1865  to  1880, 
the  number  of  acres  under  cultivation,  the  stock  and 
grain  raised  and  the  fruit  trees  and  vines  cultivated, 
also  the  number  of  irrigating  ditches,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  pages  135,  136,  139  and  140  of  the  gen- 
eral history.  For  the  products  of  the  mines  see 
general  table  on  that  subject  for  each  county. 

APP0INT.MENTS   AND    ELECTIONS. 

The  first  County  Commissioners  were  elected  by 
the  Territorial  Legislature  in   December,  1861,  and 


606 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


tho  other  officers  of  the  county  were  appointed  by 
the  Executive,  all  holding  their  respective  positions 
till  the  first  election,  which  occurred  January  14, 
1862. 

As  the  regular  elections  were  established  by 
law  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  September,  the  officers 
elected  January  14,  1862,  held  only  for  the  fraction 
of  the  term,  or  until  they  were  succeeded  by  those 
elected  at  the  regular  election.  A  complete  list  of 
all  the  officers  of  the  county,  from  its  organization 
down  to  the  present  lime  is  herewith  given,  together 
with  the  date  of  appointment  or  election  of  each. 
The  vacancies  in  office  by  death,  resignation,  or 
removal,  if  any,  arc  also  noted,  with  the  names  of 
the  persons  selected  to  fill  the  same.  Following  is 
the  list: — 

STATE    SENATORS. 

R.  M.  Daggett,  A.  W.  Baldwin,  and  II.  H.  Flagg, 
elected  to  Council  under  Territorial  law,  September 
2,  1863;  S.  A.  Kellogg,  N.  W.  Winton,  C.  A.  Sum- 
ner, and  VV.  H.  Claggett,  elected  Senators,  November 
8.  1864.  Kellogg's  seat  was  declared  vacant  on 
account  of  his  non-residence,  and  Claggett  resigned 
April  16,  1865,  vacancy  filled  by  special  election.  F. 
A.  Tritle,  elected  November  5,  1865;  C.  C.  Steven- 
son, O.  II.  Gray,  and  John  Nelson,  elected  Novem- 
ber 6,  1866;  F.  A.  Tritle  and  W.  N.  Hall,  elected 
November  3, 1868.  Tritle  resigned  October  8,  1870. 
James  Phelan,  L.  T.  Fox,  and  George  W.  Hopkins, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  C.  C.  Stevenson  and  N. 
S.  Hobart,  elected  November  5,  1872;  John  Piper 
and  S.  W.  Chubback,  elected  November  3,  1874;  W. 
Frank  Stewart  and  E.  A.  Schultz,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  J.  P.  Wheeler  and  W.  D.  C.  Gibson, 
elected  November  5.  1878;  J.  A.  Brumsey  and  L. 
T.  Fox,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

J.  D.  Meager,  M.  N.  Mitchell,  W.  S.  Minneer,  J. 
Williams,  W.  H.  Mills,  E.  R.  Burke,  J.  G.  Howard 
and  W.  H.  Davenport  were  elected  Representatives 
under  Territorial  law  September  3,  1862;  Warren 
Heaton,  W.M.  Gillispie,  A.  H.  Ungar,  I.  L.  Requa, 
A.  B.  Elliott,  Thos.  Barclay,  E.  R.  Barnes  and  John 
Nelson,  elected  Representatives  September  2,  18G3; 
Frank  Tilford,  W.  T  Andrews,  A.  B.  Dibble,  C.J. 
Russell,  T.  H.  Williams,  W.  T.  Barbour,  W.  H. 
Stone,  elected  Representatives  September  7,  1864, 
but  did  not  serve;  W.  M.  Cutter,  W.  W.  Bishop,  J. 
A.  Rigby,  J.  Bolan,  E.  Bond,  C.  W.  Tozer,  H.  M. 
Bein,  R.  A.  Young,  E.  Patten,  A.  L.  Greeley,  John 
Leavitt  and  J.  Smith  were  the  first  elected  to  the 
Assembly  under  State  Government,  election  held 
November  8,  1864;  Edward  Ingham,  H.  C.  Mc 
Dougall.  Thomas  Lane,  E.  F.  (ilover,  John  C.  James 
J.  W.  Woodruff,  A.  B.Elliott,  William  M.  Cutler 
Jos.  F.  Hall,  I>.  Wood,  O.  U.  Grey  and  J.  Vander 
water,  elected  November  7,  1865;  J.  P.  Wheeler,  G 
I.  Lammon,  Thomas  Parker,  A.  K.  I'ottcr,  W.  N 
Mitchell,  John  Welch,  1.  L.  Swaney,  George  H.  Dana 


E.  Strothers,  A.  H.  Lissack,  S.  E.  Huse  and  R.  D. 
Ferguson,  elected  November  6,  1866;  J.  M.  Han- 
ford,  J.  S.  Burson.  John  Welch,  George  Lammon, 
Wilmer  Brown,  A.  K.  Potter,  C.  J.  Hillyer,  J.  L. 
Richardson.  D.  0.  Atkinson,  W.  D.  Gray,  J.  W. 
Anderson  and  J.  A.  Burlingame,  elected  November 
3,  1868.  Lammon  resigned  April  2,  1869.  Atkin- 
son resigned  May  1,  1869.  Burlingame  resigned 
April  1,  1869.  A.  K.  Potter,  Henry  Piper,  E.  L. 
Buckingham,  Samuel  Owens,  C.  S.  Saville,  G.  W. 
Rogers.  O.  T.  Barber,  Robert  E.  Lowery,  Thomas  H. 
Williams,  A.  C.  Hay,  A.  Lawson  and  R.  T.  Smith, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  Thomas  Adams,  J.  P. 
Smith,  J.  W.Wilson,  C.  Derby,  John  Randall,  E.  L. 
Sterns,  R.  Arnold,  Samuel  Owens,  G.  H.  Morrison, 
Jacob  Fox,  N.  G.  Andrews  and  W.  B.  Sheppard, 
elected  November  5,  1872;  Philip  Reese,  E.  R.Smith, 
N.  G.  Andrews,  Wales  Averill,  E.  L.  Buckingham, 
J.  P.  Smith,  T.  B.  Atkinson,  William  B.  Gray,  John 
F.  McDonnell,  Simon  Ogg,  H.  Crandall  and  James 
Lowery,  elected  November  3,1874;  Wellington  Stew- 
art, James  G.  Rule,  Francis  E.  Mills,  John  H.  Harris, 
George  Toombs,  A.  T.  Brann,  Jasper  Babcock,  John 
E.  Coulter,  P.  H.  Howard,  E.  A.  Smith,  George  L. 
Hawks,  William  H.  Botsford,  Joseph  Beer  and  F].  L 
Buckingham,  elected  November  7,  1876;  S.  M.  Pow- 
ell, Thomas  Lane,  William  Prisk,  Henry  A.  (raston, 
John  E.  Allen,  J.  C.  Harlow,  Dan  Lyons,  J.  P. 
Smith,  John  L.  Hanna,  Owen  Frazer,  George  L 
Andrews,  L  Fulton,  J.  P.  Flannery  and  A.  Lawson, 
elected  November  5,  1878.  Gaston  resigned  May  1, 
1879.  H.  H.  Penoyer,  Wal.  J.Tuska,  S.  V.  Mooney, 
P.  H.  Ford,  D.  A.  Moriarty,  W.  E.  Copeland,  L.  P. 
Drexler,  Joseph  B.  Mallon,  Henrj-  Duffy,  J.  C. 
Masel,  A.  G.  McKenzie,  J.  D.  Waldorf,  Ed.  T.  Plank 
and  Ambrose  Englis,  elected  November  2. 1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

I.  W.  Knox,  A.  B.  Paul  and  T^ouis  Feusicr,  elected 
January  14,  1862;  J.  W.  Knox,  II.  H.  Flagg  and 
Martin  White,  elected  September  3,  1862;  Charles 
H.  Knox,  elected  September  2,  1863,  resigned  Sep- 
tember 5lh,  and  A.  K.  Grimm  appointed  by  Governor 
to  fill  vacancy.  J.  J.  Denney,  elected  September  7, 
1864;  Geo.  P.  Morrill,  E.  A.  Gamble,  D.  W.  Baleh, 
John  De  Wilt  and  H.  M.  Eddj-,  elected  November 
6,  1866.  T.  G.  Taylor  was  appointed  in  place  of 
De  Witt  September  5,  1867,  his  seat  having  been 
declared  vacant,  from  non-residence,  on  the  thirtj'- 
first  of  August.  J.  A.  Rigby,  W.  H.  Burrall  and  T. 
M.  Hart,  elected  Novembers,  lS(i8.  Rigby  resigned 
September  1,  1870,  and  Burrall  resigned  February 
10.  186!».  John  Piper,  W.  D.  Gray,  L.  11.  Tor])e,  A. 
Brisacher  and  Andrew  Frazier,  elected  November  8, 
1H70;  Andrew  Frazier,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
W.  B.  Sheppard.  .lohn  B,  Kundall,  L.  II.  Torpe  and 

A.  Kox,  elected  November  3,   1874.     L.  T.    Kox,  ap- 
pointed May  7,  1878,  in  place  of  Randall,  deceased. 

B.  K    Uazeltine,   L.   II.   Torpe  and  E.  Nye,   elected 
November  7,   1870.      Torpo  died  iu  December,   1878. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  (BOUNTY. 


607 


Thomas  Giillagber.  D.  li.  Fraser  and  K.  Nye,  elected 
November  5,  1878;  William  Webber,  Matt  Canavan 
and  W.  J.  Sheridan,  elected  November  2.  l)^8tl. 

PROBATE   JUDGES. 

Leonard  W.  Ferris,  appointed  December  9,  1861; 
Leonard  W.  Ferris,  elected  September  2,  1863. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

Dighton  Corson,  elected  September  2,  18G3;  W. 
W.  Bishop,  elected  November  6, 1866;  E.  W.  Ilillyer, 
elected  November  3,  1868,  resigned  January  12, 1870. 
and  J.  A.  Stephens  appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  Wm. 
Woodburn,  elected  November  8, 1870;  J.  A.  Stephens, 
elected  November  5,  1872;  Will  Campbell,  elected 
November  3,  1874,  died  January  14,  1876,  and  Jonas 
Seelj-  appointed.  Seely  resigned  February  23, 1876, 
and  R.  II.  Lindsay  appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  Frank 
V.  Drake,  elected  November  7, 1876;  John  H.  Karris, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  Ogden  Hiles,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SHERIFFS. 

Wm.  H.  Howard,  appointed  December  11,  1861, 
elected  January  14,  1862,  re-elected  September  3, 
1862;  Jacob  C.  Clark,  elected  September  7,  1864;  Fat. 
Mulcahey,  elected  November  6,  1866;  W.  J.  Cum- 
mings,  elected  November  3,  1868;  Thos.  A.  Atkinson, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5, 
1872;  Thomas  E.  Kelly,  elected  November  3,  1874, 
re-elected  November  7,  1876;  Chas.  Williamson, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  W.  J.  Hanks,  elected  No- 
vember 2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

Nelson  W.  Winton,  appointed  December  10,  1861; 
Nelson  W.  Winton,  elected  January  14,  1862,  re- 
elected September  3,  1862;  Lucian  Herman,  elected 
September  7,  1864;  J.  V.  A.  Lansing,  elected  Novem- 
ber 6,  1866;  Geo.  H.  Dana,  elected  Novembers,  1868, 
re-elected  November  8,  1870;  W.  G.  Thompson, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874;  John  P.  McFarland,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
J.  E.  McDonald,  elected  November  5,  1878;  John  A. 
Mahanny,  elected  November  2, 1860. 

COUNTY  TREASURERS. 

Thomas  J.  Taylor,  appointed  January  6,  1862; 
Thomas  J.  Taylor,  elected  January  14,  1862;  L.  Feu- 
sier,  elected  September  3.  1S62;  F.  A.  Fargo,  elected 
September  7,  1864,  resigned  April  25,  1866,  and  C. 
C.  Thomas,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy.  M.  L.  Dexter, 
elected  November  6,  1866;  John  S.  Kaneen,  elected 
November  3,  1868;  M.  A.  McDonald,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  E.  Nye,  elected  November  5,  1872;  C. 
B.  Smith,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876;  B.  II.  Carrick,  elected  November  5, 
1878.  The  oflSco  was  declared  vacant  November  6, 
1880,  and  Richard  Kirman  appointed  to  fill  vacancy. 
W.  N.  Mercer  Otey,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

CODNTY   ASSESSORS. 

Lloyd  Frizcll,  elected  January  14,  1862,  re-elected 
September  3,  1862;  Thomas  Cardiell.  elected  Septem- 


ber?, 1864;  A.  M.  Kruttschnitt,  elected  November  6, 
1866;  Richard  Arnold,  elected  November  3.  1868;  A. 
M.  Kruttschnitt,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Thomas 
Gracey,  elected  November."),  1872,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  Anthony  Fox,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
William  Skyrme,  elected  November  5,  1878;  P.  J. 
Dunn,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

H.  G.  Blaisdel,  appointed  December  13,  1861; 
George  E.  Brickott,  elected  January  14,  1862, 
resigned  April  21,  1862,  and  Charles  H.  Fish,  ap- 
pointed to  fill  vacancy.  Charles  H.  Fish,  elected 
September  3,  1862;  H.  M.  Vesey,  elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864;  Charles  H.  Fish,  elected  November  G, 
1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868;  Charles  Raw- 
son,  elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872;  A.  J.  McDuiiDell,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  Fred.  P.  Nichols,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
Stephen  Wilkin,  elected  November  5,  1878;  William 
M.  Brennan,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

C.  S.  Jackson,  elected  January  14,  1862;  A.  W. 
Briggs,  elected  September  3,  1862.  May  29,  1865, 
Hon.  John  A.  Collins  was  appointed  by  County 
Commissioners.  R.  M.  Daggett,  elected  November  7, 
1865;  Hon.  John  A.  Collins,  elected  November  6, 
1866,  resigned  July  22.  1867,  and  J.  W.  Whitcher 
appointed  to  fill  vacanc}'.  J.  W.  Whitcher,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870;  J. 
N.  Flint,  elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  No- 
vember 3,  1874;  E.  J.  Passmore,  elected  November 
7,  1876;  T.  B.  James,  elected  November  5,  1878, 
died,  and  C.  S.  Young  appointed  November  14,  1879, 
to  fill  vacancy.    W.   W.  Booker,  elected    November 

2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SURVEYORS. 

Senaca  H.  Marlette,  appointed  December  12,  1861; 
I.  E.  James,  elected  Januarj*  14,  1862,  re-elected 
September  3,  1862;  E.  L.  Mason,  elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864;  George  Hunt,  elected  November  6, 
1866,  re-elected  November  3,  1868;  T.  D.  Parkinson, 
elected  November  8,  1870;  M.  Winnie,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1872;  Ross  E.Browne,  elected  November 

3,  1874;  G.  Haist,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Charles 
F.  Hoffman,  elected  November  5.  1878;  Gott  Haist^ 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATOR!?. 

C.  Gartrell,  elected  November  6,  1866;  S.  Symone, 
elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8, 
1870;  M.  Holmes,  elected  November  5,  1872;  Wm. 
Mayer,  elected  November  3,  1874,  died,  and  D.  F". 
Hodges  was  appointed  September  11,  1876,  to  fill 
vacancy.  D.  F.  Hodges,  elected  November  7,  1876; 
R.  P.  Brodek,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Dr.  F.  il. 
Conn,  elected  November  2, 1880. 

COLLECTORS. 

John  Easterling,  elected  January  14,  1862,  re- 
elected September  3,  1862;  J.  F.  O'Farrell,  elected 
September  7,  1864. 


608 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


PHOTO    BY    NOE    *    Lt«.    VIRQINIA.  NEV 


William  Newton  Mercer  Otey,  son  of  Eight 
Rev.  James  H.  Otey,  the  first  Episcopal  Bishop  of 
the  State  of  Tennessee,  was  born  April  15,  1842, 
in  Columbia,  Maury  County,  Tennessee.  He  was 
educated  at  and  a  graduate  of  the  Virginia  Military 
Institute,  under  the  renowned  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson. 
Mr.  Otey  entered  the  Confederate  Army  in  1861  as 
a  private,  and  served  during  the  entire  war,  rising 
to  the  position  of  staffoffieer;  was  on  the  staff  of  Lieu- 
tenant General  Folk,  also  that  of  General  Bedford 
Forest.  After  the  war  ended  ho  wont  to  the  city  of 
Memi)his,  Tennessee,  and  entered  the  mercantile 
business.  In  1872  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came 
to  the  Pacific  Coast  and  located  in  tbo  city  of  San 
Francisco,  California,  whore  for  one  year  he  filled 
the  position  as  book-keeper  and  cashier  of  the  San 
Francisco  Chronicle.  His  next  engagement  was  as 
bookkeeper  for  the  firm  of  \Vm.  T.  Coleman  &  Co.. 
where  he  remained  three  years.  In  July,  1878,  he 
came  to  Virginia  City,  Storey  County,  Nevada,  and 
has  since  occupied  the  responsible  position  as  Secre- 
tary for  the  Yellow  Jacket  Silver  Mining  Company. 
At  the  Democratic  County  Convention  of  1880  Mr. 
Otey  received  the  nomination  for  County  Treasurer. 
He  was  married  June  22,  1876,  to  Miss  Geraldine 
Gogcr,  daughter  of  James  H.  Goger,  confidential 
clerk  for  J.  C.  Flood  &  Co.,  San  Francisco. 


PHOTO  BV  JOHN  B  NOE.  VIROIHIA,  NEV 


#-.   J2 


John  F.  Eqan  is  a  native  of  County  Galway,  Ire- 
land, and  was  born  June  12,  a.  d.  1833.  His  young 
days  were  spent  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  sailed  away,  and  landed  in  New  York 
City,  May  2,  1851.  Soon  after  his  arrival  upon 
American  soil  he  located  in  Delaware  County,  New 
Y'ork  State,  where  he  remained  three  3'ear8.  In 
1854  he  bid  adieu  to  his  newl3--made  friends  and 
came  to  the  State  of  California,  where  he  at  once 
engaged  in  the  usual  occupation  in  those  days,  that 
of  mining,  spending  the  first  year  at  Auburn,  Placer 
Count}',  passing  through  the  usual  ups  and  downs 
of  the  camps  around  that  place.  He  then  went  to 
Orkans  Flat,  where  he  remained  until,  with  the 
rush  of  thousands,  ho  came  over  the  mountains  to 
Virginia  City.  From  the  latter  place  he  went  on 
a  prospecting  tour,  through  Nevada,  Wj-oming, 
Colorado,  and  Now  Mexico,  and  returned  to  Virginia 
City  in  1874,  where  ho  has  since  resided,  engaged 
usually  in  mining.  Mr.  Egan  has  probabl}'  visited 
more  mining  camps,  and  seen  more  of  the  difTeront 
ways  invented  for  the  saving  of  the  precious  metal, 
than  any  man  on  the  Comstock.  Ho  at  present 
fills  the  po.sition  of  Su])crintendent  of  the  Andes 
Mine;  is  well  skilled  in  his  calling,  an  honest,  upright 
man,  universally  esteemed  by  his  fellow-men.  He 
was  married  in  May,  18G5,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Bride, 
at  Virginia  City;  and  they  have  a  fine  family  of 
four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


609 


PHOTO.  BY  JOHN  8.  NOE,  VIRGINIA,  NEV. 

F.  H.  Packer,  M.  D., 

Is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  the  town  of 
Leyden,  Franklin  County.  His  boyhood  days  were 
passed  on  a  farm,  there  being  but  little  to  break  the 
monotony  of  that  style  of  life  except  the  obtaining 
of  an  education,  which  he  accomplished  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  engaged  as  teacher  for  a  district 
school  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  This  occupa- 
tion he  continued  during  the  four  succeeding  winter 
terms,  attending  school  for  his  own  benefit  during 
the  spring  and  fall.  In  1868  he  removed  to  Brat- 
tleboro,  Vermont,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine.  In  1871  he  graduated  with  high  honors 
from  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  of  riiiludel- 
phia,  Pennsylvania.  Practicing  his  profession  one 
year  with  his  former  preceptor.  Dr.  D.  P.  Dear- 
born, he  was  afterwards  associated  with  Dr.  II.  A. 
Houghton,  at  Keesville,  New  York  State,  for  three 
years,  and  then  came  to  Nevada,  locating  at  Vir- 
ginia City,  where  he  has  since  resided.  The  doctor 
enjoys  a  good  practice,  and  is  well  skilled  in  his 
profession. 

METHOD   OF    WORKING   THE    MINES. 

In  our  account  of  the  geology  of  the  Comstock  we 
gave  the  situation  of  the  mines  as  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  Mount  David.son  range  of  mountains, 
with  a  depression  varying  from  thirty  to  fiftj' 
degrees,  though  the  true  slope  or  dip  was  found 
some  hundred  feet  below  the  surface,  which  was  as 
usual  bent  towards  the  depression  or  valley.  The 
shafts  at  first  followed  the  incline  of  the  veins 
which  seemed  towards  Mount  Davidson,  but  it  was 
soon  found  that  the  veins  dipped  to  the  east,  and 


perpendicular  shafts  were  sunk  in  some  instances 
3,000  feet  to  the  east,  to  intersect  the  veins  below. 
These  shafts  have  several  compartments  for  the 
pump  and  for  the  passage  of  ores,  material  and  men 
up  and  down.  When  the  ore  body  is  reached  levels 
are  run  as  far  as  the  claim  extends,  also  cross-cuts  to 
determine  the  width  of  the  vein  or  ore  body;  for  the 
term  vein  though  in  common  use,  is  apt  to  convey  a 
wrong  impression,  as  the  ore  deposits  are  in  every 
conceivable  shape,  sometimes  scattered  in  a  great 
mass  of  rock,  sometimes  in  thin  sheets,  sometimes  in 
chimneys  or  chutes,  and  again  in  reniform  or  amor- 
phous masses. 

The  first  essential  condition  of  mining  is  security. 
The  shaft  and  all  its  branches  must  be  timbered 
until  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  way  up  and  down  is 
sure  to  be  unobstructed.  There  are  several  waj-s  of 
securing  a  shaft  against  closing  up  or  caving  in. 
When  a  shaft  is  expected  to  be  but  100  or  200  feet  in 
depth,  the  timbering  is  slightlj-  done  compared  loan 
opening  in  the  Consolidated  V^irginia.  In  the  first 
instance  a  square  of  timbers  of  the  size  of  the  shaft 
is  put  in,  and  spiling,  or  lagging,  usually  about  four 
feet  long  and  two  by  six  inches  in  its  smaller  dimen- 
sions, driven  in  behind  the  frame,  and  ready  to  inter- 
sect the  next  set  of  timbers  which  will  not  be  more 
than  three  feet  from  the  first  At  the  corners  a 
post  between  each  set  keeps  the  timbers  of  the  shaft 
from  collapsing  endways.  Everything  is  wedged  up 
tight  as  the  safety  of  the  shaft  or  mine  depends 
upon  not  letting  the  dirt  or  rock  get  a  start.  When 
the  shaft  is  shallow  and  the  pressure  not  great,  the 
timbers  may  be  small,  but  when  a  large  shaft  is  to 
be  constructed  which  has  four  or  five  compartments, 
the  timbers  may  bo  large  and  brought  close  together, 
the  lagging  left  out.  The  new  ChoUar-Potosi  shaft 
has  timbers  fourteen  inches  square. 

Contrary  to  what  might  be  supposed  the  most 
expensive  shaft,  or  tunnel,  oven,  is  in  soft  rock  or 
claj-.  Anything  less  firm  than  granite  becomes 
partlj'  fluidized  under  the  tremendous  pressure  of 
hutidreds  of  feet  of  earth,  and  actually  runs,  crawls, 
as  the  miners  say.  A  seam  of  a  foot  in  thickness 
will  often  cause  a  delay  of  weeks  by  its  continued 
swelling,  which  crush  the  strongest  timbers,  com- 
pelling a  renewing  every  day.  Mining  superin- 
tendents say  they  have  seen  solid  logs  two  feet  in 
diameter  crushed  endways  into  fibres  in  twenty-four 
hours.  Experience  in  mining,  as  in  everything  else, 
is  a  guide  in  such  matters. 

W  hen  a  shaft  is  down  to  the  required  depth  then  the 
levels  are  timbered  much  the  same  waj-,  except  the 
drift  is  now  secured  with  perpendicular  sets  of  tim- 
bers, say  six  feet  high  with  cap-piece  into  which 
slight  gains,  or  mortises,  are  cut  for  the  posts,  or 
uprights,  the  latter  timbers  a])proaching  each  a  few 
inches  at  the  top  to  prevent  the  feet,  which  generally 
rest  on  the  bottom,  from  being  thrown  together  by 
the  thrust  of  the  walls.  The  spaces  between  these 
sets  of  timbers  are  secured  by  lagging  much  in  the 


610 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA 


same  manner  as  in  a  shaft,  except  that  no  props  or  . 
braces  are  required  between  the  sets  of  timbers,  as  | 
the  pressure  now  is  mostly  downwards  and  not  ! 
endways,  as  in  a  shaft.  The  levels  are  usually  run 
every  hundred  feet,  and  are  either  numbered  or 
named  so  that  each  one  is  known  by  all  concerned, 
as  five,  ten,  twenty,  or  New  York,  London,  Paris,  or 
San  Francisco,  as  the  case  may  be.  A  miniature 
cable  is  run  by  means  of  a  screw  or  reduction  gear- 
ing, so  as  to  show  exactly  at  what  point  in  the  shaft 
the  tub  or  cage  is  passing,  and  men.  timbers  or  other 
supplies  are  taken  oft'  accordingly.  A  tramway  with 
car  carries  timbers  to  the  end  of  the  level,  or  brings 
ore  or  waste  to  the  shaft  to  be  hoisted.  The  sump 
is  that  portion  of  the  shaft  going  below  the  works 
to  catch  the  drainage.  When  these  arrangements 
have  been  made,  sloping  is  commenced.  This  is  tak- 
ing out  the  ore.  If  the  ore  body  is  narrow  the  waste 
rock,  such  as  will  not  pay  for  reduction,  is  thrown 
back,  filling  up  the  vacant  spaces,  saving  much  tim- 
bering, but  in  the  bonanza  on  the  Comstock,  the 
longest  timbers  that  could  be  got  into  the  mines, 
would  not  reach  across.  They  would  splice  them, 
banding  them  at  the  junction  with  iron  rings.  JJany 
accidents  happened  until  Mr.  Deidesheimer  invented 
the  block  system  of  timbering,  being  a  succession  of 
frames.  Since  the  adoption  of  this  the  miners  have 
experienced  little  difficulty  in  rendering  the  mines 
safe.  A  drawing  of  the  work  is  giving  in  another 
part  of  this  volume. 

THE  COMPRESSOR   DRILLS. 

Formerly  all  drilling  was  done  by  hand,  sometimes 
by  single  hand,  when  the  same  man  held  and  struck 
the  drill,  and  double  or  even  triple  handed,  that  is 
having  one,  two  and  three  strikers.  The  latter  style 
requires  much  more  room  than  can  usually  be  had  in 
a  tunnel  or  shaft.  A  compressor  drill,  of  which  there 
are  several  patents,  is  an  air  engine  or  cylinder  with 
piston  supplied  with  air  at  a  high  pressure,  forced  in 
by  a  machine  on  the  surface  or  at  the  mouth  of  a 
tunnel.  The  portable  or  working  part  is  light, 
weighing  perhaps  200  pounds,  and  can  be  set  up  any- 
where that  a  man  can  go.  It  will  strike  250  times  a 
minute  with  perfect  accuracy,  never  hitting  the  man 
who  holds  the  drill  in  the  face  as  the  best  of  strikers 
will  sometimes  do. 

The  air  escaping  from  the  engine  serves  to  ventilate 
and  cool  the  mine,  thus  serving  a  double  purpose. 
Previous  to  the  introduction  of  these  engines  the 
matter  of  ventilation  was  a  serious  one,  involving 
much  expense. 

In  consequence  of  the  use  of  the  compressed  air 
drills  and  nitro-glycerine  compounds  the  work  of 
running  drills  and  shafts  has  been  very  much  less- 
ened, and  the  economy  of  ))erpendicular  working  as 
comj)ared  with  adits  and  tunnels  very  much  changed. 
The  Yellow  Jacket  shaft,  begun  October?,  187G,  was 
sunk  at  the  rate  of  eighty-one  and  one-half  feet  per 
month,  without  extraordinary  energj*.  Drift  are 
often  run  eight  or  nine  feet  in  twenty-four  hour.^. 


TE.MPERATURE   OF    THE    MINES. 

Although  all  mines  increase  in  temperature  after 
getting  below  the   depth  aff"ected  by  the   external 
temperature,  that  of  the  Comstock  is  so  abnormal  as 
to  have  caused  a  great  deal  of  inquiry,  varying  as  it 
does  from  70°  to  150°.     There  are  various  opinions 
concerning  the  cause  of  it.     Some  writers  contend 
that  it  is  a  relic  of  subterranean  heat  which  sent  out 
the  floods  of  propylitc  and  trachyte;  others  that  it 
is  due  to  the  approach  of  the  internal  of  the  earth, 
others  that  it  is  chemical  in  its  origin  and  owes  its 
existence  to  the  decomposition  of  minerals.     In  all 
the  shafts,  whenever  an  upcast  of  air  is  established, 
the  thermometer  shows  a  decided   increase  in   the 
temperature.     The  amount  of  hot  air  coming  out  of 
the   mines   is   something  wonderful,  amounting   to 
288,630  cubic  feet  per  minute,  the  58,500  feet  from  the 
Savage  having  a  temperature  of  100°.     Much  of  this 
was  sent  down  at  a  temperature  of  40°  to  60°  lower. 
The  upcast  was  in  some  instances  as  high   as  900 
feet  per  minute,  or  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  per  hour. 
The  water  pumped  from  the  mines  is  also  hot,  scald- 
ing hot.     The  ground  is  divided  into  alternate  dry 
and  wet  strata.     The  amount  of  water  occasionally 
encountered  is  incredible.     The  reader  is  referred  to 
the  article  on  the  Sutro  Tunnel  in  the  sketch    of 
Lyon  County  for  statistics  on  water.     Suftico  it  to 
say  here  that  in  1876  the  miners  in  the  Savage  and 
Hale  &  Norcross  struck  a  stream  which  flowed  so 
rapidly  that  the  miners  escaped  with  much  difficulty. 
3,000,000    tons  of    water  were    removed    from    the 
mines  in  question  in  the  course  of  eight  months  with- 
out lowering  it  more  that  fifty  feet.     This  immense 
quantity  of  water   was   not   less   wonderful  for   its 
quantity  than  for  its  abnormal  heat.     According  to 
John  A.  Church,  the  heat  extracted  from  the  rocks 
by  this  mass  of  water  was  equivalent  to  the  consump- 
tion of  24,546  tons  of  pure  carbon  j-early;  that  by 
the  upcast  of  air  as  equal  to  4,055  tons,  altogether 
making  as  much  heat  as  28,601  tons  of  carbon  could 
yield,  or  converting  it  into  anthracite  coal,  the  heat 
lost  by  the  rocks  of  the  Comstock  Lode  equals  the  con- 
sumption 0/55,47^  tons  of  anthracite  coal  yearly/     It  is 
of  course  desirable  to  know  from  whence  it  proceeds. 
But  three  sources  have  as  yet  been  suggested;  the 
internal  heat  of  the  earth,  the  remains  of  the  ther- 
mal period  when  the  lavas  flowed  out,  and  chemical 
action  or  decomposition.     To  the  first  it  is  replied 
that  the  depth  acquired  by  any  shaft  in  the  world 
according  to  the  acknowledged  rate,  one  degree  for 
each  fifty  feet,  would  not  reach  the  point  seen  in  the 
mines,  and  that  furthermore  the  heat  does  not  cor- 
respond with  the  depth  but  varies  greatly  in  dift'er- 
ent  places  at  the  same  depths,  which  would  not  bo 
the  case   according  to  the  first  hj'pothesis.     With 
regard  to  the   second,    Mr.    Church,  the   authority 
before   referred    to,  has   shown  that  the  propylites 
were  cooled  off"  long  enough  to  become  soil  and  pro- 
duce a  growth  of  trees  before   the  outflow  of  the 
superincumbent  trachyte,  which  militates  against  the 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


<^11 


second  theory.  According  to  Mr.  Church,  the  source 
of  Ihe  heat  is  in  the  constant  formation  of  the  kaolin 
clay  out  of  the  volcanic  rocks,  the  change  from  solid 
rock  to  clay  causing  the  liberation  of  the  latent 
heat. 


PHOTO    6Y    MOnSE.  SAN    FRANCISCO 


^C-f.^i 


J.  Minor  Taylor,  referred  to  in  the  following 
sketch,  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  Now 
Preston,  Litchfield  County,  June  10,  1843.  His  early 
education  was  received  in  his  native  town.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  years,  he  Joined  the  United  States 
Army  Signal  Corps,  and  was  ordered  to  New 
Orleans.  Louisiana,  where  ho  arrived  in  the  month 
of  April,  1862.  In  this  branch  of  the  service  ho 
remained  until  18fi4,  and  the  next  year  went  to  New 
York  Citj'  and  assumed  the  ])08ition  of  cashier  in 
a  large  mercantile  house,  where  he  remained  until 
1809,  at  which  time  he  t-arao  to  California.  In  ,Iuno, 
1874,  he  came  to  the  State  of  Nevada,  and  has  since 
been  in  the  employ  of  Messrs  Mackay  k  Fair. 

W.    H.    I'.VTTON, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Princeton, 
New  Jersey,  July  7,  1831.  Ho  is  a  grandson  of 
(;ol.  Robert  Patton,  a  native  of  \Vest])()rl,  in  the 
north  of  Ireland,  who  served  in  the  Uovolulionary 
War  under  General  Lafayette,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  was  appointed  Postmaster  at   Philadelphia, 


Pennsylvania,  which  position  he  held  until  his  death, 
in  1814,  a  period  of  about  thirty  years.  But  of  W. 
H.  Patton  we  may  say,  he  received  a  thorough 
English  education  at  Stamford,  Connecticut,  and 
afterward    went    through    a    course    of   civil    and 


PHOTO    QV    JOHN    S    HOE,    VlUQINIA,   NEV 

W.  H.  Patton. 

mechanical  engineering.  In  1852  he  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, bj-  way  of  Capo  Horn,  working  his  passage 
before  the  mast,  in  the  clipper  ship  Tornado,  Cap- 
lain  Mumford,  landing  in  San  Francisco,  on  the 
seventh  of  July,  that  j'ear.  Ho  immediate!)-  sought 
the  mines  as  his  tiold  of  labor,  and  from  that  time 
to  the  present  has  made  a  specialty  of  mining  en- 
gineering, having,  while  in  California,  been  con- 
nected with  many  important  mining  and  milling 
enterprises,  and  has  identified  himself  with  numer- 
ous important  improvements  in  that  class  of  work. 
Mr.  Patton  was  on  the  Comstock  as  early  as  18G4, 
but  afterwards  wont  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  Stale 
and  California,  returning  to  Virginia  Citj-  in  1874, 
where  for  four  years  ho  was  in  the  cm])loy  of  the 
Bonanza  Firm,  as  their  designing  and  constructing 
engineer.  All  the  largo  mills,  hoisting  and  pumping 
works,  at  the  mines  controlled  bj'  this  firm,  wore  of 
his  designing,  and  built  under  his  supervision.  Mr. 
Patton  also  designed  and  erected  the  works  and 
machinery  at  the  Union  and  Yellow  Jacket  new 
shai'ts,  which  will  compare  favorablj-  with  anything 
of  the  kind  in  the  world.  The  hoisting  engines, 
designed  mid  ])laced  in  position  by  him  at  these 
shafts,  are  capable  ol'  working  to  a  depth  of  4,000 
feet.  In  addition  to  the  above,  some  of  the  principal 
works  designed  and  erected  by  him  in  Virginia  City 
are  the  Consolidated   Virginia  Mill,  of  sixty  stani]'- 


612 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


with  a  capacity  of  300  tons  of  ore  per  day;  the 
California  Mill,  of  eighty  stamps,  capable  of  reduc- 
ing 400  tons  of  ore  per  day;  also  the  pumping 
engines  at  the  Belcher  air  shaft,  Combination  shaft, 
Forman  shaft,  Savage  shaft,  liould  &  Curry  and  Best 
&  Belcher  joint  shaft;  also,  Hale  &  Norcross  shaft. 
Since  1878  he  has  also  held  the  position  of  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Consolidated  Virginia,  California, 
Ophir,  Mexican,  and  Union  Consolidated  Mines. 
Mr.  Patton  is  a  thoroughly  practical  mining  man, 
very  reserved  and  modest,  but  probably  has  accom- 
plished more  than  any  other  man  on  the  Comstock 
to  facilitate  deep  mining,  and  all  cheerfully  accord  to 
him  the  credit  he  so  well  deserves.  He  was  mar- 
ried November  7,  18U(),  to  Miss  Jessie  F.  Winchester, 
of  Chautauqua  County,  New  York,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  time.  • 

SOME   OP   THE    LEADING    MINES. 

Having  given  these  few  general  explanations,  a 
short  description  of  the  main  mines  of  the  great 
lode,  with  a  few  items  of  their  history,  will  be  in 
order.  No  attempt  will  be  made  to  give  a  full  his- 
tory of  the  mines.  The  discovery,  methods  of  work- 
ing, geology  of  the  deposit,  the  lawsuits,  manipula- 
tions of  the  stock,  etc.,  of  any  of  the  larger  mines 
would  fill  several  volumes  of  this  size.  Only  a  gen- 
eral description  can  be  given. 

The  Utah  Mine,  located  at  the  extreme  north  end 
of  the  known  members  of  the  lode,  has  never 
been  a  paj-ing  institution.  The  claim  was  located  in 
1859,  and  re-incorporated  as  at  present  in  1871.  It 
has  been  much  of  the  time  under  the  management  of 
James  (t.  Fair  and  John  Skae,  both  names  famous  in 
the  Comstock  annals.  At  the  time  of  the  second 
incorporation  a  shaft  was  sunk  500  feet  east  of  the 
croppings,  and  the  vein  intersected  at  the  depth  of 
nearly  a  thousand  feet.  Extensive  explorations  have 
not  developed  any  valuable  ore  bodies.  The  assess- 
ments have  aggregated  §1,080,000. 

The  Sierra  Nevada  has  been  before  the  public 
many  times  as  a  prospective  bonanza.  In  1878  the 
stock  suddenlj-  bounded  from  five  dollars  a  share  up  to 
8260,  when  it  began  to  recede.  It  has  jirodnced  enough 
bullion  to  justify  a  hope  of  having  a  bonanza  in  it, 
and  for  many  years  has  been  a  favorite  stock  for 
"milking"  the  public,  both  in  assessments  and  in 
sales  of  shares.  The  expenses  of  this  mine  have 
been  as  high  as  half  a  million  a  year.  The  total 
yield  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  81,000,000,  of  which 
sum  a  little  more  than  8100,000  was  paid  to  the 
stockholders  as  dividends.  The  total  assessments 
amount  to  over  84,400,000.  There  are  numbers  of 
persons  who  still  have  confidence  in  the  mine. 

The  operations  of  this  mine  have  varied  much 
from  the  others.  It  was  discovered  after  much  ex- 
ploration that  the  surface  rock  contained  gold.  The 
eomi)aiiy  went  to  crushing  for  this  without  attempt- 
ing to  save  the  silver.  The  process  of  amalgamation 
was  simple  and  inexpensive,  and  the  result  was  88.66 


to  the  ton.  Eighteen  thousand  tons  were  crushed 
with  a  profit  of  845,000. 

Union  Consolidated  is  one  of  the  non-dividend 
mines,  the  assessments  amounting  to  81,060,000. 
The  present  company  was  incorporated  in  1875. 
Adjoining  the  Sierra  Nevada,  it  has  sympathized 
strongly  with  that  mine  in  its  market  values.  It 
advanced  in  1878  from  a  merely  nominal  value  to 
8193,  after   which    it   receded,  with  varj-ing  values. 

The  Mexican  Mine  is  also  a  non-paying  mine, 
valuable  for  its  possibilities.  The  present  company 
was  incorporated  in  1874.  Total  assessments  levied, 
81,436,000.  It  derives  its  prospective  value  from 
its  vicinity  to  the  Ophir.  through  the  shafts  of 
which  it  has  been  explored  to  a  depth  of  two  thou- 
sand feet  or  more. 

The  three  companies  mentioned  are  sinking  a 
joint  shaft  for  exploration,  which,  for  permanence 
and  efficiency  of  machinery,  is  unsurpassed  on  the 
Comstock  Lode,  or  perhaps  on  the  Coast.  It  is 
about  2,500  feet  north  of  the  C  and  C  shaft,  and 
is  expected  to  strike  the  lode  at  the  depth  of  3,000 
feet,  ample  power  being  provided  to  hoist  water, 
and  other  material,  from  that  depth.  It  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  important  on  the  lode,  not  as 
inaugurating  the  use  of  powerful  machinery,  but  as 
testing  the  question  of  deep  mining,  and  the  indefi- 
nite extension  of  the  lode  to  great  depths. 

California  is  composed  of  several  claims  formerly 
known  as  the  California,  Central  No.  1  and  No.  2, 
and  the  Kinney,  the  total  being  000  feet.  The  dis- 
covery of  the  ore  body  was  made  from  the  Consoli- 
dated Virginia  on  the  1,500-foot  level  in  1873,  after 
which  this  company  was  organized.  The  ore  was 
enormously  rich,  much  assaying  as  high  as  81,200 
per  ton,  and  small  pieces  going  up  to  several  thou- 
sands. It  is  impo.ssible  to  give  any  idea  of  the  excite- 
ment that  attended  the  discover^''  of  this  bonanza, 
which  extended  through  the  ground  of  both  the  Cal- 
ifornia and  Consoliclalud  Virginia.  The  San  Fran- 
cisco papers  went  into  elaborate  calculations  of  the 
extent  and  value  of  the  ore  body;  it  extended  the 
length  of  the  two  claims,  and  was  from  200  to  400 
feet  in  width,  and  of  an  unknown  depth.  It  was 
easy  to  figure  up  8100,000,000  in  sight. 

The  stock  of  the  two  mines  advanced  in  less  than 
two  months  from  815,000,000  to  8108,000,000,  and  not 
only  the  stock  of  these  mines,  but,  in  fact,  all  mines 
on  the  lode.  The  two  mines  together  yielded  some- 
thing over  8100,000,000,  of  which  sum  three-fourths 
were  paid  as  dividends. 

THE    CONSOI.IDATEP    VIRGINIA. 

The  Consolidated  Virginia  locations  were  originally 
made  by  Sides,  .Murphy,  White,  and  Kinnej-,  and 
were  consolidated  with  the  above  name,  then  includ- 
ing some  of  the  present  California,  The  hoisting- 
works  and  mill  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1875,  but 
were  soon  rebuilt. 

This  mining  company,  in  conjunction  with  the 
California,  is  sinking  a  deep  shaft,  which  is  expected 


THE  BULLION 


As  Listed  by  the  County  Assessors  of  Ne- 


1 

Nanieh  of  Counties. 

Ores  ... 
Tailings  . 

Ores 

Tailinps  . 
Ores  .... 

18(16. 

188«. 

Tons.    I     Value 
S 

1S67. 

1S68.                         186«.                           1870. 

1871 

Tons.         Value. 

Tons. 
2,867 

Vahic.       Tons. 

Value. 

Tons. 

Aalue. 
«     182,678 

Tons. 

__. 

1,601 

Valup. 

Tons. 

Va 

Esmeralda. 

Esmeralda                         .... 

$     114,477 

S,956»     259,128 

8,254 

t       92,910 

3,028 

- 

ESko 

2,' 11 

219,169 

5,702 
202 

1 

Elko 

K  . 

Eurekii 

Eureka 

Tailintcs  .. 

Ores 

Tailings  .. 
Ores 

Bumboldt 

Humboldt     . 

Lyon     

807 

85,222 

4,574'       227,621 

i 

7,464 

360,602 

7,934 

878,840 

20,166 

1 

Lyon     

Tailings  .. 

Ores 

Tailings- 

1 

184,417 

22,842 

73« 

25,995 

"i 

Lincoln 

. 

11,861 

1,662,916 

a,E( 

Lincoln 

Lander          

Ores    . 

Tailings  . 
Ores  .... 
Tailings  . . 

5,709 

7,802 

1,857,816 

4,915 

922,929 

11,824 

1,104,690 

2,.< 

Lander 

1 

Nye 

7,970 

811,631! 

7,426^       792,027 

801) 

103,647 

1,966 

204.668 

3,087 
70 

Nye  

Ormsby 

Ores 

Tailings . . 

80,761 

tt48,102 

1 

•• 

Omrsby 

1 

Storey 

Storey  ...                   

Ores  .   . . 
Tailings  . . 

276,808 

"9,489,406 

372,546 
■8,200 

tll,951,S76 
72,000 

482,176 

13,853,847 

400,559 

M«,716 

279,621 

6,684,062 

238,960 

6,859,699 

395,600 
48,360 

11 

;  i 
ii 

Washoe 

Ores 

1 

Washoe     

Tailings  . . 

1 

White  Pine 

Ores  .   . . 

28,464 

1,825,286 

86,782 

1,258,209 
11,776,891 

88,604 
26,928 

726,828 

White  Pine 

TailingH.. 

S07,0«« 

480,42S 

16,172,50( 

423,264 

Totals 

9,439,405 

434,657 

12,028,876 

18,295,297 

329,516 

10,019,063 

811,474 

lO.i'S 

Revenues  received  by  State 
from  tax  of  mine  proceeds. 

Revt-nue  received   by    State 
from    tax  on    proceeds  of 
mines  alter  deducting  cost 
of  collection  

!  $  15,447  36 

Xfi4A7  SA 

It »  10,877  04 

II  t  80,006  38 

II «  81,676  62 

II  »  53,286  08 

II  t  66,492  93 

II  «  98,ID') 

'Tailings  in  Six  Uilc  Canon. 
••  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  shipped  during  the  year,  (rem  Storey  County,  ♦12,833,719.83  in  bullion. 

t  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  ehijiped  duilng  the  year,  from  Storey  County,  ♦14,007,884.18. 
tt  Includes  only  nine  niontbtr. 


ODUCT  OF  NEVADA 


i  from  November,  1864,  to  December  31,   I880. 


LS72. 

1873. 

1874 

1876. 

1876.                          1877. 

Tons. 
19,102 

S78. 

1879. 

1880. 

Totals 

biu. 

Value. 

Tons. 

Value. 

»    333,691 

260,168 

2,800 

2,677,176 

Tons. 

3,764 
6,635 

Value. 

Tons. 

Value. 

t    958,300 

5,401 

536,603 

Tons. 

Value.       Tuns. 

! 

Value. 

$1,508,361 

570 

1,044,326 

24,799 

3,898,878 

Value. 

Tona 

Value. 

«     960,380 

3,806 

1,093,960 

Tons. 
26,552 

Value. 
$     995.323 

Value. 

3,865 

$     116,222 

476,169 
17,208 

4,935 

7,328 

252 

70,924 

t    266,372 
162,666 

14,226 

800 

7,742 

26,118 

40 

6,216 

180 

53,432 

1 1,501,6.W 

2,628 

477,048 

3,600 

2,107,160 

36,612 

60 

11,945 

2,809 

86,338 

i    724,5^9 

24,005 

88 

17,049 

8,089,873 

8,254 
8,444 

16,937 

1,280,702 

7,611 

372,821 

6,617,032 

49,832 

26.0.S0.304 

61,693     2.362,102 

81,476 

3,160,180 

127,496 

5,529,89!1 



128,03.1 
79,99-. 

110.056 

11,033 
2,670 

3.744.288 

66,266 

2,680,631 

8,S3$ 
3,440 

353,040 
148,457 

7,182 
12,640 

238,826 
102,997 

8,08;'' 
7,370 

244,11.'^ 
35,473 

6,703 

5,910 

1.840 

66,158 

17,008 

21,624 

7,332 

20 

15,567 

2,826 

229,097 

41,858 

27,336 

347,559 

957,764 

104,651 

1,006,476 

274 

801,291 

33,779 

3,246 
14.961 
190 
70,188 
14,300 
3,621 
7,050 

137,139 

95,442 

2. 262 

:!S1 .537 

797,241 
33,129 

813,377 

6,172 

16,170 

815 

68,250 

6,947 
16,319 

6,!i.'iS 

230,665 
76,668 
7,467 
308,649 
412,868 
143,676 
596,836 

6.626 
17,276 

364.982 
14,087 

9,877 
6,138 

239,416 
36,819 

3,657,055 

610.663 

37,065 

4,835,941 

19,116,257 

992,468 

16,659,206 

274 

8,905 
2,504 
2,996 
9,160 

696,602 

5,410,014 

56,325 

2,760,087 

148,738 

65,805 

11,590 

5,606 

703,899 

3,591,033 

160,464 

791,608 

86,682 
65,129 
30,608 

7,170 

628.697 

1,420,856 

199,969 

884,671 

105,136 

11,699 

27,680 

7,363 

619,361 
520,782 
164,640 
724,460 

73,258 
17,951^ 
14,351 
6,714 

328,143 
597,749 
92,660 
683,859 

66,815 
5,096 
3,167 
3,614 

353,415 

160,419 

36,076 

340,692 

2,805 

387,394 

10,167 

598,433 

8,336 

356,672 

16,013 
866 

606,802 
29,481 

24,900 
1,097 

820.962 
21,621 

26,915 

914,429 

25,378 

747,752 

17,575 

384,611 

7,994,786 

12,336,309 
394,276 

26,788 

302,907 

82,602 

185,785 

19,061,394 

775,391 

87,181 
17S,762 
55,187 

670,796 

7,048,983 

608,628 

41,099 
115,179 
24,150 

310,429 

3,618,633 

134,044 

1,167,010 

256,657,989 

3,972,238 

4,668 
0,099 
s,.... 

448,801 
S7,78D 

22,389,575 
268,148 

526,743 
7,690 

22,476,785 
52,830 

539,866 
18,400 

25,826,07) 
197,471) 

598,448 
2S,423 

37,778,659 
249,480 

662,607 
71,348 

36,291,630 
770,71.'. 

0,052 

63,661 

717,831 

20,666 

23,822,240 

18,618 
13,794 
6,660 

864.S16 

68,362 

486,708 

9,090 

32,071,861 

5,910 

13,616 

200 

838,136 

26,449 

597,264 

1.627 

408,691 
46,666,867 

13,730 
787,096 



607,296 

31,916,473 

16,536 
12,688 

6S1,100 
68,784 

4,463 
22,544 

192,934 
80,473 

148,462 

9,435,308 

348,197 

1,346 
6,170 

16,791 

873,574 

12,085 
1,385 

86r,8«l 

806,457 
n.lhO 

46,639,146 

8,214 
916,061 

, 

3j,086,193 

T,S46 

29,696,437 

822,083 

646,898 

17,699,920 

420,135 

9,726,613 

386,341,683 

g  t  136,673  81 
116,935  88 

II  «  194,230  81 
174,897  16 

II  »K 
U 

16,643  91 
1,401  66 

II  «  166,600  96 
148,369  03 

II  8  233,772  84 
217,226  28 

II  9  340,658  31 
326,707  08 

II  8  166,641  86 
146,510  09 

lis 

i6.7:lO  04 
1,332  20 

,|  *  2 

1.266  09 
3,004  IS 

1,738,058  66 
1,692,446  04 

}  Includes  November  and  December,  1804,  and  le  amount  recetved  Into  treasury, 
tt  Is  amount  recctvod  into  treasury. 

li  Amount  due  thu  treasury,  or  total  ossesHinunt  (or  State  purposes. 
f  The  last  two  quarters  o(  1880  arc  not  yet  reported  to  Controller. 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


613 


to  enable  the  owners  to  work  at  a  depth  of  4,0(tO 
feet.  The  site  is  1,000  feet  east  of  tbe  working 
shaft  of  the  Consolidated  Virginia.  The  works  are 
substantial  and  combine  the  latest  improvements  and 
the  results  of  e.xperience.  This  machinery  is  said  to 
bo  the  first  that  used  the  direct  action  for  the  pur- 
pose of  hoisting  and  pumping.  The  efficiency  of  the 
machinerj-  is  shown  by  the  facts  that  the  engine  has, 
since  reaching  the  700-foot  level,  raised  3,000  tons  of 
water  per  day,  besides  raising  all  the  rock  and  ore 
taken  out  of  both  mines  below  the  1,650-foot  level, 
and  also  the  mines  adjoining  them  on  the  north  and 
south.  Under  the  head  of  "  Mining  Booms  "  further 
particulars  will  be  given. 

The  Ophir  .Mine  is  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the 
oldest  discovery  of  the  group,  having  been  mined 
since  earlj-  in  1859,  the  bonanza  reaching  to  the 
surface.  It  has  yielded  over  810,000,000  in  bullion, 
and  declared  dividends  to  the  amount  of  $1,594,400. 
The  a.ssessments  have  been  83,088,200. 

Best  &  Belcher  is  another  of  the  promising  mines, 
the  assessments  reaching  nearly  8500,000.  Ore  bodies 
have  been  reported  as  existing,  but  no  product  of 
bullion  has  proven  their  value.  The  mine  consists 
of  540  feet  on  the  lode,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  lo- 
cations. 

The  Gould  &  Curry  Silver  Mining  Company  was 
incorporated  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  June,  1860, 
with  the  following  officers:  John  O.  Earl,  President; 
J.  C.  L.  Wadsworth,  Secretary;  VV.  C.  Ralston, 
Treasurer;  Charles  L.  Strong,  Superintendent. 

The  claim  of  the  company  is  centrally  located  on 
the  Comstock  Lode,  and  has  yielded  815,644,220.63 
in  bullion,  most  of  which  has  been  extracted  from 
above  the  adit  levels. 

A  prospecting  shaft,  inclined  below  the  1,500-foot 
level,  has  been  extended  to  a  vertical  depth  of  1,900 
feet,  disclosing,  so  far  as  explored,  a  vein  of  unde- 
termined width  of  very  promising  ore-bearing  mate- 
rial. 

Owing  to  the  great  expanse  of  the  lode  at  this 
central  position,  it  was  judged  advisable  to  suspend 
the  prospecting  operations  from  this  incline,  and 
resume  its  exploitation  from  a  point  nearer  its  east- 
ern confines. 

Another  shaft  was  accordingly  commenced  2,285 
feet  still  further  to  the  eastward,  which  has,  at  the 
perpendicular  depth  of  1,970  feet,  or  2,370  feet  below 
the  croppings,  penetrated  the  easternmost  borders  of 
the  ledge  formation. 

The  enormous  expenditure  incurred  in  sinking 
this  east  shaft,  although  primarily  a  severe  tax  on 
the  shareholders,  will  ultimately  bo  of  great  advan- 
tage in  economically  working  the  mine. 

As  the  necessary  buildings  are  finished,  and  their 
equipment  complete,  the  cost  of  continuing  the  shaft 
to  an  additional  depth  of  1,500  feet  will  be  com- 
paratively small,  and  will  bo  borne  in  part  by  the 
adjacent  mine  (the  Best  &  Belcher  Company). 

Such  is  the  magnitude  of  the  .nineral  lead  within 


the  boundaries  of  this  mine,  that  it  is  calculated  this 
extreme  depth  will  have  been  attained  before  the 
west  wall  of  the  oro  formation  shall  have  been 
reached. 

The  character  of  the  rock  exposed  in  the  deepest 
workings  continues  similar  to  that  which  inclosed 
the  bonanza  existing  near  the  surface. 

In  the  new  shaft,  as  it  progresses  downward,  the 
indications  of  the  close  proximity  of  another  ore 
body  are  rapidlj^  increasing. 

At  the  last  annual  election,  held  in  San  Francisco, 
on  the  twentieth  of  December,  1880,  the  following 
officers  were  elected:  \V.  S,  Hobart,  President;  A. 
K.  Uurbrow,  Secretary;  H,  11.  Penoyer,  Superin- 
tendent. 

It  is  confidently  expected  that  a  development  of 
value  will  have  been  made  in  this  mine  before  the 
next  annual  meeting,  which  will  bo  satisfactory  to 
all  the  stockholders. 

The  works  of  this  (company  are  among  the  finest 
on  the  Comstock,  and  can  bo  better  appreciated  by 
turning  to  the  view,  to  bo  found  on  another  page  of 
this  volume. 

The  Savage  was  developed  to  some  extent  in  18S0 
along  with  the  Ophir,  Gould  &  Curry  and  other 
mines  of  an  oarly  day.  The  dividends  slightl}-  ex- 
ceed the  assessments,  but  it  has  not  declared  any 
dividends  for  ten  years  or  more.  It  is  considered  one 
of  the  best  explored  mines  in  the  range,  having  mor© 
feet  of  drifts,  cross-cuts  and  winzes  than  any  mine, 
and  has  kept  the  lead  in  going  down,  generally 
being  some  hundred  feet  in  advance  of  its  neighbors, 
thus  having  the  misfortune  to  strike  the  largest 
flow  of  water  of  any  of  the  mines.  Some  years 
since  a  flood  of  water  was  encountered  on  the  2,200- 
foot  level,  which  filled  the  mine  450  feet;  the  water 
rushed  in  so  rapidly  that  the  miner.-s  had  to  fly  for 
their  lives.  Pumps  were  put  in  capable  of  throwing 
10,000,000  gallons  per  month  to  the  surface.  Three 
years'  constant  pumping  did  not  exhaust  the  head, 
but  it  still  remained  as  high  as  tho  2,000  foot  level. 
Great  trouble  was  experienced  in  consequence  of  the 
breaking  of  tho  pump-rods.  Tbe  companj-  now 
drain,  or  rather,  pump  into  the  Sutro  Tunnel  which 
intersects  tho  lode.  During  tho  threeyears  of  pump- 
ing it  was  estimated  that  1,800,000  tons  of  water 
were  raised  to  the  surface.  This  water  bad  a  tem- 
perature of  139°.  Tho  company  has  powerful 
machinery,  and  propose  to  continue  the  explorations 
to  a  depth  of  4,000  feet.  This  mine  has  paid  84,460,000 
in  dividends. 

Tho  Halo  &  Norcross  adjoins  tho  Savage,  and  has 
had  to  share  with  that  mine  the  disadvantages  of  tho 
floods  of  water.  This  is  a  mine  of  some  repute,  the 
out-put  of  bullion  having  been  $7,822,233,  and  tho 
dividends  exceed  tho  assessments  bj-  very  nearly 
82,900,000.  The  water  is  now  pumped  into  the 
Sutro  Tunnel. 

Chollar-Potosi  is  a  consolidation  of  two  companies 
bearing  tho  separate  names.    They  wore  incorporated 


614 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


in  1860,  and  consolidated  in  1865.  Daring  the  same 
year  an  asseissment  of  8280,000  was  made  to  pay 
debts  and  put  the  mine  on  a  working  basis.  The 
mine  has  been,  perhaps,  as  regular  in  its  yield  as  any 
on  the  lode.  The  total  product  is  813,839,600.  The 
company  paid  forty-four  dividends  amounting  to 
83,079,925;  assessments,  81,358,502;  in  favor  of  stock- 
holders,  81,721,423.  It  is  said  that  these  two  com- 
panies expended  81,000,000  in  litigation  before  agree- 
ing to  unite. 

CHOLLAR-NORCROSS-SAVAGE   SHAFT. 

This  well-known  shaft  is  owned  jointly  by  the 
Chollar-Potosi,  Ilale  &  Norcross,  and  Savage  Mining 
Companies,  the  three  companies  representing  2,771.} 
feet  of  the  Comstock  Lode.  The  shaft  manage- 
ment is  under  a  Board,  constituted  of  the  presidents 
of  the  companies  interested,  which  is  at  present 
composed  of  the  following  gentlemen:  A.  K.  P. 
Harmon,  Chairman;  Gen.T.  H.  Williams,  and  George 
Condon.  Isaac  L.  Requa  was  elected  Superintend- 
ent at  the  beginning  of  the  work,  and  has  directed 
the  entire  operations  to  the  present  time. 

The  work  of  sinking  the  shaft  was  commenced  in 
June,  1875,  and  is  now  2,4C0  feet  deep.  The  shaft 
has  four  compartments,  three  being  five  by  six 
feet,  and  the  other  six  by  seven  feet  in  the  clear. 
There  are  two  large  pumping  engines,  one  known 
as  the  Coi-nish,  and  the  other  as  the  hj-draulic 
system,  the  two  having  a  capacity  of  3,000  gallons 
per  minute,  for  a  height  of  800  feet.  The  hoisting 
engines  have  a  capacity  of  1,200  tons  each  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  machinery  connected  is  of  suf- 
ficient power  to  work  from  a  depth  of  3,000  feet. 
The  shaft  is  located  8,500  feet  east  of  the  outcrop 
that  marks  the  original  surface  line  of  the  Corn- 
stock  Lode.  As  the  dip  of  the  lode  is  about 
forty-five  degrees  east,  this  shaft  should  intersect 
the  vein  at  about  3,000  feet  from  the  surface,  or 
mouth  of  shaft.  It  is  the  intention  of  the  com- 
pany to  prosecute  all  of  their  prospecting  and  ore- 
extracting  through  this  shaft. 

A  very  correct  idea  of  these  works  can  be 
obtained  from  the  view  which  may  be  seen  on 
page  120. 

The  Bullion  Mine,  which  was  obtained  by  assess- 
ments, has  been  a  grave  for  about  83,000,000.     The 
explorations   have   extended    to  a  depth   of  nearly 
2,500  feet.     It  may  bo  asked,  why  expend  so  much 
monej'  on  a  prospect  ?    In  answer  it  may  be  said, 
that    the  Bullion  ground    was  on   the  lode,  and  as 
far  as  human  judgment  could  say  was  as  likely  to 
have   a   "bonanza"  as    any  other  piece  of   ground 
north  or  south  of  it,  but  it  did  not  have  it.     One  set 
of  shareholders  after  another  would  sink  and  drift, 
always  finding  encouraging  indications  of  a  fortune, 
but  indications  only.     The   fissure  was  very  wide, 
with    considerable    quantities    of    low    grade    ore, 
which,  however,  would  not   pay  Tor  extraction  and 
redaction. 


The  Exchequer  has  much  the  same  history  as 
the  Bullion.  It  was  explored  from  the  same  shaft, 
was  managed  by  the  same  Superintendent,  and  the 
stock  was  probablj-  owned  by  nearly  the  same  par- 
ties. The  assessments  made  were  in  the  vicinity  of 
half  a  million  of  dollars  without  returns. 

The  Alpha  Mine  is  adjoining  the  Consolidated 
Imperial  and  is  worked  or  prospected  from  the  same 
shaft,  and  is  sometimes  mentioned  as  being  a  part  of 
the  same.  A  quarter  of  a  million  has  been  expended 
upon  the  ground,  with  about  the  same  results  as  in 
the  Consolidated  Imperial.  As  in  that,  fine  stringers 
of  quartz  and  some  ore  bodies  were  found  but  not 
enough  to  cover  expenses. 

Consolidated  Imperial  is  a  consolidation  of  the 
Imperial,  Bacon,  Empire,  Eclipse,  French,  Bowers, 
Consolidated  Grold  Quartz,  in  all  making  468  feet. 
The  consolidation  was  effected  in  April.  1870,  and  is 
divided  into  500,000  shares.  Some  of  the  heaviest 
capitalists  of  San  Francisco  and  Nevada  wore  the 
owners,  so  when  we  say  that  nearly  a  million  of  dol- 
lars were  spent  in  exploring  the  ground  our  readers 
will  not  be  likely  to  shed  any  tears  over  the  waste  of 
monej'.  Considerable  bodies  of  ore  were  found, 
enough  to  keep  up  the  hopes  of  owners,  and  the 
prospecting  went  on  to  the  depth  of  2,000  feet  or 
more.  The  machinery  for  hoisting  and  pumping  was 
all  first-class  and  monc}^  was  not  wanting.  All  was 
done  that  mind  and  monej-  could  do  to  develop  a 
mine,  but  a  bonanza  has  not  yet  been  found.  The 
mines  composing  the  consolidation  wore  exceedingly 
rich  near  the  surface,  and  have  produced  many 
millions  of  dollars. 

HOLD    HILL    (IROUP. 

Though  the  towns  of  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  City 
have  given  names  to  the  difterent  groups  of  mines, 
the  dift'orence  is  more  than  a  vicinity  to  the  respect- 
ive towns.     There  seems  to  be  a  geological  division. 
It  has  been  marked  by  all  close  observers  of  the  mines 
that  the  ravines  running  towards  the  east  from  dif- 
ferent points  on  the  Comstock    Lode  wore   in  de- 
pressions  which    owed   their  existence,  to  a   great 
extent,  to  the  folding  of  the  strata  by  an  upheaval 
transverse  to  the  axis  of  the  Virginia,  or  Mount  Da- 
vidson   range,  though    the    subsequent    outflows    of 
trachyte  and  andesite,  as  well  as  the  glacial  action 
would  essentially  modify  and   change   the   original 
surface  formation.     These  transverse  upheavals  have, 
perhaps,  had  the  effect  of  establishing  the  locality  of 
the  ore  deposits,  or  at  least  of  modifying  them,  much 
as  hard    points   of   rock  in  a  river  channel    would 
form  islands  or  eddies.     The  fissure  seems  to  make 
a  flexure  around  the  foot  of  Mount  Davidson;  also 
a  flexure    outwards  or    towards    the   cast  in  other 
places,  and  the  ore  channels    seemed  to  have  been 
richest  in  these  outward  flexures,  or  at  the  junctions 
of  the  lines  of  elevation.     So  that  ihe  barren  places 
between  Gold   Hill   and  Virginia  City  are  proliablj- 
the  results  of     eneral  laws.     It  is  observed  in  regard 


1 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


616 


to  the  characlor  ol'  ilio  two  deposits  that  north  of 
Gold  Hill  the  ores  were  in  compaot  bodies;  south 
in  continuous  sheets.  It  is  also  said  that  awaj' 
from  the  foot  of  Mount  Davidson  the  tissure  mani- 
fested a  tendency  to  break  out  through  the  propylito 
and  leave  large  bodies  of  it  on  the  western  or  foot- 
wall,  instead  of  closely  following  the  junction  with 
the  syenite. 

The  barren  ground  between   the  two  formations 

were  the 

Feet.     Ass's  up  to  1879. 

Bullion 943} . .  .82,802,000 

E.\chequer 400  ...      380,000 

Alpha -  -466   . . .      240,000 

Imperial  Consolidated... 468   ...      875, (lOO 

Challenge 90  ._.        10,000 

Confidence 130   ...      256,32(1 

Total 2,497}. .  .84,523,320 

This  amount  has  since  swelled  fully  to  85,000,000. 
Verilj^  mining  is  a  precarious  business.  John  A. 
Church,  perhaps  as  good  authority  as  any,  is  of  the 
opinion  that  the  quartz  bodj^  which  contained  the 
Virginia  bonanzas  may  be  seen  in  embryo  on  the 
eastern  part  of  the  Gold  Hill  mines,  which  would 
prove  an  individual  character  and  separate  origin 
of  the  two  deposits. 

The  Challenge  is  a  small  body  of  ground  prospected 
from  a  neighboring  shaft,  with  an  occasional  drift. 
It  has  a  prospective  value  as  long  as  the  Comstock 
continues  to  have  ore  on  any  of  its  levels.  Com- 
paratively but  a  small  sum  has  been  expended  upon 
it. 

The  Confidence  has  had  a  body  of  paying  ore,  and 
paid  878,000  in  dividends,  and  has  also  expended 
something  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  in  assessments. 
It  was  worked  through  the  Yellow  Jacket  shaft, 
the  ore  body  being  a  part  of  the  Yellow  Jacket 
bonanza. 

YEIJ.OW   JACKET   SILVER    MINE 

Was  located  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1859,  by  Bishop, 
Camp,  Rogers,  and  others,  and  consists  of  957  feet  of 
the  Comstock  Lode.  It  has  been  worked  contin- 
uously since  its  location, and  has  produced  814,372,172. 
The  company  was  incorporated  Februar^'^  17,  1863, 
under  the  then  existing  laws  of  the  Territory  of 
Nevada,  and  has  continued  a  Xevada  incorporation, 
being  the  only  mine  on  the  Comstock  Lode  that  has 
its  home  office  at  the  mine  or  in  the  State  of  Nevada. 
The  present  number  of  shares  is  120,000,  of  the  par 
value  of  8100  each. 

