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[Illustration: GOLD HILL]
[Illustration: CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINE.]
HISTORY OF
THE BIG BONANZA:
AN AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY, HISTORY, AND WORKING OF THE
WORLD RENOWNED
COMSTOCK SILVER LODE OF NEVADA
INCLUDING THE
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE VARIOUS MINES SITUATED THEREON;
SKETCHES OF THE MOST PROMINENT MEN INTERESTED IN
THEM; INCIDENTS AND ADVENTURES CONNECTED WITH
MINING, THE INDIANS, AND THE COUNTRY;
AMUSING STORIES, EXPERIENCES,
ANECDOTES, &C., &C.
AND A FULL
EXPOSITION OF THE PRODUCTION OF PURE SILVER
BY
DAN DE QUILLE.
(WILLIAM WRIGHT.)
=PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.=
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SOLD BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY.
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HARTFORD, CONN.:
AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.:
A. L. BANCROFT & CO.
1876.
Entered according to act of Congress, in year 1876 by
AMERICAN PUBLISHING CO.,
in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
INTRODUCTORY.
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One easily gets a surface-knowledge of any remote country, through the
writings of travellers. The inner life of such a country is not very
often presented to the reader. The outside of a strange house is
interesting, but the people, the life, and the furniture inside, are far
more so.
Nevada is peculiarly a surface-known country, for no one has written of
that land who had lived long there and made himself competent to furnish
an inside view to the public. I think the present volume supplies this
defect in an eminently satisfactory way. The writer of it has spent
sixteen years in the heart of the silver-mining region, as one of the
editors of the principal daily newspaper of Nevada; he is thoroughly
acquainted with his subject, and wields a practised pen. He is a
gentleman of character and reliability. Certain of us who have known him
personally during half a generation are well able to testify in this
regard.
MARK TWAIN.
HARTFORD, May, 1876.
TO
JOHN MACKEY, ESQ.,
_PRINCE OF MINERS_,
AND
“BOSS” OF THE BIG BONANZA,
IS THIS BOOK
RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.
PREFACE.
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I have put all I had to say into the body of this book; but, being
informed that a preface is a necessary evil, I have written this one.
THE AUTHOR.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.[A]
——————●——————
PAGE.
GOLD HILL FRONTISPIECE
1. CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINE do.
2. KIT CARSON 21
3. “OLD VIRGINIA” AND HIS ROCKER 28
4. TEE PRINCESS SARAH WINNEMUCCA 30
5. JACOB JOB’S LITTLE GAME 31
6. GOLD DIGGINGS IN 1859 44
7. COMSTOCK DISCOVERING SILVER 50
8. AN ARASTRA 58
9. NAMING VIRGINIA CITY 58
10. EUREKA MILLS CARSON RIVER 67
11. COMSTOCK’S AFFINITY 76
12. RETURN OF COMSTOCK’S WIFE 76
13. H. T. P. COMSTOCK 85
14. THE HAPPY BREAKFAST 92
15. O’RILEY AND HIS GUN 97
16. GUIDED BY SPIRITS 98
17. ENCOURAGED BY REVELATIONS 101
18. THE LAST BLAST 101
19. BOUND FOR WASHOE 103
20. D—N WASHOE 103
21. BUSINESS 105
22. GOOD MORNING 107
23. GOING IN 108
24. CHANGE OF MIND 108
25. COMING BACK 108
26. BUSTIN’ THE INJUNCTION 110
27. SAVAGES 126
28. TIMBERING THE MINES 137
29. “HOLD UP YOUR HANDS” 151
30. A BONANZA OF BEEF 151
31. HOISTING WORKS 165
32. THREE FAMOUS MINES 167
33. WASTE ROCK DUMPS OF THE CHOLLAR-POTOSI, SAVAGE, 171
