Front matter
THE LIBRARY
CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA MINE
HISTORY OF
Preface
I have put all I had to say ihto the body of this book ; but, being informed that a preface is a necessary evil, I have written this one.
The Author.
<L J 3 T Of I^LUfTF^ATIONf.*
PAGE.
Gold Hill . Frontispiece
1. Consolidated Virginia Mine . do .
2. Kit Carson . 21
3. “Old Virginia” and His Kocker . 28
4. Tee Princess Sarah Winnkmucca . 30
5. Jacob Job's Little Game . 31
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
14. '1 he 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 . . '.. l .1
31. Hoisting Works . 165
32. Three Famous Mines . * . 167
33. Waste Rock Dumps of the ChollarPotosi, Savage, Hale, and Norcross Mines. 171
34. The Burning Mine . 180
35. Office of the Consolidated Virginia Mines . 190
36. Accidents in the Mines . 2(>3
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 Minks . 223
42. Wood and Water . 227
*The illustrations of Mining Works, Scenery, and Machinery, are from Photographs taken on the spot, by John S. Noeraud E. Hurd, of Virginia City, Nevada.
VIII
ILLUSTRATIONS .
43. Rhode Island Mill Gold Hill .
44. Residence op Hon J. P. Jones, .
45. Gold Hill Looking North™ .
46. Lumbering on Lake Tahoe .
47. Capture of Perkins . . . .
43. Execution of Perkins .
49. Indian Hunter and Squaws .
50. Winnemucca— Chief of the Piutes - - - -
51. Prince Natchez .
52. The Story of the Cave . . . . - .
54. An Indian Encampment .
55. Grinding Axes . . . . - — - -
56. Consolidated Virginia Hoisting Works .
57. Hoisting Cage . . - . . - .
53. Hoisting Cars and Cages in Silver Mines . —
59. Diagram Showing Height of Mines .
60. Merrimac Mill, Carson River... . .
61. Loading Silver Gre Consolidated Virginia Mines..
62. First Quatz Mine in Nevada .
63. Quatz Mill-Amalgamating Room . . .
64. Hoisting Works . •. .
65. The Trial of Skill . . . . . .
66. The Scared Bully .
67. “The Heathen Chinee” .
68. Scanning the Bulletin . . . . .
69. Funny Incidents .
71. Views at Lake Tahoe . .
72. Nick-of-the Woods . . .
73. Hank Monk... .
74. Donner Lake . -- .
75. Summit of the Sierras .
76. Winter Among the Mountains .
77. Song of the Honest Miner .
78. At Work and at Home .
79. Miners’ Union Hall .
80. The Hottest Place . . . . . '• —
81. Miners’ Battles .
82. Surroundings .
83. The Missing Well Bottom .
84. Tue Man-Eater . .
85. John Mackey .
86. Hon. Wm. Sharon .
87. James G. Fair .
88. Capt. Samuel Curtis .
89. Hon. J. P. Jones .
90. The Slapjack Feat .
91. The Story of Pike and Tom .
. 337
. 342
. 342
. 349
. 363
. 379
. 389
. 403
. 408
. 411
. 414
. 416
. 416
. 422
. 422
. 424
. 433
. 541
. 441
. 459
. 455
. 477
. 503
. 508
. 516
. 520
. 524
. 527
.. 531
. 538
.. 549
Chapter I. The First Settlers In Nevada
Facts and Fiction — IIow 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 Dis¬ covery — “Stuff they Make Compasses of” — Wonderful travelling
Stones . 33
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 — “ Zeph¬ yrs” and Avalanches — A Rather long Night — Queer Incidents . 100
Chapter XVII. Early Comstock Mining Operations
In the Heart of the Bonanza — Inside the Mine — Extraordinary Experi¬ ments — “Process Peddlers” and their Devices — The Value of Tail¬ ings — Neat way of making Rings — waste of Gold and Silver*. . 133
CONTENTS.
XI
Chapter XXIV. Firedamp. — A Mine In Flames
Yellow-Jacket Mine in a Blaze— A Scene of Horror— The Victims Sub¬ duing the Flames The Work of Destruction — Scenes at the Mouth
of the Shaft On Fire for three Years — Missing Men . 175
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 . xg6
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
XII
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 .
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 Dea¬ con Sent For — Resurrection ! — ‘'Awful big Gooses.” . 3^2
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 LV. Holidays And Fun
Romantic Scenery — A Curious Freak of Nature — Lake Tahoe — Hank
Monk — lie 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 LVI I. 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 Employes — 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
XVI
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER LXIII.
FLUCTUATIONS OF FORTUNE.
The Comstock Mines-Hidden Treasure-A Great Sensation— The Ex-
citement Increases — Panic — A Millionaire s Advice . 4 °
CAAPTER LXIV.
THE RICHEST SPOT IN THE WORLD.
The Grand Gallery— Glittering Caverns— The World’s Greatest Treas¬ ure-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 . 5°9
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. ^
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 . 54°
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE COMICAL STORY OF PIKE.
Tom Sings-Thejoke Successful-Pike Vanishes- A .Pretty Big Story-
Chapter I. The 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 situ¬ ations 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, wrho 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
2 17
FACTS AND FICTION .