The  mine  is  at  present  worked  through  the  new. 
or  east  shaft  of  three  compartments,  two  of  them 
being  for  hoisting,  five  by  six  and  one-half  feet  each, 
and  the  third  one  six  and  one-half  by  seven  and  one- 
half  feet  for  pumps,  etc.  This  shaft  was  started  in 
October,  1876,  and  on  May  1,  1880,  reached  a  depth 
of  3,000  feet  (vertical).  A  sump  twenty-seven  feet 
deeper,  with  large  drift  from  same  for  storage  of 
water,  has  since  been  completed.  This  shaft  with 
machinery  and  all  improvements  has  cost  up  to  date 


81,626,520.  The  machinery  consists  of  a  compound 
pumping  engine,  initial  cylinder,  thirty-one  inches  in 
diameter,  and  expansion  oj^lindor  sixty-two  inches  in 
diameter,  and  both  of  144-inch  stroke.  This  engine 
operates  a  single  line  of  pump-rods  sixteen  by  six- 
teen inch,  3.02O  feet  long,  or  thirteen  fourteon-inch 
pumps  by  12il-inch  stroke,  raising  the  water  to  the 
surface,  or  about  3,040  feet.  Within  a  few  weeks  the 
shaft  will  be  connected  with  the  Stitro  Tunnel,  1.513 
t'oet  below  its  top,  when  the  present  line  of  pumps 
will  be  doubled,  thereby  increasing  the  present 
pumping  capacitj-  twice  or  double.  [This  connection 
has  since  been  made]. 

The  hoisting  machinery  consists  of  a  pair  of  direct 
acting   engines,   each    cylinder    being   twenty-eight 
inches    in  diameter,  with    a    ninety-six-inch  stroke, 
and  connected.     The  winding  ropes  are  of  steel  wire, 
flat,  and  weighing  about  six  pounds  to  the  foot,  one- 
iialf  inch  thick,  and  eight  inches  wide,  operating  one 
skeet  and  one  double — double-decked  cage,  hoisting 
four  cars  at  once,  each  carrying  about  one  ton  of 
rock.     In  case  of  emergencj'  it  can  also  raise  two 
tanks,  each  holding  about  1,300  gallons  of    water. 
For  use  of  pump  shaft  there  is  a  double  C}'linder  com- 
pound  geared    hoist,  each    cylinder   being   eighteen 
inches  in  diameter  with  twentj--fonr-iiieh  stroke,  us- 
ing a  flat  steel   wire  rope  one-half  inch  thick  by  six 
inches  wide.     Have  also  for  compressing  air  to  run 
drills,  pumps,  blowers,  etc.,  one  Burleigh   and  one 
Waring    compressor,   with    lap-welded    pipe    eight 
inches  in  diameter,  extending  to  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft.     There  is  also  a  machine  and  carpenter  shoji 
supplied  with  the  most  modern  tools.     The  buildings 
are  very  fine,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  view  on  another 
page,  and  have  a  good  supplj'  of  fire  hydrants,  and 
hose  that  will  reach  all  parts  of  the  surface  property. 
A  side-track  from  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad 
carries    wood    and    material    direct  to  the  works. 
Steam  for  driving  the  machinery    is  generated   by 
five  pairs  of  tubular  boilers,  each  fifty-four  inches  in 
diameter,  and  sixteen  feet  in  length.     The  present 
officers  of  this  companj-  are:     F.  A.  Tritle.  President; 
W.  N.  Mercer    Otey,   Secretary;  Thos.   G.   Taylor, 
Superintendent;  I.  E.  James,  A,  M,  Cole,  B.  C.  Whit- 
man, and  (teorge  Wallace,  Trustees. 

There  is  also  a  transfer  office  in  San  Francisco,  for 
the  purpose  of  transferring  stock,  under  the  direction 
of  James  Newland,  Secretary,  and  Geo.  Wallace, 
Vice- President. 

The  Iventuck  Mine  comprises  ninety-four  feet  on 
the  Comstock  Lode,  next  south  of  the  Y'ellow  Jacket, 
and  is  one  of  the  locations  of  1859.  ,\  rich  body 
of  ore  came  to  the  surface  through  nearly  all  these 
Gold  Hill  claims,  and  yielded  many  millions  of  dol- 
lars before  barren  ground  was  reached.  The  Ken- 
tuck  was  a  long  time  in  bonanza,  and,  up  to  1870, 
had  paid  81,252,000  in  dividends.  The  total  assess- 
ments have  been  8300,000,  Active  developments 
have  been  suspended,  awaiting  the  completion  of 
shafts  on   neighboring  mines.     The  capital  stock  is 


616 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


$3,000,000,  divided  into  30.000  shares.  In  1863, 
shares  were  selling  at  from  8400  to  8500  each.  The 
mine  has  5-ielded  813,389,068,  equal  to  8142,436.90 
for  each  lineal  foot  of  the  claim. 

The  Crown  Point  was  located  in  1859  by  Nelson 
Brobant  and  three  others,  who  soon  began  taking 
out  rich  ore,  but  sold  their  property  before  any  great 
developments  were  made.  The  claim  comprises  541 1 
feet  of  the  Comstock  Lode,  lying  between  the  Ken- 
tuck  on  the  north  and  the  Belcher  on  the  south. 
Capital  stock,  810,000,000,  divided  into  100.000  shares. 
When  in  its  first  bonanza,  which  continued  till  1867, 
it  produced  over  §2,000,000,  and  paid  about  8300,000 
in  dividends,  without  assessments.  For  two  years 
or  more  work  continued  in  barren  ground,  when  in 
December,  1869,  a  drift  running  on  the  1,100-foot 
level  came  into  good  ore,  which  was  found  to  reach 
up  to  the  900-foot  level  and  downward  to  the  1,500- 
foot  level,  with  a  width  in  the  broadest  place  of  360 
feet.  From  this  bonanza  811,600,060  was  paid  in 
dividends.  The  last  dividends  were  paid  in  1875, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  a  prospecting  mine. 
The  total  assessments  have  amounted  to  82,575,500, 
and  the  total  dividends  to  811,898,000. 

The  Belcher  Mine  comprises  1,040  feet  of  the  lode 
next  south  of  the  Crown  Point,  and  dates  its  location 
among  the  early  days  of  1859.  No  body  of  paj'ing 
ore  was  found  on  the  surface,  and  it  continued  a  pros- 
pecting mine  until  February,  1871,  when  the  last  as- 
sessments— of  that  period — were  paid,  and  it  was 
found  to  contain  a  great  share  of  the  bonanza 
which  had  been  di-^covcred  in  the  Crown  Point. 
Small  quantities  of  bullion  had  been  taken  out,  but 
assessments  were  regular.  The  present  incorpora- 
tion has  a  capital  stock  of  810,400,000,  divided  into 
104,000  shares.  The  mine  has  paid  815,397,200  in 
dividends,  and  levied  82,575,500  of  assessments.  The 
bonanza  of  the  two  mines,  Crown  Point  and  Belcher, 
produced  an  aggregate  of  858,110,240. 

The  Segregated  Belcher  Mine  joined  the  Yellow 
Jacket  bonanza,  and  was  supposed  to  have  a  large 
slice  of  it  within  its  bounds,  and  was  supposed  atone 
time  to  have  a  portion  of  the  expected  Overman 
bonanza,  which,  however,  did  not  prove  very  rich. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  million  was  spent  in  explorins; 
without  striking  anything  of  value. 

The  Overman  Mine  is  one  of  the  most  noted  and 
important  in  many  respects  on  the  Comstock.  It  is 
a  point  of  departure  for  the  systems  of  mines  which 
terminate  in  American  Flat  and  Dayton,  having  its 
east  and  west  ledgo,  both  of  which  have  been  con- 
sidered as  promising  investments.  The  west  ledge 
in  early  days  produced  a  considerable  quantity  of 
bullion,  enough  to  induce  thorough  prospecting. 
Subsequently  a  new  shaft  was  sunk,  near  1,500  feet 
east.  The  assessments  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of 
83,000.000.  The  amount  of  bullion  is  estimated  at 
83,239,400.  The  mine  is  interesting,  as  being  in  the 
locality  of  the  Forman  shaft,  which  is  the  largest, 
best  equipped  shaft  yet  commenced,  and  is  located 


6,000  feet  east  of  the  line  of  croppings.  It  is  not 
expected  to  strike  the  vein  until  a  depth  of  4,000 
feet  is  attained.  The  shaft  is  L  shaped,  with  four 
compartments,  the  additional  on  the  side  being  used 
for  a  pump. 

The  Caledonia  is  one  of  the  last  that  is  known 
to  be  on  the  Comstock  fissure,  the  chain  of  ore 
deposits  dividing  at  this  point,  one  branch  making 
towards  American  Flat  and  the  other  towards  the 
Devil's  Gate.  Opinions,  however,  differ  in  this  mat- 
ter, and  each  line  of  claims  has  its  advocates  as 
being  the  genuine  Comstock  Lode.  Over  81,500,000 
has  been  spent  in  explorations.  The  yield  of  bul- 
lion is  reported  81,645,000. 

A.MERIC.\N    FLAT. 

Twenty  years  since  this  section  ranked  high  in 
importance.  Large  croppings  of  quartz  furnished 
satisfactory  evidence  of  the  extension  of  the  Com- 
stock Lode  in  this  section,  and  the  town  of  Ameri- 
can City  grew  up  in  view  of  the  expected  valuable 
mines.  The  Globe  Consolidated  is  a  union  of  the 
Globe,  Arizona,  Jura,  and  Utah.  Its  reputation  has 
been  at  times  good,  82,000,000  having  been  taken 
from  it  in  an  early  day.  It  is  said  to  contain  an 
immense  amount  of  low  grade  ore.  The  Baltimore 
Consolidated,  Maryland,  American  Flat,  and  Rock 
Island  have  a  similar  history  and  character.  The 
prospects  of  all  these  mines  have  been  such  as  to 
justify  a  heavy  outlay  in  exploration,  which,  so  far, 
is  barren  of  any  bonanza.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
when  labor  and  supplies  shall  be  obtainable  at  figures 
as  low  as  in  some  parts  of  California,  where  quartz 
is  extracted  from  deep  shafts  and  milled  at  a  cost  of 
two  dollars  per  ton,  American  Flat  will  send  forth 
millions  of  bullion,  and  give  employment  to  a  large 
population. 

OUTSIDE    MINES. 

This  term  is  given  to  a  great  number  of  mines 
which  lie  parallel  to  the  Comstock.  Thej-  number 
hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  both  oast  and  west, 
north  and  south.  They  have  been  located  with  and 
without  croppings,  in  every  conceivable  place,  and 
according  to  the  most  absurd  theories.  All  were  in 
hopes  that  a  bonanza  would  come  that  way.  Some 
are  high  up  on  Mount  Davidson,  and  some  to  the 
east. 

The  cluster  containing  the  Justice,  Now  York, 
Lady  Washington,  Woodville,  Alta  and  Silver  Hill, 
is  perhaps  as  promising  a  field  as  any  of  the  out- 
sides.  The  first  named  reported,  in  1877,  a  bullion 
product  of  82,339,057,  which  came  near  turning  the 
"  true  fissure  "  through  that  mine,  and  sent  shares 
up  in  all  mines  in  that  vicinity.  The  Justice,  if  not 
on  the  Comstock  Lode,  has  many  indications  in  com- 
mon with  it.  The  black  dyke,  so  essential  an  indica- 
tion on  the  Comstock,  is  present.  The  fissure  is 
deep  and  strong,  though  transverse  to  the  stratifica- 
tion of  the  pro])ylite,  with  well-defined  walls,  though 
rather  irregular  and  rumpled,  twisted,  perhaps, 
would  be  the  better  term,  as  the  ore  body  varies  in 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY, 


617 


direction  from  thirty  degrees  west  of  north  in  the 
upper  levels,  to  nearly  araagnotie  meridian  at  a  depth 
of  1,000  feet.  On  the  surface  it  is  a  lenticular  mass; 
al  a  depth  of  1,000  feet  it  is  a  series  of  parallel  layers 
divided  by  the  prevailing  rock.  The  gangue,  or 
inclosing  material  of  the  ore,  is  calcite,  a  kind  of 
limestone.  The  formation  is  considered  as  of  much 
importance  in  studying  the  Comstoek  Lode. 

The  other  mines  mentioned  derived  their  prospec- 
tive value  from  their  vicinity  to  the  Justice.  The 
management  of  the  mine  has  caused  a  great  deal  of 
talk  in  financial  circles,  and  also  sevei-al  failures  of 
prominent  capitalists,  not  of  sufficient  interest  to 
justify  a  particular  description  here. 

The  Julia  Mine  is  directly  east  of  the  Chollar- 
Potosi,  and  has  prospects  enough  to  justify  putting 
on  extensive  machinery  and  sinking  2,000  feet  or 
more.  As  in  nearly  all  the  outsides,  there  was  good 
ore  enough  occasionally  to  keep  hope  alive  and  draw 
out  assessments.  It  is  quite  probable  that  when  the 
demoralization  of  labor  and  capital,  incident  to  the 
discovery  of  the  bonanzas,  shall  have  been  forgotten, 
many  of  these  outsides  will  become  self-supporting 
and  perhaps  profitable. 

MININU    "  BOOM." 

This  is  rather  an  ambiguous  phrase,  coined  to'meet 
a  want  on  the  Pacific  Coast  of  a  word  to  express  the 
condition  of  a  community  surcharged  with  hope, 
excitement  and  activity.  A  panic  is  the  opposite 
term;  in  u  panic  there  is  no  hope,  no  action,  but  a 
giving  up,  a  despair,  a  moral,  physical,  and  intellect- 
ual death.  In  one  case  every  one  sees  just  ahead 
untold  wealth,  with  its  accompaniments  of  ease, 
honor,  and  luxurious  homes.  When  a  rich  mine  is 
discovered  and  there  seems  a  reasonable  prospect  of 
sharing  in  the  profits,  of  bettering  one's  condition,  of 
getting  out  of  the  terrible  soul-killing  rut  of  poverty, 
who  can  help  becoming  excited.  The  excitement  gains 
constantly;  one  man  communicates  it  to  another,  and 
in  a  little  while  every  one  is  anxious  to  get  feet.  It 
goes  up  from  day  to  day.  Reports,  manufactured 
for  the  market,  come  in  one  after  another,  confirm- 
ing the  most  extravagant  previous  statements,  and 
adding  others  equally  exaggerated,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  wisest  and  coolest  lose  their  heads,  fall  into 
the  stream  and  add  strength  to  the  current.  A  his- 
tory of  the  mines  without  an  account  of  the  mining 
excitements,  would  be  very  deficient  and  lame. 
Every  new  discovery  produces  a  corresponding 
excitement,  but  the  discovery  of  the  great  bonanza 
in  1873,  as  well  as  the  panic  which  followed  the  reac- 
tion, completely  overshadowed  all  previous  booms 
and  panics.  The  discovery  is  said  to  have  been 
made  in  1874,  but  it  was,  in  fact,  a  gradual  matter 
occurring  during  the  years  1873-74. 

The  California  and  Consolidated  Virginia  had  been 
barren  for  several  hundred  feet  above  the  1,000- 
foot  level;  the  owners,  or  principal  ones,  J.  W. 
Mackay,  James  G.  Fair,  James  C.  Flood,  and  Will- 
iam S.  O'Brien,  being  induced  to  sink  by  the  pres- 


ence of  large  ore  bodies  in  the  Ophir,  and  Gould  & 
Curry,  in  neighboring  ground.  During  1872,  assess- 
ments, aggregating  8212,400,  had  been  made,  and 
the  stock  varied  greatly  as  the  ])rospects  for  striking 
ore  became  bright  or  dark,  varying  from  827.00  in 
January,  to  8200  in  June,  and  887.00  in  December, 
the  shares  at  this  time  being  23,000;  the  minimum 
value  being  8637,200,  the  maximum,  84,720,000. 
(Consolidated  Virginia  is  spoken  of  here.)  At  the 
beginning  of  1873  the  shaft  was  down  000  feet  with- 
out striking  anything  of  importance.  A  drift  which 
had  been  started  north  from  the  Gould  &  Curry  on 
the  l,lG7-foot  level,  to  explore  the  Consolidated 
Virginia,  had  been  carried  outside  of  the  lode,  but 
had  stringers  of  quartz  on  the  way,  which  indicated 
an  ore  body;  and  when  it  reached  the  ground  of 
the  latter  company  it  was  in  fair  milling  ore.  On 
crosscutting,  the  stratum  proved  to  be  fifteen  feet 
thick.  This,  of  course,  placed  the  mine  on  a  good 
foundation.  This  strike  was  about  eighty  feet  north 
of  the  Best  &  Belcher  claims,  ajid  was,  in  fact, 
the  extreme  south  end  and  upper  part  of  the  great 
body  of  the  bonanza,  which  proved  to  be  of  similar 
shape  to  a  double  convex,  or,  perhaps,  plano-convex 
lens.  Owing  to  the  heat,  the  crosscutting  on  the 
Gould  &  Curry  drift  was  suspended  until  con- 
nection could  be  made  with  the  main  shaft,  which 
was  being  put  down  at  the  rate  of  three  feet  per 
day. 

In  July,  1873,  a  stream  of  hot  water  was  encoun- 
tered in  the  drift,  bringing  in  so  much  sand  and 
water  that  work  had  to  bo  suspended,  leaving  the 
shaft  only  to  bo  prosecuted,  which,  in  August,  had 
reached  a  depth  of  1,100  feet,  nearly  on  a  level  with 
the  Gould  &  Curry  drift.  Pumps  were  put  in 
position,  and  drifting  out  of  ore  vigorously  com- 
menced. By  the  end  of  the  month  the  ore  breasts 
at  the  shaft  showed  a  width  of  forty  feet.  The  out- 
put of  ore  was  increased  to  200  tons  per  day,  and 
a  manifest  improvement  took  place  in  the  ore,  which 
now  milled  forty  dollars  per  ton.  It  was  now  found 
that  the  width  of  the  vein  at  the  depth  of  1.1G7  feet 
was  nearly  400  feet,  and  the  depth  was  known  to 
bo  200.  The  shipments  of  bullion  had  now  grown 
to  a  quarter  of  a  million  a  month.  This  account  is 
thus  given  minutely  to  show  that  the  discover}'  of 
the  bonanza  was  no  sudden  thing  to  startle  people, 
but  a  matter  of  regular  development. 

In  October,  of  1873,  the  Trustees  of  the  company 
increased  their  capital  stock  to  810,800,000,  repre- 
sented by  108,000  shares  at  $100  each,  which  sold  in 
the  market  at  considerable  less  than  par.  So  far  the 
California  had  no  existence,  or  was  included  in  the 
first  incorporation  but  it  now  was  separated  and 
incorporated  as  the  California,  being  composed  oCthe 
original  California,  ("entral  (No.  1  and  2)  and  the 
Kinney  Claim,  amounting  to  600  feet,  the  shares 
being  made  to  correspond  with  the  Consolidated  Vir- 
ginia. May  11,  1874,  the  company  declared  their 
first  dividend,  three  dollars  to  the  share,  or  $324,000. 


618 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  llio  ineaiitiinc  iLc  drill  Ijeforu  referred  to  from 
the  Gould  it  Currj-,  waf>  carried  north  through  the 
California  ground  and  connected  with  the  Ophir,  the 
drifts  from  the  shaft  at  the  1,300  and  1.40n-foot 
levels  all  being  extended  north  through  it,  also  thus 
proving  the  extension  of  the  bonanza  north  at  the 
respective  levels  of  1,167,  1,300  and  1,400  feet,  the 
shaft  also  being  sunk  to  the  depth  of  1,500  feet.  The 
daily  output  of  ore  was  now  400  tons,  still  the  dix- 
covery  was  not  yet  made.  It  was  now  known  that 
the  ore  was  increasing  in  value  as  the  depth  in- 
creased. It  was  also  found  to  spread  out,  and  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1S74  a  systematic  eftbrt  was  made 
to  ascertain  the  extent  and  value  of  the  ore  by  run- 
ning through  it  vertically  and  horizontally  every 
100  feet,  literally  cutting  it  into  cubical  blocks  of  100- 
foot  sides.  During  the  summer  the  stock  had  fluctu- 
ated in  the  markets  from  885  to  8110,  (par  value 
$100)  but  on  the  completion  of  this  crosscutting  the 
boom  commenced  and  they  went  up  to  8580,  The 
development  of  the  mine  has  been  carefully  described 
in  order  to  more  fully  understand  the  unparalleled 
excitement  that  followed.  It  has  been  mentioned 
that  the  ore  had  continually  become  richer  down  to 
the  1,500-foot  level.  It  is  now  time  to  introduce  the 
boom.  A  Virginia  paper  now  comes  out  with  double 
beads  in  caps: — 

HEART  OF  THE  COMSTOCK  ! 

A  MASS  OF  SULPHURET  AND  CHLORIDE  ORES  !  ! — CRYS- 
TALIZED  ORES  THAT  ARE  ALMOST  PURE  SILVER  !  !  ! 
SHINING   LIKE   A   CASKET   OF   BLACK    DIAMONDS. 

In   referring  to   the  lowest  cross-cut,  the   paper 

said: — 

This  is  the  cross-cut  in  which  is  found  the  richest 
ore  yet  discovered  in  the  mine — which  has  astonished 
all  the  exi)ert8.  It  has  been  bored  into  the  bonanza 
through  a  mass  of  chloride  and  sulphuret  ores 
which  excites  the  imagination  of  all  beholders. 
It  is  now  in  205  feet,  ninetj'-five  feet  of  which  is  in 
the  extraordinary  rich  ore  of  which  so  much  has 
been  heard.  It  was  in  this  cross-cut  that  was 
encountered,  a  daj'  or  two  since,  the  stephanite,  a 
species  of  crystallized  ore  that  is  almost  pure  silver. 
At  the  distance  of  180  feet  in  on  this  cross-cut,  a 
chamber  of  about  ten  feet  square  has  been  excavated. 
Its  walls  on  every  side  are  a  mass  of  the  finest  chlor- 
ide ore,  filled  with  streaks  and  bunches  of  the  richest 
black  Kuli)hurets.  In  the  roof,  towards  the  north 
side,  is  to  bo  seen  a  quantity  of  stephanite,  shining 
like  a  whole  casket  of  black  diamonds.  It  looks  as 
if  the  whole  mass  grow  richer  with  ever  foot  of 
advance. 

Speaking   of  the  next  cross-cut  south,  the  paper 

Bays: — 

This  cross-cut  is  in  290  feet,  255  of  which  is  in  ore 
of  the  finest  quality.  Its  face  is  in  ore  of  the  same 
kind  as  already  passed  through;  no  signs  of  a  wall 
or  of  an  end  of  ore. 

Ores  of  this  kind  is  known  to  assay  up  into  the 
thousands,  but  it  would  seem  impossible  that  such 
large  masses  of  silver  should  be  depo.sited  or  even 
created.     It  never  was  known;  so  the  writer  ^teps 


down  to  apparently  very  moderate  estimates.  By 
strong  effort  he  brings  the  supposed  estimate  down 
to  8100  per  ton,  although  it  is  apparent  to  thereader 
that  81,000  is  little  enough.  He  also  reduces  the 
size  of  the  deposit  about  one-half. 

Cutting  off  such  a  slice,  we  find  it  to  be  one  foot 
thick,  220  feet  wide  and  300  feet  long.  In  this  slice, 
then,  are  GO, 000  cubic  feet,  which,  thirteen  feet  to 
the  ton,  gives  a  trifle  over  5,076  tons,  which,  at  8100 
per  ton,  amounts  to  8507,600  as  the  value  of  one 
slice  cut  off  of  but  three  levels  and  cut  down  every 
way  we  can  think  of  Should  we  begin  at  cross-cut 
No.  3  and  continue  to  cut  oft'  slices  of  the  same  size 
till  we  reach  the  California  line  we  should  find  the 
value  of  all  our  slices  to  be  8116,748,000.  That  the 
average  value  of  this  deposit  may  be  safely  placed 
at  8200  per  ton  will  hardly  be  doubted;  therefore  the 
above  figures  must  be  doubled  to  give  the  value  of 
our  slices.  This  estimate  leaves  entirely  out  of  the 
count  the  two  levels  above,  also  all  that  may  be  in 
the  mine  below,  and  is  indeed  but  a  small  section 
taken  out  of  the  mine  of  a  convenient  size  for 
handling. 

Phillip  Deidesheimer,  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
reliable  mining  engineers  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  exam - 
imed  the  mine  as  far  as  explored,  and  reported  as 
follows: — 

I  went  through  the  California  and  Consolidated 
Virginia,  and  inspected  them  thoroughly,  1  think 
the  bonanza  extends  so  far  as  is  developed,  350  feet 
through  Consolidateii  Virginia,  through  the  Califor- 
nia, which  would  be  a  total  distance  of  !'50  feet,  and 
perhaps  into  the  Ophir,  My  former  calculations 
showed  that  the  bonanzas  were  600  feet  in  depth. 
The  explorations  have  been  carried  142  feet  deeper 
since  mj^  last  visit,  and  the  ore  was  the  same.  The 
explorations  upward  have  shown  ore  100  feet  above, 
and  ore  has  been  struck  still  100  feet  above  that. 
This  gives  a  total  increase  of  the  developed  height  of 
the  ore  bodj-  of  342  feet,  or  542  feet  in  the  aggregate, 
and  the  progress  is  still  through  ore  of  e(|ual  richness. 
The  probability  is  that  the  width  will  exceed  my 
originial  calculations.  The  winze  that  was  sunk  a 
few  feet  from  the  line  of  the  California  in  Consoli- 
dated Virginia  is  142  feet  below  the  l,5((0-foot  level, 
and  passing  through  very  rich  ore.  C'ross-cut,  No.  2, 
which  is  114  feet  south  of  the  California  line,  on  the 
1,500-foot  level,  is  now  31(1  feet  in  ore,  and  no  wall 
yet.  The  cross-cut  from  the  1.550-1'oot  level,  shows 
ore  running  up  to  the  tens  of  thousands,  with  every 
indication  of  continuance.  The  winze  ninety-two  feet 
below  the  l,55()fbot  level  is  in  very  high  grade  ore, 
averaging,  I  should  think,  from  81,000  to  81,500  per 
ton. 

I  assert  that  there  is  already  to  be  shown  in  the 
two  mines,  California  and  Consolidated  Virginia, 
81,500,0(10,0(10  of  ore.  1  make  this  assertion  and 
am  willing  to  stand  by  it.  I  think  it  will  be  ])erfectly 
safe  to  say  that  the  ore  will  average  82110  per  ton. 
I  have  examined  drifts,  l.")(lfeet  in  ore  that  averaged, 
ton  ]ier  ton  as  it  was  taken  out,  820(1  per  ton.  I 
have  examined  di-ifts  15(1  feet  in  ore  that  averaged, 
ton  per  ton  as  it  was  taken  out,  8500.  1  should  say 
that  Consolidated  Virginia  and  California  are  worth 
at  least  85,(100  i)er  share;  that  is,  I  have  no  doubt 
but  that  amount  will  be  paid  out  in  dividends,  I 
have  been  mining  twenty-four  years,  or  most  of  my 
life-time,     I  am  very  careful  about  my  statements. 

The  Superintendent  of  both  mines,  James  Of.  Fair, 


1 


TTTSTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


619 


confirmed  these  statements  in  his  annual  report  made 
December  31,  1874.  Other  statements  in  addition, 
that  the  ground  to  the  south  was  entirely  unexplored ; 
that  none  of  the  cross-cuts  have  yet  reached  the 
eastern  boundary;  that  a  double  winze  had  been 
sunk  from  the  l,r)r)0-foot  level,  147  feet,  passing 
through  rich  ore,  and  the  bottom  is  now  in  ore  of 
equal  value  to  any  j-et  found,  still  left  room  for  the 
wildest  expectations  with  regard  to  the  possible 
wealth  of  the  new  discovery. 

The  discovery-  of  such  a  vast  bodj-  of  silver  ore  was 
justly  deemed  of  national  importance  and  11.  H.  Lin- 
derman.  Director  of  the  mint,  with  Prof  R.  E.  Rogers 
wore  caused  to  make  an  official  examination.  They 
confirmed  to  a  great  extent,  the  reports  of  previous 
examinations;  the  less  e-stimates,  when  they  are  less, 
were  considered  as  only  modest  depreciations, 
lest  the  public  should  decline  to  credit  their  reports. 
No  mining  boom  or  excitement  ever  had  such  good 
foundation.  But  one  man  saw  the  gold  gravel 
lying  in  illimitable  quantities  in  Gold  Lake.  One 
man  only  had  seen  Greenwood  Valley,  where  gold 
could  be  picked  up  by  the  bushel.  Gold  Bluff's,  Fra- 
zer  River,  Kern  River,  and  the  Cariboo  Mines  all  had 
but  a  thousandth  part  of  the  foundation  that  the  big 
bonanza  hnd,  but  they  stirred  California  to  the  foun- 
dation. On  each  occasion  it  seemed  as  if  the  cities 
were  going  to  be  depopulated;  but  there  was  no 
room  for  doubt  here — 81,500,000,000,  certainly,  with 
a  probability  of  twice  as  much  and  a  possibility  of 

,  there  was    but    one  doubt,  one  question. 

Would  not  silver  depreciate  so  as  to  render  it  unfit 
for  a  circulating  medium  ?  That  a  general  fear  that 
this  was  imminent  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  several  of 
the  large  commercial  powers  demonetized  silver. 
But  logic  was  very  accommodating,  and  political 
economists  soon  proved  that  a  vast  stream  of  silver 
had  always  flowed  to  the  eastern  nations,  a  quantitj- 
amounting  to  millic^is  every  year,  none  of  which 
ever  returned;  that  a  plethora  of  silver  was  impos- 
sible, and  the  •'  boom  ''  continued.  Xever  did  such 
a  demoralization  occur  to  a  community.  Bankers, 
whose  hair  had  grown  graj-  in  watching  the  ups  and 
downs  of  a  market,  money  lenders,  who  never 
advanced  a  cent  without  double  security  and  quad- 
ruple interest,  retired  capitalists,  who  had  salted 
their  money  down  in  United  States  Bonds  for  old 
age,  manufacturers,  merchants  and  their  clerks, 
farmers  and  their  harvest  men,  mechanics  and  their 
apprentices,  wives  and  widows,  mothers  and  daugh- 
ters, mistress  and  servant,  all,  ])Oured  in  their  orders 
for  stocks.  A  husband  parting  from  his  wife,  a  lover 
from  his  mistress,  gave  a  share  or  two  of  Consolidated 
Virginia  or  California  as  a  happy  reminder  of  his 
affection.  Three  stock  boards  in  San  Francisco  could 
scarce  transact  the  business  of  buying  and  selling 
that  grew  out  of  it.  In  Virginia  Citj*  the  excitement 
was  not  less  intense.  The  finest  building  on  the  coast 
was  erected  for  one  of  the  boards  of  brokers.  Capi- 
tal   was  withdrawn  from  every  legitimate  business 


to  invest  in  stocks.  Real  estate  was  mortgaged  to 
the  last  cent  at  ruinous  rates,  to  purchase  stocks  on 
a  margin.  Men  borrowed  money,  time  and  again, 
agreeing  to  double  it  for  its  use  a  short  time.  The 
shares,  108,000  in  each  company,  went  up  to  five  or 
six  hundred  each,  and  the  dividends  of  each  of  the 
mines  wore  over  a  million  a  month  for  sixteen 
months.  If  such  an  excitement  never  was  seen, 
neither  were  such  mines.  Shares  went  up  all  along 
the  Comstock,  all  of  them  sharply  advancing,  and 
some  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  bonanza  mines. 
Flood,  Mackaj-,  O'Brien,  and  Fair  were  credited 
with  owning  three-fourths  of  the  shares  in  the 
respective  companies,  and  they  would  of  course  sell 
— when  they  could  get  twice  or  thrice  as  much  as 
their  stock  was  worth.  Who  would  not?  And  so 
they  supplied  the  demand.  To  give  all  a  better 
chance  to  buj-,  the  shares  were  increased  five  for  one, 
making  r)40,00()  for  each  company,  the  California  in 
February,  1875,  and  the  Consolidated  Virginia  a 
year  later. 

The  reaction  came  at  last.  No  community  could 
stand  such  a  fever  long.  Somebody  must  work,  or 
the  people^vvill  starve.  In  January,  1875,  the  Cali- 
fornia touched  S780,  and  the  Consolidated  Virginia 
§700.  From  that  point  it  fell  away  in  s]>itc  of  the 
constant  dividends.  It  was  known  to  be  manipulated 
by  a  few  men  who  could  stop  dividends,  stop  work, 
flood  it  with  water,  or  otherwise  impair  the  value  of 
the  stock  at  their  will.  The  great  fire  of  October, 
when  Virginia  Cit}'  was  destroyed,  sent  the  stock 
down  to  8210.  Dividends  were  paid  as  usual,  though 
the  surface  works  and  much  of  the  shaft  was 
destroyed,  out  of  the  reserved  funds. 

From  that  date  to  this  there  has  been  a  general 
decline  in  the  value  of  mining  stocks  on  the  Com- 
stock Lode,  and  though  an  occasional  flutter  occurs 
in  prices,  the  thousands  who  invested  their  hard 
earnings  in  the  certificates  of  shares,  turn  away 
heart-sick  as  the  prices  recede  daj-  by  day.  Those 
who  built  fine  residences  costing  800,000  to  a  8100, (M.'O; 
those  who  built  modest  cottages;  those  who  thought 
to  lift  themselves  above  the  drudgeries  of  dailj- 
labor,  have  been  disappointed  and  obliged  to  sur- 
render all. 

There  is.  of  course,  much  bitter  feeling  existing 
toward  the  Bonanza  Kirm  who  sold  Iho  stocks  at 
these  rates.  Books  have  been  published  charging 
fraud  and  corruption,  but  in  looking  over  the  history 
of  the  mines  the  record  of  the  Great  Honanza  docs 
not  show  more  sharp  dealing,  more  sales  at  boom 
rates,  than  most  men,  especially  stock-brokers,  would 
willingly  make  for  the  resulting  profits. 

KLL'rTi;.\TIoNS    OK   .STOCKS. 

This  history  is  not  intended  to  be  a  record  of 
stock  transactions.  The  reader  if  not  satisfied  with 
general  results,  will  have  to  consult  the  voluminous 
records  of  the  half-dozen  stock  exchanges  which 
transacted  the  immense  business  pertaining  to  th;- 
mines.     The  list  of  prices  for   1875  and   1880  show 


620 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


1 


tho  great  fluctuation  of  stocks  incident  to  a  discov- 
ery of  a  bonanza  in  any  of  them: — 

Jan.,  1875.     Val.  Feb.,  1880. 

$   299,000 8  110,000 

2,100,000 500,000 

9,500,000 850,000 

8,508,000 516,600 

31,752,000 504,000 

84,240,000 675,000 

75,600,000 1,026,000 

9,612,000 680,400 

7,776,000 270,000 

20,280,000 89,600 

8,848,000 324,000 

20,280,000 369,000 

6,000,000 165,000 

42,500,000 110,000 

1,350,000. 87,000 

11,500,000 25,000 

875,000 25,000 

1,622,640 56,160 

20.880.000 186,000 


Name.  Val.  in 

Utah .- 

Sierra  Nevada 

Union  Consolidated 

Mexican    -  - 

Ophir 

California 

Consolidated  Virginia.. 

Best  &  Belcher 

Gould  &  Curry 

vSavage 

Hale  &  Norcross 

Chollar-Potosi 

Bullion 

E.xcheiiuer 

Alpha. 

Consolidated  Imperial.. 

Challenge 

Confidence 

Yellow  Jacket 

Kentuck 

Crown  Point 

Belcher 

Segregated  Belcher 

Overman 

Caledonia 


780,000. 
4,750,000. 
5,980,000. 
1,056,000. 
11,404,800. 
5,700,000. 


37,500 
100.000 
83,200 
25,600 
69,120 
20,000 


§393,253,440  $6,905,580 

It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  most  of  these 
values  were  purely  speculative.  When  one  stock 
took  a  rise,  all  the  rest  sympathized.  The  thermom- 
eter of  values  was  in  the  public  and  not  in  the 
mines.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  January,  1874, 
saw  the  highest  point  of  the  mass  of  values.  There 
were  other  prominent  periods  in  values.  In  1868  the 
Yellow  Jacket  sold  at  81,750  per  foot;  the  Hale  & 
Norcross,  87,100;  Crown  Point,  82,350.  These  high 
rates  were  followed  bj^  depressions.  A  new  discov- 
ery ^^ould  send  them  up.  The  last  grand  rally  was 
made  in  1878,  when  the  Sierra  Nevada  went  from 
$5.25  in  July,  to  8260  in  October. 

Long  since,  stock  speculators  have  been  governed 
more  by  the  temper  of  the  public  than  the  prospects 
of  tho  mines.  The  question  is  not  whether  the  mine 
is  a  safe  investment,  but  whether  the  market  is  rising 
or  falling.  It  is  not  strange  that  fortunes  wore  made 
by  a  few  when  the  public  were  so  ready  to  buy  at 
any  rates. 

WILLIA.M    .MOONEY 

Is  a  native  of  Ireland;  was  born  in  January,  1838. 
Came  to  the  United  States  when  but  four  j-ears  of 
age,  and  located  at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  where  he 
remained  until  he  reached  tho  age  of  twenty  years. 
The  education  hi;  received  in  the  "  land  of  wooden 
nutmegs,"  was  of  service  to  him  in  after  life.  In 
1850  ho  came  to  San  Francisco,  California,  but  did 
not  stay  there  any  length  of  time,  going  direct  to 
-Marysville,  Yuba  County,  where  ho  was  extensively 
engaged  in  tho  cattle  business,  until  1860,  when  be 
was  almost  ruined  by  the  rising  of  the  rivers  to  such 
a  degree  that  his  pro])erty  was  swept  away.  At 
this  time  he  called  to  his  aid  his  native  pluck  and 


energy,  that  has  been  characteristic  with  him  all 
through  his  eventful  life,  and  struck  out  for  new 
fields,  wherein  to  glean  another  harvest.  Among 
the  early  pioneers  we  find  him  treading  the  soil  of 
Nevada,  in  the  year  1860.  From  Virginia  City  he 
went  to  Humboldt,  but  returned  in  1861,  and  accepted 
a  position  in  a  livery  stable,  where  he  worked  by 
the  month  until,  in  1862,  he  opened  a  stable  of  bis 
own,  on  the  same  spot  where  he  may  bo  found 
to-day,  one  of  the  most  prominent  livery  men  in  tho 
State.  Mr.  Mooney  was  married  in  Washoe  City, 
May  1,  1867,  to  Miss  Emma  Smith,  of  Pleasant 
Valley.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children,  two  boj-s  and  one  girl. 

ACCIDENTS    IN    THE    MINES. 

Mining,  by  general  consent,  is  conceded  to  be  a 
dangerous  occupation.  The  utmost  care  on  the  part 
of  Superintendents  can  not  avert  all  danger.  The 
great  depth,  the  eternal  darkness,  dispelled  only  by 
the  feeble  light  of  a  tallow  candle;  the  giving  away 
and  crushing  of  the  timbers  in  some  of  tho  numerous 
chutes  and  drifts,  precipitating  rock  or  dirt  down 
upon  the  miner  hundreds  of  feet  below;  the  genera- 
tion of  poisonous  or  explosive  gases;  the  danger 
from  floods  of  water,  which  may  come  at  any  time 
with  overwhelming  ra])idity:  and  last,  but  not  least, 
fire,  all  combine  to  make  deep  mining  one  of  tho 
most  dangerous  avocations  which  can  be  followed. 
To  add  to  the  unavoidable  dangers,  tho  minors, 
braving  death  in  so  many  forms,  become  reckless, 
seemingly  balancing  themselves  on  the  brink  of 
destruction,  with  little  care  which  way  they  fall. 
Let  one  unused  to  mining  stand  at  tho  mouth  of 
a  deep  shaft  that  goes  2,000  feet  or  more  down  into 
the  earth,  and  see  the  men  scuffling  for  places  on 
tho  tub  or  cage;  see  them  clinging  on  the  outside, 
where  the  slightest  indiscretion  will  precipitate  them 
against  jagged  rocks  1,000  feet  below,  or  subject 
them  to  the  danger  of  having  *n  arm  or  head  torn 
off  against  tho  timbers  of  the  shaft  while  descend- 
ing in  the  bucket,  and  the  wonder  is  that  more  are 
not  killed.  It  has  been  said  that  the  deaths  from 
accident  in  the  Comstock  mines  average  one  a  month. 
Sometimes  there  are  none  for  weeks,  then  they  may 
succeed  each  other  with  startling  rapidity;  but  the 
generality  of  them  have  so  accustomed  themselves 
to  see  a  man  brought  out  of  the  shafts  maimed, 
limp,  and  lifeless,  or  torn  in  pieces,  that,  beyond  a 
passing  remark,  it  excites  no  comment,  being  regarded 
as  a  thing  of  course. 

THE   YELLOW   JACKET    DISASTER, 

\Vhich  occurred  April  7.  1809,  was  so  fatal  in  its 
mortality  that  the  date  has  been  reckoned  as  tho 
black  day.  The  fire  started  in  the  8U0-foot  level 
about  seven  a.  .m.,  and  was  doubtless  caused  by  some 
one  of  the  retiring  night-shifl  leaving  a  candle 
among  tho  dry  and  almost  half-charred  timbers 
which  have  taken  the  place  of  tho  ores  extracted  at 
that  depth.  A  ])art  of  the  day's  shift  had  been  low- 
ered   into    the  Yellow    Jacket,    Crown    Point,  and 


♦-»«- 


1 


HISTORY  OF  STOREY  COUNTY. 


621 


Kentuck  before  the  flames  burst  oat.  When  the 
peril  was  discovered  the  fire  alarm  was  sounded, 
and  the  fire  companies  of  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia 
City  responded  with  alacritj'.  Simultaneously  with 
the  fire  alarm  the  smoke,  thick  and  dark,  was  seen 
coming  up  from  the  shaft,  and  then  it  was  known 
through  both  towns  that  men  were  being  burned 
in  the  mines,  or  smothered  by  the  noxious  gases. 
Many  of  the  miners  who  were  perishing  below  bad 
wives  and  children  in  the  town.  These,  with  others, 
came  to  the  works.  When  they  saw  the  hopeless 
situation  they  had  to  be  restrained  from  throwing 
themselves  into  the  burning  pit,  for  the  instinctive 
thought  of  woman  is,  that  ''if  1  were  only  there  I 
could  do  something  for  them."  The  fire  companies 
could  do  but  little  towards  starving  the  fire,  and  but 
a  few  were  got  out  alive,  and  these  by  retreating 
into  the  adjoining  mines.  Some  were  suffocated 
while  flying  along  the  lower  galleries;  some  made 
their  way  to  the  shafts  onlv  to  fall  into  the  devour- 
ing flames.  The  sulphurous  vapors  generated  bj- 
the  fierce  fire  against  the  mineral  rocks  filled  the 
lower  levels,  and  rendered  it  almost  impossible  to 
recover  the  bodies  even.  During  that  and  the  fol- 
lowing day  twenty-three  bodies  had  been  recovered. 
On  the  000- foot  level  of  the  Crown  Point,  nine  men 
were  found  in  one  heap.  Thej-  had  attempted  to 
unjoint  an  air  pipe  to  get  fresh  air.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  tenth  it  became  certain  that  no  more  per- 
sons could  possibly  remain  alive,  and  shafts  were 
closed  up,  and  steam  turned  through  the  ventilators. 
The  fire  burned  in  some  portion  of  the  mine  for 
three  3'ears.  Several  bodies  not  recovered  vverc  sup- 
posed to  have  been  destroyed  by  the  fire  which 
burned  in  the  closcd-up  galleries. 

Thirty-six  persons  were  destroyed,  the  bodies  of 
twenty -seven  being  recovered  and  identified: — 

J.  McLellan,  Richard  Bickle,  John  Ilogan,  John 
Hallisey,  George  Tompkins,  James  Peters,  Patrick 
Quinn,  Patrick  Buckley,  John  Rowen,  John  Bickle, 
Joseph  Mathews,  Anthony  Toy,  Peter  Blowin,  Thos. 
McCo}-,  Patrick  Ilogan,  Archie  McDougal,  A.  G. 
Grant,  William  Mitchell,  William  Jewell,  Edward 
Jewell,  Jeremie  Chennette,  Thos.  McCallum,  Johna- 
than  Jones,  Harry  Stevens,  Thomas  Toland,  Matt. 
Tooney,  and  Michael  MeCormido. 

September  19,  1873,  another  fire  occurred  in  the 
Yellow  Jacket  Mine,  caused  by  sparks  from  a  forge. 
Several  explosions  occurred,  killing  four  men,  and 
wounding  about  a  dozen  more.  The  Kentuck, 
Crown  Point,  and  Belcher,  being  connected  with 
the  Yellow  Jacket,  were  more  or  less  injured. 

Names  of  killed:  W.  S.  Broadwater,  James  Nilcs, 
Thomas  Cusic,  and  James  Waters.  May  2,  1874, 
owing  to  the  bad  working  of  the  cage,  Cornelius 
McCarty  and  Richard  Pierce  were  fatally  injured, 
and  several  others  severely. 

CHARLES   ZIEOLEU 

Was  born  in  the  town  of  Lagenzelza,  Germany,  in 
the  year  1831.     He  was   the   youngest  son  of  five 
78 


PHOTO  av  JOHN  S  NOe.  VIRQINIA.   NEV 


Chas. 


Ziegler 


children,  and  resided  with  his  parents  in  various 
parts  of  Germany  until  he  reached  his  eighteenth 
year,  at  which  time  he  left  his  home  and  the  friends 
of  his  youth,  and  came  to  America,  on  the  ship 
Xhxanihr  /.,  arriving  in  New  York  Citj-  June  30, 
1S49;  from  thence  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
and  engaged  in  the  butcher  business,  following  that 
trade  for  about  one  5'ear,  when  he  was  compelled  to 
seek  out-door  employment  on  account  of  bis  health, 
and  for  two  years  was  a  farmer.  In  1852  he  started 
for  California,  but  upon  reaching  a  point  in  Iowa,  he 
changed  his  plans  and  remained  in  that  State  about 
four  months.  During  the  next  two  years  he  traveled 
through  the  Southern  Slates,  working  at  his  trade 
in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  Natchez,  Mississippi, 
Louisville,  Kentuckj-,  and  several  other  places, 
remaining  but  a  short  lime  in  a  place.  In  1855  wo 
find  him  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  working  as  a  journeyman 
at  the  same  old  business.  In  September,  1S56,  he 
was  married  to  .Miss  Mary  Murray-,  and  settled  down 
in  business  for  himself,  and  for  eight  years  was  very 
successful  in  the  butcher  business,  also  had  a  meat- 
market  and  store.  In  May,  1864,  he  started  for 
California  once  more,  accompanied  by  his  family 
and  a  splendid  outfit  worth  810,000.  During  the  long 
and  tedious  trip  acro.ss  the  ))lains  he  sufl'ored  lieavj- 
losses,  and  when  ho  reached  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains  ho  decided  to  go  to  Virginia  City,  Nevada, 
instead  of  ("alifornia,  and  arrived  at  his  present 
place  of  residence  October  10,  1804.  Although  he 
had  witnessed  the  disappearance  of  his  hard-earned 
property  while  on  his  trip,  his  energy,  pluck  and 
perseverance  soon  placed  him  on  a  firm  footing,  and 


G22 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


i/ 


he  is  to-day  one  of- the  most  prosperous  and  inde- 
pendent business  men  of  Virginia  City,  conducting 
two  butcher  shops  and  a  general  market.  He  is  in 
every  respect  a  self-made  man,  and  rejoices  in  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens;  is 
the  father  of  six  children,  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  who,  in  connection  with  his  estimable 
wife,  comprise  his  family. 

ANECDOTE   OP    "  SANDY"    BOWERS. 

In  the  history  of  the  Comstock  Lode  a  thousand 
anecdotes  could  be  related,  tragic,  pathetic  and  comic. 
Partaking  of  the  two  latter  classes  is  the  following 
of  Sandy  Bowers,  of  whom  some  particulars  are 
related  in  Chapter  Yl. 

Lemuel  S.  Bowers,  commonly  known  as  "  Sandy," 
was  an  ignorant,  easy-going  frontiersman,  happen- 
ing, in  1859,  to  be  mining  for  gold  in  Gold  Cafion  by 
the  simple  process  of  washing  the  mineral-bearing 
earth  in  a  rocker,  and  as  developments  continued 
found  that  his  claim  of  ten  feet  covered  a  portion  of 
the  Comstock  Lode.  Adjoining  was  a  claim  of  the 
same  dimensions  belonging  to  Mrs.  Cowan,  who  also 
resided  in  the  canon  and  was  washing  and  cooking 
for  the  miners.  The  two  married,  and  the  claims 
became  one,  proving  of  extraordinary  richness.  In 
a  few  years  they  were  overwhelmed  witli  wealth. 
Too  ignorant  of  business,  they  knew  nothing  of  pru- 
dent or  cautious  investments,  and  became  the  tools  of 
harpies.  The  now  wealthy  couple  were  advised — as 
a  good  joke — to  take  a  tour  through  Europe  to  sec 
the  sights  and  become  polished  in  accordance  with 
the  station  they  were  in  the  future  to  occupy.  They 
were  also  advised  to  build  a  palace  worthy  such  a 
party  to  reside  in.  Accordingly  in  1801  the  "Bowers 
Mansion "  was  commenced  in  the  wilderness  of 
Washoe  Valley.  Before  leaving  for  Europe  Sandy 
was  told  that  the  proper  thing  to  do  was  to  give  a 
banquet.  "  Banquet  goes,"  said  Sandj-,  and  the 
International  Hotel  of  Virginia  City  was  engaged'for 
the  occasion.  Every  obtainable  luxury  was  ordered 
which  Virginia  or  San  Francisco  could  furnish. 
Champagne  was  to  be  as  free  as  water  in  a  spring 
flood.  Everybody  was'invited.  Toasts  were  drank 
and  in  response  to  "Our  host,"  Mr.  Bowers  was 
called  upon  to  reply.  He  arose  and  delivered  the 
following  characteristic  speech. 

"I've  been  in  this  yer  country  amongst  the  fust 
that  come  here.  I've  had  powerful  good  luck,  and 
I've  got  money  to  throw  at  the  birds.  Thar  ain't  no 
chance  for  a  gentleman  to  spend  his  coin  in  this 
country,  and  thar  ain't  nothin'  much  to  see,  so  me 
and  Mrs.  Bowers  is  agoin'  to  Yoorop  to  take  in  the 
sights.  One  of  the  great  men  of  this  countrj^  was 
in  this  region  a  while  back.  That  was  Horace 
Greeley.  I  saw  him  and  he  didn't  look  like  no  great 
shakes.  Outside  of  him  the  only  great  men  I've  seen 
in  this  country  is  Governor  Nye  and  Old  Winne- 
mucca.  Now  mo  and  Mrs.  Bowers  is  goin'  to 
Yoorop  to  see  the  Queen  of  England  and  the  other 


great  men  of  them  countries,  and  I  hope  you'll  all 
jine  in  and  drink  Mrs.  Bowers'  health.  Thars 
plenty  of  champagne,  and  monej'  ain't  no  object." 
Sandy  and  his  wife  spent  several  years  abroad, 
purchased  much  elegant  furniture,  laces  and  pictures 
for  his  mansion  in  Washoe,  which  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  over  §400,000,  and  returned,  and  still  had 
"  money  to  throw  at  the  birds;"  the  hawks  and  vul- 
tures, and  other  birds  of  prey  getting  the  greater 
portion.  Without  any  good  missionary  to  instruct, 
or  any  strong  friend  to  advise  and  direct  he  continued 
to  throw  money  at  the  birds  with  the  approval  and 
encouragement  of  flatters,  sycophants  and  robbers, 
and  his  princely  fortune  was  wasted.  His  widow 
earns  a  precarious  livelihood  near  the  scenes  of  her 
former  toils  —and  glory. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 
HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 

Explorations  and  Settlements — Petition  to  the  County  Court — 
John  Twaddle — Andrew  Saner — Abandoned  by  the  Mor- 
mons— Miners  Take  Possession — Organization  and  County 
Seat — Court  House,  .Jail  and  Hospital — Lumber  and  Quartz 
Mills — Removal  of  the  County  Seat — Locatinn  and  Ereetion 
of  Buildings — Poor  Kami  and  Hospital- — Kree  Bridge  Con- 
structed— Financial  and  Political  Condition — .-Yppointments 
and  Elections — W.  A.  Walker — K.  S.  Osburn — Death  I'en- 
alty  Inflicted — .Agricultural  Lands  and  Products — Ervin 
Crane — W.  D.  Harden — A.  A.  Longley — George  Smith, 
Sr.— George  S.  Smith— Granvdle  \V.  HufiTaker— T.  G. 
Herman — Isaac  H.  Ball — Principal  Irrigating  Canals — Reno 
in  its  Early  Days — W.  1{.  Cliamlx-rlain — Henry  Lyman 
Fish — Protection  against  Fire — Property  Destroyeil  by  Fire 
— Infested  by  B.ul  Characters — The  Association  of  "001  " — 
Efforts  to  Incorporate — L.  W.  Lcc — Episcopal  Seminary — 
Mount  St.  Mary's  Academy — Hebrew  Benevolent  Society — 
Principal  Towns  and  Cities — Steamboat  Springs — Jos.'ph 
Frey — .lames  Sullivan. 

ALTHonr.ii  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  Amer- 
ican trappers  that  penetrated  into  this  region  as 
early  as  1832  may  have  traversed  the  country  now 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  this  county,  j-et  there 
is  no  record  of  any  visit  prior  to  that  of  Lieutenant 
Fremont,  on  his  second  exploring  expedition.  He 
came  down  from  Oregon  through  Roop  County,  and, 
on  the  tenth  of  January,  lS4i,  discovered  and  named 
Pj'ramid  Lake,  and  on  the  fifteenth  came  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Truckee  River,  which  he  named 
Salmon  Trout  River.  Following  up  the  stream  to 
the  bend,  ho  left  the  river  and  continued  south  on 
the  seventeenth,  thus  passing  out  of  the  county. 
An  emigrant  parly,  pas.sing  through  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  gave  the  stream  its  present  name,  as  is 
related  in  the  portion  of  this  volume  devoted  to  a 
history  of  the  State. 

Though  not  the  earliest  settled  portion  of  the 
Slate,  still  Washoe  Vallej'  was  known  and  Truckee 
Meadows  were  known  by  the  earliest  emigrants, 
those  that  passed  through  to  California  prior  to  the 
gold  discover}';  subsequent  to  that  event,  thousands 
passed  up  the  valley  orlbllowed  up  the  winding  course 
of  the  beautiful  Truckee,  stoiqiing  for  a  few  days  of 
rest,  and  to    permit   their  jaded   and   half-famished 


4 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


623 


stock  to  recruit  Hpon  the  rich  grass  that  grew  bo 
luxuriantly  along  the  watcr-coursea.  For  the  ten 
years  immediately  succeeding  1849,  no  winter  passed 
but  found  belated  emigrants  encamped  at  the  base 
of  the  Sierra  awaiting  the  opening  of  the  snow- 
blocked  passes  by  the  dissolving  hand  of  spring. 
The  fate  of  the  Donner  party,  and  the  well-known 
hardships  and  perils,  even  unto  death,  encountered 
by  those  who  had  attempted  the  passage  of  the  sum- 
mits after  winter  had  laid  upon  them  his  embargo 
of  snow,  deterred  them  from  making  the  hazardous 
attempt,  and  they  encamped  for  the  season  in  the 
valley.  Snow  fell  in  the  valley  but  seldom  more  than 
to  a  depth  of  from  six  to  twelve  inches,  and  the  rank 
growth  of  grass,  from  two  to  three  feet  high,  was 
always  a  plentiful  supply  of  food  for  the  animals. 
Upon  this  they  feasted  ainl  fattened  until  spring,  when 
they  were  able  to  easily  pull  their  loads  across  the 
intervening  mountains  to  the  goal  their  now  impa- 
tient masters  were  so  eager  to  reach. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  spelling  of  the  name 
of  the  valley  was  ditterent  from  that  in  vogue  at 
present,  and  is,  no  doubt,  the  more  proper;  the  well- 
known  faculty  of  the  heedless  miners  of  corrupting 
foreign  or  un-English  words  into  a  similaritj-  to 
English,  having,  as  soon  as  the  great  influx  of 
strangers  set  in,  changed  Wassau  to  Washoe. 

Passing  bj'  these  transient  sojourners,  it  is  found 
that  no  actual  settlement  was  made  until  1852,  when 
a  man  named  Clark  built  a  little  cabin  in  a  lovely 
spot  near  the  present  site  of  Franktown.  This  was 
just  at  the  base  of  the  mountains  where  a  small 
jutting  ridge,  covered  with  fine  timber,  reached  out 
beyond  the  base  of  the  hills.  To  his  beautiful  jilace 
he  gave  the  name  of  "  The  Garden  of  Eden."  The 
next  year  a  man  afterwards  known  as  Old  Man  Kose, 
who,  as  a  belated  emigrant,  bad  spent  the  previous 
winter  in  the  mouth  of  King's  Canon,  in  Eagle 
Valley,  came  across  the  Divide  and  settled  in  Washoe 
Valley,  on  the  Simons  Place.  He  also  took  uj)  a 
ranch  in  Eagle  Vallej'.  G.  W.  Dodge  and  John 
Campbell,  who  had  been  working  in  the  placer  mines 
of  Gold  Canon,  took  up  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Bowers  Ranch  in  18.")3.  The  place  now  occupied  by 
Theodore  Winters  was  settled  the  same  year  by  a 
German  named  Christopher  West.  Clark  took  his 
departure  that  year,  leaving  but  four  men  in  the 
valley,  Eose,  Dodge,  Campbell  and  West. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  in  the  Truckee 
Meadows  was  made  by  a  Mormon  named  Jamison, 
who  came  up  from  ("arson  Valley  in  1852,  and  estab- 
lished Jamison's  Station,  on  the  Truckee  River,  where 
he  traded  with  the  emigrants,  buj-ing  their  lean  and 
exhausted  stock,  or  trading  good  cattle  for  them. 
The  poor  cattle  which  he  bought  were  quickly  fat- 
tened and  put  in  good  condition  by  the  rich  grass 
that  skirted  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  stream.  Ar- 
riving at  this  station  and  others  established  on  the 
various  routes  of  travel,  footsore  and  weary  from 
their  long  tramp  across  the  alkali  desert,  their  pro- 


visions nearly  exhausted,  their  cattle  jaded  and  use- 
loss  from  overwork  and  lack  of  nourishment,  the 
emigrants  were  able  to  lay  in  provisions  for  the  bal- 
ance of  their  journe)-,  and  to  procure  good  cattle  to 
replace  those  unfitted  for  further  use,  or  whoso  bones 
la)'  whitening  on  the  scorched  sands  of  the  desert. 

In  June,  1854,  the  companj'  of  Mormons,  headed  by 
KIder  Orson  Hyde,  arrived  in  Carson  Valley,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1855,  Alexander  Cowan  and  ■wife, 
now  Mrs.  Sandy  Bowers,  came  to  Washoe  Valley, 
and  purchascJ  the  Bowers  Ranch  of  Dodge  &  Camp- 
bell.   William  Jennings  bought  the  ranch  occupied  by 

(Christopher  West.    Clayton,  Seth  Dustin,  Edwin 

Walker.  John  Hawkins,  and  others,  also  came  to  the 
valley  and  took  up  ranches.  Elder  Hydo  was  pleased 
with  the  location,  and  commenced  the  erection  of  a 
saw-mill  at  Franktown,  as  the  little  center  of  the 
.-•ettlement  was  named.  The  saw-mill  was  comjileted 
that  fall,  and  Elder  Hj-de  started  from  Mormon  Sta- 
tion late  in  October,  with  a  companion  named  Willis 
Lewis,  to  cross  the  mountains  to  Placerville,  Cali- 
I'ornia,  to  procure  machiner)-.  They  were  caught  in 
a  severe  snow-storm,  and  Lewis  declined  to  proceed, 
and  endeavored  to  return.  He  was  never  heard  of 
again,  and  his  bones,  washed  by  the  driving  rains 
and  covered  by  the  drifting  snows,  no  doubt  lie  in 
home  secluded  s])ot  in  the  beautiful  Sierra,  whose 
lowering  peaks  reveal  no*,  the  many  tragedies  they 
have  witnessed.  After  a  desperate  struggle  to  free 
himself  from  the  encompassing  snow,  Elder  Hyde 
finally  reached  the  station  completely  exhausted,  his 
feet  frozen  so  badlj-  that  their  preservation  was  de- 
spaired of  For  several  months  he  went  upon  crutches, 
and  it  was  a  long  time  before  he  fully  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  the  terrible  exposure  that  had  been 
fatal  to  his  j'oung  companion,  and  bad  brought  him 
so  near  the  brink  of  death. 

The  mill  was  comiiietcd  the  following  spring,  and 
contained  two  saws,  one  circular  and  one  upright, 
and  immediately  commenced  sawing  lumber  from  the 
thick  growth  of  timber  that  covered  the  mountain 
sides.  From  this  time  onward  frame  houses  began 
to  take  the  place  of  the  rude  log  cabins  first  built  by 
the  settlers,  and  the  valley  began  to  assume  a  more 
cheerful  aspect. 

In  185G  another  party  of  Mormons  arrived  from 
eastern  Utah,  some  twenty  or  thirty  families  in  all, 
and  settled  chiefly  in  Washoe  Valley.  This  was 
quite  an  addition  to  the  population  of  Franktown, 
which  then  became  quite  an  important  portion  of  Car- 
son County,  Utah,  of  which  it  was  then  a  part. 

Tho  following  is  a  copy  of  a  document  on  file  in 
the  oflRco  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  is  given  for 
several  reasons,  but  chiefly  because  it  bears  the 
names  of  a  number  of  tho  original  locators  of 
Franktown: — 

PETITION    TO   THE   COUNTY   COURT. 

To  fhe  Honorable,  the  County  Court  of  Carson  Count]/, 
ijreeting — 

We,  tho  citizens  of  Franktown,  Wassau  Valley. 


624. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA 


do  hereby  petition  your  most  honorable  body,  that 
you  do,  at  j-our  earliest  convenience,  grant  to  the 
citizens  of  this  valley  the  privilege  of  locating  a 
road  for  the  conveuicnco  of  the  public,  running  as 
follows: — 

Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
city  plat  of  Franktown,  and  running  thence  south, 
or  as  near  south  as  the  lay  of  the  country  will  per- 
mit, to  C.  Loveland's  ranch,  and  thenco  east  to  the 
county  road. 

We,  the  undersigned,  consider  this  an  essential 
road,  and  if  your  honorable  body  will  grant  the 
privilege  for  the  same,  j-our  petitioners,  as  in  duty 
bound,  will  ever  pray.  Furthermore,  we  wish  this 
road  to  run  north  to  the  north  end  of  Wassau  Val- 
lej',  on  the  same  parallel. 

Leonard  Wines,  R.  Bentley, 

Seth  Dustin,  M.  D.  Hambleton, 

William  Jennings,  P.  G.  Sessions, 

Albert  Dewey,  C.  Godfrey, 

E.  Kelley,  E.  Thompson, 

Edwin  Walker,  P.  A.  Jaekman, 

A.  B.  Cherry,  G.  P.  Billings, 

Isaac  Hunter,  E.  Brown, 

A.  S.  Pendleton,  C.  Layton, 

E.  C.  Foss,  G.  C.  Coleman, 

Alex  Cowan,  John  Hawkins. 

Franktown,  Wassau  Valley,  February  22,  1857. 

JOHN   TWADDLE 

Was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Nevada.  He  was  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and  was  born  on  the  twentieth 
of  July,  1825,  near  the  city  of  Edinburgh.  In 
1848  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  located 
near  St.  Ijouis,  Missouri,  where  for  five  years  he 
was  engaged  in  mining.  In  the  year  1853  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  Suit  Lake  City,  Utah,  where 
he  resided  seven  years,  at  which  time  he  removed 
to  the  western  part  of  the  Territory,  now  called 
Nevada,  and  located  in  Washoe  Valley.  In  com- 
pany with  his  brother  they  decided  to  make  this 
their  future  home.  Their  claim  was  near  where 
the  little  town  of  Franktown  now  stands.  The 
brothers  lived  together  for  nine  years,  when  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  sold  out  to  his  brother,  and 
located  further  down  the  valley,  where  ho  lived  until 
the  date  of  his  death,  November  15,  1879.  He 
was  married  March  6,  1846,  to  Miss  Jane  Brown, 
who,  with  their  three  children,  still  occupy  the  old 
home. 

ANDREW   SAUER, 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of 
Germany.  Ho  was  born  in  the  village  of  Dielheim, 
on  the  fourteenth  of  January,  1829.  In  the  year 
1850  he  lell  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  emigrated  to 
the  United  States,  locating  first  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  ho  lived  three  years.  At  the  end  of  which 
period  he  came  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  s])ent  the 
succeeding  six  years,  jjartl}'  in  the  mines,  and  the 
remainder  in  the  butchering  business,  which  he  suc- 
cessfully followed  in  Amador,  Sacramento,  and  El 
Dorado  Counties.  Mr.  Sauer  is  a  shrewd  business 
man;  one  that  is  bound  to  succeed  wherever  his  lot 
may  be  cast.  A  desire  to  sec  more  of  his  adopted 
country   led   him   to  Nevada,  as   one  of  the   early 


pioneers,  in  the  year  1859,  and  located  in  Washoe 
Valley,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Ho  was  mar- 
ried June  21,  1859,  to  Miss  Catharine  Baker,  and  is 
blessed  with  nine  living  children  at  the  present  time, 
four  boys  and  five  girls. 

ABANDONED  BY  THE  MORMONS. 

The  recall  of  the  .Mormons  b}'  Brigham  Young,  in 
1857,  nearly  depopulated  the  thriving  community  of 
Franktown,  leaving  but  two  ladies  in  the  settlement, 
Mrs.  John  Hawkins,  whose  husband  did  not  return 
with  the  others;  and  Mrs.  Alexander  Cowan,  who 
refused  to  accompany  her  husband  back  to  the  home 
of  Mormondom.  Those  who  returned  were  com- 
pelled to  sacrifice  their  farms  and  improvements, 
selling  them  for  whatever  they  could  obtain.  Wm. 
Sides  bought  Moore's  property  for  8200,  which  was 
paid  in  provisions  and  stock.  Other  ranches  were 
purchased  for  like  small  amounts,  and  the  saw-mill 
was  sold  to  Rose  for  a  small  sum.  Winters  & 
Brother  bought  Jenning's  ranch;  and  Clayton's  was 
sold  to  two  Germans,  Charles  Sheets  and  one  called 
Dutch  Mack.  About  fifty  Mormons  returned  to 
Salt  Lake  City  from  the  vicinity  of  Franktown,  leav- 
ing the  population  at  a  very  low  ebb. 

Jamison's  Station  remained  the  only  settlement 
along  the  Truckee  for  several  years,  the  majority  of 
emigrants  coming  by  the  Carson  River  i-oute.  A 
great  many,  however,  followed  the  old  route  from 
the  sink  of  the  Humboldt  to  the  Big  Bend  of  the 
Truckee,  or  the  Lower  Crossing,  now  Wadsworth, 
continuing  then  up  the  stream  and  crossing  the 
mountains  by  the  DonnerLake  route.  In  1857  John 
F.  Stone  and  Charles  C.  Gates  established  a  post  on 
the  Truckee,  at  what  was  afterwards  known  as  Stone 
&  Gates'  Crossing,  now  Glcndale.  Thej'  were  soon 
followed  by  Henry  Miller,  Watson  Sturtcvant,  J.  H. 
Sturtcvant,  L.  C.  Savage,  Pelcg  Brown,  Richard 
Martin,  L.  P.  Drexler,  G.  W.  lluffaker  and  Mr. 
Sloan,  who  were  the  original  settlers  in  Truckee 
Meadows. 

A  few  months  after  the  Mormon  adherents  left 
their  prosperous  settlements,  at  the  dictation  of  Brig- 
ham  Young,  fully  as  large  a  company  of  apostate 
Mormons  arrived  here  from  Salt  Lake,  having  aban- 
doned the  City  of  the  Saints,  disgusted  with  its 
wickedness  and  crime.  Many  of  those  settled  in 
Washoe  Vallcj',  and  thus  brought  the  pojiulation  up 
to  what  it  had  been  the  year  before.  These,  with 
other  settlors  that  dropped  in,  one  by  one,  gave  quite 
a  population  to  the  young  communitj'. 

MINERS   TAKE   POSSESSION. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  Washoe  Valley  and 
vicinity  when  the  announcement  of  the  great  dis- 
covery on  Mount  Davidson  brought  the  armj'  of 
miners  and  adventurers  from  California.  One  of  the 
leading  routes  of  travel  was  by  way  of  the  Ilonness 
Pass,  or  by  Donncr  Lake,  and  down  the  banks  of  the 
Truckee  to  one  of  several  crossings,  and  thence  to 
Virginia  City.  Thousands  who  came  by  this  route 
passed  through  Washoe  Valley,  many  of  them  stop- 


1 


HISTURY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


625 


ping  to  avail  themselves  of  the  many  peculiar  ad- 
vantages ottered  there  by  nature.  Abounding  in 
water,  already  well  covered  with  farms  and  meadow 
lands,  bordered  on  the  west  by  mountains  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  pine  and  fir,  the  valley  was 
ready  for  the  hand  of  enterprise.  The  little  town 
of  Franktown,  with  its  one  saw-mill,  began  to  be  of 
importance.  The  absence  of  both  wood  and  water 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  Comstock  compelled  the 
miners  to  depend  upon  the  supply  of  those  necessary 
articles  from  without.  Saw-mills  were  built  in  the 
mountains,  and  lumber  and  wood  prepared  in  groat 
quantities  and  conveyed  across  the  valley  and  inter- 
vening mountains  to  the  scene  of  activity.  Produce 
of  every  kind  i'rom  the  farms,  especially  hay  and 
barley,  were  in  great  demand,  and  more  land  was 
brought  under  cultivation,  the  yield  of  the  farmer's 
toil  bringing  high  prices. 