HALE, AND NORCROSS MINES
34. THE BURNING MINE 180
35. OFFICE OF THE CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINES 190
36. ACCIDENTS IN THE MINES 203
37. THE PILGRIM’S LODGINGS 213
38. VIRGINIA CITY 214
39. MISS VIRGINIA TILTON 217
40. COUNTRY AND CITY 220
41. DUMP-PILES OF HALE AND NORCROSS MINES 223
42. WOOD AND WATER 227
43. RHODE ISLAND MILL GOLD HILL 222
44. RESIDENCE OF HON J. P. JONES 222
45. GOLD HILL LOOKING NORTH 237
46. LUMBERING ON LAKE TAHOE 241
47. CAPTURE OF PERKINS 251
48. EXECUTION OF PERKINS 251
49. INDIAN HUNTER AND SQUAWS 261
50. WINNEMUCCA—CHIEF OF THE PIUTES 267
51. PRINCE NATCHEZ 270
52. THE STORY OF THE CAVE 275
53. SHRIMPS 285
54. AN INDIAN ENCAMPMENT 291
55. GRINDING AXES 295
56. CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA HOISTING WORKS 299
57. HOISTING CAGE 300
58. HOISTING CARS AND CAGES IN SILVER MINES 305
59. DIAGRAM SHOWING HEIGHT OF MINES 325
60. MERRIMAC MILL, CARSON RIVER 333
61. LOADING SILVER ORE CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINES 337
62. FIRST QUARTZ MINE IN NEVADA 342
63. QUARTZ MILL—AMALGAMATING ROOM 342
64. HOISTING WORKS 349
65. THE TRIAL OF SKILL 363
66. THE SCARED BULLY 379
67. “THE HEATHEN CHINEE” 389
68. SCANNING THE BULLETIN 403
69. FUNNY INCIDENTS 408
70. THE SECRET 411
71. VIEWS AT LAKE TAHOE 414
72. NICK-OF-THE-WOODS 416
73. HANK MONK 416
74. DONNER LAKE 422
75. SUMMIT OF THE SIERRAS 422
76. WINTER AMONG THE MOUNTAINS 424
77. SONG OF THE HONEST MINER 433
78. AT WORK AND AT HOME 441
79. MINERS’ UNION HALL 441
80. THE HOTTEST PLACE 449
81. MINERS’ BATTLES 455
82. SURROUNDINGS 477
83. THE MISSING WELL BOTTOM 503
84. THE MAN-EATER 508
85. JOHN MACKEY 516
86. HON. WM. SHARON 520
87. JAMES G. FAIR 524
88. CAPT. SAMUEL CURTIS 527
89. HON. J. P. JONES 531
90. THE SLAPJACK FEAT 538
91. THE STORY OF PIKE AND TOM 549
[Illustration: CONTENTS]
CHAPTER I.
THE FIRST SETTLERS IN NEVADA.
Facts and Fiction—How the Rivers are Lost—Unwelcome
Visitors—The Washoes—Taking in the Pilgrims. 17
CHAPTER II.
THE SEARCH FOR GOLD.
“Washing”—Celestials at the Diggings—Original
Papers—Primitive Amusements—Jacob Job’s little Game—A
Delusion and a Snare. 26
CHAPTER III.
ADVENTURES OF EARLY PROSPECTORS.
The Mysterious Brothers—What was found in a Shaft—Pike’s
Great Discovery—“Stuff they Make Compasses of”—Wonderful
travelling Stones. 33
CHAPTER IV.
WHAT THEY DISCOVERED.
“That Blasted Blue Stuff”—“Old Pancake”—A Discovery—John
Bishop’s Story—Unearthly Treasure. 39
CHAPTER V.
Discovery of the Great Comstock—What they threw Away—Old
Pancake Arrives—Questionable Rights—Sold and
“Sold”—Locking up “Old Virginia.” 47
CHAPTER VI.
THE DISCOVER OF SILVER.
“Old Pancake’s” Weakness—Naming the town—An Astounding
Disclosure—Going to the Diggings—A Grand Discovery. 55
CHAPTER VII.
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY MINING-DAYS.
The Old Record Book—Strange Notices—Curious Houses—A Modern
Robinson Crusoe—Before the World—Mills and Arastras. 61
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FATE OF DISCOVERERS.
Thieves in the Camp—An Unpleasant Joke—Sales of Mining
Property—Smelting on a Small Scale—What they Got from the
Furnaces. 70
CHAPTER IX.
COMSTOCK’S MATRIMONY.
“Old Pancake” Courting—Catching a Runaway Wife—Women and
Mischief—Always the Same—Winnie and his Wife—Seeking a New
Bonanza. 77
CHAPTER X.
COMSTOCK’S LETTER.
“Old Pancake’s” Story—Roughing It—The Fate of Old
Virginia—Ole Comstock Dead—A Man who drank but Little. 82
CHAPTER XI.
OLD VIRGINIA AND HIS STORIES.