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 yellowishbrown, and all about through the rents in the ashen-hiied sage¬ brush 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 t e
HOW THE RIVERS ARE LOST.
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 evapo¬ ration 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 pros¬ pector. 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
THE FIRST HOUSE IN GENOA.
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 Cali¬ fornia.
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 silvet*, the principal settle¬ ment 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 “Mor¬ mon 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.
KIT CARSON
UNWELCOME VISITORS.
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 Mor¬ mon 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, how.ever, who were at first a mere handful, Mor¬ mons 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 walk¬ ing 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
THE W A SHOES.
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 flourish¬ ing 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. Tike 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* tjie 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 hav¬ ing a great fondness for horse-flesh. On the occasion of a ball in Dayton, as late as 1854, the Washoes came down and “gob¬ bled 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 remain¬ ing 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, prin¬ cipally canvas houses, at various points to the eastward, along
TAKING IN THE PILGRIMS.
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 (after¬ wards 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 con¬ sidered the emigrant their lawful prey.
Chapter II. The Search For Gold
GOLD was first discovered in Nevada in the spring of 1850, by some Mormon emigrants. They had started for California, but so early in the season that when they arrived at the Carson River they learned that the snow on the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains was still too deep to allow of their being crossed. This being the case, the party encamped on the Carson to await the opening of the road.
Having nothing else to do, some of the men of the party began prospecting for gold. Their camp on the river being at no great distance from the mouth of the Gold Canon, the largest canon in the neighborhood, they were naturally attract¬ ed to it and there began their prospecting operations.
Although they knew but little about mining, and had only pans with which to wash the gravel, they found gold suffi¬ ciently plentiful to enable them to make small wages. It does not appear, however, that the discoverers worked them longer than until they were able to continue their journey to Califor¬ nia.
Other emigrants coming in and encamping on the river learned of the discovery of gold in the canon, and, being anxious to begin gold-digging as soon as possible, did some prospecting along the bed of the ravine.
But the gold being fine (/. e., like dust— in fine particles), and the quantity not being up to their expectations, nearly all pushed on to California, where they expected to make for¬ tunes in a few weeks or months; as all believed, that they,
11 WASHING” FOR GOLD.
through their superior acuteness, would find places in some of the dark and secret gulches of the Sierras where they would be able to gather pounds of golden nuggets.
Finally, Spofford Hall, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, arrived across the Plains and, thinking it a good point at which to establish a permanent station, erected a substantial log-house at a point not far from the mouth of the Gold Canon. This was for some time known as Hall’s Station. Afterwards it was known as McMartin’s Station, the property having been purchased by James McMartin, a man who came across the Plains with Mr. Hall. This house stood on ground now covered by the town of Dayton and was still being used as a store at the time of the discovery of silver, it being then owned by Major Ormsby, killed at Pyramid Lake, in i860, in the first battle with the Piutes.
This discovery of gold at the mouth of Gold Canon was undoubtedly that which led to the discovery, some years _ later, of the Comstock lode — the first step, as it were, to the grand silver discovery of the age. At the head of Gold Canon are situated a number of the leading mines of the Comstock range.
In the spring of 1852 a considerable number of men began working on the lower part of Gold Canon, most of them using rockers in their mining operations. As these men did well, making from $5 to $10 per day, the number of miners on the canon was considerably greater in the winter and spring of 1853, there being as many as two or three hundred men at work. As there was little water in the bed of the canon except during the winter and spring months, few miners were to be seen at work in summer — seldom more than forty or fifty.
As the miners worked their way up the canon from bar to bar, a new town was eventually founded at a point a few miles above the first settlement at its mouth. This was a little hamlet of a dozen houses of all kinds, and was christ¬ ened Johntown. In this little town or “ Camp,” as such places are usually styled in mining countries, lived Henry — Comstock, who gave his name, some years later to the great silver lode; also, Peter O’Riley and Patrick McLaughlin,
CELESTIALS A T THE DIGGINGS.
the discoverers of the Comstock vein. “ Old Virginia ” (James Finney, or Fennimore), in whose honor Virginia City, the great mining town of Nevada, was named, was also
“OLD VIRGINIA” AT HIS ROCKER.
a resident of Johntown in the early days, as were several other persons who are now classed among the worthies of the Comstock range.
From about 1856 up to 1858, Johntown was the “big mining town” of Western Utah— at least was the headquarters of most of the miners at work in the country. All told, the camp con¬ tained only about a dozen buildings, some of which were mere shanties, but many of the miners preferred to camp out during the spring and summer months — they had no use for houses.
A large number of Chinamen being at work at the mouth of the canon, near where the gold was first discovered, that place finally became known as “Chinatown,” a name which it long retained, though the whites who settled there did not much fancy the name. They gave the place the name of Mineral Rapids, but this did not take; then there was danger of it being
The opening of the book is shown; the full text loads in the reader.
Loading the full text…
The end
You’ve reached the end of 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; amazing stories, experiences, anecdotes, &c., &c. and a full exposition of the production of pure silver.