The  population  of  this  county  began  to  increase, 
and  the  census  of  1860  showed  that  there  were  fifty- 
eight  families  and  543  people  within  the  limits  of 
Washoe  County.  Prospectors  traversed  it  from  one 
end  to  the  other,  and  several  mining  districts  were 
organized,  and  for  a  time  held  in  great  favor.  The 
Argentine  District  in  the  mountains  between  the 
valley  and  Virginia  City,  was  organized  in  1860, 
as  was  also  the  Galena  District.  The  presence  of 
water  and  fuel  in  such  liberal  quantities,  led  to  the 
establishment  of  quartz  mills.  Mills  were  built  in 
accessible  localities,  and  about  them  grew  up  vil- 
lages with  astonishing  rapidity.  The  towns  of 
Ophir,  Washoe  City  and  (Jalcna  all  blazed  up  in  1861, 
and  entered  upon  a  career  of  prosperity  that  lasted 
several  years.  Ore  was  hauled  across  the  barren 
mountains  and  the  marshy  ground  at  the  head  of 
Washoe  Lake,  and  crushed  at  the  several  mills,  and 
the  teams  returned  with  wood,  lumber  and  produce, 
thus  having  a  load  both  ways,  and  rendering  the  cost 
of  getting  the  ore  to  the  mill  less  than  it  would 
Otherwise  have  been.  The  Ophir  Mill  of  seventy- 
two  stamps  cost  8500,000,  and  the  Dall  Mill,  at 
Franktown,  with  sixty  stamps,  cost  half  as  much. 
These,  with  the  other  mills  in  the  valley,  employed 
hundreds  of  workmen,  and  with  the  farms  and  lum- 
ber interests  supported  a  busy  j)()pulation. 

At  the  same  time  along  the  Truckee  River  wore 
settlements.  Within  a  mile  of  the  present  town  of 
Verdi  was  built  a  bridge;  at  Hunter's  another  was 
constructed;  at  Lake's  Crossing,  now  Reno,  another; 
and  at  Stone  &  Gate's  Crossing,  afterwards  Glendalo, 
still  another.  At  all  these  points  did  the  great  travel 
of  the  llenness  Pass  and  Donner  Lake  routes  cross 
the  river.  Stages  rolled  swiftly  along  with  their 
crowds  of  passengers,  while  long  lines  of  pack-trains 
and  mule  and  oxteams,  drawing  the  capacious 
prairie  schooner,  toiled  slowly  along  behind. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  region  with  a  popu- 
lation of  1,613,  when  the  Legislature  created  it  a 
separate  county,  and  it  entered  upon  its  career  as  a 
political  organization. 


OUGANIZATION  AND  COUNTY  SEAT. 

Washoe  is  one  of  the  nine  original  counties  into 
which  the  Territory  of  Nevada  was  divided  by  the 
first  Territorial  Legislature.  Previously,  this  had 
been  a  portion  of  Carson  County,  Utah.  The  boun- 
daries, as  defined  by  the  Act  of  November  25,  1861, 
have  suft'ered  no  alteration  whatever,  except  to  be 
rendered  more  certain  by  proper  surveys.  Section 
4  of  the  above  Act  reads  as  follows: — 

There  shall  be  a  county,  to  be  known  as  Washoe 
County,  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  Territory 
within  the  boundaries,  described  as  follows:  Begin- 
ning at  the  northwest  corner  of  Orinsb)-  Count}',  and 
running  easterly  along  the  northern  boundary  of 
said  county,  to  the  summit  of  the  mountains  east 
of  Washoe  Lake;  thence,  in  a  northerly  course, 
along  the  summit  of  said  mountains,  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  15ig  Meadows,  on  Truckee  River;  thence, 
down  8ai<l  river,  to  its  lower  crossing;  thence,  east, 
aloni^  the  Immigrant  Road,  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountains  lying  east  of  said  river;  tlu-nce,  north, 
on  the  main  summit  of  said  mountains,  to  a  point 
from  which,  running  direct  west,  would  intersect 
the  Truckee  River  at  its  mouth  in  Pyramid  Lake; 
thence,  due  west,  to  the  California  line;  thence, 
south,  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  seat  of  justice  was  located  at  Washoe  City, 
the  largest  town  at  that  time  within  its  limits,  at 
then  less  than  a  j'ear  of  age.  The  name  of  the 
county  was  taken  from  the  beautiful  lake  and  valley, 
which  lie  in  its  southern  extremity,  being  the  name 
of  a  tribe  of  Indians  that  occupied  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from  the  Truckee  to  Carson 
River.  It  is  a  name'th:it  has  undergone  considerable 
alteration  in  orthography  since  first  applied  by  the 
settlers  to  the  beautiful  valley,  the  name  in  the 
early  records  appearing  as  Wcmsau.  When  the  Con- 
stitution was  framed,  an  unsuccessful  attempt  was 
made  to  have  this  adopted  as  the  name  of  the  new 
State,  but  Nevada  gained  that  honor. 

COUKT   UOUSE,   JAIL   ANJU    HOSPITAL. 

The  county  offices  were  located  and  the  first  meet- 
ings of  the  Board  were  held  in  the  Davis  15uilding  in 
Washoe  City,  but  February  18,  1S62,  the  building 
owned  by  Rico  &  McLaughlin,  opposite  the  Washoe 
Exchange,  was  rented  for  8525  jier  year,  and  the 
county  olliees  were  removed  to  their  new  quarters 
March  15,  1862.  October  22,  18G2,  the  upper  story 
of  the  Masons'  brick  building  was  secured  at  an 
annual  rental  of  81,320,  and  was  at  once  occupied  for 
county  offices.  Previous  to  this,  however,  stops 
were  taken  to  provide  tho  county  with  a  suitable 
Court  House  and  jail.  July  3,  1862,  the  Board  adver- 
tised for  suitable  plans  for  a  two-story  and  basement 
brick  or  stone  Court  House,  and  on  the  twenty-sixth 
tho  plan  of  John  A.  Steele  was  adopted,  for  which  ho 
was  paid  forty  dollars.  August  4th,  ho  was  |)aid  an 
additional  forty  dollars  lor  separate  plans  for  Court 
House  and  jail.  Tho  Washoe  Mill  and  Mining  Com- 
pany presented  the  county  with  a  block  of  ground 
upon  which  to  build.  Hero  tho  matter  rested  for  a 
season. 


626 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


1 


July  10,  IsOo,  iLc  county  advertised  for  bids  on 
the  construction  of  the  Court  Jlousc,  and  August  20th 
the  contract  was  awarded  to  John  A.  Steele  for 
815,000.  September  13,  18fi3.  bids  for  building  the 
jail  were  also  advertised  for,  and  this  contract  was 
also  awarded  to  Mr.  Steele,  October  22,  1863,  for 
83,740.  The  buildings  were  completed  and  occupied 
before  the  end  of  the  j'ear. 

April  8,  1863,  the  Board  advertised  for  bids  upon 
the  erection  of  a  county  hospital,  and  August  20, 
18C3,  two  bids  were  opened  and  rejected,  the  lowest 
being  for  §1,800.  Nothing  more  was  done  until  July 
2,  1864,  when  the  Board  again  advertised.  August 
8,  1864,  a  building  was  purchased  of  E.  B.  Wilson 
for  81,000,  for  this  purpose.  Three  years  later  it 
was  sold  at  auction  for  8200. 

LUMBER   AND    QUARTZ    MILLS. 

The  next  half-dozen  years  saw  great  changes  in 
Washoe  County.  In  1866,  the  wood  and  lumber 
business  was  of  a  most  extensive  character.  Fifteen 
saw-mills  were  constantly  preparing  lumber,  mining 
timbers  for  the  Comstock  market,  while  hundreds  of 
men  were  cutting  cord-wood  for  the  use  of  the  mills. 
These  mills,  most  of  them  driven  bj'  steam-power, 
cut  1,300,000  feet  of  lumber  per  month,  besides  mak- 
ing thousands  of  feet  of  lath  and  shingles.  This 
lumber  was  conveyed  to  Virginia  and  Gold  Hill  bj' 
the  numerous  freight  wagons,  which  returned  with 
loads  of  ore  to  be  reduced  in  the  quartz  mills.  Of 
these  there  were  ten,  carrying  a  total  of  281  stamps, 
and  costing  81.420.000  in  their  construction.  Washoe 
City,  Ophir,  Franktown  and  tralena  were  prosperous 
and  busy.  A  change  soon  began,  however,  that  in 
a  few  years  resulted  in  the  utter  destruction  and 
abandonment  of  the  mining  business,  and  the  ruin, 
demolishmont  and  desolation  of  the  once  thriving 
towns.  Ophir  and  Galena  have  disappeared,  Washoe 
City  is  but  the  mournful  relic  of  its  former  greatness, 
while  Franktown  still  exists  a  small  village,  depend- 
ing upon  the  surrounding  farms  and  somewhat  upon 
the  lumber  interests  in  the  neighboring  mountains. 

This  revolution  was  brought  about  by  several 
causes,  all  tending  towards  the  same  end.  At  the 
same  time  that  mills  were  built  in  the  valley,  others 
were  erected  along  the  Carson  Itiver  and  at  Gold 
Hill  and  Seven-mile  Cafion.  In  1866  there  were 
about  seventy  of  these  mills,  carr^'ing  over  1,100 
stamps,  and,  of  course,  were  crushing  a  majority  of 
the  Comstock  ore.  Wood  was  also  floated  down  the 
Carson  River  for  the  use  of  these  mills,  and  the 
dependence  upon  the  mills  of  Washoe  Valley  became 
less  and  less.  Finally,  in  1869,  the  railroad  was  com- 
pleted from  Carson  City  to  Virginia  Citj',  thus  enab- 
ling the  ore  to  be  carried  to  the  mills  on  the  river 
much  cheaper  than  it  could  bo  hauled  over  the 
mountains  to  the  valley,  as  well  as  taking  wood  and 
lumber  to  the  Comstock  without  demanding  the  serv- 
ices of  the  freighters.  The  consequence  was  that 
the  milling  business  of  this  section  rapidly  died  ut, 
and  the  mills  were  dismantled.     To  add  to  this  i  ..use 


was  still  another.  The  Central  Pacific  Kailroad  passed 
down  the  Truckce  River  in  1808,  and  the  new  town 
of  Reno  was  heralded  with  such  loud  trumpets  that 
there  was  a  great  stampede  of  men  from  the  valley 
to  the  now  town.  All  these  causes  led  to  the  rapid 
decay  of  the  valley  towns. 

REMOVAL   OF   THE   COUNTY    SEAT. 

Reno  had  no  sooner  become  conscious  of  her 
strength  than  she  began  to  cast  longing  eyes  upon 
the  county  seat.  On  the  fifth  of  August,  1868,  when 
Reno  was  less  than  a  year  old,  a  petition  signed  by 
705  citizens  was  presented  to  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat 
from  Washoe  City  to  Reno.  H.  M.  Frost  favored 
the  design  and  J.  H.  Snodgrass  opposed  it,  but  A.  C. 
Cleveland  being  absent,  the  matter  was  laid  over 
until  September  8th,  when,  a  full  Board  being  present, 
the  petition  was  denied.  Here  the  matter  rested 
until  February  1,  1870,  when,  Reno  having  increased 
in  size  and  importance  and  Washoe  City  having  ret- 
rograded still  farther,  another  petition  was  presented 
to  the  Board,  at  that  time  consisting  of  M.  J.  Smith, 
W.  R.  Chamberlain  and  G.  W.  Brown.  A  protest 
was  also  presented  b}-  the  citizens  of  Washoe  City. 

Both  the  petition  and  protest  were  considered  the 
next  day,  Thomas  E.  Hayden  appearing  on  behalf  of 
the  petitioners,  and  William  "Webster  and  William 
Boardman  representing  the  people  of  Washoe  City. 
The  whole  daj-  was  consumed  in  the  argument,  and 
the  petition  proving  insufficient,  Hayden  was  allowed 
to  withdraw  it,  against  which  action  Webster  and 
Boardman  filed  a  protest.  On  the  fourth  of  the  next 
April,  Ilaj'den  filed  still  another  petition  to  the  same 
effect,  which  was  granted  the  ne.xt  day,  Smith  and 
Chamberlain  voting  in  the  affirmative,  and  Brown  in 
the  negative.  A  special  election  to  decide  the  perma- 
nent location  of  the  county  seat  was  called  for  June 
14,  1870. 

On  the  tvvontieth  the  Board  met  and  canvassed  the 
returns,  which  showed  544  votes  to  be  for  Reno,  and 
:!62  for  Washoe  City. 

The  Board  ordered  that  the  seat  of  justice  be 
located  at  Reno,  and  notified  the  county  officers  to 
remove  their  offices  and  records  to  that  jilaco.  The 
people  of  Washoe  City  did  not  abandon  the  con- 
tost,  however,  but  applied  to  the  District  Court  for 
an  order  restraining  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat.  The  order  was  granted,  but  when  the  mat- 
ter came  up  for  a  hearing  the  writ  was  dismissed. 
An  ajipeal  was  then  taken  to  the  Sujireme  Court, 
and  in  July  a  decision  was  rendered  holding  that 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  had  not  fol- 
lowed the  statute,  that  its  action  was  void,  and 
that  the  Third  District  Court  had  erred  in  dis- 
missing the  writ.  The  proceedings  of  the  County 
Commissioners  of  April  5,  1870,  were  ordered 
annulled. 

The  next  step  taken  by  the  citizens  of  Reno  was 
to  have  a  bill  introduced  into  the  Legislature, 
which  was  passed  and  approved  February  17,  1871, 


HISTORY  OF  \VASHOE  COUNTY. 


627 


declaring  Eono  to  be  the  county  seat  on  and  after 
the  third  of  April,  1871.  The  people  of  Washoe 
Valley  wore  much  dissatisfied  with  this  action,  and 
desired  to  be  attached  to  Ormsbj'  County.  A  bill 
to  effect  this  purpose  wa.s  introduced  into  the 
Legislature,  providing  for  the  payment  to  Washoe 
County  of  SI 5,000  in  three  installments  by  Ormsby 
County,  and  also  for  the  exemption  of  the  attached 
section  from  tax  on  the  8200,000  of  bonds  issued 
by  Ormsby  County  to  the  Virginia  and  Truckee 
Railroad.  The  bill  failed  to  pass,  and  Washoe 
Valley  is  still  an  important  section  of  Washoe 
County. 

Upon  removal  to  Reno  the  District  Court 
was  held  in  Peters'  Theater,  and  the  county  offices 
occupied  various  locations.  May  31,  1871,  a  tax  of 
one-fourth  of  one  per  cent,  was  levied  for  erecting 
or  purchasing  county  buildings.  July  7th,  the 
Board  advertised  for  bids  upon  the  construction  of 
a  Court  House,  according  to  plans  b}'  Mr.  Sellers. 
August  6th,  S.  F.  Hoole  also  presented  plans  which 
were  accepted,  and  for  which  he  was  paid  §150. 
September  11th,  bids  were  received,  and  the  contract 
let  to  S.  F.  Hoole  for  820,500. 

LOCATION    AND   ERECTION    OF    BUILDINGS. 

In  selecting  the  site  upon  which  to  build,  con- 
siderable trouble  and  annoyance  were  experienced. 
Several  offers  of  ground  were  made  on  more  or 
less  advantageous  terms,  but  the  most  liberal  one, 
and  the  one  accepted,  was  made  by  M.  C.  Lake. 
This  gentleman  agreed  to  present  the  county  one 
acre  of  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  and 
$1,500  in  money,  besides  setting  out  shade  trees, 
and  laying  out  a  public  square  in  front  of  the  lot, 
and  to  supplj-  water  to  the  county  property-.  No 
sooner  was  this  decision  announced  than  great  dis- 
satisfaction was  expre.-ised  by  the  citizens  of  Reno. 
At  that  time  Reno  was  nearly  all  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river;  the  business  of  the  town  was 
there,  and  the  original  plat  of  the  town  embraced 
no  territory  south  of  the  stream.  They  desired  to 
have  the  Court  House  located  in  the  heart  of  the  town, 
and  a  suit  was  commenced  by  I).  II.  Haskell  to 
restrain  the  Commissioners  from  building,  on  the 
ground  that  the  site  selected  was  not  in  the  town 
of  Reno,  the  place  to  which  the  county  seat  had 
been  removed.  At  that  time  Reno  was  not  incor- 
porated, and,  therefore,  had  no  definite  boundaries; 
the  ground  donated  was  a  portion  of  Lake's  adilition 
to  the  original  town;  and  October  (i,  1S71,  judgment 
was  rendered  in  favor  of  the  Commissioners  An 
appeal  was  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  where  the 
case  was  dismissed,  and  thus  the  matter  ended  for 
a  time. 

J.  Z.  Kolley  was  appointed  architect  on  the  first 
of  April,  1872,  and  work  was  commenced  on  the 
twentieth.  After  83.000  had  been  expendeil,  an 
injunction  suit  was  commenced  in  the  United  States 
District  Court,  June  5,  1872,  but  was  soon  after  with- 
drawn.    The  corner-stone  was  laid  June  22.  1872, 


and  contained  copies  of  the  Xecada  Slate  Journal,  the 
Reno  Crescent,  the  Eureka  Sentinel,  the  San  Francisco 
Chronicle,  and  the  Sacramento  Union,  pieces  of  United 
States  currency,  silver  coins,  copy  of  contract,  speech 
of  lion.  C.  W.  Kendall  on  artesian  wells,  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  documents  and  articles. 

The  building  was  completed  and  accepted  Jan- 
uary 24,  1873.  It  is  a  fine  brick  edifice,  58x79  feet, 
and  two  stories  high.  On  the  lower  floor  are  the 
offices  of  the  Clerk,  Recorder,  Treasurer  and  Sheriff", 
besides  the  jail.  On  the  upper  floor  are  the  other 
offices,  and  a  pleasant  court-room,  35x58  feet.  The 
building  is  surmounted  by  a  dome,  fi-om  which  a  fine 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  may  be  obtained. 
During  the  progress  of  the  work  material  alterations 
were  made  in  the  plans,  and,  when  the  building  was 
completed,  the  contractor  presented  a  claim  for  extra 
labor  and  material  to  the  amount  of  810,9(J7,  which 
the  Board  refused  to  allow.  Suit  was  commenced  by 
the  contractor,  but  the  matter  was  finally  submitted 
to  a  Board  of  Arbitrators,  who  allowed  84,828.  The 
decision  was  accepted  by  both  parties,  and  the 
amount  awarded  was  paid. 

At  the  time  of  awarding  the  Court  House  contract 
and  locating  the  site,  the  Board  of  Count}'  Commis- 
sioners was  composed  of  T.  K.  Ilymcrs,  T.  G.  Her- 
man and  George  Robinson,  the  first  named  protest- 
ing against  the  action  of  the  majority  in  locating  the 
house  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  The  wisdom 
of  the  course  pursued  by  the  Commissioners  is  very 
plain  now  to  all,  for  the  town  has  not  only  spread 
out  bej'ond  it,  but  it  is  only  a  few  minutes'  walk  from 
any  part  of  the  town,  and,  by  its  absence  from  the 
business  portion  of  the  place,  has  twice  escaped 
destruction  bj-  fii'e.  To  provide  funds  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Court  House,  bonds  to  the  amount  of 
823,000  were  issued.  In  the  summer  of  1879  an 
excellent  fire-proof  vault  and  a  large  burglar-proof 
safe,  with  a  time  look,  were  constructed  in  the  office 
occupied  by  the  Treasurerand  Recorder,  bj-  the  Hall 
Safe  and  Lock  Company,  for  82,440. 

POOR-FARM    AND    HOSPITAI,. 

Until  1876  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Count j-  Com- 
missioners to  contract  each  year  with  some  respon- 
sible person,  to  care  for  the  indigent  sick  of  the 
county.  October  4, 1875,  a  small  tract  of  forty  acres, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  and  one  mile  east  of 
Reno,  and  twenty-five  inches  of  water  were  purchased 
of  A.  J.  Hatch  for  81,000,  to  bo  used  for  a  poor-farm. 
Ai)ril  17,  1876,  a  contract  was  let  to  Wm.  Thompson 
for  the  construction  of  a  county  hosjiital  on  the  ))oor- 
farm,  to  cost  85,253.  The  building  was  finished  and 
is  now  used  by  the  county,  being  in  charge  of  a  phys- 
ician appointed  by  the  Board. 

FIIEE    BlUUUF.    CONSTRUCTED. 

The  toll-bridge  that  spanned  the  river  at  Reno, 
and  known  for  years  as  T^ake's  ISridge,  was 
declared  a  free  bridge  by  the  Commissioners  in  1872. 
Its  long  service  having  rendered  it  insecure,  a  new 
one  was  necessary,  and  the  Board  advertised  for  pro- 


fi28 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


posals  to  construct  a  Buitable  bridge,  October  18, 
1875.  These  bids  were  received,  824,000,  813,000  and 
§12,800,  and  were  all  rejected.  The  old  bridge  con- 
tinued to  do  service  for  two  years  longer,  and  on  the 
sixth  of  March,  1877,  bids  were  again  advertised  for. 
April  5th  thirteen  propositions  were  considered, 
ranging  from  814,400  to  824,000,  and  the  contract 
was  awarded  to  King  &  VVheelock,  for  815,700. 
August  7lh  the  bridge  was  completed,  accepted  and 
thrown  open  for  travel. 

FINANCIAL   AND    POLITICAL    CONDITION. 

The  financial  condition  of  Washoe  Count}'  is  good. 
There  is  nearly  enough  money  in  the  treasury  to  pay 
all  outstanding  certificates,  while  the  825,000  of 
bonds,  due  in  from  one  to  thirteen  years,  can  be  met 
without  any  embarrassment. 

When  the  Coifrt  House  was  built  at  Washoe  City, 
no  bonds  were  issued,  but  warrants  were  issued,  for 
the  work,  and  money  was  raised  to  discharge  them 
bj-  increased  taxation.  To  provide  a  fund  for  con- 
structing the  Court  House  in  Reno,  the  Board  of 
County  Commissioners  issued  on  the  first  of  July, 
1872.  bonds  to  the  amount  of  823,000,  under  the  pro- 
visions of  a  general  Act,  approved  March  10,  1865, 
providing  for  the  purchase  or  erection  of  county 
buildings.  These  bonds  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of 
twelve  per  cent.,  and  June  30,  ISSO.  there  were  but 
86,000  of  them  outstanding,  one-half  of  which  were 
due  Januarj'  1,  1881,  and  the  balance  a  year  later. 

In  pursuance  of  an  Act  approved  February  26, 
1875,  providing  for  the  issuance  of  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  67,000,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a 
hospital  and  poor-farm,  the  County  Commissioners 
authorized  bonds  to  the  amount  of  85,000  to  be  issued 
April  10,  187G.  These  bonds  were  never  negotiated, 
but  were  held  in  the  office  of  the  County  Treasurer, 
and  canceled  as  money  was  received  from  the  collec- 
tion of  taxes,  no  interest  being  paid  on  them. 

To  provide  funds  for  the  construction  of  the  iron 
bridge  at  Heno,  the  Commissioners,  June  4,  1877, 
ordered  bonds  to  issue  to  the  amount  of  816,000, 
with  interest  at  ten  per  cent,  the  principal  to  be  pay- 
able in  annual  installments  of  81,000,  due  January  1, 

1878,  and  each  year  thereafter.  Of  this  issue  813,000 
were  outstanding  June  30,  1880. 

July  1,  1878,  the  Commissioners  ordered  that  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  84,000  bo  issued,  under  the  pro- 
visions of  an  Act,  approved  March  14,  1877,  to  pur- 
chase the  road  from  Franktown  east  across  the 
valley  to  the  Opliir  Grade,  and  known  asDall's  Road. 
They  bore  interest  at  the  rate  of  eight  per  cent,  and 
were  made  payable  one-half  January  1,  1880,  and 
the  balance  a  year  later.  82,000  of  these  were  out- 
standing June  30,  1880. 

The  last  bonds  issued  by  the  county  were  for 
84,000,  ordered  by  the  Commissioners  September  15, 

1879,  by  virtue  of  the  Act,  approved  >[arch  8,  1870, 
providing  for  the  construction  of  a  bridge  at  the 
town  of  Wadsworlh.  They  were  made  payable 
81,000  January  1,  1882,  and  the  same  amount  each 


succeeding  year,  with  interest  at  the  rate  of  eight 
per  cent.  They  are  all  outstanding.  The  total 
indebtedness  of  the  county  in  1880  was  831,296. 
Cash  on  hand,  828,570.  The  total  value  of  taxable 
property  was  85,502,450,  and  the  population  7,324. 

Washoe  and  Roop  Counties  combined  are  divided 
into  twelve  precincts,  six  of  which  are  judicial  dis- 
tricts and  have  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  namely,  num- 
bers 1,  2,  4,  5,  7,  and  12;  they  are:  No.  1,  Reno;  No. 
2,  Wadsworth;  No.  3,  Brown's;  No.  4,  Washoe  City; 
No.  5,  Franktown;  No.  6,  Glendale;  No.  7,  Verdi; 
No.  8,  Peavine;No.  9,  Pyramid;  No.  10,  Duck  Flat; 
No.  11,  Mill  Precinct;  No.  12,  Salt  Marsh.  Roop 
Count}'  is  b}'  the  Constitution  attached  to  Washoe 
Count}'  for  judicial  purposes,  and  the  last  three  pre- 
cincts above  given  lie  within  its  limits. 

GRANVILLE    W.    Hl'FFAKER 

Was  born  in  Monticollo,  Wayne  County,  Kentucky, 
on  the  seventh  of  May.  1831.  The  first  eight  years 
of  his  life  were  passed  at  that  place,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  where  he  received 
his  education.  In  1847  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
During  the  succeeding  six  years  he  was  rambling 
about  on  the  frontier,  subject  to  many  curious  adven- 
tures. In  the  year  1853  he  emigrated  to  Salt  Ijake 
City,  Utah,  engaging  in  the  mercantile  business  until 
1858,  when  he  came  to  Nevada  Territory,  and  set- 
tled where  ho  now  resides,  at  the  head  of  Truckee 
Meadows.  Very  few  of  the  Nevada  pioneers  arc  able 
to  date  back  as  far  as  Mr.  Huffuker,  and  his  early 
experience  has  enabled  him  to  accomplish  many 
things  impossible  for  those  who  arrived  later  in  the 
Territory.  He  owns  one  of  the  finest  ranches  in  the 
Slate,  near  the  renowned  Steamboat  Springs,  and 
bids  fair  to  live  many  years  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his 
labors. 

ISAAC    n.    BALL 

Was  bom  at  Leesburg,  Virginia,  on  the  twenty-sixth 
of  September,  1835.  When  quite  young  he  removed 
to  Kendall  County,  Illinois,  where  he  passed  his 
youthful  days.  In  the  year  1854,  being  about  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  he  started  for  California,  where  he 
arrived  in  duo  time  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama. He  remained  in  the  latter  State  ton  years, 
following  the  occupation  of  mining  for  seven  years 
at  Weavcrville,  Trinity  County,  then  for  two  j-ears 
was  Second  Lieutenant  of  Company  H,  Fourth  Reg- 
iment, California  Volunteer.s.  llis  record  as  an  offi- 
cer stands  without  a  blemish,  and  the  many  acts  of 
kindness  shown  his  men  during  the  two  years  of  his 
army  experience,  leaves  a  lasting  impression.  He 
spent  one  year  at  Mud  Springs,  California.  Wo  next 
find  the  subject  of  this  sketch  settled  on  Walker 
River,  in  Nevada,  where  he  lived  one  year  and  then 
settled  permanently  in  Pleasant  Valley,  in  1865, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  His  business  at 
this  time  is  ranching.  July  28,  1S73,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Harriot  A.  Griner,  and  thoy  have  two 
children. 


% 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


629 


APPOINTMENTS   AND   ELECTIONS. 

A  complete  list  of  the  officers  of  Washoe  County, 
from  its  organization  down  to  the  present  time  is 
hei-ewith  given,  together  with  the  date  of  appoint- 
ment or  election  of  each.  The  vacancies  in  office  by 
death,  resignation  or  removal,  if  any  have  occurred, 
are  also  noted,  with  the  name  of  the  person  selected 
to  fill  the  same. 

SENATORS. 

Solomon  Geller,  elected  August  31,  1861,  Ter- 
ritorial Councilman  for  the  first  Legislative  Assem- 
bly, re-elected  September  3,  1862,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber, 1866;  S.  B.  Shamp,  elected  November  3,  1868; 
C.  H.  Eastman,  elected  1866,  re-elected  November  8, 
1870;  William  Thompson,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
W.  L.  Boss,  elected  November  3,  1874;  W.  M.  Board- 
man,  elected  November  7,  1876;  C.  C.  Powning, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  Jerry  Schooling,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

James  H.  Sturtevant,  elected  August  31,  1861,  to 
first  Legislative  Assembly,  re-elected,  September  3, 
1862;  J.  K.  Lovejoy  and  R.  W.  Perkins,  elected 
September  3,  1862;  Wallace  Coldwell  and  Thomas 
Prince,  elected  1866;  W.  E.  Bunker,  S.  A.  Moulton 
and  A.  C.  Cleveland,  were  elected  November  3,  1868; 
H.  H.  Hogan,  A.  J.  Hatch  and  H.  II.  Beck,  elected 
November  8,  1870;  E.  C.  Ses.sions,  W.  E.  Price  and 

F.  Lemmon,  elected  November  5,  1872j  H.  H.  Hogan. 
George  Alt  and  H.  H.  Beck,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  J.  S.  Shoemaker,  J.  K.  Everett  and  George 
Alt,  elected  November  7,  1876;  W.  E.  Price,  E.  C. 
Underwood,  J.  P.  Faulks,  elected  November  5,  1878; 
W.  F.  Berry,  J.  H.  Bailej-  and  Eoss  Lewis,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

F.  II.  Burroughs,  H.  F.  Pierce  and  C.  C.  Smith, 
appointed  by  the  Territorial  Legislature,  December 
10,  1861;  S.  G.  Sewell,  S.  Allison  and  T.  A.  Pead, 
elected  January  14,  1862;  Samuel  McFarland,  D.  J. 
Gloyd  and  G.  W.  Folsom,  elected  September  13, 
1862;  McFarland  resigned  September  24,  1864;  J. 
N.  Mundell  appointed,  October  1,  1864;  H.  H.  Beck 
elected  November  9,  1863;  resigned  April  30,  1864; 

G.  N.  Folson,  appointed.  E.  C.  Sessions  elected, 
September  7, 1864.  Mundell  resigned  June  23, 1866; 
L.  H.  Dyer,  appointed.  John  II.  Snodgrass,  Henry 
M.  Frost  and  A.  C.  Cleveland,  elected  November 
6,  1866;  James  H.  Sturtevant,  M.  J.  Smith  and  John 
A.  Moch,  elected  November  3,  1808.  Sturtevant 
resigned  November  15,  1869;  George  \V.  Brown, 
appointed.  W.  H.  Chamberlin  appears  in  place  of 
.Moch,  October  4,  1869.  No  record  of  appointment 
or  resignation.  T.  K.  Ilymers,  T.  (i.  Herman  and 
George  Robinson,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Peleg 
Brown  and  E.  B.  Towle,  elected  November  5.  1872; 
0.  E.  Ross  and  E.  Owens,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
E.  Olinghouse,  R.   H.   Kenney  and  T.  K.  Hymera, 

79 


elected  November  5,  1878;  James  Frey,  R.  H.  Ken- 
ney and  D.  H.  Ladge,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

J.  F.  Lewis,  appointed  by  the  Executive  April  30, 
1864,  resigned  December  a,  1864.  Allanson  Smith 
appointed,  who  resigned  August  17,  1865;  Thomas 
Fitch,  appointed  August  18,  1865;  Wm.  Webster, 
elected  November  6, 1866;  Joseph  Kutz,  elected  No- 
vember 3,  1868,  resigned  April  4, 1870;  W.  M.  Board- 
man  appointed,  elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected 
November  5,  1872;  H.  B.  Cassitt,  elected  November 
3,  1874,  resigned  July  3,  1876,  Wm.  Cain  appointed; 
John  Bowman,  elected  November  5,  1878;  G.  A. 
Rankin,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  sHERirrs. 
Chas.  C.  Smith,  appointed  by  the  Executive  De- 
cember 26,  1861,  elected  January  14,  1862;  T.  A. 
Read,  elected  September  13, 1862,  re-elected  Septem- 
ber 7,  1864;  W.  H.  Thurman,  elected  November  6, 
1866;  Chas.  W.  Pegg,  elected  November  3,  1868,  re- 
elected November  8,  1870;  J.  E.  Jones,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874;  A.  K. 
Lamb,  elected  November  7,  1876;  W.  A.  Walker, 
dieted  November  5,  1878,  re-elected  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

P.  E.  Shannon,  appointed  by  the  Executive  De- 
cember 10,  1861 ;  H.  F.  Pierce,  elected  January  14, 
1862;  Chas.  C.  Conger,  elected  September  3,  1862. 
Office  declared  vacant  on  account  of  removal  from 
countj-,  April  9,  1864,  W.  P.  L.  Winham  appointed. 
S.  A.  Mann,  elected  September  7,  1864;  M.  L.  Yager, 
elected  November  6,1866;  J.  D.  Shoemaker,  elected 
November  3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870,  re- 
elected again  November  5,  1872,  November  3,  1874; 
P.  B.  Comstock,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Mark 
Parish,  elected  November  5,  1878;  R.  S.  Osburn, 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

H.  H.  Lull,  elected  January  14,  1862;  T.  A.  Ent, 
elected  September  3,  1862;  W.  P.  L.  Winham, 
elected  September  7,  1864;  John  McFarland,  elected 
November  0,  1866;  R.  A.  Frazier,  elected  November 
3,  1868;  re-elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected 
again  November  5,  1872;  F.  B.  KhSecker,  elected 
November  3,  1S74,  died  .May  13,  1875;  G.  W.  Huff- 
iikcr  appointed.  B.  B.  Norton,  elected  November 
7,  1876;  D.  B.  Boyd,  elected  November  7,  1878,  re- 
elected November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

L.  C.  Savage,  elected  January  14,  1862;  S.  C. 
Jolley,  elected  September  7,  1864;  T.  A.  Read,  elected 
November  6,  1866;  Wm.  Thompson,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868,  re-elected  November  8,  1870.  D.  B. 
Boj-d,  elected  November  5,  1872;  R.  A.  Frazier, 
elected  November  3,  1874;  H.  Ij.  Fish,  elected  No- 
vember 7,  1876;  W.T.  Everett,  elected  November  5, 
1878;  J.  M.  Flannagan,  elected  November  2,  1880. 


630 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Z,>a-''&<yCy'^l.'tyt/' 


R.  S.  OsBURN,  tho  (subject  of  the  following  sketch, 
is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  having  been 
born  at  Meadville,  Crawford  County,  on  the  twenty- 
first  of  September,  1849. 

His  education,  which  was  a  liberal  one,  was 
received  in  his  native  town,  and  when  about  seven- 
teen years  of  ago  he  left  his  home  and  settled  in  Eu- 
gene City,  Oregon,  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business. 
He  remained  at  that  place  until  1872,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Jacksonville,  in  the  same  State,  still  con- 
tinuing in  the  same  business.  After  eighteen  months' 
stay  in  the  latter  place  he  came  to  Reno  and  formc^d 
a  partnership  with  J.  E.  Simpson,  in  the  ajjothecary 
and  drug  business,  and  since  the  death  of  his  part- 
ner, in  1878,  has  been  associated  in  business  with  J. 
S.  Shoemaker. 

Mr.  Oaburn  was  elected  County  Clerk  of  Washoe 
County,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  in  1880.  He  was 
married  in  1872  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Lemmon,  of  Reno. 

COUNTV   RECORDERS. 

Isaac  Mears,  appointed  by  tho  Executive,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1801;  R.  F.  Kiddie,  elected  January  14,  1862; 
P.  E.  Shannon,  elected  September  13,  1862;  (ieorge 
C.  Cabot,  elected  September  7,  1864;  H.  L.  Fish, 
elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected  Novembers, 
1868,  re-elected  again  November  8,  1870;  C.  A. 
Richardson,  elected  November  5,  1872;  John  B. 
Williams,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected 
November  7,  1870,  reelected  again  November  5, 
1878,  and  November  2,  1880. 


W.  A.  Walker  was  born  in  Charleston,  Kanawha 
County,  Virginia,  November  30,  1851.  He  received  a 
thorough  education,  being  a  graduate  of  Hanover 
College,  at  Hanover,  Indiana,  and  Notre  Dame 
University,  at  South  Bend,  Indiana.  He  also  spent 
two  years  at  the  German  Universities  and  in  travel- 
ing through  Europe.  In  1871  ho  came  to  tho  Pacific 
Coast  and  located  in  the  citj'ofSan  Francisco,  where 
he  read  law,  intending  to  adopt  that  profession.  In 
1872  became  to  Reno,  Washoe  County,  Nevada,  and 
engaged  in  tho  mercantile  business  until  1S78,  at 
which  time  ho  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  County,  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  and  in  1880  was  re-elected. 

Mr.  Walker  was  married  in  1874  to  Miss  Helen 
K.  Fonda,  of  San  Francisco. 

COUNTY   SUPERINTENDENTS    OF  SCHOOLS. 

J.  W.  North,  appointed  December  10,  1861,  re- 
signed, and  Dr.  G.  A.  Weed  appointed  November  3, 
1803.  T.  H.  McGrath,  elected  September  7,  1864, 
resigned,  and  Wm.  M.  lioiirdniun  appointed,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1866.  Warren  Nims,  elected  November 
3,  1868,  resigned  August  2,  1870,  A.  F.  Hitchcock, 
appointed,  and  elected  Novombor  8, 1870.  Orvis  Ring, 
elected  November  5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874,  re-elected  again  November  7,  1876;  A.  Daw- 
son, elected  November  5, 1878;  I).  D.  Bowcn,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTV    SURVEVORS. 

D.  B.  Scott,  elected  January  14,  1862,  and  re- 
elected  September   7,    1864;     A.  J.    Hatch,  elected 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


631 


November  3,  1868;  E.  L.  Bridges,  elected  November 
8,  1870.  Office  declared  vacant  February  6,  1871, 
J.  Humboldt  Eaton  appointed.  A.  J.  Hatch,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  W.  W.  Skinner,  elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874,  resiscned  January  3,  1876,  A.  J.  Hatch, 
appointed  January  4, 1876,  and  elected  November  7, 
1876.  D.  H.  Barker,  elected  November  5,  1878;  W. 
C.  Skinner,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

Nat  Holmes,  elected  November  3,  1868,  re-elected 
November  8,  1870;  William  Stopher,  elected  No- 
vember 5,  1872;  C.  W.  Jones,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  N.  C.  Harland,  elected  November  7,  1876;  C. 
W.  Jones,  elected  November  5,  1878;  W.  H.  Dick- 
ens, elected  November  2,  1880. 

DEATH    PENALTY    INFLICTED. 

The  death  penalty  has  been  inflicted  but  once  in 
Washoe  County,  and  then  for  a  crime  committed 
without  its  limits.  Murders  have  been  frequent 
enough,  and  crime  hag  reveled  here  as  it  has  in  other 
portions  of  the  State,  but  there  seems  to  be  an  im- 
possibility of  conviction  befoi-e  the  courts.  Juries 
have  failed  to  render  verdicts  that  call  for  capital 
punishment,  and  to  the  juries,  who  but  reflect  the 
sentiments  of  the  communities  of  which  they  are 
parts,  must  be  ascribed  the  blame  for  so  much  crime 
going  unpunished. 

The  man  who  suffered  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
law  was  J.  W.  Eover,  for  the  murder  of  I.  N.  Sharp, 
near  l?abbit  Hole  Sulphur  Mines,  Humboldt  County. 
Sharp  went  to  the  mines,  where  only  Rover  was  at 
that  time,  on  the  eighth  of  April,  1875,  and  was 
missing  from  that  time  until  the  eighteenth,  when 
search  revealed  that  he  had  been  killed,  his  bodj-  cut 
into  several  pieces  and  buried  in  different  places 
enveloped  in  ore  sacks.  Eover  was  arrested  for  the 
crime,  and  a  strong  chain  of  circumstantial  evidence, 
accompanied  by  the  fact  that  his  boots  exactly  fitted 
the  footprints  about  the  places  where  the  body  was 
buried,  secured  his  conviction  and  sentence.  Upon 
application  to  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  granted  a 
new  trial,  which  also  resulted  in  conviction.  Again 
the  Supreme  Court  granted  him  a  new  trial,  and  the 
case  was  taken  to  Washoe  County  bj-  change  of 
venue.  His  first  trial  in  this  county  resulted  in  a 
disagreement  of  the  jury,  and  the  next,  making  the 
fourth,  in  a  verdict  of  murder  in  the  first  degree. 
When  informed  of  the  result  he  remarked:  ••  Well,  if 
it  doesn't  affect  other  people  more  than  it  does  mo, 
they  will  all  cat  a  hearty  breakfast,"  which  he  pro- 
ceeded to  do.  The  jury  agreed  upon  their  verdict  at 
two  o'clock  Sunday  morning,  June  17,  1877,  and  it 
was  filed  the  same  day,  to  which  exceptions  were 
taken.  For  the  third  time  the  Supreme  Court  con- 
sidered the  case,  and  at  last  sustained  the  finding  of 
the  lower  court  and  ordered  the  sentence  to  bo 
executed  February  19,  1878,  nearly  three  years  after 
he  committed  his  great  crime.  One  more  effort  was 
made  to  save  him  by  his  indefatigable  counsel,  and 
the  day  before  the  execution   a  Sheriff's  jury  was 


demanded  to  try  the  question  of  the  prisoner's 
sanity.  This  was  a  proceeding  so  unusual  that  it 
requii'cd  considerable  reference  to  the  authorities  to 
ascertain  what  it  was  and  how  it  was  conducted. 
The  jury  was  accordingly  summoned,  and  the  ques- 
tion of  the  sanity  of  the  condemned  man  tried  before 
them.  On  the  morning  of  the  execution  the  jury 
reported  that  they  were  unable  to  agree,  standing 
five  for  insanity  and  seven  for  sanity,  and  the  Sheriff 
made  preparations  to  carrj-  out  the  sentence  of  the 
law.  A  little  after  the  hour  of  noon  the  doomed 
man  was  led  to  the  jail-yard,  where  a  gallows  bad 
been  erected.  From  his  position  on  the  instrument 
of  death  he  spoke  fifty-two  minutes  to  the  200  spec- 
tators that  had  been  admitted  within  the  yard,  on 
the  outside  of  which  was  assembled  a  large  crowd  of 
people  who  were  refused  admittance.  His  speech 
was  a  defense  of  himself,  and  contained  his  dying 
protestation  of  innocence.  At  two  o'clock  and  fortj' 
minutes,  everything  having  been  prepared  by  Sheriff 
A.  K.  Lamb  and  his  assistants,  the  fatal  platform  fell, 
and  J.  W.  Rover  paid  the  penalty  of  his  crime.  He 
was  forly-eight  years  of  age,  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  left  a  wife  and  three  children  in  San  Joaquin 
County,  California.  His  victim  also  had  a  wife  and 
ihree  children  in  Oakland,  California. 

AURICULTURAL    LANDS    AND    PRODUCTS. 

In  the  matter  of  agriculture,  its  chief  interest  and 
resource,  Washoe  is  the  leading  county  in  the  State. 
From  south  to  north,  through  the  heart  of  the 
county,  runs  a  chain  of  vallej's,  that  was  once,  no 
doubt,  a  system  of  inland  lakes.  They  are  Washoe, 
Pleasant,  Steamboat  and  Truckee.  The  surface  area 
of  the  county  is  1,195  square  miles,  or  7(;4,S0O  acres, 
and  is  divided  as  follows: — 

Timber  land  (acres) 115,200 

Meadow    '^         •'       46.080 

Arable      '■         "       161,280 

Mineral    "         "       20,000 

Water  surface  "       15,360 

Barren  and  grazing  lands  (acres)..  406,880 

Total 764,800 

The  first  of  the  series  of  valleys  is  Washoe,  with 
an  area  of  about  fifty  square  miles.  In  its  south- 
eastern extremity  lies  Washoe  Lake,  covering  a  sur- 
face of  six  square  miles,  and  above  this  is  an  exten- 
sive marsh.  Along  the  east  side  of  the  lake  is  land 
of  good  quality  not  yet  improved.  The  western  side 
of  the  valley  is  the  one  that  received  the  earliest 
settlements  in  the  county,  and  contains  the  villages 
of  Franktown  and  Washoe  City.  The  land  slopes  so 
that  it  can  bo  well  irrigated  from  the  natural 
streams  that  enter  it  from  the  mountains  on  the 
west.  Fruit,  of  excellent  qualitj-,  and  all  kinds  of 
vegetables,  are  raised  here;  also  large  quantities  of 
grain,  especially  oats  and  barley.  The  chief  atten- 
tion is  given  to  hay  and  stock.  Tame  grasses,  espec- 
ially alfalfa,  have  boon  successfully  introduced. 
There    is  a    largo    portion  of   the   valley    not    yet 


6*2 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


brought  under  cultivation,  but  it  is  gradually  being 
rendered  productive.  Comfortable,  and  in  some 
cases  even  elegant,  houses,  surrounded  by  shade 
trees,  dot  the  valley,  and,  with  the  large  barns, 
stacks  of  hay  and  grain,  herds  of  horses,  cattle  and 
sheep,  speak  of  comfort  and  independence. 

Passing  through  a  rugged  canon  at  the  north  end 
of  the  valley,  cutting  a  channel  through  a  low  range 
of  bills.  Pleasant  Valley  is  entered,  containing  an 
area  of  a  thousand  acres  of  fertile  and  well-watered 
land.  Here  are  several  good  farms  of  the  same  char- 
acter as  those  in  the  valley  below. 

Lying  to  the  north  is  Steamboat  Valley,  contain- 
ing, and  named  after,  the  celebrated  Steamboat 
Springs,  elsewhere  described.  The  area  is  about 
6,000  acres,  and  some  of  the  finest  farms  in  the 
county  are  located  here.  The  waters  of  Steamboat 
Creek  and  several  irrigating  ditches  supply  the  nec- 
essary moisture  for  the  crops,  of  which  alfalfa,  grain 
and  vegetables  are  the  great  staples. 

Northward  of  this  extends  the  Truckee  Valley,  so 
long  known  on  the  overland  route  as  the  Truckee 
Aleadows.  It  is  a  fine  tract  of  meadow  and  fertile 
sage-brush  land,  containing,  possibly,  130.000  acres 
of  land  that  will  eventually  be  made  productive  by 
irrigation  from  the  Truckee  River  and  other  sourees. 
Manj'  farms  are  located  on  choice  spots  both  north 
and  south  of  the  river,  and  their  acres  of  growing 
grain  and  grass  form  beautiful  oases  in  the  broad 
expanse  of  somber-colored  sage-brush.  In  the  midst 
of  the  valley  lies  the  town  of  Reno.  The  future  of 
Ibis  valley  is  bright  and  promising. 

The  principal  product  of  the  county  has  always 
been  hay,  for  which  a  readj^  market  and  good  prices 
could  be  obtained.  The  early  settlers  cut  hay  on 
the  natural  meadow  land  and  raised  small  crops  of 
wheat.  Barley,  oats,  corn  and  vegetables  were  also 
tried,  and  found  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  soil  and 
climate,  except  corn,  for  which  the  season  is  too 
short.  Vegetables  are  raised  in  large  quantities  and 
of  excellent  quality,  especially  potatoes.  Fruits, 
such  as  apples,  cherries,  pears,  etc.,  do  well,  and  a 
number  of  fine  orchards  can  be  seen.  Alfalfa  was 
introduced  about  1863,  Mr.  Peleg  Brown  being  the 
first  gentleman  to  experiment  upon  that  kind  of 
grass  in  the  State.  His  success  and  that  of  others 
led  to  the  general  sowing  of  alfalfa  fields  by  the 
ranchers,  until  now  thousands  of  tons  are  cut  annu- 
ally, some  fields  yielding  two  or  three  crops  a  year, 
amounting  to  from  six  to  eight  tons  per  acre. 

Although  there  was  more  or  less  stock  in  the 
county,  belonging  to  emigrants,  left  hero  by  them  to 
recruit,  or  broken  down  stock  purchased  from  the 
emigrants  by  the  settlers,  it  was  not  until  1857  that 
stock-raising,  as  a  business,  was  undertaken.  Peleg 
Brown  drove  in  some  cattle  that  year,  and  Drexler 
&  Sloan  did  also.  In  1859,  G.  \V.  Huffaker  and  L. 
P.  Drexler  drove  in  500  head  of  cattle.  By  this  time 
considerable  numbers  of  cattle  were  kept  by   the 


ranchers  in  the  valleys,  William  R.  Musgrove  hav- 
ing considerable  in  Washoe  Valley.  It  was,  and  is 
the  practice  of  stock  owners,  to  drive  their  herds  to 
the  mountains  in  the  spring,  bringing  them  back  in 
the  fall  to  winter  in  the  comparatively  mild  climate 
of  the  valleys.  The  winter  of  1859  was  the  most 
severe  one  that  has  been  experienced  by  the  cattle 
owners,  and  large  numbers  of  stock  perished. 

The  clipping  of  wool  in  1878  amounted  to  86,000 
pounds,  and  50,000  pounds  of  butter  were  made. 
The  same  year  14,000  pounds  of  honey  were 
gathered  from  750  hives  of  bees,  being  nearly  the 
entire  product  of  the  State.  This  is  an  industry  that 
has  grown  up  within  a  few  years,  and  almost  entirely 
within  the  limits  of  this  county. 

The  fruits  of  the  temperate  zone  are  raised  in 
large  quantities,  and  are  of  excellent  (juality  and  fla- 
vor. Experiments  have  been  tried  by  the  farmers, 
which  have  demonstrated  that  the  climate  and  soil 
are  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  apples,  pears, 
plums,  peaches,  cherries,  and  the  small  fruits,  and 
that  the  semi-tropical  fruits  do  not  produce  well. 
Berries  are  of  especial  excellence,  and  are  being 
largely  cultivated.  The  fruit  culture  has  grown  to 
quite  large  proportions  within  a  few  j'ears.  and  a 
great  many  fine  orchards  can  now  be  seen,  all  along 
the  different  valleys. 

ERVIN    CRANE 

Is  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  was  born  in  Addison 
County,  June  25,  1812.  His  boyhood  was  spent  at 
Bridport,  where  he  received  his  education.  In  1832 
he  left  the  Green  Mountain  State  and  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  and  from 
there  to  Brookl3-n,  Michigan,  where  he  resided  dur- 
ing the  next  thirteen  years,  generally  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1847  he  move  to  Wisconsin,  locating 
at  Baraboo,  in  Sauk  County,  where  he  conducted  a 
livery  and  sale  stable  until  1S50,  when  he  crossed  the 
plains  to  California.  His  first  year  on  the  coast  was 
spent  in  mining  in  Plumas  County;  the  second  he 
passed  in  Oregon,  and  Washington  Territory,  and 
came  to  Nevada  in  1864,  and  settled  permanently, 
near  his  present  location  in  Steamboat  Valley,  near 
the  famous  Steamboat  Springs.  His  occupation  since 
coming  to  Nevada,  has  been  ranching  and  stock- 
raising.  Mr.  Crane  is  given  the  credit  of  being  the 
first  to  demonstrate  to  the  people  of  Nevada,  that 
alfalfa  and  shade  trees  might  successfullj-  be  grown 
upon  the  sage-brush  land.  His  first  attempt  at  sow- 
ing alfalfa  and  setting  out  trees,  was  looked  npon  as 
a  crazy  scheme,  but  the  beautiful  green  fields  upon 
his  own  ranch,  and  upon  those  of  his  neighbors,  and 
the  fine  cottonwood  groves,  are  the  only  proof  nec- 
essary that  his  judgment  was  sound. 

Mr.  Crane  was  first  married  to  Jliss  Mary  Tiffany, 
of  New  York  (now  deceased),  and  on  the  twenty  first 
of  September,  1864,  was  united  to  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Stiles.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living. 


1 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


633 


W.    D.   HARDEN, 

The  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  is  a  native  of 
the  State  of  Ohio;  was  born  June  23,  1840,  in  Hock- 
ing County.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  went 
with  his  parents  to  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa,  where 
he  lived  with  them  on  a  farm  until  ho  reached  his 
twenty-third  year.  On  the  twenty-.sixth  of  March. 
18G3,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  T.  Fisher,  and 
two  weeks  later  started  with  his  bride  for  California. 
Their  bridal  tour  was  a  long  one,  their  mode  of 
conveyance  being  by  ox-teams.  On  reaching  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  he  altered  his  course,  and, 
in  place  of  going  to  California,  concluded  to  settle 
in  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  where  he  arrived  on  the 
sixteenth  of  September,  18G3.  Upon  reaching  the 
silver  land,  he  followed  the  wood  business  for  two 
yeai*s,  in  Virginia  City,  and  the  third  year  found 
him  in  the  same  business  in  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains.  In  18G6  he  purchased  the  place  where 
he  now  lives,  in  Steamboat  Valley,  near  the  noted 
springs  bj'  that  name,  and  has  since  resided  there, 
engaged  in  farming.  His  early  training  on  a  farm 
has  proven  a  decided  benefit  to  him,  and  enables  him 
to  follow  the  business  successfully.  Six  children 
have  been  born  to  him,  all  of  whom  are  living. 

A.    A.    LONOLEY 

Is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in  Caldwell  County, 
A.  D.  1834.  Receiving  an  education  in  his  native 
State  he  left  there  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen 
j'ears,  and  came  to  California,  where  he  was,  for  a 
number  of  years,  engaged  in  teaming  and  trading 
through  the  mountains.  In  1861  he  came  to  the 
then  Territory  of  Nevada,  and  the  next  year  there- 
after settled  on  the  place  where  he  now  resides.  At 
that  time  there  were  very  few  settlers  in  the  valley, 
the  Indians  predominating  by  a  large  majority.  The 
land  had  not  been  surveyed  by  the  Government  at 
that  time.  Mr.  Lnngley  pre-empted  KiO  acres,  and 
since  then  has  purchased  about  500  acres  more,  and 
therefore  has  quite  an  extensive  ranch.  By  his  per- 
sistent efforts,  and  indomitable  will  and  energy,  he 
has  produced  from  the  originally  barren  waste  of 
sage-brush  a  beautiful,  well-appointed  ranch.  The 
expense  of  clearing  the  land  of  its  rocks  and  sage- 
brush, and  the  construction  of  ditches  to  convey  the 
water  of  the  river  over  his  land,  has  necessarily  been 
great,  but  a  glance  around  his  home-place  shows 
what  can  be  done  in  that  line.  He  is  at  the  present 
time  a  successful  stock-raiser,  and  has  experienced 
the  ups  and  downs  pertaining  to  an  early  settlement 
in  a  wild  and  barren  country.  His  residence  is  on 
the  Truckee  Meadows,  near  Reno,  in  Washoe 
County.  Ho  was  married  in  186C  to  Miss  Mary  F. 
Moore,  a  native  of  California,  who  died  in  May, 
1877,  leaving  four  children.  In  June,  1879,  he  was 
married  again,  to  .Mrs.  Mary  O.  Noyes,  who  is  a 
native  of  Massachusetts. 

OEOROE   SMITH,    SR. 

The  gentleman  referred  to  in  this  short  sketch  is 
a  native  of  England,  and  was  born  at  Sherrington, 


in  1816.  In  the  year  1854  ho  crossed  the  ocean 
and  found  a  home  in  the  United  States,  locating 
first  at  south  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  After  a  few 
years  he,  wjth  his  family,  came  to  Carson  Valley, 
Nevada,  and  soon  after  located  in  a  beautiful  valley, 
which  he  very  appropriatelj-  named  Pleasant  Valley, 
lying  further  to  the  north,  towards  the  noted  Steam- 
boat Springs.  He  now  resides  upon  the  same  ranch 
that  he  located  in  1S58.  Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the 
first,  if  not  the  first  white  man  to  settle  along  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains;  and, 
bj-  indomitable  will  and  groat  energy,  has  accom- 
plished what  very  few  men  could  have  done.  The 
danger  surrounding  such  an  early  settlement  among 
the  Indians  cannot  be  fully  portrayed.  He  has  a 
well-stocked  ranch,  his  business  Ij'ing  in  that  direc- 
tion, which  he  fully  understands.  He  has  a  large 
family,  consisting  of  eight  children,  all  living,  and 
an  estimable  wife. 

QEOROE   S.    SMITH. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  English  parentage, 
being  born  in  England,  in  the  year  1840.  At  the 
early  age  of  fourteen  years  he  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents,  and  lived  with  them  at  Salt 
Lake  Citj-,  Utah,  in  the  neighborhood  of  five  years, 
when  they  moved  to  the  western  portion  of  the  then 
Territory  of  Utah,  and  settled  near  his  present 
location,  in  Pleasant  Valley,  Washoe  County.  Being 
an  energetic  and  capable  young  man,  he  soon  dis- 
tinguished himself  among  the  pioneers  of  those  days, 
and  stands  well  in  the  estimation  of  his  neighbors 
and  acquaintances.  He  has  a  fine  farm,  containing 
160  acres,  adjoining  that  of  his  father.  He  was 
married  in  the  year  1862,  to  Miss  Ellen  Cook,  who 
is  a  native  of  Scotland,  their  union  being  blessed 
with  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living  at  the 
present  time,  death  having  broken  their  family 
circle  by  taking  their  oldest  child,  a  son.  Mr.  Smith 
is  pleasantlj'  situated  in  his  present  location,  and  is 
a  gentleman  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

PRINOIPAI,    lURIiiATINil   CANALS. 

Of  the  irrigating  canals  that  have  wrought  such  a 
wonderful  change  in  those  sage-brush  lands,  by  con- 
ducting to  them  the  refreshing  water  running  to 
waste  in  the  Truckee  River,  there  are  several  worthy 
of  special  mention.  The  first  one  of  consequence 
was  the  Cochrane  &  Longley  Ditch,  built  in  1864, 
at  an  expense  of  about  86.000.  It  is  seven  miles 
long,  and  carries  water  from  above  the  Reno  Bridge 
to  the  vicinity  of  Hutfaker's.  It  is  now  owned  by 
a  company  of  farmers. 

The  Lake  Ditch,  formerly  the  Drexler,  was  con- 
structed by  a  conipanj-  of  farmers  in  1865,  at  an 
expense  of  835,000.  It  heads  at  Hunter's  Bridge, 
and  follows  a  course  of  seventeen  miles  to  Steam- 
boat Valley.  In  1867  it  was  badly  damaged,  the 
company  became  involved,  and  the  ditch  was  sold 
to  Hatch  &  Lake,  at  Sheriff's  sale,  for  §1.500,  by 
whom  it  was  repaired  and  enlarged.  It  is  now  the 
property  of  M.  C.  Lake. 


634 


mSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


The  English  Ditch  was  built  in  1865,  to  conduct 
water  to  the  Auburn  Mill,  by  the  Washoe  Consoli- 
dated Company.  It  heads  a  little  above  Reno,  is 
five  miles  in  length,  cost  about  85,000,  and  is  now 
the  property  of  Samuel  Brown. 

The  Orr  Ditch,  running  from  a  point  three  miles 
above  Reno,  nine  miles  through  the  Truekee 
Meadows  to  Spanish  Springs,  was  commenced  by 
Henry  Orr,  and  completed  b)'  a  company  of  farmers 
at  a  cost  of  about  88,000. 

The  South  Side  Canal  takes  water  one  mile  below 
Mayberry's,  and  carries  it  to  Wheeler's  ranch,  five 
miles  south  of  Reno.  It  was  built  in  1876  by  a  com- 
pany of  farmers,  at  a  cost  of  about  $9,000.  Com- 
mencing two  miles  above  Hunter's  Bridge,  and  run- 
ning around  the  hills,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles 
towards  Steamboat  Springs,  is  the  Last  Chance 
Ditch.  It  was  built  by  farmers  in  1876,  and  cost 
815,000. 

The  Steamboat  Irrigating  Canal  is  by  far  the 
largest  work  of  this  kind,  being  thirty-four  miles  in 
length,  and  costing  over  850,000.  It  was  commenced 
in  1878,  and  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1880. 
The  ditch  takes  its  water  from  the  Truekee  River, 
four  miles  above  Verdi,  runs  parallel  to  the  course  of 
the  stream  several  miles,  then  turns  to  the  south  and 
crosses  the  creek  at  Steamboat  Springs;  it  then  turns 
to  the  north,  and  discharges  into  the  creek,  five 
miles  below.  It  was  built  and  is  owned  by  an 
incorporated  company  of  farmers.  Mr.  A.  M.  Lamb, 
who  came  to  Galena  Canon,  at  the  town  of  Galena 
in  1863,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  HufiFakcr,  is  Pres- 
ident of  the  Company. 

The  Highland  Ditch  is  owned  by  Evans  Brothers, 
and  has  been  in  the  course  of  construction  for  the 
past  three  years.  It  takes  water  from  the  river 
near  Verdi,  and  runs  along  the  north  side  of  the 
stream  to  within  a  mile  of  Reno.  Reno  is  now 
supplied  with  water  from  this  ditch,  which  cost 
about  815,000. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  products  of  the 
county  from  1865  to  1880,  the  number  of  acres 
under  cultivation,  the  stock  and  grain  raised,  and 
the  fruit  trees  and  vines  growing,  also  the  number 
of  irrigating  ditches,  the  reader  is  referred  to  pages 
135,  136,  139  and  140  of  the  general  history. 

RENO  IN  ITS  EARLY  DAYS. 

Lying  at  an  altitude  of  4,507  feet  above  the  sea, 
on  both  banks  of  the  Truekee  River,  in  the  rich  val- 
ley SO  long  and  well  known  on  the  old  route  of 
overland  travel  as  the  Big  Meadows  of  the  Truekee. 
Reno  is  the  center  of  the  most  important  agricultural 
district  in  the  State,  the  terminus  of  the  Virginia 
and  Truekee  Railroad,  and  the  principal  station  in 
Nevada  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific,  at  which 
point  goods  destined  for  Carson  City  and  Virginia 
City  are  transhipped.  Although  a  birth  of  the 
great  overland  railroad,  and  one  of  the  youngest 
towns  in  the  State,  it  is  full  of  life  and  vigor.  ;ind 
gives  indications  of  a  more  permanent  pro?;'  lity 
than  any  of  her  rival  sisters. 


In  1859  a  settlement  was  made  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  where  the  Lake  House  now  stands,  by 
a  man  named  Fuller.  At  this  point  the  river  could 
be  forded,  and  a  route  of  travel  was  laid  out  from 
California,  crossing  the  river  at  this  point  to  Virginia 
Cit)-  and  the  south.  The  house  was  kept  as  a  way- 
side inn  for  the  accommodation  and  refreshment  of 
travelers  and  the  long  pack-trains  and  freight  teams 
that  toiled  across  the  mountains  to  the  newlj'-dis- 
covered  land  of  silver.  This  was  but  one  of  several 
points  where  the  river  might  be  crossed,  and  in  1860 
Mr.  Fuller,  then  proprietor  of  the  road,  upon  which 
a  franchise  to  collect  toll  had  been  granted,  con- 
structed a  wooden  bridge  for  the  better  accommoda- 
tion of  travel.  The  winter  of  1862  was  one  of  ex- 
ceedingly high  water,  and  the  bridge,  in  common 
with  others  along  the  stream,  was  carried  away  by 
the  torrent. 

In  1863,  M.  C.  Lake  came  into  possession  of  the 
property,  and  rebuilt  the  bridge,  the  place  becoming 
known  as  Lake's  Crossing.  Again  in  1867  the  bridge 
was  damaged  by  high  water  and  rebuilt  bj-  Mr.  Lake. 
In  1865  an  English  company  built  the  Auburn  Mill, 
about  one  mile  from  the  site  of  the  town.  This  loca- 
tion was  selected  because  of  the  good  facilities  for 
fuel  and  water.  Quartz  was  brought  to  the  mill  from 
a  considerable  distance  in  several  directions,  it  being 
the  onlj'  mill  nearer  than  Wa«hoe  City.  The  Big 
Meadows  had  by  this  time  all  been  occupied  bj' 
settlers  who  had  brought  a  portion  of  the  rich 
soil  under  cultivation,  and  the  year  before  Reno 
sprang  into  being  saw  the  town-site  a  field  of  wav- 
ing grain. 

When  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  began  ascend- 
ing the  mountains  with  giant  strides,  the  officials 
looked  ahead  of  the  iron  horse  to  select  suitable 
spots  where  should  be  established  the  necessary  sta- 
tions. Somewhere  on  the  Truekee  River  it  was 
evident  must  bo  a  poiiit  where  the  goods  for  Virginia 
City  and  vicinity  would  be  unloaded  and  forwarded 
to  their  destination.  It  was  well  understood  that 
such  a  town  as  that  was  destined  to  bo  of  considera- 
ble importance,  and  care  was  used  to  select  the  most 
eligible  situation.  The  land  on  which  the  original 
town  was  laid  out  belonged  then  to  M.  C.  Lake, 
and  the  only  building  upon  it  was  one  he  had 
erected  at  the  north  end  of  the  bridge  with  the  inten- 
tion of  building  a  grist-mill. 

He  deeded  forty  acres  to  Charles  Crocker  in  con- 
sideration of  his  causing  a  station  to  be  established 
there,  laying  it  oft'  in  town  lots,  and  convoying  a 
certain  number  of  the  lots  back  again.  This  was 
accordingly  done.  The  town  was  christened  Reno, 
in  honor  of  (reneral  Jesse  Reno,  who  fell  at  the  bat- 
tle of  South  Mountain,  and  the  lots  were  placed  upon 
the  market  May  9,  1S68,  and  sold  at  auction,  some  of 
them  bringing  as  high  as  81,000. 

Although  the  railroad  had  not  approached  the 
town,  so  great  was  the  faith  in  the  future  of  the 
young  fledgling  that  people  hastened  hither  in  large 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


635 


numbers,  anxious  to  secure  desirable  sites  and  cast 
their  lot  with  the  young  city  that  had  such  a  prom- 
ising future  before  it.  Until  the  railroad  came  there 
was  but  little  business,  except  that  aftbrded  by  its 
construction,  and  the  people  had  to  live  upon  their 
own  means.  The  rude  and  hastily  constructed 
shanties  that  then  covered  the  town  site  gave  but 
little  promise  of  the  comfortable  and  even  elegant 
dwellings,  substantial  business  houses  and  commo- 
dious hotels  that  now  bear  witness  to  the  town's 
prosperity. 

As  in  all  such  cases  since  the  palmy  days  of  '49, 
saloons  were  the  first  places  of  business  to  be  opened, 
and  bj'  far  the  best  patronized.  For  a  few  weeks 
men  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  see  to  it  that  these 
"  necessary  evils  "  did  not  fail  for  lack  of  an  occa- 
sional two-bit  piece,  and  it  is  hardly  necessary  to 
remark  that  they  attended  to  this  dutj'  with  a  zeal 
worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

The  first  train  from  Sacramento  arrived  June  18, 
1868,  and  it  was  a  great  daj'  for  Reno,  bringing  with 
it  the  tangible  assurance  that  their  confidence  had 
not  been  misplaced.  From  that  day  Reno  counts  its 
career  as  a  business  town.  It  was  nearly  a  year 
after  this  event,  on  the  tenth  of  May,  18G9,  that  the 
last  spike  in  the  overland  railroad  was  driven  at 
Promontory  Point,  and  a  few  daj's  later  the  citizens 
of  Reno  assembled  at  the  depot  to  greet  the  first 
through  train  from  the  East.  Until  then  they  had 
but  faintlj*  realized  the  magnitude  of  the  railroad  and 
their  connection  with  it,  and  the  sturdy  pioneers  who 
had  loiled  but  a  few  years  before  a  laborious  journey 
of  four  months  across  the  plains,  mountains  and 
deserts,  gazed  upon  the  train  that  had  left  New 
York  but  six  days  previously,  and  exclaimed  as  did 
Gallileo  of  old,  "The  world  moves." 