Prospecting for a dinner—A Skunk Story—O’Riley’s Mistake—A
Duel: Curious Consequences—Flight of the Victor—O’Riley
and his Gun. 89
CHAPTER XII.
MISLED BY THE SPIRITS.
The Great Oil-Tank—An Untapped Reservoir—Going in and Coming
out—Experiences of those who Stayed—Approach of
Spring—“Zephyrs” and Avalanches—A Rather long Night—Queer
Incidents 100
CHAPTER XIII.
EARLY MINING.
“Bring out your Injunction”—Testing Ores for Gold—Testing
Ores for Silver—A Fire Assay—Valuable Donkeys—The Washoe
“Canary” 109
CHAPTER XIV.
MIGRATION ON A LARGE SCALE.
The Migratory Instinct—The Piute War—Battle of Pyramid
Lake—Second Expedition—The Survivors of the Slaughter 116
CHAPTER XV.
TROUBLE WITH THE INDIANS.
An Unlucky Dutchman—Skirmishing—An Appeal to Indian
Justice—After the Scalps—Old Gus, and his “Injun.” 121
CHAPTER XVI.
STATE OF SOCIETY.
Organization Begun—In Search of the Gold—Fighting Sam
Brown—The Knife and the Pistol—Pugnacious Periods. 128
CHAPTER XVII.
EARLY COMSTOCK MINING OPERATIONS.
In the Heart of the Bonanza—Inside the Mine—Extraordinary
Experiments—“Process Peddlers” and their Devices—The Value
of Tailings—Neat way of making Rings—Waste of Gold and
Silver 133
CHAPTER XVIII.
LOSS OF THE PRECIOUS METALS.
Floating Treasure—Where the Quicksilver Goes—An Unanswered
Question—Floating Away 143
CHAPTER XIX.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE TERRITORY.
Footpads on the “Divide”—Attacking a Dutchman—Mysterious
Disappearances—Search for the Missing—A Bonanza of
Beef—Where did they go to? 146
CHAPTER XX.
THE MOUNTAIN REGION OF NEVADA.
Providing for his Friends—The Sierra Nevada Mountains—The
Ascent of Mount Davidson—An Eclipse—Going Back to the
City—A Majestic Scene. 154
CHAPTER XXI.
THE SIERRAS.
How the Fissures were Formed—Formation of Quartz and
Ores—How the Comstock Vein was Found—Disagreeable
“Pinching”—Never Discouraged. 160
CHAPTER XXII.
BONANZA AND BORRASCA.
Sales of Stock—A Day’s Vicissitudes—Speculations—An
Infallible Maxim—Mr. Frank’s Devices—_Nada Bonanza_. 165
CHAPTER XXIII.
HOW THE MINES ARE WORKED.
Hoisting the “Giraffe”—Deserted Shafts—Perilous Ways and
Dark Places—What they saw in the Night—Rather
Astonished—Poisoned. 170
CHAPTER XXIV.
FIREDAMP.—A MINE IN FLAMES.
Yellow-Jacket Mine in a Blaze—A Scene of Horror—The Victims
Subduing the Flames—The Work of Destruction—Scenes at the
Mouth of the Shaft—On Fire for three Years—Missing Men. 176
CHAPTER XXV.
DEATH IN THE MINE.
Explosions of Firedamp—How Gas is formed in the
Mines—Searching for the Dead—What the Giant-powder Did—The
Inquest, and the Dead—Carelessness of the Miners. 186
CHAPTER XXVI.
DESTRUCTION OF THE BELCHER SHAFT.
Progress of the Flames—Descending the Burning Shaft—Danger—A
Cave in the Mine—Deluge of Fire—Courage of the Men—Still
Burning—A Warm Comparison—The Centre of the Earth. 191
CHAPTER XXVII.
WAR IN THE MINE.
Smoking out the Enemy—The Early days of Washoe—Amiable
Miners—The Kossuth and the Alhambra—Causes of Fear—A
Little Mischief—Burnt Rags. 197
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.
The Adventures of Four Miners—Fixed—A Struggle for
Life—Dangerous Playthings—Exploding with a Scratch—Those
little Copper Cylinders—Loss of Noses and Thumbs. 201
CHAPTER XXIX.
MINING FATALITIES.
Tumbling down Two Thousand Feet—Blown to Atoms—A Singular
Accident—Automatic Safety—Origin of Accidents—The Pilgrim
in a Coffin—Shuffling out the “Corpse”. 208
CHAPTER XXX.
TOWNS OF THE BIG BONANZA.
The First-born of Virginia City—A Comical
Newspaper-Office—Growing like Mushrooms—A little
Picture—Among the Rubbish-Dumps—Big Loads—“See for
Yourselves.” 215
CHAPTER XXXI.
RAILROAD LINES.
Travelling in a Circle—Through the Six Tunnels—Crooked
Roads—Side-tracks and Other Devices—The Way the Iron Horse
Goes—The Men on the Line—Timed by Telegraph. 227
CHAPTER XXXII.
AN ENGINEERING TRIUMPH.
Spring Business—Tapping the Hills—Dams Constructed—What Mr.
Shussler Did—The Big Water-Pipe—Testing the Siphon—Great
Rejoicings—The Work Completed. 231
CHAPTER XXXIII.
HOW WOOD IS CUT IN THE SIERRAS.
The Forests of the Mountains—A Daring Leap—The Rafts on Lake
Tahoe—Descending the Flumes—Vanishing Forests—Coal
Deposits of Nevada. 238
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE “SIX HUNDRED AND ONE.”
A Mysterious Society—Afraid—Led forth to Death—The fate of
Perkins—“Another Man Gone”—Kirk’s Fate—Venturing too
Far—“You see he Stayed.” 247
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE WASHOE ZEPHYR.
An Unpleasant Breeze—“Sleep no More”—A Jackass on the
Wing—Weird Scenes—The Artist’s Soul—Light and
Shade—Mountain Scenery—The Giants of the Sierras. 255
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE RED PROPRIETORS.
The Piutes and the other Reds—A Strange Pair—Old
Winnemucca—The Woman who made the Indians—The Indians’
Ancestress—The Piute Brave—Big Injuns. 259
CHAPTER XXXVII.
WINNEMUCCA AND HIS BRAVES.
On the War-path—An Interview with the Chief—A White
Indian—Captain Truckee—John’s Funeral Oration—The
“Princess.” Sarah. 266
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
SKETCHES OF INDIAN LIFE.
Juan’s Spanish Speculation—The Devil’s Visit to
Earth—Cooking the Sage—What was It?—Piute Theology—_Poco
Tiempo_—“Plenty Old”—Jim and his Ducks. 272
CHAPTER XXXIX.
CONCERNING “LO” AND HIS FAMILY.
A Little Warrior in a Fix—Only a Shrimp—Piutes in Virginia
City—The Lord and His Lady—How the Little Ones Came—The
Early Settler—Adam and Eve—A Model Parent—An Important
Occasion—Sam’s Theft. 282
CHAPTER XL.
A VISIT TO THE MINES.
Above Ground—Suspicious Attacks—How the Cage is Worked—Great
Responsibility—Cages, Reels, and Cables—Comical Disguises. 293
CHAPTER XLI.
DESCENDING IN THE SAFETY-CAGE.
Our Conductor—Downward—Unpleasant Possibilities—Safety—A
Blessed Inventor—The Price of Stock—Vasquez and His
Friends—The Carman. 301
CHAPTER XLII.
BELOW THE SURFACE.
Tumbling down a Chute—Timbering a Mine—Taking Samples—What
the “Giraffe” can Carry—Gnomes of the
Mine—Troglodytes—What is “Sumpf?” 310
CHAPTER XLIII.
CURIOSITIES OF VENTILATION.
Draughts and Drifts—Machinery of the Lower-Levels—Southward
Currents—Use of Compressed Air—Industrious little Engines. 317
CHAPTER XLIV.
UNDERGROUND BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS.
Changing Shifts—A Shift-Boss’s Report—Useful Items—Modern
Troglodytes—Shirtless but Hot—Fights and Factions. 322
CHAPTER XLV.
GHOST-HAUNTED SHAFTS.
Rats—Unwelcome Visitors—Chasing the Ghost—Cornered. 329
CHAPTER XLVI.
EXTRACTING SILVER FROM THE ORE.
The Reduction-Works—Working the Machinery—The
Batteries—Preparing the Ore—The Amalgamating-Room—Two
Processes. 336
CHAPTER XLVII.
ASSAYS OF THE SILVER BULLION.
How Quicksilver Vanishes—Charging the Retorts—Ladling out
the Molten Silver—How Assays are Made—Results. 346
CHAPTER XLVIII.