No  sooner  did  trains  begin  to  arrive  from  Sacra- 
mento with  their  loads  of  freight  and  passengers 
than  Reno  began  to  bustle  and  hum  with  life  and 
activity.  Stages  left  dailj'  for  Carson  and  Virginia, 
crowded  with  passengers,  and  long  trains  of  freight 
wagons  were  loaded  with  goods  at  the  depot,  from 
the  scores  of  cars  that  arrived  weekly,  and  defiled 
through  the  streets  and  out  upon  the  roads  that  led 
to  their  destination. 

Those  wore  the  palmy  daj's  of  Reno;  work  for  all 
who  sought  it;  plenty  of  money;  good  prices  paid  for 
la'. or  and  goods.  The  number  of  men,  animals  and 
•vagons  required  in  transacting  this  immense  freight- 
ing business,  assured  emplo}-ment  and  prosperity  for 
the  merchant,  farmer  and  mechanic,  and,  it  may  be 
remarked,  to  the  saloon  keeper  also.  Where  there 
is  a  large  number  of  men,  well  employed  and  receiv- 
ing good  wages,  especially  when  the  majority  of 
them  are  unmarried  and  free  from  the  restraining 
care  of  the  home  circle,  there  the  saloon  finds  its 
most  inviting  field.  There,  also,  will  be  found  a 
class  of  human  cormorants  who  live  upon  the  labor 
and  toil  of  others  by  robbing  them  at  the  gaming 
table,  or  by  the  many  devices   of  which  money  is 


extorted  from  the  unwary,  or,  failing  in  that,  by 
open  violence  and  crime.  With  such  a  class,  in  com- 
mon with  her  sister  towns,  was  Reno  infested.  Sa- 
loons and  gambling  houses  opened  their  inviting 
door,  and  shameless  women  walked  the  streets  and 
enticed  men  into  dance  houses  where  music  and 
rcvelrj'  sounded  far  into  the  night.  Such  were  the 
infant  days  of  Reno,  but  the  settlement  of  families, 
the  establishment  of  churches,  schools  and  institu- 
tions of  learning,  the  presence  of  pure  and  cultivated 
ladies,  and  the  energy  and  determination  of  the  citi- 
zens, have  succeeded  in  making  a  marvelous  change, 
and  Reno  to-day  offers  but  slight  indications  of  the 
Reno  of  but  ten  years  ago. 

July  4,  1868,  J.  (".  Lewis,  who  had  for  several 
years  been  publishing  the  Eastern  Slope,  at  Washoe 
City,  removed  his  material  to  this  place  and  issued 
the  first  number  of  the  Reno  Crescent,  a  paper  that 
existed  nearly  ten  years.  The  second  paper  was 
issued  November  23,  1870,  by  J.  G.  Law  &  Co. 

During  the  first  two  years  of  its  life  the  town  had 
enjoj'cd  a  thriving  business  and  great  prosperity. 
The  population  had  steadily  increased  to  over  1,000, 
and  the  rude  shanties  that  composed  the  original 
town  had  given  place  to  neat  dwellings  and  fine 
frame  business  structures.  A  few  brick  buildings  had 
also  made  their  appearance.  Besides  this,  the  town 
had  spread  out  in  all  directions  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  town  as  at  first  laid  out.  The  town  as  first 
surveyed  and  platted  was  all  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  but  in  1870  M.  C.  Lake  annexed  an  addition 
on  the  south  side  of  the  stream,  and  J.  J.  Dunne  ex- 
tended the  limits  on  the  north. 

In  1871  L.  H.  Dyer  built  a  theater,  and  thus  added 
one  more  metropolitan  feature  to  the  town. 

In  September,  1872,  connection  with  Virginia  City 
by  means  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  was 
completed,  and  Reno  realized  that  what  had  been 
looked  forward  to  as  a  great  advantage,  was,  for  the 
time  being,  a  severe  blow  to  its  prosperity.  Indeed, 
the  citizens  had  begun  to  see  this  sometime  before, 
for  the  year  before  the  road  had  been  built  from 
Reno  to  Steamboat  Springs,  and  the  latter  place,  for 
the  time,  became  the  terminus  of  the  road  and  the 
point  where  goods  were  transferred  to  wagons  to  be 
carried  to  their  destination.  The  immense  freight- 
ing and  stage  business  to  the  south  that  had  kept 
Reno  bustling  with  activity  was  transferred  to  Steam- 
boat Springs,  and  upon  the  comjilction  of  the  road 
died  out  entirely.  Had  this  business  been  the  sole 
dependence  of  the  place  it  would  have  relapsed  into 
a  mere  station  on  the  railroad,  but  such  was  not  the 
case.  For  miles  up  and  down  the  river  were  large 
and  fruitful  farms  that  made  Reno  their  Bhip])lng 
point  and  from  her  received  their  merchandise,  and 
miles  to  the  north  and  west  lay  fertile  valleys,  well 
settled,  also  looking  to  Reno  for  their  supplies.  These 
resources  and  the  fact  that  Reno  is  an  important  sta- 
tion on  the  great  overland  route  of  travel,  as  well  a-* 
the  terminus  and  transhipping  point  of  another  ro.id. 


fi36 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


combined  to  keep,  and  always  will  keep  her  from 
becoming  a  place  of  Bceondarj'  importance. 

HENRY    LYM.\N    FISH 

Was  born  at  Sandwich,  Barnstable  Countj-,  Massa- 
chusetts, on  the  twenty- second  of  July,  1834.  After 
receiving  a  liberal  education  he  determined  to  visit 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and,  accordingly,  took  passage  on 
the  ship  Eliza   Warwick,  at  Boston,  bound  to  Hono- 


lulu, October  5,  1852.  On  the  eighth  of  February, 
1853,  he  reached  Honolulu,  and,  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  the  same  month,  ho  shipped  on  the 
brigatine,  William  Wallace,  and  arrived  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, California,  on  the  tenth  of  the  following  March. 
He  at  once  started  for  the  southern  mines,  and 
reached  Jamestown,  Tuolumno  C(junty,  April  7,  and 
engaged  in  mining.  July  1,  1861,  Mr.  Fish  removed 
to  San  Francisco,  where  ho  remained  until  Septem- 
ber, 181)2,  at  which  time  ho  came  to  Virginia  Citj", 
Nevada,  and  soon  after  settled  in  Ophir,  Washoe 
County. 

At  the  general  election  of  1863,  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Ophir,  and,  in  1864,  was 
elected  County  Assessor  of  Washoe  County,  but  was 
deprived  of  office  by  trickery  in  the  Constitutional 
Convention.  In  1866  he  was  elected  Count}-  Re- 
corder, after  serving  as  minute  Clerk  in  the  Assembly 
of  that  year.  He  was  re  elected  to  the  office  of 
Kccorder,  in  IBOS  and  187(1.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Iteno,  with  the  Washoe  County  records,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of  that  place.  In  1876  he  was 
elected  County  Assessor. 

Mr.  Fish  has  been  connected  with  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Reno  since  ite  organization,  and 


was  elected  a  Director  of  that  institution,  April  6, 
1881.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  for  many  years,  and  was  elected  Most 
Worshipful  Grand  Master  of  the  State  of  Nevada, 
at  the  annual  convocation  of  1878. 

He  was  married  at  Virginia  City,  November  1, 
1863,  to  Miss  Emily  C,  third  daughter  of  Ansel 
Tobey,  Esq.,  of  Sandwich,  Massachusetts.  They 
have  one  child  living,  named  Emily  Alice,  born  at 
Ophir,  Nevada,  January  20,  18G6. 

W.  R.  CHAMBERLAIN. 

Many  a  man  can  plead  a  case  succossfullj'  in  the 
Supreme  Court  who  cannot  keep  a  hotel.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  determine  precisely  the  qualities  which  enables 
a  man  to  entertain  the  public,  though  it  is  not  at  all 
difficult  to  determine,  when  we  enter  a  hotel,  whether 
the  landlord  is  in  his  right  place.  If  he  is  to  the 
"  manor  born,"  we  shall  feel  a  sense  of  home  prevad- 
ing  the  atmosphere;  of  comfort  crawling  over  our 
tired  limbs.  The  boot-jack  is  just  where  we  want  it 
to  draw  off  our  muddy  boots;  the  towels  are  clean 
and  fresh;  the  beds  invite  to  comfort  and  repose:  the 
food  on  the  table  looks  toothsome  and  wholesome; 
the  necessary  services  are  rendered  kindly  without 
ostentation  or  undue  servility;  and  then  the  face  of 
the  popular  landlord  is  cheerful;  a  reflex  of  his  own 
comforts;  a  certificate  of  the  genuine  character  of 
the  house  as  a  home  for  the  traveler.  Such  a  man  is 
our  landlord  of  the  Depot  Hotel  at  Reno,  known 
and  esteemed  by  all  the  traveling  public.  He  natur- 
ally takes  to  hotel-keeping  as  a  duck  takes  to  water. 
His  first  house  was  built  in  1808,  and  was  burned 
down  in  1878;  rebuilt  and  again  burned  March  2, 
1879,  the  last  fire  consuming  everything.  The  pres- 
ent house  was  built  during  the  summer  following  the 
fire,  and  is  a  commodious  structure,  170  feet  long  by 
32  feet  wide,  three  stories  in  height,  with  platform 
on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  twentj--eight  feet 
wide,  and  on  the  Virginia  and  Truckce  Railroad  fif- 
teen feet  wide,  with  fort}' -seven  large  and  airy  lodg- 
ing rooms,  bcsider  offices,  famiij-  sitting-rooms,  par- 
lors and  bath-rooms.  In  the  same  building  are  the 
offices  for  the  sale  of  railroad  tickets  and  iho  for- 
warding of  passengers  and  baggage,  so  that  the 
traveler  is  able  to  make  all  arrangements  for  his 
journey  without  delay  or  vexation. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County, 
New  York,  in  1842,  from  which  ])lace  he  moved  to 
Wayne  County  of  the  same  Slate,  coming  to  the 
Pacific  Coast  in  1864.  He  mined  six  years  in  Sierra 
County,  California,  before  coming  to  Reno.  He  kept 
several  public  houses  before  engaging  in  his  present 
0])eration.  He  kept  the  Cold  Spring  House  in 
Sierra.  California,  the  Plum  Vallej-  House  in  the 
same  county,  and  also  the  Little  Truckee  House,  the 
Carlin  Kating  House  at  Elko,  in  this  State,  and  the 
Elko  Eating  House  at  the  same  place.  Ho  was  mar- 
ried in  18(54  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  Peer,  of  Newark, 
Wayno  County,  Now  York.  They  arc  not  blessed 
with  children. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


G37 


PROTECTION   AGAINST   FIRE. 

So  rapidly  had  the  town  sprung  up  that  but  little 
attention  was  paid  to  any  particular  measures  against 
fire.  A  small  fire  in  1868  led  to  the  organization  of 
the  first  fire  company  in  the  town  on  the  seventeenth 
of  November  of  that  year.  Of  this  company,  the 
Reno  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  1,  James 
Finnigan  was  Foreman.  The  vitality  of  this  com- 
pany was  feeble  and  its  life  short.  At  this  time 
Messrs.  Browsky,  Howell,  Lake,  and  Ashton  were 
appointed  Fire  Wardens  of  the  town.  No  further 
means  were  provided  to  secure  the  property'  ot  the 
place  against  destruction  by  fire  for  over  two  years. 

On  the  fourth  of  April,  1871,  however,  a  meeting 
was  held  in  Pioneer  Hall  to  consider  measures  for 
protection  from  fire.  F.  F.  Osbiston  presented  the 
town  with  a  fire  alarm  bell,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  devise  measures  and  solicit  subscrijv 
tions.  Four  days  later  they  reported  in  favor  of 
constructing  seven  cisterns  in  convenient  locations 
for  storing  water,  the  cost  of  which  would  be  SI, 200. 
At  that  time  the  subscriptions  amounted  to  8900,  and 
the  committee  was  directed  to  complete  the  work, 
which  task  was  soon  accomplished  and  paid  for. 
The  cisterns  were  built  of  wood,  and  were  of  the 
capacitj-  of  about  1,600  gallons  each.  Ninety-five 
fire-buckets  were  also  purchased  and  placed  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  cisterns,  convenient  for  instant  use. 
Having  taken  these  precautions  the  citizens  felt  in  a 
measure  secure  from  destructive  fires. 

At  6:30  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  October  25, 
1875,  a  fire  was  in  some  manner  ignited  in  the 
residence  of  George  Schaffer,  on  Commercial  Row, 
and  before  it  could  be  extinguished  five  dwellings 
had  been  destroyed,  entailing  a  loss  of  §25,000. 
Loud  calls  were  now  made  for  a  Fire  Department, 
as  the  whole  city  would  have  been  destroj'cd  had 
there  been  a  high  wind  such  as  frequently  prevails 
there.  On  the  tenth  of  the  following  month  Reno 
Engine  Company,  No.  1,  was  organized  with  sixty- 
four  members,  and  J.  L.  McFarlin,  Foreman;  Mor- 
ris Ash  and  L.  Marks,  Assistants;  82,826  were  sub- 
scribed by  the  citizens  at  that  time,  and  more  sub- 
sequently. Considerable  discussion  was  had  for  a 
number  of  days  as  to  whether  a  hand  or  steam 
engine  should  be  purchased,  which  resulted  in  favor 
of  a  hand  engine,  and  one  was  accordingly  procured. 
In  the  following  January,  however,  it  was  decided 
to  purchase  a  steamer,  and  choice  was  made  of  a  La 
Franco  patent  rotary  engine,  which,  with  1,000  feet 
of  hose  and  two  carts,  cost  S5.000.  With  these 
appliances,  and  with  the  Railroad  Fire  Engine,  No. 
48,  the  city  seemed  to  bo  well  protected  from  fire. 
This  was  demonstrated  on  the  sixth  of  the  next 
October,  when  a  fire  broke  out  in  Jacob  GrofTs 
bakery,  on  Commercial  Row,  and  was  subdued  after 
two  buildings  were  burned.      Ijoss  about  815,000. 

On  the   twenty-first  of  July,   1877,    Washoe  Com- 
pany, No.  2,  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  tak- 
ing charge  of  the  hand  engine.     Allen  Bragg  was 
80 


chosen  Foreman,  and  R.  P.  M.  Kelly  and  N.  J.  Salis- 
bury, Assistants. 

At  the  present  time  the  F'irc  Department  consists 
of  three  volunteer  companies.  ]{eno  Fngine  Com- 
pany, No.  1,  has  charge  of  thofiro  steamer;  Washoe 
Engine  Company,  No.  2,  has  charge  of  the  hand 
engine;  and  Hose  Company,  No.  48,  has  charge  of 
the  hose  used  by  the  Railroad  Fire  Engine,  No.  48. 

PIIOPERTV    DESTROYED    BY    FIRE. 

The  first  serious  fire  occurred  Wednesday,  October 
29,  1873,  and  ere  it  ceased  its  ravages  destroj'cd 
more  than  lOO  buildings.  About  half-past  ten  at 
night,  flames  were  discovered  issuing  from  the 
Western  Hotel,  on  Commercial  Row,  between  Vir- 
ginia and  Sierra  Streets.  The  alarm  was  instantly 
sounded  and  people  rushed  from  all  directions  to 
the  scene  of  danger.  Befi)re  the  cisterns  could  be 
uncovered  and  the  buckets  brought  the  flames  had 
made  great  headway  and  were  burning  fiercely. 
The  citizens  fought  desperately,  but  wet  blankets 
and  buckets  of  water  seemed  of  little  avail,  and  the 
flames  spread  rapidly.  The  fire  quickly  reached 
Masonic  Hall  on  the  west  and  Barnett's  brick  block 
on  the  east.  Around  this  it  went  to  Virginia  Street 
and  down  to  Bell  &  Burke's  brick  store  on  Second 
Street.  Crossing  Virginia  Street  here  it  swept  back 
on  the  other  side  to  Commercial  Row.  In  two 
hours  were  burned  the  two  brick  blocks  bounded  by 
Sierra,  Center,  Second  and  Commercial  Row.  except 
four  stores,  a  few  dwellings,  the  Journal  office  and 
the  Masonic  Hall,  the  verj- business  heart  of  the  citj'. 

Good  service  was  rendered  by  the  railroad  firo 
trains  that  came  rushing  to  the  scene  from  Wads- 
worth  and  Truckee.  The  ('arson  City  fire  engine, 
S.  T.  Swift,  also  came,  but  owing  to  a  delay  of  the 
train  did  not  arrive  until  the  firo  was  under  control. 
The  loss  was  estimated  at  8100,000,  on  which  there 
was  considerable  insurance. 

In  the  evening  of  October  25,  1875,  Goorge  Schaf- 
f'cr's  residence  on  Commercial  Row  caught  fire,  and 
before  the  flames  could  be  extinguished  five  dwellings 
were  destroyed,  with  a  total  loss  of  825,000. 

A  few  minutes  after  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
February  13,  1877,  flames  were  seen  issuing  from  the 
upper  story  of  the  Depot  Hotel.  The  alarm  was 
sounded  and  the  Firo  Department  and  engine  No.  48 
quickly  ajipearcd  on  the  scene.  The  flames  were 
extinguished  after  damaging  the  building  to  the 
amount  of  815,000.  Mrs.  Lena  Johnson,  a  Swede 
chambeiTiiaid,  was  unable  to  effect  her  escape  and 
was  burned  to  death.  While  the  fire  was  burning 
fiercely  the  overland  train  from  the  East  arrived,  and 
passing  the  burning  building  safely,  stopped  just 
beyond  to  discharge  its  load  and  then  went  on. 

The  greatest  disaster  that  has  befallen  the  cour- 
ageous young  city  and  tho  greatest  event  in  her 
history,  is  the  memorable  fire  of  Sunday.  March  2, 
1879.  Almost  a  hurricane  was  blowing  that  Sabbath 
morning,  filling  the  streets  with  clouds  of  dost,  when 
fire  caught  in  a  pile  of  cedar  wood  back  of  tho  Rail- 


638 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


road  House,  supposed  to  have  been  caused  by  sparks 
blown  from  a  chimney  that  had  been  burning  out. 
The  flames  were  observed  by  an  old  lady  known  as 
Grandmother  Hogan,  who  emptied  two  tubs  of  water 
upon  them,  but  the  wind  blew  so  fiercely  that  they 
soon  got  beyond  her  control. 

The  Fire  Department  was  called  out  and  the 
steamer,  hand  engine  and  No.  48  all  responded  with 
alacrity.  The  efforts  of  the  firemen  and  citizens 
were  futile  in  the  face  of  the  wind,  and  for  four  long 
hours  they  fought  the  roaring  and  rapidly-spreading 
flames  without  avail.  The  fire  marched  on  until 
there  was  nothing  more  within  its  grasp  to  feed- 
upon,  and  then  died  out.  The  burned  district  em- 
braced ten  blocks,  including  every  business  house  in 
town,  save  two  grocery  stores.  The  Masonic  Hall 
and  Catholic  School  were  both  saved  almost  mirac- 
ulously, although  the  Catholic  Church  was  destroyed. 
Mrs.  John  Beck  was  burned  in  her  house  while 
endeavoring  to  save  some  of  her  property.  Three 
tramps,  named  Charles  Falncr,  James  Fitzpatrick 
and  Robert  Irvine,  met  the  same  fate  in  E.  C.  Mo- 
Kinney's  barn,  and  an  Indian  was  burned  in  the 
Nevada  State  Flouring  Mills. 

Hundreds  were  thus  rendered  homeless,  and  the 
supply  of  food  for  the  city  had  been  almost  totallj' 
consumed  by  the  hungry  flames.  That  night  large 
quantities  of  bedding  and  food  were  received  from 
Carson,  Virginia  and  other  places,  and  the  homeless 
made  as  comfortable  as  possible  in  the  churches  and 
dwellings  that  had  escaped  the  flames.  A  relief 
committee  was  organized,  and  everything  possible 
done  to  relieve  the  suffering.  The  next  day  a  bill 
was  introduced  into  the  Legislature,  at  Carson,  ap- 
propriating SKtjOOO  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers, 
and  received  the  Governor's  signature  within  an  hour 
of  its  first  introduction. 

The  most  extensive  losses  are  here  given: — 

Manning  &  Duck   .  $  50,000 

Gray  &  Isaacs 20.000 

Farmers' Co-operative  Association.  18.500 

Abrams  Brothers 25,000 

Judge    Marshall 18,000 

S.  M.  Jamison 15.000 

M.C.Lake 12,.5{)0 

VV.  H.  Chamberlain,  Depot  Hotel. .  25,000 

Nevada  Stale  Flouring  Mills 85,000 

D.  C.   McFarland 12,000 

D.  &  B.  Lachman 35,000 

C.  J.  Brookins  i*t  Co 10,000 

Barnett  Brothers 60,000 

Courtois  it  Boyd 20,000 

M.Nathan    17,500 

Pollard    House        12.000 

J.  Prescott IH.OOO 

Hill  &  Oaks .•..  10,000 

t)8burn  A  Shoemaker 14,000 

Central  Pacific  Kailroad  Company.  100,000 

PatHogan lo.ooo 

Mi-s.  Sim])son 11,000 

Mrs.  H.  Noyes 10,000 

Other  losses  approximating 320,000 

Total 8896,000 


The  amount  of  insurance  on  this  was  but  8194,600, 
leaving  a  total  loss  of  over  8700,000. 

Great  as  was  this  disaster,  the  energy  and  enter- 
prise of  the  citizens  was  greater,  and  soon  new 
stores  and  dwellings  began  to  appear  over  the  ashes 
of  those  that  had  passed  away.  So  great  was  the 
change  wrought  in  a  few  months  that  nearly  all 
traces  of  the  fire  vanished  from  sight,  and  Ileno 
appeared  to  bo  as  busy  and  prosperous  as  before. 
But  though  the  visible  effects  of  the  fire  could  be  so 
quickly  removed,  the  invisible  ones  could  not,  and 
Eeno  to-day  is  sufl'ering  in  her  business  and  commer- 
cial enterprises  from  the  severe  losses  of  the  great 
conflagration. 

INFESTED    BY    BAD    CH.ARACTERS. 

Mention  has  heretofore  been  made  of  the  number 
of  bad  characters  that  infested  Keno.  Several  times 
the  city  had  been  nearly  cleared  of  them  bj"  means  of 
notices  sent  to  the  more  notorious  ones  to  leave  within 
a  stipulated  time,  signed  "  601,"  and  known  to  emi- 
natefrom  an  association  of  citizens.  The  many  mis- 
deeds of  these  individuals  it  is  unnecessary  to  record, 
but  the  following  incident  is  of  interest  because  of 
the  peculiar  circumstances. 

For  some  time  prior  to  the  thirteenth  of  July, 
1874,  Reno  had  been  made  the  rendezvous  of  three- 
card-monte-men,  gamblers,  garroters,  and  burglars. 
Men  had  been  fleeced  of  their  money,  houses  and 
stores  entered  and  people  robbed  on  the  streets.  On 
the  night  in  question  Under  Sheriff  Kinkead  and 
Deputy  Sheriffs  Ilutton,  Jones  and  Avery,  jiosted 
themselves  about  town  to  watch  the  actions  of  five 
men  who  had  attracted  their  attention.  Sometime 
after  midnight  a  shot  and  cries  for  help  were  heard 
issuing  from  the  alley  back  of  Commercial  Row  and 
in  the  rear  of  the  post-oflSce.  Avery  rushed  to  the 
scene  and  found  the  five  men  beating  a  man  who 
proved  to  be  \V.  T.  C.  Elliott.  At  this  juncture  Elli- 
ott fired  two  more  shots,  which,  with  the  appearance 
of  the  officer,  caused  the  villains  to  run,  two  going 
out  upon  Virginia  Street  and  two  upon  Center. 
Avery  pursued  the  first  two  and  overtook  them  at 
the  bridge,  when  one  of  them  turned  upon  him  with 
his  gun,  but  when  Avery  covered  him  with  his  revol- 
ver exclaimed,  "  Don't  shoot!  I'm  wounded  now." 
It  was  found  that  he  had  a  bullet  wound  in  the  right 
breast  and  another  in  the  right  leg,  just  above  the 
ankle.  He  was  taken  in  charge,  tho  other  man 
escaping. 

Of  the  other  three,  one  was  captured  by  Officer 
Ilutton,  as  he  was  escaping  from  the  alley,  and  the 
balance  made  good  their  escape.  Officers  immedi- 
ately went  in  search  of  them,  and  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning  Kinkead  discovered  their  tracks  near 
the  railroad  bridge.  lie  at  once  rode  on  in  ]iursuit, 
and  when  he  arrived  at  Huffakers,  ascerlained  that 
they  had  taken  bieakfast  there.  Although  he  was 
warned  that  tho\-  were  well  armi-d  and  was  advised 
not  to  attempt  their  ca]>lure,  he  continued  the  pur- 
suit alone,  overtaking  them  at  Crane's.     Riding  up 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


639 


to  within  100  yards  of  them,  ho  disiuouiilod  and 
orderod  them  to  surrender.  They  drew  tlieir  weap- 
ons and  took  each  a  side  of  the  road.  Kinkead's 
shot-fjfun  was  loaded  with  buckshot,  and  covering 
one  of  thorn  with  this  the  officer  warned  him  to 
throw  down  hi.s  ])istol  before  ho  counted  three  or  he 
would  shoot.  The  only  response  to  this  was  a  laugh, 
and  when  the  fatal  three  had  been  counted,  the  offi- 
cer fired,  lodging  two  balls  in  the  man's  right  breast. 
They  then  threw  down  their  pistols  and  surrendered 
and  were  safely  conveyed  to  Reno  by  their  plucky 
captor. 

In  two  weeks  they  were  tried  and  sentenced  to 
twelve  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

THE   ASSOCt.\TI0N    OP    ■'601." 

Soon  after  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the  five 
disreputable  persons,  in  July,  1874,  there  was  formed 
an  Association  of  citizens,  who  were  known  as  the 
'"GOl."  The  object  of  this  Association  was  to  find 
out  and  watch  any  objectionable  characters  that 
might  infest  the  town,  and  to  give  them  "  tickets  of 
leave  "  whenever  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  rid  the 
town  of  their  presence.  These  notices  to  quit  the 
place  were  often  more  effective  than  suits  at  law 
or  open  violence  would  have  been.  A  few  da^'s 
after  the  fire  of  February  13,  1877,  this  Association 
issued  several  free  passes,  with  excellent  effect,  which 
were  duly  accepted  and  used  in  time  to  prevent 
scenes  of  violence. 

The  onlj"  time  that  it  bccamj  necessary  for"' the 
•'  GOl  "  to  demonstrate  the  fact  that  they  were  not 
a  mythical  organization  was  in  September,  1878. 

There  lived  in  town  at  that  time  a  saloon  keeper, 
named  W.  J.  Jones,  whose  unsavory  reputation  had 
followed  him  hither  from  California.  A  j'oung  ladj' 
in  San  Francisco  inserted  an  advertisement  in  one 
of  the  papers,  seeking  for  a  situation  as  a  lady's 
companion.  Jones  answered  it,  and  stated  that  he 
was  an  invalid  lady,  and  finally  made  arrangements 
with  her  to  como  to  Reno.  When  she  arrived  here, 
late  at  night,  Jones  met  her  at  the  depot  and  con- 
ducted her  to  his  saloon,  the  character  of  the  place 
not  being  observed  by  her  until  she  had  entered. 
Here  he  made  insulting  proposals  to  her,  which  she 
resented,  and  compelled  him  to  conduct  her  to  a 
hotel.  A  companion  of  Jones,  one  H.  J.  Carson, 
then  went  to  the  hotel,  and  by  representing  to  her 
that  she  was  not  safe  from  Jones  there,  induced  her 
to  accompany  him,  to  what  he  called,  a  ])laco  of 
safety.  ILo  conducted  her  towards  the  railroad 
bridge,  and  then  made  the  same  overtures  that  she 
had  received  from  Jones.  The  now  thoroughly 
frightened  girl,  alone  and  friendless  in  a  strange 
place,  and  at  the  mercy  of  such  villains  as  these, 
know  not  what  to  do  or  which  way  to  turn,  but 
finally  reached  the  hotel  again,  and  related  hor  story. 

The  indignation  of  the  citizens  was  intense  when 
the  news  was  circulated  the  next  da}'.  Carson 
was  arrested  for  vagrancy  and  lodged  in  jail,  much 
to  his  satisfaction,  for  he  feared    the  vengeance  of 


the  |)eoi)Ie.     The  young  lady  was  taken  in  charge 
by  the  Masons,  and  tenderly  cared  for. 

The  next  evening,  September  19,  1878,  Jones 
was  visited  in  his  room  by  a  body  of  men,  who 
bound  him  and  carried  him  to  the  south  end  of  the 
railroad  bridge.  That  evening  a  much  respected 
citizen,  William  Duck,  had  died,  and  as  the  captors 
proceeded  with  their  victim  the  church  bell  was 
tolling.  Imagining  that  the  bell  was  sounding  his 
own  death-knell  the  guilty  wretch  begged  and 
pleaded  for  mercy. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  bridge  they  found 
more  men  who  had  in  charge  a  large  kettle  of  tar 
and  a  liberal  supply  of  feathers.  lie  was  deprived 
of  his  clothing,  covered  with  the  hot  tar,  a  kettle 
of  the  hot  liquid  emptied  over  his  head,  his  face, 
hair  and  eyes  literally  filled  with  it,  and  then  liber- 
ally covered  with  snow-white  feathers.  His  cloth- 
ing was  then  put  on  him,  and  trembling  with  pain 
and  fright  he  was  given  a  ticket  to  Truckee,  and 
placed  on  the  Overland  Train. 

On  the  train  and  in  Truckee  he  was  the  subject 
of  a  great  deal  of  pity  by  people  who  were  not  con- 
versant with  the  facts,  and  the  act  was  denominated 
a  cruel  outrage  by  the  newspapers.  When,  how- 
ever, the  circumstances  were  brought  to  light  ho 
received  but  little  sympathy.  He  was  several  daj-s 
ill  Truckee  before  he  became  thoroughly  cleansed, 
and  the  blisters  made  by  the  hot  tar  were  a  con- 
stant reminder  of  tho  "GOl"  of  Reno  for  many  days. 
Carson  was  sentenced  to  fifty  days  in  jail  for  va- 
grancy, and  when  discharged  took  his  departure  from 
town. 

Notices  wore  also  sent  to  a  number  of  undesira- 
ble citizens  to  take  up  their  abode  in  some  remote 
locality,  and  some  of  them  departed  without  even 
waiting  for  this  little  formality.  One  of  these,  a 
young  man  nameil  Alf.  Howard,  or  better  known  as 
Jesse  Cook,  had  the  temerity  to  return  on  the 
twenty-eighth.  He  had  made  himself  obnoxious  by 
circulating  obscene  literature,  and  enticing  drunken 
men  into  houses  of  ill-fame,  and  tho  "GOl"  deter- 
mined to  show  that  they  meant  what  the}'  said 
when  they  issued  an  order  to  leave  town. 

About  seven  o'clock  the  next  evening  he  was 
enticed  into  the  alley  back  of  Morris  Ash's  saloon, 
where  he  was  seized  and  bound  by  a  body  of  men. 
His  cries  for  liel|)  brought  a  number  of  people  to 
the  rescue,  who  departed  as  hastilj'  as  thoy  came 
when  permitted  to  gaze  into  the  muzzles  of  tho 
numerous  revolvers  carried  by  the  men.  Cook  was 
taken  to  a  secluded  spot  on  the  river  bank,  and 
given  a  very  light  coat  of  tar  and  feathers  on  his  face 
only,  being  treated  leniently  on  account  of  his 
youth.  Ho  went  to  Truckee  and  joined  his  father, 
who  had  proviousl}'  been  driven  from  Reno.  They 
returned  the  next  morning,  and  took  the  train  for 
Virginia  City.  Since  these  events  it  has  boon  un- 
necessary for  tho  "GOl"  to  make  any  demonstrations 
whatever. 


640 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


EFFORTS  TO    INCORPORATE. 

In  the  early  part  of  1871,  when  it  was  definitely 
settled  that  Reno  was  to  be  the  countj"  seat,  elated 
with  past  success,  many  of  the  citizens  desired  to 
have  the  town  incorporated  to  ensure  better  protec- 
tion to  both  life  and  property.  This  was  opposed  by 
many  who  thought  the  expense  of  a  town  govern- 
ment greater  than  the  benefits  to  be  derived;  that 
the  township  officials  were  sufficient  to  maintain 
order,  anij  that  if  any  protection  from  fire  was 
desired,  the  money  could  be  raised  by  subscription 
among  those  most  deeply  interested.  A  public 
meeting  was  called  Januar}'  7,  1871,  and  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  draft  a  bill,  but  beyond  this 
nothing  was  do.ie,  and  the  matter  was  dropped. 

During  the  summer  of  1877,  after  slumbering  for 
nearly  six  years,  the  subject  of  incorporation  was 
again  discussed.  By  request  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
the  people  voted  on  the  question.  Two  hundred  and 
eighteen  votes  were  cast,  giving  a  majority  of  thirty- 
eight  in  favor  of  incorporation.  Steps  were  then  taken 
to  carry  out  the  will  of  the  people  thus  expressed. 
Nothing  was  accomplished  in  this  direction,  how- 
ever, till  a  general  Act  was  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature in  March,  1879. 

A  petition  having  been  presented  to  the  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  by  the  citizens  of  Keno, 
the  town  was  incorporated  April  8,  1879,  under 
the  provisions  of  the  general  Act,  approved  March 
8,  1879.  The  town  as  incorporated  embraced  the 
original  plat  and  Lake's,  Marsh's,  Hayden's,  Shoe- 
maker's, Hatch's,  Evan's,  North  and  Western  Addi- 
tions, described  as  follows: — 

Beginning  at  the  corner  of  sections  2,  3,  10  and 
11,  township  19  north,  range  19  east;  thence  east 
between  sections  2  and  11  and  1  and  12  to  the 
one -fourth  corner  between  sections  1  and  12; 
thence  south  through  the  middle  of  sections  12 
and  13  to  the  center  of  section  13;  thence  west 
through  the  middle  of  sections  13  and  14  to  the 
one-fourth  corner  between  sections  14  and  15 ; 
thence  north  between  sections  14  and  15,  10  and 
11  to  the  place  of  beginning;  containing  all  of  sec- 
tion 11,  the  west  one-half  of  section  12,  the  north- 
west one-fourth  of  section  13,  and  the  north  one- 
half  of  section  14,  township  19  north,  range  19  east. 

Thus,  nearly  ten  years  after  the  matter  was  first 
discussed,  Reno  became  an  incorporated  town.  The 
corporation  is  governed  by  the  Board  of  Count}- 
Commissioners,  who  levy  taxes,  pass  ordinances  and 
regulate  the  fire  and  police  departments. 

The  business  interests  of  Reno  may  be  summed  uj) 
as  follows:  Five  general  merchandise  stores,  four  gro- 
cery stores,  three  dry  goods  stores,  three  drug  stores, 
three  clothing  stores,  two  boot  and  shoe  stores,  three 
hardware  stores,  two  stationery  stores,  five  varietj' 
stores,  seven  millinery  and  dressmaking  establish- 
ments, three  furniture  stores,  three  jewelers,  one 
gun  store,  six  moat  markets,  four  livery  stables, 
three  large  and  seven  small  hotels,  fifteen  saloons, 
two  dailj-  and  weekly  newspapers,  one  lumber  yard, 


one  bank,  four  physicians,  one  dentist,  twelve  attor- 
neys and  a  number  of  restaurants  and  shops.  The 
manufacturing  industries,  besides  a  number  of  shoo, 
harness,  tailor,  blacksmith  and  wagon  shops,  are  the 
Washoe  Brewery,  Charles  Becker,  propHetor,  built 
in  September,  1870,  by  Becker  &Knust;  the  flouring 
mills  of  Lake  <k  Beck,  originally  built  for  a  feed  mill 
by  S.  C.  Fogers  and  A.  J.  Coghill,  in  1869,  but  soon 
converted  into  a  flouring  mill  and  called  Reno  Flour- 
ing and  Feed  Mill,  combined  in  1873  with  the  salt 
works  under  the  name  of  Nevada  State  Mills,  burned 
in  the  great  fire  of  March  2,  1879,  and  rebuilt  by 
Lake  &  Beck;  Auburn  Quartz  Mill,  built  by  an  Jln- 
glish  company  in  1805,  and  has  been  idle  for  some 
time;  B.  F.  Murphy's  salt  works.  Among  the  past 
industries  were  Seaton  &  Marshall's  Soap  Factory; 
Reno  Tannery,  bj-  George  \V.  and  A.  J.  Hatch;  and 
the  Reno  Planing  Mill,  by  S.  F.  Hoole. 

Reno  is  lighted  by  gas,  supplied  by  the  Reno  Gas 
Companj-,  has  a  good  theater,  five  churches,  com- 
modious school  building,  an  elegant  brick  high  school 
building  just  completed,  two  institutions  of  learning 
and  a  large  number  of  residences  and  dwelling-houses, 
well  protected  by  foliage  and  surrounded  b}'  well- 
kept  yards.  The  streets  are  broad  and  straight,  and 
the  town  is  well  supplied  with  shade  trees,  chiefly 
Cottonwood  and  poplar,  though  other  and  better 
varieties  are  now  being  introduced. 

The  Reno  public  school  house  was  built  in  Decem- 
ber, 1869,  at  a  cost  of  S4,000,  In  1874  an  addition 
was  made,  that  cost  84,000,  and  in  1877,  another, 
costing  S2,000.  The  fine  high  school  was  recently 
completed.  The  Catholics  have  in  contemplation  the 
building  of  a  college.  In  1875  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Nevada,  at  its  annual  conference, 
determined  upon  building  a  University.  A  commit- 
tee selected  Reno  as  the  location  most  desirable,  but 
nothing  further  has  been  done.  Reno  was  also  se- 
lected as  the  site  for  the  State  Agricultural  College, 
but  that  also  lies  dormant. 

L.    W.    LEE 

Is  a  native  of  New  York,  having  been  born  in  Gene- 
see County  in  1834.  When  he  was  quite  young  he 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Elkhorn,  Walworth 
County,  Wisconsin,  and  they  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  that  section  of  the  country.  In  1S60  Mr. 
Lee  crossed  the  plains,  and  located  at  Gold  Hill, 
Storey  C'ounty,  Nevada,  where  ho  remained  for  about 
five  years,  part  of  the  time  engaged  in  keeping  hotel, 
lie  afterwards  went  to  Long  Valley  and  engaged  in 
ranching  and  keeping  station  until  1873,  at  which 
time  he  came  to  Reno,  where  ho  has  since  resided. 
Mr.  Lee  is  the  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  well- 
known  livery  and  feed  stable,  situated  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Fourth  and  Sierra  Streets.  The  build- 
ing is  69x100  feet,  two  stories,  first  of  stone  and 
secondof  brick,  and  was  built  by  him  in  1875.  In  con- 
nection with  his  livery  business  ho  is  quite  exten- 
sively engaged  in  shipping  cattle,  often  ships  as  high 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


641 


as  8,000  head  in  a  single  year,  about  one-half  of 
them  being  weighed  at  Keno.  He  was  married  in 
December,  1858,  at  Elkhorn.  Wisconsin,  to  Miss  Julia 
D.  Moore,  a  native  of  that  place. 

EPISCOPAL   SEMINARY. 

December  18.  1875.  an  agreement  was  signed 
between  O.  M.  Whitaker,  Missionary  liishop  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Nevada,  and  about 
200  subscribing  citizens  of  Reno,  in  which  the  party 
of  the  first  part  agreed  to  build  a  seminary  for  the 
instruction  of  girls  in  English,  modern  European 
languages  and  the  classics,  to  cost  $20,000,  of  which 
the  parties  of  the  second  part  were  to  furnish  $5,000. 
Those  subscribing  SlOO  or  more  were  B.  F.  Leete,  D. 
A.  Bender  &  Co.,  0.  &  A.  Evans,  A.  J.  Hatch,  C.  C. 
Powning,  Manning  &  Duck,  Norton  &  Co.,  and  M.  C. 
Lake.  Six  and  one-half  acres  of  ground  in  the  north- 
west portion  of  the  town  were  secured  and  building 
was  commenced  June  1,  1876.  A  fine  structure 
40x88  feet  and  three  stories  high  was  completed  in 
October,  at  a  total  expense  of  §27,000,  large  enough 
to  accommodate  forty-five  regular  and  fifty  day 
scholars.  The  school  was  dulj^  opened  with  forty 
scholars  with  Miss  Kate  Sill,  Principal,  and  ibur  assist- 
ants. Of  the  building  fund  810,000  were  donated 
b}'  Miss  C.  L.  Wolfe,  of  New  Yoi-k,  who  was  really 
the  founder  of  the  institution.  To  the  energy  of 
Bishop  VVhitaker  is  due  the  successful  completion  of 

the  work. 

-MOUNT  ST.  Mary's  academy. 

In  the  winter  of  1878-79  the  Catholics  of  Nevada 
erected,  in  Reno,  a  fine  three-story  building,  45x05 
feet  in  size,  for  a  convent  school,  which  is  under  the 
charge  of  the  Dominican  Sisters.  It  is  of  wood  with 
a  brick  basement,  and  narrowly  escaped  destruction 
in  the  great  conflagration  that  occurred  soon  after 
its  completion. 

HEBREW    BENEVOLENT   SOCIETY. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  April,  1878,  the  Jewish 
citizens  of  Reno  organized  a  society  called  the  Chebra 
B'rith  Sholam,  for  religious  and  benevolent  purposes. 
Isaac  Barnett  was  President,  and  Isaac  Frederick, 
Vice-President.  In  consequence  of  the  destruction 
of  their  properly  in  the  great  fire  of  18711,  the  society 
went  out  of  existence,  but  on  the  tenth  of  August, 
1870.  the  Reno  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  was 
organized  with  twenty-one  members.  The  first  oili- 
cers  were:  Morris  Ash,  President;  D.  Peckner,  Vice- 
President;  E.  Meyer,  Secretary;  Thomas  Barnett, 
Treasurer;  A.  Prescott,  Messenger;  D.  Lachman,  M. 
D.  Levy,  and  J.  Prescott,  Trustees.  The  society  is 
in  a  sound  condition,  with  eighteen  members  and  a 
cemetery,  books,  para])hernalia,  etc.,  valued  at  §050. 
The  highest  membership  has  been  thirty-two,  and  it 
has  disbursed  8112.50  in  charitable  objects.  The 
present  officers  arc:  Morris  Ash,  President;  D.  Lach- 
man, Vice-President;  K.  .\[ayer,  Secretary;  Thomas 
Barnett,  Treasurer;  A.  Prescott,  Messenger;  Isaac 
Barnett,  Isaac  Frederick,  and  Benjamin  Lachman, 
Trustees. 


PRINCIPAL   TOWNS   AND   CITIES. 

Auburn  was  laid  out  and  named  in  1865  by  an 
English  company-,  who  erected  a  twenty-stamp  mill 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  present  site  of  Reno,  but  the 
birth  of  Reno  in  1868  so  overwhelmed  it  that  Au- 
burn died  in  its  infancy. 

Brooiclyn  is  on  the  south  side  of  Peavine  Mount- 
ains, and  midway  between  Reno  and  Verdi.  Here 
the  New  York  Company  began  running  a  tunnel 
early  in  1875.  It  was  said  that  the  company  expected 
to  expend  half  a  million  of  dollars  in  developing  their 
claim,  and  as  a  number  of  other  locations  were  made 
in  this  portion  of  the  Peavine  District,  the  new  town 
which  they  laid  out  and  named  Brooklyn,  seemed  to 
have  a  future  before  it.  A  boarding-house  for  the 
men,  a  few  shanties  and  the  shops  and  stables  of  the 
company  composed  all  there  ever  was  of  the  town  of 
Brooklj^n.  Considerable  monej*  has  been  spent  on 
the  mine  bj-  the  United  Brooklj-n  Mining  Company, 
and  machinery  has  been  erected,  but  little,  however, 
has  been  accomplished. 

Crystal  Peak  lies  in  a  grass}-  nook,  between 
the  jutting  hills  at  the  eastern  foot  of  the  Sierra. 
It  is  the  natural  outlet  for  an  extensive  tract  of 
timber  land,  and  for  that  reason,  and  because  of  its 
beautiful  and  healthful  location,  a  splendid  site  for  a 
thriving  town.  The  advantages  were  noted  and 
improved  by  the  Crystal  Peak  Company,  who  laid 
out  a  town  here  in  1864.  The  company  owned  lum- 
ber and  mining  interests  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
west  of  the  town,  in  a  mountain  containing  crys- 
tallized gold  quartz,  from  which  the  name  was 
derived. 

In  addition  to  the  gold  and  silver-bearing  quartz 
ledges,  coal  was  found  in  Dog  Valley,  and  a  number 
of  companies  were  formed  to  work  it.  The  scarcity 
of  fuel  in  this  State  rendered  a  body  of  lignite 
especially  valuable,  and  developments  were  watched 
with  considerable  interest.  It  was  soon  discovered 
that  the  seams  of  bituminous  matter  were  verj-  thin, 
that  the  coal  was  of  very  poor  quality,  being  largely 
intermixed  with  foreign  matter,  and  almost  useless 
as  a  fuel.  The  character  of  the  formation  denoted  a 
quite  recent  origin,  as  it  contained  fragments  of  wil- 
low leaves,  grasses,  etc.,  remains  resembling  some 
varieties  of  sage-brush,  and  the  elytron  of  a  beetle, 
apparently  the  same  as  a  species  now  found  on  the 
same  mountains,  and  attached  to  the  pinon.  These 
remains,  together  with  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
associated  with  the  surrounding  rocks,  indicate  the 
formation  of  a  much  more  recent  date  than  that  of 
the  beds  of  coal  in  the  Eastern  States  and  in  Eng- 
land. 

The  discovery  was  made  early  in  1864,  and  con- 
siderable work  was  done  in  the  few  subsequent 
years.  Several  thousand  dollars  were  expended  in 
sinking  shafts,  in  boring  by  artesian  pi'ocess,  and  in 
driving  tunnels,  some  of  the  shafts  being  continued 
to  a  depth  of  300  feet.     In  some  places  the  work 


642 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


wa.-  fii>l  done  by  Ijoriiig,  lh«ii  :ibal't!s  were  sunk,  and 
Bteam  machinery  erected  to  facilitate  hoisting  and 
pumping  operations.  The  result  of  the  developments 
was  to  demonstrate  the  almost  worthless  character 
of  the  coal,  and  the  mines  were  abandoned. 

The  same  result  followed  the  few  attempts  that 
were  made  to  work  the  quartz  of  the  district,  and 
that  industry  has  been  for  a  long  time  discontinued. 
The  lumber  interests  have  been  the  most  extensive, 
and  the  one  upon  which  the  region  has  placed  its 
chief  dependence.  Several  saw-mills  in  the  vicinity 
have  been  running  constantlj-;  the  Truckee  is  capa- 
ble of  furnishing  an  abundance  of  water-power,  and 
for  years  the  lumber  and  wood  supplied  from  this 
district  were  sufficient  to  support  quite  a  flourishing 
town. 

In  the  year  18G8,  Crystal  Peak  enjoyed  a  pros- 
perity such  as  she  has  not  known  since.  The  Cen- 
tral Pacific  Eailroad  was  then  just  entering  this 
State,  and  the  saw-mills  of  this  section  were  sup- 
plying the  immense  amount  of  necessary  materials 
for  its  construction.  All  was  bustle  and  business  in 
the  little  town,  and  hopes  were  entertained  that 
the  road  would  pass  through  it,  but  they  were  not 
realized,  for  the  line  passed  two  miles  to  the  left. 

From  that  time  the  old  town  went  into  a  rapid 
decline,  and  from  a  population  of  1,500  it  dwindled 
down  to  a  scant  few  who  still  cling  to  it. 

Franktown  is  the  pioneer  town  of  Washoe  County, 
being  settled  before  the  great  Comstock  Ledge  was 
discovered  and  before  there  existed  such  an  organ- 
ization as  Washoe  County,  as  has  been  fully  detailed 
in  the  preceding  history  of  the  county. 

The  town  of  Franktown  was  first  settled  in  1852, 
and  became  a  town  in  tlio  ycav  1855.  Its  early  his- 
tory has  been  fully  related  in  the  history  of  the  set- 
tlement of  the  county,  with  which  it  is  too  closely 
woven  to  be  separated.  It  was  but  a  small  hamlet, 
and  was  the  only  town  within  the  present  limits  of 
the  county  of  Washoe,  until  after  the  influ.K  of 
people  caused  by  the  silver  excitement.  The  saw- 
mill built  by  (Jrson  ilydo  was  the  only  manufactur- 
ing industry,  the  settlors  being  nearly  all  farmers. 

The  discovery  and  development  of  the  Comstock 
soon  had  an  eftect  0!i  Franktown.  The  saw-mill 
was  run  to  the  limit  of  its  capacity,  as  were  others 
in  the  vicinity.  A  brisk  demand  for  wood  and  lum- 
ber for  the  mines  kept  Franktown  busj-,  as  it  did 
other  places  in  the  valley.  A  sixty-stam]>  ([uartz 
mill,  costing  $250,000,  was  erected  here,  by  J.  II. 
Ball  &  Co.,  in  1861,  and  caused  a  great  increase  in 
the  business  and  population  of  the  town.  It  was 
burned  in  18(i5,  and  immediately  re-built,  but  was  a 
second  time  burned,  a  few  years  later. 

The  same  causes  (hat  destroj'ed  the  quartz  milling 
business  in  other  portions  of  the  valley,  took  effect 
here,  and  Franktown  had  a  decided  relapse.  In 
1872  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad  was  c  m- 
plotod,  and  this  place  became  quite  a  depot  fnr  ihe 
shipment  of  wood,  lumber,  and   produce,  from    ihe 


surrounding  farms  and  the  timber  lands  in  the  adja- 
cent mountains.  There  are  a  hotel,  two  stores, 
market,  blacksmith  shop,  and  a  number  of  neat 
dwelling-houses.  A  wood  Hume,  owned  bj-  the  Vir- 
ginia and  Gold  Hill  Water  Company,  terminates  at 
this  point. 

JOSEPH  FUEY 

Was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  on  the  ninth  of  February, 
1834,  where  he  remained  until  he  reached  his  fifteenth 
j^ear,  when  lie  came  to  the  United  States,  and  settled 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  for  seven  months  he 
worked  as  a  gardener.  He  then  went  to  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana,  where  he  learned  the  butcher's  t-rade. 
Being  of  a  roving  disposition,  and  possessing  a  desire 
to  see  the  United  States  in  the  fullest  possible  man- 
ner, he  traveled  most  of  the  time  during  the  succeed- 
ing five  years,  spending  a  few  months  in  a  place  in 
manj-  of  the  Southern  and  Western  States.  His  first 
experience  on  the  Pacific  Coast  was  inCalif'ornia,  in  the 
j'ear  1854,  where  he  remained  onlj'  six  months,  going 
over  the  mountains  to  Nevada,  where  he  passed  one 
year  and  returned  to  California.  In  1859  he  again 
came  to  Nevada,  and  the  next  year  bought  his  pres- 
ent ranch,  near  Franktown,  and  since  then  lie  has 
followed  farming  and  butchering  at  his  present  loca- 
tion. In  1S79  he  purchased  a  fine  farm  near  Peno 
with  a  view  of  making  it  his  future  residence  in  order 
to  give  his  children  better  school  privileges,  having 
already  erected  fine  improvements  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Frey  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  Schatter  on 
the  seventeenth  of  November,  1802.  They  have  eight 
children,  five  bo3-s  and  three  girls. 

Glenuat.e  was  formerlj-  known  as  Stone  &,  Gates' 
Crossing,  a  trading-post  having  been  established 
here  in  1H57,  by  ("Charles  C.  (Jates  and  .Tohn  F.  Stone. 
It  is  but  a  few  miles  below  Peno,  and  a  portion  of 
the  travel  to  Virginia  City  crossed  the  river  at  this 
))oint,  instead  of  at  the  several  crossing  jilaces  above. 
Stone  &  Gates  kept  the  I'armcrs'  Hotel  at  this  ))oint. 
In  1800  Stone  &  (iates  built  a  bridge  here,  which 
was  carried  away  by  the  high  water  in  1SG2,  when 
the  county  constructed  a  free  bridge.  \  store  was 
built  hero  in  1800,  and  soon  quite  a  town  sprang  up, 
consisting  of  two  stores,  hotel,  market,  blacksmith 
shop,  saloons,  etc.,  which  received  the  name  of  (ilen- 
dale.  It  enjoyed  its  lease  of  life  but  a  short  time, 
however,  for,  two  years  later,  the  new  town  of  Peno 
absorbed  all  the  business  it  formorlj-  enjoyed,  and 
the  town  of  (Jlendale  vanished  from  sight.  Mr. 
Gates  died  in  1878,  and  Jlr.  Stone  now  resides  in 
Dutch  Flat,  California. 

•lA.MES    SULLIVAN 

Is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  born  on  the  first  of 
February,  183C.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he 
crossed  the  water  to  America,  and  immediatelj-  after 
landing  went  to  Port  Jervis,  Orange  County,  New 
York,  where  he  had  relatives  living,  where  ho  re- 
mained until  ISGO,  when  ho  came  to  California  by 
way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  arriving  in  San  Fran- 
cisco on  the  twenty-fourth  of  September.     One  month 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


643 


later  he  went  to  Sueramento,  and  was  cmplo3'ed  in 
the  hardware  establishment  of  Gillig,  Mott  &  Co., 
duriiifj  the  next  two  years.  In  1SG2  he  came  to 
Nevada  on  business  connected  with  the  firm,  and 
being  favorably  impressed  with  the  country,  decided 
to  locate  here,  which  he  did  in  the  month  of  March, 
18G3.  in  Truckee  Meadows,  three  miles  northeast  of 
Reno,  on  the  Surpri.se  Valley  lioad,  where  he  now 
resides.  In  18(j4  he  was  in  partnership  with  P.  J. 
Kelley  in  the  hotel  business  at  (ileiidalc,  and  during 
the  same  year  built  a  hotel  on  the  Peavine  Road, 
but  soon  after  he  withrew  from  the  partnorshi]) 
a  heavy  snow  and  rain-storm  having  destroyed 
the  well,  which  had  been  dug  at  great  expense, 
therebj-  rendering  the  property  valueless.  In  1872 
Mr.  Sullivan  built  a  fine  brick  house  on  the  site  of  his 
first  residence.  His  ranch  consists  of  lU)  acres  of 
very  jiroductive  land,  also  100  acres  of  grazing  land, 
all  of  which  is  fenced  and  well  watered  by  irrigating 
ditches  on  overj-  part  of  the  ranch,  which  is  also 
well  stocked  with  cattle.  Through  his  indomitable 
will  and  energy  he  has  made  a  beautiful  place  out  of 
a  waste  of  sage-brush,  for  which  he  deserves  great 
credit. 

Galena  was  laid  out  in  the  spring  of  18(10  by  A. 
J.  and  R.  S.  Hatch,  who  then  organized  the  mining 
district  of  Galena  in  the  edge  of  the  mountains  on  the 
\ve8t  of  Pleasant  Valley.  They  also  built  a  smelting 
furnace,  the  first  one  on  this  side  of  the  Sierra,  and 
constructed  a  road  one  and  one-half  miles  long  from 
the  town  to  the  mines  at  Galena  Hill. 

The  district  received  its  name  from  the  large  ([uan- 
tities  of  galena  in  the  ore.  The  ore  assayed  about 
8200  to  the  ton,  and  great  things  were  expected  of 
it.  Several  unsuccessful  trials  were  made  to  reduce 
the  ore,  the  failure  being  ascribed  to  ignorance.  Con- 
siderable work  was  done  on  the  mines  and  a  quartz 
mill  erected,  in  which  the  ores  from  this  and  sur- 
rounding districts  were  worked.  1'he  fact  was 
demonstrated  that  the  ore  was  too  base  and  the 
amount  of  silver  too  small  to  be  worked  to  advan- 
tage, and  the  mines  were  abandoned. 

At  this  time  the  business  of  the  town  underwent  a 
radical  change.  The  town  was  moved  half  a  mile 
further  up  the  creek,  and  it  became  a  flourishing 
lumber  camp.  For  five  or  six  years  the  business  was 
good,  and  the  town  had  a  poj)ulation  of  over  ;iOO, 
chieflj'  Italians;  but  as  soon  as  the  lumber  became 
exhausted  the  town  disappeared.  While  in  the 
height  of  its  prosperity  the  town  was  almost  blotted 
out  by  fire.  At  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  May 
27,  18(15,  during  the  prevalence  of  a  high  wind,  a  fire 
was  started  that  soon  ilestroyed  lifly  houses.  The 
citizens  bore  their  losses  bravely,  and  soon  a  new 
town  appeared  upon  the  spot. 

lIcNTEit's  liRiDiiKisH  crossing  point  of  the  Truckee. 
midway  between  Reno  and  Verdi.  It  was  on  one  of 
the  routes  of  travel  to  the  Washoe  country  from 
California.    In  1860  a  man  named  Stout  built  a  bridge 


here.  John  Hunter  also  kept  a  hotel  at  this  place. 
In  1 8fi2  M  r.  Stout  was  drowned,  and  the  bridge  carried 
away  by  high  water,  but  the  Henness  Pass  Toll-road 
Company  rebuilt  the  bridge,  which  became  free  upon 
the  expiration  of  the  franchise  in  1872. 

HuKFAK Kit's  is  a  station  on  the  Virginia  and 
Truckee  Railroad,  seven  miles  south  ol  Reno.  In 
185!)  (;.  W.  lluftaker  and  L.  P.  Drexler  brought  500 
head  of  cattle  into  the  Truckee  Meadows,  and  settled 
on  the  ranch  still  occupied  by  Mr.  Huttakcr.  Hr. 
Drexler  now  resides  in  Virginia  City. 

In  18G0  Langton's  Pioneer  Express  established  an 
office  here,  and  iti  18(i2  a  post-office  was  located  here 
with  G.  VV.  Hutfaker  as  Postmaster.  In  1863  Straus 
&  Cramer  opened  a  store,  as  this  was  quite  a  station 
on  the  stage  route.  Cramer  died  in  18(54,  and  L.  P. 
Drexler  purchased  his  interest.  In  1866  Armsti'ongiS: 
Adler  bought  the  store,  and  in  1869  moved  it  to  the 
new  town  of  Palisade,  on  the  Centi'al  Pacific  Rail 
road.  The  same  year  both  the  post-office  and  the 
express  office  of  Wells,  Fargo  it  Co.,  who  had 
succeeded  Langton's  Pioneer  Express,  were  re- 
moved. In  1871  the  ^'irginia  and  Truckee  Railroad 
was  completed  through  this  place  from  Reno,  and 
Huffaker's  became  a  regular  station  from  which 
considerable  produce  is  shipped  li)-  the  farmers.  The 
Bonanza  V  Flume  also  ends  at  this  point,  and  large 
quantities  of  wood  are  shipped, 

JoNEsviLLE  was  laid  out  two  miles  from  Pj'ramid 
City,  at  which  point  is  situated  the  Jones  &  Kin- 
kead  Mine,  the  most  important  in  the  district,  and 
the  one  on  which  the  most  work  has  been  done. 

Work  has  been  temporarilj'  suspended  on  this 
mine,  and  as  the  developments  in  other  claims  have 
not  proved  as  satisfactory  as  hoped,  the  district  is 
but  lightly  populated.  P^-ramid  City  contains  a 
post-office  and  four  buildings,  and  the  town  of  Jones- 
ville,  a  hotel,  a  store  and  a  dozen  cabins. 

MiLi,  Station  is  two  and  one-half  miles  south  of 
Franktown.  This  was  an  old  mill-site;  and  is  now 
the  terminus  of  a  wood  flume  from  the  mountains, 
and  a  station  on  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad, 
and  contains  several  little  cabins. 

Ophir  is  three  miles  below  Washoe  City  and  one 
mile  above  Franktown.  Hero  the  Ophir  Mining 
Compan}'  erected  a  quartz  mill  and  reduction  works 
in  1861.  To  this  mill  was  drawn  all  the  ore  taken 
from  the  company's  mine  in  Virginia  City,  The  mill 
was  an  immense  stone  structure,  and  the  seventy- 
two  stamps  and  other  machinor}-  were  run  by  steam- 
power.  The  company  also  owned  fourteen  sections 
of  wood  land  and  700  acres  of  valley  land  adjacent 
to  the  mill,  through  which  ran  a  fine  stream  of 
water  that  supplied  the  mill  with  that  necessary- 
article.  The  ;nili  cost  8')00,000,  and  a  bridge  more 
than  a  mile  in  length,  crossing  the  marsh  above 
Washoe  Lake,  cost  875.(1(10.  The  mill  emplo}-e<l  15(1 
hands,  ami  quite  a  town  sprang  up,  second  in  size 
only  to  Washoe  Citj-  in  the  county. 


644 


HISTORY  OF  TflE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


In  1863  a  railroad  was  projected  to  run  from  Vir- 
ginia City  to  Ophir,  witli  branches  to  the  other 
mills  and  into  the  timber  lands,  but  was  never  con- 
structed. The  connection  of  Empire  City,  on  the 
Carson  River,  with  the  Comslock  mines,  by  means 
of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Railroad,  was  the 
cause  of  the  abandonment  of  the  Ophir  works  and 
the  utter  desertion  and  demolition  of  the  town.  The 
dismantled  ruins  of  the  old  works  and  one  dwelling- 
house  now  serve  to  mark  the  spot  where  once  stood 
a  busy  village  of  500  people. 

Pyramid  District  lies  a  few  miles  west  of  the  south 
end  of  Pyramid  Lake.  As  early  as  1860  prospectors 
were  through  this  region,  and  ledges  were  discovered, 
but  were  considered  of  little  value  and  were  not 
worked.  The  croppings  along  the  surface  are  ex- 
posed to  view  for  a  long  distance,  and  lay  unnoticed 
for  a  number  of  years.  On  the  sixth  of  March,  1876, 
Dr.  S.  Bishop,  of  Reno,  located  the  Monarch  and  was 
soon  followed  by  many  others.  The  doctor  had  been 
on  a  pi'ofessional  visit  to  the  neighborhood,  and  had 
found  on  a  table  in  the  house  a  piece  of  the  rock, 
which  he  took  home  with  him,  the  result  of  the  assay 
inducing  him  to  make  the  above  location. 

A  two-stamp  prospect  mill  was  erected  by  Bishop, 
and  the  result  of  its  workings  caused  quite  a  rush  of 
people  to  the  new  district.  The  ore  so  closely  re- 
sembled that  of  the  Comstock  that  it  was  proclaimed 
that  "  another  Comstock  "had  been  found,  and  some 
went  so  far  as  to  assert  that  it  was  the  same  vein  as 
its  noted  predecessor  of  ALount  Davidson. 

l*Yn.\Miii  CiTV  was  at  once  laid  out,  and  a  board- 
ing house  and  a  few  buildings  were  erected,  the  pop- 
ulation soon  amounting  to  nearlj-  I50((.  During  the 
summer  of  1876  daily  crowded  stages  ran  from  Reno 
to  Pyramid  City.  Another  town,  called  Cold  Springs, 
was  also  started  some  three  miles  to  the  east.  The 
district  was  organized  at  a  miners'  meeting,  held 
April  12,  187G.  Five  town  sites  were  surveyed,  and 
all  the  springs  and  mill  sites  in  the  vicinity  were 
located. 

PoEVii.i.E,  a  small  mining  camp,  sometimes  denom- 
inated Peavine,  Poe  City,  or  I'odunk,  is  situated  in 
the  Peavine  Mountains  in  the  Peavine  .Mining  Dis- 
trict, nine  miles  from  Reno. 

The  Peavine  ledges  were  discovered  in  1863,  and  a 
district  twenty  miles  long  and  about  ten  miles  in 
width  was  organized.  In  the  center  of  the  district 
is  a  clusler  of  small  springs,  near  which  a  house  was 
built  in  IStJd,  and  fi'oni  the  jjeavines  growing  about 
the  springs  the  mountains  received  their  name. 

The  lodes  of  the  district  are  from  three  to  twenty 
feet  thick,  and  lie  in  a  granite  and  metamor]ibic  for- 
mation. Several  tunnels  were  run  in  on  a  number  of 
the  ledges  soon  after  the  discovery  of  the  district, 
and  ore  taken  out  that  assayed  from  fifteen  to  fortj' 
per  cent.  coj>i)er.  and  from  Slid  to  8500  per  ton  in 
gold  and  silver.  Some  choice  ores  reduced  at  the 
Auburn  Mills  yielded  100  ounces  of  silver  to  the  ton. 


Smelting  works  on  the  Swansea  plan,  with  a  capac- 
ity of  ten  tons  per  day,  were  erected  in  the  district, 
and  several  other  furnaces  were  projected.  A  town 
named  Peavine  was  laid  out  at  the  springs  in  1863, 
that  contained  several  houses  while  the  mines  were 
being  prospected. 

The  ore  refused  to  be  worked  by  the  ordinary 
process,  and  the  mines  were  largely  deserted,  although 
a  few  clung  to  them,  in  the  hope  that  the  future 
would  enable  them  to  be  worked.  The  canons  in 
the  mountains  were  worked  for  placer  gold,  when 
plenty  of  water  was  to  be  had  in  the  spring. 

In  1863,  John  Poe  and  others  resumed  work  in 
this  district,  and  developed  several  rich  ledges,  the 
Poe,  Paymaster,  and  Golden  Fleece,  being  the  most 
prominent.  The  first  two  were  united,  and  the 
Consolidated  Poe  became  the  leading  mine.  A  ten- 
stamp  mill,  in  connection  with  a  new  stj'le  of  fur- 
nace, was  erected,  and  considerable  money  spent  in 
developments  and  improvements.  The  town,  then 
called  Poe  City,  increased  rapidly  to  a  population 
of  200,  and  a  store  was  established. 

The  ores  were  found  to  be  very  rebellious,  some 
of  them  possessing  the  most  complicated  combina- 
tions of  minerals  known.  Many  new  processes  were 
introduced  and  tested  here,  each  one  with  a  great 
deal  of  confidence,  but  all  to  no  purpose;  and, 
although  the  ores  assayed  extremely  high,  enough 
could  not  be  extracted  from  them  to  pay  for  the 
working.  After  spending  about  820(1,000,  the  Con- 
solidated Poe  ceased  operations,  as  did  also  nearlj- 
all  the  companies  working  in  the  district.  The 
town  of  Poeville  has  but  about  a  dozen  inhabitants. 
In  the  future  these  ledges  will  probabl}'  be  worked, 
as  thej-  are  of  undoubted  richness,  and  only  require 
the  proper  method  of  treatment  to  make  their  value 
known. 

STEA.MBOAT   SPRINGS. 

As  these  springs  are  among  the  greatest  natural 
curiosities  of  the  State  u  detailed  (lescri])tion  of  them 
is  in  order,  and  more  especially  as  thej'  are  fast 
becoming  the  favorite  resort  of  invalids  and  tourists. 
Nature,  in  an  eccentric  mood  made  these  springs  for 
the  benefit  of  mankind,  and  in  this,  as  in  others  of 
her  wonderful  creations  succeeded  admirably.  They 
are  situated  in  Steamboat  Valley,  an  extension  of 
the  Washoe  Valley,  at  an  altitude  of  4,500  feet  above 
the  sea,  eleven  miles  south  of  Heno  and  twenty-eight 
miles  by  railroad  from  Carson  City,  anil  forty  miles 
by  the  same  mode  of  conveyance  from  Virginia  City, 
while  by  the  wagon  road  from  the  latter  place  it  is 
only  nine  miles.  The  tract  of  land  on  which  the 
springs  are  situated  contains  eighty  acres.  The  build- 
ings consist  of  a  fine  hotel,  with  twent}-  rooms,  also 
five  cottages  containing  a  like  number  of  rooms. 
Connecteil  with  the  main  hotel  is  a  bath-room  build- 
ing, containing  fiitcon  seperate  sets  of  baths  each,  a 
set  consisting  of  a  steam  bath  from  a  hot  suljihur 
spring,  also  tub  anil  shower  baths.  No  artificial 
agencies  are  employed  in  the  beating  of  the  water, 


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RANCH    OF   JOSEPH     FREY,     FRANKTii 


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H     OF     JOSEP 

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'  N  1879. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


645 


bat  niilure  provides  the  same  all  heated  before  it 
reaches  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  tempera- 
ture is  212°  Fahrenlioit.  Fiftj'  thounand  dollars  in 
coin  has  been  expended  in  improvements  upon  the 
buildings  and  land,  and  preparations  are  in  progress 
for  still  greater  the  coming  season.  There  is  a  drug 
store  connected  with  the  establishment,  and  the  pres- 
ent proprietors  have  added  an  electric  bath,  with  all 
the  latest  improvements,  the  two  latter  being  under 
the  immediate  supervision  and  direction  of  Dr.  II. 
Rozsas,  Professor  of  Medicine,  and  late  a  member  of 
the  California  State  Board  of  Medical  Examiners. 
The  doctor  is  a  gentleman  thoroughly  conversant 
with  his  profession  and  is  a  graduate  of  Wein,  Leip- 
zig, Prag.  Munich  and  Paris.  His  wife  is  associated 
with  him  and  acts  as  nurse  when  occasion  requires. 
Before  reaching  these  wonderful  springs  the  traveler 
is  notified  of  their  existence  and  locality  by  large 
wreaths  of  steam  that  wind  in  a  serpentine  manner 
towards  the  heavens,  visible  at  a  great  distance. 
The  early  emigrants  to  California  relate  some  won- 
derful stories  in  relation  to  these  freaks  of  nature,  of 
their  puffing  and  blowing  off  steam  like  a  steamboat, 
hence  their  name.  It  is  also  claimed  that  in  those 
daj's  the  chemical  action  in  this  strange  laboratory  of 
nature  was  much  more  violent  than  at  the  present 
time,  but  the  phenomenon  even  now  is  sufficiently 
curious  to  interest  and  puzzle  the  most  scientific 
beholder.  The  property  is  at  present  owned  by  C. 
F.  Moeller  &  Co.,  who  thoroughly  understand  cater- 
ing to  the  traveling  public.  The  springs  are  on  the 
westerly  half  of  the  tract,  and  issue  from  a  rocky 
mound  formed  of  incrustations,  about  one-quarter  of 
a  mile  long  by  400  feet  wide.  Running  lengthwise 
of  this  mound  are  fissures,  about  one  foot  wide  of 
very  irregular  construction,  from  which  comes  the 
water  and  steam.  The  Virginia  and  Truckee  Rail- 
road runs  nearlj-  through  the  center  of  this  tract, 
the  springs  and  buildings  being  on  the  west  side  of 
the  road.  A  stream  of  pure  cold  water  also  runs 
through  this  land. 