SALOON-BIRDS.
Big Eaters—Recognizing Murphy—A Nice Little Supper—What he
Did with his Gun—“A Devil of a Time”—“A Nice Agreeable
Gentleman.” 354
CHAPTER XLIX.
SOME VERY QUEER CUSTOMERS.
A trifling Accident—Blazer and His Friends—A Little
Misunderstanding—“Couldn’t Drink Alone”—“I’ll bring in the
Rabble”—The Deacon Sent For—Resurrection!—“Awful big
Gooses.” 362
CHAPTER L.
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.
A Fuddled Pillar—Philosophical Advice—“Don’t Git Married
Afferd”— Mr. Jones’s Guest—The War-hoss of the
Hills—Something of a Fighter—Beating a Retreat—“Jim Carter
or the Devil.” 371
CHAPTER LI.
THE “HEATHEN CHINEE.”
A Strange Mixture of Duties—Wicked Mongolian Tricks—’Melican
and Chinaman Compared—A Ghostly Difference—Restless
Spirits. 382
CHAPTER LII.
CHINESE OPIUM-DENS.
How they Smoke the Drug—Babel—Street-Scenes in Virginia
City—Voices of the People—Hard Cash—The Grasshopper Man. 388
CHAPTER LIII.
HOW FORTUNES ARE MADE AND LOST.
Bulls and Bears—Doings of the Brokers—On a Margin—“Pussy-Cat
Wilde” and “Bobtaile”—Going Up!—Dealers and Dabblers. 397
CHAPTER LIV.
CURIOUS SPECULATIONS IN STOCK.
Old Joe’s Disaster—A New Excitement—Sharp Doings—“The
Greatest Buy on the Lead”—A Lady’s Speculation. 405
CHAPTER LV.
HOLIDAYS AND FUN.
Romantic Scenery—A Curious Freak of Nature—Lake Tahoe—Hank
Monk—He Couldn’t tell a Lie—Practical Joking—The Summit. 413
CHAPTER LVI.
TERRIBLE STORY OF THE DONNERS.
Donner Lake—Lost in the Snow—A Horrible Scene—What became of
the Donners—The Sulphur Springs—The Golden State. 420
CHAPTER LVII.
TRACES OF THE TRICKSY MINER.
A Neat little Game—What Doubting Thomas Found—“Doctoring” a
Tape-line—Devices of an Honest Man—What a Stockholder
Found. 427
CHAPTER LVIII.
THE PARADISE OF BOGUS MINERS.
“Me Ketch um There”—Doings of the Roving Miner—The “Goddess
of Poverty”—The Bully Honest Miner. 432
CHAPTER LIX.
PAY-DAY AT THE MINES.
Among the Employés—Miners’ Union—Labor and Capital—A Heavy
Pay-list—Where the Money Goes to—“Steamer Day.” 439
CHAPTER LX.
THE HOTTEST PLACE IN THE MINE.
Secrecy—“Booming” Stock—Adventures of a French Count—Left in
the Dark—Making it Hot for Him—Rescued—Polite to the Last. 446
CHAPTER LXI.
UNDERGROUND BATTLES.
The Beginning of Trouble—The Contest—“Fighting Interests.” 454
CHAPTER LXII.
THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD.
Mines of Ancient Days—The Yield of American Mines—Humboldt’s
Curious Calculations—Varied Fortunes—The Plum in the
Pudding—Value of the Different Levels—Searching in the
Dark. 461
CHAPTER LXIII.
FLUCTUATIONS OF FORTUNE.
The Comstock Mines—Hidden Treasure—A Great Sensation—The
Excitement Increases—Panic—A Millionaire’s Advice. 460
CHAPTER LXIV.
THE RICHEST SPOT IN THE WORLD.
The Grand Gallery—Glittering Caverns—The World’s Greatest
Treasure-Store—“Ventilation”—A “Horse” in the Mine. 479
CHAPTER LXV.
AGGREGATED WEALTH.
A Fortune in one Foot—Future Prospects—What Yet
Remains—Undiscovered Bonanza—Figures before Facts—Facts
After Figures—Distribution of the Wealth—Its Influence. 487
CHAPTER LXVI.
CONCERNING VENTILATION.
Too hot for Comfort—Blowers—Down Deep—The Sutro Tunnel. 496
CHAPTER LXVII.
BELOW THE WATER-DEPOSITS.
Deeper than a Well—Bottom Dropped Out—Creeping
Propensities—A Skull Discovered—An Unlucky Slip. 501
CHAPTER LXVIII.
SOME INTERESTING CREATURES.
Carson City—Lizards and Scorpions—A Pleasing Insect—A Wicked
way of Laying Eggs—Another Agreeable Insect. 509
CHAPTER LXIX.
MILLIONAIRE PROPRIETORS.
Mr. John Mackey—The Hon. William Sharon—How his Fortune was
Made—Mr. James C. Fair—Mr. Samuel S. Curtis—The Hon. J. P.
Jones—A Big Business. 517
CHAPTER LXX.
FUN AND FROLIC.
A Secret Expedition—Bitten by a Snake—All a Mistake—Camping
Out— Manufacture of Slapjacks—“It never came Down.” 533
CHAPTER LXXI.
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF PROSPECTING.
Off for the Land of Gold—Something in his Boot—Afraid of
Tom—Tom’s Intentions—Pike Outwitted—Left Behind. 540
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE COMICAL STORY OF PIKE.
Tom Sings—The Joke Successful—Pike Vanishes—A Pretty Big
Story—Doubtful Dreams—Self-deceived—Our Journey’s End. 547
CHAPTER I.
HE FIRST SETTLERS IN NEVADA.
The bare mention of a mine of silver calls up in most minds visions of
glittering wealth and a world of romantic situations and associations.
All no doubt have read the story of the Indian hunter, Diego Hualca,
who, in the year 1545, discovered the world-famous silver-mine of
Potosi, Peru. How, while climbing up the face of a steep mountain in
pursuit of a wild goat, this fortunate hunter laid hold upon a bush, in
order to pull himself up over a steep ledge of rocks, and how the bush
was torn out by the roots, when lo! wonderful store of wealth was laid
bare. In the roots of the upturned bush, and in the soil of the spot
whence it was torn, the eyes of the lone Indian hunter beheld masses of
glittering silver.
Having all our lives had in mind this romantic story, and having a
thousand times pictured to ourselves the great, shining lumps of native
silver, as they lay exposed in the black soil before that Indian, who
stood alone in a far-away place on the wild mountain, we are apt to
imagine that something of the same kind is to be seen wherever a
silver-mine exists. Besides, we have all heard the stories told by the
old settlers of the Atlantic States in regard to the wonderful mines of
silver known to the Indians in early days.
Hardly a State in the Union but has its legend of a silver-mine known to
the red-men when they inhabited the country. This mine was pretty much
the same in every State and in every region. Upon the removal of a large
flat stone an opening resembling the mouth of a cavern was seen.
Entering this, you found yourself in a great crevice in the rocks, and
the sides of this crevice were lined with silver, which you forthwith
proceeded to hew and chip off with a hatchet kindly furnished you by
your Indian guide. You worked rapidly, as, according to contract, you
had but a limited time to remain in the mine. When the Indian at your
side announced your time up, the tomahawk was taken from your hand, even
though you might have an immense mass detached, save a mere clinging
thread.
Only men who had saved the life of some Indian of renown were ever led
to these silver caverns and they were invariably obliged to submit to be
blindfolded, so that none of them were ever able to find their way back
to the mines they had been shown.
These and kindred stories have placed masses of native silver, and
deposits of rich ores of silver very near to the surface of the ground,
in the popular mind. No doubt there are many places in the world where
native silver exists almost upon the present surface, as was the case in
the Potosi mine, in Peru, and as was the case with the rich deposit of
silver ore first found on the Comstock lode, but those who visit the
present mines of the Comstock will find little in them that at all
agrees with their preconceived notions of silver-mines. On the surface
they will find nothing that is glittering, nothing that is at all
romantic. The soil looks much the same as in any other mountainous
region, and the rocks seem to have a very ordinary look to the
inexperienced eye. The general hue of the hills is a yellowish-brown,
and all about through the rents in the ashen-hued sagebrush which
clothes the country, peep jagged piles of granite—the bones of the land,
showing through its rags.
In sketching the history of the famous Comstock silver lode of Nevada,
however, and of the bonanza mines, situated on that lode, it seems
proper to begin by giving a brief account of the first settlement of the
country, when known as Western Utah, and under Mormon, if under any
rule; also, to chronicle what is to be gathered in regard to the finding
of gold-diggings in that region, the working of which finally resulted
in the discovery of the richest silver-mines in the world.