The  springs  were  located  in  18G0  by  Felix  Monet, 
a  Frenchman.  The  southern  portion  was  located 
in  18G0  by  a  man  named  Cameron,  who  was  negli- 
gent about  perfecting  his  title.  Doctor  Ellis  took  up 
the  same  properly  in  18C1,  and  proceeded  to  improve 
it.  Cameron  sold  his  title  to  Charles  VV.  Cullins,  who 
commenced  suit  to  obtain  possession.  Doctor  Ellis 
built  a  hospital  in  1862,  with  accommodations  for 
thirty-four  patients,  and  erected  six  or  seven  bath- 
houses in  connection  with  the  springs.  The  litiga- 
tion dragged  along  until  1807,  Doctor  Ellis  still  hold- 
ing possession,  when  a  final  decision  was  rendered  in 
favor  of  Mr.  Cullins.  About  the  time  that  Doctor 
Ellis  was  dispossessed  the  improvements  were  burned 
to  the  ground,  the  fire  believed  by  some  to  have  been 
of  incendiary  origin.  Mr.  Cullins  then  procured  a 
United  States  patent  for  the  property,  and  in  1871 
built  a  tine  depot  and  connecting  buildings  for  the 
accommodation  of  guests. 
81 


In  the  fall  of  1871  the  Virginia  and  Truckee  Rail- 
road was  completed  to  this  point  from  Reno,  and  this 
place  remained  the  terminus  for  nearly  a  year. 
Quite  a  town  sprang  up  instantly,  as  goods  brought 
by  the  railroad  were  here  transferred  to  freight 
wagons,  and  the  immense  freighting  business  of  Reno 
was  taken  here  to  a  large  extent.  The  completion 
of  the  railroad  to  Carson  City  extinguished  its  com- 
mercial light,  and  the  new  town  disappeared.  In 
187;{  Mr.  Cullins  fell  into  one  of  the  springs,  and  was 
so  severely  scalded  that  he  died  soon  after.  In  the 
fall  of  1874,  M.  and  J.  Rajip  ])urcliased  the  property, 
and  erected  the  hotel.  In  iMarch,  1880,  a  post-office 
was  established  here,  with  J.  Rapp  as  Postmaster. 

In  1876  deposits  of  sulphur  and  cinnabar  were 
opened  near  here  by  Tom.  Wheeler  and  Louis  Dean, 
who  sold  in  1877  to  P.  A.  Humbert,  since  which  time 
the  mine  has  been  steadilj-  worked  by  the  Nevada 
Quicksilver  Mining  Company.  Large  quantities  of 
pure  sulphur  have  been  taken  from  around  the 
springs. 

"W.ADSWORTH  is  at  an  elevation  of  4,077  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  and  is  one  of  the  lowest  points  on  the 
line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  in  this  Slate. 
The  Big  Bend  of  the  Truckee  is  a  place  familiar  to  all 
overland  emigrants  who  came  by  this  route,  as  being 
the  place  where  they  first  found  plenty  of  good,  pure 
water  upon  emerging  from  the  desert;  and  here, 
where  the  river  turns  to  the  north  to  find  its  home  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Pyramid  and  Winnemucca  Lakes,  is 
where  most  of  the  emigrants  reached  and  crossed  that 
stream  at  what  was  known  as  the  Lower  Crossing, 
now  called  the  town  of  Wadsworth. 

It  was  here  that  Fremont  left  the  river  and  con- 
tinued south  in  January,  1844;  and  it  was  here  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  jear  that  the  jiarty  of  emigrants 
first  saw  and  named  the  river.  It  was  one  of  the 
great  landmarks  of  overland  travel,  and  the  one  most 
looked  iorward  to  for  its  relresliing  supply  of  water, 
grass  and  fish.  It,  as  well  as  other  points  on  the 
river,  was  a  great  recruiting  station  for  exhausted 
emigrant  trains. 

When  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  passed  through 
here,  in  the  summer  of  1868,  this  point  was  selected 
for  one  of  the  most  important  stations  on  the  lino. 
It  is  here  that  the  road  leaves  the  i-ivcr  and  strikes 
out  across  the  Great  Desert,  through  which  it  runs 
a  distance  of  100  miles,  to  the  town  of  Humboldt. 
The  car  shops  of  the  Truckee  division,  extending 
from  Truckee  to  Winnemucca,  were  located  here; 
and  here  the  engines  take  their  load  of  wood  and 
water  for  their  long  trip  across  the  arid  desert. 
For  this  reason  Wadsworth  first  came  into  promi- 
nence, being  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  building  of 
the  road  across  the  desert.  The  engines  oi\  this 
portion  of  the  road  are  constructed  with  increased 
capacity  for  carrying  water,  on  account  of  the  great 
quantity  required. 

The  work  shops  at  this  point  employ  quite  a  num- 
ber of  men,  and  the  round-house  contains  twenty 


-646 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA, 


stalls.  Besides  the  railroad  interests  there  are  two 
hotels,  three  grocery  stores,  two  general  merchandise 
stores,  one  varietj-  store,  and  saloons,  markets,  shops, 
etc.  As  soon  as  the  road  was  completed  to  this 
point,  it  became  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  mines 
to  the  south,  in  Churchill,  Esmeralda  and  Nye 
Counties.  The  excellent  roads  leading  to  Columbus, 
Belmont,  Ellsworth,  and  other  mining  towns,  are 
lined  with  the  long  freight  teams  c-onvej'ing  goods 
from  W'adsworth.  As  long  as  those  points  are  sup- 
plied by  freight  wagons,  Wadsworth  will  retain  the 
bulk  of  the  traffic;  but  as  soon  as  one  of  the  pro- 
posed railroads  invades  that  region,  the  freighting 
business  will  materially  decline.  The  population,  of 
about  500,  are  busj-  and  prosperous. 

For  two  years  Wadsworth  was  a  bone  of  conten- 
tion between  Washoe  and  Lyon  Counties,  on  account 
of  the  uncertainty  of  the  boundary  line.  The 
boundary  ran  along  the  "old  emigrant  road,"  and 
the  people  of  Lyon  County  discovered  a  cut-off, 
which  they  claimed  to  be  the  main  road,  and  which, 
tf  the  claim  was  conceded,  would  leave  Wadsworth 
in  Lyon  County.  Jurisdiction  had  always  been 
exercised  by  Washoe  County,  and,  upon  the  attempt 
being  made  by  the  officials  of  Lj-on  County  to  assess 
taxes  against  projjerty  in  the  town,  the  matter  was 
carried  into  the  courts.  The  case  was  twice  tried  in 
Ormsby  County  without  arriving  at  a  decision,  and 
was  then  taken  to  Humboldt  County,  where  the 
third  trial  resulted  in  favor  of  Washoe  County,  in 
May,  1871. 

The  excellent  bridge  that  sjjans  the  Truekee  River 
at  Wadsworth  was  constructed  in  1879,  by  the 
county,  at  an  expense  of  $4,000. 

A  number  of  accidents,  of  a  more  or  less  serious 
nature,  have  occurred  on  the  railroad  in  the  vicinity 
of  Wadsworth,  but  probably  the  most  peculiar  one 
and  the  one  that  but  narrowly  escaped  being  most 
horrible  in  its  consequences,  occurred  June  13,  1872. 
Passenger  train,  No.  1,  passed  over  a  broken  rail, 
six  miles  west  of  the  town,  which  caused  the  roar 
two  coaches  to  leave  the  track  and  lean  up  against 
the  rocky  side  of  a  cut,  throiigii  which  the  train  was 
passing.  In  this  position  they  were  dragged  rapidly 
along  until  they  came  to  the  end  of  the  cut,  opening 
out  u])on  a  steep  embankment  vvhon  the  two  coaches 
were  upset  and  demolished.  Strange  as  it  may  seem 
when  one  contemplates  the  nature  of  the  accident, 
no  one  was  killed,  but  t  wonty-seven  passengers  were 
injui'ed,  some  of  them  severely.  Had  the  cars  leaned 
in  the  opposite  direction,  they  would  have  been 
deposited  in  the  Truekee  Kiver  as  soon  as  they 
cleared  the  cut,  and  a  great  loss  of  life  would  have 
necessarily  ensued. 

T.    n.    IIEIt.MAN, 

The  subject  of  the  I'ollowing  sketch,  is  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania,  having  been  born  in  Lycom- 
ing County,  on  the  thirt}'  first  day  of  October.  1830. 
Ue  passed  Lis  early  life  and  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  countj'.     His  education   was  received  in  the 


common  schools,  and  was  of  an  ordinary  kind.  In 
1850,  having  reached  his  twentieth  year,  he  removed 
to  Jefferson  County,  where  he  remained  about  four 
years.  Like  thousands  of  others,  he  had  a  desire  to 
behold  the  wonders  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  bidding 
adieu  to  his  Eastern  home  came  to  California.  Upon 
his  arrival  in  the  land  of  gold,  he  sought  the  mines 
in  Plumas  County  as  his  quickest  and  surest  avenue 
to  wealth,  and  for  the  succeeding  three  years  fol- 
lowed the  fortunes  of  the  miners  of  those  days.  In 
1857  he  quit  the  mines  and  engaged  in  ranching  in 
Ijassen  County,  where  he  remained  until  18G0,  at 
which  time  he  crossed  the  mountains  and  anchored 
in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Nevada.  His  first  stop- 
ping place  was  at  Truekee  Meadows,  then  called  the 
Lower  Crossing  of  the  Truekee,  and,  in  connection 
with  Joseph  Fellnagle,  became  a  settler.  There  were 
no  white  men  in  that  section  of  the  country  at  the 
time.  Mr.  Herman  and  his  partner  located  the  ranch 
in  January,  1861,  which  now  contains  SOO  acres.  In 
1872  he  became  sole  owner,  and  has  at  this  time  one 
of  the  finest  places  on  the  Meadows.  He  raises  vast 
amounts  of  haj',  having  125  acres  devoted  to  that 
branch  of  agriculture,  90  acres  being  in  alfalfa,  which 
yields  three  good  crops  each  year.  A  view  of  his 
ranch  will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this  volume. 

Washoe  City  sprang  into  being  from  the  neces- 
sity of  cheap  fuel  and  water  with  which  to  work  the 
ores  of  the  Comstock.  The  mountains  fringing 
Washoe  Vallej'  on  the  west  were  bountifully  supplied 
with  timber,  and  many  saw-mills  were  busy  in  pre- 
paring lumber  and  mining  timbers.  These  were 
sent  to  Virginia  City,  across  the  intervening  mount- 
ains. The  wagons  returned  with  loads  of  ore,  to  be 
worked  in  the  numerous  mills  that  were  springing 
up  in  Washoe  Valley. 

In  1861  the  Atchison  Mill  was  built  by  J.  H.,  S. 
M.,  and  S.  S.  Atchison.  A  town  was  laid  out  by 
Peter  Rice  and  J.  W.  Grier,  and  named  Washoe  City. 
The  situation  of  the  now  town  in  relation  to  the  im- 
mense lumber  interests  of  this  region,  and  in  rela- 
tion to  the  rapidly  developing  Comstock,  whose  ores 
it  was  supposed  would  always  bo  brought  here  for 
reduction,  led  to  its  rapid  growth.  It  was  thought 
that  here  would  be  a  city  second  only  in  ini])ortance 
to  Virginia  City,  if,  indeed,  it  did  not  surpass  that 
place.  Town  lots  were  in  great  demand,  and  sold 
at  a  high  price.  Upon  the  formation  of  Washoe 
County  by  the  Territorial  Legislature,  in  the  fall  of 
18G1,  the  seat  of  justice  was  locatcil  at  Washoe  City, 
a  fact  that  gave  it  an  additional  forward  impulse. 

Professional  men  located  here  as  the  county  seat, 
and  a  prospective  city  of  importance.  Three  more 
quartz  mills,  the  New  York,  Buckej-e,  and  Minne- 
sota, were  erected.  In  1803  a  fine  two-story  brick 
('ourt  House  was  built,  and  the  same  year  G.  W 
Bloor  commenced  publishing  the  Washoe  2'imes. 
The  town  became  well  built  u|i  with  brick  and  frame 
business  structures  and  dwelliiiL's;  and  in  18li5,  the 
year  of  its  greatest  prosperity,  had  a  ])opulation  of 


HISTORY  OF  WASHOE  COUNTY. 


647 


about  2,000  people.  The  businesa  of  froiplhting 
between  this  and  other  points  in  the  valley  and  Vir- 
ginia City  was  very  great,  and  so  long  as  this 
lasted  the  business  prosperity  of  the  town  was 
assured. 

When  mills  were  built  on  the  Carson  Hiver, 
in  Eagle  Valley,  the  town  of  Empire  began  to  make 
encroachments  upon  the  business  of  Washoe  City; 
and  the  completion  of  the  Virginia  and  Truckee 
Eailroad  from  Carson  City  to  Virginia,  in  1869, 
struck  a  fatal  blow  at  its  prosperity.  From  that 
time  Washoe  City,  which  had  already  declined  con- 
siderably, faded  awaj-  rapidly.  The  citizens  deserted 
the  sinking  ship,  many  of  them  joining  those  who 
had  previously  moved  to  the  now  town  of  Reno, 
while  others  sought  out  more  remote  localities. 

The  only  paper  in  the  town,  the  Eastern  Slope, 
moved  to  Eeno  in  July,  186S;  by  Act  of  the  Legis- 
lature the  county  seat  was  transferred  to  the  same 
place  in  the  spring  of  1871,  and  thus  Washoe  City 
was  robbed  of  the  last  resource  for  maintaining  a 
town. 

About  twelve  o'clock  on  the  night  of  April  28, 
1873,  a  fire  broke  out  that  destroyed  William  Will- 
iams' two-story  brick  building,  and  five  other 
houses,  the  town  being  then  entirely  unprotected 
from  the  fianies.  The  only  extensive  fire  the  town 
had  previously  experienced  was  on  June  1,  1865, 
when  a  large  number  of  buildings  were  burned.  At 
that  time  there  was  a  tire  company  called  Washoe 
Hook,  Ladder  and  Buclcet  Company,  which  had 
been  organized  the  previous  March. 

For  several  j^ears  Washoe  City  had  a  population 
of  about  200,-  but  has  since  suffered  a  further  decline, 
and  now  has  one  small  store,  a  saloon,  and  a  dozen 
dwelling-houses.  A  church  was  built  here  by  the 
Methodists  in  the  days  of  prosperity,  which  is  now 
occupied  as  a  district  school  house.  One  of  the 
flumes  down  which  wood  is  floated  from  the  mount- 
ains terminates  at  this  point,  and  the  business  fur- 
nished by  that,  and  the  shipments  of  the  few  ranches 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  are  the  life  of  what 
remains  of  Washoe  City.  Most  of  the  buildings  that 
composed  the  old  town  have  entirely  vanished  from 
sight,  and  there  is  but  little  to  suggest  the  thriving 
city  that  once  was  the  pride  of  Washoe  County. 

Verdi  is  a  station  on  the  Central  Pacific  Kailroad 
about  two  miles  from  the  old  town  of  Crystal  Peak, 
springing  up  as  soon  as  the  railroad  came  along, 
and  may  bo  called  the  descendant  and  successor  of 
that  town.  Here  the  lumber  interests  of  the  district 
are  centered;  saw.  lath  and  shingle  mills  here  tind  a 
shipping  point.  Of  late  years  a  new  industry  has 
been  added,  and  now  Verdi  also  stores  and  ships  large 
quantities  of  pure  mountain  ice,  being  one  of  the 
points  for  the  preservation  of  that  article,  the  whole 
ice  business  of  the  coast  being  concentrated  in  the 
Sierra,  along  the  line  of  the  railroad.  The  popula- 
lation  is  about  200. 

The  bridge  that  spans  the  river  on  the  road   from 


Vordi  to  Crv'stal  Peak  was  built  in  1873,  partly  by 
the  county  and  partlj-  b}-  the  citizens.  In  1860  a 
bridge  was  built  there,  the  place  being  known  as 
O'Neil's  Crossing,  and  being  one  of  the  crossing 
points  of  the  Truckee  River  for  travel  to  the  then 
new  mining  region  of  the  Comstock.  In  1862  the 
bridge  was  carried  away  by  high  water,  and  was 
rebuilt.  A  mo--t  curious  accident  occurred  hero  on 
the  thirty-first  of  March,  1873.  The  bridge,  upon 
which  tolls  were  then  collected,  fell  into  the  stream, 
while  a  load  of  wood,  drawn  by  ten  oxen,  was  upon 
it.  But  one  ox  was  injured,  and  the  wagon  was 
drawn  out  of  the  water,  right  side  up,  without  having 
lost  a  single  stick  from  its  load.  The  new  bridge 
which  was  then  constructed  was  made  free  to  all. 

One  of  the  best  planned  and  executed  robberies 
occurred  at  this  place,  that  has  been  recorded  in  the 
State.  A  band  of  robbers,  led  by  A.  J.  Davis,  and 
composed  of  J.  E.  Chapman,  R.  A.  Jones,  E.  B.  Par- 
sons, John  Squires,  James  Gilchrist,  Tilton  P.  Cock- 
erill  and  J.  C.  Roberts,  planned  the  robbery  of  Wells, 
Fargo  &  Co's.  treasure-boxes.  Chapman  wenttoSan 
Francisco  to  watch  for  a  large  shipment  of  treasure, 
which  was  expected  soon  to  be  made.  On  the 
fourth  of  November,  1870,  he  sent  the  following  dis- 
patch bj-  telegraph: — 

To  R.  A.  Jones,  Capital  House,  Reno:  Send  me 
sixty  dollars,  and  charge  to  my  account 

J.  Enuique. 

This  dispatch  was  conveyed  to  a  retreat  in  the 
Peavine  Mountains,  in  which  were  assembled  all  of 
the  gang  exce])t  Chapman  and  Roberts,  and  where 
the  plans  for  the  robbery  were  matured. 

That  afternoon  thej-  all  proceeded  to  the  stone 
culvert,  near  Hunter's,  going  bj"  different  routes. 
Here  Jones  was  left  with  the  guns  and  tools,  with 
the  understanding  that  soon  after  the  freight  train 
])assed  up  to  V'erdi  the  others  would  be  down  with 
the  engine  and  express  car,  and  that  if  they  did  not 
stop  at  the  culvert,  to  place  obstructions  on  the  track 
to  prevent  jjursuit,  and  to  follow  on  his  horse  with 
the  guns  and  tools. 

Davis,  Parsons,  Squires,  Cockerill  and  Gilchrist 
then  proceeded  to  Verdi,  and  when  the  eastward- 
bound  train  stopped  there,  about  1  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  fifth,  boarded  it,  cut  off  the  passenger 
coaches,  took  po.ssession  of  the  engine,  mail  and 
express  cars,  and  compelled  the  engineer  to  ran 
down  the  track  and  stoj)  at  the  culvert.  Davis  then 
cried  out  "  Man,  come  out  with  tho.se  guns,"  when 
Jones  made  his  appearance.  The  door  of  the  express 
car  was  then  <)|iened,  and  the  messenger  oriiered  out 
and  placed  under  guard  with  the  fireman  in  the  mail 
car,  a  guard  being  also  maintained  over  the  engineer. 
The  treasure-boxes  were  then  broken  open  and 
Sn,GllO  secured. 

Having  accomplished  the  robbery,  the  men  hastily 
divided  the  plunder,  and  departed  in  different  direc- 
tions. Davis  went  towards  Virginia  City,  burying 
$20,000  near  Hunter's  place.  Jones  and  Gilchrist  went 


648 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


across  to  the  Peavine  road,  with  87,500,  which  they 
buried  in  a  ravine  near  a  point  of  rocks,  and  contin- 
ued on  to  Sierra  Valley,  where  they  were  soon  after 
arrested.  The  others,  with  the  balance  of  the  spoil, 
took  the  road  to  Crystal  Peak,  scattering  in  several 
directions,  one  of  them  going  to  the  house  of  J.  C. 
Roberts,  in  Antelope,  another  member  of  the  gang. 

Within  a  week  after  the  commission  of  the  crime, 
the  perpetrators  were  all  arrested,  including  Chap- 
man and  Roberts,  some  of  them  in  this  State,  and 
others  in  California.  Roberts  confessed  all  he  knew 
about  the  aifair.  Jones  divulged  the  hiding  place  of 
87,500,  Gilchrist  of  §12,000  and  Davis  of  §20,000,  so 
that  nearly  the  whole  amount  was  recovered. 

At  the  trial  in  Washoe  C/ily  the  following  month, 
Roberts  and  Gilchrist  testified  against  their  compan- 
ions and  were  discharged.  Davis  and  Jones  pleaded 
"guilty,"  and  were  sentenced,  the  former  to  ten  years 
and  the  latter  to  five  years,  in  the  penitentiary, 
while  the  others  pleaded  "  not  guilty,"  were  con- 
victed and  sentenced  to  various  terms,  ranging  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-three  and  one-half  years.  In 
what  is  denominated  the '■  Big  Break"  from  the 
penitentiarj',  September  17,  1871,  in  which  twenty- 
nine  prisoners  escaped.  Squires,  Chapman,  Parsons 
and  Cockeriil  gained  their  liberty,  but  were  all 
recaptured  within  a  month.  Parsons  was  captured 
September  28lb,  and  confined  in  the  Ormsby  County 
jail,  from  which  he  immediately  escaped,  and 
remained  at  liberty  several  years. 


CHAPTER    LV. 
HISTORY   OF   WHITE    PINE   COUNTY. 

The  Mountains  ami  V.illeys — Timlier,  Mills  .iikI  Lumber — Wild 
Game  anil  Fish — The  Indian  Trihea — I)i.scovery  of  and  Kush 
to  the  Mines — Organizatiim  and  B  luiidaries — First  County 
Commissioners — Court  House  and  Defalcation— Appoint- 
menta  .ind  Klections  —  Itoaourccs  of  the  County — More 
Hopeful  Prospects — I'rincipal  Mining  Districts — J'aucakc 
Coal  Mines — Frincipal  Towna  and  Citiea. 

The  general  trend  of  the  mountains  of  White 
Pine  County  is  north  and  south.  The  Diamond 
range,  in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  is  high 
and  snowy;  the  White  Pine  range,  on  the  west  cen- 
ter (known  as  Ruby,  or  East  Humboldt,  range  in 
Elko  County),  is  bold  and  high;  Treasure  Hill  is  an 
easterly  spur  of  the  White  Pine  range;  ranging 
down  the  center  of  the  county  are  the  Egan  Mount- 
ains; the  Schell  Creek  range  commences  near  the 
north  lino  of  the  county,  and  runs  into  Lincoln 
County,  and  is  there  known  as  the  Patterson  range; 
Snake  Creek  range  commences  near  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  county,  and  runs  north  about  seventy 
miles;  the  Antelope  Mountains  form  a  low  range 
extending  into  Elko  Countj-;  Wheeler's  Peak,  form- 
erly called  Jeff.  Davis  Peak,  is  the  loftiest  in  eastern 
Nevada,  its  altitude  being  12,980  feet. 


Newark  Valley,  which  contains  about  100,000 
acres  of  tillable  and  grazing  lands,  is  near  the  west- 
ern limits  of  the  count}',  and  is  irrigated  by  Colo 
Creek,  Newark  Creek,  and  numerous  springs.  It 
was  first  settled  in  1860  by  E.  Orser  and  James  and 
Samuel  Gilson.  Grain  was  first  raised  in  18C7,  since 
which  time  grain  and  vegetables  have  been  pro- 
duced annually.  The  valley  has  a  total  white  popu- 
lation of  150. 

White  Pine  Valley  lies  between  the  White  Pino 
and  Egan  Mountain  ranges,  and  is  sixtj'  miles  in 
length  and  fifteen  in  width.  The  northern  half  of  it 
is  in  White  Pine  County,  and  contains  about  2,000 
acres  of  tillable  land.  Its  soil  is  rich,  and  it  is  the 
best  grain  growing  valley  in  the  county.  It  is  irri- 
gated from  While  Pine  River  and  from  springs.  It 
was  first  settled  in  1869  by  J.  R.  Withington,  the 
Ellison  brothers  and  others.  Grain  was  first  raised 
in  1870.  The  largest  barle}^  crop  it  ever  produced 
amounted  to  300  tons.  The  white  inhabitants  of  the 
valley  number  fifty  persons. 

Steptoe  Valley  is  the  largest  in  the  county  Ij'ing 
between  the  Egan  and  Schell  Creek  ranges,  and  com- 
mences near  the  southern  extremity  of  the  county 
and  runs  north  to  the  Humboldt  River.  Its  average 
width  is  fifteen  miles,  and  its  tillable  area  is  esti- 
mated at  70,000  acres.  Many  creeks  flow  down 
from  the  mountain  slopes  on  either  side.  The  settle- 
ment of  this  vallej'  dates  from  1868.  Since  1870 
considerable  grain  has  been  raised  annually.  The 
crop  of  1875  aggregated  600  tons.  The  number  of 
ranches  is  thirty,  and  the  total  white  population  is 
200. 

Spring  Valley,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county, 
is  flanked  by  Schell  Creek  and  Snake  Mountains.  It 
commences  near  the  .southern  boundary  line  of  the 
county,  and  ends  near  the  northern  boundary  line. 
Its  length  is  about  100  miles,  and  its  width  12.  Its 
northern  portion  is  well  watered  by  numerous  small 
creeks,  all  of  which  run  long  enough  for  irrigation  in 
the  spring,  and  many  of  which  are  living  streams. 
It  contains  about  25,000  acres  of  good  arable  soil 
that  can  be  irrigated.  Its  white  population  numbers 
about  150  persons. 

Snake  Valley  lies  east  of  the  Snake  range,  the 
State  line  passing  through  it.  About  350,000  acres 
of  it  are  in  this  county,  of  which  10,000  are  tillable. 
It  is  chiefly  devoted  to  stock-raising.  Its  slope 
being  to  the  south  and  cast,  its  climate  is  warmer 
than  that  of  most  portions  of  the  county,  and  largo 
quantities  of  tomatoes  and  other  vegetables  are  suc- 
cessfully cultivated.  In  numerous  small  valleys  not 
mentioned,  grain  and  vegetables  are  raised. 

TIMBER,    mills   AND   LUMBER. 

The  Schell  Creek,  White  Pine,  Egan,  and  Snake 
Mountains  were  ])artially  covered  with  pine,  origin- 
allj',  which  was  fit  for  lumber.  Mills  are  now  in 
operation  on  all  the  ranges  with  the  exception  of  the 


JP#. 


^ff. 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


649 


White  Pine  range.  On  the  hitter  range,  in  1869, 
twelve  mills  were  running,  and  lumber  was  worth, 
from  8100  to  §200  per  thousand,  and  finely  dressed 
lumber  from  the  Sierra  Nevada  brought  8400  per 
thousand.  There  isj-et  a  large  quantity  of  sawable 
timber  on  the  Snake  range,  and  considerable  on  the 
Schell  Creek  range.  All  of  the  mountains  in  the 
county  are  well  covered  with  nut  pine  and  mountain 
mahoganj^,  which  are  excellent  for  charcoal  and  fuel. 

WILD   GAME   AND    FISH. 

The  larger  wild  game  of  White  Pine  County  con- 
sists of  mountain  sheep,  deer  and  antelope;  the 
smaller  kinds  include  the  wild  cat,  lynx,  fox,  coyote, 
hare,  porcupine,  rabbit,  badger,  duck,  goose,  sage 
hen,  snipe,  curlew,  grouse,  and  prairie  chicken.  The 
mountain  hare  is  much  larger  than  the  valley  hare, 
and  is  gray  in  color  in  the  summer,  and  snow  white 
in  the  winter.  The  ducks,  geese,  curlew,  and  snipe, 
are  of  several  varieties.  The  sage  hen  feeds  on  sage 
only  in  the  winter,  and  in  the  summer  and  fall  makes 
fine  food.  Deer  are  more  numerous  in  the  mountains 
than  when  the  county  was  first  settled.  In  the 
month  of  May  they  migrate  northward,  and  return 
southward  in  October,  by  regular  trails.  It  was 
formerly  the  custom  of  the  Indians  to  build  long 
brush  fences  across  these  trails,  in  the  shape  of  a 
letter  V,  thus  forming  a  corral  into  which  the  deer 
collected,  to  be  slaughtered  there  by  hundreds. 
Since  the  Indians  have  become  supplied  with  fire- 
arms, they  do  their  deer  slaying  in  detail,  and  no 
longer  by  wholesale  operations;  and,  as  a  con- 
sequence, that  animal  is  now  more  numerous  than 
formerly. 

After  the  settlement  of  some  of  the  vallcj-s,  the 
coyotes  became  exceedingly  troublesome,  and  a  war 
was  waged  against  them  by  the  ranchers,  that  almost 
resulted  in  their  extermination.  Soon  afterwards, 
the  hare  and  rabbit  multiplied  wonderfully,  and 
became  more  troublesome  than  the  coyotes  had 
been.  A  shooting  match,  that  occurred  in  Steptoe 
Valley  last  season,  illustrated  their  mtilti|>licity. 
The  rival  parties  were  organized  bj-  Samuel  Mosier, 
and  consisted  of  six  hunters  each,  chosen  from  among 
the  best  shots  of  Hamilton.  After  three  hours  of 
lively  work,  the  supply  of  ammunition  gave  out. 
The  number  of  hare  and  rabbit  slain  were  found  to 
number  009,  and  an  even  larger  number  of  dead  and 
wounded  were  found  lying  about  the  field  the  next 
day.  During  the  present  season  hare  and  rabbit 
have  niy.-:teriously  disappeared,  from  the  prevalence 
of  some  disease  among  them,  no  doubt.  The  same 
thing  has  occurred  once  before,  within  the  memory 
of  the  Indians. 

There  are  only  two  streams  in  White  Pine  County 
that  have  fish  in  them.  In  1876  trout  wore  placed 
in  Cluvelund  Creek,  in  Spring  Valley,  and  have  multi- 
plied i-apidly  since.  Lehman  Creek,  which  Hows 
into  Snake  Valley  and  then  sinks,  also  contains  trout, 
and  it  is  supposed  that  the  Mormons,  who  formerly 
occupied  a  portion  of  the  valley,  placed  them  there. 


THE   INDIAN   TRIBES. 

The  Indians  of  this  county  are  of  the  Shoshone  and 
Gosh-Uto  tribes — about  seven  Shoshones  to  every 
three  of  the  other  tribe  -and  belong  to  the  Duck  Val- 
ley Reservation.  The  Indians  of  White  Pine  County, 
however,  have  never  been  on  a  reservation,  and  have 
received  very  little  aid  from  the  Government  since 
1872.  The  census  report  places  their  number  at 
810,  but  it  is  known  that  many  of  them  were  not 
found  by  the  census  agents,  and  their  actual  number 
is  probably  not  less  than  1,200.  The  Shoshones 
occupy  the  western  part  of  the  county,  and  the  Gosh- 
Utes  the  eastern  part.  Before  any  white  settlements 
were  commenced,  the  Pah-Utes  subjugated  the  Sho- 
shones, and  regularly  collected  tribute  from  them, 
and  only  permitted  them  to  keep  a  certain  small 
number  of  ponies  to  each  band,  and  if,  at  any  time 
the  number  was  e.'cceeded,  the  extra  ponies  were 
seized  by  the  Pah-Utes.  In  this  manner  the  young 
Shoshones  were  kept  dismounted  and  at  a  disad- 
vantage. Attractive  Shoshone  maidens  were  also 
borne  avvay  by  force  to  Pah-Uto  lodges.  The  Gosh- 
Utcs  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  overland  stage 
troubles  of  1803,  but  have  been  perfectly  quiet  since 
the  scare  of  1875.  A  few  of  them  are  engaged  in 
farming,  and  own  teams,  wagons  and  implements, 
but  the  majorit}-  strictly  follow  the  scriptural  injunc- 
tion to  take  no  thought  of  the  morrow.  Most  of  the 
heavy  household  drudgery  of  the  white  settlements 
is  done  by  squaws,  who  work  at  cheap  rates  and 
make  docile  and  industrious  domestics. 

DISCOVERY   OP  AND   RDSH   TO   THE   MINES. 

The  area  of  White  Pino  County  is  8,200  square 
miles,  and  previous  to  April,  1SC9,  was  a  part  of 
Lander.  The  mining  district  from  which  it  receives 
its  name  was  organized  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  and 
was  so  called  from  the  predominant  forest  trees  cov- 
ering a  lofty  and  strong  range  of  mountains,  extend- 
ing 100  miles  north  and  south.  A.  J.  Leathers, 
Thomas  aMurphj-,  Morrill,  and  others,  who  were  the 
pioneer  prospectors,  gave  but  little  attention  to  the 
district,  until  in  1868,  following  the  directions  of  an 
Indian,  they  explored  the  naked  summit  of  Treasure 
Hill,  and  there  found  that  extraordinary  body  of 
mineral  wealth  which  soon  after  led  to  the  concentra- 
tion of  population  in  that  quarter,  and  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  new  county.  The  news  of  this  wonderful 
discovery  went,  as  though  borne  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind,  to  eveiy  city,  town  and  camp  in  the  State. 
Population  gathered  in.  like  the  walei-s  from  a  cloud- 
burst, suddenly  and  in  overwhelming  numbers.  So 
great  was  the  excitement  during  the  year  1868,  that 
every  man  who  could  got  there,  went  to  the  White 
Pine  District  to  examine  the  Eberhardt  Mine,  and 
the  vast  wealth  of  the  district. 

The  White  Pine  News  of  March  28,  1874,  in  a  do- 
scrii)lion  of  this  period,  said: — 

White  Pino,  at  its  birth,  six  years  since,  was  a 
jirodigy.  The  chloride  ores  of  the  Hidden  Treasure 
and   the    Eberhardt  were   unknown   to    the  North 


650 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


American  coDlinenl,  and  had  a  parallel  only  in  the 
Chanarcillo  and  kindred  Chillian  mines.  Their  rich- 
ness running  into  the  thousands,  and  their  docility 
extending  nearly  to  assay  value,  excited  the  greed 
or  interest  of  all  within  hearing.  These,  together 
with  the  misapprehension  of  their  extent,  caused  by 
the  profuse  exhibition  on  Chloride  and  Bromide 
Flats,  inflamed  the  public  to  a  degree  unknown  since 
the  birth  of  California.  Electrified  by  the  prospect 
of  interminable  wealth,  multitudes  took  their  line  of 
march  for  the  new  Mecca,  and  so  great  was  the 
hegira,  that,  indifferent  to  sickness  or  climate,  within 
the  first  season  some  ID, 000  or  12,000  men  hud  estab- 
lished themselves  in  huts  and  caves  9,000  feet  above 
the  sea.  All  locomotives  were  in  requisition,  from 
Shank's  mare  to  the  dashing  coach,  and  teams 
groaned  under  the  burden  of  subsistence  for  the  pil- 
grim army.  In  the  midst  of  the  small-pox,  with  the 
thermometer  at  zero,  a  carnival  of  riot  and  specula- 
tion was  inaugurated.  Mines,  land,  wood  and  water 
were  claimed;  towns  were  built;  lots  rose  to  the 
thousands;  and  mining  claims,  good,  bad  or  indiffer- 
ent, were  bought  and  sold  at  unconscionable  prices. 

The  Mining  Recorder  in  1869-70  was  obliged  to 
keep  three  assistants,  who  were  busy  all  the  time 
recording  claims,  making  this  the  best  paying  ofiice 
in  the  county,  recording  over  13,000  claims  in  two 
years,  by  far  the  greater  number  being  recorded 
within  the  first  six  months  of  the  excitement,  which 
was  in  the  fall  of  1868  and  beginning  of  1869,  the  fee 
being  fifty  cents  a  name,  averaging  two  dollars  a 
claim,  giving  the  Recorder,  Mr.  L.  P.  Tenney,  a  com- 
fortable fortune  for  his  two  years  of  service. 

The  first  mill  was  a  ten-stamp,  erected  by  Jere- 
miah Miller,  and  within  ten  months  thereafter  there 
were  212  stamps  ready  for  operation.  The  cities  of 
Treasure,  Hamilton  and  Shermantown  sprang  into 
existence,  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  1868,  the 
population  of  White  Pine  District  had  reached  over 
10,000.  The  distance  to  Austin  was  120  miles,  and 
not  wishing  to  go  so  far  to  the  county  seat,  and 
thinking  it  would  be  better  to  have  a  county  of  their 
own,  the  people  of  this  district  made  application  to 
the  Legislature  for  a  separate  county  organization. 

()R(iANIZATI0N    AND    BOUNDARIES. 

By  an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  which  took  eflfect 
April  1,  1869,  White  Pine  County  was  created'out  of 
a  portion  of  Lander;  the  town  of  Hamilton  was 
made  its  county  seat;  the  first  officers  were  named 
and  its  boundaries  were  fixed  as  follows:  "All  that 
portion  of  the  State  of  Nevada  lying  east  of  a  line 
running  due  north  and  south  through  the  most  west- 
erly part  of  the  house  know  as  Shannon's  Station, 
on  the  westerly  slope  of  Diamond  Mountain,  in  Lan- 
der County,  on  the  road  from  Austin  to  Hamilton,  in 
said  county;  and  south  of  a  line  running  duo  east  and 
west  through  the  most  northerly  partof  Camp  Kuby, 
and  north  of  the  present  line  between  the  counties  of 
Nye  and  Lander,  as  located  by  Thomas  J.  Reed, 
County  Surveyor  of  Lander  Count)-,  made  in  1868." 
By  an  Act  approved  February  26,  1875,  a  portion  of 
the  territory  of  Nye  was  detached  and  addi  d  to 
White  Pine  County,  thus  establishing  the  bound. .rios 


of  the  latter  county  as  they  are  at  the  present  time. 

FIRST   COUNTY    COM.MISSIONERS. 

Messrs.  Drake,  Wheeler  and  Cranley,  the  Com- 
missioners designated  by  the  Legislative  Act,  met  at 
Hamilton,  the  county  seat.  April  1,  1869,  and  pro- 
ducing their  commissions  from  the  Governor,  together 
with  their  official  oaths,  duly  subscribed  and  certified 
to  as  required  by  law,  proceeded  to  organize  the  first 
Board  of  County  Commissioners  by  the  election  of 
Frank  Wheeler,  Chairman.  Their  official  oaths  wore 
ordered  filed  and  recorded.  The  Clerk  then  quali- 
fied, after  which  the  oaths  and  bonds  of  the  Sheriff, 
Assessor  and  District  Attorney  were  approved  and 
filed.  Petitions  were  then  presented  as  follows: 
from  Archie  G.  Turner,  asking  that  a  township  be 
established  at  Patterson,  and  that  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  Constable  be  appointed;  from  the  citizens 
of  Treasure  City,  asking  that  James  Steel  be  ap- 
pointed Constable  for  that  place;  and  from  the  citi- 
zens of  Hamilton  asking  that  Marshall  Atwood  be 
appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  that  place. 
Atwood  was  appointed  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
Robert  0.  Keefe,  Constable  for  Hamilton,  and  both 
presented  their  official  bonds  and  qualified. 

COURT    UOUSE   AND   DEFALC.iTION. 

The  new  countj'  being  duly  organized  and  the 
officers  properly  qualified  and  installed  into  their 
several  positions,  steps  were  at  once  taken  to  provide 
the  necessary  funds  to  meet  current  expenses,  and 
furnish  suitable  buildings.  There  being  no  general 
election  till  the  fall  of  1870,  the  officers  first  appointed 
remained  in  charge  of  attairs  till  that  election.  In 
the  meantime  the  contract  was  let  for  the  erection  of 
a  fine  two-storj'  brick  Court  House  and  jail,  being 
40x60  feet,  and  containing  rooms  for  all  the  county 
officers.  The  building  was  completed  and  accepted 
in  1870,  and  cost  the  round  sum  of  S55,000. 

M.  W.  Kales,  the  first  apjiointed  County  Treasurer, 
resigned  in  1869,  before  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office,  and  Lewis  Cook  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
balance  of  tho  term.  At  the  expiration  of  Cook's 
term  of  office  in  1870,  an  examination  of  the  books 
showed  him  to  bo  in  debt  to  the  county  $24,000. 
Cook  had  quietly  retired  from  the  countrj',  and  an 
ofl'er  of  81,000  reward  failed  to  effect  his  arrest.  A 
compromise  was  finally  made  with  his  bondsmen  by 
which  the  county  shared  in  tho  loss. 

APPOINTMENTS   AND   ELECTIONS. 

The  first  officers  of  White  Pine  County  were 
named  in  the  Act  of  the  Legislature  which  created 
the  county,  and  which  was  a])proved  April  1,  1869. 
These  parties  continued  in  office  till  their  successors 
were  chosen  at  the  general  election  in  November, 
1870. 

A  full  list  of  all  the  officers  of  tho  county  from  the 
date  of  its  organization  down  to  the  present  time  is 
given  below,  together  with  the  date  of  appointment 
or  election  of  each.  The  vacancies  in  office  by  death, 
resignation  or  removal,  if  any  have  occurred,  are  also 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  CJOUNTY. 


fi51 


noted,  together  with  the  names  of  the  persons 
selected  to  fill  the  same. 

STATE   SENATORS. 

A.  C.  Cleveland  and  Geori^o  P.  Mills,  were  elected 
November  8,  lS7(t;  John  Waj^ner  and  U.  E.  Allen, 
were  elected  November  5,  1872;  did  not  serve,  as 
Cleveland  and  Mills  held  over.  Hobert  Robinson 
and  E.  B.  Dickinson,  were  elected  November  3,  1874; 
H.  A.  Comins,  was  elected  November  7,  1876;  D. 
W.  Perley,  was  elooted  November  5,  1878;  Thomas 
Rockhill,  was  elected  November  2,  1880. 

ASSEMBLV.MEN. 

John  Wagner,  AVilmer  Brown,  P.  P.  Cannavan, 
T.  J.  Tennant  and  C.  U.  Patchin,  were  elected 
November  8,  1870;  F.  W.  Cole,  E.  Matthews,  Thos. 
Robinson.  D.  C.  Yinnedge  and  O.  H.  Gray,  were 
elected  November  5,  1872;  H.  A.  Comins,  Nelson 
Allen,  G.  R.  A.  Bibbins,  W.  H.  Ford  and  J.  M. 
Gerhardt,  were  elected  November  3,  1874;  O.  H 
Gray.  George  D.  Coburn,  Thomas  Rockhill  and  A. 
G.  Lowery,  were  elected  November  7,  1876;  M.  R. 
Lyons,  M.  S.  Sharp,  Weatlj'  Smith  and  Charles 
Green,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Chas.  (ireen,  John 
A.  Condon,  George  F.  Parker  and  George  G.  Blair, 
were  elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    COM.MISSIONERS. 

Frank  Drake,  Frank  Wheeler  and  T.  R.  Cranley 
were  appointed  by  the  Legislature  April  1,  1800;  A. 
C.  Gordon,  Alexander  Brown  and  D.  C.  Clark  were 
elected  November  8,  1870.  Gordon  resigned  January 

6,  1874.  J.  R.  Withington  appointed.  Clark  resigned 
September  18,  1.S72.  Henry  Mau  and  R.  Sadler, 
elected  November  5. 1872;  Samuel  Liddle  and  Samuel 
Hosier,  elected  November  3,  1874:  S.  S.  Woodin  and 
H.  L.  Fitzhugh  elected  November  7,  187('(;  J,  H. 
Lockwood  and  Ed.  Caldwell,  elected  November  5, 
1878.  Caldwell  resigned  in  1880  and  Frank  Drake 
appointed.  G.  W.  Halstead  and  John  Flynn  were 
elected  November  2,  1880. 

DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS. 

F.  11.  Kennedy,  apjjointcd  by  the  Legislature  April 
1,  1869;  John  R.  Kiltrell,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  B.  Barker,  elected 
November  3,  1874;  B.  K.  Davis,  elected  November 

7,  1876,  re-elected  November  5,  1878,  died  in  1880, 
and  A.  H.  Freece  apiiointcd.  C.  M.Thackstou,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

rOINTV  SHERIFFS. 

Edward  Irwin,  ap])ointed  by  the  Legislature  April 
1,  1869;  J.  D.  Patterson,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  November  5,  1872;  Ed.  Raum,  elected 
November  3,  1874,  re  elected  November  7,  1S76,  re- 
elected again  November  5.  1878,  again  re-elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 

IL  M.  Eddy  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature 
April  1,  1869;  B.  II.  Hereford  was  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;   Win.  T.  llanford  was  elected  November 


5,  1872,  re-elected  November  3,  1874,  resigned  in 
Maj-,  187."),  and  was  succeeded  by  W.  R.  Forrest. 
Forrest  was  elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected 
Novembers,  1878;  John  .McKornon  elected  Novem- 
ber 2,  1880. 

COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

M.  W.  Kales  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature 
April  1,  1869,  resigned,  and  Lewis  C^ook  appointed  in 
his  place  in  1869,  W,  P.  Willard.  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  Wm.  Tinson,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
Wm.  Pardy,  elected  November  3,  1874;  George  P. 
McConkey,  elected  November  7,  1876,  re-elected 
November  5,  1878,  re-elected  again,  November  2, 
1880. 

COUNTY   ASSESSORS. 

Augustus  Ash  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature, 
April  1,  1869;  T.  R.  Cranley  was  elected  November 
8, 1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872;  J.  B.  William- 
son, elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected  November 

7,  1876;  Wash.  Woodberry,  elected  November  5, 
1878,  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

\\'arren  T.  Lockhart,  appointed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture April    1,  1869;  T.  N.  Brown,  elected  November 

8,  1870;  Wm,  C.  Love,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
Wm.  Tinson,  elected  November  3,  1874,  re-elected 
November  7,  1876.  re-elected  again  November  5, 
1878,  again  re-elected  November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

H.  S.  Herrick,  appointed  by  the  Legislature  April 
1,  1869,  elected  November  8.  1870,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 5,  1872,  re-elected  again  November  3,  1874;  H. 
Hagar,  elected  November  7,  1876;  H.  S.  Herrick, 
elected  November  5,  1878;  L.  O.  Benedict,  elected 
November  2,  1880. 

COUNTY   SURVEYORS. 

E.  F,  Mitchell  was  appointed  bj'  the  Legislature 
April  1,  1869;  F,  Tagliabue,  elected  November  8, 
1870;  Thomas  J.  Read,  elected  November  5,  1872; 
M.  W.  Henry,  elected  November  3,  1874;  Wm.  M. 
Mctiill,  elected  November  7,  1876;  George  B.  Bur- 
bank,  elected  November  5,  1878;  Joseph  Grandel- 
mycr,  elected  November  2,  1880,  but  did  not  qualify. 

COUNTY    PUlU.lr    AD.MINISTRATORS. 

M.J.  Henly,  appointed  by  the  Legislature  April 
1,  18(i9,  and  was  elected  November  8,  1870;  Wm,  H. 
Taylor,  elected  November  5,  1872;  E.  Mejer  elected 
November  3,  1874;  J.  C.  Edwards,  elected  November 
7,  1876;  E  X.  Willard,  elected  November  5,  1878, 
re-elected  November  2,  lS,s(i,  but  did  not  (pialify. 

I  RESOURCES   OF   THE    COUNTY. 

The  prosjierity  of  White  Pine  was  short,  sharp  and 
decisive  enough  to  sati.sfy  the  most  speculative  cast 
I  of  mind.  Those  who  made  the  tii-st  investments 
were  so  dazzled  with  the  splendor  and  greatness  of 
their  prospective  wealth  that  they  were  never  quite 
able  to  see  how  they  wore  despoiled;  and  those  who 
made  the  last  investments  were  unable  to  turn  quick 


652 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


enough  to  escape  the  crash  and  general  ruin  that 
followed  the  failure  of  the  mines.  Still,  these  mines 
were  exceedingly  rich,  and,  while  they  lasted,  pro- 
duced bullion  in  great  abundance.  The  value  of  the 
gross  product  in  1S70,  the  second  year  after  the  first 
discovery  of  the  mines,  was  81,590,6G2.6(J,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1873  they  had  produced  88,767,784. 

This  was  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  new  county, 
for  the  tax  on  the  bullion  product  was  nearly  equal 
to  the  tax  on  all  other  property  of  the  county  com- 
bined, and  supplied  the  Treasury  with  the  ready 
means  to  pay  current  expenses  and  liquidate  the 
bonded  debt  in  the  erection  of  the  Court  House. 

For  a  complete  statement  of  the  bullion  product  of 
the  county  each  year,  from  1869  to,  and  including, 
1880,  reference  is  had  to  the  table  upon  this  subject, 
published  in  this  work. 

The  discovery  of  mineral  wealth  had  the  effect  to 
develop  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  county, 
which  were  before  unknown.  The  fertile  lands  of 
Spring,  Steptoe  and  Snake  Valleys  were  sought  out 
and  brought  into  requisition,  and  made  to  supply 
the  mining  camps  with  every  cereal,  vegetable  and 
fruit  which  a  northern  climate  can  produce.  The 
mountain  ranges  furnished  abundance  of  wood  and 
timber,  and  the  frequent  springs  and  streams  upon 
their  sides  and  at  their  base  rendered  thousands  of 
aci'cs  valuable  for  grazing.  The  surplus  waters  of 
the  mountain  streams,  by  means  of  irrigating  ditches, 
were  turned  upon  the  drj-  and  barren  fields,  which 
were  thereby  made  to  blossom  and  bear  fruit. 

For  a  full  statement  of  the  products  of  the  county, 
from  1860  to  1880,  the  number  of  acres  under  culti- 
vation, the  stock  and  grain  raised  and  the  fruit  trees 
and  vines  growing,  also  for  the  number  of  irrigating 
ditches,  the  reader  is  referred  to  pages  135,  136,  139 
and  140  of  the  general  historj^. 

MORE    HOPEFUL    PROSPECTS. 

Notwithstanding  the  depression  in  all  kinds  of 
business  that  followed  the  failure  of  the  mines;  and 
the  marked  decline  in  ])opuiation  and  wealth  which 
the  county  experienced  at  that  time,  yet  there  is  now 
and  for  the  past  few  j'oars  there  has  been,  a  better 
feeling  and  a  more  hopeful  outlook.  The  ephemeral 
excitements  of  former  times  have  passed,  and  those 
citizens  who  have  remained  have  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  the  systematic  develojiment  and  improvement 
of  their  properties,  both  mining  and  agricultural. 

The  ai)parent  success  of  mining  operations  in 
Ward  District  hos  had  a  tendency  to  encourage 
miners  and  to  give  increased  confidence  to  the  pub- 
lic generally  in  the  jjcrmanency  and  wealth  of  other 
districta.  Treasure  Itill,  and  the  towns  of  White 
Pino  District,  whoso  population,  at  one  time,  was 
reduced  nearl}-  to  zero,  are  looking  up;  and  other 
localities  are  being  actively  prospected. 

The  introduction  of  alfalfa  into  most  of  the  valleys 
of  the  county  has  given  a  new  im])etu8  to  the  graz- 
ing  industry.      Two   crops   each   year   and    some- 


times three  are  raised  from  the  same  ground.  Grass- 
hoppers have  not  been  as  troublesome  here  as  they 
have  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  grain  is 
rarely  affected  by  smut  or  rust.  Severe  frosts,  which 
come  in  some  localities  every  month  in  the  year,  are 
the  only  hindrance  to  abundant  crops  of  fruit  and 
vegetables. 

The  population  of  the  county,  as  given  by  the  cen- 
sus of  1880,  was  2,582.  The  total  value  of  assessable 
property,  real  and  personal,  is  §963,541,  and  the 
total  debt  is  8139,042.  The  cash  on  hand  is  821,- 
617.66. 

PRINCIPAL    MINING  DISTRICTS. 

Bald  Mountain  District  is  in  the  Euby  Mount- 
ains, about  fifty  miles  north  of  Hamilton  and 
eight  miles  south  of  the  old  overland  stage  road. 
There  are  two  peaks,  not  widely  separated,  which 
are  destitute  of  timber  near  their  summits.  The 
mines  are  on  the  south  peak  and  in  the  saddle 
between  that  and  the  northern  peak.  Ore  was 
discovered  on  August  13,  1869,  by  G.  H.  Foreman 
and  others,  and  on  August  20th  a  district  ten  miles 
square  was  organized.  The  formation  is  limestone. 
The  Free  Metal  Belt  is  about  five  hundred  yards 
wide,  and  extends  north  four  miles.  It  is  east  of  the 
southern  slope.  The  Base  Metal  Belt  is  far  up  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  south  peak,  and  is  al)0ut 
500  yards  wide,  and  two  miles  in  length.  An  out- 
crop of  quartzite  rock  passes  between  these  belts, 
nearly  due  north.  Plenty  of  spring  water  is  to  be 
had  near  the  mines;  nut  pine,  juniper  and  mountain 
mahogany  cover  the  low  hills,  and  bunch  grass  is 
abundant,  but  there  are  no  meadows  in  the  adjacent 
region.  In  the  Nevada  Mine  the  ore  is  a  chloride, 
and  carries  iron,  antimony,  some  carbonate  of  lead, 
and  a  trace  of  copper.  Five  tons  of  it  yielded  8128. 
In  the  Genii  Mine  the  vein  matter  is  much  decom- 
posed. The  ore  shows  copper  and  antimonj-,  and  is 
red  with  the  oxide  of  iron  and  carbonate  of  lead.  It 
jnelds  forty  dollars  per  ton.  Ore  in  the  Bismarck 
Mine  shows  from  forty  to  eighty  dollars  in  silver, 
and  from  twenty-five  to  forty -five  percent,  in  copper, 
with  some  iron. 

Cave  District  is  on  a  low  hill  of  the  Egan  range 
of  mountains,  about  fort}-  miljs  south  of  Ward.  Ore 
was  discovered  by  John  Hughes  in  1869,  and,  on  the 
seventeenth  of  March  of  that  year  a  district  was 
organized.  At  the  south  end  of  the  hill  is  a  cave 
which  has  been  explored  and  mapped  for  a  distance 
of  2,500  feet.  The  mines  are  on  the  hill  near  the 
cave.  Tfco  formation  is  of  limestone.  The  vein 
matter  is  from  two  to  four  feet  in  width,  and  dips 
southeast  from  thirty  to  forty-five  degrees.  The  ore 
is  found  in  seams  and  bunches,  and  selected  speci- 
mens assaj'  from  850  to  84O0  per  ton,  can-ying  galena, 
stromerite  and  iron.  Water  is  abundant;  wood  is 
procured  from  the  range  of  mountains  adjacent. 
Not  much  work  was  done  until  1878,  since  which 
time  some  ore  has  been  hauled  to  Bristol,  in  Lincoln 
County. 


mSTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


653 


Cooper  District  is  situated  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Schell  Creek  Mountains,  on  the  south  side  of 
Simpson's  Pass  and  twenty  miles  oast  of  Ward.  It 
was  organized  on  .Maj'  2,  1869,  ore  having  been  dis- 
covered the  preceding  day.  A  sufficient  su])ply  of 
wood  exists.  Water,  in  limited  quantities,  is  found 
four  miles  to  the  northward,  and  in  abundance  at 
the  distance  often  miles.  The  formation  is  limestone, 
dipping  ten  degrees  to  the  east.  Slate  is  found  along 
the  canons,  and  granite  at  the  mountain  summits. 
In  the  California,  Blue  Load,  Carrick,  Potomac  and 
Rappahannock  .^[ines  the  vein  matter  varies  from 
four  to  eight  foet.  The  ore  assays  from  S62  to  S192 
per  ton  in  silver,  and  carries  galena,  antimony,  iron 
and  arsenic.  In  the  Fairplay  Mine  the  vein  matter 
is  six  feet  in  width,  and  the  ore  shows  fine  chloride 
of  silver.  In  the  MoUie  Rutter  and  Eclipse  Mines 
the  vein  matter  is  four  foet  in  width,  and  spooimens 
of  chloride  ore  assay  from  forty  to  several  hundred 
dollars  per  ton.  The  vein  matter  of  the  Cooper 
Mine  is  about  five  feet  in  width,  and  selected  speci- 
mens of  ore  have  assayed  from  §78  to  S145  per  ton. 
In  the  latter  mine  the  ore  is  generally  found  in  small 
pockets.  Most  of  the  work  ever  done  in  the  district 
was  in  18G9  and  1870.  Fiftj'  or  sixty  locations  have 
been  made.  The  ore  is  free.  Xo  mills  have  over 
been  put  up  in  the  district,  and  there  are  no  miners 
there. 

Enterprise  District  is  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Schell  Creek  Mountains,  a  little  northeast  of  Pier- 
mont.  It  was  organized  on  July  1,  18  !9.  The  ore 
contains  lead  and  copper,  and  assays  from  fifteen  to 
thirty  dollars  per  ton  in  silver.  The  mountain  slope 
abounds  with  fir,  yellow  pine,  nut  pine  and  juniper. 
In  the  valley  is  cedar.  The  district  contains  a  suffi- 
cient supply  of  water. 

Gold  Canon  District  is  near  Egan  Canon,  in  the 
Et'an  range  of  mountains,  fifty-five  miles  northeast 
from  Hamilton  in  a  direct  line.  Ore  was  first  dis- 
covered by  a  company  of  volunteer  soldiers,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Tober,  who  wore  on  their  way  to 
Fort  Ruby.  A  district  was  organized  on  the  twenty- 
third  of  September,  1863,  and  the  first  claim  recorded 
was  that  of  Samuel  J.  Taut.  The  mountains  and  the 
cafion  were  named  after  Howard  Egan,  a  Mormon 
Danite,  who,  at  an  earlj'  day,  discovered  the  cafion 
while  endeavoring  to  make  his  way  to  California. 
The  geological  formation  where  the  mines  are,  con- 
sists of  the  oldest  stratified  rocks  in  alternate  zones 
of  schist,  quartzite,  and  slate.  'J'he  upheaval  of  the 
beds  is  from  east  to  west,  their  upturned  edges 
forming  the  entire  cast  face  and  summit  of  the  Egan 
range.  The  west  flank  of  the  range,  and  the  high 
ridges  west  of  the  Egan  basin,  are  silurian.  devonian, 
and  carboniferous  beds,  consisting  mainly  of  calcare- 
ous shales  and  limestone  peculiar  to  the  geological 
ages.  The  principal  mines  at  Egan  are  owned  by 
the  San  Jose  Mining  Company,  at  the  head  of  which 
formerly  stood  General  Rosecrans,  now  a  member  of 
82 


Congress  from  California.     These  mines,  all  held  by 
Government  patents,  are  as  follows:    The  Gilligan 

'  Mine,  1,600  feet;  the  Gilligan  West,  1,400  feet;  the 
Gilligan  East,  800  feet;  the  Jenny  Eind,  1,600  feet; 
the  San  Jose,  115  feet;  the  Centennial,  1,500  feet; 
the  Pino  Tree,  1,500  foot;  the  Eastern,  1,500  feot; 
the  American,  1,500  feet;  and  the  Columbus,  1,500 
feet.  The  Gilligan  Ledge,  the  first  of  the  company's 
possessions  originally'  worked,  cuts  obliquely  across 
the  country  rock  from  southwest  to  northeast,  and 
the  dip  is  northwest,  at  angles  varying  from  fifty 
to  eighty  degrees  below  the  horizon,  the  average 
dip  being  about  seventy  degrees.  This  description 
applies  to  the  Gilligan  West  and  East,  the  Jenny 
Lind,  San  Jose,  and  Centennial,  on  the  same  ledge 
continuously.  The  Gilligan  is  pronounced  by  ex- 
perts to  bo  a  true  fi.ssure  lode,  of  great  length,  and 
of  undoubted  persistence  in  depth.  The  other  min- 
ing locations  offer  advantageous  explorations,  but 
have  not  as  yet  been  sufficiently  explored  to    turn 

'  their  possessions  to  account.  The  Social  Company 
opened  the  trilligan  Mine  in  the  year  1863,  with 
lucrative  returns,  under  the  superintendency  of  Mr. 
John  O'Dougherty.  The  Social  became  united  with 
the  Steptoe  in  1865.  The  Social  and  Sleptoe  Con- 
solidated extended  the  works,  and  built  the  twenty- 
stamp  mill  at  Egan. 

The  San  Jose  Mining  Company  became  possessed 
of  the  property  in  1871.  Its  first  efforts  were  to 
sink  the  main  incline  on  the  Gilligan,  some  ninety  feot 
deeper,  making  the  depth  from  the  surface  about 
500  feet.  A  derangement  of  the  pumping  force  led 
to  a  stoppage  of  the  work,  the  sinking  of  the  shaft 
having  met  with  an  0])posing  body  of  water.  The 
company  then  determined  to  run  an  adit,  or  tunnel, 
for  the  purpose  of  draining  and  working  the  mine 
moi'o  advantageously.  This  tunnel  cuts  the  ledge 
at  right  angles,  at  a  distance  of  1,200  feet  from  its 
mouth,  and  extends  some  300  feet  to  400  feet  beyond 
the  ledge,  in  a  northerly  direction.  It  strikes  the 
ledge  about  500  feet  cast  of  the  main  incline,  and 
from  450  to  650  feet  below  the  croppings.  Levels, 
to  the  right  and  left  of  the  tunnel  line,  have  been 
driven  along  the  course  of  the  ledge;  sometimes  on 
the  ledge,  and  at  other  times  losing  it,  owing  to  the 
intersections  of  false,  or  cross-courses.  The  level 
to  the  right,  or  northeast,  extends  now  some  700 
feet;  that  to  the  left,  or  southwest,  and  connecting 
with  the  Gilligan,  is  some  500  feet  in  length.  Work 
has  lately  been   resumed,  after  a  suspension  of  three 

;  years,  but  with  only  a  small  force  of  miners.  This 
force  is  to  bo  augmented  as  operations  progress,  and 
as  prospcctings  and  explorations  demand.  The  vein 
has  always  yielded  gold  atid  silver,  in  the  propor- 
tion of  one-third  gold,  to  two  thirds  silver. 

Freight  is  brought  from  Wells,  on  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  by  a  stage,  carrying  Wells,  Fargo 
&  Co.'s  express.  Teamslere  with  mule  teams  carry 
freight  from  Toano,  at  one  and  one-fourth  cents  per 
pound.     The  i»tago  freight  varies  i'rqta  ton  to  fifteen 


654 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA, 


cents  per  pound.  The  timber  supply  of  the  district 
i8  nut  pine,  white  or  pitch  pine,  fir,  Bpruce  and 
mahogany,  for  fuel  purposes.  The  supply  is  abun- 
dant at  five  dollars  per  cord,  excepting  for  mahogany, 
which  is  seven  or  eight  dollars  per  cord.  The  water 
supply  is  also  abundant,  from  the  springs  which  form 
the  Egan  Canon  Creek,  running  through  the  canon, 
and  into  Steptoe  Valley.  A  large  body  of  water  is 
also  constantly  discharged  through  the  San  Jose 
Company's  tunnel,  and  joins  the  water  of  the  creek. 
The  ores  from  above  the  water  line  are  worked  by 
wet  crushing  batteries,  but,  from  below  that  line, 
are  treated  with  roasting  and  dry  crushing.  The 
nearest  post-office  to  Egan  Canon  is  that  of  Cherrj"- 
Greek,  about  five  miles  to  the  northeast. 

Hunter  District  is  in  the  Egan  Mountains,  ten 
miles  south  of  Egan  Canon,  and  fifty  miles  northeast 
of  Hamilton.  Ore  was  discovered  Decembers,  1871. 
Limestone  and  quartzite  are  the  prevailing  forma- 
tions. In  the  Vulcan  Mine  the  course  of  the  vein  is 
east  and  west,  and  the  dip  is  to  the  south.  For  a 
depth  of  186  feet  ore  has  been  found  all  the  waj'. 
An  average  of  100  assays  showed  a  product  of  from 
sixty  to  eighty  dollars  per  ton.  Very  little  work 
has  been  done  in  the  district.  Wood  and  water  are 
plenty. 

Kern  District  is  about  forty-five  miles  south  of 
Big  Creek,  on  the  south  side  of  a  pass  through  the 
Snake  Mountains  known   as  Pleasant  Valley.     The 
district  is  five  miles  in  width,  and  covers  a  section  of 
the  mountain  about  fifteen  miles  long,  southeast  and 
northwest.      Ore   was   discovered   in   1859    by    the 
employes  of  the  Overland  Mail  Company.     In  June, 
1868,   the  Mammoth   Ledge   was  located.      On  the 
seventeenth  of  Ajiril  the  district  of  Pleasant  Valley 
was  organized.      On   the  third  of  May  following,  a 
party  of  men  from  Kern  County,  California,  entered 
a  wide  canon  in  search  of  water  at  a  localitj'  about 
five  miles  west  of  the  original  point  of  discovery, 
and  there  found  ore.      On   the  ninth  of  May  they 
organized  Kern    District,   and   included   within    its 
limits  the  section  already  occupied  by  Pleasant  Val- 
ley District.     They  also  laid  off  the  town  of  Glen- 
coe  in  the  canon.     A  friendly  adjustment  of  conflict- 
ing  claims   followed,   and   the   name  of   Kern  was 
adopted    for    the    doubly   organized    district.      The 
mineral  belt  includes  the  whole  southwestern   slope 
of  the  hill  and  three  or  four  miles  of  the  northeastern 
slope.     The  body  of  the  hill  is  granite  and  quartzite, 
and  is  capped  with  limestone,  which  is  genorallj-  the 
country  rock  about  the  mines.     The  vein  matter  of 
the   Mammoth  Ledge  stood  from  one  to  twentj'  feet 
above  the  surface,  and  contained  sulphurets  of  iron, 
traces  of  gold  and  some  co])per  and  silver.     A  mass  of 
magnetic  iron  was  found  in  the  opening  at  the  depth 
of  six  feet.     Below,  it  diminished,  but  continued  on 
the  foot-wall,  the  other  part  of  the  vein   carrying 
copper,   lead    and    nickel.       The   foot-wall   is  well 
defined  and  lined  with  clay,  and  the  country  rock  is 


granite.  Assays  have  ranged  from  S3  to  over  8100 
in  silver  and  gold.  About  twenty  miles  southeast  of 
Kern  District  are  three  salt  beds,  connected  by  a 
slough  and  capable  of  affording  an  unlimited  supply 
of  salt.  Warm  Creek,  which  flows  into  the  marsh 
containing  these  beds,  has  a  temperature  of  eighty 
degrees.  It  flows  from  a  boiling  spring  two  or  three 
miles  west  in  the  foot-hills,  and  is  eight  feet  in  width 
and  two  feet  deep.  Along  the  valley  to  the  south- 
ward for  sixty  or  seventy  miles  are  several  fertile  and 
well-watered  sections. 