Nevada, as at present bounded, extends from the 35th to the 42d degree
of north latitude, and from the 114th to the 120th degree west longitude
from Greenwich.
The area of the State is 112,190 square miles, or 71,801,819 acres.
Assuming the water-surface of the several lakes in the State to cover an
area of 1,690 square miles, or 1,081,819 acres, there remain 110,500
square miles, or 70,720,000 acres as the land-area of the State.
I do not know that this is correct to the fraction of an acre, but, when
the quality of the greater part of the land is considered, I don’t think
anybody is likely to come along and make trouble about the measurement.
The Sierra Nevada Mountains, with long lines of snowy peaks towering to
the clouds, form the western boundary of the State and rise far above
any mountain ranges lying to the westward in the Great Basin region, a
region largely made up of alkali deserts and rugged, barren hills, yet a
country abounding in all manner of minerals.
The rivers of Nevada are none of them of great size. They all pour their
waters into lakes that have no outlet, where they sink into the earth or
are dissipated by the active evaporation that goes on in all this region
during the greater part of the year. Each river empties into its lake,
or what in that country is called its “sink.” Not a river of them all
gets out of the State or through any other river reaches the sea.
This condition of the rivers of Nevada was once thus curiously accounted
for by an old mountaineer and prospector. Said he:
“The way it came about was in this wise—The Almighty, at the time he
was creatin’ and fashionin’ of this here yearth, got along to this
section late on Saturday evening. He had finished all of the great
lakes, like Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and them—had made the
Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and, as a sort of wind-up, was
about to make a river that would be far ahead of anything he had yet
done in that line. So he started in and traced out Humboldt River, and
Truckee River, and Walker River, and Reese River, and all the other
rivers, and he was leadin’ of them along, calkerlatin’ to bring ’em
all together into one big boss river and then lead that off and let it
empty into the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of California, as might be
most convenient; but as he was bringin’ down and leadin’ along the
several branches—the Truckee, Humboldt, Carson, Walker, and them—it
came on dark and instead of trying to carry out the original plan, he
jist tucked the lower ends of the several streams into the ground,
whar they have remained from that day to this.”
Carson River and Carson Valley were named in honor of Kit Carson, the
famous Indian fighter, trapper, and guide, who visited that region as
early as 1833. He was accompanied by old Jim Beckworth, once chief of
the Crow Indians, three Crow Indians and some white trappers—nine men in
all. The party passed over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to California.
Thirteen years later when with Col. J. C. Fremont, Kit Carson followed
his old trail in crossing the Sierras, going in the direction of Bear
River, and at last, ascending a high hill in the neighborhood of where
Rough-and-Ready, California, now stands, Kit struck a landmark he well
remembered. Pointing out the blue peaks of the Marysville Buttes, seen
far away in the smoky distance, he said, “Yonder lies the valley of the
Sacramento!”
At the time of the discovery of silver, the principal settlement in that
part of Utah which afterwards became the Territory and eventually the
State of Nevada, was at Genoa, now the county-seat of Douglas county and
situated about fourteen miles south of Carson City, the capital of the
State. To all who crossed the Plains, on their way to the gold-fields of
California, in the early days, Genoa was known as “Mormon Station,” a
name it continued to bear for some years. Even after the name had been
changed to Genoa, many of the old settlers persisted in calling the
place Mormon Station.
The first building of a permanent character erected in Genoa was built
by Col. John Reese, who came from Salt Lake City early in the spring of
1851 with a stock of dry-goods. This first structure was a large
log-house, covering an area of forty-five square yards, was in the form
of an L and at one time formed two sides of a pentagon-shaped fort.
Colonel Reese bought the land on which the town of Genoa now stands,
with a farm adjoining, of Captain Jim, of the Washoe tribe of Indians,
for two sacks of flour.
[Illustration: KIT CARSON.]
Besides the settlement at Mormon Station, a settlement, also by Mormons,
was commenced in the spring of 1853 at Franktown, Washoe Valley. Quite a
little hamlet was formed at Franktown; and others of the colony settled
at various points along the west side of the valley at the base of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains. Several Mormon families still reside in this
neighborhood and occasionally the voice of the Mormon preacher is yet to
be heard.