Lincoln  District  lies  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Snake  Mountains,  east  of  Wheeler's  Peak.  Ore  was 
discovered  on  July  10,  1869,  and  two  days  after- 
wards the  district  was  organized.  Timber  is  abun- 
dant on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountain,  consisting 
of  fir,  white  and  yellow  pine,  tamarack,  juniper,  nut 
pine  and  mountain  mahogany.  In  some  localities  the 
trees  are  three  feet  in  diameter  and  175  feet  high. 
Bunch-grass  abounds,  and  there  is  plentj'  of  spring- 
water  for  mining  purposes.  Several  small  .streams 
flow  down  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountain  and 
emptj'into  Snake  Creek,  which,  in  turn,  flows  into  a 
lake  of  the  same  name  which  is  two  miles  long  and  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  and  contains  excellent  trout. 
Around  the  lake  are  several  thousand  acres  of  fine 
meadow  and  agricultural  lands,  beyond  which  are 
largo  groves  of  red  cedar.  The  mines  arc  in  a 
timbered  region  in  a  belt  of  limestone.  The  princi- 
pal ones  are  the  Washington,  Ohio,  Iowa.  Worcester, 
Buena  Vista,  Young  America,  Canaan,  Balbcc,  Cross 
Lead,  Sheffield  and  Passaic.  The  mineral  belt  is 
four  miles  long,  north  and  south,  and  about  two 
miles  wide.  The  mountain  is  exceedingly  broken. 
The  Washington  Mine  is  near  the  summit,  at  an  alti- 
tude of  11,000  feet.  Specimens  from  it  have  assaj-ed 
$517  per  ton,  carrying  some  copper,  lead  and  anti- 
mony. The  croppings  in  it  are  eight  feet  in  width. 
The  Iowa  contains  a  vein  three  feet  wide,  the 
ore  of  which  shows  copper  and  chloride  of  silver. 
Near  by  are  great  quantities  of  black  and  white  spar. 
Many  other  claims  have  been  located,  but  have,  as 
yet,  never  been  developed. 

Lake  District  is  situated  in  the  mountains  over- 
looking Steptoe  Valley  from  the  west,  and  was 
organized  in  September,  1873.  Ore  was  first  dis- 
covered by  (loorge  B.  Taylor.  The  formations  are 
slate,  quartzite  and  limestone.  The  princi])al  mines 
are  the  Excelsior,  .Mastodon,  Belcher,  l.ida  and  El 
Dorado.  The  ore  is  very  high  grade  and  has  fre- 
quently assayed  .?1,000  to  the  ton.  Wood  and  water 
are  abundant  in  the  district. 

McDoudAi.  District  lies  nearly  west  of  Piermont, 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  Schell  ("reek  Mountains, 
and  at  the  head  of  Duckwater  Creek.  It  was 
organized  on  the  first  of  July,  1869,  The  formation 
is  limestone;  the  veins  are  from  three  to  six  feet  in 
width,  run  north  and  south,  and  are  accompanied  by 
a  capping  of  spar.     The  ore  is  in  finely  crystallized 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


655 


white  quartz  with  deep  blue  copper  stains  passing 
through  it  and  carrying  silver.  Two  fine  springs 
near  the  mines  afford  a  good  supply  of  water.  Cedar, 
fir,  mit  and  j-ellow  pine  and  juniper  are  abundant  in 
the  vicinity. 

Nevad.\  District  is  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Schell  Creek  Mountains,  thirty  miles  southeast  of 
Pierniont  and  ten  miles  east  of  Robinson.  Ore  was 
discovci'ed  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  April,  18G9,  by  a 
party  of  explorers  from  Reno.  A  district  was  organ- 
ized on  the  seventh  of  May  following.  Wood  is 
found  in  sufficient  quantities  in  the  hills  and  canons. 
Water  is  obtained  from  springs  near  the  mines,  and 
from  Steptoc  Creek,  three  miles  distant,  where  there 
is  a  permanent  supplj-  of  400  inches.  The  country 
rock  is  limestone;  the  ore  is  principally  a  rich 
chloride.  In  1873  the  claims  on  Wagner  Hill  were 
located,  thirty  in  all,  and  the  town  of  Tamerlane  was 
laid  out.  Considerable  ore  was  extracted  but  the 
burning  of  the  ten-stamp  mill  at  l\obinson  put  a  stop 
to  operations.  In  Steptoe  Valley,  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, there  are  several  fine  stock  and  agricultur.il 
ranches. 

Newark  District  was  organized  in  October,  18GG, 
bj-  Stephen  and  John  Beard,  and  others  from  Austin, 
who  discovered  the  mineral-bearing  veins.  The  dis- 
trict is  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Diamond  range  of 
mountains,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  Eureka.  The 
geological  formation  is  slate  and  limestone,  the  lat- 
ter carrying  a  great  abundance  of  fossil  shells.  Deep 
chasms  are  cut  in  the  mountain  side  which  exhibit 
the  character  of  the  rocks.  One  of  these  chasms,  or 
cafions,  is  called  the  Minnehaha,  and  another  Chi- 
huahua, and  through  both  run  sparkling  streams  of 
water.  The  first  is  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  its 
scenery,  and  the  latter  for  its  grandeur.  The  Chi- 
huahua Canon  seems  formed  bj'  some  great  convul- 
sion of  nature,  rending  the  rocks  in  twain,  leaving 
them  standing  in  perpendicular  walls  1,000  feet  in 
height,  almost  rivaling  the  great  chasm  of  the  Yo 
Semite,  in  California.  This  deep  fissure  exposes  veins 
of  silver-bearing  quartz  varying  from  two  to  twenty 
feet  in  width,  the  principal  being  the  Lincoln  and  the 
Chihuahua. 

In  18G7  the  principal  mines  of  this  district  were 
purchased  by  an  Eastern  company  composed  chiefly 
of  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  incorpo- 
rated as  the  Centenary  Company,  in  honor  of  the 
centenary  year  of  that  denomination.  Through  the 
exertions  of  Ilevs.  J.  L.  Trefren  and  W.  G.  Blakeloy, 
of  Austin,  this  company  was  organized,  including  in 
its  conditions  the  building  of  a  church  at  Austin, 
which  was  accomplishoel  in  1857,  and  is  more  fully 
referred  to  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  churches  in  this 
work.  This  company  built  the  Newark  Mill,  and  for 
some  years  carried  on  fiuite  extensive  operations. 
Numerous  changes  have  occurred  in  ownership  and 
names  since  that  period. 

At  one  time  a  large  quantity  of  ore  was  taken  out 


and  much  bullion  produced,  but  bad  management 
entailed  losses  on  stockholders,  and  little  more  than 
assessment  work  is  now  done.  The  most  prominent 
mine  is  that  of  the  Newark  .Mill  and  Mining  Com- 
panj-,  situated  on  a  spur  running  east  from  the  Dia- 
mond range  of  mountains.  It  includes  the  locations 
known  as  the  Chihuahua,  I^incoln  and  Ruckej'c  State, 
but  no  developments  have  been  made  below  a  depth 
of  seventy  feet,  although  8100,000  worth  of  bullion 
has  been  taken  out.  The  croppings  of  the  ledges 
are  traceable  for  a  distance  of  4,000  feet,  and  as 
far  as  explored,  preserve  the  character  of  a  true  fis- 
sure vein,  with  well  marked  hanging-walls.  From 
the  Battery  Mine  considerable  ore  has  been  taken 
out  and  shipped  to  Eureka,  but  with  present  facilities 
the  operation  is  not  profitable.  Plenty  of  wood  and 
water  for  mill  and  mining  purposes  are  conveniently 
situated  in  the  district,  and  an  inexhaustible  salt 
marsh  is  within  three  miles  of  the  mill. 

Piedmont  District  was  discovered  and  organized 
in  1869.  In  the  spring  of  1871  a  San  Francisco 
company  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  chief  loca- 
tions, opened  a  mine,  erected  a  ten-stamp  mill,  and 
inaugurated  active  and  energetic  operations.  Wood 
is  delivered  at  the  mines  at  five  dollars  per  cord, 
and  water  is  convenient  and  abundant.  Three  miles 
distant  is  a  body  of  timber,  and  a  good  saw-mili 
fully  supplies  the  local  demand  for  lumber. 

PiERMONT  District  is  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Schell  Creek  Mountains,  at  a  point  seventy  miles 
northeast  of  Hamilton,  and  180  miles  south  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Pailroad.  It  was  organized  July  5, 
18G9.  Near  the  mines  is  a  stream  containing  100 
inches  of  water  at  the  lowest  stage;  and  nut  j)ine, 
mountain  mahogany,  fir  and  yellow  pine,  all  of  large 
size,  are  abundant  in  the  vicinity.  There  is  but  one 
mineral-bearing  ledge  in  the  district.  It  crops  low 
down  on  the  foot-hills  in  places  twenty-five  feet 
above  the  surface,  varies  in  width  from  five  to  fifteen 
feet,  and  runs  northeast,  dipping  to  the  east  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  Piermont  Mine 
covers  1,200  feet.  It  cuts  across  the  vein  matter, 
and  a  shaft  twenty-four  feet  in  depth  exposes  a 
large  body  of  ore.  Five  tons  reduced  yielded  $300 
in  silver,  and  837  in  gold.  The  countrj-  rock  on  the 
west  is  quartzite,  lined  with  c\ny ,  that  on  the  east 
is  a  blue  calcareous  slate,  with  clay  linings. 

Queen  Springs  Distuict  is  situated  on  Queen 
Springs  Mountain,  eighty  miles  northeast  from  Ham- 
ilton, on  the  old  overland  road.  It  extends  six 
miles  north  and  si.x  miles  south  from  Queen  Springs, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  S|)ring  Valley  and  on 
the  west  by  Steptoe  Valley.  The  mineral  belt  ex- 
tends through  the  entire  length  of  the  district,  and 
is  from  half  a  mile  to  two  miles  in  width.  The  geo- 
logical formation  of  the  mountain  is  limestone.  To 
the  east  there  are  vertical  strata  of  calcareous 
shale,  and  next  to  this,  over  the  base  of  the  mount- 
ain, the  formation  is  trachyte.     The  metal-bearing 


656 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


veins  or  deposits  of  ore  are  found  in  limestone,  and 
crop  out  in  many  places  to  the  surface.  The  dis- 
trict was  organized  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  June, 

1871.  A  considerable  amount  of  surface  work  has 
been  done,  but  no  openings  to  anj'  dejjth  have  j'et 
been  made.  The  ore  veins  are  all  found  in  lime- 
stone. The  district  is  well  supplied  with  wood  and 
water,  and  the  facilities  for  mining  and  milling  are 
favorable.  The  town  of  Schellboume  is  two  miles 
distant  from  the  mines. 

Ruby  Hill  District,  in  the  Schell  Creek  range 
of  mountains,  was  discovered  in  1871,  and  organ- 
ized in  1872,  by  William  Adams  and  Richard  Whit- 
worth.  This  district  was  taken  from  the  Schell 
Creek,  and  the  records  are  kept  by  A.  Tiffney,  in 
Ruby  Hill.  There  have  been  150  locations,  and 
there  are   at  present   fifteen    miners.     In  1871  and 

1872,  when  the  mines  were  first  taken  up,  the  dis- 
trict contained  from  200  to  300  inhabitants,  but 
because  so  little  was  done  towards  opening  them 
the  place  commenced  going  down,  and  it  now  has 
but  very  few  residents.  The  principal  claims  are 
Lookout,  Silver  Wreath,  Cow  and  Calf,  Lady  Emily, 
Grizzly,  Iowa  Chief,  and  Omega.  The  Lookout  has 
a  shaft  125  feet  deep,  and  the  Omega  has  a  tunnel 
700  feet  long,  and  reaches  a  depth  of  200  feet  below 
the  surface.  Freights  are  brought  from  Toano  by 
team,  a  distance  of  ninety  miles,  at  a  cost  of  thirty 
dollars  per  ton.  Fir,  nut  pine  and  mahogany  are 
found  in  abundance  in  the  district.  The  ores  are 
sent  to  Salt  Lake  to  be  worked. 

San  Francisco  District  is  in  the  foot-hills,  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Egan  Mountains,  at  Hercules 
Gate,  about  fifty  miles  east  of  Hamilton.  It  is  ten 
miles  square,  and  the  valleys  included  in  it  contain 
meadow  and  agricultural  lands.  Ore  was  discovered 
on  the  twelfth  of  May,  1869,  by  a  party  of  men  from 
San  Francisco,  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  May  a  district 
was  organized.  The  mineral  belt  extends  about  four 
miles  north  and  south,  and  is  from  a  mile  and  a-half 
to  two  miles  in  width.  Where  the  principal  mines 
are  found,  a  section  of  limestone  is  displaced  to  the 
depth  of  about  fifteen  feet,  over  an  area  1,000  feet 
north  and  south  by  250  or  300  feet  east  and  west, 
leaving  the  face  of  an  imperfect  white  marble  ex- 
posed. The  scams  of  mineral  run  north  through 
this  formation,  and  are  from  a  few  inches  to  six  or 
eight  feet  in  width,  and  dip  to  the  east  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees.  The  walls  are  not  well  defined, 
there  being  no  partings.  The  principal  claims  were 
located  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  May,  18G9.  The  ore  is 
found  in  seams,  and  while  it  isgenerally  of  alowgrado, 
assaying  from  830  to  8100  per  ton,  specimens  have 
been  found  which  assay  Irom  81.200  to  82,000  per 
ton.  It  carries  gold  and  silver  in  nearly  equal  parts, 
and  contains  galena,  antimony,  copper  and  iron. 
East  of  the  district  about  six  miles,  is  Steptoe  Valley, 
and  there  are  springs  in  the  cafions  and  wood  on  the 
bills.     South  of  Hercules  Gate  about  four  miles,  is  a 


warm  spring.  Hercules  Gate  is  a  narrow  pass  into 
Smith's  Valley,  formed  by  some  tremendous  convul- 
sion of  nature.  It  is  an  eighth  of  a  mile  or  more  in 
length,  is  about  sixty  feet  in  width,  and  on  cither 
side  perpendicular  walls  of  rock  arise  to  the  height 
of  300  feet.  It  contains  springs,  and  a  stream  of 
water  runs  through  it  to  the  east  and  sinks  into  the 
adjoining  valley.  A  fine,  smooth  wagon  road  runs 
through  it. 

Shoshone  District  is  in  the  Snake  range  of 
mountains,  immediately  south  of  Wheeler's  Peak, 
and  thirty  miles  southeast  of  Ward,  Ore  was  dis- 
covered by  an  Indian,  who,  on  March  13,  1869, 
divulged  the  fact  to  a  party  of  prospectors,  and  led 
them  to  a  ravine  where  it  existed.  A  district  was 
organized  the  same  daj'.  and  ten  claims  were  recorded. 
A  little  work  was  done  during  that  year  and  the 
next,  but  scarcely  any  has  been  done  since.  These 
claims  are  situated  on  a  low  spur  of  the  mountain 
called  Mineral  Hill,  and  other  locations  have  been 
made  on  a  spur  further  north,  called  Lookout  Mount- 
ain. The  ledges  are  large  and  well  defined,  running 
north  and  south,  and  the  ore  is  free,  but  it  is  of  low 
grade.  No  miners  are  now  in  the  district.  The 
entire  surrounding  region  is  covered  with  nut  pine 
and  mountain  mahogany.  To  the  east  the  mountain 
rises  to  the  height  of  10,000  feet,  and  is  capped  with 
limestone. 

Silver  Canon  District  is  in  the  Schell  Creek 
i-ange  of  mountains,  eighty-five  miles  south  of  Toano, 
and  was  formerly  a  part  of  Ruby  Hill  District.  The 
nearest  post-office  is  Schellbourno.  Ore  was  discov- 
ered by  W.  B.  Lawlor,  in  1879,  and  a  district  was 
organized  in  1880.  Twenty  locations  have  been 
made,  and  there  are  forty-five  miners  in  the  vicinity. 
The  camp  consists  of  two  boarding-houses,  a  black- 
smith shop,  and  a  store.  The  veins  are  found  in 
slate,  and  run  north  and  south  with  the  formation, 
dip]>ing  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  ore 
is  free  milling,  and  contains  silver.  The  principal 
mines  are  the  Blue  Bell,  Sadie  L.,  Buck  Horn  and 
Copperopolis.  The  Sadie  Ij.  has  a  tunnel  thirty-five 
fool  in  length,  and  a  shaft  112  feet  in  depth.  Freight 
is  teamed  from  Toano  at  the  rate  of  eighty-five  dol- 
lars per  ton.  A  scant  supply  of  water  is  obtained 
from  springs.  Nut  pine,  mahogany,  and  fir,  are 
abundant.  The  ores  are  worked  bj'  a  mill  of  ten 
stamps.  An  additional  mill  of  twenty  stamps  is 
being  put  up. 

SACRA.MENT0  DISTRICT  is  situated  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  Snake  Mountains,  about  twenty  miles 
west  ol'  the  State  line  and  a  few  miles  north  of  the 
dividing  line  of  Nye  and  White  Pine  Counties.  The 
nearest  post-office  and  stage  station  is  Osceola,  four 
miles  distant.  Ore  was  discovered  by  Jack  Bastian 
and  others  on  April  17,  1S69.  About  forty  locations 
have  been  made.  The  formation  is  quartzite,  and 
runs  north  and  south,  the  veins  running  with  it,  and 
dipping  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  twenty  degrees. 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


Go  7 


Thoores  are  base  and  rebellious.  There  iaii  strip  of 
gold-bearing  coiintrj"  commencing  at  a  point  four 
miles  north  of  Sacramento  District,  and  running 
down  through  it,  which  is  considered  very  rich.  The 
principal  mines  in  the  district  are  the  Independence, 
the  Louisville,  Bay  State  and  the  Armstrong.  As- 
says have  resulted  as  follows:  Ore  from  the  Inde- 
pendence, 812  per  ton  in  silver  and  from  8200  to  8400 
per  ton  in  gold;  ore  from  the  Armstrong,  from  8100 
to  8150  per  ton  in  gold;  ore  from  the  Gem,  Oro  Fino 
and  Old  Mortality,  from  S-i"  to  8300  per  ton  in 
gold,  and  from  850  to  8112  per  ton  in  silver.  In  the 
three  last-named  mines  copper  and  lead  are  found  in 
email  quantities.  The  supply  of  wood  and  water  in 
the  district  is  ample  forall  mining  purposes.  Spruce, 
fir  and  j-ellow  pine  are  found  at  the  heads  of  the 
canons,  while  Spring  Valley,  west  of  the  district,  is 
well  watered  for  thirty  miles  to  the  southward,  and 
for  a  long  distance  to  the  northward.  The  water 
runs  in  streams,  or  collects  in  ponds  or  pools.  Sev- 
eral miles  north  of  the  district  is  a  lake,  in  Spring 
Valley,  which  is  four  miles  in  length  and  two  in 
width.  This  valley  contains  an  extensive  strip  of 
meadow  land,  which  reaches  northward  nearly  to 
the  Humboldt  Kiver,  and  numerous  groves  of  beau- 
tiful red  cedar  trees,  which  attain  a  height  of 
seventy  or  eighty  feet.  In  places  the  Indians 
have  cultivated  it,  and  raised  vegetables,  wheat  and 
barley.  It  also  forms  fine  pasturage  for  herds  of 
stock.  Southeast  of  Sacramento  District,  along 
Snake  Creek  and  about  its  sink,  there  are  several 
thousand  acres  of  very  fine  land.  It  is  well  watered 
and  capable  of  high  cultivation.  The  streams  are 
all  supplied  with  the  best  of  trout,  and  as  the  canons 
leave  the  mountains  they  widen  into  little  valleys  and 
are  exceedingly  fertile. 

Silver  Park  District  is  in  the  southeastern  corner 
of  the  county.  In  the  limestone  formation  near  the 
surface  some  good  ore  was  found,  and  tvvo  mills  were 
at  one  time  erected  for  working  it,  but  the  results 
were  not  encouraging. 

SciiELL  Creek  District  is  about  seventy-five  miles 
northeast  of  Hamilton.  Several  mines  have  been 
sold  to  San  Francisco  capitalists,  but  at  last  accounts 
no  very  important  operations  were  in  progress. 

Snake  District  is  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Snake  range  of  mountains,  about  twelve  miles  east 
of  Sacramento,  and  very  near  the  Utah  line.  It  was 
organized  in  February,  18G9.  The  country  rock  is 
granite.  Specimens  of  ore  have  boon  found  which 
assay  finely,  but  there  is  not  sufficient  encouragement 
to  justify  the  e.Kpondituro  of  much  capital  or  labor 
in  developments.  Wood  and  water  are  abundant, 
and  some  good  stock  ranges  and  ranches  are  found  in 
the  adjoining  valley. 

Taylor  District  is  situated  in  the  foot-hills  oast 
of  Steptoe  Valley,  and  is  about  twenty  miles  south  of 
Robinson.  Ore  was  discovered  in  July,  1873,  by 
Taylor  and  John  Piatt,  and  a  district  was  soon  aflor- 


■wards  organized.  Wood  and  water  are  abundant. 
The  geological  formation  is  limestone.  The  ore  is 
very  rich,  and  carries  copper  and  galena.  A  good 
deal  of  it  has  been  sent  to  Sacramento  City.  Several 
claims  have  been  recentlj'  purchased  by  a  San  Fran- 
cisco company,  and  active  operations  are  contem- 
plated. 

principal  towns  and  cities. 

Ciierry  Cheek  is  located  in  the  mining  district  of 
the  same  name,  at  the  mouth  of  Cherry'  Creek  Canon, 
near  the  bottom  of  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Egan 
range.  Its  elevation  is  0,300  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
its  location  is  superb  for  a  town.  The  discovery  of 
the  mines  in  1872  and  the  formation  of  the  district 
in  the  fall  of  that  j'ear,  led  to  the  organization  of 
the  town  in  the  spring  of  1873.  The  growth  of  the 
place  during  the  following  year  was  most  remark- 
able. At  the  election  in  1874,  over  500  votes  were 
cast.  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.'s  express  opened  an  office 
in  1873.  Also  a  post-office  was  established,  which  in 
1876  was  made  a  money-order  office.  In  1875  many 
people  moved  from  the  place,  but  the  town  has 
remained  about  stationary  in  population  since  1876, 
there  being  G39  at  the  last  census. 

The  nearest  railroad  stations  are  Wells  and  Toano, 
on  the  Central  Pacific,  and  each  ninety  miles  distant. 
A  tri-weekl^'  mail  is  brought  by  stage  from  Wells, 
but  the  freight  is  brouglit  mostly  from  Toano. 
Cherry  Creek  has  always  been  a  prosperous  camp 
with  less  disturbances  and  murders  than  most  other 
places  of  its  size  and  age  in  Xevada. 

Baker  Post,  No.  13,  (Jrand  Armj-  of  the  Republic, 
was  organized  in  December,  lS71t,  with  seventeen 
charter  members.  The  first  officers  were  J,  F,  Sis- 
sons,  Commander;  J.  C.  Moon  and  Wilson  Carey, 
Vice-Commanders;  J,  11.  Blethen,  Adjutant;  J.  D. 
Maxwell,  Officer  of  the  Day.  The  present  officers 
are  the  same  except  the  Commander,  who  is  R.  D. 
Parker.  At  present  the  Post  numbers  twenty-five 
members,  and  has  property  consisting  of  hall  furni- 
ture, uniforms,  etc.,  worth  §300. 

The  Jfiners'  Union  was  organized  in  November, 
1879,  with  seventeen  charter  members.  The  first 
officers  were  J.  C.  Moon,  President;  A.  G.  Ray,  Vice- 
President;  Douglas  Brown,  Secretary;  and  Peter  Mc- 
Cul lough.  Treasurer.  The  present  officers  arc  John 
Curtis,  President;  Peter  McCullough,  Vice-President; 
P.  H,  Cannon,  Recording  Secretarj-;  J.  II,  Lander, 
Financial  Secretarj';  J.  C.  Moon,  Treasurer.  There 
are  now  149  members.  The  society  has  on  hand 
$350  in  coin,  and  hall  property  and  regalia  worth 
8:i00,  and  has  disbursed  in  benefits  and  charities 
81,000, 

The  object  of  this  organization  was  to  counteract 
the  manifest  preference  given  b}'  the  mine  managers 
to  Cornishmen  to  the  exclusion  of  other  nationalities. 

In  the  Cherry  Creek  District  there  have  been  500 
locations  made,  and  there  are  now  300  miners  at  work. 
The  records  are  kept  at  Cherry  Creek.  The  princi- 
pal mines  are  the  Star,  which  has  a  tunnel  400  feet 


658 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


lon.£c  and  a  shaft  520  feet  deep,  the  Teacup,  Ex- 
change, Geneva,  Pacific,  Pine  Nut,  Mary  Ann, 
Chance,  Flagstaff,  Grey  Eagle,  Bobtail  and  Boz. 
Plenty  of  timber  is  procured  within  six  miles,  and 
consists  of  nut  pine,  cedar  and  mountain  mahogany. 
The  ores  are  mostly  free  milling  and  there  are  two 
quartz  mills  to  work  them,  one  twenty-stamp  and 
one  six-stamp.  The  White  Pine  News  was  removed 
here  in  1881,  and  is  published  weekly. 


.tfW^^- 


HoN.  0. 11.  Grey,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  the  year  1830, 
and  grew  to  manhood  among  the  Highlands  of  the 
Hudson.  Receiving  a  common  school  and  academ- 
ical education  ho  removed  to  Illinois,  and  for  five 
years  engaged  alternatclj-  in  teaching  and  farming. 
1\q  removed  to  C'alilbrnia  in  185'J,  where  he  engaged 
in  merchandising  and  mining  until  1863,  at  which 
time  he  became  a  resident  of  Storej-  County,  Nevada, 
where  for  seven  years  ho  was  engaged  in  the  mining 
and  lumber  business.  Leaving  Storey  County,  he 
moved  to  Cherry  Creek,  White  Pine  County,  in  1869, 
since  which  time  he  has  constantly  been  engaged  in 
merchandising. 

During  his  residence  in  Storey  Count}-  he  was 
thrice  elected  to  represent  that  county  in  the  1.  L^is- 
lature  of  the  State,  serving  first  in    the   Asscmlily, 


and  subsequently  in  the  Senate.  In  1873  the  people 
of  White  Pine  County  evidenced  their  appreciation 
of  his  abilitj'  and  integrity  by  electing  him  to  the 
Lower  House  of  the  Legislature,  and  b}'  re-electing 
him  in  1875.  In  188(1  he  became  one  of  the  stand- 
ard bearers  of  the  Republican  party,  and  canvassed 
his  eountj-  as  Presidential  Elector  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  acceptably  to  his  party. 


PHOTO  BV  DUNHAM,  OAKLAND,  CAL 


e^ 


<d^- 


Hon.  George  F.  Parker  was  born  in  St,  Charles, 
Kane  County,  Illinois,  November  20, 1850,  his  parents 
being  among  the  first  settlers  of  that  county.  At 
the  age  of  eight  years  his  parents  removed  to 
Chicago,  when  his  father  enlisted  in  the  Union  army, 
and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  in 
1863.  Leaving  his  mother  in  Chicago,  he  went  to 
Nauvoo,  Hancock  County,  and  afterward  entered 
the  Industrial  Uiiivorsitj-,  in  Urbana,  Champaign 
County,  where  he  remained  till  1871,  when  ho  re- 
turned to  Chicago  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  till  1876.  Leaving  Chicago  in  the  spring  of 
that  year,  he  turned  his  face  westward  and  traveled 
overland,  arriving  in  Nevada,  locating  in  Cherry 
Creek,  White  Pino  Count}-,  where  ho  still  resides. 
Since  settling  in  that  place  he  has  boon  engaged  in 
the  restaurant  business,  and  at  his  trade  of  carpen- 
ter and  builder. 

He  was  married  at  Cherry  Creek  on  the  seven- 
teenth day  of  February,  a.  d.  1879,  to  Miss  Mary 
E.  Jakes,  of  Steptoe  Valley,  Nevada,  by  whom  he  has 
one  child.     In  1880,  having  become  interested  in  the 


HISTORY  UF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


659 


politics  of  the  country,  was  nominated  and  elected 
to  the  Assembly,  discharging  his  duties  faithfully 
and  satisfactorilj-. 

HON.    HENKV    A.    fOMINS, 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  F"]ast  Edding- 
ton,  Penobscot  County.  Maine,  in  the  year  1836. 
His  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlei-s  of  New 
England,  suffering  the  privations  incident  to  those 


Henry  A.   Comins. 

early  days,  and  often  called  to  defend  their  homes 
against  the  attacks  of  the  Indians.  Serving  with 
credit  in  the  Indian  wars,  the}-  engaged  with  patriotic 
devotion  in  the  struggle  for  independence  during 
the  Kevolution,  and  again  fought  heroically  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  never  with  dishonor.  Ho  became 
a  student  at  the  VVeslbrook  Seminary,  near  Port- 
land, Maine,  but  left  the  school  before  graduating. 
In  1S58  he  removed  from  Maine,  and  coming  to 
California,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus,  engaged  in 
placer  mining  for  several  years  with  varied  suc- 
cess. In  18G3  he  settled  in  Nevada,  at  Bmpirc 
City,  in  Ormsby  Count}-,  when  he  engaged  success- 
fully in  the  lumber  business.  In  18ii0  he  removed 
to  White  Pine,  carrying  on  the  lumber  trade  at 
Hamilton,  Ward  and  Cherry  Creek.  He  has  also 
engaged  in  farming  and  mining.  Accumulating 
quite  a  fortune  in  his  various  cnterjjrises,  he  has 
lived  to  see  his  "riches  take  wings,"  but  leaving 
him  energy,  integrity,  and  perseverance  to  acquire 
another  fortune. 

He  has  held  several  local  offices,  and  has  repre- 
sented his  county  in  both  Houses  of  the  Nevada 
Legislature.  While  in  the  Senate,  as  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  he  was  largely 


instrumental  in  relieving  the  State  of  debt,  reducing 
the  rate  of  taxation,  and  increasing  the  permanent 
Public  School  Fund. 

ifr.  Comins  was  married  in  Carson  City  to  Miss 
Minnie  M.  Stauts,  in  18()7,  by  whom  he  has  two 
children. 

The  increased  interest  manifested  in  the  building 
of  narrow-guage  railroads  proves  the  wisdom  of 
the  policy  he  so  strongly  advocated  while  a  member 
of  the  Legislature. 

Eberhardt  is  located  in  what  is  known  as  Apple- 
garth's  Canon,  at  the  foot  of  the  southern  slojie  of 
Treasure  Hill,  at  an  altitude  of  7,000  feet,  and  five 
miles  southwest  from  Hamilton.  This  town  was 
started  in  18(59,  and  its  location  at  this  point  was  in 
consequence  of  the  erection  here  of  the  Stanford, 
and  the  Eberhardt  and  Aurora  Mills.  The  present 
population  is  170,  most  of  whom  are  employed  in 
the  Eberhardt  Mill.  It  contains  a  store,  blacksmith 
and  wagon  shop,  carpenter's  shop,  post-office,  and 
an  active  temperance  organization.  The  mail  is 
brought  tri-wcekl}'  from  Hamilton  by  stage. 

Hamilton,  the  county  seat  of  White  Pine,  is  located 
on  the  northern  slope,  near  the  foot  of  Treasure 
Hill,  at  an  altitude  of  7,977  feet,  and  has  a  fine  loca- 
tion for  a  town.  This  site  was  first  used  for  a  camp- 
ing ground  by  the  miners,  then  prospecting  White 
Pine  Mountain,  in  the  fVU  of  1807.  The  town  was 
laid  out  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  May,  1808,  by  Ed. 
Goben,  Henry  Kelly  and  W.  II.  Hamilton,  and 
given  the  name  of  the  latter.  Previous  to  this  the 
place  had  been  called  Cave  City.  The  first  frame 
house  was  put  up  by  King  &  Ivers  for  a  saloon,  in 
June,  18(i8.  The  town  then  contained  about  thirty 
people.  About  this  time  the  rush  commenced,  and  it 
continued  to  increase  till  the  fall  of  1809,  when  the 
town  was  estimated  to  contain  upwards  of  10,000 
people.  Six  lines  of  daily  stages,  some  of  them  with 
six  horses,  could  bring  only  a  part  of  the  pilgrims 
anxious  and  eager  to  come. 

The  city  was  incorporated  in  18(>;i,  einbracin>' 
within  its  limits  one  mile  by  two,  most  of  which  was 
laid  out  in  city  lots.  The  city  was  disimorporated 
in  1875. 

In  its  flourishing  days  Hamilton  contained  ail  the 
organizations  usual  in  a  city  of  its  size,  among  which 
were  Ilyman  Engine  Company.  Liberty  Hose  Com- 
pany, and  Hamilton  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  (af- 
terwards consolidated  into,  one  tire  company),  the 
White  Pine  Guards,  Odd  Eellows,  and  Masonic 
Lodges,  -Miners'  Union,  church  organizations,  etc. 
For  amusements  there  was  a  theatre  and  skating- 
rink,  with  the  usual  number  of  dance-houses.  The 
post-ollicc  and  Wells,  Kargo  i\:  Co.'s  office  were 
established  in  18liS. 

The  prospect  that  the  town  would  soon  reach  a 
population  of  forty  or  fifty  thousand  caused  the 
organization,  in  San  Francisco,  of  a  water  company 
to  supply   the   town    of  Hamilton  and  the   mines  o! 


660 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


Treasure  Hill  with  water.  J.  D.  Fry  was  President, 
and  Col.  C.  P.  Head,  Superintendent.  The  source  of 
supply  chosen  was  lUapah  Springs,  three  miles  east 
of  Hamilton,  on  the  east  side  of  Momomoke  Hill, 
where  the  water  flows  out  of  the  rock  at  the  i-ate  of 
nearly  2,000,000  gallons  per  day.  Steam  pumping 
works,  of  a  capacity  of  1,500,000  gallons  in  twenty- 
four  hours,  were  erected  at  a  cost  of  8380,000,  by 
which  the  water  is  forced  two  miles  through  a 
twelve-inch  pipe,  to  a  reservoir  at  the  summit,  an 
elevation  of  1,000  feet.  From  this  point  it  is  dis- 
tributed through  twelve  miles  of  pipe.  The  original 
company  having  failed  to  make  a  financial  succe.ss  of 
the  enterprise,  in  187S  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Eberhardt  and  Aurora  Mining  Company,  of  London, 
by  which  it  has  since  been  used  in  supplying  their 
mines,  under  the  management  of  Capt.  Frank  Drake. 
Samuel  Liddel,  the  present  engineer  in  charge  of  the 
works,  has  been  the  mechanical  engineer  in  charge 
from  the  erection  of  the  works  to  the  present  time. 

In  1870  the  town  was  ornamented  by  the  erection 
of  a  fine  brick  Court  House,  containing  a  jail,  at  an 
expense  to  the  county  of  S50,000. 

Previous  to  1873  Hamilton  had  been  visited  by 
small  fires,  resulting  in  loss  ranging  from  8200  to 
§5,000;  but  on  the  morning  of  June  27,  1873,  the 
main  portion  of  the  town,  including  all  but  two  of 
its  business  houses,  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire, 
from  which  it  has  never  entirely  recovered.  The 
loss  was  estimated  to  be  at  least  8G00,000.  During 
the  progress  of  the  fire  women  and  children  were 
to  be  seen  in  all  directions,  running  excitedly  to  and 
fro,  in  an  almost  nude  condition,  having  lost  their  all 
in  the  flames.  The  White  Pino  Sews,  in  an  extra  at 
the  time,  said: — 

The  onlj-  redeeming  circumstances  which  will  give 
a  crumb  of  comfort  amid  the  surrounding  desolation 
is  the  spirit  displayed  bj-  the  people  of  all  degrees, 
expressed  in  ho))C'f'ul  and  assuring  words  of  comfort 
to  each  other.  There  are  so  many  acts  of  individual 
sacrifice  of  their  own  properlj',  to  assist  others  more 
in  need,  that  our  estimate  of  human  nature  has  been 
considerably  raised  since  half  past  five  this  morning. 
On  every  hand  oft'ors  of  assistance,  from  one  to 
another,  could  be  heard,  and  all  seemed  to  vie  in 
offering  every  comfort  to  those  in  need. 

The  fire  was  set  by  Alexander  Cohn  to  the  back 
part  of  bis  tobacco  and  cigar  store  on  Main  Street, 
near  the  center  of  the  town,  at  about  five  o'clock 
A.  .M.  His  object  is  sup]>oscd  to  have  been  to  get 
the  small  amount  for  w'iiich  his  store  was  insured. 
To  make  sure  that  the  building  would  burn  he  turned 
the  sto))  cock  in  the  main  pipe,  near  the  edge  of  the 
town,  shutting  otV  nearly  all  the  watei-.  Before  it 
was  discovered  where  the  trouble  was  the  town  was 
gone.  For  this  crime  he  was  arraigned,  convicted 
and  sentenced,  the  same  year,  to  seven  years  in  the 
State  Prison. 

The  first  public  school  in  Hamilton  was  o))ened 
in  Jul}',  1809,  at  which  time  there  were  300  chil- 
dren  in    the   district  between  the  ages  of  six    and 


eighteen.  In  the  fall  of  1869  a  good  school  house 
was  built,  at  a  cost  of  84,000.  This  was  not  de- 
stroj'ed  by  the  conflagration  of  1873,  and  is  still  in 
use.  It  will  accommodate  200  pupils.  The  present 
enumeration  of  the  district  is  thirtj--seven,  and  school 
is  maintained  six  months  in  the  year. 

The  nearest  railroad  station  to  Hamilton  is  Eu- 
reka, the  southern  terminus  of  the  Eureka  and  Pal- 
isade Eailroad,  distant  forty-three  miles  to  the  north- 
west, but  the  Eureka  and  Colorado  Eailroad  will 
pass  near  it.  From  this  point  a  triweekly  mail  is 
brought  by  stage. 

White  Pine  District,  within  which  the  town  of 
Hamilton  is  situated,  is  located  in  the  White  Pine 
Mountain  and  Treasure  Hill  range.  The  mines 
were  discovered  October  9,  18G5,  by  A.  J.  Leathers, 
Thomas  Murphy  and  others,  and  the  district  was 
organized  October  10,  1865.  This  discovery  was 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  White  Pine  Mountain. 
The  principal  locations  of  that  year  were  organ- 
ized as  the  Monte  Christo  Mining  Company,  by 
Mr.  Thomas  Murphy,  now  T.  M.  Antisell,  of  San 
Francisco,  and  sold  to  a  Philadelphia  company, 
who  erected  a  mill  and  carried  on  operations  for 
a  few  j-ears  with  unsatisfactory  results.  The  Super- 
intendent was  Mr.  Edward  Marchand,  although  Mr. 
Murphy  was  chiefly  in  charge,  and  A.  J.  Leathers 
was  blacksmith.  While  engaged  here  in  the  fall  of 
1857  an  incident  occurred  that  led  to  the  great 
discoveries  and  mining  excitement  of  the  following 
year. 

One  night  the  blacksmith,  J<eathers,  was  sleep- 
ing in  his  shanty,  probably  not  as  peacefully  as 
Abou  Ben  Adhem,  when  he  was  awakened  by 
hearing  a  noise  among  his  culinary  utensils,  and 
he  observed  in  the  darkness  an  Indian  devouring 
his  beans. 

"  Who's  there?  "  asked  Leathers. 

"  Jim,"  replied  the  savage;  and  Leathers,  whose 
toils  and  scantj^  fare  had  not  made  him  peaceful 
or  generous,  arose,  and  with  kicks  and  blows  drove 
the  dusky  forager  out  into  the  darkness  and  the 
desert. 

A  few  daj-8  after,  Jim  again  appeared,  this  time 
to  make  peace  with  Leathers,  and  as  an  oft'ering 
gave  him  a  piece  of  silver  ore  which  the  black- 
smith melted  in  his  forge,  jiroducing  a  button  of 
silver,  through  which  he  punched  a  hole  and  made 
a  ring  that  he  wore  for  many  years  after.  Murphy, 
learning  the  facts,  engaged  the  Indian  to  show 
them  the  locality  where  he  found  the  ore.  This 
was  agreed  upon,  and  after  preparations  were  made, 
Murphy,  Leathers,  ^[archand,  and  Jim — afterwards 
called  "Naiiias  Jim" — napias  biing  the  Indian 
term  for  silver  —  went  in  search  of  the  local- 
ity. Snow  had  fallen,  and  the  journey  was  one  of 
great  toil,  hardshi])  and  risk  of  life.  The  Indian 
led  them  around  the  southern  part  of  the  main 
White  Pino  Mountain.  ri<i  the  valley  in  which 
Shcrmantown  was  afterwards  built,  and  by  a  great 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY, 


661 


struggle  through  the  snow  to  the  summit  of  a 
bald  and  wind-driven  ))eak.  and  there  showed  them 
ore  in  abundance.  The  mine  was  located,  and 
named  the  ■■  Hidden  Treasure"  ;  and  surely  it  was 
a  treasure  to  the  energetic  and  hardy  prospectors. 
During  the  winter  a  little  work  was  done,  and 
within  a  year  the  propertj-  thus  found  was  sold  for 
$250,000.  Rich  as  this  appeared  on  the  surface  the 
ore  did  not  extend  100  feet  in  depth,  and  the  mine 
proved  of  but  little  value. 

This  diseoveiy,  however,  led  to  others,  and  shortly 
afterwards  Eberhardt  found  the  claim  bearing  his 
name,  which  proved  the  richest  mass  of  silver  ore 
ever  found  to  that  date.  This  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Drake,  Applegarth,  Crawford,  Sproule  and  Turner, 
who  took  several  tons  of  the  ore  to  Austin  for 
reduction,  where  it  produced  several  thousand  dol- 
lars per  ton,  and  a  great  excitement  was  created. 
The  effects  of  this  excitement  and  the  rush  to  White 
Pine  have  been  related.  The  ore  was  a  pure  chloride, 
cropping  on  the  surface  at  several  ])oints,  which 
were  located  bj^  different  parties,  who  afterwards 
contested  in  the  courts  for  the  ownei-ship,  one  claim 
under  the  name  of  the  Richmond,  making  a  suit 
which  is  among  the  causes  celehre  of  Lander  County, 
to  which  the  region  then  belonged. 

While  excavating  the  almost  pure  silver  from  the 
great  mass  of  ore,  it  is  related  that  the  owners  were 
offered  by  San  Francisco  capitalists,  64,000,000  for 
their  mine.  The  Superintendent,  one  of  the  owners, 
was  silting  in  a  rocking  chair  in  the  mine,  watching 
the  miners,  when  the  offer  was  made  to  him,  but 
indignantly  replied,  "No!  when  we  have  taken  out 
enough  to  pay  the  national  debt  then  we  will  talk 
about  selling," 

The  rich  bodj'  of  ore  was  soon  exhausted,  though 
not  until  several  millions  of  dollars  had  been  taken 
from  it.  Subsequently,  in  connection  with  the 
Aurora  Mine,  it  was  sold  to  an  English  company, 
who  have  since  worked  it  with  varying  success,  but 
with  continued  hope  and  unwearying  energy,  under 
the  superiiitcndency  of  Ca])tain  Frank  Drake,  who 
possibly  still  has  hopes  of  paying  the  national  debt. 
Large  bodies  of  ore  have  frequently  been  found  in 
the  claims  of  the  company,  and  much  bullion  pro- 
duced, the  statistics  of  which  are  unattainable.  Of 
the  original  owners  it  is  reported  that  Drake,  Craw- 
ford and  A))plegarth,  arc  still  in  good  circumstances, 
but  that  the  others  have  experienced  the  vicissitudes 
too  often  recorded  of  the  discoverers  of  rich  mines. 

There  are  now  250  miners  in  the  district.  The 
princijial  mines  are  the  Eberhardt,  North  Aurora, 
South  Aurora,  Treasure,  Ward  Beecher  ('onsolidatod, 
Stafford,  Central,  Hidden  Treasure,  Imperial,  Mobile, 
Trench  and  Jennie  A.  The  quartz  veins  are  in  lime- 
stone formation,  run  nearly  north  and  south  with  the 
formation,  though  the  ore  occurring  in  •'chambers," 
as  locally  called,  the  veins  are  not  easily  traced  or 

described.      The  Eberhardt  and  Aurora    Mine    has 
83 


a  shaft  or  an  incline,  which  is  1,400  feet  in  extent. 
In  an  effort  to  thoroughly  explore  the  ground,  the 
Company  has  run  a  tunnel  now  reaching  5,760  feet 
into  the  mountain,  which  at  the  extremity  is  1,600 
feet  beneath  the  surface. 

Freights  are  shipped  from  Eureka  at  a  cost  of  twenty 
dollars  per  ton.  The  timber  is  obtained  from  White 
Pine  Mountains,  and  is  of  a  poor  quality  of  pine  and 
fir.  The  ores  are  worked  by  milling  process,  there 
being  one  mill  in  operation  at  the  present  time. 
Only  about  fifteen  mines  are  now  being  worked. 
The  mining  records  of  the  district  are  kept  by  the 
County  Eccordcr. 

The  mines  of  this  district  have  been  peculiar  in 
this,  that  the  richest  ore  has  been  found  near  the 
surface,  the  mines  nearly  all  having  been  abandoned 
before  going  to  anj-  great  depth.  In  the  Eberhardt, 
over  1,000  tons  of  ore  were  taken  out  of  a  space 
40x70  feet,  none  of  which  was  more  than  twenty- 
eight  feet  below  the  surface.  This  ore  milled  83,200 
per  ton,  seventy-two  per  cent,  being  silver.  The 
tunnel  now  being  run  on  the  Eberhardt,  will  soon  be 
under  the  apex  of  Treasure  Hill,  and  will  demon- 
strate whether  paying  ores  are  to  be  found  at  a 
greater  depth. 

Mineral  City,  located  in  the  center  of  Robinson 
Cafion,  about  forty-five  miles  northeast  of  Hamil- 
ton, was  started  in  18G9,  and  in  1870  contained  a 
population  of  400,  In  the  latter  part  of  1870  the 
town  was  deserted,  only  two  persons  remaining.  In 
1872  it  took  another  start  and  in  the  winter  of  1872- 
73  the  city  contained  from  5()(i  to  GOO  people.  There 
are  but  two  families  now  in  the  place. 

The  Robinson  District  in  which  Mineral  City  is 
situated,  is  located  in  the  Egan  range.  It  was  dis- 
covered and  organized  in  1867  bj'  Thomas  Hobinson. 
There  have  been  1,201  locations.  The  principal 
mines  were  the  Altaman,  Fairview,  Sunnj-side,  Eli- 
jah. Miama,  Haj-es  and  Sunburst;  none  of  which  are 
now  being  worked.  The  quartz  veins  were  found  in 
the  limestone  formation,  and  in  the  Altaman  Mine 
seemed  to  run  across  the  range  east  and  west.  In 
the  other  mines  it  seemed  to  be  in  largo  de])osits,  and 
near  the  surface,  without  anj-  well-detincd  ledges. 
The  Altaman  was  worked  for  gold  only,  and  has  a 
tunnel  iMifl  feet  in  length.  The  Mayes  was  worked 
for  silver  only  and  has  a  shaft  325  feet  deep.  The 
Eljah  and  Sunburst  contained  lead  and  silver.  The 
other  mines  contained  copper,  though  all  bearing 
some  of  the  precious  metals.  The  mining  records  are 
kept  at  Mineral  City,  bj'  A.  R.  Watson.  The  post- 
oftice  is  at  El}',  though  the  stage  route  runs  through 
the  district.  Freights  are  brought  from  Eureka 
eighty-five  miles,  and  from  Wells  140  miles.  Nut 
pine  is  procured  from  the  mountains  about  three 
miles  distant,  and  springs  furnish  abundance  of 
water,  and  Murray  Creek,  a  fine  mountain  stream,  is 
near  by.  There  are  at  present  only  three  miners 
in  the  district. 


662 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


HON.    GEORGE   G.    BLAIR 

Was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Pennsylvania,  August 
31,  1845.  When  nine  years  of  age  his  parents 
removed  to  Clark  County,  Iowa,  where  he  remainod 
until  July,  18C3.  Enlisting  then  in  the  Eighth  Iowa 
Cavalry .  he  soon  found  himself  in  Tennessee,  and 
during  the  two  years  he  was  in  the  army  he  saw 
some  hard  service  and  was  constantly  in  active  duty. 
At  the  end  of  two  j'ears  he  returned  to  Iowa,  and 


Geo.  G.  B/(7ir. 

applied  himself  to  farming  in  that  State  and  in  Mis- 
souri until  the  year  1868.  In  that  year  ho  migrated 
to  the  State  of  Nevada,  and  became  interested  in 
mining  in  White  Pine  County.  Seeing  in  that  occu- 
pation great  possibilities  of  success,  he  has  faithfully 
continued  to  give  his  time  and  energies  to  the 
development  of  the  mining  interesls  in  that  county, 
meeting  with  the  changing  success  which  usually 
attends  that  Imsincss.  Mr.  Blair  resides  in  Osceola, 
and  is  the  proprietor  of  the  O.-^ceoia  Mine,  from  which 
the  district  takes  its  name.  In  1880  ho  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  Assembly,  to  represent  in  that  body 
the  Democratic  Party,  and  to  aid  in  advancing  the 
general  welfare  of  the  State  in  which  he  is  so  truly 
interested.  Mr.  Blair  is  a  descendant  of  a  staunch 
old  family  so  long  and  favorably  known  throughout 
the  middle  and  western  counties  of  that  famous  old 
Commonwealth,  that  his  name  will  sound  familiar  to 
roost  of  the  large  number  hailing  from  the  Keystone 
State  who  have  settled  in  this  western  country. 

OscHOLA  was  started  in  1877,  five  years  after  the 
discovery  of  the  placer  mines  in  that  district,  and 
now  has  a  population  of  seventy-five,  though  there 


is  a  much  larger  number  of  miners  in  the  district. 
The  District  of  Osceola  was  discovered  in  August, 
1872,  by  Joseph  Watson  and  Frank  Hicks,  and  was 
organized  in  October  of  the  same  j-car.  There  have 
been  over  400  locations,  of  which  there  are  sixty 
quartz  and  forty  placer  that  are  probably  good.  The 
principal  quartz  mines  are  the  Crescent,  Osceola 
Credit  Mobilier,  Cumberland,  Eagle,  Exchange  and 
Silver  Age.  The  placer  mines  are  the  Wisel,  Scofield, 
Cumberland,  Gulch  and  Daj-  Gulch.  The  Crescent 
has  a  tunnel  500  feet  long,  which  reached  a  depth  of 
250  feet  below  the  surface.  It  also  has  a  shaft  125 
feet  deep.  The  nearest  railroad  station,  from  which 
freight  is  brought,  is  Deseret,  on  the  Utah  Southern 
fiaiiroad,  100  miles  distant.  The  rate  is  thirty  dol- 
lars per  ton.  Fire-wood  is  procured  in  sufficient 
quantity  close  at  hand,  but  material  for  timbering 
the  mines  is  brought  seven  or  eight  miles.  The 
adjacent  springs  furnish  a  supply  of  water  sufficient 
for  ninety  stamps.  Water  for  hj'draulics  is  being 
brought  from  the  small  streams  from  Wheeler's 
Peak,  which  will  furnish  about  100  miner's  inches 
jter  day. 

In  Osceola  there  is  one  five-stamp  mill.  The  town 
was  first  settled  by  George  O.  Blair,  who  now  keeps 
Ihe  mining  records.  It  is  situated  in  a  canon,  with 
al)ru]it  mountains  on  the  north  and  west,  a  high 
bluft'.  called  Lookout  Mountain,  on  the  south,  and 
Wheeler's  Peak  on  the  east,  and  has  an  altitude  of 
7,500  feet.  At  present  the  town  contaiiistwo  stores, 
one  hotel,  one  restaurant,  one  livery  stable,  a  black- 
smith shop,  and  two  other  places  of  industry.  Sup- 
plies are  obtained  from  San  Francisco,  by  rail,  to 
Eureka,  and  thence  by  stage  115  miles;  also  from 
Salt  Lake  Cit}-,  by  rail,  to  Deseret,  and  thence  by 
stage  100  miles.  The  mail  is  brought  from  Deseret 
three  times  a  week.  The  buildings  are  constructed 
mostly  of  wood.  A  frame  school  house,  12x20,  has 
been  erected,  with  seating  capacity  of  thirty.  In 
the  vicinity  of  the  town,  grazing  and  agriculture  are 
engaged  in  with  some  profit,  there  being  from  twelve 
to  fifteen  persons  engaged  in    each. 

In  July,  1879,  Capt.  D.  B.  Aikey  shot  and  killed 
Joseph  Ayers.  On  the  hearing  of  the  case  it  was 
shown  that  Aikey  acted  in  self-deftnse,  and  he  was 
acquitted. 

PiNTO,  a  small  town  in  Silverado  District,  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Diamond  Mountains,  fourteen 
miles  southeast  from  Eureka,  contains  two  black- 
smith shops,  a  boarding-house,  a  post-office,  and  a 
few  dwellings.  Twelve  miners  are  in  the  district, 
and  the  total  number  of  claims  is  202.  The  quartz 
veins  are  found  in  a  formation  of  limestone,  running 
north  and  south  with  the  formation,  and  dipping  to 
the  east  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  ores 
arc  generally  adapted  for  smelling,  and  average 
8300  per  ton.  The  mineral-bearing  belt  is  about 
eighty  feet  in  width.  Freight  is  teamed  from  Eureka 
at  (V  cost    of  nine  dollars  per  ton.     The   sujiply  of 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


663 


cedar  in  the  vicinity  will  last  for  years.  Considerable 
ore  is  smelted  at  the  Richmond  Works,  and  more  is 
hauled  to  Eureka.  The  principal  mines  arc  the 
Queen,  Rescue,  and  Fair  Plaj'.  The  first  named  has 
been  worked  on  a  limited  scale  I'or  eight  years,  and 
has  produced  S80,000  in  silver  and  gold,  chiefly  in 
silver.  The  main  ledge  of  this  mine  has  not  been 
encountered  yet.  Its  ore,  thus  far,  has  come  from 
veine  leading  from  the  main  body,  to  strike  which, 
the  conij)any  is  now  sinking  a  shaft.  It  is  hoped 
that  this  connection  will  ensure  most  encouraging 
and  profitable  results.  The  ore  of  this  mine  varies 
in  quality  and  value,  ranging  from  S^OO  to  §1,200 
per  ton.  One  chimnej-,  or  nearly  perpendicular  ore 
vein,  sixty  feet  from  the  surface,  produced  §30,000. 
Another,  at  a  depth  of  ninety  feet,  produced  850,000. 
The  Rescue  Mine,  immediately  adjoining  the  Queen 
on  the  south,  has  been  leased  by  a  partj'  of  miners, 
who  are  taking  out  ore  daily.  Silverado  District 
was  organized  in  1869.  The  boundary  line,  separat- 
ing Eureka  and  White  Pine  Counties,  runs  through 
it.  Silverado  Mountain  is  a  bold,  picturesque  mass 
of  dolomitic  limestone,  about  two  miles  in  length 
from  northeast  to  southwest,  and,  at  its  highest  point, 
is  2,000  I'eet  above  the  vallej'. 

ScuELLBOURNE,  a  Small  town  in  the  mining  district 
of  the  same  name,  contains  two  stores,  a  boarding- 
house  and  post-office;  being  on  the  stage  route  be- 
tween Wells  and  Hamilton.  It  is  ninety  miles  north- 
east of  the  latter  and  120  miles  south  of  the  former 
place.  It  was  formerly  called  Fort  Schellbourne,  and 
was  an  overland  stage  station.  In  the  mining  ex- 
citement of  1872  it  grew  to  a  town  of  400  or  500 
inhabitants,  with  several  stores,  blacksmith  shops, 
livery  stables,  newspaper,  etc. 

The  district  of  Schellbourne  is  in  the  Schell  Creek 
range,  and  was  discovered  in  1871  by  James  McJIa- 
hon.  It  was  taken  from  the  McCurdy  District,  has 
had  200  locations  and  now  contains  thirty  miners. 
Wm.  Buck,  at  Schellbourne,  keeps  the  mining  records. 

The  principal  mines  are  the  El  Capitan,  Nutmeg 
and  McMahon.  The  quartz  veins  are  found  in  por- 
phyry, and  run  north  and  south  with  the  formation. 
Freights  are  brought  from  Toano,  at  a  cost  of  twenty- 
five  dollars  per  ton.  Timber  is  found  in  abundance 
all  over  the  district,  and  consists  of  nut  pine,  fir, 
cedar  and  mahogany.  Schell  Creek  Spring  furnishes 
plenty  of  water  for  the  five-stamp  mill  now  in  use, 
as  well  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  who  number 
now  fifty-six,  including  whites,  Chinese  and  Indians. 

Sher.mantown  was  located  near  the  mouth  of  the 
cafion  between  White  Pine  Mountain  and  Treasure 
Hill,  about  five  miles  south  of  Hamilton.  This  being 
a  good  mill  site,  five  quartz  mills  and  lour  furnaces 
were  erected  here  in  180S-G!.>.  which  caused  a  lively 
town  to  spring  up,  which  in  the  fall  of  18G9  contained 
between  four  and  five  thousand  inhabitants.  Two 
saw-mills  were  built  here  in  18G8,  which  were  the 
first  in  this  part  of  the  district.     In   18G9,  the  town 


was  incorporated,  and  in  1870  had  a  newspaper.  At 
the  present  time,  one  solitary  family  comprises  the 
entire  population. 

Swansea  was  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north 
of  Shcrmantown.  It  once  had  two  quartz  mills  and 
smelting  works.  In  1809  it  had  500  inhabitants. 
Nothing  now  remains  to  mark  the  spot  or  tell  the 
tale  of  its  former  greatness. 

Treasiike  City  is  located  on  the  western  slope  of 
Treasure  Hill,  near  the  top,  at  an  elevation  of  9,700 
feet.  The  first  cabin  built  at  this  place  was  put  up 
by  Murphy  &  iMarchand,  in  November,  18G7.  They 
were  then  the  owners  of  the  Hidden  Treasure  Mine. 
In  the  spring  of  18G8  the  rush  to  the  place  com- 
menced, and  in  April  a  town  was  laid  out,  and  named 
Treasure  City,  which  in  less  than  a  year  contained 
0,000  inhabitants,  polling  nearly  3,000  votes  at  the 
miners'  election.  In  1869  the  town  was  incorporated, 
at  which  time  it  had  a  dail}'  paper,  one  theater,  two 
bands,  a  stock  board.  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows 
organizations,  and  all  the  usual  city  institutions. 

In  June,  1874,  the  main  business  portion  of  the 
town  was  burned,  but  little  of  which  was  ever  re- 
built. In  1878  the  principal  mine  on  the  hill  stopped 
work,  and  the  town  was  nearly  abandoned.  At 
present  it  contains  but  one  family  and  a  t'c\y  miners. 

Ward,  situated  sixty-two  miles  southeast  of  Ham- 
ilton, and  in  the  White  Pine  range,  was  started  in 
1876,  being  the  best  location  for  the  residence  and 
business  of  the  men  who  followed  the  discovery  of 
the  mines  in  this  district.  The  town,  which  was 
started  in  the  sjiring,  grew  rapidly  from  the  com- 
mencement, and  the  next  winter  contained  about 
1,500  people.  The  spring  following,  however,  business 
drooped  and  the  town  commenced  going  down,  fall- 
ing oft'  nearly  two-thirds  in  population  in  that  year. 
Since  then  the  place  has  steadil}-  gone  down  to  the 
present  time,  and  now  has  a  population  of  only  300. 
In  1877  a  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  wasorganized. 
which  was  disbandetl  in  1879.  The  first  school  in 
the  place  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1876,  with  an 
attendance  of  fifty  scholars.  The  town  now  has  a 
good  school  building  that  will  accommodate  eighty 
scholars. 

In  the  fall  of  1876,  when  the  town  was  growing 
rapidly,  the  usual  percentage  of  the  rough  and  law- 
less element  came  also.  A  citizen  by  the  name  of 
liightner,  having  refused  to  loan  money  to  one  of 
these  roughs,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Donohue, 
was  shot  down  while  walking  along  the  sidewalk, 
Donohue  having  hid  behind  a  wagon-bed  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting  him  as  he  passed.  The  next 
morning  Donohue  was  discovered  hanging  from  a 
tree  just  below  the  town.  This  seemed  to  have  a 
very  salutary  effect  upon  the  rough  element,  as  there 
was  no  more  killing,  except  among  themselves,  to 
which  the  citizens  paid  no  particular  attention.  This 
..was  the  only  case  of  lynching  in  the  county. 

In  1877  J.  Crawford  and  John  Carlo,  both  of  whom 


664 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


had  been  working  in  the  mines  at  this  place,  and 
were  supposed  to  be  good,  honest  men,  attempted 
to  rob  the  stage  as  it  was  coming  in  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  below  town.  They  stepped  out  from  the 
brush,  where  they  were  hid,  and  fired  at  the  driver 
and  the  messenger,  missing  both  of  them.  The 
messenger,  Eugene  Blair,  then  shot  both  the  robbers, 
killing  Carlo,  but  only  wounding  Crawford,  who 
escaped.  He  was  afterwards  captured,  tried  and 
sent  to  State  Prison.  Ho  died  of  consumption,  in 
prison,  January,  1881. 

The  Mining  District  of  Ward,  in  which  the  town 
is  located,  was  discovered  and  organized  in  1872,  by 
Thomas  F.  Ward.  The  mining  records  are  kept  by 
Louis  A.  Hauck.  There  have  been  153  locations, 
and  there  are  now  sixty-five  miners  in  the  district. 
The  principal  mines  are  the  Paymaster,  Defiance. 
Shark,  Pleiades,  I.  X.  L.,  Governor,  Jupiter,  Gram- 
pas,  Juno,  Mountain  Pride,  and  Silver  Cloud. 

The  Paymaster  has  a  tunnel  3,000  feet  long,  and  is 
750  feet  below  the  surface.  It  also  has  a  shaft  1G2 
feet  deep.  This  and  others  are  the  property  of  the 
Martin  White  Mining  Company. 

Freights  are  brought  by  team  from  Eureka,  110 
miles,  and  from  Wells,  155  miles. 

Timber  is  procured  at  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten 
miles,  and  consists  of  pine.  A  good  supply  of  water 
is  obtained  from  Willow  Creek,  and  is  brought,  by  a 
pipe,  three  miles  to  the  mill.  There  was  a  furnace 
of  fifty  tons  capacity  and  a  twenty-stamp  mill  belong- 
ing to  the  Martin  While  Mining  Company.  The 
furnace  has  been  idle  for  two  years,  and  the  mill  one 
year. 

In  1876  two  smelting  furnaces  were  erected  at 
Ward,  but  the  ore  was  of  a  rebellious  nature,  and  the 
fluxes  had  to  be  hauled  so  far  that  they  were  not  a 
financial  success.  In  1877  a  twenty-stamj)  leaching 
mill  was  built  at  a  cost  of  ?85,000,  and  $25,000  was 


spent  in  experimenting,  when  it  was  given  up  as  a 
failure.  A  very  fine  double  track  tunnel,  which  is 
now  in  3,050  feet,  is  being  run  by  the  Martin  White 
Company,  under  the  Paymaster  and  Young  America. 
Upon  the  developments  of  this  tunnel  depends  the 
future  of  this  camp.  The  Ward  Reflex,  a  weekly 
newspaper,  is  published  here,  and  maintains  its  faith 
in  the  future  prosperitj'  of  the  district. 

PANCAKE   COAL    MINES. 

Twenty-two  miles  due  east  from  Eureka,  and  fifteen 
miles  distant  from  Hamilton  by  the  stage  road,  are 
some  coal  veins  in  the  Pancake  range  of  mountains, 
which  have  attracted  considerable  attention.  A 
shaft  on  being  sunk  thirty  feet,  found  water,  and 
some  seams  of  coal  in  a  vein  four  feet  thick.  Three 
distinct  veins  exist  in  the  locality,  which  can  be 
traced  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  which  vary  in 
width  from  four  to  six  feet.  Above  the  water  level 
the  material  composing  the  vein  consists  of  the 
oxide  of  iron,  mixed  with  carbonaceous  matter  of  a 
loose  and  crumbling  nature,  but  becomes  more  solid- 
ified and  partially  crystallized  as  soon  as  the  water 
level  is  reached,  and  seams  of  coal  from  one  to  two 
inches  in  thickness  are  found.  The  veins  dip  under 
the  mountains  to  the  west  at  an  angle  of  forty 
degrees,  and  their  course  is  fifteen  degrees  east  of 
south  from  the  point  of  discovery.  The  formation 
is  referred  to  the  carboniferous  era,  and  very  much 
resembles  that  of  the  Wj'oming  coal  fields.  The 
first  formation  below  the  vein  in  which  the  coal  is 
found  is  siliceous  iron  ore;  then  comes  a  stratum  of 
limestone,  and  beneath  this  sandstone  and  conglom- 
erate. Above  it  the  formation  is  bituminous  and 
argillaceous  shales;  next  to  the  shale,  calcareous 
slate,  then  red  sandstone,  conglomerate  and  limestone 
capping  the  whole  formation.  Whether  coal  exists 
in  sufficient  quantities  to  make  it  profitable  to  mine 
it,  remains  to  be  determined. 


Patrons  Directory. 


CHURCHILL    COUNTY. 


XAME. 


Allen,  J.  W New  Hiver. .  . 

Allen,  Lemuel 'Carson  River. 

Bailey,  C.  H ist.  Clair 

Bond,  J.   VV i New  River. . . 


Came  to 
State. 


Came  to 
County 


roST-OFFICB. 


01.1  River. 


Brown,  John  P, 
Clark,  Ephraim 
Cushiiiaii,  .1.  J. 
Dillard,  D.  H. . 

Doane,  S.  A [Stillwater 

Doolittlc,  A.  \V Stillwater 


Carson  Lake 
St.  Clair 


Ferguson,  Jackaon. .  .  St.  Clair 

Gray,  B.  F Nevada  Soda  Lake. 

(Jrimes,  W.  C Slough  Station .... 

Hull,  E.  P I  Allen  s  Ranch 

Kaiser,   Charles Kaiser  s  Ranch 


Farmer  and  stock  raiser Iowa 

Farmer,  stock  r'ser&  Bist.  Att'y  Ohio 

Farming 

Farmer  and  .lustice  of  the  Peace- 
Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 


New  York 

Ohio 

Pennsylvania  . . 

Missouri 

Maine 

Kentucky 

Connecticut. ... 

New  York 

Ohio 


Kent,  Ira  H 

Keiiyon,  Asa  L.  . 
Magec,  William    . 

Merry,  A 

Murpliv,  William 
Pike,  \V.  H.  A.  . 
Richards.  J.  W.. 
.Small,  Frank  L. . 

Smith, 

Stone,  (;.  \V 

Stnrdevant,  J.  M 
Thcelcn,  Henry. . 
Thompson,  H.   W 

Walker,  J.  T jstillwater  . . 

W'ightman,  1).  M.... [Carson  Lake 


Stillwater 

Ragtown 

Magee  Station 

Big  Soda  Lake. ... 

Stillwater 

Stillwater 

Stillwater 

New  River 

Big  Soda  Lake 

Big  Soda  Lake 

Stunlevant  Station . 
St.  Clair  Station . . . . 
Old  River 


Farmer  and  Public  Administ'r 
Farmer  and  Surveyor  .... 
Farmer,  Pstm'r&  Sup't  Xev.  C's 

Superin't  Nevada  Soda  Works'lllinois 

Rancher  and  stock  raiser |Virginia 

Blacksmithgit  min'ngproperty  Pennsylvania  . . . 

Farm'r,  stock  rais'rand  Senator  (iermany 

Farmer  and  County  Clerk. . . .  New  York 

Stock  raiser !  New  York 

Rancher  and  .Station  Keeper.  .  Scotland 

Super't  Big  Lake  Soda  Works  .Maine 

Farmer  and  County  Treasurer.  JNew  Orleans,  La. 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser iMaine 

Assem'n,  Pstm'r&  Tel.  Operat'r  Kentucky 

Farmer ....  iMaine 

Soda  manufacturer Maine 

Soda  manufacturer Maine 

.Stages  statu  IGm  fr  Wadsw'th  New  York 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser Prussia 

Engineer New  York 

Farmer  and  Sheriff Oregon 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser Illinois 


1864 
1862 
1870 
1878 
1860 
1864 
1860 
1861 
1877 
IS61 
1876 
1863 
1862 
1861 
1870 
1875 
1854 
I86:i 
1867 
1870 
1874 
IS61 
1879 
1861 
1857 
1874 
1862 
1860 
1869 
1850 


1864 
1862 
1870 
1878 
1864 
1864 
1861 
1S62 
1877 
1861 
1876 
1872 
1864 
1861 
1870 
1875 
1854 
1863 
1870 
1870 
1874 
lSt>4 
1879 


1860 
1877 
1873 
1880 
1873 
1860 


No. 
Acres. 


St.  Clair 

420 

St.  Clair 

1,040 

St.  Clair 

240 

St.  Clair 

560 

Stillwater 

660 

St.  Clair 

1,700 

St.  Clair 

1,000 

Stillwater 

160 

Stillwater 

1,400 

St.  Clair 

760 

Wadsworth .... 

Wadsworth.  . .  . 

2,480 

St.  Clair 

160 

Stillwater 

640 

Stillwater 

200 

Ragtown 

960 

St.  Clair 

300 

Wailswortli  .... 

Stillwater 

160 

Stillwater 

100 

.Stillwater 

St.  Clair 

:«K) 

Wadsworth .  . . 

49 

Wadsworth. . . . 

49 

Wadsworth .... 

St.  Clair 

800 

Stillwater 

Stillwater 

160 

St.   Clair 

1,200 

DOUGLAS   COUNTY. 