Orson Hyde, a man of considerable note at Salt Lake, had in charge the
spiritual and temporal welfare of the Mormon settlements in the early
days, he being both preacher and Justice of the Peace.
At this time in the history of the country there was no town in Eagle
Valley, where Carson City now stands. The first building erected in that
neighborhood was at Eagle Ranche, from which ranche the valley took its
name. This place was afterwards better known as King’s Ranche, a name it
still bears. Two or three houses were next built on the present site of
Carson City, but the town was not regularly laid out until 1858, when
the land was purchased by Major Ormsby, who gave the place the name it
now bears.
Although these early settlements were made upon lands belonging to the
Washoe Indians, a tribe of considerable strength at the time, yet no
very serious battles were ever had with them. The whites, however, who
were at first a mere handful, Mormons and “Gentiles,” all told, stood in
considerable awe of the redskins. They were obliged to quietly endure
not a few insults from some of the bullies of the tribe, who had a
fashion of walking into houses and making themselves at home in the
cupboards. They were often exceedingly insolent, and when only women and
children were found at a house, always managed to frighten them into
giving up most of the provisions about the place.
In one instance, however, an Indian who went to the house of a Gentile,
when the only occupants were a boy about twelve years of age and his
sister still younger, met a fate he little anticipated. The Indian,
after regaling himself in the pantry, began threatening the children
with a roasting at the stake, for the purpose of enjoying their fright;
and, finally, whipping out a big knife, began “making believe” to take
the scalp of the little girl. The boy, it would seem, thought they had
had about enough of this foolishness, as he went into an adjoining room,
took down his father’s rifle and returning to where the brave was
flourishing his knife and enjoying himself, shot him dead in his tracks.
The Indian killed was one of the worst in the Washoe tribe, and was
greatly dreaded in all the settlements. The father of the boy who rid
the country of the much-feared Indian bully, was obliged to “pull up
stakes” at once and fly to California for safety.
The Washoes inhabited the eastern slope of the Sierras, and made the
stealing of the stock of the settlers both their business and their
pleasure. Like crows they sat looking down into the valleys from the
tops of the rocky buttresses of the mountains, and when they saw the
coast clear, down they came and gathered in as many animals as they were
able to drive.
Whenever the whites were so incautious as to collect for the purpose of
enjoying a ball or any such social festivity, the Washoes were pretty
sure to know of the affair, and seldom neglected to swoop from their
mountain fastnesses, gathering up and driving away whatever animals they
could find. The trail of the Indian depredators, when followed, was
generally found marked with the remains of roasted horses—the Washoes
having a great fondness for horse-flesh. On the occasion of a ball in
Dayton, as late as 1854, the Washoes came down and “gobbled up” all the
horses of the revellers. The Indians appeared to think this cunning and
a very good joke.
Although Colonel Reese had about his big log-house at Mormon Station, a
strong stockade, that defence was never required as a protection against
the Washoe Indians. The tribe has dwindled away until at the present day
those remaining are few and miserably poor, ragged, filthy, and
spiritless. They now cling to the skirts of the white man and stand in
awe of all surrounding tribes of Indians, even in time of peace.
The settlements thus far mentioned were all scattered along the eastern
base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but as early as 1851, there were
erected a few temporary structures, principally canvas houses, at
various points to the eastward, along the line of the main “Emigrant
Road.” This, the then grand highway across the continent, after passing
through some of the worst and most dreaded deserts between the Rocky
Mountains and the Sierras, led to the well-watered and fertile valley of
the Carson, a region that doubtless seemed almost a paradise to the
weary emigrant, who for months and months had been toiling over rugged
mountains and across sterile plains.
Mormon Station being directly on the old Hangtown (afterwards
Placerville) Road, then the principal route over the Sierras, drove a
thriving trade with the thousands and tens of thousands of adventurers
who were then pushing their way toward the gold-fields of California.
Seeing that there was money in this trade, not a few adventurers,
principally from Salt Lake and California, established posts on the line
of the road to the eastward of Mormon Station and Eagle Ranche, a few
even pushing out a considerable distance into the deserts. The majority
of these traders, however, returned to California each season, following
in the wake of the last emigrant-trains that came in over the Plains,
and there remained until the tide of emigration began to pour in again
the next year.
These traders furnished the “pilgrims” cheap luxuries at outrageously
high prices, traded for their disabled cattle and swindled them in every
possible manner, as they all considered the emigrant their lawful prey.