RKSIDE.NOK. 


Came  tu 
State. 


Came  t( 
Count V 


I'UST-ofFICE. 


No. 
Acres. 


D.. 


Adams,  John  Q. 
Baldwin,  .John. 
Banning,  J.  T  . . 
Berry,  Harrison 
Black,  E.  1).,  M 

Brockliss,  A.  R 

Cameron,  R.   I) 

Carlisle,    Boynton.... 

Child,  .Johns 

Cobb,  W.  A.   B 

Cradlebaugh,  John  H. 

Crippen,  Mrs.   L) 

Dangbcrg,   H.  C 

Dangberg,  H.   F 

Dressier,  A.   F 

Ezell,  L.  S 

Foster,  Wm 

Frevert,  F.  A.  A 

Oclatt,  R 

fJillis,  Chas 

Haines,  J.  W 

Harris,  M 

Irvine,  Thomas 

James,  John 

Johnson,  J.  R 

Jones,  David  R 

Jones,  Joseph tienoa 

Kinsey,  Stephen  A. 
Lindsay,  George  R. 

Livingston,  A 

McCommas,  T.  J... 
Meier,  F 


Genoa 

Carson  Valley 

Genoa 

Sheridan 

Genoa 

Sheridan 

(ienoa 

Genoa 

Carson  Valley 

Glenbrook 

•ienoa 

Twelve-Mile  House. 

Genoa 

tienoa 

Sheridan 

Genoa 

Genoa 

tienoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Sheridan 

G  enoa 

(Jenoa . 

Sheridan 


(ienoa 

Glenbrook. 

Genoa 

(ienoa 

Sheridan . . 


General  Farming 

Dairying  and  farming 

Druggist 

General  farming  and  dairying. 

Phyiician  and  surgeon 

(ieueral  farming 

Wood  business 

Ed.  &  prop.  Cnurier 

General  farming  &  stock  gr'g- 
Proprietor  of  Lake  Shore  H  otel 

Ranching. 

Farming,  lintel  keeping 

(icneral  farming  &  stock  gr'g. . 
(ieneral  farming  &  stock  gr'g. . 

General   farming 

General  fanning  &  County  Com 

(ieneral  farming 

(ieneral  farming  4  stock  grow'g 
Liveryman  &  stage  proprietor.. 

Staging 

Lm  g,  fmg&  Prs't  N.  &  C.T.Co 

(ieneral  merchandise 

(ieneral  merchandise  4  farming 

(ieneral  farming 

General  merchandise 

General   farming 

General  farming 

Fanning  and  fruit  growing. . .  . 

Master  mechanic 

County  Treasurer 

Dealer  in  cigars  and  li<|Uors. . . 
General  farming 


1853 


1872 
1863 
1865 
1850 
1868 
1877 
1854 
1864 
1860 
1853 
1863 
1850 
1858 


Illinois 

Canada 

Missouri 

Indiana 

Ohio 

England 

Canada  

Kentucky  . . . 
Vermont  .... 

Maine 

Ohio 

Michigan .... 
(iennany .... 
(iermany  .... 
Germany  .... 

Kentucky i    1859 

'Tennessee 1852 

Germany 1859 

Pennsylvania....     1861 

New  'Sork   1861 

Canada 1863 

Prussia 1860 

Scotland 1858 

England 1852 

Illinois I860 

Wales 1853 

Wales 1863 

New  York 1850 

Scotland [    1872 

Prussia 1861 

Illinois 1852 

Gernittiiy '    1874 


1853 


1860 


1879 
1860 


I860 


1852 


960 
480 


360 


870 


420 


1,120 
235 


Genoa 

Sheridan  . . . 

(ienoa 

Sheridan  . . . 

(ienoa 

Sheridan . . . 

Genoa 

(ienoa 

(ienoa 

(ilen  brook  .  . 

(ienoa 

(ienoa 

Genoa i   1,000 

Carson ' 

Sheridan I      600 

Genoa |      280 

Genoa < 

Genoa 

(ienoa 

(ienoa 

(ienoa 

Genoa 

Sheridan  . . . 

(ienoa 

(ienoa 

Sheridan. . . 

(ienoa 

Genoa 

Glenbrook... 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Sheridan  . . . 


830 


160 
1,400 


300 

760 

20 


200 


666 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY- Continued. 


NAME. 


Montrose,  R.  G.  . 
Note  ware,  C.  N... 
Pettegrew,  J.  P... 

Pratt,  A.  C 

Pray,  A.  W 

Ray  craft,  Joseph.. 
Rogers,  John  T. . . 

Ryan,  J.  W 

Short,  J.  M 

Springmeyer,  H. . . 
Stodieck,  Fred.  W 

Tebbs,  M 

Walker,  W.  G.... 
Wegstein,  F.  P... 
Williams,  J.  T.... 
Wyatt,  W.  W.... 


Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Glenbrook 
Genoa  .... 
Glenbrook  . 
Glenbrook  . 
Glenbrook  , 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa 

Genoa . . . . . 

Genoa 

Sheridan . . 


County  Assessor. 


Ganeral  farming  &  stock  grow'g 

Miner 

Lumbering  and  general  farming 
Proprietor  of  K.xchange  Hotel 
Superintend'tL.T.  N.  G.  R.  R. 

Boardiug-house  keeper 

General  merchardise 

General  farniing&  stock  grow'g' 
General  farming  &  stock  grow'g 

Lawyer 

General  farming 

C<iunty  Clerk 

Sherifl'. 

General  farming 


XATIVITT. 

Came  to 
State. 

Ctime  to 
County. 

POSIOPPICE. 

No. 
Acrei. 

Canada 

ISCO 
ISoV 
1857 
1854 
1860 
1863 
1875 
1873 
1877 
1868 
1864 
1866 
1860 
1873 
1872 
1857 

ises' 

Genoa 

New  York 

Genoa 

Indiana 

Texas 

(Jenoa 

200 

Ireland 

Vermont 

Maine 

Glenbrook 

Glenbrook 

Germany 

Germany 

Indiana 

Georgia 

Ohio 

Genoa 

500 
liiO 

Genoa 

160 

Pennsylvania. . .  . 
Missouri 

Genoa 

Sheridan 

230 

ELKO  COUNTY. 


I  Came  to  (."^me  to 
State.    County. 


POSTOFncK. 


No. 


Abel,  J.  D 

Adams,  Charles 

Ainley,  John 

Atchison,  L.  E 

Bacon,  J.  H 

Ballinger,  0.  H 

Bradley,  John  R . . . . 

Brown,  H.  W 

Brown,  R 

Burwood,  John 

Campljell.  J.  J 

Carville,  Kd 

Cather,  William  J. . 

Clark,  James 

Conley,  R.  S 

Conway,  K.  J 

Crane,  WmT 

Dakin,  Judson 

Davis,  James 

Uawley,  A.  G 

Dennis,  J.  H 

Dorsey,  J.  W 

Dove,  James 

Drown,  C.  E 

Drown,  V.  E 

Duncan,  (J.  W 

I)u \al ,  M OSes   

Duval,  William 

Epley.  J.  W 

Fairchild,  O.  L.  C... 

Faxon,  Charles 

Fitch,  J.  B 

Gedney,  A.  W 

George,  Eli 

Gibb^  W.  B 

Goodale,  D 

(Jooding,  C  A 

Grant,  D 

Grant,  H.  M 

Gray,  Enoch 

Green,  O.  E 

Griswold,  E.  H 

Guld.igcr.  N.   P 

HamilT,  U.  P 

Hank,  C.   R 

Hardesty,  George  W . 
Harrison,  Thomas. . . 

Hogle,  L.  I 

Huneyman,  F 

How,  John 

Hull,   y.  W 

Huyck,  W.  H 

Jones,  T.  A 

Jones,  Thomas  M... 
Johnson,  Robert... 


Fort  Halleck 

Mound  Valley 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Mountain  City 

Elko 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley 

Camp  Halleck 

Mound  Valley 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Clover  V-illey 

South  Fork  Valley. 
Lamoille  Valley. . .  . 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

South  Fork  Valley. . 
South  Fork  Valley.. 
South  Fork  \'alley. . 

Clover  Valley 

Clover  Valley 

Tuscarora 

Tuscarora 

Lamnillc  Valley. . .  . 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley 

Tuscarora 

Clover   Valley 

Star  Valley 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley 

Elko 

Star  Valley 

Elko 

Wells 

Mound  Valley 

Wells 

Secret  Creek  

South  Fork 

Ruby  Valley 

Tuscarora 

Clover  Valley 

Elko 

Elko 

Tuscarora. 

Carlin 

Tuscarora 

Tuscarora 


Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer 

Hardw.Tre 

.Superintendent  Argcnta  Mine. 
(Jen.  merchandise  and  P.  M. . . 

Blacksmith 

Stock  dealer 

Lumber  and  general  mdse 

Furniture  dealer 

Farmer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  horse  raiser 

Notions,  furnishing  goods,  etc. 

Proprietor  Depot  Hotel 

Carpenter 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Prop.  Elko  Fouriug  Mill 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

I'xiitor  Time.i  Ifrriew 

Dist.  Atty  of  Elko  County. . .. 
Foundry  and  machine  shop. .  . 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Teamster 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer 

Supt.  Cmwl'th  <fc  Falcon  Mines. 

Editor  and  Postmaster 

Farmer 

Sheriff 

Farm'r,  stock  raiser,  gen.  mdse. 

Lodging  house  and  saloon 

Farmer  and  st*)ck  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Furniture  dealer 

Farmer 

Agt.  W.  F.  *  Co.  and  Co.  Treas . 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

County  ( 'lerk 


P.  M.,  Blacksmith,  .st'k  raiser. 
Mercliant  and  Postmaster.... 

Stock  raiser  and  farmer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Ranching  and  stock  raising. .  . 
Mine  owner,  capitali.st&  ranc'r 

B'armer  and  stock  raiser 

Agent  Duck   Valley  Restra'nt. 

Postmaster 

Blacksmith 

General  merchandise 

Prop.CIrand  Pr'e  Ho'tl  &  min'r. 
Tinshopandbrdware 


Tennessee 

Massachusetts. .  . 
Canada  West...  . 

Indiana 

Canada  West. . . . 

Kentucky 

Virginia 

New  York 

Canada 

England 

Pennsylvania.  .  . 

Ireland 

Ohio 

Pennsylvania. .  . 

Tennessee 

Ireland 

Pennsylvania...  . 

New  Vork 

New  York 

New  York 

M.assuchusetts. . . 

Maryland 

England 

Ohio 

Ohio 

Missouri 

Canada  AV'est. . . 
Canada  West.  . . 

New  York 

New  York , 

Massachusetts.. . 

Maryland 

New  Bninswick. 
North  Carolina. . 

Vermont 

New  Vork 

New  York 

Utah 

lihode  Island. . . . 

Maine 

Wisconsin 

New  .lersey.  .    . , 

Denmark 

Pennsylvania. .  . 

Virginia 

Kentucky 

England 

New  Vork 

Ireland 

Pennsylvania. .  , 

New  Vork 

Ohio . 

South  Carolina. 
South  Wales ... 
Canada  West . . 


1869 
1865 
1862 
1869 
1868 
1862 
1862 
1859 
1879 
1866 
1859 
1872 
1869 
1862 
1863 
1862 
1863 
1868 
1872 
1860 
1863 
1857 
1858 
1874 
1862 
1875 
1868 
1808 
1859 
1863 
1866 
1864 
1863 
1868 
1860 
1872 
1879 
1877 
1866 
lii72 
1869 
1863 
1876 
1868 
1862 
1861 
1862 
1872 
1864 
1878 
1874 
1870 
1869 
1879 
1859 


1869 
1870 
1869 
1877 
1869 
1870 
1808 
1859 
1879 
1867 
1S67 
1872 
1869 
1874 
1868 
1874 
1807 
1868 
1S78 
1804 
1877 
1875 
1808 
1874 
1809 
1875 

I8r>8 

1808 
1868 
1877 
1870 
1868 
1863 
1870 
1869 
1872 
1879 
1877 
1869 
1872 
1869 
1867 
1876 
1869 
1879 
1872 
1805 
1872 
1804 
1878 
1874 
1879 
1809 
1879 
1870 


Fort  Halleck  . .  . 
Mound  Valley. . 

Elko 

Tuscarora , 

Mountain  City.. 

Elko 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley  .  .  . 
Fort  Halleck . .  , 
Mound  \'aUey. . 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

WeUs 

Elko 

Lamoille 

Klko 

Uuhy  Valley. . . 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Elko 

Klko 

lOIko 

Wells 

Wells 

Tuscarora 

Tuscarora 

Lamoille 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley. .  . 

Tuscarora 

Wells 

Deotli  Station. . 

Klko 

liuby  Valley... 

Elko 

Deeth  Station . . 

Elko 

Wells 

Mound  Valley. . 

Wells 

Halleck  Station. 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley . . . 

Tuscarora 

Wells 

Elko 

Elko 

Tuscarora 

Carlin 

Tuscarora 

Tuscarora 


320 
400 
500 


1,200 


154 
320 
700 


560 
240 
320 


640 


600 
600 


320 


280 

1,200 

800 


240 
S40 


300 


1,000 

400 

1,500 

1,100 

480 


PATRONS   DIRECTORY. 


667 


ELKO  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAUE. 


Came  to  Canic  to 
State.    County.! 


po6T-orncB. 


No. 
Acros. 


300 
240 
600 
800 
200 
160 
640 


.Tohnston,  D.  V Star  Valley Fanner  ami  stock  raiacr 

Kuith,  H.  .J Laiiidille  \  alley .  . .  .  Fanner,  stock  raiser  and  1*.  M. 

Kennetly,  \Vm Mound  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

King,  Thomas Clover  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Kingsbcry,  Mile Ruby  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Kirk  Patrick,  U.  \V. . .  Star  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

l.ampman,  Chas Clover  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

l^incaster,  A.  V Tusearora Miner 

Lanham,  R.  D 'South  Fork  Valley.    Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

LittleHeld,  E.  A Elkn Ed.  &  I'rop.  Elko  MVcW//  I'osl. 

Ruby  Valley P'armcr  and  stock  raiser 

.  Elko Deputy  Slierifl". 

.  South  Fork  Valley. .  Contractor,  builder  &  fanner. . 

.  Fort  Hulleck Post-trader 

.  Elko 'R'gt  State  Uny  &  real  es'tag't. 

.  Lamoille  Valley. . .  .Farmer 

.  Star  Valley Farmer 

.  Mound  Valley Farmer 

.  Lamoille  Valley. . .  . iFarmer  and  stock  raiser 

.  Tusearora I  Amalgamator. 

.  Star  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

.  Tu.scarora Mining  Superintendent 

.  Wells 'Merchant 

Elko Deputy  County  Rcconler 


I/oav ridge,   A. 

Lowe,  Arthur 

Martin,  J.  L 

Mayer,  C.   E 

Mayhugh,  John  S.  .  . 
McCenney,  ().  W.N. 

McCoy,  (J.  W 

McCutchen,  .1.  M... 

McDermott,  J.  T 

McMahan,  E.  L 

McMuUen,  James. . . 

McXally,   John 

Meigs,  (Jeo.  H 

Miller,  M.   H 


Moore,  .T.   B Ruby  Valley Fanner  and  stock  raiser. 


Monty,  Joseph  L 
Morgan,  L.  E. . .  . 

Moser,  (Jeo 

MuUer.   F.  F 

Mundell,  H.  V... 
Murphy,  A.  C  .  . 
Myers,  James.  . .  . 

Myers,  Wm 

O'Connor,  Thos. . 
Passow,  Charles. . 
Phillips,  C.  W... 
Pixley,  Myron. . . 
R.imcy,  .lohn  W.. 

Rand,  J.  H 

Rcch,  Jacob 

Roach  William. .  . 
Robbins,  John.. .  , 
Rogers,  W.  W. .  . 
Rosberry,  J.  B. . . 

Scherff,   M, 

Schoer,  C 

Scott,  W.  H 

Scott,  Joseph ... 
Scranton  Levi  . . 

Sears,  S.  S 

Shepherd,  (i.  H.. 
Short,  Frank. ... 
Short,  Thomas. . , 
Smith,  Joseph  .  . . 
Smith,  W.  T. . .  . 
Snow  William. . . 
St.  Clair,  L.  W.. 
Steinaker,  W . . . . 
Steward,   D.  H. . . 

Stone.  T.  N 

Street,  Thomas. . 
Suggett,  S.  H . 
Surface,  J.  M. 


Tusearora iBlacksmith  tjraud  Prize  Mine. 

Elko JBlacksmith  and  wagon  shop. . . 

Carlin -~       - 

Elko 

Elko 

Wells 

Ruby  Valley 
Ruby  Valley 
Ruby  Valley 


But  her. 

Druggist 

County  Assessor 

Telegraph  operator 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Farmer 

Ruby  Valley jKarmer  and  horse  raiser.. 

Tusearora [Teamster 

Lamoille  Valley  . . .  .Farmer  and  stock  raiser. . 

Elko jPrinter 

Elko (Attorney-atlaw. 

Star  Valley.  . 
Clover  Valley. 
Ruby  Valli^y. . 
Cornucopia. 


Blacksmitl 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser  . .    .  . 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Brewery 

Tusearora Blacksmithing 

Wells 'Proprietor  Depot  Hotel 

Clover  Valley [Farmer 

Clover  Valley [Vaquero 

Secret  Creek Stock  raiser  and  farmer 

Ruby  Valley Fanner 

ICd.  and  Prop.  iJaUy  Elko  Iiid.  . 

Stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer 

Tusearora ( ieneral  merchandise 

Ruby  Valley [Farmer,  stock  raiser  and  P.  M. 

.Star  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Tusearora Butcher 

Star  Valley Farmer 

Elko Merchant  &  regt.  State  Univty. 

Tusearora Chief  enginer  Indiana  Mill ...  . 

Elko Justice  of  the  I'eace 

Wells 1   

Pleasant  Valley.  .  .  .Farmer 

Fanner  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  an<l  stock   raiser 

Fanner  and  stock  raiser. .  .  . 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 


Indiana 

Mis.souri 

Irclutid 

Ireland 

New  Vork. . . . 

Virginia 

New  York .... 

Maine 

Kentucky. . . . 
Rhode   Island. 

Utah 

England 

Maine 

Illinois 

Pennsylvania. 

Ireland 

Illinois 

Missouri 

Ireland 

Pennsylvania. 

Ireland 

New  Vork .... 

Vermont 

Missouri 

New  Hampshire. 
Canada  East.  . 
New  York. . .  . 

[Germany 

France 

jPennsylvania. 

Illinois 

JNew  York. . . . 
.New  Vork. . . . 

ilreland 

Germany 

New  York .... 
New  York .... 

Ohio 

Maine 

Indiana 

Ireland 

Pennsylvania. 

Ohio 

Illinois 

Germany 

Germany 

Kentucky. . .  . 


Elko. 
Coral  Hill . . . 
Ruby  Valley. 
Ruby  Valley. 
Ruby  Valley. 


Talbot,  Henry  M, 

ThompsoE),  U.  B 'Ruliy  V.dley.    .. 

Thorp,  .lohn  P Lamoille  Valley. 

Triplett,  Joe  F Lamoille  Valley. 

Trueman,  H.  M Pleasant  Valley. 

ToUey,  J.  B [Tusearora 'Mining 

Toyn  Charles Mound  Valley Farmer 

Tucker,  (Jeorge Elko JLivery 

University,  State. . .  .Elko ' 

Vanness,  Alonzo Ruby  Valley Farmer 

\Valsh,  Wm.  .1 South  Fork  Valley. .  'Farmer 

Wear,  R.  G Mound  Valley iFarmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Weathers,  W Star  Valley 'Fanner  and  stock  raiser. 

Weeks,  .lohn  F Clover  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Weeks,  S.  T Clover  \' alley Farmer 

Wilcox,  W.  A Clover  V  alley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Williams,  John  W. . .  Mound  Valley Farmer 

Williamson,  G.   F. . .  .  Kuby  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Wilson,  Fred Tusearora Livery  .Stable 


Indiana 

New  York .    ... 

Kentucky 

Illinois 

IreKand 

England 

Connecticut. . . . 

Utah 

Virginia 

Pennsylvania  . . 

Minnesota 

Massachusetts. . 

England 

Kentucky 

Missouri 

Connecticut. . . . 
North  Carolina. 

Scotland 

Kentucky 

Kentucky 

Wisconsin  .... 

England 

Missouri 


Indiana. . . 
New  York . 
Missouri. . . 
Alabama... 

Ohio 

Ohio 

New  Vork. 
Missouri.. . 

Ohio 

Illinois. . .  . 


1873 
1861 
1868 
1863 
1877 
1864 
1864 
1864 
1864 
1870 
1868 
1869 
1873 
1860 
1863 
1879 
1868 
1868 
1874 
1872 
1876 
1872 
1.S77 
1863 
1877 
1864 
1869 
1875 
1862 
1876 
1864 
1862 
1864 
1871 
1877 
1863 
187r> 
1869 
1876 
1875 
1860 
1869 
1864 
1872 
1868 
1877 
1868 
1869 
It  60 
1868 
1874 
1869 
1872 
1869 
1864 
1868 
1870 
1868 
1870 
1864 
1875 
1876 
1869 
1864 
1863 
1857 
1873 
1869 
1867 
1863 


1879  I 

1869 

1868 

1873 

1872 

1865 

1872 


1860 
1861 


870 
873 
861 

868 
869 
879 
872 
869 
869 
875 
870 
869 
869 
S73 
869 
869 
879 
869 
868 
875 
872 
876 
872 
879 
863 
877 
870 
869 
875 
869 
876 
864 
864 
875 
873 
877 
870 
875 
869 
876 
875 
871 
8(>9 
872 
872 
868 
877 
877 
870 
869 
868 
874 
869 
872 
869 
877 
868 
874 
878 
870 
880 
875 
87(J 
869 
864 
869 
872 
873 
869 
868 
867 


879 
869 
Sl)8 
873 
N72 
8(i9 
872 


S68 
8(>8 


Deeth  Station . . 

Lamoille 

.Mound  Valley. . 

Wells 

Fair  Play 

Deeth  Station. . 

Wells 

Tusearora 

Elko 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley. .    . 

Elko 

Elko 

Fort  Hallcck... 

Elko..  :• 

Elko 

I.)eeth  Station.  . 
Mound  Valley. . 

Lamoille 

Tusearora 

Deeth  Station . . 

Tusearora 

Wells 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley.  .  . 

Tusearora 

Elko 

Carlin 

Elko 

Elko 

Wells 

Ruby  Valley. . . 
Ruby  Valley. .  . 
Camp  Halleck .  . 
Ruby  \allcy . . . 

Tusearora 

Lamoille 

Elko 

Elko 

Deeth  Station .  . 
Clover  \'alley  .  . 
Ruby  X'alley .  . 
Cornucopia     .  .  . 

Tusearora 

Wells 

Welli< 

Wells . 

Halleck  Station. 
Ruby  Valley.. . . 

Elko 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley. . . 
Ruby  \alley. . . 

Fair  Play 

Tusearora 

Ruby  Valley. . . 
Deeth  Station.  . 

Tusearora 

Deeth  Station . . 

Elko ._. 

Tusearora..  . . .'. 

Elko 

Wells 

Elko 

Ruby   Valley.  . . 

Lamoille 

Lamoille 

Elko.. 

Tusearora. 

Mound  Valley. . 

Elko 

Elko 

Ruby  Valley. . . 

Elko 

Elko 

Deeth  Station.  . 

iWells 

Wells 

Wells 

Elko 

Ruby  V.alley .  .  . 
Tusearora 


800 


rioo 


320 


320 
160 
120 
600 
320 


250 


800 


800 
640 
360 
500 


160 


80 


160 


320 


1,000 


240 
400 
520 


390 
440 


200 


360 
160 
600 


400 


160 
200 


160 
600 
160 
320 
280 
200 
160 
400 


668 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ELKO  COUNTY- Continued. 


NAME. 


Came  to  Came  to' 
State.  [County. j 


P08T-0FFICB, 


Wines,   Albert [Lamoille  Valley. .  .  .  Farmer  and  stock  raiser  . 

Wines,  I.«onard Ruby  Valley Agent 

Wines,   N   'Ruby  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. . 

Wiseman,  A Clover  \' alley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. . 

Wiseman  1 Clover  Valley Farmer 

Wood,  J.   C Clover  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. . 

Woolverton,   1.  P. . .  .  Ruby  Valley Kaiicher  and  stock  raiser. 

Young,  H.  A [Pleasant  Valley Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 


Indiana  . . . . 
Indiana  . . . . 

Indiana 

Kentucky  . . 
Kentucky. . . 

Indiana 

Virginia. . . . 
(Georgia. .    . . 


1870 
ISGO 
ISGl 
1807 
LSG!) 
1862 
1872 
1860 


1870 
1803 
1801 
1807 
180!) 
1870 
1872 
1809 


I,amoille 

Ruby   \'allcy . . 
Ruby  Valley. . 

Wells 

Wells 

WelU 

Fair  Play 

Elko 


No. 
Acres. 


320 


1,600 
560 
160 
400 
240 
400 


ESMERALDA  COUNTY. 


NAME. 


Came  to  Came  to 
State.    County.! 


POST-OFFICE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Baker,  Henry 

Barrett,  A.  J 

Hirniingbani,  .1.0... 
Cleaver,   Kimber. . . . 

Cobb,  S.  (; 

Compston,   James. . . 

Craig,  John  S 

Daniel,  Jasper 

Dickson,  W.  H 

Downey,  Jame.s 

Erway,  A.  H ...... . 

Erway,  James  W  .  . . 

Farwell,  L  X 

Feigenspan,  Frank.. 

Fox,  J.J 

Gallagher,  J.  B 

Oaward,  A 

Olenn,  M.  M 

rireen,  <  rco.  A 

llaight,  .lames  L. .  .  . 

Hamilton,  C  A 

Hamilton,  Len 

Hawley,  A.  H 

Herbiild,  Adam 

HigL'ins,  Dennis. .    .  . 

Hiud.s,  J.  C 

Houston,  J.  M 

Irwin,  W.  A 

Johnston,  James. . . . 

Lee,  W.  a 

Levy  &  Co 

Lewis,  D.  J 

Mallett,  C.  W 

Mason,  N.  H.  A.  .. 

Mather,  H 

McLeod.  Angus. . .  . 

Merrilt,  .lames 

Mills,  Jacob 

Ncligh,  William.    . 
Nichols,   James. ... 

^'ierce,  Zailok 

l{cy^ier«,   B.  "H...  r- 

Rogers,  .1.  A 

SaiKlcni,  W.  B   .... 

Sefton,   Henry 

Simpson,  D.  C 

.Smart,  J.  (I 

Snyder,  Charles. . . . 

Spragg,   W.  H 

Swascy,  H.  F 

Waldo,  CJ.  B.  .^  . . . 


Mason  Valley 

Mason  \' alley 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  A" alley 

Aurora 

Compton  Station . .  . 

Mason  Valley 

Greenfield 

Mason  Valley 

GreenHeld 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  X'alley 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Nine-Mile  Ranch. .  . 

Aurora 

Mason  \'alley .    

Smith  Valley 

.Smith  Vallej 

Mason  Valley 

lireentield 

Hot  Sp'gs,  Smith  V'y 

Masim  Valley _. 

Smith  \'.illey 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Desert  Creek 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Wellington 

Masiui  \'alley 

Smith  Valley 

Mason  \'alley 

Wellington     

Mason  \*alley 

Mason  Valley 

Desert  Creek 

Greenfield 

Mason  Valley 

Mason  Valley 

Wabnska 

Mason  Valley 


Farmer 

Farmer 

B^armer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Liveryman 

Farmer 

Merchant 

Hardware imple'ts  &  gen.  mdse 

Fanner 

Hotel,  liv'y  stable,  sal'n  &  far'g 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer 

Co.  Clk,  Not'ry,com.  dl'r,  I'.M 

Farmer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer,  cap'st  and  stock  raiser 

Civil  Engineer 

Printer 

Farmer  and  hotel  keeper 


Farmer  and  Justice  of  Peace. . 

FarnRT  and  stock  raiser 

Farming  and  dairying 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Hotel  keeper  and  farmer 

Proprietor  of  the  Hot  Springs. 
Co.  .Surveyor  and  Civil  Engin'i 

Farmer 

Parmer  and  stock  raiser 

Millwright  and  milling 

Merchants 

Lawyer 

Farmer 

■Stock  raising 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser.  . .  . 

Karmer  and  capitalist 

Farmer 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Owner  of  mine 

Fanner  and  stock  raiser 

I  Merchant 

Farmer  ami  stock  raiser 

I  Farmer y 

[Farmer  anil  stock  raiser 

I  Farmer  and  .stock  raiser 

I  Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

j.Saloon 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

I  Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

IParmer 


Maine 

Texas 

Canada 

Maine 

Ireland 

I  reland 

Indiana 

[Virginia 

I  England 

New  York 

Michigan 

Ohio 

Germany   .... 

liermany 

Ireland 

Ohio   

Illinois 

.VeH'  Hampshire 

California 

Rhoile  Island. . . 

Virginia 

N'ermont 

(iermany 

Ireland 

Virginia 

Vermont.  ...... 

California 

Ireland 

Kentucky 


Pennsylvania.  . 

Maine 

Tennessee 

New  York 

Arkansas 

South  Carolina. 
Canada 


I860 
1859 
1873 
1863 
1869 
1860 
1863 
1859 
1800 
1803 
1862 
1860 
1867 
1864 
1868 
1862 
1878 
1862 
1870 
1803 
1850 
1872 
1864 
1872 
1859 
1868 
1874 
1860 
1861 


1859 


KS.".9 
1800 


1879 
1802 

1878 
1877 


1862 
1871 
18.->9 
1800 
1859 
1858 
1862 


1872 


1868 


1859 


Scotland 

Vermont 

(iennany 

.Sweden 

Oh'io 

Ireland 

Maine 

New  York 

\ew  York 

New  Brunswick. 

Vermont 

I  Illinois 


1862 
1860 
1870 
1859 
1861 
1861 
1859 
KS79 
I860 
1800 
1862 
1867 


1877 


1879 


Mason  Valley.  . 
Mason  Valley . , 
Mason  Valley. 

Aurora 

.Sweetwater 

Mason  Valley.  . 
M  ason  A'alley . . 
Mason  \'alley . . 
Mason  Valley . . 
Mason  Valley. . 
Mason  \'alley . . 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley. . 
Mason  Valley.  . 
Mason  Valley. 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Aurora 

-Mason  Valley  , 
Wellington  . . .  . 
Wellington  .  .  .  . 
Mason  \'alley . . 

Sweetwater 

Wellington  .  . .  . 
Masiui  Valley.  . 
Bodie,  Califor'a. 
Mason  Valley. . 
.Mason  Valley. . 

Aurora 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley.  . 
Mason  \" alley  .  . 
Walker  River. 

Aurora 

Mason  Valley. . 
Mason  \*alley .  . 
Wellington  . . . . 
Mason  Vallej'.  . 
I  Wellington  ... 
Mason  \'alley .  , 
Wellington  ... 
Mason  \'alley . . 
Mason  Valley. 
Wellington  ... 
'Mason  Valley. 
.VI ason  Valley. 
Mason  \'alley . 

Wabuska 

iMason  Valley. 


1,400 
220 
403 


320 
620 


012 
520 
160 


160 

320 

5,000 

320 

1,040 


120 

1,500 

284 

200 

440 

300 

200 

2,000 

280 

80 


1,400 


800 
640 
320 
560 


3,400 

40 

320 

1,600 
500 
320 

4,000 

' '  760 
240 
840 
320 


EUREKA   COUNTY. 


NAME. 


Allen,  James  S 

Ammond,  fieorgo  K 
Anderson,  L.  P. . 
Bailey,  David  E. 
Bail«y,  George. . . 
Baker,  O^  W  .  .  . 
Barnes,  Fred 


Kureka, . . 

Eureka.  . . 
Eureka.  . . 
Eureka. .  . 
Eureka. . . 
Eureka. , . 
Eureka  .  . 


I 


Cime  to  Came  to 
I  .State,    t'ounty 


rt.HT-OFI'ICB. 


Proprietor  of  the  Ottawa  Hotel . 

Attorney  atlaw     

Lumberman    

Attorney  atlaw 

Proprietor  of  the  City  Market 

|Att(iriiey-at-law IWiscimsin  . . . 

[Proprietor  of  People's  Market.  [Pennsylvania 


Ireland 

Pennsylvania  . 

.Sweden 

Pennsylvania  . 
TenncsBee  . . .  , 


1871 
1802 
1871 
1805 
l,S(i3 
1871 


1871 
1870 
1871 
1870 

1.S72 
1871 


Eureka.. . 
Eureka...  . 

Eureka 

Eureka.,.  . 
Eureka.. .  . 
Eureka.. . . 


No. 
Acrea. 


.j      210 

!i'iVobb' 

180O  I    1871     Eureka I      100 


PATRONS  DIRECTORY. 


669 


EUREKA  COUNTY-  Continued. 


NAME. 


Came  to 
State. 


Came  to 
County 


Ton-awmm. 


no. 


Biirtlett,  M.  B 

Beatty,  R .  M 

Berg,  Aaron 

Bice,  Jnseph 

Bishop,  A.  C,  M.  V. 

Bishop,  \Vm.  W 

Bliss,  Geo.   F 

Butler.  E.J 

Ca<l.v,  C.  H 

CaiiHeld,  Chas.  A.  . .  . 

Carpenter,  H 

Cassidy,  Geo.  W 

Clarke,  Luther 

Cole,  F.  W 

Cromer,  L.  W 

Crosaan,  R 

Dehnian,  Charles.    . . . 

Doak,  R.  J 

D,>.lj.p,  E.  R 

Doutrich,  Frank.    .  .  . 

Emrick,  W 

Eureka  Tunnel  Co.. . . 

Englert,  O.  C 

Everts,  P 

Fitzgerald,  A.  L.    . . . 

Fletcher,  G.  A 

Gavin,  Geo 

Gorman,  F.  O 

Gritiin,  Henry 

Hall,  D.  H 

Hampton,  James 

Harmon,  .J.  C 

Haskell,  A.  D 

Haskell,  W.  P 

Hillhouse,  A.  M 

Hintze,  August 

Hnhart,  \V.  W 

Holmes,  J.  B 

Johnson,  Hiram 

Jones,  Charles  D 

Kernieen   .lohn  J 

Knight,  Hank 

Kyle,  -James 

Kyle,  Matthew 

Laml)crt,  J.  W 

Lamoureux,  (ieo.  \V. . 

Lansing',   C.  J 

Langstroff,  J.   B 

Lautenschlager,  C. . .  . 

Lawler,  T.  F 

Leathers,  A.  J 

Ijee,  Joseph  T .  . 

Levy,  Benj.  C 

Longley,  Sand      

Lyon,  M.  R 

MacLaughlin,  D.  J.  J. 
MeCuaii;,  Angus  D.  .  . 

MrPharlan  John 

Mendcs,  Joseph     ... 
Merrill,  (ienrge  VV.  .  . 

Mikel,  C.  M 

MilU,  \Vm.  O.  Jr....l 
Molinelli,  Lambert. 

Morrison,  E.  <; 

Nesbitt,  J.  A 

Oat  man,  E.  F 

Pearson,  Thos.  \V.  .  .  . 

Read.'l'hos.  J 

Rcid,  R.J 

Remington,  W.  H  .    . 

Rives,  Henry 

Rock,  A.  D 

Rose,  E.  H 

Scanland,  G.  J    

Scott,  0.  L 

Shoemaker,  C.  H 

Sloss,  S.  S 

Smith  &  I>oak 

Smith,  J.    L 

Spinner,  Wm 

Stewart,  Wm.  D 

Stinson,  Wm 

84 


Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka. . . . 
Ruby  Hill 
Uuby  Hill. 
Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka.  .  . . 
Eureka. . . . 
Eureka.  . .  . 
Huby  Hill 
Ruby  Hill. 
Eureka.  .  . . 
Eureka.  .  ,  . 
Eureka. .  . . 
Eureka.  .  .  . 
Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka.  . .  . 
Eureka. . . . 
Eureka.  . . . 
Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka.  . .  . 
Eureka.  .  .  . 
Eureka. . . . 
Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka. . .  . 

Eureka 

Eureka,  ... 
Eureka.  ... 
Ruby  Hill. 
Kureka. . .  . 
HubyHdl.. 
Eureka.  ... 
Eureka.  ... 
Eureka.  .  . 
Eureka. ... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  HUI. 

Eureka 

Ruby   Hill.. 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hdl.. 
Eureka.  .  . . 
Ruby  Hill. 

Eureka 

Kureka 

Kureka 

Eureka 

Palisade  . . . 

Eureka 

Ruby  HUI. 
Kureka. . .  . 
Ruby  Hill.. 
Ruby   Hill 
Ruby   Hill.. 
Ruby   Hill. 
Ruby   Hill.. 

Kureka 

Eureka 

IJuby  Hill.. 
Eureka   . .  . . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill.. 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka. ... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka..    .. 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hi'l.. 


Wholesale  liquor  dealer 

Attorney-at-law , 

(ieneral  merchandise 

Foreman  Eureka  Consolidated . 

Physician  and  surgeon 

Attorneyatlaw 

Super'nt  Eureka  Water  Works. 
Sec.  Eureka  &  .Silv'r  Peak  Tul's 
Foreman  of  the.Iackson  Mine. 
Foreman  of  the  Jackson  Mine. 
Receiver  of  U.  S.  Land  Office.  . 
Editor  and  publisher 


Attorney-atdaw 

•fustice  of  the  Peace 

Feed 

Watchman  at  Richmond  Mine. 

Livery  and  feed  stable 

County  Clerk 

General  mcrch-indise 

Boots  and  shoes 


Blacksmithing 

Superintendent  of  E.  &  P.  R.  R. 

Attorney-at-law 

City  H.iy  and  Feed  Stables  . .  . 

Tinsmith  and  plumber 

Constable 

Chief  Engineer  Jackson  Mine. 
Proprietor  International  Hotel. 

General  merchandise 

Planing  mill : 

Insurance  agent 

Merchant 

Attorney-at-law 

■Saloon 

Kd.  &  pr'p.  Eureka  Dailii  Leader 
Engineer  Eureka  Consolidated. 

(ieneral  merchandise 

Engineer  at  .lackson  Mine. . .  . 
Sup't  Ruby  Dunderberg  Mines. 
County  Assessor 


Kentucky 

Illinois 

Germany 

England 

Illinois 

Pennsylvania  . . 
Massalieusetts  . 
New  York  City. 

Wisconsin 

New  York 

Vermont 

Kentucky 

Virginia 

New  Y'ork . .    .  . 

Ohio 

Ohio 

Sweden 

Virginia 

Wisconsin 

Pennsylvania. .  . 
New  York 


I8C2 
1S66 
187.i 
18(i5 
1869 
1HG3 
I  SCO 
1868 
1874 
1874 
1860 
1860 
1869 
1863 
1863 
1871 
1863 
1872 
1869 
1878 
1863 


Sheriff 

Gen.  mdz.  agt  W^E.  &  Co.,  P.M. 

Teaming 

Attorney-at-law 

Merchant  tailor 

Proprietor  of  Eureka  Brewery - 
Gen.  Frt&  Pas.  AgtE.&  P.R.R. 

Prospector 

Blacksmith 

County  Recorder  

Foreman  Richmond  Mine 


Mining 

Packing 

Blacksmith 

.Vliiiing 

District  Attorney 

I'rop.  Eureka&  Ruby  H'l  Stages 
Man.  Eureka  &Cal.  Lumber  Co. 

Deputy  County  Clerk 

Blacksmith  and  wagcm  shop.. 

Physician  and  surgeon 

.Secretary  E.  *  P.  R.  R 

Sup't  Ruby  Hill  Water  Works. 
County  and  U.  S.  Surveyor. .  . 
Blacksmithing  &  wagon  mak'g. 

Hardware 

Attorney-at-law 

Civil  Engineers 

Prospecting  &  Mining 

County  Sup't  Pub.  Instruction 

.Mining  ami  real  estate 

Proprietor  Nevada  Laundry .  . . 

Harness  and  saddles 

Livery  and  fwd  stables 

Livery  and  feed  stables 

Manager  W'estern  Union  Tel .  . 

Teaming 

Carpenter 


Wisconsin 

New  York 

North  Carolina . 

Canada 

Canada 

Australia 

Massachusetts.. 

Canada 

England 

.Maine 

Massachusetts. . 
.Massachusetts. . 

lOhio 

;l  iermany 

.Michigan 

Ireland 

Massachusetts. . 

VVales 

England i 

Canada 

Ireland 

Irelanil ' 

Virginia i 

New  York. ... 

New  York 

t  iermany ! 

( Iermany 

New  York 

Maine 

Nova  Scotia . . . 

France  

New  York 

Vermont 

Ireland 

Canada 

Ireland 

Portugal 

Maine 

North  Carolina. 
.New  York    .... 

Italy 

New  York 

Canada 

Illinois 

England 

Kentucky 

Maine 

Iowa. .  .    

Virginia 

Virginia 

Ohio 

Illnnis 

New  York 

Ohio 

Pennsylvania  .  . 


New  ^'ork .    . . 
New  York ...      ' 

Scotland 

Canada 


1871 

1869 

1878 

1861 

1871 

1865 

1872 

1859 

1872 

1864 

1872 

1869 

1864 

1862 

1863 

1868 

1868 

1871 

1869 

1863 

1871 

1870 

1854 

1860 

1859 

1872 

1871 

1867 

1864 

1866 

1869 

1859 

1865 

1869 

1868 

1869 

KS64 

1863 

1876 

1871 

1866 

1863 

1869 

1879 

1869 

1860 

1869 

1874 

1868 

1863 

1869 

1874 

1863 

1871 

1866 

i862 
1871 
1870 
1869 


1870 

1873 

1875 

1870 

1874 

1877 

1870 

1875 

1874 

1874 

1877 

1871 

1870 

1874 

1869 

1871 

1870 

1872 

1872 

1878 

1877 


1872 

1874 

1878 

1872 

1871 

1870 

1872 

1869 

1874 

1872 

1872 

1871 

1871 

1874 

1S7!I 

1874 

1870 

1876 

1870 

1870 

1871 

1670 

1871 

1870 

1870 

1872 

1871 

IStiS 

1864 

KS73 

1869 

1876 

1879 

186!) 

1875 

1670 

1 869 

1873 

1876 

1876 

1872 

1870 

1869 

1879 

1870 

1874 

1871 

1874 

1878 

1874 

1869 

1874 

187-1 

1874 

1873 

i.S70 
1871 
1870 
1871 


Eureka. . .  . 
Eureka. . .  . 
Ruby  Hill. 
Ruby  Hill. 
Eureka .  . . 
Eureka  .... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill... 
Ruby  Hill. . . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka  .... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka  .    . . . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka.  .    . . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka  .    .  . . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

;Ruby  Hill  .. 

Eureka 

Kuby  Hill... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka  . .  . . 
Ruby  Hill.. 
ICureka    .  .  . . 

Eureka 

Kureka   .  .  .  . 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill  .. 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill.. 

Kureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Palisade    . . . 

Eurfka 

Ruby  Hdl... 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill.. 
Ruby  Hill.. 
Ruby  Hill.. 
Ruby  Hill... 
Ruby  Hill,    . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill... 

Kureka 

Kureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill... 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka.  ,  ,  . 

Eureka 

Eureka 

Eureka  

Eureka.  . .  . 

Eureka 

Eurrka 

Eureka.  .  .  . 
I''ureka  .  .  . 

Kureka 

Kureka 

Ruby  Hill... 


480 


500 


670 


HISTORY  OF  THE     STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


EUREKA  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAME. 


Came  to  Came  to 
State.    Couuty. 


rOST-OFFICE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Stowell,  W.  H. . . . 

Sweeny,  J   

Thoma,  G.  H 

Trainer,  Thomas. . 
Trofatter,  E.  T.  .  . 
Vauilerleitli,  J   .  . . 

Wells,  S.  O 

Wuthanl,  Thomas. 
Whitmore,  J.  C.  C 
Williams,  Thomas. 

Work,  ,1.  J I  Eureka 

Wren,  Thomas. [Eureka 


Eureka. . .  . 
Kuby  Hill. 
Eureka. . .  . 
Ruhy  Hill. 
Ruby  Hill. 
Eureka.  .  . 
Eureka. .  .  . 
Kureka. . . . 
Eureka. . . . 
lUuby  Hill. 


Druggist . 


Physician  and  surgeon 

Enrin'r  at  Eureka  CousolidateJ 


Prop,  of  the  Trofatter  House.  . 

Prop .  Cosmopolitan  Hotel .  . .  . 

Stock  growing  &  general  farm'g 

,  Teaming 

.Bookkeeping 


!Attorney-at-law  . 


New  York . . .  . 

Canada 

New  York . . . . 

.Scotland 

Massachusetts 
(Jermauy  .... 

Canada 

Ireland 

Massachusetts 

England 

Pennsylvania  . 
Ohio 


1868 

1870 

1872 

1872 

J  867 

1877 

1871 

1871 

1877 

1878 

1872 

1872 

186G 

1873 

1871 

1871 

1877 

1879  1 

1872 

1877 

18G2 

1873 

1863 

1873  1 

Eureka ' 

Ruby   Hill..    ..i 

Eureka I       .... 

Ruby  Hill ' 

Ruby   Hill i 

Eureka I 

Eureka 1,000 

l']ureka 

Eureka 

Ruby  Hill j 

Eureka 

Eureka 


HUMBOLDT  COUNTY. 


NAME. 


RB8IDXKCE. 


Caine  to 
State. 


Came  to 
County 


I'OST-Ol'I'lCR. 


No. 
Acres. 


Abel,  David  A.      . . 

Black,  A.  L 

Blakeslee,  L.  A. . . . 
Blennerhassett,  E.  . 
Bonnifield,  M.  S. . . 

Buckner,  L.  A 

Burns,  W.  T 

Buabee,  M.  E 

Bradshaw,  Joel. . . . 
Bradshaw,  John  D. 
Bradshaw,  T.  J . . . . 

Byrni-s,  James 

Byrnes,  John 

Carrel,  Geo.  H 

Carrel,  Merrick  B   . 

Emmons,  H.  C 

Prayer,  N 

(iermain,  Jos 

Gould,  .jas 

Harlan,  T.J 

Hill,  J.  J.  &  Co  .    . 

Hinkey,  C.  H 

Hinkey,  C.  W 

Job,  J.  H 

Kemler,  Clias 

Macaulay,  H.  P 

Marzen,  J 

Morrison,  A 

Naramore,   Frank. . .  . 

Nichols,  C.  A 

Organ,  Joseph 

Pierce,    S.  B.  P 

Recaiizone  &  Eorgnone 

Rechard,  L.    L 

Rodifer,  W.  A 

Scott,  R.   H 

Senghas,  Chas 

Spcrry,  W.  A 

Thompson,  M.  S 

Vestal,  James 

Weiglul,    Wm 

Wise,  Alex 


Paradise  Valley. . 
Paradise  Valley.  . 

Humboldt 

W'innemucca 

Winnemucca 

Winuemucca 

Winnemucca 

Pleasant  Valley.  . 
Paradise  Valley. . 

Paradise 

Paradise  Valley .  . 
Paradise  Valley . . 
Paradise  Valley   . 

Paradise 

Paradise  Valley. , 

Lovelocks 

Spring  City  .... 
Winnemucca. . . . 

.Mill  City 

Paradise 

Winnemucca. . .. 

Paradise 

Paradise  Valley. 
Winnemucca. . .  . 

Paradise 

Paradise 

Lovelocks 

Rye  Patch, 

Winnemucca. ... 
Paradi.se  Valley. 

Star  Ranch 

Paradise 

Paradise 

Winnemucca  .  , 
Paradise  Valley. 
Paradise  V^alley. 
Paradise  Valley. 
Paradise  Valley . 

Mill  Cily 

Paradise  Valley. 

Paradise    

Winnemucca. .  . . 


Farmer  and  stock  raiser.  . 

Quartz  milling 

Humboldt  House 

Engineer 

.•Attorney 

.Attorney 

Shoriir 

inner 

I  Jeneral   farming 

Farming 

General  farming 

( Jentral   farming 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Farming 

.Merchant 

Mining 

Proprietor  of  Lafayette  Hotel. 

Foundry,  hotel  and  mills 

Mill  Superintendent 

Proprietor  Daily  Silver  State. . 

Farming 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Co.  Cl'k  and  prop.  Cen'l  Hotel 

•Merchant 

.Miller 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Mining;  and  milling 

Livery  and  lumber 

Farmer,  stock  raiser  and  hotel 

Farmer 


Ohio 

Iowa 

Ohio 

South  Carolina. 

Virginia 

Kentucky  .... 

Kentucky 

Rhode  Island . . . 

Illinois 

Illinois 

Illinois 

New  York 

New  York 

Ohio 

Ohio 

New  York. . .    . 
New  York.    . . . 

France 

New  York 

Virginia 


.Milling  and  merchandising. 

Farming 

Liveryman 

Mechanic 

Merchandising 

Farming 

Farming 

Mininj,'  and  State  Senator.  . 

Farming 

Farming 

Stock  gr'r,  freig'gft  Inter.  Rev 


Germany 

( lermany  ...    . 

England 

(lennany .  ..  . 

Iowa 

Prussia 

Maine 

Vermont 

New  York . . .  . 

England 

Maine 

Italy 

New  York . . . . 

Virginia 

Ireland 

Germany 

Connecticut. .  . 
Pennsylvania. 

Missouri    

England 

Prussia 


1866 

1877 
1873 
1871 
1862 
1862 
1868 
1862 
18GS 
1876 
1866 
1867 
1867 
1861 
1860 
1873 
I860 
1856 
1873 
1860 


1870 
1863 
1866 
1866 
18711 
1863 
1861 
1868 
1866 
1863 
1862 
1864 
1867 
1858 
1862 
1863 
1867 
ISSS 
1872 
1869 
1862 


1866 

1877 
1873 
1871 
1862 
1862 
ISliS 
1862 
186S 
1876 
1868 
1867 
1867 
1861 
1S60 
1.S76 
1860 
1870 
1873 
1879 


1870 
1863 
1866 
1866 
1879 
1877 
1,S61 
1869 
1866 
1863 
1862 
1864 
1867 
1877 
1862 
1870 
IS6S 
185S 
1872 
1869 
1863 


Paradise 

Paradise 

Humboldt 

Winnemucca. .  . 
Winnemucca. . . 
Winnemucca.  . 
Winnemucca, . 
Winnemucca.  .  . 
Paradise  Valley 

Paradise 

Paratlise  Valley 
Para<lise  Valley 

Paradise 

Willow  Point.. 

Paradise 

Lovelocks 

Spring  City. . . . 
Winnemucca. . . 

Mill  City 

Paradise 

Winnemucca  . 

Parailise 

Paradise  Valley 
Winnemucca.  .  . 

Paradise     

Paradise 

Lovelocks 

Rye  Patch 

Winnemucca. .  . 
Paradise  Valley 

Mdl  City 

Paradise 

Paradise  Valley 
Winnemucca. . . 
I'aradise  Valley 
Paradise  Valley 

Paradise 

Paradise  Valley 

Mill  City 

Paradise 

Paradise 

Winnemucca. . . 


640 

m 


150 
360 
560 
600 
600 
680 
6,000 
480 
610 


160 


1,280 
1,020 


1.000 


1,400 
•iOO 

5,000 
800 


600 
300 

450 

2,100 

GOO 


LANDER  COUNTY. 


NAME. 


Came  to 
State 


Came  to 
County 


rosT'OPncK. 


No. 
Aeres. 


Ahlers,  Fred 

Barclay,   A 

Bean,  J.  A.,  M.  D.. 

Blossom,  .1.  A 

Booth,  .lohn 

Boyden,  J.   W 

Brown,  James 

Curtis,  Allen  A. .  . . 

Farrell,  M.  J 

Ferguson,  ■!.  F 

Finegan,  .lames. . .  . 
Gibson,  William    .  . 


Reese  River  Tp. . . 
Battle  Mountain. . 
Battle  Mountain . 
Battle  Mountain. . 

Austin 

Austin 

Battle  Mountain. . 

Austin 

Austin 

Austin 

Austin 

Austin 


Farmer ....    

Ayent  I).  W.  Earl  &  Co 

Physician  an<l  surgeon 

.Mining  and  stock  raising 

ICd.  &  Pub.  ReeM  Jiiver  Jieveille . 

lawyer 

Agent  C.  P.  &  N.  C.  Railro-id. 
Mining,  banker  and  merchant. 
Accountant  and  State  Senator. 

Livery  and  feeil  stables 

Contractor  and  builder  ...  . 
Postmaster 


Germany 

Canmla 

.\ew  Hampshire. 

Ohio 

England 

Mitssachu8ctt«. . . 
Pennsylvania.  .  . 

New  Jersey 

New  Jersey 

New  Vork 

Maryland 

Illinois 


1863 
1869 
1879 
1862 
1863 
1878 
1863 
1864 
1863 
1872 
1870 
1864 


1863 
1870 
1879 
1879 
1873 
1878 

isi;.s 

IMVt 
1863 
1872 
1870 
1864 


Austin 

Battle  Mt 

700 

Battle  .Mt 

Battle  Mt 

640 

Battle  Mt 

Austin 

Austin 

Austin 

PATRONS  DIRECTORY. 


671 


LANDER  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAME. 


Came  to 
State. 


Catnc  to 
Count}. 


POST-OPPICB 


No. 
Acrea. 


Hammond,  J.  S.  M .  D. 
Huntsm.iii,  L.  D. .    . 
Lanmiurltart,  George. 
Manhattan  .S.  M.  Co. 

Mayeuliaum,  H 

McCiifferty,  A.  U 

MeKenuey,  D.  C 

Mc Williams,  Jno.  \V  . 

>(ioholls,  .\ 

Pui;li,  [,.  M 

Smyth,  .Ino 

Spoiiogle,  F.  M 

ISproule,  C.  H 

Thomas,  B.  C 

Von  Nordeck,  F 

Williamson,  John  K. 
Wrifjht,  J.  A 


Austin 

Battle  Mountain. 

.\u8tin 

Austin 

Austin 

Austin 

.\ustin 

Battle  Mountain. 

.\ustin 

Battle  Mountain  . 

-■Vustin 

Bitttle  Mountain. 
Battle  Mountain.. 

Austin 

.\nstin 

Austin 

Austin 


Physician  and  surgeon 

Proprietor  Capitol  Kotel 

Butcher 

'Silver  mining  and  miliiog 

Lawyer 

Recorder 

District  J  udge 

(ieneral  mcrcliaiidise 

Lumher  dealer 

Mining 

Liquor  dealer  and  mining.    . . 

Physician  and  surgeon 

Kd.  &  Pb.  BiMleMl.  Ueosengr. 

Sheriff 

Druggist 

Merchant  and  mining 

Jewelry  &  County  Treasurer. , 


Massachusetts. 

Ohio 

Germany 


Germany 

Ohio 

Canada 

Ohio 

New  York 

.Missouri 

Ireland 

Ohio 

California 

Missouri 

Germany .  ... 
South  Carolina. 
Xcw  York 


1875 
1)55.S 
18U0 


1603 
ISalt 
1803 
1803 
1802 
180-J 
180'J 
1877 
1807 
1803 
1871 
1803 
1807 


1878 
1808 
1806 


IS03 
1803 
1803 

1808 
1803 
1878 
18011 
1877 
1808 
1803 
1872 
1803 
1807 


Austin .  .  .  . 
Battle  Mt. 
Austin. . .  , 
Austin.  .  . 
Austin.  .  .  . 
Austin,.  .  . 
.\ustiu  .  . . 
Battle  Mt. 
.•\u.stin,. . . 
Battle  Mt. 
.\ustin  . . . 
Battle  Mt. 
Battle  Mt 
Austin  . .  . . 
Austin  . . . 
Austin.  .  . . 
Austin .  .  . 


100 


100 


LINCOLN  COUNTY. 


NAME. 


BF-SIDEXCK. 


Came  to 
State. 

I 


Came  to 
County. 


No.  of 
Acres. 


Adams,  Robert . . 
Adelmann,  A.  .. . 
Alexander,  G.  R . 
Barton,  G.  R. .    . 

Garden,  C.R j 

Carman,  S.  H 1 

Clark,  D.  C ' 

Cook,  Joseph : 

Craig,  John 1 

Crooker,  J.  B 

Crowley,  R.  W 

Culverwell,   W 

Curtis,  J.  N 

Douoherty,  A.  B.  O. . 

Dow,  S.  L 

Duff,  J.  R 

Eilers,  Henry 

Kixenmann,  J   

Elam.R.  H 

Findlay,  A.  M 

Fishbach,  Jno.   B. . .  . 

Fogg,  \V.  H 

Fulks,  D.  A 

Fuller,  M 

Gelabert,  John  0 

Gillan,  Thomas 

Goodman,  W.  P 

Gorman,  Geo.  T 

Gould,  A.  S 

Hagerty  ft.  Barton . .  . 
Hellowell,  Sidney. . . . 

Henderson,  J.   C 

Henderson  \V.  H 

Hildebrand.  J 

Howell  M.    D 

Kastberg,  Chris.  P. . . 

Kelley,J.  V 

Lakin,  \Vm.  W 

I.,cahigli,  Mrs.  Kate. . 

Lee,   Arthur  O 

Lee,  F.  C 

Mandich,  A 

Mclntyre,  \V.  J 

McKec,  \V.  L 

Nesbitt,  G 

Nesbitt,  .1 

Newton,  D.  H 

Nyswoiiger,  Daniel. . . 

Pate  hen,  C.  H 

Philson,  C.  V 

Pierson,  James 

Reynolds,  Jno 

Roe,  Charles  L 

Roc,  William  J 

Sears,  .J.  I 

Shier,  John 

Smith,  S.  D 


Pioche 

Piochc. . .  . 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bullionville . 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Bullionville. 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Panaca 

Bristol 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche  

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Royal  City . 

Pioche 

Bristol. . .    . 

Pioche.   . . . . 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol. .  .    . 

iRristol 

[Pioche 

IPioclu' 

I  Bristol 

I Panaca 

Panaca  .... 

Piochc 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche  

Pioche 

Bristol 

j  Panaca 

Tioche 

Pioche.    .     . 

Pioche 

Bristol 

I  Bristol 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 


IMerchant  tailor Kngland 


Butcher. 

Druggist 

Merchant 

Proprietor  Bullionville  Hotel. 

Blacksmith 

-Merchant 

Livery 


i<  ■ermany 

Dis't  Columbia. . 

Utah 

Kentucky 

New  Y'ork 

Maine 

Prussia 


Deputy  Sheritt' Kentucky. 


New  Y'ork 

Ireland 

England 

England 

Ireland 

Maine 

England 

Gennany 

Wisconsin 

Virginia 

.Scotland 

Germany 

Maine 

Tennessee 

New  York 

Spain 

Canada 

New  ^'ork 

Dis't  Columbia. 
Ohio 


Gen.  Man'g  Bristol  .Silr  M.  Co. 

Printer 

Dairy 

(ieneral  Merchandise 

Attorney  at  Law . . 

Engineer 

Supt,  Meadow  Valley  Mine.  . 

Saloon 

Hardware 

Supt.   Water  Company 

Man'r.  Panaca  Ce-oper've store 

Postmaster 

Timekeeper  Hillside  Furnace. 

County  Treasurer 

Attorney  at  Law  and  miner. .  . 

Butcher 

Butcher 

Stationer 

County  Clerk 

Superintendent  Day  Mine. . . . 

Merchants 

.Saloon 

County  Recorder 

Mining 

Restaurant 

Supt.  Hillside  Mining  Co 

Mining,   

Agent  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co 

Miner 

Restaurant 

Farmer 

Farmer .M  issouri 

Merchant Austria 

Bookkeeper  Hillside  Min'g.  Co .  jSouth  America 

Sheriff I.Sonth  Carolina  . 

Merchant 'Ireland 

Merchant '\  reland 

Clerk  Bristol  Mining  Co .Massachusetts. 

Farmer Pennsylvania. 

District  -Attorney [New  York  .... 

Physician  an<l  surgeon Penn.'ylvania  . 

Prop.  San  Jose  House Virginia 

Supt.  Hillside  Furnace Ireland 

-Mining iNew  York. . .  . 

Sunt,  ilayllower  Mine |New  York.  .  .  . 

Telegraphing -Vew  Y'ork. . .  . 

Merchant {Englaiid 

(i  rain  dealer lOhio 


England 

Missouri 

Missoim 

(icrniany 

New  Jersey.  . . 

Germany 

New  Y'ork . . .  . 

Indiana 

.Vew  York. . . . 
Utah. 


1869 
1809 
1802 
1872 
1803 
ISOS 
1861 
1806 
1808 
1880 
1868 
1808 
1871 
1866 
1875 
1802 
1869 
1864 
1873 
1872 
1870 
1877 
1860 
1805 
1865 
1870 
1807 
1864 
1870 


1872 
1872 
181)5 
1876 
1800 
1873 
1872 
1869 
1800 
1>04 
1864 
1859 
1875 
1802 
1872 
1872 
1880 
I860 
1800 
1869 
1862 
1865 
1804 
1872 
1872 
1872 
1872 


872 
870 
872 
874 
S70 
871 
872 
866 
870 
880 
872 
871 
871 
872 
875 
871 
870 
870 
873 
872 
870 
877 
870 
800 
807 
870 
870 
870 
878 


872 
872 
800 
870 
879 
874 
872 
872 
870 
804 
8fh» 
870 
875 
869 
872 
872 
880 
872 
872 
870 
870 
878 
871 
872 
873 
872 
W7U- 


Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bullionville . 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol .    ... 

Pioche 

Bullionville. 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Bristol    .... 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Panaca   .... 
Bristol. .... 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Piochc 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

RdyalCity.. 
Piocher. . .  ;.■ 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Panaca 

Panaca 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche. 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Panaca  

Pioche  

Pioche 

Pi'iche 

Bristol 

Bristol 

Bristol 

Piochc. 

Pioche 

Pioche.. .  „. 


1,000 


400 


10 
10 


.SO 


640 


672 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


LINCOLN  COUNTY-Continued. 


Spear,  Charles.. . 
Stoddard,  Sam .  . . 
Stromberg,  F.  \V . 
Sultan,  Louis. . .  . 
Turner,  H.  W.... 

Vallejo,  P 

Veitch,  Alex 

Wedge,  John.  .  .  . 
Welland,  Henry. 
Wilkin,  D  


ICame  tojCame  to 
Stale.    County. 


POST-OFFICE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Bristol . 
Pioche. . 
Panaca. 
Pioche. 
Pioche. 
Wertheimer  L | Pioche. 


Bristol Engineer 

Pioche JKngineer 

Bristol H.>tel 

Pioche 1  Merchant 

Pioche Editor  of  the  Pioche  Record. . . 


Saddlerj' Canada 


Assayer 


Maine. . . . 
Michigan . . 
Prussia. . . 
Prussia. . . 
Illinois. . . . 
California. 


Prop,  of  the  Panaca  Hotel . . . 
Merchant. 


Mercliant. 


England. . 
Germany. 
Ireland  . . 
(Jermany 


1873 

1878 

1871 

1874 

1878 

1878 

1867 

1869 

187.3 

1873 

1878 

1878 

1867 

186!) 

186.5 

1865 

1861 

1870 

1860 

1870 

1872 

1S72 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Bristol 

Pioche 

Panaca 

Pioche 

Pioche 

Pioche 


10 


LYON    COUNTY. 


NAME. 


RESIDENCE. 


Barnes,  P 

Bonhani,  J.  A 

Brant,  V.  F 

Briggs,  John 

Buckland,  S.  S.  ... 

Burke,  T.  W.. 

Burner  (!.  W. . . . 
Camiiljell,  J.  L. . , . 
Campbell,  John  M. 

Carliiig,.lcihn 

Cooney,  Martin  . . . 

Dallas,  J.  S 

Fitch,   A.   B 

Gruber,  J.  C 

Hazktt,  J.  C,  M.  1> 

Hawkins,  T.   H 

H<iugham,  J.  Kiley  . 
Jaqua,  (Jeorge  E  . . .  . 

Kclley,  Michael  .... 

Lamb,  L 

Lothrop,  John 

Noel,  Sol 

Kandall,  G .   P 

Savage,  P.  R 

Scott,  John 

Seawell,  W.   M 

Shaw,  J  .    K 

Sheldon,  H.   H 

Sims,  J  .   D 

Summerfield,  A 

Thomas,  C.   C 

V  inson,  Theo 


Dayton 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Silver  City 

Buckland  Ranch 

Sutro 

Burrier's  Ranch 

Dayton 

Silver  City  .... 
Carling's  Ranch. 
Cooucy's  Ranch. 

Dayton 

Fitch's  Ranch. .  . 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Sutro 

Sutro  

Dayton 

Mason  Valley. . . 

Dayton 

Sutro     

Dayton 

Dayton 

Dayton 

Sutro 

Dayton 

Sutro 

Sutro 

Silver  City 


Came  to  Came  to 
State.    County. 


P0ST-0K71CE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Livery,  feed  stables  &,  teaming.  Ohio 

Postmaster  and  stationery. . . .  Wisconsin.  . . 

County  Assessor Pennsylvania 

Mining  and  milling England 

Gen'l  farm'g,  st'k  gr'g  &  dairy  gOhjo 

Tinsmith 

Farm'g,  dairy 'g  &  stock  raising 

Butchering 

Ed .  &  prop .  Lyons  Co .  Timcn . 
Farm'g,  dairy 'g  &  stock  raising 
Farming  and  stock  raising. . . . 
County  Clerk  &  Pioneer  Stg  Lue 
Farmer  and  stock  grower. 

Union  Hotel 

Apothecary  and  physician. .  .  .  . 
Carp'r,  contrac  r&  Justice?  ce 

Fanniuy  and  dairying 

Broom  manufacturer 

Black.smith 

Carpenter 

County   Recorder 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Blacksmithiiig 

Foreman  Sutro  Machine  Shop. 
Sup .  Lyon  Mill  &  Min'g  Com'y. 

District  Judge 

Hay,  grain,  iumb'r&  wooddel'r 
Cashier  Sutro  Tunnel  Comp'y . 
Merchant  &  County  Treasurer. 

Merchant 

Superin't  Sutro  Tunnel  Comp'y 
Superintendent  French  Mill 


California 

Pennsylvania  . . 

Indiana 

Pennsylvania  . . 
New  Jersey. . . . 

Ireland 

Michigan 

New  York 

jGermany 

Pennsylvania  .  . 

Delaware 

Indiana 

Connecticut.. . . 

Ireland 

New  York 

Missouri 

Wisconsin  .... 
Rhode  Island.  . 
Massachusetts. . 

England 

Dis.  of  Columbia 

Illinois 

New  York. . . 

Missouri 

Poland 

Maryland  .  .  . 
Wisconsin  .  . 


1860 

1863 

I860 

1861 

1857 

1873 

1861 

1862 

1874 

1861 

1863 

1864 

1871 

1860 

1802 

1863 

1864 

1875 

1863 

1862 

1861 

1861 

1863 

1874 

1S69 

1860 

1863 

1877 

1861 

1870 

1861 

1862 


1860 
1864 
1800 
1861 


1879 


lf62 
1880 


1873 


1867 
1862 
1863 


1875 
1863 
1862 


1874 
1874 
1869 
1872 
1863 
1877 
1861 
1876 
1880 
1869 


1,680 


Dayton 

Dayton 

D.iyton 

Silver  City... 
Ft  Churchill 

Sutro 

Ft  Churchill 

Dayton I 

■Silver  City ' 

Ft  Churchill  . . .   4,000 

Dayton 1,400 

Dayton i 

Ft  Churchill...       300 

Dayton I 

Dayton   

Dayton. . . . 


70 


D.iyt  n 

Dayton 

Sutro 

Sutro 

Dayton 

M.ison  Valley. .:     840 

Dayton 40 

Sutro 

Dayton 

Dayton  

Dayton 

Sutro 

Dayton 

Sutro 

Sutro 

Silver  City. . 


320 


NYE  COtTNTY. 


NAME. 


Jr. 


Ashbum,  C.  E Belmont 

Barrett,  J.  T. . 
Bell,  T.  J...  .. 
Benham,  N.  M 
B<ihle,  Henry 
Bowler,  P.  .\I., 
Brougher,  Wilson..    . 

Bryden,  J.  H 

Court,  Chad 

Curler,  Benj 

Donald,  .Sam 

Donnel,  J.  A 

Dougherty.  .lames  R. . 

Engstrom,  CO 

Ernst,  Geo 

Esser,  M.  W     

Ferguson,  S 

Gilmore,  Bros 

Gilmorc,  J.  B 

Gooding,  John 

Graham,  Jamea 

Granger,  W.   N 

Griffith,  J.  I... 


Came  to 
State, 


Ohio. 


Clerk 'Pennsylvania. 

Reese  River  Tp Farmer 'Georgia 

Grantsville JMining Indiana 

(Jrantsville 'Clerk Illinois 

Tybo Brewer Germany 

Belmont J  Attorney  at  Law 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Grantsville 

Belmont 

Grantsville 

Tybo • 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Reese  River  Valley. 

Grantsville 

Belmont 

Belmont 


Saloon Pennsylvania  . . 

'Engineer (Canada 

JButcher lEngland 

District  Attorney IVermont 

Ed.  &  Pro.  (irantsville  yio«<i;i2(i.  lEngland 

Livery,  harness  and  saddlery.  .New  York 

Teacher,  Co.  Supt.  of  Schools.  New  York 


Engineer. 

Mining  engineer 

General  merchandise. . . . 

Saloon 

Saloon 

Butcher  and  saloon 

Farmer 

Livery  and  stock  raising. 

Attorney  at  Law 

District  Attorney 


Sweden. . . . 
Germany  . . 
Germany . . 
New  York 


I 


18G3 
1859 
1860 
1875 
1868 
1870' 
1875 
1869 
1859 
1859 
1872 
1873 
1877 
1869 
1863 
1860 
1859 


Ireland. . . 
Prussia. . . 
Scotland. 
Vcrmout. 
Iowa 


1872 
1869 
1863 
1871 
1878 


Came  to 
County. 


POST^jmCE. 


1863 
1867 
1874 
1880 
1870 
1870 
1S75 
1874 
1869 
1867 
1877 
IS74 
1877 
1872 
1866 
1866 
1871 


1874 
1869 
1863 
1871 
1878 


No. 
Acres. 


Belmont '. . 

Austin 

(irantsville 

Grantsville 

Tybo 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Tybo 

irantsvillc.;. . . . 

Belmont 

rantsville 

Tybo 

Ik'linont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Tybo . 

Grantsville 

Grantsville 

Belmont. ....'.. 
Belmont 


600 


400 


160 


1,220 
600 


PATRONS  DIRECTORY. 


673 


NYE  COUNTY-Contlnued. 


NAUE. 


RBSIDEN'CB. 


Camo  to.Camo  toi 
State.    County . 


rosT-orrici. 


No. 
Acres. 


Harvey,  A.  B 

Hawkins,  A.  M 

Hogaii.  .}.  W 

Humphrey,  W.  C. . .  . 

Kint;,  R.  M 

Koch,  Win 

Kraiis,  Albert 

Kiichel,  C.  J 

Langworthy,  It.  C  .  . 

Luse,  L.  S 

Maute,  Andrew 

McDonahl,  A.  R 

Mclje.in,  Adam 

MoXamara,  .lohu  .... 

Mitchell,  J.  G 

Mitchell,  Thos 

Morgan  T.  F 

Nicholl,  (ieo 

Norris,  J.  E 

Oak,  0 

Obenderf,  J.  I 

0>;deu,  .1.  C 

Ohlandef,  John  A. .  .  . 

O'Xeil,  David 

Page  &   Donnel 

Page,  .J.  D 

Pe»ple8,  John 

Post,  S.  G 

Robinson,  H.  H 

San  Pedro,  M 

Sine,  K.  P 

.Spaulding,  A.  H 

Stimler,  Henry  P  . . . . 
Stocker,  Abuer  H  .  . . . 
Streitlierger,  G.  B. . . . 
Trowbridge,  N.  S.&  Co 

Trowbridge,  N.  S 

Turin,  George 

Vaui;hn,  K.  O 

Wallace,  U.  T 

Warburton,  Thomas. . 
Wilson,  R.  A 


Grantsville 

Belmont 

(irantsville 

Grantsville 

Grantsville 

Grantsville 

Tybo 

Grantsville 

(one 

Tybo 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Belmont 

(irantsville 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Belmont 

Downieville.  . .. 

I'ylw 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

lirantsville 

Belmont 

Grantsville 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Belmont 

Grantsville 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Grantsville 

Ueese  River  Tp. 

Belmont 

Belmont 


Agt.  W.,  F.  &  Co.,  and  Notary.  British  Guiana. . 

Surveyor Iowa 

Foreman  Alexander  Mine A'crmont 

Teaming  and  mining Ohio 

Hardware Pennsylvania  .  . . 

Prop.  Grantsville  Brewery. . .  .  Prussia. 

Salooii Austria 

Mining jCalifornia 

General  merchandise Connecticut  . . .  . 

Restaurant Kentucky 

lid.  &  Prop.  Belmont  Courier. .  j France 


Machinist Massachusetts.. 

.  jCounty  Treasurer-. IScotland 

.'Engineer |New  .Jersey. ... 

Co.  Com.  and  boarding  house .  .  iScotlaml 

Scotland 

Virginia     

Ireland 

Wisconsin 

Maine 

Maryland 

New  York  City 

•Sweden 

Ireland 


Pennsylvania  . . 
Massachusetts. . 
Ohio  


Supt.  Alexander  Mill 

County  Assessor 

County  Clerk 

Mining 

.Mining 

Mining 

Supt.  Tybo  Con.  Mining  Co  . 

•leweler 

Sheriff 

Livery 

Livery  

.Saloon 

Postmaster  and  grocer 

Deputy  Sheriff jTenncssee, 

Supt.  Alexander  Mine ISpain 

Attorney -at-law 

Livery  and  County  Com 

Postmaster 

Attorney -at-law 

General  merchandise.  . . . 
General  merchandise. . . . 
(Jeneral  merchandise  .... 
P.  M.,  J.  P.  and  Notary. 

.Saloon 

Farmer 

County  Assessor 

Engineer  and  .1.  P 


Pennsylvania. 

Maine 

Illinois 

Vermont 

Austria 


1859 
1874 
1859 
1860 
1803 
1860 
1877 
187S 
1865 
1863 
1863 
1861 
18UI 
187-J 
1804 
1870 
1863 
1863 
1869 
1876 
1867 
1869 
1864 
1869 


Michigan. .  . 
Switzerland. 
Wisconsin. . 
Michigan. . . 
Kngland. . . . 
Canada 


1862 
1863 
1800 
1809 
1801 
1801 
I87I 
1864 
1878 
186J 


1871 
1865 
1871 
1867 
1803 
1876 


1875 
1874 
1870 
1874 
1807 
1867 
1878 
1878 
1865 
1863 
1870 
1872 
1860 
IS72 
1806 
1870 
1804 
1866 
1873 
1876 
1867 
1870 
1872 
1875 


1874 
1806 
1871 
1867 
1806 
1870 


1865 
1874 
1878 
1875 
1803 
1805 
1874 
1807 
1878 
1874 


'Grantsville.  . 
Belmont. . .  . 
Grantsville.. 
(irantsvilla. 
Grantsville. . 
Grantsville.. 

Tybo 

Grantsville. . 

lone 

Tybo 

I  Belmont.  . 
Tybo. . . . 
Belmont. . .  . 

Tybo 

Bi'Imont. . .  . 
(irantsville.. 
Belmont. . . 
Belmont.  .  . 

Tybo 

Belmont. . .  . 
Downieville 

'Tybo 

Belmont. . .  . 
Belmont. . .  . 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

(irantsville.. 
Belmont. . . . 
Grantsville.. 
Belmont. . .  . 
Belmont. .  .  . 
Belmont. . . . 
Grantsville,. 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Tybo 

Grantsville,. 

.Austin 

Belmont. . .  . 
Belmont. . .  . 


540 


ORMSBY  COUNTY. 


C^Tno  to  Came  K 
IStatc.    <_Viuntv. 


P08T-0FF1CK. 


No. 
AcreB. 


Adams,  J.  W Carson  City. . 

Authers,  James Carson  City.. 

Babcock,  Jasper    ....  Carson  City. . 

Bath,  J  no Carson  City.. 

Batterman,  C.  C Carson  City. . 

Belknap,  C.  H jCarson  City. . 

Bence,  H.  H Carson  City. . 


Benton,  J.  M. 
Bicknell,  Charles  F. 

Brown,  (ieo.  E 

Cary,  W.  M 

Cheney,  J.  E 

Clugage,  F 

Coffin,  T 

Craw  ford,  James.    . .  .'Carson  City . 

Davis,  (ieo.  T Carson  City. . 

Davis,  Sam 'Carson  City.. 

Drcisbach,  .M,  A 'Carson  City. . 

Edgecomb,  E 'Carson  City. . 

Carson  City. . 

Carson  City .  . 


Carson  City . 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City. 
Carson  City. 
Carson  City. 
Carson  City. 
Carson  City. 


Klwards,  Theodore  D.  ' 
Ellis,  A.  C. 

Forties,  John Carson  City. 

Fording,  I 'Carson  City. 

Fox,  J.  W Carson  City. . 

(ireenlaw,  L.  S Carson  City. 

(ircenlaw.  Mayo  A. . .  Carbon  City.  . 

Hallock,  J.  F Car3<m  City. 

Harris,  C,  N Carson  City.  . 

Hatch,  .M.  D Carson  City . . 

Hawley,  Thomas  P  .   ;Carson  City.  . 

Herrick,  L.   A Carson  City. 

Hillyer,   E.  W Carson  City. 

Hogan,  M.  ■ iBruuswick  .   . 


Lieutenant  Governor 

Farming 

.Secretary  of  .State 

Stock  growing  &  gen  Harming 

Warden  of  State  Prison 

Chief  Justice 

Assessor,  surveyor  &  mining. . 
Staging,  livery  &  ioc  business . 
Clerk  (if  the  .Supreme  Court. . . 

Bookkeeper 

.lusticc  of  the  Peace 

Retail  grocer 

.Mail  &,  stage  business 

Attorney 

.Superintendent  U.  .S.  Mint .  .  . 
Wholesale  and  retail  grocer  . . . 

Journalist 

Lawyer 

Livery  and  boarding  stables. .  . 

Lawyer 

Attorney  at  law 

Agent  for  D.  W.  Earl  &  Co  . . . 
Master  Mechanic  V.  &  T.  R.  U. 

Physician  an<l  surgeon 

Superintendent  public  schools. 

Clerk 

Controller 

Lawyer 

County  I'lerk 

Justice  of  Supreme  Court 

Physician  and  surgeon 

United  States  .Judge . .  . 

County  Commiss'rft  Teaming. 


Vermont 

England 

Connecticut. .  .  . 

England 

New  York ...    . 

iVew  York 

Xew  York 

New  York 

Maine 

England 

Ohio.. 

New  York 

Ohio 

Indiana 

Kentucky 

New  Hampshire 
Connecticut. . . . 
.N'ew  York ...    . 

Maine 

Pennsylvania  . . 

Missouri 

Nova  Scotia. .  .  . 
Pennsylvania  . 
Pennsylvania.  . 

Maine 

Maine 

New  York. . .  . 

.Vow  York 

Vermont 

Indiana.  

New  York.  .  . . 

Ohio 

Ireland 


1805 
1860 
1872 
1858 
1865 
1865 
I860 
1864 
1803 
1877 
1854 
1801 
1860 
1871 
1863 
1859 
1875 
1877 
1803 
1863 
1863 
1868 
1809 
1870 
1803 
1807 
1804 
1864 
1867 
1868 
1872 
1S66 
1864 


1872 


1805 
1875 
1800 


1871 


1861 

187  i 
1874 


187 


l,sO:! 
1803 


'is76' 

187!) 

is73 

1807 

1872 

Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
•'arson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
ICarson  City 
ICarson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
iCarson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City 
Carson  City. 
Empire. . . . 


r. . . . 

466 

.. 

674 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


ORMSBY  COUNTY-Continned. 


Came  to 
State. 


Came  to 
County 


rosT-omcK. 


No. 
Acres. 


Carson  City. . 

Empire 

Carson  City. . 
Carson  City.  . 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City . . 
Carson  City . . 
Brunswick . . . 
Carson  City.. 
Carson  City.. 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City  . 
Carson  City . 
Carson  City . . 
P^mpire  City . 
Carson  City. . 
Carson  City . 

Empire 

Empire  . 


Hunter  Harry 

Jones,  .S.  E 

Keyser  4  Elrod. . . . 

Keyser,  \V.  D 

King,  .1.  R 

King,  S.  D 

Kinkead,  John  H. . 
Tjaughton,  Chas.  E. 
La  Vallicre,  R.  R. . 

Lee,  'S.  Lem 

Leonard,  0.  R 

Lugenbuhl,  Phil  A. 

Lyon,  Geo.  G 

Marshall,  J.  H 

Marston,  C.  A 

Martin,  J.   H 

Martin,  W.  0.  H  . 
Mason,  C.  P.      .... 

Mason,  H.  S 

May,  Eugene 

Me(;uIlough,  F.  J . . 

McRae,  Duncan 'Carson  City 

Meder,  B.  H Carson  City. . 

Meder,  J.   P Carson  City. . 

Meyers,  <  !eo.  H Carson  City, . 

Murphy,  M.  A Aurora 

Nevada  State  Library.  Carson  City. . 

Nevers,  S.  A Carson  City . . 

Niles,  Edward Carson  City. . 

Parkinson,  E.  .J Carson  City.. 

Robinson,   Marshall  . .  Carson  City, . 
Sessions,  David  R. . .    Carson  City.. 

.Sharp  Bros Carson  City. . 

Sharp,  Jno.  W Carson  City. . 

Small,  B.   F Carson  City. . 

Small,  G.  W Lakeview. . . . 

Smart,  Dr.  J.  S.  M..    Carson  (.'ity.  , 
Stewart,  Wellington, .  Carson  City, . 

Swift,  S.  T Hot  Springs. . 

Torreyson,  W.  1) Carson  City.. 

Tennant,  Thomas  J  .  .  Carson  City.  . 

Thaxter,  Geo.  C Carson  City.. 

Townley,  Rev,  L Carson  City.  . 

Treadway,  A.  D Carson  City.. 

Tutty,  George Carson  City. . 

Werther,  Chas Empire 

White,  F.  J Carson  City.. 

Williams,  Jos.  F Empire 

Witherell,  C.  A Carson  City. 

Wood,  J.  E Carson  City. 

Wright,  S.  C Carson  City. 

Yager,  M.  L I  Carson  City. 

Young,  J.  W ICaraon  City. 


Master  Transp'nV.  4  T.  R.  R. 
Livery 


New  York. 
Ohio 


ILivery,  hay  yard  &  fanning. . 
IV.  4  T.  R.  K.  Train  Dispatch'r. 

:Lawyer 

jGovernor 

[Auditor  V.  &T.  R.  R 

Supt.  Brunswick  Mill 

i Physician  and  surgeon  .    ... 
iJustice  of  Supreme  Court 

Roadmaster  V.  &  T.  R.  R 

IVivate  Sec.  of  (iov.,  &  Atfy . . 

County  Clerk,  geu'l  insurance. 

Photographer 

Contractor 

General  merchandise 

Purchasing  and  supply  agent. . 

Wholesale  4  retail  grocer 

Millwright 

Superintendent  Mexican  Mill . 

Wood  contractor 

Milling 

Accountant 

Clerk 

Attoruey-at-law  and  At'y  Gen. 


Pennsylvania  . . . 

Ohio 

Washington  D  C. 
Pennsylvania  .  .  . 

Maine 

Alabama 

Illinois 

Vermont 

Germany 

Xew  York 

Ohio 

Bosttm,  Mass.  .  , 
Vermont 


1868 
1S60 


■Wisconsin. 
I  Vermont. . , 


New  York 

Illinois 

Ohio 

Can.tda 

New  Hampshire . 

Maine 

Maryland 

New  York 


General  farming 

Publisher  Cnivon  Times 

Publisher  of  the  Tribune.  .    . . . 

Printer 

State  Supt.  I'ubliu  Instruct. . 
Proprietors  Orm.sby  House  . .  . 

Hotel  keeping 

Hotel  keeping 

Lumber  and  wood 

Physician  and  surgeon    

Lawyer 

Proprietor  Hot  Springs 

Carriage  &  wagon  manufactu'r. 

Accountant 

Druggist 

Clergyman 

Farmer  and  stock  grower 

Banker  4  hotel  proprietor. . . . 

Dealer  in  wood 

Physician  and  surgeon 

.Millwright 

Register  U.  S.  laud  office  .... 

(ieneral  farming 

Receiver  U.  S.  land  office  . . . 

County  Treasurer 

Carriage  manufct,  blacksmith 


Massachusetts  . . 

New  York 

California 

Vermont 

South  Carolina.. 


Massachusetts  .  . 

Maine 

Maine 

New  Brunswick. 

Ohio 

New  ^'ork 

Virginia 

Pennsylvania.  . 
Maine 


1857 
1871 
1861 
1860 
1872 
1861 
1870 
1863 
1872 
1869 
1874 
1872 
1859 
1868 
1874 
1S61 
1863 
1867 
1870 
1863 
1864 
1873 
1863 


1857 
1873 
1862 
1864 
1870 


Connecticut. 
.Switzerland. . 

Baden 

Virginia..  . . 

Illinois 

New  York.. 

Virginia 

New  York . . 
Kentucky.  . 
I  Maine 


1879 
1859 
1863 
1877 
1859 
1863 
1860 
1859 
1869 
1869 
1859 
1862 
1868 
1870 
1863 
1863 
1859 
1859 
1863 
1876 


1861 


1877 
1880 


Carson  City . . 

1860    Empire.    . .  .  . 

Caisou  City. . 

iCarson  City.  . 

jCarson  City . . 

iCarsou  City . . 

ICarson  City.  . 

Carson  City. . 

Empire 

Carson  City . . 

Carson  City . 

Carson  City . . 

Carson  City . . 
1874  Carson  City.  . 
1872   Carson  City.. 

Carson  City. . 

Empire 

Carson  City .  . 

!Car30u  City. . 

1870   Empire 

Empire 

1870   Carson  City. 

1863  Carson  City.. 

1864  Carson  City. . 
1876  iCarson  City . . 

'Carson  City . . 

Carson  City .  . 

ICarson  City.  . 

Carson  City. . 

Carson  City. . 

Carson  City. . 
1870   Carson  City. 
.    ...  Carson  City. . 
1879    Carson  City. 


1861 


1875 


1864 


1859 
1863 
1877 
1859 


1860 
1875 


1871 


Carson  City. 

Carson  City . 

Carson  City . . 

Carson  City .  . 

Carson  City . . 

C.irson  City. . 

Carson  City . . 

Carson  City.  . 

Carson  City. . 

Carson  City . . 

Carson  City. . 

Empire 

Carson  City .  . 

1870   Empire 

. .    .  .!Carson  City. 

Carson  City . 

Carson  City . 

....    Carson  City . 
Carson  City. 


40 

400 


400 


100 


80 


STOREY  COUNTY 


KAME. 


Came  to 
SUte. 


Came  toi 
County  : 


rOST-OPFICB. 


No. 
Acres. 


Abbott,  Ira 

Adkinsim,  D,  O 

Ahl  Chas.  L 

Aude,  Francis  L .  . . . 

B.iilcy,  W.  S 

Ballard,  1.  C 

Bass,  A.  J 

Boyle,  E.   D 

Breed,  R,  J 

Brennaii,  Wui.  M. . . 

Brown,  John  K 

Buckniinster,  P.  S  . . 
Buckner  Thomas. . . . 

Carrick,  B.  H 

Chronicle,  Va.  h'v'y. . 

Cole,  A.  M 

Cole,  W.  G 

Coun,  F.  M 

Coyne,  W 

Crampton,  H.  J.  .    . 
Craven,  Alfred 


Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City . 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City . 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City . 
Virginia  City. 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 


Amlagamator 

Postmaster 

Home  4  Phoenix  Inst.  Agent. . 

I^awyer   

Stock  raiser 

'Engineer 

Butcher 

Supt.  Alta,  Wash'on,  Benton  M 

A\'ood  and  Coal 

County  Recorder  and  Aud't. .  . 

Attorney  at  law 

Supt.  Savage  Mine 


County  Treasurer. 


New  York 

)In<liana 

iNew  York 

[Kentucky 

New  York 

Tennessee 

Missouri. ...... 

j  Ireland 

New  York 

'Maine 

tNew  York 

I  New   Hampshire. 

Kentucky 

Maine 


Apothecary 

Engineering 

Physician  and  surgeon 

Aid.  &  Foreman  ;.t  Lonkey  4  S. 

.Soap  nianufacti  rer 

Surveyor 


New  York .... 
London,  England 

Ohio 

.Missouri 

New  York. . . . 
New  Jersey. . . 


1862 
1863 
1860 
1862 
1860 
1862 
1873 
1863 
1861 
1867 
1876 
1864 
1867 
1860 


1861 
1864 
1862 
1873 
1864 
1875 


1866 
1863 
1864 


1860 
1862 
1873 
1863 
1861 
1867 


1864 
1867 
1873 


1861 
1864 
1862 
1873 
1866 
1876 


Virginia  City. 
\'irgiuia  City. 
V'irgmia  City. 
Virginia  Ciiy. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City  . 

i;old  Hdl 

Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 


PATRONS  DIRECTORY. 


675 


STOREY     COUNTY-Continued. 


Crosby,  1) 

Dale,  Mrs.  M 

DeiJesheiiuer,  Philipp. 

Deal  AV.  E.  F 

Derby,  C 

Dcy,  H.V 

Dicksou,  \V,  H 

Dunne,  P.  J 

Keklcy,  J.  W 

Kgan,  J.   F . 

Eugeis,  F.  H 

Enterprise  Pub.  Co .    . 

Follett,  M.  V 

Forman,  Chas 

Fox,  L.  T 

Eraser,  Andrew 

Garhart,  \Vm   

Graham,  .J.  H 

Grant,  .lolin 

Hancock,  \Vm.  H. . . . 

Harris,  E.  B 

Harris,  J.  H 

Hickok,  Wm.   B 

Hill,  Chris 

Hill,  Wm.  H 

HiUyer,  C.J 

Humbert,  P.  A 

James,  I.  £ 

Kaueen,  John  S 

Kirkpatrick,  M 

Ku.ipp,  I'iiilo 

Lewis,  Jas.  E , 

Lindsay,  P.  H 

Loukey,  Oliver 

Loomis,  H.  B 

Lowell,  W.  H 

Lyman,  D.  B 

Lynch,  Michael 

Mahanny,  J.  A 

Mallou,  J.  B 

Manoguc,  Rev.  P. .  .  . 

Martin,  E.  A 

Marye,  Geo.  T 

McAllister,  James. . . 

McCoue,  Ale.\.  J . . . . 

McDonald,  J.  E 

McKenzie,  A.  G . . .  . 

Mitchell.  K.  B 

Mooiiey,  .S.   \ 

Muoney,  Wm 

Moses,  Thos 

Moulton,  L  F 

Newland,  J.  S 

Nichol,  F.  D 

Nye,  E 

Otey,  E.  K 

Otcy,  Mercer 

Packer,  F.  H 

Patton,  Wm.  H 

Peasley,  Andrew. . .  . 

Penoyer,  H.  H 

Pijjer,  Henry 

Piper,  John 

Ke<ina,  Isaac  L 

IJickctts,  A.  H 

liising,  Kichard 

liolfe,  Henry 

Kooney,  T.  H 

Schotetield,  C 

Shannon,  P.  E 

Shaw,  H.  G 

Smith,  E.  II 

Smith,   J.  C 

Smith,  W.  H 

Stephens, 

Stone,  M.N 

Stonehill,  E.  B 

Strouse,  Mark 

■Sulliv.in,  U.  O 

Taylor,  .).  .Minor 

Taylor,  K.  H 


imiDENCX. 


Virginia  City . . 
Viruinia  City.  . 
Virginia  City  . . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City . . 
V'irginia  City. . 
Gold  Hill..... 
Virginia  City .  . 
Virginia  City  . 
Virginia  City  . 
Virginia  City  . 
Virginia  City . . 
Virginia  City . . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City . . 
Virginia  City.  . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City . . 
Virginia  City  . 
Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City.  . 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City. 

Virginia  City . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City. 

Virgania  City. 

Virginia  City. 

Virginia  City. 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

V'irginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

V'irginia  City. 

Virginia  City  . 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  Citv. 

Gold  Hill...'.. 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 

Virginia  City  . 


Wood  and  coal 

Arlington  House 

Mining  implements... 

Lawyer 

Livery  and  ranching. .  . 

Mining 

Lawyer 

County  Assessor 

Manager  of  Cal.  Bank . 
Supt.  Andes  Mine.  .  . . 
Physician  and  surgeon. 
Daily  Eiiterprinf 


Came  to  Came  to 
8Ute.    County 


POOTOlTICB. 


No. 
Acres. 


New  York 

Indiana 

( lerniany 

Maryland     

New  York 

New  York...  .. 
New  Brunswick. 
Pennsylvania. 

(ieorgia 

Ireland 

Gei-mnny 


Mining  Superintendent. 


Fouudryman . 
Livery 


Taylor,  Thos.  G Gold  Hill 


Physician 

Butcher 

Physician  and  surgeon 

Lawyer     

Insurance 

Butchering 

Insurance 

Attorney-atlaw 

Mining  engineer 

.Supt.  .Sierra  Nevada  Mine  . 

(ias  engineer 

Lawyer . . 

Soda  works,  li(|Uor  and  ice. 

Attorney  at  law 

Lawyer 

Lumber 

Local  Ed.  Gold  Hill  News. . . 
Sec.  I'acilic  Mill  &  Mining  Co. 
Gen.  Supt.  Pacific  .Mill  Co. . 

Mining 

Tax  Collector 

(Jroceries,  wines  and  liquors  . . 

Bishop 

Assayer 

Banker  and  broke- 

Machinist 

Foundry 

County  Clerk 

Supt.  Utah  Mine 

Attorney  at  law 

Act.  Hale&  NorcrossS.  M.  Co. 

Livery  and  sale  stable 

Justice  of  the  I'eacc 

Cashier  Nevada  Bank 

Dentist 

Deputy  County  Hecorder 

Butcher  and  County  Com 

Sec.  Sierra  Nev.-ula  Mine 

Sec.  Yellow  Jacket  Mine 

Physician  ami  surgeon 

.Mining  &  meclianical  engineer. 

Hardware 

Supt.  B.  4  B  and  G.  4  C.  M. 

.Saloon 

Piper's  Opera  House 

Mining  .Snpcrinlendent 

Notary  Pulilic  and  Com 

District  .Inilge 

Deputy  County  Clerk 

Supt.  Union  Shaft 

.Supt.  Fultiin  Foundry 

Notary  Public 

Editor  Kiilciyrv'i' 

Lumtier 

Bla<-k8niith 

Supt.  Belcher  Mine 

Lawyer 

Attorney-atlaw 

Attorney  at-law 

Butcher  and  Virginia  Ico  Co. . 

Minister 

Accountant 

Lawyer 

Miner 


America 

New  York 

Virginia 

Canada 

Pennsylvania  .  . 
Pennsylvania  . . . 
Ontiirio,  Canada. 

New  York 

New  York 

New  Y'ork 

New  York 

Germany 

Canada 

Ohio 

New  York  City. 

Ohio •. 

New  York .... 
Kentucky .... 

Maine 

Wales 

Ireland 

Canada 

New  York.  . . . 

Maine 

Vermont 

Ireland 

.M.Tssachusetts 

[Ireland 

Ireland 

lOngland 

Virginia 

Ireland 

California 

Canada 

Scotland 

Maryland .... 
New  York. .  .  . 
Ireland 


18IH 
186:i 
1800 
1SG3 
18ti:i 
18U0 
1873 
1874 
18Uy 
181)0 
1872 


1871 


Connecticut 

Boston,  Mass  . .  . 

Ohio 

New  Orleans,  La 
Pennsylvania  .    . 

Virginia 

Tennessee 

Vermont 

New  Jersey 

New  Y'ork 

New  Y'ork 

Germany 

(Jerinany 

New  York , 

British  Guiana. . 
Pennsylvania .  . . 

Maine 

New  Y'ork 

ICngUnd 

New  Jersey. . . . 


Maine 

New  York . 
Canada.  .  . 
Now  Y'ork . 
Kentucky . 
Prussia  . . . 
Gennany. . 
Ireland... 
New  York. 
New  York. 
New  York. 


1862 

18G3 

I860 

1875 

1876 

1866 

1880 

1867 

1860 

1874 

1863 

1863 

1876 

1860 

1863 

1861 

1863 

1862 

1 86'.) 

1855 

1872 

1863 

1862 

1860 

1859 

1861 

1862 

1872 

1861) 

I8W 

1863 

1863 

1863 

1870 

1803 

1800 

1873 

1880 

1875 

1804 

1802 

1880 

1878 

1874 

1804 

1800 

1805 

1860 

1800 

1801 

1873 

1801 

1872 

1805 

1874 

1861 

1867 
1862 
1857 
1807 
1808 
185l» 
1803 
1877 
1874 
1803 
1862 


1874 

isoo 

1872 


1800 
1874 
1805 
1803 
1876 
1860 
1803 

i863 
1873 


1864  [Virginia  City. . 
1803  'Virginia  City . . 
1800  ;Virginia  City .  . 
1803  Virginia  City. 
1803  Virginia  City .  . 
1800    Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. 

Virginia  City. . 

Virginia  City. . 

1871  Virginia  City . . 
Virginia  City 

1802  Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City. . 

1863    Virginia  City., 

1875  Virginia  City . . 

1876  Virginia  City . . 
1806  Virginia  City . . 
1880    Virginia  City.. 

Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City 
V  irgiuia  City . . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City. . 
Virginia  City . 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 

1872  Virginia  City. 
1874     Virginia  City. 

1803  Virginia  City. 
1802  Virginia  City. 
1800  Virginia  City. 
1872    Virginia  City. 

1861  Virginia  City. 
1802  Virginia  City. 
1872  Virginia  City. 
180y     Virginia  City. 

1804  Virginia  City. 
1872    Virginia  City. 

Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 

Gold  Hill 

Virginia  City. 
Viiginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Viiginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City, 
j Virginia  City. 
I  Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  Cit^' . 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
V'irginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
V'irginia  City. 
I  Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 

1862  Gold  Hill 


1803 
1870 
1863 
1800 

i8s6 

1877 
1864 
1862 
1880 
1878 
1874 
1804 
1800 
1805 
1800 
180O 
1861 


1872 
1873 
1874 


I80>J 
1862 
1857 

i808' 

18o"J 

1803 

1874 


:«°>o 


676 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


STOREY  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAME. 


Came  to  Came  to 
State.    Ci'untv 


TOST-oracK. 


No. 
Acre?. 


Thompson,  H.  C Virginia  City 


Tritle,'  F.  A Virginia  City 

Tudsbury,  J.  B Virginia  City 

Wallace,  B.  F Virginia  City 

Whitaker,  ().  W Virginia  City 

Whitman,  B.  C Virginia  City 

Wilkin,  .Stephen Virginia  City  . 

WilIi.inison,  Chas. . .  .  Virginia  City  . 
Woodburn,  William  Virginia  City  . 
Ziegler,  Charles I  Virginia  City  . 


aerk . . 
Broker. 


Butcher jlmliaiia 


niinois :   1864 

Pennsylvania  . . . 


City  Clerk 

Rector  and  Bishop. 
Attorney  at  law. . . 
County  Becorder . 


Michigan 

Massachusetts. .  . 
Mt'issachusetts. . . 
Ohio 


Sheriff Scotland  

Attorney  at  law Ireland i   1863 

Butcher iGermany 


Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City . 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
Virginia  City. 
[Virginia  City. 


WASHOE   COUNTY. 


NAME. 


Came  to. Came  to 
State.    Countv. 

I 


POST-OmCE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Truckee  Meadows 

Reno 

Reno 

Reno 

Reno 

Truckee  Meadows. 
Reno 


Alt,  George 

Ball,  I.  H 

Bauta,  A 

Barker,  D.  H 

Barnes,  A.  H 

Beck,  H.  H 

Bender,  C.  T 

Blasdell,  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Boardman,  W.  M . . 

Bowman,  .Tohn jReno 

Boyd,  D.  B iReno 

Brown,  Mrs.  E Brown's  Ranch.  . . 

Cain,  William Reno 

Clark,  A.  J Reno 

Comstock,  P.  B Reno 

Crane,  Ervin Steamboat  Valley. 

Crockett,  L.  L Reno 

Dawson,  A Reno 

Donahue,  James |  Washoe  Valley . .  . 

Donahlson,  William. .  I  Wadsworth 

Elder,  David,  S i  Wadsworth    

Everett,  J.  K iReno 

Everett,  W.  F Huffakers . .    

Fish,  H.  L Keno 

Fowler,   Eilwin I  Wadsworth 

Frey,  Joseph Washoe  Valley. . . 

Fulton,  R.   L 'Reno 

Ganimans,  1{.  S 'Pleasant  Valley  .  . 

Gladding,   A.  L Wadsworth. . 


Glendale | Fanner  and  stock  raiser. 

Pleasant  Valley. . . .  iFarmer 


Hagerman,  J.  C 

Haller,  Christ 

Hammond  &  Wilson 

Harcourt,  J.  H 

Harden,  W.  D iHarden  Ranch 


Fanner 

Civil  Engineer 

Golden  Eatrlc  Hotel 

Milling,  Lake  Mills 

Cashier  First  National  Bank. . 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser 

Attorney  at  law 

District  Attorney 

County  Treasurer 

Farmer 

Attorney  at  law 

Merchant  and  ranching 

Livery  

Ranching 

State  Treasurer 

Physician  &  Supt.  of  Schools. . 

Farmer 

Proprietor  Nevada  House 

Farmer 

Merchandise 

County  Assessor  &  bl'ksm'th'g. 
Bookkee]K.r  &  Notary  Public. . 
Postmaster,  Agent  W.  F.  &Co. 

Fanner  ami  butcher 

Editor  Reno  Kienhin  Oazetle.. 

.  .iFarmer  and  stock  raiser 

'Blacksmith  and  wagon  maker 


Keno Wholesale  and  retail  merchant. 

Reno Butchering 


lie  no 
Howard's  Ranch 

Hu  (Takers 

Reno 

Keno 

Keno 


iPcnnsylvaniii . .  . 

iVirginia 

New  York 

New  York 

Vermont 

Ohio 

America 

New  York 

New  York 

Tennessee 

Pennsylvania .    . 

Indiana 

Germany 

Vermont 

Connecticut 

Vermont 

Maine 

New  York 

Canada 

New  Y'ork 

(Massachusetts. . . 

Illinois 

Illinois 

Massachusetts. . . 

Vermont 

France 

Ohio 

[Maine 

>few  York   

Virginia 

Germany 


Hatch,   Andrew  J  . 
Howard,  Mrs.  M.  J 
Hnffaker.G.  W.... 
.Jamison,  .S.  M. .    . . 

Knox,  W.  L 

Lake,  M.  C 

Lamb,  A.  M 

Ijce,  C.  A Franktown 

Lee,  L.  W IKcno 

Lewcrs,  Ross jWaahoc  Valley 

Lindley,  A Reno 

Lisle,  \V.  F.  P iHuftakcrs 

Lodge,  D.  H I  Wa!.hoe  \"alley 

LongUy,  A.  A Truckee  Meadows. . 

May  Maurice j Franktown    

McFarlin,  J.  L Reno 

Mcl'herson,  Wm Wadsworth 

McTaggart,  Robert..     Truckee  Meadows.. 
Moeller  &  Schoenman  .  -Steamboat  Springs.  . 

Morton,  W.   W Truckee  Meadows. . 

Myers,  .lohn  V Reno 

Osburn,   R.  S Reno 

Owens,  Elian I  Franktown 

Parish,  Mark    'Reno 

Paxtoii,  Curtis  &  Co. .j Reno 

Pcckham,  Geo.  E.  ...Traekee  Meadows.. 

Perkins,  Mrs.  R.  VV..j Washoe  Valley 

I'ine,  J.  N iTnickee  Meailows.  . 

Pollock,  James iTruckee  Meadows. .  Farmer 

Powell,  D Truckee  Meailows. .  jCarpenter  and  ranching 

Powning,  C.  C Reno Ed.  &  P.  Nevada  State  Journal. 


Keno Livery 

Franktown J.  P.,  R.  R.  Agt.,  W.  F.  &  Co.  Illinois 

Farmer Ohio .■  •  •  ■ 

Surveyor  General  &  Engineer..  Pennsylvania.  .  . 

Ranching Michigan 

Kauching Kentucky 

Postmaster Pennsylvania  . .  . 

Attorney  at  law Maine 

Lake  Mills  and  real  estate :  N'ew  York 

Huffakers Farmer Wisconsin 

Merchanilising  and  butchering.  Michigan 

.Stock  corral  and  ft>ed  -table.  .  .New  York 

Fanning  and  horticulture I reland 

.Merchandise Illinois 

Farmer Illinois 

Farmer  an<l  stock  raiser Ohio 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser Kentucky 

Deputy  Sheriff. Canada 

Wagon,  carriage  fact.,  gen.  job,  Ohio 

Master  car  repairer Scotlniul 

Fanner  and  stock  raiser .Massachusiitts. . . 


l«5t» 
186-1 
1873 
18p9 
1870 
1860 
1868 
1861 
1S65 
1860 
1861 
1862 
1871 
1862 
1861 
1860 
1860 
1873 
1872 
1862 
1861 
1872 
1860 
1862 
1862 
1834 
1874 
1860 
1862 
1868 
1863 


I'rop  Steamboat  .Springs  Hotel 
Farmer  and  stock  raiser .... 

Druggist 

Druggist  and  County  Clerk  . 

Farmer 

County  Clerk 

Banking 

Fanner 

Farmer 

Farmer 


Indiana 

Uiuisiana 

Pennsylvania . 

Kentucky 

Vermunt 


Massachusettfi.. 

Indiana 

i  Vermont 

{Canada 

New  York 
1  Wisconsin 


1871 
1863 
1860 
1862 
185!) 
1868 
1864 
1861 
1863 
1863 
1800 
1860 
1880 
1863 
I860 
1861 
186J 
1860 
1868 
1879 


ISGl 
185<J 
1866 
1860 
1872 


185SI 
1864 
1873 
1870 
1870 
1860 
1868 
1861 
181)5 
1861 
1864 
1862 
1871 
1862 
1868 
1860 
1876 
1873 
1872 
1862 
1862 
1873 
1862 
1862 
1864 
1854 
1878 
ISliO 
1870 
1868 
1863 


1872 
1865 

i.s62 
18511 
1868 
1865 
IS6I 
bsiiS 
1S63 
1865 
KSiiO 
1,S80 
1863 
1860 
1861 
1 865 
1872 
1868 
1870 


1864 
185!) 
1868 
1870 
1862 
1868 


1862 
186!l 
1874 
1860 
1872 


1864 
1859 
1868 
1 870 
l8tU 
1868 


IReno 

Washoe  City . . 

Rene 

j  Reno 

Reno 

JReno 

' Reno 

j  Keno 

I  Reno 

I Keno 

Reno 

Reno 

jReno 

I  Reno 

Reno 

Reno 

Reno 

Keno 

Franktown. .  . . 
Wadsworth. .  . . 
Wadsworth   ... 

Reno 

Reno 

Keno 

Wadsworth . . . 
Franktown  .... 

Reno 

.Steamb't  Spr'gs. 
Wadsworth .... 

Reno 

Reno 

I  Reno 

Franktown.  .  .  . 
Steamb't  .Spr'gs. 
Carson  &  Reno. 

Keno 

Keno 

Keno 

Reno 

Keno 

lieno 

Franktown.    .  .  . 

Reno ' 

Franktown  .... 

Reno 

Keno 1 

Franktown  .... 

Keno 

Frank t4>wn  .  .  . ., 

Reno I 

Wadsworth .  .    .  | 

Reno j 

Steamboat  Sp'gs 

Reno. .    

Reno 

Reno I 

Franktown  .  .  .  .  | 

Reno 

iReno 

|Keno I 

Franktown  .... 

Reno 

I Keno 

Keno 

Reno ' 


258 
160 
520 


240 


600 


220 


160 


700 


677 


100 


900 
600 


1,400 
320 


800 


120 
275 
570 


320 
5<)b 


120 


ISO 
580 


500 


PATRONS  DIRECTORY. 


677 


WASHOE  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAME. 


I 


iCamc  to  Came  to 
StAte.  JCounly. 


posT-orKies. 


No. 
Acres. 


Rankin,  (!cn.  A. . . . 

Happ,  .lulin 

Remington,  \V.  T.  . 
Reno  Reform  Club. 

Sauer,  A 

Schaefer,  G 

Schooling,  Jerry . .  . 

Scott,  J.  A 

Sellers,  J.  S 

Smith,  (Jcorge 

Smith,  (J.  S 

Sullivan,  J.-imc9. . . . 
Thomas,  Caroline. . 

Thomes,  W.  M 

Towl,  E.  B 

Twaddel,  Ale.\au(ler 
Twaddel,  Klienezer. 

Varian,  C.  S 

Walker,  W.  A 

Webster,  William. . 
Wlii.sler,  Henry,. .  . 

Williams,  J.  B 

Wilson,  Jno 

Wilson,  i;.  W.  J... 


Reno 

Steamboat  Springs 

Reno 

Keno I 

Washoe  Valley . 

Reno 

iReno 

I Ueno 

Truckce  Meadows . . ' 
Pleasant  Vallcv.. 
Pleasant  Valky . . 
Truckee  Meatlows 
Truckce  Meadowf 

Reno 

Franktown 

Wasliou  \'alley . . . 

Franktown 

Reno 

Reno 

Reno 

Glendale 

Reno 

Reno 

Truckee  Meadows 


Attorncy-at-law 

Prop.  .Steamboat  .Springs  Hotel. 
Horseshocrandblacksmithing. 

Temperance  Organization 

Farmer 

Butchcrinj; 

Merchandising 

Mining 

Farmer 

Ranching  and  stock  raising. . . 

Farmer 

Farmer 


I  Iowa 

Germany  .  . 
New  York. 


Farming 

Teamster 

Merchant 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

Farmer 

Lawyer 

Sheriff 

Attorney-at-law 

Farmer  and  stock  raiser. 

County  Recorder 

Livery 

Farming  ami  ice 


Germany 

Germany 

Missouri 

Xew  York 

Pennsylvania  . .  . 

England 

England 

Ireland 

England 

Maine 

Canada  West .  . . 
Salt  Lake  City  .  . 

.Scotland 

Ohio 

Virginia 

Scotland 

Indiana 

New  York  City, 

Ohio 

Canada 


1878 
ISliS 

187!) 
18r>!l 
1S70 
1SG2 

KS7:? 

\SM 
1857 
18.^8 
18U3 
1870 
18()7 
1855 
1858 
ISIJO 
18{>7 
1871 
1803 
1802 
18GS 
18(>I 
1868 


1 878 
ls7.'. 
1S78 
1879 
1800 
1870 
18G2 
1S7:» 
18(>4 
1857 
1858 
1804 
1870 
18ti7 
18G0 
18t)0 
18i;0 
1 870 
1871 

i8o:< 
Ksoa 

1808 
1801 
180S 


I  Reno ' 

Steamh'tSpr'gs.'        80 

Ken*» 

Heno ' 

Washoe  City. .  .       240 

Heno 

[Heno 

j  Keno 

Reno 87 

Washoe  City .. .       800 
1  Washoe  City ..  .        160 

Reno 240 

Reno 240 

Reno 

Franktown ....  5 

Franktown ....       320 
Franktown.  .  .  .       500 

Keno 

Keno 

Keno 

Reno 

Reno ' 

Reno 

Reno 100 


WHITE  PINE  COUNTY. 


iCame  tojCamc  to 
State.    County  I 


l-OST-OI^CE. 


No. 
Acres. 


Barrick,  A.  F 

Bates,  Mrs.  0 

Beene,  Horace  D. . 
Bibliens,  (J.  R.  A. 

Blair  (Jeo.  G 

Blethen,  J.  H 

Booth,  J.N 

Bourgeois,  Louis.. 

Briggs,  Kobt 

Burbank,  Geo.  B. . 

Bush,  H 

Campbell,  J.  C.  .. . 
Cannon,  P.  H. . . . 
Cleveland,  A.  C... 
Collins  Daniel  R.. 
Comiiis,  H.  A  . . .  . 
Condon,  .John  A. . 

Coulter,  G 

Cowley,  K.  .1.,  .Ir. 

Curtis,  John 

Dinsler,  N 

Doscher,  A .  H . . . . 
Drake,  Frank .... 

Drake,  Oliver 

Drake,  W.  B 

Fjistwood,  A  B. . . 
Fillmore,  W.  H... 
Forrest,  W.  R.... 
Forrest  4  Davis. . . 

Frank, R 

Garahan,   M.  B. . . 

Grey,  OH   

Grey,  W.S 

Griswold,  F.  W.. 
Hamilton,  (ieo.  C. 

Harris,  Evan 

Hauck,  Louis  A.  . 
Haynes,  W.  .1  . .  .  . 

Herrick,  H.   S 

Hilp,  V.  F...    ... 

llixsim,  J.   W. . . . 

Karbstein,  Chas. . . 
Kennedy,  Geo. . . . 

Kcoch,  P 

Lander,  Jos 

Lawkr,  W.B.... 

Liddle,  Jas 

Liddlc,   Samuel. . . 

Lyon,  H.  K 

Marty.  J.J 


Cherry  Creek . . . 
Cherry  Creek  .  . . 

Ward 

Ward 

Osceola 

Cherry  Creek  . . 
Cherry  Creek. .  . 
Cherry  Creek  .  . . 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek .  .  . 

Hamilton *. 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek .  . 
Spring  Valley.  . . 
Cherry  Creek  .  . . 

Ward 

'War<I 

,  Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek 
Cherry  Creek  .  . . 
Cherry   Creek . .  . 
Cherry  Creek .  . , 

El>erliardt 

Ebcrhardt 

Cherry  Creek  . . . 
Cherry  Creek .  .  . 
Cherry  Creek .  .  . 

Hamilton .    

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek . . . 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek . . . 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek . . . 

Wanl 

El>erliardt 

Ward 

Schellbourne. . . . 

Hamilton 

Ward 

Ward 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek . . . 
<  'berry  Creek  .  . . 

Ward 

Silver  Canon. . . . 

Ward 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek  . . . 
Eberhardt 


Mining 

Lodging  house 

Attoruey-at-law 

Shoemaker 

Miner 

Mining  and  book-keeping. 

Dentist  and  barber 

Butcher 

Mining 

County  Surveyor 

Notary  Public 

Book-keeping 

Mining 

Stock  raising 

Postmaster 

Lumber 

Livery  

Mining 

Livery 

Mining 

Engineer  Star  Mine 


.  jSupt.  Ebcrhardt  &  Aurora  M.Co 
'Mining 


.Harness  shop 

.jMacliiuist 

.iBlacksmith  &  wagon-maker. . . 

.County  Clerk 

.Pub.   W/iit,  Pine A'eicti 

.Merchant 

.  |Mcrchant 

!  Merchant 

•Tusticc  of  the  Peace 

Clerk 

Saloon 

Eng.  El»rhardt  &  Aurora  M.  Co 

Notary  Public 

Supt,  El  Capitan  4  Woo<l8tock. 

Physician  &  Co.  School  Supt. . 

Merchant 

Mining 

Butcher  

Merchant 

Druggist 

Engineer 

Mining 

Stock  raiser  and  butcher 

Supt.  White  Pine  Waterworks. 

Supt.  Hunter  k  Gray  Eagle  M. 

Book-keeper 


Ohio 

Ireland 

Alabama 

New  York 

Pennsylvania  . . . 

New  Y'ork 

Kentucky 

Canada 

Missouri 

Kentucky 

New  York 

Michigan 

Ireland 

Maine 

Vermont 

Maine 

Louisiana 

jOhio 

New  York 

New  Y'ork 

Germany 

Germany 

New  Hampshire. 
New  Hampshire. 

|New  York 

I  New  N'ork 

Wisconsin 

Illinois 


Prussia 

Irela'-d 

New  York .  . . . 
New  Y'ork .  . .  . 
New  Y'ork .  . . . 

England 

Wales   

Germany 

Virginia 

New  York  .  .  . . 

Ohio 

Kentucky  .    . . 

•  iermany 

Ireland 

Cana<la 

Vermont 

New  York . . . . 
New  Y'ork. .. . 
New  Y'ork.  . .  . 
Connecticut.  . 
Khode  Island. 


I80!l 
1801 
1870 
1800 
1868 
1872 
I80!l 
1870 
1808 
1872 
185'J 
1876 
1870 
1863 
1804 
1803 
1872 
180'l 
1804 
1807 
1874 
1800 
1803 
1809 
1803 
1873 
1870 
1873 


1875 
186>t 
1876 
186!) 
1868 
187!) 
ISO!) 
1873 
1872 
1872 
1808 
1870 
1876 
1808 
1808 
1800 
1875 
1809 
1809 
1869 
1874 
1809 
1868 
180!» 
1874 
1873 
1871 
1873 


1869 

1870 

1868 

1 8;  6 

1803 

1809 

1859 

180!) 

1809 

1871 

1808 

1808 

1808 

1868 

1861 

1869 

1856 

1869 

1800 

ISti!l 

1802 

1808 

180!t 

18(i!l 

1869 

180!l 

1809 

180!) 

1869 

1809 

I860 

1 879 

1871 

1871 

1808 

1.S08 

1868 

1868 

1860 

1869 

1875 

1875 

Cherry  Creek. 

Cherry  Creek. . 

Ward 

Ward 

Osceola 

Cherry  Creek. 

Cherry  Creek. . 

Cherry  Creek. . 
|Ward 

Cherry  Creek  . 

Hamilton 

|Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 

Osceola 

Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Ward 

Hamilton 

iCherry  Creek. . 

Cherry  Creek. . 

Cherry  Creek. 

Cherry   Creek. 

Elx^rhanlt  . .  . 
[Ebcrhardt . . . . 
^Cherry  Creek . 
[Cherry  Creek . 
ICherry  Creek . 

I  Hamilton 

'Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Cherry   Creek. 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Elierhardt 

Wanl 

Schellbourne. . 
Jlamilton 

Ward 

Wai-d 

Hamilton   . .  . . 

(  berry  (.'reek.. 

I 'berry  Creek  . 

War.1 

('berry   Creek. 

'Ward 

I  Hamilton 

,( 'herry  Creek. . 
I  Ebcrhardt. .  . . 


3,100 
1,200* 


160 


600 


360 


84 


678 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


WHITE  PINE  COUNTY-Continued. 


NAME. 


RESIVBN'CK. 


Came  to 
State. 


Came  to 
County.- 


rosT-ornoc 


No. 
Acres. 


Mathewson,  .Jas.  T. .  . 
McConkej',  Geo.   P. .  . 

MoDerinid,  K.  A 

McOill,  W.  X 

Mezi/er,  George 

Molitor,  John 

Moon,  I.  C 

Nelson,  John  S 

O'Xeil,  T.  F 

I'arker,  F.  A 

I'arker,  Geo.  F 

Parker,  G.  H 

Perley,  D.  M 

Pliipps,  E.  K 

Pierce,  L.  D 

Reiley,  James 

Jtuacli,  Samuel 

I;<.l)erts,  J.  H 

Jtockhill,  Tbos 

.Scaiilan,   David 

Shearer,  Peter 

Simpson,  I{.  VV 

Smith,  Kdward  S  . . . . 

Smith,  1{.  G 

Spencer,  A.  J 

Stedman,  D.  R 

Steele,  John  A 

Stockle,  G.  F 

Strickland,  D 

Taylor,  G.  H 

Tinison,  Wm 

Townsend,  J.  K 

Treece,  A.  B 

Trimble,  (Jeo.   A 

Tuttoril,  J.  II.,  M.  D. 

Vanderlip,  A.  M 

M'earne,  John 

Vyebb,T.  E 

Weber,  J 

Wliite,  .lesse  I 

Williamson,  J.    B. . . . 

Woodbury,  W 

Woodin,  S.  S 

Wray,  Charles 


Hamilton 

Hamilton 

C'lierry   Creek . 

Ward 

Ward 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek  . 
Cherry  Creek . 
Cave  Valley. . . 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 
Cherry  Creek. 

Hamilton 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 

Hamilton 

Kberhardt  .  .  .  . 
Eberhardt . .  . . 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek  . 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek  . 
Cherry   Creek. 

Hanulton 

Cherry  Creek. 

Hamilton 

Cherry   Creek . 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 

Cherry  Creek. 
Cherry  Creek. 
(/'Iierry  Creek  . 
Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 


Merchant 

Clerk  and  County  Treasurer. 
Capitalist 


.  Surveyor 

.  Brewer 

.  Restaurant 

.  Mason 

.  .Saloon 

.  Livery 

.  Boarding  house 

.  Restaurant 

.  Ranching 

.  Stock  raising 

.  Assayini; 

.  Mail.  Cherry  Creek  Watcr\v"k. 
.Merchant  and  Postmaster.... 

.  iLivery 

.  Supt.  Exchange  Mine 

.'Mining 

.  Amalg.  Eberhardt  &  Aurora  M. 
.  Fireman  Eberhardt  &  Aurora  M 

.  IProp.  .t  Ed.  yVurd  Jii-Jlex 

.'Supt.  Teacup  &  Geneva  M. .  .  . 


Merchant . 
Mining. .  . 


Shoemaker. . 


.  County  Recorder  and  Auditor 
,  Prop.  H.  ct  E.,  H.  &  W.T.  R 

District  Attorney 

Book-keeping 

Physician  and  surgeon 

Merchant 

Cirocery  and  feed  stable 

Merchant 


Deputy  Postmaster. 

Mining 

County  Assessor. .  . 


Jeweler. 


I  New  York 

[Maryland 

'Canada 

jOhio 1 

Germany 

Austria 

Indiaua 

Nova  Scotia.  . .  . 

Wisconsin 

New  York 

Illinois 

Delaware 

New  Brunswick. 
.Massachusetts  .  .' 

New  York 

Ireland 

Ohio 

Wisconsin 

Kentucky 

Massachusetts  .  .' 

Illinois 

Virginia 

England i 

New  York 

Utah 

Connecticnt 

New  York 

Germany 

Maine 

New  York 

New  York ! 

New  Y'ork 

Ohio 

New  York 

New  Y'ork 

Canada I 

Kugland 

New  Y'ork ' 

Germany 

New  Y'ork 

Maine i 

Massachusetts  .  . 
Connecticut.-. . .  . 
London,  Enjiland 


1869 
1871 
1864 
1870 
1862 
1863 
1866 
1864 
1872 
1863 
1877 
I860 
1872 
1873 
1870 
1869 
1869 
1873 
1862 
1868 
1864 
1863 
1863 
1866 
1867 
1863 
1859 
1860 
1863 
1859 
1869 
1866 
1867 
1867 
1876 
1872 
I8G9 
1870 
1874 
1860 
1859 
1869 
1865 
1863 


1869 
1872 
1869 
1873 
1869 
1868 
1868 
1869 
1872 
1866 
1877 
1877 
1S72 
1873 
1870 
1869 
1869 
1873 
1868 
1809 
1868 
1868 
1869 
1868 
1867 
1869 
1865 
1872 
1869 
1868 
1869 
1868 
1868 
1870 
1876 
J  872 
1869 
1870 
1874 
1871 
1868 
1869 
1868 
1869 


„      -,                   I 
Hamilton ' 

Hamilton 

Cherry   Creek .  . ' 

Ward 

Ward 

Hamilton 

Cherry   Creek 

Ward 

Ward 

ICherry  Creek 

I  Cherry  Creek 

Ward 240 

.Ward 320 

Cherry   Creek 

IC'herry  Creek. .        120 

{Hamiltou 

jWard 

iChcrry  Creek. 

[Hamilton 

j  Eberhardt 

Eberhardt 

Ward i 

Cherry  Creek .  .• 

Hamilton 

Cherry   Creek 

Cherry  Creek  . .  i        41 

Hamilton j 

Cherry    t'reek 

Hamilton .... 

Cherrj'  Creek. 

Hamilton .... 

Hamilton    .. . 

Hamilton | 

Cherry    Creek .  . '    

Cherry  Creek .  .   

Cherry  Creek 

Cherry  Creek . .  i 

Ward I      200 

Cherry  Creek . 

Ward 

Cherry  Creek. 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 

Hamilton 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


RRSIPRNCP.. 


'Came  to 

I   State. 


Came  to 
County,  i 


posT-orriCB 


No. 
Acres. 


l>ean,  W.  E San  Francisco. 

Harmon,  A.  K.  P Oakland 

Sntro,  Adolph San  Francisco. 


Mining New  Y'ork 1860  J   1860 

Mining Maine 1849  '     1849 

Retired Prussia |   1850  |l   1850 


San  Francisco . .  . 

Oakland i . 

."<an  Francisco. ., . 


ADDITIONS  AND  ALTERATIONS. 


679 


ADDITIONS     AND     ALTERATIONS. 


UNITED   STATES   SKNATORS. 

William  M.  Stewart  and  James  AV.  Nye,  elected 
1865.  Nye  re-elected  18(57.  Stewart  re-elocted  1 869. 
John  P.  Jones,  elected  1873;  William  Sharon,  elected 
1875.  Jones  re-elected  1879.  James  G.  Fair,  elected 
1881. 

DELEGATES   AND    KEPRESENTATIVES    IN    CONGRESS. 

John  n.  Cradlebaugh,  elected  delegate  August  31, 
1861;  (iordon  N.  Mott,  elected  delegate  September 
2,  1863;  Henry  G.  Worthington,  elected  November  8, 
1864;  Delos  IJ.  Ashley,  elected  November  7,  1875,  re- 
elected November  6,  186C.  Thomas  Fitch,  elected 
November  3,  18(>S;  Charles  W.  Jvendall,  elected 
November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  5,  1872; 
William  Woodburn,  elected  November  3,  1874; 
Thomas  Wren,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Kollin  M. 
Daggett,  elected  November  5,  1881;  George  W.  Cas- 
sidy,  elected  November  2,  1880. 

GOVERNORS. 

James  W.  Nye,  of  New  York,  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  March  22,  1861;  Ilenrj'  G.  Blasdel, 
elected  November  8,  1864,  re-elected  November  6, 
1866;  Luther  R.  Bradley,  elected  November  8,  1870, 
re-elected  November  3,  1874;  John  II.  Kinkead, 
elected  November  5,  1878. 

LIEUTENANT    GOVERNORS. 

John  S.  Crosman,  elected  November  8, 1864;  James 
S.  Slingerland,  elected  November  6,  1866;  Frank 
Denver,  elected  November  8,  1870;  Jewett  W. 
Adams,  elected  November  3,  1874,  and  re-elected 
November  5,  1878. 

SECRETARVS    OF    STATE. 

.  /  Orion  Clemens,  appointed  by  the  President  March 
27,  1861;  Chauncey  N.  Noteware,  elected  November 
8,  1864,  re-elected  November  6,  lS(i6;  James  D.  Minor, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874;  Jasper  Babcock,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

STATE  CONTROLLERS. 

A.  W.  Nightingill,  elected  November  8,  1864;  W. 
K.  Parkinson,  elected  November  (i,  1866.  Parkinson 
died,  and  Lewis  Doran  was  appointed,  1870.  W.  W. 
Hobart,  elected  November  8, 1870,  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 3,  1874;  J.  F.  Ilallock,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

TREAStlUERS. 

John  11.  Kinkead,  appointed  by  Governor  Nye, 
February  1,  1862;  E.  Rhoades,  elected  November  8, 
1864,  re-elected  November  6,  1866;  Jerry  Schooling, 
elected  November  8,  1870,  re-elected  November  3, 
1874;  Lyman  L.  Ci'ockett,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

JUSTICES  OF   THE   .SUPREME   COURT. 

George  Turner,  Chief  Justice,  Horatio  N.  Jones 
and  Gordon  N.  Mott,  appointed  by  the  President 
March   27,  1861.     Mott   resigned   September,    1863, 


and  J.  W.  North  was  appointed  in  his  place,  October 
2,  1863;  Jones  resigned  in  1864,  and  Powhatan  B. 
Locke  was  appointed  in  his  jilaco.  James  F.  Lewis, 
H.  O.  Beatt}-  and  Cornelius  M.  Brosnan,  were  elected 
November  8, 1864;  James  F.  Lewis  re-elected  Novem- 
ber 6,  1866;  Brosnan  died  April  21,  1867,  and  J. 
Neely  Johnson  was  appointed  by  the  Governor; 
B.  C.  Whitman,  elected  November  3,  1858;  John 
Garber,  elected  November  8,  1870.  Garber  resigned 
November,  1872,  and  Charles  fl.  Belknap  appointed 
bj'  Governor  Bradley;  Thomas  P.  Ilawley,  elected 
November  5,  1872;  William  II.  ISeatty  and  Warner 
Earll,  elected  November  3,  1874;  O.  R.  Leonard, 
elected  November  7,  1876;  Thomas  P.  Ilawley, 
re-elected  November  5,  1878;  C.  II.  Belknap,  elected 
November  2,  1880.  James  F.  Lewis  was  Chief 
Justice  from  the  organization  of  the  Supreme  Court 
until  January  1,  1867;  H.  O.  Beatty  was  Chief 
Justice  from  Januarj',  1857,  until  he  resigned  Novem- 
ber 9,  1868;  James  F.  Lewis  was  again  Chief  Ju.stice 
until  January  1,  1873;  B.  C.  Whitman  was  Chief 
Justice  from  Jainiarj-  1,  1873,  until  January  1,  1875; 
Thomas  P.  Ilawley  was  Chief  Justice  from  January 
1,  1875,  until  January  1,  1879;  William  II.  Beatty 
was  Chief  Justice  from  Januarj-  1,  1879,  until  Jan- 
uary 1,  1881;  O.  R.  Leonard  is  Chief  Justice,  since 
January  1,  1881. 

ATTONETS    GENERAL. 

Benjamin  J5.  Bunker,  appointed  by  the  President, 
March  27,  1861.  Bunker  resigned  and  J.  W.  North 
was  appointed  in  his  place.  North  was  made  Asso- 
ciate Justice  and  Theodore  D.  Edwards  was  appoint- 
ed August  31,  1863.  (Jeorgo  A.  Nourse  was  elected 
November  8,  1864;  Robert  M.  Clarke,  elected  No- 
vember 6,  1866;  Luther  A.  Bucknor,  elected  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870;  John  R.  Kittrell,  elected  November  3, 
1874;  Michael  A.  Murphy,  elected  Novembers,  1878. 

CLERKS  OK  THE  SUPREME  COURT. 

J.  McC.  Roardon,  appointed  1862;  Alfred  Helm, 
appointed  1863,  elected  November  8,  lS(i4,  re-elected 
November  6,  1866,  and  November  8.  1870;  Charles 
F.  Bicknell,  elected    November   3,    1674,    re-elected 

November  5.  1878. 

SURVEYORS    GENERAL. 

Seneca  II.  Marlette,  elected  November  8,  1864; 
John  Day,  elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected  No- 
vember 8,  1870,  and  November  3,  1874;  Andrew  J. 
Hatch,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

SUPERINTENDENTS   OF   PUHLIC    INSTRUCTION. 

W.  G.  Blakley,  appointed  by  Governor  Nye,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1862;  A.  F.  White,  appointed  December 
24,  1863,  elected  November  8,  1864;  A.  N.  Fisher, 
elected  November  6,  1866,  re-elected  November  8, 
1870;  S.  P.  Kollj',  elected  November  3,  1874;  D.  E. 
Sessions,  olocted  November  5,  1878. 


680 


HISTORY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEVADA. 


STATE    PKINTERS. 

John  Church,  18G4;  Joseph  E.  Eckley,  1866;  H.  E. 
Mighels,  1868;  Charles  L.  Perkins,  1870;  C.  A.  V 
Putman,  1872;  S.  J.  IlilK  1874,  1876  and  1878;  J.W. 
Madrill,  1880. 

Churchill  County  Officers  omitted  on  pages  362 
and  363:— 

county  com.missionkrs. 

William  Hill  and  E.  E.  Wightman,  elected  Novem- 
ber 7,  1876;  W.  W.  Williams  and  D.  M.  Wightman, 
elected  November  5,  1878. 

SENATORS. 

W.  C.  Grimes,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Charles 
Kaiser,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

ASSE.MBLYJIEN. 

L.  Allen,  elected  November  7,  1876;  Jackson  Fergu- 
son, elected  November  5,  1878. 

DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. 

A.  W.  Doolittle,  elected  November  7,  1876,  and  re- 
elected November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

W.  J.  Brandon,  elected  November  7, 1876;  William 
Murphy,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    SHERIFFS. 

Jas.  p.  Brown,  elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  B. 
Ferguson,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

J.  M.  Sanford,  elected  November  7,  1876;  George 
A.  Barnot,  elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    ASSESSORS. 

E.  Clark,  elected  November  7, 1876;  J.  B.  Verplank, 
elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    RECORDERS. 

I.  H.  Kent,  elected  November  7,  1876;  S.  A.  Doane, 
elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    SUPERINTENDENTS    OF    .SCHOOLS. 

J.  B.  I'^crguson,  elected  November  7,  1876;  A.  O. 
Ordwaj',  elected  November  5,  1878. 

COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

Win.  Rhinehart,  elected  November  7,  1876;  W.  J. 
Eastman,  elected  November  .'),  1878. 

PUBLIC   ADMINISTRATORS. 

Sam.  Turman,  elected  November  7,  1876;  J.  E. 
Jliggins,  elected  November  .'),  1878. 

Washoe  County  Officers  omitted  on   page  621: — 

SENATORS. 

James  H.  Sturlevant  and  Solomon  Geller,  elected 
Territorial  Councilmen  September  3,  1862;  J.  H. 
Sturtovant  and  T.  G.  Negus,  elected  September  2, 
1863;  James  S.  Slingcrland  and  Charles  Lambert, 
elected  Senators  November  R,   1S(;4;  C.  H.  Eastman 


and  Solomon  Geller,  elected  November  6,  1866;  T. 
B.  Shamp,  elected  Novembers,  1868. 

ASSEMBLYMEN. 

Theodore  Winters,  J.  K.  Eovejoy  and  R.  W.  Per- 
kins elected  Territorial  Representatives  September 
3,  1862;  Hiram  Gove  and  D.  E.  Hunter,  elected  Sep- 
tember 2,  1863;  II.  H.  Beck,  J.  A.  Myrick  and  R.  M. 
SLakleford,  elected  Assemblymen  November  8,  1864; 
H.  H.  Beck,  Felix  O'Neil  and  T.  B.  Prince,  elected 
November  7,  1865;  Wallace  Caldwell,  G.  N.  Folsom 
and  T.  B.  Prince,  elected  November  6,  1866. 

Attorneys  to  be  added  to  list  on  pages  337  and  338: 

Allen,  Cranston.  Hawley,  A.  T. 

Allen,  Lemuel.  Ilealey.  T.  \V. 

Ammond,  Geo.  R.  Higgins,  J.  E. 

Angel,  Eugene.  Hiles,  Ogden. 

Ball,  A.  J.  Hilyer,  i:.  W. 

Barker,  J.  B.  Holland,  Daniel. 

Bartnee,  H.  F.  James,  Alfred. 

Bean,  Horace  D.  Jones,  Frank. 

Belknap,  Claj'ton.  Jones,  S.  A. 

Boardman,  \V.  M.  Keith,  Geo.  W. 

Bowler,  P.  .M.,  Jr.  Keeny,  Geo.  D. 

Jiowman,  John.  Kingston.  G.  A. 

Buckner,  Luther  A.  Ladd,  Parish  B. 

Chase,  S.  II.  Leake,  C.  A. 

Churchill,  Clark.  Leonard,  O.  R. 

Clipperton,  VVm.  H.  Locke,  Powhatan  B. 

Cotfin,  Tronmor.  Lucas,  J.  H. 

Colton,  C.  S.  McMillan,  J.  H. 

Cossett,  H.  B.  McRae,  P.  A. 

Cradlcbaugh,  John  11.         Mott,  Gorden  N. 

Crane,  E.  A.  Notoware,  C.  N. 

Creswell,  H.  T.  Owen,  Frank. 

Curtis,  John.  Palmer,  G.  S. 

Davis,  B.  K.  Patrick,  A.  F. 

Deal,  W.  H.  P.  Pratt,  A.  C. 

])cnson,  Samuel  C.  Ralston,  James H. 

Dillard,T.  S.  IJankin,  (i.  A. 

Dixon,  E.  C.  Smith,  Aianson. 

Dixon,  W.  W.  Smith,  Horace. 

Doolittle,  A.  \V.  Stephens,  Thomas  H. 

Drake,  Frank  V.  Stewart,  Wellington. 

Farll,  Warner.  Thaekston,  C.  M. 

Kastman,  W.  J.  Truman,  Samuel. 

Ferris,  Ijeonard  W  Turner,  (ioorgo. 

F'reece,  A.  B.  Varian,  Chas.  L. 

Gillespie,  W.  M.  Virijin,  J).  W. 

Greeley,  A.  L.  While,  Martin. 

Wright,  S.  H. 

On  page  .')47  it  is  stated  that  Frank  Denver  was 
elected  Lieutenant  (Jovernor  in  1S68.  Ho  was 
elected  in  1870,  and  took  charge  of  the  State  Prison 
in  1871.  and  was  relieved  bj'  a  Statute  of  the  Legis- 
lature maken  the  Warden  an  appointed  ollicer. 


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